Direct modeling of flow of FENE fluids

Direct simulations of macromolecular fluids are carried out for flows between parallel plates and in expanding and contracting channels. The macromolecules are modeled as FENE dumbbells with soft disks or Lennard-Jones dumbbell-dumbbell interactions. The results are presented in terms of profiles and contour plots of velocity, pressure, temperature, density, and flow fields. In addition the data for potential energy, shear stress, and the normal components of the stress tensor are collected. In general, an excellent agreement is found between the simulated profiles and the well-known flow structures, such as flow separation and formation of viscous eddies, indicating that micro-hydrodynamics is a viable tool in linking macroscopic phenomena with the underlying physical mechanisms. The simulations are performed in the Newtonian regime, for medium-size systems comprising up to 3888 dumbbells. This number is sufficiently large to control boundary and particle number effects. The flow is induced by gravity. The traditional stochastic (thermal) and periodic boundary conditions are employed. Also, diffusive boundary conditions, which could include a stagnant fluid layer and repulsive potential walls, are developed. The scaling problems, which are related to the application of a large external force in a microscopic system (of the size of the order 100 Å), result in extreme pressure and temperature gradients. In addition, the viscosity and thermal conductivity coefficients obtained from velocity and temperature profiles of the channel flow are presented. These results are confirmed independently from modeling of Couette flow by the SLLOD equations of motion and from the Evans algorithm for thermal conductivity.     

Liquid flow in a simplex swirl nozzle

Pressure-swirl nozzles are widely used in applications such as combustion, painting, air-conditioning, and fire suppression. Understanding the effects of nozzle geometry and inlet flow conditions on liquid film thickness, discharge coefficient and spray angle is very important in nozzle design. The nozzle-internal flow is two-phase with a secondary flow which makes its detailed analysis rather complex. In the current work, the flow field inside a pressure-swirl nozzle is studied theoretically. Using the integral momentum method, the growth of the boundary layer from the nozzle entry to the orifice exit is investigated and the velocity through the boundary layer and the main body of the swirling liquid is calculated. A numerical modeling and a series of experiments have also been performed to validate the theoretical results. The effect of various geometrical parameters is studied and results are compared for viscous and inviscid cases. In addition, the condition in which the centrifugal force of the swirling flow overcomes the viscous force and induces an air core is predicted. The theoretical analysis discussed in this paper provides better criteria for the design and the performance analysis of nozzles.     

Two-dimensional analytical solution for compound channel flows with vegetated floodplains

This paper presents a two-dimensional analytical solution for compound channel flows with vegetated floodplains. The depth-integrated N-S equation is used for analyzing the steady uniform flow. The effects of the vegetation are considered as the drag force item. The secondary currents are also taken into account in the governing equations, and the preliminary estimation of the secondary current intensity coefficient K is discussed. The predicted results for the straight channels and the apex cross-section of meandering channels agree well with experimental data, which shows that the analytical model presented here can be applied to predict the flow in compound channels with vegetated floodplains.     

A concise method for determining a valve flow coefficient of a valve under compressible gas flow

This work presents a novel method of determining a valve flow coefficient for a valve and transient mass flow rate of compressible gas discharged from a reservoir. The proposed method consists of a set of equations to express the physical phenomena and measurement equipment to measure the indispensable data used in the above equations. Regardless of the kind of valve, the valve flow coefficient can be obtained efficiently and feasibly. The results of this study indicate not only that the valve flow characteristics of the diaphragm valve significantly differ from those of the ball valve, but also that the C_v flow equation conventionally used is no longer valid for the diaphragm valve. The valve flow coefficient of the ball valve determined by the proposed method is about 48 and the representative one proposed by the ANSI/ISA is about 56. In addition, the mass flow rate of gas flow through a valve under transient process can be estimated without using a flow meter. Moreover, the cumulated masses discharged predicted by the method proposed herein are consistent well with those of the experimental results. The deviations are smaller than 6%.     

Predictive model for stage-discharge curve in compound channels with vegetated floodplains

The governing equation of the discharge per unit width, derived from the flow continuity equation and the momentum equation in the vegetated compound chan- nel, is established. The analytical solution to the discharge per unit width is presented, including the effects of bed friction, lateral momentum transfer, drag force, and secondary flows. A simple＇ but available numerical integral method, i.e., the compound trapezoidM formula, is used to calculate the approximate solutions of the sub-area discharge and the total discharge. A comparison with the published experimental data from the U. K. Flood Channel Facility （UK-FCF） demonstrates that this model is capable of predicting not only the stage-discharge curve but also the sub-area discharge in the vegetated com- pound channel. The effects of the two crucial parameters, i.e., the divided number of the integral interval and the secondary flow coefficient, on the total discharge are discussed and analyzed.     

