A Study of Inlet Flow Distortion Effects on Automotive Catalytic Converters

1991 ◽  
Vol 113 (3) ◽  
pp. 419-426 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Bella ◽  
V. Rocco ◽  
M. Maggiore
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Fluid Dynamic ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Flow Distribution ◽  
Catalytic Converters ◽  
Flow Distortion ◽  
Local Flow ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Local Boundary Condition

This paper will focus on the influence exerted by a nonuniform flow distribution at the inlet of oxidizers to catalytic converters on conversion efficiency evaluated channel by channel. To this aim the flow inside the whole domain, constituted by the exhaust manifold and an elliptic-cross-sectional pipe connecting it with the converter shell, is simulated by means of a three-dimensional fluid-dynamic viscous model. In this way, after assigning typical converter size and geometry (i.e., elliptic) the gas flow rate distribution can be described at its inlet surface, also varying the total mass flow rate. After calculating the flow field at converter inlet by means of a three-dimensional model, evaluation is possible of local flow distortion in comparison with the ideal conditions of constant velocity of the gas entering the honeycomb converter channels. The abovementioned distorted flow field is then assigned as a local boundary condition for another model, developed by the authors, able to describe, through a one-dimensional fluid-dynamic approach, the reacting flow into the converter channels. It was also shown that, due to this flow distortion, honeycomb converters are not uniformly exploited in terms of pollutants of different quantities to be converted in each channel (i.e., a nonuniform exploitation of all the metals coating the ceramic monolith). Finally, the positive effects determined by a diffuser upstream of the converter on flow distribution are analyzed.

scholarly journals Coupled Fluid–Solid Numerical Simulation for Flow Field Characteristics and Supporting Performance of Flexible Support Cylindrical Gas Film Seal

Aerospace ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 97
Author(s):  
Junfeng Sun ◽  
Meihong Liu ◽  
Zhen Xu ◽  
Taohong Liao ◽  
Xiangping Hu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Film Thickness ◽  
Fluid Dynamic ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
Structural Parameters ◽  
Equivalent Stress ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
High Rotational Speed ◽  
Flexible Support ◽  
Flow Field Characteristics

A new type of cylindrical gas film seal (CGFS) with a flexible support is proposed according to the working characteristics of the fluid dynamic seal in high-rotational-speed fluid machinery, such as aero-engines and centrifuges. Compared with the CGFS without a flexible support, the CGFS with flexible support presents stronger radial floating characteristics since it absorbs vibration and reduces thermal deformation of the rotor system. Combined with the structural characteristics of a film seal, an analytical model of CGFS with a flexible wave foil is established. Based on the fluid-structure coupling analysis method, the three-dimensional flow field of a straight-groove CGFS model is simulated to study the effects of operating and structural parameters on the steady-state characteristics and the effects of gas film thickness, eccentricity, and the number of wave foils on the equivalent stress of the flexible support. Simulation results show that the film stiffness increases significantly when the depth of groove increases. When the gas film thickness increases, the average equivalent stress of the flexible support first decreases and then stabilizes. Furthermore, the number of wave foils affects the average foils thickness. Therefore, when selecting the number of wave foils, the support stiffness and buffer capacity should be considered simultaneously.

Experimental investigation of the air flow in a simplified underhood environment

2021 ◽  
pp. 095440702110597
Author(s):  
Randi Franzke ◽  
Simone Sebben ◽  
Emil Willeson
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Laser Doppler Anemometry ◽  
Fluid Dynamic ◽  
Air Flow ◽  
Measurement Data ◽  
Quality Measurement ◽  
Flow Distribution ◽  
Lateral Position ◽  
Reference Case ◽  
Lateral Direction

In this paper, a simplified underhood environment is proposed to investigate the air flow distribution in a vehicle-like set-up and provide high quality measurement data that can be used for the validation of Computational Fluid Dynamic methods. The rig can be equipped with two types of front openings representative for electrified vehicles. Furthermore, it is possible to install differently shaped blockages downstream of the fan to imitate large underhood components. The distance between the blockages and the fan can be varied in longitudinal and lateral direction. The measurements are performed with Laser Doppler Anemometry at a fixed distance downstream of the fan. The results show that the lack of an upper grille opening in the configuration for a battery electric vehicle has a notable impact on the flow field in the reference case without any downstream blockage. However, the differences in the flow field between the two front designs become less when a downstream obstruction is present. The longitudinal and lateral position of the blockages have a minor impact on the flow field compared to the shape of the obstacle itself.

