Study on local topology model of low/high streak structures in wall-bounded turbulence by tomographic time-resolved particle image velocimetry

The relationship between the in the logarithmic law （log-law） region of bursting event and the low/high-speed streak a turbulent boundary layer is investigated. A tomographic time-resolved particle image velocimetry （TRPIV） system is used to measure the instantaneous three-dimensional-three-component （3D-3C） velocity field. The momentum thickness based Reynolds number is about 2 460. The topological information in the log-law region is obtained experimentally. It is found that the existence of the quadrupole topological structure implies a three-pair hairpin-like vortex packet, which is in connection with the low/high-speed streak. An idealized 3D topological model is then proposed to characterize the observed hairpin vortex packet and low/high-speed streak.

Particle Image Velocimetry Study of Turbulence Characteristics in a Vessel Agitated by a Dual Rushton Impeller

Particle Image Velocimetry （PIV） has been used to investigate turbulence characteristics in a 0.48 m diameter stirred vessel filled to a liquid height （ H = 1.4T ） of 0.67 m. The agitator had dual Rushton impellers of 0.19 m diameter （ D = 0.4T ）. The developed flow patterns depend on the clearance of the lower impeller above the base of the vessel, the spacing between the two impellers, and the submergence of the upper impeller below the liq- uid surface. Their combinations can generate three basic flow patterns, named, parallel, merging and diverging flows. The results of velocity measurement show that the flow characteristics in the impeller jet flow region changes very little for different positions. Average velocity, trailing vortices and shear strain rate distributions for three flow patterns were measured by using PIV technique. The characteristics of trailing vortex and its trajectory were described in detail for those three flow patterns. Since the space-resolution of PIV can only reach the sub-grid rather than the Kolmogorov scale, a large-eddy PIV analysis has been used to estimate the distribution of the turbulent kinetic energy dissipation. Comparison of the distributions of turbulent kinetic energy and dissipation rate in merging flow shows that the highest turbulent kinetic energy and dissipation are both located in the vortex regions, but the maxima are at somewhat different lo- cations behind the blade. About 37% of the total energy is dissipated in dual impeller jet flow regions. The obtained distribution of shear strain rate for merging flow is similar to that of turbulence dissipation, with the shear strain rate around the trailing vortices much higher than in other areas.

Particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements of tip vortex wake structure of wind turbine

Large-view flow field measurements using the particle image velocimetry （PIV） technique with high resolution CCD cameras on a rotating 1/8 scale blade model of the NREL UAE phase VI wind turbine are conducted in the engineering-oriented q53.2 m wind tunnel. The motivation is to establish the database of the initiation and development of the tip vortex to study the flow structure and mechanism of the wind turbine. The results show that the tip vortex first moves inward for a very short period and then moves outward with the wake expansion, while its vorticity decreases with time after being trailed from the trailing edge of the blade tip, and then increases continuously with the rapid rolling-up to form a strong tip vortex. The measurements also indicate that the downstream movement of the tip vortex is nearly linear in the very near wake under the test condition.

Three-dimensional color particle image velocimetry based on a cross-correlation and optical flow method

Rainbow particle image velocimetry(PIV)can restore the three-dimensional velocity field of particles with a single camera;however,it requires a relatively long time to complete the reconstruction.This paper proposes a hybrid algorithm that combines the fast Fourier transform(FFT)based co-correlation algorithm and the Horn–Schunck(HS)optical flow pyramid iterative algorithm to increase the reconstruction speed.The Rankine vortex simulation experiment was performed,in which the particle velocity field was reconstructed using the proposed algorithm and the rainbow PIV method.The average endpoint error and average angular error of the proposed algorithm were roughly the same as those of the rainbow PIV algorithm;nevertheless,the reconstruction time was 20%shorter.Furthermore,the effect of velocity magnitude and particle density on the reconstruction results was analyzed.In the end,the performance of the proposed algorithm was verified using real experimental single-vortex and double-vortex datasets,from which a similar particle velocity field was obtained compared with the rainbow PIV algorithm.The results show that the reconstruction speed of the proposed hybrid algorithm is approximately 25%faster than that of the rainbow PIV algorithm.

