On the linear stability of Stokes layers

2008 ◽  
Vol 366 (1876) ◽  
pp. 2685-2697 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.J Blennerhassett ◽  
Andrew P Bassom
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Linear Stability ◽  
Practical Interest ◽  
Transition To Turbulence ◽  
Large Reynolds Number ◽  
Poor Agreement ◽  
Oscillatory Flows ◽  
Stokes Layer ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Time Periodic

Oscillatory flows occur naturally, with applications ranging across many disciplines from engineering to physiology. Transition to turbulence in such flows is a topic of practical interest and this article discusses some recent work that has furthered our understanding of the stability of a class of time-periodic fluid motions. Our study starts with an examination of the linear stability of a classical flat Stokes layer. Although experiments conducted over many years have demonstrated conclusively that this layer is unstable at a sufficiently large Reynolds number, it has only been relatively recently that rigorous theoretical confirmation of this behaviour has been obtained. The analysis and numerical calculations for the planar Stokes layer were subsequently extended to flows in channels and pipes and for the flow within a torsionally oscillating circular cylinder. We discuss why our predictions for the onset of instability in these geometries are in disappointingly poor agreement with experimental results. Finally, some suggestions for future experimental work are given and some areas for future theoretical analysis outlined.

Delaying transition to turbulence in channel flow: revisiting the stability of shear-thinning fluids

2007 ◽  
Vol 592 ◽  
pp. 177-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. NOUAR ◽  
A. BOTTARO ◽  
J. P. BRANCHER
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Linear Stability ◽  
Channel Flow ◽  
Shear Thinning ◽  
Transition To Turbulence ◽  
Shear Thinning Fluids ◽  
Viable Approach ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Do So

A viscosity stratification is considered as a possible mean to postpone the onset of transition to turbulence in channel flow. As a prototype problem, we focus on the linear stability of shear-thinning fluids modelled by the Carreau rheological law. To assess whether there is stabilization and by how much, it is important both to account for a viscosity disturbance in the perturbation equations, and to employ an appropriate viscosity scale in the definition of the Reynolds number. Failure to do so can yield qualitatively and quantitatively incorrect conclusions. Results are obtained for both exponentially and algebraically growing disturbances, demonstrating that a viscous stratification is a viable approach to maintain laminarity.

Stability of Viscoelastic Channel Flow

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nariman Ashrafi
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Viscosity Ratio ◽  
Weissenberg Number ◽  
Base Flow ◽  
Galerkin Projection ◽  
Large Reynolds Number ◽  
One Dimensional ◽  
Stress Effects ◽  
The Stability ◽  
The One

The nonlinear stability and bifurcation of the one-dimensional channel (Poiseuille) flow is examined for a Johnson-Segalman fluid. The velocity and stress are represented by orthonormal functions in the transverse direction to the flow. The flow field is obtained from the conservation and constitutive equations using the Galerkin projection method. Both inertia and normal stress effects are included. The stability picture is dramatically influenced by the viscosity ratio. The range of shear rate or Weissenberg number for which the base flow is unstable increases from zero as the fluid deviates from the Newtonian limit as decreases. Typically, two turning points are observed near the critical Weissenberg numbers. The transient response is heavily influenced by the level of inertia. It is found that the flow responds oscillatorily. When the Reynolds number is small, and monotonically at large Reynolds number when elastic effects are dominated by inertia.

Stability of Horizontal Boundary Layers

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Yves Chemin ◽  
Benoit Desjardins ◽  
Isabelle Gallagher ◽  
Emmanuel Grenier
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Linear Stability ◽  
Mathematical Proof ◽  
Vertical Component ◽  
Ekman Layer ◽  
Numerical Results ◽  
Energy Estimates ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
The Stability

Let us now detail the stability properties of an Ekman layer introduced in Part I, page 11. First we will recall how to compute the critical Reynolds number. Then we will describe briefly what happens at larger Reynolds numbers. The first step in the study of the stability of the Ekman layer is to consider the linear stability of a pure Ekman spiral of the form where U∞ is the velocity away from the layer and ζ is the rescaled vertical component ζ = x3/√εν. The corresponding Reynolds number is Let us consider the Navier–Stokes–Coriolis equations, linearized around uE The problem is now to study the (linear) stability of the 0 solution of the system (LNSCε). If u=0 is stable we say that uE is linearly stable, if not we say that it is linearly unstable. Numerical results show that u=0 is stable if and only if Re<Rec where Rec can be evaluated numerically. Up to now there is no mathematical proof of this fact, and it is only possible to prove that 0 is linearly stable for Re<Re1 and unstable for Re>Re2 with Re1<Rec<Re2, Re1 being obtained by energy estimates and Re2 by a perturbative analysis of the case Re=∞. We would like to emphasize that the numerical results are very reliable and can be considered as definitive results, since as we will see below, the stability analysis can be reduced to the study of a system of ordinary differential equations posed on the half-space, with boundary conditions on both ends, a system which can be studied arbitrarily precisely, even on desktop computers (first computations were done in the 1960s by Lilly).

scholarly journals Linear stability of confined flow around a 180-degree sharp bend

