One-way Coupling Research Articles

ASSESSMENT OF MULTIFLUID, EULERIAN INTEGRAL THIN FILM AND DPM APPROACHES FOR THE NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF A BEARING CHAMBER

In this work several computational approaches are tested for the two-phase simulation of the ELUBSYS bearing chamber in the high-speed regime-a four-equation Eulerian multifluid model, a steady-state Eulerian integral thin film (EITF) approach, a discrete parcel method (DPM) approach, and a simplified EITF-DPM coupled approach. While computationally expensive, the multifluid model captured the global liquid dynamics in the chamber and predicted that most of the oil is in the form of a thin film that flows on the stationary walls. The much more cost-efficient EITF approach achieved accurate results for the oil thickness distribution at the counter-current region but did not account for the large amounts of oil flowing out through the top vent. The DPM approach was used to assess the dispersed phase dynamics in both one-way and two-way coupling configurations, outlining a significant influence of the latter on the gas phase dynamics. Finally, the coupled EITFDPM approach was able to overcome some of the limitations observed by its individual counterparts by predicting a continuous film throughout the chamber circumference and a higher vent outflow, while still retaining most of the expected film distribution characteristics in the bearing chamber.

Hydrodynamic coupling of multi-fidelity solvers in REEF3D with application to ship-induced wave modelling

Ship-induced waves are an increasingly relevant hydrodynamic forcing factor in waterways travelled by large seagoing ships. The discrepancy between the small-scale wave-structure interaction near embankments and the larger-scale wave generation and propagation poses challenges for the prediction of ship-induced waves as a multi-scale problem. Therefore, a novel hydrodynamic coupling interface is presented that allows information transfer from the shallow-water-equation (SWE) solver REEF3D::SFLOW to the 3D-RANS-solver REEF3D::CFD. The implementation consists of a one-way coupling, where the solution from the SWE solver is imposed to one or multiple relaxation zones of the CFD solver. A series of verification cases shows that the implementation of the interface is accurate and only small deviations are introduced due to the 2D-3D dimensional mismatch of the numerical models involved. An application is presented, showing how the coupled SWE-CFD model can be employed to study ship-induced groin overtopping.

Realistic fuel spray modeling for gasoline direct injection engine applications

Fuel spray modeling plays a critical role during modern gasoline direct injection (GDI) engine development due to fuel injection’s dominant impact on engine performance and emissions as well as the complex physical processes involved. In engineering three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, the liquid-phase fuel atomization, evaporation, and mixing are usually modeled with the discrete droplet model (DDM) adopting a Lagrangian approach for multiphase CFD simulations. To this end, general practices heavily depend on the reduced order characterization of the injector nozzle flow. However, such simplified injector modeling may lead to insufficient representations of the complex spray dynamics. To tackle this problem, this study proposes a novel workflow to numerically evaluate GDI sub-cooled and flash-boiling sprays under engine-relevant conditions using a side-mounted GDI injector together with real gasoline fuel properties. The workflow introduces a one-way coupling (OWC) method leveraging high-fidelity nozzle flow simulations to provide realistic boundary conditions to the Lagrangian injector model. The proposed workflow was first verified in a constant volume chamber (CVC) environment and then implemented in a practical GDI engine setup to study spray morphology, fuel-air mixing, and wall-wetting propensity. In addition, detailed comparison was performed between the OWC method and the conventional rate of injection (ROI) routine. Quantitative analysis of spray characteristics was conducted to highlight possible source of discrepancies of the conventional ROI method.

