Large coherence of spanwise velocity in turbulent boundary layers

2018 ◽  
Vol 847 ◽  
pp. 161-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charitha M. de Silva ◽  
Kevin Kevin ◽  
Rio Baidya ◽  
Nicholas Hutchins ◽  
Ivan Marusic
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Boundary Layers ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Streamwise Velocity ◽  
Turbulent Boundary Layers ◽  
Velocity Fields ◽  
Spatial Extent ◽  
Large Field ◽  
Logarithmic Region ◽  
Spanwise Velocity

The spatial signature of spanwise velocity coherence in turbulent boundary layers has been studied using a series of unique large-field-of-view multicamera particle image velocimetry experiments, which were configured to capture streamwise/spanwise slices of the boundary layer in both the logarithmic and the wake regions. The friction Reynolds number of $Re_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}}\approx 2600$ was chosen to nominally match the simulation of Sillero et al. (Phys. Fluids, vol. 26 (10), 2014, 105109), who had previously reported oblique features of the spanwise coherence at the top edge of the boundary layer based on the sign of the spanwise velocity, and here we find consistent observations from experiments. In this work, we show that these oblique features in the spanwise coherence relate to the intermittent turbulent bulges at the edge of the layer, and thus the geometry of the turbulent/non-turbulent interface, with the clear appearance of two counter-oriented oblique features. Further, these features are shown to be also present in the logarithmic region once the velocity fields are deconstructed based on the sign of both the spanwise and the streamwise velocity, suggesting that the often-reported meandering of the streamwise-velocity coherence in the logarithmic region is associated with a more obvious diagonal pattern in the spanwise velocity coherence. Moreover, even though a purely visual inspection of the obliqueness in the spanwise coherence may suggest that it extends over a very large spatial extent (beyond many boundary layer thicknesses), through a conditional analysis, we show that this coherence is limited to distances nominally less than two boundary layer thicknesses. Interpretation of these findings is aided by employing synthetic velocity fields of a boundary layer constructed using the attached eddy model, where the range of eddy sizes can be prescribed. Comparisons between the model, which employs an array of self-similar packet-like eddies that are randomly distributed over the plane of the wall, and the experimental velocity fields reveal a good degree of agreement, with both exhibiting oblique features in the spanwise coherence over comparable spatial extents. These findings suggest that the oblique features in the spanwise coherence are likely to be associated with similar structures to those used in the model, providing one possible underpinning structural composition that leads to this behaviour. Further, these features appear to be limited in spatial extent to only the order of the large-scale motions in the flow.

Pressure gradient effects on the large-scale structure of turbulent boundary layers

2013 ◽  
Vol 715 ◽  
pp. 477-498 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zambri Harun ◽  
Jason P. Monty ◽  
Romain Mathis ◽  
Ivan Marusic
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Pressure Gradient ◽  
Boundary Layers ◽  
Amplitude Modulation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Outer Region ◽  
Adverse Pressure Gradient ◽  
Turbulent Boundary Layers ◽  
Small Scale

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.

Buoyancy effects on large-scale motions in convective atmospheric boundary layers: implications for modulation of near-wall processes

2018 ◽  
Vol 856 ◽  
pp. 135-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. T. Salesky ◽  
W. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Velocity Field ◽  
Boundary Layers ◽  
Vertical Velocity ◽  
Amplitude Modulation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Streamwise Velocity ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Convective Conditions ◽  
Wide Range

A number of recent studies have demonstrated the existence of so-called large- and very-large-scale motions (LSM, VLSM) that occur in the logarithmic region of inertia-dominated wall-bounded turbulent flows. These regions exhibit significant streamwise coherence, and have been shown to modulate the amplitude and frequency of small-scale inner-layer fluctuations in smooth-wall turbulent boundary layers. In contrast, the extent to which analogous modulation occurs in inertia-dominated flows subjected to convective thermal stratification (low Richardson number) and Coriolis forcing (low Rossby number), has not been considered. And yet, these parameter values encompass a wide range of important environmental flows. In this article, we present evidence of amplitude modulation (AM) phenomena in the unstably stratified (i.e. convective) atmospheric boundary layer, and link changes in AM to changes in the topology of coherent structures with increasing instability. We perform a suite of large eddy simulations spanning weakly ($-z_{i}/L=3.1$) to highly convective ($-z_{i}/L=1082$) conditions (where$-z_{i}/L$is the bulk stability parameter formed from the boundary-layer depth$z_{i}$and the Obukhov length $L$) to investigate how AM is affected by buoyancy. Results demonstrate that as unstable stratification increases, the inclination angle of surface layer structures (as determined from the two-point correlation of streamwise velocity) increases from$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FE}\approx 15^{\circ }$for weakly convective conditions to nearly vertical for highly convective conditions. As$-z_{i}/L$increases, LSMs in the streamwise velocity field transition from long, linear updrafts (or horizontal convective rolls) to open cellular patterns, analogous to turbulent Rayleigh–Bénard convection. These changes in the instantaneous velocity field are accompanied by a shift in the outer peak in the streamwise and vertical velocity spectra to smaller dimensionless wavelengths until the energy is concentrated at a single peak. The decoupling procedure proposed by Mathiset al.(J. Fluid Mech., vol. 628, 2009a, pp. 311–337) is used to investigate the extent to which amplitude modulation of small-scale turbulence occurs due to large-scale streamwise and vertical velocity fluctuations. As the spatial attributes of flow structures change from streamwise to vertically dominated, modulation by the large-scale streamwise velocity decreases monotonically. However, the modulating influence of the large-scale vertical velocity remains significant across the stability range considered. We report, finally, that amplitude modulation correlations are insensitive to the computational mesh resolution for flows forced by shear, buoyancy and Coriolis accelerations.

