Turbulent/non-turbulent interface for laminar boundary flow over a wall-mounted fence

The turbulent/non-turbulent interface plays an important role in the exchange of mass, momentum, and energy between turbulent and nonturbulent flows. However, the role played by the interface in the separation and reattachment flow remains poorly understood. This study, thus, investigates the geometrical and dynamic properties of the interface in the separation and reattachment flow induced by a wall-mounted fence by using particle image velocimetry in a water tunnel. The flow undergoes laminar separation, reattachment, and the recovery of the boundary layer. Finally, the fully developed turbulent boundary layer is established. The geometrical and dynamic properties of the interface vary consistently with the vortex structure. The geometrical properties change most quickly above the reattachment point, where the dynamic properties are maximal. Before the reattachment point, the shear motion of the fluid contributes significantly to the interface properties. As a result, the interface thickness does not scale with the size of the nearby vortex until reattachment. Additionally, quasiperiodic shedding vortices significantly affect the interface properties. Remarkable bulges and troughs of the interface form corresponding to the spatial arrangement of the shedding vortices. In addition, the conditional averaged dynamic quantities peak along the interface coordinate as the turbulence intensity is enhanced by the shedding vortex. This study provides a new perspective of the turbulent/non-turbulent interface, improves our understanding of turbulent diffusion in the separation and reattachment flow, and clarifies how the separated flow and shedding vortices affect the interface properties.