We investigate the flow around an oscillating nearly spherical particle at low, yet non-vanishing, Reynolds numbers ($Re$), and the potential resulting locomotion. We analytically demonstrate that no net motion can arise up to order one in $Re$ and order one in the asphericity parameter, regardless of the particle’s shape. Therefore, geometry-induced acoustic streaming propulsion, if any, must arise at higher order.

The partial coalescence dynamics of a compound drop in a liquid pool is numerically investigated. We study the effect of the ratio of the inner to outer radii $(R_{r})$ of the compound drop while maintaining a constant liquid volume in the outer shell of the compound droplet. It is observed that for small values of the radius ratio, the coalescence dynamics is similar to that of a ‘simple’ drop, but the partial coalescence is suppressed for large values of $R_{r}$. Increasing the value of $R_{r}$ decreases the distance migrated by the inner bubble in the downward direction inside the pool. The location of the bubble after coalescence is found to play an important role in the pinch-off process of the satellite drop. The influence of the governing dimensionless parameters on the coalescence dynamics has also been investigated.

We present a scaling theory that links the frequency of long frontal waves to the kinetic energy decay rate and inverse transfer of potential energy in freely evolving equivalent barotropic turbulence. The flow energy is predominantly potential, and the streamfunction makes the dominant contribution to potential vorticity (PV) over most of the domain, except near PV fronts of width $O(L_{D})$, where $L_{D}$ is the Rossby deformation length. These fronts bound large vortices within which PV is well-mixed and arranged into a staircase structure. The jets collocated with the fronts support long-wave undulations, which facilitate collisions and mergers between the mixed regions, implicating the frontal dynamics in the growth of potential-energy-containing flow features. Assuming the mixed regions grow self-similarly in time and using the dispersion relation for long frontal waves (Nycander et al., Phys. Fluids A, vol. 5, 1993, pp. 1089–1091) we predict that the total frontal length and kinetic energy decay like $t^{-1/3}$, while the length scale of the staircase vortices grows like $t^{1/3}$. High-resolution simulations confirm our predictions.

Results are reported from linear and nonlinear stability analyses of pulsatile flow in a straight channel with a smooth constriction with 50 % occlusion. Physical mechanisms based on the energy variation of the two-dimensional modes are proposed to elucidate the equilibrium states and changes in the flow-field behaviour. When investigating how the energy of the two-dimensional modes varied with Reynolds number, an energy minimum was observed before the primary instability, so that it marked the Reynolds number value at which the flow field started to exhibit one pulse front per cycle downstream of the constriction. In addition, this flow is characterized by a bistable system in two dimensions, whose equilibrium states are related to the energy level of the two-dimensional mode. The energy difference between the equilibrium states surprisingly decreases from the lower to the higher Reynolds number, which indicates that the system should converge to a unique solution at high Reynolds number. Regarding the flow’s nature, the equilibrium state with higher energy presented a vortex pair soon after the constriction, with vorticity opposite to that of the base flow separating shear layers.

An acoustically forced fluid system is known to generate a time-averaged mean, or streaming, flow that evolves on a slow time scale compared to the acoustic-wave period. Classical acoustic streaming in a homogeneous fluid is typically associated with a one-way coupled system wherein the oscillatory acoustic fields inform the streaming mean flow, without any appreciable feedback. In contrast, Michel & Chini (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 858, 2019, pp. 536–564) investigate acoustic streaming in a stratified fluid and demonstrate that the streaming is sufficiently strong to induce significant rearrangements of the background temperature and density fields, resulting in a strong coupling between the acoustic waves and mean flow. This new class of streaming, referred to as baroclinic acoustic streaming, is shown to result in altered streaming patterns with enhanced heat transport that makes possible a range of new applications.

