A model of stratified entrainment using vortex persistence

A new model is proposed for the entrainment rate by vortices across stratified interfaces. In the model, different entrainment regimes are distinguished by the conventional parameters Richardson, Reynolds, and Schmidt number as well as a new parameter, the “vortex persistence”. Vortex persistence is defined as the number of rotations a vortex makes during the time it moves its own diameter with respect to the interface. It is further proposed that the concept of vortex persistence is important whenever a vortex is near any kind of surface, either stratified or solid. The model is in accord with most field and laboratory observations in a variety of stratified and bounded flows, including measurements of wall heat transfer and vortex formation in starting jets.     

Some classes of two-dimensional vortex flows of an ideal fluid

Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Mekhaniki i Tekhnicheskoi Fiziki, No. 1, pp. 109–117, January–February, 1989.     

Some classes of two-dimensional stationary vortex structures in an ideal liquid

New types of plane stationary vortex formations in an ideal liquid are found. These structures are described by exact solutions of the equation for the stream function. This equation is the elliptical analog of the well-known Bullough-Dodd-Gibert-Shabat nonlinear wave equation. The Lyapunov stability of some of the solutions follows from Arnol'd's theorem. Computer Center, Siberian Division, Russian Academy of Sciences, Krasnoyarsk 660036. Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 39, No. 4, pp. 50–53, July–August, 1998.     

Elementary aspects of vortex motion

Several aspects of vortex motion are considered, with a special stress on the present status of idealization, such as point vortices or vortex filament. As an introduction, elements of vortices induced by the transient flow past an obstacle are considered and their role and development are stated.

Following this introduction, a general survey of the issues in this symposium is made sketchily. As an example, the motion of point vortices in the presence of an external flow or a boundary is discussed on the basis of the Hamiltonian formalism. The cases of linear flow and semicircular boundary are taken as examples of regular and chaotic motions. Secular behaviour of a pair of vortices in the flow is remarked.     

Measurement of ambient fluid entrainment during laminar vortex ring formation

Planar laser induced fluorescence (PLIF) and digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) combined with Lagrangian coherent structure (LCS) techniques are utilized to measure ambient fluid entrainment during laminar vortex ring formation and relate it to the total entrained volume after formation is complete. Vortex rings are generated mechanically with a piston-cylinder mechanism for a jet Reynolds number of 1,000, stroke ratios of 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0, and three velocity programs (Trapezoidal, triangular negative and positive sloping velocity programs). The quantitative observations of PLIF agree with both the total ring volume and entrainment rate measurements obtained from the DPIV/LCS hybrid method for the jet Reynolds number of 1,000, trapezoidal velocity program and stroke ratio of 2.0 case. In addition to increased entrainment at smaller stroke ratios observed by others, the PLIF results also show that a velocity program utilizing rapid jet initiation and termination enhances ambient fluid entrainment. The observed trends in entrainment rate and final entrained fluid fraction are explained in terms of the vortex roll-up process during vortex ring formation.     

Simulating air entrainment and vortex dynamics in a hydraulic jump

The air entrainment characteristics of three separate Froude number hydraulic jumps are investigated numerically using an unsteady RANS, realizable k–ε turbulence model, with a Volume of Fluid treatment for the free surface. Mean velocity profiles, average void fraction, and Sauter mean diameter compare favorably with experimental data reported in literature. In all simulations, time-averaged void fraction profiles show good agreement with experimental values in the turbulent shear layer and an accurate representation of interfacial aeration at the free surface. Sauter mean diameter is well represented in the shear layer, and free surface entrainment results indicate bubble size remains relatively unchanged throughout the depth of the jump. Several different grid resolutions are tested in the simulations. Significant improvements in void fraction and bubble size comparison are seen when the diameter to grid size ratio of the largest bubbles in the shear layer surpasses eight. A three-dimensional simulation is carried out for one Froude number jump, showing an improvement in the prediction of entrained air and bubble size compared with two-dimensional results at a substantial increase in computation time. An analysis of three-dimensional vorticity shows a complex interaction between spanwise and streamwise vortical structures and entrained air bubbles. The jump is similar to a turbulent mixing layer, constrained by the free surface, with vortex pairing and subsequent fluctuations in free surface elevation. Downstream fluctuations of the toe are associated with a roll up of the primary spanwise vortex, fluctuations of the free surface, and counter-rotating streamwise vortex pairs. The action of these flow structures is likely responsible for the improvement in three-dimensional results.     

