scholarly journals Gravity-driven granular free-surface flow around a circular cylinder

2013 ◽  
Vol 720 ◽  
pp. 314-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. Cui ◽  
J. M. N. T. Gray

AbstractSnow avalanches and other hazardous geophysical granular flows, such as debris flows, lahars and pyroclastic flows, often impact on obstacles as they flow down a slope, generating rapid changes in the flow height and velocity in their vicinity. It is important to understand how a granular material flows around such obstacles to improve the design of deflecting and catching dams, and to correctly interpret field observations. In this paper small-scale experiments and numerical simulations are used to investigate the supercritical gravity-driven free-surface flow of a granular avalanche around a circular cylinder. Our experiments show that a very sharp bow shock wave and a stagnation point are generated in front of the cylinder. The shock standoff distance is accurately reproduced by shock-capturing numerical simulations and is approximately equal to the reciprocal of the Froude number, consistent with previous approximate results for shallow-water flows. As the grains move around the cylinder the flow expands and the pressure gradients rapidly accelerate the particles up to supercritical speeds again. The internal pressure is not strong enough to immediately push the grains into the space behind the cylinder and instead a grain-free region, or granular vacuum, forms on the lee side. For moderate upstream Froude numbers and slope inclinations, the granular vacuum closes up rapidly to form a triangular region, but on steeper slopes both experiments and numerical simulations show that the pinch-off distance moves far downstream.

2015 ◽  
Vol 767 ◽  
pp. 811-841 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Frederik Brasz ◽  
Craig B. Arnold ◽  
Howard A. Stone ◽  
John R. Lister

AbstractWhen a solid boundary deforms rapidly into a quiescent liquid layer, a flow is induced that can lead to jet formation. An asymptotic analytical solution is presented for this flow, driven by a solid boundary deforming with dimensionless vertical velocity $V_{b}(x,t)={\it\epsilon}(1+\cos x)\,f(t)$, where the amplitude ${\it\epsilon}$ is small relative to the wavelength and the time dependence $f(t)$ approaches 0 for large $t$. Initially, the flow is directed outwards from the crest of the deformation and slows with the slowing of the boundary motion. A domain-perturbation method is used to reveal that, when the boundary stops moving, nonlinear interactions with the free surface leave a remnant momentum directed back towards the crest, and this momentum can be a precursor to jet formation. This scenario arises in a laser-induced printing technique in which an expanding blister imparts momentum into a liquid film to form a jet. The analysis provides insight into the physics underlying the interaction between the deforming boundary and free surface, in particular, the dependence of the remnant flow on the thickness of the liquid layer and the deformation amplitude and wavelength. Numerical simulations are used to show the range of validity of the analytical results, and the domain-perturbation solution is extended to an axisymmetric domain with a Gaussian boundary deformation to compare with previous numerical simulations of blister-actuated laser-induced forward transfer.


Author(s):  
Tong Chen ◽  
Allen T. Chwang

The laminar flow behaviors around two vertical circular cylinders (in a tandem arrangement) that pierce a free surface are investigated by the finite element method in this paper. The computational results exhibit two major free-surface effects: the presence of a free surface allows the occurrence of small-scale Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities, but suppresses the onset of large-scale vortex alternating behavior. It is also found that the vorticity will expand in a necklace shape adjacent to the free surface. The second cylinder may experience a persisting suction force due to “trapped” vortices in the gap between the two cylinders, which may not happen in the absence of a free surface.


