Flow-induced vibrations of low aspect ratio rectangular membrane wings

An experimental study of a low aspect ratio rectangular membrane wing in a wind tunnel was conducted for a Reynolds number range of 2.4×10⁴–4.8×10⁴. Time-accurate measurements of membrane deformation were combined with the flow field measurements. Analysis of the fluctuating deformation reveals chordwise and spanwise modes, which are due to the shedding of leading-edge vortices as well as tip vortices. At higher angles of attack, the second mode in the chordwise direction becomes dominant as the vortex shedding takes place. The dominant frequencies of the membrane vibrations are similar to those of two-dimensional membrane airfoils. Measured frequency of vortex shedding from the low aspect ratio rigid wing suggests that membrane vibrations occur at the natural frequencies close to the harmonics of the wake instabilities. Vortex shedding frequency from rigid wings shows remarkably small effect of aspect ratio even when it is as low as unity.     

Three-dimensional phase dynamics in a cylinder wake

Recently there has been a new surge of interest in three-dimensional wake patterns, from both an experimental and analytical standpoint. One of the central discoveries is that the patterns of vortex shedding are dependent on the specific end conditions of a long cylinder span. However, a number of outstanding questions have remained unanswered, in part because techniques had not existed to control such patterns in a continuous fashion and from outside a test facility. In the present work, we have devised a method to control the end conditions of a cylinder span by non-mechanical and continuously-variable means, namely by the use of end suction. The technique allows a continuous variation of end conditions and admits transient or impulsive control. With the method, the classical steady-state patterns, such as parallel or oblique shedding or the chevron patterns are simply induced. These experiments demonstrate that the wake, at a given Reynolds number, is receptive to a continuous (but limited) range of oblique shedding angles (), rather than to discrete angles. There is excellent agreement in these results with the cos formula for collapsing oblique-shedding frequencies onto a single universal frequency curve. The use of suction has avoided the grossly unsteady motions at the ends of the cylinder span brought about by the wakes of mechanical end manipulators, and we show that the laminar shedding regime exists up to Reynolds numbers (Re) of 205. The surprisingly large disparity among reported measurements of criticalRe for wake transition (Re=140–200), over the last forty years, can now be explained in terms of spanwise end contamination.The control technique has also allowed experiments to be performed, which have resulted in the discovery of new phenomena such as phase shocks and phase expansions. A major difference between these phenomena is that phase shocks (involving regions of straight vortices) translate spanwise at constant speed, crossing the complete span in a finite time, whereas a phase expansion (involving curved vortices) requires an infinite time to complete its development across the span. These transient wake patterns are well illustrated using a simple model, based on experimental measurements, that thenormal wavelength for oblique or parallel vortices remains constant. However, a detailed and close comparison between our experimental results and those results from analytical modelling of the wake using Ginzburg-Landau modelling (in collaboration with Peter Monkewitz at Lausanne) is presently underway. These equations yield a Burger's equation for the spanwise wavenumber (or phase gradient), from which both (phase) shocks and expansions are well-known solutions.

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Sommario Recentemente è rinato l'interesse per i modelli tridimensionali di scie, sia da un punto di vista sperimentale che da uno analitico. Una delle scoperte centrali è che le modalità di produzione dei vortici sono dipendenti dalle condizioni agli estremi di un lungo cilindro. Nel presente lavoro, è stato formulato un metodo per controllare le condizioni finali agli estremi di un cilindro per mezzo di variabili continue di significato non-meccanico, cioè per mezzo dell'aspirazione agli estremi. La tecnica permette una variazione continua delle condizioni agli estremi ed ammette controllo transitorio od impulsivo. Con questo metodo sono semplicemente indotti i classici modelli a stato fissato, come anche quelli che prevedono produzioni di vortici parallele od oblique o quellichevron. Questi esperimenti dimostrano che la scia, ad un dato numero di Reynolds, ammette una distribuzione continua (ma limitata) di angoli per distribuzioni oblique, piuttosto che una discreta. In questi risultati c'è un eccellente accordo con la formula del coseno per frequenze di produzioni oblique e collassanti su di una curva di frequenzauniversale. L'uso dell'aspirazione ha evitato i moti largamente instabili alle estremità del cilindro, provocati dalle scie delle parti terminali dei manipolatori, e si osserva che il regime laminare diffondente esiste oltre un numero di Reynolds pari a 205. La sorprendentemente larga disparità tra le misure di numeri di Reynolds critici, riportati per transizioni di scia (Re=140÷200) durante gli ultimi quattro anni, può essere ora spiegata in termini di contaminazione della estensione della lunghezza del cilindro.

