Measurement of the Reynolds stresses and the mean-flow field in a three-dimensional pressure-driven boundary layer

1982 ◽  
Vol 119 ◽  
pp. 121-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Udo R. Müller

An experimental study of a steady, incompressible, three-dimensional turbulent boundary layer approaching separation is reported. The flow field external to the boundary layer was deflected laterally by turning vanes so that streamwise flow deceleration occurred simultaneous with cross-flow acceleration. At 21 stations profiles of the mean-velocity components and of the six Reynolds stresses were measured with single- and X-hot-wire probes, which were rotatable around their longitudinal axes. The calibration of the hot wires with respect to magnitude and direction of the velocity vector as well as the method of evaluating the Reynolds stresses from the measured data are described in a separate paper (Müller 1982, hereinafter referred to as II). At each measuring station the wall shear stress was inferred from a Preston-tube measurement as well as from a Clauser chart. With the measured profiles of the mean velocities and of the Reynolds stresses several assumptions used for turbulence modelling were checked for their validity in this flow. For example, eddy viscosities for both tangential directions and the corresponding mixing lengths as well as the ratio of resultant turbulent shear stress to turbulent kinetic energy were derived from the data.

1978 ◽  
Vol 85 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. S. Hebbar ◽  
W. L. Melnik

An experimental investigation was conducted at selected locations in the wall region of a three-dimensional turbulent boundary layer relaxing in a nominally zero external pressure gradient behind a transverse hump (in the form of a 30° swept, 5 ft chord, wing-type model) faired into the side wall of a low-speed wind tunnel. The boundary layer (approximately 3·5 in. thick near the first survey station, where the length Reynolds number was 5·5 × 106) had a maximum cross-flow velocity ratio of 0·145 and a maximum cross-flow angle of 21·9° close to the wall. The hot-wire data indicated that the apparent dimensionless velocity profiles in the viscous sublayer are universal and that the wall influence on the hot wire is negligible beyond y+= 5. The existence of wall similarity in the relaxing flow field was confirmed in the form of a log law based on the resultant mean velocity and resultant friction velocity (obtained from the measured skin friction).The smallest collateral region extended from the point nearest to the wall (y+≈ 1) up to y+= 9·7, corresponding to a resultant mean velocity ratio (local to free-stream) of 0·187. The unusual feature of these profiles was the presence of a narrow region of slightly decreasing cross-flow angle (1° or less) that extended from the point of maximum cross-flow angle down to the outer limit of the collateral region. A sublayer analysis of the flow field using the measured local transverse pressure gradient slightly overestimated the decrease in cross-flow angle. It is concluded that, in the absence of these gradients, the skewing of the flow could have been much more pronounced practically down to the wall (limited only by the resolution of the sensor), implying a near-wallnon-collateralflow field consistent with the equations of motion in the neighbourhood of the wall.The streamwise relaxation of the mean flow field based on the decay of the cross-flow angle was much faster in the inner layer than in the outer layer. Over the stream-wise distance covered, the mean flow in the inner layer and the wall shear-stress vector relaxed to a two-dimensional state in approximately 10 boundary-layer thicknesses whereas the relaxation of the turbulence was slower and was not complete over the same distance.


1995 ◽  
Vol 290 ◽  
pp. 225-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Semİh M. Ölçmen ◽  
Roger L. Simpson

A three-dimensional, pressure-driven turbulent boundary layer created by an idealized wing–body junction flow was studied experimentally. The data presented include time-mean static pressure and directly measured skin-friction magnitude on the wall. The mean velocity and all Reynolds stresses from a three-velocity-component fibre-optic laser-Doppler anemometer are presented at several stations along a line determined by the mean velocity vector component parallel to the wall in the layer where the $\overline{u^2}$ kinematic normal stress is maximum (normal-stress coordinate system). This line was selected by intuitively reasoning that overlap of the near-wall flow and outer-region flow occurs at the location where $\overline{u^2}$ is maximum. Along this line the flow is subjected to a strong crossflow pressure gradient, which changes sign for the downstream stations. The shear-stress vector direction in the flow lags behind the flow gradient vector direction. The flow studied here differs from many other experimentally examined three-dimensional flows in that the mean flow variables depend on three spatial axes rather than two axes, such as flows in which the three-dimensionality of the flow has been generated either by a rotating cylinder or by a pressure gradient in one direction only throughout the flow.The data show that the eddy viscosity of the flow is not isotropic. These and other selected data sets show that the ratio of spanwise to streamwise eddy viscosities in the wall-shear-stress coordinate system is less scattered and more constant (about 0.6) than in the local free-stream coordinate system or the normal stress coordinate system. For y+ > 50 and y/δ < 0.8, the ratio of the magnitude of the kinematic shear stress |τ/ρ| to the kinematic normal stress $\overline{v^2}$ is approximately a constant for three-dimensional flow stations of both shear-driven and pressure-driven three-dimensional flows. In the same region, the ratio of the kinematic shear stresses $-\overline{vw}/-\overline{uw}$ appears to be a function of y+ in wall-stress coordinates for three-dimensional pressure-driven flows.


