Oil-film Interferometry Research Articles

Numerical and experimental investigation into hypersonic boundary layer transition induced by roughness elements

In this work, the Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) and Oil-Film Interferometry (OFI) technique are used to investigate the hypersonic boundary layer transition induced by single and double roughness elements at Mach number 5. For single roughness, the DNS results showed that both horseshoe vortices and hairpin vortices caused by shear layer instability can affect the boundary layer instability. The generation of the near-wall unstable structure is the key point of boundary layer transition behind the roughness element. At the downstream of the roughness element, the interaction between horseshoe vortices and hairpin vortices will spread in the spanwise direction. For double roughness elements, the effect of the spacing between roughness elements on the transition is studied. It is found that the case of higher spacing between roughness elements is more effective for inducing transition than the lower one. The interaction between two adjacent roughness elements can suppress the evolution of horseshoe vortices in the downstream and trigger the instability of shear layer. Thus, the transition will be suppressed accordingly.

Measurement of Wall Shear Stress on Curved Surface by Oil Film Interferometry

Measurement of Wall Shear Stress on Curved Surface by Oil Film Interferometry

Skin Friction Measurements Using Oil Film Interferometry in a 3-D Supersonic Flowfield

The application of oil film interferometry (OFI) for the measurement of global skin friction on the surface beneath a complex three-dimensional supersonic flow is explored in this study. The flowfield is produced by a fin-generated oblique shock interacting with a compressible turbulent boundary layer. Measurements were obtained by modifying a comprehensive acquisition and processing software, previously developed for two-dimensional, low-speed flows, to measure skin friction distributions underneath such flows. This approach required the local flow direction on the surface, and therefore traditional oil flow visualization was coupled with OFI measurements. A cross-correlation-based algorithm was incorporated to extract flow direction from sequences of oil flow visualization images. Photogrammetry was used with both surface oil flow and OFI to ensure proper spatial overlap for the two measurements. Results from this study demonstrate the capability of the approach in a complex, supersonic flow field that contains regions of both separation and reattachment concomitant with a wide range of skin friction values. The skin friction results show excellent homogeneity, standard deviation of 5.1% of the mean, in the undisturbed boundary layer upstream of the interaction and capture well-resolved high shear gradients in the interaction region. A comparison to legacy data from a similar interaction shows matching trends within the developed flow.

Study on Oil-Film Interferometry Measurement Technique of Hypersonic Boundary Layer Transition

Prediction of boundary layer transition is important for the design of hypersonic aircrafts. The study of boundary layer transition of hypersonic flow around a flat plate using oil-film interferometry was investigated at Φ500mm traditional hypersonic wind tunnel. In order to measure the skin friction fast and precisely on the hypersonic wind tunnel, the traditional oil-film interferometry technique is improved. A high-speed camera is used to capture the images of fringes and the viscosity of the silicon oil is modified according to the wall temperature measured by thermocouples during the test. The skin frictions of smooth surface and the surface with single square roughness element were measured. For the smooth surface, the boundary layer is laminar. However, the boundary layer transition is promoted by wake vortices induced by the roughness element. Both the results of skin friction with and without the roughness element are in good agreement with the simulation results correspondingly, indicating high accuracy of the oil film interferometry technique.

Influence of distributed roughness elements on boundary layer transition for NACA0012 airfoil

The influence of distributed cylinder roughness elements on boundary layer transition for NACA0012 airfoil at Ma = 0.6 has been investigated by subsonic/transonic/supersonic wind tunnel experiment with oil-film interferometry. Three different heights and two different distances of cylinder roughness elements on the airfoil model were used, and the skin friction coefficient was measured by the oil-film interferometry. The experimental results show that higher roughness elements promote the transition earlier. In addition, narrower distance of roughness elements can delay the transition compared with the case of wider distance.

Letter: A note on flow characterization of the FX63-137 airfoil at low Reynolds number using oil-film interferometry technique

The Wortmann FX 63-137 airfoil has been extensively studied and used in a low Reynolds number flow regime due to its excellent aerodynamic performance with high lift and soft-stall characteristics. In this work, a laminar separation bubble (LSB) on the upper surface of the FX63-137 airfoil is experimentally studied at low Reynolds numbers of 200 000, 300 000, and 500 000 with different angles of attack via the oil-film interferometry (OFI) technique. The flow features, such as laminar separation, reattachment, turbulent separation, and laminar-turbulent transition, on the upper surface were clearly captured. Furthermore, the characteristics of the reverse flow and reattached flow of LSB were also exhibited evidently. Compared with oil flow visualization, the OFI technique is much easier to use, is less time-consuming, and provides for more indistinct flow features over the airfoil surface.

