Search Results (10)

A CFD (computational fluid dynamics) analysis to investigate the effects of the installation of a barrier in a hydrogen refueling station (HRS) mock-up facility, with a dummy vehicle and dispensers in the vapor cloud region, during a hydrogen-air explosion using a gas mixture volume of 70.16 m³ was conducted to determine whether the radXiFoam v2.0 code with the established analysis methodology to predict the peak overpressure can be utilized to evaluate the safety of a HRS with such a barrier installed in a large city in the Republic of Korea. The radXiFoam v2.0 code was developed on the basis of the XiFoam solver in the open-source CFD software OpenFOAM-v2112 by modifying C++ source codes in several libraries and governing equations so as to ensure effective calculations of the hydrogen-air chemical reaction and radiative heat transfer through water vapor in a humid air environment and to remove unnecessary warning messages that arise when using the radXiFoam v1.0 code. First, we conducted a validation analysis on the basis of measured overpressure datasets from a near field to a far field of a vapor cloud explosion (VCE) site in the HRS mock-up facility to evaluate the uncertainty in prediction datasets by radXiFoam v2.0. After this validation analysis, we undertook CFD sensitivity calculations by installing barriers with heights of 2.1 m and 4.2 m at a horizontal distance of 2.3 m from the VCE region in the grid model used for the validation analysis to assess the effects of these barriers on reducing the peak overpressure of the blast wave. From these calculations, we judged that the radXiFoam v2.0 code can accurately simulate the effects of the barrier during a VCE, as the calculated overpressure reduction values according to the barrier height are reasonable on the basis of previous validation results from Stanford Research Institute’s explosion test with such a barrier. The results herein imply that the radXiFoam v2.0 code is feasible for use in HRS safety when barrier installation must meet the technical regulations of the Korea Gas Safety Corporation in a large city. Full article

In this paper, a unified gas kinetic particle (UGKP) method is developed for radiative transfer in both absorbing and anisotropic scattering media. This numerical method is constructed based on our theoretical work on the model reduction for an anisotropic scattering system. The macroscopic solver of this method directly solves the macroscopic anisotropic diffusion equations, eliminating the need to solve higher-order moment equations. The reconstruction of macroscopic scattering source in the microscopic solver, based on the multiscale equivalent phase function we proposed in this work, has also been simplified as one single scattering process, significantly reducing the computational costs. The proposed method has also the property of asymptotic preserving. In the optically thick regime, the proposed method solves the diffusion limit equations for an anisotropic system. In the optically thin regime, the kinetic processes of photon transport are simulated. The consistency and efficiency of the proposed method have been validated by numerical tests in a wide range of flow regimes. The novel equivalent scattering source reconstruction can be used for various transport processes, and the proposed numerical scheme is widely applicable in high-energy density engineering applications. Full article

No alternatives are currently available to operate industrial furnaces, except for hydrocarbon fuels. Plant managers, therefore, face at least two challenges. First, environmental legislation demands emission reduction. Second, changes in the origin of the fuel might cause unforeseen changes in the heat release. This paper develops the hypothesis for the detailed control of the combustion process using computational fluid dynamic models. A full-scale mock-up of a rotary cement kiln is selected as a case study. The kiln is fired by the non-premixed combustion of Dutch natural gas. The gas is injected at Mach $0.6$ via a multi-nozzle burner located at the outlet of an axially mounted fuel pipe. The preheated combustion air is fed in (co-flow) through a rectangular inlet situated above the attachment of the fuel pipe. The multi-jet nozzle burner enhances the entrainment of the air in the fuel jet. A diffusion flame is formed by thin reaction zones where the fuel and oxidizer meet. The heat formed is transported through the freeboard, mainly via radiation in a participating medium. This turbulent combustion process is modeled using unsteady Favre-averaged compressible Navier–Stokes equations. The standard k-$ϵ$ equations and standard wall functions close the turbulent flow description. The eddy dissipation concept model is used to describe the combustion process. Here, only the presence of methane in the composition of the fuel is accounted for. Furthermore, the single-step reaction mechanism is chosen. The heat released radiates throughout the freeboard space. This process is described using a P1-radiation model with a constant thermal absorption coefficient. The flow, combustion, and radiative heat transfer are solved numerically using the OpenFoam simulation software. The equations for flow, combustion, and radiant heat transfer are discretized on a mesh locally refined near the burner outlet and solved numerically using the OpenFoam simulation software. The main results are as follows. The meticulously crafted mesh combined with the outlet condition that avoids pressure reflections cause the solver to converge in a stable manner. Predictions for velocity, pressure, temperature, and species distribution are now closer to manufacturing conditions. Computed temperate and species values are key to deducing the flame length and shape. The radiative heat flux to the wall peaks at the tip of the flame. This should allow us to measure the flame length indirectly from exterior wall temperature values. The amount of thermal nitric oxide formed in the flame is quantified. The main implication of this study is that the numerical model developed in this paper reveals valuable information on the combustion process in the kiln that otherwise would not be available. This information can be used to increase fuel efficiency, reduce spurious peak temperatures, and reduce pollutant emissions. The impact of the unsteady nature of the flow on the chemical species concentration and temperature distribution is illustrated in an accompanying video. Full article