Assessment of compound occurrence of storm surge and river flood in Ise and Mikawa Bays, Japan using a framework of atmosphere–ocean–river coupling

This study evaluated the compound flood risk of 11 different-sized rivers in the estuaries of the Ise and Mikawa Bays, Japan using an integrated framework of atmosphere–ocean–river developed in this study (one-way coupling). First, the framework was developed by incorporating the river channel into a coupled model of surge-wave-tide to include the interaction of the storm surge runup and river flow. In addition, the framework was validated by the Typhoon Trami (2018)-induced meteorological field, discharge, and storm surge with high accuracy. Second, the time difference between the storm surge and discharge at the estuary (ΔT) was investigated, assuming six typhoons with different tracks and similar distributions of intensity and precipitation using Typhoon Hagibis (2019) as a case study. The ΔT was highly positively correlated with the length of the river channel (correlation coefficient: 0.90). Moreover, the smaller rivers were more prone than large rivers to simultaneous storm surges and high river flow. The average ΔT for the smaller rivers was 180.4 min (normalized S.D. = 0.31) with a minimum of 15 min in the most severe case, while the average ΔT for the large-scale rivers was 614.1 min (normalized S.D. = 0.39). We clarified that the storm surge and high river flow occurred simultaneously (within 15 min) in the most severe river case (Yagyu River). These results infer that small rivers have a more significant impact on the co-occurrence of storm surge and high-river flow than large-scale rivers.

Application of the Euler–Lagrange Approach and Immersed Boundary Method to Investigate the Behavior of Rigid Particles in a Confined Flow

The presence of particles with a small but finite size, suspended in viscous fluids with low volumetric concentrations, is observed in many applications. The present study focuses on the tridimensional and incompressible lid-driven flow of Newtonian fluids through the application of the immersed boundary method and the Euler–Lagrange approach. These methods are used to numerically predict three-dimensional particle motion by considering nearly neutrally buoyant conditions as well as all relevant elementary processes (drag and lift forces, particle rotation, particle–wall interactions, and coupling between phases). Considering the current stage of the numerical platform, two coupling approaches between phases are considered: one-way and two-way coupling. A single particle is inserted in the cavity after steady-state conditions are achieved. Its three-dimensional motion is obtained from numerical simulations and compared with research data, considering the same conditions, evidently showing that the particle trajectory follows the experimental data until the first collision with a solid surface. After this first contact, there is a deviation between the results, with the two-way coupling results better representing the experimental data than the one-way coupling results. The dimensionless forces’ peaks acting on the particles are associated with the relative velocity of the particle near the wall–particle collision position. In terms of magnitude, in general, the drag force has shown greater influence on the particle’s motion, followed by the rotation-induced and shear-induced lift forces. Finally, a special application is presented, in which 4225 particles are released into the domain and their dynamic is evaluated throughout dimensionless time, showing similar behavior for both couplings between phases, with variations in local concentrations observed in certain regions. The mean square displacement used to quantify the dispersion evolution of the particles showed that the particulate flow reaches an approximately homogeneous distribution from the moment of dimensionless time tU/S = 130.

The interactive indoor-outdoor building energy modeling for enhancing the predictions of urban microclimates and building energy demands

There is a lack of an urban building energy modeling framework that considers the influence of surrounding buildings and local urban climate on building thermal performance. This can lead to inaccurate results since the thermal performance of individual buildings is heavily influenced by their surrounding built and climatic environment. This study establishes an interactive indoor-outdoor building energy modeling method to enhance the predictions of urban microclimates and building energy demands by coupling an urban physics model with a physics-based building energy model. Validation of the interactive coupling scheme uses field measurement datasets. Parametric simulation and analysis are conducted to understand the influence of the roof-to-canyon width ratio, canyon orientation, and ground vegetation fraction on canyon temperature, building energy consumption, and energy demand. Furthermore, the impacts of building energy model complexity (e.g., detailed vs. simplified building models) and coupling approaches on canyon temperature and building energy profiles are demonstrated using two case study buildings. In comparison with the one-way coupling approach, cooling energy consumption predicted with the dynamic two-way coupling approach varies by 3.5 % and 0.5 % for the detailed medium office building model and high-rise building model, respectively, and peak cooling demand varies by 8.4 % and 7.0 % for the detailed medium office building model and high-rise building model, respectively. This study also suggests that adopting a complex two-way coupling approach with environmental data exchange at various elevations is necessary for modeling tall buildings at the urban scale.

