Reynolds Number Scaling of Wall Layer Velocity-Vorticity Products

Abstract

The wall normal gradients of Reynolds stress and turbulent kinetic energy are important in analyzing momentum transport in the turbulent boundary layer. These gradients can be expressed in terms of velocity- vorticity correlations. In this paper, properties of velocity-vorticity products over a three decade variation in Reynolds number are analyzed. Data were acquired in the near neutral atmospheric surface layer in the western desert of Utah and in a laboratory boundary layer. A custom made six-wire hot wire probe was employed to measure axial and wall normal velocities as well as spanwise vorticity. It is observed that the co-spectra of velocity and vorticity generally follows the vorticit..