Abstract
The magnitude of axial-flow retardation near the center of a turbulent swirling flow is estimated from the results of the variational analysis with the aid of the helicity concept. It is analytically shown that the axial-flow reversal in a swirl occurs if the bulk helicity imparted to the mean flow exceeds the critical value, which is proportional to the square of the flux. It is suggested that the bulk helicity in the center region plays an important role in determining the flow-reversal condition. Through the comparison with the experimental observations in a turbulent swirling pipe flow, the reliability of the theoretically-derived reversal condition is confirmed.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1186-1202 |
| Number of pages | 17 |
| Journal | Physics of Fluids |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - May 2004 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Computational Mechanics
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Mechanics of Materials
- Mechanical Engineering
- Fluid Flow and Transfer Processes