Meander hydrodynamics initiated by river restoration deflectors

River restoration projects have installed j‐hook deflectors along the outer bank of meander bends to reduce hydraulic erosion, and in this study we use a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model to document how these deflectors initiate changes in meander hydrodynamics. We validated the CFD with streamwise and cross‐channel bankfull velocities from a 193° meander bend flume (inlet at 0°) with a fixed point bar and pool equilibrium bed but no j‐hooks, and then used the CFD to simulate changes to flow initiated by bank‐attached boulder j‐hooks (1^st attached at 70°, then a 2^nd at 160°). At bankfull and half bankfull flow the j‐hooks flattened transverse water surface slopes, formed backwater pools upstream of the boulders, and steepened longitudinal water slopes across the boulders and in the conveyance region off the mid‐channel boulder tip. Streamwise velocity and mass transport jets upstream of the j‐hooks were stilled, mid‐channel jets were initiated in the conveyance region, eddies with a cross‐channel axis formed below boulders, and eddies with a vertical axis were shed into wake zones downstream of the point bar and outer bank boulders. At half bankfull depth conveyance region flow cut toward the outer bank downstream of the j‐hook boulders and the secondary circulation cells were reshaped. At bankfull depth the j‐hook at 160° was needed to redirect bank‐impinging flow sent by the upstream j‐hook. The hooked boulder tip of both j‐hooks funneled surface flow into mid‐channel plunging jets, which reversed the secondary circulation cells and initiated 1 to 3 counter rotating cells through the entire meander. The main outer bank collision zone centered at 50° without the j‐hook was moved by the j‐hook to within and just beyond the 70° j‐hook boulder region, which displaced other mass transport zones downstream. J‐hooks re‐organized water surface slopes, streamwise and cross‐channel velocities, and mass transport patterns, to move shear stress from the outer bank and into the conveyance and mid‐channel zones at bankfull flow. At half bankfull flows a patch of high shear re‐attached to the outer bank below the downstream j‐hook. J‐hook geometry and placement within natural meanders can be analyzed with CFD models to help restoration teams reach design goals and understand hydraulic impacts. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

新型多立柱式Spar平台涡激运动特性研究

通过数值模拟和模型试验方法对一新型的Spar平台——多立柱式Spar平台的涡激运动特性进行研究。平台硬舱为四根圆柱方形阵列布置加方形中心井的形式,各柱间会产生复杂的相互干扰,不同于常规的单立柱Spar平台或半潜式平台,因此对其开展相应的涡激运动研究具有重要意义。研究主要关注的是不同来流角、不同流速下平台的涡激运动特性。通过涡激运动时的横荡运动、水平面内运动轨迹、首摇运动和水动力系数及绕流流场的分析,可得:在折合速度约为6~8范围内,平台横荡运动存在明显的“锁定”现象(0°来流角无侧板时“锁定”范围约为Ur=7~10)。在0°来流角下较高流速时,减涡侧板对涡激运动有明显的抑制效果。平台的运动轨迹近似与平台硬舱截面的对角线平行(0°来流角除外),这不同于常规的单立柱Spar平台。此外,试验中还观察到较明显的首摇运动。涡激运动时各柱间绕流存在复杂的相互干扰,而在柱后形成共同的涡结构。     

Simulating urban flow and dispersion in Beijing by coupling a CFD model with the WRF model

The airflow and dispersion of a pollutant in a complex urban area of Beijing, China, were numerically examined by coupling a Computational Fluid Dynamics （CFD） model with a mesoscale weather model. The models used were Open Source Field Operation and Manipulation （OpenFOAM） software package and Weather Research and Forecasting （WRF） model. OpenFOAM was firstly validated against wind-tunnel experiment data. Then, the WRF model was integrated for 42 h starting from 0800 LST 08 September 2009, and the coupled model was used to compute the flow fields at 1000 LST and 1400 LST 09 September 2009. During the WRF-simulated period, a high pressure system was dominant over the Beijing area. The WRF-simulated local circulations were characterized by mountain valley winds, which matched well with observations. Results from the coupled model simulation demonstrated that the airflows around actual buildings were quite different from the ambient wind on the boundary provided by the WRF model, and the pollutant dispersion pattern was complicated under the influence of buildings. A higher concentration level of the pollutant near the surface was found in both the step-down and step-up notches, but the reason for this higher level in each configurations was different： in the former, it was caused by weaker vertical flow, while in the latter it was caused by a downward-shifted vortex. Overall, the results of this study suggest that the coupled WRF-OpenFOAM model is an important tool that can be used for studying and predicting urban flow and dispersions in densely built-up areas.     

