Self-similar spectra of point-source scalar plumes in a turbulent boundary layer

2019 ◽  
Vol 870 ◽  
pp. 698-717 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. M. Talluru ◽  
Jimmy Philip ◽  
K. A. Chauhan

Measurements of concentration fluctuations in a passive scalar plume released within a turbulent boundary layer are utilised to ascertain the scaling of concentration spectra. It is observed that the concentration spectra in a narrow meandering plume has a self-similar behaviour in both transverse ($y$) and vertical ($z$, i.e. wall-normal) directions. Experimental data reveal self-similarity when the magnitude of concentration spectra is scaled by the local concentration variance whereas frequency is suitably scaled utilising the integral length scale of the streamwise velocity or the boundary layer thickness and the source velocity as length and velocity scales, respectively. Furthermore, our data show that at each frequency, the concentration energy is distributed across the$y$and$z$directions that is proportional to concentration variance at that location. These results are consistent with our non-dimensional analysis. Based on these observations, if the mean plume statistics are known, a model is proposed with which concentration spectrum at any position within the plume can be calculated using the spectrum at any another location as the input. The model is tested extensively for point-source plumes released at various heights and streamwise distances in a turbulent boundary layer, and is found to predict spectra at different$y$and$z$locations in close agreement with measurements.

2019 ◽  
Vol 871 ◽  
pp. 377-400 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Baidya ◽  
W. J. Baars ◽  
S. Zimmerman ◽  
M. Samie ◽  
R. J. Hearst ◽  
...  

Streamwise velocity and wall-shear stress are acquired simultaneously with a hot-wire and an array of azimuthal/spanwise-spaced skin friction sensors in large-scale pipe and boundary layer flow facilities at high Reynolds numbers. These allow for a correlation analysis on a per-scale basis between the velocity and reference skin friction signals to reveal which velocity-based turbulent motions are stochastically coherent with turbulent skin friction. In the logarithmic region, the wall-attached structures in both the pipe and boundary layers show evidence of self-similarity, and the range of scales over which the self-similarity is observed decreases with an increasing azimuthal/spanwise offset between the velocity and the reference skin friction signals. The present empirical observations support the existence of a self-similar range of wall-attached turbulence, which in turn are used to extend the model of Baarset al.(J. Fluid Mech., vol. 823, p. R2) to include the azimuthal/spanwise trends. Furthermore, the region where the self-similarity is observed correspond with the wall height where the mean momentum equation formally admits a self-similar invariant form, and simultaneously where the mean and variance profiles of the streamwise velocity exhibit logarithmic dependence. The experimental observations suggest that the self-similar wall-attached structures follow an aspect ratio of$7:1:1$in the streamwise, spanwise and wall-normal directions, respectively.


2018 ◽  
Vol 846 ◽  
pp. 292-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. M. Talluru ◽  
J. Philip ◽  
K. A. Chauhan

Simultaneous measurements of streamwise velocity ($\tilde{U}$) and concentration ($\tilde{C}$) for a horizontal plume released at eight different vertical locations within a turbulent boundary layer are discussed in this paper. These are supplemented by limited simultaneous three-component velocity and concentration measurements. Results of the integral time scale ($\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}_{c}$) of concentration fluctuations across the width of the plume are presented here for the first time. It is found that$\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}_{c}$has two distinct peaks: one closer to the plume centreline and the other at a vertical distance of plume half-width above the centreline. The time-averaged streamwise concentration flux is found to be positive and negative, respectively, below and above the plume centreline. This behaviour is a resultant of wall-normal velocity fluctuations ($w$) and Reynolds shear stress ($\overline{uw}$). Confirmation of these observations is found in the results of joint probability density functions of$u$(streamwise velocity fluctuations) and$\tilde{C}$as well as that of$w$and$\tilde{C}$. Results of cross-correlation coefficient show that high- and low-momentum regions have a distinctive role in the transport of passive scalar. Above the plume centreline, low-speed structures have a lead over the meandering plume, while high-momentum regions are seen to lag behind the plume below its centreline. Further examination of the phase relationship between time-varying$u$and$c$(concentration fluctuations) via cross-spectrum analysis is consistent with this observation. Based on these observations, a phenomenological model is presented for the relative arrangement of a passive scalar plume with respect to large-scale velocity structures in the flow.


2017 ◽  
Vol 829 ◽  
pp. 392-419 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Kitsios ◽  
A. Sekimoto ◽  
C. Atkinson ◽  
J. A. Sillero ◽  
G. Borrell ◽  
...  

The statistical properties are presented for the direct numerical simulation of a self-similar adverse pressure gradient (APG) turbulent boundary layer (TBL) at the verge of separation. The APG TBL has a momentum thickness-based Reynolds number range from $Re_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}_{2}}=570$ to 13 800, with a self-similar region from $Re_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}_{2}}=10\,000$ to 12 300. Within this domain the average non-dimensional pressure gradient parameter $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}=39$, where for a unit density $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}=\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}_{1}P_{\!e}^{\prime }/\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}_{w}$, with $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}_{1}$ the displacement thickness, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}_{w}$ the mean shear stress at the wall and $P_{\!e}^{\prime }$ the far-field pressure gradient. This flow is compared with previous zero pressure gradient and mild APG TBL ($\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}=1$) results of similar Reynolds number. All flows are generated via the direct numerical simulation of a TBL on a flat surface with far-field boundary conditions tailored to apply the desired pressure gradient. The conditions for self-similarity, and the appropriate length and velocity scales, are derived. The mean and Reynolds stress profiles are shown to collapse when non-dimensionalised on the basis of these length and velocity scales. As the pressure gradient increases, the extent of the wake region in the mean streamwise velocity profiles increases, whilst the extent of the log-layer and viscous sublayer decreases. The Reynolds stress, production and dissipation profiles of the APG TBL cases exhibit a second outer peak, which becomes more pronounced and more spatially localised with increasing pressure gradient. This outer peak is located at the point of inflection of the mean velocity profiles, and is suggestive of the presence of a shear flow instability. The maximum streamwise velocity variance is located at a wall normal position of $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}_{1}$ of spanwise wavelength of $2\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}_{1}$. In summary as the pressure gradient increases the flow has properties less like a zero pressure gradient TBL and more akin to a free shear layer.


