Showing papers in "Experiments in Fluids in 2015"

Background-oriented schlieren (BOS) techniques

Abstract: This article gives an overview of the back- ground-oriented schlieren (BOS) technique, typical appli- cations and literature in the field. BOS is an optical den- sity visualization technique, belonging to the same family as schlieren photography, shadowgraphy or interferometry. In contrast to these older techniques, BOS uses correlation techniques on a background dot pattern to quantitatively characterize compressible and thermal flows with good spatial and temporal resolution. The main advantages of this technique, the experimental simplicity and the robust- ness of correlation-based digital analysis, mean that it is widely used, and variant versions are reviewed in the arti- cle. The advantages of each variant are reviewed, and fur- ther literature is provided for the reader. List of symbols

On the use of helium-filled soap bubbles for large-scale tomographic PIV in wind tunnel experiments

Abstract: The flow-tracing fidelity of sub-millimetre diameter helium-filled soap bubbles (HFSB) for low-speed aerodynamics is studied. The main interest of using HFSB in relation to micron-size droplets is the large amount of scattered light, enabling larger-scale three-dimensional experiments by tomographic PIV. The assessment of aerodynamic behaviour closely follows the method proposed in the early work of Kerho and Bragg (Exp Fluids 50:929–948, 1994) who evaluated the tracer trajectories around the stagnation region at the leading edge of an airfoil. The conclusions of the latter investigation differ from the present work, which concludes sub-millimetre HFSB do represent a valid alternative for quantitative velocimetry in wind tunnel aerodynamic experiments. The flow stagnating ahead of a circular cylinder of 25 mm diameter is considered at speeds up to 30 m/s. The tracers are injected in the free-stream and high-speed PIV, and PTV are used to obtain the velocity field distribution. A qualitative assessment based on streamlines is followed by acceleration and slip velocity measurements using PIV experiments with fog droplets as a term of reference. The tracing fidelity is controlled by the flow rates of helium, liquid soap and air in HFSB production. A characteristic time response, defined as the ratio of slip velocity and the fluid acceleration, is obtained. The feasibility of performing time-resolved tomographic PIV measurements over large volumes in aerodynamic wind tunnels is also studied. The flow past a 5-cm-diameter cylinder is measured over a volume of 20 × 20 × 12 cm3 at a rate of 2 kHz. The achieved seeding density of <0.01 ppp enables resolving the Karman vortices, whereas turbulent sub-structures cannot be captured.

Experimental investigation on interactions among fluid and rod-like particles in a turbulent pipe jet by means of particle image velocimetry

Abstract: The near field of a turbulent circular pipe jet laden with rigid rod-like particles is investigated experimentally by means of particle image velocimetry. Two mass fraction loadings are examined at a Reynolds number equal to 9,000. A simple and robust phase discrimination scheme based on image intensity threshold is presented and validated. Simultaneous flow and dispersed phase velocities data are discussed and compared to literature data for spherical and elongated particles providing insight on phase interactions. Being the Stokes number around unity, both inertial and dynamical effects have high relevance, the former giving rise to velocity lag among particles and fluid and the latter to turbulence modulation in the carrier flow induced by the dispersed phase.

Passive jet control of flow around a circular cylinder

Abstract: In the present study, a passive flow control method, which is featured by passive windward suction combined with leeward jet over a circular cylinder for drag reduction and dynamic wind loading suppression, was experimentally investigated to manipulate unsteady wake vortex shedding from a circular cylinder. Four perforated pipe designs with different numbers of suction/jet holes (i.e., from 2 to 24 suction/jet holes) were used to create flow communicating channels between the windward and leeward stagnation points of a cylindrical test model. The experimental study was performed in a wind tunnel at a Reynolds number of Re = 4.16 × 104 based on the cylinder diameter and oncoming airflow speed. In addition to measuring surface pressure distributions to determine the dynamic wind loads acting on the test model, a digital particle image velocimetry (PIV) system was also used to quantify the wake flow characteristics in order to assess the effectiveness of the passive jet control method with different perforated pipe designs, in comparison with a baseline case without passive jet control. It was found that the passive jet control method is very effective in manipulating the wake vortex shedding process from the circular cylinder. The perforated pipe designs with more suction/jet holes were found to be more effective in reducing drag and suppressing fluctuating amplitude of the dynamic wind loads acting on the test model. With 24 suction/jet holes evenly distributed over the cylindrical test model (i.e., the N13 design of the present study), the passive jet control method was found to be able to achieve up to 33.7 % in drag reduction and 90.6 % in fluctuating wind loading suppression, in comparison with the baseline case. The PIV measurement results revealed clearly that the passive jet control method would cause airflow jets into the cylinder wake and change the shedding modes of the wake vortex structures from the cylindrical test model. Because of the dynamic interactions between the passive jets and the wake vortex structures, the antisymmetric pattern of the wake vortex shedding was found to be converted to symmetric mode. The periodicity of the vortex shedding was also observed to be diminished and eventually disappeared with the number increase in the suction/jet holes. A linear stability analysis was performed to suggest that the passive jet flow would modify the wake stability of the circular cylinder by decreasing the disturbance growth rate in the immediate wake and pushing the region of absolute instability further downstream.

