Implicit multigrid computation of unsteady flows past cylinders of square cross-section

An implicit, multigrid scheme has been extended to treat unsteady flows using the concept of temporal subiteration (or dual-time stepping, as it sometimes is called). The efficiency and accuracy of the subiterated, multigrid approach has been discussed in a previous paper. Here, the scheme is applied to compute the unsteady flow past fixed cylinders of square cross-section at moderate Reynolds numbers. The observed pattern of periodic vortex shedding is computed and the dimensionless frequency of this phenomenon (the Strouhal number) is compared with experimentally determined values. Results of coupled aeroelastic computations also are presented that illustrate a hysteresis phenomenon as the structural frequency is varied.     

Flow characteristics of two rotating side-by-side circular cylinder

This paper presents a numerical investigation of the characteristics of the two-dimensional laminar flow around two rotating circular cylinders in side-by-side arrangements. In order to consider the combined effects of the rotation and the spacing between two cylinders on the flow, numerical simulations are performed at a various range of absolute rotational speeds (|α|?2) for four different gap spacings of 3, 1.5, 0.7 and 0.2 at Reynolds number of 100 showing the typical two-dimensional vortex shedding. As |α| increases, the flow changes its condition from periodic to steady after a critical rotational speed, which depends on the gap spacing. In the cases of gap spacings of 3 and 0.2, the wake keeps the same pattern, until flow reaches the steady state. However, for the gap spacings of 1.5 and 0.7, the wake patterns change in the unsteady regimes. For the cases in which the flow is unsteady, the Strouhal number strongly depends on the gap. For a fixed gap spacing, the variation of the Strouhal number is significant when the wake pattern is changed according to the rotational speed. Regardless of the gap spacing, as |α| increases, the lift increases and the drag decreases. Quantitative information about the flow variables such as the pressure coefficient and wall vorticity distributions on the cylinders is highlighted.     

Unsteady RANS modelling of flow past a rectangular cylinder: Investigation of Reynolds number effects

The unsteady flow field around a two-dimensional rectangular prism with a fineness ratio (chord-to-thickness) of 5.0, is studied using Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS) equations. A noncommercial unstructured flow solver is used in the simulations at various Reynolds numbers (from 26,000 to 1,850,000 based on the chord length), two different angles of attack (0° and 4°) and low Mach number (0.1). A grid-convergence study is presented in order to investigate the dependence of the flow solution on the spatial and temporal discretization. Results obtained with one- and two-equation turbulence models are compared, including models based on the Explicit Algebraic Reynolds Stress (EARSM) approach. The aim of this work is to assess the capability of the computationally efficient two-dimensional URANS calculations to predict the features of complex massively separated flow around this type of geometry. A further goal is to use numerical simulations to investigate the strong Reynolds number effects observed in wind-tunnel experiments. Satisfactory agreement with the wind-tunnel data is obtained for several test cases, but only the turbulence model based on the EARSM approach captured the significant lift increase at non-zero angles of attack due to variation of Reynolds number. This phenomenon is shown to be related to the progressive upstream migration of the time-averaged shear-layer reattachment location on one side of the rectangular cylinder. The effects of the Reynolds number on the mechanism of vortex shedding are also explored in the simulations.     

Numerical simulation of low-Reynolds number flows past rectangular cylinders based on adaptive finite element and finite volume methods

The flow past rectangular cylinders has been investigated by two different numerical techniques, an adaptive finite-element (AFEM) and a finite-volume method (FVM). A square and a rectangular cylinder with width-to-height equal to 5 are taken into account. 2D computations have been performed for different Reynolds numbers in order to consider different flow regimes, i.e. the stationary, the periodic and the turbulent flow. The comparison between the two methods regarded both the reliability of the computed solutions and the overall resulting efficiency of the methods. Velocity profiles and integral parameters such as Strouhal number, drag coefficient and recirculation length have been compared. A good agreement between the adaptive FEM and the FVM computations, as well as with the available literature results, has been found. The computational effort has been evaluated in terms of used degrees of freedom in space and time and human resources employed to reach the mesh and timestep-length independence of the solutions. Relevant outcomes of this work are the cross validation of an adaptive FE method and a popular open source FV code.     

