Turbulent Flow Region Research Articles

The vertical-velocity skewness in the inertial sublayer of turbulent wall flows

Empirical evidence is provided that within the inertial sublayer (i.e. logarithmic region) of adiabatic turbulent flows over smooth walls, the skewness of the vertical-velocity component $S_w$ displays universal behaviour, being a positive constant and constrained within the range $S_w \approx 0.1\unicode{x2013}0.16$ , regardless of flow configuration and Reynolds number. A theoretical model is then proposed to explain this behaviour, including the observed range of variations of $S_w$ . The proposed model clarifies why $S_w$ cannot be predicted from down-gradient closure approximations routinely employed in large-scale meteorological and climate models. The proposed model also offers an alternative and implementable approach for such large-scale models.

Numerical investigations of heat transfer and pressure drop in packed bed duct exposed to forced convection boundaries under local thermal non-equilibrium conditions

The present study is a 2-D numerical study which discusses the thermohydraulic performance of packed bed duct under local thermal non-equilibrium and steady state conditions exposed to forced convection boundaries (BC-6). The numerical model is well validated with the experimental work reported in the literature and found to be accurate enough to perform further parametric investigations. The analysis is done to see the effect of different ball diameter (5 mm, 9 mm and 11 mm), bed porosity, heat transfer fluid (air, water and engine oil - Pr = 0.70–645) and ball material (EPS, steel and bronze) on heat transfer and fluid flow characteristics in turbulent flow region of Reynolds number ranging from 900 to 14,320. The numerical results obtained using commercial CFD software COMSOL shows that, the heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop in packed bed increases with increase in ball diameter, thermal conductivity of ball and bed porosity which is exactly reverse as reported in literature for BC-1 to BC-5. The maximum thermal performance factor with bronze particles is 2.45 and 24.5 times more than stainless steel and EPS particles respectively for larger particle size and bed porosity. Engine oil exhibits significantly higher heat transfer coefficient (9.7 × 105 W/m2K) and pressure drop (3.3 × 106 Pa) compared to water (40,126 W/m2K and 2028 Pa) and air (600 W/m2K and 250 Pa) respectively. Overall, the combination of water as heat transfer fluid along with bronze particles of larger diameter and larger bed porosity emerges as the optimal choice for enhancing heat transfer in the packed duct exposed to forced convection boundary condition BC-6.

On the streamwise velocity variance in the near-wall region of turbulent flows

We study the behaviour of the streamwise velocity variance in turbulent wall-bounded flows using a direct numerical simulation (DNS) database of pipe flow up to friction Reynolds number${{Re}}_{\tau } \approx 12000$. The analysis of the spanwise spectra in the viscous near-wall region strongly hints to the presence of an overlap layer between the inner- and the outer-scaled spectral ranges, featuring a$k_{\theta }^{-1+\alpha }$decay (with$k_{\theta }$the wavenumber in the azimuthal direction, and$\alpha \approx 0.18$), hence shallower than suggested by the classical formulation of the attached-eddy model. The key implication is that the contribution to the streamwise velocity variance$(\langle{u}^2\rangle)$from the largest scales of motion (superstructures) slowly declines as${{Re}}_{\tau }^{-\alpha }$, and the integrated inner-scaled variance follows a defect power law of the type$\langle u^2 \rangle ^+ = A - B \, {{Re}}_{\tau }^{-\alpha }$, with constants$A$and$B$depending on$y^+$. The DNS data very well support this behaviour, which implies that strict wall scaling is restored in the infinite-Reynolds-number limit. The extrapolated limit distribution of the streamwise velocity variance features a buffer-layer peak value of$\langle u^2 \rangle ^+ \approx 12.1$, and an additional outer peak with larger magnitude. The analysis of the velocity spectra also suggests a similar behaviour of the dissipation rate of the streamwise velocity variance at the wall, which is expected to attain a limiting value of approximately$0.28$, hence slightly exceeding the value$0.25$which was assumed in previous analyses (Chen & Sreenivasan,J. Fluid Mech., vol. 908, 2021, R3). We have found evidence suggesting that the reduced near-wall influence of wall-attached eddies is likely linked to the formation of underlying turbulent Stokes layers.

