Numerical Simulation Of Flow Research Articles

Numerical reconstruction of atmospheric boundary layer seasonal turbulent wind field over a complex forest terrain

The wind characteristics of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) over complex forest terrains are inherently intricate, influenced by the interplay of rugged topography, seasonal climatic fluctuations, and periodic vegetation dynamics. These effects are especially evident in the near-ground wind field, which exhibits substantial seasonal variability. Conventional wind characterization methods, as outlined in current standards, often fail to accurately capture these seasonal variations, thereby complicating the reconstruction of the near-ground ABL turbulent wind field in complex forest terrains. Accordingly, we employ the narrow band synthetic random flow generation (NSRFG) technique within large eddy simulation (LES) to generate inflow turbulence representing the growing and baldness seasons in a complex forest terrain by adjusting parameter equations for seasonal adaptation and introducing new empirical equations for the turbulent spectrum. Subsequently, we verified the seasonal turbulent flow's statistical characteristics and flow structure to assess its feasibility and validity, ultimately establishing a ‘seasonal numerical wind field’ model. Finally, the seasonally modified LES-NSRFG method was applied to the numerical simulation of turbulent flow around the Commonwealth Advisory Aeronautical Research Council (CAARC) standard high-rise building model. A comprehensive comparison of wind effects was conducted for the CAARC model under varying incoming flow conditions. The results indicate that seasonal winds in a complex forest terrain significantly affect the building's vortex wake, increasing the irregularity and complexity of the structural wind pressure and base moment coefficients. Thus, the seasonal wind effect must be considered when designing wind-resistant engineering structures in forest regions moving forward.

Internal flow analysis and design optimization of a membrane oxygenator

Abstract The membrane oxygenator is an essential component in the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) system to offer temporary support to the respiratory system. This study aims to optimize the hemodynamic performance and reduce the thrombosis risk of a membrane oxygenator prototype using computational fluid dynamics. Numerical simulations of steady laminar flow in a full-scale oxygenator prototype (model 1) and two optimized structure Models 2 and 3 at flow rates of 5∼7L/min are carried out using the porous media model. Flow-field-based hydraulic performance indicators and the thrombus risk indicator of the three models are compared extensively. Detailed internal flow analysis revealed that adverse flow states such as insufficient flow circulation in the inlet shunt cone zone, large flow separations at the top corners of heat exchangers, and intensive flow impingement at the exit elbow tube are notably improved in the optimized model 2 and 3. The improvement is more significant at high flow rates. Performance parameters quantitatively validate the effect of optimized configurations. Specifically, at a flow rate of 7L/min, the flow uniformity indexes for the original model at the shunt cone exit increase from 0.884 to 0.923 and 0.890 in the two modified models. The total pressure loss is reduced by over 14%, and maximum wall shear stress is notably reduced from 241.46Pa to 135.9Pa. Additionally, the optimized models exhibited lower thrombus risk. The optimized designs emphasize the importance of smooth transitions between cross-sections and minimizing abrupt changes in flow direction. The employment of flow-field-based parameters allows for the establishment of the relationship between geometric and performance parameters to guide effective design optimization and ensure the safe clinical operation of oxygenator prototypes.

An adaptive learning strategy for surrogate modeling of high-dimensional functions - Application to unsteady hypersonic flows in chemical nonequilibrium

Many engineering applications rely on the evaluation of expensive, non-linear high-dimensional functions. In this paper, we propose the RONAALP algorithm (Reduced Order Nonlinear Approximation with Adaptive Learning Procedure) to incrementally learn, on-the-fly as the application progresses, a fast and accurate reduced-order surrogate model of a target function. First, a combination of nonlinear auto-encoder, community clustering, and radial basis function networks allows us to learn an efficient and compact surrogate model with limited training data. Secondly, an active learning procedure overcomes any extrapolation issues during the online stage by adapting the surrogate model with high-fidelity evaluations that fall outside its current validity range. This approach results in generalizable, fast, and accurate reduced-order models of high-dimensional functions. The method is demonstrated on three direct numerical simulations of hypersonic flows in chemical nonequilibrium. Accurate simulations of these flows rely on detailed thermochemical gas models that dramatically increase the cost of such calculations. Using RONAALP to learn a reduced-order thermodynamic model surrogate on-the-fly, the cost of such simulations was reduced by up to 75% while maintaining an error of less than 10% on relevant quantities of interest.

