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Article
Publication date: 6 July 2010

Hamed Sadeghi, Mahmoud Mani and S.M. Hossein Karimian

The primary purpose of this paper is to investigate the characteristics of the unsteady flow field in the wake of Eppler‐361 airfoil undergoing harmonic pitch oscillation in both…

1139

Abstract

Purpose

The primary purpose of this paper is to investigate the characteristics of the unsteady flow field in the wake of Eppler‐361 airfoil undergoing harmonic pitch oscillation in both pre‐stall and post‐stall regimes.

Design/methodology/approach

Experimental measurements were carried out to study the characteristics of the unsteady flow field within the wake of an airfoil. All of the experiments were conducted in a low‐speed wind tunnel, and the velocity field was measured by a hot‐wire anemometry. The airfoil was given a harmonic pitching motion about its half chord axis at two reduced frequencies of 0.091 and 0.273. All experimental data were taken at the oscillation amplitude of 8°. During the experiments, the mean angle of attack was altered from 2.5 to 10° that this made it possible to study the wake in both pre‐stall and post‐stall regimes.

Findings

From the results, it can be concluded that different velocity profiles are formed in the wake at different phase angles. In addition, the hysteresis of the velocity field in the wake is captured between increasing and decreasing incidences. It is also found that the velocity field in the wake is strongly affected by the operating conditions of the airfoil, e.g. mean angle of attack, reduced frequency and instantaneous angle of attack. Huge variations in the profiles of the wake are observed at high instantaneous angles of attack when the mean angle of attack is 10°, i.e. when the airfoil experiences significant oscillations beyond the static stall. It is concluded that this is due to dynamic stall phenomenon.

Practical implications

Findings of the present study give valuable information, which can be used to characterize wakes of micro air vehicles, helicopter's rotor blades, and wind turbine blades. In addition to this, present findings can be used to predict dynamic stall of the above applications.

Originality/value

The paper is the first to investigate the unsteady wake of Eppler‐361 airfoil and to predict the dynamic stall phenomenon of this airfoil.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 82 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0002-2667

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 March 2011

J.M. Fernández Oro, K.M. Argüelles Diaz, C. Santolaria Morros and M. Galdo Vega

The purpose of this paper is to focus on the analysis of the dynamic and periodic interaction between both fixed and rotating blade rows in a single‐stage turbomachine.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to focus on the analysis of the dynamic and periodic interaction between both fixed and rotating blade rows in a single‐stage turbomachine.

Design/methodology/approach

A numerical three‐dimensional (3D) simulation of the complete stage is carried out, using a commercial code, FLUENT, that resolves the 3D, unsteady turbulent flow inside the passages of a low‐speed axial flow fan. For the closure of turbulence, both Reynolds‐averaged Navier‐Stokes modeling and large eddy simulation (LES) techniques are used and compared. LES schemes are shown to be more accurate due to their good description of the largest eddy structures of the flow, but require careful near‐wall treatment.

Findings

The main goal is placed on the characterization of the unsteady flow structures involved in an axial flow blower of high reaction degree, relating them to working point variations and axial gap modifications.

Research limitations/implications

Complementarily, an experimental facility was developed to obtain a physical description of the flow inside the machine. Both static and dynamic measurements were used in order to describe the interaction phenomena. A five‐hole probe was employed for the static characterization, and hot wire anemometry techniques were used for the instantaneous response of the interaction.

Originality/value

The paper describes development of a methodology to understand the flow mechanisms related to the blade‐passing frequency in a single rotor‐stator interaction.

Details

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, vol. 21 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0961-5539

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 January 2024

Mauro Minervino and Renato Tognaccini

This study aims to propose an aerodynamic force decomposition which, for the first time, allows for thrust/drag bookkeeping in two-dimensional viscous and unsteady flows. Lamb…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to propose an aerodynamic force decomposition which, for the first time, allows for thrust/drag bookkeeping in two-dimensional viscous and unsteady flows. Lamb vector-based far-field methods are used at the scope, and the paper starts with extending recent steady compressible formulas to the unsteady regime.

Design/methodology/approach

Exact vortical force formulas are derived considering inertial or non-inertial frames, viscous or inviscid flows, fixed or moving bodies. Numerical applications to a NACA0012 airfoil oscillating in pure plunging motion are illustrated, considering subsonic and transonic flow regimes. The total force accuracy and sensitivity to the control volume size is first analysed, then the axial force is decomposed and results are compared to the inviscid force (thrust) and to the steady force (drag).

Findings

Two total axial force decompositions in thrust and drag contributions are proposed, providing satisfactory results. An additional force decomposition is also formulated, which is independent of the arbitrary pole appearing in vortical formulas. Numerical inaccuracies encountered in inertial reference frames are eliminated, and the extended formulation also allows obtaining an accurate force prediction in presence of shock waves.

Originality/value

No thrust/drag bookkeeping methodology was actually available for oscillating airfoils in viscous and compressible flows.

Details

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0961-5539

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 January 2011

Sintu Singha and K.P. Sinhamahapatra

The purpose of this paper is to simulate the flow of a conducting fluid past a circular cylinder placed centrally in a channel subjected to an imposed transverse magnetic field to…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to simulate the flow of a conducting fluid past a circular cylinder placed centrally in a channel subjected to an imposed transverse magnetic field to study the effect of a magnetic field on vortex shedding at different Reynolds numbers varying from 50 to 250.

Design/methodology/approach

The two‐dimensional incompressible laminar viscous flow equations are solved using a second‐order implicit unstructured collocated grid finite volume method.

Findings

An imposed transverse magnetic field markedly reduces the unsteady lift amplitude indicating a reduction in the strength of the shed vortices. It is observed that the periodic vortex shedding at the higher Reynolds numbers can be completely suppressed if a sufficiently strong magnetic field is imposed. The required magnetic field strength to suppress shedding increases with Reynolds number. The simulation shows that the separated zone behind the cylinder in a steady flow is reduced as the magnetic field strength is increased.

Originality/value

In this paper, due attention is given to resolve and study the unsteady cylinder wake and its interaction with the shear‐layer on the channel wall in the presence of a magnetic field. A critical value of the Hartmann number for complete suppression of the shedding at a given Reynolds number is found.

Details

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, vol. 21 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0961-5539

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 September 2003

Spyros A. Kinnas and Yin L. Young

Boundary element method (BEM) techniques for the prediction of cavitating or ventilated flows around hydrofoils and propeller are summarized. Classical, supercavitating, and…

1597

Abstract

Boundary element method (BEM) techniques for the prediction of cavitating or ventilated flows around hydrofoils and propeller are summarized. Classical, supercavitating, and ventilated blade section geometries are considered. Recent extensions which allow for the modeling of cavities on either or both sides of the blade surface are presented. Numerical validation studies and comparisons with experimental measurements are shown.

Details

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, vol. 13 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0961-5539

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 October 2018

Xu Han, Zhonghe Han, Wei Zeng, Peng Li and Jiangbo Qian

The purpose of this paper is to study the condensation flow of wet steam in the last stage of a steam turbine and to obtain the distribution of condensation parameters such as…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the condensation flow of wet steam in the last stage of a steam turbine and to obtain the distribution of condensation parameters such as nucleation rate, Mach number and wetness.

Design/methodology/approach

Because of the sensitivity of the condensation parameter distribution, a double fluid numerical model and a realizable k-ε-kd turbulence model were applied in this study, and the numerical solution for the non-equilibrium condensation flow is provided.

Findings

The simulation results are consistent with the experimental results of the Bakhtar test. The calculation results indicate that the degree of departure from saturation has a significant impact on the wet steam transonic condensation flow. When the inlet steam deviates from the saturation state, shock wave interference and vortex mixing also have a great influence on the distribution of water droplets.

Originality/value

The research results can provide reference for steam turbine wetness losses evaluation and flow passage structure optimization design.

Details

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, vol. 28 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0961-5539

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 October 2012

M. Tutar and Ü. Sönmez

The purpose of this paper is to numerically study inflow turbulence effects on the transitional flow in a high pressure linear transonic turbine at the design incidence.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to numerically study inflow turbulence effects on the transitional flow in a high pressure linear transonic turbine at the design incidence.

Design/methodology/approach

The three‐dimensional (3‐D) compressible turbulent flow in a turbine inlet guide vane is simulated using a finite volume based fluid solver coupled with dynamic large eddy simulation (LES) computations to investigate the effects of varying inflow turbulence length scale and the turbulence intensity on the aero‐thermal flow characteristics and the laminar‐turbulent transition phenomena. The computational analyses are extended to very high exit Reynolds number flow conditions to further study the effect of high exit Reynolds numbers on the transitional behavior of the present flow around the inlet guide vane cascades of the turbine. The calculations are performed with varying degree of inflow turbulence intensity values ranging from 0.8 to 6 percent and the inflow turbulence length scales ranging from one to five percent of pitch for different exit isentropic Mach and Reynolds numbers.

Findings

The numerical predictions in comparison with the experimental data demonstrate that the level of inflow turbulence closure provided by the present LES computations offers a reliable framework to predict complex turbulent flow and transition phenomena in high free‐stream turbulence environments of high pressure linear turbines.

Originality/value

This is the first instance in which both artificially modified random flow generation method in association with the dynamic procedure of LES application is employed to represent the realistic inflow turbulence conditions in the high pressure turbine and to resolve the transitional flow in a dynamic approach.

