Evolution of single elliptic vortex rings

The evolution of single elliptic vortex rings for initial aspect ratio (AR)=2,4,6 has been studied. The incompressible Navier-Stokes equations are solved by a dealiased pseudo-spectral method with 64³ grid points in a periodic cube. We find that there are three kinds of vortex motion asAR increases and bifurcation occurs at certainAR. The processes of advection, interaction and decay of vortex ring are discussed. Numerical results coincide with experiments and other authors' numerical simulation. The project is supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China and Doctoral Program of Institution of Higher Education     

Direct Numerical Simulation of Transitional Noncircular Buoyant Reactive Jets

The near field dynamics of transitional buoyant reactive jets established on noncircular geometries, including a rectangular nozzle with an aspect ratio of 2:1 and a square nozzle with the same cross-sectional area, are investigated by three-dimensional spatial direct numerical simulations. Without applying external perturbations at the inflow boundary, large vortical structures develop naturally in the flow field due to buoyancy effects. Simulation results and analysis describe the details and clarify mechanisms of vortex dynamics of the noncircular buoyant reactive jets. The interaction between density gradients and gravity initiates the flow vorticity. Among the major vorticity transport terms, the gravitational term mainly promotes flow vorticity in the cross-streamwise direction. For the baroclinic torque, it can either create or destroy flow vorticity depending on the local flow structure. The vortex stretching term has different effects on the streamwise and cross-streamwise vorticity. Streamwise vorticity is mainly created by vortex stretching, while this term can either create or destroy cross-streamwise vorticity. Under the coupling effects of buoyancy and noncircular nozzle geometry, three-dimensional vortex interactions lead to the transitional behavior of the reactive jets. Simulations also show that the rectangular jet is more vortical than the square jet. The rectangular jet has a stronger tendency of transition to turbulence at the downstream due to the aspect ratio effect. Mean flow property calculations show that the rectangular buoyant reactive jet has a higher entrainment rate than its square counterpart. Received 13 December 2000 and accepted 24 July 2001     

Three-dimensional instability of two counter-rotating vortices in a rectangular cavity driven by parallel wall motion

The linear stability of two counter-rotating vortices driven by the parallel motion of two facing walls in a rectangular cavity is investigated by a finite volume method. Critical Reynolds and wave numbers are calculated for aspect ratios ranging from 0.1 to 5. This range is sufficient to find the asymptotic behavior of the critical parameters when the aspect ratio tends to zero and infinity, respectively. The critical curve is smooth for all aspect ratios and, hence, the character of the instability changes continuously. When the moving walls are far apart the mechanism is centrifugal, as in the classical lid-driven cavity. For aspect ratios near unity a combined mechanism, also involving strain near the vortex cores, leads to the instability which tends to asymmetrically displace the vortex cores, very similar to the cooperative short-wave instability of a free counter-rotating vortex pair. In the limit when plane Poiseuille flow is approached in the bulk, the three-dimensional perturbations are strongly localized near both downstream ends of the moving walls.     

Rankine combined vortex interaction with a rectangular prism

Large eddy simulation is utilised to study the three-dimensional interaction between a travelling Rankine combined vortex and a rectangular prism. The study examines the strength and the topology of a vortex during the interaction with a prism that is much wider than the vortex core diameter. The physics of the interaction is revealed for the straight (β = 0°) and the oblique (β = 45°) impacts. For both cases, the low-level portion of the vortex undergoes displacements in the streamwise and the lateral directions. Also the vortex shape and the core vorticity are substantially disrupted. Behind the prism the full vortex circulation is recovered after a considerable distance. This created a low-velocity region. The sheltering effect of the prism is noticed for both straight and oblique impacts. The flow velocities in the sheltering region, right behind the prism, are reduced by more than 42% compared to the maximum flow speeds before the interaction.     

