Unsteady gravity-driven slender rivulets of a power-law fluid

Unsteady gravity-driven flow of a thin slender rivulet of a non-Newtonian power-law fluid on a plane inclined at an angle α to the horizontal is considered. Unsteady similarity solutions are obtained for both converging sessile rivulets (when 0 < α < π/2) in the case x < 0 with t < 0, and diverging pendent rivulets (when π/2 < α < π) in the case x > 0 with t > 0, where x denotes a coordinate measured down the plane and t denotes time. Numerical and asymptotic methods are used to show that for each value of the power-law index N there are two physically realisable solutions, with cross-sectional profiles that are ‘single-humped’ and ‘double-humped’, respectively. Each solution predicts that at any time t the rivulet widens or narrows according to |x | ^{(2N+1)/2(N+1)} and thickens or thins according to |x | ^N/(N+1) as it flows down the plane; moreover, at any station x, it widens or narrows according to |t | ^?N/2(N+1) and thickens or thins according to |t | ^?N/(N+1). The length of a truncated rivulet of fixed volume is found to behave according to |t | ^N/(2N+1).     

Static wall layers in plane channel displacement flows

We study steady and pulsating displacement flows of a Bingham fluid by a Newtonian fluid, along a plane channel. For sufficiently large yield stress a static residual wall layer can result during the displacement. The flow is parameterised by the Reynolds number (Re), the Bingham number (B) and the viscosity ratio (M). Perhaps intuitively, thicker layers are found with larger M and at lower Re. The residual layer is formed on the advective timescale of the displacement but drains on a slower timescale governed by M. For larger M truly stationary layers are only found for large t when the layer has thinned sufficiently to become static. Increased Re results in increased energy production locally around the finger. For large enough Re the energy production can play a significant role in yielding the fluid. As the energy production rate increases it also becomes focused around the corner or shoulder region of the front, and spreads axially along the initial part of the residual layer. This causes fluid to yield increasingly far behind the front and allows for the layer to thin. As B increases the static layer tends to decrease (see also [1], [2]). At small Re the static layer thickness appears to be independent of M. At large Re the layer thickness is dependent on M and decreases asymptotically to a constant value as B → ∞.For pulsating displacement flow rates, Q(t) = 2(1 + Asin  ωt) : A ∈ [0, 1) we study two ranges: ωRe ? 2π and ωRe ? 2π. For the viscous regime (ωRe ? 2π) a pseudo-steady 1D model predicts that the residual layer should remain static for 3(1 + Asin  ωt) < MB. In practice we find that partial mobilisation of the residual layer occurs even when this inequality is satisfied, but not if MB becomes significantly larger than 3(1 + A). For ωRe ? 2π we mobilise the layer for significantly larger values of MB and at smaller A, than in the viscous regime. This effect is traced to the occurrence of out-of-phase velocity fluctuations in the displacing fluid within a wall layer close to the interface.     

On one skew-symmetric problem of electroelasticity for inhomogeneous cylinder of finite length

In the present paper, static bending problem of the electroelasticity for an inhomogeneous cylinder of finite length with sliding fixed end-supports is investigated. The given boundary value problem is reduced to a system of 12 k (k = 1, 2, …) integro-differential equations. Expressions for the components characterizing the state of stress for the inhomogeneous cylinder are presented. Based on the developed analytical algorithm, extensive numerical investigations associated with the stress analysis of an inhomogeneous piezoceramic cylinder have been conducted. The results of these investigations are illustrated graphically, demonstrating the stress distributions in piezoceramic circular and elliptical cylinders with inclusions of various geometries.     

Evaluation of subgrid-scale models in large-eddy simulation of flow past a two-dimensional block

Large-eddy simulations of flow past a two-dimensional (2D) block were performed to evaluate four subgrid-scale (SGS) models: (i) the traditional Smagorinsky model, (ii) the Lagrangian dynamic model, (iii) the Lagrangian scale-dependent dynamic model, and (iv) the modulated gradient model. An immersed boundary method was employed to simulate the 2D block boundaries on a uniform Cartesian grid. The sensitivity of the simulation results to grid refinement was investigated by using four different grid resolutions. The velocity streamlines and the vertical profiles of the mean velocities and variances were compared with experimental results. The modulated gradient model shows the best overall agreement with the experimental results among the four SGS models. In particular, the flow recirculation, the reattachment position and the vertical profiles are accurately reproduced with a relative coarse grid resolution of (N_x × N_y × N_z=) 160 × 40 × 160 (n_x × n_z = 13 × 16 covering the block). Besides the modulated gradient model, the Lagrangian scale-dependent dynamic model is also able to give reasonable prediction of the flow statistics with some discrepancies compared with the experimental results. Relatively poor performance by the Lagrangian dynamic model and the Smagorinsky model is observed, with simulated recirculating patterns that differ from the measured ones. Analysis of the turbulence kinetic energy (TKE) budget in this flow shows evidence of a strong production of TKE in the shear layer that forms as the flow is deflected around the block.     