Rotating flow of a third grade fluid in a porous space with Hall current

This study investigates the rotating magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow of a third-grade fluid in a porous space. Modified Darcy's law has been utilized for the flow modeling. The Hall effects are taken into consideration. The basic equations governing the flow are reduced to a highly nonlinear ordinary differential equation. This equation has been solved analytically by employing the homotopy analysis method (HAM). The effects of the various interesting parameters on the velocity distribution have been discussed.     

Discharge coefficients for flow through holes normal to a rotating shaft

A possible design for a more compact gas turbine engine uses contra-rotating high pressure (HP) and intermediate pressure (IP) turbine discs. Cooling air for the IP turbine stages is taken from the compressor and transferred to the turbine stage via holes in the drive shaft. The aim of this work was to investigate the discharge coefficient characteristics of the holes in this rotating shaft, and, in particular, to ascertain whether the sense of rotation of the shaft with respect to the discs affected these significantly. This paper reports mostly on experimental measurements of the discharge coefficients. Some CFD modelling of this flow was carried out and this has helped to explain the experimental work. The experimental results show the effects on the discharge coefficient of rotational speed, flow rate, and co- and contra-rotations of the shaft relative to the discs. The measured values of the discharge coefficient are compared with established experimental data for non-rotating holes in the presence of a cross-flow. For stationary shaft and discs, co-rotation of the shaft and discs and differential rotation with the disc speed less than the shaft (in the same rotational direction), the discharge coefficients are in reasonable agreement with these data. For differential rotation (including contra-rotation) with the disc speed greater than the shaft, there is a significant decrease in discharge coefficient.     

Two-phase flow pattern identification using continuous hidden Markov model

This paper presents a new method for identifying two-phase flow regimes from the instantaneous local fluid phase signals using continuous hidden Markov model (CHMM). CHMM is known to be a very strong pattern identifier. Air–water two-phase flows were realized in a transparent vertical tube. The tube length was 2 m, and its inner diameter was 19 mm. The instantaneous local fluid phase signals were collected using a single step index multimode optical fiber probe located at the center and mid-length of the tube. Signal features required in CHMM implementation were extracted using an innovative method. Various aspects of hidden Markov modeling and their effects on the results were studied. The flow pattern results are in very good agreement with photographs of the flow captured during the experiments. In sum, the results show that hidden Markov model has a good potential in identifying two-phase flow patterns.     

Prediction of velocity distribution in straight open-channel flow with partial vegetation by singular perturbation method

A numerical analysis model based on two-dimensional shallow water differential equations is presented for straight open-channel flow with partial vegetation across the channel. Both the drag force acting on vegetation and the momentum exchange between the vegetation and non-vegetation zones are considered. The depth-averaged streamwise velocity is solved by the singular perturbation method, while the Reynolds stress is calculated based on the results of the streamwise velocity. Comparisons with the experimental data indicate that the accuracy of prediction is significantly improved by introducing a term for the secondary current in the model. A sensitivity analysis shows that a sound choice of the secondary current intensity coefficient is important for an accurate prediction of the depth-averaged streamwise velocity near the vegetation and non-vegetation interfaces, and the drag force coefficient is crucial for predictions in the vegetation zone.     

Numerical simulation of an axisymmetric separated and reattached flow over a longitudinal blunt circular cylinder

This article presents a numerical investigation of turbulent flow in an axisymmetric separated and reattached flow over a longitudinal blunt circular cylinder. The governing equations were discretized by the finite-volume method and SIMPLER method was applied to solve the equations on a staggered grid. The turbulent flow was numerically simulated using the standard k–ε, Abe–Kondoh–Nagano (AKN) and Shear Stress Transport (SST) turbulence models. The comparisons made between numerical results and experimental measurements showed that the SST model is superior to other models in the present calculation.Computations were performed for three different Reynolds numbers of 6000, 10 000 and 20 000 based on the cylinder diameter. To our knowledge, this study represents the first numerical investigation of the present flow configuration. The computational results were validated with the available experimental data of reattachment length, mean velocity distribution and wall static pressure coefficient in the turbulent blunt circular cylinder flows. Further, other characteristics of the flow, such as turbulent kinetic energy, pressure, streamlines, and the velocity vectors are discussed.The results show that the main characteristics of the turbulence flow in the separation region, such as reattachment length or velocity profiles, are nearly independent of the Reynolds number. The obtained results showed that a secondary separation bubble may appear in the main separation bubble near the leading edge. Furthermore, it was found that the turbulent kinetic energy has a large effect on the formation of the secondary bubble.     