On pattern selection in mixed convection in rectangular ducts

Mixed convection in a horizontal rectangular duct has the same critical Rayleigh number as natural convection in a rectangular cavity for the onset of convection. The linear stability analysis predicts either an odd or an even number of convective rolls to appear depending on the aspect ratio of the cross section. However, it has been shown both experimentally and numerically that an even number of convective rolls appears under supercritical conditions for fully developed mixed convection. The paper first presents an analytical solution for the buoyancy-induced mainstream velocity, w ^b , at the onset of buoyancy-induced motion in a forced convective flow. Then, a comparison in the initial growth rate of w ^b is made between the case of an odd and an even number of rolls; which shows the selection of an even number of rolls over an odd number in mixed convection except for low aspect ratio ducts.     

Branching of a horseshoe vortex around surface-mounted rectangular cylinders

Flow visualizations and surface pressure measurements are performed to study the branching phenomenon of a horseshoe vortex upstream of a series of rectangular cylinders with aspect ratios ranging from 0 to 17. The Reynolds numbers are 500 for visualization experiments and 1990 to 6650 for wind tunnel surface pressure measurements. The flow visualization results indicate that a horseshoe vortex will first evolve into a wavy structure and for aspect ratios which are equal or larger than 10, the wavy horseshoe vortex will branch itself into smaller regular vortices. The waviness disappears as soon as branching occurs. The number of the branched smaller vortices increases as the aspect ratio increases further. Received: 31 March 1998/Accepted: 29 June 1999     

Flow around three rectangular cylinders arranged in connected and separated Y-shape

Characteristics of cross flow around three rectangular cylinders with two aspect ratios of breadth to width arranged in connected and separated Y-shape at various angles of incident flow were studied by means of force measurement in a wind tunnel. Flow visualizations with smoke-wire technique for typical cases were also given. Different types of flow patterns were formed for individual models at different angles of incident flow. From the results of fluctuating velocity measurement in the wake, features of vibration were determined. It shows that as the wind blows along the lines of one limb or rectangular cylinder of the model, oscillation is weak, whereas when the wind blows along the bisector lines of two limbs or cylinders, strong vibration is observed. It is associated with the regular vortex shedding.The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (10172008)The English text was polished by Keren Wang     

Flow above the free end of a surface-mounted finite-height circular cylinder: A review

The wake of a surface-mounted finite-height circular cylinder and the associated vortex patterns are strongly dependent on the cylinder aspect ratio and the thickness of the boundary layer on the ground plane relative to the dimensions of the cylinder. Above a critical aspect ratio, the mean wake is characterized by streamwise tip vortex structures and Kármán vortex shedding from the sides of the cylinder. Below a critical aspect ratio, a unique mean wake structure is observed. Recent experimental studies in the literature that used phase-averaged techniques, as well as recent numerical simulations, have led to an improved physical understanding of the near-wake vortex flow patterns. However, the flow above the free end of the finite circular cylinder, and its relationship to the near wake, has not been systematically studied. The effects of aspect ratio and boundary layer thickness on the free-end flow field are also not completely understood, nor has the influence of Reynolds number on the free-end flow field been fully explored. Common features associated with the free end include separation from the leading edge, a mean recirculation zone containing a prominent cross-stream arch (or mushroom) vortex, and reattachment onto the free-surface. Other flow features that remain to be clarified include a separation bubble near the leading edge, one or two cross-stream vortices within this separation bubble, the origins of the streamwise tip or trailing vortices, and various critical points in the near-surface flow topology. This paper reviews the current understanding of the flow above the free end of a surface-mounted finite-height circular cylinder, with a focus on models of the flow field, surface oil flow visualization studies, pressure and heat flux distributions on the free-end surface, measurements of the local velocity field, and numerical simulations, found in the literature.     

Penetrative convection in sublayer of water including density inversion

Numerical solutions of stability and convective flow in an infinite horizontal water layer, including density inversion, have been obtained using a finite element code. The evolution of the temperature field and flow pattern near the onset of convection are studied in detail. It is known that natural convection develops primarily in the lower unstably stratified layer. Of interest is the penetration of the convection rolls into the upper stably stratified layer and concurrent liquid entrainment as a function of the increasing Rayleigh number at different aspect ratios. Individual convection rolls may grow and expand before splitting up into two roll cells. It is shown that changing the aspect ratio influences critical Rayleigh number, flow symmetry, flow pattern, and transitions between flow patterns. Numerical results on heating from above or from below, agree well with available results in the literature. A correlation to predict critical Rayleigh numbers is given for the case of heating from above.     