Details

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, vol. 22 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0961-5539

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 August 2014

Immanuvel Paul, K. Arul Prakash and S. Vengadesan

The purpose of this paper is to study the effects of Angle of Attack (AOA), Axis Ratio (AR) and Reynolds number (Re) on unsteady laminar flow over a stationary elliptic cylinder…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the effects of Angle of Attack (AOA), Axis Ratio (AR) and Reynolds number (Re) on unsteady laminar flow over a stationary elliptic cylinder.

Design/methodology/approach

The governing equations of fluid flow over the elliptic cylinder are solved numerically on a Cartesian grid using Projection method based Immersed Boundary technique. This numerical method is validated with the results available in open literature. This scheme eliminates the requirement of generating a new computational mesh upon varying any geometrical parameter such as AR or AOA, and thus reduces the computational time and cost.

Findings

Different vortex shedding patterns behind the elliptic cylinder are identified and classified using time averaged centerline streamwise velocity profile, instantaneous vorticity contours and instantaneous streamline patterns. A parameter space graph is constructed in order to reveal the dependence of AR, AOA and Re on vortex shedding. Integral parameters of flow such as mean drag, mean lift coefficients and Strouhal number are calculated and the effect of AR, AOA and Re on them is studied using various pressure and streamline contours. Functional relationships of each of integral parameters with respect to AR, AOA and Re are proposed with minimum percentage error.

Practical implications

The results obtained can be used to explain the characteristics of flow patterns behind slender to bluff elliptical cylinders which found applications in insect flight modeling, heat exchangers and energy conservation systems. The proposed functional relationships may be very useful for the practicing engineers in those fields.

Originality/value

The results presented in this paper are important for the researchers in the area of bluff body flow. The dependence of AOA on vortex shedding and flow parameters was never reported in the literature. These results are original, new and important.

Details

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, vol. 24 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0961-5539

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 August 2018

Nima Vaziri, Ming-Jyh Chern and Tzyy-Leng Horng

The purpose of this study is simulation of dynamic stall behavior around the Eppler 387 airfoil in the low Reynolds number flow with a direct-forcing immersed boundary (DFIB…

159

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is simulation of dynamic stall behavior around the Eppler 387 airfoil in the low Reynolds number flow with a direct-forcing immersed boundary (DFIB) numerical model.

Design/methodology/approach

A ray-casting method is used to define the airfoil geometry. The governing continuity and Navier–Stokes momentum equations and boundary conditions are solved using the DFIB method.

Findings

The purposed method is validated against numerical results from alternative schemes and experimental data on static and oscillating airfoil. A base flow regime and different vortices patterns are observed, in accordance with other previously published investigations. Also, the effects of the reduced frequency, the pitch oscillation amplitude and the Reynolds number are studied. The results show that the reduced frequency has a major effect on the flow field and the force coefficients of the airfoil. On the other hand, the Reynolds number of the flow has a little effect on the dynamic stall characteristics of the airfoil at least in the laminar range.

Practical implications

It is demonstrated that the DFIB model provides an accurate representation of dynamic stall phenomenon.

Originality/value

The results show that the dynamic stall behavior around the Eppler 387 is different than the general dynamic stall behavior understanding in the shedding phase.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 90 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1748-8842

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 August 2019

Bo Zhang, Xiaoqing Qiang, Shaopeng Lu and Jinfang Teng

The purpose of this paper is to numerically investigate the effect of guide vane unsteady passing wake on the rotor blade tip aerothermal performance with different tip clearances.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to numerically investigate the effect of guide vane unsteady passing wake on the rotor blade tip aerothermal performance with different tip clearances.

Design/methodology/approach

The geometry and flow conditions of the first stage of GE-E3 high-pressure turbine have been used to obtain the blade tip three-dimensional heat transfer characteristics. The first stage of GE-E3 high-pressure turbine has 46 guide vanes and 76 rotor blades, and the ratio of the vane to the blade is simplified to 38:76 to compromise the computational resources and accuracy. Namely, each computational domain comprises of one guide vane passage and two rotor blade passages. The investigations are conducted at three different tip gaps of 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 per cent of the average blade span.

Findings

The results show that the overall discrepancy of the heat transfer coefficient between steady results and unsteady time-averaged results is quite small, but the dramatic growth of the instantaneous heat transfer coefficient along the pressure side is in excess of 20 per cent. The change of the aerothermal performance is mainly driven by turbulence-level fluctuations of the unsteady flow field within gap regions. In addition, the gap size expansion has a marginal impact on the variation ratio of tip unsteady aerothermal performances, even though it has a huge influence on the leakage flow state within the tip region.

Originality/value

This paper emphasizes the change ratio of unsteady instantaneous heat transfer characteristics and detailed the mechanism of blade tip unsteady heat transfer coefficient fluctuations, which provide some guidance for the future blade tip design and optimization.

Details

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, vol. 30 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0961-5539

Keywords

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