Coherent vortex extraction in 3D turbulent flows using orthogonal wavelets

This Letter presents a wavelet technique for extracting coherent vortices from three-dimensional turbulent flows, which is applied to a homogeneous isotropic turbulent flow at resolution N = 256(3). The coherent flow is reconstructed from only 3%N wavelet coefficients that retain the vortex tubes, and 98.9% of the energy with the same k(-5/3) spectrum as the total flow. In contrast, the remaining 97%N wavelet coefficients correspond to the incoherent flow which is structureless, decorrelated, and whose effect can therefore be modeled statistically.     

Large-eddy simulations and vortex structures of turbulent jets in crossflow

Using the method of large-eddy simulation, the 3-dimensional turbulent jets in crossflow with stream-wise and transverse arrangements of nozzle are simulated, emphasizing on the dynamical process of generation and evolution of vortex structures in these flows. The results show that the basic vortex structures in literatures, such as the counter-rotating vortex pair, leading-edge vortices, lee-side vortices, hanging vortices, kidney vortices and anti-kidney vortices, are not independent physical substances, but local structures of the basic vortex structure of turbulent jets in crossflow-the 3-D stretching vortex rings originating from the orifice of the nozzle, which is discovered in this study. Therefore, the most important large-scale structures of turbulent jets in crossflow are unified to the 3-D vortex rings which stretch and twist in stream-wise and swing in transverse directions. We also found that the shedding frequencies of vortex rings are much lower than the one corresponding to the appearance of leading-edge and lee-side vortices in the turbulent jets.     

Quantitative visualization of high-speed 3D turbulent flow structures using holographic interferometric tomography

Using holographic interferometry the three-dimensional structure of unsteady and large-scale motions within subsonic and transonic turbulent jet flows has been studied. The instantaneous 3D flow structure is obtained by tomographic reconstruction techniques from quantitative phase maps recorded using a rapid-switching, double reference beam, double pulse laser system. The reconstruction of the jets studied here reveal a three-dimensional nature of the flow. In particular an increasing complexity can be seen in the turbulence as the flow progresses from the jet nozzle. Furthermore, a coherent three-dimensional, possibly rotating, structure can be seen to exist within these jets. The type of flow features illustrated here are not just of fundamental importance for understanding the behavior of free jet flows, but are also common to a number of industrial applications, ranging from the combustion flow within an IC engine to the transonic flow through the stages of a gas turbine.     

Visualization of the large-scale vortex structures in excited turbulent jets

The present work is a part of the more common research aimed at establishing the role of large-scale vortex structures in the mechanism of noise generation by subsonic turbulent jet. The work presents the results of photography and videography of fast non-stationary processes in a circular subsonic jet under lateral acoustic excitation by harmonical source located upstream in a stilling chamber. Jet velocity varied in the range of 40–200 m/s (M=0.12–0.6).     

Visualisation and analysis of large-scale vortex structures in three-dimensional turbulent lid-driven cavity flow

In this paper, large eddy simulation (LES) of a three-dimensional turbulent lid-driven cavity (LDC) flow at Re = 10,000 has been performed using the multiple relaxation time lattice Boltzmann method. A Smagorinsky eddy viscosity model was used to represent the sub-grid scale stresses with appropriate wall damping. The prediction for the flow field was first validated by comparing the velocity profiles with previous experimental and LES studies, and then subsequently used to investigate the large-scale three-dimensional vortical structures in the LDC flow. The instantaneous three-dimensional coherent structures inside the cavity were visualised using the second invariant (Q), Δ criterion, λ₂ criterion, swirling strength (λ_ci) and streamwise vorticity. The vortex structures obtained using the different criteria in general agree well with each other. However, a cleaner visualisation of the large vortex structures was achieved with the λ_ci criterion and also when the visualisation is based on the vortex identification criteria expressed in terms of the swirling strength parameters. A major objective of the study was to perform a three-dimensional proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) on the fluctuating velocity fields. The higher energy POD modes efficiently extracted the large-scale vortical structures within the flow which were then visualised with the swirling strength criterion. Reconstruction of the instantaneous fluctuating velocity field using a finite number of POD modes indicated that the large-scale vortex structures did effectively approximate the large-scale motion. However, such a reduced order reconstruction of the flow based on the large-scale vortical structures was clearly not as effective in predicting the small-scale details of the fluctuating velocity field which relate to the turbulent transport.     

