Calculation of convective heat transfer at supercritical pressure
Convective heat transfer in stabilized turbulent flow of homogeneous liquid in circular channel under supercritical pressure
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Convective heat transfer in stabilized turbulent flow of homogeneous liquid in circular channel under supercritical pressure
Molecular clouds may be stabilized against gravitational collapse by the turbulent velocity field within them. It is suggested that the energy derived from differential galactic rotation can maintain the turbulent flow in the interstellar medium. The characteristic decay time for interstellar turbulence is found to be about 10-billion years. The rate and efficiency of star formation in giant molecular clouds reflect the stochastic nature of turbulence.
Triple flames arise in a number of practical configurations where fuel and oxidizer are partially premixed, such as in the base of a lifted jet flame. Past experimental studies, theoretical analyses, and numerical modeling of triple flames suggested the potential role of triple flames in stabilizing turbulent flames and in promoting flame propagation. From recent numerical simulations of laminar triple flames, a strong influence of differential diffusion among species and heat on the triple flame structure has been gradually appreciated. This paper reports preliminary numerical results on the influence of gravity and differential diffusion effects on the structure and dynamics of triple flames with a one-step global irreversible chemistry model.
We present our strategic experiment and thermochemical analyses on combustion flow using a subframe burst gating (SBG) Raman spectroscopy. This unconventional laser diagnostic technique has promising ability to enhance accuracy of the quantitative scalar measurements in a point-wise single-shot fashion. In the presentation, we briefly describe an experimental methodology that generates transferable calibration standard for the routine implementation of the diagnostics in hydrocarbon flames. The diagnostic technology was applied to simultaneous measurements of temperature and chemical species in a swirl-stabilized turbulent flame with gaseous methane fuel at elevated pressure (17 atm). Statistical analyses of the space-/time-resolved thermochemical data provide insights into the nature of the mixing process and it impact on the subsequent combustion process in the model combustor.
In a preliminary effort to extend our current capabilities used in the design & testing of aero-engine combustors to particulate emissions, we incorporated several existing 2- equation soot models into the Open National Combustion Code (OpenNCC). The paper presents results from a validation study based on a well-characterized, swirl-stabilized, turbulent sooting flame generated by a model aero-engine combustor developed at DLR, Germany. The calculations are based on a Reynolds-Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) simulation with standard k-e turbulence model & a finite-rate chemical kinetic mechanism. A separate transport equation is solved for all individual species involved in ethylene/air combustion. The predicted velocity and temperature are mostly in good agreement with the measured data and reasonable agreement was found for soot. While the calculated SVF (Soot Volume Fraction) behavior is similar to some other predicted results reported in literature, the measured soot lasts farther downstream than the calculated soot indicating a need for further improvement in the soot models employed.
Arctic low clouds influence the evolution of the Arctic system through their effects on radiative fluxes, boundary layer mixing, stability, turbulence, humidity, and precipitation. Unfortunately, atmospheric models and retrospective analysis (reanalysis) products struggle to accurately simulate the occurrence and properties of low clouds in the Arctic. To better understand the magnitude and possible causes of this problem, we analyze the disagreements between the Arctic System Reanalysis version 2 (ASR) and data taken during the September 2014 Arctic Radiation-IceBridge Sea and Ice Experiment (ARISE) airborne campaign conducted over the Beaufort Sea. Previous analysis of grid scale-averaged meteorological variables revealed a lack of cloud water produced in ASR, related to warm/dry biases, a failure to produce sufficient cloud water in conditions that are observed to be favorable for large cloud water values, and sampling issues with the ARISE flight paths. However, ARISE collected meteorological observations at one second intervals, offering spatial data resolution comparable to the subgrid scale of ASR. Subgrid scale properties and processes must be parameterized in conventional atmospheric models and reanalyses such as ASR, and often rely on assumed distributions of meteorological variables about the grid box mean state. To enable an examination of the realism of ASR’s subgrid scale properties, we use high resolution data from ARISE determine the “subgrid scale” distributions of cloud water and thermodynamic variables in the real atmosphere. Preliminary results show that the subgrid scale distribution of thermodynamic variables about the grid scale mean resembles the triangular distribution assumed in many bulk microphysical parameterization schemes, but also with tails resembling Gaussian distributions. The main goal is to understand the partitioning of the total available atmospheric water into water vapor and cloud water. Models typically covert some percentage of total water in a grid box to cloud water based on the estimated amount of supersaturation from the assumed vapor distribution. The ARISE measurements can reveal the relationship between subgrid scale supersaturation and the partition between cloud water and water vapor.
