Self-induced flow in a rotating tube

1991 ◽  
Vol 230 ◽  
pp. 505-524 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Gilham ◽  
P. C. Ivey ◽  
J. M. Owen ◽  
J. R. Pincombe

When a tube, sealed at one end and open to a quiescent environment at the other, is rotated about its axis, fluid flows from the open end along the axis towards the sealed end and returns in an annular boundary layer on the cylindrical wall. This paper describes the first known study to be made of this self-induced flow. Numerical solutions of the Navier–Stokes equations are shown to be in mainly good agreement with experimental results obtained using flow visualization and laser–Doppler anemometry in a rotating glass tube.The self-induced flow in the tube can be described in terms of the length-to-radius ratio, G, and the Ekman number, E. However, for large values of G (G [ges ] 20), the flow outside the boundary layer on the endwall of the tube can be characterized by a single, modified, Ekman number, E*, where E* = GE. Although most of the fluid entering the open end of the tube is entrained into the annular (Stewartson-type) boundary layer, for small values of E* (E* < 0.2) some flow reaches the sealed end. For this so-called 'short-tube case’, the flow in the boundary layer on the endwall is shown to be similar to that associated with a disk rotating in a quiescent environment: the free disk. The self-induced flow for the short-tube case is believed to be responsible for the ’ hot-poker effect’ used, on some jet engines, to provide ice protection for the nose bullet.

1999 ◽  
Vol 387 ◽  
pp. 227-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
VALOD NOSHADI ◽  
WILHELM SCHNEIDER

Plane and axisymmetric (radial), horizontal laminar jet flows, produced by natural convection on a horizontal finite plate acting as a heat dipole, are considered at large distances from the plate. It is shown that physically acceptable self-similar solutions of the boundary-layer equations, which include buoyancy effects, exist in certain Prandtl-number regimes, i.e. 0.5<Pr[les ]1.470588 for plane, and Pr>1 for axisymmetric flow. In the plane flow case, the eigenvalues of the self-similar solutions are independent of the Prandtl number and can be determined from a momentum balance, whereas in the axisymmetric case the eigenvalues depend on the Prandtl number and are to be determined as part of the solution of the eigenvalue problem. For Prandtl numbers equal to, or smaller than, the lower limiting values of 0.5 and 1 for plane and axisymmetric flow, respectively, the far flow field is a non-buoyant jet, for which self-similar solutions of the boundary-layer equations are also provided. Furthermore it is shown that self-similar solutions of the full Navier–Stokes equations for axisymmetric flow, with the velocity varying as 1/r, exist for arbitrary values of the Prandtl number.Comparisons with finite-element solutions of the full Navier–Stokes equations show that the self-similar boundary-layer solutions are asymptotically approached as the plate Grashof number tends to infinity, whereas the self-similar solution to the full Navier–Stokes equations is applicable, for a given value of the Prandtl number, only to one particular, finite value of the Grashof number.In the Appendices second-order boundary-layer solutions are given, and uniformly valid composite expansions are constructed; asymptotic expansions for large values of the lateral coordinate are performed to study the decay of the self-similar boundary-layer flows; and the stability of the jets is investigated using transient numerical solutions of the Navier–Stokes equations.


1990 ◽  
Vol 220 ◽  
pp. 397-411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura L. Pauley ◽  
Parviz Moin ◽  
William C. Reynolds

The separation of a two-dimensional laminar boundary layer under the influence of a suddenly imposed external adverse pressure gradient was studied by time-accurate numerical solutions of the Navier–Stokes equations. It was found that a strong adverse pressure gradient created periodic vortex shedding from the separation. The general features of the time-averaged results were similar to experimental results for laminar separation bubbles. Comparisons were made with the ‘steady’ separation experiments of Gaster (1966). It was found that his ‘bursting’ occurs under the same conditions as our periodic shedding, suggesting that bursting is actually periodic shedding which has been time-averaged. The Strouhal number based on the shedding frequency, local free-stream velocity, and boundary-layer momentum thickness at separation was independent of the Reynolds number and the pressure gradient. A criterion for onset of shedding was established. The shedding frequency was the same as that predicted for the most amplified linear inviscid instability of the separated shear layer.


According to Stewartson (1969, 1974) and to Messiter (1970), the flow near the trailing edge of a flat plate has a limit structure for Reynolds number Re →∞ consisting of three layers over a distance O (Re -3/8 ) from the trailing edge: the inner layer of thickness O ( Re -5/8 ) in which the usual boundary layer equations apply; an intermediate layer of thickness O ( Re -1/2 ) in which simplified inviscid equations hold, and the outer layer of thickness O ( Re -3/8 ) in which the full inviscid equations hold. These asymptotic equations have been solved numerically by means of a Cauchy-integral algorithm for the outer layer and a modified Crank-Nicholson boundary layer program for the displacement-thickness interaction between the layers. Results of the computation compare well with experimental data of Janour and with numerical solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations by Dennis & Chang (1969) and Dennis & Dunwoody (1966).


