Spanwise Vortices Research Articles

Spanwise flow control of bridge deck using Bayesian optimization technique

This study introduces a novel framework in bridge wind engineering, merging Bayesian optimization (BO) with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to optimize spanwise control parameters for the Great Belt bridge deck. This study leverages the BO framework for an automated, data-driven adjustment of the blow-suction sinusoidal spanwise perturbation (SSP) parameters at the leading and trailing edges of bridge decks. The primary aim is to finely tune the SSP control, stimulating the secondary instability in the spanwise vortices in the wake flow field. This process effectively generates streamwise vortices to suppress the spanwise ones, significantly mitigating fluctuating aerodynamic forces and vortex-induced vibration of the bridge deck, improving its aerodynamic stability. The results demonstrate that the BO framework-driven SSP control method can efficiently reduce the aerodynamic forces while finding the optimal SSP wavelength. Furthermore, through the optimization of multi-parameter variables in SSP control, the optimal combination of amplitudes and wavelengths for the SSP are achieved. Additionally, it was found that blow-suction at the trailing edge of the bridge deck is more effective than at the leading edge.

On the transition in spanwise wake instability characteristics behind oscillating foils

Spanwise vortex instability and the growth of secondary hairpin-like vortical structures in the wake of an oscillating foil are investigated numerically at Reynolds number 8000 in a range of chord-based Strouhal number ( $0.32 \le St_c \le 0.56$ ). The phase-offset ( $\phi$ ) between the heaving and pitching motion is $\phi = 90^\circ$ . The wake at the lowest $St_c$ (0.32) is characterized by a single system of streamwise hairpin-like structures that evolve from the core vorticity outflux of the secondary leading edge vortex (LEV) over the foil boundary. The primary LEV features spanwise dislocations, but it does not reveal substantial changes advecting downstream. Increasing $St_c$ beyond 0.32 reveals that the transition in spanwise instability characterizes the deformation of primary LEV cores, which subsequently transforms to hairpin-like secondary structures. At higher $St_c$ , stronger trailing edge vortices (TEVs) grow in close proximity to the primary LEVs, which contributes to an enhanced localized vortex compression and tilting near dislocations. This phenomenon amplifies the undulation amplitude of primary LEVs, eventually leading to vortex tearing. The larger circulation of TEVs with increasing $St_c$ provides an additional explanation for an accelerated vortex compression that coincides with a faster transition of spanwise LEV instability to secondary hairpin-like structures in the wake.

Control of roughness-induced transition in supersonic flows by local wall heating strips

Isolated-roughness-induced transitions controlled by local wall heating strips are studied via direct numerical simulation and BiGlobal linear stability analysis. The transition mechanisms are studied first with different wall temperatures. The separated shear layer–counter-rotating vortex system is found to be the main source for transitions. Symmetric and antisymmetric modes are observed in the wake, and the former is dominant. The local wall heating strip can delay the transition, and this effect is enhanced with higher heating temperature, wider strip and a combination of upstream and downstream control strips. The upstream strip lifts up the inlet flow and weakens the wake system in an indirect manner. The antisymmetric mode gradually vanishes, while the symmetric mode always exists but becomes weaker. The downstream strip exhibits a more effective transition delay by directly weakening the separated shear layer and vortex system in the wake. Vorticity transport analysis suggests that the downstream strip increases dissipation for streamwise vorticity and transfers it into wall-normal and spanwise vorticity. BiGlobal analyses indicate that the downstream strip shows less influence on the peak growth rate of the symmetric mode but significantly shrinks its unstable region. Analyses of the disturbance energy production indicate that the upstream strip wakens the wall-normal and spanwise shear at the same time, but the downstream strip mainly wakens the wall-normal one. More simulations are performed with different roughness heights, point-source disturbance and different roughness shapes. The results show that the current method remains effective enough in delaying transitions at a wide range of conditions.