We propose a statistical model for homogeneous turbulence undergoing distortions, which improves and extends the MCS model by Mons, Cambon & Sagaut (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 788, 2016, 147–182). The spectral tensor of two-point second-order velocity correlations is predicted in the presence of arbitrary mean-velocity gradients and in a rotating frame. For this, we numerically solve coupled equations for the angle-dependent energy spectrum ${\mathcal{E}}(\boldsymbol{k},t)$ that includes directional anisotropy, and for the deviatoric pseudo-scalar $Z(\boldsymbol{k},t)$, that underlies polarization anisotropy ($\boldsymbol{k}$ is the wavevector, $t$ the time). These equations include two parts: (i) exact linear terms representing the viscous spectral linear theory (SLT) when considered alone; (ii) generalized transfer terms mediated by two-point third-order correlations. In contrast with MCS, our model retains the complete angular dependence of the linear terms, whereas the nonlinear transfer terms are closed by a reduced anisotropic eddy damped quasi-normal Markovian (EDQNM) technique similar to MCS, based on truncated angular harmonics expansions. And in contrast with most spectral approaches based on characteristic methods to represent mean-velocity gradient terms, we use high-order finite-difference schemes (FDSs). The resulting model is applied to homogeneous rotating turbulent shear flow with several Coriolis parameters and constant mean shear rate. First, we assess the validity of the model in the linear limit. We observe satisfactory agreement with existing numerical SLT results and with theoretical results for flows without rotation. Second, fully nonlinear results are obtained, which compare well to existing direct numerical simulation (DNS) results. In both regimes, the new model improves significantly the MCS model predictions. However, in the non-rotating shear case, the expected exponential growth of turbulent kinetic energy is found only with a hybrid model for nonlinear terms combining the anisotropic EDQNM closure and Weinstock’s return-to-isotropy model.

Non-isothermal liquid evaporation in micro-pore structures is studied experimentally and numerically using the lattice Boltzmann method. A hybrid thermal entropic multiple-relaxation-time multiphase lattice Boltzmann model (T-EMRT-MP LBM) is implemented and validated with experiments of droplet evaporation on a heated hydrophobic substrate. Then liquid evaporation is investigated in two specific pore structures, i.e. spiral-shaped and gradient-shaped micro-pillar cavities, referred to as SMS and GMS, respectively. In SMS, the liquid receding front follows the spiral pattern; while in GMS, the receding front moves layer by layer from the pillar rows with large pitch to the rows with small one. Both simulations agree well with experiments. Moreover, evaporative cooling effects in liquid and vapour are observed and explained with simulation results. Quantitatively, in both SMS and GMS, the change of liquid mass with time coincides with experimental measurements. The evaporation rate generally decreases slightly with time mainly because of the reduction of liquid–vapour interface. Isolated liquid films in SMS increase the evaporation rate temporarily resulting in local peaks in evaporation rate. Reynolds and capillary numbers show that the liquid internal flow is laminar and that the capillary forces are dominant resulting in menisci pinned to the pillars. Similar Péclet number is found in simulations and experiments, indicating a diffusive type of heat, liquid and vapour transport. Our numerical and experimental studies indicate a method for controlling liquid evaporation paths in micro-pore structures and maintaining high evaporation rate by specific geometry designs.

Manipulation of an array of surface droplets organised in an ordered structure turns out to be of immense consequence in a wide variety of applications ranging from photonics, near field imaging and inkjet printing on the one hand to bio-molecular analysis and DNA sequencing on the other. While evaporation of a single isolated sessile droplet has been well studied, the collective evaporative dynamics of an ordered array of droplets on a solid substrate remains elusive. Physically, the closed region between the centre and side droplets in the ordered array reduces the mobility of the diffusing vapour, resulting in its accumulation along with enhanced local concentration and a consequent increment in the lifetime of the centre droplet. Here, we present a theoretical model to account for evaporation lifetime scaling in closely placed ordered linear droplet arrays. In addition, the present theory predicts the limiting cases of droplet interaction; namely, critical droplet separation for which interfacial interaction ceases to exist and minimum possible droplet separation (droplets on the verge of coalescence) for which the droplet system achieves maximum lifetime scaling. Further experimental evidence demonstrates the applicability of the present scaling theory to extended dimensions of the droplet array, generalising our physical conjecture. It is also worth noting that the theoretical time scale is applicable across a wide variety of drop–substrate combinations and initial droplet volumes. We also highlight that the scaling law proposed here can be extended seamlessly to other forms of confinement such as an evaporating droplet inside a mini-channel, as encountered in countless applications ranging from biomedical engineering to surface patterning.

