On Solution of Laminar Ow Instability Using Orr-Sommerfeld Equation
On Solution of Laminar Ow Instability Using Orr-Sommerfeld Equation
On Solution of Laminar Ow Instability Using Orr-Sommerfeld Equation
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Stanislav Knotek
Czech Metrology Institute
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Abstract. A special treatment of the boundary conditions for boundary value problem
was used for solving the hydrodynamic instability problem described by the Orr–Sommerfeld
equation. The procedure is based on the Chebyshev collocation method and was implemented
in MATLAB. The results computed for the Poisseuille flow and for Blasius and Pohlhausen
velocity profiles show a good agreement with the results reported in literature.
1. Introduction
The problem of the instability of the laminar shear layer has been solved
since the late 19th century in connection with the transition from laminar
to turbulent flow. After initial unsuccessful effort to derive the criteria of
instability on energy considerations found a successful approach Lord Rayleigh
(1842–1919). He used the assumption that, for small amplitude disturbances,
the system behave linearly and therefore, by Fourier superposition principle,
any disturbances can be replaced by the superposition of sinusoidal oscillations
of the basic flow. The principle of the solution lies in monitoring the trend of
the amplitude growth of disturbance waves superimposed on the basic flow.
The complexity of the task led to the introduction of simplifying assump-
tions. Especially the shear layer is approximated by basic two-dimensional
parallel flow
(u, v) = (U + u0 , v 0 ) , (1)
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384 S. KNOTEK, M. JÍCHA
where U (y) is the known velocity profile and u0 (x, y, t), v 0 (x, y, t) are velocity
fluctuations along the x and y coordinates, respectively. Final equation was
derived independently by Orr in 1907 and Sommerfeld in 1908 by linearization
of equations of motion for two-dimensional incompressible flow. Legitimacy of
the two-dimensional approach showed Squire in 1933. He proved that three-
dimensional flow is less stable than the two-dimensional one. The theory of
growth of infinitesimal disturbances in laminar shear flow was verified exper-
imentally by Schubauer and Skramstad in 1943. This infinitesimal waves are
now called Tollmien–Schlichting waves.
The original meaning of the Orr–Sommerfeld equation for handling the tran-
sition to turbulence now retreated into the background due to the development
of non-parallel and nonlinear approaches. The equation still retains its impor-
tance in solving classical problems of the hydrodynamic instability such as the
instability of fluid layers. Using the Orr–Sommerfeld equation the amplitude
of oscillations and their growth rate can be predicted, further wavenumbers
that are most amplified can be estimated and finally the impact of velocity
profile on the area of instability can be assessed.
However it should be borne in mind that some of the profiles in contrast to
the reality are stable in the entire range of frequencies and Reynolds numbers
and the fact that in the case of profiles of boundary layers the assumption of
parrallel flow is no longer fully satisfied. Therefore the results of solution of
the Orr–Sommerfeld equation have to be considered with regard to fulfillment
of the assumptions and also is needed to take into account that the process is
subject to destabilization by other mechanisms which are not included in the
theory of the Orr–Sommerfeld equation.
The theory of the equation is given, for example, in [1]. For completeness
let us briefly mention the basic principles of derivation. Consistently with
the above assumption of superposition of waves describing the development of
disturbances the oscillations are defined by stream function
Ψ = Ψ (x, y, t) = ϕ(y) exp[i(αx − βt)] , (2)
where ϕ(y) is the complex amplitude function, α the real wavenumber and β
the complex number specifying the growth of disturbances in time. Velocity
fluctuations are then obtained from the definition of their stream function by
derivatives
∂Ψ dϕ(y)
u0 = = exp[i(αx − βt)] ,
∂y dy
∂Ψ (3)
v0 = − = −iαϕ(y) exp[i(αx − βt)] .
∂x
LAMINAR FLOW INSTABILITY 385
depending on the Reynolds number, velocity profile of the basic flow U (y) and
wavenumber α.
Note that the stability analysis for the complex velocity c and the real
wavenumber α is called the temporal stability analysis. If β is real and α com-
plex, then we speak about the spatial stability. Both approaches are equivalent,
however, from the mathematical viewpoint [2].
Let us discuss the temporal stability analysis for selected velocity profiles in
the following text.
The velocity profile of the Poisseuille flow in a rectangular channel is, in the
dimensionless coordinates, given by the form U (y) = 1 − y 2 . The solution of
the stability problem requires definition of boundary conditions. In this case
the following conditions are prescribed:
which express no-slip condition and disturbance decay at the wall, respectively.
