Investigation on a coupled Navier–Stokes–Direct Simulation Monte Carlo method for the simulation of plume flowfield of a conical nozzle

To assess the plume effects of space thrusters, the accurate plume flowfield is indispensable. The plume flow of thrusters involves both continuum and rarefied flow regimes. Coupled Navier–Stokes–Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (NS–DSMC) method is a major approach to the simulation of continuum‐rarefied flows. An axisymmetric coupled NS–DSMC solver, possessing adaptive‐interface and two‐way coupling features, is investigated in this paper for the simulation of the nozzle and plume flows of thrusters. The state‐based coupling scheme is adopted, and the gradient local Knudsen number is used to indicate the breakdown of continuum solver. The nitrogen flows in a conical nozzle and its plume are chosen as the reference case to test the coupled solver. The threshold value of the continuum breakdown parameter is studied based on both theoretical kinetic velocity sampling and coupled numerical tests. Succeeding comparisons between coupled and full DSMC results demonstrate their conformities, meanwhile, the former saves 58.8% computational time. The pitot pressure evaluated from the coupled simulation result is compared with the experimental data proposed in literatures, revealing that the coupled method makes precise predictions on the experimental pitot pressure. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simple,coupled algorithms for solving creeping flows and their application to electro‐osmotic flows

In this study we developed simple, coupled algorithms for solving low‐Reynolds‐number flows applicable to micro‐scale flows such as electro‐osmotic flows. The most popular scheme, i.e. the projection method, is not suitable for such flows because of its undesirable slip effect on boundaries at low‐Reynolds‐numbers. In our method, the velocity and pressure are strongly coupled, and the momentum and pressure equations are solved iteratively by using the successive over relaxation (SOR) method while exchanging the unknown variables as soon as they have been updated. The developed methods are applied to a model flow for evaluating their performance. It was found that the coupled schemes are indeed superior to a projection method, i.e. the fractional‐step method, in both numerical accuracy and CPU time. The code is then applied to a dc electro‐osmotic flow within a cavity driven by electrical force acting on the ions spread in the fluid. In this application, the system of equations for the fluid flow and that for the ion transport are solved in a decoupled way, but each system is solved by using fully implicit schemes. From the simulations and by introducing the concept of vorticity source, we can identify two roles of the body force, one contributing to build‐up of the osmotic pressure and the other to the fluid flow. The interesting reverse flow occurring after the external potentials applied on the electrodes have been shut off is also investigated in terms of the vorticity source. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A point implicit unstructured grid solver for the euler and Navier–Stokes equations

An upwind finite element technique that uses cell-centred quantities and implicit and/or explicit time marching has been developed for computing hypersonic laminar viscous flows using adaptive triangular grids. The approach is an extension to unstructured grids of the LAURA algorithm due to Gnoffo. A structured grid of quadrilaterals is laid out near a solid surface. For inviscid flows the method is stable at Courant numbers of over 100000. A first-order basic scheme and a higher-order flux-corrected transport (FCT) scheme have been implemented. This technique has been applied to the problem of predicting type III and IV shock wave interactions on a cylinder, with a view to simulating the pressure and heating rate augmentation caused by an impinging shock on the leading edge of a cowl lip of an engine inlet. The predictions of wall pressure and heating rates compare very well with experimental data. The flow features are distinctly captured with a sequence of adaptively generated grids.     

3D free‐surface flow computation using a RANSE/Fourier–Kochin coupling

A coupling method for numerical calculations of steady free‐surface flows around a body is presented. The fluid domain in the neighbourhood of the hull is divided into two overlapping zones. Viscous effects are taken in account near the hull using Reynolds‐averaged Navier–Stokes equations (RANSE), whereas potential flow provides the flow away from the hull. In the internal domain, RANSE are solved by a fully coupled velocity, pressure and free‐surface elevation method. In the external domain, potential‐flow theory with linearized free‐surface condition is used to provide boundary conditions to the RANSE solver. The Fourier–Kochin method based on the Fourier–Kochin formulation, which defines the velocity field in a potential‐flow region in terms of the velocity distribution at a boundary surface, is used for that purpose. Moreover, the free‐surface Green function satisfying this linearized free‐surface condition is used. Calculations have been successfully performed for steady ship‐waves past a serie 60 and then have demonstrated abilities of the present coupling algorithm. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A fixed‐grid b‐spline finite element technique for fluid–structure interaction

