The Sub-Harmonic Bifurcation of Stokes Waves

Steady periodic water waves on the free surface of an infinitely deep irrotational flow under gravity without surface tension (Stokes waves) can be described in terms of solutions of a quasi-linear equation which involves the Hilbert transform and which is the Euler-Lagrange equation of a simple functional. The unknowns are a 2π-periodic function w which gives the wave profile and the Froude number, a dimensionless parameter reflecting the wavelength when the wave speed is fixed (and vice versa). Although this equation is exact, it is quadratic (with no higher order terms) and the global structure of its solution set can be studied using elements of the theory of real analytic varieties and variational techniques. In this paper it is shown that there bifurcates from the first eigenvalue of the linearised problem a uniquely defined arc-wise connected set of solutions with prescribed minimal period which, although it is not necessarily maximal as a connected set of solutions and may possibly self-intersect, has a local real analytic parametrisation and contains a wave of greatest height in its closure (suitably defined). Moreover it contains infinitely many points which are either turning points or points where solutions with the prescribed minimal period bifurcate. (The numerical evidence is that only the former occurs, and this remains an open question.) It is also shown that there are infinitely many values of the Froude number at which Stokes waves, having a minimal wavelength that is an arbitrarily large integer multiple of the basic wavelength, bifurcate from the primary branch. These are the sub-harmonic bifurcations in the paper's title. (In 1925 Levi-Civita speculated that the minimal wavelength of a Stokes wave propagating with speed c did not exceed 2πc ²/g. This is disproved by our result on sub-harmonic bifurcation, since it shows that there are Stokes waves with bounded propagation speeds but arbitrarily large minimal wavelengths.) Although the work of Benjamin & Feir} and others [9, 10] has shown Stokes waves on deep water to be unstable, they retain a central place in theoretical hydrodynamics. The mathematical tools used to study them here are real analytic-function theory, spectral theory of periodic linear pseudo-differential operators and Morse theory, all combined with the deep influence of a paper by Plotnikov [36]. Accepted: December 6, 1999     

Nearly-Hamiltonian Structure for Water Waves with Constant Vorticity

We show that the governing equations for two-dimensional gravity water waves with constant non-zero vorticity have a nearly-Hamiltonian structure, which becomes Hamiltonian for steady waves.      

A study of the effect of step excrescences and free‐stream disturbances on boundary layer stability

In this work, a study of the mechanism by which free‐stream acoustic and vorticity disturbances interact with a boundary layer flow developing over a flat plate featuring a step excrescence located at a certain distance from a blunt leading edge is included. The numerical tool is a high‐fidelity implicit numerical algorithm solving for the unsteady, compressible form of the Navier–Stokes equations in a body‐fitted curvilinear coordinates and employing high‐accurate compact differencing schemes with Pade‐type filters. Acoustic and vorticity waves are generated using a source term in the momentum and energy equations, as opposed to using inflow boundary conditions, to avoid spurious waves that may propagate from boundaries. The results show that the receptivity to surface step excrescences is largely the result of an overall adverse pressure gradient posed by the step, and that the free‐stream disturbances accelerate the generation of instabilities in the downstream. As expected, it is found that the acoustic disturbance interacting with the surface imperfection is more efficient in exciting the Tollmien–Schlichting waves than the vorticity disturbance. The latter generates Tollmien–Schlichting waves that are grouped in wave packets consistent with the wavelength of the free‐stream disturbance. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Some uses of Green's theorem in solving the Navier–Stokes equations

This paper gives a review of methods where Green's theorem may be employed in solving numerically the Navier–Stokes equations for incompressible fluid motion. They are based on the concept of using the theorem to transform local boundary conditions given on the boundary of a closed region in the solution domain into global, or integral, conditions taken over it. Two formulations of the Navier–Stokes equations are considered: that in terms of the streamfunction and vorticity for two-dimensional motion and that in terms of the primitive variables of the velocity components and the pressure. In the first formulation overspecification of conditions for the streamfunction is utilized to obtain conditions of integral type for the vorticity and in the second formulation integral conditions for the pressure are found. Some illustrations of the principle of the method are given in one space dimension, including some derived from two-dimensional flows using the series truncation method. In particular, an illustration is given of the calculation of surface vorticity for two-dimensional flow normal to a flat plate. An account is also given of the implementation of these methods for general two-dimensional flows in both of the mentioned formulations and a numerical illustration is given.     

Exact Solitary Water Waves with Vorticity

The solitary water wave problem is to find steady free surface waves which approach a constant level of depth in the far field. The main result is the existence of a family of exact solitary waves of small amplitude for an arbitrary vorticity. Each solution has a supercritical parameter value and decays exponentially at infinity. The proof is based on a generalized implicit function theorem of the Nash–Moser type. The first approximation to the surface profile is given by the “KdV” equation. With a supercritical value of the surface tension coefficient, a family of small amplitude solitary waves of depression with subcritical parameter values is constructed for an arbitrary vorticity.     

