Turbulence under spilling breakers using discrete wavelets

Measurements of the kinetic energy of turbulence under spilling waves have been analysed using orthogonal wavelets. Data have been collected using 2-D laser Doppler velocimetry for pre-breaking regular waves, generated in a wave tank. The contribution of different scale vortices is computed, and also phase resolved. It is found that micro-vortices (2 mm <l<0.10 m for the tested case) and mid-size vortices (0.10 m<l<4.0 m for the tested case) are generally dominant, carrying more than 70% of the total turbulence energy under the wave crest. The phase resolved energy spectra are computed, which allows the computation of the transverse and of the longitudinal correlations. Published online: 23 November 2002     

Dispersion of linear gravity waves on a viscoelastic fluid in an horizontal canal

A characteristic equation is derived that describes the spatial decay of linear surface gravity waves on Maxwell fluids. Except at small frequencies, the derived dispersion relation is different from the temporal decay dispersion relation which is normally studied within fluid mechanics. The implications for waves on viscous Newtonian fluids using the two different dispersion relations is briefly discussed. The wave number is measured experimentally as function of the frequency in a horizontal canal. Seven Newtonian fluids and four viscoelastic liquids with constant viscosity have been used in the experiments. The spatial decay theory for Newtonian fluids fits well to the experimental data. The model and experiments are used to determine limits for the Maxwell fluid time numbers for the four viscoelastic liquids. As a result of low viscosity it was not possible within this study to obtain these time numbers from oscillatory experiments. Therefore, a comparison of surface gravity wave experiments with theory is applicable as a method to evaluate memory times of low viscosity viscoelastic fluids.     

Fourier transform profilometry for water waves: how to achieve clean water attenuation with diffusive reflection at the water surface?

We present a study of the damping of capillary-gravity waves in water containing pigments. The practical interest comes from a recent profilometry technique (FTP for Fourier Transform Profilometry) using fringe projection onto the liquid-free surface. This experimental technique requires diffusive reflection of light on the liquid surface, which is usually achieved by adding white pigments. It is shown that the use of most paint pigments causes a large enhancement of the damping of the waves. Indeed, these paints contain surfactants which are easily adsorbed at the air–water interface. The resulting surface film changes the attenuation properties because of the resonance-type damping between capillary-gravity waves and Marangoni waves. We study the physicochemical properties of coloring pigments, showing that particles of the anatase (TiO₂) pigment make the water surface light diffusive while avoiding any surface film effects. The use of the chosen particles allows to perform space-time resolved FTP measurements on capillary-gravity waves, in a liquid with the damping properties of pure water.     

A Study of Strain Rate Effects for Turbulent Premixed Flames with Application to LES of a Gas Turbine Combustor Model

Large-scale strain rate field, a resolved quantity which is easily computable in large-eddy simulations (LES), could have profound effects on the premixed flame properties by altering the turbulent flame speed and inducing local extinction. The role of the resolved strain rate has been investigated in a posterior LES study of GE lean premixed dry low-NOx emissions LM6000 gas turbine combustor model. A novel approach which is based on the coupling of the linear-eddy model with a one-dimensional counterflow solver has been applied to obtain the parameterizations of the resolved premixed flame properties in terms of the reactive progress variable, the local strain rate measure, and local Reynolds and Karlovitz numbers. The strain rate effects have been analyzed by comparing LES statistics for several models of the turbulent flame speed, i.e, with and without accounting for the local strain rate effects, with available experimental data. The sensitivity of the simulation results to the inflow velocity conditions as well as the grid resolution have been also studied. Overall, the results obtained demonstrate that the effects of the resolved strain rate are not dominant for the considered premixed flame configuration and the unstrained turbulent flame speed model is found to perform as well as the one that allows for the strain rate effects.     

Wave propagation in linear viscoelastic plates of various thicknesses

Experiments were conducted to observe plate waves travelling in polymethylmethacrylate, polyethylene, and glass plates of various thicknesses at several distances of wave travel, when the plates have been subjected to a transverse surface impact by a steel ball. It has been shown that if Poisson's ratio is taken to be a real constant, the shapes of the plate waves can be calculated when the initial disturbance and the viscoelastic properties of the medium are known. It was found possible to predict quite well the shape of the plate waves observed in the experiments. The plate waves were shown, both theoretically and experimentally, to be of a different character than those observed on the free surfaces of large block materials. The effect of the height of ball drop and contacting ball radius on pulse shape was noted.     

