Coherent and incoherent flow structures behind a normal flat plate Original Research Article

By means of triple-decomposition, characteristics of coherent and incoherent contributions in the wake of a flat plate were examined in a domain x/D=2–8 at a Reynolds number of 3.3 × 104. Significant lateral momentum transfer to a growing vortex was obtained image period after a vortex was shed. Coherent and incoherent energy production was initiated at the edges of the flat plate with subsequent diffusion laterally and then in free-stream direction. Coherent shear stress image alternates twice per cycle due to image lagging behind image by image of a cycle; time mean coherent stress is zero. Although normal incoherent stresses are around 10% of U∞2, peak values for image are at most 3% or lower.