Reconstruction of a quasi-instantaneous image of coherent structures from hotwire signals obtained by a multi-point simultaneous measurement system

Abstract

The turbulent velocity components (u, v) at 11 points in a reciprocating oscillatory turbulent flow have been measured simultaneously by a set of eleven X-type hotwire probes located in a plane perpendicular to the mean flow. Using a conditional sampling technique and a new method of data analysis for the inverse estimation of flow fields called the "virtual plate/load and MASCON model", a quasi-instantaneous three-dimensional image of coherent structures of turbulence was first reconstructed directly from the experimental velocity data. The quasi-instantaneous image was expressed in terms of the velocity components u, v, w and the vorticity components ωx ωy, ωz and we found that the large-scale coherent structure was composed of a pair of counter-rotating fluid motions with asymmetry which was quite different from that of the ensemble-averaged one. Flow patterns induced by the large-scale structure have been clarified by perspective representations visualized by computer simulations that produce timelines and streaklines of fluid particle traces. Results showed that the new experimental method was applicable for investigating the three-dimensional feature of coherent structures including asymmetry.