Main Vortex Research Articles

Measurement of topological charges of optical vortices by antiphased semicircular slit pair

Determination of orbital angular momentum (OAM) states is a subject of crucial importance for their applications in areas ranging from classical physics to quantum information. Here, we propose the antiphase semicircular slit pair (ASSP) as a novel approach to determine the topological charge of OAM states. The ASSP contains two semicircular slits with a diameter increment and symmetrically arranged in upper and lower circle. It converts an incident OAM state into light field with two bright spots, of which the relative shift is twice as spot shift for a semicircular slit. Physically, we introduce the two models of equivalent spiral slit and the Young’s-like interference, obtaining two approximate linear relations between the shift and the incident topological charge. Analytically, the antiphase of the diffracted fields for the two semicircular slits cancels a main Bessel vortex term, and doubles the complement fields contained in that for a single semicircular slit, realizing the field with two bright intensity spots with the relative shift doubled. The diffracted field is fundamentally approximated as the weighted superposition of finite Bessel vortex eigenstates. Using shift between the bright spots, the determination of topological charge of OAM states becomes a feasible and convenient, and the experimental measurement conforms to the theory with satisfying accuracy.

Optimization of Nonlinear Pressure-Flow Characteristics of a Spring-Loaded Pressure Relief Valve Based on Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulation

Abstract In this study, the nonlinear pressure-flow characteristics of a spring-loaded pressure relief valve (PRV), which is used in the automotive fuel supply system for pressure control is analyzed, and its characteristics are improved by means of geometrical modifications of the valve structure. Given the complexity of the coupling mechanism between the valve internal flow characteristics and spring system, a quasi-steady computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method is introduced to predict the nonlinear pressure-flow characteristic curve of the valve and the accuracy is validated by experimental data. The total hydraulic force on the valve spool and diaphragm are divided into three parts according to the loading position and the correlation between the internal flow characteristics, hydraulic force, and pressure-flow characteristics of the valve are explained by CFD analysis and visualization. The results show that the quasi-steady CFD method can accurately predict the trends of the valve nonlinear pressure-flow characteristic curve, which is mainly determined by the hydraulic force produced in the middle chamber of the valve. When the valve opening reaches a certain value, a main vortex would be formed in the middle chamber and lead to the sudden increase of hydraulic force which causes the fluctuation of the pressure-flow characteristic curve of the valve. It is also found that the toggle point for the flow regimes seen in the valve is affected by the geometric structure of the middle chamber and the pressure-flow characteristics can be improved by the round corner size modification.

Film cooling in the trailing edge cutback with different land shapes and blowing ratios

The cutback was widely used in advanced gas turbines to protect the trailing edge. The land was a main structure in the cutback region. Therefore, the present study describes a numerical investigation on the film cooling performance in the cutback region with various land shapes (straight- expanding land, arch- expanding land, contracting- expanding land and campaniform land) and blowing ratios (0.2, 0.8 and 1.25). According to the numerical validation, the detached eddy simulations agreed well with the experimental results compared to other turbulence models. The flow structure, film cooling effectiveness and total pressure loss in the cutback region were displayed. Results indicated that the main flow separation vortex, cooling separation vortex, Kelvin- Helmholtz vortex and counter rotating vortices were strongly associated with the land shape and blowing ratio. The Kelvin- Helmholtz vortex was invisible at low blowing ratio and was small at the campaniform land shape. The contracting- expanding land resulted in weak counter rotating vortices within the cutback region. The stronger counter-rotating vortices brought lower film cooling effectiveness. Therefore, the contracting- expanding land provided relatively high film cooling effectiveness for most blowing ratios. The different land shape also caused different total pressure losses both in the cooling passage and main flow.

