Showing papers on "Streamlines, streaklines, and pathlines published in 2013"

The Turbulent/Non-Turbulent Interface Bounding a Far-Wake

Abstract: The velocity fields of a turbulent wake behind a flat plate obtained from the direct numerical simulations of Moser et al. are used to study the structure of the flow in the intermittent zone where there are, alternately, regions of fully turbulent flow and non-turbulent velocity fluctuations either side of a thin randomly moving interface. Comparisons are made with a wake that is 'forced' by amplifying initial velocity fluctuations. There is also a random temperature field T in the flow; T varies between constant values of 0.0 and 1.0 on the sides of the wake. The value of the Reynolds number based on the centreplane mean velocity defect and halfwidth b of the wake is Re approx. = 2000. It is found that the thickness of the continuous interface is about equal to 0.07b, whereas the amplitude of fluctuations of the instantaneous interface displacement y(sub I)(t) is an order of magnitude larger, being about 0.5b. This explains why the mean statistics of vorticity in the intermittent zone can be calculated in terms of the probability distribution of y(sub I) and the instantaneous discontinuity in vorticity across the interface. When plotted as functions of y - y(sub I), the conditional mean velocity (U) and temperature (T) profiles show sharp jumps Delta(U) and Delta(T) at the interface adjacent to a thick zone where (U) and (T) vary much more slowly. Statistics for the vorticity and velocity variances, available in such detail only from DNS data, show how streamwise and spanwise components of vorticity are generated by vortex stretching in the bulges of the interface. Flow fields around the interface, analyzed in terms of the local streamline pattern, confirm previous results that the advancement of the vortical interface into the irrotational flow is driven by large-scale eddy motion. It is argued that because this is an inviscid mechanism the entrainment process is not sensitive to the value of Re, and that small-scale nibbling only plays a subsidiary role. While mean Reynolds stresses decrease gradually in the intermittent zone, conditional stresses are found to decrease sharply towards zero at the interface. Using one-point turbulence models applied to either unconditional or conditional statistics for the turbulent region and then averaged, the entrainment rate E(sub b) would, if calculated exactly, be zero. But if computed with standard computational methods, E(sub b) would be non-zero because of numerical diffusion. It is concluded that the current practice in statistical models of approximating entrainment by a diffusion process is computationally arbitrary and physically incorrect. An analysis shows how E(sub b) is related to Delta(U) and the jump in shear stress at the interface, and correspondingly to Delta(T) and the heat flux.

Flow intermittency, dispersion, and correlated continuous time random walks in porous media

Abstract: We study the intermittency of fluid velocities in porous media and its relation to anomalous dispersion. Lagrangian velocities measured at equidistant points along streamlines are shown to form a spatial Markov process. As a consequence of this remarkable property, the dispersion of fluid particles can be described by a continuous time random walk with correlated temporal increments. This new dynamical picture of intermittency provides a direct link between the microscale flow, its intermittent properties, and non-Fickian dispersion.

Insights into non-Fickian solute transport in carbonates.

Abstract: [1] We study and explain the origin of early breakthrough and long tailing plume behavior by simulating solute transport through 3-D X-ray images of six different carbonate rock samples, representing geological media with a high degree of pore-scale complexity A Stokes solver is employed to compute the flow field, and the particles are then transported along streamlines to represent advection, while the random walk method is used to model diffusion We compute the propagators (concentration versus displacement) for a range of Peclet numbers (Pe) and relate it to the velocity distribution obtained directly on the images There is a very wide distribution of velocity that quantifies the impact of pore structure on transport In samples with a relatively narrow spread of velocities, transport is characterized by a small immobile concentration peak, representing essentially stagnant portions of the pore space, and a dominant secondary peak of mobile solute moving at approximately the average flow speed On the other hand, in carbonates with a wider velocity distribution, there is a significant immobile peak concentration and an elongated tail of moving fluid An increase in Pe, decreasing the relative impact of diffusion, leads to the faster formation of secondary mobile peak(s) This behavior indicates highly anomalous transport The implications for modeling field-scale transport are discussed Citation: Bijeljic, B, P Mostaghimi, and M J Blunt (2013), Insights into non-Fickian solute transport in carbonates, Water Resour Res, 49, 2714–2728, doi:101002/wrcr20238

Particle Deflection in a Poly(dimethylsiloxane) Microchannel Using a Propagating Surface Acoustic Wave: Size and Frequency Dependence