Study of the vortex-induced pressure excitation source in a Francis turbine draft tube by particle image velocimetry

Abstract: Francis turbines operating at part-load experience the development of a precessing cavitation vortex rope at the runner outlet, which acts as an excitation source for the hydraulic system. In case of resonance, the resulting pressure pulsations seriously compromise the stability of the machine and of the electrical grid to which it is connected. As such off-design conditions are increasingly required for the integration of unsteady renewable energy sources into the existing power system, an accurate assessment of the hydropower plant stability is crucial. However, the physical mechanisms driving this excitation source remain largely unclear. It is for instance essential to establish the link between the draft tube flow characteristics and the intensity of the excitation source. In this study, a two-component particle image velocimetry system is used to investigate the flow field at the runner outlet of a reduced-scale physical model of a Francis turbine. The discharge value is varied from 55 to 81 % of the value at the best efficiency point. A particular set-up is designed to guarantee a proper optical access across the complex geometry of the draft tube elbow. Based on phase-averaged velocity fields, the evolution of the vortex parameters with the discharge, such as the trajectory and the circulation, is determined for the first time. It is shown that the rise in the excitation source intensity is induced by an enlargement of the vortex trajectory and a simultaneous increase in the precession frequency, as well as the vortex circulation. Below a certain value of discharge, the structure of the vortex abruptly changes and loses its coherence, leading to a drastic reduction in the intensity of the induced excitation source.

The effect of aspect ratio on the wake of the Ahmed body

Abstract: This paper seeks to further elucidate the wake of the Ahmed body by investigating how the time-averaged flow structures vary with frontal aspect ratio. High-resolution particle image velocimetry results are provided for eight different width Ahmed geometries at Re = 3 × 10^4. It is shown that the narrower the body, the greater the downwash over the back slant, meaning the flow remains more attached. At a critical aspect ratio ( AR = 1.9), the flow downstream changes. The separation over the back slant is shown to be affected by the AR, and this in turn has a significant effect on the circulation in the c-pillar vortices.

Experimental characterization of the unsteady natural wake of the full-scale square back Ahmed body: flow bi-stability and spectral analysis

Abstract: In recent years, the increasing interest in reducing the aerodynamic drag of vehicles, such as station wagons, minivans or buses, has led research to focus on the characterization of square back bluff geometries. In this paper, the results of an extensive experimental campaign on the full-scale well-known body of Ahmed et al. (1984) are presented, for two height-based Reynolds numbers, $$Re_{\rm H} = 5.1 \times 10^5$$ and $$7.7 \times 10^5$$ . Eighty-one measurement points were used to map the base pressure field, while the wake topology was investigated by means of a series of ten 2D Particle Image Velocimetry planes. These measurements clearly show that the wake presents a bi-stable behavior, characterized by a random succession of switches between two well-defined mutually symmetric configurations, confirming the results from Grandemange et al. (J Fluid Mech 722:51–84, 2013b. doi: 10.1017/jfm.2013.83 ) for the same model. For the presented results, the timescale of this phenomenon is of the order of $$800 \, V_{\infty} / H$$ . The sensitivity of the bi-stability to the yaw angle was also investigated, and considerations on how to take such a behavior into account in post-processing this kind of field are given. High-frequency measurements were also carried out with four piezoelectric transducers and a synchronized two-component hot-wire. The results show a low-frequency spectral activity: peaks at $$St_{\rm H} = 0.13$$ and 0.19, corresponding to vortex shedding modes, were found on the lateral base pressures and in the far wake, whereas a signature at $$St_{\rm H} = 0.08$$ was visible on the vertical base centerline and in the recirculation bubble shear layer. Correlation analysis and proper orthogonal decomposition confirm the interpretation of the latter mode as the pumping of the recirculation bubble.

