Surface oil flow technique and liquid crystal thermography for flow visualization in impulse,wind tunnels

This paper describes flow visualization techniques employing surface oil flow and liquid crystal thermography suitable for use in impulse wind tunnels. High spatial resolution photographs of oil flow patterns and liquid crystal thermograms have been obtained within test times ranging from 7 to 500 ms and have been shown to be very useful for revealing the detailed features of 3-D separated flow. The results from oil flow patterns, liquid crystal thermograms, schlieren photographs and heat flux measurements are shown to be in good agreement.     

Ensemble-averaging and correlation techniques for flow visualization images

Flow visualization using marking techniques such as timelines provides a basis for quantitative analysis of macroscale features of unsteady flows by global ensemble-averaging and correlation techniques. In the visual-ensemble-averaging technique described herein, the timeline positions are tracked and averaged in successive images. The phase reference for the averaging process can take the form of an analog pressure, velocity, or displacement signal, or a recurring coherent portion of the image. Global correlations of the timeline patterns are obtained using the same timelines defined for the ensemble-averaging process. A new type of visual correlation function, giving the correlation between two timelines in a given image or successive images, is proposed. Preliminary results are given.     

Liquid crystal techniques of visualization in rotating annulus experiments

To the well-known rotating annulus experiments we applied liquid crystal techniques of visualization in order to obtain clear video-pictures of internal flow and temperature in the fluid. Then we developed the idea of simultaneously injecting several types of liquid crystals of different temperature ranges to observe the fluid with a wide temperature range. It was shown that with this idea it was possible to take clear video-pictures throughout the whole interior of the fluid. This revealed that the pattern of the bottom flow does not have the characteristics of the Eady type baroclinic waves. Furthermore, the typcial meridional gradient of temperature of the baroclinic wave was directly observed from isothermal lines appearing in the fluid as colour band lines.     

Flow field in the wake of a bluff body driven through a steady recirculating flow

The wake produced by a bluff body driven through a steady recirculating flow is studied experimentally in a water facility using particle image velocimetry. The bluff body has a rectangular cross section of height, \(H\), and width, \(D\), such that the aspect ratio, AR = H/D, is equal to 3. The motion of the bluff body is uniform and rectilinear, and corresponds to a Reynolds number based on width, Re _D  = 9,600. The recirculating flow is confined within a hemicylindrical enclosure and is generated by planar jets emanating from slots of width, \(h\), such that \(Re_h=500\). Under these conditions, experiments are performed in a closed-loop facility that enables complete optical access to the near-wake. Velocity fields are obtained up to a distance of \(13D\) downstream of the moving body. Data include a selection of phase-averaged velocity fields representative of the wake for a baseline case (no recirculation) and an interaction case (with recirculation). Results indicate that the transient downwash flow typically observed in wakes behind finite bodies of small aspect ratio is significantly perturbed by the recirculating flow. The wake is displaced from the ground plane and exhibits a shorter recirculation zone downstream of the body. In summary, it was found that the interaction between a bluff body wake and a recirculating flow pattern alters profoundly the dynamics of the wake, which has implications on scalar transport in the wake.     

Flow and field induced instabilities in a smectic C liquid crystal

This paper discusses the possibility of flow induced instabilities occurring in smectic C liquid crystals by examining appropriate solutions of a recently proposed continuum theory for such materials. These preliminary calculations suggest that results rather similar to those obtained for nematics some twenty years ago are equally likely in smectics.Paper originally intended for publication in Vol. 31/5, Special Issue dedicated to Gianfranco Capriz, but omitted due to an unfortunate misunderstanding.     

Modelling a recirculating density-driven turbulent flow

A mathematical model of turbulent density-driven flows is presented and is solved numerically. A form of the k–? turbulence model is used to characterize the turbulent transport, and both this non-linear model and a sediment transport equation are coupled with the mean-flow fluid motion equations. A partitioned, Newton–Raphson-based solution scheme is used to effect a solution. The model is applied to the study of flow through a circular secondary sedimentation basin.     