均匀流场中四边形锥柱的压力试验研究

通过水池试验研究了在雷诺数Re为3.19×104~1.15×106,攻角为0°~180°,以15°为间隔,表面倾斜且前后不对称的四边形锥柱状结构在均匀流场中所受的压力载荷。分析了模型所受的周向压力和斯特劳哈尔数Sr随Re和攻角的变化趋势。结果表明:与圆柱绕流相比,倾斜壁面和攻角使压力在背压区和边界层分离点发生变化,同时,Sr也由0.2降到0.13。     

Flow around the impulsively started elliptic cylinder at various angles of attack

The flow around an impulsively started elliptic cylinder at 0, 30, 45 and 90° incidence is investigated. The fluid is viscous, incompressible and its flow is governed by the Navier-Stokes equations. Semi-analytical solutions are calculated by solving numerically the system of coupled partial differential equations which are obtained by substituting the expanded finite Fourier Series of the stream and vorticity functions in the Navier-Stokes equations. The symmetrical solutions are presented for Reynolds number 200 and eccentricity 0.809 and 0.943 in terms of patterns of streamlines, lines of constant vorticity, pressure and vorticity distributions around the surface, drag coefficient and wake length at 0 and 90° and compared with the experimental results. A comparison of the calculations has been made for Reynolds number 100 and eccentricity 0.648 with different number of terms at 90°. A Kármán vortex street develops for Reynolds numbers 200 and 60 at 30 and 45° incidence and the solutions are presented in terms of various characteristics including Strouhal number. The vanishing of wall-shear does not denote separation in any meaningful sense in various cases.     

Numerical simulation of the transient flow behaviour in chemical reactors using a penalisation method

We present a numerical scheme to study the transient flow behaviour in complex geometries. The Navier–Stokes equations are discretized with a high-resolution Fourier pseudo-spectral discretization with adaptive time-stepping. Using a penalisation technique solid boundaries of arbitrary shape can be easily taken into account. As application we present different simulations of unsteady flows, typically encountered in chemical reactors. We study transitional flows in tube bundles (arrays of cylinders and squares) for different Reynolds numbers and angles of incidence and a channel flow with an obstacle.     

圆柱绕流的二维数值模拟和尾迹分析

为指导机械设计中参数和布局的选择,研究固定在水流中的圆柱结构件的受力情况和流场分布．利用FLUENT中的三种湍流模型对雷诺数为3900的圆柱绕流进行二维数值模拟并进行对比,得到升力因数、阻力因数、分离角、斯特劳哈尔数和涡街尺寸等参数的模拟结果,与参考文献中的实验结果对比验证二维模拟的预测精度．RKE（Realizable k-ε）和雷诺应力模型（Reynolds Stress Model,RSM）均能在此雷诺数下得出接近实验结果的流场,RSM模型使用POWER LAW离散格式的结果优于QUICK格式．与三维模拟的对比表明二维模拟适合在设计初期的快速估算,能够快速得到合适精度的模拟结果．     

Effect of internal mass in the simulation of a moving body by the immersed boundary method

We investigate the effect of internal mass in the simulation of a moving body by the immersed boundary method. In general, the force and the torque acting on the body are influenced by the internal mass, if they are obtained by the negative of the sum of body forces which are applied near the boundary in order to enforce the no-slip condition on the boundary. In this study, the following schemes for approximating the internal mass effect are introduced; no internal mass effect, rigid body approximation, and Lagrangian points approximation. By comparing these schemes through the simulations of a moving body, we examine the internal mass effect. The simulations of the flow around an oscillating circular cylinder and of the sedimentations of an elliptical cylinder and a sphere are performed by using an immersed boundary–lattice Boltzmann method, and it is found that the internal mass effect is significant to unsteady body motions for the Reynolds numbers over 10 and grows as the Reynolds number increases. We also find that for the angular motions of the body, the rigid body approximation causes errors for the rotational Reynolds numbers over 10.     

