Numerical Simulation of Sloshing in a Tank, CFD Calculations Against Model Tests

Author(s):  
Bogdan Iwanowski ◽  
Marc Lefranc ◽  
Rik Wemmenhove

Simulation of liquid dynamics in an LNG tank is studied numerically. The applied CFD code solves Navier-Stokes equations and uses an improved Volume of Fluid (iVOF) method to track movement of fluid’s free surface. Relative advantages of using two different fluid models, single-phase (liquid+void) and two-phase (liquid+compressible gas) are discussed, the latter model being capable of simulating bubbles and gas entrapped in liquid. Furthermore, the 1st and 2nd order upwind differencing schemes are used with both physical models leading to a total of four possible approaches to solve the problem. Numerical results are verified against experimental data from large scale (1:10) sloshing experiments of 2D section of an LNG carrier. The CFD vs. experiment comparison is shown for tank filling rates of practical interest, ranging from 10% to 95%, and includes both fluid height and fluid pressure exerted on tank walls. A visual comparison in form of computer animation frames, synchronised with camera-made movies taken during the experiments is included as well. Finally, an exhaustive computational grid convergence study is presented for lower filling rates of the tank.

Author(s):  
Bogdan Iwanowski ◽  
Marc Lefranc ◽  
Rik Wemmenhove

Numerical study of liquid dynamics in an LNG tank is presented. The available data from large scale (1:10) sloshing experiments of 2D section of an LNG carrier reveal large scatter in recorded values of peak pressures. The experimental data is analysed from statistical point of view in order to obtain distributions of the pressure peaks. Then the entire experimental data record is reproduced numerically by CFD simulations and it is shown that pressure peaks obtained numerically display scatter of values as well. A statistical description of the numerically obtained record is provided and compared with description derived from the experimental data. The applied CFD code ComFLOW solves Navier-Stokes equations and uses an improved Volume of Fluid (iVOF) method to track movement of fluid’s free surface. Two different fluid models, single-phase (liquid+void) and two-phase (liquid+compressible gas) can be applied, the latter model being capable of simulating bubbles and gas entrapped in liquid. For low tank filling rate discussed in the paper (10%) the single-phase approach is sufficient. Comparison of statistical properties of experimental and numerical records is offered.


2006 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 224-236
Author(s):  
A.S. Topolnikov

The paper is devoted to numerical modeling of Navier–Stokes equations for incompressible media in the case, when there exist gas and liquid inside the rectangular calculation region, which are separated by interphase boundary. The set of equations for incompressible liquid accounting for viscous, gravitational and surface (capillary) forces is solved by finite-difference scheme on the spaced grid, for description of interphase boundary the ideology of Level Set Method is used. By developed numerical code the set of hydrodynamic problems is solved, which describe the motion of two-phase incompressible media with interphase boundary. As a result of numerical simulation the solutions are obtained, which are in good agreement with existing analytical and experimental solutions.


1996 ◽  
Vol 118 (2) ◽  
pp. 335-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Selmi

This paper is concerned with the solution of the 3-D-Navier-Stokes equations describing the steady motion of a viscous fluid inside a partially filled spinning and coning cylinder. The cylinder contains either a single fluid of volume less than that of the cylinder or a central rod and a single fluid of combined volume (volume of the rod plus volume of the fluid) equal to that of the cylinder. The cylinder rotates about its axis at the spin rate ω and rotates about an axis that passes through its center of mass at the coning rate Ω. In practical applications, as in the analysis and design of liquid-filled projectiles, the parameter ε = τ sin θ, where τ = Ω/ω and θ is the angle between spin axis and coning axis, is small. As a result, linearization of the Navier-Stokes equations with this parameter is possible. Here, the full and linearized Navier-Stokes equations are solved by a spectral collocation method to investigate the nonlinear effects on the moments caused by the motion of the fluid inside the cylinder. In this regard, it has been found that nonlinear effects are negligible for τ ≈ 0.1, which is of practical interest to the design of liquid-filled projectiles, and the solution of the linearized Navier-Stokes equations is adequate for such a case. However, as τ increases, nonlinear effects increase, and become significant as ε surpasses about 0.1. In such a case, the nonlinear problem must be solved. Complete details on how to solve such a problem is presented.


