Streamwise Interfaces of an Isolated Turbulent Region in a Laminar Boundary Layer

Abstract

The streamwise interfaces of an isolated turbulent region in a flat plate boundary layer are investigated by performing a wind tunnel experiment. A bimorph-type piezoceramic actuator is used to generate a trapezoidal turbulent region whose spanwise width is larger than those of a typical turbulent spot. The experimental results show that the traveling speeds of the leading and trailing ends of the turbulent region are almost same as those of the turbulent spots with an arrow-head shape. This result indicate that the spanwise width have little influence to the streamwise growth of an isolated turbulent region. It is also found that the traveling speed of the trailing end of the turbulent region exceeds that of local flow velocity in the near-wall region, which is η < 1.3, and vice versa. This result shows that a relaminarization is in progress in the near-wall region, where the turbulent fluid is moving across the trailing end turning laminar. The critical wall-normal distance of η = 1.3 corresponds to about 10 in the wall unit (y+), suggesting that the relaminarization process is taking place in the viscous sublayer.

Keywords

• boundary layer
• laminar-turbulent interface
• isolated turbulent region