Solid-body Rotation Flow Research Articles

Dynamics of a perturbed solid-body rotation flow in a finite-length straight rotating pipe

Direct numerical simulations are used to study the three-dimensional, incompressible and viscous flow dynamics of a base solid-body rotation flow with a uniform axial velocity entering a rotating, finite-length, straight circular pipe. Steady in time profiles of the axial, radial and circumferential velocities are prescribed along the pipe inlet. The convective boundary conditions for each velocity flux component is set at the pipe outlet. The simulation results describe the neutral stability line in response to either axisymmetric or three-dimensional perturbations in a diagram of Reynolds number ($Re$, based on inlet axial velocity and pipe radius) versus the incoming flow swirl ratio ($\unicode[STIX]{x1D714}$). This line is in good agreement with the neutral stability line recently predicted by the linear stability theory of Wang et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 797, 2016, pp. 284–321). The computed time history of the velocity components at a certain point in the flow is used to describe three-dimensional phase portraits of the flow global dynamics and its long-term behaviour. They show three types of flow evolution scenarios. First, the Wang & Rusak (Phys. Fluids, vol. 8 (4), 1996, pp. 1007–1016) axisymmetric instability mechanism and evolution to a stable axisymmetric breakdown state is recovered at certain operational conditions in terms of $Re$ and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D714}$. However, at other operational conditions with same $\unicode[STIX]{x1D714}$ but with a higher $Re$, a second scenario is found. The axisymmetric breakdown state continues to evolve and a spiral instability mode appears on it and grows to a rotating spiral breakdown state. Moreover, at higher levels of $\unicode[STIX]{x1D714}$ a third scenario is found where there exists a dominant three-dimensional spiral type of instability mode that agrees with the linear stability theory of Wang et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 797, 2016, pp. 284–321). The growth of this mode leads directly to a spiral type of flow roll-up and nonlinearly saturates on a rotating spiral type of vortex breakdown. The Reynolds–Orr equation is used to reveal the mechanism that drives all the instabilities as well as the nonlinear global flow evolution. At high swirl ratios, the confined kinetic energy in the swirling flow can be triggered to be released through various physical agents, such as the asymmetric inlet–outlet conditions, that eliminate axial homogeneity along the pipe and induce flow instabilities and evolution to breakdown states. It is also shown that local instability analysis or its extension using the assumption of a weakly non-parallel flow to conduct convective instability–absolute instability analyses is definitely not related to any of the instability modes found in the present study. Moreover, a stability study based on the strongly non-parallel flow character, including axial inhomogeneity due to a finite-domain boundary conditions, must be conducted to reveal instabilities in such flows.

Einstein–Bose condensation of Onsager vortices

We have studied statistical mechanics of a gas of vortices in two dimensions. We introduce a new observable—a condensate fraction of Onsager vortices—to quantify the emergence of the vortex condensate. The condensation of Onsager vortices is most transparently observed in a single vortex species system and occurs due to a competition between solid body rotation (see vortex lattice) and potential flow (see multiple quantum vortex state). We propose an experiment to observe the condensation transition of the vortices in such a single vortex species system.

Impact of a small ellipticity on the sustainability condition of developed turbulence in a precessing spheroid

An experimental investigation shows that the small ellipticity of a precessing spheroidal cavity has a significant impact on the flow transition from solid-body rotational flow to developed turbulence of a confined fluid. In contrast, the developed turbulence in the spheroid is almost identical to that in the sphere.

