An experimental study of the effect of free-stream turbulence on a trailing vortex

A study of turbulence evolution and spectra within and just outside the core of a trailing vortex is performed. The vortex is generated by a vortex generator consisting of four blades positioned orthogonally to each other with the same angle of attack and placed in a low-speed wind tunnel. A grid is placed upstream of the vortex generator to produce free-stream turbulence, which wraps around and interacts with the columnar vortex. Instantaneous measurements of the three velocity components are obtained using a miniature four-sensor hot-wire probe. The study focuses on the distribution of turbulence energy and Reynolds stress among the different spectral components of the flow at different positions across the vortex core and different axial positions along the tunnel. The effect of background grid turbulence on the spectral energy distribution of the vortex is examined in comparison to the vortex alone.     

Experiments on jet/vortex interaction

An experimental study was performed to evaluate the effect of a cold jet on a single trailing vortex. Flow visualization and particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements were conducted in wind and water tunnels. The main parameters were the ratio of jet-to-vortex strength, the jet-to-vortex distance, the jet inclination angle and the Reynolds number. It was shown that the jet turbulence is wrapped around the vortex and ingested into it. This takes place faster with decreasing jet-to-vortex distance and increasing jet strength. Both time-averaged and instantaneous flow fields showed that the trailing vortex became diffused with its rotational velocity and vorticity levels reduced when the jet is located close to the vortex. The mechanism with which the jet interacts with the vortex is a combination of vortices shed by the jet and the turbulence. No noticeable differences were found within the Reynolds number range tested. The effect of jet on the vortex is delayed when the jet is blowing at an angle to the free stream and away from the vortex such as during take-off.     

Experimental investigation of a blunt trailing edge flow field with application to sound generation

The unsteady lift generated by turbulence at the trailing edge of an airfoil is a source of radiated sound. The objective of the present research was to measure the velocity field in the near wake region of an asymmetric beveled trailing edge in order to determine the flow mechanisms responsible for the generation of trailing edge noise. Two component velocity measurements were acquired using particle image velocimetry. The chord Reynolds number was 1.9 × 10⁶. The data show velocity field realizations that were typical of a wake flow containing an asymmetric periodic vortex shedding. A phase average decomposition of the velocity field with respect to this shedding process was utilized to separate the large scale turbulent motions that occurred at the vortex shedding frequency (i.e., those responsible for the production of tonal noise) from the smaller scale turbulent motions, which were interpreted to be responsible for the production of broadband sound. The small scale turbulence was found to be dependent on the phase of the vortex shedding process implying a dependence of the broadband sound generated by the trailing edge on the phase of the vortex shedding process.     

非定常空化流动涡旋运动及其流体动力特性

采用大涡模拟方法对绕水翼云状空化的水动力特性和非定常流场结构进行研究. 基于实验结果对数值方法进行验证,分析空化与流场内部涡旋结构之间的相互作用以及对水翼动力特性的影响. 研究结果表明:大涡模拟方法可以准确模拟绕水翼流动的非定常过程. 在无空化条件下,升阻力系数存在斯特劳哈数St = 0.85 的主频波动,这是由水翼尾部涡旋结构的发展脱落引起的;在云状空化条件下,升阻力系数存在St = 0.34 的高能量密度低频波动,这是由大规模云状空泡团的发展和脱落引起的;云状空化阶段的升阻力系数在St = 0.5~1.5 的范围内都存在较高的波动,这是由于空化现象对水翼尾缘涡旋结构的发展和脱落产生影响,在不同发展阶段,空化现象不同程度地降低尾缘涡旋结构脱落频率.      

基于涡量矩理论的绕振荡水翼涡动力学分析

文章采用标准k-ω SST湍流模型和动网格技术, 实现了绕俯仰振荡NACA66水翼非定常流动结构与水动力特性的数值模拟, 并基于有限域涡量矩理论定量表征了局部旋涡结构对水翼动力特性的影响. 研究结果表明: 在水翼升程阶段, 当攻角较小时, 层流向湍流的转捩点由水翼尾缘向前缘移动; 在较大攻角时, 顺时针尾缘涡?TEV在水翼吸力面上生成并向前缘发展, 同时与吸力面上的顺时针前缘涡?LEV融合发展为附着在整个吸力面上的新前缘涡?LEV, 新的?LEV与逆时针尾缘涡+TEV相互作用直至完全脱落, 直接导致了水翼的动力失速, 在回程阶段, 绕振荡水翼的流场结构逐渐由湍流转变为层流. 基于有限域涡量矩理论的定量分析发现, 有限域内附着的?LEV和?TEV提供正升力, 当?LEV发展覆盖整个吸力面时对升力的贡献最大, 占总升力近50%, 而+TEV提供负升力. 同时发现, 有限域内各旋涡内部的不同区域提供的升力有正有负; 而逸出有限域的旋涡内部不同区域提供的升力方向均保持一致, 其中顺时针涡提供正升力, 而逆时针涡提供负升力. 在失速阶段, 域外旋涡整体对升力贡献较小且存在小幅波动, 体现了流动的非定常性.      

