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1. Turbulence Model Assessment in Compressible Flows around Complex Geometries with Unstructured Grids

   https://doi.org/10.3390/fluids4020081  

   Araya, Guillermo ( June 2019 , Fluids)

   One of the key factors in simulating realistic wall-bounded flows at high Reynolds numbers is the selection of an appropriate turbulence model for the steady Reynolds Averaged Navier–Stokes equations (RANS) equations. In this investigation, the performance of several turbulence models was explored for the simulation of steady, compressible, turbulent flow on complex geometries (concave and convex surface curvatures) and unstructured grids. The turbulence models considered were the Spalart–Allmaras model, the Wilcox k- ω model and the Menter shear stress transport (SST) model. The FLITE3D flow solver was employed, which utilizes a stabilized finite volume method with discontinuity capturing. A numericalmore »benchmarking of the different models was performed for classical Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) cases, such as supersonic flow over an isothermal flat plate, transonic flow over the RAE2822 airfoil, the ONERA M6 wing and a generic F15 aircraft configuration. Validation was performed by means of available experimental data from the literature as well as high spatial/temporal resolution Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS). For attached or mildly separated flows, the performance of all turbulence models was consistent. However, the contrary was observed in separated flows with recirculation zones. Particularly, the Menter SST model showed the best compromise between accurately describing the physics of the flow and numerical stability.« less
2. On Suitability of Element Tests to Represent Constitutive Response of Liquefiable Soils

   https://doi.org/ascelibrary.org/doi/abs/10.1061/9780784480779.227  

   Manzari, M.T. ; Yonten, K.Y. ( July 2017 , Sixth Biot Conference on Poromechanics)

   Calibration and validation of constitutive models and numerical modeling techniques used in analysis of soil liquefaction and its effects are often based on extensive comparisons with the results of element tests and centrifuge experiments. While good quality experimental data are available to understand and quantify the stress-strain-strength response of liquefiable soils in monotonic and cyclic drained/undrained element (triaxial and direct simple shear) tests, the results of these experiments are often less repeatable when the soil approaches liquefaction state and relatively large deviatoric strains suddenly develop within a few cycles of loading. The main source of these less repeatable patterns ofmore »soil behavior appears to be instability rather than the attainment of a state of material failure. The goal of this paper is to investigate the role of instability on the stress-strain response of liquefiable soils by using a critical state sand plasticity model that is enriched with an internal length scale representing the potential shear bands that may develop during monotonic or cyclic loading conditions. Through a series of numerical simulations, it is shown that the global stress-strain response measured in the element tests is a good approximation of the soil constitutive response before an unstable condition such as shear banding or liquefaction develops in the soil specimen.« less
3. Nonlinear rheology of entangled wormlike micellar solutions predicted by a micelle-slip-spring model

   https://doi.org/10.1122/8.0000426  

   Sato, Takeshi ; Larson, Ronald G. ( May 2022 , Journal of Rheology)

   We examine linear and nonlinear shear and extensional rheological properties using a “micelle-slip-spring model” [T. Sato et al., J. Rheol. 64, 1045–1061 (2020)] that incorporates breakage and rejoining events into the slip-spring model originally developed by Likhtman [Macromolecules 38, 6128–6139 (2005)] for unbreakable polymers. We here employ the Fraenkel potential for main chain springs and slip-springs to address the effect of finite extensibility. Moreover, to improve extensional properties under a strong extensional flow, stress-induced micelle breakage (SIMB) is incorporated into the micelle-slip-spring model. Thus, this model is the first model that includes the entanglement constraint, Rouse modes, finite extensibility, breakagemore »and rejoining events, and stress-induced micelle breakage. Computational expense currently limits the model to micellar solutions with moderate numbers of entanglements ([Formula: see text]), but for such solutions, nearly quantitative agreement is attained for the start-up of the shearing flow. The model in the extensional flow cannot yet be tested owing to the lack of data for this entanglement level. The transient and steady shear properties predicted by the micelle-slip-spring model for a moderate shear rate region without significant chain stretch are fit well by the Giesekus model but not by the Phan–Thien/Tanner (PTT) model, which is consistent with the ability of the Giesekus model to match experimental shear data. The extensional viscosities obtained by the micelle-slip-spring model with SIMB show thickening followed by thinning, which is in qualitative agreement with experimental trends. Additionally, the extensional rheological properties of the micelle-slip-spring model with or without SIMB are poorly predicted by both the Giesekus and the PTT models using a single nonlinear parameter. Thus, future work should seek a constitutive model able to capture the behavior of the slip-spring model in shear and extensional flows and so provide an accurate, efficient model of micellar solution rheology.« less
4. Aerodynamic Shape Optimization for Delaying Dynamic Stall of Airfoils Using Cokriging Regression

