Plate Drag Research Articles

Results in Engineering Experimental investigation of drag loss and plate separation behavior of wet clutches under external forces

Understanding the drag loss behavior of wet clutches is crucial for the development of low-loss clutch systems. For non-horizontal installation positions and non-stationary applications, external forces caused by the inclination or vehicle dynamics act on the plates. It has yet to be investigated how external forces influence the plate separation process and distribution and, subsequently, the drag loss behavior. Therefore, this study aimed to fundamentally investigate wet clutches' drag loss and plate separation behavior under the effect of external forces. The investigations were conducted in three steps. First, fundamental knowledge of the plate separation and drag loss behavior was gained. The effects of relevant design and operating parameters on the drag loss behavior were determined then. Separation springs were finally tested to avoid the influence of external forces. The drag loss and plate separation behavior were investigated on a drag torque test rig based on different clutch systems. The external forces were applied by inclining the test rig. The plate separation behavior was determined through image-based measurement of the plate movements. It was found that the plates separate under external forces and that the drag torque curve shows characteristics similar to wet clutches operated without external forces applied. The utilization of the set total clearance depends on the inclination angle. Hence, increasing the set total clearance does not generally imply lower drag losses, but increasing the inclination angle leads to higher drag losses. It was confirmed that the drag loss behavior is not influenced by external forces when using spacing elements. The findings of this study extend the existing body of literature and may support the development process of brake and clutch systems.

The role of plume-lithosphere interaction in Hawaii-Emperor chain formation

Paleolatitudes of volcanic rocks reveal that prominent changes in volcanic trend of the Hawaii-Emperor hotspot chain represent meridional migration of the magma source. However, models assuming latitudinal plume migration fail to explain the observed age distribution, rock composition, and erratic paleolatitude changes of the oldest Emperor seamounts. Here we use data-assimilation models to better reproduce the Hawaii-Emperor hotspot track by systematically considering plate reconstruction, plume-lithosphere interaction, and simplified melt generation and migration. Our results show that plate drag and plume-ridge interaction are both important in explaining the observed seamount ages. These shallow dynamic processes could account for 50% of the observed paleolatitude’s secular reduction and erratic variations over time, where the necessary southward migration of the Hawaiian plume root is significantly less than previously thought. We conclude that plume-lithosphere interaction represents a common mechanism in affecting hotspot track, and has important implications in understanding mantle dynamics and plate reference frames.

Numerical treatment of cross-diffusion impact on heat and mass transfer with magnetic radiation of micropolar fluid flow over a porous stretching surface

Cross-diffusion effects are essential in industry because they can improve process efficiency, optimize product development, improve environmental sustainability, and drive technological advancements. The effects of cross-diffusion, aligned magnetization, and radiation are considered and adequately reported on the micropolar fluid boundary layer. The momentum, energy, and species reaction models are utilized to quantitatively represent the flow equations containing the thermophysical parameters at an aligned angle. The described fluid models are transformed into ordinary systems of derivatives. The solution to the resulting equations is determined via Fehlberg Runge–Kutta. The impacts of related terms are presented on various plots. The investigation revealed that the aligned angle strengthens magnetic field parameters, which can also lower the flow. For injection cases, microrotation has a parabolic distribution. An inclined value of radiation term contributed to improving the temperature profile. Temperature and concentration profiles rise and decrease with the Soret number, affecting heat, and species transport rates. The porosity and the thermal buoyancy parameter exhibit conflicting behaviors for both the coefficient of plate drag and the couple stress.

Effect of plate length on drag reduction of square faced bluff body

This study investigates the impact of splitter plates on drag reduction in square-faced bodies using a water flow channel with three different splitter plate lengths: 2.5 cm, 1.8 cm, and 1.25 cm. The height and thickness were kept constant at 2.5 cm and 3 mm. Reynolds numbers ranging from 8977.5 to 3847.5 were tested. Results showed that increasing the Reynolds number increased the pressure hill height for both splitter plates forward as well backward. In the first case the forward splitter plate, shorter lengths resulted in reduced pressure hill heights. For the backward splitter plate, longer lengths led to larger pressure hill heights. The best drag reduction effect is got when the splitter plate length and the model length are of equal length. Overall, the effective drag reduction effect is shown by the backward splitter plate compared to the forward, the difference in value is almost 30%. These results are eminent for getting a perception of relation that exist between splitter plate length and drag reduction in square-faced bodies.

