An experimental investigation of unsteady turbulent-wake/boundary-layer interaction

An experimental investigation of unsteady-wake/boundary-layer interaction, similar to that occurring in turbomachinery, has been conducted in a specially modified wind tunnel. Unsteadiness in a turbomachine is periodic in nature, due to the relative motion of rotor and stator blades, resulting in travelling-wave disturbances that affect the blade boundary layers. In the experimental rig, travelling-wave disturbances were generated by a moving airfoil apparatus installed upstream of a flat plate to provide a two-dimensional model of a turbomachine stage. The boundary layer on the flat plate was tripped near the leading edge to generate a turbulent flow prior to interaction with the wakes, and measurements of velocity throughout the boundary layer were taken with a hot-wire probe. The Reynolds number, based on distance along the plate, ranged from 0.144×10⁵ to 1.44×10⁵, and all data were reduced through a process of ensemble averaging. Due to the nonlinear interactions with the boundary layer, the travelling discrete frequency wakes were found to decrease the shape factor of the velocity profile and to increase the level of turbulent fluctuations. Unlike the phase advance found with stationary-wave external disturbances, velocity profiles subject to the travelling wake fluctuations exhibited increasingly negative phase shifts from the free-stream towards the wall.     

Numerical prediction of locally forced turbulent boundary layer

An unsteady numerical simulation was performed to analyze flow structure behind a local suction/blowing in a flat-plate turbulent boundary layer. The local forcing was given to the boundary layer flow by means of a sinusoidally oscillating jet. A version of the unsteady k––f_μ model [Fluid Dyn. Res. 26 (6) (2000) 421] was employed. The Reynolds number based on the momentum thickness was about Re_θ=1700. The forcing frequency was varied in the range 0.011f⁺0.044 with a fixed forcing amplitude A_o=0.4. The predicted results were compared and validated with the experimental data. It was shown that the unsteady locally forced boundary layer flow is predicted well by the k––f_μ model. The time-dependent numerical flow visualizations were demonstrated during one period of the local forcing. The effect of the pitch angle of local forcing on the reduction of skin friction was examined.     

Transition flow of a fibrous suspension in a pipe as the flow of an anisotropic fluid

The transition flow is considered of a fibrous suspension in a pipe. The flow region consists of two subregions: at the center of the flow a plug formed by interwoven fibers and fluid moves as a rigid body; between the solid wall and the plug is a boundary layer in which the suspension is a mixture of the liquid phase and fibers separated from the plug [1–3]. In the boundary region the suspension is simulated as an anisotropic Ericksen—Leslie fluid [4, 5] which satisfies certain additional conditions. Equations are obtained for the velocity profile and drag coefficient of the pipe, which are both qualitatively and quantitatively in good agreement with the experimental results [6–8]. Within the framework of the model, a mechanism is found for reducing the drag in the flow of a fibrous suspension as compared to the drag of its liquid phase.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 5, pp. 91–98, September–October, 1985.     

Turbulent thermal convection in wide horizontal fluid layers

Turbulence in thermal convection is investigated for flows in which the production of turbulence energy is due solely to buoyancy, and the statistics of the flow are homogeneous in horizontal planes. New experimental results for high Rayleigh number unsteady turbulent convection in a horizontal layer heated from below and insulated from above are presented and compared to turbulent Rayleigh convection, convection in the planetary boundary layer, and laboratory penetrative convection. Mean temperature fields are correlated in terms of wall layer scales and convection scales. Joint statistics of turbulent temperature and horizontal velocity and vertical velocity through fourth order are presented for the core region of the convection layer.This paper was presented at the Ninth Symposium on Turbulence, University of Missouri-Rolla, October 1–3, 1984     

Unsteady RANS method for surface ship boundary layer and wake and wave field

Results are reported of an unsteady Reynolds‐averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) method for simulation of the boundary layer and wake and wave field for a surface ship advancing in regular head waves, but restrained from body motions. Second‐order finite differences are used for both spatial and temporal discretization and a Poisson equation projection method is used for velocity–pressure coupling. The exact kinematic free‐surface boundary condition is solved for the free‐surface elevation using a body‐fitted/free‐surface conforming grid updated in each time step. The simulations are for the model problem of a Wigley hull advancing in calm water and in regular head waves. Verification and validation procedures are followed, which include careful consideration of both simulation and experimental uncertainties. The steady flow results are comparable to other steady RANS methods in predicting resistance, boundary layer and wake, and free‐surface effects. The unsteady flow results cover a wide range of Froude number, wavelength, and amplitude for which first harmonic amplitude and phase force and moment experimental data are available for validation along with frequency domain, linear potential flow results for comparisons. The present results, which include the effects of turbulent flow and non‐linear interactions, are in good agreement with the data and overall show better capability than the potential flow results. The physics of the unsteady boundary layer and wake and wave field response are explained with regard to frequency of encounter and seakeeping theory. The results of the present study suggest applicability for additional complexities such as practical ship geometry, ship motion, and maneuvering in arbitrary ambient waves. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Flow control over an undulating membrane

