Turbulence,dynamic similarity and scale effects in high-velocity free-surface flows above a stepped chute

In high-velocity free-surface flows, air entrainment is common through the interface, and intense interactions take place between turbulent structures and entrained bubbles. Two-phase flow properties were measured herein in high-velocity open channel flows above a stepped chute. Detailed turbulence measurements were conducted in a large-size facility, and a comparative analysis was applied to test the validity of the Froude and Reynolds similarities. The results showed consistently that the Froude similitude was not satisfied using a 2:1 geometric scaling ratio. Lesser number of entrained bubbles and comparatively greater bubble sizes were observed at the smaller Reynolds numbers, as well as lower turbulence levels and larger turbulent length and time scales. The results implied that small-size models did underestimate the rate of energy dissipation and the aeration efficiency of prototype stepped spillways for similar flow conditions. Similarly a Reynolds similitude was tested. The results showed also some significant scale effects. However a number of self-similar relationships remained invariant under changes of scale and confirmed the analysis of Chanson and Carosi (Exp Fluids 42:385-401, 2007). The finding is significant because self-similarity may provide a picture general enough to be used to characterise the air–water flow field in large prototype channels.     

Convective transport of air bubbles in strong hydraulic jumps

A hydraulic jump is a flow singularity characterised by a significant amount of air entrainment in the shear zone. The air is entrapped at the jump toe that is a discontinuity between the impinging flow and the roller. The impingement point is a source of air bubbles, as well as a source of vorticity. Herein the convective transport of air bubbles in the jump roller is re-visited. Some analytical extension is presented and the theoretical results are compared with some laboratory experiments conducted in a large-size facility operating at large Froude numbers. The turbulent air bubble mixing coefficient was found to increase linearly with increasing distance and be independent of the Froude and Reynolds numbers. Overall the study highlighted some seminal features of the air–water shear layer in hydraulic jumps with large Froude numbers (5.1 < Fr₁ < 11.2). The air bubble entrainment in the mixing zone was a convective transport process, although there was some rapid flow de-aeration for all Froude numbers.     

Bubbly flow measurements in hydraulic jumps with small inflow Froude numbers

The transition from supercritical to subcritical open channel flow is characterised by a strong dissipative mechanism called a hydraulic jump. A hydraulic jump is turbulent and associated with the development of large-scale turbulence and air entrainment. In the present study, some new physical experiments were conducted to characterise the bubbly flow region of hydraulic jumps with relatively small Froude numbers (2.4 < Fr₁ < 5.1) and relatively large Reynolds numbers (6.6 × 10⁴ < Re < 1.3 × 10⁵). The shape of the time-averaged free-surface profiles was well defined and the longitudinal profiles were in agreement with visual observations. The turbulent free-surface fluctuation profiles exhibited a peak of maximum intensity in the first half of the hydraulic jump roller, and the fluctuations exhibited some characteristic frequencies typically below 3 Hz. The air–water flow properties showed two characteristic regions: the shear layer region in the lower part of the flow and an upper free-surface region above. The air–water shear layer region was characterised by local maxima in terms of void fraction and bubble count rate. Other air–water flow characteristics were documented including the distributions of interfacial velocity and turbulence intensity. The probability distribution functions (PDF) of bubble chord time showed that the bubble chord times exhibited a broad spectrum, with a majority of bubble chord times between 0.5 and 2 ms. An analysis of the longitudinal air–water structure highlighted a significant proportion of bubbles travelling within a cluster structure.     

Free-surface fluctuations and turbulence in hydraulic jumps

A hydraulic jump is the highly turbulent transition between a high-velocity impinging flow and a turbulent roller. The jump flow is characterised by some substantial air bubble entrainment, spray and splashing. In the present study, the free-surface fluctuations and air-water properties of the hydraulic jump roller were investigated physically for relatively small Froude numbers (2.4 < Fr₁ < 5.1) and relatively large Reynolds numbers (6.6 × 10⁴ < Re < 1.3 × 10⁵). The shape of the mean free surface profile was well defined, and the time-averaged free-surface elevation corresponded to the upper free-surface, with the quantitative values being close to the equivalent clear-water depth. The turbulent fluctuation profiles exhibited a maximum in the first part of the hydraulic jump roller. The free-surface fluctuations presented some characteristic frequencies between 1.4 and 4 Hz. Some simultaneous free-surface measurements at a series of two closely located points yielded the free-surface length and time scales of free-surface fluctuations in terms of both longitudinal and transverse directions. The length scale data seemed to depend upon the inflow Froude number, while the time scale data showed no definite trend. Some simultaneous measurements of instantaneous void fraction and free-surface fluctuations exhibited different features depending upon the phase-detection probe sensor location in the different regions of the roller.     

