Noise influenced elastic cantilever dynamics with nonlinear tip interaction forces

In this work, the authors study the influence of noise on the dynamics of base-excited elastic cantilever structures at the macroscale and microscale by using experimental, numerical, and analytical means. The macroscale system is a base excited cantilever structure whose tip experiences nonlinear interaction forces. These interaction forces are constructed to be similar in form to tip interaction forces in tapping mode atomic force microscopy (AFM). The macroscale system is used to study nonlinear phenomena and apply the associated findings to the chosen AFM application. In the macroscale experiments, the tip of the cantilever structure experiences long-range attractive and short-range repulsive forces. There is a small magnet attached to the tip, and this magnet is attracted by another one mounted to a high-resolution translatory stage. The magnet fixed to the stage is covered by a compliant material that is periodically impacted by the cantilever’s tip. Building on their earlier work, wherein the authors showed that period-doubling bifurcations associated with near-grazing impacts occur during off-resonance base excitations of macroscale and microscale cantilevers, in the present work, the authors focus on studying the influence of Gaussian white noise when it is included as an addition to a deterministic base excitation input. The repulsive forces are modeled as Derjaguin–Muller–Toporov (DMT) contact forces in both the macroscale and microscale systems, and the attractive forces are modeled as van der Waals attractive forces in the microscale system and magnetic attractive forces in the macroscale system. A reduced-order model, based on a single mode approximation is used to numerically study the response for a combined deterministic and random base excitation. It is experimentally and numerically found that the addition of white Gaussian noise to a harmonic base excitation facilitates contact between the tip and the sample, when there was previously no contact with only the harmonic input, and results in a response that is nominally close to a period-doubled orbit. The qualitative change observed with the addition of noise is associated with near-grazing impacts between the tip and the sample. The numerical and experimental results further motivate the formulation of a general analytical framework, in which the Fokker–Planck equation is derived for the cantilever-impactor system. After making a set of approximations, the moment evolution equations are derived from the Fokker–Planck equation and numerically solved. The resulting findings support the experimental results and demonstrate that noise can be added to the input to facilitate contact between the cantilever’s tip and the surface, when there was previously no contact with only a harmonic input. The effects of Gaussian white noise are numerically studied for a tapping mode AFM application, and it is shown that contact between the tip and the sample can be realized by adding noise of an appropriate level to a harmonic excitation.     

On the problem of vortex interaction with a plane

We consider the well-known problem of the interaction of a vortex filament with a perpendicular plane in a viscous incompressible fluid. In this study, the vortex filament is represented by a semi-infinite rotating needle. Different models are considered: a zero-radius needle and fixed and movable in the axial direction needles of a finite radius. The ranges of the existence of the solution are found, and the correspondence of the flow around a finite-radius needle to that around a zero-radius needle, as the needle radius decreases, is studied.     

Near-field tip vortex behind a swept wing model

The near-field flow structure of a tip vortex behind a sweptback and tapered NACA 0015 wing was investigated and compared with a rectangular wing at the same lift force and Re=1.81×10⁵. The tangential velocity decreased with the downstream distance while increased with the airfoil incidence. The core radius was about 3% of the root chord c _r, regardless of the downstream distance and α for α<8°. The core axial velocity was always wake-like. The core Γ_c and total Γ_o circulation of the tip vortex remained nearly constant up to x/c _r=3.5 and had a Γ_c/Γ_o ratio of 0.63. The total circulation of the tip vortex accounted for only about 40% of the bound root circulation Γ_b. For a rectangular wing, the axial flow exhibited islands of wake- and jet-like velocity distributions with Γ_c/Γ_o=0.75 and Γ_o/Γ_b=0.70. For the sweptback and tapered wing tested, the inner region of the tip vortex flow exhibited a self-similar behavior for x/c _r≥1.0. The lift force computed from the spanwise circulation distributions agreed well with the force-balance data. A large difference in the lift-induced drag was, however, observed between the wake integral method and the inviscid lifting-line theory.     

