TRANSPORT IN A T U R B U L E N T VORTEX RING

V. F . Tarasov and V. I. Yakushev UDC 532.527

T r a n s p o r t in a t u r b u l e n t v o r t e x ring is c o n s i d e r e d ; the m a s s of a p a s s i v e i m p u r i t y t r a n s p o r t e d
by the v o r t e x is found as a function of d i s t a n c e t r a v e l e d via a f o r m u l a that a g r e e s c l o s e l y with
e x p e r i m e n t . A method is i n d i c a t e d for filling the p a r t of the v o r t e x that t r a n s p o r t s the i m p u r -
ity without l o s s . The effects of the following f a c t o r s on the t r a n s p o r t have been e x a m i n e d :
i n i t i a l Reynolds n u m b e r , r o u g h n e s s in w a l l s of the exit hole, and d e n s i t y d i f f e r e n c e between
the solution and the medium. The t r a n s p o r t of a e r o s o l s and s u s p e n d e d p a r t i c l e s by v o r t e x
r i n g s is c o n s i d e r e d . Two m e t h o d s of t r a n s p o r t m e a s u r e m e n t a r e c o m p a r e d .

1. P r e v i o u s p a p e r s [1, 2] have d e a l t with m a t e r i a l t r a n s p o r t by v o r t e x r i n g s ; [1] d e a l s with the t u r -

bulent diffusion of a v o r t e x , and it was c o n c l u d e d that a c e r t a i n r e g i o n in a v o r t e x can t r a n s p o r t m a t e r i a l
without l o s s . R e s u l t s have a l s o been given [2] f r o m e x p e r i m e n t s on t r a n s p o r t by v o r t e x r i n g s as e x a m i n e d
by p h o t o m c t r y . L a m i n a r and t u r b u l e n t v o r t i c e s with i n i t i a l Reynolds n u m b e r s Re 0 not m o r e than 5.103 w e r e
examined (these v a l u e s w e r e d e t e r m i n e d f r o m the i n i t i a l velocity u 0 and the r a d i u s R0).
Visual o b s e r v a t i o n s on c o l o r e d t u r b u l e n t v o r t e x r i n g s showed that the3' l e a v e behind a c h a r a c t e r i s t i c
t r a c e of the c o l o r i n g m a t t e r , and the dye in the v o r t e x a t m o s p h e r e [3] r a p i d l y p a s s e s into the t r a c e . The
dye p e r s i s t s v i r t u a l l y to the end of the motion in the pronounced t o r r o i d a l region. It is a s s u m e d that this
r e g i o n c o n s i s t s of p a r t of the boundary l a y e r f o r m e d on expulsion of the liquid f r o m the g e n e r a t o r . C i n e -
photography has been a p p l i e d to v o r t i c e s with only the i n n e r s u r f a c e of the s o u r c e tube c o l o r e d , and the
r e s u l t s c o n f i r m the above (see Fig. 1). T h i s e x p e r i m e n t a l s o showed that the c o r e of the v o r t e x roughly
c o i n c i d e s with the r e g i o n that c a r r i e s the p a s s i v e i m p u r i t y without l o s s in the i n i t i a l stage.
The following model can be c o n s i d e r e d for t r a n s p o r t by t u r b u l e n t v o r t e x ring; we a s s u m e that: 1) the
i m p u r i t y c o n c e n t r a t i o n c in the a t m o s p h e r e is kept uniform on account of the t u r b u l e n t m i x i n g (although this
c o n c e n t r a t i o n is s o m e w h a t h i g h e r in the r e g i o n adjoining the c o r e than in the r e s t of the a t m o s p h e r e ) ; 2) the
i m p u r i t y c o n c e n t r a t i o n in the t r a c e (mean r a d i u s denoted by 5, F i g .
2), which e n t e r s f r o m the a t m o s p h e r e on account of t u r b u l e n t diffu-
sion, is a l s o u n i f o r m , but is l o w e r than in the a t m o s p h e r e on account
of m o r e p r o n o u n c e d mixing with the s u r r o u n d i n g m e d i u m (the value
is nc, w h e r e n < 1 is a c o n s t a n t c o e f f i c i e n t ; 3) no i m p u r i t y is l o s t
f r o m the t o r r o i d a l r e g i o n that c o i n c i d e s with the c o r e in the i n i t i a l
stage.
We denote by M 0' and M' the i n i t i a l and c u r r e n t m a s s e s of the
i m p u r i t y in the a t m o s p h e r e ; the above s c h e m e g i v e s us the m a s s
leaving the a t m o s p h e r e o r the t r a c e in t e r m s of

d M ' / dt = --ncun52 (1.1)

w h e r e u is the v o r t e x speed. As the r a d i u s R of the v o r t e x i n c r e a s e s
l i n e a r l y on account of the t u r b u l e n t v i s c o s i t y [4]:

