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Strong swirl approximation and intensive vortices in the atmosphere

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 December 2013

A. Y. Klimenko
A. Y. Klimenko*
Affiliation:
School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering (SoMME), The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
*
†Email address for correspondence: [email protected]
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Abstract

This work investigates intensive vortices, which are characterised by the existence of a converging radial flow that significantly intensifies the flow rotation. Evolution and amplification of the vorticity present in the flow play important roles in the formation of the vortex. When rotation in the flow becomes sufficiently strong (this implies the validity of the strong swirl approximation, which has been developed in a series of publications since the 1950s) the previous analysis of the author and the present work determine that further amplification of vorticity is moderated by interactions of vorticity and velocity. This imposes physical constraints on the flow, resulting in the so-called compensating regime, where the radial distribution of the axial vorticity is characterised by the $4/ 3$ and $3/ 2$ power laws. This asymptotic treatment of a strong swirl is based on vorticity equations and involves higher-order terms. This treatment incorporates multi-scale analysis indicating downstream relaxation of the flow to the compensating regime. The present work also investigates and takes into account viscous and transient effects. One of the main points of this work is the applicability of the power laws of the compensating regime to intermediate regions in large atmospheric vortices, such as tropical cyclones and tornadoes.

JFM classification

Vortex Flows: Vortex Flows
Type
Papers
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 738 , 10 January 2014 , pp. 268 - 298
Copyright
©2013 Cambridge University Press 

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