Large eddy simulation of a sheet/cloud cavitation on a NACA0015 hydrofoil

A single fluid model of sheet/cloud cavitation is developed and applied to a NACA0015 hydrofoil. First, a cavity formation model is set up, based on a three-dimensional (3D) non-cavitation model of Navier–Stokes equations with a large eddy simulation (LES) scheme for weakly compressible flows. A fifth-order polynomial curve is adopted to describe the relationship between density coefficient ratio and pressure coefficient when cavitation occurs. The Navier–Stokes equations including cavitation bubble clusters are solved using the finite-volume approach with time-marching scheme, and MacCormack’s explicit-corrector scheme is adopted. Simulations are carried out in a 3D field acting on a hydrofoil NACA0015 at angles of attack 4°, 8° and 20°, with cavitation numbers σ = 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0, Re = 10⁶, and a 360 × 63 × 29 meshing system. We study time-dependent sheet/cloud cavitation structures, caused by the interaction of viscous objects, such as vortices, and cavitation bubbles. At small angles of attack (4°), the sheet cavity is relatively stable just by oscillating in size at the accumulation stage; at 8° it has a tendency to break away from the upper foil section, with the cloud cavitation structure becoming apparent; at 20°, the flow separates fully from the leading edge of the hydrofoil, and the vortex cavitation occurs. Comparisons with other studies, carried out mainly in the context of flow patterns on which prior experiments and simulations were done, demonstrate the power of our model. Overall, it can snapshot the collapse of cloud cavitation, and allow a study of flow patterns and their instabilities, such as “crescent-shaped regions.”     

Numerical investigation of blood flow. Part II: In capillaries

In order to understand the normal and pathologic behavior of the human vascular system, detailed knowledge of blood flow and the response of blood vessels is required. In fact the ability to predict the flow hydrodynamics at any site in the vessels can lead to a better understanding of the behavior of blood flow. Simulation can play an important role in understanding the hemodynamic forces. The objective of the present attempt was to simulate the behavior of blood flow in microvessels using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Numerical analysis is performed using a commercially available CFD package Fluent 6.2 which is based on the finite volume method. A continuum approach is proposed in which fluid structure interaction has been taken into account. Based on limitations imposed by computational resources, a more simplified model based on volume of fluid (VOF) approach is suggested to simulate movements of RBCs in capillaries and also to predict RBCs’ deformation. Three-dimensional incompressible laminar flow fields are obtained by solving continuity and Navier–Stokes equations computationally. It was found that multiphase CFD simulations may give further insight into the dynamic characteristics of blood flow under complex flow conditions.     

Numerical analysis of convection heat transfer from an array of perforated fins using the Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes equations and large-eddy simulation method

Extended surfaces (fins) are frequently used in heat exchange devices to increase the heat transfer between a primary surface and the surrounding fluid. In the present study, we determined the thermal performance of an efficient type of perforated fin and we compared the results with those obtained for a simple solid fin and a flat surface without fins in the same working conditions. The modeled geometry comprised fins that had small channels with a circular cross section and different configurations, which were arranged stream-wise along the fin's length. The turbulent flow field around the perforated fins was modeled using the Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations and large-eddy simulation (LES) method with a suitable subgrid-scale model. The conjugate differential equations for both the solid and gas phases were solved simultaneously using the finite volume procedure with the SIMPLE algorithm. For LES, the flow and heat transfer characteristics were determined for a Reynolds number equal to 3.2×10⁴ based on the fin length and a Prandtl number of 0.71. The results indicated that among the different configurations, the fins with three openings had the best thermo-hydraulic performance. In addition, we found that although the heat transfer rates predicted by RANS and LES were in close agreement, there were noticeable differences in the important flow characteristics, such as the recirculation zone around the fins and the total drag force on them.     

Numerical investigation of blood flow. Part I: In microvessel bifurcations

In some diseases there is a focal pattern of velocity in regions of bifurcation, and thus the dynamics of bifurcation has been investigated in this work. A computational model of blood flow through branching geometries has been used to investigate the influence of bifurcation on blood flow distribution. The flow analysis applies the time-dependent, three-dimensional, incompressible Navier–Stokes equations for Newtonian fluids. The governing equations of mass and momentum conservation were solved to calculate the pressure and velocity fields. Movement of blood flow from an arteriole to a venule via a capillary has been simulated using the volume of fluid (VOF) method. The proposed simulation method would be a useful tool in understanding the hydrodynamics of blood flow where the interaction between the RBC deformation and blood flow movement is important. Discrete particle simulation has been used to simulate the blood flow in a bifurcation with solid and fluid particles. The fluid particle method allows for modeling the plasma as a particle ensemble, where each particle represents a collective unit of fluid, which is defined by its mass, moment of inertia, and translational and angular momenta. These kinds of simulations open a new way for modeling the dynamics of complex, viscoelastic fluids at the micro-scale, where both liquid and solid phases are treated with discrete particles.     