Fig. i R = R0 q- aL (1.2)

N o v o s i b i r s k . T r a n s l a t e d f r o m P r i k l a d n o i Mekhaniki i T e k h n i e h e s k o i F i z i k i , No. 1, pp. 130-136, J a n u -

a r y - F e b r u a r y , 1974. O r i g i n a l a r t i c l e s u b m i t t e d June 1, 1973.

9 19 75 Plenum Publishing Corporation, 227 West 17th Street, New York, N. Y. 10011. No part o f this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming,
recording or otherwise, without written permission o f the publisher. A copy o f this article is available from the publisher for $15.00.

106
 -5

-- -- " I "

- -._=_+::_:
_ _ = - - = - % _ = - _ _ . L :

, ,, \. . . . . . ~ ......~ _ _
i , I

\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ ~ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \, .\\\\~
I

Fig. 2 Fig. 3

w h e r e a ~ 1 0 - 2 - 1 0 -3 is a c o n s t a n t d u r i n g the m o t i o n that is d e p e n d e n t on the i n i t i a l c o n d i t i o n s , w h i l e L is the

d i s t a n c e t r a v e l e d by the v o r t e x . We n e g l e c t the i n i t i a l v o l u m e of the c o r e by c o m p a r i s o n with the total v o l -
u m e V, which g i v e s M' = c A R 3, w h e r e A = V / R 3 is a c o n s t a n t c o e f f i c i e n t . As d L / d t = u, 5 2 = BR2/Tr (B is a
c o n s t a n t ) , we get f r o m Eq. (1.1) that

dM' / dR .... nBM' / aAB (1.3)

Then

M ' =: M o' (R o / I1) ~.~, ~ =-. n B / A

(1.4)
T h e m a s s M t r a n s p o r t e d by the v o r t e x is

M m.u r M0' (l i coL / //o) -.'%,~ (1.5)

w h e r e m 0 is the i n i t i a l m a s s in the c o r e .
2. To t e s t Eq. (1.5) and to d e t e r m i n e m0 and/3 we m a d e e x p e r i m e n t s with t u r b u l e n t v o r t e x r i n g s with
i n i t i a l R e y n o l d s n u m b e r s v a r y i n g f r o m 4 9 103 to 4 9 104; F i g . 3 shows the a p p a r a t u s .

T h e e x p e r i m e n t w a s c a r r i e d out as follows. A m e a s u r e d a m o u n t of c o l o r e d liquid w a s p l a c e d in the

v o r t e x g e n e r a t o r 1, w h o s e exit h o l e w a s c l o s e d by the stop 2; the dye w a s f l u o s a n g , which allowed us to m a k e
m e a s u r e m e n t s with an F E K - 5 6 p h o t o e l e c t r i c c o l o r i m e t e r with a p p r o p r i a t e s i z e s f o r the v o r t e x and the t r a p
3. A f t e r the r u b b e r d i a p h r a g m 2 had r u p t u r e d , which p r o v i d e d f o r u n i f o r m i t y in the e x p e r i m e n t s , the v o r -
rex w a s i n i t i a t e d ; when the v o r t e x had e n t e r e d the t r a p 3 at a s e t d i s t a n c e f r o m the s o u r c e , the r u b b e r s h u t -
t e r 4 o p e r a t e d , which s e a l e d it. T h e t r a n s m i s s i o n c o e f f i c i e n t of the s o l u t i o n in the t r a p w a s m e a s u r e d with
the F E K - 5 6 . T h e c o n c e n t r a t i o n was d e d u c e d f r o m the c a l i b r a t i o n c u r v e . T h c a m o u n t of d y e w a s d e t e r m i n e d
f r o m the known v o l u m e of the t r a p .

