Experiments on the lift of a spinning sphere in a range of intermediate Reynolds numbers

 The lift force experienced by a spinning sphere moving in a viscous fluid, with constant linear and angular velocities, is measured by means of a trajectographic technique. Measurements are performed in the range of dimensionless angular velocities γ=aω/V lying between 1 and 6, and in the range of Reynolds numbers Re=2aV/ν lying between 10 and 140 (a sphere radius, ω angular velocity, V relative velocity of the sphere centre, ν fluid kinematic viscosity). A notable departure from the theoretical relationship at low Reynolds number, C _L =2γ, is obtained, the ratio C _L /γ being found to significantly decrease with increasing γ and increasing Re. The following correlation is finally proposed to estimate the lift coefficient in the range 10<Re<140: C _L ≅0.45+(2γ−0.45) exp (−0.075γ^0.4 Re ^0.7) Received: 20 May 1996/Accepted: 9 November 1997     

Some Reynolds number effects on two- and three-dimensional turbulent boundary layers

Experimental data for a two-dimensional (2-D) turbulent boundary layer (TBL) flow and a three-dimensional (3-D) pressure-driven TBL flow outside of a wing/body junction were obtained for an approach Reynolds number based on momentum thickness of Re _θ =23,200. The wing shape had a 3:2 elliptical nose, NACA 0020 profiled tail, and was mounted on a flat wall. Some Reynolds number effects are examined using fine spatial resolution (Δy ⁺=1.8) three-velocity-component laser-Doppler velocimeter measurements of mean velocities and Reynolds stresses at nine stations for Re _θ =23,200 and previously reported data for a much thinner boundary layer at Re _θ =5,940 for the same wing shape. In the 3-D boundary layers, while the stress profiles vary considerably along the flow due to deceleration, acceleration, and skewing, profiles of the parameter correlate well and over available Reynolds numbers. The measured static pressure variations on the flat wall are similar for the two Reynolds numbers, so the vorticity flux and the measured mean velocities scaled on wall variables agree closely near the wall. The stresses vary similarly for both cases, but with higher values in the outer region of the higher Re _θ case. The outer layer turbulence in the thicker high Reynolds number case behaves similarly to a rapid distortion of the flow, since stream-wise vortical effects from the wall have not diffused completely through the boundary layer at all measurement stations. Received: 9 June 2000/Accepted: 26 January 2001     

Experimental study of sedimentation characteristics of spheroidal particles

The drag of non-spherical particles is a basic, important parameter for multi-phase flow. As the first step in research in this area, the terminal velocities, Ut, of hemispherical and spherical segment particles with maximal diameters of 6-21 mm were measured in static fluids by using a high-speed video camera. The drag coefficient, CD, measured for Reynolds number, Re of 10^1-10^5, has been obtained and compared with those for a sphere. The Re based on the terminal velocity has a logarithmic linear relationship with Ar number for both the facet facing upwards or downwards for the two experimental spheroidal particles, and their Co values are greater than those of spheres. A shape function that depends on the initial orientation of the particle facet is presented to correct for the shape effects.     

Numerical simulation of sedimentation of rectangular particle in Newtonian fluid

The sedimentation of a rectangular particle falling in a two-dimensional channel filled with Newtonian fluid was simulated with finite element arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian domain method. The numerical procedure was validated by comparison of the simulation results with existing numerical work. Moreover, good agreement was obtained between the simulation results and experimental measurements performed in the current study. The equilibrium position, stable orientation and drag coefficient of a rectangular particle for different particle Reynolds numbers (Re_p) were studied. The results show that there is a critical particle Reynolds number for the preferred orientation of a rectangular particle falling in a Newtonian fluid. When Re_p is smaller than the critical value, the particle falls with its long side parallel to gravity; otherwise the particle falls with its long side perpendicular to gravity. The critical particle Reynolds number is a decreasing function of the blockage ratio and aspect ratio. The distributions of pressure and shear stress on rectangular particle surface were analyzed. Moreover, the drag coefficient of the rectangular particle decreases as Re_p or the blockage ratio increases; however, it appears to be independent of aspect ratio.     

