Planar velocity measurements of a two-dimensional compressible wake

The present study describes the application of particle image velocimetry (PIV) to investigate the compressible flow in the wake of a two-dimensional blunt base at a freestream Mach number M_X=2. The first part of the study addresses specific issues related to the application of PIV to supersonic wind tunnel flows, such as the seeding particle flow-tracing fidelity and the measurement spatial resolution. The seeding particle response is assessed through a planar oblique shock wave experiment. The measurement spatial resolution is enhanced by means of an advanced image-interrogation algorithm. In the second part, the experimental results are presented. The PIV measurements yield the spatial distribution of mean velocity and turbulence. The mean velocity distribution clearly reveals the main flow features such as expansion fans, separated shear layers, flow recirculation, reattachment, recompression and wake development. The turbulence distribution shows the growth of turbulent fluctuations in the separated shear layers up to the reattachment location. Increased velocity fluctuations are also present downstream of reattachment outside of the wake due to unsteady flow reattachment and recompression. The instantaneous velocity field is analyzed seeking coherent flow structures in the redeveloping wake. The instantaneous planar velocity and vorticity measurements return evidence of large-scale turbulent structures detected as spatially coherent vorticity fluctuations. The velocity pattern consistently shows large masses of fluid in vortical motion. The overall instantaneous wake flow is organized as a double row of counter-rotating structures. The single structures show vorticity contours of roughly elliptical shape in agreement with previous studies based on spatial correlation of planar light scattering. Peak vorticity is found to be five times higher than the mean vorticity value, suggesting that wake turbulence is dominated by the activity of large-scale structures. The unsteady behavior of the reattachment phenomenon is studied. Based on the instantaneous flow topology, the reattachment is observed to fluctuate mostly in the streamwise direction suggesting that the unsteady separation is dominated by a pumping-like motion.     

Numerical simulation of unsteady blade row interactions induced by passing wakes

A numerical study of the unsteady phenomena resulting of periodic passing wakes is presented. An unsteady passing wake boundary condition is implemented in a three-dimensional Navier–Stokes code. Unsteady computations are performed to evaluate the capability of the code to simulate the rotor–stator interaction flow. The analysis of the flow structures shows the vortical disturbances and the migration of the incoming wakes through the blade passage. This physical analysis allows to separate the main origins of the losses.     

Passive Control of the Vortex Wake Past a Flat Plate at Incidence

A passive control, based on wall suction acting at the leading edge, is proposed to stabilize the vortex shedding from a flat plate at incidence. The correct suction amount is determined by a potential flow model where the large-scale vortical structures formed near the plate edges are represented by point vortices of variable intensity, and the wall suction by an adequately placed sink. We concentrate on the case of a plate that is broadside to the flow and show that the stabilization of the vortex wake can be obtained by simple passive backside suction. In such a case geometric shaping and passive suction have similar effects on the vortex Hamiltonian. The model predictions compare well with the results obtained by blob-vortex simulations, thus confirming the stabilization of the unsteady wake past the plate. Received 5 April 2002 and accepted 6 August 2002 Published online 3 December 2002 Communicated by M.Y. Hussaini     

Transonic Rotor/Stator Interaction Using a 3-D Linearised Unsteady Viscous Flow Model

The paper first summarizes the forced response problem in turbomachinery and reviews various numerical methods for the simulation of unsteady flows. A particular technique, based on the linearisation of the unsteady Favre-averaged Navier-Stokes equations on three-dimensional mixed-element grids of tetrahedra, hexahedra and wedges, is described in some detail. The methodology was applied to a NGV/rotor interaction benchmark case for which detailed steady and unsteady flow measurements are available. The steady-state flow, calculated using a non-linear viscous representation, was described in detail with emphasis on features such as separation, horseshoe and passage vortices, tip leakage and shock structure since these are likely to influence the unsteady flow. The sources of unsteadiness on the rotor passage were evaluated from the steady-state solution at the NGV outlet. The disturbances were split into vortical, entropic and potential waves, the Fourier components of which were considered separately. The summation of the vortical and entropic waves was used as a rotor inlet boundary condition in order to assess the wake/rotor unsteady interaction. Similarly, potential waves were used to study the potential/rotor interaction. The results obtained from these two types of unsteady interactions were superimposed and compared with experimental data. Good qualitative and, in most cases, quantitative agreement was obtained, a finding which suggests that the unsteady flowfield generated by the relative blade motion can be considered to be a quasi-linear phenomenon for the particular HP turbine studied. Finally, the mechanisms of wake/rotor and potential/rotor interactions were studied in some detail and it was concluded that the former was strong in the crown of the blade while the latter was dominant in the leading edge region.     

