The effect of a single vortex generator jet on the characteristics of a turbulent boundary layer

A flat plate experiment was performed in a water tunnel to determine the effects of a vortex generator jet on the characteristics of a turbulent boundary layer at various wall normal locations. The results show that the characteristic distributions of the turbulent fluctuation quantities are nearly unaffected by the induced vortex structures neither in the steady nor in the dynamic blowing case. The shear layer interaction between the turbulent main flow and the jet flow produces less turbulent fluctuations than it is expected from a turbulent free jet flow. Thus, the mixing process of this flow control strategy is based only on a large-scale momentum transport superimposed by the turbulent fluctuation quantities. This allows a separation of scales for physical interpretation and numerical simulations.     

Application of a second-moment closure model to simulate the turbulent dispersion from an elevated line source

In this study, a second-moment closure model and an algebraic stress and flux model are used to simulate the turbulent dispersion from an elevated line source located in a turbulent boundary layer. In the modeling of the Reynolds stress equation, several models for the triple velocity correlation are examined by comparing their predicting results with the direct numerical simulation data. Predicted mean and fluctuating correlation quantities of velocity and temperature by the second-moment closure model and the algebraic model are compared with the experimental data. From the comparisons, it is found that the second-moment closure is capable of reproducing the experimental results satisfactorily. However, predictions of the algebraic stress and flux model are quite poor. Received on 12 June 1998     

Passive Scalar Transport in a Turbulent Mixing Layer

This paper describes a combined experimental and numerical study of scalar transport in spatially developing, two-stream, turbulent mixing layers with velocity ratios of approximately 2:1. The experimental mixing layer was created by an S-shaped splitter plate mounted in a wind tunnel, and the concentration field was realized by releasing incense smoke into the high-speed side boundary layer above the splitter plate. Simultaneous measurements of the velocity and concentration fields were performed. A 12-sensor hot-wire probe was used to measure the velocity field and its gradients, while the concentration field was recorded with digital photographs of the laser-illuminated smoke. In parallel, a large-eddy simulation (LES) of the spatially developing mixing layer was carried out. Auxiliary turbulent boundary layer LES were used to provide high quality inflow boundary conditions for the velocity and concentration fields. By synchronizing the velocity and concentration measurements, concentration fluxes were also determined. Octant analysis based on the sign combinations of the velocity and concentration fuctuations was performed on the flux data to investigate the scalar transport processes. It was found that octants compatible with mean gradient transport of the scalar contribute most to the scalar fluxes. Conditional planar averages of scalar and momentum fluxes were obtained to determine their spatial distribution with respect to the organized roller and rib vortices of the mixing layer, and distinct patterns were observed. The simulation provided additional insight about the flow and scalar flux distribution topology. This topology was found to be partially compatible with simple models of roller and rib vortices that transport the scalar in a mean gradient sense.     

Experimental study and large eddy simulation for the turbulent flow around four cylinders in an in-line square configuration

The turbulent flows around four cylinders in an in-line square configuration with different spacing ratios of 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 and 5.0 have been investigated experimentally at subcritical Reynolds numbers from 11,000 to 20,000. The mean and fluctuating velocity distributions were obtained using the laser Doppler anemometry (LDA) measurement. The digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) was employed to characterize the full field vorticity and velocity distributions as well as other turbulent quantities. The experimental study indicated that several distinct flow patterns exist depending on the spacing ratio and subcritical Reynolds number for turbulent flow. The three-dimensional numerical simulations were also carried out using the large eddy simulation (LES) at Reynolds number of 15,000 with the spacing ratio of 1.5 and 3.5. The results show that the LES numerical predictions are in good agreement with the experimental measurements. Therefore, the three-dimensional vortex structures and the full field instantaneous and mean quantities of the flow field such as velocity field, vorticity field, etc., which are very difficult to obtain experimentally, can be extracted from the simulation results for the deepening of our understanding on the complex flow phenomena around four cylinders in in-line configuration.     

