An algorithm for identifying the center of swirling flow in 3-D discretized vector fields has been developed. The algorithm is based on critical point theory and has been implemented as a visualization tool within pV3, a package for visualizing 3-D transient data. The scheme works with gridding supported by pV3: structured meshes as well as unstructured grids composed of tetrahedra, polytetrahedral strips, hexahedra, pyramids, and/or prism cells. The results have been validated using artificially-generated vector fields and 3-D CFD data.
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