The flow along a flexible membrane forced to undulate in the form of a streamwise travelling wave pattern is studied experimentally in detail. Flow field and force measurements confirm that the form drag of the wavy wall is significantly reduced when starting the undulatory motion. A mechanical model of an undulating membrane was built, based on previous investigations described in literature, and placed in an open water channel. The motion pattern of the membrane was prescribed in such a way to achieve a downstream travelling wave with increasing amplitude. The exploratory focus laid on the identification of hydrodynamic mechanisms of drag reduction due to undulatory motion. The wave-speed c of the travelling wave was set proportional to the incoming flow velocity U, according to an optimum ratio identified by previous numerical and experimental investigations. Poisson’s equation for the pressure was used to calculate the 2D pressure field from the experimental data of the unsteady flow field. In addition, the integral drag force of the membrane, as a function of c/U, was measured with a force balance to compare with previous published numerical findings. Furthermore, the velocities close to the surface of the membrane were measured, and the boundary layer profiles were determined. The resulting normalised velocity profiles affirm an oscillation between laminar and turbulent flow over one period of the motion. The results are in good agreement with previous experimental and numerical findings. Additionally, the characteristics of the flow along a travelling wave with increasing amplitude are discussed in more detail.     

Viscous shock layer near the stagnation point on a rotating body with unsteady injection and surface cooling

Unsteady supersonic flow regimes in the neighborhood of a stagnation point are investigated on the basis of a system of viscous shock layer equations [10] containing all the terms of the Euler equations and the boundary layer equations. An analytic solution of the unsteady equations valid near the surface of the body is found in the case of strong injection. The unsteady equations of the viscous shock layer are solved numerically on the basis of a divergent implicit scheme of the second order of approximation across the shock layer, using Newtonian linearization and vector sweep methods with allowance for the boundary relations on the surface of the body and at the isolated bow shock. Certain calculation results illustrating the effect of injection, surface cooling, the swirl of the external flow and the angular velocity of the body on the structure of the steady and unsteady viscous shock layer are presented.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 5, pp. 114–122, September–October, 1987.     

Response of the streaks, the active and passive eddies in an unsteady channel flow

Spanwise space–time correlations of the wall shear stress and the longitudinal velocity fluctuations in the low buffer layer of an unsteady channel flow are reported. The imposed amplitude is 20% of the centerline velocity and the imposed frequency covers a large range going from the quasi-steady limit to the bursting frequency of the corresponding steady flow. The unsteady spanwise correlation coefficient is investigated both through its own modulation characteristics (amplitude and phase shifts) and those of the resulting streak spacing. A good correspondence is found between the modulation of the streak spacing and that of the ejection period. The data is further analyzed by temporal filtering of the wall shear stress and streamwise velocity fluctuations. It is shown that the large outer-layer structures play a “passive” role in the unsteady response of the near wall turbulence. The inner wall eddies, in return, are amply responsible for the unsteady reaction of both the turbulent wall shear stress and the streamwise velocity intensities in the buffer layer.     

The Stability of a Compressible Rayleigh Layer

The aim of this work is to determine the linear stability of a compressible Rayleigh layer and to ascertain what role unsteady effects play. A Rayleigh layer is formed when an infinite flat plate is impulsively set in motion in its own plane with constant velocity beneath an initially quiescent fluid. When the fluid is compressible there is a motion both parallel and normal to the plate. The classical boundary-layer scaling is employed to determine solutions which are expressed in terms of a similarity variable and are valid for a large range of Mach, Prandtl and Reynolds numbers. Solutions are presented for both an adiabatic and iso-thermal temperature boundary condition at the plate. The temporal stability of the flow is considered by solving an Orr–Sommerfeld system: here the underlying flow is calculated at a certain time and the instantaneous stability to viscous travelling waves is determined. The stability is seen to be altered by changing the Mach number (an increase of which decreases the stability of the flow), and also by cooling and heating the wall. These results are limited by the fact that the growth of the layer in time is not taken into account. To include this we consider the large Reynolds number limit and use a triple-deck structure to determine the modes characteristics. The triple-deck approach is used to determine an asymptote to the lower branch of the neutral curve and unsteady effects can be included in a consistent manner. For the upper branch, however, a five-deck structure is required due to the fact that the critical layer is now distinct from the viscous sublayer. The upper-branch stability is only calculated to the first order which is sufficient to give an insight into the stability characteristics.     