1981 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 271-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.H. Patel

SummaryThe linearised time dependent momentum integral equation is used in conjunction with assumed velocity profiles and a quasi-static skin friction approximation to predict the turbulent boundary layer response to sinusoidal streamwise velocity fluctuations in the freestream. The mean zero pressure gradient case, corresponding to flat plate flow, is presented in detail and verified by comparison with experimental data and alternative calculations. The asymptotic turbulent boundary layer response to very high frequency perturbations is also derived. It is shown that a travelling wave component in the freestream, with its associated time dependent streamwise pressure gradient, has a dominant effect on the turbulent boundary layer response.


2012 ◽  
Vol 706 ◽  
pp. 584-596 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Sardina ◽  
P. Schlatter ◽  
F. Picano ◽  
C. M. Casciola ◽  
L. Brandt ◽  
...  

AbstractResults are presented from a direct numerical simulation of a particle-laden spatially developing turbulent boundary layer up to ${\mathit{Re}}_{\theta } = 2500$. The peculiar feature of a boundary-layer flow seeded with heavy particles is the variation of the local dimensionless parameters defining the fluid–particle interactions along the streamwise direction. Two different Stokes numbers can be defined, one using inner flow units and the other with outer units. Since these two Stokes numbers exhibit different decay rates in the streamwise direction, we find a decoupled particle dynamics between the inner and the outer region of the boundary layer. Preferential near-wall particle accumulation is similar to that observed in turbulent channel flow, while different behaviour characterizes the outer region. Here the concentration and the streamwise velocity profiles are found to be self-similar and to depend only on the local value of the outer Stokes number and the rescaled wall-normal distance. These new results are powerful in view of engineering and environmental applications and corresponding flow modelling.


2018 ◽  
Vol 858 ◽  
pp. 609-633 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Carlos Cuevas Bautista ◽  
Alireza Ebadi ◽  
Christopher M. White ◽  
Gregory P. Chini ◽  
Joseph C. Klewicki

Recent studies reveal that at large friction Reynolds number $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}^{+}$ the inertially dominated region of the turbulent boundary layer is composed of large-scale zones of nearly uniform momentum segregated by narrow fissures of concentrated vorticity. Experiments show that, when scaled by the boundary-layer thickness, the fissure thickness is $\mathit{O}(1/\sqrt{\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}^{+}})$, while the dimensional jump in streamwise velocity across each fissure scales in proportion to the friction velocity $u_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}}$. A simple model that exploits these essential elements of the turbulent boundary-layer structure at large $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}^{+}$ is developed. First, a master wall-normal profile of streamwise velocity is constructed by placing a discrete number of fissures across the boundary layer. The number of fissures and their wall-normal locations follow scalings informed by analysis of the mean momentum equation. The fissures are then randomly displaced in the wall-normal direction, exchanging momentum as they move, to create an instantaneous velocity profile. This process is repeated to generate ensembles of streamwise velocity profiles from which statistical moments are computed. The modelled statistical profiles are shown to agree remarkably well with those acquired from direct numerical simulations of turbulent channel flow at large $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}^{+}$. In particular, the model robustly reproduces the empirically observed sub-Gaussian behaviour for the skewness and kurtosis profiles over a large range of input parameters.


2013 ◽  
Vol 718 ◽  
pp. 596-621 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Klewicki

AbstractThis study investigates how and why dynamical self-similarities emerge with increasing Reynolds number within the canonical wall flows beyond the transitional regime. An overarching aim is to advance a mechanistically coherent description of turbulent wall-flow dynamics that is mathematically tractable and grounded in the mean dynamical equations. As revealed by the analysis of Fife, Klewicki & Wei (J. Discrete Continuous Dyn. Syst.A, vol. 24, 2009, pp. 781–807), the equations that respectively describe the mean dynamics of turbulent channel, pipe and boundary layer flows formally admit invariant forms. These expose an underlying self-similar structure. In all cases, two kinds of dynamical self-similarity are shown to exist on an internal domain that, for all Reynolds numbers, extends from$O(\nu / {u}_{\tau } )$to$O(\delta )$, where$\nu $is the kinematic viscosity,${u}_{\tau } $is the friction velocity and$\delta $is the half-channel height, pipe radius, or boundary layer thickness. The simpler of the two self-similarities is operative on a large outer portion of the relevant domain. This self-similarity leads to an explicit analytical closure of the mean momentum equation. This self-similarity also underlies the emergence of a logarithmic mean velocity profile. A more complicated kind a self-similarity emerges asymptotically over a smaller domain closer to the wall. The simpler self-similarity allows the mean dynamical equation to be written as a closed system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations that, like the similarity solution for the laminar flat-plate boundary layer, can be numerically integrated. The resulting similarity solutions are demonstrated to exhibit nearly exact agreement with direct numerical simulations over the solution domain specified by the theory. At the Reynolds numbers investigated, the outer similarity solution is shown to be operative over a domain that encompasses${\sim }40\hspace{0.167em} \% $of the overall width of the flow. Other properties predicted by the theory are also shown to be well supported by existing data.


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