Platform OpenFOAM Research Articles

A comparative study of multi-tentacled underwater robot with different self-steering behaviors: Maneuvering and cruising modes

Based on the concept of same structure but different laws, we propose two driving modes, maneuvering and cruising, using multiple tentacles of cephalopods as biomimetic prototypes. These two modes are distinguished by transient or continuous kinematic laws and can achieve self-steering behaviors with different features. The computational evolution process between this underwater robot and the flow field is solved on the OpenFOAM platform. We nest the secondary developed solver with dynamic overlapping mesh technology and integrate multiple functional modules. The numerical results show that for the maneuvering mode, the robot achieves rapid turning by collectively generating high-intensity pressure and vorticity fields during the upstroke of tentacles. This mode is suitable for application scenarios that require real-time direction adjustment, such as obstacle avoidance and emergency response. For the cruising mode, the robot relies on continuous asymmetric swing of their tentacles to generate stable yaw moment, and the navigation trajectory presents a fan-shaped pattern with serrated edges. This mode is suitable for purposeful application scenarios such as anti-interference stability and advance prediction.

The propagation characteristics of a detonation wave in uniformly premixed gases within a semi-confined channel

Based on the OpenFOAM platform, a numerical study was conducted to investigate the propagation characteristics of a detonation wave in uniformly premixed gases within a semi-confined channel, specifically examining the changes in wave's structure and analyzing the detonation reinitiation-extinguishment process. The results indicate that, due to the weak confinement, the detonation wave experiences lateral expansion, with transverse waves on the detonation wave front penetrating into the inert gas and forming segmented protrusions on the oblique shock wave. During the propagation process, the number of transverse waves decreases gradually, and the reflected waves formed by the interaction between transverse waves and the inert gas are weak, collectively leading to a gradual decay in the strength of the detonation wave and a reduction in the frequency of pressure oscillation on the detonation wave front. Furthermore, when transverse waves interact with the inert gas and undergo Mach reflection, the reflected waves would detach the inert gas and form new transverse waves promoted by upward-moving old transverse waves and disturbances on the flame front, thereby extending the duration distance of the detonation wave. Subsequently, after the detonation wave decouples, a transverse wave reflected from the inert gas interface interacts with the lower wall, triggering local detonation reinitiation, which generates a higher-intensity longitudinal wave that couples with the leading shock wave, temporarily restoring the detonation wave and forming lateral detonation in the decoupled region. However, the detonation wave will ultimately extinguish due to the attenuation of transverse waves' intensity and decreasing number of these waves.

Interactions between a toroidal bubble and a free surface

Toroidal bubbles (TBs) represent cases of vortex rings with a gas–liquid interface where a gas vortex ring is encased within a liquid vortex ring, and can serve as effective media for mass conveyance, process mixing, noise reduction and reaction regulation. In this study, we carry out a systematic study on the interaction between a TB and a free surface. According to the high-speed photographic images from the experiments, we identify strong and weak interactions in terms of the normalized maximum free surface deformation $h_{max}^*$ . Then, we perform numerical simulations based on the volume of fluid (VOF) method in the OpenFOAM platform. Based on both the experimental and the numerical results, we conclude that the Froude number, $Fr$ , determines the main characteristics during the interaction process. The TB–free surface interaction is essentially the interaction between the liquid vortex ring enveloping the TB and the free surface, supplemented by the TB's complex behaviour. Next, we establish the scaling law of $h_{max}^*$ based on the energy balance condition. Based on this, we provide the critical $Fr$ and the slenderness of the TB, $\eta$ , for identifying the strong and weak interactions, and a parametric plot of the interactions in terms of $Fr$ and $\eta$ .

Comparative Analysis of Hydrodynamic Loads on Bridge Piers: Assessing Standards through Numerical Modeling

Currently, there is an alarming difference in the estimated actions on piers resulting from flash-floods and tsunamis as prescribed by international Structural Design Codes. Previous studies have explored the interaction between surge waves and piers from a fluid-dynamics perspective, but there is no assessment about the relevance of the methods used in Structural Design to determine the hydrodynamic pressure resultants. To determine the degree of conservatism embedded in design, results from the different approaches are compared against validated numerical simulations. Three-dimensional numerical analyses were conducted using the OpenFOAM platform, employing the Large Eddy Simulation turbulence modeling approach to simulate the dam-break wave impacting the pier. The findings revealed that the maximum force was not necessarily caused by the stream’s first strike and could be sustained over time. The hydrodynamic pressure center consistently occurred at two-thirds of the stream depth, significantly impacting the overturning moments experienced by the pier. Identified inconsistencies between Codes underscore the need for revision of non-conservative approaches in predicting the design forces.

