A flexible multiscale algorithm based on an improved smoothed particle hydrodynamics method for complex viscoelastic flows

Viscoelastic flows play an important role in numerous engineering fields,and the multiscale algorithms for simulating viscoelastic flows have received significant attention in order to deepen our understanding of the nonlinear dynamic behaviors of viscoelastic fluids.However,traditional grid-based multiscale methods are confined to simple viscoelastic flows with short relaxation time,and there is a lack of uniform multiscale scheme available for coupling different solvers in the simulations of viscoelastic fluids.In this paper,a universal multiscale method coupling an improved smoothed particle hydrodynamics(SPH)and multiscale universal interface(MUI)library is presented for viscoelastic flows.The proposed multiscale method builds on an improved SPH method and leverages the MUI library to facilitate the exchange of information among different solvers in the overlapping domain.We test the capability and flexibility of the presented multiscale method to deal with complex viscoelastic flows by solving different multiscale problems of viscoelastic flows.In the first example,the simulation of a viscoelastic Poiseuille flow is carried out by two coupled improved SPH methods with different spatial resolutions.The effects of exchanging different physical quantities on the numerical results in both the upper and lower domains are also investigated as well as the absolute errors in the overlapping domain.In the second example,the complex Wannier flow with different Weissenberg numbers is further simulated by two improved SPH methods and coupling the improved SPH method and the dissipative particle dynamics(DPD)method.The numerical results show that the physical quantities for viscoelastic flows obtained by the presented multiscale method are in consistence with those obtained by a single solver in the overlapping domain.Moreover,transferring different physical quantities has an important effect on the numerical results.

The Flow Simulation and Experimental Study of Low-Specific-Speed High-Speed Complex Centrifugal Impellers＊

Based on the Navier-Stokes equations and the Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model, three-dimensional turbulent flow in four low-specific-speed centrifugal impellers are simulated numerically and analyzed. The relative velocity distribution, pressure distribution and static pressure rise at the design point are obtained for the regular impeller with only long blades and three complex impellers with long, mid or short blades. It is found that the back flow region between long-blade pressure side and mid-blade suction side is diminished and is pushed to pressure side of short blades near the outlet of impeller at suction side by the introduction of mid, short blades, and the size of back flow becomes smaller in a multi-blade complex impeller. And the pressure rises uniformly from inlet to outlet in all the impellers. The simulated results show that the complex impeller with long, mid and short blades can improve the velocity distribution and reduce the back flow in the impeller channel. The experimental results show that the back flow in the impeller has an important influence on the performance of pump and a more-blade complex impeller with long, mid and short blades can effectively solve low flow rate instability of the low-specific-speed centrifugal pump.

NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF MORPHOLOGY OF POLYMER CHAIN COILS IN COMPLEX FLOWS

A new coupled finite element formulation is proposed to calculate a conformation tensor model in two complex flows： a planar contraction flow and a planar flow around a symmetrically placed cylinder. The components of conformation tensor are first computed together with the velocity and pressure to describe the change of morphology of polymer chain coils in flow fields. Macroscopic quantities of viscoelastic flow are then calculated based on the conformation tensor. Comparisons between the numerical simulations and experiments for stress patterns and velocity profiles are carried out to prove the validity of the method.

Complex network analysis in inclined oil-water two-phase flow

Complex networks have established themselves in recent years as being particularly suitable and flexible for representing and modelling many complex natural and artificial systems. Oil-water two-phase flow is one of the most complex systems. In this paper, we use complex networks to study the inclined oil water two-phase flow. Two different complex network construction methods are proposed to build two types of networks, i.e. the flow pattern complex network （FPCN） and fluid dynamic complex network （FDCN）. Through detecting the community structure of FPCN by the community-detection algorithm based on K-means clustering, useful and interesting results are found which can be used for identifying three inclined oil-water flow patterns. To investigate the dynamic characteristics of the inclined oil-water two-phase flow, we construct 48 FDCNs under different flow conditions, and find that the power-law exponent and the network information entropy, which are sensitive to the flow pattern transition, can both characterize the nonlinear dynamics of the inclined oil-water two-phase flow. In this paper, from a new perspective, we not only introduce a complex network theory into the study of the oil-water two-phase flow but also indicate that the complex network may be a powerful tool for exploring nonlinear time series in practice.

