Wake Instabilities behind Discrete Roughness Elements in High Speed Boundary Layers

In this paper, the classical triple-deck formalism is employed to investigate two instability problems in which an acoustic feedback loop plays an essential role. The first concerns a subsonic boundary layer over a flat plate on which two well-separated roughness elements are present. A spatially amplifying Tollmien–Schlichting (T–S) wave between the roughness elements is scattered by the downstream roughness to emit a sound wave that propagates upstream and impinges on the upstream roughness to regenerate the T–S wave, thereby forming a closed feedback loop in the streamwise direction. Numerical calculations suggest that, at high Reynolds numbers and for moderate roughness heights, the long-range acoustic coupling may lead to absolute instability, which is characterized by self-sustained oscillations at discrete frequencies. The dominant peak frequency may jump from one value to another as the Reynolds number, or the distance between the roughness elements, is varied gradually. The second problem concerns the supersonic ‘twin boundary layers’ that develop along two well-separated parallel flat plates. The two boundary layers are in mutual interaction through the impinging and reflected acoustic waves. It is found that the interaction leads to a new instability that is absent in the unconfined boundary layer.

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Flow over a stepped chute with and without macro-roughness elements

Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering ◽

10.1139/l04-059 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 31 (5) ◽

pp. 880-891 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Mehmet Ali Kökpinar

Keyword(s):

Water Flow ◽

High Speed ◽

Length Distribution ◽

Air Entrainment ◽

Air Concentration ◽

Bubble Frequency ◽

Two Phase ◽

Air Bubble ◽

Roughness Elements ◽

Stepped Chute

High-speed two-phase flows over a 30° stepped flume were experimentally investigated using macro-roughness elements. The roughness elements included combinations of steps and horizontal strips. Local values of air concentration, air bubble frequency, and mean chord lengths were measured by a fiber-optical instrumentation system in the air–water flow region. The range of unit discharge of water was varied from 0.06 to 0.20 m2/s. Three step configurations were studied: (i) without macro-roughness elements, (ii) with macro-roughness elements on each step, and (iii) with macro-roughness elements on each second step (AMR configuration). The results were compared in terms of onset flow conditions and internal air–water flow parameters such as local air concentration, mean air bubble chord length distribution, and air bubble frequency in the skimming flow regime. It was observed that the AMR configuration produced the maximum free-surface aeration among the other configurations. This alternative step geometry has potential for less cavitation damage than conventional step geometry because of the greater air entrainment.Key words: stepped chute, air-entrainment, air-water flow properties, macro-roughness elements, skimming flow.

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