Analysis of the Pump-turbine S Characteristics Using the Detached Eddy Simulation Method

Current research on pump-turbine units is focused on the unstable operation at off-design conditions, with the characteristic curves in generating mode being S-shaped. Unlike in the traditional water turbines, pump-turbine operation along the S-shaped curve can lead to difficulties during load rejection with unusual increases in the water pressure, which leads to machine vibrations. This paper describes both model tests and numerical simulations. A reduced scale model of a low specific speed pump-turbine was used for the performance tests, with comparisons to computational fluid dynamics（CFD） results. Predictions using the detached eddy simulation（DES） turbulence model, which is a combined Reynolds averaged Naviers-Stokes（RANS） and large eddy simulation（LES） model, are compared with the two-equation turbulence mode results. The external characteristics as well as the internal flow are for various guide vane openings to understand the unsteady flow along the so called S characteristics of a pump-turbine. Comparison of the experimental data with the CFD results for various conditions and times shows that DES model gives better agreement with experimental data than the two-equation turbulence model. For low flow conditions, the centrifugal forces and the large incident angle create large vortices between the guide vanes and the runner inlet in the runner passage, which is the main factor leading to the S-shaped characteristics. The turbulence model used here gives more accurate simulations of the internal flow characteristics of the pump-turbine and a more detailed force analysis which shows the mechanisms controlling of the S characteristics.

CFD Simulation of Local and Global Mixing Time in an Agitated Tank

The Issue of mixing efficiency in agitated tanks has drawn serious concern in many industrial processes. The turbulence model is very critical to predicting mixing process in agitated tanks. On the basis of computational fluid dynamics（CFD） software package Fluent 6.2, the mixing characteristics in a tank agitated by dual six-blade-Rushton-turbines（6-DT） are predicted using the detached eddy simulation（DES） method. A sliding mesh（SM） approach is adopted to solve the rotation of the impeller. The simulated flow patterns and liquid velocities in the agitated tank are verified by experimental data in the literature. The simulation results indicate that the DES method can obtain more flow details than Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes（RANS） model. Local and global mixing time in the agitated tank is predicted by solving a tracer concentration scalar transport equation. The simulated results show that feeding points have great influence on mixing process and mixing time. Mixing efficiency is the highest for the feeding point at location of midway of the two impellers. Two methods are used to determine global mixing time and get close result. Dimensionless global mixing time remains unchanged with increasing of impeller speed. Parallel, merging and diverging flow pattern form in the agitated tank, respectively, by changing the impeller spacing and clearance of lower impeller from the bottom of the tank. The global mixing time is the shortest for the merging flow, followed by diverging flow, and the longest for parallel flow. The research presents helpful references for design, optimization and scale-up of agitated tanks with multi-impeller.

Demand and Capacity Modelling in Healthcare Using Discrete Event Simulation

The NHS is right now confronting huge pressures relating to demand and capacity in radiology. The purpose of this research has been to provide information about MRI usage, details of operational aspects of MRI services, and to ascertain the planning intentions of NHS radiology services to keep up and create MRI capacity. The report expands on using Discrete Event Simulation (DES) to inspect and plan the utilisation of NHS hospital resources for the radiology department to help a 24 hr service that is available to outpatients which will help with diminishing patient waiting time, better resource usage, understanding the capacity and demand. Consequently, this research examines to adjust staff and resources with the demand of the MRI. The research was investigated using DES in various scenarios to find which resources are inactive;patients are treated slowly. DES helped in discovering resource utilisation and outpatient throughout the system. It additionally helped in distinguishing the bottlenecks in patient flow. The DES simulation results demonstrated that time for the outpatient in the system is less and more outpatients have been treated too. There is a higher level of outpatient patients leaving the system under 120 minutes. The report uncovered an MRI report interpretation time. Reception room time and MRI waiting room time are decreased significantly. It additionally exhibited with an expanded outflow of outpatients, resources, for example, MRI capacity and radiographer utilisation expanded.

UltraStar:A Lightweight Simulator of Ultra-Dense LEO Satellite Constellation Networking for 6G

The mega-constellation network has gained significant attention recently due to its great potential in providing ubiquitous and high-capacity connectivity in sixth-generation(6G)wireless communication systems.However,the high dynamics of network topology and large scale of mega-constellation pose new challenges to the constellation simulation and performance evaluation.In this paper,we introduce UltraStar,a lightweight network simulator,which aims to facilitate the complicated simulation for the emerging mega-constellation of unprecedented scale.Particularly,a systematic and extensible architecture is proposed,where the joint requirement for network simulation,quantitative evaluation,data statistics and visualization is fully considered.For characterizing the network,we make lightweight abstractions of physical entities and models,which contain basic representatives of networking nodes,structures and protocol stacks.Then,to consider the high dynamics of Walker constellations,we give a two-stage topology maintenance method for constellation initialization and orbit prediction.Further,based on the discrete event simulation(DES)theory,a new set of discrete events is specifically designed for basic network processes,so as to maintain network state changes over time.Finally,taking the first-generation Starlink of 11927 low earth orbit(LEO)satellites as an example,we use UltraStar to fully evaluate its network performance for different deployment stages,such as characteristics of constellation topology,performance of end-to-end service and effects of network-wide traffic interaction.The simulation results not only demonstrate its superior performance,but also verify the effectiveness of UltraStar.

