Response Of Boundary Layer Research Articles

Feedback control of slowly-varying transient growth by an array of plasma actuators

Closed-loop feedback control of boundary layer streaks embedded in a laminar boundary layer and experiencing transient growth, which is inherent to bypass boundary layer transition, is experimentally investigated. Streaky disturbances are introduced by a spanwise array of cylindrical roughness elements, and a counter disturbance is provided by a spanwise array of plasma actuators, which are capable of generating spanwise-periodic counter rotating vortices in the boundary layer. Feedback is provided by a spanwise array of shear stress sensors. An input/output model of the system is obtained from measurements of the boundary layer response to steady forcing, and used to design and analyze a proportional-integral controller, which targets a specific spanwise wavenumber of the disturbance. Attention is directed towards a quasi-steady case in which the controller update is slower than the convective time scale. This choice enables addressing issues pertinent to sensing, actuation, and control strategy that are also relevant to the control of unsteady disturbances but without the full complexity of transient effects. The feedback controller and plasma actuators perform well, attenuating the streamwise streaks both in the vicinity of the sensors and farther downstream. The controller remains effective for a range of off-design flow conditions, such as when the free-stream velocity is varied.

Response of a hypersonic boundary layer to freestream pulse acoustic disturbance.

The response of hypersonic boundary layer over a blunt wedge to freestream pulse acoustic disturbance was investigated. The stability characteristics of boundary layer for freestream pulse wave and continuous wave were analyzed comparatively. Results show that freestream pulse disturbance changes the thermal conductivity characteristics of boundary layer. For pulse wave, the number of main disturbance clusters decreases and the frequency band narrows along streamwise. There are competition and disturbance energy transfer among different modes in boundary layer. The dominant mode of boundary layer has an inhibitory action on other modes. Under continuous wave, the disturbance modes are mainly distributed near fundamental and harmonic frequencies, while under pulse wave, the disturbance modes are widely distributed in different modes. For both pulse and continuous waves, most of disturbance modes slide into a lower-growth or decay state in downstream, which is tending towards stability. The amplitude of disturbance modes in boundary layer under continuous wave is considerably larger than pulse wave. The growth rate for the former is also considerably larger than the later the disturbance modes with higher growth are mainly distributed near fundamental and harmonic frequencies for the former, while the disturbance modes are widely distributed in different frequencies for the latter.

Scaling of heat transfer augmentation due to mechanical distortions in hypervelocity boundary layers

We examine the response of hypervelocity boundary layers to global mechanical distortions due to concave surface curvature. Surface heat transfer and visual boundary layer thickness data are obtained for a suite of models with different concave surface geometries. Results are compared to predictions using existing approximate methods. Near the leading edge, good agreement is observed, but at larger pressure gradients, predictions diverge significantly from the experimental data. Up to a factor of five underprediction is reported in regions with greatest distortion. Curve fits to the experimental data are compared with surface equations. We demonstrate that reasonable estimates of the laminar heat flux augmentation may be obtained as a function of the local turning angle for all model geometries, even at the conditions of greatest distortion. This scaling may be explained by the application of Lees similarity. As a means of introducing additional local distortions, vortex generators are used to impose streamwise structures into the boundary layer. The response of the large scale vortices to an adverse pressure gradient is investigated. Surface streak evolution is visualized over the different surface geometries using fast response pressure sensitive paint. For a flat plate baseline case, heat transfer augmentation at similar levels to turbulent flow is measured. For the concave geometries, increases in heat transfer by factors up to 2.6 are measured over the laminar values. The scaling of heat transfer with turning angle that is identified for the laminar boundary layer response is found to be robust even in the presence of the imposed vortex structures.

Dielectric response and magnetoelectric coupling in single crystal gallium ferrite

Here we report the dielectric response and electric conduction behavior of magnetoelectric gallium ferrite single crystals studied using impedance analysis in time and temperature domain. The material exhibits two distinct relaxation processes: a high frequency bulk response and a low frequency interfacial boundary layer response. Calculated bulk capacitance as a function of temperature showed an anomaly at ferri- to paramagnetic transition temperature (∼ 300 K), suggestive of magneto-dielectric coupling in the material. Interestingly, we also witness an abrupt change in the activation energy at ∼ 220 K, in the vicinity of spin-glass transition temperature in GaFeO3.

