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At least 397 records · Page 22

Viscous interaction of flow redevelopment after flow reattachment with supersonic external streams

A flow model has been developed to study the flow development after reattachment with supersonic external streams. Special attention is given to the pressure difference across the viscous layer, and it is suggested that such a flow redevelopment can be treated as a relaxation of this pressure difference. Upon correlating the pressure difference with a slope parameter of the velocity profile, the system of equations governing the flow would produce a saddle point singularity corresponding to the fully rehabilitated asymptotic flow condition. A method of calculation for this flowfield, in conjunction with the matching of the upstream flow, has been derived and is discussed. Samples of calculations are also presented. Reasonably good agreement with experimental data has also been observed.

Chow, W. L.↗

Postbuckling analysis using a general purpose code

A new capability for solving postbuckling problems in shell structures is described. The matrix theory to adapt Newton's method to nonlinear finite element shell analysis is outlined first. The matrix theory is directed at writing consistent linear algebratic equations for problems where the tangent stiffness matrix is singular or nearly singular. The matrix theory suggests a change of variables as part of the usual iterative procedure in Newton's method. The change of variables is shown to be feasible for introduction into the algorithm programmed in general purpose codes for finite element analysis of structures. Numerical results from a new option that has been programmed in an existing general purpose code are presented. The analysis of shell structures for collapse and for branching at bifurcation loads is illustrated by the numerical examples.

Thurston, G. A.↗

Notes on implementation of Coulomb friction in coupled dynamical simulations

A coupled dynamical system is defined as an assembly of rigid/flexible bodies that may be coupled by kinematic connections. The interfaces between bodies are modeled using hinges having 0 to 6 degrees of freedom. The equations of motion are presented for a mechanical system of n flexible bodies in a topological tree configuration. The Lagrange form of the D'Alembert principle was employed to derive the equations. The equations of motion are augmented by the kinematic constraint equations. This augmentation is accomplished via the method of singular value decomposition.

Vandervoort, R. J.↗

The thermal stability of coronal loops by nonlinear diffusion asymptotics

A nonlinear reaction-diffusion equation and some additional constraints are derived which describe the time-dependent behavior of the temperature structure of the plasma in coronal loops. The equation is analyzed using nonlinear diffusion asymptotics, in particular singular perturbation techniques, and the results are interpreted in the context of the physical problem of the thermal stability and temporal behavior of the plasma. The results are consistent with the possibility of cyclic thermal behavior of the plasma, as suggested by Kuin and Martens (1982).

Pakkert, J. W.↗

Nonlinear evolution of subsonic and supersonic disturbances on a compressible free shear layer

The effects of a nonlinear-nonequilibrium-viscous critical layer on the spatial evolution of subsonic and supersonic instability modes on a compressible free shear layer is considered. It is shown that the instability wave amplitude is governed by an integrodifferential equation with cubic-type nonlinearity. Numerical and asymptotic solutions to this equation show that the amplitude either ends in a singularity at a finite downstream distance or reaches an equilibrium value, depending on the Prandtl number, viscosity law, viscous parameter and a real parameter which is determined by the linear inviscid stability theory. A necessary condition for the existence of the equilibrium solution is derived, and whether or not this condition is met is determined numerically for a wide range of physical parameters including both subsonic and supersonic disturbances. it is found that no equilibrium solution exists for the subsonic modes unless the temperature ratio of the low-to-high-speed streams exceeds a critical value, while equilibrium solutions for the most rapidly growing supersonic mode exist over most of the parameter range examined.

Leib, S. J.↗

Adaptive mesh strategies for the spectral element method

An adaptive spectral method was developed for the efficient solution of time dependent partial differential equations. Adaptive mesh strategies that include resolution refinement and coarsening by three different methods are illustrated on solutions to the 1-D viscous Burger equation and the 2-D Navier-Stokes equations for driven flow in a cavity. Sharp gradients, singularities, and regions of poor resolution are resolved optimally as they develop in time using error estimators which indicate the choice of refinement to be used. The adaptive formulation presents significant increases in efficiency, flexibility, and general capabilities for high order spectral methods.

