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At least 847 records · Page 47
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1979

Microscopic phenomena and a modern approach to turbulence

The use of an arc driven shock tube as a technique in the study of turbulence and evidence to support a kinetic theory of turbulence are described. Topics covered include: (1) reaction rate distortion in turbulent flow; (2) turbulent bursts in a shock tube; (3) driver gas flow with fluctuations; (4) improving the Mach number capabilities of arc driver shock tubes; and (5) resonant absorption in an argon plasma at thermal equilibrium.

Johnson, J. A., III↗
NASA NTRS1993

Propagation velocity of perturbations in turbulent channel flow

A database obtained from direct numerical simulation of a turbulent channel flow is analyzed to extract the streamwise component of the propagation velocity V of velocity, vorticity, and pressure fluctuations from their space-time correlations. A surprising result is that V is approximately the same as the local mean velocity for most of the channel, except for the near-wall region. For y(+) less than 15, V is virtually constant, implying that perturbations of all flow variables propagate like waves near the wall. In this region V is 55 percent of the centerline velocity Uc for velocity and vorticity perturbations and 75 percent of U sub c for pressure perturbations. This is equal to U at y(+) = 15 for velocity and vorticity perturbations, and equal to U at y(+) = 20 for pressure perturbations, indicating that the dynamics of the nearwall turbulence is controlled by turbulence structures present near y(+) about 15-20. Scale dependence of V is also examined by analyzing the bandpass-filtered flow fields. This paper contains comprehensive documentation on the propagation velocities, which should prove useful in the evaluation of Taylor's hypothesis.

Kim, John↗
NASA NTRS1992

Reynolds stress calculations of homogeneous turbulent shear flow with bounded energy states

Reynolds stress calculations of homogeneous turbulent shear flow are conducted with a second-order closure model modified to account for non-equilibrium vortex stretching in the dissipation rate transport equation, as recently proposed by Bernard and Speziale. As with the earlier reported k-epsilon model calculations incorporating this vortex stretching effect, a production-equals-dissipation equilibrium is obtained with bounded turbulent kinetic energy and dissipation. However, this equilibrium is not achieved until the dimensionless time greater than 60, an elapsed time that is at least twice as large as any of those considered in previous numerical and physical experiments on homogeneous shear flow. Direct quantitative comparisons between the model predictions and the results of experiments are quite favorable. In particular, it is shown that the inclusion of this non-equilibrium vortex stretching effect has the capability of explaining the significant range of production to dissipation ratios observed in experiments.

Speziale, Charles G.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Reynolds stress calculations of homogeneous turbulent shear flow with bounded energy states

Reynolds stress calculations of homogeneous turbulent shear flow are conducted with a second-order closure model modified to account for nonequilibrium vortex stretching in the dissipation rate transport equation as recently proposed by Bernard and Speziale (1992). As with the earlier reported K-epsilon model calculations incorporating this vortex stretching effect, a production-equals-dissipation equilibrium is obtained with bounded turbulent kinetic energy and dissipation. However, this equilibrium is now not achieved until the dimensionless time St greater than 60 - an elapsed time that is at least twice as large as any of those considered in previous numerical and physical experiments on homogeneous shear flow. Direct quantitative comparisons between the model predictions and the results of experiments are quite favorable. In particular, it is shown that the inclusion of this nonequilibrium vortex stretching effect has the capability of explaining the significant range of production to dissipation ratios observed in experiments.

Speziale, Charles G.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Local structure of intercomponent energy transfer in homogeneous turbulent shear flow

Intercomponent energy transfer by pressure-strain-rate was investigated for homogeneous turbulent shear flow. The rapid and slow parts of turbulent pressure (decomposed according to the influence of the mean deformation rate) are found to be uncorrelated; this finding provides strong justification for current modeling procedure in which the pressure-strain-rate term is split into the corresponding parts. Issues pertinent to scales involved in the intercomponent energy transfer are addressed in comparison with those for the Reynolds-stress and vorticity fields. A physical picture of the energy transfer process is described from a detailed study of instantaneous events of high transfer regions. It was found that the most significant intercomponent energy transfer events are highly localized in space and are imbedded within a region of concentrated vorticity.

