Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “flow simulation”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,765 records · Page 98

Multifractal spectra in homogeneous shear flow

Employing numerical simulations of 3-D homogeneous shear flow, the associated multifractal spectra of the energy dissipation, scalar dissipation and vorticity fields were calculated. The results for (128) cubed simulations of this flow, and those obtained in recent experiments that analyzed 1- and 2-D intersections of atmospheric and laboratory flows, are in some agreement. A two-scale Cantor set model of the energy cascade process which describes the experimental results from 1-D intersections quite well, describes the 3-D results only marginally.

Deane, A. E.↗

Numerical simulation of axisymmetric turbulent flow in combustors and diffusors

A method for predicting turbulent flow in combustors and diffusers is developed. The Navier-Stokes equations, incorporating a turbulence kappa-epsilon model equation, were solved in a nonorthogonal curvilinear coordinate system. The solution applied the finite volume method to discretize the differential equations and utilized the SIMPLE algorithm iteratively to solve the differenced equations. A zonal grid method, wherein the flow field was divided into several subsections, was developed. This approach permitted different computational schemes to be used in the various zones. In addition, grid generation was made a more simple task. However, treatment of the zonal boundaries required special handling. Boundary overlap and interpolating techniques were used and an adjustment of the flow variables was required to assure conservation of mass, momentum and energy fluxes. The numerical accuracy was assessed using different finite differencing methods, i.e., hybrid, quadratic upwind and skew upwind, to represent the convection terms. Flows in different geometries of combustors and diffusers were simulated and results compared with experimental data and good agreement was obtained.

Yung, Chain Nan↗

Model consistency in the large eddy simulation of turbulent channel flows

Various combinations of filters and subgrid scale stress models for large eddy simulation of the Navier-Stokes equations are studied by a priori tests and numerical simulations. Consistency between model and filter is found to be essential to ensure accurate results. Results and limitations of the a priori test are discussed. The effect of grid refinement is also examined.

Moin, Parviz↗

A Multiscale Simulation Study of the Effects of Nantucket Island on Atmospheric Boundary Layer Flow

Multiscale atmospheric simulations were conducted to investigate how Nantucket Island modifies the marine atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) flow, how the mechanisms responsible are represented in mesoscale versus large-eddy simulation (LES) domains, and potential impacts on wind energy production downstream, in moderate and high wind speed cases. Here, to isolate the effects of the island, each case study was simulated (i) with and without island topography included and (ii) with observed versus spatially uniform sea surface temperature (SST) values, the latter removing the influence of spatial variability in SST, while also enabling the examination of how the island effects vary with near-surface thermodynamic stability over the surrounding ocean. Island effects were found to be strongest during daytime heating, which generates convective rolls that redistribute momentum vertically over the island and downstream. Colder SSTs and weaker winds strengthen these rolls and extend their influence. Flow statistics within a representative wind turbine rotor-swept area downstream show that while vertical momentum redistribution enhances near-surface wind speeds, those aloft decrease, resulting in minimal net change to rotor-equivalent wind speed and slightly reduced vertical shear. Comparisons of mesoscale and LES domains reveal that both capture the roughness-driven near-surface slowdown, but mesoscale models underestimate vertical momentum transport compared to LES, which explicitly resolves convective rolls. Increasing LES resolution beyond the grid spacing required to begin capturing the largest convective roll structures ∼ O(100) m yields minimal additional momentum transport but increases resolved turbulence kinetic energy, relevant for stress loading.

Atmosphere-land interaction↗

Simulation of turbulent transonic separated flow over an airfoil

A code developed for simulating high Reynolds number transonic flow fields of arbitrary configuration is described. This code, in conjunction with laboratory experiments, is used to devise and test turbulence transport models which may be suitable in the prediction of such flow fields, with particular emphasis on regions of flow separation. The solutions describe the flow field, including both the shock-induced and trailing-edge separation regions, in sufficient detail to provide the profile and friction drag.