Flow visualization of supersonic laminar flow over a backward-facing step via NPLS

An experimental study on a supersonic laminar flow over a backward-facing step of 5 mm height was undertaken in a low-noise indraft wind tunnel. To investigate the fine structures of Ma = 3.0 and 3.8 laminar flow over a backward-facing step, nanotracer planar laser scattering was adopted for flow visualization. Flow structures, including supersonic laminar boundary layer, separation, reattachment, redeveloping turbulent boundary layer, expansion wave fan and reattachment shock, were revealed in the transient flow fields. In the Ma = 3.0 BFS (backward-facing step) flow, by measuring four typical regions, it could be found that the emergence of weak shock waves was related to the K–H (Kelvin–Helmholtz) vortex which appeared in the free shear layer and that the convergence of these waves into a reattachment shock was distinct. Based on large numbers of measurements, the structure of time-averaging flow field could be gained. Reattachment occurred at the location downstream from the step, about 7–7.5 h distance. After reattachment, the recovery boundary layer developed into turbulence quickly and its thickness increased at an angle of 4.6°. At the location of X = 14h, the redeveloping boundary layer was about ten times thicker than its original thickness, but it still had not changed into fully developed turbulence. However, in the Ma = 3.8 flow, the emergence of weak shock waves could be seen seldom, due to the decrease of expansion. The reattachment point was thought to be near X = 15h according to the averaging result. The reattachment shock was not legible, which meant the expansion and compression effects were not intensive.     

Orientation instability of shear flow of a nematic liquid crystal

The instability of shear flow of a nematic liquid crystal layer is studied. The case when the orientation vector and the flow velocity vector are parallel is considered. It is shown that the orientation instability of this flow is possible if the anchoring boundary condition is weak and if the splay-bend constants in the Frank energy are taken into account. For this type of instability, periodic structures are possible to appear. Their wave vector belongs to the plane of flow and is perpendicular to the velocity vector. The medium parameters are estimated on the basis of the existence condition for this instability. The period of the appearing periodic structures is evaluated.     

Flow visualization of compressible vortex structures using density gradient techniques

Mathematical results are derived for the schlieren and shadowgraph contrast variation due to the refraction of light rays passing through two-dimensional compressible vortices with viscous cores. Both standard and small-disturbance solutions are obtained. It is shown that schlieren and shadowgraph produce substantially different contrast profiles. Further, the shadowgraph contrast variation is shown to be very sensitive to the vortex velocity profile and is also dependent on the location of the peak peripheral velocity (viscous core radius). The computed results are compared to actual contrast measurements made for rotor tip vortices using the shadowgraph flow visualization technique. The work helps to clarify the relationships between the observed contrast and the structure of vortical structures in density gradient based flow visualization experiments.Nomenclature a Unobstructed height of schlieren light source in cutoff plane, m - c Blade chord, m - f Focal length of schlieren focusing mirror, m - C _T Rotor thrust coefficient, T/( ² R ⁴) - I Image screen illumination, Lm/m ² - l Distance from vortex to shadowgraph screen, m - n _b Number of blades - p Pressure,N/m ² - p Ambient pressure, N/m ² - r, , z Cylindrical coordinate system - r _c Vortex core radius, m - Non-dimensional radial coordinate, (r/r _c ) - R Rotor radius, m - Tangential velocity, m/s - Specific heat ratio of air - Circulation (strength of vortex), m ²/s - Non-dimensional quantity, ² 8²p r _c ² - Refractive index of fluid medium - ₀ Refractive index of fluid medium at reference conditions - Gladstone-Dale constant, m ³/kg - Density, kg/m ³ - Density at ambient conditions, kg/m ³ - Non-dimensional density, (/ ) - Rotor solidity, (n _b c/ R) - Rotor rotational frequency, rad/s     

Flow birefringence visualization of transitions in circular Couette flow

Flow birefringence technique is an experimental method in fluid dynamics from which we can obtain information about the velocity fields in various devices. This method has been used here to observe transitions which occur in the classical Couette device when the angular velocity of the inner cylinder increases beyond a certain critical value. Although earlier experiments have been reported, the observation of the flow birefringence phenomena in the entirely illuminated annular gap of a classical Couette cell consists in a new access to these problems and may well bring important information on the changes occuring in the hydrodynamical field at the different transitions.     