Mathematical and physical simulation of the interaction between a gas jet and a liquid free surface

In this work a two phase 3D mathematical model was developed using the volume of fluid (VOF) algorithm, which is able to accurately describe the cavity geometry and size as well as the liquid flow patterns created when a gas jet that impinges on a liquid free surface. These phenomena are commonly found in steelmaking operations such as in the Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) and the Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF) where oxygen jets impinge on a steel bath and they control heat, momentum and mass transfer. The model was successfully validated with measurements made on a physical model through velocity fields obtained by Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and high speed camera images of the cavity. Agreement between model predictions and experimental measurements is excellent in both x-velocity component of the liquid and cavity sizes. The cavity formed in the liquid by the impinging jet depends on a force balance at the free surface where the inertial force of the jet governs this phenomena, while the liquid circulation depends on also the jet inertial force of the jet, but its angle plays an important role, being the lowest angle the best choice to shear the bath and promote stronger circulation and better mixing in the liquid.     

Analysis of flow and thermal field in nanofluid using a single phase thermal dispersion model

Flow and thermal field in nanofluid is analyzed using single phase thermal dispersion model proposed by Xuan and Roetzel [Y. Xuan, W. Roetzel, Conceptions for heat transfer correlation of nanofluids, Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer 43 (2000) 3701–3707]. The non-dimensional form of the transport equations involving the thermal dispersion effect is solved numerically using semi-explicit finite volume solver in a collocated grid. Heat transfer augmentation for copper–water nanofluid is estimated in a thermally driven two-dimensional cavity. The thermo-physical properties of nanofluid are calculated involving contributions due to the base fluid and nanoparticles. The flow and heat transfer process in the cavity is analyzed using different thermo-physical models for the nanofluid available in literature. The influence of controlling parameters on convective recirculation and heat transfer augmentation induced in buoyancy driven cavity is estimated in detail. The controlling parameters considered for this study are Grashof number (10³ < Gr < 10⁵), solid volume fraction (0 < ? < 0.2) and empirical shape factor (0.5 < n < 6). Simulations carried out with various thermo-physical models of the nanofluid show significant influence on thermal boundary layer thickness when the model incorporates the contribution of nanoparticles in the density as well as viscosity of nanofluid. Simulations incorporating the thermal dispersion model show increment in local thermal conductivity at locations with maximum velocity. The suspended particles increase the surface area and the heat transfer capacity of the fluid. As solid volume fraction increases, the effect is more pronounced. The average Nusselt number from the hot wall increases with the solid volume fraction. The boundary surface of nanoparticles and their chaotic movement greatly enhances the fluid heat conduction contribution. Considerable improvement in thermal conductivity is observed as a result of increase in the shape factor.     

Numerical simulation of cavitation dynamics using a cavitation-induced-momentum-defect (CIMD) correction approach

A new unsteady cavitation event tracking model is developed for predicting vapor dynamics occurring in multi-dimensional incompressible flows. The procedure solves incompressible Navier–Stokes equations for the liquid phase supplemented with an additional vapor transport equation for the vapor phase. The novel cavitation-induced-momentum-defect (CIMD) correction methodology developed in this study accounts for cavitation inception and collapse events as relevant momentum-source terms in the liquid phase momentum equations. The model tracks cavitation zones and applies compressibility effects, employing homogeneous equilibrium model (HEM) assumptions, in constructing the source term of the vapor transport model. Effects of vapor phase accumulation and diffusion are incorporated by detailed relaxation models. A modified RNG k–ε model, including the effects of compressibility in the vapor regions, is employed for modeling turbulence effects. Numerical simulations are carried out using a finite volume methodology available within the framework of commercial CFD software code Fluent v.6.2. Simulation results are in good qualitative agreement with experiments for unsteady cloud cavitation behavior in planar nozzle flows. Multitude of mechanisms such as formation of vortex cavities, vapor cluster shedding and coalescence, cavity pinch off are sharply captured by the CIMD approach. Our results indicate the profound influence of re-entrant jet motion and adverse pressure gradients on the cavitation dynamics.     

