On the Lagrangian optimization of wall-injected flows: from the Hart–McClure potential to the Taylor–Culick rotational motion

Abstract

The Taylor–Culick solution for a porous cylinder is often used to describe the bulk gas motion in idealized representations of solid rocket motors. However, other approximate solutions may be found that satisfy the same fundamental constraints. In this vein, steeper or smoother profiles may be observed in either experimental or numerical tests, particularly in the presence of intense levels of acoustic energy. In this study, we use the Lagrangian optimization principle to arrive at multiple solutions that can help to explain the practically observed motions. We then search for the extreme states that display either the least or the most kinetic energy. These are derived and found to be dependent on the chamber’s aspect ratio. By assuming a slender case, simple expressions are retrieved from which both the rotational Taylor–Culick and the irrotational Hart–McClure solutions are recovered as special cases. At the outset, a new family of flow approximations is derived extending from purely potential to highly rotational fields. These are constructed, verified and catalogued based on their kinetic energies. To help understand the tendency of a motion to shift energy states, a second law analysis is performed and used to rank these solutions based on their entropy content. Interestingly, the Taylor–Culick profile is found to represent an equilibrium state entailing the most energy and entropy among those starting from the rest. A formal extension of Kelvin’s minimum energy theorem to an open region is then pursued, followed by a direct implementation to the problem at hand. Three other flow motions with open boundaries are examined to further exemplify the application of Kelvin’s extended criteria. Our efforts illustrate the overarching harmony that exists between Lagrange’s minimization principle and Kelvin’s minimum energy theorem; both converge on the potential solution as the least kinetic energy bearer even when the velocity at the open barrier is finite.