Turbulent wall pressure fluctuation measurements on a towed model at high Reynolds numbers

Turbulent wall pressure fluctuation measurements were made in water on a towed model of length 129.8 (m) and diameter 3.8 (cm) for steady speeds from 6.2 (m/s) to 15.5 (m/s). The drag on the model was measured with a strut mounted load cell which provided estimates of the momentum thickness and friction velocity. Momentum thickness Reynolds numbers Re _θ varied from 4.8 × 10⁵ to 1.1 × 10⁶. The ratio of momentum thickness to viscous length scale is significantly greater than for flat plate cases at comparable Re _θ. The effectiveness of inner and outer velocity and length scales for collapsing the pressure spectra are discussed. The wavenumber–frequency spectra show a convective ridge at higher frequencies similar to flat plate boundary layers. At low frequencies, energy broad in wavenumber extends outside the convective ridge and acoustic cone, with no characteristic wave speed. Wall pressure cross-spectral levels scaled with similarity variables are shown to increase with increasing tow speed, and to follow decay constants consistent with flat plate cases. The convection velocities also display features similar to flat plate cases.     

Correlation of the separation region length in shock wave/channel boundary layer interaction

 Results of an experimental investigation of the characteristics of a separation region induced by the interaction of an externally generated oblique shock with the turbulent boundary layer formed in a rectangular half channel are discussed. The experiments were carried out in the supersonic wind tunnel of the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics SB RAS at a free-stream Mach number M _∞=3.01 over a range of Reynolds numbers Re ₁=(9.7–47.5)×10⁶ m^-1 and at zero incidence and zero yaw of the model. Particular attention is paid to the size of the zone of the upstream propagation of disturbances (upstream influence region) under different experimental conditions: with varied values of the shock wave strength, half channel width, and Reynolds number. It is shown, in particular, that the normalized upstream influence region length as a function of inclination angle of the shock generator in a rectangular half channel is readily approximated by a simple exponential function. In support of the known reference data obtained for supersonic numbers M _∞ and moderate Re in other configurations, it is also shown that the upstream influence region length decreases with increasing Reynolds number. Generalization of experimental data on the length of the upstream influence region formed in similar geometric configurations is possible using an additional reference linear scale which is the distance from the leading edge of the shock generator to the exposed surface. A substantial dependence of the reference dimensions of separation region on the half channel width is also established. Received: 20 January 1997/Accepted: 30 June 1997     

Laminar-turbulent transition in the boundary layer on cones in a hypersonic flow at high Reynolds numbers per meter

The laminar-turbulent transition is experimentally studied in boundary-layer flows on cones with a rectangular axisymmetric step in the base part of the cone and without the step. The experiments are performed in an A-1 two-step piston-driven gas-dynamic facility with adiabatic compression of the working gas with Mach numbers at the nozzle exit M _∞ = 12–14 and pressures in the settling chamber P₀ = 60–600 MPa. These values of parameters allow obtaining Reynolds numbers per meter near the cone surface equal to Re _1e = (53–200) · 10⁶ m ⁻¹. The transition occurs at Reynolds numbers Re _tr = (2.3–5.7) · 10⁶. __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 48, No. 3, pp. 76–83, May–June, 2007.     

Bispectral analysis of numerical simulations of wave processes in hypersonic shock layers

Results of numerical simulations of the evolution of disturbances in a hypersonic shock layer on a flat plate at high Mach numbers (M_∞ = 21) and moderate Reynolds numbers (Re _L = 1.44 · 10⁵) are analyzed by an adapted method of bispectral analysis. All basic types of nonlinear interactions are obtained. The calculated results are compared with experimental data.     

An experimental study of a bio-inspired corrugated airfoil for micro air vehicle applications

An experimental study was conducted to investigate the aerodynamic characteristics of a bio-inspired corrugated airfoil compared with a smooth-surfaced airfoil and a flat plate at the chord Reynolds number of Re _C  = 58,000–125,000 to explore the potential applications of such bio-inspired corrugated airfoils for micro air vehicle designs. In addition to measuring the aerodynamic lift and drag forces acting on the tested airfoils, a digital particle image velocimetry system was used to conduct detailed flowfield measurements to quantify the transient behavior of vortex and turbulent flow structures around the airfoils. The measurement result revealed clearly that the corrugated airfoil has better performance over the smooth-surfaced airfoil and the flat plate in providing higher lift and preventing large-scale flow separation and airfoil stall at low Reynolds numbers (Re _C  < 100,000). While aerodynamic performance of the smooth-surfaced airfoil and the flat plate would vary considerably with the changing of the chord Reynolds numbers, the aerodynamic performance of the corrugated airfoil was found to be almost insensitive to the Reynolds numbers. The detailed flow field measurements were correlated with the aerodynamic force measurement data to elucidate underlying physics to improve our understanding about how and why the corrugation feature found in dragonfly wings holds aerodynamic advantages for low Reynolds number flight applications.     