Mesh-free semi-Lagrangian methods for transport on a sphere using radial basis functions

We present three new semi-Lagrangian methods based on radial basis function (RBF) interpolation for numerically simulating transport on a sphere. The methods are mesh-free and are formulated entirely in Cartesian coordinates, thus avoiding any irregular clustering of nodes at artificial boundaries on the sphere and naturally bypassing any apparent artificial singularities associated with surface-based coordinate systems. For problems involving tracer transport in a given velocity field, the semi-Lagrangian framework allows these new methods to avoid the use of any stabilization terms (such as hyperviscosity) during time-integration, thus reducing the number of parameters that have to be tuned. The three new methods are based on interpolation using 1) global RBFs, 2) local RBF stencils, and 3) RBF partition of unity. For the latter two of these methods, we find that it is crucial to include some low degree spherical harmonics in the interpolants. Standard test cases consisting of solid body rotation and deformational flow are used to compare and contrast the methods in terms of their accuracy, efficiency, conservation properties, and dissipation/dispersion errors. For global RBFs, spectral spatial convergence is observed for smooth solutions on quasi-uniform nodes, while high-order accuracy is observed for the local RBF stencil and partition of unity approaches.

Self-driven particles in linear flows and trapped in a harmonic potential.

We present analytical expressions for the mean-square displacement of self-driven particles in general linear flows and trapped in a harmonic potential. The general expressions are applied to three types of linear flows, namely, shear flow, solid-body rotation flow, and extensional flow. By using Brownian dynamics simulations, the effect of trapping and external linear flows on the particles' distribution is also elucidated. These simulations also enabled us to validate our theoretical results.

Tracking particles in flows near invariant manifolds via balance functions

Particles moving inside a fluid near, and interacting with, invariant manifolds is a common phenomenon in a wide variety of applications. One elementary question is whether we can determine once a particle has entered a neighbourhood of an invariant manifold, when it leaves again. Here we approach this problem mathematically by introducing balance functions, which relate the entry and exit points of a particle by an integral variational formula. We define, study, and compare different natural choices for balance functions and conclude that an efficient compromise is to employ normal infinitesimal Lyapunov exponents. We apply our results to two different model flows: a regularized solid-body rotational flow and the asymmetric Kuhlmann--Muldoon model developed in the context of liquid bridges. Furthermore, we employ full numerical simulations of the Navier-Stokes equations of a two-way coupled particle in a shear--stress-driven cavity to test balance functions for a particle moving near an invariant wall. In conclusion, our theoretically-developed framework seems to be applicable to models as well as data to understand particle motion near invariant manifolds.

Extending High‐Order Flux Operators on Spherical Icosahedral Grids and Their Applications in the Framework of a Shallow Water Model

AbstractThis study extends a set of unstructured third/fourth‐order flux operators on spherical icosahedral grids from two perspectives. First, the fifth‐order and sixth‐order flux operators of this kind are further extended, and the nominally second‐order to sixth‐order operators are then compared based on the solid body rotation and deformational flow tests. Results show that increasing the nominal order generally leads to smaller absolute errors. Overall, the standard fifth‐order scheme generates the smallest errors in limited and unlimited tests, although it does not enhance the convergence rate. Even‐order operators show higher limiter sensitivity than the odd‐order operators. Second, a triangular version of these high‐order operators is repurposed for transporting the potential vorticity in a space‐time‐split shallow water framework. Results show that a class of nominally third‐order upwind‐biased operators generates better results than second‐order and fourth‐order counterparts. The increase of the potential enstrophy over time is suppressed owing to the damping effect. The grid‐scale noise in the vorticity is largely alleviated, and the total energy remains conserved. Moreover, models using high‐order operators show smaller numerical errors in the vorticity field because of a more accurate representation of the nonlinear Coriolis term. This improvement is especially evident in the Rossby‐Haurwitz wave test, in which the fluid is highly rotating. Overall, high‐order flux operators with higher damping coefficients, which essentially behave like the Anticipated Potential Vorticity Method, present better results.