A broad reconsideration of anti-vortex film cooling method using numerical optimization and an improved heat-flux model

This paper represents the detailed results of an evolutionary optimization framework towards the exploration of vortex mechanisms leading to effective anti-vortex film cooling. In this regards, several arrangements of triple cooling holes were studied on flat and curved geometries using differential-evolution optimization algorithm and a modified Reynolds-stress based flow solver. Depending on the flow and geometric parameters, four distinct types of vortex interaction with different cooling mechanisms were identified. The vortex-trapping mechanism, observed in the optimized upstream arrangement acts through imposing a mild downwash over the main counter-rotating vortex pair and provides the best cooling effectiveness for the low injection angle (less than 30°) cases. The vortex-suppression and -balancing are the optimal possible solutions of the adjacent arrangement. The latter is the classic well-known type of anti-vortex cooling, while the former provides a sudden strong controlling potential for high blowing ratios (higher than 1.0) and high injection angle film cooling. For the non-flat surfaces the triple holes effectively perform up to blowing-ratio of 2.0. However, the reverse-vortex-trapping mechanism occurring in the downstream arrangement is recommended for convex surfaces, while the adjacent arrangement is the choice for concave regions. In general, there is a possibility of reducing the coolant consumption about 30% through increasing the pitch-to-diameter ratio, while the values of cooling-effectiveness still remain in an acceptable range.

Numerical simulation of a mixed vertical ventilation system

AbstractThe following work describes the process of finding the flow and the temperature fields for a given ventilation system configuration. In order to simplify the problem, the flow was characterized as 2D, incompressible, viscous and in constant state. First, the governing equations in terms of the stream function, vorticity and Reynolds number have been developed. The obtained mathematical model for the flow field is actually a pair of coupled elliptical partial differential equations. Solving the resulting equations was performed using SOR (successive over‐relaxation) methods following upwind second‐order finite differences. In the second stage, the temperature field was numerically calculated using the flow field data obtained in the first stage. In fact, as expected, the flow has been advanced from the left inlet opening to the right outlet opening. Also, the main flow was creating a vortex while above the main flow large vortex has been generated and surrounded by several small vortices around it. Last but not least, Reynolds (Re) number influence on the solution nature has been expressed by flow expansion in the whole ventilation cell. Finally, comparison between different Re numbers have proved the flow type dependency on the Re number and its effect on the temperature field.

Розрахункове дослідження аеродинамічних характеристик рульового гвинта вертольота типу Мі-8 з урахуванням інтерференції з несучим гвинтом на режимі висіння при боковому вітрі

Under certain conditions of a helicopter flight, the main rotor can exert a rather strong effect on the tail rotor, changing its traction and power characteristics. The calculated and experimental characteristics of an isolated tail rotor under such operating conditions can differ significantly from those under conditions of interaction with the main rotor. The study of this phenomenon is an urgent task, since a change in the characteristics of the tail rotor and the conditions of its operation in the presence of the main rotor can cause a decrease in controllability margins and, as a consequence, the cause of an aircraft accident, for example, the so-called. "left rotation" of the helicopter. Since 1985, on helicopters from M. L. Mile, 42 aviation accidents occurred in units and subdivisions of the state and civil aviation of the USSR (and now Russia) due to helicopters falling into spontaneous left rotation. Over the past 10 years, 29 accidents (8 accidents and 21 accidents) have occurred for this reason. 29 helicopters were lost: 20 Mi-8, 5 Mi-24, 4 Mi-2. Experience shows that getting into an uncontrolled left rotation in almost 100% of cases ends with a collision of the helicopter with the ground and overturning it on the starboard side. The interaction of the main and tail rotor is most significantly manifested in the modes of horizontal flight with sliding at low speeds and hovering in crosswind conditions. This is due to the peculiarities of the formation of the main rotor vortex wake. In this article, the case of aerodynamic interference of the main rotor and several helicopter configurations in horizontal flight mode with the low speed with sliding (hovering in a crosswind) is considered. Using the methods of computational fluid dynamics, the degree of influence of the main rotor on the tail rotor was investigated in the described modes. The most severe operating modes of the tail rotor of each configuration have been determined. Based on the results of calculations, the most rational configuration of the tail rotor has been chosen, which has the greatest reserves of controllability under unfavorable operating conditions. The results obtained have been used in the design of a new perspective helicopter, modernization of the existing fleet, as well as improving the flight safety level.

