Measurements in the near-wall region of a boundary layer over a wall with large transverse curvature

Abstract

Measurements of the near-wall velocity field of the flow over cylinders aligned with a uniform flow are presented. The broader objective of this investigation was to quantify and understand the role of transverse curvature in the limit as cylinder diameter approaches zero. The specific goal was to begin with a turbulent boundary layer over a larger radius cylinder and see what happens as the radius is reduced. Spatially and temporally resolved digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) measurements were made on three different radius cylinders, 0.14 cm ≤ a ≤ 3.05 cm, extending along the length of a large free-surface water tunnel. Mean and fluctuating profiles are presented at a fixed streamwise location and free-stream speed. For the first time, spatially resolved measurements were made very close to the wall, permitting direct determination of wall shear stress, i.e. uτ, from near-wall velocity profiles. The measurements revealed a region close to the wall for small radii where the mean streamwise velocity profile is inflectional. This has significant implications on assumptions regarding what happens in the limit of a vanishing cylinder radius.