Accuracy of circulation estimation schemes applied to discretised velocity field data

Abstract

Numerical experiments are conducted on the velocity field on the Oseen vortex to determine the effect of random errors in the velocity field on the circulation estimate. The circulation is estimated by either a velocity integral or a vorticity integral over a particular region of integration. A novel method for the determination of this region is used. The accuracy of circulation estimation schemes is characterised in terms of the velocity sample spacing, the amount of random noise in the velocity field and the vorticity estimation scheme used. It is found that, in general, the velocity integral outperforms the vorticity integral in terms of reducing total error