Hydrodynamic analysis of a round-ended caisson in submerging

ABSTRACT Flow around a round-ended caisson in the submerging process is investigated using the k − ω SST turbulent model and the volume of fluid (VOF) method in the present study. Six types of vortex structures around the round-ended caisson are identified, i.e. the neck vortex in front of the cylinder near the free surface, the attached vortex below the free end surface, the tip vortex originating from the free end, the spanwise vortex on the side surface, the U-shaped vortex behind the cylinder and the trailing vortex in the wake. The influence of the free surface, free end and bottom boundary on vortexes are analysed. The physical generation mechanism of vorticity on the free end surface is discussed. Additionally, the drag coefficient increases with Fr when Fr < 1 and decreases with Fr when 1 ≤ Fr ≤ 1.8, and the run-up of the free surface increases with increasing Fr.

Intrinsic characteristics of three-dimensional flow around a wall-mounted conical cylinder

To investigate the flow characteristics around a wall-mounted conical cylinder, three-dimensional direct numerical simulations are carried out for a conical cylinder with an end diameter ratio ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 at three low Reynolds numbers (Re = 100, 150, 200). The flow features are examined in terms of time-mean streamlines, singularity points location, topological structure, time-mean streamwise vortices, and instantaneous spanwise vortices denoted with different vortex identification methods. The downwash effect also happens even without a free end. The upwash streamlines clash with the downwash streamlines and then coalesce to the saddle (impingement) point P2. The occurrence of the symmetry plane belongs to a new topology, where the saddle point on the bottom wall is an attachment point (NA), instead of the separation point (SS). The singular point verifies the topological existence of the attachment–attachment combination of the horseshoe vortex system. The “Quadrupole Type,” “Sextupole Type,” and “Octupole Type” are identified. The “Octupole Type” is reported first, consisting of a pair of “time-mean streamwise tip vortices,” two pairs of “time-mean streamwise base vortices” and a pair of “time-mean streamwise bottom vortices.” Moreover, the vorticity magnitude cannot represent the occurrence of vortices. The instantaneous iso-surfaces of Q = 0.2 and λ2 = –0.2 in the wake are similar to the threshold of Ω = 0.52. In contrast, the Liutex/Rortex method is easier to identify the streamwise bottom vortices than the former two methods.

High-fidelity simulations of microramp-controlled shock wave/boundary layer interaction

Microvortex generators (MVGs) are a promising solution to control shock wave/turbulent boundary layer interactions (SBLIs), especially in supersonic inlets. In this study, we examine the effects of a microramp vortex generator on an SBLI generated by an oblique shock wave and a turbulent boundary layer using direct numerical simulations (DNSs). Two cases, with and without the presence of a microramp, are compared in terms of their mean and unsteady flow features at free-stream Mach number equal to 2 and friction Reynolds number at the inviscid shock impingement equal to 600. The long integration period allows us to assess how microramps affect the typical low-frequency unsteadiness observed in SBLIs, and the data generated may serve as a reference for simulations of lower fidelity or reduced order models. The analysis shows that the three-dimensional microramp wake alters the interaction region dramatically, inducing a significant spanwise modulation and topology change of the separation. For example, tornado-like structures redistribute the flow in both the spanwise and wall-normal directions inside the recirculation region. The increase in momentum close to the wall by the ramp vortices effectively delays the onset of the separation and, thus, the separation length, but at the same time leads to a significant increase in the intensity of the wall-pressure fluctuations. We then characterise the mutual interaction between the arch-like vortices around the ramp wake and the SBLI. The specific spanwise vorticity shows that these vortices follow the edge of the separation and their intensity, apart from mean compressibility effects, is not affected by the shocks. The shocks, instead, are deformed in shape by the periodic impingement of the vortices, although the spectral analysis did not reveal any significant trace of their shedding frequency in the separation region. These Kelvin–Helmholtz vortices, however, may be relevant in the closure of the separation bubble. Fourier analysis also shows a constant increase, in both value and magnitude, in the low-frequency peak all along the span, suggesting that the motion of the separation shock remains coherent while being disturbed by the arch-like vortices and oscillating at a higher frequency in absolute terms.

