EFFECTS OF COMPLIANT WALLS ON TRANSITION AND TURBULENCE.

A review is undertaken to identify the major findings of the research community and to suggest future directions. An annotated, selective bibliography is also included. A fundamental theoretical approach to the problem is proposed. Two possible thrusts are identified. One is the study of the limit cycle oscillations of the Navier-Stokes equations for a boundary layer flow over a compliant wall or Poiseuille flow in a channel with compliant walls. The other is a complementary study of a simpler, sequential theoretical model which partially decouples the fluid and wall motions. The first study is more rigorously based but will be initially limited to Reynolds numbers in the transition region. The second, more approximate approach will allow consideration of fully developed turbulent flow. It is a principal premise of this paper that our understanding of turbulence transition and structure will be substantially advanced when a soundly based theoretical model is available to guide, interpret and suggest experiments. These experiments should, in turn, validate the theoretical models.

Duke Scholars

Author Earl H. Dowell Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materia ...