Reynolds Decomposition Research Articles

Experimental characterization of the flow and turbulence generated by fractal oscillating grids

Inspired from the existing literature on fractal grids in channels and as an extension to classical oscillating grid experiments with simple Cartesian grids, an original investigation of fractal oscillating grid turbulence is here reported. The flows generated by a simple Cartesian grid, a fractal Cartesian grid, a fractal square grid, and a fractal I-shaped grid are studied using particle image velocimetry. Three oscillation frequencies (0.5, 1, and 1.5 Hz) and three stroke amplitudes (0.02, 0.035, and 0.05 m) are considered. The flows are broken down into mean (time averaged), oscillatory (phase dependent), and turbulent contributions using the triple Reynolds decomposition. The oscillation frequency is found to linearly impact the intensity of the mean and the oscillatory flows and the root mean square values of the turbulent fluctuations. In turn, an increase in the stroke amplitude tends to change the topology of the mean and the oscillatory flows. The turbulence intensity is increased by the fractal nature of the grids and is impacted by the mean flow topology, especially for the fractal I-shaped grid for which turbulence is transported away from the grid wake region. The study of the turbulence length scales and spectra reveals that the scales of turbulence mainly depend on the stroke amplitude and the grid geometry. We thus show how fractal oscillating grids can be used to generate turbulence with tailored properties for fundamental studies and practical applications.

Dispersion in a slit with crossflow filtration through a porous wall

Crossflow filtration is a separation technique where fluid flows tangentially across a membrane or porous media, reducing clogging by sweeping away retained particles and allowing continuous filtration. Dispersion of solute matter in crossflow filtration plays an essential role in the separation performance of many industrial processes. The current work aims to generalize the Taylor dispersion theory and study the solute transport in a slit–porous medium system with a crossflow. The solute is depleted by the porous medium at the slit top porous wall or the interface between the slit and the porous medium, where the continuity of the solute concentration and mass flux is applied. The solute is simultaneously transported axially by the main flow along the slit and vertically by the crossflow perpendicular to the slit. Using the Reynolds decomposition and cross-sectional averaging techniques, the generalized reduced-order model for the advection-dispersion solute transport in the slit–porous medium system with the presence of a crossflow is established, where the effective velocity of the main flow and the effective dispersion coefficient are obtained. The analysis of the results reveals that the nondimensional Taylor dispersion coefficient scales with the Peclet numbers for the crossflow and the main flow, respectively, as DT∼Pev−5/3 (when Pev≥20) and DT∼Peu2. The proposed theoretical model, along with the findings of this study, paves the way for the fundamental study of dispersion in more complex systems.

Fluid Dynamics Effects of a Porous Blockage on Laminar Flow in the Interior Subchannels of a 61-Pin Wire-Wrapped Rod Bundle

Flow blockages in Liquid Metal Fast Reactor (LMFR) fuel assemblies that can cause fuel pin cladding failures require further investigation for the development and optimization of these Generation IV reactor designs. The objective of this study was to experimentally evaluate the effects of a porous blockage accident scenario on laminar flow behavior in the interior subchannels of a prototypical 61-pin wire-wrapped rod bundle. The laminar flow condition is considered because of its importance to natural circulation and loss-of-coolant-accident operating scenarios as well as the limited availability of experimental data. The matched-index-of-refraction method was utilized to obtain two-dimension two-component time-resolved particle image velocimetry (TR-PIV) measurements at three planes centered on blocked and neighboring subchannel regions. Time-averaged first-order and second-order statistics, computed by Reynolds decomposition, were visualized including the mean and fluctuating streamwise and spanwise velocity components. Line profiles described the evolution of flow from upstream regions, to separated flow, and recombination downstream, while a modified Galilean decomposition distinguished differences between flow in the blocked measurement plane and flow in its neighboring counterpart region. Spatial-temporal cross-correlations were performed for the streamwise velocity fluctuations to characterize the convection velocity and decay of traveling vortices in the wake of the porous blockage. The isothermal TR-PIV measurements from this study provide high-fidelity experimental data sets for the validation of computational models and numerical studies to characterize complex fluid phenomena in wire-wrapped rod bundles during the potential accident scenario of a porous, interior flow blockage.

