The stabilization of a swept-wing boundary layer by distributed surface roughness elements is studied by performing direct numerical simulations. The configuration resembles experiments studied by Saric and coworkers at Arizona State University, who employed this control method in order to delay transition. An array of cylindrical roughness elements are placed near the leading edge to excite subcritical cross-flow modes. Subcritical refers to the modes that are not critical with respect to transition. Their amplification to nonlinear amplitudes modifies the base flow such that the most unstable cross-flow mode and secondary instabilities are damped, resulting in downstream shift of the transition location. The experiments by Saric and coworkers were performed at low levels of free stream turbulence, and the boundary layer was therefore dominated by stationary cross-flow disturbances. Here, we consider a more complex disturbance field, which comprises both steady and unsteady instabilities of similar amplitudes. It is demonstrated that the control is robust with respect to complex disturbance fields as transition is shifted from 45 to 65% chord.

This paper represents a continuation of the work by Tempelmann et al. (JFM 2010) on spatial optimal growth in incompressible boundary layers over swept flat plates . We present an extension of the methodology to compressible flow. Also we account for curvature effects. Spatial optimal growth is studied for boundary layers over both flat and curved swept plates with adiabatic and cooled walls. We find that optimal growth increases for higher Mach numbers. In general, extensive non-modal growth is observed for all boundary layer cases even in subcritical regions, i.e. where the flow is stable with respect to modal crossflow disturbances. Wall cooling, though stabilising crossflow modes, destabilises disturbances of non-modal nature. Curvature acts similarly on modal as well as non-modal disturbances. Convex walls have a stabilising effect on the boundary layer whereas concave walls act destabilising. The physical mechanisms of optimal growth in all studied boundary layers are found to be similar to those identified for incompressible flat-plate boundary layers.

The receptivity to localized surface roughness of a swept-wing boundary layer is studied by direct numerical simulation (DNS) and computations using the parabolized stability equations (PSEs). The DNS is laid out to reproduce wind tunnel experiments performed by Saric and coworkers, where micron-sized cylinders were used to trigger steady crossflow modes. The amplitudes of the roughness-induced fundamental crossflow wave and its superharmonics obtained from nonlinear PSE solutions agree excellently with the DNS results. A receptivity model using the direct and adjoint PSEs is shown to provide reliable predictions of the receptivity to roughness cylinders of different heights and chordwise locations. Being robust and computationally efficient, the model is well suited as a predictive tool of receptivity in flows of practical interest. The crossflow mode amplitudes obtained based on both DNS and PSE methods are 40% of those measured in the experiments. Additional comparisons between experimental and PSE data for various disturbance wavelengths reveal that the measured disturbance amplitudes are consistently larger than those predicted by the PSE-based receptivity model by a nearly constant factor. Supplementary DNS and PSE computations suggest that possible natural leading-edge roughness and free-stream turbulence in the experiments are unlikely to account for this discrepancy. It is more likely that experimental uncertainties in the streamwise location of the roughness array and cylinder height are responsible for the additional receptivity observed in the experiments.

Adjoint solutions of the linearized incompressible Navier-Stokes equations are presented for a cross-flow-dominated swept-wing boundary layer. For the first time these have been computed in the region upstream of the swept leading edge and may therefore be used to predict receptivity to any disturbances of the incoming free stream as well as to surface roughness. In this paper we present worst-case scenarios, i.e. those external disturbances yielding maximum receptivity amplitudes of a steady cross-flow disturbance. In the free stream, such an 'optimal' disturbance takes the form of a streak which, while being convected downstream, penetrates the boundary layer and smoothly turns into a growing cross-flow mode. The 'worst-case' surface roughness has a wavy shape and is distributed in the chordwise direction. It is shown that, under such optimal conditions, the boundary layer is more receptive to surface roughness than to incoming free stream disturbances.