Laminar boundary layer with uniform suction on flat plate in oscillating flow

We examine unsteady incompressible fluid flow in a laminar boundary layer with uniform suction for longitudinal flow over a flat plate when the external stream is a flow with constant velocity, on which there is superposed a sinusoidal disturbance convected by the stream, analogous to [1]. We study the stability of such flow in the boundary layer.Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Mekhaniki i Tekhnicheskoi Fiziki, Vol. 11, No. 3, pp. 66–70, May–June, 1970.     

REDUCED-ORDER MODELS OF UNSTEADY TRANSONIC VISCOUS FLOWS IN TURBOMACHINERY

The proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) technique is applied in the frequency domain to obtain a reduced-order model of the unsteady flow in a transonic turbomachinery cascade of oscillating blades. The flow is described by a inviscid—viscous model, i.e. a full potential equation outer flow model and an integral equation boundary layer model. The nonlinear transonic steady flow is computed first and then the unsteady flow is determined by a small perturbation linearization about the nonlinear steady solution. Solutions are determined for a full range of frequencies and validated. The full model results and the POD method are used to construct a reduced-order model in the frequency domain. A cascade of airfoils forming the Tenth Standard Configuration is investigated to show that the reduced-order model with only 15–75 degrees of freedom accurately predicts the unsteady response of the full system with approximately 15 000 degrees of freedom.     

Thermocapillary Vortices Induced by a Light Beam near a Bubble Surface in a Hele-Shaw Cell

This paper studies thermocapillary vortices induced by local heating of a bubble surface in a Hele-Shaw cell by a light beam. It is found that the vortex rotation frequency and its depth depend on the distance from the light-beam projection onto the layer to the bubble boundary. The surface velocity of the thermocapillary flow is calculated using the balance of the near-surface and return flows of the thermocapillary vortex and the equality of capillary and dynamic pressures. It is shown that a decrease in the surface velocity and the vortex rotation frequency with increase in the distance from the light beam to the bubble surface is due to a decrease in the temperature gradient between the illuminated and cold poles of the bubble.__________Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 46, No. 5, pp. 93–99, September–October, 2005.     

Characteristic Regimes of Transitional Separation Bubbles in Unsteady Flow

This experimental investigation deals with transition phenomena of a separated boundary layer under unsteady inlet flow conditions. The main purpose of this investigation is to understand the influence of the rotor-stator interaction in turbomachinery on the subsequent, highly loaded boundary layer. The research project is divided into two phases. In the first phase, which has been completed recently, only the variation of mean velocity caused by upstream blades was simulated in the experiments while the free-stream turbulence intensity was retained at a constant low level. The experiments are carried out in an Eifel-type wind tunnel to investigate the laminar separated boundary layer of a flat plate under oscillating inlet conditions. The adverse pressure gradient, similar to that of turbomachines, is generated by the contoured upper wall. The unsteadiness is produced by a rotating flap located downstream of the test section. The reduced frequency, the amplitude and the mean Reynolds number are varied to simulate the conditions prevailing in turbomachines. In addition to the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability of the separated shear layer, a lower frequency instability was observed. This is frequently referred to as `free shear layer flapping' and results in two distinctly different ways of re-attachment, depending primarily on the Reynolds number. For low momentum thickness Reynolds numbers at the separation point, large-scale vortices locked to the frequency of the unsteady main flow are identified. They originate nearly at the top of the separation bubble and are ejected downstream. A fully turbulent boundary layer develops after these vortices mix out. For higher Reynolds numbers, transition is completed within a short length of the free shear layer and there-attachment region. The characteristic momentum thickness Reynolds number separating these two regimes in unsteady flow is about 125. The Strouhal number (reduced frequency) does not appear to have any significant effect. Based on the experimental results, this behaviour is discussed in some detail. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Experimental study on the effect of unsteadiness on boundary layer development on a linear turbine cascade