Convection and correlation of coherent structure in turbulent boundary layer using tomographic particle image velocimetry

The present experimental work focuses on a new model for space-time correlation and the scale-dependencies of convection velocity and sweep velocity in turbulent boundary layer over a flat wail. A turbulent boundary layer flow at Reo = 2460 is measured by tomographic particle image velocimetry （tomographic PIV）. It is demonstrated that arch, cane, and hairpin vortices are dominant in the logarithmic layer. Hairpins and hairpin packets are responsible for the elongated low-momentum zones observed in the instantaneous flow field. The conditionally-averaged coherent structures systemically illustrate the key roles of hairpin vortice in the turbulence dynamic events, such as ejection and sweep events and energy transport. The space-time correlations of instantaneous streamwise fluctuation velocity are calculated and confirm the new elliptic model for the space-time correlation instead of Taylor hypothesis. The convection velocities derived from the space-time correlation and conditionally-averaged method both suggest the scaling with the local mean velocity in the logarithmic layer. Convection velocity result based on Fourier decomposition （FD） shows stronger scale- dependency in the spanwise direction than in streamwise direction. Compared with FD, the proper orthogonal decomposition （POD） has a distinct distribution of convection velocity for the large- and small-scales which are separated in light of their contributions of turbulent kinetic energy.

Flow characteristics by particle image velocimetry in liquefied natural gas vaporizer model with several baffles

Shell-and-tube vaporizers are the most commonly used and dominated types of vaporizers in liquefied natural gas （LNG） realm. Due to efficient performance, shell-side flow in this type of vaporizers has received considerable attention and has been investigated extensively. However, the detailed flow structure in the shell needs to be determined for reliable and effective design. Therefore, the objective of this study was to clarify the flow structure in shell by particle image velocimetry （PIV）. Experiments were conducted using two types of model; 15% baffle cut having inlet and outlet positions !n the direction of 90° to the cut and 30% baffle cut having inlet and outlet positions in the direction of 180° to the cut. Each test section is 169 mm in inner diameter and 344.6 mm in length. The flow features were characterized in different baffle cuts with regards to the velocity vector field and velocity distribution. The results show that the flow characteristics of 15% baffle cut type vaporizer are comparable to those of 30% baffle cut type vaporizer.

Tomographic particle image velocimetry measurement on three-dimensional swirling flow in dual-stage counter-rotating swirler

Three-Dimensional(3D)swirling flow structures,generated by a counter-rotating dualstage swirler in a confined chamber with a confinement ratio of 1.53,were experimentally investigated at Re=2.3×10^(5)using Tomographic Particle Image Velocimetry(Tomo-PIV)and planar Particle Image Velocimetry(PIV).Based on the analysis of the 3D time-averaged swirling flow structures and 3D Proper Orthogonal Decomposition(POD)of the Tomo-PIV data,typical coherent flow structures,including the Corner Recirculation Zone(CRZ),Central Recirculation Zone(CTRZ),and Lip Recirculation Zone(LRZ),were extracted.The counter-rotating dual-stage swirler with a Venturi flare generates the independence process of vortex breakdown from the main stage and pilot stage,leading to the formation of an LRZ and a smaller CTRZ near the nozzle outlet.The confinement squeezes the CRZ to the corner and causes a reverse rotation flow to limit the shape of the CTRZ.A large-scale flow structure caused by the main stage features an explosive breakup,flapping,and Precessing Vortex Core(PVC).The explosive breakup mode dominates the swirling flow structures owing to the expansion and construction of the main jet,whereas the flapping mode is related to the wake perturbation.Confinement limits the expansion of PVC and causes it to contract after the impacting area.

Sound Source Measurement of a Semi-Circular Cylinder in a Uniform Flow by Particle Image Velocimetry

In this paper, the measurement of an aerodynamic sound source for a semi-circular cylinder in a uniform flow is described using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). This experimental technique is based on vortex sound theory, where the time derivative of vorticity is evaluated with the aid of two sets of standard PIV systems. The experimental results indicate that the sound source for the semi-circular cylinder is located around the shear layer near the edge of the semi-circular cylinder. The sound source intensity and the area are reduced in the semi-circular cylinder compared with those of a circular cylinder. This result indicates that the aerodynamic sound of the semi- circular cylinder is smaller than that of the circular cylinder, which supports the microphone measurement result.

