The Anatomy of a Series of Cloud Bursts that Eclipsed the US Rainfall Record

A series of extreme cloudbursts occurred on 14 April 2018 over the northern slopes of the island of Kaua‘i. The storm inundated some areas with 1262 mm (∼50”) of rainfall in a 24-hr period, eclipsing the previous 24-hr US rainfall record of 1100 mm (42”) set in Texas in 1979. Three periods of intense rainfall are diagnosed through detailed analysis of National Weather Service operational and special data sets. On the synoptic scale, a slowly southeastward propagating trough aloft over a deep layer of low level moisture (>40 mm of total precipitable water) produced prolonged instability over Kaua‘i. Enhanced NE to E low level flow impacted Kaua‘i’s complex terrain, which includes steep north and eastward facing slopes and cirques. The resulting orographic lift initiated deep convection. The wind profile exhibited significant shear in the troposphere and streamwise vorticity within the convective storm inflow. Evidence suggests that large directional shear in the boundary layer, paired with enhanced orographic vertical motion, produced rotating updrafts within the convective storms. Mesoscale rotation is manifest in the radar data during the latter two periods and reflectivity cores are observed to propagate both to the left and to the right of the mean shear, which is characteristic of supercells. The observations suggest that the terrain configuration in combination with the windshear separates the area of updrafts from the downdraft section of the storm, resulting in almost continuous heavy rainfall over Waipā Garden.

Numerical investigation of semifilled-pipe flow

This study describes turbulent flow in a semifilled pipe with a focus on its secondary currents. To the authors’ knowledge, we provide the first highly resolved data-set for semifilled-pipe flow using direct numerical simulation. The flow parameters range from $Re_\tau =115$ , just maintaining turbulence, to moderate turbulent flow at $Re_\tau =460$ . Some of the main flow characteristics are in line with previously published results from experiments, such as the velocity-dip phenomenon, the main secondary flow and the qualitative distribution of the Reynolds stresses in the core of the flow. We observe some flow phenomena which have not yet been reported in the literature so far for this type of flow. Among those is the inner secondary cell in the mixed corner between the free surface and the pipe's wall, which plays a major role in the distribution of the wall shear stress along the perimeter. We observe that the position and extension of the inner vortex scale with the wall shear stress and those of the outer vortex scale with outer variables. For the first time, we present and discuss distributions of the complete Reynolds stress tensor and its anisotropy which gives rise to the generation of mean streamwise vorticity in a small region in the mixed corners of the pipe. Mean secondary kinetic energy, however, is generated at the free surface around the stagnation point between the inner and outer vortices. This generation mechanism is in line with a vortex dynamics mechanism proposed in the literature.

Periodic Unsteady Kinematics of Hub Flows in a Shrouded Multistage Compressor

Periodic unsteady flow kinematics in a shrouded multistage low-speed axial compressor has been measured for the first time. Data have been acquired at the inlet and exit of a shrouded 3rd- stage stator with a particular focus on the hub flows. The newly found features of the hub flow in a shrouded multistage compressor are different from those at the midspan or in unshrouded (i.e., cantilevered) compressors. First, the merging of the 2nd-stage stator and 3rd-stage rotor wakes causes positive radial migration near the rotor wake pressure surface at the hub of the 3rd-stage stator inlet. Second, the low-momentum labyrinth seal leakage flow of the 3rd-stage stator merges with the 3rd-stage rotor wake to create streamwise vorticity at the 3rd-stage stator inlet hub. Third, contrary to unshrouded stators, suction side hub corner separation in the shrouded 3rd-stage stator reduces rotor wake stretching. Thus, velocity disturbances are attenuated less, and amplitudes of periodic fluctuations in flow angles are larger at the 3rd-stage stator exit hub than at midspan. The positive radial migration of the rotor wake hub flow and wake stretching reduction are expected to decrease efficiency, whereas streamwise vorticity generation is expected to increase efficiency.