中心刚体-楔形梁-质点刚柔耦合系统动力学分析

研究了中心刚体-楔形梁-质点系统的固有特性和动力学响应.楔形梁为Euler-Bernoulli梁,高度和宽度都沿着梁的长度方向线性变化.利用广义Hamilton原理和一阶近似耦合模型得到了含有楔形梁完全耦合且时变的微分/代数控制方程.考虑了离心刚化效应,利用有限元得到了系统完全耦合的有限维方程.忽略轴向与横向位移的相互作用,得到了系统的一致质量、阻尼和刚度矩阵.最后对楔形梁和等截面梁在有无端部质点的四种结构进行仿真,结果表明存在显著差异,重点比较了同等条件下楔形梁与等截面梁的差异指数,说明均匀梁和楔形梁的截面细微的差别能够导致系统频率和动力学响应的明显差别.指出实际系统中使用楔形梁模型能够得到更为精确的仿真结果.     

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.     

The interaction of a bluff body with a vortex wake

A theoretical, experimental and numerical study is presented of the interaction of a vortex–wake created by an upstream blade with a downstream prismatic block. The aim of the study is to investigate the fundamentals of force and noise generation for this type of flow and explain how inter-object spacing affects the far-field noise level. A theoretical model, based on a compact form of Curle's formulation, is developed and shows that acoustically constructive or destructive interference is determined by the amplitude and phase of the forces on each object. Experimental and two-dimensional, unsteady numerical results of the vortex–wake interaction case are presented for several blade–block separation distances. Using a combination of experimental and numerical data, the theoretical model is able to explain observed variations in far-field noise level with blade–block separation distance. The numerical model accurately predicts the phase relationship between the unsteady forces on each object.     

Nonlinear interaction of a large vortex with a boundary layer

The nonlinear problem of boundary layer instability under the influence of a plane vortex is investigated for high Reynolds numbers. The vortex occupies the entire thickness of the boundary layer and has a longitudinal dimension of the order of the Tollmien-Schlichting wavelength. The initial vortex is rapidly swept away by the flow, inducing a Stokes layer near the surface of the plate. Expanding, this layer reaches the dimensions of the viscous sublayer of free interaction theory, where wave packet generation takes place. In the case in question a feature of the nonlinear stage of development of the disturbances is the formation of a concentrated vortex, which arises in the Stokes layer and grows rapidly, whereas the wave packet propagated ahead of it remains linear. From the calculations there emerges a tendency for the new vortex to be formed above the wail, whereas the maximum vorticity of the vortex generated in the Stokes layer corresponds to the wall itself.Translated from Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No.1, pp. 70–77, January–February, 1993.The authors are grateful to V. V. Kozlov for his interest in their work.     

Explosive-driven shock wave and vortex ring interaction with a propane flame

Experiments were performed to analyze the interaction of an explosively driven shock wave and a propane flame. A 30 g explosive charge was detonated at one end of a 3-m-long, 0.6-m-diameter shock tube to produce a shock wave which propagated into the atmosphere. A propane flame source was positioned at various locations outside of the shock tube to investigate the effect of different strength shock waves. High-speed retroreflective shadowgraph imaging visualized the shock wave motion and flame response, while a synchronized color camera imaged the flame directly. The explosively driven shock tube was shown to produce a repeatable shock wave and vortex ring. Digital streak images show the shock wave and vortex ring propagation and expansion. The shadowgrams show that the shock wave extinguishes the propane flame by pushing it off of the fuel source. Even a weak shock wave was found to be capable of extinguishing the flame.     

Modification of static-wing tip vortex via a slender half-delta wing

The modification of the tip vortex generated by a rectangular NACA 0012 wing via a tip-mounted slender half-delta wing (HDW) was attempted experimentally at Re=2.81×10⁵. In addition to the increase in lift with increasing HDW deflection, compared to the baseline wing, the roll-up process of the tip vortex was also found to be significantly modified, as a result of the breakdown of the HDW vortex. The addition of the HDW also caused an increased total drag. Fortunately, the lift-induced drag was found to be reduced compared to its baseline counterpart for 0° and 5° HDW deflections. The change in the lift-induced drag also translates into a virtually unchanged profile drag, regardless of HDW deflection. In short, the largest lift-induced drag reduction achieved by the zero-deflection HDW resulted in an improved lift-to-drag ratio, at high angle-of-attack range, compared to the baseline wing.     

