The effects of concave curvature on turbulent boundary layer structure

This paper reports the results of flow visualization studies on the structure of turbulent boundary layers over concave walls. A flat plate turbulent boundary layer was grown on one wall of a straight, large water channel and then passed over a concave wall. The flow was visualized in two ways, (1) by injecting dyes into the sublayers and (2) by generating hydrogen bubbles on fine wires placed in the flow. Mean velocity and turbulence intensity profiles were measured using a hot film anemometer. The boundary layer on the concave wall was found to be dominated by randomly occurring, large-scale sweeps and ejections. The stationary roll-cells, or Taylor-Goertler structures are not a feature of this flow. The sweeps appear to inhibit the usual bursting mechanism for producing turbulence near the wall, while the ejections appear to create additional turbulence in the outer flow.