Plume–ridge interactions: ridgeward versus plate-drag plume flow

Abstract. The analysis of mid-ocean ridges and hotspots that are sourced by deep-rooted mantle plumes allows us to get a glimpse of mantle structure and dynamics. Dynamical interaction between ridge and plume processes have been widely proposed and studied, particularly in terms of ridgeward plume flow. However, the effects of plate drag on plume–lithosphere and plume–ridge interaction remain poorly understood. In particular, the mechanisms that control plume flow towards vs. away from the ridge have not yet been systematically studied. Here, we use 2D thermomechanical numerical models of plume–ridge interaction to systematically explore the effects of (i) ridge-spreading rate, (ii) initial plume head radius and (iii) plume–ridge distance. Our numerical experiments suggest two different geodynamic regimes: (1) plume flow towards the ridge is favored by strong buoyant mantle plumes, slow spreading rates and small plume–ridge distances; (2) plume drag away from the ridge is in turn promoted by fast ridge spreading for small-to-intermediate plumes and large plume–ridge distances. We find that the pressure gradient between the buoyant plume and spreading ridge at first drives ridgeward flow, but eventually the competition between plate drag and the gravitational force of plume flow along the base of the sloping lithosphere controls the fate of plume (spreading towards vs. away from the ridge). Our results highlight that fast-spreading ridges exert strong plate-dragging force, which sheds new light on natural observations of largely absent plume–lithosphere interaction along fast-spreading ridges, such as the East Pacific Rise.

Extended terramechanics model for machine–soil interaction: Representation of change in the ground shape and property via cellular automata

Terramechanics, as an interdisciplinary field, focuses on the interaction between the ground and vehicles. Terramechanics concepts can be used to realize the design of underbodies and pass-planning of off-road vehicles, among other applications. However, conventional semi-empirical terramechanics models cannot accurately evaluate the terrain surface deformation associated with the interaction between the solid object and ground. Therefore, this article proposes an extended terramechanics model, which incorporates the terrain surface deformation mechanism based on cellular automata. First, to examine the effectiveness of the proposed model to capture variations in the terrain surface deformation and draft force, an analysis of a vertical plate drag test was conducted based on the proposed model. Next, a single-wheel traveling analysis was performed. The experimentally obtained drawbar-pull and sinkage could be reasonably simulated, which cannot be easily realized using conventional methods.

Numerical Study of Aerodynamic Characteristics of a Pointed Plate of Variable Elongation in Subsonic and Supersonic Gas Flow

This study shows a thick plate, pointed on both sides, of variable elongation under action of subsonic and supersonic air flows. The relevance of the work is driven by the development of new aircraft that change their geometry during the flight, in particular, aircraft that change the relative elongation during the flight. The aim of this work is to determine the aerodynamic fields around the pointed plate, taking into account its variable elongation, and to determine the effect of variable elongation on the drag coefficient of the plate. Numerical simulation was used as a research tool. Mathematical modeling is based on Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations. The original software was used for the analysis; the computational algorithm is based on the finite volume method. The mathematical model and algorithm of numerical computation of subsonic and supersonic air flow acting on a pointed plate are presented. A pattern of gas flow acting on the plate is obtained at zero angle of attack for Mach numbers from 0,6 to 4. The dependence of the plate drag coefficient on Mach number and relative elongation is obtained. It is established that for a thick pointed plate the drag coefficient significantly depends on the elongation for both sound and supersonic flow. As a result of numerical experiments, the anomalous behavior of the drag coefficient in the transonic area at large elongations was found. It is shown that the decrease in elongation leads to an increase in the drag coefficient of the plate, which affects the aerodynamic characteristics of the aircraft of variable elongation.

