Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Smooth and rough turbulent boundary layers at high Reynolds number

  • Original
  • Published:
Experiments in Fluids Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A 2-D turbulent boundary layer experiment with zero pressure gradient (ZPG) has been carried out over a rough and a smooth surface using two cross hot-wire probes. Wind tunnel speeds of 10 m/s and 20 m/s were set up in order to investigate the effects of the upstream conditions and the Reynolds number on the downstream flow. For a given set of upstream conditions, such as the wind tunnel speed, trip wire size and location, the three components of the velocity field were measured from about 14 m from the inlet of the wind tunnel to 30 m downstream. This experiment is unique because it achieves Reynolds numbers as high as R θ ≅120,000, for which measurements of the mean velocity are reported. It is shown that by fixing the upstream conditions, the mean deficit profiles collapse with the freestream velocity, \(U_{\infty } \), but to different curves depending on the upstream conditions and surface roughness. Moreover, the effects of the upstream conditions, the Reynolds number, and roughness are completely removed from the outer flow when the mean deficit profiles are normalized by the Zagarola/Smits scaling, \(U_{\infty } \frac{{\delta _{ * } }}{\delta }\). Consequently, the true asymptotic profile in the turbulent boundary layer is found in ZPG flow regardless of the range of Reynolds number, surface conditions and initial conditions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16
Fig. 17
Fig. 18

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bradshaw P (1966) The turbulence structure of equilibrium boundary layers. NPL Aero Report 1184

  • Castillo L (2000) Application of Zagarola/Smits scaling in turbulent boundary layers with pressure gradient. In: Rohnman M, Brebbia CA (eds) Advances in fluid mechanics III. WIT, Boston, MA, pp 275–288

  • Castillo L, Johansson G (2002) The effect of the upstream conditions on a low Reynolds Number turbulent boundary layer with zero pressure gradient. J Turbul 3:31

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Castillo L, Walker D (2002) Effect of upstream conditions on the outer flow of turbulent boundary layers. AIAA J 40(7):1292–1299

    Google Scholar 

  • Castillo L, Walker D, Wosnik M (2000) The effect of the upstream conditions on the mean velocity deficit of turbulent boundary layers. At: AIAA Fluids 2000 Conference and Exhibition, 22 June 2000, Denver, Colorado, Paper AIAA 2000–2309, Colorado

  • Clauser FH (1954a) The turbulent boundary layer. Adv Appl Mech 4:1–51

    Google Scholar 

  • Clauser FH (1954b) Turbulent boundary layers in adverse pressure gradients. J Aeronaut Sci 21:91–108

    Google Scholar 

  • Erm LP, Joubert PN (1991) Low Reynolds Number turbulent boundary layers. J Fluid Mech 230:1–44

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fernholz HH, Finley PJ (1996) The incompressible zero pressure gradient turbulent boundary layer: an assessment of the data. Prog Aerosp Sci 32:245–311

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gad-del-Hak M (2000) Flow control: passive, active and reactive flow management. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK

    Google Scholar 

  • George WK, Castillo L (1997) Zero-pressure gradient turbulent boundary layer. Appl Mech Rev 50:689–729

    Google Scholar 

  • Hama FR (1954) Boundary layer mechanics for smooth and rough surfaces. T Soc Naval Arch Marine Eng 62:333–358

    Google Scholar 

  • Hites M, Nagib H (1995) High Reynolds number boundary-layer measurements in the NDF. AIAA 95-0786

  • Johansson TG, Castillo L (2001) LDA measurements in turbulent boundary layers with zero pressure gradient. In: Lindborg E, Johansson A, Eaton J, Humphrey J, Kasagi N, Leschziner M, Sommerfeld M (eds) Proc 2nd Int Symp Turbulence Shear Flow Phenomena, 27–29 June 2001, Stockholm, Sweden

  • Klebanoff PS, Diehl ZW (1952) Some features of artificially thickened fully developed turbulent boundary layers with zero pressure gradient. NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) Report 1110

  • Mi J, Nobes DS, Nathan GJ (2001) Influence of jet exit conditions on the passive scalar field of an axisymmetric free jet. J Fluid Mech 432:91–125

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Österlund J (1999) Experimental studies of zero pressure-gradient turbulent boundary-layer flow. PhD Thesis, KTH (Royal Institute of Technology), Stockholm, Sweden

  • Perry AE, Schofield WH, Joubert PN (1969) Rough wall turbulent boundary layers. J Fluid Mech 37:383–413

    Google Scholar 

  • Raupach MR, Antonia RA, Rajagopalan S (1991) Rough-wall turbulent boundary layers. Appl Mech Rev 44:1–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Rotta J (1951) Beitrag zur berechnung der turbulenten grenzschichten. Ing Arch 19(1):31–41

    Google Scholar 

  • Schlichting H (1968) Boundary layer theory, 6th edn. McGraw-Hill, New York

  • Slessor MD, Bond CL, Dimotakis PE (1998) Turbulent shear-layer mixing at high Reynolds numbers: effect of inflow conditions. J Fluid Mech 376:115–138

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smith DW, Walker JH (1959) Skin-friction measurements in incompressible flow. NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) Report R26

  • Smith R (1994) Effect of Reynolds number on the structure of turbulent boundary layers. PhD Thesis, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ

  • Tennekes H, Lumley JL (1972) A first course in turbulence. MIT, Cambridge, MA

  • Wieghardt K (1943) Über die wandschubspannung in turbulenten reibungsschichten bei veränderlichem aussendruck. No UM-6603, Kaiser Wilhelm Institut für Strömungsforschung, Göttingen

  • Wosnik M (2000) On wall-bounded turbulent shear flows. PhD Thesis, University of Buffalo, Buffalo, NY

  • Zagarola MV, Smits AJ (1998a) Mean-flow scaling of turbulent pipe flow. J Fluid Mech 373:33–79

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zagarola MV, Smits AJ (1998b) A new mean velocity scaling for turbulent boundary layers. Proc FEDSM-98, 1998 ASME Fluids Engineering Division Summer Meeting, 21–25 June 1998, Washington DC, Paper No 4950

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical, Aeronautical and Nuclear Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, New York 12180, USA

    Luciano Castillo

  2. Fluid Mechanics Laboratory Energy & Propulsion Technologies, General Electric Corporate, One Research Circle, Room ESB-500 Niskayuna, NY 12309, USA

    Junghwa Seo

  3. Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel Laboratory, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada

    Horia Hangan

  4. Department of Thermo and Fluid Dynamics, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96, Göteborg, Sweden

    T. Gunnar Johansson

Authors
  1. Luciano Castillo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Junghwa Seo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Horia Hangan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. T. Gunnar Johansson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Horia Hangan.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Castillo, L., Seo, J., Hangan, H. et al. Smooth and rough turbulent boundary layers at high Reynolds number. Exp Fluids 36, 759–774 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-003-0758-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-003-0758-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation