Papers
Fluid flow and heat transfer in a dual-wet micro heat pipe
- JIN ZHANG, STEPHEN J. WATSON, HARRIS WONG
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- 08 October 2007, pp. 1-31
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Micro heat pipes have been used to cool micro electronic devices, but their heat transfer coefficients are low compared with those of conventional heat pipes. In this work, a dual-wet pipe is proposed as a model to study heat transfer in micro heat pipes. The dual-wet pipe has a long and narrow cavity of rectangular cross-section. The bottom-half of the horizontal pipe is made of a wetting material, and the top-half of a non-wetting material. A wetting liquid fills the bottom half of the cavity, while its vapour fills the rest. This configuration ensures that the liquid–vapour interface is pinned at the contact line. As one end of the pipe is heated, the liquid evaporates and increases the vapour pressure. The higher pressure drives the vapour to the cold end where the vapour condenses and releases the latent heat. The condensate moves along the bottom half of the pipe back to the hot end to complete the cycle. We solve the steady-flow problem assuming a small imposed temperature difference between the two ends of the pipe. This leads to skew-symmetric fluid flow and temperature distribution along the pipe so that we only need to focus on the evaporative half of the pipe. Since the pipe is slender, the axial flow gradients are much smaller than the cross-stream gradients. Thus, we can treat the evaporative flow in a cross-sectional plane as two-dimensional. This evaporative motion is governed by two dimensionless parameters: an evaporation number E defined as the ratio of the evaporative heat flux at the interface to the conductive heat flux in the liquid, and a Marangoni number M. The motion is solved in the limit E→∞ and M→∞. It is found that evaporation occurs mainly near the contact line in a small region of size E−1W, where W is the half-width of the pipe. The non-dimensional evaporation rate Q* ~ E−1 ln E as determined by matched asymptotic expansions. We use this result to derive analytical solutions for the temperature distribution Tp and vapour and liquid flows along the pipe. The solutions depend on three dimensionless parameters: the heat-pipe number H, which is the ratio of heat transfer by vapour flow to that by conduction in the pipe wall and liquid, the ratio R of viscous resistance of vapour flow to interfacial evaporation resistance, and the aspect ratio S. If HR≫1, a thermal boundary layer appears near the pipe end, the width of which scales as (HR)−1/2L, where L is the half-length of the pipe. A similar boundary layer exists at the cold end. Outside the boundary layers, Tp varies linearly with a gradual slope. Thus, these regions correspond to the evaporative, adiabatic and condensing regions commonly observed in conventional heat pipes. This is the first time that the distinct regions have been captured by a single solution, without prior assumptions of their existence. If HR ~ 1 or less, then Tp is linear almost everywhere. This is the case found in most micro-heat-pipe experiments. Our analysis of the dual-wet pipe provides an explanation for the comparatively low effective thermal conductivity in micro heat pipes, and points to ways of improving their heat transfer capabilities.
Inviscid coupling between point symmetric bodies and singular distributions of vorticity
- I. EAMES, M. LANDERYOU, J. B. FLÓR
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- 08 October 2007, pp. 33-56
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We study the inviscid coupled motion of a rigid body (of density ρb, in a fluid of density ρ) and singular distributions of vorticity in the absence of gravity, using for illustration a cylinder moving near a point vortex or dipolar vortex, and the axisymmetric interaction between a vortex ring and sphere.
The coupled motion of a cylinder (radius a) and a point vortex, initially separated by a distance R and with zero total momentum, is governed by the parameter R4/(ρb/ρ+1)a4. When R4/(ρb/ρ+1)a4,≤,1, a (positive) point vortex moves anticlockwise around the cylinder which executes an oscillatory clockwise motion, with a mixture of two frequencies, centred around its initial position. When R4/(ρb/ρ+1)a4≫1, the initial velocity of the cylinder is sufficiently large that the dynamics become uncoupled, with the cylinder moving off to infinity. The final velocity of the cylinder is related to the permanent displacement of the point vortex.
