Large Eddy Simulation Technique Research Articles

Verification and Validation of Spectral Element Code for Supercritical CO2 Flow in Vertical Heated Tubes

The investigation of heat transfer in supercritical CO2 (sCO2) has garnered considerable attention in recent decades, given sCO2’s potential as a promising working fluid for advanced power conversion cycles. Despite previous research efforts, there are still gaps in our understanding of sCO2 heat transfer, particularly in conditions associated with heat transfer deterioration. To delve into sCO2 heat transfer more comprehensively, we propose employing the high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics code NekRS to simulate sCO2 flow using the large eddy simulation technique. Through graphics processing unit acceleration, NekRS achieves a higher computational speed than traditional CPU-based systems. However, before using NekRS in practical applications involving sCO2, it is imperative to perform verification and validation. This paper presents our efforts to verify and validate the NekRS code’s capability for simulating sCO2 using heated vertical tubes, where heat transfer deterioration usually happens. To accommodate the unique properties of sCO2, we have modified the NekRS code by integrating third-party property modules, such as REFPROP and PROPATH. Our simulations are compared with experimental and numerical data from the literature, instilling confidence in leveraging NekRS for future engineering applications. Our simulations also reveal that the accuracy of the property module significantly impacts the results, with REFPROP outperforming PROPATH for sCO2 properties. Additionally, we observed that, depending on the flow direction, buoyancy can either enhance or suppress turbulence in sCO2 flow. In upward flow, under certain conditions, the suppressed turbulence leads to heat transfer deterioration, resulting in elevated wall temperatures.

Wind-Induced Aerodynamic Effects on Set-Back Tall Buildings Using LES

Set-back modification represents a dependable method to reducing the wind effects on high-rise buildings, but the flow mechanism and aerodynamic responses of set-back tall buildings have not been explored systematically. Using the square building as the benchmark model, six set-back building models with varying steps and sizes were chosen for numerical simulation in this study. The results of mean wind pressure and local wind force distribution, power spectral densities of base moment, flow field, and structural response of the proposed building models are compared and analysed using the Large Eddy Simulation (LES) technique. The results demonstrate that the aerodynamic performance of set-back tall buildings dramatically improved, with the actual optimization in the cross-wind direction being more significant. Generally, a single set-back measure can enhance the aerodynamic performance of high-rise buildings more effectively than a double set-back measure. The outcome of this study provides an aerodynamic design guide for set-back tall buildings.

Sub-filter-scale shear stress analysis in hypersonic turbulent Couette flow

Direct numerical simulations of hypersonic turbulent Couette flows are performed for top-wall Mach numbers of 6, 7 and 8, inspired by non-reactive high-enthalpy wind tunnel free-stream conditions, with the goal of analysing the physical processes driving the sub-filter-scale (SFS) stresses to inform development of large-eddy simulation techniques for hypersonic wall-bounded flows. Semi-local scaling laws collapse mean profiles and second-order turbulent statistics well, in spite of the strong wall-normal gradients of temperature and density. On the other hand, the SFS shear stresses exhibit an unexpected profile characterized by a region of pronounced shear stress deficit, which becomes more pronounced for higher Mach numbers. Instantaneous visualizations suggest that the SFS shear stress deficit is induced by the counter-gradient resolved momentum transport driven by residual velocity motions at the interface between high-density low-speed streaks being ejected away from the wall, and low-density high-speed ones replacing the displaced fluid, qualifying this as a compressibility effect. It is shown that the SFS shear stresses are primarily driven by second-order interactions between residual velocities, in spite of their triply nonlinear nature. This, in turn, motivated a statistical quadrant analysis revealing the presence of a SFS shear stress deficit, that is, SFS processes driving momentum transport of the resolved field towards the top wall. Additionally, higher-Reynolds-number simulations reveal that there is an upper limit of spatial filter widths to resolve large-scale structures, and such deficit is observable at any Reynolds number when a reasonable spatial filter is applied.

