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Statistical structure and mean dynamics of developing turbulent shear-wake flows

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Abstract

Shear-wake flows formed from the interaction of two turbulent boundary layers are investigated. Primary focus is on the near-field downstream of the splitter plate. Two velocity ratios and two trailing edge geometries are explored via well-resolved hotwire traverses. Comparison with boundary layer data reveals that the loss of the no-slip condition is at first most apparent in the wall-normal velocity fluctuations. Estimates of the terms in the mean momentum equation are examined. Post-separation, the inertial terms in the mean momentum equation rapidly become dominant throughout the flow. Farther downstream the mean effect of turbulent inertia continues to change sign between the wake center and the freestream, as it does between the wall and freestream in the boundary layer. Unlike in the boundary layer, the mean and turbulent inertia terms retain leading order importance over the viscous force term everywhere.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are pleased to acknowledge the efforts of Caleb Morrill-Winter and Rachel Ebner in developing the hotwire sensors employed in the present study. This work was partially supported by the Office of Naval Research, grant no. N000140810836, Ronald Joslin grant monitor.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, 03824, USA

    M. Bamberger & J. Klewicki

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia

    J. Klewicki

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  1. M. Bamberger
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  2. J. Klewicki
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Correspondence to J. Klewicki.

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Bamberger, M., Klewicki, J. Statistical structure and mean dynamics of developing turbulent shear-wake flows. Exp Fluids 54, 1415 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-012-1415-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-012-1415-0

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