Observation of the transient behaviour of Taylor vortex flow between rotating concentric cylinders after sudden start

Transient behaviour of Taylor vortex flow between rotating concentric cylinders after sudden start has been observed by measuring axial velocity distributions V _z (z) for Reynolds number between 70–1,300. We found that a somewhat noisy roll structure is established at an early time after the start. Azimuthal partial rolls can exist and fusions of rolls occur. These phenomena dissipate, and while definite sizes and locations of the rolls are adjusted, the system approaches the ordered structure steady state. The time needed for this transient process is in the order of (or shorter than) the diffusion time.     

Effect of velocity ratio on the streamwise vortex structures in the wake of a stack

The time-averaged velocity and streamwise vorticity fields within the wake of a stack were investigated in a low-speed wind tunnel using a seven-hole pressure probe. The experiments were conducted at a Reynolds number, based on the stack external diameter, of Re_D=2.3×10⁴. The stack, of aspect ratio AR=9, was mounted normal to a ground plane and was partially immersed in a flat-plate turbulent boundary layer, where the ratio of the boundary layer thickness to the stack height was δ/H≈0.5. The jet-to-cross-flow velocity ratio was varied from R=0 to 3, which covered the downwash, crosswind-dominated and jet-dominated flow regimes. In the downwash and crosswind-dominated flow regimes, two pairs of counter-rotating streamwise vortex structures were identified within the stack wake. The tip vortex pair located close to the free end of the stack, and the base vortex pair located close to the ground plane within the flat-plate boundary layer, were similar to those found in the wake of a finite circular cylinder, and were associated with the upwash and downwash flow fields within the stack wake, respectively. In the jet-dominated flow regime, a third pair of streamwise vortex structures was observed, referred to as the jet-wake vortex pair, which occurred within the jet-wake region above the free end of the stack. The jet-wake vortex pair had the same orientation as the base vortex pair and was associated with the jet rise. The peak vorticity and strength of the streamwise vortex structures were functions of the jet-to-cross-flow velocity ratio. For the tip vortex structures, their peak vorticity and strength reduced as the jet-to-cross-flow velocity ratio increased.     

Investigations of wake flows of a flat plate in steady,oscillatory and combined flows

Numerical study on near wake flows of a flat plate in three kinds of oncoming flows is made by using the discrete vortex model and improved vorticity creation method. For steady oncoming flow, both gross and detailed features of the wake flow are calculated and discussed. Then, in harmonic oscillatory oncoming flow two different wake flow patterns withK _c=2,4 and 10 are obtained respectively. Our results present a new wake flow pattern for lowKc numbers (Kc<5) describing vortex shedding, pairing and moving in a period of the oscillatory flow starting from rest. The calculated drag and inertia force coefficients are closer to experimental data from the U-tube than the previous results of vortex simulation. For in-line combined oncoming flow the vortex lock-in and dynamic characteristics are simulated. The results are shown to be in good agreement with experiments. The project supported by National Natural Science Fundation of China and LNM of Institute of Mechanics. CAS     

Flow structures and force characteristics for flat plate in oscillatory flows withKc number from 2 to 40 and in combined flows

The evolution of wake structures and variation of the forces on a flat plate in harmonic oscillatory and in-line combined flows are obtained numerically by improved discrete vortex method. For the oscillatory oncoming flow cases, wyenKc number varies from 2 to 40, the vortex pattern changes from a “harmonic wave” shaped (in a range of smallKc number) to a slight inclined “harmonic wave” shaped (in a range of moderateKc numbers), then to inclined vortex clusters with an angle of 50° to the oncoming flow direction (atKc=20), at last, asKc number becomes large, the vortex pattern is like a normal Karman vortex street. The well predicted drag and inertia force coefficients are obtained, which are more close to the results of Keulegan & Carpenter's experiment as compared with previous vortex simulation by other authors. The existence of minimum point of inertia force coefficientC _m nearKc=20 is also well predicted and this phenomenon can be interpreted according to the vortex structure. For steady-oscillatory in-line combined flow cases, the vortex modes behave like a vortex street, exhibit a “longitudinal wave” structure, and a vortex cluster shape corresponding to the ratios ofU _m toU ₀ which are ofO (10⁻¹)O(1) andO(10), respectively. The effect on the prediction of forces on the flat plate from the disturbance component in a combined flow has been demonstrated qualitatively. In addition to this, the lock in phenomenon of vortex shedding has been checked. The project supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China & LNM, Institute of Mechanics, CAS     