Brasseur, James G.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Heat transfer and fluid mechanics measurements in transitional boundary layer flows

Experimental results are presented to document hydrodynamic and thermal development of flat-plate boundary layers undergoing natural transition. Local heat transfer coefficients, skin friction coefficients and profiles of velocity, temperature and Reynolds normal and shear stresses are presented. A case with no transition and transitional cases with 0.68% and 2.0% free-stream disturbance intensities were investigated. The locations of transition are consistent with earlier data. A late-laminar state with significant levels of turbulence is documented. In late-transitional and early-turbulent flows, turbulent Prandtl number and conduction layer thickness values exceed, and the Reynolds analogy factor is less than, values previously measured in fully turbulent flows.

Wang, T.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Heat transfer and fluid mechanics measurements in transitional boundary layer flows

Experimental results are presented to document hydrodynamic and thermal development of flat-plate boundary layers undergoing natural transition. Local heat transfer coefficients, skin friction coefficients and profiles of velocity, temperature and Reynolds normal and shear stresses are presented. A case with no transition and transitional cases with 0.68 percent and 2.0 percent free-stream disturbance intensities were investigated. The locations of transition are consistent with earlier data. A late-laminar state with significant levels of turbulence is documented. In late-transitional and early-turbulent flows, turbulent Prandtl number and conduction layer thickness values exceed, and the Reynolds analogy factor is less than, values previously measured in fully turbulent flows.

Wang, T.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Numerical calculations of turbulent swirling flow

Description of a numerical technique for solving axisymmetric, incompressible, turbulent swirling flow problems. Isothermal flow calculations are presented for a coaxial flow configuration of special interest. The calculation results are discussed in regard to their implications for the design of gas turbine combustors.

Kubo, I.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Propagation velocity and space-time correlation of perturbations in turbulent channel flow

A database obtained from direct numerical simulation of a turbulent channel flow is analyzed to extract the propagation velocity V of velocity, vorticity, and pressure fluctuations from their space-time correlations. A surprising result is that V is approximately the same as the local mean velocity for most of the channel, except for the near-wall region. For y(+) is less than or equal to 15, V is virtually constant, implying that perturbations of all flow variables propagate like waves near the wall. In this region V is 55 percent of the centerline velocity U(sub c) for velocity and vorticity perturbations and 75 percent of U(sub c) for pressure perturbations. Scale-dependence of V is also examined by analyzing the bandpass filtered flow fields. Comprehensive documentation of the propagation velocities and space-time correlation data, which should prove useful in the evaluation of Taylor's hypothesis is presented. An attempt was made to explain some of the data in terms of our current understanding of organized structures, although not all of the data can be explained this way.

Kim, John↗
DOE OSTI2022

System and method for remote detection and location of gas leaks

A system for monitoring for a gas leak from a gas containing structure is disclosed. The system includes a lens that directs an image of a scene of interest through an optical filter onto a detector. The filter is associated with the lens and the filter has one or more passbands that passes wavelengths which match one or more emission or reflectively wavelengths of the gas being monitored. A detector receives the image after the image passes through the lens and the filter. The detector generates image data representing the scene including the gas containing structure. A processor is configured to process the image data by executing machine executable code stored on a memory. The machine executable code processes the image data to identify turbulence flows in the image data such that turbulence flow indicates a gas leak, and generate and send an alert in response to the identification of a turbulence flow.

O'Neill, Mary D.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Explicit and implicit calculations of turbulent cavity flows with and without yaw angle

Computations were performed to simulate turbulent supersonic flows past three-dimensional deep cavities with and without yaw. Simulation of these self-sustained oscillatory flows were generated through time accurate solutions of the Reynolds averaged complete Navier-Stokes equations using two different schemes: (1) MacCormack, finite-difference; and (2) implicit, upwind, finite-volume schemes. The second scheme, which is approximately 30 percent faster, is found to produce better time accurate results. The Reynolds stresses were modeled, using the Baldwin-Lomax algebraic turbulence model with certain modifications. The computational results include instantaneous and time averaged flow properties everywhere in the computational domain. Time series analyses were performed for the instantaneous pressure values on the cavity floor. The time averaged computational results show good agreement with the experimental data along the cavity floor and walls. When the yaw angle is nonzero, there is no longer a single length scale (length-to-depth ratio) for the flow, as is the case for zero yaw angle flow. The dominant directions and inclinations of the vortices are dramatically different for this nonsymmetric flow. The vortex shedding from the cavity into the mainstream flow is captured computationally. This phenomenon, which is due to the oscillation of the shear layer, is confirmed by the solutions of both schemes.

