JFM Rapids
Effect of background mean flow on PSI of internal wave beams
- Boyu Fan, T. R. Akylas
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- 23 April 2019, R1
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An asymptotic model is developed for the parametric subharmonic instability (PSI) of finite-width nearly monochromatic internal gravity wave beams in the presence of a background constant horizontal mean flow. The subharmonic perturbations are taken to be short-scale wavepackets that may extract energy via resonant triad interactions while in contact with the underlying beam, and the mean flow is assumed to be small so that its advection effect on the perturbations is as important as dispersion, triad nonlinearity and viscous dissipation. In this ‘distinguished limit’, the perturbation dynamics are governed by the same evolution equations as those derived in Karimi & Akylas (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 757, 2014, pp. 381–402), except for a mean flow term that affects the group velocity of the perturbations and imposes an additional necessary condition for PSI, which stabilizes very short-scale perturbations. As a result, it is possible for a small amount of mean flow to weaken PSI dramatically.
Stability analysis of a particle band on the fluid–fluid interface
- Alireza Hooshanginejad, Benjamin C. Druecke, Sungyon Lee
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- 25 April 2019, R2
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We present experiments and theory for viscous fingering of a suspension of non-colloidal particles undergoing radial flow in a Hele-Shaw cell. As the suspension displaces air, shear-induced migration causes particles to move faster than the average suspension velocity and to accumulate on the suspension–air interface. The resultant particle accumulation generates a pattern in which low-concentration, low-viscosity suspension displaces high-concentration, high-viscosity suspension and is unstable due to the classic Saffman–Taylor instability mechanism. While the destabilising mechanism is well-understood, what remains unknown is the stabilising mechanism that suppresses fine fingers characteristic of miscible fingering. In this work, we demonstrate how the stable suspension–air interface interacts with the unstable miscible interface to set the critical wavelength. We present a linear stability analysis for the time-dependent radial flow and show that the wavenumber predicted by the analysis is in good agreement with parametric experiments investigating the effect of suspension concentration and gap thickness of the Hele-Shaw cell.
Dip-coating with a particulate suspension
- Sergio Palma, Henri Lhuissier
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- 23 April 2019, R3
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The coating of a plate withdrawn from a bath of a suspension of non-Brownian, monodisperse and neutrally buoyant spherical particles suspended in a Newtonian liquid has been studied. Using laser profilometry, particle tracking and local sample weighing we have quantified the thickness $h$ and the particle content of the film for various particle diameters $d$ and volume fractions ($0.10\leqslant \unicode[STIX]{x1D719}\leqslant 0.50$). Three coating regimes have been observed as the withdrawal velocity is increased: (i) no particle entrainment ($h\lesssim d$), (ii) a monolayer of particles ($h\sim d$), and (iii) a thick film ($h\gtrsim d$), where the suspension behaves as an effective viscous fluid following the Landau–Levich–Derjaguin law. We discuss the boundaries between these regimes, as well as the evolution of the liquid and solid content of the coating over the whole range of withdrawal capillary number and volume fractions.
$Nu\sim Ra^{1/2}$ scaling enabled by multiscale wall roughness in Rayleigh–Bénard turbulence
- Xiaojue Zhu, Richard J. A. M. Stevens, Olga Shishkina, Roberto Verzicco, Detlef Lohse
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- 23 April 2019, R4
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In turbulent Rayleigh–Bénard (RB) convection with regular, mono-scale, surface roughness, the scaling exponent $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}$ in the relationship between the Nusselt number $Nu$ and the Rayleigh number $Ra$, $Nu\sim Ra^{\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}}$ can be ${\approx}1/2$ locally, provided that $Ra$ is large enough to ensure that the thermal boundary layer thickness $\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D703}}$ is comparable to the roughness height. However, at even larger $Ra$, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D703}}$ becomes thin enough to follow the irregular surface and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}$ saturates back to the value for smooth walls (Zhu et al., Phys. Rev. Lett., vol. 119, 2017, 154501). In this paper, we prevent this saturation by employing multiscale roughness. We perform direct numerical simulations of two-dimensional RB convection using an immersed boundary method to capture the rough plates. We find that, for rough boundaries that contain three distinct length scales, a scaling exponent of $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}=0.49\pm 0.02$ can be sustained for at least three decades of $Ra$. The physical reason is that the threshold $Ra$ at which the scaling exponent $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}$ saturates back to the smooth wall value is pushed to larger $Ra$, when the smaller roughness elements fully protrude through the thermal boundary layer. The multiscale roughness employed here may better resemble the irregular surfaces that are encountered in geophysical flows and in some industrial applications.
