Showing papers on "Open-channel flow published in 2014"

Effect of the computational domain on direct simulations of turbulent channels up to Reτ = 4200

Abstract: The effect of domain size on direct numerical simulations of turbulent channels with periodic boundary conditions is studied. New simulations are presented up to Reτ = 4179 in boxes with streamwise and spanwise sizes of 2πh × πh, where h is the channel half-height. It is found that this domain is large enough to reproduce the one-point statistics of larger boxes. A simulation in a box of size 60πh × 6πh is used to show that a contour of the two-dimensional premultiplied spectrum of the streamwise velocity containing 80% of the kinetic energy closes at λx ≈ 100h.

Two-point statistics for turbulent boundary layers and channels at Reynolds numbers up to δ + ≈ 2000

Abstract: Two-point statistics are presented for a new direct simulation of the zero-pressure-gradient turbulent boundary layer in the range Re θ = 2780–6680, and compared with channels in the same range of Reynolds numbers, δ+ ≈ 1000–2000. Three-dimensional spatial correlations are investigated in very long domains to educe the average structure of the velocity and pressure fluctuations. The streamwise velocity component is found to be coherent over longer distances in channels than in boundary layers, especially in the direction of the flow. For weakly correlated structures, the maximum streamwise length is O ( 7 δ ) for boundary layers and O ( 18 δ ) for channels, attained at the logarithmic and outer regions, respectively. The corresponding lengths for the spanwise and wall-normal velocities and for the pressure are shorter, O ( δ -2δ). The correlations are shown to be inclined to the wall at angles that depend on the distance from the wall, on the variable being considered, and on the correlation level used to define them. All these features change little between the two types of flows. Most the above features are also approximately independent of the Reynolds number, except for the pressure, and for the streamwise velocity structures in the channel. Further insight into the flow is provided by correlations conditioned on the intensity of the perturbations at the reference point, or on their sign. The statistics of the new simulation are available in our website.

Instabilities in Viscosity-Stratified Flow

Abstract: This review highlights the profound and unexpected ways in which viscosity varying in space and time can affect flow. The most striking manifestations are through alterations of flow stability, as established in model shear flows and industrial applications. Future studies are needed to address the important effect of viscosity stratification in such diverse environments as Earth's core, the Sun, blood vessels, and the re-entry of spacecraft.

Synthetic Turbulence Generators for RANS-LES Interfaces in Zonal Simulations of Aerodynamic and Aeroacoustic Problems

Abstract: The paper presents the detailed formulation and validation results of simple and robust procedures for the generation of synthetic turbulence aimed at providing artificial turbulent content at the RANS-to-LES interface within a zonal Wall Modelled LES of attached and mildly separated wall-bounded flows. There are two versions of the procedure. The aerodynamic version amounts to a minor modification of a synthetic turbulence generator developed by the authors previously, but the acoustically adapted version is new and includes an internal damping layer, where the pressure field is computed by “weighting” of the instantaneous pressure fields from LES and RANS. This is motivated by the need to avoid creating spurious noise as part of the turbulence generation. In terms of pure aerodynamics, the validation includes canonical shear flows (developed channel flow, zero pressure gradient boundary layer, and plane mixing layer), as well as a more complex flow over the wall-mounted hump with non-fixed separation and reattachment, with emphasis on a rapid conversion from modeled to resolved Reynolds stresses. The aeroacoustic applications include the flow past a trailing edge and over a two-element airfoil configuration. In all cases the methodology ensures a very acceptable accuracy for the mean flow, turbulent statistics and, also, the near- and far-field noise.

