Showing papers by "Steven L. Ceccio published in 2010"

Friction Drag Reduction of External Flows with Bubble and Gas Injection

Abstract: The lubrication of external liquid flow with a bubbly mixture or gas layer has been the goal of engineers for many years, and this article presents the underlying principles and recent advances of this technology. It reviews the use of partial and supercavities for drag reduction of axisymmetric objects moving within a liquid. Partial cavity flows can also be used to reduce the friction drag on the nominally two-dimensional portions of a horizontal surface, and the basic flow features of two-dimensional cavities are presented. Injection of gas can lead to the creation of a bubbly mixture near the flow surface that can significantly modify the flow within the turbulent boundary layer, and there have been significant advances in the understanding of the underlying physical process of drag reduction. Moreover, with sufficient gas flux, the bubbles flowing beneath a solid surface can coalesce to form a thin drag-reducing air layer. The current applications of these techniques to underwater vehicles and surface ships are discussed.

Partial Cavity Drag Reduction at High Reynolds Numbers

Abstract: Air lubrication to reduce hull skin friction is an idea that originated more than a century ago. There are few implementations of this concept, and there are even fewer systematic investigations at high Reynolds numbers. To address this, an experimental investigation was performed at the W. B. Morgan Large Cavitation Channel that examined the drag-reducing effects of a ventilated partial cavity at high Reynolds numbers. The design was accomplished using both linear gravity wave theory and a two-dimensional inviscid numerical model via Fluent. The physical model was a 12 m long flat plate with a plenum on the bottom. The plenum was formed by an abrupt step near the nose and a long sloping reattachment region toward the rear. Air was injected from the aft face of the step to create a cavity approximately 17.8 cm deep. Friction loads, air flow, and cavity pressure were measured over a range of air fluxes and speeds near the cavity design speed of 3.4 m/s. Cavities were shown to be stable with respect to large changes in air flux and slow perturbations in tunnel speed and pressure. Stable cavities were produced that reduced the skin drag by more than 95% over the extent of the cavity, including the cavity closure.

The mean velocity profile of a smooth-flat-plate turbulent boundary layer at high Reynolds number

Abstract: Smooth flat-plate turbulent boundary layers (TBLs) have been studied for nearly a century. However, there is a relative dearth of measurements at Reynolds numbers typical of full-scale marine and aerospace transportation systems (Reθ = Ueθ/ν > 105, where Ue = free-stream speed, θ = TBL momentum thickness and ν = kinematic viscosity). This paper presents new experimental results for the TBL that forms on a smooth flat plate at nominal Reθ values of 0.5 × 105, 1.0 × 105 and 1.5 × 105. Nominal boundary layer thicknesses (δ) were 80–90mm, and Karman numbers (δ+) were 17000, 32000 and 47000, respectively. The experiments were conducted in the William B. Morgan Large Cavitation Channel on a polished (k+ 2δ. To within experimental uncertainty, the measured mean velocity profiles can be fit using traditional zero-pressure-gradient (ZPG) TBL asymptotics with some modifications for the mild favourable pressure gradient. The fitted profile pairs satisfy the von-Karman momentum integral equation to within 1%. However, the profiles reported here show distinct differences from equivalent ZPG profiles. The near-wall indicator function has more prominent extrema, the log-law constants differ slightly, and the profiles' wake component is less pronounced.

