On the identification of the tip vortex core

An overview is given for identification criteria of tip vortices, trailing from lifting surfaces of aircraft. $Q$-distribution is used as the main vortex identification method in this work. According to the definition of Q-criterion, the vortex core is bounded by a surface on which the norm of the vorticity tensor is equal to the norm of the strain-rate tensor. Moreover, following conditions are satisfied inside of the vortex core: (i) net (non-zero) vorticity tensor; (ii) the geometry of the identified vortex core should be Galilean invariant. Based on the existing analytical vortex models, a vortex center of a twodimensional vortex is defined as a point, where the $Q$-distribution reaches a maximum value and it is much greater than the norm of the strain-rate tensor (for an axisymmetric $\mathrm{2D}$ vortex, the norm of the vorticity tensor tends to zero at the vortex center). Since the existence of the vortex axis is discussed by various authors and it seems to be a fairly natural requirement in the analysis of vortices, the above-mentioned conditions (i), (ii) can be supplemented with a third condition (iii): the vortex core in a three-dimensional flow must contain a vortex axis. Flows, having axisymmetric or non-axisymmetric (in particular, elliptic) vortex cores in 2D cross-sections, are analyzed. It is shown that in such cases $Q$-distribution can be used to obtain not only the boundary of the vortex core, but also to determine the axis of the vortex. These concepts are illustrated using the numerical simulation results for a finite span wing flow-field, obtained using the Reynolds-Averaged Navier – Stokes (RANS) equations with $k-\omega$ turbulence model.