scholarly journals Effect of free-stream turbulence and other vortical disturbances on a laminar boundary layer

1999 ◽  
Vol 380 ◽  
pp. 169-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. J. LEIB ◽  
DAVID W. WUNDROW ◽  
M. E. GOLDSTEIN
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Free Stream ◽  
Stokes Equations ◽  
Plate Boundary ◽  
Streamwise Velocity ◽  
Boundary Region ◽  
Quantitative Agreement ◽  
Free Stream Turbulence ◽  
Turbulent Reynolds Number

This paper is concerned with the effect of free-stream turbulence on the pretransitional flat-plate boundary layer. It is assumed that either the turbulent Reynolds number or the downstream distance (or both) is small enough that the flow can be linearized. The dominant disturbances in the boundary layer, which are of the Klebanoff type, are governed by the linearized unsteady boundary-region equations, i.e. the linearized Navier–Stokes equations with the streamwise derivatives neglected in the viscous and pressure-gradient terms. The turbulence is represented as a superposition of vortical free-stream Fourier modes and the corresponding Fourier component solutions to the boundary-region equations are obtained numerically. The results are then superposed to compute the root mean square of the fluctuating streamwise velocity in the boundary layer produced by the actual free-stream turbulence. It is found that the disturbances computed with isotropic free-stream turbulence do not reach the levels measured in experiments. However, good quantitative agreement is obtained with the relatively low turbulent Reynolds number data of Kendall when the measured strong anisotropy of the low-frequency portion of his spectrum is accounted for. Data at higher turbulent Reynolds numbers are affected by nonlinearity, which manifests itself through the generation of small spanwise length scales. We attempt to model this within the context of the linear theory by choosing a free-stream spectrum whose energy is concentrated at larger transverse wavenumbers and achieve very good agreement with the data. The results suggest that even small deviations from pure isotropy can be an important factor in explaining the large amplitudes of the Klebanoff modes in the pre-transitional boundary layer, and also point to the importance of nonlinear effects. We discuss some additional effects that may need to be accounted for in order to obtain a complete description of the Klebanoff modes.

Reactive control of transition induced by free-stream turbulence: an experimental demonstration

2007 ◽  
Vol 585 ◽  
pp. 41-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
FREDRIK LUNDELL
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Control System ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Free Stream ◽  
Plate Boundary ◽  
Streamwise Velocity ◽  
Reactive Control ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Control Effect ◽  
Free Stream Turbulence

The present wind-tunnel experiment demonstrates that a reactive control system is able to decrease the amplitude of random disturbances in a flat-plate boundary layer. The disturbances were induced in a laminar boundary layer by a turbulent free stream. The control system consisted of upstream wall-shear-stress sensors (wall wires) and downstream actuators (suction through holes). An ad hoc threshold-and-delay control algorithm is evaluated and parameter variations were performed in order to find a suitable working point of the control system. Detailed measurements of the flow field show how the control influences the disturbances in the boundary layer, whereas the effect on the mean flow owing to the control is minute. The control system manages to inhibit the growth of the fluctuations of the streamwise velocity component for a considerable distance downstream of the two actuator positions. Further downstream, however, the amplitudes of the fluctuations grow again. The flow rate used to obtain the control effect is one sixth of that necessary if continuous distributed suction is used to reach the same control objective. Finally, correlations and spectra show that the elongation of the structures in the streamwise direction is eliminated in the regions where the control has the largest effect. The spanwise scale of the disturbances is not affected by the control.

On continuous spectra of the Orr–Sommerfeld/Squire equations and entrainment of free-stream vortical disturbances

2013 ◽  
Vol 732 ◽  
pp. 616-659 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ming Dong ◽  
Xuesong Wu
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Free Stream ◽  
Stokes Equations ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Streamwise Velocity ◽  
Bypass Transition ◽  
Leading Order ◽  
Local Boundary ◽  
Asymptotic Suction