Spherical particle sedimentation along an inclined plane at high Reynolds numbers

At high Reynolds numbers (10²Re _p <10⁵), the gravity-driven motion of a solid spherical particle along an inclined surface in a Newtonian liquid at rest was studied experimentally. The parameters which determine the particle drag coefficient and its relation with the hydrodynamic force component normal to the wall were obtained.Moscow. Translated from Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 4, pp. 105–112, July–August, 1996.     

Unsteady PTV velocity field past an airfoil solved with DNS: Part 2. Validation and application at Reynolds numbers up to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Re</Emphasis> ≤ 10<Superscript>4</Superscript>

Hybrid unsteady-flow simulation combining particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) and direct numerical simulation (DNS) is introduced in the series of two papers. Particle velocities on a laser-light sheet acquired with time-resolved PTV in a water tunnel are supplied to two-dimensional DNS with time intervals corresponding to the frame rate of the PTV. Hybrid velocity fields then approach those representing the PTV data in the course of time, and the reconstructed velocity fields satisfy the governing equations with the resolution comparable to numerical simulation. In part 2, by extending the capabilities of the hybrid simulation to higher Reynolds numbers, we simulate flows past the NACA0012 airfoil over ranges of Reynolds numbers (Re ≤ 10⁴) and angles of attack (−5° ≤ α ≤ 20°) and validate the proposed technique by comparing with experimental results in terms of the lift and drag coefficients. We also compare the results with unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) simulation in two-dimensions and show the advantages of the hybrid simulation against two-dimensional URANS.     

Drag measurements on long thin cylinders at small angles and high Reynolds numbers

Measurements of the drag caused by turbulent boundary layer mean wall shear stress on cylinders at small angles of attack and high length Reynolds numbers (8×10⁶<Re_L<6×10⁷) are presented. The use of a full-scale, high-speed towing tank enabled the development of turbulent boundary layers on cylinders made of stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, and polyvinyl chloride. The diameter of all cylinders in this experiment was 12.7 mm; two cylinder lengths, 3.05 m and 6.10 m, were used, corresponding to aspect ratio values L/a=480 and 960, respectively. Materials of various densities were towed at critical angles, resulting in linear cylinder geometry for tow speeds ranging from 2.6 m/s to 20.7 m/s and angles between 0° and 12°. Towing angles were measured with digital photography, and streamwise drag was measured with a strut-mounted load cell at the tow point. The measured tangential drag was very sensitive to small increases in angle at all tow speeds. A momentum thickness length scale is proposed to scale the tangential drag coefficient. The effects of the cross-flow resulting from the small angles of tow have a significant effect on the tangential drag coefficient values. A scaling for the orthogonal force on the cylinders was determined and provides a correction to published normal drag coefficient values for pure cross-flow. The presence of the axial turbulent boundary layer has a significant effect on these orthogonal forces.     

Computation of Vortex Shedding and Radiated Sound for a Circular Cylinder: Subcritical to Transcritical Reynolds Numbers

The Lighthill acoustic analogy combined with Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes flow computations are used to investigate the ability of existing technology to predict the tonal noise generated by vortex shedding from a circular cylinder for a range of Reynolds numbers (100 < Re < 5 million). Computed mean drag, mean coefficient of pressure, Strouhal number, and fluctuating lift are compared with experiment. Two-dimensional calculations produce a Reynolds number trend similar to experiment but incorrectly predict many of the flow quantities. Different turbulence models give inconsistent results in the critical Reynolds number range (Re≈ 100000). The computed flow field is used as input for noise prediction. Two-dimensional inputs overpredict both noise amplitude and frequency; however, if an appropriate correlation length is used, predicted noise amplitudes agree with experiment. Noise levels and frequency content agree much better with experiment when three-dimensional flow computations are used as input data. Received 5 May 1998 and accepted 28 September 1998     

Lift-induced drag of a cambered wing for Re ≤ 1 × 106

An investigation of the dependence of the lift-induced drag coefficient C _Di of a square-tipped, cambered wing model on Reynolds number for Re ≤ 1 × 10⁶ was conducted. Computed based on the vorticity distribution inferred from the near-field cross-flow velocity measurements of the tip vortex, different C _Di prediction schemes were used. The effect of measurement plane size and grid resolution on the C _Di calculations was also identified. The C _Di estimated by the integral method was found to increase with increasing Re and was below the C _Di = C _l²/πeAR prediction. Limits on the measurement plane size and grid resolution were determined to be at least 40% larger than the vortex outside diameter and no larger than 0.63% chord, respectively, in order to provide a good estimate of the induced drag.     