Assessment of uncertainties in hot-wire anemometry and oil-film interferometry measurements for wall-bounded turbulent flows

In this study, the sources of uncertainty of hot-wire anemometry (HWA) and oil-film interferometry (OFI) measurements are assessed. Both statistical and classical methods are used for the forward and inverse problems, so that the contributions to the overall uncertainty of the measured quantities can be evaluated. The correlations between the parameters are taken into account through the Bayesian inference with error-in-variable (EiV) model. In the forward problem, very small differences were found when using Monte Carlo (MC), Polynomial Chaos Expansion (PCE) and linear perturbation methods. In flow velocity measurements with HWA, the results indicate that the estimated uncertainty is lower when the correlations among parameters are considered, than when they are not taken into account. Moreover, global sensitivity analyses with Sobol indices showed that the HWA measurements are most sensitive to the wire voltage, and in the case of OFI the most sensitive factor is the calculation of fringe velocity. The relative errors in wall-shear stress, friction velocity and viscous length are 0.44%, 0.23% and0.22%, respectively. Note that these values are lower than the ones reported in other wall-bounded turbulence studies. Note that in most studies of wall-bounded turbulence the correlations among parameters are not considered, and the uncertainties from the various parameters are directly added when determining the overall uncertainty of the measured quantity. In the present analysis we account for these correlations, which may lead to a lower overall uncertainty estimate due to error cancellation Furthermore, our results also indicate that the crucial aspect when obtaining accurate inner-scaled velocity measurements is the wind-tunnel flow quality, which is more critical than the accuracy in wall-shear stress measurements.

Skin friction measurements on structured surfaces using Clauser-chart method and Oil film interferometry

Measurements of skin friction have been performed on flat and hexagonal concave surfaces using the conventional Clauser-chart method and the Oil film interferometry. The values of shear stress coefficients measured by the conventional Clauser-chart method on a flat plate were found to be up to 13 % higher from the ones deduced by the Oil film interferometry. The velocity profiles required for the Clauser-chart were obtained by using hot wire anemometry. The analysis of the results suggested that the conventional Clauser-chart method cannot be used to predict shear stresses acting on the hexagonal concave surfaces due to the existence of strong pressure gradients. Oil film interferometry not only provides accurate and direct values of shear stress coefficients but also helps to visualize the flow above the surface.

Skin friction estimation in a strong decelerating flow

The paper presents the analysis of the turbulent boundary layer developed on a flat plate subjected to an Adverse Pressure Gradient (APG) and approaching separation. The aim of the study is to examine the effects of pressure gradient on a non-equilibrium boundary layer while indicating local areas of the equilibrium flow. The emphasis is on the analysis of mean flow velocity and the estimation of skin friction. It is known that accurate measurements of skin friction were considered as a difficult and demanding task despite of various measuring techniques available. A great challenge is especially the measurement of a strong decelerated turbulent boundary layer because of low shear stress and possible large measuring errors. To date, the oil film or oil drop interferometry technique, because of its high accuracy, has become a basis of turbulent-boundary-layer research. In our research, this technique has been used as a reference method for comparing with the traditional Clauser chart method, which generally is considered as not suitably for non-canonical flows. In the paper, however, a correction of the method is proposed, which allows one to increase its range of applicability. This corrected Clauser chart method (CCCM) involves only one iteration while other proposed in the literature methods employ a twofold iterative procedure. The comparison of the methods for the non-canonical turbulent boundary layer, i.e. adverse pressure gradient with a strong flow history effect has been presented. It has been shown that CCCM can be successfully used for small and medium pressure gradients, where the Clauser-Rotta pressure gradient parameter β does not exceed level close to 11.

Effect of Jet Oscillation on the Maximum Impingement Plate Skin Friction

The maximum impingement plate skin friction and flow field is measured for an acoustically forced planar impinging gas jet using oil film interferometry (OFI) and particle image velocimetry (PIV), respectively. The study is performed at a jet Reynolds number of Rejet = 11,000 and an impingement distance H, which is set to eight times the nozzle width W. The planar impinging gas jet is forced at the jet nozzle exit using Strouhal numbers StH = 0.39, 0.76, and 1.1, which are similar to those associated with the jet-plate tones measured in air-knife wiping experiments. The flow-field measurements indicate that the jet column oscillates at the applied forcing frequency, and depending on the forcing frequency, organized vortex structures can be identified in the shear layers that impinge on the plate surface. Both of these jet oscillation features result in a reduction in the time-averaged maximum impingement plate skin friction. This skin friction reduction is attributed to momentum loss at the jet centerline caused by increased levels of fluid entrainment and mixing of the surrounding quiescent fluid.