Numerical Prediction of Marine Propeller Noise in Non-Uniform Inflow

A numerical study on the acoustic radiation of a propeller interacting with non-uniform inflow has been conducted. Real geometry of a marine propeller DTMB 4118 is used in the calculation, and sliding mesh technique is adopted to deal with the rotational motion of the propeller. The performance of the DES （Detached Eddy Simulation） approach at capturing the unsteady forces and moments on the propeller is compared with experiment. Far-field sound radiation is predicted by the formation 1A developed by Farassat, an integral solution of FW-H （Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings） equation in time domain. The sound pressure and directivity patterns of the propeller operating in two specific velocity distributions are discussed.

Influence of ribs on train aerodynamic performances

The influence of ribs on the train aerodynamic performance was computed using detached eddy simulation(DES), and the transient iteration was solved by the dual-time step lower-upper symmetric Gauss-Seidel(LU-SGS) method. The results show that the ribs installed on the roof have a great effect on the train aerodynamic performance. Compared with trains without ribs, the lift force coefficient of the train with convex ribs changes from negative to positive, while the side force coefficient increases by 110%and 88%, respectively. Due to the combined effect of the lift force and side force, the overturning moment of the train with convex ribs and cutting ribs increases by 140% and 106%, respectively. There is larger negative pressure on the roof of the train without ribs than that with ribs. The ribs on the train would disturb the flow structure and contribute to the air separation, so the separation starts from the roof, while there is no air separation on the roof of the train without ribs. The ribs can also slow down the flow speed above the roof and make the air easily sucked back to the train surface. The vortices at the leeward side of the train without ribs are small and messy compared with those of the train with convex or cutting ribs.

Hovering rotor aerodynamics in extreme ground effect

This paper presents an experimental and numerical study of the aerodynamics of a moderate-scale rotor hovering in the Extreme Ground Effect(EGE)where rotor height-offground is below half the rotor radius.The tip vortex field was visualized by using the PIV technique.The aerodynamic performance,tip vortex trajectory,wall jet characteristics,surface pressure and velocity fields were measured and analyzed.To explore more deeply the flow mechanisms of the extreme ground effect,Detached Eddy Simulation(DES)was conducted on completely structured meshes.The results showed significant deviations of the rotor performance in EGE from that in Regular Ground Effect(RGE)with the rotor heights of more than half the rotor radius.Moreover,the flow structures of the rotor in EGE are considerably complex,such as the wall jet and groundwash flow separation.The rotor wake flow and tip vortices impact the ground more frequently,resulting in distinctive characteristics of the surface pressure and velocity fields in EGE.

Constrained large-eddy simulation and detached eddy simulation of flow past a commercial aircraft at 14 degrees angle of attack

With the development of computational power and numerical algorithms,computational fluid dynamics(CFD) has become an important strategy for the design of aircraft,which significantly reduces the reliance on wind-tunnel and flight tests.In this paper,we conducted a numerical investigation on the flow past a full commercial aircraft at Mach number 0.2 and 14 degrees angle of attack by means of Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes(RANS),detached-eddy simulation(DES) and our newly developed constrained large-eddy simulation(CLES).The objective of this paper is to study the capability of these models in simulating turbulent flows.To our knowledge,this is the first large-eddy simulation method for full commercial aircraft simulation.The results show that the CLES can predict the mean statistical quantities well,qualitatively consistent with traditional methods,and can capture more small-scale structures near the surface of the aircraft with massive separations.Our study demonstrates that CLES is a promising alternative for simulating real engineering turbulent flows.

NUMERICAL SIMULATION AND EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THE NEW METHOD OF HORSESHOE VORTEX CONTROL

The horseshoe vortex generated around the sail-body junction of a submarine has an important influence on the uniformity of the submarine wake at the propeller disc.In this article,the horseshoe vortex is simulated by the Detached Eddy Simulation（DES） method,and a new method to control the horseshoe vortex by vortex control baffler is proposed.The numerical simulation shows that a kind of attached vortex,with the rotation direction opposite to that of horseshoe vortex,is generated by the vortex control baffler.With the attached vortex,the strength of the horseshoe vortex is significantly reduced.The wind tunnel experiment on a submarine model is carried out,and the axial velocities at the propeller disc of the submarine with and without vortex control baffler are measured by a hot wire anemometer system.It is shown from the experimental results that the vortex control baffler can enhance the uniformity of the wake at the propeller disc,which helps to improve the propeller performance.The engineering applicability of the vortex control baffler is discussed.

