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Industrial CFD and Fluid Modelling in Engineering

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A special issue of Fluids (ISSN 2311-5521). This special issue belongs to the section "Mathematical and Computational Fluid Mechanics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (9 September 2023) | Viewed by 18359

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Ernesto Benini

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Guest Editor

Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, Via Venezia 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
Interests: CFD of flows in industrial and energy systems: optimal design methods; performance analysis in design and off-design conditions; full-annulus uRANS methods; aerothermodynamics of propulsion machines; CFD of supersonic and hypersonic flows
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Francesco De Vanna

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, Via Venezia 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
Interests: computational fluid dynamics; applied fluid dynamics; turbulent flows; wall-bounded flows; direct and large eddy simulations; wall-modelled large eddy simulations; high-performance computing; parallel computations; applied mathematics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent decades, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and the formulation of increasingly performing numerical algorithms have allowed previously unexpected progress within the understanding of fluid motion. Despite this, dealing with realistic industrial problems through CFD approaches is still an incredibly challenging task. This is due to the geometric sophistication of the industrial reality and the complexity of the flow topology involved in applications, as well as the computing powers needed to carry out full-scale simulations. In addition, even if full-length simulations of realistic engineering devices have been successfully performed, the modeling assumptions underlying the achievement of the results are often a harbinger of doubt. In the industrial context, the Reynolds average Navier–Stokes (RANS) approach has shown great flexibility, and today, it can be considered the leading and top-rated strategy at the applicative side. However, by modeling all the scales of motion, this technique introduces heavy modeling hypotheses that must be carefully examined and verified a posteriori. On the other hand, more and more accurate methodologies are appearing, and the imminent horizon of the technique will see the time effect variations related to fluid motion as predominant aspects of the fluid dynamics analysis of industrial devices. This Special Issue intends to collect the best ideas concerning the modeling of industrial flows. Ample space will be reserved for validating RANS techniques in real applicative geometries (e.g., aerodynamical components, turbomachinery, conversion energy system, fluid machinery). Moreover, the coupling of these techniques with optimization algorithms and operative research methods are of interest to the present volume. Authors are also invited to contribute through innovative ideas concerning fluid modeling, such as contributions to the formulation of new turbulence models, novel approaches for wall-bounded flows and, in general, new CFD paradigms. These may include the formulation of innovative algorithms or the coupling of existing techniques with a view to formulating new paradigms in the logic of greater efficiency and accuracy of results for industrial computational fluid dynamics.

Thus, the potential topics of the present Special Issue include but are not limited to the following:

(1) Large/detached eddy simulations

(2) RANS modeling validation

(3) Optimization strategies

(4) Aerodynamics and turbomachinery modeling

(5) Super/hypersonic flows

(6) Multiphase and reactive flows.

Prof. Dr. Ernesto Benini
Dr. Francesco De Vanna
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Fluids is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Industrial CFD
Aerospace fluid mechanics
Turbomachinery
Optimization methods
Large-eddy simulation
Detached eddy simulation
Wall-modeled LES
Computational gas dynamics
Multiphase flows
Reactive flows
Numerical modeling in fluids
Turbulence modeling
Energy systems

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 7222 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Design of a Cryogenic Duplex Pressure-Swirl Atomizer through CFDs for the Cold Conservation of Marine Products

by Eduardo Ayala, Diego Rivera, Julio Ronceros, Nikolai Vinces and Gustavo Ronceros

Fluids 2023, 8(10), 271; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fluids8100271 - 01 Oct 2023

