Vortex identification-applications in aerodynamics: a case study

An eigenvector method for vortex identification has been applied to recent numerical and experimental studies in external flow aerodynamics. It is shown to be an effective way to extract and visualize features such as vortex cores, spiral vortex breakdowns, vortex bursting, and vortex diffusion. Several problems are reported and illustrated. These include: disjointed line segments, detecting non-vortical flow features, and vortex core displacement. Future research and applications are discussed, such as using vortex cores to guide automatic grid refinement.