Vortex-p: A Helmholtz-Hodge and Reynolds decomposition algorithm for particle-based simulations

Astrophysical turbulent flows display an intrinsically multi-scale nature, making their numerical simulation and the subsequent analyses of simulated data a complex problem. In particular, two fundamental steps in the study of turbulent velocity fields are the Helmholtz-Hodge decomposition (compressive+solenoidal; HHD) and the Reynolds decomposition (bulk+turbulent; RD). These problems are relatively simple to perform numerically for uniformly-sampled data, such as the one emerging from Eulerian, fix-grid simulations; but their computation is remarkably more complex in the case of non-uniformly sampled data, such as the one stemming from particle-based or meshless simulations. In this paper, we describe, implement and test vortex-p, a publicly available tool evolved from the vortex code, to perform both these decompositions upon the velocity fields of particle-based simulations, either from smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH), moving-mesh or meshless codes. The algorithm relies on the creation of an ad-hoc adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) set of grids, on which the input velocity field is represented. HHD is then addressed by means of elliptic solvers, while for the RD we adapt an iterative, multi-scale filter. We perform a series of idealised tests to assess the accuracy, convergence and scaling of the code. Finally, we present some applications of the code to various SPH and meshless finite-mass (MFM) simulations of galaxy clusters performed with OpenGadget3, with different resolutions and physics, to showcase the capabilities of the code.

Some Early Studies of Isotropic Turbulence: A Review

A re-examination of some early classic turbulence literature, mainly of isotropic turbulence, is given in this selective review. Some early studies, including original concepts and points, are reviewed or highlighted. Two earliest studies and six major original concepts are found: (i) Lord Kelvin’s pioneering elementary studies of homogeneous, isotropic turbulence; (ii) Kelvin’s early introduction of Fourier Principles into turbulence studies; (iii) the Kelvin elementary concept of the direct energy cascade; (iv) the Kelvin early concept of the symmetry of turbulence; (v) the Taylor concept of the coefficient of eddy viscosity; (vi) the Taylor concept of the ‘age’ of the eddy; (vii) the Taylor–Fage–Townend concept of small eddies or microturbulence or small scale turbulence; and (viii) the Obukhov concept of a function of the inner Reynolds number (i.e., Re dependent coefficient) in both the balance equation and the energy distribution equation (the two-thirds law). Both Kelvin and Taylor should be regarded as the co-founders of the statistical theory of homogeneous, isotropic turbulence. The notion, ‘the Maxwell–Reynolds decomposition of turbulent flow velocity’, should be used. The Kolmogorov–Obukhov scaling laws are reviewed in detail. Heisenberg’s inverse seventh power spectrum is briefly reviewed. The implications or significances of these early studies, original concepts and points are briefly discussed, with special reference to their possible links with modern approaches and theories.

Generation of nearly homogeneous isotropic turbulence using a novel oscillating grid system

The creation and control of homogeneous isotropic turbulence in laboratory settings is of practical significance. In this paper, we propose a novel design for a turbulence generation apparatus driven by two pairs of oscillating grids, with the object of striking a balance between the stochastics of momentum injection and the flexibility of control of turbulent kinematic energy (TKE). To validate the performance of this system, tomographic particle image velocimetry measurements are conducted. Based on Reynolds decomposition, we characterize the secondary flow pattern and examine the impact of the mean velocity on the TKE transport. Analysis of one- and two-point statistics indicates that the generated turbulence exhibits reasonable approximations of homogeneity and isotropy. The TKE and the dissipation rate are linearly proportional to the grid oscillation frequency, with the Taylor-scale Reynolds number Reλ ranging from 47 to 154, suggesting a convenient control of turbulence with low-to-moderate intensity.

