Free Surface Research Articles

On some properties of the pressure in nonlinear two-dimensional potential flow with a free surface

Two-dimensional nonlinear free surface flows are nowadays routinely simulated on computers. In the context of the potential flow theory, fine details of the free surface motion can be captured. However, few studies focus on the flow beneath the free surface. The novelty of the present work lies in identifying lines where the pressure gradient is colinear with one eigenvector of the pressure Hessian matrix. The spatial and temporal evolution of these lines offers new insights into the complexity of highly nonlinear flows. This pressure characteristic is used to revisit four more or less recent research studies on breaking waves.

Integrating ISPH simulations and artificial neural networks for simulating free surface flow over various porous media on slopes

Integrating ISPH simulations and artificial neural networks for simulating free surface flow over various porous media on slopes

Nonlinear composition dependence of hydrogen bond lifetime in water-DMSO binary mixtures: The role of hydrophobic interaction.

The lifetime of a hydrogen bond between water and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is found to be considerably longer than that between two water molecules in neat water. This is counter-intuitive because the charge on the oxygen in DMSO is considerably less than that in water. Additionally, the strength of the water-dimethyl sulfoxide (w-D) hydrogen bond is found to be strongly composition dependent; the lifetime of the hydrogen bond is ten times larger at 30% than at very low concentrations. Using computer simulations, we perform microscopic structural and dynamic analysis to find that these anomalies arise at least partly from an "action-at-a-distance" effect where the attraction between the hydrophobic methyl groups results in the self-aggregation of DMSO molecules that "cages" both the rotational and linear motions of the molecules involved. This is reflected in the observed strong correlation of the lifetime with the local coordination number of the associated methyl groups. The elongated w-D h-bond lifetime causes a slowdown of collective dynamics and affects the lifetime of the w-w h-bond. This nonlinear feedback mechanism explains the strong composition dependence of viscosity and is anticipated to play a dominant role in many self-assemblies. Furthermore, the w-D hydrogen bond breaking mechanism changes from low to high DMSO concentration, a phenomenon not anticipated a priori. We introduce a new order parameter-based free energy surface of the bond breaking pathway. A two-dimensional transition state rate theory calculation is performed for the lifetime of the w-D h-bond that is found to be semi-quantitatively accurate.

Prediction of waves in tanks excited by ship motion and moving walls with a three-dimensional fully linear finite difference approach

Mitigation of waves in shipboard swimming pools excited by ship motions is a topic of current interest that has not yet been extensively investigated. Various damping mechanisms have been applied to mitigate waves excited in tanks, such as porous baffles or different types of internal baffles. However, most of these devices are installed in LNG tanks to prevent serious sloshing effects. Furthermore, these are passive devices and, hence, unable to control wave-induced excitations. Our focus was on the validation and verification of the three-dimensional (3D) fully linear Finite Difference Method (FDM) based on the previously developed method of Qi et al. (2024) for predicting waves in a transversely placed swimming pool excited by ship motions and piston-type actuators. We validated our FDM approach against comparative Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations as well as experimental model test measurements. The CFD tools solved the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations, relied on an appropriate turbulence model and the Volume of Fluid (VOF) method to capture the free surface of the liquid in the model tank, and employed the overset technique to specify the motions of the active actuators. Our FDM considered ship-induced roll excitations as well as simultaneous roll and sway excitations, albeit only at frequencies outside the range of the pool's resonance frequency. For these periods, our approach accurately predicted not only the mitigated waves in the pool, but also the optimum amplitude of the actuators needed to mitigate such waves. Our FDM can be applied to obtain a preview of excited waves under various conditions, leveraging its principal advantage of extreme computational efficiency.© 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Wetsuit Thermal Resistivity Measurements