Non-monotonic dependence of the bow shock stand-off distance on the velocity of a CO2 flow about a sphere

A non-monotonic dependence of the bow shock stand-off distance around a spherical body recently observed in ballistic range experiments in CO2 is explained by a qualitative theoretical analysis and confirmed numerically. The analysis is based on the estimation of the average density in the shock layer with the Rankine–Hugoniot relations on the normal shock for chemically frozen and chemically equilibrium limits using a simplified chemistry model. The analysis reveals that a maximum of the density ratio across the shock and, therefore, a minimum of the stand-off distance as functions of the flight velocity are normally observed in CO2 and other gases, such as additionally considered N2, both in frozen and equilibrium flows. The low dissociation energy of CO2 results in relatively low flight velocities (around 5 km/s) at which the extrema are observed. It makes the effect more readily detectable in experiments in CO2 than in the Earth's atmosphere gases. The results of numerical simulations of the CO2 flow by solving the Navier–Stokes equations agree well with the ballistic range experiments and fully support the results of the theoretical analysis.

A multivariate piecewise interpolation model for viscosity representation and its application to the numerical simulation of non-isothermal polymer melt flow

In this study, a multivariate piecewise interpolation model is introduced to represent melt viscosity based on temperature and shear rate. The model does not require a predefined functional form for the entire data range, instead finding a suitable line between adjacent measured viscosity data points to obtain viscosity as a function of shear rate and temperature. To assess the effect of viscosity representation on polymer melt flow, a two-dimensional (2D) flow past a cylinder problem and a three-dimensional (3D) single screw extruder problem are numerically solved using different viscosity models. The pressure drop (ΔP) from the shift-factor model deviates by more than 10% at an average velocity (Uav) of 1 m/s due to overestimation of viscosity in the high shear rate region. The dimensionless thicknesses of the thermal boundary layer near the channel wall (δT/H) at wall temperature (Tw) of 210 °C are also misevaluated by more than 4% using both the shift-factor model and the Klein model, reflecting their poor viscosity evaluation. It is noteworthy that in all viscosity models, a high Tw leads to the formation of a thin thermal boundary layer, which adversely affects the heat transfer. In single screw extruder applications, viscosity misevaluation in high shear rate regions causes issues in pure drag flow cases, while misevaluation in low shear rate regions causes issues in pure back-pressure flow cases. These analyses highlight the accuracy and versatility of our multivariate piecewise interpolation model compared to existing viscosity models.

Longitudinal combustion instability in a hypergolic liquid bipropellant combustor with single dual-swirl coaxial injector

Self-excited longitudinal combustion instabilities were investigated in a hypergolic liquid bipropellant combustor, which applied single dual-swirl coaxial injector. Hot-fire tests were conducted for four different injector geometries, while extensive tests on injection conditions were carried out for each injector geometry. The synchronous measurement of the pressure and heat release rate was applied, successfully capturing the process of the pressure and heat release rate enhanced coupling and developing into in-phase oscillation. By calculating Rayleigh index at the head and middle section of the chamber, it is shown that Rayleigh index of the middle section is even higher than that of the head, indicating a long heat release zone. When the combustion instability occurs, the pressure in propellant manifolds also oscillates with the same frequency and lags behind the oscillation in the combustor. Compared to the oscillation in the outer injector manifold, the oscillation in the inner injector manifold shows a higher correlation with that in the chamber in amplitude and phase. Based on numerical simulations of the multiphase cold flow inside the injector and combustion process in the chamber, it is found that injector geometries affect longitudinal combustion instability by changing spray cone angle. The spray with small cone angle is more sensitive to the modulation of longitudinal pressure wave in combustion simulations, which is more likely to excite the longitudinal combustion instability. Meanwhile, the combustion instability may be related to the pulsating coherent structure generated by the spray fluctuation, which is determined by injection conditions. Besides, a positive feedback closed-loop system associated with the active fluctuation and passive oscillation of the spray is believed to excite and sustain the longitudinal combustion instability.

