Two dimension-curvilinear grid for open channel flow simulation

A mathematical model for two-dimensional flow simulation in an open channel is developed. The model is obtained through the use of a stretched curvilinear grid which defines points where velocity and surface elevation are simulated. Simulation is achieved by numerically integrating the Navier-Stokes mass and momentum equations using centred finite difference approximations of derivatives. The model uses an implicit discretization scheme, the Newton-Raphson iterative technique and a customized Gauss elimination solving algorithm. The computer program developed for this model was tested for uniform, non-uniform and unsteady flow conditions. The results have been found consistent with theoretical solutions and/or field measurements. Limitation and verification of the model is also outlined.     

A low-Mach number method for the numerical simulation of complex flows

A new numerical procedure which considers a modification to the artificial acoustic stiffness correction method (AASCM) is here presented, to perform simulations of low Mach number flows with the compressible Navier–Stokes equations. An extra term is added to the energy fluxes instead of using an energy source correction term as in the original model. This new scheme re-scales the speed of sound to values similar to the flow velocity, enabling the use of larger time steps and leading to a more stable numerical method. The new method is validated performing Large Eddy Simulations on test problems. The effect of a crucial numerical parameter alpha is evaluated as well as the robustness of the method to variations of the Mach number. Numerical results are compared to the existing experimental data showing that the new method achieves good agreement increasing the time-step, and therefore accelerating the computation for low-Mach convective flows.     

Temporal variation of velocity components in a turbulent open channel flow: Identification of fractal dimensions

Fractals are objects which have similar appearances when viewed at different scales. Such objects have details at arbitrarily small scales, making them too complex to be represented by Euclidian space; hence, they are assigned a non-integer dimension. Some natural phenomena have been modeled as fractals with success; examples include geologic deposits, topographic surfaces and seismic activities. In particular, time series have been represented as a curve with fractal dimensions between one and two. There are different ways to define fractal dimension, most being equivalent in the continuous domain. However, when applied in practice to discrete data sets, different ways lead to different results. In this study, three methods for estimating fractal dimension are described and two standard algorithms, Hurst’s rescaled range analysis and box-counting method (BC), are compared with the recently introduced variation method (VM). It was confirmed that the last method offers a superior efficiency and accuracy, and hence may be recommended for fractal dimension calculations for time series data. All methods were applied to the measured temporal variation of velocity components in turbulent flows in an open channel in Shiraz University laboratory. The analyses were applied to 2500 measurements at different Reynold’s numbers and it was concluded that a certain degree of randomness may be associated with the velocity in all directions which is a unique character of the flow independent of the Reynold’s number. Results also suggest that the rigid lateral confinement of flow to the fixed channel width allows for designation of a more-or-less constant fractal dimension for the spanwise velocity component. On the contrary, in vertical and streamwise directions more freedom of movements for fluid particles sets more room for variation in fractal dimension at different Reynold’s numbers.     

Numerical investigation of the effect of helix angle and leaf margin on the flow pattern and the performance of the axial flow cyclone separator

A two-stage turbulence model based on the RNG κ–ε model combined with the Reynolds stress model is developed in this paper to analyze the gas flow in an axial flow cyclone separator. Five representative simulation cases are obtained by changing the helix angle and leaf margins of the cyclone. The pressure field and velocity field of the five cases are simulated, and then the effects of helix angle and leaf margins on the internal flow field of the cyclone are analyzed. When the continuum fluid (air) flow is relatively convergent, the discrete particle phase is added into the continuous phase and the gas-solid two-phase flow is simulated. One-way coupling method is used to solve the two-phase flow and a stochastic trajectory model is implemented for simulation of the particle phase. Finally, the pressure drop and separation efficiency of one case are measured and compare quantitatively well with the numerical results, which validates the reliability and accuracy of the simulation method based on the two-stage turbulence model.     

Numerical modelling of subcritical open channel flow using the K-ε turbulence model and the penalty function finite element technique

A numerical model has been developed that employs the penalty function finite element technique to solve the vertically averaged hydrodynamic and turbulence model equations for a water body using isoparametric elements. The full elliptic forms of the equations are solved, thereby allowing recirculating flows to be calculated. Alternative momentum dispersion and turbulence closure models are proposed and evaluated by comparing model predictions with experimental data for strongly curved subcritical open channel flow. The results of these simulations indicate that the depth-averaged two-equation k-ε turbulence model yields excellent agreement with experimental observations. In addition, it appears that neither the streamline curvature modification of the depth-averaged k-ε model, nor the momentum dispersion models based on the assumption of helicoidal flow in a curved channel, yield significant improvement in the present model predictions. Overall model predictions are found to be as good as those of a more complex and restricted three-dimensional model.     

