Numerical Modeling of Mass Transfer in the Interaction between River Biofilm and a Turbulent Boundary Layer

In this article dedicated to the modeling of vertical mass transfers between the biofilm and the bulk flow, we have, in the first instance, presented the methodology used, followed by the presentation of various results obtained through analyses conducted on velocity fields, different fluxes, and overall transfer coefficients. Due to numerical constraints (resolution of relevant spatial scales), we have restricted the analysis to low Schmidt numbers (Sc=0.1, Sc=1, and Sc=10) and a single roughness Reynolds number (Re*=150). The analysis of instantaneous concentration fields from various simulations revealed logarithmic concentration profiles above the canopy. In this zone, the concentration is relatively homogeneous for longer times. The analysis of results also showed that the contribution of molecular diffusion to the total flux depends on the Schmidt number. This contribution is negligible for Schmidt numbers Sc≥0.1, but nearly balances the turbulent flux for Sc=0.1. In the canopy, the local Sherwood number, given by the ratio of the total flux (within or above the canopy) to the molecular diffusion flux at the wall, also depends on the Schmidt number and varies significantly between the canopy and the region above. The exchange velocity, a purely hydrodynamic parameter, is independent of the Schmidt number and is on the order of 10% of in the present case. This study also reveals that nutrient absorption by organisms near the wall depends on the Schmidt number. Such absorption is facilitated by lower Schmidt numbers.

The Effects of Fluid Sloshing on Different Baffle Configurations in Storage Tanks Transported on Trucks during an Emergency Braking

Different Baffle designs usable in cylindrical and elliptical storage tanks carried by trucks often used for transporting inflammable liquid materials in Cameroon are investigated to evaluate their safest fluid sloshing damping response during emergency braking where the magnitude of sloshing waves are the greatest. The uncontrolled fluid sloshing creates thrust on the walls of the tanks usually felt externally on the truck carrying the tank and capable of hindering driver’s effort to maintain steer ability and improve on safety during critical braking moments. The study first passes through COMSOL, to expose the safest margin of each Baffle type at instantaneous fluid pressure wave propagation initiated at a single phase to reflect sloshing in the storage tank during an emergency braking by the truck carrying the tank. The vivid results can be seen in the domain of Acoustic Iso-surface Pressure response;but also acoustic Pressure and Sound pressure response are seen automatically. Secondly, through an experimental finding in which fluid is forced to pass through each Baffle and the resistance to fluid flow is a measured as it’s the Baffle’s damping ability. Either, the fluid is lost through the Baffle and by determination of the surface load exerted on each Baffle due to the reaction of the residual fluid acting on the surface of each Baffle after some of it is Lost, the individual sloshing damping abilities are exposed. By comparing the Experimental outcome with the computational response obtained, an ideal Baffle design is proposed for cylindrical and elliptical tanks and considered to respond to abrupt braking more effciently. The application of the Baffle designs with an average multiple holes rather than the usual face centered proved to be more effcient in fluid sloshing as they provide a more uniformly distributed damping pressure during fluid sloshing in the tank thereby reducing the magnitude of forward thrust that can be created by the conventional Baffle type during emergency braking hence contributing to improving safety. Mindful of the human, material and environmental damages that an accident involving mobile petroleum storage tanks can course, this study is therefore of great significance for design optimization by petroleum storage tank manufacturing companies in Cameroon.

Rheology of a Viscous-Plastic Liquid in a Porous Medium

The hydrodynamics of the capillary flow of a viscous-plastic liquid in cylindrical rectilinear pores is considered, as a result of which the structural velocity distribution over the pore cross section is obtained. Analytical solutions are proposed for the equations of hydraulic diffusion and nonlinear filtration for a non-Newtonian fluid in a cylindrical porous medium. It is noted that when a non-Newtonian fluid flows in a porous medium, the filtration equations take a nonlinear form due to the effective viscosity, shear, and yield stresses taken into account in its structure. The proposed solutions make it possible to evaluate the state of the porous medium and its main parameters (permeability, hydraulic diffusion, and effective viscosity coefficients). The obtained solutions are compared with existing experimental data for non-Newtonian oils.