横摆角下汽车尾部湍流特征量的PIV试验分析

汽车尾部湍流场是汽车压差阻力的主要来源,在HD-2汽车模型风洞中,首先使用测力天平和测压系统,对横摆角工况下汽车模型的气动六分力和纵对称截面48个测点的表面压力进行了测量,然后利用PIV测量技术对模型在横摆角分别为0°、15°的尾部湍流场进行了测量,获得该模型尾流场的速度场、涡量场和雷诺应力流场信息,通过计算得出尾流场区域空间相关系数和湍流积分尺度。结果表明:在横摆角工况下,汽车模型尾部涡流的结构呈现向上发展的趋势;尾流场拖拽涡的范围和强度的增大导致了模型气动力出现较大的增加;湍流积分尺度的变化表明,尾部涡流区的分离噪声与涡流分离位置有关,在汽车尾部造型设计中,要尽量推迟尾部涡流的分离。     

Numerical study on wake characteristics of high-speed trains

Intensive turbulence exists in the wakes of high speed trains, and the aerodynamic performance of the trailing car could deteriorate rapidly due to complicated features of the vortices in the wake zone. As a result, the safety and amenity of high speed trains would face a great challenge. This paper considers mainly the mechanism of vortex formation and evolution in the train flow field. A real CRH2 model is studied, with a leading car, a middle car and a trailing car included. Different running speeds and cross wind conditions are considered, and the approaches of un- steady Reynold-averaged Navier-Stokes （URANS） and de- tached eddy simulation （DES） are utilized, respectively. Re- suits reveal that DES has better capability of capturing small eddies compared to URANS. However, for large eddies, the effects of two approaches are almost the same. In conditions without cross winds, two large vortex streets stretch from the train nose and interact strongly with each other in the wake zone. With the reinforcement of the ground, a complicated wake vortex system generates and becomes strengthened as the running speed increases. However, the locations of flow separations on the train surface and the separation mechanism keep unchanged. In conditions with cross winds, three large vortices develop along the leeward side of the train, among which the weakest one has no obvious influence on the wake flow while the other two stretch to the tail of the train and combine with the helical vortices in the train wake. Thus, optimization of the aerodynamic performance of the trailing car should be aiming at reducing the intensity of the wake vortex system.     

绕振荡水翼流动及其转捩特性的数值计算研究简

通过对比标准k-ω SST 湍流模型和基于标准k-ω SST 湍流模型修正的γ-Re_θ 转捩湍流模型对绕振荡NACA66 水翼流动的数值计算结果与实验结果,对水翼振荡过程的水动力特性和流场结构变化进行了分析研究. 结果表明：与标准k-ω SST 湍流模型的数值计算结果相比,基于标准k-ω SST 湍流模型修正的γ-Re_θ 转捩湍流模型能有效预测绕振荡翼型流场结构和水动力特性,捕捉流场边界层发生的流动分离和转捩现象;绕振荡水翼的流动过程可分为5 个特征阶段,当来流攻角较小时,在水翼前缘发生层流向湍流的转捩现象,水翼动力特征曲线出现变化拐点;随着来流攻角的增大,顺时针尾缘涡逐渐形成并向水翼前缘发展;当攻角较大时,前缘涡分离导致动力失速,水翼的动力特征曲线出现大幅波动;水翼处于顺时针向下旋转阶段,绕水翼的流动状态逐渐由湍流过渡为层流.     

Some Swirling-flow Challenges for Turbulent CFD

The paper examines some of the continuing challenges, within a RANS framework, of computing turbulent swirling flows such as are encountered in industry and the environment. The principal focus is on modelling turbulent transport processes but serious problems also arise in handling numerical issues, too. Recent researches of two of these types of flow by the authors and their colleagues in the Turbulence Mechanics Group at Manchester are examined; namely, the confined flow within a rotor–stator disc cavity and the trailing wing-tip vortex. The former flow, while geometrically axisymmetric, has been found to create multiple rotating vortices necessitating a three-dimensional time-dependent analysis. The wing-tip vortex is extremely sensitive to the choice of turbulence model and only a second-moment closure that complies with the constraints of two-component turbulence has been found capable of handling both the flow over the wing and the wake vortex. Moreover, because of the large distances downstream of the aircraft to which, for practical cases, computations need to be carried, the numerical strategy is brought into question. Finally, arising from these two test cases, outline remarks are made about a swirling flow that poses one of the major computational challenges of the twenty-first century.     

