Three-dimensional Flow Structures Research Articles

Investigation on steady regimes in a X-shaped micromixer fed with water and ethanol

Microreactors are very attractive for intensifying chemical and biochemical reactions, as they enable a large heat transfer with high control of the operating conditions. These features allow improving the achievable reaction yield and selectivity. However, the mixing of reactants should be ensured, especially in simple designs, as the flow regime is laminar. This work aims at characterizing the flow regimes and degree of mixing in a X-shaped micromixer with two opposite inlets and at investigating how these regimes are affected by fluid properties. To this purpose we carry out numerical simulations of two different mixtures, i.e. Water-Water (W-W) and Water-Ethanol (W-E), for Reynolds numbers Re⩽200, to gain insight into the complex three-dimensional flow structures stemming from the impinging jets at the confluence. Besides, experimental flow visualizations from the W-W case provide a validation of the numerical model. The X-shaped reactor is observed to enable a superior mixing performance compared to T-, Y-, and Arrow-shaped microreactors, which are extensively employed.

Measurement of velocity in swirling flows of liquid metals in the presence of a magnetic field

Studies of the dynamics of a round submerged jet of liquid metal in a transverse magnetic field. The experiments were performed in the range of Reynolds numbers up to 1000 and Hartmann numbers up to 1300 using a probe technique for measuring velocity using potential sensors. Detailed three-dimensional flow structures are visualized using a direct numerical simulation method independent of the experiment. The paper presents data on the averaged velocity field and statistical characteristics of the flow, reproducing the complex nature of a substantially unsteady flow, in which zones of reverse fluid flows are detected and a significant heterogeneity of the velocity field is observed.

Experimental study of the three-dimensional flow structure in matrix channels

The article presents an experimental study of the turbulent flow in matrix channels. Using the modern optical contactless laser Doppler anemometer (LDA) method, an idea of the turbulent three-dimensional flow inside the cells of matrix channels is developed. The results of the study of the matrix channel show that the so-called vortex matrix effect is not formed. The most important factor that causes a high degree of heat transfer from the walls is the intense spiral motion between the matrix cells. The measurements also show that the effects associated with the lateral boundaries of the channel play a significant role. Based on the assumption of the decisive role of the spiral flow between the cells of the matrix channel, a formula for the integral pressure loss is proposed.

Numerical investigation of flow around a square cylinder in accelerated flow

To investigate the flow field evolution and resultant aerodynamic characteristics of a square cylinder during flow acceleration, large-eddy simulations were undertaken to simulate flow with a dimensionless acceleration rate ap of 0.0048. The adopted ap resembles that is likely to be experienced during a severe downburst wind storm. The tested incidence angle α ranges from 0° to 45° and the time-dependent Reynolds number Re [Re = U(t)D/v, where U(t) is the time-dependent inflow velocity and D and v are the cylinder length and the kinematic viscosity, respectively] varies from 0 to 5 × 104 throughout the simulation. Results revealed that the flow around a square cylinder in accelerated flow evolves through three distinct temporal flow phases: namely, Phase I (Ia and Ib) where no vortex shedding (the instantaneous lift force through this period is zero) is observed, Phase II, where periodic vortex shedding and associated lift force oscillations are initiated and enhanced, and Phase III where stable vortex shedding occurs. Phase I can be further broken down into Phase Ia, which is characterized by laminar shear layer separation and the existence of steady recirculation vortices in the near wake region, and Phase Ib (only present at α = 0° and 45°) which is distinguished by the presence of quasi-steady recirculation vortices behind the cylinder. Aside from the variation of flow patterns, the transient lift and drag coefficients and the wind pressure distributions, as well as the spatial evolution of three-dimensional flow structures and pressure distributions, are also elucidated in detail.

