The effects of reynolds number and pressure gradient on the transitional spot in a laminar boundary layer

Author(s):  
I. Wygnanski

The structure of a supersonic laminar boundary layer near a flat plate is examined when fluid is injected into it, normal to the surface, with velocity O (∊ 3 U * ∞ ) over a distance O (∊ 3 L). Here U * ∞ is the undisturbed velocity of the fluid, L is the plate length and ∊ -8 is a representative Reynolds number of the flow. It is found that the pressure rises upstream of the injection region and that in all the cases fully computed the blowing takes place in a favourable pressure gradient. Afterwards the pressure rises to its undisturbed value. Further incomplete studies suggest that in more extreme conditions, e. g. longer slots, the pressure gradient can be adverse just downstream of the start of the blow and that separation can even occur there. The analytical discussion rests heavily on the notion of the triple-deck, a subdivision of the boundary layer suitable for investigating its response to sudden changes in boundary conditions. Extensive numerical work is also required and the methods devised fail when the boundary layer separates at the onset of the blow. The relation between this type of injection and weak plate injection where the blowing velocity is O (∊ 4 U * ∞ ) and extends over a distance O ( L ) is also considered.





2013 ◽  
Vol 715 ◽  
pp. 477-498 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zambri Harun ◽  
Jason P. Monty ◽  
Romain Mathis ◽  
Ivan Marusic

AbstractResearch into high-Reynolds-number turbulent boundary layers in recent years has brought about a renewed interest in the larger-scale structures. It is now known that these structures emerge more prominently in the outer region not only due to increased Reynolds number (Metzger & Klewicki, Phys. Fluids, vol. 13(3), 2001, pp. 692–701; Hutchins & Marusic, J. Fluid Mech., vol. 579, 2007, pp. 1–28), but also when a boundary layer is exposed to an adverse pressure gradient (Bradshaw, J. Fluid Mech., vol. 29, 1967, pp. 625–645; Lee & Sung, J. Fluid Mech., vol. 639, 2009, pp. 101–131). The latter case has not received as much attention in the literature. As such, this work investigates the modification of the large-scale features of boundary layers subjected to zero, adverse and favourable pressure gradients. It is first shown that the mean velocities, turbulence intensities and turbulence production are significantly different in the outer region across the three cases. Spectral and scale decomposition analyses confirm that the large scales are more energized throughout the entire adverse pressure gradient boundary layer, especially in the outer region. Although more energetic, there is a similar spectral distribution of energy in the wake region, implying the geometrical structure of the outer layer remains universal in all cases. Comparisons are also made of the amplitude modulation of small scales by the large-scale motions for the three pressure gradient cases. The wall-normal location of the zero-crossing of small-scale amplitude modulation is found to increase with increasing pressure gradient, yet this location continues to coincide with the large-scale energetic peak wall-normal location (as has been observed in zero pressure gradient boundary layers). The amplitude modulation effect is found to increase as pressure gradient is increased from favourable to adverse.



Author(s):  
H. Perez-Blanco ◽  
Robert Van Dyken ◽  
Aaron Byerley ◽  
Tom McLaughlin

Separation bubbles in high-camber blades under part-load conditions have been addressed via continuous and pulsed jets, and also via plasma actuators. Numerous passive techniques have been employed as well. In this type of blades, the laminar boundary layer cannot overcome the adverse pressure gradient arising along the suction side, resulting on a separation bubble. When separation is abated, a common explanation is that kinetic energy added to the laminar boundary layer speeds up its transition to turbulent. In the present study, a plasma actuator installed in the trailing edge (i.e. “wake filling configuration”) of a cascade blade is used to excite the flow in pulsed and continuous ways. The pulsed excitation can be directed to the frequencies of the large coherent structures (LCS) of the flow, as obtained via a hot-film anemometer, or to much higher frequencies present in the suction-side boundary layer, as given in the literature. It is found that pulsed frequencies much higher than that of LCS reduce losses and improve turning angles further than frequencies close to those of LCS. With the plasma actuator 50% on time, good loss abatement is obtained. Larger “on time” values yield improvements, but with decreasing returns. Continuous high-frequency activation results in the largest loss reduction, at increased power cost. The effectiveness of high frequencies may be due to separation abatement via boundary layer excitation into transition, or may simply be due to the creation of a favorable pressure gradient that averts separation as the actuator ejects fluid downstream. Both possibilities are discussed in light of the experimental evidence.



1959 ◽  
Vol 63 (588) ◽  
pp. 722-722
Author(s):  
R. L. Dommett

It has been found that there is a critical height for “sandpaper” type roughness below which no measurable disturbances are introduced into a laminar boundary layer and above which transition is initiated at the roughness. Braslow and Knox have proposed a method of predicting this height, for flow over a flat plate or a cone, using exact solutions of the laminar boundary layer equations combined with a correlation of experimental results in terms of a Reynolds number based on roughness height, k, and local conditions at the top of the elements. A simpler, yet more general, method can be constructed by taking additional advantage of the linearity of the velocity profile near the wall in a laminar boundary layer.



Author(s):  
Yvan Maciel ◽  
Tie Wei ◽  
Ayse G. Gungor ◽  
Mark P. Simens

We perform a careful nondimensional analysis of the turbulent boundary layer equations in order to bring out, without assuming any self-similar behaviour, a consistent set of nondimensional parameters characterizing the outer region of turbulent boundary layers with arbitrary pressure gradients. These nondimensional parameters are a pressure gradient parameter, a Reynolds number (different from commonly used ones) and an inertial parameter. They are obtained without assuming a priori the outer length and velocity scales. They represent the ratio of the magnitudes of two types of forces in the outer region, using the Reynolds shear stress gradient (apparent turbulent force) as the reference force: inertia to apparent turbulent forces for the inertial parameter, pressure to apparent turbulent forces for the pressure gradient parameter and apparent turbulent to viscous forces for the Reynolds number. We determine under what conditions they retain their meaning, depending on the outer velocity scale that is considered, with the help of seven boundary layer databases. We find the impressive result that if the Zagarola-Smits velocity is used as the outer velocity scale, the streamwise evolution of the three ratios of forces in the outer region can be accurately followed with these non-dimensional parameters in all these flows — not just the order of magnitude of these ratios. This cannot be achieved with three other outer velocity scales commonly used for pressure gradient turbulent boundary layers. Consequently, the three new nondimensional parameters, when expressed with the Zagarola-Smits velocity, can be used to follow — in a global sense — the streamwise evolution of the stream-wise mean momentum balance in the outer region. This study provides a clear and consistent framework for the analysis of the outer region of adverse-pressure-gradient turbulent boundary layers.



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