A numerical study of the vortex motion in oscillating flow around a circular cylinder at low and middlieKc numbers

A new hybrid model, which is based on domain decomposition and proposed by the authors, is used for calculating the flow around a circular cylinder at low and middle Keulegan-Carpenter numbers (Kc=2−18) respectively. The vortex motion patterns in asymmetric regime, single pair (or transverse) regime and double pair (or diagonal) regime are successfully simulated. The calculated drag and inertial force coefficients are in better agreement with experimental data than other recent computational results. The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundations of China and the LNM, Institute of Mechanics, Academia Sinica     

Numerical study of flow and thermal behaviour of lid‐driven flows in cavities of small aspect ratios

Numerical study has been performed to investigate the effects of cavity shape on flow and heat transfer characteristics of the lid‐driven cavity flows. Dependence of flow and thermal behaviour on the aspect ratio of the cavities is also evaluated. Three types of the cross‐sectional shape, namely, circular, triangular, and rectangular, and four aspect ratios, 0.133, 0.207, 0.288, and 0.5, are taken into account to construct twelve possible combinations; however, attention is focused on the small‐aspect‐ratio situations. Value of the Reynolds number considered in this study is varied between 100 and 1800. For the cases considered in this study a major clockwise vortex driven by the moving lid prevailing in the cavity is always observed. When the Reynolds number is fixed, the rectangular cavity produces strongest lid‐driven flow, and the triangular cavity weakest. For the cases at small aspect ratio and low Reynolds number, the streamlines appear symmetric fore‐and‐aft with respect to the central line at x/L = 0.5. Data for the local and average Nusselt numbers are also provided. For rectangular cavities, it is observed that case 1/5R produces the highest average Nusselt number at any Reynolds number. Among the twelve possible geometric cases considered herein, the highest and lowest average Nusselt numbers are found with cases 1/6T and 1/2C, respectively. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Three-dimensional numerical simulations of cross-flow around four cylinders in an in-line square configuration

This paper presents a numerical study of three-dimensional (3-D) laminar flow around four circular cylinders in an in-line square configuration. The investigation focuses on effects of spacing ratio (L/D) and aspect ratio (H/D) on 3-D flow characteristics, and the force and pressure coefficients of the cylinders. Extensive 3-D numerical simulations were performed at Reynolds number of 200 for L/D from 1.6 to 5.0 at H/D=16 and H/D from 6 to 20 at L/D=3.5. The results show that the 3-D numerical simulations have remedied the inadequacy of 2-D simulations and the results are in excellent agreement with the experimental results. The relation between 3-D flow patterns and pressure characteristics around the four cylinders is examined and discussed. The critical spacing ratio for flow pattern transformation was found to be L/D=3.5 for H/D=16, while a bistable wake pattern was observed at L/D=1.6 for the same aspect ratio. Moreover, a transformation of flow pattern from a stable shielding flow pattern to a vortex shedding flow pattern near the middle spanwise positions of the cylinders was observed and was found to be dependent on the aspect ratio, spacing ratio, and end wall conditions. Due to the highly 3-D nature of the flows, different flow patterns coexist over different spanwise positions of the cylinders even for the same aspect ratio. It is concluded that spacing ratio, aspect ratio, and the no-slip end wall condition have important combined effects on free shear layer development of the cylinders and hence have significant effects on the pressure field and force characteristics of the four cylinders with different spacing ratios and aspect ratios.     

