Molecular dynamics simulation of the flow mechanism of shear-thinning fluids in a microchannel

Shear-thinning fluids have been widely used in microfluidic systems,but their internal flow mechanism is still unclear.Therefore,in this paper,molecular dynamics simulations are used to study the laminar flow of shear-thinning fluid in a microchannel.We validated the feasibility of our simulation method by evaluating the mean square displacement and Reynolds number of the solution layers.The results show that the change rule of the fluid system's velocity profile and interaction energy can reflect the shear-thinning characteristics of the fluids.The velocity profile resembles a top-hat shape,intensifying as the fluid's power law index decreases.The interaction energy between the wall and the fluid decreases gradually with increasing velocity,and a high concentration of non-Newtonian fluid reaches a plateau sooner.Moreover,the velocity profile of the fluid is related to the molecule number density distribution and their values are inversely proportional.By analyzing the radial distribution function,we found that the hydrogen bonds between solute and water molecules weaken with the increase in velocity.This observation offers an explanation for the shear-thinning phenomenon of the non-Newtonian flow from a micro perspective.

Nonlinear dynamics of a circular curved cantilevered pipe conveying pulsating fluid based on the geometrically exact model

Due to the novel applications of flexible pipes conveying fluid in the field of soft robotics and biomedicine,the investigations on the mechanical responses of the pipes have attracted considerable attention.The fluid-structure interaction(FSI)between the pipe with a curved shape and the time-varying internal fluid flow brings a great challenge to the revelation of the dynamical behaviors of flexible pipes,especially when the pipe is highly flexible and usually undergoes large deformations.In this work,the geometrically exact model(GEM)for a curved cantilevered pipe conveying pulsating fluid is developed based on the extended Hamilton's principle.The stability of the curved pipe with three different subtended angles is examined with the consideration of steady fluid flow.Specific attention is concentrated on the large-deformation resonance of circular pipes conveying pulsating fluid,which is often encountered in practical engineering.By constructing bifurcation diagrams,oscillating shapes,phase portraits,time traces,and Poincarémaps,the dynamic responses of the curved pipe under various system parameters are revealed.The mean flow velocity of the pulsating fluid is chosen to be either subcritical or supercritical.The numerical results show that the curved pipe conveying pulsating fluid can exhibit rich dynamical behaviors,including periodic and quasi-periodic motions.It is also found that the preferred instability type of a cantilevered curved pipe conveying steady fluid is mainly in the flutter of the second mode.For a moderate value of the mass ratio,however,a third-mode flutter may occur,which is quite different from that of a straight pipe system.

Computational fluid dynamics modeling of rapid pyrolysis of solid waste magnesium nitrate hydrate under different injection methods

This study developed a numerical model to efficiently treat solid waste magnesium nitrate hydrate through multi-step chemical reactions.The model simulates two-phase flow,heat,and mass transfer processes in a pyrolysis furnace to improve the decomposition rate of magnesium nitrate.The performance of multi-nozzle and single-nozzle injection methods was evaluated,and the effects of primary and secondary nozzle flow ratios,velocity ratios,and secondary nozzle inclination angles on the decomposition rate were investigated.Results indicate that multi-nozzle injection has a higher conversion efficiency and decomposition rate than single-nozzle injection,with a 10.3%higher conversion rate under the design parameters.The decomposition rate is primarily dependent on the average residence time of particles,which can be increased by decreasing flow rate and velocity ratios and increasing the inclination angle of secondary nozzles.The optimal parameters are injection flow ratio of 40%,injection velocity ratio of 0.6,and secondary nozzle inclination of 30°,corresponding to a maximum decomposition rate of 99.33%.