A Detailed Limited-Area Atmospheric Energy Cycle for Climate and Weather Studies

Lorenz’ seminal work on global atmospheric energetics improved our understanding of the general circulation. With the advent of Regional Climate Models (RCMs), it is important to have a limited-area energetic budget available that is applicable for both weather and climate, analogous to Lorenz’ global atmospheric energetics. A regional-scale energetic budget is obtained in this study by applying Reynolds decomposition rules to quadratic forms of the kinetic energy K and the available enthalpy A, to obtain time mean and time deviation contributions. According to the employed definition, the time mean energy contributions are decomposed in a component associated with the time-averaged atmospheric state and a component due to the time-averaged statistics of transient eddies; these contributions are suitable for the study of the climate over a region of interest. Energy fluctuations (the deviations of instantaneous energies from their climate value) that are appropriate for weather studies are split into quadratic and linear contributions. The sum of all the contributions returns exactly to the total primitive kinetic energy and available enthalpy equations.

On the treatment of phenomenological turbulent effects in one-dimensional simulations of core-collapse supernovae

ABSTRACT We have developed a phenomenological turbulent model with one-dimensional (1D) simulation based on Reynolds decomposition. Using this method, we have systematically studied models with different effects of compression, mixing length parameters, and diffusion coefficient of internal energy, turbulence energy, and electron fraction. With employed turbulent effects, supernova explosion can be achieved in 1D geometry, which can mimic the evolution of shock in the 3D simulations. We found that enhancement of turbulent energy by compression affects the early shock evolution. The diffusion coefficients of internal energy and turbulent energy also affect the explodability. The smaller diffusion makes the shock revival faster. Our comparison between the two reveals that the diffusion coefficients of internal energy has a greater impact. These simulations would help understand the role of turbulence in core-collapse supernovae.

Upscaling of dispersion in gas-liquid absorption on an inclined surface.

We extend the Taylor-Aris dispersion theory to upscale the gas absorption into a viscous incompressible liquid flowing along an inclined surface. A reduced-order model of advection-dispersion-reaction is developed with the aid of Reynolds decomposition and cross-sectional averaging techniques. The upscaled model allowed evaluation of the dispersion, advection, and absorption kinetics as a function of the Peclet number (Pe) and the Damköhler number (Da). The transport and kinetics parameters for the limiting cases of nonabsorption and absorption dominant are also evaluated. The upscaled model is solved analytically, and the obtained solution is used to evaluate the upscaled mass transfer between the gas and liquid. The results for the overall Sherwood number identify three regions: (i) advection dominant, (ii) transition where both advection and absorption play a role, and (iii) absorption dominant. The scaling relation between the Sherwood number (Sh) and the Da for the last region was determined to follow Sh∼Da^{1/2}. It is also revealed that in the first two regions, the Sherwood number versus the Peclet number exhibits a bell-shaped (or Gaussian) behavior, suggesting an optimal Pe that maximizes mass transfer between gas and liquid in these regions. The model and insights presented have the potential to be applied in a wide range of industrial separation processes involving the interaction of a gas exposed to a liquid flowing downward on an inclined surface under gravity.