     

A numerical study of vorticity layers in a two-dimensional stratified shear flow

A numerical study is conducted to find out the conditions of occurrence of a secondary Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in the thin layers (referred to as baroclinic layers) that form in a stably-stratified shear layer. For this purpose, three high resolution calculations of a moderately stratified shear layer have been carried out, at a fixed Reynolds number. The wavelength of the initial perturbation is progressively increased, starting from the fundamental wavelength predicted by linear stability theory up to twice this fundamental wavelength. The baroclinic layer of the flow is shown to lengthen and destabilize progressively from one calculation to the other, eventually bearing a secondary Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. The structure and dynamics of the baroclinic layers of the three calculations are examined in the frame of a theoretical model proposed by Corcos and Sherman ([1]). An excellent agreement with the predictions of this model have been found. We next show that the stability of the layer is controlled by the large-scale Kelvin-Helmholtz vortex, via the strain field that it induces in the stagnation point region of the layer. A consequence of this study is that secondary Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities are fostered by the pairing of primary Kelvin-Helmholtz vortices in a strongly-stratified shear layer.

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Sommario E stato condotto uno studio numerico per trovare le condizioni in cui insorge una instabilità secondaria di Kelvin-Helmholtz negli strati sottili che si formano in uno strato di scorrimento stabilmente stratificato. A questo scopo sono state effettuate tre simulazioni ad alta risoluzione a fissato numero di Reynolds e stratificazione bassa. La lunghezza d'onda della perturbazione iniziale è stata progressivamente aumentata dalla lunghezza fondamentale predetta dalla teoria lineare della stabilità fino a due volte questa stessa lunghezza. È stato osservato che da una simulazione all'altra lo strato baroclino del flusso si allunga e si destabilizza progressivamente, generando eventualmente un'instabilità di Kelvin-Helmholtz secondaria. Utilizzando il modello teorico proposto da Corcos e Sherman (1976), per le tre simulazioni sono state analizzate la struttura e la dinamica dello strato baroclino. È stato trovato un accordo eccellente con le predizioni di questo modello. È stato in seguito mostrato che la stabilità dello strato è controllato dai vortici di Kelvin-Helmholtz di larga scala attraverso il campo di deformazione che inducono nella regione del punto di ristagno dello strato. Una conseguenza di questo studio è che le instabilità secondarie di Kelvin-Helmholtz sono forzate dall'accoppiamento dei vortici primari in uno strato di scorrimento fortemente stratificato.

     

The evolution of an initially circular vortex near an escarpment. Part I: analytical results

The motion of a quasigeostrophic, equivalent-barotropic, initially circular vortex patch near an infinitely long topographic escarpment is studied using f-plane dynamics. There are two time scales in the problem: the advective time scale associated with the vortex, and the time scale for topographic vortex stretching. Analytical progress is possible when these two time scales are well-separated and results are presented here.If topographic vortex stretching dominates advection by the vortex the vortex is said to be ‘weak’. The vortex patch remains circular on the topographic time scale, and dispersive topographic waves rapidly propagate the initial disturbance away from the vicinity of the vortex. Subsequently cross-isobath motion is inhibited, and the vortex moves as though the escarpment were a plane wall. The same behaviour was observed for the motion of a weak singular vortex near an escarpment by Dunn, McDonald and Johnson [7], who named the phenomenon the ‘pseudoimage’ of the vortex.If advection dominates over topographic effects, the vortex is said to be ‘intense’. The vortex also remains circular to leading order, but the relative vorticity produced by the swirl of the vortex is less able to escape the vicinity of the vortex. The vortex follows a similar curved trajectory to those observed for intense vortices on the β-plane. The dipolar mechanism for this behaviour is described. Large time solutions are inhibited by the form of the escarpment topography, but examination of the equations leads to the conclusion that the leading order solution may be predict the motion for times beyond its formal range of validity.     

