Engineering topics

Henningson, Dan S.

Publications and source records attributed to Henningson, Dan S..

6 records

NASA NTRS1993

A study of eigenvalue sensitivity for hydrodynamic stability operators

The eigenvalue sensitivity for hydrodynamic stability operators is investigated. Classical matrix perturbation techniques as well as the concept of epsilon-pseudospectra are applied to show that parts of the spectrum are highly sensitive to small perturbations. Applications are drawn from incompressible plane Couette flow, trailing line vortex flow, and compressible Blasius boundary-layer flow. Parameter studies indicate a monotonically increasing effect of the Reynolds number on the sensitivity. The phenomenon of eigenvalue sensitivity is due to the nonnormality of the operators and their discrete matrix analogs and may be associated with large transient growth of the corresponding initial value problem.

Schmid, Peter J.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Sensitivity analysis of hydrodynamic stability operators

The eigenvalue sensitivity for hydrodynamic stability operators is investigated. Classical matrix perturbation techniques as well as the concept of epsilon-pseudoeigenvalues are applied to show that parts of the spectrum are highly sensitive to small perturbations. Applications are drawn from incompressible plane Couette, trailing line vortex flow and compressible Blasius boundary layer flow. Parametric studies indicate a monotonically increasing effect of the Reynolds number on the sensitivity. The phenomenon of eigenvalue sensitivity is due to the non-normality of the operators and their discrete matrix analogs and may be associated with large transient growth of the corresponding initial value problem.

Schmid, Peter J.↗

NASA NTRS1992

On turbulent spots in plane Poiseuille flow

Turbulence characteristics inside a turbulent spot in plume Poiseuille flow are investigated by analyzing a data base obtained from a direct numerical simulation. The spot is found to consist of two distinct regions - a turbulent area and a wave area. The flow inside the turbulent area has a strong resemblance to that found in the fully developed turbulent channel. Suitably defined mean and rms fluctuations as well as the internal shear layer structures are found to be similar to the turbulent counterpart. In the wave area, the inflexional mean spanwise profiles cause a rapid growth of oblique waves, which break down to turbulence. The breakdown process of the oblique waves is reminiscent of the secondary instability observed during transition to turbulence in channel and boundary layer flows. Other detailed characteristics associated with the Poiseuille spot are presented and are compared with experimental results.

Henningson, Dan S.↗

NASA NTRS1991

On turbulent spots in plane Poiseuille flow

Turbulence characteristics inside a turbulent spot in plane Poiseuille flow are investigated by analyzing a database obtained from a direct numerical simulation. The spot is found to consist of two distinct regions - a turbulent area and a wave area. The flow inside the turbulent area has a strong resemblance to that found in the fully developed turbulent channel. Suitably defined mean and r.m.s. fluctuations as well as the internal shear-layer structures are found to be similar to the turbulent counterpart. In the wave area the inflexional mean spanwise profiles cause a rapid growth of oblique waves, which break down to turbulence. The breakdown process of the oblique waves is reminiscent of the secondary instability observed during transition to turbulence in channel and boundary-layer flows. Other detailed characteristics associated with the Poiseuille spot are presented and are compared with experimental results.

Henningson, Dan S.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Instabilities in rotating channel flow

A combination of linear, weakly nonlinear, and secondary stability theories has been used to study the transition process in rotating channel flow. Results for parts of the theory have been confirmed by direct numerical simulations. Preliminary results indicate that the theory can help explain some experimental observations regarding the evolution of streamwise vortices.

Ng, Lian↗

NASA NTRS1989

Turbulence characteristics inside a turbulent spot in plane Poiseuille flow

Turbulence characteristics inside a turbulent spot in plane Poiseuille flow are investigated by analyzing a database obtained from a direct simulation. The spot area is divided into two distinct regions - a turbulent area and a wave area. It is found that the flow structures inside the turbulent area have strong resemblance to those found in the fully-developed turbulent channel flow. A suitably defined mean and rms fluctuations as well as the internal shear-layer structures are found to be similar to the turbulent counterpart. In the wave area the inflexional mean spanwise profiles cause a rapid growth of oblique waves, which break down to turbulence. The rms fluctuations and Reynolds stress are found to be higher in that area, and the shear-layer structures are similar to those observed in the secondary instability of two-dimensional Tollmien-Schlichting waves.

Henningson, Dan S.↗