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Three-dimensional characterization of Reynolds shear stress in near-wall coherent structures of polymer drag reduced turbulent boundary layers

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Abstract

Experimental investigation is conducted using planar and tomographic particle image velocimetry measurements spanning the inner layer of Newtonian and drag-reduced zero-pressure gradient turbulent boundary layers. Low to moderate drag reduction is achieved by injecting two different concentrations of drag-reducing polymer solutions through an inclined slot. Instantaneously, both Newtonian and drag reduced flows show regions of high and near-zero Reynolds shear stress (RSS) which are termed as the high-RSS, and low-RSS regions, respectively. The high-RSS regions indicate the passing of near-wall coherent structures and are predominantly present within the cores of the low- and high-speed streaks, whereas the low-RSS regions mainly occupy the regions surrounding the streaks. The magnitude of RSS and size of the high-RSS regions decrease significantly with polymer injection. Canonical coherent structures within the near-wall region, including ejections and sweeps, hairpin-like vortices, meandering low-speed streaks, and precursors of streak breakdown are considered for the evaluation of polymer effect on high- and low-RSS regions. Besides the attenuation of the high-RSS regions, the quasi-streamwise vortices are found to weaken, and low-RSS regions are seen to enlarge around these vortices. The enlarged low-RSS regions are seen to be more pronounced near ejection motions as compared to those of the sweep motions, providing novel insights into the previously hypothesized polymer-vortex interaction through elastic mechanisms (Min et al. in J Fluid Mech 486:213–238, 2003; Tabor and De Gennes in EPL (Europhys Lett) 2(7):519, 1986). In addition, the high-RSS regions within the coherent structures coincide with strong extensional structures which are also found to dampen with polymer injection, indicating potential interactions of the polymer with extensional motions.

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The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) (Grant No. STPGP 494070) for funding of this work.

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  1. Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada

    Y. Shah & S. Yarusevych

  2. Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada

    S. Ghaemi

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Shah, Y., Ghaemi, S. & Yarusevych, S. Three-dimensional characterization of Reynolds shear stress in near-wall coherent structures of polymer drag reduced turbulent boundary layers. Exp Fluids 62, 166 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-021-03263-y

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