Investigation of the heat transfer mechanism in supersonic turbulent boundary layers

A method is described for calculating turbulent Prandtl numbers from Mach number and total temperature profiles in supersonic boundary layers. The calculations are based on boundary layer measurements in the Mach number range from 3.5 to 5. The investigations clearly indicate that in addition to accurate profile measurements reliable values of shear stress and heat flux at the wall must exist, in order to be able to calculate the turbulent Prandtl number in the viscous regime of the boundary layer. For flow conditions with and without heat transfer, the derived turbulent Prandtl numbers indicate that the turbulent transport of heat decreases much faster towards the wall than the turbulent transport of momentum. The results of the analysis show that only the unequivocal qualitative result of increasing turbulent Prandtl numbers in the viscous region of the boundary layer, can be expected. The variation of the turbulent Prandtl number can be described successfully using a simple approximation, based on the mixing length concept, and is applied to the calculation of total temperature distribution using the law of the wall for compressible flow.     

Velocity–pressure correlation measurements in complex free shear flows

Simultaneous measurements of fluctuating velocity and pressure were performed in various turbulent free shear flows including a turbulent mixing layer and the wing-tip vortex trailing from a NACA0012 half-wing. Two different methods for fluctuating static pressure measurement were considered: a direct method using a miniature Pitot tube and an indirect method where static pressure was calculated from total pressure. The pressure obtained by either of these methods was correlated with the velocity measured by an X-type hot-wire probe. The results from these two techniques agreed with each other in the turbulent mixing layer. In the wing-tip vortex case, however, some discrepancies were found, although overall characteristics of the pressure-related statistics were adequately captured by both methods.     

Evolution of jets effusing from inclined holes into crossflow

The turbulent flow structure and vortex dynamics of a jet-in-a-crossflow (JICF) problem, which is related to gas turbine blade film cooling, is investigated using the particle-image velocimetry (PIV) technique. A cooling jet emanating from a pipe interacts with a turbulent flat plate boundary layer at a Reynolds number Re_∞ = 400,000. The streamwise inclination of the coolant jet is 30° and two velocity ratios (VR = 0.28, VR = 0.48) and two mass flux ratios (MR = 0.28, MR = 0.48) are considered. Jets of air and CO₂ are injected separately into a boundary layer to examine the effects of the density ratio between coolant and mainstream on the mixing behavior and consequently, the cooling efficiency. The results show a higher mass flux ratio to enlarge the size of the recirculation region leading to a more pronounced entrainment of hot outer fluid into the wake of the jet. Furthermore, the lateral spreading of the coolant is strongly increased at a higher density ratio. The results of the experimental measurements are used to validate numerical findings. This comparison shows an excellent agreement for mean velocity and higher moment velocity distributions.     

Detailed experimental study of a highly compressible supersonic turbulent plane mixing layer and comparison with most recent DNS results: “Towards an accurate description of compressibility effects in supersonic free shear flows”

A compressible supersonic mixing layer at convective Mach number (Mc) equal to 1 has been studied experimentally in a dual stream supersonic/subsonic wind-tunnel. Laser Doppler Velocimetry (L.D.V.) measurements were performed making possible a full estimation of the mean and turbulent 3D velocity fields in the mixing layer. The Reynolds stress tensor was described. In particular, some anisotropy coefficients were obtained. It appears that the structure of the Reynolds tensor is almost not affected by compressibility at least up to Mc = 1.The turbulent kinetic energy budget was also experimentally estimated. Reynolds analogies assumptions were used to obtain density/velocity correlations in order to build the turbulent kinetic energy budget from LDV measurements. Results have been compared to other experimental and numerical results. Compressibility effects on the turbulent kinetic energy budget have been detected and commented. A study about thermodynamics flow properties was also performed using most recent DNS results experimentally validated by the present data. A non-dimensional number is then introduced in order to quantify the real effect of pressure fluctuations on the thermodynamics quantities fluctuations.     