Hydrodynamic Characteristics of Strong, Unsteady Open-Channel Flow

Due to climate change, the intensity of extreme rainfall has been observed to increase with a shorter duration, causing flash floods (strong, unsteady flow) that lead to serious loss of life and economic damage all over the world. In this study, by repeating the same flume experiments twenty times over a bare bed or with a submerged vane installed, the hydrodynamic characteristics of a strong, unsteady open-channel flow were investigated. Acoustic Doppler velocimetry (ADV) was used to measure the instantaneous three-dimensional velocity, and the ensemble average method was then adopted to obtain the time-varying mean flow velocities. Reynolds decomposition was applied to disintegrate the instantaneous velocity to time-varying average velocity and fluctuating velocity. Turbulence characteristics such as turbulent intensity, turbulent bursting, and power spectral density (PSD) were analyzed against water depth variations. The results show that the loop pattern of the streamwise velocity against the water depth variations could significantly affect the turbulence characteristics of unsteady flow. Near the bed, the peaks of the turbulent intensity and the TKE lag behind the peak of the water depth. The PSD revealed that the turbulent energy increases at the rising and falling stages were due to the generation of small-scale turbulence vortices or eddies. As a submerged vane was present, the increase in the angle of attack caused the increase in the turbulent intensity and TKE, which means that the induced vortex became stronger and the wake region was larger. When the angle of attack was equal to 20°, the TKE abruptly enlarged in the falling stages, implying the breaking-up of the induced vortex. The PSD of the transverse fluctuation velocity showed multiple spikes at the high-frequency part, possibly denoting the shedding frequency from the induced vortex. Further downstream, behind the submerged vane, the peak frequencies of the PSD became imperceptible, likely because of the induced vortex decays or other factors such as the turbulence generated from the free surface or the channel bed mixing with the turbulence from the induced vortex.

A Study of Turbulent Fluctuation of Three-Component Wind and Air Temperature in the Surface Layer of Baghdad Urban

Abstract In this study, the air temperature and velocity component means were also computed, as were the fluctuation values of the three component velocities (u, v, and w) and the air temperature (T). The instantaneous velocity can be broken down into its tally of varying and time-averaged contributions using a process known as Reynolds decomposition. The Reynolds decomposition depends on how you define the mean. The results show that the behaviors of the u, v, and w diurnal cycles are anticipated in ABL. The best fit is for air temperature because the correlation coefficient between time and temperature is large. The component fluctuated around zero, and the sum of the fluctuation averages equaled zero. The fluctuation of u was large, which increased because of the initial value of u and because of wind direction and friction velocity.

Passive tracer transport in peristaltic pumping of non-Newtonian blood flow: A mathematical model

The large time behavior of passive contaminant in non-Newtonian peristaltic blood flow in a two-dimensional (2D) channel (capillary) has been examined in this paper. The power-law model is employed in order to highlight the non-Newtonian blood characteristic. The study was conducted using the Reynolds decomposition technique, which converts a 2D transport problem into a 1D transport model in which species concentration can be decomposed into sectional average concentration and variation from its mean value. For flow velocity, the same decomposition method is used. This allows the derivation of the dispersion coefficient and convection coefficient. Using Fick’s law, the advection–diffusion equation is modified by replacing these coefficients by their corresponding average values and analytical solutions for the mean concentration are derived. In the absence of peristalsis effects ([Formula: see text]), i.e., for the straight rigid channel, the dispersion coefficient is invariant along the channel length. With increasing modulation (peristaltic wave) parameter, [Formula: see text], there is a strong elevation in advection coefficient in the initial half of the channel with a subsequent suppression in the second half of the channel, indicating that the location in the channel strongly influences advection characteristics. Advection coefficient is significantly elevated with increment in power-law rheological index (for shear-thinning fluids, [Formula: see text]) across the channel length and exhibits an oscillatory nature due to the peristaltic waves. In the shear-thickening range ([Formula: see text]), with progressive increase in n, an increment in peristaltic modulation parameter, [Formula: see text], induces a marked reduction in the axially average relative advection coefficient. Dispersion coefficient is initially boosted along the early section of the channel with increment in modulation parameter whereas further long the channel this trend is reversed. Increasing aspect ratio and Péclet number consistently boost dispersion coefficient along the entire channel length. The study provides a solid benchmark for further generalized simulations with computational fluid dynamics.

