Hidden mechanism of dynamic large-eddy simulation models

The dynamic model is one of the most successful inventions in subgrid-scale (SGS) modeling as it alleviates many drawbacks of the static coefficient SGS stress models. The model coefficient is often calculated dynamically through the minimization of the Germano-identity error (GIE). However, the driving mechanism behind the dynamic model's success is still not well understood. In wall-bounded flows, we postulate that the principal directions of the resolved rate-of-strain tensor play an important role in the dynamic models. Specifically, we find that minimization of the GIE along only the three principal directions (or less), in lieu of the nine components in its original formulation, produces equally comparable results as the original model when examined in canonical turbulent channel flows, a three-dimensional turbulent boundary layer, and a separating flow over periodic hills. This suggests that not all components of the Germano identity are equally important for the success of the dynamic model, and that there might be dynamically more important directions for modeling the subgrid dynamics.