We investigated experimentally the motion of elongated finite-length cylinders (length $L$, diameter $d$) freely falling under the effect of buoyancy in a low-viscosity fluid otherwise at rest. For cylinders with densities $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{c}$ close to the density $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{f}$ of the fluid ($\overline{\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}}=\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{c}/\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{f}\simeq 1.16$), we explored the effect of the body volume by varying the Archimedes number $Ar$ (based on the body equivalent diameter) between 200 and 1100, as well as the effect of their length-to-diameter ratios $L/d$ ranging from 2 to 20. A shadowgraphy technique involving two cameras mounted on a travelling cart was used to track the cylinders along their fall over a distance longer than $30L$. A dedicated image processing algorithm was further implemented to properly reconstruct the position and orientation of the cylinders in the three-dimensional space. In the range of parameters explored, we identified three main types of paths, matching regimes known to exist for three-dimensional bodies (short-length cylinders, disks and spheres). Two of these are stationary, namely, the rectilinear motion and the large-amplitude oscillatory motion (also referred to as fluttering or zigzag motion), and their characterization is the focus of the present paper. Furthermore, in the transitional region between these two regimes, we observed irregular low-amplitude oscillatory motions, that may be assimilated to the A-regimes or quasi-vertical regimes of the literature. Flow visualization using dye released from the bodies uncovered the existence of different types of vortex shedding in the wake of the cylinders, according to the style of path. The detailed analysis of the body kinematics in the fluttering regime brought to light a series of remarkable properties. In particular, when normalized with the characteristic velocity scale $u_{0}=\sqrt{(\overline{\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}}-1)gd}$ and the characteristic length scale $l_{0}=\sqrt{dL}$, the mean vertical velocity $\overline{u_{Z}}$ and the frequency $f$ of the oscillations become almost independent of $L/d$ and $Ar$. The use of the length scale $l_{0}$ and of the gravitational velocity scale to build the Strouhal number $St^{\ast }=fl_{0}/u_{0}$ allowed us to generalize to short ($0.1\leqslant L/d\leqslant 0.5$) and elongated cylinders ($2\leqslant L/d\leqslant 12$), the result $St^{\ast }\simeq 0.1$. An interpretation of $l_{0}$ as a characteristic length scale associated with the oscillatory recirculation thickness generated near the body ends is proposed. In addition, the rotation rate of the cylinders scales with $u_{0}/L$, for all $L/d$ and $Ar$ investigated. Furthermore, the phase difference between the oscillations of the velocity component $u$ along the cylinder axis and of the inclination angle $\unicode[STIX]{x1D703}$ of the cylinder is approximately constant, whatever the elongation ratio $L/d$ and the Archimedes number $Ar$.

Parametrically forced gravity waves can give rise to high-velocity surface jets via the wave-depression cavity implosion. The present results have been obtained in circular cylindrical containers of 10 and 15 cm in diameter (Bond number of order $10^{3}$) in the large fluid depth limit. First, the phase diagrams of instability threshold and wave breaking conditions are determined for the working fluid used, here water with 1 % detergent added. The collapse of the wave-depression cavity is found to be self-similar. The exponent $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}$ of the variation of the cavity radius $r_{m}$ with time $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}$, in the form $r_{m}/R\propto \unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}^{\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}}$, is close to 0.5, indicative of inertial collapse, followed by a viscous cut-off of $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}\approx 1$. This supports a Froude number scaling of the surface jet velocity caused by cavity collapse. The dimensionless jet velocity scales with the cavity depth that is shown to be proportional to the last stable wave amplitude. It can be expressed by a power law or in terms of finite time singularity related to a singular wave amplitude that sets the transition from a non-pinching to pinch-off cavity collapse scenario. In terms of forcing amplitude, cavity collapse and jetting are found to occur in bands of events of non-pinching and pinching of a bubble at the cavity base. At large forcing amplitudes, incomplete cavity collapse and splashing can occur and, at even larger forcing amplitudes, wave growth is again stable up to the singular wave amplitude. When the cavity is formed, an impulse model shows the importance of the singular cavity diameter that determines the strength of the impulse.