Three-dimensional wake structures controlled by the flow issuing from a horizontal hole in a wall-mounted short cylinder

This paper examines the three-dimensional (3D) wake flow structures induced by a wall-mounted short circular cylinder. The structures are controlled by the flow issuing from a horizontal hole (HH) drilled from the front to the rear of the cylinder. The 3D velocity fields are instantaneously measured at a Reynolds number of 10,720 using high-resolution tomographic particle image velocimetry (Tomo-PIV) in a water tunnel. The 3D vorticity fields, Q criterion, and characteristics of arch-type and tip vortices are compared between the HH cylinders and a standard cylinder based on the measured instantaneous 3D velocity fields. A 3D W-type arch vortex appears behind the short HH cylinders. Compared with the standard cylinder, the 3D W-type arch vortex and large-scale vortices break down more rapidly in the wake of the HH cylinders. The flow from the HH may reduce the rear recirculation region to 15%, effectively controlling the wake structures of short cylinders. A 3D wavelet multiresolution analysis is used to decompose the 3D velocity fields given by the Tomo-PIV data. The large-scale streamwise vortices in the HH cylinder wakes are smaller than those in the standard cylinder wake, and this becomes more evident as the hole height increases. The intermediate-scale vortices are also controlled by the flow issuing from the hole.

Direct numerical simulation of convective heat transfer of supercritical pressure in a vertical tube with buoyancy and thermal acceleration effects

Supercritical pressure fluids are widely used in heat transfer and energy systems. The benefit of high heat transfer performance and the successful avoidance of phase change from the use of supercritical pressure fluids are well-known, but the complex behaviours of such fluids owing to dramatic thermal property variations pose strong challenges to the design of heat transfer applications. In this paper, the turbulent flow and heat transfer of supercritical pressure $\textrm {CO}_2$ in a small vertical tube influenced by coupled effects of buoyancy and thermal acceleration are numerically investigated using direct numerical simulation. Both upward and downward flows with an inlet Reynolds number of 3540 and pressure of 7.75 MPa have been simulated and the results are compared with corresponding experimental data. The flow and heat transfer results reveal that under buoyancy and thermal acceleration, the turbulent flow and heat transfer exhibit four developing periods in which buoyancy and thermal acceleration alternately dominate. The results suggest a way to distinguish the dominant factor of heat transfer in different periods and a criterion for heat transfer degradation under the complex coupling of buoyancy and thermal acceleration. An analysis of the orthogonal decomposition and the generative mechanism of turbulent structures indicates that the flow acceleration induces a stretch-to-disrupt mechanism of coherent turbulent structures. The significant flow acceleration can destroy the three-dimensional flow structure and stretch the vortices resulting in dissipation.

Wind tunnel measurement of three-dimensional turbulent flow structures around a building group: Impact of high-rise buildings on pedestrian wind environment

The wind velocity and surface pressure of the model of a group of urban blocks made of low-rise buildings with a high-rise building in the center were measured using a wind tunnel. Not only the time-averaged velocity field, but also the turbulent statistics, i.e., the turbulent kinetic energy, normal component of the Reynolds stresses, gust factor (GF), and probability density function (PDF), and power spectrum density (PSD) of instantaneous velocity components were investigated. Based on the results, the impact of high-rise buildings on the general flow structure and the surrounding pedestrian wind environment was discussed. The presence of high-rise buildings drastically changes the pedestrian wind environment around buildings in terms of time-averaged and instantaneous flow properties due to the complex interaction between the flows around the building and in and above the surrounding street canyons. High-rise buildings create a large GF region where the downwash flow and the street flow collide. A clear correlation between the GF and the time-averaged horizontal velocity magnitude was observed regardless of the height of the central building. The PDF of instantaneous velocity components around the high-rise building was characterized by a large skew not only near the building corners of the high-rise building but also on the surrounding streets. The high-rise building produces large PSDs of the velocity fluctuation components, particularly near the upwind corner at a high frequency and on the surrounding street at an intermediate frequency. Furthermore, the results of the time-averaged and instantaneous flow properties provide a useful database for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) validation and model development studies.