Hydrological reduction and control effect evaluation of sponge city construction based on one-way coupling model of SWMM-FVCOM: A case in university campus

The exacerbation of global warming, the frequent incidence of extreme weather events, and the rapid urbanization have collectively contributed to the heightened prevalence of flooding in urban areas. As a result of this challenge, sponge city (SPC) has been adopted in China as an efficient means of preventing and controlling urban floods. To evaluate the hydrological reduction and control effect of sponge city construction (SPCC) within a university campus, a one-way coupled model integrating one-dimensional sewer hydrodynamic model (SWMM) and two-dimensional surface flow model (FVCOM), namely SWMM-FVCOM model, was established. The Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) of the SWMM were greater than 0.75 under there rainfalls with different intensity, indicating the good reliability and stability of this model could be used in the subsequent simulation. An analysis of drainage capacity and the risk of urban flooding was conducted using this model before and after the implementation of SPCC, considering six rainfall scenarios. Implementing SPCC demonstrated an effective performance in mitigating surface runoff, regulating inspection well overflow, and reducing overflow volume in the study region. However, the efficacy of runoff control diminished proportionally with the escalation of rainfall return period. Simultaneously, the implementation of low impact development (LID) measures can significantly decrease the extent and magnitude of surface inundations. The reduction rate of SPCC on the area of waterlogging ranged from 55.84% to 72.50%. But the control rate decreased with increasing rainfall return periods, demonstrating that adopting SPCC can effectively mitigate the severity of urban flooding resulting from low rainfall return period events (Tr < 20 years). This study can provide scientific foundation for environment managers to evaluate the impact of urban flooding prevention and control on runoff pollution mitigation when adopting the implementation of SPCC.

Modelling coronary flow and myocardial perfusion by integrating a structured-tree coronary flow model and a hyperelastic left ventricle model

Background and ObjectiveThere is an increasing demand to establish integrated computational models that facilitate the exploration of coronary circulation in physiological and pathological contexts, particularly concerning interactions between coronary flow dynamics and myocardial motion. The field of cardiology has also demonstrated a trend toward personalised medicine, where these integrated models can be instrumental in integrating patient-specific data to improve therapeutic outcomes. Notably, incorporating a structured-tree model into such integrated models is currently absent in the literature, which presents a promising prospect. Thus, the goal here is to develop a novel computational framework that combines a 1D structured-tree model of coronary flow in human coronary vasculature with a 3D left ventricle model utilising a hyperelastic constitutive law, enabling the physiologically accurate simulation of coronary flow dynamics. MethodsWe adopted detailed geometric information from previous studies of both coronary vasculature and left ventricle to construct the coronary flow model and the left ventricle model. The structured-tree model for coronary flow was expanded to encompass the effect of time-varying intramyocardial pressure on intramyocardial blood vessels. Simultaneously, the left ventricle model served as a robust foundation for the calculation of intramyocardial pressure and subsequent quantitative evaluation of myocardial perfusion. A one-way coupling framework between the two models was established to enable the evaluation and examination of coronary flow dynamics and myocardial perfusion. ResultsOur predicted coronary flow waveforms aligned well with published experimental data. Our model precisely captured the phasic pattern of coronary flow, including impeded or even reversed flow during systole. Moreover, our assessment of coronary flow, considering both globally and regionally averaged intramyocardial pressure, demonstrated that elevated intramyocardial pressure corresponds to increased impeding effects on coronary flow. Furthermore, myocardial blood flow simulated from our model was comparable with MRI perfusion data at rest, showcasing the capability of our model to predict myocardial perfusion. ConclusionsThe integrated model introduced in this study presents a novel approach to achieving physiologically accurate simulations of coronary flow and myocardial perfusion. It holds promise for its clinical applicability in diagnosing insufficient myocardial perfusion.

