Numerical study on mechanisms of second sweep and positive spikes in transitional flow on a flat plate

Abstract: Ring-like vortex is a flow structure at late stages of a transitional boundary layer. Independent to the initial disturbance conditions corresponding to K- and N-scenarios of transition, the vortical structure shows some universal features. The nonlinear evolution of the ring-like vortices, detail flow structures around ring-like vortex and their effects on the surrounding flow were studied by direct numerical simulation with high order accuracy. A detailed enforced spatial transition on a flat-plate boundary layer in the compressible flow was studied. This study reveals the mechanism of the second sweep generation, mechanism of the positive spike formation and mechanism of high shear layer distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]