Experimental measurement of flow past cavities of different shapes

Experiments are carried out in order to investigate the flow structure past a rectangular, triangular and semi-circular cavity of length-to-depth ratio of 2:1 using the Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) technique. The experiments are performed in a large scale water channel with three different upstream velocities resulting in Reynolds numbers of 1230, 1460 and 1700, based on inflow momentum thickness, for each cavity type. Contours of constant averaged streamwise and transverse components of velocity, contours of constant averaged vorticity, Reynolds stress and streamline plots for each cavity type for the aforementioned three Reynolds numbers are presented. In addition, streamwise velocity, Reynolds stress and turbulence intensity values are compared for all cavity types. Effect of cavity shape on flow structure within the cavity is discussed in detail. Moreover, spectrum of instantaneous streamwise velocity fluctuations in shear layer near the downstream of the leading corner and the upstream of the trailing corner of the cavities are obtained and it was found that no organized oscillations are present in the flow; rectangular and triangular cavities have the largest amplitudes while semi-circular cavity has the smallest. Calculated turbulence intensities also reveal that the maximum turbulence intensities occur at cavity lid in the centerline section and rectangular and triangular cavities have larger turbulence intensity compared to semi-circular cavity.     

Solid/free-surface juncture boundary layer and wake

 The Reynolds-averaged flow for a solid/free-surface juncture boundary layer and wake is documented. The three mean-velocity components and five of the Reynolds stresses are measured for a surface-piercing flat plate in a towing tank using a laser-Doppler velocimeter system for both boundary-layer and wake planes in regions close to the free surface. The experimental method is described, including the foil-plate model, laser-Doppler velocimeter system, conditions, and uncertainty analysis. The underlying flow data is in excellent agreement with benchmark data. Inner (near the plate and wake centerplane and below the free surface) and outer (near the free surface) regions of high streamwise vorticity of opposite sign are observed, which transport, respectively, high mean velocity and low turbulence from the outer to the inner and low mean velocity and high turbulence from the inner to the outer portions of the boundary layer and wake. For the wake, the inner region of vorticity is relatively weak. The physical mechanism for the streamwise vorticity is analyzed with regard to the Reynolds-averaged streamwise vorticity equation. The anisotropy of the crossplane normal Reynolds stresses closely correlates with the vorticity and, additionally, indicates similarity, i.e., its nature is such that it only depends on the proximity to the plate and free surface boundaries or wake centerplane symmetry plane. Free-surface effects on the Reynolds stresses are analyzed with regard to the behavior close to the free surface of the turbulent kinetic energy and the normal components of the anisotropy tensor and the anisotropy invariants. Close to the free surface, the turbulent kinetic energy is nearly constant and increases for the inner and outer portions, respectively, of the boundary layer and wake and the normal components of the anisotropy tensor and the anisotropy invariants roughly correspond to the limiting values for two-component turbulence. The similarities and differences between the present results and analysis with those from related studies are discussed. The data and analysis should have practical application with regard to the development of turbulence models for computational fluid dynamics methods for the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations. Received: 27 May 1997/Accepted: 1 August 1997     

Large Eddy Simulation of boundary layer transition over an isolated ramp-type micro roughness element

Boundary layer transition over an isolated surface roughness element is investigated by means of numerical simulation. Large Eddy Simulation (LES) flow-modeling approach is employed to study flow characteristics and transition phenomenon past a roughness element immersed within an incoming developing boundary layer, at a height-based Reynolds number of 1170. LES numerical results are compared to experimental data from literature showing the time-averaged velocity distribution, the velocity fluctuation statistics and the instantaneous flow topology.Despite slight difference in the intensity of streamwise velocity fluctuations, the present LES results and experimental data show very good agreement. The mean flow visualization shows streamwise counter-rotating vortices pairs formation downstream of the obstacle. The primary pair induces an upwash motion and a momentum deficit that creates a Kelvin-Helmholtz type flow instability. The instantaneous flow topology reveals the formation of coherent K-H vortices downstream that produce turbulent fluctuations in the wake of the roughness element. These vortices are streched and lifted up when moving downstream. The velocity fluctuations results show that the onset of the turbulence is dominated by the energy transfer of large-scale vortices.     