Turbulent Rayleigh–Bénard convection in an annular cell
- Xu Zhu, Lin-Feng Jiang, Quan Zhou, Chao Sun
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- 29 April 2019, R5
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We report an experimental study of turbulent Rayleigh–Bénard (RB) convection in an annular cell of water (Prandtl number $Pr=4.3$) with a radius ratio $\unicode[STIX]{x1D702}\simeq 0.5$. Global quantities, such as the Nusselt number $Nu$ and the Reynolds number $Re$, and local temperatures were measured over the Rayleigh range $4.2\times 10^{9}\leqslant Ra\leqslant 4.5\times 10^{10}$. It is found that the scaling behaviours of $Nu(Ra)$, $Re(Ra)$ and the temperature fluctuations remain the same as those in the traditional cylindrical cells; both the global and local properties of turbulent RB convection are insensitive to the change of cell geometry. A visualization study, as well as local temperature measurements, shows that in spite of the lack of the cylindrical core, there also exists a large-scale circulation (LSC) in the annular system: thermal plumes organize themselves with the ascending hot plumes on one side and the descending cold plumes on the opposite side. Near the upper and lower plates, the mean flow moves along the two circular branches. Our results further reveal that the dynamics of the LSC in this annular geometry is different from that in the traditional cylindrical cell, i.e. the orientation of the LSC oscillates in a narrow azimuthal angle range, and no cessations, reversals or net rotation were detected.
Fractal features of turbulent/non-turbulent interface in a shock wave/turbulent boundary-layer interaction flow
- Yi Zhuang, Huijun Tan, Weixing Wang, Xin Li, Yunjie Guo
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- 29 April 2019, R6
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Fractal features of the turbulent/non-turbulent interface (TNTI) in shock wave/turbulent boundary-layer interaction (SWBLI) flows are essential in understanding the physics of the SWBLI and the supersonic turbulent boundary layer, yet have received almost no attention previously. Accordingly, this study utilises a high spatiotemporal resolution visualisation technique, ice-cluster-based planar laser scattering (IC-PLS), to acquire the TNTI downstream of the reattachment in a SWBLI flow. Evolution of the fractal features of the TNTI in this SWBLI flow is analysed by comparing the parameters of the TNTI acquired in this study with those from a previous result (Zhuang et al.J. Fluid Mech., vol. 843, 2018a).
Diffusion of inertia-gravity waves by geostrophic turbulence
- Hossein A. Kafiabad, Miles A. C. Savva, Jacques Vanneste
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- 30 April 2019, R7
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The scattering of inertia-gravity waves by large-scale geostrophic turbulence in a rapidly rotating, strongly stratified fluid leads to the diffusion of wave energy on the constant-frequency cone in wavenumber space. We derive the corresponding diffusion equation and relate its diffusivity to the wave characteristics and the energy spectrum of the turbulent flow. We check the predictions of this equation against numerical simulations of the three-dimensional Boussinesq equations in initial-value and forced scenarios with horizontally isotropic wave and flow fields. In the forced case, wavenumber diffusion results in a $k^{-2}$ wave energy spectrum consistent with as-yet-unexplained features of observed atmospheric and oceanic spectra.