Numerical investigation of impinging gas jets onto deformable liquid layers

Impinging jets over liquid surfaces are a common practice in the metallurgy and chemical industries. This paper presents a numerical study of the fluid dynamics involved in this kind of processes. URANS simulations are performed using the volume of fluid (VOF) method to deal with the multiphase physics. This unsteady approach with the appropriate computational domain allows resolution of the big eddies responsible for the low frequency phenomena. The solver we used is based on the finite volume method and turbulence is modelled with the realisable k-? model. Two different configurations belonging to the dimpling and splashing modes are under consideration. The results are compared with PIV and LeDaR experimental data previously obtained by the authors. Attention is focused on the surroundings of the impingement, where the interaction between jet and liquid film is much stronger. Finally, frequency analysis is carried out to study the flapping motion of the jet and cavity oscillations.     

Numerical Investigation of Cavitation Interacting with Pressure Wave

A computational fluid dynamics solver based on homogeneous cavitation model is employed to compute the two-phase cavitating flow. The model treats the two-phase regime as the homogeneous mixture of liquid and vapour which are locally assumed to be under both kinetic and thermodynamic equilibrium. As our focus is on pressure wave formation, propagation and its impact on cavitation bubble, the compressibility effects of liquid water have to be accounted for and hence the flow is considered to be compressible. The cavitating flow disturbed by the introduced pressure wave is simulated to investigate the unsteady features of cavitation due to the external perturbations. It is observed that the cavity becomes unstable, locally experiencing deformation or collapse, which depends on the shock wave intensity and freestream flow speed.     

Numerical modelling of EHD effects on heat transfer and bubble shapes of nucleate boiling

In this article, mathematical and numerical models are developed to study pure electrohydrodynamic (EHD) effects on heat transfer and bubble shapes when an initial bubble attached to a superheated horizontal wall in nucleate boiling. In the modelling of EHD effects on heat transfer, an undeformed bubble is considered; the electric body force and Joule heat are added to the momentum and energy equations; governing equations for heat, fluid flow and electric fields are coupled numerically and solved using a non-orthogonal body-fitted mesh system with necessary interfacial treatments at the gas–liquid boundary. While, to study the pure effect of EHD on the deformation of the bubble, the evaluation of a deformable bubble without heat transfer is simulated by volume of fluid (VOF) method based on an axial symmetric Cartesian coordinate system. The simulations indicate that EHD can effectively enhance heat transfer rate of nucleate boiling by influencing the motion of the ring vortex around the bubble and that bubble can be elongated due to the pull in axial direction and push in the negative radial direction by the electric field force.     

Transient cavitating flow structure and acoustic analysis of a hydrofoil with whalelike wavy leading edge

In this paper, the open source software OpenFOAM is used to perform a numerical investigation of the cavitating flow around a modified NACA63₄-021 hydrofoil with bioinspired, wavy leading edge, with particular emphasis on study of the interactions between the cavitation and the streamwise vortices and the far-field radiation noise. A modified k-ω shear-stress transport (SST) model coupled with the Schnerr-Sauer cavitation model and the Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings (FW-H) acoustic analogy approach are introduced to the simulation. The transient cavitation structure and the streamwise vortices are captured well and the results show significant interactions between the cavitation and the streamwise vortices. Cavitation can promote fragmentation of the streamwise vortices, while the streamwise vortices cause cavitation inception to occur earlier and bind the cavitation within the trough region by changing the pressure distribution on the hydrofoil. The transformation of the FW-H equation's solution indicates that the monopole noise is directly related to the cavitation volume acceleration and the dipole noise is related to the mechanical force of the hydrofoil on fluids and the rate at which this force changes. The collapse of cavitation cloud and the collision of the re-entrant jet and main flow will cause violent fluctuation of the mechanical force thus produce instantaneous extreme dipole noise values, while the monopole noise is relatively strong in the cavitation collapse stage due to significant cavitation volume acceleration. The time domain hydroacoustic characteristics are similar for the modified hydrofoil and the baseline hydrofoil.     

