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.     

Measurements in the flow around a marine propeller at the stern of an axisymmetric body

Experiments were performed in a wind tunnel to study the flow around an axisymmetric body driven by a marine propeller. Measurements were made in the boundary layer and wake of the bare body, on the body with only a dummy hub rotating, and finally, with the propeller in operation. Part 1 of this paper described the experimental arrangement and instrumentation. Also, circumferentially-averaged results were presented to clarify certain aspects of the overall flow. In the present part, measurements made with a triplesensor hotwire are analyzed using phase-averaging techniques to reconstruct the instantaneous velocity and Reynolds-stress fields downstream of the propeller and show the evolution of the wakes of individual blades, blade-tip vortices, and the complex flow associated with vortices generated at hub-blade junctions. It is found that the blade wakes and features of the tip and hub flow are evident up to about two propeller diameters, beyond which the wake of the body-propeller combination can be regarded as a rotationally-symmetric flow.     

The wake flow downstream of a propeller-rudder system

We report wall-resolved, large-eddy simulations for the case of a propeller operating upstream of a hydrofoil, mimicking a rudder. Our primary objective is the identification of wake features that are unique to this coupled system, when compared to open-water cases, which are usually the focus of experiments and computations in the literature. We were able to achieve unprecedented levels of numerical resolution, which capture the dynamics of all energetic eddies in the flow by using a scalable, conservative, structured solver in cylindrical coordinates. The boundary conditions on the rotating propeller and hydrofoil were enforced via an immersed boundary formulation. The largest values of turbulent stresses in the wake of the hydrofoil are achieved outwards from the radial coordinate of the tip of the propeller blades. This is due to spanwise gradients across the hydrofoil (in the direction parallel to the span of the hydrofoil), producing a displacement of the pressure side legs of the tip vortices towards outer coordinates, where they experience shear with the wake of the hydrofoil. The evolution of turbulence is non-monotonic across the streamwise direction. This is a consequence of the growing shear resulting from the complex interactions involving the shear layers from the trailing edge, the tip vortices and the two branches of the hub vortex coming from the two sides of the hydrofoil. Such a shear is reinforced by the spanwise velocities developed by the two branches of the propeller wake across the hydrofoil. Compared to an isolated propeller, these phenomena enhance turbulence production. The present results highlight that a downstream hydrofoil, typical of surface ships, is able to significantly intensify the wake signature of a propeller.     

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.     

舵几何特征对桨-舵系统尾流场演化的影响

发生在桨和舵之间的干扰会影响螺旋桨尾流的演化,导致尾流场中的湍流在下游增强,恶化船舶的振动和噪声性能,深入分析舵几何参数对桨-舵系统尾流场演化的影响能够为推进器尾流场的调节和减振降噪提供新思路.因此,从弦长、剖面和梯形舵入手分析不同的舵几何参数对螺旋桨尾流场演化特性的影响,使用大漩涡模拟方法模拟流场中的湍流结构,对不同舵弦长、剖面下的螺旋桨尾涡结构演化进行了分析,在舵弦长、剖面影响螺旋桨尾流场演化的研究的基础上分析了梯形舵对螺旋桨尾涡结构的影响,进一步分析了梯形舵影响下的螺旋桨尾流场中湍动能的分布.结果表明舵的弦长和剖面均会影响螺旋桨尾流场的演化,这种影响表现为更大的弦长和更厚的剖面会促进螺旋桨梢涡在舵压力面上的偏移,更薄的舵剖面会带来更强烈的螺旋桨毂涡偏移;涡管轮廓和舵表面脉动压力的对比均表明梯形舵会促进螺旋桨尾流场沿逆舵梯度方向偏移,从而导致螺旋桨的尾涡结构在舵两侧及下游呈现不对称分布,桨-舵系统下游的湍流结构与螺旋桨尾涡-舵碰撞过程、螺旋桨尾涡-舵随边涡干扰过程、螺旋桨梢涡-螺旋桨毂涡干扰有关,偏移更大的螺旋桨尾涡结构会在尾流场中更早地引起湍动能增强.     

