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Drag performance of divergent tubular-truncated cones: A shape optimization study

Lotfi, A ; Sharif University of Technology | 2012

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  1. Type of Document: Article
  2. DOI: 10.1007/s13762-011-0003-9
  3. Publisher: 2012
  4. Abstract:
  5. The use of more efficient energy consuming devices, which are closely associated with reduction of environmental pollution, has gained significant interest in the recent decades. The reduction of drag coefficient also improves safety and durability of environmental structures subjected to high-velocity fluid flow, and causes the noise and vibration to decrease as well. This paper describes the efficiency improvement in energy management by means of reducing drag coefficient in a practical divergent tubular- truncated cone. Extensive numerical simulations with emphasis on the shape optimization study were performed in order to find minimum drag coefficient for both laminar and turbulent flows (9.41 × 102 ≤ Re ≤ 1.882 × 107) around the mentioned cone. The numerical results were validated with experimental data, obtained by performing tests in an open circuit wind tunnel. The results showed that the minimum drag coefficient of optimum model within the shape modification process, comparable to the value for the primary model in turbulent flow decreased by 69.8% (the maximum discrepancy) at the highest considered Reynolds number of 1.882 × 107. Furthermore, the study of streamwise velocity profile led to more useful result. In this regard, the velocity magnitude inside the inlet span of the primary model, close to the entrance was approximately 1.6 times as great as the free upstream velocity. This is a noticeable result for the use of efficiency important structures in industrial applications
  6. Keywords:
  7. Wind tunnel ; Efficiency improvement ; Energy consuming devices ; Environmental pollutions ; Environmental structure ; Experimental data ; High velocity ; Laminar and turbulent flow ; Noise and vibration ; Numerical results ; Open circuit wind tunnels ; Optimum model ; Optimum shape ; Shape modification ; Streamwise velocity ; Truncated cone ; Upstream velocity ; Velocity profile ; Computational fluid dynamics ; Drag coefficient ; Drag reduction ; Energy management ; Industrial applications ; Reynolds number ; Turbulent flow ; Wind tunnels ; Velocity
  8. Source: International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology ; Volume 9, Issue 1 , 2012 , Pages 105-112 ; 17351472 (ISSN)
  9. URL: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs13762-011-0003-9