In this work the predictive capability of a number of Reynolds stress transport(RST) models was first tested in a range of non-equilibrium homogeneous flows, comparisons being drawn with existing direct numerical simulation (DNS) results and physical measurements. The cases considered include both shear and normally strained flows, in some cases with a constant applied strain rate, and in others where this varied with time. Models were generally found to perform well in homogeneous shear at low shear rates, but their performance increasingly deteriorated at higher shear rates. This was attributed mainly to weaknesses in the pressure-strain rate models, leading to over-prediction of the shear stress component of the stress anisotropy tensor at high shear rates. Performance in irrotational homogeneous strains was generally good, and was more consistent over a much wider range of strain rates. In the experimental plane strain and axisymmetric contraction cases, with time-varying strain rates, there was evidence of an accelerated dissipation rate generation. Significant improvement was achieved through the use of an alternative dissipation rate generation term, Pε , in these cases, suggesting a possible route for future modelling investigation. Subsequently, the models were also tested in the inhomogeneous case of pulsating channel flow over a wide range of frequencies, the reference for these cases being the LES of Scotti and Piomelli (2001). A particularly challenging feature in this problem set was the partial laminarisation and re-transition that occurred cyclically at low and, to a lesser extent, intermediate frequencies. None of the models tested were able to reproduce correctly all of the observed flow features, and none returned consistently superior results in all the cases examined. Finally, models were tested in the case of a plane jet interacting with a rectangular dead-end enclosure. Two geometric configurations are examined, corresponding a steady regime, and an intrinsically unsteady regime in which periodic flow oscillations are experimentally observed (Mataoui et al., 2003). In the steady case generally similar flow patterns were returned by the models tested, with some differences arising in the degree of downward deflection of the impinging jet, which in turn affected the level of turbulence energy developing in the lower part of the cavity. In the unsteady case, only two of the models tested, a two-equation k-ε model and an advanced RST model, correctly returned purely periodic solutions. The other two RST models, based on linear pressure-strain rate terms, returned unsteady flow patterns that exhibited complex oscillations with significant cycle-to-cycle variations. Unfortunately, the limited availability of reliable experimental data did not allow a detailed quantitative examination of model performance.

Slush is a two phase flow of solid particles (crystals) and liquid at the triple point temperature, and constitutes an appealing alternative to liquid propellants for space launchers. The crystals give to the mixture higher density and lower specific enthalpy than liquid, enabling reduced tank volume storage and larger fuel holding time. However, the presence of solid crystals significantly modifies the thermo-hydraulics of the fuel transport, and requires novel predictive tools and diagnostic techniques for efficiently exploiting slush propellants. This thesis contributes to both aspects. In particular, this work studied the flow pressure losses and the heat transfer of solid-liquid mixtures in pipelines, combining experimental and numerical methods. Hydraulic and thermal flow features were analyzed separately with substitute mixtures chosen to mimic the behavior of slush flows in engine fuel feed systems. A dedicated facility was designed and built. The pipeline mounted conventional probes for pressure, temperature and mass flow rate measurements. Moreover, a capacitance-based density meter was developed and validated to measure the mixture's solid content. Optical flow visualization and image processing routines were combined to retrieve particulate phase distribution and velocity fields. The experimental work was complemented with 3D Unsteady Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes simulations in OpenFOAM. The simulations coupled the Euler-Euler approach with the granular kinetic theory for the treatment of the solid dispersed phase. The model was validated with the experimental results on the pressure drop, heat transfer and solid volume fraction.The resulting physical insights and the proposed empirical correlations on the pressure drop and heat transfer in solid-liquid flows contribute to move a step forward towards slush propelled space launchers. / Doctorat en Sciences de l'ingénieur et technologie / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

At the intake of hydropower plants, air-core vortex formation is known to cause severe damage. In order to study how to prevent and reduce the origin of the vortex, Vattenfall has built a scale model of the Akkats hydropower plant dam, where scale testing is possible. This thesis work consists of discerning whether Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) in terms of solving the Unsteady Reynolds Average Navier-Stokes equations (URANS) can be used as a complement to scale testing. For this work, the RNG k-epsilon turbulence model is chosen, and the flow field is solved with implicit time discretization using a pressure-based solver, for three different inlet flow conditions. Despite significant differences in the inflow of these three cases, the resulting flow fields are surprisingly similar. A main result is that no vortex is formed in any of the cases. The cause of this is discussed, but the number of possible answers is large. The main purpose of the report has therefore become to lay the foundation for further research. Amongst the top priorities in parameters to investigate lies the choice of turbulence model, the surface height, the pressure discretization scheme and to perform calculations on a more expensive mesh. / Virvlar som uppstår vid intaget i vattenkraftverk kan orsaka stora skador. För att kunna göra studier om hur man bäst motverkar virveln och förhindrar dess uppkomst, har Vattenfall AB byggt en småskalig modell av dammen vid Akkats vattenkraftverk. Det här arbetet behandlar frågeställningen huruvida Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) med lösning av ekvationerna för Unsteady Reynolds Average Navier-Stokes (URANS) kan användas som ett komplement till dessa modell-tester. I det här arbetet har turbulensmodellen RNG k−epsilon valts och flödesfältet löses för tre olika tillstånd för flödet vid inloppet, med hjälp av implicit tidsdiskretisering tillsammans med en tryckbaserad ekvationslösare. Trots betydande skillnader för inflödet för dessa tre fall är de resulterande flödesfälten överraskande lika. Ett huvudresultat är att ingen virvel formas för någon av dessa fall. Anledningen till detta har diskuterats, men antalet möjliga anledningar är många. Huvudsyftet med den här rapporten har därför blivit att lägga en grund för framtida efterforskningar på området. Några av de viktigaste parametrarna att undersöka är valet av turbulensmodell, höjden på vattenytan, tryckdiskretiserings-schema samt att genomföra beräkningar för en finare mesh.