Numerical simulation of flow over three circular cylinders in equilateral arrangements at low Reynolds number by a second-order characteristic-based split finite element method

In this paper, two versions of a second-order characteristic-based split scheme are developed in the framework of incremental projection method for the solution of incompressible flow problem. After the demonstration of the good accuracy and effectiveness of the developed schemes, a flow over three equal circular cylinders arranged in equilateral-triangle arrangement is numerically investigated on unstructured mesh systems. The examined Reynolds number is 100 and the flow is supposed to be laminar. Computations by the developed algorithm are then performed for six gap spacings, s, ranging from 0.5 to 4.0, and for three incidence angles, α = 0°, 30° and 60°. Numerical results show that, at sufficiently small and large s, the range of which is different for different α, the flow interference is dominated by proximity and wake effect, respectively. And in the intermediate range of the spacing, the flow pattern is influenced by both of them. The mean force results are compared with the existing experimental measurements and that shows a similar trend in the variation of mean force with the spacing for different Reynolds number. It is also observed that the interference effect transitions plays an important role in the variation of the fluctuating forces and Strouhal number.     

Numerical prediction of aerodynamic characteristics of prismatic cylinder by finite element method with Spalart–Allmaras turbulence model

Aerodynamic characteristic of prismatic cylinders is numerically investigated by using finite element method with Spalart–Allmaras turbulence model. The developed model is verified against the available experimental and numerical results for turbulent flow past a square cylinder. The flow behaviors for prismatic cylinders with different section-shapes are compared in terms of instantaneous and time-averaged streamlines. The trends of aerodynamic quantities, including drag and lift forces and Strouhal number with the change of the section-shape are in reasonable agreement with the existing experimental results. The results show that the fluctuating pressure is more sensitive to the change of the afterbody shape.     

Phenomena peculiar to underexpanded flows in supersonic micronozzles

In the present study, the characteristics of supersonic flows in micronozzles are experimentally and computationally investigated for Reynolds numbers ranging from 618 to 5560. In the experiments, the flows are created in a rectangular contoured nozzle whose heights at its throat and exit are 286 and 500 μm, respectively. The number-density distribution along the nozzle centerline is measured using the laser-induced fluorescence technique under an underexpanded condition for each Reynolds number. The experimental results reveal that the underexpanded flow expands along the streamwise direction in a range where the cross-sectional area of the nozzle is constant although the flow in such a range has been believed to be compressed owing to friction. The results also reveal that the unexpected range where the flow expands extends with a decrease in Reynolds number. In the computations, the Navier–Stokes equations are solved numerically. The computational results agree very well with the experimental results; i.e., the computational code used in the present study is validated by the experiments. By using the computational results, the reason for the appearance of the phenomena peculiar to supersonic micronozzle flows is discussed. As a result, it is found that information about the back pressure under which the flow is underexpanded can reach into the inside of a micronozzle. Such a property induces the unexpected phenomena observed in the experiments.     

PROTEUS: A coupled iterative force-correction immersed-boundary cascaded lattice Boltzmann solver for moving and deformable boundary applications

Many realistic fluid flow problems are characterised by high Reynolds numbers and complex moving or deformable geometries. In our previous study, we presented a novel coupling between an iterative force-correction immersed boundary and a multi-domain cascaded lattice Boltzmann method, Falagkaris et al., and investigated flows around rigid bodies at Reynolds numbers up to $10^5$. Here, we extend its application to flows around moving and deformable bodies with prescribed motions. Emphasis is given on the influence of the internal mass on the computation of the aerodynamic forces including deforming boundary applications where the rigid body approximation is no longer valid. Both the rigid body and the internal Lagrangian points approximations are examined. The resulting solver has been applied to viscous flows around an in-line oscillating cylinder, a pitching foil, a plunging SD7003 airfoil and a plunging and flapping NACA-0014 airfoil. Good agreement with experimental results and other numerical schemes has been obtained. It is shown that the internal Lagrangian points approximation accurately captures the internal mass effects in linear and angular motions, as well as in deforming motions, at Reynolds numbers up to $4?10^4$. In all cases, the aerodynamic loads are significantly affected by the internal fluid forces.     

