Fluid-Elastic Lock-in of a Cavity Shear Layer Instability With the Modes of a Submerged Cantilevered Beam

2019 ◽  
Vol 141 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin L. Cody ◽  
Michael L. Jonson ◽  
Martin L. Pollack ◽  
Stephen A. Hambric

AbstractLock-in flow tones can occur for many different types of flow instabilities and structural-acoustic resonators at low Mach number. This paper examines the interaction between a shear layer instability generated by flow over a shallow cavity and the modes of an elastic cantilevered beam containing the cavity. A describing function model indicates that a cavity shear layer instability capable of producing lock-in with acoustic pipe resonances cannot achieve lock-in with equivalent structural beam resonances, particularly resonances of submerged structures. Fluid-elastic cavity lock-in is unlikely to occur due to the high level of damping that exists for a submerged structure, the high fluid-loaded modal mass, and the relatively weak source strength a cavity generates. Limited experimentation using pressure, acceleration, and particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements has been performed which are consistent with the describing function model. A stronger source produced by a larger scale flow instability—separated flow over a bluff body—was able to lock-in with modes of the same submerged structure, further demonstrating that the concern for lock-in from a cavity shear layer instability is isolated to systems capable of stronger coupling or those dominated by fluid-acoustic resonances.

Author(s):  
Kristin Lai-Fook Cody ◽  
Stephen A. Hambric ◽  
Martin L. Pollack ◽  
Michael L. Jonson

Lock-in occurs between many different types of flow instabilities and structural-acoustic resonators. Factors that describe the coupling between the fluid and structure have been defined for low flow Mach numbers. This paper discusses how different flow instabilities influence lock-in experimentally and analytically. A key concept to the lock-in process is the relative source generation versus dissipation. The type of fluid instability source dominates the generation component of the process, so a comparison between a cavity shear layer instability with a relatively stronger source, for example wake vortex shedding from a bluff body, will be described as a coupling factor. In the fluid-elastic cavity lock-in case, the shear layer instability produced by flow over a cavity couples to the elastic structure containing the cavity. In this study, this type of lock-in was not achieved experimentally. A stronger source, vortex shedding from a bluff body however, is shown experimentally to locks into the same resonator. This study shows that fluid-elastic cavity lock-in is unlikely to occur given the critical level of damping that exists for a submerged structure and the relatively weak source strength that a cavity produces. Also in this paper, a unified theory is presented based on describing functions, a nonlinear control theory used to predict limit cycles of oscillation, where a self-sustaining oscillation or lock-in is possible. The describing function models capture the primary characteristics of the instability mechanisms, are consistent with Strouhal frequency concepts, capture damping, and are consistent with mass-damping concepts from wake oscillator theory. This study shows a strong consistency between the analytical models and experimental results.


Author(s):  
Kristin Lai-Fook Cody ◽  
Stephen A. Hambric ◽  
Martin L. Pollack

At low flow Mach numbers, fluid-elastic lock-in may occur when a shear layer instability interacts with an adjoining or nearby structure and the resulting vibration of the structure reinforces the shear layer instability. Despite the significant amount of study of lock-in with acoustic resonators, fluid-elastic lock-in of a shear layer fluctuation over a cavity and a structural resonator is not well understood and has not been thoroughly studied. Design of an experimental system is described and preliminary diagnostics are addressed as a basis for a platform for developing a fundamental understanding of the feedback mechanism, analytical models for predicting and describing fluid-elastic lock-in conditions, and the roles of the fluid and structural dynamics in the process. Features of the system investigated here include design for characterization of modal excitation of a beam-like structure from the shear layer fluctuation, isolation of the predominant instability source to the shear layer fluctuation over the cavity, variation of the cavity size to identify critical parameters that govern fluid-elastic lock-in, and alteration of the inflow boundary layer momentum thickness. So far, lock-in between the cavity and the distributed elastic resonator has not been achieved. Further investigations to determine the role of the source and resonator attributes are underway.


2008 ◽  
Vol 112 (1128) ◽  
pp. 109-113
Author(s):  
S. L. Gai

Steady non-vortex shedding base flow behind a bluff body is considered. Such a flow is characterised by the flow separation at the trailing edge of the body with an emerging shear layer which reattaches on the axis with strong recompression and recirculating flow bounded by the base, the shear layer, and the axis. Steady wake flows behind a bluff body at low speeds have been studied for more than a century (for example, Kirchhoff; Riabouchinsky). Recently, research on steady bluff body wake flow at low speeds has been reviewed and reinterpreted by Roshko. Roshko has also commented on some basic aspects of steady supersonic base flow following on from Chapman and Korst analyses. In the present paper, we examine the steady base flow features both at low speeds and supersonic speeds in the light of Roshko’s model and expand on some further aspects of base flows at supersonic and hypersonic speeds, not covered by Roshko.