Instability modes on a solid-body-rotation flow in a finite-length pipe

Numerical solutions of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations are obtained to study the time evolution of both axisymmetric and three-dimensional perturbations to a base solid-body-rotation flow in a finite-length pipe with non-periodic boundary conditions imposed at the pipe inlet and outlet. It is found that for a given Reynolds number there exists a critical swirl number beyond which the initial perturbations grow, in contrast to the solid-body rotation flow in an infinitely-long pipe or a finite-length pipe with periodic inlet and exit boundary conditions for which the classical Kelvin analysis and Rayleigh stability criterion affirm neutrally stable for all levels of swirl. This paper uncovers for the first time the detailed evolution of the perturbations in both the axisymmetric and three-dimensional situations. The computations reveal a linear growth stage of the perturbations with a constant growth rate after a brief initial period of decay of the imposed initial perturbations. The fastest growing axisymmetric and three-dimensional instability modes and the associated growth rates are identified numerically for the first time. The computations show that the critical swirl number increases and the growth rate of instability decreases at the same swirl number with decreasing Reynolds number. The growth rate of the axisymmetric mode at high Reynolds number agrees well with previous stability theory for inviscid flow. More importantly, three-dimensional simulations uncover that the most unstable mode is the spiral type m = 1 mode, which appears at a lower critical swirl number than that for the onset of the axisymmetric mode. This spiral mode grows faster than the unstable axisymmetric mode at the same swirl. Moreover, the computations reveal that after the linear growing stage of the perturbation the flow continues to evolve nonlinearly to a saturated axisymmetric vortex breakdown state.

Imaginary particle tracking accelerometry based on time-resolved velocity fields

An accurate calculation of material acceleration is important for particle image velocimetry-based pressure reconstruction. Therefore, an imaginary particle tracking accelerometry (IPTA) approach based on time-resolved velocity fields is described in this paper for a better determination of acceleration. Multi-velocity fields and a least squares polynomial fitting of the velocity along imaginary particle trajectories are introduced to improve the acceleration accuracy. The process of imaginary particle tracking is operated iteratively until a convergence condition is satisfied. Then the Lagrangian acceleration (or the material acceleration in the Eulerian coordinates) is acquired by the first-order time derivation of the fitting polynomial. In addition, the sensitivity of the IPTA approach to different levels of noise and parameters that affect its performance is investigated. A criterion is proposed to determine these parameters when using IPTA to calculate the acceleration. Performance of the IPTA method is compared with other velocity-based accelerometry methods, including both Eulerian and Lagrangian methods. Assessments are conducted in a synthetic solid body rotation flow, a synthetic flow of a vortex ring, and an experimental jet flow. The results show that IPTA is a robust method for experimental acceleration determination that can both improve the accuracy of acceleration and provide better physical characteristics of the flow field.

The energy transfer mechanism of a perturbed solid-body rotation flow in a rotating pipe

Three-dimensional direct numerical simulations of a solid-body rotation superposed on a uniform axial flow entering a rotating constant-area pipe of finite length are presented. Steady in time profiles of the radial, axial, and circumferential velocities are imposed at the pipe inlet. Convective boundary conditions are imposed at the pipe outlet. The Wang and Rusak (Phys. Fluids 8:1007–1016, 1996. doi:10.1063/1.86882) axisymmetric instability mechanism is retrieved at certain operational conditions in terms of incoming flow swirl levels and the Reynolds number. However, at other operational conditions there exists a dominant, three-dimensional spiral type of instability mode that is consistent with the linear stability theory of Wang et al. (J. Fluid Mech. 797: 284–321, 2016). The growth of this mode leads to a spiral type of flow roll-up that subsequently nonlinearly saturates on a large amplitude rotating spiral wave. The energy transfer mechanism between the bulk of the flow and the perturbations is studied by the Reynolds-Orr equation. The production or loss of the perturbation kinetic energy is combined of three components: the viscous loss, the convective loss at the pipe outlet, and the gain of energy at the outlet through the work done by the pressure perturbation. The energy transfer in the nonlinear stage is shown to be a natural extension of the linear stage with a nonlinear saturated process.