Mavriplis, Catherine↗

A new time scale based k-epsilon model for near wall turbulence

A k-epsilon model is proposed for wall bonded turbulent flows. In this model, the eddy viscosity is characterized by a turbulent velocity scale and a turbulent time scale. The time scale is bounded from below by the Kolmogorov time scale. The dissipation equation is reformulated using this time scale and no singularity exists at the wall. The damping function used in the eddy viscosity is chosen to be a function of R(sub y) = (k(sup 1/2)y)/v instead of y(+). Hence, the model could be used for flows with separation. The model constants used are the same as in the high Reynolds number standard k-epsilon model. Thus, the proposed model will be also suitable for flows far from the wall. Turbulent channel flows at different Reynolds numbers and turbulent boundary layer flows with and without pressure gradient are calculated. Results show that the model predictions are in good agreement with direct numerical simulation and experimental data.

Yang, Z.↗

New time scale based k-epsilon model for near-wall turbulence

A k-epsilon model is proposed for wall bonded turbulent flows. In this model, the eddy viscosity is characterized by a turbulent velocity scale and a turbulent time scale. The time scale is bounded from below by the Kolmogorov time scale. The dissipation equation is reformulated using this time scale and no singularity exists at the wall. The damping function used in the eddy viscosity is chosen to be a function of R(sub y) = (k(sup 1/2)y)/v instead of y(+). Hence, the model could be used for flows with separation. The model constants used are the same as in the high Reynolds number standard k-epsilon model. Thus, the proposed model will be also suitable for flows far from the wall. Turbulent channel flows at different Reynolds numbers and turbulent boundary layer flows with and without pressure gradient are calculated. Results show that the model predictions are in good agreement with direct numerical simulation and experimental data.

Yang, Z.↗

A Galilean and tensorial invariant k-epsilon model for near wall turbulence

A k-epsilon model is proposed for wall bounded turbulent flows. In this model, the eddy viscosity is characterized by a turbulent velocity scale and a turbulent time scale. The time scale is bounded from below by the Kolmogorov time scale. The dissipation rate equation is reformulated using this time scale and no singularity exists at the wall. A new parameter R = k/S(nu) is introduced to characterize the damping function in the eddy viscosity. This parameter is determined by local properties of both the mean and the turbulent flow fields and is free from any geometry parameter. The proposed model is then Galilean and tensorial invariant. The model constants used are the same as in the high Reynolds number Standard k-epsilon Model. Thus, the proposed model will also be suitable for flows far from the wall. Turbulent channel flows and turbulent boundary layer flows with and without pressure gradients are calculated. Comparisons with the data from direct numerical simulations and experiments show that the model predictions are excellent for turbulent channel flows and turbulent boundary layers with favorable pressure gradients, good for turbulent boundary layers with zero pressure gradients, and fair for turbulent boundary layer with adverse pressure gradients.

Yang, Z.↗

Jacobian-based model diagnostics and application to equation oriented modeling of a carbon capture system

It can be difficult to identify the specific variables or equations responsible for convergence issues in large mathematical programming models. The Institute for the Design of Advanced Energy Systems Integrated Platform (IDAES-IP) contains a tool to identify poorly scaled constraints and variables by searching for rows and columns of the Jacobian matrix with small L2-norms. A singular value decomposition is then performed to identify degenerate sets of equations and remaining scaling issues. Here, this work presents a flowsheet developed for post-combustion carbon capture using a monoethanolamine (MEA) solvent system as a case study. This work takes the reader through the entire process of model diagnostics and reformulation, from a basic introduction to the mathematics behind these model diagnostics to the reformulations necessary to make the model numerically robust, including a significantly modified enhancement factor model.

