A stereoscopic visual study of coherent structures in turbulent shear flow

1978 ◽  
Vol 89 (2) ◽  
pp. 251-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ananda K. Praturi ◽  
Robert S. Brodkey
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Outer Region ◽  
Outer Edge ◽  
Turbulent Shear ◽  
Wall Region ◽  
Camera System ◽  
Low Speed ◽  
Visual Study ◽  
Axial Vortex

A visual study of a turbulent boundary-layer flow was conducted by photographing the motions of small tracer particles using a stereoscopic medium-speed camera system moving with the flow. In some experiments, dye injection at the leading edge of the flat plate helped to delineate the outer edge of the boundary layer. The technique allowed the three-dimensional aspects of the flow to be studied in some detail, and in particular allowed axial vortex motions in the wall region to be identified.The flow was found to exhibit three characteristic regions which can be roughly divided into the wall and outer regions of the boundary layer and an irrotational region, unmarked by dye, outside the instantaneous edge of the boundary layer. Briefly, the outer region of the boundary layer was dominated by transverse vortex motions that formed as a result of an interaction between low-speed and high-speed (sweep) fluid elements in that region. The present results clearly show that bulges in the edge of the boundary layer are associated with transverse vortex motions. In addition, the transverse vortex motions appear to induce massive inflows of fluid from the irrotational region deep into the outer region of the boundary layer. The outer edge of the boundary layer thus becomes further contorted, contributing to the intermittency of the region. Furthermore, the outer-region motions give rise to the conditions necessary for the dominant wall-region activity of ejections and axial vortex motions. It is not the energetic wall-region ejections that move to the outer region and give rise to the contorted edge of the boundary layer as has been suggested by others.The wall-region axial vortex motions were intense and lasted for a time short compared with the lifetime of outer-region transverse vortex motions. The present results strongly suggest that wall-region vortex motions are a result of interaction between the incoming higher-speed fluid from the outer region of the boundary layer and the outflowing low-speed wall-region fluid. This is in direct contrast to all models that suggest that axial vortex pairs in the wall region are the factor that gives rise to the outflow of low-speed fluid trapped between.Although all the elements necessary to make up a horseshoe vortex structure riding along the wall were present, such a composite was not observed. However, this could be visualized as a possible model to represent the ensemble average of the flow.Finally, the massive inflows from the irrotational region were observed to precede the appearance of low- and high-speed fluid elements in the boundary layer, thus completing the deterministic cycle of individual coherent events.

scholarly journals A visual study of turbulent shear flow

1973 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 513-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stavros G. Nychas ◽  
Harry C. Hershey ◽  
Robert S. Brodkey
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Outer Region ◽  
Solid Particles ◽  
Turbulent Shear ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Wall Region ◽  
Wall Area ◽  
Sequence Of Events ◽  
Local Mean

The outer region of a turbulent boundary layer along a flat plate was photographed and analysed; in addition, limited observations of the wall area were also made. The technique involved suspending very small solid particles in water and photographing their motion with a high-speed camera moving with the flow.The single most important event observed in the outer region was fluid motion which in the convected view of the travelling camera appeared as a transverse vortex. This was a large-scale motion transported downstream almost parallel to the wall with an average velocity slightly smaller than the local mean. It appeared to be the result of an instability interaction between accelerated and decelerated fluid, and it is believed to be closely associated with the wall-region ejections. The transverse vortex was part of a deterministic sequence of events; although these events occurred randomly in space and time. The first of these events was a decelerated flow exhibiting velocities considerably smaller than the local mean. It was immediately followed by an accelerated flow. Both these events extended from near the wall to the far outer region. Their interaction resulted in the formation of one or more transverse vortices. While the transverse vortex was transported downstream, small-scale fluid elements, originating in the wall area of the decelerated flow, were ejected outwards (ejection event). After travelling some distance outwards the ejected elements interacted with the oncoming accelerated fluid in the wall region and were subsequently swept downstream (sweep event). The sequence of events closed with two large-scale motions.Estimated positive and negative contributions to the instantaneous Reynolds stress during the events were many times higher than the local mean values.

