Vortex formation and saturation for low-aspect-ratio rotating flat-plate fins

We investigate experimentally the unsteady, three-dimensional vortex formation of low-aspect-ratio, trapezoidal flat-plate fins undergoing rotation from rest at a 90° angle of attack and Reynolds numbers of O(10³). The objectives are to characterize the unsteady three-dimensional vortex structure, examine vortex saturation, and understand the effects of the root-to-tip flow for different velocity programs. The experiments are conducted in a water tank facility, and the diagnostic tools are dye flow visualization and digital particle image velocimetry. The dye visualizations show that the low-aspect-ratio plate produces symmetric ring-like vortices comprised mainly of tip-edge vorticity. They also indicate the presence of the root-to-tip velocity. For large rotational amplitudes, the primary ring-like vortex sheds and a secondary ring-like vortex is generated while the plate is still in motion, indicating saturation of the leading vortex. The time-varying vortex circulation in the flow symmetry plane provides quantitative evidence of vortex saturation. The phenomenon of saturation is observed for several plate velocity programs. The temporal development of the vortex circulation is often complex, which prevents an objective determination of an exact saturation time. This is the result of an interaction between the developing vortex and the root-to-tip flow, which breaks apart the vortex. However, it is possible to define a range of time during which the vortex reaches saturation. A formation-parameter definition is investigated and is found to reasonably predict the state corresponding to the pinch-off of the initial tip vortex across the velocity programs tested. This event is the lower bound on the saturation time range.     

Fluid flow in a helical vessel in presence of a stenosis

Large arteries are not straight and rather present curvature and torsion. The present study analyzed fluid flow in a helical vessel without and with a stenosis in comparison with an analogous rectilinear vessel. The analysis is performed by three-dimensional numerical simulation of the Navier–Stokes equations under steady conditions considering stenosis as an axially symmetric reduction of vessel lumen. Results show that the double curvature gives rise to persistent secondary motion which combines with the vorticity separated behind the constriction to develop a complex three-dimensional vorticity structure. The curved streamlines and the three-dimensional vortex wake result in a increase of energetic losses in helical vessels. However, the same symmetry break due to the double curvature improves the capacity of self-cleaning and allows a more rapid wash-out of the flowing blood.     

Applications of 2D helical vortex dynamics

In the paper, we show how the assumption of helical symmetry in the context of 2D helical vortices can be exploited to analyse and to model various cases of rotating flows. From theory, examples of three basic applications of 2D dynamics of helical vortices embedded in flows with helical symmetry of the vorticity field are addressed. These included some of the problems related to vortex breakdown, instability of far wakes behind rotors and vortex theory of ideal rotors.     

Numerical investigation of different modes of internal circulation in spherical drops: Fluid dynamics and mass/heat transfer

The results of detailed, three-dimensional numerical simulations of fixed spherical drops in a uniform flow are presented. The fluid dynamics outside and inside of the drops as well as the internal problem of mass (or heat) transfer are studied. Liquid drops in both a liquid and a gaseous ambient phase are considered. Special emphasis is put on the investigation of different modes of internal circulation.At low Reynolds numbers of the inner fluid, the flow field inside the drop resembles the well known Hill’s vortex solution. However, at higher internal Reynolds numbers, stable steady or quasi-steady alternative modes of internal circulation are found. As these modes are not cylindrical symmetric around the streamwise axis, the often applied assumption of a two-dimensional, axisymmetric flow field is not justified in these cases. Thus, major discrepancies to previous numerical studies are obtained. However, it is shown that experimental results support our findings.For liquid drops surrounded by a liquid, a major influence of the state of internal circulation on the drag is discovered, whereas the drag is nearly unaltered in the case of a liquid drop in gas.Concerning the internal problem of mass/heat transfer, the various internal flow modes show different characteristics. At low internal Peclet numbers, higher Sherwood numbers are reached for the Hill’s vortex-like cases, whereas at higher Peclet numbers, the transfer is faster for the alternative modes. For cases with a Hill’s vortex-like solution, asymptotic Sherwood numbers for very high Peclet numbers of around 20 are found, whereas no upper limit for cases with alternative modes can be determined. In the present study a maximum internal Sherwood number of 130 is reached, more than six times the maximum value for a case with a Hill’s vortex-like internal solution.     