Surface responses induced by point load or uniform traction moving steadily on an anisotropic half-plane

Surface responses induced by point load or uniform traction moving steadily with subsonic speed on an anisotropic half-plane boundary are investigated. It is found that the effects of the material constant on surface displacements are through matrices L^?1(v) and S(v)L^?1(v), while those on surface stress components are through matrices Ω(v) and Γ(v). Explicit expressions for the elements of these four matrices are expressed in terms of elastic stiffness for general anisotropic materials. The special cases of monoclinic materials with symmetry plane at x₁ = 0, x₂ = 0 and x₃ = 0, and the case for orthotropic materials are all deduced. Results for isotropic material may be recovered from present results. For monoclinic materials with a plane of symmetry at x₃ = 0, two of the elements of matrix Ω(v) are found to be independent of subsonic speed.     

Turbulent boundary layers over sparsely-spaced rod-roughened walls

Direct numerical simulations (DNSs) of spatially developing turbulent boundary layers (TBLs) over sparsely-spaced two-dimensional (2D) rod-roughened walls were performed. The rod elements were periodically arranged along the streamwise direction with pitches of p_x/k = 8, 16, 32, 64 and 128, where p_x is the streamwise spacing of the rods, and k is the roughness height. The Reynolds number based on the momentum thickness was varied from Re_θ = 300–1400, and the height of the roughness element was k = 1.5θ_in, where θ_in is the momentum thickness at the inlet. The characteristics of the TBLs, such as the friction velocity, mean velocity, and Reynolds stresses over the rod-roughened walls, were examined by varying the spacing of the roughness features (8 ⩽ p_x/k ⩽ 128). The outer-layer similarity between the rough and smooth walls was established for the sparsely-distributed rough walls (p_x/k ⩾ 32) based on the profiles of the Reynolds stresses, whereas those are not for p_x/k = 8 and 16. Inspection of the interaction between outer-layer large-scale motions and near-wall small-scale motions using two-point amplitude modulation (AM) covariance showed that modulation effect of large-scale motions on near-wall small-scale motions was strongly disturbed over the rough wall for p_x/k = 8 and 16. For p_x/k ⩾ 32, the flow that passed through the upstream roughness element transitioned to a smooth wall flow between the consecutive rods. The strong influence of the surface roughness in the outer layer for p_x/k = 8 and 16 was attributed to large-scale erupting motions by the surface roughness, creating both upward shift of the near-wall turbulent energy and active energy production in the outer layer with little influence on the near-wall region.     

Some C0-continuous mixed formulations for general dipolar linear gradient elasticity boundary value problems and the associated energy theorems

The goal of this work is a systematic presentation of some classes of mixed weak formulations, for general multi-dimensional dipolar gradient elasticity (fourth order) boundary value problems. The displacement field main variable is accompanied by the double stress tensor and the Cauchy stress tensor (case 1 or μ ? τ ? u formulation), the double stress tensor alone (case 2 or μ ? u formulation), the double stress, the Cauchy stress, the displacement second gradient and the standard strain field (case 3 or μ ? τ ? κ ? ε ? u formulation) and the displacement first gradient, along with the equilibrium stress (case 4 or u ? θ ? γ formulation). In all formulations, the respective essential conditions are built in the structure of the solution spaces. For cases 1, 2 and 4, one-dimensional analogues are presented for the purpose of numerical comparison. Moreover, the standard Galerkin formulation is depicted. It is noted that the standard Galerkin weak form demands C¹-continuous conforming basis functions. On the other hand, up to first order derivatives appear in the bilinear forms of the current mixed formulations. Hence, standard C⁰-continuous conforming basis functions may be employed in the finite element approximations. The main purpose of this work is to provide a reference base for future numerical applications of this type of mixed methods. In all cases, the associated quadratic energy functionals are formed for the purpose of completeness.     

