Exploratory study of turbulent structure of a compressible shear layer using fluctuating pitot pressure measurements

Abstract

An experimental study has been conducted to determine if two-point fluctuating pitot pressure measurements can be used to detect and quantify the large-scale structures in a two-dimensional, high Reynolds number, supersonic, turbulent shear layer. There is evidence from the two-point correlations of fluctuating pitot pressures and from the VITA analysis that large-scale structures exist and span the thickness of the shear layer. Because the shear layer exhibits a wake-like character, the large-scale structure in the lower part of the shear layer is essentially normal to the flow direction. Power spectra measured at about 25 initial shear layer thicknesses downstream of the origin are broadband, which suggests that the large-scale structures are not yet highly organized.