Assessment of force models on finite-sized particles at finite Reynolds numbers

Finite-sized inertial spherical particles are fully-resolved with the immersed boundary projection method(IBPM) in the turbulent open-channel flow by direct numerical simulation(DNS). The accuracy of the particle surface force models is investigated in comparison with the total force obtained via the fully-resolved method. The results show that the steady-state resistance only performs well in the streamwise direction, while the fluid acceleration force, the added-mass force, and the shear-induc...     

Efficient calculation of the history force at finite Reynolds numbers

Well-acknowledged problems associated with modeling the history force in large, many-particle simulations are related to the need to store and integrate over the entire lifetime of the particle. To address this concern, a computationally efficient method for calculating the history force (the “window model”) was developed based on the assumption of weak changes in acceleration in the recent relevant history of the particle. This assumption leads to the design of a model with a truncated integration interval which requires storage of and integration over a much shorter period of the particle’s history compared to other history force models. The truncation of the integration window can yield more than an order of magnitude savings in CPU time. In a related study, the two empirical coefficients of the Mei & Adrian history force kernel have been optimized (based on comparison with experimental data for falling particles) to give improved predictions of the data. Both the new history force kernel and the window model have been investigated for a large range of experimental data yielding, to the authors’ knowledge, the most extensive comparison yet conducted. For falling particles, the new history force kernel shows good predictions for particle Reynolds numbers ranging from 9 to 853 and density ratios from 1.17 to 9.32. Good predictions were also obtained using the window model when changes in particle relative acceleration over the window period were modest. For particles under forced oscillating in a quiescent fluid, the history kernel was generally reasonable but did not predict the peak forces well in all cases. This may be explained by noting that the assumption of a t⁻² long-time dependence for the finite Reynolds number history force kernel may become invalid during rapid deceleration and wake ingestion (which can lead to exponential or t⁻¹ behavior). However, the finite Reynolds number kernel gives better predictions in all cases than those made using the Basset history force. The window model was only reasonable for the oscillating particle cases when the changes in the relative particle acceleration over the integration window were small.     

On the added mass force at finite Reynolds and acceleration numbers

Numerical simulations of flow around a rigid sphere, subjected to a sudden acceleration (or deceleration) in relative velocity, are considered. Particular attention is paid to the interaction between the imposed sudden acceleration and a preexisting finite Re wake. The results clearly establish the independence of added mass coefficient to the acceleration number and to the state of flow prior to acceleration. A simple reasoning based on the different time scales of the flow is given.     

Peristaltic flow at finite Reynolds numbers

In this article the author discusses the results of a numerical investigtion of peristaltic flow at finite Reynolds numbers and finite wave numbers and amplitudes of the traveling wave at the channel walls. The limits of applicability of the data of the asymptotic analysis carried out [6] by means of separate expansions in powers of the Reynolds number and the wave number are determined. It is shown that with increase in the Reynolds number the possibility of transition, under certain conditions, to the flow structure corresponding to nonaxial trapping is preserved.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 3, pp. 11–15, May–June, 1985.The author wishes to thank E. M. Zhukhovitskii for his interest in the work.     

Hydrodynamic drag of an ellipsoidal droplet at small Reynolds numbers

At present, there is an absence of the accurate data on the influence of the shape of a droplet on its hydrodynamic drag and mass transfer without which the design of mass transfer apparatus is impossible [1–3]. Most often it is assumed that the drag of an ellipsoidal liquid droplet as it moves along the axis of symmetry is determined by the product of the drag of a spherical liquid droplet and a coefficient which takes into account the shape and is determined from the drag of a solid ellipsoid for which the exact solutions are known. It is shown below that this assumption is not always valid.Translated from Tzvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 3, pp. 4–8, May–June, 1987.     

Treadmilling swimmers near a no-slip wall at low Reynolds number

The motion of a circular treadmilling low Reynolds number swimmer near a no-slip wall is studied analytically. First, the exact solution of Jeffrey and Onishi [Q. J. Mech. Appl. Math., 34 (1981)] for a translating and rotating solid cylinder near a no-slip wall is rederived using a novel conformal mapping approach that differs from the original derivation which employed bipolar coordinates. Then it is shown that this solution can be combined with the reciprocal theorem, and the calculus of residues, to produce an explicit non-linear dynamical system for the treadmilling swimmer's velocity and angular velocity. The resulting non-linear dynamical system governing the swimmer motion is used to corroborate the qualitative results obtained by an approximate model of the same swimmer recently presented in Crowdy and Or [Phys. Rev. E., 81 (2010)].     

