Computational Fluid Dynamics Method Research Articles

Computational fluid dynamics numerical simulation of flue gas emission from stack and tower integration system of coal-fired power plant

ABSTRACT The method of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation has been extensively employed in the stack and tower integration technology (STIT) research; however, a significant number of studies overlooked the impact of thermal buoyancy on the external flow field of cooling tower. In light of this, an improved approach is proposed in this study. A model of a cooling tower and its surrounding flow field was established, and its reliability was confirmed too. Based on our model, the performance of three enhancement strategies under various crosswind speeds and ambient temperatures was simulated. The results indicate that all three enhancement strategies can effectively simulate the effects of thermal buoyancy. In the simulations, the elevation of the flue gases increased from 306 m to either 426 m or 476 m. In the present study, ambient conditions characterized by crosswind speeds below 4 m/s and temperatures below 297.15 K were deemed suitable for the dispersion of stack and tower integration (STI) flue gases. A power function distribution was identified between crosswind speed and the mean height of the plume, while a linear relationship was observed between ambient temperature and the mean height of the plume.

Numerical Investigations on Wake Effects of Fish Cages

Abstract A typical fish farm in Norway usually consists of 6 to 12 fish cages, and these fish cages are moored together in a grid shape. Due to wake effects, individual fish cages may experience different flow velocities depending on their positions in the fish farm. Hereby, the drag forces on individual fish cages can be different. The drag forces on the downstream fish cages are difficult to be estimated without knowing the exact flow velocity, which will lead to challenges with the mooring system design. In this study, the computational fluid dynamic (CFD) method combined with a porous media model is employed to investigate the wake effects on the fish farm. The flow field through the fish cages and the drag forces on the downstream fish cages are investigated and discussed.

Improving the sealing performance of honeycomb seal by drilling double wall-holes

A novel double-wall-hole honeycomb seal (D-WHHCS) is proposed in this paper. D-WHHCS is designed based on a traditional honeycomb seal (HCS) by drilling double holes in the honeycomb sidewalls. The leakage characteristics of D-WHHCS are investigated via the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. The sealing performance of D-WHHCS under different seal clearances, wall hole positions, operating pressures and rotating speeds is studied. The sealing mechanism of D-WHHCS is revealed. The results show that D-WHHCS has better sealing performance than HCS under all the considered operating conditions, with a maximum leakage reduction of 3.95%. A fluid concentration effect when the axial cavity number (N) = 14 is observed in D-WHHCS, which causes a 9.16% improvement in the maximum turbulent kinetic energy compared with HCS at the outlet extension. A large vortex in the cavities of D-WHHCS with N = 14 is guided by the jets at the centerlines of the drilling hoes. The average turbulent dissipation in the cavities of D-WHHCS is a maximum increase of 95.30%, even though the vortexes in the cavities with N = 13 are weakened by the counteractive effect of two jets. The leakage reduction performance of D-WHHCS decreases with increasing clearance. An abnormal low-pressure region is produced in the first cavity because the intensive jet covers the first two cavities and suppresses the throttling effect of the first-stage honeycomb cavity. The leakage of D-WHHCS further decreases along with holes closing to rotor surface.

Numerical Investigation of Interventions to Mitigate Heat Stress: A Case Study in Dubai

Urbanization and changes in microclimate have negative impacts on outdoor thermal comfort, making urban design more important. This study aims to improve outdoor thermal comfort in a local climate zone (LCZ) in Dubai using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods. This study evaluates cooling interventions, such as vegetation, architectural, and pavement material, using Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations and the SIMPLE scheme. The results show that a combination of cooling interventions affects the average temperature between 4.44 °C and 6.14 °C. Light-colored ground material has a 5.4 °C cooling effect in the LCZ compared with dark-colored materials. The predicted mean vote (PMV) method is used to compare outdoor thermal comfort and the results show that thermal sensation in the LCZ improves from warm to slightly cool. Lastly, the most effective cooling interventions are, in order, shade structures, trees, chimneys, and bushes.

