Engineering topics

Leboeuf, Richard L.

Publications and source records attributed to Leboeuf, Richard L..

5 records

NASA NTRS1994

Forced free-shear layer measurements

Detailed three-dimensional three-component phase averaged measurements of the spanwise and streamwise vorticity formation and evolution in acoustically forced plane free-shear flows have been obtained. For the first time, phase-averaged measurements of all three velocity components have been obtained in both a mixing layer and a wake on three-dimensional grids, yielding the spanwise and streamwise vorticity distributions without invoking Taylor's hypothesis. Initially, two-frequency forcing was used to phase-lock the roll-up and first pairing of the spanwise vortical structures in a plane mixing layer. The objective of this study was to measure the near-field vortical structure morphology in a mixing layer with 'natural' laminar initial boundary layers. For the second experiment the second and third subharmonics of the fundamental roll-up frequency were added to the previous two-frequency forcing in order to phase-lock the roll-up and first three pairings of the spanwise rollers in the mixing layer. The objective of this study was to determine the details of spanwise scale changes observed in previous time-averaged measurements and flow visualization of unforced mixing layers. For the final experiment, single-frequency forcing was used to phase-lock the Karman vortex street in a plane wake developing from nominally two-dimensional laminar initial boundary layers. The objective of this study was to compare measurements of the three-dimensional structure in a wake developing from 'natural' initial boundary layers to existing models of wake vortical structure.

Leboeuf, Richard L.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Vortical structure in a forced plane mixing layer

The objective of this phase of an ongoing study is to obtain detailed three dimensional phase-averaged measurements of forced mixing layer vorticity development and evolution. Acoustic forcing is being used to phase-lock the initial development and subsequent pairing of the span wise vortical structures. Phase averaged measurements of the three velocity components will permit the study of three dimensional vorticity distributions without invoking Taylor's hypothesis which is known to introduce uncertainty. Currently two sine waves, one at the fundamental roll-up frequency and the second, its subharmonic, are being used to force the initial roll-up and first pairing of the span wise rollers. The two dimensional measurements described in this report were obtained in order to determine the best operating conditions for the detailed three dimensional study of the mixing layer undergoing pairing via various pairing mechanisms.

Leboeuf, Richard L.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Streamwise vortex meander in a plane mixing layer

The present experimental study was conducted in order to determine the existence of streamwise vortex meander in a mixing layer, and if present, its significance on the measured properties. The dependence of the velocity cross-correlation on the fixed probe location was shown to be a good indicator of the stationarity of the streamwise vortex location. The cross-correlation measurements obtained here indicate that spanwise meander is negligible, although transverse apparent meander (normal to the plane of the mixing layer) was indicated. The transverse meander, exemplified by the elliptical shape of the mean streamwise vorticity contours, was expected, since the streamwise vorticity in the braid region is essentially inclined, with respect to the streamwise direction. These conclusions were supported by results of estimated spanwise profiles of the transverse velocity component. The balance of evidence suggests that the measured mean streamwise vorticity decay is representative of the decay of the vorticity rather than an artifact of meander.

Leboeuf, Richard L.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Streamwise vortex meander in a plane mixing layer

Previous measurements in a two-stream plane mixing layer have shown that the mean streamwise vorticity decays monotonically with downstream distance such that it is absent in the far-field (self-similar) region. It was not clear at that time if this measured decay was a result of actual vortex diffusion or increasing vortex meander within the mixing layer. The present experimental study was conducted in order to determine the existence of streamwise vortex meander in a mixing layer, and if present, its significance on the measured properties. The dependence of the velocity cross-correlation on the fixed probe location is considered a good indicator of the stationarity of the streamwise vortex location. The cross-correlation measurements obtained here indicate that the spanwise meander is negligible while the transverse apparent meander (normal to the plane of the mixing layer) is relatively large.

Leboeuf, Richard L.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Plane mixing layer vortical structure kinematics

The objective of the current project was to experimentally investigate the structure and dynamics of the streamwise vorticity in a plane mixing layer. The first part of this research program was intended to clarify whether the observed decrease in mean streamwise vorticity in the far-field of mixing layers is due primarily to the 'smearing' caused by vortex meander or to diffusion. Two-point velocity correlation measurements have been used to show that there is little spanwise meander of the large-scale streamwise vortical structure. The correlation measurements also indicate a large degree of transverse meander of the streamwise vorticity which is not surprising since the streamwise vorticity exists in the inclined braid region between the spanwise vortex core regions. The streamwise convection of the braid region thereby introduces an apparent transverse meander into measurements using stationary probes. These results corroborated with estimated secondary velocity profiles in which the streamwise vorticity produces a signature which was tracked in time.

Leboeuf, Richard L.↗