Tip gap height effects on the aerodynamic performance of a cavity squealer tip in a turbine cascade in comparison with plane tip results: part 2—aerodynamic losses

Tip gap height effects on aerodynamic losses downstream of a cavity squealer tip have been investigated in a linear turbine cascade for power generation, in comparison with plane tip results. Three-dimensional flow fields are measured with a five-hole probe for tip gap height-to-chord ratios of h/c = 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0%. The cavity squealer tip has a full length squealer with its rim height-to-chord ratio of 5.51%. For a fixed value of h/c, the tip leakage vortex for the cavity squealer tip is always weaker than that for the plane tip, and the flow field in the passage vortex region for the cavity squealer tip is less influenced by the tip leakage flow than that for the plane tip. For the cavity squealer tip, there is no appreciable change in local aerodynamic loss with h/c in the passage vortex region, but local aerodynamic loss in the tip leakage vortex region increases with h/c. The roles of the cavity squealer tip in reducing aerodynamic loss in comparison with the plane tip case are twofold: (1) the cavity squealer tip decreases the leakage flow discharge in the region from the leading edge to the mid-chord, which leads to an aerodynamic loss reduction in the passage vortex region and (2) it also decreases the leakage flow discharge downstream of the mid-chord, which results in an aerodynamic loss reduction in the tip leakage vortex region.     

The PELskin project—part I: fluid–structure interaction for a row of flexible flaps: a reference study in oscillating channel flow

Previous studies of flexible flaps attached to the aft part of a cylinder have demonstrated a favourable effect on the drag and lift force fluctuation. This observation is thought to be linked to the excitation of travelling waves along the flaps and as a consequence of that, periodic shedding of the von Kármán vortices is altered in phase. A more general case of such interaction is studied herein for a limited row of flaps in an oscillating flow; representative of the cylinder case since the transversal flow in the wake-region shows oscillating character. This reference case is chosen to qualify recently developed numerical methods for the simulation of fluid–structure interaction in the context of the EU funded ‘PELskin’ project. The simulation of the two-way coupled dynamics of the flexible elements is achieved via a structure model for the flap motion, which was implemented and coupled to two different fluid solvers via the immersed boundary method. The results show the waving behaviour observed at the tips of the flexible elements in interaction with the fluid flow and the formation of vortices in the gaps between the flaps. In addition, formation of vortices upstream of the leading and downstream of the trailing flap is seen, which interact with the formation of the shear-layer on top of the row. This leads to a phase shift in the wave-type motion along the row that resembles the observation in the cylinder case.     

An experimental investigation on the characteristics of fluid–structure interactions of a wind turbine model sited in microburst-like winds

An experimental investigation is performed to assess the characteristics of the fluid–structure interactions and microburst-induced wind loads acting on a wind turbine model sited in microburst-liked winds. The experiment study was conducted with a scaled wind turbine model placed in microburst-like winds generated by using an impinging-jet-typed microburst simulator. In addition to quantifying complex flow features of microburst-like winds, the resultant wind loads acting on the turbine model were measured by using a high-sensitive force–moment sensor as the turbine model was mounted at different radial locations and with different orientation angles with respect to the oncoming microburst-like winds. The measurement results reveal clearly that, the microburst-induced wind loads acting on the turbine model were distinctly different from those in a conventional atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) wind. With the scales of the wind turbine model and the microburst-like wind used in the present study, the dynamic wind loadings acting on the turbine model were found to be significantly higher (i.e., up to 4 times higher for the mean loads, and up to 10 times higher for the fluctuation amplitudes) than those with the same turbine model sited in ABL winds. Both the mean values and fluctuation amplitudes of the microburst-induced wind loads were found to vary significantly with the changes of the mounted site of the turbine model, the operating status (i.e., with the turbine blades stationary or freely rotating), and the orientation angle of the turbine model with respect to the oncoming microburst-like wind. The dynamic wind load measurements were correlated to the flow characteristics of the microburst-like winds to elucidate underlying physics. The findings of the present study are helpful to gain further insight into the potential damage caused by the violent microbursts to wind turbines to ensure safer and more efficient operation of the wind turbines in thunderstorm-prone areas.     