Vortex structure simulation for supersonic mixing layers using nonlinear PSE method

The method of nonlinear parabolized stability equations (PSE) is applied in the simulation of vortex structures in compressible mixing layer. The spatially-evolving unstable waves, which dominate the vortex structure, are investigated through spatial marching method. The instantaneous flow field is obtained by adding the harmonic waves to basic flow. The results show that T-S waves do not keep growing exponentially as the linear evolution, the energy transfer to high order harmonic modes, and that finally all harmonic modes get saturated due to nonlinear interaction. The mean flow distortion induced by the nonlinear interaction between the harmonic modes and their conjugate harmonic ones, makes great change of the average flow and increases the thickness of mixing layer. PSE methods can well capture the two- and three-dimensional large scale nonlinear vortex structures in mixing layers such as vortex roll-up, vortex pairing, and Λ vortex.     

Numerical computation of a three-dimensional vortex sheet in a swirl flow

We consider an incompressible and inviscid fluid flow, called “swirl flow” that rotates around a certain axis in three-dimensional space. We investigate numerically the dynamics of a three-dimensional vortex sheet which is defined as a surface across which the velocity field of the swirl flow changes discontinuously. The vortex method and a fast summation method are implemented on a parallel computer. These numerical methods make it possible to compute the evolution of the vortex sheet for a long time and to describe the complex dynamics of the sheet.     

Investigation of the three-dimensional turbulent near-wake structure past a flat plate by tomographic PIV at high Reynolds number

This paper reports an experimental investigation of the high-Reynolds number turbulent flow past a thin flat plate with sharp untapered edges, by means of tomographic PIV. The experiments, carried out in the S4 wind tunnel of IMFT, have quantified the three-dimensional coherent vortex structures, by means of 3-D Proper Orthogonal Decomposition and reconstruction. The interaction of the most energetic coherent structures with the random turbulence is discussed. Furthermore, Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD), analysis allowed evaluation of three-dimensional phase-averaged dynamics that quantified the vortex shedding mechanism as well as the influence of higher modes associated with the finer-scale turbulence.     

Obstacle-induced spiral vortex breakdown

An experimental investigation on vortex breakdown dynamics is performed. An adverse pressure gradient is created along the axis of a wing-tip vortex by introducing a sphere downstream of an elliptical hydrofoil. The instrumentation involves high-speed visualizations with air bubbles used as tracers and 2D Laser Doppler Velocimeter (LDV). Two key parameters are identified and varied to control the onset of vortex breakdown: the swirl number, defined as the maximum azimuthal velocity divided by the free-stream velocity, and the adverse pressure gradient. They were controlled through the incidence angle of the elliptical hydrofoil, the free-stream velocity and the sphere diameter. A single helical breakdown of the vortex was systematically observed over a wide range of experimental parameters. The helical breakdown coiled around the sphere in the direction opposite to the vortex but rotated along the vortex direction. We have observed that the location of vortex breakdown moved upstream as the swirl number or the sphere diameter was increased. LDV measurements were corrected using a reconstruction procedure taking into account the so-called vortex wandering and the size of the LDV measurement volume. This allows us to investigate the spatio-temporal linear stability properties of the flow and demonstrate that the flow transition from columnar to single helical shape is due to a transition from convective to absolute instability.     

Modes of vortex formation and transition to three-dimensionality in the wake of a freely vibrating cylinder

The present work is aimed to give some insight into the relation between vortex shedding modes and transition to three-dimensionality in the wake of a freely vibrating cylinder by establishing a numerical model and analyzing the relevant results of two- and three-dimensional simulations. The compressible flow past an elastically-mounted cylinder is solved by using the immersed boundary method (IB method). The cylinder is free to vibrate in the transverse direction with zero structure damping. The response of displacement amplitude is studied with the variation of reduced velocity. Whether P+S mode exists in three-dimensional flow and the occurrence of 2P mode is caused by flow transition from two-dimensional to three-dimensional are problems of concern. Both 2P and P+S wake modes are observed in two- and three-dimensional simulations. The numerical results indicate that the flow transition from two-dimensional to three-dimensional is coupled with the cylinder vibration in the synchronization/lock-in regime. The wake formation given by three-dimensional simulations suggests that the P+S mode might exist in reality when the flow is reverted to two-dimensional by vortex induced vibration (VIV) at Re=300–350. When Reynolds number increases to 425, the wake formation undergoes transition to three-dimensionality and 2P mode is observed. The effect of mass ratio on the flow transition to three-dimensionality is studied. The relationship between wake modes and aerodynamic forces is discussed.     

