A non‐linear k–ε model with realizability for prediction of flows around bluff bodies

The incompressible flow around bluff bodies (a square cylinder and a cube) is investigated numerically using turbulence models. A non‐linear k–ε model, which can take into account the anisotropy of turbulence with less CPU time and computer memory then RSM or LES, is adopted as a turbulence model. In tuning of the model coefficients of the non‐linear terms are adjusted through the examination of previous experimental studies in simple shear flows. For the tuning of the coefficient in the eddy viscosity (=C_μ), the realizability constraints are derived in three types of basic 2D flow patterns, namely, a simple shear flow, flow around a saddle and a focal point. C_μ is then determined as a function of the strain and rotation parameters to satisfy the realizability. The turbulence model is first applied to a 2D flow around a square cylinder and the model performance for unsteady flows is examined focussing on the period and the amplitude of the flow oscillation induced by Karman vortex shedding. The applicability of the model to 3D flows is examined through the computation of the flow around a surface‐mounted cubic obstacle. The numerical results show that the present model performs satisfactorily to reproduce complex turbulent flows around bluff bodies. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of a hydrotrope on the viscoelastic properties of polymer-like micellar solutions

Low-viscosity micellar aqueous solutions of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) undergo a major change in the presence of the hydrotrope, potassium 1-phenylmethylsulfate (KPhMS), producing a highly viscoelastic entanglement network of polymer-like micelles. The system studied here shows typical shear banding flow behavior, which tends to disappear with increasing the hydrotrope-to-surfactant concentration ratio (C _H / C _S). The linear rheological response was analyzed with the model of Granek–Cates, whereas the nonlinear behavior was reproduced with the Bautista–Manero–Puig (BMP) model. Both models introduce a kinetic equation to account for the breaking and reformation of the micelles, and they predict the linear and nonlinear rheological data very well. This paper was presented at Annual European Rheology Conference (AERC) held in Hersonisos, Crete, Greece, April 27–29, 2006.     

RAS one-equation turbulence model with non-singular eddy-viscosity coefficient

A simplified consistency formulation for P_k/ε (production to dissipation ratio) is devised to obtain a non-singular C_μ (coefficient of eddy-viscosity) in the explicit algebraic Reynolds stress model of Gatski and Speziale. The coefficient C_μ depends non-linearly on both rotational/irrotational strains and is used in the framework of an improved RAS (Rahman–Agarwal–Siikonen) one-equation turbulence model to calculate a few well-documented turbulent flows, yielding predictions in good agreement with the direct numerical simulation and experimental data. The strain-dependent C_μ assists the RAS model in constructing the coefficients and functions such as to benefit complex flows with non-equilibrium turbulence. Comparisons with the Spalart–Allmaras one-equation model and the shear stress transport k-ω model demonstrate that C_μ improves the response of RAS model to non-equilibrium effects.     

Tensile-shear transition in mixed mode I/III fracture

The propensity of the transition of fracture type in either brittle or ductile cracked solid under mixed-mode I and III loading conditions is investigated. A fracture criterion based on the competition of the maximum normal stress and maximum shear stress is utilized. The prediction of the fracture type is determined by comparing τ_max/σ_max at a critical distance from the crack tip to the material strength ratio τ_C/σ_C, i.e., (τ_max/σ_max)<(τ_C/σ_C) for tensile fracture and (τ_max/σ_max)>(τ_C/σ_C) for shear fracture, where σ_C (τ_C) is the fracture strength of materials in tension (shear). Mixed mode I/III fracture tests were performed using circumferentially notched cylindrical bars made of PMMA and 7050 aluminum alloy. Fracture surface morphology of the specimens reveals that: (1) for the brittle material, PMMA, only tensile type of fracture occurs, and (2) for the ductile material, 7050 aluminum alloy, either tensile or shear type of fracture occurs depending on the mode mixity. The transition (in ductile material) or non-transition (in brittle material) of the fracture type and the fracture path observed in experiments were properly predicted by the theory. Additional test data from open literature are also included to validate the proposed theory.     