Large-scale vortical structure of turbulent separation bubble affected by unsteady wake

The large-scale vortical structure of a turbulent separation bubble under the influence of an unsteady wake was investigated. The unsteady wake was generated by a spoked-wheel type wake generator installed in front of the separation bubble. This wake generator was rotated either clockwise or counter-clockwise at Re _H=5.600. The mechanism of vortex shedding from the separation bubble was analyzed in detail by taking a conditional average as well as a phase average. Spatial box filtering (SBF) was used to extract the large-scale vortical structure from the turbulent separation bubble affected by the unsteady wake. To elucidate the influence of the unsteady wake on the large-scale vortical structure, conditional averages of the velocity, vorticity and turbulent kinetic energy were calculated. The nature of the convection of the vortical structure under the influence of an unsteady wake was analyzed. The dipole acoustic pressure level was predicted using Curle's integral of wall-pressure fluctuations.     

Vortex dynamics and scalar transport in the wake of a flat-plate controlled by a vibrating trailing-edge flap

We investigate the onset and development of vortical flow disturbances introduced into the wake of a horizontally fixed flat-plate by means of the controlled motion of a trailing edge flap. The vibrating mechanics of the flap allows for the introduction of both impulsive and harmonic weak amplitude velocity disturbances which are propagated downstream into the wake flow of the flat-plate. Quantitative experimental and numerical predictions of both steady and unsteady wake flow velocity resulting from different flapping frequencies are made at low Reynolds numbers (Re < 10⁴). Frequency response tests of the wake confirmed the existence of two dominant frequencies where the wake flow organises with a particular arrangement of downstream moving vortex structures. Numerical predictions of steady (unforced) and forced wake velocity profiles and kinetic energy profiles are in good agreement with the experimental results. In order to understand practical implications of the dominant vortex structures in scalar transport, we have extended the numerical part of the study solving for the concentration equation of a passive scalar being injected in particular regions of the physical domain. A spatial correlation between the trajectory of vortex structures and the scalar concentration downstream the wake is observed. Moreover, the onset of tip vortex structures produced during the forcing cycle seems to be responsible of a local increase of scalar concentration near the span wise flap ends.     

The Vortical Structures in the Rear Separation and Wake Produced by a Supersonic Micro-Ramp

The vortical structures in the rear separation and wake region produced by a micro-ramp that immersed in a supersonic turbulent boundary layer are investigated. The small scale separation close to the trailing edge was revealed and this confirms the previous experimental observation. Between the reverse region and surrounding fast moving flow, a three-dimensional shear layer was formed, and vortices are generated. By using vortex line method, the spiral points were illustrated as the cross-sections of the Ω-shaped vortices that follow the shape of the separation. The vortical structure was analogous to that in the wake region, where similar Ω-shaped vortex which follows the deficit region caused by the micro-ramp can be observed. Finally, the revealed flow topology was conceived new and beneficial to the studying of wall bounded turbulence which involves similar vortical structures but in a smaller scale, compared with the vortical pattern in the current micro-ramp wake.     

A minimum-domain impulse theory for unsteady aerodynamic force with discrete wake

We extend the impulse theory for unsteady aerodynamics, from its classic global form to finite-domain formulation, then to a minimum-domain version for discrete wake. Each extension has been confirmed numerically. The minimum-domain theory indicates that the numerical finding of Li and Lu(2012) is of general significance: The entire force is completely determined by only the time rate of impulse of those vortical structures still connecting to the body, along with the Lamb-vector integral thereof that captures the contribution of all the rest disconnected vortical structures.     