Direct Numerical Simulation of Particle-laden Flow Around an Obstacle at Different Reynolds Numbers

Inspired by the practical operation of the fluid machineries, direct numerical simulation of fluid with a lot of finite-size particles flowing around a large-size obstacle at three different Reynolds numbers is implemented by using a two-way coupled finite-volume, discrete-element and immersed-boundary method. The results show that, for a low Reynolds number Re=20, the flow is dominated by viscosity, and under the circumstances of a small Stokes number, the particles follow fluid streamlines closely. The flow suggests regular movement characteristics of laminar flow, although the vortices behind the obstacle tend to collapse under the perturbation of particles. For a moderate Reynolds number Re=100, the phenomenon of vortex shedding is also observed. Due to the centrifugal force induced by the vortices, particles are distributed around the main vortices behind the obstacle, forming particle-free zones in these vortices. For a high Reynolds number Re=300, the flow is chaotic. The vortices of many sizes appear irregularly in the domain and the distribution of particles tends to be uniform.

Thermal characteristics in solar air duct with V-shaped flapped-baffles and chamfered-grooves

The article deals with augmenting the thermohydraulic performance of a solar heat exchanger duct with combined V-shaped baffle-and-groove vortex generators (VGs). Heat transfer behaviors from the combined VGs mounted in the duct absorber were investigated experimentally. Two VGs mounted on the absorber plate, the V-shaped flapped-baffle and chamfered-groove with a similar attack angle, α = 45°, were arranged by two arrays: V-apex pointing upstream (VU) and pointing downstream (VD). The vital purpose of using the flapped-wing mounted on the baffle (called “flapped baffle”) is to decline the pressure loss from the baffle without deterioration of the main vortices behind. The present experiment was carried out to encompass Reynolds number (Re) in a range of 5290 to 22,600, using air as a working fluid. The pertinent parameters of grooves were three groove pitch ratios (PR = 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0) while the baffle characteristics included four flap angles of the flap mounted on the baffle central area (β = 30°, 45°, 60° and 90°), three relative baffle pitches (PR = 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0) at one baffle height. Effects of the baffle and groove parameters as stated above on Nusselt number (Nu), friction factor (f) and thermal enhancement factor (TEF) were examined. The experimental results have revealed that the use of flapped-baffle and groove VG devices at PR =1.0 and β = 30° gives the largest f and Nu, especially for the VU case owing to strongly impinging jets issuing from the flap opening on the absorber surface area behind the baffle. Specifically, the maximum TEF is found to be 2.68 for the combined VU devices with PR=1.5, β = 45° and Re=5290. With these measured data, the Nu and f correlations are also determined.

Effect of a Submerged Vane-Field on the Flow Pattern of a Movable Bed Channel with a 90° Lateral Diversion

This laboratory study focused on the effect of a submerged vane-field on the flow pattern and bed morphology near and inside the entrance reach of a movable bed 90° lateral diversion. The system was modelled under live bed conditions for a water discharge ratio of ≈0.2. Two experiments were run until bed equilibrium was reached: with and without a vane-field installed close to the diversion entrance to control the transfer of sediments into the diversion channel. The equilibrium bed morphology and the associated 3D flow field were measured in great detail. The bed load diverted into the diversion was reduced by approximately one quarter due to the action of the vane-field. The vanes prevented the formation of the diversion vortex in the main channel, upstream of the diversion’s entrance, thus contributing to that decrease. They also created a main channel vortex that started at the most upstream vanes and further decreased the amount of bed load entering the diversion. The flow separation zone inside the diversion was larger with vanes, but conveyance was balanced through a slightly deeper scour trench therein. The flow structures described were confirmed through the measurements of the turbulent kinetic energy.

