Comparison of Computation Fluid Dynamics Simulation against Tracer Data from a Scale Model and Full-Sized Waste Stabilization Pond

The use of computation fluid dynamics (CFD) for waste stabilization pond design is becoming increasingly common but there is a large gap in the literature with regard to validating CFD pond models against experimental flow data. This paper assesses a CFD model against tracer studies undertaken on a full-sized field pond and then on a 1:5 scale model of the same pond operated under controlled conditions in the laboratory. While the CFD tracer simulation had some discrepancies with the field data, comparison to the laboratory model data was excellent. The issue is, therefore, not in the way the model solves the problem, for example, the choice of turbulence model or differencing scheme, but rather with how accurately the physical conditions in the field are defined. Extensive survey of the sludge layer and transient input of changing flow rates, wind velocities, and temperature could allow closer alignment of CFD simulations to field data. However, in the practical application of CFD where a modification such as baffle installation results in a large change, then a simple pragmatic model, while not exact, can still provide valuable design insight.     

带结晶器电磁搅拌的大圆坯连铸的数值模拟

在圆坯连铸中,结晶器电磁搅拌器(M-EMS)是常见的改善钢流内流场的手段。众所周知,液芯的流动对最终产品的质量有着重要影响,用M-EMS能优化凝固前沿的流速,进一步促进柱状晶向等轴晶的转变,进而改善铸坯的表面和皮下缺陷。在奥钢联多纳维茨钢厂,绝大多数产品的生产都应用了M-EMS。由于在奥钢联多纳维茨钢厂的恶劣环境下难于进行测量,因此研究采用数值模拟的方法。连铸过程1:1比例的物理模拟也很难实现,因为水的传导率太低,且液态金属不透明或金属处理难,因此数值模拟就成为获得整个过程较好的重要手段。数值模型考虑了流场和电磁场的完全耦合,许多物理问题都用最优参数进行模拟,流场用商业有限元CFD编码软件FLUENT进行计算,电磁场用商业有限元求解器ANSYSEMAG计算。采用这种方法可以研究各种参数对流场和凝固组织的影响,也能揭示搅拌频率和搅拌强度的变化对液芯内部流场的影响。应用数值模拟能够加深对电磁场下连铸过程的认识,也能够找到优化的参数。     

Numerical Simulations of Efficiency of Curb-Opening Inlets

The geometry of highway pavement and drainage inlets, especially cross slope, longitudinal slope, and local depression and transition length, usually determine the highway surface drainage capacity. In this study, a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software, FLOW-3D, is used to develop models simulating unsteady, free-surface, shallow flow through curb-opening inlets, thereby demonstrating that an advanced CFD model can be used as a virtual laboratory to evaluate performance (i.e., inlet efficiency) of curb-opening inlets with different geometry conditions. Predicted intercepted flow and inlet efficiency agree well with laboratory measurements. Flow simulations were extended to smaller cross slopes for which laboratory tests were not conducted but which can occur in a highway transition.     

The Effects of Electromagnetic Brake on Liquid Steel Flow in Thin Slab Caster

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model with magneto hydro dynamics (MHD) is developed for a thin slab caster to investigate the effects of electromagnetic brake (EMBr) on liquid steel flow in continuous casting mold and to determine the EMBr practices which lead to optimal flow structure. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) tests in water model and meniscus flow measurements in real caster are performed to validate the predictions obtained with CFD models. The performance of different submerged entry nozzle designs, SEN 1 and SEN 2, are evaluated. The effects of nozzle submergence in relation to the applied magnetic field on mold flow structure are quantified. There are significant differences between flow structures obtained with SEN 1 and SEN 2, even though both designs have fundamental similarities and contain four ports. EMBr mainly reduces the meniscus velocities for SEN 2 as opposed to the foremost influence of EMBr for SEN 1 that is to significantly slow down the downward jet coming from the bottom ports. In addition, reducing the EMBr strength for shallow nozzle submergence and increasing the EMBr strength for deep nozzle submergence help to maintain similar meniscus activity for all conditions.     

