Spatial and temporal resolution of a fast-response aerodynamic pressure probe in grid-generated turbulence

The spatial and temporal resolution of a fast-response aerodynamic pressure probe (FRAP) is investigated in a benchmark flow of grid-generated turbulence. A grid with a mesh size of $$M=6.4$$ M = 6.4 mm is tested for two different free-stream velocities, hence, resulting in Reynolds numbers of $$Re_M= \{4300,12800\}$$ R e M = { 4300 , 12800 } . A thorough analysis of the applicability of the underlying assumptions with regard to turbulence isotropy and homogeneity is carried out. Taylor’s frozen turbulence hypothesis is assumed for the calculation of deducible flow quantities, like the turbulent kinetic energy or the dissipation rate. Furthermore, besides the examination of statistical quantities, velocity spectra of measurements downstream of the grid are quantified. Results of a small fast-response five-hole pressure probe equipped with piezo-resistive differential pressure sensors are compared to single-wire hot-wire constant temperature anemometry data for two different wire lengths. Estimates of temporal and spatial turbulent scales (e.g., Taylor micro scale and Kolmogorov length scale) show good agreement to data in the literature but are affected by filtering effects. Especially in the energy spectra, very high bandwidth content cannot be resolved by the FRAP, which is mainly due to bandwidth limits in the temporal calibration of the FRAP and the minimal resolution of the integrated sensors. Graphic abstract

Direct Numerical Simulation of Turbulent Flows Laden with Droplets or Bubbles

This review focuses on direct numerical simulations (DNS) of turbulent flows laden with droplets or bubbles. DNS of these flows are more challenging than those of flows laden with solid particles due to the surface deformation in the former. The numerical methods discussed are classified by whether the initial diameter of the bubble/droplet is smaller or larger than the Kolmogorov length scale and whether the instantaneous surface deformation is fully resolved or obtained via a phenomenological model. Also discussed are numerical methods that account for the breakup of a single droplet or bubble, as well as multiple droplets or bubbles in canonical turbulent flows.

Experimental study of water droplet break up in water in oil dispersions using an apparatus that produces localized pressure drops

Oil production facilities have choke/control valves to control production and protect downstream equipment against over pressurization. This process is responsible for droplets break up and the formation of emulsions which are difficult to treat. An experimental study of water in oil dispersion droplets break up in localized pressure drop is presented. To accomplish that, an apparatus simulating a gate valve was constructed. Droplet Size Distribution (DSD) was measured by laser light scattering. Oil physical properties were controlled and three different break up models were compared with the experimental results. All experimental maximum diameters (dmax) were above Kolmogorov length scale. The results show that dmax decreases with increase of energy dissipation rate (ε) according to the relation dmax ∝ ε−0.42. The Hinze (1955, AIChE J.1, 3, 289–295) model failed to predict the experimental results, although, it was able to adjust reasonably well those points when the original proportional constant was changed. It was observed that increasing the dispersed phase concentration increases dmax due to turbulence suppression and/or coalescence phenomenon. Turbulent viscous break up model gave fairly good prediction.

Assessment of LES-STRIP approach for modeling of droplet dispersion in diesel-like sprays

In this paper, the stochastic equations of droplet motion in turbulent flow, proposed recently by Gorokhovski and Zamansky (2018, Phys. Rev. Fluids 3, 3, 034602), are assessed for turbulent spray dispersion in diesel like conditions along with Large Eddy Simulation (LES) for the gaseous flow. For droplets above the Kolmogorov length scale, this model introduces the concept of the stochastic drag, independently of laminar viscosity. For droplets below the Kolmogorov length scale, the model equation does depend on the laminar viscosity through the Stokes drag but the particle motion is stochastically forced. Both the stochastic drag and the stochastic forcing of the Stokes drag equation are based on the simple log-normal stochastic process for the viscous dissipation (ϵ) “seen” along the droplet trajectory. In this paper, this model is applied in the framework of two-way coupling, wherein the turbulence generated by the spray inturn controls the spray dispersion. The criterion for the choice of one of the approaches, i.e., the stochastic drag or the stochastic forcing, follows the classical condition for drag coefficient based on the droplet Reynolds number (Re p). The non-vaporizing spray experiments from Engine Combustion Network (ECN) are used as test cases. In addition to the comparison of the spray penetration length, spreading angle and spray structure with the experimental data, a qualitative analysis of the statistics of the droplet acceleration and gas phase velocities is presented. It was shown that the new approach is much more effective in modeling the spray dynamics on relatively coarser mesh. Consequently, the new approach in the framework of two-way coupling may predict the preferential concentration effects better, which is important for spray combustion.

