The effects of turbulence on a separated and reattaching flow

1987 ◽  
Vol 178 ◽  
pp. 477-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasuharu Nakamura ◽  
Shigehira Ozono
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Distribution ◽  
Turbulence Intensity ◽  
Free Stream ◽  
Separation Bubble ◽  
Plate Thickness ◽  
Turbulence Scale ◽  
Free Stream Turbulence ◽  
Mean Pressure ◽  
Scale Ratio ◽  
The Mean

The effect of free-stream turbulence on the mean pressure distribution along the separation bubble formed on a flat plate with rectangular leading-edge geometry is investigated experimentally in a wind tunnel using turbulence-producing grids. Emphasis is placed on finding the effect of turbulence scale. The ratio of turbulence scale to plate thickness investigated was about 0.5 to 24 for two values of turbulence intensity of about 7 and 11%. The Reynolds number based on plate thickness was approximately (1.4–4.2) × 104.It is found that the main effect of free-stream turbulence is to shorten the separation bubble. It is progressively shortened with increasing turbulence intensity. The mean pressure distribution along the shortened separation bubble is insensitive to changing turbulence scale up to a scale ratio of about 2. With further increase in the scale ratio it asymptotes towards the smooth-flow distribution. There is no trace of interaction between turbulence and vortex shedding (the impinging-shear-layer instability) in the mean pressure distribution.

Measurements in a Transitional Boundary Layer With Görtler Vortices

1996 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralph J. Volino ◽  
Terrence W. Simon
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Turbulence Intensity ◽  
Free Stream ◽  
Streamwise Velocity ◽  
Mean Velocity ◽  
Free Stream Turbulence ◽  
Görtler Vortices ◽  
Concave Wall ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Gortler Vortices

The laminar-turbulent transition process has been documented in a concave-wall boundary layer subject to low (0.6%) free-stream turbulence intensity. Transition began at a Reynolds number, Rex (based on distance from the leading edge of the test wall), of 3.5×105 and was completed by 4.7×105. The transition was strongly influenced by the presence of stationary, streamwise, Görtler vortices. Transition under similar conditions has been documented in previous studies, but because concave-wall transition tends to be rapid, measurements within the transition zone were sparse. In this study, emphasis is on measurements within the zone of intermittent flow. Twenty-five profiles of mean streamwise velocity, fluctuating streamwise velocity, and intermittency have been acquired at five values of Rex, and five spanwise locations relative to a Görtler vortex. The mean velocity profiles acquired near the vortex downwash sites exhibit inflection points and local minima. These minima, located in the outer part of the boundary layer, provide evidence of a “tilting” of the vortices in the spanwise direction. Profiles of fluctuating velocity and intermittency exhibit peaks near the locations of the minima in the mean velocity profiles. These peaks indicate that turbulence is generated in regions of high shear, which are relatively far from the wall. The transition mechanism in this flow is different from that on flat walls, where turbulence is produced in the near-wall region. The peak intermittency values in the profiles increase with Rex, but do not follow the “universal” distribution observed in most flat-wall, transitional boundary layers. The results have applications whenever strong concave curvature may result in the formation of Görtler vortices in otherwise 2-D flows. Because these cases were run with a low value of free-stream turbulence intensity, the flow is not a replication of a gas turbine flow. However, the results do provide a base case for further work on transition on the pressure side of gas turbine airfoils, where concave curvature effects are combined with the effects of high free-stream turbulence and strong streamwise pressure gradients, for they show the effects of embedded streamwise vorticity in a flow that is free of high-turbulence effects.

Numerical Investigation of Three-Dimensional Separation in an Axial Flow Compressor: The Influence of Free-Stream Turbulence Intensity and Endwall Boundary Layer State

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley D. Scillitoe ◽  
Paul G. Tucker ◽  
Paolo Adami
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Turbulence Intensity ◽  
Free Stream ◽  
Separation Bubble ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Boundary Layer Transition ◽  
Surface Boundary ◽  
Suction Surface ◽  
Corner Separation ◽  
Free Stream Turbulence

Regions of three-dimensional separations are an inherent flow feature of the suction surface - endwall corner in axial compressors. These corner separations can cause a significant total pressure loss and reduce the compressor’s efficiency. This paper uses wall-resolved LES to investigate the loss sources in a corner separation, and examines the influence of the inflow turbulence on these sources. Different subgrid scale (SGS) models are tested and the choice of model is found to be important. The σ SGS model, which performed well, is then used to perform LES of a compressor endwall flow. The time-averaged data is in good agreement with measurements. The viscous and turbulent dissipation are used to highlight the sources of loss, with the latter being dominant. The key loss sources are seen to be the 2D laminar separation bubble and trailing edge wake, and the 3D flow region near the endwall. Increasing the free-stream turbulence intensity (FST) changes the suction surface boundary layer transition mode from separation induced to bypass. However, it doesn’t significantly alter the transition location and therefore the corner separation size. Additionally, the FST doesn’t noticeably interact with the corner separation itself, meaning that in this case the corner separation is relatively insensitive to the FST. The endwall boundary layer state is found to be significant. A laminar endwall boundary layer separates much earlier leading to a larger passage vortex. This significantly alters the endwall flow and loss. Hence, the need for accurate boundary measurements is clear.