Optical fibre probe measurements of bubbly flow in hydraulic jumps

This paper describes measurements of void fractions, bubble frequencies and bubble sizes in hydraulic jumps with Froude numbers 2.0, 2.4, 3.7 and 4.8. In each case data were obtained with a dual-tip optical fibre probe at a large number of points throughout the jump. Across the lower part of the flow, dominated by air entrainment into a region of turbulent shear, void fractions follow a Gaussian distribution. In the upper region, dominated by interactions with the free surface, the void fraction follows the form of an error function. The intersection between these two profiles provides a well-defined boundary between the two regions. Comparisons are made with measurements at higher Froude numbers [by Chanson, H., Brattberg, T., 2000. Experimental study of the air–water shear flow in a hydraulic jump. International Journal of Multiphase Flow 26, 583–607] revealing a very large measure of compatibility between the two sets of data.     

Turbulent time and length scale measurements in high-velocity open channel flows

In high-velocity open channel flows, the measurements of air–water flow properties are complicated by the strong interactions between the flow turbulence and the entrained air. In the present study, an advanced signal processing of traditional single- and dual-tip conductivity probe signals is developed to provide further details on the air–water turbulent level, time and length scales. The technique is applied to turbulent open channel flows on a stepped chute conducted in a large-size facility with flow Reynolds numbers ranging from 3.8E+5 to 7.1E+5. The air water flow properties presented some basic characteristics that were qualitatively and quantitatively similar to previous skimming flow studies. Some self-similar relationships were observed systematically at both macroscopic and microscopic levels. These included the distributions of void fraction, bubble count rate, interfacial velocity and turbulence level at a macroscopic scale, and the auto- and cross-correlation functions at the microscopic level. New correlation analyses yielded a characterisation of the large eddies advecting the bubbles. Basic results included the integral turbulent length and time scales. The turbulent length scales characterised some measure of the size of large vortical structures advecting air bubbles in the skimming flows, and the data were closely related to the characteristic air–water depth Y ₉₀. In the spray region, present results highlighted the existence of an upper spray region for C > 0.95–0.97 in which the distributions of droplet chord sizes and integral advection scales presented some marked differences with the rest of the flow.     

Simulating air entrainment and vortex dynamics in a hydraulic jump

The air entrainment characteristics of three separate Froude number hydraulic jumps are investigated numerically using an unsteady RANS, realizable k–ε turbulence model, with a Volume of Fluid treatment for the free surface. Mean velocity profiles, average void fraction, and Sauter mean diameter compare favorably with experimental data reported in literature. In all simulations, time-averaged void fraction profiles show good agreement with experimental values in the turbulent shear layer and an accurate representation of interfacial aeration at the free surface. Sauter mean diameter is well represented in the shear layer, and free surface entrainment results indicate bubble size remains relatively unchanged throughout the depth of the jump. Several different grid resolutions are tested in the simulations. Significant improvements in void fraction and bubble size comparison are seen when the diameter to grid size ratio of the largest bubbles in the shear layer surpasses eight. A three-dimensional simulation is carried out for one Froude number jump, showing an improvement in the prediction of entrained air and bubble size compared with two-dimensional results at a substantial increase in computation time. An analysis of three-dimensional vorticity shows a complex interaction between spanwise and streamwise vortical structures and entrained air bubbles. The jump is similar to a turbulent mixing layer, constrained by the free surface, with vortex pairing and subsequent fluctuations in free surface elevation. Downstream fluctuations of the toe are associated with a roll up of the primary spanwise vortex, fluctuations of the free surface, and counter-rotating streamwise vortex pairs. The action of these flow structures is likely responsible for the improvement in three-dimensional results.     

Free-surface fluctuations in hydraulic jumps: Experimental observations

A hydraulic jump is the rapid and sudden transition from a high-velocity supercritical open channel flow to a subcritical flow. It is characterised by the dynamic interactions of the large-scale eddies with the free-surface. New series of experimental measurements were conducted in hydraulic jumps with Froude numbers between 3.1 and 8.5 to investigate these interactions. The dynamic free surface measurements were performed with a non-intrusive technique while the two-phase flow properties were recorded with a phase-detection probe. The shape of the mean free surface profile was well defined and the turbulent fluctuation profiles highlighted a distinct peak of turbulent intensity in the first part of the jump roller, with free-surface fluctuation levels increasing with increasing Froude number. The dominant free-surface fluctuation frequencies were typically between 1 and 4 Hz. A comparison between the acoustic sensor signals and conductivity probe data suggested that the air–water “free-surface” detected by the acoustic sensor corresponded to about the boundary between the turbulent shear layer and the upper free-surface layer. Simultaneous measurements of free surface and bubbly flow fluctuations for Fr = 5.1 indicated that the frequency ranges of both sensors were similar (F < 5 Hz) whatever the position downstream of the toe. The present results highlighted that the dynamic free-surface measurements can be conducted successfully using acoustic displacement meters, and the time-averaged depth measurements was a physical measure of the free-surface location in hydraulic jumps.     