Approximate solutions for power-law fluid flow past a particle at low Reynolds numbers

A simple perturbation approximation is proposed for describing flow behaviour of particles immersed in a uniform flow and an extensional flow of power-law fluids. The present solution for particles in a uniform flow field is in good agreement with the numerical solution in the literature. Theoretical predictions indicate that the effect of pseudoplasticity on flow around particles in an extensional flow field is small compared with that for particles in a uniform flow field.From the viewpoint of perturbation techniques, existing analytical solutions based on linearization of the equations of motion for particle in a power-law fluid are re-examined. Mass transfer to a power-law fluid from a particle is also discussed.     

Diffusion to a particle at large péclet numbers and small Reynolds and Hartmann numbers

A study is made of the influence of a homogeneous magnetic field on the mass transfer for a spherical solid particle and a liquid drop in a flow of a viscous electrically conducting fluid. The previously obtained [1] velocity field of the fluid is used to calculate the concentration distribution in the diffusion boundary layer, the density of the diffusion flux, and the Nusselt number, which characterizes the mass transfer between the particle and the surrounding medium.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 1, pp. 189–192, January–February, 1980.     

High-fidelity simulations of moving and flexible airfoils at low Reynolds numbers

The present paper highlights results derived from the application of a high-fidelity simulation technique to the analysis of low-Reynolds-number transitional flows over moving and flexible canonical configurations motivated by small natural and man-made flyers. This effort addresses three separate fluid dynamic phenomena relevant to small fliers, including: laminar separation and transition over a stationary airfoil, transition effects on the dynamic stall vortex generated by a plunging airfoil, and the effect of flexibility on the flow structure above a membrane airfoil. The specific cases were also selected to permit comparison with available experimental measurements. First, the process of transition on a stationary SD7003 airfoil section over a range of Reynolds numbers and angles of attack is considered. Prior to stall, the flow exhibits a separated shear layer which rolls up into spanwise vortices. These vortices subsequently undergo spanwise instabilities, and ultimately breakdown into fine-scale turbulent structures as the boundary layer reattaches to the airfoil surface. In a time-averaged sense, the flow displays a closed laminar separation bubble which moves upstream and contracts in size with increasing angle of attack for a fixed Reynolds number. For a fixed angle of attack, as the Reynolds number decreases, the laminar separation bubble grows in vertical extent producing a significant increase in drag. For the lowest Reynolds number considered (Re _c  = 10⁴), transition does not occur over the airfoil at moderate angles of attack prior to stall. Next, the impact of a prescribed high-frequency small-amplitude plunging motion on the transitional flow over the SD7003 airfoil is investigated. The motion-induced high angle of attack results in unsteady separation in the leading edge and in the formation of dynamic-stall-like vortices which convect downstream close to the airfoil. At the lowest value of Reynolds number (Re _c  = 10⁴), transition effects are observed to be minor and the dynamic stall vortex system remains fairly coherent. For Re _c  = 4 × 10⁴, the dynamic-stall vortex system is laminar at is inception, however shortly afterwards, it experiences an abrupt breakdown associated with the onset of spanwise instability effects. The computed phased-averaged structures for both values of Reynolds number are found to be in good agreement with the experimental data. Finally, the effect of structural compliance on the unsteady flow past a membrane airfoil is investigated. The membrane deformation results in mean camber and large fluctuations which improve aerodynamic performance. Larger values of lift and a delay in stall are achieved relative to a rigid airfoil configuration. For Re _c = 4.85 × 10⁴, it is shown that correct prediction of the transitional process is critical to capturing the proper membrane structural response.     