Investigations on vortex structures for undulating fin propulsion using phase-locked digital particle image velocimetry

The Gymnarchus niloticus fish can swim in surging and heaving directions only with a long undulating ribbon fin while keeping its body along almost straight line.These features substantially inspire the design of underwater vessels with high maneuverability and station keeping performance,which is characterized by peculiar vortex structures induced by undulating fin propulsion.To reveal the propulsion mechanism under the evolution of these complex vortex structures,the variation of velocity field with the undulating fin’s wave phase on cross section and mid-sagittal plane at wave amplitude of 85°is investigated by phase-locked digital particle image velocimetry(DPIV).Through experimental flow field images,two typical vortex structures are clearly identified,i.e.,streamwise vortex and crescent vortex,which is further explained by supplemental numerical simulations using large eddy simulation.Vortex characteristic and its evolution on cross sections and mid-sagittal planes is investigated,and its relationship with thrust,heave force is also analyzed.It is found that the two kinds of vortexes induce the main hydrodynamic forces in two directions synchronously,which brings the undulating fin propulsion an extra-ordinal maneuverability.The research will be useful for understanding the potential mechanism of this novel propulsion and is of great application prospect in designing more maneuverable underwater vehicles.

Visualization and Experiment of Tip Vortex Phenomenon in Cooling Fan using Digital Particle Image Velocimetry

The Digital Particle Image Velocimetry (DPIV) is an efficient method for measuring the internal flow field of a low-speed cooling fan. This paper studied the velocity field by means of PIV technology for a leading edge swept axial-flow fan without casing, and the tip vortex phenomenon was observed. Time-averaged velocity measurements were taken near the pressure surface, the suction surface and the tip of blade, etc. Moreover, the flow characteristics were visualized using numerical techniques. Experimental results showed that this tip vortex existed at the leading edge of the blade. The generating, developing and dissipating evolvement process of the tip vortex from the blade leading edge to downstream were discussed in detail. In addition, by comparing DPIV results and numerical results, a good agreement between them indicated a possibility to predict flow field using CFD tools. The experimental data provided in this paper are reliable for improving the aerodynamic characteristics of the open axial fan.

Tomographic PIV investigation on coherent vortex structures over shark-skin-inspired drag-reducing riblets

Nature has shown us that the microstructure of the skin of fast-swimming sharks in the ocean can reduce the skin friction drag due to the well-known shark-skin effect.In the present study,the effect of shark-skin-inspired riblets on coherent vortex structures in a turbulent boundary layer（TBL） is investigated.This is done by means of tomographic particle image velocimetry（TPIV） measurements in channel fl ws over an acrylic plate of drag-reducing riblets at a friction Reynolds number of 190.The turbulent fl ws over drag-reducing riblets are verifie by a planar time-resolved particle image velocimetry（TRPIV） system initially,and then the TPIV measurements are performed.Two-dimensional（2D） experimental results with a dragreduction rate of around 4.81% are clearly visible over triangle riblets with a peak-to-peak spacing s＋of 14,indicating from the drag-reducing performance that the buffer layer within the TBL has thickened;the logarithmic law region has shifted upward and the Reynolds shear stress decreased.A comparison of the spatial topological distributions of the spanwise vorticity of coherent vortex structures extracted at different wall-normal heights through the improved quadrant splitting method shows that riblets weaken the amplitudesof the spanwise vorticity when ejection（Q2） and sweep（Q4） events occur at the near wall,having the greatest effect on Q4 events in particular.The so-called quadrupole statistical model for coherent structures in the whole TBL is verified Meanwhile,their spatial conditional-averaged topological shapes and the spatial scales of quadrupole coherent vortex structures as a whole in the overlying turbulent fl w over riblets are changed,suggesting that the riblets dampen the momentum and energy exchange between the regions of near-wall and outer portion of the TBL by depressing the bursting events（Q2 and Q4）,thereby reducing the skin friction drag.

COMPUTATIONAL AND EXPERI-MENTAL STUDY ON TIP LEAKAGE VORTEX OF CIRCUMFERENTIAL SKEWED BLADES

In the steady operation condition, the experiments and the numerical simulations are used to investigate the tip leakage flow fields in three low pressure axial flow fans with three kinds of circumferential skewed rotors, including the radial rotor, the forward-skewed rotor and the back- ward-skewed rotor. The three-dimensional viscous flow fields of the fans are computed. In the experiments, the two-dimensional plane particle image velocimetry （PIV） system is used to measure the flow fields in the tip region of three different pitchwise positions of each fan. The results show that the computational results agree well with the experimental data in the flow field of the tip region of each fan. The tip leakage vortex core segments based on method of the eigenmode analysis can display clearly some characteristics of the tip leakage vortex, such as the origination position of tip leak- age vortex, the development of vortex strength, and so on. Compared with the radial rotor, the other two skewed rotors can increase the stability of the tip leakage vortex and the increment in the forward-skewed rotor is more than that in the backward-skewed one. Among the tip leakage vortices of the three rotors, the velocity of the vortex in the forward-skewed rotor is th6 highest in the circumferential direction and the lowest in the axial direction.