Steady vortex force theory and slender-wing flow diagnosis

The concept vortex force in aerodynamics is systematically examined based on a new steady vortex-force theory (Wu et al., Vorticity and vortex dynamics, Springer, 2006) which expresses the aerodynamic force (and moment) by the volume and boundary integrals of the Lamb vector. In this paper, the underlying physics of this theory is explored, including the general role of the Lamb vector in nonlinear aerodynamics, its initial formation, and its relevance to the total-pressure non-uniformity. As a typical example, the theory is applied to the flow over a slender delta wing at a large angle of attack. The highly localized flow structures with high Lamb-vector peaks are identified in terms of their net contribution to various constituents of the total aerodynamic force. This vortex-force diagnosis sheds new light on the flow control and configuration optimization. The project supported partly by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (10572005).     

On the study of vortex-induced vibration of a cylinder with helical strakes

While the effect of helical strakes on suppression of Vortex-Induced Vibrations (VIV) has been studied extensively, the mechanism of VIV mitigation using helical strakes is much less well documented in the literature. In the present study, a rigid circular cylinder of diameter d=80 mm attached with three-strand helical strakes of dimensions of 10d in pitch and 0.12d in height was tested in a wind tunnel. It was found that the helical strakes can reduce VIV by about 98%. Unlike the bare cylinder, which experiences lock-in over the reduced velocity in the range of 5-8.5, the straked cylinder does not show any lock-in region. In exploring the mechanism of VIV reduction by helical strakes, measurements in stationary bare and straked cylinder wakes using both a single X-probe at four different Reynolds numbers, i.e. Re=10 240, 20 430, 30 610 and 40 800, and two X-probes with variable separations in the spanwise direction at Re=20 430 were conducted. It was found that vortices shed from the straked cylinder are weakened significantly. The dominate frequency varies by about 30% over the range of x/d=10-40 in the streamwise direction while that differs by about 37.2% of the averaged peak frequency over a length of 3.125d in the spanwise direction. The latter is supported by the phase difference between the velocity signals measured at two locations separated in the spanwise direction. The correlation length of the vortex structures in the bare cylinder wake is much larger than that obtained in the straked cylinder wake. As a result, the straked cylinder wake agrees more closely with isotropy than the bare cylinder wake. Flow visualization on the plane perpendicular to the cylinder axis at Reynolds number of about 300 reveals small-scale vortices in the shear layers of the straked cylinder wake. However, these vortices do not roll up and interact with each other to form the well-organized Karman-type vortices. Flow visualization on the plane parallel to the cylinder axis shows vortex dislocation and swirling flow, which should be responsible for the variations of the peak frequency in the streamwise as well as spanwise directions.     

Numerical investigations of the vortex interactions for a flow over a pitching foil at different stages