Control of vortex on a non-slender delta wing by a nanosecond pulse surface dielectric barrier discharge

Abstract: Wind tunnel experiments are conducted for improving the aerodynamic performance of delta wing using a leading-edge pulsed nanosecond dielectric barrier discharge (NS-DBD). The whole effects of pulsed NS-DBD on the aerodynamic performance of the delta wing are studied by balanced force measurements. Pressure measurements and particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements are conducted to investigate the formation of leading-edge vortices affected by the pulsed NS-DBD, compared to completely stalled flow without actuation. Various pulsed actuation frequencies of the plasma actuator are examined with the freestream velocity up to 50 m/s. Stall has been delayed substantially and significant shifts in the aerodynamic forces can be achieved at the post-stall regions when the actuator works at the optimum reduced frequency of F + = 2. The upper surface pressure measurements show that the largest change of static pressure occurs at the forward part of the wing at the stall region. The time-averaged flow pattern obtained from the PIV measurement shows that flow reattachment is promoted with excitation, and a vortex flow pattern develops. The time-averaged locations of the secondary separation line and the center of the vortical region both move outboard with excitation.

Comparison between optical flow and cross-correlation methods for extraction of velocity fields from particle images

Abstract: This paper presents direct comparisons between the physics-based optical flow and well-established cross-correlation methods for extraction of velocity fields from particle images. The accuracy and limitations of the optical flow method applied to particle image velocimetry are critically evaluated. After a brief review of the optical flow method, we discuss in detail the error estimates, relevant parameters to the accuracy of optical flow computation, and mathematical connection between the optical flow and the particle velocity. Quantitative evaluations of both the optical flow and correlation methods are made through simulations and physical flow measurements.

An efficient and accurate approach to MTE-MART for time-resolved tomographic PIV

Abstract: The motion-tracking-enhanced MART (MTE-MART; Novara et al. in Meas Sci Technol 21:035401, 2010) has demonstrated the potential to increase the accuracy of tomographic PIV by the combined use of a short sequence of non-simultaneous recordings. A clear bottleneck of the MTE-MART technique has been its computational cost. For large datasets comprising time-resolved sequences, MTE-MART becomes unaffordable and has been barely applied even for the analysis of densely seeded tomographic PIV datasets. A novel implementation is proposed for tomographic PIV image sequences, which strongly reduces the computational burden of MTE-MART, possibly below that of regular MART. The method is a sequential algorithm that produces a time-marching estimation of the object intensity field based on an enhanced guess, which is built upon the object reconstructed at the previous time instant. As the method becomes effective after a number of snapshots (typically 5–10), the sequential MTE-MART (SMTE) is most suited for time-resolved sequences. The computational cost reduction due to SMTE simply stems from the fewer MART iterations required for each time instant. Moreover, the method yields superior reconstruction quality and higher velocity field measurement precision when compared with both MART and MTE-MART. The working principle is assessed in terms of computational effort, reconstruction quality and velocity field accuracy with both synthetic time-resolved tomographic images of a turbulent boundary layer and two experimental databases documented in the literature. The first is the time-resolved data of flow past an airfoil trailing edge used in the study of Novara and Scarano (Exp Fluids 52:1027–1041, 2012); the second is a swirling jet in a water flow. In both cases, the effective elimination of ghost particles is demonstrated in number and intensity within a short temporal transient of 5–10 frames, depending on the seeding density. The increased value of the velocity space–time correlation coefficient demonstrates the increased velocity field accuracy of SMTE compared with MART.

On the transient dynamics of the wake and trajectory of free falling cones with various apex angles

Abstract: The early free fall stages of cones with a density ratio 1.18 and apex angles of $$30^{\circ }$$ , $$45^{\circ }$$ , $$60^{\circ }$$ , and $$90^{\circ }$$ were studied using a wireless 3-axis gyroscope and accelerometer to describe the cone 3D motions, while particle image velocimetry was used to capture the induced flow in the near wake. The Reynolds number based on the cones diameter and the velocity at which the cone reaches the first local velocity maximum is found to consistently set the limit between two distinctive states. Relatively rapid growth in the cone nutation and departure from the vertical axis is observed after this Re is reached. Sequences of vertical velocity, swirling strength, LES-decomposed velocity, and pressure fields show the formation and growth of a large and initially symmetric recirculation bubble at the cone base. Those also highlight the presence of a symmetric 3D vortex rollup dominating the near wake in the early stages of the fall. A shear layer develops at the edge of the wake and manifests in the periodic shedding of Kelvin–Helmholtz vortices that, due to the nature of the recirculation bubble, reorganize to constitute a part of the rollup. Later in the fall, the wake loses symmetry and shows high population of vortical structures leading to turbulence. The asymmetric wake leads to strong interactions between the flow field and the cone evidenced by the shedding of a part of the 3D large-scale vortex rollup. This shedding process along with the cone rotation around its own axis provides a possible explanation of the helical wake structure observed in other studies.

