End effects of nominally two-dimensional thin flat plates

Differences in the structure and dynamics of nominally two-dimensional turbulent wakes are investigated experimentally for a thin flat plate, normal to a uniform flow, with two different end conditions: with and without end plates. Both cases are characterized by Karman-like vortex shedding with broadband low frequency unsteadiness. Both wakes evidence a low frequency flapping motion in addition to the slowly drifting base flow common to cylinder wakes. For the case without end plates, an interaction between the drift motion and the vortex formation process is associated with a much stronger modulation of the quasiperiodic vortex shedding amplitude when compared to the case with end plates where a flapping motion is more strongly expressed. These dynamics underlie structural differences in the mean wake and Reynolds stress fields.     

金属丝壁面加热湍流标度律的实验研究

通过在固壁表面的平板湍流边界层沿流向平行放置若干通电加热的金属细丝,在平板表面形成沿展向周期性分布的温度场,利用该温度场引起的空气热对流,在湍流边界层近壁区域产生一组沿湍流边界层展向周期分布的流向涡结构。对壁湍流小尺度结构标度律统计特性的研究表明,金属丝加热后形成的规则流向涡结构将壁湍流各种尺度湍涡结构不规则的脉动有序地组织起来,增强了湍流小尺度结构的层次结构相似性,减小了壁湍流中小尺度结构的间歇性和奇异性,抑制了壁湍流中奇异的湍涡结构。     

Wake interference behind two flat plates normal to the flow: A finite-element study

A finite-element model of the Navier-Stokes equations is used for numerical simulation of flow past two normal flat plates arranged side by side at Reynolds number 80 and 160. The results from this simulation indicate that when the gap between the plates is twice the width of a single plate, the individual wakes of the plates behave independently, with the antiphase vortex shedding being dominant. At smaller gap sizes, the in-phase vortex shedding, with strong wake interaction, is favored. The gap flow in those cases becomes biased, with one of the wakes engulfing the other. The direction of the biased flow was found to be switching at irregular intervals, with the time histories of the indicative flow parameters and their power spectra resembling those of a chaotic system.This research was sponsored by NASA-Johnson Space Center under Grant NAG9-449, by NSF under Grant MSM-8796352, and by the U.S. Army under Contract DAAL03-89-C-0038.     

Application of a vortex lattice numerical model in the calculation of inviscid incompressible flow around delta wings

The flow over a flat plate delta wing at incidence and in sideslip is studied using vortex lattice models based on streamwise penelling. For the attached flow problem the effect of sideslip is simulated by modifying the standard vortex lattice model for zero sideslip by aligning the trailing vortices aft of the wing along the resultant flow direction. For the separated flow problem a non-linear vortex lattice model is developed for both zero and non-zero sideslip angles in which the shape and position of the leading edge separation vortices are calculated by an iterative procedure starting from an assumed initial shape. The theoretical values are compared with available theoretical and experimental results.     

Vortex dynamics of a sphere wake in proximity to a wall

Toward getting the vortex dynamics characteristics and wake structure of a sphere in proximity to a wall, the effect of a proximal flat plate on the wake of a stationary sphere is investigated via direct numerical simulation. The vortex shedding process and the significant variation of the wake structure are described in detail. The drag coefficient reduces and the wake structure of the sphere becomes complex due to the combined effect of the wake flow and the wall. A jet flow forms between the sphere and the flat plate, which suppresses the vortex separation on the bottom of the sphere. The asymmetric distributions of the coherent structures and the recirculation region behind the sphere are discussed. Besides vortex shedding patterns, the time-averaged velocity distribution, vortex dynamics, distribution regularities of turbulent kinetic energy and enstrophy are investigated.     

Vortex Shedding: A Review on Flat Plate

Flat plates, both single and in tandem or side by side arrangement, are widely used in many engineering applications. Despite vast investigations of the flow structures and wakes downstream of these bluff bodies, this unsteady phenomenon yet remains a fundamental issue in many industrial applications. This paper reviews the state of the art concerning the flow over flat plates in different arrangements focusing on plates normal to the flow. Turbulent wake regions are discussed for the flat plates in side by side or tandem arrangement. Numerical studies are reviewed with emphasis on the realized turbulent models. The effect of the chosen turbulence model on the prediction of the wake region is discussed.     

Experimental study of three-dimensional vortex structures in translating and rotating plates

Motivated by the unsteady force generation of flying animals, vortex formation and vorticity transport processes around small aspect-ratio translating and rotating plates with a high angle of attack are investigated. Defocusing Digital Particle Image Velocimetry was employed to explore the structure and dynamics of the vortex generated by the plates. For both translating and rotating cases, we observe the presence of a spanwise flow over the plate and the consequent effect of vorticity transport due to the tilting of the leading-edge vortex. While the spanwise flow is confined inside the leading-edge vortex for the translating case, it is widely present over the plate and the wake region of the rotating case. The distribution of the spanwise flow is a prominent distinction between the vortex structures of these two cases. As the Reynolds number decreases, due to the increase in viscosity, the leading-edge and tip vortices tend to spread inside the area swept by the rotating plate. The different vorticity distributions of the low and high Reynolds number cases are consistent with the difference in measured lift forces, which is confirmed using the vorticity moment theory.     

