Simultaneous wall shear rate measurements by a three segmented electrodiffusion probe and laser-Doppler-anemometry

Abstract

 In a fully developed turbulent channel flow, the instantaneous wall shear gradient was measured simultaneously by an electrodiffusion (ED) probe and by laser-Doppler anemometry (LDA). The LDA measurements were done in the viscous sublayer and the linear velocity profile was used to calculate the instantaneous shear gradient at the wall. The electrodiffusion probe requires presence of a suitable electrolyte (e.g. an iodine and potassium-iodine aqueous solution) for reduction of the species on the working electrode (cathode). This results in a concentration gradient of the ions due to the convective diffusion of the [I₃]^- to the cathode.

Due to the limited molecular diffusion rate and due to the dimension of the electrodiffusion probe its frequency resolution is limited. It is shown in which limits the correction of the signal on the concentration boundary layer inertia is not necessary and the probe can be used for measuring instantaneous wall shear gradients in turbulent flows. The results are compared with those obtained by LDA and elucidate the capability of the ED probe for measuring instantaneous shear rates at low Reynolds numbers.