LES of turbulent flow in a concentric annulus with rotating outer wall

Fully-developed turbulent flow in a concentric annulus, r₁/r₂ = 0.5, Re_h = 12,500, with the outer wall rotating at a range of rotation rates N = U_θ,wall/U_b from 0.5 up to 4 is studied by large-eddy simulations. The focus is on the effects of moderate to very high rotation rates on the mean flow, turbulence statistics and eddy structure. For N up to ∼2, an increase in the rotation rate dampens progressively the turbulence near the rotating outer wall, while affecting only mildly the inner-wall region. At higher rotation rates this trend is reversed: for N = 2.8 close to the inner wall turbulence is dramatically reduced while the outer wall region remains turbulent with discernible helical vortices as the dominant turbulent structure. The turbulence parameters and eddy structures differ significantly for N = 2 and 2.8. This switch is attributed to the centrifuged turbulence (generated near the inner wall) prevailing over the axial inertial force as well as over the counteracting laminarizing effects of the rotating outer wall. At still higher rotation, N = 4, the flow gets laminarized but with distinct spiralling vortices akin to the Taylor–Couette rolls found between the two counter-rotating cylinders without axial flow, which is the limiting case when N approaches to infinity. The ratio of the centrifugal to axial inertial forces, Ta/Re² ∝ N² (where Ta is the Taylor number) is considered as a possible criterion for defining the conditions for the above regime change.     

Influence of temperature and strain rate on the mechanical behavior of three amorphous polymers: Characterization and modeling of the compressive yield stress

Uniaxial compression stress–strain tests were carried out on three commercial amorphous polymers: polycarbonate (PC), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), and polyamideimide (PAI). The experiments were conducted under a wide range of temperatures (−40 °C to 180 °C) and strain rates (0.0001 s⁻¹ up to 5000 s⁻¹). A modified split-Hopkinson pressure bar was used for high strain rate tests. Temperature and strain rate greatly influence the mechanical response of the three polymers. In particular, the yield stress is found to increase with decreasing temperature and with increasing strain rate. The experimental data for the compressive yield stress were modeled for a wide range of strain rates and temperatures according to a new formulation of the cooperative model based on a strain rate/temperature superposition principle. The modeling results of the cooperative model provide evidence on the secondary transition by linking the yield behavior to the energy associated to the β mechanical loss peak. The effect of hydrostatic pressure is also addressed from a modeling perspective.     

Some exact solutions for rotating flows of a generalized Burgers’ fluid in cylindrical domains

The velocity field and the adequate shear stress corresponding to the flow of a generalized Burgers’ fluid model, between two infinite co-axial cylinders, are determined by means of Laplace and finite Hankel transforms. The motion is due to the inner cylinder that applies a time dependent torsional shear to the fluid. The solutions that have been obtained, presented in series form in terms of usual Bessel functions J₁( ? ), J₂( ? ), Y₁( ? ) and Y₂( ? ), satisfy all imposed initial and boundary conditions. Moreover, the corresponding solutions for Burgers’, Oldroyd-B, Maxwell, second grade, Newtonian fluids and large-time transient solutions for generalized Burgers’ fluid are also obtained as special cases of the present general solutions. The effect of various parameters on large-time and transient solutions of generalized Burgers’ fluid is also discussed. Furthermore, for small values of the material parameters, λ₂ and λ₄ or λ₁, λ₂, λ₃ and λ₄, the general solutions corresponding to generalized Burgers’ fluids are going to those for Oldroyd-B and Newtonian fluids, respectively. Finally, the influence of the pertinent parameters on the fluid motion, as well as a comparison between models, is shown by graphical illustrations.     

CFD modelling and wind tunnel validation of airflow through plant canopies using 3D canopy architecture

The efficiency of pesticide application to agricultural fields and the resulting environmental contamination highly depend on atmospheric airflow. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling of airflow within plant canopies using 3D canopy architecture was developed to understand the effect of the canopy to airflow. The model average air velocity was validated using experimental results in a wind tunnel with two artificial model trees of 24 cm height. Mean air velocities and their root mean square (RMS) values were measured on a vertical plane upstream and downstream sides of the trees in the tunnel using 2D hotwire anemometer after imposing a uniform air velocity of 10 m s^?1 at the inlet. 3D virtual canopy geometries of the artificial trees were modelled and introduced into a computational fluid domain whereby airflow through the trees was simulated using Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations and k-ε turbulence model. There was good agreement of the average longitudinal velocity, U between the measurements and the simulation results with relative errors less than 2% for upstream and 8% for downstream sides of the trees. The accuracy of the model prediction for turbulence kinetic energy k and turbulence intensity I was acceptable within the tree height when using a roughness length (y₀ = 0.02 mm) for the surface roughness of the tree branches and by applying a source model in a porous sub-domain created around the trees. The approach was applied for full scale orchard trees in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) and was compared with previous approaches and works. The simulation in the ABL was made using two groups of full scale orchard trees; short (h = 3 m) with wider branching and long (h = 4 m) with narrow branching. This comparison showed good qualitative agreements on the vertical profiles of U with small local differences as expected due to the spatial disparities in tree architecture. This work was able to show airflow within and above the canopy in 3D in more details.     