Linear and Nonlinear Stokes Waves Theory: Numerical Hydrodynamic and Energy Studies

The increase of wave energy in electricity production is an objective shared by many countries to meet growing demand and global warming. To analyze devices capable of converting the energy of sea waves into electrical energy, it is important to master the various theories of gravity waves and generation. We will in our work consider a numerical waves tank for an amplitude A=0.5, a wavelength λ=0.25 , an average height He=10 and a Froude number fixed at 1 × 105. Numerical wave channel analysis is used to reproduce the natural phenomenon of wave propagation in an experimental model. Wave makers are usually used to generate waves in the channel. In theory, the influence of an incident wave can be considered, as in the case of our study. In this study, the evolution of the hydrodynamic parameters and the energy transported in one wavelength can be determined by calculation. A change of variable will be done in this work to facilitate the writing of the boundary conditions at the free surface and at the bottom. The nonlinear Stokes theory will be studied in this case in order to provide hydrodynamic solutions through the Navier-Stokes equations to finally deduce the energetic results. To do this, the finite difference method will be used for the hydrodynamic results such as the velocity potential and the free surface elevation and the trapezium method of Newton for the energetic results. Thus, we will determine the energetic potential according to the decrease in the slope of the tank. To do this, we will take as values of beta representing the inverse of the slope of the tank, β=100, β=105, β=110 and β=105. .

Modeling of Coupled Heat and Mass Transfer in a Trapezoidal Porous Bed on a Grid

We investigate heat and mass transfer in an isosceles trapezoidal cavity, filled with charcoal considered as a granular porous medium. The Darcy-Brinkman-Forchheimer flow model is coupled to the energy and mass equations with the assumption of non-thermal equilibrium. These equations are discretized by the finite volume method with an offset mesh and then solved by the line-by-line method of Thomas. The coupling between pressure and velocity is obtained by Semi-Implicit Method for Pressure Linked Equations. (SIMPLE) algorithm. The results show that the temperature in the cavity increases when the inclination angle of the sides walls decreases. The 15° inclination is selected as being able to offer better thermal performance in the cookstove combustion chamber.

Study of Rectangular Underexpanded Microjets

The underexpanded microjet emerging from a rectangular convergent nozzle with a high aspect ratio at the nozzle exit is investigated numerically using the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulation with the Menter’s shear stress transport (SST) k-ω turbulence model. The simulation is performed at the nozzle pressure ratio of 5.0 to produce a strong shock and it is validated by a comparison with a rainbow schlieren picture of the microjet. The three-dimensional structure of the shock-containing rectangular microjet is demonstrated using the isopycnic surface and bright-field schlieren representations.

Effect of Pre-Swirling Flow on Performance and Flow Fields in Semi-Opened Axial Fan

In this study, we tried to improve the performance by giving a pre-swirling flow to the radial inflow that occurred in the semi-opened axial fan. In addition, the flow fields of rotor outlet were clarified experimentally, and the effect of pre-swirling flow was considered. The experiment was carried out using a performance test wind tunnel with a square cross section of 880 mm. Three types of casings were prepared, in which the blade tip protruded 0%, 20%, and 40% of the meridional chord length. They were called R25, R15, and R05, respectively, in the casing bellmouth model code. Guide blades for generating a pre-swirling flow were installed on the vertical wall surface of the casing. In addition, a vertical wall was installed 60% upstream of the meridional chord length as an obstacle to prevent axial inflow. The velocity fields of the rotor outlet were measured using a hot-wire anemometer. From the results, the pre-swirling flow did not significantly affect the fan performance. When there was no obstacles wall upstream, there was a partial increase in efficiency, but the difference was not so large. When there was an obstacle wall upstream, the efficiency increased overall in the case of R15, but in the case of R05, the efficiency increased only in the low flow rate region, and conversely decreased in the high flow rate region. By observing the blade outlet flow fields when the performance was improved, it was confirmed that the influence of the tip leakage vortex was weakened.

