The stability of a flat plate boundary layer modulated by stationary streamwise vortices was studied experimentally in the T-324 low speed wind tunnel in Novosibirsk. Vortices were generated inside the boundary layer by means of roughness elements arranged in a regular array along the spanwise (z-) direction. Transition is not caused directly by these structures, but by the growth of small amplitude traveling waves riding on top of the steady vortices. This situation is analogous to the transition process in Görtler and cross-flows. The waves were found to amplify up to a stage where higher harmonics are generated, leading to turbulent breakdown and disintegration of the spanwise boundary layer structure. For strong modulations, the observed instability is quite powerful, and can be excited ‘‘naturally’’ by small uncontrollable background disturbances. Controlled oscillations were then introduced by means of a vibrating ribbon, allowing a detailed investigation of the wave characteristics. The instability seems to be associated with the spanwise gradients of the mean flow, ∂U/∂z, and at all z-positions, the maximum wave amplitude was found at a wall-normal position where the mean velocity is equal to the phase velocity of the wave, U(y)=c, i.e., at the local critical layer. Unstable waves were observed at frequencies well above those for which Tollmien–Schlichting (TS) waves amplify in the Blasius boundary layer. Excitation at lower frequencies and milder basic flow modulations showed that TS-type waves may also develop. The relation between TS-type waves and the observed high-frequency instability is discussed in the light of previous authors’ findings.

No abstract

The origin of turbulence in fluids is a long-standing problem being in focus of researches through decades due to its great importance in a variety of engineering applications. Meanwhile, the study of turbulence origin is a part of the fundamental physical problem of the turbulence description and the philosophical problem of determinism and chaos. This paper is concern to a review of new findings in the field of laminar-turbulent transition of near-wall flows.

An experimental study of the effect of riblets on three-dimensional nonlinear structures, the so-called Λ-vortices on laminar-turbulent transition showed that riblets delay the transformation of the Λ-vortices into turbulent spots and shift the point of transition downstream. This result is opposite to the negative influence of such ribbed surfaces on two-dimensional linear Tollmien-Schlichting waves (the linear stage of transition). Thus, the ribbed surface influences laminar-turbulent transition structures differently: a negative influence on the linear-stage transition structures and a positive influence on the nonlinear-stage transition structures. It is demonstrated that transition control by means of riblets requires special attention to be paid to the choice of their location, taking into account the stage of transition.

No abstract

No abstract

Results of experimental studies of round and plane propane microjet combustion in a transverse acoustic field at small Reynolds numbers are presented in this paper. Features of flame evolution under the given conditions are shown. Based on the new information obtained on free microjet evolution, new phenomena in flame evolution in a transverse acoustic field with round and plane propane microjet combustion are discovered and explained.

No abstract