Thermal Modeling of an eVinci™-like heat pipe microreactor using OpenFOAM

The simulation of heat pipe microreactors is an active area of research. In this paper, a thermal analysis of a heat pipe microreactor motivated by the eVinci™ design is performed. Thorough discussion on the modeling of heat pipes without a dedicated heat pipe modeling code, such as Sockeye, is also provided. The performance of two heat pipe modeling techniques is compared, one a more accurate approach which explicitly tracks heat pipe temperatures, and the other an approximation which simplifies the thermal hydraulic model development. One-way coupling is used where the Serpent neutronics code is used to generate a power distribution which is applied in an OpenFOAM model to calculate a temperature distribution. After a detailed convergence analysis, the core temperature distribution resulting from a core with control drums facing outward, or fully withdrawn, is compared with one having the control drums facing inward, or fully inserted. Finally, a parametric analysis was performed where the thermal resistances associated with the heat pipe model were varied and core temperatures were tracked. It was observed that the relationship between average and maximum core temperatures had a highly linear relationship to the thermal resistances used in the heat pipe model.

Computational evaluation of flight performance of flapping-wing nano air vehicles using hierarchical coupling of nonlinear dynamic and fluid-structure interaction analyses

This study endeavours to introduce an inventive hierarchical coupling methodology for evaluating the flight capabilities of polymer micromachined flapping-wing nano air vehicles (FWNAVs) using advanced computational tools. Furthermore, our objective is to provide a practical demonstration of FWNAVs in both tethered and airborne scenarios. These dual objectives represent the distinctive and pioneering aspects of this research. Such FWNAVs, which are insect-inspired robots, have a 2.5-dimensional structure. An FWNAV comprises a micro piezoelectric drive system and a pair of micro thin flexible wings. The drive system includes a micro transmission and a piezoelectric bimorph actuator. The flight performance of the designed FWNAV is evaluated using a hierarchical coupling approach, where the whole system is decomposed into a micro wing and a micro piezoelectric drive system. The coupling between these parts is modelled as one-way coupling and that between the micro wings and the surrounding air is modelled as strong coupling. In the one-way coupling analysis, nonlinear structural dynamic analysis is conducted for the micro piezoelectric drive system, where the dynamic response is transmitted to the micro wings via the Dirichlet boundary condition. In the strong coupling analysis, strongly coupled fluid-structure interaction analysis is conducted for the micro wings and the surrounding air to consider their strong coupling. The optimisation of flight performance is conducted using fluid-structure interaction analysis to achieve sufficient lift force to support the weight of an FWNAV. The design of a tethered and flyable FWNAV with a size of 10 mm or smaller is demonstrated. This FWNAV can be easily fabricated using polymer micromachining.

Stokes number and coupling effects on particle interaction behavior in turbulent channel flows

The effects of Reynolds number (Reτ=180 and 300), particle Stokes number (St+=0.5, 50, and 92), and fluid–solid phase coupling level (one-way, two-way, and four-way) on particle behavior in turbulent channel flows has been investigated using direct numerical simulation and Lagrangian particle tracking. Previous studies have used all these levels of coupling, but in terms of those employing four-way coupling, no consideration is given as to how emergent phenomena due to collision dynamics within a flow affect the way in which particles impart feedback to the continuous phase. In the present work, we relate the particle–particle interaction to particle–fluid coupling, as well as in assessing its relation to the Stokes number. As the Reynolds number increases and the turbulent region narrows, fewer particles retain their velocity as they migrate to the wall-region leading to reduced streamwise velocity fluctuations and preferential concentration. It is also evident that low Stokes number particles are capable of minor wall-accumulation at Reτ=300. At this increased Reynolds number, four-way coupled simulations performed with moderate Stokes number particles (St+=50) are shown to diminish the effects of particle–fluid feedback, leading to similar fluid and particle statistics as the one-way coupled simulations. It is concluded that turbophoretic and preferential concentration effects are responsible for this phenomenon, since the increased collision rates due to larger concentrations of particles and velocity fluctuations in the wall-region correlate directly with the impact on the two-way coupling flow modifications. Analysis of the collision dynamics also indicates particles colliding with increased relative velocities and angles, which cause larger momentum transfer and directional redistribution, increasing and redirecting slip velocities. It is concluded that for midrange Stokes numbers, four-way coupling is imperative to increase simulation accuracy beyond that obtained assuming one-way coupling.

