High-speed Streaks Research Articles

Secondary current properties generated by wind-induced water waves in experimental conditions

Secondary currents such as the Langmuir circulation are of high interest in natural rivers and the ocean because they have striking impacts on scour, sedimentation, and mass transport. Basic characteristics have been well-studied in straight open-channel flows. However, little is known regarding secondary circulation induced by wind waves. The presented study describes the generation properties of wind waves observed in the laboratory tank. Wind-induced water waves are known to produce large scale circulations. The phenomenon is observed together with high-speed and low-speed streaks, convergence and divergence zones, respectively. Therefore, it is important to determine the hydrodynamic properties of secondary currents for wind-induced water waves within rivers and lakes. In this study, using two high-speed CMOS cameras, stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements were conducted in order to reveal the distribution of all three components of velocity vectors. The experiments allowed us to investigate the three-dimensional turbulent structure under water waves and the generation mechanism of large-scale circulations. Additionally, a third CMOS camera was used to measure the spanwise profile of thefree-surface elevation. The time-series of velocity components and the free-surface were obtained simultaneously. From our experiments, free-surface variations were found to influence the instantaneous velocity distributions of the cross-sectional plane. We also considered thegeneration process by the phase analysis related to gravity waves and compared the contribution of the apparent stress.

Spanwise-localized solutions of planar shear flows

AbstractWe present several new spanwise-localized equilibrium and travelling-wave solutions of plane Couette and channel flows. The solutions exhibit concentrated regions of vorticity that are centred over low-speed streaks and flanked on either side by high-speed streaks. For several travelling-wave solutions of channel flow, the vortex structures are concentrated near the walls and form particularly isolated and elemental versions of coherent structures in the near-wall region of shear flows. One travelling wave appears to be the invariant solution corresponding to a near-wall coherent structure educed from simulation data by Jeong et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 332, 1997, pp. 185–214) and analysed in terms of transient growth modes of streaky flow by Schoppa & Hussain (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 453, 2002, pp. 57–108). The solutions are constructed by a variety of methods: application of windowing functions to previously known spatially periodic solutions, continuation from plane Couette to channel flow conditions, and from initial guesses obtained from turbulent simulation data. We show how the symmetries of localized solutions derive from the symmetries of their periodic counterparts, analyse the exponential decay of their tails, examine the scale separation and scaling of their streamwise Fourier modes, and show that they develop critical layers for large Reynolds numbers.

Streak instabilities in boundary layers beneath free-stream turbulence

AbstractThe secondary instability of boundary layer streaks is investigated by means of direct stability analysis. The base flow is computed in direct simulations of bypass transition. The random nature of the free-stream perturbations causes the formation of a spectrum of streaks inside the boundary layer, with breakdown to turbulence initiated by the amplification of localized instabilities of individual streaks. The capability of the instability analysis to predict the instabilities which are observed in the direct numerical simulation is established. Furthermore, the analysis is shown to identify the particular streaks that break down to turbulence farther downstream. Two particular configurations of streaks regularly induce the growth of these localized instabilities: low-speed streaks that are lifted towards the edge of the boundary layer, and the local overlap between high-speed and low-speed streaks inside the boundary layer. It is established that the underlying modes can be ascribed to the general classification of inner and outer modes which was introduced by Vaughan & Zaki (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 681, 2011, pp. 116–153). Statistical evaluations show that Blasius boundary layers favour the amplification of outer instabilities. Adverse pressure gradient promotes breakdown to turbulence via the inner mode.