An explicit algebraic Reynolds stress model in turbulence

A new algebraic Reynold stress model is constructed with recourse to the realizability constraints. Model coefficients are made a function of strain and vorticity invariants through calibration by reference to homogeneous shear flow data. The anisotropic production in near‐wall regions is accounted for substantially by modifying the model constants C_{ε(1, 2)} and adding a secondary source term in the ε equation. Hence, it reduces the kinetic energy and length scale magnitudes to improve prediction of adverse pressure gradient flows, involving flow separation and reattachment. To facilitate the evaluation of the turbulence model, some extensively used benchmark cases in the turbulence modelling are convoked. The comparisons demonstrate that the new model maintains qualitatively good agreement with the direct numerical simulation (DNS) and experimental data. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fast flow behavior of highly entangled monodisperse polymers

A systematic experimental investigation is carried out to clarify the nature of a well-known capillary flow phenomenon in linear monodisperse polybutadienes (PBd). By varying the surface condition and the die diameter, it is alluded that a spurt-like stick-slip transition actually results from a breakdown of chain entanglement between adsorbed and next-layer unbound chains. In other words, the transition is not a manifestation of any constitutive properties, as previously asserted by Vinogradov and coworkers (1984). The melt viscosity dependence of the transition amplitude agrees with a Navier-de Gennes type analysis of wall slip. A comparison between the capillary flow and dynamic shear behavior of the same monodisperse PBd reveals that the interfacial stick-slip transition occurs at a stress level that is only a third of the plateau stress given by the elastic plateau modulus G _N ⁰=1.0 MPa at 40°C. The molecular weight independence of the critical stress for the transition provides a striking contrast with the transition characteristics observed in linear polyethylenes and suggests a different state of PBd chain adsorption on steel surfaces. Received: 2 April 1998 Accepted: 1 June 1998     

Effects of surfactant and salt concentrations on capillary flow and its entry flow for wormlike micelle solutions

Dynamic viscoelasticities and flow properties were measured for aqueous solutions of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and sodium salicylate (NaSal) to examine the effects of surfactant (C _D) and salt (C _S). The relaxation time λ of a single mode Maxwell model was obtained, and the relationship between λ and free NaSal concentration was discussed. The relation between λ and was applied to the classification of flow curves, which were obtained using a capillary rheometer. In the flow curves, a shear rate jump occurred at low shear rates for the solutions with low , while bending was seen at high shear rates for all the flow curves. On the other hand, vortex growth at the salient corner in the entrance region of the capillary was also investigated. Four different flow patterns were identified: Newtonian-like flow (A), steady vortex flow (B), periodically oscillated flow (C), and perfectly unstable flow (D). In the steady vortex of the flow pattern B, the vortex length increased with increasing shear rate. In the flow patterns C and D, white turbidity was observed. Furthermore, the relation between λ and was also applied to the discussion on the development of the vortex.     

Linear and non linear rheology of a wormlike micellar system in presence of sodium tosylate

In this experimental work, we investigate the influence of an organic counterion, sodium tosylate, on the rheological properties of an aqueous solution of CTAB at the concentration of 0.05M. With this system we can clearly see shear thickening for small salt concentrations C _s and only shear thinning behavior at higher C _s characterized by a linear evolution of η=f(γ) in a log-log representation. In these evolutions it is only in a very small domain of concentrations of the salt (near C _s =0.035M) that we can observe a nearly constant plateau of the shear stress against shear rate. The values of σ₀ (characterizing the stress plateau), G ₀ (the plateau modulus) and τ_R (the relaxation time) obtained by dynamical rheological measurements, allow to compare experimental results obtained to predicted values of the theory of Cates corresponding to the occurrence of shear induced banding structures. Received: 22 July 1997 Accepted: 3 February 1998     