Flow Field Characteristics of Multi-Trophic Artificial Reef Based on Computation Fluid Dynamics

On the basis of computational fluid dynamics,the flow field characteristics of multi-trophic artificial reefs,including the flow field distribution features of a single reef under three different velocities and the effect of spacing between reefs on flow scale and the flow state,were analyzed.Results indicate upwelling,slow flow,and eddy around a single reef.Maximum velocity,height,and volume of upwelling in front of a single reef were positively correlated with inflow velocity.The length and volume of slow flow increased with the increase in inflow velocity.Eddies were present both inside and backward,and vorticity was positively correlated with inflow velocity.Space between reefs had a minor influence on the maximum velocity and height of upwelling.With the increase in space from 0.5 L to 1.5 L(L is the reef lehgth),the length of slow flow in the front and back of the combined reefs increased slightly.When the space was 2.0 L,the length of the slow flow decreased.In four different spaces,eddies were present inside and at the back of each reef.The maximum vorticity was negatively correlated with space from 0.5 L to 1.5 L,but under 2.0 L space,the maximum vorticity was close to the vorticity of a single reef under the same inflow velocity.

Rotating tank experiments for the study of geophysical fluid dynamics

Geophysical fluid dynamics(GFD)is an interdisciplinary field that studies the large-scale motion of fluids in the natural world.With a wide range of applications such as weather forecasts and climate prediction,GFD employs various research approaches including in-situ observations,satellite measurements,numerical simulations,theoretical analysis,artificial intelligence,and physical model experiments in laboratory.Among these approaches,rotating tank experiments provide a valuable tool for simulating naturally-occurring fluid motions in laboratories.With proportional scaling and proper techniques,scientists can reproduce multi-scale physical processes of stratified fluids in the rotation system,which allows for the simulation of essential characteristics of fluid motions in the atmosphere and oceans.In this review,rotating tanks of various scales in the world are introduced,as these tanks have been actively used to explore fundamental scientific questions in ocean and atmosphere dynamics.To illustrate the GFD experiments,three representative cases are presented to demonstrate the frontier achievements in the the GFD study by using rotating tank experiments:mesoscale eddies in the ocean,convection processes,and plume dynamics.Detailed references for the experimental procedures are provided.Future studies are encouraged to further explore the utilization of rotating tanks with improvements in experimental design and integration of other research methods.This is a promising direction of GFD to help enhance our understanding of the complex nature of fluid motions in the natural world and to address the challenges posed by global environmental changes.

Computational Fluid Dynamics Approach for Predicting Pipeline Response to Various Blast Scenarios: A Numerical Modeling Study

Recent industrial explosions globally have intensified the focus in mechanical engineering on designing infras-tructure systems and networks capable of withstanding blast loading.Initially centered on high-profile facilities such as embassies and petrochemical plants,this concern now extends to a wider array of infrastructures and facilities.Engineers and scholars increasingly prioritize structural safety against explosions,particularly to prevent disproportionate collapse and damage to nearby structures.Urbanization has further amplified the reliance on oil and gas pipelines,making them vital for urban life and prime targets for terrorist activities.Consequently,there is a growing imperative for computational engineering solutions to tackle blast loading on pipelines and mitigate associated risks to avert disasters.In this study,an empty pipe model was successfully validated under contact blast conditions using Abaqus software,a powerful tool in mechanical engineering for simulating blast effects on buried pipelines.Employing a Eulerian-Lagrangian computational fluid dynamics approach,the investigation extended to above-surface and below-surface blasts at standoff distances of 25 and 50 mm.Material descriptions in the numerical model relied on Abaqus’default mechanical models.Comparative analysis revealed varying pipe performance,with deformation decreasing as explosion-to-pipe distance increased.The explosion’s location relative to the pipe surface notably influenced deformation levels,a key finding highlighted in the study.Moreover,quantitative findings indicated varying ratios of plastic dissipation energy(PDE)for different blast scenarios compared to the contact blast(P0).Specifically,P1(25 mm subsurface blast)and P2(50 mm subsurface blast)showed approximately 24.07%and 14.77%of P0’s PDE,respectively,while P3(25 mm above-surface blast)and P4(50 mm above-surface blast)exhibited lower PDE values,accounting for about 18.08%and 9.67%of P0’s PDE,respectively.Utilising energy-absorbing materials such as thin coatings of ultra-high-strength concrete,metallic foams,carbon fiber-reinforced polymer wraps,and others on the pipeline to effectively mitigate blast damage is recommended.This research contributes to the advancement of mechanical engineering by providing insights and solutions crucial for enhancing the resilience and safety of underground pipelines in the face of blast events.