Flow visualization by redox-reaction dyes

Colour generation by a direct oxidation or reduction reaction at an electrode in aqueous solution does not generate gas, as is necessary to obtain a pH change. Flow visualization in a closed apparatus or porous medium is therefore possible without the interference of bubbles or a detectable density change. A series of anthraquinone sulphonic acid salts has been found that produce good colours upon reduction at a cathode in mildly alkaline solution. Some are soluble enough to be used in salt gradients and react well below the potential needed to evolve hydrogen, so the electrode remains in stable condition. Platinum is not necessary for the cathode, is indeed undesirable. A number of commercial redox dyes that produce colour upon oxidation were also tested. The most practical is methylene blue, which needs a powerful reducing agent to be decolourised. It is instantly reoxidised by dissolved air, a feature that may be useful in studies of gas/liquid transfer or entrainment across stratified boundaries.     

Some results obtained on studying the flow of liquid films by stroboscopic visualization

The characteristic features of stroboscopic visualization and the possibilities of using this method for studying the flow of thin films are considered. The velocity field and the field of turbulent pulsations are studied experimentally for the film flow of liquids with Reynolds numbers of R = 40–1770.Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Mekhaniki i Tekhnicheskoi Fiziki, No. 2, pp. 140–143, March–April, 1972.     

Transitions in Poiseuille flow of nematic liquid crystal

Recent experiments by Sengupta et al. (Phys. Rev. Lett. 2013) [9] revealed interesting transitions that can occur in flow of nematic liquid crystal under carefully controlled conditions within a long microfluidic channel of width much larger than height, and homeotropic anchoring at the walls. At low flow rates the director field of the nematic adopts a configuration that is dominated by the surface anchoring, being nearly parallel to the channel height direction over most of the cross-section; but at high flow rates there is a transition to a flow-dominated state, where the director configuration at the channel centerline is aligned with the flow (perpendicular to the channel height direction). We analyze simple channel-flow solutions to the Leslie–Ericksen model for nematics. We demonstrate that two solutions exist, at all flow rates, but that there is a transition between the elastic free energies of these solutions: the anchoring-dominated solution has the lowest energy at low flow rates, and the flow-dominated solution has lowest energy at high flow rates.     

Convective heat transfer and fluid flow physics in some ribbed ducts using liquid crystal thermography and PIV measuring techniques

Enhancement of forced convection is important in several engineering applications. Surface modifications like rib-roughening are commonly used in applications such as compact heat exchangers and internal cooling of gas turbine blades and vanes. This paper gives a brief summary of convective heat transfer and fluid flow in some ribbed ducts using liquid crystal thermography and PIV measuring techniques. Details of the flow pattern and the influence of rib configuration and arrangement on the heat transfer are presented. Nevertheless, the understanding of the flow and thermal physics in ribbed ducts is not yet complete and further studies are needed.     

Flow visualization and LDV measurements of laminar flow in a helical square duct with finite pitch

Flow visualization and LDV measurements are performed on laminar flow in a helical square duct with finite pitch. The experimental observations are compared to results of numerical calculations employing the finite-volume method and assuming a fully developed flow. Good agreement is found between measured and computed velocity profiles. This suggests that the physical velocity components used in the numerical calculations are suitable to describe the flow. It is further demonstrated that the contravariant velocity components employed by some authors may lead to results that are difficult to interpret. Two stable solution branches are detected in the numerical calculations. For Reynolds numbers between the stable branches, unsteady and fully developed computations predict an oscillating flow between a two-vortex and a four-vortex structure. In the experiments, the flow normally retained a stable two-vortex structure in the numerically predicted unstable regime. However, by disturbing the flow at the duct inlet, a four-vortex flow that showed similarities to the computed flow could occasionally be obtained. For Reynolds numbers above 600, unsteady flow behavior was observed both experimentally and numerically, which might be an early sign of transition. In the experiments, Gdrtler-like extra vortices emerged spontaneously from the outer wall without disturbing the flow at the inlet. The same phenomenon was observed in the numerical calculations, assuming an unsteady and fully developed flow, but the extra vortices appeared with a lower frequency than in the experiments.