LARGE-EDDY AND DETACHED-EDDY SIMULATIONS OF THE SEPARATED FLOW AROUND A CIRCULAR CYLINDER

The separated turbulent flow around a circular cylinder is investigated using Large-Eddy Simulation （LES）, Detached-Eddy Simulation （DES, or hybrid RANS/LES methods）, and Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes （URANS）. The purpose of this study is to examine some typical simulation approaches for the prediction of complex separated turbulent flow and to clarify the capability of applying these approaches to a typical case of the separated turbulent flow around a circular cylinder. Several turbulence models, i.e. dynamic Sub-grid Scale （SGS） model in LES, the DES-based Spalart-Allmaras （S-A） and κ-ω Shear-Stress- Transport （SST） models in DES, and the S-A and SST models in URANS, are used in the calculations. Some typical results, e.g., the mean pressure and drag coefficients, velocity profiles, Strouhal number, and Reynolds stresses, are obtained and compared with previous computational and experimental data. Based on our extensive calculations, we assess the capability and performance of these simulation approaches coupled with the relevant turbulence models to predict the separated turbulent flow.

Detached-eddy simulation of wing-tip vortex in the near field of NACA 0015 airfoil

In the present study, the formation of the wing-tip vortex from a rectangular NACA0015 wing with a square tip at the Reynolds number of 1.8× 105 and the angles of attack （AOA） α = 8° and 10° were simulated with an incompressible detached eddy simulation （DES） method and the Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes （RANS） equations with the SA model respectively. Numerical results were compared with experimental results to validate the capability of the employed methods in resolving tip vortex flows. The results show that DES model could capture the complicated three-dimensional structures in the vortex, and the streamwise vorticity and the cross-flow velocity agree with the experiment results quite well, but RANS-SA model with the same grid as that of DES failed to capture the correct structures and under-predicted the streamwise vorticity in the vortex by 40%. The present study suggests that under the same calculation cost, DES but not RANS-SA could be used to effectively predict the flow characteristics in tip vortex.

DETACHED EDDY SIMULATION OF HYDRAULIC CHARACTERISTICS ALONG THE SIDE-WALL AFTER A NEW ARRANGEMENT-SCHEME OF THE SUDDEN LATERAL ENLARGEMENT AND THE VERTICAL DROP

In order to study the cavitation damage in a side-wall when a sudden lateral enlargement and a vertical drop are imposed at the radial gate, a new arrangement-scheme is proposed, where the sudden lateral enlargement and the vertical drop can be imposed at the outlet of the gate chamber. The hydraulic characteristics along the side-wall are simulated by the detached eddy simulation and the Volume Of Fluid （VOF） method. The numerical results agree well with those of experiment. The experimental and numerical results show that the flow condition is smooth with only a weak water-wing appearing behind the lateral cavity, and the length of the lateral cavity becomes longer and is mainly affected by the size of the lateral enlargement and the zone of negative pressure after the water impacts the side-wall would disappear. The hydraulic characteristics of the new arrangement-scheme are beneficial to the prevention of the cavitation damage in the side-wall and the Detached Eddy Simulation （DES） with the VOF method can well predict the hydraulic characteristics after the new arrangement-scheme of the sudden lateral enlargement and the vertical drop.

Numerical simulation of turbulent flow around a forced moving circular cylinder on cut cells

Fixed and forced moving circular cylinders in turbulent flows are studied by using the Large Eddy Simulation （LES） and two-equation based Detached Eddy Simulation （DES） turbulence models. The Cartesian cut cell approach is adopted to track the body surface across a stationary background grid covering the whole computational domain. A cell-centered finite volume method of second-order accuracy in both time and space is developed to solve the flow field in fluid cells, which is also modified accordingly in cut cells and merged cells. In order to compare different turbulence models, the current flow past a fixed circular cylinder at a moderate Reynolds number, Re = 3 900, is tested first. The model is also applied to the simulation of a forced oscillating circular cylinder in the turbulent flow, and the influences of different oscillation amplitudes, frequencies and free stream velocities are discussed. The numerical results indicate that the present numerical model based on the Cartesian cut cell approach is capable of solving the turbulent flow around a body undergoing motions, which is a foundation for the possible future study on wake induced oscillation and vortex induced vibration.

Numerical Hydro-Acoustic Prediction of Marine Propeller Noise

A source-to-far-field computation procedure aiming at predicting the noise generated by the underwater propeller was presented. Detached eddy simulation(DES) was used to resolve the unsteady flow field,which was taken as input data as noise propagation. Far-field sound radiation was performed by means of Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings(FW-H) equation. The computation procedure was finally applied to a typical marine propeller,David Taylor Model Basin(DTMB) 4118. The sound pressure and directivity patterns of this propeller were discussed.