Heat transfer technologies are experiencing rapid expansion as a result of the demand for efficient heating and cooling systems in the automotive, chemical, and aerospace industries. Therefore, the current study peruses an inspection of mixed convective radiative Williamson flow close to a stagnation point aggravated by a single nanoparticle (alumina) from a vertical flat plate with the impact of Hall. The convective heating of water conveying alumina (Al₂O₃) nanoparticles, as appropriate in engineering or industry, is investigated. Using pertinent similarity variables, the dominating equations are non-dimensionalized, and after that, via the bvp4c solver, they are numerically solved. We extensively explore the effects of many relevant parameters on axial velocity, transverse velocity, temperature profile, heat transfer, and drag force. In the opposing flow, there are two solutions seen; in the aiding flow, just one solution is found. In addition, the results designate that, due to nanofluid, the thickness of the velocity boundary layer decreases, and the thermal boundary layer width upsurges. The gradients for the branch of stable outcome escalate due to a higher Weissenberg parameter, while they decline for the branch of lower outcomes. Moreover, a magnetic field can be used to influence the flow and the properties of heat transfer. Full article

In this new era of the fluid field, researchers are interested in hybrid nanofluids because of their thermal properties and potential, which are better than those of nanofluids when it comes to increasing the rate at which heat is transferred. Compared to the dynamics of radiative Ethylene Glycol-Zinc Oxide (nanofluid) and Ethylene Glycol-Zinc Oxide-Titanium Dioxide (hybrid nanofluid) flows between two permeable expanding/contracting walls, nothing is known in terms of Lorentz force, heat source, and the activation energy. The thermo-physical characteristics of Ethylene Glycol, Zinc Oxide nanoparticles, and Titanium Dioxide nanoparticles are used in this study to derive the governing equations for the transport of both dynamics. Governing equations are converted as a set of nonlinear ordinary differential equations (with the aid of suitable similarity mutations), and then the MATLAB bvp4c solver is used to solve the equations. This study’s significant findings are that rise in the reaction rate constant increases mass transfer rate, whereas an increase in the activation energy parameter decreases it. The mass transfer rate decreases at a rate of 0.04669 (in the case of hybrid nanofluid) and 0.04721 (in the case of nanofluid) when activation energy ($E$) takes input in the range $0\le E\le 5$. It has been noticed that the velocity profiles are greater when the walls are expanding as opposed to when they are contracting. It is detected that the heat transfer rate reduces as the heat source parameter increases. The heat transfer rate drops at a rate of 0.9734 (in the case of hybrid Nanofluid) and 0.97925 (in the case of nanofluid) when the heat source parameter ($Q$) takes input in the range $0\le Q\le 0.3$. In addition, it has been observed that the entropy generation increases as the Brinkmann number rises. Full article

Water has drawn a lot of interest as a manufacturing lubricant since it is affordable, eco-friendly, and effective. Due to their exceptional mechanical qualities, water solubility, and variety of application scenarios, graphene oxide (GO)-based materials have the potential to increase the lubricant performance of water. The idea of this research was to quantify the linear 3D radiative stagnation-point flow induced by nanofluid through a vertical plate with a buoyancy or a mixed convection effect. The opposing, as well as the assisting, flows were considered in the model. The leading partial differential equations (PDEs) were transformed into dimensionless similarity equations, which were then solved numerically via a bvp4c solver. The influences of various physical constraints on the fluid flow and thermal properties of the nanofluid were investigated and are discussed. Water-based graphene oxide nanoparticles were considered in this study. The numerical outcomes indicated that multiple solutions were obtained in the case of the opposing flow (λ < 0). The critical values increased as the nanoparticle volume fraction became stronger. Furthermore, as the nanoparticles increased in strength, the friction factor increased and the heat transfer quickened. The radiation factor escalated the heat transfer in both solutions. In addition, a temporal stability analysis was also undertaken to verify the results, and it was observed that the branch of the first outcome became physically reliable (stable) whilst the branch of the second outcome became unstable, as time passed. Full article

