R. J. Lingwood

Absolute instability of the boundary layer on a rotating disk

This paper is concerned with the theoretical behaviour of the boundary-layer flow over a disk rotating in otherwise still fluid. The flow is excited impulsively at a certain radius at time t = 0. This paper analyses the inviscid stability of the flow and the stability with viscous, Coriolis and streamline curvature effects included. In both cases, within a specific range of the parameter space, it is shown that the flow is absolutely unstable, i.e. disturbances grow in time at every fixed point in space. Outside this range, the flow is convectively unstable or stable. The absolute or convective nature of the instabilities is determined by examining the branch-point singularities of the dispersion relation. Absolute instability is found for Reynolds numbers above 510. Experimentally observed values for the onset of transition from laminar to turbulent flow have an average value of 513. It is suggested that absolute instability may cause the onset of transition to turbulent flow. The results from the inviscid analysis show that the absolute instability is not caused by Coriolis effects nor by streamline curvature effects. This indicates that this mechanism may be possible on swept wings, where Coriolis effects are not present but the boundary layers are otherwise similar.

An experimental study of absolute instability of the rotating-disk boundary-layer flow

In this paper, the results of experiments on unsteady disturbances in the boundary-layer flow over a disk rotating in otherwise still air are presented. The flow was perturbed impulsively at a point corresponding to a Reynolds number R below the value at which transition from laminar to turbulent flow is observed. Among the frequencies excited are convectively unstable modes, which form a three-dimensional wave packet that initially convects away from the source. The wave packet consists of two families of travelling convectively unstable waves that propagate together as one packet. These two families are predicted by linear-stability theory: branch-2 modes dominate close to the source but, as the packet moves outwards into regions with higher Reynolds numbers, branch-1 modes grow preferentially and this behaviour was found in the experiment. However, the radial propagation of the trailing edge of the wave packet was observed to tend towards zero as it approaches the critical Reynolds number (about 510) for the onset of radial absolute instability. The wave packet remains convectively unstable in the circumferential direction up to this critical Reynolds number, but it is suggested that the accumulation of energy at a well-defined radius, due to the flow becoming radially absolutely unstable, causes the onset of laminar–turbulent transition. The onset of transition has been consistently observed by previous authors at an average value of 513, with only a small scatter around this value. Here, transition is also observed at about this average value, with and without artificial excitation of the boundary layer. This lack of sensitivity to the exact form of the disturbance environment is characteristic of an absolutely unstable flow, because absolute growth of disturbances can start from either noise or artificial sources to reach the same final state, which is determined by nonlinear effects.

The challenge of cancer control in Africa.

While the world is focused on controlling the spread of diseases such as HIV and malaria in the developing world, another approaching epidemic has been largely overlooked. The World Heath Organization predicts that there will be 16 million new cancer cases per year in 2020 and 70% of these will be in the developing world. Many of these cancers are preventable, or treatable when detected early enough. Establishing effective, affordable and workable cancer control plans in African countries is one step in the right direction toward limiting this epidemic.

Absolute instability of the Ekman layer and related rotating flows

This paper is concerned with the theoretical behaviour of the laminar Ekman layer and the family of related rotating problems that includes both the Bodewadt and the von Karman boundary-layer flows. Results from inviscid and viscous analyses are presented. In both cases, within specific regions of the parameter space, it is shown that the flows are absolutely unstable in the radial direction, i.e. disturbances grow in time at every radial location within these regions. Outside these regions, the flows are convectively unstable or stable. The absolute or convective nature of the flows is determined by examining the branch-point singularities of the dispersion relation. The onset of absolute instability is consistent with available experimental observations of the onset of laminar–turbulent transition in these flows.

On the stability of the Hartmann layer

In this paper we are concerned with the theoretical stability of the laminar Hartmann layer, which forms at the boundary of any electrically conducting fluid flow under a steady magnetic field at high Hartmann number. We perform both linear and energetic stability analyses to investigate the stability of the Hartmann layer to both infinitesimal and finite perturbations. We find that there is more than three orders of magnitude between the critical Reynolds numbers from these two analyses. Our interest is motivated by experimental results on the laminar–turbulent transition of ducted magnetohydrodynamics flows. Importantly, all existing experiments have considered the laminarization of a turbulent flow, rather than transition to turbulence. The fact that experiments have considered laminarization, rather than transition, implies that the threshold value of the Reynolds number for stability of the Hartmann layer to finite-amplitude, rather than infinitesimal, disturbances is in better agreement with the exp...

On the effects of suction and injection on the absolute instability of the rotating-disk boundary layer

In this paper we are concerned with the theoretical behavior of the laminar von Karman boundary-layer flow, extending the work presented by Lingwood [J. Fluid Mech. 299, 17 (1995); 314, 373 (1996)] to the flow with mass transfer at the surface of the disk. It is known that, within specific regions of the parameter space, the flow is absolutely unstable in the radial direction, i.e. disturbances grow in time at every radial location within these regions. Uniform suction through the disk is shown to delay the onset of absolute instability, while uniform injection promotes the onset. By comparing suction and injection velocities of the same magnitude, it is shown that suction has a greater stabilizing effect on the absolute instability than the destabilizing effect of injection. Suction is also strongly stabilizing to both stationary and travelling inviscidly unstable branch-1 modes; injection is destabilizing. Stationary viscously unstable branch-2 modes are strongly stabilized and destabilized by suction a...

A new way to describe the transition characteristics of a rotating-disk boundary-layer flow

A new method of graphically representing the transition stages of a rotating-disk flow is presented. The probability density function contour map of the fluctuating azimuthal disturbance velocity is used to show the characteristics of the boundary-layer flow over the rotating disk as a function of Reynolds numbers. Compared with the variation of the disturbance amplitude (rms) or spectral distribution, this map more clearly shows the changing flow characteristics through the laminar, transitional, and turbulent regions. This method may also be useful to characterize the different stages in the transition process not only for the rotating-disk flow but also for other flows.

A model for the turbulent Hartmann layer

Here we study the Hartmann layer, which forms at the boundary of any electrically-conducting fluid flow under a steady magnetic field at high Hartmann number provided the magnetic field is not parallel to the wall. The Hartmann layer has a well-known form when laminar. In this paper we develop a model for the turbulent Hartmann layer based on Prandtl’s mixing-length model without adding arbitrary parameters, other than those already included in the log-law. We find an exact expression for the displacement thickness of the turbulent Hartmann layer [also given by Tennekes, Phys. Fluids 9, 1876 (1966)], which supports our assertion that a fully-developed turbulent Hartmann layer of finite extent exists. Leading from this expression, we show that the interaction parameter is small compared with unity and that therefore the Lorentz force is negligible compared with inertia. Hence, we suggest that the turbulence present in the Hartmann layer is of classical type and not affected by the imposed magnetic field, s...

On the impulse response for swept boundary-layer flows

Swept-wedge flows are used to study the effects of pressure gradient and flow angle on the stability of three-dimensional laminar boundary layers. The flow is absolutely unstable in the chordwise direction, i.e. disturbances grow in time at every chordwise location, for certain parameter combinations. However, laminar-turbulent transition may still be a convective process.

Instabilities of the von Kármán Boundary Layer

Research on the von Karman boundary layer extends back almost 100 years but remains a topic of active study, which continues to reveal new results; it is only now that fully non-linear direct numer ...