Has anyone simulated smoke-rings? Alternatively, if folks could direct me to useful links relating to simulation, or experimental work done in this area, I'd be most grateful.

Many thanks, desA

Do a quick search on vortex ring simulation, which this problem is. There are many papers out there.

Adrin

Adrin Gharakhani wrote:

Do a quick search on vortex ring simulation, which this problem is. There are many papers out there.

desA's reply:

Thanks so much Adrin - nice to hear from you again.

I did a little searching & found some lovely pictures of natural & lab observations. Would you know offhand if the any of the papers explore the underlying physics & manage to explain the phenomena mathematically? This is where I'd like to see what they understand in terms of the physical mechanism at work.

A few musings:

Can this 'vortex ring' phenomenon, for instance, be linked to other observed phenomena - at say slightly higher speeds?

Would/could vortex motion in any way be linked to wave phenomena?

Thanks so much for your input.

desA

Papers by S. Widnall should help you out with the physics of vortex ring instability, etc.

http://web.mit.edu/aeroastro/www/peo...lications.html gives a list of her publications on this topic. There are quite a number of (more recent) simulations that try to explain the process as well.

Adrin