Numerical simulation of thermal enhancement in pulsating inflow grooved channel based on hydrodynamic instability

In this paper, a numerical simulation study of flow and heat transfer in a grooved channel consisting of ten rectangular grooves with steady and pulsating flow is carried out. Numerical simulations of the steady flow with small perturbations applied at Re = 800, 1200, 1600, and 2000 show that the same intrinsic frequency fN exists at different positions, amplitudes, and durations, and it disappears gradually with the development of the flow. A sinusoidal pulsating flow with different frequencies is applied to the grooved channel with the dimensionless amplitude A fixed at 0.2. The flow and heat transfer properties of the grooved channel are investigated in the case of pulsating inflow, and it is found that there exists a vortex periodic formation–development–convergence–dissipation process inside each groove. The results show that the increase in the time-averaged Nusselt number is 44.12%, 57.75%, 53.21%, 52.93%, the time-averaged friction factor is increased by 58.23%, 133.04%, 140.80%, 151.26%, and the PECs is decreased with the increase in Reynolds number to be 1.24, 1.19, 1.14, and 1.12, respectively, when compared with the constant flow. When the forcing frequency is equal to the hydrodynamic instability frequency, the time-averaged Nusselt number of the grooved channel will reach its maximum value. Also, the dynamic mode decomposition analysis shows that the pulsation mode energy is maximum when the forcing frequency is equal to the hydrodynamic instability frequency. It shows that the applied pulsating flow has a positive effect of enhanced heat transfer, and the positive effect decreases with the increase in Reynolds number.

Analysis and numerical simulation of different flowmeters based on an open channel in an irrigation area

ABSTRACT This study establishes an ultrasonic open channel flow measurement test and numerical simulation model and systematically compares the performance and reliability of the ultrasonic method and the traditional flowmeter in flow measurement in the irrigation area by observing and analysing the test data and combining it with the numerical simulation. In the indoor ultrasonic flowmeter flow measurement experiments in the trapezoidal nullah section, the flow rate measurement was carried out by using a high-precision variable slope flume and a variety of flow measurement tools. A numerical study was carried out using the VOF method to calculate the flow in the open channel flume under two-phase flow conditions. Combining experimental measurements and numerical simulations, this study aims to quantify the magnitude of flow measurement errors and water surface fluctuations in open channel flumes and to address the discrepancies between different flow measurement methods in open channels in irrigation areas.

Convective MHD flow of Casson fluid through porous medium using the Darcy‐Forchheimer model under the impact of prescribed heat sources

AbstractBlood and other non‐Newtonian fluids are most appropriately described by a rheological model known as a Casson fluid. The presence of yield stress in Casson fluids makes them particularly relevant in the fields of biomechanics and polymer industries. In this analysis, a numerical simulation of flow of a Casson nanofluid over a stretching surface was estimated. The flow of fluid was subjected to a magnetic field of varying strength. The governing partial differential equations for momentum and heat transmission are converted into a set of nonlinear ordinary differential equations with the aid of similarity transformations. After that, numerical techniques are used to solve the equations. Figures and tables are utilized to illustrate how non‐dimensional parameters affect energy, concentration, and velocity trends.

Development and testing of hybrid (PNM–CFD) mathematical model and numerical algorithm for description of fluid flows in three-dimensional digital core models

Numerical simulation of fluid flow in porous and fractured rocks is an important task for many industrial applications. The most common approaches to constructing such models are direct (CFD or lattice Boltzmann) and porous network (PNM) modeling. Each approach has its own advantages and disadvantages. This paper presents a hybrid mathematical PNM–CFD model for describing fluid flows in three-dimensional digital core models, which has the high speed performance of PNM approaches and high accuracy of CFD models. Numerical technique has been developed for describing fluid flows in three-dimensional digital core models using a hybrid PNM–CFD model. The numerical technique links a one-dimensional pore network solver and a three-dimensional CFD solver into a combined model in original way by constructing a single pressure field for the entire computation domain. To validate the model, several tests were performed, including flow in straight channels and numerical simulation of fluid flow in a microfluidic chip. The test results have shown the adequacy of the hybrid model performance. The hybrid model for determining pressure drop in a branched network with three-dimensional chambers has an error of no more than 5 % when compared to experimental data. Similarly, the error in calculating velocity does not exceed 7 % when compared to the full three-dimensional calculation. The hybrid model has shown an almost twofold increase in calculation speed compared to the full three-dimensional model.