Response of a hypersonic turbulent boundary layer to favourable pressure gradients

AbstractThe role of streamline curvature-driven favourable pressure gradients in modifying the turbulence structure of a Mach 4.9, high-Reynolds-number (${\mathit{Re}}_{\theta } = 43\hspace{0.167em} 000$) boundary layer is examined. Three pressure gradient cases ($\beta = (\mathrm{d} p/ \mathrm{d} x)({\delta }^{\ast } / {\tau }_{w} )= 0. 07, - 0. 3$ and $- 1. 0$) are characterized via particle image velocimetry. The expected stabilizing trends in the Reynolds stresses are observed, with a sign reversal in the Reynolds shear stress in the outer part of the boundary layer for the strongest favourable pressure gradient considered. The increased transverse normal strain rate and reduced principal strain rate are the primary factors. Reynolds stress quadrant events are redistributed, such that the relative differences between the quadrant magnitudes decreases. Very little preferential quadrant mode selection is observed for the strongest pressure gradient considered. Two-point correlations suggest that the turbulent structures are reoriented to lean farther away from the wall, accompanied by a slight reduction in their characteristic size, consistent with previous flow visualization studies. This reorientation is more pronounced in the outer, dilatation-dominated region of the boundary layer, whereas the alteration in structure size is more pronounced nearer the wall, where the principal strain rates are larger. In addition, integration of a simplified form of a Reynolds stress transport closure model provided a framework to assess the role of the strain-rate field on the observed Reynolds shear stresses. Given the simple geometry, the present data provide a suitable test bed for Reynolds stress transport and large-eddy model development and validation.

The Roles of Asymmetric Inflow Forcing Induced by Outer Rainbands in Tropical Cyclone Secondary Eyewall Formation

Abstract This study analyzes the secondary eyewall formation (SEF) process in an idealized cloud-resolving simulation of a tropical cyclone. In particular, the unbalanced boundary layer response to asymmetric inflow forcing induced by outer rainbands (ORBs) is examined in order to understand the mechanisms driving the sustained convection outside the primary eyewall during the early phase of SEF. The enhancement of convection in the SEF region follows the formation and inward contraction of an ORB. The azimuthal distribution of the enhanced convection is highly asymmetric but regular, generally along a half circle starting from the downwind portion of the ORB. It turns out that the descending radial inflow in the middle and downwind portions of the ORB initiates/maintains a strong inflow in the boundary layer. The latter is able to penetrate into the inner-core region, sharpens the gradient of radial velocity, and reinforces convergence. Consequently, warm and moist air is continuously lifted up at the leading edge of the strong inflow to support deep convection. Moreover, the inflow from the ORB creates strong supergradient winds that are ejected outward downwind, thereby enhancing convergence and convection on the other side of the storm. The results provide new insight into the key processes responsible for convection enhancement during the early phase of SEF in three dimensions and suggest the limitations of axisymmetric studies. There are also implications regarding the impact of the asymmetric boundary layer flow under a translating storm on SEF.

Experimental Study of Boundary-Layer Response to Laser-Generated Disturbances at Mach 6

Surface-mounted pressure sensors were used to investigate the response of a hypersonic conical boundary layer to artificial disturbances. A pulsed high-power laser was focused to a spot about 5 mm above the model. When a certain intensity threshold is exceeded, the air is no longer transparent, the laser energy is absorbed, and a plasma ignites. This plasma very quickly reassociates and an expanding shock wave and a volume of heated gas in the disturbance center remain. Because this center was some distance above the model, only the shock wave interacted with the boundary layer and, as a result of this interaction, a second-mode-like wave train evolved. The wave’s behavior is compared with uncontrolled natural waves, which originated from freestream disturbances. The measurements yield the spatial extensions, the frequency content, and the wave structure. Furthermore, the effects of changing the Reynolds number and applying multipulses to affect the frequency content were investigated.