Vorticity—velocity formulation in the computation of flows in multiconnected domains

The thermofluid dynamic fields in two-dimensional multiconnected domains are analysed by solving the Navier–Stokes equations with the Boussinesq approximation in the vorticity–velocity formulation. The need of an integral condition for the pressure to be single-valued on each independent irreducible loop, in analogy with the ω–Ψ formulation, is demonstrated. The field equations are discretized by a finite difference technique and solved at the steady state via an alternating direction implicit method of a scalar type. Two test cases at low Reynolds and Rayleigh numbers are considered: the multiconnected driven cavity and an annulus with isothermal walls and stationary or rotating inner cylinder.     

Solution to transient Navier–Stokes equations by the coupling of differential quadrature time integration scheme with dual reciprocity boundary element method

The two‐dimensional time‐dependent Navier–Stokes equations in terms of the vorticity and the stream function are solved numerically by using the coupling of the dual reciprocity boundary element method (DRBEM) in space with the differential quadrature method (DQM) in time. In DRBEM application, the convective and the time derivative terms in the vorticity transport equation are considered as the nonhomogeneity in the equation and are approximated by radial basis functions. The solution to the Poisson equation, which links stream function and vorticity with an initial vorticity guess, produces velocity components in turn for the solution to vorticity transport equation. The DRBEM formulation of the vorticity transport equation results in an initial value problem represented by a system of first‐order ordinary differential equations in time. When the DQM discretizes this system in time direction, we obtain a system of linear algebraic equations, which gives the solution vector for vorticity at any required time level. The procedure outlined here is also applied to solve the problem of two‐dimensional natural convection in a cavity by utilizing an iteration among the stream function, the vorticity transport and the energy equations as well. The test problems include two‐dimensional flow in a cavity when a force is present, the lid‐driven cavity and the natural convection in a square cavity. The numerical results are visualized in terms of stream function, vorticity and temperature contours for several values of Reynolds (Re) and Rayleigh (Ra) numbers. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Nash-Moser Theory for Standing Water Waves

We consider a perfect fluid in periodic motion between parallel vertical walls, above a horizontal bottom and beneath a free boundary at constant atmospheric pressure. Gravity acts vertically downwards. Suppose the underlying flow is two-dimensional in a vertical plane orthogonal to the walls and satisfies the constant-pressure condition on the free boundary where surface tension is neglected. Suppose also that it is symmetric about a plane midway between the walls, and periodic in time. Such motion, which can be extended to give a two-dimensional flow of infinite horizontal extent that is periodic in space as well as in time, is referred to as a standing wave. Unlike progressive (or steady) Stokes waves, standing waves are not stationary relative to a moving reference frame. The purpose of this paper is to show how the Nash-Moser iteration method can be adapted to give a rigorous proof of the existence of small-amplitude standing waves for which the normal component of pressure gradient on the free surface satisfies additional constraints. These constraints are imposed in advance to facilitate the a priori bounds needed for the Nash-Moser method and only solutions satisfying them have been found.(They have no obvious analogue in the theory of Stokes waves.) The presentation is self-contained and includes a version of the Nash-Moser theorem tailored for the purpose. The imposed constraints are used to define a manifold upon which iteration is carried out and a detailed account from first principles of the a priori bounds required to implement the method is given. We use the Lagrangian form of the Euler equations throughout.     

Nonreflecting boundary conditions based on nonlinear multidimensional characteristics

Nonlinear characteristic boundary conditions based on nonlinear multidimensional characteristics are proposed for 2‐ and 3‐D compressible Navier–Stokes equations with/without scalar transport equations. This approach is consistent with the flow physics and transport properties. Based on the theory of characteristics, which is a rigorous mathematical technique, multidimensional flows can be decomposed into acoustic, entropy, and vorticity waves. Nonreflecting boundary conditions are derived by setting corresponding characteristic variables of incoming waves to zero and by partially damping the source terms of the incoming acoustic waves. In order to obtain the resulting optimal damping coefficient, analysis is performed for problems of pure acoustic plane wave propagation and arbitrary flows. The proposed boundary conditions are tested on two benchmark problems: cylindrical acoustic wave propagation and the wake flow behind a cylinder with strong periodic vortex convected out of the computational domain. This new approach substantially minimizes the spurious wave reflections of pressure, density, temperature, and velocity as well as vorticity from the artificial boundaries, where strong multidimensional flow effects exist. The numerical simulations yield accurate results, confirm the optimal damping coefficient obtained from analysis, and verify that the method substantially improves the 1‐D characteristics‐based nonreflecting boundary conditions for complex multidimensional flows. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Chebyshev collocation method for the Navier–Stokes equations with application to double-diffusive convection