Arctic low clouds influence the evolution of the Arctic system through their effects on radiative fluxes, boundary layer mixing, stability, turbulence, humidity, and precipitation. Unfortunately, atmospheric models and retrospective analysis (reanalysis) products struggle to accurately simulate the occurrence and properties of low clouds in the Arctic. One of the main reasons for this problem are the possible unrealistic assumptions that models/reanalyses make about the subgrid-scale (SGS) variability of meteorological properties, as well as the relationship between SGS variability and grid-scale (GS) cloud properties. We utilize cloud and thermodynamic data of low level (primarily) liquid clouds collected from two aircraft campaigns conducted over the Beaufort Sea to better understand and characterize this problem. Examining data from the September 2014 Arctic Radiation-IceBridge Sea and Ice Experiment (ARISE) airborne campaign reveals that GS cloud water variability is closely related with SGS distribution of total water (i.e. water vapor + cloud water). Multiple models/reanalyses use SGS supersaturated total water (relative to GS saturation) as a threshold for partitioning available water for condensation, and indeed we find significant correlation between GS cloud water and SGS supersaturation. However, we also find that the assumption of a static threshold of 100% saturation to be unrealistic. Empirical calculations from the ARISE data show a large sensitivity of this threshold to GS relative humidity, and so a microphysical parameterization allowing the threshold to vary according to GS thermodynamic properties may result in more realistic GS cloud water values. Finally, to determine how sensitive the ARISE-derived results are to that particular campaign, we include additional data from the First International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) Regional Experiment (FIRE)–Arctic Cloud Experiment (ACE) conducted in 1998. The inclusion of the second dataset will help with demonstrating the robustness of the results and their utility in improving the representation of Arctic clouds in models and reanalyses.
Arctic low clouds influence the evolution of the Arctic system through their effects on radiative fluxes, boundary layer mixing, stability, turbulence, humidity, and precipitation. Unfortunately, atmospheric models and retrospective analysis (reanalysis) products struggle to accurately simulate the occurrence and properties of low clouds in the Arctic. One of the main reasons for this problem are the possible unrealistic assumptions that models/reanalyses make about the subgrid-scale (SGS) variability of meteorological properties, as well as the relationship between SGS variability and grid-scale (GS) cloud properties. We utilize cloud and thermodynamic data of low level (primarily) liquid clouds collected from two aircraft campaigns conducted over the Beaufort Sea to better understand and characterize this problem. Examining data from the September 2014 Arctic Radiation-IceBridge Sea and Ice Experiment (ARISE) airborne campaign and the 1998 First International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) Regional Experiment (FIRE)–Arctic Cloud Experiment (ACE) reveals that GS cloud water variability is closely related with SGS distribution of total water (i.e. water vapor + cloud water). We investigate two related approaches to prediction of GS cloud properties from SGS variability: the critical saturation ratio method, and the critical relative humidity method. We find significant correlation between GS cloud water and SGS supersaturation when the critical saturation ratio is set at 100%, as well as a notable relationship between GS cloud water and the width of the SGS total water distribution. Critical relative humidity also compares well with GS cloud water. However, we also find that the assumptions of a static critical saturation ratio of 100% to be unrealistic, as well as a fixed SGS distribution width. Empirical calculations from the ARISE data show a large sensitivity of these SGS variables to GS relative humidity, and so a SGS parameterization allowing them to vary according to GS thermodynamic properties may result in more realistic GS cloud water values.
Arctic low clouds influence the evolution of the Arctic system through their effects on radiative fluxes, boundary layer mixing, stability, turbulence, humidity, and precipitation. Unfortunately, atmospheric models and retrospective analysis (reanalysis) products struggle to accurately simulate the occurrence and properties of low clouds in the Arctic. One of the main reasons for this problem are the possible unrealistic assumptions that models/reanalyses make about the subgrid-scale (SGS) variability of meteorological properties, as well as the relationship between SGS variability and grid-scale (GS) cloud properties. We utilize cloud and thermodynamic data of low level (primarily) liquid clouds collected from two aircraft campaigns conducted over the Beaufort Sea to better understand and characterize this problem. Examining data from the September 2014 Arctic Radiation-IceBridge Sea and Ice Experiment (ARISE) airborne campaign and the 1998 First International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) Regional Experiment (FIRE)–Arctic Cloud Experiment (ACE) reveals that GS cloud water variability is closely related with SGS distribution of total water (i.e. water vapor + cloud water). We examine the influence of three assumed SGS parameters on the estimation of GS cloud water: the width of the SGS PDF of total water (ΔQT), the shape of the SGS PDF, and the critical saturation ratio (Scrit), which partitions the SGS PDF into water that is available or not for conversion to cloud water. Both Scrit and ΔQT influence predicted GS cloud water strongly. ARISE and FIRE-ACE disagree somewhat in the details, but both campaigns support the possibility that more realistic representations of these two parameters may lead to more realistic GS cloud water. In particular, both parameters are sensitive to GS relative humidity, and so we examine the effects of allowing these quantities to vary as an empirically-derived linear function of GS relative humidity. In contrast, the shape of the PDF has little effect on the predicted cloud water – a surprising result that merits additional investigation.
