Vortex breakdown as a fundamental element of vortex dynamics

Abstract
This paper presents an extension of an earlier analysis on vortex breakdown in tubes of constant cross section by Keller et al. (1985) to axisymmetric vortex flows in tubes with varying cross-sectional area. A broad investigation into the properties of steady axisymmetric vortex flows is given, insofar as they can be represented by perfect-fluid theory and simple extensions of it. It is argued that the basic physics of such flows, including vortex breakdown phenomena, can be explained with the help of the relatively simple theoretical concepts proposed. Numerical results are presented which show complete flow fields of loss-free transitions in diffusers.

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