Nonlinear Response of a Laminar Boundary Layer to Isotropic and Spanwise Localized Free-stream Turbulence

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yongming Zhang ◽  
Tamer Zaki ◽  
Spencer Sherwin ◽  
Xuesong Wu
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Laminar Boundary Layer ◽  
Nonlinear Response ◽  
Free Stream ◽  
Free Stream Turbulence

Evolution of the Laminar Boundary Layer Over a Flat Plate Under a Free Stream Turbulence Intensity of 1.3%

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. J. Walsh ◽  
F. Brighenti ◽  
D. M. McEligot
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Flat Plate ◽  
Laminar Boundary Layer ◽  
Turbulence Intensity ◽  
Free Stream ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Bypass Transition ◽  
Free Stream Turbulence

The evolution of the laminar boundary layer over a flat plate under a free stream turbulence intensity of 1.3% is analysed. The effect of free stream turbulence on the onset of transition is one of the important sources leading to bypass transition. Such disturbances are of great interest in engineering for the prediction of transition on turbine blades. The study concentrates on the early part of the boundary layer, starting from the leading edge, and is characterised by the presence of streamwise elongated regions of high and low streamwise velocity. It is demonstrated that the so called “Klebanoff modes” are not entirely representative of the flow structures, due to the time-averaged representations used in most studies. For the conditions of this investigation it is found that the urms and the peak disturbances remain constant in the early stages of the transition development. This region, in which the streaks strength is constant, is problematic for many theories as it is not known where on a surface to initiate a growth theory calculation, and hence the prediction of transition onset is difficult. The observation that a constant urms region exists within the boundary layer under these conditions may be the source of great difficulty in predicting transition onset under turbulence levels around 1%. This region suggests that the streaks are either continuously generated and damped, or do not grow during the early stage of transition, and highlights the importance of continuous influence of the free stream turbulence along the boundary layer edge. This work concludes that the first is more likely, and furthermore the measurements are shown to agree with recent direct numerical simulations.

Simulations of bypass transition

2001 ◽  
Vol 428 ◽  
pp. 185-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. G. JACOBS ◽  
P. A. DURBIN
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Laminar Boundary Layer ◽  
Free Stream ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Numerical Data ◽  
Bypass Transition ◽  
Mean Velocity ◽  
Free Stream Turbulence ◽  
Turbulent Inflow ◽  
Irregular Motion

Bypass transition in an initially laminar boundary layer beneath free-stream turbulence is simulated numerically. New perspectives on this phenomenon are obtained from the numerical flow fields. Transition precursors consist of long backward jets contained in the fluctuating u-velocity field; they flow backwards relative to the local mean velocity. The jets extend into the upper portion of the boundary layer, where they interact with free-stream eddies. In some locations a free-stream perturbation to the jet shear layer develops into a patch of irregular motion – a sort of turbulent spot. The spot spreads longitudinally and laterally, and ultimately merges into the downstream turbulent boundary layer. Merging spots maintain the upstream edge of the turbulent region. The jets, themselves, are produced by low-frequency components of the free-stream turbulence that penetrate into the laminar boundary layer. Backward jets are a component of laminar region streaks.A method to construct turbulent inflow from Orr–Sommerfeld continuous modes is described. The free-stream turbulent intensity was chosen to correspond with the experiment by Roach & Brierly (1990). Ensemble-averaged numerical data are shown to be in good agreement with laboratory measurements.

The Effect of Reynolds Number, Compressibility and Free Stream Turbulence on Profile Entropy Generation Rate

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip C. Griffin ◽  
Mark R. D. Davies ◽  
Francis K. O’Donnell ◽  
Ed Walsh
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Turbulent Boundary Layer ◽  
Laminar Boundary Layer ◽  
Entropy Generation ◽  
Free Stream ◽  
Generation Rate ◽  
Entropy Generation Rate ◽  
Suction Surface ◽  
Free Stream Turbulence ◽  
Layer Velocity