Se realiza un modelo CFD-3D de un compresor centrífugo. Se determina la configuración numérica adecuada para simular puntos de funcionamiento cercanos a bombeo. Se validan los resultados frente a ensayos experimentales realizados en cámara anecoica. Se analizan los resultados, justificando las características del ruido emitido por el compresor a partir de los patrones de flujo encontrados. En particular, se analiza el flujo en la holgura entre los álabes y la carcasa del compresor y en la parte posterior del rodete. Por último, se analiza la influencia de las geometrías aguas arriba del compresor en el ruido producido por éste. / Navarro García, R. (2014). A numerical approach for predicting flow-induced acoustics at near-stall conditions in an automotive turbocharger compressor [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/44114 / TESIS / Premios Extraordinarios de tesis doctorales

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<P> The work presented m this thesis focused on using the hybrid Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS)/Large Eddy Simulation (LES) methodology to investigate the flow pulsation phenomenon in compound rectangular channels for isothermal flows. The specific form of the hybrid URANS/LES approach that was used is the Strelets (2001) version of the Detached Eddy Simulation (DES). It is of fundamental interest to study the problem of flow pulsations, as it is one of the most important mechanisms that directly affect the heat transfer occurring in sub-channel geometries such as those in nuclear fuel bundles. The predictions associated with the heat transfer and fluid flow in sub-channel geometry can be used to develop simplified physical models for sub-channel mixing for use in broader safety analysis codes. The primary goal of the current research work was to determine the applicability of the DES approach to predict the flow pulsations in sub-channel geometries. It was of interest to see how accurately the dynamics associated with the flow pulsations can be resolved from a spatial-temporal perspective using the specific DES model. The research work carried out for this thesis was divided into two stages. </p> <p> In the first stage of the research work, effort was concentrated to primarily understand the field of sub-channel flow pulsations and its implications from both an experimental and numerical point of view. It was noted that unsteady turbulence modeling approaches have great potential in providing insights into the fundamentals of sub-channel flow pulsations. It was proposed that for this thesis work, the Shear Stress Transport (SST) based DES model be used to understand the dynamics associated with sub-channel flow pulsations. To the author's knowledge the DES-SST based turbulence model has never been used for resolving the effects of sub-channel flow pulsations. Next, the hybrid URANS/LES turbulence modeling technique was reviewed in great detail to understand the philosophy of the hybrid URANS/LES technique and its ability to resolve fundamental flows of interest. Effort was directed to understand the switching mechanism (which blends the URANS region with the LES region) in the DES-SST model for fully wall bounded turbulent flows without boundary layer separation. To the author's knowledge, the DES-SST model has never been used on a fully wall bounded turbulent flow problem without boundary layer separation. Thus, the DES-SST model was first completely validated for a fully developed turbulent channel flow problem without boundary layer separation. </p> <p> In the second stage of the research work, the DES-SST model was used to study the flow pulsation phenomena on two rectangular sub-channels connected by a gap, on which extensive experiments were conducted by Meyer and Rehme (1994). It was found that the DES-SST model was successful in resolving significant portion of the flow field in the vicinity of the gap region. The span-wise velocity contours, velocity vector plots, and time traces of the velocity components showed the expected cross flow mixing between the sub-channels through the gap. The predicted turbulent kinetic energy showed two clear peaks at the edges of the gap. The dynamics of the flow pulsations were quantitatively described through temporal auto-correlations, spatial cross-correlations and power spectral functions. The numerical predictions were in general agreement with the experiments in terms of the quantitative aspects. From an instantaneous time scale point of view, the DES-SST model was able to identify different flow mixing patterns. The pulsating flow is basically an effect of the variation of the pressure field which is a response to the instability causing the fluid flow pulsations. Coherent structures were identified in the flow field to be comprised of eddies, shear zones and