The effect of static deformation on the lift loss phenomenon of an ABS downforce producing wing in ground effect

The proximity of a downforce producing wing to the ground has a significant effect on the generation of aerodynamic loads and flow structures. However, a rigid body assumption for the wing may lead to inaccuracies in the estimation of these loads. Static loosely-coupled Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) simulations were performed at Reynolds numbers of 4.64·105 and 6.96·105 and ground clearances ranging from 0.053 c to 0.223 c to investigate the effect of deformation in an ABS wing. Results of these simulations demonstrated that wing deflection increased the height at which lift loss occurred, as the reduced wing tip ground clearance led to an earlier main wing vortex breakdown and greater boundary layer separation. The increase in Reynolds number for a constant chord length induced larger variations in critical height: the critical height increased by 0.011 c at Re = 4.64·105 and by 0.021 c at Re = 6.96·105. The larger variation in critical height at the high Reynolds number cases was due to the increase in the magnitude of the aerodynamic loads, and larger deflections.

Flow-mediated interactions between two self-propelled flexible fins near sidewalls

Abstract

Proppant transport in a planar fracture: Particle image velocimetry

Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) is a well established technique used to measure displacements in fluids. Proppant transport and placement is a crucial phase in the process of well completion to stimulate production in gas and oil reservoirs. Proppant (a granular material) is injected along fluids during hydraulic stimulation to prop fractures open after hydrocarbon production is initiated. This work presents results on the use of PIV for the study of the transport of proppant in a large laboratory scale flat vertical fracture. Velocity and vorticity profiles were analyzed for different flow rates during the transport and settlement of the proppant inside the fracture. High flow rates, compatible with field operations are achieved in this setup. The results indicate that vortexes are present in a large portion of the system and that a non-linear interplay between the settling dune and the main vortex seems to determine the time at which a fast dune growth occurs in the fracture.

Computational investigation of confined wall inclination effects on impinging jet fluid flow and heat transfer

In this study, the inclination angle effects of the confined wall on impinging jet fluid flow and heat transfer are investigated computationally. Mainly six inclination angles of confinement plate -2°, 0°, 2°, 4°, 6°, and 8° are considered. Flow is assumed two-dimensional, steady, incompressible, and turbulent. Jet Reynolds number is 10200. SST k-ω turbulence model was chosen since this model is recommended in some recent studies. Conservation equations for the computational model were solved by using ANSYS-Fluent code. Flow structures are completely governed by the inclination angle, and the center of the main vortex moves to the right by increasing the inclination angle. Predictions show that the inclination angle has a great influence on flow characteristics and heat transfer in the wall jet region after the second peak. Local heat transfer increases with the increasing inclination angle of the confinement plate after X/D = 10. The cumulative increase in average Nu number from 0° to 8° is almost 18%.

Delaying leading edge vortex detachment by plasma flow control at topologically critical locations

Flapping wing propulsion offers unrivalled manoeuvrability and efficiency at low flight speeds and in hover. These advantages are attributed to the leading edge vortex developing on an unsteady wing, which induces additional lift. We propose and validate a manipulation hypothesis that allows prolongation of the leading edge vortex growth phase, by delaying its detachment with the aid of flow control. This approach targets an overall lift increase on unsteady airfoils. A dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuator is successfully used to compress secondary structures upstream of the main vortex on a pitching and plunging flat plate. To determine flow control timing and location, the tangential velocity on the airfoil surface is used, which is also used to quantify topological effects of flow control. This flow control is then tested for different motion kinematics and on a NACA 0012 airfoil. Significant increase of the peak circulation of the leading edge vortex of about 20% for all cases with flow control indicates that this approach is applicable for various kinematics, dynamics and airfoil types.