Three-dimensional numerical simulation of blood flow in mouse aortic arch around atherosclerotic plaques

Atherosclerosis is a progressive disease, involving the build-up of lipid streaks in artery walls, leading to plaques. Understanding the development of atherosclerosis and plaque vulnerability is critically important since plaque rupture can result in heart attack or stroke. Plaques can be divided into two distinct types: those likely to rupture (vulnerable) or less likely to rupture (stable). In the last decade, researchers have been interested in studying the influence of the mechanical effects (blood shear stress, pressure forces and structural stress) on the plaque formation, progression and rupture processes but no general agreement has been found. The purpose of the present work is to include more realistic conditions for the numerical calculations of the blood flow by implementing real geometries with plaques in the numerical model. Hemodynamical parameters are studied in both diseased and healthy configurations. The healthy configuration is obtained by removing numerically the plaques from three dimensional geometries obtained by micro-computed tomography. A new hemodynamical parameter is also introduced to relate the location of plaques to the characteristics of the flow in the healthy configuration.     

An improved dynamic subgrid-scale model and its application to large eddy simulation of stratified channel flows

In the present paper, a new dynamic subgrid-scale (SGS) model of turbulent stress and heat flux for stratified shear flow is proposed. Based on our calculated results of stratified channel flow, the dynamic subgrid-scale model developed in this paper is shown to be effective for large eddy simulation (LES) of stratified turbulent shear flows. The new SGS model is then applied to the LES of the stratified turbulent channel flow to investigate the coupled shear and buoyancy effects on the behavior of turbulent statistics, turbulent heat transfer and flow structures at different Richardson numbers.     

Cluster identification and characterization in the riser of a circulating fluidized bed from numerical simulation results

A methodology of identification and characterization of coherent structures mostly known as clusters is applied to hydrodynamic results of numerical simulation generated for the riser of a circulating fluidized bed. The numerical simulation is performed using the MICEFLOW code, which includes the two-fluids IIT’s hydrodynamic model B. The methodology for cluster characterization that is used is based in the determination of four characteristics, related to average life time, average volumetric fraction of solid, existing time fraction and frequency of occurrence. The identification of clusters is performed by applying a criterion related to the time average value of the volumetric solid fraction. A qualitative rather than quantitative analysis is performed mainly owing to the unavailability of operational data used in the considered experiments. Concerning qualitative analysis, the simulation results are in good agreement with literature. Some quantitative comparisons between predictions and experiment were also presented to emphasize the capability of the modeling procedure regarding the analysis of macroscopic scale coherent structures.     

Modeling,simulation and validation of material flow on conveyor belts

In this paper a model comparison approach based on material flow systems is investigated that is divided into a microscopic and a macroscopic model scale. On the microscopic model scale particles are simulated using a model based on Newton dynamics borrowed from the engineering literature. Phenomenological observations lead to a hyperbolic partial differential equation on the macroscopic model scale. Suitable numerical algorithms are presented and both models are compared numerically and validated against real-data test settings.     

Multiscale analysis and numerical simulation for stability of the incompressible flow of a Maxwell fluid

How to predict the stability of a small-scale flow subject to perturbations is a significant multiscale problem. It is difficult to directly study the stability by the theoretical analysis for the incompressible flow of a Maxwell fluid because of its analytical complexity. Here, we develop the multiscale analysis method based on the mathematical homogenization theory in the stress–stream function formulation. This method is used to derive the homogenized equation which governs the transport of the large-scale perturbations. The linear stabilities of the large-scale perturbations are analyzed theoretically based on the linearized homogenized equation, while the effect of the nonlinear terms on the linear stability results is discussed numerically based on the nonlinear homogenized equation. The agreements between the multiscale predictions and the direct numerical simulations demonstrate the multiscale analysis method is effective and credible to predict stabilities of flows.     

