Low Numerical Dissipation Research Articles

High-Order Numerical Simulations of Wind Turbine Wakes

Previous attempts to describe the structure of wind turbine wakes and their mutual interaction were mostly limited to large-eddy and Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes simulations using finite-volume solvers. We employ the higher-order spectral-element code Nek5000 to study the influence of numerical aspects on the prediction of the wind turbine wake structure and the wake interaction between two turbines. The spectral-element method enables an accurate representation of the vortical structures, with lower numerical dissipation than the more commonly used finite-volume codes. The wind-turbine blades are modeled as body forces using the actuator-line method (ACL) in the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations. Both tower and nacelle are represented with appropriate body forces. An inflow boundary condition is used which emulates homogeneous isotropic turbulence of wind-tunnel flows. We validate the implementation with results from experimental campaigns undertaken at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU Blind Tests), investigate parametric influences and compare computational aspects with existing numerical simulations. In general the results show good agreement between the experiments and the numerical simulations both for a single-turbine setup as well as a two-turbine setup where the turbines are offset in the spanwise direction. A shift in the wake center caused by the tower wake is detected similar to experiments. The additional velocity deficit caused by the tower agrees well with the experimental data. The wake is captured well by Nek5000 in comparison with experiments both for the single wind turbine and in the two-turbine setup. The blade loading however shows large discrepancies for the high-turbulence, two-turbine case. While the experiments predicted higher thrust for the downstream turbine than for the upstream turbine, the opposite case was observed in Nek5000.

A high-order finite volume method on unstructured grids using RBF reconstruction

This paper proposes a high-order finite volume method based on radial basis function (RBF) reconstruction for the solution of Euler and Navier–Stokes equations on unstructured grids. Unlike traditional polynomial K-exact method, RBF method has stronger adaptability for different reconstruction stencils and more flexibility in choosing interpolating points. We expatiate on the detailed process of flow-field reconstruction by using multiquadric (MQ) basis function for the second-order and third-order schemes on unstructured triangular grids. Subsequently, we validate the accuracy order of RBF method through the numerical test case. Furthermore, the method is used to solve several typical flow fields. Compared with traditional K-exact high-order scheme, RBF method is more accurate and has lower numerical dissipation, which can obtain more elaborate and precise results.

Large Eddy Simulation of an Internal Combustion Engine Using an Efficient Immersed Boundary Technique

This paper presents highly resolved large eddy simulations (LES) of an internal combustion engine (ICE) using an immersed boundary method (IBM), which can describe moving and stationary boundaries in a simple and efficient manner. In this novel approach, the motion of the valves and the piston is modeled by Lagrangian particles, whilst the stationary parts of the engine are described by a computationally efficient IBM. The proposed mesh-free technique of boundary representation is simple for parallelization and suitable for high performance computing (HPC). To demonstrate the method, LES results are presented for the flow and the combustion in an internal combustion engine. The Favre-filtered Navier-Stokes equations are solved for a compressible flow employing a finite volume method on Cartesian grids. Non-reflecting boundary conditions are applied at the intake and the exhaust ports. Combustion is described using a flame surface density (FSD) model with an algebraic reaction rate closure. A simplified engine with a fixed axisymmetric valve (see Appendix A) is employed to show the correctness of the method while avoiding the uncertainties which may be induced by the complex engine geometry. Three test-cases using a real engine geometry are investigated on different grids to evaluate the impact of the cell size and the filter width. The simulation results are compared against the experimental data. A good overall agreement was found between the measurements and the simulation data. The presented method has particular advantages in the efficient generation of the grid, high resolution and low numerical dissipation throughout the domain and an excellent suitability for massively parallel simulations.