Numerical Flow Simulations of the Shear Stress Forces Arising in Filtration Slits during Glomerular Filtration in Rat Kidney.

The flow dynamic forces during glomerular filtration challenging the fixation of podocytes to the GBM are insufficiently understood. Numerical flow simulations were used to estimate these forces in the rat kidney. Simulations were run with a 3D model of the slit diaphragm as a zipper structure according to Rodewald and Karnovsky 1. The GBM was modeled as a porous medium. Filtrate flow exerted a mean wall shear stress of 39 Pa with a maximum of 152 Pa on the plasma membrane of foot processes and up to 250 Pa on internal surfaces of the slit diaphragm. The slit diaphragm accounted for 25% of the hydrodynamic resistance of the glomerular filtration barrier. Based on the results of the 3D model, we developed a 2D model that allowed us to perform extensive parameter variations. Reducing the filtration slit width from 40 to 30 nm almost doubled wall shear stress. Furthermore, increasing filtrate flow velocity by 50% increased wall shear stress by 47%. When increasing the viscous resistance of the slit diaphragm, the pressure drop across the slit diaphragm increased to intolerably high values. A lower viscous resistance of the slit diaphragm than that of the GBM accounted for a gradual pressure decline along the filtration barrier. The sub-podocyte space tempered these challenges in circumscribed areas of filtration surface but had only a marginal impact on overall forces. The filtration barrier experiences high levels of shear and pressure stress accounting for the detachment of injured but viable podocytes from the GBM--a hallmark in many glomerular diseases.

Ventilation of large section blind headings under conditions of changing ore load size

Relevance. The need to ensure safe working conditions in the working areas of underground mines. Stagnant zones with low air velocities can be formed in large section blind heading behind the ore bulk when ore is shipped by mining machines. There is a possibility of the formation of local gas accumulations and their abrupt removal later in such stagnant zones due to the unsteadiness of accumulation and transfer of gas impurities in a blind heading. A sharp removal of gas will lead to contamination of the load-haul-dump operators’ workplace. Aim. To identify removal of exhaust gases in large section blind headings in conditions of changing ore load size. Objects. Large section blind headings with of complex geometry. Methods. Three-dimensional numerical simulation of unsteady turbulent flow of a gas-air mixture in the Ansys CFX, visualization and analysis of simulation data in the Wolfram Mathematica. Results. The paper presents the results of mathematical modeling of ventilation of large section blind headings of complex geometry under conditions of changing ore load size formed during mining operations by the load-haul-dump machines with an internal combustion engine. It is shown that either a single vortex is formed that ventilates the blind headings space, or a stagnant zone behind the bulk ore, which is characterized by a relatively low intensity of mass transfer. Vortex formation depends on the height of the ore bulk. The authors have obtained the dependences of the change in the average concentration of exhaust gases at the outlet of the blind headings space on the operating time of the machine. They determined the dependence of the correction volume coefficient on the geometric parameters of the blind headings. An analytical model of the removal of gases from the blind headings space under conditions of changing bulk ore volume is obtained. The expression of increment in gas concentration on an operator’s workplace makes it possible to derive formula to find maximum time of load-haul dump operation in a stope such that gas concentration is never higher than maximum allowable concentration.