A Simple Model for the Movement of Fire Smoke in a Confined Tunnel

Fires in tunnels are unfortunately frequent occurrences often with tragic outcomes. A recent example is the fire on the funicular train at the ski resort in Kaprun (Austria), which caused nearly 160 deaths. Design engineers and risk analysts require knowledge of the fluid dynamics of the fire and smoke movement to answer questions such as how much oxygen can access and feed the fire, and what concentration of smoke will the people be exposed to. As an example in the Austrian accident the geometry was a long tunnel with fire doors closed at one end, and with a fire initiated near the closed (lower) end. The hot smoke from the fire is a source of buoyancy; the smoke reaches the ceiling of the tunnel, and then develops along the ceiling as a wall-bounded plume. The motion of the smoke is driven by a buoyancy force, but at the same time, mechanisms of turbulent heat and mass transfer act as a brake to this motion. In this paper we present how a generic model describing a semi-enclosed buoyancy-driven flow can be interpreted and used in the modelling of fire smoke movement in a confined tunnel. A consideration of the net pollutant volume flux through the tunnel leads to predictions for the variation of concentrations along the tunnel. The smoke concentrations near the fire smoke source scale linearly with the length of the tunnel, with higher concentrations at the lower section of the tunnel, as could be expected. Similarly the concentration of oxygen making its way through to the fire source decreases linearly with the length of the tunnel. A lower bound estimate of the smoke residence time can be obtained based on smoke concentration predictions from the model.     

Numerical study of flow and gas diffusion in the near-wake behind an isolated building

To assist validation of the experimental data of urban pollution dispersion, the effect of an isolated building on the flow and gaseous diffusion in the wake region have been investigated numerically in the neutrally stratified rough-walled turbulent boundary layer. Numerical studies were carried out using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models. The CFD models used for the simulation were based on the steady-state Reynolds-Average Navier-Stoke equations (RANS) with κ-ε turbulence models; standard κ-ε and RNG κ-ε models. Inlet conditions and boundary conditions were specified numerically to the best information available for each fluid modeling simulation. A gas pollutant was emitted from a point source within the recirculation cavity behind the building model. The accuracy of these simulations was examined by comparing the predicted results with wind tunnel experimental data. It was confirmed that simulation using the model accurately reproduces the velocity and concentration diffusion fields with a fine-mish resolution in the near wake region. Results indicated that there is a good agreement between the numerical simulation and the wind tunnel experiment for both wind flow and concentration diffusion. The results of this work can help to improve the understanding of mechanisms of and simulation of pollutant transport in an urban environment.     

渤中凹陷CFD18-2油田高岭石胶结作用及其对储层物性的影响

为探究成岩作用过程中所形成的次生黏土矿物对储层物性的影响,借助偏光显微镜及扫描电镜的镜下分析,并结合储层物性等数据,对渤中凹陷附近沙垒田凸起东南部CFD18-2油田东三段高岭石的特征、类型、成因及其对储层物性的影响进行了研究。研究结果表明：1）研究区高岭石为有机酸溶蚀长石形成的自生高岭石,呈现典型的"手风琴状"及"蠕虫状",常充填于粒间孔、长石次生溶孔及碳酸盐胶结物溶孔中并形成良好的晶间孔隙。2）研究区主要发育两期高岭石,第一期主要充填于早期碳酸盐胶结物溶孔中,呈微小"蠕虫状";第二期充填于铁方解石与铁白云石胶结物溶孔中,部分高岭石具碱性溶蚀特征,且第二期高岭石与晚期伊利石共生。3）研究区东三段储层具备一定的渗流能力,使长石溶蚀形成的"副产物"被流体带走;但在破坏性成岩作用下,储层渗流能力会逐渐变差,最终使得"副产物"堆积于孔隙,降低储层物性。4）高岭石及同期硅质胶结物对储层物性的影响是一把"双刃剑",当高岭石及硅质的体积分数低于6.81%时,长石溶蚀有利于改善储层物性;当高岭石及硅质的体积分数高于6.81%时,则不利于储层物性的改善。     

