Coherent Structures Formation During Wake-Boundary Layer Interaction on a LP Turbine Blade

Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurements have been analyzed in order to characterize the dynamics of coherent structures (eddies and streaks) within the suction side boundary layer of a low pressure turbine cascade perturbed by impinging wakes. To this end, the instantaneous flow fields at low Reynolds number and elevated free-stream turbulence intensity level (simulating the real condition of the blade row within the engine) were investigated in two orthogonal planes (a blade-to-blade and a wall-parallel plane). Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) has been employed to filter the instantaneous flow maps allowing a better visualization of the structures involved in the transition process of the boundary layer. For the unsteady case properly selected POD modes have been also used to sort the instantaneous PIV images in the wake passage period. This procedure allows computing phase-averaged data and visualizing structures size and intensity in the different parts of the boundary layer during the different wake passage phases. The contributions to the whole shear stress due to the largest spanwise oriented scales at the leading and trailing boundaries of the wake-jet structures and those associated with streaky structures observed in the bulk of the wake are discussed. Instantaneous images in the wall-parallel plane are filtered with POD and they allow us to further highlight the occurrence of low and high speed traveling streaks (Klebanoff mode). The periodic advection along the suction side of the high turbulent content regions carried by the wakes anticipates both formation and sinuous instability of the streaks inside the boundary layer as compared with the steady case. The dynamics driving the breakdown of the streaks and the consequent formation of nuclei with high wall-normal vorticity have been found to be almost the same in the steady and the unsteady cases. Auto-correlation of the instantaneous images are also presented in order to highlight analogies and differences in the size and spacing of streaks in the two cases. These results are also compared with the available literature concerning simplified geometries (i.e flat plate) operating under steady inflow.     

固体颗粒对半球扰动尾迹影响的实验研究

采用粒子图像测速技术(particle image velocimetry, PIV)研究固体颗粒对放置在平板层流边界层中半球粗糙元尾迹的影响. 实验采集了清水和加入粒径为140 $\mu$m, 220 $\mu$m, 350$\mu$m聚苯乙烯固体颗粒4种工况下二维速度场信息, 基于半球半径的雷诺数为994 ($Re_R=RU/\upsilon$), 固体颗粒的体积浓度为$3.0\times10^{-5}$. 对比清水和两相工况下的平均速度剖面、湍流强度等宏观统计量, 分析固体颗粒对半球尾迹流动宏观特性的影响. 分别利用沿流向不同位置的流向脉动速度的二维空间相关系数和法向脉动速度的功率谱密度函数分析颗粒对尾迹结构演化过程及尾迹结构脱落频率的影响. 结果发现: 与清水相比, 回流区随颗粒粒径增大而逐渐增大; 颗粒使湍流强度增大, 回流区的存在导致在半球后流向位置$2R$前后区域湍流强度呈现不同变化趋势; 颗粒使尾迹结构的流向尺度减小并且随着颗粒粒径的增大先减小后增大; 在尾迹结构运动过程中颗粒的存在促进了尾迹结构的周期性加速和减速运动, 促进作用随着颗粒粒径的增大先增强后减弱; 颗粒的存在促进了尾迹结构的脱落, 脱落频率随颗粒粒径的增大先增大后减小.      

A study of boundary layer–wake interaction in shallow open channel flows

This paper describes an experimental investigation of the interaction between the boundary layer on a horizontal floor of a shallow open channel flow and the wake of a thin flat plate mounted vertically on the floor of the channel. The nominal thickness of the flat plate was limited to 2 mm in order to minimize the effect of the flume side walls on the generated wake. Two flat plate chord to thickness ratios (10 and 25) and two depths of flow (50 and 80 mm) were considered. The boundary layer thickness of the approaching flow was comparable with the depth of flow. The recovery of the boundary layer is then studied by observing the characteristics of the velocity profile downstream of the flat plate along the wake axis. The results indicate that the recovery process is slow, and that it is clearly non-monotonic. When compared with the approaching flow, the streamwise turbulence intensity values increase in the near-wake region followed by a gradual but slow decrease with increasing axial distance. Neither mean nor higher-order moments indicate a complete recovery even at large distances from the wake generator. The present results also indicate that the inner region appears to develop more quickly than the outer flow. Since the development of the quasi-two-dimensional wake is also of interest, velocity measurements are also presented along the wake cross-section. These velocity profiles indicate that the wake effects are still prevalent at 200 plate widths downstream of the wake generator. Through a proper choice of scaling variables, the mean velocity profiles across the wake can be collapsed onto a single curve, indicating a sense of similarity. Received: 23 September 1999/Accepted: 30 August 2000     

Experimental study of boundary-layer transition on an airfoil induced by periodically passing wake

