Lagrangian PTV in 3D flows

Particle Tracking Velocimetry (PTV) is one of the evolving techniques which can cover the increasing need for measurements in a Lagrangian frame. Here some recent developments and the validation of the tracking scheme on the Kinematic Simulation Inertial Model (KSIM) test flow field is presented.     

3D PTV measurement of oscillatory thermocapillary convection in half-zone liquid bridge

Three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of a unique particle motion in oscillatory thermocapillary convections in a small-sized half-zone liquid bridge with a radius of O (1 mm) was carried out by applying 3D particle tracking velocimetry (PTV). By placing a small cubic beam splitter above a transparent top rod, simultaneous observation of the particles in the bridge by use of two CCD cameras was realized. Reconstruction of the 3D trajectories and the particle velocity fields in several types of oscillatory flow regimes was conducted successfully for a sufficiently long period without losing particle tracking.     

Assessment of spatial derivatives determined from scattered 3D PTV data

Based on a linear regression model, we propose a numerical method to determine the spatial derivatives from scattered 3D PTV (particle-tracking velocimetry) data. Various quantities allowing an assessment of the numerically calculated gradients are introduced and their reliability is investigated. The performance of the numerical scheme and of the “quality estimators” was examined for different synthetic data sets obtained from Burgers' vortex. The energy dissipation was computed from experimental PTV measurements performed for a forward-facing step configuration. Received: 11 March 1999/Accepted: 8 August 2000     

Interpolation of Scattered 3D PTV Data to a Regular Grid

The velocity data obtained by many 3D measurement methods such as particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) are not regularly distributed in3D space. We revised three numerical schemes to interpolate the scattered velocity vectors to a regularly spaced grid. Additionally, two techniques were examined to smooth the resulting flow field. The different algorithms were tested for a synthetic data set based on the analytical solution of Burgers' vortex. To study the impact of measurement errors a Gaussian noise was superimposed on the exact solution. It was found that an interpolation scheme of higher order does not necessarily perform better than one of lower order. The most‘robust’ algorithm was used to process 3D PTV data, which were obtained from measurements of a separating flow in a forward facing step configuration. Information on the 3D streamlines and vortex structures was obtained. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The application of a 3D PTV algorithm to a mixed convection flow

A 3D particle-tracking velocimetry (PTV) algorithm is applied to the wake flow behind a heated cylinder. The method is tested in advance with respect to its accuracy and performance. In the accuracy tests, its capability to locate particles in 3D space is tested. It appears that the algorithm can determine the particle position with an accuracy of less than 0.5 camera pixels, equivalent to 0.3 mm in the present test situation. The performance tests show that for particles located in a 2D plane, the algorithm can track the particles with a vector yield reaching 100%, which means that a velocity vector can be determined for almost all particles detected. The calculated velocity vectors for this situation have a standard deviation of less than 1%. The performance is also tested on a mixed convection flow behind a heated cylinder in which the 2D flow transits into a 3D flow. As there is no exact solution of such a flow available, the 3D PTV results are compared with visualisation results. The results show that the 3D PTV method can capture the main features of the 3D transition of the 2D vortex street.     

A Lagrangian vortex method for unbounded flows

A technique is presented for velocity calculations on the highly distorted node distributions typical of those found in Lagrangian vortex methods. The method solves the partial differential equation for streamfunction directly on the nodes, via a sparse, symmetric system of equations that can be solved using standard iterative solvers. When implemented in a triangulated vortex method, the technique gives computation times which scale as N^1.23, where N is the number of nodes. The computation scheme is derived for two‐dimensional problems and applied to the prediction of the evolution of perturbed multipolar vortices. Due to the numerical performance of the method, it has been possible to examine such evolution at higher and lower Reynolds numbers than have been considered in published numerical studies. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

气固两相流中颗粒弥散的拉格朗日模拟

本文提出了一种对于均匀,稳定及各向同性气固两相紊流场中圆形固体颗粒弥散的拉格朗日模拟计算方法,应用该方法对带有网栅的垂直与水平管道中均匀,稳定的气固两相流模拟计算结果与Snyder及Wells等人所做的相同情况下的试验结果进行了比较,以证明该模拟计算方法的有效性,。     

横向三维化学反应流动数值模拟

对一个三维化学反应流程序作了改进,使之适应于模拟带横向碘蒸汽注入的COIL(化学氧碘激光)喷管流动。其中,主副气流的入流边界条件的改进是基本的,重要的。这里,入流边界附近的气体流动被视为一维均熵流动,用双曲方程的特征理论,分析以流量作变量的EULER方程的特征关系,用特征方法数值求解简化的特征方程,从而确定亚声速(跨声速)流动边界点的入流密度或速度。对相关文献提供的算例的计算,佐证了程序改进的有效性。对氮气作载气的条件也作了模拟,得出了与氦气条件不同的流动特征与增益分布特征。     

A numerical method for 3D barotropic flows in turbomachinery

A numerical method for the simulation of 3D inviscid barotropic flows in rotating frames is presented. A barotropic state law incorporating a homogeneous-flow cavitation model is considered. The discretisation is based on a finite-volume formulation applicable to unstructured grids. A shock-capturing Roe-type upwind scheme is proposed for barotropic flows. The accuracy of the proposed method at low Mach numbers is ensured by ad-hoc preconditioning, preserving time consistency. An implicit time advancing only relying on the algebraic properties of the Roe flux function, and thus applicable to a variety of problems, is presented. The proposed numerical ingredients, already validated in a 1D context and applied to 3D non-rotating computations, are then applied to the 3D water flow around a typical turbopump inducer.     