Deiwert, G. S.↗

Numerical simulation of the incompressible internal flow through a tilting disk valve

A numerical simulation of the incompressible viscous flow through a prosthetic tilting disk heart valve is presented in order to demonstrate the current capability to model unsteady flows with moving boundaries. Both steady and unsteady flow calculations are performed by solving the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations in three-dimensional generalized curvilinear coordinates. In order to handle the moving boundary problems, the chimera grid embedding scheme which decomposes a complex computational domain into several simple subdomains is used. An algebraic turbulence model for internal flows is incorporated to reach the physiological values of Reynolds number. Good agreement is obtained between the numerical results and experimental measurements. It is found that the tilting disk valve causes large regions of separated flow, and regions of high shear.

Chang, I-Dee↗

Efficient simulation of incompressible viscous flow over single and multi-element airfoils

Incompressible viscous turbulent flows over single- and multiple-element airfoils are numerically simulated in an efficient manner by solving the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. The solution algorithm uses the method of pseudocompressibility with an upwind-differencing scheme for the convective fluxes and an implicit line-relaxation scheme to study high-lift take-off and landing configurations and to compute lift and drag at various angles of attack up to stall. Two different turbulence models are tested in computing the flow over an NACA 4412 airfoil. The approach used for multiple-element airfoils involves the use of multiple zones of structured grids fitted to each element. Two different approaches are compared: a patched system of grids and an overlaid Chimera system of grids. Computational results are presented for two-element, three-element, and four-element airfoil configurations. Excellent agreement with experimental surface-pressure coefficients is seen. The code converges in less than 200 iterations, requiring on the order of one minute of CPU time on a CRAY YMP per element in the airfoil configuration.

Rogers, Stuart E.↗

Direct Monte Carlo Simulations of Hypersonic Low-Density Flows about an ASTV Including Wake Structure

Results of a numerical study concerning flow past a 70-deg blunted cone in hypersonic low-density flow environments are presented using the direct simulation Monte-Carlo method. The flow conditions simulated are those that can be obtained in existing low-density hypersonic wind tunnels. Results indicate that a stable vortex forms in the near wake at and below a freestream Knudsen number (based on cone diameter) of 0.01 and the size of the vortex increases with decreasing Knudsen number. The base region of the flow remains in thermal nonequilibrium for all cases considered herein.

Dogra, V. K.↗

Low temperature simulation of subliming boundary layer flow in Jupiter atmosphere

A low-temperature approximate simulation for the sublimation of a graphite heat shield under Jovian entry conditions is studied. A set of algebraic equations is derived to approximate the governing equation and boundary conditions, based on order-of-magnitude analysis. Characteristic quantities such as the wall temperature and the subliming velocity are predicted. Similarity parameters that are needed to simulate the most dominant phenomena of the Jovian entry flow are also given. An approximate simulation of the sublimation of the graphite heat shield is performed with an air-dry-ice model. The simulation with the air-dry-ice model may be carried out experimentally at a lower temperature of 3000 to 6000 K instead of the entry temperature of 14,000 K. The rate of graphite sublimation predicted by the present algebraic approximation agrees to the order of magnitude with extrapolated data. The limitations of the simulation method and its utility are discussed.

Chen, C. J.↗

Efficient simulation of incompressible viscous flow over multi-element airfoils

The incompressible, viscous, turbulent flow over single and multi-element airfoils is numerically simulated in an efficient manner by solving the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. The solution algorithm employs the method of pseudo compressibility and utilizes an upwind differencing scheme for the convective fluxes, and an implicit line-relaxation scheme. The motivation for this work includes interest in studying high-lift take-off and landing configurations of various aircraft. In particular, accurate computation of lift and drag at various angles of attack up to stall is desired. Two different turbulence models are tested in computing the flow over an NACA 4412 airfoil; an accurate prediction of stall is obtained. The approach used for multi-element airfoils involves the use of multiple zones of structured grids fitted to each element. Two different approaches are compared; a patched system of grids, and an overlaid Chimera system of grids. Computational results are presented for two-element, three-element, and four-element airfoil configurations. Excellent agreement with experimental surface pressure coefficients is seen. The code converges in less than 200 iterations, requiring on the order of one minute of CPU time on a CRAY YMP per element in the airfoil configuration.