Redistribution of Velocity and Bed-Shear Stress in Straight and Curved Open Channels by Means of a Bubble Screen: Laboratory Experiments

Open-channel beds show variations in the transverse direction due to the interaction between downstream flow, cross-stream flow, and bed topography, which may reduce the navigable width or endanger the foundations of structures. The reported preliminary laboratory study shows that a bubble screen can generate cross-stream circulation that redistributes velocities and hence, would modify the topography. In straight flow, the bubble-generated cross-stream circulation cell covers a spanwise extent of about four times the water depth and has maximum transverse velocities of about 0.2?ms?1. In sharply curved flow, it is slightly weaker and narrower with a spanwise extent of about three times the flow depth. It shifts the counter-rotating curvature-induced cross-stream circulation cell in the inwards direction. Maximum bubble-generated cross-stream circulation velocities are of a similar order of magnitude to typical curvature-induced cross-stream circulation velocities in natural open-channel bends. The bubble screen technique is adjustable, reversible, and ecologically favorable. Detailed data on the 3D flow field in open-channel bends is provided, which can be useful for validation of numerical models.     

Experiments on Flow at a 90° Open-Channel Junction

Although open-channel junctions are common in many hydraulic structures, no comprehensive data set has been compiled that describes the 3D flow field within the junction itself. This physical model study examined a 90°, sharp-edged, open-channel junction for channels of equal width. Depth measurements were made using a point gauge while velocity measurements were taken using an acoustic doppler velocimeter over a grid defined throughout the junction region. The average velocity and turbulence intensity were calculated from a time series of velocities that was recorded at each location. In addition, a 2D mapping of the water surface was performed on a 76.2 mm square grid throughout the channel junction. This paper presents the details of the experimental procedure and the general flow characteristics observed. The full data set generated during this experimental work is available for downloading on the Internet. Using a small portion of the data recorded, an evaluation of several previously proposed theories of combining flow in open-channel junctions is presented. This has revealed that the simplified mathematical model gives reasonable prediction of the experimental results. The complete data set describing combining flows at a 90° open-channel junction is presented as a resource for the validation of 3D computational fluid dynamics codes that utilize a free-surface model.     

Modeling Depth-Averaged Velocity and Boundary Shear in Trapezoidal Channels with Secondary Flows

The Shiono and Knight method (SKM) offers a new approach to calculating the lateral distributions of depth-averaged velocity and boundary shear stress for flows in straight prismatic channels. It accounts for bed shear, lateral shear, and secondary flow effects via 3 coefficients—f,λ, and Γ—thus incorporating some key 3D flow feature into a lateral distribution model for streamwise motion. The SKM incorporates the effects of secondary flows by specifying an appropriate value for the Γ parameter depending on the sense of direction of the secondary flows, commensurate with the derivative of the term Hρ(UV)d. The values of the transverse velocities, V, have been shown to be consistent with observation. A wide range of boundary shear stress data for trapezoidal channels from different sources has been used to validate the model. The accuracy of the predictions is good, despite the simplicity of the model, although some calibration problems remain. The SKM thus offers an alternative methodology to the more traditional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach, giving velocities and boundary shear stress for practical problems, but at much less computational effort than CFD.     

Numerical Modeling of Three-Dimensional Flow Field Around Circular Piers

A three-dimensional numerical model FLUENT is used to simulate the separated turbulent flow around vertical circular piers in clear water. Computations are performed using different turbulence models and results are compared with several sets of experimental data available in the literature. Despite commonly perceived weakness of the k-ε model in resolving three-dimensional (3D) open channel and geophysical flows, several variants of this turbulence model are found to have performed satisfactorily in reproducing the measured velocity profiles. However, model results obtained using the k-ε models show some discrepancy with the measured bed shear stress. The Reynolds stress model performed quite well in simulating velocity distribution on flat bed and scour hole as well as shear stress distribution on flat bed around circular piers. The study demonstrates that a robust 3D hydrodynamic model can effectively supplement experimental studies in understanding the complex flow field and the scour initiation process around piers of various size, shape, and dimension.     

Study of the Free Surface Flow on an Ogee-Crested Fish Bypass

A study of the free surface flow on an ogee-crested fish bypass is presented. The commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code Fluent 6.1 was used to perform the simulations. Structured/unstructured hybrid grids were used to accommodate the complex geometry that included gate slots, flow control gates, and an aeration slot. The volume of fluid (VOF) approach was used to model the water/air interface. The fish bypass exhibits complex free surface features including free nappes and air entrainment from the air slots. Free surface elevations on both sides of the nappe, pressure along the ogee surface, and discharge rating curves were compared against 1:24 experimental data from the laboratory model for different headwater elevations and gate settings. Limited comparison against measured velocities was also performed. Once deemed reliable through validation against experimental data, the computational model was used to analyze the flow field, supplementing the areas of limited experimental data. Though the paper presents the final fish bypass design, CFD was used to guide the design process and provide insight for several variations in the geometry.     