Very high Reynolds number boundary layers over 3D sparse roughness and obstacles: the mean flow

Hot-wire and oil-film interferometry measurements are taken for 3D rough wall boundary layers at very high Reynolds numbers (61,000 < Re θ < 120,000) with low blockage ratios, 10 < δ/H < 135, and high roughness, 100 < H ⁺ < 4,900. The results cover flows over both rough walls and over obstacles and are compared with and provide extension to recent lower Reynolds number results. The validity of the Townsend ‘wall similarity hypothesis’ in relation to consistently increasing 3D roughness is interrogated. In agreement with recent work, Schultz and Flack (J Fluid Mech 580:381–405, 2007) and Castro (J Fluid Mech 585:469–485, 2007) found that, for relatively low roughness, Townsend’s hypothesis holds for the mean velocity field. With increasing roughness, the equilibrium layer diminishes and gradually vanishes. The viscous component of the wall shear stress decreases, while the turbulent component increases as the roughness effects extend across the boundary layer.     

Flow property and self-similarity in steady hydraulic jumps

The flow structure in a steady hydraulic jump in both the non-aerated and aerated regions was measured using the image-based particle image velocimetry and bubble image velocimetry techniques, respectively. Three highly aerated steady jumps with Froude numbers varying from 4.51 to 5.35 were tested, and a weak jump with a Froude number of 2.43 was generated for comparison. Mean velocities and turbulence statistics were obtained by ensemble averaging the repeated velocity measurements. Based on the mean velocities, the flow structure in the steady jumps was classified into four regions to distinguish their distinct flow behaviors; they are the potential core region, the boundary layer region, the mixing layer region, and the recirculation region. The flow structure in the weak jump features only three regions without the recirculation region. In addition, spatial variations of mean velocities, turbulence intensity, and Reynolds stresses were also presented. It was observed that the maximum horizontal bubble velocity and maximum horizontal water velocity occur at the same location in the overlapping regions of potential core and mixing layer. The ratio between the maximum horizontal bubble velocity and maximum horizontal water velocity is between 0.6 and 0.8, depending on the Froude number. Examining the mean horizontal bubble velocities in the mixing layer, a similarity profile was revealed with representative mixing layer thickness as the characteristic length scale and the difference between the maximum positive and maximum negative velocities as the characteristic velocity scale. It was also found that the mean horizontal water velocities in the near-wall region are self-similar and behave like a wall jet. Further analyzing autocorrelation functions and energy spectra of the water and bubble velocity fluctuations found that the energy spectra in the water region follow the ?5/3 slope, whereas the spectra in the bubble region follow a ?2/5 slope. In addition, the integral length scale of bubbles is one order of magnitude shorter than that of water.     

Reynolds number dependence of the inertial range scaling of energy dissipation rate and enstrophy in a cylinder wake

The full energy dissipation rate and enstrophy are measured simultaneously using a probe consisting of four X-wires in the intermediate region of a cylinder wake for Taylor microscale Reynolds number in the range of 120–320. Longitudinal and transverse velocity increments are also obtained temporally using Taylor’s hypothesis. The inertial range scaling exponents indicate that the full enstrophy field has a stronger intermittency than does the full dissipation field for all the Reynolds numbers considered. The approximations of the energy dissipation rate and enstrophy based on isotropy are more intermittent than their corresponding true values. While the scaling exponents of the full energy dissipation rate remain approximately constant for different Reynolds numbers, those of the enstrophy decrease slightly and consistently with the increase of Reynolds number. It is conjectured that the scaling of the energy dissipation rate and the enstrophy may be the same when Reynolds number is extremely high, a trend that is consistent with that suggested by Nelkin (Phys Fluids 11:2202–2204, 1999; Am J Phys 68:310–318, 2000).     