Study on the transition mechanism of vibrating low-pressure turbine blades based on large Eddy simulation

The low-pressure turbine blades are susceptible to vibration issues due to their thin profiles and large aspect ratios. Blade vibration will significantly affect the evolution of the boundary layer and the flow state. This paper utilizes large eddy simulation to predict the development of the boundary layer on the suction side of low-pressure turbine blades at low Reynolds numbers (Re = 25,000). It introduces different vibration cases to elucidate the mechanisms by which blade vibrations influence boundary layer separation and transition. The study demonstrates that the introduction of vibration cases significantly reduces both the size of the overall spanwise vortices and their roll-up height. A staggered distribution of spanwise vortices, characterized by alternating high and low regions, is observed near the trailing edge of the vibrating blades. The shorter spanwise vortices develop rapidly, nearly traversing the process of hairpin vortices (Λ vortex) generation and development, and directly breaking down into smaller-scale vortices. This accelerates the transition process. Blade vibration primarily promotes turbulence reattachment by facilitating the transition process dominated by the K-H instability mechanism within the separating shear layer. Consequently, it effectively restricts the growth of the separation bubble on the suction side of the blades, significantly reducing aerodynamic losses. Moreover, increasing the vibration frequency within a certain range can amplify these effects, achieving up to a 23% reduction in total pressure loss compared to stationary blades.

Local Vorticity and Flow Heat Transfer Mechanism Analysis in Micro-Cylinder-Groups Based on Field Synergy Principle

In this paper, local vorticity distribution in micro-cylinder-groups was investigated by finite volume method and the mechanism of local heat transfer around cylinders was explored by using field synergy analysis. The vorticity distribution and local heat transfer performance are different at different positions around the cylinders. In front of micro cylinders, the vorticity has a positive correlation with heat transfer coefficient, and the average field synergy angle is close to 65° with good synergy effect. The vertical and spanwise vortices are generated on the top and side positions, respectively, which are negatively correlated with the heat transfer coefficient. Affected by the end-wall and boundary layer, the vorticity behind the micro cylinders varies at different heights and the vertical vorticity appears near the root position. The vertical and spanwise vortices account for a similar proportion near the upper part of the micro cylinders, and both of them are positively correlated with heat transfer coefficient. Due to the stagnation effect, the heat transfer coefficient in the rear position has been weakened by about 40% compared with the front position.

A Josephson–Anderson relation for drag in classical channel flows with streamwise periodicity: Effects of wall roughness

The detailed Josephson–Anderson relation equates the instantaneous work by pressure drop over any streamwise segment of a general channel and the wall-normal flux of spanwise vorticity spatially integrated over that section. This relation was first derived by Huggins for quantum superfluids, but it holds also for internal flows of classical fluids and for external flows around solid bodies, corresponding there to relations of Burgers, Lighthill, Kambe, Howe, and others. All of these prior results employ a background potential Euler flow with the same inflow/outflow as the physical flow, just as in Kelvin's minimum energy theorem, so that the reference potential incorporates information about flow geometry. We here generalize the detailed Josephson–Anderson relation to streamwise periodic channels appropriate for numerical simulation of classical fluid turbulence. We show that the original Neumann b.c. used by Huggins for the background potential creates an unphysical vortex sheet in a periodic channel, so that we substitute instead Dirichlet b.c. We show that the minimum energy theorem still holds and our new Josephson–Anderson relation again equates work by pressure drop instantaneously to integrated flux of spanwise vorticity. The result holds for both Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids and for general curvilinear walls. We illustrate our new formula with numerical results in a periodic channel flow with a single smooth bump, which reveals how vortex separation from the roughness element creates drag at each time instant. Drag and dissipation are thus related to vorticity structure and dynamics locally in space and time, with important applications to drag-reduction and to explanation of anomalous dissipation at high Reynolds numbers.