结构振动对湍流近尾迹的影响

研究了圆柱绕流中流体与结构的相互作用,侧重结构振动对湍流尾迹的影响,用激光测振仪测量圆柱在升力方向的位移;用热线和LDA（二维）测量湍流的近尾迹,通过变化自由流的速度和圆柱体直径（特征尺寸）来变化雷诺数,用两个振动特性不同的（一个相对刚性,一个相对弹）圆柱来产生尾迹,研究固体结构振动对湍流近尾迹的平均速度场和湍流场的影响,结果表明,结构自由振动对湍流近尾迹场影响明显,该影响随雷诺数的变化不明显。     

Wake development in staggered short cylinder arrays within a channel

Staggered arrays of short cylinders, known as pin?Cfins, are commonly used as a heat exchange method in many applications such as cooling electronic equipment and cooling the trailing edge of gas turbine airfoils. This study investigates the near wake flow as it develops through arrays of staggered pin fins. The height-to-diameter ratio was unity while the transverse spacing was kept constant at two cylinder diameters. The streamwise spacing was varied between 3.46 and 1.73 cylinder diameters. For each geometric arrangement, experiments were conducted at Reynolds numbers of 3.0e3 and 2.0e4 based on cylinder diameter and velocity through the minimum flow area of the array. Time-resolved flowfield measurements provided insight into the dependence of row position, Reynolds number, and streamwise spacing. Decreasing streamwise spacing resulted in increased Strouhal number as the near wake length scales were confined. In the first row of the bundle, low Reynolds number flows were mainly shear-layer-driven while high Reynolds number flows were dominated by periodic vortex shedding. The level of velocity fluctuations increased for cases having stronger vortex shedding. The effect of streamwise spacing was most apparent in the reduction of velocity fluctuations in the wake when the spacing between rows was reduced from 2.60 diameters to 2.16 diameters.     

Comparison of flow structures in the downstream region of a cylinder and sphere

An experimental investigation of flow structures downstream of a circular cylinder and sphere immersed in a free-stream flow is performed for Re = 5000 and 10,000 using qualitative and quantitative flow visualization techniques. The obtained results are presented in terms of time-averaged velocity vectors, patterns of streamlines, vorticity, Reynolds stress correlations and turbulent kinetic energy distributions. Flow data reveal that the size of wake flow region, the location of singular and double points, the peak values of turbulence quantities, such as Reynolds stress correlations, vorticity fluctuations and turbulent kinetic energy vary as a function of models’ geometry and Reynolds Numbers. The concentration of small scale vortices is more dominant in the wake of the sphere than that of the cylinder. The maximum value of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) occurs close to the saddle point for the cylinder case while two maximum values of TKE occur along shear layers for the sphere one because of the 3-D flow behavior.     

Comparison of flow structures in the downstream region of a cylinder and sphere

An experimental investigation of flow structures downstream of a circular cylinder and sphere immersed in a free-stream flow is performed for Re = 5000 and 10,000 using qualitative and quantitative flow visualization techniques. The obtained results are presented in terms of time-averaged velocity vectors, patterns of streamlines, vorticity, Reynolds stress correlations and turbulent kinetic energy distributions. Flow data reveal that the size of wake flow region, the location of singular and double points, the peak values of turbulence quantities, such as Reynolds stress correlations, vorticity fluctuations and turbulent kinetic energy vary as a function of models’ geometry and Reynolds Numbers. The concentration of small scale vortices is more dominant in the wake of the sphere than that of the cylinder. The maximum value of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) occurs close to the saddle point for the cylinder case while two maximum values of TKE occur along shear layers for the sphere one because of the 3-D flow behavior.     

Numerical investigation of a water flow in a rib-roughened channel by using Reynolds stress model

In this paper, water flow in a rib-roughened channel is investigated numerically by using Reynolds stress turbulence models (RSM) on a three-dimensional (3-D) domain. Computational results for mean streamwise velocity component and turbulent kinetic energy show good agreements with available experimental data. Five rib pitch-to-height ratios (p/h) of 1, 5, 10, 15 and 20 are analysed for six different Reynolds numbers (Re) of 3000, 7000, 12,000, 20,000, 40,000 and 65,000. Velocity vectors, streamlines and Reynolds stresses are showed for these ratios and Re numbers. Streamlines revealed that Reynolds numbers do not affect flowfield but play an important role in the Reynolds stresses.     