On the development of Taylor vortices in a vertical annulus with a heated rotating inner cylinder

A numerical study has been conducted to determine the heat transfer characteristics and flow patterns which develop around a rotating, heated vertical cylinder enclosed within a stationary concentric cylinder. A tall annulus (aspect ratio of 10) with fixed, adiabatic horizontal end-plates and a radius ratio of 0·5 has been considered. Furthermore, the effect that the introduction of buoyancy forces by heating the inner cylinder has on the development of the Taylor vortex flow is examined. It is observed that the formation of the Taylor vortices is delayed until the rotational parameter σ = Gr/Re² has a value below unity for any given Reynolds number Re which is above the critical value Re_crit for the formation of Taylor vortices in an isothermal flow. Also, the Taylor cells first appear at the top of the annulus. As σ is gradually decreased below unity, bifurcations to other states are observed. The final structure of the secondary flow is noticeably distorted in the mixed-convection mode, with the size of the Taylor cells varying greatly along the height of the annulus. This distortion diminishes as σ is further decreased, until the isothermal flow pattern is nearly recovered below σ = 0·01.     

Fluid-dynamic forces and wake frequencies on a tilted rectangular cylinder near a solid wall

We investigate the impact of different boundary conditions on the flow field developing around a tilted rectangular cylinder with two different values of the aspect ratio (l/s=3 and 4). We are mainly interested in analyzing the changes in force coefficients and in the vortex shedding Strouhal number when the cylinder is placed at various distances from a bottom wall and different values of attack angle. The angle of attack ranges between −30° and +30° and the cylinder elevation above the bottom wall is varied between almost zero and 5 times the thickness of the cylinder. A large body of experimental results is related to the small elevation conditions at different attack angles, where the presence of the wall has a non-negligible effect on the behavior of the force coefficients and Strouhal number of the vortex shedding.     

A convective weakly viscoelastic rotating flow with pressure Neumann condition

The objective of this work is to investigate through the numeric simulation, the effects of the weakly viscoelastic flow within a rotating rectangular duct subject to a buoyancy force due to the heating of one of the walls of the duct. A direct velocity–pressure algorithm in primitive variables with a Neumann condition for the pressure is employed. The spatial discretization is made with finite central differences on a staggered grid. The pressure field is directly updated without any iteration. Numerical simulations were done for several Weissemberg numbers (We) and Grashof numbers (Gr) . The numerical results show that for high Weissemberg numbers (We>7.4 × 10^?5) and for ducts with aspect ratio 2:1 and 8:1, the secondary flow is restabilized with a stretched double vortex configuration. It is also observed that when the Grashof number is increased (Gr>17 × 10^?4) , the buoyancy force neutralizes the effects of the Coriolis force for ducts with aspect ratio 8:1. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Turbulence-driven secondary flows in a curved pipe

If the torque exerted on a fluid element and the source of streamwise vorticity generation are analyzed, a turbulence-driven secondary flow is found to be possible in a curved pipe. Based on this analysis, it is found that the secondary flow is primarily induced by high anisotropy of the cross-stream turbulent normal stresses near the outer bend (furthest from the center of curvature of the bend). This secondary flow appears as a counterrotating vortex pair embedded in a Dean-type secondary motion. Recent hot-wire measurements provide some evidence for the existence of this vortex pair. To verify the formation and extent of this turbulence-driven vortex pair further, a near-wall Reynolds-stress model is used to carry out a detailed numerical investigation of a curved-pipe flow. The computation is performed specifically for a U-bend with a full developed turbulent flow at the bend entrance and a long straight pipe attached to the exit. Numerical results reveal that there are three vortex pairs in a curved pipe. The primary one is the Dean-type vortex pair. Another pair exists near the pipe core and is a consequence of local pressure imbalance. A third pair is found near the outer bend and is the turbulence-driven secondary flow. It starts to appear around 60° from the bend entrance, grows to a maximum strength at the bend exit, and disappears altogether at about seven pipe diameters downstream of the bend. On the other hand, calculations of developing laminar curved-pipe flows covering a range of pipe-to-bend curvature ratios, Reynolds number, and different inlet conditions fail to give rise to a third cell near the outer bend. Therefore, experimental and numerical evidence together lend support to the formation of a pair of turbulence-driven secondary cells in curved-pipe flows.Research supported by the Office of Naval Research under Grant No. N0014-81-K-0428 and by the David Taylor Research Center, Annapolis, Maryland, under Contract No. N00167-86-K0075.