On the onset of wake meandering for an axial flow turbine in a turbulent open channel flow

Abstract: Laboratory experiments have yielded evidence suggestive of large-scale meandering motions in the wake of an axial flow hydrokinetic turbine in a turbulent open channel flow (Chamorro et al., J. Fluid Mech., vol. 716, 2013, pp. 658–670). We carry out a large-eddy simulation (LES) of the experimental flow to investigate the structure of turbulence in the wake of the turbine and elucidate the mechanism that gives rise to wake meandering. All geometrical details of the turbine structure are taken into account in the simulation using the curvilinear immersed boundary LES method with wall modelling (Kang et al., Adv. Water Resour., vol. 34(1), 2011, pp. 98–113). The simulated flow fields are in good agreement with the experimental measurements and confirm the theoretical model of turbine wakes (Joukowski, Tr. Otdel. Fizich. Nauk Obshch. Lyub. Estestv., vol. 16, 1912, no. 1), yielding a near-turbine wake that consists of two layers: the tip vortex (or outer) shear layer that rotates in the same direction as the rotor; and the inner layer counter-rotating hub vortex. Analysis of the calculated instantaneous flow fields reveals that the hub vortex undergoes spiral vortex breakdown and precesses slowly in the direction opposite to the turbine rotation. The precessing vortex core remains coherent for three to four rotor diameters, expands radially outwards, and intercepts the outer shear layer at approximately the location where wake meandering is initiated. The wake meandering manifests itself in terms of an elongated region of increased turbulence kinetic energy and Reynolds shear stress across the top tip wake boundary. The interaction of the outer region of the flow with the precessing hub vortex also causes the rotational component of the wake to decay completely at approximately the location where the wake begins to meander (four rotor diameters downstream of the turbine). To further investigate the importance of turbine geometry on far-wake dynamics, we carry out LES under the same flow conditions but using actuator disk and actuator line parametrizations of the turbine. While both actuator approaches yield a meandering wake, the actuator line model yields results that are in better overall agreement with the measurements. However, comparisons between the actuator line and the turbine-resolving LES reveal significant differences. Namely, in the actuator line LES model: (i) the hub vortex does not develop spiral instability and remains stable and columnar without ever intercepting the outer shear layer; (ii) wake rotation persists for much longer distance downstream than in the turbine-resolving LES; and (iii) the level of turbulence kinetic energy within and the overall size of the far-wake meandering region are considerably smaller (this discrepancy is even more pronounced for the actuator disk LES case) compared with the turbine-resolving LES. Our results identify for the first time the instability mechanism that amplified wake meandering in the experiment of Chamorro et al., show that computational models that do not take into account the geometrical details of the turbine cannot capture such phenomena, and point to the potential significance of the near-hub rotor design as a means for suppressing the instability of the hub vortex and diminishing the extent and intensity of the far-wake meandering region.

Drag reduction and the dynamics of turbulence in simple and complex fluidsa)

Abstract: Addition of a small amount of very large polymer molecules or micelle-forming surfactants to a liquid can dramatically reduce the energy dissipation it exhibits in the turbulent flow regime. This rheological drag reduction phenomenon is widely used, for example, in the Alaska pipeline, but it is not well-understood, and no comparable technology exists to reduce turbulent energy consumption in flows of gases, in which polymers or surfactants cannot be dissolved. The most striking feature of this phenomenon is the existence of a so-called maximum drag reduction (MDR) asymptote: for a given geometry and driving force, there is a maximum level of drag reduction that can be achieved through addition of polymers. Changing the concentration, molecular weight or even the chemical structure of the additives has little to no effect on this asymptotic value. This universality is the major puzzle of drag reduction. We describe direct numerical simulations of turbulent minimal channel flow of Newtonian fluids and viscoelasticpolymer solutions. Even in the absence of polymers, we show that there are intervals of “hibernating” turbulence that display very low drag as well as many other features of the MDR asymptote observed in polymer solutions. As Weissenberg number increases to moderate values the frequency of these intervals also increases, and a simple theory captures key features of the intermittent dynamics observed in the simulations. At higher Weissenberg number, these intervals are altered – for example, their duration becomes substantially longer and the instantaneous Reynolds shear stress during them becomes very small. Additionally, simulations of “edge states,” dynamical trajectories that lie on the boundary between turbulent and laminar flow, display characteristics that are similar to those of hibernating turbulence and thus to the MDR asymptote, again even in the absence of polymer additives. Based on these observations, we propose a tentative unified description of rheological drag reduction. The existence of MDR-like intervals even in the absence of additives sheds light on the observed universality of MDR and may ultimately lead to new flow control approaches for improving energy efficiency in a wide range of processes.