streams. Eddy structures with high vorticity and low pressure cores were found to exist near the vicinity of the gap edge region. A three dimensional vorticity field was identified and found to exist near the gap edge region. The instability mechanism and the probable cause behind the quasi-periodic fluid flow pulsations was identified and related to the inflectional stream-wise velocity profile. Simulations were also performed with two different channel lengths in comparison to the reference channel length. Different channel length studies showed similar statistical description of the flow field. However, frequency independent results were not obtained. In general, simulations performed using the DES-SST model were successful in capturing the effects of the fluid flow pulsations. This modeling technique has great potential to be used for actual rod bundle configurations. </p> / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

La récupération, grâce aux hydroliennes, de l’énergie cinétique de courants marins et fluviaux constitue une source d’énergie renouvelable considérable et prédictible. La simulation fine, par une description statistique instationnaire de type URANS, de l’écoulement autour d’une hydrolienne isolée à axe vertical, bi-rotor et munie d’un carénage (hydrolienne de type HARVEST) donne accès à une estimation précise de la puissance produite. Cependant, le coût élevé de cette approche URANS la rend inadaptée à la simulation d’un parc de machines. Une analyse de la littérature conduit à retenir un modèle basse-fidélité de type Blade Element Momentum (BEM) pour décrire à moindre coût l’effet du rotor de la turbine sur l’écoulement, dans le contexte d’une description 2D (coupe horizontale). La performance de l’hydrolienne est alors prédite par un calcul RANS incluant des termes sources distribués dans un anneau rotor virtuel et conservant le maillage des parties fixes (carénage). Ces termes sources sont construits grâce à une procédure originale exploitant les conditions locales de l’écoulement en amont des cellules du rotor virtuel et le débit de l’écoulement traversant l’hydrolienne. Les coefficients hydrodynamiques utilisés pour le calcul des termes sources BEM-RANS sont construits une fois pour toutes en exploitant une série de simulations URANS préliminaires ; ils intègrent les effets du carénage et le fonctionnement de chaque rotor à une vitesse de rotation optimale (maximisant la puissance produite) grâce au système de régulation de l’hydrolienne. Le modèle BEM-RANS développé est validé par comparaison avec des simulations URANS de référence : il fournit une estimation fiable de la puissance produite (erreur de quelques % par rapport à l’approche URANS) pour un coût réduit de plusieurs ordres de grandeur. Ce modèle est appliqué à l'analyse de la puissance produite par une rangée d’hydroliennes HARVEST dans un canal pour différents facteurs de blocage et d’espacement latéral ainsi qu’à une ferme marine composée de trois hydroliennes. / The capture, thanks to hydrokinetic turbines, of the kinetic energy generated by sea and river currents provides a significant and predictable source of renewable energy. The detailed simulation, using an unsteady statistical description of URANS type, of the flow around an isolated water turbine of HARVEST type (cross flow vertical axis ducted water turbine) provides an accurate estimate of the power output. However, the cost of the URANS approach is much too expensive to be applied to a farm of several turbines. A review of the literature leads to select a low-fidelity model of Blade Element Momentum (BEM) type to describe at a reduced cost the rotor effect on the flow, in a 2D context (horizontal cross-section). The turbine performance is then predicted using a steady RANS simulation including source terms distributed within a virtual rotor ring and preserving the mesh of the turbine fixed parts (duct). These source terms are derived using an original procedure which exploits both the local flow conditions upstream of the virtual rotor cells and the flow rate through the turbine. The hydrodynamic coefficients used to compute the BEM-RANS source terms are built once for all from a series of preliminary URANS simulations; they include the effects of the duct on the flow and the rotor operating at optimal rotational speed (maximizing the power output) thanks to the turbine regulation system. The BEM-RANS model is validated against reference URANS simulations: it provides a reliable prediction for the power output (within a few % of the URANS results) at a computational cost which is lowered by several orders of magnitude. This model is applied to the analysis of the power produced by a row of Vertical Axis Water Turbines in a channel for various values of the blockage ratio and lateral spacing as well as to a 3-machine sea farm.

