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.

Finite-difference solutions of the equations of motion for steady incompressible flow around a circular cylinder have been obtained for a range of Reynolds numbers from R = 5 to R = 100. The object is to extend the Reynolds number range for reliable data on the steady flow, particularly with regard to the growth of the wake. The wake length is found to increase approximately linearly with R over the whole range from the value, just below R = 7, at which it first appears. Calculated values of the drag coefficient, the angle of separation, and the pressure and vorticity distributions over the cylinder surface are presented. The development of these properties with Reynolds number is consistent, but it does not seem possible to predict with any certainty their tendency as R → ∞. The first attempt to obtain the present results was made by integrating the time-dependent equations, but the approach to steady flow was so slow at higher Reynolds numbers that the method was abandoned.

The impact of drops impinging one by one on a solid surface is studied experimentally and theoretically. The impact process is observed by means of a charge-coupled-device camera, its pictures processed by computer. Low-velocity impact results in spreading and in propagation of capillary waves, whereas at higher velocities splashing (i.e. the emergence of a cloud of small secondary droplets, absent in the former case) sets in. Capillary waves are studied in some detail in separate experiments. The dynamics of the extension of liquid lamellae produced by an impact in the case of splashing is recorded. The secondary-droplet size distributions and the total volume of these droplets are measured, and the splashing threshold is found as a function of the impact parameters.

The pattern of the capillary waves is predicted to be self-similar. The calculated wave profile agrees well with the experimental data. It is shown theoretically that the splashing threshold corresponds to the onset of a velocity discontinuity propagating over the liquid layer on the wall. This discontinuity shows several aspects of a shock. In an incompressible liquid such a discontinuity can only exist in the presence of a sink at its front. The latter results in the emergence of a circular crown-like sheet virtually normal to the wall and propagating with the discontinuity. It is predicted theoretically and recorded in the experiment. The crown is unstable owing to the formation of cusps at the free rim at its top edge, which results in the splashing effect. The onset velocity of splashing and the rate of propagation of the kinematic discontinuity are calculated and the theoretical results agree fairly well with the experimental data. The structure of the discontinuity is shown to match the outer solution.

A discussion of the applicability of an effective-viscosity approach to turbulent flow suggests that there are flow situations where the approach is valid and yet present hypotheses fail. The general form of an effective-viscosity formulation is shown to be a finite tensor polynomial. For two-dimensional flows, the coefficients of this polynomial are evaluated from the modelled Reynolds-stress equations of Launder, Reece & Rodi (1975). The advantage of the proposed effective-viscosity formulation, equation (4.3), over isotropie-viscosity hypotheses is that the whole velocity-gradient tensor affects the predicted Reynolds stresses. Two notable consequences of this are that (i) the complete Reynolds-stress tensor is realistically modelled and (ii) the influence of streamline curvature on the Reynolds stresses is incorporated.

The approach of combining computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for continuum fluid and the discrete element method (DEM) for discrete particles has been increasingly used to study the fundamentals of coupled particle–fluid flows. Different CFD–DEM models have been used. However, the origin and the applicability of these models are not clearly understood. In this paper, the origin of different model formulations is discussed first. It shows that, in connection with the continuum approach, three sets of formulations exist in the CFD–DEM approach: an original format set I, and subsequent derivations of set II and set III, respectively, corresponding to the so-called model A and model B in the literature. A comparison and the applicability of the three models are assessed theoretically and then verified from the study of three representative particle–fluid flow systems: fluidization, pneumatic conveying and hydrocyclones. It is demonstrated that sets I and II are essentially the same, with small differences resulting from different mathematical or numerical treatments of a few terms in the original equation. Set III is however a simplified version of set I. The testing cases show that all the three models are applicable to gas fluidization and, to a large extent, pneumatic conveying. However, the application of set III is conditional, as demonstrated in the case of hydrocyclones. Strictly speaking, set III is only valid when fluid flow is steady and uniform. Set II and, in particular, set I, which is somehow forgotten in the literature, are recommended for the future CFD–DEM modelling of complex particle–fluid flow.

The intermittency of the rate of turbulent energy dissipation ε is investigated experimentally, with special emphasis on its scale-similar facets. This is done using a general formulation in terms of multifractals, and by interpreting measurements in that light. The concept of multiplicative processes in turbulence is (heuristically) shown to lead to multifractal distributions, whose formalism is described in some detail. To prepare proper ground for the interpretation of experimental results, a variety of cascade models is reviewed and their physical contents are analysed qualitatively. Point-probe measurements of ε are made in several laboratory flows and in the atmospheric surface layer, using Taylor's frozen-flow hypothesis. The multifractal spectrum f(α) of ε is measured using different averaging techniques, and the results are shown to be in essential agreement among themselves and with our earlier ones. Also, long data sets obtained in two laboratory flows are used to obtain the latent part of the f(α) curve, confirming Mandelbrot's idea that it can in principle be obtained from linear cuts through a three-dimensional distribution. The tails of distributions of box-averaged dissipation are found to be of the square-root exponential type, and the implications of this finding for the f(α) distribution are discussed. A comparison of the results to a variety of cascade models shows that binomial models give the simplest possible mechanism that reproduces most of the observations. Generalizations to multinomial models are discussed.

