Mathematical modelling of swirling flow in hydraulic turbines for the full operating range

We introduce and validate a novel mathematical model for computing the radial profiles of both axial and circumferential velocity components, respectively, of the swirling flow exiting the runner of hydraulic turbines within the full operating range. We assume an incompressible, inviscid, axisymmetrical, and steady swirling flow, with vanishing radial velocity at runner outlet. First we find the correlation between the flux of moment of momentum downstream the turbine runner and the operating regime given by turbine’s discharge and head. Second, we express the relationship between the axial and circumferential velocity components, corresponding to the fixed pitch runner blades, using the swirl-free velocity instead of the traditional relative flow angle at runner outlet. It is shown that the swirl-free velocity profile practically does not change with the operating regime. Third, we introduce a constrained variational problem corresponding to the minimization of the flow force while maintaining the prescribed discharge and flux of moment of momentum. This formulation also accounts for a possible central stagnant region to develop when operating the turbine far from the best efficiency point. Fourth, we show that by representing the unknown axial velocity profile with a suitable Fourier–Bessel series, the discharge constraint can be automatically satisfied. The resulting numerical algorithm is robust and produces results in good agreement with available data for both axial and circumferential velocity profiles measured on a model Francis turbine at several operating regimes. Our mathematical model is suitable for the early optimization stages of the runner design, as it provides the swirling flow configuration at runner outlet without actually computing the runner. By optimizing the parameterized swirl-free velocity profile one can achieve through the inverse design approaches the most suitable runner blades configuration at the trailing edge.     

Significance of plaque morphology in modifying flow characteristics in a diseased coronary artery: Numerical simulation using plaque measurements from intravascular ultrasound imaging

The paper deals with numerical investigation of the effect of plaque morphology on the flow characteristics in a diseased coronary artery using realistic plaque morphology. The morphological information of the lumen and the plaque is obtained from intravascular ultrasound imaging measurements of 42 patients performed at Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Ohio. For this data, study of Bhaganagar et al. (2010) [1] has revealed the stenosis for 42 patients can be categorized into four types – type I (peak-valley), type II (ascending), type III (descending), and type IV (diffuse). The aim of the present study is to isolate the effect of shape of the stenosis on the flow characteristics for a given degree of the stenosis. In this study, we conduct fluid dynamic simulations for the four stenosis types (type I–IV) and analyze the differences in the flow characteristics between these types. Finely refined tetrahedral mesh for the 3-D solid model of the artery with plaques has been generated. The 3-D steady flow simulations were performed using the turbulence (k–ε) model in a finite volume based computational fluid dynamics solver. The axial velocity, the radial velocity, turbulence kinetic energy and wall shear stress profiles of the plaque have been analyzed. From the axial and radial velocity profiles results the differences in the velocity patterns are significantly visible at proximal as well as distal to the throat, region of maximum stenosis. Turbulent kinetic energy and wall shear stress profiles have revealed significant differences in the vicinity of the plaque. Additional unsteady flow simulations have been performed to validate the hypothesis of the significance of plaque morphology in flow alterations in diseased coronary artery. The results revealed the importance of accounting for plaque morphology in addition to plaque height to accurately characterize the turbulent flow in a diseased coronary artery.     

Linear analysis and energy budget of viscous liquid jets in both axial and radial electric fields

In their countless industrial applications, axisymmetric and non-axisymmetric instabilities are respectively responsible for electrospraying and electrospinning. A linear method and energy budget have been applied in this study to investigate the instability of viscous jets under both the axial and radial electric fields; the liquid was taken to be a leaky dielectric and the gas a perfect dielectric; the effect of a parabolic velocity profile was considered and compared to that of a uniform velocity, and the energy analysis explained the physical mechanisms to an extent. The liquid viscosity and parabolic velocity profile had a combined effect on jet instability. Work induced by the parabolic velocity profile consisted of two parts: the energy transferred from the basic flow to the disturbances, and the influence of the corresponding shear stresses. At low viscosities, these influences were positive enough to prevail over the viscous dissipation, enhancing axisymmetric instability. However, the parabolic velocity profile functioned differently in small and large wavenumber regions, and the response to the axial electric fields varied in different regions, accounting for the dual effects of axial electric fields on axisymmetric instability. Also, under the interplay between the strong axial electric fields and the parabolic velocity profile, two distinct unstable regions emerged for the non-axisymmetric mode. The effects of the radial electric fields were less sensitive, whether or not the parabolic velocity profile was considered. In summary, the parabolic velocity profile was significant–especially for charged jets with weak viscosity and strong axial electric intensity. The effects of axial electric fields in the atomization zone, and the effects of fluid permittivity coupled with the axial electric fields, were also investigated here.     

