The hypersonic laminar to turbulent transition problem above Mach 10 is addressed experimentally in the short duration VKI Longshot gun tunnel. Reentry conditions are partially duplicated in terms of Mach and Reynolds numbers. Pure nitrogen is used as a test gas with flow enthalpies sufficiently low to avoid its dissociation, thus approaching a perfect gas behavior. The stabilizing effects of Mach number and nosetip bluntness on the development of natural boundary layer disturbances are evaluated over a 7 degrees half-angle conical geometry without angle of attack. <p><p>Emphasis is initially placed on the flow characterization of the Longshot wind tunnel where these experiments are performed. Free-stream static pressure diagnostics are implemented in order to complete existing stagnation point pressure and heat flux measurements on a hemispherical probe. An alternative method used to determine accurate free-stream flow conditions is then derived following a rigorous theoretical approach coupled to the VKI Mutation thermo-chemical library. Resulting sensitivities of free-stream quantities to the experimental inputs are determined and the corresponding uncertainties are quantified and discussed. The benefits of this different approach are underlined, revealing the severe weaknesses of traditional methods based on the measurement of reservoir conditions and the following assumptions of an isentropic and adiabatic flow through the nozzle. The operational map of the Longshot wind tunnel is redefined accordingly. The practical limits associated with the onset of nitrogen flow condensation under non-equilibrium conditions are also accounted for. <p><p>Boundary layer transition experiments are then performed in this environment with free-stream Mach numbers ranging between 10-12. Instrumentation along the 800mm long conical model includes flush-mounted thermocouples and fast-response pressure sensors. Transition locations on sharp cones compare favorably with engineering correlations. A strong stabilizing effect of nosetip bluntness is reported and no transition reversal regime is observed for Re_RN<120000. Wavelet analysis of wall pressure traces denote the presence of inviscid instabilities belonging to Mack's second mode. An excellent agreement with Linear Stability Theory results is obtained from which the N-factor of the Longshot wind tunnel in these conditions is inferred. A novel Schlieren technique using a short duration laser light source is developed, allowing for high-quality flow visualization of the boundary layer disturbances. Comparisons of these measurement techniques between each other are finally reported, providing a detailed view of the transition process above Mach 10. / Doctorat en Sciences de l'ingénieur / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

The context of this thesis is the numerical simulation of turbulent flows at moderate Reynolds numbers and the improvement of the capabilities of an in-house 3D unsteady and incompressible flow solver called SFELES to simulate such flows.<p>In addition to this abstract, this thesis includes five other chapters.<p><p>The second chapter of this thesis presents the numerical methods implemented in the two CFD solvers used as part of this work, namely SFELES and PHASTA.<p><p>The third chapter concentrates on the implementation of a new library called FlexMG. This library allows the use of various types of iterative solvers preconditioned by algebraic multigrid methods, which require much less memory to solve linear systems than a direct sparse LU solver available in SFELES. Multigrid is an iterative procedure that relies on a series of increasingly coarser approximations of the original 'fine' problem. The underlying concept is the following: low wavenumber errors on fine grids become high wavenumber errors on coarser levels, which can be effectively removed by applying fixed-point methods on coarser levels.<p>Two families of algebraic multigrid preconditioners have been implemented in FlexMG, namely smooth aggregation-type and non-nested finite element-type. Unlike pure gridless multigrid, both of these families use the information contained in the initial fine mesh. A hierarchy of coarse meshes is also needed for the non-nested finite element-type multigrid so that our approaches can be considered as hybrid. Our aggregation-type multigrid is smoothed with either a constant or a linear least square fitting function, whereas the non-nested finite element-type multigrid is already smooth by construction. All these multigrid preconditioners are tested as stand-alone solvers or coupled with a GMRES (Generalized Minimal RESidual) method. After analyzing the accuracy of the solutions obtained with our solvers on a typical test case in fluid mechanics (unsteady flow past a circular cylinder at low Reynolds number), their performance in terms of convergence rate, computational speed and memory consumption is compared with the performance of a direct sparse LU solver as a reference. Finally, the importance of using smooth interpolation operators is also underlined in this work.<p><p>The fourth chapter is devoted to the study of subgrid scale models for the large eddy simulation (LES) of turbulent flows.<p>It is well known that turbulence features a cascade process by which kinetic energy is transferred from the large turbulent scales to the smaller ones. Below a certain size, the smallest structures are dissipated into heat because of the effect of the viscous term in the Navier-Stokes equations.<p>In the classical formulation of LES models, all the resolved scales are used to model the contribution of the unresolved scales. However, most of the energy exchanges between scales are local, which means that the energy of the unresolved scales derives mainly from the energy of the small resolved scales.