Statistical Parameters of the Air Turbulent Boundary Layer over Steep Water Waves Measured by the PIV Technique

A turbulent airflow with a centerline velocity of 4 m s−1 above 2.5-Hz mechanically generated gravity waves of different amplitudes has been studied in experiments using the particle image velocimetry (PIV) technique. Direct measurements of the instantaneous flow velocity fields above a curvilinear interface demonstrating flow separation are presented. Because the airflow above the wavy water surface is turbulent and nonstationary, the individual vector fields are conditionally averaged sampled on the phase of the water elevation. The flow patterns of the phase-averaged fields are relatively smooth. Because the averaged flow does not show any strongly nonlinear effects, the quasi-linear approximation can be used. The parameters obtained by the flow averaging are compared with the theoretical results obtained within the theoretical quasi-linear model of a turbulent boundary layer above the wavy water surface. The wave-induced pressure disturbances in the airflow are calculated using the retrieved statistical ensemble of wind flow velocities. The energy flux from the wind to waves and the wind–wave interaction parameter are estimated using the obtained wave-induced pressure disturbances. The estimated values of the wind–wave interaction parameter are in a good agreement with the theory.