A Study into the Impact of Physical Structures on the Runway Velocity Field at the Atlantic City International Airport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King, David, Jr.; Manson, Russell; Trout, Joseph; Decicco, Nicholas; Rios, Manny

2015-04-01

Wake vortices are generated by airplanes in flight. These vortices decay slowly and may persist for several minutes after their creation. These vortices and associated smaller scale turbulent structures present a hazard to incoming flights. It is for this reason that incoming flights are timed to arrive after these vortices have dissipated. Local weather conditions, mainly prevailing winds, can affect the transport and evolution of these vortices; therefore, there is a need to fully understand localized wind patterns at the airport-sized mircoscale. Here we have undertaken a computational investigation into the impacts of localized wind flows and physical structures on the velocity field at Atlantic City International Airport. The simulations are undertaken in OpenFOAM, an open source computational fluid dynamics software package, using an optimized geometric mesh of the airport. Initial conditions for the simulations are based on historical data with the option to run simulations based on projected weather conditions imported from the Weather Research & Forcasting (WRF) Model. Sub-grid scale turbulence is modeled using a Large Eddy Simulation (LES) approach. The initial results gathered from the WRF Model simulations and historical weather data analysis are presented elsewhere.

Rolling up of Large-scale Laminar Vortex Ring from Synthetic Jet Impinging onto a Wall

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Yang; Pan, Chong; Wang, Jinjun; Flow Control Lab Team

2015-11-01

Vortex ring impinging onto a wall exhibits a wide range of interesting behaviors. The present work devotes to an experimental investigation of a series of small-scale vortex rings impinging onto a wall. These laminar vortex rings were generated by a piston-cylinder driven synthetic jet in a water tank. Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) were used for flow visualization/quantification. A special scenario of vortical dynamic was found for the first time: a large-scale laminar vortex ring is formed above the wall, on the outboard side of the jet. This large-scale structure is stable in topology pattern, and continuously grows in strength and size along time, thus dominating dynamics of near wall flow. To quantify its spatial/temporal characteristics, Finite-Time Lyapunov Exponent (FTLE) fields were calculated from PIV velocity fields. It is shown that the flow pattern revealed by FTLE fields is similar to the visualization. The size of this large-scale vortex ring can be up to one-order larger than the jet vortices, and its rolling-up speed and entrainment strength was correlated to constant vorticity flux issued from the jet. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grants No.11202015 and 11327202).

An experimental study of large-scale vortices over a blunt-faced flat plate in pulsating flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hwang, K. S.; Sung, H. J.; Hyun, J. M.

Laboratory measurements are made of flow over a blunt flat plate of finite thickness, which is placed in a pulsating free stream, U=Uo(1+Aocos 2πfpt). Low turbulence-intensity wind tunnel experiments are conducted in the ranges of Stp<=1.23 and Ao<=0.118 at ReH=560. Pulsation is generated by means of a woofer speaker. Variations of the time-mean reattachment length xR as functions of Stp and Ao are scrutinized by using the forward-time fraction and surface pressure distributions (Cp). The shedding frequency of large-scale vortices due to pulsation is measured. Flow visualizations depict the behavior of large-scale vortices. The results for non-pulsating flows (Ao=0) are consistent with the published data. In the lower range of Ao, as Stp increases, xR attains a minimum value at a particular pulsation frequency. For large Ao, the results show complicated behaviors of xR. For Stp>=0.80, changes in xR are insignificant as Ao increases. The shedding frequency of large-scale vortices is locked-in to the pulsation frequency. A vortex-pairing process takes place between two neighboring large-scale vortices in the separated shear layer.

Characteristics of Tornado-Like Vortices Simulated in a Large-Scale Ward-Type Simulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Zhuo; Feng, Changda; Wu, Liang; Zuo, Delong; James, Darryl L.

2018-02-01

Tornado-like vortices are simulated in a large-scale Ward-type simulator to further advance the understanding of such flows, and to facilitate future studies of tornado wind loading on structures. Measurements of the velocity fields near the simulator floor and the resulting floor surface pressures are interpreted to reveal the mean and fluctuating characteristics of the flow as well as the characteristics of the static-pressure deficit. We focus on the manner in which the swirl ratio and the radial Reynolds number affect these characteristics. The transition of the tornado-like flow from a single-celled vortex to a dual-celled vortex with increasing swirl ratio and the impact of this transition on the flow field and the surface-pressure deficit are closely examined. The mean characteristics of the surface-pressure deficit caused by tornado-like vortices simulated at a number of swirl ratios compare well with the corresponding characteristics recorded during full-scale tornadoes.

Interaction of monopoles, dipoles, and turbulence with a shear flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marques Rosas Fernandes, V. H.; Kamp, L. P. J.; van Heijst, G. J. F.; Clercx, H. J. H.

2016-09-01

Direct numerical simulations have been conducted to examine the evolution of eddies in the presence of large-scale shear flows. The numerical experiments consist of initial-value-problems in which monopolar and dipolar vortices as well as driven turbulence are superposed on a plane Couette or Poiseuille flow in a periodic two-dimensional channel. The evolution of the flow has been examined for different shear rates of the background flow and different widths of the channel. Results found for retro-grade and pro-grade monopolar vortices are consistent with those found in the literature. Boundary layer vorticity, however, can significantly modify the straining and erosion of monopolar vortices normally seen for unbounded domains. Dipolar vortices are shown to be much more robust coherent structures in a large-scale shear flow than monopolar eddies. An analytical model for their trajectories, which are determined by self-advection and advection and rotation by the shear flow, is presented. Turbulent kinetic energy is effectively suppressed by the shearing action of the background flow provided that the shear is linear (Couette flow) and of sufficient strength. Nonlinear shear as present in the Poiseuille flow seems to even increase the turbulence strength especially for high shear rates.

Quantized vortices and superflow in arbitrary dimensions: structure, energetics and dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldbart, Paul M.; Bora, Florin

2009-05-01

The structure and energetics of superflow around quantized vortices, and the motion inherited by these vortices from this superflow, are explored in the general setting of a superfluid in arbitrary dimensions. The vortices may be idealized as objects of codimension 2, such as one-dimensional loops and two-dimensional closed surfaces, respectively, in the cases of three- and four-dimensional superfluidity. By using the analogy between the vortical superflow and Ampère-Maxwell magnetostatics, the equilibrium superflow containing any specified collection of vortices is constructed. The energy of the superflow is found to take on a simple form for vortices that are smooth and asymptotically large, compared with the vortex core size. The motion of vortices is analyzed in general, as well as for the special cases of hyper-spherical and weakly distorted hyper-planar vortices. In all dimensions, vortex motion reflects vortex geometry. In dimension 4 and higher, this includes not only extrinsic but also intrinsic aspects of the vortex shape, which enter via the first and second fundamental forms of classical geometry. For hyper-spherical vortices, which generalize the vortex rings of three-dimensional superfluidity, the energy-momentum relation is determined. Simple scaling arguments recover the essential features of these results, up to numerical and logarithmic factors.

Martian Polar Vortices: Comparison of Reanalyses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Waugh, D. W.; Toigo, A. D.; Guzewich, S. D.; Greybush, S. J.; Wilson, R. J.; Montabone, L.

2016-01-01

The structure and evolution of the Martian polar vortices is examined using two recently available reanalysis systems: version 1.0 of the Mars Analysis Correction Data Assimilation (MACDA) and a preliminary version of the Ensemble Mars Atmosphere Reanalysis System (EMARS). There is quantitative agreement between the reanalyses in the lower atmosphere, where Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) data are assimilated, but there are differences at higher altitudes reflecting differences in the free-running general circulation model simulations used in the two reanalyses. The reanalyses show similar potential vorticity (PV) structure of the vortices: There is near-uniform small PV equatorward of the core of the westerly jet, steep meridional PV gradients on the polar side of the jet core, and a maximum of PV located off of the pole. In maps of 30 sol mean PV, there is a near-continuous elliptical ring of high PV with roughly constant shape and longitudinal orientation from fall to spring. However, the shape and orientation of the vortex varies on daily time scales, and there is not a continuous ring of PV but rather a series of smaller scale coherent regions of high PV. The PV structure of the Martian polar vortices is, as has been reported before, very different from that of Earth's stratospheric polar vortices, but there are similarities with Earth's tropospheric vortices which also occur at the edge of the Hadley Cell, and have near-uniform small PV equatorward of the jet, and a large increase of PV poleward of the jet due to increased stratification.

Martian polar vortices: Comparison of reanalyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waugh, D. W.; Toigo, A. D.; Guzewich, S. D.; Greybush, S. J.; Wilson, R. J.; Montabone, L.

2016-09-01

The structure and evolution of the Martian polar vortices is examined using two recently available reanalysis systems: version 1.0 of the Mars Analysis Correction Data Assimilation (MACDA) and a preliminary version of the Ensemble Mars Atmosphere Reanalysis System (EMARS). There is quantitative agreement between the reanalyses in the lower atmosphere, where Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) data are assimilated, but there are differences at higher altitudes reflecting differences in the free-running general circulation model simulations used in the two reanalyses. The reanalyses show similar potential vorticity (PV) structure of the vortices: There is near-uniform small PV equatorward of the core of the westerly jet, steep meridional PV gradients on the polar side of the jet core, and a maximum of PV located off of the pole. In maps of 30 sol mean PV, there is a near-continuous elliptical ring of high PV with roughly constant shape and longitudinal orientation from fall to spring. However, the shape and orientation of the vortex varies on daily time scales, and there is not a continuous ring of PV but rather a series of smaller scale coherent regions of high PV. The PV structure of the Martian polar vortices is, as has been reported before, very different from that of Earth's stratospheric polar vortices, but there are similarities with Earth's tropospheric vortices which also occur at the edge of the Hadley Cell, and have near-uniform small PV equatorward of the jet, and a large increase of PV poleward of the jet due to increased stratification.

Structure of turbulent flow over regular arrays of cubical roughness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coceal, O.; Dobre, A.; Thomas, T. G.; Belcher, S. E.

The structure of turbulent flow over large roughness consisting of regular arrays of cubical obstacles is investigated numerically under constant pressure gradient conditions. Results are analysed in terms of first- and second-order statistics, by visualization of instantaneous flow fields and by conditional averaging. The accuracy of the simulations is established by detailed comparisons of first- and second-order statistics with wind-tunnel measurements. Coherent structures in the log region are investigated. Structure angles are computed from two-point correlations, and quadrant analysis is performed to determine the relative importance of Q2 and Q4 events (ejections and sweeps) as a function of height above the roughness. Flow visualization shows the existence of low-momentum regions (LMRs) as well as vortical structures throughout the log layer. Filtering techniques are used to reveal instantaneous examples of the association of the vortices with the LMRs, and linear stochastic estimation and conditional averaging are employed to deduce their statistical properties. The conditional averaging results reveal the presence of LMRs and regions of Q2 and Q4 events that appear to be associated with hairpin-like vortices, but a quantitative correspondence between the sizes of the vortices and those of the LMRs is difficult to establish; a simple estimate of the ratio of the vortex width to the LMR width gives a value that is several times larger than the corresponding ratio over smooth walls. The shape and inclination of the vortices and their spatial organization are compared to recent findings over smooth walls. Characteristic length scales are shown to scale linearly with height in the log region. Whilst there are striking qualitative similarities with smooth walls, there are also important differences in detail regarding: (i) structure angles and sizes and their dependence on distance from the rough surface; (ii) the flow structure close to the roughness; (iii) the roles of inflows into and outflows from cavities within the roughness; (iv) larger vortices on the rough wall compared to the smooth wall; (v) the effect of the different generation mechanism at the wall in setting the scales of structures.

Large-scale Vortex Generation and Evolution in Short-crested Isolated Wave Breaking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Derakhti, M.; Kirby, J. T., Jr.

2016-12-01

Peregrine (1999), in discussing the effect of localization of wave energy dissipation as a generation mechanism for vorticity at the scale of individual waves, spurred a wave of study of vorticity dynamics and mixing processes in the wave-driven ocean. In deep water, the limited depth of penetration of breaking effects leads to the conceptual forcing of a "smoke-ring" resulting from the localized cross-section of impulsive forcing (Pizzo and Melville, 2013). In shallow water, depth limitations favor the generation of a quasi-two-dimensional field of vertical vortex structures, with a resulting inverse cascade of energy to low wavenumbers and the evolution of flows such as transient rip currents (Johnson and Pattiaratchi, 2006). In this study, we are examining a more detailed picture of the vorticity field evolving during a localized breaking event, with particular interest in the span from deep water to shallow water, with special attention to the transition from weak to strong bottom control. Using an LES/VOF model (Derakhti and Kirby, 2014), we examine the evolution of coherent vortex structures whose initial scales are determined by the width of the breaking region, and are much larger than the locally-controlled reverse horseshoe structures seen in typical studies of along-crest uniform breaking. We study the persistence of three-dimensionality of these structures and their contribution to the development of depth-integrated vertical vorticity, and comment on the suitability of 2D or quasi-3D models to represent nearshore flow fields.

Hydrodynamical Aspects of the Formation of Spiral-Vortical Structures in Rotating Gaseous Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elizarova, T. G.; Zlotnik, A. A.; Istomina, M. A.

2018-01-01

This paper is dedicated to numerical simulations of spiral-vortical structures in rotating gaseous disks using a simple model based on two-dimensional, non-stationary, barotropic Euler equations with a body force. The results suggest the possibility of a purely hydrodynamical basis for the formation and evolution of such structures. New, axially symmetric, stationary solutions of these equations are derived that modify known approximate solutions. These solutions with added small perturbations are used as initial data in the non-stationary problem, whose solution demonstrates the formation of density arms with bifurcation. The associated redistribution of angular momentum is analyzed. The correctness of laboratory experiments using shallow water to describe the formation of large-scale vortical structures in thin gaseous disks is confirmed. The computations are based on a special quasi-gas-dynamical regularization of the Euler equations in polar coordinates.

Vortex survival in 3D self-gravitating accretion discs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Min-Kai; Pierens, Arnaud

2018-07-01

Large-scale, dust-trapping vortices may account for observations of asymmetric protoplanetary discs. Disc vortices are also potential sites for accelerated planetesimal formation by concentrating dust grains. However, in 3D discs vortices are subject to destructive `elliptic instabilities', which reduces their viability as dust traps. The survival of vortices in 3D accretion discs is thus an important issue to address. In this work, we perform shearing box simulations to show that disc self-gravity enhances the survival of 3D vortices, even when self-gravity is weak in the classic sense (e.g. with a Toomre Q ≃ 5). We find a 3D self-gravitating vortex can grow on secular time-scales in spite of the elliptic instability. The vortex aspect ratio decreases as it strengthens, which feeds the elliptic instability. The result is a 3D vortex with a turbulent core that persists for ˜103 orbits. We find when gravitational and hydrodynamic stresses become comparable, the vortex may undergo episodic bursts, which we interpret as an interaction between elliptic and gravitational instabilities. We estimate the distribution of dust particles in self-gravitating, turbulent vortices. Our results suggest large-scale vortices in protoplanetary discs are more easily observed at large radii.

Correlation Analysis between Spin, Velocity Shear, and Vorticity of Baryonic and Dark Matter Halos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Li-li

2017-04-01

Based on the cosmological hydrodynamic simulations, we investigate the correlations between the spin, velocity shear and vorticity in dark matter halos, as well as the relationship between the baryonic matter and the dark matter. We find that (1) the difference between the vorticity of baryonic matter and that of dark matter is evident on the scales of < 0.2 h-1 Mpc; (2) the vorticity of baryonic matter exhibits a stronger correlation with the tensor of velocity shear than the vorticity of dark matter does; and (3) the spinning direction of small-mass dark matter halos tends to be parallel to the direction of their host filaments, while the spinning direction of massive dark matter halos tends to be perpendicular to the direction of their host filaments, and the intensity of this kind correlation depends on the size of simulation box, and the simulation accuracy. These factors may cause the relationship between the the spins of dark matter halos and those of galaxies to be complicated, and affect the correlation between the galaxy spins and the nearby large-scale structures.

Effect of centrifugal forces on formation of secondary flow structures in a 180-degree curved artery model under pulsatile inflow conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Callahan, Shannon; Sajjad, Roshan; Bulusu, Kartik V.; Plesniak, Michael W.

2013-11-01

An experimental investigation of secondary flow structures within a 180-degree bent tube model of a curved artery was performed using phase-averaged, two-component, two-dimensional, particle image velocimetry (2C-2D PIV) under pulsatile inflow conditions. Pulsatile waveforms ranging from simple sinusoidal to physiological inflows were supplied. We developed a novel continuous wavelet transform algorithm (PIVlet 1.2) and applied it to vorticity fields for coherent secondary flow structure detection. Regime maps of secondary flow structures revealed new, deceleration-phase-dependent flow morphologies. The temporal instances where streamwise centrifugal forces dominated were associated with large-scale coherent structures, such as deformed Dean-, Lyne- and Wall-type (D-L-W) vortical structures. Magnitudes of streamwise and cross-stream centrifugal forces tend to balance during deceleration phases. Deceleration events were also associated with spatial reorganization and asymmetry in large-scale D-L-W secondary flow structures. Hence, the interaction between streamwise and cross-stream centrifugal forces that affects secondary flow morphologies is explained using a ``residual force'' parameter i.e., the difference in magnitudes of these forces. Supported by the NSF Grant No. CBET- 0828903 and GW Center for Biomimetics and Bioinspired Engineering.

Visualization of vortex structures and analysis of frequency of PVC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gesheva, E. S.; Shtork, S. I.; Alekseenko, S. V.

2018-03-01

The paper presents the results of the study of large-scale vortex structures in a model chamber. Methods of forming quasi-stationary vortices of various shapes by changing the geometric parameters of the chamber have been proposed. In the model chamber with a tangential swirl of the flow, a rectilinear vortex, single helical and double helical vortices were obtained. The double helical structure of the vortex is unique due to its immovability around the axis of the chamber. The resulting structures slowly oscillate around their own axes, which is called the vortex core precession; while the oscillation frequency depends linearly on the liquid flow rate. The use of stationary vortex structures in power plants will increase the efficiency of combustion chambers and reduce slagging.

The effects of streamwise concave curvature on turbulent boundary layer structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeans, A. H.; Johnston, J. P.

1982-06-01

Concave curvature has a relatively large, unpredictable effect on turbulent boundary layers. Some, but not all previous studies suggest that a large-scale, stationary array of counter-rotating vortices exists within the turbulent boundary layer on a concave wall. The objective of the present study was to obtain a qualitative model of the flow field in order to increase our understanding of the underlying physics. A large free-surface water channel was constructed in order to perform a visual study of the flow. Streamwise components of mean velocity and turbulence intensity were measured using a hot film anemometer. The upstream boundary was spanwise uniform with a momentum thickness to radius of curvature of 0.05. Compared to flat wall flow, large-scale, randomly distributed sweeps and ejections were seen in the boundary layer on the concave wall. The sweeps appear to suppress the normal mechanism for turbulence production near the wall by inhibiting the bursting process. The ejections appear to enhance turbulence production in the outer layers as the low speed fluid convected from regions near the wall interacts with the higher speed fluid farther out. The large-scale structures did not occur at fixed spanwise locations, and could not be called roll cells or vortices.

Enstrophy Cascade in Decaying Two-Dimensional Quantum Turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reeves, Matthew T.; Billam, Thomas P.; Yu, Xiaoquan; Bradley, Ashton S.

2017-11-01

We report evidence for an enstrophy cascade in large-scale point-vortex simulations of decaying two-dimensional quantum turbulence. Devising a method to generate quantum vortex configurations with kinetic energy narrowly localized near a single length scale, the dynamics are found to be well characterized by a superfluid Reynolds number Res that depends only on the number of vortices and the initial kinetic energy scale. Under free evolution the vortices exhibit features of a classical enstrophy cascade, including a k-3 power-law kinetic energy spectrum, and constant enstrophy flux associated with inertial transport to small scales. Clear signatures of the cascade emerge for N ≳500 vortices. Simulating up to very large Reynolds numbers (N =32 768 vortices), additional features of the classical theory are observed: the Kraichnan-Batchelor constant is found to converge to C'≈1.6 , and the width of the k-3 range scales as Res1 /2 .

Regimes of Flow over Complex Structures of Endothelial Glycocalyx: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study.

PubMed

Jiang, Xi Zhuo; Feng, Muye; Ventikos, Yiannis; Luo, Kai H

2018-04-10

Flow patterns on surfaces grafted with complex structures play a pivotal role in many engineering and biomedical applications. In this research, large-scale molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are conducted to study the flow over complex surface structures of an endothelial glycocalyx layer. A detailed structure of glycocalyx has been adopted and the flow/glycocalyx system comprises about 5,800,000 atoms. Four cases involving varying external forces and modified glycocalyx configurations are constructed to reveal intricate fluid behaviour. Flow profiles including temporal evolutions and spatial distributions of velocity are illustrated. Moreover, streamline length and vorticity distributions under the four scenarios are compared and discussed to elucidate the effects of external forces and glycocalyx configurations on flow patterns. Results show that sugar chain configurations affect streamline length distributions but their impact on vorticity distributions is statistically insignificant, whilst the influence of the external forces on both streamline length and vorticity distributions are trivial. Finally, a regime diagram for flow over complex surface structures is proposed to categorise flow patterns.

Problems of simulation of large, long-lived vortices in the atmospheres of the giant planets (jupiter, saturn, neptune)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nezlin, Michael V.; Sutyrin, Georgi G.

1994-01-01

Large, long-lived vortices are abundant in the atmospheres of the giant planets. Some of them survive a few orders of magnitude longer than the dispersive linear Rossby wave packets, e.g. the Great Red Spot (GRS), Little Red Spot (LRS) and White Ovals (WO) of Jupiter, Big Bertha, Brown Spot and Anne's Spot of Saturn, the Great Dark Spot (GDS) of Neptune, etc. Nonlinear effects which prevent their dispersion spreading are the main subject of our consideration. Particular emphasis is placed on determining the dynamical processes which may explain the remarkable properties of observed vortices such as anticyclonic rotation in preference to cyclonic one and the uniqueness of the GRS, the largest coherent vortex, along the perimeter of Jupiter at corresponding latitude. We review recent experimental and theoretical studies of steadily translating solitary Rossby vortices (anticyclones) in a rotating shallow fluid. Two-dimensional monopolar solitary vortices trap fluid which is transported westward. These dualistic structures appear to be vortices, on the one hand, and solitary “waves”, on the other hand. Owing to the presence of the trapped fluid, such solitary structures collide inelastically and have a memory of the initial disturbance which is responsible for the formation of the structure. As a consequence, they have no definite relationship between the amplitude and characteristic size. Their vortical properties are connected with geostrophic advection of local vorticity. Their solitary properties (nonspreading and stationary translation) are due to a balance between Rossby wave dispersion and nonlinear effects which allow the anticyclones, with an elevation of a free surface, to propagate faster than the linear waves, without a resonance with linear waves, i.e. without wave radiation. On the other hand, cyclones, with a depression of a free surface, are dispersive and nonstationary features. This asymmetry in dispersion-nonlinear properties of cyclones and anticyclones is thought to be one of the essential reasons for the observed predominance of anticyclones among the long-lived vortices in the atmospheres of the giant planets and also among the intrathermocline oceanic eddies. The effects of shear flows and differences between the properties of monopolar vortices in planetary flows and various laboratory experiments are discussed. General geostrophic (GG) theory of Rossby vortices is presented. It differs essentially from the traditional quasi-geostrophic (QG) and intermediate-geostrophic (IG) approximations by the account of (i) all scales between the deformation radius and the planetary scale and (ii) the arbitrary amplitudes of vortices. It is shown that, unlike QG- and IG-models, the GG-model allows for explaining the mentioned cyclonic-anticyclonic asymmetry not only in planetary flows, but also in laboratory modeling with vessels of near paraboloidal form.

Role of jet spacing and strut geometry on the formation of large scale structures and mixing characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soni, Rahul Kumar; De, Ashoke

2018-05-01

The present study primarily focuses on the effect of the jet spacing and strut geometry on the evolution and structure of the large-scale vortices which play a key role in mixing characteristics in turbulent supersonic flows. Numerically simulated results corresponding to varying parameters such as strut geometry and jet spacing (Xn = nDj such that n = 2, 3, and 5) for a square jet of height Dj = 0.6 mm are presented in the current study, while the work also investigates the presence of the local quasi-two-dimensionality for the X2(2Dj) jet spacing; however, the same is not true for higher jet spacing. Further, the tapered strut (TS) section is modified into the straight strut (SS) for investigation, where the remarkable difference in flow physics is unfolded between the two configurations for similar jet spacing (X2: 2Dj). The instantaneous density and vorticity contours reveal the structures of varying scales undergoing different evolution for the different configurations. The effect of local spanwise rollers is clearly manifested in the mixing efficiency and the jet spreading rate. The SS configuration exhibits excellent near field mixing behavior amongst all the arrangements. However, in the case of TS cases, only the X2(2Dj) configuration performs better due to the presence of local spanwise rollers. The qualitative and quantitative analysis reveals that near-field mixing is strongly affected by the two-dimensional rollers, while the early onset of the wake mode is another crucial parameter to have improved mixing. Modal decomposition performed for the SS arrangement sheds light onto the spatial and temporal coherence of the structures, where the most dominant structures are found to be the von Kármán street vortices in the wake region.

Numerical Simulations of Vortical Mode Stirring: Effects of Large Scale Shear and Strain

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-30

Numerical Simulations of Vortical Mode Stirring: Effects of Large-Scale Shear and Strain M.-Pascale Lelong NorthWest Research Associates...can be implemented in larger-scale ocean models. These parameterizations will incorporate the effects of local ambient conditions including latitude...talk at the 1 DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Nonlinear Effects in Internal Waves Conference held

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN FLUID VORTICITY, KINETIC HELICITY, AND MAGNETIC FIELD ON SMALL-SCALES (QUIET-NETWORK) ON THE SUN

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sangeetha, C. R.; Rajaguru, S. P., E-mail: crsangeetha@iiap.res.in

We derive horizontal fluid motions on the solar surface over large areas covering the quiet-Sun magnetic network from local correlation tracking of convective granules imaged in continuum intensity and Doppler velocity by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory . From these we calculate the horizontal divergence, the vertical component of vorticity, and the kinetic helicity of fluid motions. We study the correlations between fluid divergence and vorticity, and between vorticity (kinetic helicity) and the magnetic field. We find that the vorticity (kinetic helicity) around small-scale fields exhibits a hemispherical pattern (in sign) similar tomore » that followed by the magnetic helicity of large-scale active regions (containing sunspots). We identify this pattern to be a result of the Coriolis force acting on supergranular-scale flows (both the outflows and inflows), consistent with earlier studies using local helioseismology. Furthermore, we show that the magnetic fields cause transfer of vorticity from supergranular inflow regions to outflow regions, and that they tend to suppress the vortical motions around them when magnetic flux densities exceed about 300 G (from HMI). We also show that such an action of the magnetic fields leads to marked changes in the correlations between fluid divergence and vorticity. These results are speculated to be of importance to local dynamo action (if present) and to the dynamical evolution of magnetic helicity at the small-scale.« less

Combing bacterial turbulence.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sokolov, Andrey; Nishiguchi, Daiki; Aronson, Igor

Living systems represented by ensembles of motile organisms demonstrate a transition from a chaotic motion to a highly ordered state. Examples of such living systems include suspensions of bacteria, schools of fish, flocks of birds and even crowds of people. In spite of significant differences in interacting mechanisms and motion scales, ordered living systems have many similarities: short-range alignment of organism, turbulent-like motion, emergence of large-scale flows and dynamic vortices. In this work, we rectify a turbulent dynamics in suspensions of swimming bacteria Bacillus subtilis by imposing periodical constraints on bacterial motion. Bacteria, swimming between periodically placed microscopic vertical pillars, may self-organize in a stable lattice of vortices. We demonstrate the emergence of a strong anti-ferromagnetic order of bacterial vortices in a rectangular lattice of pillars. Hydrodynamic interaction between vortices increases the stability of an emerged pattern. The highest stability of vortices in the anti-ferromagnetic lattice and the fastest vortices speed were observed in structures with the periods comparable with a correlation length of bacterial unconstrained motion. A.S and I.A were supported by the US DOE, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Materials Science And Engineering, under contract No. DE AC02-06CH11357 and D.N was supported by ALPS and JSPS Grant No. 26-9915.

Characterization of string cavitation in large-scale Diesel nozzles with tapered holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gavaises, M.; Andriotis, A.; Papoulias, D.; Mitroglou, N.; Theodorakakos, A.

2009-05-01

The cavitation structures formed inside enlarged transparent replicas of tapered Diesel valve covered orifice nozzles have been characterized using high speed imaging visualization. Cavitation images obtained at fixed needle lift and flow rate conditions have revealed that although the conical shape of the converging tapered holes suppresses the formation of geometric cavitation, forming at the entry to the cylindrical injection hole, string cavitation has been found to prevail, particularly at low needle lifts. Computational fluid dynamics simulations have shown that cavitation strings appear in areas where large-scale vortices develop. The vortical structures are mainly formed upstream of the injection holes due to the nonuniform flow distribution and persist also inside them. Cavitation strings have been frequently observed to link adjacent holes while inspection of identical real-size injectors has revealed cavitation erosion sites in the area of string cavitation development. Image postprocessing has allowed estimation of their frequency of appearance, lifetime, and size along the injection hole length, as function of cavitation and Reynolds numbers and needle lift.

Large-scale vortices in compressible turbulent medium with the magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gvaramadze, V. V.; Dimitrov, B. G.

1990-08-01

An averaged equation which describes the large scale vortices and Alfven waves generation in a compressible helical turbulent medium with a constant magnetic field is presented. The presence of the magnetic field leads to anisotropization of the vortex generation. Possible applications of the anisotropic vortex dynamo effect are accretion disks of compact objects.

Large-eddy simulation of a turbulent mixing layer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mansour, N. N.; Ferziger, J. H.; Reynolds, W. C.

1978-01-01

The three dimensional, time dependent (incompressible) vorticity equations were used to simulate numerically the decay of isotropic box turbulence and time developing mixing layers. The vorticity equations were spatially filtered to define the large scale turbulence field, and the subgrid scale turbulence was modeled. A general method was developed to show numerical conservation of momentum, vorticity, and energy. The terms that arise from filtering the equations were treated (for both periodic boundary conditions and no stress boundary conditions) in a fast and accurate way by using fast Fourier transforms. Use of vorticity as the principal variable is shown to produce results equivalent to those obtained by use of the primitive variable equations.

Electromagnetohydrodynamic vortices and corn circles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kikuchi, H.

A novel type of large-scale vortex formation has theoretically been found in helical turbulence in terms of hydrodynamic, electric, magnetic, and space charge fields in an external electric (and magnetic) field. It is called 'electro-MHD (EMHD) vortices' and is generated as a result of self-organization processes in nonequilibrium media by the transfer of energy from small- to large-scale sizes. Explanations for 'corn circles', circular symmetric ground patterns found in a corn field in southern England, are provided on the basis of a new theory of the EMHD vortices under consideration.

Visualization and analysis of flow structures in an open cavity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jun; Cai, Jinsheng; Yang, Dangguo; Wu, Junqiang; Wang, Xiansheng

2018-05-01

A numerical study is performed on the supersonic flow over an open cavity at Mach number of 1.5. A newly developed visualization method is employed to visualize the complicated flow structures, which provide an insight into major flow physics. Four types of shock/compressive waves which existed in experimental schlieren are observed in numerical visualization results. Furthermore, other flow structures such as multi-scale vortices are also obtained in the numerical results. And a new type of shocklet which is beneath large vortices is found. The shocklet beneath the vortex originates from leading edge, then, is strengthened by successive interactions between feedback compressive waves and its attached vortex. Finally, it collides against the trailing surface and generates a large number of feedback compressive waves and intensive pressure fluctuations. It is suggested that the shocklets beneath vortex play an important role of cavity self-sustained oscillation.

On the evolution of flow topology in turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dabbagh, F.; Trias, F. X.; Gorobets, A.; Oliva, A.

2016-11-01

Small-scale dynamics is the spirit of turbulence physics. It implicates many attributes of flow topology evolution, coherent structures, hairpin vorticity dynamics, and mechanism of the kinetic energy cascade. In this work, several dynamical aspects of the small-scale motions have been numerically studied in a framework of Rayleigh-Bénard convection (RBC). To do so, direct numerical simulations have been carried out at two Rayleigh numbers Ra = 108 and 1010, inside an air-filled rectangular cell of aspect ratio unity and π span-wise open-ended distance. As a main feature, the average rate of the invariants of the velocity gradient tensor (QG, RG) has displayed the so-called "teardrop" spiraling shape through the bulk region. Therein, the mean trajectories are swirling inwards revealing a periodic spin around the converging origin of a constant period that is found to be proportional to the plumes lifetime. This suggests that the thermal plumes participate in the coherent large-scale circulation and the turbulent wind created in the bulk. Particularly, it happens when the plumes elongate substantially to contribute to the large-scale eddies at the lower turbulent state. Supplementary small-scale properties, which are widely common in many turbulent flows have been observed in RBC. For example, the strong preferential alignment of vorticity with the intermediate eigenstrain vector, and the asymmetric alignment between vorticity and the vortex-stretching vector. It has been deduced that in a hard turbulent flow regime, local self-amplifications of straining regions aid in contracting the vorticity worms, and enhance the local interactions vorticity/strain to support the linear vortex-stretching contributions. On the other hand, the evolution of invariants pertained to the traceless part of velocity-times-temperature gradient tensor has also been considered in order to determine the role of thermals in the fine-scale dynamics. These new invariants show an incorporation of kinetic and thermal gradient dynamics that indicate directly the evolution and lifetime of thermal plume structures. By applying an identical approach, the rates of the new invariants have shown a symmetric cycling behaviour decaying towards two skew-symmetric converging origins at the lower Ra number. The trajectories near origins address the hot and cold coherent plumes that travel as an average large-scale heat flux in the sidewall vicinities, and denote a periodic spin period close to the plumes lifetime. At the hard turbulent case, the spiraling trajectories travel in shorter tracks to reveal the reduced lifetime of plumes under the dissipative and mixing effects. The turbulent background kinetic derivatives get self-amplified and the trajectories converge to a zero-valued origin indicating that there is no contribution from the plumes to the average coherent large scales of heat flux. These and other peculiar scrutinies on the small-scale motions in RBC have been enlightened, and may have a fruitful consequence on modelling approaches of buoyancy-driven turbulence.

Vortex survival in 3D self-gravitating accretion discs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Min-Kai; Pierens, Arnaud

2018-04-01

Large-scale, dust-trapping vortices may account for observations of asymmetric protoplanetary discs. Disc vortices are also potential sites for accelerated planetesimal formation by concentrating dust grains. However, in 3D discs vortices are subject to destructive `elliptic instabilities', which reduces their viability as dust traps. The survival of vortices in 3D accretion discs is thus an important issue to address. In this work, we perform shearing box simulations to show that disc self-gravity enhances the survival of 3D vortices, even when self-gravity is weak in the classic sense (e.g. with a Toomre Q ≃ 5). We find a 3D, self-gravitating vortex can grow on secular timescales in spite of the elliptic instability. The vortex aspect-ratio decreases as it strengthens, which feeds the elliptic instability. The result is a 3D vortex with a turbulent core that persists for ˜103 orbits. We find when gravitational and hydrodynamic stresses become comparable, the vortex may undergo episodic bursts, which we interpret as interaction between elliptic and gravitational instabilities. We estimate the distribution of dust particles in self-gravitating, turbulent vortices. Our results suggest large-scale vortices in protoplanetary discs are more easily observed at large radii.

Finiteness of corner vortices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalita, Jiten C.; Biswas, Sougata; Panda, Swapnendu

2018-04-01

Till date, the sequence of vortices present in the solid corners of steady internal viscous incompressible flows was thought to be infinite. However, the already existing and most recent geometric theories on incompressible viscous flows that express vortical structures in terms of critical points in bounded domains indicate a strong opposition to this notion of infiniteness. In this study, we endeavor to bridge the gap between the two opposing stream of thoughts by diagnosing the assumptions of the existing theorems on such vortices. We provide our own set of proofs for establishing the finiteness of the sequence of corner vortices by making use of the continuum hypothesis and Kolmogorov scale, which guarantee a nonzero scale for the smallest vortex structure possible in incompressible viscous flows. We point out that the notion of infiniteness resulting from discrete self-similarity of the vortex structures is not physically feasible. Making use of some elementary concepts of mathematical analysis and our own construction of diametric disks, we conclude that the sequence of corner vortices is finite.

Vortex-based spatiotemporal characterization of nonlinear flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byrne, Gregory A.

Although the ubiquity of vortices in nature has been recognized by artists for over seven centuries, it was the work of artist and scientist Leonardo da Vinci that provided the monumental transition from an aesthetic form to a scientific tool. DaVinci used vortices to describe the motions he observed in air currents, flowing water and blood flow in the human heart. Five centuries later, the Navier-Stokes equations allow us to recreate the swirling motions of fluid observed in nature. Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations have provided a lens through which to study the role of vortices in a wide variety of modern day applications. The research summarized below represents an effort to look through this lens and bring into focus the practical use of vortices in describing nonlinear flows. Vortex-based spatiotemporal characterizations are obtained using two specific mathematical tools: vortex core lines (VCL) and proper orthogonal decomposition (POD). By applying these tools, we find that vortices continue to provide new insights in the realm of biofluids, urban flows and the phase space of dynamical systems. The insights we have gained are described in this thesis. Our primary focus is on biofluids. Specifically, we seek to gain new insights into the connection between vortices and vascular diseases in order to provide more effective methods for clinical diagnosis and treatment. We highlight several applications in which VCL and POD are used to characterize the flow conditions in a heart pump, identify stenosis in carotid arteries and validate numerical models against PIV-based experimental data. Next, we quantify the spatial complexity and temporal stability of hemodynamics generated by a database of 210 patient-specific aneurysm geometries. Visual classifications of the hemodynamics are compared to the automated, quantitative classifications. The quantities characterizing the hemodynamics are then compared to clinical data to determine conditions that are most conducive to rupture. Flows that form multiple vortices and undergo large-scale structural changes over the cardiac cycle are found to pose the most significant risk to patients. Concepts from dynamical systems are then applied to explain the formation of large-scale vortical flow structures in cerebral aneurysms. This is done by investigating the role of critical points along vortex core lines. We provide evidence that critical points are created and destroyed in saddle-node bifurcations during the cardiac cycle and that these bifurcations are responsible for changing the large-scale flow structure inside the aneurysm. Uncovering and understanding these mechanisms is the first step towards individualized treatments designed to suppress the creation of specific blood flow patterns that are known to present a risk of rupture. A simple differential dynamical system is used to illustrate the dynamical systems related concepts. Two examples illustrating the use of vortex-based methods in other domains are highlighted at the end of this work. The first example uses realistic CFD modeling of air flow through subway tunnels and stations to study the spread of accidental or planned release of airborne chemical or biological contaminants. Quantities from the vortex-based characterizations are shown to provide clear signatures that correlate to the dispersion and transport of pollutants though the stations. The second example examines swirling flow structures in the phase space of dynamical systems. Descriptions of vortices and their properties are extended to higher dimensions within the special class of differential dynamical systems.

Time resolved flow-field measurements of a turbulent mixing layer over a rectangular cavity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bian, Shiyao; Driscoll, James F.; Elbing, Brian R.; Ceccio, Steven L.

2011-07-01

High Reynolds number, low Mach number, turbulent shear flow past a rectangular, shallow cavity has been experimentally investigated with the use of dual-camera cinematographic particle image velocimetry (CPIV). The CPIV had a 3 kHz sampling rate, which was sufficient to monitor the time evolution of large-scale vortices as they formed, evolved downstream and impinged on the downstream cavity wall. The time-averaged flow properties (velocity and vorticity fields, streamwise velocity profiles and momentum and vorticity thickness) were in agreement with previous cavity flow studies under similar operating conditions. The time-resolved results show that the separated shear layer quickly rolled-up and formed eddies immediately downstream of the separation point. The vortices convect downstream at approximately half the free-stream speed. Vorticity strength intermittency as the structures approach the downstream edge suggests an increase in the three-dimensionality of the flow. Time-resolved correlations reveal that the in-plane coherence of the vortices decays within 2-3 structure diameters, and quasi-periodic flow features are present with a vortex passage frequency of ~1 kHz. The power spectra of the vertical velocity fluctuations within the shear layer revealed a peak at a non-dimensional frequency corresponding to that predicted using linear, inviscid instability theory.

Coherent dynamics in the rotor tip shear layer of utility-scale wind turbines

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yang, Xiaolei; Hong, Jiarong; Barone, Matthew

Here, recent field experiments conducted in the near wake (up to 0.5 rotor diameters downwind of the rotor) of a Clipper Liberty C96 2.5 MW wind turbine using snow-based super-large-scale particle image velocimetry (SLPIV) were successful in visualizing tip vortex cores as areas devoid of snowflakes. The so-visualized snow voids, however, suggested tip vortex cores of complex shape consisting of circular cores with distinct elongated comet-like tails. We employ large-eddy simulation (LES) to elucidate the structure and dynamics of the complex tip vortices identified experimentally. We show that the LES, with inflow conditions representing as closely as possible the statemore » of the flow approaching the turbine when the SLPIV experiments were carried out, reproduce vortex cores in good qualitative agreement with the SLPIV results, essentially capturing all vortex core patterns observed in the field in the tip shear layer. The computed results show that the visualized vortex patterns are formed by the tip vortices and a second set of counter-rotating spiral vortices intertwined with the tip vortices. To probe the dependence of these newly uncovered coherent flow structures on turbine design, size and approach flow conditions, we carry out LES for three additional turbines: (i) the Scaled Wind Farm Technology (SWiFT) turbine developed by Sandia National Laboratories in Lubbock, TX, USA; (ii) the wind turbine developed for the European collaborative MEXICO (Model Experiments in Controlled Conditions) project; and (iii) the model turbine, and the Clipper turbine under varying inflow turbulence conditions. We show that similar counter-rotating vortex structures as those observed for the Clipper turbine are also observed for the SWiFT, MEXICO and model wind turbines. However, the strength of the counter-rotating vortices relative to that of the tip vortices from the model turbine is significantly weaker. We also show that incoming flows with low level turbulence attenuate the elongation of the tip and counter-rotating vortices. Sufficiently high turbulence levels in the incoming flow, on the other hand, tend to break up the coherence of spiral vortices in the near wake. To elucidate the physical mechanism that gives rise to such rich coherent dynamics we examine the stability of the turbine tip shear layer using the theory. We show that for all simulated cases the theory consistently indicates the flow to be unstable exactly in the region where counter-rotating spirals emerge. We thus postulate that centrifugal instability of the rotating turbine tip shear layer is a possible mechanism for explaining the phenomena we have uncovered herein.« less

Coherent dynamics in the rotor tip shear layer of utility-scale wind turbines

DOE PAGES

Yang, Xiaolei; Hong, Jiarong; Barone, Matthew; ...

2016-09-08

Here, recent field experiments conducted in the near wake (up to 0.5 rotor diameters downwind of the rotor) of a Clipper Liberty C96 2.5 MW wind turbine using snow-based super-large-scale particle image velocimetry (SLPIV) were successful in visualizing tip vortex cores as areas devoid of snowflakes. The so-visualized snow voids, however, suggested tip vortex cores of complex shape consisting of circular cores with distinct elongated comet-like tails. We employ large-eddy simulation (LES) to elucidate the structure and dynamics of the complex tip vortices identified experimentally. We show that the LES, with inflow conditions representing as closely as possible the statemore » of the flow approaching the turbine when the SLPIV experiments were carried out, reproduce vortex cores in good qualitative agreement with the SLPIV results, essentially capturing all vortex core patterns observed in the field in the tip shear layer. The computed results show that the visualized vortex patterns are formed by the tip vortices and a second set of counter-rotating spiral vortices intertwined with the tip vortices. To probe the dependence of these newly uncovered coherent flow structures on turbine design, size and approach flow conditions, we carry out LES for three additional turbines: (i) the Scaled Wind Farm Technology (SWiFT) turbine developed by Sandia National Laboratories in Lubbock, TX, USA; (ii) the wind turbine developed for the European collaborative MEXICO (Model Experiments in Controlled Conditions) project; and (iii) the model turbine, and the Clipper turbine under varying inflow turbulence conditions. We show that similar counter-rotating vortex structures as those observed for the Clipper turbine are also observed for the SWiFT, MEXICO and model wind turbines. However, the strength of the counter-rotating vortices relative to that of the tip vortices from the model turbine is significantly weaker. We also show that incoming flows with low level turbulence attenuate the elongation of the tip and counter-rotating vortices. Sufficiently high turbulence levels in the incoming flow, on the other hand, tend to break up the coherence of spiral vortices in the near wake. To elucidate the physical mechanism that gives rise to such rich coherent dynamics we examine the stability of the turbine tip shear layer using the theory. We show that for all simulated cases the theory consistently indicates the flow to be unstable exactly in the region where counter-rotating spirals emerge. We thus postulate that centrifugal instability of the rotating turbine tip shear layer is a possible mechanism for explaining the phenomena we have uncovered herein.« less

Global structure transitions in an experimental induction furnace

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tasaka, Yuji; Galindo, Vladimir; Vogt, Tobias; Eckert, Sven

2017-11-01

Flows induced by alternating magnetic field (AMF) in a cylindrical vessel filled with liquid metal, alloy of GaInSn, were examined experimentally using ultrasonic Doppler velocimetry (UDV). Measurement lines of UDV arranged vertically set at different radial and azimuthal positions extracted flow structures and their time variations as spatio-temporal velocity maps in the opaque liquid metal layer. At low frequency of AMF, corresponding to shielding parameter S =μm σωR2 = O(1) (μm and σ are magnetic permeability and electric conductivity of the test fluid, ω angular frequency of AMF, and R the radius of cylindrical vessel), two toroidal vortices exist in the fluid layer as the large scale flow structure and have interactions each other. With increasing of S the structure has transition from toroidal vortex pair to four large scale circulations (S >= 100) via transient state, where strong interactions of two vortices are observed (30 < S < 100). Faster vertical stream is observed near the cylinder wall because of ski effect caused by AMF, and the time-averaged velocity of the stream takes maximum around S = 20 , which is little smaller value of S for the onset of the transient state. JSPS KAKENHI No. 15KK0219.

Large-Scale Stratospheric Transport Processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Plumb, R. Alan

2001-01-01

The paper discusses the following: 1. The Brewer-Dobson circulation: tropical upwelling. 2. Mixing into polar vortices. 3. The latitudinal structure of "age" in the stratosphere. 4. The subtropical "tracer edges". 5. Transport in the lower troposphere. 6. Tracer modeling during SOLVE. 7. 3D modeling of "mean age". 8. Models and measurements II.

PIV measurement of internal structure of diesel fuel spray

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Z.-M.; Nishino, K.; Mizuno, S.; Torii, K.

2000-12-01

This paper reports particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements of diesel fuel spray injected from a single-hole nozzle at injection pressures ranging from 30 to 70MPa, which are comparable to partial-load operating conditions of commercial diesel engines. The fuel is injected into a non-combusting environment pressurized up to 2.0MPa. A laser-induced fluorescent (LIF) technique is utilized to visualize internal structures of fuel sprays formed by densely-distributing droplets. A specially designed synchronization system is developed to acquire double-frame spray images at an arbitrary time delay after injection. A direct cross-correlation PIV technique is applied to measure instantaneous droplet velocity distribution. Unique large-scale structures in droplet concentration, called `branch-like structures' by Azetsu etal. (1990), are observed and shown to be associated with active vortical motions, which appear to be responsible for the mixing between droplets and the surrounding gas. It is found that the droplets tend to move out of the vortical structures and accumulate in the regions of low vorticity. Some other interesting features concerning droplet velocity fields are also presented.

PIV measurement of internal structure of diesel fuel spray

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Z.-M.; Nishino, K.; Mizuno, S.; Torii, K.

This paper reports particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements of diesel fuel spray injected from a single-hole nozzle at injection pressures ranging from 30 to 70MPa, which are comparable to partial-load operating conditions of commercial diesel engines. The fuel is injected into a non-combusting environment pressurized up to 2.0MPa. A laser-induced fluorescent (LIF) technique is utilized to visualize internal structures of fuel sprays formed by densely-distributing droplets. A specially designed synchronization system is developed to acquire double-frame spray images at an arbitrary time delay after injection. A direct cross-correlation PIV technique is applied to measure instantaneous droplet velocity distribution. Unique large-scale structures in droplet concentration, called `branch-like structures' by Azetsu etal. (1990), are observed and shown to be associated with active vortical motions, which appear to be responsible for the mixing between droplets and the surrounding gas. It is found that the droplets tend to move out of the vortical structures and accumulate in the regions of low vorticity. Some other interesting features concerning droplet velocity fields are also presented.

Numerical Capture of Wing-tip Vortex Using Vorticity Confinement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Baili; Lou, Jing; Kang, Chang Wei; Wilson, Alexander; Lundberg, Johan; Bensow, Rickard

2012-11-01

Tracking vortices accurately over large distances is very important in many areas of engineering, for instance flow over rotating helicopter blades, ship propeller blades and aircraft wings. However, due to the inherent numerical dissipation in the advection step of flow simulation, current Euler and RANS field solvers tend to damp these vortices too fast. One possible solution to reduce the unphysical decay of these vortices is the application of vorticity confinement methods. In this study, a vorticity confinement term is added to the momentum conservation equations which is a function of the local element size, the vorticity and the gradient of the absolute value of vorticity. The approach has been evaluated by a systematic numerical study on the tip vortex trailing from a rectangular NACA0012 half-wing. The simulated structure and development of the wing-tip vortex agree well with experiments both qualitatively and quantitatively without any adverse effects on the global flow field. It is shown that vorticity confinement can negate the effect of numerical dissipation, leading to a more or less constant vortex strength. This is an approximate method in that genuine viscous diffusion of the vortex is not modeled, but it can be appropriate for vortex dominant flows over short to medium length scales where viscous diffusion can be neglected.

Reynolds number scaling of straining motions in turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elsinga, Gerrit; Ishihara, T.; Goudar, M. V.; da Silva, C. B.; Hunt, J. C. R.

2017-11-01

Strain is an important fluid motion in turbulence as it is associated with the kinetic energy dissipation rate, vorticity stretching, and the dispersion of passive scalars. The present study investigates the scaling of the turbulent straining motions by evaluating the flow in the eigenframe of the local strain-rate tensor. The analysis is based on DNS of homogeneous isotropic turbulence covering a Reynolds number range Reλ = 34.6 - 1131. The resulting flow pattern reveals a shear layer containing tube-like vortices and a dissipation sheet, which both scale on the Kolmogorov length scale, η. The vorticity stretching motions scale on the Taylor length scale, while the flow outside the shear layer scales on the integral length scale. These scaling results are consistent with those in wall-bounded flow, which suggests a quantitative universality between the different flows. The overall coherence length of the vorticity is 120 η in all directions, which is considerably larger than the typical size of individual vortices, and reflects the importance of spatial organization at the small scales. Transitions in flow structure are identified at Reλ 45 and 250. Below these respective Reynolds numbers, the small-scale motions and the vorticity stretching motions appear underdeveloped.

Internal and vorticity waves in decaying stratified flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matulka, A.; Cano, D.

2009-04-01

Most predictive models fail when forcing at the Rossby deformation Radius is important and a large range of scales have to be taken into account. When mixing of reactants or pollutants has to be accounted, the range of scales spans from hundreds of Kilometers to the Bachelor or Kolmogorov sub milimiter scales. We present some theoretical arguments to describe the flow in terms of the three dimensional vorticity equations, using a lengthscale related to the vorticity (or enstrophy ) transport. Effect of intermittent eddies and non-homogeneity of diffusion are also key issues in the environment because both stratification and rotation body forces are important and cause anisotropy/non-homogeneity. These problems need further theoretical, numerical and observational work and one approach is to try to maximize the relevant geometrical information in order to understand and therefore predict these complex environmental dispersive flows. The importance of the study of turbulence structure and its relevance in diffusion of contaminants in environmental flows is clear when we see the effect of environmental disasters such as the Prestige oil spill or the Chernobil radioactive cloud spread in the atmosphere. A series of Experiments have been performed on a strongly stratified two layer fluid consisting of Brine in the bottom and freshwater above in a 1 square meter tank. The evolution of the vortices after the passage of a grid is video recorded and Particle tracking is applied on small pliolite particles floating at the interface. The combination of internal waves and vertical vorticity produces two separate time scales that may produce resonances. The vorticity is seen to oscilate in a complex way, where the frecuency decreases with time.

Effects of energetic coherent motions on the power and wake of an axial-flow turbine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chamorro, L. P.; Hill, C.; Neary, V. S.; Gunawan, B.; Arndt, R. E. A.; Sotiropoulos, F.

2015-05-01

A laboratory experiment examined the effects of energetic coherent motions on the structure of the wake and power fluctuations generated by a model axial-flow hydrokinetic turbine. The model turbine was placed in an open-channel flow and operated under subcritical conditions. The incoming flow was locally perturbed with vertically oriented cylinders of various diameters. An array of three acoustic Doppler velocimeters aligned in the cross-stream direction and a torque transducer were used to collect high-resolution and synchronous measurements of the three-velocity components of the incoming and wake flow as well as the turbine power. A strong scale-to-scale interaction between the large-scale and broadband turbulence shed by the cylinders and the turbine power revealed how the turbulence structure modulates the turbine behavior. In particular, the response of the turbine to the distinctive von Kármán-type vortices shed from the cylinders highlighted this phenomenon. The mean and fluctuating characteristics of the turbine wake are shown to be very sensitive to the energetic motions present in the flow. Tip vortices were substantially dampened and the near-field mean wake recovery accelerated in the presence of energetic motions in the flow. Strong coherent motions are shown to be more effective than turbulence levels for triggering the break-up of the spiral structure of the tip-vortices.

Flow and coherent structures around circular cylinders in shallow water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Jie; Constantinescu, George

2017-06-01

Eddy-resolving numerical simulations are conducted to investigate the dynamics of the large-scale coherent structures around a circular cylinder in an open channel under very shallow flow conditions where the bed friction significantly affects the wake structure. Results are reported for three test cases, for which the ratio between the cylinder diameter, D, and the channel depth, H, is D/H = 10, 25, and 50, respectively. Simulation results show that a horseshoe vortex system forms in all test cases and the dynamics of the necklace vortices is similar to that during the breakaway sub-regime observed for cases when a laminar horseshoe vortex forms around the base of the cylinder. Given the shallow conditions and turbulence in the incoming channel flow, the necklace vortices occupy a large fraction of the flow depth (they penetrate until the free surface in the shallower cases with D/H = 25 and 50). The oscillations of the necklace vortices become less regular with increasing polar angle magnitude and can induce strong amplification of the bed shear stress beneath their cores. Strong interactions are observed between the legs of the necklace vortices and the eddies shed in the separated shear layers in the cases with D/H = 25 and 50. In these two cases, a vortex-street type wake is formed and strong three-dimensional effects are observed in the near-wake flow. A secondary instability in the form of arrays of co-rotating parallel horizontal vortices develops. Once the roller vortices get away from the cylinder, the horizontal vortices in the array orient themselves along the streamwise direction. This instability is not present for moderately shallow conditions (e.g., D/H ≈ 1) nor for very shallow cases when the wake changes to an unsteady bubble type (e.g., D/H = 50). For cases when this secondary instability is present, the horizontal vortices extend vertically over a large fraction of the flow depth and play an important role in the vertical mixing of fluid situated at the wake edges (e.g., by transporting the near-bed, lower-velocity fluid toward the free surface and vice versa). The largest amplification of the bed shear stress in the near-wake region is observed beneath these horizontal vortices, which means that they would play an important role in promoting bed erosion behind the cylinder in the case of a loose bed. Simulation results suggest that these co-rotating vortices form as a result of the interactions between the legs of the main necklace vortices and the vortical eddies contained into the newly forming roller at the back of the cylinder. The paper also analyzes how D/H affects the separation angle on the cylinder, the size of the recirculation bubble, the bed friction velocity distributions, and turbulence statistics.

Stability of knotted vortices in wave chaos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, Alexander; Dennis, Mark

Large scale tangles of disordered filaments occur in many diverse physical systems, from turbulent superfluids to optical volume speckle to liquid crystal phases. They can exhibit particular large scale random statistics despite very different local physics. We have previously used the topological statistics of knotting and linking to characterise the large scale tangling, using the vortices of three-dimensional wave chaos as a universal model system whose physical lengthscales are set only by the wavelength. Unlike geometrical quantities, the statistics of knotting depend strongly on the physical system and boundary conditions. Although knotting patterns characterise different systems, the topology of vortices is highly unstable to perturbation, under which they may reconnect with one another. In systems of constructed knots, these reconnections generally rapidly destroy the knot, but for vortex tangles the topological statistics must be stable. Using large scale simulations of chaotic eigenfunctions, we numerically investigate the prevalence and impact of reconnection events, and their effect on the topology of the tangle.

Self-organization of vortex-length distribution in quantum turbulence: An approach based on the Barabasi-Albert model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mitani, Akira; Tsubota, Makoto

2006-07-01

The energy spectrum of decaying quantum turbulence at T=0 obeys Kolmogorov's law. In addition to this, recent studies revealed that the vortex-length distribution (VLD), meaning the size distribution of the vortices, in decaying Kolmogorov quantum turbulence also obeys a power law. This power-law VLD suggests that the decaying turbulence has scale-free structure in real space. Unfortunately, however, there has been no practical study that answers the following important question: why can quantum turbulence acquire a scale-free VLD? We propose here a model to study the origin of the power law of the VLD from a generic point of view. Themore » nature of quantized vortices allows one to describe the decay of quantum turbulence with a simple model that is similar to the Barabasi-Albert model, which explains the scale-invariance structure of large networks. We show here that such a model can reproduce the power law of the VLD well.« less

Recovering the full velocity and density fields from large-scale redshift-distance samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bertschinger, Edmund; Dekel, Avishai

1989-01-01

A new method for extracting the large-scale three-dimensional velocity and mass density fields from measurements of the radial peculiar velocities is presented. Galaxies are assumed to trace the velocity field rather than the mass. The key assumption made is that the Lagrangian velocity field has negligible vorticity, as might be expected from perturbations that grew by gravitational instability. By applying the method to cosmological N-body simulations, it is demonstrated that it accurately reconstructs the velocity field. This technique promises a direct determination of the mass density field and the initial conditions for the formation of large-scale structure from galaxy peculiar velocity surveys.

Impact of the inherent separation of scales in the Navier-Stokes- alphabeta equations.

PubMed

Kim, Tae-Yeon; Cassiani, Massimo; Albertson, John D; Dolbow, John E; Fried, Eliot; Gurtin, Morton E

2009-04-01

We study the effect of the length scales alpha and beta in the Navier-Stokes- alphabeta equations on the energy spectrum and the alignment between the vorticity and the eigenvectors of the stretching tensor in three-dimensional homogeneous and isotropic turbulent flows in a periodic cubic domain, including the limiting cases of the Navier-Stokes- alpha and Navier-Stokes equations. A significant increase in the accuracy of the energy spectrum at large wave numbers arises for beta

Catalina Eddy as revealed by the historical downscaling of reanalysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanamitsu, Masao; Yulaeva, Elena; Li, Haiqin; Hong, Song-You

2013-08-01

Climatological properties, dynamical and thermodynamical characteristics of the Catalina Eddy are examined from the 61 years NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis downscaled to hourly 10 km resolution. The eddy is identified as a mesoscale cyclonic circulation confined to the Southern California Bight. Pattern correlation of wind direction against the canonical Catalina Eddy is used to extract cases from the downscaled analysis. Validation against published cases and various observations confirmed that the downscaled analysis accurately reproduces Catalina Eddy events. A composite analysis of the initiation phase of the eddy indicates that no apparent large-scale cyclonic/anti-cyclonic large-scale forcing is associated with the eddy formation or decay. The source of the vorticity is located at the coast of the Santa Barbara Channel. It is generated by the convergence of the wind system crossing over the San Rafael Mountains and the large-scale northwesterly flow associated with the subtropical high. This vorticity is advected towards the southeast by the northwesterly flow, which contributes to the formation of the streak of positive vorticity. At 6 hours prior to the mature stage, there is an explosive generation of positive vorticity along the coast, coincident with the phase change of the sea breeze circulation (wind turning from onshore to offshore), resulting in the convergence all along the California coast. The generation of vorticity due to convergence along the coast together with the advection of vorticity from the north resulted in the formation of southerly flow along the coast, forming the Catalina Eddy. The importance of diurnal variation and the lack of large-scale forcing are new findings, which are in sharp contrast to prior studies. These differences are due to the inclusion of many short-lived eddy events detected in our study which have not been included in other studies.

Instability and turbulent mixing of shocked `V' shaped interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Long; Sun, Yutao

Based on the mass fraction model of multicomponent mixture, the interaction between weak shock wave and `V' shaped air/ interface with different vertex angles are numerical simulated using high resolution finite volume method with minimized dispersion and controllable dissipation (MDCD) scheme. It is observed that the baroclinic vorticity is deposited near the interface due to the misalignment of the density and pressure gradient, leading to the formation of vortical structures along the interface. The predicted leftmost interface displacement and interface width growth rate in the early stage of interface evolution agree well with experimental results. The numerical results indicate that with the evolution of the interfacial vortical structures, the array of vortices begins to merge. As the result, the vortices accumulate at several distinct regions. It is in these regions, the multi-scale structures are generated because of the interaction between vortices. It is observed that due to the different scaling with Reynolds number of upper bound and lower bound, an uncoupled inertial range appears, and the mixing transition occurs with the appearance of an inertial range of scales. The classical Kolmogorov -5/3 power laws are shown in the energy fluctuation spectrum, which means the inertial range is just beginning to form and the flow field near the material interface will develop to turbulence.

The development of laser speckle velocimetry for the study of vortical flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krothapalli, A.

1991-01-01

A new experimental technique commonly known as PIDV (particle image displacement velocity) was developed to measure an instantaneous two dimensional velocity fluid in a selected plane of the flow field. This technique was successfully applied to the study of several problems: (1) unsteady flows with large scale vortical structures; (2) the instantaneous two dimensional flow in the transition region of a rectangular air jet; and (3) the instantaneous flow over a circular bump in a transonic flow. In several other experiments PIDV is routinely used as a non-intrusive measurement technique to obtain instantaneous two dimensional velocity fields.

Linking Sediment Transport to Coherent Flow Structures: First Results Using 2-Phase PIV and Considerations of the Origin of Large-Scale Turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Best, J.

2004-05-01

The origin and scaling of large-scale coherent flow structures has been of central interest in furthering understanding of the nature of turbulent boundary layers, and recent work has shown the presence of large-scale turbulent flow structures that may extend through the whole flow depth. Such structures may dominate the entrainment of bedload sediment and advection of fine sediment in suspension. However, we still know remarkably little of the interactions between the dynamics of coherent flow structures and sediment transport, and its implications for ecosystem dynamics. This paper will discuss the first results of two-phase particle imaging velocimetry (PIV) that has been used to visualize large-scale turbulent flow structures moving over a flat bed in a water channel, and the motion of sand particles within these flows. The talk will outline the methodology, involving the fluorescent tagging of sediment and its discrimination from the fluid phase, and show results that illustrate the key role of these large-scale structures in the transport of sediment. Additionally, the presence of these structures will be discussed in relation to the origin of vorticity within flat-bed boundary layers and recent models that envisage these large-scale motions as being linked to whole-flow field structures. Discussion will focus on if these recent models simply reflect the organization of turbulent boundary layer structure and vortex packets, some of which are amply visualised at the laminar-turbulent transition.

A numerical study of the laminar necklace vortex system and its effect on the wake for a circular cylinder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirkil, Gokhan; Constantinescu, George

2012-07-01

Large eddy simulation (LES) is used to investigate the structure of the laminar horseshoe vortex (HV) system and the dynamics of the necklace vortices as they fold around the base of a circular cylinder mounted on the flat bed of an open channel for Reynolds numbers defined with the cylinder diameter, D, smaller than 4460. The study concentrates on the analysis of the structure of the HV system in the periodic breakaway sub-regime, which is characterized by the formation of three main necklace vortices. Over one oscillation cycle of the previously observed breakaway sub-regime, the corner vortex and the primary vortex merge (amalgamate) and a developing vortex separates from the incoming laminar boundary layer (BL) to become the new primary vortex. Results show that while the classical breakaway sub-regime, in which one amalgamation event occurs per oscillation cycle, is present when the nondimensional displacement thickness of the incoming BL at the location of the cylinder is relatively large (δ*/D > 0.1), a new type of breakaway sub-regime is present for low values of δ*/D. This sub-regime, which we call the double-breakaway sub-regime, is characterized by the occurrence of two amalgamation events over one full oscillation cycle. LES results show that when the HV system is in one of the breakaway sub-regimes, the interactions between the highly coherent necklace vortices and the eddies shed inside the separated shear layers (SSLs) are very strong. For the relatively shallow flow conditions considered in this study (H/D ≅ 1, H is the channel depth), at times, the disturbances induced by the legs of the necklace vortices do not allow the SSLs on the two sides of the cylinder to interact in a way that allows the vorticity redistribution mechanism to lead to the formation of a new wake roller. As a result, the shedding of large-scale rollers in the turbulent wake is suppressed for relatively large periods of time. Simulation results show that the wake structure changes randomly between time intervals when large-scale rollers are forming and are convected in the wake (von Karman regime), and time intervals when the rollers do not form. When the wake is in the von Karman regime, the shedding frequency of the rollers is close to that observed for flow past infinitely long cylinders.

A vorticity budget for the Gulf Stream

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le Bras, Isabela; Toole, John

2017-04-01

We develop a depth-averaged vorticity budget framework to diagnose the dynamical balance of the Gulf Stream, and apply this framework to observations and the ECCO state estimate (Wunsch and Heimbach 2013) above the thermocline in the subtropical North Atlantic. Using the hydrographic and ADCP data along the WOCE/CLIVAR section A22 and a variety of wind stress data products, we find that the advective vorticity flux out of the western region is on the same order as the wind stress forcing over the eastern portion of the gyre. This is consistent with a large-scale balance between a negative source of vorticity from wind stress forcing and a positive source of vorticity in the western region. Additionally, the form of the vorticity flux indicates that the Gulf Stream has a significant inertial component. In the ECCO state estimate, we diagnose a seasonal cycle in advective vorticity flux across a meridional section associated with seasonal fluctuations in Gulf Stream transport. This vorticity flux is forced by wind stress over the eastern subtropical North Atlantic and balanced by lateral friction with the western boundary. The lateral friction in ECCO is a necessary parameterization of smaller scale processes that occur in the real ocean, and quantifying these remains an open and interesting question. This simplified framework provides a means to interpret large scale ocean dynamics. In our application, it points to wind stress forcing over the subtropical North Altantic as an important regulator of the Gulf Stream and hence the climate system.

Vortex-Body Interactions: A Critical Assessment. Coupled Gap-Wake Instabilities/Turbulence: A Source of Noise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rockwell, Donald

1999-01-01

This program has involved, first of all, a critical state-of-the-art assessment of vortex-body interactions. Then, efforts were focused on experimental investigation on coupled-wake instabilities and turbulence occurring in a two-cylinder system. An extensive review was undertaken on the effect of incident vortices on various types of bodies. These incident vortices have a length scale of the same order of magnitude as the scale of the body. The body can take on various forms, including, for example, a circular cylinder, a blade or a wing. The classes of vortex-body interaction that were critically assessed include: (1) Periodic distortion of the incident (primary) vortex and shedding of secondary vorticity from the surface of the body. (2) Modulated vortex distortion and shedding at a leading-edge or surface due to incidence of a complex system of vortices. (3) Vortex distortion and shedding in presence of body oscillation. (4) Three-dimensional vortex interaction and shedding. For all of these classes of vortex-body interaction, quantitative topologies of the vorticity distributions and streamline patterns were found to be central to a unified description of mechanisms of vortex distortion and shedding. In most cases, it was possible to define relationships between vortex interactions and unsteady loading at the body surface. This phase of the program was an experimental investigation of a two-cylinder system, which simulated a central aspect of a four-wheel bogie on a large-scale commercial aircraft. The overall aim of this experimental research program was to determine the crucial elements of the unsteadiness in the gap and near-wake regions as a function of time using cinema-based techniques. During the research program, various image evaluation techniques were employed. They involved assessment of instantaneous velocity fields, streamline topology and patterns of vorticity. Experiments were performed in a large-scale water channel using a high-resolution version of digital particle image velocimetry. The program has focused on acquisition of images of velocity and vorticity for varying gap widths between the two-cylinder system. As a result of analysis of a relatively large number of images, it is demonstrated that low frequency instabilities can occur in the gap region between the cylinder. These low frequency instabilities are hypothesized to influence the near-wake structure of the entire two-cylinder system. The nature of the unstable shear layers in the gap region involves generation of small-scale Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities. These unsteady shear layers then impinge upon the upper and lower surfaces of the cylinders, thereby influencing both the unsteady structure and the time-averaged patterns of the near-wake. Initial efforts have focused on characterization of the patterns of instantaneous and averaged streamlines using topological concepts. The end result of this investigation is a series of documented instantaneous images. They will serve as a basis for various types of post-processing, which will lead to a fuller understanding of the instantaneous and time-averaged unstable-turbulent fields in the gap region and downstream of the two-cylinder system. This further assessment is the focus of a subsequent program.

Mesh refinement in a two-dimensional large eddy simulation of a forced shear layer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Claus, R. W.; Huang, P. G.; Macinnes, J. M.

1989-01-01

A series of large eddy simulations are made of a forced shear layer and compared with experimental data. Several mesh densities were examined to separate the effect of numerical inaccuracy from modeling deficiencies. The turbulence model that was used to represent small scale, 3-D motions correctly predicted some gross features of the flow field, but appears to be structurally incorrect. The main effect of mesh refinement was to act as a filter on the scale of vortices that developed from the inflow boundary conditions.

Scalings of intermittent structures in magnetohydrodynamic turbulence

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhdankin, Vladimir, E-mail: zhdankin@jila.colorado.edu; Boldyrev, Stanislav; Space Science Institute, Boulder, Colorado 80301

Turbulence is ubiquitous in plasmas, leading to rich dynamics characterized by irregularity, irreversibility, energy fluctuations across many scales, and energy transfer across many scales. Another fundamental and generic feature of turbulence, although sometimes overlooked, is the inhomogeneous dissipation of energy in space and in time. This is a consequence of intermittency, the scale-dependent inhomogeneity of dynamics caused by fluctuations in the turbulent cascade. Intermittency causes turbulent plasmas to self-organize into coherent dissipative structures, which may govern heating, diffusion, particle acceleration, and radiation emissions. In this paper, we present recent progress on understanding intermittency in incompressible magnetohydrodynamic turbulence with a strongmore » guide field. We focus on the statistical analysis of intermittent dissipative structures, which occupy a small fraction of the volume but arguably account for the majority of energy dissipation. We show that, in our numerical simulations, intermittent structures in the current density, vorticity, and Elsässer vorticities all have nearly identical statistical properties. We propose phenomenological explanations for the scalings based on general considerations of Elsässer vorticity structures. Finally, we examine the broader implications of intermittency for astrophysical systems.« less

Multi-dimensional upwinding-based implicit LES for the vorticity transport equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foti, Daniel; Duraisamy, Karthik

2017-11-01

Complex turbulent flows such as rotorcraft and wind turbine wakes are characterized by the presence of strong coherent structures that can be compactly described by vorticity variables. The vorticity-velocity formulation of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations is employed to increase numerical efficiency. Compared to the traditional velocity-pressure formulation, high order numerical methods and sub-grid scale models for the vorticity transport equation (VTE) have not been fully investigated. Consistent treatment of the convection and stretching terms also needs to be addressed. Our belief is that, by carefully designing sharp gradient-capturing numerical schemes, coherent structures can be more efficiently captured using the vorticity-velocity formulation. In this work, a multidimensional upwind approach for the VTE is developed using the generalized Riemann problem-based scheme devised by Parish et al. (Computers & Fluids, 2016). The algorithm obtains high resolution by augmenting the upwind fluxes with transverse and normal direction corrections. The approach is investigated with several canonical vortex-dominated flows including isolated and interacting vortices and turbulent flows. The capability of the technique to represent sub-grid scale effects is also assessed. Navy contract titled ``Turbulence Modelling Across Disparate Length Scales for Naval Computational Fluid Dynamics Applications,'' through Continuum Dynamics, Inc.

A Baroclinic Eddy Mixer: Supercritical Transformation of Compensated Eddies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sutyrin, G.

2016-02-01

In contrast to many real-ocean rings and eddies, circular vortices with initial lower layer at rest tend to be highly unstable in idealized two-layer models, unless their radius is made small or the lower layer depth is made artificially large. Numerical simulations of unstable vortices with parameters typical for ocean eddies revealed strong deformations and pulsations of the vortex core in the two-layer setup due to development of corotating tripolar structures in the lower layer during their supercritical transformation. The addition of a middle layer with the uniform potential vorticity weakens vertical coupling between the upper and lower layer that enhances vortex stability and makes the vortex lifespan more realistic. Such a three-layer vortex model possesses smaller lower interface slope than the two-layer model that reduces the potential vorticity gradient in the lower layer and provides with less unstable configurations. While cyclonic eddies become only slightly deformed and look nearly circular when the middle layer with uniform potential vorticity is added, anticyclonic eddies tend to corotating and pulsating elongated states through potential vorticity stripping and stirring. Enhanced vortex stability in such three-layer setup has important implications for adequate representation of the energy transfer across scales.

Modelling Pulsar Glitches: The Hydrodynamics of Superfluid Vortex Avalanches in Neutron Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khomenko, V.; Haskell, B.

2018-05-01

The dynamics of quantised vorticity in neutron star interiors is at the heart of most pulsar glitch models. However, the large number of vortices (up to ≈1013) involved in a glitch and the huge disparity in scales between the femtometre scale of vortex cores and the kilometre scale of the star makes quantum dynamical simulations of the problem computationally intractable. In this paper, we take a first step towards developing a mean field prescription to include the dynamics of vortices in large-scale hydrodynamical simulations of superfluid neutron stars. We consider a one-dimensional setup and show that vortex accumulation and differential rotation in the neutron superfluid lead to propagating waves, or `avalanches', as solutions for the equations of motion for the superfluid velocities. We introduce an additional variable, the fraction of free vortices, and test different prescriptions for its advection with the superfluid flow. We find that the new terms lead to solutions with a linear component in the rise of a glitch, and that, in specific setups, they can give rise to glitch precursors and even to decreases in frequency, or `anti-glitches'.

The structure of intense vorticity in homogeneous isotropic turbulence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jimenez, J.; Wray, A. A.; Saffman, P. G.; Rogallo, R. S.

1992-01-01

The structure of the intense vorticity regions is studied in numerically simulated homogeneous, isotropic, equilibrium turbulent flow fields at four different Reynolds numbers in the range Re(sub lambda) = 36-171. In accordance with previous investigators, this vorticity is found to be organized in coherent, cylindrical or ribbon-like, vortices ('worms'). A statistical study suggests that they are just especially intense features of the background, O(omega'), vorticity. Their radii scale with the Kolmogorov microscale and their lengths with the integral scale of the flow. An interesting observation is that the Reynolds number based on the circulation of the intense vortices, gamma/nu, increases monotonically with Re(sub lambda), raising the question of the stability of the structures in the limit of Re(sub lambda) approaching infinity. One and two-dimensional statistics of vorticity and strain are presented; they are non-gaussian, and the behavior of their tails depends strongly on the Reynolds number. There is no evidence of convergence to a limiting distribution in our range of Re(sub lambda), even though the energy spectra and the energy dissipation rate show good asymptotic properties in the higher Reynolds number cases. Evidence is presented to show that worms are natural features of the flow and that they do not depend on the particular forcing scheme.

Reconstruction of Propagating Kelvin-Helmholtz Vortices at Mercury's Magnetopause

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sundberg, Torbjoern; Boardsen, Scott A.; Slavin, James A.; Blomberg, Lars G.; Cumnock, Judy A.; Solomon, Sean C.; Anderson, Brian J.; Korth, Haje

2011-01-01

A series of quasi-periodic magnetopause crossings were recorded by the MESSENGER spacecraft during its third flyby of Mercury on 29 September 2009, likely caused by a train of propagating Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) vortices. We here revisit the observations to study the internal structure of the waves. Exploiting MESSENGER s rapid traversal of the magnetopause, we show that the observations permit a reconstruction of the structure of a rolled-up KH vortex directly from the spacecraft s magnetic field measurements. The derived geometry is consistent with all large-scale fluctuations in the magnetic field data, establishes the non-linear nature of the waves, and shows their vortex-like structure. In several of the wave passages, a reduction in magnetic field strength is observed in the middle of the wave, which is characteristic of rolled-up vortices and is related to the increase in magnetic pressure required to balance the centrifugal force on the plasma in the outer regions of a vortex, previously reported in computer simulations. As the KH wave starts to roll up, the reconstructed geometry suggests that the vortices develop two gradual transition regions in the magnetic field, possibly related to the mixing of magnetosheath and magnetospheric plasma, situated at the leading edges from the perspectives of both the magnetosphere and the magnetosheath.

The turblent mixing layer - Geometry of large vortices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Browand, F. K.; Troutt, T. R.

1985-09-01

Large spanwide vortices in a mixing layer have been studied in numerous investigations. The present study represents an attempt to define the geometry of the large vortices. In the conducted experiments, the flow develops from a laminar boundary layer, or from an intentionally tripped turbulent boundary layer. However, no other forcing is provided. It is pointed out that in both cases the downstream structure becomes indistinguishable. The experimental apparatus and the employed techniques are discussed, taking into account details regarding the wind tunnel, the detection of the structure, and aspects of digitization. Attention is given to the mean growth of the mixing layer, the mean vortex spacing, the spanwise correlation of vortex structure, velocity-field visualizations, the transition criterion, and the permanence of structure.

