Journal Of Applied Fluid Mechanics
Volume:17 Issue: 6, Jun 2024

Radial pre-swirl systems are widely applied in the aviation industry to supply cooling air to high-pressure turbine blades in aircraft engines. The efficiency of the film cooling can significantly decline when the air pressure is insufficient. This study explored the synergistic optimization of pre-swirl nozzles and receiver holes to improve the pressure ratio of a radial pre-swirl system. To attain this objective, we established a surrogate model using an artificial neural network and adopted the particle swarm optimization algorithm to pinpoint the optimized geometric parameters within the defined design scope. The results revealed that the optimal performance was achieved when the pre-swirl-nozzle tangential angle reached 40.4368°, the receiver-hole axial angle reached 2.0286°, and the tangential angle reached 30°. Additionally, multiple computational simulations were performed under diverse operational conditions to validate the efficacy of this optimization. The results revealed a significant enhancement in the pressure-boosting efficiency of the radial pre-swirl system, with negligible impact on temperature increment. The optimized model exhibited a 16.93% higher pressure ratio and 1.6% higher temperature ratio than the baseline model. This improvement can be attributed to enhancements in the flow field and reductions in local losses.

The sport of half-pipe skiing, characterized by its dynamic maneuvers and high-speed descents, often faces challenges posed by unpredictable wind conditions.  To address this, an advanced wind-blocking system incorporating an air curtain capable of generating a jet flow is proposed. This pioneering design offers a dual advantage: the system can significantly reduce the windbreak size in the vertical dimension while maintaining a satisfactory wind-blocking effect. A comprehensive study is conducted to analyze the effects of the height of the windbreak and the jet emission angle from the air curtain. When the jet speed is 40 m/s, a 50° emission angle and a 2 m height of the windbreak result in an optimal wind-blocking effect. Furthermore, delving deeper to understand the underpinnings of this phenomenon, we discovered that a counterrotating vortex pair, which forms in the presence of this jet under crossflow conditions, plays a pivotal role in augmenting the wind-blocking capabilities of the system.

To enhance the aerodynamic performance of an ultra-compact S-shaped convergent-divergent nozzle and mitigate flow separation, numerical simulations were conducted using FLUENT software. The study employed the k-ω shear stress transport turbulent model to investigate a flow control method involving blowing. Detailed analysis was performed on the impact of blowing position, angle, and pressure ratio on controlling flow separation. The findings indicate that as the blowing position moves backward, the flow separation area diminishes. Additionally, downstream flow separation ceases at smaller blowing angles within the separation zone. However, excessively large blowing angles tend to create an “aerodynamic wall,” causing significant upstream flow loss and nozzle performance degradation. Enhancing the blowing pressure ratio, given proper mixing with low-energy fluid and no interference with the main flow, can improve the nozzle's aerodynamic performance. Under the optimal blowing scheme, the total pressure recovery coefficient and thrust coefficient are increased by approximately 0.52% and 3.75%, respectively, when compared with those of the reference nozzle.

Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs) are designed to be lightweight and compact, which can impact their overall lift and aerodynamic capabilities. This study focuses on enhancing the Coefficient of Lift (CL) by optimising the Back Sweep Angle in the Lambda wing-UCAV. The model's baseline geometry remains unchanged during the experimental and numerical analysis, while different back sweep angles ranging from δ=00 to δ=500 are investigated at varied free-stream velocities and angles of attack. This helps to understand the generation of induced lift in the intricate shapes of the Lambda Wing. The results indicate a 5% to 10% increase in the lift for every 100 increments of the Back Sweep Angle, and the vortices' strength increases and reaches a maximum at δ=400. At greater angles (δ >400), the lift drops gradually with the Reynolds number. The stagnation point shifts from 25% to 35% along the chord towards the pressure surface as the angles of attack increase from α=50 to α=100. The angle of attack α>100.