Measurements in the flow around a marine propeller at the stern of an axisymmetric body

An experimental study of the flow around and behind an axisymmetric body driven by a marine propeller is reported. Experiments were performed in a wind tunnel to document this complex, unsteady, three-dimensional, turbulent shear flow. Measurements were made in the boundary layer and wake of the bare body with a fixed dummy hub for the propeller, with the dummy hub rotating, and finally, with the propeller in operation. A five-hole yaw probe was employed for the mean-flow measurements, and two- and threesensor hotwires were used to obtained the mean and turbulent velocity fields. Part 1 of this two-part paper describes the experimental arrangement and circumferentially-averaged results which clarify certain overall aspects of the flow when it is viewed as a rotationally-symmetric flow. These are of special interest in marine hydrodynamics. In Part 2, the triple-sensor hotwire data are analyzed using phase-averaging techniques to reconstruct the instantaneous velocity and Reynolds-stress fields downstream of the propeller to show the evolution of the wakes of individual blades, blade-tip vortices, and the complex flow associated with vortices generated at hub-blade junctions.     

Analysis of unstable vortical structure in a propeller wake affected by a simulated hull wake

A two-frame PIV (particle image velocimetry) technique was used to investigate the flow characteristics of a complicated propeller wake influenced by a hull wake. As the propeller is significantly affected by the hull wake of a marine vessel, measurements of the propeller wake under the hull wake are certainly needed for more reliable validation of numerical predictions. Velocity field measurements were conducted in a cavitation tunnel with a simulated hull wake. Generally, the hull wake generated by the hull of a marine ship may cause different loading distributions on the propeller blade in both the upper and the lower propeller planes. The unstable propeller wake caused by the ship’s hull was interpreted in terms of turbulent kinetic energy (T _KE) to obtain useful information for flow modeling. The unstable or unsteady phenomenon in the upper propeller wake was identified by using the proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) method to characterize the coherent flow structure with turbulent kinetic energy. Strong unsteadiness appeared in the second and higher modes, largely affecting the downstream flow characteristics. The first eigenmode can be used to appropriately identify the tip vortex positions even in the unstable downstream region, which are helpful for establishing reliable wake modeling.     

Phase sampling in the analysis of a propeller wake

A phase sampling procedure is used for the analysis of the non-steady, periodic flow field in the near wake of a marine propeller. This method allows to obtain a true ensemble averaging of the experimental measurements. The average is made over a large number of repeated experiments each of which is taken during a complete revolution of the propeller. The measurements are carried out in a recirculating water tunnel with a two-channel laser Doppler velocimeter. The computer-aided evaluation of the experimental results visualizes the following characteristic features of the wake: (1) the vortex sheet developing from the trailing edge; (2) a sudden increase of the axial velocity in the core of the tip vortex; (3) a boundary layer effect near the shaft of the propeller. From the analysis of the direction of vortex rotation along the radial direction of the blade, it is possible to derive information on the working conditions of the propeller.     

Instantaneous and time-averaged flow fields of multiple vortices in the tip region of a ducted propulsor

The instantaneous and time-averaged flow fields in the tip region of a ducted marine propulsor are examined. In this flow, a primary tip-leakage vortex interacts with a secondary, co-rotating trailing edge vortex and other co- and counter-rotating vorticity found in the blade wake. Planar particle imaging velocimetry (PIV) is used to examine the flow in a plane approximately perpendicular to the mean axis of the primary vortex. An identification procedure is used to characterize multiple regions of compact vorticity in the flow fields as series of Gaussian vortices. Significant differences are found between the vortex properties from the time-averaged flow fields and the average vortex properties identified in the instantaneous flow fields. Variability in the vortical flow field results from spatial wandering of the vortices, correlated fluctuations of the vortex strength and core size, and both correlated and uncorrelated fluctuations in the relative positions of the vortices. This variability leads to pseudo-turbulent velocity fluctuations. Corrections for some of this variability are performed on the instantaneous flow fields. The resulting processed flow fields reveal a significant increase in flow variability in a region relatively far downstream of the blade trailing edge, a phenomenon that is masked through the process of simple averaging. This increased flow variability is also accompanied by the inception of discrete vortex cavitation bubbles, which is an unexpected result, since the mean flow pressures in the region of inception are much higher than the vapor pressure of the liquid. This suggests that unresolved fine-scale vortex interactions and stretching may be occurring in the region of increased flow variability.     