Simulation of finite-size fibers in turbulent channel flows

The dynamical behavior of almost neutrally buoyant finite-size rigid fibers or rods in turbulent channel flow is studied by direct numerical simulations. The time evolution of the fiber orientation and translational and rotational motions in a statistically steady channel flow is obtained for three different fiber lengths. The turbulent flow is modeled by an entropy lattice Boltzmann method, and the interaction between fibers and carrier fluid is modeled through an external boundary force method. Direct contact and lubrication force models for fiber-fiber interactions and fiber-wall interaction are taken into account to allow for a full four-way interaction. The density ratio is chosen to mimic cellulose fibers in water. It is shown that the finite size leads to fiber-turbulence interactions that are significantly different from earlier reported results for pointlike particles (e.g., elongated ellipsoids smaller than the Kolmogorov scale). An effect that becomes increasingly accentuated with fiber length is an accumulation in high-speed regions near the wall, resulting in a mean fiber velocity that is higher than the mean fluid velocity. The simulation results indicate that the finite-size fibers tend to stay in the high-speed streaks due to collisions with the wall. In the central region of the channel, long fibers tend to align in the spanwise direction. Closer to the wall the long fibers instead tend to toward to a rotation in the shear plane, while very close to the wall they become predominantly aligned in the streamwise direction.

Direct numerical simulations of turbulent thermal boundary layers subjected to adverse streamwise pressure gradients

An innovative method for prescribing turbulent thermal inflow information in spatially developing boundary layers under streamwise pressure gradients is introduced for attached flows. The approach is tested and validated in a suite of Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) of thermal boundary layers for zero (ZPG) and adverse (APG) pressure gradients with momentum thickness Reynolds numbers (Reθ) up to 3000. The turbulent thermal data are generated based on the dynamic multi-scale approach proposed by Araya et al. [“A dynamic multi-scale approach for turbulent inflow boundary conditions in spatially evolving flows,” J. Fluid Mech. 670, 581–605 (2011)], which is extended to include thermal field simulations in the present article. The approach is based on the original rescaling-recycling method developed by Lund, Wu, and Squires [“Generation of turbulent inflow data for spatially developing boundary layer simulations,” J. Comput. Phys. 140, 233–258 (1998)] for ZPG flows. Isothermal walls are considered for the thermal field and the molecular Prandtl number is 0.71. In addition, only inlet momentum/thermal boundary layer thicknesses must be prescribed while other flow parameters such as the inlet friction velocity, uτ, and friction temperature, Θτ, are computed dynamically based on the flow solution obtained downstream by means of a test plane. This plane is located between the inlet and recycle stations. Based on the unique and extensive DNS results of heat transfer obtained in this investigation, the effects of Reynolds numbers and adverse pressure gradients on the flow and thermal parameters are also explored and visualized. The principal outcome of adverse pressure gradient on the flow parameters has been determined as a secondary peak, particularly on the streamwise velocity fluctuations in the outer region, which shows clear evidence of energy production in the outer flow and not only in the buffer layer as traditionally known. Nevertheless, this peak is not so obvious on the thermal fluctuations but it is hypothesized that the reason is mainly attributed to the absence of a freestream thermal gradient, as imposed in the velocity field. Furthermore, the high-speed streaks in the buffer layer are observed to be notably shorter and wider in a Strong APG than in the ZPG case. Finally, a significant decrease of the turbulent Prandtl number is attributed to the presence of a Strong APG.

A Large-Eddy Simulation Study of Thermal Effects on Turbulence Coherent Structures in and above a Building Array

AbstractThermal effects on turbulent flow in and above a cubical building array are numerically investigated using the parallelized large-eddy simulation model (PALM). Two cases (no heating and bottom heating) are simulated and are compared with each other, focusing on thermal effects on turbulence coherent structures. In the no-heating case, the streaky or streamwise-elongated structures of low-speed regions appear above the building array and ejections in the low-speed regions play an important role in transporting momentum downward. In the bottom-heating case, plume-shaped structures appear with streamwise-elongated structures and the magnitude of vertical turbulent momentum flux averaged over the low-speed regions increases. Elliptical structures of negative streamwise velocity perturbation and vortical structures similar to hairpin vortices appear above the building array in the conditionally averaged fields in both cases, and the coherent structures expand more vertically when the bottom is heated. At or just above the rooftop height, high-speed streaks are distinct and sweeps induced by the streaks or shear instability are important for momentum transport in both cases. In the bottom-heating case, the magnitude of vertical turbulent momentum flux at the tops of cavity spaces increases, partly owing to the strengthened ejections. Below the rooftop height, the high-speed streaks occasionally enter intersection spaces and induce spanwise diverging flow there in both cases. When the bottom is heated, intensified updrafts induce more organized secondary circular flow and the spanwise flow in the building array is strengthened by the secondary flow.