Fluid dynamics of oscillatory flow across parallel-plates in standing-wave thermoacoustic system with two different operation frequencies

Thermoacoustic system is one of the alternative technologies that provides green working principles but the lack of understanding of the complex fluid flow and energy transfer interactions within structures inside the system is leading to difficulty in accurate analysis related to the system. This study presents fluid dynamic investigation of vortex shedding and velocity profile of an oscillatory flow across a parallel-plate structure inside a standing-wave thermoacoustic system by using a two-dimensional ANSYS FLUENT CFD (computational fluid dynamics) of SST k-ω turbulence model. The model was validated using experimental data and theoretical solution. Two different operating frequencies of 14.2 Hz and 23.6 Hz were investigated with drive ratios (defined as maximum pressure amplitude to mean pressure) from 0.3% up to 3%. The results revealed that velocity profiles and boundary layers within the area of parallel-plate stack changes with time and the changes followed the cyclic travel of vortex across the structure. Two layers of vortex formed near the surface of the solid structure. These layers, known as the main and secondary vortex layers, change with the cyclic flow, and are affecting the shape of velocity profiles within the channel. The appearance of an ‘m’ shape, a ‘slug’ shape and a ‘parabolic’ shape velocity profiles are also depending on the flow amplitude (drive ratio) and flow frequency. The ‘parabolic’ velocity profile is only found for a certain moment of flow with thick boundary layer. The results indicated that fully developed flow may not be likely for cases presented in this paper. Hence care should be exercised in the use of equations during the analysis of thermoacoustic system. As the parallel-plate structure is usually an important structure of the system, a proper understanding of the dynamics of flow within this structure is crucial. These findings are expected to give better insight for future design of thermoacoustic system.

Сверхзвуковое ламинарное обтекание затупленного ребра: двойственность численного решения

Results of numerical simulation of supersonic flow past a blunt fin mounted on a plate with a developing laminar boundary layer are presented. Generally, the case considered corresponds to the flow configuration used in the experimental and computational study by Tutty et al (2013), where the laminar air flow with the freestream Mach number of 6.7 is considered. The simulation was performed for different values of Reynolds number ranging from 5000·to 20000. Two stable solutions corresponding to metastable flow states with different configurations of the vortex structure were predicted within some range of Reynolds number. The bifurcation diagrams showing the main horseshoe vortex center location and the length of separation region versus the Reynolds number is presented, critical Reynolds number corresponding to occurrence of the second isolated solution is evaluated.

Numerical investigations of wind and thermal environment in 2D scaled street canyons with various aspect ratios and solar wall heating

Optimizing urban ventilation is an effective way to improve urban air quality and thermal environment. For this purpose, under the validation of wind-tunnel experiments, flow regimes and micro thermal environment in typical reduced-canyon models with aspect ratios (AR) of 1.1, 2.4, 4 and 5.67 were investigated by CFD simulations using periodic boundary condition. ANSYS Fluent 15.0 with a solar ray tracing model and radiation model was performed to numerically study turbulence characteristics with wind-driven force and solar-heating conditions.Results revealed that, with wind-driven condition, a clockwise vortex existed in normal and deep street canyon (AR = 1.1 and 2.4) while two counter-rotating vortices appeared in extremely deep canyon (AR = 4 and 5.67). Moreover, different turbulence structures and air temperature distribution existed in canyons with different solar-heating conditions. When the leeward wall or ground was heated, the pedestrian-level velocity increased and street ventilation was strengthened compared to wind-driven condition for all AR values. Particularly, the single main vortex was strengthened (AR = 1.1 and 2.4), and the two-vortex structure in extremely deep canyons (AR = 4 and 5.67) changed to single-vortex structure. When the windward wall was heated, the clockwise main vortex at AR = 1.1 and 2.4 was deformed, and a new sub vortex gradually appeared near street bottom. Furthermore, at AR = 4 and 5.67, windward solar heating destroyed the two-vortex structure and slightly improved pollutant dilution capacity. This work implied that extremely deep street design with weak pedestrian-level ventilation should be avoided. It also provides a meaningful reference for urban planning.

