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Influences of roughness on the inertial mechanism of turbulent boundary-layer scale separation

Posted on:2015-10-27Degree:Ph.DType:Dissertation
University:University of New HampshireCandidate:Ebner, RachelFull Text:PDF
GTID:1470390020952493Subject:Mechanical engineering
Abstract/Summary:
Measurements and scaling analyses are conducted to clarify the combined effects of roughness and Reynolds number on momentum transport in the rough-wall zero pressure gradient turbulent boundary layer. A series of multi-sensor hot-wire experiments are presented that cover nearly a decade in Reynolds number and nearly three decades in the inner-normalized sand grain roughness.;This dissertation utilizes the difference between two velocity-vorticity correlations to represent the turbulent inertia term in the statement of the mean dynamics for turbulent boundary layer flow. Analyses focus on the first term on the right hand side of the equation, because it is physically affiliated with change-of-scale effects (Tennekes and Lumley, 1972). Similarity analysis, streamwise correlations, and spectral methods are performed to elucidate the scaling behaviors of the turbulent inertia term relative to the mean dynamics. The present results reveal complex behaviors in the long-time statistics of the velocity-vorticity correlation that exhibit both Reynolds number and roughness dependencies. The results broadly support the combined roughness-Reynolds number description provided by Mehdi et al, (2013).
Keywords/Search Tags:Roughness, Reynolds number, Turbulent
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