This is a study of the runup of solitary waves on plane beaches. An approximate theory is presented for non-breaking waves and an asymptotic result is derived for the maximum runup of solitary waves. A series of laboratory experiments is described to support the theory. It is shown that the linear theory predicts the maximum runup satisfactorily, and that the nonlinear theory describes the climb of solitary waves equally well. Different runup regimes are found to exist for the runup of breaking and non-breaking waves. A breaking criterion is derived for determining whether a solitary wave will break as it climbs up a sloping beach, and a different criterion is shown to apply for determining whether a wave will break during rundown. These results are used to explain some of the existing empirical runup relationships.

According to Jeffery (1923) the axis of an isolated rigid neutrally buoyant ellipsoid of revolution in a uniform simple shear at low Reynolds number moves in one of a family of closed periodic orbits, the centre of the particle moving with the velocity of the undisturbed fluid at that point. The present work is a theoretical investigation of how far the orbit of a particle of more general shape in a non-uniform shear in the presence of rigid boundaries may be expected to be qualitatively similar. Inertial and non-Newtonian effects are entirely neglected.

The orientation of the axis of almost any body of revolution is a periodic function of time in any unidirectional flow, and also in a Couette viscometer. This is also true if there is a gravitational force on the particle in the direction of the streamlines. There is no lateral drift. On the other hand, certain extreme shapes, including some bodies of revolution, will assume one of two orientations and migrate to the bounding surfaces or to the centre of the flow. In any constant slightly three-dimensional uniform shear any body of revolution will ultimately assume a preferred orientation.

This paper is concerned with the problem of obtaining higher approximations to the flow past a sphere and a circular cylinder than those represented by the well-known solutions of Stokes and Oseen. Since the perturbation theory arising from the consideration of small non-zero Reynolds numbers is a singular one, the problem is largely that of devising suitable techniques for taking this singularity into account when expanding the solution for small Reynolds numbers.

The technique adopted is as follows. Separate, locally valid (in general), expansions of the stream function are developed for the regions close to, and far from, the obstacle. Reasons are presented for believing that these ‘Stokes’ and ‘Oseen’ expansions are, respectively, of the forms $\Sigma \;f_n(R) \psi_n(r, \theta)$ and $\Sigma \; F_n(R) \Psi_n(R_r, \theta)$ where (r, θ) are spherical or cylindrical polar coordinates made dimensionless with the radius of the obstacle, R is the Reynolds number, and $f_{(n+1)}|f_n$ and $F_{n+1}|F_n$ vanish with R. Substitution of these expansions in the Navier-Stokes equation then yields a set of differential equations for the coefficients ψn and Ψn, but only one set of physical boundary conditions is applicable to each expansion (the no-slip conditions for the Stokes expansion, and the uniform-stream condition for the Oseen expansion) so that unique solutions cannot be derived immediately. However, the fact that the two expansions are (in principle) both derived from the same exact solution leads to a ‘matching’ procedure which yields further boundary conditions for each expansion. It is thus possible to determine alternately successive terms in each expansion.

The leading terms of the expansions are shown to be closely related to the original solutions of Stokes and Oseen, and detailed results for some further terms are obtained.

Numerical experiments on modified turbulent channels at moderate Reynolds numbers are used to differentiate between several possible regeneration cycles for the turbulent fluctuations in wall-bounded flows. It is shown that a cycle exists which is local to the near-wall region and does not depend on the outer flow. It involves the formation of velocity streaks from the advection of the mean profile by streamwise vortices, and the generation of the vortices from the instability of the streaks. Interrupting any of those processes leads to laminarization. The presence of the wall seems to be only necessary to maintain the mean shear. The generation of secondary vorticity at the wall is shown to be of little importance in turbulence generation under natural circumstances. Inhibiting its production increases turbulence intensity and drag.

Hot-film measurements in a fully developed channel flow have been made in an attempt to gain more insight into the process of Reynolds stress production. The background for this effort is the observation of a certain sequence of events (deceleration, ejection and sweep) in the wall region of turbulent flows by Corino (1965) and Corino & Brodkey (1969). The instantaneous product signal uv was classified according to the sign of its components u and v, and these classified portions were then averaged to obtain their contributions to the Reynolds stress $-\rho\overline{uv} $. The signal was classified into four categories; the two main ones were that with u negative and v positive, which can be associated with the ejection-type motion of Corino & Brodkey (1969), and that with u positive and v negative, associated with the sweep-type motion. It was found that over the wall region investigated, 3·5 [les ] y [les ] 100, these two types of motion give rise to a stress considerably greater than the total Reynolds stress. Two other types of motion, (i) u negative, v negative, corresponding to low-speed fluid deflected towards the wall, and (ii) u positive, v positive, corresponding to high-speed fluid reflected outwards from the wall, were found to account for the ‘excess’ stress produced by the first two categories, which give contributions of opposite sign.

