Mechanical Engineering - Research Publications
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ItemSurface shear stress fluctuations in the atmospheric surface layer( 2006)A lightweight, high frequency response, floating element sensor was used to measure wall shear stress fluctuations in an atmospheric surface layer. The sensor uses a laser position measurement system to track the motion of the floating element. The measurements were taken as part of an internationally coordinated experimental program designed to make extensive spatial and temporal measurements of velocity, temperature and wall shear stress of the surface layer. Velocity measurements were made with both a 27m high vertical array and a 100m wide horizontal array of sonic anemometers; 18 anemometers in total were employed. Cross-correlations of shear stress and streamwise velocity fluctuations were analysed in an attempt to identify structure angles in the flow. The results were shown to compare favourably with experimental data from controlled, laboratory turbulent boundary layer measurements at three orders of magnitude lower Reynolds number.
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ItemSome predictions of the attached eddy model for a high Reynolds number boundary layer(Royal Society Publishing, 2007-01)Many flows of practical interest occur at high Reynolds number, at which the flow inmost of the boundary layer is turbulent, showing apparently random fluctuations invelocity across a wide range of scales. The range of scales over which these fluctuationsoccur increases with the Reynolds number and hence high Reynolds number flows aredifficult to compute or predict. In this paper, we discuss the structure of these flows anddescribe a physical model, based on the attached eddy hypothesis, which makespredictions for the statistical properties of these flows and their variation with Reynoldsnumber. The predictions are shown to compare well with the results from recentexperiments in a new purpose-built high Reynolds number facility. The model is alsoshown to provide a clear physical explanation for the trends in the data. The limits ofapplicability of the model are also discussed.
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ItemLarge-scale influences in near-wall turbulence(ROYAL SOC, 2007-03-15)Hot-wire data acquired in a high Reynolds number facility are used to illustrate the need for adequate scale separation when considering the coherent structure in wall-bounded turbulence. It is found that a large-scale motion in the log region becomes increasingly comparable in energy to the near-wall cycle as the Reynolds number increases. Through decomposition of fluctuating velocity signals, it is shown that this large-scale motion has a distinct modulating influence on the small-scale energy (akin to amplitude modulation). Reassessment of DNS data, in light of these results, shows similar trends, with the rate and intensity of production due to the near-wall cycle subject to a modulating influence from the largest-scale motions.
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ItemInvestigation of large-scale coherence in a turbulent boundary layer using two-point correlations(Cambridge University Press, 2005)Stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements are made in streamwise–spanwise and inclined cross-stream planes (inclined at 45◦ and 135◦ to the principal flow direction) of a turbulent boundary layer at moderate Reynolds number (Reτ ∼ 1100). Two-point spatial velocity correlations computed using the PIV data reveal results that are consistent with an earlier study in which packets of hairpin vortices were identified by a feature-detection algorithm in the log region, but not in the outerwake region. Both streamwise–streamwise (Ruu) and streamwise–wall-normal (Ruw)correlations are significant for streamwise displacements of more than 1500 wallunits. Zero crossing data for the streamwise fluctuating component u reveal that streamwise strips between zero crossings of 1500 wall units or longer occur morefrequently for negative u than positive u, suggesting that long streamwise correlations in Ruu are dominated by slower streamwise structures. Additional analysis of Rwwcorrelations suggests that the long streamwise slow-moving regions contain discrete zones of strong upwash over extended streamwise distances, as might occur withinpackets of angled hairpin vortices. At a wall-normal location outside of the log region (z/δ =0.5), the correlations are shorter in the streamwise direction and broader in the spanwise direction. Correlations in the inclined cross-stream plane data revealgood agreement with the streamwise–spanwise plane. Ruu in the 45◦ plane is more elongated along the in-plane wall-normal direction than in the 135◦ plane, which isconsistent with the presence of hairpin packets with a low-speed region lifting away from the wall.
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ItemSimultaneous orthogonal-plane particle image velocimetry measurements in a turbulent boundary layer(Cambridge University Press, 2006)Stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements were taken simultaneously in streamwise–spanwise and streamwise–wall-normal planes in a zero pressure-gradient turbulent boundary layer over a flat plate. Polarization techniques were employed to allow PIV to be taken in both planes simultaneously. Image preprocessing techniques were used to improve the quality of data near the line of intersection of the planes. Linear stochastic estimation was performed on these data, revealing the streamwise, spanwise, and wall-normal extent of swirl events primarily near the top of the log region of the boundary layer. Swirl events with rotation consistent with the mean vorticity are found to have a large footprint inthe lower limit of the log region whereas swirls with opposite-signed vorticity are found to have little influence lower in the boundary layer. These long-time-averaged statistics contain features that are consistent with the hairpin packet model (or its kinematic equivalent). This model also seems to provide a reasonable description of many instantaneous events involving large-scale coherence, where long regions of streamwise momentum deficit are surrounded by vortex cores.
