An experimental investigation of primary and secondary crossflow instability developing in the boundary layer of a 45 • swept wing, at a chord Reynolds number of 2.17·10 6 is presented. Linear stability theory is applied for preliminary estimation of the flow stability while surface flow visualisation using fluorescent oil is employed to inspect the topological features of the transition region. Hot-wire anemometry is extensively used for the investigation of the developing boundary layer and identification of the statistical and spectral characteristics of the instability modes. Primary stationary as well as unsteady type-I (z-mode), type-II (y-mode) and type-III modes are detected and quantified. Finally, three-component, three-dimensional measurements of the transitional boundary layer are performed using tomographic particle image velocimetry. This research presents the first application of an optical experimental technique for this type of flow. Among the optical techniques tomographic velocimetry represents, to date, the most advanced approach allowing the investigation of spatially correlated flow structures in threedimensional fields. Proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) analysis of the captured flow fields is applied to this goal. The first POD mode features a newly reported structure related to low-frequency oscillatory motion of the stationary vortices along the spanwise direction. The cause of this phenomenon is only conjectured. Its effect on transition is considered negligible but, given the related high energy level, it needs to be accounted for in experimental investigations. Secondary instability mechanisms are captured as well. The type-III mode corresponds to low frequency primary travelling crossflow waves interacting with the stationary ones. It appears in the inner upwelling region of the stationary crossflow vortices and is characterised by elongated structures approximately aligned with the axis of the stationary waves. The type-I secondary instability consists instead of significantly inclined structures located at the outer upwelling region of the stationary vortices. The much narrower wavelength and higher advection velocity of these structures correlate with the higher-frequency content of this mode. The results of the investigation of both primary and secondary instability from the exploited techniques agree with and complement each other and are in line with existing literature. Finally, they present the first experimental observation of the secondary instability structures under natural flow conditions.
A novel technique is proposed and investigated for the estimation of the body force field resulting from the operation of a dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuator. The technique relies on the measurement of the spatio-temporal evolution of the induced velocity field using high-speed particle image velocimetry (PIV). The technique has the advantage of providing spatial distribution of the body force vector field. A full Navier-Stokes term decomposition is applied on the evolving field along with additional closure norms in order to decouple the pressure gradient and body force terms. Results are compared with load-cell measurements of the direct reaction force and also momentum balance calculations based on the PIV field. Agreement between the different methods is observed. The data can easily be incorporated in computational flow solvers and also be used for validation and calibration of numerical plasma models.
The steady and transient response of a laminar separation bubble to flow disturbances is examined experimentally. Wind tunnel experiments are performed on a NACA 0012 aerofoil at a chord Reynolds number of 130 000 and angle of attack of $2^{\circ }$. Under the investigated conditions, a laminar separation bubble forms on the suction side of the aerofoil in the unperturbed flow. Periodic disturbances are introduced into the boundary layer just upstream of separation by means of a surface-mounted dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuator. Two-component, time-resolved particle image velocimetry measurements are performed to characterise both quasi-steady and transient response of the flow to periodic disturbances. The results show that the dynamics of the laminar separation bubble is dominated by the periodic shedding of shear layer vortices, forming upstream of the mean reattachment location due to the amplification of unstable flow disturbances. Introducing the controlled perturbations leads to significant changes in separation bubble topology and the characteristics of the dominant coherent structures, with the effect dependent on both amplitude and frequency of disturbances. Linear stability analysis demonstrates that the induced changes to the mean bubble topology affect the stability characteristics, reducing the maximum growth rate and the frequency of the most amplified disturbances by 35 % and 20 %, respectively, when the bubble length is reduced by up to 40 %. The observed changes in stability characteristics are shown to correlate with the attendant variations in the shape factor. The transient response of the bubble is associated with significant changes in the separation bubble dynamics, with significant differences observed between the relative duration (${\approx}45\,\%$) of the transients flow response associated with the introduction and removal of the controlled disturbances. A detailed analysis of the results offers new insight into the response of laminar separation bubbles to changes in the disturbance environment.
The popularity of plasma actuators as flow control devices has sparked a flurry of diagnostic efforts towards their characterisation. This review article presents an overview of experimental investigations employing diagnostic techniques specifically aimed at AC dielectric barrier discharge, DC corona and nanosecond pulse plasma actuators. Mechanical, thermal and electrical characterisation techniques are treated. Various techniques for the measurement of induced velocity, body force, heating effects, voltage, current, power and discharge morphology are presented and common issues and challenges are described. The final part of this report addresses the effect of ambient conditions on the performance of plasma actuators.
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