Direct numerical simulation of premixed flame boundary layer flashback in turbulent channel flow

AbstractDirect numerical simulations are performed to investigate the transient upstream propagation (flashback) of premixed hydrogen–air flames in the boundary layer of a fully developed turbulent channel flow. Results show that the well-known near-wall velocity fluctuations pattern found in turbulent boundary layers triggers wrinkling of the initially flat flame sheet as it starts propagating against the main flow direction, and that the structure of the characteristic streaks of the turbulent boundary layer ultimately has an important impact on the resulting flame shape and on its propagation mechanism. It is observed that the leading edges of the upstream-propagating premixed flame are always located in the near-wall region of the channel and assume the shape of several smooth, curved bulges propagating upstream side by side in the spanwise direction and convex towards the reactant side of the flame. These leading-edge flame bulges are separated by thin regions of spiky flame cusps pointing towards the product side at the trailing edges of the flame. Analysis of the instantaneous velocity fields clearly reveals the existence, on the reactant side of the flame sheet, of backflow pockets that extend well above the wall-quenching distance. There is a strong correspondence between each of the backflow pockets and a leading edge convex flame bulge. Likewise, high-speed streaks of fast flowing fluid are found to be always colocated with the spiky flame cusps pointing towards the product side of the flame. It is suggested that the origin of the formation of the backflow pockets, along with the subsequent mutual feedback mechanism, is due to the interaction of the approaching streaky turbulent flow pattern with the Darrieus–Landau hydrodynamic instability and pressure fluctuations triggered by the flame sheet. Moreover, the presence of the backflow pockets, coupled with the associated hydrodynamic instability and pressure–flow field interaction, greatly facilitate flame propagation in turbulent boundary layers and ultimately results in high flashback velocities that increase proportionately with pressure.

High-Schmidt-number mass transport mechanisms from a turbulent flow to absorbing sediments

We have investigated the mechanisms involved in dissolved oxygen (DO) transfer from a turbulent flow to an underlying organic sediment bed populated with DO-absorbing bacteria. Our numerical study relies on a previously developed and tested computational tool that couples a bio-geochemical model for the sediment layer and large-eddy simulation for transport on the water side. Simulations have been carried out in an open channel configuration for different Reynolds numbers (Reτ = 180–1000), Schmidt numbers (Sc = 400–1000), and bacterial populations (χ* = 100–700 mg l−1). We show that the average oxygen flux across the sediment-water interface (SWI) changes with Reτ and Sc, in good agreement with classic heat-and-mass-transfer parametrizations. Time correlations at the SWI show that intermittent peaks in the wall-shear stress initiate the mass transfer and modulate its distribution in space and time. The diffusive sublayer acts as a de-noising filter with respect to the overlying turbulence; the instantaneous mass flux is not affected by low-amplitude background fluctuations in the wall-shear stress but, on the other hand, it is receptive to energetic and coherent near-wall transport events, in agreement with the surface renewal theory. The three transport processes involved in DO depletion (turbulent transport, molecular transport across the diffusive sublayer, and absorption in the organic sediment layer) exhibit distinct temporal and spatial scales. The rapidly evolving near-wall high-speed streaks transport patches of fluid to the edge of the diffusive sublayer, leaving slowly regenerating elongated patches of positive DO concentration fluctuations and mass flux at the SWI. The sediment surface retains the signature of the overlying turbulent transport over long time scales, allowed by the slow bacterial absorption.

Measurement of turbulent flow upstream and downstream of a circular pipe bend

We measured velocity distribution in cross sections of a fully developed turbulent pipe flow upstream and downstream of a 90° bend by synchronizing two sets of a particle image velocimetry (PIV) system. Unsteady undulation of Dean vortices formed downstream from the bend was characterized by the azimuthal position of the stagnation point found on the inner and outer sides of the bend. Linear stochastic estimation was applied to capture the upstream flow field conditioned by the azimuthal location of the stagnation point downstream from the bend. When the inner-side stagnation point stayed below (above) the symmetry plane, the conditional streamwise velocity upstream from the bend exhibited high-speed streaks extended in a quasi-streamwise direction on the outer side of the curvature above (below) the symmetry plane.