 The results from an experimental investigation of unsteady boundary layer behavior on a linear turbine cascade are presented in this paper. To perform a detailed study on unsteady cascade aerodynamics and heat transfer, a new large-scale, high-subsonic research facility for simulating the periodic unsteady flow has been developed. It is capable of sequentially generating up to four different unsteady inlet flow conditions that lead to four different passing frequencies, wake structures, and freestream turbulence intensities. For a given Reynolds number, two different unsteady wake formations are utilized. Detailed unsteady boundary layer velocity. turbulence intensity, and pressure measurements are performed along the suction and pressure surfaces of one blade. The results display the transition and development of the boundary layer, ensemble-averaged velocity, and turbulence intensity. Received: 23 September 1996/Accepted: 19 February 1997     

Interaction between the boundary layer and a supersonic flow when part of the wall is rapidly heated

There have been many theoretical studies of aspects of the unsteady interaction of an exterior inviscid flow with a boundary layer [1–9]. The mathematical flow models obtained in these studies by the method of matched asymptotic expansions describe a wide range of phenomena observed experimentally. These include boundary layer separation near the hinge of a flap, the flow in the neighborhood of the trailing edge of an oscillating airfoil [1–2], and the development and propagation of perturbations in a boundary layer excited by an oscillating wall or some other way [3–5]. The present paper studies the interaction of an unsteady boundary layer with a supersonic flow when a small part of the surface of a body in the flow is rapidly heated.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 1, pp. 66–70, January–February, 1984.     

Influence of blowing into the boundary layer on supersonic flow past an oscillating cone

The influence of blowing on the unsteady characteristics of a boundary layer is studied for the example of supersonic flow past a sharp cone oscillating about zero angle of attack. The problem of the interaction of the inviscid exterior flow with the laminar boundary layer is solved. It is shown that blowing proportional to the heat flux improves the damping of the oscillations of the cone. If the blowing anticipates the heat flux in phase this effect is strengthened.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 4, pp. 43–46, July–August, 1983.     

Matrix–Fracture Transfer through Countercurrent Imbibition in Presence of Fracture Fluid Flow

Although a lot of research has been done in modeling the oil recovery from fractured reservoirs by countercurrent imbibition, less attention has been paid to the effect of the fracture fluid velocity upon the rate of oil recovery. Experiments are conducted to determine the effect of fracture flow rate upon countercurrent imbibition. A droplet detachment model is proposed to derive the effective water saturation in a thin boundary layer at the matrix–fracture interface. This effective boundary water saturation is a function of fluid properties, fluid velocity in the fracture and fracture width. For a highly water–wet porous medium, this model predicts an increase in the boundary water saturation with increase in fracture fluid velocity. The increase in boundary water saturation, in turn, increases the oil recovery rate from the matrix, which is consistent with the experimental results. The model also predicts that the oil recovery rate does not vary linearly with the boundary water saturation.     

Boundary layer on a blunt body in a flow of dusty gas

The problem of interaction of gas-dust flows with solid surfaces arose in connection with the study of the motion of aircraft in a dusty atmosphere [1–2], the motion of a gas suspension in power generators, and in a number of other applications [3]. The presence of a disperse admixture may lead to a significant increase in the heat fluxes [4] and to erosion of the surface [5]. These phenomena are due to the joint influence of several factors — the change in the structure of the carrier-phase boundary layer due to the presence of the particles, collisions of the particles with the surface, roughness of the ablating surface, and so forth. This paper continues an investigation begun earlier [6–7] into the influence of particles on the structure of the dynamical and thermal two-phase boundary layer formed around a blunt body in a flow. The model of the dusty gas [8] has an incompressible carrier phase. The method of matched asymptotic expansions [9] is used to obtain the equations of the two-phase boundary layer. In the frame-work of the refined classification made by Stulov [6], it is shown that the form of the boundary layer equations is different in the presence and absence of inertial precipitation of the particles. The equations are solved numerically in the neighborhood of the stagnation point of the blunt body. The temperature and phase velocity distributions in the boundary layer, and also the friction coefficients and the heat transfer of the carrier phase are found for a wide range of the determining parameters. In the case of an admixture of low-inertia particles that are not precipitated on the body, it is shown that even when the mass concentration of the particles in the undisturbed flow is small their accumulation in the boundary layer can lead to a sharp increase in the thermal fluxes at the stagnation point.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 5, pp. 99–107, September–October, 1985.I thank V. P. Strulov for a discussion.