We propose a body-fitted mesh approach based on a semi-Lagrangian streaming step combined with an entropy-based collision model. After determining the order of convergence of the method, we analyse the flow past a circular cylinder in the lower subcritical regime, at a Reynolds number $Re=3900$, in order to assess the numerical performances for wall-bounded turbulence. The results are compared to experimental and numerical data available in the literature. Overall, the agreement is satisfactory. By adopting an efficient local refinement strategy together with the enhanced stability features of the entropic model, this method extends the range of applicability of the lattice Boltzmann approach to the solution of realistic fluid dynamics problems, at high Reynolds numbers, involving complex geometries.

We simulate the two-dimensional fluid flow around National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) 0012 airfoil using a hybrid lattice Boltzmann method (HLBM), which combines the standard lattice Boltzmann method with an unstructured finite-volume formulation. The aim of the study is to assess the numerical performances and the robustness of the computational method. To this purpose, after providing a convergence study to estimate the overall accuracy of the method, we analyze the numerical solution for different values of the angle of attack at a Reynolds number equal to 10 3 . Subsequently, flow fields at Reynolds numbers up to 10 4 are computed for a zero angle of attack configuration. A grid refinement scheme is applied to the uniformly spaced component of the overlapping grid system to further enhance the numerical efficiency of the model. The results demonstrate the capability of the HLBM to achieve high accuracy near solid curved walls, thus providing a viable alternative in the realm of off-lattice Boltzmann methods based on body-fitted mesh.

In this work, a hybrid lattice Boltzmann method (HLBM) is proposed, where the standard lattice Boltzmann implementation based on the Bhatnagar-Gross-Krook (LBGK) approximation is combined together with an unstructured finite-volume lattice Boltzmann model. The method is constructed on an overlapping grid system, which allows the coexistence of a uniform lattice nodes spacing and a coordinate-free lattice structure. The natural adaptivity of the hybrid grid system makes the method particularly suitable to handle problems involving complex geometries. Moreover, the provided scheme ensures a high-accuracy solution near walls, given the capability of the unstructured submodel of achieving the desired level of refinement in a very flexible way. For these reasons, the HLBM represents a prospective tool for solving multiscale problems. The proposed method is here applied to the benchmark problem of a two-dimensional flow past a circular cylinder for a wide range of Reynolds numbers and its numerical performances are measured and compared with the standard LBGK ones.

Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) represents one of the emerging and most promising technologies for upgrading biomass. Among the residual biomass waste, olive pomace and olive mill wastewater may be seen as valuable energy sources, especially for the Mediterranean countries, given the key role of the olive oil industry in those regions. This paper deals with the thermo-fluid dynamic performance of the HTC process of olive pomace. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling is employed in this study to numerically simulate such a process in batch reactor with the aim of understanding the complex fluid dynamics, heat transfer and reaction kinetics phenomena occurring under hydrothermal conditions. A parametric analysis is performed to evaluate the temperature fields inside the reactor and the output mass yields as a function of the power input required by the process. Velocity flow fields and the spatial distribution of the mixture during the process are also investigated to understand the change in feed conversion at different regions within the tubular reactor under different reaction times. The numerical results are validated and compared with experimental measurements conducted previously on a similar batch reactor. The model predictions are found to be in line with the experimental findings, thus laying the foundations for further modeling improvements towards the design optimization and scale-up of HTC reactors.

District heating networks are commonly addressed in the literature as one of the most effective solutions for decreasing the greenhouse gas emissions from the building sector. These systems require high investments which are returned through the heat sales. Due to the changed climate conditions and building renovation policies, heat demand in the future could decrease, prolonging the investment return period. The main scope of this paper is to assess the feasibility of using the heat demand -outdoor temperature function for heat demand forecast. The district of Alvalade, located in Lisbon (Portugal), was used as a case study. The district is consisted of 665 buildings that vary in both construction period and typology. Three weather scenarios (low, medium, high) and three district renovation scenarios were developed (shallow, intermediate, deep). To estimate the error, obtained heat demand values were compared with results from a dynamic heat demand model, previously developed and validated by the authors. The results showed that when only weather change is considered, the margin of error could be acceptable for some applications (the error in annual demand was lower than 20% for all weather scenarios considered). However, after introducing renovation scenarios, the error value increased up to 59.5% (depending on the weather and renovation scenarios combination considered). The value of slope coefficient increased on average within the range of 3.8% up to 8% per decade, that corresponds to the decrease in the number of heating hours of 22-139h during the heating season (depending on the combination of weather and renovation scenarios considered). On the other hand, function intercept increased for 7.8-12.7% per decade (depending on the coupled scenarios). The values suggested could be used to modify the function parameters for the scenarios considered, and improve the accuracy of heat demand estimations.

A numerical study on incompressible laminar flow in symmetric channel with sudden expansion is conducted. In this work, Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids are considered, where non-Newtonian fluids are described by the power-law model. Three different computational methods are employed, namely a semi-implicit Chorin projection method (SICPM), an explicit algorithm based on fourth-order Runge–Kutta method (ERKM) and a Lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). The aim of the work is to investigate on the capabilities of the LBM for the solution of complex flows through the comparison with traditional computational methods. In the range of Reynolds number investigated, excellent agreement with the literature results is found. In particular, the LBM is found to be accurate in the prediction of the fluid flow behavior for the problem under consideration.

A zonal hybrid unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes/large eddy simulation (URANS-LES) Zonal detached-eddy simulation (ZDES) model is applied to internal combustion engine (ICE) simulation and comparisons of predicted flow morphology and variability are carried out against on the transparent combustion chamber (TCC-III) particle image velocimetry (PIV) data set for motored conditions. To this aim, a previously developed model derived from a standard seamless-detached eddy simulation (DES) formulation is adopted for two different grid resolutions. In particular, two zonalization choices are evaluated based on previous single-grid results, in order to assess the model outcomes based on the joint turbulence treatment/grid density: the seamless-DES mode is applied (1) only to the cylinder (TCC-Z1) and (2) to the cylinder and intake port (TCC-Z2). Multi-cycle simulations (50 samples) are carried out and the results are compared to experimental data in terms of PIV images using multiple quality indices on multiple planes ( Y = 0 and X = 0). Finally, comparison of predicted mean flow fields is extended to standard URANS mode. Results show that the use of a cylinder-only seamless-DES treatment on a relatively coarse grid results in a quantitative agreement between simulated and measured (PIV) flow fields, both in terms of average morphology and flow variability, whereas the extension of the DES mode to the intake port does not introduce relevant variations. Quality indicators seem to be moderately sensitive to the grid resolution, thus confirming the adaptive potential of a ZDES–like model and promoting the use of DES–type turbulence modelling even on relatively low-resolution grids. The analysis of average fields compared to URANS simulations highlights the benefit for both grids of a scale-resolving ZDES modelling when the same underlying turbulence model ( k-ε RNG) is used. This study reinforces the recommendation in the use of hybrid URANS-LES models to simulate ICE flows. The adopted ZDES formulation based on the two-equation k-ε RNG model shows that high-quality results can be obtained even on engineering-grade grids, both in terms of average and cycle-to-cycle variation. The numerical results obtained using the two grids with variable resolution are consistent, and this further promotes a wider adoption of this class of models to simulate engine flows in industrial applications.

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