Matching Items (37)
Description
Autonomic closure is a recently-proposed subgrid closure methodology for large eddy simulation (LES) that replaces the prescribed subgrid models used in traditional LES closure with highly generalized representations of subgrid terms and solution of a local system identification problem that allows the simulation itself to determine the local relation between each subgrid term and the resolved variables at every point and time. The present study demonstrates, for the first time, practical LES based on fully dynamic implementation of autonomic closure for the subgrid stress and the subgrid scalar flux. It leverages the inherent computational efficiency of tensorally-correct generalized representations in terms of parametric quantities, and uses the fundamental representation theory of Smith (1971) to develop complete and minimal tensorally-correct representations for the subgrid stress and scalar flux. It then assesses the accuracy of these representations via a priori tests, and compares with the corresponding accuracy from nonparametric representations and from traditional prescribed subgrid models. It then assesses the computational stability of autonomic closure with these tensorally-correct parametric representations, via forward simulations with a high-order pseudo-spectral code, including the extent to which any added stabilization is needed to ensure computational stability, and compares with the added stabilization needed in traditional closure with prescribed subgrid models. Further, it conducts a posteriori tests based on forward simulations of turbulent conserved scalar mixing with the same pseudo-spectral code, in which velocity and scalar statistics from autonomic closure with these representations are compared with corresponding statistics from traditional closure using prescribed models, and with corresponding statistics of filtered fields from direct numerical simulation (DNS). These comparisons show substantially greater accuracy from autonomic closure than from traditional closure. This study demonstrates that fully dynamic autonomic closure is a practical approach for LES that requires accuracy even at the smallest resolved scales.
ContributorsStallcup, Eric Warren (Author) / Dahm, Werner J.A. (Thesis advisor) / Herrmann, Marcus (Committee member) / Calhoun, Ronald (Committee member) / Kim, Jeonglae (Committee member) / Kostelich, Eric J. (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020
Description
The Vortex-lattice method has been utilized throughout history to both design and analyze the aerodynamic performance characteristics of flight vehicles. There are numerous different programs utilizing this method, each of which has its own set of assumptions and performance limitations. This thesis highlights VORLAX, one such solver, and details its historic and modernized performance characteristics through a series of code improvements and optimizations. With VORLAX, rapid synthesis and verification of aircraft performance data related to wing pressure distributions, stability and control, and Federal Regulation compliance can be quickly and accurately obtained. As such, VORLAX represents a class of efficient yet largely forgotten computational techniques that allow users to explore numerous design solutions in a fraction of the time that would be needed to use more complex, full-fledged engineering tools. In the age of modern computers, one hypothesis is that VORLAX and similar “lean” computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solvers have preferential performance characteristics relative to expensive, volume grid CFD suites, such as ANSYS Fluent. By utilizing these types of programs, tasks such as pre- and post-processing become trivially simple with basic scripting languages such as Visual Basic for Applications or Python. Thus, lean engineering programs and methodologies deserve their place in modern engineering, despite their wrongfully decreasing prevalence.
ContributorsSouders, Tyler Jeffery (Author) / Takahashi, Timothy T. (Thesis advisor) / Herrmann, Marcus (Thesis advisor) / Dahm, Werner J.A. (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021
Description
Atomization of fluids inside combustion chamber has been a very complex and long-lasting subject that is still researched into for maximum efficiency in mixing oxidizer and fuel. This thesis focuses on an injector called the Liquid-Liquid Swirl Coaxial Injector (LLSC) to be used in a small-scale rocket engine due to its high efficiency in spray angles and low pressure drops. Injectors are the elements that exist as a connection in between the plumbing and the combustion chamber of the rocket engine. The performance of injectors can greatly affect the stability and efficiency of the engine. Injectors proportionally help breakup the fluid into small droplets that help in the efficiency of vaporization of fluids while combusting. Helios Rocketry, Arizona State University’s student-led engineering organization, is working to design and successfully launch a small-scale bi-propellant liquid rocket engine to a 100 km (Karman Line) in space as part of the Base11 challenge. For this task a highly efficient injector element needed to be designed that can achieve high amounts of atomization with a large spray angle, to help with combustion in a relatively small sized chamber. The purpose of this thesis is to explore a specific type of injector element called a LLSC injector element. This is performed by simulating it through an LES model in computational fluid dynamics using a Voronoi based meshing scheme, by using codes from Cascade Technologies. In the end a 35-injector element design was used for an injector plate. This helped minimize the pressure drop and keep the wall stress below the safety limit.
ContributorsDave, Himanshu Hitendra (Author) / Herrmann, Marcus (Thesis director) / Adrian, Ronald (Committee member) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
An understanding of aerodynamics is crucial for automobile performance and efficiency. There are many types of “add-on” aerodynamic devices for cars including wings, splitters, and vortex generators. While these have been studied extensively, rear spoilers have not, and their effects are not as widely known. A Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and wind tunnel study was performed to study the effects of spoilers on vehicle aerodynamics and performance. Vehicle aerodynamics is geometry dependent, meaning what applies to one car may or may not apply on another. So, the Scion FRS was chosen as the test vehicle because it is has the “classic” sports car configuration with a long hood, short rear, and 2+2 passenger cabin while also being widely sold with a plethora of aftermarket aerodynamic modifications available. Due to computing and licensing restrictions, only a 2D CFD simulation was performed in ANSYS Fluent 19.1. A surface model of the centerline of the car was created in SolidWorks and imported into ANSYS, where the domain was created. A mesh convergence study was run to determine the optimum mesh size, and Realizable k-epsilon was the chosen physics model. The wind tunnel lacked equipment to record quantifiable data, so the wind tunnel was utilized for flow visualization on a 1/24 scale car model to compare with the CFD.
