Measurement of turbulent spot convection rates in a transitional boundary layer

A new technique, based on the analysis of the signature of turbulent spots on the heat flux at the wall, is used to estimate the propagation rates of naturally occurring turbulent spots in a zero pressure gradient transitional boundary layer. Experiments were performed in a compression-heated transient aerodynamic facility using a flat plate with 32 thin-film heat transfer gauges along its centerline. Simultaneous wide-bandwidth heat transfer …