Numerical simulation of the flow field of a diffused pneumatic silencer

A diffused pneumatic silencer had been widely used in the pneumatic fields due to its small dimensions and high level of performance in noise reduction. A numerical simulation of its interior and exterior flow field was important for studying the gas flow in the silencer and the flow structure outside the silencer, as well as for understanding the mechanism of the silencer’s noise reduction. A porous media model and the Darcy–Forchheimer principle were used as the basic theoretical models in this paper. The unified governing equations were used here to describe the compressible flow in and out of the silencer. A robust numerical scheme was used to discritize the equations, and the TDBC (Time-dependent boundary conditions) was used to treat the non-reflecting boundaries. The detailed structures of the inner and outer flow fields of the diffused pneumatic silencer were obtained. The simulation results displayed the characteristics of the flow in the silencer. The nature of the flow outside the silencer, comparable with the experimental data, was also obtained.     

Modelling dispersion in laminar and turbulent flows in an open channel based on centre manifolds using 1D-IRBFN method

Centre manifold method is an accurate approach for analytically constructing an advection–diffusion equation (and even more accurate equations involving higher-order derivatives) for the depth-averaged concentration of substances in channels. This paper presents a direct numerical verification of this method with examples of the dispersion in laminar and turbulent flows in an open channel with a smooth bottom. The one-dimensional integrated radial basis function network (1D-IRBFN) method is used as a numerical approach to obtain a numerical solution for the original two-dimensional (2-D) advection–diffusion equation. The 2-D solution is depth-averaged and compared with the solution of the 1-D equation derived using the centre manifolds. The numerical results show that the 2-D and 1-D solutions are in good agreement both for the laminar flow and turbulent flow. The maximum depth-averaged concentrations for the 1-D and 2-D models gradually converge to each other, with their velocities becoming practically equal. The obtained numerical results also demonstrate that the longitudinal diffusion can be neglected compared to the advection.     

Three-dimensional numerical simulation of the plasma plume from a stationary plasma thruster

A numerical method is proposed for simulating the low-density plasma plume exhausted from a stationary plasma thruster in a three-dimensional setting. In contrast to the axisymmetric approximation, the problem is formulated so as to determine the effect of the backflow on the upstream region and the thruster walls, which are of finite size. The numerical method is a generalization of rarefied gas numerical methods to the case when the force field is not specified analytically. The method takes into account the delta-function character of the boundary ion distribution function and the considerable difference between the velocity scales of ions and neutral atoms, which transform into each other. Numerical results are presented that demonstrate the effect of some factors on the plasma plume.     

Direct numerical simulation of one type of compressible turbulence interacting with a shock wave

Direct numerical simulations of compressible turbulence interacting with an initially plane shock wave are presented. The underlying model is based on the numerical solution of the Euler equations combined with direct statistical simulation. Steady-state isentropic isotropic turbulence is considered. The amplification factors for fluctuations of the thermodynamic variables, velocity, vorticity, and kinetic energy of fluctuations are analyzed; and the correlation coefficients between flow variables are studied for Mach numbers ranging from 1.2 to 3.     

Direct numerical simulation of the turbulent flow in an elliptical pipe

The turbulent flow in a pipe with an elliptical cross section is directly simulated at Re = 4000 (where the Reynolds number Re is calculated in terms of the mean velocity and the hydraulic diameter). The incompressible Navier-Stokes equations are solved in curvilinear orthogonal coordinates by using a central-difference approximation in space and a third-order accurate semi-implicit Runge-Kutta method for time integration. The discrete equations inherit some properties of the original differential equations, in particular, the neutrality of the convective terms and of the pressure gradient in the kinetic energy production. The distributions of the mean and fluctuation characteristics of the turbulent motion over the pipe’s cross section are computed.     

Numerical solution of the generalized Stokes problem for the flow in a channel

In this article we introduce the separation of variables in the two-dimensional generalized Stokes problem. −νΔu + αu + inverted delta p = f, for the flow in a channel. Also for the first time, we discuss the implementation of the Incremental Unknowns Method with a data structure of Compressed Column Storage. Two examples of application of the Incremental Unknowns method for this problem are presented in which we compare the CPU times of three methods: Conjugate Gradient (CG), Incremental Unknowns (IU), and Uzawa Algorithm (Uzawa). © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Minimizing makespan in a two-stage hybrid flow shop scheduling problem with open shop in one stage

This paper considers a scheduling problem in two-stage hybrid flow shop, where the first stage consists of two machines formed an open shop and the other stage has only one machine. The objective is to minimize the makespan, i.e., the maximum completion time of all jobs. We first show the problem is NP-hard in the strong sense, then we present two heuristics to solve the problem. Computational experiments show that the combined algorithm of the two heuristics performs well on randomly generated problem instances.     

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.