2001 ◽  
Vol 426 ◽  
pp. 297-326 ◽  
Author(s):  
MAGNE LYGREN ◽  
HELGE I. ANDERSSON

Turbulent flow between a rotating and a stationary disk is studied. Besides its fundamental importance as a three-dimensional prototype flow, such flow fields are frequently encountered in rotor–stator configurations in turbomachinery applications. A direct numerical simulation is therefore performed by integrating the time-dependent Navier–Stokes equations until a statistically steady state is reached and with the aim of providing both long-time statistics and an exposition of coherent structures obtained by conditional sampling. The simulated flow has local Reynolds number r2ω/v = 4 × 105 and local gap ratio s/r = 0.02, where ω is the angular velocity of the rotating disk, r the radial distance from the axis of rotation, v the kinematic viscosity of the fluid, and s the gap width.The three components of the mean velocity vector and the six independent Reynolds stresses are compared with experimental measurements in a rotor–stator flow configuration. In the numerically generated flow field, the structural parameter a1 (i.e. the ratio of the magnitude of the shear stress vector to twice the mean turbulent kinetic energy) is lower near the two disks than in two-dimensional boundary layers. This characteristic feature is typical for three-dimensional boundary layers, and so are the misalignment between the shear stress vector and the mean velocity gradient vector, although the degree of misalignment turns out to be smaller in the present flow than in unsteady three-dimensional boundary layer flow. It is also observed that the wall friction at the rotating disk is substantially higher than at the stationary disk.Coherent structures near the disks are identified by means of the λ2 vortex criterion in order to provide sufficient information to resolve a controversy regarding the roles played by sweeps and ejections in shear stress production. An ensemble average of the detected structures reveals that the coherent structures in the rotor–stator flow are similar to the ones found in two-dimensional flows. It is shown, however, that the three-dimensionality of the mean flow reduces the inter-vortical alignment and the tendency of structures of opposite sense of rotation to overlap. The coherent structures near the disks generate weaker sweeps (i.e. quadrant 4 events) than structures in conventional two-dimensional boundary layers. This reduction in the quadrant 4 contribution from the coherent structures is believed to explain the reduced efficiency of the mean flow in producing Reynolds shear stress.


2008 ◽  
Vol 130 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Agelinchaab ◽  
Mark F. Tachie

A particle image velocimetry is used to study the mean and turbulent fields of separated and redeveloping flow over square, rectangular, and semicircular blocks fixed to the bottom wall of an open channel. The open channel flow is characterized by high background turbulence level, and the ratio of the upstream boundary layer thickness to block height is considerably higher than in prior experiments. The variation of the Reynolds stresses along the dividing streamlines is discussed within the context of vortex stretching, longitudinal strain rate, and wall damping. It appears that wall damping is a more dominant mechanism in the vicinity of reattachment. In the recirculation and reattachment regions, profiles of the mean velocity, turbulent quantities, and transport terms are used to document the salient features of block geometry on the flow. The flow characteristics in these regions strongly depend on block geometry. Downstream of reattachment, a new shear layer is formed, and the redevelopment of the shear layer toward the upstream open channel boundary layer is studied using the boundary layer parameters and Reynolds stresses. The results show that the mean flow rapidly redeveloped so that the Clauser parameter recovered to its upstream value at 90 step heights downstream of reattachment. However, the rate of development close to reattachment strongly depends on block geometry.


1976 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 165-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. K. Richards ◽  
J. B. Morton

Three turbulent shear flows with quadratic mean-velocity profiles are generated by using an appropriately designed honeycomb and parallel-rod grids with adjustable rod spacing. The details of two of the flow fields, with quadratic mean-velocity profiles with constant positive mean-shear gradients ($\partial^2\overline{U}_1/\partial X^2_2 >0$), are obtained, and include, in the mean flow direction, the development and distribution of mean velocities, fluctuating velocities, Reynolds stresses, microscales, integral scales, energy spectra, shear correlation coefficients and two-point spatial velocity correlation coefficients. A third flow field is generated with a quadratic mean velocity profile with constant negative mean-shear gradient ($\partial^2\overline{U}_1/\partial X^2_2 < 0$), to investigate in the mean flow direction the effect of the change in sign on the resulting field. An open-return wind tunnel with a 2 × 2 × 20 ft test-section is used.