Simultaneous velocity and concentration measurements in the near field of a turbulent low-pressure jet by digital particle image velocimetry–planar laser-induced fluorescence

The main purpose of this work is to develop a method for simultaneous measurement of velocity and passive scalar concentration by means of digital particle image velocimetry and planar laser-induced fluorescence. Details of the implementation of the method are given, and the technique is applied to measurements of concentration and velocity in the centre-plane of a liquid jet with a Reynolds number of 6,000. The measurements are compared with large eddy simulations. Mean velocities and concentrations, fluctuating velocities and concentrations, and correlation between fluctuating velocities and concentrations are analysed for the first six diameters downstream of the jet exit. The general agreement between measured and simulated results was found to be good, in particular for mean quantities. Mean profiles are also found to be in good agreement with other experimental work on jets reported in the literature. The “whole-plane” measurement method was found to be very useful for detailed comparisons of turbulent statistics with simulated data. The inadequacy of models for turbulent mass transport based on the standard gradient diffusion concept is demonstrated through the experimental data. Received: 4 October 2000/Accepted: 27 November 2000     

Accuracy and resolution issues in NO/acetone PLIF measurements of gas-phase molecular mixing

Under-resolved passive-scalar measurements in liquid and gaseous shear layers have been known to over-predict mixed-fluid quantities as a result of sub-resolution stirring. In recent studies, simultaneous cold-chemistry (nitric oxide) and passive-scalar (acetone) planar laser-induced fluorescence have been employed for the measurement of sub-resolution molecular mixing. In the current work, the theory and experimental approach of this technique are reviewed, and new analyses of quenching corrections, differential diffusion errors, and imaging resolution are presented. Results from both experimental work and direct numerical simulations indicate that this technique provides a successful means of quantifying macro- and micro-scale turbulent molecular mixing in gaseous shear flows. Received: 20 December 2000/Accepted: 24 September 2001     

湍流边界层等动量区演化机理的实验研究

等动量区是瞬时流场中流体动量接近的局部区域,其生成和分布与相干结构密切相关.对等动量区的研究有助于更深入认识湍流边界层相干结构,但目前对其演化过程还缺乏实验支持和机理分析.设计并使用移动式高时间分辨率粒子图像测速技术(TRPIV)系统对光滑平板湍流边界层进行了跟踪测量,用滤波方式对数据进行降噪,结合对直接数值模拟数据的...     

Investigation of three dimensional air flow characteristic and effect of heated obstruction within room

This study reports the results of a numerical investigation of three-dimensional turbulent buoyant recirculating flow within rooms with heated obstruction. The study involves the solution of partial differential equations for the conservation of mass, momentum, energy, concentration, turbulent energy and its dissipation rate. These equations were solved together with algebraic expressions for the turbulent viscosity and heat diffusivity using k-ε turbulence model by performing simulations on FLUENT 6.3. The CFD method was validated via comparing with the available experimental data. A comparison with experimental results shows good agreement. This means that the present computer code has a good capability to simulate 3D airflow and effect of obstruction within room. The present study demonstrates the flow behavior, thermal distribution and CO₂ concentration inside the room in the presence of heat flux obstruction. Two different configurations of ventilation system have been studied. Mixing and Displacement ventilation system have been used in two geometries depending on location of opening inlet. The ventilation effectiveness for heat removal (E_T) is used to evaluate the indoor climate and average temperature is an important parameter in designs the ventilation systems. Two notable points are presented; first, mixing ventilation is depending on throw of jet. CO₂ concentration and temperature distribution have been effected in upper zone more than occupied zone with presence the obstruction. Second notable points are presented; in displacement ventilation buoyancy effect is considerable. Vertical temperature gradient above the obstruction implies that both fresh air and CO₂ concentration.     

Turbulent sediment transport using momentum balance — The strong turbulence approximation

The turbulent flow of a sediment-fluid mixture near a flat bottom is studied. An equation is derived expressing the balance between the gravitational force on the sediment and the turbulent sediment momentum flux. A mixing length theory is used to model the turbulent momentum flux, with the mixing lengths assumed proportional to the distance from the bottom. The ratio of the sediment momentum mixing length to the mixture momentum mixing length is assumed to be a universal constant. An approximate solution for the mean sediment flux profile is derived for situations where the turbulent strength near the bottom dominates the gravitational effects there. The resulting concentration profile is constant near the bottom and drops off rapidly above a certain predicted depth.     

