Iso-surface Method Research Articles

Influence of Upstream Disturbances on the Vortex Structure of Francis Turbine Based on the Criteria of Identification of Various Vortexes

The inter-blade passage vortex, the vortex rope of the draft tube, and the vortex in the guide apparatus are the characteristics of flow instability of the Francis turbine, which may lead to fatigue failure in serious cases. In the current study, in order to accurately capture the transient turbulent characteristics of flow under different conditions and fully understand the flow field and vortex structure, we conduct a simulation that adopts sliding grid technology and the large-eddy simulation (LES) method based on the wall-adapting local eddy viscosity (WALE) model. Using the pressure iso-surface method, the Q criterion, and the latest third-generation Liutex vortex identification method, this study analyzes and compares the inter-blade passage vortex, the vortex rope of the draft tube, and the outflow and vortex in the guide apparatus, focusing on the capture ability of flow field information by various vortex identification methods and the unique vortex structure under the condition of a small opening. The results indicate that the dependence of Liutex on the threshold is small, and the scale range of the flow direction vortex captured by Liutex is wider, but the ability of the spanwise vortex is relatively weak. The smaller the opening, the more disorderly the vortexes generated in each component and the more unstable the flow field. In the draft tube, the original shape of the vortex rope is destroyed due to the interaction between vortexes. Under the condition of a small opening, an inter-blade passage vortex is generated, affecting the efficient and stable operation of the turbine.

Identification of the vortex around a vehicle by considering the pressure minimum

This paper proposes a method to identify low-pressure vortices with swirling motions around a vehicle by considering the two-dimensional pressure minimum. The existing sectional-pressure-minimum-and-swirl method combined with the finite difference method can be used to identify low-pressure vortices with swirling motions in homogeneous isotropic turbulence. To apply this method to the flow field around a vehicle, a method that extends the existing method to the finite volume method on unstructured grids and prevents the fragmentation of the vortex core lines was developed. To verify the proposed method, it was applied to the von Karman vortices of the square cylinder on the unstructured grids. The results indicate that the von Karman vortices, which involve low-pressure vortices with swirling motions, could be effectively captured using the proposed method. Finally, the proposed method was applied to the flow field around a vehicle. Compared with the existing method, the proposed method could better prevent the fragmentation of the vortex core lines. In addition, four known vortex structures around the vehicle could be identified by using the proposed method in combination with the isosurface method. Compared to other generally used methods in the field of vehicle aerodynamics, the proposed method could better identify the vortex core lines within a few minutes. These results demonstrate that the proposed method is effective for identifying the vortices around a vehicle.

Atom Probe Microscopy of Strengthening Effects in Alloy 718

Polycrystalline Ni-based superalloys for aerospace and power generation applications are often precipitation hardened to achieve strengthening at elevated temperatures. Here, atom probe microscopy has become an essential tool to study the complex morphology of nanoscale precipitates. This study focuses on Alloy 718, which is hardened by semi-coherent, ordered γ' (Ni3(Al, Ti)) and γ″ (Ni3(Nb)) particles. According to previous research, these particles often occur as duplets or triplets with a stacking sequence dependent on prior processing. This creates various interfaces with a strong impact on the mechanical properties, highlighting the importance of quantitative studies which are challenging with electron microscopy. We present atom probe data reconstruction and analysis approaches particularly suited for precipitation hardened superalloys. While voltage atom probe allows for an accurate reconstruction, the acquired data volume is often limited. Laser-assisted atom probe provides statistically significant data, but the loss of crystallographic information requires correlation with voltage-mode datasets. We further describe an advanced iso-surface method where initially arbitrarily chosen concentration thresholds of Al + Ti for γ' and Nb for γ″ particles are optimized. Recognizing the importance of the precipitate stacking order, the different types of precipitate interfaces are quantified, and these methods may be applicable to other engineering alloys.

Quantification and Analysis of the Irreversible Flow Loss in a Linear Compressor Cascade.