The time-resolved natural flow field of a fluidic oscillator

Abstract: The internal and external flow field of a fluidic oscillator with two feedback channels are examined experimentally within the incompressible flow regime. A scaled-up device with a square outlet nozzle is supplied with pressurized air and emits a spatially oscillating jet into quiescent environment. Time-resolved information are obtained by phase-averaging pressure and PIV data based on an internal reference signal. The temporal resolution is better than a phase angle of 3°. A detailed analysis of the internal dynamics reveals that the oscillation mechanism is based on fluid feeding into a separation bubble between the jet and mixing chamber wall which pushes the jet to the opposite side. The total volume of fluid transported through one feedback channel during one oscillation cycle matches the total growth of the separation bubble from its initial size to its maximum extent. Although the oscillation frequency increases linearly with supply rate, sudden changes in the internal dynamics are observed. These changes are caused by a growth in reversed flow through the feedback channels. The time-resolved properties of the emitted jet such as instantaneous jet width and exit velocity are found to oscillate substantially during one oscillation cycle. Furthermore, the results infer that the jet’s oscillation pattern is approximately sinusoidal with comparable residence and switching times.

Wavelet analysis of wall turbulence to study large-scale modulation of small scales

Abstract: Wavelet analysis is employed to examine amplitude and frequency modulations in broadband signals. Of particular interest are the streamwise velocity fluctuations encountered in wall-bounded turbulent flows. Recent studies have shown that an important feature of the near-wall dynamics is the modulation of small scales by large-scale motions. Small- and large-scale components of the velocity time series are constructed by employing a spectral separation scale. Wavelet analysis of the small-scale component decomposes the energy in joint time–frequency space. The concept is to construct a low-dimensional representation of the small-scale time-varying spectrum via two new time series: the instantaneous amplitude of the small-scale energy and the instantaneous frequency. Having the latter in a time-continuous representation allows a more thorough analysis of frequency modulation. By correlating the large-scale velocity with the concurrent small-scale amplitude and frequency realizations, both amplitude and frequency modulations are studied. In addition, conditional averages of the small-scale amplitude and frequency realizations depict unique features of the scale interaction. For both modulation phenomena, the much studied time shifts, associated with peak correlations between the large-scale velocity and small-scale amplitude and frequency traces, are addressed. We confirm that the small-scale amplitude signal leads the large-scale fluctuation close to the wall. It is revealed that the time shift in frequency modulation is smaller than that in amplitude modulation. The current findings are described in the context of a conceptual mechanism of the near-wall modulation phenomena.

An experimental investigation on the surface water transport process over an airfoil by using a digital image projection technique

Abstract: In the present study, an experimental investigation was conducted to characterize the transient behavior of the surface water film and rivulet flows driven by boundary layer airflows over a NACA0012 airfoil in order to elucidate underlying physics of the important micro-physical processes pertinent to aircraft icing phenomena. A digital image projection (DIP) technique was developed to quantitatively measure the film thickness distribution of the surface water film/rivulet flows over the airfoil at different test conditions. The time-resolved DIP measurements reveal that micro-sized water droplets carried by the oncoming airflow impinged onto the airfoil surface, mainly in the region near the airfoil leading edge. After impingement, the water droplets formed thin water film that runs back over the airfoil surface, driven by the boundary layer airflow. As the water film advanced downstream, the contact line was found to bugle locally and developed into isolated water rivulets further downstream. The front lobes of the rivulets quickly advanced along the airfoil and then shed from the airfoil trailing edge, resulting in isolated water transport channels over the airfoil surface. The water channels were responsible for transporting the water mass impinging at the airfoil leading edge. Additionally, the transition location of the surface water transport process from film flows to rivulet flows was found to occur further upstream with increasing velocity of the oncoming airflow. The thickness of the water film/rivulet flows was found to increase monotonically with the increasing distance away from the airfoil leading edge. The runback velocity of the water rivulets was found to increase rapidly with the increasing airflow velocity, while the rivulet width and the gap between the neighboring rivulets decreased as the airflow velocity increased.