通过有漏孔管道时的层流解析解

研究了通过有漏孔管道时的层流,并解析地求解了动量方程和能量守恒方程．由Hagen-Poiseuille的速度分布,同时定义轴向和径向速度分量的未知函数,得到了压力和质量输运方程,并根据不同的参数,画出其分布图．结果表明,管道中的轴向速度、径向速度、质量输运参数和压力,随着流体沿管道的流动而减小．     

On the equilibrium of circular flows under gravity

This paper investigates the stability of an incompressible inviscid rotatory couette flow confined between two corotating and coaxial vertical cylinders under the force field of gravity. The stationary distributions of density and pressure are functions of the radial and axial coordinates with the azimuthal component of velocity being an arbitrary function of radial coordinate. The perturbations concerned are axisymmetric and infinitesimaly small in nature. Sufficient criteria of instability are derived for both vertically stable and unstable density stratifications¹ and this clearly shows that the necessary and sufficient character of Rayleigh's criterion does not hold good in the present circumstances.     

Statistical characteristics and time autocorrelation coefficients of the turbulent swirl flow in pipe

In this paper is presented experimental investigation of the turbulent swirl flow in pipe generated by three axial fans of various geometries. One of these fans (model ZP) generates Rankine swirl, while other two, industrial fans, produce mainly solid body circumferential velocity profile. One-component laser Doppler anemometry (LDA) is employed in this research. Downstream transformations of the non-dimensional time-averaged velocity profiles are analyzed. Distributions of turbulence levels are discussed for all three fans in both measuring sections, as well as statistical moments of higher orders for fluctuations in the axial, radial and circumferential directions. Applied correlation theory revealed turbulence structure and its statistical nature. (© 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

On the development of a wake vortex in inviscid flow

The evolution of an initial perturbation in an axisymmetric subsonic normal inviscid gas flow through a pipe is directly simulated. The basic (unperturbed) flow has a zero radial velocity component, while its axial velocity component (along the axis of symmetry) increases or decreases linearly with the radius. The perturbation is specified as a swirl (rotation about the axis) with a positive or negative velocity vanishing on the central axis and the lateral surface. Irrespective of its direction, the swirl gives rise to a steady-state vortex carried by the flow. It shape is spherical (contiguous to the rotation axis) or circular (sliding along the impermeable lateral surface).     

Occurrence of Taylor vortices in the flow between two rotating conical cylinders

The behavior of the flow between two coaxial conical cylinders with the inner one rotating and the outer one stationary is studied numerically. Special attention is paid to the occurrence of Taylor vortices in basic flow and unsteady helical vortices. It is found that, in basic flow, the vortices occur in the direction toward smaller radius, while toward bigger radius in unsteady helical vortices; moreover, the unsteady helical vortices can coexist with unstable steady Taylor vortices. The results suggest that the behavior of conical flow is dominated by a competition between the meridional flow and radial flow. The effect of meridional flow is most significant at small apex angle or in basic flow and helical vortices, while the radial flow dominates the structure at larger apex angle or in steady vortical flow. In order to get better understanding the competition and the transition of Taylor–Couette flow to conical flow, a velocity angle related to velocity components is defined, and the pattern evolution of velocity, streamlines and the velocity angle are examined with respect to apex angle, as well as Reynolds number. Finally, the statistical properties of turbulent conical flow are investigated.     