NUMERICAL STUDIES OF TRANSITIONAL TURBULENT PULSATILE FLOW IN PIPES WITH RING–TYPE CONSTRICTIONS

Pulsatile flows in the vicinity of mechanical ring-type constrictions in pipes were studied for transitional turbulent flow with a Reynolds number (Re) of the order of 10⁴. The Womersley number (Nw) is in the range 30–50, with a corresponding Strouhal number (St) range of 0·0143–0·0398. The pulsatile flows considered are a pure sinusoidal flow, a physiological flow and an experimental pulsatile flow profile for mechanical aortic valve flow simulations. Transitional laminar and turbulent flow characteristics in an alternating manner within the pulsatile flow fields were studied numerically. It was observed that fluid accelerations tend to suppress the development of flow disturbances. All the instantaneous maximum values of turbulent kinetic energy, turbulent viscosity and turbulent shear stress are smaller during the acceleration phase than during the deceleration period. Various parametric equations have been formulated through numerical experimentation to better describe the relationships between the instantaneous flow rate (Q), the pressure loss (ΔP), the maximum velocity (V_max), the maximum vorticity (ζ_max), the maximum wall vorticity (ζ_w,max), the maximum shear stress (τ_max) and the maximum wall shear stress (τ_w,max) for turbulent pulsatile flow in the vicinity of constrictions in the vascular tube. An elliptic relationship has been found to exist between the instantaneous flow rate and the instantaneous pressure gradient. Other linear and quadratic relations between various flow parameters were also obtained.     

Linear stability of a fluid channel with a porous layer in the center简

We perform a Poiseuille flow in a channel linear stability analysis of a inserted with one porous layer in the centre, and focus mainly on the effect of porous filling ratio. The spectral collocation technique is adopted to solve the coupled linear stability problem. We investigate the effect of permeability, σ, with fixed porous filling ratio ψ = 1/3 and then the effect of change in porous filling ratio. As shown in the paper, with increasing σ, almost each eigenvalue on the upper left branch has two subbranches at ψ = 1/3. The channel flow with one porous layer inserted at its middle （ψ = 1/3） is more stable than the structure of two porous layers at upper and bottom walls with the same parameters. By decreasing the filling ratio ψ, the modes on the upper left branch are almost in pairs and move in opposite directions, especially one of the two unstable modes moves back to a stable mode, while the other becomes more instable. It is concluded that there are at most two unstable modes with decreasing filling ratio ψ. By analyzing the relation between ψ and the maximum imaginary part of the streamwise phase speed, Cimax, we find that increasing Re has a destabilizing effect and the effect is more obvious for small Re, where ψ a remarkable drop in Cimax can be observed. The most unstable mode is more sensitive at small filling ratio ψ, and decreasing ψ can not always increase the linear stability. There is a maximum value of Cimax which appears at a small porous filling ratio when Re is larger than 2 000. And the value of filling ratio 0 corresponding to the maximum value of Cimax in the most unstable state is increased with in- creasing Re. There is a critical value of porous filling ratio （= 0.24） for Re = 500; the structure will become stable as ψ grows to surpass the threshold of 0.24; When porous filling ratio ψ increases from 0.4 to 0.6, there is hardly any changes in the values of Cimax. We have also observed that the critical Reynolds number is especially sensitive for small ψ where the fastest drop is observed, and there may be a wide range in which the porous filling ratio has less effect on the stability （ψ ranges from 0.2 to 0.6 at σ = 0.002）. At larger permeability, σ, the critical Reynolds number tends to converge no matter what the value of porous filling ratio is.     

Turbulence in a skewed three‐dimensional wall‐bounded shear flow: effect of mean vorticity on structure modification