A triple-exposure color PIV technique for pressure reconstruction

The study developed a triple-exposure color particle image velocimetry (TE-CPIV) technique associated with pressure reconstruction, and validated its feasibility. A light source with the three primary colors of red, green, and blue (R, G, and B) is produced in a time sequence by a liquid crystal display (LCD) projector. Particle images at three different instants under the color illuminations are captured in one snapshot using a color digital single-lens reflex (SLR) camera with a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor. A contamination correction algorithm based on a specific calibration is performed on the different color layers (R layer, G layer, and B layer) of the raw color image to reduce the contaminated intensity of each color illumination on the other two color layers. The corrected intensity generates three new color layers, from which a standard cross-correlation process in the classical PIV method is used to obtain two velocity fields. Eventually, an instantaneous pressure field is reconstructed from the two velocity fields. The feasibility of TE-CPIV was tested by two experiments with a solid body rotation flow and a cylinder wake flow. The results show acceptable accuracy and robustness of the new technique. The idea of the TE-CPIV is believed to provide a simple and effective way of estimating a pressure field with low cost and high convenience.

Approximation of the differential operators on an adaptive spherical geodesic grid using spherical wavelets

In this work, a new adaptive multi-level approximation of surface divergence and scalar-valued surface curl operator on a recursively refined spherical geodesic grid is presented. A hierarchical finite volume scheme based on the wavelet multi-level decomposition is used to approximate the surface divergence and scalar-valued surface curl operator. The multi-level structure provides a simple way to adapt the computation to the local structure of the surface divergence and scalar-value surface curl operator so that the high resolution computations are performed only in regions where singularities or sharp transitions occur. This multi-level approximation of the surface divergence operator is then used in an adaptive wavelet collocation method (AWCM) to solve two standard advection tests, solid-body rotation and divergent flow on the sphere. In contrast with other approximate schemes, this approach can be extended easily to other curved manifolds by considering appropriate coarse approximation to the desired manifold (here we used the icosahedral approximation to the sphere at the coarsest level) and using recursive surface subdivision.

Baroclinic instability of axially symmetric flow over sloping bathymetry

Observations and models of deep ocean boundary currents show that they exhibit complex variability, instabilities and eddy shedding, particularly over continental slopes that curve horizontally, for example around coastal peninsulas. In this article the authors investigate the source of this variability by characterizing the properties of baroclinic instability in mean flows over horizontally curved bottom slopes. The classical two-layer quasi-geostrophic solution for linear baroclinic instability over sloping bottom topography is extended to the case of azimuthal mean flow in an annular channel. To facilitate comparison with the classical straight channel instability problem of uniform mean flow, the authors focus on comparatively simple flows in an annulus, namely uniform azimuthal velocity and solid-body rotation. Baroclinic instability in solid-body rotation flow is analytically analogous to the instability in uniform straight channel flow due to several identical properties of the mean flow, including vanishing strain rate and vorticity gradient. The instability of uniform azimuthal flow is numerically similar to straight channel flow instability as long as the mean barotropic azimuthal velocity is zero. Non-zero barotropic flow generally suppresses the instability via horizontal curvature-induced strain and Reynolds stress work. An exception occurs when the ratio of the bathymetric to isopycnal slopes is close to (positive) one, as is often observed in the ocean, in which case the instability is enhanced. A non-vanishing mean barotropic flow component also results in a larger number of growing eigenmodes and in increased non-normal growth. The implications of these findings for variability in deep western boundary currents are discussed.

An irrotation correction on pressure gradient and orthogonal-path integration for PIV-based pressure reconstruction

Particle image velocimetry (PIV)-based pressure reconstruction has become a popular technique in experimental fluid mechanics. Noise or errors in raw velocity field would significantly affect the quality of pressure reconstruction in PIV measurement. To reduce experimental errors in pressure gradient and improve the precision of reconstructed pressure field, a minimal 2-norm criteria-based new technique called irrotation correction (IC) with orthogonal decomposition is developed. The pressure reconstruction is therefore composed of three steps: calculation of pressure gradient from time-resolved velocity fields of PIV, an irrotation correction on the pressure gradient field, and finally a simple orthogonal-path integration (OPI) for pressure. Systematic assessments of IC algorithm are performed on synthetic solid-body rotation flow, direct numerical simulations of a channel flow and an isotropic turbulent flow. The results show that IC is a robust algorithm which can significantly improve the accuracy of pressure reconstruction primarily in the low wave number domain. After irrotation correction, noisy pressure gradient field ideally becomes an irrotational field on which the pressure integration is independent of integrating paths. Therefore, an OPI algorithm is proposed to perform the pressure integration in an efficient way with very few integration paths. This makes the new technique to be a doable method on three-dimensional pressure reconstruction with acceptable computational cost.