Application of Computational Fluid Dynamics and Fluid Structure Interaction Techniques for Calculating the 3D Transient Flow of Journal Bearings Coupled with Rotor Systems

Journal bearings are important parts to keep the high dynamic performance of rotor machinery. Some methods have already been proposed to analysis the flow field of journal bearings, and in most of these methods simplified physical model and classic Reynolds equation are always applied. While the application of the general computational fluid dynamics （CFD）-fluid structure interaction （FSI） techniques is more beneficial for analysis of the fluid field in a journal bearing when more detailed solutions are needed. This paper deals with the quasi-coupling calculation of transient fluid dynamics of oil film in journal bearings and rotor dynamics with CFD-FSI techniques. The fluid dynamics of oil film is calculated by applying the so-called ＂dynamic mesh＂ technique. A new mesh movement approacb is presented while the dynamic mesh models provided by FLUENT are not suitable for the transient oil flow in journal bearings. The proposed mesh movement approach is based on the structured mesh. When the joumal moves, the movement distance of every grid in the flow field of bearing can be calculated, and then the update of the volume mesh can be handled automatically by user defined function （UDF）. The journal displacement at each time step is obtained by solving the moving equations of the rotor-bearing system under the known oil film force condition. A case study is carried out to calculate the locus of the journal center and pressure distribution of the journal in order to prove the feasibility of this method. The calculating results indicate that the proposed method can predict the transient flow field of a journal bearing in a rotor-bearing system where more realistic models are involved. The presented calculation method provides a basis for studying the nonlinear dynamic behavior of a general rotor-bearing system.

Three-dimensional dynamics of supported pipes conveying fluid

This paper deals with the three-dimensional dynamics and postbuckling behavior of flexible supported pipes conveying fluid, considering flow velocities lower and higher than the critical value at which the buckling instability occurs. In the case of low flow velocity, the pipe is stable with a straight equilibrium position and the dynamics of the system can be examined using linear theory. When the flow velocity is beyond the critical value, any motions of the pipe could be around the postbuckling configuration(non-zero equilibrium position) rather than the straight equilibrium position, so nonlinear theory is required. The nonlinear equations of perturbed motions around the postbuckling configuration are derived and solved with the aid of Galerkin discretization. It is found, for a given flow velocity,that the first-mode frequency for in-plane motions is quite different from that for out-of-plane motions. However, the second-or third-mode frequencies for in-plane motions are approximately equal to their counterparts for out-of-plane motions, keeping almost constant values with increasing flow velocity. Moreover, the orientation angle of the postbuckling configuration plane for a buckled pipe can be significantly affected by initial conditions, displaying new features which have not been observed in the same pipe system factitiously supposed to deform in a single plane.

Numerical Modelling of Ore-forming Dynamics of Fractal Dispersive Fluid Systems

Based on an analysis of the fractal structures and mass transport mechanism of typical shear-fluid-ore formation system, the fractal dispersion theory of the fluid system was used in the dynamic study of the ore formation system. The model of point-source diffusive illuviation of the shear-fluid-ore formation system was constructed, and the numerical simulation of dynamics of the ore formation system was finished. The result shows that: (1) The metallogenic system have nested fractal structure. Different fractal dimension values in different systems show unbalance and inhomogeneity of ore-forming processes in the geohistory. It is an important parameter to symbolize the process of remobilization and accumulation of ore-forming materials. Also it can indicate the dynamics of the metallogenic system quantitatively to some extent. (2) In essence, the fractal dispersive ore-forming dynamics is a combination of multi-processes dominated by fluid dynamics and supplemented by molecule dispersion in fluids and fluid-rock interaction. It changes components and physico-chemical properties of primary rocks and fluids, favouring deposition and mineralization of ore-forming materials. (3) Gold ore-forming processes in different types of shear zones are quite different. (1) In a metallogenic system with inhomogeneous volumetric change and inhomogeneous shear, mineralization occurs in structural barriers in the centre of a shear zone and in geochemical barriers in the shear zone near its boundaries. But there is little possibility of mineralization out of the shear zone. (2) As to a metallogenic system with inhomogeneous volumetric change and simple shear, mineralization may occur only in structural barriers near the centre of the shear zone. (3) In a metallogenic system with homogeneous volumetric change and inhomogeneous shear, mineralization may occur in geochemical barriers both within and out of the shear zone.