A Preliminary Study of Turbulence Characteristics of Flow Along a Corner

1961 ◽  
Vol 83 (4) ◽  
pp. 657-661 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. B. Gessner ◽  
J. B. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Turbulence Intensity ◽  
Free Stream ◽  
Flow Direction ◽  
Rectangular Channel ◽  
Secondary Flows ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Free Stream Turbulence ◽  
Plane Normal ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Preliminary Study

In the turbulent flow of a fluid along a corner, secondary flows occur which have a marked influence on the velocity distributions in planes normal to the mean flow direction. All published explanations of the cause of these secondary flows deal with the turbulent structure of the flow. In this paper, measurements of isotach patterns and directional turbulence intensities in the corner of a rectangular channel with zero pressure gradient and a range of free-stream turbulence intensity of 0.8 to 2.3 per cent are reported. (An isotach is a constant velocity line in a plane normal to the mean flow direction.) Within the range of variables investigated, the following conclusions are drawn: (a) Isotach patterns are essentially independent of free-stream turbulence intensity; (b) at any point the ratio of turbulence components in orthogonal directions in a plane normal to the mean flow direction is a maximum for directions tangent and normal to the isotach at that point; (c) the ratio w′/v′, where w′ and v′ are turbulence components, respectively, tangent and normal to the isotach at any point, is always greater than unity; and (d) in the vicinity of the bisector of the corner angle the ratio w′/v′ increases with increasing isotach curvature.

Effects of free-stream turbulence on surface pressure fluctuations in a separation bubble

1997 ◽  
Vol 337 ◽  
pp. 1-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. SAATHOFF ◽  
W. H. MELBOURNE
Keyword(s):  
Shear Layer ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Free Stream ◽  
Separation Bubble ◽  
Longitudinal Velocity ◽  
Pressure Fluctuations ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Turbulence Scale ◽  
Free Stream Turbulence ◽  
Large Pressure

Wind-tunnel experiments were conducted to investigate the cause of large pressure fluctuations near leading edges of sharp-edged bluff bodies. Measurements obtained with a blunt flat plate showed that very low pressures occur in a narrow region located approximately 0.25XR from the leading edge, where XR defines the distance from the leading edge to the mean reattachment location. This phenomenon occurs in the undisturbed flow as well as turbulent flow, although the magnitude of peak pressure fluctuations increases with both turbulence intensity, σu/u, and turbulence scale, LX.Flow visualization experiments conducted with a high-speed cine-camera reveal the process that causes large pressure fluctuations in separation bubbles. This process is initiated when a perturbation in the approaching flow causes a roll-up of the separated shear layer, producing a strong vortex near the surface. Conditional sampling of pressure data was used to determine the spanwise length of the vortex. A significant increase in the spanwise correlation of pressure fluctuations occurs when the shear layer rolls up. Coherence measurements indicate that the spanwise length of vortices in the separation bubble is not directly related to longitudinal velocity fluctuations in the free-stream.

Free-Stream Turbulence From a Circular Wall Jet on a Flat Plate Heat Transfer and Boundary Layer Flow

1989 ◽  
Vol 111 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. MacMullin ◽  
W. Elrod ◽  
R. Rivir
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Turbulence Intensity ◽  
Free Stream ◽  
Flow Characteristics ◽  
Surface Profile ◽  
Constant Heat Flux ◽  
Length Scale ◽  
Wall Jet ◽  
Reynolds Analogy ◽  
Free Stream Turbulence

The effects of the longitudinal turbulence intensity parameter of free-stream turbulence (FST) on heat transfer were studied using the aggressive flow characteristics of a circular tangential wall jet over a constant heat flux surface. Profile measurements of velocity, temperature, integral length scale, and spectra were obtained at downstream locations (2 to 20 x/D) and turbulence intensities (7 to 18 percent). The results indicated that the Stanton number (St) and friction factor (Cf) increased with increasing turbulence intensity. The Reynolds analogy factor (2St/Cf) increased up to turbulence intensities of 12 percent, then became constant, and decreased after 15 percent. This factor was also found to be dependent on the Reynolds number (Rex) and plate configuration. The influence of length scale, as found by previous researchers, was inconclusive at the conditions tested.