The interaction between a cylinder (initially at rest) and a dipolar vortex starting at infinity depends on the distance of the vortex from the centreline (h), the initial separation of the vortical elements (2d), and ρb/ρ. For a symmetric encounter (h=0) with a dense cylinder, the vortical elements pass around the cylinder and move off to infinity, with the cylinder being displaced a finite distance forward. However, when ρb/ρ<1, the cylinder is accelerated forward to such an extent that the vortex cannot overtake. Instead, the cylinder ‘extracts’ a proportion of the impulse from the dipolar vortex. An asymmetric interaction (h>0) leads to the cylinder moving off in the opposite direction to the dipolar vortex.
To illustrate the difference between two- and three-dimensional flows, we consider the axisymmetric interaction between a vortex ring and a rigid sphere. The velocity perturbation decays so rapidly with distance that the interaction between the sphere and vortex ring is localized, but the underlying processes are similar to two-dimensional flows.
We briefly discuss the general implications of these results for turbulent multiphase flows.
Velocity and temperature derivatives in high-Reynolds-number turbulent flows in the atmospheric surface layer. Part 1. Facilities, methods and some general results
- G. GULITSKI, M. KHOLMYANSKY, W. KINZELBACH, B. LÜTHI, A. TSINOBER, S. YORISH
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- 08 October 2007, pp. 57-81
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This is a report on a field experiment in an atmospheric surface layer at heights between 0.8 and 10m with the Taylor micro-scale Reynolds number in the range Reλ = 1.6−6.6 ×103. Explicit information is obtained on the full set of velocity and temperature derivatives both spatial and temporal, i.e. no use of Taylor hypothesis is made. The report consists of three parts. Part 1 is devoted to the description of facilities, methods and some general results. Certain results are similar to those reported before and give us confidence in both old and new data, since this is the first repetition of this kind of experiment at better data quality. Other results were not obtained before, the typical example being the so-called tear-drop R-Q plot and several others. Part 2 concerns accelerations and related matters. Part 3 is devoted to issues concerning temperature, with the emphasis on joint statistics of temperature and velocity derivatives. The results obtained in this work are similar to those obtained in experiments in laboratory turbulent grid flow and in direct numerical simulations of Navier–Stokes equations at much smaller Reynolds numbers Reλ ~ 102, and this similarity is not only qualitative, but to a large extent quantitative. This is true of such basic processes as enstrophy and strain production, geometrical statistics, the role of concentrated vorticity and strain, reduction of nonlinearity and non-local effects. The present experiments went far beyond the previous ones in two main respects. (i) All the data were obtained without invoking the Taylor hypothesis, and therefore a variety of results on fluid particle accelerations became possible. (ii) Simultaneous measurements of temperature and its gradients with the emphasis on joint statistics of temperature and velocity derivatives. These are reported in Parts 2 and 3.
Velocity and temperature derivatives in high-Reynolds-number turbulent flows in the atmospheric surface layer. Part 2. Accelerations and related matters
- G. GULITSKI, M. KHOLMYANSKY, W. KINZELBACH, B. LÜTHI, A. TSINOBER, S. YORISH
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- 08 October 2007, pp. 83-102
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We report the first results of an experiment, in which explicit information on all velocity derivatives (the nine spatial derivatives, ∂ui∂xj, and the three temporal derivatives, ∂ui/∂t) along with the three components of velocity fluctuations at a Reynolds number as high as Reλ~104 is obtained. No use of the Taylor hypothesis was made, and this allowed us to obtain a variety of results concerning acceleration and its different Eulerian components along with vorticity, strain and other small-scale quantities. The field experiments were performed at five heights between 0.8 and 10m above the ground.
The report consists of three parts. Part 1 is devoted to the description of facilities, methods and some general results. Part 2 concerns accelerations and related matters. Part 3 is devoted to the issues concerning temperature with the emphasis on joint statistics of temperature and velocity derivatives.