JFM Papers
Effect of wind turbine nacelle on turbine wake dynamics in large wind farms
- Daniel Foti, Xiaolei Yang, Lian Shen, Fotis Sotiropoulos
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- 18 April 2019, pp. 1-26
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Wake meandering, a phenomenon of large-scale lateral oscillation of the wake, has significant effects on the velocity deficit and turbulence intensities in wind turbine wakes. Previous studies of a single turbine (Kang et al., J. Fluid. Mech., vol. 774, 2014, pp. 374–403; Foti et al., Phys. Rev. Fluids, vol. 1 (4), 2016, 044407) have shown that the turbine nacelle induces large-scale coherent structures in the near field that can have a significant effect on wake meandering. However, whether nacelle-induced coherent structures at the turbine scale impact the emergent turbine wake dynamics at the wind farm scale is still an open question of both fundamental and practical significance. We take on this question by carrying out large-eddy simulation of atmospheric turbulent flow over the Horns Rev wind farm using actuator surface parameterisations of the turbines without and with the turbine nacelle taken into account. While the computed mean turbine power output and the mean velocity field away from the nacelle wake are similar for both cases, considerable differences are found in the turbine power fluctuations and turbulence intensities. Furthermore, wake meandering amplitude and area defined by wake meanders, which indicates the turbine wake unsteadiness, are larger for the simulations with the turbine nacelle. The wake influenced area computed from the velocity deficit profiles, which describes the spanwise extent of the turbine wakes, and the spanwise growth rate, on the other hand, are smaller for some rows in the simulation with the nacelle model. Our work shows that incorporating the nacelle model in wind farm scale simulations is critical for accurate predictions of quantities that affect the wind farm levelised cost of energy, such as the dynamics of wake meandering and the dynamic loads on downwind turbines.
Non-periodic phase-space trajectories of roughness-driven secondary flows in high-$Re_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}}$ boundary layers and channels
- W. Anderson
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- 18 April 2019, pp. 27-84
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Turbulent flows respond to bounding walls with a predominant spanwise heterogeneity – that is, a heterogeneity parallel to the prevailing transport direction – with formation of Reynolds-averaged turbulent secondary flows. Prior experimental and numerical work has determined that these secondary rolls occur in a variety of arrangements, contingent only upon the existence of a spanwise heterogeneity (i.e. from complex, multiscale roughness with a predominant spanwise heterogeneity, to canonical step changes, to different roughness elements). These secondary rolls are known to be a manifestation of Prandtl’s secondary flow of the second kind: driven and sustained by the existence of spatial heterogeneities in the Reynolds (turbulent) stresses, all of which vanish in the absence of spanwise heterogeneity. Herein, we show results from a suite of large-eddy simulations and complementary experimental measurements of flow over spanwise-heterogeneous surfaces. Although the resultant secondary cell location is clearly correlated with the surface characteristics, which ultimately dictates the Reynolds-averaged flow patterns, we show the potential for instantaneous sign reversals in the rotational sense of the secondary cells. This is accomplished with probability density functions and conditional sampling. In order to address this further, a base flow representing the streamwise rolls is introduced. The base flow intensity – based on a leading-order Galerkin projection – is allowed to vary in time through the introduction of time-dependent parameters. Upon substitution of the base flow into the streamwise momentum and streamwise vorticity transport equations, and via use of a vortex forcing model, we are able to assess the phase-space evolution (orbit) of the resulting system of ordinary differential equations. The system resembles the Lorenz system, but the forcing conditions differ intrinsically. Nevertheless, the system reveals that chaotic, non-periodic trajectories are possible for sufficient inertial conditions. Poincaré projection is used to assess the conditions needed for chaos, and to estimate the fractal dimension of the attractor. Its simplicity notwithstanding, the propensity for chaotic, non-periodic trajectories in the base flow model suggests similar dynamics is responsible for the large-scale reversals observed in the numerical and experimental datasets.
Pressure-driven gas flow in viscously deformable porous media: application to lava domes
- David M. Hyman, M. I. Bursik, E. B. Pitman
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- 18 April 2019, pp. 85-109
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The behaviour of low-viscosity, pressure-driven compressible pore fluid flows in viscously deformable porous media is studied here with specific application to gas flow in lava domes. The combined flow of gas and lava is shown to be governed by a two-equation set of nonlinear mixed hyperbolic–parabolic type partial differential equations describing the evolution of gas pore pressure and lava porosity. Steady state solution of this system is achieved when the gas pore pressure is magmastatic and the porosity profile accommodates the magmastatic pressure condition by increased compaction of the medium with depth. A one-dimensional (vertical) numerical linear stability analysis (LSA) is presented here. As a consequence of the pore-fluid compressibility and the presence of gravitation compaction, the gradients present in the steady-state solution cause variable coefficients in the linearized equations which generate instability in the LSA despite the diffusion-like and dissipative terms in the original system. The onset of this instability is shown to be strongly controlled by the thickness of the flow and the maximum porosity, itself a function of the mass flow rate of gas. Numerical solutions of the fully nonlinear system are also presented and exhibit nonlinear wave propagation features such as shock formation. As applied to gas flow within lava domes, the details of this dynamics help explain observations of cyclic lava dome extrusion and explosion episodes. Because the instability is stronger in thicker flows, the continued extrusion and thickening of a lava dome constitutes an increasing likelihood of instability onset, pressure wave growth and ultimately explosion.