Helical Structures in the Near Field of a Turbulent Pipe Jet

We perform a finely resolved Large-eddy simulation to study coherent vortical structures populating the initial (near-nozzle) zone of a pipe jet at the Reynolds number of 5300. In contrast to ‘top-hat’ jets featured by Kelvin-Helmholtz rings with the non-dimensional frequency S t≈0.3?0.6, no high-frequency dominant mode is observed in the near field of a jet issuing from a fully-developed pipe flow. Instead, in shear layers we observe a relatively wide peak in the power spectrum within the low-frequency range (S t≈0.14) corresponding to the propagating helical waves entering with the pipe flow. This is confirmed by the Fourier transform with respect to the azimuthal angle and the Proper Orthogonal Decomposition complemented with the linear stability analysis revealing that this low-frequency motion is not connected to the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. We demonstrate that the azimuthal wavenumbers m=1?5 contain the most of the turbulent kinetic energy and that a common form of an eigenmode is a helical vortex rotating around the axis of symmetry. Small and large timescales are identified corresponding to “fast” and “slow” rotating modes. While the “fast” modes correspond to background turbulence and stochastically switch from co- to counter-rotation, the “slow” modes are due to coherent helical structures which are long-lived and have low angular velocities, in agreement with the previously described spectral peak at low S t.     

Dynamics of a two-fluid system in a rotating horizontal cylinder under longitudinal vibration

The average dynamics of immiscible fluids with different densities in a horizontal axially vibrating cylinder are studied. The angular velocity is sufficient to sustain the centrifuged state of the fluids. The vibration and rotation frequencies are of the same order. The generation of toroidal vortices periodic along the rotation axis and the formation of quasi-steady interface relief with axially periodic axisymmetric crimps are detected. It is shown that the vortex flow is associated with the generation of an inertial axisymmetric standing wave. The formation of the quasi-steady relief is induced by the development of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability on the fluid interface under tangential vibration.     

Axisymmetric vortex source (sink)

A vortex analog is found for a potential three-dimensional source. The possibility of extending the known method of superposition to the case of axisymmetric vortex flows is indicated. Considered as an illustration is the axisymmetric homogeneous helical flow around a half-body. It is shown that the pressure is constant in an axisymmetric vortex stream without a circumferential velocity.     

Reynolds number effects on leading edge vortex development on a waving wing

The waving wing experiment is a fully three-dimensional simplification of the flapping wing motion observed in nature. The spanwise velocity gradient and wing starting and stopping acceleration that exist on an insect-like flapping wing are generated by rotational motion of a finite span wing. The flow development around a waving wing at Reynolds number between 10,000 and 60,000 has been studied using flow visualization and high-speed PIV to capture the unsteady velocity field. Lift and drag forces have been measured over a range of angles of attack, and the lift curve shape was similar in all cases. A transient high-lift peak approximately 1.5 times the quasi-steady value occurred in the first chord length of travel, caused by the formation of a strong attached leading edge vortex. This vortex appears to develop and shed more quickly at lower Reynolds numbers. The circulation of the leading edge vortex has been measured and agrees well with force data.     

Linear instability in the wake of an elliptic wing

Linear global instability analysis has been performed in the wake of a low aspect ratio three-dimensional wing of elliptic cross section, constructed with appropriately scaled Eppler E387 airfoils. The flow field over the airfoil and in its wake has been computed by full three-dimensional direct numerical simulation at a chord Reynolds number of \(Re_{c}=1750\) and two angles of attack, \(\mathrm{{AoA}}=0^\circ \) and \(5^\circ \). Point-vortex methods have been employed to predict the inviscid counterpart of this flow. The spatial BiGlobal eigenvalue problem governing linear small-amplitude perturbations superposed upon the viscous three-dimensional wake has been solved at several axial locations, and results were used to initialize linear PSE-3D analyses without any simplifying assumptions regarding the form of the trailing vortex system, other than weak dependence of all flow quantities on the axial spatial direction. Two classes of linearly unstable perturbations were identified, namely stronger-amplified symmetric modes and weaker-amplified antisymmetric disturbances, both peaking at the vortex sheet which connects the trailing vortices. The amplitude functions of both classes of modes were documented, and their characteristics were compared with those delivered by local linear stability analysis in the wake near the symmetry plane and in the vicinity of the vortex core. While all linear instability analysis approaches employed have delivered qualitatively consistent predictions, only PSE-3D is free from assumptions regarding the underlying base flow and should thus be employed to obtain quantitative information on amplification rates and amplitude functions in this class of configurations.     