Analytical model of motion of turbulent vortex rings in an incompressible fluid

An analytical model describing the motion of vortex rings in an incompressible fluid is constructed. The model is valid both for homogeneous and inhomogeneous vortices buoyant in the gravity field, as well as for combined vortices. The expansion angle of a buoyant vortex is found from the characteristic parameters that define the flow rather than specified on the basis of experiments. Significant differences in the expansion angles of homogeneous and buoyant vortex rings are explained. The calculation results for the proposed model are compared with the results of laboratory experiments and data on the rise of the cloud produced by an atomic explosion.     

Air entrainment in two-dimensional turbulent shear flows with partially developed inflow conditions

In plunging jet flows and at hydraulic jumps, large quantities of air are entrained at the intersection of the impinging flow and the receiving body of water. The air bubbles are entrained into a turbulent shear layer and strong interactions take place between the air bubble advection/diffusion process and the momentum shear region. New air-water flow experiments were conducted with two free shear layer flows: a vertical supported jet and a horizontal hydraulic jump. The inflows were partially developed boundary layers, characterized by the presence of a velocity potential core next to the entrapment point. In both cases, the distributions of air concentration exhibit a Gaussian distribution profile with an exponential longitudinal decay of the maximum air content. Interestingly, the location of the maximum air content and the half-value band width are identical for both flow situations, i.e. independent of buoyancy effects.     

Factors influencing non-circular ring vortex motion

Non-circular ring vortices are innately unstable, giving rise to a range of new phenomena. Here we report on our and Heertsch's [1] experiments in which vortices were generated at rectangular holes and nozzles with aspect ratios 2<<20. Different piston histories were also used. For forestrokes alone we were able to confirm the typical non-splitting motion of the primary vortex. On introducing a backstroke following the forestroke even for values of as low as 2 — values which should not give rise to splitting vortices — vortices could be made to split into 2, 3 or 4 secondary vortices. For cases where they rejoined the process was significantly different to that predicted by theory [2]. For 3 for a nozzle geometry the splitting angle is extremely sensitive to the stroke (length) so long as splitting takes place, whereas for 9>>5 the splitting angle tends to become independent of the stroke. This sensitivity on the stroke is reduced for vortices generated at a hole geometry. For all cases investigated here the splitting angle seems to be relatively insensitive to the Reynolds number. Vortices generated at hole geometries also tend to be less stable than those generated at tube geometries. Finally, the dependence of the splitting angle on the stroke length only scales with the nozzle breadth for 7>>5.

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Sommario Vortici ad anello non circolari sono intrinsecamente instabili e danno luogo ad una gamma di nuovi fenomeni. In questo articolo vengono riportati gli esperimenti degli Autori e di Heertsch in cui sono generati vortici in ugelli e fori rettangolari con rapporti geometrici =2÷20. Sono state anche usate differenti storie del moto del pistone. Nel caso in cui si usi solo la corsa in avanti si è stati capaci di confermare il moto tipico del vortice primario senza divisione del vortice stesso. Introducendo una corsa inversa, subito dopo la corsa in avanti, persino per pari circa a 2 — valore in cui il vortice non si dovrebbe dividere — i vortici si potevano dividere in due, tre o quattro vortici secondari. Nei casi in cui si verificava la riconnessione, l'evoluzione del processo era molto differente rispetto alla teoria. Per <3, per una data geometria dell'ugello, l'angolo di separazione è estremamente sensibile alla lunghezza della corsa, mentre per =5÷9 l'angolo di separazione tende a diventare indipendente dalla corsa. Questa sensibilità è ridotta per vortici generati in fori. In tutti i casi l'angolo di separazione sembra abbastanza indipendente dal numero di Reynolds. Vortici generati in corrispondenza di fori tendono ad essere meno stabili di quelli generati in ugelli. Infine, la dipendenza dall'angolo di separazione sulla lunghezza della corsa scala con l'ampiezza dell'ugello solamente per =5÷7.

     

Particle motion in a Taylor vortex

Here we present a study on the behavior of individual particles in the Taylor vortex. Two particle-fluid systems were tested: a cube with the edge length of 2 mm and the density of 0.13 g/cm³ (‘light particle’) in a working fluid of mineral oil (density of 0.86 g/cm³ and viscosity of 0.066 Pa.s); and a sphere with the diameter of 1.6 mm and the density of 2.2 g/cm³ (‘heavy particle’) in 90% glycerin/water (density of 1.23 g/cm³ and viscosity of 0.128 Pa.s). The Taylor–Couette device used for this study was featured with a short column (aspect ratio ≤ 6) and a wide gap (radius ratio ≤ 0.67). The interaction between the floating particle and Taylor vortices was investigated using a high speed camera and a particle image velocimetry (PIV) system. Moreover, computational fluid dynamics simulation was performed to calculate the liquid flow pattern and analyze the particle motion. Our results show that the particle behavior in the Taylor–Couette device is strongly dependent on the particle density and Reynolds number. With the increasing Reynolds number, four types of particle trajectories were sequentially identified from the light particle, including a circular trajectory on the surface of the inner cylinder, random shifting between the circular trajectory and oval orbit, a stable oval orbit in the annulus, and a circle along the vortex center. On the other hand, the heavy particle moves along a circular orbit and an oval orbit at low and high Reynolds numbers, respectively. Several unreported particle behaviors were also observed, such as the self-rotation of the particle when it moves along the above trajectories, the shifting axis of the oval orbit, etc. In addition, the PIV measurements show that the trapped particle can only influence the flow pattern locally around the particle. The study can help understand the particle behavior in a Taylor vortex better and therefore benefit applications of particle-laden Taylor vortex devices.     