Direct Numerical Simulations of a Transonic Tip Flow With Free-Stream Disturbances

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew P. S. Wheeler ◽  
Richard D. Sandberg
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Free Stream ◽  
Separation Bubble ◽  
Cross Flow ◽  
Turbulence Models ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Computational Domain ◽  
Free Stream Turbulence ◽  
Gap Height

In this paper we use direct numerical simulation to investigate the unsteady flow over a model turbine blade-tip at engine scale Reynolds and Mach numbers. The DNS is performed with a new in-house multi-block structured compressible Navier-Stokes solver purposely developed for exploiting high-performance computing systems. The particular case of a transonic tip flow is studied since previous work has suggested compressibility has an important influence on the turbulent nature of the separation bubble at the inlet to the gap and subsequent flow reattachment. The effects of free-stream turbulence, cross-flow and pressure-side boundary-layer on the tip flow aerodynamics and heat transfer are investigated. For ‘clean’ in-flow cases we find that even at engine scale Reynolds numbers the tip flow is intermittent in nature (neither laminar nor fully turbulent). The breakdown to turbulence occurs through the development of spanwise modes with wavelengths around 25% of the gap height. Cross-flows of 25% of the streamwise gap exit velocity are found to increase the stability of the tip flow, and to significantly reduce the turbulence production in the separation bubble. This is predicted through in-house linear stability analysis, and confirmed by the DNS. For the case when the inlet flow has free-stream turbulence, viscous dissipation and the rapid acceleration of the flow at the inlet to the tip-gap causes significant distortion of the vorticity field and reductions of turbulence intensity as the flow enters the tip gap. This means that only very high turbulence levels at the inlet to the computational domain significantly affect the tip heat transfer. The DNS results are compared with RANS predictions using the Spalart-Allmaras and k–ω SST turbulence models. The RANS and DNS predictions give similar qualitative features for the tip flow, but the size and shape of the inlet separation bubble and shock positions differ noticeably. The RANS predictions are particularly insensitive to free-stream turbulence.

Correlations for the Prediction of Intermittency and Turbulent Spot Production Rate in Separated Flows

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Dellacasagrande ◽  
R. Guida ◽  
D. Lengani ◽  
D. Simoni ◽  
M. Ubaldi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Production Rate ◽  
Turbulence Intensity ◽  
Free Stream ◽  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Transition Process ◽  
Separated Flows ◽  
Intensity Level ◽  
Turbulent Spot ◽  
Free Stream Turbulence

Experimental data describing laminar separation bubbles developing under strong adverse pressure gradients, typical of Ultra-High-Lift turbine blades, have been analyzed to define empirical correlations able to predict the main features of the separated flow transition. Tests have been performed for three different Reynolds numbers and three different free-stream turbulence intensity levels. For each condition, around 4000 Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) snapshots have been acquired. A wavelet based intermittency detection technique, able to identify the large scale vortices shed as a consequence of the separation, has been applied to the large amount of data to efficiently compute the intermittency function for the different conditions. The transition onset and end positions, as well as the turbulent spot production rate are evaluated. Thanks to the recent advancements in the understanding on the role played by Reynolds number and free-stream turbulence intensity on the dynamics leading to transition in separated flows, guest functions are proposed in the paper to fit the data. The proposed functions are able to mimic the effects of Reynolds number and free-stream turbulence intensity level on the receptivity process of the boundary layer in the attached part, on the disturbance exponential growth rate observed in the linear stability region of the separated shear layer, as well as on the nonlinear later stage of completing transition. Once identified the structure of the correlation functions, a fitting process with own and literature data allowed us to calibrate the unknown constants. Results reported in the paper show the ability of the proposed correlations to adequately predict the transition process in the case of separated flows. The correlation for the spot production rate here proposed extends the correlations proposed in liter-ature for attached (by-pass like) transition process, and could be used in γ–Reϑ codes, where the spot production rate appears as a source term in the intermittency function transport equation.

scholarly journals Numerical Analysis of an Instrumented Turbine Blade Cascade

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryn N. Ubald ◽  
Jiahuan Cui ◽  
Rob Watson ◽  
Paul G. Tucker ◽  
Shahrokh Shahpar
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Analysis ◽  
Measurement Accuracy ◽  
Free Stream ◽  
Separation Bubble ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Pressure Probe ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Trailing Edge ◽  
Free Stream Turbulence ◽  
Jet Trajectory

The measurement accuracy of the temperature/pressure probe mounted at the leading edge of a turbine/compressor blade is crucial for estimating the fuel consumption of a turbo-fan engine. Apart from the measurement error itself, the probe also introduces extra losses. This again would compromise the measurement accuracy of the overall engine efficiency. This paper utilizes high-fidelity numerical analysis to understand the complex flow around the probe and quantify the loss sources due to the interaction between the blade and its instrumentation. With the inclusion of leading edge probes, three dimensional flow phenomena develop, with some flow features acting in a similar manner to a jet in cross flow. The separated flow formed at the leading edge of the probe blocks a large area of the probe bleed-hole, which is one of the reasons why the probe accuracy can be sensitive to Mach and Reynolds numbers. The addition of 4% free stream turbulence is shown to have a marginal impact on the jet trajectory originated from the probe bleedhole. However, a slight reduction is observed in the size of the separation bubble formed at the leading edge of the probe, preceding the two bleedhole exits. The free stream turbulence also has a significant impact on the size of the separation bubble near the trailing edge of the blade. With the addition of the free stream turbulence, the loss observed within the trailing edge wake is reduced. More than 50% of the losses at the cascade exit are generated by the leading edge probe. A breakdown of the dissipation terms from the mean flow kinetic energy equation demonstrates that the Reynolds stresses are the key terms in dissipating the counter rotating vortex pairs with the viscous stresses responsible for the boundary layer.

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