Viewed by 1197

Abstract

The following article proposes the design of a bi-centrifugal atomizer that allows the interaction of sprays from two fluids (water and liquid nitrogen). The liquid nitrogen (LN₂) is below −195.8 °C, a temperature low enough for the nitrogen, upon contact with the atomized water, to cause heat loss and bring it to its freezing point. The objective is to convert the water droplets present in the spray into ice. Upon falling, the ice particles can be dispersed, covering the largest possible area of the seafood products intended for cold preservation. All these phenomena related to the interaction of two fluids and heat exchange are due to the bi-centrifugal atomizer, which positions the two centrifugal atomizers concentrically, resulting in the inevitable collision of the two sprays. Each of these atomizers will be designed using a mathematical model and CFDs tools. The latter will provide a better study of the flow behavior of both fluids inside and outside the bi-centrifugal atomizer. Hence, the objective revolves around confirming the validity of the mathematical model through a comparison with numerical simulation data. This comparison establishes a strong correlation (with a maximum variance of 1.94% for the water atomizer and 10% for the LN₂ atomizer), thereby ensuring precise manufacturing specifications for the atomizers. It is important to highlight that, in order to achieve the enhanced resolution and comprehension of the fluid both inside and outside the duplex atomizer, two types of meshes were utilized, ensuring the utilization of the optimal option. Similarly, the aforementioned meshes were generated using two distinct software platforms, namely ANSYS Meshing (tetrahedral mesh) and ANSYS ICEM (hexahedral mesh), to facilitate a comparative analysis of the mesh quality obtained. This comprehension facilitated the observation of water temperature during its interaction with liquid nitrogen, ultimately ensuring the freezing of water droplets at the atomizer’s outlet. This objective aligns seamlessly with the primary goal of this study, which revolves around the preservation of seafood products through cold techniques. This particular attribute holds potential for various applications, including cooling processes for food products. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Industrial CFD and Fluid Modelling in Engineering)

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20 pages, 16348 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of the Hydrodynamics Behavior Inside a Stirred Reactor for Lead Recycling

by Adan Ramirez-Lopez

Fluids 2023, 8(10), 268; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fluids8100268 - 28 Sep 2023

Viewed by 1005

Abstract

This work focuses on an analysis of hydrodynamics to improve the efficiency in a batch reactor for lead recycling. The study is based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods, which are used to solve Navier–Stokes and Fick’s equations (continuity and momentum equations for understanding hydrodynamics and concentration for understanding distribution). The reactor analyzed is a tank with a dual geometry with a cylindrical body and a hemisphere for the bottom. This reactor is symmetrical vertically, and a shaft with four blades is used as an impeller for providing motion to the resident fluid. The initial resident fluid is static, and a tracer is defined in a volume inside to measure mixing efficiency, as is conducted in laboratory and industrial practices. Then, an evaluation of the mixing is performed by studying the tracer concentration curves at different evolution times. In order to understand the fluid flow hydrodynamics behavior with the purpose of identifying zones with rich and poor tracer concentrations, the tracer’s concentration was measured at monitoring points placed all around in a defined control plane of the tank. Moreover, this study is repeated independently to evaluate different injection points to determine the best one. Finally, it is proved that the selection of an appropriate injection point can reduce working times for mixing, which is an economically attractive motivation to provide proposals for improving industrial practices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Industrial CFD and Fluid Modelling in Engineering)

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28 pages, 8270 KiB

Open AccessArticle

CFD Simulation of SCR Systems Using a Mass-Fraction-Based Impingement Model

by Max Quissek, Uladzimir Budziankou, Sebastian Pollak and Thomas Lauer

Fluids 2023, 8(8), 216; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fluids8080216 - 25 Jul 2023

Viewed by 1122

Abstract

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) are an essential tool for the development of diesel engine aftertreatment systems using selective catalytic reduction (SCR) to reduce nitrous oxides (

{NO}_{x}

). In urea-based SCR, liquid urea–water solution (UWS) is injected into the hot exhaust gas, [...] Read more.

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) are an essential tool for the development of diesel engine aftertreatment systems using selective catalytic reduction (SCR) to reduce nitrous oxides (

{NO}_{x}

). In urea-based SCR, liquid urea–water solution (UWS) is injected into the hot exhaust gas, where it transforms into gaseous ammonia. This ammonia serves as a reducing agent for

{NO}_{x}

. CFD simulations are used to predict the ammonia distribution in the exhaust gas at the catalyst inlet. The goal is to achieve the highest possible uniformity to realize homogeneous

