Numerical study of the axially symmetric motion of an incompressible viscous fluid in an annulus between two concentric rotating spheres

The research reported herein involved the study of the transient motion of a system consisting of an incompressible Newtonian fluid in an annulus between two concentric, rotating, rigid spheres. The primary purpose of the research was to study the use of a numerical method for analysing the transient motion that results from the interaction between the fluid in the annulus and the spheres which are started suddenly by the action of prescribed torques. The problems considered in this research included cases where: (a) one or both spheres rotate with prescribed constant angular velocities and (b) one sphere rotates due to the action of an applied constant or impulsive t?orque. In this research the coupled solid and fluid equations were solved numerically by employing the finite difference technique. With the approach adopted in this research, only the derivatives with respect to spatial variables were approximated with the use of the finite difference formulae. The steady state problem was also solved as a separate problem (for verification purposes), and the results were compared with those obtained from the solution of the transient problem. Newton's algorithm was employed to solve the algebraic equations which resulted from the steady state problem, and the Adams fourth-order predictor–corrector method was employed to solve the ordinary differential equations for the transient problem. Results were obtained for the streamfunction, circumferential function, angular velocity of the spheres and viscous torques acting on the spheres as a function of time for various values of the system dimensionless parameters.     

Finite element analysis of flow in a gas-filled rotating annulus

Linearized multidimensional flow in a gas centrifuge can be described away from the ends by Onsager's pancake equation. However a rotating annulus results in a slightly different set of boundary conditions from the usual symmetry at the axis of rotation. The problem on an annulus becomes ill-posed and requires some special attention. Herein we treat axially linear inner and outer rotor temperature distributions and velocity slip. An existence condition for a class of non-trivial, one-dimensional solutions is given. New exact solutions in the infinite bowl approximation have been derived containing terms that are important at finite gap width and non-vanishing velocity slip. The usual one-dimensional, axially symmetric solution is obtained as a limit. Our previously reported finite element algorithm has been extended to treat this new class of problems. Effects of gap width, temperature and slip conditions are illustrated. Lastly, we report on the compressible, finite length, circular Couette flow for the first time.     

Finite element solutions of axisymmetric Euler equations for an incompressible and inviscid fluid

In this paper we present a finite element method for the numerical solution of axisymmetric flows. The governing equations of the flow are the axisymmetric Euler equations. We use a streamfunction angular velocity and vorticity formulation of these equations, and we consider the non-stationary and the stationary problems. For industrial applications we have developed a general model which computes the flow past an annular aerofoil and a duct propeller. It is able to take into account jumps of angular velocity and vorticiy in order to model the flow in the presence of a propeller. Moreover, we compute the complete flow around the after-body of a ship and the interaction between a ducted propeller and the stern. In the stationary case we have developed a simple and efficient version of the characteristics/finite element method. Numerical tests have shown that this last method leads to a very fast solver for the Euler equations. The numerical results are in good agreement with experimental data.     

Fluid flow of incompressible viscous fluid through a non-linear elastic tube

The study of viscous flow in tubes with deformable walls is of specific interest in industry and biomedical technology and in understanding various phenomena in medicine and biology (atherosclerosis, artery replacement by a graft, etc) as well. The present work describes numerically the behavior of a viscous incompressible fluid through a tube with a non-linear elastic membrane insertion. The membrane insertion in the solid tube is composed by non-linear elastic material, following Fung’s (Biomechanics: mechanical properties of living tissue, 2nd edn. Springer, New York, 1993) type strain–energy density function. The fluid is described through a Navier–Stokes code coupled with a system of non linear equations, governing the interaction with the membrane deformation. The objective of this work is the study of the deformation of a non-linear elastic membrane insertion interacting with the fluid flow. The case of the linear elastic material of the membrane is also considered. These two cases are compared and the results are evaluated. The advantages of considering membrane nonlinear elastic material are well established. Finally, the case of an axisymmetric elastic tube with variable stiffness along the tube and membrane sections is studied, trying to substitute the solid tube with a membrane of high stiffness, exhibiting more realistic response.     

Settling of an axially symmetric body in a viscous stratified fluid

The uniform, upwards flow of a continously vertically stratified fluid past an axially symmetric body is considered. The fluid is assumed to be Newtonian, incompressible, and diffusive. A matched asymptotic expansion procedure is used to calculate a correction to Stokes drag on the body. The results are valid provided that l, Re ^1/3, Fr^{2 −1/3}, Pe ^2/3, where is a stratification parameter. The results are applied to determine the quasi-steady motion of a body settling in a vertically stratified fluid.     