2007 ◽  
Vol 18 (04) ◽  
pp. 536-545 ◽  
Author(s):  
NAOKI TAKADA ◽  
AKIO TOMIYAMA

For interface-tracking simulation of two-phase flows in various micro-fluidics devices, we examined the applicability of two versions of computational fluid dynamics method, NS-PFM, combining Navier-Stokes equations with phase-field modeling for interface based on the van der Waals-Cahn-Hilliard free-energy theory. Through the numerical simulations, the following major findings were obtained: (1) The first version of NS-PFM gives good predictions of interfacial shapes and motions in an incompressible, isothermal two-phase fluid with high density ratio on solid surface with heterogeneous wettability. (2) The second version successfully captures liquid-vapor motions with heat and mass transfer across interfaces in phase change of a non-ideal fluid around the critical point.


Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (21) ◽  
pp. 3092
Author(s):  
Lourenço Sassetti Mendes ◽  
Javier L. Lara ◽  
Maria Teresa Viseu

Spillway design is key to the effective and safe operation of dams. Typically, the flow is characterized by high velocity, high levels of turbulence, and aeration. In the last two decades, advances in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) made available several numerical tools to aid hydraulic structures engineers. The most frequent approach is to solve the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations using an Euler type model combined with the volume-of-fluid (VoF) method. Regardless of a few applications, the complete two-phase Euler is still considered to demand exorbitant computational resources. An assessment is performed in a spillway offset aerator, comparing the two-phase volume-of-fluid (TPVoF) with the complete two-phase Euler (CTPE). Both models are included in the OpenFOAM® toolbox. As expected, the TPVoF results depend highly on the mesh, not showing convergence in the maximum chute bottom pressure and the lower-nappe aeration, tending to null aeration as resolution increases. The CTPE combined with the k–ω SST Sato turbulence model exhibits the most accurate results and mesh convergence in the lower-nappe aeration. Surprisingly, intermediate mesh resolutions are sufficient to surpass the TPVoF performance with reasonable calculation efforts. Moreover, compressibility, flow bulking, and several entrained air effects in the flow are comprehended. Despite not reproducing all aspects of the flow with acceptable accuracy, the complete two-phase Euler demonstrated an efficient cost-benefit performance and high value in spillway aerated flows. Nonetheless, further developments are expected to enhance the efficiency and stability of this model.


2009 ◽  
Vol 74 ◽  
pp. 139-142
Author(s):  
Ting Ye ◽  
Hua Li

A modeling of two-phase system is presented for investigation of the cell motion and deformation in the microchannel subject to the mechanical and electrical coupled forces. In order to evaluate the mechanical force developed by cell membrane, it is treated as an incompressible and elastic shell with uniform thickness capable of shearing and bending deformation. Due to the irregular and complex cell configuration after deformation, the Maxwell stress tensor (MST) method is successfully employed to analyze the dielectrophoretic force. The modified particle binary level set (MPBLS) method is presented to accurately track the moving interface between the two phases, which is vital for a modeling of two-phase system. Afterwards the modified SIMPLER coupled with SIMPLEC is used to numerically solve the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations governing the entire flow field. On basis of the series of methods, the motion and deformation of red blood cell (RBC) in the microchannel under the mechanical and electrical forces are simulated to demonstrate the deformation process and the moving trajectory of RBC. The present study is not only of great value for deeper understanding of some diseases caused by cell abnormality, but also of practical significance for cell manipulation and separation.


2018 ◽  
Vol 856 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Borgnino ◽  
G. Boffetta ◽  
F. De Lillo ◽  
M. Cencini

We study the dynamics and the statistics of dilute suspensions of gyrotactic swimmers, a model for many aquatic motile microorganisms. By means of extensive numerical simulations of the Navier–Stokes equations at different Reynolds numbers, we investigate preferential sampling and small-scale clustering as a function of the swimming (stability and speed) and shape parameters, considering in particular the limits of spherical and rod-like particles. While spherical swimmers preferentially sample local downwelling flow, for elongated swimmers we observe a transition from downwelling to upwelling regions at sufficiently high swimming speed. The spatial distribution of both spherical and elongated swimmers is found to be fractal at small scales in a wide range of swimming parameters. The direct comparison between the different shapes shows that spherical swimmers are more clusterized at small stability and speed numbers, while for large values of the parameters elongated cells concentrate more. The relevance of our results for phytoplankton swimming in the ocean is briefly discussed.


2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eivind Helland ◽  
Rene Occelli ◽  
Lounes Tadrist

Abstract Simulations of 2D gas-particle flows in a vertical riser using a mixed Eulerian-Lagrangian approach are addressed. The model for the interstitial gas phase is based on the Navier-Stokes equations for two-phase flow with a coupling term between the gas and solid phases due to drag forces. The motion of particles is treated by a Lagrangian approach and the particles are assumed to interact through binary, instantaneous, non-frontal, inelastic collisions with friction. In this paper different particle clustering effects in the gas-particle flow is investigated.


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