Research on Capture Performance of an Induction Type Microplastics Recovery Device

Microplastic wastes in ocean can include the harmful chemical material, and the harmful material is concentrated by marine species. The separation and collecting methods of microplastics in ocean are researched in the world. The authors proposed the microplastics recovery device composed of the plates. Besides, the device consists of the tilted inlet/outlet and the horizontal part. In the water flow such as the tidal and ocean currents, the microplastics can be extracted from the main flow due to the vortex flow generated at the inner part of this device. In this research, the effects of the flow velocity and the inlet/outlet tilt angle on the capture performance were investigated experimentally and numerically. In the numerical simulations using the discrete phase model, the tilt angle was changed in a range between 30 degrees and 150 degrees in increments of 15 degrees, and the particle tracks of plastics were derived in steady condition. On the other hand, the capture performances in three cases of tilt angle 45 degrees, 120 degrees and 150 degrees were compared by circulation type water channel tests in which the plastics denser than the water were swept away 30 times every flow velocity. As the result, it seems that the tilt angle of 120 degrees is suitable for the wide range of the flow velocity in river and ocean.

Shared Memory Semi-Implicit Solver for Hydrodynamical Instability Processes

The Advection-Diffusion Reaction (ADR) equation appears in many problems in nature. This constitutes a general model that is useful in various scenarios, from porous media to atmospheric processes. Particularly, it is used at the interface between two fluids where different types of instabilities due to surface mobility may appear. Together with the ADR equation, the Darcy-Brinkman model describes the phenomena known as fingering that appear in different contexts. The study of this type of system gains in complexity when the number of chemical species dissolved in both fluids increases. With more solutes, the increasing complexity of this phenomenon generally requires much computational power. To face the need for more computational resources, we build a solver tool based on an Alternating Direction Implicit (ADI) scheme that can be run in Central Processing Unit (CPU) and Graphic Processing Unit (GPU) architectures on any notebook. The implementation is done using the MATLAB platform to compare both versions. It is shown that using the GPU version strongly saves both resources and calculation times.

Numerical Modelling of Double Slit Caisson Breakwater Integrated Oscillating Water Column Wave Energy Converter with Modal Superposition Method

Oscillating water column wave energy converter is a power generation device in which ocean waves excite the oscillation of the water surface in an air chamber, which generates fluctuations in air pressure and rotate air turbine generator(s). The oscillation of the fluid in the air chamber is a fluid oscillation phenomenon with a natural period, similar to fluid oscillation in a container such as sloshing. Previous research has shown that for an oscillating water column with a single air chamber submerged in water, the oscillation characteristics can be modeled as a one-degree-of-freedom oscillation system that takes only a single oscillation mode into account. However, a double-slit breakwater integrated oscillating water column wave energy converter using two water columns of the breakwater separated by slit walls, has been verified to have two resonance periods. In this study, the free oscillating motion of the oscillating water column wave energy converter using the double-slit breakwater is modeled by modal superposition method including the first-order and second-order modes of vertical motion of the two water surfaces. The result from the simulation is similar to the result of the free vibration experiment.

Two-Dimensional Continuous Model in Bimolecular Reactive Transport

In this work, a continuum 2D model is proposed to study the interaction at the interface of reactive transport processes in porous media. The analysis of the segregation produced by poor reactant homogenization at the poral scale is addressed by a parametric heuristic model that considers the relative gradient of the reacting species involved in the process. The micro inhomogeneities are incorporated by means of longitudinal and transversal mechanical dispersion coefficients. A two-dimensional continuous model for the bimolecular reactive transport is considered where modelling parameters are estimated numerically from experimental data. A competitive effect between segregation and dispersion is observed that is analyzed by means of numerical experiments. The two-dimensional model reproduces properly both the total mass of the product as well as its increase with the velocity of flow and the inhomogeneity of the advanced front. The methodology used is simple and fast, and the numerical results presented here indicate its effectiveness.

Study on Collision Process of Opposing Unsteady Supersonic Jets and Shock Waves

Double pulsed-laser-ablation is a promising method to prepare nanoparticle composites. The backward movement of the plume after the collision with counter-propagating shock wave has been observed in experiments. In the present study, collision dynamics of the oppositely injected Si and Ge jets into a He background gas was numerically calculated as a simulation for double pulsed-laser-ablation. The experimentally observed backward movement was reproduced. The effect of distance between two jet exits on the distance of backward movement of the jet, BL, after the collision with the counter-propagating shock front was calculated to discuss the collision dynamics and to optimize the target distance for the experiment. We found that BL does not decrease monotonically with increasing distance between two jet exits, but has a maximum value at a certain distance. This behavior is discussed by calculating the expansion dynamics of an individual jet. Shock wave grows with time at the initial stage of the jet expansion and then attenuates;the density just behind the shock front for individual jet has a maximum value at a certain time and position. BL has a maximum value when the densities just behind the shock fronts for the individual jets have maximum values. This result is important for designing the appropriate distance between the two jet exits, i.e., the distance between the targets of double pulsed-laser-ablation.