Impaction of spray droplets on leaves: influence of formulation and leaf character on shatter, bounce and adhesion

Abstract: This paper combines experimental data with simple mathematical models to investigate the influence of spray formulation type and leaf character (wettability) on shatter, bounce and adhesion of droplets impacting with cotton, rice and wheat leaves. Impaction criteria that allow for different angles of the leaf surface and the droplet impact trajectory are presented; their predictions are based on whether combinations of droplet size and velocity lie above or below bounce and shatter boundaries. In the experimental component, real leaves are used, with all their inherent natural variability. Further, commercial agricultural spray nozzles are employed, resulting in a range of droplet characteristics. Given this natural variability, there is broad agreement between the data and predictions. As predicted, the shatter of droplets was found to increase as droplet size and velocity increased, and the surface became harder to wet. Bouncing of droplets occurred most frequently on hard-to-wet surfaces with high-surface-tension mixtures. On the other hand, a number of small droplets with low impact velocity were observed to bounce when predicted to lie well within the adhering regime. We believe this discrepancy between the predictions and experimental data could be due to air layer effects that were not taken into account in the current bounce equations. Other discrepancies between experiment and theory are thought to be due to the current assumption of a dry impact surface, whereas, in practice, the leaf surfaces became increasingly covered with fluid throughout the spray test runs.

Dynamic stall on a pitching and surging airfoil

Abstract: Vertical axis wind turbine blades undergo dynamic stall due to the large angle of attack variation they experience during a turbine rotation. The flow over a single blade was modeled using a sinusoidally pitching and surging airfoil in a non-rotating frame with a constant freestream flow at a mean chord Reynolds number of 10^5. Two-dimensional, time-resolved velocity fields were acquired using particle image velocimetry. Vorticity contours were used to visualize shear layer and vortex activity. A low-order model of dynamic stall was developed using dynamic mode decomposition, from which primary and secondary dynamic separation modes were identified. The interaction between these two modes was able to capture the physics of dynamic stall and as such can be extended to other turbine configurations and problems in unsteady aerodynamics. Results from the linear pitch/surge frame are extrapolated to the rotating VAWT frame to investigate the behavior of identified flow structures.

A comparison of wake measurements in motor-driven and flow-driven turbine experiments

Abstract: We present experimental data to compare and contrast the wake characteristics of a turbine whose rotation is either driven by the oncoming flow or prescribed by a motor. Velocity measurements are collected using two-dimensional particle image velocimetry in the near-wake region of a lift-based, vertical-axis turbine. The wake of this turbine is characterized by a spanwise asymmetric velocity profile which is found to be strongly dependent on the turbine tip speed ratio (TSR), while only weakly dependent on Reynolds number (Re). For a given Re, the TSR is controlled either passively by a mechanical brake or actively by a DC motor. We find that there exists a finite region in TSR versus Re space where the wakes of the motor-driven turbine and flow-driven turbine are indistinguishable to within experimental precision. Outside of this region, the sign of the net circulation in the wake changes as TSR is increased by the motor. Shaft torque measurements show a corresponding sign change above this TSR threshold set by circulation, indicating a transition from net torque due to lift to net torque due to drag produced by the turbine blades, the latter of which can give wake measurements that are inconsistent with a flow-driven turbine. The results support the claim that the turbine kinematics and aerodynamic properties are the sole factors that govern the dynamics of its wake, irrespective of the means to move the turbine blades. This has significance for both experimental and computational studies where it may be necessary, or perhaps more economical, to prescribe the turbine kinematics in order to analyze its aerodynamic characteristics.

Three‑dimensional inspiratory flow in the upper and central human airways

Abstract: The steady inspiratory flow through an anatomically accurate model of the human airways was studied experimentally at a regime relevant to deep inspiration for aerosol drug delivery. Magnetic resonance velocimetry was used to obtain the three-component, mean velocity field. A strong, single-sided streamwise swirl was found in the trachea and persists up to the first bifurcation. There, the swirl and the asymmetric anatomy impact both the streamwise momentum distribution and the secondary flows in the main bronchi, with large differences compared to what is found in idealized branching tubes. In further generations, the streamwise velocity never recovers a symmetric profile and the relative intensity of the secondary flows remains strong. Overall, the results suggest that, in real human airways, both streamwise dispersion (due to streamwise gradients) and lateral dispersion (due to secondary flows) are very effective transport mechanisms. Neglecting the extrathoracic airways and idealizing the bronchial tree may lead to qualitatively different conclusions.

A low-cost, precise piezoelectric droplet-on-demand generator

Abstract: We present the design of a piezoelectric droplet-on-demand generator capable of producing droplets of highly repeatable size ranging from 0.5 to 1.4 mm in diameter. The generator is low cost and simple to fabricate. We demonstrate the manner in which droplet diameter can be controlled through variation of the piezoelectric driving waveform parameters, outlet pressure, and nozzle diameter.

