Vorticity dynamics and drag for flows over a sphere and a prolate spheroid

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Autori principali: Du, Yifan, Zaki, Tamer A.
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2025
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author Du, Yifan
Zaki, Tamer A.
author_facet Du, Yifan
Zaki, Tamer A.
contents The connection between the drag and vorticity dynamics for viscous flow over a bluff body is explored using the Josephson-Anderson (J-A) relation for classical fluids. The instantaneous rate of work on the fluid, associated with the drag force, is related to the vorticity flux across the streamlines of a background potential flow. The vorticity transport itself is examined by aid of the Huggins vorticity flux tensor. The analysis is performed for three flows: flow over a sphere at Reynolds numbers $Re=\{200,3700\}$ and flow over a prolate spheroid at $Re=3000$ and $20^{\circ}$ incidence. In these flows, the vorticity transport shifts the flow away and towards the ideal potential flow, with a net balance towards the former effect thus making an appreciably contribution to the drag. The J-A relation is first demonstrated for the flow over a sphere at $Re=200$. The drag is related to the viscous flux of azimuthal vorticity from the wall into the fluid and the advection of vorticity by the shear layer. In the wake, the azimuthal vorticity is advected towards the wake centerline and is annihilated by viscous effects, which contributes a reduction to drag. The analysis of the flow over a sphere at $Re=3700$ is reported for the impulsively started and stationary stages, with emphasis on the effects of unsteady separation and turbulent transport in the wake. The turbulent flux in the wake enhances the transport of mean azimuthal vorticity towards the wake centerline, and is the driver of the recovery of enthalpy downstream. The drag force for a prolate spheroid is mostly due to the transport of vorticity along the separated boundary layers. Primary and secondary separation contribute oppositely to the drag force, while the large-scale vortices only re-distribute vorticity. A mechanism for secondary separation is proposed based on the theory of vortex-induced separation.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2507_09096
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Vorticity dynamics and drag for flows over a sphere and a prolate spheroid
Du, Yifan
Zaki, Tamer A.
Fluid Dynamics
The connection between the drag and vorticity dynamics for viscous flow over a bluff body is explored using the Josephson-Anderson (J-A) relation for classical fluids. The instantaneous rate of work on the fluid, associated with the drag force, is related to the vorticity flux across the streamlines of a background potential flow. The vorticity transport itself is examined by aid of the Huggins vorticity flux tensor. The analysis is performed for three flows: flow over a sphere at Reynolds numbers $Re=\{200,3700\}$ and flow over a prolate spheroid at $Re=3000$ and $20^{\circ}$ incidence. In these flows, the vorticity transport shifts the flow away and towards the ideal potential flow, with a net balance towards the former effect thus making an appreciably contribution to the drag. The J-A relation is first demonstrated for the flow over a sphere at $Re=200$. The drag is related to the viscous flux of azimuthal vorticity from the wall into the fluid and the advection of vorticity by the shear layer. In the wake, the azimuthal vorticity is advected towards the wake centerline and is annihilated by viscous effects, which contributes a reduction to drag. The analysis of the flow over a sphere at $Re=3700$ is reported for the impulsively started and stationary stages, with emphasis on the effects of unsteady separation and turbulent transport in the wake. The turbulent flux in the wake enhances the transport of mean azimuthal vorticity towards the wake centerline, and is the driver of the recovery of enthalpy downstream. The drag force for a prolate spheroid is mostly due to the transport of vorticity along the separated boundary layers. Primary and secondary separation contribute oppositely to the drag force, while the large-scale vortices only re-distribute vorticity. A mechanism for secondary separation is proposed based on the theory of vortex-induced separation.
title Vorticity dynamics and drag for flows over a sphere and a prolate spheroid
topic Fluid Dynamics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.09096