An Experimental Investigation of Two-Point Correlations in Two- and Three-Dimensional Turbulent Boundary Layers

Two-point correlation measurements of the wall normal fluctuating velocities were made in two-dimensional (2-D) and pressure-driven three-dimensional (3-D) turbulent boundary layers. These data are needed for characterization and modeling of active-motion length scales, especially for 3-D flows. The fine-probe-volume data were measured using two custom-designed laser-Doppler-velocimeter fiber-optic probes. The data are relatively free of noise, signal broadening, and bias effects. Favorable comparisons with direct-numerical-simulation (DNS) results in the near-wall region of the 2-D flow validate the experimental techniques used here. For a given fixed probe location, non-dimensional correlation values scale best on the probe separation. For both the 2-D and 3-D cases, peak correlations lie along a line inclined away from the wall at 11° and 8°, respectively, which suggests the existence of an outgoing characteristic line affected by only the upstream flow. The decay of the correlation coefficient occurs nearer the wall than away from the wall relative to the fixed probe location. The variations for the 3-D flow correlations are similar to the 2-D variations, but with longer Δ x ⁺and Δ y ⁺ decay distances, probably because of the 3-D flowacceleration. While the spanwise variation of the correlationcoefficients is symmetric about the fixed point for the 2-D case asdictated by reciprocity, the 3-D case shows a large asymmetry for spanwise variations Δ z ⁺ < 68. The profiles at higher Δ z ⁺ are more symmetric. In general, at a given y the maximum correlation is skewed toa non-zero Δ z. It appears that the skewing of the correlation coefficient in the z direction tracks the sign of . This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Development of customized shear layers on smooth and rough surfaces

Shear layers having different structural properties were produced downstream of devices used to artificially thicken turbulent boundary layers. The means used to produce different structural characteristics are described, along with the effects of changes in structure on wall heat transfer. Results from layers developing over smooth and rough surfaces indicate that alterations of artificial thickening device geometry resulted in larger variations in wall heat transfer near smooth surfaces. The most significant of these occured when alterations were made of inner boundary layer regions, where mean velocity shows a logarithmic dependence on distance from the wall. Outer region changes in mean velocity and turbulence profiles resulted in less significant changes in wall heat transfer, particularly in the flows over the rough wall.     

KOLMOGOROV BEHAVIOR OF NEAR-WALL TURBULENCE AND ITS APPLICATION IN TURBULENCE MODELING

The near-wall behavior of turbulence is re-examined in a way different from that proposed by Hanjalic and Launder¹ and followers^2,3,4,5. It is shown that at a certain distance from the wall, all energetic large eddies will reduce to Kolmogorov eddies (the smallest eddies in turbulence). All the important wall parameters, such as friction velocity, viscous length scale, and mean strain rate at the wall, are characterised by Kolmogorov microscales. According t o this Kolmogorov behavior of near-wall turbulence, the turbulence quantities, such as turbulent kinetic energy, dissipation rate, etc. at the location where the large eddies become “Kolmogorov” eddies, can be estimated by using both direct numerical simulation (DNS) data and asymptotic analysis of near-wall turbulence. This information will provide useful boundary conditions for the turbulent transport equations. As a n example, the concept is incorporated in the standard κ - εmodel which is then applied t o channel and boundary layer flows. Using appropriate boundary conditions (based on Kolmogorov behaviour of near-wall turbulence), there is no need for any wall-modification to the κ - ε equations (including model constants). Results compare very well with the DNS and experimental data.     

A reformulated synthetic turbulence generation method for a zonal RANS–LES method and its application to zero-pressure gradient boundary layers

A synthetic turbulence generation (STG) method for subsonic and supersonic flows at low and moderate Reynolds numbers to provide inflow distributions of zonal Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) – large-eddy simulation (LES) methods is presented. The STG method splits the LES inflow region into three planes where a local velocity signal is decomposed from the turbulent flow properties of the upstream RANS solution. Based on the wall-normal position and the local flow Reynolds number, specific length and velocity scales with different vorticity content are imposed at the inlet plane of the boundary layer. The quality of the STG method for incompressible and compressible zero-pressure gradient boundary layers is shown by comparing the zonal RANS–LES data with pure LES, pure RANS, and direct numerical simulation (DNS) solutions. The distributions of the time and spanwise wall-shear stress, Reynolds stress distributions, and two point correlations of the zonal RANS–LES simulations are smooth in the transition region and in good agreement with the pure LES and reference DNS findings. The STG approach reduces the RANS-to-LES transition length to less than four boundary-layer thicknesses.     