Turbulence strength in ultimate Taylor–Couette turbulence

We provide experimental measurements for the effective scaling of the Taylor–Reynolds number within the bulk $\mathit{Re}_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D706},\mathit{bulk}}$, based on local flow quantities as a function of the driving strength (expressed as the Taylor number $\mathit{Ta}$), in the ultimate regime of Taylor–Couette flow. We define $Re_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D706},bulk}=(\unicode[STIX]{x1D70E}_{bulk}(u_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D703}}))^{2}(15/(\unicode[STIX]{x1D708}\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}_{bulk}))^{1/2}$, where $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70E}_{bulk}(u_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D703}})$ is the bulk-averaged standard deviation of the azimuthal velocity, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}_{bulk}$ is the bulk-averaged local dissipation rate and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D708}$ is the liquid kinematic viscosity. The data are obtained through flow velocity field measurements using particle image velocimetry. We estimate the value of the local dissipation rate $\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}(r)$ using the scaling of the second-order velocity structure functions in the longitudinal and transverse directions within the inertial range – without invoking Taylor’s hypothesis. We find an effective scaling of $\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}_{\mathit{bulk}}/(\unicode[STIX]{x1D708}^{3}d^{-4})\sim \mathit{Ta}^{1.40}$, (corresponding to $\mathit{Nu}_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D714},\mathit{bulk}}\sim \mathit{Ta}^{0.40}$ for the dimensionless local angular velocity transfer), which is nearly the same as for the global energy dissipation rate obtained from both torque measurements ($\mathit{Nu}_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D714}}\sim \mathit{Ta}^{0.40}$) and direct numerical simulations ($\mathit{Nu}_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D714}}\sim \mathit{Ta}^{0.38}$). The resulting Kolmogorov length scale is then found to scale as $\unicode[STIX]{x1D702}_{\mathit{bulk}}/d\sim \mathit{Ta}^{-0.35}$ and the turbulence intensity as $I_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D703},\mathit{bulk}}\sim \mathit{Ta}^{-0.061}$. With both the local dissipation rate and the local fluctuations available we finally find that the Taylor–Reynolds number effectively scales as $\mathit{Re}_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D706},\mathit{bulk}}\sim \mathit{Ta}^{0.18}$ in the present parameter regime of $4.0\times 10^{8}<\mathit{Ta}<9.0\times 10^{10}$.

On the Predictive Capability of DNS-DEM Applied to Suspended Sediment-Turbulence Interactions

DNS coupled with a Point-Particle based model (PP) is used to study and predict particle-turbulence interactions in an open channel flow at Reynolds number of 811 (based on the friction velocity) corresponding to the experimental observations of [Righetti & Romano, JFM 2004]. Large particles of diameter 200 microns (8.1 in wall units) with average volume loading on the order of 0.001 are simulated using four-way coupling with closure models for drag, added mass, lift, pressure, and inter-particle/particle-wall collision forces. The point-particle model is able to accurately capture the effect of particles on the fluid flow in the outer layer where particles are under resolved. However, the dynamical interaction of particle-turbulence is under predicted in the near wall region where particles size are much larger than Kolmogorov scale and grid resolution in wall-normal direction, but smaller in both stream and span wise directions. It is conjectured that due to the large size particles compared to the Kolmogorov length scale near the bed, the effect of disturbances and deflections in the flow due to presence of such large particles is not captured using Lagrangian Point-Particle approach. For this configuration, the point-particle model is not appropriate in the near wall region and a hybrid resolved particle approach may be necessary.