Mean‐flow three‐dimensionalities affect both the turbulence level and the coherent flow structures in wall‐bounded shear flows. A tailor‐made flow configuration was designed to enable a thorough investigation of moderately and severely skewed channel flows. A unidirectional shear‐driven plane Couette flow was skewed by means of an imposed spanwise pressure gradient. Three different cases with 8°, 34°and 52°skewing were simulated numerically and the results compared with data from a purely two‐dimensional plane Couette flow. The resulting three‐dimensional flow field became statistically stationary and homogeneous in the streamwise and spanwise directions while the mean velocity vector V and the mean vorticity vector Ω remained parallel with the walls. Mean flow profiles were presented together with all components of the Reynolds stress tensor. The mean shear rate in the core region gradually increased with increasing skewing whereas the velocity fluctuations were enhanced in the spanwise direction and reduced in the streamwise direction. The Reynolds shear stress is known to be closely related to the coherent flow structures in the near‐wall region. The instantaneous and ensemble‐averaged flow structures were turned by the skewed mean flow. We demonstrated for the medium‐skewed case that the coherent structures should be examined in a coordinate system aligned with V to enable a sound interpretation of 3D effects. The conventional symmetry between Case 1 and Case 2 vortices was broken and Case 1 vortices turned out to be stronger than Case 2. This observation is in conflict with the common understanding on the basis of the spanwise (secondary) mean shear rate. A refined model was proposed to interpret the structure modifications in three‐dimensional wall‐flows. What matters is the orientation of the mean vorticity vector Ω relative to the vortex vorticity vector ω _v, that is, the sign of Ω · ω _v. In the present situation, Ω · ω _v > 0 for the Case 1 vortices causing a strengthening relative to the Case 2 vortices. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerical study of effects of pulsatile amplitude for transitional turbulent pulsatile flow in pipes with ring‐type constrictions

The effects of pulsatile amplitude on sinusoidal transitional turbulent flows through a rigid pipe in the vicinity of a sharp‐edged mechanical ring‐type constriction have been studied numerically. Pulsatile flows were studied for transitional turbulent flow with Reynolds number (Re) of the order of 10⁴, Womersley number (Nw) of the order of 50 with a corresponding Strouhal number (St) of the order of 0.04. The pulsatile flow considered is a sinusoidal flow with dimensionless amplitudes varying from 0.0 to 1.0. Transitional laminar and turbulent flow characteristics in an alternative manner within the pulsatile flow fields were observed and studied numerically. The flow characteristics were studied through the pulsatile contours of streamlines, vorticity, shear stress and isobars. It was observed that fluid accelerations tend to suppress the development of flow disturbances. All the instantaneous maximum values of turbulent kinetic energy, turbulent viscosity, turbulent shear stress are smaller during the acceleration phase when compared with those during deceleration period. Various parametric equations within a pulsatile cycle have also been formulated through numerical experimentations with different pulsatile amplitudes. In the vicinity of constrictions, the empirical relationships were obtained for the instantaneous flow rate (Q), the pressure gradient (dp/dz), the pressure loss (P_loss), the maximum velocity (V_max), the maximum vorticity (ζ_max), the maximum wall vorticity (ζ_w,max), the maximum shear stress (τ_max) and the maximum wall shear stress (τ_w,max). Elliptic relation was observed between flow rate and pressure gradient. Quadratic relations were observed between flow rate and the pressure loss, the maximum values of shear stress, wall shear stress, turbulent kinematic energy and the turbulent viscosity. Linear relationships exist between the instantaneous flow rate and the maximum values of vorticity, wall vorticity and velocity. The time‐average axial pressure gradient and the time average pressure loss across the constriction were observed to increase linearly with the pulsatile amplitude. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A predictive model for pressure fluctuations on sloping channels using support vector machine

In this study, support vector machine (SVM) is proposed as a new predictive model for pressure fluctuations beneath free jump occurring on sloping channels. The proposed model reproduces the pressure fluctuation intensity C′_p in terms of normalized flow and channel section characteristics. The model variables were derived from dimensional analysis. The proposed model is calibrated and validated by using a wide range of experimental data. The SVM predicted C′_p with a correlation of coefficient (CC) of 0.989 and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.004. Also, linear and nonlinear regression analyses are applied on the same experimental data set, and the SVM model is compared to the equations obtained from these regression analyses. CC, RMSE and average absolute deviation (D_i) are used in the evaluation of performance of each model. The SVM model predicted the measured pressure fluctuations better than conventional regression equations. The results of this study reveal that the proposed SVM model can be effectively used in predicting the pressure fluctuation beneath free jump. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerical study of choked cavitation in high temperature hydrocarbon liquid jets