Crown control in a pair of cavitation bubbles close to a free surface: A numerical study

When a cavitation bubble re-expands near the surface of a liquid, an axisymmetric crown forms around the jet that is initially produced. Controlling this crown is essential if the first jet is to be used in engineering applications such as laser-induced transfer (LIT). Herein, we introduce a second cavitation bubble to control the formation and growth of the crown. Numerical simulations were performed using the compressibleInterIsoFoam solver within the open-source platform OpenFOAM, incorporating a geometric volume-of-fluid approach for tracking interfaces. Detailed analysis showed that a reversal in curvature across the concave interface indicates the moment of crown formation, and this is induced by flow focusing during bubble contraction or momentum transfer from a second expansion. In the presence of the second bubble, the crown type can be classified as either enhanced or inhibited in comparison with a single-bubble scenario. The velocity of crown formation, vcf, is defined to describe the crown type, and a parametric study of crown types was conducted based on the dimensionless stand-off distances, γ1 and γ2. The findings of this study offer new insights into the field of LIT.

Numerical study on flow-boiling heat transfer in square channels partially centrally filled with gradient porous media

Boiling heat transfer is widely used in industry and daily life and can be enhanced by porous media structure. Previously HPM have been shown to significantly improve heat transfer performance, but how the porosity gradient affects boiling heat transfer remains unknown. In this paper, the subcooled flow boiling in vertical square channels partially filled with gradient porous media was numerically investigated by using a newly developed solver named GPMPhaseChangeFoam embedded in the open-source platform OpenFOAM. The results indicate that in positive GPM inserted channels, when z ≤ 0.16 m Nuz increases with increasing Hp*, and when z ≥ 0.16 m Nuz increases with increasing Hp* from 0.2 to 0.8 but deceases with Hp* rises from 0.8 to 1.0, and the effect of Hp* on Nuz is more pronounced in the entrance region over the exit region. In negative GPM inserted channels, Nuz increases with increasing Hp* throughout the channel length in positive GPM inserted channels, and the effect of Hp* on Nuz is less pronounced in the entrance region than the exit region. Flow resistance increases with Hp*, but changes little with Δε, and Nufd increases with Hp* in both positive and negative GPM inserted channels. However, Nufd decreases with an increase in ∆ε from 0 to 0.3 in positive GPM inserted channels, from -0.3 to 0 in negative GPM inserted channels, and ∆ε = -0.3 at Hp* = 1.0 is 13.4 % higher than that of ∆ε = 0.3. Furthermore, the negative GPM inserted channel behaves higher flow boiling heat transfer performance than the HPM and positive GPM.

Comprehensive numerical prototyping of paper-based microfluidic devices using open-source tools

Paper-based microfluidics has emerged as a promising field with diverse applications ranging from medical diagnostics to environmental monitoring. Despite significant progress in research and development, the translation of paper-based prototypes into practical end-user devices remains limited. This limitation stems from challenges related to devices not being sufficiently portable and autonomous, which paper-based microfluidics is expected to overcome. Yet for this purpose, we note the lack of comprehensive numerical modeling tools capable of simulating the intricate physicochemical phenomena involved in order to optimize the development process; hence, in this study, we introduce porousMicroTransport, a novel simulation package integrated with the open-source platform OpenFOAM®, designed to address these challenges. porousMicroTransport offers efficient solvers for fluid flow and transport phenomena in microfluidic porous media, including capillarity models and (bio)chemical reactions. Moreover, under horizontal flow conditions, porousMicroTransport application field can be extended to any porous media. We demonstrate the software’s effectiveness in two example cases, showcasing its ability to accurately reproduce complex phenomena involved in paper-based devices. By virtue of being an easy-to-use and computationally efficient tool, porousMicroTransport facilitates the design and optimization of devices, potentially enabling more devices to meet the WHO’s REASSURED criteria for point-of-care testing. We anticipate that this tool will accelerate the development and deployment of robust and portable diagnostic devices, bridging the gap between research and practical applications.