{NO}_{x}

reduction across the catalyst cross section. The current work focuses on the interaction of UWS droplets with the hot walls of the exhaust system. This is a crucial part of the preparation of gaseous ammonia from the injected liquid UWS. Following experimental investigations, a new impingement model is described based on the superposition of four basic impingement behaviors, each featuring individual secondary droplet characteristics. The droplet–wall heat transfer, depending on surface temperature and impingement behavior, is also calculated using a newly parameterized model. Applying the presented approach, the cooling of a steel plate from intermittent spray impingement is simulated and compared to measurements. The second validation case is the distribution of ammonia at the catalyst inlet of an automotive SCR system. Both applications show good agreement and demonstrate the quality of the new model. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Industrial CFD and Fluid Modelling in Engineering)

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25 pages, 20553 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Simulation of Dynamic Rearrangement Events in Wall-Flow Filters Applying Lattice Boltzmann Methods

by Nicolas Hafen, Jan E. Marquardt, Achim Dittler and Mathias J. Krause

Fluids 2023, 8(7), 213; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fluids8070213 - 21 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 698

Abstract

Wall-flow filters are applied in the exhaust treatment of internal combustion engines for the removal of particulate matter (PM). Over time, the pressure drop inside those filters increases due to the continuously introduced solid material, which forms PM deposition layers on the filter substrate. This leads to the necessity of regenerating the filter. During such a regeneration process, fragments of the PM layers can potentially rearrange inside single filter channels. This may lead to the formation of specific deposition patterns, which affect a filter’s pressure drop, its loading capacity and the separation efficiency. The dynamic formation process can still not consistently be attributed to specific influence factors, and appropriate calculation models that enable a quantification of respective factors do not exist. In the present work, the dynamic rearrangement process during the regeneration of a wall-flow filter channel is investigated. As a direct sequel to the investigation of a static deposition layer in a previous work, the present one additionally investigates the dynamic behaviour following the detachment of individual layer fragments as well as the formation of channel plugs. The goal of this work is the extension of the resolved particle methodology used in the previous work via a discrete method to treat particle–particle and particle–wall interactions in order to evaluate the influence of the deposition layer topology, PM properties and operating conditions on dynamic rearrangement events. It can be shown that a simple mean density methodology represents a reproducible way of determining a channel plug’s extent and its average density, which agrees well with values reported in literature. The sensitivities of relevant influence factors are revealed and their impact on the rearrangement process is quantified. This work contributes to the formulation of predictions on the formation of specific deposition patterns, which impact engine performance, fuel consumption and service life of wall-flow filters. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Industrial CFD and Fluid Modelling in Engineering)

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13 pages, 5887 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Supersonic Binary Fluid Ejector Performance

by Nikolay Bukharin and Mouhammad El Hassan

Fluids 2023, 8(7), 197; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fluids8070197 - 29 Jun 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1038

Abstract

Ejectors are simple mechanical devices with no moving parts which convert the pressure energy of a motive fluid to kinetic energy and generate suction of the secondary fluid. The ability to recover waste heat, to operate using solar power and the ability to use geothermal energy make ejector-based systems attractive in different industrial applications. The main challenge of ejector-based refrigeration systems is their relatively low coefficient of performance (COP). In order to increase the ejector performance, two chemically distinct fluids can be used in the refrigeration cycle. It is suggested that a higher molecular mass be used for the motive fluid to improve the entrainment ratio of the binary fluid ejector (BFE) and thus the system COP. Inert gas combinations of argon–helium and krypton–air are studied in this paper using computational fluid dynamics (CFDs) and experimental measurements. All CFD cases were axisymmetric and the appropriate turbulence model was selected based on experimental validation. Specifically, the entrainment ratio and the static pressure along the ejector wall were measured to validate the CFD predictions. It was found that the molar entrainment ratio was significantly higher in argon–helium compared to krypton–air. The static pressure measurements along the wall, in addition, exhibited good agreement with the results obtained via computational fluid dynamics (CFDs). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Industrial CFD and Fluid Modelling in Engineering)

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16 pages, 1294 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Surrogate Models for Heat Transfer in Oscillating Flow with a Local Heat Source

by Simon Knecht, Denislav Zdravkov and Albert Albers

Fluids 2023, 8(3), 80; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fluids8030080 - 22 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1111