Transition mechanisms in laminar separation bubbles with and without incoming wakes and synthetic jet effects

Laminar separation and transition processes of the boundary layer developing under a strong adverse pressure gradient, typical of Ultra-High-Lift turbine profiles, have been experimentally investigated for a low Reynolds number case. The boundary layer development has been surveyed for different conditions: with steady inflow, with incoming wakes and with the synchronized forcing effects due to both incoming wakes and synthetic jet (zero net mass flow rate jet). In this latter case, the jet Strouhal number has been set equal to half the wake-reduced frequency to synchronize the unsteady forcing effects on the boundary layer. Measurements have been taken by means of a single-sensor hot-wire anemometer. For the steady inflow case, particle image velocimetry has been employed to visualize the large-scale vortical structures shed as a consequence of the Kelvin?CHelmholtz instability mechanism. For the unsteady inflow cases, a phase-locked ensemble averaging technique, synchronized with the wake and the synthetic jet frequencies, has been adopted to reconstruct the boundary layer space-time evolution. Results have been represented as color plots, for several time instants of the forcing effect period, in order to provide an overall view of the time-dependent transition and separation processes in terms of ensemble-averaged velocity and unresolved unsteadiness distributions. The phase-locked distributions of the unresolved unsteadiness allowed the identification of the instability mechanisms driving transition as well as the Kelvin?CHelmholtz structures that grow within the separated shear layer during the incoming wake interval and the synthetic jet operating period. Incoming wakes and synthetic jet effects in reducing and/or suppressing flow separation are investigated in depth.     

高超声速尾迹流场稳定性数值研究

通过数值模拟, 对高超声速尾迹流场进行了研究, 对其尾迹流动的失稳过程进行了分析.选取计算模型为圆球,Ma= 6.0, Re = 1.71\times 10^6(Re以球头半径为参考长度). 通过数值模拟,首先得到的流动是稳定解,在底部发展出一个主分离区和一个二次分离区,流动是轴对称状态. 不添加任何扰动继续进行计算,发现底部流场缓慢发展出微弱的非定常流动. 随后,该现象继续发展,出现明显的结构失稳,得到了无量纲周期为12.0的周期解. 给出了高超声速圆球绕流尾迹结构的周期性演化过程,对其涡系结构的演化及奇点特征进行了分析. 研究表明该数值模拟方法可用于底部流动稳定性问题的研究,同时证实了高超声速底部流动也存在流动不稳定性.      

Stereoscopic PIV on multiple color-coded light sheets and its application to axial flow in flapping robotic insect wings

Non-scanning volume flow measurement techniques such as 3D-PTV, holographic and tomographic particle image velocimetry (PIV) permit reconstructions of all three components (3C) of velocity and vorticity vectors in a fluid volume (3D). In this study, we present a novel 3D3C technique termed Multiple-Color-Plane Stereo Particle-Image-Velocimetry (color PIV), which allows instantaneous measurements of 3C velocity vectors in six parallel, colored light sheets. We generated the light sheets by passing white light of two strobes through dichroic color filters and imaged the slices by two 3CCD color cameras in Stereo-PIV configuration. The stereo-color images were processed by custom software routines that sorted each colored fluid particle into one of six gray-scale images according to its hue, saturation, and luminance. We used conventional Stereo PIV cross-correlation algorithms to compute a 3D planar vector field for each light sheet and subsequently interpolated a volume flow map from the six vector fields. As a first application, we quantified the wake and axial flow in the vortical structures of a robotic insect (fruit fly) model wing. In contrast to previous findings, the measured data indicate strong axial flow components on the upper wing surface, including axial flow in the leading-edge vortex core. Collectively, color PIV is robust against mechanical misalignments, avoids laser safety issues, and computes instantaneous 3D vector fields in a fraction of the time typical for other 3D systems. Color PIV might thus be of value for volume measurements of highly unsteady flows.     