Simulations of Boundary-Layer Response to Laser-Generated Disturbances at Mach 6

A finite volume Navier–Stokes code was used to simulate the interaction of a laser-induced disturbance with a conical boundary layer at Mach 5.85. The simulations start after an optically induced breakdown that generates an initial disturbance. The initial disturbance was determined from Taylor’s intense explosion similarity law and this disturbance is imposed into the flowfield of a 7 deg half-angle cone. The initial disturbance parameters, such as energy, were obtained from comparisons to experimental data. The disturbance was imposed some distance above the model and the boundary layer, so that mainly the propagating shock wave interacts with the boundary layer. This interaction results in the formation of a second-mode wave packet, and its generation and development are described. Also, comparisons to experimental data and to results of the linear stability theory are given. Furthermore, some disturbance parameters were varied, such as released energy or the number of laser pulses.

Visualization of the structural response of a hypersonic turbulent boundary layer to convex curvature

The effects of convex curvature on the outer structure of a Mach 4.9 turbulent boundary layer (Reθ = 4.7 × 104) are investigated using condensate Rayleigh scattering and analyzed using spatial correlations, intermittency, and fractal theory. It is found that the post-expansion boundary layer structure morphology appears subtle, but certain features exhibit a more obvious response. The large-scale flow structures survive the initial expansion, appearing to maintain the same physical size. However, due to the nature of the expansion fan, a differential acceleration effect takes place across the flow structures, causing them to be reoriented, leaning farther away from the wall. The onset of intermittency moves closer towards the boundary layer edge and the region of intermittent flow decreases. It is likely that this reflects the less frequent penetration of outer irrotational fluid into the boundary layer, consistent with a boundary layer that is losing its ability to entrain freestream fluid. The fractal dimension of the turbulent/nonturbulent interface decreases with increasing favorable pressure gradient, indicating that the interface's irregularity decreases. Because fractal scale similarity does not encompass the largest scales, this suggests that the change in fractal dimension is due to the action of the smaller-scales, consistent with the idea that the small-scale flow structures are quenched during the expansion in response to bulk dilatation.

Response and sensitivity of the nocturnal boundary layer over land to added longwave radiative forcing

One of the most significant signals in the thermometer‐observed temperature record since 1900 is the decrease in the diurnal temperature range over land, largely due to rising of the minimum temperatures. Generally, climate models have not well replicated this change in diurnal temperature range. Thus, the cause for night‐time warming in the observed temperatures has been attributed to a variety of external causes. We take an alternative approach to examine the role that the internal dynamics of the stable nocturnal boundary layer (SNBL) may play in affecting the response and sensitivity of minimum temperatures to added downward longwave forcing. As indicated by previous nonlinear analyses of a truncated two‐layer equation system, the SNBL can be very sensitive to changes in greenhouse gas forcing, surface roughness, heat capacity, and wind speed. A new single‐column model growing out of these nonlinear studies is used to examine the SNBL. Specifically, budget analyses of the model are provided that evaluate the response of the boundary layer to forcing and sensitivity to mixing formulations. Based on these model analyses, it is likely that part of the observed long‐term increase in minimum temperature is reflecting a redistribution of heat by changes in turbulence and not by an accumulation of heat in the boundary layer. Because of the sensitivity of the shelter level temperature to parameters and forcing, especially to uncertain turbulence parameterization in the SNBL, there should be caution about the use of minimum temperatures as a diagnostic global warming metric in either observations or models.

Low boundary layer response and temperature dependence of nitrogen and phosphorus releases from oxic sediments of an oligotrophic lake

The effects of temperature, diffusive boundary-layer thickness, and sediment composition on fluxes of inorganic N and P were estimated for sediment cores with oxidized surfaces from nearshore waters (2–10 m) of a montane oligotrophic lake. Fluxes of N and P were not affected by diffusive boundary-layer thickness but were strongly affected by temperature. Below 16 °C, sediments sequestered small amounts of P and released small amounts of N. Above 16 °C, the seasonal maximum water temperature, sediments were substantial sources of N (NH4 +–N = 2–24 mg m−2 d−1; NO3 − + NO2 −–N = 2–5 mg m−2 d−1) and P (0.1–0.4 mg m−2 d−1), indicating potential responsiveness of sediment–water nutrient exchange, and of corresponding phytoplankton growth, to synoptic warming.

