Modeling Unsteady Boundary Layer Transition on a Curved Plate Under Periodic Unsteady Flow Conditions: Aerodynamic and Heat Transfer Investigations

Abstract

A boundary layer transition model is developed that accounts for the effects of periodic unsteady wake flow on the boundary layer transition. To establish the model, comprehensive unsteady boundary layer and heat transfer experimental investigations are conducted. The experiments are performed on a curved plate at zero-streamwise pressure gradient under periodic unsteady wake flow, where the frequency of the periodic unsteady flow is varied. The analysis of the time dependent velocities, turbulence intensities, and turbulence intermittencies has identified three distinct quantities as primarily responsible for the transition of an unsteady boundary layer. These quantities, which exhibit the basis of the transition model presented in this paper, are: (1) relative intermittency, (2) maximum intermittency, and (3) minimum intermittency. To validate the developed transition model, it is implemented in an existing boundary layer code, and the resulting velocity profiles and the heat transfer coefficients are compared with the experimental data.