On the peculiar structure of a helical wake vortex behind an inclined prolate spheroid

Abstract

The self-similarity law for axisymmetric wakes has for the first time been examined and verified in a complex helical vortex in the far part of an asymmetric wake by means of direct numerical simulation (DNS). The helical vortex is the main coherent flow structure in the transitional non-axisymmetric wake behind an inclined 6:1 prolate spheroid at Reynolds number 3000 based on the minor axis. The gradual development of the complex helical vortex structure has been described in detail all the way from its inception at the spheroid and into the far wake. We observed a complex vortex composition in the generation stage, a rare jet-like wake pattern in the near wake and an abrupt change of helical symmetry in the vortex core without an accompanying change in flow topology, i.e. with no recirculation bubble.