Abstract

Simulative optimization methods often build on an iterative scheme, where a simulation model is solved in each iteration. To reduce the time needed for an optimization, finding the right balance between simulation model quality, and simulation time is essential. This is especially true for transient problems, such as fluid flow within a hydromechanical system. Therefore, we present an approach to building steady-state surrogate models for oscillating flow in a pipe with a local heat source. The main aspect is to model the fluid as a solid with an orthotropic heat transfer coefficient. The values of this coefficient are fitted to reproduce the temperature distribution of the transient case by parametric optimization. It is shown that the presented approach is feasible for different sets of parameters and creates suitable surrogate models for oscillating flow within a pipe with a local heat source. In future works, the presented approach will be transferred from the simplified geometry under investigation to industrial problems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Industrial CFD and Fluid Modelling in Engineering)

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18 pages, 923 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Coupled Simulation of Fluid Flow and Vibro-Acoustic Processes in the Channel with a Circular Cylinder

by Konstantin Volkov

Fluids 2022, 7(12), 382; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fluids7120382 - 11 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1438

Abstract

Vibro-acoustic processes are an interacting set of pulsations of the working fluid and vibrations of mechanical structural elements. The simulation of vibro-acoustic processes in a long pipe with an elastic round cylinder is considered. The mathematical model is developed in a coupled formulation, when not only pressure pulsations cause pipe vibrations, but also vibrations of the mechanical subsystem affect sound wave propagation in the working fluid. The influence of vortex formation processes in the channel on the system dynamics is taken into account. The fluid flow is found using delayed detached eddy simulation. The flow regimes around a single round cylinder corresponding to various Reynolds numbers are investigated to validate the computational algorithm. The distributions of the flow quantities and vibro-acoustic behavior of the system are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Industrial CFD and Fluid Modelling in Engineering)

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23 pages, 25584 KiB

Open AccessArticle

CFD Modeling of Wind Turbine Blades with Eroded Leading Edge

by Michael Carraro, Francesco De Vanna, Feras Zweiri, Ernesto Benini, Ali Heidari and Homayoun Hadavinia

Fluids 2022, 7(9), 302; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fluids7090302 - 14 Sep 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3106

Abstract

The present work compares 2D and 3D CFD modeling of wind turbine blades to define reduced-order models of eroded leading edge arrangements. In particular, following an extensive validation campaign of the adopted numerical models, an initially qualitative comparison is carried out on the 2D and 3D flow fields by looking at turbulent kinetic energy color maps. Promising similarities push the analysis to consequent quantitative comparisons. Thus, the differences and shared points between pressure, friction coefficients, and polar diagrams of the 3D blade and the simplified eroded 2D setup are highlighted. The analysis revealed that the inviscid characteristics of the system (i.e., pressure field and lift coefficients) are precisely described by the reduced-order 2D setup. On the other hand, discrepancies in the wall friction and the drag coefficients are systematically observed with the 2D model consistently underestimating the drag contribution by around 17% and triggering flow separation over different streamwise locations. Nevertheless, the proposed 2D model is very accurate in dealing with the more significant aerodynamics performance of the blade and 30 times faster than the 3D assessment in providing the same information. Therefore the proposed 2D CFD setup is of fundamental importance for use in a digital twin of any physical wind turbine with the aim of carefully and accurately planning maintenance, also accounting for leading edge erosion. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Industrial CFD and Fluid Modelling in Engineering)

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14 pages, 6658 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparison of FLACS and BASiL Model for Ro-Pax Ferry LNG Bunkering Leak Analysis

by Boon How Lim and Eddie Y. K. Ng

Fluids 2022, 7(8), 272; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fluids7080272 - 08 Aug 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1748

Abstract

Performing liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering involves the risk of accidental leakage. When released from containment, LNG rapidly vaporizes into flammable natural gas and could lead to flash fire and explosion. Hence, LNG bunkering needs to take place in an area without an ignition source called a safety zone. This study compares the safety zone estimated by the Bunkering Area Safety Information for LNG (BASiL) model with that of the computational fluid dynamic (CFD) software FLACS, for Ro-Pax ferry bunkering. Horizontal leaks covering different wind speeds in eight wind directions were compared between the two models. Additionally, a grid refinement study was performed systematically to quantify the discretization error uncertainty in the CFD. Of 24 leak cases, FLACS and the BASiL model results agreed on 18 cases. In three cases validation was inconclusive due to the CFD error uncertainty. The BASiL model underestimated the safety zone distance in three cases compared with FLACS. Future work would be to perform a higher grid refinement study to confirm inconclusive comparison and examine ways to reduce gas dispersion spread for the worst result. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Industrial CFD and Fluid Modelling in Engineering)