Effect of vortex shedding in unsteady aerodynamic forces for a low Reynolds number stationary wing at low angle of attack

This study elucidates the relation between wake vortex shedding and aerodynamic force fluctuations for a low Reynolds number wing from time resolved particle image velocimetry (TR-PIV) experimental measurements. The results reveal a periodic lift and drag variation within the shedding cycle and resolve the frequencies of those fluctuations from a proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) and power spectral density (PSD) analysis. To show the effect of vortex shedding on the body force fluctuations, the evolution of instantaneous aerodynamic forces is compared to the pressure field of the fluid flow and to the vortical structures in the wake of the airfoil. A six step model describing the vortex-force relation is proposed. It shows that changes in lift such as maximum lift and minimum lift are associated with the detachment of a vortex. It also shows that the minimum or local minimum drag value is obtained at the onset formation of a vortex on the airfoil wake. Similarly, the maximum or local maximum drag is obtained at the onset formation of the saddle on the airfoil wake. The model further explains the asymmetry observed in the unsteady drag force evolution. The model can be used to optimize flow control and fluid-structure interaction applications.     

Three-dimensional numerical study of jet-in-crossflow characteristics at low Reynolds number

A numerical study of a square jet in a cross flow is carried out at a Reynolds number of 100. The flow field and heat transfer characteristic downstream of the jet have been explored by solving three-dimensional unsteady Navier–Stokes equations and energy equation using higher order spatial and temporal discretization. The projection of vortical structure on a plane is seen to give the component of vortex normal to the plane. Four combinations of velocity profile namely (1) uniform crossflow and uniform jet, (2) laminar boundary layer crossflow and uniform jet, (3) uniform crossflow and parabolic jet profile, and (4) laminar boundary layer crossflow and parabolic jet are compared at same phase to see their effect on the flow field and heat transfer characteristic. All the four cases are seen to exhibit unsteadiness but the jet with parabolic profile is seen to show stronger unsteadiness. The instantaneous vortical structures of all the cases at the same phase show that the structures are more complex for the jet with parabolic velocity profile. The temperature field is seen to be correlated with the vortical structures. Comparison of the time averaged flow field reveals that the jet penetration is the highest for the jet having parabolic profile and boundary layer crossflow. The adiabatic effectiveness is observed to be more for the jet with uniform velocity profile and uniform crossflow and was least for the jet with parabolic velocity profile and boundary layer crossflow.     

A numerical study of an annular liquid jet in a compressible gas medium

An annular liquid jet in a compressible gas medium has been examined using an Eulerian approach with mixed-fluid treatment. The governing equations have been solved by using highly accurate numerical methods. An adapted volume of fluid method combined with a continuum surface force model was used to capture the gas–liquid interface dynamics. The numerical simulations showed the existence of a recirculation zone adjacent to the nozzle exit and unsteady large vortical structures at downstream locations, which lead to significant velocity reversals in the flow field. It was found that the annular jet flow is highly unstable because of the existence of two adjacent shear layers in the annular configuration. The large vortical structures developed naturally in the flow field without external perturbations. Surface tension tends to promote the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability and the development of vortical structures that leads to an increased liquid dispersion. A decrease in the liquid sheet thickness resulted in a reduced liquid dispersion. It was identified that the liquid-to-gas density and viscosity ratios have opposite effects on the flow field with the reduced liquid-to-gas density ratio demoting the instability and the reduced liquid-to-gas viscosity ratio promoting the instability characteristics.     

Numerical investigation of flow structures around a sphere

A numerical investigation of flow around a sphere is performed and compared with previous studies. Here, a second-order accurate, finite volume method is used in order to predict the instantaneous and time-averaged flow characteristics using large eddy simulation (LES) on the multi-block grid system. Namely, the objectives of this article are: (i) the presentation of flow structures in the wake region downstream of the sphere with a wide variety of flow properties such as the distribution of velocity vectors, patterns of streamlines, Reynolds stress correlations, root mean square of velocity components and other time-averaged flow data in order to reveal the vortical flow structures in detail and (ii) to demonstrate the abilities of computational methods in simulation of vortical flow data. Finally, it has been concluded that there are good agreements between the experimental results and numerical predictions.     