L’interaction onde de choc/couche limite en écoulement transsonique autour de profils aérodynamiques est étudiée numériquement utilisant différentes classes de modélisation de la turbulence. Les approches utilisées sont celles de modèles URANS et de méthodes hybrides RANS-LES. L’emploi d’une correction de compressibilité pour les fermetures à une équation est aussi évalué. Premièrement, la séparation intermittente induite par le choc sur un profil supercritique en conditions d’incidence proches de l’angle critique d’apparition du tremblement est analysée. Suite à des simulations URANS, la modélisation statistique la mieux adaptée est étudiée et utilisée dans l’approche DDES (Delayed Detached-Eddy Simulation). L’étude de la topologie de l’écoulement, des pressions pariétales et champs de vitesse statistiques montrent que les principales caractéristiques de l’oscillation auto-entretenue du choc sont capturées par les simulations. De plus, la DDES prédit des fluctuations secondaires de l’écoulement qui n’apparaissent pas en URANS. L’étude de l’interface instationnaire RANS-LES montre que la DDES évite le MSD (modeled stress depletion) pour les phases de l’écoulement attaché ou séparé. Le problème de la ‘zone grise’ et de son influence sur les résultats est considéré. Les conclusions de l’étude sur le profil supercritique est ensuite appliquées à l’étude numérique d’un profil transsonique laminaire. Dans ce contexte, l’effet de la position de la transition de la couche limite sur les caractéristiques de deux régimes d’interaction choc/couche limite sélectionnés est étudié. En conditions de tremblement, les simulations montrent une forte influence du point de transition sur l’amplitude du mouvement du choc et sur l’instationnarité globale de l’écoulement. / Shock wave/boundary layer interactions arising in the transonic flow over airfoils are studied numerically using different levels of turbulence modeling. The simulations employ standard URANS models suitable for aerodynamics and hybrid RANS-LES methods. The use of a compressibility correction for one-equation closures is also considered. First, the intermittent shock-induced separation occurring over a supercritical airfoil at an angle of attack close to the buffet onset boundary is investigated. After a set of URANS computations, a scale-resolving simulation is performed using the best statistical approach in the context of a Delayed Detached-Eddy Simulation (DDES). The analysis of the flow topology and of the statistical wall-pressure distributions and velocity fields show that the main features of the self-sustained shock-wave oscillation are predicted by the simulations. The DDES also captures secondary flow fluctuations which are not predicted by URANS. An examination of the unsteady RANS-LES interface shows that the DDES successfully prevents modeled-stress depletion whether the flow is attached or separated. The gray area issue and its impact on the results are also addressed. The conclusions from the supercritical airfoil simulations are then applied to the numerical study of a laminar transonic profile. Following a preliminary characterization of the airfoil aerodynamics, the effect of the boundary layer transition location on the properties of two selected shock wave/boundary layer interaction regimes is assessed. In transonic buffet conditions, the simulations indicate a strong dependence of the shock-wave motion amplitude and of the global flow unsteadiness on the tripping location.

Les chantiers de maintenance et d’assainissement dans les centrales nucléaires nécessitent la mise en place d’enceintes ventilées autour des zones contaminées afin de limiter la propagation de la contamination à l’environnement extérieur. L’air rentre dans l’enceinte aux travers d’ouvertures sous la forme d’un écoulement directionnel, orienté de l’extérieur vers l’intérieur, assurant ainsi le confinement dynamique. En raison des opérations qui se déroulent à l’intérieur de l’enceinte et des perturbations externes, il est possible que l’écoulement de confinement dynamique aux ouvertures soit perturbé et subisse des inversions locales et instationnaires, conduisant ainsi à transporter la contamination à l’extérieur de l’enceinte. La présente étude s’intéresse aux petites ouvertures de type fentes minces rectangulaires où l’écoulement au droit de celles-ci est généralement turbulent. Les principaux objectifs de la thèse sont d’une part d’identifier les conditions aérodynamiques susceptibles de produire le phénomène de rétrodiffusion aux ouvertures, d’autre part d’évaluer la capacité des approches de modélisation de la turbulence URANS et LES à reproduire les instabilités liées à ce type d’écoulement. Il a été montré que l’apparition du phénomène de rétrodiffusion est principalement liée à la présence d’une perturbation aéraulique additionnelle, de type jet turbulent ou sillage, en compétition avec l’écoulement initial de confinement dynamique. Des expériences de traçage gazeux ont été mises en place sur une maquette expérimentale dans le but de quantifier la rétrodiffusion en fonction des différentes conditions aérauliques à l’ouverture et des caractéristiques de celle-ci. Des visualisations des écoulements à l’ouverture ont également été réalisées à l’aide d’un dispositif de tomographie laser. Enfin, l’analyse des résultats des simulations CFD a démontré que les