Periodic Vortex Research Articles

Effect of settling vortex of coal slime flocs with different sizes on the settlement of microfine particles

This article explores the flow field changes and micro vortex formation mechanisms caused by coagulation and sedimentation of coal slurry flocs of different sizes. The collision adhesion rate, motion trajectory and force analysis of fine particles under micro vortex disturbance. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) and high-speed camera were used to capture deposition process of coal slime flocs, the changes of flow field and fine particles were analyzed by numerical simulation. The smaller flocs form a single vortex ane larger flocs show periodic vortex shedding, resulting in increase fluid velocity and larger interference area. The collision adhesion rate of fine particles in the 3.4 mm floc settling disturbance area is the largest, 9.45 %;Particles<0.3 mm are easily sucked into vortices, while particles>0.3 mm are disturbed by vortices and change their motion trajectory towards the vortex center. It is mainly affected by gravity, pressure gradient force, flow field resistance, and centrifugal force.

Design Parameters Affecting the Performance of Vortex-Induced Vibration Harvesters

Vortex-induced vibration harvesters are usually equipped with small piezoelectric patches mounted near the cantilever clamp, where the largest longitudinal stress occurs. This paper, aiming to improve energy harvesting performance, investigates the possibilities of extending the patch length and modifying the length and mass of a bluff body mounted on a harvester to induce vortex shedding. A novel analytical model based on dimensionless numbers is presented to determine the output voltage generated by a cantilever harvester subjected to periodic vortex shedding. This model highlights the design parameters having the largest influence on harvester performance and provides guidance to the planning of experimental tests and the interpretation of experimental results. Some prototype harvesters with different designs are built. First, experimental tests are carried out to identify the natural frequencies and damping ratios of the prototypes; then, the prototypes are tested in a wind tunnel to assess energy harvesting performance. The best performance is achieved when the patch length is about 20% of the cantilever length, the bluff body is long, and its mass reaches the minimum value. This result agrees with the prediction of the model.

Numerical research on two typical flow structures and aerodynamic drag characteristics of blunt-nosed trains

Purpose This study aims to provide new insights into aerodynamic drag reduction for increasingly faster blunt-nosed trains, such as urban and freight trains. Specifically, this work investigates two distinctly different wake structures and associated aerodynamic drag of blunt-nosed trains. Design/methodology/approach Three typical cases of blunt-nosed trains with 1-, 2- and 3-m nose lengths are selected. The time-averaged and unsteady flow structures around the trains are analyzed using the improved delayed detached eddy simulation model and proper orthogonal decomposition method. Findings The simulation results indicate that for 2- and 3-m nose lengths, the flow separates at first and then reattaches to the slanted surface of the tail, with a pair of longitudinal vortices dominating the wake. In contrast, for the 1-m nose length case, the wake structure is characterized by complete separation, attributed to the larger curvature of the slanted tail surface. Consequently, the total time-averaged drag coefficient is reduced by 27.2% and 19.2% for the 1-m nose length case compared to the 2- and 3-m cases, respectively. Moreover, the predominant unsteady structures with Strouhal numbers St = 0.30 and St = 0.28 are detected in the near-wake of the 2- and 3-m nose length cases, respectively. These structures result from periodic vortex shedding at the lower slanted tail surface. In contrast, for the 1-m nose length case, the predominant unsteady structure with St = 0.19 is induced by the nearly periodic expansion and contraction of the upper bubbles. Originality/value Two distinctly different wake structures in blunt-nosed trains are identified. Unlike high-speed trains with longer, streamlined noses, for blunt-nosed trains, shorter nose lengths result in lower aerodynamic drag. Insights for reducing energy consumption in blunt-nosed trains are provided.

Hydrodynamic moiré superlattice.

The structural periodicity in photonic crystals guarantees the crystal's effective energy band structure, which is the fundamental cornerstone of topological and moiré physics. However, the shear modulus in most fluids is close to zero, which makes it challenging for fluids to maintain spatial periodicity akin to photonic crystals. We realized periodic vortices in hydrodynamic metamaterials and created a bilayer moiré superlattice by stacking and twisting two such vortex fluids. We observed energy delocalization and localization when the twist angles, respectively, result in the Pythagorean and non-Pythagorean triples in the fluidic moiré superlattice. Anomalous localization was found even in commensurate moiré fluids with large lattice constants that satisfy Pythagorean triples. Our work reports the moiré phenomena in fluids and opens an unexpected door to controlling the energy transfer, mass transport, and particle navigation through the elaborate dynamics of vortices in fluidic moiré superlattices.