T h e g e n e r a t o r p r o d u c e d v o l u m e s of l i q u i d such as to b e c o m p l e t e l y i n c o r p o r a t e d in the v o r t i c e s ; the

v o r t e x f o r m e d w i t h i n d i s t a n c e s of 4 - 5 R 0 f r o m the end of the n o z z l e . T e s t s showed that the c o l o r e d l i q u i d
f o r m e d m o r e than 95% of the total v o l u m e of the v o r t e x . T h e c o n s t a n t s t r o k e of the p i s t o n 5 in the s o u r c e
p r o v i d e d a c o n s t a n t v o l u m e in each c a s e . E d d i e s w e r e s e l e c t e d and m o n i t o r e d for c o n s t a n t i n i t i a l s p e e d by
r e c o r d i n g the p i s t o n m o t i o n on an o s c i l l o s c o p e with a v a r i a b l e r e s i s t o r c o u p l e d to the rod 6. T h e p i s t o n
s p e e d w a s v a r i e d , b u t w a s c o n s t a n t in each s e r i e s . T h e d i a m e t e r d of the exit hole and the p i s t o n s t r o k e
w e r e a d j u s t e d so that the length l of the e j e c t e d jet did not exceed 4d. T h i s w a s the c o n d i t i o n f o r the j e t to
e n t e r the v o r t e x c o m p l e t e l y . T h e i n i t i a l v o r t e x r a d i u s R 0 and the c o n s t a n t oe w e r e d e r i v e d by c i n e p h o t o -
g r a p h y , u s i n g a K o n v a s c a m e r a with a s y n c h r o n o u s m o t o r o p e r a t i n g at 25 f r a m e s p e r s e c o n d .
3. C u r v e I of F i g . 4 shows a t y p i c a l r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n the t r a n s p o r t e d m a s s and t h e d i s t a n c e t r a y -

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 eled; the c i r c l e s d e n o t e the e x p e r i m e n t a l p o i n t s . T h e c u r v e shows that
the v o r t e x d o e s c o n t a i n the two r e g i o n s m e n t i o n e d above. T h e s o l i d l i n e 1
h a s b e e n d r a w n in a c c o r d a n c e with Eq. (1.5), which in this c a s e t a k e s the
form

M / Mo = 0.077 + 0.923 (i -I- aL / t{o)-I"L~

~J
T h e n u m b e r s 0.077 and 0.923 e x p r e s s r e s p e c t i v e l y t h e r a t i o s of the
i n i t i a l i m p u r i t y m a s s at the c o r e and in the a t m o s p h e r e to the i n i t i a l m a s s
in the w h o l e v o r t e x ; the o t h e r n u m e r i c a l v a l u e s in t h i s s e r i e s w e r e R 0 =
1.36 c m , ~ = 7" 10 -3 , u 0 = 1.5 m / s e e , d = 2 c m , l = 6.6 c m , w h i l e fl = 0.1.

T h e p h o t o g r a p h s e n a b l e d us to c o m p a r e the r e l a t i v e t r a c e s i z e s
1 5 / R f o r t h e s e v o r t i c e s a n d o t h e r t u r b u l e n t v o r t i c e s ; w e found that the
z/Ao v a l u e , and h e n c e fl, w a s c o n s t a n t . T h e e x p e r i m e n t s i n d i c a t e d that fl=O.1.

Fig. 4 T h e v o r t i c e s w e r e a l m o s t l a m i n a r in the i n i t i a l p a r t of the motion

f o r Re 0 < 4 9104; the 5 / R f o r such a v o r t e x in this p h a s e w a s s m a l l r e l a -
t i v e to that f o r a t u r b u l e n t v o r t e x . T h e v o r t i c e s b e c a m e t u r b u l e n t a s they m o v e d f u r t h e r , and a t r a c e of
o r d i n a r y width w a s p r o d u c e d b e h i n d t h e m . Such a v o r t e x c a n l o s e p a r t of its dye d u r i n g f o r m a t i o n . F i g u r e
5 i l l u s t r a t e s t h i s . T h e 5 / R and fl f o r such v o r t i c e s a r e not c o n s t a n t d u r i n g the m o t i o n .