Separation of elastic waves in split Hopkinson bars using one-point strain measurements

A method for the analysis of elastic waves in split Hopkinson bars for unlimited time durations is presented. This method allows the separation of component waves traveling in opposite directions in each bar using the strain history measured at one point on the bar and a known end condition for it. The method extends the time period for which valid experimental data can be extracted for a split Hopkinson bar apparatus and eliminates the need for a second independent measurement of the stress waves required in other methods for such extended analyses. Comparisons with the two-point method, which requires two independent strain measurements, show good agreement between the two methods. The accuracy and feasibility of the method are demonstrated through its application to impact experiments on composite laminates. The use of the current method in determining the response of a fiber-reinforced composite laminate under impact loading is described.     

Mass transfer enhancement by capillary waves at a liquid–vapour interface

We present experimental results showing that large amplitude capillary waves at a liquid–vapour interface substantially enhance the interfacial heat and mass transfer. The experiments have been conducted in a circular cylinder that is partially filled with a wetting liquid of low boiling point temperature and pressurized by its vapour. The interfacial capillary waves are sub-harmonically excited by oscillating the circular cylinder at 50 Hz with forcing amplitude A in the direction normal to the liquid surface. The upper part of the test cell containing the vapour is heated to a temperature slightly below the boiling point temperature at the operating pressure. When the interface is at rest, the pressure decrease due to condensation is small. However, in the presence of interfacial capillary waves the rate of pressure decrease is substantial. The results show that the vapour condensation rate with respect to the diffusive vapour flux at an undisturbed interface, which is a Nusselt number, increases with the square of the wave amplitude that is proportional to the forcing amplitude. A model is developed that expresses the pressure variation in terms of Jacob number, the temperature gradient in the liquid at the interface and the capillary wave motion. This model allows extrapolation of the results to other fluids and configurations.     

A device for measuring the velocity of ultrasonic waves: An application to stress analysis

In this paper we present a device for the practical application of an ultrasonic critical-angle refractometry (UCRfr) technique. UCRfr is a technique for measuring the velocity of longitudinal, shear and Rayleight waves, developed to improve the traditional ultrasonic methods for measuring the stress level in materials by means of acousto-elasticity. The technique consists of relating the variations in wave propagation velocity to variations in the angle of refraction at the interface with a second medium. Variations in the angle of refraction are determined on the basis of delay in receiving of the same wave at two different points. The study deals with the measurements of velocity changes of longitudinal wave due to uniaxial stress. In the present work the effects of stress on aluminum and steel specimens have been studied. Experimentation has show the potential of the technique for stress measurement; on the other hand, when the applied stress is known, it allows the measurement of the acoustoelastic constants of longitudinal waves. As regards measuring variations in velocity induced by stress, using this method it is possible, with a suitable choice of the material the device is made of, to isolate the effects of stress on velocity from the possible effects of temperature.     

URANS prediction of flow fluctuations in rod bundle with split-type spacer grid

Turbulent flow in a rod bundle with split-type spacer grid has been studied using Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) approach. In the previous studies of turbulent flow in rod bundles URANS (as well as steady-state RANS) simulations predicted mean velocity profiles fairly well. However, they severely underpredicted velocity fluctuations, which is investigated in the present study. Our simulations were performed with the Shear Stress Transport (SST) turbulence model and automatic wall-treatment using OpenFOAM, an open-source CFD code. Results of URANS simulations are compared with the measurements of the MATiS-H experiment, which was performed at Korean Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) in 2011–2012.The URANS predictions of velocity fluctuations have been improved by appropriately summing up fluctuations resolved by the basic URANS model and non-resolved fluctuations, which were modelled with the turbulence model. This treatment of turbulent fluctuations, which are directly measured in high-quality experiments, allows more detailed evaluation of various URANS turbulence models. It was found out that the best agreement is achieved when resolved and modelled fluctuations are assumed to be uncorrelated, which indicates that the large-scale structures in this particular flow are distinct in the spectral space from the rest of turbulence. Turbulent flow in the MATiS-H experiment was reproduced by numerous authors using different approaches and our results are among the most accurate.     