Aerodynamic forces and flow fields of a two-dimensional hovering wing

This paper reports the results of an experimental investigation on a two-dimensional (2-D) wing undergoing symmetric simple harmonic flapping motion. The purpose of this investigation is to study how flapping frequency (or Reynolds number) and angular amplitude affect aerodynamic force generation and the associated flow field during flapping for Reynolds number (Re) ranging from 663 to 2652, and angular amplitudes (α _A) of 30°, 45° and 60°. Our results support the findings of earlier studies that fluid inertia and leading edge vortices play dominant roles in the generation of aerodynamic forces. More importantly, time-resolved force coefficients during flapping are found to be more sensitive to changes in α _A than in Re. In fact, a subtle change in α _A may lead to considerable changes in the lift and drag coefficients, and there appears to be an optimal mean lift coefficient around α _A = 45°, at least for the range of flow parameters considered here. This optimal condition coincides with the development a reverse Karman Vortex street in the wake, which has a higher jet stream than a vortex dipole at α _A = 30° and a neutral wake structure at α _A = 60°. Although Re has less effect on temporal force coefficients and the associated wake structures, increasing Re tends to equalize mean lift coefficients (and also mean drag coefficients) during downstroke and upstroke, thus suggesting an increasing symmetry in the mean force generation between these strokes. Although the current study deals with a 2-D hovering motion only, the unique force characteristics observed here, particularly their strong dependence on α _A, may also occur in a three-dimensional hovering motion, and flying insects may well have taken advantage of these characteristics to help them to stay aloft and maneuver. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Lift force on rotating sphere at low Reynolds numbers and high rotational speeds

The lift force on an isolated rotating sphere in a uniform flow was investigated by means of a three-dimensional numerical simulation for low Reynolds numbers (based on the sphere diameter) (Re&lt;68.4) and high dimensionless rotational speeds (Г5). The Navier-Stokes equations in Cartesian coordinate system were solved using a finite volume formulation based on SIMPLE procedure. The accuracy of the numerical simulation was tested through a comparison with available theoretical, numerical and experimental results at low Reynolds numbers, and it was found that they were in close agreement under the above mentioned ranges of the Reynolds number and rotational speed. From a detailed computation of the flow field around a rotational sphere in extended ranges of the Reynolds number and rotational speed, the results show that, with increasing the rotational speed or decreasing the Reynolds number, the lift coefficient increases. An empirical equation more accurate than those obtained by previous studies was obtained to describe both effects of the rotational speed and Reynolds number on the lift force on a sphere. It was found in calcttlations that the drag coefficient is not significantly affected by the rotation of the sphere. The ratio of the lift force to the drag force, both of which act on a sphere in a uniform flow at the same time, was investigated. For a small spherical particle such as one of about 100μm in diameter, even if the rotational speed reaches about 10^6 revolutions per minute, the lift force can be neglected as compared with the drag force.     

The ultra-low Reynolds number airfoil wake

Lift force and the near wake of an NACA 0012 airfoil were measured over the angle (α) of attack of 0°–90° and the chord Reynolds number (Re _c ), 5.3 × 10³–5.1 × 10⁴, with a view to understand thoroughly the near wake of the airfoil at low- to ultra-low Re _c . While the lift force is measured using a load cell, the detailed flow structure is captured using laser-Doppler anemometry, particle image velocimetry, and laser-induced fluorescence flow visualization. It has been found that the stall of an airfoil, characterized by a drop in the lift force, occurs at Re _c  ≥ 1.05 × 10⁴ but is absent at Re _c  = 5.3 × 10³. The observation is connected to the presence of the separation bubble at high Re _c but absence of the bubble at ultra-low Re _c , as evidenced in our wake measurements. The near-wake characteristics are examined and discussed in detail, including the vortex formation length, wake width, spanwise vorticity, wake bubble size, wavelength of K–H vortices, Strouhal numbers, and their dependence on α and Re _c .     