Modeling of thermal phenomena in single laser beam and laser-arc hybrid welding processes using projection method

This paper concerns mathematical and numerical modeling of thermal phenomena accompanying single laser and laser-arc hybrid butt welding of steel sheets. Coupled heat transfer and fluid flow in the fusion zone were described respectively by transient heat transfer equation and Navier–Stokes equation. Laser beam and electric arc heat sources were modeled using different heat source power distributions. Latent heat associated with the material’s state changes, buoyancy forces and liquid material flow through a porous medium were taken into account in considerations. Differential governing equations were numerically solved using projection method combined with finite volume method. Elaborated solution algorithm was implemented into computer solver used for simulation of heat transfer and fluid flow during welding. The geometry of the weld and heat affected zone as well as cooling rates were estimated on the basis of numerically obtained temperature field.     

Numerical discovery and experimental confirmation of vortex ring generation by microramp vortex generator

An implicitly implemented large eddy simulation (ILES), by using the modified fifth order WENO scheme, is applied to study the flow around the microramp vortex generator (MVG) at Mach 2.5 and Re_θ = 5760. A series of new discoveries on the flow around supersonic MVG have been made by the UTA LES team including source of the momentum deficit, inflection points (surface in 3-D), Kelvin–Helmholtz instability and vortex ring generation. Most of the new discoveries, which were made by the UTA LES team and presented in 2009, were confirmed by experiment conducted by the UTA experiment team in 2010. A new 5-pair-vortex-tube model near the MVG is given based on the ILES observation.     

The effect of modeling of velocity fluctuations on prediction of collection efficiency of cyclone separators

The effect of modeling of velocity fluctuations on the prediction of collection efficiency of cyclone separators has been numerically investigated using the Reynolds stress turbulence model (RSTM) and large eddy simulation (LES). The Eulerian–Lagrangian modeling approach of CFD code Fluent 6.3.26 has been employed to simulate the three dimensional, unsteady turbulent gas–solid flows in a Stairmand high efficiency cyclone. The simulated results have been compared with experimental observations available in the literature. The analysis of results shows that the RSTM and the LES have adequately predicted the mean flow field. Results of the present study demonstrate that the LES has good performance on prediction of fluctuating flow field and collection efficiency for each and every particle size. However, the performance of the RSTM is found poor in terms of prediction of velocity fluctuations and collection efficiency, especially for small particles. This relates to the precessing of the vortex core phenomenon, which is resolved more accurately by LES as compared to the RSTM simulation. The results suggest that the prediction of collection efficiency, especially for small particles is greatly influenced by the simulation of velocity fluctuations in cyclones.     

Numerical simulation of internal flow fields of swirl coaxial injector in a hot environment

Based on the fractional volume of fluid (VOF), a pure Eulerian model for defining and capturing the gas/liquid interface is developed in this paper. This model can describe gas/liquid interface in high refinement, which is better than the original VOF methodology. To validate the proposed model and the algorithm, the computational code is employed to predict the flow performance in a cylindrical swirl injector under cold-flow condition, and the predicted results agree well with experimental measurements. Furthermore, the proposed model is used to simulate gas-liquid reacting flows inside a gas/liquid coaxial swirl injector operating in a hot environment. The turbulent combustion process is simulated with the k−ε−f−g model. The numerical simulation is carried out under actual operating condition of the coaxial injector. The injector performances, such as liquid film thickness, liquid film injection velocity, spray angle, pressure drop, are obtained based on the detailed information of the internal flow field. The predicted results also show that droplets are shed from the liquid film in the recess cup of the coaxial injector because of the large velocity gradient between the gas and liquid streams, and a burning area, which is characterized by high temperature, is present inside the injector.     

A fast running numerical model based on the implementation of volume forces for prediction of pressure drop in a fin tube heat exchanger

Numerical based design of geometrical structures is common when studying systems involving heat exchangers, a central component in several fields, such as industrial, vehicle and household systems. The geometrical structure of heat exchangers is generally comprised by closely placed fins and tube bundles. The creation of a mesh grid for a geometrically compact heat exchanger will result in a dense structure, which is not feasible for personal computer usage. Hence, volume forces were created based on Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) on a Flow Representative Volume (FRV) of a tube fin heat exchanger in an internal duct system of a heat pump tumble dryer. A relation of the volume averaged velocity and the volume averaged force was established in two different FRV models with a finite element simulation in COMSOL. This relation was subsequently used to create flow resistance coefficients based on volume averaged expressions of fluid velocity and volume forces. These flow resistance coefficients were implemented in two respective porous models, which represent the entire heat exchanger except the interior arrangements of fins and tube bundles. Hence, the computation time was reduced thanks to the absence of a dense mesh grid. Experimental results of the entire heat exchanger showed good agreement with the second porous model in terms of pressure drop and volume flow rate.     