Phase resolved DNS of the turbulent flow over a sediment bed and analysis of the erosion process

The impact of turbulence on the mobilization of solid sediment particles in an open channel flow is of substantial interest for industrial applications and hydrodynamic engineering. Existing approaches to estimate the onset of erosion are based on empirical data and show a wide range of uncertainty. In the present paper an interface-resolving DNS is employed to simulate such a process resolving all scales of turbulence in time and space. This is elementary for a better understanding of this kind of erosion processes. The Navier-Stokes equations for Newtonian fluid with constant density are solved by an explicit, low storage three step Runge-Kutta scheme for the convective terms and a Crank-Nicholson scheme for the viscous terms. A second order finite volume method is used for discretisation in space. Particles are geometrically resolved and coupled to the fluid by an immersed boundary method [1]. By the continuous increase of computing power erosion problems in a range of technically relevant Reynoldsnumbers can be investigated today. In [2] Chan-Braun, Garcia-Villalba and Uhlmann studied how a high number of mobilized small spherical particles interact with a turbulent open-channel flow. Uhlmann and Frohlich [3] showed the impact of high-speed streaks on the mobilization of particles out of homogeneously packed sediment. The present work deals with the mobilization of a single exposed particle on the top of a sediment bed.

A vorticity stretching diagnostic for turbulent and transitional flows

Vorticity stretching in wall-bounded turbulent and transitional flows has been investigated by means of a new diagnostic measure, denoted by Γ, designed to pick up regions with large amounts of vorticity stretching. It is based on the maximum vorticity stretching component in every spatial point, thus yielding a three-dimensional scalar field. The measure was applied in four different flows with increasing complexity: (a) the near-wall cycle in an asymptotic suction boundary layer (ASBL), (b) K-type transition in a plane channel flow, (c) fully turbulent channel flow at Reτ = 180 and (d) a complex turbulent three-dimensional separated flow. Instantaneous data show that the coherent structures associated with intense vorticity stretching in all four cases have the shape of flat ‘pancake’ structures in the vicinity of high-speed streaks, here denoted ‘h-type’ events. The other event found is of ‘l-type’, present on top of an unstable low-speed streak. These events (l-type) are further thought to be associated with the exponential growth of streamwise vorticity in the turbulent near-wall cycle. It was found that the largest occurrence of vorticity stretching in the fully turbulent wall-bounded flows is present at a wall-normal distance of y+ = 6.5, i.e. in the transition between the viscous sublayer and buffer layer. The associated structures have a streamwise length of ~200–300 wall units. In K-type transition, the Γ-measure accurately locates the regions of interest, in particular the formation of high-speed streaks near the wall (h-type) and the appearance of the hairpin vortex (l-type). In the turbulent separated flow, the structures containing large amounts of vorticity stretching increase in size and magnitude in the shear layer upstream of the separation bubble but vanish in the backflow region itself. Overall, the measure proved to be useful in showing growing instabilities before they develop into structures, highlighting the mechanisms creating high shear region on a wall and showing turbulence creation associated with instantaneous separations.