Numerical Simulation and Parameter Estimation of the Space-Fractional Magnetohydrodynamic Flow and Heat Transfer Coupled Model

Numerical Simulation and Parameter Estimation of the Space-Fractional Magnetohydrodynamic Flow and Heat Transfer Coupled Model

A novel meshless numerical simulation of oil-water two-phase flow with gravity and capillary forces in three-dimensional porous media

This paper presents a novel fully implicit scheme for simulating three-dimensional (3D) oil-water two-phase flow with gravity and capillary forces using the meshless generalized finite difference method (GFDM). The approach combines an implicit Eulerian scheme in time with a GFDM discretization method in space to compute implicit solutions for the pressure and saturation in the flow control equations. The research introduces an L2 norm error formula and conducts a sensitivity analysis on the impact of varying influence domain radii on computational accuracy within the Cartesian node collocation scheme. Findings suggest that larger influence domain radii correspond to reduced computational accuracy, providing a preliminary guideline for selecting the domain radius in 3D GFDM applications. Overall, this paper presents an effective and precise meshless method for addressing two-phase flow challenges in 3D porous media, highlighting the promising prospects of GFDM in numerical simulations.

Numerical simulation of corium flow through rod bundle and/or debris bed geometries with a model based on Lattice Boltzmann method

A new model is proposed to investigate the relocation and the distribution of hot corium flows in different configurations (rod bundle, porous debris bed) representative of a severe accident in a Light Water Reactor (LWR). Our model relies on the coupling between a modified Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM), called Free-Surface LBM, that solves hydrodynamics of unsaturated corium and a Finite Volume Method (FVM) that solves heat transfers. Corium solidification and melting are addressed by implementing a correlation between the temperature and the viscosity. Several simulations on representative elementary volumes were performed, varying configurations (debris bed, rod bundle with and without grid). From the results, it is possible to capture important details of the flow at a scale lower than the pore scale and, at the same time, it is possible to take into account the average effects at the scale of several pores. Presented as a proof of concept these preliminary studies show the interest of this kind of CFD approach to identify which parameters at microstructure scale can potentially govern the corium relocation kinetics at macroscopic scale. It will provide useful information that might improve core degradation models in severe accident codes, such as ASTEC.

Micro segment analysis and machine learning prediction for thermal-hydraulic parameters of propane condensation flow in a PCHE straight channel

In the LNG regasification process, the printed circuit heat exchangers(PCHE) is an ideal choice for vaporizer, with propane as the intermediate working medium in the hot side of PCHE. In this work, numerical simulations of propane condensation flow and heat transfer at different operating parameters was carried out in a semi-circular straight channel of PCHE. The micro-segment analysis method was used to present the local heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop in the channel. The results indicate that the propane condensation process can be divided into three stages: the “constant temperature condensation stage” in the droplet condensation state, the “varying temperature condensation stage” in the film condensation state, and the “subcooled stage” in the liquid phase state. Different operating parameters can affect the start and end position of each stage, as well as the parameter values in the same state. An artificial neural network method was used to predict the local heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop, with the predicting error of less than 5 % and 10 % respectively. This study provides a machine learning method to accurately predict the flow and heat transfer parameters for propane condensation flow in PCHE channel and valuable for future design of LNG vaporizer.

Accelerated calculation of phase-variable for numerical simulation of multiphase flows

In this manuscript, we unveil an innovative acceleration technique for the simulation of multiphase flows, which builds upon the foundation laid by our previously devised multiphase flow solver. The cornerstone of this method lies in augmenting computational efficiency through the selective updating of variables solely within domains characterized by significant gradients of the phase variable. This tactic diminishes the dimensionality of the system of linear equations, thereby hastening the computational process. To pinpoint the regions warranting focused attention, a judicious criterion is indispensable to strike an optimal balance between efficiency and precision. This criterion affords a marked decrement in computational expenditure while preserving the fidelity of the original methodology. Rigorous validations corroborate that this acceleration mechanism can enhance computational efficiency by a minimum of 49.5% in resolving the phase field equation and by at least 70.2% in the computation of pragmatic two-phase flows, without compromising accuracy. Moreover, the efficacy of this acceleration technique is inversely proportional to the rate of interface evolution, becoming increasingly efficient as the interface evolves more slowly.