Comparison of direct numerical simulation databases of turbulent channel flow at Re τ = 180

Abstract: Direct numerical simulation (DNS) databases are compared to assess the accuracy and reproducibility of standard and non-standard turbulence statistics of incompressible plane channel flow at Re τ = 180. Two fundamentally different DNS codes are shown to produce maximum relative deviations below 0.2% for the mean flow, below 1% for the root-mean-square velocity and pressure fluctuations, and below 2% for the three components of the turbulent dissipation. Relatively fine grids and long statistical averaging times are required. An analysis of dissipation spectra demonstrates that the enhanced resolution is necessary for an accurate representation of the smallest physical scales in the turbulent dissipation. The results are related to the physics of turbulent channel flow in several ways. First, the reproducibility supports the hitherto unproven theoretical hypothesis that the statistically stationary state of turbulent channel flow is unique. Second, the peaks of dissipation spectra provide information on length scales of the small-scale turbulence. Third, the computed means and fluctuations of the convective, pressure, and viscous terms in the momentum equation show the importance of the different forces in the momentum equation relative to each other. The Galilean transformation that leads to minimum peak fluctuation of the convective term is determined. Fourth, an analysis of higher-order statistics is performed. The skewness of the longitudinal derivative of the streamwise velocity is stronger than expected (−1.5 at $y^{+}$ =30). This skewness and also the strong near-wall intermittency of the normal velocity are related to coherent structures.

Laminar, turbulent, and inertial shear-thickening regimes in channel flow of neutrally buoyant particle suspensions

Abstract: The aim of this Letter is to characterize the flow regimes of suspensions of finite-size rigid particles in a viscous fluid at finite inertia. We explore the system behavior as a function of the particle volume fraction and the Reynolds number (the ratio of flow and particle inertia to viscous forces). Unlike single-phase flows, where a clear distinction exists between the laminar and the turbulent states, three different regimes can be identified in the presence of a particulate phase, with smooth transitions between them. At low volume fractions, the flow becomes turbulent when increasing the Reynolds number, transitioning from the laminar regime dominated by viscous forces to the turbulent regime characterized by enhanced momentum transport by turbulent eddies. At larger volume fractions, we identify a new regime characterized by an even larger increase of the wall friction. The wall friction increases with the Reynolds number (inertial effects) while the turbulent transport is weakly affected, as in a state of intense inertial shear thickening. This state may prevent the transition to a fully turbulent regime at arbitrary high speed of the flow.

Turbulence and skin friction modification in channel flow with streamwise-aligned superhydrophobic surface texture

Abstract: Direct numerical simulations of turbulent flow in a channel with superhydrophobic surfaces (SHS) were performed, and the effects of the surface texture on the turbulence and skin-friction coefficient were examined The SHS is modeled as a planar boundary comprised of spanwise-alternating regions of no-slip and free-slip boundary conditions Relative to the reference no-slip channel flow at the same bulk Reynolds number, the overall mean skin-friction coefficient is reduced by 216% A detailed analysis of the turbulence kinetic energy budget demonstrates a reduction in production over the no-slip phases, which is explained by aid of quadrant analysis of the Reynolds shear stresses and statistical analysis of the turbulence structures The results demonstrate a significant reduction in the strength of streamwise vortical structures in the presence of the SHS texture and a decrease in the Reynolds shear-stress component ⟨R 12⟩ which has a favorable influence on drag over the no-slip phases A secondary flow which is set up at the edges of the texture also effects a beneficial change in drag Nonetheless, the skin-friction coefficient on the no-slip features is higher than the reference levels in a simple no-slip channel flow The increase in the skin-friction coefficient is attributed to two factors First, spanwise diffusion of the mean momentum from free-slip to no-slip regions increases the local skin-friction coefficient on the edges of the no-slip features Second, the drag-reducing capacity of the SHS is further reduced due to additional Reynolds stresses, ⟨R 13⟩

