The presen present thesis spans a range of topics within thearea of turbulent flows, ranging from design of flow facilitiesto evaluation aluation of scaling laws and turbulence modelingdeling aspects through use of experimental data. A newwind-tunnel has been designed, constructed and evaluated at theDept. of Mechanics, KTH. Special attention was directed to thedesign of turning vanes that not only turn the flow but alsoallow for a large expansion without separation in the corners.The investigation of the flow quality confirmed that theconcept of expanding corners is feasible and may besuccessfully incorporated into low turbulence wind-tunnels. Theflow quality in the MTL wind-tunnel at the Dept. of Mechanics,KTH, was as also in investigated confirming that it still isvery good. The results are in general comparable to thosemeasured when the tunnel was as new, with the exception of thetemperature variation ariation that has decreased by a factorof 4 due to an improved cooling system. Experimental data from high Reynolds number zeropressure-gradient turbulent layers have been investigated.These studies have primarily focused on scaling laws withe.g.confirmation of an exponential velocity defect lawin a region, about half the size of the boundary layerthickness, located outside the logarithmic overlap region. Thestreamwise velocity probability density functions in theoverlap region was found to be self-similar when scaled withthe local rms value. Flow structures in the near-wall andbuffer regions were studied ande.g. the near-wall streak spacing was confirmed to beabout 100 viscous length units although the relative influenceof the near-wall streaks on the flow was as found to decreasewith increasing Reynolds number. The separated flow in an asymmetric plane diffuser wasdetermined using PIV and LDV. All three velocity componentswere measured in a plane along the centerline of the diffuser.Results for mean velocities, turbulence intensities andturbulence kinetic energy are presented, as well as forstreamlines and backflow coefficientcien describing theseparated region. Instantaneous velocity fields are alsopresented demonstrating the highly fluctuating flow. Resultsfor the above mentioned velocity quantities, together with theproduction of turbulence kinetic energy and the secondanisotropy inariant are also compared to data from simulationsbased on the k -wformulation with an EARSM model. The simulation datawere found to severely underestimate the size of the separationbubble. <b>Keywords:</b>Fluid mechanics, wind-tunnels, asymmetricdiffuser, turbulent boundary layer, flow structures, PDFs,modeling, symmetry methods.

<p>The presen present thesis spans a range of topics within thearea of turbulent flows, ranging from design of flow facilitiesto evaluation aluation of scaling laws and turbulence modelingdeling aspects through use of experimental data. A newwind-tunnel has been designed, constructed and evaluated at theDept. of Mechanics, KTH. Special attention was directed to thedesign of turning vanes that not only turn the flow but alsoallow for a large expansion without separation in the corners.The investigation of the flow quality confirmed that theconcept of expanding corners is feasible and may besuccessfully incorporated into low turbulence wind-tunnels. Theflow quality in the MTL wind-tunnel at the Dept. of Mechanics,KTH, was as also in investigated confirming that it still isvery good. The results are in general comparable to thosemeasured when the tunnel was as new, with the exception of thetemperature variation ariation that has decreased by a factorof 4 due to an improved cooling system.</p><p>Experimental data from high Reynolds number zeropressure-gradient turbulent layers have been investigated.These studies have primarily focused on scaling laws with<i>e.g.</i>confirmation of an exponential velocity defect lawin a region, about half the size of the boundary layerthickness, located outside the logarithmic overlap region. Thestreamwise velocity probability density functions in theoverlap region was found to be self-similar when scaled withthe local rms value. Flow structures in the near-wall andbuffer regions were studied and<i>e.g</i>. the near-wall streak spacing was confirmed to beabout 100 viscous length units although the relative influenceof the near-wall streaks on the flow was as found to decreasewith increasing Reynolds number.</p><p>The separated flow in an asymmetric plane diffuser wasdetermined using PIV and LDV. All three velocity componentswere measured in a plane along the centerline of the diffuser.Results for mean velocities, turbulence intensities andturbulence kinetic energy are presented, as well as forstreamlines and backflow coefficientcien describing theseparated region. Instantaneous velocity fields are alsopresented demonstrating the highly fluctuating flow. Resultsfor the above mentioned velocity quantities, together with theproduction of turbulence kinetic energy and the secondanisotropy inariant are also compared to data from simulationsbased on the k -<i>w</i>formulation with an EARSM model. The simulation datawere found to severely underestimate the size of the separationbubble.</p><p><b>Keywords:</b>Fluid mechanics, wind-tunnels, asymmetricdiffuser, turbulent boundary layer, flow structures, PDFs,modeling, symmetry methods.</p>

The separating turbulent flow in a plane asymmetric diffuser with 8.5 degrees opening angle is investigated experimentally and computationally. The considered flow case is suitable for fundamental studies of separation, separation control and turbulence modelling. The flow case has been studied in a specially designed wind-tunnel under well controlled conditions. The average velocity and fluctuation fields have been mapped out with stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (PIV). Knowledge of all velocity components allows the study of several quantities of interest in turbulence modelling such as the turbulence kinetic energy, the turbulence anisotropy tensor and the turbulence production rate tensor. Pressures are measured through the diffuser. The measured data will form a reference database which can be used for evaluation of turbulence models and other computational investigations. Time-resolved stereoscopic PIV is used in an investigation of turbulence structures in the flow and their temporal evolution. A comparative study is made where the measured turbulence data are used to evaluate an explicit algebraic Reynolds stress turbulence model (EARSM). A discussion regarding the underlying reasons for the discrepancies found between the experimental and the model results is made. A model for investigations of separation suppression by means of vortex generating devices is presented together with results from the model in the plane asymmetric diffuser geometry. A short article on the importance of negative production-rates of turbulent kinetic energy for the reverse flow region in separated flows is presented. A detailed description of the experimental setup and PIV measurement procedures is given in a technical report. / QC 20100923