Observations of oscillatory motion in certain swirling flows

Abstract

A descriptive experimental study was made in both air and water of the temporally periodic motion that occurs in the vortex whistle and cyclone separator. The motion can be described in terms of an oscillator that derives its energy from hydrodynamic instability of the steady swirling flow and whose frequency is determined by an angular velocity characteristic of this steady flow. The relevant dynamical parameters are the Rossby number and Reynolds number for the steady flow with the addition of the Strouhal number for the time-dependent flow. The results of this study were compared with the vortex breakdown phenomenon over swept-back wings. Breakdown can be described in the same terms as for the other two cases and it appears that all three motions are basically the same.