Uniform Inflow Conditions Research Articles

Exploring run-and-tumble movement in confined settings through simulation.

Motion in bounded domains is a fundamental concept in various fields, including billiard dynamics and random walks on finite lattices, and has important applications in physics, ecology, and biology. An important universal property related to the average return time to the boundary, the Mean Path Length Theorem (MPLT), has been proposed theoretically and experimentally confirmed in various contexts. We investigated a wide range of mechanisms that lead to deviations from this universal behavior, such as boundary effects, reorientation, and memory processes. This study investigates the dynamics of run-and-tumble particles within a confined two-dimensional circular domain. Through a combination of theoretical approaches and numerical simulations, we validate the MPLT under uniform and isotropic particle inflow conditions. This research demonstrates that although the MPLT is generally applicable for different step length distributions, deviations occur for non-uniform angular distributions, non-elastic boundary conditions, or memory processes. These results underline the crucial influence of boundary interactions and angular dynamics on the behavior of particles in confined spaces. Our results provide new insights into the geometry and dynamics of motion in confined spaces and contribute to a better understanding of a broad spectrum of phenomena ranging from the motion of bacteria to neutron transport. This type of analysis is crucial in situations where inhomogeneity occurs, such as multiple real-world scenarios within a limited domain.

Comparison of fluid structure downstream of an evaporative flameholder with subsonic uniform and subsonic-supersonic inflows

Subsonic uniform and supersonic mixing flows are widely present in the combustion chamber of a multi-mode combined scramjet engine, where the significant pressure, velocity, and temperature gradients of the two impose severe limitations on flame propagation. The vortex structures downstream of an evaporative flameholder were experimentally measured under subsonic-supersonic mixing inflow and subsonic uniform inflow. Results indicate that, under subsonic-supersonic mixing inflow conditions, an asymmetric vortex structure in the recirculation zone is formed due to the presence of a subsonic-supersonic shear layer, which exerts compressive or stretching effects on the recirculation zone downstream of the flameholder, in contrast to the symmetric dual-vortex structure observed under subsonic uniform inflow conditions. The asymmetric recirculation zone displays fluid being entrained from one vortex to another, with the degree and direction of entrainment dependent on the supersonic expansion state. Additionally, a simplified flow field structure is proposed for comparing the differences between the subsonic-supersonic mixing inflow and subsonic uniform inflow, along with the introduction of five regions and two stages to describe the flow field structure downstream of the flameholder under subsonic-supersonic mixing inflow. Analysis of the flow characteristics downstream of the flameholder under subsonic-supersonic mixing inflow and subsonic uniform inflow conditions can offer design insights for the combustion scheme of aerospace-integrated propulsion systems.

Large eddy simulation and linear stability analysis of active sway control for wind turbine array wake

The convective instability of wind turbine wakes allows specific upstream forcing to amplify downstream, leading to increased wake meandering and replenishment, thereby providing a theoretical basis for active wake control. In this study, the active sway control—a strategy previously proven to enhance wake recovery at the single wind turbine level—is analyzed at the turbine array level. The similarity and differences between individual turbine wakes and the wake array are analyzed using large eddy simulations and linear stability analysis, considering both uniform and turbulent inflow conditions. For cases with uniform inflow, large eddy simulations reveal significant meandering motion in the wake array induced by active sway control at a motion amplitude of 1% rotor diameter, consistent with previous studies of standalone wind turbine wakes. Nevertheless, the sensitive frequency for the wake array extends down to St = 0.125 below the limit of St > 0.2 for a single wake, and the optimal control frequency for the standalone turbine wake becomes suboptimal for the array. Linear stability analysis reveals the underlying mechanism of this frequency shift as changes in the shear-layer instability due to the overlap of upstream and downstream wakes and is capable to provide fast estimation of optimal control frequencies. When inflow turbulence intensity increases, the gain of active sway control is reduced, underscoring the importance of low-turbulence environment for successfully implementing the active sway control. The reduction in wake response is captured by the linear stability analysis if the base flow accounts for the faster wake expansion caused by inflow turbulence.