Yen, Guan-Wei↗
NASA NTRS1990

Organized motions underlying turbulent shear flows

The objective of this project is to determine the nature and significance of the organized motions underlying turbulent shear flow. There is considerable experimental evidence for the existence of such motions. In particular, one consistently observes longitudinal streaks with a spacing of about 100 in wall units in the near-wall region of wall-bounded shear flows. Recently, an analysis based on the direct resonance mechanism has predicted the appearance of streaks with precisely such a spacing. Also, the minimum channel simulations of Jimenez and Moin have given a strong dynamical significance to that spanwise length scale. They have shown that turbulent-like flows can not be maintained when the spanwise wavelength of the motion is constrained to be less than about that critical number. A critical review of the direct resonance ideas and the non-linear theory of Benney and Gustavsson is presented first. It is shown how this leads to the later mean flow-first harmonic theory of Benney. Finally, we note that a different type of analysis has led to the prediction streaks with a similar spacing. This latter approach consists of looking for optimum fields and directly provides deep insights into why a particular structure or a particular scale should be preferred.

Waleffe, F.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Similarity of organized structures in turbulent shear flows

Recent analysis of databases generated by direct numerical simulations of homogeneous turbulent shear flows have revealed the presence of coherent structures similar to those in turbulent boundary layers. In this paper these findings and tentative conclusions on their significance are discussed.

Moin, Parviz↗
NASA NTRS1988

Theoretical study of turbulent channel flow: Bulk properties, pressure fluctuations, and propagation of electromagnetic waves

In this paper, we apply two theoretical turbulence models, DIA and the recent GISS model, to study properties of a turbulent channel flow. Both models provide a turbulent kinetic energy spectral function E(k) as the solution of a non-linear equation; the two models employ the same source function but different closures. The source function is characterized by a rate n sub s (k) which is derived from the complex eigenvalues of the Orr--Sommerfeld (OS) equation in which the basic flow is taken to be of a Poiseuille type. The O--S equation is solved for a variety of Reynolds numbers corresponding to available experimental data. A physical argument is presented whereby the central line velocity characterizing the basic flow, U0 sup L, is not to be identified with the U0 appearing in the experimental Reynolds number. The theoretical results are compared with two types of experimental data: (1) turbulence bulk properties, and (2) properties that depend stongly on the structure of the turbulence spectrun at low wave numbers. The only existing analytical expression for Pi (k) cannot be used in the present case because it applies to the case of a flat plate, not a finite channel.

Canuto, V. M.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Theoretical study of turbulent channel flow - Bulk properties, pressure fluctuations, and propagation of electromagnetic waves

In this paper, we apply two theoretical turbulence models, DIA and the recent GISS model, to study properties of a turbulent channel flow. Both models provide a turbulent kinetic energy spectral function E(k) as the solution of a non-linear equation; the two models employ the same source function but different closures. The source function is characterized by a rate n sub s (k) which is derived from the complex eigenvalues of the Orr-Sommerfeld (OS) equation in which the basic flow is taken to be of a Poiseuille type. The O-S equation is solved for a variety of Reynolds numbers corresponding to available experimental data. A physical argument is presented whereby the central line velocity characterizing the basic flow, U0 sup L, is not to be identified with the U0 appearing in the experimental Reynolds number. The theoretical results are compared with two types of experimental data: (1) turbulence bulk properties, and (2) properties that depend strongly on the structure of the turbulence spectrum at low wave numbers. The only existing analytical expression for Pi (k) cannot be used in the present case because it applies to the case of a flat plate, not a finite channel.

Canuto, V. M.↗