In recent years, attention to the realization and characterization of wetsuits for scuba diving and other sea sports or activities has increased. The research has aimed to establish reliable and standardized measurement methods to objectively assess wetsuit quality, particularly focusing on their mechanical and thermal properties. In this work, we describe and compare two different measurement methods for the characterization of neoprene wetsuit thermal resistivity. The first method follows the existing regulations in the field, while the second one, which we are originally proposing in this paper, offers an alternative yet accurate way based on a simplified experimental set-up and easier measurements. In both cases, the wetsuit sample under testing was shaped in the form of a cylindrical sleeve of proper dimensions and wrapped around a phantom containing water at a higher temperature and surrounded by water at a lower temperature. The wetsuit’s cylindrical surface allows heat flow from the warmer water on the inside to the colder water on the outside through the wetsuit area. In the first case, a thermal steady state was achieved, with constant heat flow from the phantom to the exterior. This was obtained with a power balance between two homogenous quantities. Electrically supplied thermal heating within the phantom was used to balance the thermal energy naturally flowing through the wetsuit’s surface. In this first case, a stable and fixed temperature difference was obtained between the inner and the outer surfaces of the wetsuit sample. In the second case, a thermal transient was analyzed during the cooling process of the phantom, and the thermal time constant was measured, providing the sample thermal resistance once the phantom thermal capacity was known. In both cases and methods, the heat flow and thermal resistance of other elements than the wetsuit must be evaluated and compensated for if they are not negligible. Finally, the thermal resistivity per unit area of the wetsuit material was obtained with the product of the wetsuit sample’s thermal resistance and the wetsuit area. The measurements, conducted until now by immersing the phantom in a free surface tank, show that both methods—under stationary and under transient temperature conditions—were valid to assess the wetsuit’s thermal resistivity. The stationary method somehow provided better accuracy while involving less well-known parameters but at the expense of a more complicated experimental set-up and additional energy consumption. The transitory method, on the other hand, is quite easy to implement and, after careful characterization of the phantom’s parameters, it provided similar results to the stationary one. An uncertainty budget was evaluated for both methods, and they did provide highly compatible measurement results, with resistivity values of 0.104(9) m2·K/W (stationary method) and 0.095(9) K·m2/W (transient method) for the same wetsuit sample under testing, which is also consistent with the values in the literature. We finally propose that the novel method is a valid alternative for characterization of the thermal insulation properties of a scuba diving wetsuit.

Measurement of the depth-dependent local dynamics in thin polymer films through rejuvenation of ultrastable glasses

The depth dependence of structural relaxation dynamics is a key part of understanding thin glassy films. Despite this importance and decades of research, a method to provide this information has proved elusive. We measure the isothermal rejuvenation of stable glass films of poly(styrene), and demonstrate that the propagation of the front responsible for the transformation to a supercooled-liquid state serves as a highly localized probe of the local dynamics of the supercooled liquid. We use this connection to probe the depth-dependent relaxation rate with nanometric precision for a series of polystyrene films over a range of temperatures near the bulk glass transition temperature. The analysis shows the spatial extent of enhanced surface mobility and reveals the existence of an unexpected large dynamical length scale in the system. The results are compared with the cooperative-string model for glassy dynamics. The data reveals that the film-thickness dependence of whole film properties arises mainly from the volume fraction of the near-surface region. While the dynamics farthest from the free surface shows the expected bulk-like temperature dependence, the dynamics in the near-surface region shows very little dependence on temperature. This technique can be used in a broad range of thin film materials to gain previously unattainable information about localized structural relaxation.

Numerical Simulation and Field Monitoring of Blasting Vibration for Tunnel In-Situ Expansion by a Non-Cut Blast Scheme

There have been ever more in-situ tunnel extension projects due to the growing demand for transportation. The traditional blast scheme requires a large quantity of explosive and the vibration effect is hard to control. In order to reduce explosive consumption and the vibration effect, an optimized non-cut blast scheme was proposed and applied to the in-situ expansion of the Gushan Tunnel. Refined numerical simulation was adopted to compare the traditional and optimized blast schemes. The vibration attenuation within the interlaid rock mass and the vibration effect on the adjacent tunnel were studied and compared. The simulation results were validated by the field monitoring of the vibration effect on the adjacent tunnel. Both the simulation and the monitoring results showed that the vibration velocity on the adjacent tunnel’s back side was much smaller than its counterpart on the blast side, i.e., the presence of cavity reduced the blasting vibration effect significantly. The optimized non-cut blast scheme, which effectively utilized the existing free surface, could reduce the explosive consumption and vibration effect significantly, and might be preferred for in-situ tunnel expansion projects.

