We consider a free liquid sheet, taking into account the dependence of surface tension on the temperature or concentration of some pollutant. The sheet dynamics are described within a long-wavelength description. In the presence of viscosity, local thinning of the sheet is driven by a strong temperature gradient across the pinch region, resembling a shock. As a result, for long times the sheet thins exponentially, leading to breakup. We describe the quasi-one-dimensional thickness, velocity and temperature profiles in the pinch region in terms of similarity solutions, which possess a universal structure. Our analytical description agrees quantitatively with numerical simulations.

We present theoretical and experimental analyses of the critical condition where the inertial–buoyancy or viscous–buoyancy regime is preserved in a uniform-density gravity current (which propagates over a horizontal plane) of time-variable volume ${\mathcal{V}}=qt^{\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}}$ in a power-law cross-section (with width described by $f(z)=bz^{\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}}$, where $z$ is the vertical coordinate, $b$ and $q$ are positive real numbers, and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}$ and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}$ are non-negative real numbers) occupied by homogeneous or linearly stratified ambient fluid. The magnitude of the ambient stratification is represented by the parameter $S$, with $S=0$ and $S=1$ describing the homogeneous and maximum stratification cases respectively. Earlier theoretical and experimental results valid for a rectangular cross-section ($\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}=0$) and uniform ambient fluid are generalized here to a power-law cross-section and stratified ambient. Novel time scalings, obtained for inertial and viscous regimes, allow a derivation of the critical flow parameter $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}_{c}$ and the corresponding propagation rate as $Kt^{\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}_{c}}$ as a function of the problem parameters. Estimates of the transition length between the inertial and viscous regimes are also derived. A series of experiments conducted in a semicircular cross-section ($\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}=1/2$) validate the critical values $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}_{c}=2$ and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}_{c}=9/4$ for the two cases $S=0$ and $1$. The ratio between the inertial and viscous forces is determined by an effective Reynolds number proportional to $q$ at some power. The threshold value of this number, which enables a determination of the regime of the current (inertial–buoyancy or viscous–buoyancy) in critical conditions, is determined experimentally for both $S=0$ and $S=1$. We conclude that a very significant generalization of the insights and results from two-dimensional (rectangular cross-section channel) gravity currents to power-law cross-sections is available.

At finite Reynolds numbers, $Re$, particles migrate across laminar flow streamlines to their equilibrium positions in microchannels. This migration is attributed to a lift force, and the balance between this lift and gravity determines the location of particles in channels. Here we demonstrate that velocity of finite-size particles located near a channel wall differs significantly from that of an undisturbed flow, and that their equilibrium position depends on this, referred to as slip velocity, difference. We then present theoretical arguments, which allow us to generalize expressions for a lift force, originally suggested for some limiting cases and $Re\ll 1$, to finite-size particles in a channel flow at $Re\leqslant 20$. Our theoretical model, validated by lattice Boltzmann simulations, provides considerable insight into inertial migration of finite-size particles in a microchannel and suggests some novel microfluidic approaches to separate them by size or density at a moderate $Re$.

We study turbulent flows in pressure-driven ducts with square cross-section through direct numerical simulation in a wide enough range of Reynolds number to reach flow conditions which are representative of fully developed turbulence ($Re_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}}\approx 1000$). Numerical simulations are carried out over very long integration times to get adequate convergence of the flow statistics, and specifically to achieve high-fidelity representation of the secondary motions which arise. The intensity of the latter is found to be on the order of 1 %–2 % of the bulk velocity, and approximately unaffected by Reynolds number variation, at least in the range under scrutiny. The smallness of the mean convection terms in the streamwise vorticity equation points to a simple characterization of the secondary flows, which in the asymptotic high-$Re$ regime are approximated with good accuracy by eigenfunctions of the Laplace operator, in the core part of the duct. Despite their effect of redistributing the wall shear stress along the duct perimeter, we find that secondary motions do not have a large influence on the bulk flow properties, and the streamwise velocity field can be characterized with good accuracy as resulting from the superposition of four flat walls in isolation. As a consequence, we find that parametrizations based on the hydraulic diameter concept, and modifications thereof, are successful in predicting the duct friction coefficient.

