Simulation of compressibility of entrapped air in an incompressible free surface flow using a pressure-based method for unified equations

A pressure-based method is developed to solve the unified conservation laws for incompressible and compressible fluids. A polytropic law is used to model the compressibility of a gas and decouple the energy equation. The pressure field is calculated by solving a single-pressure Poisson equation for the entire flow domain. The effects of the compressibility of the gas are reflected in the source term of the Poisson equation. The continuities of pressure and normal velocity across a material interface are achieved without any additional treatment along the interface. To validate the developed method, the oscillation of a water column in a closed tube due to the compression and expansion of air in the tube is simulated. The computed time history of the pressure at the end wall of the tube is in good agreement with other computational results. The free drop of a water column in a closed tank is simulated. The time history of the pressure at the center of the bottom of the tank shows good agreement with other reported results. The developed code is applied to simulate the air cushion effect of entrapped air in a dam break flow. The computed result is in good agreement with other experimental and computational results until the air is entrapped. As the entrapped air pocket undergoes rapid pulsation, the pressure field of water around the air pocket oscillates synchronously.     

二级高压驱动阵列弹珠同步弹射微型爆源的研制

针对当前大当量地下爆炸真空室模拟试验中爆源起爆方式高度依赖火药制品等问题，基于地下爆炸相似理论和二级气炮原理，自主研制了二级高压驱动阵列弹珠同步弹射微型爆源装置。装置利用二级高压气体驱动弹珠同步击碎玻璃球壳，释放球内高压气体，以模拟真实爆炸气体生成物的推出。整套爆源装置的发射参数:高压气室充气压力4 MPa，玻璃球壳内残余稳态气体压力约为3 kPa，能够用于0~20 kt当量地下爆炸成坑效应的真空室模拟。爆源适用性试验验证表明，该爆源装置的爆破机制和爆破效果满足大当量地下抛掷爆炸真空室模拟试验的功能需求，且具有较高的安全性、可控性和可操作性，为开展相关模拟试验提供了新的技术方法。     

Experimental and numerical studies on transmission of gaseous detonation to a less sensitive mixture

A phenomenon of detonation transmission from one gaseous mixture (donor) to another of lower sensitivity (acceptor) was studied experimentally and numerically. The objective was to study effects of a donor mixture length and acceptor mixture sensitivity on the possibility of detonation transmission. Experiments were carried out in detonation tube 9.5–12 m long and 174 mm id. Three types of donor mixtures were used in the driver: stoichiometric acetylene/air, stoichiometric hydrogen/air, and 20% of hydrogen/air. Air mixtures with 14–29.6% of hydrogen were used as acceptors. Driver length varied from 0.17 to 5.6 m. Detonation transmission was studied for an abrupt opening of interface between two mixtures. Series of 1D and 2D calculations were made to simulate the problem numerically. Both, results of experiments and calculations revealed a set of parameters that effect transmission process. Critical conditions were determined as minimum driver length expressed in terms of characteristic chemical reaction length scales of acceptor mixture. They were shown to depend on differences in reaction rates and energy contents of donor and acceptor mixture. Received 6 January 1997 / Accepted 20 March 1997     

Ignition during hydrogen release from high pressure into the atmosphere

The first investigations concerned with a problem of hydrogen jet ignition, during outflow from a high-pressure vessel were carried out nearly 40 years ago by Wolanski and Wojcicki. The research resulted from a dramatic accident in the Chorzow Chemical Plant Azoty, where the explosion of a synthesis gas made up of a mixture composed of three moles of hydrogen per mole of nitrogen, at 300°C and 30 MPa killed four people. Initial investigation had excluded potential external ignition sources and the main aim of the research was to determine the cause of ignition. Hydrogen is currently considered as a potential fuel for various vehicles such as cars, trucks, buses, etc. Crucial safety issues are of potential concern, associated with the storage of hydrogen at a very high pressure. Indeed, the evidence obtained nearly 40 years ago shows that sudden rupture of a high-pressure hydrogen storage tank or other component can result in ignition and potentially explosion. The aim of the present research is identification of the conditions under which hydrogen ignition occurs as a result of compression and heating of the air by the shock wave generated by discharge of high-pressure hydrogen. Experiments have been conducted using a facility constructed in the Combustion Laboratory of the Institute of Heat Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology. Tests under various configurations have been performed to determine critical conditions for occurrence of high-pressure hydrogen ignition. The results show that a critical pressure exists, leading to ignition, which depends mainly on the geometric configuration of the outflow system, such as tube diameter, and on the presence of obstacles.     

