This investigation explores the utility of Alternating Current, Dielectric Barrier Discharge (AC-DBD) plasma actuators for producing three-dimensional disturbances of a desired spanwise wavelength via superposition. The technique utilizes two pairs of exposed and covered electrodes on a single dielectric layer arranged in streamwise succession. Two-dimensional forcing is achieved through operation of the upstream, spanwise uniform electrode pair, while three-dimensional forcing at a prescribed spanwise wavelength is attained by operating both electrode pairs simultaneously, with the downstream actuator spanwise modulating the upstream, two-dimensional output. The ability to produce disturbances of different spanwise wavelengths but with equal streamwise wavelength, frequency and total momentum is established through a combined characterization effort that considers quiescent and in-flow conditions. A demonstration of the technique in an exemplary wall-bounded shear flow, a laminar separation bubble, is provided, revealing spanwise wavelength dependent disturbance growth in the flow that could be exploited for performance gains in future flow control endeavours. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]

Three-dimensional flow development is experimentally assessed in a convectively unstable laminar separation bubble formed over a NACA 0018 airfoil at a chord Reynolds number of 125,000, an angle of attack of 4 deg, and a freestream turbulence intensity of 0.07%. The flow is weakly excited in a spanwise uniform manner at a frequency matching that of the most unstable disturbances in the natural separation bubble, leaving the base flow unmodified while enabling three-dimensional reconstructions of the dominant coherent structures using phase-locked planar particle image velocimetry measurements. Time-averaged flowfield reconstructions show a strongly two-dimensional topology of the separation bubble for both the natural and weakly excited cases. Analysis of the flow development demonstrates that, for both the natural and excited flows, spanwise-oriented and strongly two-dimensional shearlayer vortices form in the separation bubble upstream of the mean maximum height location. Spanwise undulations develop in the vortex filaments that continually intensify with downstream convection as a result of the streamwise forward sections of the filaments lifting away from the surface. This motion reorients the vorticity of the primary structures from the spanwise direction into the streamwise and wall-normal directions, forming hairpinlike structures above the vortex core region. These findings offer new quantitative insight into the vortex dynamics and breakdown process of the shear-layer vortices in two-dimensional, convectively unstable laminar separation bubbles subject to low freestream turbulence levels.

Vortex merging in a laminar separation bubble (LSB) is studied experimentally. The bubble is formed on the suction side of a NACA 0018 airfoil at an angle of attack of 4° and a Reynolds number of 125 000. The merging process in the bubble is manipulated through acoustic forcing applied as a tone at either the fundamental vortex shedding frequency or at the first subharmonic of this frequency. The flow field is assessed using time-resolved, two-component particle image velocimetry. A method for detecting merged structures using wavelet analysis is introduced, allowing for reliable quantification of merging events. The results show that vortex merging occurs naturally in the separation bubble, while forcing at the subharmonic and fundamental frequencies promotes and inhibits merging, respectively. While these trends are similar to those observed for free shear layers, the subharmonic forcing of an LSB is found to directly promote disturbance development at the subharmonic frequency. For all cases, the majority of merging events take place in the aft portion of the bubble, i.e., downstream from the maximum bubble height location and upstream of mean reattachment, with subharmonic forcing causing merging to shift upstream. The merged structures are found to be the most energetic flow features; however, promoting vortex merging through subharmonic forcing does not lead to significant changes in the mean bubble topology. The spanwise behavior of the vortex merging process is studied, revealing that structures merge in a spanwise nonuniform manner, with localized merging occurring away from where forward or rearward streamwise bugles develop in the vortex filaments. Statistical characterization reveals that merging tends to occur more often over some specific spanwise segments, with the number of primary structures that merge varying by as much as 50% between spanwise locations. These findings offer insight into vortex merging in laminar separation bubbles and the attendant influence of forcing, while also highlighting the need to consider spanwise aspects of flow development.

This work examines flow development in a laminar separation bubble (LSB) undergoing natural transition and transition controlled with two-dimensional and spanwise modulated disturbances. The investigation is carried out in a series of wind tunnel tests, with the separation bubble formed over a flat plate subjected to an adverse pressure gradient. Velocity field measurements are performed using time-resolved, two-component Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). Disturbances are produced using surface-mounted plasma actuators in a novel configuration that allows for the introduction of controlled disturbances that are two-dimensional or of a prescribed spanwise wavelength. The natural transition process is dominated by shear layer vortex shedding which is characterized by significant spanwise deformations in the aft portion of the bubble. When the flow is subjected to either two or three-dimensional forcing, vortex formation within the separation bubble is rendered two-dimensional. However, while the two-dimensionally forced perturbations remain largely two-dimensional until breakdown, a clear spanwise wavelength that matches the input wavelength of the forcing develops when the flow is subjected to the spanwise modulated forcing. The reported findings point to the presence of a secondary instability in the separation bubble, which leads to the amplification of the initially weak spanwise component of input disturbances, causing the shear layer vortices to develop significant spanwise undulations.

Transition and flow development in a separation bubble formed on an airfoil are studied experimentally. The effects of tonal and broadband acoustic excitation are considered since such acoustic emissions commonly result from airfoil self-noise and can influence flow development via a feedback loop. This interdependence is decoupled, and the problem is studied in a controlled manner through the use of an external acoustic source. The flow field is assessed using time-resolved, two-component particle image velocimetry, the results of which show that, for equivalent energy input levels, tonal and broadband excitation can produce equivalent changes in the mean separation bubble topology. These changes in topology result from the influence of excitation on transition and the subsequent development of coherent structures in the bubble. Both tonal and broadband excitation lead to earlier shear layer roll-up and thus reduce the bubble size and advance mean reattachment upstream, while the shed vortices tend to persist farther downstream of mean reattachment in the case of tonal excitation. Through a cross-examination of linear stability theory (LST) predictions and measured disturbance characteristics, nonlinear disturbance interactions are shown to play a crucial role in the transition process, leading to significantly different disturbance development for the tonal and broadband excited flows. Specifically, tonal excitation results in transition being dominated by the excited mode, which grows in strong accordance with linear theory and damps the growth of all other disturbances. On the other hand, disturbance amplitudes are more moderate for the natural and broadband excited flows, and so all unstable disturbances initially grow in accordance with LST. For all cases, a rapid redistribution of perturbation energy to a broad range of frequencies follows, with the phenomenon occurring earliest for the broadband excitation case. By taking nonlinear effects into consideration, important ramifications are made clear in regards to comparing LST predictions and experimental or numerical results, thus explaining the trends reported in recent investigations. These findings offer new insights into the influence of tonal and broadband noise emissions, resulting from airfoil self-noise or otherwise, on transition and flow development within a separation bubble.