We have carried out direct numerical simulations (DNS) of the flow over a wing with 45° sweep and -4° angle-of-attack. On the upper wing side, a substantial cross flow creates ideal conditions for the study of cross-flow instability. Our simulation models a wind-tunnel experiment carried out at the Arizona State University (ASU), where 6μm high roughness cylinders were used to excite steady cross-flow vortices. We have successfully reproduced the linear growth rate of these vortices, whereas the receptivity amplitude obtained from our DNS is 40% of that measured in the experiment. Possible reasons for this discrepancy have been investigated by refining the roughness model of the DNS on the one hand, and, on the other hand, by carefully comparing the results from the DNS and the experiment with solutions to the parabolized stability equations (PSE). Good agreement between all approaches could be obtained when assuming a roughness height of 15μm. This suggests that the roughness cylinders in the experiment might have been slightly higher than 6μm, or that natural roughness might have contributed to the receptivity. Moreover, small differences in the pressure distribution or the presence of weak free-stream fluctuations in the wind tunnel may explain the larger modal amplitude measured in the ASU experiment.

The receptivity of a swept-wing boundary layer to localised surface roughness is studied by means of direct numerical simulations (DNS). The flow case considered is meant to model wind tunnel experiments performed at the Arizona State University by Saric & coworkers. The receptivity amplitude of the crossflow disturbances predicted by the DNS is 40% of that measured in the experiments. The DNS results are then used to evaluate the performance of different receptivity models based on either the parabolised stability equations or the finite Reynolds number theory (FRNT). In general it is found that receptivity amplitudes are well predicted for micron sized roughness elements if non-parallel effects are accounted for. 

Direct numerical simulations (DNS) of the flow over a wing with 45° sweep and -4° angle-of-attack are presented. This flow configuration was investigated in a series of wind-tunnel experiments at the Arizona State University (ASU). Here, we examine the boundary-layer receptivity to surface roughness and to single vortical free-stream modes. The roughness is modeled by a shallow circular disk and is identical with one single element of the spanwise roughness array considered in the ASU experiments. The boundary layer develops a steady crossflow mode downstream of the roughness. The spatial evolution of the modal amplitude obtained by the DNS is in excellent agreement with a solution to the nonlinear parabolized stability equations (NPSE) while being lower than that measured in the experiments. The reasons for this discrepancy are yet to be determined. Possible explanations are the presence of traveling crossflow waves due to background free-stream turbulence in the experiments or the slight difference between the numerical and experimental pressure gradients at the roughness site. Stationary crossflow vortices can also be triggered by zero-frequency free-stream vortical modes. We consider two types of mode, carrying streamwise and vertical vorticity. Both modes give rise to nonmodal disturbances near the leading edge, which soon evolve into a steady crossflow mode. The boundary layer is found to be somewhat more receptive to the streamwise-vorticity mode than to the chordwise vorticity. Copyright

The receptivity to localised surface roughness of a swept-wing boundary layer is studied by direct numerical simulation (DNS) and computations using the parabolised stability equations (PSE). The DNS is laid out to reproduce wind tunnel experiments performed by Saric & coworkers, where micron-sized cylinders were used to trigger steady crossflow modes. The amplitudes of the roughness-induced fundamental crossflow wave and its superharmonics obtained from nonlinear PSE solutions agree excellently with the DNS results. A receptivity model using the direct and adjoint PSE is shown to provide reliable predictions of the receptivity to roughness cylinders of different heights and chordwise locations. Being robust and computationally efficient, the model is well suited as a predictive tool of receptivity in flows of practical interest. The crossflow mode amplitudes obtained based on both DNS and PSE are 40% of those measured in the experiments.Additional comparisons between experimental and PSE data for various disturbance wavelengths reveal that the measured disturbance amplitudes are consistently larger than those predicted by the PSE-based receptivity model by a nearly constant factor. Supplementary DNS and PSE computations suggest that possible natural leading-edge roughness and free-stream turbulence in the experiments are unlikely to account for this discrepancy. It is more likely that experimental uncertainties in the streamwise location of the roughness array and cylinder height are responsible for the additional receptivity observed in the experiments.