Turbulent Boundary Layer on a Cylinder in Axial Flow
Abstract
This report reviews research on the turbulent boundary layer that develops on a cylinder in axial flow. Experimental results indicate that the transverse curvature results in a higher coefficient of friction and a fuller velocity profile than for a planar boundary layer. However, appropriate scaling laws and nondimensional scaling parameters are still elusive. The few turbulence measurements such as Reynolds stress and intermittency that are available for a cylindrical boundary layer suggest that the distribution of turbulent quantities in the boundary layer is somewhat different from a planar boundary layer, particularly as the boundary layer becomes thick compared to the radius of the cylinder. This is most likely a result of the tendency for a cylindrical boundary layer to become wake-like as the cylinder becomes very small. Measurements of turbulence intensity and detection of turbulence-generating events in a cylindrical boundary layer suggest that the mechanism for the production of turbulence near the wall is similar to that for other wall-bounded flows. However, there is experimental evidence that the outer flow interacts with the near-wall flow to modify the generation of turbulence. Suggestions for further work include more comprehensive and sophisticated measurements of turbulent quantities in cylindrical boundary layers as well as computational modeling.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 29, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA201102
Entities
People
- Richard M. Lueptow
Organizations
- Naval Underwater Systems Center