Nonlinear dynamics of fully developed swirling jets

This paper characterises the steady and time-periodic behaviour of swirling jets using numerical bifurcation analysis. Its objective is to elucidate the dynamics of fully developed, unconfined, laminar swirling jets under variations in the Reynolds number $\textit {Re}$ and swirl ratio $S$ . Within the $(0,0)\leq (\textit {Re},S)\leq (300,3)$ range, the steady, axisymmetric flow exhibits several distinct patterns ranging from a quasi-columnar jet along the central axis at low $S$ to a radial jet attached to the containing wall at high $S$ with various forms of vortex breakdown in between. A cusp bifurcation appears in the steady solution manifold which triggers bistable behaviour due to a competition between inner and outer low pressure regions associated with vortex breakdown and entrainment of the ambient fluid, respectively. Instability of the steady flow is linked to eigenmodes which are singly ( $|m|=1$ ) or doubly ( $|m|=2$ ) azimuthally periodic, although additional instabilities with other azimuthal wavenumbers occur at $(\textit {Re},S)$ -values beyond the leading neutral curves. The various branches of limit cycle solutions stemming from these neutral curves are associated with both super- and sub-critical Hopf bifurcations. The resulting unsteady flow fields exhibit a wide array of rotating, three-dimensional flow structures, and comparisons between the time-averaged and steady flow patterns highlight the role of these unsteady nonlinear interactions on the overall behaviour of swirling jets. Similarities and differences between this laterally unconfined jet and broader classes of swirling flows, including confined swirling jets and unconfined vortex models, are also discussed.

Three-Dimensional Flow Structure in the Vicinity of the Pulsed Surface Arc Discharge in a Magnetic Field

Three-Dimensional Flow Structure in the Vicinity of the Pulsed Surface Arc Discharge in a Magnetic Field

Investigation on the internal flow of ventilated partial cavity

This study presents investigations on the internal flow behaviors and mechanisms of the ventilated partial cavity created by air ventilation behind a backward-facing step. Both planar particle image velocimetry experiments and numerical simulations have been conducted over a range of freestream velocities (U∞) for varying ventilation rates (QAs). The experimental and numerical internal flows are reasonably concordance, revealing three distinct internal flow regions: the ventilation region, the entrained internal boundary layer region, and the reversed region sandwiched in-between. The three-dimensional internal flow structures and the internal pressure gradients are numerically revealed. The internal recirculation vortex in the ventilation region is found to be induced by the stream-wise adverse pressure gradients, while the transverse airflow near the closure of the cavity is attributed to the presentence of the span-wise pressure gradient. Based on the internal velocity and air flux profiles, and the corresponding internal boundary layer thickness, the entrained and reversed air fluxes are revealed to initially increase, attain a maximum, and then decrease along the cavity. For the increment of U∞, both entrained and reversed air fluxes increase. For the increment of QAs, the entrained air flux rises, while the reversed air flux declines. Such feature is further verified and explained by applying the Couette flow model with adverse pressure gradients, which provides a reasonable estimation of internal flow profiles and offers a theoretical explanation on the change of internal air flux due to the variation of U∞ and QAs.

Volumetric Lagrangian particle tracking measurements of jet impingement on convex cylinder

Impinging jets are widely used for heat and mass transfer because they are applicable to any type of body and can be easily implemented. They are also used in various industrial fields and design techniques. Previous research investigated e.g. a jet impinging onto a flat surface. However, since most of the mechanical parts have curvature on their surface, it is necessary to study more detailed properties of the jet impinging on a curved surface using advanced measurements. Therefore, in this study, three-dimensional flow structures of a round jet impinging on a convex cylinder surface were measured using volumetric Lagrangian particle tracking (LPT).

Approximate Bayesian framework for 3D reconstruction in a volumetric PIV/PTV measurement

Non-invasive flow velocity measurement techniques like volumetric Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) (Elsinga et al., 2006; Adrian and Westerweel, 2011) and Particle Tracking Velocimetry (PTV) (Maas, Gruen and Papantoniou, 1993) use multi-camera projections of tracer particle motion to resolve three-dimensional flow structures. A key step in the measurement chain involves reconstructing the 3D intensity field (PIV) or particle positions (PTV) given the projected images and known camera correspondence. Due to limited number of camera-views the projected particle images are non-unique making the inverse problem of volumetric reconstruction underdetermined. Moreover, higher particle concentration (>0.05 ppp) increases erroneous reconstructions or “ghost” particles and decreases reconstruction accuracy. Current reconstruction methods either use voxel-based representation for intensity reconstruction (e.g. MART (Elsinga et al., 2006)) or a particle-based approach (e.g. IPR (Wieneke, 2013)) for 3D position estimation. The former method is computationally intensive and has a lesser positional accuracy due to stretched shape of the reconstructed particle along the line of sight. The latter compromises triangulation accuracy (Maas, Gruen and Papantoniou, 1993) due to overlapping particle images for higher particle concentrations. Thus, each method has its own challenges and the error in 3D reconstruction significantly affects the accuracy of the velocity measurement. Though, other methods like maximum-a-posteriori (MAP) estimation have been previously developed (Levitan and Herman, 1987; Bouman and Sauer, 1996) for computed Tomography data, it has not been explored for PIV/ PTV 3D reconstruction. Here, we use a MAP estimation framework to model and solve the inverse problem. The cost function is optimized using a stochastic gradient ascent (SGA) algorithm. Such an optimization can converge to a better local maximum and also use smaller image patches for efficient iterations.

