Mechanical Engineering - Research Publications
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ItemNo Preview AvailableModelling the downstream development of a turbulent boundary layer following a step change of roughness(CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS, 2022-09-23)In this study, we develop an analytical model to predict the turbulent boundary layer downstream of a step-change in the surface roughness where upstream flow conditions are given. We first revisit the classical model of Elliott (Trans. Am. Geophys. Union, vol. 39, 1958, pp. 1048–1054), who modelled the velocity distribution within and above the internal layer with a simple piecewise logarithmic profile, and evolved the velocity profile using the streamwise momentum equation. Elliott's model was originally developed for an atmospheric surface layer, and to make the model applicable to a spatially developing turbulent boundary layer with finite thickness, we propose a number of more physical refinements, including adding a wake function to the velocity profile, considering the growth of the entire boundary layer in the streamwise direction, and using a more realistic shear stress profile in the momentum equation. In particular, we implement the blending model (Li et al., J. Fluid Mech., vol. 923, 2021, p. A18) to account for the deviation of the mean flow within the internal layer from a canonical velocity profile based on the local wall condition. These refinements lead to improved agreement between the prediction and the measurement, especially in the vicinity of the rough-to-smooth change.
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ItemReorganisation of turbulence by large and spanwise-varying riblets(Cambridge University Press, 2022-12-10)We study the flow above non-optimal riblets, specifically large drag-increasing and two-scale trapezoidal riblets. In order to reach large Reynolds numbers and large scale separation while retaining access to flow details, we employ a combination of boundary-layer hot-wire measurements and direct numerical simulation (DNS) in minimal-span channels. Although the outer Reynolds numbers differ, we observe fair agreement between experiments and DNS at matched viscous-friction-scaled riblet spacings in the overlapping physical and spectral regions, providing confidence that both data sets are valid. We find that hot-wire velocity spectra above very large riblets with are depleted of near-wall energy at scales that are (much) greater than. Large-scale energy likely bypasses the turbulence cascade and is transferred directly to secondary flows of size, which we observe to grow in strength with increasing riblet size. Furthermore, the present very large riblets reduce the von Kármán constant of the spanwise uniform mean velocity in a logarithmic layer and, thus, reduce the accuracy of the roughness-function concept, which we link to the near-wall damping of large flow structures. Half-height riblets in the groove, which we use as a model of imperfectly repeated (spanwise-varying) riblets, impede in-groove turbulence. We show how to scale the drag optimum of imperfectly repeated riblets based on representative measurements of the true geometry by solving inexpensive Poisson equations.
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ItemRiblet-generated flow mechanisms that lead to local breaking of Reynolds analogy(CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS, 2022-11-14)We investigate the Reynolds analogy over riblets, namely the analogy between the fractional increase in Stanton number Ch and the fractional increase in the skin-friction coefficient Cf, relative to a smooth surface. We investigate the direct numerical simulation data of Endrikat et al. (Flow Turbul. Combust., vol. 107, 2021, pp. 1–29). The riblet groove shapes are isosceles triangles with tip angles α = 30◦, 60◦, 90◦, a trapezoid, a rectangle and a right triangle. The viscous-scaled riblet spacing varies between s+ ≈ 10 to 60. The global Reynolds analogy is primarily influenced by Kelvin–Helmholtz rollers and secondary flows. Kelvin–Helmholtz rollers locally break the Reynolds analogy favourably, i.e., cause a locally larger fractional increase in Ch than in Cf. These rollers induce negative wall shear stress patches which have no analogue in wall heat fluxes. Secondary flows at the riblets’ crests are associated with local unfavourable breaking of the Reynolds analogy, i.e., locally larger fractional increase in Cf than in Ch. Only the triangular riblets with α = 30◦ trigger strong Kelvin–Helmholtz rollers without appreciable secondary flows. This riblet shape globally preserves the Reynolds analogy from s+ = 21 to 33. However, the other riblet shapes have weak or non-existent Kelvin–Helmholtz rollers, yet persistent secondary flows. These riblet shapes behave similarly to rough surfaces. They unfavourably break the global Reynolds analogy and do so to a greater extent as s+ increases.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableImportant Parameters for a Predictive Model of ks for Zero-Pressure-Gradient Flows(American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), 2022-10)To predict drag on a rough surface under turbulent flow conditions, practitioners rely on roughness correlations that map topographical features of the surface to the equivalent sand-grain roughness Ks However, details of the data that underpin these empirical correlations are not always immediately evident for comparison and discussion. Therefore, here we compile a table of roughness correlations with unified notation, in chronological order, listing the parameter ranges and the roughness types used in their development, noting idiosyncrasies. Overall, the table shows that tested roughness types have increased in generality from regular roughness elements to random surface elevations, and that the independent parameters of primary importance measure size (e.g. height), frontal area (e.g. slope) and coverage (e.g. skewness). In addition to the need for more data to populate the parameter space, outstanding questions facing practitioners are filtering and sampling of multiscale surfaces, and the treatment of heterogeneous surfaces, with answers appearing on the horizon.