Application Progress of Computational Fluid Dynamic Techniques for Complex Viscous Flows in Ship and Ocean Engineering

Complex flow around floating structures is a highly nonlinear problem,and it is a typical feature in ship and ocean engineering.Traditional experimental methods and potential flow theory have limitations in predicting complex viscous flows.With the improvement of high-performance computing and the development of numerical techniques,computational fluid dynamics(CFD)has become increasingly powerful in predicting the complex viscous flow around floating structures.This paper reviews the recent progress in CFD techniques for numerical solutions of typical complex viscous flows in ship and ocean engineering.Applications to free-surface flows,breaking bow waves of high-speed ship,ship hull-propeller-rudder interaction,vortexinduced vibration of risers,vortex-induced motions of deep-draft platforms,and floating offshore wind turbines are discussed.Typical techniques,including volume of fluid for sharp interface,dynamic overset grid,detached eddy simulation,and fluid-structure coupling,are reviewed along with their applications.Some novel techniques,such as high-efficiency Cartesian grid method and GPU acceleration technique,are discussed in the last part as the future perspective for further enhancement of accuracy and efficiency for CFD simulations of complex flow in ship and ocean engineering.

Simulation of incompressible multiphase flows with complex geometry using etching multiblock method

The incompressible two-phase flows are simulated using combination of an etching multiblock method and a diffuse interface （DI） model, particularly in the com- plex domain that can be decomposed into multiple rectangular subdomains. The etching multiblock method allows natural communications between the connected subdomains and the efficient parallel computation. The DI model can consider two-phase flows with a large density ratio, and simulate the flows with the moving contact line （MCL） when a geometric formulation of the MCL model is included. Therefore, combination of the etch- ing method and the DI model has potential to deal with a variety of two-phase flows in industrial applications. The performance is examined through a series of numerical exper- iments. The convergence of the etching method is firstly tested by simulating single-phase flows past a square cylinder, and the method for the multiphase flow simulation is vali- dated by investing drops dripping from a pore. The numerical results are compared with either those from other researchers or experimental data. Good agreement is achieved. The method is also used to investigate the impact of a droplet on a grooved substrate and droplet generation in flow focusing devices.

Effect of magnetic flow and external forcing current on mixed bursting in the pre-Botzinger complex

The pre-B?tzinger complex(pre-B?tC) in mammalian brainstem is essential for the generation of respiratory rhythms.Most dynamic studies on the pre-B?tC neuron have been focused on its firing activities modulated by the ion conductances rather than that by the electromagnetic radiation or the external forcing current. In this paper, by adding the electromagnetic radiation and external forcing current to Park and Rubin’s model, we mainly investigate the influences of those two factors on the mixed bursting(MB) of single pre-B?tC neuron. First, we explore how the variation of external forcing current affects the MB patterns of the system with non-vanishing magnetic flux. We classify the MB patterns and show their dynamic mechanism through fast-slow decomposition and bifurcation analysis. Then, by modifying the feedback coefficient, we further analyze the sole effect of electromagnetic radiation on the firing activities of the system. Our results may be instructive in understanding the dynamical behavior of pre-B?tC neuron.

Advances in LES of Two-phase Combustion(Ⅱ) LES of Complex Gas-Particle Flows and Coal Combustion

Large-eddy simulation(LES) is under its rapid development and is recognized as a possible second generation of CFD methods used in engineering.Large-eddy simulation of two-phase flows and combustion is particularly important for engineering applications.Some investigators,including the present authors,give their review on LES of spray combustion in gas-turbine combustors and internal combustion engines.However,up to now only a few papers are related to the state-of-the-art on LES of gas-particle flows and combustion.In this paper a review of the advances in LES of complex gas-particle flows and coal combustion is presented.Different sub-grid scale(SGS) stress models and combustion models are described,some of the main results are summarized,and some research needs are discussed.

Experimental Study of Sediment Incipience Under Complex Flows

Sediment incipience under flows passing a backward-facing step was studied. A series of experiments were conducted to measure scouring depth, probability of sediment incipience, and instantaneous flow velocity field downstream of a backward-facing step. Instantaneous flow velocity fields were measured by using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), and an image processing method for determining probability of sediment incipience was employed to analyze the experimental data. The experimental results showed that the probability of sediment incipience was the highest near the reattachment point, even though the near-wall instantaneous flow velocity and the Reynolds stress were both much higher further downstream of the backward-facing step. The possible me- chanisms are discussed for the sediment incipience near the reattachment point.