Coherent Structures and Extreme Events in Rotating Multiphase Turbulent Flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biferale, L.; Bonaccorso, F.; Mazzitelli, I. M.; van Hinsberg, M. A. T.; Lanotte, A. S.; Musacchio, S.; Perlekar, P.; Toschi, F.

2016-10-01

By using direct numerical simulations (DNS) at unprecedented resolution, we study turbulence under rotation in the presence of simultaneous direct and inverse cascades. The accumulation of energy at large scale leads to the formation of vertical coherent regions with high vorticity oriented along the rotation axis. By seeding the flow with millions of inertial particles, we quantify—for the first time—the effects of those coherent vertical structures on the preferential concentration of light and heavy particles. Furthermore, we quantitatively show that extreme fluctuations, leading to deviations from a normal-distributed statistics, result from the entangled interaction of the vertical structures with the turbulent background. Finally, we present the first-ever measurement of the relative importance between Stokes drag, Coriolis force, and centripetal force along the trajectories of inertial particles. We discover that vortical coherent structures lead to unexpected diffusion properties for heavy and light particles in the directions parallel and perpendicular to the rotation axis.

Vortex stretching in self-gravitating protoplanetary discs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Regály, Zs.; Vorobyov, E.

2017-10-01

Horseshoe-shaped brightness asymmetries of several transitional discs are thought to be caused by large-scale vortices. Anticyclonic vortices efficiently collect dust particles, therefore they can play a major role in planet formation. Former studies suggest that the disc self-gravity weakens vortices formed at the edge of the gap opened by a massive planet in discs whose masses are in the range of 0.01 ≤ Mdisc/M* ≤ 0.1. Here, we present an investigation on the long-term evolution of the large-scale vortices formed at the viscosity transition of the discs' dead zone outer edge by means of two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations taking disc self-gravity into account. We perform a numerical study of low-mass, 0.001 ≤ Mdisc/M* ≤ 0.01, discs, for which cases disc self-gravity was previously neglected. The large-scale vortices are found to be stretched due to disc self-gravity even for low-mass discs with Mdisc/M* ≳ 0.005, where initially the Toomre Q-parameter was ≲ 50 at the vortex distance. As a result of stretching, the vortex aspect ratio increases and a weaker azimuthal density contrast develops. The strength of the vortex stretching is proportional to the disc mass. The vortex stretching can be explained by a combined action of a non-vanishing gravitational torque caused by the vortex and the Keplerian shear of the disc. Self-gravitating vortices are subject to significantly faster decay than non-self-gravitating ones. We found that vortices developed at sharp viscosity transitions of self-gravitating discs can be described by a Goodman - Narayan - Goldreich (GNG) model as long as the disc viscosity is low, I.e. αdz ≤ 10-5.

Secondary flow structures in large rivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chauvet, H.; Devauchelle, O.; Metivier, F.; Limare, A.; Lajeunesse, E.

2012-04-01

Measuring the velocity field in large rivers remains a challenge, even with recent measurement techniques such as Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP). Indeed, due to the diverging angle between its ultrasonic beams, an ADCP cannot detect small-scale flow structures. However, when the measurements are limited to a single location for a sufficient period of time, averaging can reveal large, stationary flow structures. Here we present velocity measurements in a straight reach of the Seine river in Paris, France, where the cross-section is close to rectangular. The transverse modulation of the streamwise velocity indicates secondary flow cells, which seem to occupy the entire width of the river. This observation is reminiscent of the longitudinal vortices observed in laboratory experiments (e.g. Blanckaert et al., Advances in Water Resources, 2010, 33, 1062-1074). Although the physical origin of these secondary structures remains unclear, their measured velocity is sufficient to significantly impact the distribution of streamwise momentum. We propose a model for the transverse profile of the depth-averaged velocity based on a crude representation of the longitudinal vortices, with a single free parameter. Preliminary results are in good agreement with field measurements. This model also provides an estimate for the bank shear stress, which controls bank erosion.

Turbulent Dynamics of Epithelial Cell Cultures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blanch-Mercader, C.; Yashunsky, V.; Garcia, S.; Duclos, G.; Giomi, L.; Silberzan, P.

2018-05-01

We investigate the large length and long time scales collective flows and structural rearrangements within in vitro human bronchial epithelial cell (HBEC) cultures. Activity-driven collective flows result in ensembles of vortices randomly positioned in space. By analyzing a large population of vortices, we show that their area follows an exponential law with a constant mean value and their rotational frequency is size independent, both being characteristic features of the chaotic dynamics of active nematic suspensions. Indeed, we find that HBECs self-organize in nematic domains of several cell lengths. Nematic defects are found at the interface between domains with a total number that remains constant due to the dynamical balance of nucleation and annihilation events. The mean velocity fields in the vicinity of defects are well described by a hydrodynamic theory of extensile active nematics.

Conditional sampling technique to test the applicability of the Taylor hypothesis for the large-scale coherent structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hussain, A. K. M. F.

1980-01-01

Comparisons of the distributions of large scale structures in turbulent flow with distributions based on time dependent signals from stationary probes and the Taylor hypothesis are presented. The study investigated an area in the near field of a 7.62 cm circular air jet at a Re of 32,000, specifically having coherent structures through small-amplitude controlled excitation and stable vortex pairing in the jet column mode. Hot-wire and X-wire anemometry were employed to establish phase averaged spatial distributions of longitudinal and lateral velocities, coherent Reynolds stress and vorticity, background turbulent intensities, streamlines and pseudo-stream functions. The Taylor hypothesis was used to calculate spatial distributions of the phase-averaged properties, with results indicating that the usage of the local time-average velocity or streamwise velocity produces large distortions.

A Family of Vortices to Study Axisymmetric Vortex Breakdown and Reconnection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, Larry A.

2007-01-01

A new analytic model describing a family of vortices has been developed to study some of the axisymmetric vortex breakdown and reconnection fluid dynamic processes underlying body-vortex interactions that are frequently manifested in rotorcraft and propeller-driven fixed-wing aircraft wakes. The family of vortices incorporates a wide range of prescribed initial vorticity distributions -- including single or dual-core vorticity distributions. The result is analytical solutions for the vorticity and velocities for each member of the family of vortices. This model is of sufficient generality to further illustrate the dependence of vortex reconnection and breakdown on initial vorticity distribution as was suggested by earlier analytical work. This family of vortices, though laminar in nature, is anticipated to provide valuable insight into the vortical evolution of large-scale rotor and propeller wakes.

Cosmic Vorticity and the Origin Halo Spins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Libeskind, Noam I.; Hoffman, Yehuda; Steinmetz, Matthias; Gottlöber, Stefan; Knebe, Alexander; Hess, Steffen

2013-04-01

In the standard model of cosmology, structure emerges out of a non-rotational flow and the angular momentum of collapsing halos is induced by tidal torques. The growth of angular momentum in the linear and quasi-linear phases is associated with a shear, curl-free, flow and it is well described within the linear framework of tidal torque theory (TTT). However, TTT ceases to be applicable as halos approach turnaround when their ambient flow field becomes rotational. Subsequently, halos become embedded in a vortical flow field and the growth of their angular momentum is affected by the vorticity of their ambient velocity field. Using a cosmological simulation, we have examined the importance of the curl of the velocity field in determining halo spin, finding a significant alignment between the two: the vorticity tends to be perpendicular to the axis of the fastest collapse of the velocity shear tensor (e 1). This is independent of halo masses and cosmic web environment. Our results agree with previous findings on the tendency of halo spin to be perpendicular to e 1, and of the spin of (simulated) halos and (observed) galaxies to be aligned with the large-scale structure. It follows that angular momentum growth proceeds in two distinct phases. First, the angular momentum emerges out of a shear, curl-free, potential flow, as described by TTT. In the second phase, in which halos approach virialization, the angular momentum emerges out of a vortical flow and halo spin becomes partially aligned with the vorticity of the ambient flow field.

The vertical structure of Jupiter and Saturn zonal winds from nonlinear simulations of major vortices and planetary-scale disturbances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia-Melendo, E.; Legarreta, J.; Sanchez-Lavega, A.

2012-12-01

Direct measurements of the structure of the zonal winds of Jupiter and Saturn below the upper cloud layer are very difficult to retrieve. Except from the vertical profile at a Jupiter hot spot obtained from the Galileo probe in 1995 and measurements from cloud tracking by Cassini instruments just below the upper cloud, no other data are available. We present here our inferences of the vertical structure of Jupiter and Saturn zonal wind across the upper troposphere (deep down to about 10 bar level) obtained from nonlinear simulations using the EPIC code of the stability and interactions of large-scale vortices and planetary-scale disturbances in both planets. Acknowledgements: This work has been funded by Spanish MICIIN AYA2009-10701 with FEDER support, Grupos Gobierno Vasco IT-464-07 and UPV/EHU UFI11/55. [1] García-Melendo E., Sánchez-Lavega A., Dowling T.., Icarus, 176, 272-282 (2005). [2] García-Melendo E., Sánchez-Lavega A., Hueso R., Icarus, 191, 665-677 (2007). [3] Sánchez-Lavega A., et al., Nature, 451, 437- 440 (2008). [4] Sánchez-Lavega A., et al., Nature, 475, 71-74 (2011).

Inhomogeneous helicity effect in the solar angular-momentum transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yokoi, Nobumitsu

2017-04-01

Coupled with mean absolute vorticity Ω∗ (rotation and mean relative vorticity), inhomogeneous turbulent helicity is expected to contribute to the generation of global flow structure against the linear and angular momentum mixing due to turbulent or eddy viscosity. This inhomogeneous helicity effect was originally derived in Yokoi & Yoshizawa (1993) [1], and recently has been validated by direct numerical simulations (DNSs) of rotating helical turbulence [2]. Turbulence effect enters the mean-vorticity equation through the turbulent vortexmotive force ⟨u'×ω'⟩ [u': velocity fluctuation, ω'(= ∇× u'): vorticity fluctuation], which is the vorticity counterpart of the electromotive force ⟨u'× b'⟩ (b': magnetic fluctuation) in the mean magnetic-field induction. The mean velocity induction δU is proportional to the vortexmotive force. According to the theoretical result [1,2], it is expressed as δU = -νT∇×Ω∗-ηT(∇2H)Ω∗, where ηT is the transport coefficient, H = ⟨u'ṡω'⟩ the turbulent helicity, and Ω∗ the mean absolute vorticity. The first term corresponds to the enhanced diffusion due to turbulent viscosity νT. The second term expresses the large-scale flow generation due to inhomogeneous helicity. Since helicity is self-generated in rotating stratified turbulence [3], an inhomogeneous helicity distribution is expected to exist in the solar convection zone. A rising flow with expansion near the surface of the Sun generates a strongly negative helicity there [4]. This spatial distribution of helicity would lead to a positive Laplacian of turbulent helicity (∇2H > 0) in the subsurface layer of the Sun. In the combination with the large-scale vorticity associated with the meridional circulation, the inhomogeneous helicity effect works for accelerating the mean velocity in the azimuthal direction. The relevance of this inhomogeneous helicity effect in the solar convection zone is discussed further. References [1] Yokoi, N. and Yoshizawa, A., "Statistical analysis of the effects of helicity in inhomogeneous turbulence," Phys. Fluids A, 5, 464-477 (1993). [2] Yokoi, N. and Brandenburg, A., "Large-scale flow generation by inhomogeneous helicity," Phys. Rev. E, 93, 033125-1-14 (2016). [3] Marino, R., Mininni, P., Rosenberg, D., and Pouquet, A., "Emergence of helicity in rotating stratified turbulence," Phys. Rev. E, 87, 033016-1-9 (2013). [4] Duarte, L. D. V., Wicht, J., Browning, M. K., and Gastine, T., "Helicity inversion in spherical convection as a means for equatorward dynamo wave propagation," Mon. Not. Roy. Astron. Soc. 456, 1708-1722 (2016).

Structure measurements in a synthetic turbulent boundary layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arakeri, Jaywant H.

Extensive hot-wire measurements were made to determine the structure of the large eddy in a synthetic turbulent boundary layer on a flat-plate model. The experiments were carried out in a wind tunnel at a nominal free-stream velocity of 12 m/s. The synthetic turbulent boundary layer had a hexagonal pattern of eddies and a ratio of streamwise scale to spanwise scale of 3.2:1. The measured celerity of the large eddy was 84.2 percent of the free-stream velocity. There was some loss of coherence, but very little distortion, as the eddies moved downstream. Several mean properties of the synthetic boundary layer were found to agree quite well with the mean properties of a natural turbulent boundary layer at the same Reynolds number. The large eddy is composed of a pair of primary counter-rotating vortices about five delta long in the steamwise direction and about one delta apart in the spanwise direction, where delta is the mean boundary-layer thickness. Definite signatures are obtained in terms of the mean skin-friction coefficient and the mean wake parameter averaged at constant phase. Velocities induced by the vortices are partly responsible for entrainment of irrotational fluid, for transport of momentum, for generation of Reynolds stresses, and for maintenance of streamwise and normal velocity in the outer flow.

Natural snowfall reveals large-scale flow structures in the wake of a 2.5-MW wind turbine.

PubMed

Hong, Jiarong; Toloui, Mostafa; Chamorro, Leonardo P; Guala, Michele; Howard, Kevin; Riley, Sean; Tucker, James; Sotiropoulos, Fotis

2014-06-24

To improve power production and structural reliability of wind turbines, there is a pressing need to understand how turbines interact with the atmospheric boundary layer. However, experimental techniques capable of quantifying or even qualitatively visualizing the large-scale turbulent flow structures around full-scale turbines do not exist today. Here we use snowflakes from a winter snowstorm as flow tracers to obtain velocity fields downwind of a 2.5-MW wind turbine in a sampling area of ~36 × 36 m(2). The spatial and temporal resolutions of the measurements are sufficiently high to quantify the evolution of blade-generated coherent motions, such as the tip and trailing sheet vortices, identify their instability mechanisms and correlate them with turbine operation, control and performance. Our experiment provides an unprecedented in situ characterization of flow structures around utility-scale turbines, and yields significant insights into the Reynolds number similarity issues presented in wind energy applications.

Global-scale equatorial Rossby waves as an essential component of solar internal dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Löptien, Björn; Gizon, Laurent; Birch, Aaron C.; Schou, Jesper; Proxauf, Bastian; Duvall, Thomas L.; Bogart, Richard S.; Christensen, Ulrich R.

2018-05-01

The Sun’s complex dynamics is controlled by buoyancy and rotation in the convection zone. Large-scale flows are dominated by vortical motions1 and appear to be weaker than expected in the solar interior2. One possibility is that waves of vorticity due to the Coriolis force, known as Rossby waves3 or r modes4, remove energy from convection at the largest scales5. However, the presence of these waves in the Sun is still debated. Here, we unambiguously discover and characterize retrograde-propagating vorticity waves in the shallow subsurface layers of the Sun at azimuthal wavenumbers below 15, with the dispersion relation of textbook sectoral Rossby waves. The waves have lifetimes of several months, well-defined mode frequencies below twice the solar rotational frequency, and eigenfunctions of vorticity that peak at the equator. Rossby waves have nearly as much vorticity as the convection at the same scales, thus they are an essential component of solar dynamics. We observe a transition from turbulence-like to wave-like dynamics around the Rhines scale6 of angular wavenumber of approximately 20. This transition might provide an explanation for the puzzling deficit of kinetic energy at the largest spatial scales.

Flagellum synchronization inhibits large-scale hydrodynamic instabilities in sperm suspensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schöller, Simon F.; Keaveny, Eric E.

2016-11-01

Sperm in suspension can exhibit large-scale collective motion and form coherent structures. Our picture of such coherent motion is largely based on reduced models that treat the swimmers as self-locomoting rigid bodies that interact via steady dipolar flow fields. Swimming sperm, however, have many more degrees of freedom due to elasticity, have a more exotic shape, and generate spatially-complex, time-dependent flow fields. While these complexities are known to lead to phenomena such as flagellum synchronization and attraction, how these effects impact the overall suspension behaviour and coherent structure formation is largely unknown. Using a computational model that captures both flagellum beating and elasticity, we simulate suspensions on the order of 103 individual swimming sperm cells whose motion is coupled through the surrounding Stokesian fluid. We find that the tendency for flagella to synchronize and sperm to aggregate inhibits the emergence of the large-scale hydrodynamic instabilities often associated with active suspensions. However, when synchronization is repressed by adding noise in the flagellum actuation mechanism, the picture changes and the structures that resemble large-scale vortices appear to re-emerge. Supported by an Imperial College PhD scholarship.

Vortex flows in the solar chromosphere. I. Automatic detection method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kato, Y.; Wedemeyer, S.

2017-05-01

Solar "magnetic tornadoes" are produced by rotating magnetic field structures that extend from the upper convection zone and the photosphere to the corona of the Sun. Recent studies show that these kinds of rotating features are an integral part of atmospheric dynamics and occur on a large range of spatial scales. A systematic statistical study of magnetic tornadoes is a necessary next step towards understanding their formation and their role in mass and energy transport in the solar atmosphere. For this purpose, we develop a new automatic detection method for chromospheric swirls, meaning the observable signature of solar tornadoes or, more generally, chromospheric vortex flows and rotating motions. Unlike existing studies that rely on visual inspections, our new method combines a line integral convolution (LIC) imaging technique and a scalar quantity that represents a vortex flow on a two-dimensional plane. We have tested two detection algorithms, based on the enhanced vorticity and vorticity strength quantities, by applying them to three-dimensional numerical simulations of the solar atmosphere with CO5BOLD. We conclude that the vorticity strength method is superior compared to the enhanced vorticity method in all aspects. Applying the method to a numerical simulation of the solar atmosphere reveals very abundant small-scale, short-lived chromospheric vortex flows that have not been found previously by visual inspection.

The supernova-regulated ISM. III. Generation of vorticity, helicity, and mean flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Käpylä, M. J.; Gent, F. A.; Väisälä, M. S.; Sarson, G. R.

2018-03-01

Context. The forcing of interstellar turbulence, driven mainly by supernova (SN) explosions, is irrotational in nature, but the development of significant amounts of vorticity and helicity, accompanied by large-scale dynamo action, has been reported. Aim. Several earlier investigations examined vorticity production in simpler systems; here all the relevant processes can be considered simultaneously. We also investigate the mechanisms for the generation of net helicity and large-scale flow in the system. Methods: We use a three-dimensional, stratified, rotating and shearing local simulation domain of the size 1 × 1 × 2 kpc3, forced with SN explosions occurring at a rate typical of the solar neighbourhood in the Milky Way. In addition to the nominal simulation run with realistic Milky Way parameters, we vary the rotation and shear rates, but keep the absolute value of their ratio fixed. Reversing the sign of shear vs. rotation allows us to separate the rotation- and shear-generated contributions. Results: As in earlier studies, we find the generation of significant amounts of vorticity, the rotational flow comprising on average 65% of the total flow. The vorticity production can be related to the baroclinicity of the flow, especially in the regions of hot, dilute clustered supernova bubbles. In these regions, the vortex stretching acts as a sink of vorticity. In denser, compressed regions, the vortex stretching amplifies vorticity, but remains sub-dominant to baroclinicity. The net helicities produced by rotation and shear are of opposite signs for physically motivated rotation laws, with the solar neighbourhood parameters resulting in the near cancellation of the total net helicity. We also find the excitation of oscillatory mean flows, the strength and oscillation period of which depend on the Coriolis and shear parameters; we interpret these as signatures of the anisotropic-kinetic-α (AKA) effect. We use the method of moments to fit for the turbulent transport coefficients, and find αAKA values of the order 3-5 km s-1. Conclusions: Even in a weakly rotationally and shear-influenced system, small-scale anisotropies can lead to significant effects at large scales. Here we report on two consequences of such effects, namely on the generation of net helicity and on the emergence of large-scale flows by the AKA effect, the latter detected for the first time in a direct numerical simulation of a realistic astrophysical system.

Front propagation in a regular vortex lattice: Dependence on the vortex structure.

PubMed

Beauvier, E; Bodea, S; Pocheau, A

2017-11-01

We investigate the dependence on the vortex structure of the propagation of fronts in stirred flows. For this, we consider a regular set of vortices whose structure is changed by varying both their boundary conditions and their aspect ratios. These configurations are investigated experimentally in autocatalytic solutions stirred by electroconvective flows and numerically from kinematic simulations based on the determination of the dominant Fourier mode of the vortex stream function in each of them. For free lateral boundary conditions, i.e., in an extended vortex lattice, it is found that both the flow structure and the front propagation negligibly depend on vortex aspect ratios. For rigid lateral boundary conditions, i.e., in a vortex chain, vortices involve a slight dependence on their aspect ratios which surprisingly yields a noticeable decrease of the enhancement of front velocity by flow advection. These different behaviors reveal a sensitivity of the mean front velocity on the flow subscales. It emphasizes the intrinsic multiscale nature of front propagation in stirred flows and the need to take into account not only the intensity of vortex flows but also their inner structure to determine front propagation at a large scale. Differences between experiments and simulations suggest the occurrence of secondary flows in vortex chains at large velocity and large aspect ratios.

Synchronization of two coupled turbulent fires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takagi, Kazushi; Gotoda, Hiroshi; Miyano, Takaya; Murayama, Shogo; Tokuda, Isao T.

2018-04-01

We numerically study the scale-free nature of a buoyancy-induced turbulent fire and synchronization of two coupled turbulent fires. A scale-free structure is detected in weighted networks between vortices, while its lifetime obeys a clear power law, indicating intermittent appearances, disappearances, and reappearances of the scale-free property. A significant decrease in the distance between the two fire sources gives rise to a synchronized state in the near field dominated by the unstable motion of large-scale of transverse vortex rings. The synchronized state vanishes in the far field forming well-developed turbulent plumes, regardless of the distance between the two fire sources.

Study of coherent structures of turbulence with large wall-normal gradients in thermophysical properties using direct numerical simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reinink, Shawn K.; Yaras, Metin I.

2015-06-01

Forced-convection heat transfer in a heated working fluid at a thermodynamic state near its pseudocritical point is poorly predicted by correlations calibrated with data at subcritical temperatures and pressures. This is suggested to be primarily due to the influence of large wall-normal thermophysical property gradients that develop in proximity of the pseudocritical point on the concentration of coherent turbulence structures near the wall. The physical mechanisms dominating this influence remain poorly understood. In the present study, direct numerical simulation is used to study the development of coherent vortical structures within a turbulent spot under the influence of large wall-normal property gradients. A turbulent spot rather than a fully turbulent boundary layer is used for the study, for the coherent structures of turbulence in a spot tend to be in a more organized state which may allow for more effective identification of cause-and-effect relationships. Large wall-normal gradients in thermophysical properties are created by heating the working fluid which is near the pseudocritical thermodynamic state. It is found that during improved heat transfer, wall-normal gradients in density accelerate the growth of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability mechanism in the shear layer enveloping low-speed streaks, causing it to roll up into hairpin vortices at a faster rate. It is suggested that this occurs by the baroclinic vorticity generation mechanism which accelerates the streamwise grouping of vorticity during shear layer roll-up. The increased roll-up frequency leads to reduced streamwise spacing between hairpin vortices in wave packets. The density gradients also promote the sinuous instability mode in low-speed streaks. The resulting oscillations in the streaks in the streamwise-spanwise plane lead to locally reduced spanwise spacing between hairpin vortices forming over adjacent low-speed streaks. The reduction in streamwise and spanwise spacing between hairpin vortices causes them to interact more frequently by merging together and by breaking apart into smaller turbulence structures.

Study of coherent structures of turbulence with large wall-normal gradients in thermophysical properties using direct numerical simulation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reinink, Shawn K.; Yaras, Metin I., E-mail: Metin.Yaras@carleton.ca

2015-06-15

Forced-convection heat transfer in a heated working fluid at a thermodynamic state near its pseudocritical point is poorly predicted by correlations calibrated with data at subcritical temperatures and pressures. This is suggested to be primarily due to the influence of large wall-normal thermophysical property gradients that develop in proximity of the pseudocritical point on the concentration of coherent turbulence structures near the wall. The physical mechanisms dominating this influence remain poorly understood. In the present study, direct numerical simulation is used to study the development of coherent vortical structures within a turbulent spot under the influence of large wall-normal propertymore » gradients. A turbulent spot rather than a fully turbulent boundary layer is used for the study, for the coherent structures of turbulence in a spot tend to be in a more organized state which may allow for more effective identification of cause-and-effect relationships. Large wall-normal gradients in thermophysical properties are created by heating the working fluid which is near the pseudocritical thermodynamic state. It is found that during improved heat transfer, wall-normal gradients in density accelerate the growth of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability mechanism in the shear layer enveloping low-speed streaks, causing it to roll up into hairpin vortices at a faster rate. It is suggested that this occurs by the baroclinic vorticity generation mechanism which accelerates the streamwise grouping of vorticity during shear layer roll-up. The increased roll-up frequency leads to reduced streamwise spacing between hairpin vortices in wave packets. The density gradients also promote the sinuous instability mode in low-speed streaks. The resulting oscillations in the streaks in the streamwise-spanwise plane lead to locally reduced spanwise spacing between hairpin vortices forming over adjacent low-speed streaks. The reduction in streamwise and spanwise spacing between hairpin vortices causes them to interact more frequently by merging together and by breaking apart into smaller turbulence structures.« less

Three-Dimensional Structure of the Circulation Induced by a Shoaling Topographic Wave

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mizuta, G.; Hogg, N. G.

2003-12-01

Rectification of Rossby wave energy has been proposed as a mechanism for the maintenance of the recirculation cell of the Gulf Stream (Hogg 1988; Rizzoli et al. 1995). We investigated the three-dimensional structure of potential-vorticity flux and a mean flow induced by a topographic wave incident over a bottom slope analytically and numerically, focusing on the limit that bottom friction is the dominant dissipation process. In this limit it is shown that the topographic wave cannot be a steady source of the potential vorticity outside the bottom Ekman layer. Instead, the distribution of potential vorticity is determined from the initial transient of the topographic wave. This potential vorticity and the heat flux by the topographic wave at the bottom determine the mean flow, and give a relation between the horizontal and vertical scales of the mean flow. When the horizontal scale of the mean flow is larger than the internal deformation radius, the mean flow is almost constant with depth independent of whether or not the topographic wave is trapped near the bottom. Then the mean flow at the bottom is proportional to the divergence of vertically integrated Reynolds stress ∫ -D0 /line{u'v'} dz. This divergence, which is caused by bottom friction, is large when the group velocity, cg and the vertical scale, μ -1 of the wave motion are small. Thus the mean flow tends to be large where cg and μ -1 become small, and decreases as the topographic wave is dissipated by bottom friction. Since bottom friction also dissipates the mean flow, the mean flow asymptotes to a constant value as the friction becomes zero. These features of the potential-vorticity flux and the mean flow are reproduced in numerical experiments. It is also shown from the numerical experiment that the distribution of the mean flow depends on the amplitude of the wave because of the Doppler shift of the wave by the mean flow. These feature of the mean flow are preserved when we used stratification and bottom topography resembling to those over the continental slope near the Gulf Stream. The transport of the mean flow is about 20 Sv when the wave amplitude is about 2 cm/s. These numbers are similiar to those observed in the Gulf Stream region.

Scale dependence of the alignment between strain rate and rotation in turbulent shear flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiscaletti, D.; Elsinga, G. E.; Attili, A.; Bisetti, F.; Buxton, O. R. H.

2016-10-01

The scale dependence of the statistical alignment tendencies of the eigenvectors of the strain-rate tensor ei, with the vorticity vector ω , is examined in the self-preserving region of a planar turbulent mixing layer. Data from a direct numerical simulation are filtered at various length scales and the probability density functions of the magnitude of the alignment cosines between the two unit vectors | ei.ω ̂| are examined. It is observed that the alignment tendencies are insensitive to the concurrent large-scale velocity fluctuations, but are quantitatively affected by the nature of the concurrent large-scale velocity-gradient fluctuations. It is confirmed that the small-scale (local) vorticity vector is preferentially aligned in parallel with the large-scale (background) extensive strain-rate eigenvector e1, in contrast to the global tendency for ω to be aligned in parallel with the intermediate strain-rate eigenvector [Hamlington et al., Phys. Fluids 20, 111703 (2008), 10.1063/1.3021055]. When only data from regions of the flow that exhibit strong swirling are included, the so-called high-enstrophy worms, the alignment tendencies are exaggerated with respect to the global picture. These findings support the notion that the production of enstrophy, responsible for a net cascade of turbulent kinetic energy from large scales to small scales, is driven by vorticity stretching due to the preferential parallel alignment between ω and nonlocal e1 and that the strongly swirling worms are kinematically significant to this process.

Vorticity scaling and intermittency in drift-interchange plasma turbulence

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dura, P. D.; Hnat, B.; Robinson, J.

2012-09-15

The effects of spatially varying magnetic field strength on the scaling properties of plasma turbulence, modelled by an extended form of Hasegawa-Wakatani model, are investigated. We study changes in the intermittency of the velocity, density, and vorticity fields, as functions of the magnetic field inhomogeneity C=-{partial_derivative} ln B/{partial_derivative}x. While the velocity fluctuations are always self-similar and their scaling is unaffected by the value of C, the intermittency levels in density and vorticity change with parameter C, reflecting morphological changes in the coherent structures due to the interchange mechanism. Given the centrality of vorticity in conditioning plasma transport, this result ismore » of interest in scaling the results of transport measurements and simulations in tokamak edge plasmas, where drift-interchange turbulence in the presence of a magnetic field gradient is likely to occur.« less

Large-scale computation of incompressible viscous flow by least-squares finite element method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jiang, Bo-Nan; Lin, T. L.; Povinelli, Louis A.

1993-01-01

The least-squares finite element method (LSFEM) based on the velocity-pressure-vorticity formulation is applied to large-scale/three-dimensional steady incompressible Navier-Stokes problems. This method can accommodate equal-order interpolations and results in symmetric, positive definite algebraic system which can be solved effectively by simple iterative methods. The first-order velocity-Bernoulli function-vorticity formulation for incompressible viscous flows is also tested. For three-dimensional cases, an additional compatibility equation, i.e., the divergence of the vorticity vector should be zero, is included to make the first-order system elliptic. The simple substitution of the Newton's method is employed to linearize the partial differential equations, the LSFEM is used to obtain discretized equations, and the system of algebraic equations is solved using the Jacobi preconditioned conjugate gradient method which avoids formation of either element or global matrices (matrix-free) to achieve high efficiency. To show the validity of this scheme for large-scale computation, we give numerical results for 2D driven cavity problem at Re = 10000 with 408 x 400 bilinear elements. The flow in a 3D cavity is calculated at Re = 100, 400, and 1,000 with 50 x 50 x 50 trilinear elements. The Taylor-Goertler-like vortices are observed for Re = 1,000.

Hybrid Manipulation of Streamwise Vorticity in a Diffuser Boundary Layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gissen, Abraham; Vukasinovic, Bojan; Culp, John; Glezer, Ari

2010-11-01

The formation of streamwise vorticity concentrations by exploiting the interaction of surface-mounted passive (micro-vanes) and active (synthetic jets) flow control elements with the cross flow is investigated experimentally in a small-scale serpentine duct at high subsonic speeds (up to M = 0.6). Streamwise vortices can be a key element in the mitigation of the adverse effects on pressure recovery and distortion caused by the naturally occurring secondary flows in embedded propulsion systems with complex inlet geometries. Counter rotating and single-sense vortices are formed using conventional passive micro-vanes and active high-power synthetic jet actuators. Interaction of the flow control elements is examined through a hybrid actuation scheme whereby synthetic jet actuation augments the primary vanes' vortices resulting in dynamic enhancement of their strength. It is shown that such sub-boundary layer individual vortices can merge and evolve into duct-scale vortical structures that counteract the inherent secondary flow and mitigates global flow distortion.

Universal Profile of the Vortex Condensate in Two-Dimensional Turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laurie, Jason; Boffetta, Guido; Falkovich, Gregory; Kolokolov, Igor; Lebedev, Vladimir

2014-12-01

An inverse turbulent cascade in a restricted two-dimensional periodic domain creates a condensate—a pair of coherent system-size vortices. We perform extensive numerical simulations of this system and carry out theoretical analysis based on momentum and energy exchanges between the turbulence and the vortices. We show that the vortices have a universal internal structure independent of the type of small-scale dissipation, small-scale forcing, and boundary conditions. The theory predicts not only the vortex inner region profile, but also the amplitude, which both perfectly agree with the numerical data.

COSMIC VORTICITY AND THE ORIGIN HALO SPINS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Libeskind, Noam I.; Steinmetz, Matthias; Gottloeber, Stefan

2013-04-01

In the standard model of cosmology, structure emerges out of a non-rotational flow and the angular momentum of collapsing halos is induced by tidal torques. The growth of angular momentum in the linear and quasi-linear phases is associated with a shear, curl-free, flow and it is well described within the linear framework of tidal torque theory (TTT). However, TTT ceases to be applicable as halos approach turnaround when their ambient flow field becomes rotational. Subsequently, halos become embedded in a vortical flow field and the growth of their angular momentum is affected by the vorticity of their ambient velocity field.more » Using a cosmological simulation, we have examined the importance of the curl of the velocity field in determining halo spin, finding a significant alignment between the two: the vorticity tends to be perpendicular to the axis of the fastest collapse of the velocity shear tensor (e{sub 1}). This is independent of halo masses and cosmic web environment. Our results agree with previous findings on the tendency of halo spin to be perpendicular to e{sub 1}, and of the spin of (simulated) halos and (observed) galaxies to be aligned with the large-scale structure. It follows that angular momentum growth proceeds in two distinct phases. First, the angular momentum emerges out of a shear, curl-free, potential flow, as described by TTT. In the second phase, in which halos approach virialization, the angular momentum emerges out of a vortical flow and halo spin becomes partially aligned with the vorticity of the ambient flow field.« less

Lagrangian coherent structures during combustion instability in a premixed-flame backward-step combustor.

PubMed

Sampath, Ramgopal; Mathur, Manikandan; Chakravarthy, Satyanarayanan R

2016-12-01

This paper quantitatively examines the occurrence of large-scale coherent structures in the flow field during combustion instability in comparison with the flow-combustion-acoustic system when it is stable. For this purpose, the features in the recirculation zone of the confined flow past a backward-facing step are studied in terms of Lagrangian coherent structures. The experiments are conducted at a Reynolds number of 18600 and an equivalence ratio of 0.9 of the premixed fuel-air mixture for two combustor lengths, the long duct corresponding to instability and the short one to the stable case. Simultaneous measurements of the velocity field using time-resolved particle image velocimetry and the CH^{*} chemiluminescence of the flame along with pressure time traces are obtained. The extracted ridges of the finite-time Lyapunov exponent (FTLE) fields delineate dynamically distinct regions of the flow field. The presence of large-scale vortical structures and their modulation over different time instants are well captured by the FTLE ridges for the long combustor where high-amplitude acoustic oscillations are self-excited. In contrast, small-scale vortices signifying Kelvin-Helmholtz instability are observed in the short duct case. Saddle-type flow features are found to separate the distinct flow structures for both combustor lengths. The FTLE ridges are found to align with the flame boundaries in the upstream regions, whereas farther downstream, the alignment is weaker due to dilatation of the flow by the flame's heat release. Specifically, the FTLE ridges encompass the flame curl-up for both the combustor lengths, and thus act as the surrogate flame boundaries. The flame is found to propagate upstream from an earlier vortex roll-up to a newer one along the backward-time FTLE ridge connecting the two structures.

Multi-day convective-environmental evolution prior to tropical cyclone formation from geostationary satellite measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Minhee; Ho, Chang-Hoi; Park, Myung-Sook

2016-04-01

Tropical cyclones (TCs) are developed through persistent latent heating taken from deep convective process. By analyzing aircraft and polar-orbit satellite observations, distinct upper-level warm-core induced by strong updraft was found in pre-TCs while vertically uniform temperature profile is found in non-developers. Precipitation is also broader and more frequent in developing disturbances than in nondeveloping ones. However, large uncertainties remain in determining which disturbance will develop into TC by using observation snap-shots. Here, five-day systematic evolution of deep convection and environments in developing (80) and non-developing (491) disturbances are examined over the western North Pacific for 20072009 by using geostationary satellite observation. Daily, positive tendencies in the hourly time series of the area of the MTSAT-1R infrared (IR) and water vapor (WV) brightness temperature difference < 0 are used to define single diurnal convective burst (CB) event. In terms of single CB properties (duration, expanded convective area, maximum convective area, and expanding rate), developing and nondeveloping disturbances shows significantly different mean values in the statistics, but it is not effective to estimate TC genesis. The presence of continuous CB events more than two days (i.e. multi-day CB; mCB), however, is generally found in developing disturbances. Based on the presence and absence mCB in the IR-WV time series, two different evolutions from Day 1 to Day 5 of TC formation (non-development) are explored, in which Day 6 is set to be a TC formation day (Day5 as non-development vortex decaying day). The majority of developing disturbances with mCB (83 %) initially have stronger large-scale vorticity with low-level maxima, tend to have gradually increasing deep convective area and vorticities at low-to-upper troposphere. By contrast, few developing disturbances (17 %) without mCB are pre-conditioned by much weaker large-scale vorticity. Due to adjacent dry air, resultant intensification was driven only after from Day 3 with rapid increase in relative vorticity and abrupt convective burst. There also exist many non-developing cases with mCB (54 %), which appear to candidates of TC formation as gradually increasing their convective area from Day 1 to Day 4. Due to the initially weak large-scale vorticity, they eventually decay on Day 5. For nondeveloping disturbances without mCB (46%), initially weak large-scale vorticity as well as dry atmosphere resulted in one-time deep convection and decay. Thus, this study suggests that the multiple days of convective burst, which initially accompanies strong low- to mid-troposphere large-scale vorticity, is important in TC formation.

Characteristics of the flow around tandem flapping wings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muscutt, Luke; Ganapathisubramani, Bharathram; Weymouth, Gabriel; The University of Southampton Team

2014-11-01

Vortex recapture is a fundamental fluid mechanics phenomenon which is important to many fields. Any large scale vorticity contained within a freestream flow may affect the aerodynamic properties of a downstream body. In the case of tandem flapping wings, the front wing generates strong large scale vorticity which impinges on the hind wing. The characteristics of this interaction are greatly affected by the spacing, and the phase of flapping between the front and rear wings. The interaction of the vorticity of the rear wing with the shed vorticity of the front wing may be constructive or destructive, increasing thrust or efficiency of the hind wing when compared to a wing operating in isolation. Knowledge of the parameter space where the maximum increases in these are obtained is important for the development of tandem wing unmanned air and underwater vehicles, commercial aerospace and renewable energy applications. This question is addressed with a combined computational and experimental approach, and a discussion of these is presented.

Scale-invariant streamline equations and strings of singular vorticity for perturbed anisotropic solutions of the Navier-Stokes equation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Libin, A., E-mail: a_libin@netvision.net.il

2012-12-15

A linear combination of a pair of dual anisotropic decaying Beltrami flows with spatially constant amplitudes (the Trkal solutions) with the same eigenvalue of the curl operator and of a constant velocity orthogonal vector to the Beltrami pair yields a triplet solution of the force-free Navier-Stokes equation. The amplitudes slightly variable in space (large scale perturbations) yield the emergence of a time-dependent phase between the dual Beltrami flows and of the upward velocity, which are unstable at large values of the Reynolds number. They also lead to the formation of large-scale curved prisms of streamlines with edges being the stringsmore » of singular vorticity.« less

Kinematics and depth-integrated terms in surf zone waves from laboratory measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stansby, Peter K.; Feng, Tong

2005-04-01

Kinematics of nominally periodic surf zone waves have been measured in the laboratory using LDA (laser Doppler anemometry), above trough level as well as below, for weakly plunging breakers transforming into bores in shallower water. The aim was to determine, through phase- or ensemble-averaging, periodic flow structures in a two-dimensional vertical plane, from large-scale down to small-scale vortical structures. Coherent multiple vortical structures were evident at the initiation of breaking, becoming elongated along the surface during bore propagation. The initial region is likely to become more extensive as waves become more strongly plunging and could explain the difference in turbulence characteristics between plunging and spilling breakers observed elsewhere. Comparison of vorticity magnitudes with hydraulic-jump measurements showed some similarities during the initial stages of breaking, but these quickly grew less as breaking progressed into shallower water. Period-averaged kinematics and vorticity were also obtained showing shoreward mass transport above trough level and undertow below, with a thick layer of vorticity at trough level and a thin layer of vorticity of opposite rotation at the bed. There were also concentrated regions of mean vorticity near the end of the plunging region. Residual turbulence of relatively high frequency was presented as Reynolds stresses, showing marked anisotrophy. Dynamic pressure (pressure minus its hydrostatic component) was determined from the kinematics. The magnitudes of different effects were evaluated through the depth-integrated Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations, which may be reduced to nine terms (the standard inviscid terms of the shallow-water equations conserving mass and momentum with hydrostatic pressure, and six additional terms), assuming that the complex, often aerated, free surface is treated as a simple interface. All terms were evaluated, assuming that a space/time transformation was justified with a slowly varying phase speed, and the net balance was always small in relation to the maxima of the larger terms. Terms due to dynamic pressure and vertical dispersion (due to the vertical variation of velocity) were as significant as the three terms in the inviscid shallow-water equations; terms involving residual turbulence were insignificant. The r.m.s. (root mean square) variation of each along the slope is highly irregular, with the inertia term due to (Eulerian) acceleration always greatest. This is consistent with complex, though repetitive, coherent structures. Modelling the flow with the shallow-water equations, using the surface elevation variation at the break point as input, nevertheless gave a good prediction of the wave height variation up the slope.

A Coherent vorticity preserving eddy-viscosity correction for Large-Eddy Simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chapelier, J.-B.; Wasistho, B.; Scalo, C.

2018-04-01

This paper introduces a new approach to Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) where subgrid-scale (SGS) dissipation is applied proportionally to the degree of local spectral broadening, hence mitigated or deactivated in regions dominated by large-scale and/or laminar vortical motion. The proposed coherent-vorticity preserving (CvP) LES methodology is based on the evaluation of the ratio of the test-filtered to resolved (or grid-filtered) enstrophy, σ. Values of σ close to 1 indicate low sub-test-filter turbulent activity, justifying local deactivation of the SGS dissipation. The intensity of the SGS dissipation is progressively increased for σ < 1 which corresponds to a small-scale spectral broadening. The SGS dissipation is then fully activated in developed turbulence characterized by σ ≤σeq, where the value σeq is derived assuming a Kolmogorov spectrum. The proposed approach can be applied to any eddy-viscosity model, is algorithmically simple and computationally inexpensive. LES of Taylor-Green vortex breakdown demonstrates that the CvP methodology improves the performance of traditional, non-dynamic dissipative SGS models, capturing the peak of total turbulent kinetic energy dissipation during transition. Similar accuracy is obtained by adopting Germano's dynamic procedure albeit at more than twice the computational overhead. A CvP-LES of a pair of unstable periodic helical vortices is shown to predict accurately the experimentally observed growth rate using coarse resolutions. The ability of the CvP methodology to dynamically sort the coherent, large-scale motion from the smaller, broadband scales during transition is demonstrated via flow visualizations. LES of compressible channel are carried out and show a good match with a reference DNS.

The Flow Field Downstream of a Dynamic Low Aspect Ratio Circular Cylinder: A Parametric Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gildersleeve, Samantha; Dan, Clingman; Amitay, Michael

2015-11-01

Flow past a static, low aspect ratio cylinder (pin) has shown the formation of vortical structures, namely the horseshoe and arch-type vortex. These vortical structures may have substantial effects in controlling flow separation over airfoils. In the present experiments, the flow field associated with a low aspect ratio cylinder as it interacts with a laminar boundary layer under static and dynamic conditions was investigated through a parametric study over a flat plate. As a result of the pin being actuated in the wall-normal direction, the structures formed in the wake of the pin were seen to be a strong function of actuation amplitude, driving frequency, and aspect ratio of the cylinder. The study was conducted at a Reynolds number of 1875, based on the local boundary layer thickness, with a free stream velocity of 10 m/s. SPIV data were collected for two aspect ratios of 0.75 and 1.125, actuation amplitudes of 6.7% and 16.7%, and driving frequencies of 175 Hz and 350 Hz. Results indicate that the presence and interactions between vortical structures are altered in comparison to the static case and suggest increased large-scale mixing when the pin is driven at the shedding frequency (350 Hz). Supported by the Boeing Company.

Apparent relationship between solar sector boundaries and 300-millibar vorticity: Possible explanation in terms of upward propagation of planetary-scale waves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deland, R. J.

1975-01-01

The correlations between the solar sectors and large-scale atmospheric vorticity in the lower atmosphere reported earlier are of interest since the solar-sector data appear to be independent of any terrestrial influences. It is shown that even these solar data may be affected by geomagnetic properties; a method for removing such influences is suggested.

Analysis of Dust Devils on Mars using CFD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lange, C. F.; Chen, K.; Davis, J. A.; Gheynani, B. T.

2009-05-01

Recent Mars missions have reported evidence of the existence of dust devils. A detailed study of vortex dynamics will provide a better understanding of this swirling flow of the Martian atmosphere. Further, it is believed that there is a relationship between dust devils and water transport. Recently, the Phoenix Mars mission, designed to investigate ice water and natural events on Mars, has successfully finished. The Phoenix Surface Stereo Imager (SSI) camera captured images of the passage of dust devils over or close to the lander. Additionally, dustless devils, which have similar vortex characteristics but insufficient strength to raise dust from the surface, have been detected in the lander's pressure measurements. It was found that dust devils occur mainly in the early afternoon. Because of this, numerical models of a vortex generator are used to study the physics of this complex swirling flow and the effect of dust devils on the transport of water vapour from the regolith. Characteristic parameters such as core radius and swirl ratio are being explored for scaling factors. Scaling factors will be studied and tested, comparing the small and large scales of numerically generated vortices and laboratory generated vortices. Small scale of numerical models of atmospheric vortices are studied using a commercial software package, ANSYS/CFX11.0 with finite volume method (FVM). Large eddy simulations (LES) of planetary boundary layers are based on NCAR LES code to simulate convective vertical vortices that naturally form in quiescent convective boundary layers (CBL) over homogeneous flat surfaces. This will help to find the approximate location and physical characteristics of the vortices on the surface. The numerical models of atmospheric vortices and the experimental vortex generator validations will help to define the water vapour cycle on Mars.

Quantized vortices in arbitrary dimensions and the normal-to-superfluid phase transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bora, Florin

The structure and energetics of superflow around quantized vortices, and the motion inherited by these vortices from this superflow, are explored in the general setting of a superfluid in arbitrary dimensions. The vortices may be idealized as objects of co-dimension two, such as one-dimensional loops and two-dimensional closed surfaces, respectively, in the cases of three- and four-dimensional superfluidity. By using the analogy between vortical superflow and Ampere-Maxwell magnetostatics, the equilibrium superflow containing any specified collection of vortices is constructed. The energy of the superflow is found to take on a simple form for vortices that are smooth and asymptotically large, compared with the vortex core size. The motion of vortices is analyzed in general, as well as for the special cases of hyper-spherical and weakly distorted hyper-planar vortices. In all dimensions, vortex motion reflects vortex geometry. In dimension four and higher, this includes not only extrinsic but also intrinsic aspects of the vortex shape, which enter via the first and second fundamental forms of classical geometry. For hyper-spherical vortices, which generalize the vortex rings of three dimensional superfluidity, the energy-momentum relation is determined. Simple scaling arguments recover the essential features of these results, up to numerical and logarithmic factors. Extending these results to systems containing multiple vortices is elementary due to the linearity of the theory. The energy for multiple vortices is thus a sum of self-energies and power-law interaction terms. The statistical mechanics of a system containing vortices is addressed via the grand canonical partition function. A renormalization-group analysis in which the low energy excitations are integrated approximately, is used to compute certain critical coefficients. The exponents obtained via this approximate procedure are compared with values obtained previously by other means. For dimensions higher than three the superfluid density is found to vanish as the critical temperature is approached from below.

Streak instability as an initiating mechanism of the large-scale motions in a turbulent channel flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Giovanetti, Matteo; Sung, Hyung Jin; Hwang, Yongyun

2016-11-01

The large-scale motions (or bulges) have often been believed to be formed via merge and/or growth of the near-wall hairpin vortical structures. Here, we report our observation that they can be directly generated by an instability of the amplified streaky motions in the outer region (i.e. very-large-scale motions) through the self-sustaining process. We design a LES-based numerical experiment in turbulent channel flow for Reτ = 2000 where a body forcing is implemented to artificially drive an infinitely long streaky motion in the outer layer. As the forcing amplitude is increased, it is found that a new energetic structure emerges at λx 3 4 h of the streamwise length (h is the half height of channel) particularly in the wall-normal and spanwise velocities. A careful statistical examination reveals that this structure is likely to be linked with the sinuous-mode streak instability of the amplified streak, consistent with previous theoretical studies. Application of dynamic mode decomposition to this instability further shows that the phase speed of this structure scales with the outer velocity and it is initiated around the critical layer of the streaky flow.

Identification of possible non-stationary effects in a new type of vortex furnace

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shadrin, Evgeniy Yu.; Anufriev, Igor S.; Papulov, Anatoly P.

2017-10-01

The article presents the results of an experimental study of pressure and velocity pulsations in the model of improved vortex furnace with distributed air supply and vertically oriented nozzles of the secondary blast. Investigation of aerodynamic characteristics of a swirling flow with different regime parameters was conducted in an isothermal laboratory model (in 1:25 scale) of vortex furnace using laser Doppler measuring system and pressure pulsations analyzer. The obtained results have revealed a number of features of the flow structure, and the spectral analysis of pressure and velocity pulsations allows to speak about the absence of large-scale unsteady vortical structures in the studied design.

Energy transfer in turbulence under rotation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buzzicotti, Michele; Aluie, Hussein; Biferale, Luca; Linkmann, Moritz

2018-03-01

It is known that rapidly rotating turbulent flows are characterized by the emergence of simultaneous upscale and downscale energy transfer. Indeed, both numerics and experiments show the formation of large-scale anisotropic vortices together with the development of small-scale dissipative structures. However the organization of interactions leading to this complex dynamics remains unclear. Two different mechanisms are known to be able to transfer energy upscale in a turbulent flow. The first is characterized by two-dimensional interactions among triads lying on the two-dimensional, three-component (2D3C)/slow manifold, namely on the Fourier plane perpendicular to the rotation axis. The second mechanism is three-dimensional and consists of interactions between triads with the same sign of helicity (homochiral). Here, we present a detailed numerical study of rotating flows using a suite of high-Reynolds-number direct numerical simulations (DNS) within different parameter regimes to analyze both upscale and downscale cascade ranges. We find that the upscale cascade at wave numbers close to the forcing scale is generated by increasingly dominant homochiral interactions which couple the three-dimensional bulk and the 2D3C plane. This coupling produces an accumulation of energy in the 2D3C plane, which then transfers energy to smaller wave numbers thanks to the two-dimensional mechanism. In the forward cascade range, we find that the energy transfer is dominated by heterochiral triads and is dominated primarily by interaction within the fast manifold where kz≠0 . We further analyze the energy transfer in different regions in the real-space domain. In particular, we distinguish high-strain from high-vorticity regions and we uncover that while the mean transfer is produced inside regions of strain, the rare but extreme events of energy transfer occur primarily inside the large-scale column vortices.

Direct Numerical Simulation of a Plane Transitional Wall Jet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramesh, O.; Varghese, Joel

2017-11-01

A transitional plane wall jet is studied using direct numerical simulation. The presence of an inflectional point leads to the outer layer rolling up into vortices that interacts with the inner region resulting in a double array of counter rotating vortices before breakdown into turbulence. Past studies have focused on forced wall jet which results in shorter transition region and prominent vortical structures. In the present work, natural transition will be discussed by analysing the coherent structures and scaled frequency spectra. Clear hairpin like structures leaning downstream in the inner region(as in a boundary layer) and leaning upstream in the outerstream (as in a jet) are evident.

Aerodynamics and vortical structures in hovering fruitflies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Xue Guang; Sun, Mao

2015-03-01

We measure the wing kinematics and morphological parameters of seven freely hovering fruitflies and numerically compute the flows of the flapping wings. The computed mean lift approximately equals to the measured weight and the mean horizontal force is approximately zero, validating the computational model. Because of the very small relative velocity of the wing, the mean lift coefficient required to support the weight is rather large, around 1.8, and the Reynolds number of the wing is low, around 100. How such a large lift is produced at such a low Reynolds number is explained by combining the wing motion data, the computed vortical structures, and the theory of vorticity dynamics. It has been shown that two unsteady mechanisms are responsible for the high lift. One is referred as to "fast pitching-up rotation": at the start of an up- or downstroke when the wing has very small speed, it fast pitches down to a small angle of attack, and then, when its speed is higher, it fast pitches up to the angle it normally uses. When the wing pitches up while moving forward, large vorticity is produced and sheds at the trailing edge, and vorticity of opposite sign is produced near the leading edge and on the upper surface, resulting in a large time rate of change of the first moment of vorticity (or fluid impulse), hence a large aerodynamic force. The other is the well known "delayed stall" mechanism: in the mid-portion of the up- or downstroke the wing moves at large angle of attack (about 45 deg) and the leading-edge-vortex (LEV) moves with the wing; thus, the vortex ring, formed by the LEV, the tip vortices, and the starting vortex, expands in size continuously, producing a large time rate of change of fluid impulse or a large aerodynamic force.

Boundary layer streaming in viscoelastic fluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bahrani, Seyed Amir; Costalanga, Maxime; Royon, Laurent; Brunet, Philippe; DSHE Team; Energy Team

2017-11-01

Oscillations of bodies immersed in fluids are known to generate secondary steady flows (streaming). These flows have strong similarities with acoustic streaming induced by sound and ultrasound waves. A typical situation, investigated here, is that of a cylinder oscillating perpendicular to its axis, generating two pairs of counter-rotating steady vortices due to the transfer of vorticity from an inner boundary layer. While most studies so far investigated the situation of newtonian fluids, here, we consider the situation of a viscoelastic fluid. By using Particle Image Velocimetry, we carry out an experimental study of the flow structure and magnitude over a range of amplitude (A up to 2.5 mm, nearly half the cylinder diameter) and frequency (f between 5 and 100 Hz). We observe unprecedented behaviors at higher frequency (f >50 Hz) : at high enough amplitude, the usual flow with 2 pairs of vortices is replaced by a more complex flow where 4 pairs of vortices are observed. At smaller frequency, we observe reversal large scale vortices that replace the usual inner and outer ones in Newtonian fluids. The main intention of this work is to understand the influence of the complex and nonlinear rheology on the mechanism of streaming flow. In this way, another source of purely rheological nonlinearity is expected, competing with hydrodynamic nonlinearity. We evidence the effect of elasticity in streaming.

Visible-Frequency Metasurface for Structuring and Spatially Multiplexing Optical Vortices.

PubMed

Mehmood, M Q; Mei, Shengtao; Hussain, Sajid; Huang, Kun; Siew, S Y; Zhang, Lei; Zhang, Tianhang; Ling, Xiaohui; Liu, Hong; Teng, Jinghua; Danner, Aaron; Zhang, Shuang; Qiu, Cheng-Wei

2016-04-06

A multifocus optical vortex metalens, with enhanced signal-to-noise ratio, is presented, which focuses three longitudinal vortices with distinct topological charges at different focal planes. The design largely extends the flexibility of tuning the number of vortices and their focal positions for circularly polarized light in a compact device, which provides the convenience for the nanomanipulation of optical vortices. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Coupled Control of Flow Separation and Streamwise Vortical Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burrows, Travis; Vukasinovic, Bojan; Glezer, Ari

2017-11-01

The flow in offset diffusers of modern propulsion systems are dominated by streamwise vorticity concentrations that advect of low-momentum fluid from the flow boundaries into the core flow and give rise to flow distortion and losses at the engine inlet. Because the formation of these vortices is strongly coupled to trapped vorticity concentrations within locally-separated flow domains over concave surfaces of the diffuser bends, this coupling is exploited for controlling the streamwise evolution of the vortices and thereby significantly reduce the flow distortion and losses. The scale and topology of the trapped vorticity are manipulated at an operating throat Mach number of 0.64 by using a spanwise array of fluidic oscillating jets that are placed upstream of the separation domain. The present investigations demonstrate that the actuation alters the structure of both the trapped and streamwise vortices. In particular, the distribution of the streamwise vortices is altered and their strength is diminished by actuation-induced streamwise vorticity concentrations of opposite sense. As a result, the actuation leads to significant suppression of pressure distortion at the engine inlet (by as much as 60%) at an actuation level that utilizes less than 0.4% of the diffuser's mass flow rate. Supported by ONR.

Apparent relationship between solar-sector boundaries and 300-mb vorticity: Possible explanation in terms of upward propagation of planetary-scale waves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deland, R. J.

1974-01-01

The selection process for sector structure boundary crossings used in vorticity correlation studies is examined and the possible influence of ascending planetary scale waves is assessed. It is proposed that some of the observed correlations between geomagnetic and meteorological variations may be due to meteorological effects on the geometric variables, rather than due to common solar origin.

Predictive wind turbine simulation with an adaptive lattice Boltzmann method for moving boundaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deiterding, Ralf; Wood, Stephen L.

2016-09-01

Operating horizontal axis wind turbines create large-scale turbulent wake structures that affect the power output of downwind turbines considerably. The computational prediction of this phenomenon is challenging as efficient low dissipation schemes are necessary that represent the vorticity production by the moving structures accurately and that are able to transport wakes without significant artificial decay over distances of several rotor diameters. We have developed a parallel adaptive lattice Boltzmann method for large eddy simulation of turbulent weakly compressible flows with embedded moving structures that considers these requirements rather naturally and enables first principle simulations of wake-turbine interaction phenomena at reasonable computational costs. The paper describes the employed computational techniques and presents validation simulations for the Mexnext benchmark experiments as well as simulations of the wake propagation in the Scaled Wind Farm Technology (SWIFT) array consisting of three Vestas V27 turbines in triangular arrangement.

From Wake Steering to Flow Control

DOE PAGES

Fleming, Paul A.; Annoni, Jennifer; Churchfield, Matthew J.; ...

2017-11-22

In this article, we investigate the role of flow structures generated in wind farm control through yaw misalignment. A pair of counter-rotating vortices are shown to be important in deforming the shape of the wake and in explaining the asymmetry of wake steering in oppositely signed yaw angles. We motivate the development of new physics for control-oriented engineering models of wind farm control, which include the effects of these large-scale flow structures. Such a new model would improve the predictability of control-oriented models. Results presented in this paper indicate that wind farm control strategies, based on new control-oriented models withmore » new physics, that target total flow control over wake redirection may be different, and perhaps more effective, than current approaches. We propose that wind farm control and wake steering should be thought of as the generation of large-scale flow structures, which will aid in the improved performance of wind farms.« less

Secondary flow structure in a model curved artery: 3D morphology and circulation budget analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bulusu, Kartik V.; Plesniak, Michael W.

2015-11-01

In this study, we examined the rate of change of circulation within control regions encompassing the large-scale vortical structures associated with secondary flows, i.e. deformed Dean-, Lyne- and Wall-type (D-L-W) vortices at planar cross-sections in a 180° curved artery model (curvature ratio, 1/7). Magnetic resonance velocimetry (MRV) and particle image velocimetry (PIV) experiments were performed independently, under the same physiological inflow conditions (Womersley number, 4.2) and using Newtonian blood-analog fluids. The MRV-technique performed at Stanford University produced phase-averaged, three-dimensional velocity fields. Secondary flow field comparisons of MRV-data to PIV-data at various cross-sectional planes and inflow phases were made. A wavelet-decomposition-based approach was implemented to characterize various secondary flow morphologies. We hypothesize that the persistence and decay of arterial secondary flow vortices is intrinsically related to the influence of the out-of-plane flow, tilting, in-plane convection and diffusion-related factors within the control regions. Evaluation of these factors will elucidate secondary flow structures in arterial hemodynamics. Supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number CBET-0828903, and GW Center for Biomimetics and Bioinspired Engineering (COBRE). The MRV data were acquired at Stanford University in collaboration with Christopher Elkins and John Eaton.

The structure and development of streamwise vortex arrays embedded in a turbulent boundary layer. Ph.D. Thesis - Case Western Reserve Univ.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wendt, Bruce J.; Greber, Isaac; Hingst, Warren R.

1991-01-01

An investigation of the structure and development of streamwise vortices embedded in a turbulent boundary layer was conducted. The vortices were generated by a single spanwise row of rectangular vortex generator blades. A single embedded vortex was examined, as well as arrays of embedded counter rotating vortices produced by equally spaced vortex generators. Measurements of the secondary velocity field in the crossplane provided the basis for characterization of vortex structure. Vortex structure was characterized by four descriptors. The center of each vortex core was located at the spanwise and normal position of peak streamwise vorticity. Vortex concentration was characterized by the magnitude of the peak streamwise vorticity, and the vortex strength by its circulation. Measurements of the secondary velocity field were conducted at two crossplane locations to examine the streamwise development of the vortex arrays. Large initial spacings of the vortex generators produced pairs of strong vortices which tended to move away from the wall region while smaller spacings produced tight arrays of weak vortices close to the wall. A model of vortex interaction and development is constructed using the experimental results. The model is based on the structure of the Oseen Vortex. Vortex trajectories are modelled by including the convective effects of neighbors.

Streamline curvature in supersonic shear layers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kibens, V.

1992-01-01

Results of an experimental investigation in which a curved shear layer was generated between supersonic flow from a rectangular converging/diverging nozzle and the freestream in a series of open channels with varying radii of curvature are reported. The shear layers exhibit unsteady large-scale activity at supersonic pressure ratios, indicating increased mixing efficiency. This effect contrasts with supersonic flow in a straight channel, for which no large-scale vortical structure development occurs. Curvature must exceed a minimum level before it begins to affect the dynamics of the supersonic shear layer appreciably. The curved channel flows are compared with reference flows consisting of a free jet, a straight channel, and wall jets without sidewalls on a flat and a curved plate.

Four-Spacecraft Magnetic Curvature and Vorticity Analyses on Kelvin-Helmholtz Waves in MHD Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kieokaew, Rungployphan; Foullon, Claire; Lavraud, Benoit

2018-01-01

Four-spacecraft missions are probing the Earth's magnetospheric environment with high potential for revealing spatial and temporal scales of a variety of in situ phenomena. The techniques allowed by these four spacecraft include the calculation of vorticity and the magnetic curvature analysis (MCA), both of which have been used in the study of various plasma structures. Motivated by curved magnetic field and vortical structures induced by Kelvin- Helmholtz (KH) waves, we investigate the robustness of the MCA and vorticity techniques when increasing (regular) tetrahedron sizes, to interpret real data. Here for the first time, we test both techniques on a 2.5-D MHD simulation of KH waves at the magnetopause. We investigate, in particular, the curvature and flow vorticity across KH vortices and produce time series for static spacecraft in the boundary layers. The combined results of magnetic curvature and vorticity further help us to understand the development of KH waves. In particular, first, in the trailing edge, the magnetic curvature across the magnetopause points in opposite directions, in the wave propagation direction on the magnetosheath side and against it on the magnetospheric side. Second, the existence of a "turnover layer" in the magnetospheric side, defined by negative vorticity for the duskside magnetopause, which persists in the saturation phase, is reminiscent of roll-up history. We found significant variations in the MCA measures depending on the size of the tetrahedron. This study lends support for cross-scale observations to better understand the nature of curvature and its role in plasma phenomena.

Observations of Coherent Flow Structures Over Subaqueous High- and Low- Angle Dunes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwoll, E.; Venditti, J. G.; Bradley, R. W.; Winter, C.

2017-11-01

Large-scale coherent flow structures (CFSs) above dunes are the dominant source of flow resistance and constitute the principal mechanism for sediment transport and mixing in sand bed river and estuarine systems. Based on laboratory observations, CFS formation has been previously linked to flow separation downstream of high-angle dunes with lee slopes of 30°. How CFSs form in natural, deep rivers and estuaries where dunes exhibit lower lee slopes and intermittent flow separation is not well understood. Here we present particle image velocimetry measurements from an experiment where dune lee slope was systematically varied (30°, 20°, and 10°), while other geometric and hydraulic parameters were held constant. We show that CFSs form downstream of all three dune geometries from shear layer vortices in the dune lee. The mode of CFS formation undergoes a low-frequency oscillation with periods of intense vortex shedding interspersed with periods of rare vortex shedding. Streamwise alignment of several vortices during periods of intense shedding results in wedge-shaped CFSs that are advected above the dune stoss side. Streamwise length scales of wedge-shaped CFS correspond to large-scale motions (LSMs). We hypothesize that the advection of LSM over the dune crest triggers the periods of intense shedding in the dune lee. LSMs are weaker and smaller above low-angle dunes; however, the low-frequency oscillation in CFS formation periods persists. The formation of smaller and weaker CFS results in a reduction of flow resistance over low-angle dunes.

Enhanced Small Scale Heat Transfer in Rectangular Channels using Autonomous, Aero-Elastically Fluttering Reeds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jha, Sourabh; Crittenden, Thomas; Glezer, Ari

2017-11-01

The limits of low Reynolds number forced convection heat transport within rectangular, mm-scale channels that model segments of air-cooled heat sinks are overcome by the deliberate formation of unsteady small-scale vortical motions that are induced by autonomous aero-elastic fluttering of cantilevered planar thin-film reeds. The coupled flow-structure interactions between the fluttering reeds and the embedding channel flow and the formation and evolution of the induced unsteady small-scale vortical motions are explored using video imaging and PIV. Concave/convex undulations of the reed's surface that are bounded by the channel's walls lead to the formation and advection of cells of vorticity concentration and ultimately to alternate shedding of spanwise CW and CCW vortices. These vortices scale with the channel height, and result in increased turbulent kinetic energy and enhanced dissipation that persist far downstream from the reed and are reminiscent of a turbulent flow at significantly higher Reynolds numbers (e.g., at Re = 800, TKE increases by 86% ,40 channel widths downstream of reed tip). These small-scale motions lead to strong enhancement in heat transfer that increases with Re (e.g., at Re = 1,000 and 14,000, Nu increases by 36% and 91%, respectively). The utility of this approach is demonstrated in improving the thermal performance of low-Re heat sinks in air-cooled condensers of thermoelectric power plants. NSF-EPRI.

Temporally resolved planar measurements of transient phenomena in a partially pre-mixed swirl flame in a gas turbine model combustor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Boxx, I.; Stoehr, M.; Meier, W.

This paper presents observations and analysis of the time-dependent behavior of a 10 kW partially pre-mixed, swirl-stabilized methane-air flame exhibiting self-excited thermo-acoustic oscillations. This analysis is based on a series of measurements wherein particle image velocimetry (PIV) and planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) of the OH radical were performed simultaneously at 5 kHz repetition rate over durations of 0.8 s. Chemiluminescence imaging of the OH{sup *} radical was performed separately, also at 5 kHz over 0.8 s acquisition runs. These measurements were of sufficient sampling frequency and duration to extract usable spatial and temporal frequency information on the medium to large-scalemore » flow-field and heat-release characteristics of the flame. This analysis is used to more fully characterize the interaction between the self-excited thermo-acoustic oscillations and the dominant flow-field structure of this flame, a precessing vortex core (PVC) present in the inner recirculation zone. Interpretation of individual measurement sequences yielded insight into various physical phenomena and the underlying mechanisms driving flame dynamics. It is observed for this flame that location of the reaction zone tracks large-scale fluctuations in axial velocity and also conforms to the passage of large-scale vortical structures through the flow-field. Local extinction of the reaction zone in regions of persistently high principal compressive strain is observed. Such extinctions, however, are seen to be self healing and thus do not induce blowout. Indications of auto-ignition in regions of unburned gas near the exit are also observed. Probable auto-ignition events are frequently observed coincident with the centers of large-scale vortical structures, suggesting the phenomenon is linked to the enhanced mixing and longer residence times associated with fluid at the core of the PVC as it moves through the flame. (author)« less

On the statistical mechanics of the 2D stochastic Euler equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouchet, Freddy; Laurie, Jason; Zaboronski, Oleg

2011-12-01

The dynamics of vortices and large scale structures is qualitatively very different in two dimensional flows compared to its three dimensional counterparts, due to the presence of multiple integrals of motion. These are believed to be responsible for a variety of phenomena observed in Euler flow such as the formation of large scale coherent structures, the existence of meta-stable states and random abrupt changes in the topology of the flow. In this paper we study stochastic dynamics of the finite dimensional approximation of the 2D Euler flow based on Lie algebra su(N) which preserves all integrals of motion. In particular, we exploit rich algebraic structure responsible for the existence of Euler's conservation laws to calculate the invariant measures and explore their properties and also study the approach to equilibrium. Unexpectedly, we find deep connections between equilibrium measures of finite dimensional su(N) truncations of the stochastic Euler equations and random matrix models. Our work can be regarded as a preparation for addressing the questions of large scale structures, meta-stability and the dynamics of random transitions between different flow topologies in stochastic 2D Euler flows.

The vorticity of Solar photospheric flows on the scale of granulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pevtsov, A. A.

2016-12-01

We employ time sequences of images observed with a G-band filter (λ4305Å) by the Solar Optical Telescope (SOT) on board of Hinode spacecraft at different latitude along solar central meridian to study vorticity of granular flows in quiet Sun areas during deep minimum of solar activity. Using a feature correlation tracking (FCT) technique, we calculate the vorticity of granular-scale flows. Assuming the known pattern of vertical flows (upward in granules and downward in intergranular lanes), we infer the sign of kinetic helicity of these flows. We show that the kinetic helicity of granular flows and intergranular vortices exhibits a weak hemispheric preference, which is in agreement with the action of the Coriolis force. This slight hemispheric sign asymmetry, however, is not statistically significant given large scatter in the average vorticity. The sign of the current helicity density of network magnetic fields computed using full disk vector magnetograms from the Synoptic Optical Long-term Investigations of the Sun (SOLIS) does not show any hemispheric preference. The combination of these two findings suggests that the photospheric dynamo operating on the scale of granular flows is non-helical in nature.

Vorticity Transfer in Shock Wave Interactions with Turbulence and Vortices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agui, J. H.; Andreopoulos, J.

1998-11-01

Time-dependent, three-dimensional vorticity measurements of shock waves interacting with grid generated turbulence and concentrated tip vortices were conducted in a large diameter shock tube facility. Two different mesh size grids and a NACA-0012 semi-span wing acting as a tip vortex generator were used to carry out different relative Mach number interactions. The turbulence interactions produced a clear amplification of the lateral and spanwise vorticity rms, while the longitudinal component remained mostly unaffected. By comparison, the tip vortex/shock wave interactions produced a two fold increase in the rms of longitudinal vorticity. Considerable attention was given to the vorticity source terms. The mean and rms of the vorticity stretching terms dominated by 5 to 7 orders of magnitude over the dilitational compression terms in all the interactions. All three signals of the stretching terms manifested very intermittent, large amplitude peak events which indicated the bursting character of the stretching process. Distributions of these signals were characterized by extremely large levels of flatness with varying degrees of skewness. These distribution patterns were found to change only slightly through the turbulence interactions. However, the tip vortex/shock wave interactions brought about significant changes in these distributions which were associated with the abrupt structural changes of the vortex after the interaction.

Slow transition of the Osborne Reynolds pipe flow: A direct numerical simulation study.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Xiaohua; Moin, Parviz; Adrian, Ronald J.; Baltzer, Jon R.

2015-11-01

Osborne Reynolds' pipe transition experiment marked the onset of fundamental turbulence research, yet the precise dynamics carrying the laminar state to fully-developed turbulence has been quite elusive. Our spatially-developing direct numerical simulation of this problem reveals interesting connections with theory and experiments. In particular, during transition the energy norms of localized, weakly finite inlet perturbations grow exponentially, rather than algebraically, with axial distance, in agreement with the edge-state based temporal results of Schneider et al. (PRL, 034502, 2007). When inlet disturbance is the core region, helical vortex filaments evolve into large-scale reverse hairpin vortices. The interaction of these reverse hairpins among themselves or with the near-wall flow produces small-scale hairpin packets. When inlet disturbance is near the wall, optimally positioned quasi-spanwise structure is stretched into a Lambda vortex, which grows into a turbulent spot of concentrated small-scale hairpin vortices. Waves of hairpin-like structures were observed by Mullin (Ann. Rev. Fluid Mech., Vol.43, 2011) in their experiment with very weak blowing and suction. This vortex dynamics is broadly analogous to that in the boundary layer bypass transition and in the secondary instability and breakdown stage of natural transition. Further details of our simulation are reported in Wu et al. (PNAS, 1509451112, 2015).

Intermittent nature of acceleration in near wall turbulence.

PubMed

Lee, Changhoon; Yeo, Kyongmin; Choi, Jung-Il

2004-04-09

Using direct numerical simulation of a fully developed turbulent channel flow, we investigate the behavior of acceleration near a solid wall. We find that acceleration near the wall is highly intermittent and the intermittency is in large part associated with the near wall organized coherent turbulence structures. We also find that acceleration of large magnitude is mostly directed towards the rotation axis of the coherent vortical structures, indicating that the source of the intermittent acceleration is the rotational motion associated with the vortices that causes centripetal acceleration.

Structure identification within a transitioning swept-wing boundary layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chapman, Keith Lance

1997-08-01

Extensive measurements are made in a transitioning swept-wing boundary layer using hot-film, hot-wire and cross-wire anemometry. The crossflow-dominated flow contains stationary vortices that breakdown near mid-chord. The most amplified vortex wavelength is forced by the use of artificial roughness elements near the leading edge. Two-component velocity and spanwise surface shear-stress correlation measurements are made at two constant chord locations, before and after transition. Streamwise surface shear stresses are also measured through the entire transition region. Correlation techniques are used to identify stationary structures in the laminar regime and coherent structures in the turbulent regime. Basic techniques include observation of the spatial correlations and the spatially distributed auto-spectra. The primary and secondary instability mechanisms are identified in the spectra in all measured fields. The primary mechanism is seen to grow, cause transition and produce large-scale turbulence. The secondary mechanism grows through the entire transition region and produces the small-scale turbulence. Advanced techniques use linear stochastic estimation (LSE) and proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) to identify the spatio-temporal evolutions of structures in the boundary layer. LSE is used to estimate the instantaneous velocity fields using temporal data from just two spatial locations and the spatial correlations. Reference locations are selected using maximum RMS values to provide the best available estimates. POD is used to objectively determine modes characteristic of the measured flow based on energy. The stationary vortices are identified in the first laminar modes of each velocity component and shear component. Experimental evidence suggests that neighboring vortices interact and produce large coherent structures with spanwise periodicity at double the stationary vortex wavelength. An objective transition region detection method is developed using streamwise spatial POD solutions which isolate the growth of the primary and secondary instability mechanisms in the first and second modes, respectively. Temporal evolutions of dominant POD modes in all measured fields are calculated. These scalar POD coefficients contain the integrated characteristics of the entire field, greatly reducing the amount of data to characterize the instantaneous field. These modes may then be used to train future flow control algorithms based on neural networks.

Structure Identification Within a Transitioning Swept-Wing Boundary Layer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chapman, Keith; Glauser, Mark

1996-01-01

Extensive measurements are made in a transitioning swept-wing boundary layer using hot-film, hot-wire and cross-wire anemometry. The crossflow-dominated flow contains stationary vortices that breakdown near mid-chord. The most amplified vortex wavelength is forced by the use of artificial roughness elements near the leading edge. Two-component velocity and spanwise surface shear-stress correlation measurements are made at two constant chord locations, before and after transition. Streamwise surface shear stresses are also measured through the entire transition region. Correlation techniques are used to identify stationary structures in the laminar regime and coherent structures in the turbulent regime. Basic techniques include observation of the spatial correlations and the spatially distributed auto-spectra. The primary and secondary instability mechanisms are identified in the spectra in all measured fields. The primary mechanism is seen to grow, cause transition and produce large-scale turbulence. The secondary mechanism grows through the entire transition region and produces the small-scale turbulence. Advanced techniques use Linear Stochastic Estimation (LSE) and Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) to identify the spatio-temporal evolutions of structures in the boundary layer. LSE is used to estimate the instantaneous velocity fields using temporal data from just two spatial locations and the spatial correlations. Reference locations are selected using maximum RMS values to provide the best available estimates. POD is used to objectively determine modes characteristic of the measured flow based on energy. The stationary vortices are identified in the first laminar modes of each velocity component and shear component. Experimental evidence suggests that neighboring vortices interact and produce large coherent structures with spanwise periodicity at double the stationary vortex wavelength. An objective transition region detection method is developed using streamwise spatial POD solutions which isolate the growth of the primary and secondary instability mechanisms in the first and second modes, respectively. Temporal evolutions of dominant POD modes in all measured fields are calculated. These scalar POD coefficients contain the integrated characteristics of the entire field, greatly reducing the amount of data to characterize the instantaneous field. These modes may then be used to train future flow control algorithms based on neural networks.

Effects of spatial gradients in thermophysical properties on the topology of turbulence in heated channel flow of supercritical fluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azih, Chukwudi; Yaras, Metin I.

2018-01-01

The current literature suggests that large spatial gradients of thermophysical properties, which occur in the vicinity of the pseudo-critical thermodynamic state, may result in significant variations in forced-convection heat transfer rates. Specifically, these property gradients induce inertia- and buoyancy-driven phenomena that may enhance or deteriorate the turbulence-dominated heat convection process. Through direct numerical simulations, the present study investigates the role of coherent flow structures in channel geometries for non-buoyant and buoyant flows of supercritical water, with buoyant configurations involving wall-normal oriented gravitational acceleration and downstream-oriented gravitational acceleration. This sequence of simulations enables the evaluation of the relative contributions of inertial and buoyancy phenomena to heat transfer variations. In these simulations, the state of the working fluid is in the vicinity of the pseudo-critical point. The uniform wall heat flux and the channel mass flux are specified such that the heat to mass flux ratio is 3 kJ/kg, with an inflow Reynolds number of 12 000 based on the channel hydraulic diameter, the area-averaged inflow velocity, and fluid properties evaluated at the bulk temperature and pressure of the inflow plane. In the absence of buoyancy forces, notable reductions in the density and viscosity in close proximity of the heated wall are observed to promote generation of small-scale vortices, with resultant breakdown into smaller scales as they interact with preexisting larger near-wall vortices. This interaction results in a reduction in the overall thermal mixing at particular wall-normal regions of the channel. Under the influence of wall-normal gravitational acceleration, the wall-normal density gradients are noted to enhance ejection motions due to baroclinic vorticity generation on the lower wall, thus providing additional wall-normal thermal mixing. Along the upper wall, the same mechanism generates streamwise vorticity of the opposing sense of rotation in the close vicinity to the respective legs of the hairpin vortices causing a net reduction in thermal mixing. Finally, in the case of downstream-oriented gravitational acceleration, baroclinic vorticity generation as per spanwise density gradients causes additional wall-normal thermal mixing by promoting larger-scale ejection and sweep motions.

