Vortex-induced chaotic mixing in wavy channels

Lee, Wei-Koon; Taylor, P. H.; Borthwick, Alistair G. L.; Chuenkum, S.

Vortex-induced chaotic mixing in wavy channels

Files

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Published Version

Date

2010-07-10

Authors

Lee, Wei-Koon

Taylor, P. H.

Borthwick, Alistair G. L.

Chuenkum, S.

Publisher

Cambridge University Press

Published Version

10.1017/S0022112010000674

Abstract

Mixing is studied in open-flow channels with conformally mapped wavy-wall profiles, using a point-vortex model in two-dimensional irrotational, incompressible mean flow. Unsteady dynamics of the separation bubble induced by oscillatory motion of point vortices located in the trough region produces chaotic mixing in the Lagrangian sense. Significant mass exchange between passive tracer particles inside and outside of the separation bubble forms an efficient mixing region which evolves in size as the vortex moves in the unsteady potential flow. The dynamics closely resembles that obtained by previous authors from numerical solutions of the unsteady Navier–Stokes equations for oscillatory unidirectional flow in a wavy channel. Of the wavy channels considered, the skew-symmetric form is most efficient at promoting passive mixing. Diffusion via gridless random walks increases lateral particle dispersion significantly at the expense of longitudinal particle dispersion due to the opposing effect of mass exchange at the front and rear of the particle ensemble. Active mixing in the wavy channel reveals that the fractal nature of the unstable manifold plays a crucial role in singular enhancement of productivity. Hyperbolic dynamics dominate over nonhyperbolicity which is restricted to the vortex core region. The model is simple yet qualitatively accurate, making it a potential candidate for the study of a wide range of vortex-induced transport and mixing problems.

Keywords

Wavy channel , Separation bubble , Wavy-wall , Flow

Citation

WEI-KOON LEE, P. H. TAYLOR, A. G. L. BORTHWICK and S. CHUENKHUM (2010). Vortex-induced chaotic mixing in wavy channels. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 654 , pp 501-538 doi:10.1017/S0022112010000674