Enhanced schemes for resolution of the continuity equation in projection-based SPH

To the best knowledge of the authors, the numerical resolution of the continuity equation, i.e., the simultaneous achievement of accurate and physically consistent velocity divergence and density fields, has not been investigated in the context of projection-based particle methods. In this study, based on the Velocity-divergence Error Mitigating (VEM)/Volume Conservation Shifting (VCS) schemes developed for the WCSPH method, which improve the numerical resolution of the continuity equation, VEM/VCS schemes are proposed for projection-based particle methods. Furthermore, two other novel schemes are introduced. First, a Dynamic VEM (DVEM) scheme is proposed, where VEM is dynamically activated only when the velocity divergence instantaneously diverge from the reference solution at individual particles. The second scheme is referred to as Enhanced VCS by reference density (EVCS), where precise imposition of dynamic free surface boundary condition is considered. Several benchmark tests with different features have been conducted, and it is shown that the proposed schemes enhance the numerical resolution of the continuity equation for incompressible flows, i.e., the divergence free velocity and the constant density conditions. Application of DVEM and EVCS has provided enhanced resolution of the continuity equation along with clear reductions in the numerical energy dissipation associated with the approximated additional numerical terms.

Symmetrical fully coupled numerical model for efficient dam–reservoir interaction analysis in time domain

ABSTRACT A numerical model is presented for solving the dam–reservoir interaction (DRI) problem in the time domain. The primary aim of this paper is to introduce a coupling method that could be simply implemented in a monolithic DRI model, yields a symmetrical system of equations, and maintains accuracy comparable to existing studies. The finite element method is employed to solve the equation of motion for the structure, and the finite volume method is for the Navier–Stokes equations in the fluid domain. These two solvers are coupled using an innovative approach to generate a pressure-based symmetric system of equations, which is resolved implicitly. Moreover, unlike most previous DRI studies, free surface waves are considered in the modeling procedure, and their effects are investigated. Comparison of the results with benchmark test cases from the literature demonstrates that the proposed numerical method is both straightforward and precise.

An analytical model of longitudinal joints in the segmental lining of shield tunnels with considering geometric nonlinearity

The previous mechanical analysis on the longitudinal joint of segmental linings commonly used the plane section assumption, in which the strains on the normal section are linearly and continuously distributed. This was proven to be overidealized according to a series of full-scale tests in existing literatures. In this paper, the nonlinear characteristics of deformation behavior for longitudinal joint were investigated with emphasis on the geometric nonlinearity of joint. A new analytical model of longitudinal joint was proposed with considering the geometric nonlinearity via employing the local plane section assumption to describe the strain distribution of joint section. The effectiveness of the proposed model was validated and parametric study (e.g. loading cycles and peak bending moment) was conducted. The results indicated the geometric nonlinearity of longitudinal joint refers to the increase area of free surface for the joint section. This nonlinearity will cause the discontinuous change of contact state which can be intuitively charactered by the height of concrete compression zone. Without considering the geometric nonlinearity, the area of concrete compression zone and bending capacity of the joint are overestimated by 45% to 100% based on the calculation result of the verification case. The increasing load cycles and peak load value deteriorate the deformation recoverability and ultimate capacity of joints. The degree of geometric nonlinearity is intensified with the increase of load cycles and peak load value but it can be alleviated if the concrete in external edge contact during overloading process.