Numerical Simulation of Turbulent Swirling Flows

In this paper, turbulent swirling flow in circular pipe in the wake behind an axial fan is investigated by URANS and LES using two different CFD codes: SPARC, developed at Institute of Fluid Machinery, at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and OpenFOAM. Results of simulations are compared with experimental results obtained with LDA measurement techniques in that flow field. (© 2013 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Analytical solutions of laminar swirl decay in a straight pipe

In this work, the laminar swirl flow in a straight pipe is revisited and solved analytically by using prescribed axial flow velocity profiles. Based on two axial velocity profiles, namely a slug flow and a developed parabolic velocity profiles, the swirl velocity equation is solved by the separation of variable technique for a rather general inlet swirl velocity distribution, which includes a forced vortex in the core and a free vortex near the wall. The solutions are expressed by the Bessel function for the slug flow and by the generalized Laguerre function for the developed parabolic velocity. Numerical examples are calculated and plotted for different combinations of influential parameters. The effects of the Reynolds number, the pipe axial distance, and the inlet swirl profiles on the swirl velocity distribution and the swirl decay are analyzed. The current results offer analytical equations to estimate the decay rate and the outlet swirl intensity and velocity distribution for the design of swirl flow devices.     

Laminar swirling flow in an annulus with porous walls

Flow of an incompressible viscous fluid under constant pressure gradient in a porous annulus is considered, with surface mass transfer, both in the radial and circumferential directions. Expressions for the fully developed velocities are then obtained. With these fully developed velocities on a section of the annulus, on which the origin of co-ordinates lies, the downstream decay of the swirl velocity is analysed, subject to the condition that the velocities on the boundaries are now purely radial. The perturbations in the axial and radial velocities, caused by the decaying swirl, are also determined. It is observed that the decay of the swirl velocity is faster for suction at the inner boundary and injection at the outer andvice versa.     

收缩喷嘴中的湍流Ⅰ——边界层解

应用边界层积分法,研究锥形喷嘴入口区域中湍动涡流的发展.球面坐标系中的控制方程,通过边界层的假定得到简化,并对边界层进行了积分.应用4阶Adams预测校正法求解该微分方程组.入口区域的切向和轴向速度,分别应用自由涡流和均匀速度分布来表示.由于缺乏收缩喷嘴中涡流的实验数据,需要用数值模拟对该发展模式进行逆向验证.数值模拟的结果证明,该解析模型在预测边界层参数中的能力,例如边界层的生长、剪切率和边界层厚度,以及不同锥度角时的涡流强度衰减率等.为所提出的方法引进一个简明而有效的程序,用以研究几何形状收缩设备内的边界层参数.     

On spatial instability of electrically forced axisymmetric jets with variable applied field

This paper considers the problem of instability of electrically forced axisymmetric jets with respect to spatially growing disturbances and in the presence of a variable applied electric field. A mathematical model, which is developed for the dependent variables of such disturbances, is based on the relevant approximated versions of the equations of the electrohydrodynamics for an electrically forced jet flow. The approximations include the assumptions that the length scale along the axial direction of the jet is much larger than that in the radial direction of the jet and the disturbances are axisymmetric and infinitesimal in amplitude. For neutral temporal stability boundary, we find, in particular, two new spatial modes of instabilities under certain conditions. Both modes are found to be enhanced with increasing the strength of the field. The more dominant instability mode is found to exist for a wider range of values of the wave number in the axial direction. The effect of variable applied electric field is found to increase the growth rates of the disturbances but operate over a more restricted domain in the axial wave number.     

Transportation of dry fine powders by coordinated friction manipulation

The transportation of dry fine powders is an emerging technologic task, as in biotechnology, pharmaceutical or coatings industry particle sizes of processed powders are getting smaller and smaller. Fine powders are primarily defined by the fact that adhesive and cohesive forces outweigh the weight forces. This leads to mostly unwanted agglomeration (clumping) and adhesion to surfaces, what makes it more difficult to use conventional conveyor systems (e. g. pneumatic or vibratory conveyors) for transport. A rather new method for transporting these fine powders is based on ultrasonic vibrations, which are used to reduce friction and adhesion between powder and the substrate. One very effective set-up consists of a pipe, which vibrates harmoniously in axial direction at low frequency combined with a pulsed radial high frequency vibration. The high frequency vibration accelerates the particles perpendicular to the surface of the pipe, which in average leads to lower normal and thereby smaller friction force. With coordinated friction manipulation the powder acceleration can be varied so that the powder may be greatly accelerated and only slightly decelerated in each excitation period of the low frequency axial vibration of the pipe. The amount of powder flow is adjustable by vibration amplitudes, frequencies, and pulse rate, which makes the device versatile for comparable high volume and fine dosing using one setup. Within this contribution an experimental set-up consisting of a pipe, a solenoid actuator for axial vibration and a piezoelectric actuator for the radial high frequency vibration is described. An analytical model is shown, that simulates the powder velocity. Finally, simulation results are validated by experimental data for different driving parameters such as amplitude of low frequency vibration, pipe material and inclination angle. (© 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Effects of an induced magnetic field on the peristaltic flow of a third‐order fluid

