Reynolds Stress Model Research Articles

A DATA DRIVEN METHOD FOR THE DERIVATION OF EXPLICIT ALGEBRAIC REYNOLDS STRESS MODELS APPLIED TO THE WAKE LOSSES OF LOW-PRESSURE TURBINE CASCADES

Abstract This paper introduces and validates a data-driven approach to improve the prediction of linear eddy viscosity models (LEVMs). The general approach is adopted in order to improve the wake mixing of low-pressure turbine (LPT) cascades. The approach follows the rationale applied in the derivation of explicit algebraic Reynolds stress models (EARSMs) by including additional second-order tensors in the Boussinesq assumption. The unknown scalar functions that determine the contributions of each second-order tensor to the Reynolds stresses are approximated as polynomials. A metamodel-assisted multi-objective optimization determines the value of each of the polynomial coefficients by minimizing the difference between the result of the EARSM simulation and reference data provided by a high fidelity large eddy simulation (LES). In this study, tailor made EARSMs are calibrated to improve the prediction of the kinetic energy loss distribution in the wake of the T106C LPT cascade. We investigated the influence of each polynomial coefficient of the EARSM on the results. The models generated by the approach reduced the deviations in total kinetic energy loss between the LES reference solution and the baseline model by approximately 70%. The turbulent quantities are analyzed to identify the physical correlations between the model inputs and the improvement. The transferability of the models to unseen test cases was assessed using the MTU-T161 LPT cascade. In summary, the suggested approach was able to generate tailor made EARSM models that reduce the deviations between RANS and LES for the mixing of turbulent wake flows.

A Comparative Study on the Prediction of Hydrogen, Nitrogen, and Water Vapor of Regenerative Hydrogen Pump With Different Turbulence Models

Abstract The flow in a regenerative hydrogen pump used in a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell system is complex, including velocity mixing, streamline distortion, swirling flow, corner flow, and possible boundary separation. Experimental measurement and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) prediction are the main methods used to evaluate such performance. In this work, regenerative hydrogen designed for fuel cell electric vehicles with an impeller diameter of 91 mm and a shaft speed of 22,000 rpm is tested with a mixture of nitrogen, hydrogen, and water vapor. During the test, the flowrate and shaft speed ranges are 151–881 L/min and 8000–22,000 rpm, respectively. The inlet pressure and temperature are 171 kPa and 66 °C, respectively. Then, the flow is predicted by the k − ε model, the renormalization group (RNG) k − ε model, the explicit algebraic Reynolds stress models (EARSM) and the shear-stress transport (SST) detached eddy simulation (DES) model. The differences between the tested and predicted performances are compared. With these results, the velocity distribution in the side channel, the radial force of the impeller and casting, and the changes in the downstream pressure and velocity are analyzed in consideration of the ability of the turbulence models to simulate each characteristic flow. On this basis, the differences and abilities of the turbulence models for predicting the flow in regenerative hydrogen pumps are summarized.

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) in Arteriovenous (AV) Graft Implantation Through End-to-Side Anastomosis with Varying Tube Diameters Across Different Vascular Access Locations for Dialysis Treatment.

Background/Objectives: Arteriovenous (AV) graft is a procedure for hemodialysis performed in the arm. Optimizing AV graft design is vital to enhance haemodialytic efficiency in patients with kidney disease. Despite being a standard procedure, making it work optimally is still difficult due to various graft diameters and anastomosis configurations, which have limited studies. This research aims to find the ideal AV graft tube diameter on blood flow and pressure gradients and the ideal body site for AV graft implantation and to study their angles for dialysate flow. Methods: Nine models were designed in Autodesk Fusion 360 with 40°, 50°, and 60° angles each having 2 mm, 5.1 mm, and 14.5 mm diameters, all following specific equations on continuity, momentum (Navier-Stokes Equation)), and the Reynolds Stress Model (RSM). The CFD simulation of these models was performed in ANSYS Fluent with an established parameter of 0.3 m/s inlet velocity and stiff/no-slip graft and artery wall boundary condition. Results: As a result, the design with a diameter of 14.5 mm and a 40° angle was overall the most ideal in terms of minimal wall shear stress and turbulence. Conclusions: Thus the brachiocephalic area or the forearm is calculated to be the most optimal implantation site. Additionally, varying angles do affect dialysate flow, as smaller values cause less stress.