Three-dimensional motion of a viscous incompressible fluid in a narrow tube

An approximate solution of the problem of unsteady motion of a viscous incompressible fluid in a long narrow deformable tube at low Reynolds numbers is obtained. Pressure oscillations and tube deformation are shown to be related by an integrodifferential equation. The solution obtained extends the Poiseuille solution in elliptic tubes to the case of comparatively arbitrary small deformations in terms of the tube length and angle. __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 50, No. 4, pp. 28–32, July–August, 2009.     

An approximate solution of the problem of the axially symmetric flow of a viscous incompressible fluid in an angular region

An approximate solution of the axially symmetric problem of the flow of a viscous incompressible fluid in the vicinity of the point of contact between a uniformly moving plunger and a channel wall is obtained. Tomsk (Tomsk Branch of the Institute of Structural Macrokinetics, Russian Academy of Sciences). Translated from Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 1, pp. 157–160, January–February, 1999.     

Numerical analysis of the developing fluid flow in a circular duct rotating steadily about a parallel axis

A numerical analysis of the flow pattern in the inlet region of a circular pipe rotating steadily about an axis parallel to its own is presented. Both finite cell and finite element methods are used to analyse the problem and they give qualitatively similar results which show that a swirling fluid motion is induced in the pipe inlet region. The analyses show that the direction of swirl is opposite to that of the pipe rotation when viewed along the flow axis and that its magnitude depends on the speed of pipe rotation and throughflow Reynolds number. Neither numerical analysis predicts the marked upturn in friction factor (or pressure drop) which has been observed experimentally. However, a dependence on the pipe inlet boundary conditions is demonstrated.     

An equation of motion for an incompressible Newtonian fluid in a packed bed

The application of a volume average Navier-Stokes equation for the prediction of pressure drop in packed beds consisting of uniform spherical particles is presented. The development of the bed permeability from an assumed porous microstructure model is given. The final model is quasi-empirical in nature, and is able to correlate a wide variety of literature data over a large Reynolds number range. In beds with wall effects present the model correlates experimental data with an error of less than 10%. Numerical solutions of the volume averaged equation are obtained using a penalty finite element method.Nomenclatures d length of a representative unit cell - d _e flow length in Representative Unit Cell - d _p characteristic pore size - D _T column diameter - D _P equivalent particle diameter - e _v energy loss coefficient for elbow - f _app apparent friction factor - f _v packed bed friction factor, defined by Equation (30) - F term representing impermeability of the porous medium - I integral defined by Equation (3) - L length of packed column - N Number of RUC in model microstructure - P pressure - P interstitial pressure - P pressure deviation - Re_p Reynolds number,v _p d _p/ - Re_s Reynolds number,v _s d/gm - Re_b Reynolds number,v _s D _p/ - S _fs fluid solid contact area - T tortuosity - v fluid velocity - v velocity deviation - v _p velocity in a pore - v _s superficial velocity in the medium - v interstitial velocity - V _o total volume of representative unit cell - V pore volume of representative unit cell - change in indicated property - u normal vector onS _fs - porosity - viscosity - density - coefficient in unconsolidated permeability model     

Finite element implementation of boundary conditions for the pressure Poisson equation of incompressible flow

In this paper we address the problem of the implementation of boundary conditions for the derived pressure Poisson equation of incompressible flow. It is shown that the direct Galerkin finite element formulation of the pressure Poisson equation automatically satisfies the inhomogeneous Neumann boundary conditions, thus avoiding the difficulty in specifying boundary conditions for pressure. This ensures that only physically meaningful pressure boundary conditions consistent with the Navier-Stokes equations are imposed. Since second derivatives appear in this formulation, the conforming finite element method requires C¹ continuity. However, for many problems of practical interest (i.e. high Reynolds numbers) the second derivatives need not be included, thus allowing the use of more conventional C⁰ elements. Numerical results using this approach for a wall-driven contained flow within a square cavity verify the validity of the approach. Although the results were obtained for a two-dimensional problem using the p-version of the finite element method, the approach presented here is general and remains valid for the conventional h-version as well as three-dimensional problems.     