Explosion characteristics of coal gas under various initial temperatures and pressures

Explosion limits data are essential for a quantitative risk assessment of explosion hazard associated with the use of coal gas. The present work is to investigate the influence of various initial temperatures and pressures on explosion characteristics of coal gas/air mixture. The explosion limits and the minimum ignition energy of coal gas/air mixture are obtained experimentally at various temperatures ranging from 20 to 80°C and pressures ranging from 0.1 to 0.2 MPa. An empirical equation is established from the experimental results for the effects of initial temperatures and pressures on explosion limits. By adding diluent (nitrogen) into coal gas/air mixtures, the dilution effects on the explosion limits have been explored as well, and a critical flammable concentration of coal gas is determined to be at 7.4–9.0% by volume. By means of a high-speed digital video camera, the flame front development is recorded and analyzed. The tests are carried out with lean, stoichiometric and rich mixtures of coal gas in air under the conditions of initial pressure and nitrogen addition. Furthermore, the influence of the initial pressure and the concentration on the explosion pressure is measured and compared against theoretical results, where a good agreement is observed.     

高速斜入水和水平入水气炮水箱实验系统

为开展模型高速斜入水和水中高速航行的水流场实验研究,研制了立式和卧式气炮与水箱组合的实验系统。通过快速阀和活塞阀控制气炮激发和驱动状态,一级气炮采用高压空气直接驱动弹托和模型,二级气炮采用高压空气驱动重活塞压缩使集气腔中产生高压气体,再驱动弹托和模型达到预定速度。通过调节水箱和发射管角度,使高速模型斜入水或水平入水。其中,立式可变发射角二级气炮可发射质量1～1000 g的模型至2500 m/s最大速度,卧式一级气炮可发射质量1～100 kg的模型至300 m/s最大速度。和小气室、高燃气压力火药驱动方式相比,新型气炮采用大体积、中低驱动压力气室,高压气体更接近等熵膨胀做功,调节高压气体压力,能较好地满足模型质量和速度的宽范围要求。结合光反射通断法测速、高速摄影和阴影流场显示等测量技术,得到立式气炮压缩管重活塞运动速度、压缩管末端压力时间曲线和模型倾斜与水平入水的流场阴影图像。结果表明:重活塞速度在膜片破裂前和理论计算值符合较好,但破膜后差异较大。立式气炮流场阴影图像反映了模型斜入水产生的空中和水中激波以及在气水界面的反射激波、空泡形成和侧向气水界面的破碎与飞溅等现象。从卧式气炮的模型水平入水阴影图像提取气泡轮廓,清楚地看出尾部气泡气水界面的波动和失稳。和商业计算软件Fluent计算结果相比,空泡上游区域基本重合,但尾流区域强湍流导致两者存在明显差异。和水洞实验相比,气炮水箱实验系统近真实地再现高速入水过程伴随的冲击和动态空化等物理现象和模型尺度效应。     

Stress tensor and energy flux in slow steady-state flow of a monatomic gas

On the basis of the linearized kinetic Choh-Uhlenbeck equation the stress tensor and energy flux are found in the gasdynamic approximation for steady states of a monatomic gas with allowance for the first virial correction to the transport coefficients. Moscow. Translated from Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 1, pp. 155–164, January–February, 1997.     

The quasi-stationary structure of radiating shock waves. I. The one-temperature fluid

We calculate the quasi-stationary structure of a radiating shock wave propagating through a spherically symmetric shell of cold gas by solving the time-dependent equations of radiation hydrodynamics on an implicit adaptive grid. We show that this code successfully resolves the shock wave in both the subcritical and supercritical cases and, for the first time, we have reproduced all the expected features – including the optically thin temperature spike at a supercritical shock front – without invoking analytic jump conditions at the discontinuity. We solve the full moment equations for the radiation flux and energy density, but the shock wave structure can also be reproduced if the radiation flux is assumed to be proportional to the gradient of the energy density (the diffusion approximation), as long as the radiation energy density is determined by the appropriate radiative transfer moment equation. We find that Zel'dovich and Raizer's (1967) analytic solution for the shock wave structure accurately describes a subcritical shock but it underestimates the gas temperature, pressure, and the radiation flux in the gas ahead of a supercritical shock. We argue that this discrepancy is a consequence of neglecting terms which are second order in the minimum inverse shock compression ratio [, where is the adiabatic index] and the inaccurate treatment of radiative transfer near the discontinuity. In addition, we verify that the maximum temperature of the gas immediately behind the shock is given by , where is the gas temperature far behind the shock. Received 21 September 1998/ Accepted 2 February 1999     