Mass transfer around bubbles flowing in cylindrical microchannels
- Javier Rivero-Rodriguez, Benoit Scheid
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- 23 April 2019, pp. 110-142
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This work focuses on the mass transfer around unconfined bubbles in cylindrical microchannels when they are arranged in a train. We characterise how the mass transfer, quantified by the Sherwood number, $Sh$, is affected by the channel and bubble sizes, distance between bubbles, diffusivity, mean flow velocity, deformation of the bubble, the presence of surfactants in the limit of rigid interface and off-centred positions of the bubbles. We analyse the influence of the dimensionless numbers and especially the distance between bubbles and the Péclet number, $Pe$, which we vary over eight decades, identifying five different mass transfer regimes. We show different concentration patterns and the dependence of the Sherwood numbers. These regimes can be classified by either the importance of the diffusion along the streamlines or the interaction between bubbles. For small $Pe$ the diffusion along the streamlines is not negligible as compared to convection, whereas for large $Pe$ convection dominates in the streamlines direction and, thus, crosswind diffusion becomes crucial in governing the mass transfer through boundary layers or the remaining wake behind the bubbles. Interaction of bubbles occurs for very small $Pe$ where the mass transfer is purely diffusive, or for very large $Pe$ where long wakes eventually reach the following bubble. We also observe that the bubble deformability mainly affects the $Sh$ in the regime for very large $Pe$ in which bubbles interaction matters, and also that the rigid interface affects the boundary layer and the remaining wake. The effect of off-centred position of the bubble, determined by the transverse force balance, is also limited to large $Pe$. The boundary layers on rigid bubble surfaces are thicker than those on stress-free bubble surfaces, and thus the mass transfer is weaker. For centred bubbles, the influence of inertia on the mass transfer is negligible. Finally, we discuss the implication of our results on the dissolution of bubbles.
A dynamical systems view of granular flow: from monoclinal flood waves to roll waves
- Dimitrios Razis, Giorgos Kanellopoulos, Ko van der Weele
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- 23 April 2019, pp. 143-181
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On the basis of the Saint-Venant equations for flowing granular matter, we study the various travelling waveforms that are encountered in chute flow for growing Froude number. Generally, for $Fr<2/3$ one finds either a uniform flow of constant thickness or a monoclinal flood wave, i.e. a shock structure monotonically connecting a thick region upstream to a shallower region downstream. For $Fr>2/3$ both the uniform flow and the monoclinal wave cease to be stable; the flow now organizes itself in the form of a train of roll waves. From the governing Saint-Venant equations we derive a dynamical system that elucidates the transition from monoclinal waves to roll waves. It is found that this transition involves several intermediate stages, including an undular bore that had hitherto not been reported for granular flows.
A comparative study of the velocity and vorticity structure in pipes and boundary layers at friction Reynolds numbers up to $10^{4}$
- S. Zimmerman, J. Philip, J. Monty, A. Talamelli, I. Marusic, B. Ganapathisubramani, R. J. Hearst, G. Bellani, R. Baidya, M. Samie, X. Zheng, E. Dogan, L. Mascotelli, J. Klewicki
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- 23 April 2019, pp. 182-213
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This study presents findings from a first-of-its-kind measurement campaign that includes simultaneous measurements of the full velocity and vorticity vectors in both pipe and boundary layer flows under matched spatial resolution and Reynolds number conditions. Comparison of canonical turbulent flows offers insight into the role(s) played by features that are unique to one or the other. Pipe and zero pressure gradient boundary layer flows are often compared with the goal of elucidating the roles of geometry and a free boundary condition on turbulent wall flows. Prior experimental efforts towards this end have focused primarily on the streamwise component of velocity, while direct numerical simulations are at relatively low Reynolds numbers. In contrast, this study presents experimental measurements of all three components of both velocity and vorticity for friction Reynolds numbers $Re_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}}$ ranging from 5000 to 10 000. Differences in the two transverse Reynolds normal stresses are shown to exist throughout the log layer and wake layer at Reynolds numbers that exceed those of existing numerical data sets. The turbulence enstrophy profiles are also shown to exhibit differences spanning from the outer edge of the log layer to the outer flow boundary. Skewness and kurtosis profiles of the velocity and vorticity components imply the existence of a ‘quiescent core’ in pipe flow, as described by Kwon et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 751, 2014, pp. 228–254) for channel flow at lower $Re_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}}$, and characterize the extent of its influence in the pipe. Observed differences between statistical profiles of velocity and vorticity are then discussed in the context of a structural difference between free-stream intermittency in the boundary layer and ‘quiescent core’ intermittency in the pipe that is detectable to wall distances as small as 5 % of the layer thickness.