Finite-element analysis of slow incompressible viscous fluid motion

Summary The governing field equations and the constitutive relation are specialized to the boundary value formulation of incompressible viscous fluid motion excluding thermal effects. When choosing the velocities and the hydrostatic pressures as variables, the established non-linear matrix equation in terms of finite-element properties becomes valid for both two- and three-dimensional application. It is shown that a restricted class of problems readily fits within the scope of existing finite-element software designed for conventional structural mechanics analysis provided an effective Lagrange multiplier technique can be incorporated.Two curved triangular finite-element models are proposed for both two-dimensional and axisymmetric flow, based on a and order Lagrangian and 3rd order Hermitian interpolation set for the velocities. Some typical examples are attached including linear stationary and transient problems, as well as non-linear cavity flow at moderate Reynolds numbers.

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Übersicht Die Feldgleichungen und das Stoffgesetz werden für die Formulierung der Randwertaufgabe für inkompressible zähe Strömungen spezialisiert, wobei thermische Effekte unberücksichtigt bleiben. Die entwickelte nichtlineare Matrizenbeziehung in Termen der Finite-Element-Schreibweise gilt sowohl für zweidimensionale als auch für dreidimensionale Anwendungen, sofern die Geschwindigkeitskomponenten und der hydrostatische Druck als Strömungsvariablen gewählt werden. Es wird gezeigt, daß eine eingeschränkte Klasse von Problemen direkt im Rahmen bereits bestehender Finite-Element-Programme gelöst werden kann, die für herkömmliche Aufgaben der Strukturmechanik entwickelt wurden, sofern ein effektiver Einbau der Methode der Lagrangeschen Multiplikatoren möglich ist.Für zweidimensionale und achsensymmetrische Strömungen werden zwei krummseitige dreiecksförmige Finite-Element-Modelle vorgeschlagen, deren Geschwindigkeitsfelder mit Hilfe einer Lagrangeschen Interpolation zweiter Ordnung bzw. eines Hermiteschen Ansatzes dritter Ordnung approximiert werden. Einige typische Beispiele behandeln lineare stationäre und instationäre Probleme, sowie eine nichtlineare Hohlraumströmung bei kleineren Reynolds-Zahlen.

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Professor Dr. Ing. Dr. h. c. Eduard C. Pestel zu seinem 60. Geburtstag herzlichst gewidmet.     

Using a segregated finite element scheme to solve the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations

In this paper, a segregated finite element scheme for the solution of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations is proposed which is simpler in form than previously reported formulations. A pressure correction equation is derived from the momentum and continuity equations, and equal-order interpolation is used for both the velocity components and pressure. Algorithms such as this have been known to lead to checkerboard pressure oscillations; however, the pressure correction equation of this scheme should not produce these oscillations. The method is applied to several laminar flow situations, and details of the methods used to achieve converged solutions are given.     

Finite element solution of flow between eccentric cylinders with viscous dissipation

A computational study of viscous flow between two eccentrically rotating cylinders is presented in which the effect of viscous dissipation is taken into account. The space discretization is based on piecewise linear finite elements with velocity stabilization, while the method of characteristics is used for time integration. Numerical results illustrate the efficiency of the adopted approach.     

Exact solutions for the incompressible viscous fluid of a porous rotating disk flow

The present paper is concerned with a class of exact solutions to the steady Navier-Stokes equations for the incompressible Newtonian viscous fluid flow motion due to a porous disk rotating with a constant angular speed. The three-dimensional equations of motion are treated analytically yielding derivation of exact solutions with suction and injection through the surface included. The well-known thinning/thickening flow field effect of the suction/injection is better understood from the exact velocity equations obtained. Making use of this solution, analytical formulas corresponding to the permeable wall shear stresses are extracted.Interaction of the resolved flow field with the surrounding temperature is further analyzed via the energy equation. As a result, exact formulas are obtained for the temperature field which take different forms depending on whether suction or injection is imposed on the wall. The impacts of several quantities are investigated on the resulting temperature field. In accordance with the Fourier‘s heat law, a constant heat transfer from the porous disk to the fluid takes place. Although the influence of dissipation varies, suction enhances the heat transfer rate as opposed to the injection.     

Finite element analysis of lift build-up due to aerofoil indicial motion

In this paper the problem of impulsively started aerofoil or suden change of incidence of an aerofoil in incompressible potential flow is investigated. The essence of solution lies in the representation of a timely and spatially varying wake in a largely irrotational potential flow field. This is achieved by representing the wake through velocity potential difference, which seems to be the only way of imposing a velocity difference condition in the finite element context with velocity potentials as the basic unknowns. Superposition is employed to meet various boundary conditions, which is justified by the linearity of the problem. The finite element solutions are compared with those from singularity method.     