On the three-dimensional stability of a solid-body rotation flow in a finite-length rotating pipe

The three-dimensional, inviscid and viscous flow instability modes that appear on a solid-body rotation flow in a finite-length straight, circular pipe are analysed. This study is a direct extension of the Wang & Rusak (Phys. Fluids, vol. 8 (4), 1996a, pp. 1007–1016) analysis of axisymmetric instabilities on inviscid swirling flows in a pipe. The linear stability equations are the same as those derived by Kelvin (Phil. Mag., vol. 10, 1880, pp. 155–168). However, we study a general mode of perturbation that satisfies the inlet, outlet and wall conditions of a flow in a finite-length pipe with a fixed in time and in space vortex generator ahead of it. This mode is different from the classical normal mode of perturbations. The eigenvalue problem for the growth rate and the shape of the perturbations for any azimuthal wavenumber $m$ consists of a linear system of partial differential equations in terms of the axial and radial coordinates ($x,r$). The stability problem is solved numerically for all azimuthal wavenumbers $m$. The computed growth rates and the related shapes of the various perturbation modes that appear in sequence as a function of the base flow swirl ratio (${\it\omega}$) and pipe length ($L$) are presented. In the inviscid flow case, the $m=1$ modes are the first to become unstable as the swirl ratio is increased and dominate the perturbation’s growth in a certain range of swirl levels. The $m=1$ instability modes compete with the axisymmetric ($m=0$) instability modes as the swirl ratio is further increased. In the viscous flow case, the viscous damping effects reduce the modes’ growth rates. The neutral stability line is presented in a Reynolds number ($Re$) versus swirl ratio (${\it\omega}$) diagram and can be used to predict the first appearance of axisymmetric or spiral instabilities as a function of $Re$ and $L$. We use the Reynolds–Orr equation to analyse the various production terms of the perturbation’s kinetic energy and establish the elimination of the flow axial homogeneity at high swirl levels as the underlying physical mechanism that leads to flow exchange of stability and to the appearance of both spiral and axisymmetric instabilities. The viscous effects in the bulk have only a passive influence on the modes’ shapes and growth rates. These effects decrease with the increase of $Re$. We show that the inviscid flow stability results are the inviscid-limit stability results of high-$Re$ rotating flows.