Energetics and mixing in buoyancy-driven near-bottom stratified flow
- Pranav Puthan, Masoud Jalali, Vamsi K. Chalamalla, Sutanu Sarkar
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- 23 April 2019, pp. 214-237
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Turbulence and mixing in a near-bottom convectively driven flow are examined by numerical simulations of a model problem: a statically unstable disturbance at a slope with inclination $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}$ in a stable background with buoyancy frequency $N$. The influence of slope angle and initial disturbance amplitude are quantified in a parametric study. The flow evolution involves energy exchange between four energy reservoirs, namely the mean and turbulent components of kinetic energy (KE) and available potential energy (APE). In contrast to the zero-slope case where the mean flow is negligible, the presence of a slope leads to a current that oscillates with $\unicode[STIX]{x1D714}=N\sin \unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}$ and qualitatively changes the subsequent evolution of the initial density disturbance. The frequency, $N\sin \unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}$, and the initial speed of the current are predicted using linear theory. The energy transfer in the sloping cases is dominated by an oscillatory exchange between mean APE and mean KE with a transfer to turbulence at specific phases. In all simulated cases, the positive buoyancy flux during episodes of convective instability at the zero-velocity phase is the dominant contributor to turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) although the shear production becomes increasingly important with increasing $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}$. Energy that initially resides wholly in mean available potential energy is lost through conversion to turbulence and the subsequent dissipation of TKE and turbulent available potential energy. A key result is that, in contrast to the explosive loss of energy during the initial convective instability in the non-sloping case, the sloping cases exhibit a more gradual energy loss that is sustained over a long time interval. The slope-parallel oscillation introduces a new flow time scale $T=2\unicode[STIX]{x03C0}/(N\sin \unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD})$ and, consequently, the fraction of initial APE that is converted to turbulence during convective instability progressively decreases with increasing $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}$. For moderate slopes with $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}<10^{\circ }$, most of the net energy loss takes place during an initial, short ($Nt\approx 20$) interval with periodic convective overturns. For steeper slopes, most of the energy loss takes place during a later, long ($Nt>100$) interval when both shear and convective instability occur, and the energy loss rate is approximately constant. The mixing efficiency during the initial period dominated by convectively driven turbulence is found to be substantially higher (exceeds 0.5) than the widely used value of 0.2. The mixing efficiency at long time in the present problem of a convective overturn at a boundary varies between 0.24 and 0.3.
Weakly nonlinear theory for a gate-type curved array in waves
- S. Michele, E. Renzi, P. Sammarco
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- 23 April 2019, pp. 238-263
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We analyse the effect of gate surface curvature on the nonlinear behaviour of an array of gates in a semi-infinite channel. Using a perturbation-harmonic expansion, we show the occurrence of new detuning and damping terms in the Ginzburg–Landau evolution equation, which are not present in the case of flat gates. Unlike the case of linearised theories, synchronous excitation of trapped modes is now possible because of interactions between the wave field and the curved boundaries at higher orders. Finally, we apply the theory to the case of surging wave energy converters (WECs) with curved geometry and show that the effects of nonlinear synchronous resonance are substantial for design purposes. Conversely, in the case of subharmonic resonance we show that the effects of surface curvature are not always beneficial as previously thought.
