The Growth of a Vortex in Turbulent Flow

Abstract

SummaryThe growth of a line vortex with time and the spread of a trailing vortex behind a wing due to turbulence are considered. It is shown that the eddy viscosity for this type of motion may be taken to be proportional to the circulation round the vortex and the solution is then similar to the solution for the growth of a vortex in laminar flow. The method is applied to calculate the distance behind a wing for which the trailing vortices will touch one another.