Numerical study on flame acceleration and deflagration-to-detonation transition affected by the solid obstacles with different shapes

To investigate which shape of solid obstacles is most optimal in terms of detonation-assisting capability within a closed channel, this study utilizes the Large Eddy Simulation (LES) method, based on the OpenFOAM platform, to conduct a detailed numerical study on the effects of different shaped obstacles (rectangular, rhombus, trapezoidal, circular, triangular) on flame acceleration and detonation initiation processes. The results show that the obstacles arranged in the middle of the combustion chamber can create more passages and local flames. Meanwhile, changes in the shape of obstacles can also produce different vortex structures and recirculation zones. These differences affect the flame surface area and the total combustion heat release rate, thereby affecting the flame acceleration effect. Judging from the results, triangular obstacles have the best flame acceleration effect, followed by rhombus, trapezoid, rectangle, and circular obstacles. In terms of detonation initiation, the obstacles with a slope can induce vortex to detach earlier, which produce a better vortex-flame interaction. Simultaneously, the slope can reflect the shock wave more frequently, creating more favourable conditions for the formation of Mach reflection and Mach stem. Based on this, it is found that trapezoidal and triangular obstacles have better detonation-assisting capability. Additionally, it is found that the stronger the leading shock wave and the shorter the distance between it and the flame front, the better the detonation initiation effect. In general, the types of detonation initiation in this study all belong to the shock detonation transition (SDT). However, the detonation initiation process can be further classified into two categories: (I) Detonation induced by shock wave reflection; (II) Detonation triggered by shock wave focusing.

Accurate and rapid reactive flow simulations using dynamic load balancing and sparse analytical Jacobian approach

The present study introduces a rapid and accurate customized solver on the OpenFOAM platform for large-scale industrial computations. Specifically, a sparse analytical Jacobian approach utilizing the SpeedCHEM library was implemented to enhance the efficiency of the ordinary differential equation solver. The dynamic load balancing code was used to distribute computational workloads uniformly across multiple processes. Optimization continued with open multi-processing to improve parallel computing efficiency and the local time stepping scheme to maximize individual cell time steps. The effectiveness and robustness of the customized solver were first validated using Sandia flames D–F as benchmarks. The results showed that the customized solver exhibited better strong scaling characteristics and led to a speed increase of up to 30 times for two-dimensional Sandia flame D calculations. The numerical predictions for temperature and species distribution closely matched the experimental trends, confirming the accuracy of the solver. Subsequently, a three-dimensional numerical study on a 10 kW ammonia co-combustion furnace was conducted, exploring the performance of the solver in large-scale reactive simulations. Results analysis indicated that the acceleration capability was reduced due to increased communication overhead between processors, achieving up to 7.06 times speed-up. However, as the size of the reaction mechanism increases, better acceleration capabilities can be demonstrated. The numerical predictions could closely replicate experimental trends, effectively predicting NO emission trends within the combustion furnace. This study offers one viable solution for rapid and accurate calculations in the OpenFOAM platform, which could be applied in the subsequent ammonia industrial combustion processes.

Study on radiation heat transfer characteristics of aeroengine combustion chamber

The thermal radiation of gaseous combustion products in an aero-engine combustion chamber has obvious non-ash-body characteristics. In this paper, based on the OpenFOAM platform, a numerical study on multi-field coupled turbulence-combustion-radiation radiative heat transfer was carried out for a certain type of aero-engine combustion chamber using the mean weighted sum of grey gas (WSGG) gas radiation model, which can accurately describe the non-ash characteristics of the gas. The results show that the radiation heat transfer characteristics are influenced by several factors such as equivalent ratio, combustion pressure and wall emissivity, among which the equivalent ratio is dominant. Increasing the equivalence ratio from 0.11 to 0.4 resulted in a 189% increase in average incident radiation at the combustion chamber wall and a 233% increase in average incident radiation at the exit. Increasing the equivalent ratio, combustion pressure or wall emissivity will increase the average radiation intensity in the combustion chamber and the inhomogeneity of radiation distribution at the exit of the combustion chamber. The radial radiation distribution factor (RRDF) also increases with the increase of equivalent ratio, combustion pressure and wall emissivity.