3D Numerical Modeling of MICROCYSTIS Distribution in a Water Reservoir

A 3D computational fluid dynamics program was used to calculate the wind-induced accumulation of phytoplankton in Eglwys Nynydd, a water supply reservoir in Wales. The computational fluid dynamics model solved the Navier-Stokes equations for the water velocities using the SIMPLE method to calculate the pressure. Two turbulence models were tested: a zero-equation model and the k-ε model. An unstructured nonorthogonal 3D grid with hexahedral cells was used. The distribution of the blue-green algae Microcystis was calculated by solving the transient convection-diffusion equation for phytoplankton concentration, based on the modeled flow field. The numerical model included algorithms for calculating the growth rate of phytoplankton and simulating the response of the algae to changes in underwater light intensity. The model was validated by comparing the horizontal distribution patterns produced by simulation with those recorded during a field survey of surface concentrations. The results demonstrated reasonable agreement, particularly when using the k-ε turbulence model. The main parameter affecting the results was the effective diameter of the Microcystis colonies.     

Flow Structure at Different Stages in a Meander-Bend with Bendway Weirs

Streambank erosion is an important management issue, particularly for meandering rivers. Recently, bendway weirs have become popular control measures for bank erosion along small meandering streams in the agricultural Midwest. Although these structures have successfully mitigated bank erosion in some cases, there is evidence that the weirs do not always perform as anticipated. Scientific understanding of how bendway weirs influence flow dynamics, streambank erosion, and aquatic habitat is limited. Current design criteria are based primarily on expert judgment rather than a formalized technical design procedure. At field-scale studies, the present paper represents a first step toward an integrated geomorphological and engineering evaluation of the performance of bendway weirs in rivers. To accomplish this initial phase, three-dimensional (3D) velocity data were collected on Sugar Creek at Brookside Farm, Ill., and 3D numerical simulations for low-flow conditions were performed to validate the computational fluid dynamic model. Overall results show good agreement between measured and simulated data for streamwise velocities and turbulence kinetic energy. The model is less accurate at predicting the velocity and turbulence kinetic energy in the shear layer immediately downstream from the weir tips. Based on the validation for low-flow condition, 3D simulations were carried out for medium and high flows where the bendway weirs are completely submerged. These simulations indicate that 3D patterns of flow, especially flow near the outer bank, change dramatically with changes in flow stage. Flow patterns at high-flow condition indicate that bank retreat over the tops of weirs is associated with locally high-shear stresses, thus producing a “shelf” along the base of the outer bank as observed in the field.     

Case Study: Refinement of Hydraulic Operation of a Complex CSO Storage/Treatment Facility by Numerical and Physical Modeling

The performance of a combined sewer overflow (CSO) storage/treatment facility in North Toronto, Ont., Canada, was investigated by conjunctive numerical and physical (hydraulic) modeling. The main objectives of the study were to (1) assess the feasibility of increasing the hydraulic loading of the CSO facility without bypassing; and (2) establish a verified numerical model of the facility for future work. The numerical model [a commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD), PHOENICS] was validated and verified using results from a hydraulic scale model (1:11.6). The results obtained show that the CFD model can simulate hydraulic conditions in the facility well, as demonstrated by accurate reproduction of the filling rate, water levels at various locations, flow velocities in feed pipes, and overflows from the inflow channel. Numerical simulations identified excessive local head losses and helped select structural changes to reduce such losses. The analysis of the facility showed that with respect to hydraulic operation, the facility is a complex, highly nonlinear hydraulic system. Within the existing constraints, a few structural changes examined by numerical simulation could increase the maximum treatment flow rate in the CSO storage/treatment facility by up to 31%.     

