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New aspects of turbulent boundary-layer structure

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 April 2006

M. R. Head  and
P. Bandyopadhyay
M. R. Head
Affiliation:
Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge
P. Bandyopadhyay
Affiliation:
Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge
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Abstract

Flow visualization studies of the zero-pressure-gradient turbulent boundary layer over the Reynolds-number range 500 < Reθ < 17500 have shown large Reynolds-number effects on boundary-layer structure.

At high Reynolds numbers (Reθ > 2000, say) the layer appears to consist very largely of elongated hairpin vortices or vortex pairs, originating in the wall region and extending through a large part of the boundary-layer thickness or beyond it; they are for the most part inclined to the wall at a characteristic angle in the region of 40–50°. Large-scale features, which exhibit a slow overturning motion, appear to consist mainly of random arrays of such hairpin vortices, although there is some evidence of more systematic structures.

At low Reynolds numbers (Reθ < 800, say) the hairpin vortices are very much less elongated and are better described as horseshoe vortices or vortex loops; large-scale features now consist simply of isolated vortex loops (at the very lowest Reynolds numbers), or of several such loops interacting strongly, and show a relatively brisk rate of rotation.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 107 , June 1981 , pp. 297 - 338
Copyright
© 1981 Cambridge University Press

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