Application of X-ray CT investigation of CO 2 -brine flow in porous media

Abstract: A clear understanding of two-phase flows in porous media is important for investigating CO2 geological storage. In this study, we conducted an experiment of CO2/brine flow process in porous media under sequestration conditions using X-ray CT technique. The flow properties of relative permeability, porosity heterogeneity, and CO2 saturation were observed in this experiment. The porous media was packed with glass beads having a diameter of 0.2 mm. The porosity distribution along the flow direction is heterogeneous owing to the diameter and shape of glass beads along the flow direction. There is a relationship between CO2 saturation and porosity distribution, which changes with different flow rates and fractional flows. The heterogeneity of the porous media influences the distribution of CO2; moreover, gravity, fractional flows, and flow rates influence CO2 distribution and saturation. The relative permeability curve was constructed using the steady-state method. The results agreed well with the relative permeability curve simulated using pore-network model.

Plasma control of shock wave configuration in off-design mode of M = 2 inlet

Abstract: The objective of this work was to study the steering effect of a weakly ionized plasma on a supersonic flow structure in a two-dimensional aerodynamic configuration with a three-shock compression ramp in an off-design operational mode. Experiments were performed in wind tunnel T-313 of ITAM SB RAS, with the model air inlet designed for operation at a flow of Mach number M = 2. The inlet was tested at M = 2, 2.5, and 3 and with Re = (25–36) × 106/m and an angle of attack AoA = 0°, 5°, and 8°. For the regulation of the inlet characteristics, a plasma generator with electrical power W pl = 2–10 kW was flush-mounted upstream of the compression ramp. A significant plasma effect on the shock configuration at the inlet and on the flow parameters after air compression is considered. It is shown that the main shock wave angle is controllable by means of the plasma power magnitude and, therefore, can be accurately adjusted to the cowl lip of an inlet with a fixed geometry. An additional plasma effect has been demonstrated through a notable increase in the pressure recovery coefficient in a flowpass extension behind the inlet because of an nearly isentropic pattern of flow compression with the plasma turned on. Numerical simulation brings out the details of 3D distribution of the flow structure and parameters throughout the model at thermal energy deposition in inlet near the compression surfaces. We conclude that the plasma-based technique may be a feasible method for expanding supersonic inlet operational limits.

Three-dimensional flow structures and unsteady forces on pitching and surging revolving flat plates

Abstract: Tomographic particle image velocimetry was used to explore the evolution of three-dimensional flow structures of revolving low-aspect-ratio flat plates in combination with force measurements at a Reynolds number of 10,000. Two motion kinematics are compared that result in the same terminal condition (revolution with constant angular velocity and 45? angle of attack) but differ in the motion during the buildup phase: pitching while revolving at a constant angular velocity; or surging with a constant acceleration at a fixed angle of attack. Comparison of force histories shows that the pitching wing generates considerably higher forces during the buildup phase which is also predicted by a quasi-steady model quite accurately. The difference in the buildup phases affects the force histories until six chords of travel after the end of buildup phase. In both cases, a vortex system that is comprised of a leading-edge vortex (LEV), a tip vortex and a trailing edge vortex is formed during the initial period of the motion. The LEV lifts off, forms an arch-shaped structure and bursts into substructures, which occur at slightly different phases of the motions, such that the revolving–surging wing flow evolution precedes that of the revolving–pitching wing. The delay is shown to be in accordance with the behavior of the spanwise flow which is affected by the interaction between the tip vortex and revolving dynamics. Further analysis shows that the enhanced force generation of the revolving–pitching wing during the pitch-up phase originates from: (1) increased magnitude and growth rate of the LEV circulation; (2) relatively favorable position and trajectory of the LEV and the starting vortex; and (3) generation of bound circulation during the pitching motion, whereas that of the revolving–surging wing is negligible in the acceleration phase.