In this article, we carry out the effect of an induced magnetic field on the peristaltic transport of an incompressible conducting third order fluid in a symmetric channel. The flow analysis has been developed for low Reynolds number and long wave length approximation. Analytical solutions have been established for the axial velocity, stream function, magnetic force function, and axial‐induced magnetic field. The effects of pertinent parameters on the pressure rise per wavelength are investigated by using numerical integration. Besides this, we study the effect of these parameters on the pressure gradient and axial induced magnetic field. The phenomena of trapping and pumping are also discussed. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq, 2010     

小血管血流速度分布的一种计算方法

本文所提出的计算方法,其基础是对血液流动微连续统模型作了一种边界条件的改进,设想了血管内壁面上血细胞速度可能不为零.对于由Eringen所提出的关于刚性圆管中稳态血液流动方程,假设了血管内壁面上血细胞的旋转速度,及血细胞旋转速度分布曲线在管轴处的斜率,导出了计算血管中速度分布曲线的方法,并将按此理论计算而得的曲线与Bugliarello和Hayden在实验中测得的分布曲线及由Turk,Sylvester和Ariman所提出的计算公式的结果相比较.     

Effect of wall compliance on compressible fluid transport induced by a surface acoustic wave in a microchannel

Effects of complaint wall properties on the flow of a Newtonian viscous compressible fluid has been studied when the wave propagating (surface acoustic wave, SAW) along the walls in a confined parallel‐plane microchannel is conducted by considering the slip velocity. A perturbation technique has been employed to analyze the problem where the amplitude ratio (wave amplitude/half width of channel) is chosen as a parameter. In the second order approximation, the net axial velocity is calculated for various values of the fluid parameters and wall parameters. The phenomenon of the “mean flow reversal” is found to exist both at the center and at the boundaries of the channel. The effect of damping force, wall tension, and compressibility parameter on the mean axial velocity and reversal flow has been investigated, also the critical values of the tension are calculated for the pertinent flow parameters. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 27: 621–636, 2011 Keywords:     

圆截面螺旋管道内非定常流动研究

以血液流动为背景,利用双参数摄动法研究了圆截面螺旋管内低频振荡流动,得到问题的二阶摄动解,分析了轴向速度、二次流、壁面剪应力在不同时刻的特点及随时间和Womersley数的变化情况。研究表明:挠率对圆截面曲线管道内低频振荡流动的影响不可忽略,尤其是轴向压力梯度绝对值很小时,挠率将对二次流动结构起主要影响作用。流函数的剧烈变化只发生在正、负数值发生转变的很小的时间段内,大部分时间段内变化平缓。壁面剪应力随θ的变化也很大。     

Peristaltic transport of a Newtonian fluid in a vertical asymmetric channel with heat transfer and porous medium

The problem of peristaltic flow of a Newtonian fluid with heat transfer in a vertical asymmetric channel through porous medium is studied under long-wavelength and low-Reynolds number assumptions. The flow is examined in a wave frame of reference moving with the velocity of the wave. The channel asymmetry is produced by choosing the peristaltic wave train on the walls to have different amplitudes and phase. The analytical solution has been obtained in the form of temperature from which an axial velocity, stream function and pressure gradient have been derived. The effects of permeability parameter, Grashof number, heat source/sink parameter, phase difference, varying channel width and wave amplitudes on the pressure gradient, velocity, pressure drop, the phenomenon of trapping and shear stress are discussed numerically and explained graphically.