Vaporization of heated materials into discharge plasmas

The vaporization of condensed materials in contact with high-current discharge plasmas is considered. A kinetic numerical method named direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) and analytical kinetic approaches based on the bimodal distribution function approximation are employed. The solution of the kinetic layer problem depends upon the velocity at the outer boundary of the kinetic layer which varies from very small, corresponding to the high-density plasma near the evaporated surface, up to the sound speed, corresponding to evaporation into vacuum. The heavy particles density and temperature at the kinetic and hydrodynamic layer interface were obtained by the analytical method while DSMC calculation makes it possible to obtain the evolution of the particle distribution function within the kinetic layer and the layer thickness.

Numerical Simulation of the Flow Field and Concentration Distribution in the Bulk Growth of Silicon Carbide Crystals

The physical vapor transport (PVT) method is being widely used to grow large-size single SiC crystals. The growth process is associated with heat and mass transport in the growth chamber, chemical reactions among multiple species as well as phase change at the crystal/gas interface. The current paper aims at studying and verifying the transport mechanism and growth kinetics model by demonstrating the flow field and species concentration distribution in the growth system. We have developed a coupled model, which takes into account the mass transport and growth kinetics. Numerical simulation is carried out by employing an in-house developed software based on finite volume method. The results calculated are in good agreement with the experimental observation.

Elastic fields of interacting elliptic inhomogeneities

This paper presents a method for the calculation of two-dimensional elastic fields in a solid containing any number of inhomogeneities under arbitrary far field loadings. The method called 'pseudo-dislocations method', is illustrated for the solution of interacting elliptic inhomogeneities. It reduces the interacting inhomogeneities problem to a set of linear algebraic equations. Numerical results are presented for a variety of elliptic inhomogeneity arrangements, including the special cases of elliptic holes, cracks and circular inhomogeneities. All these complicated problems can be solved with high accuracy and efficiency.

Numerical simulation of magnetic field design for damping thermocapillary convection in a floating half-zone

The magnetic fields produced by electrical coils are designed for damping the the thermocapillary convection in a floating half-zone in microgravity. The fields are designed specially to reduce the flow near the free surface and then in the melt zone by adjusting the longitudinal coil positions close to the melt zone. The effects of the designed magnetic fields on reducing the flow velocity and temperature distribution non-uniformity in the melt zone are stronger than those of the case of an uniform longitudinal magnetic field obtained by numerical simulation, particularly at the melt-rod interface. It brings fundamental insights into the heat and mass transfer control at the solidification interface by the magnetic field design for crystal growth by the floating full-zone method.

An analysis of subgrid-resolved scale interactions with use of results from direct numerical simulations

Subgrid nonlinear interaction and energy transfer are analyzed using direct numerical simulations of isotropic turbulence. Influences of cutoff wave number at different ranges of scale on the energetics and dynamics have been investigated. It is observed that subgrid-subgrid interaction dominates the turbulent dynamics when cut-off wave number locates in the energy-containing range while resolved-subgrid interaction dominates if it is in the dissipation range; By decomposing the subgrid energy transfer and nonlinear interaction into 'forward' and 'backward' groups according to the sign of triadic interaction, we find that individually each group has very large contribution, but the net of them is much smaller, implying that tremendous cancellation happens between these two groups.

Numerical Simulation of Transient Thermal Features in the Remelting Processing of Stainless Steel

应用有限元方法对层流等离子体射流不锈钢表面重熔工艺中的瞬态热物理现象进行了数值模拟研究.针对不同加热距离,确定了材料熔化和凝固过程中的瞬态温度场、温度梯度和凝固率的时间和空间分布特征.通过引入等效温度面积密度概念,研究了不锈钢重熔热处理的适合条件.结果表明,9～13mm的范围是较为适宜的加热距离,该结果与试验观察基本符合.

Scheme Construction with Numerical Flux Residual Correction (NFRC) and Group Velocity Control (GVC)

For simulating multi-scale complex flow fields like turbulent flows, the high order accurate schemes are preferred. In this paper, a scheme construction with numerical flux residual correction (NFRC) is presented. Any order accurate difference approximation can be obtained with the NFRC. To improve the resolution of the shock, the constructed schemes are modified with group velocity control (GVC) and weighted group velocity control (WGVC). The method of scheme construction is simple, and it is used to solve practical problems.

Numerical simulation of rock failure and earthquake process on mesoscopic scale

On the basis of the lattice model of MORA and PLACE, Discrete Element Method, and Molecular Dynamics approach, another kind of numerical model is developed. The model consists of a 2-D set of particles linked by three kinds of interactions and arranged into triangular lattice. After the fracture criterion and rules of changes between linking states are given, the particle positions, velocities and accelerations at every time step are calculated using a finite-difference scheme, and the configuration of particles can be gained step by step. Using this model, realistic fracture simulations of brittle solid (especially under pressure) and simulation of earthquake dynamics are made.