Transition Flow with an Incompressible Lattice Boltzmann Method

Direct numerical simulations of the transition process from steady laminar to chaotic flow are considered in this study with the relatively new incompressible lattice Boltzmann equation. Numerically, a multiple relaxation time fully incompressible lattice Boltzmann equation is implemented in a 2D driven cavity. Spatial discretization is 2nd-order accurate, and the Kolmogorov length scale estimation based on Reynolds number (Re) dictates grid resolution. Initial simulations show the method to be accurate for steady laminar flows, while higher Re simulations reveal periodic flow behavior consistent with an initial Hopf bifurcation at Re 7,988. Non-repeating flow behavior is observed in the phase space trajectories above Re 13,063, and is evidence of the transition to a chaotic flow regime. Finally, flows at Reynolds numbers above the chaotic transition point are simulated and found with statistical properties in good agreement with literature.

Direct particle–fluid simulation of Kolmogorov-length-scale size particles in decaying isotropic turbulence

The modulation of decaying isotropic turbulence by 45 000 spherical particles of Kolmogorov-length-scale size is studied using direct particle–fluid simulations, i.e. the flow field over each particle is fully resolved by direct numerical simulations of the conservation equations. A Cartesian cut-cell method is used by which the exchange of momentum and energy at the fluid–particle interfaces is strictly conserved. It is shown that the particles absorb energy from the large scales of the carrier flow while the small-scale turbulent motion is determined by the inertial particle dynamics. Whereas the viscous dissipation rate of the bulk flow is attenuated, the particles locally increase the level of dissipation due to the intense strain rate generated near the particle surfaces due to the crossing-trajectory effect. Analogously, the rotational motion of the particles decouples from the local fluid vorticity and strain-rate field at increasing particle inertia. The high level of dissipation is partially compensated by the transfer of momentum to the fluid via forces acting at the particle surfaces. The spectral analysis of the kinetic energy budget is supported by the average flow pattern about the particles showing a nearly universal strain-rate distribution. An analytical expression for the instantaneous rate of viscous dissipation induced by each particle is derived and subsequently verified numerically. Using this equation, the local balance of fluid kinetic energy around a particle of arbitrary shape can be precisely determined. It follows that two-way coupled point-particle models implicitly account for the particle-induced dissipation rate via the momentum-coupling terms; however, they disregard the actual length scales of the interaction. Finally, an analysis of the small-scale flow topology shows that the strength of vortex stretching in the bulk flow is mitigated due to the presence of the particles. This effect is associated with the energy conversion at small wavenumbers and the reduced level of dissipation at intermediate wavenumbers. Consequently, it damps the spectral flux of energy to the small scales.

Dissipative Effects of Bubbles and Particles in Shear Flows

Chemical reactors, air lubrication systems, and the aeration of the oceans rely, either in part or in whole, on the interaction of bubbles and their surrounding liquid. Even though bubbly mixtures have been studied at both the macroscopic and bubble level, the dissipation field associated with an individual bubble in a shear flow has not been thoroughly investigated. Exploring the nature of this phenomenon is critical not only when examining the effect a bubble has on the dissipation in a bulk shear flow but also when a microbubble interacts with turbulent eddies near the Kolmogorov length scale. In order to further our understanding of this behavior, this study investigated these interactions both analytically and experimentally. From an analytical perspective, expressions were developed to model the dissipation associated with the creeping flow fields in and around a fluid particle immersed in a linear shear flow. Experimentally, tests were conducted using a simple test setup that corroborated the general findings of the theoretical investigation. Both the analytical and experimental results indicate that the presence of bubbles in a shear flow causes elevated dissipation of kinetic energy.