Investigation of the decisive factor for the effectiveness of biomimetic protuberances during the stall process

This study investigates the influence of leading-edge protuberances (LEP) on the stall process of airfoils to identify the decisive factor in the effectiveness of LEPs. Owing to its clearly defined three-dimensional structure, an LEP introduces uncertainties into its effects on the stall angle of attack and the lift coefficient curve. This poses a challenge for several airfoils when universal stall control strategies are adopted. These problems were studied by classifying 12 symmetrical baseline airfoil types based on their blade thicknesses under the condition of Re = 180 000. These include thin airfoil stalls (TS), leading-edge stalls (LS), and a combination of leading-edge and trailing-edge stalls (CS). Two representative airfoils from each category were selected to study single-protuberance airfoils. The distribution of the suction surface momentum and evolution of the spanwise vortices revealed that the streamwise vortices induced by the LEP resulted in an attached flow. However, the impact of these flow patterns varies depending on the type of airfoil used. The TS and LS airfoils experienced an increase in the stall angle and maximum lift coefficient, resulting in an overall improvement in the airfoil performance. The CS airfoils are the most heavily influenced, experiencing a decrease in the maximum lift coefficient and exhibiting phenomena such as a one-sided stall and step-by-step stall. Finally, this paper proposes for the first time that the main factor influencing the different effects of protuberances is the stall type of the airfoil. This new knowledge can serve as a valuable reference for the implementation of protuberances in practical mechanical applications.

Single degree of freedom vortex induced vibration of undulatory seal whiskers at low Reynolds number and various angles of attack: A computational fluid dynamics study

The cross-flow vortex-induced vibration (VIV) response of an elastically mounted idealized undulatory seal whisker (USW) shape is investigated in a wide range of reduced velocity at angles of attack (AOAs) from 0° to 90° and a low Reynolds number of 300. The mass ratio is set to 1.0 to represent the real seal whisker. Dynamic mode decomposition is used to investigate the vortex shedding mode in various cases. In agreement with past studies, the VIV response of the USW is highly AOA-dependent because of the change in the underlying vortex dynamics. At zero AOA, the undulatory shape leads to a hairpin vortex mode that results in extremely low lift force oscillation with a lowered frequency. The frequency remains unaffected by VIV throughout the tested range of reduced velocity. As the AOA deviates from zero, alternating shedding of spanwise vortices becomes dominant. A mixed vortex shedding mode is observed at AOA = 15° in the transition. As the AOA deviated from zero, the VIV amplitude increases rapidly by two orders, reaching the maximum of about 3 times diameter at 90°. An infinite lock-in branch is present for AOA from 60° to 90°, where the VIV amplitude remains high regardless of the increase in reduced velocity.

Numerical investigation of aerodynamic characteristics in tandem cascades with various curving strategies

Tandem configurations with curved blades can improve the flow field in compressor cascades. This study conducts a numerical investigation into the impact of various curving strategies on the losses and flow structures within tandem cascades. Curving strategies of three distinct configurations (curving both blades, solely the rear blade, and solely the front blade) along with three curved angles (5°, 10°, and 15°) are compared. Four primary vortex structures are causing losses in the tandem cascades. Loss weight coefficients, derived from each vortex, are adopted to quantify the proportion of losses. All curving strategies mitigate the accumulation of low-energy fluid near the endwalls, weakening the passage vortex. Various curving strategies have different effects on losses of the endwall spanwise vortex and trailing edge shedding vortices. The influence of curved angles on the three configurations indicates that curving both blades at 5° and curving the front blade at 5° or 10° can mitigate losses. An increasing loss is observed when the rear blade curves at any angle alone. Curving both blades or only the front blade mitigates the corner separation while the curved rear blade exacerbates it. The novelty of this study lies in applying topology analysis to establish correlations between losses, vortices, and topological configurations. This approach is a pivotal research methodology for elucidating the underlying mechanisms of loss generation and vortex dynamics within curved tandem cascades.

