Unsteady flow visualization at part-load conditions of a radial diffuser pump: by PIV and CFD

The present study provides flow visualization on complex internal flows in a radial diffuser pump under part-load conditions by using the three-dimensional Navier-Stokes code CFX-10 with Detached Eddy Simulation (DES) turbulence model. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurements have been conducted to validate numerical results. The CFD results show good agreements with experimental ones on both the phase-averaged velocity fields and turbulence field. The detailed flow analysis shows that no separation occurs at 0.75Q_des although a low-velocity zone develops on the rear impeller suction side. Steady flow separations are observed on the impeller suction sides at 0.5Qdes but with different onsets and amounts. When reducing the flow rate to 0.25Q_des, CFD predicts different types of back flows in the impeller region, including steady leading edge separations, rotating vortex in the impeller wake region, and back flow on the impeller pressure side.     

Attenuation in trabecular bone: A comparison between numerical simulation and experimental results in human femur

Numerical simulations (finite-difference time domain) are compared to experimental results of ultrasound wave propagation through human trabecular bones. Three-dimensional high-resolution microcomputed tomography reconstructions served as input geometry for the simulation. The numerical simulation took into account scattering, but not absorption. Simulated and experimental values of the attenuation coefficients (alpha, dB/cm) and the normalized broadband ultrasound attenuation (nBUA, dB/cm/MHz) were measured and compared on a set of 28 samples. While experimental and simulated nBUA values were highly correlated (R(2)=0.83), and showed a similar dependence with bone volume fraction, the simulation correctly predicted experimental nBUA values only for low bone volume fraction (BV/TV). Attenuation coefficients were underestimated by the simulation. The absolute difference between experimental and simulated alpha values increased with both BV/TV and frequency. As a function of frequency, the relative difference between experimental and simulated alpha values decreased from 60% around 400 kHz to 30% around 1.2 MHz. Under the assumption that the observed discrepancy expresses the effect of the absorption, our results suggests that nBUA and its dependence on BV/TV can be mostly explained by scattering, and that the relative contribution of scattering to alpha increases with frequency, becoming predominant (>50 %) over absorption for frequencies above 600 kHz.     

FEL gain in the pulsed regime: a comparison between numerical and analytical results

Summary In this paper we present simple and general formulae for the FEL gain in the pulsed regime including both the longitudinal mode coupling and the lethargy effect. Such relations, obtained from a numerical integration of the pulse propagation equations, are then compared to similar expressions obtained analitycally in the limiting case of the long bunch approximation and the agreement is shown to be excellent.

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Riassunto In questo lavoro vengono derivate formule semplici e generali relative al guadagno FEL in regime impulsato. Tali formule tengono conto dell'accoppiamento tra i modi longitudinali e dell'effetto di letargia. Le relazioni di cui sopra sono ottenute nell'ambito di una trattazione numerica delle equazioni di propagazione degli impulsi e sono poi comparate ad analoghe espressioni ottenute per via analitica nel caso limite di pacchetto di elettroni lungo. Si dimostra come l'accordo sia particolarmente buono.

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Резюме В зтой статье мы приводим простые и общие формулы для усиления для лазера на свободных злектронах в импульсном режиме, учитывая связь продольных мод и зффект летаргии. Зти соотношения, полченные с помощью численного интегрирования уравнений распространения импульса, затем сравниваются с аналогичными выражениями, полученными аналитически в предельном случае приближения длинного сгустка, и получается хорошее согласие.

     

Experiments on the unsteady flow field and noise generation in a centrifugal pump impeller

