Stability of two fluid wheel flows with an imposed uniform axial magnetic field
Stability of incompressible two-fluid wheel flows with imposed uniform axial magnetic field for gas core nuclear rockets
Monnin, C. F.↗
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Results for “FLUID FLOW”
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Improved in-flow acoustic sensor
An acoustic sensor for measuring acoustic waves contained in fluid flowing over the sensor is described. The acoustic sensor reduces any unwanted self-noise associated with the flowing fluid by providing a nose cone having proper aerodynamic properties and by positioning the diaphragm of a microphone of the sensor at a location where any unwanted noise is at a relatively low level. The nose cone has a rounded, blunt or even sharp tip, neither of which creates any major disturbances in the flowing fluid which it intercepts.
Allen, Christopher S.↗
In-Flow Acoustic Sensor
An acoustic sensor for measuring acoustic waves contained in fluid flow flowing over the sensor is introduced. The acoustic sensor reduces any unwanted self-noise associated with the flowing fluid by providing a nose cone having proper aerodynamic properties and by positioning the diaphragm of a microphone of the sensor at a location where any unwanted noise is at a relatively low level. The nose cone has a rounded, blunt or even sharp tip neither of which creates any major disturbances in the flowing fluid which it intercepts.
Allen, Christopher S.↗
Numerical modeling of geomechanical processes related to CO 2 injection within generic reservoirs
In this project generic anticline structures have been used for numerical modeling analyses to study the influence of geometrical parameters, fluid flow boundary conditions, in situ stress regime and inter-bedding friction coefficient on geomechanical risks such as fracture reactivation and fracture generation. The resulting stress states for these structures are also used to determine safe drilling directions and a methodology for wellbore trajection optimization is developed that is applicable for non-Andersonian stress states. The results of the fluid flow simulation show that the type of fluid flow boundary condition is of utmost importance and has significant impact on all injection related parameters. It is recommended that further research is conducted to establish a method to quantify the fluid flow boundary conditions for injection applications. The results of the geomechanical simulation show that in situ stress regime is a crucial, if not the most important, factor determining geomechanical risks. For extension and strike slip stress regimes anticline structures should be favored over horizontally layered basin as they feature higher ΔP c magnitudes. If sedimentary basins are tectonically relaxed and their state of stress is characterized by the uni-axial strain model the basin is in exact frictional equilibrium and fluids should not be injected. The results also show that low inter bedding friction coefficients effectively decouple layers resulting in lower ΔP c magnitudes, especially for the compressional stress regime.
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
Geochemical and Geomechanical Effects on Wellbore Cement Fractures
Experimental studies were conducted using batch reactors, X-ray microtomograpy (XMT), and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation to determine changes in cement fracture surfaces, fluid flow pathways, and permeability with geochemical and geomechanical processes. Composite Portland cement-basalt caprock core with artificial fractures was prepared and reacted with CO2-saturated groundwater at 50°C and 10 MPa for 3 to 3.5 months under static conditions to understand the geochemical and geomechanical effects on the integrity of wellbores containing defects. Cement-basalt interface samples were subjected to mechanical stress at 2.7 MPa before the CO2 reaction. XMT provided three-dimensional (3-D) visualization of the opening and interconnection of cement fractures due to mechanical stress. After the CO2 reaction, XMT images revealed that calcium carbonate precipitation occurred extensively within the fractures in the cement matrix, but only partially along fractures located at the cement-basalt interface. The permeability calculated based on CFD simulation was in agreement with the experimentally measured permeability. The experimental results imply that the wellbore cement with fractures is likely to be healed during exposure to CO2-saturated groundwater under static conditions, whereas fractures along the cement-caprock interface are still likely to remain vulnerable to the leakage of CO2. CFD simulation for the flow of different fluids (CO2-saturated brine and supercritical CO2) using a pressure difference of 20 kPa and 200 kPa along ~2 cm-long cement fractures showed that a pressure gradient increase resulted in an increase of CO2 fluids flux by a factor of only ~3-9 because the friction of CO2 fluids on cement fracture surfaces increased with higher flow rate as well. At the same pressure gradient, the simulated flow rate was higher for supercritical CO2 than CO2-saturated brine by a factor of only ~2-3, because the viscosity of supercritical CO2 is much lower than that of CO2-saturated brine. The study suggests that in deep geological reservoirs the geochemical and geomechanical processes have coupled effects on the wellbore cement fracture evolution and fluid flow along the fracture surfaces.
