Laminar-to-turbulent transition on a plate with a blunt leading edge

Video of laminar-to-turbulent transition on a plate with a blunt leading edge. A favorable/adverse pressure distribution is imposed by a contoured ceiling. Iso-contours of the Lambda2-criterion illustrate the onset of turbulence due to separated-flow transition near the blunt leading edge, dampening of the turbulent structures by the flow acceleration, and re-amplification by the flow deceleration. Isocontours are coloured by wall height. The red-to-blue scale illustrates the static pressure distribution imposed by the contoured ceiling.