Stereoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry Research Articles

The Measured Flow at the Inlet of a Francis Turbine Runner Operating in Speed No-load Condition

Abstract For Francis turbines, speed-no-load represents one of the most detrimental operating conditions, marked by significant pressure and strain fluctuations on the runner. Mitigating these fluctuations necessitates a comprehensive understanding and characterization of the flow phenomena responsible for their generation. This paper presents an experimental investigation of the flow at the inlet of a Francis turbine runner model operating in speed-no-load condition using high-speed stereoscopic and endoscopic particle image velocimetry. The measurements are made in a radial-azimuthal plane that covers the vaneless space and a large region in the interblade channel. This study marks the first-time measurement of critical flow phenomena at this operating point, performed in the runner. Instantaneous and average velocity fields are analyzed, along with other statistical data. The results confirm the stochastic nature of the flow at speed-no-load but also highlight the general structure of the flow observed in other studies. The high velocity fluctuations on the suction side are associated with a backflow extending into the vaneless space and a circulation zone occasionally generated by this backflow. Both phenomena are frequently present, but fluctuate stochastically. Additionally, two other circulation zones intermittently form on the pressure side of the blades. The presence of vortices, smaller than the circulation zones, near the blade's leading edge correlates with the backflow intensity.

Effect of fluid motions on finite spheres released in turbulent boundary layers

This paper extends the work in Tee et al. (Intl J. Multiphase Flow, vol. 133, 2020, 103462) to investigate the effect of turbulent fluid motions on the translation and rotation of lifting and wall-interacting spheres in boundary layers. Each sphere was released from rest in smooth-wall boundary layers with $Re_\tau =670$ and 1300 ( $d^+=56$ and 116, respectively) and allowed to propagate with the incoming fluid. Sphere and surrounding fluid motions were tracked simultaneously via three-dimensional particle tracking velocimetry and stereoscopic particle image velocimetry in streamwise–spanwise planes. Two-point correlations of sphere and fluid streamwise velocities yielded long positive regions associated with long fast- and slow-moving zones that approach and move over the spheres. The related spanwise correlations were shorter due to the shorter coherence length of spanwise fluid structures. In general, spheres lag the surrounding fluid. The less-dense lifting sphere had smaller particle Reynolds numbers varying from near zero up to 300. Its lift-offs coincided with oncoming fast-moving zones and fluid upwash. Wall friction initially retarded the acceleration of the denser sphere. Later, fluid torque associated with approaching high-velocity regions initiated forward rotation. The rotation, which was long-lived, induced sufficient Magnus lift to initiate repeated small lift-offs, reduce wall friction, and accelerate the sphere to higher sustained velocity. Particle Reynolds numbers remained above 200, and vortex shedding was omnipresent such that the spheres clearly altered the fluid motion. Spanwise fluid shear occasionally initiated wall-normal sphere rotation and relatively long-lasting Magnus side lift. Hence the finite sphere size contributed to multiple dynamical effects not present in point-particle models.

Turbulent/non-turbulent interface of the turbulent boundary-layer over a spanwise-heterogeneous converging/diverging riblets rough wall

Turbulent boundary layer (TBL) flows over various spanwise-heterogeneous rough walls exhibit spanwise variations in turbulence statistics, implying modifications of the turbulent/non-turbulent interface (T/NTI). In this work, based on the datasets of TBL flows over a spanwise-alternating converging/diverging riblets wall, we investigate behavior of T/NTI, properties of ‘bubble’ and ‘drop’ that are associated with T/NTI, as well as connections between T/NTI and large-scale structures within the boundary layer. The flow datasets were obtained through stereoscopic particle image velocimetry measurements on the cross-stream plane of the TBL flow at a Reynolds number Reθ = 1.3 × 104. The T/NTI and associated ‘bubble’ and ‘drop’ are identified using a kinetic energy criterion, while the large-scale structures by a streak detection algorithm. It is observed that the T/NTI height and the occurrence of ‘bubble’ and ‘drop’ display a spanwise-heterogeneous feature, with lower T/NTI height and higher occurrence probability of ‘bubble’ over the diverging section of riblets than over the converging section of riblets. Results of conditional average show that the ‘bubble’ is associated with positive streamwise fluctuations, common-down flow and a pair of counter-rotating streamwise vortices, while the ‘drop’ with negative streamwise fluctuation, common-up flow and a pair of counter-rotating streamwise vortices. Probability density functions of the ‘bubble’ size and fractal dimensions of the T/NTI are found similar for both the riblets and smooth wall flows. Furthermore, it is observed that the large-scale low-speed structures occurring preferentially over the converging section of riblets play a role in elevating T/NTI while the large-scale high-speed ones over the diverging section of riblets lowering down T/NTI.