The damped natural oscillations of a gas flowing past a cascade of flat plates

We solve the problem of the natural oscillations of a gas flowing past a cascade of flat plates under the Joukowsky-Chaplygin condition that the velocity at the trailing edge of the profiles is finite. In this case part of the energy of the oscillating gas is consumed in the formation of a trailing vortex. The corresponding eigenvalues of the problem are complex and so the natural oscillations of the gas are damped. The computational results are compared with the results of experimental investigation of acoustic resonance in flow past a cascade of flat plates obtained by Parker [3].Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 5, pp. 84–88, September–October, 1970.     

壁面加热湍流相干结构的子波分析实验研究

通过在平板湍流边界层沿流向固壁表面平行放置若干条通电加热的金属细丝,在平板表面形成沿展向周期性分布的温度场,利用该温度场引起的空气热对流,在湍流边界层近壁区域产生一组沿湍流边界层展向周期分布的大尺度流向涡结构,改变了平板湍流边界层中不同尺度结构及其能量分布。采用对壁湍流多尺度结构的子波分析表明,在湍流边界层近壁区域产生规则的流向涡结构将壁湍流各种尺度湍涡结构不规则的脉动有序地组织起来,抑制了壁湍流各种尺度湍涡结构脉动,特别抑制了能量最大尺度湍涡结构的脉动,减小由于湍流脉动引起的在湍流边界层法向和展向的动量和能量损耗,从而减小了湍流的阻力。     

Investigations of wake flows of a flat plate in steady,oscillatory and combined flows

Numerical study on near wake flows of a flat plate in three kinds of oncoming flows is made by using the discrete vortex model and improved vorticity creation method. For steady oncoming flow, both gross and detailed features of the wake flow are calculated and discussed. Then, in harmonic oscillatory oncoming flow two different wake flow patterns withK _c=2,4 and 10 are obtained respectively. Our results present a new wake flow pattern for lowKc numbers (Kc<5) describing vortex shedding, pairing and moving in a period of the oscillatory flow starting from rest. The calculated drag and inertia force coefficients are closer to experimental data from the U-tube than the previous results of vortex simulation. For in-line combined oncoming flow the vortex lock-in and dynamic characteristics are simulated. The results are shown to be in good agreement with experiments. The project supported by National Natural Science Fundation of China and LNM of Institute of Mechanics. CAS     

平板湍流边界层内的锥形涡

用拟三维流动显示技术观察与分析了平板边界层内的流动结构，讨论了雷诺数Ｒｅ在３００－６５０范围内大尺度结构间的联系，并指出锥形涡的形成是边界层中一系列复杂运动现象产生的关键。     

Vortical structures on a flapping wing

A wing in the form of a rectangular flat plate is subjected to periodic flapping motion. Space–time imaging provides quantitative representations of the flow structure along the wing. Regions of spanwise flow exist along the wing surface; and depending on the location along the span, the flow is either toward or away from the tip of the wing. Onset and development of large-scale, streamwise-oriented vortical structures occur at locations inboard of the tip of the wing, and they can attain values of circulation of the order of one-half the circulation of the tip vortex. Time-shifted images indicate that these streamwise vortical structures persist over a major share of the wing chord. Space–time volume constructions define the form and duration of these structures, relative to the tip vortex.     

Topology of radial jet reattachment

Topological features of the flow emanating from a radial jet nozzle and its subsequent reattachment on a flat surface were investigated using a variety of flow visualization techniques in the Texas A & M University (TAMU) water tunnel. Dominant features of the flow were observed to be the bifurcation of streamsurface after a turbulent reattachment into inner and outer flows. The inner flow was dominated by a sequence of events consisting of the recirculation, formation and breakup of the ring vortex into foci structures, mass entrainment and ejection. Outer flow exhibited formation of secondary vortices, and shear layer instabilities.     

Flow development upstream of a fence

The effect of Reynolds number on the flow development upstream of a rigid, non-porous, static fence is investigated experimentally. The flow field is measured using time-resolved, two-component particle image velocimetry at Reynolds numbers based on fence height of 18000, 36000, and 54000. The results show that a laminar separation bubble forms upstream of the junction vortex at the base of the fence. The mean extent of the bubble decreases with increasing Reynolds number, with mean separation moving downstream and mean reattachment moving upstream. In the aft portion of the bubble, shear layer vortices form and are shed at scaled frequencies and wavelengths that are comparable to laminar separation bubble shedding in low Reynolds number airfoils and flat plates with an imposed adverse pressure gradient. The strong periodicity of the associated coherent structures and the proximity of shear layer roll-up relative to the fence should be taken into consideration in the relevant designs due to potential implications to structural loading. A simple flow separation prediction model combining inviscid fence flow solution with Thwaites’ method is introduced and shows good agreement with the experimental results for the Reynolds number range considered.     