Exact solutions for the incompressible viscous magnetohydrodynamic fluid of a rotating-disk flow with Hall current

The focus of the present study is to obtain exact solutions for the flow of a viscous hydromagnetic fluid due to the rotation of an infinite disk in the presence of an axial uniform steady magnetic field with the inclusion of Hall current effect. In place of the traditional von Karman's axisymmetric evolution of the flow, the rotational non-axisymmetric stationary conducting flow is taken into consideration here, whose governing equations allow an exact solution to develop bounded everywhere in the normal direction to the wall.The three-dimensional equations of motion are treated analytically yielding derivation of exact solutions, which differ from those of corresponding to the classical von Karman's conducting flow. Making use of this solution, analytical formulas for the angular velocity components, for the current density field as well as for the wall shear stresses are extracted. The critical peripheral locations at which extrema of the local skin friction occur are also determined. It is proved from the analytical results that for the specific flow the properly defined thicknesses decay as the magnetic field strength increases in magnitude, approaching their hydrodynamic value in the limit of large Hall numbers.Interaction of the resolved flow field with the surrounding temperature is further analyzed via the energy equation. The temperature field is shown to accord with the dissipation function. According to the Fourier's heat law, a constant heat transfer from the disk to the fluid occurs, though it increases by the presence of magnetic field, the increase is slowed down by the Hall effect eventually reaching its hydrodynamic limit.     

Unsteady flow of an incompressible viscous fluid around a deformable spherical body

An unsteady flow of a viscous incompressible fluid around a deformable spherical body is considered in the approximation of low Reynolds numbers with a predetermined flow velocity. The hydrodynamic impact of the flow incoming onto the body is determined with allowance for small radial displacements of the body surface. The effect of spherical body surface deformation on the magnitude of the incoming flow impact force is taken into account, in particular, the dependence of small radial displacements of the body surface on the time is found, which makes it possible to minimize the physical impact of the incident flow.     

Variable penalty method for finite element analysis of incompressible flow

A new scheme is applied for increasing the accuracy of the penalty finite element method for incompressible flow by systematically varying from element to element the sign and magnitude of the penalty parameter λ, which enters through ?.v + p/λ = 0, an approximation to the incompressibility constraint. Not only is the error in this approximation reduced beyond that achievable with a constant λ, but also digital truncation error is lowered when it is aggravated by large variations in element size, a critical problem when the discretization must resolve thin boundary layers. The magnitude of the penalty parameter can be chosen smaller than when λ is constant, which also reduces digital truncation error; hence a shorter word-length computer is more likely to succeed. Error estimates of the method are reviewed. Boundary conditions which circumvent the hazards of aphysical pressure modes are catalogued for the finite element basis set chosen here. In order to compare performance, the variable penalty method is pitted against the conventional penalty method with constant λ in several Stokes flow case studies.     

Creeping motion of a slip spherical particle in a circular cylindrical pore

A combined analytical–numerical study for the creeping flow caused by a spherical fluid or solid particle with a slip-flow surface translating in a viscous fluid along the centerline of a circular cylindrical pore is presented. To solve the axisymmetric Stokes equations for the fluid velocity field, a general solution is constructed from the superposition of the fundamental solutions in both cylindrical and spherical coordinate systems. The boundary conditions are enforced first at the pore wall by the Fourier transforms and then on the particle surface by a collocation technique. Numerical results for the hydrodynamic drag force acting on the particle are obtained with good convergence for various values of the relative viscosity or slip coefficient of the particle, the slip parameter of the pore wall, and the ratio of radii of the particle and pore. For the motion of a fluid sphere along the axis of a cylindrical pore, our drag results are in good agreement with the available solutions in the literature. As expected, the boundary-corrected drag force for all cases is a monotonic increasing function of the ratio of particle-to-pore radii, and approaches infinity in the limit. Except for the case that the cylindrical pore is hardly slip and the value of the ratio of particle-to-pore radii is close to unity, the drag force exerted on the particle increases monotonically with an increase in its relative viscosity or with a decrease in its slip coefficient for a constant ratio of radii. In a comparison for the pore shape effect on the axial translation of a slip sphere, it is found that the particle in a circular cylindrical pore in general acquires a lower hydrodynamic drag than in a spherical cavity, but this trend can be reversed for the case of highly slippery particles and pore walls.