Investigation of the vortex induced unsteadiness of a separation bubble via time-resolved and scanning PIV measurements

A transitional separation bubble on the suction side of an SD7003 airfoil is considered. The transition process that forces the separated shear layer to reattach seems to be governed by Kelvin–Helmholtz instabilities. Large scale vortices are formed due to this mechanism at the downstream end of the bubble. These vortices possess a three-dimensional structure and detach from the recirculation region, while other vortices are formed within the bubble. This separation of the vortex is a highly unsteady process, which leads to a bubble flapping. The structure of these vortices and the flapping of the separation bubble due to these vortices are temporally and spatially analyzed at angles of attack from 4° to 8° and chord-length based Reynolds numbers Re _c = 20,000–60,000 using time-resolved PIV measurements in a 2D and a 3D set-up, i.e., stereo-scanning PIV measurements are done in the latter case. These measurements complete former studies at a Reynolds number of Re _c = 20,000. The results of the time-resolved PIV measurements in a single light-sheet show the influence of the angle of attack and the Reynolds number. The characteristic parameters of the separation bubble are analyzed focusing on the unsteadiness of the separation bubble, e.g., the varying size of the main recirculation region, which characterizes the bubble flapping, and the corresponding Strouhal number are investigated. Furthermore, the impact of the freestream turbulence is investigated by juxtaposing the current and former results. The stereo-scanning PIV measurements at Reynolds numbers up to 60,000 elucidate the three-dimensional character of the vortical structures, which evolve at the downstream end of the separation bubble. It is shown that the same typical structures are formed, e.g., the c-shape vortex and the screwdriver vortex at each Reynolds number and angle of attack investigated and the occurrence of these patterns in relation to Λ-structures is discussed. To evidence the impact of the freestream turbulence, these results are compared with findings of former measurements.     

On the fluid–structure interaction of a splitter plate: vibration modes and Reynolds number effects

Previous work (Eloranta et al. in Exp Fluids 39:841–855, 2005) has shown that flow separation from the trailing edge of a splitter plate in a convergent channel involves a fluid–structure interaction (FSI), which modifies the fundamental instability related to vortex shedding. Under certain conditions, the FSI induces cellular vortex shedding from the trailing edge. This paper reports detailed measurements of the plate vibration mode and studies the effect of the Reynolds number on the FSI. Experimental techniques including laser vibrometer and digital imaging are used to measure the response of the plate and particle image velocimetry is used to measure the flow field in the near wake. Combining data from these techniques, the development of the vibration frequency and mode can be addressed together with the imprint of the vibration mode in the flow. The results show that over most of the Reynolds numbers measured, the plate vibrates in a distinct mode characterized by a spanwise standing wave along the plate trailing edge. The vibration frequency and the spacing between the nodes of the standing wave depend on the Reynolds number. As the Reynolds number is increased, the frequency of the dominant vibration mode does not increase linearly. The plot of the vibration frequency as a function of the Reynolds number shows that the vibration tends to lock to a rather constant frequency over of range of Reynolds numbers. After certain Reynolds number if threshold is exceeded, the frequency jumps to a new level, which also involves a new vibration mode.     

Experiment on smooth,circular cylinders in cross-flow in the critical Reynolds number regime

Experiments were conducted for 2D circular cylinders at Reynolds numbers in the range of 1.73 × 10⁵–5.86 × 10⁵. In the experiment, two circular cylinder models made of acrylic and stainless steel, respectively, were employed, which have similar dimensions but different surface roughness. Particular attention was paid to the unsteady flow behaviors inferred by the signals obtained from the pressure taps on the cylinder models and by a hot-wire probe in the near-wake region. At Reynolds numbers pertaining to the initial transition from the subcritical to the critical regimes, pronounced pressure fluctuations were measured on the surfaces of both cylinder models, which were attributed to the excursion of unsteady flow separation over a large circumferential region. At the Reynolds numbers almost reaching the one-bubble state, it was noted that the development of separation bubble might switch from one side to the other with time. Wavelet analysis of the pressure signals measured simultaneously at θ = ±90° further revealed that when no separation bubble was developed, the instantaneous vortex-shedding frequencies could be clearly resolved, about 0.2, in terms of the Strouhal number. The results of oil-film flow visualization on the stainless steel cylinder of the one-bubble and two-bubble states showed that the flow reattachment region downstream of a separation bubble appeared not uniform along the span of the model. Thus, the three dimensionality was quite evident.     

