Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Wawrzak, Karol, Li, Yiqing, Noack, Bernd R., Tyliszczak, Artur
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.00763
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866916927811616768
author Wawrzak, Karol
Li, Yiqing
Noack, Bernd R.
Tyliszczak, Artur
author_facet Wawrzak, Karol
Li, Yiqing
Noack, Bernd R.
Tyliszczak, Artur
contents Active flow control (AFC) methods for jet-type flows have been extensively explored since the 1970s. Spectacular examples demonstrating the AFC power and the beauty of fluid mechanics include bifurcating and blooming jets. Recent advances in machine learning-based optimization have enabled efficient exploration of high-dimensional AFC, revealing control solutions beyond human intuition. The present paper focuses on one such discovery: the pseudo-rotating spiral jet. This phenomenon manifests as separate branches disconnected from the main jet stream, formed by vortical structures aligned along curved paths rotating around the initial jet axis. We investigate the origin of these jet-type patterns and formulate new rules for their control, showing that spiral jets belong to a family of multi-armed jets observable only at specific control settings. Furthermore, we demonstrate how human perception of three-dimensional imagery depends on the observable domain and vortex lifetime. Notably, the apparent rotation of spiral arms - despite having a well-defined frequency - is an illusion arising from the tendency to connect neighboring moving objects into continuous patterns. In contrast to the chaotic behavior of small-scale turbulence, we show that large-scale flow motion resulting from AFC operating in a deterministic manner is only seemingly unpredictable. Through theoretical analysis and 3D simulations, we develop a remarkably simple yet precise kinematic model that captures the formation and motion of these vortical paths. This model replicates the outcomes of complex flow simulations, reproduces the apparent jet shape, and facilitates the identification of the actual pattern. The findings offer new perspectives for both academic researchers and industrial engineers.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2509_00763
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Origin and control of pseudo-rotating spiral jets
Wawrzak, Karol
Li, Yiqing
Noack, Bernd R.
Tyliszczak, Artur
Fluid Dynamics
Active flow control (AFC) methods for jet-type flows have been extensively explored since the 1970s. Spectacular examples demonstrating the AFC power and the beauty of fluid mechanics include bifurcating and blooming jets. Recent advances in machine learning-based optimization have enabled efficient exploration of high-dimensional AFC, revealing control solutions beyond human intuition. The present paper focuses on one such discovery: the pseudo-rotating spiral jet. This phenomenon manifests as separate branches disconnected from the main jet stream, formed by vortical structures aligned along curved paths rotating around the initial jet axis. We investigate the origin of these jet-type patterns and formulate new rules for their control, showing that spiral jets belong to a family of multi-armed jets observable only at specific control settings. Furthermore, we demonstrate how human perception of three-dimensional imagery depends on the observable domain and vortex lifetime. Notably, the apparent rotation of spiral arms - despite having a well-defined frequency - is an illusion arising from the tendency to connect neighboring moving objects into continuous patterns. In contrast to the chaotic behavior of small-scale turbulence, we show that large-scale flow motion resulting from AFC operating in a deterministic manner is only seemingly unpredictable. Through theoretical analysis and 3D simulations, we develop a remarkably simple yet precise kinematic model that captures the formation and motion of these vortical paths. This model replicates the outcomes of complex flow simulations, reproduces the apparent jet shape, and facilitates the identification of the actual pattern. The findings offer new perspectives for both academic researchers and industrial engineers.
title Origin and control of pseudo-rotating spiral jets
topic Fluid Dynamics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.00763