Set and . The Kolmogorov equation for structure functions and the constant-skewness turbulence closure give the displayed ordinary differential equation, with . Its small-separation balance is ; its large-separation balance is . The first matches differentiable velocity increments, and the second recovers the assumed Kolmogorov two-thirds law.
Combining the Kolmogorov two-thirds law with the Kolmogorov four-fifths law gives the velocity increment skewness in the inertial range:
The constant-skewness turbulence closure assumes this same value throughout the universal equilibrium range, including the dissipative crossover. This is an extra modeling assumption; neither similarity law establishes it near .
Write , , and . Since and , substituting into the Kolmogorov equation for structure functions gives
Dividing by yields the normalized constant-skewness structure-function equation:
At small , , recovering for differentiable velocity increments. At large , the dominant balance gives , recovering the assumed Kolmogorov two-thirds law.
This turbulence closure is inexpensive: a single ordinary differential equation interpolates between the two regimes while respecting the local third-order balance. Its prescribed skewness cannot independently predict scale-dependent derivative statistics, transient spectral evolution or internal intermittency.
EDQNM closure instead evolves the turbulent energy spectrum through modeled spectral triad interactions. Its quasi-normal fourth-order approximation is supplemented by eddy damping and a Markovian treatment of correlation memory. It retains more information about scale-dependent transfer and evolving spectra, at the cost of spectral integrals and modeled damping times. It is still approximate and does not automatically describe coherent structures or internal intermittency. The simple constant-skewness model is therefore useful as an equilibrium interpolation; EDQNM closure addresses a broader spectral evolution problem.
Let denote one-component velocity variance, the longitudinal velocity correlation, and the signed longitudinal structure functions. Homogeneity gives , while the third-order convention here is . Thus the Kármán-Howarth equation becomes
The mean kinetic energy per unit mass is , so its decay gives . In the universal equilibrium range, the small-scale variation is negligible at leading order, hence . Integrating from zero and using regularity gives
The Kolmogorov equation for structure functions is therefore
For finite local unsteadiness the right side has the additional term ; dropping it is the local-equilibrium approximation used here.
In the inertial range the viscous term is also negligible, leaving the Kolmogorov four-fifths law, . Its coefficient and sign follow from the exact energy balance and Kármán-Howarth equation, rather than from dimensional similarity. It supplies a firm third-order constraint on Kolmogorov 1941 theory and measures the forward energy cascade, while leaving the second- and higher-order exponents open to internal intermittency corrections.