During the operation of a water-jet pump, cavitation generates noise and vibration, causes surface erosion of the hydraulic components, and reduces the performance of the pump. Suppressing the cavitation is beneficial for improving the stability of the energy system of the water-jet pump. In order to investigate the mechanism of cavitation suppression and optimize the cavitation performance of the water-jet pump, the unsteady cavitation flow was studied by numerical simulation and experiment in this paper. Using high-speed photography technology on a closed test platform, the cavitation flow structures in the water-jet pump were captured, and the physical process of cavitation evolution was revealed. Based on this, in order to obtain the cavitation flow characteristics closely related to the cavitation performance, the cavitation flow in the impeller tip clearance was studied by numerical simulation, the vorticity variation rate in the tip clearance was analyzed, the effects of different cavitation conditions on the vorticity in the tip clearance were revealed. Additionally, this paper analyzed the pressure pulsation characteristics of the tip clearance under different cavitation conditions, and emphatically analyzed the influence of the cavitation flow on the tip clearance pressure pulsation.

Bifurcated vessels represent a typical vascular unit of the cardiovascular system. In this study, the blood flow in symmetric and asymmetric bifurcated vessels are simulated based on computational fluid dynamics method. The blood is modeled as non-Newtonian fluid, and the pulsatile flow velocity is applied on the inlet. The effects of the fluid model, bifurcation angle and symmetry of the geometry of the vessel are investigated. The results show that the wall shear stress (WSS) on the outer wall of daughter branches for the non-Newtonian fluid flow is greater than that for Newtonian fluid flow, and the discrepancy between the flow of two fluid models is obvious at relatively low flow rates. With the bifurcation angle increases, the peak axial velocity of the cross-section of daughter branch decreases, so the WSS increases. For the non-Newtonian fluid flow in the asymmetric bifurcated vessels, more flow passes through the daughter vessel with a lower angle, and the WSS along the outer wall of which is lower. Furthermore, the region with a low time-averaged wall stress (TAWSS) and high oscillating shear index(OSI) distributed on the outer wall of bifurcation vessels are larger for the flow in the vessel with smaller bifurcation angle. In conclusion, the effects of the blood viscosity cannot be neglected at low flow rates and the geometry of the bifurcated vessel plays a key role with regards to the blood flow.

The diffusion porous media combustion is one possible way to eliminate the drawbacks of the existing combustion systems. Inverse diffusion flame (IDF) has features of both premixed and non-premixed flames. To integrate the advantages of porous media combustion with IDF, inverse diffusion porous (IDP) medium burner is tested for change in flame morphology and emissions at different equivalence ratio (ɸ). The porous media located at the exit of IDF burner has potential to deliver minimum flame length with low emissions. Flame appearance, flame height, flame zones etc. and emissions are experimentally investigated. Methane is used as fuel. Visible flame height is captured digitally and evaluated using ImageJ software. Central plane flame temperature is measured experimentally. CO and NOX emissions are recorded with Testo-340 flue gas analyser. The use of porous media at flame base is beneficiary in terms of achieving better air-fuel mixing and radial diffusion of air-fuel mixture. This reduces flame height with porous medium at all range of ɸ. Increase in ɸ reduces CO and enhances NOX emissions. Porous media reduces CO by 75 % and NOX by 60 %. Inverse diffusion porous medium burner emits lowest emissions in rich conditions.

This study investigates the cooling features of sweeping jets with phase changes, providing insights into how parameters affect heat transfer. The study aims to improve heat transfer by investigating the cooling effects of a sweeping jet impinging on a concave wall. The Eulerian-Lagrangian particle tracking method was used to examine the impact of Reynolds number, droplet diameter, mist capacity, and impingement distance on heat transfer properties during the sweeping jet impingement cooling. Increasing the Reynolds number from 20,000 to 35,200 results in a 7.1% and 3.3% decrease in average temperature at the axial centerline of the impingement wall, attributed to the cooling effect from droplet phase change. Decreasing droplet diameter from 20 µm to 10 µm reduces temperature amplitude by 11K. At 5% and 7.5% mist ratios, the cooling performance is similar to that of dry air. However, a mist injection of 10% significantly amplifies the cooling effect by 18.8%, providing a more efficient cooling experience. This investigation provides essential perspectives on impingement cooling, offering insights into the impact of various parameters on heat transfer enhancement.