Flow characteristics within an interior subchannel of a 61-pin wire-wrapped hexagonal rod bundle with a porous blockage

Potential accumulation of undesirable debris in a subchannel of a Liquid Metal Fast Reactor (LMFR) hexagonal fuel bundle presents accident conditions, which are crucial to investigate. Very limited experimental research persists in the literature to understand the fluid dynamics effects of partially blocked subchannels due to the presence of porous blockages. It is imperative to comprehend flow regime-dependent fluid response in the vicinity of porous blockages to predict and counter abnormal conditions in an LMFR rod assembly. The presented experimental research investigates flow-field characteristics in a 61-pin wire-wrapped rod assembly with a three-dimensional (3D) printed porous blockage medium in an interior subchannel at Reynolds numbers (Re) of 350, 5000, and 14 000. Time-resolved velocimetry measurements were acquired yielding first- and second-order Reynolds decomposition flow statistics—revealing important fluid response upstream and downstream of the porous blockage. Profiles of velocities, velocity fluctuations, Reynolds stresses, and vorticities uncovered the downstream blockage perturbation effects. Spatial cross-correlations of the velocity fluctuations displayed eddy structure elongations and quantified eddy integral scale lengths. A time-frequency analysis of the velocity fluctuations further detailed the mechanisms of flow instabilities via power spectral analysis. The application of a one-dimensional continuous wavelet transform revealed complex Re-dependent flow and characterized the temporal turbulence occurrences—caused by the trailing edge effects of the porous blockage. This research provides unique and novel experimental analyses on flow regime-dependent fluid physics due to a porous blockage medium and provides data sets vital for computational model benchmarking and development, toward the enhancement of LMFR rod bundle designs.

Closed SPARSE—A predictive particle cloud tracer

A closed and predictive particle cloud tracer method is presented that models the mean motion and deformation of a cloud of inertial particles at a singular point in space and along its Lagrangian trajectory in time. The tracer builds upon the Subgrid Particle-Averaged Reynolds Stress Equivalent (SPARSE) formulation first introduced in Davis et al. (2017) for the tracing of particle clouds. It was later extended to a Cloud-In-Cell (CIC) formulation in Taverniers et al. (2019) using a Gaussian distribution of a cloud’s influence over a mesh-based, velocity field solution. SPARSE corrects the cloud’s trace to second order by combining a Taylor series expansion of the drag coefficient and Nusselt number correction factors around the mean relative velocity of a cloud of particles with a Reynolds decomposition of the particle equations to obtain a governing system for the first two statistical moments of the cloud’s position, velocity and temperature. Here, we close the thus far unclosed SPARSE formulation by determining the velocity field in the vicinity of the mean cloud location using a truncated Taylor series velocity representation and by combining that with averaging. The resulting tracer is predictive. It enables the tracing of a cloud of particles through a single point and so reduces the required degrees of freedom in the accurate tracing of groups of particles. We demonstrate the accuracy and convergence of the method in several one-, two- and three-dimensional test cases.

Lifetime-based phosphor thermometry for global heat flux measurement in a hypersonic rarefied tunnel under strong background radiation

Lifetime-based phosphor thermometry using Mg4FGeO6:Mn is successfully implemented on a standard hypervelocity ballistic model 2 (HB-2 model) and an HB-2 model modified with tail fin in a hypersonic rarefied tunnel at a Mach number of 10. A novel Reynolds decomposition correction method is proposed to remove the heating device-induced strong background radiation, which is characterized by complex spatial and temporal distributions. Three methods are compared for heat flux calculation: an insitu calibration method, the Cook–Felderman method, and a double-layer numerical method. The in situ calibration method exhibits the least relative error (9.47 %), outperforming the other two methods. The global heat flux distribution at a high spatial resolution (0.25 mm/pixel) reveals the fine flow features of the models. Particularly, the modified HB-2 model exhibits a complex flow, related to the shock-boundary layer interaction, shock–shock interaction, and significant 3D effects. The presented measurement technique and data processing method can enable long-duration advanced aerothermal testing in hypersonic tunnels involving a large temperature rise.