A study on coherent structures and drag-reduction in the wall turbulence with polymer additives by TRPIV

An experimental measurement was performed us- ing time-resolved particle image velocimetry （TRPIV） to in- vestigate the spatial topological character of coherent struc- tures in wall-bounded turbulence of polymer additive solu- tion. The fully developed near-wall turbulent flow fields with and without polymer additives at the same Reynolds number were measured by TRPIV in a water channel. The compar- isons of turbulent statistics confirm that due to viscoelastic structure of long-chain polymers, the wall-normal velocity fluctuation and Reynolds shear stress in the near-wall region are suppressed significantly. Furthermore, it is noted that such a behavior of polymers is closely related to the decease of the motion of the second and forth quadrants, i.e., the ejection and sweep events, in the near-wall region. The spa- tial topological mode of coherent structures during bursts has been extracted by the new mu-level criteria based on locally averaged velocity structure function. Although the general shapes of coherent structures are unchanged by polymer additives, the fluctuating velocity, velocity gradient, velocity strain rate and vorticity of coherent structures during burst events are suppressed in the polymer additive solution com- pared with that in water. The results show that due to the polymer additives the occurrence and intensity of coherent structures are suppressed, leading to drag reduction.

Visualization of the Precessing Vortex Core in a Cyclone Separator by PIV

The precessing vortex core (PVC) in a cyclone separator plays an important role in the separation performance and in further understanding of the general law of periodic unsteady flow therein. In this paper, the unsteady flow field is investigated with particle image velocimetry (PIV), and the instantaneous velocity, vorticity, tangential velocity, and radial velocity are acquired by analyzing the images of instantaneous flow. It is for the first time reported that there is a centrifugal flow region close to the dust discharge zone and its maximum value is higher than the mean radial velocity. This discovery is very important for understanding the principle of separation of particles in the area of dust discharge. Determination of the frequency and amplitude of PVC was conducted in the region where the phenomenon of PVC is remarkable. Results agree well with those obtained by hot wire anemometry. The observations of the center of vortex core and the bimodal distribution of the amplitude of the PVC indicate the vortex core precesses around the geometric axis of the cyclone in its own way.

Analysis of Turbulence Structure in the Stirred Tank with a Deep Hollow Blade Disc Turbine by Time-resolved PIV

The turbulence structure in the stirred tank with a deep hollow blade(semi-ellispe) disc turbine(HEDT) was investigated by using time-resolved particle image velocimetry(TRPIV) and traditional PIV.In the stirred tank,the turbulence generated by blade passage includes the periodic components and the random turbulent ones.Traditional PIV with angle-resolved measurement and TRPIV with wavelet analysis were both used to obtain the random turbulent kinetic energy as a comparison.The wavelet analysis method was successfully used in this work to separate the random turbulent kinetic energy.The distributions of the periodic kinetic energy and the random turbulent kinetic energy were obtained.In the impeller region,the averaged random turbulent kinetic energy was about 2.6 times of the averaged periodic one.The kinetic energies at different wavelet scales from a6 to d1 were also calculated and compared.TRPIV was used to record the sequence of instantaneous velocity in the impeller stream.The evolution of the impeller stream was observed clearly and the sequence of the vorticity field was also obtained for the identification of vortices.The slope of the energy spectrum was approximately-5/3 in high frequency representing the existence of inertial subrange and some isotropic properties in stirred tank.From the power spectral density(PSD) ,one peak existed evidently,which was located at f0(blade passage frequency) generated by the blade passage.

Particle image velocimetry measurements of vortex structures in stilling basin of multi-horizontal submerged jets

Measurements of turbulent flow fields in a stilling basin of multi-horizontal submerged jets were made with the single- camera Particle Image Velocimetry （PIV）. The particle images were captured, processed, and subsequently used to characterize the flow in terms of the 2-D velocity and vorticity distributions. This study shows that the maximum close-to-bed velocity in the stilling basin is approximately reduced by 60%, comparing to the jet velocity at the outlet of orifices. The jet velocity is distributed evenly at the latter half of the stilling basin and the time-averaged velocity of the cross section is reduced by 77%-85%, comparing to the jet velocity at the outlet of orifices. These results show that the vortices with horizontal axes are continuously repeated during the form-merge-split-disappear process. The vertical vortices are continuously formed and disappeared, they appear randomly near the slab and intermittently reach the slab of the stilling basin. The range of these vortices is small. Vortices with horizontal axes and ver- tical vortices do not coincide in space and the vortices with horizontal axes only affect the position of the tail of the vertical vortices attached to the slab of the stilling basin.