Periodic sub-micrometric structures using a 3D laser interference pattern

A method to obtain three-dimensional sub-micrometric periodic structures is presented. The experimental set-up consists in a pulsed UV laser beam source (λ = 355 nm) coming into an interferometer in order to generate four beams converging inside a chamber. According to the directions, to the relative intensities and to the polarizations of these four beams, a 3D interference pattern can be obtained inside the overlapping volume of these four beams; the characteristics of the four laser beams have been optimized in order to obtain a maximal contrast of intensity. In order to visualize the interference pattern, its contrast and its stability at each laser pulse, a video camera coupled to an oil immersion microscope objective has been installed above the interferometer. By suppressing the central beam, it is also possible to generate a bidimensional interference pattern which defines an hexagonal structure in the (1 1 1) plane with a period of 377 nm.This optical set-up has been used to obtain 3D sub-micrometric periodic structures in negative photoresists. Experiments consist in a one- or multi-pulse irradiation of the photoresist followed by a development procedure which leads to a sub-micrometric face-centred cubic structure cut in a (1 1 1) plane with a cell parameter of 650 nm. The optimization of the experimental conditions is presented for two kinds of photoresists; the role of the substrate according to its reflectivity at the laser wavelength and its influence on the interference pattern is also discussed.     

Evolution of the vortex structures and turbulent spots at the late-stage of transitional boundary layers

The nonlinear evolution process of new vortex structures at the late-stage of the transition, including the 3-D spatial structure of barrel-shaped vortex and dark spots structure observed by experiment research, has been confirmed by our computational results. The formation mechanisms of these structures have been explored. It is revealed that the new vortex structures, the ring-like vortex chain and induced disturbance velocities play a dominant role in the generation of turbulent spots.     

Imaging of the oxygen distribution in an isothermal turbulent free jet using two-color toluene LIF imaging

The results of a novel technique for the quantification of oxygen in an isothermal turbulent free jet using toluene laser induced fluorescence (LIF) are presented. This method relies on the red-shift of the toluene LIF emission spectrum with increasing oxygen concentration. Evaluating the LIF signal ratio from two different wavelength regions simultaneously produces results that depend only on the local oxygen concentration. From calibration data, obtained from repeated tests, the oxygen sensitivity of the two-color LIF technique is best for oxygen partial pressures p_O2 ￡ 120 mbarp_{\mathrm{O}_{2}} \leq 120\mbox{ mbar} in the current setup. Quantified images of oxygen distribution are presented for 40.4, 60.5, 80.5, and 103 mbar p_O2p_{\mathrm{O}_{2}} in the toluene-seeded jet flow that is shielded by a toluene-seeded nitrogen co-flow at atmospheric pressure and temperature. Based on the average oxygen concentration images (obtained from 100 instantaneous oxygen images), the error in accuracy of measuring the oxygen concentration was 0.8, 3.0, 7.7, and 7.3% with a precision of ± 8.6, 5.5, 13.3, and 11.6% for the jet p_O2 = 40.4, 60.5, 80.5, and 103 mbarp_{\mathrm{O}_{2}} = 40.4,\, 60.5,\, 80.5,\mbox{ and }103\mbox{ mbar} cases, respectively. The main jet flow characteristics have been captured by the technique as determined from the measured oxygen distribution images. Centerline profiles of average oxygen concentration, normalized to the value at the nozzle exit, demonstrate self-similar behavior from 5 mm above the nozzle exit. Radial oxygen concentration profiles exhibit a Gaussian-type distribution that broadens with distance above the nozzle exit, in agreement with literature.     

Beam-spreading and topological charge of vortex beams propagating in a turbulent atmosphere

We theoretically and experimentally investigate the beam-spreading of a vortex beam propagating in a turbulent atmosphere. It is found that the vortex beam is less affected by turbulence than a non-vortex one. The topological charge of the vortex beam on propagation has also been investigated experimentally. It is shown that the topological charge of vortex beam will exhibit fluctuating behavior as the beam propagates through a turbulent atmosphere.     

Spectrum of coherent structures in a turbulent environment

The statistical properties of the turbulent field consisting of drift waves randomly interacting with a coherent structure are investigated. By using a nonperturbative method (analogous to the "semiclassical" approach in quantum mechanics), we calculate explicitly the generating functional of the correlations.     

