Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
650979 | European Journal of Mechanics - B/Fluids | 2006 | 19 Pages |
Experiments are carried out to find the bulk properties and some structural properties of vortex rings in a stratified fluid. Previous theoretical descriptions of vortex ring propagation speed in a homogeneous fluid are compared to experiment and developed for use in stratified fluids. Vortex rings are fired at oblique angles to the horizontal and at different speeds through a stratified fluid. The buoyancy frequency of the fluid is varied between different series of experiments.New models are proposed which predict the speeds and trajectories of vortex rings fired through a stratified fluid and these are compared to experiment. It is shown that these models perform well in high Froude number flows, but less well in low Froude number flows.