Turbulent flow in a channel at a low Reynolds number

A two-component laser Doppler velocimeter with high spatial and temporal resolution was used to obtain measurements for fully developed turbulent flow of water through a channel with an aspect ratio of 12 : 1 at Re=5700 (based on the centerline velocity and the half-height of the channel). Statistical quantities that were determined are the mean streamwise velocity, the root-mean-square of the fluctuations of the streamwise and the normal velocities, the Reynolds shear stress and higher order moments. Turbulence production is calculated from these quantities. Turbulence statistics obtained from experiments are compared with results from a direct numerical simulation at the same Reynolds number. The good agreement validates a recent DNS, at Re=5700, which is approximately twice as large as used in most previous studies. Received: 12 May 1997 / Accepted: 8 April 1998     

The effect of streamwise vortices on the turbulence structure of a separating boundary layer

A high Reynolds number flat plate turbulent boundary layer is investigated in a wind-tunnel experiment. The flow is subjected to an adverse pressure gradient which is strong enough to generate a weak separation bubble. This experimental study attempts to shed some new light on separation control by means of streamwise vortices with emphasize on the change in the boundary layer turbulence structure. In the present case, counter-rotating and initially non-equidistant streamwise vortices become and remain equidistant and confined within the boundary layer, contradictory to the prediction by inviscid theory. The viscous diffusion cause the vortices to grow, the swirling velocity component to decrease and the boundary layer to develop towards a two-dimensional state. At the position of the eliminated separation bubble the following changes in the turbulence structure were observed. The anisotropy state in the near-wall region is unchanged, which indicates that it is determined by the presence of the wall rather than the large scale vortices. However, the turbulence in the outer part of the boundary layer becomes overall more isotropic due to an increased wall-normal mixing and a significantly decreased production of streamwise fluctuations. The turbulent kinetic energy is decreased as a consequence of the latter. Despite the complete change in mean flow, the spatial turbulence structure and the anisotropy state, the process of transfer of turbulent kinetic energy to the spanwise fluctuating component seems to be unchanged. Local regions of anisotropy are strongly connected to maxima in the turbulent production. For example, at spanwise positions in between those of symmetry, the spanwise gradient of the streamwise velocity cause significant production of turbulent fluctuations. Transport of turbulence in the spanwise direction occurs in the same direction as the rotation of the vortices.     

Experiments in Turbulent Pipe Flow with Polymer Additives at Maximum Drag Reduction

In this paper we report on (two-component) LDV experiments in a fully developed turbulent pipe flow with a drag-reducing polymer (partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide) dissolved in water. The Reynolds number based on the mean velocity, the pipe diameter and the local viscosity at the wall is approximately 10000. We have used polymer solutions with three different concentrations which have been chosen such that maximum drag reduction occurs. The amount of drag reduction found is 60–70%. Our experimental results are compared with results obtained with water and with a very dilute solution which exhibits only a small amount of drag reduction. We have focused on the observation of turbulence statistics (mean velocities and turbulence intensities) and on the various contributions to the total shear stress. The latter consists of a turbulent, a solvent (viscous) and a polymeric part. The polymers are found to contribute significantly to the total stress. With respect to the mean velocity profile we find a thickening of the buffer layer and an increase in the slope of the logarithmic profile. With respect to the turbulence statistics we find for the streamwise velocity fluctuations an increase of the root mean square at low polymer concentration but a return to values comparable to those for water at higher concentrations. The root mean square of the normal velocity fluctuations shows a strong decrease. Also the Reynolds (turbulent) shear stress and the correlation coefficient between the stream wise and the normal components are drastically reduced over the entire pipe diameter. In all cases the Reynolds stress stays definitely non-zero at maximum drag reduction. The consequence of the drop of the Reynolds stress is a large polymer stress, which can be 60% of the total stress. The kinetic-energy balance of the mean flow shows a large transfer of energy directly to the polymers instead of the route by turbulence. The kinetic energy of the turbulence suggests a possibly negative polymeric dissipation of turbulent energy. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Reynolds-number-dependence of the maximum in the streamwise velocity fluctuations in wall turbulence