Spatio-temporal dynamics of superstructures and vortices in turbulent Rayleigh–Bénard convection

Understanding turbulent thermal convection is essential for modeling many natural phenomena. This study investigates the spatiotemporal dynamics of the vortical structures in the mid-plane of turbulent Rayleigh–Bénard convection in SF6 via experiments. For this, a Rayleigh–Bénard cell of aspect ratio 10 is placed inside a pressure vessel and pressurized up to 1, 1.5, and 2.5 bar in order to reach Rayleigh numbers of Ra = 9.4×105,2.0×106, and 5.5×106, respectively. For all three cases, the Prandtl number is Pr =0.79 and ΔT≈7 K. Then, stereoscopic particle image velocimetry is conducted to measure the three velocity components in the horizontal-mid-plane for 5.78×103 free fall times. For the given aspect ratio, the flow is no longer dominated by the side walls of the cell and turbulent superstructures that show a two-dimensional repetitive organization form. These superstructures show diverse shapes with faster dissipation rates as Ra increases. Out-of-plane vortices are the main feature of the flow. As Ra increases, the number of these vortices also increases, and their size shrinks. However, their total number is almost constant for each Ra through the measurement period. Furthermore, their occurrence is random and does not depend on whether the flow is upward-heated, downward-cooled, or horizontally directed. Vortex tracking was applied to measure lifetime, displacement, and traveled distance of these structures. The relation between lifetime and traveled distance is rather linear. Interestingly, in the vortex centers, the out-of-plane momentum transport is larger in comparison to the bulk flow. Therefore, these vortices will play a major role in the heat transport in such flows.

Enhancing numerical accuracy in the prediction of rotor wake vortex structures

In modern high-fidelity computational fluid dynamic simulations, the primary vortex system in hover often breaks down into secondary vortices. The sources of numerical error influencing the prediction of the vortex system were studied by performing high-fidelity simulations of the wake of a two-bladed rotor and comparing the predictions to stereoscopic particle image velocimetry measurements in different measurement planes. Various numerical inputs, including sub-iteration convergence, blade pitch offset, and grid resolution, were varied to resolve discrepancies between the measured and predicted vortex characteristics from a previous study done by the authors. A parametric study on near- and off-body solver sub-iteration convergence demonstrated that although the secondary vortex characteristics converged as the sub-iteration convergence of both solvers increased, a large discrepancy in the number of secondary vortices remained. This discrepancy was investigated by varying the thrust, where it was found that the breakdown of the primary vortex is directly linked to the number of secondary vortices. Dissimilarities in the blade pitch angle, which could not be avoided in the experiment, were modeled by intentionally using an offset in the blade pitch angle of the two blades. It was shown that as blade pitch angle offset increases, vortex pairing becomes more distinct. When vortex pairing occurred in both the experiment and simulation, the decay of secondary vortices in the experiment and simulation agreed best. To better match the experimental resolution, grid resolution was increased and comparing the two simulations, the finer mesh simulation agreed best with the measured primary and secondary vortex characteristics.

