Relation of the Formation of Secondary Flow Between Atmospheric Flow and Turbomachinery Flow

Researchers at Iowa State University instituted a research program in which they built a vortex generator in an effort to simulate atmospheric mesocyclones and to determine their relationship to tornado formation. In their research it was observed that when a vortex touched down on a ground surface there was a build up of a concentrated vortex at the center of the parent vortex. It was also observed that the concentrated vortex cannot be formed without contact with a ground surface. They attributed the build up of the concentrated vortex to radially inward flows in the boundary layer adjacent to the ground plane but provided no analysis of the flow in the boundary layer. To perform the analysis provided herein an attempt was made to apply a transfer of technology developed at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory at Cleveland, Ohio. In the NACA research the mechanisms of radially inward flows in boundary layers were evaluated. The transfer of that technology to atmospheric flows is presented herein. In this paper it is illustrated that the transfer of technology can be an effective tool in attempts to resolve issues in related fields of endeavor.