Numerical investigation of inlet-pipe configurations on fluid dynamics and flow-field characteristics inside filling valve

The filling valve requires high efficiency and stability in the working process, which is closely related to the distribution of the flow characteristics inside the valve. In this study, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods were present to analyse the pressure, velocity, and other characteristics of the filling valve under different inlet pipe angles and valve openings. The flow characteristics, which are experimentally measured, are consistent with CFD simulation results. Research shows that the increase in the angle of the inlet pipe can improve the uniformity of the flow field inside the valve, produce a better core flow pattern at the valve outlet, and have better fluid stability. Based on the flow characteristics of the valve, to obtain good filling efficiency and stability, a moderate valve opening of 9 mm should be selected, and the flow coefficient can reach 1.08, which is 1.6 times higher than that of 3 mm, and the angle of the inlet pipe should be appropriately increased. This study provides a reference for the use and optimization of filling valves.

MSD-based transient fluid model of liquid circular angular accelerometer for vibration-induced error analysis

MSD-based transient fluid model of liquid circular angular accelerometer for vibration-induced error analysis

Study on Flow Characteristics of Integrated Natural Circulation Reactor Under Inclined Conditions

In order to study the flow characteristics of an integrated natural circulation reactor under inclined conditions, a typical three-dimensional analysis model of natural circulation was established. The natural circulation under inclined conditions was numerically simulated using the computational fluid dynamics method, and the velocity and temperature distribution characteristics of heat exchangers and mixed-flow channels with different inclined angles were analyzed. The results show that as the inclination angle of the heat exchanger flow rate increases, there is a spatial migration phenomenon corresponding to the direction of the average flow rate. A large inclination angle will lead to a serious deterioration of the natural circulation capacity in the lower channel. Under inclined conditions, there is a phenomenon of temperature stratification in the mixed-flow channel.

Design and optimization of heat dissipation for a high-voltage control box in energy storage systems

Abstract To address the issue of excessive temperature rises within the field of electronic device cooling, this study adopts a multi-parameter optimization method. The primary objective is to explore and realize the design optimization of the shell structure of the high voltage control box, aiming to effectively mitigate the temperature rise in internal components and enhance their thermal management efficacy without altering the fan performance, environmental conditions, or spatial layout. Initially, the study employs computational fluid dynamics methods to investigate the heat dissipation characteristics of the high voltage control box, subsequently verifying the simulation parameters' accuracy through temperature rise tests. Building upon this foundation, the article conducts a thorough analysis of how the position and shape of the box's openings impact the device's temperature rise. The findings suggest that configuring circular openings on the front and rear sides can optimize the heat dissipation effect. Moreover, the SHERPA algorithm was employed to refine the size and distribution of the openings on the outer shell of the high voltage control box through multi-parameter optimization, yielding locally optimal structural parameters. Post-optimization, the temperature measurement points within the high voltage control box exhibited a maximum reduction in temperature rise of 27.16%. The pivotal contribution of this methodology is the application of a data-driven decision-making process for the enhancement of conventional heat dissipation designs. This research offers invaluable practical insights and novel perspectives on the optimization of thermal management designs for box-type electronic devices.

Turbomachines seal flow resistance enhancement and leakage reduction based on flow control method with bow-shaped auxiliary teeth

Improving sealing performance without clearance reduction is important for the economic and safety operation of modern turbomachines. For this purpose, this study proposes the bow-shaped auxiliary teeth to reduce the leakage. One bow-shaped auxiliary tooth is installed after each seal tooth to guide the leakage jet towards the side wall of seal tooth. Then the leakage jet attaches itself to the inner wall of cavity. The Computational Fluid Dynamics method is used to calculate the flow field in the new seal. Results show that flow impingements, flow deflections, and enhanced vena contraction effect increase the leakage flow resistance and reduce the leakage velocity. The application of the bow-shaped auxiliary teeth reduces the leakage flow rate by 43.8-46.3% compared with the labyrinth seal. Geometry parameters analysis shows that reducing the axial distance between seal tooth and bow-shaped auxiliary tooth, and increasing the central angle of bow-shaped auxiliary tooth are beneficial for leakage reduction. With the increase in the radius of bow-shaped auxiliary tooth, the leakage firstly decreases and then changes a little.