Numerical investigation of the effect of air layer on drag reduction in channel flow over a superhydrophobic surface.

This study investigates the effects of an air layer on drag reduction and turbulence dynamics in channel flow over a superhydrophobic surface (SHS). Employing the OpenFOAM platform, direct numerical simulation was conducted to investigate turbulent channel flow with an air layer over an SHS. The simulations, which take into account the interaction between water and air, analyze various parameters such as velocity distribution, drag reduction (DR), Reynolds stress, turbulent kinetic energy (TKE), and coherent structures near the water-air interface. The presence of an air layer significantly alters the velocity distribution, leading to higher velocities at the interface compared to simulations without the air layer. Notably, the thickness of the air layer emerges as an important factor, with larger thicknesses resulting in increased velocities and drag reduction. This study underscores the substantial impact of the air layer on TKE near the superhydrophobic surface, emphasizing its role in understanding and optimizing drag reduction. Furthermore, the nonlinear relationship between slip velocity, Q contours, and coherent structures near the SHS are investigated.

A numerical study on multi-nozzle spray cooling of downward-facing heater surface

An experimental study on multi-nozzle spray cooling of a downward-facing heater surface has been carried out in the SPAYCOR facility at KTH, to provide data assessing the feasibility of spray cooling for in-vessel melt retention (IVR) in light water reactors. To help understand the characteristics and influential factors of the liquid film formed on the heater surface in spray, a numerical study on the dynamics of an isothermal liquid film on the heater surface has also been performed by adopting the OpenFOAM platform, and Eulerian and Lagrangian methods for liquid film and droplets, respectively. The present study is an extension of the previous modeling from hydrodynamics to thermal-hydraulics of the spray cooling problem, via adding heat flux of the heater and two convective heat transfer models between the heater wall and the liquid film. Moreover, droplets-film interaction model is modified. The SPAYCOR experiment is simulated by the numerical models, and the simulation results show a good agreement between the numerical and experimental data, in particular when the modified droplets-film interaction model is applied. After the validation of the numerical models against the SPAYCOR experiment, the numerical models are employed to investigate influential factors on heat transfer, such as mass flux, nozzle-to-surface distance, and nozzle matrix layout. The results indicate that heat transfer is enhanced by increasing mass flux and decreasing nozzle-to-surface distance, and the change of nozzle matrix from inline to staggered layout has little impact on heat removal capacity or temperature distribution of the multi-nozzle spray cooling.

Numerical study of the behavior of a near-wall bubble under the influence of an acoustic wave

Acoustic cavitation has been applied to many ultrasonic fields, but its characteristics are not fully understood, especially near the wall. To analyze the dynamics of a near-wall acoustic bubble, an acoustic pressure wave boundary condition is developed in the OpenFOAM platform. We first conducted the model’s validation with an experiment to prove its accuracy. The bubble’s radius increases when the bubble is excited by the lower-pressure wave, and it decreases under the higher-pressure wave. When the bubble collapses, its pressure and temperature will reach the maximum value. In accordance with the non-dimensional distance, the dynamics of the acoustic-driven bubble are classified into three types, i.e., the liquid jet not touching the nearby wall, the liquid jet touching the wall, and no obvious liquid jet. The maximum value of pressure and temperature increases with the dimensionless distance decreasing if the dimensionless distance is small. However, there is no variation of these peak values with dimensionless distance if the dimensionless distance is large.

Slamming Characteristics Due to the Special Shape of New Sandglass-Type Model in Waves by Comparing with Cylindrical Model

For the new sandglass-type FPSO, the unique shape of its floating body with oblique side and external expansion can significantly improve the motion performance, but meanwhile may result in specific slamming characteristics in waves. On this basis, this paper establishes a CFD method including numerical wave-tank technique based on the Open FOAM platform. Therein, the velocity-inlet boundary method and the active absorption method are applied for numerical wave-making and wave-absorption. Compared with experimental results, the numerical method can be validated to be accurate enough to simulate wave slamming on floating ocean platforms. Then, the specific slamming phenomena on the sandglass-type floating body under a classic long wave can be investigated by comparing with the cylindrical model, including nonlinear wave rollover and breaking, water cushion, rooster-tail wave, side wave, water tongue, and so on. The mechanism of these phenomena and their effects on slamming pressure are studied. The essences of typical peaks in the time-history curve of the slamming pressure are mainly discussed. More interestingly, the main peak can be found to be related to the small peak due the amount of the broken water and the thickness of the water cushion. Finally, the slamming characteristics of the sandglass-type model in a classic short-wave condition are comparatively discussed.