2017 ◽  
Vol 822 ◽  
pp. 813-847 ◽  
Author(s):  
Azan M. Sapardi ◽  
Wisam K. Hussam ◽  
Alban Pothérat ◽  
Gregory J. Sheard
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Stability Analysis ◽  
Linear Stability ◽  
Linear Stability Analysis ◽  
Critical Reynolds Number ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Base Flow ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Two Dimensional Flow ◽  
The Stability

This study seeks to characterise the breakdown of the steady two-dimensional solution in the flow around a 180-degree sharp bend to infinitesimal three-dimensional disturbances using a linear stability analysis. The stability analysis predicts that three-dimensional transition is via a synchronous instability of the steady flows. A highly accurate global linear stability analysis of the flow was conducted with Reynolds number $\mathit{Re}<1150$ and bend opening ratio (ratio of bend width to inlet height) $0.2\leqslant \unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}\leqslant 5$. This range of $\mathit{Re}$ and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}$ captures both steady-state two-dimensional flow solutions and the inception of unsteady two-dimensional flow. For $0.2\leqslant \unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}\leqslant 1$, the two-dimensional base flow transitions from steady to unsteady at higher Reynolds number as $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}$ increases. The stability analysis shows that at the onset of instability, the base flow becomes three-dimensionally unstable in two different modes, namely a spanwise oscillating mode for $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}=0.2$ and a spanwise synchronous mode for $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}\geqslant 0.3$. The critical Reynolds number and the spanwise wavelength of perturbations increase as $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}$ increases. For $1<\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}\leqslant 2$ both the critical Reynolds number for onset of unsteadiness and the spanwise wavelength decrease as $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}$ increases. Finally, for $2<\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}\leqslant 5$, the critical Reynolds number and spanwise wavelength remain almost constant. The linear stability analysis also shows that the base flow becomes unstable to different three-dimensional modes depending on the opening ratio. The modes are found to be localised near the reattachment point of the first recirculation bubble.

Experimental investigations of the stability of channel flows. Part 2. Two-layered co-current flow in a rectangular channel

1972 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 401-423 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy W. Kao ◽  
Cheol Park
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Current Flow ◽  
Rectangular Channel ◽  
Shear Waves ◽  
Transition To Turbulence ◽  
Wave Number ◽  
Neutral Stability ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Transition Range ◽  
The Stability

The stability of the laminar co-current flow of two fluids, oil and water, in a rectangular channel was investigated experimentally, with and without artificial excitation. For the ratio of viscosity explored, only the disturbances in water grew in the beginning stages of transition to turbulence. The critical water Reynolds number, based upon the hydraulic diameter of the channel and the superficial velocity defined by the ratio of flow rate of water to total cross-sectional area of the channel, was found to be 2300. The behaviour of damped and growing shear waves in water was examined in detail using artificial excitation and briefly compared with that observed in Part 1. Mean flow profiles, the amplitude distribution of disturbances in water, the amplification rate, wave speed and wavenumbers were obtained. A neutral stability boundary in the wave-number, water Reynolds number plane was also obtained experimentally.It was found that in natural transition the interfacial mode was not excited. The first appearance of interfacial waves was actually a manifestation of the shear waves in water. The role of the interface in the transition range from laminar to turbulent flow in water was to introduce and enhance spanwise oscillation in the water phase and to hasten the process of breakdown for growing disturbances.

Linear stability theory of oscillatory Stokes layers

1974 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 753-773 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Von Kerczek ◽  
Stephen H. Davis
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Linear Stability ◽  
Stability Theory ◽  
Absolute Stability ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Time Dependent ◽  
Linear Stability Theory ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Full Theory ◽  
The Stability

The stability of the oscillatory Stokes layers is examined using two quasi-static linear theories and an integration of the full time-dependent linearized disturbance equations. The full theory predicts absolute stability within the investigated range and perhaps for all the Reynolds numbers. A given wavenumber disturbance of a Stokes layer is found to bemore stablethan that of the motionless state (zero Reynolds number). The quasi-static theories predict strong inflexional instabilities. The failure of the quasi-static theories is discussed.

Instability and breakdown of a vertical vortex pair in a strongly stratified fluid

2008 ◽  
Vol 606 ◽  
pp. 239-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
MICHAEL L. WAITE ◽  
PIOTR K. SMOLARKIEWICZ
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Laboratory Experiments ◽  
Gravitational Instability ◽  
Initial Perturbation ◽  
Vortex Pair ◽  
Horizontal Displacement ◽  
Transition To Turbulence ◽  
Large Reynolds Number ◽  
Length Scales ◽  
Moderate Reynolds Number

