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Vorticity modeling is used to simulate the flow around a surface-mounted prism. The objective is to examine whether vorticity modeling can give satisfactory information about surface pressure fluctuations which are mostly due to the outer or inviscid flow. Differences between results obtained with vorticity modeling and what one should expect from DNS and LES are pointed out. These include the difference between the governing equations, the shortcomings of having a 2-D simulation and the realization of introducing and convecting vorticity to simulate some turbulence aspects. All necessary details needed for the setup of vorticity modeling for complex flows, such as the one considered here are given. These details include choice of elements, the calculation of velocities, the application of boundary conditions and calculation of pressure. The numerical procedure and our use of parallelization in the code are explained. The results presented on velocity magnitude, vorticity and pressure show important characteristics of the flow field in terms of interaction of positive and negative vorticities and their effects on the surface pressure. The calculated peak and mean values for the pressure coefficients at the leading edge are close to those measured in separating flows over prisms. / Master of Science

The interaction between rotor blade tip leakage vortex and inflow disturbances, such as encountered in shrouded marine propulsors, was simulated in the Virginia Tech Linear Cascade Wind Tunnel equipped with a moving endwall system. Upstream of the blade row, idealized periodic inflow unsteadiness was generated using vortex generator pairs attached to the endwall at the same spacing as the blade spacing. At three tip gap settings, 1.7%c, 3.3%c and 5.7%c, the flow near the lower endwall of the center blade passage was investigated through three-component mean velocity and turbulence distributions measured by four-sensor hotwires. Besides time-averaged data, the measurements were processed for phase-locked analysis, with respect to pitchwise locations of the vortex generators relative to the blade passage. Moreover, surface pressure distributions at the blade tip were acquired at eight tip gaps from 0.87%c to 12.9%c. Measurements of pressure-velocity correlation were also performed with wall motion but without inflow disturbances. Achieved in this study is an understanding of the characteristics and structures of the tip leakage vortex at its initial formation. The mechanism of the tip leakage vortex formation seems to be independent of the tip gap setting. The tip leakage vortex consists of a vortical structure and a region of low streamwise-momentum fluid next to the endwall. The vortical structure is initially attached to the blade tip that creates it. This structure picks up circulation shed from that blade tip, as well as those from the endwall boundary layer, and becomes stronger with downstream distance. Partially induced by the mirror images in the endwall, the vortical structure starts to move across the passage resulting in a reduction in its rotational strength as the cross sectional area of the vortex increases but little circulation is added. The larger the tip gap, the longer the vortical structure stays attached to the blade tip, and the stronger the structure when it reaches downstream of the passage. Phased-averaged data show that the inflow disturbances cause small-scale responses and large-scale responses upstream and downstream of the vortex shedding location, respectively. This difference in scale is possibly dictated by a variation in the shedding location since the amount of circulation in the vortex is dependent on this location. The inflow disturbances possibly cause a variation in the shedding location by manipulating the separation of the tip leakage flow from the endwall and consequently the flow's roll-up process. Even though this manipulation only perturbs the leakage flow in a small scale, the shedding mechanism of the tip leakage vortex amplifies the outcome. / Ph. D.

The Astoria-Megler Bridge is a 6.6 kilometer (4.1 mile) long bridge, connecting Oregon and Washington on US 101, with a continuous steel truss main span of 376 m (1232 ft). It is the second longest main span bridge of this type in the world. Due to vortex shedding, some of the long truss verticals exhibit wind-induced torsional vibrations. These vibrations can create large numbers of repeated stress cycles in the truss verticals and the gusset plate assemblies. The members and connections were not designed for such conditions and the impact of this behavior on the service life of the bridge is uncertain. A full-scale representation of one of the truss verticals observed to exhibit such wind induced torsional response was fabricated and tested in the Structural Engineering Research Laboratory at Oregon State University. Experimental data of the rotational behavior and the stress distribution along the vertical were collected using inclinometers, an angular rate sensor, and uniaxial and rosette strain gages. The data collected were compared with existing analytical methods and predictions from finite element models. The observed experimental results including twist angle, stress distribution, and stress magnitude were well captured by both the finite element model and the analytical equations. Using analytical expressions, the fatigue lives of the existing bridge verticals were predicted based on assumed storm duration and recurrence. / Graduation date: 2013

