Boundary Layer Receptivity Theory

1990 ◽  
Vol 43 (5S) ◽  
pp. S152-S157 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. J. Kerschen

The receptivity mechanisms by which free-stream disturbances generate instability waves in laminar boundary layers are discussed. Free-stream disturbances have wavelengths which are generally much longer than those of instability waves. Hence, the transfer of energy from the free-stream disturbance to the instability wave requires a wavelength conversion mechanism. Recent analyses using asymptotic methods have shown that the wavelength conversion takes place in regions of the boundary layer where the mean flow adjusts on a short streamwise length scale. This paper reviews recent progress in the theoretical understanding of these phenomena.

Asymptotic methods are used to describe the nonlinear self-interaction between pairs of oblique instability modes that eventually develops when initially linear spatially growing instability waves evolve downstream in nominally two-dimensional laminar boundary layers. The first nonlinear reaction takes place locally within a so-called ‘critical layer’, with the flow outside this layer consisting of a locally parallel mean flow plus a pair of oblique instability waves - which may or may not be accompanied by an associated plane wave. The amplitudes of these waves, which are completely determined by nonlinear effects within the critical layer, satisfy either a single integro-differential equation or a pair of integro-differential equations with quadratic to quartic-type nonlinearities. The physical implications of these equations are discussed.


1995 ◽  
Vol 282 ◽  
pp. 339-371 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. J. Leib ◽  
Sang Soo Lee

We study the nonlinear evolution of a pair of oblique instability waves in a supersonic boundary layer over a flat plate in the nonlinear non-equilibrium viscous critical layer regime. The instability wave amplitude is governed by the same integro-differential equation as that derived by Goldstein & Choi (1989) in the inviscid limit and by Wu, Lee & Cowley (1993) with viscous effects included, but the coefficient appearing in this equation depends on the mean flow and linear neutral stability solution of the supersonic boundary layer. This coefficient is evaluated numerically for the Mach number range over which the (inviscid) first mode is the dominant instability. Numerical solutions to the amplitude equation using these values of the coefficient are obtained. It is found that, for insulated and cooled wall conditions and angles corresponding to the most rapidly growing waves, the amplitude ends in a singularity at a finite downstream position over the entire Mach number range regardless of the size of the viscous parameter. The explosive growth of the instability waves provides a mechanism by which the boundary layer can break down. A new feature of the compressible problem is the nonlinear generation of a spanwise-dependent mean distortion of the temperature along with that of the velocity found in the incompressible case.


2000 ◽  
Vol 424 ◽  
pp. 367-377 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. GASTER

The estimation of the growth of propagating instability waves in laminar boundary layers is considered when the Reynolds number is sufficiently large for the mean flow to deviate only slightly from a truly parallel flow. An approximate solution for the linear perturbation is sought in the form of a scaled solution of the related locally parallel flow problem. The amplitude scaling is chosen so as to satisfy the full linearized perturbation equations as closely as possible by making the mean-square deviation of the remainder a minimum. By re-arranging the terms in the equations so that some of the small correction terms arising from the non-parallel mean flow are contained in the ordinary differential equation (ODE) defining the quasi-parallel flow solution, a useful simplification is obtained for the scaling function. Then a modified Orr–Sommerfeld equation defines the base solution and the differential expression for the scaling that can be integrated forms a simple conservation relation.


1999 ◽  
Vol 378 ◽  
pp. 291-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. DIETZ

An investigation of the local receptivity of a Blasius boundary layer to a harmonic vortical disturbance is presented as a step towards understanding boundary-layer receptivity to free-stream turbulence. Although there has been solid experimental verification of the linear theory describing acoustic receptivity of boundary layers, this was the first experimental verification of the mechanism behind local receptivity to a convected disturbance. The harmonic wake from a vibrating ribbon positioned upstream of a flat plate provided the free-stream disturbance. Two-dimensional roughness elements on the surface of the plate acted as a local receptivity site. Hot-wire measurements in the boundary layer downstream of the roughness confirmed the generation of Tollmien–Schlichting (TS) instability waves by an outer-layer interaction between the long-wavelength convected disturbance and the short-scale mean-flow distortion due to the roughness. The characteristics of the instability waves were carefully measured to ensure that their behaviour was correctly modelled by linear stability theory. This theory was then used to determine the immeasurably small initial wave amplitudes resulting from the receptivity process, from wave amplitudes measured downstream. Tests were performed to determine the range of validity of the linear assumptions made in current receptivity theories. Experimental data obtained in the linear regime were then compared to theoretical results of other authors by expressing the experimental data in the form of an efficiency function which is independent of the free-stream amplitude, roughness height and roughness geometry. Reasonable agreement between the experimental and theoretical efficiency functions was obtained over a range of frequencies and Reynolds numbers.