A survey is made of the standard deviation of the streamwise velocity fluctuations in near-wall turbulence and in particular of the Reynolds-number-dependency of its peak value. The following canonical flow geometries are considered: an incompressible turbulent boundary layer under zero pressure gradient, a fully developed two-dimensional channel and a cylindrical pipe flow. Data were collected from 47 independent experimental and numerical studies, which cover a Reynolds number range of R _θ=U _∞ θ/v=300−20,920 for the boundary layer with θ the momentum thickness and R ⁺=u _*R/v=100-4,300 for the internal flows with R the pipe radius or the channel half-width. It is found that the peak value of the rms-value normalised by the friction velocity, u _*, is within statistical errors independent of the Reynolds number. The most probable value for this parameter was found to be 2.71±0.14 and 2.70±0.09 for the case of a boundary layer and an internal flow, respectively. The present survey also includes some data of the streamwise velocity fluctuations measured over a riblet surface. We find no significant difference in magnitude of the normalised peak value between the riblet and smooth surfaces and this property of the normalised peak value may for instance be exploited to estimate the wall shear stress from the streamwise velocity fluctuations. We also consider the skewness of the streamwise velocity fluctuations and find its value to be close to zero at the position where the variance has its peak value. This is explained with help of the equations of the third-order moment of velocity fluctuations. These results for the peak value of the rms of the streamwise velocity fluctuations and also the coincidence of this peak with the zero value of the third moment can be interpreted as confirmation of local equilibrium in the near-wall layer, which is the basis of inner-layer scaling. Furthermore, these results can be also used as a requirement which turbulence models for the second and triple velocity correlations should satisfy. The authors are indebted to Prof. P. Bradshaw for making available his list of references on this topic and for his remarks on “active” and “inactive” motions. We also gratefully acknowledge discussions with Prof. I. Castro regarding the value of σ _u ⁺ above rough walls.     

A high-resolution laser Doppler anemometer: design, qualification, and uncertainty

A new high-resolution laser Doppler anemometer (LDA) has been developed with a working distance of 350 mm, allowing operation in lab-scale wind tunnels. The measurement volume size is 35 μm in diameter by 60 μm in length, allowing resolution of the smallest turbulence scales even at fairly high Reynolds numbers. The controversial question of velocity and validation bias in LDA data is resolved with an experimental method for measuring and removing those effects. Uncertainty estimates are also derived for all the mean and Reynolds stress measurements. Received: 27 June 1999/Accepted: 30 August 2000     

The spanwise spectra in wall-bounded turbulence

The pre-multiplied spanwise energy spectra of streamwise velocity fluctuations are investigated in this paper. Two distinct spectral peaks in the spanwise spectra are observed in low-Reynolds-number wall-bounded turbulence.The spectra are calculated from direct numerical simulation(DNS) of turbulent channel flows and zero-pressure-gradient boundary layer flows. These two peaks locate in the nearwall and outer regions and are referred to as the inner peak and the outer peak, respectively. This result implies that the streamwise velocity fluctuations can be separated into large and small scales in the spanwise direction even though the friction Reynolds number Reτ can be as low as 1000. The properties of the inner and outer peaks in the spanwise spectra are analyzed. The locations of the inner peak are invariant over a range of Reynolds numbers. However, the locations of the outer peak are associated with the Reynolds number,which are much higher than those of the outer peak of the pre-multiplied streamwise energy spectra of the streamwise velocity.     

The influence of temperature on the measurements of Reynolds stresses in shear free turbulence near a wall

 Temperature changes have a significant influence on the measurements of Reynolds stresses in turbulent boundary layers. As compared to the spanwise velocity fluctuations the streamwise turbulence intensity is especially sensitive to temperature deviations. Although this is a general statement its importance is clearly elucidated in a shear-free turbulence near a solid wall, since the mixing due to turbulence production is minimized in this flow. A consequence of temperature influence on hot-wire measurements is that frictional heating from the wall has produced contradictory results in different experiments on shear-free turbulence. In the current paper, measurements of streamwise and spanwise turbulence intensities have been conducted at different wall temperatures, thereby simulating the contradictory results mentioned above. A simple model has been developed showing that the turbulence intensities are affected by both the rms. value of the temperature fluctuations and the correlation between fluctuating temperature and velocity. These correlations are measured and the developed model is used to explain deviations in earlier measurements on shear-free turbulence. Moreover, the individual magnitudes of the two correlations in the temperature correction are estimated and their individual importance is discussed. Received: 17 February 1997 / Accepted: 18 January 1998     