Numerical investigations of Re-independence and influence of wall heating on flow characteristics and ventilation in full-scale 2D street canyons

Validated by wind tunnel data, this study numerically investigates the integrated impacts of wind and thermal buoyancy on urban turbulence, ventilation and pollutant dispersion in full-scale 2D deep street canyons (aspect ratio AR = H/W = 3 and 5, W = 24 m). Isothermal urban airflows for such deep street canyons can be Reynolds-number-independent when reference Reynolds number (Re) exceeds the critical Re (Rec~106,107 when AR = 3, 5), i.e. AR = 5 experiences two main vortices and one-order smaller NEV* (~10−3, the normalized net escape velocity) than AR = 3 with a single main vortex (NEV*~10−2).With sufficiently large Re (Re > Rec) and the same air-wall temperature difference (Ri = 2.62, 4.36 when AR = 3, 5), four uniform wall heating patterns were considered, including leeward-wall heating (L-H), windward-wall heating (W–H), ground heating (G-H), and all-wall heating (A-H). Various indicators were adopted to evaluate street ventilation and pollutant dilution capacity (e.g. age of air (τ,s), NEV*, pollutant transport rates (PTR)). Full-scale wall heating produces a strong upward near-wall buoyancy force, which significantly influences flow patterns and improves street ventilation for most cases. When AR = 3, L-H strengthens the single-vortex airflow. When AR = 5, L-H converts the isothermal double vortices into a single-clockwise vortex. For both ARs, W–H reverses the main clockwise vortex to an enhanced counterclockwise one, moreover G-H and A-H cause a more complicated multi-vortex pattern than isothermal cases. Overall, when AR = 3, L-H and W–H increase NEV* by 68% and 40% than the isothermal case. When AR = 5, four wall heating patterns all raise NEV* considerably (by 150%–556%). For both ARs, the L-H, W–H and A-H amplify the contribution of mean flows on removing pollutants but reduce that by turbulent diffusion compared with isothermal cases.

Effect of triangular roof angle on dispersion of gaseous pollutants and particulate matter.

The Euler-Lagrangian method is adopted to simulate the dispersion of gaseous pollutants and particulate matter (PM) in isolated street canyons, and the influences of the roof angle on the flow structures and distributions of gaseous pollutants and PM are analyzed in detail. Numerical simulation results indicate that gaseous pollutants and PM in the canyons present three typical single main clockwise vortex, transition vortex, and double vortex structures, which are identified at increasing roof slopes. Gaseous pollutants and PM demonstrate the lowest concentration of pollutants when a single vortex structure exists. The concentration of gaseous pollutants and PM reaches the highest value in pedestrian-level areas when the flow field is in a transitional vortex structure. Unlike gaseous pollutants, the concentration of PM does not always decrease with increasing altitude, and higher PM concentrations sometimes occur in the mid-level areas of the canyon. A small roof incline angle is generally recommended for discharging gaseous pollutants and PM.

Numerical Investigation of the Cavitation Effects on the Vortex Shedding from a Hydrofoil with Blunt Trailing Edge

Vortex cavitation can appear in the wake flow of hydrofoils, inducing unwanted consequences such as vibrations or unstable behaviors in hydraulic machinery and systems. To investigate the cavitation effects on hydrofoil vortex shedding, a numerical investigation of the flow around a 2D NACA0009 with a blunt trailing edge at free caviation conditions and at two degrees of cavitation developments has been carried out by means of the Zwart cavitation model and the LES WALE turbulence model which permits predicting the laminar to turbulent transition of the boundary layers. To analyze the dynamic behavior of the vortex shedding process and the coherent structures, two identification methods based on the Eulerian and Lagrangian reference frames have been applied to the simulated unsteady flow field. It is found that the cavitation occurrence in the wake significantly changes the main vortex shedding characteristics including the morphology of the vortices, the vortex formation length, the effective height of the near wake flow and the shedding frequency. The numerical results predict that the circular shape of the vortices changes to an elliptical one and that the vortex shedding frequency is significantly increased under cavitation conditions. The main reason for the frequency increase seems to be the reduction in the transverse separation between the upper and lower rows of vortices induced by the increase in the vortex formation length.