2011 ◽  
Vol 683 ◽  
pp. 395-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Kitsios ◽  
L. Cordier ◽  
J.-P. Bonnet ◽  
A. Ooi ◽  
J. Soria

AbstractThe present study is motivated by a need to produce stability modes to assist in the understanding and control of unsteady separated flows. The flow configuration is a NACA 0015 aerofoil with laminar leading-edge separation and turbulent recirculation. In previous water tunnel experiments, this flow configuration was measured in an unperturbed (uncontrolled) separated state, and a harmonically perturbed (controlled) reattached state. This study presents numerical data of the unperturbed case, and recovers stability modes to describe the evolution of perturbations in this environment. The unperturbed flow is numerically generated using large eddy simulation. Its temporal properties are quantified via a Fourier analysis of the velocity time history at selected points in space. The leading-edge shear layer instability is characterized by instantaneous vortex structures, and the bluff body shedding is illustrated by proper orthogonal decomposition modes. Statistical measures of the velocity field agree well with the water tunnel measurements. Finally a stability analysis is undertaken using a triple decomposition to distinguish between the time averaged field, the unsteady scales of motion, and a coherent wave (perturbation). This analysis identifies that perturbations in the region immediately downstream of the separated shear layer have the highest spatial growth rates. The associated frequency is of the order of the sub-harmonic of the shear layer instability.


2021 ◽  
Vol 143 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Teng Cao ◽  
Tadashi Kanzaka ◽  
Liping Xu ◽  
Tobias Brandvik

Abstract In this paper, an unsteady tip leakage flow phenomenon is identified and investigated in a centrifugal compressor with a vaneless diffuser at near-stall conditions. This phenomenon is associated with the inception of a rotating instability in the compressor. The study is based on numerical simulations that are supported by experimental measurements. The study confirms that the unstable flow is governed by a Kelvin–Helmholtz type instability of the shear layer formed between the main-stream flow and the tip leakage flow. The shear layer instability induces large-scale vortex roll-up and forms vortex tubes, which propagate circumferentially, resulting in measured pressure fluctuations with short wavelength and high amplitude which rotate at about half of the blade speed. The 3D vortex tube is also found to interact with the main blade leading edge, causing the reduction of the blade loading identified in the experiment. The paper also reveals that the downstream volute imposes a once-per-rev circumferential nonuniform back pressure at the impeller exit, inducing circumferential loading variation at the impeller inducer, and causing circumferential variation in the unsteady tip leakage flow.


1992 ◽  
Vol 241 ◽  
pp. 443-467 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Neish ◽  
F. T. Smith

The basic model problem of separation as predicted by the time-mean boundary-layer equations is studied, with the Cebeci-Smith model for turbulent stresses. The changes between laminar and turbulent flow are investigated by means of a turbulence ‘factor’ which increases from zero for laminar flow to unity for the fully turbulent regime. With an attached-flow starting point, a small increase in the turbulence factor above zero is found to drive the separation singularity towards the trailing edge or rear stagnation point for flow past a circular cylinder, according to both computations and analysis. A separated-flow starting point is found to produce analogous behaviour for the separation point. These findings lead to the suggestion that large-scale separation need not occur at all in the fully turbulent regime at sufficiently high Reynolds number; instead, separation is of small scale, confined near the trailing edge. Comments on the generality of this suggestion are presented, along with some supporting evidence from other computations. Further, the small scale involved theoretically has values which seem reasonable in practical terms.


2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 72-85
Author(s):  
Ze-tian Ren ◽  
Su-hui Li ◽  
Min Zhu

This paper aims at developing a computationally inexpensive method to investigate the premixed flame instabilities. The kinematic G-equation is combined with a two-dimensional discrete vortex method, and the conformal mapping is applied to make calculations for complicated geometries more efficiently. The vortex dynamics and flame response to harmonic velocity forcing of an anchored ducted V-flame are investigated, and the effects of harmonic forcing, Reynolds number, and bluff body geometry are examined. Results show that the vortex structures, flow instability, and flame response are closely coupled with each other. The unsteady vortex structures generate instabilities at the flame base, and the convection of the flame wrinkles then influences the flame dynamics downstream. The flame heat release fluctuates with larger amplitude under low-frequency forcings, while the phase of the flame transfer function is quasi-linear with increasing forcing frequency. Both higher inflow velocity and sharper bluff body corners can result in more unsteady large-scale vortex structures and hence influence the flame responses.


2017 ◽  
Vol 826 ◽  
pp. 851-887 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Stella ◽  
Nicolas Mazellier ◽  
Azeddine Kourta

We report an experimental investigation of the separating/reattaching flow over a descending ramp with a $25^{\circ }$ expansion angle. Emphasis is given to mass entrainment through the boundaries of the separated shear layer emanating from the upper edge of the ramp. For this purpose, the turbulent/non-turbulent interface and the separation line inferred from image-based analysis are used respectively to mark the upper and lower bounds of the separated shear layer. The main objective of this study is to identify the physical parameters that scale the development of the separated shear layer, by giving a specific emphasis to the investigation of mass entrainment. Our results emphasise the multiscale nature of mass entrainment through the separated shear layer. The recirculation length $L_{R}$, step height $h$ and free-stream velocity $U_{\infty }$ are the dominant scales that organise the separated flow (and related large-scale quantities as pressure distribution or shear layer growth rate) and set mean mass fluxes. However, local viscous mechanisms seem to be responsible for most of local mass entrainment. Furthermore, it is shown that large-scale mass entrainment is driven by incoming boundary layer properties, since $L_{R}$ scales with $Re_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D703}}$, and in particular by its turbulent state. Surprisingly, the relationships evidenced in this study suggest that these dependencies are established over a large distance upstream of separation and that they might also extend to small scales, at which viscous entrainment is dominant. If confirmed by additional studies, our findings would open new perspectives for designing effective separation control systems.


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