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APPENDIX 7: DISCRETE VORTEX MODELLING METHODS<br />

1 THE POINT VORTEX APPROXIMATION PROBLEM<br />

The DVM relies on concentrating vorticity at points and allowing<br />

these points to interact with time using the Biot-Savart law<br />

(Batchelor, 1967) . This law gives the velocity induced by one<br />

vortex on another as proportional to the vorticity and inversely<br />

proportional to their separation. Close to the vortex these<br />

induced velocities are large thus requiring a very small time<br />

interval to prevent unrealistic inter-vortex accelerations. This<br />

problem has been solved using a variety <strong>of</strong> methods as detailed<br />

below.<br />

1.1 Vortex Amalgamation<br />

The method <strong>of</strong> vortex amalgamation is <strong>of</strong>ten used to stop mutual<br />

vortex orbit, to limit high mutually induced velocities, to limit<br />

computational time and to simulate a naturally occurring merging<br />

process. The process is again ad hoc since there are no rules<br />

to govern the amalgamation action, but one common method is to<br />

place the new vortex at the centre <strong>of</strong> the vorticity <strong>of</strong> the<br />

pairing couple and conserve the total circulation.<br />

1.2 Discrete Vortex in Cell Method<br />

Other pseudo amalgamation methods are based on the temporary<br />

amalgamation <strong>of</strong> clusters <strong>of</strong> vortices that are close to each other<br />

A7-1

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