Feature-driven Cartesian adaptive mesh refinement for vortex-dominated flows

We develop locally normalized feature-detection methods to guide the adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) process for Cartesian grid systems to improve the resolution of vortical features in aerodynamic wakes. The methods include: the Q-criterion [1], the λ₂ method [2], the λ_ci method [3], and the λ₊ method [4]. Specific attention is given to automate the feature identification process by applying a local normalization based upon the shear-strain rate so that they can be applied to a wide range of flow-fields without the need for user intervention. To validate the methods, we assess tagging efficiency and accuracy using a series of static vortex-dominated flow-fields, and use the methods to drive the AMR process for several theoretical and practical simulations. We demonstrate that the adaptive solutions provide comparable accuracy to solutions obtained on uniformly refined meshes at a fraction of the computational cost. Overall, the normalized feature detection methods are shown to be effective in driving the AMR process in an automated and efficient manner.     

DNS OF 2D TURBULENT FLOW AROUND A SQUARE CYLINDER

Two-dimensional ‘turbulent’ flow around a rectangular cylinder has been simulated at Re=10,000 using a sixth- order-accurate finite volume method for the discretization of convection and diffusion. The spatial discretization consists of a combination of a seventh- order upwind-biased method for the convective terms and an eighth-order central method for the diffusive terms, discretized on a stretched and staggered grid. To cope with the stretching of the grid, Lagrange interpolations are used. The method applied to obtain a boundary condition for the velocity in the x-direction at the outflow boundary is shown not to affect the flow in the interior of the computational domain in a way that is visible in various snapshots of the vorticity field. The variation in the velocity in the x-direction with time is itself found to be relatively small near the outflow boundary. Several turbulence statistics have been gathered from a simulation of the flow developed during 77 dimensionless time units. Snapshots of the vorticity field of the developed flow show the presence of a vortex-street- like structure. Typical 2D turbulent behaviour, such as the appearance of monopolar, dipolar and tripolar vortices due to the amalgamation of vorticity in the wake and the x^−1/2 scaling of the velocity defect in the wake, has been obtained. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Measurement of the absolute n p scattering differential cross section at 194 MeV

We describe a double-scattering experiment with a novel tagged neutron beam to measure differential cross sections for np backscattering to better than +/-2% absolute precision. The measurement focuses on angles and energies where the cross section magnitude and angle dependence constrain the charged pion-nucleon coupling constant, but existing data show serious discrepancies among themselves and with energy-dependent partial-wave analyses. The present results are in good accord with the partial-wave analyses, but deviate systematically from other recent measurements.     

DNS of laminar separation nubble flows with free-stream fluctuations

A series of Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) of Laminar Separation Bubble (LSB) flow in the presence of external disturbances has been performed. In all simulations, the primary mechanism for the transition to turbulence was found to be a two-dimensional Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) instability of the separated shear layer that was triggered by the external fluctuation(s). The KH instability caused the shear layer to roll up. Inside the rolled up shear layer, entrained disturbances triggered elliptic instabilities which led to a rapid transition to fully three-dimensional (3D) turbulence. In the simulations with inflow oscillations the streamwise variation of the location of transition was found to decrease with the amplitude of the inflow oscillation. In the simulations with free-stream turbulence the size of the separation bubble – measured by the shape factor – was found to drastically decrease with increasing free-stream turbulence level. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Analysis of DNS and LES of Flow in a Low Pressure Turbine Cascade with Incoming Wakes and Comparison with Experiments

The flow around a low-pressure turbine rotor blade with incoming periodic wakes is computed by means of DNS and LES. The latter adopts a dynamic sub-grid-scale model. The computed results are compared with time-averaged and instantaneous measured quantities. The simulation sreveal the presence of elongated flow structures, stemming from the incoming wake vorticity, which interact with the pressure side boundary layer. As the wake approaches the upstream half of the suction side, its vortical structures are stretched and align with the main flow, resulting in an impingement at virtually zero angle of attack. Periodically, in the absence of impinging wakes, the laminar suction side boundary layer separates in the adverse pressure gradient region. Flow in the laminar separation bubble is found to undergo transition via a Kelvin–Helmholtz instability. Subsequent impingement of the wake inhibits separation and thus promotes boundary layer reattachment. LES provides a fair reproduction of the DNS results both in terms of instantaneous, phase-averaged, and time-averaged flow fields with a considerable reduction in computational effort. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

DNS of heat transfer in transitional, accelerated boundary layer flow over a flat plate affected by free-stream fluctuations

Direct numerical simulations (DNS) of flow over and heat transfer from a flat plate affected by free-stream fluctuations were performed. A contoured upper wall was employed to generate a favourable streamwise pressure gradient along a large portion of the flat plate. The free-stream fluctuations originated from a separate LES of isotropic turbulence in a box. In the laminar portions of the accelerating boundary layer flow the formation of streaks was observed to induce an increase in heat transfer by the exchange of hot fluid near the surface of the plate and cold fluid from the free-stream. In the regions where the streamwise pressure gradient was only mildly favourable, intermittent turbulent spots were detected which relaminarised downstream as the streamwise pressure gradient became stronger. The relaminarisation of the turbulent spots was reflected by a slight decrease in the friction coefficient, which converged to its laminar value in the region where the streamwise pressure gradient was strongest.