Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 20, 2026
11:03
An Analog Macroscopic Technique for Studying Molecular Hydrodynamic Processes in Dense Gases and Liquids
Published on: December 4, 2017
Data-driven modeling of multiscale phenomena with applications to fluid turbulence
Brandon Choi1, Matteo Ugliotti1, Mateo Reynoso1
1Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, School of Physics, Georgia 30332, USA.
Physical Review. E
|June 19, 2026
Summary
This study presents a data-driven framework for building accurate models of multiscale phenomena without physics assumptions. The approach successfully models fluid turbulence, including energy backscatter from small to large scales.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Computational Fluid Dynamics
- Machine Learning
Background:
- Modeling multiscale phenomena requires capturing interactions across different scales.
- Incompressible fluid turbulence, especially in 2D, presents challenges in modeling energy backscatter.
- Existing models often rely on specific physical assumptions, limiting their generality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a general, data-driven framework for constructing equivariant models of multiscale phenomena.
- To apply this framework to incompressible fluid turbulence, a representative and challenging problem.
- To develop interpretable evolution equations for both large and small scales.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing direct numerical simulations of freely decaying 2D turbulence.
- Inferring an effective field theory from simulation data.
- Developing explicit, interpretable evolution equations for resolved and modeled scales.
Main Results:
- The framework generates a closed system of equations capable of describing multiscale interactions.
- Accurate modeling of the effect of small scales on large scales was achieved.
- The model successfully captures energy backscatter in 2D turbulence.
Conclusions:
- The data-driven framework provides an accurate and general approach to modeling multiscale phenomena.
- This method offers a way to address challenges like energy backscatter in fluid dynamics.
- The interpretable equations derived enhance understanding of turbulence dynamics.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:30Typical Model Studies
Fluid mechanics model studies often utilize scaled-down systems to predict fluid behavior in full-scale environments, such as river flows, dam spillways, and structures interacting with open surfaces. Maintaining Froude number similarity in river models is crucial, as it replicates surface flow features like wave patterns and velocities.
01:12Modeling and Similitude
Scaled modeling is a fundamental technique in engineering, enabling the study of large and complex systems by creating smaller, manageable replicas that recreate critical characteristics of the original. In hydrology and civil infrastructure, for example, scaled models of dams help analyze water flow, turbulence, and pressure. This method allows for accurate predictions of real-world behavior within a controlled environment, significantly reducing the cost and time involved in full-scale...
01:07Laminar and Turbulent Flow
Fluid dynamics is the study of fluids in motion. Velocity vectors are often used to illustrate fluid motion in applications like meteorology. For example, wind—the fluid motion of air in the atmosphere—can be represented by vectors indicating the speed and direction of the wind at any given point on a map. Another method for representing fluid motion is a streamline. A streamline represents the path of a small volume of fluid as it flows. When the flow pattern changes with time, the streamlines...
01:21Design Example: Creating a Hydraulic Model of a Dam Spillway
Scaled hydraulic models of dam spillways provide a practical way to replicate and study the intricate flow dynamics of these structures. Often built to a 1:15 ratio, these models allow for observing critical water behavior, such as velocity distribution, flow patterns, and energy dissipation.
01:24Turbulent Flow
Turbulent flow is characterized by unpredictable fluctuations in velocity and pressure, which result in a chaotic fluid movement distinct from the orderly patterns of laminar flow. While laminar flow is governed by smooth, parallel layers with minimal mixing, turbulent flow exhibits highly irregular, three-dimensional patterns. This behavior arises due to instabilities in the fluid's velocity profile, and amplifies as the flow velocity increases. Minor disturbances, known as turbulent spots,...
01:22Eulerian and Lagrangian Flow Descriptions
Fluid flow analysis is critical in many scientific and engineering disciplines, and two principal approaches are used to describe this flow: the Eulerian and Lagrangian methods. These methods offer different perspectives on monitoring and analyzing the motion of fluids, each with distinct advantages depending on the scenario.
The Eulerian method focuses on fixed points in space where fluid properties, such as velocity, pressure, and temperature, are observed as the fluid moves between these...
The Eulerian method focuses on fixed points in space where fluid properties, such as velocity, pressure, and temperature, are observed as the fluid moves between these...