Subduction at upper ocean fronts by baroclinic instability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verma, Vicky; Pham, Hieu T.; Radhakrishnan, Anand; Sarkar, Sutanu

2017-11-01

Large eddy simulations of upper ocean fronts that are initially in geostrophic balance show that the linear and subsequent nonlinear evolution of baroclinic intability are effective in restratifying the front. During the growth of baroclinic instability, the front develops thin regions with enhanced vertical vorticity, i.e., vorticity filaments. Moreover, the vorticity filaments organize into submesoscale eddies. The subsequent frontal dynamics is dominated by the vorticity filaments and the submesoscale eddies. Diagnosis of the horizontal force balance reveals that the regions occupied by these coherent structures have significantly large imbalance, and are characterized by large vertical velocity. High density fluid from the heavier side of the front is subducted by the vertical velocity to the bottom of the mixed layer. The process of subduction is illustrated by Lagrangian tracking of fluid particles released at a fixed depth.

Tetrahedron deformation and alignment of perceived vorticity and strain in a turbulent flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pumir, Alain; Bodenschatz, Eberhard; Xu, Haitao

2013-03-01

We describe the structure and dynamics of turbulence by the scale-dependent perceived velocity gradient tensor as supported by following four tracers, i.e., fluid particles, that initially form a regular tetrahedron. We report results from experiments in a von Kármán swirling water flow and from numerical simulations of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equation. We analyze the statistics and the dynamics of the perceived rate of strain tensor and vorticity for initially regular tetrahedron of size r0 from the dissipative to the integral scale. Just as for the true velocity gradient, at any instant, the perceived vorticity is also preferentially aligned with the intermediate eigenvector of the perceived rate of strain. However, in the perceived rate of strain eigenframe fixed at a given time t = 0, the perceived vorticity evolves in time such as to align with the strongest eigendirection at t = 0. This also applies to the true velocity gradient. The experimental data at the higher Reynolds number suggests the existence of a self-similar regime in the inertial range. In particular, the dynamics of alignment of the perceived vorticity and strain can be rescaled by t0, the turbulence time scale of the flow when the scale r0 is in the inertial range. For smaller Reynolds numbers we found the dynamics to be scale dependent.

Osborne Reynolds pipe flow: Direct simulation from laminar through gradual transition to fully developed turbulence.

PubMed

Wu, Xiaohua; Moin, Parviz; Adrian, Ronald J; Baltzer, Jon R

2015-06-30

The precise dynamics of breakdown in pipe transition is a century-old unresolved problem in fluid mechanics. We demonstrate that the abruptness and mysteriousness attributed to the Osborne Reynolds pipe transition can be partially resolved with a spatially developing direct simulation that carries weakly but finitely perturbed laminar inflow through gradual rather than abrupt transition arriving at the fully developed turbulent state. Our results with this approach show during transition the energy norms of such inlet perturbations grow exponentially rather than algebraically with axial distance. When inlet disturbance is located in the core region, helical vortex filaments evolve into large-scale reverse hairpin vortices. The interaction of these reverse hairpins among themselves or with the near-wall flow when they descend to the surface from the core produces small-scale hairpin packets, which leads to breakdown. When inlet disturbance is near the wall, certain quasi-spanwise structure is stretched into a Lambda vortex, and develops into a large-scale hairpin vortex. Small-scale hairpin packets emerge near the tip region of the large-scale hairpin vortex, and subsequently grow into a turbulent spot, which is itself a local concentration of small-scale hairpin vortices. This vortex dynamics is broadly analogous to that in the boundary layer bypass transition and in the secondary instability and breakdown stage of natural transition, suggesting the possibility of a partial unification. Under parabolic base flow the friction factor overshoots Moody's correlation. Plug base flow requires stronger inlet disturbance for transition. Accuracy of the results is demonstrated by comparing with analytical solutions before breakdown, and with fully developed turbulence measurements after the completion of transition.

Osborne Reynolds pipe flow: Direct simulation from laminar through gradual transition to fully developed turbulence

PubMed Central

Wu, Xiaohua; Moin, Parviz; Adrian, Ronald J.; Baltzer, Jon R.

2015-01-01

The precise dynamics of breakdown in pipe transition is a century-old unresolved problem in fluid mechanics. We demonstrate that the abruptness and mysteriousness attributed to the Osborne Reynolds pipe transition can be partially resolved with a spatially developing direct simulation that carries weakly but finitely perturbed laminar inflow through gradual rather than abrupt transition arriving at the fully developed turbulent state. Our results with this approach show during transition the energy norms of such inlet perturbations grow exponentially rather than algebraically with axial distance. When inlet disturbance is located in the core region, helical vortex filaments evolve into large-scale reverse hairpin vortices. The interaction of these reverse hairpins among themselves or with the near-wall flow when they descend to the surface from the core produces small-scale hairpin packets, which leads to breakdown. When inlet disturbance is near the wall, certain quasi-spanwise structure is stretched into a Lambda vortex, and develops into a large-scale hairpin vortex. Small-scale hairpin packets emerge near the tip region of the large-scale hairpin vortex, and subsequently grow into a turbulent spot, which is itself a local concentration of small-scale hairpin vortices. This vortex dynamics is broadly analogous to that in the boundary layer bypass transition and in the secondary instability and breakdown stage of natural transition, suggesting the possibility of a partial unification. Under parabolic base flow the friction factor overshoots Moody’s correlation. Plug base flow requires stronger inlet disturbance for transition. Accuracy of the results is demonstrated by comparing with analytical solutions before breakdown, and with fully developed turbulence measurements after the completion of transition. PMID:26080447

Osborne Reynolds pipe flow: Direct simulation from laminar through gradual transition to fully developed turbulence

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wu, Xiaohua; Moin, Parviz; Adrian, Ronald J.

We report that the precise dynamics of breakdown in pipe transition is a century-old unresolved problem in fluid mechanics. We demonstrate that the abruptness and mysteriousness attributed to the Osborne Reynolds pipe transition can be partially resolved with a spatially developing direct simulation that carries weakly but finitely perturbed laminar inflow through gradual rather than abrupt transition arriving at the fully developed turbulent state. Our results with this approach show during transition the energy norms of such inlet perturbations grow exponentially rather than algebraically with axial distance. When inlet disturbance is located in the core region, helical vortex filaments evolvemore » into large-scale reverse hairpin vortices. The interaction of these reverse hairpins among themselves or with the near-wall flow when they descend to the surface from the core produces small-scale hairpin packets, which leads to breakdown. When inlet disturbance is near the wall, certain quasi-spanwise structure is stretched into a Lambda vortex, and develops into a large-scale hairpin vortex. Small-scale hairpin packets emerge near the tip region of the large-scale hairpin vortex, and subsequently grow into a turbulent spot, which is itself a local concentration of small-scale hairpin vortices. This vortex dynamics is broadly analogous to that in the boundary layer bypass transition and in the secondary instability and breakdown stage of natural transition, suggesting the possibility of a partial unification. Under parabolic base flow the friction factor overshoots Moody’s correlation. Plug base flow requires stronger inlet disturbance for transition. Finally, accuracy of the results is demonstrated by comparing with analytical solutions before breakdown, and with fully developed turbulence measurements after the completion of transition.« less

Osborne Reynolds pipe flow: Direct simulation from laminar through gradual transition to fully developed turbulence

DOE PAGES

Wu, Xiaohua; Moin, Parviz; Adrian, Ronald J.; ...

2015-06-15

We report that the precise dynamics of breakdown in pipe transition is a century-old unresolved problem in fluid mechanics. We demonstrate that the abruptness and mysteriousness attributed to the Osborne Reynolds pipe transition can be partially resolved with a spatially developing direct simulation that carries weakly but finitely perturbed laminar inflow through gradual rather than abrupt transition arriving at the fully developed turbulent state. Our results with this approach show during transition the energy norms of such inlet perturbations grow exponentially rather than algebraically with axial distance. When inlet disturbance is located in the core region, helical vortex filaments evolvemore » into large-scale reverse hairpin vortices. The interaction of these reverse hairpins among themselves or with the near-wall flow when they descend to the surface from the core produces small-scale hairpin packets, which leads to breakdown. When inlet disturbance is near the wall, certain quasi-spanwise structure is stretched into a Lambda vortex, and develops into a large-scale hairpin vortex. Small-scale hairpin packets emerge near the tip region of the large-scale hairpin vortex, and subsequently grow into a turbulent spot, which is itself a local concentration of small-scale hairpin vortices. This vortex dynamics is broadly analogous to that in the boundary layer bypass transition and in the secondary instability and breakdown stage of natural transition, suggesting the possibility of a partial unification. Under parabolic base flow the friction factor overshoots Moody’s correlation. Plug base flow requires stronger inlet disturbance for transition. Finally, accuracy of the results is demonstrated by comparing with analytical solutions before breakdown, and with fully developed turbulence measurements after the completion of transition.« less

Soap film flows: Statistics of two-dimensional turbulence

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vorobieff, P.; Rivera, M.; Ecke, R.E.

1999-08-01

Soap film flows provide a very convenient laboratory model for studies of two-dimensional (2-D) hydrodynamics including turbulence. For a gravity-driven soap film channel with a grid of equally spaced cylinders inserted in the flow, we have measured the simultaneous velocity and thickness fields in the irregular flow downstream from the cylinders. The velocity field is determined by a modified digital particle image velocimetry method and the thickness from the light scattered by the particles in the film. From these measurements, we compute the decay of mean energy, enstrophy, and thickness fluctuations with downstream distance, and the structure functions of velocity,more » vorticity, thickness fluctuation, and vorticity flux. From these quantities we determine the microscale Reynolds number of the flow R{sub {lambda}}{approx}100 and the integral and dissipation scales of 2D turbulence. We also obtain quantitative measures of the degree to which our flow can be considered incompressible and isotropic as a function of downstream distance. We find coarsening of characteristic spatial scales, qualitative correspondence of the decay of energy and enstrophy with the Batchelor model, scaling of energy in {ital k} space consistent with the k{sup {minus}3} spectrum of the Kraichnan{endash}Batchelor enstrophy-scaling picture, and power-law scalings of the structure functions of velocity, vorticity, vorticity flux, and thickness. These results are compared with models of 2-D turbulence and with numerical simulations. {copyright} {ital 1999 American Institute of Physics.}« less

Hydrodynamical processes in planet-forming accretion disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Min-Kai

Understanding the physics of accretion flows in circumstellar disk provides the foundation to any theory of planet formation. The last few years have witnessed dramatic a revision in the fundamental fluid dynamics of protoplanetary accretion disks. There is growing evidence that the key to answering some of the most pressing questions, such as the origin of disk turbulence, mass transport, and planetesimal formation, may lie within, and intimately linked to, purely hydrodynamical processes in protoplanetary disks. Recent studies, including those from the proposal team, have discovered and highlighted the significance of several new hydrodynamical instabilities in the planet-forming regions of these disks. These include, but not limited to: the vertical shear instability, active between 10 to 100 AU; the zombie vortex instability, operating in regions interior to about 1AU; and the convective over-stability at intermediate radii. Secondary Rossbywave and elliptic instabilities may also be triggered, feeding off the structures that emerge from the above primary instabilities. The result of these hydrodynamic processes range from small-scale turbulence that transports angular momentum, to large-scale vortices that concentrate dust particles and enhance planetesimal formation. Hydrodynamic processes pertain to a wide range of disk conditions, meaning that at least one of these processes are active at any given disk location and evolutionary epoch. This remains true even after planet formation, which affects their subsequent orbital evolution. Hydrodynamical processes also have direct observable consequences. For example, vortices have being invoked to explain recent ALMA images of asymmetric `dust-traps' in transition disks. Hydrodynamic activities thus play a crucial role at every stage of planet formation and disk evolution. We propose to develop theoretical models of the above hydrodynamic processes under physical disk conditions by properly accounting for disk thermodynamics, dust dynamics, disk self-gravity and three-dimensional effects. By including these effects, we go wellbeyond previous works based on idealized disk models. This effort is necessary to understand how these instabilities operate and interact in realistic protoplanetary disks. This will enable us to provide a unified picture of how various hydrodynamic activities fit together to drive global disk evolution. We will address key questions including the strength of the resulting hydrodynamic turbulence, the lifetime of large-scale vortices under realistic disk conditions, and their impact on the evolution of solids within the disk. Inclusion of these additional physics will likely uncover new, yet-unknown hydrodynamic processes. Our generalized models enables a direct link between theory and observations. For example, a self-consistent incorporation of dust dynamics into the theory of hydrodynamic instabilities is particularly important, since it is the dust component that is usually observed. We will also establish the connection between the properties of large-scale, observable structures such as vortices, to the underlying disk properties, such as disk mass, and vertical structure, which are difficult to infer directly from observations. We also propose to study, for the first time, the dynamical interaction between hydrodynamic turbulence and proto-planets, as well as the influence of largescale vortices on disk-planet interaction. This is necessary towards a realistic modeling of the orbital evolution of proto planets, and thus in predicting the final architecture of planetary systems. The proposal team's expertise and experience, ranging from mathematical analyses to state-of the-art numerical simulations in astrophysical fluid dynamics, provides a multi-method approach to these problems. This is necessary towards establishing a rigorous understanding of these fundamental hydrodynamical processes in protoplanetary accretion disks.

Surface wind, pressure and temperature fields near tornadic and non-tornadic narrow cold-frontal rainbands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, Matthew; Parker, Douglas

2014-05-01

Narrow cold frontal rainbands (NCFRs) occur frequently in the UK and other parts of northwest Europe. At the surface, the passage of an NCFR is often marked by a sharp wind veer, abrupt pressure increase and a rapid temperature decrease. Tornadoes and other instances of localised wind damage sometimes occur in association with meso-gamma-scale vortices (sometimes called misocyclones) that form along the zone of abrupt horizontal wind veer (and associated vertical vorticity) at the leading edge of the NCFR. Using one-minute-resolution data from a mesoscale network of automatic weather stations, surface pressure, wind and temperature fields in the vicinity of 12 NCFRs (five of which were tornadic) have been investigated. High-resolution surface analyses were obtained by mapping temporal variations in the observed parameters to equivalent spatial variations, using a system velocity determined by analysis of the radar-observed movement of NCFR precipitation segments. Substantial differences were found in the structure of surface wind and pressure fields close to tornadic and non-tornadic NCFRs. Tornadic NCFRs exhibited a large wind veer (near 90°) and strong pre- and post-frontal winds. These attributes were associated with large vertical vorticity and horizontal convergence across the front. Tornadoes typically occurred where vertical vorticity and horizontal convergence were increasing. Here, we present surface analyses from selected cases, and draw comparisons between the tornadic and non-tornadic NCFRs. Some Doppler radar observations will be presented, illustrating the development of misocyclones along parts of the NCFR that exhibit strong, and increasing, vertical vorticity stretching. The influence of the stability of the pre-frontal air on the likelihood of tornadoes will also be discussed.

Structures and Evolutions of Explosive Cyclones over the Northwestern and Northeastern Pacific

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Shuqin; Fu, Gang

2018-06-01

In this study, the structures and evolutions of moderate (MO) explosive cyclones (ECs) over the Northwestern Pacific (NWP) and Northeastern Pacific (NEP) are investigated and compared using composite analysis with cyclone-relative coordinates. Final Operational Global Analysis data gathered during the cold seasons (October-April) of the 15 years from 2000 to 2015 are used. The results indicate that MO NWP ECs have strong baroclinicity and abundant latent heat release at low levels and strong upper-level forcing, which favors explosive cyclogenesis. The rapid development of MO NEP ECs results from their interaction with a northern cyclone and a large middle-level advection of cyclonic vorticity. The structural differences between MO NWP ECs and MO NEP ECs are significant. This results from their specific large-scale atmospheric and oceanic environments. MO NWP ECs usually develop rapidly in the east and southeast of the Japan Islands; the intrusion of cold dry air from the East Asian continent leads to strong baroclinicity, and the Kuroshio/Kuroshio Extension provides abundant latent heat release at low levels. The East Asian subtropical westerly jet stream supplies strong upper-level forcing. While MO NEP ECs mainly occur over the NEP, the low-level baroclinicity, upper-level jet stream, and warm ocean currents are relatively weaker. The merged cyclone associated with a strong middle-level trough transports large cyclonic vorticity to MO NEP ECs, which favors their rapid development.

Large-Scale Flow Structure in Turbulent Nonpremixed Flames under Normal- And Low-Gravity Conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clemens, N. T.; Idicheria, C. A.; Boxx, I. G.

2001-01-01

It is well known that buoyancy has a major influence on the flow structure of turbulent nonpremixed jet flames. Buoyancy acts by inducing baroclinic torques, which generate large-scale vortical structures that can significantly modify the flow field. Furthermore, some suggest that buoyancy can substantially influence the large-scale structure of even nominally momentum-dominated flames, since the low velocity flow outside of the flame will be more susceptible to buoyancy effects. Even subtle buoyancy effects may be important because changes in the large-scale structure affects the local entrainment and fluctuating strain rate, and hence the structure of the flame. Previous studies that have compared the structure of normal- and micro-gravity nonpremixed jet flames note that flames in microgravity are longer and wider than in normal-gravity. This trend was observed for jet flames ranging from laminar to turbulent regimes. Furthermore, imaging of the flames has shown possible evidence of helical instabilities and disturbances starting from the base of the flame in microgravity. In contrast, these characteristics were not observed in normal-gravity. The objective of the present study is to further advance our knowledge of the effects of weak levels of buoyancy on the structure of transitional and turbulent nonpremixed jet flames. In later studies we will utilize the drop tower facilities at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC), but the preliminary work described in this paper was conducted using the 1.25-second drop tower located at the University of Texas at Austin. A more detailed description of these experiments can be found in Idicheria et al.

Very-high-Reynolds-number vortex dynamics via Coherent-vorticity-Preserving (CvP) Large-eddy simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chapelier, Jean-Baptiste; Wasistho, Bono; Scalo, Carlo

2017-11-01

A new approach to Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) is introduced, where subgrid-scale (SGS) dissipation is applied proportionally to the degree of local spectral broadening, hence mitigated in regions dominated by large-scale vortical motion. The proposed CvP-LES methodology is based on the evaluation of the ratio of the test-filtered to resolved (or grid-filtered) enstrophy: σ = ξ ∧ / ξ . Values of σ = 1 indicate low sub-test-filter turbulent activity, justifying local deactivation of any subgrid-scale model. Values of σ < 1 span conditions ranging from incipient spectral broadening σ <= 1 , to equilibrium turbulence σ =σeq < 1 , where σeq is solely as a function of the test-to-grid filter-width ratio Δ ∧ / Δ , derived assuming a Kolmogorov's spectrum. Eddy viscosity is fully restored for σ <=σeq . The proposed approach removes unnecessary SGS dissipation, can be applied to any eddy-viscosity model, is algorithmically simple and computationally inexpensive. A CvP-LES of a pair of unstable helical vortices, representative of rotor-blade wake dynamics, show the ability of the method to sort the coherent motion from the small-scale dynamics. This work is funded by subcontract KSC-17-001 between Purdue University and Kord Technologies, Inc (Huntsville), under the US Navy Contract N68335-17-C-0159 STTR-Phase II, Purdue Proposal No. 00065007, Topic N15A-T002.

Geometrical Vortex Lattice Pinning and Melting in YBaCuO Submicron Bridges.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Papari, G. P.; Glatz, A.; Carillo, F.

Since the discovery of high-temperature superconductors (HTSs), most efforts of researchers have been focused on the fabrication of superconducting devices capable of immobilizing vortices, hence of operating at enhanced temperatures and magnetic fields. Recent findings that geometric restrictions may induce self-arresting hypervortices recovering the dissipation-free state at high fields and temperatures made superconducting strips a mainstream of superconductivity studies. Here in this paper we report on the geometrical melting of the vortex lattice in a wide YBCO submicron bridge preceded by magnetoresistance (MR) oscillations fingerprinting the underlying regular vortex structure. Combined magnetoresistance measurements and numerical simulations unambiguously relate the resistancemore » oscillations to the penetration of vortex rows with intermediate geometrical pinning and uncover the details of geometrical melting. Our findings offer a reliable and reproducible pathway for controlling vortices in geometrically restricted nanodevices and introduce a novel technique of geometrical spectroscopy, inferring detailed information of the structure of the vortex system through a combined use of MR curves and large-scale simulations.« less

Geometrical Vortex Lattice Pinning and Melting in YBaCuO Submicron Bridges.

DOE PAGES

Papari, G. P.; Glatz, A.; Carillo, F.; ...

2016-12-23

Since the discovery of high-temperature superconductors (HTSs), most efforts of researchers have been focused on the fabrication of superconducting devices capable of immobilizing vortices, hence of operating at enhanced temperatures and magnetic fields. Recent findings that geometric restrictions may induce self-arresting hypervortices recovering the dissipation-free state at high fields and temperatures made superconducting strips a mainstream of superconductivity studies. Here in this paper we report on the geometrical melting of the vortex lattice in a wide YBCO submicron bridge preceded by magnetoresistance (MR) oscillations fingerprinting the underlying regular vortex structure. Combined magnetoresistance measurements and numerical simulations unambiguously relate the resistancemore » oscillations to the penetration of vortex rows with intermediate geometrical pinning and uncover the details of geometrical melting. Our findings offer a reliable and reproducible pathway for controlling vortices in geometrically restricted nanodevices and introduce a novel technique of geometrical spectroscopy, inferring detailed information of the structure of the vortex system through a combined use of MR curves and large-scale simulations.« less

Computational investigation of large-scale vortex interaction with flexible bodies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Connell, Benjamin; Yue, Dick K. P.

2003-11-01

The interaction of large-scale vortices with flexible bodies is examined with particular interest paid to the energy and momentum budgets of the system. Finite difference direct numerical simulation of the Navier-Stokes equations on a moving curvilinear grid is coupled with a finite difference structural solver of both a linear membrane under tension and linear Euler-Bernoulli beam. The hydrodynamics and structural dynamics are solved simultaneously using an iterative procedure with the external structural forcing calculated from the hydrodynamics at the surface and the flow-field velocity boundary condition given by the structural motion. We focus on an investigation into the canonical problem of a vortex-dipole impinging on a flexible membrane. It is discovered that the structural properties of the membrane direct the interaction in terms of the flow evolution and the energy budget. Pressure gradients associated with resonant membrane response are shown to sustain the oscillatory motion of the vortex pair. Understanding how the key mechanisms in vortex-body interactions are guided by the structural properties of the body is a prerequisite to exploiting these mechanisms.

LES versus DNS: A comparative study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shtilman, L.; Chasnov, J. R.

1992-01-01

We have performed Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) and Large Eddy Simulations (LES) of forced isotropic turbulence at moderate Reynolds numbers. The subgrid scale model used in the LES is based on an eddy viscosity which adjusts instantaneously the energy spectrum of the LES to that of the DNS. The statistics of the large scales of the DNS (filtered DNS field or fDNS) are compared to that of the LES. We present results for the transfer spectra, the skewness and flatness factors of the velocity components, the PDF's of the angle between the vorticity and the eigenvectors of the rate of strain, and that between the vorticity and the vorticity stretching tensor. The above LES statistics are found to be in good agreement with those measured in the fDNS field. We further observe that in all the numerical measurements, the trend was for the LES field to be more gaussian than the fDNS field. Future research on this point is planned.

Coherent Structures and Evolution of Vorticity in Short-Crested Breaking Surface Waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirby, James; Derakhti, Morteza

2017-11-01

We employ a multi-phase LES/VOF code to study turbulence and coherent structures generated during breaking of short-crested surface water waves. We examine the evolution of coherent vortex structures evolving at the scale of the width of the breaking event, and their long-time interaction with smaller vortex loops formed by the local instability of the breaking crest. Long-time results are often characterized by the detachment of the larger scale vortex loop from the surface and formation of a closed vortex ring. The evolution of circulation for the vortical flow field is examined. The initial concentration of forcing close to the free surface leads to spatial distributions of both span-wise and vertical vorticity distributions which are concentrated close to the surface. This result, which persists into shallow water, is at odds with the basic simplicity of the Peregrine mechanism, suggesting that even shallow flows such as the surf zone should be regarded as being forced (in dissipative situations) by a wave-induced surface stress rather than a uniform-over-depth body force. The localized forcing leads to the development of a complex pattern of stream-wise vorticity, comparable in strength to the vertical and span-wise components, and also persist into shallow water. NSF OCE-1435147.

Animating Wall-Bounded Turbulent Smoke via Filament-Mesh Particle-Particle Method.

PubMed

Liao, Xiangyun; Si, Weixin; Yuan, Zhiyong; Sun, Hanqiu; Qin, Jing; Wang, Qiong; Heng, Pheng-Ann; Xiangyun Liao; Weixin Si; Zhiyong Yuan; Hanqiu Sun; Jing Qin; Qiong Wang; Pheng-Ann Heng

2018-03-01

Turbulent vortices in smoke flows are crucial for a visually interesting appearance. Unfortunately, it is challenging to efficiently simulate these appealing effects in the framework of vortex filament methods. The vortex filaments in grids scheme allows to efficiently generate turbulent smoke with macroscopic vortical structures, but suffers from the projection-related dissipation, and thus the small-scale vortical structures under grid resolution are hard to capture. In addition, this scheme cannot be applied in wall-bounded turbulent smoke simulation, which requires efficiently handling smoke-obstacle interaction and creating vorticity at the obstacle boundary. To tackle above issues, we propose an effective filament-mesh particle-particle (FMPP) method for fast wall-bounded turbulent smoke simulation with ample details. The Filament-Mesh component approximates the smooth long-range interactions by splatting vortex filaments on grid, solving the Poisson problem with a fast solver, and then interpolating back to smoke particles. The Particle-Particle component introduces smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) turbulence model for particles in the same grid, where interactions between particles cannot be properly captured under grid resolution. Then, we sample the surface of obstacles with boundary particles, allowing the interaction between smoke and obstacle being treated as pressure forces in SPH. Besides, the vortex formation region is defined at the back of obstacles, providing smoke particles flowing by the separation particles with a vorticity force to simulate the subsequent vortex shedding phenomenon. The proposed approach can synthesize the lost small-scale vortical structures and also achieve the smoke-obstacle interaction with vortex shedding at obstacle boundaries in a lightweight manner. The experimental results demonstrate that our FMPP method can achieve more appealing visual effects than vortex filaments in grids scheme by efficiently simulating more vivid thin turbulent features.

Vortex dynamics in the near-wake of tabs with various geometries using 2D and 3D PIV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pagan-Vazquez, Axy; Khovalyg, Dolaana; Marsh, Charles; Hamed, Ali M.; Chamorro, Leonardo P.

2016-11-01

The vortex dynamics and turbulence statistics in the near-wake of rectangular, trapezoidal, triangular, and ellipsoidal tabs were studied in a refractive-index-matching channel at Re = 2000 and 13000, based on the tab height. The tabs share the same bulk dimensions including a 17 mm height, a 28 mm base width, and a 24.5o angle. 3D PIV was used to study the mean flow and dominant large-scale vortices, while high-spatial resolution planar PIV was used to quantify high-order statistics. The results show the coexistence of counter-rotating vortex pair (CVP) and hairpin structures. These vortices exhibit distinctive topology and strength across Re and tab geometry. The CVP is a steady structure that grows in strength over a significantly longer distance at the low Re due to the lower turbulence levels and the delayed shedding of the hairpin vortices. These features at the low Re are associated with the presence of K-H instability that develops over three tab heights. The interaction between the hairpins and CVP is measured in 3D for the first time and shows complex coexistence. Although the CVP suffers deformation and splitting at times, it maintains its presence and leads to significant spanwise and wall-normal flows.

A Hybrid Vortex Sheet / Point Vortex Model for Unsteady Separated Flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darakananda, Darwin; Eldredge, Jeff D.; Colonius, Tim; Williams, David R.

2015-11-01

The control of separated flow over an airfoil is essential for obtaining lift enhancement, drag reduction, and the overall ability to perform high agility maneuvers. In order to develop reliable flight control systems capable of realizing agile maneuvers, we need a low-order aerodynamics model that can accurately predict the force response of an airfoil to arbitrary disturbances and/or actuation. In the present work, we integrate vortex sheets and variable strength point vortices into a method that is able to capture the formation of coherent vortex structures while remaining computationally tractable for control purposes. The role of the vortex sheet is limited to tracking the dynamics of the shear layer immediately behind the airfoil. When parts of the sheet develop into large scale structures, those sections are replaced by variable strength point vortices. We prevent the vortex sheets from growing indefinitely by truncating the tips of the sheets and transfering their circulation into nearby point vortices whenever the length of sheet exceeds a threshold. We demonstrate the model on a variety of canonical problems, including pitch-up and impulse translation of an airfoil at various angles of attack. Support by the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research (FA9550-14-1-0328) with program manager Dr. Douglas Smith is gratefully acknowledged.

Three-dimensional structure of dominant instabilities in turbulent flow over smooth and rough boundaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grass, A. J.; Stuart, R. J.; Mansour-Tehrani, M.

1991-01-01

The current status of knowledge regarding coherent vortical structures in turbulent boundary layers and their role in turbulence generation are reviewed. The investigations reported in the study concentrate attention on rough-wall flows prevailing in the geophysical environment and include an experiment determining the three-dimensional form of the turbulence structures linked to the ejection and inrush events observed over rough walls and an experiment concerned with measuring the actual spanwise scale of the near-wall structures for boundary conditions ranging from hydrodynamically smooth to fully rough. It is demonstrated that horseshoe vortical structures are present and play an important role in rough-wall flows and they increase in scale with increasing wall distance, while a dominant spanwise wavelength occurs in the instantaneous cross-flow distribution of streamwise velocity close to the rough wall.

Long-wave instabilities of two interlaced helical vortices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quaranta, H. U.; Brynjell-Rahkola, M.; Leweke, T.; Henningson, D. S.

2016-09-01

We present a comparison between experimental observations and theoretical predictions concerning long-wave displacement instabilities of the helical vortices in the wake of a two-bladed rotor. Experiments are performed with a small-scale rotor in a water channel, using a set-up that allows the individual triggering of various instability modes at different azimuthal wave numbers, leading to local or global pairing of successive vortex loops. The initial development of the instability and the measured growth rates are in good agreement with the predictions from linear stability theory, based on an approach where the helical vortex system is represented by filaments. At later times, local pairing develops into large-scale distortions of the vortices, whereas for global pairing the non-linear evolution returns the system almost to its initial geometry.

Tracking vortices in superconductors: Extracting singularities from a discretized complex scalar field evolving in time

DOE PAGES

Phillips, Carolyn L.; Guo, Hanqi; Peterka, Tom; ...

2016-02-19

In type-II superconductors, the dynamics of magnetic flux vortices determine their transport properties. In the Ginzburg-Landau theory, vortices correspond to topological defects in the complex order parameter field. Earlier, we introduced a method for extracting vortices from the discretized complex order parameter field generated by a large-scale simulation of vortex matter. With this method, at a fixed time step, each vortex [simplistically, a one-dimensional (1D) curve in 3D space] can be represented as a connected graph extracted from the discretized field. Here we extend this method as a function of time as well. A vortex now corresponds to a 2Dmore » space-time sheet embedded in 4D space time that can be represented as a connected graph extracted from the discretized field over both space and time. Vortices that interact by merging or splitting correspond to disappearance and appearance of holes in the connected graph in the time direction. This method of tracking vortices, which makes no assumptions about the scale or behavior of the vortices, can track the vortices with a resolution as good as the discretization of the temporally evolving complex scalar field. In addition, even details of the trajectory between time steps can be reconstructed from the connected graph. With this form of vortex tracking, the details of vortex dynamics in a model of a superconducting materials can be understood in greater detail than previously possible.« less

Structures in magnetohydrodynamic turbulence: Detection and scaling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uritsky, V. M.; Pouquet, A.; Rosenberg, D.; Mininni, P. D.; Donovan, E. F.

2010-11-01

We present a systematic analysis of statistical properties of turbulent current and vorticity structures at a given time using cluster analysis. The data stem from numerical simulations of decaying three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic turbulence in the absence of an imposed uniform magnetic field; the magnetic Prandtl number is taken equal to unity, and we use a periodic box with grids of up to 15363 points and with Taylor Reynolds numbers up to 1100. The initial conditions are either an X -point configuration embedded in three dimensions, the so-called Orszag-Tang vortex, or an Arn’old-Beltrami-Childress configuration with a fully helical velocity and magnetic field. In each case two snapshots are analyzed, separated by one turn-over time, starting just after the peak of dissipation. We show that the algorithm is able to select a large number of structures (in excess of 8000) for each snapshot and that the statistical properties of these clusters are remarkably similar for the two snapshots as well as for the two flows under study in terms of scaling laws for the cluster characteristics, with the structures in the vorticity and in the current behaving in the same way. We also study the effect of Reynolds number on cluster statistics, and we finally analyze the properties of these clusters in terms of their velocity-magnetic-field correlation. Self-organized criticality features have been identified in the dissipative range of scales. A different scaling arises in the inertial range, which cannot be identified for the moment with a known self-organized criticality class consistent with magnetohydrodynamics. We suggest that this range can be governed by turbulence dynamics as opposed to criticality and propose an interpretation of intermittency in terms of propagation of local instabilities.

Wake structures behind a swimming robotic lamprey with a passively flexible tail

PubMed Central

Leftwich, Megan C.; Tytell, Eric D.; Cohen, Avis H.; Smits, Alexander J.

2012-01-01

SUMMARY A robotic lamprey, based on the silver lamprey, Ichthyomyzon unicuspis, was used to investigate the influence of passive tail flexibility on the wake structure and thrust production during anguilliform swimming. A programmable microcomputer actuated 11 servomotors that produce a traveling wave along the length of the lamprey body. The waveform was based on kinematic studies of living lamprey, and the shape of the tail was taken from a computer tomography scan of the silver lamprey. The tail was constructed of flexible PVC gel, and nylon inserts were used to change its degree of flexibility. Particle image velocimetry measurements using three different levels of passive flexibility show that the large-scale structure of the wake is dominated by the formation of two pairs of vortices per shedding cycle, as seen in the case of a tail that flexed actively according to a pre-defined kinematic pattern, and did not bend in response to fluid forces. When the tail is passively flexible, however, the large structures are composed of a number of smaller vortices, and the wake loses coherence as the degree of flexibility increases. Momentum balance calculations indicate that, at a given tailbeat frequency, increasing the tail flexibility yields less net force, but changing the cycle frequency to match the resonant frequency of the tail increases the force production. PMID:22246250

Stability and nonlinear adjustment of vortices in Keplerian flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bodo, G.; Tevzadze, A.; Chagelishvili, G.; Mignone, A.; Rossi, P.; Ferrari, A.

2007-11-01

Aims:We investigate the stability, nonlinear development and equilibrium structure of vortices in a background shearing Keplerian flow Methods: We make use of high-resolution global two-dimensional compressible hydrodynamic simulations. We introduce the concept of nonlinear adjustment to describe the transition of unbalanced vortical fields to a long-lived configuration. Results: We discuss the conditions under which vortical perturbations evolve into long-lived persistent structures and we describe the properties of these equilibrium vortices. The properties of equilibrium vortices appear to be independent from the initial conditions and depend only on the local disk parameters. In particular we find that the ratio of the vortex size to the local disk scale height increases with the decrease of the sound speed, reaching values well above the unity. The process of spiral density wave generation by the vortex, discussed in our previous work, appear to maintain its efficiency also at nonlinear amplitudes and we observe the formation of spiral shocks attached to the vortex. The shocks may have important consequences on the long term vortex evolution and possibly on the global disk dynamics. Conclusions: Our study strengthens the arguments in favor of anticyclonic vortices as the candidates for the promotion of planetary formation. Hydrodynamic shocks that are an intrinsic property of persistent vortices in compressible Keplerian flows are an important contributor to the overall balance. These shocks support vortices against viscous dissipation by generating local potential vorticity and should be responsible for the eventual fate of the persistent anticyclonic vortices. Numerical codes have be able to resolve shock waves to describe the vortex dynamics correctly.

Kinematic structure of convective-scale elements in the rainbands of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (2005)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hence, Deanna A.; Houze, Robert A.

2008-08-01

Airborne Doppler radar data collected during the Hurricane Rainband and Intensity Change Experiment (RAINEX) show the convective-scale air motions embedded in the principal rainbands of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. These embedded convective cells have overturning updrafts and low-level downdrafts (originating at 2-4 km) that enter the rainband on its radially outward side and cross over each other within the rainband as well as a strong downdraft emanating from upper levels (6+ km) on the radially inward side. These vertical motion structures repeat from one convective cell to another along each rainband. The resulting net vertical mass transport is upward in the upwind portion of the band and greatest in the middle sector of the principal rainband, where the updraft motions contribute generally to an increase of potential vorticity below the 3-4 km level. Because the convective cells in the middle sector are systematically located radially just inside the secondary horizontal wind maximum (SHWM), the local increase in vorticity implied by the convective mass transport is manifest locally as an increase in the strength of the SHWM at midlevels (˜4 km). The overturning updrafts of the convective cells tilt, stretch, and vertically transport vorticity such that the convergence of the vertical flux of vorticity strengthens the vorticity anomaly associated with the SHWM. This process could strengthen the SHWM by several meters per second per hour, and may explain how high wave number convective-scale features can influence a low wave number feature such as the principal rainband, and subsequently influence the primary vortex.

Filtered Rayleigh scattering mixing measurements of merging and non-merging streamwise vortex interactions in supersonic flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ground, Cody R.; Gopal, Vijay; Maddalena, Luca

2018-04-01

By introducing large-scale streamwise vortices into a supersonic flow it is possible to enhance the rate of mixing between two fluid streams. However, increased vorticity content alone does not explicitly serve as a predictor of mixing enhancement. Additional factors, particularly the mutual interactions occurring between neighboring vortical structures, affect the underlying fundamental physics that influence the rate at which the fluids mix. As part of a larger systematic study on supersonic streamwise vortex interactions, this work experimentally quantifies the average rate of mixing of helium and air in the presence of two separate modes of vortex interaction, the merging and non-merging of a pair of co-rotating vortices. In these experiments vortex-generating expansion ramps are placed on a strut injector. The freestream Mach number is set at 2.5 and helium is injected as a passive scalar. Average injectant mole fractions at selected flow planes downstream of the injector are measured utilizing the filtered Rayleigh scattering technique. The filtered Rayleigh scattering measurements reveal that, in the domain surveyed, the merging vortex interaction strongly displaces the plume from its initial horizontal orientation while the non-merging vortex interaction more rapidly mixes the helium and air. The results of the current experiments are consistent with associated knowledge derived from previous analyses of the two studied configurations which have included the detailed experimental characterization of entrainment, turbulent kinetic energy, and vorticity of both modes of vortex interaction.

A thermodynamically general theory for convective vortices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Renno, Nilton O.

2008-08-01

Convective vortices are common features of atmospheres that absorb lower-entropy-energy at higher temperatures than they reject higher-entropy-energy to space. These vortices range from small to large-scale and play an important role in the vertical transport of heat, momentum, and tracer species. Thus, the development of theoretical models for convective vortices is important to our understanding of some of the basic features of planetary atmospheres. The heat engine framework is a useful tool for studying convective vortices. However, current theories assume that convective vortices are reversible heat engines. Since there are questions about how reversible real atmospheric heat engines are, their usefulness for studying real atmospheric vortices is somewhat controversial. In order to reduce this problem, a theory for convective vortices that includes irreversible processes is proposed. The paper's main result is that the proposed theory provides an expression for the pressure drop along streamlines that includes the effects of irreversible processes. It is shown that a simplified version of this expression is a generalization of Bernoulli's equation to convective circulations. It is speculated that the proposed theory not only explains the intensity, but also sheds light on other basic features of convective vortices such as their physical appearance.

Why do large and small scales couple in a turbulent boundary layer?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bandyopadhyay, Promode R.

2011-11-01

Correlation measurement, which is not definitive, suggests that large and small scales in a turbulent boundary layer (TBL) couple. A TBL is modeled as a jungle of interacting nonlinear oscillators to explore the origin of the coupling. These oscillators have the inherent property of self-sustainability, disturbance rejection, and of self-referential phase reset whereby several oscillators can phase align (or have constant phase difference between them) when an ``external'' impulse is applied. Consequently, these properties of a TBL are accounted for: self-sustainability, return of the wake component after a disturbance is removed, and the formation of the 18o large structures, which are composed of a sequential train of hairpin vortices. The nonlinear ordinary differential equations of the oscillators are solved using an analog circuit for rapid solution. The post-bifurcation limit cycles are determined. A small scale and a large scale are akin to two different oscillators. The state variables from the two disparate interacting oscillators are shown to couple and the small scales appear at certain regions of the phase of the large scale. The coupling is a consequence of the nonlinear oscillatory behavior. Although state planes exist where the disparate scales appear de-superposed, all scales in a TBL are in fact coupled and they cannot be monochromatically isolated.

Increased heat transfer to a cylindrical leading edge due to spanwise variations in the freestream velocity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rigby, D. L.; Vanfossen, G. J.

1991-01-01

The present study numerically demonstrates how small spanwise variations in velocity upstream of a body can cause relatively large increases in the spanwise-averaged heat transfer to the leading edge. Vorticity introduced by spanwise variations, first decays as it drifts downstream, then amplifies in the stagnation region as a result of vortex stretching. This amplification can cause a periodic array of 3 D structures, similar to horseshoe vortices, to form. The numerical results indicate that, for the given wavelength, there is an amplitude threshold below which a structure does not form. A one-dimensional analysis, to predict the decay of vorticity in the absence of the body, in conjunction with the full numerical results indicated that the threshold is more accurately stated as minimum level of vorticity required in the leading edge region for a structure to form. It is possible, using the one-dimensional analysis, to compute an optimum wavelength in terms of the maximum vorticity reaching the leading edge region for given amplitude. A discussion is presented which relates experimentally observed trends to the trends of the present phenomena.

Simulation of Venus polar vortices with the non-hydrostatic general circulation model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodin, Alexander V.; Mingalev, Oleg; Orlov, Konstantin

2012-07-01

The dynamics of Venus atmosphere in the polar regions presents a challenge for general circulation models. Numerous images and hyperspectral data from Venus Express mission shows that above 60 degrees latitude atmospheric motion is substantially different from that of the tropical and extratropical atmosphere. In particular, extended polar hoods composed presumably of fine haze particles, as well as polar vortices revealing mesoscale wave perturbations with variable zonal wavenumbers, imply the significance of vertical motion in these circulation elements. On these scales, however, hydrostatic balance commonly used in the general circulation models is no longer valid, and vertical forces have to be taken into account to obtain correct wind field. We present the first non-hydrostatic general circulation model of the Venus atmosphere based on the full set of gas dynamics equations. The model uses uniform grid with the resolution of 1.2 degrees in horizontal and 200 m in the vertical direction. Thermal forcing is simulated by means of relaxation approximation with specified thermal profile and time scale. The model takes advantage of hybrid calculations on graphical processors using CUDA technology in order to increase performance. Simulations show that vorticity is concentrated at high latitudes within planetary scale, off-axis vortices, precessing with a period of 30 to 40 days. The scale and position of these vortices coincides with polar hoods observed in the UV images. The regions characterized with high vorticity are surrounded by series of small vortices which may be caused by shear instability of the zonal flow. Vertical velocity component implies that in the central part of high vorticity areas atmospheric flow is downwelling and perturbed by mesoscale waves with zonal wavenumbers 1-4, resembling observed wave structures in the polar vortices. Simulations also show the existence of areas with strong vertical flow, concentrated in spiral branches extending from low latitude to the circumpolar vortex. Qualitatively this pattern suggest that the dynamics of the polar Venus atmosphere resembles that of terrestrial hurricanes, but is characterized with preferentially poleward and downwelling motions.

On the physical basis of succussion.

PubMed

Torres, J L

2002-10-01

It is argued that succussion drives the homeopathic tincture undergoing potentisation to a turbulent regime, where vortices continually form and disappear, ranging in size from the linear extent of the container to a minimum scale determined by viscosity and the rate of energy dissipation. Input mechanical energy cascades down this population of eddies and becomes available at the microscopic level to perform work (chemical, electrical, etc). A structure generated in the tincture would be rupted by vortices smaller than it, and this sets definite limits on the strength of succussion, so the power input leads to larger vortices than the structures one is trying to create and preserve through potentisation. An experimental procedure to test this proposal is suggested, based on Rayleigh scattering.

An experimental and numerical investigation on the formation of stall-cells on airfoils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manolesos, M.; Papadakis, G.; Voutsinas, S.

2014-12-01

Stall Cells (SCs) are large scale three-dimensional structures of separated flow that have been observed on the suction side of airfoils designed for or used on wind turbine blades. SCs are unstable in nature but can be stabilised by means of a localized disturbance; here in the form of a zigzag tape covering 10% of the wing span. Based on extensive tuft flow visualisations, the resulting flow was found macroscopically similar to the undisturbed flow. Next a combined investigation was carried out including pressure recordings, Stereo-PIV measurements and CFD simulations. The investigation parameters were the aspect ratio, the angle of attack and the Re number. Tuft and pressure data were found in good agreement. The 3D CFD simulations reproduced the structure of the SCs in qualitative agreement with the experimental data but had a delay of ~3deg in capturing the first appearance of a SC. The error in Cl max prediction was 7% compared to 19% for the 2D cases. Tests show that SCs grow with Re number and angle of attack. Also analysis of the time averaged computational results indicated the presence of three types of vortices: (a) the trailing edge line vortex (TELV) in the wake, (b) the separation line vortex (SLV) over the wing and (c) the SC vortices. The TELV and SLV run parallel to the trailing edge and are of opposite sign, while the SC vortices start normal to the wing suction surface, then bend towards the SC centre and later extend downstream, with their vorticity parallel to the free stream.

Characteristics and controllability of vortices in ferromagnetics, ferroelectrics, and multiferroics.

PubMed

Zheng, Yue; Chen, W J

2017-08-01

Topological defects in condensed matter are attracting e significant attention due to their important role in phase transition and their fascinating characteristics. Among the various types of matter, ferroics which possess a switchable physical characteristic and form domain structure are ideal systems to form topological defects. In particular, a special class of topological defects-vortices-have been found to commonly exist in ferroics. They often manifest themselves as singular regions where domains merge in large systems, or stabilize as novel order states instead of forming domain structures in small enough systems. Understanding the characteristics and controllability of vortices in ferroics can provide us with deeper insight into the phase transition of condensed matter and also exciting opportunities in designing novel functional devices such as nano-memories, sensors, and transducers based on topological defects. In this review, we summarize the recent experimental and theoretical progress in ferroic vortices, with emphasis on those spin/dipole vortices formed in nanoscale ferromagnetics and ferroelectrics, and those structural domain vortices formed in multiferroic hexagonal manganites. We begin with an overview of this field. The fundamental concepts of ferroic vortices, followed by the theoretical simulation and experimental methods to explore ferroic vortices, are then introduced. The various characteristics of vortices (e.g. formation mechanisms, static/dynamic features, and electronic properties) and their controllability (e.g. by size, geometry, external thermal, electrical, magnetic, or mechanical fields) in ferromagnetics, ferroelectrics, and multiferroics are discussed in detail in individual sections. Finally, we conclude this review with an outlook on this rapidly developing field.

Large eddy simulation of orientation and rotation of ellipsoidal particles in isotropic turbulent flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jincai; Jin, Guodong; Zhang, Jian

2016-03-01

The rotational motion and orientational distribution of ellipsoidal particles in turbulent flows are of significance in environmental and engineering applications. Whereas the translational motion of an ellipsoidal particle is controlled by the turbulent motions at large scales, its rotational motion is determined by the fluid velocity gradient tensor at small scales, which raises a challenge when predicting the rotational dispersion of ellipsoidal particles using large eddy simulation (LES) method due to the lack of subgrid scale (SGS) fluid motions. We report the effects of the SGS fluid motions on the orientational and rotational statistics, such as the alignment between the long axis of ellipsoidal particles and the vorticity, the mean rotational energy at various aspect ratios against those obtained with direct numerical simulation (DNS) and filtered DNS. The performances of a stochastic differential equation (SDE) model for the SGS velocity gradient seen by the particles and the approximate deconvolution method (ADM) for LES are investigated. It is found that the missing SGS fluid motions in LES flow fields have significant effects on the rotational statistics of ellipsoidal particles. Alignment between the particles and the vorticity is weakened; and the rotational energy of the particles is reduced in LES. The SGS-SDE model leads to a large error in predicting the alignment between the particles and the vorticity and over-predicts the rotational energy of rod-like particles. The ADM significantly improves the rotational energy prediction of particles in LES.

Turbulent structures in wall-bounded shear flows observed via three-dimensional numerical simulators. [using the Illiac 4 computer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leonard, A.

1980-01-01

Three recent simulations of tubulent shear flow bounded by a wall using the Illiac computer are reported. These are: (1) vibrating-ribbon experiments; (2) study of the evolution of a spot-like disturbance in a laminar boundary layer; and (3) investigation of turbulent channel flow. A number of persistent flow structures were observed, including streamwise and vertical vorticity distributions near the wall, low-speed and high-speed streaks, and local regions of intense vertical velocity. The role of these structures in, for example, the growth or maintenance of turbulence is discussed. The problem of representing the large range of turbulent scales in a computer simulation is also discussed.

Ordered structures and jet noise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Petersen, R. A.; Kaplan, R. E.; Laufer, J.

1974-01-01

A series of measurements of near field pressures and turbulent velocity fluctuations were made in a jet having a Reynolds number of about 50,000 in order to investigate more quantitatively the character and behavior of the large scale structures, and to ascertain their importance to the jet noise problem. It was found that the process of interaction between vortices can be inhibited by artificially exciting the shear layers with periodic disturbances of certain frequency. The turbulent fluctuation amplitudes measured at four diameters downstream decreased considerably. Finally, it was observed that the passage frequency of the structures decreased with x in a similar manner as the frequency corresponding to the maximum intensity radiation emanating from the same value of x.

Polar vortices on Earth and Mars: A comparative study of the climatology and variability from reanalyses.

PubMed

Mitchell, D M; Montabone, L; Thomson, S; Read, P L

2015-01-01

Polar vortices on Mars provide case-studies to aid understanding of geophysical vortex dynamics and may help to resolve long-standing issues regarding polar vortices on Earth. Due to the recent development of the first publicly available Martian reanalysis dataset (MACDA), for the first time we are able to characterise thoroughly the structure and evolution of the Martian polar vortices, and hence perform a systematic comparison with the polar vortices on Earth. The winter atmospheric circulations of the two planets are compared, with a specific focus on the structure and evolution of the polar vortices. The Martian residual meridional overturning circulation is found to be very similar to the stratospheric residual circulation on Earth during winter. While on Earth this residual circulation is very different from the Eulerian circulation, on Mars it is found to be very similar. Unlike on Earth, it is found that the Martian polar vortices are annular, and that the Northern Hemisphere vortex is far stronger than its southern counterpart. While winter hemisphere differences in vortex strength are also reported on Earth, the contrast is not as large. Distinctions between the two planets are also apparent in terms of the climatological vertical structure of the vortices, in that the Martian polar vortices are observed to decrease in size at higher altitudes, whereas on Earth the opposite is observed. Finally, it is found that the Martian vortices are less variable through the winter than on Earth, especially in terms of the vortex geometry. During one particular major regional dust storm on Mars (Martian year 26), an equatorward displacement of the vortex is observed, sharing some qualitative characteristics of sudden stratospheric warmings on Earth.

Polar vortices on Earth and Mars: A comparative study of the climatology and variability from reanalyses

PubMed Central

Mitchell, D M; Montabone, L; Thomson, S; Read, P L

2015-01-01

Polar vortices on Mars provide case-studies to aid understanding of geophysical vortex dynamics and may help to resolve long-standing issues regarding polar vortices on Earth. Due to the recent development of the first publicly available Martian reanalysis dataset (MACDA), for the first time we are able to characterise thoroughly the structure and evolution of the Martian polar vortices, and hence perform a systematic comparison with the polar vortices on Earth. The winter atmospheric circulations of the two planets are compared, with a specific focus on the structure and evolution of the polar vortices. The Martian residual meridional overturning circulation is found to be very similar to the stratospheric residual circulation on Earth during winter. While on Earth this residual circulation is very different from the Eulerian circulation, on Mars it is found to be very similar. Unlike on Earth, it is found that the Martian polar vortices are annular, and that the Northern Hemisphere vortex is far stronger than its southern counterpart. While winter hemisphere differences in vortex strength are also reported on Earth, the contrast is not as large. Distinctions between the two planets are also apparent in terms of the climatological vertical structure of the vortices, in that the Martian polar vortices are observed to decrease in size at higher altitudes, whereas on Earth the opposite is observed. Finally, it is found that the Martian vortices are less variable through the winter than on Earth, especially in terms of the vortex geometry. During one particular major regional dust storm on Mars (Martian year 26), an equatorward displacement of the vortex is observed, sharing some qualitative characteristics of sudden stratospheric warmings on Earth. PMID:26300564

Direct numerical simulation of the flow around an aerofoil in ramp-up motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosti, Marco E.; Omidyeganeh, Mohammad; Pinelli, Alfredo

2016-02-01

A detailed analysis of the flow around a NACA0020 aerofoil at Rec = 2 × 104 undergoing a ramp up motion has been carried out by means of direct numerical simulations. During the manoeuvre, the angle of attack is linearly varied in time between 0° and 20° with a constant rate of change of α ˙ rad = 0 . 12 U ∞ / c . When the angle of incidence has reached the final value, the lift experiences a first overshoot and then suddenly decreases towards the static stall asymptotic value. The transient instantaneous flow is dominated by the generation and detachment of the dynamic stall vortex, a large scale structure formed by the merging of smaller scales vortices generated by an instability originating at the trailing edge. New insights on the vorticity dynamics leading to the lift overshoot, lift crisis, and the damped oscillatory cycle that gradually matches the steady condition are discussed using a number of post-processing techniques. These include a detailed analysis of the flow ensemble average statistics and coherent structures identification carried out using the Q -criterion and the finite-time Lyapunov exponent technique. The results are compared with the one obtained in a companion simulation considering a static stall condition at the final angle of incidence α = 20°.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Phillips, Carolyn L.; Guo, Hanqi; Peterka, Tom

In type-II superconductors, the dynamics of magnetic flux vortices determine their transport properties. In the Ginzburg-Landau theory, vortices correspond to topological defects in the complex order parameter field. Earlier, in Phillips et al. [Phys. Rev. E 91, 023311 (2015)], we introduced a method for extracting vortices from the discretized complex order parameter field generated by a large-scale simulation of vortex matter. With this method, at a fixed time step, each vortex [simplistically, a one-dimensional (1D) curve in 3D space] can be represented as a connected graph extracted from the discretized field. Here we extend this method as a function ofmore » time as well. A vortex now corresponds to a 2D space-time sheet embedded in 4D space time that can be represented as a connected graph extracted from the discretized field over both space and time. Vortices that interact by merging or splitting correspond to disappearance and appearance of holes in the connected graph in the time direction. This method of tracking vortices, which makes no assumptions about the scale or behavior of the vortices, can track the vortices with a resolution as good as the discretization of the temporally evolving complex scalar field. Additionally, even details of the trajectory between time steps can be reconstructed from the connected graph. With this form of vortex tracking, the details of vortex dynamics in a model of a superconducting materials can be understood in greater detail than previously possible.« less

Numerical prediction of the Mid-Atlantic states cyclone of 18-19 February 1979

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Atlas, R.; Rosenberg, R.

1982-01-01

A series of forecast experiments was conducted to assess the accuracy of the GLAS model, and to determine the importance of large scale dynamical processes and diabatic heating to the cyclogenesis. The GLAS model correctly predicted intense coastal cyclogenesis and heavy precipitation. Repeated without surface heat and moisture fluxes, the model failed to predict any cyclone development. An extended range forecast, a forecast from the NMC analysis interpolated to the GLAS grid, and a forecast from the GLAS analysis with the surface moisture flux excluded predicted weak coastal low development. Diabatic heating resulting from oceanic fluxes significantly contributed to the generation of low level cyclonic vorticity and the intensification and slow rate of movement of an upper level ridge over the western Atlantic. As an upper level short wave trough approached this ridge, diabatic heating associated with the release of latent heat intensified, and the gradient of vorticity, vorticity advection and upper level divergence in advance of the trough were greatly increased, providing strong large scale forcing for the surface cyclogenesis.

Experimental analysis of the vorticity and turbulent flow dynamics of a pitching airfoil at realistic flight (helicopter) conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahoo, Dipankar

Improved basic understanding, predictability, and controllability of vortex-dominated and unsteady aerodynamic flows are important in enhancement of the performance of next generation helicopters. The primary objective of this research project was improved understanding of the fundamental vorticity and turbulent flow physics for a dynamically stalling airfoil at realistic helicopter flight conditions. An experimental program was performed on a large-scale (C = 0.45 m) dynamically pitching NACA 0012 wing operating in the Texas A&M University large-scale wind tunnel. High-resolution particle image velocimetry data were acquired on the first 10-15% of the wing. Six test cases were examined including the unsteady (k>0) and steady (k=0) conditions. The relevant mechanical, shear and turbulent time-scales were all of comparable magnitude, which indicated that the flow was in a state of mechanical non-equilibrium, and the expected flow separation and reattachment hystersis was observed. Analyses of the databases provided new insights into the leading-edge Reynolds stress structure and the turbulent transport processes. Both of which were previously uncharacterized. During the upstroke motion of the wing, a bubble structure formed in the leading-edge Reynolds shear stress. The size of the bubble increased with increasing angle-of-attack before being diffused into a shear layer at full separation. The turbulent transport analyses indicated that the axial stress production was positive, where the transverse production was negative. This implied that axial turbulent stresses were being produced from the axial component of the mean flow. A significant portion of the energy was transferred to the transverse stress through the pressure-strain redistribution, and then back to the transverse mean flow through the negative transverse production. An opposite trend was observed further downstream of this region.

Spatiotemporal evolution of hairpin eddies, Reynolds stress, and polymer torque in polymer drag-reduced turbulent channel flows.

PubMed

Kim, Kyoungyoun; Sureshkumar, Radhakrishna

2013-06-01

To study the influence of dynamic interactions between turbulent vortical structures and polymer stress on turbulent friction drag reduction, a series of simulations of channel flow is performed. We obtain self-consistent evolution of an initial eddy in the presence of polymer stresses by utilizing the finitely extensible nonlinear elastic-Peterlin (FENE-P) model. The initial eddy is extracted by the conditional averages for the second quadrant event from fully turbulent Newtonian flow, and the initial polymer conformation fields are given by the solutions of the FENE-P model equations corresponding to the mean shear flow in the Newtonian case. At a relatively low Weissenberg number We(τ) (=50), defined as the ratio of the polymer relaxation time to the wall time scale, the generation of new vortices is inhibited by polymer-induced countertorques. Thus fewer vortices are generated in the buffer layer. However, the head of the primary hairpin is unaffected by the polymer stress. At larger We(τ) values (≥100), the hairpin head becomes weaker and vortex autogeneration and Reynolds stress growth are almost entirely suppressed. The temporal evolution of the vortex strength and polymer torque magnitude reveals that polymer extension by the vortical motion results in a polymer torque that increases in magnitude with time until a maximum value is reached over a time scale comparable to the polymer relaxation time. The polymer torque retards the vortical motion and Reynolds stress production, which in turn weakens flow-induced chain extension and torque itself. An analysis of the vortex time scales reveals that with increasing We(τ), vortical motions associated with a broader range of time scales are affected by the polymer stress. This is qualitatively consistent with Lumley's time criterion for the onset of drag reduction.

Zombie Turbulence and More in Stratified Couette Flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marcus, Philip; Barranco, Joe; Pei, Suyang; Jiang, Chung-Hsiang

2016-11-01

Zombie turbulence occurs in rotating, shearing vertically-stratified flows such as stratified Couette flows. The turbulence is triggered by a neutrally-stable eigenmode with a critical layer receptive to finite-amplitude perturbations. Once excited, the critical layer becomes a vortex layer pair that rolls up into discrete vortices. Those vortices excite new critical layers, and the process repeats ad infinitum. When the vortex amplitudes become sufficiently large, the flow becomes turbulent. Although possessing a mid-range energy spectrum with E (k) k - 5 / 3 , the turbulence is non-Kolmogorov, highly anisotropic, and with large turbulent, but coherent, structures that retain the length scales of the spacing between the critical layers. The motivation for this study is protoplanetary disks (PPDs) where new stars form. In the PPD the Brunt-Vaisala frequency N increases as a function of distance from the midplane where it is zero. We cannot trigger the initial finite amplitude instability where N is small (close to the midplane). However, computations in PPDs and Couette flows show that zombie turbulence forms where N is large, and then a new type of turbulence, that is neither zombie nor Kolmogorov turbulence, fills in the remainder of the domain even where N = 0 .

Flow field topology of submerged jets with fractal generated turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cafiero, Gioacchino; Discetti, Stefano; Astarita, Tommaso

2015-11-01

Fractal grids (FGs) have been recently an object of numerous investigations due to the interesting capability of generating turbulence at multiple scales, thus paving the way to tune mixing and scalar transport. The flow field topology of a turbulent air jet equipped with a square FG is investigated by means of planar and volumetric particle image velocimetry. The comparison with the well-known features of a round jet without turbulence generators is also presented. The Reynolds number based on the nozzle exit section diameter for all the experiments is set to about 15 000. It is demonstrated that the presence of the grid enhances the entrainment rate and, as a consequence, the scalar transfer of the jet. Moreover, due to the effect of the jet external shear layer on the wake shed by the grid bars, the turbulence production region past the grid is significantly shortened with respect to the documented behavior of fractal grids in free-shear conditions. The organization of the large coherent structures in the FG case is also analyzed and discussed. Differently from the well-known generation of toroidal vortices due to the growth of azimuthal disturbances within the jet shear layer, the fractal grid introduces cross-wise disturbs which produce streamwise vortices; these structures, although characterized by a lower energy content, have a deeper streamwise penetration than the ring vortices, thus enhancing the entrainment process.

Dynamic mode decomposition of separated flow over a finite blunt plate: time-resolved particle image velocimetry measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yingzheng; Zhang, Qingshan

2015-07-01

Dynamic mode decomposition (DMD) analysis was performed on a large number of realizations of the separated flow around a finite blunt plate, which were determined by using planar time-resolved particle image velocimetry (TR-PIV). Three plates with different chord-to-thickness ratios corresponding to globally different flow patterns were particularly selected for comparison: L/D = 3.0, 6.0 and 9.0. The main attention was placed on dynamic variations in the dominant events and their interactive influences on the global fluid flow in terms of the DMD analysis. Toward this end, a real-time data transfer from the high-speed camera to the arrayed disks was built to enable continuous sampling of the spatiotemporally varying flows at the frequency of 250 Hz for a long run. The spectra of the wall-normal velocity fluctuation, the energy spectra of the DMD modes, and their spatial patterns convincingly determined the energetic unsteady events, i.e., St = 0.051 (Karman vortex street), 0.109 (harmonic event of Karman vortex street) and 0.197 (leading-edge vortex) in the shortest system L/D = 3.0, St = 0.159 (Karman vortex street) and 0.242 (leading-edge vortex) in the system L/D = 6.0, and St = 0.156 (Karman vortex street) and 0.241 (leading-edge vortex) in the longest system L/D = 9.0. In the shortest system L/D = 3.0, the first DMD mode pattern demonstrated intensified entrainment of the massive fluid above and below the whole plate by the Karman vortex street. The phase-dependent variation in the low-order flow field elucidated that this motion was sustained by the consecutive mechanisms of the convective leading-edge vortices near the upper and lower trailing edges, and the large-scale vortical structures occurring immediately behind the trailing edge, whereas the leading-edge vortices were entrained and decayed into the near wake. For the system L/D = 6.0, the closely approximated energy spectra at St = 0.159 and 0.242 indicated the balanced dominance of dual unsteady events in the measurement region. The Karman vortex street was found to induce considerable localized movement of the fluid near the trailing edges of the plate. However, the leading-edge vortices near the trailing edge were found to detach away from the plate and fully decay around 0.5 D behind the trailing edge, where a well-ordered origination of the downstream large-scale vortical structures (the Karman vortex street) was established and might be locally energized by the decayed leading-edge vortex. In the longest system L/D = 9.0, the phase-dependent variations in the low-order flow disclosed a rapid decay of the leading-edge vortices beyond the reattachment zone, reaching the fully diffused state near the trailing edges. Accordingly, no clear signature of the interaction between the Karman vortex street and the leading-edge vortex could be found in the dynamic process of the leading-edge vortex.

Large-eddy simulations of a forced homogeneous isotropic turbulence with polymer additives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Lu; Cai, Wei-Hua; Li, Feng-Chen

2014-03-01

Large-eddy simulations (LES) based on the temporal approximate deconvolution model were performed for a forced homogeneous isotropic turbulence (FHIT) with polymer additives at moderate Taylor Reynolds number. Finitely extensible nonlinear elastic in the Peterlin approximation model was adopted as the constitutive equation for the filtered conformation tensor of the polymer molecules. The LES results were verified through comparisons with the direct numerical simulation results. Using the LES database of the FHIT in the Newtonian fluid and the polymer solution flows, the polymer effects on some important parameters such as strain, vorticity, drag reduction, and so forth were studied. By extracting the vortex structures and exploring the flatness factor through a high-order correlation function of velocity derivative and wavelet analysis, it can be found that the small-scale vortex structures and small-scale intermittency in the FHIT are all inhibited due to the existence of the polymers. The extended self-similarity scaling law in the polymer solution flow shows no apparent difference from that in the Newtonian fluid flow at the currently simulated ranges of Reynolds and Weissenberg numbers.

Borneo Vortices: A case study and its relation to climatology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braesicke, P.; Ooi, S. H.; Samah, A. A.

2012-04-01

Borneo vortices (BVs) develop over the South China Sea and are main drivers for the formation of deep convection and heavy rainfall in East Malaysia. We present a case study of a cold-surge-induced BV during January 2010 in which the export of potential energy lead to a strengthening of the subtropical jet. Potential vorticity (PV) and water vapour analyses confirm a significant impact of the BV on upper tropospheric composition. Dry, high PV air is found far below 100 hPa in the vicinty of the vortex. Using a PV threshold analysis of ERA-Interim data we construct a climatological composite of similar events and characterise the thermal, dynamical and composition structure of a 'typical' BV. We note the preferential formation of BVs during ENSO cold conditions and show that two effects contribute to the formation of the dry upper layer above a BV: Air is vertically transported upwards in the BV whilst precipitating and the large scale flow in which the BV is embedded advect dry, ozone rich air from the equatorial TTL over the BV. Thus the occurence frequency of BVs is important for the regional variability of upper tropospheric/lower stratospheric composition.

Spanwise vorticity and wall normal velocity structure in the inertial region of turbulent boundary layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cuevas Bautista, Juan Carlos; Morrill-Winter, Caleb; White, Christopher; Chini, Gregory; Klewicki, Joseph

2017-11-01

The Reynolds shear stress gradient is a leading order mechanism on the inertial domain of turbulent wall-flows. This quantity can be described relative to the sum of two velocity-vorticity correlations, vωz and wωy . Recent studies suggest that the first of these correlates with the step-like structure of the instantaneous streamwise velocity profile on the inertial layer. This structure is comprised of large zones of uniform momentum segregated by slender regions of concentrated vorticity. In this talk we study the contributions of the v and ωz motions to the vorticity transport (vωz) mechanism through the use of experimental data at large friction Reynolds numbers, δ+. The primary contributions to v and ωz were estimated by identifying the peak wavelengths of their streamwise spectra. The magnitudes of these peaks are of the same order, and are shown to exhibit a weak δ+ dependence. The peak wavelengths of v, however, exhibit a strong wall-distance (y) dependence, while the peak wavelengths of ωz show only a weak y dependence, and remain almost O (√{δ+}) in size throughout the inertial domain. This research was partially supported by the National Science Foundation and partially supported by the Australian Research Council.

The flame structure and vorticity generated by a chemically reacting transverse jet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karagozian, A. R.

1986-01-01

An analytical model describing the behavior of a turbulent fuel jet injected normally into a cross flow is developed. The model places particular emphasis on the contrarotating vortex pair associated with the jet, and predicts the flame length and shape based on entrainment of the oxidizer by the fuel jet. Effects of buoyancy and density variations in the flame are neglected in order to isolate the effects of large-scale mixing. The results are compared with a simulation of the transverse reacting jet in a liquid (acid-base) system. For a wide range of ratios of the cross flow to jet velocity, the model predicts flame length quite well. In particular, the observed transitional behavior in the flame length between cross-flow velocity to jet velocity of orifice ratios of 0.0 to 0.1, yielding an approximate minimum at the ratio 0.05, is reproduced very clearly by the present model. The transformation in flow structure that accounts for this minimum arises from the differing components of vorticity dominant in the near-field and far-field regions of the jet.

The effect of wall geometry in particle-laden turbulent flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdehkakha, Hoora; Iaccarino, Gianluca

2016-11-01

Particle-laden turbulent flow plays a significant role in various industrial applications, as turbulence alters the exchange of momentum and energy between particles and fluid flow. In wall-bounded flows, inhomogeneity in turbulent properties is the primary cause of turbophoresis that leads the particles toward the walls. Conversely, shear-induced lift force on the particles can become important if large scale vortical structures are present. The objective of this study is to understand the effects of geometry on fluid flows and consequently on particles transport and concentration. Direct numerical simulations combined with point particle Lagrangian tracking are performed for several geometries such as a pipe, channel, square duct, and squircle (rounded-corners duct). In non-circular ducts, anisotropic and inhomogeneous Reynolds stresses are the most influential phenomena that produce the secondary flows. It has been shown that these motions can have a significant impact on transporting momentum, vorticity, and energy from the core of the duct to the corners. The main focus of the present study is to explore the effects of near the wall structures and secondary flows on turbophoresis, lift, and particle concentration.

Characteristics of tip-leakage flow in an axial fan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Keuntae; Choi, Haecheon; Choi, Seokho; Sa, Yongcheol

2014-11-01

An axial fan with a shroud generates complicated vortical structures by the interaction of the axial flow with the fan blades and shroud near the blade tips. Large eddy simulation (LES) is performed for flow through a forward-swept axial fan, operating at the design condition of Re = 547,000 based on the radius of blade tip and the tip velocity. A dynamic global model (Lee et al. 2010) is used for a subgrid-scale model, and an immersed boundary method in a non-inertial reference frame (Kim & Choi 2006) is adopted for the present simulation. It is found that two vortical structures are formed near the blade tip: the main tip leakage vortex (TLV) and the auxiliary TLV. The main TLV is initiated near the leading edge, develops downstream, and impinges on the pressure surface of the next blade, where the pressure fluctuations and turbulence intensity become high. On the other hand, the auxiliary TLV is initiated at the aft part of the blade but is relatively weak such that it merges with the main TLV. Supported by the KISTI Supercomputing Center (KSC-2014-C2-014).

Fourier imaging of non-linear structure formation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brandbyge, Jacob; Hannestad, Steen, E-mail: jacobb@phys.au.dk, E-mail: sth@phys.au.dk

We perform a Fourier space decomposition of the dynamics of non-linear cosmological structure formation in ΛCDM models. From N -body simulations involving only cold dark matter we calculate 3-dimensional non-linear density, velocity divergence and vorticity Fourier realizations, and use these to calculate the fully non-linear mode coupling integrals in the corresponding fluid equations. Our approach allows for a reconstruction of the amount of mode coupling between any two wavenumbers as a function of redshift. With our Fourier decomposition method we identify the transfer of power from larger to smaller scales, the stable clustering regime, the scale where vorticity becomes important,more » and the suppression of the non-linear divergence power spectrum as compared to linear theory. Our results can be used to improve and calibrate semi-analytical structure formation models.« less

Large-scale coherent structures of suspended dust concentration in the neutral atmospheric surface layer: A large-eddy simulation study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yangyue; Hu, Ruifeng; Zheng, Xiaojing

2018-04-01

Dust particles can remain suspended in the atmospheric boundary layer, motions of which are primarily determined by turbulent diffusion and gravitational settling. Little is known about the spatial organizations of suspended dust concentration and how turbulent coherent motions contribute to the vertical transport of dust particles. Numerous studies in recent years have revealed that large- and very-large-scale motions in the logarithmic region of laboratory-scale turbulent boundary layers also exist in the high Reynolds number atmospheric boundary layer, but their influence on dust transport is still unclear. In this study, numerical simulations of dust transport in a neutral atmospheric boundary layer based on an Eulerian modeling approach and large-eddy simulation technique are performed to investigate the coherent structures of dust concentration. The instantaneous fields confirm the existence of very long meandering streaks of dust concentration, with alternating high- and low-concentration regions. A strong negative correlation between the streamwise velocity and concentration and a mild positive correlation between the vertical velocity and concentration are observed. The spatial length scales and inclination angles of concentration structures are determined, compared with their flow counterparts. The conditionally averaged fields vividly depict that high- and low-concentration events are accompanied by a pair of counter-rotating quasi-streamwise vortices, with a downwash inside the low-concentration region and an upwash inside the high-concentration region. Through the quadrant analysis, it is indicated that the vertical dust transport is closely related to the large-scale roll modes, and ejections in high-concentration regions are the major mechanisms for the upward motions of dust particles.

Flow structure of knuckling effect in footballs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asai, Takeshi; Kamemoto, Kyoji

2011-07-01

The flight trajectory of a non-spinning or slow-spinning soccer ball might fluctuate in unpredictable ways, as for example, in the many free kicks of C. Ronaldo. Such anomalous horizontal shaking or rapid falling is termed the ‘knuckling effect’. However, the aerodynamic properties and boundary-layer dynamics affecting a ball during the knuckling effect are not well understood. In this study, we analyse the characteristics of the vortex structure of a soccer ball subject to the knuckling effect (knuckleball), using high-speed video images and smoke-generating agents. Two high-speed video cameras were set at one side and in front of the ball trajectory between the ball position and the goal; further, photographs were taken at 1000 fps and a resolution of 1024×512 pixels. Although in a previous study (Taneda, 1978), shedding of horseshoe vortices was observed for smooth spheres in the Reynolds number (Re) range of 3.8×105

Spindles and active vortices in a model of confined filament-motor mixtures.

PubMed

Head, David A; Briels, Wj; Gompper, Gerhard

2011-11-16

Robust self-organization of subcellular structures is a key principle governing the dynamics and evolution of cellular life. In fission yeast cells undergoing division, the mitotic spindle spontaneously emerges from the interaction of microtubules, motor proteins and the confining cell walls, and asters and vortices have been observed to self-assemble in quasi-two dimensional microtubule-kinesin assays. There is no clear microscopic picture of the role of the active motors driving this pattern formation, and the relevance of continuum modeling to filament-scale structures remains uncertain. Here we present results of numerical simulations of a discrete filament-motor protein model confined to a pressurised cylindrical box. Stable spindles, nematic configurations, asters and high-density semi-asters spontaneously emerge, the latter pair having also been observed in cytosol confined within emulsion droplets. State diagrams are presented delineating each stationary state as the pressure, motor speed and motor density are varied. We further highlight a parameter regime where vortices form exhibiting collective rotation of all filaments, but have a finite life-time before contracting to a semi-aster. Quantifying the distribution of life-times suggests this contraction is a Poisson process. Equivalent systems with fixed volume exhibit persistent vortices with stochastic switching in the direction of rotation, with switching times obeying similar statistics to contraction times in pressurised systems. Furthermore, we show that increasing the detachment rate of motors from filament plus-ends can both destroy vortices and turn some asters into vortices. We have shown that discrete filament-motor protein models provide new insights into the stationary and dynamical behavior of active gels and subcellular structures, because many phenomena occur on the length-scale of single filaments. Based on our findings, we argue the need for a deeper understanding of the microscopic activities underpinning macroscopic self-organization in active gels and urge further experiments to help bridge these lengths.

Experimental scaling law for the subcritical transition to turbulence in plane Poiseuille flow.

PubMed

Lemoult, Grégoire; Aider, Jean-Luc; Wesfreid, José Eduardo

2012-02-01

We present an experimental study of the transition to turbulence in a plane Poiseuille flow. Using a well-controlled perturbation, we analyze the flow by using extensive particle image velocimetry and flow visualization (using laser-induced fluorescence) measurements, and use the deformation of the mean velocity profile as a criterion to characterize the state of the flow. From a large parametric study, four different states are defined, depending on the values of the Reynolds number and the amplitude of the perturbation. We discuss the role of coherent structures, such as hairpin vortices, in the transition. We find that the minimal amplitude of the perturbation triggering transition scales asymptotically as Re(-1).

The cosmic web and microwave background fossilize the first turbulent combustion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibson, Carl H.; Keeler, R. Norris

2016-10-01

Collisional fluid mechanics theory predicts a turbulent hot big bang at Planck conditions from large, negative, turbulence stresses below the Fortov-Kerr limit (< -10113 Pa). Big bang turbulence fossilized when quarks formed, extracting the mass energy of the universe by extreme negative viscous stresses of inflation, expanding to length scales larger than the horizon scale ct. Viscous-gravitational structure formation by fragmentation was triggered at big bang fossil vorticity turbulence vortex lines during the plasma epoch, as observed by the Planck space telescope. A cosmic web of protogalaxies, protogalaxyclusters, and protogalaxysuperclusters that formed in turbulent boundary layers of the spinning voids are hereby identified as expanding turbulence fossils that falsify CDMHC cosmology.

