Abstract
The effect of unsteady periodic wakes on heat transfer and boundary layer transition was investigated on a constant curvature heat transfer curved plate in a subsonic wind tunnel facility. The local heat transfer coefficient distribution for the concave and convex surface was determined using a state of the art liquid crystal heat transfer measurement technique. Higher wake passing frequency was observed to cause transition to occur sooner on the concave surface. No effect was seen on the convex surface due a separation bubble that induced transition for all wake passing frequencies. Local Stanton numbers were also calculated on the concave surface and compared to Stanton numbers predicted by TEXSTAN. Good agreement was found between TEXSTAN and the experimental data. Steady and unsteady boundary layer measurements were taken on the concave surface of the heat transfer plate to help explain the boundary layer transition behavior and corroborate the results of the heat transfer measurements. Extensive boundary layer measurement were taken, and the data were analyzed using time-averaged and ensemble averaged techniques. The results corroborate the heat transfer data in that they show that boundary layer transition occurs earlier for higher wake passing frequencies. In addition, the start and end of transition determined by the hot-wire data is in good agreement with the heat transfer data.
Wright, Lance Cole (1996). The effect of periodic unsteady wakes on boundary layer transition and heat transfer on a curved plate. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /ETD -TAMU -1996 -THESIS -W75.