Flow dynamics of a liquid–liquid bi-swirl injector

This work presents detailed two-phase flow simulations of liquid–liquid bi-swirl injectors for engineering applications. Liquid oxygen and kerosene are delivered into the injector, which is initially filled with air. A parametric study is conducted on the recess length of the inner tube to investigate its effect on the flow dynamics and spray pattern. The simulations are performed using an improved multiphase flow solver in OpenFOAM, which employs the volume-of-fluid approach for interface tracking and the large-eddy simulation technique for turbulence modeling. Detailed flow dynamics of both fuel and oxidizer, along with their spray patterns, are examined systematically. A comprehensive account is provided on the impact of the recess length on flow evolution, including the film thickness, air core diameter, and spray cone angle. Spectral and dynamic mode decomposition analyses are performed to further examine the flow structures and dynamics. Results from this study can be effectively used to facilitate the design optimization of injectors for liquid-fueled propulsion systems.

Large Eddy Simulation Combined with System Identification Method to Analyze Non-Premixed Flame Transfer Function

ABSTRACT The heat release response (HRR) of the flame is a pivotal aspect of combustion instability investigation, commonly characterized by the Flame Transfer Function (FTF). This study employed a combination of large eddy simulation (LES) and system identification (SI) techniques to derive the FTF for a methane-air non-premixed swirling burner. The influence of memory time and excitation signals within the LES+SI was investigated as only a few studies have been conducted in this direction so far, and validated against experimental data. Variations in memory time led to notable shifts in frequency and amplitude for gain peaks and valleys, with modest effects on phase delay within the 20–140 Hz range. The number of corner frequencies increased with memory time, whereby smaller memory times flattened the gain curve and underestimated phase delay, and larger memory times intensified curve undulations, distorting finer details. By minimizing the Mean Relative Error (MRE) between LES+SI results and experimental data, the optimized memory time of 0.017 s was identified, which closely aligned with the convection time of 0.0167 s. Consequently, convection time could be referenced in a priori estimation approach for memory time in a non-premixed swirling burner. In comparing FTF obtained from different excitation signals, the Superimposed Sinusoidal Signal (SINE) excelled in the gain curve within the 20–100 Hz range, accurately capturing the 30 Hz gain peak and 80 Hz valley, while the Broadband White Noise (BBWN) excelled in the phase curve within the same range, both yielding a smaller mean relative error (MRE). However, the Discrete Random Binary Signal (DRBS) demonstrated the best consistency with experimental data within the 100–190 Hz range, and boasted an MRE of 38.01% and 28.55% respectively for the gain and phase curve within the entire frequency range. Consequently, we inferred that DRBS functioned as the excitation signal with the most minimal identification error.

The role of the areal parameters on turbulent flow over 2D Gaussian roughness

In the past decades, numerous efforts have been dedicated to establishing a direct correlation between a geometric parameter that represents wall roughness and the corresponding velocity reduction, known as the Roughness Function ΔU+. This reduction is influenced by various statistical measures of roughness height, including average roughness height, peak-to-valley roughness distance, roughness root mean square, and Effective Slope, among others. It has been demonstrated that a singular measure of roughness height cannot sufficiently predict the Roughness Function across all turbulent regimes. Consequently, many studies have concentrated on identifying a universal correlation between roughness geometry and the downward shift of the mean velocity profile. In this study, we investigated the correlation between various geometrical parameters and the Roughness Function using Large Eddy Simulation (LES) techniques in channel flows at a friction Reynolds number of Reτ=400. Given the complexity introduced by the random nature of irregular roughness, we explored specific aspects of the relationship between wall irregularities and the roughness function by studying 2D geometries. This approach allowed us to systematically investigate the impact of geometrical properties on the roughness function and isolate the effects of roughness density and coverage area. Several irregular rough surfaces, characterized by different average oscillations height, different distributions and different densities, were designed throughout 2D Gaussian functions. With the aim to find a universal correlation between the roughness geometry and the Roughness Function, new geometrical quantities were investigated, based on the global area occupied by the roughness A∗. The prediction of the roughness function can be thus obtained using apriori data. To predict the roughness function, we introduced a parameter called Effective Area (EA), which is derived from the correlation between the Effective Slope (ES) and the roughness area A∗. Our findings indicate that a single geometric parameter, whether ES or Area A, is insufficient to predict the roughness effect. Conversely, combining these two parameters enhances predictive accuracy, at least for the proposed roughness model. This improvement can be attributed to the ability of ES to interpret the roughness distribution and height, while the coverage area is effective in predicting roughness density over a flat plate.