Velocity and temperature derivatives in high- Reynolds-number turbulent flows in the atmospheric surface layer. Part 3. Temperature and joint statistics of temperature and velocity derivatives
- G. GULITSKI, M. KHOLMYANSKY, W. KINZELBACH, B. LÜTHI, A. TSINOBER, S. YORISH
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- 08 October 2007, pp. 103-123
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This is part 3 of our work describing experiments in which explicit information was obtained on all the derivatives, i.e. spatial derivatives, ∂/∂xj, and temporal derivatives, ∂/∂t, of velocity and temperature fields (and all the components of velocity fluctuations and temperature) at the Reynolds number Reλ~104.
This part is devoted to the issues concerning temperature with the emphasis on joint statistics of temperature and velocity derivatives, based on preliminary results from a jet facility and the main results from a field experiment. Apart from a number of conventional results, these contain a variety of results concerning production of temperature gradients, such as role of vorticity and strain, eigen-contributions, geometrical statistics such as alignments of the temperature gradient and the eigenframe of the rate-of-strain tensor, tilting of the temperature gradient, comparison of the true production of the temperature gradient with its surrogate. Among the specific results of importance is the essential difference in the behaviour of the production of temperature gradients in regions dominated by vorticity and strain. Namely, the production of temperature gradients is much more intensive in regions dominated by strain, whereas production of temperature gradients is practically independent of the magnitude of vorticity. In contrast, vorticity and strain are contributing equally to the tilting of the vector of temperature gradients.
The production of temperature gradients is mainly due to the fluctuative strain, the terms associated with mean fields are unimportant. It was checked directly (by looking at corresponding eigen-contributions and alignments), that the production of the temperature gradients is due to predominant compressing of fluid elements rather than stretching, which is true of other processes in turbulent flows, e.g. turbulent energy production in shear flows. Though the production of the temperature gradient and its surrogate possess similar univariate PDFs (which indicates the tendency to isotropy in small scales by this particular criterion), their joint PDF is not close to a bisector. This means that the true production of the temperature gradient is far from being fully represented by its surrogate. The main technical achievement is demonstrating the possibility of obtaining experimentally joint statistics of velocity and temperature gradients.
Geometry of unsteady fluid transport during fluid–structure interactions
- ELISA FRANCO, DAVID N. PEKAREK, JIFENG PENG, JOHN O. DABIRI
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- 08 October 2007, pp. 125-145
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We describe the application of tools from dynamical systems to define and quantify the unsteady fluid transport that occurs during fluid–structure interactions and in unsteady recirculating flows. The properties of Lagrangian coherent structures (LCS) are used to enable analysis of flows with arbitrary time-dependence, thereby extending previous analytical results for steady and time-periodic flows. The LCS kinematics are used to formulate a unique, physically motivated definition for fluid exchange surfaces and transport lobes in the flow. The methods are applied to numerical simulations of two-dimensional flow past a circular cylinder at a Reynolds number of 200; and to measurements of a freely swimming organism, the Aurelia aurita jellyfish. The former flow provides a canonical system in which to compare the present geometrical analysis with classical, Eulerian (e.g. vortex shedding) perspectives of fluid–structure interactions. The latter flow is used to deduce the physical coupling that exists between mass and momentum transport during self-propulsion. In both cases, the present methods reveal a well-defined, unsteady recirculation zone that is not apparent in the corresponding velocity or vorticity fields. Transport rates between the ambient flow and the recirculation zone are computed for both flows. Comparison of fluid transport geometry for the cylinder crossflow and the self-propelled swimmer within the context of existing theory for two-dimensional lobe dynamics enables qualitative localization of flow three-dimensionality based on the planar measurements. Benefits and limitations of the implemented methods are discussed, and some potential applications for flow control, unsteady propulsion, and biological fluid dynamics are proposed.
