Effects of surface roughness on the flow characteristics in a turbulent boundary layer
type: CreativeWork
description: The present understanding of the structure and dynamics of turbulent boundary layers on aerodynamically smooth walls has been clarified over the last decade or so. However, the dynamics of turbulent boundary layers over rough surfaces is much less well known. Nevertheless, there are many industrial and environmental flow applications that require understanding of the mean velocity and turbulence in the immediate vicinity of the roughness elements. This thesis reports the effects of surface roughness on the flow characteristics in a turbulent boundary layer. Both experimental and numerical investigations are used in the present study. For the experimental study, comprehensive data sets are obtained for two-dimensional zero pressure-gradient turbulent boundary layers on a smooth surface and ten different rough surfaces created from sand paper, perforated sheet, and woven wire mesh. The physical size and geometry of the roughness elements and freestream velocity were chosen to encompass both transitionally rough and fully rough flow regimes. Three different probes, namely, Pitot probe, single hot-wire, and cross hot-film, were used to measure the velocity fields in the turbulent boundary layer. A Pitot probe was used to measure the streamwise mean velocity, while the single hot-wire and cross hot-film probes were used to measure the fluctuating velocity components across the boundary layer. The flow Reynolds number based on momentum thickness, , ranged from 3730 to 13,550. The data reported include mean velocity, streamwise and wall-normal turbulence intensities, Reynolds shear stress, triple correlations, as well as skewness and flatness factors. Different scaling parameters were used to interpret and assess both the smooth- and rough-wall data at different Reynolds numbers, for approximately the same freestream velocity. The appropriateness of the logarithmic law and power law proposed by George and Castillo (1997) to describe the mean velocity in the overlap region …
abstract: The present understanding of the structure and dynamics of turbulent boundary layers on aerodynamically smooth walls has been clarified over the last decade or so. However, the dynamics of turbulent boundary layers over rough surfaces is much less well known. Nevertheless, there are many industrial and environmental flow applications that require understanding of the mean velocity and turbulence in the immediate vicinity of the roughness elements. This thesis reports the effects of surface roughness on the flow characteristics in a turbulent boundary layer. Both experimental and numerical investigations are used in the present study. For the experimental study, comprehensive data sets are obtained for two-dimensional zero pressure-gradient turbulent boundary layers on a smooth surface and ten different rough surfaces created from sand paper, perforated sheet, and woven wire mesh. The physical size and geometry of the roughness elements and freestream velocity were chosen to encompass both transitionally rough and fully rough flow regimes. Three different probes, namely, Pitot probe, single hot-wire, and cross hot-film, were used to measure the velocity fields in the turbulent boundary layer. A Pitot probe was used to measure the streamwise mean velocity, while the single hot-wire and cross hot-film probes were used to measure the fluctuating velocity components across the boundary layer. The flow Reynolds number based on momentum thickness, , ranged from 3730 to 13,550. The data reported include mean velocity, streamwise and wall-normal turbulence intensities, Reynolds shear stress, triple correlations, as well as skewness and flatness factors. Different scaling parameters were used to interpret and assess both the smooth- and rough-wall data at different Reynolds numbers, for approximately the same freestream velocity. The appropriateness of the logarithmic law and power law proposed by George and Castillo (1997) to describe the mean velocity in the overlap region …
author: Akinlade, Olajide Ganiyu
language: en_US
keywords: Two-Layer Model, Wall Function Formulation, Reynolds Stress Components, Rough Wall, Turbulent Boundary Layer, Skin Friction Drag
date published: 2005-11-28
date modified: 2026-07-24T04:27:18Z
provider: University of Saskatchewan
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Saskatchewan

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: https://hdl.handle.net/10388/etd-01032006-225406