Exploring the impact of different inflow conditions on wind turbine wakes using Large-Eddy Simulations

The ever-growing demand for renewable energy, driven by cost-effectiveness and minimal ecological impacts, has resulted in the deployment of larger wind turbines with rotor diameters surpassing 200 m. This underscores the importance of a thorough understanding of flow dynamics to optimize operational efficiency in diverse atmospheric inflow scenarios. Understanding the intricate impact of atmospheric conditions, including wind shear and turbulence, on wind turbine wakes is crucial for optimizing wind farm layouts and performance, influencing wake evolution, turbine loads, and power output. This research focuses on bridging the gap between idealized inflow scenarios and real-world atmospheric inflow conditions by systematically integrating linear shear, turbulence and the logarithmic wind shear profile into the uniform inflow conditions and analyzing the wake behind the IEA-15 MW wind turbine. To specifically examine inflow effects, a constant hub height wind speed was maintained through a velocity controller. The study focuses on analyzing the wake’s flow field and providing insights into its recovery process. It was found that turbulence plays a critical role in a faster wake recovery as well as increasing the power production of the turbine for sheared inflows and the wind speed selected.

Numerical investigation of effects of riblets on wind turbine performance

In this study, systematically designed wind tunnel experiments were conducted to characterize the aerodynamic performance of a DU91-W2-250 airfoil with a riblet film. To quantify the impact of the riblet film on wind turbine performance, experimental results were used as input data for numerical simulations. Large-eddy simulations were conducted for the smooth and modified airfoils under uniform and turbulent inflow conditions. For the turbulent inflow simulations, staggered cubes were introduced upstream of the wind turbine to generate velocity fluctuations in the flow. Results from the numerical simulations show that improvements in the aerodynamic performance of the airfoil with riblets enhance the aerodynamic torque that drives the wind turbine, thereby increasing the power output. The improvement in the power coefficient with the use of the riblet film is higher for turbulent incoming wind compared to uniform flow conditions.

A detached-eddy simulation study on assessing the impact of extreme wind conditions on load and wake characteristics of a horizontal-axis wind turbine

This study utilizes improved delayed detached-eddy simulation (IDDES) to investigate the impact of extreme wind conditions on a horizontal-axis wind turbine, as specified by the IEC-61400 standard. The employed IDDES has a hybrid formulation, where SST K-ω is used to model the turbulence in the boundary layers and large-eddy simulation (LES) is used to resolve turbulence in separated flow regions and the wake area. It also allows for switching to a wall-modeled LES approach, depending on the incoming turbulence content. The research focuses on extreme operating gust (EOG), extreme horizontal shear (EHS), and extreme vertical shear (EVS) conditions at two Tip Speed Ratios (TSR). The loadings and wake characteristics are compared to uniform inlet velocity results to highlight the effects of extreme winds. The novelty of this research lies in its comprehensive investigation of wake behavior under extreme wind conditions, providing valuable insights for improving wind farm layout design and reliability in challenging operational environments. The analysis shows that the impact of the TSR on wind turbine loadings during EOG, EVS, and EHS events is significant. During EOG events for a turbine operating at low TSR, the thrust force and bending moment reach 2.38 and 2.57 times their respective values in uniform inflow conditions, while at the optimal TSR, the thrust force and bending moment increase by only 25%. In all extreme wind cases, there is an escalation in turbulence within the wake, and wake meandering is observed in the EHS and EVS cases.

Investigation of the effect of combustor swirl flow on turbine vane full coverage film cooling