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableDirect numerical simulation-based characterization of pseudo-random roughness in minimal channels(CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS, 2022-05-04)Direct numerical simulations (DNS) are used to systematically investigate the applicability of the minimal-channel approach (Chung et al., J. Fluid Mech., vol. 773, 2015, pp. 418–431) for the characterization of roughness-induced drag on irregular rough surfaces. Roughness is generated mathematically using a random algorithm, in which the power spectrum (PS) and probability density function (p.d.f.) of the surface height can be prescribed. Twelve different combinations of PS and p.d.f. are examined, and both transitionally and fully rough regimes are investigated (roughness height varies in the range $k^+ = 25$ –100). It is demonstrated that both the roughness function ( ${\rm \Delta} U^+$ ) and the zero-plane displacement can be predicted with ${\pm }5\,\%$ accuracy using DNS in properly sized minimal channels. Notably, when reducing the domain size, the predictions remain accurate as long as 90 % of the roughness height variance is retained. Additionally, examining the results obtained from different random realizations of roughness shows that a fixed combination of p.d.f. and PS leads to a nearly unique ${\rm \Delta} U^+$ for deterministically different surface topographies. In addition to the global flow properties, the distribution of time-averaged surface force exerted by the roughness onto the fluid is calculated. It is shown that patterns of surface force distribution over irregular roughness can be well captured when the sheltering effect is taken into account. This is made possible by applying the sheltering model of Yang et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 789, 2016, pp. 127–165) to each specific roughness topography. Furthermore, an analysis of the coherence function between the roughness height and the surface force distributions reveals that the coherence drops at larger streamwise wavelengths, which can be an indication that very large horizontal scales contribute less to the skin-friction drag.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableNavier-Stokes-based linear model for unstably stratified turbulent channel flows(AMER PHYSICAL SOC, 2022-04-06)
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ItemAn energy-efficient pathway to turbulent drag reduction(NATURE PORTFOLIO, 2021-10-04)Simulations and experiments at low Reynolds numbers have suggested that skin-friction drag generated by turbulent fluid flow over a surface can be decreased by oscillatory motion in the surface, with the amount of drag reduction predicted to decline with increasing Reynolds number. Here, we report direct measurements of substantial drag reduction achieved by using spanwise surface oscillations at high friction Reynolds numbers ([Formula: see text]) up to 12,800. The drag reduction occurs via two distinct physical pathways. The first pathway, as studied previously, involves actuating the surface at frequencies comparable to those of the small-scale eddies that dominate turbulence near the surface. We show that this strategy leads to drag reduction levels up to 25% at [Formula: see text] = 6,000, but with a power cost that exceeds any drag-reduction savings. The second pathway is new, and it involves actuation at frequencies comparable to those of the large-scale eddies farther from the surface. This alternate pathway produces drag reduction of 13% at [Formula: see text] = 12,800. It requires significantly less power and the drag reduction grows with Reynolds number, thereby opening up potential new avenues for reducing fuel consumption by transport vehicles and increasing power generation by wind turbines.
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ItemHeat Transfer Coefficient Estimation for Turbulent Boundary Layers(The University of Queensland, 2020-12-11)Convective heat transfer in rough wall-bounded turbulent flows is prevalent in many engineering applications, such as in gas turbines and heat exchangers. At present, engineers lack the design tools to accurately predict the convective heat transfer in the presence of non-smooth boundaries. Accordingly, a new turbulent boundary layer facility has been commissioned, where the temperature of an interchangeable test surface can be precisely controlled, and conductive heat losses are minimized. Using this facility, we can estimate the heat transfer coefficient (Stanton number, St), through measurement of the power supplied to the electrical heaters and also from measurements of the thermal and momentum boundary layers evolving over this surface. These methods have been initially investigated over a shorter smooth prototype heated surface and compared with existing St prediction models. Preliminary results suggest that we can accurately estimate St in this facility.
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ItemAn investigation of cold-wire spatial resolution using a DNS database(The University of Queensland, 2020-12-11)The effect of spatial resolution of cold-wire anemometry on both the variance and energy spectrum of temperature fluctuations is analyzed through the use of a numerical database. Temperature fluctuation snapshots from a direct numerical simulation (DNS) of a heated smooth-wall turbulent channel flow are spatially averaged in the spanwise direction to simulate the wire filtering. The results show that the wire length does not affect the mean temperature while it significantly attenuates the variance of temperature fluctuations, particularly in the vicinity of the wall. As the filter length grows, the peaks of the one- and two-dimensional energy spectrograms are further attenuated. Limited attenuation is seen when the filter length is smaller than 30 wall units in the vicinity of the wall, whereas a complete suppression of the near-wall energetic peak is observed when the filter length exceeds 100 wall units.
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ItemCharacterizing the turbulent drag properties of rough surfaces with a Taylor-Couette set-up(Cambridge University Press, 2021-07-25)Wall roughness induces extra drag in wall-bounded turbulent flows. Mapping any given roughness geometry to its fluid dynamic behaviour has been hampered by the lack of accurate and direct measurements of skin-friction drag. Here, the Taylor–Couette (TC) system provides an opportunity as it is a closed system and allows direct and reliable measurement of the skin-friction. However, the wall curvature potentially complicates the connection between the wall friction and the wall roughness. Here, we investigate a highly turbulent TC flow, with a hydrodynamically fully rough, rotating inner cylinder, while the outer cylinder is kept smooth and stationary. We carry out particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements in the Twente Turbulent Taylor–Couette (T3C) facility with Reynolds numbers in the range of 4.6 × 105 < Rei < 1.77 × 106. From these we find, while taking into account the influence of the curved walls on the turbulence, that the observed effects of a hydrodynamically fully rough surface are similar for TC turbulence and flat-plate turbulent boundary layer flows (BL). Hence, the equivalent sand grain height ks, that characterizes the drag properties of a rough surface, is similar for both flow geometries. Next, we obtain the dependence of the torque (skin-friction drag) on the Reynolds number for a given wall roughness, characterized by ks, and find agreement with the same results derived from PIV measurements within 5%. Our findings demonstrate that global torque measurements in the TC facility could be well suited to reliably deduce wall-drag properties for any rough surface.