Large-scale features in turbulent pipe and channel flows
- J. P. MONTY, J. A. STEWART, R. C. WILLIAMS, M. S. CHONG
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- 08 October 2007, pp. 147-156
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In recent years there has been significant progress made towards understanding the large-scale structure of wall-bounded shear flows. Most of this work has been conducted with turbulent boundary layers, leaving scope for further work in pipes and channels. In this article the structure of fully developed turbulent pipe and channel flow has been studied using custom-made arrays of hot-wire probes. Results reveal long meandering structures of length up to 25 pipe radii or channel half-heights. These appear to be qualitatively similar to those reported in the log region of a turbulent boundary layer. However, for the channel case, large-scale coherence persists further from the wall than in boundary layers. This is expected since these large-scale features are a property of the logarithmic region of the mean velocity profile in boundary layers and it is well-known that the mean velocity in a channel remains very close to the log law much further from the wall. Further comparison of the three turbulent flows shows that the characteristic structure width in the logarithmic region of a boundary layer is at least 1.6 times smaller than that in a pipe or channel.
Motion of a capsule in a cylindrical tube: effect of membrane pre-stress
- YANNICK LEFEBVRE, DOMINIQUE BARTHÈS-BIESEL
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- 08 October 2007, pp. 157-181
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We present a numerical model of the axisymmetric flow of an initially spherical capsule in a co-axial cylindrical tube. The capsule consists of a liquid droplet enclosed by a thin hyper-elastic membrane that is assumed to obey different membrane constitutive equations such as Mooney–Rivlin, Skalak et al. (1973) or Evans & Skalak (1980) laws. It is further assumed that the capsule may be subjected to some isotropic pre-stress due to initial swelling. We compute the steady flow of the capsule inside the tube as a function of the size ratio between the capsule and tube radii, the amount of pre-swelling and the membrane constitutive law. We thus determine the deformed profile geometry and specifically the onset of the curvature inversion at the back of the particle. We show that for a given size ratio, the critical flow rate at which the back curvature changes is strongly dependent on pre-inflation. The elastic tension level in the membrane as well as the additional pressure drop created by the presence of the particle are also computed. The numerical results are then compared to experimental observations of capsules with alginate membranes as they flow in small tubes (Risso. et al. 2006). It is found that the experimental capsules were probably pre-inflated by about 3% and that their membrane is best modelled by the Skalak et al. law.
Effect of gravity modulation on the stability of a horizontal double-diffusive layer
- YOUMIN YU, CHO LIK CHAN, C. F. CHEN
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- 08 October 2007, pp. 183-213
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The instability characteristics of a horizontal stably stratified fluid layer being heated from below, including its subsequent nonlinear evolution under steady and modulated gravity, have been investigated by experiments and two-dimensional numerical simulations. The critical condition at instability onset is also checked using linear stability analysis. The fluid is contained in a horizontal test tank with an initial stable solute gradient and a constant-temperature gradient imposed by heating from below. Because of the non-diffusive boundaries, the vertical solute gradient slowly decreases and, eventually, the layer becomes unstable. From the time of the onset of instability, the critical solute Rayleigh number is determined. For the experiments with modulated gravity, the tank is fixed onto a platform that oscillates vertically at 1 Hz with an amplitude of 10 cm. The experiment is designed such that no internal wave mode of instability can be excited. The experimental results show that gravity modulation destabilizes the system slightly by increasing the solute Rayleigh number at onset by 8.4% and causes the oscillation frequency at onset to increase by 32.6%. Linear stability analysis and two-dimensional numerical simulations for the steady gravity case yield results that are in good agreement with the experiment. For the gravity modulation case, linear stability results do not show any effect of gravity modulation at the frequency of 1 Hz. Numerical simulation results do show increases in both the onset solute Rayleigh number and the oscillation frequency; however, their values are smaller than those obtained in the experiment. The characteristics of the internal wave mode of instability are explored by numerical simulations of a stably stratified solute fluid layer under gravity modulation. The interference effects between the internal wave mode and double-diffusive mode of instabilities are studied by imposing an adverse temperature gradient on the stratified layer.
