Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Evaluation of large-scale turbulent/non-turbulent interface detection methods for wall-bounded flows

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Experiments in Fluids Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The experimental analysis of the spatial organization of turbulent/non-turbulent interfaces (TNTI) is an important task in many fields of fluid dynamics, especially to characterize mixing processes. Mixing processes are often associated with the macroscopic motion of coherent flow structures. A classical example for illustration is the turbulent mixing layer visualization by Brown and Roshko (J Fluid Mech 64:775–816, 1974). Today, a question of actual research is if coherent large-scale motions observed in turbulent boundary layer flows have an impact on the structure of the TNTI. As the length of these motions extends over many boundary layer thicknesses and their turbulent energy, and thus significance or impact, raises with Reynolds number, the TNTI detection technique must be accurate at large Reynolds numbers. Furthermore, the technique must be able to resolve the TNTI locally with microscopic spatial resolution and, at the same time, globally over a large macroscopic spatial domain. As the last two points require techniques with a large dynamic spatial range (ratio between largest and smallest scales that can be resolved), only tracer particle-based imaging techniques are suited, as the spatial resolution and field of view (FOV) can both be tuned by adjusting the magnification of the lens and the size and number of camera sensors. In this work, three suited techniques are compared to assess the sensitivity of the TNTI measurement of the method applied. The techniques considered are based on the turbulent kinetic energy, the homogeneity of the non-turbulent flow region, and the particle image density. The effect of bias errors on the TNTI measurement is particularly considered, but the implication of the results for the working range of the various techniques is also outlined. The analysis illustrates exemplary the sensitivity of the intermittency factor and the length of the TNTI with respect to the method applied.

Graphical abstract

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

  • Anand RK, Boersma BJ, Agrawal A (2009) Detection of turbulent/non-turbulent interface for an axisymmetric turbulent jet: evaluation of known criteria and proposal of a new criterion. Exp Fluids 47:995–1007

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aref H (1984) Stirring by chaotic advection. J Fluid Mech 143:1–21

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Bisset DK, Hunt JCR, Rogers MM (2002) The turbulent/non-turbulent interface bounding a far wake. J Fluid Mech 451:383–410

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Borrell G, Jiménez J (2016) Properties of the turbulent/non-turbulent interface in boundary layers. J Fluid Mech 801:554–596

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Brown GL, Roshko A (1974) On density effects and large structure in turbulent mixing layers. J Fluid Mech 64:775–816

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buchmann NA, Kücükosman YC, Ehrenfried K, Kähler CJ (2016) Wall pressure signature in compressible turbulent boundary layers. In: Progress in Wall Turbulence 2

  • Chauhan K, Philip J, de Silva CM, Hutchins N, Marusic I (2014) The turbulent/non-turbulent interface and entrainment in a boundary layer. J Fluid Mech 742:119–151

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cierpka C, Kähler CJ (2012) Particle imaging techniques for volumetric three-component (3D3C) velocity measurements in microfluidics. J Vis 15:1–31

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Corrsin S (1943) Investigation of flow in an axially symmetrical heated jet of air. Tech. rep., NACA WR W-94

  • Corrsin S, Kistler AL (1955) Free-Stream Boundaries of Turbulent Flows. Tech. rep., NACA-TR-1244

  • Dimotakis PE (2005) Turbulent mixing. Annu Rev Fluid Mech 37:329–356

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Eckart C (1948) An analysis of the stirring and mixing processes in incompressible fluids. J Mar Res 7:265–275

    Google Scholar 

  • Falco RE (1977) Coherent motion in the outer region of turbulent boundary layers. Phys Fluids 20:124–132

    Article  Google Scholar 

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

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gampert M, Boschung J, Henning F, Gauding M, Peters N (2014) The vorticity versus the scalar criterion for the detection of the turbulent/non-turbulent interface. J Fluid Mech 750:578–596

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ganapathisumbramani B, Clemens NT, Dolling DS (2006) Large-scale motions in a supersonic turbulent boundary layer. J Fluid Mech 556:271–282

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Holzner M, Liberzon A, Guala M, Tsinober A, Kinzelbach W (2006) Generalized detection of a turbulent front generated by an oscillating grid. Exp Fluids 41:711–719