Effects of Inlet Mass Flow Distribution and Magnitude on Reactant Distribution for PEM Fuel Cells

2005 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. McGarry ◽  
L. Grega
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Mass Flow ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Flow Separation ◽  
Flow Distribution ◽  
Pem Fuel Cells ◽  
Local Flow ◽  
Flow Rates ◽  
Large Active Area ◽  
Mass Flow Rates

The mass flow distribution and local flow structures that lead to areas of reactant starvation are explored for a small power large active area PEM fuel cell. A numerical model was created to examine the flow distribution for three different inlet profiles; blunt, partially developed, and fully developed. The different inlet profiles represent the various distances between the blower and the inlet to the fuel cell and the state of flow development. The partially and fully developed inlet profiles were found to have the largest percentage of cells that are deficient, 20% at a flow rate of 6.05 g/s. Three different inlet mass flow rates (stoichs) were also examined for each inlet profile. The largest percent of cells deficient in reactants is 27% and occurs at the highest flow rate of 9.1 g/s (3 stoichs) for the partially and fully developed turbulent profiles. In addition to the uneven flow distribution, flow separation occurs in the front four channels for the blunt inlet profile at all flow rates examined. These areas of flow separation lead to localized reactant deficient areas within a channel.

A physics-based zero-dimensional model for the mass flow rate of a turbocharger compressor with uniform/distorted inlet condition

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 624-639 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kang Song ◽  
Ben Zhao ◽  
Harold Sun ◽  
Weilin Yi
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Mass Flow Rate ◽  
Mass Flow ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Fluid Dynamic ◽  
Dimensional Model ◽  
Inlet Pipe ◽  
External Work ◽  
Compressor Wheel ◽  
Inlet Flow

Turbocharger compressor, when fitted to a vehicle, usually operates with a curved inlet pipe which leads to distorted inlet flow field, hence deteriorating compressor flow capability. During the measurement of compressor performance, turbocharger-engine matching and controller design, the inlet flow field is, however, assumed to be uniform, which deviates from the real-world conditions. Consequently, the overall system performance could be compromised if the inlet distortion effect is ignored. To address this issue, in this article, a turbomachinery physics-based zero-dimensional model was proposed for the mass flow rate of a compressor with distorted inlet flow field due to 90° and 180° bent inlet pipe. The non-uniform flow is approximated as two-zone flow field, similar to parallel compressors, with the total pressure deviation between two zones modeled as a function of the flow velocity and pipe geometry. For each flow zone, the corresponding mass flow rate is estimated by approximating each sub-compressor as an adiabatic nozzle, where the fluid is driven by external work delivered by a compressor wheel governed by Euler’s turbomachinery equation. By including turbomachinery physics and compressor geometry information into the modeling, the model achieves high fidelity in compressor map interpretation and extrapolation, which is validated in experiments and the three-dimensional computational fluid dynamic simulation.

Unsteady Responses of the Impeller of a Centrifugal Compressor Exposed to Pulsating Backpressure

2018 ◽  
Vol 141 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mengying Shu ◽  
Mingyang Yang ◽  
Ricardo F. Martinez-Botas ◽  
Kangyao Deng ◽  
Lei Shi
Keyword(s):  
Mass Flow Rate ◽  
Mass Flow ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Centrifugal Compressor ◽  
Combustion Engine ◽  
Fluid Dynamic ◽  
Flow Behavior ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Intake Manifold ◽  
Unsteady Simulation

The flow in intake manifold of a heavily downsized internal combustion engine has increased levels of unsteadiness due to the reduction of cylinder number and manifold arrangement. The turbocharger compressor is thus exposed to significant pulsating backpressure. This paper studies the response of a centrifugal compressor to this unsteadiness using an experimentally validated numerical method. A computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model with the volute and impeller is established and validated by experimental measurements. Following this, an unsteady three-dimensional (3D) simulation is conducted on a single passage imposed by the pulsating backpressure conditions, which are obtained by one-dimensional (1D) unsteady simulation. The performance of the rotor passage deviates from the steady performance and a hysteresis loop, which encapsulates the steady condition, is formed. Moreover, the unsteadiness of the impeller performance is enhanced as the mass flow rate reduces. The pulsating performance and flow structures near stall are more favorable than those seen at constant backpressure. The flow behavior at points with the same instantaneous mass flow rate is substantially different at different time locations on the pulse. The flow in the impeller is determined by not only the instantaneous boundary condition but also by the evolution history of flow field. This study provides insights in the influence of pulsating backpressure on compressor performance in actual engine situations, from which better turbo-engine matching might be benefited.