Scale Effects Investigation in Physical Modeling of Recirculating Shallow Flow Using Large Eddy Simulation Technique

In this study, the Large Eddy Simulation (LES) model in OpenFOAM was used to investigate the scale effects in the physical modeling of recirculating shallow flow at low Froude numbers. A laboratory test of turbulent flow through a submerged conical island with a Reynolds number of 6,210 was selected. The lab prototype was scaled with factors of 3 and 10 for both undistorted and distorted models. Our study employed the Froude similarity as the gravitational force is more dominant than the others (viscous, drag, and cohesion forces). Because the fluid (water) used for the prototype and model is the same, it is impossible to match the Reynolds, Weber, and Froude numbers simultaneously, resulting in the scale effects. For a scale of 1:1, the LES model could simulate the experimental data by appropriately capturing the vortices behind the conical island. For the undistorted models with scales of 3 and 10, the numerical model captured weaker magnitudes of vortices than the 1:1 scale, indicated by the discrepancies in velocity. In fact, the magnitudes of vortices became weaker with the distorted models. We also observed a significant increment in energy loss behind the conical island (where recirculating flows exist) as the scale increased. However, no significant discrepancies in velocity were observed between the results of the 1:1 scale and the scaled models in front of the conical island, where vortices were absent. These results indicate that the scale effects due to the Froude similarity are quite significant provided that recirculating turbulent flow occurs.

The effects of desk-partition layout on cough droplet dynamics relating to seasonal influenza

The use of physical dividers as control measures for short-range viral transmission in indoor settings has gained increasing attention. However, the understanding regarding their correct usage under different seating arrangements is incomplete. In this study, we focused on assessing the effectiveness of physical dividers in impeding the transient transmission of cough droplets in three representative layouts using the large-eddy simulation technique with the Eulerian–Lagrangian model. We computationally also investigated the effects of ventilation on viral droplet transmission under three representative desk-divider layouts. The ventilation approach was tested using two different ventilation rates (1.0 and 1.8 m/s). A comparative analysis of the ventilation flow fields, topologies, and particle directions has been studied. The findings indicate that the sitting arrangements, ventilation rates, and partition layouts play a significant role in designing effective control measures for indoor infection under the office setup considered. The protected occupied zone ventilation (POV) worked best in situations of low ventilation (1.0 m/s) for cross-partition in protecting the three healthy persons. In addition, the POV performed well for low (1.0 m/s) and high (1.8 m/s) ventilation rates for face-to-face layout. The side-by-side configuration performed poorly for the POV considered in protecting the healthy person seated directly opposite the infected person. The numerical predictions may be used to validate other experimental studies and educate office workers and engineers on indoor airborne infection control.

Numerical simulation of particle flow around the impulsive monopile

In order to explore the particle flow field characteristics around the impulsive monopile, the particle flow field and particle distribution around impulsive monopile were simulated based on the classical impulsive flow around a monopile at medium and low Reynolds number (Re = 550). The Large Eddy Simulation (LES) technique was harnessed to capture the dynamic flow field around the monopile and to facilitate in-depth analysis of vortex evolution. Concurrently, the Lagrangian approach was employed to track and characterize particle trajectories, shedding light on the patterns of particle diffusion and congregation in the vicinity of the monopile under varying Reynolds numbers. Additionally, this investigation unveils the distinctive behavior of particle flow during the impulsive starting and stopping phases adjacent to the monopile. Leveraging these insights, the study elucidates the intricate influence of the unsteady flow field dynamics around the monopile on the progression of particle flow.