2000 ◽  
Vol 422 ◽  
pp. 319-346 ◽  
Author(s):  
DAVID B. DE GRAAFF ◽  
JOHN K. EATON

Despite extensive study, there remain significant questions about the Reynolds-number scaling of the zero-pressure-gradient flat-plate turbulent boundary layer. While the mean flow is generally accepted to follow the law of the wall, there is little consensus about the scaling of the Reynolds normal stresses, except that there are Reynolds-number effects even very close to the wall. Using a low-speed, high-Reynolds-number facility and a high-resolution laser-Doppler anemometer, we have measured Reynolds stresses for a flat-plate turbulent boundary layer from Reθ = 1430 to 31 000. Profiles of u′2, v′2, and u′v′ show reasonably good collapse with Reynolds number: u′2 in a new scaling, and v′2 and u′v′ in classic inner scaling. The log law provides a reasonably accurate universal profile for the mean velocity in the inner region.


1988 ◽  
Vol 110 (4) ◽  
pp. 406-414 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. D. Menna ◽  
F. J. Pierce

The mean flow structure upstream, around, and in a turbulent junction or horseshoe vortex is reported for an incompressible, subsonic flow. This fully documented, unified, comprehensive, and self-consistent data base is offered as a benchmark or standard case for assessing the predictive capabilities of computational codes developed to predict this kind of complex flow. Part I of these papers defines the total flow being documented. The upstream and surrounding three-dimensional turbulent boundary layer-like flow away from separation has been documented with mean velocity field and turbulent kinetic energy field measurements made with hot film anemometry, and local wall shear stress measurements. Data are provided for an initial condition plane well upstream of the junction vortex flow to initiate a boundary layer calculation, and freestream or edge velocity, as well as floor static pressure, are reported to proceed with the solution. Part II of these papers covers the flow through separation and within the junction vortex flow.


1970 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 823-844 ◽  
Author(s):  
James P. Johnston

An experiment is reported, in which turbulent shear-stresses as well as mean velocities have been measured in a three-dimensional turbulent boundary layer approaching separation. It is shown that even very close to the wall the stress vector does not align itself with the mean velocity gradient vector, as would be required by a scalar ‘eddy viscosity’ or ‘mixing length’ type assumption. The calculation method of Bradshaw (1969) is tested against the data, and found to give good results, except for the prediction of shear-stress vector direction.


1984 ◽  
Vol 28 (03) ◽  
pp. 186-201
Author(s):  
Lennart Löfdahl ◽  
Lars Larsson

An experimental investigation in which Reynolds stress profiles were measured in the thick three-dimensional turbulent boundary layer at the stern of a ship model has been carried out. The measurements were performed using a specially developed hot-wire technique in which the mean velocity component perpendicular to the surface was considered. A large number of results are given in diagrams, and an error estimation for the different Reynolds stresses is presented. Efforts have been made, when positioning the measured turbulence profiles, to enable future development of calculation methods based on these results. The measured profiles have revealed a strong influence of streamline convergence (divergence) on the Reynolds stresses. Also, the effects of wall curvature are of importance, and since most parts of the investigated region have a convex curvature the average level of the stresses is reduced.


1997 ◽  
Vol 350 ◽  
pp. 189-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
DEBORA A. COMPTON ◽  
JOHN K. EATON

An experiment was performed to measure near-wall velocity and Reynolds stress profiles in a pressure-driven three-dimensional turbulent boundary layer. An initially two-dimensional boundary layer (Reθ≈4000) was exposed to a strong spanwise pressure gradient. At the furthest downstream measurement locations there was also a fairly strong favourable streamwise pressure gradient.Measurements were made using a specially designed near-wall laser-Doppler anemometer (LDA), in addition to conventional methods. The LDA used short focal length optics, a mirror probe suspended in the flow, and side-scatter collection to achieve a measuring volume 35 μm in diameter and approximately 65 μm long.The data presented include mean velocity measurements and Reynolds stresses, all extending well below y+=10, at several profile locations. Terms of the turbulent kinetic energy transport equation are presented at two profile locations. The mean flow is nearly collateral (i.e. W is proportional to U) at the wall. Turbulent kinetic energy is mildly suppressed in the near-wall region and the shear stress components are strongly affected by three-dimensionality. As a result, the ratio of shear stress to turbulent kinetic energy is suppressed throughout most of the boundary layer. The angles of stress and strain are misaligned, except very near the wall (around y+=10) where the angles nearly coincide with the mean flow angle. Three-dimensionality appears to mildly reduce the production of turbulent kinetic energy.


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