Equilibrium Energy and Entropy of Vortex Filaments in the Context of Tornadogenesis and Tornadic Flows

In this work, we study approximations of supercritical or suction vortices in tornadic flows and their contribution to tornadogenesis and tornado maintenance using self-avoiding walks on a cubic lattice. We extend the previous work on turbulence by A. Chorin and collaborators to approximate the statistical equilibrium quantities of vortex filaments on a cubic lattice when both an energy and a statistical temperature are involved. Our results confirm that supercritical (smooth, “straight”) vortices have the highest average energy and correspond to negative temperatures in this model. The lowest-energy configurations are folded up and “balled up” to a great extent. The results support A. Chorin’s findings that, in the context of supercritical vortices in a tornadic flow, when such high-energy vortices stretch, they need to fold and transfer energy to the surrounding flow, contributing to tornado maintenance or leading to its genesis. The computations are performed using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo approach with a simple sampling algorithm using local transformations that allow the results to be reliable over a wide range of statistical temperatures, unlike the originally used pivot algorithm that only performs well near infinite temperatures. Efficient ways to compute entropy are discussed and show that a system with supercritical vortices will increase entropy by having these vortices fold and transfer their energy to the surrounding flow.

Structure of Periodic Flows through a Channel with a Suddenly Expanded and Contracted Part

With respect to flows in a two-dimensional sudden expansion and contraction channel having a pair of cavities, numerical simulation was performed by imposing inlet/outlet boundary conditions giving a velocity distribution to the inlet. Periodic flows have been reproduced, which have a discrete spectrum about frequency. A fundamental wave occupies most part of the disturbance components, but higher harmonic waves are also included. The disturbance is excited by Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in a cavity section, where only the fundamental wave is generated. A wavenumber is regulated by a channel length under a periodic boundary condition, but there is no restriction in a main flow direction under the inlet/outlet boundary conditions, and therefore, some wavenumbers can occur. Therefore, an arbitrary frequency component of disturbance is a synthesized wave composed of various wave numbers. There are two kinds of components constituting this synthesized wave: a maximum of a velocity distribution is near a wall and in the center of the channel, which are called as wall mode and central mode in linear stability analysis of the plane Poiseuille flow. The synthesized wave composed of some modes shows a tendency to lower wavenumbers at the center of the channel.

Micro T-Mixer with Baffles: Effect of Baffle Height and Setting Angle on Mixing

Chaotic mixing in eight different types of micro T-mixer flow has been studied experimentally and numerically. The present experimental study was performed to visualize two-liquid flows in a micro T-mixer with baffles. The Reynolds number, baffle height and setting angle were varied to investigate their effect on the mixing performance. Three micro T-mixer models were produced, which are several centimeters long and have a rectangular cross-section of few millimeters a side. The mixing of two-liquid was measured using the laser induced fluorescence (LIF) technique. Moreover, three-dimensional numerical simulations were conducted with the open-source CFD solver, OpenFOAM, for the same configuration as used in the experiments to investigate the detailed mechanism of the chaotic mixing. As a result, it was found that the mixing of two-liquid is greatly improved in the micro T-mixer with baffle. The baffle height and setting angle show a significant influence on the mixing performance.

Planck Scale Fluid Mechanics: Measuring the Planck Length from Fluid Mechanics Independent of G

We demonstrate how to extract the Planck length from hydrostatic pressure without relying on any knowledge of Newton’s gravitational constant, G. By measuring the pressure from a water column, we can determine the Planck length without requiring knowledge of either G or the Planck constant. This experiment is simple to perform and cost-effective, making it not only of interest to researchers studying gravity but also suitable for low-budget educational settings. Despite its simplicity, this has never been demonstrated to be possible before, and it is achievable due to new theoretical insights into gravity and its connection to quantum gravity and the Planck scale. This provides new insights into fluid mechanics and the Planck scale. We are also exploring initial concepts related to what we are calling “Planck fluid”, which could potentially play a central role in quantum gravity and quantum fluid mechanics.