A full-field solution to predict vibrations in the presence of a free surface

Blasting is a common activity in mining that can cause significant damage in the remaining rock mass. The most commonly used method for predicting vibrations is the Swedish or Holmberg-Persson approach. It is a simple and fast method that uses empirical formulation to estimate the vibration levels based on the explosive charge weight, distance to the source, and other parameters. However, it has limited accuracy and does not consider the effect of free surfaces or other boundary conditions. On the other hand, recently developed methods as the full-field solution (FFS) can provide more accurate predictions of vibrations due to excitations provoked by cylindrical columns of explosive, but the inclusion of free surfaces in analytical methods is a challenging problem. This paper presents a new approach that includes free surfaces in the FFS to predict vibrations analytically in the near-field. The main obstacle to including free surfaces in the FFS is the belief that the solution is non-decoupleable in P- and SV-waves separately. The Heelan's approach was previously used to decouple them, but it only provides valid radiation patterns in the far-field and does not account for intrinsic attenuation. In this paper, we address this problem, allowing for the inclusion of free surfaces in the FFS.

Self-adaptive numerical dispersion suppressed method for shallow seismic simulation

Near-surface in seismic exploration generally refers to the low deceleration zone and a section of stratum below it, which can be described in geophysical language as “low velocity”, “low Q”, and “Free surface”, etc. Due to the presence of low-velocity layers in near-surface, shallow seismic simulation is plagued by numerical dispersion. Numerical dispersion affects the accuracy of seismic wave simulation, especially severe in shallow areas containing low-velocity layers. To improve the simulated quality, denser grids or higher-order difference schemes are used, but both of which would seriously reduce computational efficiency, especially for frequency-domain numerical modeling. Differentiation is replaced by difference in wave field simulation, which would inevitably result in numerical errors. These numerical errors are manifested as the difference between the phase velocity of the discretized wave field and the medium velocity. The waves with different wavenumber components have different phase velocities, and the larger the wavenumber, the more that its phase velocity lags the group velocity. Based on this theoretical analysis, a regularization factor is added to the frequency-domain acoustic wave equation to correct the phase velocity of high wavenumber components. According to the Von Neumann stability requirements, a regularization factor that adaptively changes with simulation parameters is derived. Compared to the fixed regularization factor, adaptive regularization factor can better match the velocity field and protect the effective wave field to the maximum extent while suppressing numerical dispersion. The improved acoustic wave equation can effectively suppress numerical dispersion without increasing the number of grids. Different numerical models demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the improved acoustic equation with the adaptive regularization factor for suppressing numerical dispersion.

Exploring Conformational Landscapes Along Anharmonic Low-Frequency Vibrations.

We aim to automatize the identification of collective variables to simplify and speed up enhanced sampling simulations of conformational dynamics in biomolecules. We focus on anharmonic low-frequency vibrations that exhibit fluctuations on time scales faster than conformational transitions but describe a path of least resistance toward structural change. A key challenge is that harmonic approximations are ill-suited to characterize these vibrations, which are observed at far-infrared frequencies and are easily excited by thermal collisions at room temperature. Here, we approached this problem with a frequency-selective anharmonic (FRESEAN) mode analysis that does not rely on harmonic approximations and successfully isolates anharmonic low-frequency vibrations from short molecular dynamics simulation trajectories. We applied FRESEAN mode analysis to simulations of alanine dipeptide, a common test system for enhanced sampling simulation protocols, and compared the performance of isolated low-frequency vibrations to conventional user-defined collective variables (here backbone dihedral angles) in enhanced sampling simulations. The comparison shows that enhanced sampling along anharmonic low-frequency vibrations not only reproduces known conformational dynamics but can even further improve the sampling of slow transitions compared to user-defined collective variables. Notably, free energy surfaces spanned by low-frequency anharmonic vibrational modes exhibit lower barriers associated with conformational transitions relative to representations in backbone dihedral space. We thus conclude that anharmonic low-frequency vibrations provide a promising path for highly effective and fully automated enhanced sampling simulations of conformational dynamics in biomolecules.

