Reynolds-stress modeling of three-dimensional secondary flows with emphasis on turbulent diffusion closure

The purpose of this paper is to assess the importance of the explicit dependence of turbulent diffusion on the gradients of mean-velocity modeling in second moment closures on three-dimensional (3D) detached and secondary flows prediction. Following recent theoretical work of Younis, Gatski, and Speziale, 2000, [Proc. Royal Society Lon. A, 456, pp. 909-920], we propose a triple-velocity correlation model, including the effects of the spatial gradients of mean velocity. A model for both the slow and rapid parts of the pressure-diffusion term was also developed and added to a wall-normal-free Reynolds-stress model. The present model is validated against 3D detached and secondary flows. Further developments, especially on the echo terms (which should appear in the formulation of pressure- velocity correlation), are discussed.