This study examined the drag reduction properties of cylindrical flows across various asymmetric notched structures through numerical simulation and particle image velocimetry. The focus was on investigating the influence of the number of asymmetric grooves on the drag characteristics, including the mean drag, spectral characteristics, time-averaged streamlines, separation point prediction, time-averaged pressure, wake vortex strength, Reynolds stress, and turbulent kinetic energy. The results showed that the presence of asymmetric grooves significantly influenced these flow parameters. Notably, the improvement was optimal in the four-groove configuration, evidenced by the lowest mean drag coefficient (0.804), vortex shedding frequency (2.74 Hz), recirculation area length (1.208D), and pressure difference across the cylinder (81.76). Moreover, this configuration resulted in the weakest trailing vortex, a 45% reduction in the maximum Reynolds stress (0.011), and a 40.5% decrease in the maximum turbulent kinetic energy (0.05). Thus, the presence of asymmetric grooves had a significant positive effect on the cylindrical flow properties, though the degree of improvement decreased with further increase in the number of grooves.

The self-starting performance of vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) is crucial for their widespread utilization. Conventional evaluation methods using the static torque coefficient (CTS) or self-starting time have limitations. "The minimum 1st derivative of angular acceleration in the lift acceleration state" is proposed to serve as a suitable indicator for the completion of self-starting. Understanding the behavior of the self-starting process in VAWTs is crucial for optimizing power output. A comprehensive methodology is used that integrates experiments and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Wind tunnel experiments are conducted to evaluate the self-starting and power output performance of the turbines. CFD is employed utilizing the Fluent 6DOF module to investigate the torque and flow field characteristics during the self-starting process. Additionally, the objectives of our study are to investigate the effect of static evaluation methods on the dynamic start-up process and to explore the effects of airfoil type, pitch angle, and inlet wind speed on the self-starting behavior of turbines. The results indicate that a high CTS ensures initial rotation, but the subsequent self-starting time remains independent of this factor. Increasing the pitch angle enhances the self-starting performance. At an inlet speed of 5 m/s, for the NACA2418 airfoil turbine, the self-starting times for pitch angles of 10° and 5° are reduced by 20% and 12%, respectively, compared to that for 0°. The NACA0018 airfoil turbines with pitch angles of 0° and 5° fail to complete self-starting. The airfoil type also plays a crucial role, with the NACA2418 airfoil demonstrating superior self-starting performance and power performance. Furthermore, the minimum self-starting wind speed of the NACA0018 airfoil turbine was explored and determined be between 5.5 m/s and 6 m/s. The utilization of this novel self-starting evaluation method addresses the limitations of traditional approaches, providing a more universally applicable interpretation of the characteristics of turbine self-starting behavior.

Present research study analyses the suitability of baffled reactor vessels with large diameter agitated using the Rushton Turbine (RT) impeller maintained at standard clearance condition for the solid-liquid suspension process. The mean and turbulent flow fields associated with reactor vessels of various diameter were simulated using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) approach. The impeller rotation was modelled using Multiple Reference Frame (MRF) technique and entrainment of air was simulated using Volume of Fluid (VOF) method respectively. The increase in the diameter of reactor vessel keeping impeller at standard clearance condition lead to the transition from double to single loop pattern with considerable decrease in the power number. In large reactor vessels, a low pressure zone is developed below the impeller which deflects the discharge streams and trailing vortices towards bottom surface of the reactor vessel causing the formation of single loop down-pumping pattern. The downward propagation of trailing vortices weaken the flow separation region behind the impeller blades which in turn decreases the form drag and power number of the impeller. The development of single loop down-pumping pattern, high magnitudes of axial velocity, vortex and turbulence fields near vessel bottom and inferior entrainment of air makes the large reactor vessels suitable for the solid-liquid suspension process. The high magnitudes of axial velocity developed below the impeller of large reactor vessel with same power consumption as compared to low clearance vessel makes the former vessel configuration more suitable for the solid-liquid suspension process.