Two-phase bubbly flows are found in many industrial applications. These flows involve complex local phenomena that are still poorly understood. For instance, two-phase turbulence modelling is still commonly based on single-phase flow analyses. A direct numerical simulation (DNS) database is described here to improve the understanding of two-phase turbulent channel flow at a parietal Reynolds number of 127. Based on DNS results, a physical interpretation of the Reynolds stress and momentum budgets is proposed. First, surface tension is found to be the strongest force in the direction of migration so that budgets of the momentum equations suggest a significant impact of surface tension in the migration process, whereas most modelling used in industrial application does not include it. Besides, the suitability of the design of our cases to study the interaction between bubble-induced fluctuations (BIF) and single-phase turbulence (SPT) is shown. Budgets of the Reynolds stress transport equation computed from DNS reveal an interaction between SPT and BIF, revealing weaknesses in the classical way in which pseudoturbulence and perturbations to standard single-phase turbulence are modelled. An SPT reduction is shown due to changes in the diffusion because of the presence of bubbles. An increase of the redistribution leading to a more isotropic SPT has been observed as well. BIF is comprised of a turbulent (wake-induced turbulence, WIT) and a non-turbulent (wake-induced fluctuations, WIF) part which are statistically independent. WIF is related to averaged wake and potential flow, whereas WIT appears when wakes become unstable or interact with each other for high-velocity bubbles. In the present low gravity conditions, BIF is reduced to WIF only. A thorough analysis of the transport equations of the Reynolds stresses is performed in order to propose an algebraic closure for the WIF towards an innovative two-phase turbulence model.

Vortex is a central concept in the understanding of turbulent dynamics. Objective algorithms for the detection and extraction of vortex structures can facilitate the physical understanding of turbulence regeneration dynamics by enabling automated and quantitative analyses of these structures. Despite the wide availability of vortex identification criteria, they only label spatial regions belonging to vortices, without any information on the identity, topology and shape of individual vortices. This latter information is stored in the axis lines lining the contours of vortex tubes. In this study, a new tracking algorithm is proposed which propagates along the vortex axis lines and iteratively searches for new directions for growth. The method is validated in flow fields from transient simulations where vortices of different shapes are controllably generated. It is then applied to statistical turbulence for the analysis of vortex configurations and distributions. It is shown to reliably extract axis lines for complex three-dimensional vortices generated from the walls. A new procedure is also proposed that classifies vortices into commonly observed shapes, including quasi-streamwise vortices, hairpins, hooks and branches, based on their axis-line topology. Clustering analysis is performed on the extracted axis lines to reveal vortex organization patterns and their potential connection to large-scale motions in turbulence.

The average patterns of the velocity and scalar fields near turbulent/non-turbulent interfaces (TNTI), obtained from direct numerical simulations (DNS) of planar turbulent jets and shear free turbulence, are assessed in the strain eigenframe. These flow patterns help to clarify many aspects of the flow dynamics, including a passive scalar, near a TNTI layer, that are otherwise not easily and clearly assessed. The averaged flow field near the TNTI layer exhibits a saddle-node flow topology associated with a vortex in one half of the interface, while the other half of the interface consists of a shear layer. This observed flow pattern is thus very different from the shear-layer structure consisting of two aligned vortical motions bounded by two large-scale regions of uniform flow, that typically characterizes the average strain field in the fully developed turbulent regions. Moreover, strain dominates over vorticity near the TNTI layer, in contrast to internal turbulence. Consequently, the most compressive principal straining direction is perpendicular to the TNTI layer, and the characteristic 45-degree angle displayed in internal shear layers is not observed at the TNTI layer. The particular flow pattern observed near the TNTI layer has important consequences for the dynamics of a passive scalar field, and explains why regions of particularly high scalar gradient (magnitude) are typically found at TNTIs separating fluid with different levels of scalar concentration. Finally, it is demonstrated that, within the fully developed internal turbulent region, the scalar gradient exhibits an angle with the most compressive straining direction with a peak probability at around 20$^{\text{o}}$. The scalar gradient and the most compressive strain are not preferentially aligned, as has been considered for many years. The misconception originated from an ambiguous definition of the positive directions of the strain eigenvectors.

