Problems of Vortex Dynamics in the Thermal Physics of Power Plants

The first section gives examples of flows with the formation of determinate vortex structures characteristic of power-generating plants. An approach to the solution of collector problems for nuclear reactors of the type of fast-neutron and water-moderated water-cooled power reactors is proposed. It is shown that the efficiency of swirling-flow apparatuses strongly depends on the internal vortex structure and the possibility of purposefully changing this structure. The results of the experimental investigations on visualization of large-scale structures in vortex tubes (Ranque effect) performed in the last few years have been analyzed. The features of the jet flow past curvilinear surfaces and the conditions for the formation of the vortex structure of boundary layers have been considered. The features of the vortex formation on surfaces with positive (Coanda effect) and negative (Taylor-Gortler vortices) curvature are considered.The second section considers the mechanism of whirl generation and the conditions for the formation and stability of determinate vortex structures. The questions of the fundamental properties of the vorticity, vortex boundaries, and the influence of viscosity are considered. Such notions as helicity, helical flow, alpha-effect that are key notions in developing physical models of vortex flows are considered.The third section presents an overview of the traditional approaches and the new trends in the development of methods for mathematical modeling of complex vortex flows. Examples of using helical turbulence models for describing the process of development of large-scale vortex structures are given. The general concept of constructing mathematical models that has made it possible to develop practically impor-tant engineering methods for calculating the hydrodynamics and the heat exchange in circular channels and tubes with vortex generators of different geometries has been considered in more detail, which permits using these methods to optimize the geometry of swirlers.In conclusion, as an illustration of the thesis on the possibility of developing more efficient power systems, the question of the role of vortex structures in providing the vital activity of living organisms has been considered.