Wave–Tide Interaction by Typhoon Ampil on Wave and Storm Surge in the Changjiang River Estuary and Its Adjacent Coastal Areas

The study used the SCHISM ocean model combined with the WWM III wind wave model to quantify the interaction between wind waves and tides in the coastal zone of the Changjiang River Estuary and its adjacent areas. The wave and storm surge during Typhoon Ampil, which made landfall in July 2018 in Shanghai, were simulated by using the Climate Forecast System Version 2 (CFSv2) and Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) latest reanalysis (ERA5) wind dataset from 1 July to 31 July. Model results with CFSv2 forcing show better performance in terms of significant wave height and storm surge than those with ERA5 forcing. To investigate the interactions between waves, water levels, currents, and their combined effects on significant wave and surge variations, six numerical sensitivity experiments were designed according to the different coupling methods between SCHISM and WWMIII. The research shows that in coastal areas with water depths of less than 10 m, waves are affected by water levels and currents. The differences in the effect on significant wave height between wave-tide coupling and one-way coupling with water levels and currents are negligible. Wave setup is an important physical term which cannot be ignored during the variations of storm surge caused by Typhoon Ampil. The contributions of wave set up were concentrated in coastal areas with water depths less than 10 m. The peak wave setup occurred in the Changjiang River Estuary, reaching 0.15 m. In Xiangshan Bay and Sanmen Bay, wave radiation stress makes the proportion of wave setup to the total surge reached more than 30%. The consideration of wave-tide interaction can effectively improve the accuracy of numerical wave and storm surge simulations, which can provide more accurate hindcasts of wave and storm surge variations in the Changjiang River Estuary and its adjacent coastal areas.

Simulation of solidification microstructure evolution of 316L stainless steel fabricated by selective laser melting using a coupled model of smooth particle hydrodynamics and cellular automata

Selective Laser Melting (SLM) is an efficient and advanced manufacturing technology that utilizes lasers to melt and solidify metal or alloy powders, layer by layer, to form the desired object shape. This study aims to investigate the evolution behavior of the solidification microstructure during the SLM process and presents a novel numerical simulation method based on the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics-Cellular Automaton (SPH-CA) coupling model. The SPH-CA coupling model combines the particle information, such as position and temperature, from Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) with the Cellular Automaton (CA) method in a one-way coupling manner, enabling simultaneous computation of multiple physical fields, including heat transfer, melting, solidification, and morphology. This model addresses challenges that are difficult to handle in grid-based computations, such as free surface variations, boundary deformations, interfacial motion, and large deformations. Additionally, it effectively simulates the morphology of the solidification microstructure. Furthermore, the coupling process performs kernel function weighted calculations at the same scale, which results in higher accuracy compared to the grid-based multiscale mapping. The simulation results demonstrate that different processing parameters influence the morphology of the molten pool and the thermal undercooling, thereby affecting the growth characteristics of the grains. A higher laser scanning speed leads to smaller molten pool size, finer grain sizes in the solidification microstructure, larger laser grain angles, and a higher content of columnar grains. These findings are consistent with experimental observations and existing conclusions, providing evidence for the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed model in the context of SLM.

Numerical investigation on spray and flow field characteristics of elliptical nozzle in supersonic crossflow