Inversion of electron densities in plasma wakes of hypersonic targets

Focusing on the plasma wakes of hypersonic targets (PWHT), this work provides a method for the inversion of electron densities in the PWHT by integrating electromagnetic radiation theory and three-wave coupling theory (TWCT). Utilizing the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method, taking a blunt cone as an example, the spatial distribution characteristics of electron densities in the plasma wake are simulated and analyzed in detail. The Zakharov system of equations (ZSE) is applied to the PWHT for the discussion about the electromagnetic radiation generated by plasma parametric instability. Combining the wavenumber spectrum of electromagnetic radiation and the TWCT, an inverse method of the electron densities of plasma wakes is proposed and applied to a blunt cone model. The results indicate that the inversion error rate is effectively held below 1.37 %. Furthermore, reasons for errors are elucidated through the utilization of the wavenumber spectrum structure. The proposed method may contribute to the development of hypersonic wake diagnostic techniques, and offer new insights and directions for wind tunnel experiments, shock tube experiments, as well as research on hypersonic target detection.

Numerically investigating the effect of using nanofluids on the thermal performance and coefficient of performance of a U-tube deep borehole ground source heat pump

In this study, a deep-borehole ground source heat pump was simulated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. The thermal performance and coefficient of performance (COP) of the vertical ground source heat pump simulated with accuracy using CFD for water and 4 different nanofluids as working fluids were investigated. Two nanofluids contained silver and copper metallic nanoparticles and the other two nanofluids contained copper and aluminum oxide nanoparticles. For each of these nanofluids as well as water, the heat exchange rate, total exchanged heat, outlet temperature and COP were calculated and the results were compared together. The results showed that using nanofluids leads to increased exchanged heat. Nanofluids based on aluminum oxide, copper oxide, copper and silver nanoparticles resulted in 4.83, 5.76, 6.9, 7.69 percent increase in total exchanged heat, respectively. In addition to increased exchanged heat, using nanofluids increased the outlet temperature. Also, the results showed that the maximum and minimum increase in COP were 36.5% and 5.2% which were related to using silver and aluminum oxide nanoparticle-based nanofluids, respectively.

Effect of swirling gas inlet design on particle motion and decomposition in magnesite flash calciner

In this work, a numerical simulation model of an industrial-scale magnesite flash calciner (MFC) was established based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. The discrete phase model (DPM) was employed, and the results of kinetic analysis for magnesite decomposition were taken into consideration. Then, the influence of swirling gas inlet design on particle motion and decomposition in MFC was analyzed, thereby providing suggestions for production. The results indicate that incorporating a swirling design can attenuate the particle deposition at the feeding port and increase particle residence time in furnace. However, the conversion degree of magnesite is decreased. This phenomenon can be attributed to the particle accumulation near the wall, resulting in a localized lower gas temperature and subsequently leading to a gas-solid heat transfer degradation. By elevating the gas temperature and reducing its flow rate, the enhancement of magnesite decomposition and reduction in energy consumption are achieved. The gas-solid water equivalent ratio, determined by heat of reaction and sensible heat of flue gas, needs to be higher than 1.8 to maintain a mass fraction of MgO above 0.9.

Numerical Simulation on In-Vessel Molten Corium Behavior with External Vessel Cooling using Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics

The in-vessel retention through external reactor vessel cooling (IVR-ERVC) strategy is a key management strategy for early termination of a nuclear severe accident that can threaten the integrity of the reactor vessel. To simulate the physical phenomena of the molten corium, the smoothed particle hydrodynamic (SPH) method is utilized in this study. The SPH method is a Lagrangian computational fluid dynamic (CFD) method that can simulate multi-fluid stratification, turbulence, natural circulation, radiative heat transfer, thermal ablation, and crust formation. To address the external vessel cooling, it is coupled with a conventional 1-D nuclear system analysis method. The 1-D system analysis code can calculate the two-phase natural circulation of cooling water and the convective heat transfer on the external reactor vessel wall. These two simulation codes exchange the temperature and heat flux of the reactor vessel outer wall. This study numerically simulated the IVR-ERVC strategy for a Korean high-power reactor and compared it with the traditional lumped parameter method (LPM). Unlike LPM, this study provides localized detailed data about the thermal hydraulic behavior of molten corium and visualization of phenomena in the IVR-ERVC strategy. This enhances our understanding of the phenomena in IVR-ERVC strategy and introduces new perspectives.