Large-eddy simulation of wing tip vortex in the near field

Large-eddy simulation with filtered-structure-function subgrid model and implicit large-eddy simulation (ILES without explicit subgrid model) using high-order accuracy and high resolution compact scheme have been performed on the tip vortex shedding from a rectangular half-wing with a NACA 0012 airfoil section and a rounded wing tip. The formation of the tip vortex and its initial development in the boundary layer and the near field wake are investigated and analysed in detail. The physics, why the tip vortex, which is originally turbulent in the boundary layer, is re-laminarised and becomes stable and laminar rapidly after shedding in the near field, is revealed by this simulation. The computation also shows the widely used second-order subgrid model is not consistent to six-order compact scheme and would degenerate the six-order LES results to second-order. Therefore, high-order schemes, grid refinement and six-order subgrid models are critical to LES approaches.     

Acoustic emission from interaction of a vortex ring with a sphere

Acoustic waves emitted by a vortex ring interacting with a fixed solid sphere are studied experimentally and theoretically. The experiments are carried out for two kindsof vortex-sphere arrangement: (A) a vortex ring passes over the sphere, and (B) a vortex ring passes by the sphere. The vortex motion is examined optically by means of a photosensor system, and the pressure signals of the emitted wave are detected by 1/2-inch microphones in the far field. In case A, the measured diameter of the vortex ring after passing the sphere increases from its initial diameter. The observed acoustic wave is dominated mainly by a dipole emission, and some contribution from a quadrupole radiation is present. In case B, the emitted wave is characterized by a rotating dipole emission in which the dipole axis rotates as the vortex position changes relative to the sphere.     

Numerical investigation of the interaction of a vortex dipole with a deformable plate

Energy harvesting from coherent fluid structures is a current research topic due to its application in the design of small self-powered sensors for underwater applications. The impact of a vortex dipole with a deformable cantilevered plate at the plate tip is herein studied numerically using a strongly coupled staggered fluid–structure interaction algorithm. Three dipole Reynolds numbers, Re=500, 1500, and 3000, are investigated for constant plate properties. As the dipole approaches the plate, positive vorticity is produced on the impact face, while negative vorticity is generated at the tip of the plate. Upon impact, the dipole splits into two, and two secondary dipoles are formed. The circulation and, therefore, the trajectories of these dipoles depend on both the Reynolds number and the elasticity of the plate, and these secondary dipoles may return for subsequent impacts. While the maximum deflection of the plate does not depend significantly on Reynolds number, the plate response due to subsequent impacts of secondary dipoles does vary with Reynolds number. These results elucidate the strong interdependency between plate deformation and vortex dynamics, as well as the effect of Reynolds number on both.     

2D vortex interaction in a non-uniform flow

In a two-dimensional incompressible fluid, we study the interaction of two like-signed Rankine vortices embedded in a steady shear/strain flow. The numerical results of vortex evolutions are compared with the analytical results for point vortices. We show the existence of vortex equilibria, and of merger for initial distances larger than those without external flow. The evolutions depend on the initial orientation of the vortices in the external flow.     

