Outer-layer similarity in the presence of a practical rough-wall topography
Phys. Fluids 19, 085108 (2007); doi:10.1063/1.2741256
Published 24 August 2007
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High-resolution particle image velocimetry measurements are made in the streamwise–wall-normal plane of a zero-pressure-gradient turbulent boundary layer over smooth and rough walls at Re
13000. The roughness considered herein is replicated from a surface scan of a turbine blade damaged by deposition of foreign materials and its topography is highly irregular and contains a broad range of topographical scales. Two physical scalings of the same roughness topography are considered, yielding two different rough surfaces: RF1 with k=4.2 mm and RF2 with k=2.1 mm, where k is the average peak-to-valley roughness height. At Re
13000, these roughness conditions yield k+
k/y*=207,
/k=28, k
=115, and
/ks=48 for RF1 and k+=91,
/k=50, k
=29, and
/ks=162 for RF2 (where
is the boundary-layer thickness, ks is the equivalent sand-grain height, and y* is the viscous length scale). The mean velocity deficits along with the Reynolds normal and shear stress profiles for both roughness conditions collapse on the smooth-wall baseline in the outer layer when appropriately scaled by the friction velocity, u
. Probability density functions and quadrant analysis of the instantaneous events contributing to the mean Reynolds shear stress show similar outer-layer consistency between the smooth and rough cases when scaled appropriately with u
. In addition, one-dimensional, two-point streamwise, and wall-normal velocity autocorrelation coefficients are also found to collapse in the outer region, indicating a similarity in the spatial structure of the outer-layer turbulence. The observed collapse of the smooth- and rough-wall turbulence statistics in the outer layer supports Townsend's wall similarity hypothesis for flow over the unique surface topography considered herein.
©2007 American Institute of Physics

13000. The roughness considered herein is replicated from a surface scan of a turbine blade damaged by deposition of foreign materials and its topography is highly irregular and contains a broad range of topographical scales. Two physical scalings of the same roughness topography are considered, yielding two different rough surfaces: RF1 with k=4.2 mm and RF2 with k=2.1 mm, where k is the average peak-to-valley roughness height. At Re
13000, these roughness conditions yield k+
k/y*=207,
/k=28, k
/ks=48 for RF1 and k+=91,
/k=50, k
/ks=162 for RF2 (where
is the boundary-layer thickness, ks is the equivalent sand-grain height, and y* is the viscous length scale). The mean velocity deficits along with the Reynolds normal and shear stress profiles for both roughness conditions collapse on the smooth-wall baseline in the outer layer when appropriately scaled by the friction velocity, u
. Probability density functions and quadrant analysis of the instantaneous events contributing to the mean Reynolds shear stress show similar outer-layer consistency between the smooth and rough cases when scaled appropriately with u
. In addition, one-dimensional, two-point streamwise, and wall-normal velocity autocorrelation coefficients are also found to collapse in the outer region, indicating a similarity in the spatial structure of the outer-layer turbulence. The observed collapse of the smooth- and rough-wall turbulence statistics in the outer layer supports Townsend's wall similarity hypothesis for flow over the unique surface topography considered herein.
©2007 American Institute of Physics
| History: | Received 24 February 2007; accepted 25 April 2007; published 24 August 2007 |
| Permalink: |
http://link.aip.org/link/?PHFLE6/19/085108/1 |
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