Numerical simulation of sand waves in a turbulent open channel flow

Abstract: We develop a coupled hydro-morphodynamic numerical model for carrying out large-eddy simulation of stratified, turbulent flow over a mobile sand bed. The method is based on the curvilinear immersed boundary approach of Khosronejad et al. (Adv. Water Resour., vol. 34, 2011, pp. 829–843). We apply this method to simulate sand wave initiation, growth and evolution in a mobile bed laboratory open channel, which was studied experimentally by Venditti & Church (J. Geophys. Res., vol. 110, 2005, F01009). We show that all the major characteristics of the computed sand waves, from the early cross-hatch and chevron patterns to fully grown three-dimensional bedforms, are in good agreement with the experimental data both qualitatively and quantitatively. Our simulations capture the measured temporal evolution of sand wave amplitude, wavelength and celerity with good accuracy and also yield three-dimensional topologies that are strikingly similar to what was observed in the laboratory. We show that near-bed sweeps are responsible for initiating the instability of the initially flat sand bed. Stratification effects, which arise due to increased concentration of suspended sediment in the flow, also become important at later stages of the bed evolution and need to be taken into account for accurate simulations. As bedforms grow in amplitude and wavelength, they give rise to energetic coherent structures in the form of horseshoe vortices, which transport low-momentum near-bed fluid and suspended sediment away from the bed, giving rise to characteristic ‘boil’ events at the water surface. Flow separation off the bedform crestlines is shown to trap sediment in the lee side of the crestlines, which, coupled with sediment erosion from the accelerating flow over the stoss side, provides the mechanism for continuous bedform migration and crestline rearrangement. The statistical and spectral properties of the computed sand waves are calculated and shown to be similar to what has been observed in nature and previous numerical simulations. Furthermore, and in agreement with recent experimental findings (Singh et al., Water Resour. Res., vol. 46, 2010, pp. 1–10), the spectra of the resolved velocity fluctuations above the bed exhibit a distinct spectral gap whose width increases with distance from the bed. The spectral gap delineates the spectrum of turbulence from the low-frequency range associated with very slowly evolving, albeit energetic, coherent structures induced by the migrating sand waves. Overall the numerical simulations reproduce the laboratory observations with good accuracy and elucidate the physical phenomena governing the interaction between the turbulent flow and the developing mobile bed.

Boundary layer dynamics at the transition between the classical and the ultimate regime of Taylor-Couette flow

Abstract: Direct numerical simulations of turbulent Taylor-Couette flow are performed up to inner cylinder Reynolds numbers of Re i = 105 for a radius ratio of η = r i /r o = 0.714 between the inner and outer cylinders. With increasing Re i , the flow undergoes transitions between three different regimes: (i) a flow dominated by large coherent structures, (ii) an intermediate transitional regime, and (iii) a flow with developed turbulence. In the first regime the large-scale rolls completely drive the meridional flow, while in the second one the coherent structures recover only on average. The presence of a mean flow allows for the coexistence of laminar and turbulent boundary layer dynamics. In the third regime, the mean flow effects fade away and the flow becomes dominated by plumes. The effect of the local driving on the azimuthal and angular velocity profiles is quantified, in particular, we show when and where those profiles develop.

