Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Turbulent boundary layer”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 415 records · Page 23

Scale effects on turbulent boundary layer development and flow separation around V/STOL inlets at high incidence

Numerical methods for calculating laminar and turbulent boundary layers development around V/STOL engine inlets at high incidence angles, along with the procedures for predicting flow separation, are presented. Results of scale-effects, which are obtained by a numerical scaling procedure on the boundary layer characteristics and incidence angles at onset of separation are discussed. The interesting 'cross-over' phenomena, where the full-scale models actually exhibit earlier separation than the scaled-models, is illustrated for a typical V/STOL inlet at a certain operating condition. Some of the numerical results are compared with the existing wind-tunnel test data for a 1/6 scale inlet model to demonstrate the validity of the numerical approach.

Chou, D. C.↗

Instantaneous velocity profile measurements in a turbulent boundary layer

Instantaneous wall shear stress and streamwise velocities have been measured simultaneously in a flat-plate, turbulent boundary layer at moderate Reynolds number in an effort to provide experimental support for large eddy simulations. Data were obtained using a buried-wire, wall shear gage and a hot-wire rake positioned in the log region of the flow. Fluctuations of the instantaneous U(+) versus Y(+) profiles about a mean law of the wall are shown to be significant and complex. Peak cross-correlation values between wall shear stress and the velocities are high, and reflect the passage of a large structure inclined at a small angle to the wall. Estimates of this angle are consistent with those made by other investigators. Conditional sampling techniques were used to detect the passage of various sizes and types of flow disturbances (events), and to estimate their mean frequency of occurrence. Events characterized by large aand sudden streamwise accelerations were found to be highly coherent throughout the log region and were strongly correlated with large fluctuations in wall shear stress. Phase randomness between the near-wall quantities and the outer velocities was small. The results suggest that the flow events detected by conditional sampling applied to velocities in the log region may be related to the bursting process.

Robinson, S. K.↗

An experimental study of the development of longitudinal vortex pairs embedded in a turbulent boundary layer

The mean streamwise development of pairs of longitudinal vortices embedded in an otherwise two-dimensional turbulent boundary layer was studied. Planes of closely spaced measurements of the three components of mean velocity were obtained at several streamwise locations, and the vorticity and circulation were calculated. Skin-friction measurements were also made. It was found that the rate of vorticity spreading in a vortex was greatly increased by close proximity of other vortices. The rate of streamwise circulation decrease was significantly greater for corotating vortices than for counter rotating vortices. Boundary-layer thinning and increased skin friction occured in regions where the secondary flow induced by the pairs was directed toward the wall; the boundary layer was thickened and skin friction reduced where the secondary flow was directed away from the wall.

Pauley, Wayne R.↗

Detection of large-scale organized motions in a turbulent boundary layer

This paper presents and discusses experimental data from an investigation of organized motions in a supersonic turbulent boundary layer. Conditional sampling of crossed-wire and multiple normal-wire signals is performed. A comparison is made between events detected using the VITA conditional sampling technique and those found by thresholding the UV signal. Based on this comparison, limitations of the VITA technique are discussed. The conditional sampling results indicate that most organized motions are consistent with hairpin vortices.

Fernando, E. M.↗

Measurements of the free-stream fluctuations above a turbulent boundary layer

The paper describes an investigation of the velocity fluctuations in the free stream above an incompressible turbulent boundary layer developing at constant pressure. Measurements were performed in a wind tunnel with an rms level of axial velocity fluctuations of about 0.2 percent. The possibility of assessing the contributions to the rms level of the velocity fluctuations without using the high-pass filtering technique is demonstrated.

Wood, D. H.↗

Crossing shock wave-turbulent boundary layer interactions

Three-dimensional interactions between crossing shock waves generated by symmetric sharp fins and a turbulent boundary layer on a flat plate are investigated experimentally and theoretically at Mach number 2.95 and freestream unit Reynolds number 1.96 x 10 to the 7th/ft. The incoming boundary layer has a thickness of 4 mm at the location of the fin leading edges. A comparison of experimental and computational results for two sets of fin angles (11 x 11 and 9 x 9 deg) shows general agreement with regard to surface pressure measurements and surface streamline patterns. The principal feature of the streamline structure is a collision of counterrotating vortical structures emanating from near the fin leading edges and meeting at the geometric centerline of the interaction.