Numerical Simulation of Shale Gas Flow in Non-Conventional Reservoirs Using the OpenACC API

Numerical Simulation of Shale Gas Flow in Non-Conventional Reservoirs Using the OpenACC API

A coupled regional-scale numerical model for hydrological processes and interactions between groundwater and surface water in a controlled drainage district

Controlled drainage (CD) has emerged as an effective strategy to prevent field waterlogging and mitigate drought during crop growth by altering the hydrological process, while few studies have quantified its effect on groundwater-surface water interactions and groundwater recharge at a regional scale. In this study, a new model is developed for the coupled numerical simulation of water flow in ditches, soil, and underground aquifers under CD conditions. The domain is partitioned into horizontal sub-areas and two vertical layers, with ditches discretized into segments based on groundwater flow grids. The Saint-Venant equations, Richards equation, and MODFLOW are applied to describe water movement processes in ditches, soil, and underground aquifers, respectively. The proposed model is calibrated and validated using five years of observations of ditch water levels (DWL) and groundwater levels, demonstrating excellent agreement with observed data. Subsequently, water balance components of the shallow aquifer below 1 m depth (GW), 1 m of root layer soil profile (SW), and ditch water (DW) under seven scenarios with different control schemes during flood and dry seasons are analyzed to quantify variations in hydrological processes caused by CD. The results show that CD significantly impacts water within SW, GW, and DW, soil evaporation, infiltration, and net recharge from GW to SW (GtoS) by altering regional groundwater table depth (GWT) through the exchange between DW and GW (DtoG and GtoD). GWT and DW show moderate correlation with GtoD, while their correlation with DtoG varies significantly under different rainfall conditions. Smaller precipitation results that precipitation and GWT have a higher linear correlation with water balance components during the dry season compared to the flood season. The correlation values (r) between transpiration (T) and GWT range from −0.99 to 0.96 and −1 to −0.85 during the flood and dry seasons, respectively, indicating a pronounced influence of CD on crop growth. On average, a 1 m increase in DWL control scheme leads to a 0.51 m increase in DWL, and regional GWT decreases by 0.35 m and 0.24 m during flood and dry seasons, respectively. Furthermore, for every 1 m decrease in GWT, net GtoS increases by 36.1 mm and 28.1 mm, respectively, resulting in an increase in SW by 13.9 mm and 11.8 mm, respectively. Considering the varying main crop water stress and the impact of CD under different rainfall conditions, an appropriate CD scheme needs to be adjusted accordingly. These findings provide a quantitative reference for the effect of CD on regional hydrological process and serve as a typical case for similar areas aiming to implement CD strategies for waterlogging and drought control.

Process-based reconstruction of digital rock based on discrete element method considering thermal-mechanical coupling effect and actual particle shape

The digital rock is a crucial platform for numerical simulations of pore-scale flow in various fields such as geo-energy, carbon (CO2) sequestration, and hydrogen (H2) storage. Under these conditions, rocks deform, and pore structures change due to temperature and stress effects. However, existing methods for reconstructing digital rocks, such as physical experimental, stochastic simulation, and machine learning, can not consider the influence of high temperature and stress. Therefore, a process-based reconstruction method based on the discrete element method (DEM) considering the thermal-mechanical coupling effect is proposed in this paper. Initially, the computed tomography (CT) images are segmented based on the watershed algorithm, and a contour database is established using the spherical harmonic analysis method. A clump template library is then constructed in PFC3D (Particle Flow Code in 3 Dimensions). Subsequently, the DEM model is established using clumps from the template library according to porosity and particle radius distribution, and the model's accuracy is evaluated based on two-point and linear path correlation functions. Micro-mechanical and thermal parameters between particles are calibrated, and different temperature and stress boundary conditions are applied to obtain digital rocks under varying conditions. Finally, digital rocks' geometric and topological structures under different conditions are analyzed, and permeability and relative permeability are calculated. Using Bentheim sandstone as an example, digital rocks are constructed under various temperature and stress conditions. The research findings indicate that high temperatures and stress result in decreased pore and throat radii, elongated throats, deteriorated connectivity, reduced porosity, and permeability, making the digital rocks more water-wet. This study provides theoretical guidance for the accurate pore-scale flow simulation of geo-energy fluids, CO2, and H2.