Alignment of inertialess spheroidal particles in flow-structure-dominated regions of turbulent channel flow: shape effect

Alignment of inertialess spheroidal particles in flow-structure-dominated regions of turbulent channel flow: shape effect

Investigation on Transition Characteristics of a Modified RAE5243 Airfoil

The transition characteristics of a modified RAE5243 airfoil were investigated using a wind tunnel test and numerical simulations. Transition detection is of great significance for the assessment of drag reduction. In wind tunnel tests, transition location can be detected by infrared thermography. However, in subsonic and transonic wind tunnel tests, the temperature difference between the laminar flow region and turbulent flow region is small. Moreover, the test models are usually made of metals, which make the transition location hard to identify. Combined with infrared thermography, a carbon nanotube heating coating powered by electricity was used to detect the transition location of a modified RAE5243 airfoil wing. The effects of heating power, angle of attack (AOA), and Mach number were studied. The results show that heating power has no impact on transition location. As the AOA increases, the transition location moves forward. With an increase in Mach number, the transition location moves forward first and then backward, and it reaches its most forward point at Ma = 0.75. The results of our numerical simulations indicate that, at Ma≥ 0.75, a shock wave appears on the wing, and the transition is closely related to the shock wave rather than the adverse pressure gradient.

Characterization and evolution of local streamline geometry in an incompressible turbulent channel flow

We investigated the statistical characterization and time evolution of local streamline geometry in typical regions of an incompressible turbulent channel flow at the friction Reynolds number Reτ∼1000. Local streamline structure is completely and uniquely determined by one magnitude factor—the magnitude of velocity gradient tensor (VGT) A—and four shape parameters—the second and third invariants of normalized VGT q and r, the intermediate eigenvalue of normalized strain-rate tensor a2, and the cosine of the angle between vorticity and the intermediate eigendirection of normalized strain-rate tensor | cos β|. As the distance to the wall decreases, the joint probability distribution function of q and r becomes more symmetrical and concentrated, while outside the viscous sublayer, the distribution of A in q–r plane gets dispersed. Interestingly, the inertial conditional mean trajectories (CMTs) exhibit a symmetrical picture only in the buffer layer, and outside the viscous sublayer, the pressure CMTs contributing to slow evolution from unstable focus compression geometry to stable focus stretching geometry tend to dominate the q–r plane as getting closer to the wall. Due to combined effects of inertia and pressure, the origin of the q–r plane (pure-shear geometry) acts as an attractor in the central region, the logarithmic region, and the upper part of the buffer layer while acts as a repeller in the lower part of the buffer layer and the viscous sublayer.

Detection of erosion damage on airfoils by means of thermographic flow visualization

Cavity-type defects on a wind turbine rotor blade due to erosion lead to an sub-optimal boundary layer flow behavior and result in a reduced annual energy production. To enable an indirect defect detection from far distances, with no contact and no wind turbine stop, the thermographic visualization of the defect wake flow is studied. Experimental investigations and complementary flow simulations on two different airfoil shapes show that the detection is possible above a critical Reynolds number. Furthermore, the wake flow depends on multiple influencing quantities such as the airfoil geometry and the associated chord Reynolds number as well as the cavity position, the cavity shape and the associated cavity Reynolds number. Adjacent cavities can also influence the wake flow behavior. For instance, the cavity position has an influence on the turbulent flow region even after the natural laminar–turbulent flow transition line, and many cavities close to each other shift the transition line towards the leading edge. With increasing aspect ratio as well as increasing inflow velocity, the wake flow turbulence and, thus, the visibility of the wake in the thermographic images becomes higher. However, even if the wake flow from the cavity to the transition line is not continuously visible, a change in the natural transition can still be observed. As a result, thermographic flow visualization enables the indirect detection of cavity-type defects on airfoils and can provide further information about the cavity features.

Generalisation of the Penalised Wall Function Method for the Simulation of Turbulent flows With Unfavourable Pressure Gradients

The penalized wall function method for simulation of compressible near-wall turbulent flow regions in the numerical modeling of viscous compressible flows is developed. The method is formulated as a differential condition to match the outer and the wall function solutions and is based on a generalized characteristic-based volume penalization method to transfer shear stress from the outer region of the boundary layer to the wall. The method is modified to extend its applicability to turbulent flows with adverse pressure gradient, when separation and reattachment zones are formed, as well as to use computational meshes with coarser near-wall resolution. These advantages are demonstrated for two test problems, namely, the flow over a flat plate with zero and adverse pressure gradients.

Investigation of the wake region behind a hemispherical turret via laser Rayleigh scattering.

