Scale-by-scale energy budget in a turbulent boundary layer over a rough wall

Hot-wire velocity measurements are carried out in a turbulent boundary layer over a rough wall consisting of transverse circular rods, with a ratio of 8 between the spacing (w) of two consecutive rods and the rod height (k). The pressure distribution around the roughness element is used to accurately measure the mean friction velocity ($U_{\tau }$) and the error in the origin. It is found that $U_{\tau }$ remained practically constant in the streamwise direction suggesting that the boundary layer over this surface is evolving in a self-similar manner. This is further corroborated by the similarity observed at all scales of motion, in the region $0.2⩽y/\delta ⩽0.6$, as reflected in the constancy of Reynolds number ($R_{\lambda }$) based on Taylor’s microscale and the collapse of Kolmogorov normalized velocity spectra at all wavenumbers.A scale-by-scale budget for the second-order structure function $〈{(\delta u)}^2〉$ ($\delta u=u(x+r)-u(x)$, where u is the fluctuating streamwise velocity component and r is the longitudinal separation) is carried out to investigate the energy distribution amongst different scales in the boundary layer. It is found that while the small scales are controlled by the viscosity, intermediate scales over which the transfer of energy (or $〈{(\delta u)}^3〉$) is important are affected by mechanisms induced by the large-scale inhomogeneities in the flow, such as production, advection and turbulent diffusion. For example, there are non-negligible contributions from the large-scale inhomogeneity to the budget at scales of the order of $\lambda$, the Taylor microscale, in the region of the boundary layer extending from $y/\delta =0.2$ to 0.6 ($\delta$ is the boundary layer thickness).     

Flow-induced vibration of a square cylinder without and with interference

This paper presents the results of an investigation on the interference effects of a rigid square cylinder on the transverse vibrations of a spring-mounted square cylinder (test cylinder) exposed to a uniform flow. The interference effects were studied for the tandem, side-by-side and staggered arrangements. Experiments have been carried out for various relative dimensions of the test cylinder and the interfering cylinder; the tests for the staggered arrangements were conducted at several tandem distances between the two. The results indicate that there is a critical combination of relative dimensions and spacing that gives rise to maximum amplitude of vibration. Among the cases studied, tandem arrangement with $L/B=1.25$ and $b/B=0.5$ gives rise to maximum amplitude of vibration with $(a/B{)}_{\max }=0.57$. A tentative explanation is offered for the observed features based on flow-visualization studies conducted as a part of the experimental investigation.     

Properties of the streamwise velocity fluctuations in the inertial layer of turbulent boundary layers and their connection to self-similar mean dynamics

Well-resolved streamwise velocity measurements are used to investigate three measures of self-similarity in the spatial inertial sublayer of turbulent boundary layers. The emergence of self-similarity in the inertial sublayer requires a high Reynolds number, and thus a relatively wide range of ${\delta }^{+}=\delta u_{\tau }/\nu$ $(1400\lesssim {\delta }^{+}\lesssim 20\text{,}000)$ is explored. The measures investigated include the Kullback–Leibler divergence (KLD) used in turbulent flow analysis by Tsuji et al. (2005), the logarithmic decrease of the even statistical moments studied by Meneveau and Marusic (2013), and the diagnostic plot of Alfredsson and Örlü (2010). These measures are compared with the analyses of Fife et al. (2005) that determine and exploit an invariant form of the mean momentum equation. A primary focus is on domain(s) where the self-similar behaviors are analytically predicted and empirically observed. The present findings indicate that the approximately constant KLD and approximately logarithmic moment profiles reside in a region that is interior to the bounds of the self-similar inertial domain associated with the mean momentum equation. Conversely, the bounds of the self-similar region on the diagnostic plot correspond closely to the theoretically estimated bounds. Results are briefly discussed relative to Townsend’s notion of outer layer similarity, and, on the inertial domain, the physical existence of uniform momentum zones segregated by narrow vortical fissures.     

Instabilité non linéaire dans un milieu en expansionNonlinear instability in a expanding medium

We consider nonlinear acoustical phenomena, explosive instabilities and a formation of localized structures in nonstationary environment. An example of such a medium is our Universe in expansion considered as a fluid submissive to a gravitational self-concorded force field and governed by the classical hydrodynamics equations. We show that the taking into account of the nonlinear effects allow us to understand the causes of the appearance of the specific nonlinear instability, which is calling explosive instability. This type of instability is more fast, $～\ln [{(t_0?t)}^{\mathrm{?1}}]$ for density fluctuation, that the habitual instability (exponential, $～{\mathrm{e}}^{\gamma t}$): at the end of a finite time, all spatial inhomogeneity of the initials conditions lead to a formation of singularities in the fields. This phenomena will be appear if certains conditions for the initials amplitudes and wavelengths of the fluctuations are observed. To cite this article: F. Henon, V. Pavlov, C. R. Mecanique 334 (2006).     

A twofold strength and toughness criterion for the onset of free-edge shear delamination in angle-ply laminates

Free edge delamination in composite structures results from very localised stress fields which induce a stress concentration promoting the nucleation of an interfacial crack. To predict such a delamination onset at the free edge of a $(\pm \theta {)}_s$ laminate in traction, use is made of a strength and toughness criterion which combines a stress condition with an energy analysis. A generalised plane strain model allows to determine the stress distribution near the free edge and the energy released by the nucleation of an interfacial crack. The results show that this approach can predict the delamination onset for $((\pm 10{)}_s\text{,}(\pm 20{)}_s)$ laminates provided the interfacial fracture energy and interlaminar shear strength are known. These characteristic values can be identified with the help of traction tests performed on samples with different thicknesses.