Neste trabalho simulou-se o escoamento do fluxo de ar em um tubo, com um anteparo de formato triangular com arestas cortantes, posicionado no centro do tubo. O objetivo do estudo é a análise do comportamento do número de Strouhal em função do número de Reynolds. Para isto, foi utilizada a técnica da análise tempo-freqüência, baseada na transformada de Fourier e na transformada de Gabor. Os ensaios foram realizados com o fluxo com velocidades médias de escoamento de 3 a 10 m/s, sendo utilizado um sensor de pressão tipo piezo-resistivo para a detecção da flutuação de pressão ocasionada pelo desprendimento e formação dos vórtices. Os ensaios foram realizados em cinco etapas com o objetivo de se verificar a influência dos seguintes parâmetros na coleta de sinais e no fenômeno: ruído da rede elétrica; influência do anteparo e do ruído proveniente do escoamento do fluxo de ar; número de pontos da amostragem na coleta dos dados; do comprimento da tubulação; e posicionamento do sensor. Pode-se observar, a sensibilidade do sistema de medição através do ensaio realizado sem o anteparo, sendo verificada a influência do ruído do escoamento de ar pelo tubo; pode-se observar também uma pequena interferência do ruído da rede elétrica predominantemente para velocidades abaixo de 3 m/s. Apesar das influências citadas, e utilizando a transformada de Gabor para análise dos sinais, observou-se um sinal mais intenso na freqüência dos vórtices para as velocidades de escoamento, podendo-se comprovar que o número de Strouhal permanece quase constante e é independente do número de Reynolds, devendo-se ressaltar que esta conclusão é valida para números de Reynolds compreendidos na faixa de 3000 a 100000. No experimento obteve-se um fator de sensibilidade (freqüência vórtices/velocidade média) de 8,2 Hz/m/s, e número de Strouhal médio de 0,196. / This work concerns the simulation of an air flux through a pipe with a triangular bluff body positioned inside it. In order to study the behavior of the Strouhal number in function of the Reynolds number. For this, the time-frequency analysis technique was used, based on Fourier transform and the Gabor transform. The experiments were carried out with an air flux velocity ranging from 3 to 10 m/s and using a piezoresistive pressure sensor to detect pressure fluctuations caused by the shedding and vortex formation. The experimental procedures were divided in five stages to make it possible to verify the influence of the following parameters in the signal data acquisition: electric network noise, the bluff body presence and the noise generated due to its presence, number of sampling data points, tubing length and sensor positioning. The sensitivity of the experiment could be observed testing the air flowing with no bluff body inside the pipe. Thus, it was possible to investigate the influence of the noise generated due to this flux limiting body. It could be also observed, mainly at 3 m/s or less, the noise generated due to the electric network. Despite the listed influences, and with the use of the Gabor transform, a more intense signal on the vortex frequency for the flow velocity was observed, showing that the Strouhal number remains almost constant and is independent of the Reynolds number. It is important to recall that this conclusion is valid for Reynolds numbers between 3000 and 100000. In the experiments the factor of sensitivity (vortex frequency/mean velocity) obtained was 8,2 Hz/m/s and the mean Strouhal number 0,196.

Most combustion machines feature internal flows with very high energy densities. If a small fraction of the total energy contained in the flow is diverted into oscillations, large mechanical or thermal loads on the structure can be the result, which are potentially devastating if not predicted correctly. This is particularly the case for lightweight high performing devices like rockets. The problem is commonly known as "Combustion Instability". Several mechanisms have been identified in the past that link the flow field to the acoustics inside a combustion chamber and thereby drive or dampen oscillations, one of them being vortex shedding. The interaction between the highly sheared flow behind an obstacle and longitudinal acoustic oscillations inside a solid rocket booster is investigated both analytically and experimentally.The analytical approach is developed based on modeling of the second order acoustic energy. The energy model is applied to the specific flow conditions just downstream of a single baffle protruding into the flow. The mean flow profile is assumed to be of the form of a hyperbolic tangent, the unsteady acoustic velocities are assumed to be sinusoidally oscillating. Solutions for the unsteady rotational velocities and the unsteady vorticity are derived. The resulting flow field is utilized in stability calculations for a simplified two-dimensional axial-symmetric geometry. This yields to linear growth rates of the (longitudinal) oscillation modes. The growth rates are functions of the chamber geometry, the mean flow properties and the properties of the shear layer created by the flow restriction.A cold flow experiment is designed, tested and performed in order to validate the analytical findings. Flow is injected radially into a tube with acoustic closed-closed end conditions. A single baffle is installed in the tube, the axial position of the baffle is varied as well as its inner diameter. Frequency spectra of pressure oscillations are recorded. The experimental data is then compared qualitatively to the analytical growth rates. Those longitudinal Normal Modes, which feature the highest theoretical growth rates, are expected to be most prominent in the experimental data. This behavior is clearly observable.