The fluid–structure interaction is investigated numerically for a two-dimensional flow (Re=2.5·10⁶) over a sinusoid-pitching foil by the SST (Shear Stress Transport) k–ω model. Although discrepancies in the downstroke phase, which are also documented in other numerical studies, are observed by comparing with experimental results, our current numerical results are sufficient to predict the mean features and qualitative tendencies of the dynamic stall phenomenon. These discrepancies are evaluated carefully from the numerical and experimental viewpoints.In this study, we have utilized Λ, which is the normalized second invariant of the velocity gradient tensor, to present the evolution of the Leading Edge Vortex (LEV) and Trailing Edge Vortex (TEV). The convective, pressure, and diffusion terms during the dynamic stall process are discussed based on the transport equation of Λ. It is found that the pressure term dominates the rate of the change of the rotation strength inside the LEV. This trend can hardly be observed directly by using the vorticity transport equation due to the zero baroclinic term for the incompressible flow.The mechanisms to delay the stall are categorized based on the formation of the LEV. At the first stage before the formation of the LEV in the upper surface, the pitching foil provides extra momentum into the fluid flows to resist the flow separation, and hence the stall is delayed. At the second stage, a low-pressure area travels with the evolution of the LEV such that the lift still can be maintained. Three short periods at the second stage corresponds to different flow patterns during the dynamic stall, and these short periods can be distinguished according to the trend of the pressure variation inside the LEV. The lift stall occurs when a reverse flow from the lower surface is triggered during the shedding of the LEV. For a reduced frequency k_f=0.15, the formation of the TEV happens right after the lift stall, and the lift can drop dramatically. With a faster reduced frequency k_f=0.25, the shedding of the LEV is postponed into the downstroke, and the interaction between the LEV and TEV becomes weaker correspondingly. Thus, the lift drops more gently after the stall. In order to acquire more reliable numerical results within the downstroke phase, the Large Eddy Simulation (LES), which is capable of better predictions for the laminar-to-turbulent transition and flow reattachment process, will be considered as the future work.     

On variational features of vortex flows

Ideal incompressible fluid is a Hamiltonian system which possesses an infinite number of integrals, the circulations of velocity over closed fluid contours. This allows one to split all the degrees of freedom into the driving ones and the “slave” ones, the latter to be determined by the integrals of motions. The “slave” degrees of freedom correspond to “potential part” of motion, which is driven by vorticity. Elimination of the “slave” degrees of freedom from equations of ideal incompressible fluid yields a closed system of equations for dynamics of vortex lines. This system is also Hamiltonian. The variational principle for this system was found recently (Berdichevsky in Thermodynamics of chaos and order, Addison-Wesly-Longman, Reading, 1997; Kuznetsov and Ruban in JETP Lett 67, 1076–1081, 1998). It looks striking, however. In particular, the fluid motion is set to be compressible, while in the least action principle of fluid mechanics the incompressibility of motion is a built-in property. This striking feature is explained in the paper, and a link between the variational principle of vortex line dynamics and the least action principle is established. Other points made in this paper are concerned with steady motions. Two new variational principles are proposed for steady vortex flows. Their relation to Arnold’s variational principle of steady vortex motion is discussed.      

Direct numerical simulation of a NACA0012 in full stall

This work aims at investigating the mechanisms of separation and the transition to turbulence in the separated shear-layer of aerodynamic profiles, while at the same time to gain insight into coherent structures formed in the separated zone at low-to-moderate Reynolds numbers. To do this, direct numerical simulations of the flow past a NACA0012 airfoil at Reynolds numbers Re = 50,000 (based on the free-stream velocity and the airfoil chord) and angles of attack AOA = 9.25° and AOA = 12° have been carried out. At low-to-moderate Reynolds numbers, NACA0012 exhibits a combination of leading-edge/trailing-edge stall which causes the massive separation of the flow on the suction side of the airfoil. The initially laminar shear layer undergoes transition to turbulence and vortices formed are shed forming a von Kármán like vortex street in the airfoil wake. The main characteristics of this flow together with its main features, including power spectra of a set of selected monitoring probes at different positions on the suction side and in the wake of the airfoil are provided and discussed in detail.     

