Flow separation

About: Flow separation is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 16708 publications have been published within this topic receiving 386926 citations.

Studies on critical Reynolds number indices for wind-tunnel experiments on flow within urban areas

Abstract: Reynolds-number dependence of flow fields within a modelled urban area was studied in a wind tunnel. We measured flow around a single model building and around model city blocks at various wind speeds, and studied Reynolds number indices more appropriate than the building Reynolds number. Our results led to the following conclusions. Firstly, the flow around the models in the wind tunnel was roughly divided into three parts according to the intensities of viscous stress and Reynolds stress as follows: (1) the flow in the vicinity of the ground or the surfaces of the model, where viscous stress became dominant under certain conditions; (2) the flow detached from the surfaces of the model, where Reynolds stress was always dominant; and (3) the flow around the separation bubble at the leading edge of the building model, where the influences of both viscous stress near the wall and the Reynolds stress in the separated boundary layer were mixed.Secondly, the critical Reynolds number of the flow in the modelled urban area could be defined by using both the roughness Reynolds number Rez0 (= z0u*/ν) and the dimensionless height z+ (= zu*/ν). Reynolds-number independence could be expected for whole flow fields in the modelled urban areas as long as the critical values of Rez0 and z+ were satisfied.

Airfoils with separation and the resulting wakes

Abstract: A viscous/inviscid interaction method is described and has been used to calculate flows around four distinctly different airfoils as a function of angle of attack. It comprises an inviscid-flow method based on conformal mapping, a boundary-layer procedure based on the numerical solution of differential equations and an algebraic eddy viscosity. The results are in close agreement with experiment up to angles close to stall. In one case, where the airfoil thickness is large, small difficulties were experienced and are described. The method is shown to be capable of obtaining results with large flow separation and quantifies the role of transition on the lift coefficient.

Flow in a mechanical bileaflet heart valve at laminar and near-peak systole flow rates: CFD simulations and experiments

Abstract: Time-accurate, fully 3D numerical simulations and particle image velocity laboratory experiments are carried out for flow through a fully open bileaflet mechanical heart valve under steady (nonpulsatile) inflow conditions. Flows at two different Reynolds numbers, one in the laminar regime and the other turbulent (near-peak systole flow rate), are investigated. A direct numerical simulation is carried out for the laminar flow case while the turbulent flow is investigated with two different unsteady statistical turbulence modeling approaches, unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS) and detached-eddy simulation (DES) approach. For both the laminar and turbulent cases the computed mean velocity profiles are in good overall agreement with the measurements. For the turbulent simulations, however, the comparisons with the measurements demonstrate clearly the superiority of the DES approach and underscore its potential as a powerful modeling tool of cardiovascular flows at physiological conditions. The study reveals numerous previously unknown features of the flow.

Aerodynamics of small vehicles

Abstract: In this review we describe the aerodynamic problems that must be addressed in order to design a successful small aerial vehicle. The effects of Reynolds number and aspect ratio (AR) on the design and performance of fixed-wing vehicles are described. The boundary-layer behavior on airfoils is especially important in the design of vehicles in this flight regime. The results of a number of experimental boundary-layer studies, including the influence of laminar separation bubbles, are discussed. Several examples of small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in this regime are described. Also, a brief survey of analytical models for oscillating and flapping-wing propulsion is presented. These range from the earliest examples where quasi-steady, attached flow is assumed, to those that account for the unsteady shed vortex wake as well as flow separation and aeroelastic behavior of a flapping wing. Experiments that complemented the analysis and led to the design of a successful ornithopter are also described.