Digital-Particle-Image-Velocimetry (DPIV) in a scanning light-sheet: 3D starting flow around a short cylinder

Scanning-Particle-Image-Velocimetry Technique (SPIV), introduced by Brücker (1992) and Brücker and Althaus (1992), offers the quantitative investigation of three-dimensional vortical structures in unsteady flows. On principle, this technique combines classical Particle-Image-Velocimetry (PIV) with volume scanning using a scanning light-sheet. In our previous studies, single scans obtained from photographic frame series were evaluated to show the instantaneous vortical structure of the respective flow phenomena. Here, continuous video recordings are processed to capture also the temporal information for the study of the set-up of 3D effects in the cylinder wake. The flow is continuously sampled in depth by the scanning light-sheet and in each of the parallel planes frame-to-frame cross-correlation of the video images (DPIV) is applied to obtain the 2D velocity field. Because the scanning frequency and repetition rate is high in comparison with the characteristic time-scale of the flow, the evaluation provides a complete time-record of the 3D flow during the starting process. With use of the continuity concept as described by Robinson and Rockwell (1993), we obtained in addition the out-of-plane component of the velocity in spanwise direction. This in view, the described technique enabled the reconstruction of the three-dimensional time-dependent velocity and vorticity field. The visualization of the dynamical behaviour of these quantities as, e.g. by video, gave a good impression of the spanwise flow showing the tornado-like suction effect of the starting vortices.A version of this paper was presented at the 2. Int. Conference on Experimental Fluid Mechanics, 4–8 July 1994, Torino (Italy)     

Experimental study on the effect of unsteadiness on boundary layer development on a linear turbine cascade

 The results from an experimental investigation of unsteady boundary layer behavior on a linear turbine cascade are presented in this paper. To perform a detailed study on unsteady cascade aerodynamics and heat transfer, a new large-scale, high-subsonic research facility for simulating the periodic unsteady flow has been developed. It is capable of sequentially generating up to four different unsteady inlet flow conditions that lead to four different passing frequencies, wake structures, and freestream turbulence intensities. For a given Reynolds number, two different unsteady wake formations are utilized. Detailed unsteady boundary layer velocity. turbulence intensity, and pressure measurements are performed along the suction and pressure surfaces of one blade. The results display the transition and development of the boundary layer, ensemble-averaged velocity, and turbulence intensity. Received: 23 September 1996/Accepted: 19 February 1997     

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.     

Spanwise effects on instabilities of compressible flow over a long rectangular cavity

The stability properties of two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) compressible flows over a rectangular cavity with length-to-depth ratio of \(L/D=6\) are analyzed at a free-stream Mach number of \(M_\infty =0.6\) and depth-based Reynolds number of \(Re_D=502\). In this study, we closely examine the influence of three-dimensionality on the wake mode that has been reported to exhibit high-amplitude fluctuations from the formation and ejection of large-scale spanwise vortices. Direct numerical simulation (DNS) and bi-global stability analysis are utilized to study the stability characteristics of the wake mode. Using the bi-global stability analysis with the time-averaged flow as the base state, we capture the global stability properties of the wake mode at a spanwise wavenumber of \(\beta =0\). To uncover spanwise effects on the 2D wake mode, 3D DNS are performed with cavity width-to-depth ratio of \(W/D=1\) and 2. We find that the 2D wake mode is not present in the 3D cavity flow with \(W/D=2\), in which spanwise structures are observed near the rear region of the cavity. These 3D instabilities are further investigated via bi-global stability analysis for spanwise wavelengths of \(\lambda /D=0.5{-}2.0\) to reveal the eigenspectra of the 3D eigenmodes. Based on the findings of 2D and 3D global stability analysis, we conclude that the absence of the wake mode in 3D rectangular cavity flows is due to the release of kinetic energy from the spanwise vortices to the streamwise vortical structures that develops from the spanwise instabilities.