Drag of a heated sphere at low Reynolds numbers in the absence of buoyancy
- Swetava Ganguli, Sanjiva K. Lele
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- 23 April 2019, pp. 264-291
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Fully resolved simulations are used to quantify the effects of heat transfer in the absence of buoyancy on the drag of a spatially fixed heated spherical particle at low Reynolds numbers ($Re$) in the range $10^{-3}\leqslant Re\leqslant 10$ in a variable-property fluid. The case where buoyancy is present is analysed in a subsequent paper. This analysis is carried out without making any assumptions on the amount of heat addition from the sphere and thus encompasses both the heating regime where the Boussinesq approximation holds and the regime where it breaks down. The particle is assumed to have a low Biot number, which means that the particle is uniformly at the same temperature and has no internal temperature gradients. Large deviations in the value of the drag coefficient as the temperature of the sphere increases are observed. When $Re<O(10^{-2})$, these deviations are explained using a low-Mach-number perturbation analysis as irrotational corrections to a Stokes–Oseen base flow. Correlations for the drag and Nusselt number of a heated sphere are proposed for the range of Reynolds numbers $10^{-3}\leqslant Re\leqslant 10$ which fit the computationally obtained values with less than 1 % and 3 % errors, respectively. These correlations can be used in simulations of gas–solid flows where the accuracy of the drag law affects the prediction of the overall flow behaviour. Finally, an analogy to incompressible flow over a modified sphere is demonstrated.
Multiphase plumes in a stratified ambient
- Nicola Mingotti, Andrew W. Woods
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- 23 April 2019, pp. 292-312
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We report on experiments of turbulent particle-laden plumes descending through a stratified environment. We show that provided the characteristic plume speed $(B_{0}N)^{1/4}$ exceeds the particle fall speed, where the plume buoyancy flux is $B_{0}$ and the Brunt–Väisälä frequency is $N$, then the plume is arrested by the stratification and initially intrudes at the neutral height associated with a single-phase plume of the same buoyancy flux. If the original fluid phase in the plume has density equal to that of the ambient fluid at the source, then as the particles sediment from the intruding fluid, the fluid finds itself buoyant and rises, ultimately intruding at a height of about $0.58\pm 0.03$ of the original plume height, consistent with new predictions we present based on classical plume theory. We generalise this result, and show that if the buoyancy flux at the source is composed of a fraction $F_{s}$ associated with the buoyancy of the source fluid, and a fraction $1-F_{s}$ from the particles, then following the sedimentation of the particles, the plume fluid intrudes at a height $(0.58+0.22F_{s}\pm 0.03)H_{t}$, where $H_{t}$ is the maximum plume height. This is key for predictions of the environmental impact of any material dissolved in the plume water which may originate from the particle load. We also show that the particles sediment at their fall speed through the fluid below the maximum depth of the plume as a cylindrical column whose area scales as the ratio of the particle flux at the source to the fall speed and concentration of particles in the plume at the maximum depth of the plume before it is arrested by the stratification. We demonstrate that there is negligible vertical transport of fluid in this cylindrical column, but a series of layers of high and low particle concentration develop in the column with a vertical spacing which is given by the ratio of the buoyancy of the particle load and the background buoyancy gradient. Small fluid intrusions develop at the side of the column associated with these layers, as dense parcels of particle-laden fluid convect downwards and then outward once the particles have sedimented from the fluid, with a lateral return flow drawing in ambient fluid. As a result, the pattern of particle-rich and particle-poor layers in the column gradually migrates upwards owing to the convective transport of particles between the particle-rich layers superposed on the background sedimentation. We consider the implications of the results for mixing by bubble plumes, for submarine blowouts of oil and gas and for the fate of plumes of waste particles discharged at the ocean surface during deep-sea mining.
