An Experimental Study of Skewed Turbulent Boundary Layers in Low Speed Flows

1967 ◽  
Vol 89 (3) ◽  
pp. 597-607 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. P. Francis ◽  
F. J. Pierce

A detailed experimental investigation is described for the flow of air in skewed turbulent boundary layers on the floor of various curved channels. Measurements of time average velocities, flow directions, turbulence intensities, and growth are made for both the development and decay of the skewed boundary layer. All measurements were made with a unique hot wire probe arrangement. Tests were run with a free stream Reynolds number of approximately one million per ft and a free stream turbulence intensity of approximately 0.0016. The boundary layer was of the order of one inch in thickness. Both the turbulence intensity and velocity profiles indicate that the inner and outer regions, characteristic of two-dimensional profiles, are not necessarily appropriate to skewed three-dimensional flows.

Author(s):  
Ashley D. Scillitoe ◽  
Paul G. Tucker ◽  
Paolo Adami

Regions of three-dimensional separations are an inherent flow feature of the suction surface - endwall corner in axial compressors. These corner separations can cause a significant total pressure loss and reduce the compressor’s efficiency. This paper uses wall-resolved LES to investigate the loss sources in a corner separation, and examines the influence of the inflow turbulence on these sources. Different subgrid scale (SGS) models are tested and the choice of model is found to be important. The σ SGS model, which performed well, is then used to perform LES of a compressor endwall flow. The time-averaged data is in good agreement with measurements. The viscous and turbulent dissipation are used to highlight the sources of loss, with the latter being dominant. The key loss sources are seen to be the 2D laminar separation bubble and trailing edge wake, and the 3D flow region near the endwall. Increasing the free-stream turbulence intensity (FST) changes the suction surface boundary layer transition mode from separation induced to bypass. However, it doesn’t significantly alter the transition location and therefore the corner separation size. Additionally, the FST doesn’t noticeably interact with the corner separation itself, meaning that in this case the corner separation is relatively insensitive to the FST. The endwall boundary layer state is found to be significant. A laminar endwall boundary layer separates much earlier leading to a larger passage vortex. This significantly alters the endwall flow and loss. Hence, the need for accurate boundary measurements is clear.


2016 ◽  
Vol 802 ◽  
pp. 79-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eda Dogan ◽  
Ronald E. Hanson ◽  
Bharathram Ganapathisubramani

The scale interactions occurring within a turbulent boundary layer are investigated in the presence of free-stream turbulence. The free-stream turbulence is generated by an active grid. The free stream is monitored by a single-component hot-wire probe, while a second probe is roved across the height of the boundary layer at the same streamwise location. Large-scale structures occurring in the free stream are shown to penetrate the boundary layer and increase the streamwise velocity fluctuations throughout. It is speculated that, depending on the extent of the penetration, i.e. based on the level of free-stream turbulence, the near-wall turbulence production peaks at different wall-normal locations than the expected location of $y^{+}\approx 15$ for a canonical turbulent boundary layer. It is shown that the large scales dominating the log region have a modulating effect on the small scales in the near-wall region; this effect becomes more significant with increasing turbulence in the free stream, i.e. similarly increasing $Re_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}_{0}}$. This modulating interaction and its Reynolds-number trend have similarities with canonical turbulent boundary layers at high Reynolds numbers where the interaction between the large scales and the envelope of the small scales exhibits a pure amplitude modulation (Hutchins & Marusic, Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. A, vol. 365 (1852), 2007, pp. 647–664; Mathis et al., J. Fluid Mech., vol. 628, 2009, pp. 311–337). This similarity has encouraging implications towards generalising scale interactions in turbulent boundary layers.


2003 ◽  
Vol 125 (2) ◽  
pp. 242-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Barrett ◽  
D. Keith Hollingsworth

A new heat transfer correlation for turbulent boundary layers subjected to free-stream turbulence was developed. The new correlation estimates dimensionless heat transfer coefficients without the use of conventional boundary-layer thickness measures and the associated Reynolds numbers. Using only free-stream parameters (mean velocity, turbulence intensity and length scale), the new correlation collected many authors’ elevated-turbulence, flat-plate Stanton number data to within ±11%. The level of scatter around the new correlation compared well to previous correlations that require additional flow information as input parameters. For a common subset of data, scatter using earlier correlation methods ranged from 5–10%; scatter around the new correlation varied from 6–9% over the same data subset. A length-scale dependence was identified in a Stanton number previously defined using a near-wall streamwise velocity fluctuation, St′. A new near-wall Stanton number was introduced; this parameter was regarded as a constant in a two-region boundary layer model on which the new correlation is based.