Zonal flow instability induced by nonlinear inertial waves in a librating cylinder with sloping ends

This paper compares the nonlinear dynamics of two key types of motion observed in a rotating liquid-filled cavity subject to external forcing: an inertial wave attractor and resonant inertial oscillations (inertial modes). Experiments are performed with a cavity having a specific shape of a truncated circular cylinder delimited by plane-parallel end walls inclined with respect to the cylinder base. The cavity rotation axis coincides with the axis of the cylindrical surface. Libration-type forcing is introduced by harmonic modulation of the background rotation frequency. The sloping end walls break the axial symmetry of the liquid domain: the shape of the axial-radial cross sections varies from parallelogram to rectangle depending on the azimuthal angle. It is found that, regardless of the liquid response type (wave attractor or inertial modes), the transition from linear to nonlinear dynamics follows the scenario of triadic resonance instability. However, the time-averaged zonal flow responds differently to the primary wave instability. Inertial-mode instability generates a system of azimuthally periodic averaged vortices, whose frequency coincides with the subharmonic frequency of the triadic resonance. At high libration amplitudes, a low-frequency component appears in the azimuthal velocity spectrum, being associated with excitation of the retrograde system of vortices. The development of the weakly nonlinear regime of the wave attractor is accompanied by the instability of the viscous boundary layers—fine-scale pattern formation occurs close to the reflection zones of the attractor branches at the cylindrical sidewall. In the strongly nonlinear wave regime, coherent vortex structures are excited, performing azimuthal and radial drifts.

Self-excited oscillations of three-dimensional collapsible tubes conveying both laminar and turbulent flows

This study investigates self-excited oscillations of three-dimensional collapsible tubes conveying both laminar and turbulent flows, using an immersed boundary-lattice Boltzmann method. The effects of Reynolds number (Re) on these oscillations are explored, revealing that at Re = 200, periodic vortex shedding downstream of the tube throat induces small-amplitude, quasi-periodic self-excited oscillations. Notably, stress concentrations near the downstream end of the elastic tube lead to the formation of two regions of wall thickening, which may predispose the elastic tube to fatigue failure. At higher turbulent flow conditions (Re = 1000), flow bifurcation occurs, resulting in large-amplitude, quasi-periodic oscillations. These oscillations are similarly driven by vortex shedding, which imparts periodic perturbations onto the elastic tube wall. Additionally, analysis at two monitoring points within the downstream rigid tube reveals small secondary oscillations in pressure and streamwise velocity. These secondary oscillations are attributed to the merging jets and their interactions within the downstream rigid tube.

Numerical simulation study of vortex cavitation and induced pulsation characteristics in spiral lobe pumps

Lobe pumps are used in many different sectors because of their versatility and effectiveness for managing multiphase flows. In this study, three-dimensional unsteady numerical simulations are performed to evaluate the vortex cavitation phenomenon in these pumps. The work combines dynamic meshing techniques, advanced vortex recognition methods, and a full cavitation model to provide insight into the genesis, evolution, and influence of vortex cavitation on pump performance. The results of the study demonstrate that under high-speed and high-pressure conditions, vortex flow occurs at the edge of the rear of the rotor lobe in the suction chamber of the lobe pump, resulting in the production of vortex cavitation. Cavitation is most strong at the core of the vortex, while the degree of cavitation at the edge of the vortex gradually diminished. The gas volume fraction reduces from 0.135 to 0.0832, and this makes the pressure decrease from 1.055 to 1.02 MP. The process of genesis, development, and removal of vortex cavitation is cyclic. At different levels of cavitation, the degree of pulsation in pump outlet flow, pressure, and radial force increases with increasing cavitation. Periodic vortex cavitation leads to periodic changes in pump output pressure, flow rate, radial force, and axial force.

Dynamics of vortex cap solutions on the rotating unit sphere

In this work, we analytically study the existence of periodic vortex cap solutions for the homogeneous and incompressible Euler equations on the rotating unit 2-sphere, which was numerically conjectured in [28,29,60,61]. Such solutions are piecewise constant vorticity distributions, subject to the Gauss constraint and rotating uniformly around the vertical axis. The proof is based on the bifurcation from zonal solutions given by spherical caps. For the one–interface case, the bifurcation eigenvalues correspond to Burbea's frequencies obtained in the planar case but shifted by the rotation speed of the sphere. The two–interfaces case (also called band type or strip type solutions) is more delicate. Though, for any fixed large enough symmetry, and under some non-degeneracy conditions to avoid spectral collisions, we achieve the existence of at most two branches of bifurcation.