Air transport in chute flows

The air bubble rise velocity in still water depends mainly on the bubble size and is basically influenced by buoyancy, viscosity and surface tension. In high-speed flows the number of forces acting on air bubbles increases with turbulence, non-hydrostatic pressure gradient, shear forces, bubble clouds and free-surface entrainment. Air bubbles in these flows are used for cavitation protection of hydraulic structures such as chutes, spillways and bottom outlets. Here, air is normally added by means of aerators upstream of regions where the cavitation number falls below a critical value mainly to reduce the sonic velocity of the fluid and cushion the cavitation bubble collapse process. The distance between successive aerators depends basically on the bubble rise velocity. Until today, the bubble rise velocity in high-speed flows was not thoroughly investigated because of limited laboratory instrumentation. The present project focused on the streamwise development of air concentrations in high-speed flows along a 14 m long model chute. The bubble rise velocity was indirectly derived from the air detrainment gradient of the air concentration contour lines downstream of an aeration device. It accounts for the main hydraulic parameters chute slope, Froude number and air concentration. It is demonstrated that the bubble rise velocity in high-speed flow and stagnant water differ significantly due to fracturing processes, turbulence, and the ambient air concentration.     

Hydrodynamic and mass transfer characteristic of a novel grid-structured plastic packing

The hydraulic and mass transfer characteristic of a novel grid-structured plastic packing is presented. The geometry of this structured packings differ substantially from conventional corrugated structured packings resulting in an open structure which enables a free exchange of vapour and liquid also in horizontal direction. The hydraulic performance has been measured by air–water experiments in a 440 mm diameter column, the mass transfer characteristic has been determined with the absorption system ammonia–air–water. Is is shown that the grid-structured plastic packing is highly efficient, particularly in terms of the hydraulic capacity compared with random plastic packings. Beside this, the main advantage of the packing is the easy handling and installation as well as the low investment costs compared to the well-known conventional corrugated structured packings.     

Testing of Model Equations for the Mean Dissipation using Kolmogorov Flows

Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) of Kolmogorov flows are performed at three different Reynolds numbers Re _λ between 110 and 190 by imposing a mean velocity profile in y-direction of the form U(y) = F sin(y) in a periodic box of volume (2π)³. After a few integral times the turbulent flow turns out to be statistically steady. Profiles of mean quantities are then obtained by averaging over planes at constant y. Based on these profiles two different model equations for the mean dissipation ε in the context of two-equation RANS (Reynolds Averaged Navier–Stokes) modelling of turbulence are compared to each other. The high Reynolds number version of the k-ε-model (Jones and Launder, Int J Heat Mass Transfer 15:301–314, 1972), to be called the standard model and a new model by Menter et al. (2006), to be called the Menter–Egorov model, are tested against the DNS results. Both models are solved numerically and it is found that the standard model does not provide a steady solution for the present case, while the Menter–Egorov model does. In addition a fairly good quantitative agreement of the model solution and the DNS data is found for the averaged profiles of the kinetic energy k and the dissipation ε. Furthermore, an analysis based on flow-inherent geometries, called dissipation elements (Wang and Peters, J Fluid Mech 608:113–138, 2008), is used to examine the Menter–Egorov ε model equation. An expression for the evolution of ε is derived by taking appropriate moments of the equation for the evolution of the probability density function (pdf) of the length of dissipation elements. A term-by-term comparison with the model equation allows a prediction of the constants, which with increasing Reynolds number approach the empirical values.     

Influence of surfactant upon air entrainment hysteresis in curtain coating

The onset of air entrainment for curtain coating onto a pre-wetted substrate was studied experimentally in similar parameter regimes to commercial coating (Re = ρQ/μ = O(1), We = ρQ u _c /σ = O(10), Ca = μU/σ = O(1)). Impingement speed and viscosity were previously shown to be critical parameters in correlating air entrainment data with three qualitatively different regimes of hydrodynamic assist identified (Marston et al. in Exp Fluids 42(3):483–488, 2007a). The interaction of the impinging curtain with the pre-existing film also led to a significant hysteretic effect throughout the flow rate-substrate speed parameter space. For the first time, results considering the influence of surfactants are presented in attempt to elucidate the relative importance of surface tension in this inertia-dominated system. The results show quantitative and qualitative differences to previous results with much more complex hysteretic behaviour which has only been reported previously for rough surfaces.     

Current knowledge in hydraulic jumps and related phenomena. A survey of experimental results

The hydraulic jump is the sudden transition from a high-velocity open channel flow regime to a subcritical flow motion. The flow properties may be solved using continuity and momentum considerations. In this review paper, recent advances in turbulent hydraulic jumps are developed: the non-breaking undular hydraulic jump, the positive surge and tidal bore, and the air bubble entrainment in hydraulic jumps with roller. The review paper demonstrates that the hydraulic jump is a fascinating turbulent flow motion and the present knowledge is insufficient, especially at the scales of environmental and geophysical flows.