Linear System Solutions of the Navier-Stokes Equations with Application to Flow over a Backward-Facing Step

Many applications in fluid mechanics require the numerical solution of sequences of linear systems typically issued from finite element discretization of the Navier-Stokes equations. The resulting matrices then exhibit a saddle point structure. To achieve this task, a Newton-based root-finding algorithm is usually employed which in turn necessitates to solve a saddle point system at every Newton iteration. The involved linear systems being large scale and ill-conditioned, effective linear solvers must be implemented. Here, we develop and test several methods for solving the saddle point systems, considering in particular the LU factorization, as direct approach, and the preconditioned generalized minimal residual (ΡGMRES) solver, an iterative approach. We apply the various solvers within the root-finding algorithm for Flow over backward facing step systems. The particularity of Flow over backward facing step system is an interesting case for studying the performance and solution strategy of a turbulence model. In this case, the flow is subjected to a sudden increase of cross-sectional area, resulting in a separation of flow starting at the point of expansion, making the system of differential equations particularly stiff. We assess the performance of the direct and iterative solvers in terms of computational time, numbers of Newton iterations and time steps.

Numerical Simulation of Saint-Venant Equations with Thermal Energy Dependency: Applications on Global Warming

Since the Industrial Revolution, humanity has been intensifying the burning of fossil fuels and as a consequence, the average temperature on Earth has been increasing. The 20th century was the warmest and future prospects are not favorable, that is, even higher temperatures are expected. This demonstrates the importance of studies on the subject, mainly to predict possible environmental, social and economic consequences. The objective of this work was to identify the interference of the increase in ambient temperature in the dynamics of fluids, such as ocean waves advancing over the continent. For this, thermal energy was considered in the Saint-Venant equations and computational implementations were performed via Lax-Friedrichs and Adams-Moulton methods. The results indicated that, in fact, depending on the amount of thermal energy transferred to the fluid, the advance of water towards the continent can occur, even in places where such a phenomenon has never been observed.

Measurement of Shear Stress Acting on Flat Plate Using Oil Film Interferometry

Measurements of frictional resistance play an important role in engineering practice. There are several types of air resistance acting on an aircraft, for example. One of them, frictional resistance, accounts for half of the air resistance. Oil film interferometry is one of methods for measuring the frictional resistance. Oil dropped on an object is thinly stretched by the frictional resistance. The bright and dark fringe pattern is generated when monochromatic light is applied to the oil film. The gradient of the oil thickness decreases with the lapse of time, and thus the spacing between neighboring the dark lines increases. The rate at which the spacing increases is proportional to the frictional resistance. In this study, the frictional resistance acting on a small area on a plate was measured and compared with the theoretical value. As a result, these results qualitatively agree well with each other.

Large Eddy Simulations of Rayleigh-Bénard Convection in a Cubic Cavity

This paper conducts a Large Eddy Simulation (LES) of Rayleigh Bénard convection in a cubic cavity based on the WMLES S-Omega subgrid-scale model. For a cubic cavity with a vertical temperature difference of 6.7°C and 20°C, the velocity pulsation profiles and the mean velocity profiles of the vertical section in the middle of the cubic cavity were simulated, respectively. And they are consistent with the experiment results. Furthermore, the mean velocity field of the vertical cross-section in the middle of the cavity was calculated. Structures of the mean velocity field in the two cases are similar. A counterclockwise large vortex is found to occupy the cavity, and there are two small clockwise vortices in the lower left and upper right corners, and the mean velocity fields at two different temperature differences are consistent with the experimental results. The two-dimensional instantaneous temperature field and mean temperature field with different cross-sections in the z-direction, as well as the three-dimensional instantaneous isothermal surface structure, indicate that the large-scale circulation motion within the cubic cavity is moving diagonally. In addition, the structure of the mean streamline also illustrates this viewpoint. For the reverse vortex formed at two corners in the mean streamline structure, we used the Q criterion to identify and obtain two vortex structures similar to boomerangs. The basic turbulent structure in RB thermal convection includes the rising and falling plumes generated by buoyancy effects.