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
Stability of two-fluid wheel flows with an imposed uniform axial magnetic field
Hydrodynamic stability and vortex containment of two fluid wheel flow to helical disturbances contained by axial magnetic field
Monnin, C. F.↗
An Overview of Unsteady Three-Dimensional Navier-Stokes Simulations of Multistage Turbomachinery Flows
Fluid dynamics of turbomachines are complicated by inherently three dimensional structures such as endwall boundary layers, hub corner separation bubbles and tip-leakage flows. In addition, the relative motion between rotors and stators causes unsteady aerodynamic interactions to occur between blade rows. It is necessary to understand the aerodynamics associated with these interactions in order to design turbomachines that are both light and compact as well as reliable and efficient. An unsteady, three-dimensional, thin-layer, Navier-Stokes zonal algorithm is used to investigate the unsteady aerodynamics of multi-stage turbines and compressors. Relative motion between rotors and stators is made possible by the use of systems of patched and overlaid grids. Time-averaged pressures and pressure envelopes have been computed for several two- and three-dimensional single- and multi-stage configurations. Flow visualizations and computed results are in good agreement with experimental data.
Gundy-Burlet, Karen L.↗
A numerical manifold method model for analyzing fully coupled hydro-mechanical processes in porous rock masses with discrete fractures
A numerical manifold method (NMM) model was developed for fully coupled analysis of hydro-mechanical (HM) processes in porous rock masses with discrete fractures. Using an NMM two-cover-mesh system of mathematical and physical covers, fractures are conveniently discretized by dividing the mathematical cover along fracture traces to physical cover, resulting in a discontinuous model on a non-conforming mesh. In this model, discrete fracture deformation (e.g. open and slip) and fracture fluid flow within a permeable and deformable porous rock matrix are rigorously considered. For porous rock, direct pore-volume coupling was modeled based on an energy-work scheme. For mechanical analysis of fractures, a fracture constitutive model for mechanically open states was introduced. For fluid flow in fractures, both along-fracture and normal-to-fracture fluid flow are modeled without introducing additional degrees of freedom. When the mechanical aperture of a fracture is changing, its hydraulic aperture and hydraulic conductivity is updated. At the same time, under the effect of coupled deformation and fluid flow, the contact state may dynamically change, and the corresponding contact constraint is updated each time step. Therefore, indirect coupling is realized under stringent considerations of coupled HM effects and fracture constitutive behavior transfer dynamically. To verify the new model, examples involving deformable porous media containing a single and two sets of fractures were designed, showing good accuracy. Finally, the model was applied to analyze coupled HM behavior of fractured porous rock domains with complex fracture networks under effects of loading and injection.
58 GEOSCIENCES↗
Sensitivity of Thermal Predictions to Uncertain Surface Tension Data in Laser Additive Manufacturing
To understand the process-microstructure relationships in additive manufacturing (AM), it is necessary to predict the solidification characteristics in the melt pool. This study investigates the influence of Marangoni driven fluid flow on the predicted melt pool geometry and solidification conditions using a continuum finite volume model. A calibrated laser absorptivity was determined by comparing the model predictions (neglecting fluid flow) against melt pool dimensions obtained from single laser melt experiments on a nickel super alloy 625 (IN625) plate. Using this calibrated efficiency, predicted melt pool geometries agree well with experiments across a range of process conditions. When fluid mechanics is considered, a surface tension gradient recommended for IN625 tends to overpredict the influence of convective heat transfer, but the use of an intermediate value reported from experimental measurements of a similar nickel super alloy produces excellent experimental agreement. Despite its significant effect on the melt pool geometry predictions, fluid flow was found to have a small effect on the predicted solidification conditions compared to processing conditions. We find that this result suggests that under certain circumstances, a model only considering conductive heat transfer is sufficient for approximating process-microstructure relationships in laser AM. Extending the model to multiple laser passes further showed that fluid flow also has a small effect on the solidification conditions compared to the transient variations in the process. Furthermore, limitations of the current model and areas of improvement, including uncertainties associated with the phenomenological model inputs are discussed.
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
Continuum theories for fluid-particle flows: Some aspects of lift forces and turbulence
A general framework is outlined for the modeling of fluid particle flows. The momentum exchange between the constituents embodies both lift and drag forces, constitutive equations for which can be made explicit with reference to known single particle analysis. Relevant results for lift are reviewed, and invariant representations are posed. The fluid and particle velocities and the particle volume fraction are then decomposed into mean and fluctuating parts to characterize turbulent motions, and the equations of motion are averaged. In addition to the Reynolds stresses, further correlations between concentration and velocity fluctuations appear. These can be identified with turbulent transport processes such as eddy diffusion of the particles. When the drag force is dominant, the classical convection dispersion model for turbulent transport of particles is recovered. When other interaction forces enter, particle segregation effects can arise. This is illustrated qualitatively by consideration of turbulent channel flow with lift effects included.
