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Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering

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  • Item
    Modeling moderately dense to dilute multiphase reacting flows
    (Georgia Institute of Technology, 2022-03-14) Panchal, Achyut
    Computational modeling of multiphase flows consists of two broader sets of methods: resolved approaches where the multiphase entities (MPE) are larger and resolved on the computational grid, and dispersed approaches where the MPEs are relatively small and not resolved on the grid but they are treated as point-particles that interact with the background continuum. A consistent multiphase formulation is developed in this work that can be used to model either resolved or unresolved MPEs over a complete range of volume fractions. One phase is always modeled as a continuum Eulerian phase, whereas the other phase is modeled either as a continuum Eulerian phase, a dispersed Eulerian phase, or a dispersed Lagrangian phase. In the dispersed phase limit, a hybrid EE-EL formulation is developed from first principles, which asymptotes to well-established EE and EL methods in limiting conditions. A smooth and dynamic transition criterion and a corresponding algorithm for conversion between EE and EL are developed. To use EE and EL in their respective regions of effectiveness (dense and dilute, respectively), the transition criterion is designed as a function of the local volume fraction and the local kinetic energy of random uncorrelated motion of particles. Simulations of particle evolution in turbulence, particle dispersion in sector blast, and reactive spray jet show the method’s validity and practical relevance. In the resolved multiphase limit, the formulation limits to a compressible seven-equation diffused interface method (DIM). Novel extensions are developed for modeling surface tension, viscous effects, arbitrary EOS, multi-species, and reactions. The use of a discrete equations method (DEM) relieves the need to use conventional stiff relaxation solvers. Shock propagation through a material interface, surface tension-driven oscillating droplet, droplet acceleration in a viscous medium, and shock/detonation interaction with a deforming droplet are simulated to validate various part of the computational framework and demonstrate its applicability.
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    Numerical simulations of real-gas flows with phase-equilibrium thermodynamics
    (Georgia Institute of Technology, 2020-07-20) Tudisco, Principio
    Motivated by the complex physics of multi-component mixtures in strongly non-ideal, real-gas (RG) conditions reported in the field of chemical engineering, this work aims to address the behavior of multi-phase thermodynamics from a broader point of view. The focus is to evaluate the differences, as well as the possible sources of errors that would arise in a computational fluid-dynamics (CFD) simulation when conventional single-phase and multi-phase equilibrium RG thermodynamics are employed: an area of research that despite the active interest in many communities (especially CFD), has not been completely understood. Knowledge of the effects that multi-phase RG thermodynamics with the assumption of vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) can have on a flow dynamics is important because it establishes the relevance of the fully coupled CFD-VLE solver. In fact, this relevance may go beyond the stand-alone calculation of a multi-phase state, providing important insights about the physics that may not be captured if the single-phase assumption is invoked. This work provides an extensive study of RG mixtures from a physical and numerical point of view. The difficulties associated with their modeling are discussed in detail and solutions are provided accordingly. Emphasis is given to the occurrence and suppression of numerical noise in form of pressure oscillations that can pollute the simulation to the point that it cannot be performed. Extension of existing models to eliminate such problem is achieved by incorporating the effects of VLE thermodynamics in a consistent manner, ultimately forming a new and robust tool to investigate the physics further. The resulting model is applied to non-reacting and reacting flows in canonical setups where emphasis is devoted to the discussion of the differences and sources of errors that would occur if this multi-phase behavior is not taken into account. Results show that the different thermodynamic states reached by this advanced model can have an impact on the flow physics, especially in a non-reacting (or more in general cold) regime. In particular, the strong non-linear coupling between the VLE thermodynamics and the transport properties is identified as a key element of difference with respect to the single-phase model counterpart. These differences manifest into the occurrence of localized changes in the fluid properties (such as density) that affect the flow-field in their vicinity, causing visible discrepancies even when time-averaging is performed. Concurrently, results obtained on the reacting side and carried out (for the first time) with finite-rate kinetics suggest that any VLE formation between the products and the reactants may be considered of minor importance. The latter conclusion is supported by the analysis conducted on the multi-phase field which appears to be largely composed of the vapor solution, as expected, hence limiting the analogous effect observed the non-reacting system where a broader range of phase-separation appears instead.