Previous studies on capsule dynamics in shear flow have dealt with Newtonian fluids, while the effect of fluid viscoelasticity remains an unresolved fundamental question. In this paper, we report a numerical investigation of the dynamics of capsules enclosing a viscoelastic fluid and which are freely suspended in a Newtonian fluid under simple shear. Systematic simulations are performed at small but non-zero Reynolds numbers (i.e. $Re=0.1$) using a three-dimensional front-tracking finite-difference model, in which the fluid viscoelasticity is introduced via the Oldroyd-B constitutive equation. We demonstrate that the internal fluid viscoelasticity presents significant effects on the deformation behaviour of initially spherical capsules, including transient evolution and equilibrium values of their deformation and orientation. Particularly, the capsule deformation decreases slightly with the Deborah number De increasing from 0 to $O(1)$. In contrast, with De increasing within high levels, i.e. $O(1{-}100)$, the capsule deformation increases continuously and eventually approaches the Newtonian limit having a viscosity the same as the Newtonian part of the viscoelastic capsule. By analysing the viscous stress, pressure and viscoelastic stress acting on the capsule membrane, we reveal that the mechanism underlying the effects of the internal fluid viscoelasticity on the capsule deformation is the alterations in the distribution of the viscoelastic stress at low De and its magnitude at high De, respectively. Furthermore, we find some new features in the dynamics of initially non-spherical capsules induced by the internal fluid viscoelasticity. Particularly, the transition from tumbling to swinging of oblate capsules can be triggered at very high viscosity ratios by increasing De alone. Besides, the critical viscosity ratio for the tumbling-to-swinging transition is remarkably enlarged with De increasing at relatively high levels, i.e. $O(1{-}100)$, while it shows little change at low De, i.e. below $O(1)$.

We consider the self-induced motions of three-dimensional oblate spheroids of density $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{s}$ with varying aspect ratios $AR=b/c\leqslant 1$, where $b$ and $c$ are the spheroids’ centre-pole radius and centre-equator radius, respectively. Vertical motion is imposed on the spheroids such that $y_{s}(t)=A\sin (2\unicode[STIX]{x03C0}ft)$ in a fluid of density $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}$ and kinematic viscosity $\unicode[STIX]{x1D708}$. As in strictly two-dimensional flows, above a critical value $Re_{C}$ of the flapping Reynolds number $Re_{A}=2Afc/\unicode[STIX]{x1D708}$, the spheroid ultimately propels itself horizontally as a result of fluid–body interactions. For $Re_{A}$ sufficiently above $Re_{C}$, the spheroid rapidly settles into a terminal state of constant, unidirectional velocity, consistent with the prediction of Deng et al. (Phys. Rev. E, vol. 94, 2016, 033107) that, at sufficiently high $Re_{A}$, such oscillating spheroids manifest $m=1$ asymmetric flow, with characteristic vortical structures conducive to providing unidirectional thrust if the spheroid is free to move horizontally. The speed $U$ of propagation increases linearly with the flapping frequency, resulting in a constant Strouhal number $St(AR)=2Af/U$, characterising the locomotive performance of the oblate spheroid, somewhat larger than the equivalent $St$ for two-dimensional spheroids, demonstrating that the three-dimensional flow is less efficient at driving locomotion. $St$ decreases with increasing aspect ratio for both two-dimensional and three-dimensional flows, although the relative disparity (and hence relative inefficiency of three-dimensional motion) decreases. For flows with $Re_{A}\gtrsim Re_{C}$, we observe two distinct types of inherently three-dimensional motion for different aspect ratios. The first, associated with a disk of aspect ratio $AR=0.1$ at $Re_{A}=45$, consists of a ‘stair-step’ trajectory. This trajectory can be understood through consideration of relatively high azimuthal wavenumber instabilities of interacting vortex rings, characterised by in-phase vortical structures above and below an oscillating spheroid, recently calculated using Floquet analysis by Deng et al. (Phys. Rev. E, vol. 94, 2016, 033107). Such ‘in-phase’ instabilities arise in a relatively narrow band of $Re_{A}\gtrsim Re_{C}$, which band shifts to higher Reynolds number as the aspect ratio increases. (Indeed, for horizontally fixed spheroids with aspect ratio $AR=0.2$, Floquet analysis actually predicts stability at $Re_{A}=45$.) For such a spheroid ($AR=0.2$, $Re_{A}=45$, with sufficiently small mass ratio $m_{s}/m_{f}=\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{s}V_{s}/(\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}V_{s})$, where $V_{s}$ is the volume of the spheroid) which is free to move horizontally, the second type of three-dimensional motion is observed, initially taking the form of a ‘snaking’ trajectory with long quasi-periodic sweeping oscillations before locking into an approximately elliptical ‘orbit’, apparently manifesting a three-dimensional generalisation of the $QP_{H}$ quasi-periodic symmetry breaking discussed for sufficiently high aspect ratio two-dimensional elliptical foils in Deng & Caulfield (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 787, 2016, pp. 16–49).

This study proposes an onset condition of shock-free supersonic vortex breakdown from the axial momentum variation, which applies in the presence or absence of a stagnation point. The condition is derived from a comprehensive approach to vortex breakdown. Supersonic breakdown appeared when the swirl parameter and Mach number were small. Moreover, bubble-type breakdowns with a stagnation point, which occur in subsonic conditions, could not occur under the supersonic condition in the present analysis. The predicted breakdowns under this condition were consistent with the results of the three-dimensional numerical simulations for Mach numbers ranging from 1.5 to 5.0. Supersonic vortex breakdowns were clearly captured by the helicity contours in the numerical results. The threshold of the downstream Mach number required for spiral breakdown with no stagnation point was also theoretically derived and verified in numerical results. These findings provide new insights into vortex breakdown in supersonic flows.