Reynolds Stress Anisotropy Tensor Predictions for Turbulent Channel Flow using Neural Networks

The Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) approach remains a backbone for turbulence modeling due to its high cost-effectiveness. Its accuracy is largely based on a reliable Reynolds stress anisotropy tensor closure model. There has been an amount of work aiming at improving traditional closure models, while they are still not satisfactory to some complex flow configurations. In recent years, advances in computing power have opened up a new way to address this problem: the machine-learning-assisted turbulence modeling. In this paper, we employ neural networks to fully predict the Reynolds stress anisotropy tensor of turbulent channel flows at different friction Reynolds numbers, for both interpolation and extrapolation scenarios. Several generic neural networks of Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) type are trained with different input feature combinations to acquire a complete grasp of the role of each parameter. The best performance is yielded by the model with the dimensionless mean streamwise velocity gradient $\alpha$, the dimensionless wall distance $y^+$ and the friction Reynolds number $\mathrm{Re}_\tau$ as inputs. A deeper theoretical insight into the Tensor Basis Neural Network (TBNN) clarifies some remaining ambiguities found in the literature concerning its application of Pope's general eddy viscosity model. We emphasize the sensitivity of the TBNN on the constant tensor $\textbf{T}^{*(0)}$ upon the turbulent channel flow data set, and newly propose a generalized $\textbf{T}^{*(0)}$, which considerably enhances its performance. Through comparison between the MLP and the augmented TBNN model with both $\{\alpha, y^+, \mathrm{Re}_\tau\}$ as input set, it is concluded that the former outperforms the latter and provides excellent interpolation and extrapolation predictions of the Reynolds stress anisotropy tensor in the specific case of turbulent channel flow.