The phenomenon known as Toms effect can impart viscoelasticity to a water flow when a small amount of water-soluble polymer is added. The resulting viscoelastic fluid generates viscoelastic stress in the flow, dramatically reducing the turbulent stress.
In this study, the spatial distribution of velocity is measured using a stereo-PIV method in the streamwise-spanwise plane parallel to the wall. Modification of the near wall turbulence by the polymer solution blown slowly from a permeable wall was investigated by analyzing the velocity distribution acquired by stereo-PIV measurements.
Experimental results reveal that streamwise local mean velocity decreases as the dosed polymer concentration increases. The skewness factor at this height shifts from 0 to positive by adding the polymer, which indicates intensified turbulent coherent structure. Moreover, the spatial two-point correlation function calculated from streamwise velocity fluctuations maintains its high correlation with the streamwise direction. It is consistent with the finding from the instantaneous velocity distribution, which shows that the flection of low-speed streaks is suppressed. Next, it is revealed that the normal velocity at the wall for low-speed fluid is decreased dramatically by polymer additives. Moreover, applying the quadrant analysis, it is confirmed that ejection events are suppressed with decreasing normal velocity at the wall. Suppression of ejection motion affects to the turbulence in the log law layer. We conclude that this is one reason that turbulence is suppressed in a wide range of the shear layer by polymer additives present only in the vicinity of the wall.
