Development of Periodic Unsteady Turbulent Wakes in a Curved Channel at Zero Streamwise Pressure Gradient

The development of turbomachinery wake flows is influenced by streamline curvature and streamwise pressure gradient. This paper is a part of a comprehensive experimental and analytical study on the development of the steady and periodic unsteady turbulent wakes in curved channels at different longitudinal (streamwise) pressure gradients. The development of periodic unsteady wakes in a curved channel at zero longitudinal pressure gradient is reported in this paper. Instantaneous velocity components of the periodic wakes, measured using a X-hot-film probe, are analyzed by employing phase-averaging techniques. The temporal distribution of phase-averaged velocity and Reynolds stress components obtained in stationary frame of reference are transformed to a relative spatial coordinate system. The profiles of the velocity and Reynolds stress distribution in relative spatial coordinate system and similarity coordinates are consistent with the measurements of the wake development behind stationary cylinder in the same curved channel.