In response to the challenges posed by aviation engine energy consumption and the imperative to reduce NOx emissions, modern advanced aviation engines have increasingly embraced lean-burn and swirl-stabilized combustion chambers. Consequently, the impact of residual swirl flow at the combustion chamber exit on heat transfer to turbine blades has gained prominence. This study delves into the cooling characteristics and variations under swirling inlet conditions, employing both pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) experiments and numerical simulations. The experiments measured film cooling effectiveness (η) on full film cooling blades across different levels of swirl inflow, while numerical simulations dissected flow patterns under swirling and uniform inflow conditions. The results reveal that the extent of film migration does not exhibit a direct proportionality to the level of swirl intensity. Under low swirl conditions (SN = 0.3), film migration is subtle, resulting in a maximum area-averaged η reduction of 3.0%. Conversely, under high swirl conditions (SN = 0.45), film migration becomes notably pronounced, leading to a maximum area-averaged η reduction of 11.9%. Increasing the coolant flow rate mitigates the migration characteristics, albeit with limited effectiveness. The migration of film on the blade surface of full film cooling blades is partially induced by swirling vortices but is primarily attributed to the migration of the leading edge film. Swirling inflow induces the movement of the stagnation-point line, thereby affecting the distribution of cooling air on the blade surface. Finally, this study proposes a combination of measures as an improvement strategy, including an asymmetric counterflow arrangement for the leading-edge holes, a reduction in the outflow angle of the leading-edge holes, and forward-laidback fan-shaped holes. These improvement measures are anticipated to alleviate film migration, reduce the overall uneven film distribution, and increase the average η across the blade.

Inflow Conditions and the Flow Behavior of Submerged Annular Viscoplastic Non-Newtonian Jets

Abstract Submerged annular viscoplastic jet flows were studied numerically within the steady laminar flow regime. The impacts of inner-to-outer annular nozzle diameter ratio, and yield number, for uniform and fully-developed inflow conditions, were investigated. The extent of the outer recirculation region and recirculation intensities of both the central and outer regions were found to substantially diminish with the yield number, resulting in the elimination of recirculation throughout the whole flow field at high yield numbers. The axial penetration of the jet decreases with both the yield number and the annular diameter ratio. The impact of inflow conditions on the flow structure and decay characteristics of the jet are more pronounced at low yield numbers.

Fly by Feel: Flow Event Detection via Bioinspired Wind-Hairs

Bio-inspired flexible pillar-like wind-hairs show promise for the future of flying by feel by detecting critical flow events on an aerofoil during flight. To be able to characterise specific flow disturbances from the response of such sensors, quantitative PIV measurements of such flow-disturbance patterns were compared with sensor outputs under controlled conditions. Experiments were performed in a flow channel with an aerofoil equipped with a 2D array of such sensors when in uniform inflow conditions compared to when a well-defined gust was introduced upstream and was passing by. The gust was generated through the sudden deployment of a row of flaps on the suction side of a symmetric wing that was placed upstream of the aerofoil with the sensors. The resulting flow disturbance generated a starting vortex with two legs, which resembled a horseshoe-type vortex shed into the wake. Under the same tunnel conditions, PIV measurements were taken downstream of the gust generator to characterise the starting vortex, while further measurements were taken with the sensing pillars on the aerofoil in the same location. The disturbance pattern was compared to the pillar response to demonstrate the potential of flow-sensing pillars. It was found that the pillars could detect the arrival time and structural pattern of the flow disturbance, showing the characteristics of the induced flow field of the starting vortex when passing by. Therefore, such sensor arrays can detect the “footprint” of disturbances as temporal and spatial signatures, allowing us to distinguish those from others or noise.

Numerical investigation of wind turbine wake characteristics using a coupled CFD-CSD method considering blade and tower flexibility

With the increase in wind turbine sizes, careful investigation into wind turbine wake effect is crucial for operational safety. This study proposes a two-way fluid-structure interaction (FSI) model combining large eddy simulation (LES) and computational structural dynamics (CSD) to investigate wind turbine wake characteristics. Examining the effect of blade and tower flexibility and inflow conditions, the study reveals negligible influence of blade and tower flexibility on mean velocity deficit under both inflow conditions. However, they significantly impact turbulence intensity under uniform inflow condition. The tower motion produces a maximum increase of approximately 45% while the blade flap-wise motion has the second-largest impact, increasing the maximum turbulence intensity by approximately 33% when compared with the fully rigid case. Additionally, the study quantitatively examines wake vortex inclination based on the inclination angle of the second-circle wake vortex structure. Finally, the study concludes that the streamline near the blade tip follows the blade surface, while the flow separation occurs near the blade root, generating two vortices on the suction side. As the tower motion is considered, the larger vortex exhibits alternate vortex shedding while the smaller vortex remains stable in both uniform and turbulent winds.