approches de type RANS ou URANS ne permettaient pas de reproduire les instabilités de l’écoulement conduisant au phénomène de rétrodiffusion, contrairement aux simulations des grandes échelles de la turbulence (LES) qui reproduisent fidèlement les structures locales et instantanées à l’origine du phénomène. / Operations of decommissioning and decontamination in nuclear facilities require setting up depressurized enclosures around contaminated areas in order to prevent leakage of radioactive materials, to the surrounding environment. Air passes through openings which generates a directional airflow ensuring the aerodynamic containment of hazardous material inside the enclosure. Due to operating activities inside or outside the enclosure, the directional flow might be disturbed. Consequently, local and unsteady backflows may occur at the opening leading to the outward transport of contamination. The current study is focused on airflow dynamics through small openings, such as rectangular slits where the initial inflow stream is turbulent. The main purposes of this work are to identify the required aerodynamic conditions likely to generate unsteady flow inversions at the studied opening and also to verify the ability of CFD simulations to predict this type of flow by using URANS and LES approaches. Results have shown that an additional flow, such as a turbulent jet or a wake in competition with inward flow, is the main cause leading to the leakage at the opening. Experiments, using gas tracer detection techniques, are conducted in order to quantify outflow leakage in the near field of the opening under different aerodynamic configurations and openings characteristics. A laser tomography technique is also implemented to visualize the external leakage airflow in the middle plane of the opening. CFD simulations have shown that a qualitative description of instantaneous leakage flow patterns at the opening can be achieved. This is characterized by the occurrence of local coherent structures transporting passive tracer outwards. Moreover, velocities obtained from CFD results (Large Eddy Simulations) are compared to those obtained from experimental measurements.

Ce travail s’inscrit dans le cadre de la prévision des oscillations de pression interne des moteurs à propergol solide. Il consiste à étudier la transition laminaire-turbulent de l’écoulement interne,modélisé par celui dans un conduit cylindrique à paroi débitante, et son lien avec l’instabilité naturelle de cet écoulement, le Vortex Shedding Pariétal (VSP). La démarche s’est organisée en trois temps. Des mesures antérieures sur un montage gaz froid, reproduisant l’écoulement modèle,sont analysées afin de mettre en évidence la transition laminaire-turbulent. Cette transition est ensuite imposée dans des simulations URANS afin de permettre l’étude de son influence sur les modes VSP. Enfin, une approche LES est mise en place pour simuler le développement de la transition dans les conditions de l’expérience ; dans ce but, une stratégie de perturbation spatiale de l’écoulement est utilisée. Cette étude met en avant quatre résultats principaux. La transition laminaire-turbulent découle de l’amplification spatiale des modes VSP. La simulation de ce processus met en évidence une forte influence de la perturbation numérique ajoutée à l’écoulement. D’autre part, les simulations URANS montrent que la transition réduit l’amplification des modes VSP et les oscillations de pression interne résultantes. Le rôle de la transition dans l’absence d’oscillations de pression lorsque le domaine a un grand rapport d’aspect, jusqu’alors supposé dans la littérature,est ainsi confirmé. Une particularité importante de cette transition est qu’elle dépend de la position radiale, l’écoulement étant turbulent près de la paroi débitante et laminaire au cœur. / The present work is related to the prediction of oscillations in solid rocket motors inner flow. It consists in a study of the laminar-turbulent transition of the motor’s inner flow, which is represented by a cylindrical injection-driven flow, and the relation between this phenomenon and the natural instability named Parietal Vortex Shedding (PVS). Three aspects have been analyzed.First of all, previous cold-gas experiments – reproducing the injection driven flow – are analyzed in order to highlight the transition laminar-turbulent transition. This transition is then imposedin URANS simulations to enable a study of its influence on the PVS modes. Finally, Large Eddy Simulations are performed to simulate the laminar-turbulent process. A strategy based on spatial steady disturbances is used to ease this process. The mains conclusions of this work are the following ones. The laminar-turbulent transition is a consequence of the spatial amplification of PVS modes. Simulations of this process highlight a strong influence of the injected numerical disturbances. The URANS simulations show that this transition reduces the amplification of PVSmodes, and the resulting pressure oscillations levels. These results confirm the role of the transitionin the absence of pressure oscillations when the motor cavity is long. A distinctive feature ofthis transition is its dependence on the radial position, which leads to the coexistence of a laminar region in the channel core and a turbulent region near the injecting wall at a given axial position.