The nonlinear interaction of vortex rings with a free surface

Nonlinear interactions of vortex rings with a free surface are considered in an incompressible, ideal fluid using the vortex contour dynamics technique and the boundary integral equation method. The flow is axisymmetric and the vorticity is linearly distributed in the vortex. Effects of the gravity and the surface tension as well as the initial geometric parameter of the vortex on the interaction process are investigated in considerable detail. The interaction process may be divided into three major stages: the vortex free-traveling stage, the collision stage, and the vortex stretching and rebounding stage. Time evolutions of both the vortex and free surface under various conditions are provided and analyzed. Two kinds of waves exist on the free surface during interaction. In a special case where the gravity and surface tension are very weak or the vortex is very strong, an electric-bulb-like ‘cavity’ is formed on the free surface and the vortex is trapped in the ‘cavity’ for quite a long time, resulting in a large amount of fluid above the mean fluid surface. The project supported by the National Education Commission of China and NASA under cooperative grant agreement # NCC5-34     

Nonlinear interaction of a vortex pair with clean and surfactant-covered free surfaces

Two-dimensional unsteady viscous-flow problem associated with the normal incidence of a counter-rotating vortex pair on a free surface is analyzed. Effects of surface tension and insoluble surfactants on the generation of free-surface vorticity and surface waves are investigated. A recently developed finite-difference method based on boundary-fitted coordinates is used to solve the fully-nonlinear problem. Results show that in the absence of surfactants and at low Froude number (based on circulation strength and initial separation distance of the vortex pair), waves of short lengths are generated. However, secondary vorticity generated in this case is not strong enough to affect the outward translation of the primary vortices. At intermediate Froude number, a transient wave developing outboard of the primary vortex becomes steep, and eventually breaks because of local instability. Consequently, free-surface vorticity inhibits the outward translation of the primary vortices. Surface tension in a clean free surface dampens the steep short waves, hence also the generation of free-surface vorticity. However, variation in surface tension induced by surfactants intensifies the generation of surface vorticity, thereby causing the primary vortices to rebound. The increase in the rotational part of wave motion results in the dampening of overall free-surface deformations. However, it is found that the shear stress associated with a large gradient of surfactant concentration could cause local steepening of the short wave generated outboard of the primary vortex.     

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.     

Three-dimensional instability on the interaction between a vortex and a stationary sphere

We present direct numerical simulations of the interaction between a vortex ring and a stationary sphere for Re = 2,000. We analyze the vortex dynamics of the ring as it approaches the sphere surface, and the boundary layer formed on the surface of the sphere undergoes separation to form a secondary vortex ring. This secondary vortex ring can develop azimuthal instabilities, which grow rapidly as it interacts with the primary ring. The azimuthal instabilities on both rings are characterized by analysis of the azimuthal component decomposition of the axial vorticity.     

Mind the gap: a new insight into the tip leakage vortex using stereo-PIV

The tip leakage vortex (TLV), which develops in the clearance between the rotor and the stator of axial hydro turbines, has been studied for decades. Yet, many associated phenomena are still not understood. For instance, it remains unclear how the clearance size is related to the occurrence of cavitation in the vortex, which can lead to severe erosion. Experiments are here carried out on the influence of the clearance size on the tip vortex structure in a simplified case study. A NACA0009 hydrofoil is used as a generic blade in a water tunnel while the clearance between the blade tip and the wall is varied. The 3D velocity fields are measured using Stereo Particle Image Velocimetry (SPIV) in three planes located downstream of the hydrofoil for different values of the upstream velocity, the incidence angle and a large number of tip clearances. The influence of the flow conditions on the structure of the TLV is described through changes in the vortex intensity, core axial flow, vortex center position and wandering motion amplitude. Moreover, high-speed visualizations are used to highlight the vortex core trajectory and clearance flow alteration, turning into a wall jet as the tip clearance is reduced. The measurements clearly reveal the existence of a specific tip clearance for which the vortex strength is maximum and most prone to generating cavitation.     

Self-intensification in shock wave and vortex interaction

Computer simulation has been performed for the interaction between a shock wave and a vortex ring moving toward the wave. The computed density contours are compared with the pattern of shadowgraphs. A remarkable property found in the simulation is that, during the passage of the shock wave over the vortex ring, the part of the wave propagating through the inside of the ring-vortex is intensified spontaneously at a localized region. Maximum pressure occurs inside the vortex and attains a high value, about several times that of the impinging shock for incident Mach numbers of around 1.2 with the vortex translation Mach number 0.60. This is due to a double-step mechanism of intensification within the flow field by the shock-vortex interaction.