Boundary Vorticity Analysis and Shedding Dynamics of Transient Cavitation Flow Around a Twisted Hydrofoil

Author(s):  
Xiaojun Li ◽  
Yaoyao Liu ◽  
Zuchao Zhu ◽  
Peifeng Lin ◽  
Linmin Li

Abstract The objective of this paper is to investigate the dynamic characteristics of transient cavitating flow over a twisted NACA0009 hydrofoil. The large eddy simulation (LES) approach is selected for the computation of fluid flow and the Zwart model is used for the mass transfer due to cavitation. Moreover, the skin-friction coefficient and boundary-vorticity flux (BVF) are used to study the flow separation. Numerical results show that the attached shear layer separates from the boundary layer and then squeezes to form the separation line under the obstruction of the re-entrant jet. The analysis based on the terms of vorticity transport equation demonstrates that vortex stretching and vortex dilation terms dominate the evolution of multi-scale vortex. Moreover, the secondary shedding induced by the side-entrant jet enhances the instability of partial cavities and the underlying mechanism is comprehensively revealed. Furthermore, the feature of the pressure fluctuation indicates that high pressure generated by the cavity collapse at the tail simultaneously propagates to the leading edge and downstream of the hydrofoil. This enhances the intensity of the re-entrant jet and side-entrant jet, promoting occurrences of flow separation near the suction surface and cavity shedding to a certain extent.

Author(s):  
Souvik Naskar ◽  
S. Sarkar

Abstract Modern commercial airliners use multi-element aerofoils to enhance take-off and landing performance. Further, multielement aerofoil configurations have been shown to improve the aerodynamic characteristics of wind turbines. In the present study, high resolution Large Eddy Simulation (LES) is used to explore the low Reynolds Number (Re = 0.832 × 104) aerodynamics of a 30P30N multi-element aerofoil at an angle of attack, α = 4°. In the present simulation, wake shed from a leading edge element or slat is found to interact with the separated shear layer developing over the suction surface of the main wing. High receptivity of shear layer via amplification of free-stream turbulence leads to rollup and breakdown, forming a large separation bubble. A transient growth of fluctuations is observed in the first half of the separation bubble, where levels of turbulence becomes maximum near the reattachment and then decay depicting saturation of turbulence. Results of the present LES are found to be in close agreement with the experiment depicting high vortical activity in the outer layer. Some features of the flow field here are similar to those occur due to interactions of passing wake and the separated boundary layer on the suction surface of high lift low pressure turbine blades.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 168781401989783
Author(s):  
Yun Ren ◽  
Zuchao Zhu ◽  
Denghao Wu ◽  
Xiaojun Li ◽  
Lanfang Jiang

The mechanism of flow separation in the impeller of a centrifugal pump with a low specific speed was explored by experimental, numerical, and theoretical methods. A novel delayed Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes/large eddy simulation hybrid algorithm combined with a rotation and curvature correction method was developed to calculate the inner flow field of the original pump for the large friction loss in the centrifugal impeller, high adverse pressure gradient, and large blade curvature. Boundary vorticity flux theory was introduced for internal flow diagnosis, and the relative velocity vector near the surface of the blade and the distribution of the dimensionless pressure coefficient was analyzed. The validity of the numerical method was verified, and the location of the backflow area and its flow features were determined. Finally, based on flow diagnosis, the geometric parameters influencing the flow state of the impeller were specifically adjusted to obtain a new design impeller. The results showed that the distribution of the boundary vorticity flux peak values, the skin friction streamline, and near-wall relative velocities improved significantly after the design change. In addition, the flow separation was delayed, the force applied on the blade was improved, the head under the part-load condition was improved, and the hydraulic efficiency was improved over the global flow ranges. It was demonstrated that the delayed Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes/large eddy simulation hybrid algorithm was capable to capture the separation flow in a centrifugal pump, and the boundary vorticity flux theory was suitable for the internal flow diagnosis of centrifugal pump.


2017 ◽  
Vol 140 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Site Hu ◽  
Chao Zhou ◽  
Zhenhua Xia ◽  
Shiyi Chen

This study investigates the aerodynamic performance of a low-pressure turbine, namely the T106C, by large eddy simulation (LES) and coarse grid direct numerical simulation (CDNS) at a Reynolds number of 100,000. Existing experimental data were used to validate the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tool. The effects of subgrid scale (SGS) models, mesh densities, computational domains and boundary conditions on the CFD predictions are studied. On the blade suction surface, a separation zone starts at a location of about 55% along the suction surface. The prediction of flow separation on the turbine blade is always found to be difficult and is one of the focuses of this work. The ability of Smagorinsky and wall-adapting local eddy viscosity (WALE) model in predicting the flow separation is compared. WALE model produces better predictions than the Smagorinsky model. CDNS produces very similar predictions to WALE model. With a finer mesh, the difference due to SGS models becomes smaller. The size of the computational domain is also important. At blade midspan, three-dimensional (3D) features of the separated flow have an effect on the downstream flows, especially for the area near the reattachment. By further considering the effects of endwall secondary flows, a better prediction of the flow separation near the blade midspan can be achieved. The effect of the endwall secondary flow on the blade suction surface separation at the midspan is explained with the analytical method based on the Biot–Savart Law.