Noise Source Identification for the Unsteady Low-Pressure Turbine Flow Fields

Abstract The article presents a data processing methodology to identify the noise sources in low-pressure turbine (LPT) stages and their relative importance. Scale adaptive simulation (SAS) has been carried out on a geometry reproducing the midspan blade section of an entire LPT stage. The proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) is applied to data matrices constructed with the velocity and the pressure fields in order to distinctly extract the coherent structures responsible for velocity fluctuations and pressure waves (i.e., POD modes from the corresponding kernel), their temporal evolution and energies. The cross-correlation matrices of the pressure modes and the velocity modes reveal the degree of coupling between pressure and velocity oscillations, thus highlighting the modes linked to the same flow phenomena. The results show that the periodic vortex shedding at the stator trailing edge emits strong pressure waves, and the upstream-propagating waves reflect against the adjacent stator suction surface. The POD modes related to the rotor–stator interaction show peak amplitudes at the blade passing frequency and its harmonics and their shapes mimic the potential interaction in the stator domain and the migration of viscous wakes in the rotor domain. The POD modes with lower energy content correspond to the stochastic turbulent structures originated from the turbulent boundary layers as well as those carried by the vane and blade wakes. The biggest noise sources of the current flow fields are identified to be the von Karman vortex street downstream the stator trailing edge and the rotor–stator interaction.

Quantifying the Tip Leakage Vortex Wandering in a Low-Speed Axial Flow Fan via URANS Simulation

The tip leakage vortex is a dominant noise and aerodynamic loss source of low-speed axial flow fans. The tip leakage vortex often has an unsteady behavior, like the periodic motion of the vortex core: the so-called vortex wandering. This periodic vortex wandering results in additional noise, aerodynamic loss, and an oscillation in the moment acting on the blading, which causes an unfavorable vibration of the rotor. In the research campaigns focusing on vortex wandering, complicated measurement techniques (PIV) or high-fidelity but computationally costly simulations are commonly used. The present paper aims to introduce a relatively cost-effective unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes simulation-based investigation method of vortex wandering. The capabilities of the proposed technique are presented through a low-speed axial flow fan case study.

Spatiotemporal structure of flow field by a dielectric-barrier-discharge plasma actuator using phase-resolved particle image velocimetry

A typical dielectric-barrier-discharge plasma actuator (DBD-PA) operating in continuous mode generates a self-similar starting vortex followed by a quasi-steady wall jet. In the burst mode, it generates periodic vortices, leading to a spatially wider mean flow field. The characteristics of periodic vortices can be controlled by adjusting the duty cycle α and burst frequency fb of the actuation signal. In the present study, the flow field generated by the actuator in burst mode is studied for 50%≥α≤90%, and 10 Hz ≥fb≤90 Hz. The Reynolds number of mean flow based on the maximum induced velocity and jet half-width ranges from 171 to 524. High-speed laser-sheet visualization and time-resolved particle image velocimetry are used for flow field measurements. The flow field generated during burst mode operation shows the strong influence of the burst frequency. Periodic vortices with comparable size and convection speed of starting vortex are generated at low fb. Dipoles and small-scale vortices are formed at moderate fb similar to the behavior of a transitional wall jet. Kelvin–Helmholtz instability is observed at higher burst frequency. An ornamental vortex consisting of several small periodic vortices is formed at high values of fb during the starting period. Based on the temporal evolution of momentum, the flow field generated by the DBD-PA can be classified into (i) starting flow regime, (ii) transitional flow regime, and (iii) periodic flow regime. The self-similarity of the mean flow field generated by the DBD-PA is verified by comparing the mean velocity profile at multiple downstream locations with the self-similar solutions of laminar and turbulent wall jets. The entrainment coefficient of the mean flow field is similar to that of an axisymmetric turbulent wall jet. The bi-orthogonal analysis shows that both coherent mode energy content and the entropy are minimum (about 5% only) for the continuous mode actuation. For the burst mode actuation, both the coherent mode energy content and the entropy are higher in magnitude compared to that of continuous mode and decrease with increasing burst frequency. The vortices in the periodic flow regime are locked in with fb. The distance between subsequent vortices, λx and flow frequency, f follow a power-law relationship, λx=cf−n, where c is a constant and n can be approximated as 2/3.