Streamwise vortices associated with the bursting phenomenon

1979 ◽  
Vol 94 (3) ◽  
pp. 577-594 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ron F. Blackwelder ◽  
Helmut Eckelmann
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Vortex Pair ◽  
Turbulent Shear ◽  
Sampling Techniques ◽  
Wall Region ◽  
Turbulent Shear Flow ◽  
Streamwise Vortices ◽  
Defect Region ◽  
Low Speed ◽  
Hot Film

The streamwise and spanwise velocity components and the gradients of these components normal to the wall were examined by using hot-film sensors and flush-mounted wall elements to study the vortex structures associated with the bursting phenomenon. Quadrant probability analysis and conditional sampling techniques indicated that pairs of counter-rotating streamwise vortices occur frequently in the wall region of a bounded turbulent shear flow. A streamwise momentum defect occurred between the vortices as low-speed fluid was ‘pumped’ away from the wall by the vortex pair. The defect region was long and narrow and possibly forms the low-speed streak as observed in visualization studies. The velocity defect was terminated by a strong acceleration followed by a high speed region.

The Effects of Adverse Pressure Gradients on Momentum and Thermal Structures in Transitional Boundary Layers: Part 2—Fluctuation Quantities

1996 ◽  
Vol 118 (4) ◽  
pp. 728-736 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. P. Mislevy ◽  
T. Wang
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Shear Stress ◽  
Transition Region ◽  
Boundary Layers ◽  
Reynolds Shear Stress ◽  
Turbulent Shear ◽  
Wall Region ◽  
Pressure Gradients ◽  
Baseline Case ◽  
Near Wall

The effects of adverse pressure gradients on the thermal and momentum characteristics of a heated transitional boundary layer were investigated with free-stream turbulence ranging from 0.3 to 0.6 percent. Boundary layer measurements were conducted for two constant-K cases, K1 = −0.51 × 10−6 and K2 = −1.05 × 10−6. The fluctuation quantities, u′, ν′, t′, the Reynolds shear stress (uν), and the Reynolds heat fluxes (νt and ut) were measured. In general, u′/U∞, ν′/U∞, and νt have higher values across the boundary layer for the adverse pressure-gradient cases than they do for the baseline case (K = 0). The development of ν′ for the adverse pressure gradients was more actively involved than that of the baseline. In the early transition region, the Reynolds shear stress distribution for the K2 case showed a near-wall region of high-turbulent shear generated at Y+ = 7. At stations farther downstream, this near-wall shear reduced in magnitude, while a second region of high-turbulent shear developed at Y+ = 70. For the baseline case, however, the maximum turbulent shear in the transition region was generated at Y+ = 70, and no near-wall high-shear region was seen. Stronger adverse pressure gradients appear to produce more uniform and higher t′ in the near-wall region (Y+ < 20) in both transitional and turbulent boundary layers. The instantaneous velocity signals did not show any clear turbulent/nonturbulent demarcations in the transition region. Increasingly stronger adverse pressure gradients seemed to produce large non turbulent unsteadiness (or instability waves) at a similar magnitude as the turbulent fluctuations such that the production of turbulent spots was obscured. The turbulent spots could not be identified visually or through conventional conditional-sampling schemes. In addition, the streamwise evolution of eddy viscosity, turbulent thermal diffusivity, and Prt, are also presented.

scholarly journals Transfer, Segregation and Deposition of Heavy Particles in Horizontal and Vertical Turbulent Channel Flows

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristian Marchioli ◽  
Fabio Sbrizzai ◽  
Alfredo Soldati
Keyword(s):  
Coherent Structures ◽  
Particle Distribution ◽  
Outer Region ◽  
Turbulent Channel Flow ◽  
Transfer Mechanism ◽  
Wall Turbulence ◽  
Wall Region ◽  
Turbulence Structure ◽  
Low Speed ◽  
Low Speed Streaks

Particle transfer in the wall region of turbulent boundary layers is dominated by the coherent structures which control the turbulence regeneration cycle. Coherent structures bring particles toward the wall and away from the wall and favour particle segregation in the viscous region giving rise to nonuniform particle distribution profiles which peak close to the wall. In this work, we focus on the transfer mechanism of different size particles and on the influence of gravity on particles deposition. By tracking O(105) particles in Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) of a turbulent channel flow at Reτ = 150, we find that particles may reach the wall directly or may accumulate in the wall region, under the low-speed streaks. Even though low-speed streaks are ejection-like environments, particles are not re-entrained into the outer region. Particles segregated very near the wall by the trapping mechanisms we investigated in a previous work [1] are slowly driven to the wall. We find that gravity plays a role on particle distribution but, for small particles (τp+ &lt; 3), the controlling transfer mechanism is related to near-wall turbulence structure.