Modeling of gas-solid flow in a CFB riser based on computational particle fluid dynamics

A three-dimensional model for gas-solid flow in a circulating fluidized bed（CFB） riser was developed based on computational particle fluid dynamics（CPFD）.The model was used to simulate the gas-solid flow behavior inside a circulating fluidized bed riser operating at various superficial gas velocities and solids mass fluxes in two fluidization regimes,a dilute phase transport（DPT） regime and a fast fluidization（FF） regime.The simulation results were evaluated based on comparison with experimental data of solids velocity and holdup,obtained from non-invasive automated radioactive particle tracking and gamma-ray tomography techniques,respectively.The agreement of the predicted solids velocity and holdup with experimental data validated the CPFD model for the CFB riser.The model predicted the main features of the gas-solid flows in the two regimes;the uniform dilute phase in the DPT regime,and the coexistence of the dilute phase in the upper region and the dense phase in the lower region in the FF regime.The clustering and solids back mixing in the FF regime were stronger than those in the DPT regime.

Structural parameter optimization for novel internal-loop iron–carbon micro-electrolysis reactors using computational fluid dynamics

It is generally recognized that internal-loop reactors are well-developed mass and heat-transfer multiphase flow reactors. However, the internal flow field in the internal-loop reactor is influenced by the structure parameter of the reactor, which has a great effect on the reaction efficiency. In this study, the computational fluid dynamics simulation method was used to determine the influence of reactor structure on flow field, and a volume-offluid model was employed to simulate the gas–liquid, two-phase flow of the internal-loop micro-electrolysis reactor. Hydrodynamic factors were optimized when the height-to-diameter ratio was 4:1, diameter ratio was9:1, draft-tube axial height was 90 mm. Three-dimensional simulations for the water distributor were carried out, and the results suggested that the optimal conditions are as follows: the number of water distribution pipes was four, and an inhomogeneous water distribution was used. According to the results of the simulation,the suitable structure can be used to achieve good fluid mechanical properties, such as the good liquid circulation velocity and gas holdup, which provides a good theoretical foundation for the application of the reactor.

Computational Fluid Dynamics Approach to the Effect of Mixing and Draft Tube on the Precipitation of Barium Sulfate in a Continuous Stirred Tank

The effect of mixing on the precipitation of barium sulfate in a continuous stirred tank is simulated numerically with different feeding location, feed concentration, impeller speed and residence time through solving the standard momentum and mass transport equations in combination with the moment equations for crystal population balance. The numerical method was validated with the literature data. The simulation results including the distribution of the local supersaturation ratio distribution in the precipitator, mean crystal size and coefficient of variation under different operating conditions compared well with experimental data in the literature. The effect of the presence of a draft tube on precipitation were also investigated, and it is suggested that the installation of a draft tube increased the mean crystal size, in general agreement with experimental work in the literature.

A Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Analysis of an Undulatory Mechanical Fin Driven by Shape Memory Alloy

Many fishes use undulatory fin to propel themselves in the underwater environment. These locomotor mechanisms have a popular interest to many researchers. In the present study, we perform a three-dimensional unsteady computation of an undulatory mechanical fin that is driven by Shape Memory Alloy （SMA）. The objective of the computation is to investigate the fluid dynamics of force production associated with the undulatory mechanical fin. An unstructured, grid-based, unsteady Navier-Stokes solver with automatic adaptive remeshing is used to compute the unsteady flow around the fin through five complete cycles. The pressure distribution on fin surface is computed and integrated to provide fin forces which are decomposed into lift and thrust. The velocity field is also computed throughout the swimming cycle. Finally, a comparison is conducted to reveal the dynamics of force generation according to the kinematic parameters of the undulatory fin （amplitude, frequency and wavelength）.

Computational fluid dynamics evaluation of the effect of different city designs on the wind environment of a downwind natural heritage site

Disturbance in wind regime and sand erosion deposition balance may lead to burial and eventual vanishing of a site.This study conducted 3D computational fluid dynamics(CFD)simulations to evaluate the effect of a proposed city design on the wind environment of the Crescent Spring,a downwind natural heritage site located in Dunhuang,Northwestern China.Satellite terrain data from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer(ASTER)Digital Elevation Model(DEM)were used to construct the solid surface model.Steady-state Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes equations(RANS)with shear stress transport(SST)k-ωturbulence model were then applied to solve the flow field problems.Land-use changes were modeled implicitly by dividing the underlying surface into different areas and by applying corresponding aerodynamic roughness lengths.Simulations were performed by using cases with different city areas and building heights.Results show that the selected model could capture the surface roughness changes and could adjust wind profile over a large area.Wind profiles varied over the greenfield to the north and over the Gobi land to the east of the spring.Therefore,different wind speed reduction effects were observed from various city construction scenarios.The current city design would lead to about 2 m/s of wind speed reduction at the downwind city edge and about 1 m/s of wind speed reduction at the north of the spring at 35-m height.Reducing the city height in the north greenfield area could efficiently eliminate the negative effects of wind spee.By contrast,restricting the city area worked better in the eastern Gobi area compared with other parts of the study area.Wind speed reduction in areas near the spring could be limited to 0.1 m/s by combining these two abatement strategies.The CFD method could be applied to simulate the wind environment affected by other land-use changes over a large terrain.

COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS(CFD) SIMULATIONS OF DRAG REDUCTION WITH PERIODIC MICRO-STRUCTURED WALL

Computational fluid dynamics（CFD） simulations are adopted to investigate rectangular microchannel flows with various periodic micro-structured wall by introducing velocity slip boundary condition at low Reynolds number. The purpose of the current study is to numerically find out the effects of periodic micro-structured wall on the flow resistance in rectangular microchannel with the different spacings between microridges ranging from 15 to 60 pm. The simulative results indicate that pressure drop with different spacing between microridges increases linearly with flow velocity and decreases monotonically with slip velocity; Pressure drop reduction also increases with the spacing between microridges at the same condition of slip velocity and flow velocity. The results of numerical simulation are compared with theoretical predictions and experimental results in the literatures. It is found that there is qualitative agreement between them.

Simulation and Analysis on the Two-Phase Flow Fields in a Rotating-Stream-Tray Absorber by Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

The flow field of gas and liquid in a φ150mm rotating-stream-tray (RST) scrubber is simulated by using computational fluid dynamic (CFD) method. The sismulation is based on the two-equation RNG κ-ε turbulence model, Eulerian multiphase model, and a real-shape 3D model with a huge number of meshes. The simulation results include detailed information about velocity, pressure, volume fraction and so on. Some features of the flow field are obtained: liquid is atomized in a thin annular zone; a high velocity air zone prevents water drops at the bottom from flying towards the wall; the pressure varies sharply at the end of blades and so on. The results will be helpful for structure optimization and engineering design.

