Jagannathan, Shriram (2012-02). Characterizing the Separation and Reattachment of Suction Surface Boundary Layer in Low Pressure Turbine Using Massively Parallel Large Eddy Simulations. Master's Thesis.
Thesis
The separation and reattachment of the suction surface boundary layer in a low pressure turbine is characterized using large-eddy simulation at Re=68,000 based on freestream velocity and suction surface length. A high pass filtered Smagorinsky model is used for modeling the sub-grid scales. The onset of time mean separation is at s=so = 0:61 and reattachment at s=so = 0:81, extending over 20% of the suction surface. The boundary layer is convectively unstable with a maximum reverse flow velocity of about 13% of freestream. The breakdown to turbulence occurs over a very short distance of suction surface which is followed by reattachment. Detailed investigations into the structure and kinematics of the bubble and turbulence statistics are presented. The vortex shed from the bubble, convects downstream and interacts with the trailing edge vortices increasing the turbulence intensity. On the suction side, dominant hairpin structures near the transitional and turbulent flow regime are observed. These hairpin vortices are carried by the freestream even downstream of the trailing edge of the blade with a possibility of reaching the next stage. Longitudinal streaks that evolve from the breakdown of hairpin vortices formed near the leading edge are observed on the pressure surface.