Experimental investigations on characteristics of boundary layer and control of transition on an airfoil by AC-DBD

Plasma-based flow control is one of the most promising techniques for aerodynamic problems, such as delaying the boundary layer transition. The boundary layer’s characteristics induced by AC-DBD plasma actuators and applied by the actuators to delay the boundary layer transition on airfoil at Ma = 0.3 were experimentally investigated. The PIV measurement was used to study the boundary layer’s characteristics induced by the plasma actuators. The measurement plane, which was parallel to the surface of the actuators and 1 mm above the surface, was involved in the test, including the perpendicular plane. The instantaneous results showed that the induced flow field consisted of many small size unsteady vortices which were eliminated by the time average. The subsequent oil-film interferometry skin friction measurement was conducted on a NASA SC(2)-0712 airfoil at Ma = 0.3. The coefficient of skin friction demonstrates that the plasma actuators successfully delay the boundary layer transition and the efficiency is better at higher driven voltage.

Influence of Error Factor about Oil-Film Interferometry on Measurement Accuracy

Influence of Error Factor about Oil-Film Interferometry on Measurement Accuracy

The Maximum Skin Friction and Flow Field of a Planar Impinging Gas Jet

The maximum skin friction and flow field are experimentally measured on a planar impinging gas jet using oil film interferometry (OFI) and particle image velocimetry (PIV), respectively. A jet nozzle width of W = 15 mm, impingement ratios H/W = 4, 6, 8, 10, and a range of jet Reynolds numbers Rejet = 11,000–40,000 are tested to provide a parametric map of the maximum skin friction. The maximum skin friction predictions of Phares et al. (2000, “The Wall Shear Stress Produced by the Normal Impingement of a Jet on a Flat Surface,” J. Fluid Mech., 418, pp. 351–375) for plane jets agree within 5% of the current OFI results for H/W = 6, but deviates upward of 28% for other impingement ratios. The maximum skin friction is found to be less sensitive to changes in the impingement ratio when the jet standoff distance is roughly within the potential core length of the jet. PIV measurements show turbulence transition locations moving toward the nozzle exit with increasing Reynolds number, saturation in the downstream evolution of the maximum axial turbulence intensity before reaching a maximum peak upon impingement, followed by sudden damping at the plate surface. As the flow is redirected, there is an orthogonal redistribution of the fluctuating velocity components, and local peaks in both the axial and transverse turbulence intensity distributions at the plate locations of the maximum skin friction.

Uncertainty Evaluation of Friction Velocity Measurements by Oil-Film Interferometry

Wind loads on structures and the wind environment around buildings are based on tests in boundary layer wind tunnels with corresponding scale parameters. The lower part of the troposphere boundary layer was simulated inside a small wind tunnel located at the Wind Engineering Centre of the Université de Moncton. The correct scale ratios of the boundary layer thickness combined with the roughness height are two of the most important scales to match. For small wind tunnels, roughness parameters related to the model boundary layer can be difficult to measure since scale ratios for wind load studies are expected to be in the range of 400–1000. Oil-film interferometry was used to determine the roughness parameters (shear stress, friction velocity, and roughness height) of the forced turbulent boundary layer inside the wind tunnel. In this work, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Guide to Expression of Uncertainty in Measurements was used to evaluate the standard uncertainty of the roughness parameters on the bottom wall of the wind tunnel. The standard uncertainty of the roughness parameters depends strongly on the oil viscosity and on the accurate measurement of the fringe spacing. Results show that the standard uncertainty of the shear stress and friction velocity determined by the interferometry technique can be less than 5% when the oil viscosity and the fringe spacing can be accurately measured with a standard uncertainty lower than 4% and 1%, respectively.

Hybrid oil film approach to measuring skin friction distribution

This paper describes a technique for quantitatively measuring the time-averaged skin friction distribution on a wind tunnel test model. The technique is a hybrid oil film approach that is based on the combination of the qualitative skin friction distribution obtained from luminescent oil film and the quantitative local skin friction measurements obtained from oil film interferometry in another blowing of the same flow condition. To demonstrate its validity, the proposed method was applied to the flow field around a vortex generator on a flat plate, and successfully measured the quantitative skin friction distribution.