The autocorrelations of the classified portions of uv were obtained to determine the relative time scales of these four types of motion. The positive stress producing motions (u < 0, v > 0 and u > 0, v < 0) were found to have significantly larger time scales than the negative stress producing motions (u < 0, v < 0 and u > 0, v > 0). It was further surmised that turbulent energy dissipation is associated with the Reynolds stress producing motions, since these result in localized shear regions in which the dissipation is several orders of magnitude greater than the average dissipation at the wall.

Two unequal rigid spheres are immersed in unbounded fluid and are acted on by externally applied forces and couples. The Reynolds number of the flow around them is assumed to be small, with the consequence that the hydrodynamic interactions between the spheres can be described by a set of linear relations between, on the one hand, the forces and couples exerted by the spheres on the fluid and, on the other, the translational and rotational velocities of the spheres. These relations may be represented completely by either a set of 10 resistance functions or a set of 10 mobility functions. When non-dimensionalized, each function depends on two variables, the non-dimensionalized centre-to-centre separation s and the ratio of the spheres’ radii λ. Two expressions are given for each function, one a power series in s−1 and the other an asymptotic expression valid when the spheres are close to touching.

The familiar Segré-Silberberg effect of inertia-induced lateral migration of a neutrally buoyant rigid sphere in a Newtonian fluid is studied theoretically for simple shear flow and for two-dimensional Poiseuille flow. It is shown that the spheres reach a stable lateral equilibrium position independent of the initial position of release. For simple shear flow, this position is midway between the walls, whereas for Poiseuille flow, it is 0·6 of the channel half-width from the centre-line. Particle trajectories are calculated in both cases and compared with available experimental data. Implications for the measurement of the rheological properties of a dilute suspension of spheres are discussed.

Violent respiratory events such as coughs and sneezes play a key role in transferring respiratory diseases between infectious and susceptible individuals. We present the results of a combined experimental and theoretical investigation of the fluid dynamics of such violent expiratory events. Direct observation of sneezing and coughing events reveals that such flows are multiphase turbulent buoyant clouds with suspended droplets of various sizes. Our observations guide the development of an accompanying theoretical model of pathogen-bearing droplets interacting with a turbulent buoyant momentum puff. We develop in turn discrete and continuous models of droplet fallout from the cloud in order to predict the range of pathogens. According to the discrete fallout model droplets remain suspended in the cloud until their settling speed matches that of the decelerating cloud. A continuous fallout model is developed by adapting models of sedimentation from turbulent fluids. The predictions of our theoretical models are tested against data gathered from a series of analogue experiments in which a particle-laden cloud is ejected into a relatively dense ambient. Our study highlights the importance of the multiphase nature of respiratory clouds, specifically the suspension of the smallest drops by circulation within the cloud, in extending the range of respiratory pathogens.

This paper describes a reformulation of the Lighthill (1952) theory of aerodynamic sound. A revised approach to the subject is necessary in order to unify the various ad hoc procedures which have been developed for dealing with aerodynamic noise problems since the original appearance of Lighthill's work. First, Powell's (1961 a) concept of vortex sound is difficult to justify convincingly on the basis of Lighthill's acoustic analogy, although it is consistent with model problems which have been treated by the method of matched asymptotic expansions. Second, Candel (1972), Marble (1973) and Morfey (1973) have demonstrated the importance of entropy inhomogeneities, which generate sound when accelerated in a mean flow pressure gradient. This is arguably a more significant source of acoustic radiation in hot subsonic jets than pure jet noise. Third, the analysis of Ffowcs Williams & Howe (1975) of model problems involving the convection of an entropy ‘slug’ in an engine nozzle indicates that the whole question of excess jet noise may be intimately related to the convection of flow inhomogeneities through mean flow pressure gradients. Such problems are difficult to formulate precisely in terms of Lighthill's theory because of the presence of an extensive, non-acoustic, non-uniform mean flow. The convected-entropy source mechanism is actually absent from the alternative Phillips (1960) formulation of the aerodynamic sound problem.