The Influence of Grooves on the Fully Wetted and Aerated Flow Between Open Clutch Plates

Abstract: In a disengaged or open clutch mode, one plate rotates while the other is stationary. This speed difference between the two plates (on the order of 1000 rpm) and the small clearance between them (on the order of 100 μm) results in large velocity gradients. Transmission fluid is passed between clutches since during reengagement; this oil provides lubrication and carries heat away. However, during the disengaged mode the shearing of this oil as it passes between the plates results in viscous drag that wastes power. Introduction of air between the two plates during the disengaged mode, referred to as aeration, is the most significant way of reducing this friction drag due to low viscosity of air compared with oil. Open clutch drag reduction is enhanced by providing grooves on one of the plates since they are known to promote aeration. Yet, a continuous supply of lubrication oil is necessary, even during disengagement. This study examines the underlying processes responsible for the oil flow between grooved disks and possible aeration through a combination of experiments and numerical computations. A two-dimensional model of the three-dimensional, single-phase flow between a stationary and a rotating clutch plate is presented, which is capable of describing pressures and shear stress distribution for plates with radial grooved geometries. The computational fluid dynamics code FLUENT ® is used to examine the single-phase and aerated flows between the plates. These results are compared with accompanying experimental observations. We also examine new groove designs to study their efficiency in promoting aeration. Finally, we propose reasons for grooves promoting aeration in clutches.

Diffusion of drag-reducing polymer solutions within a rough-walled turbulent boundary layer

Abstract: The influence of surface roughness on diffusion of wall-injected, drag-reducing polymer solutions within a turbulent boundary layer was studied with a 094 m long flat-plate test model at speeds of up to 106 m s−1 and Reynolds numbers of up to 9×106 The surface was hydraulically smooth, transitionally rough, or fully rough Mean concentration profiles were acquired with planar laser induced fluorescence, which was the primary flow diagnostic Polymer concentration profiles with high injection concentrations (≥1000 wppm) had the peak concentration shifted away from the wall, which was partially attributed to a lifting phenomenon The diffusion process was divided into three zones—initial, intermediate, and final Studies of polymer injection into a polymer ocean at concentrations sufficient for maximum drag reduction indicated that the maximum initial zone length is of the order of 100 boundary layer thicknesses The intermediate zone results indicate that friction velocity and roughness height are impor

A dual-camera cinematographic PIV measurement system at kilohertz frame rate for high-speed, unsteady flows

Abstract: A digital dual-camera cinematographic particle image velocimetry (CPIV) system has been developed to provide time-resolved, high resolution flow measurements in high-Reynolds number, turbulent flows. Two high-speed CMOS cameras were optically combined to acquire double-pulsed CPIV images at kilohertz frame rates. Bias and random errors due to camera misalignment, camera vibration, and lens aberration were corrected or estimated. Systematic errors due to the camera misalignment were reduced to less than 2 pixels throughout the image plane using mechanical alignment, resulting in 3.1% positional uncertainty of velocity measurements. Frame-to-frame uncertainties caused by mechanical vibration were eliminated with the aid of digital image calibration and frame-to-frame camera registration. This dual-camera CPIV system is capable of resolving high speed, unsteady flows with high temporal and spatial resolutions. It also allows time intervals between the two exposures down to 4 μs, enabling the measurements of speed flows 5–10 times higher than possible with frame-straddling using similar cameras. A turbulent shallow cavity was then chosen as the experimental object investigated by this dual-camera CPIV technique.

High-Reynolds-number turbulent-boundary-layer wall-pressure fluctuations with dilute polymer solutions

Abstract: Wall-pressure fluctuations were investigated within a high-Reynolds-number turbulent boundary layer (TBL) modified by the addition of dilute friction-drag-reducing polymer solutions. The experiment was conducted at the U.S. Navy’s Large Cavitation Channel on a 12.9 m long flat-plate test model with the surface hydraulically smooth (k+<0.2) and achieving downstream-distance-based Reynolds numbers to 220×106. The polymer (polyethylene oxide) solution was injected into the TBL through a slot in the surface. The primary flow diagnostics were skin-friction drag balances and an array of flush-mounted dynamic pressure transducers 9.8 m from the model leading edge. Parameters varied included the free-stream speed (6.7, 13.4, and 20.2 m s−1) and the injection condition (polymer molecular weight, injection concentration, and volumetric injection flux). The behavior of the pressure spectra, convection velocity, and coherence, regardless of the injection condition, were determined primarily based on the level of drag...