T h i s l a m i n a r f e a t u r e of a v o r t e x d u r i n g the i n i t i a l m o t i o n f o r such R e 0 is c o n t r o l l e d by the i n i t i a l c o n -

d i t i o n s , in p a r t i c u l a r , l/d; f o r i n s t a n c e , f o r l / d = 2, we o b t a i n e d v o r t i c e s with this p r o p e r t y . T h e o t h e r p a -
r a m e t e r s w e r e a s a b o v e f o r l / d = 3.3. A good a g r e e m e n t with e x p e r i m e n t w a s o b t a i n e d by a s s u m i n g that fl
w a s c o n s t a n t at 0.068.

It w a s a l s o p o s s i b l e f o r v o r t i c e s to be l a m i n a r and l o s e no dye in the i n i t i a l p a r t f o r R e 0 ~ 1 0 3 ; t h e n

t u r b u l e n c e s e t in, and the s u b s e q u e n t t r a n s p o r t w a s in a c c o r d a n c e with Eq. (1.5), in which c a s e the i n i t i a l
p a r a m e t e r s should be t a k e n at t h e m o m e n t when t u r b u l e n c e s t a r t s .

A d e l i b e r a t e r o u g h e n i n g of the n o z z l e w a l l c a u s e d t h e jet to be t u r b u l e n t a s it e m e r g e d ; the r e s u l t i n g

v o r t e x w a s t u r b u l e n t , and the t r a n s p o r t w a s d e s c r i b e d by Eq. (1.5) with p = 0.1; the l o s s in that c a s e was
not d e p e n d e n t on l/d.
T h e r e w a s no a p p r e c i a b l e effect on the t r a n s p o r t f r o m s l i g h t d i f f e r e n c e s i n d e n s i t y [(p - p ' ) / p = 10%]
b e t w e e n a s o u r c e liquid and the m e d i u m .

4. T h e f i l m s showed that the r e l a t i v e i n i t i a l r a d i u s of the c o r e a0/R 0 v a r i e d with Re 0 f r o m 1/6 to

1/12, with v0/V = 1 / 8 - 1 / 2 0 , w h e r e v 0 i s the i n i t i a l v o l u m e of the c o r e . T h e f o r m of the r e l a t i o n s h i p is a s
follows. T h e m e a n t h i c k n e s s of the b o u n d a r y l a y e r i s # ~ l / ~ , so v 0 ~12d/',TR"~ (Re ~ i s the R e y n o l d s n u m -
b e r f o r the jet f r o m the s o u r c e ) . We found that Re ~ w a s p r o p o r t i o n a l to Re 0 f o r l/d -<4, so f o r a c o n s t a n t l

Fig. 5

108
 Fig. 6

9and d we get f o r v o r t i c e s with d i f f e r e n t Re 0 that

800 Vo}/'Reo ~ const (4.1)

~oo " ~ ' ' i Experimental results confirm this formula.
If a v o r t e x i s to t r a n s p o r t without l o s s , it has to fill a v o l u m e %; f o r
this p u r p o s e the i m p u r i t y should be i n t r o d u c e d into the leading p a r t of the
200
bounding l a y e r f o r m e d on e j e c t i n g the jet. If t h e s e c o n d i t i o n s a r e met, one
i g e t s r e s u l t s i l l u s t r a t e d by F i g . 6.
20 ~0 60 80 c,~
5. It is found that t h e r e i s a c r i t i c a l R e y n o l d s n u m b e r R . f o r t h e given
Fig. 7
d e n s i t y and p a r t i c l e s i z e at which the t r a n s p o r t c e a s e s to be d e s c r i b e d by Eq.
(1.5); if Re 0 > R e , , the m a t e r i a l in the c o r e and n e a r b y c e a s e s to be p a s s i v e ,
and the c e n t r i f u g a l f o r c e s c a u s e the m a t e r i a l to be e j e c t e d f r o m the c o r e into the a t m o s p h e r e ) the ejection
of the p a r t i c l e s beginning a s the jet l e a v e s the s o u r c e . F o r i n s t a n c e , p a r t i c l e s of t o b a c c o s m o k e of s i z e
~ 10 -5 cm give R e . = 8. 103for a i r j e t s , a n d so the p a r t i c l e i s then not in the r e g i o n that can c a r r y an i m p u r i t y
without l o s s and Eq. (1.5) m u s t be r e p l a c e d by