EVIDENCE OF ACTIVE MHD INSTABILITY IN EULAG-MHD SIMULATIONS OF SOLAR CONVECTION

We investigate the possible development of magnetohydrodynamical instabilities in the EULAG-MHD "millenium simulation" of Passos & Charbonneau (2014). This simulation sustains a large-scale magnetic cycle characterized by solar-like polarity reversals taking place on a regular multidecadal cadence, and in which zonally-oriented bands of strong magnetic field accumulate below the convective layers, in response to turbulent pumping from above in successive magnetic half-cycles. Key aspects of this simulation include low numerical dissipation and a strongly subadiabatic fluid layer underlying the convectively unstable layers corresponding to the modeled solar convection zone. These properties are conducive to the growth and development of two-dimensional instabilities otherwise suppressed by stronger dissipation. We find evidence for the action of a non-axisymmetric magnetoshear instability operating in the upper portions of the stably stratified fluid layers. We also investigate the possibility that the Tayler instability may be contributing to the destabilization of the large-scale axisymmetric magnetic component at high latitudes. On the basis of our analyses, we propose a global dynamo scenario whereby the magnetic cycle is driven primarily by turbulent dynamo action in the convecting layers, but MHD instabilities accelerate the dissipation of the magnetic field pumped down into the overshoot and stable layers, thus perhaps significantly influencing the magnetic cycle period. Support for this scenario is found in the distinct global dynamo behaviors observed in an otherwise identical EULAG-MHD simulations, using a different degree of subadiabaticity in the stable fluid layers underlying the convection zone.

A family of high-order targeted ENO schemes for compressible-fluid simulations

Although classical WENO schemes have achieved great success and are widely accepted, they exhibit several shortcomings. They are too dissipative for direct simulations of turbulence and lack robustness when very-high-order versions are applied to complex flows. In this paper, we propose a family of high-order targeted ENO schemes which are applicable for compressible-fluid simulations involving a wide range of flow scales. In order to increase the numerical robustness as compared to very-high-order classical WENO schemes, the reconstruction dynamically assembles a set of low-order candidate stencils with incrementally increasing width. While discontinuities and small-scale fluctuations are efficiently separated, the numerical dissipation is significantly diminished by an ENO-like stencil selection, which either applies a candidate stencil with its original linear weight, or removes its contribution when it is crossed by a discontinuity. The background linear scheme is optimized under the constraint of preserving an approximate dispersion-dissipation relation. By means of quasi-linear analyses and practical numerical experiments, a set of case-independent parameters is determined. The general formulation of arbitrarily high-order schemes is presented in a straightforward way. A variety of benchmark-test problems, including broadband waves, strong shock and contact discontinuities are studied. Compared to well-established classical WENO schemes, the present schemes exhibit significantly improved robustness, low numerical dissipation and sharp discontinuity capturing. They are particularly suitable for DNS and LES of shock-turbulence interactions.

Application of a discontinuous Galerkin method on the compressible flow in the transonic axial compressor

The discontinuous Galerkin method (DGM) has been extended to simulate the compressible flow in the transonic axial compressor in a rotating coordinate system. The equations are solved in the physical space instead of being in the computational space to avoid the Jacobian transformation. A compact vertex-based limiter is proposed to prevent the spurious oscillations of the numerical results. The grid independence of the method is investigated and the results show it is weakly dependent on the mesh type. The in-house code based on the method has been applied to simulations of two transonic axial compressors. The results show that the predicted flow field, including overall performance, spanwise distributions of several parameters, shock structures and wakes, are in better agreement with the measurement. It indicates that the DGM has low numerical dissipation and could produce more reliable results.

Stereographic projection for three‐dimensional global discontinuous Galerkin atmospheric modeling

AbstractA method to solve the three‐dimensional compressible Navier‐Stokes equations on the sphere is suggested, based on a stereographic projection with a high‐order mapping of the elements from the stereographic space to the sphere. The projection is slightly modified, in order to take into account the domain thickness without introducing any approximation about the aspect ratio (deep‐atmosphere). In a discontinuous Galerkin framework, the elements alongside the equator are exactly represented using a nonpolynomial geometry, in order to avoid the numerical issues associated with the seam connecting the two hemispheres. This is an crucial point, necessary to avoid mass loss and spurious deviations of the velocity. The resulting model is validated on idealized three‐dimensional atmospheric test cases on the sphere, demonstrating the good convergence properties of the scheme, its mass conservation, and its satisfactory behavior in terms of accuracy and low numerical dissipation. A simulation is performed on a variable resolution unstructured grid, producing accurate results despite a substantial reduction of the number of elements.

