On Hot-Wire Diagnostics in Rayleigh-Taylor Mixing Layers

Abstract

Two hot-wire flow diagnostics have been developed to measure a variety of turbulence statistics in the buoyancy driven, air-helium Rayleigh-Taylor mixing layer. The first diagnostic uses a multi-position, multi-overheat (MPMO) single wire technique that is based on evaluating the wire response function to variations in density, velocity and orientation, and gives time-averaged statistics inside the mixing layer. The second diagnostic utilizes the concept of temperature as a fluid marker, and employs a simultaneous three-wire/cold-wire anemometry technique (S3WCA) to measure instantaneous statistics. Both of these diagnostics have been validated in a low Atwood number (A t ≤ 0.04), small density difference regime, that allowed validation of the diagnostics with similar experiments done in a hot-water/cold-water water channel facility. Good agreement is found for the measured growth parameters for the mixing layer, velocity fluctuation anisotropy, velocity fluctuation p.d.f behavior, and measurements of molecular mixing. We describe in detail the MPMO and S3WCA diagnostics, and the validation measurements in the low Atwood number regime (A t ≤ 0.04). We also outline the advantages of each technique for measurement of turbulence statistics in fluid mixtures with large density differences.

Department(s)

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Keywords and Phrases

Rayleigh-Taylor Mixing Layer; Hot-Wire Flow Diagnostics; Turbulence Statistics

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

0723-4864

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2009 Springer Verlag, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Mar 2009

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