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ItemSpanwise periodicity and the existence of very large scale coherence in turbulent boundary layers(Begellhouse, 2005-12-01)
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ItemDominant spanwise Fourier modes, and the existence of very large scale coherence in turbulent boundary layers( 2004)Multiple plane stereo PIV results and data from a rake often hot-wire probes are used to investigate the largest scalestructures in a zero-pressure-gradient turbulent boundary layer.Instantaneous vector fields from stereo PIV in spanwise-streamwiseplanes reveal long low- and high-speed regions,with a length that often exceeds the viewing window (> 2d).Also evident is a remarkable degree of spanwise organisation,that manifests as a persistent spanwise stripiness in the u componentof the PIV vector field. Almost all trace of such spanwiseorganisation is lost in the mean statistics, presumably dueto the multitude of scales naturally present in wall-bounded turbulence.This can be overcome by ‘de-jittering’ the instantaneousvector fields. By sorting the data according to dominantspanwise fourier modes, and then applying simple statisticaltools to the sorted subsets, we are able to extract a clear viewof spanwise organisation. Results are confirmed in the variousPIV data-sets. Since the PIV fails to adequately capture the fullstreamwise extent of the low-speed regions, a rake of hot-wireprobes is also employed to capture a continuous view of thespanwise coherence. It is found that the low-speed regions arein fact extremely persistent in the streamwise direction, oftenexceeding 20 d in length. The fact that these long features meanderappreciably in the spanwise direction will limit the overallstreamwise length-scale as witnessed by a single probe or singlepoint statistic. For instance, premultiplied one-dimensionalspectra of the streamwise velocity (kxFuu) at this z/d show apeak contribution for characteristic lengthscales of 5-7d.
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ItemInclined cross-stream stereo particle image velocimetry measurements in turbulent boundary layers(Cambridge University Press, 2005)This work can be viewed as a reprise of Head & Bandyopadhyay’s (J. Fluid Mech. vol. 107, 1981, p. 297) original boundary-layer visualization study although in this instance we make use of stereo particle image velocimetry (PIV), techniques to obtain a quantitative view of the turbulent structure. By arranging the laser light-sheet and image plane of a stereo PIV system in inclined spanwise/wall-normal planes (inclined at both 45° and 135° to the streamwise axis) a unique quantitative view of the turbulent boundary layer is obtained. Experiments are repeated across a range of Reynolds numbers, Reτ ≈690–2800. Despite numerous experimental challenges (due to the large out-of-plane velocity components), mean flow and Reynolds stress profiles indicate that the salient features of the turbulent flow have been well resolved. The data are analysed with specific attention to a proposed hairpin eddy model. In-plane two-dimensional swirl is used to identify vortical eddy structures piercing the inclined planes. The vast majority of this activity occurs in the 135° plane, indicating an inclined eddy structure, and Biot-Savart law calculations are carried out to aid in the discussion. Conditional averaging and linear stochastic estimation results also support the presence of inclined eddies, arranged about low-speed regions. In the 135° plane, instantaneous swirl patterns exhibit a predisposition for counter-rotating vortex pairs (arranged with an ejection at their confluence). Such arrangements are consistent with the hairpin packet model. Correlation and scaling results show outer-scaling to be the correct way to quantify the characteristic spanwise length scale across the log and wake regions of the boundary layers (for the range of Reynolds numbers tested). A closer investigation of two-point velocity correlation contours indicates the occurrence of a distinct two-regime behaviour, in which contours (and hence streamwise velocity fluctuations) either appear to be ‘attached’ to the buffer region, or ‘detaching’ from it. The demarcation between these two regimes is found to scale well with outer variables. The results are consistent with a coherent structure that becomes increasingly uncoupled (or decorrelated) from the wall as it grows beyond the logarithmic region, providing additional support for a wall–wake description of turbulent boundary layers.
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ItemInclined cross-stream stereo PIV measurements in turbulent boundary layers.(CIMNE, 2004)By arranging the laser light-sheet and image plane of a stereo PIV system ininclined spanwise/wall-normal planes (inclined at both 45± and 135± to the x-axis) we have obtained a unique quantitative view of the turbulent boundarylayer in planes aligned both with and against the principle vorticity axis of aproposed hairpin model. These experiments have been repeated across a range ofReynolds numbers (Re¿ ¼ 800 ¡ 3050). In-plane swirl results indicate the presenceof inclined eddies, arranged about low-speed regions (with circumstantialevidence suggesting that these occasionally group into packet-like formations).Two-point correlations show that outer scaling is the correct way to quantifythe characteristic spanwise lengthscale across the range of Re¿ .
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