Prediction and analysis of flow-induced noise of a real-size high-speed train using compressible Large Eddy Simulation and vortex sound source

As technology advances, high-speed trains have become faster, and the aerodynamic noise generated by their exterior flow fields has become a critical consideration in the design process. Accurately predicting the flow-induced noise of high-speed trains requires high-resolution sound source generation in the near-field and noise propagation in the acoustic field without numerical dissipation. This necessitates the appropriate design of the grids from the point of aerodynamic noise generation and propagation in association with the length scales of the relevant components of an actual train. To address this challenge, this research study employs a three-dimensional compressible Large Eddy Simulation (LES) technique with high-resolution grids to simultaneously calculate the external flow and acoustic fields of a real-size high-speed train consisting of five cars running in open field. Further analysis is carried out to evaluate the contribution of major components, including the cap, pantograph, bogie, intercoach, and HVAC cover, which are known to be significant contributors to high-speed train flow noise. The study also employs the vortex sound source to analyze the generation mechanism of flow-induced noise for each component, providing insights for reducing aerodynamic noise.

Numerical study of flow regimes and force characteristics for cruciform cylinder in oscillatory flow

Oscillatory flow past cruciform cylinder is numerically investigated using the Large-eddy simulation (LES) technique. The flow regimes and force characteristics of the cruciform cylinder are analyzed in detail for β (frequency parameter) numbers ranging from 200 to 500 and KC (Keulegan–Carpenter) number equals 10. Three vortex shedding modes are observed at different β values, which affect the torques exerted on the cruciform cylinder. At sections far from the node, two vortices shed within each cycle. The transverse force curve exhibits a regular pattern and a significant dominant frequency is observed in the transverse force spectra. However, as the node is approached, the vortex shedding becomes increasingly complex, leading to significant changes in the amplitudes and shapes of the transverse forces. Additionally, the sectional force coefficients agree well with those on the isolated cylinder at sections far from the node, whereas they exhibit significant increases at the sections near the node. Finally, the force coefficients of the cruciform cylinder are compared with those of the isolated cylinder for 2 < KC < 30 at β = 500. The results indicate that the cruciform cylinder experiences an increase in force coefficients, attributed to the influence of the node in cruciform cylinder.

Experimental and numerical investigations on the performance and wake characteristics of a tidal turbine under yaw

This paper presents an extensive examination of the wake characteristics and hydrodynamic performance of a 1:60 scale horizontal axis tidal stream turbine under yawed inflow conditions. Experimental investigations were conducted in a laboratory flume, while numerical simulations utilized the actuator line method and large-eddy simulation technique. The turbine was subjected to an inflow turbulence intensity of 6% and was tested at five different yaw angles (5°, 10°, 15°, 20°, and 30°). The findings demonstrate a substantial reduction in the power coefficient as the yaw angle increases, with a notable drop of 47.1% recorded at a yaw angle of 30°. Furthermore, numerical simulations of wake characteristics, including mean velocity and turbulence intensity, were examined and compared with measurements, yielding satisfactory agreement. The yawed wake flow exhibited asymmetrical distributions of mean velocity and deviations from the centerline. Additionally, distinct deformations of the yawed wake in the y-z cross sections were observed, indicating a discernible curled kidney shape that intensified with larger yaw angles. Moreover, interactions between the turbine wake and support structures affected the width and turbulence intensity of the near wake, introducing additional unsteadiness that accelerated wake recovery.

Large-Eddy Simulation of the unsteady supersonic flow around a Mars entry capsule at different angles of attack

Time-evolving high-fidelity simulations of an entry capsule in a supersonic flight regime have been performed at different angles of attack (0∘,5∘,10∘ and 15∘) in Mars' atmosphere. The aim is to contribute to the understanding of the critical unsteady phenomena that arise during the descent phase, gaining insights on the optimal design choices to ensure a safe atmospheric entry and a successful landing procedure. Turbulent structures effectively solved via Implicit Large-Eddy Simulation technique allow us to evaluate the flow properties and the capsule's response both in space and time, placing special attention to the analysis of the turbulent motions responsible for the oscillatory and unsteady dynamics. Ultimately, Proper Orthogonal Decomposition is employed to provide a low-order model of the wake dynamics.

