Velocity streak structure modifications induced by flow manipulation

The present research is based on the belief that the observation of the response of near wall turbulent organized motions to external perturbations is a powerful technique for investigating the physics of turbulence regeneration. The low speed streak behavior in the buffer layer of a flat plate turbulent boundary layer under the action of transversal wall oscillation has been statistically analyzed by observing particle image velocimetry velocity fields in a plane parallel to the wall at a distance of 20 wall units. It was found that the observed reduction in turbulence activity (velocity variance and Reynolds stress) is accompanied by an increase of the averaged velocity streaks width, spacing and waviness and by a reduction of their strength. The increase in streak width and spacing has been attributed mainly to coalescence processes between neighboring streaks. The occurrence of velocity streaks strength reduction, associated with the consequent decrease of the number of unstable low speed streaks, is believed to be the main reason leading to the reduction of turbulent activity. The interpretation of the present results supports the concept that the so-called streak regeneration cycle plays an important role in the near wall turbulence reproduction process.