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A study on boundary-layer transition induced by free-stream turbulence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 July 2010

A. C. MANDAL,
L. VENKATAKRISHNAN and
J. DEY
A. C. MANDAL
Affiliation:
Department of Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
L. VENKATAKRISHNAN
Affiliation:
EAD, National Aerospace Laboratories, Bangalore 560017, India
J. DEY*
Affiliation:
Department of Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
*
†Email address for correspondence: jd@aero.iisc.ernet.in
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Abstract

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Boundary-layer transition at different free-stream turbulence levels has been investigated using the particle-image velocimetry technique. The measurements show organized positive and negative fluctuations of the streamwise fluctuating velocity component, which resemble the forward and backward jet-like structures reported in the direct numerical simulation of bypass transition. These fluctuations are associated with unsteady streaky structures. Large inclined high shear-layer regions are also observed and the organized negative fluctuations are found to appear consistently with these inclined shear layers, along with highly inflectional instantaneous streamwise velocity profiles. These inflectional velocity profiles are similar to those in the ribbon-induced boundary-layer transition. An oscillating-inclined shear layer appears to be the turbulent spot-precursor. The measurements also enabled to compare the actual turbulent spot in bypass transition with the simulated one. A proper orthogonal decomposition analysis of the fluctuating velocity field is carried out. The dominant flow structures of the organized positive and negative fluctuations are captured by the first few eigenfunction modes carrying most of the fluctuating energy. The similarity in the dominant eigenfunctions at different Reynolds numbers suggests that the flow prevails its structural identity even in intermittent flows. This analysis also indicates the possibility of the existence of a spatio-temporal symmetry associated with a travelling wave in the flow.

JFM classification

Boundary Layers: Boundary LayersInstability: Transition to turbulence

Information

Type
Papers
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 660 , 10 October 2010, pp. 114 - 146
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

References

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