Formation and interaction of intense vortex sheets in 3-dimensional,incompressible, hydrodynamics

Various questions related to the physics of inviscid flows are reviewed. The emergence of strong vortex sheets has repeatedly been observed in the simulation of the 3-dimensional equations, with a variety of initial conditions. In the case of axisymmetric Euler flows, the origin of these sheets can be easily understood with the help of an analogy with thermally driven flows. A more general mechanism to explain these sheets is proposed. Questions of singularities are briefly reviewed. Lastly, preliminary results on the connection between the sheets forming in inviscid flows, and the vortex tubes observed in high Reynolds number flows are presented.

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Sommario Sono considerate varie questioni correlate con la fisica dei flussi non-viscosi. La nascita di strati di forti vortici è stata ripetutamente osservata nella simulazione delle equazioni tridimensionali, per diverse condizioni iniziali. Nel caso di flussi di Eulero assialsimmetrici, l'origine di questi piani può essere facilmente compresa con l'aiuto di una analogia con i flussi guidati termicamente. Viene inoltre proposto un più generale meccanismo per giustificare questi strati e si passano in rassegna brevemente questioni riguardanti le singolarità. Infine, vengono presentati alcuni risultati preliminari sulla connessione tra i piani formantisi in flussi non viscosi ed i vortici tubolari osservati nei flussi ad alti numeri di Reynolds.

     

Interaction of an obliquely rising vortex ring with a free surface in a viscous fluid

A vortex ring, which approaches a free surface under various initial conditions and different values of flow parameters, is investigated by means of numerical solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations. The study focuses on the connection process of the vortex ring with the free surface at low Reynolds number. Discrepancies between a numerical solution and experimental observations found recently with regard to the shape of the reconnected vorticity tubes have been resolved. The crucial parameter, which determines the essential differences at the low Reynolds number selected, is the angle of inclination at which the vortex ring rises toward the free surface. At an angle of inclination of 20° circular vorticity tubes at the free surface evolve, while at an angle of 45° the reconnection takes place in the form of an almost circular sheet. At higher Reynolds number this form of reconnection may change to the other form through instability. The possibility of vortex-ring reflection at the free surface is discussed.

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Sommario Usando soluzioni numeriche delle equazioni di Navier-Stokes, viene analizzato il comportamento di un vortice and anello che si avvicina ad una superficie libera, per diverse condizioni iniziali e valori dei parametri del flusso. Lo studio è incentrato sul processo di connessione del vortice adnanello con la superficie libera per bassi numeri di Reynolds. con riguardo alla forma dei tubi di vorticità riconnessi con la superficie, tutte le differenze tra osservazioni sperimentali e simulazioni numeriche sono state risolte. Per bassi numeri di Reynolds, il parametro cruciale dell' interazione è l'angolo di inclinazione tra vortice e superficie. Per un angolo di 20° si formano tubi circolari di vorticità alla superficie, mentre a 45° la riconnessione ha luogo in forma di strato sottile di vorticità. Per altri numeri di Reynolds la forma della riconnessione può cambiare in altre forme a causa dell'instabilità. Infine viene discussa la possibilità di riflessione del vortice ad anello alla superficie.

     

On the equilibrium configurations of flexible fibers in a flow

We discuss the equilibrium configurations of a fiber clamped to a spherical body and immersed in a flow ranging between 0 and 50 cm/s. Experimental and numerical results are presented and the effects of flow speed and positioning of the fiber upon the equilibrium configuration are investigated. Our investigations reveal that the orientation of the fiber and its length has a significant impact upon its bending and drag experienced by the sphere-fiber system. We note that the longer fibers (i) bend significantly more than the shorter ones and (ii) display oscillatory or flapping motion at much lower flow speeds than their shorter counterparts. The simulations also reveal that the drag on the fiber is noticeably effected by the size of the basal body. Drag exponents (or Vogel exponents) are also computed and seen to deviate slightly from previous results.     