Propeller tip and hub vortex dynamics in the interaction with a rudder

In the present paper, the interaction mechanisms of the vortices shed by a single-screw propeller with a rudder installed in its wake are addressed; in particular, following the works by Felli et al. (Exp Fluids 6(1):1–11, 2006a, Exp Fluids 46(1):147–1641, 2009a, Proceedings of the 8th international symposium on particle image velocimetry: Piv09, Melbourne, 2009b), the attention is focused on the analysis of the evolution, instability, breakdown and recovering mechanisms of the propeller tip and hub vortices during the interaction with the rudder. To investigate these mechanisms in detail, a wide experimental activity consisting in time-resolved visualizations, velocity measurements by particle image velocimetry (PIV) and laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV) along horizontal chordwise, vertical chordwise and transversal sections of the wake have been performed in the Cavitation Tunnel of the Italian Navy. Collected data allows to investigate the major flow features that distinguish the flow field around a rudder operating in the wake of a propeller, as, for example, the spiral breakdown of the vortex filaments, the rejoining mechanism of the tip vortices behind the rudder and the mechanisms governing the different spanwise misalignment of the vortex filaments in the pressure and suction sides of the appendage.     

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.     

Multisensor Hot Wire Vorticity Probe Measurements of the Formation Field of Two Corotating Vortices

Experimental evidence is reported, regarding the formation of a pair of co-rotating tip vortices by a split wing configuration, consisting of two half wings at equal and opposite angles of attack. Simultaneous measurements of the three-dimensional vector fields of velocity and vorticity were conducted on a cross plane at a downstream distance corresponding to 0.3 cord lengths (near wake), using an in-house constructed 12-sensor hot wire anemometry vorticity probe. The probe consists of three closely separated orthogonal 4-wire velocity sensor arrays, measuring simultaneously the three-dimensional velocity vector at three closely spaced locations on a cross plane of the flow filed. This configuration makes possible the estimation of spatial velocity derivatives by means of a forward difference scheme of first order accuracy. Velocity measurements obtained with an X-wire are also presented for comparison. In this near wake location, the flow field is dictated by the pressure distribution established by the flow around the wings, mobilizing large masses of air and leading to the roll up of fluid sheets. Fluid streams penetrating between the wings collide, creating on the cross plane flow a stagnation point and an “impermeable” line joining the two vortex centres. Along this line fluid is directed towards the two vortices, expanding their cores and increasing their separation distance. This feeding process generates a dipole of opposite sign streamwise mean vorticity within each vortex. The rotational flow within the vortices obligates an adverse streamwise pressure gradient leading to a significant streamwise velocity deficit characterizing the vortices. The turbulent flow field is the result of temporal changes in the intensity of the vortex formation and changes in the position of the cores (wandering).     

PIV measurements of the near-wake behind a sinusoidal cylinder

The three-dimensional near-wake structures behind a sinusoidal cylinder have been investigated using a particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurement technique at Re=3,000. The mean velocity fields and spatial distributions of ensemble-averaged turbulence statistics for flows around the sinusoidal and corresponding smooth cylinders were compared. The near-wake behind the sinusoidal cylinder exhibited pronounced spanwise periodic variations in the flow structure. Well-organized streamwise vortices with alternating positive and negative vorticity were observed along the span of the sinusoidal cylinder. They suppress the formation of the large-scale spanwise vortices and decrease the overall turbulent kinetic energy in the near-wake of the sinusoidal cylinder. The sinusoidal surface geometry significantly modifies the near-wake structure and strongly controls the three-dimensional vortices formed in the near-wake.     

Near-wake flow structure downwind of a wind turbine in a turbulent boundary layer

Wind turbines operate in the surface layer of the atmospheric boundary layer, where they are subjected to strong wind shear and relatively high turbulence levels. These incoming boundary layer flow characteristics are expected to affect the structure of wind turbine wakes. The near-wake region is characterized by a complex coupled vortex system (including helicoidal tip vortices), unsteadiness and strong turbulence heterogeneity. Limited information about the spatial distribution of turbulence in the near wake, the vortex behavior and their influence on the downwind development of the far wake hinders our capability to predict wind turbine power production and fatigue loads in wind farms. This calls for a better understanding of the spatial distribution of the 3D flow and coherent turbulence structures in the near wake. Systematic wind-tunnel experiments were designed and carried out to characterize the structure of the near-wake flow downwind of a model wind turbine placed in a neutral boundary layer flow. A horizontal-axis, three-blade wind turbine model, with a rotor diameter of 13 cm and the hub height at 10.5 cm, occupied the lowest one-third of the boundary layer. High-resolution particle image velocimetry (PIV) was used to measure velocities in multiple vertical stream-wise planes (x–z) and vertical span-wise planes (y–z). In particular, we identified localized regions of strong vorticity and swirling strength, which are the signature of helicoidal tip vortices. These vortices are most pronounced at the top-tip level and persist up to a distance of two to three rotor diameters downwind. The measurements also reveal strong flow rotation and a highly non-axisymmetric distribution of the mean flow and turbulence structure in the near wake. The results provide new insight into the physical mechanisms that govern the development of the near wake of a wind turbine immersed in a neutral boundary layer. They also serve as important data for the development and validation of numerical models.     