Mctigue, David F.↗
Mechanisms for the Crystallization of ZBLAN
A number of research teams have observed that glass forming melts that are solidified in low-g exhibit enhanced glass formation. This project will examine one of these glasses, the heavy metal fluoride glass ZBLAN. A four year ground based research program has been approved to examine the crystallization of ZBLAN glasses with the purpose of testing a theory for the crystallization of ZBLAN glass. The theory could explain the general observations of enhanced glass formation of other glasses melted and solidified in low-g. Fluid flow in 1-g results from buoyancy forces and surface tension driven convection. This fluid flow can introduce shear in undercooled liquids in 1-g. In low-g it is known that fluid flows are greatly reduced so that the shear rate in fluids in low-g are extremely low. It is believed that fluids may have some weak structure in the absence of flow. Even very small shear rates could cause this structure to collapse in response to the shear. A general result would be shear thinning of the fluid. The hypothesis of this research is that: Shear thinning in undercooled liquids increases the rate of nucleation and crystallization of glass forming melts. Shear of the melt can be reduced in low-g enhancing undercooling and glass formation. Samples will be melted and quenched in 1-g under quiescent conditions at a number of controlled cooling rates to determine times and temperatures of crystallization and heated at controlled heating rates to determine kinetic crystallization parameters. Experiments will also be performed on the materials while under controlled vibration conditions and compared with the quiescent experiments in order to evaluate the effect of shear in the liquid on crystallization kinetics. After the experimental parameters are well known, experiments will be repeated under low-g (and 2-g) conditions on the KC-135 aircraft during low-g parabolic maneuvers. The results will determine the effects of shear on crystallization. Our experimental setups will be designed with low-g experiments in mind and will be tested as breadboard low-g experiments. It is very likely that the thermal analysis instrumentation can be adapted to be run in the microgravity glovebox facilities. Critical space experiments may result to test the theory at longer low-g time experiments in space.
Ethridge, Edwin C.↗
The interaction of superfluid vortex filaments with a normal fluid channel flow
Vortex filaments in superfluids such as helium 2 may provide new insights into very high Reynolds number flows. The behavior of a superfluid vortex ring interacting with a normal fluid shear flow, specifically channel flow, is simulated. The vortex ring evolves into a stable horseshoe configuration which propagates without further change of form. In this simulation, a boundary layer behavior in a superfluid through the coupling of the superfluid and the normal fluid is demonstrated.
Samuels, David C.↗
Transient flow modeling in fractured media using graphs
In this work, we describe a method to simulate transient fluid flows in fractured media using an approach based on graph theory. Our approach builds on past work where the graph-based approach was successfully used to simulate steady-state fluid flows in fractured media. We find a mean computational speedup of the order of 1400 from an ensemble of a 100 discrete fracture networks in contrast to the O(10 4 ) speedup that was obtained for steady-state flows earlier. However, the transient flows considered here involve an additional degree of complexity that was not present in the steady-state flows considered previously with a graph-based approach, that of time marching and solution of the flow equations within a time-stepping scheme. We verify our method with an analytical test case and demonstrate its use on a practical problem related to fluid flows in hydraulically fractured reservoirs. By enabling the study of transient flows, we create an opportunity for a wide set of possibilities where a steady-state approximation is not sufficient, such as the example motivated by hydraulic fracturing that we present here. This work validates the concept that graphs are able to reliably capture the topological properties of the fracture network and serve as effective surrogates in an uncertainty-quantification framework.
58 GEOSCIENCES↗
System and method for determining velocity of electrically conductive fluid
A flowing electrically-conductive fluid is controlled between an upstream and downstream location thereof to insure that a convection timescale of the flowing fluid is less than a thermal diffusion timescale of the flowing fluid. First and second nodes of a current-carrying circuit are coupled to the fluid at the upstream location. A current pulse is applied to the current-carrying circuit so that the current pulse travels through the flowing fluid to thereby generate a thermal feature therein at the upstream location. The thermal feature is convected to the downstream location where it is monitored to detect a peak associated with the thermal feature so-convected. The velocity of the fluid flow is determined using a time-of-flight analysis.
