Asymmetric vortex shedding flow past an inclined flat plate at high incidence

This paper reports an experimental investigation of the vortex shedding wake behind a long flat plate inclined at a small angle of attack to a main flow stream. Detailed velocity fields are obtained with particle-image velocimetry (PIV) at successive phases in a vortex shedding cycle at three angles of attack, α=20°, 25° and 30°, at a Reynolds number Re≈5,300. Coherent patterns and dynamics of the vortices in the wake are revealed by the phase-averaged PIV vectors and derived turbulent properties. A vortex street pattern comprising a train of leading edge vortices alternating with a train of trailing edge vortices is found in the wake. The trailing edge vortex is shed directly from the sharp trailing edge while there are evidences that the formation and shedding of the leading edge vortex involve a more complicated mechanism. The leading edge vortex seems to be shed into the wake from an axial location near the trailing edge. After shedding, the vortices are convected downstream in the wake with a convection speed roughly equal to 0.8 the free-stream velocity. On reaching the same axial location, the trailing edge vortex, as compared to the leading edge vortex, is found to possess a higher peak vorticity level at its centre and induce more intense fluid circulation and Reynolds stresses production around it. It is found that the results at the three angles of attack can be collapsed into similar trends by using the projected plate width as the characteristic length of the flow.     

Experiments on jet/vortex interaction

An experimental study was performed to evaluate the effect of a cold jet on a single trailing vortex. Flow visualization and particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements were conducted in wind and water tunnels. The main parameters were the ratio of jet-to-vortex strength, the jet-to-vortex distance, the jet inclination angle and the Reynolds number. It was shown that the jet turbulence is wrapped around the vortex and ingested into it. This takes place faster with decreasing jet-to-vortex distance and increasing jet strength. Both time-averaged and instantaneous flow fields showed that the trailing vortex became diffused with its rotational velocity and vorticity levels reduced when the jet is located close to the vortex. The mechanism with which the jet interacts with the vortex is a combination of vortices shed by the jet and the turbulence. No noticeable differences were found within the Reynolds number range tested. The effect of jet on the vortex is delayed when the jet is blowing at an angle to the free stream and away from the vortex such as during take-off.     

Measurement of tonal-noise characteristics and periodic flow structure around NACA0018 airfoil

The characteristics of tonal noise and the variations of flow structure around NACA0018 airfoil in a uniform flow are studied by means of simultaneous measurement of noise and velocity field by particle-image velocimetry to understand the generation mechanism of tonal noise. Measurements are made on the noise characteristics, the phase-averaged velocity field with respect to the noise signal, and the cross-correlation contour of velocity fluctuations and noise signal. These experimental results indicate that the tonal noise is generated from the periodic vortex structure on the pressure surface of the airfoil near the trailing edge of the airfoil. It is found that the vortex structure is highly correlated with the noise signal, which indicates the presence of noise-source distribution on the pressure surface. The vorticity distribution on the pressure surface breaks down near the trailing edge of the airfoil and forms a staggered vortex street in the wake of the airfoil.     

Numerical simulation of flapping‐wing insect hovering flight at unsteady flow

A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis was conducted to study the unsteady aerodynamics of a virtual flying bumblebee during hovering flight. The integrated geometry of bumblebee was established to define the shape of a three‐dimensional virtual bumblebee model with beating its wings, accurately mimicking the three‐dimensional movements of wings during hovering flight. The kinematics data of wings documented from the measurement to the bumblebee in normal hovering flight aided by the high‐speed video. The Navier–Stokes equations are solved numerically. The solution provides the flow and pressure fields, from which the aerodynamic forces and vorticity wake structure are obtained. Insights into the unsteady aerodynamic force generation process are gained from the force and flow‐structure information. The CFD analysis has established an overall understanding of the viscous and unsteady flow around the virtual flying bumblebee and of the time course of instantaneous force production, which reveals that hovering flight is dominated by the unsteady aerodynamics of both the instantaneous dynamics and also the past history of the wing. A coherent leading‐edge vortex with axial flow and the attached wingtip vortex and trailing edge vortex were detected. The leading edge vortex, wing tip vortex and trailing edge vortex, which caused by the pressure difference between the upper and the lower surface of wings. The axial flow, which include the spanwise flow and chordwise flow, is derived from the spanwise pressure gradient and chordwise pressure gradient, will stabilize the vortex and gives it a characteristic spiral conical shape. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A DPIV study of the trailing vortex elements from the blades of a horizontal axis wind turbine in yaw

Digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) has been used in a wind tunnel study to measure the velocity field of the trailing vortices from the blades of a horizontal axis wind-turbine (HWAT) in yaw. The creation of the trailing vortex circulation is shown to vary as a function of the phase angle of the rotor and the angle of yaw between the wind and turbine rotor. The strength of the convecting vorticity was also shown to vary with time. The initial formation of the vortex is shown determined by the flow expansion angle while in yawed flows the developing vortex is then influenced by the vortex sheet shed from the inboard blade trailing edge. This interaction is shown to significantly affect the roll up of the tip vortex. Received: 17 December 1997/Accepted: 16 June 1999     

Unsteady flow structure and vorticity convection over the airfoil oscillating at high reduced frequency

Unsteady vortex structures and vorticity convection over the airfoil (NACA 0012), oscillating in the uniform inflow, are studied by flow visualization and velocity measurements. The airfoil, pivoting at one-third of the chord, oscillates periodically near the static stalling angle of attack (AOA) at high reduced-frequency. The phase-triggering and modified phase-averaged techniques are employed to reconstruct the pseudo instantaneous velocity field over the airfoil. During the down stroke cycle, the leading-edge separation vortex is growing and the vortex near the trailing edge begins to shed into the wake. During the upstroke cycle, the leading-edge separation vortex is matured and moves downstream, and the counter clockwise vortex is forming near the trailing edge. Convection speeds and wavelength of the unsteady vortex structure over the airfoil equal to that of the counter clockwise vortex shed into the wake. This kind of vortex structure is termed as “synchronized shedding” type. The wavelength of unsteady vortex structure over the airfoil is significantly different from that at low reduced-frequency. Consistent convection speeds of the leading-edge separation vortex are acquired from the spatial-temporal variations of local circulation and local surface vorticity generation, and equals that predicted from flow visualization. Spatial-temporal variations of the local surface vorticity generation clearly reveal the formation and passage of the leading-edge separation vortex only in the region where the flow does not separate completely from the surface. Significant amounts of the surface vorticity are generated within the leading-edge region of the airfoil during the upstroke cycle. Only negligible amount of surface vorticity is produced within the region of complete flow separation. During the down stroke cycle, the surface vorticity generation is mild along the airfoil surface, except the leading-edge region where a small scale leading-edge separation vortex is forming and growing.     

Time resolved flow-field measurements of a turbulent mixing layer over a rectangular cavity

High Reynolds number, low Mach number, turbulent shear flow past a rectangular, shallow cavity has been experimentally investigated with the use of dual-camera cinematographic particle image velocimetry (CPIV). The CPIV had a 3 kHz sampling rate, which was sufficient to monitor the time evolution of large-scale vortices as they formed, evolved downstream and impinged on the downstream cavity wall. The time-averaged flow properties (velocity and vorticity fields, streamwise velocity profiles and momentum and vorticity thickness) were in agreement with previous cavity flow studies under similar operating conditions. The time-resolved results show that the separated shear layer quickly rolled-up and formed eddies immediately downstream of the separation point. The vortices convect downstream at approximately half the free-stream speed. Vorticity strength intermittency as the structures approach the downstream edge suggests an increase in the three-dimensionality of the flow. Time-resolved correlations reveal that the in-plane coherence of the vortices decays within 2–3 structure diameters, and quasi-periodic flow features are present with a vortex passage frequency of ~1 kHz. The power spectra of the vertical velocity fluctuations within the shear layer revealed a peak at a non-dimensional frequency corresponding to that predicted using linear, inviscid instability theory.     

Controlling the near vortex wake of a swept half-wing by means of mini-flaps

The effect of mini-flaps on the flow pattern in the near vortex wake behind a model swept half-wing is investigated. The distributions of the time-average flow velocity were measured in a subsonic wind tunnel, in a section normal to the freestream velocity vector located at a distance of 3.8 wing half-spans from its trailing edge. When mini-flaps are mounted on both upper and lower wing surfaces, two vortices (tip and auxiliary) of the same sign are observable in the above-mentioned flow section; they are separated by an extended region of vorticity of the opposite sign. The model angle-of-attack effect on the intensities of the tip and auxiliary vortices is estimated.     