赫姆霍兹对流体涡旋运动的开创性研究

着重讨论赫姆霍兹在特定的历史背景下,最先对流体涡旋运动进行研究并创建了流体涡旋理论,他所给出的涡线、涡丝等概念至今仍在流体力学中沿用,以他的名字命名的赫姆霍兹定理和赫姆霍兹速度分解定理更是流体涡旋理论中重要的基本定理,现代流体涡旋理论正是在他的研究基础上发展起来的,并进一步指出：赫姆霍兹的理论无论在物理上还是数学上都具有重要意义,而且对开尔等人后来的研究工作产生了重要影响。     

A new calculus for two-dimensional vortex dynamics

This article provides a user’s guide to a new calculus for finding the instantaneous complex potentials associated with point vortex motion in geometrically complicated planar domains, with multiple boundaries, in the presence of background flows. The key to the generality of the approach is the use of conformal mapping theory together with a special transcendental function called the Schottky–Klein prime function. Illustrative examples are given.     

On the self-induced motion of vortex sheets

An accurate numerical scheme has been devised to study the self-induced motion of an infinitely thin, free vortex sheet of finite span in an unbounded, inviscid, incompressible fluid. The new numerical scheme has been tested against two vortex sheet problems for which exact solutions have also been obtained. The agreement between the numerical and exact solutions is excellent. The scheme has been further tested against two more examples for which analytical solutions for small times were available. Here too the agreement is excellent.     

On the motion of thin vortex tubes

The motion of a tube of vorticity with a cross sectional radius that is everywhere small compared to local radius of curvature of the tube is considered. In particular, we determine the inviscid motion of the 3D space curve that traces the centerline of the tube for an arbitrary distribution of axial vorticity within the core.     

Fundamentals of three-dimensional vortex motion around solid bodies

An Action Principle describing the evolution of a 3-D inviscid vorticity field around a solid body is presented. This variational principle is used for the construction of a numerical algorithm. A formal solution of the inviscid vorticity transport equation is given by means of a Lie transform using a Dirac bracket and Hamiltonian functional. This solution is used in a stochastic algorithm for the simulation of the evolution of a viscous vorticity field around a body.     

Collapse and concentration of vortex sheets in two-dimensional flow

Numerical evidence is presented for the existence of collapse configurations of vortex sheets (one-dimensional singular distributions of vorticity) in a two-dimensional ideal fluid. Point vortices are used to approximate the vortex sheets. These and related motions cause a significant concentration of vorticity, with possible relevance to the concentration seen in the evolution of turbulent flows.     

Reynolds number dependence of two-dimensional laminar co-rotating vortex merging

The paper reports unsteady Navier–Stokes calculations of laminar two-dimensional co-rotating vortex merging for various Reynolds numbers. The unsteady, incompressible two-dimensional Navier–Stokes equations were solved with fourth-order Runge–Kutta temporal discretization and fourth-order symmetric compact schemes for spatial discretization. Calculations of the unsteady Taylor vortex benchmark showed that fourth-order accurate solutions for all primitive variables were indeed achieved. Calculations for a pair of equal-strength co-rotating vortices show good agreement with reported direct numerical simulation and experiments for the evolution of the separation distance and core radius. It is found that the time required for merging is inversely proportional to the square root of the Reynolds number. According to previous experimental research, it was also found that complete merging in laminar regime undergoes four stages with physical meaning. The physical mechanism responsible for the merging process is investigated and it is found that the antisymmetric vorticity dynamics plays an important role until full merging.     

Approximate two-dimensional equations of vortex flow in a plane layer with solid boundaries

Approximate two-dimensional equations governing turbulent vortex flows in plane fluid layers are considered. The equations were derived by the author in his earlier studies using the shallow water approximation and neglecting circulatory flows in the layer cross-sections. It is shown that, due to the centrifugal effect in the vortex flow, return flows in the layer cross-sections have only a slight influence on the fluid flow in the plane layer and can be neglected.