Effects of Free Stream Turbulence on Low Reynolds Number Boundary Layers

1984 ◽  
Vol 106 (3) ◽  
pp. 298-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. P. Castro
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Boundary Layers ◽  
Free Stream ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Length Scale ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Low Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Free Stream Turbulence ◽  
Reynolds Number Effects ◽  
Low Reynolds

This paper documents some of the effects of free stream turbulence on the mean flow properties of turbulent boundary layers in zero pressure gradients. Attention is concentrated on flows for which the momentum thickness Reynolds number is less than about 2000. Direct Reynolds number effects are therefore significant and it is shown that such effects reduce as the level of free stream turbulence rises. A modification to Hancock’s [1] empirical correlation relating the fractional increase in skin friction at constant Reynolds number to a free stream turbulence parameter containing a dependence on both intensity and length scale is proposed. While this modification has the necessary characteristic of being a function of the free stream turbulence parameters as well as the Reynolds number, it is argued that the relative importance of intensity and length scale changes at low Reynolds numbers; the data are not inconsistent with this idea. The experiments cover the range 500 ⪝ Reθ ⪝ 2500, u′/Ue ⪝ 0.07, 0.8 ⪝ Le/δ ⪝ 2.9, where u′/Ue is the free stream turbulence intensity and Le/δ is the ratio of the dissipation length scale of the free stream turbulence to the 99 percent thickness of the boundary layer.

Measurements in a Turbine Cascade Flow Under Ultra Low Reynolds Number Conditions

2001 ◽  
Vol 124 (1) ◽  
pp. 100-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth W. Van Treuren ◽  
Terrence Simon ◽  
Marc von Koller ◽  
Aaron R. Byerley ◽  
James W. Baughn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Turbulence Intensity ◽  
Free Stream ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Vortex Generators ◽  
Separation Region ◽  
Suction Surface ◽  
Low Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Free Stream Turbulence ◽  
Low Reynolds

With the new generation of gas turbine engines, low Reynolds number flows have become increasingly important. Designers must properly account for transition from laminar to turbulent flow and separation of the flow from the suction surface, which is strongly dependent upon transition. Of interest to industry are Reynolds numbers based upon suction surface length and flow exit velocity below 150,000 and as low as 25,000. In this paper, the extreme low end of this Reynolds number range is documented by way of pressure distributions, loss coefficients, and identification of separation zones. Reynolds numbers of 25,000 and 50,000 and with 1 percent and 8-9 percent turbulence intensity of the approach flow (free-stream turbulence intensity, FSTI) were investigated. At 25,000 Reynolds number and low FSTI, the suction surface displayed a strong and steady separation region. Raising the turbulence intensity resulted in a very unsteady separation region of nearly the same size on the suction surface. Vortex generators were added to the suction surface, but they appeared to do very little at this Reynolds number. At the higher Reynolds number of 50,000, the low-FSTI case was strongly separated on the downstream portion of the suction surface. The separation zone was eliminated when the turbulence level was increased to 8-9 percent. Vortex generators were added to the suction surface of the low-FSTI case. In this instance, the vortices were able to provide the mixing needed to re-establish flow attachment. This paper shows that massive separation at very low Reynolds numbers (25,000) is persistent, in spite of elevated FSTI and added vortices. However, at a higher Reynolds number, there is opportunity for flow reattachment either with elevated free-stream turbulence or with added vortices. This may be the first documentation of flow behavior at such low Reynolds numbers. Although it is undesirable to operate under these conditions, it is important to know what to expect and how performance may be improved if such conditions are unavoidable.

Implicit-LES Simulation of Variable-Speed Power Turbine Cascade for Low Free-Stream Turbulence Conditions

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Ameri
Keyword(s):  
Free Stream ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Scale Model ◽  
Variable Speed ◽  
Low Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Free Stream Turbulence ◽  
Pressure Loss Coefficient ◽  
Power Turbine ◽  
Actual Design ◽  
Low Reynolds

It is a challenge to simulate the flow in a Variable Speed Power Turbine (VSPT), or, for that matter, rear stages of low pressure turbines at low Reynolds numbers due to laminar flow separation or laminar/turbulent flow transition on the blades. At low Reynolds numbers, separation induced-transition is more prevalent which can result in efficiency lapse. LES has been used in recent years to simulate these types of flows with a good degree of success. In the present work, very low free stream turbulence flows at exit Reynolds number of 220k were simulated. The geometry was a cascade which was constructed with the midspan section of a VSPT design. Most LES simulations to date, have focused on the midspan region. As the endwall effect was significant in these simulations due to thick incoming boundary layer, full blade span computation was necessitated. Inlet flow angles representative of take-off and cruise conditions, dictated by the rotor speed in an actual design, were analyzed. This was done using a second order finite volume code and a high resolution grid. As is the case with Implicit-LES methods, no sub-grid scale model was used. Blade static pressure data, at various span locations, and downstream probe survey measurements of total pressure loss coefficient were used to verify the results. The comparisons showed good agreement between the simulations and the experimental data.

