Transient force augmentation due to counter-rotating vortex ring pairs

2015 ◽  
Vol 785 ◽  
pp. 324-348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhidong Fu ◽  
Hong Liu

Of particular significance to biological locomotion is vortex ring interaction. In the wakes of animals, this unsteady process determines the changes in the impulse of counter-rotating vortex ring pairs (VRPs), which consist of two vortex rings with opposite sense of rotation. In this paper, these VRPs are proposed to be of particular importance to unsteady force generation. We carry out numerical computations, simulating the piston–cylinder apparatus, to study the transient changes in the impulse of counter-rotating VRPs composed of a positive and a negative vortex ring. We model the negative vortex ring (NeVR) of a VRP by making reasonable assumptions about their vorticity distributions and spatial locations, which are initially prescribed. The result of modelling is superimposed on the flow, which has a pre-existing positive vortex ring (PoVR), leading to a VRP. The simulation quantitatively demonstrates that the unsteady force resulting from a VRP is significantly larger compared with an isolated PoVR (without an NeVR). The force enhancement is also correlated to vortex configurations. A normalised force coefficient characterising force augmentation over the entire stroke is given. The force augmentation coefficient grows significantly and then reaches a plateau as the momentum input increases. The results are consistent with those in fully unsteady vortex interaction, which involves the generation of an NeVR. It is suggested that counter-rotating VRPs could offer a new perspective to explain unconventional force generation for biological swimming and flying.

Author(s):  
Kelley C. Stewart ◽  
Pavlos P. Vlachos

Vortex ring formation and propagation have been studied extensively in quiescent semi-infinite volumes. However, very little is known about the dynamics of vortex-ring formation in wall-bounded domains where vortex wall interaction will affect both the vortex ring pinch-off and propagation velocity. This study addresses this limitation and studies vortex formation in radially confined domains to analyze the effect of vortex-ring wall interaction on the formation and propagation of the vortex ring. Vortex rings were produced using a pneumatically driven piston cylinder arrangement and were ejected into a long cylindrical tube parallel to the piston cylinder arrangement which defined the confined downstream domain. Two different domains were studied with diameters twice and four times the size of the piston cylinder. A semi-infinite unbounded volume with no downstream cylinder was also investigated for comparison. The piston stroke-to-diameter ratio (L/D0) for the studied vortex rings was varied between 0.75 and 3 with corresponding Reynolds numbers, based on circulation, of approximately 500 to 8,000. Velocity field measurements were performed using planar Time Resolved Digital Particle Image Velocimetry (TRDPIV). The TRDPIV data were processed using an in-house developed cross-correlation PIV algorithm and post processed using Proper Orthogonal Decomposition to remove high frequency noise. The propagation velocity and vorticity were investigated and vortex identification was used to track the changing size, location, and circulation of the vortices. The combination of these parameters was used to investigate the effects of wall interaction on vortex ring formation and propagation.


2011 ◽  
Vol 686 ◽  
pp. 451-483 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trung Bao Le ◽  
Iman Borazjani ◽  
Seokkoo Kang ◽  
Fotis Sotiropoulos

AbstractWe carry out numerical simulations to investigate the vortex dynamics of laminar, impulsively driven flows through inclined nozzles in a piston–cylinder apparatus. Our simulations are motivated by the need to provide a complete description of the intricate vortical structures and governing mechanisms emerging in such flows as documented in the experiments of Webster & Longmire (Phys. Fluids, vol. 10, 1998, pp. 400–416) and Troolin & Longmire (Exp. Fluids, vol. 48, 2010, pp. 409–420). We show that the flow is dominated by the interaction of two main vortical structures: the primary inclined vortex ring at the nozzle exit and the secondary stopping ring that arises due to the entrainment of the flow into the cylinder when the piston stops moving. These two structures are connected together with pairs of vortex tubes, which evolve from the continuous vortex sheet initially connecting the primary vortex ring with the interior cylinder wall. In the exterior of the nozzle the key mechanism responsible for the breakup of the vortical structure is the interaction of the stronger inclined primary ring with the weaker stopping ring near the longest lip of the nozzle. In the interior of the nozzle the dynamics is governed by the axial stretching of the secondary ring and the ultimate impingement of this ring on the cylinder wall. Our simulations also clarify the kinematics of the azimuthal flow along the core of the primary vortex ring documented in the experiments by Lim (Phys. Fluids, vol. 10, 1998, pp. 1666–1671). We show that the azimuthal flow is characterized by a pair of two spiral saddle foci at the long and short lips of the nozzle through which ambient flow enters and exits the primary vortex core.


