The flow structure behind vortex generators embedded in a decelerating turbulent boundary layer

Patricia Cathalifaud (1) , Gilles Godard (2) , Caroline Braud (3) , Michel Stanislas (3)

1 IMFT - Institut de mécanique des fluides de Toulouse
2 CORIA - Complexe de recherche interprofessionnel en aérothermochimie
3 LML - Laboratoire de Mécanique de Lille - FRE 3723

The objective of the present work is to analyse the behaviour of a turbulent decelerating boundary layer under the effect of both passive and active jets vortex generators (VGs). The stereo PIV database of Godard and Stanislas [1, 2] obtained in an adverse pressure gradient boundary layer is used for this study. After presenting the effect on the mean velocity field and the turbulent kinetic energy, the line of analysis is extended with two points spatial correlations and vortex detection in instantaneous velocity fields. It is shown that the actuators concentrate the boundary layer turbulence in the region of upward motion of the flow, and segregate the near-wall streamwise vortices of the boundary layer based on their vorticity sign.

Mots clés: flow control; vortex generators; turbulent boundary layer; adverse pressure gradient; PIV; coherent structures; Flow control; Vortex generators; Turbulent boundary layer; Adverse pressure gradient; Coherent structures

Domaines: Mécanique des fluides [physics.class-ph]

Patricia Cathalifaud, Gilles Godard, Caroline Braud, Michel Stanislas. The flow structure behind vortex generators embedded in a decelerating turbulent boundary layer. Journal of Turbulence, 2009, 10 (42), pp.1-37. ⟨10.1080/14685240903273881⟩. ⟨hal-00454397⟩