基于M-BEMT2.0研究串列海流发电机的水动力性能

海流发电机(MCT)是开发海洋可再生能源的重要装置。在预测海流发电机水动力性能方面,修正叶素动量理论(M-BEMT)方法被验证是一种简单有效的方法。为了进一步提高M-BEMT方法的适用性和准确性,基于M-BEMT方法开发M-BEMT2.0方法包括时均法(TA-BEMT2.0)和瞬态积分法(TI-BEMT2.0),新方法考虑了来流的轴向非均匀性和周向非均匀性。首先使用文献的试验结果验证均匀来流时新方法的适用性。然后使用计算流体力学(CFD)计算结果验证非均匀来流时新方法的适用性。最后结合新方法和CFD方法深入研究两个串列排布海流发电机(MCTA)的水动力性能。基于M-BEMT2.0研究发现,均匀来流时计算结果与试验结果基本吻合,非均匀来流时新方法的计算结果优于M-BEMT的计算结果。对于MCTA,当第一个MCT的叶尖速度比越大,第二个MCT功率比和推力比恢复到90%的距离越短。     

Experimental and numerical investigations on the intact and damage survivability of a floating–moored oscillating water column device

This paper investigates the intact and damage survivability of a floating–moored Oscillating Water Column (OWC) device using physical model experiments and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations. Different extreme wave conditions have been tested using irregular and regular wave conditions. The device was moored to the tank floor via four vertical taut lines and the effect of the mooring line pre–tension on the device response was studied. It was found that the instantaneous position of the floating device was a key factor in the survivability analysis such that a certain irregular wave train that might not include the largest wave could induce the maximum response. Reducing the pre–tension minimized the maximum surge, but significantly increased the maximum tension due to mooring slack events causing snatch loads. A design regular wave with a period equal to the peak period and a height of 1.9–2.0 times the significant wave height could reasonably predict the same maximum line tension as the irregular sea state, but a smaller wave height was required to achieve the maximum surge. A single failure in the mooring system increased the maximum tension by 1.55 times the intact tension. For a damaged mooring system, using the same design regular wave condition derived from the survivability analysis with an intact mooring system could result in overestimating the maximum tension by more than 20% in comparison to the tension from the irregular sea state, but a smaller regular wave height or a different regular wave condition representing another sea state could lead to the same maximum tension. This highlighted the importance of investigating survival conditions with a damaged mooring system instead of simply using the same conditions derived for the intact mooring system.     

Investigation of drag crisis phenomenon using CFD methods

When fluid flow passes a cylinder, the drag crisis phenomenon occurs between the sub-critical and the super-critical Reynolds numbers. The focus of the present studies was on the numerical prediction of the drag crisis based on CFD methods. In this work, block structured meshes with refined grids near the cylinder surface and in the downstream were employed. Both 2D and 3D simulations were performed using various turbulence models, including the SST k − ω model, the k − ϵ model, the SST with LCTM, the DES model, and the LES model. In the convergence studies, the effects of the grid size, the time step, the first grid size and the aspect ratio (for 3D simulations) on the solutions were examined. The errors due to spatial and time discretizations were quantified according to a V&V procedure. Validation studies were carried out for various Reynolds numbers between Re = 6.31 × 10⁴ and 7.57 × 10⁵. The averaged drag force, the RMS of lift force and the Strouhal number were compared with experimental data. The studies indicated that standard 2D and 3D RANS methods were inadequate to capture the drag crisis phenomenon. The LES method however has the potential to address the problem.     

The effects of blade twist and nacelle shape on the performance of horizontal axis tidal current turbines

The paper presents the effects of blade twist and nacelle shape on the performance of horizontal axis tidal current turbines using both analytical and numerical methods. Firstly, in the hydrodynamic design procedure, the optimal profiles of untwisted and twisted blades and their predicted theoretical turbine performance are obtained using the genetic algorithm method. Although both blade profiles produce desired rated rotational speed, the twisted blade achieves higher power and thrust performance. Secondly, numerical simulation is performed using sliding mesh technique to mimic rotating turbine in ANSYS FLUENT to validate the analytical results. The Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) approximation of the turbulence parameters is applied to obtain the flow field around the turbine. It is found that power and axial thrust force from BEMT (Blade Element Momentum Theory) method are under-predicted by 2% and 8% respectively, compared with numerical results. Afterwards, the downstream wake field of the turbine is investigated with two different nacelle shapes. It is found that the rotor performance is not significantly affected by the different nacelle shapes. However, the structural turbulence caused by the conventional nacelle is stronger than that by the NACA-profiled shape, and the former can cause detrimental effect on the performance of the downstream turbines in tidal farms.