Application of a Synthetic Jet to Control Boundary Layer Separation under Ultra-High-Lift Turbine Pressure Distribution

The transition and separation processes of the boundary layer developing on a flat plate under a prescribed adverse pressure gradient typical of Ultra-High-Lift low-pressure turbine profiles have been investigated, with and without the application of a synthetic jet (zero net mass flow rate jet). A mechanical piston has been adopted to produce an intermittent flow with zero net mass flow rate. The capability of the device to suppress or reduce the large laminar separation bubble occurring under steady inflow condition at low Reynolds numbers has been experimentally investigated by means of hot-wire measurements. Wall static pressure measurements complement the hot-wire time-resolved velocity results. The paper reports the investigations performed for both steady and controlled conditions. The active device is able to control the laminar separation bubble induced at low Reynolds number conditions by the strong adverse pressure gradient. An overall view of the time-dependent evolution of the controlled boundary layer is provided by the phase-locked ensemble averaging technique, triggered at the synthetic jet frequency. The separated flow transition process, which is detected for the uncontrolled condition, is modified by the synthetic jet in different ways during the blowing and suction phases. Overall, the phase-locked velocity distributions show a reduced separated flow region for the whole jet cycle as compared to the uncontrolled condition. The phase-locked distributions of the random unsteadiness allow the identification of vortical structures growing along the shear layer mainly during the blowing phase.     

Parametric study of separation and transition characteristics over an airfoil at low Reynolds numbers

Time-resolved surface pressure measurements are used to experimentally investigate characteristics of separation and transition over a NACA 0018 airfoil for the relatively wide range of chord Reynolds numbers from 50,000 to 250,000 and angles of attack from 0° to 21°. The results provide a comprehensive data set of characteristic parameters for separated shear layer development and reveal important dependencies of these quantities on flow conditions. Mean surface pressure measurements are used to explore the variation in separation bubble position, edge velocity in the separated shear layer, and lift coefficients with angle of attack and Reynolds number. Consistent with previous studies, the separation bubble is found to move upstream and decrease in length as the Reynolds number and angle of attack increase. Above a certain angle of attack, the proximity of the separation bubble to the location of the suction peak results in a reduced lift slope compared to that observed at lower angles. Simultaneous measurements of the time-varying component of surface pressure at various spatial locations on the model are used to estimate the frequency of shear layer instability, maximum root-mean-square (RMS) surface pressure, spatial amplification rates of RMS surface pressure, and convection speeds of the pressure fluctuations in the separation bubble. A power-law correlation between the shear layer instability frequency and Reynolds number is shown to provide an order of magnitude estimate of the central frequency of disturbance amplification for various airfoil geometries at low Reynolds numbers. Maximum RMS surface pressures are found to agree with values measured in separation bubbles over geometries other than airfoils, when normalized by the dynamic pressure based on edge velocity. Spatial amplification rates in the separation bubble increase with both Reynolds number and angle of attack, causing the accompanying decrease in separation bubble length. Values of the convection speed of pressure fluctuations in the separated shear layer are measured to be between 35 and 50% of the edge velocity, consistent with predictions of linear stability theory for separated shear layers.     

Effect of Local DBD Plasma Actuation on Transition in a Laminar Separation Bubble

This work examines the effect of local active flow control on stability and transition in a laminar separation bubble. Experiments are performed in a wind tunnel facility on a NACA 0012 airfoil at a chord Reynolds number of 130 000 and an angle of attack of 2 degrees. Controlled disturbances are introduced upstream of a laminar separation bubble forming on the suction side of the airfoil using a surface-mounted Dielectric Barrier Discharge plasma actuator. Time-resolved two-component Particle Image Velocimetry is used to characterise the flow field. The effect of frequency and amplitude of plasma excitation on flow development is examined. The introduction of artificial harmonic disturbances leads to significant changes in separation bubble topology and the characteristics of coherent structures formed in the aft portion of the bubble. The development of the bubble demonstrates strong dependence on the actuation frequency and amplitude, revealing the dominant role of incoming disturbances in the transition scenario. Statistical, topological and linear stability theory analysis demonstrate that significant mean flow deformation produced by controlled disturbances leads to notable changes in stability characteristics compared to those in the unforced baseline case. The findings provide a new outlook on the role of controlled disturbances in separated shear layer transition and instruct the development of effective flow control strategies.     

