Numerical study of vortex breakdown

Abstract

The incompressible axisymmetric steady Navier-Stokes equations and the Euler equations are solved numerically to model the breakdown of a vortex. Although the solutions obtained for the Euler equations show a 'vortex breakdown-like' structure, their behavior is very different from that of the Navier-Stokes equations. The details of the numerical algorithmms used are presented, and the results obtained are compared to those in the literature.