Characteristics of the near wake of a cylinder at low Reynolds numbers

An experimental study has been made of the near wake of two two-dimensional bluff bodies, a circular cylinder and a flat ribbon in the regimes corresponding to the 2-D steady and 2-D periodic wake. Velocity measurements from both hot-wire and laser Doppler anemometry are compared. Detailed measurements of the velocity field in air in the near wake, in isothermal conditions, are presented. The evolutions of the mean longitudinal velocity and the rms transverse velocity fluctuation on the center line can be plotted in a universal form whatever the value of the Reynolds number. These measurements show also that the onset of the instability is related to a critical value of an interaction term characteristic of the strength of the shear layers and the shear layer spacing at the end of the recirculation zone.     

Forces on a spherical particle in shear flow at intermediate Reynolds numbers

When particles are submerged in a shear flow, there are lateral (lift) forces on the particles, and these lateral forces affect the dispersion of the particles very much. Recent literature survey indicates that there are large discrepancies among the results from the previous numerical investigations on this subject. A small computational domain ranging between 20–30 sphere radii was used in all the previous numerical investigations. However, the result from the present study reveals that the value of lift coefficient strongly depends on the size of computational domain. To provide correct numerical data and physical interpretation for the forces on a spherical particle in linear shear flow, accurate numerical computations were performed for 5≤Re≤200 using a computational domain of 101 sphere radii.     

Force and torque formulae for a sphere moving in an axisymmetric stokes flow with finite boundaries: asymmetric stokeslets near a hole in a plane wall

A sphere is allowed to move with three degrees of freedom in an axisymmetric flow field and general formulae, correct to the third power of the sphere's radius, are developed for the Stokes resistance experienced by the sphere. These are shown to depend on the behaviour within the sphere of the reflected velocity fields which arise from the presence of fixed boundaries at finite distances from stokeslets placed at the sphere's center. Application is made to the stagnation flow at a plane. Poiseuille flow and flow past a sphere and some comparisons made with exact formulae. Solutions are given for asymmetrically placed stokeslets near a hole in a plane wall or a disk.     

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.     

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.     

Mass transfer to particle clusters and bubbles in a fluidized bed at low Reynolds numbers

The process of mass transfer to a particle cluster or bubble rising in a developed fluidized bed rapidly enough for a region of closed circulation of the fluidizing agent (cloud) to be formed is investigated in the Stokes approximation on the basis of a model of the steady-state motion of the fluid and solid phases near the cluster or bubble [1]. Within the cloud surroundinga local inhomogeneity of the fluidized bed intense mixing of the fluid phase takes place and the mass transfer between the cloud and the surrounding medium is determined by diffusion. The method of matched asymptotic expansions is used to obtain an analytic solution of the problem of the concentration field and the diffusion mass flux to the surface of the cloud at small and large values of the Péclet number. The latter is determined from the relative velocity of the cluster, the radius of the cloud, and the effective diffusion coefficient. In the limiting case of zero concentration of the solid phase within the cluster the solution obtained describes the mass transfer to a bubble in the fluidized bed. A comparison is made with the corresponding results previously obtained within the framework of a model of the solid phase as an inviscid fluid [2]. It is shown that the effect of viscosity on the mass transfer to the bubble is most important at large Péclet numbers, and that the correction to the total diffusion flux to the surface of the closed circulation zone due to viscosity effects may reach 40%.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 4, pp. 60–67, July–August, 1986.     

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.     

Effects of vibrations on particle motion near a wall: Existence of attraction force

The effects of small vibrations on a particle oscillating near a solid wall in a fluid cell, relevant to material processing such as crystal growth in space, have been investigated experimentally and theoretically. Assuming the boundary layer around the particle to be thin compared to the particle radius at high vibration frequencies, an inviscid fluid model was developed to predict the motion of a spherical particle placed near a wall of a rectangular liquid-filled cell subjected to a sinusoidal vibration. Under these conditions, a non-uniform pressure distribution around the particle results in an average pressure that gives rise to an attraction force. Theoretical expressions for the attraction force are derived for the particle vibrating normal to and parallel with the nearest cell wall. The magnitude of this attractive force has been verified experimentally by measuring the motion of a steel particle suspended in the fluid cell by a thin wire. Experiments performed at high frequencies showed that the mean particle position, when the particle is brought near a cell wall, shifts towards the same wall, and is dependent on the cell amplitude and frequency, particle and fluid densities.