The heat transmission capabilities of hybrid nanofluids are superior to those of mono nanofluids. In addition to solar collectors and military equipment, they may be found in a number of areas including heat exchanger, automotive industry, transformer cooling and electronic cooling. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the significance of the higher order chemical reaction parameter on the radiative flow of hybrid nanofluid (polyethylene glycol (PEG)–water combination: base fluid and zirconium dioxide, magnesium oxide: nanoparticles) via a curved shrinking sheet with viscous dissipation. Flow-driven equations were transformed into nonlinear ODEs using appropriate similarity transmutations, and then solved using the bvp4c solver (MATLAB built-in function). The results of two scenarios, $PEG-Water+Zr{O}_2+MgO$ (hybrid nanofluid) and $PEG-Water+Zr{O}_2$, (nanofluid) are reported. In order to draw important inferences about physical features, such as heat transfer rate, a correlation coefficient was used. The main findings of this study were that curvature parameter lowers fluid velocity, and Eckert number increases the temperature of fluid. It was observed that the volume fraction of nanoparticles enhances the skin friction coefficient and curvature parameter lessens the same. It was noticed that when curvature parameter (K) takes input in the range $0.5\le K\le 2.5$, the skin friction coefficient decreases at a rate of 1.46633 (i.e., 146.633%) (in the case of hybrid nanofluid) and 1.11236 (i.e., 111.236%) (in the case of nanofluid) per unit value of curvature parameter. Increasing rates in the skin friction parameter were 3.481179 (i.e., 348.1179%) (in the case of hybrid nanofluid) and 2.745679 (in the case of nanofluid) when the volume fraction of nanoparticle (${\varphi }_1$) takes input in the range $0\le {\varphi }_1\le 0.2$. It was detected that, when Eckert number $\left(E_{ck}\right)$ increases, Nusselt number decreases. The decrement rates were observed as 1.41148 (i.e., 141.148%) (in the case of hybrid nanofluid) and 1.15337 (i.e., 153.337%) (in the case of nanofluid) when Eckert number takes input in the range $0\le E_{ck}\le 0.2$. In case of hybrid nanofluid, it was discovered that the mass transfer rate increases at a rate of 1.497214 (i.e., 149.7214%) when chemical reaction $\left(Kr\right)$ takes input in the range $0\le Kr\le 0.2$. In addition, we checked our findings against those of other researchers and discovered a respectable degree of agreement. Full article

Underwater wireless optical communications (UWOCs) have attracted considerable attention in recent years as an alternative means for acoustic communication. However, optical path loss of light propagation from attenuation is in large part due to absorption and scattering in various water conditions. Identification of environmental effects, especially tropical storms on underwater optical path loss, is key to the success of using optics for UWOCs. Underwater inherent optical properties (IOPs), such as the beam attenuation coefficient for 470 nm light in the western North Pacific Ocean, were measured from U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office Seagliders deployed after Super Typhoon Guchol’s (June 7–20, 2012) passage from June 25 to June 30, 2012 and without any typhoon passage from January 9 to February 28, 2014. The two observed sets (with and without the super typhoon) of IOPs are taken as input for a recently developed radiative transfer equation solver. The simulated normalized received powers for the two durations show a large impact of typhoon passage on UWOCs. Full article

Numerical analysis of hybrid rocket internal ballistics is carried out with a Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes solver integrated with a customized gas–surface interaction wall boundary condition and coupled with a radiation code based on the discrete transfer method. The fuel grain wall boundary condition is based on species, mass, and energy conservation equations coupled with thermal radiation exchange and finite-rate kinetics for fuel pyrolysis modeling. Fuel pyrolysis is governed by the convective and radiative heat flux reaching the surface and by the energy required for the propellant grain to heat up and pyrolyze. Attention is focused here on a set of static firings performed with a lab-scale GOX/HDPE motor working at relatively low oxidizer mass fluxes. A sensitivity analysis was carried out on the literature pyrolysis models for HDPE, to evaluate the possible role of the uncertainty of such models on the actual prediction of the regression rate. A reasonable agreement between the measured and computed averaged regression rate and chamber pressure was obtained, with a noticeable improvement with respect to solutions without including radiative energy exchange. Full article

Optical tomography is the process of reconstructing the optical properties of biological tissue using measurements of incoming and outgoing light intensity at the tissue boundary. Mathematically, light propagation is modeled by the radiative transfer equation (RTE), and optical tomography amounts to reconstructing the scattering coefficient in the RTE using the boundary measurements. In the strong scattering regime, the RTE is asymptotically equivalent to the diffusion equation (DE), and the inverse problem becomes reconstructing the diffusion coefficient using Dirichlet and Neumann data on the boundary. We study this problem in the Bayesian framework, meaning that we examine the posterior distribution of the scattering coefficient after the measurements have been taken. However, sampling from this distribution is computationally expensive, since to evaluate each Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sample, one needs to run the RTE solvers multiple times. We therefore propose the DE-assisted two-level MCMC technique, in which bad samples are filtered out using DE solvers that are significantly cheaper than RTE solvers. This allows us to make sampling from the RTE posterior distribution computationally feasible. Full article