Counterflows
Paradoxical Fluid Mechanics Phenomena

Counterflows play important roles in nature and technology. This book discusses the development of counterflows and the physical mechanisms that drive them.

Vladimir Shtern (Author)

9781107027596, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 15 October 2012

483 pages, 386 b/w illus. 5 tables
26 x 18.2 x 2.8 cm, 1 kg

'The unique feature of the book is the attention to one special area of fluid dynamics, namely, counterflows. This makes the book an excellent reference for anyone who would like to know more about counterflows. It is also a rich source of special topics for inclusion in a graduate-level course in fluid dynamics.' Majid Molki, Heat Transfer Engineering

This book discusses the physical mechanisms that drive counterflows, examining how they emerge, develop, become double and multiple counterflows and comprise both global and local circulations. Counterflows play an important role in nature and technology. A natural example is the Gulf Stream and the opposite flow in the ocean depths. Technological applications include hydrocyclones, vortex tubes and vortex combustors. These elongated counterflows are wildly turbulent but survive intense mixing, a seeming paradox. Local counterflows, whose spatial extent is small compared with that of surrounding flows, occur behind bluff bodies and in swirling streams. The latter are often referred to as vortex breakdown bubbles, which occur in tornadoes and above delta wings. Most scale counterflows are cosmic bipolar jets. Most miniature counterflows occur in capillary menisci of electrosprays and fuel atomisers.

1. Introduction
2. Accumulation counterflows
3. Bifurcation of swirl in conical counterflows
4. Bifurcation of counter-swirl
5. Conical counterflows driven by swirl
6. Jetlike swirling counterflows
7. Swirling counterflows in cylindrical devices
8. Separation counterflows
9. Temperature distribution in swirling counterflows
10. Onset of buoyancy similarity counterflows
11. Thermal convection counterflows
12. Control of vortex breakdown
13. Magnetic counterflows
14. Stability of conical flows.

Subject Areas: Flow, turbulence, rheology [TGMF3], Mechanics of fluids [TGMF], Materials science [TGM], Fluid mechanics [PHDF], Classical mechanics [PHD]