Effect of velocity ratio on the interaction between plasma synthetic jets and turbulent cross-flow

2019 ◽  
Vol 865 ◽  
pp. 928-962 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haohua Zong ◽  
Marios Kotsonis
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Velocity Ratio ◽  
Vortex Pair ◽  
Synthetic Jets ◽  
Low Energy ◽  
Vortex Rings ◽  
Wall Region ◽  
Mean Velocity ◽  
Counter Rotating Vortex Pair

Plasma synthetic jet actuators (PSJAs) are particularly suited for high-Reynolds-number, high-speed flow control due to their unique capability of generating supersonic pulsed jets at high frequency (${>}5$  kHz). Different from conventional synthetic jets driven by oscillating piezoelectric diaphragms, the exit-velocity variation of plasma synthetic jets (PSJs) within one period is significantly asymmetric, with ingestion being relatively weaker (less than $20~\text{m}~\text{s}^{-1}$) and longer than ejection. In this study, high-speed phase-locked particle image velocimetry is employed to investigate the interaction between PSJAs (round exit orifice, diameter 2 mm) and a turbulent boundary layer at constant Strouhal number (0.02) and increasing mean velocity ratio ($r$, defined as the ratio of the time-mean velocity over the ejection phase to the free-stream velocity). Two distinct operational regimes are identified for all the tested cases, separated by a transition velocity ratio, lying between $r=0.7$ and $r=1.0$. At large velocity and stroke ratios (first regime, representative case $r=1.6$), vortex rings are followed by a trailing jet column and tilt downstream initially. This downstream tilting is transformed into upstream tilting after the pinch-off of the trailing jet column. The moment of this transformation relative to the discharge advances with decreasing velocity ratio. Shear-layer vortices (SVs) and a hanging vortex pair (HVP) are identified in the windward and leeward sides of the jet body, respectively. The HVP is initially erect and evolves into an inclined primary counter-rotating vortex pair ($p$-CVP) which branches from the middle of the front vortex ring and extends to the near-wall region. The two legs of the $p$-CVP are bridged by SVs, and a secondary counter-rotating vortex pair ($s$-CVP) is induced underneath these two legs. At low velocity and stroke ratios (second regime, representative case $r=0.7$), the trailing jet column and $p$-CVP are absent. Vortex rings always tilt upstream, and the pitching angle increases monotonically with time. An $s$-CVP in the near-wall region is induced directly by the two longitudinal edges of the ring. Inspection of spanwise planes ($yz$-plane) reveals that boundary-layer energization is realized by the downwash effect of either vortex rings or $p$-CVP. In addition, in the streamwise symmetry plane, the increasing wall shear stress is attributed to the removal of low-energy flow by ingestion. The downwash effect of the $s$-CVP does not benefit boundary-layer energization, as the flow swept to the wall is of low energy.

On the role of the outer region in the turbulent-boundary-layer bursting process

1994 ◽  
Vol 259 ◽  
pp. 345-373 ◽  
Author(s):  
ROY Y. Myose ◽  
Ron F. Blackwelder
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Turbulent Boundary Layer ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Outer Region ◽  
Low Speed ◽  
Moderate Reynolds Number ◽  
Eddy Structures ◽  
Low Speed Streaks ◽  
Bursting Process

The dynamics and interaction of turbulent-boundary-layer eddy structures was experimentally emulated. Counter-rotating streamwise vortices and low-speed streaks emulating turbulent-boundary-layer wall eddies were generated by a Görtler instability mechanism. Large-scale motions associated with the outer region of turbulent boundary layer were emulated with — ωzspanwise vortical eddies shed by a periodic non-sinusoidal oscillation of an airfoil. The scales of the resulting eddy structures were comparable to a moderate-Reynolds-number turbulent boundary layer. Results show that the emulated wall-eddy breakdown was triggered by streamwise acceleration associated with the outer region of turbulent boundary layer. This breakdown involved violent mixing between low-speed fluid from the wall eddy and accelerated fluid associated with the outer structure. Although wall eddies can break down autonomously, the presence of and interaction with outer-region — ωzeddies hastened their breakdown. Increasing the — ωzeddy strength resulted in further hastening of the breakdown. Conversely, + ωzeddies were found to delay wall-eddy breakdown locally, with further delays resulting from stronger + ωzeddies. This suggests that the outer region of turbulent boundary layers plays a role in the bursting process.