Planar and volumetric density measurements in the wake region behind a mounted hemispherical turret are obtained using laser Rayleigh scattering. The measurements are conducted in a Mach 2 wind tunnel facility at the Kirtland Air Force Base. Quantitative measurements of density and contour plots with lines of constant density are computed, thus enabling visualization of the turret wake's fluid dynamics. A new, to the best of our knowledge, laser diagnostic methodology and configuration for capturing laser images is also presented. This methodology enables further suppression of background light scattering. Multi-dimensional single-shot and time-average measurements are recorded at multiple axial locations behind the turret. The images acquired reveal turbulent regions of the wake flow, and a discussion of the observed phenomena is presented.

Application of AI-Based Techniques on Moody’s Diagram for Predicting Friction Factor in Pipe Flow

The friction factor is a widely used parameter in characterizing flow resistance in pipes and open channels. Recently, the application of machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) has found several applications in water resource engineering. With this in view, the application of artificial intelligence techniques on Moody’s diagram for predicting the friction factor in pipe flow for both transition and turbulent flow regions has been considered in the present study. Various AI methods, like Random Forest (RF), Random Tree (RT), Support Vector Machine (SVM), M5 tree (M5), M5Rules, and REPTree models, are applied to predict the friction factor. While performing the statistical analysis (root-mean-square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), squared correlation coefficient (R2), and Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE)), it was revealed that the predictions made by the Random Forest model were the most reliable when compared to other AI tools. The main objective of this study was to highlight the limitations of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques when attempting to effectively capture the characteristics and patterns of the friction curve in certain regions of turbulent flow. To further substantiate this behavior, the conventional algebraic equation was used as a benchmark to test how well the current AI tools work. The friction factor estimates using the algebraic equation were found to be even more accurate than the Random Forest model, within a relative error of ≤±1%, in those regions where the AI models failed to capture the nature and variation in the friction factor.

A generalized k−ϵ model for turbulence modulation in dispersion and suspension flows

A large amount of published data show that particles with diameter above 10% of the turbulence integral length scale (D/l>0.1) tend to increase the turbulent kinetic energy of the carrier fluid above the single-phase value, and smaller particles tend to suppress it. We attempted to remove limitations in earlier modelling efforts for solids on the coupling between the particles and turbulence, and better fits to the turbulence modulation amplitude as function of D/l was achieved for a number of data sets. Explicit algebraic forms of the full model were derived using asymptotic analysis, and these are general enough for application to emulsions, bubbles and solids in bulk regions of multiphase turbulent flow. Rigorous particle-kinetic theory was used to derive the work exchanged between the particles and the fluid due to both drag and added mass forces, where the latter is essential for low or moderate particle/fluid density ratios, enabling a well justified model also for emulsions and bubbles. A novel sub-model for turbulence production by vortex shedding due to turbulence-generated slip velocity was incorporated, where earlier models took the slip velocity as an input parameter. The correct asymptotic limit of vanishing turbulence modulation for small tracer particles was also provided, giving better fit to the data for small particles. We found that turbulence augmentation for large diameter solids is due to vortex shedding, and turbulence suppression for small diameters is due to mainly to turbulent drag forces and extra fluid dissipation – a conclusion that agrees with earlier models for solids, despite their possible shortcomings. An important finding is that the mechanisms for turbulence suppression for bubbles and emulsion droplets are similar to those of solids, but with the addition of added mass scaling factors. Another important observation is that augmentation may not occur at all for bubbles or emulsion droplets since the larger diameters require moderate turbulence levels to prevent breakup, so that vortex shedding may be insignificant.

Large eddy simulation of tip-leakage cavitating flow around twisted hydrofoil with effects of tip clearance and skew angle

Tip-leakage cavitating flow around hydrofoils has attracted much research interest, but the complex structures of tip separation vortex (TSV) and tip-leakage vortex (TLV) have not been clearly resolved and discussed with the effects of tip clearance and skew angle yet. In the present work, large eddy simulation (LES) with multi-level octree grid refinement is used to investigate the tip-leakage flows around a series of twisted hydrofoils with various skew angle and tip clearance. High resolution is guaranteed by the normalized grid sizes of y+<1, Δx+∼50 and Δz+∼10, through which the predicted flow meets the criterion that at least 80% of the turbulent kinetic energy is resolved. The TSVs are identified to grow from the entire lower edge of the tip and twine with the TLV into a primary vortex tube, which leads to counter-rotating induced vortices (IV) strongly twisted around the primary vortex in the case of medium tip clearance but weakened for small one. Cavitation effect significantly accelerates the roll-up process of the vortices so that the primary vortex is formed earlier. The tip-leakage flow turns from wake-like to jet-like when the clearance is reduced, but the jet velocity diminishes markedly for extremely small clearance. The hydrofoil skewness barely makes a lift on the vortex tube, distinctive from the effect of tip clearance variation. The adverse pressure gradient induced by the skew angle has significant effect on the laminar–turbulent​ transition of the flow. The tip vortex flow induces strongly characterized laminar ant turbulent flow regions on the suction side, which continuously changes with the variation of the skewness.

