CFD Analysis of Ventilation Flow for a Scale Model Hydro-Generator

Author(s):  
Kristopher Toussaint ◽  
Federico Torriano ◽  
Jean-Franc¸ois Morissette ◽  
Claude Hudon ◽  
Marcelo Reggio

In 2006, the first Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations of the ventilation of specific hydro-generator components were performed at the Hydro-Que´bec Research Institute (IREQ) and lately the entire ventilation circuit is being investigated. Due to the complexity of flow calculations, a validation process is necessary and for this reason a 1:4 scale model of a hydro-generator has been built at IREQ to get experimental data by means of particle image velocimetry (PIV). This paper presents 2D and 3D simulation results for the scale model obtained with a commercial CFD code and addresses the challenges associated with the application of CFD to hydro-generators. In particular, the effect of rotor-stator interface (RSI) types and configuration is analyzed to determine the approach that best suits this application. Two-dimensional calculations show that the steady state multiple frames of reference (MFR) solution is highly sensitive to the type (frozen rotor (FR) vs. mixing plane (MP)) and location of the RSI. A parametric study is performed where each interface configuration is compared to the transient case results. The MFR-FR interface model produces results that may vary significantly depending on the relative rotor position and the radial location of the RSI in the air gap. The MFR-MP interface model appears to be more coherent with reference values obtained from a transient case, since the radial velocity profiles in the stator are similar. Furthermore with an appropriate radial positioning of the interface, the windage losses are within 20%. Simulations of the complete 3D ventilation circuit revealed a maximum variation of 10% in both total ventilation flow rate and total windage losses, between the RSI configurations studied. However, the relative flow distributions, normalized with respect to the total flow rate, are unaffected by changes in RSI configuration. This paper focuses mainly on sensitivity studies to numerical settings, but this comparison still requires experimental validation before any final conclusions can be made.

RBRH ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mayara Francisca da Silva ◽  
Fábio Veríssimo Gonçalves ◽  
Johannes Gérson Janzen

ABSTRACT Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations of a leakage in a pressurized pipe were undertaken to determine the empirical effects of hydraulic and geometric factors on the leakage flow rate. The results showed that pressure, leakage area and leakage form, influenced the leakage flow rate significantly, while pipe thickness and mean velocity did not influence the leakage flow rate. With relation to the interactions, the effect of pressure upon leakage flow rate depends on leakage area, being stronger for great leakage areas; the effects of leakage area and pressure on leakage flow rate is more pronounced for longitudinal leakages than for circular leakages. Finally, our results suggest that the equations that predict leakage flow rate in pressurized pipes may need a revision.


Author(s):  
Mathias Vermeulen ◽  
Cedric Van Holsbeke ◽  
Tom Claessens ◽  
Jan De Backer ◽  
Peter Van Ransbeeck ◽  
...  

An experimental and numerical platform was developed to investigate the fluidodynamics in human airways. A pre operative patient specific geometry was used to create an identical experimental and numerical model. The experimental results obtained from Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurements were compared to Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations under stationary and pulsatile flow regimes. Together these results constitute the first step in predicting the clinical outcome of patients after lung surgeries such as Lung Volume Reduction.


2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (03) ◽  
pp. 1250045 ◽  
Author(s):  
JIAXING QI ◽  
YANHONG ZHOU ◽  
DONGFANG WANG ◽  
LIANG ZHONG

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of the flow in an axial blood pump with different blade heights (BH150, BH200 and BH250) were performed in the present study. The flow in the pump was assumed as steady and turbulent, and blood was treated as incompressible and Newtonian fluid. The flow rate increased with the rise in blade heights. At the impeller rotating speed of 20,000 rpm and a pressure of 100 mm Hg, the pump produces a flow rate up to 5 L/min in BH200 and BH250 models. The reverse flow and vortices have been identified in the BH150 and BH200 models in the outlet regions, but not for BH250 model. The high shear stress of the flow in the pump mainly occurred at the blade tips. The BH200 model achieved an expected flow rate up to 5 L/min with 90% of the shear stresses less than 500 Pa and the exposure time less than 22 ms, which has the acceptable shear stress level in the literature.


Fluids ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 143
Author(s):  
Yorgos G. Stergiou ◽  
Aggelos T. Keramydas ◽  
Antonios D. Anastasiou ◽  
Aikaterini A. Mouza ◽  
Spiros V. Paras

The study of hemodynamics is particularly important in medicine and biomedical engineering as it is crucial for the design of new implantable devices and for understanding the mechanism of various diseases related to blood flow. In this study, we experimentally identify the cell free layer (CFL) width, which is the result of the Fahraeus–Lindqvist effect, as well as the axial velocity distribution of blood flow in microvessels. The CFL extent was determined using microscopic photography, while the blood velocity was measured by micro-particle image velocimetry (μ-PIV). Based on the experimental results, we formulated a correlation for the prediction of the CFL width in small caliber (D < 300 μm) vessels as a function of a modified Reynolds number (Re∞) and the hematocrit (Hct). This correlation along with the lateral distribution of blood viscosity were used as input to a “two-regions” computational model. The reliability of the code was checked by comparing the experimentally obtained axial velocity profiles with those calculated by the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. We propose a methodology for calculating the friction loses during blood flow in μ-vessels, where the Fahraeus–Lindqvist effect plays a prominent role, and show that the pressure drop may be overestimated by 80% to 150% if the CFL is neglected.