Interaction between longitudinal vortices and flat plate boundary layer

The interaction between longitudinal vortices and flat plate boundary layer has been studied numerically for both laminar and turbulent flow situations. The vortices are assumed to be placed in an otherwise two-dimensional boundary layer flow. The flow is assumed to be incompressible and steady. Considering the fact that the velocity, vorticity and temperature gradients in the transverse directions are much larger than the longitudinal (streamwise) gradients for these flows, the original Navier Stokes equations are parabolized in the streamwise direction. A simple model, based on Boussinesq hypothesis, is used for turbulent flow. The discretized equations are then solved step by step in the streamwise direction, using an iterative procedure at each station. Numerical solutions have been obtained for different parameters, such as the Reynolds number, the circulation and the initial position of the vortices. The computed flow patterns and the skin friction coefficient and Stanton number are found to be qualitatively consistent with available experimental results. It is shown that the interaction between the vortices and the boundary layer may severely disturb the boundary layer flow field and thus considerably increase the local skin friction and heat transfer rate on surface of an aircraft.     

Two-phase turbulence models for simulating dense gas-particle flows

The two-fluid model is widely adopted in simulations of dense gas-particle flows in engineering facili- ties. Present two-phase turbulence models for two-fluid modeling are isotropic. However, turbulence in actual gas-particle flows is not isotropic. Moreover, in these models the two-phase velocity correlation is closed using dimensional analysis, leading to discrepancies between the numerical results, theoretical analysis and experiments. To rectify this problem, some two-phase turbulence models were proposed by the authors and are applied to simulate dense gas-particle flows in downers, risers, and horizontal channels; Experimental results validate the simulation results. Among these models the USM-O and the two-scale USM models are shown to give a better account of both anisotropic particle turbulence and particle-particle collision using the transport equation model for the two-phase velocity correlation.     

Boundary-layer relaxation after a separated region

With reference particularly to the work of Peter Bradshaw and his associates, some remarks are made about the recovery of previously distorted shear flows. It is emphasized that such recovery is usually extremely slow, and this is further illustrated by new measurements of the velocity field and turbulence structure in the relaxing flow downstream of a separated region. Data have been obtained for downstream distances (x) up to about 20 times the length of the separated region (x_r), or about 75 times the flow thickness at reattachment. This is a significantly more extensive region than has been previously studied, and the data are more comprehensive than any previously available.

It is shown that the recovery is even slower than previously surmized. Furthermore, the measurements demonstrate that the turbulence stresses eventually fall below standard boundary-layer values (at the same Reynolds number), although around reattachment they are very much higher, having values more akin to those in plane mixing layers. This undershoot is apparently a new finding and is argued to be a result of the influence of the outer part of the flow on the growing inner region. The usual log-law only begins to appear beyond x/x_r = 2.5. It effectively “sees” a turbulent outer region that recovers even more slowly than itself, and the response of the inner region therefore has similarities to the response of an ordinary boundary layer to free-stream turbulence.

It is concluded that even current second-order (i.e., Reynolds stress) models may not capture the exquisitely slow decay of the strong, large eddy motions in the outer part of the flow and the subtleties of their influence on the inner region.     

Turbulence modelling of the shear layers in the trailing edge region of a modern rear-loaded airfoil at incidence

After carefull analysis in a turbulent zero-pressure gradient flow, various simple algebraic turbulence models were applied to the almost separated flow on the upperside of an airfoil at incidence. The Johnson-King and Horton non-equilibrium (or rate equation) models give clearly improved results.     

Stability of a laminar boundary layer flowing along a concave surface with uniform mainstream velocity

Predictions, by the Galerkin method, are presented of the stability of three-dimensional disturbances in laminar boundary-layer flow at zero pressure gradient along a concave surface. The analysis confirms Meksyn's finding of more than one critical state; predictions for the first agree with those of Kahawita and Meroney at low Goertler number G and with the vortex amplification predictions of Smith at high G. Both the first and second critical states have G values below those of Meksyn; the amplification field of the second, however, encompasses the range of available measurements, and therein, has dimensionless vortex energy levels only half those of the first. The plausibility of least vortex energy as a determining factor in favour of the second critical field is further strengthened by its limited G range, the upper limit of about 7 corresponding closely to Liepmann's observations^4,5 of the onset of transition to turbulence. These findings are almost insensitive to mainstream Mach numbers up to 0.9, stagnation conditions up to 15 bar and 1200 K, and Reynolds numbers from 2000 to 6000 based on boundary layer thickness     