IDAES↗

Computation of Sound Propagation by Boundary Element Method

This report documents the development of a Boundary Element Method (BEM) code for the computation of sound propagation in uniform mean flows. The basic formulation and implementation follow the standard BEM methodology; the convective wave equation and the boundary conditions on the surfaces of the bodies in the flow are formulated into an integral equation and the method of collocation is used to discretize this equation into a matrix equation to be solved numerically. New features discussed here include the formulation of the additional terms due to the effects of the mean flow and the treatment of the numerical singularities in the implementation by the method of collocation. The effects of mean flows introduce terms in the integral equation that contain the gradients of the unknown, which is undesirable if the gradients are treated as additional unknowns, greatly increasing the sizes of the matrix equation, or if numerical differentiation is used to approximate the gradients, introducing numerical error in the computation. It is shown that these terms can be reformulated in terms of the unknown itself, making the integral equation very similar to the case without mean flows and simple for numerical implementation. To avoid asymptotic analysis in the treatment of numerical singularities in the method of collocation, as is conventionally done, we perform the surface integrations in the integral equation by using sub-triangles so that the field point never coincide with the evaluation points on the surfaces. This simplifies the formulation and greatly facilitates the implementation. To validate the method and the code, three canonic problems are studied. They are respectively the sound scattering by a sphere, the sound reflection by a plate in uniform mean flows and the sound propagation over a hump of irregular shape in uniform flows. The first two have analytical solutions and the third is solved by the method of Computational Aeroacoustics (CAA), all of which are used to compare the BEM solutions. The comparisons show very good agreements and validate the accuracy of the BEM approach implemented here.

Guo, Yueping↗

On a class of unsteady three-dimensional Navier Stokes solutions relevant to rotating disc flows: Threshold amplitudes and finite time singularities

A class of exact steady and unsteady solutions of the Navier Stokes equations in cylindrical polar coordinates is given. The flows correspond to the motion induced by an infinite disc rotating with constant angular velocity about the z-axis in a fluid occupying a semi-infinite region which, at large distances from the disc, has velocity field proportional to (x,-y,O) with respect to a Cartesian coordinate system. It is shown that when the rate of rotation is large, Karman's exact solution for a disc rotating in an otherwise motionless fluid is recovered. In the limit of zero rotation rate a particular form of Howarth's exact solution for three-dimensional stagnation point flow is obtained. The unsteady form of the partial differential system describing this class of flow may be generalized to time-periodic equilibrium flows. In addition the unsteady equations are shown to describe a strongly nonlinear instability of Karman's rotating disc flow. It is shown that sufficiently large perturbations lead to a finite time breakdown of that flow whilst smaller disturbances decay to zero. If the stagnation point flow at infinity is sufficiently strong, the steady basic states become linearly unstable. In fact there is then a continuous spectrum of unstable eigenvalues of the stability equations but, if the initial value problem is considered, it is found that, at large values of time, the continuous spectrum leads to a velocity field growing exponentially in time with an amplitude decaying algebraically in time.

Hall, Philip↗

Resurgence of the renormalization group equation

We show how the renormalons emerge from the renormalization group equation with a priori no reference to any Feynman diagrams. The proof is rather given by recasting the renormalization group equation as a resurgent equation studied in the mathematical literature, which describes a function with an infinite number of singularities in the positive axis of the Borel plane. Consistency requires a one-to-one correspondence between the existence of such kind of equation and the actual (generalized) Borel resummation of the renormalons through a one-parameter transseries. Our finding suggests how non-perturbative contributions can affect the running couplings. We also discuss these concepts within the context of gauge theories, making use of the large number of flavor expansion.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Source term method for binary neutron stars initial data

