Numerical Prediction of Critical Cavitation Performance in Hydraulic Turbines

In this paper, numerical method for predicting critical cavitation performance in a hydraulic turbine is presented. The prediction method is based on unsteady cavitation flow analysis to use bubble two-phase flow model. The prediction of the critical cavitation performance was carried out for the aixal hydraulic turbine and the francis turbine as a typical examples. Results compared to the experiment showed a good agreement for the volume of cavity and the performance drop off and it was recognized that this method could be used as an engineering tool of a hydraulic turbine development.

Experiments of Compressible Homogeneous and Isotropic Turbulence Interacting With Expansion Waves

The interaction of traveling expansion waves with grid-generated turbulence was investigated in a large-scale shock tube research facility. The incident shock and the induced flow behind it passed through a rectangular grid, which generated a nearly homogeneous and nearly isotropic turbulent flow. As the shock wave exited the open end of the shock tube, a system of expansion waves was generated which traveled upstream and interacted with the grid-generated turbulence; a type of interaction free from streamline curvature effects, which cause additional effects on turbulence. In this experiment, wall pressure, total pressure and velocity were measured indicating a clear reduction in fluctuations. The incoming flow at Mach number 0.46 was expanded to a flow with Mach number 0.77 by an applied mean shear of 100 s−1. Although the strength of the generated expansion waves was mild, the effect on damping fluctuations on turbulence was clear. A reduction of in the level of total pressure fluctuations by 20 per cent was detected in the present experiments.

Two Phase PIV Measurements at the Runner Outlet in a Francis Turbine

Part load operation of hydro turbines with fixed pitch blades causes complex instable cavitation flow in the diffuser cone. Application of PIV systems provides the opportunity to investigate the flow velocity and turbulent fields in the case of development of cavitation vortex, the so-called turbine rope, at the outlet of a Francis turbine runner. The synchronization of the PIV flow survey with the rope precession allows to apply phase averaging techniques in order to extract both the periodic velocity components and the rope layout. The influence of the turbine setting level on the volume of the cavity rope and its center is investigated, providing a physical insight on the hydrodynamic complex phenomena involved in the development of the cavitation rope at Francis turbine operating regimes.

Fluid Dynamics in Critical Nozzles Revealed by Measurements (Keynote)

The paper describes primary calibration of high-precision nozzles (HPNs), which have ideal geometries, at critical condition, theoretical calculation of the discharge coefficient to be verified by the primary calibration, concept of fluid dynamical standard using HPN, precise measurement of boundary layer transition in HPNs in terms of flowrate, superfine structure in the critical flowrate, discrepancy which can occur between primary calibrations and field applications of critical nozzles, and 3D flow velocity field measurements based on recovery temperature, which visualizes many interesting phenomena in axi-symmetric transonic flow as shock interactions, acceleration by edge, reflection of shocks, Fano flow and so on.

Commercial CFD Code Validation for Simulation of Heavy-Vehicle External Aerodynamics

The issue of energy economy in transportation has grown beyond traditional concerns over environment, safety and health to include new concerns over national and international security. In collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy Office of FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies’ Working Group on Aerodynamic Drag of Heavy Vehicles, Argonne National Laboratory is investigating the accuracy of aerodynamic drag predictions from commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Software. In this validation study, computational predictions from two commercial CFD codes, Star-CD [1] and PowerFLOW [2], will be compared with detailed velocity, pressure and force balance data from experiments completed in the 7 ft. by 10 ft. wind tunnel at NASA Ames [3, 4] using a Generic Conventional Model (GCM) that is representative of typical current-generation tractor-trailer geometries.

On Numerical Prediction of the Stability of Hypersonic Boundary-Layer Flow Over a Row of Microcavities

This paper is concerned with the structure of steady two–dimensional flow inside the viscous sublayer in hypersonic boundary–layer flow over a flat surface in which microscopic cavities (‘microcavities’) are embedded. Such a so–called Ultra Absorptive Coating (UAC) has been predicted theoretically [1] and demonstrated experimentally [2] to stabilize passively hypersonic boundary–layer flow. In an effort to further quantify the physical mechanism leading to flow stabilization, this paper focuses on the nature of the basic flows developing in the configuration in question. Direct numerical simulations are performed, addressing firstly steady flow inside a singe microcavity, driven by a constant shear, and secondly a model of a UAC surface in which the two–dimensional boundary layer over a flat plate and a minimum nontrivial of two microcavities embedded in the wall are solved in a coupled manner. The influence of flow– and geometric parameters on the obtained solutions is illustrated. Based on the results obtained, the limitations of currently used theoretical methodologies for the description of flow instability are identified and suggestions for the improved prediction of the instability characteristics of UAC surfaces are discussed.

Numerical Simulation of Supersonic Flow and Particle Motion in Aerodynamic Lenses

Airflow and particle motions in aerodynamic lenses are studied. The computational grid is generated with the use of GAMBIT code and FLUENT 5 is used in the analysis. The axisymmetric compressible form of the Navier-Stokes equation is solved and the airflow conditions are evaluated. One-way coupling is assumed in that the air transports the particles, but the effect of dilute particle concentrations on flow field is ignored. The particle equation of motion including drag, lift and Brownian forces is used and the particle trajectories in the aerodynamic a lens are analyzed. In addition, the airflow field and particles motions downstream of the nozzle are also studied. A series of sensitivity analyses on the effect of inlet flow stagnation pressure and backpressure of the nozzle on the aerodynamic performance of the lens is performed. Sample streamlines and particles trajectories in an axisymmetric plane of a combination of three aerodynamic lenses and a nozzle are shown in the figures.

Numerical and Experimental Evaluation of Turbulent Flow in Volute

The performance of centrifugal fans is considerably influenced by the design of tongue at the re-circulation port. The flow in the volute of a centrifugal fan was studied both experimentally and numerically. In this experiment, flow angle, pressure and velocity profiles were measured at a large number of locations in the volute. The flow field in the volute passage was analyzed using Computational Fluid Dynamics. The flow was assumed to be three dimensional, turbulent and steady. The numerical simulation produced qualitatively good agreement with the experimental result. The results from experiment and numerical simulation indicated that the adoption of a re-circulating flow port improved fan performance for all flow conditions. In addition, the existence of strong secondary flow was apparent at the cross-section of the volute passage.

Review of the Secondary Flows of Complex Fluids

A survey of secondary flows of viscoelastic liquids in straight tubes is given including recent work pointing at striking analogies with transversal deformations associated with the simple shearing of solid materials. The importance and implications of secondary flows of viscoelastic fluids in heat transfer enhancement are explored together with the difficulties in detecting weak secondary flows (dilute, weakly viscoelastic solutions) in a laboratory setting. Recent new work by the author and colleagues which explores for the first time the structure of the secondary flow field in the pulsating flow of a constitutively nonlinear simple fluid in straight tubes of arbitrary cross-sections is summarized. Arbitrary conduit contours are obtained through a novel approach to the concept of domain perturbation. Time averaged, mean secondary flow streamline contours are presented for the first time for triangular, square and hexagonal pipes.

Experimental Research on Rotating Skimmer

This paper provides the experimental results on skimmer and gives some detailed information useful for benchmark test of computer codes that are now able to simulate the fluid-structure interaction. For this purpose, we specially designed the injection system that imposes reproducible rotational speed and injection speed on the skipper. The effect of rotation is discussed by changing rotation speed in a wide range.