Analytical model for the power production of a yaw-misaligned wind turbine

Wake steering has proven to be effective in enhancing the power output of a wind farm. However, this approach still highly relies on empirical formulas to predict the power production of yawed turbines, limiting its potential in practical applications. In this study, an analytical model is proposed to predict the power production of a yaw-misaligned turbine under uniform inflow conditions. The model is based on the combination of the blade element theory and the momentum theory, with a modification in the latter to account for the disturbance on the spanwise velocity caused by the yawed turbine. A series of large eddy simulations were performed using a utility-scale wind turbine operating at yaw angles |γ|≤30° and tip-speed ratios λ=5–8. The validity of the proposed model is confirmed by the good agreement between the theoretical predictions and the simulation data. Furthermore, the well-known cosine model is shown to describe well the power production of the yawed turbine within the studied parameter range. However, the power-yaw loss exponent is not a constant, but rather a function of the tip-speed ratio. These findings may be useful in yaw optimization and control strategies in wind farms.

Analysis of inflow conditions on the flow past a wall-mounted square cylinder with OpenFOAM

In this study, the flow mechanisms around wall-mounted structures was numerically investigated using Large Eddy Simulation (LES). A comparison was made between the uniform and non-uniform inflow condition to explore the impact of the inflow turbulence on the flow physics, the dynamic response and the hydrodynamic performance of the flow past the cylinder. Sparsity Promoting Dynamic Model Decomposition (SPDMD) was applied to select the dominant modes in the downstream flow field, and to further investigate the evolution of the temporal-spatial scales, as well as the mutual interaction among the wake, the cylinder and the boundary layer. The present study revealed a strong interference between the velocity fluctuations and the wake past the cylinder, in which leads to rapid energy transfer from large eddies to small eddies. Strong convection effects were also observed in the far wake region, where significant interference occurs during the energy transfer induced by fluctuating velocities and the coherent vortex structures. The model analysis successfully identifies the prominent modes of the wake dynamic characteristics under different inflow conditions. This study expands our understanding on the wakes past wall-mounted structures, particularly in terms of their evolution and instability mechanisms, and provides valuable insights for the design and optimization of future wall-mounted structures in engineering practice.

Effects of rotating inlet distortion on the stall mechanism of an axial flow compressor

To study the influence of rotating inlet distortion on a single-stage axial compressor, both experiment and full-annulus unsteady simulation methods are carried out to reveal the stall mechanism under different inflows. First, the experimental results show that compared with static distortion, rotating distortion reduces the compressor stall margin more seriously. The wavelet analysis of dynamic pressure data shows that although the addition of inlet distortions has changed the stalling process, the compressor still stalls through spike-type. The full-annulus unsteady simulations indicate that the low-velocity zone first appears at the hub under uniform inflow condition. When the compressor is subjected to rotating distortion, the low-velocity zone first appears at the tip region. Time-averaged solutions of unsteady simulations are further studied to reveal the underlying mechanisms. Compared with the flow field under uniform inflow, the addition of rotating distortion can produce co-swirl, but it also causes the change of axial velocity distribution along the radial direction. Under the combined effect of both, the blade loading of rotor tip increases significantly, altering the position where the low-velocity zone first appears.

Analysis of the Effects of Fluctuating Wind on the Aerodynamic Performance of a Vertical-Axis Wind Turbine with Variable Pitch