Narayanswami, N.↗

Turbulent boundary layer structure - Progress, status, and challenges

Results of a cooperative effort to review the structure of the turbulent boundary layer are summarized. The principal concepts relevant to the study are briefly reviewed, with particular attention given to vorticity lines and vortices, vortex elements and vortex structures, and average models and realizations. The discussion covers the preliminary ordering of the importance of structure elements, the strength of vortex elements, and time evolution of structures. Finally, some areas of further research are suggested.

Kline, S. J.↗

Numerical Study of Pressure Fluctuations due to a Mach 6 Turbulent Boundary Layer

Direct numerical simulations (DNS) are used to examine the pressure fluctuations generated by a Mach 6 turbulent boundary layer with nominal freestream Mach number of 6 and Reynolds number of Re(sub t) approx. =. 464. The emphasis is on comparing the primarily vortical pressure signal at the wall with the acoustic freestream signal under higher Mach number conditions. Moreover, the Mach-number dependence of pressure signals is demonstrated by comparing the current results with those of a supersonic boundary layer at Mach 2.5 and Re(sub t) approx. = 510. It is found that the freestream pressure intensity exhibits a strong Mach number dependence, irrespective of whether it is normalized by the mean wall shear stress or by the mean pressure, with the normalized fluctuation amplitude being significantly larger for the Mach 6 case. Spectral analysis shows that both the wall and freestream pressure fluctuations of the Mach 6 boundary layer have enhanced energy content at high frequencies, with the peak of the premultiplied frequency spectrum of freestream pressure fluctuations being at a frequency of omega(delta)/U(sub infinity) approx. = 3.1, which is more than twice the corresponding frequency in the Mach 2.5 case. The space-time correlations indicate that the pressure-carrying eddies for the higher Mach number case are of smaller size, less elongated in the spanwise direction, and convect with higher convection speeds relative to the Mach 2.5 case. The demonstrated Mach-number dependence of the pressure field, including radiation intensity, directionality, and convection speed, is consistent with the trend exhibited in experimental data and can be qualitatively explained by the notion of "eddy Mach wave" radiation.

Duan, Lian↗

Measurements Of Shock-Separated Turbulent Boundary Layers

Report documents surface and flow-field measurements of two- and three-dimensional, shock-separated, turbulent boundary layers. Data tabulated to facilitate comparison with other measurements and computations. Shows shock-interaction shadowgraph and oil-flow pattern for each angle. Plotted profiles given for pressures, velocities, Reynolds stresses, and turbulent kinetic energies.

Brown, J. D.↗

Response of a panel to a supersonic turbulent boundary layer - Studies on a theoretical model

A study of the response of a clamped panel to a supersonic turbulent boundary layer, based on a recently developed theoretical model, is presented. It is demonstrated that the model incorporates the effect of coupling between the panel motion and the flow of the surrounding fluid. Further, a Ritz-Galerkin method is used to obtain approximate solutions for the statistics of the panel response to the turbulence. The numerical results are compared with previous experimental data and the theoretical model is assessed.

Yen, D. H. Y.↗

Numerical study of the response of a compressible, turbulent boundary layer to a short region of surface curvature

Calculations were performed to investigate the supersonic flow of a turbulent boundary layer over short regions of concave surface curvature. Upstream of each curved surface the freestream Mach number was 2.9. Three different constant radii of curvature models were investigated to cover a range of curvatures and turning angles. The numerical technique solved the full, Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations using two different turbulence models: the algebraic eddy viscosity model due to Baldwin and Lomax (1978), and the one-equation model to Rubesin (1976). The calculations were compared with the experimental data of Taylor and Smits (1984), and the agreement was very satisfactory, especially for the computations using the one-equation model.

Degani, D.↗

Developments in the computation of turbulent boundary layers

Two methods of turbulence computation are discussed in terms of their basic simularities. It is shown that the two methods are interrelated and that each can gain from advances in the other. The degree of success of a pair of increasingly complex Reynolds stress models to broaden their range of applicability is examined through comparison with experimental data for a variety of flow conditions. An example of a large eddy simulation is presented, compared with experimental results, and used to evaluate the models for pressure rate of strain correlation and dissipation in the Reynolds averaged equations.

