Study of the nonlinear instability of a longitudinal structure generated by a roughness element in the boundary layer of a straight wing

Journal article, 2007

The results of experimental study of a nonlinear varicose instability of the streaky structure generated by roughness element in unswept-wing boundary layer are presented. Features of the varicose breakdown of longitudinal steady streaky structure such as modulation of structure in transverse and streamwise directions by secondary disturbance, occurrence of the new streaky structures and Lambda-structures downstream are shown. Spatio-temporal pictures of the hot-wire visualization of flow during spatial evolution of the streaky structures under influence of secondary high-frequency disturbance are discussed. Features of the adverse pressure gradient influence upon processes of the nonlinear varicose instability evolution and flow structure are revealed. Essential influence of the adverse pressure gradient on evolution of disturbances is shown. Comparison of varicose instability of the streaky structures generated in two different ways (the roughness element as in the given work, and continuous air blowing as in the earlier published work) is the carried out.