The wind turbine with a variable-pitch vertical axis is a novel type of small wind turbine with great development potential in the field of wind power generation. This study assessed the aerodynamic performance of a two-dimensional variable-pitch vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT) under fluctuating wind conditions (sinusoidal-type fluctuations with an average velocity of 6 m/s) using the finite-volume method and the RNG k−ε turbulence model. The effects of the fluctuating inflow amplitude (Uamp), frequency (fc), and mean tip speed ratio (λmean) on the power coefficient of the wind turbine are analyzed. The results show that a maximum power coefficient of 0.33 is obtained when the inflow amplitude reaches 50% of the average velocity. The power coefficient initially increases and then decreases with the increase in the fluctuating inflow frequency, reaching a maximum value of 0.32 at fc=0.45 Hz. Furthermore, the power coefficient reaches its maximum value of 0.372 at λmean = 0.5. Proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) is used to decompose and reconstruct the flow field under both fluctuating and uniform inflow conditions. A comparison of the POD analysis between the two conditions shows that the energy distribution is more dispersed under the fluctuating inflow condition and reconstructing the flow field under fluctuating inflow conditions requires more POD modes than that under uniform inflow conditions.

Experimental analysis of the flow field around a propeller with inclined shaft

The objective of the present study is to investigate, by means of velocimetric measurements, the flow field generated by a marine propeller running with inclined shaft.Measurements have been carried out on a scaled model of a propeller in the cavitation tunnel of UNIGE using Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV) and the acquired data have been post-processed applying the ensemble average technique. The propeller configuration includes shaft appendages as in a typical twin screw vessel configuration. The tests have been performed also without propeller, considering different velocities, in order to characterize the incoming flow field and analyse possible effects on propeller flow. The complete 3-D flow field has been measured considering four transverse sections at different longitudinal locations, from upstream to downstream of the propeller, focusing on the near field wake. A longitudinal plane containing the propeller shaft has been considered as well. A dedicated interpolation technique is presented to improve the spatial resolution of data and allow advanced analyses. Results allow analysing the main characteristics of the flow field, including the evolution of its main structures. The effects of non uniform inflow conditions caused by the oblique flow are analysed focusing on the dynamics of vortexes and in particular on the trajectories and strength of the vortexes.

On wake dynamics of a propeller operating under nonuniform behind-hull condition

The wake dynamics of the benchmark propeller INSEAN E779A operating in the nonuniform wake of a typical ship hull are investigated with large-eddy simulations. The flow features and evolution of vortex structures in the propeller wake are analyzed to evaluate the influences of the nonuniform inflow and to identify the instability mechanisms. Unlike the uniform inflow condition, the azimuthal-variant inflow velocity field results in an asymmetric and faster destabilization of the wake. Local mutual interaction among the neighboring tip vortices in the upper region of the wake, which shows a unique bridging-reconnection mechanism of vortex filaments, initiates the decomposition and destabilization of tip vortices and induces instability in the hub vortex. The power spectrum density (PSD) of kinetic energy is employed to analyze the transition characteristics of the tip vortices quantitatively. The hub vortex core circularity and trajectory envelope are calculated to quantify the long- and short-wave instabilities.

Numerical and experimental investigation of irreversible energy losses in a two-stage radial turbine under asymmetric inflow conditions

In a two-stage turbocharger, the coupling between stages and the structure of the inter-stage duct may lead to severe flow distortions, which have a destructive impact on turbine performance. In this paper, the aerodynamics and energy loss mechanisms of two-stage turbines matched with a V-6 diesel engine are experimentally and numerically investigated. To reveal the formation mechanism of the asymmetric inter-stage flow, the vortex transportation in the high-pressure turbine is first analyzed. Entropy generation analysis is applied to quantify the irreversible losses while considering the coupling influence of the asymmetric inflow conditions, and two types of curved inter-stage ducts are studied. The sources of the dominant irreversible losses are revealed and origin of the corresponding energy loss is localized. The results show that the entropy generation rates associated with viscous dissipation, turbulent dissipation, and heat conduction account for about 30% each in the low-pressure turbine. Compared to uniform inflow conditions, the entropy generation rates increase by an average of 43.8%, 196.9%, and 19.2%, respectively under asymmetric inflow conditions. The pivotal turbulent dissipation is primarily concentrated in the inter-stage duct, the impeller inlet, and the volute tongue. The peak value for the difference in the cumulative entropy generation rates from turbulent dissipation is mainly caused by the mixing of the leakage vortex and the separation flow. The novelty of the present study lies in revealing the source of irreversible losses in two-stage turbines, which may provide a fundamental basis for the optimal design of a two-stage turbocharger.