Space‐Scale Resolved Surface Fluxes Across a Heterogeneous, Mid‐Latitude Forested Landscape

AbstractThe Earth's surface is heterogeneous at multiple scales owing to spatial variability in various properties. The atmospheric responses to these heterogeneities through fluxes of energy, water, carbon, and other scalars are scale‐dependent and nonlinear. Although these exchanges can be measured using the eddy covariance technique, widely used tower‐based measurement approaches suffer from spectral losses in lower frequencies when using typical averaging times. However, spatially resolved measurements such as airborne eddy covariance measurements can detect such larger scale (meso‐β, meso‐γ) transport. To evaluate the prevalence and magnitude of these flux contributions, we applied wavelet analysis to airborne flux measurements over a heterogeneous mid‐latitude forested landscape, interspersed with open water bodies and wetlands. The measurements were made during the Chequamegon Heterogeneous Ecosystem Energy‐balance Study Enabled by a High‐density Extensive Array of Detectors intensive field campaign. We ask, how do spatial scales of surface‐atmosphere fluxes vary over heterogeneous surfaces across the day and across seasons? Measured fluxes were separated into smaller‐scale turbulent and larger‐scale mesoscale contributions. We found significant mesoscale contributions to sensible and latent heat fluxes through summer to autumn which would not be resolved in single‐point tower measurements through traditional time‐domain half‐hourly Reynolds decomposition. We report scale‐resolved flux transitions associated with seasonal and diurnal changes of the heterogeneous study domain. This study adds to our understanding of surface‐atmospheric interactions over unstructured heterogeneities and can help inform multi‐scale model‐data integration of weather and climate models at a sub‐grid scale.

Outer-layer coherent structures from the turbulent/non-turbulent interface perspective at moderate Reynolds number

This study reports the observation of outer-layer coherent structures in turbulent boundary layer from the turbulent/non-turbulent interface perspective at moderate Reynolds number. The observation relies on time-resolved particle image velocimetry measurements with a large field-of-view. The local turbulent kinetic energy is used to detect the turbulent/non-turbulent interface. In the reference frame of turbulent/non-turbulent interface, raw velocity is decomposed into three components: time average of raw velocity, conditionally averaging components and turbulent fluctuations. The triple velocity decomposition eliminates the bias of Reynolds decomposition fluctuations in the intermittent region. The conditional statistics based on the turbulent/non-turbulent interface is considered to discuss the turbulence characteristics. The basic statistics of mean raw velocity, Reynolds stresses, and swirling strength are observed in conditional statistics. And the results are compared with the results based on the traditional wall surface reference frame. Quadrant analysis is introduced to extract ejections & sweeps and reflect the statistical characteristics of the outer-layer structure. The contribution of ejections and sweeps to the Reynolds shear stresses exhibits significantly different characteristics. Then, the configuration of the turbulent fluctuations and instantaneous structures is presented relied on the uniform momentum zones in the instantaneous frames. The spatial characteristics of coherent structures are reflected by two-point correlation of the streamwise turbulent fluctuations. In addition, the spatial scale of the outer-layer structures is revealed from the turbulent/non-turbulent interface perspective.

Analysis of the in-cylinder flow of a DISI engine using high-speed particle image velocimetry