A Chebyshev collocation method for solving the unsteady two-dimensional Navier–Stokes equations in vorticity–streamfunction variables is presented and discussed. The discretization in time is obtained through a class of semi-implicit finite difference schemes. Thus at each time cycle the problem reduces to a Stokes-type problem which is solved by means of the influence matrix technique leading to the solution of Helmholtz-type equations with Dirichlet boundary conditions. Theoretical results on the stability of the method are given. Then a matrix diagonalization procedure for solving the algebraic system resulting from the Chebyshev collocation approximation of the Helmholtz equation is developed and its accuracy is tested. Numerical results are given for the Stokes and the Navier–Stokes equations. Finally the method is applied to a double-diffusive convection problem concerning the stability of a fluid stratified by salinity and heated from below.     

A hybrid approach for nonlinear computational aeroacoustics predictions

In many aeroacoustics applications involving nonlinear waves and obstructions in the far-field, approaches based on the classical acoustic analogy theory or the linearised Euler equations are unable to fully characterise the acoustic field. Therefore, computational aeroacoustics hybrid methods that incorporate nonlinear wave propagation have to be constructed. In this study, a hybrid approach coupling Navier–Stokes equations in the acoustic source region with nonlinear Euler equations in the acoustic propagation region is introduced and tested. The full Navier–Stokes equations are solved in the source region to identify the acoustic sources. The flow variables of interest are then transferred from the source region to the acoustic propagation region, where the full nonlinear Euler equations with source terms are solved. The transition between the two regions is made through a buffer zone where the flow variables are penalised via a source term added to the Euler equations. Tests were conducted on simple acoustic and vorticity disturbances, two-dimensional jets (Mach 0.9 and 2), and a three-dimensional jet (Mach 1.5), impinging on a wall. The method is proven to be effective and accurate in predicting sound pressure levels associated with the propagation of linear and nonlinear waves in the near- and far-field regions.     

Unsteady layered vortical fluid flows

An exact time-dependent solution of the system of Navier–Stokes equations governing large-scale viscous vortical incompressible flows is derived. The solution generalizes that describing the Couette flow. Two ways of preassigning the boundary conditions at the upper boundary of a fluid layer are considered. These are the time-dependent variation of the velocity value with the conservation of its direction and the variation of the angle at which the velocities parallel to the coordinate axes are directed. It is shown that at certain values of vorticity, viscosity, and the layer thickness the velocities within the layer can be severalfold greater than the given velocity at the boundary.     

New families of pure gravity waves in water of infinite depth

Nonlinear periodic gravity waves propagating at a constant velocity at the surface of a fluid of infinite depth are considered. The fluid is assumed to be inviscid and incompressible and the flow to be irrotational. It is known that there are both regular waves (for which all the crests are at the same height) and irregular waves (for which not all the crests are at the same height). We show numerically the existence of new branches of irregular waves which bifurcate from the branch of regular waves. Our results suggest there are an infinite number of such branches. In addition we found additional new branches of irregular waves which bifurcate from the previously calculated branches of irregular waves.     

Waves in thin-walled elastic tubes containing an incompressible inviscid fluid

The effect of the non-linearity of the governing equations on the propagation of waves in fluid filled elastic tubes is investigated. Results are obtained by the method of characteristics for a particular form of pressure pulse applied at the end of a semi-infinite initially uniform tube. An expression is obtained for the distance along the tube at which shock formation is predicted. Two different hyperelastic materials whose elastic properties model those of biological tissue are considered for the tube walls. Numerical results are presented in graphical form.     

Numerical simulations of inviscid and viscous free‐surface flows with application to nonlinear water waves

The purpose of the present study is to establish a numerical model appropriate for solving inviscid/viscous free‐surface flows related to nonlinear water wave propagation. The viscous model presented herein is based on the Navier–Stokes equations, and the free‐surface is calculated through an arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian streamfunction‐vorticity formulation. The streamfunction field is governed by the Poisson equation, and the vorticity is obtained on the basis of the vorticity transport equation. For computing the inviscid flow the Laplace streamfunction equation is used. These equations together with the respective (appropriate) fully nonlinear free‐surface boundary conditions are solved using a finite difference method. To demonstrate the model feasibility, in the present study we first simulate collision processes of two solitary waves of different amplitudes, and compute the phenomenon of overtaking of such solitary waves. The developed model is subsequently applied to calculate (both inviscid and the viscous) flow field, as induced by passing of a solitary wave over submerged rectangular structures and rigid ripple beds. Our study provides a reasonably good understanding of the behavior of (inviscid/viscous) free‐surface flows, within the framework of streamfunction‐vorticity formulation. The successful simulation of the above‐mentioned test cases seems to suggest that the arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian/streamfunction‐vorticity formulation is a potentially powerful approach, capable of effectively solving the fully nonlinear inviscid/viscous free‐surface flow interactions. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On coupling the Reynolds‐averaged Navier–Stokes equations with two‐equation turbulence model equations