The initial condition problem for a binary neutron star system requires a Poisson equation solver for the velocity potential with a Neumann-like boundary condition on the surface of the star. Difficulties that arise in this boundary value problem are: (a) the boundary is not known a priori, but constitutes part of the solution of the problem; (b) various terms become singular at the boundary. In this work, we present a new method to solve the fluid Poisson equation for irrotational/spinning binary neutron stars. The advantage of the new method is that it does not require complex fluid surface fitted coordinates and it can be implemented in a Cartesian grid, which is a standard choice in numerical relativity calculations. This is accomplished by employing the source term method proposed by Towers, where the boundary condition is treated as a jump condition and is incorporated as additional source terms in the Poisson equation, which is then solved iteratively. The issue of singular terms caused by vanishing density on the surface is resolved with an additional separation that shifts the computation boundary to the interior of the star. We present two-dimensional tests to show the convergence of the source term method, and we further apply this solver to a realistic three-dimensional binary neutron star problem. By comparing our solution with the one coming from the initial data solver cocal, we demonstrate agreement to approximately 1%. We report our method can be used in other problems with non-smooth solutions like in magnetized neutron stars.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Elasticity solutions for a class of composite laminate problems with stress singularities

A study on the fundamental mechanics of fiber-reinforced composite laminates with stress singularities is presented. Based on the theory of anisotropic elasticity and Lekhnitskii's complex-variable stress potentials, a system of coupled governing partial differential equations are established. An eigenfunction expansion method is introduced to determine the orders of stress singularities in composite laminates with various geometric configurations and material systems. Complete elasticity solutions are obtained for this class of singular composite laminate mechanics problems. Homogeneous solutions in eigenfunction series and particular solutions in polynomials are presented for several cases of interest. Three examples are given to illustrate the method of approach and the basic nature of the singular laminate elasticity solutions. The first problem is the well-known laminate free-edge stress problem, which has a rather weak stress singularity. The second problem is the important composite delamination problem, which has a strong crack-tip stress singularity. The third problem is the commonly encountered bonded composite joints, which has a complex solution structure with moderate orders of stress singularities.

Wang, S. S.↗

Experience in distributed parameter modeling of the Spacecraft Control Laboratory Experiment (SCOLE) structure

The Spacecraft Control Laboratory Experiment (SCOLE) configuration is used to compare exact and approximate solutions of the partial differential equations which define its structural dynamics. The need for a proof model for evaluating competing control laws demands that solutions be generated which not only exhibit accurate modal characteristics, but precise static deflections as well. Because precise pointing is required, the motion of the end bodies of the Shuttle-attached antenna must be known with great accuracy. Modal models are attractive because of their stable solutions but require hundreds of modes to obtain a static deflection accuracy of only one percent. Although proportional damping in bending agrees well with experimental results using the SCOLE experimental apparatus, modes which involve both torsion and bending differ significantly from proportional damping. A lumped mass model is used to generate exact static deflections, but only approximate modal characteristics. Asymptotic solutions to the distributed parameter system approximate very accurately the modal characteristics at high mode numbers. Ways are examined for refining the approximate solutions by applying a first-order variation and by employing singular perturbation techniques which are usually limited to ordinary differential equations. The most accurate solutions of the distributed parameter model of SCOLE are obtained by combining exact and asymptotic solutions.

Taylor, L. W.↗

Implementation of uniform perturbation method for potential flow past axisymmetric and two-dimensional bodies

The aerodynamic characteristics of potential flow past an axisymmetric slender body and a thin airfoil are calculated using a uniform perturbation analysis method. The method is based on the superposition of potentials of point singularities distributed inside the body. The strength distribution satisfies a linear integral equation by enforcing the flow tangency condition on the surface of the body. The complete uniform asymptotic expansion of its solution is obtained with respect to the slenderness ratio by modifying and adapting an existing technique. Results calculated by the perturbation analysis method are compared with the existing surface singularity panel method and some available analytical solutions for a number of cases under identical conditions. From these comparisons, it is found that the perturbation analysis method can provide quite accurate results for bodies with small slenderness ratio. The present method is much simpler and requires less memory and computation time than existing surface singularity panel methods of comparable accuracy.

Wong, T. C.↗