Assessment of the Effectiveness of a Constructed Compound Channel River Restoration Project on an Incised Stream

Compound channels are often constructed in restoration projects on rivers and streams that have been channelized or are deeply incised. This design allows for flow over a wider cross-sectional area during high flows and is expected to reduce both flow velocities and bed-shear stresses in the channel during high flows. Using a compound channel restoration project on Tassajara Creek as a case study, the effectiveness of a constructed compound channel in reducing channel velocities and bed-shear stresses during high flow events was tested in two ways. First, since this is an a posteriori analysis, postproject surveys and assessments of the project are used to demonstrate the geomorphic and ecological benefits of the constructed compound channel for reducing further channel incision, improving channel stability, and enhancing native riparian vegetation, while still providing conveyance capacity for design flood flows. Second, the effectiveness of a constructed compound channel in reducing channel velocities and bed-shear stresses during high flow events is evaluated using both the one-dimensional (1D) model, HEC-RAS, and the three-dimensional (3D) numerical model, UnTRIM. This analysis demonstrates that the 1D analysis does not accurately portray the benefits of the compound channel, and is therefore not a suitable tool for evaluating the effectiveness of compound channel designs. These results demonstrate the advantages of using a 3D model and make a strong case for the implementation of more detailed hydrodynamic modeling in evaluating the suitability of restoration alternatives to improve the planning and design of river restoration projects.     

Distributed Entrainment Sink Approach for Modeling Mixing and Transport in the Intermediate Field

In densely populated coastal cities in Asia, wastewater outfalls are often located not far from sensitive areas such as beaches or shellfisheries. The impact and risk assessment of effluent discharges poses particular technical challenges, as pollutant concentration needs to be accurately predicted both in the near field and intermediate field. The active mixing close to the discharge can be modeled by proven plume models, while the fate and transport far beyond the mixing zone can be well-predicted by three-dimensional (3D) circulation models based on the hydrostatic pressure approximation. These models are usually applied separately with essentially one-way coupling; the action of the plume mixing on the external flow is neglected. Important phenomena such as surface buoyant spread or source-induced changes in ambient stratification cannot be satisfactorily addressed by such an approach. A Distributed Entrainment Sink Approach is proposed to model effluent mixing and transport in the intermediate field by dynamic coupling of a 3D far field shallow water circulation model with a Lagrangian near-field plume model. The action of the plume on the surrounding flow is modeled by a distribution of sinks along the plume trajectory and an equivalent diluted source flow at the predicted terminal height of rise. In this way, a two-way dynamic link can be established at grid cell level between the near and far-field models. The method is demonstrated for a number of complex flows including the interaction of a confined rising plume with ambient stratification, and the mixing of a line plume in cross flow. Numerical predictions are in excellent agreement with basic laboratory data. The general method can be readily incorporated in existing circulation models to yield accurate predictions of mixing and transport in the intermediate/far field.     

Three-dimensional numerical prediction of stress loading of blood particles in a centrifugal pump

The successful use of centrifugal pumps as temporary cardiac assist devices strongly depends on their degree of blood trauma. The mechanical stress loading experienced by cellular components on their passage through the pump is a major cause of blood trauma. Prediction of the mechanical stresses will assist optimization of pump design to minimize hemolysis and platelet activation. As a theoretical approach to this task., the determination of the complete three-dimensional (3D) flow field including all regions of high shear stress is therefore required. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software package, TASCflow, was used to model flow within a commercially available pump, the Aries Medical Isoflow Pump. This pump was selected in order to demonstrate the ability of the CFD software to handle complex impeller geometries. A turbulence model was included, and the Newtonian as well as the Reynolds stress tensor calculated for each nodal point. A novel aspect was the assignment of scalar stress values to streaklines representing particle paths through the pump. Scalar stress values were obtained by formulating a theory that enables the comparison of a three-dimensional state of stress with a uniaxial stress as applied in all mechanical blood damage tests. Stress loading-time functions for fluid particles passing inlet, impeller, and outlet domains of the pump were obtained. These showed that particles undergo a complex, irregularly fluctuating stress loading. Future blood damage theories would have to consider an unsteady stress loading regime that realistically reflects the flow conditions occurring within the pump.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

高压喷嘴的流场仿真分析

基于计算流体力学,通过软件FLUENT对喷嘴的流场进行了三维建模和数值模拟。分析了喷射流场速度和打击力分布与喷嘴水平间距和工作高度之间的关系。研究表明,当射流离开喷口220mm左右的距离时,喷射流场速度和打击力突然变小,为设计合理的除鳞系统提供了重要的理论依据。     

Generation of Three-Dimensional Fully Nonlinear Water Waves by a Submerged Moving Object