Spatial-temporal scales of Green Island wake due to passing of the Kuroshio current

The Kuroshio current-induced island wake downstream of Green Island, Taiwan, is studied using satellite imagery and a depth-averaged shallow-water model. Spatial–temporal scales, such as aspect ratio, dimensionless width, and Strouhal number, as well as propagation speed of the vortices, are quantified for Reynolds numbers 100, 200, and 500, respectively. It is found that the aspect ratio is between 1.76 and 2.72 obtained from satellite images and between 3.50 and 3.72 from numerical simulations. The dimensionless width is in the range of 1.84 to 1.92 from satellite images, and 1.29 to 1.33 from numerical modelling. The Strouhal number is between 0.17 and 0.20 from numerical simulations. Computed results are compared with theory, available satellite imagery, and in situ measurements, and show reasonable agreement. The magnitude of the propagation speed of the vortices is found to be of the same order as that of the Kuroshio, implying non-linearity as well as interactions of vortices, and the Kuroshio is strong. The Coriolis force affects the free-surface distribution, but its effect on vortices and flow field is insignificant.     

Non-Darcy flow in disordered porous media: A lattice Boltzmann study

It is well known that the Darcy law is insufficient for describing high-rate flows in porous media. However, it is still an open problem to establish a universal form for the nonlinear correction to Darcy law. In this work, we will investigate numerically the non-Darcy effect on incompressible flows through disordered porous media. Numerical simulations at pore-scale level are carried out with the Reynolds number varying from 0.02 to 30, which covers the Darcy and non-Darcy flow regimes. Three regimes are identified for flow through porous media, i.e., a linear Darcy regime at vanishing Reynolds number, a cubic transitional or weak inertial regime at low but finite Reynolds number, and a quadratic Forchheimer or strong inertial regime at larger Reynolds numbers. Finally, a general correlation is proposed to include the non-Darcy effect, as an extension to the common empirical expressions.     

Direct numerical simulations of transverse and spanwise magnetic field effects on turbulent flow in a 2:1 aspect ratio rectangular duct

Magnetic fields are used extensively to direct liquid metal flows in material processing. Continuous casting of steel uses different configurations of magnetic fields to optimize turbulent flows in rectangular cross-sections to minimize defects in the solidified steel product. Realizing the importance of a magnetic field on turbulent flows in rectangular cross-sections, the present work is aimed at understanding the effect of a magnetic field on the turbulent metal flow at a nominal bulk Reynolds number of ∼5300 (based upon full duct height) (Re_τ = 170, based upon half duct height) and Hartmann numbers (based upon half duct height) of 0, 6.0 and 8.25 in a 2:1 aspect ratio rectangular duct. Direct numerical simulations in a non-MHD 2:1 aspect ratio duct followed by simulations with transverse and span-wise magnetic fields have been performed with 224 × 120 × 512 cells (∼13.7 million cells). The fractional step method with second order space and time discretization schemes has been used to solve the coupled Navier-Stokes-MHD equations. Instantaneous and time-averaged natures of the flow have been examined through distribution of velocities, various turbulence parameters and budget terms. Spanwise (horizontal) magnetic field reorganizes and suppresses secondary flows more strongly. Turbulence suppression and velocity flattening effects are stronger with transverse (vertical) magnetic field.     

Lattice Boltzmann simulation of lid-driven swirling flow in confined cylindrical cavity

Lid-driven swirling flow in a confined cylindrical cavity is investigated using lattice Boltzmann equation (LBE) method. The steady, 3-dimensional flow is examined at different aspect (height-to-radius) ratios and Reynolds numbers. The LBE simulations are carried out using the multiple-relaxation-time method. The LBE simulation results are compared with the results of a finite volume solution of Navier-Stokes equations and with published experimental data. Numerical results are presented for cylindrical cavities with two aspect ratios of 1.5 and 2.5, and three Reynolds numbers of 990, 1010 and 1290. Effects of the aspect ratio and Reynolds number on the size, position and breakdown of the central recirculation bubble, together with the flow pattern in the cavity, are determined. Detailed topological features of the flow, such as, (1) structure and breakdown of the vortex along the axis, (2) azimuthal component of vorticity, and (3) circulation strength of flow about the axis are investigated and compared with previous findings from experiments and theory.The predicted results from LBE simulations are consistent with experiments and theory. Steady results reveal the occurrence of a breakdown bubble in agreement with the regime diagram due to Escudier. The vortex breakdown around a region may be characterized by a change in sign of the azimuthal vorticity near such locations. Investigations are carried out on the characteristics of angular momentum when the vortex breakdown occurs. The theoretical criterion for vortex breakdown to occur, as proposed by Brown and Lopez is verified using the numerical data obtained from the simulations.     