A simplified theoretical model for turbulent methane/air flames from a subscale power plant burner is developed and applied to predict the stability of flames as a function of (1) ambient atmosphere temperature and composition, (2) initial preheat temperature, and (3) percentage of external product gas recirculation. The flame model equates the rate at which mass is supplied per unit volume to the rate it is chemically reacted per unit volume using a one-step reaction and a perfectly stirred reactor (PSR). The model contains a free parameter which is evaluated by comparing the theoretical results to experimental results available in the literature. The stability results show that premixed, turbulent flames are stable over a wide equivalence ratio range if the ambient gas is air; however, if combustion products are entrained, the stability is sharply reduced.
Further results of research, reported in several previous NASA Tech Briefs articles, were obtained on a mathematical formalism for postinstability motions of a dynamical system characterized by exponential divergences of trajectories leading to chaos (including turbulence). To recapitulate: Fictitious control forces are introduced to couple the dynamical equations with a Liouville equation that describes the evolution of the probability density of errors in initial conditions. These forces create a powerful terminal attractor in probability space that corresponds to occurrence of a target trajectory with probability one. The effect in ordinary perceived three-dimensional space is to suppress exponential divergences of neighboring trajectories without affecting the target trajectory. Con sequently, the postinstability motion is represented by a set of functions describing the evolution of such statistical quantities as expectations and higher moments, and this representation is stable. The previously reported findings are analyzed from the perspective of the authors Stabilization Principle, according to which (1) stability is recognized as an attribute of mathematical formalism rather than of underlying physics and (2) a dynamical system that appears unstable when modeled by differentiable functions only can be rendered stable by modifying the dynamical equations to incorporate intrinsic stochasticity.
Stability of propane-oxygen flames at low pressures in turbulent flow
Stability limits for laminar and turbulent hydrogen-air burner flames were measured as a function of pressure, burner diameter, and composition. On the basis of a simple flame model, turbulent flashback involved a smaller effective penetration distance than laminar flashback. No current theoretical treatment predicts the observed pressure and diameter dependence of laminar and turbulent blowoff.
Two groups of new phenomena revealed by AFM and high resolution optical interferometry on crystal faces growing from solutions will be discussed. 1. Spacing between strongly polygonized spiral steps with low less than 10(exp -2) kink density on lysozyme and K- biphtalate do not follow the Burton-cabrera-Frank theory. The critical length of the yet immobile first Short step segment adjacent to a pinning defect (dislocation, stacking fault) is many times longer than that following from the step free energy. The low-kink density steps are typical of many growth conditions and materials, including low temperature gas phase epitaxy and MBE. 2. The step bunching pattern on the approx. 1 cm long { 110) KDP face growing from the turbulent solution flow (Re (triple bonds) 10(exp 4), solution flow rate approx. 1 m/s) suggests that the step bunch height does not increase infinitely as the bunch path on the crystal face rises, as is usually observed on large KDP crystals. The mechanism controlling the maximal bunch width and height is based on the drag of the solution depleted by the step bunch down thc solution stream. It includes splitting, coagulation and interlacing of bunches
Analytical investigations of fluid dynamics problems of relevance to the gaseous core nuclear reactor program are presented. The vortex type flow which appears in the nuclear light bulb concept is analyzed along with the fluid flow in the fuel inlet region for the coaxial flow gaseous core nuclear reactor concept. The development of numerical methods for the solution of the Navier-Stokes equations for appropriate geometries is extended to the case of rotating flows and almost completes the gas core program requirements in this area. The investigations demonstrate that the conceptual design of the coaxial flow reactor needs further development.
The approach presented is based upon the concept that the velocity fluctuations driven by the instability of the original flow grow until a new stable state is approached. The application of this stabilization principle is demonstrated by describing the smoothing out of a velocity discontinuity.
Spectra of wind and temperature from high frequency measurements in the atmospheric surface layer of Mars are presented for the first time. Heat and momentum fluxes, and stability are calculated for early spring from estimates of the surface temperature and mean Viking Lander 2 temperature and wind at 44 degrees N, using similarity theory. This study provides the first estimates of (1) the height of the mixed layer, (2) spectra of wind and temperature, (3) the validity of similarity theories on Mars, and (4) bounds of effective measuring height and surface roughness. It confirms and extends the universiality of model wind spectra. Finally and more important, we provide the ability to estimate and determine the self-consistency of Martian atmospheric mixed layer fluxes, stability and heights on a diurnal and annual basis. This can be used to initialize and validate the various models, which previously could only be compared with each other or the efforts of Sutton, Leovy and Tillman: these were restricted in season and limited by the results from the surface temperature model available at that time. Analysis of additional data can better estimate z(sub 0) values directly from the measurements and provide the parameters necessary to calculate the vertical profiles of wind and temperature on a daily, seasonal and annual basis.
The appearance of expressed discontinuity layers in the free atmosphere, where a warm air mass flows over a cold mass without perceptible intermingling forms the basis of the present report. In these experiments an air stream is to be blown between a water-cooled and a vapor-heated plate. According to what preceded it is anticipated that the exchange will be enhanced. Because these experiments had to be made at relatively low air speeds so as to let the lifting forces become effective, it first required a study of the test methods, and so we have not yet proceeded beyond the preliminary tests on the most suitable hot-wire connections and thermocouples for recording speed and temperature.