Numerical Research on Flow Field for Petroleum Tar Cutting Pump

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing-ning Hu ◽  
Jing Wang ◽  
Rengui Gu ◽  
Ying-ying Tian ◽  
Qun Ye
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Tilt Angle ◽  
Fluid Dynamic ◽  
Reference Value ◽  
Flow State ◽  
Solid Concentration ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Revolution Speed ◽  
Small Flow

In order to study the flow state and distribution of the solid particle in the flow field of petroleum tar cutting pump, the Computational Fluid Dynamic method was used to conduct the numerical simulation of liquid-solid two-phase flow based on Euler-Euler multiphase flow model and standard turbulence equation. The influence of flow rate, revolution speed and tilt angle of stator slot on streamline and distribution of solid concentration were analyzed. The result shows:strong swirl exists in inlet segment in small flow rate, but flow rate has little influence on the solid concentration, so it has no obvious influence on the cutting and grinding efficiency.Grinding efficiency could be improved by increasing revolution speed, but the requirement for the equipment would be higher, so the revolution speed should be determined reasonably. Reducing the tilt angle of stator slot is favor for improving the grinding and cutting efficiency, so it could provide some reference value for the optimal design.

scholarly journals Influence of mineralization and injection flow rate on flow patterns in three-dimensional porous media

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (27) ◽  
pp. 14605-14611 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Moosavi ◽  
A. Kumar ◽  
A. De Wit ◽  
M. Schröter
Keyword(s):  
Porous Media ◽  
Flow Field ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Flow Patterns ◽  
Low Flow ◽  
Flow Rates ◽  
Injection Flow Rate ◽  
Injection Flow

At low flow rates, the precipitate forming at the miscible interface between two reactive solutions guides the evolution of the flow field.

Three-Dimensional Computational Fluid Dynamics Prediction of Turbocharger Centrifugal Compression System Instabilities

2019 ◽  
Vol 141 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rick Dehner ◽  
Ahmet Selamet
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Pressure Fluctuations ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Flow Reversal ◽  
Constant Speed ◽  
Local Flow ◽  
Stall Cells

The present work combines experimental measurements and unsteady, three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics predictions to gain further insight into the complex flow-field within an automotive turbocharger centrifugal compressor. Flow separation from the suction surface of the main impeller blades first occurs in the mid-flow range, resulting in local flow reversal near the periphery, with the severity increasing with decreasing flow rate. This flow reversal improves leading-edge incidence over the remainder of the annulus, due to (a) reduction of cross-sectional area of forward flow, which increases the axial velocity, and (b) prewhirl in the direction of impeller rotation, as a portion of the tangential velocity of the reversed flow is maintained when it mixes with the core flow and transitions to the forward direction. As the compressor operating point enters the region where the slope of the constant speed compressor characteristic (pressure ratio versus mass flow rate) becomes positive, rotating stall cells appear near the shroud side diffuser wall. The angular propagation speed of the diffuser rotating stall cells is approximately 20% of the shaft speed, generating pressure fluctuations near 20% and 50% of the shaft frequency, which were also experimentally observed. For the present compressor and rotational speed, flow losses associated with diffuser rotating stall are likely the key contributor to increasing the slope of the constant speed compressor performance curve to a positive value, promoting the conditions required for surge instabilities. The present mild surge predictions agree well with the measurements, reproducing the amplitude and period of compressor outlet pressure fluctuations.

Numerical Study of the Winter-Kennedy Method—A Sensitivity Analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 140 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Binaya Baidar ◽  
Jonathan Nicolle ◽  
Chirag Trivedi ◽  
Michel J. Cervantes
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Conditions ◽  
Secondary Flow ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Flow Behavior ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Flow Distribution ◽  
Local Flow ◽  
Spiral Case ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics Cfd ◽  
Flow Changes

The Winter-Kennedy (WK) method is commonly used in relative discharge measurement and to quantify efficiency step-up in hydropower refurbishment projects. The method utilizes the differential pressure between two taps located at a radial section of a spiral case, which is related to the discharge with the help of a coefficient and an exponent. Nearly a century old and widely used, the method has shown some discrepancies when the same coefficient is used after a plant upgrade. The reasons are often attributed to local flow changes. To study the change in flow behavior and its impact on the coefficient, a numerical model of a semi-spiral case (SC) has been developed and the numerical results are compared with experimental results. The simulations of the SC have been performed with different inlet boundary conditions. Comparison between an analytical formulation with the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) results shows that the flow inside an SC is highly three-dimensional (3D). The magnitude of the secondary flow is a function of the inlet boundary conditions. The secondary flow affects the vortex flow distribution and hence the coefficients. For the SC considered in this study, the most stable WK configurations are located toward the bottom from θ=30deg to 45deg after the curve of the SC begins, and on the top between two stay vanes.

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