Abstract: We study the effect of a propagating surface acoustic wave (PSAW) with different frequencies on particles with different sizes in microfluidic channels. We find that the deflection critically depends on the applied frequency as well as on the particle size. For fixed frequencies, large particles are deflected and migrate perpendicular to the flow direction while smaller particles only follow the streamlines of the flow field. However, with increasing frequency of the PSAW above a size dependent limit, small particles are also actuated. This relation can be characterized by the wavenumber k and the particle radius r using the parameter κ = k · r. For the onset of deflection, we find a critical value κc ≅ 1.28 ± 0.20. Finally, we demonstrate how this device can be used for particle separation.

Microstructure-induced helical vortices allow single-stream and long-term inertial focusing

Abstract: Fluid inertia has been used to position microparticles in confined channels because it leads to precise and predictable particle migration across streamlines in a high-throughput manner. To focus particles, typically two inertial effects have been employed: inertial migration of particles in combination with geometry-induced secondary flows. Still, the strong scaling of inertial effects with fluid velocity or channel flow rate have made it challenging to design inertial focusing systems for single-stream focusing using large-scale microchannels. Use of large-scale microchannels (≥100 μm) reduces clogging over long durations and could be suitable for non-single-use flow cells in cytometry systems. Here, we show that microstructure-induced helical vortices yield single-stream focusing of microparticles with continuous and robust operation. Numerical and experimental results demonstrate how structures contribute to improve focusing in these larger channels, through controllable cross-stream particle migration, aided by locally-tuned secondary flows from sequential obstacles that act to bring particles closer to a single focusing equilibrium position. The large-scale inertial focuser developed here can be operated in a high-throughput manner with a maximum throughput of approximately 13000 particles per s.

Characterization of Mixing and Size Segregation in a Rotating Drum by a Particle Tracking Method

Abstract: The mechanisms of segregation in solids mixing, even in simple rotating drums, are not clearly understood. Although most past studies have focused on binary mixtures, this work investigates the effect of polydispersity on granular flow, mixing, and segregation in a rotating drum operated in rolling regime through particle trajectories obtained from the radioactive particle tracking technique. Velocity profiles, radial segregation, and axial dispersion coefficients for monodisperse and polydisperse systems of glass beads are analyzed with respect to rotational speed and particle size. A model is introduced to predict the residence times along streamlines and evaluate the rate at which the material renews at the free surface and within the inner layers of the bed. Our results reveal similar velocity profiles and residence times for monodisperse and polydisperse systems. They also indicate that the particles distribute along the radial direction of the drum, although not necessarily in a core/shell configuration. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 1894–1905, 2013

Extensional flow of hyaluronic acid solutions in an optimized microfluidic cross-slot device.

Abstract: We utilize a recently developed microfluidic device, the Optimized Shape Cross-slot Extensional Rheometer (OSCER), to study the elongational flow behavior and rheological properties of hyaluronic acid (HA) solutions representative of the synovial fluid (SF) found in the knee joint. The OSCER geometry is a stagnation point device that imposes a planar extensional flow with a homogenous extension rate over a significant length of the inlet and outlet channel axes. Due to the compressive nature of the flow generated along the inlet channels, and the planar elongational flow along the outlet channels, the flow field in the OSCER device can also be considered as representative of the flow field that arises between compressing articular cartilage layers of the knee joints during running or jumping movements. Full-field birefringence microscopy measurements demonstrate a high degree of localized macromolecular orientation along streamlines passing close to the stagnation point of the OSCER device, while micro-particle image velocimetry is used to quantify the flow kinematics. The stress-optical rule is used to assess the local extensional viscosity in the elongating fluid elements as a function of the measured deformation rate. The large limiting values of the dimensionless Trouton ratio, Tr ∼ O(50), demonstrate that these fluids are highly extensional-thickening, providing a clear mechanism for the load-dampening properties of SF. The results also indicate the potential for utilizing the OSCER in screening of physiological SF samples, which will lead to improved understanding of, and therapies for, disease progression in arthritis sufferers.