We present a fixed‐grid finite element technique for fluid–structure interaction problems involving incompressible viscous flows and thin structures. The flow equations are discretised with isoparametric b‐spline basis functions defined on a logically Cartesian grid. In addition, the previously proposed subdivision‐stabilisation technique is used to ensure inf–sup stability. The beam equations are discretised with b‐splines and the shell equations with subdivision basis functions, both leading to a rotation‐free formulation. The interface conditions between the fluid and the structure are enforced with the Nitsche technique. The resulting coupled system of equations is solved with a Dirichlet–Robin partitioning scheme, and the fluid equations are solved with a pressure–correction method. Auxiliary techniques employed for improving numerical robustness include the level‐set based implicit representation of the structure interface on the fluid grid, a cut‐cell integration algorithm based on marching tetrahedra and the conservative data transfer between the fluid and structure discretisations. A number of verification and validation examples, primarily motivated by animal locomotion in air or water, demonstrate the robustness and efficiency of our approach. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A comparative study of truly incompressible and weakly compressible SPH methods for free surface incompressible flows

In this paper, the performance of the incompressible SPH (ISPH) method and an improved weakly compressible SPH (IWCSPH) method for free surface incompressible flows are compared and analyzed. In both methods, the Navier–Stokes equations are solved, and no artificial viscosity is used. The ISPH algorithm in this paper is based on the classical SPH projection method with common treatments on solid boundaries and free surfaces. The IWCSPH model includes some advanced corrective algorithms in density approximation and solid boundary treatment (SBT). In density approximation, the moving least squares (MLS) approach is applied to re‐initialize density every several steps to obtain smoother and more stable pressure fields. An improved coupled dynamic SBT algorithm is implemented to obtain stable pressure values near solid wall areas and, thus, to minimize possible numerical oscillations brought in by the solid boundaries. Three representative numerical examples, including a benchmark test for hydrostatic pressure, a dam breaking problem and a liquid sloshing problem, are comparatively analyzed with ISPH and IWCSPH. It is demonstrated that the present IWCSPH is more attractive than ISPH in modeling free surface incompressible flows as it is more accurate and more stable with comparable or even less computational efforts. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Flow simulation on moving boundary‐fitted grids and application to fluid–structure interaction problems

We present a method for the parallel numerical simulation of transient three‐dimensional fluid–structure interaction problems. Here, we consider the interaction of incompressible flow in the fluid domain and linear elastic deformation in the solid domain. The coupled problem is tackled by an approach based on the classical alternating Schwarz method with non‐overlapping subdomains, the subproblems are solved alternatingly and the coupling conditions are realized via the exchange of boundary conditions. The elasticity problem is solved by a standard linear finite element method. A main issue is that the flow solver has to be able to handle time‐dependent domains. To this end, we present a technique to solve the incompressible Navier–Stokes equation in three‐dimensional domains with moving boundaries. This numerical method is a generalization of a finite volume discretization using curvilinear coordinates to time‐dependent coordinate transformations. It corresponds to a discretization of the arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian formulation of the Navier–Stokes equations. Here the grid velocity is treated in such a way that the so‐called Geometric Conservation Law is implicitly satisfied. Altogether, our approach results in a scheme which is an extension of the well‐known MAC‐method to a staggered mesh in moving boundary‐fitted coordinates which uses grid‐dependent velocity components as the primary variables. To validate our method, we present some numerical results which show that second‐order convergence in space is obtained on moving grids. Finally, we give the results of a fully coupled fluid–structure interaction problem. It turns out that already a simple explicit coupling with one iteration of the Schwarz method, i.e. one solution of the fluid problem and one solution of the elasticity problem per time step, yields a convergent, simple, yet efficient overall method for fluid–structure interaction problems. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Stokes flow in an elastic tube—a large-displacement fluid-structure interaction problem