On the scaling in sink-flow turbulent boundary layers

2013 ◽  
Vol 737 ◽  
pp. 329-348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shivsai Ajit Dixit ◽  
O. N. Ramesh
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Turbulent Boundary Layer ◽  
Pressure Gradient ◽  
Boundary Layers ◽  
Physical Space ◽  
Streamwise Velocity ◽  
Turbulent Boundary Layers ◽  
Velocity Spectrum ◽  
Scaling Exponent ◽  
Order Of Magnitude

AbstractScaling of the streamwise velocity spectrum ${\phi }_{11} ({k}_{1} )$ in the so-called sink-flow turbulent boundary layer is investigated in this work. The present experiments show strong evidence for the ${ k}_{1}^{- 1} $ scaling i.e. ${\phi }_{11} ({k}_{1} )= {A}_{1} { U}_{\tau }^{2} { k}_{1}^{- 1} $, where ${k}_{1} $ is the streamwise wavenumber and ${U}_{\tau } $ is the friction velocity. Interestingly, this ${ k}_{1}^{- 1} $ scaling is observed much farther from the wall and at much lower flow Reynolds number (both differing by almost an order of magnitude) than what the expectations from experiments on a zero-pressure-gradient turbulent boundary layer flow would suggest. Furthermore, the coefficient ${A}_{1} $ in the present sink-flow data is seen to be non-universal, i.e. ${A}_{1} $ varies with height from the wall; the scaling exponent −1 remains universal. Logarithmic variation of the so-called longitudinal structure function, which is the physical-space counterpart of spectral ${ k}_{1}^{- 1} $ scaling, is also seen to be non-universal, consistent with the non-universality of ${A}_{1} $. These observations are to be contrasted with the universal value of ${A}_{1} $ (along with the universal scaling exponent of −1) reported in the literature on zero-pressure-gradient turbulent boundary layers. Theoretical arguments based on dimensional analysis indicate that the presence of a streamwise pressure gradient in sink-flow turbulent boundary layers makes the coefficient ${A}_{1} $ non-universal while leaving the scaling exponent −1 unaffected. This effect of the pressure gradient on the streamwise spectra, as discussed in the present study (experiments as well as theory), is consistent with other recent studies in the literature that are focused on the structural aspects of turbulent boundary layer flows in pressure gradients (Harun et al., J. Fluid Mech., vol. 715, 2013, pp. 477–498); the present paper establishes the link between these two. The variability of ${A}_{1} $ accommodated in the present framework serves to clarify the ideas of universality of the ${ k}_{1}^{- 1} $ scaling.

scholarly journals Interactions of large-scale free-stream turbulence with turbulent boundary layers

2016 ◽  
Vol 802 ◽  
pp. 79-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eda Dogan ◽  
Ronald E. Hanson ◽  
Bharathram Ganapathisubramani
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Turbulent Boundary Layer ◽  
Boundary Layers ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Free Stream ◽  
Turbulent Boundary Layers ◽  
Scale Interactions ◽  
Free Stream Turbulence ◽  
Small Scales ◽  
Near Wall

The scale interactions occurring within a turbulent boundary layer are investigated in the presence of free-stream turbulence. The free-stream turbulence is generated by an active grid. The free stream is monitored by a single-component hot-wire probe, while a second probe is roved across the height of the boundary layer at the same streamwise location. Large-scale structures occurring in the free stream are shown to penetrate the boundary layer and increase the streamwise velocity fluctuations throughout. It is speculated that, depending on the extent of the penetration, i.e. based on the level of free-stream turbulence, the near-wall turbulence production peaks at different wall-normal locations than the expected location of $y^{+}\approx 15$ for a canonical turbulent boundary layer. It is shown that the large scales dominating the log region have a modulating effect on the small scales in the near-wall region; this effect becomes more significant with increasing turbulence in the free stream, i.e. similarly increasing $Re_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}_{0}}$. This modulating interaction and its Reynolds-number trend have similarities with canonical turbulent boundary layers at high Reynolds numbers where the interaction between the large scales and the envelope of the small scales exhibits a pure amplitude modulation (Hutchins & Marusic, Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. A, vol. 365 (1852), 2007, pp. 647–664; Mathis et al., J. Fluid Mech., vol. 628, 2009, pp. 311–337). This similarity has encouraging implications towards generalising scale interactions in turbulent boundary layers.