Non-linear Evolution of P-waves in Viscous–Elastic Granular Saturated Media

The Frenkel–Biot P-wave of the first type is a seismic longitudinal wave observed in rocks fully saturated with oil, water or high-pressure gas. The P-wave of the second type is observed in unsaturated soils and other porous media saturated with gas of low pressure. Their models include properties of the skeleton, that is, its elastic modules and its own viscosity. If the non-linear terms are accounted for, the asymptotic analysis, usual for weak non-linear waves, might be applied to get the wave spectrum evolution. The wetness of grains contacts in soils and such components of oil as tars or bitumen, which attached to the skeleton, can be described by generalized viscous–elastic stress–strain connections. The latter are nominated in such a way that creates the narrow frequency interval of wave of negative dissipation where the non-linear terms begin to play the main role besides the neutral stability for waves of zero wave number. The corresponding case, relevant to single continuum model, was analyzed in the literature. Here it is shown that the interpenetrating continua with interaction of the Darcy type provide the dissipation sink in the wave evolution equation. This generalization, (Tribelsky, M.I.: Phys. Rev. Lett. (2007, submitted)), can stabilize the asymptotic solution of the evolution equation, where the dispersion terms are omitted. The asymptotic solution of the equation is invariant to initial conditions and it means a transformation of initial wave spectra to unique one while wave is spreading in the viscous–elastic medium under consideration. This explains the phenomenon, observed in wave tests at marine beach, when any dynamics action (impact, explosion, and ultrasound action) created at some distance a wave of a single frequency (~25 Hz).     

On the stability and extension of reduced-order Galerkin models in incompressible flows

Proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) has been used to develop a reduced-order model of the hydrodynamic forces acting on a circular cylinder. Direct numerical simulations of the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations have been performed using a parallel computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code to simulate the flow past a circular cylinder. Snapshots of the velocity and pressure fields are used to calculate the divergence-free velocity and pressure modes, respectively. We use the dominant of these velocity POD modes (a small number of eigenfunctions or modes) in a Galerkin procedure to project the Navier–Stokes equations onto a low-dimensional space, thereby reducing the distributed-parameter problem into a finite-dimensional nonlinear dynamical system in time. The solution of the reduced dynamical system is a limit cycle corresponding to vortex shedding. We investigate the stability of the limit cycle by using long-time integration and propose to use a shooting technique to home on the system limit cycle. We obtain the pressure-Poisson equation by taking the divergence of the Navier–Stokes equation and then projecting it onto the pressure POD modes. The pressure is then decomposed into lift and drag components and compared with the CFD results.     