Loss Production Mechanisms in a Laminar Separation Bubble

The present paper reports the results of a detailed experimental study, carried out by means of a two-component Laser Doppler Velocimeter, aimed at investigating the loss generation mechanisms induced by laminar separation bubble and transition process. Measurements have been performed along a flat plate installed within a double contoured test section, designed to produce an adverse pressure gradient typical of Ultra-High-Lift turbine blade profiles, which induces the formation of a laminar separation bubble. Results were detailed enough to allow calculating laminar and turbulent deformation works in the separated flow region. Normal and shear contributions of both viscous and turbulent deformation works have been analyzed and employed to explain the generation of total pressure losses in the separated flow region, where the generation and amplification of Kelvin–Helmholtz instability induces the separated shear layer roll-up, thus the bubble reattachment. Results obtained for different Reynolds number conditions have been employed for the formulation of a loss scaling procedure involving the separated shear layer thickness, which is directly correlated to the dynamics of Kelvin–Helmholtz roll-up vortices.     

Boundary-layer transition on a cylinder with and without separation bubbles

Boundary layer transition with and without transitional separation bubbles was investigated on a cylinder in cross flow. Measurements of the pressure distribution and hot-wire measurements within the boundary layer were carried out at two free-stream velocities and with different flow disturbances. The separation bubble reacts very sensitively to changes in inlet turbulence. Tollmien-Schlichting waves were observed in the separated shear layer just before transition, and their frequencies were in good agreement with stability theory. However, correlations concerning bubble length which were fitted using airfoil data are apparently not suitable for describing separation bubbles on cylinders. Finally, measurements in periodically disturbed flow show how the bubble reacts to this type of disturbance.     

Experimental Study on the Behaviour of Local Laminar Separation Bubble at a Rectangular Wing Section

This paper identifies laminar separation bubbles at the root or span-wise midsection of a rectangular wing using direct surface pressure measurements in the wind tunnel and analyses their behavior at different Reynolds numbers and angles of attack. The separation, transition, and reattachment locations are determined as functions of the angles of attack and the Reynolds number. The transition structure and turbulence characteristics in the separated shear layer are studied using laser Doppler velocimetry. Surface pressure data and simultaneously acquired velocity signals are correlated to show the pattern of growing disturbances in the shear layer. Surface oil flow visualizations clarified the wingtip and separation bubble’s interactions near the leading edge of the wing at the higher angles of attack. Turbulence statistics are also calculated from the streamwise velocity distributions, and an apparent deviation is observed for the skewness and flatness values from the normal distributions in the near-wall region. The separation bubble effect on aerodynamic coefficients of a 3D rectangular wing root section is studied and reported.

     

DNS of a Laminar Separation Bubble in the Presence of Oscillating External Flow

A three-dimensional Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) of a laminar separation bubble in the presence of oscillating flow is performed. The oscillating flow induces a streamwise pressure gradient varying in time. The special shape of the upper boundary of the computational domain, together with the oscillating pressure gradient causes the boundary layer flow to alternately separate and re-attach. When the inflow decelerates, the shear layer starts to separate and rolls up. Simultaneously the flow becomes 3D. After a transient period, the phase-averaged reverse flow inside the separation bubble reaches speeds ranging from 20 up to 150% of the free-stream velocity. During these phases, the flow is absolutely unstable and self-sustained turbulence can exist. When the inflow starts to accelerate, a spanwise roll of turbulent flow is shed from the shear layer. Shortly after this, the remainder of the separation bubble moves downstream and rejoins with the shed turbulent roll. During the flow-acceleration phase, a patch of laminar boundary layer flow is obtained. Along the flat plate, a series of turbulent patches of flow travelling downstream, separated by laminar flow can be observed, reminiscent of boundary layer flow in a turbine cascade with periodically appearing free-stream disturbances.     