Unsteady Propeller Wake Interference on Wing in Tractor Configuration at Low-Reynolds-Number Condition

This study investigates the unsteady interaction between the propeller slipstream and NACA0012 airfoil, which causes laminar separation at a moderate angle of attack and nonlinear aerodynamic characteristics at low Reynolds numbers. The Reynolds number based on chord length was set to c, and the propeller advance ratio was set to J=0.8. Wind-tunnel experiments were conducted, including aerodynamic force measurement and time-resolved particle image velocimetry visualization. Regarding time-averaged characteristics, the propeller installed condition exhibits a linear change in lift; reduced drag; and, consequently, an improved lift-to-drag ratio. Consistent with the aerodynamic characteristics, suppressed separation and reduction in wake deficit are confirmed in the time-averaged flowfields. Additionally, vortex formation and shedding synchronized with propeller rotation are observed in unsteady flowfields at the middle and high angles of attack. This periodic and large-scale vortex structure suggests the possibility of further improving the performance of the propeller–wing system in low Reynolds numbers.

Experimental Study of the Periodic Vortex Shedding and Lock-in Region of an NACA4412 Airfoil

Experimental Study of the Periodic Vortex Shedding and Lock-in Region of an NACA4412 Airfoil

Study on vortex structure and hydrodynamic characteristics of water-exit projectile with shoulder ventilation

During the vertical motion of a water-exit projectile, the gas stored inside is expelled from the shoulder under the effect of pressure differential, forming a ventilated cavity covering the surface of the projectile. This paper explores the vortex structure characteristics of the surface ventilated cavity through numerical simulation and summarizes its impact on the hydrodynamic characteristics of the water-exit projectile. It was found that the end of the shoulder ventilated cavity presents a periodic vortex shedding form. And the existence of the shoulder ventilated cavity can reduce the vertical resistance of the projectile, improve the vertical movement speed, and play a role in load reduction and drag reduction. Additionally, the lateral displacement of the projectile at the moment of water exit decreases by approximately 45.2%, and the deviation angle reduces by about 55.6%, significantly improving the stabilization of its water exit posture. This indicates that the presence of the shoulder ventilated cavity can effectively enhance the hydrodynamic performance of the projectile.

Effects of offset jet width on periodic flow in a dual jet

The primary aim of this work is to investigate the impact of the offset jet width on the unsteady flow characteristics of a turbulent dual jet, which consists of a wall jet and an offset jet. A computational fluid dynamics code is developed to solve the unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) equations. The width of the offset jet is varied while keeping the width of the wall jet constant at the separation distance between the two jets. When the ratio of the offset jet width (w) to the separation distance (d) is w/d=0.5, the flow field exhibits a periodic vortex shedding phenomenon. Conversely, when w/d=0.4, the flow field remains steady. The shedding phenomenon is discernible even when w/d=2. The instantaneous velocity components display sinusoidal oscillations at 0.5≤w/d≤2. Applying the fast Fourier transform to these sinusoidal signals yields a distinct frequency peak at the vortex shedding frequency. Within the range of 0.5≤w/d≤2, the shedding frequency decreases as the width of the offset jet increases. This trend continues until it reaches a constant value at w/d=1.4. This indicates that the width of the offset jet has a notable influence on the shedding phenomenon within the range of 0.5≤w/d≤1.4. For 1.4<w/d≤2, the shedding frequency remains unaffected by the offset jet width variation. Depending on the value of w/d, the shedding phenomenon is characterized by three flow regimes: a steady flow regime (forw/d≤0.4), an outer share layer-influenced shedding regime (for w/d=0.5−1.4), and an outer shear layer-free shedding regime (for w/d>1.4).

An exploration of the wake of an in-stream water wheel

Research on low-impact, low capital-cost hydropower is increasing as efforts to decarbonise energy systems accelerate. The in-stream water wheel can potentially aid in this decarbonisation effort, but there is little research into the fluid environment around these turbines. This is despite the potential impact that the fluid environment can have on turbine power characteristics and hydrography of the local stream. This paper provides a qualitative analysis of the wake of an in-stream water wheel using dye injection and analysis, supported by quantitative analysis of the near-wake using particle image velocimetry. The results demonstrate that the wake of an in-stream water wheel is primarily characterised by large periodic vortices generated by the shedding of the leading edge vortex as the blade rotates through the fluid, with smaller counter-rotating vortices shed as the local flow angle reverses near the blade entry and exit. The wake maintains a coherent structure three diameters downstream of the turbine, which could potentially impact the power generation of downstream turbines. This wake coherence is largely consistent across different numbers of turbine blades and blade depth ratios.