Generalized logarithmic law for high-order moments in turbulent boundary layers

2013 ◽  
Vol 719 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Meneveau ◽  
Ivan Marusic
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Boundary Layers ◽  
Friction Velocity ◽  
Streamwise Velocity ◽  
Turbulent Boundary Layers ◽  
Outer Length ◽  
Even Order ◽  
Logarithmic Region ◽  
Gaussian Statistics ◽  
High Reynolds

AbstractHigh-Reynolds-number data in turbulent boundary layers are analysed to examine statistical moments of streamwise velocity fluctuations ${u}^{\prime } $. Prior work has shown that the variance of ${u}^{\prime } $ exhibits logarithmic behaviour with distance to the surface, within an inertial sublayer. Here we extend these observations to even-order moments. We show that the $2p$-order moments, raised to the power $1/ p, $ also follow logarithmic behaviour according to $\langle \mathop{({u}^{\prime + } ){}^{2p} \rangle }\nolimits ^{1/ p} = {B}_{p} - {A}_{p} \ln (z/ \delta )$, where ${u}^{\prime + } $ is the velocity fluctuation normalized by the friction velocity, $\delta $ is an outer length scale and ${B}_{p} $ are non-universal constants. The slopes ${A}_{p} $ in the logarithmic region appear quite insensitive to Reynolds number, consistent with universal behaviour for wall-bounded flows. The slopes differ from predictions that assume Gaussian statistics, and instead are consistent with sub-Gaussian behaviour.

Large-scale features in turbulent pipe and channel flows

2007 ◽  
Vol 589 ◽  
pp. 147-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. MONTY ◽  
J. A. STEWART ◽  
R. C. WILLIAMS ◽  
M. S. CHONG
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Boundary Layers ◽  
Turbulent Flows ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Significant Progress ◽  
Mean Velocity ◽  
Characteristic Structure ◽  
Custom Made ◽  
Logarithmic Region ◽  
The Mean

In recent years there has been significant progress made towards understanding the large-scale structure of wall-bounded shear flows. Most of this work has been conducted with turbulent boundary layers, leaving scope for further work in pipes and channels. In this article the structure of fully developed turbulent pipe and channel flow has been studied using custom-made arrays of hot-wire probes. Results reveal long meandering structures of length up to 25 pipe radii or channel half-heights. These appear to be qualitatively similar to those reported in the log region of a turbulent boundary layer. However, for the channel case, large-scale coherence persists further from the wall than in boundary layers. This is expected since these large-scale features are a property of the logarithmic region of the mean velocity profile in boundary layers and it is well-known that the mean velocity in a channel remains very close to the log law much further from the wall. Further comparison of the three turbulent flows shows that the characteristic structure width in the logarithmic region of a boundary layer is at least 1.6 times smaller than that in a pipe or channel.

Experiment on Turbulent Boundary Layers on a Concave Wall

1975 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald M C So ◽  
George L Mellor
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Turbulent Boundary Layer ◽  
Boundary Layers ◽  
Present Experiment ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Turbulent Boundary Layers ◽  
Turbulence Level ◽  
Mean Velocity ◽  
Concave Wall ◽  
Transverse Profile

SummaryThe present experiment describes the behaviour of a turbulent boundary layer on a concave wall. At the onset of curvature there appears a fairly coherent wavelike transverse profile of mean velocity. This disturbance might be interpreted as a kind of large scale Taylor-Görtler type instability superimposed on a conventional turbulent boundary layer; further downstream the coherence degenerates as the turbulence level increases. Boundary-layer profile measurements were made at positions of maxima and minima of transverse profiles of (U-component) mean velocity. The boundary layer at the minima positions is found to be twice as thick as that at the maxima positions. Also, turbulent intensities inside the boundary layer are substantially increased as a result of the concave curvature of the surface.

scholarly journals Effects of spanwise spacing on large-scale secondary flows in rough-wall turbulent boundary layers

2015 ◽  
Vol 774 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Vanderwel ◽  
Bharathram Ganapathisubramani
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Layer Thickness ◽  
Boundary Layers ◽  
Boundary Layer Thickness ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Turbulent Boundary Layers ◽  
Surface Flow ◽  
Secondary Flows ◽  
Flow Conditions ◽  
Roughness Elements