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22 pages, 9912 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of the Thermofluidic Performance of Climatic Chambers: Numerical and Experimental Studies

by Bahareh Ramezani, António Tadeu, Tiago Jesus, Michael Brett and Joel Mendes

Fluids 2021, 6(12), 433; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fluids6120433 - 30 Nov 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2664

Abstract

Climatic chambers are highly important in research and industrial applications and are used to examine manufactured samples, specimens, or components in controlled environment conditions. Despite the growing industrial demand for climatic chambers, only a few published studies have specifically concentrated on performance analysis and functional improvements through numerical and experimental studies. In this study, a 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of a climatic chamber was developed using Ansys Fluent to simulate the fluid flow, heat, and mass transfer to obtain the velocity, temperature, and relative humidity fields in the interior box of a 1200 L climatic chamber. The results were then validated with experimental data from a prototype. Finally, the heat losses of the surrounding components of the chamber were calculated, and the relationship between the inside temperature and the overall thermal loss was modelled. This validated numerical model provides the possibility of optimising the performance of climate chambers by reducing the thermal loss from the walls and modifying the air flow pattern inside the chamber. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Industrial CFD and Fluid Modelling in Engineering)

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Review

Jump to: Research

44 pages, 28071 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Critical Review of CFD Modeling Approaches for Darrieus Turbines: Assessing Discrepancies in Power Coefficient Estimation and Wake Vortex Development

by Saïf ed-Dîn Fertahi, Tarik Belhadad, Anass Kanna, Abderrahim Samaouali, Imad Kadiri and Ernesto Benini

Fluids 2023, 8(9), 242; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fluids8090242 - 25 Aug 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1473

Abstract

This critical review delves into the impact of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling techniques, specifically 2D, 2.5D, and 3D simulations, on the performance and vortex dynamics of Darrieus turbines. The central aim is to dissect the disparities apparent in numerical outcomes derived from [...] Read more.

C_{p}

) within a defined velocity ratio (

λ

) range. The examination delves into the prevalent turbulence models shaping

C_{p}

values, and offers insightful visual aids to expound upon their influence. Furthermore, the review underscores the predominant rationale behind the adoption of 2D CFD modeling, attributed to its computationally efficient nature vis-à-vis the more intricate 2.5D or 3D approaches, particularly when gauging the turbine’s performance within the designated

λ

realm. Moreover, the study meticulously curates a compendium of findings from an expansive collection of over 250 published articles. These findings encapsulate the evolution of pivotal parameters, including

C_{p}

, moment coefficient (

C_{m}

), lift coefficient (

C_{l}

), and drag coefficient (

C_{d}

), as well as the intricate portrayal of velocity contours, pressure distributions, vorticity patterns, turbulent kinetic energy dynamics, streamlines, and Q-criterion analyses of vorticity. An additional focal point of the review revolves around the discernment of executing 2D parametric investigations to optimize Darrieus turbine efficacy. This practice persists despite the emergence of turbulent flow structures induced by geometric modifications. Notably, the limitations inherent to the 2D methodology are vividly exemplified through compelling CFD contour representations interspersed throughout the review. Vitally, the review underscores that gauging the accuracy and validation of CFD models based solely on the comparison of

C_{p}

values against experimental data falls short. Instead, the validation of CFD models rests on time-averaged

C_{p}

values, thereby underscoring the need to account for the intricate vortex patterns in the turbine’s wake—a facet that diverges significantly between 2D and 3D simulations. In a bid to showcase the extant disparities in CFD modeling of Darrieus turbine behavior and facilitate the selection of the most judicious CFD modeling approach, the review diligently presents and appraises outcomes from diverse research endeavors published across esteemed scientific journals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Industrial CFD and Fluid Modelling in Engineering)

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