Wall shear stress characterization of a 3D bluff-body separated flow

Efficient flow control strategies aimed at reducing the aerodynamic drag of road vehicles require a detailed knowledge of the reference flow. In this work, the flow around the rear slanted window of a generic car model was experimentally studied through wall shear stress measurements using an electrochemical method. The mean and fluctuating wall shear stress within the wall impact regions of the recirculation bubble and the main longitudinal vortex structures which develop above the rear window are presented. Correlations allow a more detailed characterization of the recirculation phenomenon within the separation bubble. In the model symmetry plane the recirculation structure compares well with simpler 2D configurations; specific lengths, flapping motion and shedding of large-scale vortices are observed, these similarities diminish when leaving the middle plane due to the strong three-dimensionality of the flow. A specific attention is paid to the convection processes occurring within the recirculation: a downstream convection velocity is observed, in accordance with 2D recirculations from the literature, and an upstream convection is highlighted along the entire bubble length which has not been underlined in some previous canonical configurations.     

Separation flow control on a generic ground vehicle using steady microjet arrays

A model of a generic vehicle shape, the Ahmed body with a 25° slant, is equipped with an array of blowing steady microjets 6 mm downstream of the separation line between the roof and the slanted rear window. The goal of the present study is to evaluate the effectiveness of this actuation method in reducing the aerodynamic drag, by reducing or suppressing the 3D closed separation bubble located on the slanted surface. The efficiency of this control approach is quantified with the help of aerodynamic load measurements. The changes in the flow field when control is applied are examined using PIV and wall pressure measurements and skin friction visualisations. By activating the steady microjet array, the drag coefficient was reduced by 9–14% and the lift coefficient up to 42%, depending on the Reynolds number. The strong modification of the flow topology under progressive flow control is particularly studied.     

Separation control in a conical diffuser with an annular inlet: center body wake separation

In many practical applications of conical diffusers, the flow is fed by an annular flow passage formed by a center body. Flow separation, which occurs if the center body ends abruptly, is undesirable because it degrades the diffuser performance. The present experiment utilizes magnetic resonance velocimetry to acquire three-component mean velocity measurements for a set of conical diffusers with an annular inlet. The results show strong coupling between the diffuser wall boundary layer development and the wake of the center body. Coanda blowing is used to mitigate the center body wake separation. The diffuser wall boundary layer is thick in the absence of the central separation bubble and separates when Coanda blowing is too strong.     

On the robustness of separation control by streamwise vortices

The robustness of vane-type vortex generators (VGs) for separation flow control was studied in a separating turbulent boundary layer on a flat plate. VG arrays of different sizes and streamwise positions were positioned upstream of the separation bubble and their effect on the flow field was studied with the help of particle image velocimetry (PIV). The extent of the separated region was varied by changing the pressure gradient. Three different separation bubbles were produced and their extent was approximately doubled for each increase in pressure gradient. It was found that the sensitivity of the control effect to changes in the size of the separation bubble is small within the applied range of pressure gradients. Furthermore, the importance of the relative position of the VGs with respect to the separated region is small.     

Direct Numerical Simulation of a Fully Developed Turbulent Flow over a Wavy Wall

Turbulent flow over a sinusoidal solid wavy surface was investigated by a direct numerical simulation using a spectral element technique. The train of waves has an amplitude to wavelength ratio of 0.05. For the flow conditions (Re=hU _b/2ν= 3460) considered, adverse pressure gradients were large enough to cause flow separation. Numerical results compare favorably with those of Hudson's (1993) measurements. Instantaneous flow fields show a large variation of the flow pattern in the spanwise direction in the separated bubble at a given time. A surprising result is the discovery of occasional velocity bursts which originate in the separated region and extend over large distances away from the wavy wall. Turbulence in this region is very different from that near a flat wall in that it is associated with a shear layer which is formed by flow separation. Received 17 April 1996 and accepted 19 November 1997     

Turbulent flow in a ribbed channel: Flow structures in the vicinity of a rib

PIV measurements are performed in a channel with periodic ribs on one wall. The emphasis of this study is to investigate the flow structures in the vicinity of a rib in terms of mean velocities, Reynolds stresses, probability density functions (PDF), and two-point correlations. The PDF distribution of u′ is bimodal in the separated shear layer downstream of the rib. The maximum Reynolds shear stresses occur at the leading edge of the rib. Based on quadrant analysis, it is found that ejection motions make a dominant contribution to the Reynolds shear stress in this region. Moreover, topology-based visualization is applied to the separation bubble upstream of the rib. Salient critical points and limit cycles are extracted, which gives clues to the physical processes occurring in the flow.     