 Hot-wire measurements are performed in boundary-layer flows developing on a NACA 0012 airfoil over which wakes pass periodically. The periodic wakes are generated by rotating circular cylinders clockwise or counterclockwise around the airfoil. The time- and phase-averaged mean streamwise velocities and turbulence fluctuations are measured to investigate the phenomena of wake-induced transition. Especially, the phase-averaged wall shear stresses are evaluated using a computational Preston tube method. The passing wakes significantly change the pressure distribution on the airfoil, which has influence on the transition process of the boundary layer. The orientation of the passing wake alters the pressure distribution in a different manner. Due to the passing wake, the turbulent patches are generated inside the laminar boundary layer on the airfoil, and the boundary layer becomes temporarily transitional. The patches propagate downstream at a speed smaller than the free-stream velocity and merge together further downstream. Relatively high values of phase-averaged turbulence fluctuations in the outer part of the boundary layer indicate the possibility that breakdown occurs in the outer layer away from the wall. It is confirmed that the phase-averaged mean velocity profile has two dips in the outer region of the transitional boundary layer for each passing cycle. Received: 12 February 2001 / Accepted: 6 July 2001 Published online: 23 November 2001     

壁面温度在多参数下对平板边界层的影响研究

为了得到壁面温度在不同来流速度、不同湍流强度条件下对边界层转捩与减阻的影响规律,本文采用Transitionk-kl-ω模型对低来流速度下无压力梯度的光滑平板进行了数值模拟。结果表明,随着来流速度的升高,壁温升高所起到的减阻效果更好,即高来流速度对壁面温度更为敏感。当来流处于中高湍流强度下时,壁温升高能起到推迟转捩的作用,且随着湍流强度的升高,转捩推迟的效果越好,但减阻效果正好相反;当来流处于低湍流强度下时,壁温升高会使得转捩提前发生。壁温升高抑制了边界层内流体的脉动程度,使得层流的稳态不易被破坏,流动更加稳定;同时,壁温升高使得边界层内流体的速度梯度减小,从而降低了壁面摩擦系数,故壁温升高能起到推迟边界层转捩与减阻的作用。     

DIRECT NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF TURBINE CASCADE FLOW WITH HEAT TRANSFER EFFECTS

低雷诺数流动对高空动力装置, 特别是涡轮部件的性能产生重要的影响. 本文采用具有7阶精度的差分格式, 通过直接求解二维瞬态可压缩Navier-Stokes方程组, 对雷诺数为241 800 (基于叶片弦长)时的叶片表面带有热传导效应的平面涡轮叶栅流动进行了二维直接数值模拟, 对低雷诺数平面涡轮叶栅流动的非定常流动现象作了初步的探索.数值结果表明:在叶栅通道入口处, 流场的非定常性很弱;在叶栅尾缘处, 具有正负涡量的尾涡交替地从压力面和吸力面上脱落;周期性的涡脱落使得叶栅通道内和尾迹区的总压发生(准)周期的变化, 并且, 尾迹区总压变化主频率是通道内总压变化主频率的2倍;在时均流场中, 叶片表面压力的分布与实验值吻合良好, 表征热传导效应的斯坦顿数除湍流区外与实验值基本吻合;尾迹区速度脉动的2阶统计量与圆柱绕流尾迹区速度脉动2阶统计量具有基本相似的分布特征.     

Comparison of Two Unsteady Intermittency Models for Bypass Transition Prediction on a Turbine Blade Profile

The present paper evaluates two unsteady transition modelling approaches: the prescribed unsteady intermittency method PUIM, developed at Cambridge University and the dynamic unsteady intermittency method developed at Ghent University. The methods are validated against experimental data for the N3-60 steam turbine stator profile for steady and for unsteady inlet flow conditions. The characteristic features of the test case are moderately high Reynolds number and high inlet turbulence intensity, which causes bypass transition. The tested models rely both on the intermittency parameter and are unsteady approaches. In the prescribed method, the time-dependent intermittency distribution is obtained from integral relations. In the dynamic method, the intermittency distribution follows from time-dependent differential equations. For unsteady computations, self-similar wake profiles are prescribed at the inlet of the computational domain. Joint validation of the prescribed and the dynamic unsteady intermittency models against experimental data shows that both methods are able to reproduce the global features of the periodical evolution of the boundary layer under the influence of a periodically impinging wake. The overall quality of the dynamic method is better than that of the prescribed method.     

