Receptivity to Freestream Turbulence and the Effect of Longitudinal Vortices in Boundary Layer Transition

2000 ◽  
pp. 117-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi-Chung Su ◽  
Thorwald Herbert
1989 ◽  
Vol 199 ◽  
pp. 403-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Laurien ◽  
L. Kleiser

The laminar-turbulent transition process in a parallel boundary-layer with Blasius profile is simulated by numerical integration of the three-dimensional incompressible Navier-Stokes equations using a spectral method. The model of spatially periodic disturbances developing in time is used. Both the classical Klebanoff-type and the subharmonic type of transition are simulated. Maps of the three-dimensional velocity and vorticity fields and visualizations by integrated fluid markers are obtained. The numerical results are compared with experimental measurements and flow visualizations by other authors. Good qualitative and quantitative agreement is found at corresponding stages of development up to the one-spike stage. After the appearance of two-dimensional Tollmien-Schlichting waves of sufficiently large amplitude an increasing three-dimensionality is observed. In particular, a peak-valley structure of the velocity fluctuations, mean longitudinal vortices and sharp spike-like instantaneous velocity signals are formed. The flow field is dominated by a three-dimensional horseshoe vortex system connected with free high-shear layers. Visualizations by time-lines show the formation of A-structures. Our numerical results connect various observations obtained with different experimental techniques. The initial three-dimensional steps of the transition process are consistent with the linear theory of secondary instability. In the later stages nonlinear interactions of the disturbance modes and the production of higher harmonics are essential.We also study the control of transition by local two-dimensional suction and blowing at the wall. It is shown that transition can be delayed or accelerated by superposing disturbances which are out of phase or in phase with oncoming Tollmien-Schlichting instability waves, respectively. Control is only effective if applied at an early, two-dimensional stage of transition. Mean longitudinal vortices remain even after successful control of the fluctuations.


Author(s):  
Stefan Becker ◽  
Donald M. McEligot ◽  
Edmond Walsh ◽  
Eckart Laurien

New results are deduced to assess the validity of proposed transition indicators when applied to situations other than boundary layers on smooth surfaces. The geometry employed utilizes a two-dimensional square rib to disrupt the boundary layer flow. The objective is to determine whether some available criteria are consistent with the present measurements of laminar recovery and transition for the flow downstream of this rib. For the present data — the proposed values of thresholds for transition in existing literature that are based on the freestream turbulence level at the leading edge are not reached in the recovering laminar run but they are not exceeded in the transitioning run either. Of the pointwise proposals examined, values of the suggested quantity were consistent for three of the criteria; that is, they were less than the threshold in laminar recovery and greater than it in the transitioning case.


1992 ◽  
Vol 114 (3) ◽  
pp. 322-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. F. Blair

Hot-wire anemometry was employed to examine the laminar-to-turbulent transition of low-speed, two-dimensional boundary layers for two (moderate) levels of flow acceleration and various levels of grid-generated freestream turbulence. Flows with an adiabatic wall and with uniform-flux heat transfer were explored. Conditional discrimination techniques were employed to examine the zones of flow within the transitional region. This analysis demonstrated that as much as one-half of the streamwise-component unsteadiness, and much of the apparent anisotropy, observed near the wall was produced, not by turbulence, but by the steps in velocity between the turbulent and inter-turbulent zones of flow. Within the turbulent zones u′/v′ ratios were about equal to those expected for equilibrium boundary-layer turbulence. Near transition onset, however, the turbulence kinetic energy within the turbulent zones exceeded fully turbulent boundary-layer levels. Turbulent-zone power-spectral-density measurements indicate that the ratio of dissipation to production increased through transition. This suggests that the generation of the full equilibrium turbulent boundary-layer energy cascade required some time (distance) and may explain the very high TKE levels near onset.