Tip Vortex Study of a Rotor with Double-Swept Blade Tips

An experimental aerodynamic study was conducted, analyzing the wake structure of a four-bladed model rotor with a forward-backward swept tip geometry inspired by the ONERA-DLR “Etude d´un Rotor Aéroacoustique Technologiquement Optimisé”-design. Similar tip designs are used on some modern helicopter main rotors. The experiments were conducted at the Rotor Test Facility Göttingen (RTG) in hover-like conditions using a stereoscopic high-speed particle image velocimetry system. The results are compared with those of a reference rotor using a conventional parabolic blade tip. The test parameters include both constant-pitch cases and pitch-oscillating cases with a cyclic swashplate input. The constant-pitch tests show a two-step stall behavior for the double-swept tip, with the first step characterized by a reduced thrust slope and a reduced rotor efficiency. This effect is explained by a repositioning and a structural change of the tip vortex generation. The pitch-oscillating cases show that the double-swept tip results in an earlier tip stall compared to the parabolic geometry while maintaining high thrust levels. The dynamic tip stall yields a break-down of the wake’s tip vortex system, which is replaced by a spanwise band with small-scale turbulent structures and trailed vorticity, but no large-scale vortices.

An in-depth examination of flow structures organization downstream of a delta-winglet pair vortex generator under laminar, transitional, and turbulent flow regimes

In the present study, we experimentally investigate the time-averaged and time-evolving flow structures generated downstream of a delta-winglet pair vortex generator in an airflow channel. The Stereoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry technique is used to measure the velocity fields in the cross-sectional planes at various axial positions along the channel. The analysis of time-averaged flow topology shows that the flow is predominantly composed of two main counter-rotating longitudinal vortices under laminar, transitional, and turbulent regimes. While the time-averaged flow behavior might appear simple, the real-time organization of the instantaneous flow structures presents more complex features. The study of the flow's temporal evolution indicates that the transition from laminar to turbulent regime is controlled by a meandering mechanism referred to the motion of the main vortex centers around their axis and the emergence of secondary structures that evolve periodically over time.

Control of Reverse Flow over Cantilevered Swept Blades Using Passive Camber Morphing

High-speed rotorcraft experience a region of reversed flow over the retreating blade at high advance ratios. This reverse flow region results in multiple unfavorable effects, including negative lift, increased drag, and a large pitching moment impulse. The effect of the sweep angle on a rotor blade in reverse flow was explored, and it was demonstrated that the introduction of a trailing edge reflex camber could mitigate the adverse effects seen in this regime. A cantilevered, finite-span NACA 63-218 blade was examined at a Reynolds number Rec=2.38×105 both with and without a 10° trailing edge reflex camber. Three blades were tested: one with 20° forward sweep, one with 20° backward sweep, and one with no sweep. The experiments consisted of load measurements across a range of angles of attack, as well as volumetric flowfield measurements using stereoscopic particle image velocimetry on the two swept models at 10° angle of attack in reverse flow. The flowfields exhibited a highly three-dimensional separation bubble that existed on the blades in both backward and forward sweep conditions. Cambering of the trailing edge led to almost complete flow attachment on the backward swept model and a significant reduction in separation over the forward swept model. Cambering also led to a large reduction in drag in the entire reverse flow regime in both swept and unswept conditions. A large reduction in pitching moment and a smaller reduction in negative lift were also observed at moderate angles of attack.

Vortical Structures over a Generic Tailless Chined Forebody–Delta Wing

The flowfield over a model having a chined forebody and a simple delta wing was investigated experimentally using oil flow visualizations and stereoscopic particle image velocimetry at a mean chord-based Reynolds number of 2.3×105, angles of attack of 20 and 30 deg, and yaw angles of 0 and 5 deg. The flowfield over the model exhibited pairs of leading-edge vortices similar to those around a double-delta wing, except for the influence of the fuselage, where the chine vortex followed the curvature. The development and interaction of the two vortices were measured and analyzed. It was found that increasing the angle of attack resulted in wakelike vortices, whereas increasing the yaw angle yielded a wakelike vortex on the windward side and a jetlike vortex on the leeward side. The interaction of the windward side vortex with the physical barrier of the forebody surface was observed to greatly affect its behavior and the interaction downstream. In some configurations, the merged vortex exhibited a breakdown. The flowfield and the vortex dynamics under various conditions are discussed in detail to provide insight into manipulating the flowfield using physics-based flow control.