Implicit predictor–corrector central finite difference scheme for the equations of magnetohydrodynamic simulations

Nowadays most of supercomputers are based on the frame of PC cluster; therefore, the efficiency of parallel computing is of importance especially with the increasing computing scale. This paper proposes a high-order implicit predictor–corrector central finite difference (iPCCFD) scheme and demonstrates its high efficiency in parallel computing. Of special interests are the large scale numerical studies such as the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations in the planetary magnetosphere. An iPCCFD scheme is developed based on fifth-order central finite difference method and fourth-order implicit predictor–corrector method in combination with elimination-of-the-round-off-errors (ERE) technique. We examine several numerical studies such as one-dimensional Brio–Wu shock tube problem, two-dimensional Orszag–Tang vortex system, vortex type K–H instability, kink type K–H instability, field loop advection, and blast wave. All the simulation results are consistent with many literatures. iPCCFD can minimize the numerical instabilities and noises along with the additional diffusion terms. All of our studies present relatively small numerical errors without employing any divergence-free reconstruction. In particular, we obtain fairly stable results in the two-dimensional Brio–Wu shock tube problem which well conserves ∇⋅B=0 throughout the simulation. The ERE technique removes the accumulation of roundoff errors in the uniform or non-disturbed system. We have also shown that iPCCFD is characterized by the high order of accuracy and the low numerical dissipation in the circularly polarized Alfvén wave tests. The proposed iPCCFD scheme is a parallel-efficient and high precision numerical scheme for solving the MHD equations in hyperbolic conservation systems.

Hybrid spectral difference/embedded finite volume method for conservation laws

Recently, interests have been increasing towards applying the high-order methods to various engineering applications with complex geometries [30]. As a result, a family of discontinuous high-order methods, such as Discontinuous Galerkin (DG), Spectral Volume (SV) and Spectral Difference (SD) methods, is under active development. These methods provide high-order accurate solutions and are highly parallelizable due to the local solution reconstruction within each element. But, these methods suffer from the Gibbs phenomena when discontinuities are present in the flow fields. Various types of limiters [43–45] and artificial viscosity [46,48] have been employed to overcome this problem.A novel hybrid spectral difference/embedded finite volume method is introduced in order to apply a discontinuous high-order method for large scale engineering applications involving discontinuities in the flows with complex geometries. In the proposed hybrid approach, the finite volume (FV) element, consisting of structured FV subcells, is embedded in the base hexahedral element containing discontinuity, and an FV based high-order shock-capturing scheme is employed to overcome the Gibbs phenomena. Thus, a discontinuity is captured at the resolution of FV subcells within an embedded FV element. In the smooth flow region, the SD element is used in the base hexahedral element. Then, the governing equations are solved by the SD method. The SD method is chosen for its low numerical dissipation and computational efficiency preserving high-order accurate solutions. The coupling between the SD element and the FV element is achieved by the globally conserved mortar method [56]. In this paper, the 5th-order WENO scheme with the characteristic decomposition is employed as the shock-capturing scheme in the embedded FV element, and the 5th-order SD method is used in the smooth flow field.The order of accuracy study and various 1D and 2D test cases are carried out, which involve the discontinuities and vortex flows. Overall, it is shown that the proposed hybrid method results in comparable or better simulation results compared with the standalone WENO scheme when the same number of solution DOF is considered in both SD and FV elements.