Tollmien-schlichting wave amplitudes on a semi-infinite flat plate and a parabolic body: comparison of a parabolized stability equation method and direct numerical simulations

In this paper, the interaction of free-stream acoustic waves with the leading edge of an aerodynamic body is investigated and two different methods for analysing this interaction are considered. Results are compared for a method which incorporates Orr–Sommerfeld calculations using the parabolized stability equation to those of direct numerical simulations. By comparing the streamwise amplitude of the Tollmien–Schlichting wave, it is found that non-modal components of the boundary layer response to an acoustic wave can persist some distance downstream of the lower branch. The effect of nose curvature on the persisting non-modal eigenmodes is also considered, with a larger nose radius allowing the non-modal eigenmodes to persist farther downstream.

The response of a flat plate boundary layer to an orthogonally arranged dielectric barrier discharge actuator

The jetting characteristics of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) actuators make these devices suitable for augmenting boundary layer flows. The associated change to the hydrodynamic stability of the fluid arising from the actuator provides a mechanism through which a DBD-based laminar flow control (LFC) system can be developed. Historically, DBD actuators with electrodes arranged parallel to each other have been used for LFC with mixed results. An alternative is to use an actuator with electrodes placed orthogonally to each other. Orthogonally arranged actuators exhibit different jetting characteristics to conventional ones, and as such understanding the effect that these actuators have on the mean velocity profile within a flat plate boundary layer is of significant interest to the development of DBD-based LFC technology. In this investigation, the velocity distribution within a flat plate boundary layer in a zero pressure gradient is measured in response to the operation of an orthogonally arranged actuator. The results suggest that significant thinning of the boundary layer can be realized with an orthogonally arranged actuator, over a short distance downstream of the device, and used in conjunction with a subtle suction effect, this thinning can be exacerbated. However, further downstream, rapid thickening of the layer, supported by a decrease in the shape factor of the flow suggests that the layer becomes unstable, in an accelerated fashion, to the presence of the actuator. Hence the stability of the layer is found to be significantly altered by the presence of the orthogonally arranged actuator, a requisite for a LFC system. However, since the actuator produces a destabilizing effect, the development of a successful LFC system based on orthogonal actuators will require further work.

On impulsively started convection: The case of stagnation point flow

Transient convection in incompressible planar and axisymmetric point flow is analyzed numerically in this work, and the thermal boundary layer response to surface sudden heating and cooling in the two settings is presented and compared over a range of Prandtl number between 0.5 and 100. A comparison between surface sudden cooling and heating is performed and different criteria are established as to when surface sudden heating and cooling are equivalent in terms of the transition time. With no initial thermal boundary layer (surface and fluid are at the same temperature), the transition time from the initial steady state to the final steady state upon surface sudden cooling or heating is found to be a constant regardless of the surface heating or cooling extent above or below the initial surface temperature, and is dependent only on the Prandtl number. With the existence of an initial thermal boundary layer, the transition time is dependent upon the heating or cooling extent, the initial surface temperature, the Prandtl number and whether heating/cooling is towards building-up or demolishing the thermal boundary later. It takes longer time when surface sudden heating or cooling is towards demolishing the thermal boundary layer than building it up. With symmetric surface sudden cooling or heating above or below the far-field fluid temperature, the transition time is independent on the surface cooling or heating extent and is a function of only the Prandtl number. A considerable difference in the thermal boundary layer response in the two settings is found. The transition time from the initial to the final steady state in axisymmetric stagnation point flow is less than that in plane stagnation flow under the same conditions.

Representation of the Caribbean mean diurnal cycle in observation, reanalysis, and CMIP3 model datasets