Direct numerical simulation of turbulent mixing of a passive scalar in pipe flow

Turbulent mixing of a passive scalar in fully developed turbulent pipe flow has been investigated by means of a Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS). The scalar is released from a point source located on the centreline of the pipe. The domain size of the concentration field has been chosen large enough to capture the different stages of turbulent mixing. Results are presented for mean concentration profiles, turbulent fluxes, concentration fluctuations, probability density functions and higher-order moments. To validate the numerical simulations the results are compared with experimental data on mixing in grid-turbulence that have been reported in the literature. The agreement between the experimental measurements and the computations is satisfactory. We have also considered the Probability Density Function (PDF). For small diffusion times and positions not on the plume centreline, our results lead to a PDF of an exponential form with a large peak at zero concentration. When the diffusion time increases, the PDF shifts from a exponential to a more Gaussian form.     

Turbulence structure in a diabatically heated forest canopy composed of fractal Pythagoras trees

We investigate the turbulent flow through a heterogeneous forest canopy by high-resolution numerical modeling. For this purpose, a novel approach to model individual trees is implemented in our large-eddy simulation (LES). A group of sixteen fractal Pythagoras trees is placed in the computational domain and the tree elements are numerically treated as immersed boundaries. Our objective is to resolve the multiscale flow response starting at the diameter of individual tree elements up to the depth of the atmospheric surface layer. A reference run, conducted for the forest flow under neutral thermal stratification, produces physically meaningful turbulence statistics. Our numerical results agree quantitatively with data obtained from former field-scale LESs and wind tunnel experiments. Furthermore, the numerical simulations resolve vortex shedding behind individual branches and trunks as well as the integral response of the turbulent flow through the heterogeneous forest canopy. A focus is the investigation of the turbulence structure of the flow under stable thermal stratification and in response to the heating of the fractal tree crowns. For the stratified flows, statistical quantities, e.g. turbulent kinetic energy and vorticity, are presented and the turbulent exchange processes of momentum and heat are considered in detail. The onset and formation of coherent structures such as elevated shear layers above the diabatically heated forest canopy are analyzed. For the stably stratified flow, temperature ramps above the forest canopy were simulated in agreement with previous observations. Thermally driven vortices with a typical diameter of the canopy height were simulated when the tree crowns were diabatically heated. The impact of the coherent flow structures on the heat flux is investigated.     

Large eddy simulation of temporally developing juncture flows

Large eddy simulation (LES) results are reported for temporally developing solid–solid and solid–rigid-lid juncture flows. A MacCormack-type scheme that is second-order in time, and fourth-order in space for the convective terms and second-order in space for the viscous terms, is used. The simulations are obtained for a low subsonic Mach number. The subgrid-scale stresses (SGS) are modeled using the dynamic modeling procedure. The turbulent flow field generated on a flat-plate boundary layer is used to initialize the juncture flow simulations. The results of the flat-plate boundary layer simulations are validated with experimental and direct numerical simulations (DNS) data. In juncture flow simulations, the presence of an adjacent solid-wall/rigid-lid boundary altered the mean and the turbulent field, setting up gradients in the anisotropy of normal Reynolds stresses resulting in the formation of turbulence-induced secondary vortices. The relative size of these secondary vortices and the distribution of mean and turbulent quantities are in qualitative agreement with the experimental observations for the solid–solid juncture. The overall distribution of the mean and turbulence quantities showed close resemblance between the solid–solid and the solid–rigid-lid junctures; except for the absence of a second vortical region near the rigid-lid boundary. In agreement with the experimental observations, it was found that the normalized anisotropy term exhibited similarity when plotted against the distance from the boundary, regardless of the type of boundary, i.e. solid-wall or rigid-lid. The turbulent kinetic energy increased near the rigid-lid boundary. While the surface normal velocity fluctuations decreased to zero at the rigid-lid boundary, the other two velocity components showed an increase in their energy, which is also consistent with the experimental observations. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

