Identification and prediction of a plane vortex flow by using the Rankine vortices

One possible formulation of the inverse problem of identification of the vortex structure based on the flow velocity vectors at a set of points is considered, and an algorithmic method of its solution is proposed. The approach is based on the vortex structure presentation by a combination of the Rankine vortices. Identification is understood as determination of the number of model vortices, their intensities, centers, and radii. The method implies minimization in space of the parameters of the model system of the objective functional estimating the closeness of the known and modeled velocity vectors. The algorithm includes the following stages: search for the initial approximation for the vortex structure, refinement of the model vortex parameters, and correction of the resultant structure. Solving the direct problem of the flow development prediction is based on solving the initial-boundary value problem for the Euler equation for the ideal fluid dynamics by the spectral-vortex method. Results of test computations performed by the proposed approach are presented. It is demonstrated that the model system in all test computations ensures a sufficiently accurate description of the topology of streamlines during identification. Predictions at times corresponding to changes in the flow topology are obtained.