Numerical simulation of precessing vortex core dumping by localized nonstationary heat source

Abstract

The precessing vortex core (PVC) is a crucial structure for many technical devices with the heat release. For this purpose, we performed the 3D numerical simulations of PVC in the swirling flow created in the open tube with the paraxial nonstationary heat source. Power of the source was modulated by sinusoidal law. We showed that three turbulence models give the qualitatively similar dependences of PVC frequency and amplitude on the heat-source power. The numerical simulation demonstrated that the obtained PVC is a left-handed co-rotated bending single-vortex structure. For considered values of the swirl and mass flow rate, we obtained that, for wide range of modulation frequencies, the growth of the heat-source power leads to gradual increase in the PVC frequency and slow change in the amplitude of vortex core oscillations. However, for specific modulation frequency, which depends on the tube geometry, dependencies of the PVC frequency and the amplitudes of oscillations have distinct maximum and minimum. Which means that, under specific conditions, flow pattern changes dramatically and precession is almost dumped at the relatively low values of heat power.