Solving the Boltzmann equation deterministically by the fast spectral method: application to gas microflows

Abstract: Based on the fast spectral approximation to the Boltzmann collision operator, we present an accurate and efficient deterministic numerical method for solving the Boltzmann equation. First, the linearised Boltzmann equation is solved for Poiseuille and thermal creep flows, where the influence of different molecular models on the mass and heat flow rates is assessed, and the Onsager-Casimir relation at the microscopic level for large Knudsen numbers is demonstrated. Recent experimental measurements of mass flow rates along a rectangular tube with large aspect ratio are compared with numerical results for the linearised Boltzmann equation. Then, a number of two-dimensional micro flows in the transition and free molecular flow regimes are simulated using the nonlinear Boltzmann equation. The influence of the molecular model is discussed, as well as the applicability of the linearised Boltzmann equation. For thermally driven flows in the free molecular regime, it is found that the magnitudes of the flow velocity are inversely proportional to the Knudsen number. The streamline patterns of thermal creep flow inside a closed rectangular channel are analysed in detail: when the Knudsen number is smaller than a critical value, the flow pattern can be predicted based on a linear superposition of the velocity profiles of linearised Poiseuille and thermal creep flows between parallel plates. For large Knudsen numbers, the flow pattern can be determined using the linearised Poiseuille and thermal creep velocity profiles at the critical Knudsen number. The critical Knudsen number is found to be related to the aspect ratio of the rectangular channel.

Flow regime transitions during condensation in microchannels

Abstract: Heat transfer and pressure drop for two-phase flow inside tubes are closely related to the corresponding flow mechanisms. The flow patterns formed in microchannels during condensation differ from those observed in conventional tubes. Using an extensive R134a condensation flow-regime database (1

Turbulent-laminar patterns in plane Poiseuille flow

Abstract: Turbulent-laminar banded patterns in plane Poiseuille flow are studied via direct numerical simulations in a tilted and translating computational domain using a parallel version of the pseudospectral code Channelflow. 3D visualizations via the streamwise vorticity of an instantaneous and a time-averaged pattern are presented, as well as 2D visualizations of the average velocity field and the turbulent kinetic energy. Simulations for 2300 ⩾ Reb ⩾ 700 show the gradual development from uniform turbulence to a pattern with wavelength 20 half-gaps at Reb ≈ 1900, to a pattern with wavelength 40 at Reb ≈ 1300 and finally to laminar flow at Reb ≈ 800. These transitions are tracked quantitatively via diagnostics using the amplitude and phase of the Fourier transform and its probability distribution. The propagation velocity of the pattern is approximately that of the mean flux and is a decreasing function of Reynolds number. Examination of the time-averaged flow shows that a turbulent band is associated with two c...

Migration of finite sized particles in a laminar square channel flow from low to high Reynolds numbers

Abstract: The migration of neutrally buoyant finite sized particles in a Newtonian square channel flow is investigated in the limit of very low solid volumetric concentration, within a wide range of channel Reynolds numbers Re = [0.07-120]. In situ microscope measurements of particle distributions, taken far from the channel inlet (at a distance several thousand times the channel height), revealed that particles are preferentially located near the channel walls at Re > 10 and near the channel center at Re 10). In this regime, we show that (i) the particle undergoes cross-streamline migration followed by a cross-lateral migration (parallel to the wall) in agreement with previous observations, and (ii) the stable equilibrium positions are located at the midline of the channel faces while the diagonal equilibrium positions are unstable. At low flow inertia, the first instants of the numerical simulations (carried at Re = O(1)) reveal that the cross-streamline migration of a single particle is oriented towards the channel wall, suggesting that the particle preferential positions around the channel center, observed in the experiments, are rather due to multi-body interactions.

An Investigation of Real Gas Effects in Supercritical CO2 Centrifugal Compressors