The flexible asymmetric shock tube (FAST): A Ludwieg tube facility for wave propagation measurements in high-temperature vapours of organic fluids

Abstract: This paper describes the commissioning of the flexible asymmetric shock tube (FAST), a novel Ludwieg tube-type facility designed and built at Delft University of Technology, together with the results of preliminary experiments. The FAST is conceived to measure the velocity of waves propagating in dense vapours of organic fluids, in the so-called non-ideal compressible fluid dynamics (NICFD) regime, and can operate at pressures and temperatures as high as 21 bar and 400 ?C, respectively. The set-up is equipped with a special fast-opening valve, separating the high-pressure charge tube from the low-pressure plenum. When the valve is opened, a wave propagates into the charge tube. The wave speed is measured using a time-of-flight technique employing four pressure transducers placed at known distances from each other. The first tests led to the following results: (1) the leakage rate of 5×10?4mbarl s?1 for subatmospheric and 5×10?2mbarl s?1 for a superatmospheric pressure is compatible with the purpose of the conceived experiments, (2) the process start-up time of the valve has been found to be between 2.1 and 9.0 ms, (3) preliminary rarefaction wave experiments in the dense vapour of siloxane D6 (dodecamethylcyclohexasiloxane, an organic fluid) were successfully accomplished up to temperatures of 300?C, and (4) a method for the estimation of the speed of sound from wave propagation experiments is proposed. Results are found to be within 2.1 % of accurate model predictions for various gases. The method is then applied to estimate the speed of sound of D6 in the NICFD regime.

Nanoscale sensing devices for turbulence measurements

Abstract: A collection of nanoscale sensing devices developed specifically for high-frequency turbulence measurements is presented. The new sensors are all derived from the nanoscale thermal anemometry probe (NSTAP), which uses a free-standing platinum wire as active sensing element. Each sensor is designed and fabricated to measure a specific quantity and can be customized for special applications. In addition to the original NSTAP (for single-component velocity measurement), the new sensors include the T-NSTAP (for temperature measurement), the x-NSTAP (for two-component velocity measurement), and the q-NSTAP (for humidity measurement). This article provides a summary of the NSTAP family including details of design and fabrication as well as presentation of flow measurements using these sensors. Also, a custom-made constant-temperature anemometer that allows proper operation of the NSTAP sensors will be introduced.

Differential infrared thermography for boundary layer transition detection on pitching rotor blade models

Abstract: Differential infrared thermography (DIT) was investigated and applied for the detection of unsteady boundary layer transition locations on a pitching airfoil and on a rotating blade under cyclic pitch DIT is based on image intensity differences between two successively recorded infrared images The images were recorded with a high framing rate infrared camera A pitching NACA0012 airfoil served as the first test object The recorded images were used in order to investigate and to further improve evaluation strategies for periodically moving boundary layer transition lines The measurement results are compared with the results of unsteady CFD simulations based on the DLR-TAU code DIT was then used for the first time for the optical measurement of unsteady transition locations on helicopter rotor blade models under cyclic pitch and rotation Image de-rotation for tracking the blade was employed using a rotating mirror to increase exposure time without causing motion blur The paper describes the challenges that occurred during the recording and evaluation of the data in detail However, the results were found to be encouraging to further improve the method toward the measurement of unsteady boundary layer transition lines on helicopter rotor models in forward flight

Boundary layer effect on the vortex shedding of wall-mounted rectangular cylinder

Abstract: The influence of the turbulent boundary thickness on the vortex dynamics in the wake of a wall-mounted rectangular cylinder (height-to-width ratio h/d = 4) is investigated experimentally for a Reynolds number of 12,000 and two boundary layers (BL) of thickness δ/d = 0.72 (natural BL) and 2.56 (tripped BL). The interaction between the horseshoe vortex system (HVS) and the shedding of large-scale wake structures is considered. Time-resolved PIV measurements are performed in the wall-obstacle junction region. New insight into the physics of these flows is gained from studying the spatio-temporal evolution of the vortical structures and their interaction. It is found that δ/d plays an important role in modifying the flow topology around the rectangular cylinder through the interaction between the horseshoe vortices and shed vortices. A proper orthogonal decomposition analysis shows that the dynamics of the HVS strongly affects the topology of the shed vortices near the wall for the tripped boundary layer. Both the backflow and the zero-flow modes of the HVS have particular influence on the symmetry of the horseshoe legs and its momentum content. A stronger effect of the HVS is present for the tripped BL close to the wall where the kinetic energy content of these two modes is higher as compared to the natural BL.

The structure of the wake generated by a submarine model in yaw

Abstract: The turbulent wake of a submarine model in yaw was investigated using stereoscopic particle image velocimetry at $$Re_{L} = 2.4 \times 10^{6}.$$ The model (DARPA SUBOFF idealized submarine geometry) is mounted in a low-speed wind tunnel using a support that mimics the sail, and it is yawed so that the body moves in the plane normal to the support. The measurements reveal the formation of a pair of streamwise vortices that are asymmetric in strength. The weaker vortex quickly diffuses, and in the absence of further diffusion, the stronger vortex maintains its strength even at the furthest downstream location. It is suggested that the flow fields obtained here using a semi-infinite sail as a support will be similar to those obtained using a finite length sail since its tip vortex would not interact significantly with the body vortices present in the wake, at least for a considerable distance downstream of the stern $$(x/D > 24).$$ Hence, a submarine in yaw is expected to generate wakes which are inherently more persistent than one in pitch, and the strong asymmetries in yaw are expected to produce a net rolling moment on the body.