Uniform momentum zones in turbulent channel flow

The characteristics of uniform momentum zones (UMZs) and UMZ interfaces in turbulent channel flow (TCF) at friction Reynolds number ranging from 600 to 2000 are investigated. The focus is on the Reynolds number effect and the difference among the turbulent channel flow, turbulent pipe flow (TPF), and turbulent boundary layer (TBL). The UMZ is identified using the approach of probability density histograms, a discrete approximation of the probability density function. We find that the average number of UMZs increases with the Reynolds number, similar to the findings in the TBL. The first group of UMZ in the TCF, namely the quiescent core, has a thicker thickness at a higher Reynolds number. Therefore, the UMZ closer to the channel centre significantly influences high Reynolds number wall turbulence by occupying a large portion of the channel. With increasing Reynolds number, the intensity of spanwise vorticity at the UMZ interface increases, while the thickness of the local maximum decreases. The dominance of prograde vorticity at the interface also increases with the Reynolds number. Moreover, the contortion of the UMZ interface is significantly enhanced at high Reynolds numbers than at low Reynolds numbers in both the streamwise and spanwise directions. Furthermore, the number of UMZ for a given snapshot is related to the overall velocity fluctuations in the subregion, increasing with large-scale Q2 events and decreasing with large-scale Q4 events. Comparing the three flow configurations, UMZs show similarities in their trends, along with two notable differences. First, the TPF has more UMZs compared to the TCF and TBL. Second, the innermost group in the TPF is considerably thicker than that of the higher ranks, a pattern absent in the TCF and TBL. The present findings advance the understanding of UMZs in TCF and demonstrate the similarities and differences between the cases of TCF and TBL.

Two-dimensional spanwise flow regime influenced by tip vortex around a ground-mounted square cylinder in low turbulence uniform flow

The time series data of the lift force acting on a ground-mounted square cylinder in low-turbulence uniform flow reveal a distinctive pattern characterized by a predominant high-amplitude process modulated by intermittent low-amplitude fluctuations. This behavior arises from the intricate interplay between tip and Kármán vortices. However, conflicting interpretations persist, with some findings even presenting contradictory conclusions, particularly regarding the presence of symmetric shedding in the fluctuating lift force process with low amplitude. Furthermore, a clear consensus regarding the mechanism governing the interaction between the tip vortex and the spanwise vortex remains elusive. This study aims to elucidate the two-dimensional flow regime in the spanwise direction influenced by the tip vortex of a ground-mounted square cylinder in low-turbulence uniform flow through experimental investigation. Multiple-point synchronous pressure measurement and particle image velocimetry systems are utilized to measure wind pressure on the side walls and the corresponding flow field at 2/3 of the cylinder's height. The analysis confirms the presence of two distinct types of lift force coefficient behavior: low-amplitude fluctuation (LAF) characterized by longer durations and high-amplitude fluctuation (HAF) occurring in shorter intervals. Subsequently, the flow regime in the near wake corresponding to each mode of the lift force coefficient is discussed. It is observed that the LAF regime corresponds to symmetrical vortex shedding with a prolonged shear layer, maintaining nearly constant curvature. Conversely, for HAF, a pronounced Kármán vortex street is evident. This study conclusively demonstrates the existence of symmetrical vortex shedding, which predominantly contributes to the LAF component of the lift force.

Growth of organized flow coherent motions within a single-stream shear layer: 4D-PTV measurements

This study investigates the evolution of a single-stream shear layer (SSSL) originating from a wall boundary layer past a backward-facing step. Utilizing a time-resolved 3D-Particle Tracking Velocimetry (4D-PTV) technique, we track the trajectories of fluorescent particles to gain insight into the flow characteristics of the SSSL. A compact water tunnel facility (Reτ=1240\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\ extrm{Re}_\ au =1\\,240$$\\end{document}) is fabricated to obtain an SSSL with a perpendicular slow entrainment stream past the separation edge. A hybrid interpolation approach that combines ensemble binning and Gaussian weighting is implemented to derive minimally filtered mean and instantaneous lower- and higher-order flow field parameters. Spanwise-dominant coherent motion accompanied by finer flow scales is observed to grow due to flow entrainment through “nibbling” actions of small-scale vortices, “engulfing” by large-scale vortices, and vortex pairing events. Furthermore, the non-zero-speed stream edge grows relatively faster than the zero-speed stream edge, showing a strong asymmetry in mixing composition across a mixing layer. The SSSL reaches self-similarity at a streamwise distance of ≈55θ0\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\approx 55\\,\ heta _{0}$$\\end{document}, where θ0\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\ heta _0$$\\end{document} is the initial momentum thickness from the separation edge, i.e., considerably shorter than reported in previous studies. A literature comparison of growth rate parameters raises intriguing questions regarding a potential inclusive growth scaling unifying the free shear layers. A turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) budget analysis reveals a negative production region immediately downstream of the separation edge attributed to a large positive streamwise gradient of streamwise velocity. In the self-similar region, the phase-averaged flow mapping demonstrates a larger concentration of turbulence production rate around the outer edges of spanwise vortices, specifically at the intersection of braids and vortices. Furthermore, a spatial separation exists in the regions of peak production and dissipation rates within the vortex core region favoring dissipation. The braids exhibit a larger concentration of turbulence diffusion rates, indicating their function as a conduit for exchanging turbulence between neighboring coherent motions.