Author(s):  
J. P. Gostelow ◽  
W. A. McMullan ◽  
G. J. Walker ◽  
A. Mahallati

Streamwise streaks and vortices are frequently encountered in low Reynolds number flows over blading. Observations have shown that, in addition to flows over concave pressure surfaces, convex suction surfaces are also influenced by streamwise vortices. These observations are based on surface flow visualization studies and computational work with highly resolved Large Eddy Simulation. Fine scale organized streaks exist in the laminar regions of turbine and compressor blading and are predictable. For a turbine blade with a blunt leading edge, at Reynolds numbers typical of aircraft cruise conditions, the streamwise vorticity may persist, on a time-average basis, to influence the entire suction surface. Time resolution is required to capture the flow complexity that is fundamental for an understanding of the physical behavior of the laminar boundary layer and its separation and transition. Progress has been made in modeling and predicting transition and laminar separation and the new findings of interesting vortical behavior need to be incorporated. In the leading edge region spanwise vorticity may promote early transition and bubble closure; further downstream streamwise vorticity may become established. The physics of this streamwise vorticity imposes severe requirements on the temporal and spatial resolution of both experimental and computational methods. A narrow spanwise computational strip does not allow the streamwise vorticity to settle into an organized pattern; if it is to become organized, an adequate spanwise domain is required.


Author(s):  
S. Katiyar ◽  
S. Sarkar

Abstract A large-eddy simulation (LES) is employed here to predict the flow field over the suction surface of a controlled-diffusion (C-D) compressor stator blade following the experiment of Hobson et al. [1]. When compared with the experiment, LES depicts a separation bubble (SB) in the mid-chord region of the suction surface, although discrepancies exist in Cp. Further, the LES resolves the growth of boundary layer over the mid-chord and levels of turbulence intensity with an acceptable limit. What is noteworthy that LES also resolves a tiny SB near the leading-edge at the designed inflow angle of 38.3°. The objective of the present study is to assess how this leading-edge bubble influences the transition and development of boundary layer on the suction surface before the mid-chord. It appears that the separation at leading-edge suddenly enhances the perturbation levels exciting development of boundary layer downstream. The boundary layer becomes pre-transitional followed by a decay of fluctuations up to 30% of chord attributing to the local flow acceleration. Further, the boundary layer appears like laminar after being relaxed from the leading edge excitation near the mid-chord. It separates again because of the adverse pressure gradient, depicting augmentation of turbulence followed by the breakdown at about 70% of chord.


Author(s):  
Liu Xiwu ◽  
Jin Donghai ◽  
Gui Xingmin ◽  
Liu Xiaoheng ◽  
Guo Hanwen

This paper presents both the computational and experimental results to assess the effectiveness of non-axisymmetric endwall contouring in linear cascades under different solidities. Endwalls were designed by geometric scaling of a prior optimized endwall. The results show that the total pressure loss can be reduced by the contoured endwall (CEW) under different solidities. The mechanism of the improvement of CEW is that the adverse pressure gradient (APG) has been reduced mainly through the groove configuration near the leading edge of the suction surface. Besides, the cross-passage pressure gradient (CPG) has also been reduced, which has the benefits to further suppress the corner separation. Moreover, there is an optimum range of the solidity for the CEW. For a lower solidity, the performance of the CEW at +7 degree incidence presents a rapid deterioration, due to the risk of flow separation near the mid-span, for a higher solidity, the profile loss can be more dominant.


Author(s):  
Ke Shi ◽  
Song Fu ◽  
Scott C. Morris

The IDDES (Improved Delayed Detached Eddy Simulation) method was applied to simulate the highly unsteady flow in a transonic compressor at near-stall operating condition. Shock induced separated flow on the casing wall in front of the blade leading edge and the flow separation induced by the shock impinging on the blade suction surface were investigated in detail with the help of IDDES. The 3D separation in the corner of blade suction side surface and the casing wall in the front portion of the blade was shown to be a vortex-like separation spiraling out from the blade suction surface, connecting to the blade suction wall and the casing wall. Blade tip leakage flow also contributed to the formation of the separation vortex. At near stall condition, shock wave was pushed forward out of the blade passage. The upstream propagation of the separation vortex and the related high entropy region were considered to be a characteristic phenomenon of the flow at near stall condition in this transonic compressor rotor. The results of the present study explain the origin and the formation of the high entropy region in a transonic compressor rotor near the blade leading edge, which can be closely related to the spike type stall inception observed by other researchers in the transonic case.