Laboratory experiments on internal wave interactions with a pycnocline

Laboratory experiments have been performed to investigate the interaction of internal waves with a pycnocline. An oscillating cylinder generated internal wave beams, which were observed using the synthetic schlieren technique. Internal waves incident on the pycnocline layer excited higher-frequency modes. In the absence of shear, a discrete spectrum of harmonic modes was generated due to nonlinear effects. These harmonic modes might play a role in the formation of internal solitary waves which have been observed in ocean pycnoclines. With shear, a continuous spectrum of excited modes was found.     

Production of periodically modulated laser-driven blast waves in a clustering gas

To study hydrodynamic behavior on thin shell high Mach number blast waves, experiments have been performed in which spatially tailored shock waves have been launched in a gas of clusters using an intense 35 fs laser pulse. The target medium was first modified by destroying clusters in specific locations using a spatially modulated laser focus. Under subsequent intense laser irradiation, the efficient absorption properties of the remaining clustered regions compared to those regions with no clusters led to a pattern of hot and cold plasma resulting in a cylindrical blast wave with a periodic modulation imprinted on the shock front. This technique may provide a method for studying thin shell instabilities in strongly radiative blast waves.     

Laser generated and recorded transient bending waves in composite tubes

Propagating bending waves are studied in three different composite tubes by holographic interferometry. A conical mirror is placed axially inside the tubes. Axial illumination and observation directions make it possible to view the circumference of the tube, with a high sensitivity to radial deformation. It is shown how the deformation field can be numerically evaluated using a phase stepping and unwrapping technique. Transient bending waves in the tubes are both generated and recorded by the same pulsed laser, which makes the experiments easy to perform. Finite element simulations of the impacted tubes are compared to corresponding experiments. Both the geometry and the material properties of the tubes affect the wave propagation. For unidirectional composite tubes, the 0-deg and 90-deg directions have different dynamic behavior. The proposed method could be used in nondestructive testing of tubes.     

Color schlieren deflectometry study of jet mixing: effect of buoyancy and perforation

Mixing of jets is crucial for optimal performance of many industrial applications and there is a need to optimize both nozzle geometry and flow conditions. The present study reports the influence of buoyancy and perforation on mixing between a jet and its environment. Optical techniques are ideal for the study of jet mixing due to their non-intrusive and inertia free properties. The present study gives an account of mixing between helium jet and the ambient fluid using a combination of color schlieren deflectometry and radial tomographic mathematics. Four different perforation sizes have been used and the experiments are performed for Reynolds numbers 21–676 and Richardson numbers 3.27–0.0015. Color schlieren images show distinct influence of perforation and flow conditions (Richardson number). Oxygen concentration and jet width quantify effectiveness of jet mixing. Buoyancy plays an important role in mixing at high Richardson number. Perforation improves jet mixing i.e. there is about 120% increase in jet width and the size of perforation plays an important role.     

Time and spatially resolved measurements of interfacial waves in vertical annular flow

Film thickness measurements have been performed in a vertical air/water annular flow in a pipe of 0.05 m diameter. A sensor has been built which allows to measure the film thickness evolution in time at 320 positions, such that the interface of the vertical annular flow can be reconstructed. The large-scale structures moving on the interface are described statistically, with a special attention to the disturbance waves. Probability density functions and mean statistics are given for the height, length, velocity, frequency and spatial distribution of the disturbance waves. In particular, it is shown that the disturbance waves are three-dimensional structures with large height fluctuations in the circumferential and axial direction, giving a meandering path between the maximum height around the circumference. It is also shown that the disturbance waves can flow with a slight inclination with respect to the axial direction. Finally, the disturbance waves are shown to be located randomly in space, within a Gamma distribution whose order only depends on the liquid superficial velocity. Due to the nature of the Gamma distribution, it could indicate that the spatial distribution of the disturbance waves results from a cascade of coalescence processes between the original disturbance waves on the film.     

Water waves in an elastic vessel

Linear and nonlinear analyses of water waves in an elastic vessel are carried out to study the dramatic phenomena of Dragon Wash as well as related controllable experiments. It is proposed that the capillary edge waves are generated by parametric resonance, which is shown to be a possible mechanism for both rectangular an circular vessels. For circular vessel, the normal geometric resonance is also operating, thus greatly enhance the dramatic effect. The mechanism of nonlinear mode-mode interaction is proposed for the generation of axisymmetric low-frequency gravity waves by the high- frequency external excitation. A simple model system is studied numerically to demonstrate explicitly this interaction mechanism.     

