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TWO NORMAL TANDEM FLAT PLATES: TURBULENT KINETIC ENERGY

Conference Paper · September 2015

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8 ANKARA INTERNATIONAL AEROSPACE CONFERENCE AIAC-2015-026
10-12 September 2015 - METU, Ankara TURKEY

TWO NORMAL TANDEM FLAT PLATES: TURBULENT KINETIC ENERGY

Hasan Hacisevki 1 Amir Teimourian2

Eastern Mediterranean University Eastern Mediterranean University
Famagusta, Northern Cyprus Famagusta, Northern Cyprus

ABSTRACT
In this study the turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) production in downstream wake of two normal flat
plates in tandem arrangement has been investigated experimentally. Coherent and incoherent TKE
phase averaged contours and time average graph has been plotted for various normalized stream
wise coordinate (x/D) behind the aft plate. Turbulent kinetic energy production contours reveal that the
main turbulent kinetic energy production occurs in the either sides of the shear layer. However, it was
observed that as the TKE develops towards the downstream the peak production shifted to near the
centerline in the wake region.

INTRODUCTION
One of the most significant features of flow structures behind bluff bodies is the formation of Vortex
Street in the wake region behind them. Bluff bodies such as circular cylinder [Ozgoren et al, 2011;
Zdrakovich, 1996], square cylinder [Ozgoren, 2006] or flat plate [Mazharoglu and Hacisevki, 1999;
Afgan et al] have been investigated numerically or experimentally.
In addition, the interaction of these vortices in the downstream wake of tandem bluff bodies are an
area of interest. The investigation on the mechanism of vortex shedding revealed that while close
proximity of bluff bodies in tandem behave like single bluff body, by increasing the gap between the
bodies the initiated shear layer from upstream body may attach to the downstream body and therefore
dual shedding mode phenomenon would be observed [Bentley and Mudd, 2003; Havel et al, 2001].
In this report the main investigation is focused on turbulent kinetic energy production and it diffusion
within the near wake behind two tandem flat plate.

EXPERIMENTAL SETUP AND METHODOLOGY

The experiment were conducted at subsonic wind tunnel located in the aerodynamics laboratory of
Eastern Mediterranean University. The test section of wind tunnel were 500 mm by 500 mm in cross
section with 1000 mm length. Stream wise and transverse velocity component have been acquired by
employing TSI Flowpint 1500 CTA Hot-Wire anemometer system for various x/D ratios behind the
4
plates. The investigation performed at Reynolds number 3.3x10 based on the flat plate width and the
measured turbulence intensity were 0.5 - 0.8%.
The two flat plate with cross sectional measurement of 30 mm width by 6 mm thickness made of
plexiglass were used for the experiments. Figure 1 illustrate the experimental set up, coordinates and
distance ratios.

1
Prof. in a Department of Mechanical Engineering, Email:hasan.hacisevki@emu.edu.tr
2
PhD student in a Department of Mechanical Engineering, Email: amir.teimourian@cc.emu.edu.tr
AIAC-2015-026 Hacisevki & Teimourian

Traverse mechanism

y
Flow

D
x

g x-wire probe

Figure 1: Experimental setup

The flow properties have been analyzed by triple decomposition method and ensemble averaging
techniques as described by Hussain [1986] and Reynolds and Hussain [1972]. Therefore, any
instantaneous properties of flow can be defined as superposition of time-mean averaged component,
coherent component and incoherent component as follow
~
      
For phase averaging technique, the operation will be performed on successive data having the same
phase with respect to a specific wave. Therefore,
1 n
   i
n 1
Where n is the number of cycles used for phase averaging and   is the value of incoherent
component at the same normalized time successive cycles. Applying the triple decomposition method
and phase averaging techniques on the Navier-Stokes momentum equation will be resulted a modified
Navier-Stokes equation with an extra expression in the Reynolds stress term.

RESULTS
In this report the phase averaged coherent and incoherent turbulent energy production behind two
normal flat plates in tandem has been investigated and some remarkable features of this periodic flow
has been studies. In addition time averaged normal Reynolds stress has been studied to gain a better
understanding of this phenomenon.
Figure 2 illustrated the development of the coherent turbulent kinetic energy in the downstream wake
of the tandem plates. As it can be seen from the figure the evolution of the TKE is clearly evident. At
near wake the TKE production is concentrated at either sides of the separated shear layer
corresponding the shed vortices. However, as the probe moves further downstream, the TKE
developed and grows toward the centerline. Thus at x/D=4.0, the TKE produced in the wake in a
region as wide as the initiated shear layers but with highest peak production approximately along the
centerline. This observation implies that in the region very close to the plates the TKE peak production
occurs once per cycle at each sides of the wake. However, it can be concluded that for distances
beyond x/D=3.0, the turbulent kinetic energy reaches its peak twice per cycle for all points in the wake
region.