Velocity statistics along the stagnation line of an axi- symmetric stagnating turbulent flow

 Velocity statistics along the stagnation line of an axi-symmetric wall stagnating turbulent flow are studied experimentally. A low turbulence, uniform air flow from a nozzle type air supply with an exit diameter of 50 mm stagnates at a wall located 50 mm downstream. A flow velocity is set to 3 m/s, 10 mm downstream from the exit of the air supply. Instantaneous values of streamwise and radial velocities are measured by laser-Doppler velocimetry. The turbulence level in the air flow is changed by use of turbulence generator. When the turbulence generator is not installed in the air supply, the mean velocity profile in the streamwise direction fits well with that of a laminar viscous flow with the rms value of velocity fluctuations low near the wall. With the turbulence generator installed, a significant turbulence structure appears near the wall. When the wall is approached, the rms value of velocity fluctuations in the streamwise direction decreases monotonically while the profile of the rms value in the radial direction reaches a maximum near the wall. The increase in the rms value of velocity fluctuations in the radial direction near the wall is attributed to the bi-modal histogram of the fluctuating velocity in the radial direction. Near the wall, the instantaneous stagnation streamline fluctuates and the probability of the mean location of the stagnation point reaches a maximum not at the stagnation line but on a circle around the stagnation line, resulting in the bi-modal histogram. Turbulence statistics, the rms value of velocity fluctuation and the turbulent kinetic energy, can be normalized successfully by similarity parameters based on the strain rate and the reference turbulent kinetic energy introduced by Champion and Libby. Received: 7 April 1995/Accepted: 27 September 1996     

Effects of coincidence window and measuring volume size on laser Doppler velocimetry measurement of turbulence

The effects of coincidence window and measuring volume size on two-component laser velocimeter measurement of turbulence in an isothermal liquid flow through a concentric annular channel were studied. Three different coincidence windows (100–500 μs) and three different measuring volume sizes (diameter, 5–9 wall units; spanwise length, 24–91 wall units) were used in a flow of Reynolds number 31,500 and data density spanning the high end of intermediate to the low end of high (3–6). While no significant effects of the coincidence window and measuring volume size were found on the time-mean velocity and turbulence intensities, the streamwise Reynolds shear stress measured near a wall was found to be markedly affected by both. The smallest feasible measuring volume along with an appropriate coincidence window provides good measurement of the shear stress. Received: 8 September 1999/Accepted: 11 July 2000     

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     

Numerical Simulation of the Flow Around an Infinitely Long Circular Cylinder in the Transition Regime

The development of three-dimensional structures and the succeeding transition to turbulence occurs in the wake of a circular cylinder at Reynolds numbers 190≤Re≤330. This regime is investigated numerically by means of a spectral element method. Earlier numerical works aimed mainly at reproducing characteristic wake patterns observed in experiments. Small sizes of computational domains and short integration times were chosen to save computational resources. Consequently, the quantitative results show a considerable scatter. Within this work, a step by step approach to highly accurate direct numerical simulations is described. Thorough studies of the effect of resolution and blockage are performed in the laminar, two-dimensional regime, resulting in Reynolds number relationships that exactly reproduce experimental data. Based on these results, a stability analysis is performed to obtain wavelengths that are unstable against spanwise perturbations and the critical Reynolds number for the onset of three-dimensionality. The most unstable wavelengths of the “mode A” and “mode B” instabilities and its multiples are used as periodicity length for direct numerical simulations. Effects of integration time, resolution in streamwise as well as spanwise directions, and periodicity length on the flow quantities are studied. Numerically obtained Reynolds number relationships of Strouhal number and base-pressure coefficients that fit accurately within measured results are given for the first time. Curves for drag and lift coefficients are provided and compared with previous numerical studies. Furthermore, physical interpretations of the wake transition are discussed. Since the separation of physical features and effects of experimental arrangements are frequently an open question, our numerical results are able to supply a contribution to the understanding of the physics of cylinder flow. Received 12 September 2000 and accepted 26 June 2001