Development of an experimental apparatus for flat plate drag measurements and considerations for such measurements

Accurately measuring small changes in aerodynamic drag over a flat surface stands at the core of the development of technologies capable of reducing turbulent friction drag. A wind tunnel drag measurement system was developed which improves significantly on the state of the art. Experimental tests demonstrated that an uncertainty of less than 0.5% of C D at a 95% confidence level was typically achieved, already at drag values below 1 N. This was replicated in two different wind tunnels. A match with literature on riblet performance within 1% of C D was obtained. A crucial aspect of the design is the implementation of a correction for the pressure forces on the streamwise-facing surfaces of the test plate assembly. The flexible architecture of the system in the present realisation makes it suitable for most wind tunnels having a test section width of 400 mm or larger, which allows for accelerated development of turbulent drag reduction concepts from moderate-size low-cost facilities towards flow conditions relevant to the intended industrial application.

Experimental study of temporal dynamics of cavitation bubbles selectively attached to the solid surfaces of different hydrophobicity under the action of ultrasound

In this work, we experimentally investigated the dynamics of vapor–gas bubbles arising in distilled water under the action of ultrasound (US), near and on the surface of solid plates with various surface properties. In the experiments, we used the plates made of Teflon, acrylic glass, and amorphous quartz, with various hydrophobic properties (contact angle). The experiments showed a significant effect of surface properties on the dynamics of bubbles oscillating near and on a solid surface under the influence of ultrasound. In the case of a hydrophobic surface (Teflon), steady attachment of bubbles is observed, the surface area covered by the bubbles grows according to a law close to linear, and then it reaches a plateau. For less hydrophobic surfaces, the drift and rising of bubbles along the plates are observed, as a result of which, the area covered by the bubbles grows less rapidly over time. When the ultrasound is switched off some bubbles located near and on the surface of the acrylic plate float and drag other bubbles with them, differ from the surface of Teflon. This behavior of the bubbles limits both their maximum possible diameter and the maximum solid surface area covered by the bubble. In addition, experiments showed a significant effect of the concentration of gas dissolved in a liquid on the process of bubble formation: a decrease in gas concentration led to a qualitative change in the time dependence of the surface area covered by the bubbles; in the case of long-term degassing of water using ultrasound, the formation of extended bubble clusters on all solid surfaces becomes impossible.

Investigation of Shear-Driven and Pressure-Driven Liquid Crystal Flow at Microscale: A Quantitative Approach for the Flow Measurement

The liquid crystal-based method is a new technology developed for flow visualizations and measurements at microscale with great potentials. It is the priority to study the flow characteristics before implementation of such a technology. A numerical analysis has been applied to solve the simplified dimensionless two-dimensional Leslie–Ericksen liquid crystal dynamic equation. This allows us to analyze the coupling effect of the LC’s director orientation and flow field. We will be discussing two classic shear flow cases at microscale, namely Couette and Poiseuille flow. In both cases, the plate drag speed in the state of Couette flow are varied as well as the pressure gradients in Poiseuille flow state are changed to study their effects on the flow field distributions. In Poiseuille flow, with the increase of applied pressure gradient, the influence of backflow significantly affects the flow field. Results show that the proposed method has great advantages on measurement near the wall boundaries which could complement to the current adopted flow measurement technique. The mathematical model proposed in this article could be of great potentials in the development of the quantitatively flow measurement technology.

Large-Scale DEM Simulation of Plate Drag in Dry Granular Materials

Plate drag in granular materials is a simple but important because it provides an understanding of how tools interact with soil in soil cutting and tillage. We numerically study the response of dry granular materials to plate drag as a function of initial volume fraction of the materials using a large-scale discrete element method (DEM) simulation. In the simulation, a flat plate is translated horizontally through initially homogeneous materials with different volume fraction and the drag force acting on the plate is examined. The results show that a volume fraction-dependent bifurcation occurs in the force: in an initially loose granular bed, the force reaches an approximately constant value as the plate advances, while in an initially dense bed, the force oscillates with a large amplitude. The force oscillation is attributed to the periodic evolution of a shear band formed only in the dense bed. The behaviors of the drag force and shear band are in close agreement with those obtained experimentally in previous studies. Further analysis shows that the formation of the shear band is explained by the local dilation and compaction of the granular materials induced by the plate drag. In addition, the relationship between the evolution of the shear band and the drag force can be explained quantitatively by using a three-dimensional wedge model considering the variation of the local volume fraction inside the shear band.