Counter-hairpin vortices in the turbulent wake of a sharp trailing edge

AbstractThe unsteady organization and evolution of coherent structures within the turbulent boundary layer and subsequent wake of the sharp symmetric trailing edge of a NACA0012 aerofoil are investigated. The experiments are conducted in an open test-section wind tunnel at ${\mathit{Re}}_{c} = \text{386\hspace{0.167em}000} $ based on the aerofoil chord and ${\mathit{Re}}_{\theta } = 1300$ based on the boundary layer momentum thickness. An initial characterization of the flow field using two-component particle image velocimetry (PIV) is followed by the investigation of the unsteady organization and evolution of coherent structures by time-resolved three-dimensional PIV based on a tomographic approach (Tomo-PIV). The inspection of the turbulent boundary layer prior to the trailing edge in the region between 0.15 and $0. 8\hspace{0.167em} {\delta }_{99} $ demonstrated streaks of low- and high-speed flow, while the low-speed streaks are observed to be more coherent along with strong interaction with hairpin-type vortical structures similar to a turbulent boundary layer at zero pressure gradient. The wake region demonstrated gradual deterioration of both the low- and the high-speed streaks with downstream progress. However, the low-speed streaks are observed to lose their coherence at a faster rate relative to the high-speed streaks as the turbulent flow develops towards the far wake. The weakening of the low-speed streaks is due to the disappearance of the viscous sublayer after the trailing edge and gradual mixing through the transport of the remaining low-speed flow towards the free stream. This transport of low-speed flow is performed by the ejection events induced by the hairpin vortices as they also persist into the developing wake. The higher persistence of the high-speed streaks is associated with counter-hairpin vortical activities as they oppose the deterioration of the high-speed streaks by frequently sweeping the high-speed flow towards the wake centreline. These vortical structures are regarded as counter-hairpin vortices as they exhibit opposite characteristics relative to the hairpin vortices of a turbulent boundary layer. They are topologically similar to the hairpins as they appear to be U-shaped but with inverted orientation, as the spanwise portion is in the vicinity of the wake centreline and the legs are inclined at an approximately $6{0}^{\ensuremath{\circ} } $ to the wake axis in the downstream direction demonstrating a strain-dominated topology. The counter-hairpin vortices are partially wrapped around the high-speed streaks and contribute to the wake development by transporting high-speed flow towards the wake centreline. Similar to the hairpin vortices of a turbulent boundary layer, the occurrence of a complete counter-hairpin vortex is occasional while its derivatives (portions of spanwise or quasi-streamwise vortices) are more frequently observed. Therefore, a pattern recognition algorithm is applied to establish characterization based on an ensemble-averaged counter-hairpin vortex. The formation of the counter-hairpin vortices is due to an additional degree of interaction between the low- and high-speed streaks after the trailing edge across the wake centreline. The shear layer produced along the wake centreline by neighbouring low- and high-speed streaks promotes the formation of spanwise vortices that form the counter-hairpin vortices by connection to quasi-streamwise vortices. Finally, a conceptual model is proposed to depict the three-dimensional unsteady organization and evolution of coherent structures in the wake region based on the hairpin and counter-hairpin vortex signatures.

New properties of streamwise streaks in transitional boundary layers

Based on detailed results of direct numerical simulation with high order accuracy and resolution at the late-stages of the transitional boundary layer, new properties are found, such as discontinuous event in the evolution of low-speed streamwise streaks and the appearance called high speed spots in the development of high-speed streamwise streaks. In the present paper, the complex vortex structures and the ejection-sweep phenomenon in the transition process of boundary layers are analyzed thoroughly, and the new properties of high-speed /low-speed streamwise streaks are confirmed to be closely relatcd to the evolution process of vortex structures in the flow-field.