Numerical analysis of gas-solid flow erosion in different geometries as alternatives to a standard pipe elbow

This study was conducted with the aim of replacing different geometric fittings instead of the standard 90° elbow and trying to change the flow pattern to reduce erosion damage. Among fittings, the elbows are at a more serious risk. Numerical investigation of the present erosion with the novelty of research on non-spherical particles and changes in the impact angle of particles along with fluid flow using eight new proposed fittings, including two miter fittings, three blinded fittings, one reducer elbow fitting, and two spherical elbows fittings in comparison with the standard 90° elbow was controlled. The numerical simulation of the gas-solid two-phase flow of non-spherical particles was studied using the Euler-Lagrange approach. To carry out the study numerical, first, the gas flow was modeled by the Navier-Stokes equations and the turbulent Reynolds stress model, and then the solid particles were injected using Newton's equation. Finally, the erosion was calculated using Grant and Tabakoff model of the restitution of particles of after hitting the wall and the erosion model of Oka. The amount of erosion caused by changes in the flow pattern was investigated to evaluate the performance of the new proposed fittings. Numerical results for the most critical mode (Vin = 27 m/s and DP = 300 μm) showed that the new proposed fittings increase the erosion resistance by 22.5 % to 39.6 % compared to the standard 90° elbow. Also, in this research, the effect of different parameters including flow velocity, particle diameter size, particle input rate, and particle rotation on erosion were investigated.

Sensitized Reynolds stress modeling of a bubbly jet emerging into a water cross-flow

The present work is concerned with the computational study of an air–water mixture stream emanating from a nozzle submerged in a water cross-flow inside a rectangular open channel to form a curved, intensively dispersed, bubbly jet. The work focuses on evaluating the predictive performance of an eddy-resolving turbulence model applied to the described case of a multiphase gas-liquid flow system characterized by a variety of closely coupled phenomena, including: turbulence anisotropy-induced secondary motion, free surface flow, bubbly jet propagation, and the varying interaction dynamics of the carrier water flow with the air bubble dispersion. Correspondingly, an appropriately extended differential near-wall Reynolds stress model, which describes the dynamics of unresolved subscale structures within the Sensitized Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) computational framework, is currently used in conjunction with a two-way coupled Euler–Lagrange approach to simulate this gas-water bubbly flow, with the operating and boundary conditions following the experimental reference of Zhang and Zhu (2013). Accordingly, the conditions at the free surface are adequately derived for all components of the residual turbulence stress tensor and the corresponding length scale determining variable. It is shown that the statistics of the bubble phase can be accurately captured, and the proper-orthogonal-decomposition analysis of the dynamic properties of the flow reveals at least two large-scale transient effects associated with the bubbly jet. Furthermore, in the preliminary part of this work it is shown that the currently applied turbulence model can be successfully used to correctly capture the effects of Reynolds stress anisotropy in the single-phase open-channel configuration, representing the incoming flow field of the main two-phase flow configuration.

Interfacial characterization of spinning water film along a concave wall

Abstract Thin liquid film flowing down the inner concave surface of a vertical cylindrical vessel is examined. At the top of the vessel, the water is injected horizontally at high speed circumferentially along the vessel wall and flows downwards due to the action of gravity. This turbulent film flow is modeled using the large eddy simulation (LES) and Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) approaches combined with the volume-of-fluid method. The results of both methods are validated with direct numerical simulation. The Favre-filtered two-phase LES, which is implemented and studied in this paper, can reasonably predict the film thickness similarly to that of the RANS approach using the elliptic blending Reynolds stress model, although it requires fine resolution in the wall region. The effect of volume flow rate on the film structure and thickness is investigated. The film thickness is shown to be nearly constant when the wall is partially wetted and changes as the cubic root of the volume flow rate when the spinning film encloses the entire circumference of the vessel.

Modelling of radiation and flow fields in in-duct ultraviolet germicidal irradiation systems with and without ribs

In-duct ultraviolet germicidal irradiation systems (ID-UVs) is a promising technology for the development of biosecure buildings. This study explored the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method for accurately predicting the inactivation efficiency of ID-UVs. The results showed that the setting of ‘Divisions’ is crucial to the accuracy of radiation field modelling, and 15 × 15 was considered to be a reasonable value in this study. In addition, residence time and deposition ratio are two crucial parameters determining the average UV dose (AD) received by microbial particles, thereby influencing the inactivation efficiency. For ID-UVs without ribs, the Renormalization Group (RNG) [Formula: see text] model largely overestimated these two parameters, while the Reynolds Stress Model (RSM) with correcting fluctuation velocity improved the predictive accuracy of AD by 10.0%. For ID-UVs with ribs, the RNG [Formula: see text] model overestimated the eddy size and AD by 28.6% and 12.0%, respectively. The RSM model provided results closer to the Large Eddy Simulation. Adding 0.10 H (H: duct height) ribs increased the inactivation efficiency for MS2 Bacteriophage by 19.0%–64.3%, with an additional pressure drop of only 3.3 Pa. These findings contributed to a reliable CFD framework and provided novel ideas for improving inactivation efficiency.