Large-Scale DEM Simulation of Plate Drag in Closely Packed Dry Granular Materials (Particle Size Effect)

Large-Scale DEM Simulation of Plate Drag in Closely Packed Dry Granular Materials (Particle Size Effect)

Wake dynamics and surface pressure variations on two-dimensional normal flat plates

The relationship between vortex dynamics and surface pressure fluctuations on the leeward face of a two-dimensional normal thin flat plate was studied using Direct Numerical Simulations for incompressible flow at a Reynolds number of 1200. The vortex shedding frequency was observed in the spectra of pressure fluctuations on both faces of the plate, while a lower frequency spectral peak was only evident on the leeward pressure fluctuations. Local sharp peaks of low pressure in the separated shear layers coincide with increases in the leeward face pressure fluctuations. These observations are tied to the vortex dynamics using the invariant Q, commonly used for vortex identification. Q is also proportional to the source term for the Poisson equation for the instantaneous pressure. The pressure, which is the only contributor to the plate drag, varies significantly in response to alterations to the vortex shedding, which can be observed in differences of vortex trajectories. At minimum drag, the pressure fluctuations are small, which is attributed to lower values of Q associated with weaker vortices.

Drag force on an accelerating submerged plate

We present results on the drag on, and the flow field around, a submerged rectangular normal flat plate, which is uniformly accelerated to a constant target velocity along a straight path. The plate aspect ratio is chosen to be$AR=2$to resemble an oar blade in (competitive) rowing, the sport which inspired this study. The plate depth, i.e. the distance from the top of the plate to the air–water interface, the plate acceleration and the plate target velocity are varied, resulting in a plate width based Reynolds number of$4\times 10^{4}\lesssim Re\lesssim 8\times 10^{4}$. In our analysis we distinguish three phases; (i) the acceleration phase during which the plate drag is enhanced, (ii) the transition phase during which the plate drag decreases to a constant steady value upon which (iii) the steady phase is reached. The plate drag force is measured as function of time which showed that the steady-phase plate drag at a depth of$1/5$plate height (20 mm depth for a plate height of 100 mm) increased by 45 % compared to the plate top at the surface (0 mm). Also, it is shown that the drag force during acceleration of the plate increases over time and is not captured by a single added mass coefficient for prolonged accelerations. Instead, an entrainment rate is defined that captures this behaviour. The formation of starting vortices and the wake development during the time of acceleration and transition towards a steady wake are studied using hydrogen bubble flow visualisations and particle image velocimetry. The formation time, as proposed by Gharibet al.(J. Fluid Mech., vol. 360, 1998, pp. 121–140), appears to be a universal time scale for the vortex formation during the transition phase.

Local dilation and compaction of granular materials induced by plate drag

The response of granular materials to plate drag is numerically studied using a large-scale discrete element method (DEM) simulation. The effect of the initial volume fraction of the materials on the drag force acting on the plate is examined. The results show that a volume-fraction-dependent bifurcation occurs in the force; in an initially loose granular bed, the force reaches an approximately constant value as the plate advances, while in an initially dense bed, the force oscillates with a large amplitude. The force oscillation is attributed to the periodic evolution of a shear band formed only in the dense bed. The behaviors of the drag force and shear band, which depend on the initial volume fraction in the DEM simulation, are in close agreement with those obtained experimentally in previous studies [N. Gravish et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 128301 (2010); Phys. Rev. E 89, 042202 (2014)]. Further analysis using the DEM simulation shows that the formation of the shear band is explained by the local dilation and compaction of the granular materials induced by the plate drag. Independent of the volume fraction, materials dilate in a wedge-shaped flow region that formed in front of the plate. In the loose bed, a compacted front builds up ahead of the flow region. Because the compacted front advances into a weaker undisturbed region, the flow region behind the front can constantly advance. On the other hand, in the dense bed, the materials largely dilate in a disturbed flow region formed in front of the plate. Because a denser undisturbed region is more stable compared to the flow region, the flow region is strongly confined. As a result, the shear strain is localized along a flow boundary between these regions, and the shear band develops.