PIV analysis of flow around a container ship model with a rotating propeller

The flow characteristics of the propeller wake behind a container ship model with a rotating propeller were investigated using a two-frame PIV (Particle Image Velocimetry) technique. Ensemble-averaged mean velocity fields were measured at four different blade phases and ensemble-averaged to investigate the flow structure in the near-wake region. The mean velocity fields in longitudinal planes show that a velocity deficit is formed in the regions near the blade tips and hub. As the flow develops in the downstream direction, the trailing vortices formed behind the propeller hub move upward slightly due to the presence of the hull wake and free surface. Interaction between the bilge vortices and the incoming flow around the hull causes the flow structure to be asymmetric. Contour plots of the vorticity give information on the radial distribution of the loading on the blades. The radial velocity profiles fluctuate to a greater extent under the heavy (J=0.59) and light loading (J=0.88) conditions than under the design loading condition (J=0.72). The turbulence intensity has large values around the tip and trailing vortices. As the wake develops in the downstream direction, the strength of the vorticity diminishes and the turbulence intensity increases due to turbulent diffusion and active mixing between the tip vortices and the adjacent wake flow.     

Three-component velocity field measurements of propeller wake using a stereoscopic PIV technique

A stereoscopic PIV (Particle Image Velocimetry) technique was used to measure the three-dimensional flow structure of the turbulent wake behind a marine propeller with five blades. The out-of-plane velocity component was determined using two CCD cameras with an angular displacement configuration. Four hundred instantaneous velocity fields were measured for each of four different blade phases, and ensemble averaged in order to find the spatial evolution of the propeller wake in the region from the trailing edge up to one propeller diameter (D) downstream. The influence of propeller loading conditions on the wake structure was also investigated by measuring the velocity fields at three advance ratios (J=0.59, 0.72 and 0.88). The phase-averaged velocity fields revealed that a viscous wake formed by the boundary layers developed along the blade surfaces. Tip vortices were generated periodically and the slipstream contracted in the near-wake region. The out-of-plane velocity component and strain rate had large values at the locations of the tip and trailing vortices. As the flow moved downstream, the turbulence intensity, the strength of the tip vortices, and the magnitude of the out-of-plane velocity component at trailing vortices all decreased due to effects such as viscous dissipation, turbulence diffusion, and blade-to-blade interaction.     

“Analysis of the propeller wake evolution by pressure and velocity phase measurements”

In the present study an experimental analysis of the velocity and pressure fields behind a marine propeller, in non-cavitating regime is reported. Particle image velocimetry measurements were performed in phase with the propeller angle, to investigate the evolution of the axial and the radial velocity components, from the blade trailing edge up to two diameters downstream. In phase pressure measurements were performed at four radial and eight longitudinal positions downstream the propeller model at different advance ratios. Pressure data, processed by using slotting techniques, allowed reconstructing the evolution of the pressure field in phase with the reference blade position. In addition, the correlation of the velocity and pressure signals was performed. The analysis demonstrated that, within the near wake, the tip vortices passage is the most important contribution in generating the pressure field in the propeller flow. The incoming vortex breakdown process causes a strong deformation of the hub vortex far downstream of the slipstream contraction. This process contributes to the pressure generation at the shaft rate frequency.     

Analysis of DNS and LES of Flow in a Low Pressure Turbine Cascade with Incoming Wakes and Comparison with Experiments

The flow around a low-pressure turbine rotor blade with incoming periodic wakes is computed by means of DNS and LES. The latter adopts a dynamic sub-grid-scale model. The computed results are compared with time-averaged and instantaneous measured quantities. The simulation sreveal the presence of elongated flow structures, stemming from the incoming wake vorticity, which interact with the pressure side boundary layer. As the wake approaches the upstream half of the suction side, its vortical structures are stretched and align with the main flow, resulting in an impingement at virtually zero angle of attack. Periodically, in the absence of impinging wakes, the laminar suction side boundary layer separates in the adverse pressure gradient region. Flow in the laminar separation bubble is found to undergo transition via a Kelvin–Helmholtz instability. Subsequent impingement of the wake inhibits separation and thus promotes boundary layer reattachment. LES provides a fair reproduction of the DNS results both in terms of instantaneous, phase-averaged, and time-averaged flow fields with a considerable reduction in computational effort. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