Separation and reattachment fixed Reynolds-stress model for iced airfoil and wing simulations

Differential Reynolds-stress models (RSMs) are the higher level of Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) modeling and generally considered to have more potential than eddy viscosity models (EVMs) when applied to separated flows. Nevertheless, some peculiarities have been observed in simulating flows over iced wings. The first is the numerical stability problem caused by non-streamlined wall surfaces. To weaken this, a wall-boundary-natural scale λ=ω−1/8 is introduced into SSG/LRR RSM in this paper. The second is to remedy the problem of the unsatisfactory non-equilibrium characteristic in separating shear layer (SSL), a correction determined by anisotropy of Reynolds normal stresses is developed. The last focuses on the unphysical backbending of the streamlines near stagnation/reattachment (SR) points. Since the SSL correction will worsen this defect, a SR correction is carried out to blended with it. Four two-dimensional iced airfoils and a three-dimensional iced wing are simulated and then the above measures are confirmed to be the positive.

Influence of Water Concentration on the Water/Vapor/ Oil Separation Process in a Vacuum Oil Filter: Modelling and Simulation

The vacuum oil filter (VOF) is widely applied in the oil-water emulsion demulsification separation due to the phase separation by using vacuum evaporation; however, the micro-dynamic characteristics of oil, water and vapor three phases and the influencing factors of separation efficiency are rarely studied. Therefore, the fluid flow and phase separation characteristics of water-in-oil emulsions were numerically analysed by ANSYS software. The demulsification conditions of water/oil emulsion were simulated by using the two-fluid model and the water evaporation model, and the turbulence effect was considered by using the Reynolds stress model. The results show that the established model could provide a convenient way to study the effects of the different water concentrations in oil; the turbulence intensity in VOF increases with the increase of water concentration in oil; The separation efficiency has been influenced by the inlet water concentration reaching values between 20.65-22.62% in the center axis, while 33.18-42.24% in the plate column; the vapor concentration ranged from 0 - 23.64% in the center axis, while 0 - 41.02% in the plate column. The relative volume fraction of water concentration decay tending with the water concentration increases, and the water concentration has a great influence on the separation efficiency.

Evaluation of turbulence models for the prediction of flow properties in vegetated channels

The performance of turbulence models was investigated to predict the flow and turbulence features of the vegetated channel using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The Ansys Fluent, CFD software was implemented for the numerical studies. The flow was three-dimensional, incompressible, steady, and turbulent. Ten turbulence models, provided by Ansys Fluent, were implemented for the comparative study. The numerical model was validated against an experimental study conducted in the literature. The numerical studies show that the Renormalization group k–ε model is the most successful model for predicting the flow characteristics of the vegetated channel with a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) value of 0.2752. At the same time, the Reynolds Stress Model gives the least successful predictive performance, indicated by an RMSE value of 0.4302. Moreover, the Spalart–Allmaras (S–A) model offers the shortest computation time with a value of 6652.393 s, whereas the Shear Stress Transport k–ω model proves to be the most time-consuming with a value of 11 952.219 s. The velocity of water flow in a channel is not uniform as it is slower at the surface of leaves and faster in the free zones. The maximum velocity is observed in the middle section of the channel, below the leaf, and between the roots with the value of u = 0.1158 m/s. Furthermore, the characteristics of turbulence in a channel are influenced by several factors such as channel geometry, flow velocity, and vegetation distribution. As a result, the presence of vegetation in a channel affects the flow and turbulence characteristics of the water significantly.

Entrainment rate predictions of axis-symmetric non-swirling jets using free-jet-theory, Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes modelling and large-eddy-simulations resolved up to Kolmogorov scale

Jet entrainment - relevant to mixers, sprays and combustion technologies - has been the subject of this work. We limit our considerations to air jets issued from convergent nozzles of diameter smaller than 25.4 mm, the nozzle exit Reynolds number in the range 30,000 to 100,000 and Mach numbers not exceeding 0.4. The emphasis is on jet self-similarity region (60 < x/d0 < 210) and the key question is with which accuracy can Computational Fluid Dynamics (RANS and LES) and free-jet theory predict jet entrainment. Seven jets have been considered.The realizable k-є model has outperformed the other models and provides the entrainment predictions within ±6 % margin from the measured data. The standard k-є and the Shear-Stress Transport (SST) k-ω models deliver entrainment figures which are larger than the measured data by 22 % – 24 % whilst predictions of either the Reynolds Stress Model (RSM) or Re-Normalization Group (RNG) k-є models can be off (too large) by as much as 34 % and 40 %, respectively. Such a clarity in classification of turbulence models has been obtained after minimization of numerical related errors to a degree which was not achievable in the past. The Panchapakesan&Lumly's jet has been computed using the Large Eddy Simulations with the filter size of the order of Kolmogorov scale throughout the jet e.g. at the inlet, potential core and the far field. Excellent predictions of the jet spread rate, velocity profiles and the entrainment have been obtained at the expense of huge computational resources.The well-known engineering correlation m˙e/m0˙=0.32(x/d0) provides entrainment figures that are by 10 % or less larger than the measured values.

Effect of the Tundish Inhibitor Design on the Flotation Efficiency of Nonmetallic Inclusions: Water Modeling and Mathematical Simulations by the Reynolds Stress Model

Effect of the Tundish Inhibitor Design on the Flotation Efficiency of Nonmetallic Inclusions: Water Modeling and Mathematical Simulations by the Reynolds Stress Model

Mechanistic study and structural optimization for the improvement of flow field in cyclone annular space with bypass flow

The inefficiency of cyclone separation for fine particulate matter is attributed to the presence of longitudinal circulating flow and short-circuit flow in the annular space. To enhance cyclone performance, a novel cyclone design called enhanced cyclone with split flow (ECSF) has been developed, which effectively suppresses circulating flow, short-circuit flow, and eccentric circulation through bypass flow and underflow. The mechanism of bypass flow on improving the annular space’s flow field is investigated using the Reynolds stress model and discrete phase model, along with an examination of the impact of annular space height. Simulation results demonstrate that bypass flow can directly counteract vertical circulation in the annular space by creating a gas partition near the vortex finder inlet to block short-circuiting. This suppression effect on both vertical circulation and short-circuiting increases with higher bypass flow ratios. Furthermore, while the presence of an annular space limits ECSF performance optimization, its elimination simplifies structure by removing the vortex finder while maximizing separation efficiency. When no annular space exists (height = 0 mm), ECSF achieves highest separation efficiencies for 10 μm and 2.5 μm particles at approximately 96 % and 83 %, respectively; energy consumption is also minimized at only 0.94 kPa. These findings lay a foundation for future application research on ECSF.

Experimental and CFD studies on collection efficiency of separator with arc settlers of fluidized bed catalytic reactor

Separation of catalyst dust from gas in a fluidized bed reactor is an important process. A new solid-gas separator with arc settlers was developed, in which a stable wave flow pattern of the dusty gas flow is formed. The model was based on the RANS approach using the Reynolds Stress Model for the turbulence closure and the Discrete Phase Model. Validating the simulation results with the test data showed good convergence, no more than 6% in the pressure drop and less than 15.5% in collection efficiency at different inlet gas velocities. The CFD study revealed that with a dusty gas inlet velocity of no more than 1 m/s and a catalyst particle larger than 20 μm, efficiency close to 100% is achieved with a pressure drop of less than 60 Pa. Maximum efficiency is achieved when the number of rows of the arc settlers with 40 mm diameter is 8.

Analysis of cyclone separator solutions depending on spray ejector condenser conditions

The core design strategy for minimizing CO2 emissions in gas power plant entails combining a spray ejector condenser (SEC) and separator to accomplish steam condensation and CO2 purification. This innovative process involves direct-contact condensation of steam with CO2, facilitated by interaction with a subcooled water spray, along with a cyclone separator mechanism intended for generating pure CO2. The investigation of the SEC section, both experimentally and analytically, provides crucial insights into its operational dynamics. Given the susceptibility of cyclone efficiency to fluctuations in SEC conditions, this research endeavors to examine the impacts of CO2 volumetric flow rate and droplet break-up within the SEC on the separation efficacy of the cyclone separator. Additionally, the impact of cone size on the performance of the cyclone has been investigated. Here, a three-dimensional, transient, and turbulent cyclone separator is numerically simulated using Ansys Fluent 2021 R1. The Reynolds Stress Model is employed to simulate turbulent flow, while a mixture model is utilized to replicate swirl two-phase flow within the separators. The findings revealed that reductions in steam and CO2 flow rates were associated with a decrease in outlet temperature but an increase in SEC inlet temperature, leading to a rise in temperature difference and heat transfer rate. Furthermore, an augmentation in cyclone cone size (from 0.2 to 0.5 m) resulted in enhanced separation efficiency (from 77.30 % to 80.98 %) alongside an elevation in pressure drop (from 6.08 Pa to 10.91 Pa), suggesting a compromise between CO2 purification and energy consumption. Additionally, elevated CO2 flow rates induced a rise in pressure drop and separation efficiency, ultimately achieving maximum efficiency at a rate of 24 gs. Moreover, the exploration into droplet breakup manifesting in a boost in separation efficiency from 50.98 % to 100 % across droplet diameters ranging from 1 to 20 μm.

Numerical and experimental investigations of flow separation control through a linear compressor cascade

Modern large-scale gas turbines are equipped with high-pressure ratio compressors to increase engine work and its overall efficiency. Flow separation and energy losses are also two interrelated phenomenon associated with changes in compressor loading level and performance. This paper examines therefore the control of flow separation using a passive-control technique. An arced divergent-convergent slot grooved from the blade pressure side to its suction side was adopted to control flow separation, reducing the losses through a linear compressor cascade. The spanwise location of the slot was selected based on CFD simulations where the corner separation was predicted. The slot height in the spanwise direction was selected to be 8% of the blade height at the end-wall side. The present work was performed experimentally and numerically at an inlet Reynolds number,Rec=ρV∞C/μ=2.98×105\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${R}_{ec}=\\rho {V}_{\\infty }C/\\mu =2.98\ imes {10}^{5}$$\\end{document}, covering a wide range of incidence angles from +6∘to-6∘\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$+ 6^{ \\circ } {\ ext{ to}} - 6^{ \\circ }$$\\end{document}. The experimental work was carried out using a linear cascade test section consisting of six NACA 65-009 blade profiles integrated into a low-speed wind tunnel. A five-hole pressure probe system was used to obtain main flow parameters. Numerically, four turbulence models, including Spalart–Allmaras (S–A) model, Realizable (R k-ε) model, Shear-Stress Transport (SST k-ω) model, and Reynolds Stress model (RSM) were tested to predict the velocity and pressure fields. Good agreement between the experimental measurements and the numerical results, which were obtained using the RSM turbulence model in terms of velocity profiles and total pressure downstream of blades. It was observed also that the use of the arced-slotted blades for positive incident angles was more effective in reducing the separation than the negative and zero incident angles, approaching a maximum value of 33% for 6° with enhanced blade loading reaching 17.6%. It is to be concluded that, the use of arced slotted blade improves the compressor performance specially for positive incident angles.

A generalized framework for integrating machine learning into computational fluid dynamics

The amalgamation of machine learning algorithms (ML) with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) represents a promising frontier for the advancement of fluid dynamics research. However, the practical integration of CFD with ML algorithms frequently faces challenges related to data transfer and computational efficiency. While CFD programs are conventionally scripted in Fortran or C/C++, the prevalence of Python in the machine learning domain complicates their seamless integration. To tackle these obstacles, this paper proposes a comprehensive solution. Our devised framework primarily leverages Python modules CFFI and dynamic linking library technology to seamlessly integrate ML algorithms with CFD programs, facilitating efficient data interchange between them. Distinguished by its simplicity, efficiency, flexibility, and scalability, our framework is adaptable across various CFD programs, scalable to multi-node parallelism, and compatible with heterogeneous computing systems. In this paper, we showcase a spectrum of CFD+ML algorithms based on this framework, including stability analysis of ML Reynolds stress models, bidirectional coupling between ML turbulence models and CFD programs, and online dimension reduction optimization techniques tailored for resolving unstable steady flow solutions. In addition, our framework has been successfully tested on supercomputer clusters, demonstrating its compatibility with distributed computing architectures and its ability to leverage heterogeneous computing resources for efficient computational tasks.