ABSTRACT It has been suggested that using an elliptical nozzle could enhance the atomization and mixture quality. In order to explore the elliptical liquid jet on spray and flow field characteristics in supersonic airflow, the VOF-Spray one-way coupling model was adopted to study the nozzle exit patterns, size, and velocity distribution of droplets. The research also compared the flow field characteristics in Mach 2.85 air crossflow under the application of different orifices. The numerical results showed that elliptical 4 nozzle (Aspect ratio of 4) had better flow performance than circular nozzle. The cavitation area and turbulent disturbance of elliptical 4 nozzle were mainly concentrated in the major axis direction. The elliptical 4 jet always had a lower penetration depth than circular jet. At the flow range of 0 ~ 50 mm, the penetration depth of elliptical 4 jet is roughly 12% less than that of circular jet. Another finding was that the spanwise extension range of elliptical 4 spray was larger than the circular spray. The spanwise extension range of elliptical 4 spray increased by about 19.4% at most in the flow range of 0 ~ 50 mm. Additionally, the elliptical 4 spray had the smallest Santer Mean Diameter (SMD). The elliptical 4 jet had a 2.9% smaller Santer Mean Diameter than the circular jet. Due to the greater windward surface area of the elliptical 4 orifice, the gas streamwise velocity near the bottom wall was reduced. A reverse vortex pair with distinct characteristics could be observed under the application of elliptical 4 orifice. Furthermore, compared with the circular orifice, the shock wave angle generated by elliptical 4 orifice reduced by 9.7%, and the total pressure recovery coefficient rose by 2.3%.

One-way coupling of E3SM with ADCIRC demonstrated on Hurricane Harvey

One-way coupling of E3SM with ADCIRC demonstrated on Hurricane Harvey

Fluid-structure interactions of peripheral arteries using a coupled in silico and in vitro approach

Vascular compliance is considered both a cause and a consequence of cardiovascular disease and a significant factor in the mid- and long-term patency of vascular grafts. However, the biomechanical effects of localised changes in compliance cannot be satisfactorily studied with the available medical imaging technologies or surgical simulation materials. To address this unmet need, we developed a coupled silico-vitro platform which allows for the validation of numerical fluid-structure interaction results as a numerical model and physical prototype. This numerical one-way and two-way fluid-structure interaction study is based on a three-dimensional computer model of an idealised femoral artery which is validated against patient measurements derived from the literature. The numerical results are then compared with experimental values collected from compliant arterial phantoms via direct pressurisation and ring tensile testing. Phantoms within a compliance range of 1.4–68.0%/100 mmHg were fabricated via additive manufacturing and silicone casting, then mechanically characterised via ring tensile testing and optical analysis under direct pressurisation with moderately statistically significant differences in measured compliance ranging between 10 and 20% for the two methods. One-way fluid-structure interaction coupling underestimated arterial wall compliance by up to 14.7% compared with two-way coupled models. Overall, Solaris™ (Smooth-On) matched the compliance range of the numerical and in vivo patient models most closely out of the tested silicone materials. Our approach is promising for vascular applications where mechanical compliance is especially important, such as the study of diseases which commonly affect arterial wall stiffness, such as atherosclerosis, and the model-based design, surgical training, and optimisation of vascular prostheses.

Restricted nonlinear scales of turbulent secondary flows over spanwise heterogeneous roughness

Recent studies, e.g., Wangsawijaya et al. (2020) have revealed the prevalence of streak meandering in turbulent flow over spanwise heterogeneous roughness. Here we exploit the scale decomposition inherent in the Restricted Nonlinear (RNL) modeling approach to further investigate this behavior. The RNL decomposition comprises a large-scale streamwise averaged mean with small-scale fluctuations about that mean defined through a dynamical restriction that leads to computational tractability. The simplified setting facilitates the study of secondary flow interacting with the large-scale streak via one-way coupling, thus enabling additional insight into relevant interaction mechanisms. In agreement with the experimental work, our results indicate that the energy of the large-scales is amplified over the low roughness region due to the secondary flow. The small-scales are shown to play a dominant role in the Reynolds stresses responsible for generation of the secondary flow. Conditional averaging of the RNL mean field reveals stronger momentum pathways and diminished energy over low roughness regions experiencing downwash in instances that differ from the time-averaged trends. Further analysis, via time-filtering, shows long time-scales pertinent to streak meandering are anti-correlated with instantaneous upwash/downwash motions that are the dominant contribution to the increased shear Reynolds stress observed over the low roughness strips.