Extremely high wall pressure events in shock wave and turbulent boundary layer interactions using DNS data

This study investigates high-amplitude Extreme Wall Pressure fluctuation Events (EWPEs) in Shock wave/Turbulent Boundary Layer Interactions (STBLIs) through the conditional sampling of direct numerical simulation databases. The aim is to evaluate the effect of STBLIs and their strength on the statistical properties and associated turbulent structures of EWPEs using the conditional-averaging and clustering method. The temporal statistical results show that the occurrence probability and contribution ratio of EWPEs decrease downstream of strong STBLI, but their duration and interval time increase. Regarding two-dimensional wall pressure structures, the large population of small-scale structures becomes more elongated, but strong interactions induce a greater number of large-scale structures. The pairing of wall pressure events with a higher occurrence probability is verified by the joint probability density functions. Conditional analysis reveals that, as the interaction strength increases, the ejection motion associated with positive events occurs farther downstream and the spanwise vortex core locating above negative events is lifted up along the wall-normal direction. Moreover, analysis associates the paired wall pressure events with the sweep, ejection, and swirl motions in STBLIs, where hairpin eddies play an important role in the formation of positive–negative paired wall pressure structures.

Control effect on the divergent and convergent riblets in particle-laden turbulent boundary layer

Particle image velocimetry was employed to investigate the impact of convergent–divergent riblets on turbulent boundary layers in both clear water and liquid–solid two-phase flow fields containing 155 μm polystyrene particles. The turbulence statistics such as turbulence intensity and Reynolds stress were investigated. The spatial topology of spanwise vortex head and the development and evolution process of hairpin vortices were explored from Euler and Lagrange perspectives, respectively. Additionally, the particle distribution, concentration, and dispersion within the turbulent boundary layer were statistically analyzed. The results indicated that the boundary layer thickness, friction resistance, integrated turbulence intensity, and Reynolds stress were significantly lower on divergent riblet walls compared to convergent riblet walls. Notably, divergent riblets with a yaw angle of 30° exhibited the best drag reduction effect in both single-phase and two-phase flow fields. The addition of particles resulted in an increase in boundary layer thickness but effectively reduced turbulent fluctuations in the logarithmic region, enhancing drag reduction. This extended the drag reduction range of divergent riblets to a yaw angle of 45°, increasing the maximum drag reduction rate to 26.18%. Through spatial multi-scale local average structure function and finite-time Lyapunov exponent field analysis, it was found that the 30° divergent riblet wall significantly inhibited the development of vortex structures and reduced momentum exchange within the boundary layer. Conversely, the 30° convergent riblet wall had the opposite effect, while the particle phase inhibited the development of all wall turbulent structures. Analysis of particle concentration variations within different regions of the turbulent boundary layer revealed that as the normal height of the boundary layer increased, particle concentration gradually increased, and particle dispersion decreased accordingly. The analysis further showed that particle dispersion was mainly influenced by flow structures, whereas concentration was significantly affected by turbulence intensity. These findings elucidate the effect of the flow field on the particle phase and provide insights into the interaction mechanism between the flow field and particles.