0° spoilers reduced the wake area behind the car, decreasing pressure drag but also decreasing underbody flow, causing a reduction in drag and downforce. Angled spoilers increased the wake area behind the car, increasing pressure drag but also increasing underbody flow, causing an increase in drag and downforce. Longer spoilers increased these effects compared to shorter spoilers, and short spoilers at different angles did not create significantly different effects. 0° spoilers would be best suited for cases that prioritize fuel economy or straight-line acceleration and speed due to the drag reduction, while angled spoilers would be best suited for cars requiring downforce. The angle and length of spoiler would depend on the downforce needed, which is dependent on the track.
0° spoilers reduced the wake area behind the car, decreasing pressure drag but also decreasing underbody flow, causing a reduction in drag and downforce. Angled spoilers increased the wake area behind the car, increasing pressure drag but also increasing underbody flow, causing an increase in drag and downforce. Longer spoilers increased these effects compared to shorter spoilers, and short spoilers at different angles did not create significantly different effects. 0° spoilers would be best suited for cases that prioritize fuel economy or straight-line acceleration and speed due to the drag reduction, while angled spoilers would be best suited for cars requiring downforce. The angle and length of spoiler would depend on the downforce needed, which is dependent on the track.
ContributorsNie, Alexander (Author) / Wells, Valana (Thesis director) / Huang, Huei-Ping (Committee member) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-12
Description
The dynamics of a stably and thermally stratified, two dimensional fluid-filled cavity are the subject of numerical study. When gravity is orthogonal to the endwalls, a closed form for a steady state solution with trivial flow may be obtained. However, as soon as the cavity is tilted the flow becomes nontrivial. Previous studies have investigated when this tilt angle is 180 degrees (Rayleigh-Bénard convection), 90 degrees, and 0 degrees, or have done a sweep while solving the steady-state equations. When buoyancy is sufficiently weak the flow is stable and steady up to 90 degrees of tilt. Above a certain level of buoyancy, as measured by the temperature difference between the top and bottom walls, the flow becomes unsteady above a tilt angle less than 90 degrees. Specifically, In this study we examine the relationship between the critical tilt angle and the buoyancy level at the onset of unsteadiness, as well as the dynamical mechanisms by which it occurs.
ContributorsGrayer, Hezekiah Villarin (Author) / Lopez, Juan M. (Thesis director) / Welfert, Bruno D. (Committee member) / Shen, Jie (Committee member) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
Competitive Swimming is not only a sport, but also an invaluable life skill. As long as it has existed, people have wondered how to swim faster. There are a multitude of variables that go into any race and shockingly not much research around to scientifically approach the question. This study aims to investigate the drag forces behind a Swimmer’s race to give better insight as to what will slow a Swimmer down through simulations in ANSYS Fluent. Simple 2D simulations were made with a Swimmer in different positions and a flow of water moved over them. What was found was that different positions, or techniques, yield vastly different results. When following typical good technique, a Swimmer can expect to be approximately 136% less drag forces compared to a typical bad technique. Additionally, small errors such as not being perfectly horizontal can lead to a difference of around 100 Newtons of drag force between perfectly horizontal and a 5-degree angle of attack. Another observation made was that errors are exacerbated by being near a wall, so Swimming in an end lane next to the pool wall leads to about 57% more drag forces that any other lane. Still, there are many more observations to be made as there is so much more to research in swimming.
ContributorsBenavidez, Kevin A (Author) / Murthy, Dr. Raghavendra (Thesis director) / Huang, Dr. Huei-Ping (Committee member) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
An interface reconstruction algorithm for the Volume of Fluid (VOF) method is required for two-phase flow problems for advection of phase interface. The primary method for interface reconstruction has been through piecewise linear interface calculation (PLIC) reconstruction. However, while PLIC reconstruction is highly accurate at representing small curvature interfaces by approximating planes across multiple grid cells, accuracy problems arise when the size of the mesh is too coarse to accurately approximate a large curvature without resorting to refining the mesh. An elliptic interface reconstructing algorithm is explored for two-phase flow problems in 2D to determine the viability of a higher-order interface reconstruction algorithm. This requires first developing an area overlap function between an arbitrary triangle and ellipse, which is then extended to calculate the area fraction field of an ellipse within a mesh. Then, the "reverse" problem of elliptic interface reconstruction given an area fraction field is examined. A study is conducted to determine the presence of any local minimums when varying the ellipse parameters. In the future, a multi-dimensional root-finding solver using Newton's Method will be developed to properly reconstruct the elliptic interface given the area fraction field.
ContributorsLee, Chase (Author) / Herrmann, Marcus (Thesis director) / Kasbaoui, Mohamed (Committee member) / Wells, Valana (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor)
Created2022-05