Abstract: This paper presents a comprehensive assessment of real gas effects on the performance and matching of centrifugal compressors operating in supercritical CO2. The analytical framework combines first principles based modeling with targeted numerical simulations to characterize the internal flow behavior of supercritical fluids with implications for radial turbomachinery design and analysis. Trends in gas dynamic behavior, not observed for ideal fluids, are investigated using influence coefficients for compressible channel flow derived for real gas. The variation in the properties of CO2 and the expansion through the vapor-pressure curve due to local flow acceleration are identified as possible mechanisms for performance and operability issues observed near the critical point.The performance of a centrifugal compressor stage is assessed at different thermodynamic conditions relative to the critical point using CFD calculations. The results indicate a reduction of 9% in the choke margin of the stage compared to its performance at ideal gas conditions due to variations in real gas properties. Compressor stage matching is also impacted by real gas effects as the excursion in corrected mass flow per unit area from inlet to outlet increases by 5%. Investigation of the flow field near the impeller leading edge at high flow coefficients shows that local flow acceleration causes the thermodynamic conditions to reach the vapor-pressure curve. The significance of two-phase flow effects is determined through a non-dimensional parameter that relates the time required for liquid droplet formation to the residence time of the flow under saturation conditions. Applying this criterion to the candidate compressor stage shows that condensation is not a concern at the investigated operating conditions. In the immediate vicinity of the critical point however, this effect is expected to become more prominent. While the focus of this analysis is on supercritical CO2 compressors for carbon capture and sequestration, the methodology is directly applicable to other non-conventional fluids and applications.Copyright © 2014 by ASME

Direct numerical simulation of turbulent channel flow over porous walls

Abstract: We perform direct numerical simulations (DNS) of a turbulent channel flow over porous walls. In the fluid region the flow is governed by the incompressible Navier--Stokes (NS) equations, while in the porous layers the Volume-Averaged Navier--Stokes (VANS) equations are used, which are obtained by volume-averaging the microscopic flow field over a small volume that is larger than the typical dimensions of the pores. In this way the porous medium has a continuum description, and can be specified without the need of a detailed knowledge of the pore microstructure by indipendently assigning permeability and porosity. At the interface between the porous material and the fluid region, momentum-transfer conditions are applied, in which an available coefficient related to the unknown structure of the interface can be used as an error estimate. To set up the numerical problem, the velocity-vorticity formulation of the coupled NS and VANS equations is derived and implemented in a pseudo-spectral DNS solver. Most of the simulations are carried out at $Re_\tau=180$ and consider low-permeability materials; a parameter study is used to describe the role played by permeability, porosity, thickness of the porous material, and the coefficient of the momentum-transfer interface conditions. Among them permeability, even when very small, is shown to play a major role in determining the response of the channel flow to the permeable wall. Turbulence statistics and instantaneous flow fields, in comparative form to the flow over a smooth impermeable wall, are used to understand the main changes introduced by the porous material. A simulations at higher Reynolds number is used to illustrate the main scaling quantities.

Flow rate through microfilters: Influence of the pore size distribution, hydrodynamic interactions, wall slip, and inertia

Abstract: We examine the fluid mechanics of viscous flow through filters consisting of perforated thin plates. We classify the effects that contribute to the hydraulic resistance of the filter. Classical analyses assume a single pore size and account only for filter thickness. We extend these results to obtain an analytical formula for the pressure drop across the microfilter versus the flow rate that accounts for the non-uniform distribution of pore sizes, the hydrodynamic interactions between the pores given their layout pattern, and wall slip. Further, we discuss inertial effects and their order of scaling.

Computational study of flow-induced vibration of a reed in a channel and effect on convective heat transfer

Abstract: The flow-induced fluttering motion of a flexible reed inside a heated channel is modeled numerically and used to investigate the relationship between the aeroelastic vibration of the reed and heat-transfer enhancement. An immersed boundary method is developed to solve the coupled flow-structure-thermal problem, and the simulations show that the vibrating reed significantly increases the mean heat flux through the channel, as well as the thermal performance, quantified in terms of the thermal enhancement factor. The effect of reed material properties on vibratory dynamics and heat transfer is studied. Changes in material properties produce a rich variety of vibratory behavior, and the thermal performance is found to depend more strongly on the reed inertia than its bending stiffness. The effects of both the Reynolds number and channel confinement are examined and it is found that the thermal performance is maximized when the reed creates large modulations in the boundary layer of the channel, while at the same time avoiding the creation of strong vortices.