No abstract

Three-dimensional steady Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes simulations have been carried out to investigate the effect of the nozzle stand-off distance on the mean and turbulence characteristics of jets impinging vertically on flat surfaces. As part of the study, the performance of different turbulence models such as Realizable k–ε, k–ω SST, and Reynolds Stress Model (RSM) were evaluated. Based on comparisons with experimental data, RSM was chosen to further evaluate the characteristics of impinging jets. The Reynolds number based on the jet exit velocity and nozzle diameter is 100 000. Three different nozzle height-to-diameter ratios, representing different types of impinging jets, were simulated and compared with available experimental data. A strong dependency of the jet characteristics on the nozzle height-to-diameter ratio was observed. The simulations show that an increase in this ratio results in larger shear stress and more distributed pressure on the wall, more development of the flow in the axial direction and faster progress of the jet in the wall region. The current simulations present a robust step-by-step computational fluid dynamics approach to investigate the role of the nozzle height-to-diameter ratio on the impinging jet flow parameters.

Large eddy simulation and particle image velocimetry measurements have been performed to evaluate the characteristics of a turbulent impinging jet with large nozzle height-to-diameter ratio (H/D = 20). The Reynolds number considered is approximately 28 000 based on the jet exit velocity and nozzle diameter. Mean normalized centerline velocity in both the free jet and impingement regions and pressure distribution over the plate obtained from simulations and experiments show good agreement. The ring-like vortices generated due to the Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities at the exit of the nozzle merge, break down and transform into large scale structures while traveling towards the impingement plate. A Strouhal number of 0.63 was found for the vortices generated at the exit of the nozzle. However, this parameter is reduced along the centerline towards the impingement zone. A characteristic frequency was also determined for the large scale structures impinging on the plate. The expansion, growth, tilt, and three-dimensionality of the impinging structures cause dislocation of the impinging flow from the centerline, which is significantly larger when compared with flows having small H/D ratios. Contrary to the behavior of impinging jets with small stand-off distance, due to the loss of coherence, the large scale structures do not result in significant secondary vortices in the wall jet region and consequently less fluctuations were observed for wall shear stress.

Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes simulations have been performed to investigate the effect of nozzle geometry on the turbulence characteristics of incompressible fluid flow through nozzles at Reynolds number of approximately 50,000. Four nozzles have been considered: a baseline nozzle and three modified nozzles (extended, grooved and ringed). The flow in these nozzles has been simulated using different turbulence closure models, including Spalart-Allmaras, variants of k -ε and k -ω, and the Reynolds Stress Model (RSM). By comparison to experimental data, it is shown that the RSM produces more accurate results for the prediction of turbulent fluctuations. The presence of a ring significantly increases both the turbulence intensity and mean velocity at the exit, and requires a much higher inlet pressure to move the fluid through the nozzle. On the other hand, cutting a groove near the exit or extending the nozzle has little effect on the exit flow characteristics.

Detached Eddy Simulations (DES) were carried out to analyze the influence of ground clearance and to estimate the unsteady wind loading on solar panels. A generic type of solar panel was considered at three different ground clearances. For the range of ground clearance values considered in the study, the results show that an increase in the clearance produces stronger vortex shedding fluctuations, higher shedding frequencies, and larger mean and unsteady wind loading. For the smallest ground clearance, an irregular vortex shedding was observed. The flow structures formed in the wake are analyzed using various indicators of turbulence characteristics including the vorticity and the λ 2 criterion. The flow structures suggest a complex formation and subsequent shedding of vortices. The absence of regular vortex shedding at the smallest ground clearance and the presence of the same at the mid-ground clearance value suggests a reference for minimizing the unsteady wind loading of solar panels. Furthermore, the unsteady results reveal that the lower sections of the panel are more vulnerable to wind loading.