Characterizing the Severe Turbulence Environments Associated With Commercial Aviation Accidents. Part 1; 44 Case Study Synoptic Observational Analyses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaplan, Michael L.; Huffman, Allan W.; Lux, Kevin M.; Charney, Joseph J.; Riordan, Allan J.; Lin, Yuh-Lang; Proctor, Fred H. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

A 44 case study analysis of the large-scale atmospheric structure associated with development of accident-producing aircraft turbulence is described. Categorization is a function of the accident location, altitude, time of year, time of day, and the turbulence category, which classifies disturbances. National Centers for Environmental Prediction Reanalyses data sets and satellite imagery are employed to diagnose synoptic scale predictor fields associated with the large-scale environment preceding severe turbulence. These analyses indicate a predominance of severe accident-producing turbulence within the entrance region of a jet stream at the synoptic scale. Typically, a flow curvature region is just upstream within the jet entrance region, convection is within 100 km of the accident, vertical motion is upward, absolute vorticity is low, vertical wind shear is increasing, and horizontal cold advection is substantial. The most consistent predictor is upstream flow curvature and nearby convection is the second most frequent predictor.

Direct numerical simulation of turbulent channel flow with spanwise alternatively distributed strips control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ni, Weidan; Lu, Lipeng; Fang, Jian; Moulinec, Charles; Yao, Yufeng

2018-05-01

The effect of spanwise alternatively distributed strips (SADS) control on turbulent flow in a plane channel has been studied by direct numerical simulations to investigate the characteristics of large-scale streamwise vortices (LSSVs) induced by small-scale active wall actuation, and their potential in suppressing flow separation. SADS control is realized by alternatively arranging out-of-phase control (OPC) and in-phase control (IPC) wall actuations on the lower channel wall surface, in the spanwise direction. It is found that the coherent structures are suppressed or enhanced alternatively by OPC or IPC, respectively, leading to the formation of a vertical shear layer, which is responsible for the LSSVs’ presence. Large-scale low-speed region can also be observed above the OPC strips, which resemble large-scale low-speed streaks. LSSVs are found to be in a statistically-converged steady state and their cores are located between two neighboring OPC and IPC strips. Their motions contribute significantly to the momentum transport in the wall-normal and spanwise directions, demonstrating their potential ability to suppress flow separation.

On the application of a hairpin vortex model of wall turbulence to trailing edge noise prediction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, N. S.; Shamroth, S. J.

1985-01-01

The goal is to develop a technique via a hairpin vortex model of the turbulent boundary layer, which would lead to the estimation of the aerodynamic input for use in trailing edge noise prediction theories. The work described represents an initial step in reaching this goal. The hairpin vortex is considered as the underlying structure of the wall turbulence and the turbulent boundary layer is viewed as an ensemble of typical hairpin vortices of different sizes. A synthesis technique is examined which links the mean flow and various turbulence quantities via these typical vortices. The distribution of turbulence quantities among vortices of different scales follows directly from the probability distribution needed to give the measured mean flow vorticity. The main features of individual representative hairpin vortices are discussed in detail and a preliminary assessment of the synthesis approach is made.

Characterizing the Severe Turbulence Environments Associated with Commercial Aviation Accidents. Part 2; Hydrostatic Mesobeta Scale Numerical Simulations of Supergradient Wind Flow and Streamwise Ageostrophic Frontogenesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaplan, Michael L.; Huffman, Allan W.; Lux, Kevin M.; Cetola, Jeffrey D.; Charney, Joseph J.; Riordan, Allen J.; Lin, Yuh-Lang; Waight, Kenneth T., III; Proctor, Fred (Technical Monitor)

2003-01-01

Simulation experiments reveal key processes that organize a hydrostatic environment conducive to severe turbulence. The paradigm requires juxtaposition of the entrance region of a curved jet stream, which is highly subgeostrophic, with the entrance region of a straight jet stream, which is highly supergeostrophic. The wind and mass fields become misphased as the entrance regions converge resulting in the significant spatial variation of inertial forcing, centripetal forcing, and along- and cross-stream pressure gradient forcing over a mesobeta scale region. This results in frontogenesis and the along-stream divergence of cyclonic and convergence of cyclonic ageostrophic vertical vorticity. The centripetally forced mesoscale front becomes the locus of large gradients of ageostrophic vertical vorticity along an overturning isentrope. This region becomes favorable for streamwise vorticity gradient formation enhancing the environment for organization of horizontal vortex tubes in the presence of buoyant forcing.

The trispectrum in the Effective Field Theory of Large Scale Structure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bertolini, Daniele; Schutz, Katelin; Solon, Mikhail P.

2016-06-01

We compute the connected four point correlation function (the trispectrum in Fourier space) of cosmological density perturbations at one-loop order in Standard Perturbation Theory (SPT) and the Effective Field Theory of Large Scale Structure (EFT of LSS). This paper is a companion to our earlier work on the non-Gaussian covariance of the matter power spectrum, which corresponds to a particular wavenumber configuration of the trispectrum. In the present calculation, we highlight and clarify some of the subtle aspects of the EFT framework that arise at third order in perturbation theory for general wavenumber configurations of the trispectrum. We consistently incorporatemore » vorticity and non-locality in time into the EFT counterterms and lay out a complete basis of building blocks for the stress tensor. We show predictions for the one-loop SPT trispectrum and the EFT contributions, focusing on configurations which have particular relevance for using LSS to constrain primordial non-Gaussianity.« less

Mutual-friction induced instability of normal-fluid vortex tubes in superfluid helium-4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kivotides, Demosthenes

2018-06-01

It is shown that, as a result of its interactions with superfluid vorticity, a normal-fluid vortex tube in helium-4 becomes unstable and disintegrates. The superfluid vorticity acquires only a small (few percents of normal-fluid tube strength) polarization, whilst expanding in a front-like manner in the intervortex space of the normal-fluid, forming a dense, unstructured tangle in the process. The accompanied energy spectra scalings offer a structural explanation of analogous scalings in fully developed finite-temperature superfluid turbulence. A macroscopic mutual-friction model incorporating these findings is proposed.

Scale-dependent cyclone-anticyclone asymmetry in a forced rotating turbulence experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallet, B.; Campagne, A.; Cortet, P.-P.; Moisy, F.

2014-03-01

We characterize the statistical and geometrical properties of the cyclone-anticyclone asymmetry in a statistically steady forced rotating turbulence experiment. Turbulence is generated by a set of vertical flaps which continuously inject velocity fluctuations towards the center of a tank mounted on a rotating platform. We first characterize the cyclone-anticyclone asymmetry from conventional single-point vorticity statistics. We propose a phenomenological model to explain the emergence of the asymmetry in the experiment, from which we predict scaling laws for the root-mean-square velocity in good agreement with the experimental data. We further quantify the cyclone-anticyclone asymmetry using a set of third-order two-point velocity correlations. We focus on the correlations which are nonzero only if the cyclone-anticyclone symmetry is broken. They offer two advantages over single-point vorticity statistics: first, they are defined from velocity measurements only, so an accurate resolution of the Kolmogorov scale is not required; second, they provide information on the scale-dependence of the cyclone-anticyclone asymmetry. We compute these correlation functions analytically for a random distribution of independent identical vortices. These model correlations describe well the experimental ones, indicating that the cyclone-anticyclone asymmetry is dominated by the large-scale long-lived cyclones.

Characteristics and controllability of vortices in ferromagnetics, ferroelectrics, and multiferroics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Yue; Chen, W. J.

2017-08-01

Topological defects in condensed matter are attracting e significant attention due to their important role in phase transition and their fascinating characteristics. Among the various types of matter, ferroics which possess a switchable physical characteristic and form domain structure are ideal systems to form topological defects. In particular, a special class of topological defects—vortices—have been found to commonly exist in ferroics. They often manifest themselves as singular regions where domains merge in large systems, or stabilize as novel order states instead of forming domain structures in small enough systems. Understanding the characteristics and controllability of vortices in ferroics can provide us with deeper insight into the phase transition of condensed matter and also exciting opportunities in designing novel functional devices such as nano-memories, sensors, and transducers based on topological defects. In this review, we summarize the recent experimental and theoretical progress in ferroic vortices, with emphasis on those spin/dipole vortices formed in nanoscale ferromagnetics and ferroelectrics, and those structural domain vortices formed in multiferroic hexagonal manganites. We begin with an overview of this field. The fundamental concepts of ferroic vortices, followed by the theoretical simulation and experimental methods to explore ferroic vortices, are then introduced. The various characteristics of vortices (e.g. formation mechanisms, static/dynamic features, and electronic properties) and their controllability (e.g. by size, geometry, external thermal, electrical, magnetic, or mechanical fields) in ferromagnetics, ferroelectrics, and multiferroics are discussed in detail in individual sections. Finally, we conclude this review with an outlook on this rapidly developing field.

Rayleigh convective instability in a cloud medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shmerlin, B. Ya.; Shmerlin, M. B.

2017-09-01

The problem of convective instability of an atmospheric layer containing a horizontally finite region filled with a cloud medium is considered. Solutions exponentially growing with time, i.e., solitary cloud rolls or spatially localized systems of cloud rolls, have been constructed. In the case of axial symmetry, their analogs are convective vortices with both ascending and descending motions on the axis and cloud clusters with ring-shaped convective structures. Depending on the anisotropy of turbulent exchange, the scale of vortices changes from the tornado scale to the scale of tropical cyclones. The solutions with descending motions on the axis can correspond to the formation of a tornado funnel or a hurricane eye in tropical cyclones.

Three-dimensional vortex wake structure of flapping wings in hovering flight.

PubMed

Cheng, Bo; Roll, Jesse; Liu, Yun; Troolin, Daniel R; Deng, Xinyan

2014-02-06

Flapping wings continuously create and send vortices into their wake, while imparting downward momentum into the surrounding fluid. However, experimental studies concerning the details of the three-dimensional vorticity distribution and evolution in the far wake are limited. In this study, the three-dimensional vortex wake structure in both the near and far field of a dynamically scaled flapping wing was investigated experimentally, using volumetric three-component velocimetry. A single wing, with shape and kinematics similar to those of a fruitfly, was examined. The overall result of the wing action is to create an integrated vortex structure consisting of a tip vortex (TV), trailing-edge shear layer (TESL) and leading-edge vortex. The TESL rolls up into a root vortex (RV) as it is shed from the wing, and together with the TV, contracts radially and stretches tangentially in the downstream wake. The downwash is distributed in an arc-shaped region enclosed by the stretched tangential vorticity of the TVs and the RVs. A closed vortex ring structure is not observed in the current study owing to the lack of well-established starting and stopping vortex structures that smoothly connect the TV and RV. An evaluation of the vorticity transport equation shows that both the TV and the RV undergo vortex stretching while convecting downwards: a three-dimensional phenomenon in rotating flows. It also confirms that convection and secondary tilting and stretching effects dominate the evolution of vorticity.

Dynamics and mixing mechanism of transverse jet injection into a supersonic combustor with cavity flameholder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Chaoyang; Zhao, Yanhui; Wang, Zhenguo; Wang, Hongbo; Sun, Mingbo

2017-07-01

The interaction between sonic transverse jet and supersonic crossflow coupled with a cavity flameholder is investigated using large eddy simulation (LES), where the compressible flow dynamics and fuel mixing mechanism are analyzed emphatically. An adaptive central-upwind 6th-order weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO-CU6) scheme along with multi-threaded and multi-process MPI/OpenMP parallel is adopted to improve the accuracy and parallel efficiency of the solver. This simulation aims to reproduce the flow conditions in the experiment, and the results show fairly good agreement with the experimental data for distributions of streamwise and normal velocity components. Instantaneous structures such as the shock, large scale vortices and recirculation zone are identified, and their spatial deformation and temporal evolution are presented to reveal the effect on the subsequent mixing. Then some time-averaged and statistical results are obtained to explain the interesting phenomenon observed in the experiment, that there are two pairs of counter-rotating streamwise vortices existing in and above the cavity with the same rotation direction. The above pair is induced by the transverse momentum of jet in supersonic crossflow, which is so-called counter-rotating vortices (CRVs) in the flat-plate injection. On account of the entrainment, the reflux in the cavity transports to the core of jet wakes, and then another pair of counter-rotating streamwise vortices is formed below with the effect of cavity. A pair of trailing CRVs is generated at the trailing edge of cavity, and the turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) here is obviously higher than that in other regions. To some extent, the cavity can enhance the mixing, but will not bring excess total pressure loss.

Experimental study of vorticity-strain rate interaction in turbulent partially-premixed jet flames using tomographic particle image velocimetry

DOE PAGES

Coriton, Bruno; Frank, Jonathan H.

2016-02-16

In turbulent flows, the interaction between vorticity, ω, and strain rate, s, is considered a primary mechanism for the transfer of energy from large to small scales through vortex stretching. The ω-s coupling in turbulent jet flames is investigated using tomographic particle image velocimetry (TPIV). TPIV provides a direct measurement of the three-dimensional velocity field from which ω and s are determined. The effects of combustion and mean shear on the ω-s interaction are investigated in turbulent partially premixed methane/air jet flames with high and low probabilities of localized extinction as well as in a non-reacting isothermal air jet withmore » Reynolds number of approximately 13,000. Results show that combustion causes structures of high vorticity and strain rate to agglomerate in highly correlated, elongated layers that span the height of the probe volume. In the non-reacting jet, these structures have a more varied morphology, greater fragmentation, and are not as well correlated. The enhanced spatiotemporal correlation of vorticity and strain rate in the stable flame results in stronger ω-s interaction characterized by increased enstrophy and strain-rate production rates via vortex stretching and straining, respectively. The probability of preferential local alignment between ω and the eigenvector of the intermediate principal strain rate, s 2, which is intrinsic to the ω-s coupling in turbulent flows, is larger in the flames and increases with the flame stability. The larger mean shear in the flame imposes a preferential orientation of ω and s 2 tangential to the shear layer. The extensive and compressive principal strain rates, s 1 and s 3, respectively, are preferentially oriented at approximately 45° with respect to the jet axis. As a result, the production rates of strain and vorticity tend to be dominated by instances in which ω is parallel to the s 1¯-s 2¯ plane and orthogonal to s 3¯.« less

Estimation of the vortex length scale and intensity from two-dimensional samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reuss, D. L.; Cheng, W. P.

1992-01-01

A method is proposed for estimating flow features that influence flame wrinkling in reciprocating internal combustion engines, where traditional statistical measures of turbulence are suspect. Candidate methods were tested in a computed channel flow where traditional turbulence measures are valid and performance can be rationally evaluated. Two concepts are tested. First, spatial filtering is applied to the two-dimensional velocity distribution and found to reveal structures corresponding to the vorticity field. Decreasing the spatial-frequency cutoff of the filter locally changes the character and size of the flow structures that are revealed by the filter. Second, vortex length scale and intensity is estimated by computing the ensemble-average velocity distribution conditionally sampled on the vorticity peaks. The resulting conditionally sampled 'average vortex' has a peak velocity less than half the rms velocity and a size approximately equal to the two-point-correlation integral-length scale.

A small-scale turbulence model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lundgren, T. S.

1992-01-01

A model for the small-scale structure of turbulence is reformulated in such a way that it may be conveniently computed. The model is an ensemble of randomly oriented structured two dimensional vortices stretched by an axially symmetric strain flow. The energy spectrum of the resulting flow may be expressed as a time integral involving only the enstrophy spectrum of the time evolving two-dimensional cross section flow, which may be obtained numerically. Examples are given in which a k(exp -5/3) spectrum is obtained by this method without using large wave number asymptotic analysis. The k(exp -5/3) inertial range spectrum is shown to be related to the existence of a self-similar enstrophy preserving range in the two-dimensional enstrophy spectrum. The results are insensitive to time dependence of the strain-rate, including even intermittent on-or-off strains.

Vortex scaling ranges in two-dimensional turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgess, Helen; Scott, Richard; Dritschel, David

2017-11-01

We introduce a scaling theory for vortices in the forced inverse energy cascade of 2D turbulence. Far-from-equilibrium systems generically exhibit multiple scaling regimes associated with transport of conserved quantities. Motivated by this observation, we model a three-part time-evolving vortex number density distribution, n (A) tαiA-ri , i ∈ 1 , 2 , 3 , conserving the first three moments of ωv2n (A) in three distinct scaling ranges. Here ωv2 is the `vortex intensity', or mean square vorticity evaluated over vortices, and areas A are intense regions of vorticity bounded by vorticity isolines. We predict αi and ri by enforcing conservation in `comoving intervals', whose endpoints evolve at the vortex growth rate; this amounts to assuming invariance under the dilatation of flow features associated with the inverse cascade, and that vortex area growth is the appropriate measure of dilatation in all scaling ranges. High resolution numerical simulations verify the predictions, which are insensitive to the vorticity threshold used to isolate the areas. Similar concepts can be applied to model vortices in decaying 2D turbulence, pointing toward a unified description of vortices in both systems.

Persistent magnetic vortex flow at a supergranular vertex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Requerey, Iker S.; Cobo, Basilio Ruiz; Gošić, Milan; Bellot Rubio, Luis R.

2018-03-01

Context. Photospheric vortex flows are thought to play a key role in the evolution of magnetic fields. Recent studies show that these swirling motions are ubiquitous in the solar surface convection and occur in a wide range of temporal and spatial scales. Their interplay with magnetic fields is poorly characterized, however. Aims: We study the relation between a persistent photospheric vortex flow and the evolution of a network magnetic element at a supergranular vertex. Methods: We used long-duration sequences of continuum intensity images acquired with Hinode and the local correlation-tracking method to derive the horizontal photospheric flows. Supergranular cells are detected as large-scale divergence structures in the flow maps. At their vertices, and cospatial with network magnetic elements, the velocity flows converge on a central point. Results: One of these converging flows is observed as a vortex during the whole 24 h time series. It consists of three consecutive vortices that appear nearly at the same location. At their core, a network magnetic element is also detected. Its evolution is strongly correlated to that of the vortices. The magnetic feature is concentrated and evacuated when it is caught by the vortices and is weakened and fragmented after the whirls disappear. Conclusions: This evolutionary behavior supports the picture presented previously, where a small flux tube becomes stable when it is surrounded by a vortex flow. A movie attached to Fig. 2 is available at http://https://www.aanda.org

Structure-Preserving Variational Multiscale Modeling of Turbulent Incompressible Flow with Subgrid Vortices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, John; Coley, Christopher; Aronson, Ryan; Nelson, Corey

2017-11-01

In this talk, a large eddy simulation methodology for turbulent incompressible flow will be presented which combines the best features of divergence-conforming discretizations and the residual-based variational multiscale approach to large eddy simulation. In this method, the resolved motion is represented using a divergence-conforming discretization, that is, a discretization that preserves the incompressibility constraint in a pointwise manner, and the unresolved fluid motion is explicitly modeled by subgrid vortices that lie within individual grid cells. The evolution of the subgrid vortices is governed by dynamical model equations driven by the residual of the resolved motion. Consequently, the subgrid vortices appropriately vanish for laminar flow and fully resolved turbulent flow. As the resolved velocity field and subgrid vortices are both divergence-free, the methodology conserves mass in a pointwise sense and admits discrete balance laws for energy, enstrophy, and helicity. Numerical results demonstrate the methodology yields improved results versus state-of-the-art eddy viscosity models in the context of transitional, wall-bounded, and rotational flow when a divergence-conforming B-spline discretization is utilized to represent the resolved motion.

Nonlinear effects in the bounded dust-vortex flow in plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laishram, Modhuchandra; Sharma, Devendra; Chattopdhyay, Prabal K.; Kaw, Predhiman K.

2017-03-01

The vortex structures in a cloud of electrically suspended dust in a streaming plasma constitutes a driven system with a rich nonlinear flow regime. Experimentally recovered toroidal formations of this system have motivated study of its volumetrically driven-dissipative vortex flow dynamics using two-dimensional hydrodynamics in the incompressible Navier-Stokes regime. Nonlinear equilibrium solutions are obtained for this system where a nonuniformly driven two-dimensional dust flow exhibits distinct regions of localized accelerations and strong friction caused by stationary fluids at the confining boundaries resisting the dust flow. In agreement with observations in experiments, it is demonstrated that the nonlinear effects appear in the limit of small viscosity, where the primary vortices form scaling with the most dominant spatial scales of the domain topology and develop separated virtual boundaries along their periphery. This separation is triggered beyond a critical dust viscosity that signifies a structural bifurcation. Emergence of uniform vorticity core and secondary vortices with a newer level of identical dynamics highlights the applicability of the studied dynamics to gigantic vortex flows, such as the Jovian great red spot, to microscopic biophysical intracellular activity.

The generation of two-dimensional vortices by transverse oscillation of a soap film

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Afenchenko, V.O.; Ezersky, A.B.; Kiyashko, S.V.

1998-02-01

An experimental investigation of the dynamics of horizontal soap films stretched over circular or square boundaries undergoing periodic transverse oscillations at frequencies in the range 20{endash}200 Hz is reported. Concomitant with modes of transverse flexural oscillations, it was observed that two-dimensional vortices in the plane of the film are excited. The vortices may be either (i) large, scaling with the size of the cavity or (ii) small, localized at a wavelength or half-wavelength of the membrane modes. In the experiments a stable generation of one, two, {hor_ellipsis}, ten pairs of counter-rotating vortices were observed in finite regions of amplitude-frequency parametermore » space. The circulation strength of vortices in a given vortex pattern increases with increasing external forcing and with decreasing soap film thickness. A theoretical model based on the wave-boundary interaction of excited Marangoni waves reveals a vorticity generation mechanism active in vibrating soap films. This model shows that vorticity is generated throughout the entire liquid volume by viscous diffusion, and qualitatively reproduces many steady vortex patterns observed in the experiment. However, the model cannot explain the existence of the sometimes intense vortices observed far from the film boundary that do not appear to be generated by diffusive processes. {copyright} {ital 1998 American Institute of Physics.}« less

Fine-scale features in the far-field of a turbulent jet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buxton, Oliver; Ganapathisubramani, Bharathram

2008-11-01

The structure of a fully turbulent axisymmetric jet, at Reynolds number based on jet exit conditions of 5000, is investigated with cinematographic (1 kHz) stereoscopic PIV in a plane normal to the jet axis. Taylor's hypothesis is employed to calculate all three velocity gradients in the axial direction. The technique's resolution allows all terms of the velocity gradient tensor, hence strain rate tensor and kinetic energy dissipation, to be computed at each point within the plane. The data reveals that the vorticity field is dominated by high enstrophy tube-like structures. Conversely, the dissipation field appears to consist of sheet-like structures. Several criteria for isolating these strongly swirling vortical structures from the background turbulence were employed. One such technique involves isolating points in which the velocity gradient tensor has a real and a pair of complex conjugate eigenvectors. Once identified, the alignment of the various structures with relation to the vorticity vector and the real velocity gradient tensor eigenvector is investigated. The effect of the strain field on the geometry of the structures is also examined.

Studies of the relationship between environmental forcing and the structure and dynamics of tornado-like vortices

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nolan, David S.; Almgren, Ann S.; Bell, John B.

Axisymmetric numerical simulations continue to provide insight into how the structure, dynamics, and maximum wind speeds of tornadoes, and other convectively-maintained vortices, are influenced by the surrounding environment. This work is continued with a new numerical model of axisymmetric incompressible flow that incorporates adaptive mesh refinement. The model dynamically increases or decreases the resolution in regions of interest as determined by a specified refinement criterion. Here, the criterion used is based on the cell Reynolds number dx dv / nu, so that the flow is guaranteed to be laminar on the scale of the local grid spacing. The model ismore » used to investigate how the altitude and shape of the convective forcing, the size of the domain, and the effective Reynolds number (based on the choice of the eddy viscosity nu) influence the structure and dynamics of the vortex. Over a wide variety of domain and forcing geometries,the vortex Reynolds number Gamma / nu (the ratio of the far-field circulation to the eddy viscosity) is shown to be the most important parameter for determining vortex structure and behavior. Furthermore,it is found that the vertical scale of the convective forcing only affects the vortex inasmuch as this vertical scale contributes to the total strength of the convective forcing. The horizontal scale of the convective forcing, however, is found to be the fundamental length scale in the problem, in that it can determine both the circulation of the fluid that is drawn into the vortex core, and also influences the depth of the swirling boundary layer. Higher mean wind speeds are sustained as the eddy viscosity is decreased; however, it is observed that the highest wind speeds are found in the high-swirl, two-celled vortex regime rather than in the low-swirl, one-celled regime, which is in contrast with some previous results. The conclusions drawn from these results are applied to dimensional simulations with scales similar to the mesocyclone/thunderstorm environment. Tornado-like vortices are reproduced, using a constant eddy viscosity with such values as 40 m2s-1, which have maximum wind speeds, radii of maximum winds, and boundary layer depths which are quite similar to those recently observed with portable Doppler radar. Based on the results of both nondimensional and tornado-scale simulations, scaling laws are empirically derived for the internal length scales in tornado-like vortices, such as the depth of the boundary layer and the radius of maximum winds.« less

Climatological aspects of mesoscale cyclogenesis over the Ross Sea and Ross Ice shelf regions of Antarctica

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carrasco, J.F.; Bromwich, D.H.

1994-11-01

A one-year (1988) statistical study of mesoscale cyclogenesis near Terra Nova Bay and Byrd Glacier, Antarctica, was conducted using high-resolution digital satellite imagery and automatic weather station data. Results indicate that on average two (one) mesoscale cyclones form near Terra Nova Bay (Byrd Glacier) each week, confirming these two locations as mesoscale cyclogeneis areas. The maximum (minimum) weekly frequency of mesoscale cyclones occurred during the summer (winter). The satellite survey of mesoscale vortices was extended over the Ross Sea and Ross Ice Shelf. Results suggest southern Marie Byrd Land as another area of mesoscale cyclone formation. Also, frequent mesoscale cyclonicmore » activity was noted over the Ross Sea and Ross Ice Shelf, where, on average, six and three mesoscale vortices were observed each week, respectively, with maximum (minimum) frequency during summer (winter) in both regions. The majority (70-80%) of the vortices were of comma-cloud type and were shallow. Only around 10% of the vortices near Terra Nova Bay and Byrd Glacier were classified as deep vortices, while over the Ross Sea and Ross Ice Shelf around 20% were found to be deep. The average large-scale pattern associated with cyclogenesis days near Terra Nova Bay suggests a slight decrease in the sea level pressure and 500-hPa geopotential height to the northwest of this area with respect to the annual average. This may be an indication of the average position of synoptic-scale cyclones entering the Ross Sea region. Comparison with a similar study but for 1984-85 shows that the overall mesoscale cyclogenesis activity was similar during the three years, but 1985 was found to be the year with greater occurrence of {open_quotes}significant{close_quotes} mesoscales cyclones. The large-scale pattern indicates that this greater activity is related to a deeper circumpolar trough and 500-hPa polar vortex for 1985 in comparison to 1984 and 1988. 64 refs., 13 figs., 5 tabs.« less

Climatology and Structures of Southwest Vortices in NCEP Climate Forecast System Reanalysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Xinyuan; Liu, Changhai; Fan, Guangzhou; Liu, Xiaodong; Feng, Caiyun

2017-04-01

A southwest vortex (SWV) refers to the meso-α-scale cyclonic low-pressure system originating in southwest China, as a result of interactions of large-scale circulations and the specific multi-scale topography, such as the Tibetan Plateau, Hengduan Mountain and Sichuan Basin. It is a high-impact precipitation-generating weather system in southwestern China, in the Yangtze River valley and even in north China. This paper reports on a systematic investigation of its climatological and structural characteristics over the 32-yr period of 1979-2010 using the high-resolution NCEP Climate Forecast System Reanalysis data. The present study has the several unique features. First, the new generation reanalysis product possesses high spatial and temporal resolution, arguably being more suitable for mesoscale vortex studies as compared to the preceding reanalysis datasets and moreover enabling an examination of the diurnal behavior. Second, our 32-yr statistics are capable of producing a robust representation of the SWV climatology. Third, the application of an objective identification methodology avoids some subjective ambiguities in the manual approach that has exclusively been adopted before. Lastly, a systematic exploration of thermodynamic and kinematic structures is conducted, unlike the previous exclusive heavy-rain-generating case studies. Our major findings are summarized as follows. The SWV is a common regional weather system with an annual count of 73. Two primary source regions are identified, located in the Sichuan Basin and southeast flank of the Tibetan Plateau, respectively. The genesis displays striking seasonality, characteristic of a spring-summer (March-August) preference with a peak in May. Remarkable diurnal variations are present, with two active periods around 07 and 19 Local Time. There exist prominent regional disparities in both the seasonal and diurnal variability though. A large portion of the vortices travel a rather limited distance due partially to their short persistence. The average duration time, horizontal dimension (effective diameter), and translation speed are 15.1 h, 435 km, and 8.6 m s-1, respectively. The SWV structures show regional and seasonal contrasts. The winter-spring elevated dry vortex in the basin is vertically confined to a shallow layer between 850-600 hPa and tilts northeastward. The low level has a cold center, and the mid-upper levels feature apparent baroclinicity. The nighttime warm-season precipitating vortex system in the basin has a deep structure with the cyclonic vorticity extending from the surface into the upper-troposphere. The non-severe precipitating vortex is weakly baroclinic and tilts northward with height, whereas the severe precipitating vortex is vertically aligned. In the southern mountainous region, the shallow surface-based vortex develops in a well-mixed planetary boundary layer during the evening-early-night time and exhibits vertical tilting toward the elevated upslope and a warm and low-humidity core. When attendant with precipitation, the mountainous system is large, deep and nearly upright at most levels with a fairly barotropic environment.

Phenomenological and statistical analyses of turbulence in forced convection with temperature-dependent viscosity under non-Boussinesq condition.

PubMed

Yahya, S M; Anwer, S F; Sanghi, S

2013-10-01

In this work, Thermal Large Eddy Simulation (TLES) is performed to study the behavior of weakly compressible Newtonian fluids with anisotropic temperature-dependent viscosity in forced convection turbulent flow. A systematic analysis of variable-viscosity effects, isolated from gravity, with relevance to industrial cooling/heating applications is being carried out. A LES of a planar channel flow with significant heat transfer at a low Mach number was performed to study effects of fluid property variation on the near-wall turbulence structure. In this flow configuration the top wall is maintained at a higher temperature (T hot ) than the bottom wall (T cold ). The temperature ratio (R θ = T hot /T cold ) is fixed at 1.01, 2 and 3 to study the effects of property variations at low Mach number. Results indicate that average and turbulent fields undergo significant changes. Compared with isothermal flow with constant viscosity, we observe that turbulence is enhanced in the cold side of the channel, characterized by locally lower viscosity whereas a decrease of turbulent kinetic energy is found at the hot wall. The turbulent structures near the cold wall are very short and densely populated vortices but near the hot wall there seems to be a long streaky structure or large elongated vortices. Spectral study reveals that turbulence is completely suppressed at the hot side of the channel at a large temperature ratio because no inertial zone is obtained (i.e. index of Kolmogorov scaling law is zero) from the spectra in these region.

Detailed experimental investigations on flow behaviors and velocity field properties of a supersonic mixing layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Jianguo; Zhang, Dongdong; Li, Hao; Hou, Juwei

2018-03-01

The flow behaviors and mixing characteristics of a supersonic mixing layer with a convective Mach number of 0.2 have been experimentally investigated utilizing nanoparticle-based planar laser scattering and particle image velocimetry techniques. The full development and evolution process, including the formation of Kelvin-Helmholtz vortices, breakdown of large-scale structures and establishment of self-similar turbulence, is exhibited clearly in the experiments, which can give a qualitative graphically comparing for the DNS and LES results. The shocklets are first captured at this low convective Mach number, and their generation mechanisms are elaborated and analyzed. The convective velocity derived from two images with space-time correlations is well consistent with the theoretical result. The pairing and merging process of large-scale vortices in transition region is clearly revealed in the velocity vector field. The analysis of turbulent statistics indicates that in weakly compressible mixing layers, with the increase of convective Mach number, the peak values of streamwise turbulence intensity and Reynolds shear stress experience a sharp decrease, while the anisotropy ratio seems to keep quasi unchanged. The normalized growth rate of the present experiments shows a well agreement with former experimental and DNS data. The validation of present experimental results is important for that in the future the present work can be a reference for assessing the accuracy of numerical data.

A comparative analysis of rawinsonde and NIMBUS 6 and TIROS N satellite profile data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scoggins, J. R.; Carle, W. E.; Knight, K.; Moyer, V.; Cheng, N. M.

1981-01-01

Comparisons are made between rawinsonde and satellite profiles in seven areas for a wide range of surface and weather conditions. Variables considered include temperature, dewpoint temperature, thickness, precipitable water, lapse rate of temperature, stability, geopotential height, mixing ratio, wind direction, wind speed, and kinematic parameters, including vorticity and the advection of vorticity and temperature. In addition, comparisons are made in the form of cross sections and synoptic fields for selected variables. Sounding data from the NIMBUS 6 and TIROS N satellites were used. Geostrophic wind computed from smoothed geopotential heights provided large scale flow patterns that agreed well with the rawinsonde wind fields. Surface wind patterns as well as magnitudes computed by use of the log law to extrapolate wind to a height of 10 m agreed with observations. Results of this study demonstrate rather conclusively that satellite profile data can be used to determine characteristics of large scale systems but that small scale features, such as frontal zones, cannot yet be resolved.

Turbulence Measurements and Computations for the Predication of Broadband Noise in High Bypass Ratio Fans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Devenport, William J.; Ragab, Saad A.

2000-01-01

Work was performed under this grant with a view to providing the experimental and computational results needed to improve the prediction of broadband stator noise in large bypass ratio aircraft engines. The central hypothesis of our study was that a large fraction of this noise was generated by the fan tip leakage vortices. More specifically, that these vortices are a significant component of the fan wake turbulence and they contain turbulent eddies of a type that can produce significant broadband noise. To test this hypothesis we originally proposed experimental work and computations with the following objectives: (1) to build a large scale two-dimensional cascade with a tip gap and a stationary endwall that, as far as possible, simulates the fan tip geometry, (2) to build a moving endwall for use with the large scale cascade, (3) to measure, in detail, the turbulence structure and spectrum generated by the blade wake and tip leakage vortex, for both endwall configurations, (4) to use the CFD to compute the flow and turbulence distributions for both the experimental configurations and the ADP fan, (5) to provide the experimental and CFD results for the cascades and the physical understanding gained from their study as a basis for improving the broadband noise prediction method. In large part these objectives have been achieved. The most important achievements and findings of our experimental and computational efforts are summarized below. The bibliography at the end of this report includes a list of all publications produced to date under this project. Note that this list is necessarily incomplete the task of publication (particularly in journal papers) continues.

Forced free-shear layer measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leboeuf, Richard L.

1994-01-01

Detailed three-dimensional three-component phase averaged measurements of the spanwise and streamwise vorticity formation and evolution in acoustically forced plane free-shear flows have been obtained. For the first time, phase-averaged measurements of all three velocity components have been obtained in both a mixing layer and a wake on three-dimensional grids, yielding the spanwise and streamwise vorticity distributions without invoking Taylor's hypothesis. Initially, two-frequency forcing was used to phase-lock the roll-up and first pairing of the spanwise vortical structures in a plane mixing layer. The objective of this study was to measure the near-field vortical structure morphology in a mixing layer with 'natural' laminar initial boundary layers. For the second experiment the second and third subharmonics of the fundamental roll-up frequency were added to the previous two-frequency forcing in order to phase-lock the roll-up and first three pairings of the spanwise rollers in the mixing layer. The objective of this study was to determine the details of spanwise scale changes observed in previous time-averaged measurements and flow visualization of unforced mixing layers. For the final experiment, single-frequency forcing was used to phase-lock the Karman vortex street in a plane wake developing from nominally two-dimensional laminar initial boundary layers. The objective of this study was to compare measurements of the three-dimensional structure in a wake developing from 'natural' initial boundary layers to existing models of wake vortical structure.

Numerical study of turbulent channel flow perturbed by spanwise topographic heterogeneity: Amplitude and frequency modulation within low- and high-momentum pathways

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Awasthi, Ankit; Anderson, William

2018-04-01

We have studied the effects of topographically driven secondary flows on inner-outer interaction in turbulent channel flow. Recent studies have revealed that large-scale motions in the logarithmic region impose an amplitude and frequency modulation on the dynamics of small-scale structures near the wall. This led to development of a predictive model for near-wall dynamics, which has practical relevance for large-eddy simulations. Existing work on amplitude modulation has focused on smooth-wall flows; however, Anderson [J. Fluid Mech. 789, 567 (2016), 10.1017/jfm.2015.744] addressed the problem of rough-wall turbulent channel flow in which the correlation profiles for amplitude modulation showed trends similar to those reported by Mathis et al. [Phys. Fluids 21, 111703 (2009), 10.1063/1.3267726]. For the present study, we considered flow over surfaces with a prominent spanwise heterogeneity, such that domain-scale turbulent secondary flows in the form of counter-rotating vortices are sustained within the flow. (We also show results for flow over a homogeneous roughness, which serves as a benchmark against the spanwise-perturbed cases.) The vortices are anchored to the topography such that prominent upwelling and downwelling occur above the low and high roughness, respectively. We have quantified the extent to which such secondary flows disrupt the distribution of spectral density across constituent wavelengths throughout the depth of the flow, which has direct implications for the existence of amplitude and frequency modulation. We find that the distinct outer peak associated with large-scale motions—the "modulators"—is preserved within the upwelling zone but vanishes in the downwelling zone. Within the downwelling zones, structures are steeper and shorter. Single- and two-point correlations for inner-outer amplitude and frequency modulation demonstrate insensitivity to resolution across cases. We also show a pronounced crossover between the single- and two-point correlations, a product of modulation quantification based upon Parseval's theorem (i.e., spectral density, but not the wavelength at which energy resides, defines the strength of modulation).

The Effect of Micro-ramps on Supersonic Flow over a Forward-Facing Step

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Qing-Hu; Yi, Shi-He; Zhu, Yang-Zhu; Chen, Zhi; Wu, Yu

2013-04-01

The effect of micro-ramp control on fully developed turbulent flow over a forward-facing step (FFS) is investigated in a supersonic low-noise wind tunnel at Mach number 3 using nano-tracer planar laser scattering (NPLS) and supersonic particle image velocimetry (PIV) techniques. High spatiotemporal resolution images and the average velocity profiles of supersonic flow over the FFS with and without the control of the micro-ramps are captured. The fine structures of both cases, including the coherent structures of fully developed boundary layer and the large-scale hairpin-like vortices originated from the micro-ramps as well as the interaction of shock waves with the large-scale structures, are revealed and compared. Based on the time-correlation images, the temporal and spatial evolutionary characteristics of the coherent structures are investigated. It is beneficial to understand the dynamic mechanisms of the separated flow and the control mechanisms of the micro-ramps. The size of the separation region is determined by the NPLS and PIV. The results indicate that the control of the micro-ramps is capable of delaying the separation and diminishing the extent of recirculation zone.

Anisotropic Stochastic Vortex Structure Method for Simulating Particle Collision in Turbulent Shear Flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dizaji, Farzad; Marshall, Jeffrey; Grant, John; Jin, Xing

2017-11-01

Accounting for the effect of subgrid-scale turbulence on interacting particles remains a challenge when using Reynolds-Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) or Large Eddy Simulation (LES) approaches for simulation of turbulent particulate flows. The standard stochastic Lagrangian method for introducing turbulence into particulate flow computations is not effective when the particles interact via collisions, contact electrification, etc., since this method is not intended to accurately model relative motion between particles. We have recently developed the stochastic vortex structure (SVS) method and demonstrated its use for accurate simulation of particle collision in homogeneous turbulence; the current work presents an extension of the SVS method to turbulent shear flows. The SVS method simulates subgrid-scale turbulence using a set of randomly-positioned, finite-length vortices to generate a synthetic fluctuating velocity field. It has been shown to accurately reproduce the turbulence inertial-range spectrum and the probability density functions for the velocity and acceleration fields. In order to extend SVS to turbulent shear flows, a new inversion method has been developed to orient the vortices in order to generate a specified Reynolds stress field. The extended SVS method is validated in the present study with comparison to direct numerical simulations for a planar turbulent jet flow. This research was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation under Grant CBET-1332472.

The Dynamics of Controlled Flow Separation within a Diverter Duct Diffuser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peterson, C. J.; Vukasinovic, B.; Glezer, A.

2016-11-01

The evolution and receptivity to fluidic actuation of the flow separation within a rectangular, constant-width, diffuser that is branched off of a primary channel is investigated experimentally at speeds up to M = 0.4. The coupling between the diffuser's adverse pressure gradient and the internal separation that constricts nearly half of the flow passage through the duct is controlled using a spanwise array of fluidic actuators on the surface upstream of the diffuser's inlet plane. The dynamics of the separating surface vorticity layer in the absence and presence of actuation are investigated using high-speed particle image velocimetry combined with surface pressure measurements and total pressure distributions at the primary channel's exit plane. It is shown that the actuation significantly alters the incipient dynamics of the separating vorticity layer as the characteristic cross stream scales of the boundary layer upstream of separation and of the ensuing vorticity concentrations within the separated flow increase progressively with actuation level. It is argued that the dissipative (high frequency) actuation alters the balance between large- and small-scale motions near separation by intensifying the large-scale motions and limiting the small-scale dynamics. Controlling separation within the diffuser duct also has a profound effect on the global flow. In the presence of actuation, the mass flow rate in the primary duct increases 10% while the fraction of the diverted mass flow rate in the diffuser increases by more than 45% at 0.7% actuation mass fraction. Supported by the Boeing Company.

Numerical simulation using vorticity-vector potential formulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tokunaga, Hiroshi

1993-01-01

An accurate and efficient computational method is needed for three-dimensional incompressible viscous flows in engineering applications. On solving the turbulent shear flows directly or using the subgrid scale model, it is indispensable to resolve the small scale fluid motions as well as the large scale motions. From this point of view, the pseudo-spectral method is used so far as the computational method. However, the finite difference or the finite element methods are widely applied for computing the flow with practical importance since these methods are easily applied to the flows with complex geometric configurations. However, there exist several problems in applying the finite difference method to direct and large eddy simulations. Accuracy is one of most important problems. This point was already addressed by the present author on the direct simulations on the instability of the plane Poiseuille flow and also on the transition to turbulence. In order to obtain high efficiency, the multi-grid Poisson solver is combined with the higher-order, accurate finite difference method. The formulation method is also one of the most important problems in applying the finite difference method to the incompressible turbulent flows. The three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations have been solved so far in the primitive variables formulation. One of the major difficulties of this method is the rigorous satisfaction of the equation of continuity. In general, the staggered grid is used for the satisfaction of the solenoidal condition for the velocity field at the wall boundary. However, the velocity field satisfies the equation of continuity automatically in the vorticity-vector potential formulation. From this point of view, the vorticity-vector potential method was extended to the generalized coordinate system. In the present article, we adopt the vorticity-vector potential formulation, the generalized coordinate system, and the 4th-order accurate difference method as the computational method. We present the computational method and apply the present method to computations of flows in a square cavity at large Reynolds number in order to investigate its effectiveness.

Reynolds number dependence of large-scale friction control in turbulent channel flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Canton, Jacopo; Örlü, Ramis; Chin, Cheng; Schlatter, Philipp

2016-12-01

The present work investigates the effectiveness of the control strategy introduced by Schoppa and Hussain [Phys. Fluids 10, 1049 (1998), 10.1063/1.869789] as a function of Reynolds number (Re). The skin-friction drag reduction method proposed by these authors, consisting of streamwise-invariant, counter-rotating vortices, was analyzed by Canton et al. [Flow, Turbul. Combust. 97, 811 (2016), 10.1007/s10494-016-9723-8] in turbulent channel flows for friction Reynolds numbers (Reτ) corresponding to the value of the original study (i.e., 104) and 180. For these Re, a slightly modified version of the method proved to be successful and was capable of providing a drag reduction of up to 18%. The present study analyzes the Reynolds number dependence of this drag-reducing strategy by performing two sets of direct numerical simulations (DNS) for Reτ=360 and 550. A detailed analysis of the method as a function of the control parameters (amplitude and wavelength) and Re confirms, on the one hand, the effectiveness of the large-scale vortices at low Re and, on the other hand, the decreasing and finally vanishing effectiveness of this method for higher Re. In particular, no drag reduction can be achieved for Reτ=550 for any combination of the parameters controlling the vortices. For low Reynolds numbers, the large-scale vortices are able to affect the near-wall cycle and alter the wall-shear-stress distribution to cause an overall drag reduction effect, in accordance with most control strategies. For higher Re, instead, the present method fails to penetrate the near-wall region and cannot induce the spanwise velocity variation observed in other more established control strategies, which focus on the near-wall cycle. Despite the negative outcome, the present results demonstrate the shortcomings of the control strategy and show that future focus should be on methods that directly target the near-wall region or other suitable alternatives.

Simulations of neutral wind shear effect on the equatorial ionosphere irregularities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, J.; Chagelishvili, G.; Horton, W.

2005-12-01

We present numerical calculations of the large-scale electron density driven by the gradient drift instability in the daytime equatorial electrojet. Under two-fluid theory the linear analysis for kilometer scale waves lead to the result that all the perturbations are transformed to small scales through linear convection by shear and then damped by diffusion. The inclusion of the nonlinearity enables inverse energy cascade to provide energy to long scale. The feedback between velocity shear and nonlinearity keeps waves growing and leads to the turbulence. In strongly turbulent regime, the nonlinear states are saturated [1]. Since the convective nonlinearities are isotropic while the interactions of velocity shear with waves are anisotropic, the feedback do not necessarily enable waves to grow. The growth of waves are highly variable on k-space configuration [2]. Our simulations show that the directional relationship between vorticity of irregularities and shear are one of key factors. Thus during the transient period, the irregularities show the anisotropy of the vorticity power spectrum. We report the evolution of the power spectrum of the vorticity and density of irregularties and its anistropic nature as observed. The work was supported in part by the Department of NSF Grant ATM-0229863 and ISTC Grant G-553. C. Ronchi, R.N. Sudan, and D.T. Farley. Numerical simulations of large-scale plasma turbulece in teh day time equatorial electrojet. J. Geophys. Res., 96:21263--21279, 1991. G.D. Chagelishvili, R.G. Chanishvili, T.S. Hristov, and J.G. Lominadze. A turbulence model in unbounded smooth shear flows : The weak turbulence approach. JETP, 94(2):434--445, 2002.

Turbulent dusty boundary layer in an ANFO surface-burst explosion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuhl, A. L.; Ferguson, R. E.; Chien, K. Y.; Collins, J. P.

1992-01-01

This paper describes the results of numerical simulations of the dusty, turbulent boundary layer created by a surface burst explosion. The blast wave was generated by the detonation of a 600-T hemisphere of ANFO, similar to those used in large-scale field tests. The surface was assumed to be ideally noncratering but contained an initial loose layer of dust. The dust-air mixture in this fluidized bed was modeled as a dense gas (i.e., an equilibrium model, valid for very small-diameter dust particles). The evolution of the flow was calculated by a high-order Godunov code that solves the nonsteady conservation laws. Shock interactions with dense layer generated vorticity near the wall, a result that is similar to viscous, no-slip effects found in clean flows. The resulting wall shear layer was unstable, and rolled up into large-scale rotational structures. These structures entrained dense material from the wall layer and created a chaotically striated flow. The boundary layer grew due to merging of the large-scale structures and due to local entrainment of the dense material from the fluidized bed. The chaotic flow was averaged along similarity lines (i.e., lines of constant values of x = r/Rs and y = z/Rs where R(sub s) = ct(exp alpha)) to establish the mean-flow profiles and the r.m.s. fluctuating-flow profiles of the boundary layer.

Experimental Study of Internal Waves and Vortices Past 2d Obstacles In A Continuously Stratified Fluid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitkin, V.

Experimental investigations of fine and macroscopic structures of density and veloc- ity disturbances generated by a towing cylinder or a vertical strip in a linearly strati- fied liquid are carried out in a rectangular tank. A density gradient field is visualised by different Schlieren methods (direct shadow, 'slit-knife', 'slit-thread', 'natural rain- bow') characterised by a high spatial resolution. Profiles of fluid velocity are visu- alised by density markers U wakes past a vertically descending sugar crystal or an ascending gas bubble. In a fluid at rest the density marker acts as a vertical linear source of internal oscillations, which allows us to measure buoyancy frequency over all depth by the Schlieren instrument directly or by a conductivity probe in a particular point. Sensitive methods reveal a set of high gradient interfaces inside and outside the downstream wake besides well-known large-scale elements: upstream disturbances, attached internal waves and vortices. High gradient interfaces bound compact vor- tices. Vortices moving with respect to environment emit their own systems of internal waves randomising a regular pattern of attached antisymmetric internal waves. But after a rather long time a wave recurrence occurs and a regular but symmetric struc- ture of the longest waves (similar to the pattern of initial attached internal waves) is observed again. Results of studying of the influence of obstacles shape on phase struc- ture and amplitudes of attached internal waves field, vortex formation, their structure and characteristics are presented.

Analyzing the Adaptive Mesh Refinement (AMR) Characteristics of a High-Order 2D Cubed-Sphere Shallow-Water Model

DOE PAGES

Ferguson, Jared O.; Jablonowski, Christiane; Johansen, Hans; ...

2016-11-09

Adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) is a technique that has been featured only sporadically in atmospheric science literature. This study aims to demonstrate the utility of AMR for simulating atmospheric flows. Several test cases are implemented in a 2D shallow-water model on the sphere using the Chombo-AMR dynamical core. This high-order finite-volume model implements adaptive refinement in both space and time on a cubed-sphere grid using a mapped-multiblock mesh technique. The tests consist of the passive advection of a tracer around moving vortices, a steady-state geostrophic flow, an unsteady solid-body rotation, a gravity wave impinging on a mountain, and the interactionmore » of binary vortices. Both static and dynamic refinements are analyzed to determine the strengths and weaknesses of AMR in both complex flows with small-scale features and large-scale smooth flows. The different test cases required different AMR criteria, such as vorticity or height-gradient based thresholds, in order to achieve the best accuracy for cost. The simulations show that the model can accurately resolve key local features without requiring global high-resolution grids. The adaptive grids are able to track features of interest reliably without inducing noise or visible distortions at the coarse–fine interfaces. Finally and furthermore, the AMR grids keep any degradations of the large-scale smooth flows to a minimum.« less

Analyzing the Adaptive Mesh Refinement (AMR) Characteristics of a High-Order 2D Cubed-Sphere Shallow-Water Model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ferguson, Jared O.; Jablonowski, Christiane; Johansen, Hans

Adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) is a technique that has been featured only sporadically in atmospheric science literature. This study aims to demonstrate the utility of AMR for simulating atmospheric flows. Several test cases are implemented in a 2D shallow-water model on the sphere using the Chombo-AMR dynamical core. This high-order finite-volume model implements adaptive refinement in both space and time on a cubed-sphere grid using a mapped-multiblock mesh technique. The tests consist of the passive advection of a tracer around moving vortices, a steady-state geostrophic flow, an unsteady solid-body rotation, a gravity wave impinging on a mountain, and the interactionmore » of binary vortices. Both static and dynamic refinements are analyzed to determine the strengths and weaknesses of AMR in both complex flows with small-scale features and large-scale smooth flows. The different test cases required different AMR criteria, such as vorticity or height-gradient based thresholds, in order to achieve the best accuracy for cost. The simulations show that the model can accurately resolve key local features without requiring global high-resolution grids. The adaptive grids are able to track features of interest reliably without inducing noise or visible distortions at the coarse–fine interfaces. Finally and furthermore, the AMR grids keep any degradations of the large-scale smooth flows to a minimum.« less

Simulating rotating fluid bodies: When is vorticity generation via density-stratification important?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evonuk, M.; Samuel, H.

2012-04-01

Differential rotation is one of the key components needed to maintain a magnetic dynamo, therefore it is important to understand the processes that generate differential rotation in rotating bodies. In a rotating density-stratified fluid, local vorticity generation occurs as fluid parcels move radially, expanding or contracting with respect to the background density stratification. The convergence of this vorticity forms zonal flow structures as a function of the radius and the slope of the background density profile. While this effect is thought to be of importance in bodies that are quickly rotating and highly turbulent with large density stratifications such as Jupiter, it is generally neglected in bodies such as the Earth's outer core, where the density change is small. Simulations of thermal convection in the 2D rotating equatorial plane are conducted to determine the parameter regime where local vorticity generation plays a significant role in organizing the fluid flow. Three regimes are found: a dipolar flow regime, where the flow is not organized by the rotation, a transitional flow regime, and a differential flow regime, where the flow is strongly organized into differential rotation with multiple jets. A scaling law is determined based on the convective Rossby number and the density contrast across the equatorial plane, providing a simple way to determine in which regime a given body lies. While a giant planet such as Jupiter lies firmly in the differential flow regime as expected, the Earth's outer core is also found to lie in the differential flow regime indicating that, even in the Earth's outer core, where the density contrast is small, vorticity contributions via fluid movement through the density stratification may be non-negligible.

Simulating rotating fluid bodies: When is vorticity generation via density-stratification important?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evonuk, M.; Samuel, H.

2012-12-01

Differential rotation is one of the key components needed to maintain a magnetic dynamo, therefore it is important to understand the processes that generate differential rotation in rotating bodies. In a rotating density-stratified fluid, local vorticity generation occurs as fluid parcels move radially, expanding or contracting with respect to the background density stratification. The convergence of this vorticity forms zonal flow structures as a function of the radius and the slope of the background density profile. While this effect is thought to be of importance in bodies that are quickly rotating and highly turbulent with large density stratifications such as Jupiter, it is generally neglected in bodies such as the Earth's outer core, where the density change is small. Simulations of thermal convection in the 2D rotating equatorial plane are conducted to determine the parameter regime where local vorticity generation plays a significant role in organizing the fluid flow. Three regimes are found: a dipolar flow regime, where the flow is not organized by the rotation, a transitional flow regime, and a differential flow regime, where the flow is strongly organized into differential rotation with multiple jets. A scaling law is determined based on the convective Rossby number and the density contrast across the equatorial plane, providing a simple way to determine in which regime a given body lies. While a giant planet such as Jupiter lies firmly in the differential flow regime as expected, the Earth's outer core is also found to lie in the differential flow regime indicating that, even in the Earth's outer core, where the density contrast is small, vorticity contributions via fluid movement through the density stratification may be non-negligible.

Simulating rotating fluid bodies: When is vorticity generation via density-stratification important?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evonuk, M.; Samuel, H.

2012-02-01

Differential rotation is one of the key components needed to maintain a magnetic dynamo, therefore it is important to understand the processes that generate differential rotation in rotating bodies. In a rotating density-stratified fluid, local vorticity generation occurs as fluid parcels move radially, expanding or contracting with respect to the background density stratification. The convergence of this vorticity forms zonal flow structures as a function of the radius and the slope of the background density profile. While this effect is thought to be of importance in bodies that are quickly rotating and highly turbulent with large density stratifications such as Jupiter, it is generally neglected in bodies such as the Earth's outer core, where the density change is small. Simulations of thermal convection in the 2D rotating equatorial plane are conducted to determine the parameter regime where local vorticity generation plays a significant role in organizing the fluid flow. Three regimes are found: a dipolar flow regime, where the flow is not organized by the rotation, a transitional flow regime, and a differential flow regime, where the flow is strongly organized into differential rotation with multiple jets. A scaling law is determined based on the convective Rossby number and the density contrast across the equatorial plane, providing a simple way to determine in which regime a given body lies. While a giant planet such as Jupiter lies firmly in the differential flow regime as expected, the Earth's outer core is also found to lie in the differential flow regime indicating that, even in the Earth's outer core, where the density contrast is small, vorticity contributions via fluid movement through the density stratificationmay be non-negligible.

A priori study of subgrid-scale flux of a passive scalar in isotropic homogeneous turbulence.

PubMed

Chumakov, Sergei G

2008-09-01

We perform a direct numerical simulation (DNS) of forced homogeneous isotropic turbulence with a passive scalar that is forced by mean gradient. The DNS data are used to study the properties of subgrid-scale flux of a passive scalar in the framework of large eddy simulation (LES), such as alignment trends between the flux, resolved, and subgrid-scale flow structures. It is shown that the direction of the flux is strongly coupled with the subgrid-scale stress axes rather than the resolved flow quantities such as strain, vorticity, or scalar gradient. We derive an approximate transport equation for the subgrid-scale flux of a scalar and look at the relative importance of the terms in the transport equation. A particular form of LES tensor-viscosity model for the scalar flux is investigated, which includes the subgrid-scale stress. Effect of different models for the subgrid-scale stress on the model for the subgrid-scale flux is studied.

Ocean Classification of Dynamical Structures Detected by SAR and Spectral Methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Redondo, J. M.; Martinez-Benjamin, J. J.; Tellez, J. D.; Jorge, J.; Diez, M.; Sekula, E.

2016-08-01

We discuss a taxonomy of different dynamical features in the ocean surface and provide some eddy and front statistics, as well as describing some events detected by several satellites and even with additional cruise observations and measurements, in the North-west Mediterranean Sea area between 1996 and 2012. The structure of the flows are presented using self-similar traces that may be used to parametrize mixing at both limits of the Rossby Deformation Radius scale, RL. Results show the ability to identify different SAR signatures and at the same time provide calibrations for the different local configurations of vortices, spirals, Langmuir cells, oil spills and tensioactive slicks that eventually allow the study of the self-similar structure of the turbulence. Depending on the surface wind and wave level, and also on the fetch. the bathimetry, the spiral parameters and the resolution of vortical features change. Previous descriptions did not include the new wind and buoyancy features. SAR images also show the turbulence structure of the coastal area and the Regions of Fresh Water Influence (ROFI). It is noteworthy tt such complex coastal field-dependent behavior is strongly influenced by stratification and rotation of the turbulence spectrum is observed only in the range smaller than the local Rossby deformation radius, RL. The measures of diffusivity from buoy or tracer experiments are used to calibrate the behavior of different tracers and pollutants, both natural and man-made in the NW Mediterranean Sea. Thanks to different polarization and intensity levels in ASAR satellite imagery, these can be used to distinguish between natural and man-made sea surface features due to their distinct self-similar and fractal as a function of spill and slick parameters, environmental conditions and history of both oil releases and weather conditions. Eddy diffusivity map derived from SAR measurements of the ocean surface, performing a feature spatial correlation of the available images of the region are presented. Both the multi fractal discrimination of the local features and the diffusivity measurements are important to evaluate the state of the environment. The distribution of meso-scale vortices of size, the Rossby deformation scale and other dominant features can be used to distinguish features in the ocean surface. Multi-fractal analysis is then very usefull. The SAR images exhibited a large variation of natural features produced by winds, internal waves, the bathymetric distribution, by convection, rain, etc as all of these produce variations in the sea surface roughness so that the topological changes may be studied and classified. In a similar way bathimetry may be studied with the methodology described here using the coastline and the thalwegs as generators of local vertical vorticity.

DUST CAPTURE AND LONG-LIVED DENSITY ENHANCEMENTS TRIGGERED BY VORTICES IN 2D PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Surville, Clément; Mayer, Lucio; Lin, Douglas N. C., E-mail: clement.surville@physik.uzh.ch

We study dust capture by vortices and its long-term consequences in global two-fluid inviscid disk simulations using a new polar grid code RoSSBi. We perform the longest integrations so far, several hundred disk orbits, at the highest resolution attainable in global disk simulations with dust, namely, 2048 × 4096 grid points. We vary a wide range of dust parameters, most notably the initial dust-to-gas ratio ϵ varies in the range of 10{sup −4}–10{sup −2}. Irrespective of the value of ϵ , we find rapid concentration of the dust inside vortices, reaching dust-to-gas ratios of the order of unity inside themore » vortex. We present an analytical model that describes this dust capture process very well, finding consistent results for all dust parameters. A vortex streaming instability develops, which invariably causes vortex destruction. After vortex dissipation large-scale dust rings encompassing a disk annulus form in most cases, which sustain very high dust concentration, approaching ratios of the order of unity; they persist as long as the duration of the simulations. They are sustained by a streaming instability, which manifests itself in high-density dust clumps at various scales. When vortices are particularly long-lived, rings do not form but dust clumps inside vortices can survive a long time and would likely undergo collapse by gravitational instability. Rings encompass almost an Earth mass of solid material, while even larger masses of dust do accumulate inside vortices in the earlier stage. We argue that rapid planetesimal formation would occur in the dust clumps inside the vortices as well as in the post-vortex rings.« less

Dust Capture and Long-lived Density Enhancements Triggered by Vortices in 2D Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Surville, Clément; Mayer, Lucio; Lin, Douglas N. C.

2016-11-01

We study dust capture by vortices and its long-term consequences in global two-fluid inviscid disk simulations using a new polar grid code RoSSBi. We perform the longest integrations so far, several hundred disk orbits, at the highest resolution attainable in global disk simulations with dust, namely, 2048 × 4096 grid points. We vary a wide range of dust parameters, most notably the initial dust-to-gas ratio ɛ varies in the range of 10-4-10-2. Irrespective of the value of ɛ, we find rapid concentration of the dust inside vortices, reaching dust-to-gas ratios of the order of unity inside the vortex. We present an analytical model that describes this dust capture process very well, finding consistent results for all dust parameters. A vortex streaming instability develops, which invariably causes vortex destruction. After vortex dissipation large-scale dust rings encompassing a disk annulus form in most cases, which sustain very high dust concentration, approaching ratios of the order of unity they persist as long as the duration of the simulations. They are sustained by a streaming instability, which manifests itself in high-density dust clumps at various scales. When vortices are particularly long-lived, rings do not form but dust clumps inside vortices can survive a long time and would likely undergo collapse by gravitational instability. Rings encompass almost an Earth mass of solid material, while even larger masses of dust do accumulate inside vortices in the earlier stage. We argue that rapid planetesimal formation would occur in the dust clumps inside the vortices as well as in the post-vortex rings.

Interactions between vortex tubes and magnetic-flux rings at high kinetic and magnetic Reynolds numbers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kivotides, Demosthenes

2018-03-01

The interactions between vortex tubes and magnetic-flux rings in incompressible magnetohydrodynamics are investigated at high kinetic and magnetic Reynolds numbers, and over a wide range of the interaction parameter. The latter is a measure of the turnover time of the large-scale fluid motions in units of the magnetic damping time, or of the strength of the Lorentz force in units of the inertial force. The small interaction parameter results, which are related to kinematic turbulent dynamo studies, indicate the evolution of magnetic rings into flattened spirals wrapped around the vortex tubes. This process is also observed at intermediate interaction parameter values, only now the Lorentz force creates new vortical structures at the magnetic spiral edges, which have a striking solenoid vortex-line structure, and endow the flattened magnetic-spiral surfaces with a curvature. At high interaction parameter values, the decisive physical factor is Lorentz force effects. The latter create two (adjacent to the magnetic ring) vortex rings that reconnect with the vortex tube by forming an intriguing, serpentinelike, vortex-line structure, and generate, in turn, two new magnetic rings, adjacent to the initial one. In this regime, the morphologies of the vorticity and magnetic field structures are similar. The effects of these structures on kinetic and magnetic energy spectra, as well as on the direction of energy transfer between flow and magnetic fields, are also indicated.

Hawkmoth flight stability in turbulent vortex streets.

PubMed

Ortega-Jimenez, Victor Manuel; Greeter, Jeremy S M; Mittal, Rajat; Hedrick, Tyson L

2013-12-15

Shedding of vortices is a common phenomenon in the atmosphere over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. However, it is unclear how these vortices of varying scales affect the flight performance of flying animals. In order to examine these interactions, we trained seven hawkmoths (Manduca sexta) (wingspan ~9 cm) to fly and feed in a wind tunnel under steady flow (controls) and in the von Kármán vortex street of vertically oriented cylinders (two different cylinders with diameters of 10 and 5 cm) at speeds of 0.5, 1 and 2 m s(-1). Cylinders were placed at distances of 5, 25 and 100 cm upstream of the moths. Moths exhibited large amplitude yaw oscillations coupled with modest oscillations in roll and pitch, and slight increases in wingbeat frequency when flying in both the near (recirculating) and middle (vortex dominated) wake regions. Wingbeat amplitude did not vary among treatments, except at 1 m s(-1) for the large cylinder. Yaw and roll oscillations were synchronized with the vortex shedding frequencies in moths flying in the wake of the large cylinder at all speeds. In contrast, yaw and pitch were synchronized with the shedding frequency of small vortices at speeds ≤1 m s(-1). Oscillations in body orientation were also substantially smaller in the small cylinder treatment when compared with the large cylinder, regardless of temporal or non-dimensional spatial scale. Moths flying in steady conditions reached a higher air speed than those flying into cylinder wakes. In general, flight effects produced by the cylinder wakes were qualitatively similar among the recirculating and vortex-dominated wake regions; the magnitude of those effects, however, declined gradually with downstream distance.

Baroclinic Vortices in Rotating Stratified Shearing Flows: Cyclones, Anticyclones, and Zombie Vortices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hassanzadeh, Pedram

Large coherent vortices are abundant in geophysical and astrophysical flows. They play significant roles in the Earth's oceans and atmosphere, the atmosphere of gas giants, such as Jupiter, and the protoplanetary disks around forming stars. These vortices are essentially three-dimensional (3D) and baroclinic, and their dynamics are strongly influenced by the rotation and density stratification of their environments. This work focuses on improving our understanding of the physics of 3D baroclinic vortices in rotating and continuously stratified flows using 3D spectral simulations of the Boussinesq equations, as well as simplified mathematical models. The first chapter discusses the big picture and summarizes the results of this work. In Chapter 2, we derive a relationship for the aspect ratio (i.e., vertical half-thickness over horizontal length scale) of steady and slowly-evolving baroclinic vortices in rotating stratified fluids. We show that the aspect ratio is a function of the Brunt-Vaisala frequencies within the vortex and outside the vortex, the Coriolis parameter, and the Rossby number of the vortex. This equation is basically the gradient-wind equation integrated over the vortex, and is significantly different from the previously proposed scaling laws that find the aspect ratio to be only a function of the properties of the background flow, and independent of the dynamics of the vortex. Our relation is valid for cyclones and anticyclones in either the cyclostrophic or geostrophic regimes; it works with vortices in Boussinesq fluids or ideal gases, and non-uniform background density gradient. The relation for the aspect ratio has many consequences for quasi-equilibrium vortices in rotating stratified flows. For example, cyclones must have interiors more stratified than the background flow (i.e., super-stratified), and weak anticyclones must have interiors less stratified than the background (i.e., sub-stratified). In addition, this equation is useful to infer the height and internal stratification of some astrophysical and geophysical vortices because direct measurements of their vertical structures are difficult. In Chapter 3, we show numerically and experimentally that localized suction in rotating continuously stratified flows produces three-dimensional baroclinic cyclones. As expected from Chapter 2, the interiors of these cyclones are super-stratified. Suction, modeled as a small spherical sink in the simulations, creates an anisotropic flow toward the sink with directional dependence changing with the ratio of the Coriolis parameter to the Brunt-Vaisala frequency. Around the sink, this flow generates cyclonic vorticity and deflects isopycnals so that the interior of the cyclone becomes super-stratified. The super-stratified region is visualized in the companion experiments that we helped to design and analyze using the synthetic schlieren technique. Once the suction stops, the cyclones decay due to viscous dissipation in the simulations and experiments. The numerical results show that the vertical velocity of viscously decaying cyclones flows away from the cyclone's midplane, while the radial velocity flows toward the cyclone's center. This observation is explained based on the cyclo-geostrophic balance. This vertical velocity mixes the flow inside and outside of cyclone and reduces the super-stratification. We speculate that the predominance of anticyclones in geophysical and astrophysical flows is due to the fact that anticyclones require sub-stratification, which occurs naturally by mixing, while cyclones require super-stratification. In Chapter 4, we show that a previously unknown instability creates space-filling lattices of 3D turbulent baroclinic vortices in linearly-stable, rotating, stratified shear flows. The instability starts from a newly discovered family of easily-excited critical layers. This new family, named the baroclinic critical layer, has singular vertical velocities; the traditional family of (barotropic) critical layer has singular stream-wise velocities and is hard to excite. In our simulations, the baroclinic critical layers in rotating stably-stratified linear shear are excited by small-volume, small-amplitude vortices or waves. The excited baroclinic critical layers then intensify by drawing energy from the background shear and roll-up into large coherent 3D vortices that excite new critical layers and vortices. The vortices self-similarly replicate to create lattices of turbulent vortices. These vortices persist for all time and are called zombie vortices because they can occur in the dead zones of protoplanetary disks. The self-replication of zombie vortices can de-stabilize the otherwise linearly and finite-amplitude stable Keplerian shear and lead to the formation of stars and planets. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Influence of upstream disturbance on the draft-tube flow of Francis turbine under part-load conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Ting; Zheng, Xianghao; Zhang, Yu-ning; Li, Shengcai

2018-02-01

Owing to the part-load operations for the enhancement of grid flexibility, the Francis turbine often suffers from severe low-frequency and large-amplitude hydraulic instability, which is mostly pertinent to the highly unsteady swirling vortex rope in the draft tube. The influence of disturbances in the upstream (e.g., large-scale vortex structures in the spiral casing) on the draft-tube vortex flow is not well understood yet. In the present paper, the influence of the upstream disturbances on the vortical flow in the draft tube is studied based on the vortex identification method and the analysis of several important parameters (e.g., the swirl number and the velocity profile). For a small guide vane opening (representing the part-load condition), the vortices triggered in the spiral casing propagate downstream and significantly affect the swirling vortex-rope precession in the draft tube, leading to the changes of the intensity and the processional frequency of the swirling vortex rope. When the guide vane opening approaches the optimum one (representing the full-load condition), the upstream disturbance becomes weaker and thus its influences on the downstream flow are very limited.

Free Surface Wave Interaction with a Horizontal Cylinder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oshkai, P.; Rockwell, D.

1999-10-01

Classes of vortex formation from a horizontal cylinder adjacent to an undulating free-surface wave are characterized using high-image-density particle image velocimetry. Instantaneous representations of the velocity field, streamline topology and vorticity patterns yield insight into the origin of unsteady loading of the cylinder. For sufficiently deep submergence of the cylinder, the orbital nature of the wave motion results in multiple sites of vortex development, i.e., onset of vorticity concentrations, along the surface of the cylinder, followed by distinctive types of shedding from the cylinder. All of these concentrations of vorticity then exhibit orbital motion about the cylinder. Their contributions to the instantaneous values of the force coefficients are assessed by calculating moments of vorticity. It is shown that large contributions to the moments and their rate of change with time can occur for those vorticity concentrations having relatively small amplitude orbital trajectories. In a limiting case, collision with the surface of the cylinder can occur. Such vortex-cylinder interactions exhibit abrupt changes in the streamline topology during the wave cycle, including abrupt switching of the location of saddle points in the wave. The effect of nominal depth of submergence of the cylinder is characterized in terms of the time history of patterns of vorticity generated from the cylinder and the free surface. Generally speaking, generic types of vorticity concentrations are formed from the cylinder during the cycle of the wave motion for all values of submergence. The proximity of the free surface, however, can exert a remarkable influence on the initial formation, the eventual strength, and the subsequent motion of concentrations of vorticity. For sufficiently shallow submergence, large-scale vortex formation from the upper surface of the cylinder is inhibited and, in contrast, that from the lower surface of the cylinder is intensified. Moreover, decreasing the depth of submergence retards the orbital migration of previously shed concentrations of vorticity about the cylinder.

Comparing the dynamics of skyrmions and superconducting vortices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olson Reichhardt, C. J.; Lin, S. Z.; Ray, D.; Reichhardt, C.

2014-08-01

Vortices in type-II superconductors have attracted enormous attention as ideal systems in which to study nonequilibrium collective phenomena, since the self-ordering of the vortices competes with quenched disorder and thermal effects. Dynamic effects found in vortex systems include depinning, nonequilibrium phase transitions, creep, structural order-disorder transitions, and melting. Understanding vortex dynamics is also important for applications of superconductors which require the vortices either to remain pinned or to move in a controlled fashion. Recently, topological defects called skyrmions have been realized experimentally in chiral magnets. Here we highlight similarities and differences between skyrmion dynamics and vortex dynamics. Many of the previous ideas and experimental setups that have been applied to superconducting vortices can also be used to study skyrmions. We also discuss some of the differences between the two systems, such as the potentially large contribution of the Magnus force in the skyrmion system that can dramatically alter the dynamics and transport properties.

Modification of inertial oscillations by the mesoscale eddy field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elipot, Shane; Lumpkin, Rick; Prieto, GermáN.

2010-09-01

The modification of near-surface near-inertial oscillations (NIOs) by the geostrophic vorticity is studied globally from an observational standpoint. Surface drifter are used to estimate NIO characteristics. Despite its spatial resolution limits, altimetry is used to estimate the geostrophic vorticity. Three characteristics of NIOs are considered: the relative frequency shift with respect to the local inertial frequency; the near-inertial variance; and the inverse excess bandwidth, which is interpreted as a decay time scale. The geostrophic mesoscale flow shifts the frequency of NIOs by approximately half its vorticity. Equatorward of 30°N and S, this effect is added to a global pattern of blue shift of NIOs. While the global pattern of near-inertial variance is interpretable in terms of wind forcing, it is also observed that the geostrophic vorticity organizes the near-inertial variance; it is maximum for near zero values of the Laplacian of the vorticity and decreases for nonzero values, albeit not as much for positive as for negative values. Because the Laplacian of vorticity and vorticity are anticorrelated in the altimeter data set, overall, more near-inertial variance is found in anticyclonic vorticity regions than in cyclonic regions. While this is compatible with anticyclones trapping NIOs, the organization of near-inertial variance by the Laplacian of vorticity is also in very good agreement with previous theoretical and numerical predictions. The inverse bandwidth is a decreasing function of the gradient of vorticity, which acts like the gradient of planetary vorticity to increase the decay of NIOs from the ocean surface. Because the altimetry data set captures the largest vorticity gradients in energetic mesoscale regions, it is also observed that NIOs decay faster in large geostrophic eddy kinetic energy regions.

Magnetosphere and ionosphere response to a positive-negative pulse pair of solar wind dynamic pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, A.; Degeling, A. W.

2017-12-01

Simulations and observations had shown that single positive/negative solar wind dynamic pressure pulse would excite geomagnetic impulsive events along with ionosphere and/or magnetosphere vortices which are connected by field aligned currents(FACs). In this work, a large scale ( 9min) magnetic hole event in solar wind provided us with the opportunity to study the effects of positive-negative pulse pair (△p/p 1) on the magnetosphere and ionosphere. During the magnetic hole event, two traveling convection vortices (TCVs, anti-sunward) first in anticlockwise then in clockwise rotation were detected by geomagnetic stations located along the 10:30MLT meridian. At the same time, another pair of ionospheric vortices azimuthally seen up to 3 MLT first in clockwise then in counter-clockwise rotation were also appeared in the afternoon sector( 14MLT) and centered at 75 MLAT without obvious tailward propagation feature. The duskside vortices were also confirmed in SuperDARN radar data. We simulated the process of magnetosphere struck by a positive-negative pulse pair and it shows that a pair of reversed flow vortices in the magnetosphere equatorial plane appeared which may provide FACs for the vortices observed in ionosphere. Dawn dusk asymmetry of the vortices as well as the global geomagnetism perturbation characteristics were also discussed.

Numerical simulation of intense multi-scale vortices generated by supercell thunderstorms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finley, Catherine Ann

1998-11-01

A nested grid primitive equation model (RAMS version 3b) is used to study various aspects of tornadoes and the thunderstorms that produce them. A unique aspect of these simulations is that the model was initialized with synoptic data, and telescoping grids allow atmospheric flows ranging from the synoptic-scale down to sub- tornado-scale vortices to be represented in the model. Two different case studies were simulated in this study: June 30, 1993, and May 15, 1991. The June 30, 1993, simulation produced a classical supercell storm which developed at the intersection between a stationary front and an outflow boundary generated by previous convection. As the simulation progressed, additional storms developed west of the main storm along the stationary front. One of these storms interacted with the main storm to produce a single supercell storm. This storm had many characteristics of a high-precipitation (HP) supercell, and eventually evolved into a bow-echo. The transition of the storm into a bow-echo is discussed and possible physical processes responsible for the transition are presented. The June 30, 1993, simulated supercell produced two weak tornadoes. The first tornado developed along the flanking line of the storm to the southeast of the mesocyclone. The second tornado developed along a strong horizontal shear zone beneath the rotating comma-head structure of the HP supercell. Neither tornado was clearly linked to the mesocyclone in the parent storm, and both tornadoes formed first near the surface and then developed upward with time. Circulation and vorticity analyses were used to investigate the tornadogenesis process in this case. Results from these analyses indicated that the circulation associated with both tornadoes was already present at low-levels in the storm environment 15-20 minutes before the tornadoes developed. Although the baroclinic term associated with the downdraft air made a negligible contribution to the circulation in this case, the downdraft played an important role in tilting horizontal vorticity into the vertical just above the surface in the near tornado environment where horizontal convergence could then act to amplify it. A comparison with the proposed tornadogenesis process(es) in classical supercells is also presented. The May 15, 1991, simulation produced a classical supercell which developed along the dryline in the Texas panhandle. This supercell in turn produced a tornado which lasted for 50 minutes in the simulation. During a ten minute period toward the end of the simulation, six secondary vortices developed within the main tornado vortex. The simulated secondary vortices had many features in common with multiple-vortex tornadoes and secondary vortices produced in laboratory vortices. The evolution and structure of the simulated secondary vortices is presented, and physical mechanisms responsible for their development and dissipation are discussed.

Higher-order derivative correlations and the alignment of small-scale structures in isotropic numerical turbulence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kerr, R. A.

1983-01-01

In a three dimensional simulation higher order derivative correlations, including skewness and flatness factors, are calculated for velocity and passive scalar fields and are compared with structures in the flow. The equations are forced to maintain steady state turbulence and collect statistics. It is found that the scalar derivative flatness increases much faster with Reynolds number than the velocity derivative flatness, and the velocity and mixed derivative skewness do not increase with Reynolds number. Separate exponents are found for the various fourth order velocity derivative correlations, with the vorticity flatness exponent the largest. Three dimensional graphics show strong alignment between the vorticity, rate of strain, and scalar-gradient fields. The vorticity is concentrated in tubes with the scalar gradient and the largest principal rate of strain aligned perpendicular to the tubes. Velocity spectra, in Kolmogorov variables, collapse to a single curve and a short minus 5/3 spectral regime is observed.

