Wall turbulence manipulation by large-scale streamwise vortices

This paper describes an experimental study of the manipulation of a fully developed turbulent channel flow through large-scale streamwise vortices originated by vortex generator jets distributed along the wall in the spanwise direction. Apart from the interest in flow management itself, an important aim of the research is to observe the response of the flow to external perturbations as a technique for investigating the structure of turbulence. Considerable mean and fluctuating skin friction reductions, locally as high as 30% and 50% respectively, were measured for an optimal forcing flow intensity. Mean and fluctuating velocity profiles are also greatly modified by the manipulating large-scale vortices; in particular, attenuation of the turbulence intensity was measured. Moreover the flow manipulation caused an increase in longitudinal coherence of the wall organized motions, accompanied by a reduced frequency of burst events, demonstrated by a reduction of the velocity time derivative PDFs and by an higher intermittency. A strong transversal periodic organization of the flow field was observed, including some typical behaviours in each of the periodic boxes originated by the interaction of the vortex pairs. Results are interpreted and discussed in terms of management of the near-wall turbulent structures and with reference to the wall turbulence regeneration mechanisms suggested in the literature.