Flow Field Around Single and Tandem Piers

Abstract: The present study provides a comparison between the flow pattern around two circular piers in tandem and a single pier set up on a moderately rough flat bed in a laboratory flume. Velocities are measured by an Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter (ADV). The contours of the time-averaged velocity components, Reynolds shear stresses, turbulence intensities and turbulence kinetic energy at different planes are presented. Streamlines and vectors are used to study the flow features. The analysis of power spectra around the piers is also presented. The results show that the presence of downstream pier changes the flow structure to a great extent, particularly in the near-wake region. Within the gap between the two piers, a stronger and substantial upflow is shaped. However, a weaker transverse-deflection is formed in comparison with that in the single pier. Near the bed, the velocity of flow approaching the downstream pier decreases to 0.2–0.3 times of the approach mean velocity (U 0) due to the sheltering effect of the upstream pier. In the wake of downstream pier, the flow structure is completely different from the one in the wake of single pier. In comparison with the single pier, the values of turbulence kinetic energy and turbulence intensities show a considerable decrease around the tandem piers. In tandem piers, the high values of turbulence characteristics are found near the downstream pier. There is a recirculation zones just upstream of the sheltered pier close to the bed and another behind that pier near the free surface. The results show a decrease in the strength of vortical structure in the wake of tandem piers in comparison with single pier. It is shown that the formation of flow with different Reynolds number along the flow depth due to the effect of bed roughness, as well as pier spacing, can influence the type of flow regime of tandem case. In addition to enhancing the flow structure indulgence, the present detailed measurements can also be used for verification of numerical models.

Circulation based models for Boussinesq gravity currents

Abstract: In addition to the conservation of mass and horizontal momentum, existing analytical models of gravity currents traditionally require an assumption about the conservation or loss of energy along specific streamlines for closure. Here, we show that the front velocity of gravity currents can be predicted as a function of their height from mass and momentum balances alone by considering the evolution of interfacial vorticity. This approach does not require information on the pressure field and therefore avoids the need for the energy conservation arguments invoked by earlier models. Predictions by the new theory are shown to be in close agreement with results from numerical simulations. We also discuss the influence of downstream mixing on the front velocity predicted by this theory.

The fluid dynamics of the rotating flow in a Tesla disc turbine

Abstract: The flow induced by rotating discs has attracted some of the greatest minds in fluid dynamics like von Karman and Batchelor, and still is a vigorously active research area. In comparison, the available analysis of the rotating flow in the narrow gaps among closely-spaced co-axial multiple discs of a Tesla turbine, which produces power, is limited. In this paper a simple theory has been presented that describes the three-dimensional fields of velocity and pressure in the Tesla disc turbine. The theory gives the torque and power output which have been verified by comparing the theoretical predictions with recently published experimental results. The governing conservation equations have been cast in a form that makes it possible to formulate analytical solutions and to develop clear physical interpretation for each term in the equations. Thus the roles of each of the centrifugal, Coriolis, inertial and viscous forces in generating torque and power, and in establishing the pressure field have been comprehensively investigated and explained here. This physical exposition of the rotating flow in a Tesla disc turbine has been achieved for the first time in the present paper. Several subtle flow physics and fluid dynamic behaviors have been elucidated. As an example, it is shown here that a Tesla disc turbine may generate net torque and power even when the tangential fluid speed at the disc periphery is less than the local tangential speed of the disc. The subtle role of the Coriolis acceleration in establishing such flow conditions, which involve flow reversal and complex pathlines, has been explained.

The steady-state flow pattern past gravitating bodies

Abstract: Gravitating bodies significantly alter the flow pattern (density and velocity) of the gas that attempts to stream past. Still, small protoplanets in the Mars–super-Earth range can only bind limited amounts of nebular gas; until the so-called critical core mass has been reached (�1–10 Earth masses) this gas is in near hydrostatic equilibrium with the nebula. Here we aim for a general description of the flow pattern surrounding these low-mass, embedded planets. Using various simplifying assumptions (subsonic, 2D, inviscid flow, etc), we reduce the problem to a partial differential equation that we solve numerically as well as approximate analytically. It is found that the boundary between the atmosphere and the nebula gas strongly depends on the value of the disc headwind (deviation from Keplerian rotation). With increasing headwind the atmosphere decreases in size and also becomes more asymmetrical. Using the derived flow pattern for the gas, trajectories of small solid particles, which experience both gas drag and gravitational forces, are integrated numerically. Accretion rates for small particles (dust) are found to be low, as they closely follow the streamlines, which curl away from the planet. However, pebble-size particles achieve large accretion rates, in agreement with previous numerical and analytical works.

