The Influence of Surface Roughness on Resistance to Flow Through Packed Beds

1986 ◽  
Vol 108 (3) ◽  
pp. 343-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. W. Crawford ◽  
O. A. Plumb

Experiments were performed to determine the effect of roughness on flow through randomly packed beds of spheres. Three different packings were investigated, one of smooth spheres, and two others composed of spheres with roughness elements added to the surface. The relative roughness, defined as the height of the added elements divided by the diameter of the smooth spheres, was .012 and .026 for these two cases. The experiments covered a range of Reynolds numbers based on the sphere diameter from near unity where the flow is dominated by viscosity to 1600 where the flow is dominated by inertia. It was found that the pressure drop is substantially increased by the presence of surface roughness over the entire range of Reynolds numbers studied. The observed behavior is quite different from that which has been proposed previously by drawing analogy with flow in rough pipes, since the flow at low Reynolds number as well as high Reynolds number was affected by roughness.

Author(s):  
Justin R. Finn ◽  
Sourabh V. Apte ◽  
Brian D. Wood

The characteristics of pore scale vortical structures observed in moderate Reynolds number flow through mono-disperse packed beds of spheres are examined. Our results come from direct numerical simulations of flow through (i) a periodic, simple cubic arrangement of 54 spheres, (ii) a wall bounded, close packed arrangement of 216 spheres, and (iii) a realistic randomly packed tube containing 326 spheres with a tube diameter to sphere diameter ratio of 5.96. Pore Reynolds numbers in the steady inertial (10 ≲ Re ≲ 200) and unsteady inertial (Re ≈ 600) regimes are considered. Even at similar Reynolds numbers, the vortical structures observed in flows through these three packings are remarkably different. The interior of the arranged packings are dominated by multi-lobed vortex ring structures which align with the principal axes of the packing. The random packing and the near wall region of the close packed arrangement are dominated by helical vortices, elongated in the mean flow direction. In the simple cubic packing, unsteady flow is marked by periodic vortex shedding which occurs at a single frequency. Conversely, at a similar Reynolds number, the vortical structures in unsteady flow through the random packing oscillate with many characteristic frequencies.


2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen E. Turner ◽  
Hongwei Sun ◽  
Mohammad Faghri ◽  
Otto J. Gregory

Abstract This paper presents an experimental investigation on nitrogen and helium flow through microchannels etched in silicon with hydraulic diameters between 10 and 40 microns, and Reynolds numbers ranging from 0.3 to 600. The objectives of this research are (1) to fabricate microchannels with uniform surface roughness and local pressure measurement; (2) to determine the friction factor within the locally fully developed region of the microchannel; and (3) to evaluate the effect of surface roughness on momentum transfer by comparison with smooth microchannels. The friction factor results are presented as the product of friction factor and Reynolds number plotted against Reynolds number. The following conclusions have been reached in the present investigation: (1) microchannels with uniform corrugated surfaces can be fabricated using standard photolithographic processes; and (2) surface features with low aspect ratios of height to width have little effect on the friction factor for laminar flow in microchannels.


1993 ◽  
Vol 115 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. Chaplin

Measurements of pressures around a circular cylinder with fine surface roughness in planar oscillatory flow reveal considerable changes in drag and inertia coefficients over the Reynolds number range 2.5 × 105 to 7.5 × 105, and at Keulegan-Carpenter numbers between 5 and 25. In most respects, these results are shown to be compatible with previous measurements in planar oscillatory flow, and with previous measurements in which the same 0.5-m-dia cylinder was tested in waves.


1989 ◽  
Vol 111 (3) ◽  
pp. 301-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Moore ◽  
J. G. Moore ◽  
G. S. Henry ◽  
U. Chaudhry

The effects of Reynolds number on flow through a tip gap are investigated by performing laminar flow calculations for an idealized two-dimensional tip gap geometry. The results of the calculations aid in understanding and reconciliation of low Much number turbine tip gap measurements, which range in tip gap Reynolds number from 100 to 10,000. For the higher Reynolds numbers, both the calculations and the measurements show a large separation off the sharp edge of the blade tip corner. For a high Reynolds number, fully turbulent flow calculations were also made. These also show a large separation and the results are compared with heat transfer measurements. At high Mach numbers, there are complex shock structures in the tip gap. These are modeled experimentally using a water table.


2016 ◽  
Vol 138 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Wang ◽  
D. Ewing ◽  
T. Le ◽  
C. Y. Ching

The local mass transfer and the resulting roughness in a 203 mm diameter back-to-back bend arranged in an S-configuration were measured at a Reynolds number of 300,000. A dissolving wall method using gypsum dissolution to water at 40 °C was used, with a Schmidt number of 660. The topography of the unworn and worn inner surface was quantified using nondestructive X-ray computed tomography (CT) scans. The local mass transfer rate was obtained from the local change in radius over the flow time. Two regions of high mass transfer were present: (i) along the intrados of the first bend near the inlet and (ii) at the exit of the extrados of the first bend that extends to the intrados of the second bend. The latter was the region of highest mass transfer, and the scaling of the maximum Sherwood number with Reynolds number followed that developed for lower Reynolds numbers. The relative roughness distribution in the bend corresponded to the mass transfer distribution, with higher roughness in the higher mass transfer regions. The spacing of the roughness elements in the upstream pipe and in the two regions of high mass transfer was approximately the same; however, the spacing-to-height ratio was very different with values of 20, 10, and 6, respectively.