A numerical study was conducted on a practical plain orifice injector issuing pressurized high-temperature aviation fuel, in order to simulate injection of fuel after use as a coolant in the active cooling system of a hypersonic vehicle. A three-dimensional unstructured mesh inside the orifice was created using ICEMCFD^TM S/W, and the CFD analysis was performed using FLUENT^TM S/W. A multiphase mixture model was used to simulate cavitating two-phase flow, and the full cavitation model was activated to predict the mechanism and effects of cavitation induced by the high fuel vapor pressures at elevated temperature conditions. The simulation was performed for fuel heated up to 553 K (280 °C) at an upstream pressure (P_inj) of up to 1.0 MPa, and various ambient pressures (P_∞). The results were compared with experimental data, and the simulation was found to predict the discharge coefficient (C_d) with respect to the fuel injection temperature (T_inj) quite well at the given conditions. The CFD analyses for high fuel temperature conditions revealed that the mainstream flow inside the injector separates from the orifice wall at the vena contracta due to the generated fuel vapor cavity, and the attached flow at the end of the cavity separates again to produce a very small recirculation zone. In addition, for a given pressure drop, the sharply decreasing trend of the mass flow rate (or C_d) with increasing T_inj varies depending on P_∞, because the mass flow choking is determined by the relationship between P_∞ and the vapor pressure (P_sat) at T_inj. Finally, C_d with respect to cavitation number was found to follow an almost identical line, even at different P_∞. This confirms that choked cavitation at high fuel temperature conditions depends on the downstream pressure of the orifice, and the effect of cavitation on C_d at high T_inj is well represented by the cavitation numbers, regardless of P_inj, P_∞, and T_inj.     

Pulsatile flows in a lateral aneurysm anchored on a stented and curved parent vessel

We present particle tracking velocimetry measurements and flow visualization of pulsatile flow fields in a stented cerebrovascular lateral aneurysm model with a wide ostium anchored on a curved parent vessel. Among the stent parameters, the blocking ratioC _α ranging from 0% to 75% was selected to study its effect on the changes of intra-aneurysmal hemodynamics for the reference of minimally invasive endovascular aneurysm treatment. The Womersley number was 3.9 and the mean, peak, and minimal Reynolds numbers based on the bulk average velocity and diameter of the parent vessel were 600, 850, and 300, respectively. The results are characterized in terms of velocity vector field, coded streak images, region averaged velocity, vorticity, and wall shear stress. A critical range ofC _α related to the inflow location as well as the shape and number of intra-aneurysmal vortices is identified. The intra-aneurysmal flow activity, vortex strength, and wall shear stress are found to decrease with increasingC _α. Among theC _α examined,C _α=75% is the most favorable in attenuating the risk of aneurysmal rupture and promoting intra-aneurysmal thrombus.     

Lift force acting on single bubbles in linear shear flows

Lift coefficients, C_L, of single bubbles in linear shear flows are measured to investigate effects of the bubble shape, the liquid velocity gradient and the fluid property on C_L. The range of the Morton number, M, tested is from logM = − 6.6 to − 3.2. The shapes of bubbles are spherical and ellipsoidal. A correlation of bubble aspect ratio for single bubbles in infinite stagnant liquids proposed in our previous study can give good evaluations for bubbles in the linear shear flows. The C_L of spherical bubbles at low bubble Reynolds numbers, Re, depend on the dimensionless shear rate Sr and Re and decrease with increasing Re. These characteristics agree with the Legendre-Magnaudet correlation. The use of a single dimensionless group such as Re, the Eötvös number, the Weber number and the Capillary number cannot correlate C_L of non-spherical bubbles. The trend of the critical Re for the reversal of the sign of C_L is the same as that for the onset of oscillation of bubble motion, which supports the mechanism proposed by Adoua et al., at least within the range of −6.6 ≤ logM ≤ −3.2. An experimental database of C_L is provided for validation of available C_L models and CFD.     

