Influence of backflow on skin friction in turbulent pipe flow

A direct numerical simulation of a turbulent pipe flow (Reτ = 544) is used to investigate the influence of the backflow on the vortical structures that contribute to the local skin friction. The backflow is a rare event with a probability density function (PDF) of less than 10−3. The backflow is found to extend up to y+ ≈ 4 and is induced by the presence of a vortex in the buffer layer. The flow statistics are conditionally sampled under the condition of a negative streamwise velocity (u < 0) at y+ = 3. The conditionally averaged u′v′+u<0 reaches its maximum at y+ ≈ 27. The intensified conditionally averaged velocity fluctuations contribute to vertical and spanwise momentum transport around the backflow. The ensemble averaged u′v′+ and u′w′+ reveal layered structures in the Q2 and Q4 events. A strong Q4 event appears above the backflow, flanked by two regions of Q2. The strong downwash of the flow along with the spanwise vortex induces the backflow. The upwash at upstream and downstream of the backflow en...