RSS Feed Large-Eddy Simulation of a Tornado's
Interaction with the Surface
W.S. Lewellen, D.C. Lewellen and A. Gel, West Virginia University
High resolution, fully 3-D, unsteady simulations of the interaction of a tornado vortex with the surface are being performed in an attempt to answer questions about the character of the turbulent eddies in this unique flow.
The following animated clip, made by Aytekin Gel in close cooperation with the PSC Sci-Vis Group, uses particle advection to represent wind direction and isosurfaces to show pressure inside a 400 m x 400 m x 400 m domain from a simulation involving approximately 100 hours of the Cray C90 at PSC. It illustrates how the surface interaction intensifies the vortex flow.
animation by A.Gel, WVU and G.Giras, PSC
select the image to play the animation (mpeg - 1.24meg)
The following volume rendering shows distinct pressure levels:
animation by G.Foss, PSC
select the image to play the animation (mpeg - 1.1meg)
animation by G. Foss, PSC
select the image to play another volume rendering animation (mpeg - 0.5meg)
animation by G. Foss, PSC
select the image to play this wild and crazy animation
with ribbons to show wind (mpeg - 2.9meg)
More information on this research (a link to the researchers' page)
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