Characterisation of unsteady separation in a turbulent boundary layer: Reynolds stresses and flow dynamics

The large-eddy simulation technique was used to investigate the dynamics of unsteady flow separation on a flat-plate turbulent boundary layer. The unsteadiness was generated by imposing an oscillating, wall-normal velocity profile at the top of the computational domain, and a range of reduced frequencies ( $k$ ), from a very rapid flutter-like motion to a slow quasi-steady oscillation, was studied. Ambrogi et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 945, 2022, A10) showed that the reduced frequency greatly affects the transient separation process, and at a frequency $k=1$ , the separation region became unstable and was advected periodically out of the domain. In this paper, we discuss the causes of the observed advection process and the effects of the unsteadiness on the second moments. The time evolution of turbulent kinetic energy, for instance, reveals that an advection-like phenomenon is also present at a very low reduced frequency, but its dynamic behaviour is completely different from that of the intermediate frequency ( $k=1$ ). At the intermediate frequency the entire recirculation region is advected downstream, keeping its shape. The advected structure is rotational in nature, and moves at constant speed. In contrast, in the low-frequency case the advected fluid originates at the reattachment point, and the structure is shear-dominated. Particle pathlines reflect the fact that the flow at the low frequency is quasi-steady-state, but show peculiar differences at the intermediate frequency, in which the flow response to the freestream forcing depends on the particle positions in the wall-normal direction.

Prediction and analysis of aeroacoustic characteristics of a real-size high-speed train running in open field using compressible Large Eddy Simulation and vortex sound source

With the rapid advancement of technology, high-speed trains have been requested to increases their speeds. Aerodynamic noise generated from the external flow fields around these trains has become a critical factor to be addressed during a design phase. Accurate prediction of flow-induced noise in high-speed trains requires high-resolution sound source generation in the near-field and precise noise propagation analysis in the acoustic field without numerical dissipation. This necessitates the appropriate design of grids, taking into account aerodynamic noise generation and propagation in conjunction with the length scales of the relevant components of a real-size train. To tackle this challenge, the present research employs a three-dimensional compressible Large Eddy Simulation (LES) technique with high-resolution grids to simultaneously calculate the external flow and acoustic fields of a real-size high-speed train consisting of five cars running in an open field. A comprehensive analysis is conducted to evaluate the contributions of major components, namely, a cap, pantograph, bogie, intercoach, and HVAC cover, which are well-known as significant contributors to high-speed train flow-induced noise. The study utilizes the vortex sound source approach to analyze the generation mechanism of flow-induced noise for each component, providing valuable insights that could potentially aid in reducing aerodynamic noise.

On the coupling between wall-modeled LES and immersed boundary method towards applicative compressible flow simulations

The current work presents an innovative numerical technique for high-Reynolds/high-Mach number compressible flow simulations in complex configurations. In particular, the research combines a novel wall-modeled large-eddy simulation technique with a sharp-interface immersed boundary method in the framework of high-order numerical schemes. The proposed approach enables the best from wall modeling and the immersed boundary. The first is concerned with accurately dealing with wall flows while avoiding direct control of near-wall resolution; the second is related to efficiently treating arbitrarily complex geometries in Cartesian grids. In particular, the paper extends a well-established wall model already presented by the research group to arbitrarily-shaped bounds. The method yields a minimally invasive technique that switches between wall-resolved and wall-modeled large-eddy simulations according to the local near-wall resolution. Thus, easily fitting aerodynamic simulation needs. After discussing the numerical procedure, the paper provides several benchmarks to demonstrate the validity of the proposed approach. In particular, literature-available direct numerical datasets are mined to compare acquired outcomes. The results’ accuracy is found to be remarkable from low-Mach-channel and -pipe flow configurations up highly-compressible flows concerning the spatial deployment of the boundary layer over a flat plate and the shock-wave/boundary-layer interaction over a compression ramp. Thus, the proposed method appears to be a promising framework for dealing with engineering-relevant flow simulations along with the efficient path of Cartesian meshes combined with massively parallel GPU-accelerated architectures.