Turbulence Modelling of Unsteady Turbulent Flows Using the Stress Strain Lag Model

This paper reports the application of a recently developed turbulence modelling scheme known as the C _as model. This model was specifically developed to capture the effects of stress-strain misalignment observed in turbulent flows with mean unsteadiness. Earlier work has reported the approach applied within a linear k-ε modelling framework, and some initial testing of it within the k-ω SST model of Menter (AIAA J 32:1598–1605, 1994). The resulting k-ε-C _as and SST-C _as models have been shown to result in some of the advantages of a full Reynolds Stress transport Model (RSM), whilst retaining the computational efficiency and stability benefits of a eddy viscosity model (EVM). Here, the development of the the high-Reynolds-number version of the C _as model is outlined, with some example applications to steady and unsteady homogeneous shear flows. The SST-C _as form of the model is then applied to further, more challenging cases of 2-D flow around a NACA0012 aerofoil beyond stall and the 3-D flow around a circular cylinder in a square duct, both being flows which exhibit large, unsteady, separated flow regions. The predictions returned by a range of other common turbulence modelling schemes are included for comparison and the SST-C _as scheme is shown to return generally good results, comparable in some respects to those obtainable from far more complex schemes, for only moderate computing resource requirements.     

An experimental study of the first normal stress difference — shear stress relationship in simple shear flow for concentrated shear thickening suspensions

For many polymeric solutions in a simple shear flow a plot of the logarithm of the first normal stress difference N ₁ against the logarithm of the shear stress , for a range of temperatures results in a linear relationship. For such polymer solutions these plots yield a straight line of slope very close to 2 when measured at low shear rates. This relationship is tested against a polymer solution (polyacrylamide in a 50/50 mixture of glycerol/water), a polymer melt (polyethylene), and three concentrated suspensions. These are Superclay (supplied by English China Clays, Cornwall, U.K.) in water, polyvinylchloride in dioctylphthalate and polystyrene latex in water, at volume concentrations of 40% 48%, and 60%, respectively. It was found that the log N ₁ — log relationship is applicable to the polymer solution and melt over a significant range of shear rates and temperatures. In the cases of concentrated suspensions the relationship holds to the point of onset of the shear thickening behaviour. Beyond this point a different relationship exists, however, flow instabilities are apparent. A comment on the contribution of N ₁ and N ₂ to the flow instabilities is made.     

The molecular theory of viscoelasticity for thermoplastic elastomer SBS (SIS) at large deformations

A microstructure model for SBS and SIS triblock copolymers with hard domains as multifunctional reinforcing fillers is proposed. Based on this model and proposed mechanism of large deformations, the probability distribution function of the end-to-end vector for each constituent chain and the free energy of deformation for the total networks was calculated by the combination of statistical thermodynamics and kinetics. A new molecular theory of non-linear visco-elasticity for SBS and SIS at large deformations is presented. It is successful in relating the viscoelastic state to molecular constitution by three important parameters (C ₁₀₀,C ₀₂₀, andC ₂₀₀) of the networks. The relations of stress to strain for four types of deformation, the elastic modulus and the constitutive equation for the stress relaxation were derived from this theory. It provides a theoretical foundation for studying the relationships of multiphase network structures and mechanical properties at large deformations. An excellent agreement between the theoretical relationships and experimental data from the experiments and the reference was obtained.Project supported by the National Natural Foundation of China     

Study on the instability in separating–reattaching flow over a surface-mounted rib

A numerical study on the flow structure and instability in the separated–reattached flow over a surface-mounted rib at Re = 1000 is performed using large eddy simulation. It is found that the phenomenon of vortex pairing, which has been extensively observed in similar flows, exists in the separation zone. Based on the spectral analysis, the Kelvin–Helmholtz (K-H) instability of shear layer at St ≈ 0.361 (St ≡ fh/U₀) and its subharmonic at St ≈ 0.18 are found. It is assumed that the K-H instability reduces to its subharmonic through the vortex pairing. This process is further confirmed by the flow visualisation. The two-dimensional (2D) structures are subjected to sinusoidal undulation along the spanwise and observed to undergo helical pairing process, which is attributed to the transformation of 2D structures into 3D. However, the low frequency due to flapping of the shear layer is not found.