Design and validation of a sampling module for a cyclonic wet-wall bioaerosol sampler using a computational fluid dynamics model

Pollen in the atmosphere is one of the common bioaerosol materials that can be harmful to human health. To collect and predict the pollen in the atmosphere, a sampling module of a cyclone wet-wall bioaerosol sampler was designed using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method and response surface method (RSM). The parabolic shape was chosen for the sampling module based on the axial and tangential velocities of flow in the module. Then, the main diameter of the sampling module was determined. The significance analysis of the main parameters of the sampling module on the capture rate was conducted using the Plackett-Burman (PB) design method. In descending order, the items are inlet width > outlet diameter > inlet height > base diameter > cone height > cylinder height > outlet pipe insertion depth. The test center point of Box-Behnken design (BBD) for the four significant parameters, namely inlet width, outlet diameter, inlet height, and cone height, were determined using the steepest climb test. Then, the optimal parameters of the sampling module were obtained using RSM and the optimal parameters were an inlet height of 15.4 mm, an inlet width of 5.4 mm, an outlet diameter of 14.7 mm, and a base diameter of 13.3 mm. Finally, the simulated capture rate of the sampling module was validated by the experimental results. The capture rate of the optimal sampling module for 2.5 μm PSL particles was 82.93 ± 4.25%. The results of this study can provide a practical method for designing the sampling module using the CFD model and RSM. Additionally, it can provide a high collection rate sampling module for pollen and bioaerosol in the environment.

Detachment dynamics of sessile droplets triggered by interaction forces between oil and wall in a microchannel

Understanding the detachment dynamics of droplets adhered to reservoir walls holds significant importance for the residual oil displacement process in high water-cut oilfields. Existing studies demonstrated that increasing mainstream shear by adjusting displacement flow and weakening wall adhesion by increasing contact angle can enhance droplet detachment. However, the complex physical and chemical oil–wall interactions, a crucial reservoir feature, cannot be solely relied on the macroscopic representation through contact angle. A deviation in understanding the process of crude oil droplet detachment would be resulted due to the change of wall adhesion. Considering the intricate physical and chemical interactions between oil and walls, in this paper, we employed the extended Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek (EDLVO) theory to establish an oil–wall interaction forces system, and coupling computational fluid dynamics method to further explore the detachment dynamics of sessile oil droplets in a microchannel under varying EDLVO forces. The findings showed that (1) by increasing the Capillary number, the droplets gradually occur in four typical dynamic states: static, sliding, detachment, and pinch-off. (2) Static droplets are more prone to experience sliding behavior when influenced by EDLVO forces. (3) For droplets undergoing detachment and pinch-off, EDLVO forces inhibit entrainment behavior. These results contribute to an enhanced comprehension of droplet detachment dynamics in reservoirs, offering fresh insights for enhanced oil recovery strategies.

Analysis of the impact of graphene nano-lubricating oil on thermal performance of hydrostatic bearing

Purpose To enhance the performance of hydrostatic bearings, graphene serves as a lubricant additive. Using the high thermal conductivity of graphene, the purpose of this study is to focus on the impact of graphene nano-lubricating oil hydrostatic bearing temperature rise at various speeds and eccentricities. Design/methodology/approach The thermal conductivity of graphene nano-lubricating oil was calculated by molecular dynamics method and based on the viscosity–temperature effect, the coupled heat transfer finite element model of hydrostatic bearing was established; temperature rise of pure lubricating oil and graphene nano-lubricating oil hydrostatic bearing were analysed at different speed and eccentricity based on computational fluid dynamics method. Findings With the increase of speed and eccentricity, the temperature rise of 0.2% graphene nano-lubricating oil bearings is lower than that of pure lubricating oil bearings; in addition with the increase of graphene mass fraction, the temperature rise of graphene nano-lubricating oil bearings is always higher than that of pure lubricating oil bearings, and the higher the speed, the more obvious the phenomenon. Originality/value The effects of graphene as a lubricant additive on the thermal conductivity of nano-lubricating oil and the variation of the temperature rise of graphene nano-lubricating oil bearings compared to pure lubricating oil bearings were analysed by combining micro and macro methods. Peer review The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-12-2023-0388

Numerical simulation of optimizing the swing curve of a 3DOF biomimetic pectoral fin in drag mode

