Experimental and numerical analysis of cylindrical turbulators in a double pipe heat exchanger under turbulent flow conditions

In the present work, the use of cylindrical turbulators in a double pipe heat exchanger has been investigated. Cylindrical fin type of turbulators has been placed circumferentially separated by 90° on the outer side of an inner pipe at a regular pitch. Experimental studies were undertaken for different air flow rates in a turbulent regime whose Reynolds number range between 2500 and 10000. Heat transfer characteristics like Nu and friction factor have been experimentally determined. Parametric studies were conducted by changing the pitch and also the orientation of the turbulators. Nu and friction factor were found to increase as the pitch is reduced. A model with alternatively changed orientation outperformed others by exhibiting highest Nu and reduced friction factor.     

Invariant discrete flows

In this paper, we investigate the evolution of joint invariants under invariant geometric flows using the theory of equivariant moving frames and the induced invariant discrete variational complex. For certain arc length preserving planar curve flows invariant under the special Euclidean group , the special linear group , and the semidirect group , we find that the induced evolution of the discrete curvature satisfies the differential‐difference mKdV, KdV, and Burgers' equations, respectively. These three equations are completely integrable, and we show that a recursion operator can be constructed by precomposing the characteristic operator of the curvature by a certain invariant difference operator. Finally, we derive the constraint for the integrability of the discrete curvature evolution to lift to the evolution of the discrete curve itself.     

AGE method simulations of a turbulent far‐wake compared to spectral DNS

Turbulent flow simulation methods based on finite differences are attractive for their simplicity, flexibility and efficiency, but not always for accuracy or stability. This paper demonstrates that a good compromise is possible with the advected grid explicit (AGE) method. Starting from the same initial field as a previous spectral DNS, AGE method simulations of a planar turbulent wake were carried out as DNS, and then at three levels of reduced resolution. The latter cases were in a sense large‐eddy simulations (LES), although no specific sub‐grid‐scale model was used. Results for the two DNS methods, including variances and power spectra, were very similar, but the AGE simulation required much less computational effort. Small‐scale information was lost in the reduced resolution runs, but large‐scale mean and instantaneous properties were reproduced quite well, with further large reductions in computational effort. Quality of results becomes more sensitive to the value chosen for one of the AGE method parameters as resolution is reduced, from which it is inferred that the numerical stability procedure controlled by the parameter is acting in part as a sub‐grid‐scale model. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Momentum transport and torque scaling in Taylor-Couette flow from an analogy with turbulent convection

We generalize an analogy between rotating and stratified shear flows. This analogy is summarized in Table 1. We use this analogy in the unstable case (centrifugally unstable flow vs. convection) to compute the torque in Taylor-Couette configuration, as a function of the Reynolds number. At low Reynolds numbers, when most of the dissipation comes from the mean flow, we predict that the non-dimensional torque G = T/ν² L, where L is the cylinder length, scales with Reynolds number R and gap width η, G = 1.46η^3/2(1 - η)^-7/4 R ^3/2. At larger Reynolds number, velocity fluctuations become non-negligible in the dissipation. In these regimes, there is no exact power law dependence the torque versus Reynolds. Instead, we obtain logarithmic corrections to the classical ultra-hard (exponent 2) regimes: G = 0.50 . These predictions are found to be in excellent agreement with avail-able experimental data. Predictions for scaling of velocity fluctuations are also provided. Received 7 June 2001 and Received in final form 7 December 2001     

Lower Bounds from State Space Relaxations for Concave Cost Network Flow Problems

In this paper we obtain Lower Bounds (LBs) to concave cost network flow problems. The LBs are derived from state space relaxations of a dynamic programming formulation, which involve the use of non-injective mapping functions guaranteing a reduction on the cardinality of the state space. The general state space relaxation procedure is extended to address problems involving transitions that go across several stages, as is the case of network flow problems. Applications for these LBs include: estimation of the quality of heuristic solutions; local search methods that use information of the LB solution structure to find initial solutions to restart the search (Fontes et al., 2003, Networks, 41, 221–228); and branch-and-bound (BB) methods having as a bounding procedure a modified version of the LB algorithm developed here, (see Fontes et al., 2005a). These LBs are iteratively improved by penalizing, in a Lagrangian fashion, customers not exactly satisfied or by performing state space modifications. Both the penalties and the state space are updated by using the subgradient method. Additional constraints are developed to improve further the LBs by reducing the searchable space. The computational results provided show that very good bounds can be obtained for concave cost network flow problems, particularly for fixed-charge problems.     