Extension to nonlinear stability theory of the circular Couette flow

A nonlinear stability analysis of the viscous circular Couette flow to axisymmetric finite-amplitude perturbations under axial periodic boundary conditions is developed. The analysis is based on investigating the properties of a reduced Arnol’d energy-Casimir function $\mathscr{A}_{rd}$ of Wang (Phys. Fluids, vol. 2, 2009, 084104). A weighted kinetic energy of the perturbation, which has a form of ${\rm\Delta}\mathscr{A}_{rd}$, the difference between the reduced Arnol’d function and its base flow value, is used as a Lyapunov function. We show that all the inviscid flow effects as well as all the viscous-dependent terms that are related to the flow boundaries vanish. The evolution of ${\rm\Delta}\mathscr{A}_{rd}$ depends only on the viscous effects of the perturbation’s dynamics inside the flow domain. The requirement for the temporal decay of ${\rm\Delta}\mathscr{A}_{rd}$ leads to two novel sufficient conditions for the nonlinear stability of the circular Couette flow in response to axisymmetric perturbations. The linearized version of these conditions for infinitesimally small perturbations recovers the recent linear stability results by Kloosterziel (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 652, 2010, pp. 171–193). By examining the nonlinear stability conditions, we establish a definite operational region of the viscous circular Couette flow that is independent of the fluid viscosity. In this region of operation, the flow is nonlinearly stable in response to perturbations of any size, provided that the initial total circulation function is above a minimum level determined by the operational conditions of the base flow. Comparisons with historical studies show that our results shed light on the experimental measurements of Wendt (Ing.-Arch., vol. 4, 1933, pp. 577–595) and extend the classical nonlinear stability results of Serrin (Arch. Rat. Mech. Anal., vol. 3, 1959, pp. 1–13) and Joseph & Hung (Arch. Rat. Mech. Anal., vol. 44, 1971, pp. 1–22). When the flow is nonlinearly stable and evolves axisymmetrically for all time, then it always decays asymptotically in time to the circular Couette flow determined uniquely by the set-up of the rotating cylinders. Finally, we derive upper-bound estimates on the decay rate of finite-amplitude perturbations for the solid-body rotation flow between two coaxial rotating cylinders and for the circular Couette flow. We demonstrate via numerical simulations that the theoretical upper bound is relevant to the dynamics of various axisymmetric perturbations tested, where it is strictly obeyed. This present study provides new physical insights into a classical flow problem that was studied for many decades.

Gyrotaxis in uniform vorticity

AbstractAnalysis of bioconvection in dilute suspensions of bottom-heavy but randomly swimming micro-organisms is commonly based on a model introduced in 1990. This couples the Navier–Stokes equations, the cell conservation equation and the Fokker–Planck equation (FPE) for the probability density function for a cell’s swimming direction$\boldsymbol{p}$, which balances rotational diffusion against viscous and gravitational torques. The results have shown qualitative agreement with observation, but the model has not been subjected to direct quantitative testing in a controlled experiment. Here, we consider a simple configuration in which the suspension is contained in a circular cylinder of radius$R$, which rotates at angular velocity${\rm\Omega}$about a horizontal axis. We solve the FPE and calculate the cells’ mean swimming velocity, which proves to be horizontal when$B{\rm\Omega}\gg 1$, where$B$is the gyrotactic reorientation time scale. Then we compute the cell concentration distribution, which is non-uniform only in a thin boundary layer near the cylinder wall when${\it\beta}^{2}={\rm\Omega}R^{2}/D\gg 1$, where$D$is the cells’ translational diffusivity. The fact that cells are denser than water means that this concentration distribution drives a perturbation to the underlying solid-body rotational flow which can be calculated analytically. The predictions of the theory are evaluated in terms of a proposed experimental realisation of the configuration, using suspensions of the algaChlamydomonas nivalisorChlamydomonas reinhardtiior the algal colonyVolvox.

Wall-separation and vortex-breakdown zones in a solid-body rotation flow in a rotating finite-length straight circular pipe

AbstractThe incompressible, inviscid and axisymmetric dynamics of perturbations on a solid-body rotation flow with a uniform axial velocity in a rotating, finite-length, straight, circular pipe are studied via global analysis techniques and numerical simulations. The investigation establishes the coexistence of both axisymmetric wall-separation and vortex-breakdown zones above a critical swirl level, ${\it\omega}_{1}$. We first describe the bifurcation diagram of steady-state solutions of the flow problem as a function of the swirl ratio ${\it\omega}$. We prove that the base columnar flow is a unique steady-state solution when ${\it\omega}$ is below ${\it\omega}_{1}$. This state is asymptotically stable and a global attractor of the flow dynamics. However, when ${\it\omega}>{\it\omega}_{1}$, we reveal, in addition to the base columnar flow, the coexistence of states that describe swirling flows around either centreline stagnant breakdown zones or wall quasi-stagnant zones, where both the axial and radial velocities vanish. We demonstrate that when ${\it\omega}>{\it\omega}_{1}$, the base columnar flow is a min–max point of an energy functional that governs the problem, while the swirling flows around the quasi-stagnant and stagnant zones are global and local minimizer states and become attractors of the flow dynamics. We also find additional min–max states that are transient attractors of the flow dynamics. Numerical simulations describe the evolution of perturbations on above-critical columnar states to either the breakdown or the wall-separation states. The growth of perturbations in both cases is composed of a linear stage of the evolution, with growth rates accurately predicted by the analysis of Wang & Rusak (Phys. Fluids, vol. 8, 1996a, pp. 1007–1016), followed by a stage of saturation to either one of the separation zone states. The wall-separation states have the same chance of appearing as that of vortex-breakdown states and there is no hysteresis loop between them. This is strikingly different from the dynamics of vortices with medium or narrow vortical core size in a pipe.