386 S. KNOTEK, M. JÍCHA
The solution of the boundary problem (4), (6), (7) gives information about
the phase velocity c R and the instabilities growth trend with speed c I , depend-
ing on the wavenumber α (Figs. 1 and 2), and information about the amplitude
of velocity fluctuations with the amplitude function ϕ depending on the dis-
tance from the pipe wall y (Fig. 3). Given that the amplitude fluctuations are
infinitesimally small, the significance of the solution lies mainly in the sign of
the parameter c I depending on the Reynolds number of the basic flow and the
wavelength of disturbances. The curve of the neutral stability, where speed c I
becomes zero, divides the space of characteristics (Re, α) to the stability and
instability area (Fig. 4). The minimum Reynolds number for which there exists
the unstable frequency is called critical and in our work written as Recr . In the
case of Poiseuille flow it takes value Recr = 5772 for αcr = 1.02. Figures 1–4
were obtained using the Chebyshev collocation method described in [3], as well
as briefly in Sec. 5 below, and implemented in MATLAB.
LAMINAR FLOW INSTABILITY 387
2f 000 + f f 00 = 0 (16)
The region of the instability and velocity c I for Re = 630 and Re = 2200
are documented by Figs. 8 and 9. For Re = 630, we get a band [0.23; 0.25] of
wavenumbers α for which c I > 0 so that the disturbances grow. For Re = 2200,
the unstable band shifts towards lower wavenumbers and also the maximum
value of c I increases, which means that disturbances are amplified faster.
δ 2 dUe
Λ= (20)
ν dx
is the shape parameter Λ ranging from −12 to 12, while the velocity profile
has the inflection point when Λ < 0; for details see [1].
Velocity profiles and their second derivatives for Λ = 3 and Λ = −3 are
shown in Fig. 10. The effect of the inflection point profile on the instability
area is shown in Fig. 11.
The Pohlhausen profile for Λ = 0 coresponds to the profile without the
pressure gradient and thus qualitatively corresponds to the Blasius profile.
The comparison of the two velocity profiles and instability areas in logarithmic
scale is given in Figs. 12 and 13.
Fig. 12. Comparison of Blasius and Fig. 13. Comparison of instability areas
Pohlhausen velocity profiles of Blasius and Pohlhausen profiles
LAMINAR FLOW INSTABILITY 391
5. Method of solution
N
di ϕ
e X
i
(yj ) = Djk ϕ
ek , i = 1, . . . , 4 . (24)
dy i
k=0
Since the Chebyshev polynomials are defined for the interval [−1, 1], it is con-
venient to introduce the variable z by
z+1
y= . (25)
2
From the formula for differentiation of a composite function we obtain
1 i
Di = D̂ , (26)
2i
where D̂ i is the matrix obtained using the code chebdif.m by Weideman & Redy
from the website [6]. Substituting (24) to the Orr–Sommerfeld equation (4),
we obtain the generalized eigenvalue problem
(A − cB) Φ = 0 , (27)
where
i
A= (D 4 − 2αD 2 + α4 I) + U (D 2 − α2 I) − U 00 , (28)
αRe
B = D 2 − α2 I . (29)
392 S. KNOTEK, M. JÍCHA
n c R + ic I (Motsa) c R + ic I
Here, I is the identity matrix, U = diag U (yj ) and U 00 = diag U 00 (yj ) are
diagonal matrices, and Φ = [ϕ e0 , ϕ eN ]T is the vector of coefficients of
e1 , . . . , ϕ
the Chebyshev series (21).
Boundary conditions (11)–(14) can be written as
CΦ = b , (30)
where C, b are
I(N, :) 0
D(N, :) −U 0 (0)
C= , b= , (31)
D(1, :) + αI(1, :) 0
D 2 (1, :) + αD(1, :) 0
using the syntax I(i, :) for the i-th row of the matrix I, etc.
Implementation of boundary conditions (30) into the eigenvalue prob-
lem (27) was done according to the procedure set out in [7]. The eigenvalue
problem (27) was solved in MATLAB using the function eig.
6. Evaluation of results
conditions for y → ∞. The instability area for the Blasius profile is shown
in Fig. 8. The critical Reynolds number Recr = 520 for αcr = 0.3 including
graphs of c I in Fig. 9 for the selected Reynolds number corresponds to results
shown in [1].
The resulting graphs in Figs. 11 and 12 declare an agreement in the qual-
itative sense with the theory of the velocity profile impact on the instability
area; see Fig. 5. In the case of Poisseuille flow we receive values, which are
overstated depending on the parameter Λ in varying degrees compared with
values reported in literature, for example in [1].
7. Conclusion
References
[1] H. Schlichting, K. Gersten: Boundary-layer theory. 8th ed., Springer, Berlin 2000,
424–479.
[2] M. Gaster: A note on the relation between temporally-increasing and spatially-increasing
disturbances in hydrodynamic stability. J. Fluid Mech. 14 (1962), 222–224.
[3] S. S. Motsa, P. Sibanda: On the Chebyshev spectral collocation method in channel
and jet flows. J. Pure Math. 1 (2001), 36–47.
394 S. KNOTEK, M. JÍCHA
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