Transient and steady state of a rising bubble in a viscoelastic fluid
- SHRIRAM B. PILLAPAKKAM, PUSHPENDRA SINGH, DENIS BLACKMORE, NADINE AUBRY
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- 08 October 2007, pp. 215-252
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A finite element code based on the level-set method is used to perform direct numerical simulations (DNS) of the transient and steady-state motion of bubbles rising in a viscoelastic liquid modelled by the Oldroyd-B constitutive equation. The role of the governing dimensionless parameters, the capillary number (Ca), the Deborah number (De) and the polymer concentration parameter c, in both the rising speed and the deformation of the bubbles is studied. Simulations show that there exists a critical bubble volume at which there is a sharp increase in the terminal velocity with increasing bubble volume, similar to the behaviour observed in experiments, and that the shape of both the bubble and its wake structure changes fundamentally at that critical volume value. The bubbles with volumes smaller than the critical volume are prolate shaped while those with volumes larger than the critical volume have cusp-like trailing ends. In the latter situation, we show that there is a net force in the upward direction because the surface tension no longer integrates to zero. In addition, the structure of the wake of a bubble with a volume smaller than the critical volume is similar to that of a bubble rising in a Newtonian fluid, whereas the wake structure of a bubble with a volume larger than the critical value is strikingly different. Specifically, in addition to the vortex ring located at the equator of the bubble similar to the one present for a Newtonian fluid, a vortex ring is also present in the wake of a larger bubble, with a circulation of opposite sign, thus corresponding to the formation of a negative wake. This not only coincides with the appearance of a cusp-like trailing end of the rising bubble but also propels the bubble, the direction of the fluid velocity behind the bubble being in the opposite direction to that of the bubble. These DNS results are in agreement with experiments.
Energy and enstrophy fluxes in the double cascade of two-dimensional turbulence
- G. BOFFETTA
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- 08 October 2007, pp. 253-260
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High-resolution direct numerical simulations of two-dimensional turbulence in stationary conditions are presented. The development of an energy–enstrophy double cascade is investigated and its statistics found to be compatible with the classical Kraichnan theory in the limit of extended inertial ranges. The analysis of the joint distribution of energy and enstrophy fluxes in physical space reveals a small value of cross-correlation. This result supports many experimental and numerical studies where only one cascade is generated.
Turbulent wake of an inclined cylinder with water running
- MD. MAHBUB ALAM, Y. ZHOU
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- 08 October 2007, pp. 261-303
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This paper presents the results of an experimental study of fluid dynamics around an inclined circular cylinder with and without water running over its surface, covering water rivulet formation, fluid forces on the cylinder, near wake and their interrelationships. The cylinder inclination angle (α) with respect to incident flow was between 55° and 80°. It has been found that water running over the cylinder surface may behave quite differently, depending on the Reynolds number (Re), and subsequently impact greatly upon the fluid dynamics around the cylinder. As such, five flow categories are classified. Category A: one water rivulet was observed, irrespective of α, at the leading stagnation point at a small Re. Category B: the rivulet splits into two, symmetrically arranged about the leading stagnation line, once Re exceeds a critical value that depends on α. The two rivulets may further switch back to one, and vice versa. Category C: two symmetrical straight rivulets occur. Category D: the two rivulets shift towards the flow separation line with increasing Re and oscillate circumferentially. The oscillation reaches significant amplitude when the rivulets occur at about 70° from the leading stagnation point. This increased amplitude is coupled with a rapid climb in the mean and fluctuating drag and lift, by a factor of near 5 for the fluctuating lift at α = 80°. Meanwhile, the flow structure exhibits a marked variation. For example, Strouhal number and vortex formation length decrease, along with an increase in spanwise vorticity concentration, velocity deficit, and coherence between vortex shedding and fluctuating lift. All these observations point to the occurrence of a ‘lock-in’ phenomenon, i.e. the rivulet oscillation synchronizing with flow separation. A rivulet–vortex-induced instability is proposed to be responsible for the well reported rain–wind-induced vibration associated with the stay cables of cable-stayed bridges. Category E: the two rivulets shift further downstream just beyond the separation line; the shear layers behind the rivulets become highly turbulent, resulting in weakened vortex shedding, flow fluctuating velocities and fluctuating fluid forces. Based on the equilibrium of water rivulet weight, aerodynamic pressure and friction force between fluid and surface, an analysis is developed to predict the rivulet position on the cylinder, which agrees well with measurements.