Particle-turbulence interaction in a boundary layer

Particle-turbulence interaction in wall turbulent flows has been studied. A series of experiments varying particle size, particle density, particle loading and flow Re has been conducted. The results show that the larger polystyrene particles (1100 μm) cause an increase in the number of wall ejections, giving rise to an increase in the measured values of the turbulence intensities and Reynolds stresses. On the other hand, the smaller polystyrene particles (120 μm) bring about a decrease in the number of wall ejections, causing a decrease in the measured intensities and Reynolds stresses. These effects are enhanced as the particle loading is increased. It was also found that the heavier glass particles (88 μm) do not bring about any significant modulation of turbulence. In addition, measurements of the burst frequency and the mean streak-spacing show no significant change with increase in particle loading. Based on these observations, a mechanism of particle transport in wall turbulent flows has been proposed, in which the particles are transported (depending on their size, density and flow Re) by the bursting events of the wall regions.     

Direct Numerical Simulation of Self-Similar Turbulent Boundary Layers in Adverse Pressure Gradients

Direct numerical simulations of the Navier–Stokes equations have been carried out with the objective of studying turbulent boundary layers in adverse pressure gradients. The boundary layer flows concerned are of the equilibrium type which makes the analysis simpler and the results can be compared with earlier experiments and simulations. This type of turbulent boundary layers also permits an analysis of the equation of motion to predict separation. The linear analysis based on the assumption of asymptotically high Reynolds number gives results that are not applicable to finite Reynolds number flows. A different non-linear approach is presented to obtain a useful relation between the freestream variation and other mean flow parameters. Comparison of turbulent statistics from the zero pressure gradient case and two adverse pressure gradient cases shows the development of an outer peak in the turbulent energy in agreement with experiment. The turbulent flows have also been investigated using a differential Reynolds stress model. Profiles for velocity and turbulence quantities obtained from the direct numerical simulations were used as initial data. The initial transients in the model predictions vanished rapidly. The model predictions are compared with the direct simulations and low Reynolds number effects are investigated.     

逆压梯度边界层未分离情况下的湍流模式适用性研究Turbulence model applicability for boundary layer flow with adverse pressure gradient in attached case

边界层逆压梯度作用下的流动是许多工程中的一个基础问题,由于逆压梯度作用,流动形态复杂,使得数值模拟有很大的难度。基于雷诺平均纳维‐斯托克斯RANS（Reynolds Averaged Navier‐Stokes）方程对二维平板逆压梯度边界层作数值计算研究,选取6种代表性的湍流模式,得到局部摩擦系数的数值解,与实验值比较,发现k‐ω模式具有很好的精度。基于该湍流模式,给出了湍动能分布,该结果有助于认识逆压梯度边界层流动的复杂特征。     

Thermo-Oscillatory Convection

Average thermal convection of an incompressible fluid performing high-frequency oscillations in a straight channel at rest is considered. It is shown that the Stokes layers play an important role in the excitation of average flows, in addition to the classical thermovibrational mechanism. Skin-layer flow generation is identified as a mechanism additional to the thermovibrational mechanism whose contribution is determined by the relative oscillation amplitude: it can have both a destabilizing and a stabilizing effect, depending on the amplitude.     

对管内湍流边界层结构与流动阻力特性的数值研究

在研究紊流边界层的过程中,本文考虑了分子粘性对紊流产生的作用、雷诺数以及壁面附近脉动动能的耗散不是各向同性对紊流产生的影响,采用Jones-Launder模型对管内紊流流动边界层厚度、边界层内的脉动动能K,动能耗散ε,管壁切应力τ0以及由此可得的管内流动摩擦阻力系数λ进行了数值计算,计算结果与实验值、理论计算值得具有较好的一致性。     

NUMERICAL PREDICTION OF PERIODIC VORTEX SHEDDING IN SUBSONIC AND TRANSONIC TURBINE CASCADE FLOWS

Periodic vortex shedding at the trailing edge of a turbine cascade has been investigated numerically for a subsonic and a transonic cascade flow. The numerical investigation was carried out by a finite volume multiblock code, solving the 2D compressible Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations on a set of non-overlapping grid blocks that are connected in a conservative way. Comparisons are made with experimental results previously obtained by Sieverding and Heinemann.     

大气边界层的一些空气动力学特征

本文在定常和中性温度层结条件下,首先介绍了均匀平坦地面上大气边界层的一些空气动力学特征,并将大气边界层与一般空气动力学边界层作了比较。然后介绍了地面粗糙度分布有阶跃变化以及非平坦地形上的大气边界层特征。文中说明,气流的平均流场结构以及湍流特性与均匀平坦地面的情形相比有显著不同。最后,提出了一些有待今后进一步研究的问题。