Rogers, Stuart E.↗

Efficient simulation of incompressible viscous flow over multi-element airfoils

The incompressible, viscous, turbulent flow over single and multi-element airfoils is numerically simulated in an efficient manner by solving the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. The computer code uses the method of pseudo-compressibility with an upwind-differencing scheme for the convective fluxes and an implicit line-relaxation solution algorithm. The motivation for this work includes interest in studying the high-lift take-off and landing configurations of various aircraft. In particular, accurate computation of lift and drag at various angles of attack, up to stall, is desired. Two different turbulence models are tested in computing the flow over an NACA 4412 airfoil; an accurate prediction of stall is obtained. The approach used for multi-element airfoils involves the use of multiple zones of structured grids fitted to each element. Two different approaches are compared: a patched system of grids, and an overlaid Chimera system of grids. Computational results are presented for two-element, three-element, and four-element airfoil configurations. Excellent agreement with experimental surface pressure coefficients is seen. The code converges in less than 200 iterations, requiring on the order of one minute of CPU time (on a CRAY YMP) per element in the airfoil configuration.

Rogers, Stuart E.↗

Simulations of Spray Reacting Flows in a Single Element LDI Injector With and Without Invoking an Eulerian Scalar PDF Method

This paper presents the numerical simulations of the Jet-A spray reacting flow in a single element lean direct injection (LDI) injector by using the National Combustion Code (NCC) with and without invoking the Eulerian scalar probability density function (PDF) method. The flow field is calculated by using the Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes equations (RANS and URANS) with nonlinear turbulence models, and when the scalar PDF method is invoked, the energy and compositions or species mass fractions are calculated by solving the equation of an ensemble averaged density-weighted fine-grained probability density function that is referred to here as the averaged probability density function (APDF). A nonlinear model for closing the convection term of the scalar APDF equation is used in the presented simulations and will be briefly described. Detailed comparisons between the results and available experimental data are carried out. Some positive findings of invoking the Eulerian scalar PDF method in both improving the simulation quality and reducing the computing cost are observed.

Shih, Tsan-Hsing↗

A survey of simulation and diagnostic techniques for hypersonic nonequilibrium flows

The possible means of simulating nonequilibrium reacting flows in hypersonic environments, and the required diagnostic techniques, are surveyed in two categories: bulk flow behavior and determination of chemical rate parameters. Flow visualization of shock shapes for validation of computational-fluid dynamic calculations is proposed. The facilities and the operating conditions necessary to produce the required nonequilibrium conditions, the suitable optical techniques, and their sensitivity requirements, are surveyed. Shock-tubes, shock-tunnels, and ballistic ranges in a wide range of sizes and strengths are found to be useful for this purpose, but severe sensitivity requirements are indicated for the optical instruments, which can be met only by using highly-collimated laser sources. Likewise, for the determination of chemical parameters, this paper summarizes the quantities that need to be determined, required facilities and their operating conditions, and the suitable diagnostic techniques and their performance requirements. Shock tubes of various strengths are found to be useful for this purpose. Vacuum ultraviolet absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy and coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy are found to be the techniques best suited for the measurements of the chemical data.

Sharma, Surendra P.↗

Numerical simulations of turbulent spots in plane Poiseuille and boundary-layer flow

Direct numerical simulations of turbulent spots in plane Poiseuille and boundary-layer flows are performed. Mature, self-similar spots are obtained. The propagation velocities and spreading angles are found to compare well with corresponding experiments. The difference in shape of the two spots is also clearly discernible: the turbulent parts are contained within arrowhead regions that point in opposite directions for the two cases. The wing-tip region of the Poiseuille spot is also found to consist of a large-amplitude semiturbulent wave packet.

Henningson, Dan↗

Hypersonic flow - Physical issues and computational simulation

Computational results are presented on hypersonic flows, with emphasis on thermal and chemical nonequilibrium effects and the role played by grids. The continuum equations and their boundary conditions are presented, and the direct simulation Monte Carlo method is described. The importance of using the correct computational and physical models in describing hypersonic nonequilibrium flows is demonstrated.

Hassan, H. A.↗