DIRECT NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF TURBINE CASCADE FLOW WITH HEAT TRANSFER EFFECTS

低雷诺数流动对高空动力装置, 特别是涡轮部件的性能产生重要的影响. 本文采用具有7阶精度的差分格式, 通过直接求解二维瞬态可压缩Navier-Stokes方程组, 对雷诺数为241 800 (基于叶片弦长)时的叶片表面带有热传导效应的平面涡轮叶栅流动进行了二维直接数值模拟, 对低雷诺数平面涡轮叶栅流动的非定常流动现象作了初步的探索.数值结果表明:在叶栅通道入口处, 流场的非定常性很弱;在叶栅尾缘处, 具有正负涡量的尾涡交替地从压力面和吸力面上脱落;周期性的涡脱落使得叶栅通道内和尾迹区的总压发生(准)周期的变化, 并且, 尾迹区总压变化主频率是通道内总压变化主频率的2倍;在时均流场中, 叶片表面压力的分布与实验值吻合良好, 表征热传导效应的斯坦顿数除湍流区外与实验值基本吻合;尾迹区速度脉动的2阶统计量与圆柱绕流尾迹区速度脉动2阶统计量具有基本相似的分布特征.     

基于涡量矩理论的绕振荡水翼涡动力学分析

文章采用标准k-ω SST湍流模型和动网格技术, 实现了绕俯仰振荡NACA66水翼非定常流动结构与水动力特性的数值模拟, 并基于有限域涡量矩理论定量表征了局部旋涡结构对水翼动力特性的影响. 研究结果表明: 在水翼升程阶段, 当攻角较小时, 层流向湍流的转捩点由水翼尾缘向前缘移动; 在较大攻角时, 顺时针尾缘涡?TEV在水翼吸力面上生成并向前缘发展, 同时与吸力面上的顺时针前缘涡?LEV融合发展为附着在整个吸力面上的新前缘涡?LEV, 新的?LEV与逆时针尾缘涡+TEV相互作用直至完全脱落, 直接导致了水翼的动力失速, 在回程阶段, 绕振荡水翼的流场结构逐渐由湍流转变为层流. 基于有限域涡量矩理论的定量分析发现, 有限域内附着的?LEV和?TEV提供正升力, 当?LEV发展覆盖整个吸力面时对升力的贡献最大, 占总升力近50%, 而+TEV提供负升力. 同时发现, 有限域内各旋涡内部的不同区域提供的升力有正有负; 而逸出有限域的旋涡内部不同区域提供的升力方向均保持一致, 其中顺时针涡提供正升力, 而逆时针涡提供负升力. 在失速阶段, 域外旋涡整体对升力贡献较小且存在小幅波动, 体现了流动的非定常性.      

A study of the energetic turbulence structures during stall delay

This study revealed the three-dimensional instantaneous topologies of the large-scale turbulence structures in the separated flow on the suction surface of wind turbine’s blade during stall delay. These structures are the major contributors to the first two POD (proper orthogonal decomposition) modes. The two kinds of instantaneous flow structures as major contributors to the first POD mode are: (1) extended regions of downwash flow with an upstream upward flow beside it and a compact vortex pair closer to the blade’s leading edge; (2) a large-scale clockwise vortex with strong induced flows. The two kinds of flow structures contributing significantly to the second POD mode are: (1) large counter-rotating vortices inducing strong upward velocities and a series of small vortices; (2) strong downwash flow coming from the leading-edge shear layer with a large and strong vortex on the left side and small vortices upstream. The statistical impacts of these large-scale and energetic structures on the turbulence have also been studied. It was observed that when these turbulence structures were removed from the flow, the peak values of some statistics were significantly reduced.     