Modelling of Unsteady Transition in Low-Pressure Turbine Blade Flows with Two Dynamic Intermittency Equations

A transition model for describing wake-induced transition is presented based on the SST turbulence model by Menter and two dynamic equations for intermittency: one for near-wall intermittency and one for free-stream intermittency. In the Navier-Stokes equations, the total intermittency factor, which is the sum of the two, multiplies the turbulent viscosity computed by the turbulence model. The quality of the transition model is illustrated on the T106A test cascade for two Reynolds numbers, using experimental results by Stieger and Hodson for transition mainly due to kinematic wake impact on a separation bubble. The quality of the model is also revealed on the T106D test cascade using experimental results from Hilgenfeld, Stadtmuller and Fottner for wake turbulence induced transition. The test cases differ in pitch to chord ratio, Reynolds number and inlet free-stream turbulence intensity, causing different transition mechanisms. The unsteady results are presented in space-time diagrams of shape factor and wall shear stress on the suction side. The results show the capability of the model to capture the physics of unsteady transition in separated state. Inevitable shortcomings are revealed as well.     

Characteristics of a trailing flap flow with small separation

Detailed measurements of pressure and velocity characteristics are reported for the flow on and downstream of a trailing flap, whose 16 degree angle of incidence resulted in boundary layer separation, a small region of recirculating flow, and a curved downstream wake. Emphasis is placed on the region of recirculating flow and on the downstream wake. The characteristics were quantified by the use of pressure, hot-wire, and flying hot-wire probes. The flow characteristics are compared to those of a similar flow but with a larger region of recirculation reported by Thompson and Whitelaw (1985). The relative importance of the terms in the transport equations for mean momentum and turbulence energy are quantified and the implications of the results for viscous-inviscid interaction methods and turbulence modelling are discussed.     

Numerical Investigation of Unsteady Transitional Flows in Turbomachinery Components Based on a RANS Approach

This paper presents results of the numerical simulation of periodically unsteady flows with focus on turbomachinery applications. The unsteady CFD solver used for the simulations is based on the Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes equations. The numerical scheme applies an extended version of the Spalart–Allmaras one-equation turbulence model coupled with a transition correlation. The first example of validation consists of boundary layer flow with separation bubble on a flat plate, both under steady and periodically unsteady main flow conditions. The investigation includes a variation of the major parameters Strouhal number, amplitude, and Reynolds number. The second, more complex test case consists of the flow through a cascade of turbine blades which is influenced by wakes periodically passing over the cascade. The computations were carried out for two different blade loadings. The results of the numerical simulations are discussed and compared with experimental data in detail. Special emphasis is given to the investigation of boundary layers with regard to transition, separation and reattachment under the influence of main flow unsteadiness. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The unsteady drag on a spherical bubble at large Reynolds numbers

The flow past a spherical bubble undergoing a rectilinear motion in the unsteady flow of an unbounded liquid medium is investigated. The liquid velocity field at infinity is assumed to be uniform and the Reynolds number to be large. The Strouhal number is taken to be of order unity. The velocity distribution is sought by superposition of a perturbation field on the potential flow past the bubble so that the flow field is divided into four regions, i.e. the external flow field where the potential flow holds, the boundary layer, the rear stagnation point region and the wake. The flow in the rear stagnation point region and the wake is assumed to be essentially inertial. The unsteady drag experienced by the bubble is calculated from the mechanical energy balance of the liquid.     

Mean and turbulence measurements in the boundary layer and wake of a symmetric aerofoil

Detailed measurements of two-dimensional profiles of static pressure, mean velocity, turbulence intensity and Reynolds shear stress were carried out with conventional pressure probes and hot wire probes at preselected streamwise stations in the boundary layer and wake of a 12.5% thick, 600 mm chord two-dimensional symmetric aerofoil mounted at zero incidence in a low speed wind tunnel. The chord Reynolds number was one million and the wake measurements extended up to three chord lengths (or nearly 660 trailing edge momentum thicknesses) downstream of the trailing edge. The data indicate rapid interaction of the wall layers immediately behind the trailing edge, leading to significant changes in the flow parameters close to the trailing edge. The relaxation of the wake is preceded by initial ‘overshoot’ in the streamwise profiles of mean-flow parameters and peak values of turbulence components. Further growth of the wake towards similarity/equilibrium is discussed.     

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.     