The propagation mechanism of high speed turbulent deflagrations

The propagation regimes of combustion waves in a 30 cm by 30 cm square cross–sectioned tube with an obstacle array of staggered vertical cylindrical rods (with BR=0.41 and BR=0.19) are investigated. Mixtures of hydrogen, ethylene, propane, and methane with air at ambient conditions over a range of equivalence ratios are used. In contrast to the previous results obtained in circular cross–sectioned tubes, it is found that only the quasi–detonation regime and the slow turbulent deflagration regimes are observed for ethylene–air and for propane–air. The transition from the quasi–detonation regime to the slow turbulent deflagration regime occurs at (where D is the tube “diameter” and is the detonation cell size). When , the quasi–detonation velocities that are observed are similar to those in unobstructed smooth tubes. For hydrogen–air mixtures, it is found that there is a gradual transition from the quasi–detonation regime to the high speed turbulent deflagration regime. The high speed turbulent deflagration regime is also observed for methane–air mixtures near stoichiometric composition. This regime was previously interpreted as the “choking” regime in circular tubes with orifice plate obstacles. Presently, it is proposed that the propagation mechanism of these high speed turbulent deflagrations is similar to that of Chapman–Jouguet detonations and quasi-detonations. As well, it is observed that there exists unstable flame propagation at the lean limit where . The local velocity fluctuates significantly about an averaged velocity for hydrogen–air, ethylene–air, and propane–air mixtures. Unstable flame propagation is also observed for the entire range of high speed turbulent deflagrations in methane–air mixtures. It is proposed that these fluctuations are due to quenching of the combustion front due to turbulent mixing. Quenched pockets of unburned reactants are swept downstream, and the subsequent explosion serves to overdrive the combustion front. The present study indicates that the dependence on the propagation mechanisms on obstacle geometry can be exploited to elucidate the different complex mechanisms of supersonic combustion waves. Received 5 November 2001 / Accepted 12 June 2002 / Published online 4 November 2002 Correspondence to: J. Chao (e-mail: jenny.chao@mail.mcgill.ca) An abridged version of this paper was presented at the 18th Int. Colloquium on the Dynamics of Explosions and Reactive Systems at Seattle, USA, from July 29 to August 3, 2001.     

Spectral Stability of Ideal-Gas Shock Layers

Extending recent results in the isentropic case, we use a combination of asymptotic ODE estimates and numerical Evans-function computations to examine the spectral stability of shock-wave solutions of the compressible Navier–Stokes equations with ideal gas equation of state. Our main results are that, in appropriately rescaled coordinates, the Evans function associated with the linearized operator about the wave (i) converges in the large-amplitude limit to the Evans function for a limiting shock profile of the same equations, for which internal energy vanishes at one end state; and (ii) has no unstable (positive real part) zeros outside a uniform ball |λ| ≦ Λ. Thus, the rescaled eigenvalue ODE for the set of all shock waves, augmented with the (nonphysical) limiting case, form a compact family of boundary-value problems that can be conveniently investigated numerically. An extensive numerical Evans-function study yields one-dimensional spectral stability, independent of amplitude, for gas constant γ in [1.2, 3] and ratio ν/μ of heat conduction to viscosity coefficient within [0.2, 5] (γ ≈ 1.4, ν/μ ≈ 1.47 for air). Other values may be treated similarly but were not considered. The method of analysis extends also to the multi-dimensional case, a direction that we shall pursue in a future work.     

Computing flow-induced stresses of injection molding based on the Phan–Thien–Tanner model

A numerical approach is introduced to solve the viscoelastic flow problem of filling and post-filling in injection molding. The governing equations are in terms of compressible, non-isothermal fluid, and the constitutive equation is based on the Phan–Thien–Tanner model. By introducing some hypotheses according to the characteristics of injection molding, a quasi-Poisson type equation about pressure is derived with part integration. Besides, an analytical form of flow-induced stress is also generalized by using the undermined coefficient method. The conventional Galerkin approach is employed to solve the derived pressure equation, and the ‘upwind’ difference scheme is used to discrete the energy equation. Coupling is achieved between velocity and stress by super relax iteration method. The flow in the test mold is investigated by comparing the numerical results and photoelastic photos for polystyrene, showing flow-induced stresses are closely related to melt temperatures. The filling of a two-cavity box is also studied to investigate the viscoelastic effects on real injection molding.     

Numerical study of initial pulsed motion of a powder layer in a duct under the action of a compressed gas

One-dimensional plane pulsed joint motion of a gas phase and a disperse phase in the presence of friction of the latter against the duct walls are studied numerically using the model of a heterogeneous medium. It is established that two qualitatively different regimes of motion are possible, depending on the initial conditions in a high-pressure chamber and the value of the friction factor. It is found that the powder exit velocity is self-similar with respect to friction. Mozhaiskii Military Space Engineering Academy, St. Petersburg 197082. Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 40, No. 6, pp. 122–127, November–December, 1999.     