Viscous flow in elastic (collapsible) tubes is a large-displacement fluid-structure interaction problem frequently encountered in biomechanics. This paper presents a robust and rapidly converging procedure for the solution of the steady three-dimensional Stokes equations, coupled to the geometrically non-linear shell equations which describe the large deformations of the tube wall. The fluid and solid equations are coupled in a segregated method whose slow convergence is accelerated by an extrapolation procedure based on the scheme's asymptotic convergence behaviour. A displacement control technique is developed to handle the system's snap-through behaviour. Finally, results for the tube's post-buckling deformation and for the flow in the strongly collapsed tube are shown. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

High‐order strand grid methods for low‐speed and incompressible flows

A novel high‐order finite volume scheme using flux correction methods in conjunction with structured finite differences is extended to low Mach and incompressible flows on strand grids. Flux correction achieves a high order by explicitly canceling low‐order truncation error terms across finite volume faces and is applied in unstructured layers of the strand grid. The layers are then coupled together using a source term containing summation‐by‐parts finite differences in the strand direction. A preconditioner is employed to extend the method to low speed and incompressible flows. We further extend the method to turbulent flows with the Spalart–Allmaras model. Laminar flow test cases indicate improvements in accuracy and convergence using the high‐order preconditioned method, while turbulent body‐of‐revolution flow results show improvements in only some cases, perhaps because of dominant errors arising from the turbulence model itself. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Propagation of perturbations upstream with interaction between a hypersonic flow and a boundary layer

It is shown that, for hypersonic flows with moderate and strong degrees of interaction, perturbations brought about, for example, by a bottom opening or by any other sort of obstacle are propagated up to the leading edge of a solid body. Local regions with very large pressure gradients cannot arise in the flow. This is connected with the possibility of the development of breakaway zones with a length on the order of magnitude of the size of the solid body, described in the first approximation by the equations of the boundary layer. From a mathematical point of view the problem comes down to establishing the nonsingular nature of the solution near the leading edge, and to finding eigensolutions which make it possible to satisfy the boundary conditions at the trailing edge of the solid body. It is shown that, with a weak interaction between the hypersonic flow and the boundary layer, there may arise short flow regions with free interaction and locally nonviscous flows with large pressure gradients, within the limits of which the perturbations may move upstream.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 4, pp. 40–49, July–August, 1970.In conclusion, the author thanks V. V. Sychev for his evaluation of the problem.     

Simulation of viscous water column collapse using adapting hierarchical grids

An adaptive hierarchical grid‐based method for predicting complex free surface flows is used to simulate collapse of a water column. Adapting quadtree grids are combined with a high‐resolution interface‐capturing approach and pressure‐based coupling of the Navier–Stokes equations. The Navier–Stokes flow solution scheme is verified for simulation of flow in a lid‐driven cavity at Re=1000. Two approaches to the coupling of the Navier–Stokes equations are investigated as are alternative face velocity and hanging node interpolations. Collapse of a water column as well as collapse of a water column and its subsequent interaction with an obstacle are simulated. The calculations are made on uniform and adapting quadtree grids, and the accuracy of the quadtree calculations is shown to be the same as those made on the equivalent uniform grids. Results are in excellent agreement with experimental and other numerical data. A sharp interface is maintained at the free surface. The new adapting quadtree‐based method achieves a considerable saving in the size of the computational grid and CPU time in comparison with calculations made on equivalent uniform grids. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Magma flow through elastic-walled dikes