In this paper the form of the acoustic propagation operator is established for a non-uniform mean flow in the absence of vortical or entropy-gradient source terms. The natural thermodynamic variable for dealing with such problems is the stagnation enthalpy. This provides a basis for a new acoustic analogy, and it is deduced that the corresponding acoustic source terms are associated solely with regions of the flow where the vorticity vector and entropy-gradient vector are non-vanishing. The theory is illustrated by detailed applications to problems which, in the appropriate limit, justify Powell's theory of vortex sound, and to the important question of noise generation during the unsteady convection of flow inhomogeneities in ducts and past rigid bodies in free space. At low Mach numbers wave propagation is described by a convected wave equation, for which powerful analytical techniques, discussed in the appendix, are available and are exploited.

Fluctuating heat sources are examined: a model problem is considered and provides a positive comparison with an alternative analysis undertaken elsewhere. The difficult question of the scattering of a plane sound wave by a cylindrical vortex filament is also discussed, the effect of dissipation at the vortex core being taken into account.

Finally an approximate aerodynamic theory of the operation of musical instruments characterized by the flute is described. This involves an investigation of the properties of a vortex shedding mechanism which is coupled in a nonlinear manner to the acoustic oscillations within the instrument. The theory furnishes results which are consistent with the playing technique of the flautist and with simple acoustic measurements undertaken by the author.

The shapes and terminal velocities of bubbles rising in viscous liquids have been determined. For Morton numbers (M) greater than 4 × 10−3 the drag coefficient and dimensionless bubble shape are functions only of Reynolds number (R). Shape regimes and terminal rise velocities have been correlated. The flow field around a rising bubble was visualized through the hydrogen bubble tracer technique. For M > 4 × 10−3 and R < 110 the bubbles trailed closed, laminar toroidal wakes. For R > 110 the wake was open and unsteady. Streamlines for the flow were obtained by raising a ciné camera at the same speed as the bubble and filming the H2 tracer bubbles. Results are presented for R < 150 and 7·4 × 10−4 < M < 850.

We use a calculation of periodic homogeneous isotropic turbulence to simulate the experimental decay of grid turbulence. The calculation is found to match the experiment in a number of important aspects and the computed flow field is then treated as a realization of a physical turbulent flow. From this flow, we compute the large eddy field and the various averages of the subgrid-scale turbulence that occur in the large eddy simulation equations. These quantities are compared with the predictions of the models that are usually applied in large eddy simulation. The results show that the terms which involve the large-scale field are accurately modelled but the subgridscale Reynolds stresses are only moderately well modelled. It is also possible to use the method to predict the constants of the models without reference to experiment. Attempts to find improved models have not met with success.

In this paper, an attempt has been made to model the dynamics of ciliary propulsion through the concept of an ‘envelope’ covering the ends of the numerous cilia of the microscopic organism. This approximation may be made in the case when the cilia are close together, as can occur in the case of the symplectic metachronal wave (i.e. the wave travels in the same direction as the effective beat). For simplicity, a spherical model has been chosen, and the analysis which follows is a correction to Lighthill's (1952) paper on squirming motions of a nearly spherical organism. The velocity and efficiency compared to the work done in pushing an inert organism are obtained, and compared to that of a ciliated organism.

We describe the general phenomenon of ‘induced-charge electro-osmosis’ (ICEO) – the nonlinear electro-osmotic slip that occurs when an applied field acts on the ionic charge it induces around a polarizable surface. Motivated by a simple physical picture, we calculate ICEO flows around conducting cylinders in steady (DC), oscillatory (AC), and suddenly applied electric fields. This picture, and these systems, represent perhaps the clearest example of nonlinear electrokinetic phenomena. We complement and verify this physically motivated approach using a matched asymptotic expansion to the electrokinetic equations in the thin-double-layer and low-potential limits. ICEO slip velocities vary as $u_s \,{\propto}\,E_0^2 L$, where $E_0$ is the field strength and $L$ is a geometric length scale, and are set up on a time scale $\tau_c \,{=}\,\lambda_D L/D$, where $\lambda_D$ is the screening length and $D$ is the ionic diffusion constant. We propose and analyse ICEO microfluidic pumps and mixers that operate without moving parts under low applied potentials. Similar flows around metallic colloids with fixed total charge have been described in the Russian literature (largely unnoticed in the West). ICEO flows around conductors with fixed potential, on the other hand, have no colloidal analogue and offer further possibilities for microfluidic applications.

Explicit algebraic stress models that are valid for three-dimensional turbulent flows in non-inertial frames are systematically derived from a hierarchy of second-order closure models. This represents a generalization of the model derived by Pope (1975) who based his analysis on the Launder, Reece & Rodi model restricted to two-dimensional turbulent flows in an inertial frame. The relationship between the new models and traditional algebraic stress models – as well as anisotropic eddy viscosity models – is theoretically established. A need for regularization is demonstrated in an effort to explain why traditional algebraic stress models have failed in complex flows. It is also shown that these explicit algebraic stress models can shed new light on what second-order closure models predict for the equilibrium states of homogeneous turbulent flows and can serve as a useful alternative in practical computations.