3D phase field modeling of electrohydrodynamic multiphase flows

A 3D phase field model is developed to investigate the electrohydrodynamic (EHD) two phase flows. The explicit finite difference method, enhanced by parallel computing, is employed to solve the coupled nonlinear governing equations for the electric field, the fluid flow field and free surface deformation. Numerical tests indicate that an appropriate interpolation of densities within the interface is critical in ensuring numerical stability for highly stratified flows. The 3D phase field model compares well with the Taylor theory for the deformation of a single dielectric droplet in an electric field. Computed results show that the deformation of a leaky dielectric droplet in an electric field undergoes various stages before it reaches the final oblate shape. This is caused by the free charge relaxation near the fluid–fluid interface. The coalescence of four droplets in an electric field illustrates a truly 3D deformation behavior and a complex evolving fluid flow field associated with the participating droplets. The coalescence is a result of combined actions produced by the global electric force, the circulatory flows generated by the local electrohydrodynamic stress and the electrically-induced deformation. The 3D phase field model is also applied in modeling of an electrohydrodynamic patterning process for manufacturing nanoscaled structures, in which complex 3D flow structures develop as the electrically-induced deformation evolves.     

Preconditioned finite element algorithms for 3D Stokes flows

Preconditioned conjugate gradient algorithms for solving 3D Stokes problems by stable piecewise discontinuous pressure finite elements are presented. The emphasis is on the preconditioning schemes and their numerical implementation for use with Hermitian based discontinuous pressure elements. For the piecewise constant discontinuous pressure elements, a variant implementation of the preconditioner proposed by Cahouet and Chabard for the continuous pressure elements is employed. For the piecewise linear discontinuous pressure elements, a new preconditioner is presented. Numerical examples are presented for the cubic lid-driven cavity problem with two representative elements, i.e. the Q2-PO and the Q2-P1 brick elements. Numerical results show that the preconditioning schemes are very effective in reducing the number of pressure iterations at very reasonable costs. It is also shown that they are insensitive to the mesh Reynolds number except for nearly steady flows (Re_m → 0) and are almost independent of mesh sizes. It is demonstrated that the schemes perform reasonably well on non-uniform meshes.     

Transient 3D flow of polymer solutions: A Lagrangian computational method

We describe a computational method for the numerical simulation of three-dimensional transient flows of polymer solutions that extends the work of Harlen et al. [O.G. Harlen, J.M. Rallison, P. Szabó, A split Lagrangian–Eulerian method for simulating transient viscoelastic flows, J. Non-Newtonian Fluid Mech. 60 (1995) 81–104]. The method uses a Lagrangian computation of the stress together with an Eulerian computation of the velocity field. Adaptive mesh reconnection based on Delaunay tetrahedra is used to ensure well-shaped elements. Additional shape-quality improvement procedures are developed to improve the algorithm. We validate the method for the benchmark problem of a rigid sphere falling in a cylindrical pipe. Inertia is neglected. We compare results for the axisymmetric case with previous work (using a FENE model), and then consider the off-axis non-axisymmetric case. In the latter case, we find that as the sphere falls, it drifts across the pipe, a phenomenon previously observed in experiments but not fully explained. The physical mechanisms that cause the time-dependent drift are identified, and a simple model based on the normal stresses in the fluid is shown to predict the magnitude of the drift velocity.We also consider a second benchmark problem involving a constriction in an axisymmetric pipe. Numerical difficulties associated with ill-shaped elements near the concave boundary arise for higher Weissenberg numbers. The merits and drawbacks of the new numerical method, and its applicability to various flow geometries are discussed.     

A 3D staggered Lagrangian scheme for ideal magnetohydrodynamics on unstructured meshes

In this paper, we propose a 3D staggered Lagrangian scheme for the ideal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) on unstructured meshes. All the thermal variables and the magnetic induction are defined in the cell centers while the fluid velocity is located at the nodes. The meshes are compatibly discretized to ensure the geometric conservation laws in Lagrangian computation by the classical subcell method, then the momentum equation is discretized using the subcell forces and the specific internal energy equation is obtained by the total energy conservation. Invoking the Galilean invariance, magnetic flux conservation, and the thermodynamic consistency, the expressions of subcell force as well as the cell-centered velocity are derived. Besides, the magnetic divergence-free constraint is fulfilled by a projection method after each time step. Various numerical tests are presented to assert the robustness and accuracy of our scheme.     

An implicit Lagrangian lattice Boltzmann method for the compressible flows

In this paper, we propose a new Lagrangian lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) for simulating the compressible flows. The new scheme simulates fluid flows based on the displacement distribution functions. The compressible flows, such as shock waves and contact discontinuities are modelled by using Lagrangian LBM. In this model, we select the element in the Lagrangian coordinate to satisfy the basic fluid laws. This model is a simpler version than the corresponding Eulerian coordinates, because the convection term of the Euler equations disappears. The numerical simulations conform to classical results. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerical simulation of flows over 2D and 3D backward-facing inclined steps

The work deals with the numerical solution of incompressible turbulent flow in a channel with a backward-facing step having various inclination angles. Also, the inclination of upper wall is considered. The mathematical model is based on the Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes equations. The governing equations are closed by the explicit algebraic Reynolds stress (EARSM) model according to Wallin and Johansson or by linear eddy viscosity models (SST, TNT k–ω). The numerical solution is carried out by the implicit finite-volume method based on the artificial compressibility and by the finite-element method amd both approaches compared. The numerical simulations use as reference the experimental data by Makiola and Driver and Seegmiller in large aspect ratio channels. In these cases, the results are obtained by 2D and 3D simulations. Further narrow channel PIV experimental data are used as reference for 3D simulations.