Flow time history representation and reconstruction based on machine learning

Based on deep learning technology, a new spatiotemporal flow data representation and reconstruction scheme is proposed by using flow time history (FTH) data instead of flow snapshots. First, the high-dimensional nonlinear flow system is reduced to a low-dimensional representation latent code using the FTH autoencoder model. Second, the mapping from physical space to latent code space is built using mathematical and machine-learning schemes. Finally, FTH at unavailable positions in physical space is generated by the FTH generator. The proposed scheme is validated by three case studies: (i) representing and recovering the FTH data of periodic laminar flow around a circular cylinder at Re = 200 and generating high-resolution laminar flow data; (ii) reconstructing complex FTH of flow past cylinder at Re = 3900 which including laminar and turbulent flow region and generating three-dimensional high-resolution turbulent flow data, respectively; (iii) representing and generating multi-variable turbulent flow data simultaneously using the multi-channel model. The results show that the proposed scheme is an effective low-dimensional representation for complex flow time variant features, which is suitable for both laminar and turbulent FTH data to generate spatiotemporal high-resolution FTH data in three-dimensional space.

Polymer drag reduction: A review through the lens of coherent structures in wall-bounded turbulent flows

The current work qualitatively surveys the phenomenon of polymer drag reduction from the standpoint of the salient coherent motions in the near-wall region of wall-bounded turbulent flows. In an attempt to make the work self-containing, turbulence is introduced phenomenologically in terms of the scale separation concept. In concert with this theme, the idea of drag crisis is then developed in terms of reduction in this scale separation. Leveraging such a perspective, it is explained how the polymer chain dynamics spatiotemporally modulate the near-wall structure of turbulent boundary layers to affect drag reduction. To this end, a sea of literature pertaining to coherent motions in Newtonian wall-bounded flows is juxtaposed with the turbulence-inhibiting characteristics of polymer chains to develop a polymer-modified version for the near-wall cycle of turbulence generation and its sustenance. The future of polymer drag reduction, in light of the current state of knowledge and contemporary challenges, is also discussed.

Numerical Study: Comparison of Paraffin Deposition In The Laminar And Turbulent Regime

The problem of paraffin deposits in oil wells and pipelines monopolizes substantial human and economic resources. Its prediction is, therefore, essential to optimize its management. The formation of the deposit arises from a delicate interplay of hydrodynamic, thermal, and thermodynamic factors, alongside paraffin diffusion and the rheology of the crude oil. This research has resulted in a better understanding and calculation of the rates at which wax is removed. Furthermore, the study has suggested the presence of two distinct flowing regions in turbulent and laminar flow, which results in the formation of thin solid sediments attached to the pipe wall.By conducting this numerical study using FORTRAN, we can gain insights and optimize the design and operation of pipelines and maintain efficient production. The study also involved a rough comparison between the results obtained from two different types of flow. This approach, which considers the viscoelastic behavior of paraffinic crude, allows for a more accurate prediction of deposit formation. With this enhanced understanding, we can develop improved strategies for managing paraffin build-up, minimizing resource allocation and costs associated with its removal. Ultimately, optimizing the design and operation of pipelines will contribute to the maintenance of efficient production in the oil industry.

A physics-based model of swarming jellyfish.

We propose a model for the structure formation of jellyfish swimming based on active Brownian particles. We address the phenomena of counter-current swimming, avoidance of turbulent flow regions and foraging. We motivate corresponding mechanisms from observations of jellyfish swarming reported in the literature and incorporate them into the generic modelling framework. The model characteristics is tested in three paradigmatic flow environments.