A comparison of dynamic inflow models for the blade element momentum method

Abstract. With the increase in rotor sizes, the implementation of innovative pitch control strategies, and the first floating solutions entering the market, the importance of unsteady aerodynamic phenomena in the operation of modern offshore wind turbines has increased significantly. Including aerodynamic unsteadiness in blade element momentum (BEM) methods used to simulate wind turbine design envelopes requires specific sub-models. One of them is the dynamic inflow model, which attempts to reproduce the effects of the unsteady wake evolution on the rotor plane induction. Although several models have been proposed, the lack of a consistent and comprehensive comparison makes their relative performance in the simulation of large rotors still uncertain. More importantly, different dynamic inflow model predictions have never been compared for a standard fatigue load case, and thus it is not clear what their impact on the design loads estimated with BEM is. The present study contributes to filling these gaps by implementing all the main dynamic inflow models in a single solver and comparing their relative performance on a 220 m diameter offshore rotor design. Results are compared for simple prescribed blade pitch time histories in uniform inflow conditions first, verifying the predictions against a high-fidelity free-vortex-wake model and showing the benefit of new two-constant models. Then the effect of shed vorticity is investigated in detail, revealing its major contribution to the observed differences between BEM and free-vortex results. Finally, the simulation of a standard fatigue load case prescribing the same blade pitch and rotor speed time histories reveals that including a dynamic inflow model in BEM tends to increase the fatigue load predictions compared to a quasi-steady BEM approach, while the relative differences among the models are limited.

Experimental and numerical investigation on the pressure pulsation in reactor coolant pumps under different inflow conditions

A reactor coolant pump (RCP) is essential for transporting coolant in the primary loop of pressurized water reactors. In the advanced passive reactor, the absence of a long pipeline between the steam generator and RCP serves as a transition section, resulting in a non-uniform flow field at the pump inlet. Therefore, the characteristics of the pump should be investigated under non-uniform flow to determine its influence on the pump. In this study, the pressure pulsation characteristics were examined in the time and frequency domains, and the sources of low-frequency and high-amplitude signals were analyzed using wavelet coherence analysis and numerical simulation. From computational fluid dynamics (CFD) results, non-uniform inflow has a great effect on the flow structures in the pump's inlet. The pressure pulsation in the pump at the rated flow increased by 78–128.7% under the non-uniform inflow condition in comparison with that observed under the uniform inflow condition. Furthermore, a low-frequency signal with a high amplitude was observed, whose energy increased significantly under non-uniform flow. The wavelet coherence and CFD analysis verified that the source of this signal was the low-frequency pulsating vortex under the steam generator.

Mixed convection in an open T-shaped cavity utilizing the effect of different inflow conditions with Al2O3-water nanofluid flow

Mixed convection in an open cavity has been growing into one of the most attractive topics of investigation for years, owing to its importance in many engineering applications. In this study, the effect of different inflow conditions on mixed convective flow inside an open cavity of T shape is investigated thoroughly to find the optimum condition for efficient heat transfer. Three different inlet conditions (uniform, Poiseuille, and Couette) have been considered, and a comparative study has been conducted to assess their performance of mixed convection heat transfer enhancement. Moreover, the presence of water-Al2O3 nanofluid over conventional fluid (water) to improve thermal performance is examined by varying solid volume fractions from 0 to 0.04. The Galerkin Weighted Residual based finite element analysis is used to resolve the current problem. Numerical solutions are obtained by varying Grashof number (Gr) from 0.1 to 104 and Reynolds number (Re) from 0 to 1000. Pure mixed convective heat transfer is also emphasized by keeping Richardson number (Ri) at unity while varying Gr and Re simultaneously. A profound effect for the uniform inflow condition has been observed on the rate of heat transfer inside the cavity with the variation of Gr and Re. In addition, the nanofluid increases the heat transfer performance, particularly at higher values of Grashof number (Gr > 103) at Ri = 1.