A convection–diffusion model for the averaged flow of a viscous, incompressible magma through an elastic medium is considered. The magma flows through a dike from a magma reservoir to the Earth’s surface; only changes in dike width and velocity over large vertical length scales relative to the characteristic dike width are considered. The model emerges when nonlinear inertia terms in the momentum equation are neglected in a viscous, low-speed approximation of a magma flow model coupled to the elastic response of the rock.Stationary- and traveling-wave solutions are presented in which a Dirichlet condition is used at the magma chamber; and either a (i) free-boundary condition, (ii) Dirichlet condition, or (iii) choked-flow condition is used at the moving free or fixed-top boundary. A choked-flow boundary condition, generally used in the coupled elastic wave and magma flow model, is also used in the convection–diffusion model. The validity of this choked-flow condition is illustrated by comparing stationary flow solutions of the convection–diffusion and coupled elastic wave and magma flow model for parameter values estimated for the Tolbachik volcano region in Kamchatka, Russia. These free- and fixed-boundary solutions are subsequently explored in a conservative, local discontinuous Galerkin finite-element discretization. This method is advantageous for the accurate implementation of the choked flow and free-boundary conditions. It uses a mixed Eulerian–Lagrangian finite element with special infinite curvature basis function near the free boundary and ensures positivity of the mean aperture subject to a time-step restriction. We illustrate the model further by simulating magma flow through host rock of variable density, and magma flow that is quasi-periodic due to the growth and collapse of a lava dome.     

Control strategies for timestep selection in finite element simulation of incompressible flows and coupled reaction–convection–diffusion processes

We propose two timestep selection algorithms, based on feedback control theory, for finite element simulation of steady state and transient 2D viscous flow and coupled reaction–convection–diffusion processes. To illustrate performance of the schemes in practice, we solve Rayleigh–Benard–Marangoni flows, flow across a backward‐facing step, unsteady flow around a circular cylinder and chemical reaction systems. Numerical experiments confirm that the feedback controllers produce in some cases a very smooth stepsize variation, suggesting that robust control algorithms are possible. These experiments also show that parameter selection can improve timesteps when co‐ordinated with the convergence control of non‐linear iterations. Further, computational cost of the selection procedures is negligible, since they involve only storing a few extra vectors, computation of norms and evaluation of kinetic energy. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A hybrid immersed‐boundary and multi‐block lattice Boltzmann method for simulating fluid and moving‐boundaries interactions

A numerical method is developed for modelling the interactions between incompressible viscous fluid and moving boundaries. The principle of this method is introducing the immersed‐boundary concept in the framework of the lattice Boltzmann method, and improving the accuracy and efficiency of the simulation by refining the mesh near moving boundaries. Besides elastic boundary with a constitutive law, the method can also efficiently simulate solid moving‐boundary interacting with fluid by employing the direct forcing technique. The method is validated by the simulations of flow past a circular cylinder, two cylinders moving with respect to each other and flow around a hovering wing. The versatility of the method is demonstrated by the numerical studies including elastic filament flapping in the wake of a cylinder and fish‐like bodies swimming in quiescent fluid. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An unstructured/structured multi‐layer hybrid grid method and its application

A multi‐layer hybrid grid method is constructed to simulate complex flow field around 2‐D and 3‐D configuration. The method combines Cartesian grids with structured grids and triangular meshes to provide great flexibility in discretizing a domain. We generate the body‐fitted structured grids near the wall surface and the Cartesian grids for the far field. In addition, we regard the triangular meshes as an adhesive to link each grid part. Coupled with a tree data structure, the Cartesian grid is generated automatically through a cell‐cutting algorithm. The grid merging methodology is discussed, which can smooth hybrid grids and improve the quality of the grids. A cell‐centred finite volume flow solver has been developed in combination with a dual‐time stepping scheme. The flow solver supports arbitrary control volume cells. Both inviscid and viscous flows are computed by solving the Euler and Navier–Stokes equations. The above methods and algorithms have been validated on some test cases. Computed results are presented and compared with experimental data. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A computational study of a capsule lateral migration in microchannel flow

