Why doesn't a ring vortex immediately float to the surface?

In summary, the conversation discusses the phenomenon of a ring vortex created by a dolphin and the unexpected behavior of the bubbles within the ring. The participants debate on whether the modified flow of water caused by the dolphin's movement is responsible for the bubble's delayed ascent or if it is due to the circular flow of the vortex. The comparison is made to the behavior of a golf ball in free fall versus the air bubbles in the ring vortex.
  • #1
Nickelodeon
181
1
If you look at this YouTube video you will see an example of a ring vortex made by a dolphin (there are quite a few other examples). The problem is I can't understand why the ring doesn't immediately float to the surface. Only when it breaks up do the bubbles rise. The ring appears to counteract expected behaviour. Can anyone explain this?
thanks
Nick
 
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  • #2
If you stand 50m from the tee at a Golf Major, you will notice that the balls that have just been hit do not immediately fall to the ground - they actually "come down" perhaps 280 yards from the tee (230 yards from you).
Why should these bubbles behave so differently to the balls.
They do behave somewhat differently, in that they don't travel 200+ yards before heading for the surface.
 
  • #3
PeterO said:
Why should these bubbles behave so differently to the balls.
Because it's a different situation. A ball in free fall accelerates at 1g downwards, regardless of it's horizontal movement. Those air pockets are not always accelerating upwards at the same rate.
 
Last edited:
  • #4
Nickelodeon said:
The problem is I can't understand why the ring doesn't immediately float to the surface.
The movement of the air pocket is dominated by the flow of the water, which is being modified by the dolphins. The inertia and angular momentum of the water are modulating the effect of the buoyant force.
 
  • #5
I also thought it may be dominated by a modified flow of water produced during the ring's creation but then if you look at this air vortex cannon video, about 1m 40 secs in, and look at the residual smoke there doesn't appear to be any modifying air flow associated with the smoke ring. I would suspect, in the case of the water scenario, there will be no modifying flow.
 
  • #6
Nickelodeon said:
there doesn't appear to be any modifying air flow associated with the smoke ring
What do you mean by that? The vortex constitutes a circular flow.

When an air bubble raises in still water, the water above the bubble flows below the bubble due to unbalanced gravity. But the water around that air ring is circulating fast, with pressure gradients different from still water.
 
  • #7
I thought that your comment, "The movement of the air pocket is dominated by the flow of the water, which is being modified by the dolphins." inferred that there was a movement of water (underwater current) along the direction of the forward motion of the ring which was somehow counteracting the natural tendency for the vortex "bubble" to rise.
 

Related to Why doesn't a ring vortex immediately float to the surface?

1. What is a ring vortex?

A ring vortex is a type of fluid motion in which a spinning column of fluid forms a ring shape. This occurs when a fluid, such as air or water, is injected into a stagnant fluid, creating a rotating flow pattern.

2. How is a ring vortex created?

A ring vortex is created when a fluid is injected into another fluid with opposite or no rotation. This can happen naturally, such as in the formation of tornadoes, or it can be created artificially, such as in laboratory experiments.

3. What are the characteristics of a ring vortex?

A ring vortex is characterized by a rotating column of fluid with a central core of low pressure. It also has a distinct ring shape and can exhibit strong rotational and axial velocities.

4. What are the applications of ring vortices?

Ring vortices have various applications in fluid dynamics, such as in studying turbulence and mixing, as well as in industrial processes like fuel injection and vortex pumps. They are also important in understanding natural phenomena like tornadoes and hurricanes.

5. How are ring vortices studied?

Ring vortices are studied using various experimental and computational methods. These include flow visualization techniques, such as dye injection and particle image velocimetry, as well as numerical simulations using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models.

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