M / Mo = (1 -5 a L / B0)-~,'% ~ = 0.t (5.1)

6. This method of m e a s u r e m e n t c a n p r o v i d e c o m p l e t e d a t a on the t r a n s p o r t , but the method i s v e r y
l a b o r i o u s . It is s i m p l e r and m o r e c o n v e n i e n t to p h o t o m e t e r the i m a g e on the p h o t o g r a p h i c m a t e r i a l . One
n e e d s a l i n e a r r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n the r e a d i n g on the l i n e a r m i c r o p h o t o m e t e r s c a l e D and the v a r i a b l e dye
c o n c e n t r a t i o n c in o r d e r to p h o t o m e t e r the e n t i r e i m a g e at once. One can p r o d u c e t h i s l i n e a r i t y b e c a u s e
the D = D(k) and k = k(c) c u r v e s (where k is the a b s o r p t i o n c o e f f i c i e n t ) have c u r v a t u r e s of o p p o s i t e sign.
One can s e l e c t the p h o t o g r a p h i c m a t e r i a l , the p r o c e s s i n g c o n d i t i o n s , the dye, the i n i t i a l c o n c e n t r a t i o n ,
the f i l t e r s , and the r e c o r d i n g c o n d i t i o n s (stop and delay) to obtain the r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n D and c shown in
F i g . 7. Uniform i l l u m i n a t i o n is a l s o i m p o r t a n t , and we used d a y l i g h t l a m p s p l a c e d in c o n t a c t and i l l u m i n a t -
ing m a t t g l a s s . T h i s p r o v i d e d a u n i f o r m b r i g h t b a c k g r o u n d . A Konvas c a m e r a w a s used, the s y n c h r o n o u s
m o t o r p r o v i d i n g a c o n s t a n t r e c o r d i n g f r e q u e n c y of 25 f r a m e s p e r second. To p r e v e n t b l u r r i n g , the s t a n d a r d
Konvas s h u t t e r w a s r e p l a c e d by one p r o v i d i n g an e x p o s u r e of 1/250 s e c . Blue ink w a s u s e d to c o l o r the s o -
lution. We u s e d M Z - 2 f i l m and OS-12 f i l t e r . We p h o t o m e t e r e d v o r t i c e s a l s o m e a s u r e d with the t r a p .
C u r v e s 1 and 2 of Fig. 4 r e p r e s e n t the t r a n s p o r t r e c o r d e d with the t r a p and with the p h o t o m e t e r ; it is
c l e a r that the d i f f e r e n c e between the two m e t h o d s is not l a r g e , although t h e r e is a d i s c r e p a n c y f o r L / R 0 > 15;
at that i n s t a n t the d y e c o n c e n t r a t i o n in the a t m o s p h e r e h a s b e c o m e s m a l l , and the graph of F i g . 7 is not
l i n e a r f o r such c. It is a l s o c l e a r that the p h o t o m e t r y r e d u c e s by a f a c t o r of 1.5 the s i z e of the r e g i o n t h a t
t r a n s p o r t s without l o s s . N e v e r t h e l e s s , the a g r e e m e n t b e t w e e n the two m e t h o d s is good, and in s i m i l a r
s t u d i e s one can u s e p h o t o m e t r y f o r the p u r p o s e p r o v i d e d the above c o n d i t i o n s a r e met.

109
 LITERATURE CITED
lo B. A. Lugovtsov, "Motion of a turbulent v o r t e x ring and m a t e r i a l t r a n s p o r t , " in: Some P r o b l e m s in
Mathematics and Mechanics [in Russian], Nauka, Leningrad (1970).
2. A. A. Buzukov, " F o r m a t i o n and motion of vortex rings in water," Prikl. Mat. Tekh. Fiz., No. 2 (1971).
3. N. E. Kochin, I. A. Kibel', and N. V. Roze, T h e o r e t i c a l Hydrodynamics [in Russian], P a r t 1, F i z m a t -
giz, Moscow (1963).
4. B. A. Lugovtsov, A. A. Lugovtsov, and V. F. T a r a s o v , "Motion of a turbulent vortex ring," in: Dy-
namics of Continuous Media [in Russian], No. 3, Nauka, Novosibirsk (1969).

110