Improved hybrid model for transitional separated flows over a rough compressor blade

It is known that boundary layer transition and turbulent separation flow after transition can be influenced significantly by surface roughness. Since the traditional hybrid RANS/LES method cannot predict the boundary layer transition, and the RANS-based transition model cannot accurately simulate the massively separated flow, the present study sought to build an effective modeling strategy for the laminar, roughness-induced-transition and attached turbulence/massively separated flows that couples the Very-Large-Eddy-Simulation (VLES) model and a transition model considering roughness effects. Because the hybrid function between the transition model and VLES model constructed in the previous version still has some flaws, there is still a large laminar flow indication area in the turbulent flow region, which will reduce the simulation accuracy of the turbulent flow after transition. In this paper, the hybrid function is improved, which is examined in the simulation of the high-subsonic flow around the V103 compressor blade. Our analysis shows that the new hybrid model operates in the flow around the V103 compressor blade. The predictions of laminar separation bubble-induced transition, separation evolution, and reattachment are in accord with measurements and the LES results over both smooth and rough surfaces, indicating that the present transitional VLES method can achieve the simulation accuracy close to the LES method while reducing the computational cost.

Wall-shear-stress measurements using volumetric µPTV

Accurately determining the wall-shear-stress, tau _textrm{w}, experimentally is challenging due to small spatial scales and large velocity gradients present in the near-wall region of turbulent flows. To avoid these resolution requirements, several indirect iterative fitting methods, most notably the Clauser chart method, exist for determining overline{tau }_{w} by fitting the mean velocity profile further away from the near-wall region in the log-law layer. These methods often require proper selection of fitting constants, assumptions of a canonical flow state, and other empirical-based generalizations. To reduce the amount of ambiguity, determining the near-wall velocity gradient by assuming a linear relationship between the mean streamwise velocity and wall normal distance in the viscous sublayer can be used. However, this requires an accurate unbiased measurement of the near-wall velocity profile in the region below five viscous spatial units, which can be less than 50 µm for high Reynolds number flows. Therefore, in this study a method for a volumetric defocusing microparticle tracking velocimetry method is presented that is capable of resolving the flow in the viscous sublayer of a turbulent boundary layer up to U_{textrm{e}}=44.7,m/s (Re_{theta }=27250). This method allows for the measurement of the near-wall flow through a single optical access for illumination and imaging and serves as an excellent complement of larger scale measurements that require near-wall information. The overline{tau }_textrm{w} values determined from the defocusing approach were found to be in good agreement values obtained from a simultaneous parallax PTV measurement. Furthermore, analysis of the diagnostic plot and cumulative distribution of measured fluctuations in the near-wall region, showed that both methods are capable of accurately determining mean velocity and fluctuation profiles in the self-similar viscous sublayer region.

Experimental research on effect of zonal heating airfoil about boundary layer flow and heat transfer

The anti-icing of aircraft and large wind turbines, where the wall temperature is higher than the fluid temperature, can significantly alter the flow evolution characteristics of the boundary layer. Local heating strategies for the manifold state need to be designed based on the changing characteristics of the flow velocity and temperature field in order to precisely control the heat supply and reduce inefficient energy consumption. In order to obtain accurate heat transfer characteristics of the airfoil’s boundary layer flow, it is necessary to refine the measurement of the boundary layer characteristics during flow and heat transfer. In this paper, wind tunnel experiments are carried out on the NACA2412 model with full surface’s zonal electric heating. The wall surface is equipped with a built-in heater and the temperature of the wall surface is obtained through the corresponding temperature sensor. By studying layer characteristics of the four heated regions, namely the laminar flow region near leading edge, the laminar flow destabilisation region, the transition region and the fully turbulent flow region, and comparing them with the boundary layer characteristics of the unheated airfoil, the effects of the presence of heat sources in different regions on the stability of the flow field and the spatial heat transfer pattern are revealed. The results show that heating in the laminar and turbulent zones maintains the stability of the flow field to a greater extent and achieves better heat transfer strength, while heating in the unstable zone brings forward the turbulence and heating in the fully turbulent zone intensifies the flow separation at the trailing edge of the airfoil. This study can be used as a reference for the design of efficient anti-icing systems on full wing surfaces.

Analysis of macrosegregation during slab continuous casting using 3D-longitudinal 2D hybrid model

ABSTRACT To improve the computational efficiency of simulating the macrosegregation process that occurs during continuous casting of steel slabs, a new hybrid method combining three-dimensional and longitudinal two-dimensional models was developed to consider the turbulent flow, heat transfer, solidification, and solute transport phenomena. The reasonability of the performed computational domain division was determined, and the model accuracy was verified experimentally. Using this approach, the solute distribution characteristics and central segregation during continuous casting were examined in detail. The obtained results revealed that recirculation flows in the turbulent flow region play a critical role in the distribution of solute elements near the slab surface. Owing to the redistribution of solute elements at the solid–liquid interface and the movement of the solid–liquid interface towards the slab centre during continuous casting, the solute elements in the slab centre are continuously enriched, ultimately resulting in central segregation.