Constructive spin-orbital angular momentum coupling can twist materials to create spiral structures in optical vortex illumination

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barada, Daisuke; Center for Optical Research and Education; Juman, Guzhaliayi

It was discovered that optical vortices twist isotropic and homogenous materials, e.g., azo-polymer films to form spiral structures on a nano- or micro-scale. However, the formation mechanism has not yet been established theoretically. To understand the mechanism of the spiral surface relief formation in the azo-polymer film, we theoretically investigate the optical radiation force induced in an isotropic and homogeneous material under irradiation using a continuous-wave optical vortex with arbitrary topological charge and polarization. It is revealed that the spiral surface relief formation in azo-polymer films requires the irradiation of optical vortices with a positive (negative) spin angular momentum andmore » a positive (negative) orbital angular momentum (constructive spin-orbital angular momentum coupling), i.e., the degeneracy among the optical vortices with the same total angular momentum is resolved.« less

Landsat 7 Reveals Large-scale Fractal Motion of Clouds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

This Landsat 7 image of clouds off the Chilean coast near the Juan Fernandez Islands (also known as the Robinson Crusoe Islands) on September 15, 1999, shows a unique pattern called a 'von Karman vortex street.' This pattern has long been studied in the laboratory, where the vortices are created by oil flowing past a cylindrical obstacle, making a string of vortices only several tens of centimeters long. Study of this classic 'flow past a circular cylinder' has been very important in the understanding of laminar and turbulent fluid flow that controls a wide variety of phenomena, from the lift under an aircraft wing to Earth's weather. Here, the cylinder is replaced by Alejandro Selkirk Island (named after the true 'Robinson Crusoe,' who was stranded here for many months in the early 1700s). The island is about 1.5 km in diameter, and rises 1.6 km into a layer of marine stratocumulus clouds. This type of cloud is important for its strong cooling of the Earth's surface, partially counteracting the Greenhouse warming. An extended, steady equatorward wind creates vortices with clockwise flow off the eastern edge and counterclockwise flow off the western edge of the island. The vortices grow as they advect hundreds of kilometers downwind, making a street 10,000 times longer than those made in the laboratory. Observing the same phenomenon extended over such a wide range of sizes dramatizes the 'fractal' nature of atmospheric convection and clouds. Fractals are characteristic of fluid flow and other dynamic systems that exhibit 'chaotic' motions. Both clockwise and counter-clockwise vortices are generated by flow around the island. As the flow separates from the island's leeward (away from the source of the wind) side, the vortices 'swallow' some of the clear air over the island. (Much of the island air is cloudless due to a local 'land breeze' circulation set up by the larger heat capacity of the waters surrounding the island.) The 'swallowed' gulps of clear island air get carried along within the vortices, but these are soon mixed into the surrounding clouds. Landsat is unique in its ability to image both the small-scale eddies that mix clear and cloudy air, down to the 30 meter pixel size of Landsat, but also having a wide enough field-of-view, 180 km, to reveal the connection of the turbulence to large-scale flows such as the subtropical oceanic gyres. Landsat 7, with its new onboard digital recorder, has extended this capability away from the few Landsat ground stations to remote areas such as Alejandro Island, and thus is gradually providing a global dynamic picture of evolving human-scale phenomena. (For more details on von Karman vortices, refer to http://climate.gsfc.nasa.gov/cahalan) Image and caption courtesy Bob Cahalan, NASA GSFC

Vorticity, backscatter and counter-gradient transport predictions using two-level simulation of turbulent flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ranjan, R.; Menon, S.

2018-04-01

The two-level simulation (TLS) method evolves both the large-and the small-scale fields in a two-scale approach and has shown good predictive capabilities in both isotropic and wall-bounded high Reynolds number (Re) turbulent flows in the past. Sensitivity and ability of this modelling approach to predict fundamental features (such as backscatter, counter-gradient turbulent transport, small-scale vorticity, etc.) seen in high Re turbulent flows is assessed here by using two direct numerical simulation (DNS) datasets corresponding to a forced isotropic turbulence at Taylor's microscale-based Reynolds number Reλ ≈ 433 and a fully developed turbulent flow in a periodic channel at friction Reynolds number Reτ ≈ 1000. It is shown that TLS captures the dynamics of local co-/counter-gradient transport and backscatter at the requisite scales of interest. These observations are further confirmed through a posteriori investigation of the flow in a periodic channel at Reτ = 2000. The results reveal that the TLS method can capture both the large- and the small-scale flow physics in a consistent manner, and at a reduced overall cost when compared to the estimated DNS or wall-resolved LES cost.

Noise produced by the large-scale transition region structure of turbulent jets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hardin, J. C.

1974-01-01

The 'orderly' structure which has been observed recently by numerous researchers within the transition region of subsonic turbulent jets is analyzed to reveal its noise-producing potential. For the case of a circular jet, this structure is modeled as a train of toroidal vortex rings which are formed near the jet exit and propagate downstream. The noise produced by the model is evaluated from a reformulation of Lighthill's expression for the far-field acoustic density which emphasizes the importance of the vorticity within the turbulent flow field. It is shown that the noise production occurs mainly close to the jet exit and depends primarily upon temporal changes in the toroidal radii. These results suggest a new approach to noise suppression which has been substantiated experimentally.

A three-dimensional numerical study on instability of sinusoidal flame induced by multiple shock waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xiao; Dong, Gang; Jiang, Hua

2017-04-01

The instabilities of a three-dimensional sinusoidally premixed flame induced by an incident shock wave with Mach = 1.7 and its reshock waves were studied by using the Navier-Stokes (NS) equations with a single-step chemical reaction and a high resolution, 9th-order weighted essentially non-oscillatory scheme. The computational results were validated by the grid independence test and the experimental results in the literature. The computational results show that after the passage of incident shock wave the flame interface develops in symmetric structure accompanied by large-scale transverse vortex structures. After the interactions by successive reshock waves, the flame interface is gradually destabilized and broken up, and the large-scale vortex structures are gradually transformed into small-scale vortex structures. The small-scale vortices tend to be isotropic later. The results also reveal that the evolution of the flame interface is affected by both mixing process and chemical reaction. In order to identify the relationship between the mixing and the chemical reaction, a dimensionless parameter, η , that is defined as the ratio of mixing time scale to chemical reaction time scale, is introduced. It is found that at each interaction stage the effect of chemical reaction is enhanced with time. The enhanced effect of chemical reaction at the interaction stage by incident shock wave is greater than that at the interaction stages by reshock waves. The result suggests that the parameter η can reasonably character the features of flame interface development induced by the multiple shock waves.

An Assessment of Stream Confluence Flow Dynamics using Large Scale Particle Image Velocimetry Captured from Unmanned Aerial Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, Q. W.; Rhoads, B. L.

2017-12-01

The merging of rivers at confluences results in complex three-dimensional flow patterns that influence sediment transport, bed morphology, downstream mixing, and physical habitat conditions. The capacity to characterize comprehensively flow at confluences using traditional sensors, such as acoustic Doppler velocimeters and profiles, is limited by the restricted spatial resolution of these sensors and difficulties in measuring velocities simultaneously at many locations within a confluence. This study assesses two-dimensional surficial patterns of flow structure at a small stream confluence in Illinois, USA, using large scale particle image velocimetry (LSPIV) derived from videos captured by unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The method captures surface velocity patterns at high spatial and temporal resolution over multiple scales, ranging from the entire confluence to details of flow within the confluence mixing interface. Flow patterns at high momentum ratio are compared to flow patterns when the two incoming flows have nearly equal momentum flux. Mean surface flow patterns during the two types of events provide details on mean patterns of surface flow in different hydrodynamic regions of the confluence and on changes in these patterns with changing momentum flux ratio. LSPIV data derived from the highest resolution imagery also reveal general characteristics of large-scale vortices that form along the shear layer between the flows during the high-momentum ratio event. The results indicate that the use of LSPIV and UAS is well-suited for capturing in detail mean surface patterns of flow at small confluences, but that characterization of evolving turbulent structures is limited by scale considerations related to structure size, image resolution, and camera instability. Complementary methods, including camera platforms mounted at fixed positions close to the water surface, provide opportunities to accurately characterize evolving turbulent flow structures in confluences.

Effects of Convective Asymmetries on Hurricane Intensity: A Numerical Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, Liguang; Braun, Scott A.

2003-01-01

The influence of the uniform large-scale flow, beta effect, and vertical shear of the environmental flow on hurricane intensity is investigated in the context of the induced convective or potential vorticity asymmetries with a hydrostatic primitive equation hurricane model. In agreement with the previous studies, imposing of one of these environmental effects can substantially weaken the simulated tropical cyclones. In response t o the environmental influence, significant asymmetries develop with a structure similar to the spiral bands in real hurricanes, which are dominated by wavenumber-one components. The tendencies of the mean radial, azimuthal winds and temperature associated with the environment-induced convective asymmetries are evaluated respectively. The resulting asymmetries can effectively reduce hurricane intensity by directly producing the negative tendency of the mean tangential wind in the vicinity of the radius of maximum wind, and by weakening the mean radial circulation. The reduction effects are closely associated with the spiral structure of the induced asymmetries. The time lag observed between the imposition of the environmental influence and the resulting rise in the minimum central pressure is the time required for developing the spiral structure. This study also confirms the axisymmetrization process associated with the induced wavenumber-one components of potential vorticity asymmetries, but it exists only within the radius of maximum wind.

Annual Research Briefs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spinks, Debra (Compiler)

1997-01-01

This report contains the 1997 annual progress reports of the research fellows and students supported by the Center for Turbulence Research (CTR). Titles include: Invariant modeling in large-eddy simulation of turbulence; Validation of large-eddy simulation in a plain asymmetric diffuser; Progress in large-eddy simulation of trailing-edge turbulence and aeronautics; Resolution requirements in large-eddy simulations of shear flows; A general theory of discrete filtering for LES in complex geometry; On the use of discrete filters for large eddy simulation; Wall models in large eddy simulation of separated flow; Perspectives for ensemble average LES; Anisotropic grid-based formulas for subgrid-scale models; Some modeling requirements for wall models in large eddy simulation; Numerical simulation of 3D turbulent boundary layers using the V2F model; Accurate modeling of impinging jet heat transfer; Application of turbulence models to high-lift airfoils; Advances in structure-based turbulence modeling; Incorporating realistic chemistry into direct numerical simulations of turbulent non-premixed combustion; Effects of small-scale structure on turbulent mixing; Turbulent premixed combustion in the laminar flamelet and the thin reaction zone regime; Large eddy simulation of combustion instabilities in turbulent premixed burners; On the generation of vorticity at a free-surface; Active control of turbulent channel flow; A generalized framework for robust control in fluid mechanics; Combined immersed-boundary/B-spline methods for simulations of flow in complex geometries; and DNS of shock boundary-layer interaction - preliminary results for compression ramp flow.

Sodium Ion Dynamics in the Magnetospheric Flanks of Mercury

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aizawa, S.; Delcourt, D.; Terada, N.

2018-05-01

We examine the particle transport via the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability by using simulation. The heavy ions of planetary origin such as Na+ may experience prominent nonadiabatic energization as they ExB drift across large-scale rolled up vortices.

ARC-1979-AC79-7102

NASA Image and Video Library

1979-07-03

Range : 6 Million km. ( 3.72 million miles ) This photograph of Jupiter, shot from Voyager 2, shows the equator to the southern polar latitudes, near the Great Red Spot. The white oval that appears here is different from the one seen in a similiar position when voyager 1 passed years before. The region of white clouds now extends from east of The Red Spot and around it's northern boundary, preventing small cloud vortices from circling the feature. The disturbed region west of The Red Spot has also changed since Voyager1. It shows more small scale structure and cloud vortices being formed out of the wave structures.

Determination of secondary flow morphologies by wavelet analysis in a curved artery model with physiological inflow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bulusu, Kartik V.; Hussain, Shadman; Plesniak, Michael W.

2014-11-01

Secondary flow vortical patterns in arterial curvatures have the potential to affect several cardiovascular phenomena, e.g., progression of atherosclerosis by altering wall shear stresses, carotid atheromatous disease, thoracic aortic aneurysms and Marfan's syndrome. Temporal characteristics of secondary flow structures vis-à-vis physiological (pulsatile) inflow waveform were explored by continuous wavelet transform (CWT) analysis of phase-locked, two-component, two-dimensional particle image velocimeter data. Measurements were made in a 180° curved artery test section upstream of the curvature and at the 90° cross-sectional plane. Streamwise, upstream flow rate measurements were analyzed using a one-dimensional antisymmetric wavelet. Cross-stream measurements at the 90° location of the curved artery revealed interesting multi-scale, multi-strength coherent secondary flow structures. An automated process for coherent structure detection and vortical feature quantification was applied to large ensembles of PIV data. Metrics such as the number of secondary flow structures, their sizes and strengths were generated at every discrete time instance of the physiological inflow waveform. An autonomous data post-processing method incorporating two-dimensional CWT for coherent structure detection was implemented. Loss of coherence in secondary flow structures during the systolic deceleration phase is observed in accordance with previous research. The algorithmic approach presented herein further elucidated the sensitivity and dependence of morphological changes in secondary flow structures on quasiperiodicity and magnitude of temporal gradients in physiological inflow conditions.

Satellite observations of eddies in the Baltic, Black and Caspian seas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karimova, S.

2012-04-01

In the present paper mesoscale and sub-mesoscale eddies in the Baltic, Black and Caspian seas are studied by means of satellite radiometer and radar images. Using these data makes it possible to investigate the vortical structures of a wide spatial range, from the basin scale through mesoscale to a small scale with a few kilometers in size. Over 2000 Envisat ASAR and ERS-2 SAR images with two-year time coverage (2009-2010) and spatial resolution of 75 m obtained in different parts of the Baltic, Black and Caspian Seas were applied to study submesoscale (with a diameter less than ca. 20 km) eddies in the basins mentioned. As a result of the analysis performed the role of different mechanisms (ones due to surfactant films, wave/current interactions and thermal fronts) in eddy visualization in SAR imagery was revealed. In every basin studied the main eddy characteristics such as number of eddies, frequency of their occurrence in SAR imagery, sign of vorticity, typical length scale and lifetime as well as spatial distribution patterns were investigated. Spatio-temporal parameters of the vortices were subjected to statistical analysis. Interannual and seasonal variabilities of the eddy parameters were traced. Hypotheses about the most important mechanisms of generation of the eddies observed were proposed. Among them there are barotropic, baroclinic and topographic instabilities, convection in the surface layer and heterogeneous wind forcing. Satellite infrared and visible images were used for retrieving statistical information on the Black Sea mesoscale vortical structures. The dataset used included ~5000 AVHRR NOAA Sea Surface Temperature (SST) images covering the entire Black Sea with time coverage since September, 2004 to December, 2010 and ~1500 MODIS Aqua (SST, normalized water-leaving radiance at 551 nm, chlorophyll-a concentration) images obtained in 2006-2010. Spatial resolution of the images was 1 km. Analysis performed revealed that numerous vortical structures could be detected in the imagery mentioned. These structures were very different in their spatio-temporal scales and mechanisms of generation. It was discovered that the eddy types which could be especially frequently observed were the Rim Current meanders and rings, quasi-permanent anticyclonic eddies, near-shore anticyclonic eddies, mushroom-like currents (eddy dipoles), eddies of the Anatolian coast, and eddy chains. For each type of non-stationary eddies (the last four groups of eddies just mentioned), their spatio-temporal characteristics were retrieved such as areas of the most frequent generation and typical length scale as well as their seasonality and interannual variability. This work was implemented within the framework of the Federal Target Program "Scientific and scientific-pedagogical personnel of innovative Russia" in 2009-2013 and partly supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (grants #10-05-00428, #11-07-12025).

Wavelet-based multiscale window transform and energy and vorticity analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Xiang San

A new methodology, Multiscale Energy and Vorticity Analysis (MS-EVA), is developed to investigate sub-mesoscale, meso-scale, and large-scale dynamical interactions in geophysical fluid flows which are intermittent in space and time. The development begins with the construction of a wavelet-based functional analysis tool, the multiscale window transform (MWT), which is local, orthonormal, self-similar, and windowed on scale. The MWT is first built over the real line then modified onto a finite domain. Properties are explored, the most important one being the property of marginalization which brings together a quadratic quantity in physical space with its phase space representation. Based on MWT the MS-EVA is developed. Energy and enstrophy equations for the large-, meso-, and sub-meso-scale windows are derived and their terms interpreted. The processes thus represented are classified into four categories: transport; transfer, conversion, and dissipation/diffusion. The separation of transport from transfer is made possible with the introduction of the concept of perfect transfer. By the property of marginalization, the classical energetic analysis proves to be a particular case of the MS-EVA. The MS-EVA developed is validated with classical instability problems. The validation is carried out through two steps. First, it is established that the barotropic and baroclinic instabilities are indicated by the spatial averages of certain transfer term interaction analyses. Then calculations of these indicators are made with an Eady model and a Kuo model. The results agree precisely with what is expected from their analytical solutions, and the energetics reproduced reveal a consistent and important aspect of the unknown dynamic structures of instability processes. As an application, the MS-EVA is used to investigate the Iceland-Faeroe frontal (IFF) variability. A MS-EVA-ready dataset is first generated, through a forecasting study with the Harvard Ocean Prediction System using the data gathered during the 1993 NRV Alliance cruise. The application starts with a determination of the scale window bounds, which characterize a double-peak structure in either the time wavelet spectrum or the space wavelet spectrum. The resulting energetics, when locally averaged, reveal that there is a clear baroclinic instability happening around the cold tongue intrusion observed in the forecast. Moreover, an interaction analysis shows that the energy released by the instability indeed goes to the meso-scale window and fuel the growth of the intrusion. The sensitivity study shows that, in this case, the key to a successful application is a correct decomposition of the large-scale window from the meso-scale window.

Anisotropic Structure of Rotating Homogeneous Turbulence at High Reynolds Numbers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cambon, Claude; Mansour, Nagi N.; Squires, Kyle D.; Rai, Man Mohan (Technical Monitor)

1995-01-01

Large eddy simulation is used to investigate the development of anisotropies and the evolution towards a quasi two-dimensional state in rotating homogeneous turbulence at high Reynolds number. The present study demonstrates the existence of two transitions in the development of anisotropy. The first transition marks the onset of anisotropy and occurs when a macro-Rossby number (based on a longitudinal integral lengthscale) has decreased to near unity while the second transition occurs when a micro-Rossby number (defined in this work as the ratio of the rms fluctuating vorticity to background vorticity) has decreased to unity. The anisotropy marked by the first transition corresponds to a reduction in dimensionality while the second transition corresponds to a polarization of the flow, i.e., relative dominance of the velocity components in the plane normal to the rotation axis. Polarization is reflected by emergence of anisotropy measures based on the two-dimensional component of the turbulence. Investigation of the vorticity structure shows that the second transition is also characterized by an increasing tendency for alignment between the fluctuating vorticity vector and the background angular velocity vector with a preference for corrotative vorticity.

Superfluid-like turbulence in cosmology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gradwohl, Ben-Ami

1991-01-01

A network of vortices in a superfluid system exhibits turbulent behavior. It is argued that the universe may have experienced such a phase of superfluid-like turbulence due to the existence of a coherent state with non-topological charge and a network of global strings. The unique feature of a distribution of turbulent domains is that it can yield non-gravitationally induced large-scale coherent velocities. It may be difficult, however, to relate these velocities to the observed large-scale bulk motion.

Flow structure of vortex-wing interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKenna, Christopher K.

Impingement of a streamwise-oriented vortex upon a fin, tail, blade or wing represents a fundamental class of flow-structure interaction that extends across a range of applications. This interaction can give rise to time-averaged loading, as well as unsteady loading known as buffeting. The loading is sensitive to parameters of the incident vortex as well as the location of vortex impingement on the downstream aerodynamic surface, generically designated as a wing. Particle image velocimetry is employed to determine patterns of velocity, vorticity, swirl ratio, and streamlines on successive cross-flow planes upstream of and along the wing, which lead to volume representations and thereby characterization of the interaction. At locations upstream of the leading edge of the wing, the evolution of the incident vortex is affected by the presence of the wing, and is highly dependent on the spanwise location of vortex impingement. Even at spanwise locations of impingement well outboard of the wing tip, a substantial influence on the structure of the incident vortex at locations significantly upstream of the leading edge of the wing was observed. For spanwise locations close to or intersecting the vortex core, the effects of upstream influence of the wing on the vortex are to: decrease the swirl ratio; increase the streamwise velocity deficit; decrease the streamwise vorticity; increase the azimuthal vorticity; increase the upwash; decrease the downwash; and increase the root-mean-square fluctuations of both streamwise velocity and vorticity. The interrelationship between these effects is addressed, including the rapid attenuation of axial vorticity in presence of an enhanced defect of axial velocity in the central region of the vortex. Moreover, when the incident vortex is aligned with, or inboard of, the tip of the wing, the swirl ratio decreases to values associated with instability of the vortex, giving rise to enhanced values of azimuthal vorticity relative to the streamwise (axial) vorticity, as well as relatively large root-mean-square values of streamwise velocity and vorticity. Along the chord of the wing, the vortex interaction gives rise to distinct modes, which may involve either enhancement or suppression of the vortex generated at the tip of the wing. These modes are classified and interpreted in conjunction with computed modes at the Air Force Research Laboratory. Occurrence of a given mode of interaction is predominantly determined by the dimensionless location of the incident vortex relative to the tip of the wing and is generally insensitive to the Reynolds number and dimensionless circulation of the incident vortex. The genesis of the basic modes of interaction is clarified using streamline topology with associated critical points. Whereas formation of an enhanced tip vortex involves a region of large upwash in conjunction with localized flow separation, complete suppression of the tip vortex is associated with a small-scale separation-attachment bubble bounded by downwash at the wing tip. Oscillation of the wing at an amplitude and velocity nearly two orders of magnitude smaller than the wing chord and free stream velocity respectively can give rise to distinctive patterns of upwash, downwash, and shed vorticity, which are dependent on the outboard displacement of the incident vortex relative to the wing tip. Moreover, these patterns are a strong function of the phase of the wing motion during its oscillation cycle. At a given value of phase, the wing oscillation induces upwash that is reinforced by the upwash of the incident vortex, giving a maximum value of net upwash. Conversely, when these two origins of upwash counteract, rather than reinforce, one another during the oscillation cycle, the net upwash has its minimum value. Analogous interpretations hold for regions of maximum and minimum net downwash located outboard of the regions of upwash. During the oscillation cycle of the wing, the magnitude and scale of the vorticity shed from the tip of the wing are directly correlated with the net upwash, which takes different forms related to the outboard displacement of the incident vortex. As the location of the incident vortex is displaced towards the wing tip, both the maximum upwash and the maximum vorticity of the tip vortex initially increase, then decrease. For the limiting case where the incident vortex impinges directly upon the tip of the wing, there is no tip vortex or induced region of upwash. Furthermore, at small values of vortex displacement from the wing tip, the position of the incident vortex varies significantly from its nominal position during the oscillation cycle. For all locations of the incident vortex, it is shown that, despite the small amplitude of the wing motion, the flow topology is fundamentally different at maximum positive and negative values of the wing velocity, that is, they are not symmetric.

Experimental investigation of the micro-ramp based shock wave and turbulent boundary layer interaction control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bo, Wang; Weidong, Liu; Yuxin, Zhao; Xiaoqiang, Fan; Chao, Wang

2012-05-01

Using a nanoparticle-based planar laser-scattering technique and supersonic particle image velocimetry, we investigated the effects of micro-ramp control on incident shockwave and boundary-layer interaction (SWBLI) in a low-noise supersonic wind-tunnel with Mach number 2.7 and Reynolds number Rθ = 5845. High spatiotemporal resolution wake structures downstream of the micro-ramps were detected, while a complex evolution process containing a streamwise counter-rotating vortex pair and large-scale hairpin-like vortices with Strouhal number Stδ of about 0.5-0.65 was revealed. The large-scale structures could survive while passing through the SWBLI region. Reflected shockwaves are clearly seen to be distorted accompanied by high-frequency fluctuations. Micro-ramp applications have a distinct influence on flow patterns of the SWBLI field that vary depending on spanwise locations. Both the shock foot and separation line exhibit undulations corresponding with modifications of the velocity distribution of the incoming boundary layer. Moreover, by energizing parts of the boundary flow, the micro-ramp is able to dampen the separation.

Helicity fluctuations and turbulent energy production in rotating and non-rotating pipes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Orlandi, P.

1995-01-01

Finite-difference second-order accurate direct simulation of a turbulent pipe has been used to investigate how the turbulence production and dissipation change when a solid body rotation is applied. It is shown that when the helicity increases, the dissipation is reduced. It is asserted that to have a drag reduction the external action should be such as to disrupt the symmetry of right- and left-handed helical structures. In this study the Navier-Stokes equations in rotational form permit the turbulent energy production to be split into a part related to the energy cascade from large to small scales and into a part related to the convection by large scales. The full simulation data have shown the latter is greater than the former in the wall region and that, on the contrary, these two terms balance each other in the central region. From the pdf of the former, it has been shown how the vortical structures are changed in the wall region by the background radiation and how they are related to the changes in the energy production.

Multi-fluid Dynamics for Supersonic Jet-and-Crossflows and Liquid Plug Rupture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hassan, Ezeldin A.

Multi-fluid dynamics simulations require appropriate numerical treatments based on the main flow characteristics, such as flow speed, turbulence, thermodynamic state, and time and length scales. In this thesis, two distinct problems are investigated: supersonic jet and crossflow interactions; and liquid plug propagation and rupture in an airway. Gaseous non-reactive ethylene jet and air crossflow simulation represents essential physics for fuel injection in SCRAMJET engines. The regime is highly unsteady, involving shocks, turbulent mixing, and large-scale vortical structures. An eddy-viscosity-based multi-scale turbulence model is proposed to resolve turbulent structures consistent with grid resolution and turbulence length scales. Predictions of the time-averaged fuel concentration from the multi-scale model is improved over Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes models originally derived from stationary flow. The response to the multi-scale model alone is, however, limited, in cases where the vortical structures are small and scattered thus requiring prohibitively expensive grids in order to resolve the flow field accurately. Statistical information related to turbulent fluctuations is utilized to estimate an effective turbulent Schmidt number, which is shown to be highly varying in space. Accordingly, an adaptive turbulent Schmidt number approach is proposed, by allowing the resolved field to adaptively influence the value of turbulent Schmidt number in the multi-scale turbulence model. The proposed model estimates a time-averaged turbulent Schmidt number adapted to the computed flowfield, instead of the constant value common to the eddy-viscosity-based Navier-Stokes models. This approach is assessed using a grid-refinement study for the normal injection case, and tested with 30 degree injection, showing improved results over the constant turbulent Schmidt model both in mean and variance of fuel concentration predictions. For the incompressible liquid plug propagation and rupture study, numerical simulations are conducted using an Eulerian-Lagrangian approach with a continuous-interface method. A reconstruction scheme is developed to allow topological changes during plug rupture by altering the connectivity information of the interface mesh. Rupture time is shown to be delayed as the initial precursor film thickness increases. During the plug rupture process, a sudden increase of mechanical stresses on the tube wall is recorded, which can cause tissue damage.

Statistical comparison of coherent structures in fully developed turbulent pipe flow with and without drag reduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sogaro, Francesca; Poole, Robert; Dennis, David

2014-11-01

High-speed stereoscopic particle image velocimetry has been performed in fully developed turbulent pipe flow at moderate Reynolds numbers with and without a drag-reducing additive (an aqueous solution of high molecular weight polyacrylamide). Three-dimensional large and very large-scale motions (LSM and VLSM) are extracted from the flow fields by a detection algorithm and the characteristics for each case are statistically compared. The results show that the three-dimensional extent of VLSMs in drag reduced (DR) flow appears to increase significantly compared to their Newtonian counterparts. A statistical increase in azimuthal extent of DR VLSM is observed by means of two-point spatial autocorrelation of the streamwise velocity fluctuation in the radial-azimuthal plane. Furthermore, a remarkable increase in length of these structures is observed by three-dimensional two-point spatial autocorrelation. These results are accompanied by an analysis of the swirling strength in the flow field that shows a significant reduction in strength and number of the vortices for the DR flow. The findings suggest that the damping of the small scales due to polymer addition results in the undisturbed development of longer flow structures.

Plasma flow disturbances in the magnetospheric plasma sheet during substorm activations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozelova, T. V.; Kozelov, B. V.; Turyanskii, V. A.

2017-11-01

We have considered variations in fields and particle fluxes in the near-Earth plasma sheet on the THEMIS-D satellite together with the auroral dynamics in the satellite-conjugate ionospheric part during two substorm activations on December 19, 2014 with K p = 2. The satellite was at 8.5 R E and MLT = 21.8 in the outer region of captured energetic particles with isotropic ion fluxes near the convection boundary of electrons with an energy of 10 keV. During substorm activations, the satellite recorded energetic particle injections and magnetic field oscillations with a period of 90 s. In the satellite-conjugate ionospheric part, the activations were preceded by wavelike disturbances of auroral brightness along the southern azimuthal arc. In the expansion phase of activations, large-scale vortex structures appeared in the structure of auroras. The sudden enhancements of auroral activity (brightening of arcs, auroral breakup, and appearance of NS forms) coincided with moments of local magnetic field dipolarization and an increase in the amplitude Pi2 of pulsations of the B z component of the magnetic field on the satellite. Approximately 30-50 s before these moments, the magnetosphere was characterized by an increased rate of plasma flow in the radial direction, which initiated the formation of plasma vortices. The auroral activation delays relative to the times when plasma vortices appear in the magnetosphere decreased with decreasing latitude of the satellite projection. The plasma vortices in the magnetosphere are assumed to be responsible for the observed auroral vortex structures and the manifestation of the hybrid vortex instability (or shear flow ballooning instability) that develops in the equatorial magnetospheric plane in the presence of a shear plasma flow in the region of strong pressure gradients in the Earthward direction.

Experimental study of a fine structure of 2D wakes and mixing past an obstacle in a continuously stratified fluid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chashechkin, Yuli. D.; Mitkin, Vladimir V.

2001-10-01

Experimental investigations of fine and macroscopic structures of density and velocity disturbances generated by a towing cylinder or a vertical strip in a linearly stratified liquid are carried out in a rectangular tank. A density gradient field is visualised by different Schlieren methods (direct shadow, 'slit-knife', 'slit-thread', 'natural rainbow') characterised by a high spatial resolution. Profiles of fluid velocity are visualised by density markers — wakes past a vertically descending sugar crystal or an ascending gas bubble. In a fluid at rest, the density marker acts as a vertical linear source of internal oscillations which allows us to measure buoyancy frequency over all depth by the Schlieren instrument directly or by a conductivity probe in a particular point. Sensitive methods reveal a set of high gradient interfaces inside and outside the downstream wake besides well-known large scale elements: upstream disturbances, attached internal waves and vortices. Solitary interfaces located inside the attached internal waves field have no features on their leading and trailing edges. A thickness of interfaces is defined by an appropriate diffusion coefficient and a buoyancy frequency. High gradient interfaces bound compact vortices. Vortices moving with respect to environment emit their own systems of internal waves randomising a regular pattern of attached antisymmetric internal waves. But after a rather long time a wave recurrence occurs and a regular but symmetric structure of the longest waves (similar to the pattern of initial attached internal waves) is observed again. High gradient interfaces and lines of their intersections act as collectors of a dye coming from a compact source or from a coloured liquid volume inside the tank and separate coloured and clear areas.

Active flow control for a blunt trailing edge profiled body

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naghib Lahouti, Arash

Flow in the wake of nominally two-dimensional bluff bodies is dominated by vortex shedding, beyond a very small threshold Reynolds number. Vortex shedding poses challenges in the design of structures, due to its adverse effects such as cyclic aerodynamic loads and fatigue. The wake vortices are often accompanied by large- and small-scale secondary instabilities, which manifest as dislocations in the primary wake vortices, and/or pairs of counter-rotating streamwise vortices, depending on the dominant instability mode(s), which in turn depends on the profile geometry and Reynolds number. The secondary instabilities interact with the wake vortices through several mechanisms. Therefore, manipulation of the secondary instabilities can be used as a means to alter the wake vortices, in order to reduce their adverse effects. In the present study, flow in the wake of a blunt trailing edge profiled body, composed of an elliptical leading edge and a rectangular trailing edge, has been studied at Reynolds numbers ranging from Re(d) = 500 to 2150 where d is thickness of the body, to identify the secondary instabilities. Various tools, including numerical simulations, Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF), and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) have been used for this study. Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) has been applied to analyze the velocity field data. The results indicate the existence of small-scale instabilities with a spanwise wavelength of 2.0d to 2.5d in the near wake. The mechanism of the instability is similar to the Mode-A instability of a circular cylinder; however, it displays features that are specific to the blunt trailing edge profiled body. An active three-dimensional flow control mechanism based on the small-scale instabilities has been designed and evaluated. The mechanism comprises a series of trailing edge injection ports, with a spanwise spacing equal to the wavelength of the small-scale instabilities. Following preliminary evaluation of the control mechanism through numerical simulations, and experimental study of the effect of injection flow rate, extensive PIV experiments have been conducted to investigate the effectiveness of the flow control mechanism, and its effects on the wake flow structure, at Reynolds numbers ranging from Re(d ) = 700 to 1980. Measurements have been carried out at multiple spanwise locations, to establish a comprehensive image of the effect of the flow control mechanism on parameters such as drag force, wake width, and formation length. POD analysis and frequency spectrums are used to describe the process by which the mechanism affects the wake parameters and drag force. The results indicate that the flow control mechanism is able to reduce drag force by 10%. It is also shown that the best effectiveness in terms of suppression of the drag component resulting from velocity fluctuations is achieved when the flow control actuation wavelength closely matches the wavelength of the small-scale instabilities. KEYWORDS: Blunt Trailing Edge Profiled Body, Vortex Shedding, Wake Instability, Streamwise Vortex, Flow Control, Drag Reduction, Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF), Flow Visualization, Numerical Simulation

Navier-Stokes solutions of unsteady separation induced by a vortex: Comparison with theory and influence of a moving wall

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Obabko, Aleksandr Vladimirovich

Numerical solutions of the unsteady Navier-Stokes equations are considered for the flow induced by a thick-core vortex convecting along an infinite surface in a two-dimensional incompressible flow. The formulation is considered as a model problem of the dynamic-stall vortex and is relevant to other unsteady separation phenomena including vorticity ejections in juncture flows and the vorticity production mechanism in turbulent boundary-layers. Induced by an adverse streamwise pressure gradient due to the presence of the vortex above the wall, a primary recirculation region forms and evolves toward a singular solution of the unsteady non-interacting boundary-layer equations. The resulting eruptive spike provokes a small-scale viscous-inviscid interaction in the high-Reynolds-number regime. In the moderate-Reynolds-numbers regime, the growing recirculation region initiates a large-scale interaction in the form of local changes in the streamwise pressure gradient accelerating the spike formation and resulting small-scale interaction through development of a region of streamwise compression. It also was found to induce regions of streamwise expansion and "child" recirculation regions that contribute to ejections of near-wall vorticity and splitting of the "parent" region into multiple co-rotating eddies. These eddies later merge into a single amalgamated eddy that is observed to pair with the detaching vortex similar to the low-Reynolds-number regime where the large-scale interaction occurs, but there is no spike or subsequent small-scale interaction. It is also found that increasing the wall speed or vortex convection velocity toward a critical value results in solutions that are indicative of flows at lower Reynolds numbers eventually leading to suppression of unsteady separation and vortex detachment processes.

Non-equilibrium statistical mechanics theory for the large scales of geophysical flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eric, S.; Bouchet, F.

2010-12-01

The aim of any theory of turbulence is to understand the statistical properties of the velocity field. As a huge number of degrees of freedom is involved, statistical mechanics is a natural approach. The self-organization of two-dimensional and geophysical turbulent flows is addressed based on statistical mechanics methods. We discuss classical and recent works on this subject; from the statistical mechanics basis of the theory up to applications to Jupiter’s troposphere and ocean vortices and jets. The equilibrium microcanonical measure is built from the Liouville theorem. Important statistical mechanics concepts (large deviations, mean field approach) and thermodynamic concepts (ensemble inequivalence, negative heat capacity) are briefly explained and used to predict statistical equilibria for turbulent flows. This is applied to make quantitative models of two-dimensional turbulence, the Great Red Spot and other Jovian vortices, ocean jets like the Gulf-Stream, and ocean vortices. A detailed comparison between these statistical equilibria and real flow observations will be discussed. We also present recent results for non-equilibrium situations, for which forces and dissipation are in a statistical balance. As an example, the concept of phase transition allows us to describe drastic changes of the whole system when a few external parameters are changed. F. Bouchet and E. Simonnet, Random Changes of Flow Topology in Two-Dimensional and Geophysical Turbulence, Physical Review Letters 102 (2009), no. 9, 094504-+. F. Bouchet and J. Sommeria, Emergence of intense jets and Jupiter's Great Red Spot as maximum-entropy structures, Journal of Fluid Mechanics 464 (2002), 165-207. A. Venaille and F. Bouchet, Ocean rings and jets as statistical equilibrium states, submitted to JPO F. Bouchet and A. Venaille, Statistical mechanics of two-dimensional and geophysical flows, submitted to Physics Reports Non-equilibrium phase transitions for the 2D Navier-Stokes equations with stochastic forces (time series and probability density functions (PDFs) of the modulus of the largest scale Fourrier component, showing bistability between dipole and unidirectional flows). This bistability is predicted by statistical mechanics.

Experimental investigation of forebody and wing leading-edge vortex interactions at high angles of attack

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Erickson, G. E.; Gilbert, W. P.

1983-01-01

An experimental investigation was conducted to assess the vortex flow-field interactions on an advanced, twin-jet fighter aircraft configuration at high angles of attack. Flow-field surveys were conducted on a small-scale model in the Northrop 0.41 - by 0.60-meter water tunnel and, where appropriate, the qualitative observations were correlated with low-speed wind tunnel data trends obtained on a large-scale model of the advanced fighter in the NASA Langley Research Center 30- by 60-foot (9.1- by 18.3-meter) facility. Emphasis was placed on understanding the interactions of the forebody and LEX-wing vortical flows, defining the effects on rolling moment variation with sideslip, and identifying modifications to control or regulate the vortex interactions at high angles of attack. The water tunnel flow visualization results and wind tunnel data trend analysis revealed the potential for strong interactions between the forebody and LEX vortices at high angles of attack. In particular, the forebody flow development near the nose could be controlled by means of carefully-positioned radome strakes. The resultant strake-induced flow-field changes were amplified downstream by the more powerful LEX vortical motions with subsequent large effects on wing flow separation characteristics.

Vortex scaling ranges in two-dimensional turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgess, B. H.; Dritschel, D. G.; Scott, R. K.

2017-11-01

We survey the role of coherent vortices in two-dimensional turbulence, including formation mechanisms, implications for classical similarity and inertial range theories, and characteristics of the vortex populations. We review early work on the spatial and temporal scaling properties of vortices in freely evolving turbulence and more recent developments, including a spatiotemporal scaling theory for vortices in the forced inverse energy cascade. We emphasize that Kraichnan-Batchelor similarity theories and vortex scaling theories are best viewed as complementary and together provide a more complete description of two-dimensional turbulence. In particular, similarity theory has a continued role in describing the weak filamentary sea between the vortices. Moreover, we locate both classical inertial and vortex scaling ranges within the broader framework of scaling in far-from-equilibrium systems, which generically exhibit multiple fixed point solutions with distinct scaling behaviour. We describe how stationary transport in a range of scales comoving with the dilatation of flow features, as measured by the growth in vortex area, constrains the vortex number density in both freely evolving and forced two-dimensional turbulence. The new theories for coherent vortices reveal previously hidden nontrivial scaling, point to new dynamical understanding, and provide a novel exciting window into two-dimensional turbulence.

Formation of intrathermocline eddies at ocean fronts by wind-driven destruction of potential vorticity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, Leif N.

2008-08-01

A mechanism for the generation of intrathermocline eddies (ITEs) at wind-forced fronts is examined using a high resolution numerical simulation. Favorable conditions for ITE formation result at fronts forced by "down-front" winds, i.e. winds blowing in the direction of the frontal jet. Down-front winds exert frictional forces that reduce the potential vorticity (PV) within the surface boundary in the frontal outcrop, providing a source for the low-PV water that is the materia prima of ITEs. Meandering of the front drives vertical motions that subduct the low-PV water into the pycnocline, pooling it into the coherent anticyclonic vortex of a submesoscale ITE. As the fluid is subducted along the outcropping frontal isopycnal, the low-PV water, which at the surface is associated with strongly baroclinic flow, re-expresses itself as water with nearly zero absolute vorticity. This generation of strong anticyclonic vorticity results from the tilting of the horizontal vorticity of the frontal jet, not from vortex squashing. During the formation of the ITE, high-PV water from the pycnocline is upwelled alongside the subducting low-PV surface water. The positive correlation between the ITE's velocity and PV fields results in an upward, along-isopycnal eddy PV flux that scales with the surface frictional PV flux driven by the wind. The relationship between the eddy and wind-induced frictional PV flux is nonlocal in time, as the eddy PV flux persists long after the wind forcing is shut off. The ITE's PV flux affects the large-scale flow by driving an eddy-induced transport or bolus velocity down the outcropping isopycnal layer with a magnitude that scales with the Ekman velocity.

A Theory For The Variability of The Baroclinic Quasi-geostrophic Winnd Driven Circulation.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ben Jelloul, M.; Huck, T.

We propose a theory of the wind driven circulation based on the large scale (i.e. small Burger number) quasi-geostrophic assumptions retained in the Rhines and Young (1982) classical study of the steady baroclinic flow. We therefore use multiple time scale and asymptotic expansions to separate steady and the time dependent component of the flow. The barotropic flow is given by the Sverdrup balance. At first order in Burger number, the baroclinic flow can be decom- posed in two parts. A steady contribution ensures no flow in the deep layer which is at rest in absence of dissipative processes. Since the baroclinic instability is inhibited at large scale a spectrum of neutral modes also arises. These are of three type, classical Rossby basin modes deformed through advection by the barotropic flow, recirculating modes localized in the recirculation gyre and blocked modes corresponding to closed potential vorticity contours. At next order in Burger number, amplitude equations for baroclinic modes are derived. If dissipative processes are included at this order, the system adjusts towards Rhines and Young solution with a homogenized potential vorticity pool.

Rayleigh convective instability in the presence of phase transitions of water vapor. The formation of large-scale eddies and cloud structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shmerlin, B. Ya; Kalashnik, M. V.

2013-05-01

Convective motions in moist saturated air are accompanied by the release of latent heat of condensation. Taking this effect into account, we consider the problem of convective instability of a moist saturated air layer, generalizing the formulation of the classical Rayleigh problem. An analytic solution demonstrating the fundamental difference between moist convection and Rayleigh convection is obtained. Upon losing stability in the two-dimensional case, localized convective rolls or spatially periodic chains of rollers with localized areas of upward motion evolve. In the case of axial symmetry, the growth of localized convective vortices with circulation characteristic of tropical cyclones (hurricanes) is possible at the early stages of development and on the scale of tornados to tropical cyclones.

Frontal dynamics at the edge of the Columbia River plume

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akan, Çiğdem; McWilliams, James C.; Moghimi, Saeed; Özkan-Haller, H. Tuba

2018-02-01

In the tidal ebb-cycle at the Mouth of the Columbia River, strong density and velocity fronts sometimes form perpendicular to the coast at the edges of the freshwater plume. They are distinct from previously analyzed fronts at the offshore western edge of the plume that evolve as a gravity-wave bore. We present simulation results to demonstrate their occurrence and investigate the mechanisms behind their frontogenesis and evolution. Tidal velocities on average ranged between 1.5 m s-1 in flood and 2.5 m s-1 in ebb during the brief hindcast period. The tidal fronts exhibit strong horizontal velocity and buoyancy gradients on a scale ∼ 100 m in width with normalized relative vorticity (ζz/f) values reaching up to 50. We specifically focus on the front on the northern edge of the plume and examine the evolution in plume characteristics such as its water mass gradients, horizontal and vertical velocity structure, vertical velocity, turbulent vertical mixing, horizontal propagation, cross-front momentum balance, and Lagrangian frontogenetic tendencies in both buoyancy and velocity gradients. Advective frontogenesis leads to a very sharp front where lateral mixing near the grid-resolution limit arrests its further contraction. The negative vorticity within the front is initiated by the positive bottom drag curl on the north side of the Columbia estuary and against the north jetty. Because of the large negative vorticity and horizontal vorticity gradient, centrifugal and lateral shear instability begins to develop along the front, but frontal fragmentation and decay set in only after the turn of the tide because of the briefness of the ebb interval.

A priori testing of subgrid-scale models for the velocity-pressure and vorticity-velocity formulations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Winckelmans, G. S.; Lund, T. S.; Carati, D.; Wray, A. A.

1996-01-01

Subgrid-scale models for Large Eddy Simulation (LES) in both the velocity-pressure and the vorticity-velocity formulations were evaluated and compared in a priori tests using spectral Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) databases of isotropic turbulence: 128(exp 3) DNS of forced turbulence (Re(sub(lambda))=95.8) filtered, using the sharp cutoff filter, to both 32(exp 3) and 16(exp 3) synthetic LES fields; 512(exp 3) DNS of decaying turbulence (Re(sub(Lambda))=63.5) filtered to both 64(exp 3) and 32(exp 3) LES fields. Gaussian and top-hat filters were also used with the 128(exp 3) database. Different LES models were evaluated for each formulation: eddy-viscosity models, hyper eddy-viscosity models, mixed models, and scale-similarity models. Correlations between exact versus modeled subgrid-scale quantities were measured at three levels: tensor (traceless), vector (solenoidal 'force'), and scalar (dissipation) levels, and for both cases of uniform and variable coefficient(s). Different choices for the 1/T scaling appearing in the eddy-viscosity were also evaluated. It was found that the models for the vorticity-velocity formulation produce higher correlations with the filtered DNS data than their counterpart in the velocity-pressure formulation. It was also found that the hyper eddy-viscosity model performs better than the eddy viscosity model, in both formulations.

Numerical model of turbulence, sediment transport, and morphodynamics tested in the Colorado River at Grand Canyon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alvarez, L. V.; Grams, P.

2017-12-01

We present a parallelized, three-dimensional, turbulence-resolving model using the Detached-Eddy Simulation (DES) technique, tested at the scale of the river-reach in the Colorado River. DES is a hybrid large eddy simulation (LES) and Reynolds-averaged Navier Stokes (RANS). RANS is applied to the near-bed grid cells, where grid resolution is not sufficient to fully resolve wall turbulence. LES is applied in the flow interior. We utilize the Spalart-Allmaras one equation turbulence closure with a rough wall extension. The model resolves large-scale turbulence using DES and simultaneously integrates the suspended sediment advection-diffusion equation. The Smith and McLean suspended sediment boundary condition is used to calculate the upward and downward settling of sediment fluxes in the grid cells attached to the bed. Model results compare favorably with ADCP measurements of flow taken on the Colorado River in Grand Canyon during the High Flow Experiment (HFE) of 2008. The model accurately reproduces the size and position of the major recirculation currents, and the error in velocity magnitude was found to be less than 17% or 0.22 m/s absolute error. The mean deviation of the direction of velocity with respect to the measured velocity was found to be 20 degrees. Large-scale turbulence structures with vorticity predominantly in the vertical direction are produced at the shear layer between the main channel and the separation zone. However, these structures rapidly become three-dimensional with no preferred orientation of vorticity. Cross-stream velocities, into the main recirculation zone just upstream of the point of reattachment and out of the main recirculation region just downstream of the point of separation, are highest near the bed. Lateral separation eddies are more efficient at storing and exporting sediment than previously modeled. The input of sediment to the eddy recirculation zone occurs in the interface of the eddy and main channel. Pulsation of the strength of the return current becomes a key factor to determine the rates of erosion and deposition in the main recirculation zone.

The Kinematics of Turbulent Boundary Layer Structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robinson, Stephen Kern

1991-01-01

The long history of research into the internal structure of turbulent boundary layers has not provided a unified picture of the physics responsible for turbulence production and dissipation. The goals of the present research are to: (1) define the current state of boundary layer structure knowledge; and (2) utilize direct numerical simulation results to help close the unresolved issues identified in part A and to unify the fragmented knowledge of various coherent motions into a consistent kinematic model of boundary layer structure. The results of the current study show that all classes of coherent motion in the low Reynolds number turbulent boundary layer may be related to vortical structures, but that no single form of vortex is representative of the wide variety of vortical structures observed. In particular, ejection and sweep motions, as well as entrainment from the free-streem are shown to have strong spatial and temporal relationships with vortical structures. Disturbances of vortex size, location, and intensity show that quasi-streamwise vortices dominate the buffer region, while transverse vortices and vortical arches dominate the wake region. Both types of vortical structure are common in the log region. The interrelationships between the various structures and the population distributions of vortices are combined into a conceptual kinematic model for the boundary layer. Aspects of vortical structure dynamics are also postulated, based on time-sequence animations of the numerically simulated flow.

Studies of climate dynamics with innovative global-model simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Xiaoming

Climate simulations with different degrees of idealization are essential for the development of our understanding of the climate system. Studies in this dissertation employ carefully designed global-model simulations for the goal of gaining theoretical and conceptual insights into some problems of climate dynamics. Firstly, global warming-induced changes in extreme precipitation are investigated using a global climate model with idealized geography. The precipitation changes over an idealized north-south mid-latitude mountain barrier at the western margin of an otherwise flat continent are studied. The intensity of the 40 most intense events on the western slopes increases by about ~4°C of surface warming. In contrast, the intensity of the top 40 events on the eastern mountain slopes increases at about ~6°C. This higher sensitivity is due to enhanced ascent during the eastern-slope events, which can be explained in terms of linear mountain-wave theory relating to global warming-induced changes in the upper-tropospheric static stability and the tropopause level. Dominated by different dynamical factors, changes in the intensity of extreme precipitation events over plains and oceans might differ from changes over mountains. So the response of extreme precipitation over mountains and flat areas are further compared using larger data sets of simulated extreme events over the two types of surfaces. It is found that the sensitivity of extreme precipitation to increases in global mean surface temperature is 3% per °C lower over mountains than over the oceans or the plains. The difference in sensitivity among these regions is not due to thermodynamic effects, but rather to differences between the gravity-wave dynamics governing vertical velocities over the mountains and the cyclone dynamics governing vertical motions over the oceans and plains. The strengthening of latent heating in the storms over oceans and plains leads to stronger ascent in the warming climate. Motivated by the fact that natural variability of the atmosphere could obscure the signal of anthropogenic warming on time scales of years to decades, the large scale variability of the atmosphere is also studied. Analysis using simulations in the Community Earth System Model Large Ensemble project reveals that the Northern Annular Mode (NAM) does not have a stable spatial pattern when 50-year long segments of data are used to calculate it. Some segments of data result in NAM-like variability with a very strong North Pacific center of action, while in some others it exhibits a more symmetric structure, with North Pacific and Euro-Atlantic centers of comparable strength. Perhaps somewhat puzzling, the NAM's North Pacific center of action is found to have a strengthening trend under anthropogenic warming. Lastly, the large-scale character of an atmosphere in rotating Radiative-Convective Equilibrium (RCE) is studied, using a global atmospheric model with prescribed globally uniform sea surface temperature and no insolation. In such an equilibrium state, numerous tropical cyclone-like vortices develop in the extratropics, which move slowly poleward and westward. The typical spacing of simulated tropical cyclone-like vortices is comparable to the Rossby radius of deformation, while the production of available potential energy is at a scale slightly smaller than that of the vortices. It is hypothesized that the growth of tropical cyclone-like vortices is driven by the self-aggregation of convection, while baroclinic instability destabilizes any vortices that grow significantly larger than the deformation radius. A weak Hadley circulation dominates in the deep tropics, and an eastward-propagating wavenumber one MJO-like mode with a period of 30 to 40 days develops along the equator.

Velocity-vorticity correlation structures (VVCS) in spatially developing compressible turbulent boundary layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Shi-Yao; She, Zhen-Su; Chen, Jun

2017-11-01

A velocity-vorticity correlation structure (VVCS) analysis is applied to the direct numerical simulation (DNS) of compressible turbulent boundary layer (CTBL) at Mach numbers, Ma = 2.25 , 4.50 and 6.0 . It is shown that the VVCS analysis captures the geometry variation in the streamwise direction during the transition and in the wall-normal direction in the fully developed regime. Specifically, before transition, the VVCS captures the instability wave number, while in the transition region it displays a distinct scaling change of the dimensions. The fully developed turbulence regime is characterized by a nearly constant spatial extension of the VVCS. Particularly, after turbulence is well developed, a multi-layer structure in the wall normal direction is observed in the maximum correlation coefficient and in the length scales of the VVCS, as expected from a recent symmetry-based theory, the ensemble structure dynamics (SED). The most interesting outcome is an observed linear dependence of the length scale of the VVCS from y+ 50 to 200, which is a direct support to Townsend's attached-eddy theory. In conclusion, the VVCS analysis quantifies the geometrical characteristics of the coherent structures in turbulent compressible shear flows throughout the whole domain. Supported by NSFC (11172006, 11221062, 11452002) and by MOST (China) 973 project (2009CB724100).

On the secondary instability of Taylor-Goertler vortices to Tollmien-Schlichting waves in fully developed flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bennett, James; Hall, Philip

1988-01-01

There are many flows of practical importance where both Tollmien-Schlichting waves and Taylor-Goertler vortices are possible causes of transition to turbulence. The effect of fully nonlinear Taylor-Goertler vortices on the growth of small amplitude Tollmien-Schlichting waves is investigated. The basic state considered is the fully developed flow between concentric cylinders driven by an azimuthal pressure gradient. It is hoped that an investigation of this problem will shed light on the more complicated external boundary layer problem where again both modes of instability exist in the presence of concave curvature. The type of Tollmien-Schlichting waves considered have the asymptotic structure of lower branch modes of plane Poiseuille flow. Whilst instabilities at lower Reynolds number are possible, the latter modes are simpler to analyze and more relevant to the boundary layer problem. The effect of fully nonlinear Taylor-Goertler vortices on both two-dimensional and three-dimensional waves is determined. It is shown that, whilst the maximum growth as a function of frequency is not greatly affected, there is a large destabilizing effect over a large range of frequencies.

On the secondary instability of Taylor-Goertler vortices to Tollmien-Schlichting waves in fully-developed flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bennett, James; Hall, Philip

1986-01-01

There are many flows of practical importance where both Tollmien-Schlichting waves and Taylor-Goertler vortices are possible causes of transition to turbulence. The effect of fully nonlinear Taylor-Goertler vortices on the growth of small amplitude Tollmien-Schlichting waves is investigated. The basic state considered is the fully developed flow between concentric cylinders driven by an azimuthal pressure gradient. It is hoped that an investigation of this problem will shed light on the more complicated external boundary layer problem where again both modes of instability exist in the presence of concave curvature. The type of Tollmein-Schlichting waves considered have the asymptotic structure of lower branch modes of plane Poisseulle flow. Whilst instabilities at lower Reynolds number are possible, the latter modes are simpler to analyze and more relevant to the boundary layer problem. The effect of fully nonlinear Taylor-Goertler vortices on both two-dimensional and three-dimensional waves is determined. It is shown that, whilst the maximum growth as a function of frequency is not greatly affected, there is a large destabilizing effect over a large range of frequencies.

Large-Eddy Simulation of a katabatic jet along a convexly curved slope: 2. Evidence of Görtler vortices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brun, Christophe

2017-05-01

This paper is the second part of a study of katabatic jet along a convexly curved slope with a maximum angle of about 35.5°. Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) is performed with a special focus on the outer-layer shear of the katabatic jet. In the first part, a basic statistical quantitative analysis of the flow was performed. Here a qualitative and quantitative description of vortical structures is used to gain insight in the present 3-D turbulent flow. It is shown that Görtler vortices oriented in the streamwise downslope direction develop in the shear layer. They spread with a specific mushroom shape in the vertical direction up to about 100 m height. They play a main role with respect to local turbulent mixing in the ground surface boundary layer. The present curved slope configuration constitutes a realistic model for alpine orography. This paper provides a procedure based on local turbulence anisotropy to track Görtler vortices for in situ measurements, which has never been proposed in the literature.

Facilitating dynamo action via control of large-scale turbulence.

PubMed

Limone, A; Hatch, D R; Forest, C B; Jenko, F

2012-12-01

The magnetohydrodynamic dynamo effect is considered to be the major cause of magnetic field generation in geo- and astrophysical systems. Recent experimental and numerical results show that turbulence constitutes an obstacle to dynamos; yet its role in this context is not totally clear. Via numerical simulations, we identify large-scale turbulent vortices with a detrimental effect on the amplification of the magnetic field in a geometry of experimental interest and propose a strategy for facilitating the dynamo instability by manipulating these detrimental "hidden" dynamics.

Development of a Regional Structured and Unstructured Grid Methodology for Chemically Reactive Turbulent Flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stefanski, Douglas Lawrence

A finite volume method for solving the Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations on unstructured hybrid grids is presented. Capabilities for handling arbitrary mixtures of reactive gas species within the unstructured framework are developed. The modeling of turbulent effects is carried out via the 1998 Wilcox k -- o model. This unstructured solver is incorporated within VULCAN -- a multi-block structured grid code -- as part of a novel patching procedure in which non-matching interfaces between structured blocks are replaced by transitional unstructured grids. This approach provides a fully-conservative alternative to VULCAN's non-conservative patching methods for handling such interfaces. In addition, the further development of the standalone unstructured solver toward large-eddy simulation (LES) applications is also carried out. Dual time-stepping using a Crank-Nicholson formulation is added to recover time-accuracy, and modeling of sub-grid scale effects is incorporated to provide higher fidelity LES solutions for turbulent flows. A switch based on the work of Ducros, et al., is implemented to transition from a monotonicity-preserving flux scheme near shocks to a central-difference method in vorticity-dominated regions in order to better resolve small-scale turbulent structures. The updated unstructured solver is used to carry out large-eddy simulations of a supersonic constrained mixing layer.

A Numerical Study of Hurricane Erin (2001). Part II; Shear and the Organization of Eyewall Vertical Motion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Braun, Scott A.; Wu, Liguang

2006-01-01

A high-resolution numerical simulation of Hurricane Erin (2001) is used to examine the organization of vertical motion in the eyewall and how that organization responds to a large and rapid increase in the environmental vertical wind shear and subsequent decrease in shear. During the early intensification period, prior to the onset of significant shear, the upward motion in the eyewall was concentrated in small-scale convective updrafts that formed in association with regions of concentrated vorticity (herein termed mesovortices) with no preferred formation region in the eyewall. Asymmetric flow within the eye was weak. As the shear increased, an azimuthal wavenumber 1 asymmetry in storm structure developed with updrafts tending to form on the downshear to downshear-left side of the eyewall. Continued intensification of the shear led to increasing wavenumber 1 asymmetry, large vortex tilt, and a change in eyewall structure and vertical motion organization. During this time, the eyewall structure was dominated by a vortex couplet with a cyclonic (anticyclonic) vortex on the downtilt-left (downtilt-right) side of the eyewall and strong asymmetric flow across the eye that led to strong mixing of eyewall vorticity into the eye. Upward motion was concentrated over an azimuthally broader region on the downtilt side of the eyewall, upstream of the cyclonic vortex, where low-level environmental inflow converged with the asymmetric outflow from the eye. As the shear diminished, the vortex tilt and wavenumber 1 asymmetry decreased, while the organization of updrafts trended back toward that seen during the weak shear period.

Impact of small-scale structures on estuarine circulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Zhuo; Zhang, Yinglong J.; Wang, Harry V.; Huang, Hai; Wang, Zhengui; Ye, Fei; Sisson, Mac

2018-05-01

We present a novel and challenging application of a 3D estuary-shelf model to the study of the collective impact of many small-scale structures (bridge pilings of 1 m × 2 m in size) on larger-scale circulation in a tributary (James River) of Chesapeake Bay. We first demonstrate that the model is capable of effectively transitioning grid resolution from 400 m down to 1 m near the pilings without introducing undue numerical artifact. We then show that despite their small sizes and collectively small area as compared to the total channel cross-sectional area, the pilings exert a noticeable impact on the large-scale circulation, and also create a rich structure of vortices and wakes around the pilings. As a result, the water quality and local sedimentation patterns near the bridge piling area are likely to be affected as well. However, when evaluating over the entire waterbody of the project area, the near field effects are weighed with the areal percentage which is small compared to that for the larger unaffected area, and therefore the impact on the lower James River as a whole becomes relatively insignificant. The study highlights the importance of the use of high resolution in assessing the near-field impact of structures.

Analysis of vortical structures in turbulent natural convection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Sangro; Lee, Changhoon

2014-11-01

Natural convection of fluid within two parallel walls, Rayleigh-Bénard convection, is studied by direct numerical simulation using a spectral method. The flow is in soft turbulence regime with Rayleigh number 106, 107, 108, Prandtl number 0 . 7 and aspect ratio 4. We investigate the relations between thermal plumes and vortical structures through manipulating the evolution equations of vorticity and velocity gradient tensor. According to simulation results, horizontal vorticity occurs near the wall and changes into vertical vorticity by vertical stretching of fluid element which is caused by vertical movement of the thermal plume. Additionally, eigenvalues, eigenvectors and invariants of velocity gradient tensor show the topologies of vortical structures, including how vortical structures are tilted or stretched. Difference of velocity gradient tensor between inside thermal plumes and background region is also investigated, and the result indicates that thermal plumes play an important role in changing the distribution of vortical structures. The results of this study are consistent with other researches which suggest that vertical vorticity is stronger in high Rayleigh number flows. Details will be presented in the meeting.

Photographer : JPL Range : 6 Million km. ( 3.72 million miles ) This photograph of Jupiter, shot

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

Photographer : JPL Range : 6 Million km. ( 3.72 million miles ) This photograph of Jupiter, shot from Voyager 2, shows the equator to the southern polar latitudes, near the Great Red Spot. The white oval that appears here is different from the one seen in a similiar position when voyager 1 passed years before. The region of white clouds now extends from east of The Red Spot and around it's northern boundary, preventing small cloud vortices from circling the feature. The disturbed region west of The Red Spot has also changed since Voyager1. It shows more small scale structure and cloud vortices being formed out of the wave structures.

Volumetric three-component velocimetry measurements of the turbulent flow around a Rushton turbine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharp, Kendra V.; Hill, David; Troolin, Daniel; Walters, Geoffrey; Lai, Wing

2010-01-01

Volumetric three-component velocimetry measurements have been taken of the flow field near a Rushton turbine in a stirred tank reactor. This particular flow field is highly unsteady and three-dimensional, and is characterized by a strong radial jet, large tank-scale ring vortices, and small-scale blade tip vortices. The experimental technique uses a single camera head with three apertures to obtain approximately 15,000 three-dimensional vectors in a cubic volume. These velocity data offer the most comprehensive view to date of this flow field, especially since they are acquired at three Reynolds numbers (15,000, 107,000, and 137,000). Mean velocity fields and turbulent kinetic energy quantities are calculated. The volumetric nature of the data enables tip vortex identification, vortex trajectory analysis, and calculation of vortex strength. Three identification methods for the vortices are compared based on: the calculation of circumferential vorticity; the calculation of local pressure minima via an eigenvalue approach; and the calculation of swirling strength again via an eigenvalue approach. The use of two-dimensional data and three-dimensional data is compared for vortex identification; a `swirl strength' criterion is less sensitive to completeness of the velocity gradient tensor and overall provides clearer identification of the tip vortices. The principal components of the strain rate tensor are also calculated for one Reynolds number case as these measures of stretching and compression have recently been associated with tip vortex characterization. Vortex trajectories and strength compare favorably with those in the literature. No clear dependence of trajectory on Reynolds number is deduced. The visualization of tip vortices up to 140° past blade passage in the highest Reynolds number case is notable and has not previously been shown.

Transverse vorticity measurements using an array of four hot-wire probes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Foss, J. F.; Klewickc, C. L.; Disimile, P. J.

1986-01-01

A comprehensive description of the technique used to obtain a time series of the quasi-instantaneous transverse vorticity from a four wire array of probes is presented. The algorithmic structure which supports the technique is described in detail and demonstration data, from a large plane shear layer, are presented to provide a specific utilization of the technique. Sensitivity calculations are provided which allow one contribution to the inherent uncertainty of the technique to be evaluated.

Slowly-growing gap-opening planets trigger weaker vortices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hammer, Michael; Kratter, Kaitlin M.; Lin, Min-Kai

2017-04-01

The presence of a giant planet in a low-viscosity disc can create a gap edge in the disc's radial density profile sharp enough to excite the Rossby wave instability. This instability may evolve into dust-trapping vortices that might explain the 'banana-shaped' features in recently observed asymmetric transition discs with inner cavities. Previous hydrodynamical simulations of planet-induced vortices have neglected the time-scale of hundreds to thousands of orbits to grow a massive planet to Jupiter size. In this work, we study the effect of a giant planet's runaway growth time-scale on the lifetime and characteristics of the resulting vortex. For two different planet masses (1 and 5 Jupiter masses) and two different disc viscosities (α = 3 × 10-4 and 3 × 10-5), we compare the vortices induced by planets with several different growth time-scales between 10 and 4000 planet orbits. In general, we find that slowly-growing planets create significantly weaker vortices with lifetimes and surface densities reduced by more than 50 per cent. For the higher disc viscosity, the longest growth time-scales in our study inhibit vortex formation altogether. Additionally, slowly-growing planets produce vortices that are up to twice as elongated, with azimuthal extents well above 180° in some cases. These unique, elongated vortices likely create a distinct signature in the dust observations that differentiates them from the more concentrated vortices that correspond to planets with faster growth time-scales. Lastly, we find that the low viscosities necessary for vortex formation likely prevent planets from growing quickly enough to trigger the instability in self-consistent models.

a Diagnostic Study of Two Summer Depressions Over the Changjiang-Huaihe Valley

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dingchen, Hou

1987-09-01

Available from UMI in association with The British Library. Two summer depressions over the Changjiang-Huaihe Valley are investigated using data obtained from a synoptic observation network over East Asia and objectively analysed by applying a new scheme, which is mainly based on spline function interpolation. Detailed spatial structures and temporal evolution are documented in terms of pressure, temperature, moisture and wind fields. Vertical velocity fields are estimated using two independent methods, namely, the kinematic method and the quasi-geostrophic omega equation with consideration of stable and convective condensational heating. Quasi -Lagrangian budgets are computed for vorticity, kinetic energy, available potential energy, moisture and heat. The dynamic structures of the two depressions are analysed in terms of potential vorticity, moisture-related stabilities and geostrophic frontogenesis. Although their vertical structures and budget relations have some features typical of tropical disturbances, both depressions are closely related to a feeble Mei-yu front in the lower troposphere during their mature stage. Two different structures associated with the lower level frontal zone and a mid-upper layer warm belt are identified and related to the large scale circulation over East Asia. The adiabatic forcing under the quasi-geostrophic approximation is able to determine the general regions of ascent and descent associated with these depressions. On the other hand, the diabatic heating is the primary factor to account for the large magnitude of ascent, especially during the pre-storm and mature stages. Conditional symmetric instability and frontogenesis in the presence of small conditional symmetric stability are possible mechanisms in favour of the maintenance and development of the degressions. Based on these results, a conceptual model of the summer depressions over the Changjiang-Huaihe Valley is proposed.

Vortex identification from local properties of the vorticity field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elsas, J. H.; Moriconi, L.

2017-01-01

A number of systematic procedures for the identification of vortices/coherent structures have been developed as a way to address their possible kinematical and dynamical roles in structural formulations of turbulence. It has been broadly acknowledged, however, that vortex detection algorithms, usually based on linear-algebraic properties of the velocity gradient tensor, can be plagued with severe shortcomings and may become, in practical terms, dependent on the choice of subjective threshold parameters in their implementations. In two-dimensions, a large class of standard vortex identification prescriptions turn out to be equivalent to the "swirling strength criterion" (λc i-criterion), which is critically revisited in this work. We classify the instances where the accuracy of the λc i-criterion is affected by nonlinear superposition effects and propose an alternative vortex detection scheme based on the local curvature properties of the vorticity graph (x ,y ,ω ) —the "vorticity curvature criterion" (λω-criterion)—which improves over the results obtained with the λc i-criterion in controlled Monte Carlo tests. A particularly problematic issue, given its importance in wall-bounded flows, is the eventual inadequacy of the λc i-criterion for many-vortex configurations in the presence of strong background shear. We show that the λω-criterion is able to cope with these cases as well, if a subtraction of the mean velocity field background is performed, in the spirit of the Reynolds decomposition procedure. A realistic comparative study for vortex identification is then carried out for a direct numerical simulation of a turbulent channel flow, including a three-dimensional extension of the λω-criterion. In contrast to the λc i-criterion, the λω-criterion indicates in a consistent way the existence of small scale isotropic turbulent fluctuations in the logarithmic layer, in consonance with long-standing assumptions commonly taken in turbulent boundary layer phenomenology.

Influence of condensation and latent heat release upon barotropic and baroclinic instabilities of vortices in a rotating shallow water f-plane model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rostami, Masoud; Zeitlin, Vladimir

2017-01-01

Analysis of the influence of condensation and related latent heat release upon developing barotropic and baroclinic instabilities of large-scale low Rossby-number shielded vortices on the f-plane is performed within the moist-convective rotating shallow water model, in its barotropic (one-layer) and baroclinic (two-layer) versions. Numerical simulations with a high-resolution well-balanced finite-volume code, using a relaxation parameterisation for condensation, are made. Evolution of the instability in four different environments, with humidity (i) behaving as passive scalar, (ii) subject to condensation beyond a saturation threshold, (iii) subject to condensation and evaporation, with three different parameterisations of the latter, are inter-compared. The simulations are initialised with unstable modes determined from the detailed linear stability analysis in the "dry" version of the model. In a configuration corresponding to low-level mid-latitude atmospheric vortices, it is shown that the known scenario of evolution of barotropically unstable vortices, consisting in formation of a pair of dipoles (dipolar breakdown) is substantially modified by condensation and related moist convection, especially in the presence of surface evaporation. No enhancement of the instability due to precipitation was detected in this case. Cyclone-anticyclone asymmetry with respect to sensitivity to the moist effects is evidenced. It is shown that inertia-gravity wave emission during the vortex evolution is enhanced by the moist effects. In the baroclinic configuration corresponding to idealised cut-off lows in the atmosphere, it is shown that the azimuthal structure of the leading unstable mode is sensitive to the details of stratification. Scenarios of evolution are completely different for different azimuthal structures, one leading to dipolar breaking, and another to tripole formation. The effects of moisture considerably enhance the perturbations in the lower layer, especially in the tripole formation scenario.

Three-dimensional flow visualization and vorticity dynamics in revolving wings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Bo; Sane, Sanjay P.; Barbera, Giovanni; Troolin, Daniel R.; Strand, Tyson; Deng, Xinyan

2013-01-01

We investigated the three-dimensional vorticity dynamics of the flows generated by revolving wings using a volumetric 3-component velocimetry system. The three-dimensional velocity and vorticity fields were represented with respect to the base axes of rotating Cartesian reference frames, and the second invariant of the velocity gradient was evaluated and used as a criterion to identify two core vortex structures. The first structure was a composite of leading, trailing, and tip-edge vortices attached to the wing edges, whereas the second structure was a strong tip vortex tilted from leading-edge vortices and shed into the wake together with the vorticity generated at the tip edge. Using the fundamental vorticity equation, we evaluated the convection, stretching, and tilting of vorticity in the rotating wing frame to understand the generation and evolution of vorticity. Based on these data, we propose that the vorticity generated at the leading edge is carried away by strong tangential flow into the wake and travels downwards with the induced downwash. The convection by spanwise flow is comparatively negligible. The three-dimensional flow in the wake also exhibits considerable vortex tilting and stretching. Together these data underscore the complex and interconnected vortical structures and dynamics generated by revolving wings.

Modifiying shallow-water equations as a model for wave-vortex turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohanan, A. V.; Augier, P.; Lindborg, E.

2017-12-01

The one-layer shallow-water equations is a simple two-dimensional model to study the complex dynamics of the oceans and the atmosphere. We carry out forced-dissipative numerical simulations, either by forcing medium-scale wave modes, or by injecting available potential energy (APE). With pure wave forcing in non-rotating cases, a statistically stationary regime is obtained for a range of forcing Froude numbers Ff = ɛ /(kf c), where ɛ is the energy dissipation rate, kf the forcing wavenumber and c the wave speed. Interestingly, the spectra scale as k-2 and third and higher order structure functions scale as r. Such statistics is a manifestation of shock turbulence or Burgulence, which dominate the flow. Rotating cases exhibit some inverse energy cascade, along with a stronger forward energy cascade, dominated by wave-wave interactions. We also propose two modifications to the classical shallow-water equations to construct a toy model. The properties of the model are explored by forcing in APE at a small and a medium wavenumber. The toy model simulations are then compared with results from shallow-water equations and a full General Circulation Model (GCM) simulation. The most distinctive feature of this model is that, unlike shallow-water equations, it avoids shocks and conserves quadratic energy. In Fig. 1, for the shallow-water equations, shocks appear as thin dark lines in the divergence (∇ .{u}) field, and as discontinuities in potential temperature (θ ) field; whereas only waves appear in the corresponding fields from toy model simulation. Forward energy cascade results in a wave field with k-5/3 spectrum, along with equipartition of KE and APE at small scales. The vortical field develops into a k-3 spectrum. With medium forcing wavenumber, at large scales, energy converted from APE to KE undergoes inverse cascade as a result of nonlinear fluxes composed of vortical modes alone. Gradually, coherent vortices emerge with a strong preference for anticyclonic motion. The model can serve as a closer representation of real geophysical turbulence than the classical shallow-water equations. Fig 1. Divergence and potential temperature fields of shallow-water (top row) and toy model (bottom row) simulations.

Boundary layer energization by means of optimized vortex generators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barber, T. J.; Mounts, J. S.; Mccormick, D. C.

1993-01-01

A three-dimensional, multi-block, multi-zone, Euler analysis has been developed and applied to analyze the flow processes induced by a lateral array of low profile vortex generators (VG). These vortex generators have been shown to alleviate boundary layer separation through the generation of streamwise vorticity. The analysis has been applied to help develop improved VG configurations in an efficient manner. Special attention has been paid to determining the accuracy requirements of the solver for calculations in which vortical mechanisms are dominant. The analysis has been used to assess the effectiveness or boundary layer energization capacity of different VG's, including the effect of scale and shape variation. Finally, the analysis has been validated through comparisons with experimental data obtained in a large-scale low-speed wind tunnel.

Synoptic-Scale Behavior of the Extratropical Tropopause Inversion Layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pilch Kedzierski, Robin; Matthes, Katja; Bumke, Karl

2015-04-01

The Tropopause Inversion Layer (TIL) is a climatological feature of the tropopause region, characterized by enhanced static stability and strong temperature inversion in a thin layer (about 1km deep) right above the tropopause. It was discovered recently via tropopause-based averaging [Birner 2002]. The sharp static stability, temperature and wind shear gradients of the TIL theoretically shall inhibit stratosphere-troposphere exchange and influence the vertical propagation of planetary scale Rossby and small-scale gravity waves. High vertically resolved radiosonde and GPS radio occultation measurements show that the strength of the TIL is positively correlated with the tropopause height and anticyclonic conditions, and that it reaches its maximum strength in polar regions during summer [Birner 2006] [Randel and Wu, 2007 and 2010]. Our study takes advantage of the high density of vertical profiles (~2000 measurements per day, globally) measured by the COSMIC satellites (2007-present), in order to describe the synoptic-scale structures of the TIL and the differences between the seasonal climatologies from earlier studies and the real-time TIL. Also, using ERA-Interim reanalysis wind fields, we split relative vorticity into shear and curl terms and study separately their relation to TIL strength in cyclonic-anticyclonic conditions. We find that the TIL has a rich zonal structure, especially in midlatitude winter, and that its strength is instantly adjusted to the synoptic situation at near-tropopause level. The peaks of strongest TIL at midlatitude ridges in winter are stronger and much more frequent than any peaks found in polar summer. The roles of shear and curl vorticity differ substantially towards higher values of relative vorticity (both cyclonic and anticyclonic).

Fish mouths as engineering structures for vortical cross-step filtration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanderson, S. Laurie; Roberts, Erin; Lineburg, Jillian; Brooks, Hannah

2016-03-01

Suspension-feeding fishes such as goldfish and whale sharks retain prey without clogging their oral filters, whereas clogging is a major expense in industrial crossflow filtration of beer, dairy foods and biotechnology products. Fishes' abilities to retain particles that are smaller than the pore size of the gill-raker filter, including extraction of particles despite large holes in the filter, also remain unexplained. Here we show that unexplored combinations of engineering structures (backward-facing steps forming d-type ribs on the porous surface of a cone) cause fluid dynamic phenomena distinct from current biological and industrial filter operations. This vortical cross-step filtration model prevents clogging and explains the transport of tiny concentrated particles to the oesophagus using a hydrodynamic tongue. Mass transfer caused by vortices along d-type ribs in crossflow is applicable to filter-feeding duck beak lamellae and whale baleen plates, as well as the fluid mechanics of ventilation at fish gill filaments.

Electron Debye scale Kelvin-Helmholtz instability: Electrostatic particle-in-cell simulations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, Sang-Yun; Lee, Ensang, E-mail: eslee@khu.ac.kr; Kim, Khan-Hyuk

2015-12-15

In this paper, we investigated the electron Debye scale Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) instability using two-dimensional electrostatic particle-in-cell simulations. We introduced a velocity shear layer with a thickness comparable to the electron Debye length and examined the generation of the KH instability. The KH instability occurs in a similar manner as observed in the KH instabilities in fluid or ion scales producing surface waves and rolled-up vortices. The strength and growth rate of the electron Debye scale KH instability is affected by the structure of the velocity shear layer. The strength depends on the magnitude of the velocity and the growth ratemore » on the velocity gradient of the shear layer. However, the development of the electron Debye scale KH instability is mainly determined by the electric field generated by charge separation. Significant mixing of electrons occurs across the shear layer, and a fraction of electrons can penetrate deeply into the opposite side fairly far from the vortices across the shear layer.« less

Elliptical Instability of Rotating Von Karman Street

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stegner, A.; Pichon, T.; Beunier, M.