2-D PIV measurements of oscillatory flow around parallel plates

Oscillatory flow in stacks of parallel plates is essential for the working of “standing wave” thermo-acoustic devices. In this paper, the flow in the transition from stack to open tube is studied experimentally using particle image velocimetry. When the flow is directed outwards of the stack, vortices originate behind the stack plates. The Strouhal to Reynolds ratio determines the vortex pattern behind the stack plates, varying from a single vortex pair to a complete vortex street. The influence of different plate-end shapes and porosities are also studied. The streaming velocity is measured using two different methods.     

The effect of a single vortex generator jet on the characteristics of a turbulent boundary layer

A flat plate experiment was performed in a water tunnel to determine the effects of a vortex generator jet on the characteristics of a turbulent boundary layer at various wall normal locations. The results show that the characteristic distributions of the turbulent fluctuation quantities are nearly unaffected by the induced vortex structures neither in the steady nor in the dynamic blowing case. The shear layer interaction between the turbulent main flow and the jet flow produces less turbulent fluctuations than it is expected from a turbulent free jet flow. Thus, the mixing process of this flow control strategy is based only on a large-scale momentum transport superimposed by the turbulent fluctuation quantities. This allows a separation of scales for physical interpretation and numerical simulations.     

Investigation of the three-dimensional turbulent near-wake structure past a flat plate by tomographic PIV at high Reynolds number

This paper reports an experimental investigation of the high-Reynolds number turbulent flow past a thin flat plate with sharp untapered edges, by means of tomographic PIV. The experiments, carried out in the S4 wind tunnel of IMFT, have quantified the three-dimensional coherent vortex structures, by means of 3-D Proper Orthogonal Decomposition and reconstruction. The interaction of the most energetic coherent structures with the random turbulence is discussed. Furthermore, Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD), analysis allowed evaluation of three-dimensional phase-averaged dynamics that quantified the vortex shedding mechanism as well as the influence of higher modes associated with the finer-scale turbulence.     

Effects of sound on flow separation from blunt flat plates

The effect of sound on the flow around plates with semicircular or square leading edges and square trailing edges located in a low turbulence open jet has been studied. In all circumstances the length of the leading edge separation bubbles associated with square leading edge plates was found to oscillate. When sound was applied to the flow around these plates, the leading edge shear layers reattached closer to the leading edge and the oscillations in bubble length occurred at the applied sound frequency, generating patches of concentrated vorticity in the boundary layers. These vorticity patches moved downstream near the plate surface and then beyond the trailing edge to form vortex cores in a street with a Strouhal number equal to the applied sound value. Sometimes these vortex streets are unstable and break down into streets with Strouhal numbers approaching those observed without sound. These effects of sound were not observed in the flow around plates with semicircular leading edges. Without sound, square leading edge plates of intermediate length did not shed regular vortex streets.     

均匀、振荡及组合流绕平板流动的尾迹研究

本文利用离散涡模型及改进的新生涡产生机制对三种不同来流绕平板的近尾迹进行数值研究。计算讨论了定常流中平板绕流流动的总体特性和近尾迹流场;对于简谐振荡来流,相应于K_c=2.0、4.0 和10.0 分别得到两种不同的尾迹形态。给出了小 K_c 数平板尾迹涡配对、运动的新模式而相应的阻力、惯性力系数计算比以前涡模拟结果更接近于 U 型管实验结果。对于流向组合来流本文模拟了涡锁定及其动力特性并于实验相符,给出了流向扰动对平板绕流流动的影响。     

A numerical exploration of secondary separation in starting flow around a flat plate by the discrete vortex model

In the present work, a further numerical simulation of the starting flow around a flat plate normal to the direction of motion in a uniform fluid has been made by means of the discrete vortex method. The secondary separation occurring at rear surface of the plate is explored, and predicted approximately using Thwait's method. The calculated results show that in the early stages of the flow secondary separation does occur. The evolution of flow field, the vortex growing process and the characteristics of secondary vortices have been described. The time dependent drag coefficients, the vorticity shed from the edges and rear surface, and the separation positions are calculated as well as the distributions of velocity and pressure on the plate. In the case of flow normal to the plate, the calculated secondary vortices are weak. Their existence will change the local velocity distributions and affect pressure distributions. However, the effect on drag coefficient is negligible.