Gas flows in microchannels and microtubes
- CHUNPEI CAI, QUANHUA SUN, IAIN D. BOYD
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- 08 October 2007, pp. 305-314
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This study analyses compressible gas flows through microchannels or microtubes, and develops two complete sets of asymptotic solutions. It is a natural extension of the previous work by Arkilic et al. on compressible flows through microchannels. First, by comparing the magnitudes of different forces in the compressible gas flow, we obtain proper estimations for the Reynolds and Mach numbers at the outlets. Second, based on these estimations, we obtain asymptotic analytical solutions of velocities, pressure and temperature distributions of compressible gas flow inside the microchannels and microtubes with a relaxation of the isothermal assumption, which was previously used in many studies. Numerical simulations of compressible flows through a microchannel and a microtube are performed by solving the compressible Navier–Stokes equations, with velocity slip and temperature jump wall boundary conditions. The numerical simulation results validate the analytical results from this study.
Particle–fluid interactions in grid-generated turbulence
- C. POELMA, J. WESTERWEEL, G. OOMS
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- 08 October 2007, pp. 315-351
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The effect of small particles on decaying grid-generated turbulence is studied experimentally. Using a two-camera system, instantaneous fluid-phase and particle-phase measurements can be obtained simultaneously. The data obtained with this system are used to study the decay behaviour of the turbulent flow. The role of particle size, particle density and volume load is studied in a number of different cases. These cases are chosen so that the individual role of these parameters can systematically be evaluated. Addition of particles to the flow has significant effects on the decaying turbulence: first, the onset of the turbulent decay appears to shift upstream; second, the flow becomes anisotropic as it develops downstream. The latter is observed as an increase in integral length scale in the vertical direction. The rate at which the flow becomes anisotropic can be predicted using a new parameter: the product of the non-dimensional number density and the Stokes number (referred to as the ‘Stokes load’). This parameter, combining the relevant fluid and particle characteristics, is a measure for the energy redistribution leading to anisotropy. In addition to redistributing energy, the particles also produce turbulence. However, this only becomes evident when the grid-generated turbulence has decayed sufficiently, relatively far downstream of the grid. The turbulence production by particles can also account for the observed decrease in slope of the power spectrum, which leads to a ‘cross-over’ effect. The production of turbulence by the particles can be predicted using a model for the momentum deficit of the particle wakes. The validity of this approach is confirmed using conditional sampling of the fluid velocity field around the particles.
Measurements of turbulent crossflow separation created by a curved body of revolution
- P. A. GREGORY, P. N. JOUBERT, M. S. CHONG
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- 08 October 2007, pp. 353-374
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Using the method pioneered by Gurzhienko (1934), the crossflow separation produced by a body of revolution in a steady turn is examined using a stationary deformed body placed in a wind tunnel. The body of revolution was deformed about a radius equal to three times the body's length. Surface pressure and skin-friction measurements revealed regions of separated flow occurring over the rear of the model. Extensive surface flow visualization showed the presence of separated flow bounded by a separation and reattachment line. This region of separated flow began just beyond the midpoint of the length of the body, which was consistent with the skin-friction data. Extensive turbulence measurements were performed at four cross-sections through the wake including two stations located beyond the length of the model. These measurements revealed the location of the off-body vortex, the levels of turbulent kinetic energy within the shear layer producing the off-body vorticity and the large values of 〈uw〉 stress within the wake. Velocity spectra measurements taken at several points in the wake show evidence of the inertial sublayer. Finally, surface flow topologies and outer-flow topologies are suggested based on the results of the surface flow visualization.
