Asymptotic description of incipient separation bubble bursting

Abstract

The appearance of short laminar separation bubbles in high Reynolds number (Re) wall bounded flows due to appropriate adverse pressure gradient conditions is usually associated with minor effects on global flow properties (e.g. lift force). However, localized reverse flow regions are known to react very sensitively to perturbations and in further consequence may trigger the laminar‐turbulent transition process or even cause global separation. The present investigation of marginally separated boundary layer flows is based on an asymptotic approach Re → ∞. Special emphasis is placed on solutions of the corresponding model equations which blow up within finite time indicating the ejection of a vortical structure and the emergence of shorter spatio‐temporal scales reminiscent of the early transition scenario (‘ bubble bursting’ ). Within the framework of marginal separation theory, an alternative adjoint operator method is used to formulate evolution equations governing the viscous‐inviscid interaction process in leading and higher order correction required for the study of later stages of the flow development. Their blow up structure specifies the initial condition of and the match to the subsequent triple deck stage. (© 2012 Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)