This paper describes a numerical investigation on the generation of three-dimensional (3D) fully nonlinear water waves by a submerged object moving at speeds varied from subcritical to supercritical conditions in an unbounded fluid domain. Considering a semispheroid as the moving object, simulations of the time evolutions of 3D free-surface elevation and flow field are performed. The present 3D model results are found to agree reasonably well with other published vertical two-dimensional (2D) and quasi-3D numerical solutions using Boussinesq-type models. Different from the 2D cases with near critical moving speeds, the 3D long-term wave pattern suggests that in addition to the circularly expanded upstream advancing solitonlike waves, a sequence of divergent and transverse waves are also developed behind the moving object. The velocity distributions and associated fluid-particle trajectories at the free-surface and middle layers are presented to show the 3D feature of the motion. The results under various vertical positions (referred as gap) of a moving object are also compared. It is found the gap has shown a substantial influence on the generated waves, especially in the wake region, when an object moves at a near critical or subcritical speed. However, the results under the case with a high supercritical moving speed indicate the gap has a negligible effect on the generated upstream and downstream waves.     

Setting Up a Numerical Model of a DAF Tank: Turbulence, Geometry, and Bubble Size

This paper discusses the modeling framework and identifies a number of parameters relevant when setting up a computational fluid dynamics simulation of a dissolved air flotation (DAF) tank. The selection of a turbulence model, the choice between performing two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) simulations, the effects of the design of the flow geometry and the influence of the size of the air bubbles are addressed in the paper. The two-phase flow of air and water is solved in the Eulerian-Lagrangian frame of reference. The realizable k-ε model with nonequilibrium wall functions is suggested as a compromise between a need to effectively resolve the flow and the cost of the simulations. There is a discussion on the conditions for which the steady-state simulations are appropriate. We demonstrate that a steady 2D model can simulate a stratified flow pattern. Our results show that 2D models require adjustments in geometry (e.g., substitution of the outlet pipes to an outlet distributed over the total width of the tank) and in the parameters governing the flow in order to account for the true 3D nature of some of the flow patterns. In addition, we show that the bubble size has a larger influence on the flow in the separation zone than in the contact zone.     

Measurements of magnetic fields and electromagnetically driven melt flow in a physical model of a hall-héroult cell

A physical model (approximately one-tenth scale and operated at 1000 A) was constructed to simulate the electromagnetically driven flow occurring in Hall cells. The model contained Wood’s metal, in which magnetic fields and velocities were measured, as the single liquid. Data have been generated for (future) comparison with mathematical models of Hall cells. The model has also proved useful in examining the effects of cell changes and upsets long thought by operators to have an influence on cell performance. Effects of current maldistribution in the “collector bars,” “cold” anodes, “muck,” and alternative bus-bar arrangements have been observed. In many cases, these effects can be predicted qualitatively from an examination of the model’s magnetic field. S.K. Banerjee, having received his Ph.D. from the Department of Materials Science and Mineral Engineering at the University of California.     

Investigations on Flow Pattern and Pressure inside SEN below Stopper Rod

In continuous casting of steel, the casting rate is often controlled by a stopper rod placed in the tundish outlet where the submerged entry nozzle (SEN) tube begins. The flow pattern inside the SEN plays an important role for the bubble formation at the argon injection nozzle at the stopper rod tip. High flow velocities are reached in the small gap between stopper rod and the surrounding SEN walls, and a flow separation has to be expected after the gap due to the fast expansion of the cross section. According to theoretical considerations and to the simulations, the absolute pressure in the gap becomes very low for liquid steel, which can cause cavitation‐like effects. PIV‐flow measurements in a 1:1 scaled water model of the caster show a highly oscillating and asymmetric flow pattern with rapidly changing separation regions. The low pressure effects expected in liquid steel cannot be investigated on the water‐model due to the lower density of water. In numerical simulations of the water‐model, the choice of the turbulence model and the usage or the non‐usage of geometrical symmetries for the bound of the computational domain have a great impact on the resulting flow pattern and the accuracy of the predicted pressure drop. The results of various turbulence models are compared with results from measurements on a water‐model. It turns out that only a 3D model using advanced turbulence models (SST k‐ω or Large Eddy) produce acceptable results, while 2D simulations completely fail and the standard turbulence models (e.g. k‐ε) significantly underestimate the pressure drop even in a 3D simulation.