Three-Dimensional Mantle Flow and Temperature Structure Beneath the Shatsky Rise Ridge-Ridge-Ridge Triple Junction

Three-Dimensional Mantle Flow and Temperature Structure Beneath the Shatsky Rise Ridge-Ridge-Ridge Triple Junction

Incipient Motion of Gravel Bedload Considering the Secondary Flow in Bend

The transport of gravel bedload in river bend is one of the basic problems of river dynamics. However, both the complicated bend flow structure and the stochastic bedload transport make explaining the problem theoretically difficult. Flow is the power of the bedload transport, so obtaining the precise theoretical flow structure is fundamental. Through considering the velocity-dip phenomenon and giving the matched boundary conditions, we have obtained the completed three-dimensional bend flow structure in the previous study. Combining the flow structure and the influences of the two-way exposure, we did further research on the incipient motion of the gravel bedload in bend in this paper. It turns out that, because of the existence of the secondary flow, the particle in bend forced by both the longitude and the transverse velocities in the plane. The two-way velocities form an intersection angle which influences the incipient velocity and direction of the particle movement. Moreover, the non-uniform distribution of the bend flow structure along the cross-section decides the differences of the intersection angle, incipient velocity, transport speed of the bedload in the bed surface. Then, the above differences result in the change of the sediment gradation and partition behaviour of the bedload transport.

Three-Dimensional Flow Structures Behind a Wall-Mounted Short Cylinder with a Rear Inclined Hole

Three-dimensional (3-D) flow structures around a wall-mounted short circular cylinder, into which was drilled a rear inclined hole (RIH) going from the rear surface to the top surface of the cylinder, were instantaneously measured at Reynolds number 10,720 in a water tunnel by high-resolution tomographic particle image velocimetry (Tomo-PIV). Based on the measured instantaneous 3-D velocity distribution, the 3-D vorticity field, the criterion, and characteristics of arch-type and tip vortices were compared between the RIH cylinders and a standard cylinder. A 3-D -type arch vortex appeared behind the standard and RIH cylinders, and the height of the RIH cylinders was higher than that of the standard cylinder. Compared to the standard cylinder, the 3-D -type arch vortex and large-scale vortices broke down slowly in the wake of the RIH cylinders. A 3-D orthogonal wavelet multiresolution technique was used to decompose the 3-D velocity fields from the Tomo-PIV data. The time-averaged large-scale structures of the RIH cylinders exhibited a stronger M-shape arch vortex, and a strong -type-shape arch structure was extracted from the time-averaged intermediate-scale structures. Meanwhile, the tip vortices simultaneously existed in the large- and intermediate-scale structures. The heights of instantaneous large-scale streamwise structures were proportional to the hole height of the RIH cylinders. Large-scale spanwise vorticity components increase and the strength of vortex shedding decreases when using an RIH cylinder.

Unsteady Separated Flows in an S-Duct and a Bifurcating Duct

Aircraft-mounted gas turbine engines may need to employ a variety of inlet ducts to perform various missions. An inertial particle separator (IPS) is a type of inlet duct that can remove harmful dust and debris from an engine’s flow path. The IPS is a bifurcating duct that is designed to remove particles, but it may also cause undesired flow separation. A novel study on such a bifurcating duct at high Reynolds number is undertaken. This is the first study to perform unsteady, three-dimensional simulations of the flow inside an IPS. The improved delayed detached eddy simulation numerical method is applied to a time-resolved experimental S-duct case to ensure the approach is valid. Results showed highly unsteady, separated flow, consistent with experiments. The time-resolved, three-dimensional structure of flow inside an IPS is visualized for the first time.