Natural Convection Flow with Surface Radiation Along a Vertical Wavy Surface

Abstract: In this study, natural convection boundary layer flow of thermally radiating fluid along a heated vertical wavy surface is analyzed. Here, the radiative component of heat flux emulates the surface temperature. Governing equations are reduced to dimensionless form, subject to the appropriate transformation. Resulting dimensionless equations are transformed to a set of parabolic partial differential equations by using primitive variable formulation, which are then integrated numerically via iterative finite difference scheme. Emphasis has been given to low Prandtl number fluid. The numerical results obtained for the physical parameters, such as, surface radiation parameter, R, and radiative length parameter, ξ, are discussed in terms of local skin friction and Nusselt number coefficients. Comprehensive interpretation of velocity distribution is also given in the form of streamlines.

Exploring vector fields with distribution-based streamline analysis

Abstract: Streamline-based techniques are designed based on the idea that properties of streamlines are indicative of features in the underlying field. In this paper, we show that statistical distributions of measurements along the trajectory of a streamline can be used as a robust and effective descriptor to measure the similarity between streamlines. With the distribution-based approach, we present a framework for interactive exploration of 3D vector fields with streamline query and clustering. Streamline queries allow us to rapidly identify streamlines that share similar geometric features to the target streamline. Streamline clustering allows us to group together streamlines of similar shapes. Based on user's selection, different clusters with different features at different levels of detail can be visualized to highlight features in 3D flow fields. We demonstrate the utility of our framework with simulation data sets of varying nature and size.

Numerical Investigation of the Effect of Magnetic Field on Natural Convection in a Curved-Shape Enclosure

Abstract: This investigation reports the magnetic field effect on natural convection heat transfer in a curved-shape enclosure. The numerical investigation is carried out using the control volume-based-finite element method (CVFEM). The numerical investigations are performed for various values of Hartmann number and Rayleigh number. The obtained results are depicted in terms of streamlines and isotherms which show the significant effects of Hartmann number on the fluid flow and temperature distribution inside the enclosure. Also, it was found that the Nusselt number decreases with an increase in the Hartmann number.

Numerical simulation of double diffusive laminar mixed convection in shallow inclined cavities with moving lid

Abstract: A numerical investigation of double-diffusive laminar mixed convection in an inclined cavity has been studied numerically. The top lid was considered to move in both directions to introduce the forced convection effect. In addition, the solutal and thermal buoyancy forces are sustained by maintaining the top lid and the bottom surface at uniform temperatures and concentrations, but their values for the top lid are higher than those at the bottom surface. The laminar flow regime is considered under steady state conditions. Moreover, the transport equations for continuity, momentum, energy and mass transfer are solved. The streamlines, isotherms and isoconcentrations as well as both local and average Nusselt and Sherwood numbers were studied for the hot lid. The effects of inclination of the cavity on the flow, thermal and mass fields are investigated for inclination angles ranging from 0° to 30°. The study covers a wide range for 0.1 ⩽ Le ⩽ 10 and −10 ⩽ N ⩽ 10. Through this investigation, the following parameters are kept constant: The aspect ratio at 10, Prandtl number at six representing water. A comparison was made with published results and a good agreement was found.

Flow structure on a rotating wing: Effect of steady incident flow

Abstract: The flow structure along a rotating wing in steady incident flow is compared to the structure on a rotating wing in quiescent fluid, in order to clarify the effect of advance ratio J (ratio of free-stream velocity to tip velocity of wing). Stereoscopic particle image velocimetry leads to patterns of vorticity, velocity, and Q-criterion (constant values of the second invariant of the velocity gradient tensor), as well as streamlines, which allow identification of critical points of the flow. The effective angle of attack is held constant over the range of J, and the wing rotates from rest to a large angle that corresponds to attainment of the asymptotic state of the flow structure. Prior to the onset of motion, the wing is at high angle of attack and the steady incident flow yields a fully stalled state along the wing. After the onset of rotation, the stalled region quickly gives rise to a stable leading edge vortex. Throughout the rotation maneuver, the development of the flow structure in the leading edge region is relatively insensitive to the value of J. In the trailing-edge region, however, the structure of the shed vorticity layer is strongly dependent on the value of J. Further insight into the effects of J is provided by three-dimensional patterns of spanwise-oriented vorticity, spanwise velocity, and Q-criterion.