Atomistic Simulations of the Shock and Spall Behavior of the Refractory High-Entropy Alloy HfNbTaTiZr

AbstractUsing molecular dynamics simulation, we study the effect of a shock wave on the refractory high-entropy alloy HfNbTaTiZr. A single-crystalline sample, shocked along the [001] direction, is considered. The initial compression leads to only weak dislocation activity and a bcc $$\rightarrow$$ → hcp transformation in some regions of the sample. After the shock wave is reflected from the free back surface of the sample, hcp transforms back to bcc, and twins are formed in the bcc phase. The sample spalls under the high tensile pressures developing after wave reflection. In this stage, we observe dislocation activity from the twin boundaries and inside the nanograins generated by twinning. Under the large tensile stresses, some fcc phase appears together with disordered amorphous regions where voids nucleate and lead to spall. The fracture surfaces follow the twin boundaries set up in the compression phase. The spall strength is similar to the one found in simulations of other bcc metals at similar strain rates. Similar simulations for the equiatomic HfNbTaZr HEA show the same qualitative behavior, with twins and reduced dislocation activity, but without phase transformations.

Fluid resonance in narrow gaps formed by three-box system with sharp and round edge profiles under irregular wave actions

Fluid resonance within narrow gaps in multiple-box systems with sharp and round edge profiles under irregular wave actions are investigated by using a viscous fluid flow solver based on OpenFOAM® package. In difference to the two-peak behavior under regular wave actions, the variation of free surface amplitudes in narrow gaps with incident spectral peak frequencies show the single-peak behavior, including the sharp and round edge profiles. Spectral analysis indicates that the wave spectrums of fluid oscillations in narrow gaps mainly around the first- and/or second-order resonant frequencies. The second-order fluid resonance is easier to be aroused for round edge profiles than that for sharp edge profiles. Furthermore, the statistical and histogram results indicate the significant periods are always around the resonant frequencies; while the corresponding standard deviations approach to cover the region between two resonant frequencies. The above results confirm that the wave responses in narrow gaps mainly oscillate with two resonant frequencies under irregular wave actions.

Investigating worldwide strong motion databases to derive a collection of free-field records to select design-compatible waveforms for Switzerland

AbstractThe process of choosing ground motions typically relies on assembling a collection of ground motions that match a desired spectrum. This selection process is guided by specific seismological criteria, including factors like earthquake magnitude, distance from the epicenter, site soil type, and the range of spectral periods that need to fit with the target spectrum. The selection algorithm and the available dataset of waveforms obviously play significant roles in this process. In many engineering and site response applications, it is essential that the input ground motion is representative for the shaking at the free surface of the Earth, and at times also a specific soil type may be required. However, real waveform databases often lack sufficient and/or consistent metadata related to the installation type and soil characterization of recording stations, as well as to the earthquake seismological parameters. This deficiency can lead to the selection of inappropriate waveforms, such as those recorded by stations situated within manmade structures (buildings, bridges, dams) or on a soil type different than the intended one. To address this issue, our approach for creating an appropriate waveform database applicable to Switzerland starts with the computation of seismic hazard disaggregation for return periods of 475 and 975 years. This computation helps identifying the magnitude-distance scenarios most relevant for the five seismic hazard zones defined in the Swiss building code. Once these magnitude-distance ranges are identified, we adhere to established standards regarding the quality control of three-component waveforms and their associated metadata. We assemble a database of waveforms by collating and homogenizing data from available global databases. In the interest of comprehensiveness, we also incorporate data obtained from 3D physics-based numerical simulations of strong-motion near the seismic source. Finally, we employ an algorithm that integrates the Eurocode 8 waveform selection criteria. This algorithm allows us to select and scale waveforms suitable for microzonation and structural analysis studies within each of Switzerland’s five seismic hazard zones. Selecting waveforms compatible with the target design spectra proves to be challenging due to the stringent criteria imposed by Eurocode 8. This challenge arises from the scarcity of recorded waveforms with verified metadata and precise site characterization in the desired magnitude-distance ranges.