Performance of subgrid-scale models in coarse large eddy simulations of a laminar separation bubble

The flow over many blades and airfoils at moderate angles of attack and Reynolds numbers ranging from 104 to 105 undergoes separation due to the adverse pressure gradient generated by surface curvature. In many cases, the separated shear layer then transitions to turbulence and reattaches, closing off a recirculation region—the laminar separation bubble. An equivalent problem is formulated by imposing suitable boundary conditions for flow over a flat plate to avoid numerical and mesh generation issues. Recent work demonstrated that accurate large eddy simulation (LES) of such a flow is possible using only O(1%) of the direct numerical simulation (DNS) resolution but the performance of different subgrid-scale models could not be properly assessed because of the effects of unquantified numerical dissipation. LES of a laminar separation bubble flow over a flat plate is performed using a pseudo-spectral Navier-Stokes solver at resolutions corresponding to 3% and 1% of the chosen DNS benchmark by Spalart and Strelets (2000). The negligible numerical dissipation of the pseudo-spectral code allows an unambiguous assessment of the performance of subgrid-scale models. Three explicit subgrid-scale models—dynamic Smagorinsky, σ, and truncated Navier-Stokes (TNS)—are compared to a no-model simulation (under-resolved DNS) and evaluated against benchmark DNS data focusing on two quantities of critical importance to airfoil and blade designers: time-averaged pressure (Cp) and skin friction (Cf) predictions used in lift and drag calculations. Results obtained with explicit subgrid-scale models confirm that accurate LES of laminar separation bubble flows is attainable with as low as 1% of DNS resolution, and the poor performance of the no-model simulation underscores the necessity of subgrid-scale modeling in coarse LES with low numerical dissipation.

A new class of Moving-Least-Squares WENO–SPH schemes

We present a new class of meshless Lagrangian particle methods based on the SPH formulation of Vila and Ben Moussa, combined with a new weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) reconstruction technique on moving point clouds in multiple space dimensions. The key idea is to produce for each particle first a set of high order accurate Moving-Least-Squares (MLS) reconstructions on a set of different reconstruction stencils. Then, these reconstructions are combined with each other using a non-linear WENO technique in order to capture at the same time discontinuities and to maintain accuracy and low numerical dissipation in smooth regions. The numerical fluxes between interacting particles are subsequently evaluated using this MLS–WENO reconstruction at the midpoint between two particles, in combination with a Riemann solver that provides the necessary stabilization of the scheme based on the underlying physics of the governing equations. We propose the use of two different Riemann solvers: the Rusanov flux and an Osher-type flux. The use of monotone fluxes together with a WENO reconstruction ensures accuracy, stability, robustness and an essentially non-oscillatory solution without the artificial viscosity term usually employed in conventional SPH schemes.To our knowledge, this is the first time that the WENO method, which has originally been developed for mesh-based schemes in the Eulerian framework on fixed grids, is extended to meshfree Lagrangian particle methods like SPH in multiple space dimensions.We test the new algorithm on two dimensional blast wave problems and on the classical one-dimensional Sod shock tube problem for the Euler equations of compressible gas dynamics. We obtain a good agreement with the exact or numerical reference solution in all cases and an improved accuracy and robustness compared to existing standard SPH schemes.

Computation of transitional flow past a circular cylinder using multiblock lattice Boltzmann method with a dynamic subgrid scale model

Lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is a kinetic based numerical scheme for the simulation of fluid flow. While the approach has attracted considerable attention during the last two decades, there is a need for systematic investigation of its applicability for complex canonical turbulent flow problems of engineering interest, where the nature of the numerical properties of the underlying scheme plays an important role for their accurate solution. In this paper, we discuss and evaluate a LBM based on a multiblock approach for efficient large eddy simulation of three-dimensional external flow past a circular cylinder in the transitional regime characterized by the presence of multiple scales. For enhanced numerical stability at higher Reynolds numbers, a multiple relaxation time formulation is considered. The effect of subgrid scales is represented by means of a Smagorinsky eddy-viscosity model, where the model coefficient is computed locally by means of a dynamic procedure, providing better representation of flow physics with reduced empiricism. Simulations are performed for a Reynolds number of 3900 based on the free stream velocity and cylinder diameter for which prior data is available for comparison. The presence of laminar boundary layer which separates into a pair of shear layers that evolve into turbulent wakes impose particular challenge for numerical methods for this condition. The relatively low numerical dissipation introduced by the inherently parallel and second-order accurate LBM is an important computational asset in this regard. Computations using five different grid levels, where the various blocks are suitably aligned to resolve multiscale flow features show that the structure of the recirculation region is well reproduced and the statistics of the mean flow and turbulent fluctuations are in satisfactory agreement with prior data.

Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) numerical simulations on the interaction of the solar wind with the magnetosphere: A review

The magnetosphere is the outermost layer of the geospace, and the interaction of the solar wind with the magnetosphere is the key element of the space weather cause-and-effect chain process from the Sun to Earth, which is one of the most challenging scientific problems in the geospace weather study. The nonlinearity, multiple component, and time-dependent nature of the geospace make it very difficult to describe the physical process in geospace using traditional analytic analysis approach. Numerical simulations, a new research tool developed in recent decades, have a deep impact on the theory and application of the geospace. MHD simulations started at the end of the 1970s, and the initial study was limited to two-dimensional (2D) cases. Due to the intrinsic three-dimensional (3D) characteristics of the geospace, 3D MHD simulations emerged in the 1980s, in an attempt to model the large-scale structures and fundamental physical processes in the magnetosphere. They started to combine with the space exploration missions in the 1990s and make comparisons with observations. Physics-based space weather forecast models started to be developed in the 21st century. Currently only a few space-power countries such as USA and Japan have developed 3D magnetospheric MHD models. With the rapid advance of space science in China, we have developed a new global MHD model, namely PPMLR-MHD, which has high order spatial accuracy and low numerical dissipation. In this review, we will briefly introduce the global 3D MHD modeling, especially the PPMLR-MHD code, and summarize our recent work based on the PPMLR-MHD model, with an emphasis on the interaction of interplanetary shocks with the magnetosphere, large-scale current systems, reconnection voltage and transpolar potential drop, and Kelvin-Helmholtz (K-H) instability at the magnetopause.

Introducing phaedra: a new spectral code for simulations of relativistic magnetospheres

We describe a new scheme for evolving the equations of force-free electrodynamics, the vanishing-inertia limit of magnetohydrodynamics. This pseudospectral code uses global orthogonal basis function expansions to take accurate spatial derivatives, allowing the use of an unstaggered mesh and the complete force-free current density. The method has low numerical dissipation and diffusion outside of singular current sheets. We present a range of one- and two-dimensional tests, and demonstrate convergence to both smooth and discontinuous analytic solutions. As a first application, we revisit the aligned rotator problem, obtaining a steady solution with resistivity localised in the equatorial current sheet outside the light cylinder.

A high‐order accurate particle‐in‐cell method

SUMMARYWe propose the use of high‐order weighted essentially non‐oscillatory interpolation and moving‐least‐squares approximation schemes alongside high‐order time integration to enable high‐order accurate particle‐in‐cell methods. The key insight is to view the unstructured set of particles as the underlying representation of the continuous fields; the grid used to evaluate integro–differential coupling terms is purely auxiliary. We also include a novel regularization term to avoid the accumulation of noise in the particle samples without harming the convergence rate. We include numerical examples for several model problems: advection–diffusion, shallow water, and incompressible Navier–Stokes in vorticity formulation. The implementation demonstrates fourth‐order convergence, shows very low numerical dissipation, and is competitive with high‐order Eulerian schemes. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

MultiFLIP for energetic two-phase fluid simulation

Physically-based liquid animations often ignore the influence of air, giving up interesting behavior. We present a new method which treats both air and liquid as incompressible, more accurately reproducing the reality observed at scales relevant to computer animation. The Fluid Implicit Particle (FLIP) method, already shown to effectively simulate incompressible fluids with low numerical dissipation, is extended to two-phase flow by associating a phase bit with each particle. The liquid surface is reproduced at each time step from the particle positions, which are adjusted to prevent mixing near the surface and to allow for accurate surface tension. The liquid surface is adjusted around small-scale features so they are represented in the grid-based pressure projection, while separate, loosely coupled velocity fields reduce unwanted influence between the phases. The resulting scheme is easy to implement, requires little parameter tuning, and is shown to reproduce lively two-phase fluid phenomena.