Traveling wave is an innovative active flow control technique that can remarkably mitigate flow separation. This paper employs numerical simulation to examine how traveling wave structures affect the NACA0012 airfoil. The traveling wave structure is situated at 0.5%c from the leading edge. In the chord direction, its projection length is 0.1c. Through numerical simulation, the impacts of dimensionless length-width ratio and velocity of traveling wave on flow separation are investigated, and the relationship between the traveling wave's optimal parameters and angle of attack is explored. The outcomes demonstrate that traveling waves with suitable length-width ratios and velocities can effectively suppress flow separation. When AoA=16°, traveling wave airfoil with dimensionless velocity U=1.1 and length-width ratio A=1 achieves the best performance, and its lift-drag ratio is 9.24 times that of the original NACA0012 airfoil. The optimal dimensionless length-width ratio and velocity of the traveling wave airfoil are associated with the angle of attack, and different parameters need to be chosen at various angles of attack to attain optimum effect.

The Reynolds number (Re) is an important parameter that can affect compressor performance. This study experimentally and numerically investigated the effect of Re variations on the efficiency and stall mechanisms for a three-stage axial flow compressor. In the experiment, the total pressure ratio, polytropic efficiency, and stalling mass flow rate were measured in a Re range varying from 1,100,000 to 55,000 to elucidate the Re effects. Unsteady three-dimensional numerical simulations were implemented to understand the stall mechanisms. The results indicate that the compressor efficiency and stall–pressure ratio begin to decrease remarkably as Re is reduced below a critical value, which is 220,000 in the case of the compressor studied. At a low Re, losses caused by the secondary flow near the hub and shroud increase remarkably, and the extended boundary layer separations at the blade suction surface further decrease the efficiency. The variation in Re changes the stall-initiated location. At higher Reynolds numbers, the interaction between the corner separation at the hub of stator 1 and the leakage flow through the blade tip gap induces a large vortex, which seriously blocks the blade passage. The blocking effect spreads to the aft stage and extends to higher spans, which results in the stall of the whole compressor. However, the blocking effect at the hub disappears at Re =55,000, and the interaction of the blade boundary layer separation near the shroud of rotor 1 and the tip leakage vortex causes a large blockage and then induces stall. The Re variation changes the radial flow transportation because of the varying effect on the aerodynamic performance of each blade element at different spans. This significantly influences the extent of the vortex near the end wall and ultimately changes the stall mechanisms.

Film cooling protects high-temperature components and generates complex vortex structures through the interaction between the mainstream flow and the injected coolant. Additionally, the process of applying thermal barrier coatings introduces imperfect cooling holes. A numerical simulation study is conducted on two geometric configurations: inclined perfect and imperfect holes arranged in a single row on a flat plate to investigate the effects of flow field vortex structures and hole imperfections. The k-epsilon turbulent model is employed to analyse the impact of varying blowing ratios and defect positions on flow field structure and cooling efficiency, with vortex dynamics providing explanatory insights. As the blowing ratio increases, the kidney vortex associated with the perfect holes progressively detaches from the wall, reducing film cooling efficiency. The kidney vortex originates from the shear interaction between the mainstream and the impinging jet, predominantly influenced by the vortex stretching component. Imperfect holes influence the distribution state of the kidney vortex, with weakened roll-up phenomena observed at the IT4 defect location. Consequently, a noticeable enhancement in film cooling effectiveness is achieved near the proximal end of the hole.

With regard to the pronounced pressure pulsation and cyclic thrust oscillation observed in the tail flow field of an underwater vehicle operating under over-expanded conditions, and drawing inspiration from flow control techniques involving porous media structures like submarine coral reefs and breakwaters, this paper presents an innovative proposition to incorporate a porous media layer on the tail wall of the nozzle in order to regulate the structure of the tail gaseous jets. To optimize the flow control of underwater vehicles, the utilization of porous media layers with varying degrees of porosity is employed to establish a model for underwater supersonic gaseous jets. This model scrutinizes the intricate structure of the tail gaseous jets, as well as the consequential wall pressure and thrust engendered by the nozzle. The findings eloquently demonstrate that the porous media model, boasting a porosity of 0.34, exerts a diminished influence on the morphological characteristics of the tail gaseous jets, while concurrently yielding a superior flow control effect on the pulsation of tail wall pressure and attenuating the differential thrust generated by the underwater vehicle. Consequently, this innovative approach effectively mitigates overall thrust oscillation, thereby enhancing the stability of the underwater vehicle throughout its submerged operations.