Large-Eddy Simulation of Cavitating Tip Leakage Vortex Structures and Dynamics around a NACA0009 Hydrofoil

The tip leakage vortex (TLV) has aroused great concern for turbomachine performance, stability and noise generation as well as cavitation erosion. To better understand structures and dynamics of the TLV, large-eddy simulation (LES) is coupled with a homogeneous cavitation model to simulate the cavitation flow around a NACA0009 hydrofoil with a given clearance. The numerical results are validated by comparisons with experimental measurements. The results demonstrate that the present LES can well predict the mean behavior of the TLV. By visualizing the mean streamlines and mean streamwise vorticity, it shows that the TLV dominates the end-wall vortex structures, and that the generation and evolution of the other vortices are found to be closely related to the development of the TLV. In addition, as the TLV moves downstream, it undergoes an interesting progression, i.e., the vortex core radius keeps increasing and the axial velocity of vortex center experiences a conversion from jet-like profile to wake-like profile.

Analysis and extension of the quadratic constitutive relation for RANS methods

The quadratic constitutive relation was proposed as an extension of minimal complexity to linear eddy-viscosity models in order to improve mean flow predictions by better estimating turbulent stress distributions. However, the successes of this modification have been relatively modest and are limited to improved calculations of flow along streamwise corners, which are influenced by weak secondary vortices. This paper revisits the quadratic constitutive relation in an attempt to explain its capabilities and deficiencies. The success in streamwise corner flows cannot be entirely explained by significant improvements in turbulent stress estimates in general, but is instead due to better prediction of the particular turbulent stress combinations which appear in the mean streamwise vorticity equation. As a consequence of this investigation, a new formulation of turbulent stress modification is proposed, which appears to better predict the turbulent stress distributions for a variety of flows: channel flow, equilibrium boundary layers, pipe flow, separated boundary layers and square duct flow.

Examining Terrain Effects on an Upstate New York Tornado Event Utilizing a High-Resolution Model Simulation

The complex terrain at the intersection of the Mohawk and Hudson valleys of New York has an impact on the development and evolution of severe convection in the region. Specifically, previous research has concluded that terrain-channeled flow in the Mohawk and Hudson valleys likely contributes to increased low-level wind shear and instability in the valleys during severe weather events such as the historic 31 May 1998 event that produced a strong (F3) tornado in Mechanicville, New York.The goal of this study is to further examine the impact of terrain channeling on severe convection by analyzing a high-resolution WRF model simulation of the 31 May 1998 event. Results from the simulation suggest that terrain-channeled flow resulted in the localized formation of an enhanced low-level moisture gradient, resembling a dryline, at the intersection of the Mohawk and Hudson valleys. East of this boundary, the environment was characterized by stronger low-level wind shear and greater low-level moisture and instability, increasing tornadogenesis potential. A simulated supercell intensified after crossing the boundary, as the larger instability and streamwise vorticity of the low-level inflow was ingested into the supercell updraft. These results suggest that terrain can have a key role in producing mesoscale inhomogeneities that impact the evolution of severe convection. Recognition of these terrain-induced boundaries may help in anticipating where the risk of severe weather may be locally enhanced.

Designing vortices in pipe flow with topography-driven Langmuir circulation

We present direct numerical simulation of a mechanism for creating longitudinal vortices in pipe flow, compared with a model theory. By furnishing the pipe wall with a pattern of crossing waves, secondary flow in the form of streamwise vortex pairs is created. The mechanism, ‘CL1’, is kinematic and known from oceanography as a driver of Langmuir circulation. CL1 is strongest when the ‘wall wave’ vectors make an acute angle with the axis, $\varphi =10^{\circ }$ – $20^{\circ }$ , changes sign near $45^{\circ }$ and is weak and of opposite sign beyond this angle. A competing, dynamic mechanism driving secondary flow in the opposite sense is also observed, created by the azimuthally varying friction. Whereas at smaller angles ‘CL1’ prevails, the dynamic effect dominates when $\varphi \gtrsim 45^{\circ }$ , reversing the flow. Curiously, the circulation strength is a faster-than-linearly increasing function of Reynolds number for small $\varphi$ . We explore an analogy with Prandtl's secondary motion of the second kind in turbulence. A transport equation for average streamwise vorticity is derived, and we analyse it for three different crossing angles, $\varphi =18.6^{\circ }, 45^{\circ }$ and $60^{\circ }$ . Mean-vorticity production is organised in a ring-like structure with the two rings contributing to rotating flow in opposite senses. For the larger $\varphi$ , the inner ring decides the main swirling motion, whereas for $\varphi =18.6^{\circ }$ , outer-ring production dominates. For the larger angles, the outer ring is mainly driven by advection of vorticity and the inner by deformation (stretching) whereas, for $\varphi =18.6^{\circ }$ , both contribute approximately equally to production in the outer ring.