Rubesin, M. W.↗

Streamline curvature effects on turbulent boundary layers

A theoretical tool has been developed for predicting, in a nonempirical manner, effects of streamline curvature and coordinate-system rotation on turbulent boundary layers. The second-order closure scheme developed by Wilcox and Traci has been generalized for curved streamline flow and for flow in a rotating coordinate system. A physically based straightforward argument shows that curvature/rotation primarily affects the turbulent mixing energy; the argument yields suitable curvature/rotation terms which are added to the mixing-energy equation. Singular-perturbation solutions valid in the wall layer of a curved-wall boundary layer and a fully developed rotating channel flow demonstrate that, with the curvature/rotation terms, the model predicts the curved-wall and the rotating coordinate system laws of the wall. Results of numerical computations of curved-wall boundary layers and of rotating channel flow show that curvature/rotation effects can be computed accurately with second-order closure.

Wilcox, D. C.↗

Convex curvature effects on the heated turbulent boundary layer

A convexly curved and isothermally heated wall with a 45-cm radius of curvature is subjected to turbulent boundary layer flow measurements in order to determine wall heat transfer rates and mean velocity and temperature profiles. Significant curvature effects are noted, with Stanton number and skin friction coefficient reductions of 35-40 percent by comparison with flat plate values for the same momentum or enthalpy thickness Reynolds numbers. Profiles of mean velocity and temperature show a more rapid growth of the wake regions, and a shortening of the log-linear region, as a result of curvature. Turbulent Prandtl numbers deduced from the mean temperature profiles under the assumption of a wall thermal law were found to be increased by 40-50 percent by this strong convex curvature.

Simon, T. W.↗

Beam stresses induced by a turbulent boundary layer and simulated with a reverberant acoustic field

Unsteady pressure fluctuations are a feature of the flow field of an airplane or a space vehicle in atmospheric flight. Undesirable effects of these fluctuations range from internal (cabin) noise to structural fatigue and damage of avionic and ordnance systems. The integrity to withstand these fluctuating loads is established through reverberant room acoustical qualification testing. The purpose of this paper is to develop a methodology of simulating turbulent boundary layer fluctuating pressure loading for a simply supported beam with a reverberant acoustic field. This goal was accomplished using normal mode vibration analysis. The main results were developed in terms of dimensionless quantities such as turbulent boundary layer spectrums, reverberant acoustical field simulation spectrums, and stress response spectrums with parameters: dimensionless fundamental frequency, Mach number, and relative boundary layer displacement thickness.

Schutzenhofer, L. A.↗

Fluctuating pressures measured beneath a high-temperature, turbulent boundary layer on a flat plate at Mach number of 5

Fluctuating pressures were measured beneath a Mach 5, turbulent boundary layer on a flat plate with an array of piezoresistive sensors. The data were obtained with a digital signal acquisition system during a test run of 4 seconds. Data sampling rate was such that frequency analysis up to 62.5 kHz could be performed. To assess in situ frequency response of the sensors, a specially designed waveguide calibration system was employed to measure transfer functions of all sensors and related instrumentation. Pressure time histories were approximated well by a Gaussian prohibiting distribution. Pressure spectra were very repeatable over the array span of 76 mm. Total rms pressures ranged from 0.0017 to 0.0046 of the freestream dynamic pressure. Streamwise, space-time correlations exhibited expected decaying behavior of a turbulence generated pressure field. Average convection speed was 0.87 of freestream velocity. The trendless behavior with sensor separation indicated possible systematic errors.

Parrott, Tony L.↗

The Effect of Curvature on the Transition from Laminar to Turbulent Boundary Layer

In the flow over the upper surface of a wing, a discrepancy between the predicted and actual point of transition from laminar to turbulent boundary layer was found. This effect may be due to the comparatively small radius of curvature of the upper surface of the wing. Tests were undertaken to investigate this effect. As far as the authors know, the present investigation is the first to show that curvature has a pronounced effect on the transition of the boundary layer from the laminar to the turbulent state. It appears that three important results have been obtained thus far. First, the experimental points for the convex and concave side of the sheet are consistent with each other and, with the experimental accuracy involved, lie on the same curve. Second, this curve can be approximated by a straight line. Third, the order of magnitude of the variation is such that the curvature ordinarily used on the upper surface of an airplane wing might double the critical Reynolds number.

Clauser, Milton↗

GYC: A program to compute the turbulent boundary layer on a rotating cone

A computer program, GYC, which is capable of computing the properties of a compressible turbulent boundary layer on a rotating axisymmetric cone-cylinder body, according to the principles of invariant modeling was studied. The program is extended to include the calculation of the turbulence scale by a differential equation. GYC is in operation on the CDC-7600 computer and has undergone several corrections and improvements as a result of the experience gained. The theoretical basis for the program and the method of implementation, as well as information on its operation are given.

Sullivan, R. D.↗