Iterative Frequency-Domain Response of Floating Offshore Wind Turbines with Parametric Drag

Methods for coupled aero-hydro-servo-elastic time-domain simulations of Floating Offshore Wind Turbines (FOWTs) have been successfully developed. One of the present challenges is a realistic approximation of the viscous drag of the wetted members of the floating platform. This paper presents a method for an iterative response calculation with a reduced-order frequency-domain model. It has heave plate drag coefficients, which are parameterized functions of literature data. The reduced-order model does not represent more than the most relevant effects on the FOWT system dynamics. It includes first-order and second-order wave forces, coupled with the wind turbine structural dynamics, aerodynamics and control system dynamics. So far, the viscous drag coefficients are usually defined as constants, independent of the load cases. With the computationally efficient frequency-domain model, it is possible to iterate the drag, such that it fits to the obtained amplitudes of oscillation of the different members. The results show that the drag coefficients vary significantly across operational load conditions. The viscous drag coefficients converge quickly and the method is applicable for concept-level design studies of FOWTs with load case-dependent drag.

Drag of a Plate Planing on the Shallow Water with Formation of Waves

The plane problem of the plate planing at a constant velocity on the surface of a heavy, ideal, incompressible, finite-depth fluid is considered. The approximate, depth-independent expression for the force acting on the plate is derived from the linear distribution of the fluid velocity along the plate and the height of the flow stagnation point, without regard for jet formation near the leading edge. In this approximate formulation the plate drag depends on its velocity and the trailing edge immersion and does not depend on the planing angle. Experiments and numerical calculations in the exact formulation are performed in the near-critical flow regimes. It is shown that the wave patterns in the experiments and numerical calculations coincide, the formula for the drag being in agreement with the numerical experiments. An approximate criterion of the formation of waves going away from the plate in the forward direction is proposed.

Role of skin friction drag during flow-induced reconfiguration of a flexible thin plate

We investigate drag reduction due to the flow-induced reconfiguration of a flexible thin plate in presence of skin friction drag at low Reynolds Number. The plate is subjected to a uniform free stream and is tethered at one end. We extend existing models in the literature to account for the skin friction drag. The total drag on the plate with respect to a rigid upright plate decreases due to flow-induced reconfiguration and further reconfiguration increases the total drag due to increase in skin friction drag. A critical value of Cauchy number (Ca) exists at which the total drag on the plate with respect to a rigid upright plate is minimum at a given Reynolds number. The reconfigured shape of the plate for this condition is unique, beyond which the total drag increases on the plate even with reconfiguration. The ratio of the skin friction drag coefficient for a horizontal rigid plate and form drag coefficient for an upright rigid plate (λ) determines the critical Cauchy number (Cacr). We propose modification in the drag scaling with free stream velocity (Fx∝Un) in presence of the skin friction drag. The following expressions of n are found for 0.01≤Re≤1, n=4∕5+λ∕5 for 1 ≤Ca<Cacr and n=1+λ∕5 for Cacr≤Ca≤300, where Re is Reynolds number. We briefly discuss the combined effect of the skin friction drag and buoyancy on the drag reduction. An assessment of the feasibility of experiments is presented in order to translate the present model to physical systems.

A deformable plate interacting with a non-Newtonian fluid in three dimensions

We consider a deformable plate interacting with a non-Newtonian fluid flow in three dimensions as a simple model problem for fluid-structure-interaction phenomena in life sciences (e.g., red blood cell interacting with blood flow). A power-law function is used for the constitutive equation of the non-Newtonian fluid. The lattice Boltzmann equation (the D3Q19 model) is used for modeling the fluid flow. The immersed boundary (IB) method is used for modeling the flexible plate and handling the fluid-plate interaction. The plate drag and its scaling are studied; the influences of three dimensionless parameters (power-law exponent, bending modulus, and generalized Reynolds number) are investigated.

Drag coefficient of an absorbing plate set transverse to a flow

Supersonic flow past an absorbing surface is considered. The flow past a plate set transverse to the oncoming stream is calculated on the basis of a model kinetic equation. It is found that the dependence of the drag coefficient on the surface adsorption coefficient qualitatively changes on transition from the free molecular to the continuum flow regime. It is shown that in dense media a drag coefficient maximum is reached at total gas absorption by the surface. Under these conditions the surface interacts with the undisturbed stream. The effect of the extent of the plate-produced disturbance region on the plate drag is investigated.