Flow over a bluff body from moderate to high Reynolds numbers using large eddy simulation

Large eddy simulation (LES) is performed to study the uniform approach flow over a square-section cylinder with different Reynolds numbers, ranging from 10³ to 5 × 10⁶. Two different sub-grid scale models, the Smagorinsky and a dynamic one-equation model, are employed. An incompressible finite-volume code, based on a non-staggered grid arrangement and an implicit fractional step method with second-order accuracy in space and time, is used.

The structure of the flow is studied with the instantaneous and the mean quantities such as pressure, turbulent stresses, turbulent kinetic energy, vorticity, the second invariant of velocity gradient and streamlines. The Strouhal number, the mean and RMS values of the lift and drag are computed for various Reynolds numbers, which show a good agreement with the available experimental results. It is found that the effect of Reynolds number on the global quantities, the mean and the large scale instantaneous flow-structures is not much at the higher Reynolds numbers, i.e. Re > 2 × 10⁴. In this range of Reynolds numbers, the small scales of the instantaneous structures are more complex and chaotic as they compare with the larger ones.     

Transient state analysis of separated flow around a sphere

Transient state solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations were obtained for incompressible flow around a sphere accelerating from zero initial velocity to its terminal free falling velocity. By assuming rotational symmetry about the axis in the direction of motion, the Navier-Stokes equations and the continuity equation were simplified in terms of vorticity and stream function. The instantaneous acceleration of the falling sphere was calculated by considering the difference between the gravitational force and the drag force in a transient state. A set of implicit finite difference equations was developed. In order to obtain accurate information around the body, an exponential transformation along the radial direction was used to provide finer meshes in the vicinity of the surface of the sphere. The vorticity equation was solved by an alternating direction implicit (ADI) method while the stream function equation was solved by a successive over-relaxation (SOR) method. Simultaneous solutions were obtained. Transient state solutions were compared with steady state solutions for Reynolds numbers up to 300. Separations first occurred at a Reynolds number 20 for steady state flows and at Reynolds numbers 22·46 and 28·24 for transient state flows with terminal Reynolds numbers of 100 and 300, respectively. Separation angles, sizes of separation regions, and drag coefficents were calculated for both steady and unsteady states. Good agreement was obtained with existing experimental data in the steady state.     

Efficient treatment of complex geometries for large eddy simulations of turbulent flows

Incompressible turbulent flow over a backward facing step at Re_h=5100 is investigated by large eddy simulations (LES). The ratio of the oncoming boundary layer thickness δ to the step height h was set to 1.2. Additionally channel flows at various Re_τ numbers are presented for the validation of the numerical code. The results are compared with existing DNS and experimental databases. The present study focuses on different procedures for LES of engineering problems in complex geometries using structured rectangular grids. Two different methods that are able to treat complex geometrical configurations are implemented, examined and compared; namely the domain decomposition approach based on Schur’s complement and the immersed boundary method. In the present study both methods make use of a fast direct Poisson’s pressure solver based on a heavily modified version of the public domain package FISHPAK. The latter was optimised and fully parallelised for shared memory architectures, for solutions on rectangular grids stretched in one or two directions. The resulting code reaches performances of 1.0 μs/node/iter, allowing low cost computations on grids of the order of million points. The main objective of the present study was to investigate the potential of different methods for LES in complex geometrical configurations like bluff body flows and wakes. One of the main findings is that careful selection of numerical methods and implementation techniques can lead to accurate and very efficient codes, where the geometric complexity does not lead to algorithmic or numerical complexity.