In addition to exploring electric drives, it is crucial to minimize emissions and improve the efficiency of transport based on internal combustion engines (ICE). For these, in particular, a significant reduction of emissions as well as a considerable efficiency of ICE are required. A reliable formation of an effective mixture prior to ignition and a fast, steady combustion process are two key elements that influence emissions and efficiency. While on the one hand, the air-fuel mixture is formed by strongly three-dimensional, time-dependent flow phenomena during the intake and compression stroke, the turbulence level of the flow near the approaching flame front has a direct impact on turbulent flame propagation. The flow field in the combustion chamber, on the other hand, is highly turbulent and sensitive to cycle-to-cycle variations (CCV). In order to understand the fundamental processes and interactions of the flow field, flow measurements with high spatial and temporal resolution are required. To analyze CCV, the resulting flow field data must be decomposed into its scales, since CCVs are different from random fluctuations due to turbulent flow motions. Besides velocity decomposition based on traditional Reynolds decomposition, which provides an average flow velocity and a fluctuation velocity, most studies include statistical and linear approaches such as proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) and Fast Fourier transformation (FFT). In this paper, time-resolved high-speed stereoscopic PIV (HS-SPIV) measurements on an optical single-cylinder engine are processed using a new nonlinear and transient decomposition method, namely the multivariate empirical mode decomposition (NA-MEMD) based on a data-driven decomposition algorithm. The decomposition is based on the inherent scales of the data and generates physically valid modal representations known as intrinsic mode functions (IMFs), which are arranged with respect to the contained scale values. The approach and the IMFs generated are described in detail using one engine cycle as an example. According to the results, three modes are obtained, the measurement noise and extremely tiny short-term scales, the turbulent scales, and the large-scale tumble vortex.

Submesoscale frontal waves and instabilities driven by sheared flows

Submesoscale processes at the frontal region are frequently observed in the form of submesoscale fronts, eddies, and filaments due to a variety of submesoscale instabilities. Previous studies tended to emphasize baroclinic conversions (e.g. mixed-layer instability) and few efforts have focused on the contribution of barotropic instability. In the present study, a series of idealized numerical simulations are implemented to examine how submesoscale structures are generated and evolve on conditions of different (horizontal and vertical) flow shear. The results show that barotropic instability would slow down or even restrain the growth of propagating submesoscale frontal waves, but instead, generate slower, larger phase-locked frontal waves. These waves with large amplitude significantly advect the denser, colder water to the warmer, lighter side. This provides active available potential energy and subsequently causes strong buoyancy production. In that context, barotropic instability also greatly contributes to the generation of submesoscale features, restratification, and vertical transport in the upper ocean. But this process cannot be identified in most time-averaged analyses. In this paper, the energy variation with time is also studied based on the spatial mean by Reynolds decomposition, the results of which suggest that the energy cascade paths caused by baroclinic instability and barotropic instability are different, but their contributions to downscale energy transition are equally important.

Turbulent flow characteristics in an 84-pin rod bundle for typical and damaged spacer grids

Hexagonal rod bundles arranged in a tightly packed triangular lattice are extensively used for heat transfer and energy generation applications. Staggered spacer grids are used to maintain the structural integrity of gas-cooled fast reactor (GFR) fuel assemblies, while inducing localized turbulence in flow. Damage to these spacer grids results in a disruption of flow fields within these hexagonal fuel bundles. Experimental flow visualizations are critical to identify the differences in local flow properties that the structural damage may cause. This experimental research investigates the flow-field characteristics at a near-wall and center plane in a prototypical 84-pin GFR fuel assembly. Newly installed typical spacers and spacers subject to naturally occurring damage due to material degradation over prolonged experimentation were investigated. Velocity fields were acquired by utilizing the matched-index-of-refraction method to obtain time-resolved particle image velocimetry measurements for a Reynolds number of 12 000. Reynolds decomposition statistical results divulged differences in the time-averaged velocity, velocity fluctuations, flow anisotropy, and Reynolds stress distributions. Galilean decomposition demarcated the influence of spacer grid damage on the velocity fields. To extract turbulent structures and elucidate mechanisms of flow instabilities, proper orthogonal decomposition analysis was employed. Reduced order flow reconstructions enabled the application of vortex identification algorithms to determine the spatial and statistical characteristics of vortices generated. This research work provides unique experimental data on the spacer grid condition-dependent flow. The results offer a deeper understanding of fluid dynamics behavior to support GFR rod bundle design efforts and computational fluid dynamics model validation.