An evaluation of two classes of shock hydrodynamic codes

The accuracy of four industrial shock hydrodynamics codes for blast environments in baffled systems is evaluated based on the shadowgraph data of Reichenbach and Kuhl (1992,3). Both problems involve a planar shock passing through a baffled channel. The numerical methods employed in these codes are representative of two classes, namely, the set of high-resolution schemes advanced in the 1980's, and the classical finite-difference schemes from the late 1960's. The four codes are: (1) the AMR code based on the higher-order Godunov scheme with adaptive grids, (2) the FEM-FCT code based on the flux-corrected transport scheme with unstructured grids, (3) and (4) the finite-difference based HULL and SHARC codes with fixed grids. From the comparisons of these calculations it is concluded that the high-resolution schemes: (1) calculate sharper shocks and sharper density profiles across vortices, (2) predict shear layer rollup forming coherent structures in the spiral vortices immediately downstream of every baffle, and (3) predict development of inviscid instabilities from these shear layers that, upon interaction with the reverberating shocks in the system, quickly become ‘turbulent’. The finite-difference codes predict essentially laminar behavior for the shear layers. Comparisons with shadowgraph data suggest that both classes of codes are able to predict shock reflections and diffractions in the baffled systems. The high-resolution codes give better agreement in the spiral vortices and the shear layers. As expected, turbulent flow features involving highly dissipative flow fields are not predicted by the high-resolution codes. Received March 5, 1995 / Accepted June 20, 1995     

Direct simulation of isolated elliptic vortices and of their radiated noise

The aerodynamic evolution and the acoustic radiation of elliptic vortices with various aspect ratios and moderate Mach numbers are investigated by solving numerically the full compressible Navier–Stokes equations. Three behaviours are observed according to the aspect ratio σ = a/b where a and b are the major and minor semi-axes of the vortices. At the small aspect ratio σ = 1.2, the vortex rotates at a constant angular velocity and radiates like a rotating quadrupole. At the moderate aspect ratio σ = 5, the vortex is initially unstable. However the growth of instability waves is inhibited by the return to axisymmetry which decreases its aspect ratio. The noise level becomes lower with time and the radiation frequency increases. For vortices with larger aspect ratios σ ≥ 6, the return to axisymmetry does not occur quickly enough to stop the growth of instabilities, which splits the vortices. Various mergers are then found to occur. For instance in the case σ = 6, several successive switches between an elliptic state and a configuration of two co-rotating vortices are observed. The present results show that the initial value of the aspect ratio yields the relative weight between the return to axisymmetry which stabilizes the vortex and the growth of instabilities which tends to split it. Moreover the noise generated by the vortices is also calculated using the analytical solution derived by Howe (J. Fluid Mech. 71:625–673, 1975) and is compared with the reference solution provided by the direct computation. This solution is found to be valid for σ = 1.2. An extended solution is proposed for higher aspect ratios. Finally, the pressure field appears weakly affected by the switches between the two unstable configurations in the case σ = 6, which underlines the difficulty to detect the split or the merger of vortices from the radiated pressure. This study also shows that elliptic vortices can be used as a basic configuration of aerodynamic noise generation.      

Passive control of vortex induced vibration in internal flow using body shape

We present a concept for passive control of vortex induced vibration (VIV) that uses the body shape of a prismatic body as the control parameter in 2D internal flow. We consider that the Reynolds number based on the prism cross section height is 200 and that the blockage ratio of the channel is 2.5. The working fluid is water and the solid-to-fluid density ratio is 1, so that the prism presents neutral buoyancy and the body shape parameter γ acts as the only control parameter. Two very different fluid dynamics regimes are observed depending on γ with an abrupt transition between them for γ=γ_c, where γ_c represents a critical value obtained numerically. For γ<γ_c the cylinder oscillation is controlled by vortex shedding and represents a typical case of vortex induced vibration. For γ>γ_c the oscillation is a mixture of galloping and vortex induced vibration that causes the prism motion to shift from a stable periodic motion to a highly irregular pattern. The physical explanation for the change of regime is given based on the cylinder equation of motion.     