2011 ◽  
Vol 391-392 ◽  
pp. 1464-1468
Author(s):  
Chang Chun Duan ◽  
Chun Jiang Liu ◽  
Xi Gang Yuan

Present work deals with the optimization for flow pattern of continuous phase in a sieve plate extraction column using both computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations and particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements. Firstly single-phase simulation was conducted for the traditional column and it was found that there was a very large reverse flow area between every two plates. Then step by step, by changing the downcomer structure, consisting of inclining downcomers, adding baffles, slotting downcomers and baffles and adjusting the number and size of slots, the reverse flow area was decreased and thereby the flow pattern of continuous phase was optimized. Finally, an optimal flow pattern was obtained with reverse flow area greatly reduced. In order to prove the validity of the simulation results, PIV experiments of two columns were carried out and it was found that the results of simulations and experiments are in good agreement.


Author(s):  
Bülent Düz ◽  
Jule Scharnke ◽  
Rink Hallmann ◽  
Jan Tukker ◽  
Siddhant Khurana ◽  
...  

Abstract The kinematics under spilling and plunging breakers are investigated using both experimental and numerical methods. In a modular laboratory flume, the breakers were generated using dispersive focusing, and the kinematics underneath them were measured utilizing the Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) technique. Using the state-of-art high-speed video cameras and lasers, the kinematics were measured at a high sampling rate without needing phase-locked averaging. Afterwards, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations were carried out for comparison purposes. These simulations were run in single-phase using a finite-volume based Navier-Stokes solver with a piecewise-linear interface reconstruction scheme. The spilling and plunging breakers from the measurements were reconstructed in the computational domain using an iterative scheme. As a result a good match with the measured waves was obtained in the simulations. Results indicate that even though measured kinematics are somewhat higher than the simulated ones especially in the spilling and overturning regions, the CFD simulations can accurately capture the relevant details of the flow and produce reasonably accurate kinematics in comparison with the PIV results.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 41-57
Author(s):  
Xiaoyu Wang ◽  
Jinzhu Meng ◽  
Tianwei Zhu ◽  
Jingyu Zhang

AbstractTo protect heritage buildings better, a method exploiting computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was developed for the analysis of wind erosion at a heritage site. Over a two-year period, we collected measurements of hourly weather data at Xinbin County to obtain statistics of wind speeds and directions for the Yongling Mausoleum. Subsequent results from CFD simulations show that before greening, with wind speeds reaching 10 m/s, certain structures (southwest-facing corners, doors and windows on open sides, places where swirling winds develop, and eaves of sloping roofs) of four heritage buildings were eroded more severely. With appropriate greening, plants may exert their unique ecological presence to better protect heritage buildings and their historical environments. After greening, the severity of damage to these vulnerable structures by wind was reduced. With wind speeds reaching 10 m/s, the average pressure on the structures of each building was 0.41–27.85 Pa, representing a reduction of 2.4%–75.6% from pressures before greening. We also constructed a 1:500-scale model to verify in experiments the correctness of CFD simulation qualitatively. The CFD simulations were found to provide an effective method to investigate and predict wind erosion of the heritage site.


2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel J. Leonard ◽  
Jules W. Lindau

Steady-periodic multiphase Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations were conducted to capture cavitation breakdown in a Francis hydroturbine due to large-scale vaporous structures. A reduced-scale model and a full-scale prototype were investigated to display differences in vapor content and machine performance caused by lack of Reynolds and Froude similarity. The model scale efficiencies compared favorably (within 3%) to the experimental cavitation tests. The CFD model and prototype displayed distinct qualitative and quantitative differences as σ was reduced. A stage-by-stage analysis was conducted to assess the effect of cavitation on loss distribution throughout the machine. Furthermore, a formal mesh refinement study was conducted on efficiency and volume of vapor, with three mesh levels and Richardson extrapolation, to ensure convergence.


Author(s):  
Blake W. Lance ◽  
Matthew D. Carlson

Flow maldistribution in microchannel heat exchanger (MCHEs) can negatively impact heat exchanger effectiveness. Several rules of thumb exist about designing for uniform flow, but very little data are published to support these claims. In this work, complementary experiments and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of MCHEs enable a solid understanding of flow uniformity to a higher level of detail than previously seen. Experiments provide a validation data source to assess CFD predictive capability. The traditional semi-circular header geometry is tested. Experiments are carried out in a clear acrylic MCHE and water flow is measured optically with particle image velocimetry. CFD boundary conditions are matched to those in the experiment and the outputs, specifically velocity and turbulent kinetic energy profiles, are compared.


Author(s):  
Benedikt Ernst ◽  
Joerg R. Seume ◽  
Florian Herbst

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations are becoming increasingly important to enhancing the understanding of rotor aerodynamics and improving blade design for wind turbines. The present study addresses the effect of turbulence treatment on the CFD-based performance assessment of wind turbines by successively increasing the modeling depth. A process for 2D and 3D CFD simulations is described, which is based on the geometry of the NREL 5MW reference wind turbine. It is shown that the main differences between fully turbulent computations and transition model simulations with and without additional curvature correction model occur in the inner blade region, and increase in 3D flow regimes. Literature and the findings of the present study lead to the conclusion that simulations with the transition model in conjunction with the curvature correction model should be preferred. The resulting power output of this setup is also in good agreement with the Blade Element Momentum (BEM) calculation.


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