Flow-induced oscillations of pitching swept wings: stability boundary, vortex dynamics and force partitioning

We study experimentally the aeroelastic instability boundaries and three-dimensional vortex dynamics of pitching swept wings, with the sweep angle ranging from 0 $^\circ$ to 25 $^\circ$ . The structural dynamics of the wings are simulated using a cyber-physical control system. With a constant flow speed, a prescribed high inertia and a small structural damping, we show that the system undergoes a subcritical Hopf bifurcation to large-amplitude limit-cycle oscillations (LCOs) for all the sweep angles. The onset of LCOs depends largely on the static characteristics of the wing. The saddle-node point is found to change non-monotonically with the sweep angle, which we attribute to the non-monotonic power transfer between the ambient fluid and the elastic mount. An optimal sweep angle is observed to enhance the power extraction performance and thus promote LCOs and destabilize the aeroelastic system. The frequency response of the system reveals a structural-hydrodynamic oscillation mode for wings with relatively high sweep angles. Force, moment and three-dimensional flow structures measured using multi-layer stereoscopic particle image velocimetry are analysed to explain the differences in power extraction for different swept wings. Finally, we employ a physics-based force and moment partitioning method to correlate quantitatively the three-dimensional vortex dynamics with the resultant unsteady aerodynamic moment.

Control device for improving swirl flame stabilization.

Aiming to improve the stabilization of unstable swirling turbulent premixed flames, an actively controlled swirler and electrical hardware and control software are developed, implemented, and tested in the present study. Stereoscopic particle image velocimetry is performed to calculate the swirl number and study the flame stabilization. A mixture of methane and air with a mean bulk flow velocity of 5.0m/s and a fuel-air equivalence ratio of 0.6 is examined. This test condition, along with an original swirler vane angle of 30°, led to the initial anchoring of an unstable premixed flame at the burner exhaust. The developed actuation mechanism allows for changing the swirler vane angle from 30° to 60° and back to 30°. Increasing the vane angle from 30° to 60° increases the swirl number to relatively large values, which leads to the formation of a recirculation zone, a downward velocity along the burner centerline, and, as a result, the stabilization of an M-shaped flame. After the vane angle is reduced to 30°, the swirl number decreases but remains relatively large compared to its original value. As a result, the recirculation zone is present at the end of the actuation process and a V-shaped flame is stabilized. Improving the stabilization of the swirl flames is made possible because of the control apparatus and the method developed in the present study. The apparatus and technique designed and tested in this study facilitate the development of robust tools for improving the stabilization of swirling premixed flames in gas turbine combustors.

Columnar-jet to wall-jet state transition in transversely excited swirling flow

The current work investigates the transition of a swirling jet between two flow states, namely, columnar-jet (CJ) and wall-jet (WJ) states, under the influence of external transverse acoustic forcing. Here, we have performed simultaneous time-resolved stereoscopic particle image velocimetry and dynamic pressure measurements to understand the structure and dynamics of these swirling jets under external forcing. It is observed that at low Reynolds number (Re), the swirl flow transitions from CJ to WJ state due to transverse forcing. And the flow returns to the CJ state when the acoustic is turned OFF. However, above a critical flow Re, the swirl flow does transition from CJ to WJ state when subjected to transverse forcing, but upon turning OFF the acoustics, the flow stays in the WJ state. Thus, the swirling flow demonstrates bistability in the flow states only above a critical flow Re. It is observed that upon forcing, there is an increase in the streamwise velocity fluctuations (u′x) near the centerline and in the radial velocity fluctuations (u′r) near the injector lip. This finding is also confirmed through spectral proper orthogonal decomposition analysis. In addition, it is observed that as the flow transitions from CJ to WJ state, the relative contribution of the convective term Ur¯∂Ur¯∂r toward the radial pressure gradient (∂P¯∂r) increases in comparison to the centrifugal force term (U¯θ2r). The study highlights the effect of acoustic-induced velocity fluctuations on the bistability of swirl flows over a range of flow Re.

High-resolution turbofan intake flow characterization by automated stereoscopic-PIV in an industrial wind tunnel environment

Unsteady inlet flow distortion can influence the stability and performance of any propulsion system, in particular for more novel, short and slim intakes of future aero-engine configurations. As such, the requirement for measurement methods able to provide high spatial resolution data is important to aid the understanding of these flow fields. This work presents flow field characterisations at a crossflow plane within a short aeroengine intake using stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (SPIV). A series of tests were conducted across a range of crosswind and high angle of attack conditions for a representative short and slim aspirated intake configuration at two operating points in terms of mass flow rate. The velocity maps were measured at a crossflow plane within the intake at an axial position L/D = 0.058 from where a fan is expected to be installed. The diameter of the measurement plane was 250 mm, and the final spatial resolution of the velocity fields had a vector pitch of 1.5 mm which is at least two orders of magnitude richer than conventional pressure-based distortion measurements. The work demonstrates the ability to perform robust non-intrusive flow measurements within modern intake systems in an industrial wind tunnel environment across a wide range of operating conditions; hence, it is suggested that SPIV can potentially become part of standard industrial testing. The results provide rich datasets that can notably improve our understanding of unsteady distortions and influence the design of novel, closely coupled engine-intake systems.

Effect of a Control Mechanism on the Interaction between a Rectangular Jet and a Slotted Plate: Experimental Study of the Aeroacoustic Field

The aeroacoustic field of a rectangular subsonic jet impinging on a slotted plate was investigated experimentally using microphones and stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (S-PIV). The study was carried out with a Reynolds number of 6700 and an impact distance of 4 cm. The current configuration represents a benchmark standpoint, featuring high levels of generated noise. A control mechanism consisting of a thin rod was introduced downstream from the jet exit to suppress the self-sustained tones. A total of 1085 positions of the rod between the jet exit and impinging plate were tested to identify positions of optimal noise reduction. Two zones were distinguished in terms of control efficacy: a zone where the sound pressure level (SPL) dropped by up to 19 dB and another zone where the SPL increased by up to 14 dB. The velocity fields show that the presence of the rod divides the jet into two lateral secondary jets on both sides of the main jet axis. The outer part of the secondary jets expanded radially with less interaction with the plate compared to the case without the control. This behavior affected the deformation of vortices against the slot. Proper orthogonal decomposition was applied to the velocity field for a better understanding of the turbulence dynamics with and without the control rod.

Dynamic separation on an accelerating prolate spheroid

Time-varying flow separation on an accelerating prolate spheroid has been studied at various angles of incidence. Instantaneous pressure and scanning stereoscopic particle image velocimetry were used to shed light on the evolution of cross-flow structures for the Reynolds number ( $Re$ ) range of $1.0\times 10^6\leq Re \leq 1.5\times 10^6$ . The movement of separation lines is examined for various model accelerations to investigate on the interplay between acceleration and flow separation. The results demonstrate that for axial accelerations, the streamwise pressure distribution in the rear part of the prolate spheroid switches from an adverse to a favourable pressure gradient. At the same time, the circumferential adverse pressure gradient present during steady motion vanishes during said accelerations. In contrast, both streamwise and circumferential adverse pressure gradients strengthen when the model is axially decelerated. These dynamic pressure distributions influence the location of the separation line, which in turn moves closer to the model meridian during accelerations while moving outwards during decelerations. The streamwise vorticity distribution and the streamwise circulation both show how the separation-line position impacts the vortex formation. A high-vorticity region near the model surface is established during acceleration. In contrast, a decelerating model leads to transport of high-vorticity fluid into the outer area of the cross-flow separation. We further assess the memory effects following the near-impulsive velocity changes. The cross-flow retains the memory of moving separation lines shortly after the acceleration. However, the separation recovers quickly to a steady state.