AbstractSmall-amplitude perturbations are governed by the linearized Navier–Stokes equations, which are, for a parallel or nearly parallel shear flow, customarily reduced to the Orr–Sommerfeld (O-S) and Squire equations. In this paper, we consider continuous spectra (CS) of the O-S and Squire operators for the Blasius and asymptotic suction boundary layers, and address the issue of whether and when continuous modes can represent free-stream vortical disturbances and their entrainment into the shear layer. For the Blasius boundary layer, we highlight two particular properties of the CS: (i) the eigenfunction of a continuous mode simultaneously consists of two components with wall-normal wavenumbers $\pm {k}_{2} $, a phenomenon which we refer to as ‘entanglement of Fourier components’; and (ii) for low-frequency disturbances the presence of the boundary layer forces the streamwise velocity in the free stream to take a much larger amplitude than those of the transverse velocities. Both features appear to be non-physical, and cast some doubt about the appropriateness of using CS to characterize free-stream vortical disturbances and their entrainment into the boundary layer, a practice that has been adopted in some recent studies of bypass transition. A high-Reynolds-number asymptotic description of continuous modes and entrainment is present, and it shows that the entanglement is a result of neglecting non-parallelism, which has a leading-order effect on the entrainment. When this effect is included, entanglement disappears, and moreover the streamwise velocity is significantly amplified in the edge layer when ${R}^{- 1} \ll \omega \ll 1$, where $R$ is the Reynolds number based on the local boundary-layer thickness. For the asymptotic suction boundary layer, which is an exactly parallel flow, both temporal and spatial CS may be defined mathematically. However, at a finite $R$ neither of them represents the physical process of free-stream vortical disturbances penetrating into the boundary layer. The latter must instead be characterized by a peculiar type of continuous modes whose eigenfunctions increase exponentially with the distance from the wall. In the limit $R\gg 1$, all three types of CS are identical at leading order, and hence can be used to represent free-stream vortical disturbances and their entrainment. Low-frequency disturbances are found to generate a large-amplitude streamwise velocity in the boundary layer, which is reminiscent of longitudinal streaks.

Free-stream coherent structures in parallel boundary-layer flows

2014 ◽  
Vol 752 ◽  
pp. 602-625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kengo Deguchi ◽  
Philip Hall
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Coherent Structures ◽  
Free Stream ◽  
Stokes Equations ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Homotopy Continuation ◽  
Boundary Layer Flows ◽  
Navier Stokes Equations ◽  
High Reynolds

AbstractOur concern in this paper is with high-Reynolds-number nonlinear equilibrium solutions of the Navier–Stokes equations for boundary-layer flows. Here we consider the asymptotic suction boundary layer (ASBL) which we take as a prototype parallel boundary layer. Solutions of the equations of motion are obtained using a homotopy continuation from two known types of solutions for plane Couette flow. At high Reynolds numbers, it is shown that the first type of solution takes the form of a vortex–wave interaction (VWI) state, see Hall & Smith (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 227, 1991, pp. 641–666), and is located in the main part of the boundary layer. On the other hand, here the second type is found to support an equilibrium solution of the unit-Reynolds-number Navier–Stokes equations in a layer located a distance of $\def \xmlpi #1{}\def \mathsfbi #1{\boldsymbol {\mathsf {#1}}}\let \le =\leqslant \let \leq =\leqslant \let \ge =\geqslant \let \geq =\geqslant \def \Pr {\mathit {Pr}}\def \Fr {\mathit {Fr}}\def \Rey {\mathit {Re}}O(\ln \mathit{Re})$ from the wall. Here $\mathit{Re}$ is the Reynolds number based on the free-stream speed and the unperturbed boundary-layer thickness. The streaky field produced by the interaction grows exponentially below the layer and takes its maximum size within the unperturbed boundary layer. The results suggest the possibility of two distinct types of streaky coherent structures existing, possibly simultaneously, in disturbed boundary layers.

Numerical investigation of the role of free-stream turbulence in boundary-layer separation

2016 ◽  
Vol 801 ◽  
pp. 289-321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wolfgang Balzer ◽  
H. F. Fasel
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Shear Layer ◽  
Free Stream ◽  
Hydrodynamic Instability ◽  
Low Reynolds Number ◽  
Transition To Turbulence ◽  
Laminar Separation ◽  
Free Stream Turbulence ◽  
Low Reynolds