Adverse pressure gradient turbulent flows over rough walls

An experimental study of a fully developed turbulent channel flow and an adverse pressure gradient (APG) turbulent channel flow over smooth and rough walls has been performed using a particle image velocimetry (PIV) technique. The rough walls comprised two-dimensional square ribs of nominal height, k = 3 mm and pitch, p = 2k, 4k and 8k. It was observed that rib roughness enhanced the drag characteristics, and the degree of enhancement increased with increasing pitch. Similarly, rib roughness significantly increased the level of turbulence production, Reynolds stresses and wall-normal transport of turbulence kinetic energy and Reynolds shear stress well beyond the roughness sublayer. On the contrary, the distributions of the eddy viscosity, mixing length and streamwise transport of turbulence kinetic energy and Reynolds shear stress were reduced by wall roughness, especially in the outer layer. Adverse pressure gradient produced a further reduction in the mean velocity (in comparison to the results obtained in the parallel section) but increased the wall-normal extent across which the mean flow above the ribs is spatially inhomogeneous in the streamwise direction. APG also reinforced wall roughness in augmenting the equivalent sand grain roughness height. The combination of wall roughness and APG significantly increased turbulence production and Reynolds stresses except in the immediate vicinity of the rough walls. The transport velocities of the turbulence kinetic energy and Reynolds shear stress were also augmented by APG across most part of the rough-wall boundary layer. Further, APG enhanced the distributions of the eddy viscosity across most of the boundary layer but reduced the mixing length outside the roughness sublayer.     

Flow of drag-reducing surfactant solutions in rough pipes

The paper reports the results of experimental study of the flow of hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) solutions with addition of sodium salicylate (NaSal) in the rough pipes. Measurements were performed in the range of the surfactant concentration from 200 to 400 ppm at a constant molar ratio CTAC/NaSal of 1:2. Five pipes of the relative roughness k/D varying from 1.2 × 10^?2 to 5.6 × 10^?2, obtained by the covering of inner surface of the pipes with glued silicon carbide particles of different size, were studied. The roughness was observed to increase the drag of flow of CTAC/NaSal solutions already at Reynolds numbers higher than 800. With increasing relative roughness k/D, the critical value of Reynolds number, at which the drag reduction disappears, was found to decrease. However, no influence of the roughness on the critical shear stress was noted. The ratio of the critical Reynolds number for rough pipes to that of hydraulically smooth pipes was independent of the surfactant concentration. The degree of drag reduction by the flow of surfactants was greater in rough pipes than in smooth pipes.     

Flow structures around an equilateral triangle arrangement of three spheres

This paper represents the results of an experimental study on the flow structure around a single sphere and three spheres in an equilateral-triangular arrangement. Flow field measurements were performed using a Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) technique and dye visualization in an open water channel for a Reynolds number of Re = 5 × 10³ based on the sphere diameter. The distributions and flow features at the critical locations of the contours of the velocity fluctuations, the patterns of sectional streamlines, the vorticity contours, the turbulent kinetic energy, the Reynolds stress correlations and shedding frequency are discussed. The gap ratios (G/D) of the three spheres were varied in the range of 1.0 ⩽ G/D ⩽ 2.5 where G was the distance between the sphere centers, and D was the sphere diameter which was taken as 30 mm. Due to the interference of the shedding shear layers and the wakes, more complex features of the flow patterns can be found in the wake region of the two downstream spheres behind the leading sphere. For G/D = 1.25, a jet-like flow around the leading sphere through the gap between the two downstream spheres occurred, which significantly enhanced the wake region. It was observed that a continuous flow development involving shearing phenomena and the interactions of shedding vortices caused a high rate of fluctuations over the whole flow field although most of the time-averaged flow patterns were almost symmetric about the two downstream spheres.     