Structure of turbulent flow over regular arrays of cubical roughness
- O. COCEAL, A. DOBRE, T. G. THOMAS, S. E. BELCHER
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- 08 October 2007, pp. 375-409
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The structure of turbulent flow over large roughness consisting of regular arrays of cubical obstacles is investigated numerically under constant pressure gradient conditions. Results are analysed in terms of first- and second-order statistics, by visualization of instantaneous flow fields and by conditional averaging. The accuracy of the simulations is established by detailed comparisons of first- and second-order statistics with wind-tunnel measurements. Coherent structures in the log region are investigated. Structure angles are computed from two-point correlations, and quadrant analysis is performed to determine the relative importance of Q2 and Q4 events (ejections and sweeps) as a function of height above the roughness. Flow visualization shows the existence of low-momentum regions (LMRs) as well as vortical structures throughout the log layer. Filtering techniques are used to reveal instantaneous examples of the association of the vortices with the LMRs, and linear stochastic estimation and conditional averaging are employed to deduce their statistical properties. The conditional averaging results reveal the presence of LMRs and regions of Q2 and Q4 events that appear to be associated with hairpin-like vortices, but a quantitative correspondence between the sizes of the vortices and those of the LMRs is difficult to establish; a simple estimate of the ratio of the vortex width to the LMR width gives a value that is several times larger than the corresponding ratio over smooth walls. The shape and inclination of the vortices and their spatial organization are compared to recent findings over smooth walls. Characteristic length scales are shown to scale linearly with height in the log region. Whilst there are striking qualitative similarities with smooth walls, there are also important differences in detail regarding: (i) structure angles and sizes and their dependence on distance from the rough surface; (ii) the flow structure close to the roughness; (iii) the roles of inflows into and outflows from cavities within the roughness; (iv) larger vortices on the rough wall compared to the smooth wall; (v) the effect of the different generation mechanism at the wall in setting the scales of structures.
Are cascading flows stable?
- S. A. THORPE, B. OZEN
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- 08 October 2007, pp. 411-432
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The stability of flows cascading down slopes as dense inclined plumes is examined, with particular reference to flows observed in Lake Geneva during winter periods of severe cooling. A previous conjecture by Turner that the flow may be in a state of marginal stability is confirmed: the observed mean velocity and density profiles are unstable to Kelvin–Helmholtz instability, but only marginally so; the growth rates of the most unstable small disturbances to the cascading flow in Lake Geneva are small, with e-folding periods of about 2 h. A reduction in the maximum velocity by about 20% is required to stabilize the flow.
The possibility that stationary hydraulic jumps may occur in the observed flow is also considered. Several plausible flow states downstream of transitions are examined, allowing for mixing and density changes to occur, ranging from one that preserves the shape of the density and velocity profiles to one in which, as a consequence of mixing, the velocity and density become uniform in depth within the cascading flow. Neither of these extreme states is found to conserve the fluxes of volume, mass and momentum through a transition in which the energy flux does not increase, and to be unique or ‘stable’ in the sense that no further transition is possible to a similar flow state without more entrainment. Stable transitions to intermediate downstream flows that conserve flow properties and reduce energy flux are, however, found, although the smallest value of the flow parameter, Fr≡ Umax2/gΔ h (where Umax is the maximum flow speed, g is the acceleration due to gravity, Δ is a fractional density difference within the flow and h is the flow thickness) at which transitions may occur is only slightly less than that of the cascading flow in Lake Geneva. In this sense, the observed flow is marginally unstable to a finite-amplitude transition or hydraulic jump. Velocity and density profiles of possible flows downstream of a transition are found. The amplitudes of possible transitions and the flux of water entrained from the ambient overlying water mass are limited to narrow ranges.