Submerged wall jets subjected to injection and suction from the wall

This paper presents an experimental study on turbulent flow characteristics in submerged plane wall jets subjected to injection (upward seepage) and suction (downward seepage) from the wall. The vertical distributions of time-averaged velocity components, turbulence intensity components and Reynolds shear stress at different horizontal distances are presented. The horizontal distributions of wall shear stress determined from the Reynolds shear stress profiles are also furnished. The flow field exhibits a decay of the jet velocity over a horizontal distance. The wall shear stress and the rate of decay of the jet velocity increase in the presence of injection and decrease with suction. Based on the two-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations of a steady turbulent flow, the velocity and Reynolds shear stress distributions in the fully developed zone subjected to no seepage, injection and suction are theoretically computed. The response of the turbulent flow characteristics to injection and suction is analysed from the point of view of similarity characteristics, growth of the length scale and decay of the velocity and turbulence characteristics scales. The significant observation is that the velocity, Reynolds shear stress and turbulence intensities in the fully developed zone are reasonably similar under both injection and suction on applying the appropriate scaling laws. An analysis of the third-order moments of velocity fluctuations reveals that the inner layer of the jet is associated with the arrival of low-speed fluid streaks causing an effect of retardation. On the other hand, the upper layer of the jet is associated with the arrival of high-speed fluid streaks causing an effect of acceleration. Injection influences the near-wall distributions of the third-order moments by increasing the upward turbulent advection of the streamwise Reynolds normal stress. In contrast, suction influences the near-wall distributions of the third-order moments by increasing the downward turbulent advection of the streamwise Reynolds normal stress. Also, injection and suction change the vertical turbulent flux of the vertical Reynolds normal stress in a similar way. The streamwise turbulent energy flux travels towards the jet origin within the jet layer, while it travels away from the origin within the inner layer of the circulatory flow. The turbulent energy budget suggests that the turbulent and pressure energy diffusions oppose each other, and the turbulent dissipation lags the turbulent production. The quadrant analysis of velocity fluctuations reveals that the inward and outward interactions are the primary contributions to the Reynolds shear stress production in the inner and outer layers of the jet, respectively. However, injection induces feeble ejections in the vicinity of the wall.

Direct and adjoint global modes of a recirculation bubble: lift-up and convective non-normalities

The stability of the recirculation bubble behind a smoothed backward-facing step is numerically computed. Destabilization occurs first through a stationary three-dimensional mode. Analysis of the direct global mode shows that the instability corresponds to a deformation of the recirculation bubble in which streamwise vortices induce low- and high-speed streaks as in the classical lift-up mechanism. Formulation of the adjoint problem and computation of the adjoint global mode show that both the lift-up mechanism associated with the transport of the base flow by the perturbation and the convective non-normality associated with the transport of the perturbation by the base flow explain the properties of the flow. The lift-up non-normality differentiates the direct and adjoint modes by their component: the direct is dominated by the streamwise component and the adjoint by the cross-stream component. The convective non-normality results in a different localization of the direct and adjoint global modes, respectively downstream and upstream. The implications of these properties for the control problem are considered. Passive control, to be most efficient, should modify the flow inside the recirculation bubble where direct and adjoint global modes overlap, whereas active control, by for example blowing and suction at the wall, should be placed just upstream of the separation point where the pressure of the adjoint global mode is maximum.

Direct numerical simulation of heated CO2 flows at supercritical pressure in a vertical annulus at Re=8900

The present study is concerned with thermal physics of the fluid at supercritical pressure (SCP) where many singular phenomena are observed in turbulent heat transfer due to severe property variations of the fluid. Direct numerical simulation is conducted for upward annular flows of CO2 at a pressure of 8MPa with a constant-heat-flux boundary condition imposed on the inner wall. All simulations are made at the inlet bulk Reynolds number of 8900 with particular attention being paid to the structure of the heated boundary layers at SCP. It is shown that most singular phenomena at SCP occur when the pseudocritical temperature arises between the heated wall and bulk fluid temperatures. The mean velocity profile near the heated wall shows no logarithmic distribution in the inertial subrange because a large reduction in the Reynolds shear stress occurs in the viscous region. The computational flow visualization reveals that alternating low- and high-speed streaks in the viscous region are not clearly observed when the wall temperature peak is realized due to significant heat transfer deterioration. These results strongly suggest that the ejection and sweep motions of the fluid in the viscous region become so weakened that turbulent boundary layers at SCP cannot be self-sustained in the presence of strong stabilizing effects of the variable-property and buoyancy. It is also shown that streaky thermal pattern remains no longer similar to that of the velocity boundary layer when these coherent motions are reduced in the viscous region. In the meanwhile, the predicted normalized temperature profile at SCP shows a nearly flat distribution outside the viscous region although substantial amount of the radial turbulent heat flux is predicted there. This singular phenomenon at SCP can be considered as comparable to a phase change phenomenon at subcritical pressure, where the internal energy of the fluid is increased without changing the fluid temperature. At SCP, this transition occurs continuously across the pseudocritical point but the computational flow visualization shows very vigorous density fluctuations when it occurs.

NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF FLOW FEATURES AND ENERGY EXCHANGE PHYSICS IN NEAR-WALL REGION WITH FLUID-STRUCTURE INTERACTION

Large eddy simulation is used to explore flow features and energy exchange physics between turbulent flow and structure vibration in the near-wall region with fluid–structure interaction (FSI). The statistical turbulence characteristics in the near-wall region of a vibrating wall, such as the skin frictional coefficient, velocity, pressure, vortices, and the coherent structures have been studied for an aerofoil blade passage of a true three-dimensional hydroturbine. The results show that (i) FSI greatly strengthens the turbulence in the inner region of y+ < 25; and (ii) the energy exchange mechanism between the flow and the vibration depends strongly on the vibration-induced vorticity in the inner region. The structural vibration provokes a frequent action between the low- and high-speed streaks to balance the energy deficit caused by the vibration. The velocity profile in the inner layer near the vibrating wall has a significant distinctness, and the viscosity effect of the fluid in the inner region decreases due to the vibration. The flow features in the inner layer are altered by a suitable wall vibration.

Sinuous breakdown in a flat plate boundary layer exposed to free-stream turbulence

In a flat plate boundary layer, perturbed with streaks, breakdown occurs due to a secondary instability acting on the streaks. An experimental study using a water channel with static turbulence grid revealed the presence of a sinuous secondary instability mode in the bypass transition process. Five sinuous instabilities are investigated in detail in the horizontal plane. The streamwise length scale of the sinuous instability is around 40δ300* and the spanwise scale equals around δ300*. Four main features are found in the underlying streak configuration and developing streak-streak interactions. Firstly, all instabilities arise in a streak configuration where two low-speed streaks are located at a small spanwise distance from each other. Patches of low-speed fluid (forming a discontinuity in the streak pattern) are present in the high-speed streaks surrounding the unstable low-speed streak. As a consequence of the streak-streak interactions at the discontinuities, vortices arise in a staggered configuration. Finally, the vortices develop into three-dimensional structures after which the flow falls apart into smaller three-dimensional flow regions.

Instantaneous fluctuation velocity and skewness distributions upstream of transition onset

The development of streamwise orientated disturbances through the boundary layer thickness prior to transition onset for zero-pressure gradient boundary layer flow under the influence %Tu = 4.2 is presented. The analysis concentrates on the development of the maximum positive and negative of the fluctuation velocity in order to gain further insight into the transition process. The average location of the peak negative fluctuation velocity over a range of Reynolds numbers was measured in the upper portion of the boundary layer at y/ δ ≈ 0.6, whereas the location of the peak positive value was measured at y/ δ ≈ 0.3. The disturbance magnitude of the negative fluctuation velocity increased beyond that of the positive as transition onset approached. The distribution and disturbance magnitude of the maximum positive and negative fluctuation velocities indicate that the initiation of transition may occur on the low-speed components of the flow that are lifted up to the upper region of the boundary layer. This is in qualitative agreement with recent direct numerical simulations on the breakdown of the flow on the lifted low-speed streaks near the boundary layer edge. The results presented in this investigation also demonstrate the increased physical insight gained by examining the distributions of the maximum positive and negative of the streamwise fluctuation velocity component associated with the low- and high-speed streaks, compared to time-averaged values, in determining what structures cause the breakdown to turbulence.

The effect of subgrid-scale models on the near wall vortices: A priori tests

Direct numerical simulation of a turbulent channel flow at Reτ=180 is used to analyze the resolved enstrophy dissipation caused by the subgrid-scale (SGS) models. The SGS enstrophy dissipation attains a minimum (forward scatter) at about y+≈8 and a backscatter region for y+<6, and is correlated with the high-speed streaks. A priori tests show that in the buffer layer, of all the models considered, the dynamic Smagorinsky, filtered structure function, and scale-similarity models display the smallest amount of resolved enstrophy dissipation, whereas the Smagorinsky and mixed models are the most dissipative.