Étude du contrôle du décollement sur un profil d'aile par mesures PIV et analyse PODStudy of separation control on a wing profile using PIV measurements and POD analysis

The purpose of this study is the active control of flow separation on an ONERA D airfoil, using continuous blowing microjets. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) is used to measure velocity fields at midspan around the airfoil in both controlled and uncontrolled cases. Post-processing based on Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) is developed to exhibit the main energetic features of the flow. Therefore, the detailed study of the POD modes for separated and stalled cases leads to a better understanding of the control mechanisms. Moreover, the POD basis computed for uncontrolled and controlled cases, opens the way to optimisation of control strategies. To cite this article: J. Favier, A. Kourta, C. R. Mecanique 334 (2006).     

Flow development upstream of a fence

The effect of Reynolds number on the flow development upstream of a rigid, non-porous, static fence is investigated experimentally. The flow field is measured using time-resolved, two-component particle image velocimetry at Reynolds numbers based on fence height of 18000, 36000, and 54000. The results show that a laminar separation bubble forms upstream of the junction vortex at the base of the fence. The mean extent of the bubble decreases with increasing Reynolds number, with mean separation moving downstream and mean reattachment moving upstream. In the aft portion of the bubble, shear layer vortices form and are shed at scaled frequencies and wavelengths that are comparable to laminar separation bubble shedding in low Reynolds number airfoils and flat plates with an imposed adverse pressure gradient. The strong periodicity of the associated coherent structures and the proximity of shear layer roll-up relative to the fence should be taken into consideration in the relevant designs due to potential implications to structural loading. A simple flow separation prediction model combining inviscid fence flow solution with Thwaites’ method is introduced and shows good agreement with the experimental results for the Reynolds number range considered.     

Time-resolved and volumetric PIV measurements of a transitional separation bubble on an SD7003 airfoil

To comprehensively understand the effects of Kelvin–Helmholtz instabilities on a transitional separation bubble on the suction side of an airfoil regarding as to flapping of the bubble and its impact on the airfoil performance, the temporal and spatial structure of the vortices occurring at the downstream end of the separation bubble is investigated. Since the bubble variation leads to a change of the pressure distribution, the investigation of the instantaneous velocity field is essential to understand the details of the overall airfoil performance. This vortex formation in the reattachment region on the upper surface of an SD7003 airfoil is analyzed in detail at different angles of attack. At a Reynolds number Re _c < 100,000 the laminar boundary layer separates at angles of attack >4°. Due to transition processes, turbulent reattachment of the separated shear layer occurs enclosing a locally confined recirculation region. To identify the location of the separation bubble and to describe the dynamics of the reattachment, a time-resolved PIV measurement in a single light-sheet is performed. To elucidate the spatial structure of the flow patterns in the reattachment region in time and space, a stereo scanning PIV set-up is applied. The flow field is recorded in at least ten successive light-sheet planes with two high-speed cameras enclosing a viewing angle of 65° to detect all three velocity components within a light-sheet leading to a time-resolved volumetric measurement due to a high scanning speed. The measurements evidence the development of quasi-periodic vortex structures. The temporal dynamics of the vortex roll-up, initialized by the Kelvin–Helmholtz (KH) instability, is shown as well as the spatial development of the vortex roll-up process. Based on these measurements a model for the evolving vortex structure consisting of the formation of c-shape vortices and their transformation into screwdriver vortices is introduced.     

Analysis of the Reynolds stress component production in a laminar separation bubble

Proper Orthogonal Decomposition has been applied to Time-Resolved Particle Image Velocimetry data describing the dynamics of laminar separation bubbles. The mutual orthonormality of the POD modes of the velocity components has been accounted for to separate the contributions to the Reynolds stress tensor due to the different modes, thus to the stress production and the mean flow energy dissipation. The low frequency motion of the separated shear layer, the shedding phenomenon and the formation of finer scales in the rear part of the bubble have been clearly isolated, and their role in the turbulence production identified by means of reduced order models. The low frequency activity observed in the fore part of the separated flow region drives the turbulence production through the normal strain mechanism. Only in the rear part of the bubble the high shear between adjacent vortices establishes the more common shear strain production mechanism, that definitively dominates the transition process. A limited number of modes captures almost the whole process responsible for stress production, even though both Reynolds number and free-stream turbulence intensity levels affect the number of modes involved in the stress generation for different dynamics.     

