The lift of a cylinder executing rotary motions in a uniform flow

The mean lift coefficient of a circular cylinder executing rotary motions in a uniform flow is investigated. These motions include steady rotation, and rotary oscillations with a net rotation rate. Results for the steadily rotating cylinder show that for a given rotation rate, larger cylinder aspect ratios yield higher lift coefficients. It was also found that the addition of forced rotary oscillations to the steady rotation of the cylinder increases the lift coefficient in the cases where the wake would normally be separated in the steadily rotating case, but decreases it otherwise. In addition, a method for estimating the mean lift of a rotating cylinder is presented. Estimates based on this method compare favourably with similar data published for steadily rotating cylinders

Turbulent shear-layer mixing: growth-rate compressibility scaling

A new shear-layer growth-rate compressibility-scaling parameter is proposed as an alternative to the total convective Mach number, Mc. This parameter derives from considerations of compressibility as a means of kinetic-to-thermal-energy conversion and can be significantly different from Mc for flows with far-from-unity free-stream-density and speed-of-sound ratios. Experimentally observed growth rates are well-represented by the new scaling

Flow structure and optical beam propagation in high-Reynolds-number gas-phase shear layers and jets

We report on the structure of the scalar index-of-refraction field generated by turbulent, gas-phase, incompressible and compressible shear layers and incompressible jets, and on associated beam-propagation aero-optical phenomena. Using simultaneous imaging of the optical-beam distortion and the turbulent-flow index-of-refraction field, wavefront-phase functions were computed for optical beams emerging from the turbulent region in these free-shear flows, in an aero-optical regime producing weak wavefront distortions. Spatial wavefront-phase behaviour is found to be dominated by the large-scale structure of these flows. A simple level-set representation of the index-of-refraction field in high-Reynolds-number, incompressible shear layers is found to provide a good representation of observed wavefront-phase behaviour, indicating that the structure of the unsteady outer boundaries of the turbulent region provides the dominant contributions

Rotary oscillation control of a cylinder wake

Exploratory experiments have been performed on circular cylinders executing forced rotary oscillations in a steady uniform flow. Flow visualization and wake profile measurements at moderate Reynolds numbers have shown that a considerable amount of control can be exerted over the structure of the wake by such means. In particular, a large increase, or decrease, in the resulting displacement thickness, estimated cylinder drag, and associated mixing with the free stream can be achieved, depending on the frequency and amplitude of oscillation

Image correlation velocimetry

This paper focuses on the correlation of two successive scalar images for the purpose of measuring imaged fluid motions. A method is presented for deforming, or transforming, one image to another. Taylor series expansions of the Lagrangian displacement field are used, in conjunction with an integral form of the equations of motion, to approximate this transformation. The proposed method locally correlates images for displacements, rotations, deformations, and higher order displacement gradient fields, and applies a global minimization procedure to insure a global consistency in the results. An integral form of the equations of motion is employed and, as a consequence, no spatial or temporal differentiation of the image data is required in estimating the displacement field. Successive two-dimensional digital CCD images of fluid motion marked with dye, are used to verify the capabilities of the method. The utility of the method is also illustrated using a pair of Voyager 2 images of Jupiter

Measurements in the Turbulent Boundary Layer at Constant Pressure in Subsonic and Supersonic Flow. Part 2: Laser-Doppler Velocity Measurements

A description of both the mean and the fluctuating components of the flow, and of the Reynolds stress as observed using a dual forward scattering laser-Doppler velocimeter is presented. A detailed description of the instrument and of the data analysis techniques were included in order to fully document the data. A detailed comparison was made between the laser-Doppler results and those presented in Part 1, and an assessment was made of the ability of the laser-Doppler velocimeter to measure the details of the flows involved

Mixing and Reaction at Low Heat Release in the Non-Homogeneous Shear Layer

The effects of freestream density ratio on the mixing and combustion in a high Reynolds number, subsonic, gas-phase, non-buoyant, two-dimensional turbulent mixing layer, have been investigated. Measurements of temperature rise (heat release) have been made which enable us to examine the effect of freestream density ratio on several aspects of the mixed fluid state within the turbulent combustion region. In experiments with very high and very low stoichiometric mixture ratios ("flip" experiments), the heat release from an exothermic reaction serves as a quantitative label for the lean reactant freestream fluid that becomes molecularly mixed. Properly normalized, the sum of the mean temperature rise profiles of the two flip experiments represent the probability of fluid molecularly mixed at any composition. The mole fraction distribution and number density profile of the mixed fluid can also be inferred from such measurements. Although the density ratio in these experiments was varied by a factor of thirty, profiles of these quantities show little variation, with integrals varying by less than 10%. This insensitivity differs from that of the composition of molecularly mixed fluid, which is very sensitive to the density ratio. While the profiles of composition exhibit some similarity of shape, the average composition of mixed fluid in the layer varies from nearly 1:2 to over 2:l as the density ratio is increased. A comparison of data and available theory for this offset or average composition is discussed

Effects of a downstream disturbance on the structure of a turbulent plane mixing layer

Using a two-dimensional airfoil, a disturbance was introduced into a plane mixing layer some distance downstream of the splitter plate trailing edge. Results indicate that it is possible to induce very large changes in the layer growth rate downstream of the disturbance location, while leaving the portion of the shear layer between the splitter plate and the disturbance source essentially unaffected. Furthermore, the use of forcing for modification of the mixing layer in the region upstream of the disturbance is demonstrated. It Is shown that two different mechanisms are responsible for coupling such disturbances to the flow in the present forcing of upstream and downstream regions

Effects of heat release in a turbulent, reacting shear layer

Experiments were conducted to study the effects of heat release in a planar, gas-phase, reacting mixing layer formed between two free streams, one containing hydrogen in an inert diluent, the other, fluorine in an inert diluent. Sufficiently high concentrations of reactants were utilized to produce adiabatic flame temperature rises of up to 940 K (corresponding to 1240 K absolute). The temperature field was measured at eight fixed points across the layer. Flow visualization was accomplished by schlieren spark and motion picture photography. Mean velocity information was extracted from Pitot-probe dynamic pressure measurements. The results showed that the growth rate of the layer, for conditions of zero streamwise pressure gradient, decreased slightly with increasing heat release. The overall entrainment into the layer was substantially reduced as a consequence of heat release. A posteriori calculations suggest that the decrease in layer growth rate is consistent with a corresponding reduction in turbulent shear stress. Large-scale coherent structures were observed at all levels of heat release in this investigation. The mean structure spacing decreased with increasing temperature. This decrease was more than the corresponding decrease in shear-layer growth rate, and suggests that the mechanisms of vortex amalgamation are, in some manner, inhibited by heat release. The mean temperature rise profiles; normalized by the adiabatic flame temperature rise, were not greatly changed in shape over the range of heat release of this investigation. A small decrease in normalized mean temperature rise with heat release was however observed. Imposition of a favourable pressure gradient in a mixing layer with heat release resulted in an additional decrease in layer growth rate, and caused only a very slight increase in the mixing and amount of chemical product formation. The additional decrease in layer growth rate is shown to be accounted for in terms of the change in free-stream velocity ratio induced by the pressure gradient