Clouds often reveal a meso-scale vortex shedding in the wake of mountainous islands. Unlike the classical bi-dimensional Von-Karman street, these observed vortex street are affected by the earth rot ation and vertical stratification. Theses effects could induce a selective destabilization of anticyclonic vortices. It is well known that inertial instability (also called centrifugal instability) induce a three- dimensional destabilization of anticyclonic structures when the absolute vorticity is larger than the local Coriolis parameter. However, we have shown, by the mean of laboratory experiments, that it is a different type of instability which is mainly responsible for asymmetric rotating Von-Karman street. A serie of experiments were performed to study the wake of a cylinder in a rotating fluid, at medium Reynolds number and order one Rossby number. We have shown that the vertical structure of unstable anticyclonic vortices is characteristic of an elliptical instability. Besides, unlike the inertial instability, the vertical unstable wavelength depends on the Rossby number.

Identification and tracking of hairpin vortex auto-generation in turbulent wall-bounded flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Yangzi; Green, Melissa

2016-11-01

Hairpin vortices have been widely accepted as component structures of turbulent boundary layers. Their properties (size, vorticity, energy) and dynamic phenomena (origin, growth, breakdown) have been shown to correlate to the complex, multi-scaled turbulent motions observed in both experiments and simulations. As established in the literature, the passage of a hairpin vortex creates a wall-normal ejection of fluid, which encounters the high-speed freestream resulting in near-wall shear and increased drag. A previously generated simulation of an isolated hairpin vortex is used to study the auto-generation of a secondary vortex structure. Eulerian methods such as the Q criterion and Γ2 function, as well as Lagrangian methods are used to visualize the three-dimensional hairpin vortices and the auto-generation process. The circulation development and wall-normal location of both primary and secondary hairpin heads are studied to determine if there is a correlation between the strength and height of the primary hairpin vortex with the secondary hairpin vortex auto-generation.

Observations of Magnetic Evolution and Network Flares Driven by Photospheric Flows in the Quiet Sun

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Attie, Raphael; Thompson, Barbara J.

2017-08-01

The quiet Sun may be the biggest laboratory to study physical elementary processes of fundamental importance to space plasma. The advantage is the continuous availability of small-scale events, carrying the hidden microphysics that is responsible for larger-scale phenomena. By small-scale events, we mean spatial dimensions of a few Mm at most, and durations of less than an hour. I present here an attempt to describe and understand the coupling between the photospheric flows, the photospheric magnetic flux, and small-scale energetic transient events. By adapting and improving the highly efficient Balltracking technique for Hinode/SOT data, we relate the fine structures of the supergranular flow fields with the magnetic flux evolution. For studying the dynamics of the latter, and more precisely, the magnetic flux cancellation at sites of energy releases, we applied a new feature tracking algorithm called "Magnetic Balltracking" -- which tracks photospheric magnetic elements -- to high-resolution magnetograms from Hinode/SOT.Using observations of the low corona in soft X-rays with Hinode/XRT, we analyse the triggering mechanism of small-scale network flares. By tracking both the flow fields on the one hand, and the magnetic motions on the other hand, we relate the flows with cancelling magnetic flux. We identify two patterns of horizontal flows that act as catalysts for efficient magnetic reconnection: (i) Funnel-shaped streamlines in which the magnetic flux is carried, and (ii) large-scale vortices (~10 Mm and above) at the network intersections, in which distant magnetic features of opposite polarities seem to be sucked in and ultimately vanish. The excess energy stored in the stressed magnetic field of the vortices is sufficient to power network flares.Prospects for determining the magnetic energy budget in the quiet sun are discussed.

Effects of forcing time scale on the simulated turbulent flows and turbulent collision statistics of inertial particles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rosa, B., E-mail: bogdan.rosa@imgw.pl; Parishani, H.; Department of Earth System Science, University of California, Irvine, California 92697-3100

2015-01-15

In this paper, we study systematically the effects of forcing time scale in the large-scale stochastic forcing scheme of Eswaran and Pope [“An examination of forcing in direct numerical simulations of turbulence,” Comput. Fluids 16, 257 (1988)] on the simulated flow structures and statistics of forced turbulence. Using direct numerical simulations, we find that the forcing time scale affects the flow dissipation rate and flow Reynolds number. Other flow statistics can be predicted using the altered flow dissipation rate and flow Reynolds number, except when the forcing time scale is made unrealistically large to yield a Taylor microscale flow Reynoldsmore » number of 30 and less. We then study the effects of forcing time scale on the kinematic collision statistics of inertial particles. We show that the radial distribution function and the radial relative velocity may depend on the forcing time scale when it becomes comparable to the eddy turnover time. This dependence, however, can be largely explained in terms of altered flow Reynolds number and the changing range of flow length scales present in the turbulent flow. We argue that removing this dependence is important when studying the Reynolds number dependence of the turbulent collision statistics. The results are also compared to those based on a deterministic forcing scheme to better understand the role of large-scale forcing, relative to that of the small-scale turbulence, on turbulent collision of inertial particles. To further elucidate the correlation between the altered flow structures and dynamics of inertial particles, a conditional analysis has been performed, showing that the regions of higher collision rate of inertial particles are well correlated with the regions of lower vorticity. Regions of higher concentration of pairs at contact are found to be highly correlated with the region of high energy dissipation rate.« less

Simulations of laminar boundary-layer flow encountering large-scale surface indentions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beratlis, N.; Balaras, E.; Squires, K.; Vizard, A.

2016-03-01

The transition from laminar to turbulent flow over dimples and grooves has been investigated through a series of direct numerical simulations. Emphasis has been given to the mechanism of transition and the momentum transport in the post-dimple boundary layer. It has been found that the dimple geometry plays an important role in the evolution of the turbulent boundary layer downstream. The mechanism of transition in all cases is that of the reorientation of the spanwise vorticity into streamwise oriented structures resembling hairpin vortices commonly encountered in wall bounded turbulent flows. Although qualitatively the transition mechanism amongst the three different cases is similar, important quantitative differences exist. It was shown that two-dimensional geometries like a groove are more stable than three-dimensional geometries like a dimple. In addition, it was found that the cavity geometry controls the initial thickness of the boundary layer and practically results in a shift of the virtual origin of the turbulent boundary layer. Important differences in the momentum transport downstream of the dimples exist but in all cases the boundary layer grows in a self-similar manner.

Enhanced Forced Convection Heat Transfer using Small Scale Vorticity Concentrations Effected by Flow Driven, Aeroelastically Vibrating Reeds

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-08-03

insulated from behind (using an air gap) as shown in figure III.3-1c. Each of the heated side walls are instrumented with seven equally-spaced T-Type...AFRL-AFOSR-VA-TR-2016-0339 Enhanced convection heat transfer using small-scale vorticity concentrations effected by flow-driven, aeroelastically...public release. Enhanced Forced Convection Heat Transfer using Small-Scale Vorticity Concentrations Effected by Flow-Driven, Aeroelastically Vibrating

An efficient and general numerical method to compute steady uniform vortices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luzzatto-Fegiz, Paolo; Williamson, Charles H. K.

2011-07-01

Steady uniform vortices are widely used to represent high Reynolds number flows, yet their efficient computation still presents some challenges. Existing Newton iteration methods become inefficient as the vortices develop fine-scale features; in addition, these methods cannot, in general, find solutions with specified Casimir invariants. On the other hand, available relaxation approaches are computationally inexpensive, but can fail to converge to a solution. In this paper, we overcome these limitations by introducing a new discretization, based on an inverse-velocity map, which radically increases the efficiency of Newton iteration methods. In addition, we introduce a procedure to prescribe Casimirs and remove the degeneracies in the steady vorticity equation, thus ensuring convergence for general vortex configurations. We illustrate our methodology by considering several unbounded flows involving one or two vortices. Our method enables the computation, for the first time, of steady vortices that do not exhibit any geometric symmetry. In addition, we discover that, as the limiting vortex state for each flow is approached, each family of solutions traces a clockwise spiral in a bifurcation plot consisting of a velocity-impulse diagram. By the recently introduced "IVI diagram" stability approach [Phys. Rev. Lett. 104 (2010) 044504], each turn of this spiral is associated with a loss of stability for the steady flows. Such spiral structure is suggested to be a universal feature of steady, uniform-vorticity flows.

Nonlinear dynamics of drift structures in a magnetized dissipative plasma

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aburjania, G. D.; Rogava, D. L.; Kharshiladze, O. A.

2011-06-15

A study is made of the nonlinear dynamics of solitary vortex structures in an inhomogeneous magnetized dissipative plasma. A nonlinear transport equation for long-wavelength drift wave structures is derived with allowance for the nonuniformity of the plasma density and temperature equilibria, as well as the magnetic and collisional viscosity of the medium and its friction. The dynamic equation describes two types of nonlinearity: scalar (due to the temperature inhomogeneity) and vector (due to the convectively polarized motion of the particles of the medium). The equation is fourth order in the spatial derivatives, in contrast to the second-order Hasegawa-Mima equations. Anmore » analytic steady solution to the nonlinear equation is obtained that describes a new type of solitary dipole vortex. The nonlinear dynamic equation is integrated numerically. A new algorithm and a new finite difference scheme for solving the equation are proposed, and it is proved that the solution so obtained is unique. The equation is used to investigate how the initially steady dipole vortex constructed here behaves unsteadily under the action of the factors just mentioned. Numerical simulations revealed that the role of the vector nonlinearity is twofold: it helps the dispersion or the scalar nonlinearity (depending on their magnitude) to ensure the mutual equilibrium and, thereby, promote self-organization of the vortical structures. It is shown that dispersion breaks the initial dipole vortex into a set of tightly packed, smaller scale, less intense monopole vortices-alternating cyclones and anticyclones. When the dispersion of the evolving initial dipole vortex is weak, the scalar nonlinearity symmetrically breaks a cyclone-anticyclone pair into a cyclone and an anticyclone, which are independent of one another and have essentially the same intensity, shape, and size. The stronger the dispersion, the more anisotropic the process whereby the structures break: the anticyclone is more intense and localized, while the cyclone is less intense and has a larger size. In the course of further evolution, the cyclone persists for a relatively longer time, while the anticyclone breaks into small-scale vortices and dissipation hastens this process. It is found that the relaxation of the vortex by viscous dissipation differs in character from that by the frictional force. The time scale on which the vortex is damped depends strongly on its typical size: larger scale vortices are longer lived structures. It is shown that, as the instability develops, the initial vortex is amplified and the lifetime of the dipole pair components-cyclone and anticyclone-becomes longer. As time elapses, small-scale noise is generated in the system, and the spatial structure of the perturbation potential becomes irregular. The pattern of interaction of solitary vortex structures among themselves and with the medium shows that they can take part in strong drift turbulence and anomalous transport of heat and matter in an inhomogeneous magnetized plasma.« less

Criterion for Identifying Vortices in High-Pressure Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bellan, Josette; Okong'o, Nora

2007-01-01

A study of four previously published computational criteria for identifying vortices in high-pressure flows has led to the selection of one of them as the best. This development can be expected to contribute to understanding of high-pressure flows, which occur in diverse settings, including diesel, gas turbine, and rocket engines and the atmospheres of Jupiter and other large gaseous planets. Information on the atmospheres of gaseous planets consists mainly of visual and thermal images of the flows over the planets. Also, validation of recently proposed computational models of high-pressure flows entails comparison with measurements, which are mainly of visual nature. Heretofore, the interpretation of images of high-pressure flows to identify vortices has been based on experience with low-pressure flows. However, high-pressure flows have features distinct from those of low-pressure flows, particularly in regions of high pressure gradient magnitude caused by dynamic turbulent effects and by thermodynamic mixing of chemical species. Therefore, interpretations based on low-pressure behavior may lead to misidentification of vortices and other flow structures in high-pressure flows. The study reported here was performed in recognition of the need for one or more quantitative criteria for identifying coherent flow structures - especially vortices - from previously generated flow-field data, to complement or supersede the determination of flow structures by visual inspection of instantaneous fields or flow animations. The focus in the study was on correlating visible images of flow features with various quantities computed from flow-field data.

Upper-Level Waves of Synoptic Scale at Midlatitudes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rivest, Chantal

1990-01-01

Upper-level waves of synoptic scale are important dynamical entities at midlatitudes. They often induce surface cyclogenesis (cf. Peterssen and Smebye, 1971), and their life duration is typically longer than time scales for disruption by the ambient shear (Sanders, 1988). The objectives of the present thesis are to explain the maintenance and genesis of upper-level synoptic-scale waves in the midlatitude flow. We develop an analytical model of waves on generalized Eady basic states that have uniform tropospheric and stratospheric potential vorticity, but allow for the decay of density with height. The Eady basic state represents the limiting case of infinite stratospheric stability and constant density. We find that the Eady normal mode characteristics hold in the presence of realistic tropopause and stratosphere. In particular, the basic states studied support at the synoptic scale upper-level normal modes. These modes provide simple models for the dynamics of upper-level synoptic-scale waves, as waves supported by the large latitudinal gradients of potential vorticity at the tropopause. In the presence of infinitesimal positive tropospheric gradients of potential vorticity, the upper-level normal mode solutions no longer exist, as was demonstrated in Green (1960). Disappearance of the normal mode solution when a parameter changes slightly represents a dilemma that we seek to understand. We examine what happens to the upper-level normal modes in the presence of tropospheric gradients of potential vorticity in a series of initial -value experiments. Our results show that the normal modes become slowly decaying quasi-modes. Mathematically the quasi-modes consist of a superposition of singular modes sharply peaked in the phase speed domain, and their decay proceeds as the modes interfere with one another. We repeat these experiments in basic states with a smooth tropopause in the presence of tropospheric and stratospheric gradients, and similar results are obtained. Basic states with positive tropospheric and stratospheric gradients of potential vorticity are found to support upper-level synoptic-scale waves for time scales consistent with observations. Following Farrell (1989), we then identify a class of near optimal initial conditions for the excitation of upper-level waves. The initial conditions consist of upper -tropospheric disturbances that lean against the shear. They strongly excite upper-level waves not only in the absence of tropospheric potential vorticity gradients, but also in their presence. This result demonstrates that quasi -modes are as likely to emerge from favorably configured initial conditions as real normal modes, although their excitation is followed by a slow decay. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.).

Measuring Convective Mass Fluxes Over Tropical Oceans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raymond, David

2017-04-01

Deep convection forms the upward branches of all large-scale circulations in the tropics. Understanding what controls the form and intensity of vertical convective mass fluxes is thus key to understanding tropical weather and climate. These mass fluxes and the corresponding conditions supporting them have been measured by recent field programs (TPARC/TCS08, PREDICT, HS3) in tropical disturbances considered to be possible tropical storm precursors. In reality, this encompasses most strong convection in the tropics. The measurements were made with arrays of dropsondes deployed from high altitude. In some cases Doppler radar provided additional measurements. The results are in some ways surprising. Three factors were found to control the mass flux profiles, the strength of total surface heat fluxes, the column-integrated relative humidity, and the low to mid-tropospheric moist convective instability. The first two act as expected, with larger heat fluxes and higher humidity producing more precipitation and stronger lower tropospheric mass fluxes. However, unexpectedly, smaller (but still positive) convective instability produces more precipitation as well as more bottom-heavy convective mass flux profiles. Furthermore, the column humidity and the convective instability are anti-correlated, at least in the presence of strong convection. On spatial scales of a few hundred kilometers, the virtual temperature structure appears to be in dynamic balance with the pattern of potential vorticity. Since potential vorticity typically evolves on longer time scales than convection, the potential vorticity pattern plus the surface heat fluxes then become the immediate controlling factors for average convective properties. All measurements so far have taken place in regions with relatively flat sea surface temperature (SST) distributions. We are currently seeking funding for a measurement program in the tropical east Pacific, a region that exhibits strong SST gradients and correspondingly great diversity in the forms of convection. Given the strong boundary layer flows induced by the SST gradients in this region, we hope to determine whether the patterns of convective mass flux seen in other regions persist there.

What can numerical simulations say about Jupiter’s deep, long-lived anticyclones?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, Kwing L.

2017-10-01

If Jupiter’s long-lived anticyclones, GRS being the most prominent example, are indeed deep as indicated, the study of their dynamics would be much more difficult than if they were shallow. A shallow phenomenon limited to the troposphere can be modeled by general circulation models like those used in weather prediction for Earth’s atmosphere, as the layer overall is convectively stable (hydrostatic approximation can be applied) and the time scales (advection and radiation) are relatively short. If the dynamics involve the deep convective envelop below, the time scales for thermal relaxation and spin-up would be many orders of magnitudes longer. At the same time, the requirements for handling stratification, turbulence, compressibility, fast rotation, spatial resolution, and numerical stability conditions are not forgiving. Currently, numerical studies of long-lived vortices generated in convection zone are limited to ‘numerical experiments’ having internal energy fluxes many orders of magnitudes greater than that of Jupiter (for faster thermal and dynamical relaxation). Though these experiments cannot predict quantitative values for direct observational comparison, their information on the spatial distributions and connections among velocity, temperature, pressure etc. can tell a lot about what a deep-seated model can predict or describe. We are going to present the results of our latest fully compressible, large-eddy-simulation model for generation of long-lived anticyclones in deep convection zone. The high turbulence and complex internal structures of the vortices can naturally be explained. One prediction for observation is: While fluctuations of temperature and vertical velocity dissipate relative fast with height in the troposphere (stable region), the horizontal velocities (vortical motions) drop much slower; they hardly decrease by a factor of two in four pressure scale heights in the overshoot region. Acknowledgement: This research is supported by FDCT of Macau 039/2013/A2 and 080/2015/A3.

Large-Scale Coherent Vortex Formation in Two-Dimensional Turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orlov, A. V.; Brazhnikov, M. Yu.; Levchenko, A. A.

2018-04-01

The evolution of a vortex flow excited by an electromagnetic technique in a thin layer of a conducting liquid was studied experimentally. Small-scale vortices, excited at the pumping scale, merge with time due to the nonlinear interaction and produce large-scale structures—the inverse energy cascade is formed. The dependence of the energy spectrum in the developed inverse cascade is well described by the Kraichnan law k -5/3. At large scales, the inverse cascade is limited by cell sizes, and a large-scale coherent vortex flow is formed, which occupies almost the entire area of the experimental cell. The radial profile of the azimuthal velocity of the coherent vortex immediately after the pumping was switched off has been established for the first time. Inside the vortex core, the azimuthal velocity grows linearly along a radius and reaches a constant value outside the core, which agrees well with the theoretical prediction.

Slat Cove Unsteadiness Effect of 3D Flow Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choudhari, Meelan M.; Khorrami, Mehdi R.

2006-01-01

Previous studies have indicated that 2D, time accurate computations based on a pseudo-laminar zonal model of the slat cove region (within the framework of the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations) are inadequate for predicting the full unsteady dynamics of the slat cove flow field. Even though such computations could capture the large-scale, unsteady vorticity structures in the slat cove region without requiring any external forcing, the simulated vortices were excessively strong and the recirculation zone was unduly energetic in comparison with the PIV measurements for a generic high-lift configuration. To resolve this discrepancy and to help enable physics based predictions of slat aeroacoustics, the present paper is focused on 3D simulations of the slat cove flow over a computational domain of limited spanwise extent. Maintaining the pseudo-laminar approach, current results indicate that accounting for the three-dimensionality of flow fluctuations leads to considerable improvement in the accuracy of the unsteady, nearfield solution. Analysis of simulation data points to the likely significance of turbulent fluctuations near the reattachment region toward the generation of broadband slat noise. The computed acoustic characteristics (in terms of the frequency spectrum and spatial distribution) within short distances from the slat resemble the previously reported, subscale measurements of slat noise.

Surfzone vorticity in the presence of extreme bathymetric variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, D.; Elgar, S.; Raubenheimer, B.

2014-12-01

Surfzone vorticity was measured at Duck, NC using a novel 5-m diameter vorticity sensor deployed in 1.75 m water depth. During the 4-week deployment the initially alongshore uniform bathymetry developed 200-m long mega-cusps with alongshore vertical changes of 1.5 m or more. When waves were small and the vorticity sensor was seaward of the surfzone, vorticity variance and mean vorticity varied with the tidally modulated water depth, consistent with a net seaward flux of surfzone-generated vorticity. Vorticity variance increased with incident wave heights up to 2-m. However, vorticity variance remained relatively constant for incident wave heights above 2-m, and suggests that eddy energy may become saturated in the inner surfzone during large wave events. In the presence of mega-cusps the mean vorticity (shear) is often large and generated by bathymetrically controlled rip currents, while vorticity variance remains strongly correlated with the incident wave height. Funded by NSF, ASD(R&E), and WHOI Coastal Ocean Institute.

Vortex dynamics and wall shear stress behaviour associated with an elliptic jet impinging upon a flat plate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Long, J.; New, T. H.

2016-07-01

Vortical structures and dynamics of a Re h = 2100 elliptic jet impinging upon a flat plate were studied at H/ d h = 1, 2 and 4 jet-to-plate separation distances. Flow investigations were conducted along both its major and minor planes using laser-induced fluorescence and digital particle image velocimetry techniques. Results show that the impingement process along the major plane largely consists of primary jet ring-vortex and wall-separated secondary vortex formations, where they subsequently separate from the flat plate at smaller H/ d h = 1 and 2 separation distances. Key vortex formation locations occur closer to the impingement point as the separation distance increases. Interestingly, braid vortices and rib structures begin to take part in the impingement process at H/ d h = 4 and wave instabilities dominate the flow field. In contrast, significantly more coherent primary and secondary vortices with physically larger vortex core sizes and higher vortex strengths are observed along the minor plane, with no signs of braid vortices and rib structures. Lastly, influences of these different flow dynamics on the major and minor plane instantaneous and mean skin friction coefficient levels are investigated to shed light on the effects of separation distance on the wall shear stress distributions.

Effects of local and global mechanical distortions to hypervelocity boundary layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flaherty, William P.

The response of hypervelocity boundary layers to global mechanical distortions due to concave surface curvature is examined. Surface heat transfer, visual boundary layer thickness, and pressure sensitive paint (PSP) data are obtained for a suite of models with different concave surface geometries. Results are compared to predictions using existing approximate methods. Near the leading edge, good agreement is observed, but at larger pressure gradients, predictions diverge significantly from the experimental data. Up to a factor of five underprediction is reported in regions with greatest distortion. Curve fits to the experimental data are compared with surface equations. It is demonstrated that reasonable estimates of the laminar heat flux augmentation may be obtained as a function of the local turning angle for all model geometries, even at the conditions of greatest distortion. As a means of introducing additional local distortions, vortex generators are used to impose streamwise structures into the boundary layer. The response of the large scale vortical structures to an adverse pressure gradient is investigated. For a flat plate baseline case, heat transfer augmentation at similar levels to turbulent flow is measured. For the concave geometries, increases in heat transfer by factors up to 2.6 are measured over the laminar values, though for higher turning angle cases, a relaxation to below undisturbed values is reported at turning angles between 10 and 15 degrees. The scaling of heat transfer with turning angle that is identified for the laminar boundary layer response is found to be robust even in the presence of the imposed vortex structures. PSP measurements indicated that natural streaks form over concave models even when imposed vorticity is present. Correlations found between the heat transfer and natural streak formation are discussed and indicate possible vortex interactions.

Fractional-topological-charge-induced vortex birth and splitting of light fields on the submicron scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Yiqi; Lu, Qinghong; Wang, Xiaolei; Zhang, Wuhong; Chen, Lixiang

2017-02-01

The study of vortex dynamics is of fundamental importance in understanding the structured light's propagation behavior in the realm of singular optics. Here, combining with the large-angle holographic lithography in photoresist, a simple experiment to trace and visualize the vortex birth and splitting of light fields induced by various fractional topological charges is reported. For a topological charge M =1.76 , the recorded microstructures reveal that although it finally leads to the formation of a pair of fork gratings, these two vortices evolve asynchronously. More interestingly, it is observed on the submicron scale that high-order topological charges M =3.48 and 3.52, respectively, give rise to three and four characteristic forks embedded in the samples with one-wavelength resolution of about 450 nm. Numerical simulations based on orbital angular momentum eigenmode decomposition support well the experimental observations. Our method could be applied effectively to study other structured matter waves, such as the electron and neutron beams.

Vortex forcing model for turbulent flow over spanwise-heterogeneous topogrpahies: scaling arguments and similarity solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, William; Yang, Jianzhi

2017-11-01

Spanwise surface heterogeneity beneath high-Reynolds number, fully-rough wall turbulence is known to induce mean secondary flows in the form of counter-rotating streamwise vortices. The secondary flows are a manifestation of Prandtl's secondary flow of the second kind - driven and sustained by spatial heterogeneity of components of the turbulent (Reynolds averaged) stress tensor. The spacing between adjacent surface heterogeneities serves as a control on the spatial extent of the counter-rotating cells, while their intensity is controlled by the spanwise gradient in imposed drag (where larger gradients associated with more dramatic transitions in roughness induce stronger cells). In this work, we have performed an order of magnitude analysis of the mean (Reynolds averaged) streamwise vorticity transport equation, revealing the scaling dependence of circulation upon spanwise spacing. The scaling arguments are supported by simulation data. Then, we demonstrate that mean streamwise velocity can be predicted a priori via a similarity solution to the mean streamwise vorticity transport equation. A vortex forcing term was used to represent the affects of spanwise topographic heterogeneity within the flow. Efficacy of the vortex forcing term was established with large-eddy simulation cases, wherein vortex forcing model parameters were altered to capture different values of spanwise spacing.

Experiments on tip vortices interacting with downstream wings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, C.; Wang, Z.; Gursul, I.

2018-05-01

The interaction of meandering tip vortices shed from a leading wing with a downstream wing was investigated experimentally in a water tunnel using flow visualization, particle image velocimetry measurements, and volumetric velocity measurements. Counter-rotating upstream vortices may exhibit sudden variations of the vortex core location when the wing-tip separation is within approximately twice the vortex core radius. This is caused by the formation of vortex dipoles near the wing tip. In contrast, co-rotating upstream vortices do not exhibit such sensitivity. Large spanwise displacement of the trajectory due to the image vortex is possible when the incident vortex is further inboard. For both co-rotating and counter-rotating vortices, as long as there is no direct impingement upon the wing, there is a little change in the structure of the time-averaged vortex past the wing, even though the tip vortex shed from the downstream wing may be substantially weakened or strengthened. In the absence of the downstream wing, as well as for weak interactions, the most energetic unsteady modes represent the first helical mode | m| = 1, which is estimated from the three-dimensional Proper Orthogonal Decomposition modes and has a very large wavelength, on the order of 102 times the vortex core radius, λ/ a = O(102). Instantaneous vorticity measurements as well as flow visualization suggest the existence of a smaller wavelength, λ/ a = 5-6, which is not among the most energetic modes. These two-orders of magnitude different wavelengths are in agreement with the previous measurements of tip vortices and also exhibit qualitative agreement with the transient energy growth analysis. The very long wavelength mode in the upstream vortex may persist during the interaction, and reveal coupling with the trailing vortex as well as increased meandering.

Preferential particle concentration in wall-bounded turbulence with zero skin friction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Kun; Zhao, Lihao; Andersson, Helge I.

2017-11-01

Inertial particles dispersed in turbulence distribute themselves unevenly. Besides their tendency to segregate near walls, they also concentrate preferentially in wall-parallel planes. We explore the latter phenomenon in a tailor-made flow with the view to examine the homogeneity and anisotropy of particle clustering in the absence of mean shear as compared with conventional, i.e., sheared, wall turbulence. Inertial particles with some different Stokes numbers are suspended in a turbulent Couette-Poiseuille flow, in which one of the walls moves such that the shear rate vanishes at that wall. The anisotropies of the velocity and vorticity fluctuations are therefore qualitatively different from those at the opposite non-moving wall, along which quasi-coherent streaky structures prevail, similarly as in turbulent pipe and channel flows. Preferential particle concentration is observed near both walls. The inhomogeneity of the concentration is caused by the strain-vorticity selection mechanism, whereas the anisotropy originates from coherent flow structures. In order to analyse anisotropic clustering, a two-dimensional Shannon entropy method is developed. Streaky particle structures are observed near the stationary wall where the flow field resembles typical wall-turbulence, whereas particle clusters near the moving friction-free wall are similar to randomly oriented clusters in homogeneous isotropic turbulence, albeit with a modest streamwise inclination. In the absence of mean-shear and near-wall streaks, the observed anisotropy is ascribed to the imprint of large-scale flow structures which reside in the bulk flow and are global in nature.

Experimental investigation of supersonic flow over elliptic surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Qinghu; Yi, Shihe; He, Lin; Zhu, Yangzhu; Chen, Zhi

2013-11-01

The coherent structures of flow over a compression elliptic surface are experimentally investigated in a supersonic low-noise wind tunnel at Mach Number 3 using nano-tracer planar laser scattering (NPLS) and particle image velocimetry (PIV) techniques. High spacial resolution images and the average velocity profiles of both laminar inflow and turbulent inflow over the testing model were captured. From statistically significant ensembles, spatial correlation analysis of both cases is performed to quantify the mean size and orientation of large structures. The results indicate that the mean structure is elliptical in shape and structure angles in separated region of laminar inflow are slightly smaller than that of turbulent inflow. Moreover, the structure angle of both cases increases with its distance away from from the wall. POD analysis of velocity and vorticity fields is performed for both cases. The energy portion of the first mode for the velocity data is much larger than that for the vorticity field. For vorticity decompositions, the contribution from the first mode for the laminar inflow is slightly larger than that for the turbulent inflow and the cumulative contributions for laminar inflow converges slightly faster than that for turbulent inflow

Forcing, properties, structure, and antecedent synoptic climatology of the Snake River Plain Convergence Zone of eastern Idaho: Analyses of observations and numerical simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andretta, Thomas A.

The Snake River Plain Convergence Zone (SPCZ) is a convergent shear zone generated by synoptic-scale post cold-frontal winds in the planetary boundary layer (PBL) interacting with the complex topography of eastern Idaho. The SPCZ produces clouds and occasional precipitation over time scales of 6--12 hours in a significant area of mesoscale dimensions (10--50 x 10 3 km2). This meso-beta-scale feature also contributes to the precipitation climatology in a semi-arid plain. The SPCZ is climatologically linked to the passage of synoptic-scale cold fronts and typically occurs in the fall and winter months with the highest frequencies in October, November, and January. The Snake River Plain of eastern Idaho is covered by a dense surface mesonetwork of towers with sensible weather measurements, single Doppler weather radar, regional soundings, and operational model sources. The ability of numerical weather prediction models to simulate the SPCZ depends on several factors: the accuracy of the large scale flow upstream of the zone, terrain resolution, grid scale, boundary layer parameterizations of stability, cumulus parameterizations, and microphysics schemes. This dissertation explores several of these issues with the aforementioned observations and with the Weather Research and Forecasting-Advanced Research WRF (WRF-ARW) model simulations of selected SPCZ events. This dissertation first explains the conceptual models of the flow patterns related to the genesis of the SPCZ in light of other well-documented topographically-generated zones. The study then explores the links between the theoretical models and observations of the SPCZ in several episodes. With this foundation, the dissertation then tests several hypotheses relating to the horizontal and vertical zone structure, topographic sensitivity on the zone structure, and boundary layer evolution of the zone through the use of high resolution nested grid numerical simulations. The SPCZ consists of windward and leeward flow regimes in Idaho which form under low Froude number (stable blocked flow) in a post cold-frontal environment. The SPCZ is a weak baroclinic feature. The formation of the zone is independent of the vertical wind shear in the middle to upper troposphere. With a grid scale of 4 km, the WRF-ARW model adequately reproduces the post cold-frontal environment, windward and leeward convergence zones, relative vertical vorticity belts, and precipitation bands in several SPCZ cases. The vertical structure of the SPCZ reveals upright reflectivity towers with circulations that tilt slightly with height into the colder air aloft. Topographic sensitivity analyses of the SPCZ indicate that the terrain-driven circulations and resulting snow bands are more defined at the finer terrain scales. The ambient horizontal wind shear in the tributary valleys of the Central Mountains creates potential vorticity (PV) banners. The PV banner maintenance and strength are directly tied to the terrain resolution. An environment of convective instability sometimes occurs as a layer of air is lifted along the gentle elevation rise of the eastern Magic Valley and lower plain. An environment of inertial instability forms within the anticyclonic (negative) vorticity belts in the upper plain. Potential symmetric instability (PSI) may be released in a moist environment near the vorticity banners. The planetary boundary layer perturbed by the SPCZ inside the Snake River Plain is characterized by a deeper mixed layer with stronger vertical motions relative to a PBL in a sheltered valley outside the plain. Finally, a 10-year antecedent synoptic climatology of 78 SPCZ events reveals two pattern types: Type N (wet and warm) and Type S (dry and cold). The 40° N parallel divides these two synoptic patterns.

The Influence of Chordwise Flexibility on the Flow Structure and Streamwise Force of a Sinusoidally Pitching Airfoil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olson, David Arthur

Many natural flyers and swimmers need to exploit unsteady mechanisms in order to generate sufficient aerodynamic forces for sustained flight and propulsion. This is, in part, due to the low speed and length scales at which they typically operate. In this low Reynolds number regime, there are many unanswered questions on how existing aerodynamic theory for both steady and unsteady flows can be applied. Additionally, most of these natural flyers and swimmers have deformable wing/fin structures, three dimensional wing planforms, and exhibit complex kinematics during motion. While some biologically-inspired studies seek to replicate these complex structures and kinematics in the laboratory or in numerical simulations, it becomes difficult to draw explicit connections to the existing knowledge base of classical unsteady aerodynamic theory due to the complexity of the problems. In this experimental study, wing kinematics, structure, and planform are greatly simplified to investigate the effect of chordwise flexibility on the streamwise force (thrust) and wake behavior of a sinusoidally pitching airfoil. The study of flexibility in the literature has typically utilized flat plates with varying thicknesses or lengths to change their chordwise flexibility. This choice introduces additional complexities when comparing to the wealth of knowledge originally developed on streamlined aerodynamic shapes. The current study capitalizes on the recent developments in 3D printer technology to create accurate shapes out of materials with varying degrees of flexibility by creating two standard NACA 0009 airfoils: one rigid and one flexible. Each of the two airfoils are sinusoidally pitched about the quarter chord over a range of oscillation amplitudes and frequencies while monitoring the deformation of the airfoil. The oscillation amplitude is selected to be small enough such that leading edge vortices do not form, and the vortical structures in the wake are formed from the trailing edge. Two-component Molecular Tagging Velocimetry (MTV) is employed to measure the vortical flowfield over the first chord length behind the airfoil. A control volume method is used to estimate the mean thrust of the airfoil based on the mean and fluctuating velocity profiles from the MTV results. The mean thrust results show chordwise flexibility increases the thrust produced by the airfoil over the range of motion parameters and the flexibility considered in this study. The flexible airfoil is also seen to experience the drag-to-thrust crossover at a lower oscillation frequency than its rigid counterpart. The relative change in thrust due to flexibility decreases with increasing amplitude. The increase in thrust can, however, be captured as an amplitude effect when the Strouhal number based on the actual trailing edge displacement, Stte, is used for scaling. Scaling based strictly on the prescribed motion, typically employed in the literature, is not sufficient for the data to collapse. Motion trajectories which produced a classical von Karman vortex street or a reverse von Karman vortex street (depending on the arrangement of the vortices), are considered for further study. The vortices in the wake are characterized in terms of their strength, size, and spacing using phase-averaged MTV results. The circulation of the vortices are shown to collapse for both rigid and flexible airfoils when plotted against Stte. The actual trailing edge displacement is used as a length scale to normalize the transverse and streamwise spacing, and the vortex core size. These measurements also now collapse when plotted against Stte across oscillation amplitude for both the rigid and flexible airfoils.

Three-pattern decomposition of global atmospheric circulation: part II—dynamical equations of horizontal, meridional and zonal circulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Shujuan; Cheng, Jianbo; Xu, Ming; Chou, Jifan

2018-04-01

The three-pattern decomposition of global atmospheric circulation (TPDGAC) partitions three-dimensional (3D) atmospheric circulation into horizontal, meridional and zonal components to study the 3D structures of global atmospheric circulation. This paper incorporates the three-pattern decomposition model (TPDM) into primitive equations of atmospheric dynamics and establishes a new set of dynamical equations of the horizontal, meridional and zonal circulations in which the operator properties are studied and energy conservation laws are preserved, as in the primitive equations. The physical significance of the newly established equations is demonstrated. Our findings reveal that the new equations are essentially the 3D vorticity equations of atmosphere and that the time evolution rules of the horizontal, meridional and zonal circulations can be described from the perspective of 3D vorticity evolution. The new set of dynamical equations includes decomposed expressions that can be used to explore the source terms of large-scale atmospheric circulation variations. A simplified model is presented to demonstrate the potential applications of the new equations for studying the dynamics of the Rossby, Hadley and Walker circulations. The model shows that the horizontal air temperature anomaly gradient (ATAG) induces changes in meridional and zonal circulations and promotes the baroclinic evolution of the horizontal circulation. The simplified model also indicates that the absolute vorticity of the horizontal circulation is not conserved, and its changes can be described by changes in the vertical vorticities of the meridional and zonal circulations. Moreover, the thermodynamic equation shows that the induced meridional and zonal circulations and advection transport by the horizontal circulation in turn cause a redistribution of the air temperature. The simplified model reveals the fundamental rules between the evolution of the air temperature and the horizontal, meridional and zonal components of global atmospheric circulation.

Numerical Study of Sound Emission by 2D Regular and Chaotic Vortex Configurations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knio, Omar M.; Collorec, Luc; Juvé, Daniel

1995-02-01

The far-field noise generated by a system of three Gaussian vortices lying over a flat boundary is numerically investigated using a two-dimensional vortex element method. The method is based on the discretization of the vorticity field into a finite number of smoothed vortex elements of spherical overlapping cores. The elements are convected in a Lagrangian reference along particle trajectories using the local velocity vector, given in terms of a desingularized Biot-Savart law. The initial structure of the vortex system is triangular; a one-dimensional family of initial configurations is constructed by keeping one side of the triangle fixed and vertical, and varying the abscissa of the centroid of the remaining vortex. The inviscid dynamics of this vortex configuration are first investigated using non-deformable vortices. Depending on the aspect ratio of the initial system, regular or chaotic motion occurs. Due to wall-related symmetries, the far-field sound always exhibits a time-independent quadrupolar directivity with maxima parallel end perpendicular to the wall. When regular motion prevails, the noise spectrum is dominated by discrete frequencies which correspond to the fundamental system frequency and its superharmonics. For chaotic motion, a broadband spectrum is obtained; computed soundlevels are substantially higher than in non-chaotic systems. A more sophisticated analysis is then performed which accounts for vortex core dynamics. Results show that the vortex cores are susceptible to inviscid instability which leads to violent vorticity reorganization within the core. This phenomenon has little effect on the large-scale features of the motion of the system or on low frequency sound emission. However, it leads to the generation of a high-frequency noise band in the acoustic pressure spectrum. The latter is observed in both regular and chaotic system simulations.

Layering of sustained vortices in rotating stratified fluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aubert, O.; Le Bars, M.; Le Gal, P.

2013-05-01

The ocean is a natural stratified fluid layer where large structures are influenced by the rotation of the planet through the Coriolis force. In particular, the ocean Meddies are long-lived anticyclonic pancake vortices of Mediterranean origin evolving in the Atlantic Ocean: they have a saltier and warmer core than the sourrounding oceanic water, their diameters go up to 100 km and they can survive for 2 to 3 years in the ocean. Their extensive study using seismic images revealed finestructures surrounding their core (Biescas et al., 2008; Ruddick et al., 2009) corresponding to layers of constant density which thickness is about 40 m and horizontal extent is more than 10 km. These layers can have different origins: salt fingers from a double-diffusive instabilities of salt and heat (Ruddick & Gargett, 2003), viscous overturning motions from a double-diffusive instabilities of salt and momentum (McIntyre, 1970) or global modes of the quasi-geostrophic instability (Nguyen et al., 2011)? As observed by Griffiths & Linden (1981), sustained laboratory anticyclonic vortices created via a continuous injection of isodense fluid in a rotating and linearly stratified layer of salty water are quickly surrounded by layers of constant density. In the continuity of their experiments, we systematically investigated the double-diffusive instability of McIntyre by varying the Coriolis parameter f and the buoyancy frequency N of the background both in experiments and in numerical simulations, and studied the influence of the Schmidt number in numerical simulations. Following McIntyre's approach, typical length and time scales of the instability are well described by a linear stability analysis based on a gaussian model that fits both laboratory and oceanic vortices. The instability appears to be favoured by high Rossby numbers and ratios f/N. We then apply these results to ocean Meddies and conclude about their stability.

Turbulent statistics in flow field due to interaction of two plane parallel jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bisoi, Mukul; Das, Manab Kumar; Roy, Subhransu; Patel, Devendra Kumar

2017-12-01

Turbulent characteristics of flow fields due to the interaction of two plane parallel jets separated by the jet width distance are studied. Numerical simulation is carried out by large eddy simulation with a dynamic Smagorinsky model for the sub-grid scale stresses. The energy spectra are observed to follow the -5/3 power law for the inertial sub-range. A proper orthogonal decomposition study indicates that the energy carrying large coherent structures is present close to the nozzle exit. It is shown that these coherent structures interact with each other and finally disintegrate into smaller vortices further downstream. The turbulent fluctuations in the longitudinal and lateral directions are shown to follow a similarity. The mean flow at the same time also maintains a close similarity. Prandtl's mixing length, the Taylor microscale, and the Kolmogorov length scales are shown along the lateral direction for different downstream locations. The autocorrelation in the longitudinal and transverse directions is seen to follow a similarity profile. By plotting the probability density function, the skewness and the flatness (kurtosis) are analyzed. The Reynolds stress anisotropy tensor is calculated, and the anisotropy invariant map known as Lumley's triangle is presented and analyzed.

Forward-facing steps induced transition in a subsonic boundary layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zh, Hui; Fu, Song

2017-10-01

A forward-facing step (FFS) immersed in a subsonic boundary layer is studied through a high-order flux reconstruction (FR) method to highlight the flow transition induced by the step. The step height is a third of the local boundary-layer thickness. The Reynolds number based on the step height is 720. Inlet disturbances are introduced giving rise to streamwise vortices upstream of the step. It is observed that these small-scale streamwise structures interact with the step and hairpin vortices are quickly developed after the step leading to flow transition in the boundary layer.

A Critical Review of the Transport and Decay of Wake Vortices in Ground Effect

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sarpkaya, T.

2004-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the transport and decay of wake vortices in ground effect and cites a need for a physics-based parametric model. The encounter of a vortex with a solid body is always a complex event involving turbulence enhancement, unsteadiness, and very large gradients of velocity and pressure. Wake counter in ground effect is the most dangerous of them all. The interaction of diverging, area-varying, and decaying aircraft wake vortices with the ground is very complex because both the vortices and the flow field generated by them are altered to accommodate the presence of the ground (where there is very little room to maneuver) and the background turbulent flow. Previous research regarding vortex models, wake vortex decay mechanisms, time evolution within in ground effect of a wake vortex pair, laminar flow in ground effect, and the interaction of the existing boundary layer with a convected vortex are reviewed. Additionally, numerical simulations, 3-dimensional large-eddy simulations, a probabilistic 2-phase wake vortex decay and transport model and a vortex element method are discussed. The devising of physics-based, parametric models for the prediction of (operational) real-time response, mindful of the highly three-dimensional and unsteady structure of vortices, boundary layers, atmospheric thermodynamics, and weather convective phenomena is required. In creating a model, LES and field data will be the most powerful tools.

Spanwise Spacing Effects on the Initial Structure and Decay of Axial Vortices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wendt, B. J.; Reichert, B. A.

1996-01-01

The initial structure and axial decay of an array of streamwise vortices embedded in a turbulent pipe boundary layer is experimentally investigated. The vortices are shed in counter-rotating fashion from an array of equally-spaced symmetric airfoil vortex generators. Vortex structure is quantified in terms of crossplane circulation and peak streamwise vorticity. Flow conditions are subsonic and incompressible. The focus of this study is on the effect of the initial spacing between the parent vortex generators. Arrays with vortex generators spaced at 15 and 30 degrees apart are considered. When the spacing between vortex generators is decreased the circulation and peak vorticity of the shed vortices increases. Analysis indicates this strengthening results from regions of fluid acceleration in the vicinity of the vortex generator array. Decreased spacing between the constituent vortices also produces increased rates of circulation and peak vorticity decay.

Direct Numerical Simulation of a Coolant Jet in a Periodic Crossflow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sharma, Chirdeep; Acharya, Sumanta

1998-01-01

A Direct Numerical Simulation of a coolant jet injected normally into a periodic crossflow is presented. The physical situation simulated represents a periodic module in a coolant hole array with a heated crossflow. A collocated finite difference scheme is used which is fifth-order accurate spatially and second-order accurate temporally. The scheme is based on a fractional step approach and requires the solution of a pressure-Poisson equation. The simulations are obtained for a blowing ratio of 0.25 and a channel Reynolds number of 5600. The simulations reveal the dynamics of several large scale structures including the Counter-rotating Vortex Pair (CVP), the horse-shoe vortex, the shear layer vortex, the wall vortex and the wake vortex. The origins and the interactions of these vortical structures are identified and explored. Also presented are the turbulence statistics and how they relate to the flow structures.

Structural characteristics of the shock-induced boundary layer separation extended to the leading edge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tao, Y.; Liu, W. D.; Fan, X. Q.; Zhao, Y. L.

2017-07-01

For a better understanding of the local unstart of supersonic/hypersonic inlet, a series of experiments has been conducted to investigate the shock-induced boundary layer separation extended to the leading edge. Using the nanoparticle-based planar laser scattering, we recorded the fine structures of these interactions under different conditions and paid more attention to their structural characteristics. According to their features, these interactions could be divided into four types. Specifically, Type A wave pattern is similar to the classic shock wave/turbulent boundary layer interaction, and Type B wave configuration consists of an overall Mach reflection above the large scale separation bubble. Due to the gradual decrease in the size of the separation bubble, the separation bubble was replaced by several vortices (Type C wave pattern). Besides, for Type D wave configuration which exists in the local unstart inlet, there appears to be some flow spillage around the leading edge.

Non-Abelian vortex lattices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tallarita, Gianni; Peterson, Adam

2018-04-01

We perform a numerical study of the phase diagram of the model proposed in [M. Shifman, Phys. Rev. D 87, 025025 (2013)., 10.1103/PhysRevD.87.025025], which is a simple model containing non-Abelian vortices. As per the case of Abrikosov vortices, we map out a region of parameter space in which the system prefers the formation of vortices in ordered lattice structures. These are generalizations of Abrikosov vortex lattices with extra orientational moduli in the vortex cores. At sufficiently large lattice spacing the low energy theory is described by a sum of C P (1 ) theories, each located on a vortex site. As the lattice spacing becomes smaller, when the self-interaction of the orientational field becomes relevant, only an overall rotation in internal space survives.

Wind turbine wake interactions at field scale: An LES study of the SWiFT facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xiaolei; Boomsma, Aaron; Barone, Matthew; Sotiropoulos, Fotis

2014-06-01

The University of Minnesota Virtual Wind Simulator (VWiS) code is employed to simulate turbine/atmosphere interactions in the Scaled Wind Farm Technology (SWiFT) facility developed by Sandia National Laboratories in Lubbock, TX, USA. The facility presently consists of three turbines and the simulations consider the case of wind blowing from South such that two turbines are in the free stream and the third turbine in the direct wake of one upstream turbine with separation of 5 rotor diameters. Large-eddy simulation (LES) on two successively finer grids is carried out to examine the sensitivity of the computed solutions to grid refinement. It is found that the details of the break-up of the tip vortices into small-scale turbulence structures can only be resolved on the finer grid. It is also shown that the power coefficient CP of the downwind turbine predicted on the coarse grid is somewhat higher than that obtained on the fine mesh. On the other hand, the rms (root-mean-square) of the CP fluctuations are nearly the same on both grids, although more small-scale turbulence structures are resolved upwind of the downwind turbine on the finer grid.

Tip Vortex Cavitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maines, Brant H.; Arndt, Roger E. A.

2000-11-01

Cavitation in vortical flows is a problem of practical importance, that is relatively unexplored. Vortical structures of importance range from the eddies occurring randomly in space and time in turbulent flows to the developed vortices that occur at the tips of lifting surfaces and at the hubs of propellers and hydraulic turbines. A variety of secondary flow phenomena such as the horse shoe vortices that form around bridge piers, chute blocks and struts, and the secondary vortices found in the clearance passages of turbomachinery are also important cavitation sites. Tip vortex cavitation can be viewed as a canonical problem that captures many of the essential physics associated with vortex cavitation in general. This paper describes the inception process and focuses on the high levels of tension that can be sustained in the flow, which appears to scale with the blade loading. High speed video visualization indicates that the details of how free stream nuclei are ingested plays a major role in the nucleation and inception process. A new photographic technique was used to obtain high quality images of the bubble growth process at framing rates as high as 40,000 fps. Sponsored by the Office of Naval Research

Measurements of Tip Vortices from a Full-Scale UH-60A Rotor by Retro- Reflective Background Oriented Schlieren and Stereo Photogrammetry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schairer, Edward; Kushner, Laura K.; Heineck, James T.

2013-01-01

Positions of vortices shed by a full-scale UH-60A rotor in forward flight were measured during a test in the National Full- Scale Aerodynamics Complex at NASA Ames Research Center. Vortices in a region near the tip of the advancing blade were visualized from two directions by Retro-Reflective Background-Oriented Schlieren (RBOS). Correspondence of points on the vortex in the RBOS images from both cameras was established using epipolar geometry. The object-space coordinates of the vortices were then calculated from the image-plane coordinates using stereo photogrammetry. One vortex from the tip of the blade that had most recently passed was visible in most of the data. The visibility of the vortices was greatest at high thrust and low advance ratios. At these favorable conditions, vortices from the most recent passages of all four blades were detected. The vortex positions were in good agreement with PIV data for a case where PIV measurements were also made. RBOS and photogrammetry provided measurements of the angle at which each vortex passed through the PIV plane.

Spanwise effects on instabilities of compressible flow over a long rectangular cavity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Y.; Taira, K.; Cattafesta, L. N.; Ukeiley, L. S.

2017-12-01

The stability properties of two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) compressible flows over a rectangular cavity with length-to-depth ratio of L/D=6 are analyzed at a free-stream Mach number of M_∞ =0.6 and depth-based Reynolds number of Re_D=502. In this study, we closely examine the influence of three-dimensionality on the wake mode that has been reported to exhibit high-amplitude fluctuations from the formation and ejection of large-scale spanwise vortices. Direct numerical simulation (DNS) and bi-global stability analysis are utilized to study the stability characteristics of the wake mode. Using the bi-global stability analysis with the time-averaged flow as the base state, we capture the global stability properties of the wake mode at a spanwise wavenumber of β =0. To uncover spanwise effects on the 2D wake mode, 3D DNS are performed with cavity width-to-depth ratio of W/D=1 and 2. We find that the 2D wake mode is not present in the 3D cavity flow with W/D=2, in which spanwise structures are observed near the rear region of the cavity. These 3D instabilities are further investigated via bi-global stability analysis for spanwise wavelengths of λ /D=0.5{-}2.0 to reveal the eigenspectra of the 3D eigenmodes. Based on the findings of 2D and 3D global stability analysis, we conclude that the absence of the wake mode in 3D rectangular cavity flows is due to the release of kinetic energy from the spanwise vortices to the streamwise vortical structures that develops from the spanwise instabilities.

Influence of a density increase on the evolution of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability and vortices

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Amerstorfer, U. V.; Erkaev, N. V.; Institute of Computational Modelling, 660036 Krasnoyarsk

2010-07-15

Results of two-dimensional nonlinear numerical simulations of the magnetohydrodynamic Kelvin-Helmholtz instability are presented. A boundary layer of a certain width is assumed, which separates the plasma in the upper layer from the plasma in the lower layer. A special focus is given on the influence of a density increase toward the lower layer. The evolution of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability can be divided into three different phases, namely, a linear growth phase at the beginning, followed by a nonlinear phase with regular structures of the vortices, and finally, a turbulent phase with nonregular structures. The spatial scales of the vortices aremore » about five times the initial width of the boundary layer. The considered configuration is similar to the situation around unmagnetized planets, where the solar wind (upper plasma layer) streams past the ionosphere (lower plasma layer), and thus the plasma density increases toward the planet. The evolving vortices might detach around the terminator of the planet and eventually so-called plasma clouds might be formed, through which ionospheric material can be lost. For the special case of a Venus-like planet, loss rates are estimated, which are of the order of estimated loss rates from observations at Venus.« less

Large-scale Fractal Motion of Clouds

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-04-20

NASA image acquired September 15, 1999 This Landsat 7 image of clouds off the Chilean coast near the Juan Fernandez Islands (also known as the Robinson Crusoe Islands) on September 15, 1999, shows a unique pattern called a “von Karman vortex street.” This pattern has long been studied in the laboratory, where the vortices are created by oil flowing past a cylindrical obstacle, making a string of vortices only several tens of centimeters long. Study of this classic “flow past a circular cylinder” has been very important in the understanding of laminar and turbulent fluid flow that controls a wide variety of phenomena, from the lift under an aircraft wing to Earth’s weather. Here, the cylinder is replaced by Alejandro Selkirk Island (named after the true “Robinson Crusoe,” who was stranded here for many months in the early 1700s). The island is about 1.5 km in diameter, and rises 1.6 km into a layer of marine stratocumulus clouds. This type of cloud is important for its strong cooling of the Earth’s surface, partially counteracting the Greenhouse warming. An extended, steady equatorward wind creates vortices with clockwise flow off the eastern edge and counterclockwise flow off the western edge of the island. The vortices grow as they advect hundreds of kilometers downwind, making a street 10,000 times longer than those made in the laboratory. Observing the same phenomenon extended over such a wide range of sizes dramatizes the “fractal” nature of atmospheric convection and clouds. Fractals are characteristic of fluid flow and other dynamic systems that exhibit “chaotic” motions. Both clockwise and counter-clockwise vortices are generated by flow around the island. As the flow separates from the island’s leeward (away from the source of the wind) side, the vortices “swallow” some of the clear air over the island. (Much of the island air is cloudless due to a local “land breeze” circulation set up by the larger heat capacity of the waters surrounding the island.) The “swallowed” gulps of clear island air get carried along within the vortices, but these are soon mixed into the surrounding clouds. Landsat is unique in its ability to image both the small-scale eddies that mix clear and cloudy air, down to the 30 meter pixel size of Landsat, but also having a wide enough field-of-view, 180 km, to reveal the connection of the turbulence to large-scale flows such as the subtropical oceanic gyres. Landsat 7, with its new onboard digital recorder, has extended this capability away from the few Landsat ground stations to remote areas such as Alejandro Island, and thus is gradually providing a global dynamic picture of evolving human-scale phenomena. For more details on von Karman vortices, refer to climate.gsfc.nasa.gov/~cahalan. Image and caption courtesy Bob Cahalan, NASA GSFC Instrument: Landsat 7 - ETM+ Credit: NASA/GSFC/Landsat NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Join us on Facebook

Fully nonlinear Goertler vortices in constricted channel flows and their effect on the onset of separation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Denier, James P.; Hall, Philip

1992-01-01

The development of fully nonlinear Goertler vortices in high Reynolds number flow in a symmetrically constricted channel is investigated. Attention is restricted to the case of 'strongly' constricted channels considered by Smith and Daniels (1981) for which the scaled constriction height is asymptotically large. Such flows are known to develop a Goldstein singularity and subsequently become separated at some downstream station past the point of maximum channel constriction. It is shown that these flows can support fully nonlinear Goertler vortices, of the form elucidated by Hall and Lakin (1988), for constrictions which have an appreciable region of local concave curvature upstream of the position at which separation occurs. The effect on the onset of separation due to the nonlinear Goertler modes is discussed. A brief discussion of other possible nonlinear states which may also have a dramatic effect in delaying (or promoting) separation is given.

Simulation of Acoustic Scattering from a Trailing Edge

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singer, Bart A.; Brentner, Kenneth S.; Lockard, David P.; Lilley, Geoffrey M.

1999-01-01

Three model problems were examined to assess the difficulties involved in using a hybrid scheme coupling flow computation with the the Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings equation to predict noise generated by vortices passing over a sharp edge. The results indicate that the Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings equation correctly propagates the acoustic signals when provided with accurate flow information on the integration surface. The most difficult of the model problems investigated inviscid flow over a two-dimensional thin NACA airfoil with a blunt-body vortex generator positioned at 98 percent chord. Vortices rolled up downstream of the blunt body. The shed vortices possessed similarities to large coherent eddies in boundary layers. They interacted and occasionally paired as they convected past the sharp trailing edge of the airfoil. The calculations showed acoustic waves emanating from the airfoil trailing edge. Acoustic directivity and Mach number scaling are shown.

Secondary flow vortical structures in a 180∘ elastic curved vessel with torsion under steady and pulsatile inflow conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Najjari, Mohammad Reza; Plesniak, Michael W.

2018-01-01

Secondary flow structures in a 180∘ curved pipe model of an artery are studied using particle image velocimetry. Both steady and pulsatile inflow conditions are investigated. In planar curved pipes with steady flow, multiple (two, four, six) vortices are detected. For pulsatile flow, various pairs of vortices, i.e., Dean, deformed-Dean, Lyne-type, and split-Dean, are present in the cross section of the pipe at 90∘ into the bend. The effects of nonplanar curvature (torsion) and vessel dilatation on these vortical structures are studied. Torsion distorts the symmetric secondary flows (which exist in planar curvatures) and can result in formation of more complex vortical structures. For example, the split-Dean and Lyne-type vortices with same rotation direction originating from opposite sides of the cross section tend to merge together in pulsatile flow. The vortical structures in elastic vessels with dilatation (0.61%-3.23%) are also investigated and the results are compared with rigid model results. It was found that the secondary flow structures in rigid and elastic models are similar, and hence the local compliance of the vessel does not affect the morphology of secondary flow structures.

Visualization and analysis of vortex-turbine intersections in wind farms.

PubMed

Shafii, Sohail; Obermaier, Herald; Linn, Rodman; Koo, Eunmo; Hlawitschka, Mario; Garth, Christoph; Hamann, Bernd; Joy, Kenneth I

2013-09-01

Characterizing the interplay between the vortices and forces acting on a wind turbine's blades in a qualitative and quantitative way holds the potential for significantly improving large wind turbine design. This paper introduces an integrated pipeline for highly effective wind and force field analysis and visualization. We extract vortices induced by a turbine's rotation in a wind field, and characterize vortices in conjunction with numerically simulated forces on the blade surfaces as these vortices strike another turbine's blades downstream. The scientifically relevant issue to be studied is the relationship between the extracted, approximate locations on the blades where vortices strike the blades and the forces that exist in those locations. This integrated approach is used to detect and analyze turbulent flow that causes local impact on the wind turbine blade structure. The results that we present are based on analyzing the wind and force field data sets generated by numerical simulations, and allow domain scientists to relate vortex-blade interactions with power output loss in turbines and turbine life expectancy. Our methods have the potential to improve turbine design to save costs related to turbine operation and maintenance.

Turbulence: does vorticity affect the structure and shape of body and fin propulsors?

PubMed

Webb, P W; Cotel, A J

2010-12-01

Over the past century, many ideas have been developed on the relationships between water flow and the structure and shape of the body and fins of fishes, largely during swimming in relatively steady flows. However, both swimming by fishes and the habitats they occupy are associated with vorticity, typically concentrated as eddies characteristic of turbulent flow. Deployment of methods to examine flow in detail suggests that vorticity impacts the lives of fishes. First, vorticity near the body and fins can increase thrust and smooth variations in thrust that are a consequence of using oscillating and undulating propulsors to swim. Second, substantial mechanical energy is dissipated in eddies in the wake and adaptations that minimize these losses would be anticipated. We suggest that such mechanisms may be found in varying the length of the propulsive wave, stiffening propulsive surfaces, and shifting to using median and paired fins when swimming at low speeds. Eddies in the flow encountered by fishes may be beneficial, but when eddy radii are of the order of 0.25 of the fish's total length, negative impacts occur due to greater difficulties in controlling stability. The archetypal streamlined "fish" shape reduces destabilizing forces for fishes swimming into eddies.

Balanced and Unbalanced Circulations in a Primitive Equation Simulation of a Midlatitude MCC. Part I: The Numerical Simulation.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olsson, Peter Q.; Cotton, William R.

1997-02-01

A midlatitude mesoscale convective complex (MCC), which occurred over the central United States on 23-24 June 1985, was simulated using the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS). The multiply nested-grid simulation agreed reasonably well with surface, upper-air, and satellite observations and ground-based radar plots. The simulated MCC had a typical structure consisting of a leading line of vigorous convection and a trailing region of less intense stratiform rainfall. Several other characteristic MCC circulations were also simulated: a divergent cold pool in the lower troposphere, midlevel convergence coupled with a relatively cool descending rear-inflow jet, and relatively warm updraft structure, and a cold divergent anticyclone in the tropopause region. Early in the MCC simulation, a mesoscale convectively induced vortex (MCV) formed on the eastern edge of the convective line. While frequently associated with MCCs and other mesoscale convective systems (MCSs), MCVs are more typically reported in the mature and decaying stages of the life cycle. Several hours later, a second MCV formed near the opposite end of the convective line, and by the mature phase of the MCC, these MCVs were embedded within a more complex system-wide vortical flow in the lower troposphere.Analysis of the first MCV during its incipient phase indicates that the vortex initially formed near the surface by convergence/stretching of the large low-level ambient vertical vorticity in this region. Vertical advection appeared largely responsible for the upward extension of this MCV to about 3.5 km above the surface, with tilting of horizontal vorticity playing a secondary role. This mechanism of MCV formation is in contrast to recent idealized high-resolution squall line simulations, where MCVs were found to result from the tilting into the vertical of storm-induced horizontal vorticity formed near the top of the cold pool.Another interesting aspect of the simulation was the development of a banded vorticity structure at midtropospheric levels. These bands were found to be due to the apparent vertical transport of zonal momentum by the descending rear-to-front circulation, or rear-inflow jet. An equivalent alternative viewpoint of this process, deformation of horizontal vorticity filaments by the convective updrafts and rear-inflow jet, is discussed.Part II of this work presents a complementary approach to the analysis presented here, demonstrating that the circulations seen in this MCC simulation are, to a large degree, contained within the nonlinear balance approximation, the related balanced omega equation, and the PV as analyzed from the PE model results.

Energy flow of electric dipole radiation in between parallel mirrors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Zhangjin; Arnoldus, Henk F.

2017-11-01

We have studied the energy flow patterns of the radiation emitted by an electric dipole located in between parallel mirrors. It appears that the field lines of the Poynting vector (the flow lines of energy) can have very intricate structures, including many singularities and vortices. The flow line patterns depend on the distance between the mirrors, the distance of the dipole to one of the mirrors and the angle of oscillation of the dipole moment with respect to the normal of the mirror surfaces. Already for the simplest case of a dipole moment oscillating perpendicular to the mirrors, singularities appear at regular intervals along the direction of propagation (parallel to the mirrors). For a parallel dipole, vortices appear in the neighbourhood of the dipole. For a dipole oscillating under a finite angle with the surface normal, the radiating tends to swirl around the dipole before travelling off parallel to the mirrors. For relatively large mirror separations, vortices appear in the pattern. When the dipole is off-centred with respect to the midway point between the mirrors, the flow line structure becomes even more complicated, with numerous vortices in the pattern, and tiny loops near the dipole. We have also investigated the locations of the vortices and singularities, and these can be found without any specific knowledge about the flow lines. This provides an independent means of studying the propagation of dipole radiation between mirrors.

Intermittency in two-dimensional Ekman-Navier-Stokes turbulence.

PubMed

Boffetta, G; Celani, A; Musacchio, S; Vergassola, M

2002-08-01

We study the statistics of the vorticity field in two-dimensional Navier-Stokes turbulence with linear Ekman friction. We show that the small-scale vorticity fluctuations are intermittent, as conjectured by Bernard [Europhys. Lett. 50, 333 (2000)] and Nam et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 5134 (2000)]. The small-scale statistics of vorticity fluctuations coincide with that of a passive scalar with finite lifetime transported by the velocity field itself.

The fix for tough spots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anders, John B.; Walsh, Michael J.; Bushnell, Dennis M.

1988-01-01

Modern turbulence-control techniques are discussed. Particular atention is given to retrofit techniques such as riblets and large-eddy breakup (LEBU) devices which use passive elements suitable for a variety of existing vehicles with minimum added complexity. Riblets are small flow-aligned grooves in the aircraft skin that damp turbulence and reduce skin friction; the mechanism of riblet drag reduction derives from the enhancement of turbulence-altering, transverse viscous forces by strong spanwise surface geometry gradients. LEBUs are thin plates or ribbons suspended in a turbulent boundary layer to sever or break up the large vortices that form the convoluted outer edge of the layer. Other turbulence-control techniques are discussed, including one that involves the injection of control vortices into the turbulent boundary layer to modify or substitute for large-eddy structures.

Numerical study of the effects of rotating forced downdraft in reproducing tornado-like vortices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Jinwei; Cao, Shuyang; Tamura, Tetsuro; Tokyo Institute of Technology Collaboration; Tongji Univ Collaboration

2016-11-01

Appropriate physical modeling of a tornado-like vortex is a prerequisite to studying near-surface tornado structure and tornado-induced wind loads on structures. Ward-type tornado simulator modeled tornado-like flow by mounting guide vanes around the test area to provide angular momentum to converging flow. Iowa State University, USA modified the Ward-type simulator by locating guide vanes at a high position to allow vertical circulation of flow that creates a rotating forced downdraft in the process of generating a tornado. However, the characteristics of the generated vortices have not been sufficiently investigated till now. In this study, large-eddy simulations were conducted to compare the dynamic vortex structure generated with/without the effect of rotating forced downdraft. The results were also compared with other CFD and experimental results. Particular attention was devoted to the behavior of vortex wander of generated tornado-like vortices. The present study shows that the vortex center wanders more significantly when the rotating forced downdraft is introduced into the flow. The rotating forced downdraft is advantageous for modeling the rear flank downdraft phenomenon of a real tornado.

Vorticity imbalance and stability in relation to convection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Read, W. L.; Scoggins, J. R.

1977-01-01

A complete synoptic-scale vorticity budget was related to convection storm development in the eastern two-thirds of the United States. The 3-h sounding interval permitted a study of time changes of the vorticity budget in areas of convective storms. Results of analyses revealed significant changes in values of terms in the vorticity equation at different stages of squall line development. Average budgets for all areas of convection indicate systematic imbalance in the terms in the vorticity equation. This imbalance resulted primarily from sub-grid scale processes. Potential instability in the lower troposphere was analyzed in relation to the development of convective activity. Instability was related to areas of convection; however, instability alone was inadequate for forecast purposes. Combinations of stability and terms in the vorticity equation in the form of indices succeeded in depicting areas of convection better than any one item separately.

Wave Driven Fluid-Sediment Interactions over Rippled Beds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foster, Diane; Nichols, Claire

2008-11-01

Empirical investigations relating vortex shedding over rippled beds to oscillatory flows date back to Darwin in 1883. Observations of the shedding induced by oscillating forcing over fixed beds have shown vortical structures to reach maximum strength at 90 degrees when the horizontal velocity is largest. The objective of this effort is to examine the vortex generation and ejection over movable rippled beds in a full-scale, free surface wave environment. Observations of the two-dimensional time-varying velocity field over a movable sediment bed were obtained with a submersible Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) system in two wave flumes. One wave flume was full scale and had a natural sand bed and the other flume had an artificial sediment bed with a specific gravity of 1.6. Full scale observations over an irregularly rippled bed show that the vortices generated during offshore directed flow over the steeper bed form slope were regularly ejected into the water column and were consistent with conceptual models of the oscillatory flow over a backward facing step. The results also show that vortices remain coherent during ejection when the background flow stalls (i.e. both the velocity and acceleration temporarily approach zero). These results offer new insight into fluid sediment interaction over rippled beds.

Air motions inside dome room of Big Telescope Alt-azimuth at Special Astrophysical Observatory RAS. Numerical solutions of Navier-Stokes equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nosov, V. V.; Lukin, V. P.; Nosov, E. V.; Torgaev, A. V.

2017-11-01

The structure of air turbulent motion inside the closed dome room of Big Telescope Alt-azimuth at Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) has been experimentally and theoretically studied. Theoretical results have been reached by numerical solving of boundary value problem for Navier-Stokes equations. Solitary large vortices (coherent structures, topological solitons) are observed indoors. Coherent breakdown of these vortices leads to the coherent turbulence. In the case of identical boundary conditions the pattern of air motions as a result of the simulation and the pattern, registered experimentally using the compact portable ultrasonic weather station, are practically the same.

Intrinsic and extrinsic pinning in NdFeAs(O,F): vortex trapping and lock-in by the layered structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tarantini, C.; Iida, K.; Hänisch, J.; Kurth, F.; Jaroszynski, J.; Sumiya, N.; Chihara, M.; Hatano, T.; Ikuta, H.; Schmidt, S.; Seidel, P.; Holzapfel, B.; Larbalestier, D. C.

2016-10-01

Fe-based superconductors (FBS) present a large variety of compounds whose properties are affected to different extents by their crystal structures. Amongst them, the REFeAs(O,F) (RE1111, RE being a rare-earth element) is the family with the highest critical temperature Tc but also with a large anisotropy and Josephson vortices as demonstrated in the flux-flow regime in Sm1111 (Tc ∼ 55 K). Here we focus on the pinning properties of the lower-Tc Nd1111 in the flux-creep regime. We demonstrate that for H//c critical current density Jc at high temperatures is dominated by point-defect pinning centres, whereas at low temperatures surface pinning by planar defects parallel to the c-axis and vortex shearing prevail. When the field approaches the ab-planes, two different regimes are observed at low temperatures as a consequence of the transition between 3D Abrikosov and 2D Josephson vortices: one is determined by the formation of a vortex-staircase structure and one by lock-in of vortices parallel to the layers. This is the first study on FBS showing this behaviour in the full temperature, field, and angular range and demonstrating that, despite the lower Tc and anisotropy of Nd1111 with respect to Sm1111, this compound is substantially affected by intrinsic pinning generating a strong ab-peak in Jc.

Explosive Cyclogenesis Over the Eastern United States.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacDonald, Bruce Calvin

Cases of explosive cyclogenesis occurring over the east central United States are identified and analyzed. Other selected cases of weak or nonintensifying cyclones over the same area are identified and studied for comparative purposes. Signatures of explosively deepening cyclones (bombs) are derived from the analyses, including vertical profiles of vorticity, divergence, and latent heating, and also the relative importance of terms in the vorticity tendency equation and the relative importance of convective and stable latent heating. Composite analyses for the differing phases of bomb development and for regular cyclones are presented. Analyses of individual cases reveal the importance of a low-level jet streak, low-level moisture content, and moisture gradients in the lower troposphere. A numerical model is used to further examine the important processes in explosive cyclogenesis. A mesoscale feature is introduced to improve the prediction of sea -level pressure. This feature is based on the tendency of the large scale height field and vorticity field to adjust concurrently at each time step. The model is also used to provide air parcel trajectories to indicate the importance of parcels with high vorticity and moisture content as an ingredient in explosive cyclogenesis. Sensitivity studies are carried out with the model in order to determine the effect of changes in the initial vorticity and moisture field on cyclogenesis.

Scaling laws and vortex profiles in two-dimensional decaying turbulence.

PubMed

Laval, J P; Chavanis, P H; Dubrulle, B; Sire, C

2001-06-01

We use high resolution numerical simulations over several hundred of turnover times to study the influence of small scale dissipation onto vortex statistics in 2D decaying turbulence. A scaling regime is detected when the scaling laws are expressed in units of mean vorticity and integral scale, like predicted in Carnevale et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 66, 2735 (1991), and it is observed that viscous effects spoil this scaling regime. The exponent controlling the decay of the number of vortices shows some trends toward xi=1, in agreement with a recent theory based on the Kirchhoff model [C. Sire and P. H. Chavanis, Phys. Rev. E 61, 6644 (2000)]. In terms of scaled variables, the vortices have a similar profile with a functional form related to the Fermi-Dirac distribution.

A stochastic perturbation method to generate inflow turbulence in large-eddy simulation models: Application to neutrally stratified atmospheric boundary layers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Muñoz-Esparza, D.; Kosović, B.; Beeck, J. van

2015-03-15

Despite the variety of existing methods, efficient generation of turbulent inflow conditions for large-eddy simulation (LES) models remains a challenging and active research area. Herein, we extend our previous research on the cell perturbation method, which uses a novel stochastic approach based upon finite amplitude perturbations of the potential temperature field applied within a region near the inflow boundaries of the LES domain [Muñoz-Esparza et al., “Bridging the transition from mesoscale to microscale turbulence in numerical weather prediction models,” Boundary-Layer Meteorol., 153, 409–440 (2014)]. The objective was twofold: (i) to identify the governing parameters of the method and their optimummore » values and (ii) to generalize the results over a broad range of atmospheric large-scale forcing conditions, U{sub g} = 5 − 25 m s{sup −1}, where U{sub g} is the geostrophic wind. We identified the perturbation Eckert number, Ec=U{sub g}{sup 2}/ρc{sub p}θ{sup ~}{sub pm}, to be the parameter governing the flow transition to turbulence in neutrally stratified boundary layers. Here, θ{sup ~}{sub pm} is the maximum perturbation amplitude applied, c{sub p} is the specific heat capacity at constant pressure, and ρ is the density. The optimal Eckert number was found for nonlinear perturbations allowed by Ec ≈ 0.16, which instigate formation of hairpin-like vortices that most rapidly transition to a developed turbulent state. Larger Ec numbers (linear small-amplitude perturbations) result in streaky structures requiring larger fetches to reach the quasi-equilibrium solution, while smaller Ec numbers lead to buoyancy dominated perturbations exhibiting difficulties for hairpin-like vortices to emerge. Cell perturbations with wavelengths within the inertial range of three-dimensional turbulence achieved identical quasi-equilibrium values of resolved turbulent kinetic energy, q, and Reynolds-shear stress, . In contrast, large-scale perturbations acting at the production range exhibited reduced levels of , due to the formation of coherent streamwise structures, while q was maintained, requiring larger fetches for the turbulent solution to stabilize. Additionally, the cell perturbation method was compared to a synthetic turbulence generator. The proposed stochastic approach provided at least the same efficiency in developing realistic turbulence, while accelerating the formation of large-scales associated with production of turbulent kinetic energy. Also, it is computationally inexpensive and does not require any turbulent information.« less

Vortex/Flame Interactions in Microgravity Pulsed Jet Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bahadori, M. Y.; Hegde, U.; Stocker, D. P.

1999-01-01

The problem of vortex/flame interaction is of fundamental importance to turbulent combustion. These interactions have been studied in normal gravity. It was found that due to the interactions between the imposed disturbances and buoyancy induced instabilities, several overall length scales dominated the flame. The problem of multiple scales does not exist in microgravity for a pulsed laminar flame, since there are no buoyancy induced instabilities. The absence of buoyant convection therefore provides an environment to study the role of vortices interacting with flames in a controlled manner. There are strong similarities between imposed and naturally occurring perturbations, since both can be described by the same spatial instability theory. Hence, imposing a harmonic disturbance on a microgravity laminar flame creates effects similar to those occurring naturally in transitional/turbulent diffusion flames observed in microgravity. In this study, controlled, large-scale, axisymmetric vortices are imposed on a microgravity laminar diffusion flame. The experimental results and predictions from a numerical model of transient jet diffusion flames are presented and the characteristics of pulsed flame are described.

Tomographic PIV Study of Hairpin Vortices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sabatino, Daniel; Rossmann, Tobias

2014-11-01

Tomographic PIV is used in a free surface water channel to quantify the flow behavior of hairpin vortices that are artificially generated in a laminar boundary layer. Direct injection from a 32:1 aspect ratio slot at low blowing ratios (0 . 1 < BR < 0 . 2) is used to generate an isolated hairpin vortex in a thick laminar boundary layer (485 < Reδ* < 600). Due to the large dynamic range of length and velocity scales (the resulting vortices have advection velocities 5X greater than their tangential velocities), a tailored optical arrangement and specialized post processing techniques are required to fully capture the small-scale behavior and long-time development of the flow field. Hairpin generation and evolution are presented using the λ2 criterion derived from the instantaneous, three-dimensional velocity field. The insight provided by the tomographic data is also compared to the conclusions drawn from 2D PIV and passive scalar visualizations. Finally, the three-dimensional behavior of the measured velocity field is correlated with that of a simultaneously imaged, passive scalar dye that marks the boundary of the injected fluid, allowing the examination of the entrainment behavior of the hairpin. Supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant CBET-1040236.