An optimisation design of adaptive illumination for a multi-reflective 3D scene

An illumination optimisation technique applied to multi-reflective 3-D machine vision based on a projector-camera system is introduced, in which the projector plays a key role to compensate for surface reflectance at each pixel to be inversely proportional to the brightness of the pixel under ambient light. The adaptive illumination technology was achieved by iterations emphasising different illumination intensities according to different surface orientations and requiring an accurate correspondence between the projector pixels and the camera pixels. In order to establish the most effective correspondence to prepare for subsequent adaptive illumination, 4 kinds of grating patterns, including sinusoidal, rectangular, triangular, and dual-frequency sinusoidal grating patterns, were projected and compared. The iterations were halted when an optimally lit scene was obtained; the further experiments under weak and strong light searched for the best method of illumination optimisation and confirmed the reliability of the adaptive illumination. The proposed optimisation design could run in real time and became a viable solution for industry.     

Low-wavenumber turbulent boundary layer wall-pressure measurements from vibration data on a cylinder in pipe flow

The response of a structure to turbulent boundary layer (TBL) excitation has been an area of research for roughly 50 years, although uncertainties persist surrounding the low-wavenumber levels of the TBL surface pressure spectrum. In this experimental investigation, a cylindrical shell with a smooth internal surface is subjected to TBL excitation from water in fully developed pipe flow. The cylinder's vibration response to this excitation is used to determine low-wavenumber TBL surface pressure levels at lower streamwise wavenumbers than previously reported (k₁/k_c<0.01). An experimental modal analysis is also conducted on the water-filled cylindrical shell to determine structural parameters which are used to extract TBL pressures. The measured low-wavenumber pressure data falls midway between TBL models by Smol’yakov [Acoustical Physics 52(3) (2006) 331-337] and Chase [Journal of Sound and Vibration 112(1) (1987) 125-147] and is roughly 23 dB lower than an early TBL model by Corcos [Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 35(2) (1963) 192-198]. The current data is a few decibels below the lower bound of related measurements in air by Farabee and Geib [ICIASF ‘75 Record, 1975, pp. 311-319] and Martin and Leehey [Journal of Sound and Vibration 52(1) (1977) 95-120]. A simple wavenumber white form for the TBL surface pressure spectrum at low-wavenumber is suggested.     

Oriented imaging of 3D subcellular structures in bacterial cells using optical tweezers

Using oscillating optical tweezers, we show that controlled alignment of rod-shaped bacterial cells allows imaging fluorescently labeled three-dimensional (3D) subcellular structures from different, optimized viewpoints. To illustrate our method, we analyze the Z ring of E. coli. We obtain that the radial width of the Z ring in unconstricted cells is about 120 nm. This result suggests that the Z ring consists of an extremely sparse network of FtsZ filaments.     

Finite vortex numbers and symmetric vortex structures in a rotating trapped Fermi gas in the BCS-BEC crossover

The ground state of a three-dimensional (3D) rotating trapped superfluid Fermi gas in the BCS-BEC crossover is mapped to finite N _v -body vortex states by a simple ansatz. The total vortex energy is measured from the ground-state energy of the system in the absence of the vortices. The vortex state is stable since the vortex potential and rotation energies are attractive while the vortex kinetic energy and interaction between vortices are repulsive. By combining the analytical and numerical works for the minimal vortex energy, the 2D configurations of N _v vortices are studied by taking into account of the finite size effects both on xy-plane and on z-direction. The calculated vortex numbers as a function of the interaction strength are appropriate to the renew experimental results by Zwierlein in [High-temperature superfluidity in a ultracold Fermi gas, Ph.D. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2006]. The numerical results show that there exist two types of vortex structures: the trap center is occupied and unoccupied by a vortex, even in the case of N _v < 10 with regular polygon and in the case of N _v ≥ 10 with finite triangle lattice. The rotation frequency dependent vortex numbers with different interaction strengths are also discussed.     

湍流边界层中下扫流与“反发卡涡”

用氢气泡法观测湍流边界层的下扫流和有关的流动结构.实验中发现一种新型涡结构，它的特征与典型的发卡涡正好相反.发卡涡的头部指向下游，而它的头部指向上游； 发卡涡的两腿之间，由于涡的诱导产生上升流，而它则在其两腿之间，由于涡的诱导产生下扫流. 关键词： 湍流边界层 流动显示 流动结构 发卡涡