PIV analysis of near-wake behind a sphere at a subcritical Reynolds number

The vortical structure of near-wake behind a sphere is investigated using a PIV technique in a circulating water channel at Re = 11,000. The measured velocity fields show a detailed vortical structure in the recirculation region such as recirculation vortices, reversed velocity zone, and out-of-plane vorticity distribution. The vorticity distribution of the sphere wake shows waviness in cross-sectional planes. The time-averaged turbulent structures are consistent with the visualized flow showing the onset of shear layer instability. The spatial distributions of turbulent intensities provide turbulent statistics for validating numerical predictions.     

DNS OF 2D TURBULENT FLOW AROUND A SQUARE CYLINDER

Two-dimensional ‘turbulent’ flow around a rectangular cylinder has been simulated at Re=10,000 using a sixth- order-accurate finite volume method for the discretization of convection and diffusion. The spatial discretization consists of a combination of a seventh- order upwind-biased method for the convective terms and an eighth-order central method for the diffusive terms, discretized on a stretched and staggered grid. To cope with the stretching of the grid, Lagrange interpolations are used. The method applied to obtain a boundary condition for the velocity in the x-direction at the outflow boundary is shown not to affect the flow in the interior of the computational domain in a way that is visible in various snapshots of the vorticity field. The variation in the velocity in the x-direction with time is itself found to be relatively small near the outflow boundary. Several turbulence statistics have been gathered from a simulation of the flow developed during 77 dimensionless time units. Snapshots of the vorticity field of the developed flow show the presence of a vortex-street- like structure. Typical 2D turbulent behaviour, such as the appearance of monopolar, dipolar and tripolar vortices due to the amalgamation of vorticity in the wake and the x^−1/2 scaling of the velocity defect in the wake, has been obtained. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于涡旋识别方法的高速列车尾涡结构的讨论

利用改进型延迟分离涡模拟方法对缩尺比例1:30的高速列车简化模型的绕流流场进行数值计算,主要针对近尾流区的涡旋结构展开具体讨论. 通过不同的涡旋识别方法,发现在尾涡结构中,高涡量的强涡旋主要聚集于尾车附近,而涡量较低但处于相对稳定状态的涡旋分布在大部分尾流空间中. 对此,主要基于最新提出的涡旋定义及其物理意义认为,由于边界层在尾部发生的流动分离,剪切变形以及高涡量的扩散对强涡旋的形成发挥着重要的作用,而涡旋会被较强的剪切旋转拉伸,使得局部复杂的流动表现出突出的湍流特性;另一方面,尽管涡强度明显下降,但是在强剪切应变迅速衰减的情况下,流向涡核中的涡旋涡量是主要的,此时,在较接近地面的情况下,流体微团以涡核为中心的旋转运动使得涡旋与地面之间的相互作用成为主导的流动机制. 虽然涡强度会相对缓慢地衰减,但是从湍流能量产生的角度,该机制对涡旋的自维持发挥重要的作用,从而使尾涡结构能够相对稳定地存在于尾流流动中.      

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.     

Rollup region of a turbulent trailing vortex issued from a blade with flow separation

This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation on the near field of a tip vortex generated by a blade at moderate incidence. The experiments were conducted at Re=15 000 and the boundary layer over the blade separated around midchord on the upper surface. Laser-Doppler measurements of the turbulent flow (Tu=1.5%) were performed at various stations downstream of the blade. The three components of the mean velocity field and turbulent attributes were quantified at cross-planes, characterizing both the blade wake and the tip vortex structure. This allowed the analysis of the rollup and initial stages of decay of the tip vortex in the light of known theories and models. The axial velocity defect at the center of the vortex core evolved as x⁻¹ log x, without displaying any significant outgrowth imposed by the separated flow upstream. Momentum balances were also carried out at a station downstream to the conclusion of vortex rollup. The approximate axisymmetry of the flow field in the trailing vortex was used to formulate the balances in a cylindrical coordinate system. Among other observations, it was seen that an adverse axial pressure gradient developed in the vortex core, which reinforced the tenacity of the axial velocity defect. In contrast, an area influenced by a favorable pressure gradient was found outside the core.