Flow Around a Pile Under Highly Non-linear Waves Using an Unstructured Finite-Volume Technique

This study has coupled a wave generating model with the existing in-house 3D Large Eddy Simulation (LES) hydrodynamic model. The primary focus is to simulate the hydrodynamics around a circular cylinder under non-linear waves. To accurately capture the behaviour of non-linear waves, a relaxation method is implemented on an unstructured grid, and its effectiveness is examined in a numerical wave tank with a vertical cylinder. To validate the accuracy of the proposed model, we compare the simulation results with experimental data, specifically analysing the transmission of the wave surface across the cylinder and examining the phased-averaged pressure distribution. The simulations also consider the shedding of lee-wake vortices, and the results are extensively discussed. Significantly, this paper represents the first known investigation of hydrodynamics under non-linear waves using the large-eddy simulation technique on unstructured grids. This approach opens up new possibilities for studying complex wave-structure interactions with improved accuracy and realism.

CFD simulation of an axial discharge rotor-stator mixer: LES versus RANS predictions

The large eddy simulation (LES) technique is used to model the turbulent flow of water in a two-stage, axial discharge, in-line rotor-stator mixer. The WALE sub-grid scale model is employed, and the resulting filtered velocity field is ensemble averaged to predict the mean velocity, turbulent kinetic energy, energy dissipation rate, and energy production rate. The results of these 3-D sliding mesh simulations are compared to analogous RANS predictions on similar meshes using the realizable k-ε turbulence model. Stator slot flow rate and rotor torque/power draw are also monitored. RANS and LES predict similar mean velocity profiles, flow rate and rotor torque. LES predicts higher turbulent kinetic energy, but lower dissipation rate compared to RANS. Results from a coarse and refined computational mesh are compared to discuss the significance of resolving smaller scales for LES. The effect of operating conditions on throughput, power draw, and other quantities of practical utility are also discussed. It was found that prediction of macroscopic quantities such as flow rate and power draw can be done efficiently using either RANS or LES on a relatively course mesh while capturing turbulence quantities requires a well refined LES simulation.

Dispersion of expectorated cough droplets with seasonal influenza in an office

We do not fully grasp viral droplet transmission processes in ventilated interior environments. The core focus of our research is to investigate the effectiveness of the protected occupied zone ventilation (POV) through computational fluid dynamics models in a simplified office setting. The large-eddy simulation technique with the Eulerian–Lagrangian model was implemented to address complicated indoor processes such as turbulence, flow–aerosol interaction, and ventilation impact. We computationally investigated the effects of desk partitions and the POV on cough droplets in an office. The ventilation approach was tested using two distinct exhaust layouts and four different ventilation rates (1.0, 1.2, 1.5, and 1.8 m/s). A comparative analysis of the ventilation flow fields, topologies, and particle directions has been studied. The findings indicate that the plane jet's ventilation rates influence the protected occupied zone ventilation performance. The ventilation rates distributed the virus droplets around the room, but compared to the up-exhaust cases, the down-exhaust cases appeared to have better shielded the healthy person. This pattern could indicate that the placement of the exhaust outlet in ventilation systems significantly influences indoor aerosol dispersion. The results also show that substantial flow streams may carry tiny particles (≤70 μm) throughout their path. Large particles (≥100 μm) could not go far in cough gas clouds. Most viral particles deposit on solid surfaces in various work sites per specific ventilation rates. Office workers need to be very cautious around these hazardous areas.

Study on Hydrodynamics of Fish-Friendly Open-Channel Flow

To elucidate the hydrodynamic characteristics of a fish-friendly open channel, a three-dimensional numerical hydrodynamic model is constructed in this study employing the Large-eddy Simulation (LES) technique. The reliability of this numerical model is thoroughly validated by incorporating periodic boundaries in the flow direction, allowing for the recurrent development of water flow within the computational domain and utilizing experimental data from a flume. The results demonstrate that the fish-friendly channel is partitioned into a high-velocity mainstream zone and a low-velocity habitat zone. The time-averaged flow velocity in the mainstream zone is approximately 2.0 times the cross-sectional average flow velocity. In the low-velocity habitat zone, the average hourly flow velocity and turbulence are at a relatively low level, rendering the zone suitable for fish habitation and the incubation of adhesive fish eggs. A significant vortex structure is present in the mixing layer at the junction of the main flow area and the habitat area, which not only markedly increases the turbulence intensity but also serves as the primary driver of momentum exchange within the open channel.