PIV measurements of turbulent flow in planar mixing layer

A turbulent mixing layer consists of two different flow types, i.e. shear layer (shear-flow turbulence) and free stream regions (nearly homogeneous turbulence). The inherent non-uniform seeding tracer distributions observed around the interfaces between the shear layer and two free stream regions usually lead to a difficulty in particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements. A parametric study on the application of PIV to the measurement of velocity field in a planar mixing layer is made by means of six factors, including interrogation window size, aspect ratio of interrogation window, interrogation window offset, threshold of data validation, sharpening spatial filters (Prewitt and Sobel masks), and smoothing spatial filter (median mask). The objective of this study is to obtain accurate turbulent measurements in both mean and fluctuating velocities using PIV under an appropriate parametric setting. The optimal levels, which are trade-off in between the accuracy and fine spatial resolution of velocity field measurements, are determined with the aid of the Taguchi method. It is shown that the PIV measurements made with this optimal set of parameters are in good agreement with the measurements made by a two-component hot-wire anemometer. Case independency of the proposed optimal set of parameters on the flow condition of the mixing layer is validated through the applications to two additional tests under the different experimental conditions in changing solely either velocity ratio of high-speed to low-speed free stream velocities or Reynolds number.     

Measurements of Turbulent Jet Mixing in a Turbulent Co-Flow Including the Influence of Periodic Forcing and Heating

In this work, the turbulent mixing of a confined coaxial jet in air is investigated by means of simultaneous particle image velocimetry and planar laser induced fluorescence of the acetone seeded flow injection. The jet is injected into a turbulent duct flow at atmospheric pressure through a 90 ^° pipe bend. Measurements are conducted in a small scale windtunnel at constant mass flow rates and three modes of operation: isothermal steady jet injection at a Dean number of 20000 (R e _d =32000), pulsed isothermal injection at a Womersley number of 65 and steady injection at elevated jet temperatures of ΔT=50 K and ΔT=100 K. The experiment is aimed at providing statistically converged quantities of velocity, mass fraction, turbulent fluctuations and turbulent mass flux at several downstream locations. Stochastic error convergence over the number of samples is assessed within the outer turbulent shear layer. From 3000 samples the statistical error of time-averaged velocity and mass fraction is below 1 % while the error of Reynolds shear stress and turbulent mass flux components is in the of range 5-6 %. Profiles of axial velocity and turbulence intensity immediately downstream of the bend exit are in good agreement with hot-wire measurements from literature. During pulsed jet injection strong asymmetric growing of shear layer vortices lead to a skewed mass fraction profile in comparison with steady injection. Phase averaging of single shot PLIF-PIV measurements allows to track the asymmetric shear layer vortex evolvement and flow breakdown during a pulsation cycle with a resolution of 10^°. Steady injection with increased jet temperature supports mixing downstream from 6 nozzle diameters onward.     

Simulation of ordered structures in open turbulent flows

Extensive experimental material [1–4] indicates that ordered (coherent) structures play an important part in determining the nature of the flow, the generation of Reynolds stresses and turbulence energy, and the transport of heat, momentum, and passive admixtures in a turbulent flow. In the present paper, a model is constructed for describing coherent structures in which, given the profile of the mean velocity, one can determine the characteristic sizes, the propagation velocities, and also the frequency and amplitude characteristics of these ordered motions. The model is based on the analogy between the ordered formations and secondary flows in a subsidiary laminar flow whose velocity profile is the same as the turbulent profile of the mean velocity. The influence of small-scale pulsations is described by the introduction of the coefficient of turbulent viscosity. In the framework of the model, numerical calculations are made for two-dimensional turbulent flows in a mixing layer, a jet, and a wake behind a cylinder. The results of the calculations are compared with experimental data.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 4, pp. 45–52, July–August, 1981.