On the limits of added-mass theory in separated flows and with varying initial conditions

It remains unclear to what extent inviscid added-mass theory accounts for the forces exerted on an accelerating body subjected to separated flow. In this study, reactant forces and velocity-field data are systematically acquired using experimental measurements and simulations of an accelerating circular flat plate. Cases accelerated from rest are compared to cases accelerated from a steady flow state. When the added-mass forces predicted by potential theory and the resistance forces associated with the instantaneous plate velocity are accounted for, the remaining (residual) forces comprise approximately 20% of the peak force, even at high accelerations. In addition, the computed residual forces during accelerations both from rest and steady-state cases yield good collapse with respect to one another, indicating that the total forces are not a strong function of the initial state of the wake. These results suggests that inviscid added-mass theory is inadequate to predict the full reactant force even in the ‘ideal’ condition of impulsive motion from rest.     

Topography effects on vortices in a rotating fluid

This paper reviews some aspects of topography effects on the dynamics of barotropic monopolar, dipolar and tripolar vortices in a rotating fluid. It is shown that the modulated point-vortex model (essentially based on conservation of potential vorticity) is capable of describing the flow evolution correctly, as can be concluded from comparisons with numerical simulations and laboratory observations.

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Sommario In questo articolo sono passati in rassegna alcuni aspetti degli effetti topografici nella dinamica dei vortici barotropici, monopolari, dipolari e tripolari in un fluido rotante. Si osserva che il modello di vortice puntiforme modulato (essenzialmente basato sulla conservazione della vorticità potenziale) è capace di descrivere correttamente l'evoluzione del flusso, come si può concludere dal paragone con simulazioni numeriche ed osservazioni di laboratorio.

     

Breakup régimes and self-sustained pulsations in coaxial jets

We report on a new flow pattern transition observed in a coaxial jet configuration. Above a critical momentum ratio between the outer and the inner stream, it is found experimentally that the inner potential core breaks down into an unsteady recirculation bubble. The origin of the transition is explained and an expression for the critical velocity ratio is derived. The nature and the features of the pulsation of the bubble are discussed using an original evolution equation which relies on the interplay between the linear growth rate of the jet mixing layer disturbances and the recirculating flow induced delay of the non-linear saturation.

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Sommario In questo articolo si discute di un nuovo tipo di transizione di flusso osservata in una configurazione di getto coassiale. Si stabilisce sperimentalmente che il potenziale interno disgrega la parte interna del flusso in una ricircolazione instabile a bolla oltre un valore critico nel rapporto tra la corrente interna e quella esterna. Viene spiegata l'origine della transizione e viene derivata l'espressione della velocità critica. Sono discusse, inoltre, la natura e le caratteristiche della pulsazione della bolla, avendo a disposizione una equazione di evoluzione originale che evidenzia l'influenza reciproca tra la crescita lineare dei disturbi dello strato di mescolamento del getto ed il flusso ricircolante, che induce il ritardo della saturazione non-lineare.

     

Pulsed Air-jet Actuators for Flow Separation Control

The design and validation of a microfabricated pulsed air-jet actuator for practical application to flow-separation control at full-scale operating conditions on a medium/large air vehicle is presented. The actuator device is designed to generate streamwise vortices within the boundary layer and comprises a pitched and skewed orifice of 200 μm diameter through which a high velocity (200–300 m/s) jet of air can be modulated by operation of a piezoelectric microvalve. This paper describes the overall design and manufacture of the actuator device with particular reference to the impact of fluid dynamic effects on the design and operation. Key results obtained from both static and dynamic tests of a prototype device are also presented and compared with original predictions. It is shown that the device that was developed and tested fulfils all the original design requirements with regard to size, jet velocity and operating frequency. The developed device has dimensions of approximately 5 mm × 2 mm in the plane of the aerodynamic surface in which it is imbedded and a thickness of 1 mm. Peak jet velocities in excess of 300 m/s through a 200 μm diameter orifice at 500 Hz have been demonstrated with peak driving voltages of 90 V and a nominal electrical power consumption of 50 mW.