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Tandem g/D=0.5 at x/D=0.5 Tandem g/D=0.5 at x/D=2.0

2 2

~2 ~2 ~2 ~2
<u> + <v> <u> + <v>
1 0.084 1 0.149
0.078 0.138
0.071 0.126
0.065 0.115
0.058 0.103

y/D
y/D

0 0.052 0 0.092
0.045 0.080
0.039 0.069
0.032 0.057
0.026 0.046
-1 -1
0.019 0.034
0.013 0.023
0.006 0.011
0.000 0.000
-2 -2

0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1

t/T t/T

Tandem g/D=0.5 at x/D=1.0 Tandem g/D=0.5 at x/D=4.0

2 2

~2 ~2 ~2 ~2
<u> + <v> <u> + <v>
1 0.113 1 0.112
0.104 0.103
0.096 0.095
0.087 0.086
0.078 0.078
y/D
y/D

0 0.070 0 0.069
0.061 0.060
0.052 0.052
0.043 0.043
0.035 0.034
-1 -1
0.026 0.026
0.017 0.017
0.009 0.009
0.000 0.000
-2 -2

0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1

t/T t/T

Figure 2: Coherent Turbulent Kinetic Energy for various x/D behind the

Figure 3 demonstrated the incoherent turbulent energy for x/D ratios between 0.5 and 4.0 in the wake
region behind the plates. In a similar manner to coherent turbulent kinetic energy, incoherent TKE
development in the downstream wake is clearly apparent. It can be seen from the figure that, as
periodic flow developed by advancing further in the downstream wake, the incoherent TKE also
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developed within the edges of the periodic flow. From the figure it can be concluded that in the wake
region very close to the plates there is no apparent features of periodic flow. However further in the
downstream wake, the periodic features of flow develops and become more observable.
Figure 4 shows time averaged incoherent stream wise and transverse normal Reynolds stresses for
various gap ratios between the plates. The acquired data has been measured at x/D=2.0 behind the
plates and normalized with free stream velocity. As it can be seen from the figure transverse stress
shows two peaks which approximately corresponding to the edges of the plates. İn contrary stream
wise stress reaches a maximum along the centerline.

Tandem g/D=0.5 at x/D=0.5 Tandem g/D=0.5 at x/D=2.0

2 2

'2 '2
<u >+<v > '2
<u >+<v >
'2

1 0.129 1 0.094
0.119 0.087
0.109 0.080
0.099 0.072
0.089 0.065
y/D

y/D
0 0.079 0 0.058
0.070 0.051
0.060 0.044
0.050 0.036
0.040 0.029
-1 0.030 -1
0.022
0.020 0.015
0.010 0.008
0.000 0.000
-2 -2

0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1

t/T t/T

Tandem g/D=0.5 at x/D=1.0 Tandem g/D=0.5 at x/D=4.0

2 2

'2 '2 '2 '2

<u >+<v > <u >+<v >
1 0.112 1 0.096
0.103 0.089
0.095 0.081
0.086 0.074
0.067
y/D

0.078
y/D

0 0 0.059
0.069
0.060 0.052
0.052 0.045
0.043 0.038
0.035 -1 0.030
-1 0.023
0.026
0.017 0.016
0.009 0.008
0.000 0.001
-2 -2

0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1

t/T t/T

Figure 3: Incoherent Turbulent Kinetic Energy for various x/D behind the plates

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Moreover, it can be concluded that as the gap between plates increases the normal Reynolds stresses
decrease. As mentioned earlier, as the gap ratio between two bluff bodies increases the wake
structure would developed from single body shedding mode to dual shedding mode. Hence, while at
g/D=0.2 the single shedding mode is dominant, the vortices could not roll up inside the gap and the
shear layer initiated from fore body would roll up behind the plates.
However, for gap ratio of 2.0, the flow entrained inside the gap and the vortices also rolls up in the gap
and less incoherent TKE transfers to the wake region behind the plates, consequently.

0.04 0.04

<v'2>
<u'2>

g/D=0.2


g/D=0.2


g/D=0.5 0.02 g/D=0.5

0.02
g/D=2.0 g/D=2.0

0 0
-2 -1 0 1 2 -2 -1 0 1 2
y/D y/D

Figure 4: Time averaged incoherent normal Reynolds stress

CONCLUSION
The Coherent and incoherent turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) in the downstream wake of two normal
flat plate in tandem arrangement has been investigated experimentally. From the result the evolution
of the TKE production in the downstream wake was clearly evident. It was observed that at near wake
the TKE is concentrated at sides of the separated shear layer while further downstream the peaks
occurred at centerline. Moreover time averaged incoherent normal Reynolds stresses revealed that
double peaks corresponding to the edges of the plates in transverse direction. Finally, transition from
single shedding mode to dual shedding mode apparent from stream wise and transverse stresses.

References

Afgan, Imran, Benhamadouche, Sofiane, Han, Xingsi, Sagaut, Pierre, & Laurence, Dominique. (2013).
Flow over a flat plate with uniform inlet and incident coherent gusts. Journal of Fluid Mechanics,
720, 457-485.
Bentley, JP, & Mudd, JW. (2003). Vortex shedding mechanisms in single and dual bluff bodies. Flow
Measurement and instrumentation, 14(1), 23-31.
Havel, B, Hangan, H, & Martinuzzi, R. (2001). Buffeting for 2D and 3D sharp-edged bluff bodies.
Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, 89(14), 1369-1381.
Hussain, AKM. (1986). Coherent structures and turbulence. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 173, 303-356.
Mazharoǧlu, Çetin, & Hacışevki, Hasan. (1999). Coherent and incoherent flow structures behind a
normal flat plate. Experimental thermal and fluid science, 19(3), 160-167.
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Measurement and Instrumentation, 17(4), 225-235.
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structures in the downstream region of a cylinder and sphere. International Journal of Heat and
Fluid Flow, 32(6), 1138-1146.
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flow. Part 3. Theoretical models and comparisons with experiments. Journal of Fluid Mechanics,
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Zdravkovich, MM. (1996). Different modes of vortex shedding: an overview. Journal of fluids and
Structures, 10(5), 427-437.

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