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At least 433 records · Page 24

Experimental study of a pressure-driven, three-dimensional, turbulent boundary layer

The paper presents the results of an experimental investigation into a strongly-skewed, pressure-driven, three-dimensional turbulent boundary layer. Mean velocity and static pressure measurements reveal the general nature of the flowfield studied, while detailed measurements of the Reynolds stress tensor indicate the effect of the strong pressure field on the turbulent velocities. The rate and magnitude of the skewing in the boundary layer emerge as the most important parameters governing the behavior of the Reynolds stresses.

Anderson, S. D.↗

Three-dimensional turbulent boundary layer in a rotating helical channel

Analytical and experimental investigation of the characteristics of a three-dimensional turbulent boundary layer in a rotating helical channel. Expressions are developed for the velocity profiles in the inner layer, where viscous effects dominate, and the outer layer, where viscous effects are small. The velocity profiles, wall shear stress, and limiting streamline angles are measured inside the passages of a flat-plate inducer at various radial and chordwise locations using rotating probes. Flow near the blade tip is found to be highly complex, due to interaction of blade boundary layers and annulus wall, resulting in appreciable radial inward flow, as well as a defect in mainstream velocity near the mid-passage. A wall shear stress correlation, which includes the effect of both Reynolds number and rotation parameter, is derived from the measured data.

Anand, A. K.↗

Simple methods for determining the virtual origin of turbulent boundary layers in hypersonic flow on sharp-edged flat plates

Two methods for determining the virtual origin of turbulent boundary layers in hypersonic flow are evaluated. The results of the analyses are restricted to wind-tunnel models having sharp-edged surfaces with zero or small pressure gradients. Virtual origin and skin friction estimates from these two methods are compared with values from a base method for which the virtual origin is calculated from the measured momentum thickness at a station downstream of boundary layer transition.

Hopkins, E. J.↗

Further results related to the turbulent boundary layer with slot injection of helium

Data from an experiment involving the slot injection of helium into a turbulent boundary layer in air are analyzed in terms of unconditioned and conditioned Favre-averages. The conditioning is based on two levels of helium concentration so that the contributions to the unconditioned statistics from air, helium, and mixture of these two gases can be determined. The distributions of intermittency associated with the two helium levels establish the domains of influence of air, helium, and mixture.

Larue, J. C.↗

The structure and development of streamwise vortex arrays embedded in a turbulent boundary layer

The results of an experimental investigation of the structure and development of streamwise vortices embedded in a turbulent boundary layer are presented. Measurements of secondary velocity in the crossplane are used to characterize the vortex array structure. Measurements in the crossplane at two streamwise locations characterize the influence of interactions among the vortices on the array structure when the initial spacing between vortices is varied. Evidence of the merging of counter-rotating cores is found in embedded arrays of closely spaced vortices. A model of vortex interaction and development is constructed from the experimental results. This model is based on the structure of the two dimensional Ossen vortex. The decay of vortex circulation due to the merging of the cores is correlated with the crossplane gradient in streamwise vorticity occurring between an embedded vortex and its adjacent counter-rotating neighbors.

Wendt, Bruce J.↗

Direct Numerical Simulation of Hypersonic Turbulent Boundary Layer inside an Axisymmetric Nozzle

As a first step toward a study of acoustic disturbance field within a conventional, hypersonic wind tunnel, direct numerical simulations (DNS) of a Mach 6 turbulent boundary layer on the inner wall of a straight axisymmetric nozzle are conducted and the results are compared with those for a flat plate. The DNS results for a nozzle radius to boundary-layer thickness ratio of 5:5 show that the turbulence statistics of the nozzle-wall boundary layer are nearly unaffected by the transverse curvature of the nozzle wall. Before the acoustic waves emanating from different parts of the nozzle surface can interfere with each other and undergo reflections from adjacent portions of the nozzle surface, the rms pressure fluctuation beyond the boundary layer edge increases toward the nozzle axis, apparently due to a focusing effect inside the axisymmetric configuration. Spectral analysis of pressure fluctuations at both the wall and the freestream indicates a similar distribution of energy content for both the nozzle and the flat plate, with the peak of the premultiplied frequency spectrum at a frequency of [(omega)(delta)]/U(sub infinity) approximately 6.0 inside the free stream and at [(omega)(delta)]/U(sub infinity) approximately 2.0 along the wall. The present results provide the basis for follow-on simulations involving reverberation effects inside the nozzle.

