Dynamics of pulsatile flows through microtubes from nonlocality

In this paper we introduce a new notion of complexified nonlocal-in-time-space material derivative operator and we discuss its implications in fluid mechanics. After deriving the complexified fluid equations, we investigate the problem of laminar flow of a particle fluid in a microtube. We demonstrate the occurrence of pulsatile flows through microtubes in agreement with recent findings.     

On the usage of NURBS as interface representation in free‐surface flows

When simulating free‐surface flows using the finite element method, there are many cases where the governing equations require information which must be derived from the available discretized geometry. Examples are curvature or normal vectors. The accurate computation of this information directly from the finite element mesh often requires a high degree of refinement—which is not necessarily required to obtain an accurate flow solution. As a remedy and an option to be able to use coarser meshes, the representation of the free surface using non‐uniform rational B‐splines (NURBS) curves or surfaces is investigated in this work. The advantages of a NURBS parameterization in comparison with the standard approach are discussed. In addition, it is explored how the pressure jump resulting from surface tension effects can be handled using doubled interface nodes. Numerical examples include the computation of surface tension in a two‐phase flow as well as the computation of normal vectors as a basis for mesh deformation methods. For these examples, the improvement of the numerical solution compared with the standard approaches on identical meshes is shown. Copyright © 2011 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.     

Intermittency as a transition to turbulence in pipes: A long tradition from Reynolds to the 21st century

Intermittencies are commonly observed in fluid mechanics, and particularly, in pipe flows. Initially observed by Reynolds (1883), it took one century for reaching a rather full understanding of this phenomenon whose irregular dynamics (apparently stochastic) puzzled hydrodynamicists for decades. In this brief (non-exhaustive) review, mostly focused on the experimental characterization of this transition between laminar and turbulent regimes, we present some key contributions for evidencing the two concomittant and antagonist processes that are involved in this complex transition and were suggested by Reynolds. It is also shown that a clear explicative model was provided, based on the nonlinear dynamical systems theory, the experimental observations in fluid mechanics only providing an applied example, due to its obvious generic nature.     

Existence and asymptotic properties of solutions for a nonlinear Schrödinger elliptic equation from geophysical fluid flows

In this paper, we study the existence and asymptotic behavior of radial solutions for a class of nonlinear Schrödinger elliptic equations on infinite domains describing the gyre of geophysical fluid flows. The existence theorem and asymptotic properties of radial positive solutions are established by using a new renormalization technique.     

Beyond direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) modelling of collision environments

ABSTRACT

Direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) models have been successfully adopted and adapted to describe gas flows in a wide range of environments since the method was first introduced by Bird in the 1960s. We propose a new approach to modelling collisions between gas-phase particles in this work – operating in a similar way to the DSMC model, but with one key difference. Particles move in a mean field, generated by all previously propagated particles, which removes the requirement that all particles be propagated simultaneously. This yields a significant reduction in computation effort and lends itself to applications for which DSMC becomes intractable, such as when a species of interest is only a minor component of a large gas mixture.     

Dynamic leg-motion and its effect on the aerodynamic performance of cyclists

In this wind-tunnel based experimental study, the flow topology of the near wake of a generic anatomically accurate model cyclist is mapped for a range of reduced pedalling frequencies. Wake flow fields for both static leg and pedalling cyclists are compared over the full 360° rotation of the crank using both time- and phase-averaging. The primary wake flow structures and aerodynamic forces are quantified and analysed under dynamic pedalling conditions representative of an elite-level time-trial cyclist. Over the range of reduced pedalling frequencies studied, only minor variation was detected between the instantaneous drag and primary vortical structures of a pedalling cyclist compared to a stationary cyclist with the pedals in the same position. A simplified model of the aerodynamic forces acting on the legs under motion is presented to provide insight into how the motion of the legs influences aerodynamic drag. A comparison of predicted forces from this model with those from experiments provides a new perspective on how the aerodynamics of cyclists may be optimised.     

Global persistence of geometrical structures for the Boussinesq equation with no diffusion

Our main aim is to investigate the temperature patch problem for the two-dimensional incompressible Boussinesq system with partial viscosity: the initial temperature is the characteristic function of some simply connected domain with 𝒞^1,𝜀 Hölder regularity. Although recent results ensure that the 𝒞¹ regularity of the patch persists for all time, whether higher order regularity is preserved has remained an open question. In the present paper, we give a positive answer to that issue. We also study the higher dimensional case, after prescribing an additional smallness condition involving critical Lebesgue or weak-Lebesgue norms of the data, so as to get a global-in-time statement. All our results stem from general properties of persistence of geometrical structures (of independent interest), that we establish in the first part of the paper.