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At least 73 records · Page 4
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2005

Persistent Structures in the Turbulent Boundary Layer

Persistent structures in the turbulent boundary layer are located and analyzed. The data are taken from flight experiments on large commercial aircraft. An interval correlation technique is introduced which is able to locate the structures. The Morlet continuous wavelet is shown to not only locates persistent structures but has the added benefit that the pressure data are decomposed in time and frequency. To better understand how power is apportioned among these structures, a discrete Coiflet wavelet is used to decompose the pressure data into orthogonal frequency bands. Results indicate that some structures persist a great deal longer in the TBL than would be expected. These structure contain significant power and may be a primary source of vibration energy in the airframe.

Palumbo, Dan↗
NASA NTRS1982

Experimental measurements of unsteady turbulent boundary layers near separation

Investigations conducted to document the behavior of turbulent boundary layers on flat surfaces that separate due to adverse pressure gradients are reported. Laser and hot wire anemometers measured turbulence and flow structure of a steady free stream separating turbulent boundary layer produced on the flow of a wind tunnel section. The effects of sinusoidal and unsteadiness of the free stream velocity on this separating turbulent boundary layer at a reduced frequency were determined. A friction gage and a thermal tuft were developed and used to measure the surface skin friction and the near wall fraction of time the flow moves downstream for several cases. Abstracts are provided of several articles which discuss the effects of the periodic free stream unsteadiness on the structure or separating turbulent boundary layers.

Simpson, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1950

Instrument for measuring the wall shearing stress of turbulent boundary layers

It is shown that at a smooth wall in a turbulent boundary layer the velocity profile next to the wall is dependent, aside from the material constants of the flowing medium, only on the shearing stress transmitted to the wall, even with pressure rise or with pressure drop. Consequently, the heat transfer of a small element that is built into the wall and has a higher temperature than that of the flowing medium is a measure of the wall shearing stress. Theoretical considerations indicate that the wall shearing stress of the boundary layer can be defined by means of a heat-transfer measurement with an instrument mounted in the wall. Such an instrument is described. The calibration curve and its directional sensitivity curve are indicated. It permits the determination of the wall shearing stress in magnitude and direction.

BOUNDARY LAYER, TURBULENT↗
NASA NTRS1973

Unsteady turbulent boundary layer analysis

The governing equations for an unsteady turbulent boundary layer on a swept infinite cylinder, composed of a continuity equation, a pair of momentum equations and a pair of turbulent energy equations which include upstream history efforts, are solved numerically. An explicit finite difference analog to the partial differential equations is formulated and developed into a computer program. Calculations were made for a variety of unsteady flows in both two and three dimensions but primarily for two dimensional flow fields in order to first understand some of the fundamental physical aspects of unsteady turbulent boundary layers. Oscillating free stream flows without pressure gradient, oscillating retarded free stream flows and monotonically time-varying flows have all been studied for a wide frequency range. It was found that to the lowest frequency considered, the lower frequency bound being determined by economic considerations (machine time), there were significant unsteady effects on the turbulent boundary layer.

Singleton, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1979

An Experimental Investigation of Forced Mixing of a Turbulent Boundary Layer in an Annular Diffuser

The forced mixing process of a turbulent boundary layer in an axisymmetric annular diffuser using conventional wing-like vortex generators was studied. Flow field measurements were made at four axial locations downstream of the vortex generators. At each axial location, a total of 25 equally spaced profiles were measured behind three consecutive vortex generators which formed two pairs of vortex generators. Hot film anemometry probes measured the boundary layer turbulence structure at the same locations where pressure measurements were made. Both single and cross film probes were used. The diffuser turbulence data was teken only for a nominal inlet Mach number of 0.3. Three vortex generator configurations were tested. The differences between configurations involved changes in size and relative vortex generator positions. All three vortex generator configurations tested provided increases in diffuser performance. Distinct differences in the boundary layer integral properties and skin friction levels were noted between configurations. The axial turbulence intensity and Reynolds stress profiles measured displayed similarities in trends but differences in levels for the three configurations.

Shaw, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1989

The relaxation of a turbulent boundary layer in an adverse pressure gradient

Reattached turbulent boundary layer relaxation downstream of a wall fence is investigated. An adverse pressure gradient is imposed upon it which is adjusted to bring the boundary layer into equilibrium. The pressure gradient is adjusted so as to bring the Clauser parameter G down to a value of about 11.4 and then maintain it constant. In the region from the reattachment point to 2 or 3 reattachment lengths downstream, the boundary layer recovers from the initial major effects of reattachment. Farther downstream, where G is constant, the pressure-gradient parameter changes very slowly and profiles of non-dimensionalized eddy viscosity appear self-similar. However, pressure gradient and eddy viscosity are both roughly twice as large as expected on the basis of previous equilibrium turbulent boundary layer studies.

Cutler, Andrew D.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Some features of unsteady separating turbulent boundary layers

The physical features of steady and unsteady separating turbulent boundary layers are discussed with reference to wind-tunnel data obtained at a Reynolds number of 5.1 x 10 to the 6th and a reduced frequency of 0.55. It is shown that a moderate-amplitude (R less than 0.3) oscillating turbulent boundary layer has a mean flow structure that is close to that of a steady free-stream turbulent boundary layer. Well upstream of the separation, unexpected phase shifts of the velocity and turbulence oscillations occur near the wall between the viscous sublayer and the semilogarithmic region. Significant phase variations between the velocity and turbulence also exist in the detached and back flows downstream. Large amplitude oscillations are shown to have a substantial effect on the flow structure.