<p>In this fourth chapter, constant-coefficient-based Smagorinsky and WALE models are considered under different formulations. This includes a classical version of both the Smagorinsky and WALE models and several scale-separation formulations, where the resolved velocity field is filtered in order to separate the small turbulent scales from the large ones. From this separation of turbulent scales, the strain rate tensor and/or the eddy viscosity of the subgrid scale model is computed from the small resolved scales only. One important advantage of these scale-separation models is that the dissipation they introduce through their subgrid scale stress tensor is better controlled compared to their classical version, where all the scales are taken into account without any filtering. More precisely, the filtering operator (based on a top hat filter in this work) allows the decomposition u' = u - ubar, where u is the resolved velocity field (large and small resolved scales), ubar is the filtered velocity field (large resolved scales) and u' is the small resolved scales field. <p>At last, two variational multiscale (VMS) methods are also considered.<p>The philosophy of the variational multiscale methods differs significantly from the philosophy of the scale-separation models. Concretely, the discrete Navier-Stokes equations have to be projected into two disjoint spaces so that a set of equations characterizes the evolution of the large resolved scales of the flow, whereas another set governs the small resolved scales. <p>Once the Navier-Stokes equations have been projected into these two spaces associated with the large and small scales respectively, the variational multiscale method consists in adding an eddy viscosity model to the small scales equations only, leaving the large scales equations unchanged. This projection is obvious in the case of a full spectral discretization of the Navier-Stokes equations, where the evolution of the large and small scales is governed by the equations associated with the low and high wavenumber modes respectively. This projection is more complex to achieve in the context of a finite element discretization. <p>For that purpose, two variational multiscale concepts are examined in this work.<p>The first projector is based on the construction of aggregates, whereas the second projector relies on the implementation of hierarchical linear basis functions.<p>In order to gain some experience in the field of LES modeling, some of the above-mentioned models were implemented first in another code called PHASTA and presented along with SFELES in the second chapter.<p>Finally, the relevance of our models is assessed with the large eddy simulation of a fully developed turbulent channel flow at a low Reynolds number under statistical equilibrium. In addition to the analysis of the mean eddy viscosity computed for all our LES models, comparisons in terms of shear stress, root mean square velocity fluctuation and mean velocity are performed with a fully resolved direct numerical simulation as a reference.<p><p>The fifth chapter of the thesis focuses on the numerical simulation of the 3D turbulent flow over a re-entry Apollo-type capsule at low speed with SFELES. The Reynolds number based on the heat shield is set to Re=10^4 and the angle of attack is set to 180º, that is the heat shield facing the free stream. Only the final stage of the flight is considered in this work, before the splashdown or the landing, so that the incompressibility hypothesis in SFELES is still valid.<p>Two LES models are considered in this chapter, namely a classical and a scale-separation version of the WALE model. Although the capsule geometry is axisymmetric, the flow field in its wake is not and induces unsteady forces and moments acting on the capsule. The characterization of the phenomena occurring in the wake of the capsule and the determination of their main frequencies are essential to ensure the static and dynamic stability during the final stage of the flight. <p>Visualizations by means of 3D isosurfaces and 2D slices of the Q-criterion and the vorticity field confirm the presence of a large meandering recirculation zone characterized by a low Strouhal number, that is St≈0.15.<p>Due to the detachment of the flow at the shoulder of the capsule, a resulting annular shear layer appears. This shear layer is then affected by some Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities and ends up rolling up, leading to the formation of vortex rings characterized by a high frequency. This vortex shedding depends on the Reynolds number so that a Strouhal number St≈3 is detected at Re=10^4.<p>Finally, the analysis of the force and moment coefficients reveals the existence of a lateral force perpendicular to the streamwise direction in the case of the scale-separation WALE model, which suggests that the wake of the capsule may have some <p>preferential orientations during the vortex shedding. In the case of the classical version of the WALE model, no lateral force has been observed so far so that the mean flow is thought to be still axisymmetric after 100 units of non-dimensional physical time.<p><p>Finally, the last chapter of this work recalls the main conclusions drawn from the previous chapters. / Doctorat en Sciences de l'ingénieur / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