基于浸入边界-有限元法的流固耦合碰撞数值模拟方法

针对流固耦合碰撞问题,建立了流体中固体与固体碰撞界面解析直接模拟方法,采用清晰界面浸入边界法模拟流体中的动边界问题,避免了传统贴体网格方法在求解流体中存在固体间碰撞问题时网格出现负体积的问题,采用基于罚函数的有限元方法对固体的运动和碰撞进行求解,以分域耦合方式实现流体域和固体域的耦合求解.通过与静止流体中球形颗粒与壁面正碰撞和斜碰撞的实验数据对比,验证了建立的数值模拟方法对流体中固体与固体碰撞数值模拟的正确性,获得了流体域流场在碰撞前后随时间的变化,同时通过该文建立的数值模拟方法也获得了固体域中固体的碰撞力和应力.未来,将把该数值模拟方法应用到流体流动环境中,如固体颗粒对管道的冲蚀、流体诱导海洋立管之间的碰撞、坠物对海底管道的撞击等.     

主动冷却点阵夹层防热结构温度响应计算模型北大核心CSCD

针对点阵夹层结构主动热防护问题,建立了夹层结构面板和芯体导热与冷却剂对流耦合的非稳态传热理论模型,利用有限体积法离散控制方程并在MATLAB中进行了迭代求解.模型首次考虑了面板与夹芯杆之间的收缩热阻,并利用分离变量法得到了收缩热阻的近似解析解.基于单胞模型和周期性边界条件,模拟得到了模型所需的表面对流传热系数h_(b)和h_(fin).最后,选取多单胞计算工况进行数值模拟和理论模型对比,并讨论了收缩热阻对模型预测精度的影响.结果表明:理论模型能够准确预测夹层结构及内部流体的温度变化,理论与仿真之间的最大误差不超过1%;随着外加热流密度不断增大,忽略收缩热阻使得计算结果造成的误差不断增大;与数值模拟相比,理论模型可显著地减少计算时间并节省计算资源,尤其适用于非均匀、非稳态复杂热载荷下点阵夹层结构的温度响应计算.     

Coupled fluid-solid thermal interaction modeling for efficient transient simulation of biphasic water-steam energy systems

This paper proposes a fluid-solid coupled finite element formulation for the transient simulation of water-steam energy systems with phase change due to boiling and condensation. As it is commonly assumed in the study of thermal systems, the transient effects considered are exclusively originated by heat transfer processes. A homogeneous mixture model is adopted for the analysis of biphasic flow, resulting in a nonlinear transient advection-diffusion-reaction energy equation and an integral form for mass conservation in the fluid, coupled to the linear transient heat conduction equation for the solid. The conservation equations are approximated applying a stabilized Petrov-Galerkin FEM formulation, providing a set of coupled nonlinear equations for mass and energy conservation. This numerical model, combined with experimental heat transfer coefficients, provides a comprehensive simulation tool for the coupled analysis of boiling and condensation processes. For the treatment of enthalpy discontinuities traveling with the flow, a novel explicit-implicit time integration method based on Crank-Nicolson scheme is proposed, analyzing its accuracy and stability properties. To reduce problem size and enhance numerical efficiency, a modal superposition method with balanced truncation is applied to the solid equations. Finally, different example problems are solved to demonstrate the capabilities, flexibility and accuracy of the proposed formulation.     

Finite element analysis of laminar and turbulent flows using LES and subgrid-scale models

Numerical simulations of laminar and turbulent flows in a lid driven cavity and over a backward-facing step are presented in this work. The main objectives of this research are to know more about the structure of turbulent flows, to identify their three-dimensional characteristic and to study physical effects due to heat transfer. The filtered Navier–Stokes equations are used to simulate large scales, however they are supplemented by subgrid-scale (SGS) models to simulate the energy transfer from large scales toward subgrid-scales, where this energy will be dissipated by molecular viscosity. Two SGS models are applied: the classical Smagorinsky’s model and the Dynamic model for large eddy simulation (LES). Both models are implemented in a three-dimensional finite element code using linear tetrahedral elements. Qualitative and quantitative aspects of two and three-dimensional flows in a lid-driven cavity and over a backward-facing step, using LES, are analyzed comparing numerical and experimental results obtained by other authors.