Drag law for monodisperse gas–solid systems using particle-resolved direct numerical simulation of flow past fixed assemblies of spheres

Gas–solid momentum transfer is a fundamental problem that is characterized by the dependence of normalized average fluid–particle force F on solid volume fraction ? and the Reynolds number based on the mean slip velocity Re_m. In this work we report particle-resolved direct numerical simulation (DNS) results of interphase momentum transfer in flow past fixed random assemblies of monodisperse spheres with finite fluid inertia using a continuum Navier–Stokes solver. This solver is based on a new formulation we refer to as the Particle-resolved Uncontaminated-fluid Reconcilable Immersed Boundary Method (PUReIBM). The principal advantage of this formulation is that the fluid stress at the particle surface is calculated directly from the flow solution (velocity and pressure fields), which when integrated over the surfaces of all particles yields the average fluid–particle force. We demonstrate that PUReIBM is a consistent numerical method to study gas–solid flow because it results in a force density on particle surfaces that is reconcilable with the averaged two-fluid theory. The numerical convergence and accuracy of PUReIBM are established through a comprehensive suite of validation tests. The normalized average fluid–particle force F is obtained as a function of solid volume fraction ? (0.1 ? ? ? 0.5) and mean flow Reynolds number Re_m (0.01 ? Re_m ? 300) for random assemblies of monodisperse spheres. These results extend previously reported results of  and  to a wider range of ?, Re_m, and are more accurate than those reported by Beetstra et al. (2007). Differences between the drag values obtained from PUReIBM and the drag correlation of Beetstra et al. (2007) are as high as 30% for Re_m in the range 100–300. We take advantage of PUReIBM’s ability to directly calculate the relative contributions of pressure and viscous stress to the total fluid–particle force, which is useful in developing drag correlations. Using a scaling argument, Hill et al. (2001b) proposed that the viscous contribution is independent of Re_m but the pressure contribution is linear in Re_m (for Re_m > 50). However, from PUReIBM simulations we find that the viscous contribution is not independent of the mean flow Reynolds number, although the pressure contribution does indeed vary linearly with Re_m in accord with the analysis of Hill et al. (2001b). An improved correlation for F in terms of ? and Re_m is proposed that corrects the existing correlations in Re_m range 100–300. Since this drag correlation has been inferred from simulations of fixed particle assemblies, it does not include the effect of mobility of the particles. However, the fixed-bed simulation approach is a good approximation for high Stokes number particles, which are encountered in most gas–solid flows. This improved drag correlation can be used in CFD simulations of fluidized beds that solve the average two-fluid equations where the accuracy of the drag law affects the prediction of overall flow behavior.     

Inertial-microfluidic radial migration in solid/liquid two-phase flow through a microcapillary: Particle equilibrium position

Although equilibrium of spherical particles under radial migration has been extensively investigated, mostly in macroscale flows with characteristic lengths on the order of centimeters, it is not fully characterized at relatively small Reynolds numbers, 1 ≤ Re ≤ 100. This paper experimentally studies “inertial microfluidic” radial migration of spherical particles in circular Poiseuille flow through a microcapillary. Microparticle tracking experiments are performed to obtain the spatial distribution of the particles by adopting a depth-resolved measurement technique. Through the analysis of the radial distribution of particles, inertial microfluidic circular Poiseuille flow is shown to induce a strong radial migration of particles at substantially small Re, which is quite in contrast to the pipe flows at large Re previously reported. This particle migration phenomenon is so prominent that particle equilibrium positions are formed even at small Re. However, it turns out that there exists a certain critical Re below which particle equilibrium position is almost fixed, but above which it seems to drift toward the channel wall.     

Effect of distributed gas injection on aerodynamic characteristics of a body of revolution in a supersonic flow

Results of experimental and numerical investigations of the effect of gas injection through a permeable porous surface on the drag coefficient of a cone-cylinder body of revolution in a supersonic flow with the Mach number range M _h = 3–6 are presented. It is demonstrated that gas injection through a porous nose cone with gas flow rates being 6–8% of the free-stream flow rate in the mid-section leads to a decrease in the drag coefficient approximately by 5–7%. The contributions of the decrease in the drag force acting on the model forebody and of the increase in the base pressure to the total drag reduction are approximately identical. Gas injection through a porous base surface with the flow rate approximately equal to 1% leads to a threefold increase in the base pressure and to a decrease in the drag coefficient. Gas injection through a porous base surface with the flow rate approximately equal to 5% gives rise to a supersonic flow zone in the base region.