Hybrid Methods for Computing the Streamfunction and Velocity Potential for Complex Flow Fields over Mesoscale Domains

Three types of previously used numerical methods are revisited for computing the streamfunctionψand velocity potentialχfrom the horizontal velocity v in limited domains.The first type,called the SOR-based method,uses a classical successive over-relaxation(SOR)scheme to computeψ(orχ)first with an arbitrary boundary condition(BC)and thenχ(orψ)with the BC derived from v.The second type,called the spectral method,uses spectral formulations to construct the inner part of(ψ,χ)-the inversion of(vorticity,divergence)with a homogeneous BC,and then the remaining harmonic part of(ψ,χ)with BCs from v.The third type,called the integral method,uses integral formulas to compute the internally induced(ψ,χ)-the inversion of domain-internal(vorticity,divergence)using the free-space Greenꞌs function without BCs and then the remaining harmonicψ(orχ)with BCs from v minus the internally-induced part.Although these methods have previously been successfully applied to flows in large-scale and synoptic-scale domains,their accuracy is compromised when applied to complex flows over mesoscale domains,as shown in this paper.To resolve this problem,two hybrid approaches,the integral-SOR method and the integral-spectral method,are developed by combining the first step of the integral method with the second step adopted from the SOR-based and spectral methods,respectively.Upon testing these methods on real-case complex flows,the integral-SOR method is significantly more accurate than the integral-spectral method,noting that the latter is still generally more accurate than the three previously-used methods.The integral-SOR method is recommended for future applications and diagnostic studies of complex flows.

Sedimentary characteristics and model of gravity flow channel-lobe complex in a depression lake basin:A case study of Chang 7 Member of Triassic Yanchang Formation in southwestern Ordos Basin,NW China

To reveal the development characteristics and distribution of gravity flow sedimentary system under micro-paleogeomorphologic units of the Chang 7 Member of Triassic Yanchang Formation in the southwestern Ordos Basin,on the basis of the restoration of the paleogeomorphological form of the Chang 7 depositional period by the impression method,each micro-paleogeomorphologic unit was depicted in-depth,and the characteristics and development models of gravity flow deposits in the study area were studied in combination with outcrop,core,mud logging and log data.The results show that:(1)The paleogeomorphology in the Chang 7 depositional period was an asymmetrical depression,wide and gentle in the northeast and steep and narrow in the southwest.Three sub-paleogeomorphologic units were developed in the basin,including gentle paleo-slope,paleo-slope and paleo-depression,and they can be further subdivided into eight micro-paleogeomorphologic units:bulge,groove,slope break belt,plain of lake bottom,deep depression of lake bottom,paleo-channel,paleo-ridge of lake bottom,and paleo-uplift of lake bottom.(2)There are 9 types of lithofacies and 4 types of lithofacies assemblages of Chang 7 Member.According to lithofacies composition and lithofacies vertical combination,the gravity flow deposit is further divided into 5 types of microfacies:restricted channel,unrestricted channel,natural levee,inter-channel,lobe.(3)Paleogeomorphology plays an important role in controlling sediment source direction,type and spatial distribution of sedimentary microfacies,genetic types and distribution of sand bodies in Chang 7 Member.

The Gravity Flow on a Shelf-Edge-Slope-Basin-Floor Complex in Qiongdongnan Basin,Northern South China Sea

The Qiongdongnan Basin lies in the west part of the northern South China Sea.To the west the basin is bound by the Red River Fault and the Yinggehai Basin,to the east by the Pearl River Mouth Basin,and to the south by the Xisha Rise.In this study,the sequence stratigraphic framework was set up and 11 third-order sequences were distinguished.Based

Packing induced bistable phenomenon in granular flow:analysis from complex network perspective

The effects of packing configurations on the phase transition of straight granular chute flow with two bottlenecks axe studied. The granular flow shows a dilute- to-dense flow transition when the channel width is varied, accompanied with a peculiar bistable phenomenon. The bistable phenomenon is induced by the initial packing config- uration of particles. When the packing is dense, the initial flux is small and will induce a dense flow. When the packing is loose, the initial flux is large and will induce a di- lute flow. The fabric network of granulax packing is analyzed from a complex network perspective. The degree distribution shows quantitatively different characteristics for the configurations. A two-dimensional （2D） packing clustering coefficient is defined to better quantify the fabric network.

Lattice Boltzmann simulation of fluid flows in two-dimensional channel with complex geometries

Boundary conditions （BCs） play an essential role in lattice Boltzmann （LB） simulations. This paper investigates several most commonly applied BCs by evaluating the relative L2-norm errors of the LB simulations for two-dimensional （2-D） Poiseuille flow. It is found that the relative L2-norm error resulting from FHML＇s BC is smaller than that from other BCs as a whole. Then, based on the FHML＇s BC, it formulates an LB model for simulating fluid flows in 2-D channel with complex geometries. Afterwards, the flows between two inclined plates, in a pulmonary blood vessel and in a blood vessel with local expansion region, are simulated. The numerical results are in good agreement with the analytical predictions and clearly show that the model is effective. It is expected that the model can be extended to simulate some real biologic flows, such as blood flows in arteries, vessels with stenosises, aneurysms and bifurcations,