1998 ◽  
Vol 360 ◽  
pp. 121-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
MORTEZA GHARIB ◽  
EDMOND RAMBOD ◽  
KARIM SHARIFF

The formation of vortex rings generated through impulsively started jets is studied experimentally. Utilizing a piston/cylinder arrangement in a water tank, the velocity and vorticity fields of vortex rings are obtained using digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) for a wide range of piston stroke to diameter (L/D) ratios. The results indicate that the flow field generated by large L/D consists of a leading vortex ring followed by a trailing jet. The vorticity field of the leading vortex ring formed is disconnected from that of the trailing jet. On the other hand, flow fields generated by small stroke ratios show only a single vortex ring. The transition between these two distinct states is observed to occur at a stroke ratio of approximately 4, which, in this paper, is referred to as the ‘formation number’. In all cases, the maximum circulation that a vortex ring can attain during its formation is reached at this non-dimensional time or formation number. The universality of this number was tested by generating vortex rings with different jet exit diameters and boundaries, as well as with various non-impulsive piston velocities. It is shown that the ‘formation number’ lies in the range of 3.6–4.5 for a broad range of flow conditions. An explanation is provided for the existence of the formation number based on the Kelvin–Benjamin variational principle for steady axis-touching vortex rings. It is shown that based on the measured impulse, circulation and energy of the observed vortex rings, the Kelvin–Benjamin principle correctly predicts the range of observed formation numbers.


2017 ◽  
Vol 140 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Xiang ◽  
Hong Liu ◽  
Suyang Qin

Owing to the limiting effect of energy, vortex rings cannot grow indefinitely and thus pinch off. In this paper, experiments on the vortex rings generated using a piston-cylinder apparatus are conducted so as to investigate the pinch-off mechanisms and identify the limiting effect of energy. Both theoretical and experimental results show that the generated vortex rings share a unified energy feature, regardless of whether they are pinched-off or not. Moreover, the unified energy feature is quantitatively described by a dimensionless energy number γ, defined as γ=(E/I2Γωmax) and exhibiting a critical value γring = 0.14 ± 0.01 for the generated vortex rings. This unified energy feature reflects the limiting effect of energy and specifies the target of vortex ring formation. Furthermore, based on the tendency of γ during vortex ring formation, criteria for determining the two timescales, i.e., pinch-off time and separation time, which correspond to the onset and end of pinch-off process, respectively, are suggested.


2000 ◽  
Vol 416 ◽  
pp. 173-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
MICHAEL SHUSSER ◽  
MORTEZA GHARIB

Vortex ring formation in a starting axisymmetric buoyant plume is considered. A model describing the process is proposed and a physical explanation based on the Kelvin–Benjamin variational principle for steady vortex rings is provided. It is shown that Lundgren et al.'s (1992) time scale, the ratio of the velocity of a buoyant plume after it has travelled one diameter to its diameter, is equivalent to the time scale (formation time) proposed by Gharib et al. (1998) for uniform-density vortex rings generated with a piston/cylinder arrangement. It is also shown that, similarly to piston-generated vortex rings (Gharib et al. 1998), the buoyant vortex ring pinches off from the plume when the latter can no longer provide the energy required for steady vortex ring existence. The dimensionless time of the pinch-off (the formation number) can be reasonably well predicted by assuming that at pinch-of the vortex ring propagation velocity exceeds the plume velocity. The predictions of the model are compared with available experimental results.


Fluids ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 70
Author(s):  
Xudong An ◽  
Lin Jiang ◽  
Fatemeh Hassanipour

In many industrial applications, a permeable mesh (porous screen) is used to control the unsteady (most commonly vortex) flows. Vortex flows are known to display intriguing behavior while propagating through porous screens. This numerical study aims to investigate the effects of physical properties such as porosity, Reynolds number, inlet flow dimension, and distance to the screen on the flow behavior. The simulation model includes a piston-cylinder vortex ring generator and a permeable mesh constructed by evenly arranged rods. Two methods of user-defined function and moving mesh have been applied to model the vortex ring generation. The results show the formation, evolution, and characteristics of the vortical rings under various conditions. The results for vorticity contours and the kinetic energy dissipation indicate that the physical properties alter the flow behavior in various ways while propagating through the porous screens. The numerical model, cross-validated with the experimental results, provides a better understanding of the fluid–solid interactions of vortex flows and porous screens.


2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 056101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiangrui Dong ◽  
Yonghua Yan ◽  
Yong Yang ◽  
Gang Dong ◽  
Chaoqun Liu

Author(s):  
Xiangrui Dong ◽  
Yonghua Yan ◽  
Yong Yang ◽  
Chaoqun Liu
Keyword(s):  

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 25-32
Author(s):  
Sergey Skripkin ◽  
Mikhail Tsoy ◽  
Sergey Shtork ◽  
Pavel Kuibin

Current work is devoted to experimental investigations of behavior of precessing vortex rope in a draft tube model of hydraulic turbine. We used combination of stationary and freely rotating swirlers as a hydro turbine model. Such construction provides velocity distribution on the draft tube inlet close to distribution in natural hydraulic turbines operated at non-optimal conditions. The phenomenon of precessing vortex rope reconnection with further formation of vortex ring was founded in this experimental research using high-speed visualization technique. Synchronization of highspeed visualization and pressure measurements allowed us to relate pressure shock on the draft tube wall with vortex ring moving along wall.


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