Inviscid vortex breakdown models in pipes (Q1818884)

The authors discuss two simple models for the axisymmetric steady inlet swirling flow of an inviscid fluid in a pipe. The inviscid evolution of two families of cylindrical inlet velocity profiles are compared: the first is singular at the axis, and the second can be regularized at the axis in the usual way by assuming constant axial velocity and rigid body rotation inside a slender vortex core. It is shown that the inviscid equations predict vortex breakdown only for inlet profiles regular at the axis. The presented models show that it is important to take into account the radial decay of inlet axial flow in order to correctly predict the critical swirl number above which inviscid vortex breakdown occurs.