Linear perturbation analyses of zero-pressure-gradient boundary layers at subcritical Reynolds numbers predict that transient disturbance amplification can take place due to the lift-up mechanism. Upstream, streamwise-elongated vortices yield the largest response per unit of inflow disturbance energy, which takes the form of streamwise-elongated streaks. In this work, we compute the linear and also nonlinear inflow disturbances that generate the largest response inside the boundary layer, for flow over a thin flat plate with a slender leading edge. In order to compare our results with earlier linear analyses, we constrain the inlet disturbance to be monochromatic in time, or a single frequency. The boundary layer effectively filters high frequencies, and only low-frequency perturbations induce a strong response downstream. The low-frequency optimal inflow disturbance has a spanwise wavenumber that scales with $\sqrt{Re}$, and it consists of streamwise and normal vorticity components: the latter is tilted around the leading edge into the streamwise direction and, further downstream, generates streaks. While none of the computed monochromatic disturbances alone can lead to breakdown to turbulence, secondary instability analyses demonstrate that the streaky base state is unstable. Nonlinear simulations where the inflow disturbance is supplemented with additional white noise undergo secondary instability and breakdown to turbulence.

Rapid shallow granular flows over inclined planes are often seen in nature in the form of avalanches, landslides and pyroclastic flows. In these situations the flow develops an inversely graded (large at the top) particle-size distribution perpendicular to the plane. As the surface velocity of such flows is larger than the mean velocity, the larger material is transported to the flow front. This causes size segregation in the downstream direction, resulting in a flow front composed of large particles. Since the large particles are often more frictional than the small, the mobility of the flow front is reduced, resulting in a so-called bulbous head. This study focuses on the formation and evolution of this bulbous head, which we show to emerge in both a depth-averaged continuum framework and discrete particle simulations. Furthermore, our numerical solutions of the continuum model converge to a travelling wave solution, which allows for a very efficient computation of the long-time behaviour of the flow. We use small-scale periodic discrete particle simulations to calibrate (close) our continuum framework, and validate the simple one-dimensional (1-D) model with full-scale 3-D discrete particle simulations. The comparison shows that there are conditions under which the model works surprisingly well given the strong approximations made; for example, instantaneous vertical segregation.

Here we provide a self-consistent analytical solution describing the unsteady flow in the slender thin film which is expelled radially outwards when a drop hits a dry solid wall. Thanks to the fact that the fluxes of mass and momentum entering into the toroidal rim bordering the expanding liquid sheet are calculated analytically, we show here that our theoretical results closely follow the measured time-varying position of the rim with independence of the wetting properties of the substrate. The particularization of the equations describing the rim dynamics at the instant the drop reaches its maximal extension which, in analogy with the case of Savart sheets, is characterized by a value of the local Weber number equal to one, provides an algebraic equation for the maximum spreading radius also in excellent agreement with experiments. The self-consistent theory presented here, which does not make use of energetic arguments to predict the maximum spreading diameter of impacting drops, provides us with the time evolution of the thickness and of the velocity of the rim bordering the expanding sheet. This information is crucial in the calculation of the diameters and of the velocities of the droplets ejected radially outwards for drop impact velocities above the splashing threshold.

Thermoacoustic instability – self-sustained pressure oscillations triggered by temperature gradients – has become an increasingly studied topic in the context of energy conversion. Generally, the process relies on conductive heat transfer between a solid and the fluid in which the generated pressure oscillations are sustained. In the present study, the thermoacoustic theory is extended to include mass transfer; specifically, the working fluid is modified so as to incorporate a ‘reactive’ gas, able to exchange phase with a solid/liquid boundary through a sorption process (or through evaporation/condensation), such that most heat is transferred in the form of latent heat rather than through conduction. A set of differential equations is derived, accounting for phase-exchange heat and mass transfer, and de-coupled via a small-amplitude asymptotic expansion. These equations are solved and subsequently manipulated into the form of a wave equation, representing the small perturbation on the pressure field, and used to derive expressions for the time-averaged, second-order heat and mass fluxes. A stability analysis is performed on the wave equation, from which the marginal stability curve is calculated in terms of the temperature difference, $\unicode[STIX]{x0394}T_{onset}$, required for initiation of self-sustained oscillations. Calculated stability curves are compared with published experimental results, showing good agreement. Effects of gas mixture composition are studied, indicating that a lower heat capacity of the inert component, combined with a low boiling temperature and high latent heat of the reactive component substantially lower $\unicode[STIX]{x0394}T_{onset}$. Furthermore, an increase in the average mole fraction of the reactive gas, $C_{m}$ strongly affects onset conditions, leading to $\unicode[STIX]{x0394}T_{onset}\sim 5\,^{\circ }\text{C}$ at the highest value of $C_{m}$ achievable under atmospheric pressure. An analysis of the system limit cycle is performed for a wide range of parameters, indicating a systematic decrease in the temperature difference capable of sustaining the limit cycle, as well as a significant distortion of the acoustic wave form as the phase-exchange mechanism becomes dominant. These findings, combined, reveal the underlying mechanisms by which a phase-exchange engine may produce more acoustic power than its counterpart ‘classical’ thermoacoustic system, while its temperature difference is substantially lower.

