On wall pressure fluctuations and their coupling with vortex dynamics in a separated–reattached turbulent flow over a blunt flat plate

Abstract This study deals with the numerical predictions through Large-Eddy Simulation ( LES ) of the separated–reattached turbulent flow over a blunt flat plate for analyzing main coherent structure features and their relation to the unsteady pressure field. A compressible approach that inherently includes acoustic propagation is here followed to describe the relationship between pressure fluctuations and vortex dynamics around the separation bubble. The objective of the present work is then to contribute to a better understanding of the coupling between the vortex dynamics and the wall pressure fluctuations. The filtered compressible Navier–Stokes equations are then solved with a numerical method that follows a Lax–Wendroff approach to recover a high accuracy in both time and space. For validations, the present numerical results are compared to experimental measurements, coming from both the Pprime laboratory (Sicot el al., 2012) and the literature (Cherry et al., 1984; Kiya and Sasaki, 1985; Tafti and Vanka,1991; Sicot et al., 2012). Our numerical results very well predict mean and fluctuating pressure and velocity fields. Flapping, shedding as well as Kelvin–Helmholtz characteristic frequencies educed by present simulations are in very good agreement with the experimental values generally admitted. These characteristic modes are also visible on unsteady pressure signatures even far away from the separation. Spectral, POD and EPOD (extended POD) analyses are then applied to these numerical data to enhance the salient features of the pressure and velocity fields, especially the unsteady wall pressure in connection with either the vortex shedding or the low frequency shear-layer flapping. A contribution to the understanding of the coupling between wall pressure fluctuations and eddy vortices is finally proposed.