Huang, Junji↗

Large-eddy simulation of helical- and straight-bladed vertical-axis wind turbines in boundary layer turbulence

Here, turbulent wake flows behind helical- and straight-bladed vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) in boundary layer turbulence are numerically studied using the large-eddy simulation (LES) method combined with the actuator line model. Based on the LES data, systematic statistical analyses are performed to explore the effects of blade geometry on the characteristics of the turbine wake. The time-averaged velocity fields show that the helical-bladed VAWT generates a mean vertical velocity along the center of the turbine wake, which causes a vertical inclination of the turbine wake and alters the vertical gradient of the mean streamwise velocity. Consequently, the intensities of the turbulent fluctuations and Reynolds shear stresses are also affected by the helical-shaped blades when compared with those in the straight-bladed VAWT case. The LES results also show that reversing the twist direction of the helical-bladed VAWT causes the spatial patterns of the turbulent wake flow statistics to be reversed in the vertical direction. Moreover, the mass and kinetic energy transports in the turbine wakes are directly visualized using the transport tube method, and the comparison between the helical- and straight-bladed VAWT cases show significant differences in the downstream evolution of the transport tubes.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

A finite difference method for predicting supersonic turbulent boundary layer flows with tangential slot injection

An implicit finite difference method has been applied to tangential slot injection into supersonic turbulent boundary layer flows. In addition, the effects induced by the interaction between the boundary layer displacement thickness and the external pressure field are considered. In the present method, three different eddy viscosity models have been used to specify the turbulent momentum exchange. One model depends on the species concentration profile and the species conservation equation has been included in the system of governing partial differential equations. Results are compared with experimental data at stream Mach numbers of 2.4 and 6.0 and with results of another finite difference method. Good agreement was generally obtained for the reduction of wall skin friction with slot injection and with experimental Mach number and pitot pressure profiles. Calculations with the effects of pressure interaction included showed these effects to be smaller than effects of changing eddy viscosity models.

Miner, E. W.↗

Development of a defect stream function, law of the wall/wake method for compressible turbulent boundary layers

The method presented is designed to improve the accuracy and computational efficiency of existing numerical methods for the solution of flows with compressible turbulent boundary layers. A compressible defect stream function formulation of the governing equations assuming an arbitrary turbulence model is derived. This formulation is advantageous because it has a constrained zero-order approximation with respect to the wall shear stress and the tangential momentum equation has a first integral. Previous problems with this type of formulation near the wall are eliminated by using empirically based analytic expressions to define the flow near the wall. The van Driest law of the wall for velocity and the modified Crocco temperature-velocity relationship are used. The associated compressible law of the wake is determined and it extends the valid range of the analytical expressions beyond the logarithmic region of the boundary layer. The need for an inner-region eddy viscosity model is completely avoided. The near-wall analytic expressions are patched to numerically computed outer region solutions at a point determined during the computation. A new boundary condition on the normal derivative of the tangential velocity at the surface is presented; this condition replaces the no-slip condition and enables numerical integration to the surface with a relatively coarse grid using only an outer region turbulence model. The method was evaluated for incompressible and compressible equilibrium flows and was implemented into an existing Navier-Stokes code using the assumption of local equilibrium flow with respect to the patching. The method has proven to be accurate and efficient.

Wahls, Richard A.↗

Pressure-fluctuation inputs and response of panels underlying attached and separated supersonic turbulent boundary layers

Results are presented for an investigation of surface pressure fluctuations and response of panels underlying attached and separated turbulent boundary layers and shock waves. Tests conducted at transonic and supersonic Mach numbers to 3.6 to study the pressure fields. Assorted fixed edge flat panels were tested at Mach numbers from 1.6 to 3.6 in attached and completely separated flow fields, and also in mixed flow with a step-induced shock wave oscillating on the panels. The surface pressure fluctuations are described in terms of broadband rms, spectral density, and spatial correlation information. The effectiveness of parameters for scaling the pressure fluctuations is also illustrated. Measurements of the amplitude and strain response of the panels are compared with response computations by the normal mode method of analysis.

Coe, C. F.↗

Experimental hydrodynamics of the accelerated turbulent boundary layer with and without mass injection.