A pyrolysis model for steel‐insulation sandwich building façade systems under fire

AbstractSandwich panels consist of two thin‐walled steel faces plus an insulation core. For this core, materials are selected that provide high (shear) stiffness and high thermal resistance. When the panels are subject to fire, the (a) temperature‐dependent behaviour of the steel faces and (b) the possible chemical reactions of the insulation core should both be considered, to accurately predict the structural behaviour. Provisions in Eurocode EN 1993‐1‐2 can be used for (a). Regarding (b), this paper adds a verified pyrolysis model to Heat Transfer (HT) analyses, and obtained results are transferred to a Structural Response (SR) analysis. Then, the HT and SR analyses are demonstrated in so‐called One‐Way Coupled (OWC) and Two‐Way Coupled (TWC) fire‐structure simulations, the latter including the effects of structural failure on the fire behaviour. For the cases studied, structural behaviour for OWC and TWC simulations is very similar, which indicates that the structural (failure) behaviour does not significantly influence the fire behaviour. Differently, the difference in failure time between simulations with and without pyrolysis is more than 15%, due to endothermic effects. As such, for the cases studied, modelling of pyrolysis is more important than the effect of structural failures, and this modelling can be included as demonstrated in this paper.

Pair dispersion of inertial particles crossing stably stratified turbulent/non-turbulent interfaces

In the present work we study the pair dispersion of inertial particles crossing two-layer stably stratified turbulent/non-turbulent interfaces (STNTI) of finite thickness. The goal is to investigate two-particle dispersion, a problem of great importance in a wide range of applications, within very complex flows. STNTI flows are in fact constituted not only by non-homogeneous turbulence and density stratification, but also by effects generated by their interaction, such as internal waves. The problem is addressed numerically, two direct numerical simulations (DNS) of STNTI flow are performed: moderate intensity turbulence, Reλ=35,44 is produced in the DNSs using a convective forcing (heat source at the domain boundary) in one case, and a forcing that mimics a vertically oscillating grid, through an immersed boundary method, in the other. We tracked inertial particles, with one-way coupling approach, using a modified Basset-Boussinesq-Oseen equation which includes a stratification-induced term FS. We first analyze particle pairs settling from the turbulent region toward the STNTI and then pairs moving in the opposite direction from the non-turbulent layer. In general results for all pair tested present a t2-scaling law for small times. Pairs crossing the STNTI from the non-turbulent region show a peculiar dispersion behavior: approaching the internal waves layer, pairs tend to reduce the dispersion rate and then they present a fast growing separation regime (tα, α≥6) possibly induced by non-local effects. Different particle densities, which affect inertia, the initial pair separation and the effect of stratification on the dispersion, by means of FS, are tested as well. Results confirm the importance of the first two parameters for the pair evolution. The stratification force, which has been not taken into account so far, plays as well an important role, which may lead to discrepancies in pair dispersion larger than the role FS has in the equation of motion itself.

Thermo-mechanical behavior of composite beams with corrugated steel webs exposed to localized fire

In this study, a one-way coupling methodology combining fire simulation based computational fluid dynamics (CFD) with finite element (FE) analysis is proposed to investigate the thermo-mechanical behaviors of composite beams with corrugated steel webs (CSWs) under localized fire exposure. Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) is used to simulate the local fire environment, and the adiabatic surface temperature (AST) data obtained in FDS are imported into the FE models in ABAQUS by the fds2ascii coupling tool. The validations of FDS models and the CFD-FE coupling method are verified by a localized fire test on a steel beam conducted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Then, the CFD-FE coupling method is applied to analyze the thermo-mechanical behaviors of composite beams with concrete flanges and CSWs exposed to localized fire. As the fire exposure time increases, the composite beam appears significant variation of the temperature gradient at elevated temperature, and induce the dynamic, uneven temperature field in the structural members. Due to the influences of the temperature gradient field, the traditional design assumptions for composite beams with CSWs are not valid when the structures suffered a localized fire. It found that the shear stress on the CSWs is no longer evenly distributed along the depth at elevated temperatures, and the concrete flange resists a considerable part of the sectional shear force, particularly of the fire-affect zone. This study hopes to provide a basis for the fire resistance design of composite girder bridges with CSWs.