Large-scale turbulence phenomena in compound rectangular channels

In this article we investigate turbulent flow of air through compound rectangular channels to experimentally investigate the turbulence phenomena in compound channels. Detailed experimental data of axial mean velocity, wall shear stresses, five of six Reynolds stresses, auto- and cross-spectral densities, and two-point space correlations were measured by hot-wire anemometry in 18 geometrical configurations.

The symmetry of the present flow appears to be better than that of previous measurements and the range of measurments is more extensive. The most interesting result is the existence of a quasi-periodic large-scale turbulence structure in most of the geometries investigated. This structure is stationary and independent of the axial position in the channel. It exists in any longitudinal slot or groove in a wall or a connecting gap between two flow channels, provided its depth is more than approximately twice its width. The frequency of this flow oscillation is determined by the geometry of the slot and is linearly dependent on the bulk velocity.