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Global vorticity shedding for a vanishing wing

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 February 2012

M. S. Wibawa ,
S. C. Steele ,
J. M. Dahl ,
D. E. Rival ,
G. D. Weymouth  and
M. S. Triantafyllou
M. S. Wibawa
Affiliation:
Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
S. C. Steele
Affiliation:
Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
J. M. Dahl*
Affiliation:
Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
D. E. Rival
Affiliation:
Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
G. D. Weymouth
Affiliation:
Singapore–MIT Alliance for Research and Technology Centre, S16-05-08 3 Science Drive 2, 117543, Singapore
M. S. Triantafyllou
Affiliation:
Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
*
†Email address for correspondence: jdahl@mit.edu
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Abstract

If a moving body were made to vanish within a fluid, its boundary-layer vorticity would be released into the fluid at all locations simultaneously, a phenomenon we call global vorticity shedding. We approximate this process by studying the related problem of rapid vorticity transfer from the boundary layer of a body undergoing a quick change of cross-sectional and surface area. A surface-piercing foil is first towed through water at constant speed, , and constant angle of attack, then rapidly pulled out of the fluid in the spanwise direction. Viewed within a fixed plane perpendicular to the span, the cross-sectional area of the foil seemingly disappears. The rapid spanwise motion results in the nearly instantaneous shedding of the boundary layer into the surrounding fluid. Particle image velocimetry measurements show that the shed layers quickly transition from free shear layers to form two strong, unequal-strength vortices, formed within non-dimensional time , based on the foil chord and forward velocity. These vortices are connected to, and interact with, the foil’s tip vortex through additional streamwise vorticity formed during the rapid pulling of the foil. Numerical simulations show that two strong spanwise vortices form from the shed vorticity of the boundary layer. The three-dimensional effects of the foil removal process are restricted to the tip of the foil. This method of vorticity transfer may be used for quickly introducing circulation to a fluid to provide forcing for biologically inspired flow control.

JFM classification

Biological Fluid Dynamics: Swimming/flying Vortex Flows: Vortex Flows Wakes/Jets: Wakes/Jets
Type
Papers
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 695 , 25 March 2012 , pp. 112 - 134
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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