Direct numerical simulations of laminar separation bubbles: investigation of absolute instability and active flow control of transition to turbulence

2014 ◽  
Vol 747 ◽  
pp. 141-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Embacher ◽  
H. F. Fasel
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Secondary Instability ◽  
Direct Numerical Simulations ◽  
Absolute Instability ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Periodic Forcing ◽  
Laminar Separation ◽  
Flow Response ◽  
Separation Bubbles

AbstractLaminar separation bubbles generated on a flat plate by an adverse pressure gradient are investigated using direct numerical simulations (DNSs). Two-dimensional periodic forcing is applied at a blowing/suction slot upstream of separation. Control of separation through forcing with various frequencies and amplitudes is examined. For the investigation of absolute instability mechanisms, baseflows provided by two-dimensional Navier–Stokes calculations are analysed by introducing pulse disturbances and computing the three-dimensional flow response using DNS. The primary instability of the time-averaged flow is investigated with a local linear stability analysis. Employing a steady flow solution as baseflow, the nonlinear and non-parallel effects on the self-sustained disturbance development are illustrated, and a feedback mechanism facilitated by the upstream flow deformation is identified. Secondary instability is investigated locally using spatially periodic baseflows. The flow response to pulsed forcing indicates the existence of an absolute secondary instability mechanism, and the results indicate that this mechanism is dependent on the periodic forcing. Results from three-dimensional DNS provide insight into the global instability mechanisms of separation bubbles and complement the local analysis. A forcing strategy was devised that suppresses the temporal growth of three-dimensional disturbances, and as a consequence, breakdown to turbulence does not occur. Even for a separation bubble that has transitioned to turbulence, the flow relaminarizes when applying two-dimensional periodic forcing with proper frequencies and amplitudes.

scholarly journals Direct numerical simulations of forced and unforced separation bubbles on an airfoil at incidence

2008 ◽  
Vol 602 ◽  
pp. 175-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. E. JONES ◽  
R. D. SANDBERG ◽  
N. D. SANDHAM
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Reverse Flow ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Transition Process ◽  
Direct Numerical Simulations ◽  
Transition To Turbulence ◽  
Absolute Instability ◽  
Laminar Separation ◽  
Velocity Magnitude ◽  
Separation Bubbles

Direct numerical simulations (DNS) of laminar separation bubbles on a NACA-0012 airfoil at Rec=5×104 and incidence 5° are presented. Initially volume forcing is introduced in order to promote transition to turbulence. After obtaining sufficient data from this forced case, the explicitly added disturbances are removed and the simulation run further. With no forcing the turbulence is observed to self-sustain, with increased turbulence intensity in the reattachment region. A comparison of the forced and unforced cases shows that the forcing improves the aerodynamic performance whilst requiring little energy input. Classical linear stability analysis is performed upon the time-averaged flow field; however no absolute instability is observed that could explain the presence of self-sustaining turbulence. Finally, a series of simplified DNS are presented that illustrate a three-dimensional absolute instability of the two-dimensional vortex shedding that occurs naturally. Three-dimensional perturbations are amplified in the braid region of developing vortices, and subsequently convected upstream by local regions of reverse flow, within which the upstream velocity magnitude greatly exceeds that of the time-average. The perturbations are convected into the braid region of the next developing vortex, where they are amplified further, hence the cycle repeats with increasing amplitude. The fact that this transition process is independent of upstream disturbances has implications for modelling separation bubbles.

Direct numerical simulations of two- and three-dimensional turbulent natural convection flows in a differentially heated cavity of aspect ratio 4

2007 ◽  
Vol 586 ◽  
pp. 259-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. X. TRIAS ◽  
M. SORIA ◽  
A. OLIVA ◽  
C. D. PÉREZ-SEGARRA
Keyword(s):  
Natural Convection ◽  
Rayleigh Number ◽  
Aspect Ratio ◽  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Direct Numerical Simulations ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Turbulent Statistics ◽  
Large Eddies ◽  
Three Dimensional Simulations

A set of complete two- and three-dimensional direct numerical simulations (DNS) in a differentially heated air-filled cavity of aspect ratio 4 with adiabatic horizontal walls is presented in this paper. Although the physical phenomenon is three-dimensional, owing to its prohibitive computational costs the majority of the previous DNS of turbulent and transition natural convection flows in enclosed cavities assumed a two-dimensional behaviour. The configurations selected here (Rayleigh number based on the cavity height 6.4 × 108, 2 × 109 and 1010, Pr = 0.71) are an extension to three dimensions of previous two-dimensional problems.An overview of the numerical algorithm and the methodology used to verify the code and the simulations is presented. The main features of the flow, including the time-averaged flow structure, the power spectra and probability density distributions of a set of selected monitoring points, the turbulent statistics, the global kinetic energy balances and the internal waves motion phenomenon are described and discussed.As expected, significant differences are observed between two- and three-dimensional results. For two-dimensional simulations the oscillations at the downstream part of the vertical boundary layer are clearly stronger, ejecting large eddies to the cavity core. In the three-dimensional simulations these large eddies do not persist and their energy is rapidly passed down to smaller scales of motion. It yields on a reduction of the large-scale mixing effect at the hot upper and cold lower regions and consequently the cavity core still remains almost motionless even for the highest Rayleigh number. The boundary layers remain laminar in their upstream parts up to the point where these eddies are ejected. The point where this phenomenon occurs clearly moves upstream for the three-dimensional simulations. It is also shown that, even for the three-dimensional simulations, these eddies are large enough to permanently excite an internal wave motion in the stratified core region. All these differences become more marked for the highest Rayleigh number.