Author(s):  
Mark W. Johnson ◽  
Ali H. Ercan

A new boundary layer transition model is presented which relates the velocity fluctuations near the wall to the formation of turbulent spots. A relationship for the near wall velocity frequency spectra is also established, which indicates an increasing bias towards low frequencies as the skin friction coefficient for the boundary layer decreases. This result suggests that the dependence of transition on the turbulent length scale is greatest at low freestream turbulence levels. This transition model is incorporated in a conventional boundary layer integral technique and is used to predict eight of the ERCOFTAC test cases. Three of these test cases are for nominally zero pressure gradient and the remaining five are for a pressure distribution typical of an aft loaded turbine blade. The model is demonstrated to predict the development of the boundary layer through transition reasonably accurately for all the test cases. The sensitivity of start of transition to the turbulent length scale at low freestream turbulence levels is also demonstrated.


Author(s):  
S. Nasir ◽  
J. S. Carullo ◽  
W. F. Ng ◽  
K. A. Thole ◽  
H. Wu ◽  
...  

This paper experimentally and numerically investigates the effect of large scale high freestream turbulence intensity and exit Reynolds number on the surface heat transfer distribution of a turbine vane in a 2-D linear cascade at realistic engine Mach numbers. A passive turbulence grid was used to generate a freestream turbulence level of 16% and integral length scale normalized by the vane pitch of 0.23 at the cascade inlet. The baseline turbulence level and integral length scale normalized by the vane pitch at the cascade inlet were measured to be 2% and 0.05, respectively. Surface heat transfer measurements were made at the midspan of the vane using thin film gauges. Experiments were performed at exit Mach numbers of 0.55, 0.75 and 1.01 which represent flow conditions below, near, and above nominal conditions. The exit Mach numbers tested correspond to exit Reynolds numbers of 9 × 105, 1.05 × 106, and 1.5 × 106, based on true chord. The experimental results showed that the large scale high freestream turbulence augmented the heat transfer on both the pressure and suction sides of the vane as compared to the low freestream turbulence case and promoted slightly earlier boundary layer transition on the suction surface for exit Mach 0.55 and 0.75. At nominal conditions, exit Mach 0.75, average heat transfer augmentations of 52% and 25% were observed on the pressure and suction side of the vane, respectively. An increased Reynolds number was found to induce earlier boundary layer transition on the vane suction surface and to increase heat transfer levels on the suction and pressure surfaces. On the suction side, the boundary layer transition length was also found to be affected by increase changes in Reynolds number. The experimental results also compared well with analytical correlations and CFD predictions.


2009 ◽  
Vol 131 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shakeel Nasir ◽  
Jeffrey S. Carullo ◽  
Wing-Fai Ng ◽  
Karen A. Thole ◽  
Hong Wu ◽  
...  

This paper experimentally and numerically investigates the effects of large scale high freestream turbulence intensity and exit Reynolds number on the surface heat transfer distribution of a turbine vane in a 2D linear cascade at realistic engine Mach numbers. A passive turbulence grid was used to generate a freestream turbulence level of 16% and integral length scale normalized by the vane pitch of 0.23 at the cascade inlet. The base line turbulence level and integral length scale normalized by the vane pitch at the cascade inlet were measured to be 2% and 0.05, respectively. Surface heat transfer measurements were made at the midspan of the vane using thin film gauges. Experiments were performed at exit Mach numbers of 0.55, 0.75, and 1.01, which represent flow conditions below, near, and above nominal conditions. The exit Mach numbers tested correspond to exit Reynolds numbers of 9×105, 1.05×106, and 1.5×106 based on a vane chord. The experimental results showed that the large scale high freestream turbulence augmented the heat transfer on both the pressure and suction sides of the vane as compared to the low freestream turbulence case and promoted a slightly earlier boundary layer transition on the suction surface for exit Mach 0.55 and 0.75. At nominal conditions, exit Mach 0.75, average heat transfer augmentations of 52% and 25% were observed on the pressure and suction sides of the vane, respectively. An increased Reynolds number was found to induce an earlier boundary layer transition on the vane suction surface and to increase heat transfer levels on the suction and pressure surfaces. On the suction side, the boundary layer transition length was also found to be affected by increase changes in Reynolds number. The experimental results also compared well with analytical correlations and computational fluid dynamics predictions.


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