Sliding of fine particles on the slip surface of rising gas bubbles: Resistance of liquid shear flows

In this paper a model was developed to describe the shear flow resistance force and torque acting on a fine particle as it slides on the slip surface of a rising gas bubble. The shear flow close to the bubble surface was predicted using a Taylor series and the numerical data obtained from the Navier–Stokes equations as a function of the polar coordinates at the bubble surface, the bubble Reynolds number, and the gas hold-up. The particle size was considered to be sufficiently small relative to the bubble size that the bubble surface could be locally approximated to a planar interface. The Stokes equation for the disturbance shear flows was solved for the velocity components and pressure using series of bispherical coordinates and the boundary conditions at the no-slip particle surface and the slip bubble surface. The solutions for the disturbance flows were then used to calculate the flow resistance force and torque on the particle as a function of the separation distance between the bubble and particle surfaces. The resistance functions were determined by dividing the actual force and torque by the corresponding (Stokes) force and torque in the bulk phase. Finally, numerical and simplified analytical rational approximate solutions for force correction factors for sliding particles as a function of the (whole range of the) separation distance are presented, which are in good agreement with the exact numerical result and can be readily applied to more general modelling of the bubble–particle interactions.     

Unsteady separated and reattaching turbulent flow over a two-dimensional square rib

The spatio-temporal characteristics of the separated and reattaching turbulent flow over a two-dimensional square rib were studied experimentally. Synchronized measurements of wall-pressure fluctuations and velocity fluctuations were made using a microphone array and a split-fiber film, respectively. Profiles of time-averaged streamwise velocity and wall-pressure fluctuations showed that the shear layer separated from the leading edge of the rib sweeps past the rib and directly reattaches on the bottom wall (x/H=9.75) downstream of the rib. A thin region of reverse flow was formed above the rib. The shedding large-scale vortical structures (fH/U₀=0.03) and the flapping separation bubble (fH/U₀=0.0075) could be discerned in the wall-pressure spectra. A multi-resolution analysis based on the maximum overlap discrete wavelet transform (MODWT) was performed to extract the intermittent events associated with the shedding large-scale vortical structures and the flapping separation bubble. The convective dynamics of the large-scale vortical structures were analyzed in terms of the autocorrelation of the continuous wavelet-transformed wall pressure, cross-correlation of the wall-pressure fluctuations, and the cross-correlation between the wall pressure at the time-averaged reattachment point and the streamwise velocity field. The convection speeds of the large-scale vortical structures before and after the reattachment point were U_c=0.35U₀ and 0.45U₀, respectively. The flapping motion of the separation bubble was analyzed in terms of the conditionally averaged reverse-flow intermittency near the wall region. The instantaneous reattachment point in response to the flapping motion was obtained; these findings established that the reattachment zone was a 1.2H-long region centered at x/H=9.75. The reverse-flow intermittency in one period of the flapping motion demonstrated that the thin reverse flow above the rib is influenced by the flapping motion of the separation bubble behind the rib.     

Fence probe measurement of flow reversal in separating turbulent boundary layers

A small fence probe was evaluated for measurements in the time-dependent flow reversal region of the transition from boundary layer to separated flow. For moderate and high Reynolds numbers, the fence probe is demonstrated to be a usable tool for the measurement of the reverse flow associated with separation. Although the present probe pressure transducer system was limited to approximately 200?Hz, pulses of positive and negative shear stress were readily detected. At or near the location of zero surface shear stress, the measurements were limited by the signal-to-noise ratio. For the separated flow investigated, a marked reduction in the pressure gradient occurred when the fence probe indicated approximately 20?% reversal for the higher Reynolds numbers. The reversal increased to 24?% for the lower Reynolds numbers. The measurements indicate that flow reversal alone may not be adequate to identify the degree of separation. Upstream of turbulent boundary layer (intermittent) separation, the duration of the reversed shear stress was found to be very short (0.002?C0.007?s), suggesting a local, small-scale, impulse-type separation. At and beyond the location of intermittent separation, the shear stress reversal duration was an order of magnitude longer. Estimates of the maximum and minimum surface shear stress in the separation region were also obtained with the fence probe.