Laser Doppler anemometry measurements of laminar flow in helical pipes

Three-dimensional laser Doppler anemometry measurements are performed on developed laminar flow in three helical pipes. The experimental observations are compared to results of numerical calculations employing the fully elliptic numerical method. Good agreement is found between measured data and numerical results. The three helical pipes, with curvature ratios of 0.0734 and 0.1374 and non-dimensional pitches of 0.0793 and 0.193, are adopted to study the effects of curvature and pitch on laminar flow in the experimental approach. The range of Reynolds numbers is 500–2000 to ensure laminar flow in the entire helical pipe. Both the profile shapes of the normal components of the secondary flow and those of the axial flow along the same centerline present not only similar patterns but also similar change when pitch, curvature ratio, and Reynolds number vary. The results demonstrate comprehensive relationships between the axial flow and the secondary flow.     

Algebraic turbulence modeling in adiabatic and evaporating annular two-phase flow

The study considers algebraic turbulence modeling in adiabatic and evaporating annular two-phase flow, focusing in particular on momentum and heat transfer (so-called ‘convective boiling’) through the annular liquid film. In contrast with single-phase wall-bounded flow theory, shear-driven annular liquid films are assumed here to behave as fluid-bounded flows, mostly interacting with the shearing gas-entrained droplets core flow. Besides providing velocity and temperature profiles through the liquid film, the turbulence model proposed here predicts key parameters such as the average liquid film thickness, the void fraction and the convective boiling heat transfer coefficient with accuracies comparable or better than those of leading design correlations. This turbulence model is part of a unified annular flow modeling suite that includes methods to predict the entrained liquid fraction and the axial frictional pressure gradient. The underlying heat transfer database covers nine fluids (water, two hydrocarbons and six refrigerants) for vertical and horizontal tubes of 1.03-14.4 mm diameter and pressures of 0.1-7.2 MPa. Importantly, this study shows that there appears to be no macro-to-microscale transition when it comes to annular flow. Simply better physical modeling is required to span this range.     

Study on resistance coefficient in compound channels

This paper presents a further study of the Manning and Darcy-Weisbach resistance coefficients, as they play a significant role in assessing the cross-sectional mean velocity, conveyance capacity and determining the lateral distribution of depth mean velocity and local boundary shear stress in compound channels. The relationships between the local, zonal and overall resistance coefficients, and a wide range of geometries and different roughness between the main channel and the flood plain are established by analyzing a vast amount of experimental data from a British Science and Engineering Research Council Flood Channel Facility (SERC-FCF). And the experimental results also show that the overall Darcy-Weisbach resistance coefficient for a compound channel is the function of Reynolds number, but the function relationship is different from that for a single channel. By comparing and analyzing the conventional methods with the experimental data to predict composite roughness in compound channels, it is found that these methods are not suitable for compound channels. Moreover, the reason why the conventional methods can not assess correctly the conveyance capacity of compound channels is also analyzed in this paper.The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (50279024), the National Key Basic Research and Development Program of China (973 Program) (2003CB415202) and the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education (20030610039)The English text was polished by Ron Marshall     

Numerical modeling of slug flow initiation in a horizontal channels using a two-fluid model

This paper presents a methodology for modeling slug initiation and growth in horizontal ducts. Transient two-fluid equations are solved numerically using a class of high-resolution shock capturing methods. The advantage of this method is that slug formation and growth in a stratified regime can be calculated directly from the solutions to the flow field differential equations. In addition, by using high-resolution shock capturing methods that do not contain numerical diffusion, the discontinuity generated by slugging in the flow field can be modeled with good accuracy. The two-fluid model is shown to be well-posed mathematically only under certain conditions. Under these circumstances, the two-fluid model is capable of correctly predicting and modeling the flow physics. When ill-posed, an unbounded instability occurs in the flow field solution, and the instability amplitude increases exponentially with decreasing mesh sizes. This work shows that there are three zones associated with slug formation. In addition, long wavelength slugs are shown to initiate from short wavelength waves. These short waves are generated at the interface of the two phases by the Kelvin-Helmholtz hydrodynamic instability. The results obtained through numerical modeling show good agreement with experimental results.     

Fluid flow in a helical pipe

Without simplifying the N-S equations of Germano's^[5], we study the flow in a helical circular pipe employing perturbation method. A third perturbation solution is fully presented. The first- second- and third-order effects of curvature κ and torsion τ on the secondary flow and axial velocity are discussed in detail. The first-order effect of curvature is to form two counter-rotating cells of the secondary flow and to push the maximum axial velocity to the outer bend. The two cells are pushed to the outer bend by the pure second-order effect of curvature. The combined higher-order (second-, third-) effects of curvature and torsion, are found to be an enlargement of the lower vortex of the secondary flow at expense of the upper one and a clockwise shift of the centers of the secondary vortices and the location of maximum axial velocity. When the axial pressure gradient is small enough or the torsion is sufficiently larger than the curvature, the location of the maximal axial velocity is near the inner bend. The equation of the volume flux is obtained from integrating the perturbation solutions of axial velocity. From the equation the validity range of the perturbation solutions in this paper can be obtained and the conclusion that the three terms of torsion have no effect on the volume flux can easily be drawn. When the axial pressure gradient is less than 22.67, the volume flux in a helical pipe is larger than that in a straight pipe.     