In response to the optimization problem of the motion law of the pectoral fins of biomimetic robotic fish, this paper uses computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods to achieve the CFD optimization of two types of rigid biomimetic pectoral fins with three degrees of freedom (DOF): elliptical and 8-shaped swing curves. By analyzing the hydrodynamic characteristic curve of the pectoral fins, pressure distribution upstream and downstream of the fin surface, velocity vector of the surrounding flow field during pectoral fin swing, and three-dimensional vortex structure, it is found that when the pectoral fins are pushed forward in an elliptical swing curve, the resistance peak value decreases after two optimizations. However, at the same time, a certain amount of thrust is lost. When the pectoral fin advances in an 8-shaped swinging curve, after two optimizations, the pectoral fins resistance decreases while maintaining an enormous thrust, comprehensively improving the propulsive effect of the pectoral fin on the robotic fish. By substituting the optimized 8-shaped pattern into the robotic fish model, it is found that the flapping angle of 35° has better drag reduction performance, and the average swimming speed of the robotic fish is the fastest at this angle.

Numerical investigations of the restriction effects on a ship navigating in pack-ice channel

This paper adopts Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method and Discrete Element Method (DEM) to simulate a ship navigating in pack-ice channel considering the effects of channel restriction. First, from the simulations of the ship sailing in open-water channel by CFD, it is found that the effects of channel width on water resistance is more pronounced than the impacts by level-ice thickness. Then, based on the stable and converged flow field obtained by CFD simulations, the CFD-DEM coupling method is applied to reveal the effects of channel width and level ice thickness on ship-ice-water interactions and ice resistances at different ship speeds. The results indicate that as the channel width decreases, the accumulation of pack ice in the areas of bow and midship intensifies. The ice resistances on the bow and midship increase notably, and the lateral ice forces exhibit pronounced asymmetric and random characteristics. In extremely narrow pack-ice channels, lower ship speed results in lager ice resistance and lateral ice force on the ship. In addition, as the level ice thickness decreases, the pack ice is more easily squeezed below the level ice, resulting in the decreases of ice resistance and lateral ice force.

A numerical study of heterogeneous nucleation of ice crystals and frost layer growth on horizontal cold surfaces

In engineering applications, the formation and growth of frost layers can significantly affect the normal operation of equipment, leading to undesirable influences. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the frost formation mechanisms as a basis for developing effective anti-frosting and defrosting methodologies. This study proposes a model for the growth of horizontal cold surface frost layers using the classical nucleation theory and the Eulerian multiphase flow model. Compared to numerous models that investigate the frost formation issues using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method, our proposed model takes into account the crystal growth period (the heterogeneous nucleation process of ice). The predicted results of the proposed model were found to be in good agreement with the data collected from five related experimental studies. In this regard, the maximum frost layer thickness error was 23.9 % with a mean error of 5.1 %, and the maximum density error was 22.8 % with a mean error of 8.1 %. Compared to existing models in the literature, the proposed model can reduce the maximum thickness and density uncertainties by 17.4 % and 10.2 %, respectively. Additionally, the effects of the surface contact angle and environmental parameters on the nucleation process were analyzed using the established model. It was found that a larger contact angle, higher cold surface temperature, and lower air temperature, humidity, and velocity were unfavorable conditions for supporting the formation and growth of ice crystals. Moreover, the nucleation completion time was shortened with the increase in the moist air supersaturation degree, varying as an exponential function. The findings of this study provide an important theoretical basis for the development of optimizing strategies for anti-frosting and defrosting.

Prediction of horizontal and vertical turning maneuvers of a generic submarine model by closed-form solutions and CFD

Turning maneuvering performance of a generic submarine in both the horizontal and vertical planes is investigated using closed-form (analytical) solutions and the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method. The aim is to provide a simple yet improvable method throughout the design phase of an underwater vehicle. Both the turning circle maneuver in the horizontal plane and the rising maneuver in the vertical plane are performed. Vehicle trajectories are obtained using closed-form solutions and a linearized maneuvering model with a limited set of hydrodynamic coefficients computed from the CFD model. The derivation of the closed-form solution is based on the basic mechanical principles of steady circular motion, while the hydrodynamic coefficients are determined via steady CFD simulations using a single grid topology. The steady turning diameter serves as the figure of merit in a turning circle maneuver. For the rising maneuver, trajectories predicted by both methods are directly compared. The methods are found to be in good agreement for both maneuvers. Maneuvering predictions made with the linear coefficient set are also open to development. As the design of the submarine evolve, nonlinear and coupled effects can be included in the mathematical model by incorporating related hydrodynamic coefficients to obtain more accurate results.