Flow in a Circular Expansion Pipe Flow: Effect of a Vortex Perturbation on Localized Turbulence

Abstract: We report the results of three-dimensional direct numerical simulations for incompressible viscous fluid in a circular pipe flow with a sudden expansion. At the inlet, a parabolic velocity profile is applied together with a finite amplitude perturbation in the form of a vortex with its axis parallel to the axis of the pipe. At sufficiently high Reynolds numbers the recirculation region breaks into a turbulent patch that changes position axially depending on the strength of the perturbation. This vortex perturbation is believed to produce a less abrupt transition than in previous studies with a tilt perturbation, as the localized turbulence is observed via the formation of a wavy structure at a low order azimuthal mode, which resembles an optimally amplified perturbation. For higher amplitude, the localized turbulence remains at a constant axial position. It is further investigated using proper orthogonal decomposition, which indicates that the centre region close to the expansion is highly energetic.