Vortex dynamics and energy transfer in turbulent 3D bluff-body wakes.

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Bluff-bodies are diagnostic simplifications for a wide range of flow geometries of industrial and environmental importance such as: free-standing structures (buildings, bridges, wind turbines); mixing devices (in combustors, chemical reactors or heat exchangers); rough and urban terrain. The flow separation process on the obstacle surfaces gives rise to highly energetic, large-scale regions of rotating and recirculating flow. These coherent flow structures interact, causing distortions of the velocity field leading to energy transfer to smaller but more intense motions, which travel downstream and are responsible for high levels of concentrated velocity fluctuations (turbulence), unsteady forces and enhanced mixing. The present program addresses fundamental and applied challenges for understanding these flows and designing devices: the development of robust and statistically objective techniques to characterize unsteady flow behaviour, the formulation of a mathematical framework for modelling and controlling these flows; and a fundamental understanding of how geometry and incident flow conditions affect the flow physics.The five-year research objectives are to understand and control the dynamics of turbulent wakes for surface-mounted bluff-bodies; focusing on the influence of the incident boundary layer, obstacle geometry and tip-flow interactions on turbulence characteristics and flow evolution. This work is underpinned by the development of generalized diagnostic conditional averaging techniques to objectively represent coherent and turbulent motion. This approach sets the basis for dynamically consistent reduced-order mathematical models to investigate energy transfer and flow control strategies.The outcomes of this program are important scientific and engineering advances relevant to fundamental studies and practice. The research addresses prediction and control. The proposed experiments are heuristic simplifications designed to provide insights in the underlying physics of wake flows pertinent to flow-devices, fluid-structure interactions, mixing processes and environmental safety. The generalized conditional averaging methodology permits novel, dynamically consistent approaches for analysing unsteady flow behaviour by separating deterministic (coherent) and stochastic (turbulent) energetic contributions. The resulting representation, for example, improves the accuracy of unsteady-load predictions and yields new insights to guide turbulence model development. This approach can be extended to studies of structural dynamics and noise generation. The reduced-order formulation is a cornerstone of flow control strategies, e.g. to suppress noise generation or stall on compressor or wind turbine blades. This technique can improve design practice by providing a rapid interactive visualisation tool, capable of isolating and modelling engineering relevant flow quantities, without recourse to extensive and time-consuming simulation procedures. In this program highly qualified personnel are trained in state-of-the-art optical techniques, remote-sensing technologies, mathematical and computational tools. The focus is to develop a strong expertise in fluid mechanics fundamentals and their applications to industry driven engineering developments. The interdisciplinary nature of the training is supplemented by international and national collaborations. This strategy aims to develop independent engineers, with sound critical judgment and flexible skills.The program’s potential benefits to Canada are: increased industry competitiveness and lower greenhouse gas emissions (e.g. improved aircraft engine and wind turbine performance); wind-damage mitigation; new technologies and advanced training of highly qualified personnel.