Numerical modeling of three-dimensional vortex structures in hypersonic transverse flow past a cylinder

A new mechanism of the formation of spatially periodic structures on the nose surfaces of cylindrically blunted bodies in a hypersonic transverse flow is investigated. According to this mechanism, a curved shock wave produces a vortex flow, while the vortex, which is conserved in the presence of weak dissipation, acts on the shock and maintains its curved shape. The realizability of this vortex formation mechanism is verified by direct numerical simulation using the FLUENT software package. It is confirmed that in the case of uniform hypersonic freestream both plane and three-dimensional modes of the steady flow past the cylinder nose can exist. The three-dimensional mode is characterized by periodic-in-span vortex structures and considerable heat flux peaks on the nose surface. The calculated results are compared with the experimental data.     

Topology of the vorticity field in three-dimensional shear layers and wakes

An experimental and numerical study of the three-dimensional transition of plane wakes and shear layers behind a flat plate is presented. Flow visualization techniques are used to monitor the response of laminar flows at moderate Reynolds numbers (≈100) to perturbations periodically distributed along the span. In this way, the formation and evolution of streamwise vortex tubes and their interaction with the spanwise vortices are analyzed. The flow was studied numerically by means of three-dimensional inviscid vortex dynamics. Assuming periodicity in the spanwise and the streamwise direction, we discretize the vorticity field into two layers of vortex filaments with finite core diameter. Comparison between experiment and visualization indicates that important features of the three-dimensional evolution can be reproduced by inviscid vortex dynamics. Vortex stretching in the strain field of the spanwise rollers appears to be the primary mechanism for the three-dimensional transition in this type of flows.     

Dynamic Mode Decomposition of a Wing-Body Junction Flow

Junction flows are subject to an intense adverse pressure gradient and three-dimensional separation when encountering a wall-mounted obstacle. A dynamically rich horseshoe vortex system is formed in this region. In this study the junction flow at the interaction of a wing and a flat plate is investigated. The numerical modelling is carried out using the three-dimensional large eddy simulation (LES) approach at the Reynolds number Re = 1.15×10⁵ based on the wing’s maximum thickness T and the free stream velocity U_ref. The comparison with the experimental results shows that the numerical simulations fairly accurately reproduce the phenomenon under study. The dynamic mode decomposition (DMD) of the resolved flow field is employed to obtain the coherent dynamics of the flow. To clearly demonstrate the oscillation characteristics and the horseshoe vortex structures of junction flow the velocity field in the plane of symmetry is decomposed with eduction of two dominant DMDmodes. These two DMDmodes are reconstituted and developed, together with the mean flow mode to explain the latent dynamics. Mode 1 reveals the merging of the horseshoe vortices and mode 2 is responsible for the process of fission and stretching.     

Laminar co-rotating Batchelor vortex merging

The dynamics of laminar co-rotating vortex pairs without axial flow have been recently thoroughly studied through theoretical, experimental and numerical studies, which revealed different instabilities contributing to the decay of the vortices. In this paper, the objective is to extend the analysis to the case of co-rotating vortices with axial flow at low Reynolds numbers. A high-order incompressible Navier–Stokes flow solver is used. The momentum equations are spatially discretized on a staggered mesh by finite differences and all derivatives are evaluated with 10th order compact finite difference schemes with RK-4 temporal discretization. The initial condition is a linear superposition of two co-rotating circular Batchelor vortices with q = 1. It is found that there is an initial evolution that resembles the evolution that single q = 1 vortices go through. Azimuthal disturbances grow and result in the appearance of large-scale helical sheets of vorticity. With the development of these instability waves, the axial velocity deficit is weakened. The redistribution of both angular and axial momentum between the core and the surroundings drives the vortex core to a more stable configuration, with a higher q value. After these processes, the evolution is somewhat similar to a pair of co-rotating Lamb–Oseen vortices. A three-dimensional instability develops, with a large band of unstable modes, with the most amplified mode corresponding scaling with the vortex initial separation distance. P. J. S. A. Ferreira de Sousa wishes to acknowledge the support of FCT—SFRH/BD/1129/2000 and SFRH/BPD/21778/2005.