Unsteady lifting-line theory and the influence of wake vorticity on aerodynamic loads

Frequency-domain unsteady lifting-line theory (ULLT) provides a means by which the aerodynamics of oscillating wings may be studied at low computational cost without neglecting the interacting effects of aspect ratio and oscillation frequency. Renewed interest in the method has drawn attention to several uncertainties however. Firstly, to what extent is ULLT practically useful for rectangular wings, despite theoretical limitations? And secondly, to what extent is a complicated wake model needed in the outer solution for good accuracy? This paper aims to answer these questions by presenting a complete ULLT based on the work of Sclavounos, along with a novel ULLT that considers only the streamwise vorticity and a Prandtl-like pseudosteady ULLT. These are compared to Euler CFD for cases of rectangular wings at multiple aspect ratios and oscillation frequencies. The results of this work establish ULLT as a low computational cost model capable of accounting for interacting finite-wing and oscillation frequency effects and identify the aspect ratio and frequency regimes where the three ULLTs are most accurate. This research paves the way towards the construction of time-domain or numerical ULLTs which may be augmented to account for nonlinearities such as flow separation.

Mean and Dynamic Aspects of the Wakes of a Surface-Mounted Cube and Block

The flow downstream of surface-mounted finite-height square prisms with aspect ratio AR = 1 (cube) and 0.5 (block) was investigated experimentally in a low-speed wind tunnel, to determine the overall structure and dynamic behavior of the wake and the source of the streamwise vorticity. The Reynolds number based on the prisms' width D was Re = 7.5×104 and the boundary layer thickness at the location of the prisms was d/D = 0.73. A vortex shedding frequency was found in the wake of the cube, but no periodicity was found in the wake of the block. The mean wake of the cube showed features of prisms below the critical AR, but the wake of the block had a distinct behavior due to the dominant shear flow from the boundary layer. The shear changed the downwash and, consequently, the streamwise vorticity distribution in the wake, in addition to reducing the magnitude of the Reynolds stresses. The phase-average analysis for the cube revealed the alternate shedding of inclined structures related to the streamwise vorticity in the upper part of the wake. These vorticity regions were caused by the alternate bending and entrainment of the side flow, caused by the downwash. The periodic component of the total Reynolds stresses was, however, significantly smaller than the turbulence-related stresses. The present study showed that the wake had a transitional behavior for the cube, but became fundamentally different for the block, when compared with prisms of higher AR.

Low-level Updraft Intensification in Response to Environmental Wind Profiles

Supercell storms can develop a “dynamical response” whereby upward accelerations in the lower troposphere amplify as a result of rotationally induced pressure falls aloft. These upward accelerations likely modulate a supercell’s ability to stretch near-surface vertical vorticity to achieve tornadogenesis. This study quantifies such a dynamical response as a function of environmental wind profiles commonly found near supercells. Self-organizing maps (SOMs) were used to identify recurring low-level wind profile patterns from 20,194 model-analyzed, near-supercell soundings. The SOM nodes with larger 0–500 m storm-relative helicity (SRH) and streamwise vorticity (ωs) corresponded to higher observed tornado probabilities. The distilled wind profiles from the SOMs were used to initialize idealized numerical simulations of updrafts. In environments with large 0–500 m SRH and large ωs, a rotationally induced pressure deficit, increased dynamic lifting, and a strengthened updraft resulted. The resulting upward-directed accelerations were an order of magnitude stronger than typical buoyant accelerations. At 500 m AGL, this dynamical response increased the vertical velocity by up to 25 m s–1, vertical vorticity by up to 0.2 s–1, and pressure deficit by up to 5 hPa. This response specifically augments the near-ground updraft (the midlevel updraft properties are almost identical across the simulations). However, dynamical responses only occurred in environments where 0–500 m SRH and ωs exceeded 110 m2 s–2 and 0.015 s–1, respectively. The presence vs. absence of this dynamical response may explain why environments with higher 0–500 m SRH and ωs correspond to greater tornado probabilities.