Prospects for useful research on coherent structure in turbulent shear flow

Abstract

Six different flows involving coherent structures are discussed with varying amounts of detail. These are the puff in a pipe, the turbulent spot, the spiral turbulence, the vortex ring, the vortex street, and the mixing layer. One central theme is that non-steady similarity arguments and topology are of the essence of coherent structure. Another is that the Reynolds equations, which are sterile when applied to a structureless mean flow, may be quite productive when applied to a single structure. A third theme is the prospect for at least partial control of technically important flows by exploiting the concept of coherent structure.

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