A vertically oscillating plate disturbing the development of a boundary layer

Abstract

A vertically oscillating plate in a boundary layer regulates the vorticity flux rate with respect to time and displaces the vorticity away from the wall. These phenomena are discussed for non-dimensional frequencies of the oscillating plate K = 0, 0.006, 0.01 and 0.02. The velocity data obtained by a split-fibre probe near the wall in the region immediately downstream of the oscillating plate lead to a discussion on the behaviour of the flow structures with respect to the non-dimensional frequency. The physical understanding deduced is complementary to the findings of a smoke-wire flow visualization conducted in this study. An integral analysis of the momentum equation indicates that the mean vorticity flux rate of the present flow is composed of contributions from both the parallel shear layer and the curving streamline. This analysis further suggests that the mean vorticity flux rate can be obtained through a combination of pressure measurements at the wall and in the irrotational region of the flow.