Some observations on vortex-ring collisions upon inclined surfaces

Abstract

This paper reports upon a laser-induced fluorescence visualization and time-resolved particle image velocimetry study to resolve the detailed dynamics associated with Re = 2000 and 4000 circular vortex rings colliding with 30°–75° inclined surfaces. Two-dimensional visualization results show that larger inclination angles lead to increasingly rapid size reduction in the primary vortex-ring core closer to the surface, faster formation of the secondary vortex-ring core, and subsequent ingestion by the former. In contrast, primary vortex-ring core further away from the surface becomes physically larger and incoherent more rapidly, with slower formation and entrainment of the secondary vortex-ring core. Interestingly, a vortex dipole and small vortex-ring-like structure are produced for the largest inclination angle of 75°, possibly due to vortex disconnection and reconnection processes. Results taken along the non-inclined plane show significant bulging of the primary vortex-ring cores when the inclination angle increases from 30° onwards. More importantly, additional vortex cores are observed to entwine with the primary vortex-ring core and provide strong direct evidence for the bi-helical vortex line flow mechanism put forward by Lim (Exp Fluids 7:453–463, 1989). Lastly, the behaviour of the primary and secondary vortex-ring cores further away from the surface is highly sensitive towards the state of the bi-helical lines compressed at that region. Strong compression driven by circumferential flows due to large inclination angles may explain the unique flow structures and behaviour observed for 75° inclination angle here.