Spectral analysis of attached and separated turbulent flows over a Gaussian-shaped bump

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Klopsch, Roman, Fuchs, Lukas M., Rigas, Georgios, Oberleithner, Kilian, von Saldern, Jakob G. R.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Klopsch, Roman
Fuchs, Lukas M.
Rigas, Georgios
Oberleithner, Kilian
von Saldern, Jakob G. R.
author_facet Klopsch, Roman
Fuchs, Lukas M.
Rigas, Georgios
Oberleithner, Kilian
von Saldern, Jakob G. R.
contents We investigate the broadband turbulent dynamics of attached and separated flows over a Gaussian bump, focusing on the origin of low-frequency coherent structures. The analysis combines time-resolved experimental measurements with physics-based linear models, using mean fields previously assimilated from the same dataset as base flows. Spectral proper orthogonal decomposition reveals coherent dynamics in low- and medium-frequency regimes for both flows, with the low-frequency dynamics being substantially stronger in the separated case. In the separated flow, these dynamics are linked to a three-dimensional zero-frequency modal instability that generates large-scale streamwise-elongated structures downstream of the bump. A standing-wave model based on resolvent modes, incorporating finite-span effects, reproduces the experimentally observed spanwise structure of the dynamics and highlights the limitations of simulations with small spanwise extent and periodic boundary conditions. In the attached flow, similar low-frequency structures are identified. These are weaker, do not form a prominent standing-wave pattern, and cannot be definitively classified as either modal or non-modal. The three-dimensional zero-frequency instability and finite-span standing-wave dynamics are identified as the main drivers of low-frequency coherent structures in the separated flow. They offer an explanation for persistent discrepancies between simulations and experiments on the Gaussian bump, and provide guidance on spanwise domain size and boundary conditions for future simulations.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2512_13582
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Spectral analysis of attached and separated turbulent flows over a Gaussian-shaped bump
Klopsch, Roman
Fuchs, Lukas M.
Rigas, Georgios
Oberleithner, Kilian
von Saldern, Jakob G. R.
Fluid Dynamics
76F
We investigate the broadband turbulent dynamics of attached and separated flows over a Gaussian bump, focusing on the origin of low-frequency coherent structures. The analysis combines time-resolved experimental measurements with physics-based linear models, using mean fields previously assimilated from the same dataset as base flows. Spectral proper orthogonal decomposition reveals coherent dynamics in low- and medium-frequency regimes for both flows, with the low-frequency dynamics being substantially stronger in the separated case. In the separated flow, these dynamics are linked to a three-dimensional zero-frequency modal instability that generates large-scale streamwise-elongated structures downstream of the bump. A standing-wave model based on resolvent modes, incorporating finite-span effects, reproduces the experimentally observed spanwise structure of the dynamics and highlights the limitations of simulations with small spanwise extent and periodic boundary conditions. In the attached flow, similar low-frequency structures are identified. These are weaker, do not form a prominent standing-wave pattern, and cannot be definitively classified as either modal or non-modal. The three-dimensional zero-frequency instability and finite-span standing-wave dynamics are identified as the main drivers of low-frequency coherent structures in the separated flow. They offer an explanation for persistent discrepancies between simulations and experiments on the Gaussian bump, and provide guidance on spanwise domain size and boundary conditions for future simulations.
title Spectral analysis of attached and separated turbulent flows over a Gaussian-shaped bump
topic Fluid Dynamics
76F
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.13582