This paper reports on an experimental investigation of large-scale flowfield instabilities in a pump rotor and the process of noise generation by these instabilities. Measurements of the fluctuating components of velocity and surface pressure were made with hot-wire probes and surface mounted pressure transducers on a seven bladed back swept centrifugal water pump impeller operating with air as the working fluid. The impeller was operated without a volute or scroll diffuser, thereby eliminating any sound generation from pressure fluctuations on the volute cutoff. Thus the study focused on flow field and noise components other than the blade passage frequency (and its harmonics). The primary goal of the study was to provide fundamental information on the unsteady flow processes, particularly those associated with the noise generation in the device. It was further anticipated that detailed flow measurements would be useful for the validation of future computational simulations.The measured data at the discharge show a jet-wake type of flow pattern which results in a strong vorticity field. The flow with high velocity found on the pressure side of the impeller tends to move to the low-pressure region present at the suction side of the passage as a form of roll-up around the blade trailing edge. This motion causes an unsteady flow separation at the suction side of the blade and consequently disturbs the flow in the adjacent passage. By interacting with the impeller blades near the trailing edges, this instability flow causes a periodic pressure fluctuation on the blade surface and generates noise by a trailing edge generation mechanism. The spectrum of surface pressure measured at the trailing edge of each blade reveals a cluster of peaks which were identified with azimuthal mode numbers. The correlation between the acoustic farfield pressure and the surface pressure on the impeller blade has proven that the azimuthal modes synchronized with the number of impeller blades generate noise much more efficiently than the other modes. The paper also clarifies the correlation between unsteady flowfield measurements, in both impeller and laboratory co-ordinates, with the radiated noise properties. Thus some light is shed on the noise generation mechanisms of this particular device.     

Comparison between maximum radial expansion of ultrasound contrast agents and experimental postexcitation signal results

Experimental postexcitation signal data of collapsing Definity microbubbles are compared with the Marmottant theoretical model for large amplitude oscillations of ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs). After taking into account the insonifying pulse characteristics and size distribution of the population of UCAs, a good comparison between simulated results and previously measured experimental data is obtained by determining a threshold maximum radial expansion (Rmax) to indicate the onset of postexcitation. This threshold Rmax is found to range from 3.4 to 8.0 times the initial bubble radius, R0, depending on insonification frequency. These values are well above the typical free bubble inertial cavitation threshold commonly chosen at 2R0. The close agreement between the experiment and models suggests that lipid-shelled UCAs behave as unshelled bubbles during most of a large amplitude cavitation cycle, as proposed in the Marmottant equation.     

Conservative numerical simulation of multi-component transport in two-dimensional unsteady shallow water flow

An explicit finite volume model to simulate two-dimensional shallow water flow with multi-component transport is presented. The governing system of coupled conservation laws demands numerical techniques to avoid unrealistic values of the transported scalars that cannot be avoided by decreasing the size of the time step. The presence of non conservative products such as bed slope and friction terms, and other source terms like diffusion and reaction, can make necessary the reduction of the time step given by the Courant number. A suitable flux difference redistribution that prevents instability and ensures conservation at all times is used to deal with the non-conservative terms and becomes necessary in cases of transient boundaries over dry bed. The resulting method belongs to the category of well-balanced Roe schemes and is able to handle steady cases with flow in motion. Test cases with exact solution, including transient boundaries, bed slope, friction, and reaction terms are used to validate the numerical scheme. Laboratory experiments are used to validate the techniques when dealing with complex systems as the κ–?$\kappa ''–''?$ model. The results of the proposed numerical schemes are compared with the ones obtained when using uncoupled formulations.     

Study of a vibrating plate: comparison between experimental (ESPI) and analytical results

Real-time electronic speckle pattern interferometry (ESPI) was used for tuning and visualization of natural frequencies of a trapezoidal plate. The plate was excited to resonant vibration by a sinusoidal acoustical source, which provided a continuous range of audio frequencies. Fringe patterns produced during the time-average recording of the vibrating plate—corresponding to several resonant frequencies—were registered. From these interferograms, calculations of vibrational amplitudes by means of zero-order Bessel functions were performed in some particular cases. The system was also studied analytically. The analytical approach developed is based on the Rayleigh–Ritz method and on the use of non-orthogonal right triangular co-ordinates. The deflection of the plate is approximated by a set of beam characteristic orthogonal polynomials generated by using the Gram–Schmidt procedure. A high degree of correlation between computational analysis and experimental results was observed.     