Influence of structural flexibility on the wake vortex pattern of airfoils undergoing harmonic pitch oscillation

Abstract: Reported herein is an investigation of the influence of the structural flexibility of sinusoidally pitching airfoils on the pattern of vorticity shed into the wake. For rigid airfoils, it is well known that, depending on the oscillation frequency and amplitude, this pattern takes the form of the classical or reverse von Karman vortex street. The pattern may be characterized by the vortex circulation (Γ o ), vortex-to-vortex streamwise and cross-stream spacing (a and b, respectively), and vortex core radius (R). In the present work, these four parameters are obtained from particle image velocimetry measurements in the wake of airfoils consisting of a rigid “head” and flexible “tail” at chord Reynolds number of 2010 for different tail flexibilities. The results show that flexible airfoils exhibit the switch from classical to reverse von Karman vortex street (i.e., change in the sign of b) at a reduced frequency of oscillation lower than their rigid counterpart. At a given oscillation frequency, the Strouhal number at which this switch occurs is smallest for a given airfoil structural flexibility; which becomes stiffer with increasing frequency. Using Strouhal number based on the actual trailing edge oscillation amplitude, reasonable scaling is found of the dependence of not only b but also Γ o , a and R on the motion and structure parameters for all airfoils investigated. These results are complemented with analyses using a vortex array model, which together with the identified scaling of the wake vortex parameters, provide basis for the computation of the net thrust acting on the airfoil.

On PIV random error minimization with optimal POD-based low-order reconstruction

Abstract: Random noise removal from particle image velocimetry (PIV) data and spectra is of paramount importance, especially for the computation of derivative quantities and spectra. Data filtering is critical, as a trade-off between filter effectiveness and spatial resolution penalty should be found. In this paper, a filtering method based on proper orthogonal decomposition and low-order reconstruction (LOR) is proposed. The existence of an optimal number of modes based on the minimization of both reconstruction error and signal withdrawal is demonstrated. A criterion to perform the choice of the optimal number of modes is proposed. The method is validated via synthetic and real experiments. As prototype problems, we consider PIV vector fields obtained from channel flow DNS data and from PIV measurement in the wake of a circular cylinder. We determine the optimal number of modes to be used for the LOR in order to minimize the statistical random error. The results highlight a significant reduction in the measurement error. Dynamic velocity range is enhanced, enabling to correctly capture spectral information of small turbulent scales down to the half of the cutoff wavelength of original data. In addition to this, the capability of detecting coherent structures is improved. The robustness of the method is proved, both for low signal-to-noise ratios and for small-sized ensembles. The proposed method can significantly improve the physical insight into the investigation of turbulent flows.

Mechanisms of drag reduction of superhydrophobic surfaces in a turbulent boundary layer flow

Abstract: The drag-reducing property of a superhydrophobic surface is investigated along with its mechanism. A superhydrophobic surface with micro–nanotextures is fabricated and tested using SEM and contact angle measurement. Velocity distributions in the turbulent boundary layer with a superhydrophobic surface and a smooth surface are measured by particle image velocimetry at Re θ = 810, 990, and 1220. An upward lift effect on the velocity profile caused by the rugged air layer on the superhydrophobic surface is observed, which indicates drag reduction. Estimated by the wall shear stress, a drag reduction of 10.1, 20.7, and 24.1 % is observed for Re θ equal to 810, 990, and 1220, respectively. The drag reduction is caused mainly by slip on the interface and modifications in the turbulent structures, and the latter plays a more important role as Re θ increases. Suppressions are observed in turbulence intensities, and reductions in the total Reynolds shear stress T turb + are 2.5, 18.5, and 23.1 % for Re θ = 810, 990, and 1220, respectively. Vortex fields above the superhydrophobic and smooth surfaces at Re θ = 990 are investigated. Vortexes are weakened and lifted upward by the superhydrophobic surface, and the position of the maximum swirling strength is lifted 0.17δ (δ is the boundary layer thickness) upward in the wall-normal direction. This modification in turbulence structures contributes significantly to the drag reduction in the turbulent boundary layer flow.