Direct Numerical Simulations of Transition to Turbulence in Two-Dimensional Laminar Separation Bubbles

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shirzad Hosseinverdi ◽  
Hermann Fasel
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Direct Numerical Simulations ◽  
Transition To Turbulence ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Laminar Separation ◽  
Separation Bubbles ◽  
Laminar Separation Bubbles

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 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.

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).

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.

scholarly journals Instabilities in laminar separation bubbles

2013 ◽  
Vol 732 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.-C. Robinet
Keyword(s):  
Separation Bubble ◽  
Vortex Formation ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Transition To Turbulence ◽  
Laminar Separation ◽  
Separation Bubbles ◽  
Wall Bounded Flows ◽  
Pass Through ◽  
Secondary Instabilities ◽  
Laminar Separation Bubbles

AbstractWall-bounded flows, in their transition from a laminar state to turbulence, pass through a set of particular stages characterized by different physical processes. Among wall-bounded flows, separated flows have a special place because their dynamics can either be noise amplifiers or oscillators. For several years Marxen and co-workers have been studying the evolution of two- and three-dimensional perturbations in the laminar part of a laminar separation bubble. In Marxen et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 728, 2013, p. 58) they study vortex formation and its evolution in laminar–turbulent transition in a forced separation bubble. By the combined use of numerical and experimental methods, different mechanisms of secondary instabilities have been highlighted: elliptic instability of vortex cores and hyperbolic instability responsible for three-dimensionality in the braid region. This work shows, for the first time in laminar separation bubbles, the first nonlinear stages of transition to turbulence of such a flow. However, since this type of flow is very sensitive to various environmental stresses, several scenarios for transition to turbulence remain to be explored.

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