This study explores how the Caribbean mean diurnal cycle is represented in observed, reanalyzed, and general circulation model data of the CMIP3 generation, with a focus on the central Antilles Islands (18–21° N, 80–66° W). Their trade wind climate, high solar forcing, and eastward decrease in size challenge dataset ability to represent a diurnal cycle of sufficient amplitude and correct phase. The mean difference between maximum and minimum temperature (ΔT) provides a useful metric, and values of 5–12°C are observed at stations around the Caribbean basin. The ΔT in various reanalyses and CMIP3 models generally yield correct values over South America, but few exhibit elevated ΔT over the central Antilles Islands. NCEP2 and ECMWF reanalyses differ in their representation despite similar resolution, the latter reflecting elevated ΔT. Only one of the four CMIP3 models evaluated correctly simulates Antilles ΔT, but does so with a dry bias. An intercomparison of mean diurnal rainfall in the Antilles is conducted. According to satellite and high-resolution reanalysis, the rain rate doubles in the afternoon. However NCEP2/ECMWF reanalysis and CMIP3 models yield an amplitude about half the observed and exhibit a nocturnal peak typical of marine climates. The reason for the variety of outcomes is related to model parameterizations that translate surface fluxes to boundary layer responses, and to horizontal resolution that affects the representation of sea breeze confluence over large islands.

Stability of zero-pressure-gradient boundary layer distorted by unsteady Klebanoff streaks

The secondary instability of a zero-pressure-gradient boundary layer, distorted by unsteady Klebanoff streaks, is investigated. The base profiles for the analysis are computed using direct numerical simulation (DNS) of the boundary-layer response to forcing by individual free-stream modes, which are low frequency and dominated by streamwise vorticity. Therefore, the base profiles take into account the nonlinear development of the streaks and mean flow distortion, upstream of the location chosen for the stability analyses. The two most unstable modes were classified as an inner and an outer instability, with reference to the position of their respective critical layers inside the boundary layer. Their growth rates were reported for a range of frequencies and amplitudes of the base streaks. The inner mode has a connection to the Tollmien–Schlichting (T–S) wave in the limit of vanishing streak amplitude. It is stabilized by the mean flow distortion, but its growth rate is enhanced with increasing amplitude and frequency of the base streaks. The outer mode only exists in the presence of finite amplitude streaks. The analysis of the outer instability extends the results of Andersson et al. (J. Fluid Mech. vol. 428, 2001, p. 29) to unsteady base streaks. It is shown that base-flow unsteadiness promotes instability and, as a result, leads to a lower critical streak amplitude. The results of linear theory are complemented by DNS of the evolution of the inner and outer instabilities in a zero-pressure-gradient boundary layer. Both instabilities lead to breakdown to turbulence and, in the case of the inner mode, transition proceeds via the formation of wave packets with similar structure and wave speeds to those reported by Nagarajan, Lele & Ferziger (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 572, 2007, p. 471).

Transient Thermal Response of Turbulent Compressible Boundary Layers

A numerical method is developed with the capability to predict transient thermal boundary layer response under various flow and thermal conditions. The transient thermal boundary layer variation due to a moving compressible turbulent fluid of varying temperature was numerically studied on a two-dimensional semi-infinite flat plate. The compressible Reynolds-averaged boundary layer equations are transformed into incompressible form through the Dorodnitsyn–Howarth transformation and then solved with similarity transformations. Turbulence is modeled using a two-layer eddy viscosity model developed by Cebeci and Smith, and the turbulent Prandtl number formulation originally developed by Kays and Crawford. The governing differential equations are discretized with the Keller-box method. The numerical accuracy is validated through grid-independence studies and comparison with the steady state solution. In turbulent flow as in laminar, the transient heat transfer rates are very different from that obtained from quasi-steady analysis. It is found that the time scale for response of the turbulent boundary layer to far-field temperature changes is 40% less than for laminar flow, and the turbulent local Nusselt number is approximately 4 times that of laminar flow at the final steady state.

Convective Boundary Layers Driven by Nonstationary Surface Heat Fluxes

In this study the response of dry convective boundary layers to nonstationary surface heat fluxes is systematically investigated. This is relevant not only during sunset and sunrise but also, for example, when clouds modulate incoming solar radiation. Because the time scale of the associated change in surface heat fluxes may differ from case to case, the authors consider the generic situation of oscillatory surface heat fluxes with different frequencies and amplitudes and study the response of the boundary layer in terms of transfer functions. To this end both a mixed layer model (MLM) and a large-eddy simulation (LES) model are used; the latter is used to evaluate the predictive quality of the mixed layer model. The mixed layer model performs generally quite well for slow changes in the surface heat flux and provides analytical understanding of the transfer characteristics of the boundary layer such as amplitude and phase lag. For rapidly changing surface fluxes (i.e., changes within a time frame comparable to the large eddy turnover time), it proves important to account for the time it takes for the information to travel from the surface to higher levels of the boundary layer such as the inversion zone. As a follow-up to a 1997 study by Sorbjan, who showed that the conventional convective velocity scale is inadequate as a scaling quantity during the decay phase, this paper addresses the issue of defining, in (generic) transitional situations, a velocity scale that is solely based on the surface heat flux and its history.