Studies of Dark Spots and Their Companion Clouds on the Ice Giant Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhure, Sakhee; Sankar, Ramanakumar; Hadland, Nathan; Palotai, Csaba J.; Le Beau, Raymond P.; Koutas, Nikko

2017-10-01

Observations of ice giant planets in our Solar System have shown several large-scale dark spots with varying lifespans. Some of these features were directly observed, others were diagnosed from their orographic companion clouds. Historically, numerical simulations have been able to model certain characteristics of these storms such as the shape variability of the Neptune Great Dark Spot (GDS-89) (Deng and Le Beau, 2006), but have not been able to match observed drift rates and lifespans using the standard zonal wind profiles (Hammel et al. 2009). Common amongst these studies has been the lack of condensable species in the atmosphere and an explicit treatment of cloud microphysics. Yet, observations show that dark spots can affect neighboring cloud features, such as in the case of bright companion clouds or the “Berg” on Uranus. An analysis of the cloud structure is therefore required to gain a better understanding of the underlying atmospheric physics and dynamics of these vortices.For our simulations, we use the Explicit Planetary Isentropic Coordinate (EPIC) general circulation model (Dowling et al. 1998, 2006) and adapt its jovian cloud microphysics module which successfully reproduced the cloud structure of jovian storms, such as the Great Red Spot and the Oval BA (Palotai and Dowling 2008, Palotai et al. 2014). EPIC was recently updated to account for the condensation of methane and hydrogen sulfide (Palotai et al. 2016), which allows us to account for both the high-altitude methane ice-cloud and the deep atmosphere hydrogen sulfide ice-cloud layers.In this work, we simulate large-scale vortices on Uranus and Neptune with varying cloud microphysical parameters such as the deep abundance and the ambient supersaturation. We examine the effect of cloud formation on their lifespan and drift rates to better understand the underlying processes which drive these storms.

Evaluation of effectiveness of various devices for attenuation of trailing vortices based on model tests in a large towing basin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kirkman, K. L.; Brown, C. E.; Goodman, A.

1973-01-01

The effectiveness of various candidate aircraft-wing devices for attenuation of trailing vortices generated by large aircraft is evaluated on basis of results of experiments conducted with a 0.03-scale model of a Boeing 747 transport aircraft using a technique developed at the HYDRONAUTICS Ship Model Basin. Emphasis is on the effects produced by these devices in the far-field (up to 8 kilometers downstream of full-scale generating aircraft) where the unaltered vortex-wakes could still be hazardous to small following aircraft. The evaluation is based primarily on quantitative measurements of the respective vortex velocity distributions made by means of hot-film probe traverses in a transverse plane at selected stations downstream. The effects of these altered wakes on rolling moment induced on a small following aircraft are also studied using a modified lifting-surface theory with a synthesized Gates Learjet as a typical example. Lift and drag measurements concurrently obtained in the model tests are used to appraise the effects of each device investigated on the performance characteristics of the generating aircraft.

The dynamics of coherent flow structures within a submerged permeable bed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blois, G.; Best, J.; Sambrook Smith, G.; Hardy, R. J.; Lead, J.

2009-12-01

The existence of complex 3D coherent vortical structures in turbulent boundary layers has been widely reported from experimental observations (Adrian et al., 2007, Christensen and Adrian, 2001) and investigations of natural open channel flows (e.g. Kostaschuk and Church, 1993; Best, 2005). The interaction between these flow structures and the solid boundary that is responsible for their generation is also receiving increasing attention due to the central role played by turbulence in governing erosion-deposition processes. Yet, for the majority of studies, the bed roughness has been represented using rough impermeable surfaces. While not inherently acknowledged, most research in this area is thus only strictly applicable to those natural river beds composed either of bedrock or clay, or that have armoured, impermeable, surfaces. Recently, many researchers have noted the need to account for the role of bed permeability in order to accurately reproduce the true nature of flow over permeable gravel-bed rivers. For these cases, the near-bed flow is inherently and mutually linked to the interstitial-flow occurring in the porous solid matrix. This interaction is established through turbulence mechanisms occurring across the interface that may be important for influencing the incipient motion of cohesionless sediment. However, the nature of this turbulence and the formation of coherent structures within such permeable beds remain substantially unresolved due to the technical challenges of collecting direct data in this region. In this paper, we detail the existence and dynamic nature of coherent vortical structures within the individual pore spaces of a permeable bed submerged by a free stream flow. Laboratory experiments are reported in which a permeable flume bed was constructed using spheres packed in an offset cubic arrangement. We applied a high resolution E-PIV (Endoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry) approach in order to fully resolve the instantaneous structure of flow within the permeable bed, which allowed visualisation of coherent vortices in the pore space, and investigation of their formative mechanisms and spatio-temporal evolution. The spatial scale of these structures is found to be of the order of the pore space, with jet flows occurring between interconnected pores and interacting with the spherical particles constituting the solid matrix. Such jets are hypothesized to be triggered by the interstitial pressure gradients between interconnected pores, which in turn are linked to large-scale coherent flow structures in the free-flow that advect and propagate through the permeable bed. As the jet flow interacts with the matrix around the pore space, coherent flow structures are generated with both clockwise and anticlockwise rotation. The nature of these subsurface turbulent flow patterns will be presented, which allows new insight into flows within permeable beds and the hydrodynamic processes triggering the motion of sediment.

Scaling Laws in Turbulence: Their Manifestation and Utility.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juneja, Anurag

1995-01-01

It has long been hypothesized that small-scale features in turbulence possess some form of scale-invariance leading to several interesting predictions about related flow quantities. In the present work, we examine the scaling features and scaling exponents of various quantities in turbulence and the relationship they bear to Kolmogorov and multifractal scaling theories. A related goal (which is the inverse problem) is to synthesize stochastic fields which faithfully reproduce the observed scaling features of velocity fluctuations in high-Reynolds-number turbulence. First, we obtain, for structure functions of arbitrary order, an expression which is uniformly valid for the inertial and dissipation range. This enables a more definitive determination of scaling exponents than has been possible in the past. Next, we examine the scaling properties of circulation around contours of various sizes, as it is suggested that a better way to study the small-scale features might be to focus on the vortical component of the velocity field. We then utilize a quantity called the cancellation exponent to characterize the singular nature of vorticity fluctuations, whose trace exhibits an oscillation in sign on arbitrary fine scales. We note that the inter-relationships which can be established among the aforementioned scaling exponents for velocity structure functions, circulation and vorticity provide support for the multifractal formalism of turbulence. Next, we examine the fractal structure of self -affine time series data in turbulent flows. It is shown that the fractal dimension of velocity and temperature signals in atmospheric turbulence is 1.65 +/- 0.05 implying that the dimension of iso-velocity or iso-temperature surfaces in fully developed turbulence is about 2.65 +/- 0.05 in agreement with previous theoretical predictions. The Reynolds number dependence of the measured dimensions is also explored by examining laboratory data at moderate Reynolds numbers. Using simple ideas from turbulence physics underlying the observed scaling features, we outline a family of schemes for generating artificial velocity fields, dubbed synthetic turbulence, which mimic velocity fluctuations in high-Reynolds -number turbulence to various degrees of detail. In the case of one-dimensional implementation of these schemes, we provide comparisons with experimental turbulence data and note that analytical predictions from the model allow us to relate the parameters of synthetic turbulence to those of real turbulence. Finally, we show that, compared to random initial conditions, an artificial velocity field in three-dimensions generated using a simplified synthetic turbulence scheme may be better suited for use as the initial condition for direct numerical simulation of homogeneous isotropic turbulence.

Reorientations of the large-scale flow in turbulent convection in a cube

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foroozani, N.; Niemela, J. J.; Armenio, V.; Sreenivasan, K. R.

2017-03-01

Large-eddy simulations of turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection were conducted for a fluid of Prandtl number Pr=0.7 confined in a cube, for Rayleigh numbers of 106 and 108. The model solves the unsteady Navier-Stokes equations under the Boussinesq approximation, using a dynamic Smagorinsky model with a Lagrangian averaging technique for the subgrid terms. Under fully developed conditions the flow topology is characterized by a large-scale circulation (LSC) developing in a plane containing one of the diagonals of the cell, while two counter-rotating vortices consequently develop in the other diagonal plane, resulting in a strong inflow at the horizontal midplane. This flow structure is not static, with the LSC undergoing nonperiodic reorientations, or switching, between the two diagonal planes; hence, we supplement the observations of the three-dimensional time-averaged flow structures with single point measurements (time series) to shed light on the dynamics of the reorientations. For all observations, this switching results from a lateral rotation of the LSC in which some finite time spent in a transient state where the large-scale circulation is parallel to one set of side walls; there are, importantly, no observations consistent with so-called cessations of the LSC, in which it decays and then reforms in another plane without such a rotation. The average switching rate for the LSC is in excellent agreement with the results of Bai et al. [K. Bai, D. Ji, and E. Brown, Phys. Rev. E 93, 023117 (2016), 10.1103/PhysRevE.93.023117].

Reorientations of the large-scale flow in turbulent convection in a cube.

PubMed

Foroozani, N; Niemela, J J; Armenio, V; Sreenivasan, K R

2017-03-01

Large-eddy simulations of turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection were conducted for a fluid of Prandtl number Pr=0.7 confined in a cube, for Rayleigh numbers of 10^{6} and 10^{8}. The model solves the unsteady Navier-Stokes equations under the Boussinesq approximation, using a dynamic Smagorinsky model with a Lagrangian averaging technique for the subgrid terms. Under fully developed conditions the flow topology is characterized by a large-scale circulation (LSC) developing in a plane containing one of the diagonals of the cell, while two counter-rotating vortices consequently develop in the other diagonal plane, resulting in a strong inflow at the horizontal midplane. This flow structure is not static, with the LSC undergoing nonperiodic reorientations, or switching, between the two diagonal planes; hence, we supplement the observations of the three-dimensional time-averaged flow structures with single point measurements (time series) to shed light on the dynamics of the reorientations. For all observations, this switching results from a lateral rotation of the LSC in which some finite time spent in a transient state where the large-scale circulation is parallel to one set of side walls; there are, importantly, no observations consistent with so-called cessations of the LSC, in which it decays and then reforms in another plane without such a rotation. The average switching rate for the LSC is in excellent agreement with the results of Bai et al. [K. Bai, D. Ji, and E. Brown, Phys. Rev. E 93, 023117 (2016)PLEEE81539-375510.1103/PhysRevE.93.023117].

Concentration of vorticity due to selective decay in doubly periodic vortices and a vortex pair

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hattori, Yuji

2018-01-01

Strong vortices like tornadoes, typhoons, and tropical cyclones are often created in geophysical flows. It is important to understand the mechanism for the creation of these strong vortices. Recently, we found a purely hydrodynamic mechanism for the concentration of vorticity: it is due to selective decay in which circulation decays faster than angular momentum and energy. In this paper, two problems are investigated by direct numerical simulation to seek universality of this mechanism: doubly periodic vortices disturbed by an unstable eigenmode and a vortex pair disturbed by localized disturbances. In the former case, concentration of vorticity occurs when the wavenumber of the eigenmode is large, while it does not occur for small wavenumbers. For small wavenumbers the disturbances grow to a large amplitude eventually destroying the base flow. For large wavenumber, on the other hand, the growth of the disturbances saturates before destroying the base flow. Selective decay of inviscid invariants is shown to be responsible for the concentration of vorticity as in the previous study. In the case of a vortex pair disturbed by localized disturbances concentration of vorticity occurs twice: the first concentration is not related to selective decay; however, the second weak concentration is most likely due to selective decay.

Cyclonic circulation of Saturn's atmosphere due to tilted convection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Afanasyev, Y. D.; Zhang, Y.

2018-03-01

Saturn displays cyclonic vortices at its poles and the general atmospheric circulation at other latitudes is dominated by embedded zonal jets that display cyclonic circulation. The abundance of small-scale convective storms suggests that convection plays a role in producing and maintaining Saturn's atmospheric circulation. However, the dynamical influence of small-scale convection on Saturn's general circulation is not well understood. Here we present laboratory analogue experiments and propose that Saturn's cyclonic circulation can be explained by tilted convection in which buoyancy forces do not align with the planet's rotation axis. In our experiments—conducted with a cylindrical water tank that is heated at the bottom, cooled at the top and spun on a rotating table—warm rising plumes and cold sinking water generate small anticyclonic and cyclonic vortices that are qualitatively similar to Saturn's convective storms. Numerical simulations complement the experiments and show that this small-scale convection leads to large-scale cyclonic flow at the surface and anticyclonic circulation at the base of the fluid layer, with a polar vortex forming from the merging of smaller cyclonic storms that are driven polewards.

Relationships between development/decay of a vortex and its topology in different flow scales in an isotropic homogeneous turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamamoto, Keisuke; Nakayama, Katsuyuki

2017-11-01

Development or decay of a vortex in terms of the local flow topology has been shown to be highly correlated with its topological feature, i.e., vortical flow symmetry (skewness), in an isotropic homogeneous turbulence. Since a turbulent flow might include vortices in multi-scales, the present study investigates the characteristics of this relationships between the development or decay of a vortex and the vortical flow symmetry in several scales in an isotropic homogeneous turbulence in low Reynols number. Swirlity is a physical quantity of an intensity of swirling in terms of the geometrical average of the azimuthal flow, and represents the behavior of the development or decay of a vortex in this study. Flow scales are decomposed into three scales specified by the Fourier coefficients of the velocity applying the band-pass filter. The analysis shows that vortices in the different scales have a universal feature that the time derivative of swirlity and that of the symmetry have high correlation. Especially they have more stronger correlation at their birth and extinction.

Large Eddy Simulation of Wake Vortices in the Convective Boundary Layer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, Yuh-Lang; Han, Jongil; Zhang, Jing; Ding, Feng; Arya, S. Pal; Proctor, Fred H.

2000-01-01

The behavior of wake vortices in a convective boundary layer is investigated using a validated large eddy simulation model. Our results show that the vortices are largely deformed due to strong turbulent eddy motion while a sinusoidal Crow instability develops. Vortex rising is found to be caused by the updrafts (thermals) during daytime convective conditions and increases with increasing nondimensional turbulence intensity eta. In the downdraft region of the convective boundary layer, vortex sinking is found to be accelerated proportional to increasing eta, with faster speed than that in an ideal line vortex pair in an inviscid fluid. Wake vortices are also shown to be laterally transported over a significant distance due to large turbulent eddy motion. On the other hand, the decay rate of the, vortices in the convective boundary layer that increases with increasing eta, is larger in the updraft region than in the downdraft region because of stronger turbulence in the updraft region.

Chaotic behavior of three interacting vortices in a confined Bose-Einstein condensate

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kyriakopoulos, Nikos; Koukouloyannis, Vassilis; Skokos, Charalampos

2014-06-01

Motivated by recent experimental works, we investigate a system of vortex dynamics in an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC), consisting of three vortices, two of which have the same charge. These vortices are modeled as a system of point particles which possesses a Hamiltonian structure. This tripole system constitutes a prototypical model of vortices in BECs exhibiting chaos. By using the angular momentum integral of motion, we reduce the study of the system to the investigation of a two degree of freedom Hamiltonian model and acquire quantitative results about its chaotic behavior. Our investigation tool is the construction of scan mapsmore » by using the Smaller ALignment Index as a chaos indicator. Applying this approach to a large number of initial conditions, we manage to accurately and efficiently measure the extent of chaos in the model and its dependence on physically important parameters like the energy and the angular momentum of the system.« less

Study of the Transition from MRI to Magnetic Turbulence via Parasitic Instability by a High-order MHD Simulation Code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirai, Kenichiro; Katoh, Yuto; Terada, Naoki; Kawai, Soshi

2018-02-01

Magnetic turbulence in accretion disks under ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) conditions is expected to be driven by the magneto-rotational instability (MRI) followed by secondary parasitic instabilities. We develop a three-dimensional ideal MHD code that can accurately resolve turbulent structures, and carry out simulations with a net vertical magnetic field in a local shearing box disk model to investigate the role of parasitic instabilities in the formation process of magnetic turbulence. Our simulations reveal that a highly anisotropic Kelvin–Helmholtz (K–H) mode parasitic instability evolves just before the first peak in turbulent stress and then breaks large-scale shear flows created by MRI. The wavenumber of the enhanced parasitic instability is larger than the theoretical estimate, because the shear flow layers sometimes become thinner than those assumed in the linear analysis. We also find that interaction between antiparallel vortices caused by the K–H mode parasitic instability induces small-scale waves that break the shear flows. On the other hand, at repeated peaks in the nonlinear phase, anisotropic wavenumber spectra are observed only in the small wavenumber region and isotropic waves dominate at large wavenumbers unlike for the first peak. Restructured channel flows due to MRI at the peaks in nonlinear phase seem to be collapsed by the advection of small-scale shear structures into the restructured flow and resultant mixing.

Determination of billows and other turbulent structures, part 4.1A

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rastogi, P. K.

1984-01-01

Billows are regular, wave-like arrays of cross-flow vortices that develop in stratified oceanic or atmospheric flows with large shear. Atmospheric billows can become manifest through condensation. Billows are frequently seen in their characteristic cloud forms in the lower atmosphere. Under suitable viewing conditions, billows can also be seen in noctilucent clouds that form near the polar mesosphere during the summer months. Other turbulent structures -- related to billows -- are the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI) and cat's eye structures that occur in fully developed turbulent shear flows. Shear flows may contain perturbations at many different horizontal wavelengths and vertical scales. Realistic theoretical models have been constructed to study the stability and growth of these perturbations. The extent to which billows and Kelvin-Helmholtz instability have been observed in the atmosphere with the use of radars is outlined. Most of these observations are confined to the troposphere. Suggestions are made for improved radar experiments that are required to detect these structures at higher altitudes.

Investigation into the Formation, Structure, and Evolution of an EF4 Tornado in East China Using a High-Resolution Numerical Simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Dan; Xue, Haile; Yin, Jinfang; Sun, Jisong; Liang, Xudong; Guo, Jianping

2018-04-01

Devastating tornadoes in China have received growing attention in recent years, but little is known about their formation, structure, and evolution on the tornadic scale. Most of these tornadoes develop within the East Asian monsoon regime, in an environment quite different from tornadoes in the U.S. In this study, we used an idealized, highresolution (25-m grid spacing) numerical simulation to investigate the deadly EF4 (Enhanced Fujita scale category 4) tornado that occurred on 23 June 2016 and claimed 99 lives in Yancheng, Jiangsu Province. A tornadic supercell developed in the simulation that had striking similarities to radar observations. The violent tornado in Funing County was reproduced, exceeding EF4 (74 m s-1), consistent with the on-site damage survey. It was accompanied by a funnel cloud that extended to the surface, and exhibited a double-helix vorticity structure. The signal of tornado genesis was found first at the cloud base in the pressure perturbation field, and then developed both upward and downward in terms of maximum vertical velocity overlapping with the intense vertical vorticity centers. The tornado's demise was found to accompany strong downdrafts overlapping with the intense vorticity centers. One of the interesting findings of this work is that a violent surface vortex was able to be generated and maintained, even though the simulation employed a free-slip lower boundary condition. The success of this simulation, despite using an idealized numerical approach, provides a means to investigate more historical tornadoes in China.

Mixing enhancement strategies and their mechanisms in supersonic flows: A brief review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Wei

2018-04-01

Achieving efficient fuel-air mixing is a crucial issue in the design of the scramjet engine due to the compressibility effect on the mixing shear layer growth and the stringent flow residence time limitation induced by the high-speed crossflow, and the potential solution is to enhance mixing between air and fuel by introducing of streamwise vortices in the flow field. In this survey, some mixing enhancement strategies based on the traditional transverse injection technique proposed in recent years, as well as their mixing augmentation mechanisms, were reviewed in detail, namely the pulsed transverse injection scheme, the traditional transverse injection coupled with the vortex generator, and the dual transverse injection system with a front porthole and a rear air porthole arranged in tandem. The streamwise vortices, through the large-scale stirring motion that they introduce, are responsible for the extraction of large amounts of energy from the mean flow that can be converted into turbulence, ultimately leading to increased mixing effectiveness. The streamwise vortices may be obtained by taking advantage of the shear layer between a jet and the cross stream or by employing intrusive physical devices. Finally, a promising mixing enhancement strategy in supersonic flows was proposed, and some remarks were provided.

Vortex clustering and universal scaling laws in two-dimensional quantum turbulence.

PubMed

Skaugen, Audun; Angheluta, Luiza

2016-03-01

We investigate numerically the statistics of quantized vortices in two-dimensional quantum turbulence using the Gross-Pitaevskii equation. We find that a universal -5/3 scaling law in the turbulent energy spectrum is intimately connected with the vortex statistics, such as number fluctuations and vortex velocity, which is also characterized by a similar scaling behavior. The -5/3 scaling law appearing in the power spectrum of vortex number fluctuations is consistent with the scenario of passive advection of isolated vortices by a turbulent superfluid velocity generated by like-signed vortex clusters. The velocity probability distribution of clustered vortices is also sensitive to spatial configurations, and exhibits a power-law tail distribution with a -5/3 exponent.

The influence of asymmetric convections on typhoon cyclonic deflection tracks across Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, L. H.; Su, S. H.

2016-12-01

This study focus on the mechanisms of typhoon cyclonic deflection tracks (CDT) approaching the east coast of Taiwan. We analyzed for 84 landfall typhoons which has 49 CDT cases, 18 cases are with very large deflection angles (DA) ( > 20°) and another 7 cases are with cyclonic looping tracks (CLT). Most of the large DA and CLT cases are with relatively slow translation speeds of 4 m s-1 and occurred near the east coast, north of 23 °N in Taiwan. The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model was used to simulate the typhoon CDT cases. We use the potential vorticity (PV) tendency diagnosis to analyze the typhoon movements, and decompose the wave number one component of PV tendencies into horizontal advection (HA), vertical advection (VA) and diabatic heating (DH) terms. The northern landfall storms have significant vorticity stretching and subsidence warming to the south of the storm. The subsidence warming suppresses convections and produces heating asymmetries for the typhoon structure. The vorticity stretching (VA effect) and diabatic heating asymmetries (DH effect) which lead the southwestward deflection storm motion. The HA effect in general does not contribute to the CDT. Our results highlight the effects of vorticity stretching and asymmetric convective heating in producing the CDT to north of 23 °N near the east coast of Taiwan.

Computational parametric study of a Richtmyer-Meshkov instability for an inclined interface.

PubMed

McFarland, Jacob A; Greenough, Jeffrey A; Ranjan, Devesh

2011-08-01

A computational study of the Richtmyer-Meshkov instability for an inclined interface is presented. The study covers experiments to be performed in the Texas A&M University inclined shock tube facility. Incident shock wave Mach numbers from 1.2 to 2.5, inclination angles from 30° to 60°, and gas pair Atwood numbers of ∼0.67 and ∼0.95 are used in this parametric study containing 15 unique combinations of these parameters. Qualitative results are examined through a time series of density plots for multiple combinations of these parameters, and the qualitative effects of each of the parameters are discussed. Pressure, density, and vorticity fields are presented in animations available online to supplement the discussion of the qualitative results. These density plots show the evolution of two main regions in the flow field: a mixing region containing driver and test gas that is dominated by large vortical structures, and a more homogeneous region of unmixed fluid which can separate away from the mixing region in some cases. The interface mixing width is determined for various combinations of the parameters listed at the beginning of the Abstract. A scaling method for the mixing width is proposed using the interface geometry and wave velocities calculated using one-dimensional gas dynamic equations. This model uses the transmitted wave velocity for the characteristic velocity and an initial offset time based on the travel time of strong reflected waves. It is compared to an adapted Richtmyer impulsive model scaling and shown to scale the initial mixing width growth rate more effectively for fixed Atwood number.

Turbulent Compressible Convection with Rotation. Part 1; Flow Structure and Evolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brummell, Nicholas H.; Hurlburt, Neal E.; Toomre, Juri

1996-01-01

The effects of Coriolis forces on compressible convection are studied using three-dimensional numerical simulations carried out within a local modified f-plane model. The physics is simplified by considering a perfect gas occupying a rectilinear domain placed tangentially to a rotating sphere at various latitudes, through which a destabilizing heat flux is driven. The resulting convection is considered for a range of Rayleigh, Taylor, and Prandtl (and thus Rossby) numbers, evaluating conditions where the influence of rotation is both weak and strong. Given the computational demands of these high-resolution simulations, the parameter space is explored sparsely to ascertain the differences between laminar and turbulent rotating convection. The first paper in this series examines the effects of rotation on the flow structure within the convection, its evolution, and some consequences for mixing. Subsequent papers consider the large-scale mean shear flows that are generated by the convection, and the effects of rotation on the convective energetics and transport properties. It is found here that the structure of rotating turbulent convection is similar to earlier nonrotating studies, with a laminar, cellular surface network disguising a fully turbulent interior punctuated by vertically coherent structures. However, the temporal signature of the surface flows is modified by inertial motions to yield new cellular evolution patterns and an overall increase in the mobility of the network. The turbulent convection contains vortex tubes of many scales, including large-scale coherent structures spanning the full vertical extent of the domain involving multiple density scale heights. Remarkably, such structures align with the rotation vector via the influence of Coriolis forces on turbulent motions, in contrast with the zonal tilting of streamlines found in laminar flows. Such novel turbulent mechanisms alter the correlations which drive mean shearing flows and affect the convective transport properties. In contrast to this large-scale anisotropy, small-scale vortex tubes at greater depths are randomly orientated by the rotational mixing of momentum, leading to an increased degree of isotropy on the medium to small scales of motion there. Rotation also influences the thermodynamic mixing properties of the convection. In particular, interaction of the larger coherent vortices causes a loss of correlation between the vertical velocity and the temperature leaving a mean stratification which is not isentropic.

The structure and dynamics of tornado-like vortices

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nolan, D.S.; Farrell, B.F.

The structure and dynamics of axisymmetric tornado-like vortices are explored with a numerical model of axisymmetric incompressible flow based on recently developed numerical methods. The model is first shown to compare favorably with previous results and is then used to study the effects of varying the major parameters controlling the vortex: the strength of the convective forcing, the strength of the rotational forcing, and the magnitude of the model eddy viscosity. Dimensional analysis of the model problem indicates that the results must depend on only two dimensionless parameters. The natural choices for these two parameters are a convective Reynolds numbermore » (based on the velocity scale associated with the convective forcing) and a parameter analogous to the swirl ratio in laboratory models. However, by examining sets of simulations with different model parameters it is found that a dimensionless parameter known as the vortex Reynolds number, which is the ratio of the far-field circulation to the eddy viscosity, is more effective than the convention swirl ratio for predicting the structure of the vortex. The parameter space defined by the choices for model parameters is further explored with large sets of numerical simulations. For much of this parameter space it is confirmed that the vortex structure and time-dependent behavior depend strongly on the vortex Reynolds number and only weakly on the convective Reynolds number. The authors also find that for higher convective Reynolds numbers, the maximum possible wind speed increases, and the rotational forcing necessary to achieve that wind speed decreases. Physical reasoning is used to explain this behavior, and implications for tornado dynamics are discussed.« less

An Examination of Parameters Affecting Large Eddy Simulations of Flow Past a Square Cylinder

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mankbadi, M. R.; Georgiadis, N. J.

2014-01-01

Separated flow over a bluff body is analyzed via large eddy simulations. The turbulent flow around a square cylinder features a variety of complex flow phenomena such as highly unsteady vortical structures, reverse flow in the near wall region, and wake turbulence. The formation of spanwise vortices is often times artificially suppressed in computations by either insufficient depth or a coarse spanwise resolution. As the resolution is refined and the domain extended, the artificial turbulent energy exchange between spanwise and streamwise turbulence is eliminated within the wake region. A parametric study is performed highlighting the effects of spanwise vortices where the spanwise computational domain's resolution and depth are varied. For Re=22,000, the mean and turbulent statistics computed from the numerical large eddy simulations (NLES) are in good agreement with experimental data. Von-Karman shedding is observed in the wake of the cylinder. Mesh independence is illustrated by comparing a mesh resolution of 2 million to 16 million. Sensitivities to time stepping were minimized and sampling frequency sensitivities were nonpresent. While increasing the spanwise depth and resolution can be costly, this practice was found to be necessary to eliminating the artificial turbulent energy exchange.

An extreme dust storm over the Arabian Peninsula in Spring 2015: the role of convective mixing and vortex stretching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hauser, Seraphine; Pante, Gregor; Pantillon, Florian; Knippertz, Peter

2017-04-01

The Arabian Peninsula is one of the World's largest dust sources. Severe dust storms occur throughout the year dominated by synoptic-scale driven frontal systems in winter and spring and convective systems during summer and autumn. Dust storm frequency peaks in spring, when extra-tropical upper-level troughs associated with near-surface cold fronts regularly penetrate into the peninsula. In this study we investigate the dynamics of an extreme springtime dust event, which covered the entire Arabian Peninsula and the adjacent Indian Ocean in early April 2015. In addition to the more common trough/frontal characteristics, EUMETSAT's false-colour dust product shows a striking vortex-like structure during the initial state of the storm. Several SYNOP stations on the Arabian Peninsula report severe dust storms, rapid temperature drop, strong increase in wind speed up to 40 kn and zero visibility for several hours on 01 and 02 April. Remarkably also, 61 mm of rainfall are observed on 01 April at the station Arar in northern Saudi Arabia (annual average 52 mm), clearly indicating a convective contribution to this event. Some evidence for significant precipitation is also found in satellite products. Operational analyses of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) show a distinct short-wave upper-level trough swiftly propagating across the region during this period, accompanied by high relative vorticity values of up to 10 times the planetary vorticity. This vorticity is associated with the trough's curvature, but also with the large cyclonic shear at the northern side of the subtropical jet. The passage of the upper-level disturbance is well timed to overpass the region of the Arabian Peninsula heat low around midday, where vorticity is thermally generated. Most likely the deep boundary layer facilitated the triggering of convection by the upper-level forcing. Ultimately, downward mixing of the high vorticity by convection plus vortex stretching cause exceptionally high vorticity near the surface, which initiated this extreme and unusual dust storm. Short-range ECMWF forecasts produce precipitation but not as extreme as measured at Arar. The model also generates strong near-surface winds, which are generally in good agreement with the SYNOP observations. Interestingly, however, the 10 m wind direction falls short to reflect the extreme cyclonic curvature evident in station observations, pointing to an underestimation of the vortex in the model. We hypothesise that the ECMWF model with its parameterised convection is unable to realistically represent the vertical mixing and vortex stretching. Numerical simulations on the convection permitting scale might improve forecasts of such events, but this is yet to be tested.

A planetary-scale disturbance in a long living three vortex coupled system in Saturn's atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

del Río-Gaztelurrutia, T.; Sánchez-Lavega, A.; Antuñano, A.; Legarreta, J.; García-Melendo, E.; Sayanagi, K. M.; Hueso, R.; Wong, M. H.; Pérez-Hoyos, S.; Rojas, J. F.; Simon, A. A.; de Pater, I.; Blalock, J.; Barry, T.

2018-03-01

The zonal wind profile of Saturn has a unique structure at 60°N with a double-peaked jet that reaches maximum zonal velocities close to 100 ms-1. In this region, a singular group of vortices consisting of a cyclone surrounded by two anticyclones was active since 2012 until the time of this report. Our observation demonstrates that vortices in Saturn can be long-lived. The three-vortex system drifts at u = 69.0 ± 1.6 ms-1, similar to the speed of the local wind. Local motions reveal that the relative vorticity of the vortices comprising the system is ∼2-3 times the ambient zonal vorticity. In May 2015, a disturbance developed at the location of the triple vortex system, and expanded eastwards covering in two months a third of the latitudinal circle, but leaving the vortices essentially unchanged. At the time of the onset of the disturbance, a fourth vortex was present at 55°N, south of the three vortices and the evolution of the disturbance proved to be linked to the motion of this vortex. Measurements of local motions of the disturbed region show that cloud features moved essentially at the local wind speeds, suggesting that the disturbance consisted of passively advecting clouds generated by the interaction of the triple vortex system with the fourth vortex to the south. Nonlinear simulations are able to reproduce the stability and longevity of the triple vortex system under low vertical wind shear and high static stability in the upper troposphere of Saturn.

Relationship between refractivity turbulence intensity from MST radar observations and synoptic-scale vorticity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nastrom, G. D.; Eaton, F. D.

2009-12-01

The relationship between the refractivity turbulence structure constant (Cn2) and the synoptic-scale relative vorticity (ζ) is investigated using observations made with the VHF radar at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, over the years 2001-2004. During November-April the frequency distributions of the correlation coefficients for Cn2 and ζ, Cn2 and wind speed, the turbulent kinetic energy (σt2) and ζ, and Cn2 and σt2, show a close relationship between Cn2 and ζ. Large increases of Cn2 occur at about 9-14 km during times of cyclone passages, as expected since Cn2 depends strongly on static stability (in dry air), the static stability increases above the tropopause, and the height of the tropopause falls during cyclone passages. The analysis was repeated using distance from the tropopause as the vertical coordinate in order to remove this simple dependence on static stability, and it is found the strong relationship between Cn2 and ζ persists in the tropopause-relative coordinates. When the values of Cn2 are averaged into bins based on ζ, the changes in ζ explain over 90% of the variance of mean Cn2. A regression model for Cn2 by altitude as a function of ζ is developed. The correlation patterns found at Vandenberg AFB are corroborated with the large sets of 50 MHz radar data from White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, and the Middle and Upper Atmosphere radar near Shigaraki, Japan. Although the three sites are located at similar latitudes, they are in very different topographic and climatic regions, suggesting the results found here are fairly general for midlatitude conditions.

A Structured Grid Based Solution-Adaptive Technique for Complex Separated Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thornburg, Hugh; Soni, Bharat K.; Kishore, Boyalakuntla; Yu, Robert

1996-01-01

The objective of this work was to enhance the predictive capability of widely used computational fluid dynamic (CFD) codes through the use of solution adaptive gridding. Most problems of engineering interest involve multi-block grids and widely disparate length scales. Hence, it is desirable that the adaptive grid feature detection algorithm be developed to recognize flow structures of different type as well as differing intensity, and adequately address scaling and normalization across blocks. In order to study the accuracy and efficiency improvements due to the grid adaptation, it is necessary to quantify grid size and distribution requirements as well as computational times of non-adapted solutions. Flow fields about launch vehicles of practical interest often involve supersonic freestream conditions at angle of attack exhibiting large scale separate vortical flow, vortex-vortex and vortex-surface interactions, separated shear layers and multiple shocks of different intensity. In this work, a weight function and an associated mesh redistribution procedure is presented which detects and resolves these features without user intervention. Particular emphasis has been placed upon accurate resolution of expansion regions and boundary layers. Flow past a wedge at Mach=2.0 is used to illustrate the enhanced detection capabilities of this newly developed weight function.

Motion of a cylinder adjacent to a free-surface: flow patterns and loading

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Q.; Lin, J.-C.; Unal, M. F.; Rockwell, D.

The flow structure and loading due to combined translatory and sinusoidal motion of a cylinder adjacent to a free-surface are characterized using a cinema technique of high-image-density particle image velocimetry and simultaneous force measurements. The instantaneous patterns of vorticity and streamline topology are interpreted as a function of degree of submergence beneath the free-surface. The relative magnitudes of the peak vorticity and the circulation of vortices formed from the upper and lower surfaces of the cylinder, as well as vortex formation from the free-surface, are remarkably affected by the nominal submergence. The corresponding streamline topology, interpreted in terms of foci, saddle points, and multiple separation and reattachment points also exhibit substantial changes with submergence. All of these features affect the instantaneous loading of the cylinder. Calculation of instantaneous moments of vorticity and the incremental changes in these moments during the cylinder motion allow identification of those vortices that contribute most substantially to the instantaneous lift and drag. Furthermore, the calculated moments are in general accord with the time integrals of the measured lift and drag acting on the cylinder for sufficiently large submergence.

Visualization and Analysis of Vortex-Turbine Intersections in Wind Farms.

PubMed

Shafii, Sohail; Obermaier, Harald; Linn, Rodman; Koo, Eunmo; Hlawitschka, Mario; Garth, Christoph; Hamann, Bernd; Joy, Kenneth

2013-02-13

Characterizing the interplay between the vortices and forces acting on a wind turbine's blades in a qualitative and quantitative way holds the potential for significantly improving large wind turbine design. The paper introduces an integrated pipeline for highly effective wind and force field analysis and visualization. We extract vortices induced by a turbine's rotation in a wind field, and characterize vortices in conjunction with numerically simulated forces on the blade surfaces as these vortices strike another turbine's blades downstream. The scientifically relevant issue to be studied is the relationship between the extracted, approximate locations on the blades where vortices strike the blades and the forces that exist in those locations. This integrated approach is used to detect and analyze turbulent flow that causes local impact on the wind turbine blade structure. The results that we present are based on analyzing the wind and force field data sets generated by numerical simulations, and allow domain scientists to relate vortex-blade interactions with power output loss in turbines and turbine life-expectancy. Our methods have the potential to improve turbine design in order to save costs related to turbine operation and maintenance.

Quantitative flow analysis of swimming dynamics with coherent Lagrangian vortices.

PubMed

Huhn, F; van Rees, W M; Gazzola, M; Rossinelli, D; Haller, G; Koumoutsakos, P

2015-08-01

Undulatory swimmers flex their bodies to displace water, and in turn, the flow feeds back into the dynamics of the swimmer. At moderate Reynolds number, the resulting flow structures are characterized by unsteady separation and alternating vortices in the wake. We use the flow field from simulations of a two-dimensional, incompressible viscous flow of an undulatory, self-propelled swimmer and detect the coherent Lagrangian vortices in the wake to dissect the driving momentum transfer mechanisms. The detected material vortex boundary encloses a Lagrangian control volume that serves to track back the vortex fluid and record its circulation and momentum history. We consider two swimming modes: the C-start escape and steady anguilliform swimming. The backward advection of the coherent Lagrangian vortices elucidates the geometry of the vorticity field and allows for monitoring the gain and decay of circulation and momentum transfer in the flow field. For steady swimming, momentum oscillations of the fish can largely be attributed to the momentum exchange with the vortex fluid. For the C-start, an additionally defined jet fluid region turns out to balance the high momentum change of the fish during the rapid start.

Impact of chevron spacing and asymmetric distribution on supersonic jet acoustics and flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heeb, N.; Gutmark, E.; Kailasanath, K.

2016-05-01

An experimental investigation into the effect of chevron spacing and distribution on supersonic jets was performed. Cross-stream and streamwise particle imaging velocimetry measurements were used to relate flow field modification to sound field changes measured by far-field microphones in the overexpanded, ideally expanded, and underexpanded regimes. Drastic modification of the jet cross-section was achieved by the investigated configurations, with both elliptic and triangular shapes attained downstream. Consequently, screech was nearly eliminated with reductions in the range of 10-25 dB depending on the operating condition. Analysis of the streamwise velocity indicated that both the mean shock spacing and strength were reduced resulting in an increase in the broadband shock associated noise spectral peak frequency and a reduction in the amplitude, respectively. Maximum broadband shock associated noise amplitude reductions were in the 5-7 dB range. Chevron proximity was found to be the primary driver of peak vorticity production, though persistence followed the opposite trend. The integrated streamwise vorticity modulus was found to be correlated with peak large scale turbulent mixing noise reduction, though optimal overall sound pressure level reductions did not necessarily follow due to the shock/fine scale mixing noise sources. Optimal large scale mixing noise reductions were in the 5-6 dB range.

Simulation of large scale motions and small scale structures in planetary atmospheres and oceans: From laboratory to space experiments on ISS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Egbers, Christoph; Futterer, Birgit; Zaussinger, Florian; Harlander, Uwe

2014-05-01

Baroclinic waves are responsible for the transport of heat and momentum in the oceans, in the Earth's atmosphere as well as in other planetary atmospheres. The talk will give an overview on possibilities to simulate such large scale as well as co-existing small scale structures with the help of well defined laboratory experiments like the baroclinic wave tank (annulus experiment). The analogy between the Earth's atmosphere and the rotating cylindrical annulus experiment only driven by rotation and differential heating between polar and equatorial regions is obvious. From the Gulf stream single vortices seperate from time to time. The same dynamics and the co-existence of small and large scale structures and their separation can be also observed in laboratory experiments as in the rotating cylindrical annulus experiment. This experiment represents the mid latitude dynamics quite well and is part as a central reference experiment in the German-wide DFG priority research programme ("METSTRÖM", SPP 1276) yielding as a benchmark for lot of different numerical methods. On the other hand, those laboratory experiments in cylindrical geometry are limited due to the fact, that the surface and real interaction between polar and equatorial region and their different dynamics can not be really studied. Therefore, I demonstrate how to use the very successful Geoflow I and Geoflow II space experiment hardware on ISS with future modifications for simulations of small and large scale planetary atmospheric motion in spherical geometry with differential heating between inner and outer spheres as well as between the polar and equatorial regions. References: Harlander, U., Wenzel, J., Wang, Y., Alexandrov, K. & Egbers, Ch., 2012, Simultaneous PIV- and thermography measurements of partially blocked flow in a heated rotating annulus, Exp. in Fluids, 52 (4), 1077-1087 Futterer, B., Krebs, A., Plesa, A.-C., Zaussinger, F., Hollerbach, R., Breuer, D. & Egbers, Ch., 2013, Sheet-like and plume-like thermal flow in a spherical convection experiment performed under microgravity, J. Fluid Mech., vol. 75, p 647-683

Transient interaction between a reaction control jet and a hypersonic crossflow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Warrick A.; Medwell, Paul R.; Doolan, Con J.; Kim, Minkwan

2018-04-01

This paper presents a numerical study that focuses on the transient interaction between a reaction control jet and a hypersonic crossflow with a laminar boundary layer. The aim is to better understand the underlying physical mechanisms affecting the resulting surface pressure and control force. Implicit large-eddy simulations were performed with a round, sonic, perfect air jet issuing normal to a Mach 5 crossflow over a flat plate with a laminar boundary layer, at a jet-to-crossflow momentum ratio of 5.3 and a pressure ratio of 251. The pressure distribution induced on the flat plate is unsteady and is influenced by vortex structures that form around the jet. A horseshoe vortex structure forms upstream and consists of six vortices: two quasi-steady vortices and two co-rotating vortex pairs that periodically coalesce. Shear-layer vortices shed periodically and cause localised high pressure regions that convect downstream with constant velocity. A longitudinal counter-rotating vortex pair is present downstream of the jet and is formed from a series of trailing vortices which rotate about a common axis. Shear-layer vortex shedding causes periodic deformation of barrel and bow shocks. This changes the location of boundary layer separation which also affects the normal force on the plate.

Control of a three-dimensional turbulent shear layer by means of oblique vortices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jürgens, Werner; Kaltenbach, Hans-Jakob

2018-04-01

The effect of local forcing on the separated, three-dimensional shear layer downstream of a backward-facing step is investigated by means of large-eddy simulation for a Reynolds number based on the step height of 10,700. The step edge is either oriented normal to the approaching turbulent boundary layer or swept at an angle of 40°. Oblique vortices with different orientation and spacing are generated by wavelike suction and blowing of fluid through an edge parallel slot. The vortices exhibit a complex three-dimensional structure, but they can be characterized by a wavevector in a horizontal section plane. In order to determine the step-normal component of the wavevector, a method is developed based on phase averages. The dependence of the wavevector on the forcing parameters can be described in terms of a dispersion relation, the structure of which indicates that the disturbances are mainly convected through the fluid. The introduced vortices reduce the size of the recirculation region by up to 38%. In both the planar and the swept case, the most efficient of the studied forcings consists of vortices which propagate in a direction that deviates by more than 50° from the step normal. These vortices exhibit a spacing in the order of 2.5 step heights. The upstream shift of the reattachment line can be explained by increased mixing and momentum transport inside the shear layer which is reflected in high levels of the Reynolds shear stress -ρ \\overline{u'v'}. The position of the maximum of the coherent shear stress is found to depend linearly on the wavelength, similar to two-dimensional free shear layers.

Polaron-like vortices, dissociation transition, and self-induced pinning in magnetic superconductors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bulaevskii, L. N., E-mail: lnb@lanl.gov; Lin, S.-Z.

2013-09-15

Vortices in magnetic superconductors polarize spins nonuniformly and repolarize them when moving. At a low spin relaxation rate and at low bias currents, vortices carrying magnetic polarization clouds become polaron-like and their velocities are determined by the effective drag coefficient that is significantly bigger than the Bardeen-Stephen (BS) one. As the current increases, vortices release polarization clouds and the velocity as well as the voltage in the I-V characteristics jump to values corresponding to the BS drag coefficient at a critical current J{sub c}. The nonuniform components of the magnetic field and magnetization drop as the velocity increases, resulting inmore » weaker polarization and a discontinuous dynamic dissociation depinning transition. Experimentally, the jump shows up as a depinning transition and the corresponding current at the jump is the depinning current. As the current decreases, on the way back, vortices are retrapped by polarization clouds at the current J{sub r} < J{sub c}. As a result, the polaronic effect suppresses dissipation and enhances the critical current. Borocarbides (RE)Ni{sub 2}B{sub 2}C with a short penetration length and highly polarizable rare earth spins seem to be optimal systems for a detailed study of vortex polaron formation by measuring I-V characteristics. We also propose to use a superconductor-magnet multilayer structure to study polaronic mechanism of pinning with the goal to achieve high critical currents. The magnetic layers should have large magnetic susceptibility to enhance the coupling between vortices and magnetization in magnetic layers while the relaxation of the magnetization should be slow. For Nb and a proper magnet multilayer structure, we estimate the critical current density J{sub c} {approx} 10{sup 9} A/m{sup 2} at the magnetic field B Almost-Equal-To 1 T.« less

Vortex nucleation in a dissipative variant of the nonlinear Schrödinger equation under rotation

DOE PAGES

Carretero-González, R.; Kevrekidis, P. G.; Kolokolnikov, T.

2016-03-01

In this work, we motivate and explore the dynamics of a dissipative variant of the nonlinear Schrödinger equation under the impact of external rotation. As in the well established Hamiltonian case, the rotation gives rise to the formation of vortices. We show, however, that the most unstable mode leading to this instability scales with an appropriate power of the chemical potential μ of the system, increasing proportionally to μ 2/3. The precise form of the relevant formula, obtained through our asymptotic analysis, provides the most unstable mode as a function of the atomic density and the trap strength. We showmore » how these unstable modes typically nucleate a large number of vortices in the periphery of the atomic cloud. However, through a pattern selection mechanism, prompted by symmetry-breaking, only few isolated vortices are pulled in sequentially from the periphery towards the bulk of the cloud resulting in highly symmetric stable vortex configurations with far fewer vortices than the original unstable mode. We conclude that these results may be of relevance to the experimentally tractable realm of finite temperature atomic condensates.« less

Parallel magnetic field suppresses dissipation in superconducting nanostrips

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Yong-Lei; Glatz, Andreas; Kimmel, Gregory J.

The motion of Abrikosov vortices in type-II superconductors results in a finite resistance in the presence of an applied electric current. Elimination or reduction of the resistance via immobilization of vortices is the "holy grail" of superconductivity research. Common wisdom dictates that an increase in the magnetic field escalates the loss of energy since the number of vortices increases. Here we show that this is no longer true if the magnetic field and the current are applied parallel to each other. Our experimental studies on the resistive behavior of a superconducting Mo0.79Ge0.21 nanostrip reveal the emergence of a dissipative statemore » with increasing magnetic field, followed by a pronounced resistance drop, signifying a reentrance to the superconducting state. Large-scale simulations of the 3D time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau model indicate that the intermediate resistive state is due to an unwinding of twisted vortices. When the magnetic field increases, this instability is suppressed due to a better accommodation of the vortex lattice to the pinning configuration. Our findings show that magnetic field and geometrical confinement can suppress the dissipation induced by vortex motion and thus radically improve the performance of superconducting materials.« less

Effect of chemical heat release in a temporally evolving mixing layer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Higuera, F. J.; Moser, R. D.

1994-01-01

Two-dimensional numerical simulations of a temporally evolving mixing layer with an exothermic infinitely fast diffusion flame between two unmixed reactants have been carried out in the limit of zero Mach number to study the effect of the heat release on the early stages of the evolution of the flow. Attention has been directed to relatively large values of the oxidizer-to-fuel mass stoichiometric ratio typical of hydrocarbon flames, and initial vorticity distributions thicker than the temperature and species distributions have been chosen to mimic the situation at the outlet of a jet. The results show that, during the stages of the evolution covered by the present simulations, enhancement of combustion occurs by local stretching of the flame without much augmentation of its area. The rate of product generation depends strongly on the initial conditions, which suggests the possibility of controlling the combustion by acting on the flow. Rollup and vortex amalgamation still occur in these reacting flows but are very much affected by the production of new vorticity by baroclinic torques. These torques lead to counter rotating vortex pairs around the flame and, more importantly, in thin layers of light fluid that leave the vicinity of the flame when the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability begins to develop. Propelled by the vortex pairs, these layers wind around, split on reaching high pressure regions, and originate new vortex pairs in a process that ends up building large-scale vortices with a vorticity distribution more complex than for a constant density fluid.

Evolution of Mass and Velocity Field in the Cosmic Web: Comparison between Baryonic and Dark Matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Weishan; Feng, Long-Long

2017-03-01

We investigate the evolution of the cosmic web since z = 5 in grid-based cosmological hydrodynamical simulations, focusing on the mass and velocity fields of both baryonic and cold dark matter. The tidal tensor of density is used as the main method for web identification, with λ th = 0.2-1.2. The evolution trends in baryonic and dark matter are similar, although moderate differences are observed. Sheets appear early, and their large-scale pattern may have been set up by z = 3. In terms of mass, filaments supersede sheets as the primary collapsing structures from z ˜ 2-3. Tenuous filaments assembled with each other to form prominent ones at z < 2. In accordance with the construction of the frame of the sheets, the cosmic divergence velocity, v div, was already well-developed above 2-3 Mpc by z = 3. Afterwards, the curl velocity, v curl, grew dramatically along with the rising of filaments, becoming comparable to v div, for <2-3 Mpc at z = 0. The scaling of v curl can be described by the hierarchical turbulence model. The alignment between the vorticity and the eigenvectors of the shear tensor in the baryonic matter field resembles that in the dark matter field, and is even moderately stronger between {\\boldsymbol{ω }} and {{\\boldsymbol{e}}}1, and ω and {{\\boldsymbol{e}}}3. Compared with dark matter, there is slightly less baryonic matter found residing in filaments and clusters, and its vorticity developed more significantly below 2-3 Mpc. These differences may be underestimated because of the limited resolution and lack of star formation in our simulation. The impact of the change of dominant structures in overdense regions at z ˜ 2-3 on galaxy formation and evolution is shortly discussed.

The flow separation delay in the boundary layer by induced vortices.

PubMed

Chaudhry, Ishtiaq A; Sultan, Tipu; Siddiqui, Farrukh A; Farhan, M; Asim, M

2017-01-01

A series of experiments involving the particle image velocimetry technique are carried out to analyse the quantitative effectiveness of the synthesized vortical structures towards actual flow separation control. The streamwise vortices are synthesized from the synthetic jet actuator and introduced into the attached and separating boundary layer developed on the flat plate surface. Two types of actuators with different geometrical set-ups are used to analyse the evolution of vortical structures in the near wall region and their impact towards achieving separation delay in the boundary layer. First, a single circular jet is synthesized by varying actuator operating parameters and issued into the boundary layer to evaluate the dynamics of the interaction between the vortical structures and the near wall low momentum fluid in the separated region. Second, an array of jets has been issued into the artificially separated region to assess the effectiveness of various vortical structures towards achieving the reattachment of the separated flow in the streamwise direction.

Vorticity and Λ polarization in baryon rich matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baznat, Mircea; Gudima, Konstantin; Prokhorov, George; Sorin, Alexander; Teryaev, Oleg; Zakharov, Valentin

2018-02-01

The polarization of Λ hyperons due to axial chiral vortical effect is discussed. The effect is proportional to (strange) chemical potential and is pronounced at lower energies in baryon-rich matter. The polarization of ¯ has the same sihn and larger magnitude. The emergence of vortical structures is observed in kinetic QGSM models. The hydrodynamical helicity separation receives the contribution of longitudinal velocity and vorticity implying the quadrupole structure of the latter. The transition from the quark vortical effects to baryons in confined phase may be achieved by exploring the axial charge. At the hadronic level the polarization corresponds to the cores of quantized vortices in pionic superfluid. The chiral vortical effects may be also studied in the frmework of Wigner function establishing the relation to the thermodynamical approach to polarization.

Polarization in heavy-ion collisions: magnetic field and vorticity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baznat, M.; Gudima, K.; Prokhorov, G.; Sorin, A.; Teryaev, O.; Zakharov, V.

2017-12-01

The polarization of hyperons due to axial chiral vortical effect is discussed. The effect is proportional to (strange) chemical potential and is pronounced at lower energies, contrary to that of magnetic field. The polarization of antihyperons has the same sign and larger magnitude. The emergence of vortical structures is observed in kinetic QGSM models. The hydrodynamical helicity separation receives the contribution of longitudinal velocity and vorticity implying the quadrupole structure of the latter. The transition from the quark vortical effects to baryons in confined phase may be achieved by exploring the axial charge. At the hadronic level the polarization corresponds to the cores of quantized vortices in pionic superfluid. The chiral vortical effects may be also studied in the frmework of Wigner function establishing the relation to the thermodynamical approach to polarization.

Unsteady flow motions in the supraglottal region during phonation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Haoxiang; Dai, Hu

2008-11-01

The highly unsteady flow motions in the larynx are not only responsible for producing the fundamental frequency tone in phonation, but also have a significant contribution to the broadband noise in the human voice. In this work, the laryngeal flow is modeled either as an incompressible pulsatile jet confined in a two-dimensional channel, or a pressure-driven flow modulated by a pair of viscoelastic vocal folds through the flow--structure interaction. The flow in the supraglottal region is found to be dominated by large-scale vortices whose unsteady motions significantly deflect the glottal jet. In the flow--structure interaction, a hybrid model based on the immersed-boundary method is developed to simulate the flow-induced vocal fold vibration, which involves a three-dimensional vocal fold prototype and a two-dimensional viscous flow. Both the flow behavior and the vibratory characteristics of the vocal folds will be presented.

Copepod behavior response to Burgers' vortex treatments mimicking turbulent eddies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elmi, D.; Webster, D. R.; Fields, D. M.

2017-11-01

Copepods detect hydrodynamic cues in the water by their mechanosensory setae. We expect that copepods sense the flow structure of turbulent eddies in order to evoke behavioral responses that lead to population-scale distribution patterns. In this study, the copepods' response to the Burgers' vortex is examined. The Burgers' vortex is a steady-state solution of three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations that allows us to mimic turbulent vortices at the appropriate scale and eliminate the stochastic nature of turbulence. We generate vortices in the laboratory oriented in the horizontal and vertical directions each with four intensity levels. The objective of including vortex orientation as a parameter in the study is to quantify directional responses that lead to vertical population distribution patterns. The four intensity levels correspond to target vortex characteristics of eddies corresponding to the typical dissipative vortices in isotropic turbulence with mean turbulent dissipation rates in the range of 0.002 to 0.25 cm2/s3. These vortices mimic the characteristics of eddies that copepods most likely encounter in coastal zones. We hypothesize that the response of copepods to hydrodynamic features depends on their sensory architecture and relative orientation with respect to gravity. Tomo-PIV is used to quantify the vortex circulation and axial strain rate for each vortex treatment. Three-dimensional trajectories of the copepod species Calanus finmarchicus are analyzed to examine their swimming kinematics in and around the vortex to quantify the hydrodynamic cues that trigger their behavior.

Shock-driven transition to turbulence: Emergence of power-law scaling

DOE PAGES

Olmstead, D.; Wayne, P.; Simons, D.; ...

2017-05-25

Here, we consider two cases of interaction between a planar shock and a cylindrical density interface. In the first case (planar normal shock), the axis of the gas cylinder is parallel to the shock front and baroclinic vorticity deposited by the shock is predominantly two dimensional (directed along the axis of the cylinder). In the second case, the cylinder is tilted, resulting in an oblique shock interaction and a fully-three-dimensional shock-induced vorticity field. Furthermore, the statistical properties of the flow for both cases are analyzed based on images from two orthogonal visualization planes, using structure functions of the intensity mapsmore » of fluorescent tracer premixed with heavy gas. And at later times, these structure functions exhibit power-law-like behavior over a considerable range of scales. Manifestation of this behavior is remarkably consistent in terms of dimensionless time τ defined based on Richtmyer's linear theory within the range of Mach numbers from 1.1 to 2.0 and the range of gas cylinder tilt angles with respect to the plane of the shock front (0–30°).« less

Planetary and synoptic-scale interactions during the life cycle of a mid-latitude blocking anticyclone over the North Atlantic

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Phillip J.

1995-01-01

The formation of a blocking anticyclone over the North Atlantic has been examined over its entire life-CyCle using the Zwack-Okossi (Z-O) equation as the diagnostic tool. This blocking anticyclone occurred in late October and early November of 1985. The data used were provided by the NASA Goddard Laboratory for Atmospheres on a global 2.O degree latitude by 2.5 degree longitudinal grid. The horizontal distribution of the atmospheric forcing mechanisms that were important to 500 mb block formation, maintenance and decay were examined. A scale-partitioned form of the Z-O equation was then used to examine the relative importance of forcing on the planetary and synoptic scales, and their interactions. As seen in previous studies, the results presented here show that upper tropospheric anticyclonic vorticity advection was the most important contributor to block formation and maintenance. However, adiabatic warming, and vorticity tilting were also important at various times during the block lifetime. In association with precursor surface cyclogenesis, the 300 mb jet streak in the downstream (upstream) from a long-wave trough (ridge) amplified significantly. This strengthening of the jet streak enhanced the anti-cyclonic vorticity advection field that aided the amplification of a 500 mb short-wave ridge. Tile partitioned height tendency results demonstrate that the interactions between the planetary and sn,noptic-scale through vorticity advection was the most important contributor to block formation. Planetary-scale, synoptic-scale. and their interactions contributed weakly to the maintenance of the blocking anticyclone with the advection of synoptic-scale vorticity by the planetary-scale flow playing a more important role. Planetary-scale decay ofthe long-wave ridge contributed to the demise of this blocking event.

Large eddy simulation study of the kinetic energy entrainment by energetic turbulent flow structures in large wind farms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

VerHulst, Claire; Meneveau, Charles

2014-02-01

In this study, we address the question of how kinetic energy is entrained into large wind turbine arrays and, in particular, how large-scale flow structures contribute to such entrainment. Previous research has shown this entrainment to be an important limiting factor in the performance of very large arrays where the flow becomes fully developed and there is a balance between the forcing of the atmospheric boundary layer and the resistance of the wind turbines. Given the high Reynolds numbers and domain sizes on the order of kilometers, we rely on wall-modeled large eddy simulation (LES) to simulate turbulent flow within the wind farm. Three-dimensional proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) analysis is then used to identify the most energetic flow structures present in the LES data. We quantify the contribution of each POD mode to the kinetic energy entrainment and its dependence on the layout of the wind turbine array. The primary large-scale structures are found to be streamwise, counter-rotating vortices located above the height of the wind turbines. While the flow is periodic, the geometry is not invariant to all horizontal translations due to the presence of the wind turbines and thus POD modes need not be Fourier modes. Differences of the obtained modes with Fourier modes are documented. Some of the modes are responsible for a large fraction of the kinetic energy flux to the wind turbine region. Surprisingly, more flow structures (POD modes) are needed to capture at least 40% of the turbulent kinetic energy, for which the POD analysis is optimal, than are needed to capture at least 40% of the kinetic energy flux to the turbines. For comparison, we consider the cases of aligned and staggered wind turbine arrays in a neutral atmospheric boundary layer as well as a reference case without wind turbines. While the general characteristics of the flow structures are robust, the net kinetic energy entrainment to the turbines depends on the presence and relative arrangement of the wind turbines in the domain.

On the emergence of macroscopic transport barriers from staircase structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashourvan, Arash; Diamond, P. H.

2017-01-01

This paper presents a theory for the formation and evolution of coupled density staircases and zonal shear profiles in a simple model of drift-wave turbulence. Density, vorticity, and fluctuation potential enstrophy are the fields evolved in this system. Formation of staircase structures is due to inhomogeneous mixing of generalized potential vorticity (PV), resulting in the sharpening of density and vorticity gradients in some regions, and weakening them in others. When the PV gradients steepen, the density staircase structure develops into a lattice of mesoscale "jumps," and "steps," which are, respectively, the regions of local gradient steepening and flattening. The jumps merge and migrate in radius, leading to the development of macroscale profile structures from mesoscale elements. The positive feedback process, which drives the staircase formation occurs via a Rhines scale dependent mixing length. We present extensive studies of bifurcation physics of the global state, including results on the global flux-gradient relations (flux landscapes) predicted by the model. Furthermore, we demonstrate that, depending on the sources and boundary conditions, either a region of enhanced confinement, or a region with strong turbulence can form at the edge. This suggests that the profile self-organization is a global process, though one which can be described by a local, but nonlinear model. This model is the first to demonstrate how the mesoscale condensation of staircases leads to global states of enhanced confinement.

Multipole Vortex Blobs (MVB): Symplectic Geometry and Dynamics.

PubMed

Holm, Darryl D; Jacobs, Henry O

2017-01-01

Vortex blob methods are typically characterized by a regularization length scale, below which the dynamics are trivial for isolated blobs. In this article, we observe that the dynamics need not be trivial if one is willing to consider distributional derivatives of Dirac delta functionals as valid vorticity distributions. More specifically, a new singular vortex theory is presented for regularized Euler fluid equations of ideal incompressible flow in the plane. We determine the conditions under which such regularized Euler fluid equations may admit vorticity singularities which are stronger than delta functions, e.g., derivatives of delta functions. We also describe the symplectic geometry associated with these augmented vortex structures, and we characterize the dynamics as Hamiltonian. Applications to the design of numerical methods similar to vortex blob methods are also discussed. Such findings illuminate the rich dynamics which occur below the regularization length scale and enlighten our perspective on the potential for regularized fluid models to capture multiscale phenomena.

Hydrodynamics experiments with soap films and soap bubbles: A short review of recent experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kellay, H.

2017-11-01

In this short review, I focus on recent experiments that benefit from the advantages offered by the two-dimensionality of the flow in suspended thin liquid films to reconsider hydrodynamics problems which have resisted a full understanding. The first problem discussed here concerns friction drag in channel flows. The use of turbulent channel flows, using thin liquid films, allows measurements of friction drag as well as mean velocity profiles for flows with different spectral exponents. Is there a link between the spectral properties of the turbulence and the mean velocity profiles or the frictional drag? This is the first question considered. The second issue examined considers the long time dynamics of large scale vortices. These are obtained in half bubbles rendered "turbulent" through thermal convection. These vortices, which live in a quasi two-dimensional environment, have a long time dynamics where their vorticity goes through what seems to be a well-defined cycle with generic features.

Vortex instabilities in 3D boundary layers: The relationship between Goertler and crossflow vortices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bassom, Andrew; Hall, Philip

1990-01-01

The inviscid and viscous stability problems are addressed for a boundary layer which can support both Goertler and crossflow vortices. The change in structure of Goertler vortices is found when the parameter representing the degree of three-dimensionality of the basic boundary layer flow under consideration is increased. It is shown that crossflow vortices emerge naturally as this parameter is increased and ultimately become the only possible vortex instability of the flow. It is shown conclusively that at sufficiently large values of the crossflow there are no unstable Goertler vortices present in a boundary layer which, in the zero crossflow case, is centrifugally unstable. The results suggest that in many practical applications Goertler vortices cannot be a cause of transition because they are destroyed by the 3-D nature of the basic state. In swept wing flows the Goertler mechanism is probably not present for typical angles of sweep of about 20 degrees. Some discussion of the receptivity problem for vortex instabilities in weakly 3-D boundary layers is given; it is shown that inviscid modes have a coupling coefficient marginally smaller than those of the fastest growing viscous modes discussed recently by Denier, Hall, and Seddougui (1990). However the fact that the growth rates of the inviscid modes are the largest in most situations means that they are probably the most likely source of transition.

Self-sustaining processes at all scales in wall-bounded turbulent shear flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cossu, Carlo; Hwang, Yongyun

2017-03-01

We collect and discuss the results of our recent studies which show evidence of the existence of a whole family of self-sustaining motions in wall-bounded turbulent shear flows with scales ranging from those of buffer-layer streaks to those of large-scale and very-large-scale motions in the outer layer. The statistical and dynamical features of this family of self-sustaining motions, which are associated with streaks and quasi-streamwise vortices, are consistent with those of Townsend's attached eddies. Motions at each relevant scale are able to sustain themselves in the absence of forcing from larger- or smaller-scale motions by extracting energy from the mean flow via a coherent lift-up effect. The coherent self-sustaining process is embedded in a set of invariant solutions of the filtered Navier-Stokes equations which take into full account the Reynolds stresses associated with the residual smaller-scale motions.

Effects of cylinder Reynolds number on the turbulent horseshoe vortex system and near wake of a surface-mounted circular cylinder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirkil, Gokhan; Constantinescu, George

2014-11-01

The turbulent horseshoe vortex (HV) system and the near-wake flow past a circular cylinder mounted on a flat bed in an open channel are investigated based on results of eddy-resolving simulations and supporting flow visualizations. Of particular interest are the changes in the mean flow and turbulence statistics within the HV region as the necklace vortices wrap around the cylinder's base and the variation of the mean flow and turbulence statistics in the near wake, in between the channel bed and the free surface. While it is well known that the drag crisis induces important changes in the flow past infinitely-long circular cylinders, the changes are less understood and more complex for the case of flow past a surface-mounted cylinder. A detailed discussion of the changes in the flow physics between cylinder Reynolds numbers at which the flow in the upstream part of the separated shear layers (SSLs) is laminar (Re = 16,000, subcritical flow regime) and Reynolds numbers at which transition occurs inside the attached boundary layers away from the bed and the flow within the SSLs is turbulent (Re = 500,000, supercritical flow regime). The changes between the two regimes in the dynamics and level of coherence of the large-scale coherent structures (necklace vortices, vortex tubes shed in the SSLs and roller vortices shed in the wake) and their capacity to induce high-magnitude bed friction velocities in the mean and instantaneous flow fields and to amplify the near-bed turbulence are analyzed.

Influence of deep vortices on the ocean surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciani, Daniele; Carton, Xavier; Bashmachnikov, Igor; Chapron, Bertrand

2015-04-01

The oceanic motion at mesoscale (20-200 km) and submesoscale (0.5-20 km) is highly populated by vortices. These recirculating structures are more energetic than the mean flow, they trap water masses from their origination areas and advect them across the ocean, with consequent impact on the 3D distribution of heat and tracers. Mesoscale and submesoscale structures characterize the ocean dynamics both at the sea-surface and at intrathermocline depths (0-1500 m), and are presently investigated by means of model outputs and satellite (surface) data, the latest being the only way to get high resolution and synoptic observations at planetary scale (e.g., thermal-band observations, future altimetric observations given by the SWOT mission). The scientific question arising from this context is related to the role of the ocean surface for inferring informations on mesoscale and submesoscale vortices at depth. This study has also been motivated by the recent detection of subsurface eddies east of the Arabian Peninsula (PHYSINDIEN experiment - 2011). Using analytical models in the frame of the quasi-geostrophic (QG) theory, we could describe the theoretical altimetric signature of non-drifting and of drifting subsurface eddies. Numerical experiments, using both QG and primitive equations models, allowed us to investigate the surface expression of intrathermocline eddies interacting with baroclinic currents or evolving under planetary beta-effect. The eddies' characteristics (radius, depth, thickness, velocity) were varied in order to represent various oceanic examples (Meddies, Swoddies, Reddies, Peddies, Leddies). Idealized simulations with the ROMS model, confirming theoretical estimates, showed that drifting subsurface-intensified vortices can induce dipolar sea level anomalies, up to 3 cm. This result, compatibly with future SWOT measurement accuracies (about 2 cm), represents a contribution for systematic and synoptic detection of subsurface vortices.

Large-scale dynamics of the stratosphere and mesosphere during the MAP/WINE campaign winter 1983 to 1984 in comparison with other winters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Petzoldt, K.

1989-01-01

For the MAP/WINE winter temperature and wind measurements of rockets were combined with SSU radiances (Stratospheric Sounder Unit onboard the NOAA satellites) and stratopause heights from the Solar Mesosphere Explorer (SME) to get a retrieved data set including all available information. By means of this data set a hemispheric geopotential height, temperature and geostrophic wind fields eddy transports for wave mean flow interaction and potential vorticity for the interpretation of nonlinear wave breaking could be computed. Wave reflection at critical lines was investigated with respect of stratospheric warmings. The meridional gradient of the potential vorticity and focusing of wave activity is compared with derived data from satellite observations during other winters.

Motility versus fluctuations in mixtures of self-motile and passive agents.

PubMed

Hinz, Denis F; Panchenko, Alexander; Kim, Tae-Yeon; Fried, Eliot

2014-12-07

Many biological systems consist of self-motile and passive agents both of which contribute to overall functionality. However, little is known about the properties of such mixtures. Here we formulate a model for mixtures of self-motile and passive agents and show that the model gives rise to three different dynamical phases: a disordered mesoturbulent phase, a polar flocking phase, and a vortical phase characterized by large-scale counter rotating vortices. We use numerical simulations to construct a phase diagram and compare the statistical properties of the different phases with observed features of self-motile bacterial suspensions. Our findings afford specific insights regarding the interaction of microorganisms and passive particles and provide novel strategic guidance for efficient technological realizations of artificial active matter.

Large-Eddy Simulation of Coherent Flow Structures within a Cubical Canopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inagaki, Atsushi; Castillo, Marieta Cristina L.; Yamashita, Yoshimi; Kanda, Manabu; Takimoto, Hiroshi

2012-02-01

Instantaneous flow structures "within" a cubical canopy are investigated via large-eddy simulation. The main topics of interest are, (1) large-scale coherent flow structures within a cubical canopy, (2) how the structures are coupled with the turbulent organized structures (TOS) above them, and (3) the classification and quantification of representative instantaneous flow patterns within a street canyon in relation to the coherent structures. We use a large numerical domain (2,560 m × 2,560 m × 1,710 m) with a fine spatial resolution (2.5 m), thereby simulating a complete daytime atmospheric boundary layer (ABL), as well as explicitly resolving a regular array of cubes (40 m in height) at the surface. A typical urban ABL is numerically modelled. In this situation, the constant heat supply from roof and floor surfaces sustains a convective mixed layer as a whole, but strong wind shear near the canopy top maintains the surface layer nearly neutral. The results reveal large coherent structures in both the velocity and temperature fields "within" the canopy layer. These structures are much larger than the cubes, and their shapes and locations are shown to be closely related to the TOS above them. We classify the instantaneous flow patterns in a cavity, specifically focusing on two characteristic flow patterns: flushing and cavity-eddy events. Flushing indicates a strong upward motion, while a cavity eddy is characterized by a dominant vortical motion within a single cavity. Flushing is clearly correlated with the TOS above, occurring frequently beneath low-momentum streaks. The instantaneous momentum and heat transport within and above a cavity due to flushing and cavity-eddy events are also quantified.

Long-lived planetary vortices and their evolution: Conservative intermediate geostrophic model.

PubMed

Sutyrin, Georgi G.

1994-06-01

Large, long-lived vortices, surviving during many turnaround times and far longer than the dispersive linear Rossby wave packets, are abundant in planetary atmospheres and oceans. Nonlinear effects which prevent dispersive decay of intense cyclones and anticyclones and provide their self-propelling propagation are revised here using shallow water equations and their balanced approximations. The main physical mechanism allowing vortical structures to be long-lived in planetary fluid is the quick fluid rotation inside their cores which prevents growth in the amplitude of asymmetric circulation arising due to the beta-effect. Intense vortices of both signs survive essentially longer than the linear Rossby wave packet if their azimuthal velocity is much larger than the Rossby wave speed. However, in the long-time evolution, cyclonic and anticyclonic vortices behave essentially differently that is illustrated by the conservative intermediate geostrophic model. Asymmetric circulation governing vortex propagation is described by the azimuthal mode m=1 for the initial value problem as well as for steadily propagating solutions. Cyclonic vortices move west-poleward decaying gradually due to Rossby wave radiation while anticyclonic ones adjust to non-radiating solitary vortices. Slow weakening of an intense cyclone with decreasing of its size and shrinking of the core is described assuming zero azimuthal velocity outside the core while drifting poleward. The poleward tendency of the cyclone motion relative to the stirring flow corresponds to characteristic trajectories of tropical cyclones in the Earth's atmosphere. The asymmetry in dispersion-nonlinear properties of cyclones and anticyclones is thought to be one of the essential reasons for the observed predominance of anticyclones among long-lived vortices in the atmospheres of the giant planets and also among intrathermoclinic eddies in the ocean.

Controlled vortical flow on delta wings through unsteady leading edge blowing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, K. T.; Roberts, Leonard

1990-01-01

The vortical flow over a delta wing contributes an important part of the lift - the so called nonlinear lift. Controlling this vortical flow with its favorable influence would enhance aircraft maneuverability at high angle of attack. Several previous studies have shown that control of the vortical flow field is possible through the use of blowing jets. The present experimental research studies vortical flow control by applying a new blowing scheme to the rounded leading edge of a delta wing; this blowing scheme is called Tangential Leading Edge Blowing (TLEB). Vortical flow response both to steady blowing and to unsteady blowing is investigated. It is found that TLEB can redevelop stable, strong vortices even in the post-stall angle of attack regime. Analysis of the steady data shows that the effect of leading edge blowing can be interpreted as an effective change in angle of attack. The examination of the fundamental time scales for vortical flow re-organization after the application of blowing for different initial states of the flow field is studied. Different time scales for flow re-organization are shown to depend upon the effective angle of attack. A faster response time can be achieved at angles of attack beyond stall by a suitable choice of the initial blowing momentum strength. Consequently, TLEB shows the potential of controlling the vortical flow over a wide range of angles of attack; i.e., in both for pre-stall and post-stall conditions.

Is evaporative colling important for shallow clouds?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gentine, P.; Park, S. B.; Davini, P.; D'Andrea, F.

2017-12-01

We here investigate and test using large-eddy simulations the hypothesis that evaporative cooling might not be crucial for shallow clouds. Results from various Shallow convection and stratocumulus LES experiments show that the influence of evaporative cooling is secondary compared to turbulent mixing, which dominates the buoyancy reversal. In shallow cumulus subising shells are not due to evaporative cooling but rather reflect a vortical structure, with a postive buoyancy anomaly in the core due to condensation. Disabling evaporative cooling has negligible impact on this vortical structure and on buoyancy reversal. Similarly in non-precipitating stratocumuli evaporative cooling is negeligible copmared to other factors, especially turbulent mixing and pressure effects. These results emphasize that it may not be critical to icnlude evaporative cooling in parameterizations of shallow clouds and that it does not alter entrainment.

Streamwise vorticity in a turbine rotor with conical endwalls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kost, Friedrich

1993-04-01

To investigate the spatial flow structure caused by sweep and dihedral effects in turbomachinery blade rows, detailed measurements were conducted in a windtunnel for rotating annular cascades. The special configuration consisted of a turbine rotor equipped with straight blades, a conical hub, and a conical casing with a cone half angle of 30 deg. Numerous flow data were obtained from surface pressure distributions at seven radial blade sections and from laser velocimetry upstream, downstream, and inside the rotor. It is shown that large deviations from an axisymmetric surface exist in conical flow. The conical flow gives rise to the production of streamwise vorticity which results in increased flow losses. It is furthermore shown that the secondary flow structure is mainly determined by the rotation of the turbine.

Study of flow structure in a four-vortex furnace model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anufriev, I. S.; Sharypov, O. V.; Dekterev, A. A.; Shadrin, E. Yu.; Papulov, A. P.

2017-11-01

The flow pattern was studied for a four-vortex furnace of a coal-dust boiler. The paper presents results of experimental study of inner aerodynamics performed on a lab-scale isothermal model of the furnace device. The PIV method was used to receive the flow velocity fields for several cross sections. The analysis was performed for the spatial structure of the flow comprising four stable closed vortices with vertical axes of flow swirling.

Self-organization of large-scale ULF electromagnetic wave structures in their interaction with nonuniform zonal winds in the ionospheric E region

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aburjania, G. D.; Chargazia, Kh. Z.

A study is made of the generation and subsequent linear and nonlinear evolution of ultralow-frequency planetary electromagnetic waves in the E region of a dissipative ionosphere in the presence of a nonuniform zonal wind (a sheared flow). Hall currents flowing in the E region and such permanent global factors as the spatial nonuniformity of the geomagnetic field and of the normal component of the Earth's angular velocity give rise to fast and slow planetary-scale electromagnetic waves. The efficiency of the linear amplification of planetary electromagnetic waves in their interaction with a nonuniform zonal wind is analyzed. When there are shearedmore » flows, the operators of linear problems are non-self-conjugate and the corresponding eigenfunctions are nonorthogonal, so the canonical modal approach is poorly suited for studying such motions and it is necessary to utilize the so-called nonmodal mathematical analysis. It is shown that, in the linear evolutionary stage, planetary electromagnetic waves efficiently extract energy from the sheared flow, thereby substantially increasing their amplitude and, accordingly, energy. The criterion for instability of a sheared flow in an ionospheric medium is derived. As the shear instability develops and the perturbation amplitude grows, a nonlinear self-localization mechanism comes into play and the process ends with the self-organization of nonlinear, highly localized, solitary vortex structures. The system thus acquires a new degree of freedom, thereby providing a new way for the perturbation to evolve in a medium with a sheared flow. Depending on the shape of the sheared flow velocity profile, nonlinear structures can be either purely monopole vortices or vortex streets against the background of the zonal wind. The accumulation of such vortices can lead to a strongly turbulent state in an ionospheric medium.« less

Structure of the airflow above surface waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buckley, Marc; Veron, Fabrice

2016-04-01

Weather, climate and upper ocean patterns are controlled by the exchanges of momentum, heat, mass, and energy across the ocean surface. These fluxes are, in turn, influenced by the small-scale physics at the wavy air-sea interface. We present laboratory measurements of the fine-scale airflow structure above waves, achieved in over 15 different wind-wave conditions, with wave ages Cp/u* ranging from 1.4 to 66.7 (where Cp is the peak phase speed of the waves, and u* the air friction velocity). The experiments were performed in the large (42-m long) wind-wave-current tank at University of Delaware's Air-Sea Interaction laboratory (USA). A combined Particle Image Velocimetry and Laser Induced Fluorescence system was specifically developed for this study, and provided two-dimensional airflow velocity measurement as low as 100 um above the air-water interface. Starting at very low wind speeds (U10~2m/s), we directly observe coherent turbulent structures within the buffer and logarithmic layers of the airflow above the air-water interface, whereby low horizontal velocity air is ejected away from the surface, and higher velocity fluid is swept downward. Wave phase coherent quadrant analysis shows that such turbulent momentum flux events are wave-phase dependent. Airflow separation events are directly observed over young wind waves (Cp/u*<3.7) and counted using measured vorticity and surface viscous stress criteria. Detached high spanwise vorticity layers cause intense wave-coherent turbulence downwind of wave crests, as shown by wave-phase averaging of turbulent momentum fluxes. Mean wave-coherent airflow motions and fluxes also show strong phase-locked patterns, including a sheltering effect, upwind of wave crests over old mechanically generated swells (Cp/u*=31.7), and downwind of crests over young wind waves (Cp/u*=3.7). Over slightly older wind waves (Cp/u* = 6.5), the measured wave-induced airflow perturbations are qualitatively consistent with linear critical layer theory.