The two classes of primary modal instability in laminar separation bubbles

2013 ◽  
Vol 734 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Rodríguez ◽  
Elmer M. Gennaro ◽  
Matthew P. Juniper
Keyword(s):  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Stream Velocity ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Global Instability ◽  
Laminar Separation ◽  
Centrifugal Instability ◽  
Separation Bubbles ◽  
Dimensional Instability ◽  
Shed Light ◽  
Laminar Separation Bubbles

AbstractThe self-excited global instability mechanisms existing in flat-plate laminar separation bubbles are studied here, in order to shed light on the causes of unsteadiness and three-dimensionality of unforced, nominally two-dimensional separated flows. The presence of two known linear global mechanisms, namely an oscillator behaviour driven by local regions of absolute inflectional instability and a centrifugal instability giving rise to a steady three-dimensionalization of the bubble, is studied in a series of model separation bubbles. These results indicate that absolute instability, and consequently a global oscillator behaviour, does not exist for two-dimensional bubbles with a peak reversed-flow velocity below $12\hspace{0.167em} \% $ of the free-stream velocity. However, the three-dimensional instability becomes active for recirculation levels as low as ${u}_{rev} \approx 7\hspace{0.167em} \% $. These findings suggest a route to the three-dimensionality and unsteadiness observed in experiments and simulations substantially different from that usually found in the literature of laminar separation bubbles, in which two-dimensional vortex shedding is followed by three-dimensionalization.

Direct numerical simulations of bubbly flows Part 2. Moderate Reynolds number arrays

1999 ◽  
Vol 385 ◽  
pp. 325-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
ASGHAR ESMAEELI ◽  
GRÉTAR TRYGGVASON
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Volume Fraction ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Direct Numerical Simulations ◽  
Dimensional System ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Reynolds Stresses ◽  
Bubble Distribution ◽  
Moderate Reynolds Number

Direct numerical simulations of the motion of two- and three-dimensional finite Reynolds number buoyant bubbles in a periodic domain are presented. The full Navier–Stokes equations are solved by a finite difference/front tracking method that allows a fully deformable interface between the bubbles and the ambient fluid and the inclusion of surface tension. The rise Reynolds numbers are around 20–30 for the lowest volume fraction, but decrease as the volume fraction is increased. The rise of a regular array of bubbles, where the relative positions of the bubbles are fixed, is compared with the evolution of a freely evolving array. Generally, the freely evolving array rises slower than the regular one, in contrast to what has been found earlier for low Reynolds number arrays. The structure of the bubble distribution is examined and it is found that while the three-dimensional bubbles show a tendency to line up horizontally, the two-dimensional bubbles are nearly randomly distributed. The effect of the number of bubbles in each period is examined for the two-dimensional system and it is found that although the rise Reynolds number is nearly independent of the number of bubbles, the velocity fluctuations in the liquid (the Reynolds stresses) increase with the size of the system. While some aspects of the fully three-dimensional flows, such as the reduction in the rise velocity, are predicted by results for two-dimensional bubbles, the structure of the bubble distribution is not. The magnitude of the Reynolds stresses is also greatly over-predicted by the two-dimensional results.

Direct numerical simulations of bubbly flows. Part 1. Low Reynolds number arrays

1998 ◽  
Vol 377 ◽  
pp. 313-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
ASGHAR ESMAEELI ◽  
GRÉTAR TRYGGVASON
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Stokes Flow ◽  
Stokes Equations ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Direct Numerical Simulations ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Rise Velocity ◽  
Regular Array ◽  
Average Rise

Direct numerical simulations of the motion of two- and three-dimensional buoyant bubbles in periodic domains are presented. The full Navier–Stokes equations are solved by a finite difference/front tracking method that allows a fully deformable interface between the bubbles and the ambient fluid and the inclusion of surface tension. The governing parameters are selected such that the average rise Reynolds number is O(1) and deformations of the bubbles are small. The rise velocity of a regular array of three-dimensional bubbles at different volume fractions agrees relatively well with the prediction of Sangani (1988) for Stokes flow. A regular array of two- and three-dimensional bubbles, however, is an unstable configuration and the breakup, and the subsequent bubble–bubble interactions take place by ‘drafting, kissing, and tumbling’. A comparison between a finite Reynolds number two-dimensional simulation with sixteen bubbles and a Stokes flow simulation shows that the finite Reynolds number array breaks up much faster. It is found that a freely evolving array of two-dimensional bubbles rises faster than a regular array and simulations with different numbers of two-dimensional bubbles (1–49) show that the rise velocity increases slowly with the size of the system. Computations of four and eight three-dimensional bubbles per period also show a slight increase in the average rise velocity compared to a regular array. The difference between two- and three-dimensional bubbles is discussed.

Direct Numerical Simulations of Laminar Separation Bubbles on a Curved Plate: Part 1 — Simulation Setup and Uncontrolled Flow

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wolfgang Balzer ◽  
Hermann F. Fasel
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Active Flow Control ◽  
Direct Numerical Simulations ◽  
Laminar Separation ◽  
Low Pressure Turbine ◽  
Physical Mechanisms ◽  
Separation Bubbles ◽  
Significant Performance ◽  
Lifting Surfaces ◽  
Laminar Separation Bubbles

The aerodynamic performance of lifting surfaces operating at low Reynolds number conditions is impaired by laminar separation. For a modern low-pressure turbine (LPT) stage, in particular when designed for high blade loadings, laminar separation at cruise conditions can result in significant performance degradation. Understanding of the physical mechanisms and hydrodynamic instabilities that are associated with laminar separation and the formation of laminar separation bubbles (LSBs) is key for the design and development of effective and efficient active flow control (AFC) devices. For the present work, laminar separation (part I) and its control (part II) were investigated numerically by employing highly-resolved, high-order accurate direct numerical simulations (DNS).

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