A local loss model and an integral loss model are proposed to study the irreversible flow loss mechanism in a linear compressor cascade. The detached eddy simulation model based on the Menter shear stress transport turbulence model (SSTDES) was used to perform the high-fidelity simulations. The flow losses in the cascade with an incidence angle of 2°, 4° and 7° were analyzed. The contours of local loss coefficient can be explained well by the three-dimensional flow structures. The trend of flow loss varying with incidence angle predicted by integral loss is the same as that calculated by total pressure loss coefficient. The integral loss model was used to evaluate the irreversible loss generated in different regions and its varying trend with the flow condition. It as found that the boundary layer shear losses generated near the endwall, the pressure surface and the suction surface are almost identical for the three incidence angles. The secondary flow loss in the wake-flow and blade-passage regions changes dramatically with the flow condition due to the occurrence of corner stall. For this cascade, the secondary flow loss accounts for 26.1%, 48.3% and 64.3% of the total loss for the flow when the incidence angles are 2°, 4° and 7°, respectively. Lastly, the underlying reason for the variation of the secondary flow loss with the incidence angle is explained using the Lc iso-surface method.

A Computational Study of Density of Some High Energy Molecules

AbstractThe detonation pressure depends quadratically on the loading density of the explosives. A precise estimate of the density is thus crucial to decide if a novel energetic material is worth pursuing. In this work we investigate theoretically the crystal densities of the energetic compounds RDX, TNT, NTO, DNAM, CL‐20, DADNE, and HMX. We calculate the crystal densities by using Materials Studio 7.0 Polymorph Predictor, employing force fields and exploring molecular packing arrangements with minima in total energy. Geometry optimized molecular structures computed by density functional theory (DFT) are used as input to the density predictions. In an additional DFT study we apply two functionals, B3LYP and M06 with the 6‐31G(d) and the 6‐31G(d,p) basis sets, and the program package GAUSSIAN09. In this part of the work crystal densities are calculated by using the molecular isosurface volume (defined by the volume within a surface with an electron density of 0.001 electrons per Bohr3) alone or combined with the variance of the electrostatic potential (ESP). The Polymorph Predictor seems to overestimate the densities, but the values are very dependent on the force field strength determined by charges assigned to atoms. In the GAUSSIAN09 DFT study the densities derived by using the M06 functional are in similar agreement with experimental data as what we experienced for the B3LYP results, although both functionals appear to give slightly lower densities than reported experimentally for the majority of the molecules. On average, the densities derived by the ESP method correlate equally well with measured values as the results obtained by the isosurface method.

Mathematical modeling of nonisothermal thin-film two-phase flow over permeable surfaces

The thermohydrodynamics of the nonisothermal film flow of two-phase media over permeable surfaces has been investigated. The mechanical conservation equations for the heterogeneous media have been formulated and simplified in an orthogonal system of coordinates for arbitrarily shaped surfaces, with the specific features of the flow taken into consideration. The problem has been solved using the flow rate isosurface method, and numerical calculations have been carried out.

Simulation of the hydrodynamics of multiphase heterogeneous media in a centrifugal field

A mathematical model has been constructed for the motion of multiphase heterogeneous media over the surface of rotating extension pieces and in hydrocyclones. The model takes into account the separation and thickening of the medium and the existence of a hydrodynamic starting length. Continuum- and trajectory-based approaches to the problem of the motion of multiphase heterogeneous media are suggested. The conservation equations of heterogeneous fluid mechanics have been solved by the flow rate isosurface method. The results of numerical calculations are presented for flows over the inner surface of a conical rotor and in a hydrocyclone.

Element-partition-based methods for visualization of 3D unstructured grid data

Element-partition-based methods for visualization of 3D unstructured grid data are presented. First, partition schemes for common elements, including curvilinear tetrahedra, pentahedra, hexahedra, etc., are given, so that complex elements can be divided into several rectilinear tetrahedra, and the visualization processes can be simplified. Then, a slice method for cloud map and an iso-surface method based on the partition schemes are described.