1997 ◽  
Vol 122 (3) ◽  
pp. 450-457 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralph J. Volino ◽  
Terrence W. Simon

The relationship between free-stream turbulence and boundary layer behavior has been investigated using spectral measurements. The power spectral densities of turbulence quantities in transitional and fully turbulent boundary layers were computed and compared to the power spectra of the same quantities measured in the free stream. Comparisons were made using the “transfer function.” The transfer function is the ratio of two spectra at each frequency in the spectra. Comparisons were done in flows with low (0.6 percent) and high (8 percent) free-stream turbulence intensities. Evidence was gathered that suggests that relatively low-frequency, large-scale eddies in the free stream buffet the boundary layer, causing boundary layer unsteadiness at the same low frequencies. These fluctuations are present in both transitional and fully turbulent boundary layers. They are seen under both high and low free-stream turbulence conditions, although they are stronger in the high-turbulence case. Examination of the turbulent shear stress suggests that the low-frequency fluctuations enhance transport in the boundary layer but they are not so effective in promoting eddy transport as are turbulent eddies produced and residing within the boundary layer. In the fully-turbulent boundary layer, higher-frequency fluctuations are added to the low-frequency unsteadiness. These higher-frequency fluctuations, not seen in the transitional boundary layer, are associated with turbulence production in the boundary layer and appear not to be directly related to free-stream unsteadiness. [S0889-504X(00)00403-7]


1987 ◽  
Vol 109 (2) ◽  
pp. 336-344
Author(s):  
P. Sepri

The wake region of a turbulent boundary layer is demonstrated to exhibit simple exponential behavior at elevated levels of free-stream turbulence. As a predictive tool, the computer code STANCOOL has been modified to include FST effects in heated turbulent boundary layers. Preliminary comparisons with experimental data indicate improvements in computational capability, although further development of the code is required. From these comparisons, three new results are offered: (1) At elevated levels of FST, several statistical profiles in the boundary layer wake region decay exponentially into the free stream; (2) v′T′ decays at half the rate of the mean velocity and temperature; (3) analytical expressions are provided for u′v′ and v′T′ in this case.


2019 ◽  
Vol 866 ◽  
pp. 526-566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiho You ◽  
Tamer A. Zaki

Direct numerical simulations are performed to study zero-pressure-gradient turbulent boundary layers beneath quiescent and vortical free streams. The inflow boundary layer is computed in a precursor simulation of laminar-to-turbulence transition, and the free-stream vortical forcing is obtained from direct numerical simulations of homogeneous isotropic turbulence. A level-set approach is employed in order to objectively distinguish the boundary-layer and free-stream fluids, and to accurately evaluate their respective contributions to flow statistics. When free-stream turbulence is present, the skin friction coefficient is elevated relative to its value in the canonical boundary-layer configuration. An explanation is provided in terms of an increase in the power input into production of boundary-layer turbulence kinetic energy. This increase takes place deeper than the extent of penetration of the external perturbations towards the wall, and also despite the free-stream perturbations being void of any Reynolds shear stress. Conditional statistics demonstrate that the free-stream turbulence has two effects on the boundary layer: one direct and the other indirect. The low-frequency components of the free-stream turbulence penetrate the logarithmic layer. The associated wall-normal Reynolds stress acts against the mean shear to enhance the shear stress, which in turn enhances turbulence production. This effect directly enlarges the scale and enhances the energy of outer large-scale motions in the boundary layer. The second, indirect effect is the influence of these newly formed large-scale structures. They modulate the near-wall shear stress and, as a result, increase the turbulence kinetic energy production in the buffer layer, which is deeper than the extent of penetration of free-stream turbulence towards the wall.


1988 ◽  
Vol 110 (1) ◽  
pp. 80-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Kim ◽  
T. W. Simon

The effects of streamwise convex curvature, recovery, and free-stream turbulence intensity on the turbulent transport of heat and momentum in a mature turbulent boundary layer are investigated. A special three-wire hot-wire probe developed for this purpose is described. Two cases with free-stream turbulence levels of 0.68 and 2.0 percent, taken in the same facility with moderate strength of curvature, δ/R = 0.03, are compared. Profiles of u′v′, t′, u′t′, and v′t′ are dramatically reduced within the curve, with asymptotic profiles being achieved quickly for the low TI case. Recovery occurs rapidly, with the profiles often overshooting flat-wall upstream values. Increased free-stream turbulence has the effect of increasing the profiles throughout the boundary layer on the flat developing wall. Profiles agreeing with the asymptotic profiles of the low TI case are observed by the end of the curve, however, illustrating the dominance of curvature over free-stream turbulence intensity. For the higher TI case, a reversal in the sign of u′v′ in the outer half of the boundary layer is observed, leading to negative values of the turbulent Prandtl number in this region. This indicates a breakdown in Reynolds analogy.


2003 ◽  
Vol 125 (2) ◽  
pp. 232-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Barrett ◽  
D. Keith Hollingsworth

Turbulent boundary layers were subjected to grid-generated free-stream turbulence to study the effects of length scale and intensity on heat transfer. Relative to conventional boundary layer thickness measures, test conditions included very small-scale free-stream turbulence. The boundary layers studied ranged from 400–2700 in momentum-thickness Reynolds number and from 450–1900 in enthalpy-thickness Reynolds number. Free-stream turbulence intensities varied from 0.1–8.0%. Ratios of free-stream length scale to boundary-layer momentum thickness ranged from 4.4–32.5. The turbulent-to-viscous length-scale ratios presented are the smallest found in the heat-transfer literature; the ratios spanned from 115–1020. The turbulent-to-thermal ratios (using enthalpy thickness as the thermal scale) are also the smallest reported; the ratios ranged from 3.2–12.3. Relative to clean-free-stream expectations based on the momentum- and enthalpy-thickness Reynolds numbers, the skin friction coefficient increased by up to 16%, and the Stanton number increased by up to 46%.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document