Effects of sound on flow separation from blunt flat plates

The effect of sound on the flow around plates with semicircular or square leading edges and square trailing edges located in a low turbulence open jet has been studied. In all circumstances the length of the leading edge separation bubbles associated with square leading edge plates was found to oscillate. When sound was applied to the flow around these plates, the leading edge shear layers reattached closer to the leading edge and the oscillations in bubble length occurred at the applied sound frequency, generating patches of concentrated vorticity in the boundary layers. These vorticity patches moved downstream near the plate surface and then beyond the trailing edge to form vortex cores in a street with a Strouhal number equal to the applied sound value. Sometimes these vortex streets are unstable and break down into streets with Strouhal numbers approaching those observed without sound. These effects of sound were not observed in the flow around plates with semicircular leading edges. Without sound, square leading edge plates of intermediate length did not shed regular vortex streets.     

绕振荡水翼流动及其转捩特性的数值计算研究

通过对比标准k-ω SST 湍流模型和基于标准k-ω SST 湍流模型修正的γ-Re_θ 转捩湍流模型对绕振荡NACA66 水翼流动的数值计算结果与实验结果,对水翼振荡过程的水动力特性和流场结构变化进行了分析研究. 结果表明:与标准k-ω SST 湍流模型的数值计算结果相比,基于标准k-ω SST 湍流模型修正的γ-Re_θ 转捩湍流模型能有效预测绕振荡翼型流场结构和水动力特性,捕捉流场边界层发生的流动分离和转捩现象;绕振荡水翼的流动过程可分为5 个特征阶段,当来流攻角较小时,在水翼前缘发生层流向湍流的转捩现象,水翼动力特征曲线出现变化拐点;随着来流攻角的增大,顺时针尾缘涡逐渐形成并向水翼前缘发展;当攻角较大时,前缘涡分离导致动力失速,水翼的动力特征曲线出现大幅波动;水翼处于顺时针向下旋转阶段,绕水翼的流动状态逐渐由湍流过渡为层流.      

A double vortex sheet model of the viscous flow near the trailing edge of a lifting aerofoil

Classical definitions of boundary layer mass and momentum flux deficiency thicknesses can lead to gross errors when applied to measurements near a trailing edge where the flow curvature in the free stream is appreciable. This paper presents a double vortex sheet model as a development from the single vortex sheet model of Helmholtz and others. Two bound vortex sheets define a potential function which can describe a flow with the same mass and momentum flux deficiencies as the viscous regions. The bound nature of these sheets allows the modelling of the integral properties of these regions while retaining the advantages of a potential flow. The application to the flow near the trailing edge of a lifting aerofoil is given     

Meander of a fin trailing vortex and the origin of its turbulence

The low-frequency meander of a trailing vortex shed from a tapered fin installed on a wind tunnel wall has been studied using stereoscopic particle image velocimetry in the near-wake at Mach 0.8. Distributions of the instantaneous vortex position reveal that the meander amplitude increases with downstream distance and decreases with vortex strength, indicating meander is induced external to the vortex. Trends with downstream distance suggest meander begins on the fin surface, prior to vortex shedding. Mean vortex properties are unaltered when considered in the meandering reference frame, apparently because turbulent fluctuations in the vortex shape and strength dominate positional variations. Conversely, a large peak of artificial turbulent kinetic energy is found centered in the vortex core, which almost entirely disappears when corrected for meander, though some turbulence remains near the core radius. Turbulence originating at the wind tunnel wall was shown to contribute to vortex meander by energizing the incoming boundary layer using low-profile vortex generators and observing a substantial increase in the meander amplitude, while greater turbulent kinetic energy penetrates the vortex core. An explanatory mechanism has been hypothesized, in which the vortex initially forms at the apex of the swept leading edge of the fin where it is exposed to turbulent fluctuations within the wind tunnel wall boundary layer, introducing an instability into the incipient vortex core.     

Estimation of the losses in hydrodynamic cascades due to periodic flow unsteadiness

The losses in hydrodynamic cascades caused by periodic flow unsteadiness are theoretically estimated on the assumption that the losses are due to energy expenditure to the formation of unsteady trailing vortices shed from the profiles of the cascades. The trailing vortex intensity is determined within the framework of the inviscid fluid model, by solving the corresponding problems in the linear formulation. The work done on the trailing vortex formation is determined by the increment of the kinetic energy of the flow induced by the corresponding vortices. Examples of calculations are presented for the case of periodic unsteadiness of the flow due to the hydrodynamic interaction of the cascades. The calculated results are compared with the experimental data.     