A numerical method is used to model a capsule migration in a microchannel with small Reynolds number Re ≈ 0 . 01. The capsule is modeled as a liquid drop surrounded by a neo-Hookean elastic membrane. The numerical model combines immersed boundary with lattice Boltzmann method (IB-LBM). The LBM is used to simulate fixed Cartesian grid while the IBM is utilized to implement the fluid-structure interaction by a set of Lagrangian moving grids for the membrane. The effect of shear elasticity and bending stiffness are both considered. The results show the significance of elastic modulus and initial lateral position on deformation and morphological properties of a circular capsule. The wall effect becomes stronger as the capsule initial position gets closer to the channel wall. As the elastic modulus of membrane increases, the capsule undergoes less pronounced deformation and velocity in direction x is decreased, thus, the capsule motion is slower than the background flow. The best agreement between the present model and experiments for migration velocity takes place for the capsule with normal to moderate membrane elastic modulus. The results are in good agreement with experiment study of Coupier et al. and previous numerical studies. Therefore, the IB-LBM can be employed to make prediction in vitro and in vivo studies of capsule deformation.     

Flow of wormlike micelle solutions through a periodic array of cylinders

Solutions of self-assembled wormlike micelles are used with ever increasing frequency in a multitude of consumer products ranging from cosmetic to industrial applications. Owing to the wide range of applications, flows of interest are often complex in nature; exhibiting both extensional and shear regions that can make modeling and prediction both challenging and valuable. Adding to the complexity, the micellar dynamics are continually changing, resulting in a number of interesting phenomena, such as shear banding and extensional flow instabilities. In this paper, we present the results of our investigation into the flow fields generated by a controllable and idealized porous media: a periodic array of cylinders. Our test channel geometry consists of six equally spaced cylinders, arranged perpendicular to the flow. By systematically varying the Deborah number, the flow kinematics, stability and pressure drop were measured. A combination of particle image velocimetry in conjunction with flush mount pressure transducers were used to characterize the flow, while flow induced birefringence measurements were used to determine micelle deformation and alignment. The pressure drop was found to decrease initially due to the shear thinning of the test fluid, and then exhibit a dramatic upturn as other elastic effects begin to dominate. We present evidence of the onset of an elastic instability in one of the test fluids above a critical Deborah number manifest in fluctuating transient pressure drop measurements and asymmetric streamlines. We argue that this disparity in the two test fluids can be attributed to the measurable differences in their extensional rheology.     

Experimental investigation of viscoelastic drop deformation in Newtonian matrix at high capillary number under simple shear flow

The steady state deformation of a viscoelastic drop (Boger fluid) in a Newtonian liquid at high capillary number under simple shear flow is investigated by direct visualization using a specially designed Couette apparatus which enables visualization from two perpendicular directions. Two drop deformation modes are found: (1) Mode I – drop deformation in the flow direction and (2) Mode II – drop deformation in the vorticity direction. The drop deformation mode depends on the relative strength of the elastic contribution to viscous contribution. If the elastic contribution is weak compared to the viscous contribution, the drop elongates in the flow direction via Mode I. If the elastic contribution is strong, the drop elongates in the vorticity direction via Mode II. The drop size also affects the drop deformation. At the same capillary number, bigger drops have larger deformations than smaller drops.     

Numerical calculation of two-dimensional flow in the channel with a partially compliant wall

The present paper is concerned with the flow in a two-dimensional channel whose wall is partially compliant. The flow field is calculated by the finite-difference method. Results are as follows: (1) When the upstream condition is given by steady flow (Reynolds number Re = 50), a compliant part of the wall oscillates with a frequency nearly equal to the characteristic frequency of the elastic wall. Absolute values of the pressure drop across the compliant part become small compared with those of the plane Poiseuille flow with wholly rigid walls. This ensures under physiological conditions that the blood can be transported more easily toward distal parts due to the compliance of vessel walls. (2) When the upstream condition is given by a pulsatile flow (Womersley number α = 8), interaction arises between characteristic frequency of the wall and basic frequency of the main stream near the compliant wall. As the basic frequency of pulsatile flow decreases, absolute values of mean pressure, which drop across the compliant wall, also become small compared with those of pulsatile flow between wholly rigid walls.