2009 ◽  
Vol 638 ◽  
pp. 267-303 ◽  
Author(s):  
PIERRE RICCO

The response of the Blasius boundary layer to free-stream vortical disturbances of the convected gust type is studied. The vorticity signature of the boundary layer is computed through the boundary-region equations, which are the rigorous asymptotic limit of the Navier–Stokes equations for low-frequency disturbances. The method of matched asymptotic expansion is employed to obtain the initial and outer boundary conditions. For the case of forcing by a two-dimensional gust, the effect of a wall-normal wavelength comparable with the boundary-layer thickness is taken into account. The gust viscous dissipation and upward displacement due to the mean boundary layer produce significant changes on the fluctuations within the viscous region. The same analysis also proves useful for computing to second-order accuracy the boundary-layer response induced by a three-dimensional gust with spanwise wavelength comparable with the boundary-layer thickness. It also follows that the boundary-layer fluctuations of the streamwise velocity match the corresponding free-stream velocity component. The velocity profiles are compared with experimental data, and good agreement is attained.The generation of Tollmien–Schlichting waves by the nonlinear mixing between the two-dimensional unsteady vorticity fluctuations and the mean flow distortion induced by localized wall roughness and suction is also investigated. Gusts with small wall-normal wavelengths generate significantly different amplitudes of the instability waves for a selected range of forcing frequencies. This is primarily due to the disparity between the streamwise velocity fluctuations in the free stream and within the boundary layer.


1997 ◽  
Vol 353 ◽  
pp. 205-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. W. HAMMERTON ◽  
E. J. KERSCHEN

In Hammerton & Kerschen (1996), the effect of the nose radius of a body on boundary-layer receptivity was analysed for the case of a symmetric mean flow past a two-dimensional body with a parabolic leading edge. A low-Mach-number two-dimensional flow was considered. The radius of curvature of the leading edge, rn, enters the theory through a Strouhal number, S=ωrn/U, where ω is the frequency of the unsteady free-stream disturbance and U is the mean flow speed. Numerical results revealed that the variation of receptivity for small S was very different for free-stream acoustic waves propagating parallel to the mean flow and those free-stream waves propagating at an angle to the mean flow. In this paper the small-S asymptotic theory is presented. For free-stream acoustic waves propagating parallel to the symmetric mean flow, the receptivity is found to vary linearly with S, giving a small increase in the amplitude of the receptivity coefficient for small S compared to the flat-plate value. In contrast, for oblique free-stream acoustic waves, the receptivity varies with S1/2, leading to a sharp decrease in the amplitude of the receptivity coefficient relative to the flat-plate value. Comparison of the asymptotic theory with numerical results obtained in the earlier paper confirms the asymptotic results but reveals that the numerical results diverge from the asymptotic result for unexpectedly small values of S.


1996 ◽  
Vol 310 ◽  
pp. 243-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. W. Hammerton ◽  
E. J. Kerschen

The effect of the nose radius of a body on boundary-layer receptivity is analysed for the case of a symmetric mean flow past a body with a parabolic leading edge. Asymptotic methods based on large Reynolds number are used, supplemented by numerical results. The Mach number is assumed small, and acoustic free-stream disturbances are considered. The case of free-stream acoustic waves, propagating obliquely to the symmetric mean flow is considered. The body nose radius, rn, enters the theory through a Strouhal number, S = ωrn/U, where ω is the frequency of the acoustic wave and U is the mean flow speed. The finite nose radius dramatically reduces the receptivity level compared to that for a flat plate, the amplitude of the instability waves in the boundary layer being decreased by an order of magnitude when S = 0.3. Oblique acoustic waves produce much higher receptivity levels than acoustic waves propagating parallel to the body chord.


2018 ◽  
Vol 858 ◽  
pp. 474-499 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro Paredes ◽  
Meelan M. Choudhari ◽  
Fei Li

The interaction of stationary streaks undergoing non-modal growth with modally unstable instability waves in a high Mach number boundary-layer flow is studied using numerical computations. The geometry and flow conditions are selected to match a relevant trajectory location from the ascent phase of the HIFiRE-1 flight experiment; namely, a $7^{\circ }$ half-angle, circular cone with $2.5$ mm nose radius, free-stream Mach number equal to $5.30$, unit Reynolds number equal to $13.42~\text{m}^{-1}$ and wall-to-adiabatic temperature ratio of approximately $0.35$ over most of the vehicle. This paper investigates the nonlinear evolution of initially linear optimal disturbances that evolve into finite-amplitude streaks, followed by an analysis of the modal instability characteristics of the perturbed, streaky boundary-layer flow. The investigation is performed with a stationary, full Navier–Stokes equations solver and the plane-marching parabolized stability equations (PSE), in conjunction with partial-differential-equation-based planar eigenvalue analysis. The overall effect of streaks is to reduce the peak amplification factors of instability waves, indicating a possible downstream shift in the onset of laminar–turbulent transition. The present study confirms previous findings that the mean-flow distortion of the nonlinear streak perturbation reduces the amplification rates of the Mack-mode instability. More importantly, however, the present results demonstrate that the spanwise varying component of the streak can produce a larger effect on the Mack-mode amplification. The analysis of planar and oblique Mack-mode waves modulated by the presence of the streaks shows that the planar Mack mode still dominates the instability characteristics of the flow. The study with selected azimuthal wavenumbers for the stationary streaks reveals that a wavenumber of approximately $1.4$ times larger than the optimal wavenumber is more effective in stabilizing the planar Mack-mode instabilities. In the absence of unstable first-mode waves for the present cold-wall condition, transition onset is expected to be delayed until the peak streak amplitude increases to nearly 35 % of the free-stream velocity, when intrinsic instabilities of the boundary-layer streaks begin to dominate the transition process. For streak amplitudes below that limit a significant net stabilization is achieved, yielding a potential transition delay that can exceed 100 % of the length of the laminar region in the uncontrolled case.