Multidimensional transonic shocks and free boundary problems for nonlinear equations of mixed type

We establish the existence and stability of multidimensional transonic shocks for the Euler equations for steady potential compressible fluids. The Euler equations, consisting of the conservation law of mass and the Bernoulli law for the velocity, can be written as a second-order, nonlinear equation of mixed elliptic-hyperbolic type for the velocity potential. The transonic shock problem can be formulated into the following free boundary problem: The free boundary is the location of the transonic shock which divides the two regions of smooth flow, and the equation is hyperbolic in the upstream region where the smooth perturbed flow is supersonic. We develop a nonlinear approach to deal with such a free boundary problem in order to solve the transonic shock problem. Our results indicate that there exists a unique solution of the free boundary problem such that the equation is always elliptic in the downstream region and the free boundary is smooth, provided that the hyperbolic phase is close to a uniform flow. We prove that the free boundary is stable under the steady perturbation of the hyperbolic phase. We also establish the existence and stability of multidimensional transonic shocks near spherical or circular transonic shocks.

     

Compulsorily Phase Locked Interferometer Using Orthogonally Polarized Light Source of a Modulated LD with High Extinction Ratio

This paper describes a compulsorily phase locked differential interferometer using an orthogonally polarized light source of a modulated LD with high extinction ratio to reduce non-linearity of the interferometer caused by polarization cross-talk. The current modulated LD is used as a light source to make the interferometer compact and for the scanning phase of the interferometer. The interferometer is operated compulsorily at the maximum inclination point of the fringe intensity curve by fringe scanning and an electric system. A Wollaston prism of high extinction ratio (50 dB) is used to combine the polarizing beams and to make the polarization cross-talk very small. In one light source the polarized output beams are on the same propagation axis; in the other they have a small crossing angle (2.5 mrad ∼ 10 mrad) to completely exclude non-linearity of the interferometer causded by polarization cross-talk. Using jets of a gas mixture of nitrogen and ethylene, this interferometer was demonstrated to be useful in detecting the photothermal effect of a photothermal velocimeter under phase fluctuation in a turbulent flow.     

Numerical analysis of turbulent structure in compound meandering open channel by algebraic Reynolds stress model

The turbulent flow in a compound meandering channel with a rectangular cross section is one of the most complicated turbulent flows, because the flow behaviour is influenced by several kinds of forces, including centrifugal forces, pressure‐driven forces and shear stresses generated by momentum transfer between the main channel and the flood plain. Numerical analysis has been performed for the fully developed turbulent flow in a compound meandering open‐channel flow using an algebraic Reynolds stress model. The boundary‐fitted coordinate system is introduced as a method for coordinate transformation in order to set the boundary conditions along the complicated shape of the meandering open channel. The turbulence model consists of transport equations for turbulent energy and dissipation, in conjunction with an algebraic stress model based on the Reynolds stress transport equations. With reference to the pressure–strain term, we have made use of a modified pressure–strain term. The boundary condition of the fluctuating vertical velocity is set to zero not only for the free surface, but also for computational grid points next to the free surface, because experimental results have shown that the fluctuating vertical velocity approaches zero near the free surface. In order to examine the validity of the present numerical method and the turbulent model, the calculated results are compared with experimental data measured by laser Doppler anemometer. In addition, the compound meandering open channel is clarified somewhat based on the calculated results. As a result of the analysis, the present algebraic Reynolds stress model is shown to be able to reasonably predict the turbulent flow in a compound meandering open channel. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A numerical and experimental investigation of the interactions between a non‐uniform planar array of incompressible free jets

The interaction between multiple incompressible air jets has been studied numerically and experimentally. The numerical predictions have been first validated using experimental data for a single jet configuration. The spreading features of five unequal jets in the configuration of one larger central jet surrounded by four smaller equi‐distant jets, have been studied, for different lateral spacing ratios of 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 and a central jet Reynolds number of 1.24×105 (corresponding to a Mach number of 0.16). Flow of five equal jets has also been simulated, for the sake of comparison. The jet interactions commence at an axial distance of about 3–4 diameters and complete by an axial distance of about 10 diameters for the lowest spacing ratio of 1.5. For larger spacing ratios, the length required for the start and completion of jet interaction increase. Peripheral jets bend more towards the central jet and merge at a smaller distance, when their sizes are smaller than that of the central jet. The entrainment ratio for multiple jets is higher than that for a single jet. Excellent agreement is observed between the experimental data and theoretical predictions for both mean flow field and turbulent quantities, at regions away from the jet inlet. The potential core length and initial jet development, however, are not predicted very accurately due to differences in the assumed and actual velocity profiles at the jet inlet. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On the application of slip boundary condition on curved boundaries

Hydrodynamic simulations of sloshing phenomena often involve the application of slip boundary condition at the wetted surfaces. If these surfaces are curved, the ambiguous nature of the normal vector in the discretized problem can interfere with the application of such a boundary condition. Even the use of consistent normal vectors, preferred from the point of view of conservation, does not assure good approximation of the continuum slip condition in the discrete problem, and non‐physical recirculating flow fields may be observed. As a remedy, we consider the Navier slip condition, and more successfully, the so‐called BC‐free boundary condition. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.