arXiv subjects

Witold Elsner

Publications and source records attributed to Witold Elsner.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Wavy-wall-based flow control for the suction side geometry of NACA4412 at Retau = 3000

The paper presents a high Reynolds number experimental study of turbulent boundary layer separation control on a convex plate using the wavy-wall method, which was initially proposed for a flat plate by Dr\'o\.zd\.z et al. 2021 (Exp Therm Fluid Sci 2021;121:110291). The application of this method increases the friction coefficient by up to 42.3%, resulting in a substantial delay in turbulent separation from the convex wall, while maintaining total momentum, quantified by changes in momentum-loss thickness. Other parameters indicating the high efficiency of the method are the invariant value of the friction Reynolds number along the flow and the thinner boundary layer. The above indicators demonstrate promising aerodynamic improvements in airfoils, similar to those achieved when active suction is applied to the suction side. The new insight into the physical mechanism of the wavy wall suggests that small-scale turbulent activity is the primary determinant of the effectiveness of the wavy wall in enhancing small-scale streamwise convection and the sweeping motion, resulting in superior momentum transport. However, when the wavy wall, due to poorly selected geometry, induces large-scale motions, such as separation in the trough, it counteracts the mechanism. Then this geometry has a detrimental effect on the efficiency of the method.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2025

Turbulent separation control with a tilted wavy wall: a promising approach for energy savings in aerodynamic systems

Recently, Kami\'nski et al. [1] demonstrated that a two-dimensional streamwise waviness with carefully selected amplitude and period can be effectively used in postponement of a flow separation at high Reynolds number which is out of reach for other commonly known passive flow control strategies. This paper demonstrates that this approach can be substantially improved by introducing a novel type of surface waviness characterized by tilting the subsequent waves. The research is performed by applying the Large Eddy Simulation (LES) method allowing for a detailed analysis of both instantaneous and time-averaged flow characteristics. It is shown that the tilting eliminates the occurrence of separation zones in waviness troughs, which minimizes the shape drag and maximizes the wall shear stress. In particular, compared to an optimal classical sinusoidal waviness shape the drag coefficient drops 14%. Simultaneously, 70% better performance in separation control is achieved. Moreover, it is also shown that when this issue is a priority, even further improvement can be achieved, though at the expense of greater drag.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2025

Sensitivity analysis of wavy wall performance in turbulent separation control: Effects of amplitude and period variations

The influence of transversely oriented sinusoidal wall corrugation on an incompressible isothermal flow in the near-wall region, subjected to adverse pressure gradient conditions at a friction Reynolds number of $Re_{\tau} = 2500$, is investigated using Large Eddy Simulation. This study is a continuation of the work of Kami\'nski et al. (2024) devoted to dynamics of the flow in the regions of crests and downhill/uphill waviness parts, and where the impact of the local and global pressure gradient were analysed. It focuses on the influence of the waviness parameters, such as amplitude ($A$) and number of waviness periods ($N_{\lambda}$) on the turbulent boundary layer separation. In terms of the effective slope, $ES\propto|{dA}/{dx}|$, where $x$ is the streamwise direction, the analyzed cases included the configurations with $ES$ ranging from $ES=0$ (flat wall) to $ES=0.2455$ ($A/\lambda=0.051$, where $\lambda$ is the length of a single waviness). Specifically, the primary objective was to identify a combination of $A$ and $N_{\lambda}$ that would result in the greatest increase in the wall-shear stress $\tau_w$, relative to the flat plate configuration, aiming to achieve the maximum postponement of turbulent separation. It is shown that the waviness significantly affects the flow field by enhancing the turbulent kinetic energy that leads to increased $\tau_w$. In particular, it is shown that the enhancement in TKE depends mainly on $ES$ and not on particular values of $A$ and $N_{\lambda}$. Namely, the cases which are significantly diversified by $A$ and $N_{\lambda}$ but are characterised by the same $ES$ exhibit almost identical TKE profiles. The highest increase in the wall-shear stress compared to the reference flat plate configuration was observed for the combination of $A$ and $N_{\lambda}$ corresponding to $ES=0.1473$.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2022

Convection Velocity in Turbulent Boundary Layers under Adverse Pressure Gradient

The convection velocity ($U_C$) of turbulent structures has been studied in adverse-pressure-gradient (APG) turbulent boundary layers (TBLs) for a wide range of Reynolds numbers $Re_\tau = 1400 - 4000$. The study is based on estimation of the convection velocity using decomposed streamwise skewness factor introduced in (Drozdz A., Elsner W., Int. J. of Heat and Fluid Flow. 63 (2017) 67\-74) and verified by means of two-point correlation method. It was shown that in the overlapping region of APG flows, the convection velocity profiles (when scaled in viscous units) reassemble the universal logarithmic law characteristic for the ZPG flows up to Clauser-Rota pressure gradient parameter $\beta \lesssim 19$ for the considered range of Reynolds number, what means that in the inner region of TBL the friction velocity in APG is not proportional to $U$ (as in ZPG) but to $U_C$ instead. The physical mechanism that explains the impact of increased convection velocity on the mean flow is proposed. The difference between $U_C$ and $U$ increases as a function of APG, which causes the stronger sweeping that enhances momentum transfer to the wall and compensates the weaker mean shear profile that is created by lower vorticity near the wall. This effect is a result of an enhancement of amplitude modulation of the small scales by large scale motion. The process becomes more pronounced as eddy density grows, so with increasing Re. The proposed model addresses a number of literature observations found in adverse pressure gradient flows which have been so far left without a well-founded explanation.

physics.flu-dyn↗