The aerodynamic performance of lifting surfaces operating at low Reynolds number conditions is impaired by laminar separation. In most cases, transition to turbulence occurs in the separated shear layer as a result of a series of strong hydrodynamic instability mechanisms. Although the understanding of these mechanisms has been significantly advanced over the past decades, key questions remain unanswered about the influence of external factors such as free-stream turbulence (FST) and others on transition and separation. The present study is driven by the need for more accurate predictions of separation and transition phenomena in ‘real world’ applications, where elevated levels of FST can play a significant role (e.g. turbomachinery). Numerical investigations have become an integral part in the effort to enhance our understanding of the intricate interactions between separation and transition. Due to the development of advanced numerical methods and the increase in the performance of supercomputers with parallel architecture, it has become feasible for low Reynolds number application ($O(10^{5})$) to carry out direct numerical simulations (DNS) such that all relevant spatial and temporal scales are resolved without the use of turbulence modelling. Because the employed high-order accurate DNS are characterized by very low levels of background noise, they lend themselves to transition research where the amplification of small disturbances, sometimes even growing from numerical round-off, can be examined in great detail. When comparing results from DNS and experiment, however, it is beneficial, if not necessary, to increase the background disturbance levels in the DNS to levels that are typical for the experiment. For the current work, a numerical model that emulates a realistic free-stream turbulent environment was adapted and implemented into an existing Navier–Stokes code based on a vorticity–velocity formulation. The role FST plays in the transition process was then investigated for a laminar separation bubble forming on a flat plate. FST was shown to cause the formation of the well-known Klebanoff mode that is represented by streamwise-elongated streaks inside the boundary layer. Increasing the FST levels led to accelerated transition, a reduction in bubble size and better agreement with the experiments. Moreover, the stage of linear disturbance growth due to the inviscid shear-layer instability was found to not be ‘bypassed’.

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.

Experimental Investigation of Free Stream Turbulence Effects on Flow Separation

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahmoud Ardebili ◽  
Yiannis Andreopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Experimental Investigation ◽  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Pressure Gradient ◽  
Flow Separation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Free Stream ◽  
Pressure Coefficient ◽  
Free Stream Turbulence ◽  
Vorticity Flux

An experimental investigation of a separated boundary layer flow has been attempted which has been created by perturbing a flat plate flow with a favorable pressure gradient immediately followed by an adverse pressure gradient. The aim of the research program is possible control of flow separation by means of free stream turbulence. The flow is configured in a large-scale low speed wind tunnel where measurements of turbulence can be obtained with high spatial and temporal resolution. A model has been designed by using CFD analysis. Mean wall pressure and vorticity flux measurements are reported in this paper. Twelve experiments with three different mesh size grids at three different Reynolds numbers have been carried out. Three bulk flow parameters seem to characterize the flow: The Reynolds number of the boundary layer, Re+, the Reynolds number of the flow through the grid, ReM, and the solidity of the grid. It was found that the pressure coefficient depends weakly on the solidity of the grids. Vorticity flux also depends on the grid used to generate free stream turbulence. The location of maximum or minimum vorticity flux moves upstream at higher ReM.

scholarly journals Free-stream coherent structures in the unsteady Rayleigh boundary layer

2020 ◽  
Vol 85 (6) ◽  
pp. 1021-1040
Author(s):  
Eleanor C Johnstone ◽  
Philip Hall
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Boundary Layers ◽  
Coherent Structures ◽  
Free Stream ◽  
Stokes Equations ◽  
Boundary Region ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Equilibrium Solutions ◽  
Nonlinear Equilibrium ◽  
Set Up

Abstract Results are presented for nonlinear equilibrium solutions of the Navier–Stokes equations in the boundary layer set up by a flat plate started impulsively from rest. The solutions take the form of a wave–roll–streak interaction, which takes place in a layer located at the edge of the boundary layer. This extends previous results for similar nonlinear equilibrium solutions in steady 2D boundary layers. The results are derived asymptotically and then compared to numerical results obtained by marching the reduced boundary-region disturbance equations forward in time. It is concluded that the previously found canonical free-stream coherent structures in steady boundary layers can be embedded in unbounded, unsteady shear flows.

Theoretical and Experimental Investigation of the First Instability Mode Development in Supersonic Boundary Layers on Porous Coatings

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 65-74
Author(s):  
Sergey Gaponov ◽  
Yuri Yermolaev ◽  
Aleksandr Kosinov ◽  
Vladimir Lysenko ◽  
Nikolay Semionov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Experimental Investigation ◽  
Free Stream ◽  
Plate Boundary ◽  
Quantitative Agreement ◽  
Instability Mode ◽  
Instability Modes ◽  
Free Stream Mach Number ◽  
Surface Permeability ◽  
Flat Plate Boundary Layer

In the present study we have performed combined theoretical and experimental investigation of the surface permeability influence on the linear stability of the supersonic flat-plate boundary layer at free-stream Mach number M = 2. Good quantitative agreement was obtained between the data calculated by the linear theory of stability and the data obtained in experiments with artificially generated disturbances performed on models with various porous inserts. It is shown that increase of the permeable surface pore size leads to the destabilization of the first instability modes propagating under arbitrary angles in the boundary layer

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