Two methods for coupling the Reynolds‐averaged Navier–Stokes equations with the q–ω turbulence model equations on structured grid systems have been studied; namely a loosely coupled method and a strongly coupled method. The loosely coupled method first solves the Navier–Stokes equations with the turbulent viscosity fixed. In a subsequent step, the turbulence model equations are solved with all flow quantities fixed. On the other hand, the strongly coupled method solves the Reynolds‐averaged Navier–Stokes equations and the turbulence model equations simultaneously. In this paper, numerical stabilities of both methods in conjunction with the approximated factorization‐alternative direction implicit method are analysed. The effect of the turbulent kinetic energy terms in the governing equations on the convergence characteristics is also studied. The performance of the two methods is compared for several two‐ and three‐dimensional problems. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Waves on vortex cores

Here we discuss the types of waves which can be supported on compact regions of vorticity. This is a subject first studied by Lord Kelvin for waves propagating along the vortex lines of the Rankine and hollow-core vorticity distributions. Kelvin's major interest was in the stability of vortex rings and the numerous resurgencies in interest have usually been driven by practically important phenomena, e.g., the observations of vortex breakdown and waves on tornado and aircraft vortices in the early 1960's and more recently in technologically and geophysically significant flows and on the quantised vortices of super fluid HeII.

The major wave-types of interest are of varicose, helicoidal and fluted form and represent a periodic swelling and contraction, a bending and a “krinkling” of the core, respectively. The first two propagate along and the third around the vortex lines. All have been studied theoretically, experimentally and numerically in the limit of small wave amplitude and their major characteristics are now clear. Of particular interest is the extension of these results to the non-linear regime in which case the two first types are known to exhibit solitary wave or soliton characteristics in certain parameter ranges. It is these non-linear waves which often dominate observations of vortex flows both in nature and in technological applications and which have caused much controversy in the interpretation of results found under complex circumstances of flow and apparatus geometry.     

Bound on the Slope of Steady Water Waves with Favorable Vorticity

We consider the angle \({\theta}\) of inclination (with respect to the horizontal) of the profile of a steady two dimensional inviscid symmetric periodic or solitary water wave subject to gravity. Although \({\theta}\) may surpass 30° for some irrotational waves close to the extreme wave, Amick (Arch Ration Mech Anal 99(2):91–114, 1987) proved that for any irrotational wave the angle must be less than 31.15°. Is the situation similar for periodic or solitary waves that are not irrotational? The extreme Gerstner wave has infinite depth, adverse vorticity and vertical cusps (θ = 90°). Moreover, numerical calculations show that even waves of finite depth can overturn if the vorticity is adverse. In this paper, on the other hand, we prove an upper bound of 45° on \({\theta}\) for a large class of waves with favorable vorticity and finite depth. In particular, the vorticity can be any constant with the favorable sign. We also prove a series of general inequalities on the pressure within the fluid, including the fact that any overturning wave must have a pressure sink.     

Numerical studies of slow viscous rotating flow past a sphere. III

The flow of steady incompressible viscous fluid rotating about the z-axis with angular velocity ω and moving with velocity u past a sphere of radius a which is kept fixed at the origin is investigated by means of a numerical method for small values of the Reynolds number Re_ω. The Navier–Stokes equations governing the axisymmetric flow can be written as three coupled non-linear partial differential equations for the streamfunction, vorticity and rotational velocity component. Central differences are applied to the partial differential equations for solution by the Peaceman–Rachford ADI method, and the resulting algebraic equations are solved by the ‘method of sweeps’. The results obtained by solving the non-linear partial differential equations are compared with the results obtained by linearizing the equations for very small values of Re_ω. Streamlines are plotted for Ψ = 0·05, 0·2, 0·5 for both linear and non-linear cases. The magnitude of the vorticity vector near the body, i.e. at z = 0·2, is plotted for Re_ω = 0·05, 0·24, 0·5. The correction to the Stokes drag as a result of rotation of the fluid is calculated.     

Nonlinear Capillary-Gravity Waves on the Charged Surface of an Ideal Fluid

A second-order asymptotic expression for the profile of a capillary-gravity wave traveling over the charged surface of an ideal incompressible fluid is calculated analytically. Two types of steady-state profiles of nonlinear periodic capillary-gravity waves are found. For a certain fixed dimensionless surface charge the shape of the tops of the nonlinear waves changes: from blunt to pointed for short waves and from pointed to blunt for long waves.