The effect of the four-tentacled collaboration on the self-propelled performance of squid robot

This study conducts a numerical investigation of the self-propelled performance of a bio-inspired squid robot equipped with four rigid tentacles, exploring three sets of collaborative modes. Leveraging the open-source platform OpenFOAM, we develop a self-propulsion module incorporating the dynamic overset grid technique to manipulate the complex motion of rigid tentacles. The driving system of a single tentacle is simplified into a two-link mechanism, where the phase difference between the links effectively emulates the oscillatory pattern of fish-like locomotion. The interaction of four tentacles gives rise to three distinct driving modes: reverse, homologous, and interlace modes. The results indicate that the homologous mode follows the hydrodynamic characteristics of fish-like waves, the interlace mode can cause the robot to deviate from the initial path, and the reverse mode outperforms the other two modes, exhibiting a higher ultimate cruising speed. Regardless of the propulsion process, the cruising performance of the robot is significantly influenced by the maximum amplitude angle θmax. An increase in θmax also contributes to an elevation in the instantaneous longitudinal force coefficient CFx, with the most pronounced impact observed in the homologous mode. The disparity among the three modes is also evident in the periodic pressure variation and flow field evolution patterns. The vortex distribution during steady-state moments systematically reveals the collaborative effects among the tentacles in different modes on the self-propulsion performance.

Acoustic signature and wake structure investigation of a cavitating marine propeller operating in proximity to a rudder with an optimized leading-edge pattern

The present study implements high-fidelity numerical modeling to investigate the cavitating flow around a marine propeller operating upstream of a rudder with an optimized wavy leading-edge (WLE), based on a NACA 634-021 profile bio-inspired by a pectoral flipper of a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae). The aim of the study work is to identify the acoustic signature and wake structure of the propeller-rudder system, comparing it to that with a straight leading-edge (SLE) rudder. The propeller (INSEAN E779A model) operated under diverse marine maneuvering conditions (rudder angles of attack α = 0°, 10°, and 20°) with three distinct leading-edge patterns of the rudder. Large eddy simulations (LES) in conjunction with the Sauer cavitation method and the compressive volume of fluid (VOF) model were utilized to simulate the unsteady cavitating flow using the OpenFOAM platform. Additionally, the Ffowcs Williams–Hawkings (FW-H) acoustic analogy, continuous wavelet transform (CWT), and fast Fourier transform (FFT) were employed to predict and analyze the hydroacoustic response. We propose an optimized propeller-rudder configuration for minimizing the radiated sound levels, thus mitigating the harmful effects of noise pollution on marine ecosystems, while maintaining high propulsive efficiency over a wide range of operating conditions.

Interface Development of a Module for the interFoam Solver of the OpenFOAM Package

The results of a study on expanding the list of tasks solved using the graphical shell of the OpenFOAM platform by creating and connecting an additional module for the interFoam solver to the basic version of the graphical shell are presented. The relevance of the problem is formulated, the goal and the list of tasks necessary to achieve it. The features of this solver are studied and described in relation to experiments on numerical modeling of problems in continuum mechanics. The possibility of using open technologies to supplement the source code of the graphical shell with new modules covering a larger range of types of problems in continuum mechanics is analyzed. Graphic materials have been prepared that describe the structure and logic of the module being developed. The technology stack used is presented, and the results of testing the updated version of the graphical shell using the example of one of the classic problems of continuum mechanics are presented. The results of the research were summed up, the tasks completed were noted, the expected practical value of the development and possible ways for further research in this direction were indicated, the repository with the source code of the graphical shell on the GitHub service was updated.