2002 ◽  
Vol 465 ◽  
pp. 99-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. V. OBABKO ◽  
K. W. CASSEL

Numerical solutions of the unsteady Navier–Stokes equations are considered for the flow induced by a thick-core vortex convecting along a surface in a two-dimensional incompressible flow. The presence of the vortex induces an adverse streamwise pressure gradient along the surface that leads to the formation of a secondary recirculation region followed by a narrow eruption of near-wall fluid in solutions of the unsteady boundary-layer equations. The locally thickening boundary layer in the vicinity of the eruption provokes an interaction between the viscous boundary layer and the outer inviscid flow. Numerical solutions of the Navier–Stokes equations show that the interaction occurs on two distinct streamwise length scales depending upon which of three Reynolds-number regimes is being considered. At high Reynolds numbers, the spike leads to a small-scale interaction; at moderate Reynolds numbers, the flow experiences a large-scale interaction followed by the small-scale interaction due to the spike; at low Reynolds numbers, large-scale interaction occurs, but there is no spike or subsequent small-scale interaction. The large-scale interaction is found to play an essential role in determining the overall evolution of unsteady separation in the moderate-Reynolds-number regime; it accelerates the spike formation process and leads to formation of secondary recirculation regions, splitting of the primary recirculation region into multiple corotating eddies and ejections of near-wall vorticity. These eddies later merge prior to being lifted away from the surface and causing detachment of the thick-core vortex.


1974 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
pp. 231-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. E. Cormack ◽  
L. G. Leal ◽  
J. H. Seinfeld

Numerical solutions of the full Navier-Stokes equations are obtained for the problem of natural convection in closed cavities of small aspect ratio with differentially heated end walls. These solutions cover the parameter range Pr = 6·983, 10 ≤ Gr 2 × 104 and 0·05 [les ] A [les ] 1. A comparison with the asymptotic theory of part 1 shows excellent agreement between the analytical and numerical solutions provided that A [lsim ] 0·1 and Gr2A3Pr2 [lsim ] 105. In addition, the numerical solutions demonstrate the transition between the shallow-cavity limit of part 1 and the boundary-layer limit; A fixed, Gr → ∞.


2005 ◽  
Vol 127 (4) ◽  
pp. 438-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cédric Alinot ◽  
Christian Masson

This paper presents a numerical method for predicting the atmospheric boundary layer under stable, neutral, or unstable thermal stratifications. The flow field is described by the Reynolds’ averaged Navier-Stokes equations complemented by the k‐ϵ turbulence model. Density variations are introduced into the momentum equation using the Boussinesq approximation, and appropriate buoyancy terms are included in the k and ϵ equations. An original expression for the closure coefficient related to the buoyancy production term is proposed in order to improve the accuracy of the simulations. The resulting mathematical model has been implemented in FLUENT. The results presented in this paper include comparisons with respect to the Monin-Obukhov similarity theory, measurements, and earlier numerical solutions based on k‐ϵ turbulence models available in the literature. It is shown that the proposed version of the k‐ϵ model significantly improves the accuracy of the simulations for the stable atmospheric boundary layer. In neutral and unstable thermal stratifications, it is shown that the version of the k‐ϵ models available in the literature also produce accurate simulations.


1998 ◽  
Vol 120 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. O. Homan ◽  
S. L. Soo

This paper treats the steady flow of a wall jet into a large-width cavity for which the primary axis is normal to the direction of the jet inflow. Numerical solutions of the two-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations are computed for inlet Reynolds numbers of 10 to 50 and tank width to inlet height ratios of 16 to 128. The length and velocity scales of the wall jet boundary layer exhibit close agreement with the classic wall jet similarity solution and published experimental data but the width of the region for which the comparison proves to be favorable has a limited extent. This departure from a self-similar evolution of the wall jet is shown to result from the finite domain width and its influence on the large recirculation cell located immediately above the wall jet boundary layer.


1991 ◽  
Vol 113 (4) ◽  
pp. 574-578 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. C. Patel ◽  
J. Tyndall Chon ◽  
J. Y. Yoon

The boundary layer over a wavy wall and fully-developed flow in a duct with a wavy wall are considered. Numerical solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations have been obtained to provide insights into the various steady flow regimes that are possible, and to illustrate the nuances of predicting flows containing multiple separation and reattachment points.


1975 ◽  
Vol 69 (4) ◽  
pp. 631-656 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Roger Briley ◽  
Henry Mcdonald

A method is presented for performing detailed computations of thin incompressible separation bubbles on smooth surfaces. The analysis consists of finite-difference solutions to the time-dependent boundary-layer or Navier-Stokes equations for the flow in the immediate vicinity of the bubble. The method employs the McDonald-Fish turbulence model, to predict the development of the time-mean flow field, as influenced by the free-stream turbulence level. It also employs a viscous-inviscid interaction model, which accounts for the elliptic interaction between the shear layer and inviscid free stream. The numerical method is based on an alternating-direction implicit scheme for the vorticity equation. It employs transformations, to allow the free-stream boundary to change in time with the shape of the computed shear layer, and to ensure an adequate resolution of the sublayer region. Numerical solutions are presented for transitional bubbles on an NACA 663-018 airfoil at zero angle of incidence with chordal Reynolds numbers of 2·0 × 106 and 1·7 × 106. These have a qualitative behaviour similar to that observed in numerous experiments; they are also in reasonable quantitative agreement with available experimental data. Little difference is found between steady solutions of the boundary-layer and Navier-Stokes equations for these flow conditions. Numerical studies based on mesh refinement suggest that the well-known singularity at separation, which is present in conventional solutions of the steady boundary-layer equations when the free-stream velocity is specified, is effectively removed when viscous-inviscid interaction is allowed to influence the imposed velocity distribution.


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