Hybrid RANS/LES computations of plane impinging jets with DES and PANS models

The qualities of a DES (Detached Eddy Simulation) and a PANS (Partially-Averaged Navier–Stokes) hybrid RANS/LES model, both based on the k–ω RANS turbulence model of Wilcox (2008, “Formulation of the k–ω turbulence model revisited” AIAA J., 46: 2823–2838), are analysed for simulation of plane impinging jets at a high nozzle-plate distance (H/B = 10, Re = 13,500; H is nozzle-plate distance, B is slot width; Reynolds number based on slot width and maximum velocity at nozzle exit) and a low nozzle-plate distance (H/B = 4, Re = 20,000). The mean velocity field, fluctuating velocity components, Reynolds stresses and skin friction at the impingement plate are compared with experimental data and LES (Large Eddy Simulation) results. The k–ω DES model is a double substitution type, following Davidson and Peng (2003, “Hybrid LES–RANS modelling: a one-equation SGS model combined with a k–ω model for predicting recirculating flows” Int. J. Numer. Meth. Fluids, 43: 1003–1018). This means that the turbulent length scale is replaced by the grid size in the destruction term of the k-equation and in the eddy viscosity formula. The k–ω PANS model is derived following Girimaji (2006, “Partially-Averaged Navier–Stokes model for turbulence: a Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes to Direct Numerical Simulation bridging method” J. Appl. Mech., 73: 413–421). The turbulent length scale in the PANS model is constructed from the total turbulent kinetic energy and the sub-filter dissipation rate. Both hybrid models change between RANS (Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes) and LES based on the cube root of the cell volume. The hybrid techniques, in contrast to RANS, are able to reproduce the turbulent flow dynamics in the shear layers of the impacting jet. The change from RANS to LES is much slower however for the PANS model than for the DES model on fine enough grids. This delays the break-up process of the vortices generated in the shear layers with as a consequence that the DES model produces better results than the PANS model.     

Experimental study of single bubble motion in a liquid metal column exposed to a DC magnetic field

The motion of single Argon bubbles rising in the eutectic alloy GaInSn under the influence of a DC longitudinal magnetic field (parallel to the direction of bubble motion) was examined. The magnetic field strength was varied up to 0.3 T corresponding to a magnetic interaction parameter N (which measures the ratio of electromagnetic forces to inertial forces) slightly greater than 1. The liquid metal was at rest in a cylindrical container. Bubble and liquid velocities were measured using ultrasound Doppler velocimetry (UDV). The measured bubble terminal velocity showed oscillations indicating a zigzag movement of ellipsoidal bubbles. For small bubbles (d_e ⩽ 4.6 mm) an increase of the drag coefficient with increasing magnetic interaction parameter N was observed, whereas for larger bubbles (d_e ⩾ 5.4 mm) the application of the magnetic field reduces the drag coefficient. The measurements revealed a distinct electromagnetic damping of the bubble induced liquid velocity leading to more rectilinear bubble trajectories when the magnetic field is applied. Moreover, significant modifications of the bubble wake structure were observed. Raising of the magnetic field strength caused an enlargement of the eddies in the wake. The Strouhal number decreases with increasing magnetic interaction parameter N.     

Image decomposition method for the analysis of a mixed dislocation in a general multilayer

The elastic solutions for a mixed dislocation in a general multilayer with N dissimilar anisotropic layers are obtained via a generalized image decomposition method. The original problem is decomposed into N homogeneous subproblems with strategically placed continuously distributed image (virtual) dislocations which satisfy the consistency conditions for degenerate N − M (M < N) layer problems. The image dislocations are used to satisfy the interface or free surface conditions, and represent the unknowns of the problem. The resulting singular Cauchy integral equations are transformed into non-singular Fredholm integral equations of the second kind using certain H- and I-integral transforms. The Fredholm integral equations are then solved via the classical Nyström method. The general decomposition and the elimination of all singular integrals yield an exact formulation of the problem; the approximation arises only in the Nyström method. The dislocation mixity and the number of layers dissimilar in thickness and elastic anisotropy can be handled without difficulty, constrained only by the number of linear algebraic equations in the Nyström method for large N. For the numerical study, image forces on a dislocation in two- and three-layer systems are calculated. The accuracy of the results is verified by checking the boundary conditions and by comparison with previous results. The dependence of the image force on the dislocation position and mixity, and on the layer thicknesses and elastic anisotropies, is also illustrated via numerical investigations.     

The influence of pipe length on thermal statistics computed from DNS of turbulent heat transfer

We present results from direct numerical simulation of turbulent heat transfer in pipe flow at a bulk flow Reynolds number of 5000 and Prandtl numbers ranging from 0.025 to 2.0 in order to examine the effect of streamwise pipe length (πδ ≡ πD/2 ? L ? 12πδ) on the convergence of thermal turbulence statistics. Various lower and higher order thermal statistics such as mean temperature, rms of fluctuating temperature, turbulent heat fluxes, two-point auto and cross-correlations, skewness and flatness were computed and it is found that the value of L required for convergence of the statistics depends on the Prandtl number: larger Prandtl numbers requires comparatively shorter pipe length for convergence of most of the thermal statistics.