Comparison of the Three-Dimensional Boundary Layer on Flat Versus Contoured Turbine Endwalls

The boundary layer on the endwall of an axial turbomachine passage is influenced by streamwise and cross-stream pressure gradients, as well as a large streamwise vortex, that develop in the passage. These influences distort the structure of the boundary layer and result in heat transfer and friction coefficients that differ significantly from simple two-dimensional boundary layers. Three-dimensional contouring of the endwall has been shown to reduce the strength of the large passage vortex and reduce endwall heat transfer, but the mechanisms of the reductions on the structure of the endwall boundary layer are not well understood. This study describes three-component measurements of mean and fluctuating velocities in the passage of a turbine blade obtained with a laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV). Friction coefficients obtained with the oil film interferometry (OFI) method were compared to measured heat transfer coefficients. In the passage, the strength of the large passage vortex was reduced with contouring. Regions where heat transfer was increased by endwall contouring corresponded to elevated turbulence levels compared to the flat endwall, but the variation in boundary layer skew across the passage was reduced with contouring.

GS0517 オイルフィルム干渉計測法による翼面の壁面せん断応力の計測

GS0517 オイルフィルム干渉計測法による翼面の壁面せん断応力の計測

Evaluation of a film-based wall shear stress measurement technique in a turbulent channel flow

Mean wall shear stress in a turbulent channel flow has been measured using a film-based shear stress sensor with a working principle based on the deformation of a thin elastic film. A direct comparison was made between the elastic film measurements and those using oil-film interferometry in the same experimental facility to evaluate the capability of the novel technique to measure the mean wall shear stress. The results indicate that the film-based sensor measures the wall shear stress within the uncertainty of the oil film measurement for the range of Reynolds numbers considered here, i.e. 2100–2900 based on the friction velocity and the half channel height.

Effects of wall temperature on skin-friction measurements by oil-film interferometry

Wind-tunnel skin-friction measurements with thin-oil-film interferometry have been taken on an aluminum sample to investigate the effects of wall temperature on the accuracy of the technique. The sample has been flush-mounted onto a flat plate with an electric heater at its bottom and mirror-smooth temperature-sensitive paint sprayed on its top. The heater has varied the sample temperature from ambient to 328 K, and the paint has permitted wall temperature measurements on the same area of the skin-friction measurements and during the same test. The measured wall temperatures have been used to calculate the correct oil viscosities, and these viscosities and the constant nominal viscosity at 298 K have been used to calculate two different sets of skin-friction coefficients. These sets have been compared to each other and with theoretical values. This comparison shows that the effects of wall temperature on the accuracy of skin-friction measurements are sensible, and more so as wall temperature differs from 298 K. Nonetheless, they are effectively neutralized by the use of wall temperature measurements in combination with the correct oil viscosity–temperature law. In this regard, the special temperature-sensitive paint developed for this study shows advantages with respect to more traditional wall temperature measurement techniques.

Systematic errors of skin-friction measurements by oil-film interferometry

In recent years, the independent measurement of wall shear stress with oil-film or oil-drop interferometry has become a cornerstone of turbulent-boundary-layer research as many arguments depend critically on a precise knowledge of the skin friction ${\it\tau}_{w}^{\ast }$. To our knowledge, all practitioners of oil-drop interferometry have so far used the leading-order similarity solution for asymptotically thin, wedge-shaped, two-dimensional oil films established by Tanner & Blows (J. Phys. E: Sci. Instrum., vol. 9, 1976, pp. 194–202) to relate the evolution of drop thickness to ${\it\tau}_{w}^{\ast }$. It is generally believed that this procedure, if carefully implemented, yields the true time-averaged ${\it\tau}_{w}^{\ast }$ within $\pm 1\,\%$ or possibly better, but the systematic errors due to the finite thickness of the oil film have never been determined. They are analysed here for oil films with a thickness of the order of a viscous unit in a zero-pressure-gradient turbulent boundary layer. Neglecting spanwise surface curvature and surface tension effects, corrections due to the secondary air boundary layer above the oil film are derived with a linearised triple-layer approach that accounts for the turbulent shear-stress perturbation by means of modified van-Driest-type closure models. In addition, the correction due to processing oil drops with a slight streamwise surface curvature as if they were exact wedges is quantified. Both corrections are evaluated for oil-drop interferograms acquired in a zero-pressure-gradient turbulent boundary layer at a Reynolds number of around 3500, based on displacement thickness, and are shown to produce a reduction of the friction velocity relative to the basic Tanner and Blows theory of between $-0.1\,\%$ and $-1.5\,\%$, depending on the mixing-length model. Despite the uncertainty about the true correction, the analysis allows the formulation of some guidelines on where and when to analyse interference fringes in order to minimise the error on the measured wall shear stress.