Multi-scale complexity entropy causality plane: An intrinsic measure for indicating two-phase flow structures

We extend the complexity entropy causality plane（CECP） to propose a multi-scale complexity entropy causality plane（MS-CECP） and further use the proposed method to discriminate the deterministic characteristics of different oil-in-water flows. We first take several typical time series for example to investigate the characteristic of the MS-CECP and find that the MS-CECP not only describes the continuous loss of dynamical structure with the increase of scale, but also reflects the determinacy of the system. Then we calculate the MS-CECP for the conductance fluctuating signals measured from oil–water two-phase flow loop test facility. The results indicate that the MS-CECP could be an intrinsic measure for indicating oil-in-water two-phase flow structures.

Centrality measure of complex networks based on resource flow

A new centrality measure for complex networks, called resource flow centrality, is pro- posed in this paper. This centrality measure is based on the concept of the resource flow in net- works. It not only can be applied to the connected networks, but also the disconnected networks. Moreover, it overcomes some disadvantages of several common centrality measures. The perform- ance of the proposed measure is compared with some standard centrality measures using a classic dataset and the results indicate the proposed measure performs more reasonably. The statistical dis- tribution of the proposed centrality is investigated by experiments on large scale computer generated graphs and two networks from the real world.

Introduction to the Special Issue on Advances in Modeling and Simulation of Complex Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow

Heat transfer and fluid flow are fundamental phenomena in nature and engineering.Modeling and simulation of heat transfer and fluid flow are significant for a wide range of scientific and industrial applications.Along with the development of computer industry and the advancement of numerical methods,significant progresses have been witnessed in modeling and simulation of heat transfer and fluid flow.Solid foundation in both hardware and software has been established to study the heat transfer and fluid flow processes because of its importance in reducing production costs,discovering new phenomena and developing new technologies,etc.However,the accurate modeling and efficient,robust simulation of complex heat transfer and fluid flow still remain challenging.And multi-disciplinary research effort has been a clear and general trend.To highlight the recent advances and challenges in numerical modeling,algorithm,and computation of complex heat transfer and fluid flow,the guest editors organized a special issue on“Advances in Modeling and Simulation of Complex Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow”within Computer Modeling in Engineering&Sciences.

Simultaneous measurement of velocity profile and liquid film thickness in horizontal gas–liquid slug flow by using ultrasonic Doppler method

Horizontal gas-liquid two-phase flows widely exist in chemical engineering,oil/gas production and other important industrial processes.Slug flow pattern is the main form of horizontal gas-liquid flows and characterized by intermittent motion of film region and slug region.This work aims to develop the ultrasonic Doppler method to realize the simultaneous measurement of the velocity profile and liquid film thickness of slug flow.A single-frequency single-channel transducer is adopted in the design of the field-programmable gate array based ultrasonic Doppler system.A multiple echo repetition technology is used to improve the temporal-spatial resolution for the velocity profile.An experiment of horizontal gas-liquid two-phase flow is implemented in an acrylic pipe with an inner diameter of 20 mm.Considering the aerated characteristics of the liquid slug,slug flow is divided into low-aerated slug flow,high-aerated slug flow and pseudo slug flow.The temporal-spatial velocity distributions of the three kinds of slug flows are reconstructed by using the ultrasonic velocity profile measurement.The evolution characteristics of the average velocity profile in slug flows are investigated.A novel method is proposed to derive the liquid film thickness based on the instantaneous velocity profile.The liquid film thickness can be effectively measured by detecting the position and the size of the bubbles nearly below the elongated gas bubble.Compared with the time of flight method,the film thickness measured by the Doppler system shows a higher accuracy as a bubble layer occurs in the film region.The effect of the gas distribution on the film thickness is uncovered in three kinds of slug flows.

Some Complexity Results for the k-Splittable Flow Minimizing Congestion Problem

In this paper, we mainly consider the complexity of the k-splittable flow minimizing congestion problem. We give some complexity results. For the k-splittable flow problem, the existence of a feasible solution is strongly NP-hard. When the number of the source nodes is an input, for the uniformly exactly k-splittable flow problem, obtaining an approximation algorithm with performance ratio better than (√5+1)/2 is NP-hard. When k is an input, for single commodity k-splittable flow problem, obtaining an algorithm with performance ratio better than is NP-hard. In the last of the paper, we study the relationship of minimizing congestion and minimizing number of rounds in the k-splittable flow problem. The smaller the congestion is, the smaller the number of rounds.