Far field behaviour of wingtip vortices under synthetic jet-based control

Wingtip vortices have been proven to be detrimental to both aircraft efficiency and safety due to their adverse effects such as wake hazard, blade vortex interaction noise and induced drag. Despite the extensive literature on the subject, the number of experimental works featuring far field velocity measurements under active control is very limited. The present work deals with the experimental investigation of the effectiveness of synthetic jet actuation on the control of wingtip vortices and their wake hazard. In order to preserve the mutual induction of the counter-rotating vortices during their evolution, an unswept, low aspect ratio, squared-tipped, finite-span wing is employed. The synthetic jet actuation is based on triggering the inherent instabilities of Crow and Widnall at different values of the momentum coefficient Cμ with the goal of reducing the vortex strength and obtaining an anticipated vortex break up. Different exit geometries of the synthetic jets have been tested to analyze the effects of the jet velocity and position on the wingtip vortices. Phase-locked measurements of the velocity field in the far wake at a distance from the wing trailing edge from 26 to 80 chord lengths have been performed via stereoscopic particle image velocimetry. The effects of blowing at high momentum coefficient Cμ=1% are demonstrated to be remarkable on the mitigation of the wingtip vortices. On the other hand, both the time and phase-averaged results suggest that, at relatively low values of Cμ (0.2%), using a larger synthetic jet exit section area allows to greatly affect the wingtip vortices' features causing a striking alleviation of the vorticity distribution up to 90% with respect to the baseline reference case. In fact, due to the actuation at low frequency, the vortex instability is prematurely risen up and amplified, leading to early vortices linking and their consequent dissipation.

Aerothermal characteristics past a matrix structure inside a rectangular serpentine passage

A matrix structure can offer a high heat transfer and improved structural rigidity to the gas turbine's aerofoils. The earlier matrix studies are limited to presenting aerothermal behavior within the matrix structures. Thus, there is a scope to investigate the aerothermal characteristics downstream of a matrix geometry. The present experimental effort seeks to characterize the detailed flow and heat transfer downstream of the matrix and at the bend for Re = 800 and 6500. The heat transfer and flow fields are captured in various planes using liquid crystal thermography and stereoscopic particle image velocimetry techniques. The results show that the matrix ejects a highly turbulent vortical flow in the form of two co-rotating vortices, which further diffuse and merge in downstream. The matrix offers a very high average augmentation (Nu¯/Nu¯0) in the first pass for Re = 800 (varies from 12 to 4), but it shows a poor heat transfer (Nu¯/Nu¯0 < 1) at the bend region, which can generate local hot spots for Re = 800. In contrast, for Re = 6500, the matrix offers a stable augmentation throughout the first pass and bend region, i.e., Nu¯/Nu¯0≈ 2.4–1.

Effects of [formula omitted]-pentanol blending on soot formation in swirl-stabilized turbulent spray flames of Jet A-1 in a laboratory gas turbine combustor

