Stability of symmetric vortex flow over slender bodies and possibility of control by local gas heating

Abstract

Stability properties of vortex structure over slender bodies at high angles of attack and instability mechanism are the subjects of many experimental and computational studies, most of which are observed in [1, 2]. However, the reasons and mechanism of spontaneous symmetric flow breaking are not established up to now. In the first part of the present paper, a criterion for asymmetry origin for slender conical bodies is obtained using slender body theory [3] and catastrophe theory [4]. The theoretical results are verified by comparison with experimental data [5-8]; they helped to explain most of experimental observations and numerical simulations. In the second part, based on the obtained criterion and numerical solutions of boundary layer equations evaluations are made to estimate an effectiveness of global flow structure control method using local volumetric or surface gas heating. Qualitative confirmation of these estimations was done in experiments [7, 8] with gas heating by plasma discharge.