Mean velocity-profile data are reported for blown, unblown, and sucked accelerated turbulent boundary layers. The pressure gradients investigated are those corresponding to constant values of the pressure-gradient parameter. The results obtained indicate that acceleration apparently causes an increase in the thickness of the viscous sublayer. Blowing opposes this effect, while suction enhances it. It seems evident that strong acceleration and/or strong suction will lead to a complete laminarization of the boundary layer. An empirical correlation of the data is presented in the form of a tabular correlation of the damping constant in the van Driest (1956) mixing-length hypothesis.

Julien, H. L.↗

Normal shock wave-turbulent boundary layer interactions in transonic flow near separation

The problem of a normal shock wave impinging on a flat plate, turbulent boundary layer is considered for the case where the external flow is transonic. Asymptotic methods are employed. It is shown that there are two outer regions, including the outer part of the boundary layer and the external flow, in which inviscid flow governing equations hold, and two regions near the wall, in which Reynolds and/or viscous stresses need be taken into account. The solutions in the outer regions lead to the pressure distribution on the wall, for which an analytical expression is presented, valid under those conditions when separation is imminent but has not yet occurred. The solutions valid in the inner regions lead to a separation criterion.

Adamson, T. C., Jr.↗

Experimental Study of a Three-Dimensional Shear-Driven Turbulent Boundary Layer with Streamwise Adverse Pressure Gradient

The effects of a strong adverse pressure gradient on a three-dimensional turbulent boundary layer are studied in an axisymmetric spinning cylinder geometry. Velocity measurements made with a three-component laser Doppler velocimeter include all three mean flow components, all six Reynolds stress components, and all ten triple-product correlations. Reynolds stress diminishes as the flow becomes three-dimensional. Lower levels of shear stress were seen to persist under adverse pressure gradient conditions. This low level of stress was seen to roughly correlate with the magnitude of cross-flow (relative to free stream flow) for this experiment as well as most of the other experiments in the literature. Variations in pressure gradient do not appear to alter this correlation. For this reason, it is hypothesized that a three-dimensional boundary layer is more prone to separate than a two-dimensional boundary layer, although it could not be directly shown here. None of the computations performed with either a Prandtl mixing length, k-epsilon, or a Launder-Reece-Rodi full Reynolds-stress model were able to predict the reduction in Reynolds stress.

Driver, David M.↗

Measurement and Empirical Correlation of Transpiration-Cooling Parameters on a 25 degree Cone in a Turbulent Boundary Layer in Both Free Flight and a Hot-Gas Jet

Transpiration-cooling parameters are presented for a turbulent boundary layer on a cone configuration with a total angle of 250 which was tested in both free flight and in an ethylene-heated high-temperature jet at a Mach number of 2.0. The flight-tested cone was flown to a maximum Mach number of 4.08 and the jet tests were conducted at stagnation temperatures ranging from 937 R to 1,850 R. In general, the experimental heat transfer was in good agreement with the theoretical values. Inclusion of the ratio of local stream temperature to wall temperature in the nondimensional flow rate parameter enabled good correlation of both sets of transpiration data. The measured pressure at the forward station coincided with the theoretical pressure over a sharp cone; however, the measured pressure increased with distance from the nose tip.

Walton, Thomas E., Jr.↗

An experimental study of surface pressure fluctuations in a separating turbulent boundary layer

Measurements of streamwise velocity fluctuation and surface pressure fluctuation spectra and wavespeeds are reported for a well-documented separating turbulent boundary layer. Because a portion of the acoustic pressure fluctuations is the same across the nominally two-dimensional turbulent flow, it is possible to decompose two microphone signals and obtain directly the turbulent flow contributions to the surface pressure spectra. The rms surface pressure fluctuation p' and spectra phi(omega) increase through the adverse pressure gradient attached flow region and the detached flow zone and scale on the maximum turbulent shearing stress tau(M); p'/tau(M) increases to the detachment location and decreases downstream due to the rapid movement of the pressure-fluctuation-producing motions away from the wall after the beginning of intermittent backflow. At lower frequencies for the attached flow phi(omega) is approximately omega to the -0.7 while phi(omega) is approximately omega to the -3 at higher frequencies. After the beginning of intermittent backflow, phi(omega) varies with omega at low frequencies and omega to the -3 at high frequencies; farther downstream the lower frequency range varies with omega to the 2.4. The surface pressure fluctuation celerity for the attached flow increases with frequency and agrees with the semi-logarithmic overlap equation of Panton and Linebarger. After the beginning of the separation process, the wavespeed decreases because of the oscillation of the instantaneous wavespeed direction and the streamwise coherence decreases drastically.

Simpson, Roger L.↗