Two vortex-blob regularization models for vortex sheet motion

Abstract

Evolving vortex sheets generally form singularities in finite time. The vortex blob model is an approach to regularize the vortex sheet motion and evolve past singularity formation. In this paper, we thoroughly compare two such regularizations: the Krasny-type model and the Beale-Majda model. It is found from a linear stability analysis that both models have exponentially decaying growth rates for high wavenumbers, but the Beale-Majda model has a faster decaying rate than the Krasny model. The Beale-Majda model thus gives a stronger regularization to the solution. We apply the blob models to the two example problems: a periodic vortex sheet and an elliptically loaded wing. The numerical results show that the solutions of the two models are similar in large and small scales, but are fairly different in intermediate scales. The sheet of the Beale-Majda model has more spiral turns than the Krasny-type model for the same value of the regularization parameter δ. We give numerical evidences that the solutions of the two models agree for an increasing amount of spiral turns and tend to converge to the same limit as δ is decreased. The inner spiral turns of the blob models behave differently with the outer turns and satisfy a self-similar form. We also examine irregular motions of the sheet at late times and find that the irregular motions shrink as δ is decreased. This fact suggests a convergence of the blob solution to the weak solution of infinite regular spiral turns.