1992 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. 522-529 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. E. Olson

We evaluated the pressure-flow relationships in collaterally ventilating segments of excised pony lungs by infusing N2, He, Ne, or SF6 at known flows (V) through a catheter wedged in a peripheral airway. Measurements were made at segment- (Ps) to-airway opening (Pao) pressure differentials of 3–15 cmH2O when the lungs were held at transpulmonary pressures of 5, 10, and 15 cmH2O. The data were analyzed both by calculating collateral resistance (Ps-Pao/V) and by constructing Moody-type plots of normalized pressure drop [(Ps-Pao)/(1/2 rho U2, where rho is density and U is velocity)] against Reynolds number to assess the pattern of flow through the segment and the change in dimension of the flow channels as Ps and Pao were changed. The interpretations from these analyses were compared with radiographic measurements of the diameters of small airways within the collaterally ventilating lung segment at similar pressures. Collateral resistance increased as Ps-Pao increased at high Reynolds numbers, i.e., high flows or dense gas (SF6). Analysis of the Moody-type plots revealed that flow was density dependent at Reynolds number greater than 100, which frequently occurred when N2 was the inflow gas. The radiographic data revealed that small airway diameter increased as Ps-Pao increased at all lung volumes. In addition, at 5 cmH2O Pao, small-airway diameter was smaller for a given Ps in the nonhomogeneous case (Ps greater than Pao) than small-airway diameter for the same Ps in the homogeneous case (Ps = Pao). We interpret these data to suggest that the surrounding lung prevented the segment from expanding in the nonhomogeneous case.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Author(s):  
Andrew M. Bluestein ◽  
Douglas Bohl

Abstract Turbulent particle-laden flows are of high interest due to their presence in many industrial applications. High Reynolds number flows containing solid particles, create complex flows and erosive environments. The effect that the particles have on the turbulence of the surrounding fluid is referred to in the literature as turbulence modulation. This is an area of research in which there is still much to learn to enable a deeper understanding of the physics behind these complex flows. Data that would be of particular usefulness are at higher Reynolds numbers (Re ≥ 100,000), and dense loadings (ΦV ≥ 1%). In this work, turbulent particle-laden flow through a simplified industrial geometry was studied at an upper Reynolds number of 115,000 and particle loadings up to 5% by weight/volume (specific gravity = 1) to address these needs. The flow within a tee junction with the 90-degree branch closed-off downstream was studied. This is analogous to a duct flow but with an exposed region of fluid at the location of the closed-off branch. Super absorbent particles were used as the solid phase, which became index-matched and neutrally buoyant upon saturation with water. Data were acquired using 2-D planar particle image velocimetry (PIV) along the center span of the tunnel. Mean and root-mean-square (rms) velocities were calculated for the fluid phase. Particle loadings studied were 0%, 1%, 3%, and 5 at flow Reynolds numbers of 11,500 and 115,000. Velocity contour plots are presented to provide a macro description of the flow. Three horizontal positions within the shear layer region were selected for profile comparison (x* = −0.45, 0, 0.45). Prior literature suggested that the particles would attenuate the turbulence, however, the result showed no single trend in the current data. The mean velocities were nominally unaffected by loading for a respective Reynolds number case. Turbulence modulation of the flow was found to be sensitive to the Reynolds number, as at x* = −0.45 weakening of the rms was observed in the low Reynolds number case and strengthening in the high Reynolds number case for the same particle loading in the same region of the geometry.


2021 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nils Paul van Hinsberg

Abstract The aerodynamics of smooth and slightly rough prisms with square cross-sections and sharp edges is investigated through wind tunnel experiments. Mean and fluctuating forces, the mean pitch moment, Strouhal numbers, the mean surface pressures and the mean wake profiles in the mid-span cross-section of the prism are recorded simultaneously for Reynolds numbers between 1$$\times$$ × 10$$^{5}$$ 5 $$\le$$ ≤ Re$$_{D}$$ D $$\le$$ ≤ 1$$\times$$ × 10$$^{7}$$ 7 . For the smooth prism with $$k_s$$ k s /D = 4$$\times$$ × 10$$^{-5}$$ - 5 , tests were performed at three angles of incidence, i.e. $$\alpha$$ α = 0$$^{\circ }$$ ∘ , −22.5$$^{\circ }$$ ∘ and −45$$^{\circ }$$ ∘ , whereas only both “symmetric” angles were studied for its slightly rough counterpart with $$k_s$$ k s /D = 1$$\times$$ × 10$$^{-3}$$ - 3 . First-time experimental proof is given that, within the accuracy of the data, no significant variation with Reynolds number occurs for all mean and fluctuating aerodynamic coefficients of smooth square prisms up to Reynolds numbers as high as $$\mathcal {O}$$ O (10$$^{7}$$ 7 ). This Reynolds-number independent behaviour applies to the Strouhal number and the wake profile as well. In contrast to what is known from square prisms with rounded edges and circular cylinders, an increase in surface roughness height by a factor 25 on the current sharp-edged square prism does not lead to any notable effects on the surface boundary layer and thus on the prism’s aerodynamics. For both prisms, distinct changes in the aerostatics between the various angles of incidence are seen to take place though. Graphic abstract


Author(s):  
M. Eaddy ◽  
W. H. Melbourne ◽  
J. Sheridan

The problem of flow-induced vibration has been studied extensively. However, much of this research has focused on the smooth cylinder to gain an understanding of the mechanisms that cause vortex-induced vibration. In this paper results of an investigation of the effect of surface roughness on the cross-wind forces are presented. Measurements of the sectional RMS fluctuating lift forces and the axial correlation of the pressures for Reynolds numbers from 1 × 105 to 1.4 × 106 are given. It was found that surface roughness significantly increased the axial correlation of the pressures to similar values found at high subcritical Reynolds numbers. There was little effect of the surface roughness on the sectional lift forces. The improved correlation of the vortex shedding means rough cylinders will be subject to larger cross-wind forces and an increased possibility of vortex-induced vibration compared to smooth cylinders.


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