Measurements in an Axisymmetric Turbulent Boundary Layer Along a Circular Cylinder

1976 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 217-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noor Afzal ◽  
K P Singh
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Circular Cylinder ◽  
Turbulent Boundary Layer ◽  
Constant Pressure ◽  
Reynolds Shear Stress ◽  
Longitudinal Velocity ◽  
Outer Region ◽  
Wall Region ◽  
Mean Velocity ◽  
Dimensional Boundary

SummaryIn an axisymmetric turbulent boundary layer along a circular cylinder at constant pressure, measurements have been made of mean velocity profile and turbulence characteristics: longitudinal velocity fluctuations, Reynolds shear stress, transverse correlation and spectrum. It has been found that the qualitative behaviour of an axisymmetric turbulent boundary layer is similar to that of a two-dimensional boundary layer in the wall region, where as in the outer region the effects of transverse curvature are observed.

Signature of large-scale motions on turbulent/non-turbulent interface in boundary layers

2017 ◽  
Vol 819 ◽  
pp. 165-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin Lee ◽  
Hyung Jin Sung ◽  
Tamer A. Zaki
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Streamwise Velocity ◽  
Detection Algorithm ◽  
Turbulence Statistics ◽  
Low Speed ◽  
Point Correlation ◽  
Average Variation ◽  
Correlation And Spectral Analysis

The effect of large-scale motions (LSMs) on the turbulent/non-turbulent (T/NT) interface is examined in a turbulent boundary layer. Using flow fields from direct numerical simulation, the shape of the interface and near-interface statistics are evaluated conditional on the position of the LSM. The T/NT interface is identified using the vorticity magnitude and a streak detection algorithm is adopted to identify and track the LSMs. Two-point correlation and spectral analysis of variations in the interface height show that the spatial undulation of the interface is longer in streamwise wavelength than the boundary-layer thickness, and grows with the Reynolds number in a similar manner to the LSMs. The average variation in the interface height was evaluated conditional on the position of the LSMs. The result provides statistical evidence that the interface is locally modulated by the LSMs in both the streamwise and spanwise directions. The modulation is different when the coherent structure is high- versus low-speed motion: high-speed structures lead to a wedge-shaped deformation of the T/NT interface, which causes an anti-correlation between the angles of the interface and the internal shear layer. On the other hand, low-speed structures are correlated with crests in the interface. Finally, the sudden changes in turbulence statistics across the interface are in line with the changes in the population of low-speed structures, which consist of slower mean streamwise velocity and stronger turbulence than the high-speed counterparts.

Large-scale characteristics of a stably stratified turbulent shear layer

2021 ◽  
Vol 927 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomoaki Watanabe ◽  
Koji Nagata
Keyword(s):  
Shear Layer ◽  
Reynolds Stress ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Outer Region ◽  
Turbulent Shear ◽  
Wall Region ◽  
Late Time ◽  
Turbulent Shear Layer ◽  
Small Scales ◽  
Scale Characteristics

Implicit large eddy simulation is performed to investigate large-scale characteristics of a temporally evolving, stably stratified turbulent shear layer arising from the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability. The shear layer at late time has two energy-containing length scales: the scale of the shear layer thickness, which characterizes large-scale motions (LSM) of the shear layer; and the larger streamwise scale of elongated large-scale structures (ELSS), which increases with time. The ELSS forms in the middle of the shear layer when the Richardson number is sufficiently large. The contribution of the ELSS to velocity and density variances becomes relatively important with time although the LSM dominate the momentum and density transport. The ELSS have a highly anisotropic Reynolds stress, to a degree similar to the near-wall region of turbulent boundary layers, while the Reynolds stress of the LSM is as anisotropic as in the outer region. Peaks in the spectral energy density associated with the ELSS emerge because of the slow decay of turbulence at very large scales. A forward interscale energy transfer from large to small scales occurs even at a small buoyancy Reynolds number. However, an inverse transfer also occurs for the energy of spanwise velocity. Negative production of streamwise velocity and density spectra, i.e. counter-gradient transport of momentum and density, is found at small scales. These behaviours are consistent with channel flows, indicating similar flow dynamics in the stratified shear layer and wall-bounded shear flows. The structure function exhibits a logarithmic law at large scales, implying a $k^{-1}$ scaling of energy spectra.

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