The effects of induced dissipative small-scale motions and mixing on optical distortion in a plane shear layer

Abstract

Optical distortion through a plane shear layer between two uniform streams of unequal temperatures is investigated using imaging of scalar mixing by planar laser-induced fluorescence (LIF). Simultaneous fluorescence intensity measurements of disodium fluorescein and rhodamine B (the fluorescence of the latter is temperature dependent) are used to extract the temperature distribution within the plane of a laser sheet. This planar imaging technique allows a direct measurement of the index of refraction field, which is used to determine optical distortions in the imaging plane. While a given ray within the sheet is refracted at a cumulative angle that depends on the local index of refraction gradient along its path, LIF measurements in the cross-stream plane of the flow show substantial optical distortions near the upstream and downstream edges of the primary vortices where the angle between the local temperature (or index) gradient and the wavevector of the incident light is large. These distortions are manifested by the appearance of low- and high-intensity streaks that are advected with the flow and whose characteristic spatial scales significantly diminish with the onset of small-scale (mixing) transition. The formation of secondary (streamwise) vortical structures leads to substantial spanwise variations in index of refraction and consequently to optical distortions that vary with the phase of the base flow and can exceed the distortions in the cross-stream plane. An important aim of the present research is the investigation of the effects of direct actuation of small-scale motions on the mixing and consequently on optical distortion within the shear layer. The actuation suppresses the formation of the large coherent vortical structures and leads to localized enhancement of dissipation and reduction in turbulent kinetic energy. The actuation enhances mixing across the entire width of the forced shear layer and leads to significant reduction of optical distortion, suggesting that active small-scale mixing can play a significant role in the mitigation of aero-optical effects through turbulent shear flows.