On the three-dimensional nature of the orthogonal blade–vortex interaction

An orthogonal blade–vortex interaction has been visualised using stereo particle image velocimetry. Significant changes to the vortex axial flow w component velocity are observed during the interaction, with a deceleration on the lower surface of the blade where the vortex axial flow is towards the blade surface. Over this surface the interaction process close to the blade surface spreads the vorticity out to the areas of oppositely signed blade w component, and the results suggest a non-uniform spreading over the leading edge region of the blade, with a tendency for a spanwise transport of vorticity. Over the upper surface of the blade, the vortex axial flow velocity increases and the vortex core shrinks slightly. During the lower surface interaction the vorticity and velocity vectors become significantly realigned with respect to one another, while this is not observed for the upper surface interaction.     

Experimental investigation of the unsteady structure of a transitional plane wall jet

 A laminar wall jet undergoing transition is investigated using the particle image velocimetry (PIV) technique. The plane wall jet is issued from a rectangular channel, with the jet-exit velocity profile being parabolic. The Reynolds number, based on the exit mean velocity and the channel width, is 1450. To aid the understanding of the global flow features, laser-sheet/smoke flow visualizations are performed along streamwise, spanwise, and cross-stream directions. Surface pressure measurements are made to correlate the instantaneous vorticity distribution with the surface pressure fluctuations. The instantaneous velocity and vorticity field measurements provide the basis for understanding the formation of the inner-region vortex and the subsequent interactions between the outer-region (free-shear-layer region) and inner-region (boundary-layer region) vortical structures. Results show that under the influence of the free-shear-layer vortex, the local boundary layer becomes detached from the surface and inviscidly unstable, and a vortex is formed in the inner region. Once this vortex has formed, the free-shear-layer vortex and the inner-region vortex form a vortex couple and convect downstream. The mutual interactions between these inner- and outer-region vortical structures dominate the transition process. Farther downstream, the emergence of the three-dimensional structure in the free shear layer initiates complete breakdown of the flow. Received: 8 November 1995/Accepted: 6 November 1996     

Volumetric three-component velocimetry measurements of the turbulent flow around a Rushton turbine

Volumetric three-component velocimetry measurements have been taken of the flow field near a Rushton turbine in a stirred tank reactor. This particular flow field is highly unsteady and three-dimensional, and is characterized by a strong radial jet, large tank-scale ring vortices, and small-scale blade tip vortices. The experimental technique uses a single camera head with three apertures to obtain approximately 15,000 three-dimensional vectors in a cubic volume. These velocity data offer the most comprehensive view to date of this flow field, especially since they are acquired at three Reynolds numbers (15,000, 107,000, and 137,000). Mean velocity fields and turbulent kinetic energy quantities are calculated. The volumetric nature of the data enables tip vortex identification, vortex trajectory analysis, and calculation of vortex strength. Three identification methods for the vortices are compared based on: the calculation of circumferential vorticity; the calculation of local pressure minima via an eigenvalue approach; and the calculation of swirling strength again via an eigenvalue approach. The use of two-dimensional data and three-dimensional data is compared for vortex identification; a ‘swirl strength’ criterion is less sensitive to completeness of the velocity gradient tensor and overall provides clearer identification of the tip vortices. The principal components of the strain rate tensor are also calculated for one Reynolds number case as these measures of stretching and compression have recently been associated with tip vortex characterization. Vortex trajectories and strength compare favorably with those in the literature. No clear dependence of trajectory on Reynolds number is deduced. The visualization of tip vortices up to 140° past blade passage in the highest Reynolds number case is notable and has not previously been shown.     

Coherent vorticity dynamics and dissipation in a utility-scale wind turbine wake with uniform inflow

The vorticity dynamics and its relationship to dissipation in the wake of a utility-scale wind turbine are investigated through large-eddy simulation. The vorticity dynamics is assessed through the enstrophy, which is related to the turbulent dissipation. The averaged enstrophy and turbulent dissipation are shown to be quantitatively similar in the wake. Using temporal phase averaging, the vorticity fluctuations are decomposed into coherent and random fluctuations with respect to the frequency of the tip vortices. The enstrophy in the tip vortices is dominated by coherent fluctuations, while the coherent fluctuations of root vortices are immediately saturated by the random vorticity fluctuations of the unstable hub vortex. The coherent strain rate has significant differences compared to the coherent enstrophy within one diameter downwind of blade tip, but the random enstrophy and strain rate are relatively similar. Differences in coherent enstrophy and strain rate decrease further from the rotor.