Simpson, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1988

A finite element computation of turbulent boundary layer flows with an algebraic stress turbulence model

An algebraic stress turbulence model and a computational procedure for turbulent boundary layer flows which is based on the semidiscrete Galerkin FEM are discussed. In the algebraic stress turbulence model, the eddy viscosity expression is obtained from the Reynolds stress turbulence model, and the turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate equation is improved by including a production range time scale. Good agreement with experimental data is found for the examples of a fully developed channel flow, a fully developed pipe flow, a flat plate boundary layer flow, a plane jet exhausting into a moving stream, a circular jet exhausting into a moving stream, and a wall jet flow.

Kim, Sang-Wook↗
NASA NTRS1982

Turbulent boundary layer over porous surfaces with different surface geometries

The turbulent boundary layer over three porous walls with different surface geometries was studied in order to investigate the individual influences of porosity and small roughness, as well as their combined effects, on turbulent boundary layer behavior. The tests were conducted in a 2 m x 2 m tunnel on a large axisymmetric model at speeds corresponding to Re(L) = 5,000,000-6,000,000. The development of the turbulent boundary layer was compared for that of sintered metal, bonded screening, and perforated sheet and then to that for the flow over a solid smooth wall and a solid, sand-roughened wall. The comparisons reveal that the effect of porosity is to shift the logarithmic region of the wall law down by a certain amount from the solid wall results and to increase the skin friction values by about 30-40%. The downward shift of the logarithmic region of the wall law and the increase of the skin friction value by the combined effects of small roughness and porosity are found to be roughly the sum of their individual effects.

Kong, F. Y.↗
NASA NTRS1988

A documentation of two- and three-dimensional shock-separated turbulent boundary layers

A shock-related separation of a turbulent boundary layer has been studied and documented. The flow was that of an axisymmetric turbulent boundary layer over a 5.02-cm-diam cylinder that was aligned with the wind tunnel axis. The boundary layer was compressed by a 30 deg half-angle conical flare, with the cone axis inclined at an angle alpha to the cylinder axis. Nominal test conditions were P sub tau equals 1.7 atm and M sub infinity equals 2.85. Measurements were confined to the upper-symmetry, phi equals 0 deg, plane. Data are presented for the cases of alpha equal to 0. 5. and 10 deg and include mean surface pressures, streamwise and normal mean velocities, kinematic turbulent stresses and kinetic energies, as well as reverse-flow intermittencies. All data are given in tabular form; pressures, streamwise velocities, turbulent shear stresses, and kinetic energies are also presented graphically.

Brown, J. D.↗
NASA NTRS1984

An experimental study of the properties of surface pressure fluctuations in strong adverse pressure gradient turbulent boundary layers

Experimental data were obtained on blade self-noise generation by strong adverse-pressure-gradient attached boundary layers and by separated turbulent boundary layers that accompany stall. Two microphones were calibrated, placed in plastic housing, and installed in a wind tunnel where observations of acoustic and turbulent signals permitted decomposition of the surface pressure fluctuation signals into the propagated acoustic part and the turbulent-flow generated portion. To determine the convective wave speed of the turbulent contributions, the microphones were spaced a small distance apart in the streamwise direction and correlations were obtained. The turbulent surface pressure spectra upstream of detachment and downstream of the beginning of separation are discussed as well as measurements of turbulent velocity spectra and wavespeeds.

Simpson, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Some characteristics of turbulent boundary layers in rapidly accelerated flows

An analysis of time-mean-turbulent boundary layer velocity profiles measured in a rapidly accelerating flow suggests that the outer region of the velocity profiles consists of essentially inviscid, rotational flow. The extent of this inviscid outer region was observed in some cases to exceed 90 percent of what is ordinarily thought of as the turbulent boundary layer thickness. On the other hand, the inner frictional region of these velocity profiles appears to have turbulent characteristics similar to those of more conventional turbulent boundary layers. Hence, the outer edge boundary condition for this inner region is more properly the external rotational flow region than the free stream.

Brinich, P. F.↗
NASA NTRS1943

Determination of general relations for the behavior of turbulent boundary layers

An analysis has been made of a considerable amount of data for turbulent boundary layers along wings and bodies of various shapes in order to determine the fundamental variables that control the development of turbulent boundary layers. It was found that the type of velocity distribution in the boundary layer could be expressed in terms of a single parameter. This parameter was chosen as the ratio of the displacement thickness to the momentum thickness of the boundary layer. The variables that control the development of the turbulent boundary layer apparently are: (1) the ratio of the nondimensional pressure gradient, expressed in terms of the local dynamic pressure outside the boundary layer and boundary-layer thickness, to the local skin-friction coefficient and (2) the shape of the boundary layer. An empirical equation has been developed in terms of these variables that, when used with the momentum equation and the skin-friction relation, makes it possible to trace the development of the turbulent boundary layer to the separation point.

Von Doenhoff, Albert E↗