Instability processes in short and long laminar separation bubbles

This work studies the link between the bursting process of a flat plate laminar separation bubble and the modification of the stability characteristics of the separated shear layer due to changes in the flow parameters. A vast population of short and long laminar separation bubbles was surveyed by means of Particle Image Velocimetry instrumentation for different values of the Reynolds number, the free-stream turbulence intensity and the streamwise pressure gradient. A fine-step variation of the free-stream velocity allowed us to determine the critical Reynolds number at which bursting occurs. Successively, the most amplified wavelength and frequency were computed for both the short and the long bubble regimes. Once scaled with the boundary layer displacement thickness at separation, the average wavenumber of the vortices shed by the bubble was found to be constant and equal to about 0.9 in the short regime, accordingly to previous studies. Differently, this quantity reduces to about 0.6 in the long bubble regime, and a marked change in the Strouhal number of vortex shedding occurs. Also, the temporal growth of spanwise vortices was seen to occur in the recirculation region of long type bubbles, being linked to an absolute instability of disturbances. The currently acquired data demonstrate the existing link between the bursting process of a laminar separation bubble and a marked change in the instability mechanisms driving the transition process of the boundary layer. A simplified correlation for the prediction of bursting is provided in this work as a function of the free-stream turbulence intensity and the streamwise pressure gradient.

Experimental Studies of Bioinspired Shark Denticles for Drag Reduction.

Shark skin is composed of denticles, or complex scale-like features, which have been shown to reduce drag in turbulent and laminar flow. The denticle crown features undulating structures called riblets that interact with the turbulent boundary layer to reduce drag. Two mechanisms thought to contribute to the drag-reducing properties of riblets include the lifting of streamwise vortices and the hampering of spanwise vortex interactions to reduce crossflow, which could translate to similar flow mechanisms for denticles. Because of the varied morphologies of dermal denticles on different shark species, which also depend on body location, the impact of these denticle geometries on flow is of interest to the biology community, including related fields such as fluid mechanics and oceanography. This review highlights the past 15 years of manufacturing techniques and experimental measurements of drag over denticle-inspired surface structures, including real shark skin samples and engineered denticles and riblets. State-of-the-art additive manufacturing and other techniques are primarily limited to mm-length denticle scales, which have demonstrated drag reduction in lower flow speeds, under 1 m s-1. New manufacturing approaches can create sub-mm length denticles and nanotextured surface structures, which have achieved reported drag reductions of up to 31%. We synthesize results from the literature to illustrate the drag reduction properties of bioinspired denticles and riblets according to their geometry and flow conditions. Using these trends, we suggest design features and focus areas for future research, such as increasing studies of different denticle morphologies, hydrophobicity, antifouling properties, and acoustic noise reduction. Continued work on bioinspired denticles for drag reduction has wider implications in comparative biology and applications to design more energy-efficient, persistent vehicles for environmental monitoring.

Effects of the gap ratio on the flow field structures and the aerodynamic performance of an airfoil with ridge ice

Under SLD icing conditions, the ridge ice may appear on the surface of aircraft, which led to the significant aerodynamic deterioration and affected aircraft flight safety. The present study experimentally investigated the effects of the gap ratio on the flow field structures and aerodynamic performance of an airfoil with ridge ice. Detailed measurements were performed in a low-speed reflux wind tunnel by utilizing the Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) technique and a high-sensitivity six-component balance. The results showed that the maximum lift coefficient, stall angle, and maximum pitch moment coefficient of the airfoil increased as the gap ratio enlarged. At AOA = 10 deg, the separation bubble length decreased by 77 % when the gap ratio changed from 0 to 0.1. Meanwhile, the separation bubble length decreased by 68 % when the gap ratio changed from 0.1 to 0.3. Besides, as the increase of the gap ratio, the average vorticity, turbulent kinetic energy, and Reynolds shear stress in the selected region above the airfoil decreased, while the average velocity increased. In addition, the gap ratio did not have an apparent effect on the transition onset positions and the maximum spanwise vorticity in the flow field.