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hutchins N, Marusic I (2007) Evidence of very long meandering features in the logarithmic region of turbulent boundary layers. J Fluid Mech 579:1–28

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Kähler CJ, Sammler B, Kompenhans J (2002) Generation and control of tracer particles for optical flow investigations in air. Exp Fluids 33:736–742

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kähler CJ, Scholz U, Ortmanns J (2006) Wall-shear-stress and near-wall turbulence measurements up to single pixel resolution by means of long-distance micro-PIV. Exp Fluids 41:327–341

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khashehchi M, Ooi A, Soria J, Marusic I (2013) Evolution of the turbulent/non-turbulent interface of an axisymmetric turbulent jet. Exp Fluids 54

  • Klebanoff PS (1955) Characteristics of turbulence in a boundary layer with zero pressure gradient. 1135–1153, NACA-TR-1247

  • Knopp T, Buchmann NA, Schanz D, Eisfeld B, Cierpka C, Hain R, Schröder A, Kähler CJ (2015) Investigation of scaling laws in a turbulent boundary layer flow with adverse pressure gradient using PIV. J Turbul 16:250–272

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Krug D, Holzner M, Lüthi B, Wolf M, Kinzelbach W, Tsinober A (2015) The turbulent/non-turbulent interface in an inclined dense gravity current. J Fluid Mech 765:303–324

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kwon YS, Hutchins N, Monty JP (2016) On the use of the Reynolds decomposition in the intermittent region of turbulent boundary layers. J Fluid Mech 794:5–16

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Mandelbrot B (1967) How long is the coast of Britain? Statistical self-similarity and fractional dimension. Science 156:636–638

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mathew J, Basu AJ (2002) Some characteristics of entrainment at a cylindrical turbulence boundary. Phys Fluids 14:2065–2072

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Meinhart CD, Adrian RJ (1995) On the existence of uniform momentum zones in a turbulent boundary layer. Phys Fluids 7:694–696

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Novara M, Schanz D, Reuther N, Kähler CJ, Schröder A (2016) Lagrangian 3D particle tracking in high-speed flows: Shake-The-Box for multi-pulse systems. Exp Fluids 57:128

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Poreh M, Cermak JE (1964) Study of diffusion from a line source in a turbulent boundary layer. Int J Heat Mass Transfer 7:1083–1095

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prasad RR, Sreenivasan KR (1989) Scalar interfaces in digital images of turbulent flows. Exp Fluids 7:259–264

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raffel M, Willert CE, Scarano F, Kähler CJ, Werely ST, Kompenhans J (2018) Particle image velocimetry—a practical guide. Springer International Publishing

  • Richardson LF (1926) Atmospheric diffusion shown on a distance-neighbour graph. Proc R Soc Lond A: Math, Phys Eng Sci 110:709–737

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saxton-Fox T, McKeon BJ (2017) Coherent structures, uniform momentum zones and the streamwise energy spectrum in wall-bounded turbulent fows. J Fluid Mech 826:R6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sreenivasan KR (1991) On local isotropy of passive scalars in turbulent shear flows. Proc R Soc Lond 434:165–182

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor GI (1922) Diffusion by continous movement. Proc London Math Soc

  • Townsend AA (1948) Local isotropy in the turbulent wake of a cylinder. Aust J Sci Res 1:161–174

    Google Scholar 

  • Welander P (1955) Sudies of general development of motion in a two-dimensional, ideal fluid. Tellus 7:141–156

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Westerweel J, Hoffmann T, Fukushima C, Hunt JCR (2002) The turbulent/non-turbulent interface at the outer boundary of a self-similar turbulent jet. Exp Fluids 33:873–878

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Westerweel J, Fukushima C, Pedersen JM, Hunt JCR (2009) Momentum and scalar transport at the turbulent/non-turbulent interface of a jet. J Fluid Mech 631:199–230

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Fluid Mechanics and Aerodynamics, Universität der Bunderwehr München, 85577, Neubiberg, Germany

    Nico Reuther & Christian J. Kähler

Authors
  1. Nico Reuther
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Christian J. Kähler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nico Reuther.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Reuther, N., Kähler, C.J. Evaluation of large-scale turbulent/non-turbulent interface detection methods for wall-bounded flows. Exp Fluids 59, 121 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-018-2576-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-018-2576-2

Search

Navigation