Although the influence of alcohol supplement on soot in hydrocarbons fuel combustion in laminar flames and transportation engines is widely investigated, the information from well-controlled spray flames with clean boundary conditions are scarce, especially with kerosene type fuels doped with n-pentanol. Favorable physical properties of n-pentanol makes it an attractive oxygenated fuel extender for transportation fuels. We investigated the effects of adding 10% and 20% n-pentanol, by energy content, to a JetA-1 fuel on sooting characteristics of spray combustion in a swirl-stabilized model combustor. At an identical fuel feed rate, two different air flow rates were considered yielding global equivalence ratios of 0.64 and 0.69. Flow field generated by the combustion of swirling air and the injected fuel was measured using stereoscopic particle image velocimetry, and a diffraction based instrument was utilized to quantify the spray droplet size distribution. Laser-induced incandescence was used to measure the soot concentration distribution within the combustor and to estimate the primary soot particle sizes. Very small but measurable changes were observed in the spray droplet characteristics caused by the addition of n-pentanol to JetA-1. 10% replacement of JetA-1 by n-pentanol reduced the soot volume fractions and the total soot loading in the combustor significantly when the global equivalence ratio was 0.69, whereas with global equivalence ratio of 0.64, soot loading was almost zero. When the n-pentanol replacement increased to 20%, no soot was detected for both air flow rates, probably due to soot volume fractions well below the lower limits of laser-induced incandescence. The primary soot particle diameters covered a range from 25 to 50 nm mostly unaffected by the presence of n-pentanol in JetA-1.

Impact of density stratification and azimuthal velocity on the growth of coherent structures in a convectively unstable swirl flame

Large-scale coherent structures resulting from hydrodynamic instabilities can interact with turbulent swirl flames and lead to combustion instabilities. The present work investigates the impact of density stratification and azimuthal velocity on the growth of coherent structures in a convectively unstable swirl flame. Flame structure and flow field are measured by simultaneous hydroxyl planar laser-induced fluorescence and stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (S-PIV) at a repetition rate of 10 kHz and are analyzed by using the spectral proper orthogonal decomposition (SPOD) and spatial linear stability analysis (LSA). The SPOD reveals that the dominant symmetric and anti-symmetric modes are within the frequency range from 156 to 585 Hz, accounting for more than 25% of the turbulent kinetic energy. The spatial growths of these coherent structures are quantified by the LSA that predicts large growth rates near the nozzle exit with the corresponding frequency band matching well with the SPOD analysis. The LSA results show that both density stratification and azimuthal velocity have little effect on the instability frequencies of the most spatially unstable modes. However, the flame-induced density stratification suppresses the growth of the coherent structures by altering the pressure gradient and viscous diffusion, whereas the azimuthal velocity promotes flow instabilities through the changes in convection and production of the coherent perturbations. The results also suggest that the conventional PIV technique with two-component velocity measurement is inadequate for linear modeling of coherent structures, and the density stratification should also be taken into account in convectively unstable swirl flames.

Benefits of FIR-based spectral proper orthogonal decomposition in separation of flow dynamics in the wake of a cantilevered square cylinder

A comparative analysis is presented to illustrate the benefits of finite impulse response (FIR)-based spectral proper orthogonal decomposition (SPOD) over traditional proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) in separating coherent contributions within narrow spectral bandwidth. The wake of a cantilevered square cylinder of height-to-width ratio h/d=4 protruding a thin laminar boundary layer (δ/d=0.21) is investigated at a Reynolds number (Re) of 10600 using time-resolved stereoscopic particle image velocimetry. In the vicinity of the obstacle-plate junction region (z<0.5d), spectral analysis of the temporal modes obtained with both POD and FIR-based SPOD show fluctuation energy concentration centered on the vortex shedding frequency (fs), as well as weaker contributions at 0.1, 0.4, 0.9, 0.95, 1.05, 1.1, and 2fs. Broad-band spectral energy concentrations around 0.4fs are mainly observed close to the ground plane, while the energy contents at (1±0.05)fs and (1±0.1)fs increase at higher planes. With POD, the frequencies are not separated in the modes and it is very difficult to associate each to specific phenomena within the wake region. However, with tuning of the filter bandwidth, FIR-based SPOD represents each of the identified frequencies in a separate mode pair, which permits a better interpretation of the related dynamics. Notably, the improved modal separation assists in associating the 0.4fs spectral contribution with the interactions between the extensions of horseshoe vortex system and Kármán vortices in the wall-body junction region and the (1±0.05)fs and (1±0.1)fs frequencies to perturbation of the shedding cycle resulting from interactions with the lower frequency dynamics.