Characterization of the Engineering Flow in a Miniaturised Bioreactor by Computational Fluid Dynamics

Three approaches based on computational fluid dynamics(CFD) techniques have been assessed for their ability to describe the engineering flow environment in a miniaturized mechanically agitated bioreactor. The three approaches tested were the source-sink(SS), the multiple reference frames(MRF) and the sliding grids(SG). In all the cases, the predictions of the velocity components agree with reported experimental data. However, the analysis of the results of the turbulent intensities predicted by the three approaches indicates the MRF and the SG techniques under predicted turbulent intensities are comparable to both experimental measurements and the SS method. The predicted power number and pumping number based on the SS approach are closer to typical reported experimental values compared to those obtained from the MRF and SG methods.

Urban Green Space Planning Based on Computational Fluid Dynamics Model and Landscape Ecology Principle:A Case Study of Liaoyang City,Northeast China

As a result of environmental degradation,urban green space has become a key issue for urban sustainable development.This paper takes Liaoyang City in Northeast China as an example to develop green space planning using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model,landscape ecological principles and Geographical Information System (GIS).Based on the influencing factors of topography,building density and orientation,Shou Mountain,Longding Mountain and the Taizi River were selected as the urban ventilation paths to promote wind and oxygen circulation.Oxygen concentration around the green spaces gradually decreased with wind speed increase and wind direction change.There were obvious negative correlation relationships between the oxygen dispersion concentration and urban layout factors such as the building plot ratio and building density.Comparison with the field measurements found that there was significant correlation relationship between simulated oxygen concentration and field measurements (R 2=0.6415,p<0.001),moreover,simulation precision was higher than 92%,which indicated CFD model was effective for urban oxygen concentration simulation.Only less than 10% areas in Liaoyang City proper needed more green space urgently to improve oxygen concentration,mainly concentrated in Baitai and west Wensheng districts.Based on land-scape ecology principle,green space planning at different spatial scales were proposed to create a green space network system for Liaoyang City,including features such as green wedges,green belts and parks.Totally,about 2012 ha of green space need to be constructed as oxygen sources and ventilation paths.Compared with the current green space pattern,proposed green space planning could improve oxygen concentration obviously.The CFD model and research results in this paper could provide an effective way and theory support for sustainable development of urban green space.

Application of computational fluid dynamics simulation for submarine oil spill

Computational fluid dynamics （CFD） codes are being increasingly used in the simulation of submarine oil spills. This study focuses on the process of oil spills, from damaged submarine pipes, to the sea surface, using numerical models. The underwater oil spill model is developed, and a description of the governing equations is proposed, along with modifications required for the particalization of the control volume. Available experimental data were introduced to evaluate the validity of the CFD predictions, the results of which proved to be in good agreement with the experimental data. The effects of oil leak rate, leak diameter, current velocity, and oil density are investigated, by the validated CFD model, to estimate the undersea leakage time, the lateral migration distance, and surface diffusion range when the oil reaches the sea surface. Results indicate that the leakage time and lateral migration distance increase with decreasing leak rates and leak diameter, and increase with increasing current velocity and oil density. On the other hand, a large leak diameter, high density, high leak rate, or fast currents result in a greater surface diffusion range. The findings and analysis presented here will provide practical predictions of oil spills, and guidance for emergency rescues.

Computational fluid dynamics simulations of respiratory airflow in human nasal cavity and its characteristic dimension study

To study the airflow distribution in human nasal cavity during respiration and the characteristic parameters of nasal structure, three-dimensional, anatomically accurate representations of 30 adult nasal cavity models were recons- tructed based on processed tomography images collected from normal people. The airflow fields in nasal cavities were simulated by fluid dynamics with finite element software ANSYS. The results showed that the difference of human nasal cavity structure led to different airflow distribution in the nasal cavities and variation of the main airstream passing through the common nasal meatus. The nasal resistance in the regions of nasal valve and nasal vestibule accounted for more than half of the overall resistance. The characteristic model of nasal cavity was extracted on the basis of characteristic points and dimensions deduced from the original models. It showed that either the geometric structure or the airflow field of the two kinds of models was similar. The characteristic dimensions were the characteristic parameters of nasal cavity that could properly represent the original model in model studies on nasal cavity.