Current-controlled periodic double-polarity reversals in a spin-torque vortex oscillator

Micromagnetic simulations are used to study a spin-torque vortex oscillator excited by an out-of-plane dc current. The vortex core gyration amplitude is confined between two orbits due to periodical vortex core polarity reversals. The upper limit corresponds to the orbit where the vortex core reaches its critical velocity triggering the first polarity reversal which is immediately followed by a second one. After this double polarity reversal, the vortex core is on a smaller orbit that defines the lower limit of the vortex core gyration amplitude. This double reversal process is a periodic phenomenon and its frequency, as well as the upper and lower limit of the vortex core gyration, is controlled by the input current density while the vortex chirality determines the apparition of this confinement regime. In this non-linear regime, the vortex core never reaches a stable orbit and thus, it can be of interest for neuromorphic application as a leaky integrate-and-fire neuron for example.

Microreactor with coupled oscillatory flow: Research on liquid–solid two-phase characteristics and clogging mechanism

Dealing with multiphase systems containing solid particles in microreactor is a great challenge. Herein, microreactor with coupled oscillation technology was designed to explore clogging mechanism. The simulation revealed that no vortex was generated in the straight-tube microreactor. In the helical microreactor, the vortex could be generated and destroyed periodically. Second, the deposition clogging mechanism was explored. Solid particles were deposited and agglomerated without oscillation. After coupled oscillation, agglomerations were reduced, but deposition still existed in the straight microreactor. In the helical microreactor, the deposition phenomenon could be eliminated. Finally, the bridging clogging mechanism was explored. Solid particles were deposited first and then bridged without oscillation, forming a local high viscosity zone, and eventually completely clogging the reactor. After coupled oscillation, it was difficult to destroy the bridging behavior in the straight microreactor. In the helical microreactor, the periodic vortex could effectively destroy the bridging structure and the particles flowed uniformly.

Actuation manifold from snapshot data

We propose a data-driven methodology to learn a low-dimensional manifold of controlled flows. The starting point is resolving snapshot flow data for a representative ensemble of actuations. Key enablers for the actuation manifold are isometric mapping as encoder, and a combination of a neural network and a $k$ -nearest-neighbour interpolation as decoder. This methodology is tested for the fluidic pinball, a cluster of three parallel cylinders perpendicular to the oncoming uniform flow. The centres of these cylinders are the vertices of an equilateral triangle pointing upstream. The flow is manipulated by constant rotation of the cylinders, i.e. described by three actuation parameters. The Reynolds number based on a cylinder diameter is chosen to be $30$ . The unforced flow yields statistically symmetric periodic shedding represented by a one-dimensional limit cycle. The proposed methodology yields a five-dimensional manifold describing a wide range of dynamics with small representation error. Interestingly, the manifold coordinates automatically unveil physically meaningful parameters. Two of them describe the downstream periodic vortex shedding. The other three describe the near-field actuation, i.e. the strength of boat-tailing, the Magnus effect and forward stagnation point. The manifold is shown to be a key enabler for control-oriented flow estimation.

The localized excitation on the Weierstrass elliptic function periodic background for the (3+1)-dimensional generalized variable-coefficient Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equation

In this paper, the linear spectral problem associated with the (3+1)-dimensional generalized variable-coefficient Kadomtsev-Petviashvili (gvcKP) equation with the Weierstrass function as the external potential is investigated based on the Lamé function, from which some new localized nonlinear wave solutions on the Weierstrass elliptic ℘-function periodic background are obtained by the Darboux transformation. The degenerate solutions on the ℘-function periodic background for the gvcKP equation can be derived by taking the limits of the half-periods ω 1, ω 2 of ℘(x), whose evolution and corresponding dynamics are also discussed. The findings show that nonlinear waves on the ℘-function periodic background behave as different types of nonlinear waves in different spaces, including periodic waves, vortex solitons and interaction solutions, aiding in elucidating some physical phenomena in the related fields, such as the physical ocean and nonlinear optics.