Detailed aerodynamic data from the suction surface boundary layer on a turbine blade arranged in a linear subsonic cascade was acquired under high free stream turbulence conditions (∼ 5.2%) generated using a perforated plate placed upstream of the cascade. In addition, data was also obtained from a transonic turbine cascade utilizing the same blade profile but of much smaller chord at free stream turbulence levels of 3.5%. Velocity profiles from the laminar, transitional and turbulent boundary layers were measured at various locations along the airfoil suction surface for the incompressible regime at ReC of 76,000. For the compressible test cases, boundary layer velocity profiles were measured at two locations towards the aft section of the blade at ReC of 163,000 and MEx of 0.37 respectively. For both cases the boundary layer velocity profiles were acquired by traversing a single normal hot wire probe normal to the blade surface. In addition the extent of the transition region over the blade surface was determined for both compressible and incompressible regimes by the use of an array of heated thin film sensors over a range of Reynolds and exit Mach numbers. It was observed that an earlier transition ensued at high free stream turbulence conditions in comparison to a previous investigation at comparable ReC and lower turbulence level (0.8% Tu). In addition comparisons were made to existing incompressible data at ReC = 185,000 and 0.8% free stream turbulence intensity. One of the primary observations resulting from an earlier transition was a thicker turbulent boundary layer, but in addition it was also noted that shear strain rates in the laminar boundary layer were significantly higher than those obtained at the 0.8% turbulence intensity. Further analyses also elucidated the presence of fluctuating components of velocity in the laminar boundary layer and were attributed to the effects of the free stream turbulence. This leads to the notion of a hybrid boundary layer, possessing both laminar and turbulent characteristics. These findings have implications regarding the profile loss of the blade, that is the loss generated in blade boundary layers and wakes normally associated with phenomena such as viscous shear, Reynolds stress production, shock wave formation and heat transfer across temperature differences and can be quantified in terms of the amount of entropy generated. For the purposes of this study entropy creation is solely restricted to that arising due to fluid dynamic phenomena, thereby assuming an adiabatic and quasi-isothermal flow. The entropy generation rate per unit volume is obtained directly from the boundary layer velocity profile; further integration gives rise to the entropy generation rate over the boundary layer at a point or over the entire suction surface length. Even though the number of quantitative measurement points on the transonic cascade was limited due to the very thin boundary layer present, no effects attributable to compressibility were observed on the entropy generation rate at the Mach number in question. Increased free stream turbulence had a greater effect on the generated entropy due to increased viscous shear in the laminar boundary layer and increased Reynolds stress production. In contrast, free stream turbulence did not have any significant effect on the turbulent boundary layer in the context of this study, as it was observed that the amount of entropy generated in the turbulent boundary layer was approximately equivalent for both turbulence levels at comparable Reynolds number.

scholarly journals Localized travelling waves in the asymptotic suction boundary layer

2016 ◽  
Vol 795 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias Kreilos ◽  
John F. Gibson ◽  
Tobias M. Schneider
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Laminar Boundary Layer ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Free Stream ◽  
Travelling Waves ◽  
Travelling Wave ◽  
Dynamical Structure ◽  
Vortical Structures ◽  
Free Stream Turbulence ◽  
Asymptotic Suction

We present two spanwise-localized travelling-wave solutions in the asymptotic suction boundary layer, obtained by continuation of solutions of plane Couette flow. One of the solutions has the vortical structures located close to the wall, similar to spanwise-localized edge states previously found for this system. The vortical structures of the second solution are located in the free stream far above the laminar boundary layer and are supported by a secondary shear gradient that is created by a large-scale low-speed streak. The dynamically relevant eigenmodes of this solution are concentrated in the free stream, and the departure into turbulence from this solution evolves in the free stream towards the walls. For invariant solutions in free-stream turbulence, this solution thus shows that the source of energy of the vortical structures can be a dynamical structure of the solution itself, instead of the laminar boundary layer.

Response of a compressible laminar boundary layer to free-stream vortical disturbances

2007 ◽  
Vol 587 ◽  
pp. 97-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
PIERRE RICCO ◽  
XUESONG WU
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Laminar Boundary Layer ◽  
Free Stream ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Boundary Region ◽  
Free Stream Turbulence ◽  
Local Boundary ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Vortical Disturbance

As a first step towards understanding the role of free-stream turbulence in laminar–turbulent transition, we calculate the fluctuations induced by free-stream vortical disturbances in a compressible laminar boundary layer. As with the incompressible case investigated by Leibet al. (J. Fluid Mech. vol. 380, 1999, p. 169), attention is focused on components with long streamwise wavelength. The boundary-layer response is governed by the linearized unsteady boundary-region equations in the typical streamwise region where the local boundary-layer thickness δ* iscomparable with the spanwise length scale Λ of the disturbances. The compressible boundary-region equations are solved numerically for a single Fourier component to obtain the boundary-layer signature. The root-mean-square of the velocity and mass-flux fluctuations induced by a continuous spectrum of free-stream disturbances are computed by an appropriate superposition of the individual Fourier components.Low-frequency vortical disturbances penetrate into the boundary layer to form slowly modulating streamwise-elongated velocity streaks. In the compressible regime, vortical disturbances are found to induce substantial temperature fluctuations so that ‘thermalstreaks’ also form. They may have a significant effect on the secondary instability. The calculations indicate that for a vortical disturbance with a relatively large Λ, the induced boundary-layer fluctuation ultimately evolves into an amplifying wave. This is due to a receptivity mechanism, in which a vortical disturbance first excites a decaying quasi-three-dimensional Lam–Rott eigensolution. The latter then undergoes wavelength shortening to generate a spanwise pressure gradient, which eventually converts the Lam–Rott mode into an exponentially growing mode. The latter is recognized to bea highly oblique Tollmien–Schlichting wave. A parametric study suggests that this receptivity mechanism could be significant when the free-stream Mach number is larger than 0.8.

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