Phase and signal velocities of waves in dissipative media. Special relativistic theory

The signal and phase velocities (and their frequency dependence) for all possible plane waves in a relativistic gas (of molecules or photons) with dissipation have been determined from the linearized relativistic 13-moment theory. For each direction in 3-space, and for each frequency, one transverse and two longitudinal waves were found. (In addition, some waves are associated with the mass flow and have the mass flow speed.) Of the longitudinal waves, the fast one is a pressure (sound) wave. It is accompanied by a slow longitudinal thermal dissipation wave and a transverse viscous dissipation wave. The pressure wave has a velocity larger than the Laplace adiabatic speed of sound, while the two dissipation waves have a velocity less than the Laplace speed. All the speeds have been expressed explicitly in terms of quantities associated with the state of equilibrium which existed before passage of the wave. It has also been shown that in the ultrarelativistic limit (extremely high temperatures) all signal speeds remain less than the speed of light in vacuo.The major part of this article was presented at the Seminar on Natural Philosophy at The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, on November 24, 1971.     

Simultaneous quantitative flow measurement using PIV on both sides of the air–water interface for breaking waves

An experimental method for simultaneously measuring the velocity fields on the air and water side of unsteady breaking waves is presented. The method includes a novel technique for seeding the air flow such that the air velocity can be resolved in the absence of wind. Low density particles that have large Stokes drag and ability to respond to high-frequency flow fluctuations are used to seed the air flow. Multi-camera, multi-laser particle image velocimetry setups are applied to small-scale unsteady breaking waves, yielding fully time-resolved velocity fields. The surface tension of the fluid is altered and controlled to form spilling breaking waves. Results for the velocity and vorticity fields of representative spilling breakers, which show shedding of an air-side vortex and well-documented generation of water-side vorticity, are presented and discussed.     

Three-dimensional evolution of wind waves from gravity-capillary to short gravity range

We report the first systematic laboratory observations of 3-D features of wind waves at early stages of wave field development. The experiments performed in the large IRPHE-Luminy wind-wave tank provided instantaneous reconstruction of the decimeter-scale water surface motions based on simultaneous imaging of the wave slopes in two perpendicular directions. Five essentially distinct regimes in the 3-D evolution of the dominant waves have been identified. Each regime is characterized by different types of 3-D wave patterns associated with specific ranges of wave scale and wave steepness. The likely scenario of the evolution and the possible physical mechanisms of the pattern formation are discussed.     

A new variable inclination shock tube for multiple investigations

A new variable inclination shock tube has been set up especially for the visualization of shock induced high speed flows. This device allows for the generation of shock waves of Mach numbers ranging from 1.05 to 4, moving horizontally, vertically from up to down or the opposite, or with any inclination angle. It is coupled with a suitable high-speed camera shadowgraph visualization system, and the whole facility has been realized so as to be both very easy to use and movable. We believe this example could be of interest to scientists interested in starting experiments on shock wave induced multi-phase complex flows.     

A non-hydrostatic numerical scheme for dispersive waves generated by bottom motion

A numerical scheme based on the staggered finite volume method is presented at the aim of studying surface waves generated by a bottom motion. We address the 2D Euler equations in which the vertical domain is resolved only by one layer. The resulting non-hydrostatic scheme is used to simulate surface waves generated by bottom motion in a water tank. Here we mimic Hammack experiments numerically, in which a bed section is moved upwards or downwards, resulting in transient dispersive waves. For an impulsive downward bottom thrust, free surface responds in terms of a negative leading wave, followed with dispersive train of waves. For an upward bottom thrust, amplitude of the leading wave decays as the wave propagates, and no wave of permanent form evolves— instead, there appears a train of solitons. In this article, we show that our numerical scheme can produce the correct wave profiles, comparable with the analytical and experimental results of Hammack. Simulations using intermediate and slow bottom motions are also presented. In addition, we perform a simulation of a wave generated by submerged landslide, that compares well against previous numerical simulations. Via this simulation, we demonstrate that our scheme can incorporate a moving wet–dry boundary algorithm in the run-up simulation.