De virvelgator som bildas i atmosfären bakom höga berg på öar påminner till utseendet starkt om de periodiska flöden som uppstår vid strömning kring en cirkulär cylinder. Friktionen mellan fluiden och cylinderns yta gör att det bildas en vak nedströms cylindern. Periodisk virvelspridning där von Kármán-virvlar sänds ut kan uppstå. Utifrån Reynolds tal går det att karaktärisera strömningen och med hjälp av en numerisk modell kan tillstånden simuleras. Saknas en turbulensmodell i algoritmen blir resultaten för höga Reynolds tal felaktiga. De atmosfäriska virvelgatorna uppstår dock inte på grund av friktion. Istället krävs blockering av luftmassor och variationer i densitet för att virvlarna ska utvecklas. För att dra slutsatser om de atmosfäriska virvelgatorna har 11 satellitbilder med virvelgator analyserats. Sambandet λ = 3.9b-5.3 (förklaringsgrad r2 = 0.91) hittades mellan virvelgatans våglängd λ och bredden b på ön. Kvoten λ/b beräknades till medelvärdet 4.33 vilket är jämförbart med resultat från en liknande studie. / The visual appearance of the atmospheric vortex street behind a high mountain on an island is very similar to the periodic pattern caused by the flow past a circular cylinder. The friction between the fluid and the surface of the cylinder creates a wake downstream of the cylinder and periodic von Kármán vortex shedding occurs. The flow may be characterized by means of the Reynolds number and using a numerical model the different states can be simulated. If the algorithm lacks a turbulence model, the results for high Reynolds numbers will be wrong. The atmospheric vortex streets do not, however, arise due to friction. Instead, blocking of air masses and density variations are needed for the vortices to develop. To be able to draw conclusions about atmospheric vortex streets 11 satellite images showing the vortex streets have been analyzed. The relation λ = 3.9b-5.3 (coefficient of determination r2 = 0.91) was found, where λ is the wavelength of the vortex street and b the width of the island. The mean value of the ratio λ/b is 4.33 which is comparable with results from a similar study.

Long span bridges are susceptible to wind. Hence it is important to study their wind-induced vibrations to avoid any probable structural failures. In this thesis, the results of an experimental and computational investigation of the aerodynamic characteristics of trapezoid bridge deck cross-sections with three different aspect ratios (10, 12 and 15) and four different side angles (75&ordm / , 60 &ordm / , 45 &ordm / and 30 &ordm / ) are analyzed and presented. The flow around rigid fixed bridge deck models is investigated to obtain the relevant aerodynamic coefficients and the vortex shedding frequency and Strouhal number. Two dimensional unsteady Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes equations are solved using commercial CFD software at different Reynolds numbers. The numerical results are compared with the experimental data obtained by testing the model bridge decks geometries in a low speed wind tunnel. The results of this study demonstrate that the models aerodynamic parameters except their lift coefficient are almost dependent on the aspect ratio. In addition, the influence of side angle on all aerodynamic parameters has to be taken in account.

Every type of current meter is different and has its proper characteristics. Knowing the performance of a current meter is essential in order to use it properly either for field or laboratory measurements (such as in the Offshore Technology Research Center wave basin). A study of the MAVS (Modular Acoustic Velocity Sensor) in a wave basin is a first step essential for later deployment in real studies. This thesis is based on data obtained from different series of laboratory measurements conducted in the OTRC wave basin. The objective of the first part of the study was to characterize the MAVS frequency response using benchmarks such as tow tests or wave tests. These benchmarks allowed us not only to characterize the sensor but also to eventually correct some of the measurement distortions due to flow blockage, vortex shedding, or vibrations of the mounting structure, for example. After the preliminary study was done, we focused on the potential use of the MAVS in the OTRC wave basin. Indeed, in the case of a study of a scale model in the wave basin, the stresses applied to the model have to be accurately known. In the case of current-induced loads, this includes contributions from both the mean flow and the turbulence. Thus, after correcting the values measured by the MAVS, a mapping of the current jet was executed to determine its three-dimensional structure in the wave basin. Knowing the structure of the current in the OTRC wave basin, it was then possible to define a domain in which the current can be considered uniform with a certain tolerable error. This domain of uniformity will allow us to validate the use of the OTRC wave basin to study large models such as FPSOs (Floating Production, Storage and Offloading Units).