A refinement of scaling laws in wall turbulence

As a universal conclusion of turbulent scale, scaling laws are important to the research on statistic turbulence. We measured two-dimensional instantaneous velocity field in turbulent boundary layers of flat plate with the momentum thickness Reynolds number Reθ=2 167. Scaling laws have different forms in different wall distance and scale. We proposed an expected scaling law and compared it with the She-Leveque (SL) scaling law based on the wavelet analysis and traditional statistical methods. Results show that the closer to the wall, the more the expected scaling law approached to the SL scaling law.

Theoretical and Experimental Analysis of Vortex Origin

Several investigations refer to the issue of creation and identification of vortices in flows with different regime and presence of obstacles. Reasons have to do with the crucial role that vortices play in nature and industrial processes （sediment transport, mixing, radiation, noise, etc.）. Despite the contributions, further work is needed in order to perform more analysis of the mathematical arguments used to explain this phenomenon. In this idea order, the paper presents some advances in mathematical analysis and experimental results. In the first section, we do a description of the fluid motion from a fractional view through a sequence of three steps： Darcy＇s law, Navier-Stokes equations and Reynolds equations. Next, a representation of the temporal change of kinetic energy is found, which allows the possibility of the two signs. We obtain a description of the process of vortex creation. A length that represents the transition between flow and vortex intensity is found; then a succession of lengths is established that allows scaling from micro to macro. In the second section, experimental results are present; we consider vortex creation and its detection upstream of a bed form similar to that found in rivers, installed in an open channel, equipped with a water circulation system. For vortex detection, a methodology based on the particle image velocimetry PIV technique is proposed. So, we fulfill two objectives： vortex identification and its passage frequencies behind the bed form installed in the channel. Such procedure allows a computer process time reduction in vortices identification task.

A single camera volumetric particle image velocimetry and its application

Volumetric particle image velocimetry(VPIV) refers to a PIV-based technique which can obtain full velocity components in a three-dimensional measurement volume.A new VPIV method with a single lens was developed.A three-vision prism was used to make viewing from different angles using one camera.The technique was tested and successfully applied to a three-dimensional three-component(3D3C) measurement of a zero-net-mass-flux jet flow.The accuracy of the measurement was investigated,specifically in steps of calibration,self-calibration and particle triangulation.Time sequence of a vortex ring development was presented.It was shown that the measurement has high accuracy with validation rate of velocity vector reaching about 95%.The flow with vortex ring passing the measurement volume was studied using both swirl strength and vorticity magnitude criteria.Through comparison,the swirl criterion was found to be superior to the criterion of vorticity in differentiating the rotation motion and the free shear.

Estimation of the turbulent viscous shear stress in a centrifugal rotary blood pump by the large eddy particle image velocimetry method

The non-physiologic turbulent flows in centrifugal rotary blood pumps (RBPs) may result in complications such as the hemolysis and the platelet activation. Recent researches suggest that the turbulent viscous dissipation in the smallest eddies is the main factor of the blood trauma caused by the turbulent flow. The turbulent viscous shear stress (TVSS) was taken as the realistic physical force acting on the cells. However, limited by the temporal and spatial resolutions of the instrumentation currently available, very limited studies are available for the TVSS in the RBPs. In this paper, the large eddy particle image velocimetry (PIV) method is used to estimate the turbulent dissipation rate in the sub-grid scale, to investigate the effect of the TVSS on the blood trauma. Detailed flow characteristics, such as the relative velocity vectors, the estimated TVSS levels and the Kolmogorov length scales, are analyzed in three impeller phases at three constant flow rates (3 L/min, 5 L/min and 7 L/min). Over the measures range in this study, the maximum TVSS in the investigated RBP is lower than the reported critical value of stress. This study demonstrates that the large eddy PIV method is effective to evaluate the flow-dependent force on the cells. On the other hand, it is found that the TVSS is highly dependent on the flow behavior. Under severe off-design conditions, the complex flow characteristics, such as the flow separation and the vortical structures, will increase the TVSS. Thus, in order to reduce the hemolysis in the RBPs, the flow disturbance, induced by the departure of the incidence angle, should be avoided during the design of the RBPs.