光腔与扩压器的一体化优化数值模拟

采用数值模拟方法对化学氧碘化学激光器光腔通道、超声速扩压器一体化方案的优化展开研究,对扩压器的角度、构型、背压等参数对扩压性能的影响以及对光腔内流场的影响进行计算和分析。研究结果表明：传统的直接扩散型以及平直段+扩散段型的超声速扩压器,抵抗背压影响的能力较弱,且光腔出口处静压急剧升高,影响了光腔内的流场;通过在平直段+扩散段型的超声速扩压器的平直段部分,插入数片楔形体,可以将扩压器的工作背压提升33%以上,且可以有效地隔绝扩压器对光腔内流场的不利影响,从而使光腔下游的逆压梯度大大降低;同时,由于缩短了扩压器的长度,扩压器的总压损失明显降低,冷流状态下的总压恢复系数达到0.484。     

Characterization of a diffuser flow by time-resolved PIV

Computational fluid dynamics is extensively used in the design methodology of medical devices. However, for such applications, the predictive capabilities of CFD codes are highly dependent upon geometry, which most of the time is extremely complex, and flow conditions. The study concerns a ventricular assist device (VAD) where the exit flow, generated through a diffuser, is of particular importance for blood damage predictions. The difficulty to predict the flow lies in the fact that the Reynolds number range includes the transition Reynolds number of the separated diffuser flow as well as the critical Reynolds number of pipe flows. In order to choose the appropriate CFD methodology in terms of flow hypothesis and turbulence model, an experimental setup of the diffuser was built to run PIV velocity measurements and to analyze the flow pattern with the influence of Reynolds number. The flow is described with mean and variance values of the in-plane velocity components and timeresolved results are used to visualize the development of unsteady phenomena introduced in the diffuser separated region. An optimal filter is also used to remove noise in measured velocity vector fields.     

Quantitative comparison between theoretical predictions and experimental results for the BCS-BEC crossover

Theoretical predictions for the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer-Bose-Einstein condensation crossover of trapped Fermi atoms are compared with recent experimental results for the density profiles of 6Li. The calculations rest on a single theoretical approach that includes pairing fluctuations beyond mean-field. Excellent agreement with experimental results is obtained. Theoretical predictions for the zero-temperature chemical potential and gap at the unitarity limit are also found to compare extremely well with Quantum Monte Carlo simulations and with recent experimental results.     

Electroconvection in nematic liquid crystals: comparison between experimental results and the hydrodynamic model

We describe experimental observations illustrating the extraordinary sensitivity of pattern formation in electroconvection in nematic liquid crystals to changes in magnitude and sign of dynamic transport coefficients triggered by weak fluctuations from a lower temperature nematic-smectic A phase transition. These results are compared to predictions of a hydrodynamic model (HM). We find two patterns at onset not predicted by HM: a rectangular pattern of short normal rolls, and, at lower temperatures, localized patterns coexisting with the subcritical state.     

Guided waves in a plate with linearly varying thickness: experimental and numerical results

The aim of this work is to give experimental and numerical results on the behaviour of guided waves that propagate downslope in a free elastic plate with slowly linearly varying thickness. We show experimentally the propagation of adiabatic modes, which are guided waves that adapt to the varying thickness of the plate. As the thickness is decreasing, a given guided wave will reach its thickness cut-off. When this happens, we show that two phenomena occur: the reflection of this wave and its propagation backward in the plate, its conversion into a different guided wave which goes on propagating downslope in the plate. The numerical study is done with the software Ansys, based on the finite element method. The results obtained confirm the experimental ones.     

A comparison between analytic and numerical methods for modelling automotive dissipative silencers with mean flow

Identifying an appropriate method for modelling automotive dissipative silencers normally requires one to choose between analytic and numerical methods. It is common in the literature to justify the choice of an analytic method based on the assumption that equivalent numerical techniques are more computationally expensive. The validity of this assumption is investigated here, and the relative speed and accuracy of two analytic methods are compared to two numerical methods for a uniform dissipative silencer that contains a bulk reacting porous material separated from a mean gas flow by a perforated pipe. The numerical methods are developed here with a view to speeding up transmission loss computation, and are based on a mode matching scheme and a hybrid finite element method. The results presented demonstrate excellent agreement between the analytic and numerical models provided a sufficient number of propagating acoustic modes are retained. However, the numerical mode matching method is shown to be the fastest method, significantly outperforming an equivalent analytic technique. Moreover, the hybrid finite element method is demonstrated to be as fast as the analytic technique. Accordingly, both numerical techniques deliver fast and accurate predictions and are capable of outperforming equivalent analytic methods for automotive dissipative silencers.     