Markov fracture models of inhomogeneous media and design of layered structures synthesized by additive technology

We consider the problem of studying the fracture of a composite macrolayer synthesized by additive technology on a solid substrate, to which the boundary of the lower microlayer is rigidly bonded. The materials of the microlayers are homogeneous and isotropic. The thicknesses of microlayers and the total thickness of the macrolayer are the control parameters of synthesis. The physical and mechanical characteristics of the microlayers and their combination in the macrolayer are also controlling parameters. The layer is fractured by a crack, which may appear in the top layer (or any other layer) and move toward the substrate or free surface, perpendicular to the boundaries of the microlayers. The crack can stop at the boundaries between the layers (then it is treated as a separate state) or pass through the boundaries without stopping. Based on the theory of Markov chains, the average lifetime of a stratified layer synthesized on a substrate using additive technology and the variance of the number of cycles (lifetime) characterizing the quality of the synthesized structure are calculated. On the basis of the materials available for the synthesis of the layered coating, the problems of optimal design of the composite body with maximum average resource, minimum resource dispersion, maximum specific strength for given geometric and physical-mathematical constraints on the composite parameters are solved. To find optimal solutions, dynamic programming algorithms are used, implemented on circuits (graphs) of sequential selection of a combination of layer materials according to their synergistic properties.

LED-based PIV Of A Particle-Laden Turbulent Free-Surface

An experimental method is proposed to study dispersed two-phase flows at an airwater interface, a family of flows of practical significance in environmental and industrial settings. The applicability of this technique is demonstrated through the study of a lightly-deformed turbulent free-surface laden with floating particles (`floaters'). A low-mean turbulent flow is generated in a turbulence box actuated by a 10×10 synthetic jet array. Using LEDs and a single camera, free-surface flow measurements are carried out by Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) simultaneously with Lagrangian tracking of the floaters, allowing the potential to characterise the coupling between the floater dynamics and the (sub)surface flow. Discrimination of the dispersed and continuous phases is carried out based on size. Individual floaters and clusters of floaters are successfully tracked throughout the field of view while they navigate through elongated and circular regions of high and low vorticity, characteristic features typically observed when a subsurface turbulent flow interacts with a free surface. Preliminary results of the floater-fluid interactions are presented to highlight the potential of this technique to better our understanding of floaterladen turbulent free surfaces.

Dynamic response of equiatomic and non-equiatomic CrMnFeCoNi high-entropy alloys under plate impact

A typical Fe-rich non-equiatomic CrMnFeCoNi high-entropy alloy (HEA), Cr10Mn10Fe60Co10Ni10, and the equiatomic Cr20Mn20Fe20Co20Ni20 HEA, are investigated via plate impact experiments along with in situ free surface velocity measurements. Both the initial and postmortem samples are characterized with transmission electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction. These two HEAs contain a single face-centered cubic phase, are texture-free, and have similar grain sizes. Dynamic yield stress and spall strength of the non-equiatomic CrMnFeCoNi are lower by ∼55 % and 15 % than those of its equiatomic counterpart, respectively. After shock compression, dislocation slips, stacking faults, Lomer-Cottrell locks and nanotwins are found in the postmortem samples of both HEAs. Due to the reduced stacking fault energy in the non-equiatomic HEA, more deformation twins and newly formed hexagonal close-packed phases are found. For spallation, intergranular voids are larger in size but smaller in quantity than intragranular voids for both HEAs. Both intragranular or intergranular voids show strong dependence on grain boundary misorientation.

Effect of grain size on spall fracture of CrCoNi medium-entropy alloy under Taylor-wave loading

The effect of grain size on spall properties of medium-entropy alloy CrCoNi under Taylor-wave loading is investigated. Three different grain sizes, 300 μm, 20 μm, and 3 μm, are explored. The free surface velocity histories are measured to obtain such quantities as dynamic yield strength and spall strength. With decreasing grain size, there is a slight decrease in spall strength, but a significant increase in damage rate. The shock-recovered samples are characterized with scanning electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction. In coarse-grained samples, voids tend to nucleate within grain interiors, while in fine-grained samples, voids nucleate preferentially at grain boundaries (GBs). Molecular dynamics simulations show that the nucleation of intergranular or intragranular voids is dominated by GB–slip and slip–slip intersections, respectively. The higher GB density results in more extensive GB–slip intersections, consistent with the experimental results.