Experimental Investigation of Turbulent Boundary Layers Under Favorable Pressure Gradient

Author(s):  
Pranav Joshi ◽  
Joseph Katz

The goal of this research is to study the effect of favorable pressure gradient (FPG) on the near wall structures of a turbulent boundary layer on a smooth wall. 2D-PIV measurements have been performed in a sink flow, initially at a coarse resolution, to characterize the development of the mean flow and (under resolved) Reynolds stresses. Lack of self-similarity of mean velocity profiles shows that the boundary layer does not attain the sink flow equilibrium. In the initial phase of acceleration, the acceleration parameter, K = v/U2dU/dx, increases from zero to 0.575×10−6, skin friction coefficient decreases and mean velocity profiles show a log region, but lack universality. Further downstream, K remains constant, skin friction coefficient increases and the mean velocity profiles show a second log region away from the wall. In the initial part of the FPG region, all the Reynolds stress components decrease over the entire boundary layer. In the latter phase, they continue to decrease in the middle of the boundary layer, and increase significantly close to the wall (below y∼0.15δ), where they collapse when normalized with the local freestream velocity. Turbulence production and wallnormal transport, scaled with outer units, show self-similar profiles close to the wall in the constant K region. Spanwise-streamwise plane data shows evidence of low speed streaks in the log layer, with widths scaling with the boundary layer thickness.

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rau´l Bayoa´n Cal ◽  
Xia Wang ◽  
Luciano Castillo

Applying similarity analysis to the RANS equations of motion for a pressure gradient turbulent boundary layer, Castillo and George [1] obtained the scalings for the mean deficit velocity and the Reynolds stresses. Following this analysis, Castillo and George studied favorable pressure gradient (FPG) turbulent boundary layers. They were able to obtain a single curve for FPG flows when scaling the mean deficit velocity profiles. In this study, FPG turbulent boundary layers are analyzed as well as relaminarized boundary layers subjected to an even stronger FPG. It is found that the mean deficit velocity profiles diminish when scaled using the Castillo and George [1] scaling, U∞, and the Zagarola and Smits [2] scaling, U∞δ*/δ. In addition, Reynolds stress data has been analyzed and it is found that the relaminarized boundary layer data decreases drastically in all components of the Reynolds stresses. Furthermore, it will be shown that the shape of the profile for the wall-normal and Reynolds shear stress components change drastically given the relaminarized state. Therefore, the mean velocity deficit profiles as well as Reynolds stresses are found to be necessary in order to understand not only FPG flows, but also relaminarized boundary layers.


2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 16-26
Author(s):  
Vladimir Kornilov ◽  
Andrey Boiko ◽  
Ivan Kavun ◽  
Anatoliy Popkov

A generalized analysis of the results of numerical and experimental studies of air blowing into a turbulent boundary layer through finely perforated surface consisting of alternating permeable and impermeable sections of varying length providing a sudden change in the flow conditions at the boundaries of these sections is presented. The air blowing coefficient Cb determined by the mass flow rate per unit area of the active perforated sample varied in the range from 0 to 0.008. It is shown that as Cb grows, the maximum reduction in the mean surface skin-friction coefficient CF, which is the value through the permeable area of perforated sample, reaches about 65 %. When keeping the equal mass flow rate Q for all tested combinations, the mean skin-friction coefficient remains constant, independent of geometrical parameters of permeable and impermeable sections. Increasing the length of the last permeable section leads to the growth of relaxation region which is characterized by the reduced skin friction values on the impermeable part of the flat plate.


Author(s):  
Redha Wahidi ◽  
Walid Chakroun ◽  
Sami Al-Fahad

Turbulent boundary layer flows over a flat plate with multiple transverse square grooves spaced 10 element widths apart were investigated. Mean velocity profiles, turbulence intensity profiles, and the distributions of the skin-friction coefficients (Cf) and the integral parameters are presented for two grooved walls. The two transverse square groove sizes investigated are 5mm and 2.5mm. Laser-Doppler Anemometer (LDA) was used for the mean velocity and turbulence intensity measurements. The skin-friction coefficient was determined from the gradient of the mean velocity profiles in the viscous sublayer. Distribution of Cf in the first grooved-wall case (5mm) shows that Cf overshoots downstream of the groove and then oscillates within the uncertainty range and never shows the expected undershoot in Cf. The same overshoot is seen in the second grooved-wall case (2.5mm), however, Cf continues to oscillate above the uncertainty range and never returns to the smooth-wall value. The mean velocity profiles clearly represent the behavior of Cf where a downward shift is seen in the Cf overshoot region and no upward shift is seen in these profiles. The results show that the smaller grooves exhibit larger effects on Cf, however, the boundary layer responses to these effects in a slower rate than to those of the larger grooves.


2007 ◽  
Vol 129 (8) ◽  
pp. 1058-1072 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. F. Tachie ◽  
K. K. Adane

A particle image velocimetry was used to study shallow open channel turbulent flow over d-type and k-type transverse ribs of square, circular, and semi-circular cross sections. The ratio of boundary layer thickness to depth of flow varied from 50% to 90%. The mean velocities and turbulent quantities were evaluated at the top plane of the ribs to characterize interaction between the cavities and overlying boundary layer. It was found that the overlying boundary layer interacts more strongly with k-type cavities than observed for d-type cavities. The profiles of the mean velocities and turbulent statistics were then spatially averaged over a pitch, and these profiles were used to study the effects of rib type and cross section on the flow field. The mean velocity gradients were found to be non-negligible across the boundary layer, and the implications of this observation for momentum transport, eddy viscosity, and mixing length distributions are discussed. The results show that the skin friction coefficient, Reynolds stresses and mixing length distributions are independent of rib cross section for d-type. For the k-type ribs, significant variations in skin friction coefficient values, mean flow, and turbulence fields are observed between square ribs and circular/semi-circular ribs.