The Boundary Layer Response to Recent Arctic Sea Ice Loss and Implications for High-Latitude Climate Feedbacks

Abstract This study documents and evaluates the boundary layer and energy budget response to record low 2007 sea ice extents in the Community Atmosphere Model version 4 (CAM4) using 1-day observationally constrained forecasts and 10-yr runs with a freely evolving atmosphere. While near-surface temperature and humidity are minimally affected by sea ice loss in July 2007 forecasts, near-surface stability decreases and atmospheric humidity increases aloft over newly open water in September 2007 forecasts. Ubiquitous low cloud increases over the newly ice-free Arctic Ocean are found in both the July 2007 and the September 2007 forecasts. In response to the 2007 sea ice loss, net surface [top of the atmosphere (TOA)] energy budgets change by +19.4 W m−2 (+21.0 W m−2) and −17.9 W m−2 (+1.4 W m−2) in the July 2007 and September 2007 forecasts, respectively. While many aspects of the forecasted response to sea ice loss are consistent with physical expectations and available observations, CAM4’s ubiquitous July 2007 cloud increases over newly open water are not. The unrealistic cloud response results from the global application of parameterization designed to diagnose stratus clouds based on lower-tropospheric stability (CLDST). In the Arctic, the well-mixed boundary layer assumption implicit in CLDST is violated. Requiring a well-mixed boundary layer to diagnose stratus clouds improves the CAM4 cloud response to sea ice loss and increases July 2007 surface (TOA) energy budgets over newly open water by +11 W m−2 (+14.9 W m−2). Of importance to high-latitude climate feedbacks, unrealistic stratus cloud compensation for sea ice loss occurs only when stable and dry atmospheric conditions exist. Therefore, coupled climate projections that use CAM4 will underpredict Arctic sea ice loss only when dry and stable summer conditions occur.

Role of the Gulf Stream and Kuroshio–Oyashio Systems in Large-Scale Atmosphere–Ocean Interaction: A Review

Abstract Ocean–atmosphere interaction over the Northern Hemisphere western boundary current (WBC) regions (i.e., the Gulf Stream, Kuroshio, Oyashio, and their extensions) is reviewed with an emphasis on their role in basin-scale climate variability. SST anomalies exhibit considerable variance on interannual to decadal time scales in these regions. Low-frequency SST variability is primarily driven by basin-scale wind stress curl variability via the oceanic Rossby wave adjustment of the gyre-scale circulation that modulates the latitude and strength of the WBC-related oceanic fronts. Rectification of the variability by mesoscale eddies, reemergence of the anomalies from the preceding winter, and tropical remote forcing also play important roles in driving and maintaining the low-frequency variability in these regions. In the Gulf Stream region, interaction with the deep western boundary current also likely influences the low-frequency variability. Surface heat fluxes damp the low-frequency SST anomalies over the WBC regions; thus, heat fluxes originate with heat anomalies in the ocean and have the potential to drive the overlying atmospheric circulation. While recent observational studies demonstrate a local atmospheric boundary layer response to WBC changes, the latter’s influence on the large-scale atmospheric circulation is still unclear. Nevertheless, heat and moisture fluxes from the WBCs into the atmosphere influence the mean state of the atmospheric circulation, including anchoring the latitude of the storm tracks to the WBCs. Furthermore, many climate models suggest that the large-scale atmospheric response to SST anomalies driven by ocean dynamics in WBC regions can be important in generating decadal climate variability. As a step toward bridging climate model results and observations, the degree of realism of the WBC in current climate model simulations is assessed. Finally, outstanding issues concerning ocean–atmosphere interaction in WBC regions and its impact on climate variability are discussed.