Author(s):  
Guilherme F. Rosetti ◽  
Guilherme Vaz ◽  
Martin Hoekstra ◽  
Rodolfo T. Gonçalves ◽  
André L. C. Fujarra

The flow around free-surface piercing, low aspect-ratio circular cylinder is investigated by means of unsteady Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS) calculations together with verification procedures and comparison with small-scale experimental and Particle Image Velocimetry results. A two-phase interface capturing model is used to handle the free-surface flow, together with k-ω SST turbulence model. We investigate physical and modeling aspects of this problem in order to gain more knowledge about the interaction of free-surface and free-end effects so that this mechanism is better understood and taken into account when modeling the problem in engineering-applied situations, such as the vortex induced motion of spars, tension-leg platforms and semi-submersibles. The case herein presented is a captive, low aspect-ratio cylinder (L/D = 2.0) with flow velocity corresponding to Reynolds and Froude numbers (both based on diameter) of Re = 4.3 × 104 and FnD = 0.31, respectively. We will show that appreciable free-surface effects are perceived on the flow, but with dominance of free-end effects, at least in terms of forces. Furthermore, we investigate different boundary conditions that would represent this free-surface problem to show that the separation of viscous and free-surface effects is not valid in this instance. Therefore, the interaction between viscous and free-surface effects is also tangentially investigated. In order to support our conclusions, we will show forces with uncertainty estimation and field variables obtained with different modeling strategies, unveiling physical and numerical aspects of this problem.


2016 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 281-288
Author(s):  
Yebegaeshet T. Zerihun

Abstract This study addresses a particular phenomenon in open channel flows for which the basic assumption of hydrostatic pressure distribution is essentially invalid, and expands previous suggestions to flows where streamline curvature is significant. The proposed model incorporates the effects of the vertical curvature of the streamline and steep slope, in making the pressure distribution non-hydrostatic, and overcomes the accuracy problem of the Saint-Venant equations when simulating curvilinear free surface flow problems. Furthermore, the model is demonstrated to be a higher-order one-dimensional model that includes terms accounting for wave-like variations of the free surface on a constant slope channel. Test results of predicted flow surface and pressure profiles for flow in a channel transition from mild to steep slopes, transcritical flow over a short-crested weir and flow with dual free surfaces are compared with experimental data and previous numerical results. A good agreement is attained between the experimental and computed results. The overall simulation results reveal the satisfactory performance of the proposed model in simulating rapidly varied gravity-driven flows with predominant non-hydrostatic pressure distribution effects. This study suggests that a higher-order pressure equation should be used for modelling the pressure distribution of a curvilinear flow in a steeply sloping channel.


1999 ◽  
Vol 392 ◽  
pp. 73-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. WIELAND ◽  
J. M. N. T. GRAY ◽  
K. HUTTER

A series of laboratory experiments and numerical simulations have been performed to investigate the rapid fluid-like flow of a finite mass of granular material down a chute with partial lateral confinement. The chute consists of a section inclined at 40° to the horizontal, which is connected to a plane run-out zone by a smooth transition. The flow is confined on the inclined section by a shallow parabolic cross-slope profile. Photogrammetric techniques have been used to determine the position of the evolving boundary during the flow, and the free-surface height of the stationary granular deposit in the run-out zone. The results of three experiments with different granular materials are presented and shown to be in very good agreement with numerical simulations based on the Savage–Hutter theory for granular avalanches. The basal topography over which the avalanche flows has a strong channelizing effect on the inclined section of the chute. As the avalanche reaches the run-out zone, where the lateral confinement ceases, the head spreads out to give the avalanche a characteristic ‘tadpole’ shape. Sharp gradients in the avalanche thickness and velocity began to develop at the interface between the nose and tail of the avalanche as it came to rest, indicating that a shock wave develops close to the end of the experiments.


1995 ◽  
Vol 286 ◽  
pp. 67-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peder A. Tyvand ◽  
Touvia Miloh

The impulsively starting motion of a circular cylinder submerged horizontally below a free surface is studied analytically using a small-time expansion. The series expansion is taken as far as necessary to include the leading gravitational effects for two cases: constant velocity and constant acceleration, both commencing from rest. The hydrodynamic force on the cylinder and the surface elevation are calculated and expressed in terms of bipolar coordinates. Comparisons are also made with earlier theoretical and experimental work. The theory is valid for arbitrary value of submergence depth to cylinder radius.


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