Periodic turbulent boundary layers in zero and adverse time-mean pressure gradient have been studied. The study includes experimental, analytical and numerical investigations. The experiments were conducted in an unsteady-flow water tunnel, in which the freestream velocity varies sinusoidally with time around a mean value. Reduced frequencies up to about 25 and a relative oscillation amplitude of 40 per cent of the mean velocity were studied. Flow reversal occurred over a significant part of the oscillation cycle in the adverse pressure gradient experiments, though no mean-flow separation was observed. Data on turbulent stresses and wall shear stress were obtained using a two-component laser Doppler anemometry and a surface-mounted heat flux gage. A theory and calibration procedure were developed for the use of the latter in unsteady flow. All the experimental data were recorded on magnetic tape. A general asymptotic theory has been developed for unsteady turbulent boundary layers. This theory leads to the development of wall functions for these flows. Such wall functions have been developed and used in a calculation procedure based on the k-epsilon model of turbulence.

A comprehensive literature search was conducted and those experiments related to unsteady turbulent boundary-layer behavior were cataloged. In addition, an international survey of industrial, university, and government research laboratories was made, in which new and ongoing experimental programs associated with unsteady turbulent boundary-layer research were identified. Pertinent references were reviewed and classified based on the technical emphasis of the various experiments that include instantaneous or ensemble-averaged profiles of boundary-layer variables are stressed. Detailed reviews that include descriptions of the experimental apparatus, flow conditions, summaries of acquired data, and significant conclusions are made. The measurements made in these experiments that exist in digital form have been stored on magnetic tape, and instructions are presented for accessing these data sets for further analysis. (Author).

A turbulent boundary layer, subjected to a free-stream velocity which changes sinusiodally in time under a zero time mean pressure gradient, is studied both experimentally and analytically. Using a two-component Laser Doppler Anemometer and a Heat Flux Gage, detailed and high quality information is obtained on the instantaneous velocity distribution and wall shear stress, respectively, at various stations. An asymptotic theory, for large Reynolds numbers, is developed for the oscillatory motion. It is valid for both boundary layers at arbitrary time-mean pressure gradients and fully developed pipe and channel flow, and is successfully applied to the present and previous available experimental information. The theory identifies two frequency parameters, in terms of which four different frequency regimes are defined. Similarity laws are identified for each one of these frequency regimes. All the experimental data have been archived on magnetic tape. (Author).

The results are presented of a series of computational experiments aimed at studying the characteristics of time-dependent turbulent boundary layers with embedded reversed-flow regions. A calculation method developed earlier was extended to boundary layers with reversed flows for this purpose. The calculations were performed for an idealized family of external velocity distributions, and covered a range of degrees of unsteadiness. The results confirmed those of previous studies in demonstrating that the point of flow reversal is nonsingular in a time-dependent boundary layer. A singularity was observed to develop downstream of reversal, under certain conditions, accompanied by the breakdown of the boundary-layer approximations. A tentative hypothesis was advanced in an attempt to predict the appearance of the singularity, and is shown to be consistent with the calculated results.