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numerical study of bluff body aerodynamics by vortex method

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Date Issued:
1998
Summary:
Vortex methods are grid-free; therefore, their use avoids a number of shortcomings of Eulerian, grid-based numerical methods for solving high Reynolds number flow problems. These include such problems as poor resolution and numerical diffusion. In vortex methods, the continuous vorticity field is discretized into a collection of Lagrangian elements, known as vortex elements. Vortex elements are free to move in the flow field which they create. The velocity field induced by these vortex elements is a solution to the Navier-Stokes equation, and in principle the method is suitable for high Reynolds number flows. In this dissertation, viscous vortex element methods are studied. Some modifications are developed. Discrete vortex element methods have been used to solve the Navier-Stokes equations in high Reynolds number flows. Globally satisfactory results have been obtained. However, computed pressure fields are often inaccurate due to the significant errors in the surface vorticity distribution. In addition, different ad hoc assumptions are often used in different proposed algorithms. In the present study, improvements are made to better represent the near-wall vorticity when obtaining numerical solutions for the Navier-Stokes equations. In particular, we split the boundary vortex sheet into two parts at each time step. One part remains a vortex sheet lying on the boundary of the solid body, and the other enters into the flow field as a free vortex element with a uniformly distributed vorticity. A set of kinematic relationships are used to determine the two appropriate portions of the split, and the position of the vortex element to be freed at the time of release. Another improvement is to include the nonlinear acceleration terms in the governing equations near the solid boundary when evaluating the surface pressure distribution. The aerodynamic force coefficients can then be obtained by summing up the pressure forces. By comparing the computed surface vorticities, surface pressures and aerodynamics force coefficients with existing numerical/experimental data in the cases of viscous flow around a circular cylinder, an aerofoil, and a bridge deck section, it is shown that the present approach is more accurate in modelling the flow features and force coefficients without making different ad hoc assumptions for different geometries. The computation is efficient. It can be useful in the study of the unsteady fluid flow phenomenon in practical engineering problems.
Title: A numerical study of bluff body aerodynamics by vortex method.
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Name(s): He, Fusen.
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Su, Tsung-Chow, Thesis advisor
College of Engineering and Computer Science
Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 1998
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 237 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: Vortex methods are grid-free; therefore, their use avoids a number of shortcomings of Eulerian, grid-based numerical methods for solving high Reynolds number flow problems. These include such problems as poor resolution and numerical diffusion. In vortex methods, the continuous vorticity field is discretized into a collection of Lagrangian elements, known as vortex elements. Vortex elements are free to move in the flow field which they create. The velocity field induced by these vortex elements is a solution to the Navier-Stokes equation, and in principle the method is suitable for high Reynolds number flows. In this dissertation, viscous vortex element methods are studied. Some modifications are developed. Discrete vortex element methods have been used to solve the Navier-Stokes equations in high Reynolds number flows. Globally satisfactory results have been obtained. However, computed pressure fields are often inaccurate due to the significant errors in the surface vorticity distribution. In addition, different ad hoc assumptions are often used in different proposed algorithms. In the present study, improvements are made to better represent the near-wall vorticity when obtaining numerical solutions for the Navier-Stokes equations. In particular, we split the boundary vortex sheet into two parts at each time step. One part remains a vortex sheet lying on the boundary of the solid body, and the other enters into the flow field as a free vortex element with a uniformly distributed vorticity. A set of kinematic relationships are used to determine the two appropriate portions of the split, and the position of the vortex element to be freed at the time of release. Another improvement is to include the nonlinear acceleration terms in the governing equations near the solid boundary when evaluating the surface pressure distribution. The aerodynamic force coefficients can then be obtained by summing up the pressure forces. By comparing the computed surface vorticities, surface pressures and aerodynamics force coefficients with existing numerical/experimental data in the cases of viscous flow around a circular cylinder, an aerofoil, and a bridge deck section, it is shown that the present approach is more accurate in modelling the flow features and force coefficients without making different ad hoc assumptions for different geometries. The computation is efficient. It can be useful in the study of the unsteady fluid flow phenomenon in practical engineering problems.
Identifier: 9780599070660 (isbn), 12574 (digitool), FADT12574 (IID), fau:9460 (fedora)
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): College of Engineering and Computer Science
Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1998.
Subject(s): Vortex-motion
Fluid mechanics
Viscous flow
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12574
Sublocation: Digital Library
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.