Polzin, Kurt A.↗
Effects of Simultaneous Static and Traveling Magnetic Fields on the Molten Steel Flow in a Continuous Casting Mold
The drawback of steel fluid flow phenomena for a continuous casting mold under an electromagnetic stirrer with a traveling magnetic field is the resulting severe meniscus fluctuations due to the high-velocity and excessive downward flow in the casting direction. This can result in slab surface defects due to mold flux or inclusion entrainment. To inhibit these defects in the as-cast steel products, the implementation of braking forces using static magnetic fields in combination with a traveling magnetic field was studied in the current study. The numerical results of the fluid flow in the mold under a combined traveling and static magnetic field operation show not only 50 pct lower downward flow speed, but also more enhanced rotational flow to improve washing effects. The numerical results were validated in commercial-scale operations. The results suggest the optimized range of the ratio between the traveling and static magnetic flux densities is 65 to 75 pct to ensure steel quality improvements; this range maintains a balance between the fluid forces from the jet flow and the magnetic forces in the mold.
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
Generalized lattice Boltzmann model for flow through tight porous media with Klinkenberg's effect
We report that gas slippage occurs when the mean free path of the gas molecules is in the order of the characteristic pore size of a porous medium. This phenomenon leads to Klinkenberg's effect where the measured permeability of a gas (apparent permeability) is higher than that of the liquid (intrinsic permeability). A generalized lattice Boltzmann model is proposed for flow through porous media that includes Klinkenberg's effect, which is based on the model of Guo et al. [Phys. Rev. E 65, 046308 (2002)]. The second-order Beskok and Karniadakis-Civan's correlation [A. Beskok and G. Karniadakis, Microscale Thermophys. Eng. 3, 43 (1999) and F. Civan, Transp. Porous Med. 82, 375 (2010)] is adopted to calculate the apparent permeability based on intrinsic permeability and the Knudsen number. Fluid flow between two parallel plates filled with porous media is simulated to validate the model. Simulations performed in a heterogeneous porous medium with components of different porosity and permeability indicate that Klinkenberg's effect plays a significant role on fluid flow in low-permeability porous media, and it is more pronounced as the Knudsen number increases. Lastly, fluid flow in a shale matrix with and without fractures is also studied, and it is found that the fractures greatly enhance the fluid flow and Klinkenberg's effect leads to higher global permeability of the shale matrix.
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
4D Proxy Imaging of Fracture Dilation and Stress Shadowing Using Electrical Resistivity Tomography During High Pressure Injections into a Dense Rock Formation
Fluid flow through fractured rock systems is governed in large part by the distribution, interconnectivity, and size of fracture apertures. In-situ stress is one of the primary factors controlling fracture aperture, and one that is altered significantly during high-pressure fluid injections or extractions. Interactions between stress, pore pressure, aperture, and fluid flow can result in complex and evolving poroelastic behavior with significant implications regarding the predictability and risk of developing and managing deep subsurface reservoirs (geothermal, fossil energy, and geologic carbon sequestration). In saturated crystalline rocks, bulk electrical conductivity is highly sensitive to porosity, and therefore to fracture aperture size and distribution. We demonstrate the use of time-lapse 3D electrical resistivity tomography for remotely monitoring stress induced changes in aperture distribution during high pressure injections into a fractured rock system at a scale of tens of meters. Results reveal a complex and continuously evolving stress field involving aperture dilations in the natural fracture system and aperture contractions in adjacent zones of shadow stress. Results provide information about the spatiotemporal changes in the system behavior and point to the potential of electrical imaging for autonomously and remotely monitoring evolving stress conditions by proxy through changes in bulk electrical conductivity.
electrical resisitivity tomography, stress, 4D Tim↗
Response of a store with tunable natural frequencies in compressible cavity flow
Fluid–structure interactions that occur during aircraft internal store carriage were experimentally explored at Mach 0.58–1.47 using a generic, aerodynamic store installed in a rectangular cavity having a length-to-depth ratio of seven. The store vibrated in response to the cavity flow at its natural structural frequencies, and it exhibited a directionally dependent response to cavity resonance frequencies. Cavity tones excited the store in the streamwise and wall-normal directions consistently, whereas the spanwise response to cavity tones was much more limited. Increased surface area associated with tail fins raised vibration levels. The store had interchangeable components to vary its natural frequencies by about 10–300 Hz. By tuning natural frequencies, mode-matched cases were explored where a prominent cavity tone frequency matched a structural natural frequency of the store. Mode matching in the streamwise and wall-normal directions produced substantial increases in peak store vibrations, though the response of the store remained linear with dynamic pressure. Near mode-matched frequencies, changes in cavity tone frequencies of only 1% altered store peak vibrations by as much as a factor of two. In conclusion, mode matching in the spanwise direction did little to increase vibrations.
42 ENGINEERING↗