Flow dynamics of shear-coaxial cryogenic nitrogen jets under supercritical conditions with and without acoustic excitations

The three-dimensional flow structures and dynamics of shear-coaxial nitrogen jets under supercritical conditions are comprehensively investigated using the large-eddy simulation technique. The theoretical framework is based on the full conservation laws and accommodates real-fluid thermodynamics and transport theories over the entire range of fluid states. Cryogenic liquid nitrogen (132 K) is delivered through the inner tube of a shear-coaxial nozzle, and gaseous nitrogen (191 K) is injected through the outer annulus, into a high-pressure environment at 233 K. Particular attention is paid to the influence of operating parameters on the flow evolution of the coaxial jets. Two supercritical pressure conditions, 4.94 and 10.0 MPa, and three outer-to-inner velocity ratios in the range of 2.03–3.75, are considered. Results reveal that the flowfield downstream of the coaxial jets is characterized by two potential cores and three shear layers. Two counter-rotating recirculation zones are formed next to the central post-tip. The characteristic frequencies of flow recirculation and shear-layer instability are analyzed using power spectral analysis. Increasing the pressure and the velocity ratio enhances turbulent mixing, promotes the entrainment of the outer stream into the inner region, and advances the pinching point of vortical motion to the centerline, thereby leading to a decreased length of the inner dark core. The predicted dark core length and outer spreading angle show good agreement with experimental results. The introduction of transverse acoustic excitation induces large sinusoidal oscillations of the inner dense-fluid stream along the direction of acoustic motion and promotes the mixing of the inner and outer streams.

Experimental investigation of the three-dimensional flow structure around a pair of cubes immersed in the inner part of a turbulent channel flow

Abstract

Flow control of a D-shaped bluff body using different DBD plasma actuators

The control performance of a streamwise-oriented dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuator, a set of plasma streamwise vortex generators (PSVGs), and a hybrid actuator of the plasma actuator and PSVGs on the reduction in bluff body flow separation, vortex-induced vibration (VIV), and wake fluctuation is experimentally investigated. Experiments are conducted in a low-speed and low-turbulence wind tunnel with a Reynolds number between 3 ×103 and 1.2 ×104 based on the diameter of a half circular cylinder. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) is used to obtain details on the flow fields over a short D-shaped bluff body. Force measurement is conducted to compare the reduction in drag and vibration oscillations using these three types of plasma actuators. The PIV flow fields show that all of the plasma actuators suppress the flow separation on the bluff body, narrow the size of the wake, and decrease the turbulence kinetic energy (TKE) level in the wake. This stable controlled vortex shedding system can reduce the effect of the natural frequency of the bending stiffness-dominated cylinder structure system, thus avoiding the occurrence of resonance in advance. The reduction in drag and lateral lift oscillation are studied by mapping the changes in force coefficients and fluctuations as a function of Reynolds number. A comparison of these plasma actuators shows that the hybrid actuator achieves best drag reduction, suppression of lift oscillation, and Kármán vortex shedding in the wake at low speed, because three-dimensional flow structures are generated on the surface of the bluff body that consequently enhance the mixing. The results suggest that PSVGs and ameliorative actuators are promising for wake flow control in bluff bodies at low speeds.

Turbulent flow characteristics around a non-submerged rectangular obstacle on the side of an open channel

The three-dimensional flow structure and turbulence characteristics around a non-submerged rectangular obstacle in an open channel are explored using numerical simulation. In particular, a low length-to-depth ratio condition, shown to be associated with three-dimensional flow features in our previous study, is considered. To sufficiently resolve all the important details of the three-dimensional turbulent flow around and in the entire wake of an obstacle, high-resolution large-eddy simulation (LES) employing is carried out on a parallel supercomputer. The LES results were compared with the measurements and analyzed to examine the horseshoe vortex structure, free-surface vortex structure, recirculation zones, vortex shedding process, turbulence characteristics, and wall shear stress distribution around an obstacle. The results provide important insights into the complete three-dimensional flow structure and wall shear stress patterns around the obstacle.