Retrogressive failure of a static granular layer on an inclined plane
- A. S. Russell, C. G. Johnson, A. N. Edwards, S. Viroulet, F. M. Rocha, J. M. N. T. Gray
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- 26 April 2019, pp. 313-340
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When a layer of static grains on a sufficiently steep slope is disturbed, an upslope-propagating erosion wave, or retrogressive failure, may form that separates the initially static material from a downslope region of flowing grains. This paper shows that a relatively simple depth-averaged avalanche model with frictional hysteresis is sufficient to capture a planar retrogressive failure that is independent of the cross-slope coordinate. The hysteresis is modelled with a non-monotonic effective basal friction law that has static, intermediate (velocity decreasing) and dynamic (velocity increasing) regimes. Both experiments and time-dependent numerical simulations show that steadily travelling retrogressive waves rapidly form in this system and a travelling wave ansatz is therefore used to derive a one-dimensional depth-averaged exact solution. The speed of the wave is determined by a critical point in the ordinary differential equation for the thickness. The critical point lies in the intermediate frictional regime, at the point where the friction exactly balances the downslope component of gravity. The retrogressive wave is therefore a sensitive test of the functional form of the friction law in this regime, where steady uniform flows are unstable and so cannot be used to determine the friction law directly. Upper and lower bounds for the existence of retrogressive waves in terms of the initial layer depth and the slope inclination are found and shown to be in good agreement with the experimentally determined phase diagram. For the friction law proposed by Edwards et al. (J. Fluid. Mech., vol. 823, 2017, pp. 278–315, J. Fluid. Mech., 2019, (submitted)) the magnitude of the wave speed is slightly under-predicted, but, for a given initial layer thickness, the exact solution accurately predicts an increase in the wave speed with higher inclinations. The model also captures the finite wave speed at the onset of retrogressive failure observed in experiments.
Direct numerical simulations of hypersonic boundary-layer transition for a flared cone: fundamental breakdown
- Christoph Hader, Hermann F. Fasel
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- 25 April 2019, pp. 341-384
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Direct numerical simulations (DNS) were carried out to investigate the laminar–turbulent transition for a flared cone at Mach 6 at zero angle of attack. The cone geometry of the flared cone experiments in the Boeing/AFOSR Mach 6 Quiet Tunnel (BAM6QT) at Purdue University was used for the simulations. In the linear regime, the largest integrated spatial growth rates ($N$-factors) for the primary instability were obtained for a frequency of approximately $f=300~\text{kHz}$. Low grid-resolution simulations were carried out in order to identify the azimuthal wavenumber that led to the strongest growth rates with respect to the secondary instability for a fundamental and subharmonic resonance scenario. It was found that for the BAM6QT conditions the fundamental resonance is much stronger compared to the subharmonic resonance. Subsequently, for the case which led to the strongest fundamental resonance onset, detailed investigations were carried out using high-resolution DNS. The simulation results exhibit streamwise streaks of very high skin friction and of high heat transfer at the cone surface. Streamwise ‘hot’ streaks on the flared cone surface were also observed in the experiments carried out at the BAM6QT facility using temperature sensitive paint. The presented findings provide strong evidence that the fundamental breakdown is a dominant and viable path to transition for the BAM6QT conditions.
A new insight into understanding the Crow and Champagne preferred mode: a numerical study
- A. Boguslawski, K. Wawrzak, A. Tyliszczak
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- 25 April 2019, pp. 385-416
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The paper presents a new insight into understanding a mechanism to trigger the Crow and Champagne preferred mode. It is shown on the basis of numerical simulations that the preferred mode is established as a result of nonlinear interactions of primary structures generated by the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability. These interactions form larger coherent vortices characterized with frequency equal to half of the frequency of the primary perturbation. The paper shows that the shear-layer thickness at the nozzle exit constitutes a key parameter that influences significantly the jet response to an external forcing. The simulations were performed for jets with different shear-layer thicknesses. For the thicker shear layer the classical Kelvin–Helmholtz instability is observed. In this case the jet response to an external varicose forcing seems to be very similar to the experimental results of Crow and Champagne. The results presented shed new light on the preferred mode and the frequency selection mechanism confirming the suggestion of Crow and Champagne that nonlinearity is responsible for the preferred frequency. Significantly different results were obtained for a jet characterized by a thin shear layer. In this case the jet could be introduced into a self-sustained regime. External forcing with a frequency equal to the frequency of the natural self-sustained mode or with its subharmonic has practically no effect on the jet dynamics. The jet response to the forcing with frequencies different from the natural one depends on the forcing amplitude. A weak forcing disturbs the self-sustained mode leading to an interaction of two different modes that is observed in spectra with many frequencies related to both the self-sustained mode and the oscillations triggered by forcing. A stronger forcing suppresses the self-sustained mode and only the frequency components related to the stimulation are observed in the spectra. A mechanism responsible for the jet response to an external forcing under the self-sustained regime has not been extensively studied so far and a full understanding of these phenomena needs further studies and careful analysis.