On the Mutual Penetrations of Two Fluids Whose Interface is Accelerated by a Shock Wave

A shock tube experimental investigation and numerical simulations are undertaken to study the evolution of a perturbed interface of two different gases accelerated by a shock wave. The experimental method is based on a high-speed camera laser sheet diagnostic technique, and simulations are provided by our code CARBUR based on a finite volume discretization of Navier–Stokes’s equations. Two gas pairs are used to illustrate both the heavy/light (air/He) and the light/ heavy (air/SF₆) cases. Two simultaneous large initial perturbations, one positive and one negative, are tested for an incident shock wave Mach number in air of about 1.3. The thin membrane (less than 1 μ) which materializes the initial interface between the two test gases presents 2D perturbations whose wave number is close to 1 in order to rapidly reach the non-linear regime. The development of the perturbations is captured at a frequency of 10 kHz after the interface acceleration, and the experiments are complemented with a numerical simulation to validate the interface deformations. Results show an asymmetric mutual gas penetration increasing with the absolute value of the Atwood’s number. Furthermore, they confirm that the heavier gas penetrates the lighter as thin spikes and the lighter gas penetrates the heavier as large bubbles. Moreover, we show that the spike moves faster than the bubble in the heavy/light case and slightly faster in the light/heavy one. Finally, numerical and experimental results are in agreement.     

One-dimensional mathematical model of the combustion chamber of a hydrogen/air hypersonic ramjet

A mathematical model of the supersonic combustion chamber of a hydrogen/air hypersonic ramjet is proposed. The model is developed on the basis of a “burn-out curve”, that is, the dependence of the combustion efficiency on the longitudinal coordinate and the design features of the chamber. The burn-out curve, which describes the mixing and burning of hydrogen and air, is assumed to be known from previous numerical and experimental studies of these processes under supersonic flow conditions. Other physical and chemical processes which take place in the combustion chamber, such as excitation of internal molecular degrees of freedom, hydrogen and oxygen dissociation, OH and NO formation, etc., are assumed to be equilibrium. Moscow. Translated from Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 1, pp. 146–154, January–February, 1997. The work was carried out with the support of the Russian Foundation for Fundamental Research (project No. 93-013-17514).     

Explicit Rate–Time Solutions for Modeling Matrix–Fracture Flow of Single Phase Gas in Dual-Porosity Media

One of the widely used methods for modeling matrix–fracture fluid exchange in naturally fractured reservoirs is dual porosity approach. In this type of modeling, matrix blocks are regarded as sources/sinks in the fracture network medium. The rate of fluid transfer from matrix blocks into fracture medium may be modeled using shape factor concept (Warren and Root, SPEJ 3:245–255, 1963); or the rate–time solution is directly derived for the specific matrix geometry (de Swaan, SPEJ 16:117–122, 1976). Numerous works have been conducted to study matrix–fracture fluid exchange for slightly compressible fluids (e.g. oil). However, little attention has been taken to systems containing gas (compressible fluid). The objective of this work is to develop explicit rate–time solutions for matrix–fracture fluid transfer in systems containing single phase gas. For this purpose, the governing equation describing flow of gas from matrix block into fracture system is linearized using pseudopressure and pseudotime functions. Then, the governing equation is solved under specific boundary conditions to obtain an implicit relation between rate and time. Since rate calculations using such an implicit relation need iterations, which may be computationally inconvenient, an explicit rate–time relation is developed with the aid of material balance equation and several specific assumptions. Also, expressions are derived for average pseudopressure in matrix block. Furthermore, simplified solutions (originated from the complex general solutions) are introduced applicable in infinite and finite acting flow periods in matrix. Based on the derived solutions, expressions are developed for shape factor. An important observation is that the shape factor for gas systems is the same as that of oil bearing matrix blocks. Subsequently, a multiplier is introduced which relates rate to matrix pressure instead of matrix pseudopressure. Finally, the introduced equations are verified using a numerical simulator.     

Nonlinear Multigrid Methods for Numerical Solution of the Variably Saturated Flow Equation in Two Space Dimensions

The need of accurate and efficient numerical schemes to solve Richards’ equation is well recognized. This study is carried out to examine the numerical performances of the nonlinear multigrid method for numerical solving of the two-dimensional Richards’ equation modeling water flow in variably saturated porous media. The numerical approach is based on an implicit, second-order accurate time discretization combined with a vertex centered finite volume method for spatial discretization. The test problems simulate infiltration of water in 2D saturated–unsaturated soils with hydraulic properties described by van Genuchten–Mualem models. The numerical results obtained are compared with those provided by the modified Picard–preconditioned conjugated gradient (Krylov subspace) approach.