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Quantitative detection of turbulent reattachment using a surface mounted hot-film array

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Abstract

A robust method to detect the mean turbulent reattachment location with a flush surface-mounted array of hot-film sensors is presented. The method has the advantages of requiring no sensor calibration, no dependence on the presence of a dominant frequency or oscillation period and it requires no qualitative interpretation of sensor time-series signals. The method is developed by investigating the flow downstream of a backward-facing step. Through computation of the “time of flight” of convected flow disturbances over adjacent sensor pairs, the method offers a quantitative resolution of the mean location of reattachment for turbulent flows.

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Abbreviations

AR :

backward-facing step aspect ratio; =w/h

f :

frequency

G pp (f):

autospectral density function

G pq (f):

cross-spectral density function

h :

step height

Ma :

Mach number

n d :

number of ensembles

Re c :

Reynolds number based on external velocity and body chord

Re h :

Reynolds number based on external velocity and step height

Re θ :

Reynolds number based on external velocity and momentum thickness

Δt :

time of flight

u :

mean streamwise velocity component

U c :

phase velocity

U ∞ :

freestream velocity

w :

span of backward-facing step

x :

streamwise coordinate

x R :

mean reattachment length

y :

wall-normal coordinate

z :

spanwise coordinate

Δx :

adjacent hot-film sensor spacing

ε R :

random error in phase estimates

\( \gamma ^{2}_{{pq}} (f) \) :

linear coherence spectrum

φ pq (f):

phase spectrum

θ :

momentum thickness

HFA:

hot-film array

LDV:

laser Doppler velocimetry

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Center for Flow Physics and Control, Hessert Laboratory for Aerospace Research, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556-5684, USA

    S. D. Olson & F. O. Thomas

Authors
  1. S. D. Olson
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  2. F. O. Thomas
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Correspondence to F. O. Thomas.

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Olson, S.D., Thomas, F.O. Quantitative detection of turbulent reattachment using a surface mounted hot-film array. Exp Fluids 37, 75–79 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-004-0786-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-004-0786-2

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