This thesis deals with the dynamics of a thin liquid film falling down a heated plate. The heating yields surface tension gradients that induce thermocapillary stresses on the free surface, thus affecting the stability and the evolution of the film. Accounting for the coherence of the flow due to viscosity, two main approaches that reduce the dimensionality of the original problem are usually considered depending on the flow rate (as measured by the Reynolds number): the `long wave' asymptotic expansion for small Reynolds numbers and the `integral boundary layer' approximation for moderate Reynolds numbers. The former suffers from singularities and the latter from incorrectness of the instability threshold for the occurrence of hydrodynamic waves. Thus, the aim of this thesis is twofold: in a first part, we define quantitatively the validity of the `long wave' evolution equation (Benney equation) for the film thickness h including the thermocapillary effect; and in a second part, we improve the `integral boundary layer' approach by combining a gradient expansion to a weighted residual method. <p>In the first part, we further investigate the Benney equation in its validity domain in the case of periodically inhomogeneous heating in the streamwise direction. It induces steady-state deformations of the free surface with increased transfer rate in regions where the film is thinner, and also in average. The inhomogeneities of the heating also modify the nature of travelling wave solutions at moderate temperature gradients and allows for suppressing wave motion at larger ones.<p>Moreover, large temperature gradients (for instance positive ones) in the streamwise direction produce large local film thickening that may in turn become unstable with respect to transverse disturbances such that the flow may organize in rivulet-like structures. The mechanism of such instability is elucidated via an energy analysis. The main features of the rivulet pattern are described experimentally and recovered by direct numerical simulations.<p>In the second part, various models are obtained, which are valid for larger Reynolds numbers than the Benney equation and account for second-order viscous and inertial effects. We then elaborate a strategy to select the optimal model in terms of linear stability properties and existence of nonlinear solutions (solitary waves), for the widest possible range of parameters. This model -- called reduced model -- is a system of three coupled evolution equations for the local film thickness h, the local flow rate q and the surface temperature Ts. Solutions of this model indicate that the interaction of the hydrodynamic and thermocapillary modes is non-trivial, especially in the region of large-amplitude solitary waves.<p>Finally, the three-dimensional evolution of the solutions of the reduced model in the presence of periodic forcing and noise compares favourably with available experimental data in isothermal conditions and with direct numerical simulations in non-isothermal conditions.<p><p>------------------------------------------------<p><p>Cette thèse analyse la dynamique d'un film mince s'écoulant le long d'une paroi chauffée. Le chauffage crée des gradients de tension superficielle qui induisent des tensions thermocapillaires à la surface libre, altérant ainsi la stabilité et l'évolution du film. Grâce à la cohérence de l'écoulement assurée par la viscosité, deux approches permettant de réduire la dimensionnalité du problème original sont habituellement considérées suivant le débit (mesuré par le nombre de Reynolds): l'approximation asymptotique dite `longues ondes' pour les faibles nombres de Reynolds et l'approximation `intégrale couche limite' pour les nombres de Reynolds modérés. Cependant, la première approximation souffre de singularités et la dernière de prédictions imprécises du seuil de stabilité des ondes hydrodynamiques à la surface du film. Le but de cette thèse est donc double: dans une première partie, il s'agit de déterminer, de manière quantitative, la validité de l'équation d'évolution `longues ondes' (ou équation de Benney) pour l'épaisseur du film h, en y incluant l'effet thermocapillaire; et dans une seconde partie, il s'agit d'améliorer l'approche `intégrale couche limite' en combinant un développement en gradients avec une méthode aux résidus pondérés.<p>Dans la première partie, nous étudions l'équation de Benney, dans son domaine de validité, dans le cas d'un chauffage inhomogène et périodique dans la direction de l'écoulement. Cela induit des déformations permanentes de la surface libre avec un accroissement du transfert de chaleur dans les régions où le film est plus mince, mais aussi en moyenne. Un chauffage inhomogène modifie également la nature des solutions d'ondes progressives pour des gradients de températures modérés et conduit même à leur suppression pour des gradients de températures plus importants. De plus, ceux-ci, lorsqu'ils sont par exemple positifs le long de l'écoulement, produisent des épaississements localisés du film qui peuvent à leur tour devenir instables par rapport à des perturbations suivant la direction transverse à l'écoulement. Ce dernier s'organise alors sous forme d'une structure en rivulets. Le mécanisme de cette instabilité est élucidé via une analyse énergétique des perturbations. Les principales caractéristiques des structures en rivulets sont décrites expérimentalement et retrouvées par l'intermédiaire de simulations numériques. <p>Dans la seconde partie, nous dérivons une famille de modèles valables pour des nombres de Reynolds plus grands que l'équation de Benney, qui prennent en compte les effets visqueux et inertiels du second ordre. Nous élaborons ensuite une stratégie pour sélectionner le modèle optimal en fonction de ses propriétés de stabilité linéaire et de l'existence de solutions non-linéaires (ondes solitaires), et ce pour la gamme de paramètres la plus large possible. Ce modèle -- appelé modèle réduit -- est un système de trois équations d'évolution couplées pour l'épaisseur locale de film h, le débit local q et la température de surface Ts. Les solutions de ce modèle indiquent que l'interaction des modes hydrodynamiques et thermocapillaires n'est pas triviale, spécialement dans le domaine des ondes solitaires de grande amplitude. Finalement, l'évolution tri-dimensionnelle des solutions du modèle réduit en présence d'un forçage périodique ou d'un bruit se compare favorablement aux données expérimentales disponibles en conditions isothermes, ainsi qu'aux simulations numériques directes en conditions non-isothermes<p> / Doctorat en sciences appliquées / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished