Flow Structure Research Articles

Terrestrial Heat Flow and Lithospheric Thermal Structure of the Hubao Basin, North Central China

Terrestrial Heat Flow and Lithospheric Thermal Structure of the Hubao Basin, North Central China

Chronic metal contamination shapes the size structure of Gammarus fossarum populations in French headwater rivers.

Assessing the effects of multigenerational exposure of aquatic animal populations to chemical contamination is essential for ecological risk assessment. However, beyond rare examples reporting the sporadic emergence of a toxicological tolerance within populations that persist in contaminated environments, conclusive results are even more limited from field studies when it comes to the alteration of life-history traits. Here, we investigated whether long-term exposure to cadmium (Cd) influences size-related life-history traits (i.e., size at puberty, median adult size, maximum size) in Gammarus fossarum, a keystone species of European stream ecosystems. We studied 13 field populations of G. fossarum (cryptic lineage B) living in headwater rivers located in natural areas scattered at a large geographical scale and exposed to contrasted bioavailable Cd contamination levels due to different local geochemical backgrounds. We achieved a detailed description of the physical and physicochemical conditions of the river reaches investigated. Land-use parameters, hydrological characteristics (flow, slope, river width, flow structure, mosaic of substrates), and physicochemical conditions (temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen) were measured. Metallic bioavailable contamination was assessed using a standardized active biomonitoring procedure (Gammarus caging). Based on the field demographic census of the 13 populations, our results demonstrated that chronic Cd contamination significantly influences life-history in the G. fossarum species, with a significant reduction in all size traits of populations (size at puberty, median adult size, maximum size). In addition, we confirmed Cd-tolerance in contaminated populations during exposure tests in the laboratory. Various hypotheses can be then put forward to explain the modification of size-related life-history traits: a direct toxic effect of Cd, a cost of Cd-tolerance, or an adaptive evolution of life-history exposed to toxic pressure.

Evolution and influential factors of inbound tourist flow network in China: a two-mode network perspective

ABSTRACT Different from existing studies focusing on tourist flow networks at the destination level, this study adopts a two-mode network analysis to identify the network structure, market groupings, and evolution of inbound tourist flows from 13 major origin countries to 31 destination provinces (municipalities, autonomous regions) in China. Furthermore, the quadratic assignment procedure (QAP) method is applied to analyse the influential factors of the formation of market groupings in the network. The results show that: (1) The connections within the destination-destination network and the origin-origin country network show a fluctuating increase trend. (2) Eastern provincial destinations occupy important positions in the network, and central and western destinations have played increasingly important roles in recent years. (3) Japan, South Korea, and the United States are the most important origin countries, and markets in Europe and Oceania have great potential. (4) Two market groupings led by Russia and Asian countries are relatively stable, while other origin countries have no specific regional preference. (5) Geographical distance exerts the most significant impact on the formation of market groupings, followed by tourism resources, economic development, and traffic accessibility.

Fractional dynamics of entropy generation in unsteady mixed convection of a reacting nanofluid over a slippery permeable plate in Darcy–Forchheimer porous medium

AbstractThis paper presents a theoretical investigation of the inherent irreversibility in unsteady fractional time derivative mixed convection of a reacting nanofluid with heat and mass transfer mechanism over a slippery permeable plate embedded in a Darcy–Forchheimer porous medium. The model fractional partial differential equations are obtained based on conservation laws and numerically solved using the implicit finite difference scheme. The study displays and discusses the effects of various emerging parameters on the overall flow structure, such as velocity profiles, temperature distribution, nanoparticles concentration profiles, skin friction, Nusselt number, Sherwood number, entropy generation rate, and Bejan number. It was found that an increase in dimensionless time and fractional parameters leads to a decrease in both the entropy generation rate and the Bejan number. The study revealed that fractional order derivatives can capture intrinsic memory effects, non‐local behaviour, and anomalous diffusion in the nanofluid flow process. This can ultimately lead to better engineering system design and control.

The Evolution of Flow Structures and Coolant Coverage in Double-Row Film Cooling with Upstream Forward Jets and Downstream Backward Jets

The spatiotemporal evolution of the flow structures and coolant coverage of double-row film cooling with upstream forward jets and downstream backward jets, having a significant impact on film-cooling performance, is studied using the simplified thermal lattice Boltzmann method (STLBM). Moreover, the effect of the inclination angle of downstream backward jets is considered. The high-performance simulations of film cooling have been conducted by using our verified in-house solver. Results show that special flow structures, such as a sand dune-shaped protrusion, appear in double-row film cooling with upstream forward jets and downstream backward jets, which is mainly because of the blockage effect resulting from the coolant jet with backward injection. The interaction among structures results in the generation of an anti-counterrotating vortex pair (anti-CVP). The anti-CVP with the downwash motion can result in the attachment of coolant to the bottom wall, which promotes the stability and lateral coverage of coolant film. The momentum and heat transport are strengthened as the backward jet is injected into the boundary layer of the mainstream. Although the downstream evolution of the backward jet is not very smooth, its core attaches closely to the bottom wall due to the downwash motion of anti-CVP. Moreover, there is an obvious backflow zone shown in the trailing edge of the downstream backward jet with a large inclination angle. The obvious backflow makes the coolant attach to the bottom wall well. Therefore, the film cooling effectiveness is improved as the inclination angle of the downstream backward jet varies from αdown=135o to αdown=155o, with a constant blowing ratio of BR=0.5. In addition, the fluctuation of the bottom wall’s temperature is weak due to the stable coverage of the coolant layer under αdown=155o. The film-cooling performance with an inclination angle of αdown=155o is the best among all the cases studied in this work. This work provides essential insights into film cooling with backward coolant injection and contributes to obtaining a complete understanding of film cooling with backward coolant injection.

The Evolution of Flow Structures and Coolant Coverage in Double-Row Film Cooling with Upstream Forward Jets and Downstream Backward Jets

The Evolution of Flow Structures and Coolant Coverage in Double-Row Film Cooling with Upstream Forward Jets and Downstream Backward Jets

Two-Field Excitation for Contactless Inductive Flow Tomography

Contactless inductive flow tomography (CIFT) is a flow measurement technique allowing for visualization of the global flow in electrically conducting fluids. The method is based on the principle of induction by motion: very weak induced magnetic fields arise from the fluid motion under the influence of a primary excitation magnetic field and can be measured precisely outside of the fluid volume. The structure of the causative flow field can be reconstructed from the induced magnetic field values by solving the according linear inverse problem using appropriate regularization methods. The concurrent use of more than one excitation magnetic field is necessary to fully reconstruct three-dimensional liquid metal flows. In our laboratory demonstrator experiment, we impose two excitation magnetic fields perpendicular to each other to a mechanically driven flow of the liquid metal alloy GaInSn. In the first approach, the excitation fields are multiplexed. Here, the temporal resolution of the measurement needs to be kept as high as possible. Consecutive application by multiplexing enables determining the flow structure in the liquid with a temporal resolution down to 3 s with the existing equipment. In another approach, we concurrently apply two sinusoidal excitation fields with different frequencies. The signals are disentangled on the basis of the lock-in principle, enabling a successful reconstruction of the liquid metal flow.

Effect of inlet diameter on the flow structure and performance for aluminum-based water-jet engine

Abstract In this study, the flow field and performance for the aluminum based water ramjet was analyzed through numerical simulation. The time decrease in evaporation heat absorption process expands the range of aluminum/water combustion and increase the specific impulse. If the diameter of atomized water droplets from the primary inlet is large, the evaporation efficiency will be further reduced, which is not conducive to the further propagation of the reaction. However, if the diameter is small, the flow field temperature will be rapidly dropped due to rapid evaporation, and a large range of low-temperature areas will appear in the reaction area of the combustor. The diameter reduction of atomized water droplets from the secondary water inlet is conducive to the diffusion of the reaction area downstream, further and makes the combustion range be expanded. This effect is benefit for increasing the specific impulse and can reduce the temperature near the wall.

The eastern Mediterranean boundary current: seasonality, stability, and spiral formation

Abstract Seasonal variability and the effect of bottom interaction on the dynamics of the along-slope boundary current flowing around the Levantine basin are investigated using nested high-resolution simulations of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. The numerical solutions show a persistent boundary current year-round that is ≈ 60 km wide and ≈ 200 m deep. An enstrophy balance diagnostic reveals significant bottom-drag influence on the boundary current, leading to anticyclonic vorticity generation in thin regions along the coast, which in turn become unstable and roll into surface intensified anticyclonic spirals characterized by O(1) Rossby numbers. An eddy kinetic energy generation analysis suggests that a mix of baroclinic and barotropic instabilities are likely responsible for the spiral formation. The boundary current and spirals play a crucial role in the cross-shore transport of materials. In winter, the anticyclonic spirals frequently interact and exchange material with the energetic offshore submesoscale flow field. In summer, when the offshore flow structures are relatively less energetic, the spirals remain confined to the boundary current region as they are advected by the boundary current and undergo an upscale kinetic energy (KE) cascade that is manifested in spiral merging, and growth up to 100 km in diameter. In both seasons, a coarse-graining analysis demonstrates that the cross-scale KE fluxes are spatially localized in coherent structures. The upscale KE fluxes typically occur within the spirals, while the downscale KE fluxes are confined to fronts and filaments at spiral peripheries.

Future changes in the vertical structure of severe convective storm environments over the U.S. central Great Plains

Abstract The effect of warming on severe convective storm potential is commonly explained in terms of changes in vertically-integrated (“bulk”) environmental parameters, such as CAPE and 0–6-km shear. However, such events are known to depend on details of the vertical structure of the thermodynamic and kinematic environment that can change independently of these bulk parameters. This work examines how warming may affect the complete vertical structure of these environments for fixed ranges of values of high CAPE and bulk shear, using data over the central Great Plains from two high-performing climate models (CNRM and MPI). To first order, projected changes in the vertical sounding structure is consistent between the two models: the environment warms approximately uniformly with height at constant relative humidity and the shear profile remains relatively constant. The boundary layer becomes slightly drier (−2–6% relative humidity) while the free troposphere becomes slightly moister (+1–3%), with a slight increase in moist static energy deficit aloft with stronger magnitude in CNRM. CNRM indicates enhanced low-level shear and storm-relative helicity associated with stronger hodograph curvature in the lowest 2 km, whereas MPI shows near zero change. Both models strongly underestimate shear below 1 km compared to ERA5, indicating large uncertainty in projecting subtle changes in the low-level flow structure in climate models. Evaluation of the net effect of these modest thermodynamic and kinematic changes on severe convective storm outcomes cannot be ascertained here but could be explored in simulation experiments.

Future changes in the vertical structure of severe convective storm environments over the U.S. central Great Plains

Abstract The effect of warming on severe convective storm potential is commonly explained in terms of changes in vertically-integrated (“bulk”) environmental parameters, such as CAPE and 0–6-km shear. However, such events are known to depend on details of the vertical structure of the thermodynamic and kinematic environment that can change independently of these bulk parameters. This work examines how warming may affect the complete vertical structure of these environments for fixed ranges of values of high CAPE and bulk shear, using data over the central Great Plains from two high-performing climate models (CNRM and MPI). To first order, projected changes in the vertical sounding structure is consistent between the two models: the environment warms approximately uniformly with height at constant relative humidity and the shear profile remains relatively constant. The boundary layer becomes slightly drier (−2–6% relative humidity) while the free troposphere becomes slightly moister (+1–3%), with a slight increase in moist static energy deficit aloft with stronger magnitude in CNRM. CNRM indicates enhanced low-level shear and storm-relative helicity associated with stronger hodograph curvature in the lowest 2 km, whereas MPI shows near zero change. Both models strongly underestimate shear below 1 km compared to ERA5, indicating large uncertainty in projecting subtle changes in the low-level flow structure in climate models. Evaluation of the net effect of these modest thermodynamic and kinematic changes on severe convective storm outcomes cannot be ascertained here but could be explored in simulation experiments.

Effects of Crosswinds on the Aerothermal Behaviour of a Double-Skin Façade

Abstract In double-skin facades, airflow is mainly induced by buoyancy forces due to temperature gradients and air compressibility. In practice, this passive system is also affected by ambient crosswind. The present work is focused on the analysis of the aerothermal behavior of an asymmetrically heated channel interacting with a transverse airflow. To achieve this, we utilized the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique based on the finite volume method to predict the system’s performance. After validating the adopted numerical model, we examined the flow structure for different channel widths, and we determined the corresponding ventilation flow rates. We integrated the effect of wind with the thermosiphon effect. The thermo-aerodynamic performance of the facade was presented as a function of wind velocities, which significantly influence the airflow through the cavity and its openings.

Effects of Crosswinds on the Aerothermal Behaviour of a Double-Skin Façade

Abstract In double-skin facades, airflow is mainly induced by buoyancy forces due to temperature gradients and air compressibility. In practice, this passive system is also affected by ambient crosswind. The present work is focused on the analysis of the aerothermal behavior of an asymmetrically heated channel interacting with a transverse airflow. To achieve this, we utilized the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique based on the finite volume method to predict the system’s performance. After validating the adopted numerical model, we examined the flow structure for different channel widths, and we determined the corresponding ventilation flow rates. We integrated the effect of wind with the thermosiphon effect. The thermo-aerodynamic performance of the facade was presented as a function of wind velocities, which significantly influence the airflow through the cavity and its openings.

The eastern Mediterranean boundary current: seasonality, stability, and spiral formation

Abstract Seasonal variability and the effect of bottom interaction on the dynamics of the along-slope boundary current flowing around the Levantine basin are investigated using nested high-resolution simulations of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. The numerical solutions show a persistent boundary current year-round that is ≈ 60 km wide and ≈ 200 m deep. An enstrophy balance diagnostic reveals significant bottom-drag influence on the boundary current, leading to anticyclonic vorticity generation in thin regions along the coast, which in turn become unstable and roll into surface intensified anticyclonic spirals characterized by O(1) Rossby numbers. An eddy kinetic energy generation analysis suggests that a mix of baroclinic and barotropic instabilities are likely responsible for the spiral formation. The boundary current and spirals play a crucial role in the cross-shore transport of materials. In winter, the anticyclonic spirals frequently interact and exchange material with the energetic offshore submesoscale flow field. In summer, when the offshore flow structures are relatively less energetic, the spirals remain confined to the boundary current region as they are advected by the boundary current and undergo an upscale kinetic energy (KE) cascade that is manifested in spiral merging, and growth up to 100 km in diameter. In both seasons, a coarse-graining analysis demonstrates that the cross-scale KE fluxes are spatially localized in coherent structures. The upscale KE fluxes typically occur within the spirals, while the downscale KE fluxes are confined to fronts and filaments at spiral peripheries.

Towards Sustainable Energy Development: Integrating Traditional and Renewable Energy in Azerbaijan’s Energy Policy

The article examines the formation of Azerbaijan's energy policy and the multivector development of its fuel and energy complex. In the context of global transformations and changes in energy flow structures, the author emphasizes the balanced development of both hydrocarbon and carbon-free segments of energy. The proposed concept of sustainable energy development envisages the harmonious coexistence of traditional and renewable energy, enhancing Azerbaijan's economic stability and geopolitical influence. The significant role of the oil and gas sector, demonstrated by successful projects and substantial foreign investments, is reinforced by the active development of renewable energy sources. Azerbaijan implements large-scale projects in wind and solar energy, as well as initiatives for the production of «green» hydrogen, which contributes not only to the reduction of emissions but also to the expansion of the country's export potential. The article highlights the importance of balanced FEC development, focusing on emission minimization through the application of carbon capture and utilization (CCUS) technologies, as well as the need for infrastructure modernization to improve energy efficiency. Azerbaijan demonstrates a unique case where traditional and renewable energy do not compete but complement each other, strengthening its positions in international cooperation and within the framework of the Greater Eurasian Partnership.

Integrated Single Camera µPTV And Florescence Imaging For Cell Tracking And Flow Investigation In Centrifugal Microfluidic Devices

A micro-hydrocyclone is investigated as a high throughput particle/cell sorting microfluidic device. A complex flow structure has been reported by limited numerical works that increases the importance of undertaking a comprehensive experimental investigation. In addition to the flow, utilizing damageable bio cells in a micro-hydrocyclone, requires a deep understanding of the interaction between the cells entering the device, the flow structure and its instabilities forming in different operational phases. In such cases the implementation of multiple measurement techniques can be challenging due to the small scale of devices, here < 5 mm diameter. Therefore, for this complex flow an experimental approach is introduced to capture the flow structure and the motion of cells. In this method, tracer particles and fluorescent stained cells are captured simultaneous by a single camera in the same flow field. A custom image processing scheme is used for partitioning cells and particles from the raw data. To determine velocity vectors, µPTV is employed on the segmented data sets to study the effect of flow on trajectory and velocity of each individual cell in the system. By a combined investigation in a vast range of Reynolds number (50<Re<800) the dynamics of cells are investigated in response to different flow structures and flow regimes.

Scanning Lagrangian Particle Tracking To Measure 3D Large Scale Aerodynamics Of Quadcopter Flight

We present large-scale time-resolved and volumetric measurements of the flow surrounding a quadcopter drone. Cases with hovering flight, forward flight - with and without ground-effect - as well as lift-off scenarios have been realized. Five high-speed cameras were used to capture images of hundreds of thousands heliumfilled soap bubbles being illuminated by pulsed LED arrays. The arrays were operated in a dual-scanning mode, where the front and the back part of the volume are illuminated intermittently, each with a frequency of 3 kHz. The cameras were recording at 6 kHz, thereby capturing both sub-time-series in a single measurement run. Compared to a full illumination of the volume, we can either reduce the number of particles imaged on the cameras given a fixed tracer concentration - facilitating the reconstruction - or operate at a higher tracer concentration while keeping the number of imaged particles fixed. The dual time-series were evaluated by Lagrangian Particle Tracking, using the Shake-The-Box method, yielding dense fields of particle tracks. For the current results, the time series for both sub-volumes were evaluated independently. For the final contribution, an integrated evaluation scheme, alternatingly operating on both time-series is foreseen. After the tracking step, flow structures were identified using the data assimilation method FlowFit. The temporally and spatially highly resolved results document the strong interaction of the wakes induced by several rotors, as well as the interaction of wing tip vortices stemming from a single rotor. Brown-out effects are documented in forward flight. Averaged results of hovering flight enable an evaluation of the azimuthal distribution of the downwash- and outwash-velocities resulting from the geometric layout of the four rotors. By having highly resolved data encompassing the whole flight vehicle, the forces conveyed by the drone to the liquid can be determined via surface- or volume-integration.

Evaluating High-Frequency Fluctuations And Its Effect On Hemodynamics At Varying Heart Rates In Intracranial Aneurysms Via 4D PTV

Hemodynamics have been shown to affect the growth and rupture of intracranial aneurysms (IA). Studies have increasingly reported the presence of high frequency velocity fluctuations in aneurysms. However, it remains undetermined how transient physiological factors like heart rate and inflow blood waveform amplitude affect the hemodynamic parameters and high frequency fluctuations in and around an IA, as well as the risk of IA progression. In this work, we address this question using a volumetric particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) study where a patient-specific right middle cerebral artery (R MCA) aneurysm model was subjected to two heart rate conditions (60 bpm and 137 bpm). The input waveform amplitude for the 137 bpm case was increased by a factor of 1.6 to be physiologically consistent. Captured PTV images were processed using the Shake-the-Box (STB) workflow. Flow parameters including velocity, vorticity, and turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) were evaluated. To evaluate the presence of high frequency fluctuations, a direct numerical simulation (DNS) using the R MCA geometry and same two heart rate cases was conducted and a method for use with STB particle tracks was proposed. As compared to the 60 bpm case, the 137 bpm case had a more concentrated inflow jet that extended further into the aneurysmal sac and a stronger and larger vortical flow structure in the aneurysmal sac. The 60 bpm case maintained a region of slightly elevated TKE at the main junction point where the aneurysmal sac and all vessels merge. In the 137 bpm case, TKE in this region was dramatically higher. Using probe points, the DNS data revealed high frequency velocity fluctuations in an outflow vessel during the deceleration phase of the cycle. Notably, these fluctuations were only observed for the 137 bpm case. For both the DNS and STB data, high frequency components were more prevalent and stronger outside of the aneurysmal sac as opposed to inside the aneurysmal sac. Overall, these results suggest that changes in heart rate induce changes to the flow structure and can induce significant increases in TKE and high frequency fluctuations. Based on our findings, a higher heart rate would be expected to yield a flow field more akin to IA progression. The specific correlation between the high frequency components computed using our proposed STB-based method and the high frequency fluctuations in the flow field could not be well understood. Thus, additional analysis and development of this method is needed.

3D Lagrangian Particle Tracking In A Model Of The Human Airways

The three-dimensional flow field in the trachea of a physiologically correct model of the human respiratory tract from the nasal/oral cavities up to the 6th bronchi generation is investigated. The investigations comprise steady inflow conditions, i.e., steady inhalation and oscillatory flow combining inspiration and expiration to simulate calm breathing. A realistic breathing pattern is approximated by a sinusoidal waveform for two Womersley numbers of 3 and 4.5 and two Reynolds numbers of 400 and 1200. Due to the inherent three-dimensional and asymmetric nature of the flow field, 3D particle-tracking velocimetry (3D-PTV) measurements are performed using the Shake-The-Box (StB) algorithm to determine the influence of oral and nasal inhalation and exhalation on the flow field in the lower human airways. By using a refractive-index matched fluid consisting of water and glycerin, the complex flow structures inside the trachea are fully resolved. During oscillatory inhalation/exhalation, an integration window size of 6/40 pi was chosen as it can be considered short enough to assume a steady state. The PTV measurements confirm that the nasal and/or oral cavity must be taken into account when analyzing the flow field in the lower respiratory tract. Characteristic sets of velocity profiles in the sagittal and coronal plane of the trachea as well as contour plots evidence nearly identical flow structures for both oral and nasal inhalation, but also reveal that the presence of both cavities possesses a huge impact on the flow field compared to ideal, i.e., fully developed inflow conditions

Event Based Cameras: A Comparative Study For Fluid Event Detection

A feasibility study using an event-based camera for the detection of plane-wise motion of a 2D array of bio-inspired sensing pillars to detect generated flow events. EBCs show potential for future applications where PIV may have been classically used. They have the benefit of only generating data when an event happens and with comparatively cheaper setups, they hold great potential for flow monitoring. EBCs collect pixel x and y locations, as well as pixel contrast change data at each time there is an event and can be trained on regions of interest. Comparative experiments were carried out in the labs at City, University of London, to investigate the feasibility of using EBCs for the detection of generated large flow structures in both air and water. The disturbances were produced by a gust generator, an upstream cylinder and an air gun for a variety of controlled situations, such as disturbances caused by gusts, crossflows and wake downstream oscillations. Some results were also compared to known PIV results from our lab to see how EBCs can detect a known flow structure over the sensing pillars. The results presented demonstrate the capability of the pillars and EBC to detect large flow structures. These initial results show promise for future applications of flow monitoring, such as real-time flow monitoring via a machine learning algorithm that is trained to detect certain flow patterns over the sensing pillars. This would be an intermediate step into a fully automated flow control loop.