On the active feedback control of a swirling flow in a finite-length pipe

AbstractThe physical properties of a recently proposed feedback-stabilization method of a vortex flow in a finite-length straight pipe are studied for the case of a solid-body rotation flow. In the natural case, when the swirl ratio is beyond a certain critical level, linearly unstable modes appear in sequence as the swirl level is increased. Based on an asymptotic long-wave (long-pipe) approach, the global feedback control method is shown to enforce the decay in time of the perturbation’s kinetic energy and thereby quench all of the instability modes for a swirl range above the critical swirl level. The effectiveness of an extended version of this feedback flow control approach is further analysed through a detailed mode analysis of the full linear control problem for a solid-body rotation flow in a finite-length pipe that is not necessarily long. We first rigourously prove the asymptotic decay in time of all modes with real growth rates. We then compute the growth rate and shape of all modes according to the full linearized control problem for swirl levels up to 50 % above the critical level. We demonstrate that the flow is stabilized in the whole swirl range and can be even further stabilized for higher swirl levels. However, the control effectiveness is sensitive to the choice of the feedback control gain. A potentially best range of the gain is identified. An inadequate level of gain, either insufficient or excessive, could lead to a marginal control or failure of the control method at high swirl levels. The robustness of the proposed control law to stabilize both initial waves and continuous inlet flow perturbations and the elimination of the vortex breakdown process are demonstrated through numerical computations.

On the global nonlinear stability of a near-critical swirling flow in a long finite-length pipe and the path to vortex breakdown

AbstractThe dynamics of a perturbed incompressible, inviscid, axisymmetric, near-critical swirling flow in a long, finite-length, straight, circular pipe is studied through a weakly nonlinear analysis. The flow is subjected to non-periodic inlet and outlet conditions. The long-wave approach involves a rescaling of the axial distance and time. It results in a separation of the perturbation’s structure into a critical standing wave in the radial direction and an evolving wave in the axial direction, that is described by a nonlinear model problem. The approach is first validated by establishing the bifurcation of non-columnar states from the critical swirl and the linear stability modes of these states. Examples of the flow dynamics at various near-critical swirl levels in response to different initial perturbations demonstrate the important role of the nonlinear steepening terms in perturbation dynamics. The computed dynamics shows quantitative agreement with results from numerical simulations that are based on the axisymmetric Euler equations for various swirl levels and as long as perturbations are small, thereby verifying the accuracy of each computation and capturing the essence of flow dynamics. Results demonstrate the various stages of the flow dynamics, specifically during the transition to vortex breakdown states. They reveal the evolution of faster-than-exponential and shape-changing modes as perturbations grow into the vortex breakdown process. These explosive modes provide the sudden and abrupt nature of the vortex breakdown phenomenon. Further analysis of the model problem shows the important role of the nonlinear evolution of perturbations and its relevance to the transfer of the perturbation’s kinetic energy between the boundaries and flow bulk, the evolution of perturbations in practical concentrated vortex flows, and the design of control methods of vortex flows. A robust feedback control method to stabilize a solid-body rotation flow in a pipe at a wide range of swirl levels above critical is developed. The applicability of this method to stabilizing medium and small core-size vortices is also discussed.