Turbulent Energy Balance and Spectra of the Axisymmetric Wake

Abstract

Axisymmetric turbulent wake behind a sphere in an incompressible fluid has been experimentally investigated from 50 to 300 diam downstream from the sphere at Reynolds numbers from 4000 to 150 000. Mean and turbulent velocity measurements show that the region of self‐preservation starts 50 sphere diam downstream, and the virtual origin of the wake is 12 sphere diam downstream. Detailed measurements were made in the self‐preserving region of the wake. The three components of the turbulent velocity, turbulent shear, and the mean velocity defect were measured across the wake using the hot‐wire anemometer. From the measurements the turbulent energy production, dissipation, convection, and diffusion across the wake were determined. The one‐dimensional energy spectra of the three components of the turbulent velocity, their dependence on distance along and across the wake and on Reynolds number have been measured. The large scale motion (low wavenumbers) is dynamically similar and the small scale motion (large wavenumbers) exhibits Kolmogoroff's universal equilibrium. The present spectral measurements are compared with other published measurements of the universal equilibrium spectra in various turbulent flows.