On the Lagrangian description of steady surface gravity waves
- DIDIER CLAMOND
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- 08 October 2007, pp. 433-454
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This paper concerns the mathematical formulation of two-dimensional steady surface gravity waves in a Lagrangian description of motion. It is demonstrated first that classical second-order Lagrangian Stokes-like approximations do not exactly represent a steady wave motion in the presence of net mass transport (Stokes drift). A general mathematically correct formulation is then derived. This derivation leads naturally to a Lagrangian Stokes-like perturbation scheme that is uniformly valid for all time – in other words, without secular terms. This scheme is illustrated, both for irrotational waves, with seventh-order and third-order approximations in deep water and finite depth, respectively, and for rotational waves with a third-order approximation of the Gerstner-like wave on finite depth. It is also shown that the Lagrangian approximations are more accurate than their Eulerian counterparts of the same order.
A dissipative point-vortex model for nearshore circulation
- E. TERRILE, M. BROCCHINI
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- 08 October 2007, pp. 455-478
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The hydrodynamic circulation of a nearshore region with complex bathymetry is inves- tigated by means of a point-vortex approach similar, but more complete and suited to practical applications, to that of Kennedy (J. Fluid Mech. vol. 497, 2003, p. 225). The generation and dissipation of each single-point vortex are analysed in detail to obtain a complete description of the vortex dynamics. In particular, we clarify how the mechanism for the generation of breaking-wave-induced macrovortices (large-scale two-dimensional horizontal vortices) can be practically implemented and we discuss in detail the mechanism leading to the dissipation of the circulation assigned to each vortex. Available approximate relations for the rate of generation of bar vortices are placed in context and discussed in detail, and novel approximate relations for the shore vortex generation and for the vortex viscous dissipation are proposed, the latter largely improving the description of the point vortex dynamics. Results have been obtained using three ‘typical’ rip-current bathymetries for which we also test qualitatively and quantitatively the model comparing the vorticity dynamics with the results obtained by means of both wave-resolved and wave-averaged circulation models. A comparison of dynamically equivalent flow configurations shows that the dissipative point-vortex model solutions, neglecting any influence of the wave field, provide rip current velocities in good agreement with both types of numerical solution. A more complete description of the rip current system, not limited to the rip-neck region as given by Kennedy (2003) by mean of an inviscid model, has been achieved by including dissipative effects.
On the periodically excited plane turbulent mixing layer, emanating from a jagged partition
- E. KIT, I. WYGNANSKI, D. FRIEDMAN, O. KRIVONOSOVA, D. ZHILENKO
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- 08 October 2007, pp. 479-507
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The flow in a turbulent mixing layer resulting from two parallel different velocity streams, that were brought together downstream of a jagged partition was investigated experimentally. The trailing edge of the partition had a short triangular ‘chevron’ shape that could also oscillate up and down at a prescribed frequency, because it was hinged to the stationary part of the partition to form a flap (fliperon). The results obtained from this excitation were compared to the traditional results obtained by oscillating a two-dimensional fliperon. Detailed measurements of the mean flow and the coherent structures, in the periodically excited and spatially developing mixing layer, and its random constituents were carried out using hot-wire anemometry and stereo particle image velocimetry.
The prescribed spanwise wavelength of the chevron trailing edge generated coherent streamwise vortices while the periodic oscillation of this fliperon locked in-phase the large spanwise Kelvin–Helmholtz (K-H) rolls, therefore enabling the study of the inter- action between the two. The two-dimensional periodic excitation increases the strength of the spanwise rolls by increasing their size and their circulation, which depends on the input amplitude and frequency. The streamwise vortices generated by the jagged trailing edge distort and bend the primary K-H rolls. The present investigation endeavours to study the distortions of each mode as a consequence of their mutual interaction. Even the mean flow provides evidence for the local bulging of the large spanwise rolls because the integral width (the momentum thickness, θ), undulates along the span. The lateral location of the centre of the ensuing mixing layer (the location where the mean velocity is the arithmetic average of the two streams, y0), also suggests that these vortices are bent. Phase-locked and ensemble-averaged measurements provide more detailed information about the bending and bulging of the large eddies that ensue downstream of the oscillating chevron fliperon. The experiments were carried out at low speeds, but at sufficiently high Reynolds number to ensure naturally turbulent flow.