Using physics-informed enhanced super-resolution generative adversarial networks for subfilter modeling in turbulent reactive flows

Abstract

Turbulence is still one of the main challenges in accurate prediction of reactive flows. Therefore, the development of new turbulence closures that can be applied to combustion problems is essential. Over the last few years, data-driven modeling has become popular in many fields as large, often extensively labeled datasets are now available and training of large neural networks has become possible on graphics processing units (GPUs) that speed up the learning process tremendously. However, the successful application of deep neural networks in fluid dynamics, such as in subfilter modeling in the context of large-eddy simulations (LESs), is still challenging. Reasons for this are the large number of degrees of freedom in natural flows, high requirements of accuracy and error robustness, and open questions, for example, regarding the generalization capability of trained neural networks in such high-dimensional, physics-constrained scenarios. This work presents a novel subfilter modeling approach based on a generative adversarial network (GAN), which is trained with unsupervised deep learning (DL) using adversarial and physics-informed losses. A two-step training method is employed to improve the generalization capability, especially extrapolation, of the network. The novel approach gives good results in a priori and a posteriori tests with decaying turbulence including turbulent mixing, and the importance of the physics-informed continuity loss term is demonstrated. The applicability of the network in complex combustion scenarios is furthermore discussed by employing it in reactive and inert LESs of the Spray A case defined by the Engine Combustion Network (ECN).