On the application of a hairpin vortex model of wall turbulence to trailing edge noise prediction

The goal is to develop a technique via a hairpin vortex model of the turbulent boundary layer, which would lead to the estimation of the aerodynamic input for use in trailing edge noise prediction theories. The work described represents an initial step in reaching this goal. The hairpin vortex is considered as the underlying structure of the wall turbulence and the turbulent boundary layer is viewed as an ensemble of typical hairpin vortices of different sizes. A synthesis technique is examined which links the mean flow and various turbulence quantities via these typical vortices. The distribution of turbulence quantities among vortices of different scales follows directly from the probability distribution needed to give the measured mean flow vorticity. The main features of individual representative hairpin vortices are discussed in detail and a preliminary assessment of the synthesis approach is made.