Author(s):  
Jun Ding ◽  
Shaowen Chen ◽  
Hao Xu ◽  
Shijun Sun ◽  
Songtao Wang

Boundary layer suction is used in turbomachinery to control flow separation to enhance the loading capacity of a compressor. This paper focuses on both numerical calculation and experimental investigation with boundary layer suction holes made in the suction surface of a compressor cascade with a large camber angle. Experimental and numerical investigations are carried out with suction holes in different positions. In the experimental investigation, exit aerodynamic parameters are measured using a five-hole aerodynamic probe, and ink-trace flow visualization is adopted on cascade surface. Experimental and numerical results indicate that both side and middle suctions on the suction surface can efficiently remove low-energy fluid to increase the cascade load capacity while they effectively restrain the corner flow separation. The cascade aerodynamic performance is obviously improved by middle and side suctions, and it is also significantly altered by the position of suction changes. The middle suction holes have their best positions at about 60–66% chord length from the leading edge, and the side suction holes have their best positions a little downstream the corner separation line.


2017 ◽  
Vol 820 ◽  
pp. 121-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Cheng ◽  
D. I. Pullin ◽  
R. Samtaney ◽  
W. Zhang ◽  
W. Gao

We present wall-resolved large-eddy simulations (LES) of flow over a smooth-wall circular cylinder up to$Re_{D}=8.5\times 10^{5}$, where$Re_{D}$is Reynolds number based on the cylinder diameter$D$and the free-stream speed$U_{\infty }$. The stretched-vortex subgrid-scale (SGS) model is used in the entire simulation domain. For the sub-critical regime, six cases are implemented with$3.9\times 10^{3}\leqslant Re_{D}\leqslant 10^{5}$. Results are compared with experimental data for both the wall-pressure-coefficient distribution on the cylinder surface, which dominates the drag coefficient, and the skin-friction coefficient, which clearly correlates with the separation behaviour. In the super-critical regime, LES for three values of$Re_{D}$are carried out at different resolutions. The drag-crisis phenomenon is well captured. For lower resolution, numerical discretization fluctuations are sufficient to stimulate transition, while for higher resolution, an applied boundary-layer perturbation is found to be necessary to stimulate transition. Large-eddy simulation results at$Re_{D}=8.5\times 10^{5}$, with a mesh of$8192\times 1024\times 256$, agree well with the classic experimental measurements of Achenbach (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 34, 1968, pp. 625–639) especially for the skin-friction coefficient, where a spike is produced by the laminar–turbulent transition on the top of a prior separation bubble. We document the properties of the attached-flow boundary layer on the cylinder surface as these vary with$Re_{D}$. Within the separated portion of the flow, mean-flow separation–reattachment bubbles are observed at some values of$Re_{D}$, with separation characteristics that are consistent with experimental observations. Time sequences of instantaneous surface portraits of vector skin-friction trajectory fields indicate that the unsteady counterpart of a mean-flow separation–reattachment bubble corresponds to the formation of local flow-reattachment cells, visible as coherent bundles of diverging surface streamlines.


Author(s):  
Pratik Mitra ◽  
Jahnavi Kantharaju ◽  
Rohan Rayan ◽  
Joseph Mathew

Large eddy simulations of tandem blade compressor cascades have been performed with an explicit filtering method. A low speed case was simulated using the public domain code Incompact3d which solves incompressible flow with an immersed boundary method for embedded solid bodies, obviating the effort expended on preparing good quality meshes around blading. The LES successfully captures transition on the front blade and yields a significantly different loading compared with RANS solutions obtained before. The less substantial impact on the rear blade is traced to rapid transition forced by the turbulent wake of the front blade. LES with a refined grid was found to shorten the transition width due to the crucial role of small scales during transition. A complementary study with an in-house compressible LES solver was conducted for a transonic tandem cascade at the inlet Mach number of 0.89. Flow expands around the leading edge of the front blade and is terminated by a shock which interacts with the suction surface boundary layer. The beneficial effect of tandem blading was found to be achieved by limiting this separation. The shock-induced separation also marks a rapid transition of the suction surface boundary layer that is readily captured in the LES, showing pre-transitional streaks, but could prove difficult even for current transition-sensitive RANS.


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