Studies of the effects of constructive or destructive interference on the transmission of internal waves through non-uniform stratifications have typically been performed for internal wave fields that are spatiotemporally harmonic. To understand the impacts of spatiotemporal localization, we present a theoretical and experimental study of the transmission of two-dimensional internal waves that are generated by a boundary forcing that is localized in both space and time. The model analysis reveals that sufficient localization leads to the disappearance of transmission peaks and troughs that would otherwise be present for a harmonic forcing. The corresponding laboratory experiments that we perform provide clear demonstration of this effect. Based on the group velocity and angle of propagation of the internal waves, a practical criterion that assesses when the transmission peaks or troughs are evident is obtained.

We present results on the drag on, and the flow field around, a submerged rectangular normal flat plate, which is uniformly accelerated to a constant target velocity along a straight path. The plate aspect ratio is chosen to be $AR=2$ to resemble an oar blade in (competitive) rowing, the sport which inspired this study. The plate depth, i.e. the distance from the top of the plate to the air–water interface, the plate acceleration and the plate target velocity are varied, resulting in a plate width based Reynolds number of $4\times 10^{4}\lesssim Re\lesssim 8\times 10^{4}$. In our analysis we distinguish three phases; (i) the acceleration phase during which the plate drag is enhanced, (ii) the transition phase during which the plate drag decreases to a constant steady value upon which (iii) the steady phase is reached. The plate drag force is measured as function of time which showed that the steady-phase plate drag at a depth of $1/5$ plate height (20 mm depth for a plate height of 100 mm) increased by 45 % compared to the plate top at the surface (0 mm). Also, it is shown that the drag force during acceleration of the plate increases over time and is not captured by a single added mass coefficient for prolonged accelerations. Instead, an entrainment rate is defined that captures this behaviour. The formation of starting vortices and the wake development during the time of acceleration and transition towards a steady wake are studied using hydrogen bubble flow visualisations and particle image velocimetry. The formation time, as proposed by Gharib et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 360, 1998, pp. 121–140), appears to be a universal time scale for the vortex formation during the transition phase.

We investigate optimal perturbation in the flow past a finite aspect ratio ($AR$) wing. The optimization is carried out in the regime where the fully developed flow is steady. Parametric study over time horizon ($T$), Reynolds number ($Re$), $AR$, angle of attack and geometry of the wing cross-section (flat plate and NACA0012 airfoil) shows that the general shape of linear optimal perturbation remains the same over the explored parameter space. Optimal perturbation is located near the surface of the wing in the form of chord-wise periodic structures whose strength decreases from the root towards the tip. Direct time integration of the disturbance equations, with and without nonlinear terms, is carried out with linear optimal perturbation as initial condition. In both cases, the optimal perturbation evolves as a downstream travelling wavepacket whose speed is nearly the same as that of the free stream. The energy of the wavepacket increases in the near wake region, and is found to remain nearly constant beyond the vortex roll-up distance in nonlinear simulations. The nonlinear wavepacket results in displacement of the tip vortex. In this situation, the motion of the tip vortex resembles that observed during vortex meandering/wandering in wind tunnel experiments. Results from computation carried out at higher $Re$ suggest that, even beyond the steady flow regime, a perturbation wavepacket originating near the wing might cause meandering of tip vortices.