Bottom rack intake improvement as a fluid physics application through a computational fluid dynamics model

This research focuses on improving the hydraulic behavior of a traditionally design bottom rack intake, from variations in roughness parameters, free height, and the inclusion of chamfers, establishing a contribution to the contrast between classical physics and the physics that takes over the partial resolution of the Navier-Stokes equations. To make possible the structure in OpenFOAM, it is necessary to use the geometric tool Salome-Meca, as well as a meshing tool (snappyHexMesh), and the InterFOAM solver in the processing stage. In the same way, through the turbulence model (K-E) local effects are evidenced in the Fluid-Structure interaction, as well as the identification of events and the development of the phenomenon of vorticity. The results show the improvement presented in some areas of the structure from the stabilization of the water flow through of the fluid-structure interaction change, the modification of the geometry and roughness, minimizing the presence of vertical vortices, cavitation, and surrounding areas. This allows us to conclude that traditional hydraulic do not consider the real physical flow behavior within the structure and neither the subsequent phenomena that develop, establishing as a starting point the need to rethink the design of the bottom rack intakes.

High-Resolution Compositional Reservoir Simulation with Dynamic Coarsening and Local Timestepping for Unstructured Grids

Summary Numerical smearing is oftentimes a challenge in reservoir simulation, particularly for complex tertiary recovery strategies. We present a new high-resolution method that uses dynamic coarsening of a fine underlying grid in combination with local timestepping to provide resolution in time and space. The method can be applied to stratigraphic and general unstructured grids, is efficient, introduces minimal computational overhead, and is applicable to flow models seen in practical reservoir engineering. Technically, the method is based on three concepts: Sequential splitting of the flow equations into a pressure equation and a system of transport equations Dynamic coarsening in which we temporarily coarsen the grid locally by aggregating cells into coarse blocks according to cell-wise indicators on the basis of residuals (gradients and other measures of spatial and temporal changes can also be used) Asynchronous local timestepping that traverses cells/coarse blocks in the direction of flow We assess the applicability of the method through a set of representative cases, ranging from conceptual to realistic, with complex fluid physics and reservoir geology, and demonstrate that the method can be used to reduce computational time and still retain high resolution in spatial/temporal zones and quantities of interest.

Generalized Reynolds Analogy: An Engineering Prospective of Thermo-Fluid Physics for Heat Exchanger Design

In practical interest of Reynolds analogy for power and process industries, in a unified system approach an engineering prospective of thermo-fluid physics has been proposed by developing a theory of basic heat exchanger design and analysis. Needless to mention of excellent books on heat exchangers, this paper focuses on the novelty of heat exchanger, which in author’s view depends upon the possibility of energy exchange between two fluid streams at different temperatures. Since operation cannot be random, the principal act of design is to engineer a product such that it operates in specified manner to perform its desired function of de-energizing one stream by virtue of energizing the other. With law of the integral as the guiding principle of physics, it shall be made clear that energy exchange in the form of heat must be accompanied by energy transfer such that heat exchanger must operate due to simultaneous process of cooling and heating of the fluid streams with an intervening medium. To unlock the secret of steady operation a fundamental postulate concerning thermodynamic behavior of the system has been made by invoking zeroth law of thermodynamics. Remarkably, it lends itself a necessary and sufficient condition concerning proportionality between heat-flux and required temperature difference to yield fluids unique thermal response in relation to the heat transfer surface temperature. Consequently, far-reaching physical implications of the constant of proportionality on system design can be clearly exposed of with due consideration to Eulerian descriptions of conservation principles according to Newton’s mechanical theory. Consistently enough, because of thermal non-equilibrium, effectiveness of system design and off design performance warrants a fundamental theorem like one suggested by Reynolds concerning augmentation of thermal diffusion due to fluid motion. Accordingly, flow rates become critical operating parameters for thermal performance and pressure drop requirements. Furthermore, and most importantly, in support of the theorem an order magnitude analysis appears to be in order, to show the dependence of flow resistance and hence, system thermal response on fluid flow behavior in terms of non-dimensional parameters. As a result, it is made clear that development of design correlations for friction factor and non-dimensional heat transfer coefficient in terms of both Reynolds number and Prandtl number is an integral part of heat exchanger design process by gathering experimental data. Finally, generalized mathematical statement of Reynolds analogy has been obtained relating Stanton number with friction factor, which reduces to our familiar expression for Prandtl number of unity.

Mass Transfer Performance of a Marine Zooplankton Olfactometer

By adopting different methods to the inlet of a zooplankton olfactometer, the current study investigates the effect of the energy of chemical flow on the Gnathiid isopod crustaceans predicted behavior. These are mobile external parasites of fishes that have a significant impact on the health of their hosts. They rely at least in part on olfactory cues to find the host fish. To better understand host-finding dynamics in these parasites, a study was conducted with the simulations as a blueprint for developing a 3-dimensional test apparatus similar to what has been used for studying olfactory orientation in insects. The simulated olfactometer has four legs, each leg forming an inlet where fluids are introduced into the flow domain. There is one outlet at the center of the device. A mixture of water and chemicals is presented by applying a multi-component system. The shear and chemical concentration distribution were conducted to see how fluid physics plays a role in creating a chemical landscape. Computational results show distinct regions separated by high chemical concentration gradients when introducing chemicals from one leg. Changing the fluid inflow from one common inlet to three inlets shows that the chemical distribution exhibits steeper gradients than the typical inlet case, depicting that the gradual chemical concentrations can drive the animal toward the target faster. The best behavior that gives higher chemical gradients is obtained through the study when using three sub-inlets and Schmidt number between 3 and 10.

The Fluid Dynamics of Disease Transmission

For an infectious disease such as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) to spread, contact needs to be established between an infected host and a susceptible one. In a range of populations and infectious diseases, peer-to-peer contact modes involve complex interactions of a pathogen with a fluid phase, such as isolated complex fluid droplets or a multiphase cloud of droplets. This is true for exhalations including coughs or sneezes in humans and animals, bursting bubbles leading to micron-sized droplets in a range of indoor and outdoor settings, or impacting raindrops and airborne pathogens in foliar diseases transferring pathogens from water to air via splashes. Our mechanistic understanding of how pathogens actually transfer from one host or reservoir to the next remains woefully limited, with the global consequences that we are all experiencing with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This review discusses the emergent area of the fluid dynamics of disease transmission. It highlights a new frontier and the rich multiscale fluid physics, from interfacial to multiphase and complex flows, that govern contact between an infected source and a susceptible target in a range of diseases.

The Effectiveness of Fluid Physics Practicum Module Based On Wetland Environment to Train Science Process Skills

The purpose of this study was to describe the effectiveness of a wetland environment-based practicum module to train students' science process skills. This research was a research and development study with a 4D model (Define, Design, Develop and Disseminate) with the limitations of this research in the form of product effectiveness only. The product has been validated and the result was 89% categorized as very valid. The subjects of the trial were students of Lambung Mangkurat University Physics Education and the subjects of the distribution stage were Physics Tadris students UIN Antasari. The instrument used in the study was a science process skills assessment sheet, meanwhile the data analysis is done by calculate the n-gain on the value of science process skills and accompanied by the average value of each meeting as supporting data. The results shows that this module was effective in the medium category. It can be conclude that this wetland environment-based practicum module is effective for use in lectures.