scholarly journals Numerical study of the primary instability in a separated boundary layer transition under elevated free-stream turbulence

2013 ◽  
Vol 25 (7) ◽  
pp. 074106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mostafa Langari ◽  
Zhiyin Yang
Author(s):  
Heinz-Adolf Schreiber ◽  
Wolfgang Steinert ◽  
Bernhard Küsters

An experimental and analytical study has been performed on the effect of Reynolds number and free-stream turbulence on boundary layer transition location on the suction surface of a controlled diffusion airfoil (CDA). The experiments were conducted in a rectilinear cascade facility at Reynolds numbers between 0.7 and 3.0×106 and turbulence intensities from about 0.7 to 4%. An oil streak technique and liquid crystal coatings were used to visualize the boundary layer state. For small turbulence levels and all Reynolds numbers tested the accelerated front portion of the blade is laminar and transition occurs within a laminar separation bubble shortly after the maximum velocity near 35–40% of chord. For high turbulence levels (Tu > 3%) and high Reynolds numbers transition propagates upstream into the accelerated front portion of the CDA blade. For those conditions, the sensitivity to surface roughness increases considerably and at Tu = 4% bypass transition is observed near 7–10% of chord. Experimental results are compared to theoretical predictions using the transition model which is implemented in the MISES code of Youngren and Drela. Overall the results indicate that early bypass transition at high turbulence levels must alter the profile velocity distribution for compressor blades that are designed and optimized for high Reynolds numbers.


Author(s):  
Michael P. Schultz ◽  
Ralph J. Volino

An experimental investigation has been carried out on a transitional boundary layer subject to high (initially 9%) free-stream turbulence, strong acceleration K=ν/Uw2dUw/dxas high as9×10-6, and strong concave curvature (boundary layer thickness between 2% and 5% of the wall radius of curvature). Mean and fluctuating velocity as well as turbulent shear stress are documented and compared to results from equivalent cases on a flat wall and a wall with milder concave curvature. The data show that curvature does have a significant effect, moving the transition location upstream, increasing turbulent transport, and causing skin friction to rise by as much as 40%. Conditional sampling results are presented which show that the curvature effect is present in both the turbulent and non-turbulent zones of the transitional flow.


1997 ◽  
Vol 119 (3) ◽  
pp. 420-426 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Volino ◽  
T. W. Simon

Measurements from heated boundary layers along a concave-curved test wall subject to high (initially 8 percent) free-stream turbulence intensity and strong (K = (ν/U∞2) dU∞/dx) as high as 9 × 10−6) acceleration are presented and discussed. Conditions for the experiments were chosen to roughly simulate those present on the downstream half of the pressure side of a gas turbine airfoil. Mean velocity and temperature profiles as well as skin friction and heat transfer coefficients are presented. The transition zone is of extended length in spite of the high free-stream turbulence level. Transitional values of skin friction coefficients and Stanton numbers drop below flat-plate, low-free-stream-turbulence, turbulent flow correlations, but remain well above laminar flow values. The mean velocity and temperature profiles exhibit clear changes in shape as the flow passes through transition. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first detailed documentation of a high-free-stream-turbulence boundary layer flow in such a strong acceleration field.


Author(s):  
Jonathan H. Watmuff

Experiments are described in which well-defined FSN (Free Stream Nonuniformity) distributions are introduced by placing fine wires upstream of the leading edge of a flat plate. Large amplitude spanwise thickness variations are present in the downstream boundary layer resulting from the interaction of the laminar wakes with the leading edge. Regions of elevated background unsteadiness appear on either side of the peak layer thickness, which share many of the characteristics of Klebanoff modes, observed at elevated Free Stream Turbulence (FST) levels. However, for the low background disturbance level of the free stream, the layer remains laminar to the end of the test section (Rx ≈ l.4×106) and there is no evidence of bursting or other phenomena associated with breakdown to turbulence. A vibrating ribbon apparatus is used to demonstrate that the deformation of the mean flow is responsible for substantial phase and amplitude distortion of Tollmien-Schlichting (TS) waves. Pseudo-flow visualization of hot-wire data shows that the breakdown of the distorted waves is more complex and occurs at a lower Reynolds number than the breakdown of the K-type secondary instability observed when the FSN is not present.


1988 ◽  
Vol 92 (916) ◽  
pp. 224-229
Author(s):  
P. E. Roach

Summary The procedures employed for the design of a closed-circuit, boundary layer wind tunnel are described. The tunnel was designed for the generation of relatively large-scale, two-dimensional boundary layers with Reynolds numbers, pressure gradients and free-stream turbulence levels typical of the turbomachinery environment. The results of a series of tests to evaluate the tunnel performance are also described. The flow in the test section is shown to be highly uniform and steady, with very low (natural) free-stream turbulence intensities. Measured boundary layer mean and fluctuating velocity profiles were found to be in good agreement with classical correlations. Test-section free-stream turbulence intensities are presented for grid-generated turbulence: agreement with expectation is again found to be good. Immediate applications to the tunnel include friction drag reduction and boundary layer transition studies, with future possibilities including flow separation and other complex flows typical of those found in gas turbines.


1985 ◽  
Vol 107 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Rued ◽  
S. Wittig

Heat transfer and boundary layer measurements were derived from flows over a cooled flat plate with various free-stream turbulence intensities (Tu = 1.6–11 percent), favorable pressure gradients (k = νe/ue2•due/dx = 0÷6•10−6) and cooling intensities (Tw/Te = 1.0–0.53). Special interest is directed towards the effects of the dominant parameters, including the influence on laminar to turbulent boundary layer transition. It is shown, that free-stream turbulence and pressure gradients are of primary importance. The increase of heat transfer due to wall cooling can be explained primarily by property variations as transition, and the influence of free-stream parameters are not affected.


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