Spatio-temporal dynamics of cavitation bubble clouds in a low frequency reactor: comparison between theoretical and experimental results.

The propagation of ultrasound through a liquid induces the growth of inceptions and germs into bubbles. In a low frequency reactor, fragmentary transient bubbles emerge due to the acoustic driving. They violently collapse in one cycle and fragment into many smaller bubbles than in turn cavitate. This violent collapse is responsible for the mechanical effects of ultrasounds effects. The latter bubbles gather in a ball-shaped cloud and migrate to pressure antinodes. During their migration, their nonexplosive collapses mainly contribute to activate chemical reactions by producing OH. radicals. Mathematical modelling is performed as a new approach to predict the bubbles field. Through numerical simulation, we determinate emergence sites of mechanically active cavitation bubbles. Calculus are compared with aluminium foil degradation. The modelling of bubble migration allow us to have an insight on the privileged sites of the chemical reactions. Validation of the modelling is made through direct comparison with chemiluminescence photo. All experiments and computations are made in a 28.2 kHz sonoreactor.     

Theoretical simulation and experimental validation of inverse quasi-one-dimensional steady and unsteady glottal flow models

In physical modeling of phonation, the pressure drop along the glottal constriction is classically assessed with the glottal geometry and the subglottal pressure as known input parameters. Application of physical modeling to study phonation abnormalities and pathologies requires input parameters related to in vivo measurable quantities commonly corresponding to the physical model output parameters. Therefore, the current research presents the inversion of some popular simplified flow models in order to estimate the subglottal pressure, the glottal constriction area, or the separation coefficient inherent to the simplified flow modeling for steady and unsteady flow conditions. The inverse models are firstly validated against direct simulations and secondly against in vitro measurements performed for different configurations of rigid vocal fold replicas mounted in a suitable experimental setup. The influence of the pressure corrections related to viscosity and flow unsteadiness on the flow modeling is quantified. The inversion of one-dimensional glottal flow models including the major viscous effects can predict the main flow quantities with respect to the in vitro measurements. However, the inverse model accuracy is strongly dependent on the pertinence of the direct flow modeling. The choice of the separation coefficient is preponderant to obtain pressure predictions relevant to the experimental data.     

Experimental and numerical investigation of the unsteady flow field and tone generation in an isolated centrifugal fan impeller

In spite of a low circumferential Mach number the sound of isolated centrifugal fan impellers is sometimes dominated by distinctive tones at blade passing frequency (BPF) and integer multiples. This paper reports on an experimental and numerical investigation intended to unveil the tone generating mechanism. The sound spectra from three impellers operating at a large range of speed were measured and decomposed into Strouhal and Helmholtz number dependent functions. This led to the preliminary conclusion that the BPF related tones are exclusively flow-induced. Based on hot-wire and blade pressure fluctuation measurements and a subsequent correlation analysis, coherent flow structures different from those associated with the principal azimuthal flow pattern due to the blades were detected. Eventually a numerical three-dimensional unsteady flow simulation revealed an inlet vortex. It takes on a helical form, with the vortex core slowly varying its position with respect to the impeller center. As the blades cut through that quasi-stationary helical vortex they encounter blade force fluctuations, producing the BPF tones. Slow spin of the vortex core and slow variation of vortex strength were identified as the reasons for amplitude modulation of the BPF tone.     

A numerical and experimental study of the high-enthalpy high-speed cavity flow

Results of an experimental and numerical study of supersonic turbulent high-enthalpy flow in a channel with cavity are reported. On the basis of wind-tunnel tests performed in the IT-302M short duration wind tunnel, data on the flow structure and on the distribution of static pressure along the model walls were obtained. These data were subsequently used to verify the numerical algorithm. In the calculations, a parametric study of the effects of Mach number, cavity configuration, and temperature factor on flow quantities was performed. It was numerically shown that variation of the above parameters leads to a transition of the flow regimes in the vicinity of the cavity.