1993 ◽  
Vol 115 (3) ◽  
pp. 383-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. H. Hosni ◽  
H. W. Coleman ◽  
R. P. Taylor

Experimental measurements of profiles of mean velocity and distributions of boundary-layer thickness and skin friction coefficient from aerodynamically smooth, transitionally rough, and fully rough turbulent boundary-layer flows are presented for four surfaces—three rough and one smooth. The rough surfaces are composed of 1.27 mm diameter hemispheres spaced in staggered arrays 2, 4, and 10 base diameters apart, respectively, on otherwise smooth walls. The current incompressible turbulent boundary-layer rough-wall air flow data are compared with previously published results on another, similar rough surface. It is shown that fully rough mean velocity profiles collapse together when scaled as a function of momentum thickness, as was reported previously. However, this similarity cannot be used to distinguish roughness flow regimes, since a similar degree of collapse is observed in the transitionally rough data. Observation of the new data shows that scaling on the momentum thickness alone is not sufficient to produce similar velocity profiles for flows over surfaces of different roughness character. The skin friction coefficient data versus the ratio of the momentum thickness to roughness height collapse within the data uncertainty, irrespective of roughness flow regime, with the data for each rough surface collapsing to a different curve. Calculations made using the previously published discrete element prediction method are compared with data from the rough surfaces with well-defined roughness elements, and it is shown that the calculations are in good agreement with the data.


1999 ◽  
Vol 121 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. P. Schultz ◽  
G. W. Swain

Materials exposed in the marine environment, including those protected by antifouling paints, may rapidly become colonized by microfouling. This may affect frictional resistance and turbulent boundary layer structure. This study compares the mean and turbulent boundary layer velocity characteristics of surfaces covered with a marine biofilm with those of a smooth surface. Measurements were made in a nominally zero pressure gradient, boundary layer flow with a two-component laser Doppler velocimeter at momentum thickness Reynolds numbers of 5600 to 19,000 in a recirculating water tunnel. Profiles of the mean and turbulence velocity components, including the Reynolds shear stress, were measured. An average increase in the skin friction coefficient of 33 to 187 percent was measured on the fouled specimens. The skin friction coefficient was found to be dependent on both biofilm thickness and morphology. The biofilms tested showed varying effect on the Reynolds stresses when those quantities were normalized with the friction velocity.


Author(s):  
Dadong Zhou ◽  
Ting Wang

Approximate algebraic correlations for the two-dimensional laminar boundary layer flow and heat transfer with favorable pressure gradient at constant K (≡vUe2dUedx) values were found by using Pohlhausen’s integral method. Two thermal boundary conditions were considered: constant wall heat flux and constant wall temperature. These correlations were tabulated and compared in the limits KRex → 0 and KRex → ∞ with the similarity solutions of the Blasius flow and the convergent-channel flow. The comparisons between these correlations and those obtained numerically from the STAN5 code were excellent. The results showed that the momentum boundary layer grows at the leading edge with an initial rate like the Blasius flow to a maximum value, then decreases and asymptotically approaches the behavior of a convergent-channel flow. As KRex increases, the skin friction coefficient decreases and approaches a constant; the Pohlhausen’s pressure gradient parameter (Λ≡δ2vdUedx) increases from zero at the leading edge and approaches a constant. While hydrodynamically asymptotical solutions were obtained, no asymptotical thermal similarity was found. Skin friction coefficient and various integral parameters could be collapsed into a corresponding single curve when suitable normalization factors were chosen. The effects of Prandtl number and unheated starting length were also analyzed.


1954 ◽  
Vol 58 (518) ◽  
pp. 109-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. H. Preston

SummaryA simple method of determining local turbulent skin friction on a smooth surface has been developed which utilises a round pitot tube resting on the surface. Assuming the existence of a region near the surface in which conditions are functions only of the skin friction, the relevant physical constants of the fluid and a suitable length, a universal non-dimensional relation is obtained for the difference between the total pressure recorded by the tube and the static pressure at the wall, in terms of the skin friction. This relation, on this assumption, is independent of the pressure gradient. The truth and form of the relation were first established, to a considerable degree of accuracy, in a pipe using four geometrically similar round pitot tubes—the diameter being taken as representative length. These four pitot tubes were then used to determine the local skin friction coefficient at three stations on a wind tunnel wall, under varying conditions of pressure gradient. At each station, within the limits of experimental accuracy, the deduced skin friction coefficient was found to be the same for each pitot tube, thus confirming the basic assumption and leaving little doubt as to the correctness of the skin friction so found. Pitot traverses were then made in the pipe and in the boundary layer on the wind tunnel wall. The results were plotted in two non-dimensional forms on the basis already suggested and they fell close together in a region whose outer limit represented the breakdown of the basic assumption, but close to the wall the results spread out, due to the unknown displacement of the effective centre of a pitot tube near a wall. This again provides further evidence of the existence of a region of local dynamical similarity and of the correctness of the skin friction deduced from measurements with round pitot tubes on the wind tunnel wall. The extent of the region in which the local dynamical similarity may be expected to hold appears to vary from about 1/5 to 1/20 of the boundary-layer thickness for conditions remote from, and close to, separation respectively.


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