Numerical simulation of spray atomization in crossflow using an empirical primary atomization model

The hybrid Eulerian-Lagrangian approach is used to simulate the atomization process of spray jet in subsonic crossflow. A coupled Volume of Fluid (VOF) - Lagrangian Particle Tracking (LPT) solver is implemented in the open-source platform OpenFOAM to solve the governing equations for the continuous and discrete phase respectively. An empirical model for primary atomization is proposed, in which the aerodynamic effect is taken into account, along with the turbulence effect. Thus, it is suitable for the flow at a low liquid-gas density ratio, i.e., less than 500. The performance of the presented model is evaluated and verified by comparisons of the simulated results with the experimental data. The flow characteristics of flow fields and distribution of droplet diameters are analyzed in detail. It is revealed that the vortex structures have a direct impact on the distribution of the droplets. The effects of the empirical constants in the atomization model are also examined. Finally, it is shown that the model performs better for the flow at a higher Weber number, in which the aerodynamic effect is more significant.

Development of solver with user interface for surface radiative exchange based on OpenFOAM platform

Surface radiative exchange is widely used in the fields related to industrial and environment. Accurate and rapid calculation of the surface radiant heat flux can predict and prevent accidents. In this study, a solver for surface radiative exchange based on the OpenFOAM platform is developed. The solver’s accuracy can be verified by calculating the net heat rate of the cubic cavity and the triangular-prism geometries. The solarLoad radiation model is used to study the variation of heat flux with respect to the solar incidence angle for a satellite in orbit and a human standing in a room with a window. Finally, a Graphical User Interface (GUI) based on the PyQt5 for this solver is developed to simplify the operation process and make the solver user-friendly.

OpenFuelCell2: A new computational tool for fuel cells, electrolyzers, and other electrochemical devices and processes

Fuel cells/electrolyzers are efficient and clean electrochemical devices that convert chemical energy directly into electricity and vice versa. They have attracted sustainable attention over the past decade from multiple experimental and numerical studies. However, detailed experimental investigations are typically expensive and challenging for providing a number of operating conditions and designs. Computational analysis offers an alternative approach for these studies. With the steadily increasing high-performance computing resources available, the limitations of numerical simulations have substantially decreased. This contribution details the design choice and code structure of modern electrochemical devices, which have been implemented as a versatile C++ library named openFuelCell2 within the open-source platform OpenFOAM, allowing for large-scale parallel calculations to be performed. The solver considers the major transport phenomena in a typical electrochemical device, including fluid flow, heat and mass transfer, species and charge transfer, and electrochemical reaction. This enables numerical simulations on popular electrochemical devices, such as fuel cells and electrolyzers, to be conducted. The paper also describes the domain decomposition, and parallel performance issues, as well as future applications. Program summaryProgram Title:openFuelCell2CPC Library link to program files:https://doi.org/10.17632/cvmb5xgy7h.1Developer's repository link:https://github.com/openFuelCell2/openFuelCell2Licensing provisions: GPLv3Programming language: C++Journal reference of previous version: S.B. Beale, H.-W. Choi, J.G. Pharoah, H.K. Roth, H. Jasak, D.H. Jeon, Open-source computational model of a solid oxide fuel cell, Computer Physics Communications 200 (2016) 15–26.Does the new version supersede the previous version?: NoReasons for new version: This new version aims to account for additional electrochemical applications.Summary of revisions: The new version employs new code structure designs and is capable of considering two different electric potential fields and two-phase flows.Nature of problem: This software library provides a set of models for simulating electrochemical devices, such as fuel cells and electrolyzers, as well as other similar devices. These systems consist of multiple components with distinct features but are coupled through properties such as temperature, species concentrations, and electric current/potentials. This software utilizes a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach to enable the simulation of multiregion and multiphysics problems, accounting for heat and mass transfer, single and two-phase flow, multicomponent diffusion, electron and ion transfer, and electrochemical reactions. This toolbox provides researchers with a powerful tool for studying electrochemical devices in a comprehensive and efficient manner.Solution method: This software utilizes the finite volume method (FVM) to discretize and solve all conserved variables governed by partial differential equations. It employs a variant of the SIMPLE and PISO algorithms, known as PIMPLE, to solve the pressure-velocity coupling. All of the transport equations are solved sequentially, except for the enthalpy equation which is solved in an implicitly coupled manner within the global domain.Additional comments including restrictions and unusual features:•The two-phase flow consists of continuous and dispersed phases, without resolving the phase interfaces.•The two-phase flow is solved with an Eulerian-Eulerian approach.•A local-time-stepping method was typically used in the two-phase solution.•The electrochemical reactions take place in volumetric regions.•Species diffusion is described by Fick's law.