The dynamics of a counter-rotating pair of columnar vortices aligned parallel to a stable density gradient are investigated. By means of numerical simulation, we extend the linear analyses and laboratory experiments of Billant & Chomaz (J. Fluid Mech. vol. 418, p. 167; vol. 419, pp. 29, 65 (2000)) to the fully nonlinear, large-Reynolds-number regime. A range of stratifications and vertical length scales is considered, with Frh < 0.2 and 0.1 < Frz < 10. Here Frh ≡ U/(NR) and Frz ≡ Ukz/N are the horizontal and vertical Froude numbers, U and R are the horizontal velocity and length scales of the vortices, N is the Brunt–Väisälä frequency, and 2π/kz is the vertical wavelength of a small initial perturbation. At early times with Frz < 1, linear predictions for the zigzag instability are reproduced. Short-wavelength perturbations with Frz > 1 are found to be unstable as well, with growth rates only slightly less than those of the zigzag instability but with very different structure. At later times, the large-Reynolds-number evolution diverges profoundly from the moderate-Reynolds-number laboratory experiments as the instabilities transition to turbulence. For the zigzag instability, this transition occurs when density perturbations generated by the vortex bending become gravitationally unstable. The resulting turbulence rapidly destroys the vortex pair. We derive the criterion η/R ≈ 0.2/Frz for the onset of gravitational instability, where η is the maximum horizontal displacement of the bent vortices, and refine it to account for a finite twisting disturbance. Our simulations agree for the fastest growing wavelengths 0.3 < Frz < 0.8. Short perturbations with Frz > 1 saturate at low amplitude, preserving the columnar structure of the vortices well after the generation of turbulence. Viscosity is shown to suppress the transition to turbulence for Reynolds number Re ≲ 80/Frh, yielding laminar dynamics and, under certain conditions, pancake vortices like those observed in the laboratory.

Modeling Transition to Turbulence in Eccentric Stenotic Flows

2008 ◽  
Vol 130 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonu S. Varghese ◽  
Steven H. Frankel ◽  
Paul F. Fischer
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Turbulence Models ◽  
Transition To Turbulence ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Poor Agreement ◽  
Large Eddy Simulation Model ◽  
Eddy Simulation ◽  
Large Eddy ◽  
Simulation Results

Mean flow predictions obtained from a host of turbulence models were found to be in poor agreement with recent direct numerical simulation results for turbulent flow distal to an idealized eccentric stenosis. Many of the widely used turbulence models, including a large eddy simulation model, were unable to accurately capture the poststenotic transition to turbulence. The results suggest that efforts toward developing more accurate turbulence models for low-Reynolds number, separated transitional flows are necessary before such models can be used confidently under hemodynamic conditions where turbulence may develop.

Viscous incompressible flow between concentric rotating spheres. Part 3. Linear stability and experiments

1975 ◽  
Vol 69 (4) ◽  
pp. 705-719 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. R. Munson ◽  
M. Menguturk
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Laminar Flow ◽  
Outer Sphere ◽  
Radius Ratio ◽  
Large Reynolds Number ◽  
Spherical Annulus ◽  
Flow Part ◽  
Linearized Theory ◽  
Flow Transitions ◽  
The Stability

The stability of flow of a viscous incompressible fluid contained between a stationary outer sphere and rotating inner sphere is studied theoretically and experimentally. Previous theoretical results concerning the basic laminar flow (part 1) are compared with experimental results. Small and large Reynolds number results are compared with Stokes-flow and boundary-layer solutions. The effect of the radius ratio of the two spheres is demonstrated. A linearized theory of stability for the laminar flow is formulated in terms of toroidal and poloidal potentials; the differential equations governing these potentials are integrated numerically. It is found that the flow is subcritically unstable and that the observed instability occurs at a Reynolds number close to the critical value of the energy stability theory. Observations of other flow transitions, at higher values of the Reynolds number, are also described. The character of the stability of the spherical annulus flow is found to be strongly dependent on the radius ratio.

Wall imperfections as a triggering mechanism for Stokes-layer transition

1994 ◽  
Vol 264 ◽  
pp. 107-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Blondeaux ◽  
G. Vittori
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Numerical Procedure ◽  
Threshold Value ◽  
Numerical Approach ◽  
Small Time ◽  
Transition To Turbulence ◽  
Time Range ◽  
Layer Transition ◽  
Stokes Layer ◽  
Damping Effect

The boundary layer generated by the harmonic oscillations of a wavy wall in a fluid otherwise at rest is studied. First the wall waviness is assumed to be of small amplitude and large values of the Reynolds number are considered. The results obtained by means of a linear analysis, where the time variable appears only as a parameter, show that resonance may occur. Indeed it is found that when the Reynolds number is larger than a critical value, an instant within the decelerating part of the cycle exists such that a waviness of infinitesimal amplitude induces unbounded perturbations of the flow in the Stokes layer. The passage through resonance is then studied by means of a multiple-timescale approach, taking into account the damping effect of local acceleration within a small time range around resonance. The asymptotic approach fails beyond a threshold value of the Reynolds number, because the damping effect of the local acceleration terms spreads over the whole cycle. The problem is then tackled by means of an approach that takes into account the above damping effect throughout the whole cycle. Finally, a numerical procedure is used that also allows the inclusion of nonlinear terms and the study of the interactions among forced and free modes. The numerical approach reveals that, even for relatively large values of the amplitude of the wall waviness, nonlinear effects are negligible and the damping of resonance is mainly due to local acceleration effects. The relevance of the results to the understanding of transition to turbulence in Stokes layers is discussed.

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