   https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2021-0340  

   Raul, Vishal V. ; Leifsson, Leifur T. ( January 2021 , AIAA SciTech 2021 Forum)

   The dynamic stall phenomenon produces adverse aerodynamic loading, which negatively affects the structural strength and life of aerodynamic systems. Aerodynamic shape optimization (ASO) provides a practical approach for delaying and mitigating dynamic stall characteristics without the addition of an auxiliary system. A typical ASO investigation requires multiple evaluations of accurate but time-consuming computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. In the case of dynamic stall, unsteady CFD simulations are required for airfoil shape evaluation; combining it with high-dimensions of airfoil shape parameterization renders the ASO investigation computationally costly. In this study, metamodel-based optimization (MBO) is proposed using the multifidelity modeling (MFM) techniquemore »to efficiently conduct ASO investigation for computationally expensive dynamic stall cases. MFM methods combine data from accurate high-fidelity (HF) simulations and fast low-fidelity (LF) simulations to provide accurate and fast predictions. In particular, Cokriging regression is used for approximating the objective and constraint functions. The airfoil shape is parameterized using six PARSEC parameters. The objective and constraint functions are evaluated for a sinusoidally oscillating airfoil with the unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations at a Reynolds number of 135,000, Mach number of 0.1, and reduced frequency of 0.05. The initial metamodel is generated using 220 LF and 20 HF samples. The metamodel is then sequentially refined using the expected improvement infill criteria and validated with the normalized root mean square error. The refined metamodel is utilized for finding the optimal design. The optimal airfoil shape shows higher thickness, larger leading-edge radius, and an aft camber compared to baseline (NACA 0012). The optimal shape delays the dynamic stall occurrence by 3 degrees and reduces the peak aerodynamic coefficients. The performance of the MFM method is also compared with the single-fidelity metamodeling method using HF samples. Both the approaches produced similar optimal shapes; however, the optimal shape from MFM achieved a minimum objective function value while more closely satisfying the constraint at a computational cost saving of around 41%.« less
5. Fluid Rheological Effects on the Flow of Polymer Solutions in a Contraction–Expansion Microchannel

   https://doi.org/10.3390/mi11030278  

   Jagdale, Purva P. ; Li, Di ; Shao, Xingchen ; Bostwick, Joshua B. ; Xuan, Xiangchun ( March 2020 , Micromachines)

   A fundamental understanding of the flow of polymer solutions through the pore spaces of porous media is relevant and significant to enhanced oil recovery and groundwater remediation. We present in this work an experimental study of the fluid rheological effects on non-Newtonian flows in a simple laboratory model of the real-world pores—a rectangular sudden contraction–expansion microchannel. We test four different polymer solutions with varying rheological properties, including xanthan gum (XG), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), polyethylene oxide (PEO), and polyacrylamide (PAA). We compare their flows against that of pure water at the Reynolds ( R e ) and Weissenburg ( W i )more »numbers that each span several orders of magnitude. We use particle streakline imaging to visualize the flow at the contraction–expansion region for a comprehensive investigation of both the sole and the combined effects of fluid shear thinning, elasticity and inertia. The observed flow regimes and vortex development in each of the tested fluids are summarized in the dimensionless W i − R e and χ L − R e parameter spaces, respectively, where χ L is the normalized vortex length. We find that fluid inertia draws symmetric vortices downstream at the expansion part of the microchannel. Fluid shear thinning causes symmetric vortices upstream at the contraction part. The effect of fluid elasticity is, however, complicated to analyze because of perhaps the strong impact of polymer chemistry such as rigidity and length. Interestingly, we find that the downstream vortices in the flow of Newtonian water, shear-thinning XG and elastic PVP solutions collapse into one curve in the χ L − R e space.« less