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Thermoconvective vortices in a cylindrical annulus with varying inner radius
D Castaño1, M C Navarro1, H Herrero1
1Departamento de Matemáticas, Facultad de Ciencias y Tecnologías Químicas, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain.
Chaos (Woodbury, N.Y.)
|January 3, 2015
Summary
The inner radius does not significantly impact vortex intensity or stability. Strong, stable vortices form across a range of inner radii, with specific conditions favoring dust devil-like structures.
Area of Science:
- Fluid dynamics
- Atmospheric science
- Geophysics
Background:
- Vertical vortices, such as dust devils and cyclones, are complex atmospheric phenomena.
- Understanding factors influencing vortex stability and intensity is crucial for meteorological and geophysical studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of the inner radius on the stability and intensity of laboratory-generated vortices.
- To analyze the relationship between vortex characteristics and thermal gradients in a cylindrical annulus.
Main Methods:
- Generation of vertical vortices in a cylindrical annulus with non-homogeneous heating from below.
- Observation and analysis of vortex structure, intensity, and tangential velocity profiles.
- Parametric study varying the inner radius and temperature differences.
Main Results:
- Little correlation found between vortex intensity and the magnitude of the inner radius.
- Strong, stable vortices observed for both small and large inner radii.
- Rankine combined vortex structure evident with small inner radii and large temperature ratios, resembling dust devils.
Conclusions:
- Vortex stability and intensity are not solely dependent on the inner radius.
- Thermal mechanisms and frictional forces play significant roles in vortex dynamics and the contraction of the radius of maximum azimuthal velocity.
- Findings offer insights into the behavior of vortices, with implications for understanding phenomena like hurricanes.
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