Unveiling Turbulent Flow Dynamics in Blind-Tee Pipelines: Enhancing Fluid Mixing in Subsea Pipeline Systems

Blind tees, as important junctions, are widely used in offshore oil and gas transportation systems to improve mixing flow conditions and measurement accuracies in curved pipes. Despite the significance of blind tees, their unsteady flow characteristics and mixing mechanisms in turbulent flow regimes are not clearly established. Therefore, in this study, Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) simulations, coupled with Explicit Algebraic Reynolds Stress Model (EARSM), are employed to explore the complex turbulent flow characteristics within blind-tee pipes. Firstly, the statistical flow features are investigated based on the time-averaged results, and the swirl dissipation analysis reveals an intense dissipative process occurring within blind tees, surpassing conventional elbows in swirling intensity. Then, the instantaneous flow characteristics are investigated through time and frequency domain analysis, uncovering the oscillatory patterns and elucidating the mechanisms behind unsteady secondary flow motions. In a 2D-length blind tee, a nondimensional dominant frequency of oscillation (Stbt = 0.0361) is identified, highlighting the significant correlation between dominant frequencies inside and downstream of the plugged section, which emphasizes the critical role of the plugged structure in these unsteady motions. Finally, a power spectra analysis is conducted to explore the influence of blind-tee structures, indicating that the blind-tee length of lbt = 2D enhances the flow-mixing conditions by amplifying the oscillation intensities of secondary flow motions.

Optimizing CO2 Purification in a Negative CO2 Emission Power Plant

AbstractIn the pursuit of mitigating CO2 emissions, this study investigates the optimization of CO2 purification within a negative CO2 emission power plant using a spray ejector condenser (SEC) coupled with a separator. The approach involves direct‐contact condensation of vapor, primarily composed of an inert gas (CO2), facilitated by a subcooled liquid spray. A comprehensive analysis is presented, employing a numerical model to simulate a cyclone separator under various SEC outlet conditions. Methodologically, the simulation, conducted in Fluent, encompasses three‐dimensional, transient, and turbulent characteristics using the Reynolds stress model turbulent model and mixture model to replicate the turbulent two‐phase flow within a gas–liquid separator. Structural considerations are delved into, evaluating the efficacy of single‐ and dual‐inlet separators to enhance CO2 purification efficiency. The study reveals significant insights into the optimization process, highlighting a notable enhancement in separation efficiency within the dual‐inlet cyclone, compared to its single inlet counterpart. Specifically, a 90.7 % separation efficiency is observed in the former, characterized by symmetrical flow patterns devoid of wavering CO2 cores, whereas the latter exhibits less desirable velocity vectors. Furthermore, the investigation explores the influence of key parameters, such as liquid volume fraction (LVF) and water droplet diameter, on separation efficiency. It is ascertained that a 10 % LVF with a water droplet diameter of 10 µm yields the highest separation efficiency at 90.7 %, whereas a 20 % LVF with a water droplet diameter of 1 µm results in a reduced efficiency of 50.79 %. Moreover, the impact of structural modifications, such as the addition of vanes, on separation efficiency and pressure drop is explored. Remarkably, the incorporation of vanes leads to a 9.2 % improvement in separation efficiency and a 16.8 % reduction in pressure drop at a 10 % LVF. The findings underscore the significance of structural considerations and parameter optimization in advancing CO2 capture technologies, with implications for sustainable energy production and environmental conservation.

Optimising miniaturised hydrocyclones for enhanced separation of microplastics

Microplastics, particularly those in the 5–20µm range, pose substantial risks in aquatic environments, yet effective removal techniques are limited. This study assesses two critical geometric parameters of a 10 mm mini-hydrocyclone: inlet radius and insertion angle. Along with the inlet velocity, they are optimised collectively to enhance the MPs’ removal. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations using the Mixture model and Reynolds stress model were employed to track the particle–water–air interactions, revealing the flow dynamics and absence of an air core. The Response Surface Methodology (RSM) using a Box-Behnken design of experiments was adopted to assess the impact of the geometric and operational parameters and determine the optimal design. Recovery efficiency, concentration efficiency, and split rate were recorded during experiments and compared with CFD results, showing a good agreement between experiments and CFD simulations. The resulting novel design achieved an 88.53% MPs recovery and a concentration efficiency of 1.83, which represents an obvious improvement over the commercial design’s MPs recovery efficiency of 79.97% and concentration efficiency of 1.68. Simulations reveal that the novel design shortens the path for MPs through the forced turbulence region and modifies the velocity and turbulence fields, enhancing the concentration gradient of MPs within the mini-hydrocyclone’s chamber. Moreover, the novel design exhibits a more robust response to inlet velocity variations, a crucial advantage for its application in arrays. Experiments further confirm that a matrix composed of 10 novel mini-hydrocyclones achieves 10 percentage points higher recovery efficiency than the matrix with 10 commercial mini-hydrocyclones. These findings mark a significant step towards effective MP removal, addressing a critical environmental issue.