Large-scale secondary flows can sometimes appear in turbulent boundary layers formed over rough surfaces, creating low- and high-momentum pathways along the surface (Barros & Christensen, J. Fluid Mech., vol. 748, 2014, R1). We investigate experimentally the dependence of these secondary flows on surface/flow conditions by measuring the flows over streamwise strips of roughness with systematically varied spanwise spacing. We find that the large-scale secondary flows are accentuated when the spacing of the roughness elements is roughly proportional to the boundary layer thickness ${\it\delta}$, and do not appear for cases with finer spacing. Cases with coarser spacing also generate ${\it\delta}$-scale secondary flows with tertiary flows in the spaces in between. These results show that the ratio of the spanwise length scale of roughness heterogeneity to the boundary layer thickness is a critical parameter for the occurrence of these secondary motions in turbulent boundary layers over rough walls.

scholarly journals Evidence of very long meandering features in the logarithmic region of turbulent boundary layers

2007 ◽  
Vol 579 ◽  
pp. 1-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. HUTCHINS ◽  
IVAN MARUSIC
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Boundary Layers ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Sonic Anemometer ◽  
Streamwise Velocity ◽  
Turbulent Boundary Layers ◽  
Wall Region ◽  
Velocity Fluctuations ◽  
Near Wall

A regime of very long meandering positive and negative streamwise velocity fluctuations, that we term ‘superstructures’, are found to exist in the log and lower wake regions of turbulent boundary layers. Measurements are made with a spanwise rake of 10 hot-wires in two separate facilities (spanning more than a decade of Reτ) and are compared with existing PIV and DNS results. In all cases, we note evidence of a large-scale stripiness in the streamwise velocity fluctuations. The length of these regions can commonly exceed 20δ. Similar length scales have been previously reported for pipes and DNS channel flows. It is suggested that the true length of these features is masked from single-point statistics (such as autocorrelations and spectra) by a spanwise meandering tendency. Support for this conjecture is offered through the study of a synthetic flow composed only of sinusoidally meandering elongated low- and high-speed regions. From detailed maps of one-dimensional spectra, it is found that the contribution to the streamwise turbulence intensities associated with the superstructures appears to be increasingly significant with Reynolds number, and scales with outer length variables (δ). Importantly, the superstructure maintains a presence or footprint in the near-wall region, seeming to modulate or influence the near-wall cycle. This input of low-wavenumber outer-scaled energy into the near-wall region is consistent with the rise in near-wall streamwise intensities, when scaled with inner variables, that has been noted to occur with increasing Reynolds number. In an attempt to investigate these structures at very high Reynolds numbers, we also report on recent large-scale sonic anemometer rake measurements, made in the neutrally stable atmospheric surface layer. Preliminary results indicate that the superstructure is present in the log region of this atmospheric flow at Reτ = 6.6×105, and has a size consistent with outer scaling.

Conditional statistics and flow structures in turbulent boundary layers buffeted by free-stream disturbances

2019 ◽  
Vol 866 ◽  
pp. 526-566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiho You ◽  
Tamer A. Zaki
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Shear Stress ◽  
Kinetic Energy ◽  
Boundary Layers ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Free Stream ◽  
Turbulent Boundary Layers ◽  
Direct Numerical Simulations ◽  
Free Stream Turbulence ◽  
Conditional Statistics

Direct numerical simulations are performed to study zero-pressure-gradient turbulent boundary layers beneath quiescent and vortical free streams. The inflow boundary layer is computed in a precursor simulation of laminar-to-turbulence transition, and the free-stream vortical forcing is obtained from direct numerical simulations of homogeneous isotropic turbulence. A level-set approach is employed in order to objectively distinguish the boundary-layer and free-stream fluids, and to accurately evaluate their respective contributions to flow statistics. When free-stream turbulence is present, the skin friction coefficient is elevated relative to its value in the canonical boundary-layer configuration. An explanation is provided in terms of an increase in the power input into production of boundary-layer turbulence kinetic energy. This increase takes place deeper than the extent of penetration of the external perturbations towards the wall, and also despite the free-stream perturbations being void of any Reynolds shear stress. Conditional statistics demonstrate that the free-stream turbulence has two effects on the boundary layer: one direct and the other indirect. The low-frequency components of the free-stream turbulence penetrate the logarithmic layer. The associated wall-normal Reynolds stress acts against the mean shear to enhance the shear stress, which in turn enhances turbulence production. This effect directly enlarges the scale and enhances the energy of outer large-scale motions in the boundary layer. The second, indirect effect is the influence of these newly formed large-scale structures. They modulate the near-wall shear stress and, as a result, increase the turbulence kinetic energy production in the buffer layer, which is deeper than the extent of penetration of free-stream turbulence towards the wall.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document