Chimera technique for transporting disturbances

SUMMARYThe Chimera technique for moving grids is used to take into account nonhomogeneous unsteady inflow conditions in the simulation of aerodynamic flows. The method is applied to simulate the transport of a large‐scale vortex by a mean velocity field over a large distance, where it finally interacts with an airfoil. The Chimera approach allows one to resolve the vortex on a fine grid, whereas the unstructured background grid covering most of the computational domain can be much coarser. This method shows the same low numerical dissipation as a simulation on a globally fine grid. Several precursor tests are performed with a finite modified analytical Lamb–Oseen type vortex to study the influence of spatial and temporal resolution and the employed numerical scheme. Then, the interaction of an analytical vortex with a NACA0012 airfoil and with an ONERA‐A airfoil near stall is studied. Finally, a realistic vortex is generated by a ramping airfoil and is transported on a moving Chimera block and then interacts with a two‐element airfoil, which allows one to simulate a typical setup for a gust generator in aerodynamic facilities. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Fully implicit time discretization for a free surface flow problem

AbstractOne of the challenges in the numerics of free surface flows is the coupling of the flow field to the geometry of the domain. The most simple approach is an explicit decoupling, i.e. computing the flow field with geometrical information of a prior time step and then updating the geometry. This widely used approach leads to a severe CFL condition of the type $\Delta t \le C\sqrt{{\rm We}}\;h^{3 \over 2}$, which may prescribe infinitesimally small time step sizes in the interesting case of a small Weber number (i.e. high surface tension). A semi‐implicit approach utilizing the fact that $x^{n+1} = x^n + \Delta t\, u^{n+1}_{|\Gamma}$, where xk is a parametrization of the capillary boundary Γ, is also available [1]. This approach can be proven to be unconditionally stable but is of first order only. It also suffers from relatively strong numerical dissipation.We present a fully implicit approach using a backward differentiation formula to achieve a time discretization method that is of second order and only minimally dissipative. A numerical example of an oscillating drop showing very low numerical dissipation and second order convergence as well as numerical evidence for the stability of the method is presented. Since the method requires the solution of a highly nonlinear coupled system, possible preconditioners for this system are discussed, including a lower order decoupling. (© 2011 Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Rotor wake capture improvement based on high-order spatially accurate schemes and chimera grids

A high-order upwind scheme has been developed to capture the vortex wake of a helicopter rotor in the hover based on chimera grids. In this paper, an improved fifth-order weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) scheme is adopted to interpolate the higher-order left and right states across a cell interface with the Roe Riemann solver updating inviscid flux, and is compared with the monotone upwind scheme for scalar conservation laws (MUSCL). For profitably capturing the wake and enforcing the period boundary condition, the computation regions of flows are discretized by using the structured chimera grids composed of a fine rotor grid and a cylindrical background grid. In the background grid, the mesh cells located in the wake regions are refined after the solution reaches the approximate convergence. Considering the interpolation characteristic of the WENO scheme, three layers of the hole boundary and the interpolation boundary are searched. The performance of the schemes is investigated in a transonic flow and a subsonic flow around the hovering rotor. The results reveal that the present approach has great capabilities in capturing the vortex wake with high resolution, and the WENO scheme has much lower numerical dissipation in comparison with the MUSCL scheme.

Numerical simulation of shock tube generated vortex: effect of numerics

Vortices generated at the open end of a planar shock tube are numerically simulated using the AUSM+ scheme. This scheme is known to have low numerical dissipation and therefore is suitable for capturing unsteady vortex motion. However, this low numerical dissipation can also cause oscillations in the vorticity field. Numerical experiments presented here highlight the effect of numerical dissipation on the simulated vortex, as well as the role played by turbulence models. Two turbulence models – the shear-stress-transport (SST) and its modified version for unsteady flows (SST-SAS) – are employed to observe the effect of including turbulence models in such complex flows where the vortex has an embedded shock.