A numerical exploration of secondary separation in starting flow around a flat plate by the discrete vortex model

In the present work, a further numerical simulation of the starting flow around a flat plate normal to the direction of motion in a uniform fluid has been made by means of the discrete vortex method. The secondary separation occurring at rear surface of the plate is explored, and predicted approximately using Thwait's method. The calculated results show that in the early stages of the flow secondary separation does occur. The evolution of flow field, the vortex growing process and the characteristics of secondary vortices have been described. The time dependent drag coefficients, the vorticity shed from the edges and rear surface, and the separation positions are calculated as well as the distributions of velocity and pressure on the plate. In the case of flow normal to the plate, the calculated secondary vortices are weak. Their existence will change the local velocity distributions and affect pressure distributions. However, the effect on drag coefficient is negligible.     

A pressure probe for the detection of the flow direction close to walls. Case study: flow through a bend

We report on the development of a new pressure probe that detects the flow direction in wall-bound flow. Two pressure differences are measured and combined in a pressure coefficient which is proportional to the flow direction in a ±20° range. The probe is applied to the secondary flow vortex pair generated in a 90° pipe bend, with excellent results. The vortex pair, and its downstream decay, are identified. Furthermore, the stability of the vortex pair is found to depend sensitively on the upstream conditions. When these are fixed, the vortices stay put; in other words they are spatially stabilized. The consequences for installation effects on flow metering are discussed.     

棱柱绕流流动的数值模拟

利用数值方法对长宽比为1／3, 1和3的棱柱绕流在雷诺数为100的非稳态流动特性进行了分析和研究。采用有限体积法对棱柱绕流的二维流动N-S方程进行离散求解,分析和研究了非稳态的棱柱绕流流场,升力系数,阻力系数和涡动特性,数值模拟的结果与相关文献的数据比较吻合。通过上述研究能够为了解棱柱绕流的非稳态流动特性提供有力的帮助。而对棱柱三维流动的模拟分析和对雷诺数的变化对棱柱流动特性的影响进行研究,将为掌握棱柱绕流的工程特性打下基础。     

2D numerical flow modeling in a macro‐rough channel

A 2D numerical flow model, developed at the Research unit of Hydrology, Applied Hydrodynamics and Hydraulic Constructions at ULg, has been applied to flows in a macro‐rough channel. The model solves the shallow water equations (SWE) with a two length scale, depth‐integrated k‐type approach for turbulence modeling. Data for the comparison have been provided by experiments conducted at the Laboratory of Hydraulic Constructions at EPFL. In the experiments with different non‐prismatic channel configurations, namely large‐scale cavities at the side walls, three different 2D flow characteristics could be observed in cavities. With the used numerical model features, especially regarding turbulence and friction modeling, a single set of bottom and side wall roughness could be found for a large range of discharges investigated in a prismatic channel. For the macro rough configurations, the numerical model gives an excellent agreement between experimental and numerical results regarding backwater curves and flow patterns if the side wall cavities have low aspect ratios. For configurations with high aspect ratios, the head loss generated by the preservation of important recirculation gyres in the cavities is slightly underestimated. The results of the computations reveal clearly that the separation of turbulence sources in the mathematical model is of great importance. Indeed, the turbulence related to 2D transverse shear effects and the 3D turbulence, generated by bed friction, can have very different amplitude. When separating these two effects in the numerical models, most of the flow features observed experimentally can be reproduced accurately. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fluid flow in a rotating curved rectangular duct

The fluid flowing in a rotating curved duct is subjected to both the Coriolis force due to a rotation and the centrifugal force due to a curvature. In this paper, the combined effects of the two forces on the flows in rotating curved rectangular ducts are examined numerically. According to the aspect ratio of the cross-section, the rectangular ducts are divided into three types: η>1, η=1, η<1, where η is the aspect ratio. The variations of the flow structures with the force ratio F (the ratio of the Corislis force to the centrifugal force) are studied in detail and many hitherto unknown flow patterns are found. The effects of the force ratio and the aspect ratio of the cross-section on the friction factor are also examined. Present results show both the characteristics of the secondary flow, axial flow and the natures of the friction factor.