Isothermal velocity and turbulence measurements downstream of a model multilobed turbofan mixer

An isothermal experimental investigation of the three dimensional flow field downstream of a model multilobed turbofan forced mixer is presented. LDA measurements of the three mean velocities and corresponding turbulence intensities were obtained in the downstream duct where the turbine (primary) and fan (secondary) streams emerging from the lobes mix together. The flow development in the near field was quantified by measuring the cross plane velocities. These were found to consist of large radial flows, of order 15% of the mean axial velocities at the lobe inlet, with changing sign depending on location. The cross-plane flow is consistent with a large scale axial vortex pair (per lobe) which persists throughout the downstream duct and enhances mixing in this region. Turbulence generation and anisotropy of the turbulence structure were evident mainly in the shear layers formed as the fan and turbine streams emanated from the lobe trailing edge. Spatial uniformity in the mean and turbulent fields was measured as little as five heights downstream of the mixer exit, indicating the rapid mixing achievable in these systems.     

Three-dimensional wake dynamics of a blunt and divergent trailing edge airfoil

The wake dynamics of an airfoil with a blunt and divergent trailing edge is investigated experimentally at relatively high Reynolds. The near wake topology is examined versus different levels of free stream turbulence FST and angles of attack, while the downstream wake evolution is characterized at various levels of FST. The FST is found to have a significant effect on the shapes of turbulence profiles and on the downstream location where the flow reaches its quasi-asymptotic behavior. Streamwise vortices (ribs) corresponding to spanwise variations of turbulence quantities are identified in the near wake region. Simultaneous multi-point hot-wire measurements indicate that their spatial arrangement is similar to Williamson’s (Ann Rev Fluid Mech 29:477–539, 1996) mode B laminar wake flow topology. The results suggest that the statistical spanwise distribution of ribs is independent of FST effects and angle of attack as long as the vortex shedding Strouhal number remains approximately similar.     

Asymmetric vortex shedding flow past an inclined flat plate at high incidence

This paper reports an experimental investigation of the vortex shedding wake behind a long flat plate inclined at a small angle of attack to a main flow stream. Detailed velocity fields are obtained with particle-image velocimetry (PIV) at successive phases in a vortex shedding cycle at three angles of attack, α=20°, 25° and 30°, at a Reynolds number Re≈5,300. Coherent patterns and dynamics of the vortices in the wake are revealed by the phase-averaged PIV vectors and derived turbulent properties. A vortex street pattern comprising a train of leading edge vortices alternating with a train of trailing edge vortices is found in the wake. The trailing edge vortex is shed directly from the sharp trailing edge while there are evidences that the formation and shedding of the leading edge vortex involve a more complicated mechanism. The leading edge vortex seems to be shed into the wake from an axial location near the trailing edge. After shedding, the vortices are convected downstream in the wake with a convection speed roughly equal to 0.8 the free-stream velocity. On reaching the same axial location, the trailing edge vortex, as compared to the leading edge vortex, is found to possess a higher peak vorticity level at its centre and induce more intense fluid circulation and Reynolds stresses production around it. It is found that the results at the three angles of attack can be collapsed into similar trends by using the projected plate width as the characteristic length of the flow.     

A DPIV study of the trailing vortex elements from the blades of a horizontal axis wind turbine in yaw

Digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) has been used in a wind tunnel study to measure the velocity field of the trailing vortices from the blades of a horizontal axis wind-turbine (HWAT) in yaw. The creation of the trailing vortex circulation is shown to vary as a function of the phase angle of the rotor and the angle of yaw between the wind and turbine rotor. The strength of the convecting vorticity was also shown to vary with time. The initial formation of the vortex is shown determined by the flow expansion angle while in yawed flows the developing vortex is then influenced by the vortex sheet shed from the inboard blade trailing edge. This interaction is shown to significantly affect the roll up of the tip vortex. Received: 17 December 1997/Accepted: 16 June 1999     

A discrete-vortex model for the arbitrary motion of a thin airfoil with fluidic control

A low-order model for the arbitrary motion of a thin airfoil with trailing edge fluidic control is derived from basic fluid mechanics principles. The model consist of solving a single ordinary differential equation with a special treatment of a vortex shedding criteria. The model is compared with experimental and high-order numerical simulations and the results give a reasonable means of predicting the lift and moment on a thin airfoil. Furthermore, the model is extended to account for the actuation and control due to the synthetic jet actuation near the trailing edge. The model response is compared to experimental results.