Key structure which initiate laminar-turbulent transition process in boundary layer with streaky structures

Abstract

Numerical simulations are carried out aimed at finding a key flow structure which leads to a laminar-turbulent transition of a boundary layer with streaky structures. In the preliminary computation, an array of cuboids is used to form streaky structures inside a boundary layer. Then, a disturbance is introduced into the boundary layer by ejecting a short-duration jet from a hole in the wall into a low-speed region in the streaky structures. Although the boundary layer returns to a laminar state when the jet velocity is set to 18% of the uniform flow velocity, it eventually turns into a turbulent state downstream in the 20% case. The differences are investigated in detail in terms of the vortical structures. As a result, only in the stronger jet case, a flat spanwise vortex is generated beside one leg of a hairpin vortex and it merges with the streamwise vortex nearby forming an inclined streamwise vortex. On the other hand, the flat spanwise vortex disappears without being connected to the streamwise vortex in the weaker jet case. The inclined streamwise vortex is stretched by the mean velocity gradient of the boundary layer growing into a strong vortex, and new vortex structures are generated around the inclined one, which leads to turbulence. Therefore, the results suggest that formation of the inclined vortex is the key to transition of the boundary layer.

Keywords

• laminar turbulent transition
• boundary layer
• key vortex
• streaky structure
• short duration jet