Modelling the three-dimensional flow of a semi-dilute polymer solution in microfluidics—on the effect of aspect ratio

The flow of polymer solutions in microfluidic devices is inherently three-dimensional, especially in the non-linear flow regime, and often results in flow phenomena that might not even be encountered in macro-devices. Using a multi-mode Phan-Thien–Tanner model, three-dimensional (3-D) simulations of a semi-dilute polyethylene oxide (PEO) solution through 8:1 planar contraction micro-channels with various depths have been carried out to systematically study the effect of the aspect ratio on the flow fields. Vortex dynamics in the upstream flow section and excess pressure drop are quantified in detail. A transition from a salient-corner vortex mechanism to a lip vortex mechanism is observed as the aspect ratio is varied from 1 to 1/4, which corresponds to the elasticity numbers El = 36.3 to 48.3. The numerical results show that varying the aspect ratio of microfluidic channels has similar effects to varying other parameters, such as fluid properties, which influence the elasticity number. Thus, our results support the view that vortex growth mechanism is determined by the elasticity number, which is fixed for a given fluid and geometry. The principle is of significance to the design of new microfluidic chips for a wide range of applications.     

Detailed experimental study of a highly compressible supersonic turbulent plane mixing layer and comparison with most recent DNS results: “Towards an accurate description of compressibility effects in supersonic free shear flows”

A compressible supersonic mixing layer at convective Mach number (Mc) equal to 1 has been studied experimentally in a dual stream supersonic/subsonic wind-tunnel. Laser Doppler Velocimetry (L.D.V.) measurements were performed making possible a full estimation of the mean and turbulent 3D velocity fields in the mixing layer. The Reynolds stress tensor was described. In particular, some anisotropy coefficients were obtained. It appears that the structure of the Reynolds tensor is almost not affected by compressibility at least up to Mc = 1.The turbulent kinetic energy budget was also experimentally estimated. Reynolds analogies assumptions were used to obtain density/velocity correlations in order to build the turbulent kinetic energy budget from LDV measurements. Results have been compared to other experimental and numerical results. Compressibility effects on the turbulent kinetic energy budget have been detected and commented. A study about thermodynamics flow properties was also performed using most recent DNS results experimentally validated by the present data. A non-dimensional number is then introduced in order to quantify the real effect of pressure fluctuations on the thermodynamics quantities fluctuations.     

Time-dependent non-linear dynamics of polymer solutions in microfluidic contraction flow—a numerical study on the role of elongational viscosity

A generalised form of the finitely extensible non-linear elastic (FENE) model for modelling non-linear flow of semi-dilute polymer solutions is proposed. It accounts for conformation-dependent polymer elasticity and predicts shear-thinning shear viscosity, non-linear elongational viscosity and first and second normal stress differences. The rheometric material functions predicted by the model are critically compared with the results of the linear Phan–Thien–Tanner model. The predictabilities of these constitutive models under benchmark flow problems are evaluated by time-dependent simulations, using finite volume method based on a CFD simulation toolbox. The effects of the model parameters, the inertia and the contraction ratio are numerically studied. The modified FENE model qualitatively captures the non-linear flow phenomena of polymer solution in the high elasticity number ( $\mathrm {El}$ ) flow regime observed in experiments. The results show that an accurate growth function of the elongational viscosity is the key to the prediction of the time-dependent highly asymmetric flow patterns.     

Effects of magnetic field and variable viscosity on forced non‐darcy flow about a flat plate with variable wall temperature in porous media in the presence of suction and blowing

This paper presents a study of the effect of a magnetic field and variable viscosity on steady twodimensional laminar nonDarcy forced convection flow over a flat plate with variable wall temperature in a porous medium in the presence of blowing (suction). The fluid viscosity is assumed to vary as an inverse linear function of temperature. The derived fundamental equations on the assumption of small magnetic Reynolds number are solved numerically by using the finite difference method. The effects of variable viscosity, magnetic and suction (or injection) parameters on the velocity and temperature profiles as well as on the skinfriction and heattransfer coefficients were studied. It is shown that the magnetic field increases the wall skin friction while the heattransfer rate decreases.     

Comment on the paper “Magnetohydrodynamic effects on natural convection flow of a nanofluid in the presence of heat source due to solar energy,N. Anbuchezhian,K. Srinivasan,K. Chandrasekaran,R. Kandasamy,Meccanica (2013) 48:307–321”

In the above paper a theoretical investigation of MHD convective flow and heat transfer of an incompressible viscous nanofluid past a porous vertical stretching sheet in the presence of variable stream condition is presented. The governing boundary layer equations are transformed by a Lie symmetry group transformation and the ordinary differential equations are solved numerically using Runge–Kutta Gill method.