Dynamic wind loads and wake characteristics of a wind turbine model in an atmospheric boundary layer wind

An experimental study was conducted to characterize the dynamic wind loads and evolution of the unsteady vortex and turbulent flow structures in the near wake of a horizontal axis wind turbine model placed in an atmospheric boundary layer wind tunnel. In addition to measuring dynamic wind loads (i.e., aerodynamic forces and bending moments) acting on the wind turbine model by using a high-sensitive force-moment sensor unit, a high-resolution digital particle image velocimetry (PIV) system was used to achieve flow field measurements to quantify the characteristics of the turbulent vortex flow in the near wake of the wind turbine model. Besides conducting “free-run” PIV measurements to determine the ensemble-averaged statistics of the flow quantities such as mean velocity, Reynolds stress, and turbulence kinetic energy (TKE) distributions in the wake flow, “phase-locked” PIV measurements were also performed to elucidate further details about evolution of the unsteady vortex structures in the wake flow in relation to the position of the rotating turbine blades. The effects of the tip-speed-ratio of the wind turbine model on the dynamic wind loads and wake flow characteristics were quantified in the terms of the variations of the aerodynamic thrust and bending moment coefficients of the wind turbine model, the evolution of the helical tip vortices and the unsteady vortices shedding from the blade roots and turbine nacelle, the deceleration of the incoming airflows after passing the rotation disk of the turbine blades, the TKE and Reynolds stress distributions in the near wake of the wind turbine model. The detailed flow field measurements were correlated with the dynamic wind load measurements to elucidate underlying physics in order to gain further insight into the characteristics of the dynamic wind loads and turbulent vortex flows in the wakes of wind turbines for the optimal design of the wind turbines operating in atmospheric boundary layer winds.     

A computational investigation of unsteady turbulent wake–boundary-layer interaction

The relative motion of rotor and stator blade rows in a turbomachine generates periodically unsteady flow on the blades due to travelling wake perturbations. To better understand the attendant wake–boundary-layer interaction a calculation procedure was developed to model the behaviour of this complex unsteady flow. Due to nonlinear interactions with the boundary layer, the travelling discrete frequency wakes were found to decrease the velocity profile shape factor. For the range of reduced frequencies examined (=0.33–9.33) the skin-friction coefficient was found to be frequency dependent. The calculated results for both steady and unsteady velocity profiles, and for skin friction compared well with experimental data. Although the agreement between measured and calculated velocity phase shift was poor, in both experimental and model results the negative phase shift throughout the boundary layer due to the travelling-wave fluctuations has been captured.     

Turbulence measurements in the inlet plane of a centrifugal compressor vaneless diffuser

Detailed flow measurements at the inlet of a centrifugal compressor vaneless diffuser are presented. The mean 3-d velocities and six Reynolds stress components tensor are used to determine the turbulence production terms which lead to total pressure loss. High levels of turbulence kinetic energy were observed in both the blade and passage wakes, but these were only associated with high Reynolds stresses in the blade wakes. For this reason the blade wakes mixed out rapidly, whereas the passage wake maintained its size, but was redistributed across the full length of the shroud wall. Peak levels of Reynolds stress occurred in regions of high velocity shear and streamline curvature which would tend to destabilize the shear gradient. Four regions in the flow are identified as potential sources of loss - the blade wake, the shear layers between passage wake and jet, the thickened hub boundary layer and the interaction region between the secondary flow within the blade wake and the passage vortex. The blade wakes generate most turbulence, with smaller contributions from the hub boundary layer and secondary flows, but no significant contribution is apparent from the passage wake shear layers.     

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.     

Planar velocity measurements of a two-dimensional compressible wake

The present study describes the application of particle image velocimetry (PIV) to investigate the compressible flow in the wake of a two-dimensional blunt base at a freestream Mach number M_X=2. The first part of the study addresses specific issues related to the application of PIV to supersonic wind tunnel flows, such as the seeding particle flow-tracing fidelity and the measurement spatial resolution. The seeding particle response is assessed through a planar oblique shock wave experiment. The measurement spatial resolution is enhanced by means of an advanced image-interrogation algorithm. In the second part, the experimental results are presented. The PIV measurements yield the spatial distribution of mean velocity and turbulence. The mean velocity distribution clearly reveals the main flow features such as expansion fans, separated shear layers, flow recirculation, reattachment, recompression and wake development. The turbulence distribution shows the growth of turbulent fluctuations in the separated shear layers up to the reattachment location. Increased velocity fluctuations are also present downstream of reattachment outside of the wake due to unsteady flow reattachment and recompression. The instantaneous velocity field is analyzed seeking coherent flow structures in the redeveloping wake. The instantaneous planar velocity and vorticity measurements return evidence of large-scale turbulent structures detected as spatially coherent vorticity fluctuations. The velocity pattern consistently shows large masses of fluid in vortical motion. The overall instantaneous wake flow is organized as a double row of counter-rotating structures. The single structures show vorticity contours of roughly elliptical shape in agreement with previous studies based on spatial correlation of planar light scattering. Peak vorticity is found to be five times higher than the mean vorticity value, suggesting that wake turbulence is dominated by the activity of large-scale structures. The unsteady behavior of the reattachment phenomenon is studied. Based on the instantaneous flow topology, the reattachment is observed to fluctuate mostly in the streamwise direction suggesting that the unsteady separation is dominated by a pumping-like motion.