Mars' Annular Polar Vortices and their Response to Atmospheric Dust Opacity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guzewich, S.; Waugh, D.; Toigo, A. D.

2016-12-01

The potential vorticity structure of the martian polar vortices is distinct from Earth's stratospheric or tropospheric vortices. Rather than exhibiting monotonically increasing potential vorticity toward the geographic pole, as on Earth, the martian fall and winter polar vortices are annular with the potential vorticity maximum situated off the pole and a local minimum in potential vorticity at the pole. Using the MarsWRF general circulation model (GCM), we perform a series of simulations to examine the source of this annular structure. We find that latent heat exchange from the formation of CO2 ice aerosols within the vortex, in a region very near the geographic pole, destroys potential vorticity and creates the annular structure. Furthermore, we describe Mars Climate Sounder and Thermal Emission Spectrometer observations of "transient vortex warming" events, where the air inside the northern hemisphere winter polar vortex is briefly warmed. During the Mars Year 28 (2007) global dust storm, the temperature inside the vortex increased by 70 K and dust directly entered the vortex. Using additional GCM simulations, we diagnose the dynamical changes associated with these transient vortex warming events and find that poleward expansion of the descending branch of the meridional overturning circulation during periods of increased dust opacity disrupts the northern hemisphere winter polar vortex. These increased temperatures also suppress CO2 condensation at the pole, creating a more Earth-like polar vortex where potential vorticity is maximized near the geographic pole.

Observations of the Space-time Structure of Flow, Vorticity and Stress over Orbital-scale Ripples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hare, J.; Hay, A. E.; Cheel, R. A.; Zedel, L. J.

2012-12-01

Results are presented from a laboratory investigation of the spatial and temporal structure at turbulence-resolving scales of the flow, vorticity and stress over equilibrium orbital-scale sand ripples. The ripples were created in 0.153 mm median diameter sand, at 10 s period and an excursion of 0.5 m, using the oscillating tray apparatus described in Hay et al. (JGR-Oceans, 2012). Vertical profiles of velocity above the bed were obtained at 40 Hz and 3 mm vertical resolution using a wide-band coherent Doppler profiler (MFDop). Through runs at different positions of the MFDop relative to a particular ripple crest, phase-averaged measures of the flow over a full ripple wavelength were obtained as a function of phase during the forcing cycle. These measurements are used to determine the formation of the lee vortex and the position of the point of reattachment. Estimates of the phase-averaged bottom stress (obtained using the vertical integral of the defect acceleration, the Reynolds stress and the law-of-the-wall) as a function of position along the ripple profile are inter-compared.Phase-averaged horizontal velocity over one ripple where the black line indicates the sediment-water interface. Phase-averaged vertical velocity over one ripple where the black line indicates the sediment-water interface.

A numerical study of the string function using a primitive equation ocean model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tyler, R. H.; Käse, R.

We use results from a primitive-equation ocean numerical model (SCRUM) to test a theoretical 'string function' formulation put forward by Tyler and Käse in another article in this issue. The string function acts as a stream function for the large-scale potential energy flow under the combined beta and topographic effects. The model results verify that large-scale anomalies propagate along the string function contours with a speed correctly given by the cross-string gradient. For anomalies having a scale similar to the Rossby radius, material rates of change in the layer mass following the string velocity are balanced by material rates of change in relative vorticity following the flow velocity. It is shown that large-amplitude anomalies can be generated when wind stress is resonant with the string function configuration.

Decay of homogeneous two-dimensional quantum turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baggaley, Andrew W.; Barenghi, Carlo F.

2018-03-01

We numerically simulate the free decay of two-dimensional quantum turbulence in a large, homogeneous Bose-Einstein condensate. The large number of vortices, the uniformity of the density profile, and the absence of boundaries (where vortices can drift out of the condensate) isolate the annihilation of vortex-antivortex pairs as the only mechanism which reduces the number of vortices, Nv, during the turbulence decay. The results clearly reveal that vortex annihilation is a four-vortex process, confirming the decay law Nv˜t-1 /3 where t is time, which was inferred from experiments with relatively few vortices in small harmonically trapped condensates.

Numerical simulation of a plane turbulent mixing layer, with applications to isothermal, rapid reactions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, P.; Pratt, D. T.

1987-01-01

A hybrid method has been developed for the numerical prediction of turbulent mixing in a spatially-developing, free shear layer. Most significantly, the computation incorporates the effects of large-scale structures, Schmidt number and Reynolds number on mixing, which have been overlooked in the past. In flow field prediction, large-eddy simulation was conducted by a modified 2-D vortex method with subgrid-scale modeling. The predicted mean velocities, shear layer growth rates, Reynolds stresses, and the RMS of longitudinal velocity fluctuations were found to be in good agreement with experiments, although the lateral velocity fluctuations were overpredicted. In scalar transport, the Monte Carlo method was extended to the simulation of the time-dependent pdf transport equation. For the first time, the mixing frequency in Curl's coalescence/dispersion model was estimated by using Broadwell and Breidenthal's theory of micromixing, which involves Schmidt number, Reynolds number and the local vorticity. Numerical tests were performed for a gaseous case and an aqueous case. Evidence that pure freestream fluids are entrained into the layer by large-scale motions was found in the predicted pdf. Mean concentration profiles were found to be insensitive to Schmidt number, while the unmixedness was higher for higher Schmidt number. Applications were made to mixing layers with isothermal, fast reactions. The predicted difference in product thickness of the two cases was in reasonable quantitative agreement with experimental measurements.

On the interaction between turbulence and a planar rarefaction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Johnson, Bryan M.

2014-04-01

The modeling of turbulence, whether it be numerical or analytical, is a difficult challenge. Turbulence is amenable to analysis with linear theory if it is subject to rapid distortions, i.e., motions occurring on a timescale that is short compared to the timescale for nonlinear interactions. Such an approach (referred to as rapid distortion theory) could prove useful for understanding aspects of astrophysical turbulence, which is often subject to rapid distortions, such as supernova explosions or the free-fall associated with gravitational instability. As a proof of principle, a particularly simple problem is considered here: the evolution of vorticity due to amore » planar rarefaction in an ideal gas. Analytical solutions are obtained for incompressive modes having a wave vector perpendicular to the distortion; as in the case of gradient-driven instabilities, these are the modes that couple most strongly to the mean flow. Vorticity can either grow or decay in the wake of a rarefaction front, and there are two competing effects that determine which outcome occurs: entropy fluctuations couple to the mean pressure gradient to produce vorticity via baroclinic effects, whereas vorticity is damped due to the conservation of angular momentum as the fluid expands. Whether vorticity grows or decays depends upon the ratio of entropic to vortical fluctuations at the location of the front; growth occurs if this ratio is of order unity or larger. In the limit of purely entropic fluctuations in the ambient fluid, a strong rarefaction generates vorticity with a turbulent Mach number on the order of the rms of the ambient entropy fluctuations. The analytical results are shown to compare well with results from two- and three-dimensional numerical simulations. Analytical solutions are also derived in the linear regime of Reynolds-averaged turbulence models. This highlights an inconsistency in standard turbulence models that prevents them from accurately capturing the physics of rarefaction-turbulence interaction. In addition to providing physical insight, the solutions derived here can be used to verify algorithms of both the Reynolds-averaged and direct numerical simulation variety. Finally, dimensional analysis of the equations indicates that rapid distortion of turbulence can give rise to two distinct regimes in the turbulent spectrum: a distortion range at large scales where linear distortion effects dominate, and an inertial range at small scales where nonlinear effects dominate.« less

Measurements of Two-Phase Suspended Sediment Transport in Breaking Waves Using Volumetric Three-Component Velocimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ting, F. C. K.; LeClaire, P.

2016-02-01

Understanding the mechanisms of sediment pickup and distribution in breaking waves is important for modeling sediment transport in the surf zone. Previous studies were mostly concerned with bulk sediment transport under specific wave conditions. The distribution of suspended sediments in breaking waves had not been measured together with coherent flow structures. In this study, two-phase flow measurements were obtained under a train of plunging regular waves on a plane slope using the volumetric three-component velocimetry (V3V) technique. The measurements captured the motions of sediment particles simultaneously with the three-component, three-dimensional (3C3D) velocity fields of turbulent coherent structures (large eddies) induced by breaking waves. Sediment particles (solid glass spheres diameter 0.125 to 0.15 mm, specific gravity 2.5) were separated from fluid tracers (mean diameter 13 µm, specific gravity 1.3) based on a combination of particle spot size and brightness in the two-phase images. The interactions between the large eddies and glass spheres were investigated for plunger vortices generated at incipient breaking and for splash-up vortices generated at the second plunge point. The measured data show that large eddies impinging on the bottom was the primary mechanism which lift sediment particles into suspension and momentarily increased near-bed suspended sediment concentration. Although eddy impingement events were sporadic in space and time, the distributions of suspended sediments in the large eddies were not uniform. High suspended sediment concentration and vertical sediment flux were found in the wall-jet region where the impinging flow was deflected outward and upward. Sediment particles were also trapped and carried around by counter-rotating vortices (Figure 1). Suspended sediment concentration was significantly lower in the impingement region where the fluid velocity was downward, even though turbulent kinetic energy in the down flow was very high. These results suggest that vertical velocity or turbulent shear stress may be a better parameter for predicting sediment pick-up rate than turbulent kinetic energy. It was also found that splash-up vortices enhanced onshore transport relative to the condition when no vortex impinged on the bottom.

Heat Transfer Enhancement in High Performance Heat Sink Channels by Autonomous, Aero-Elastic Reed Fluttering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jha, Sourabh; Crittenden, Thomas; Glezer, Ari

2016-11-01

Heat transport within high aspect ratio, rectangular mm-scale channels that model segments of a high-performance, air-cooled heat sink is enhanced by the formation of unsteady small-scale vortical motions induced by autonomous, aeroelastic fluttering of cantilevered planar thin-film reeds. The flow mechanisms and scaling of the interactions between the reed and the channel flow are explored to overcome the limits of forced convection heat transport from air-side heat exchangers. High-resolution PIV measurements in a testbed model show that undulations of the reed's surface lead to formation and advection of vorticity concentrations, and to alternate shedding of spanwise CW and CCW vortices. These vortices scale with the reed motion amplitude, and ultimately result in motions of decreasing scales and enhanced dissipation that are reminiscent of a turbulent flow. The vorticity shedding lead to strong enhancement in heat transfer that increases with the Reynolds number of the base flow (e.g., the channel's thermal coefficient of performance is enhanced by 2.4-fold and 9-fold for base flow Re = 4,000 and 17,400, respectively, with corresponding decreases of 50 and 77% in the required channel flow rates). This is demonstrated in heat sinks for improving the thermal performance of low-Re thermoelectric power plant air-cooled condensers, where the global air-side pressure losses can be significantly reduced by lowering the required air volume flow rate at a given heat flux and surface temperature. AFOSR and NSF-EPRI.

Structure and stability of the finite-area von Kármán street

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luzzatto-Fegiz, Paolo; Williamson, Charles H. K.

2012-06-01

By using a recently developed numerical method, we explore in detail the possible inviscid equilibrium flows for a Kármán street comprising uniform, large-area vortices. In order to determine stability, we make use of an energy-based stability argument (originally proposed by Lord Kelvin), whose previous implementation had been unsuccessful in determining stability for the Kármán street [P. G. Saffman and J. C. Schatzman, "Stability of a vortex street of finite vortices," J. Fluid Mech. 117, 171-186 (1982), 10.1017/S0022112082001578]. We discuss in detail the issues affecting this interpretation of Kelvin's ideas, and show that this energy-based argument cannot detect subharmonic instabilities. To find superharmonic instabilities, we employ a recently introduced approach, which constitutes a reliable implementation of Kelvin's stability ideas [P. Luzzatto-Fegiz and C. H. K. Williamson, "Stability of conservative flows and new steady fluid solutions from bifurcation diagrams exploiting a variational argument," Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 044504 (2010), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.104.044504]. For periodic flows, this leads us to organize solutions into families with fixed impulse I, and to construct diagrams involving the flow energy E and horizontal spacing (i.e., wavelength) L. Families of large-I vortex streets exhibit a turning point in L, and terminate with "cat's eyes" vortices (as also suggested by previous investigators). However, for low-I streets, the solution families display a multitude of turning points (leading to multiple possible streets, for given L), and terminate with teardrop-shaped vortices. This is radically different from previous suggestions in the literature. These two qualitatively different limiting states are connected by a special street, whereby vortices from opposite rows touch, such that each vortex boundary exhibits three corners. Furthermore, by following the family of I = 0 streets to small L, we gain access to a large, hitherto unexplored flow regime, involving streets with L significantly smaller than previously believed possible. To elucidate in detail the possible solution regimes, we introduce a map of spacing L, versus impulse I, which we construct by numerically computing a large number of steady vortex configurations. For each constant-impulse family of steady vortices, our stability approach also reveals a single superharmonic bifurcation, leading to new families of vortex streets, which exhibit lower symmetry.

Viscous-enstrophy scaling law for Navier-Stokes reconnection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kerr, Robert M.

2017-11-01

Simulations of perturbed, helical trefoil vortex knots and anti-parallel vortices find ν-independent collapse of temporally scaled (√{ ν} Z) - 1 / 2, Z enstrophy, between when the loops first touch at tΓ, and when reconnection ends at tx for the viscosity ν varying by 256. Due to mathematical bounds upon higher-order norms, this collapse requires that the domain increase as ν decreases, possibly to allow large-scale negative helicity to grow as compensation for small-scale positive helicity and enstrophy growth. This mechanism could be a step towards explaining how smooth solutions of the Navier-Stokes can generate finite-energy dissipation in a finite time as ν -> 0 .

The Role of “Vortical” Hot Towers in the Formation of Tropical Cyclone Diana (1984).

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hendricks, Eric A.; Montgomery, Michael T.; Davis, Christopher A.

2004-06-01

A high-resolution (3-km horizontal grid spacing) near-cloud-resolving numerical simulation of the formation of Hurricane Diana (1984) is used to examine the contribution of deep convective processes to tropical cyclone formation. This study is focused on the 3-km horizontal grid spacing simulation because this simulation was previously found to furnish an accurate forecast of the later stages of the observed storm life cycle. The numerical simulation reveals the presence of vortical hot towers, or cores of deep cumulonimbus convection possessing strong vertical vorticity, that arise from buoyancy-induced stretching of local absolute vertical vorticity in a vorticity-rich prehurricane environment.At near-cloud-resolving scales, these vortical hot towers are the preferred mode of convection. They are demonstrated to be the most important influence to the formation of the tropical storm via a two-stage evolutionary process: (i) preconditioning of the local environment via diabatic production of multiple small-scale lower-tropospheric cyclonic potential vorticity (PV) anomalies, and (ii) multiple mergers and axisymmetrization of these low-level PV anomalies. The local warm-core formation and tangential momentum spinup are shown to be dominated by the organizational process of the diabatically generated PV anomalies; the former process being accomplished by the strong vertical vorticity in the hot tower cores, which effectively traps the latent heat from moist convection. In addition to the organizational process of the PV anomalies, the cyclogenesis is enhanced by the aggregate diabatic heating associated with the vortical hot towers, which produces a net influx of low-level mean angular momentum throughout the genesis.Simpler models are examined to elucidate the underlying dynamics of tropical cyclogenesis in this case study. Using the Sawyer Eliassen balanced vortex model to diagnose the macroscale evolution, the cyclogenesis of Diana is demonstrated to proceed in approximate gradient and hydrostatic balance at many instances, where local radial and vertical accelerations are small. Using a shallow water primitive equation model, a characteristic “moist” (diabatic) vortex merger in the cloud-resolving numerical simulation is captured in a large part by the barotropic model. Since a moist merger results in a stronger vortex and occurs twice as fast as a dry merger, it is inferred (consistent with related work) that a net low-level convergence can accelerate and intensify the merger process in the real atmosphere.Although the findings reported herein are based on a sole case study and thus cannot yet be generalized, it is believed the results are sufficiently interesting to warrant further idealized simulations of this nature.

Heat transfer with very high free-stream turbulence and streamwise vortices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moffat, Robert J.; Maciejewski, Paul; Eaton, John K.; Pauley, Wayne

1986-01-01

Results are presented for two experimental programs related to augmentation of heat transfer by complex flow characteristics. In one program, high free stream turbulence (up to 63 percent) was shown to increase the Stanton number by more than a factor of 5, compared with the normally expected value based on x-Reynolds number. These experiments are being conducted in a free-jet facility, near the margins of the jet. To a limited extent, the mean velocity, turbulence intensity, and integral length scale can be separately varied. The results show that scale is a very important factor in determining the augmentation. Detailed studies of the turbulence structure are being carried out using an orthogonal triple hot-wire anemometer equipped with a fourth wire for measuring temperature. The v' component of turbulence appears to be distributed differently from u' or w'. In the second program, the velocity distributions and boundary layer thicknesses associated with a pair of counter-rotating, streamwise vortices were measured. There is a region of considerably thinned boundary layer between the two vortices when they are of approximately the same strength. If one vortex is much stronger than the other, the weaker vortex may be lifted off the surface and absorbed into the stronger.

The Relation Between Dry Vortex Merger and Tropical Cyclone Genesis over the Atlantic Ocean

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Shu-Hua; Liu, Yi-Chin

2014-10-27

A strong, convective African tropical disturbance has a greater chance to develop into a Tropical 23 Depression (TD) if it merges with a shallow, dry vortex (D-vortex) from the north of the African 24 easterly jet (AEJ) after leaving the western coast. Using 11-year reanalysis data we found that the 25 western tip of a vortex strip at northwestern Africa can serve as dry vortices for the D-vortex 26 merger if it shifts southward. Another source of D-vortices is the westward propagating lows 27 along the southern edge of the Saharan air. The D-vortex merger process occurred for 63.5% ofmore » 28 tropical cyclones (TCs) or developing systems over the main development region of the Atlantic 29 Ocean, while it occurred for 54% of non-developing systems. TC genesis could be largely 30 controlled by the large-scale environment, but the differences in characteristics of vortices 31 associated with the D-vortex merger between developing and non-developing systems could 32 potentially help determine their destinies; in general, developing systems were dominated by a 33 more intense and moist south vortex, while non-developing systems were dominated by a north 34 vortex which was more intense, drier, and larger in size. Analysis also shows that 74% of intense 35 developing systems were involved with the D-vortex merger process. More attention needs to be 36 paid to the D-vortex merger and the characteristics of those vortices as they can play significant 37 roles or have a strong indication in Atlantic TC genesis.« less

Single-interface Richtmyer-Meshkov turbulent mixing at the Los Alamos Vertical Shock Tube

DOE PAGES

Wilson, Brandon Merrill; Mejia Alvarez, Ricardo; Prestridge, Katherine Philomena

2016-04-12

We studied Mach number and initial conditions effects on Richtmyer–Meshkov (RM) mixing by the vertical shock tube (VST) at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). At the VST, a perturbed stable light-to-heavy (air–SF 6, A=0.64) interface is impulsively accelerated with a shock wave to induce RM mixing. We investigate changes to both large and small scales of mixing caused by changing the incident Mach number (Ma=1.3 and 1.45) and the three-dimensional (3D) perturbations on the interface. Simultaneous density (quantitative planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF)) and velocity (particle image velocimetry (PIV)) measurements are used to characterize preshock initial conditions and the dynamic shockedmore » interface. Initial conditions and fluid properties are characterized before shock. Using two types of dynamic measurements, time series (N=5 realizations at ten locations) and statistics (N=100 realizations at a single location) of the density and velocity fields, we calculate several mixing quantities. Mix width, density-specific volume correlations, density–vorticity correlations, vorticity, enstrophy, strain, and instantaneous dissipation rate are examined at one downstream location. Results indicate that large-scale mixing, such as the mix width, is strongly dependent on Mach number, whereas small scales are strongly influenced by initial conditions. Lastly, the enstrophy and strain show focused mixing activity in the spike regions.« less

EDITORIAL: The FDR Prize The FDR Prize

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Funakoshi, Mitsuaki

2011-08-01

From the 56 papers published in 2010 in Fluid Dynamics Research the following paper has been selected for the fourth FDR prize: 'Baroclinic multipole formation from heton interaction' by M A Sokolovskiy and X J Carton, published in volume 42 (August 2010) 045501. Coherent vortices are a universal feature of fluids at moderate and large Reynolds number, and have particular relevance to the quasi-two-dimensional flows used to model phenomena in the atmosphere and ocean. The structure and interaction of such vortices have proved a fascinating area for the researchers of fluid dynamics, including thoreticians, observers and experimentalists, together with related problems of how they mix fluids and how they transport scalars such as temperature and salinity. In this paper 'hetons' are considered; they are vortices of dipolar structures in a multilayer rotating fluid, carry thermal anomalies, and are relevant to transport in flows such as the Gulf Stream. The paper is a comprehensive study of the structure, invariants and interactions of two opposite-signed hetons in a two-layer fluid for several initial configurations and for several values of the Rossby radius of deformation, using models based on point vortex dynamics and contour dynamics of finite-area vortex regions. Different types of coupling and interactions are isolated and discussed. Depending on the initial configuration and the value of the radius of deformation, the time evolutions toward horizonal dipoles, vertically tilted dipoles, L-shaped dipoles, and Z-shaped tripoles are observed in the case of finite-area vortices. Using point vortex dynamics a rigorous analysis based on trilinear coordinates is performed, and the appearance of similar structures is shown analytically, except for the L-shaped dipoles. The contribution of this paper to the important problem of heton interaction is both profound and substantial. The study will be of great interest to a wide variety of readers and is likely to inspire further numerical and experimental work, as well being helpful in the interpretation and analysis of observations. Overall, the paper will undoubtedly have a large impact on the fluid dynamics community.

Short-crested waves in the surf zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Zhangping; Dalrymple, Robert A.; Xu, Munan; Garnier, Roland; Derakhti, Morteza

2017-05-01

This study investigates short-crested waves in the surf zone by using the mesh-free Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics model, GPUSPH. The short-crested waves are created by generating intersecting wave trains in a numerical wave basin with a beach. We first validate the numerical model for short-crested waves by comparison with large-scale laboratory measurements. Then short-crested wave breaking over a planar beach is studied comprehensively. We observe rip currents as discussed in Dalrymple (1975) and undertow created by synchronous intersecting waves. The wave breaking of the short-crested wavefield created by the nonlinear superposition of intersecting waves and wave-current interaction result in the formation of isolated breakers at the ends of breaking wave crests. Wave amplitude diffraction at these isolated breakers gives rise to an increase in the alongshore wave number in the inner surf zone. Moreover, 3-D vortices and multiple circulation cells with a rotation frequency much lower than the incident wave frequency are observed across the outer surf zone to the beach. Finally, we investigate vertical vorticity generation under short-crested wave breaking and find that breaking of short-crested waves generates vorticity as pointed out by Peregrine (1998). Vorticity generation is not only observed under short-crested waves with a limited number of wave components but also under directional wave spectra.

Implementation of a generalized actuator line model for wind turbine parameterization in the Weather Research and Forecasting model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Marjanovic, Nikola; Mirocha, Jeffrey D.; Kosović, Branko

A generalized actuator line (GAL) wind turbine parameterization is implemented within the Weather Research and Forecasting model to enable high-fidelity large-eddy simulations of wind turbine interactions with boundary layer flows under realistic atmospheric forcing conditions. Numerical simulations using the GAL parameterization are evaluated against both an already implemented generalized actuator disk (GAD) wind turbine parameterization and two field campaigns that measured the inflow and near-wake regions of a single turbine. The representation of wake wind speed, variance, and vorticity distributions is examined by comparing fine-resolution GAL and GAD simulations and GAD simulations at both fine and coarse-resolutions. The higher-resolution simulationsmore » show slightly larger and more persistent velocity deficits in the wake and substantially increased variance and vorticity when compared to the coarse-resolution GAD. The GAL generates distinct tip and root vortices that maintain coherence as helical tubes for approximately one rotor diameter downstream. Coarse-resolution simulations using the GAD produce similar aggregated wake characteristics to both fine-scale GAD and GAL simulations at a fraction of the computational cost. The GAL parameterization provides the capability to resolve near wake physics, including vorticity shedding and wake expansion.« less

Submesoscale tidal eddies in the wake of coral islands and reefs: satellite data and numerical modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delandmeter, Philippe; Lambrechts, Jonathan; Marmorino, George O.; Legat, Vincent; Wolanski, Eric; Remacle, Jean-François; Chen, Wei; Deleersnijder, Eric

2017-07-01

Interaction of tidal flow with a complex topography and bathymetry including headlands, islands, coral reefs and shoals create a rich submesoscale field of tidal jets, vortices, unsteady wakes, lee eddies and free shear layers, all of which impact marine ecology. A unique and detailed view of the submesoscale variability in a part of the Great Barrier Reef lagoon, Australia, that includes a number of small islands was obtained by using a "stereo" pair of 2-m-resolution visible-band images that were acquired just 54 s apart by the WorldView-3 satellite. Near-surface current and vorticity were extracted at a 50-m-resolution from those data using a cross-correlation technique and an optical-flow method, each yielding a similar result. The satellite-derived data are used to test the ability of the second-generation Louvain-la-Neuve ice-ocean model (SLIM), an unstructured-mesh, finite element model for geophysical and environmental flows, to reproduce the details of the currents in the region. The model succeeds in simulating the large-scale (> 1 km) current patterns, such as the main current and the width and magnitude of the jets developing in the gaps between the islands. Moreover, the order of magnitude of the vorticity and the occurrence of some vortices downstream of the islands are correctly reproduced. The smaller scales (< 500 m) are resolved by the model, although various discrepancies with the data are observed. The smallest scales (< 50 m) are unresolved by both the model- and image-derived velocity fields. This study shows that high-resolution models are able to a significant degree to simulate accurately the currents close to a rugged coast. Very-high-resolution satellite oceanography stereo images offer a new way to obtain snapshots of currents near a complex topography that has reefs, islands and shoals, and is a potential resource that could be more widely used to assess the predictive ability of coastal circulation models.

Large Eddy Simulation of Vertical Axis Wind Turbine wakes; Part II: effects of inflow turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duponcheel, Matthieu; Chatelain, Philippe; Caprace, Denis-Gabriel; Winckelmans, Gregoire

2017-11-01

The aerodynamics of Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs) is inherently unsteady, which leads to vorticity shedding mechanisms due to both the lift distribution along the blade and its time evolution. Large-scale, fine-resolution Large Eddy Simulations of the flow past Vertical Axis Wind Turbines have been performed using a state-of-the-art Vortex Particle-Mesh (VPM) method combined with immersed lifting lines. Inflow turbulence with a prescribed turbulence intensity (TI) is injected at the inlet of the simulation from a precomputed synthetic turbulence field obtained using the Mann algorithm. The wake of a standard, medium-solidity, H-shaped machine is simulated for several TI levels. The complex wake development is captured in details and over long distances: from the blades to the near wake coherent vortices, then through the transitional ones to the fully developed turbulent far wake. Mean flow and turbulence statistics are computed over more than 10 diameters downstream of the machine. The sensitivity of the wake topology and decay to the TI level is assessed.

Monopolar vortices as relative equilibria and their dissipative decay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vandefliert, B. W.; Vangroesen, E. W. C.

1991-11-01

Families of confined rotating monopolar vortices are characterized using a variational formulation with the angular momentum as the driving force for confinement. The characterization for positive monopolar vortices given, can be extended to negative vortices or to vortices within a rotating frame of reference. Besides the uniform Kirchhoff paths, new branches of vorticity solutions are found restricting the dynamics to levelsets of both the angular momentum and the quadratic anisotropy. The rotation rate of the smooth vorticity structures depends on the vorticity profile. This is made perceptible by considering both minimum energy vortices and minimizing vortices, rotating counterclockwise and clockwise respectively. An approximation for the decay of the vortices due to dissipation is given in terms of the dissipation of the integrals in the inviscid system. This description enables us to consider dissipation of vortices without loss of confinement. The elliptical Kirchhoff patches are found to symmetrize into circular patches. The minimum energy vortices gradually diminish while expending their support, while the maximum energy vortices are unstable for the dissipative evolution.

Static and Dynamical Properties of Ferroelectrics and Related Materials in Bulk and Nanostructure Forms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gui, Zhigang

Ferroelectrics (FE) and multiferroics (MFE) have attracted a lot of attentions due to their rich and novel properties. Studies towards FE and MFE are of both fundamental and technological importance. We use a first-principles-based effective Hamiltonian method, conventional ab-initio packages and linear-scale three-dimension fragment method to investigate several important issues about FE and MFE. Tuning the properties of FE and MFE films are essential for miniaturized device applications, which can be realized through epitaxial strain and growth direction. In this dissertation, we use the effective Hamiltonian method to study (i) BaTiO3 films grown along the (110) pseudocubic direction on various substrates, (ii) BaTiO3 films grown on a single substrate along directions varying from [001] to [110] via [111] pseudocubic direction. Optimized physical responses or curie temperatures are found along some special directions or under epitaxial strain of certain range. FE and MFE nanostructures are shown to possess electrical vortices (known as one type topological defect), which have the potential to be used in new memory devices. However, the dynamic mechanism behind them is barely known. We use the effective Hamiltonian method to reveal that there exists a distinct mode which is shown to be responsible for the formation of the electrical vortices and in the THz region. Spin-canted magnetic structures are commonly seen in MFE, which results in the coexistence of two or more magnetic order parameters in the same structure. Understanding the physics behind such coupled magnetic order parameters is of obvious benefit for the sake of control of the magnetic properties of such systems. We employ both the effective Hamiltonian and ab-initio methods to derive and prove there is a universal law that explicitly correlates various magnetic order parameters with the different types of oxygen octahedra rotations. FE or MFE possessing electrical vortices are experimentally shown to have a much lower critical voltage in current-voltage curves. However, the exact underlying reason is unknown. In this dissertation, we take the advantage of the effective Hamiltonian method and linear-scale three-dimension fragment method to study the electronic properties of electrical vortices. Such combined procedure clearly shows the existence of electrical vortices doesn't decrease the band gap, but increases it instead, which suggests the lower critical voltage in current-voltage curves is likely to result from the defects inside the vortices.

Secondary flow in a curved artery model with Newtonian and non-Newtonian blood-analog fluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Najjari, Mohammad Reza; Plesniak, Michael W.

2016-11-01

Steady and pulsatile flows of Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids through a 180°-curved pipe were investigated using particle image velocimetry (PIV). The experiment was inspired by physiological pulsatile flow through large curved arteries, with a carotid artery flow rate imposed. Sodium iodide (NaI) and sodium thiocyanate (NaSCN) were added to the working fluids to match the refractive index (RI) of the test section to eliminate optical distortion. Rheological measurements revealed that adding NaI or NaSCN changes the viscoelastic properties of non-Newtonian solutions and reduces their shear-thinning property. Measured centerline velocity profiles in the upstream straight pipe agreed well with an analytical solution. In the pulsatile case, secondary flow structures, i.e. deformed-Dean, Dean, Wall and Lyne vortices, were observed in various cross sections along the curved pipe. Vortical structures at each cross section were detected using the d2 vortex identification method. Circulation analysis was performed on each vortex separately during the systolic deceleration phase, and showed that vortices split and rejoin. Secondary flow structures in steady flows were found to be morphologically similar to those in pulsatile flows for sufficiently high Dean number. supported by the George Washington University Center for Biomimetics and Bioinspired Engineering.

Deep Part Load Flow Analysis in a Francis Model turbine by means of two-phase unsteady flow simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conrad, Philipp; Weber, Wilhelm; Jung, Alexander

2017-04-01

Hydropower plants are indispensable to stabilize the grid by reacting quickly to changes of the energy demand. However, an extension of the operating range towards high and deep part load conditions without fatigue of the hydraulic components is desirable to increase their flexibility. In this paper a model sized Francis turbine at low discharge operating conditions (Q/QBEP = 0.27) is analyzed by means of computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Unsteady two-phase simulations for two Thoma-number conditions are conducted. Stochastic pressure oscillations, observed on the test rig at low discharge, require sophisticated numerical models together with small time steps, large grid sizes and long simulation times to cope with these fluctuations. In this paper the BSL-EARSM model (Explicit Algebraic Reynolds Stress) was applied as a compromise between scale resolving and two-equation turbulence models with respect to computational effort and accuracy. Simulation results are compared to pressure measurements showing reasonable agreement in resolving the frequency spectra and amplitude. Inner blade vortices were predicted successfully in shape and size. Surface streamlines in blade-to-blade view are presented, giving insights to the formation of the inner blade vortices. The acquired time dependent pressure fields can be used for quasi-static structural analysis (FEA) for fatigue calculations in the future.

Molecular shear heating and vortex dynamics in thermostatted two dimensional Yukawa liquids

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gupta, Akanksha; Ganesh, Rajaraman, E-mail: ganesh@ipr.res.in; Joy, Ashwin

2016-07-15

It is well known that two-dimensional macroscale shear flows are susceptible to instabilities leading to macroscale vortical structures. The linear and nonlinear fate of such a macroscale flow in a strongly coupled medium is a fundamental problem. A popular example of a strongly coupled medium is a dusty plasma, often modelled as a Yukawa liquid. Recently, laboratory experiments and molecular dynamics (MD) studies of shear flows in strongly coupled Yukawa liquids indicated the occurrence of strong molecular shear heating, which is found to reduce the coupling strength exponentially leading to the destruction of macroscale vorticity. To understand the vortex dynamicsmore » of strongly coupled molecular fluids undergoing macroscale shear flows and molecular shear heating, MD simulation has been performed, which allows the macroscopic vortex dynamics to evolve, while at the same time “removes” the microscopically generated heat without using the velocity degrees of freedom. We demonstrate that by using a configurational thermostat in a novel way, the microscale heat generated by shear flow can be thermostatted out efficiently without compromising the large scale vortex dynamics. In the present work, using MD simulations, a comparative study of shear flow evolution in Yukawa liquids in the presence and absence of molecular or microscopic heating is presented for a prototype shear flow, namely, Kolmogorov flow.« less

Dust-trapping Rossby vortices in protoplanetary disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meheut, H.; Meliani, Z.; Varniere, P.; Benz, W.

2012-09-01

Context. One of the most challenging steps in planet formation theory is the one leading to the formation of planetesimals of kilometre size. A promising scenario involves the existence of vortices able to concentrate a large amount of dust and grains in their centres. Up to now this scenario has mostly been studied in 2D razor thin disks. A 3D study including, simultaneously, the formation and resulting dust concentration of the vortices with vertical settling, is still missing. Aims: The Rossby wave instability self-consistently forms 3D vortices, which have the unique quality of presenting a large-scale vertical velocity in their centre. Here we aim to study how this newly discovered effect can alter the dynamic evolution of the dust. Methods: We performed global 3D simulations of the RWI in a radially and vertically stratified disk using the code MPI-AMRVAC. After the growth phase of the instability, the gas and solid phases are modelled by a bi-fluid approach, where the dust is considered as a fluid without pressure. Both the drag force of the gas on the dust and the back reaction of the dust on the gas are included. Multiple grain sizes from 1 mm to 5 cm are used with a constant density distribution. Results: We obtain in a short timescale a high concentration of the largest grains in the vortices. Indeed, in 3 rotations the dust-to-gas density ratio grows from 10-2 to unity leading to a concentration of mass up to that of Mars in one vortex. The presence of the radial drift is also at the origin of a dust pile-up at the radius of the vortices. Lastly, the vertical velocity of the gas in the vortex causes the sedimentation process to be reversed, the mm size dust is lifted and higher concentrations are obtained in the upper layer than in the midplane. Conclusions: The Rossby wave instability is a promising mechanism for planetesimal formation, and the results presented here can be of particular interest in the context of future observations of protoplanetary disks.

The characterisation of blood rotation in a human heart chamber based on statistical analysis of vorticity maps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong, Kelvin K. L.; Kelso, Richard M.; Worthley, Stephen G.; Sanders, Prashanthan; Mazumdar, Jagannath; Abbott, Derek

2008-12-01

Modelling of non-stationary cardiac structures is complicated by the complexity of their intrinsic and extrinsic motion. The first known study of haemodynamics due to the beating of heart was made by Leonardo Da Vinci, giving the idea of fluid-solid interaction by describing how vortices develop during cardiac structural interaction with the blood. Heart morphology affects in changes of cardio dynamics during the systolic and diastolic phrases. In a chamber of the heart, vortices are discovered to exist as the result of the unique morphological changes of the cardiac chamber wall by using flow-imaging techniques such as phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging. The first part of this paper attempts to quantify vortex characteristics by means of calculating vorticity numerically and devising two dimensional vortical flow maps. The technique relies on determining the properties of vorticity using a statistical quantification of the flow maps and comparison of these quantities based on different scenarios. As the characteristics of our vorticity maps vary depending on the phase of a cardiac cycle, there is a need for robust quantification method to analyse vorticity. In the second part of the paper, the approach is then utilised for examining vortices within the human right atrium. Our study has shown that a proper quantification of vorticity for the flow field can indicate the strength and number of vortices within a heart chamber.

Hairpin vortices in the outer and near wall regions of the canonical turbulent boundary layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wallace, James; Wu, Xiaohua; Moin, Parviz

2016-11-01

While the dominance of hairpin vortices and their significance for transport processes in the transitional and early turbulent regions of the canonical turbulent boundary layer has been widely accepted, opinion is divided about the developed flow downstream. Here we investigate the representative vortical structures in the outer and near wall regions for the momentum thickness Reynolds number, Reθ , of up to 3000 using the DNS database described in. This boundary layer grows spatially from a laminar state at Reθ = 80 beneath a freestream of continuous and nearly isotropic turbulence decaying from an intensity of 3 to 0.8%. The vortical structures are visualized with the swirling strength, λci. In the outer region hairpin vortices appear and are advected over distances corresponding to about 300 - 400 in Reθ within the fully turbulent region, demonstrating that they are not remnants of transitional structures. The near wall vortical structures are more difficult to visualize and require careful tuning of the swirling strength and making invisible the flow above the near wall region of the flow. The hairpins in this region occur in intermittent clusters that have features remarkably similar to transitional turbulent spots.

On the dynamics of small-scale vorticity in isotropic turbulence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jimenez, Javier; Wray, A. A.

1994-01-01

It was previously shown that the strong vorticity in isotropic turbulence is organized into tubular vortices ('worms') whose properties were characterized through the use of full numerical simulations at several Reynolds numbers. At the time most of the observations were kinematic, and several scaling laws were discovered for which there was no theoretical explanation. In the meantime, further analysis of the same fields yielded new information on the generation of the vortices, and it was realized that even if they had to be formed by stretching, they were at any given moment actually compressed at many points of their axes. This apparent contradiction was partially explained by postulating axial inertial waves induced by the nonuniformity of the vortex cores, which helped to 'spread' the axial strain and allowed the vortices to remain compact even if not uniformly stretched. The existence of such solutions was recently proved numerically. The present report discusses a set of new numerical simulations of isotropic turbulence, and a reanalysis of the old ones, in an effort to prove or disprove the presence of these waves in actual turbulent flows and to understand the dynamics, as opposed to the kinematics, of the vortices.

A Note on the Barotropic Response of Sea Level to Time-Dependent Wind Forcing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fu, Lee-Lueng; Davidson, Roger A.

1995-01-01

This study examines the extent to which sea level variations at periods between 30 days and 1 year and spatial scales greater than 1000 km can be described by the wind- driven linear barotropic vorticity dynamics. The TOPEX/POSEIDON altimetric observations of sea level and the wind products of the National Meteorological Center are used as the database for the study. Each term of the linear barotropic vorticity equation was evaluated by averaging over regions of 10 deg x 10 deg. In most of the open ocean the result of the analysis suggests that the sea level variabilities at the scales considered cannot be fully described by the equation; the apparent net vorticity change is more than what can be explained by the local wind stress curl. In the few regions where the wind stress curl is strong enough to balance the vorticity budget, predominantly in the northeast Pacific and the southeast Pacific, the balance is basically achieved in terms of the time-dependent topographic Sverdrup relation, namely, the balance between the advection of the planetary vorticity plus the topography-induced vorticity and the forcing by the wind stress curl.

Wall turbulence control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilkinson, Stephen P.; Lindemann, A. Margrethe; Beeler, George B.; Mcginley, Catherine B.; Goodman, Wesley L.; Balasubramanian, R.

1986-01-01

A variety of wall turbulence control devices which were experimentally investigated are discussed; these include devices for burst control, alteration of outer flow structures, large eddy substitution, increased heat transfer efficiency, and reduction of wall pressure fluctuations. Control of pre-burst flow was demonstrated with a single, traveling surface depression which is phase-locked to elements of the burst production process. Another approach to wall turbulence control is to interfere with the outer layer coherent structures. A device in the outer part of a boundary layer was shown to suppress turbulence and reduce drag by opposing both the mean and unsteady vorticity in the boundary layer. Large eddy substitution is a method in which streamline curvature is introduced into the boundary layer in the form of streamwise vortices. Riblets, which were already shown to reduce turbulent drag, were also shown to exhibit superior heat transfer characteristics. Heat transfer efficiency as measured by the Reynolds Analogy Factor was shown to be as much as 36 percent greater than a smooth flat plate in a turbulent boundary layer. Large Eddy Break-Up (LEBU) which are also known to reduce turbulent drag were shown to reduce turbulent wall pressure fluctuation.

Flame-vortex interactions imaged in microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Driscoll, James F.; Dahm, Werner J. A.; Sichel, Martin

1995-01-01

The scientific objective is to obtain high quality color-enhanced digital images of a vortex exerting aerodynamic strain on premixed and nonpremixed flames with the complicating effects of buoyancy removed. The images will provide universal (buoyancy free) scaling relations that are required to improve several types of models of turbulent combustion, including KIVA-3, discrete vortex, and large-eddy simulations. The images will be used to help quantify several source terms in the models, including those due to flame stretch, flame-generated vorticity, flame curvature, and preferential diffusion, for a range of vortex sizes and flame conditions. The experiment is an ideal way to study turbulence-chemistry interactions and isolate the effect of vortices of different sizes and strengths in a repeatable manner. A parallel computational effort is being conducted which considers full chemistry and preferential diffusion.

Self-sustaining processes at all scales in wall-bounded turbulent shear flows

PubMed Central

Hwang, Yongyun

2017-01-01

We collect and discuss the results of our recent studies which show evidence of the existence of a whole family of self-sustaining motions in wall-bounded turbulent shear flows with scales ranging from those of buffer-layer streaks to those of large-scale and very-large-scale motions in the outer layer. The statistical and dynamical features of this family of self-sustaining motions, which are associated with streaks and quasi-streamwise vortices, are consistent with those of Townsend’s attached eddies. Motions at each relevant scale are able to sustain themselves in the absence of forcing from larger- or smaller-scale motions by extracting energy from the mean flow via a coherent lift-up effect. The coherent self-sustaining process is embedded in a set of invariant solutions of the filtered Navier–Stokes equations which take into full account the Reynolds stresses associated with the residual smaller-scale motions. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Toward the development of high-fidelity models of wall turbulence at large Reynolds number’. PMID:28167581

Self-sustaining processes at all scales in wall-bounded turbulent shear flows.

PubMed

Cossu, Carlo; Hwang, Yongyun

2017-03-13

We collect and discuss the results of our recent studies which show evidence of the existence of a whole family of self-sustaining motions in wall-bounded turbulent shear flows with scales ranging from those of buffer-layer streaks to those of large-scale and very-large-scale motions in the outer layer. The statistical and dynamical features of this family of self-sustaining motions, which are associated with streaks and quasi-streamwise vortices, are consistent with those of Townsend's attached eddies. Motions at each relevant scale are able to sustain themselves in the absence of forcing from larger- or smaller-scale motions by extracting energy from the mean flow via a coherent lift-up effect. The coherent self-sustaining process is embedded in a set of invariant solutions of the filtered Navier-Stokes equations which take into full account the Reynolds stresses associated with the residual smaller-scale motions.This article is part of the themed issue 'Toward the development of high-fidelity models of wall turbulence at large Reynolds number'. © 2017 The Author(s).

Approach and separation of quantum vortices with balanced cores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kerr, Robert M.; Rorai, C.; Skipper, J.; Sreenivasan, K. R.

2014-11-01

Using two innovations, smooth but different, scaling laws for the reconnection of pairs of initially orthogonal and anti-parallel quantum vortices are obtained using the three-dimensional Gross-Pitaevskii equations. For the anti-parallel case, the scaling laws just before and after reconnection obey the dimensional δ ~ | t - tr| 1 / 2 prediction with temporal symmetry about the reconnection time tr and physical space symmetry about xr, the mid-point between the vortices, with extensions forming the edges of an equilateral pyramid. For all of the orthogonal cases, before reconnection δin ~(t -tr) 1 / 3 and after reconnection δout ~(tr - t) 2 / 3 , which are respectively slower and faster than the dimensional prediction. In these cases, the reconnection takes place in a plane defined by the directions of the curvature and vorticity. Robert.Kerr@warwick.ac.uk.

Eroding dipoles and vorticity growth for Euler flows in {{{R}}}^{3}: the hairpin geometry as a model for finite-time blowup

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Childress, Stephen; Gilbert, Andrew D.

2018-02-01

A theory of an eroding ‘hairpin’ vortex dipole structure in three-dimensions is developed, extending our previous study of an axisymmetric eroding dipole without swirl. The axisymmetric toroidal dipole was found to lead to maximal growth of vorticity, as {t}4/3. The hairpin is here similarly proposed as a model to produce large ‘self-stretching’ of vorticity, with the possibility of finite-time blow-up. We derive a system of partial differential equations of ‘generalized’ form, involving contour averaging of a locally two-dimensional Euler flow. We do not attempt here to solve the system exactly, but point out that non-existence of physically acceptable solutions would most probably be a result of the axial flow. Because of the axial flow the vorticity distribution within the dipole eddies is no longer of the simple Sadovskii type (vorticity constant over a cross-section) obtained in the axisymmetric problem. Thus the solution of the system depends upon the existence of a larger class of propagating two-dimensional dipoles. The hairpin model is obtained by formal asymptotic analysis. As in the axisymmetric problem a local transformation to ‘shrinking’ coordinates is introduced, but now in a self-similar form appropriate to the study of a possible finite-time singularity. We discuss some properties of the model, including a study of the helicity and a first step in iterating toward a solution from the Sadovskii structure. We also present examples of two-dimensional propagating dipoles not previously studied, which have a vorticity profile consistent with our model. Although no rigorous results can be given, and analysis of the system is only partial, the formal calculations are consistent with the possibility of a finite time blowup of vorticity at a point of vanishing circulation of the dipole eddies, but depending upon the existence of the necessary two-dimensional propagating dipole. Our results also suggest that conservation of kinetic energy as realized in the eroding hairpin excludes a finite time blowup for the corresponding Navier-Stokes model.

Intensity of vortices: from soap bubbles to hurricanes

PubMed Central

Meuel, T.; Xiong, Y. L.; Fischer, P.; Bruneau, C. H.; Bessafi, M.; Kellay, H.

2013-01-01

By using a half soap bubble heated from below, we obtain large isolated single vortices whose properties as well as their intensity are measured under different conditions. By studying the effects of rotation of the bubble on the vortex properties, we found that rotation favors vortices near the pole. Rotation also inhibits long life time vortices. The velocity and vorticity profiles of the vortices obtained are well described by a Gaussian vortex. Besides, the intensity of these vortices can be followed over long time spans revealing periods of intensification accompanied by trochoidal motion of the vortex center, features which are reminiscent of the behavior of tropical cyclones. An analysis of this intensification period suggests a simple relation valid for both the vortices observed here and for tropical cyclones. PMID:24336410

Energy Harvesting for Micropower Applications by Flow-Induced Flutter of an Inverted Piezoelectric Flag

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shoele, Kourosh; Mittal, Rajat

2015-11-01

Piezoelectric flexible flags can be used to continuously generate energy for small-scale sensor used in a wide variety of applications ranging from measurement/monitoring of environmental conditions (outdoors or indoors) to in-situ tracking of wild animals. Here, we study the energy harvesting performance as well as the flow-structure interaction of an inverted piezoelectric flag. We use a coupled fluid-structure-electric solver to examine the dynamic response of the inverted flag as well as the associated vortical characteristics with different inertia and bending stiffness. Simulations indicate that large amplitude vibrations can be achieved over a large range of parameters over which lock-on between the flag flutter and the intrinsic wake shedding occurs. The effects of initial inclination of the flag to the prevailing flow as well as Reynolds number of the flow are explored, and the effect of piezoelectric material parameters on the energy harvesting performance of this flutter state is examined in detail. The maximum energy efficiency occurs when there is a match between the intrinsic timescales of flutter and the piezoelectric circuit. The simulations are used to formulate a scaling law that could be used to predict the energy harvesting performance of such devices. The support for this study comes from AFSOR, NSF, EPRI and Johns Hopkins E2SHI Seed Grant.

Numerical modeling of a multiscale gravity wave event and its airglow signatures over Mount Cook, New Zealand, during the DEEPWAVE campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heale, C. J.; Bossert, K.; Snively, J. B.; Fritts, D. C.; Pautet, P.-D.; Taylor, M. J.

2017-01-01

A 2-D nonlinear compressible model is used to simulate a large-amplitude, multiscale mountain wave event over Mount Cook, NZ, observed as part of the Deep Propagating Gravity Wave Experiment (DEEPWAVE) campaign and to investigate its observable signatures in the hydroxyl (OH) layer. The campaign observed the presence of a λx=200 km mountain wave as part of the 22nd research flight with amplitudes of >20 K in the upper stratosphere that decayed rapidly at airglow heights. Advanced Mesospheric Temperature Mapper (AMTM) showed the presence of small-scale (25-28 km) waves within the warm phase of the large mountain wave. The simulation results show rapid breaking above 70 km altitude, with the preferential formation of almost-stationary vortical instabilities within the warm phase front of the mountain wave. An OH airglow model is used to identify the presence of small-scale wave-like structures generated in situ by the breaking of the mountain wave that are consistent with those seen in the observations. While it is easy to interpret these feature as waves in OH airglow data, a considerable fraction of the features are in fact instabilities and vortex structures. Simulations suggest that a combination of a large westward perturbation velocity and shear, in combination with strong perturbation temperature gradients, causes both dynamic and convective instability conditions to be met particularly where the wave wind is maximized and the temperature gradient is simultaneously minimized. This leads to the inevitable breaking and subsequent generation of smaller-scale waves and instabilities which appear most prominent within the warm phase front of the mountain wave.

Interactions and scattering of quantum vortices in a polariton fluid.

PubMed

Dominici, Lorenzo; Carretero-González, Ricardo; Gianfrate, Antonio; Cuevas-Maraver, Jesús; Rodrigues, Augusto S; Frantzeskakis, Dimitri J; Lerario, Giovanni; Ballarini, Dario; De Giorgi, Milena; Gigli, Giuseppe; Kevrekidis, Panayotis G; Sanvitto, Daniele

2018-04-13

Quantum vortices, the quantized version of classical vortices, play a prominent role in superfluid and superconductor phase transitions. However, their exploration at a particle level in open quantum systems has gained considerable attention only recently. Here we study vortex pair interactions in a resonant polariton fluid created in a solid-state microcavity. By tracking the vortices on picosecond time scales, we reveal the role of nonlinearity, as well as of density and phase gradients, in driving their rotational dynamics. Such effects are also responsible for the split of composite spin-vortex molecules into elementary half-vortices, when seeding opposite vorticity between the two spinorial components. Remarkably, we also observe that vortices placed in close proximity experience a pull-push scenario leading to unusual scattering-like events that can be described by a tunable effective potential. Understanding vortex interactions can be useful in quantum hydrodynamics and in the development of vortex-based lattices, gyroscopes, and logic devices.

Full scale visualization of the wing tip vortices generated by a typical agricultural aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cross, E. J., Jr.; Bridges, P.; Brownlee, J. A.; Liningston, W. W.

1980-01-01

The trajectories of the wing tip vortices of a typical agricultural aircraft were experimentally determined by flight test. A flow visualization method, similar to the vapor screen method used in wind tunnels, was used to obtain trajectory data for a range of flight speeds, airplane configurations, and wing loadings. Detailed measurements of the spanwise surface pressure distribution were made for all test points. Further, a powered 1/8 scale model of the aircraft was designed, built, and used to obtain tip vortex trajectory data under conditions similar to that of the full-scale test. The effects of light wind on the vortices were demonstrated, and the interaction of the flap vortex and the tip vortex was clearly shown in photographs and plotted trajectory data.

The Turbulent/Non-Turbulent Interface Bounding a Far-Wake

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bisset, David K.; Hunt, Julian C. R.; Rogers, Michael M.; Kwak, Dochan (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The velocity fields of a turbulent wake behind a flat plate obtained from the direct numerical simulations of Moser et al. are used to study the structure of the flow in the intermittent zone where there are, alternately, regions of fully turbulent flow and non-turbulent velocity fluctuations either side of a thin randomly moving interface. Comparisons are made with a wake that is 'forced' by amplifying initial velocity fluctuations. There is also a random temperature field T in the flow; T varies between constant values of 0.0 and 1.0 on the sides of the wake. The value of the Reynolds number based on the centreplane mean velocity defect and halfwidth b of the wake is Re approx. = 2000. It is found that the thickness of the continuous interface is about equal to 0.07b, whereas the amplitude of fluctuations of the instantaneous interface displacement y(sub I)(t) is an order of magnitude larger, being about 0.5b. This explains why the mean statistics of vorticity in the intermittent zone can be calculated in terms of the probability distribution of y(sub I) and the instantaneous discontinuity in vorticity across the interface. When plotted as functions of y - y(sub I), the conditional mean velocity (U) and temperature (T) profiles show sharp jumps Delta(U) and Delta(T) at the interface adjacent to a thick zone where (U) and (T) vary much more slowly. Statistics for the vorticity and velocity variances, available in such detail only from DNS data, show how streamwise and spanwise components of vorticity are generated by vortex stretching in the bulges of the interface. Flow fields around the interface, analyzed in terms of the local streamline pattern, confirm previous results that the advancement of the vortical interface into the irrotational flow is driven by large-scale eddy motion. It is argued that because this is an inviscid mechanism the entrainment process is not sensitive to the value of Re, and that small-scale nibbling only plays a subsidiary role. While mean Reynolds stresses decrease gradually in the intermittent zone, conditional stresses are found to decrease sharply towards zero at the interface. Using one-point turbulence models applied to either unconditional or conditional statistics for the turbulent region and then averaged, the entrainment rate E(sub b) would, if calculated exactly, be zero. But if computed with standard computational methods, E(sub b) would be non-zero because of numerical diffusion. It is concluded that the current practice in statistical models of approximating entrainment by a diffusion process is computationally arbitrary and physically incorrect. An analysis shows how E(sub b) is related to Delta(U) and the jump in shear stress at the interface, and correspondingly to Delta(T) and the heat flux.

Field theoretical prediction of a property of the tropical cyclone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spineanu, F.; Vlad, M.

2014-01-01

The large scale atmospheric vortices (tropical cyclones, tornadoes) are complex physical systems combining thermodynamics and fluid-mechanical processes. The late phase of the evolution towards stationarity consists of the vorticity concentration, a well known tendency to self-organization , an universal property of the two-dimensional fluids. It may then be expected that the stationary state of the tropical cyclone has the same nature as the vortices of many other systems in nature: ideal (Euler) fluids, superconductors, Bose-Einsetin condensate, cosmic strings, etc. Indeed it was found that there is a description of the atmospheric vortex in terms of a classical field theory. It is compatible with the more conventional treatment based on conservation laws, but the field theoretical model reveals properties that are almost inaccessible to the conventional formulation: it identifies the stationary states as being close to self-duality. This is of highest importance: the self-duality is known to be the origin of all coherent structures known in natural systems. Therefore the field theoretical (FT) formulation finds that the cuasi-coherent form of the atmospheric vortex (tropical cyclone) at stationarity is an expression of this particular property. In the present work we examine a strong property of the tropical cyclone, which arises in the FT formulation in a natural way: the equality of the masses of the particles associated to the matter field and respectively to the gauge field in the FT model is translated into the equality between the maximum radial extension of the tropical cyclone and the Rossby radius. For the cases where the FT model is a good approximation we calculate characteristic quantities of the tropical cyclone and find good comparison with observational data.

Identification of Tropical-Extratropical Interactions and Extreme Precipitation Events in the Middle East Based On Potential Vorticity and Moisture Transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Vries, A. J.; Ouwersloot, H. G.; Feldstein, S. B.; Riemer, M.; El Kenawy, A. M.; McCabe, M. F.; Lelieveld, J.

2018-01-01

Extreme precipitation events in the otherwise arid Middle East can cause flooding with dramatic socioeconomic impacts. Most of these events are associated with tropical-extratropical interactions, whereby a stratospheric potential vorticity (PV) intrusion reaches deep into the subtropics and forces an incursion of high poleward vertically integrated water vapor transport (IVT) into the Middle East. This study presents an object-based identification method for extreme precipitation events based on the combination of these two larger-scale meteorological features. The general motivation for this approach is that precipitation is often poorly simulated in relatively coarse weather and climate models, whereas the synoptic-scale circulation is much better represented. The algorithm is applied to ERA-Interim reanalysis data (1979-2015) and detects 90% (83%) of the 99th (97.5th) percentile of extreme precipitation days in the region of interest. Our results show that stratospheric PV intrusions and IVT structures are intimately connected to extreme precipitation intensity and seasonality. The farther south a stratospheric PV intrusion reaches, the larger the IVT magnitude, and the longer the duration of their combined occurrence, the more extreme the precipitation. Our algorithm detects a large fraction of the climatological rainfall amounts (40-70%), heavy precipitation days (50-80%), and the top 10 extreme precipitation days (60-90%) at many sites in southern Israel and the northern and western parts of Saudi Arabia. This identification method provides a new tool for future work to disentangle teleconnections, assess medium-range predictability, and improve understanding of climatic changes of extreme precipitation in the Middle East and elsewhere.

A simple phenomenological model for grain clustering in turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hopkins, Philip F.

2016-01-01

We propose a simple model for density fluctuations of aerodynamic grains, embedded in a turbulent, gravitating gas disc. The model combines a calculation for the behaviour of a group of grains encountering a single turbulent eddy, with a hierarchical approximation of the eddy statistics. This makes analytic predictions for a range of quantities including: distributions of grain densities, power spectra and correlation functions of fluctuations, and maximum grain densities reached. We predict how these scale as a function of grain drag time ts, spatial scale, grain-to-gas mass ratio tilde{ρ }, strength of turbulence α, and detailed disc properties. We test these against numerical simulations with various turbulence-driving mechanisms. The simulations agree well with the predictions, spanning ts Ω ˜ 10-4-10, tilde{ρ }˜ 0{-}3, α ˜ 10-10-10-2. Results from `turbulent concentration' simulations and laboratory experiments are also predicted as a special case. Vortices on a wide range of scales disperse and concentrate grains hierarchically. For small grains this is most efficient in eddies with turnover time comparable to the stopping time, but fluctuations are also damped by local gas-grain drift. For large grains, shear and gravity lead to a much broader range of eddy scales driving fluctuations, with most power on the largest scales. The grain density distribution has a log-Poisson shape, with fluctuations for large grains up to factors ≳1000. We provide simple analytic expressions for the predictions, and discuss implications for planetesimal formation, grain growth, and the structure of turbulence.

Streamwise Vorticity Generation in Laminar and Turbulent Jets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Demuren, Aodeji O.; Wilson, Robert V.

1999-01-01

Complex streamwise vorticity fields are observed in the evolution of non-circular jets. Generation mechanisms are investigated via Reynolds-averaged (RANS), large-eddy (LES) and direct numerical (DNS) simulations of laminar and turbulent rectangular jets. Complex vortex interactions are found in DNS of laminar jets, but axis-switching is observed only when a single instability mode is present in the incoming mixing layer. With several modes present, the structures are not coherent and no axis-switching occurs, RANS computations also produce no axis-switching. On the other hand, LES of high Reynolds number turbulent jets produce axis-switching even for cases with several instability modes in the mixing layer. Analysis of the source terms of the mean streamwise vorticity equation through post-processing of the instantaneous results shows that, complex interactions of gradients of the normal and shear Reynolds stresses are responsible for the generation of streamwise vorticity which leads to axis-switching. RANS computations confirm these results. k - epsilon turbulence model computations fail to reproduce the phenomenon, whereas algebraic Reynolds stress model (ASM) computations, in which the secondary normal and shear stresses are computed explicitly, succeeded in reproducing the phenomenon accurately.

Large-Eddy Simulations of Dust Devils and Convective Vortices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spiga, Aymeric; Barth, Erika; Gu, Zhaolin; Hoffmann, Fabian; Ito, Junshi; Jemmett-Smith, Bradley; Klose, Martina; Nishizawa, Seiya; Raasch, Siegfried; Rafkin, Scot; Takemi, Tetsuya; Tyler, Daniel; Wei, Wei

2016-11-01

In this review, we address the use of numerical computations called Large-Eddy Simulations (LES) to study dust devils, and the more general class of atmospheric phenomena they belong to (convective vortices). We describe the main elements of the LES methodology. We review the properties, statistics, and variability of dust devils and convective vortices resolved by LES in both terrestrial and Martian environments. The current challenges faced by modelers using LES for dust devils are also discussed in detail.

Turbulent Mixing in Exponential Transverse Jets

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-09-30

parameter. The flame length of the jets is a direct measurement of the molecular scale mixing rate. ACCOMPLISHMENTS From observations of the trajectory...and cross-sectional size of the vortices, as well as the flame length , our measurements reveal the following: i) Under acceleration, the roll up and... flame lengths are a weak maximum when the acceleration parameter (x is about unity. For large cc, flame lengths slowly decline with increasing a, in

Turbulence and fossil turbulence lead to life in the universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibson, Carl H.

2013-07-01

Turbulence is defined as an eddy-like state of fluid motion where the inertial-vortex forces of the eddies are larger than all the other forces that tend to damp the eddies out. Fossil turbulence is a perturbation produced by turbulence that persists after the fluid ceases to be turbulent at the scale of the perturbation. Because vorticity is produced at small scales, turbulence must cascade from small scales to large, providing a consistent physical basis for Kolmogorovian universal similarity laws. Oceanic and astrophysical mixing and diffusion are dominated by fossil turbulence and fossil turbulent waves. Observations from space telescopes show turbulence and vorticity existed in the beginning of the universe and that their fossils persist. Fossils of big bang turbulence include spin and the dark matter of galaxies: clumps of ∼1012 frozen hydrogen planets that make globular star clusters as seen by infrared and microwave space telescopes. When the planets were hot gas, they hosted the formation of life in a cosmic soup of hot-water oceans as they merged to form the first stars and chemicals. Because spontaneous life formation according to the standard cosmological model is virtually impossible, the existence of life falsifies the standard cosmological model.

Turbulence and Fossil Turbulence lead to Life in the Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibson, Carl H.

2012-03-01

Turbulence is defined as an eddy-like state of fluid motion where the inertial-vortex forces of the eddies are larger than all the other forces that tend to damp the eddies out. Fossil turbulence is a perturbation produced by turbulence that persists after the fluid ceases to be turbulent at the scale of the perturbation. Because vorticity is produced at small scales, turbulence must cascade from small scales to large, providing a consistent physical basis for Kolmogorovian universal similarity laws. Oceanic and astrophysical mixing and diffusion are dominated by fossil turbulence and fossil turbulent waves. Observations from space telescopes show turbulence and vorticity existed in the beginning of the universe and that their fossils persist. Fossils of big bang turbulence include spin and the dark matter of galaxies: clumps of ~ 1012 frozen hydrogen planets that make globular star clusters as seen by infrared and microwave space telescopes. When the planets were hot gas, they hosted the formation of life in a cosmic soup of hot- water oceans as they merged to form the first stars and chemicals. Because spontaneous life formation according to the standard cosmological model is virtually impossible, the existence of life falsifies the standard cosmological model.

Gaps, rings, and non-axisymmetric structures in protoplanetary disks: Emission from large grains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruge, J. P.; Flock, M.; Wolf, S.; Dzyurkevich, N.; Fromang, S.; Henning, Th.; Klahr, H.; Meheut, H.

2016-05-01

Aims: Dust grains with sizes around (sub)mm are expected to couple only weakly to the gas motion in regions beyond 10 au of circumstellar disks. In this work, we investigate the influence of the spatial distribution of these grains on the (sub)mm appearance of magnetized protoplanetary disks. Methods: We perform non-ideal global 3D magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) stratified disk simulations, including particles of different sizes (50 μm to 1 cm), using a Lagrangian particle solver. Subsequently, we calculate the spatial dust temperature distribution, including the dynamically coupled submicron-sized dust grains, and derive ideal continuum re-emission maps of the disk through radiative transfer simulations. Finally, we investigate the feasibility of observing specific structures in the thermal re-emission maps with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). Results: Depending on the level of turbulence, the radial pressure gradient of the gas, and the grain size, particles settle to the midplane and/or drift radially inward. The pressure bump close to the outer edge of the dead-zone leads to particle-trapping in ring structures. More specifically, vortices in the disk concentrate the dust and create an inhomogeneous distribution of solid material in the azimuthal direction. The large-scale disk perturbations are preserved in the (sub)mm re-emission maps. The observable structures are very similar to those expected from planet-disk interaction. Additionally, the larger dust particles increase the brightness contrast between the gap and ring structures. We find that rings, gaps, and the dust accumulation in the vortex could be traced with ALMA down to a scale of a few astronomical units in circumstellar disks located in nearby star-forming regions. Finally, we present a brief comparison of these structures with those recently found with ALMA in the young circumstellar disks of HL Tau and Oph IRS 48.

Secondary flow structures in a 180∘ elastic curved vessel with torsion under steady and pulsatile inflow conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Najjari, Mohammad Reza; Plesniak, Michael W.

2017-11-01

Secondary flow vortical structures were investigated in an elastic 180° curved pipe with and without torsion under steady and pulsatile flow using particle image velocimetry (PIV). The elastic thin-walled curved pipes were constructed using Sylgard 184, and inserted into a bath of refractive index matched fluid to perform PIV. A vortex identification method was employed to identify various vortical structures in the flow. The secondary flow structures in the planar compliant model with dilatation of 0.61%-3.23% under pulsatile flow rate were compared with the rigid vessel model results, and it was found that local vessel compliance has a negligible effect on secondary flow morphology. The secondary flow structures were found to be more sensitive to out of plane curvature (torsion) than to vessel compliance. Torsion distorts the symmetry of secondary flow and results in more complex vortical structures in both steady and pulsatile flows. In high Re number steady flow with torsion, a single dominant vortical structure can be detected at the middle of the 90° cross section. In pulsatile flow with torsion, the split-Dean and Lyne-type vortices with same rotation direction originating from opposite sides of the cross section tend to merge together. supported by GW Center for Biomimetics and Bioinspired Engineering.

Numerical Simulation of Flow Features and Energy Exchange Physics in Near-Wall Region with Fluid-Structure Interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Lixiang; Wang, Wenquan; Guo, Yakun

Large eddy simulation is used to explore flow features and energy exchange physics between turbulent flow and structure vibration in the near-wall region with fluid-structure interaction (FSI). The statistical turbulence characteristics in the near-wall region of a vibrating wall, such as the skin frictional coefficient, velocity, pressure, vortices, and the coherent structures have been studied for an aerofoil blade passage of a true three-dimensional hydroturbine. The results show that (i) FSI greatly strengthens the turbulence in the inner region of y+ < 25; and (ii) the energy exchange mechanism between the flow and the vibration depends strongly on the vibration-induced vorticity in the inner region. The structural vibration provokes a frequent action between the low- and high-speed streaks to balance the energy deficit caused by the vibration. The velocity profile in the inner layer near the vibrating wall has a significant distinctness, and the viscosity effect of the fluid in the inner region decreases due to the vibration. The flow features in the inner layer are altered by a suitable wall vibration.

Vortex Structure Effects on Impingement, Effusion, and Cross Flow Cooling of a Double Wall Configuration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ligrani, P. M.

2018-03-01

A variety of different types of vortices and vortex structures have important influences on thermal protection, heat transfer augmentation, and cooling performance of impingement cooling, effusion cooling, and cross flow cooling. Of particular interest are horseshoe vortices, which form around the upstream portions of effusion coolant concentrations just after they exit individual holes, hairpin vortices, which develop nearby and adjacent to effusion coolant trajectories, and Kelvin-Helmholtz vortices which form within the shear layers that form around each impingement cooling jet. The influences of these different vortex structures are described as they affect and alter the thermal performance of effusion cooling, impingement cooling, and cross flow cooling, as applied to a double wall configuration.

Dissociation transition of a composite lattice of magnetic vortices in the flux-flow regime of two-band superconductors.

PubMed

Lin, Shi-Zeng; Bulaevskii, Lev N

2013-02-22

In multiband superconductors, each superconducting condensate supports vortices with fractional quantum flux. In the ground state, vortices in different bands are spatially bounded together to form a composite vortex, carrying one quantum flux Φ(0). Here we predict dissociation of the composite vortices lattice in the flux flow state due to the disparity of the vortex viscosity and flux of the vortex in different bands. For a small driving current, composite vortices start to deform, but the constituting vortices in different bands move with the same velocity. For a large current, composite vortices dissociate and vortices in different bands move with different velocities. The dissociation transition shows up as an increase of flux flow resistivity. In the dissociated phase, Shapiro steps are developed when an ac current is superimposed with a dc current.

A review of major progresses in mesoscale dynamic research in China since 1999

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Xiaoping; Lu, Hancheng; Ni, Yunqi; Tan, Zhemin

2004-06-01

Mesoscale research conducted by Chinese meteorologists during the past four years is reviewed. Advances in theoretical studies include (a) mesoscale quasi-balanced and semi-balanced dynamics, derived through scale analysis and the perturbation method which are suitable for describing mesoscale vortices; (b) subcritical instability and vortex-sheet instability; (c) frontal adjustment mechanism and the effect of topography on frontgenesis; and (d) slantwise vorticity development theories, the slantwise vortex equation, and moist potential vorticity (MPV) anomalies with precipitation-related heat and mass sinks and MPV impermeability theorem. From the MPV conservation viewpoint, the transformation mechanism between different scale weather systems is analyzed. Based on the data analysis, a new dew-point front near the periphery of the West Pacific subtropical high is identified. In the light of MPV theory and Q-vector theory, some events associated with torrential rain systems and severe storms are analyzed and diagnosed. Progress in mesoscale numerical simulation has been made in the development of meso-α, meso-β vortices, meso-γ-scale downbursts and precipitation produced by deep convective systems with MM5 and other mesoscale models.

Drifter observations of submesoscale flow kinematics in the coastal ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohlmann, J. C.; Molemaker, M. J.; Baschek, B.; Holt, B.; Marmorino, G.; Smith, G.

2017-01-01

Fronts and eddies identified with aerial guidance are seeded with drifters to quantify submesoscale flow kinematics. The Lagrangian observations show mean divergence and vorticity values that can exceed 5 times the Coriolis frequency. Values are the largest observed in the field to date and represent an extreme departure from geostrophic dynamics. The study also quantifies errors and biases associated with Lagrangian observations of the underlying velocity strain tensor. The greatest error results from undersampling, even with a large number of drifters. A significant bias comes from inhomogeneous sampling of convergent regions that accumulate drifters within a few hours of deployment. The study demonstrates a Lagrangian sampling paradigm for targeted submesoscale structures over a broad range of scales and presents flow kinematic values associated with vertical velocities O(10) m h-1 that can have profound implications on ocean biogeochemistry.

Smoke Flow Visualisation and Particle Image Velocimetry Measurements over a Generic Submarine Model

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-01

Edisp), scaling uncertainty (Escale) and timing uncertainty (Etime), . tLX EEE u E t scale scaleX timescaledisp u u 222 222 2 2...this study may be calculated from [7] as, , EE upres λ=ω (C.3) UNCLASSIFIED DSTO-TR-2944 UNCLASSIFIED 46 where Eu is the total PIV velocity...uncertainty in the vorticity is calculated by, .22 biaspres EEE ωωω += (C.6) Where the total uncertainty in the vorticity is expressed as

Characterization of quantum vortex dynamics in superfluid helium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meichle, David P.

Liquid helium obtains superfluid properties when cooled below the Lambda transition temperature of 2.17 K. A superfluid, which is a partial Bose Einstein condensate, has many exotic properties including free flow without friction, and ballistic instead of diffusive heat transport. A superfluid is also uniquely characterized by the presence of quantized vortices, dynamical line-like topological phase defects around which all circulation in the flow is constrained. Two vortices can undergo a violent process called reconnection when they approach, cross, and retract having exchanged tails. With a numerical examination of a local, linearized solution near reconnection we discovered a dynamically unstable stationary solution to the Gross-Pitaevskii equation, which was relaxed to a fully non-linear solution using imaginary time propagation. This investigation explored vortex reconnection in the context of the changing topology of the order parameter, a complex field governing the superfluid dynamics at zero temperature. The dynamics of the vortices can be studied experimentally by dispersing tracer particles into a superfluid flow and recording their motions with movie cameras. The pioneering work of Bewley et al. provided the first visualization technique using frozen gases to create tracer particles. Using this technique, we experimentally observed for the first time the excitation of helical traveling waves on a vortex core called Kelvin waves. Kelvin waves are thought to be a central mechanism for dissipation in this inviscid fluid, as they provide an efficient cascade mechanism for transferring energy from large to microscopic length scales. We examined the Kelvin waves in detail, and compared their dynamics in fully self-similar non-dimensional coordinates to theoretical predictions. Additionally, two experimental advances are presented. A newly invented technique for reliably dispersing robust, nanometer-scale fluorescent tracer particles directly into the superfluid is described. A detailed numerical investigation of the particle-vortex interactions provides novel calculations of the force trapping particles on vortices, and a scaling was found suggesting that smaller particles may remain bound to the vortices at much higher speeds than larger particles. Lastly, a new stereographic imaging system has been developed, allowing for the world-first three-dimensional reconstruction of individual particles and vortex filament trajectories. Preliminary data, including the first three-dimensional observation of a vortex reconnection are presented.

Straining and wrinkling processes during turbulence-premixed flame interaction measured using temporally-resolved diagnostics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Steinberg, Adam M.; Driscoll, James F.

2009-12-15

The dynamical processes of flame surface straining and wrinkling that occur as turbulence interacts with a premixed flame were measured using cinema-stereoscopic PIV (CS-PIV) and orthogonal-plane cinema-stereoscopic PIV (OPCS-PIV). These diagnostics provided temporally resolved measurements of turbulence-flame interaction at frame rates of up to 3 kHz and spatial resolutions as small as 280{mu} m. Previous descriptions of flame straining and wrinkling have typically been derived based on a canonical interaction between a pair of counter-rotating vortices and a planar flame surface. However, it was found that this configuration did not properly represent real turbulence-flame interaction. Interactions resembling the canonical configurationmore » were observed in less than 10% of the recorded frames. Instead, straining and wrinkling were generally caused more geometrically complex turbulence, consisting of large groups of structures that could be multiply curved and intertwined. The effect of the interaction was highly dependent on the interaction geometry. Furthermore, even when the turbulence did exist in the canonical geometry, the straining and wrinkling of the flame surface were not well characterized by the vortical structures. A new mechanistic description of the turbulence-flame interaction was therefore identified and confirmed by the measurements. In this description, flame surface straining is caused by coherent structures of fluid-dynamic strain-rate (strain-rate structures). The role of vortical structures is to curve existing flame surface, creating wrinkles. By simultaneously considering both forms of turbulent structure, turbulence-flame interactions in both the canonical configuration and more complex geometries could be understood. (author)« less

Discrete-vortex simulation of pulsating flow on a turbulent leading-edge separation bubble

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sung, Hyung Jin; Rhim, Jae Wook; Kiya, Masaru

1992-01-01

Studies are made of the turbulent separation bubble in a two-dimensional semi-infinite blunt plate aligned to a uniform free stream with a pulsating component. The discrete-vortex method is applied to simulate this flow situation because this approach is effective for representing the unsteady motions of the turbulent shear layer and the effect of viscosity near the solid surface. The numerical simulation provides reasonable predictions when compared with the experimental results. A particular frequency with a minimum reattachment is related to the drag reduction. The most effective frequency is dependent on the amplified shedding frequency. The turbulent flow structure is scrutinized. This includes the time-mean and fluctuations of the velocity and the surface pressure, together with correlations between the fluctuating components. A comparison between the pulsating flow and the non-pulsating flow at the particular frequency of the minimum reattachment length of the separation bubble suggests that the large-scale vortical structure is associated with the shedding frequency and the flow instabilities.

Mechanism of tonal noise generation from circular cylinder with spiral fin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamashita, Ryo; Hayashi, Hidechito; Okumura, Tetsuya; Hamakawa, Hiromitsu

2014-12-01

The pitch of the spiral finned tube influences seriously to the acoustic resonance in the heat exchanger. In this research, the flow characteristics in relating to the aeolian tone from the finned cylinder are studied by the numerical simulation. It is observed that the tonal noise generated from the finned tube at two pitch spaces. The ratio of the fin pitch to the cylinder diameter is changed at 0.11 and 0.27. The tone level increases and the frequency decreases with the pitch shorter. The separation flow from the cylinder generates the span-wise vortices, Karman vortices, and the separation flow from the fin generates the stream-wise vortices. When the fin pitch ratio is small, the stream-wise vortices line up to span-wise and become weak rapidly. Only the Karman vortices are remained and integrate in span. So the Karman vortex became large. This causes the low frequency and the large aeolian tone.