A Study on Reynolds Number Effects in Turbomachines

1964 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
pp. 227-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. E. Balje´
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Test Data ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Fair Agreement ◽  
Low Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Reynolds Number Effects ◽  
Comprehensive Test ◽  
Specific Speed ◽  
Low Reynolds

Typical space power units have a tendency to encounter low Reynolds numbers in the last turbine stages. Comprehensive test data on the effect of low Reynolds numbers on the efficiency of turbomachines are lacking. An attempt is made to assess this influence, using conventional aerodynamic arguments. By distinguishing between viscous and nonviscous losses some tentative values have been calculated which are in fair agreement with the few available test data. These considerations indicate that the stage pressure ratio and the specific speed affect the Reynolds number influence significantly.

Effect of Free-Stream Turbulence on Heat Transfer through a Turbulent Boundary Layer

1978 ◽  
Vol 100 (4) ◽  
pp. 671-677 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Simonich ◽  
P. Bradshaw
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Free Stream ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Skin Friction Coefficient ◽  
Reynolds Analogy ◽  
Low Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Free Stream Turbulence ◽  
High Reynolds

Measurements in a boundary layer in zero pressure gradient show that the effect of grid-generated free-stream turbulence is to increase heat transfer by about five percent for each one percent rms increase of the longitudinal intensity. In fact, even a Reynolds analogy factor, 2 × (Stanton number)/(skin-friction coefficient), increases significantly. It is suggested that the irreconcilable differences between previous measurements are attributable mainly to the low Reynolds numbers of most of those measurements. The present measurements attained a momentum-thickness Reynolds number of 6500 (chord Reynolds number approximately 6.3 × 106) and are thought to be typical of high-Reynolds-number flows.

Turbulent intensity and Reynolds number effects on an airfoil at low Reynolds numbers

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (11) ◽  
pp. 115107 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Wang ◽  
Y. Zhou ◽  
Md. Mahbub Alam ◽  
H. Yang
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Turbulent Intensity ◽  
Low Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Reynolds Number Effects ◽  
Low Reynolds

Calculation of Transitional Boundary Layers With an Improved Low-Reynolds-Number Version of the k–ε Turbulence Model

1994 ◽  
Vol 116 (4) ◽  
pp. 765-773 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Biswas ◽  
Y. Fukuyama
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Boundary Layers ◽  
Turbulent Flows ◽  
Free Stream ◽  
Low Reynolds Number ◽  
Turbine Rotor ◽  
Limiting Behavior ◽  
Free Stream Turbulence ◽  
Low Reynolds

Several well-known low-Reynolds-number versions of the k–ε models are analyzed critically for laminar to turbulent transitional flows as well as near-wall turbulent flows from a theoretical and numerical standpoint. After examining apparent problems associated with the modeling of low-Reynolds-number wall damping functions used in these models, an improved version of the k–ε model is proposed by defining the wall damping factors as a function of some quantity (turbulence Reynolds number Ret) that is only a rather general indicator of the degree of turbulent activity at any location in the flow rather than a specific function of the location itself, and by considering the wall limiting behavior, the free-stream asymptotic behavior, and the balance between production and destruction of turbulence. This new model is applied to the prediction of (1) transitional boundary layers influenced by the free-stream turbulence, pressure gradient, and heat transfer; (2) external heat transfer distribution on the gas turbine rotor and stator blade under different inlet Reynolds number and free-stream turbulence conditions. It is demonstrated that the present model yields improved predictions.

Low-Reynolds-number effects in a fully developed turbulent channel flow

1992 ◽  
Vol 236 ◽  
pp. 579-605 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Antonia ◽  
M. Teitel ◽  
J. Kim ◽  
L. W. B. Browne
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Channel Flow ◽  
Low Reynolds Number ◽  
Turbulent Channel Flow ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Wall Region ◽  
Low Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Reynolds Number Effects ◽  
Low Reynolds ◽  
Inner Region

Low-Reynolds-number effects are observed in the inner region of a fully developed turbulent channel flow, using data obtained either from experiments or by direct numerical simulations. The Reynolds-number influence is observed on the turbulence intensities and to a lesser degree on the average production and dissipation of the turbulent energy. In the near-wall region, the data confirm Wei & Willmarth's (1989) conclusion that the Reynolds stresses do not scale on wall variables. One of the reasons proposed by these authors to account for this behaviour, namely the ‘geometry’ effect or direct interaction between inner regions on opposite walls, was investigated in some detail by introducing temperature at one of the walls, both in experiment and simulation. Although the extent of penetration of thermal excursions into the opposite side of the channel can be significant at low Reynolds numbers, the contribution these excursions make to the Reynolds shear stress and the spanwise vorticity in the opposite wall region is negligible. In the inner region, spectra and co-spectra of the velocity fluctuations u and v change rapidly with the Reynolds number, the variations being mainly confined to low wavenumbers in the u spectrum. These spectra, and the corresponding variances, are discussed in the context of the active/inactive motion concept and the possibility of increased vortex stretching at the wall. A comparison is made between the channel and the boundary layer at low Reynolds numbers.

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