2011 ◽  
Vol 689 ◽  
pp. 97-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Gudmundsson ◽  
Tim Colonius

AbstractPrevious work has shown that aspects of the evolution of large-scale structures, particularly in forced and transitional mixing layers and jets, can be described by linear and nonlinear stability theories. However, questions persist as to the choice of the basic (steady) flow field to perturb, and the extent to which disturbances in natural (unforced), initially turbulent jets may be modelled with the theory. For unforced jets, identification is made difficult by the lack of a phase reference that would permit a portion of the signal associated with the instability wave to be isolated from other, uncorrelated fluctuations. In this paper, we investigate the extent to which pressure and velocity fluctuations in subsonic, turbulent round jets can be described aslinearperturbations to the mean flow field. The disturbances are expanded about the experimentally measured jet mean flow field, and evolved using linear parabolized stability equations (PSE) that account, in an approximate way, for the weakly non-parallel jet mean flow field. We utilize data from an extensive microphone array that measures pressure fluctuations just outside the jet shear layer to show that, up to an unknown initial disturbance spectrum, the phase, wavelength, and amplitude envelope of convecting wavepackets agree well with PSE solutions at frequencies and azimuthal wavenumbers that can be accurately measured with the array. We next apply the proper orthogonal decomposition to near-field velocity fluctuations measured with particle image velocimetry, and show that the structure of the most energetic modes is also similar to eigenfunctions from the linear theory. Importantly, the amplitudes of the modes inferred from the velocity fluctuations are in reasonable agreement with those identified from the microphone array. The results therefore suggest that, to predict, with reasonable accuracy, the evolution of the largest-scale structures that comprise the most energetic portion of the turbulent spectrum of natural jets, nonlinear effects need only be indirectly accounted for by considering perturbations to the mean turbulent flow field, while neglecting any non-zero frequency disturbance interactions.


Author(s):  
D. Furey ◽  
P. Atsavapranee ◽  
K. Cipolla

Stereo Particle Image velocimetry data was collected over high aspect ratio flexible cylinders (L/a = 1.5 to 3 × 105) to evaluate the axial development of the turbulent boundary layer where the boundary layer thickness becomes significantly larger than the cylinder diameter (δ/a>>1). The flexible cylinders are approximately neutrally buoyant and have an initial length of 152 m and radii of 0.45 mm and 1.25 mm. The cylinders were towed at speeds ranging from 3.8 to 15.4 m/sec in the David Taylor Model Basin. The analysis of the SPIV data required a several step procedure to evaluate the cylinder boundary flow. First, the characterization of the flow field from the towing strut is required. This evaluation provides the residual mean velocities and turbulence levels caused by the towing hardware at each speed and axial location. These values, called tare values, are necessary for comparing to the cylinder flow results. Second, the cylinder flow fields are averaged together and the averaged tare fields are subtracted out to remove strut-induced ambient flow effects. Prior to averaging, the cylinder flow fields are shifted to collocate the cylinder within the field. Since the boundary layer develops slowly, all planes of data occurring within each 10 meter increment of the cylinder length are averaged together to produce the mean boundary layer flow. Corresponding fields from multiple runs executed using the same experimental parameters are also averaged. This flow is analyzed to evaluate the level of axisymmetry in the data and determine if small changes in cylinder angle affect the mean flow development. With axisymmetry verified, the boundary flow is further averaged azimuthally around the cylinder to produce mean boundary layer profiles. Finally, the fluctuating velocity levels are evaluated for the flow with the cylinder and compared to the fluctuating velocity levels in the tare data. This paper will first discuss the data analysis techniques for the tare data and the averaging methods implemented. Second, the data analysis considerations will be presented for the cylinder data and the averaging and cylinder tracking techniques. These results are used to extract relevant boundary layer parameters including δ, δ* and θ. Combining these results with wall shear and momentum thickness values extracted from averaged cylinder drag data, the boundary layer can be well characterized.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document