Mean Velocity, Reynolds Shear Stress, and Fluctuations of Velocity and Pressure Due to Log Laws in a Turbulent Boundary Layer and Origin Offset by Prandtl Transposition Theorem

Abstract

The maxima of Reynolds shear stress and turbulent burst mean period time are crucial points in the intermediate region (termed as mesolayer) for large Reynolds numbers. The three layers (inner, meso, and outer) in a turbulent boundary layer have been analyzed from open equations of turbulent motion, independent of any closure model like eddy viscosity or mixing length, etc. Little above (or below not considered here) the critical point, the matching of mesolayer predicts the log law velocity, peak of Reynolds shear stress domain, and turbulent burst time period. The instantaneous velocity vector after subtraction of mean velocity vector yields the velocity fluctuation vector, also governed by log law. The static pressure fluctuation p′ also predicts log laws in the inner, outer, and mesolayer. The relationship between u′/Ue with u/Ue from structure of turbulent boundary layer is presented in inner, meso, and outer layers. The turbulent bursting time period has been shown to scale with the mesolayer time scale; and Taylor micro time scale; both have been shown to be equivalent in the mesolayer. The shape factor in a turbulent boundary layer shows linear behavior with nondimensional mesolayer length scale. It is shown that the Prandtl transposition (PT) theorem connects the velocity of normal coordinate y with s offset to y + a, then the turbulent velocity profile vector and pressure fluctuation log laws are altered; but skin friction log law, based on outer velocity Ue, remains independent of a the offset of origin. But if skin friction log law is based on bulk average velocity Ub, then skin friction log law depends on a, the offset of origin. These predictions are supported by experimental and direct numerical simulation (DNS) data.