Numerical Solutions for the Transient Flow in the Homogenous Closed Circle Reservoirs

There are many fault block fields in China. A fault block field consists of fault pools. The small fault pools can be viewed as the closed circle reservoirs in some case. In order to know the pressure change of the developed formation and provide the formation data for developing the fault block fields reasonably, the transient flow should be researched. In this paper, we use the automatic mesh generation technology and the finite element method to solve the transient flow problem for the well located in the closed circle reservoir, especially for the well located in an arbitrary position in the closed circle reservoir. The pressure diffusion process is visualized and the well-location factor concept is first proposed in this paper. The typical curves of pressure vs time for the well with different well-location factors are presented. By comparing numerical results with the analytical solutions of the well located in the center of the closed circle reservoir, the numerical method is verified.

An Extension of 2D Janbu’s Generalized Procedure of Slices for 3D Slope Stability Analysis II—Numerical Method and Applications

This paper provides a numerical approach on achieving the limit equilibrium method for 3D slope stability analysis proposed in the theoretical part of the previous paper. Some programming techniques are presented to ensure the maneuverability of the method. Three examples are introduced to illustrate the use of this method. The results are given in detail such as the local factor of safety and local potential sliding direction for a slope. As the method is an extension of 2D Janbu's generalized procedure of slices (GPS), the results obtained by GPS for the longitudinal sections of a slope are also given for comparison with the 3D results. A practical landslide in Yunyang, the Three Gorges, of China, is also analyzed by the present method. Moreover, the proposed method has the advantages and disadvantages of GPS. The problem frequently encountered in calculation process is still about the convergency, especially in analyzing the stability of a cutting corner. Some advice on discretization is given to ensure convergence when the present method is used. However, the problem about convergency still needs to be further explored based on the rigorous theoretical background.

A finite element method for cracked components of structures

In this paper, a method is developed for determining the effective stiffness of the cracked component. The stiffness matrix of the cracked component is integrated into the global stiffness matrix of the finite element model of the global platform for the FE calculation of the structure in any environmental conditions. The stiffness matrix equation of the cracked component is derived by use of the finite variation principle and fracture mechanics. The equivalent parameters defining the element that simulates the cracked component are mathematically presented, and can be easily used for the FE calculation of large scale cracked structures together with any finite element program. The theories developed are validated by both lab tests and numerical calculations, and applied to the evaluation of crack effect on the strength of a fixed platform and a self-elevating drilling rig.

Simulations of oil spread on a water surface

Numerical simulation of an oil slick spreading on still and wavy surfaces is described in this paper. The so-called sigma transformation is used to transform the time-varying physical domain into a fixed calculation domain for the water wave motions and, at the same time, the continuity equation is changed into an advection equation of wave elevation. This evolution equation is discretized by the forward time and central space scheme, and the momentum equations by the projection method. A damping zone is set up in front of the outlet boundary coupled with a Sommerfeld-Orlanski condition at that boundary to minimize the wave reflection. The equations for the oil slick are depth-averaged and coupled with the water motions when solving numerically. As examples, sinusoidal and solitary water waves, the oil spread on a smooth plane and on still and wavy water surfaces are calculated to examine the accuracy of simulating water waves by Navier-Stokes equations, the effect of damping zone on wave reflection and the precise structures of oil spread on waves.

Numerical Simulation of Particle Separation in An Oil-Sand Separator

The gathering systems of crude oil are greatly endangered by the fine sand and soil in oil. Up to now , how to separate sand from the viscid oil is still a technical problem for oil production home or abroad. Recently , Institute of Mechanics in Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed a new type of oil-sand separator , which has been applied successfully in oil field in situ. In this paper, the numerical method of vortex-stream function is used to predict the liquid-solid separating course and the efficiency for this oil-sand separator. Results show that the viscosity and particle diameter have much influence on the particle motion. The calculating separating efficiency is compared with that of experiment and indicates that this method can be used to model the complex two-phase flow in the separator.

Direct Numerical Simulation of Supersonic Turbulent Boundary Layer Flow

Direct numerical simulations of a spatially evolving supersonic flat-plate turbulent boundary layer flow with free Mach number M = 2.25 and Reynolds number Re = 365000/in are performed. The transition process from laminar to turbulent flow is obtained by solving the three-dimensional compressible Navier-Stokes, equations, using high-order accurate difference schemes. The obtained statistical results agree well with the experimental and theoretical data. From the numerical results it can be seen that the transition process under the considered conditions is the process which skips the Tolimien-Schlichting instability and the second instability through the instability of high gradient shear layer and becomes of laminar flow breakdown. This means that the transition process is a bypass-type transition process. The spanwise asymmetry of the disturbance locally upstream imposed is important to induce the bypass-type transition. Furthermore, with increasing the time disturbance frequency the transition will delay. When the time disturbance frequency is large enough, the transition will disappear.

Governing Equations and Numerical Solutions of Tension Leg Platform with Finite Amplitude Motion

It is demonstrated that when tension leg platform (TLP) moves with finite amplitude in waves, the inertia force, the drag force and the buoyancy acting on the platform are nonlinear functions of the response of TLP. The tensions of the tethers are also nonlinear functions of the displacement of TLP. Then the displacement, the velocity and the acceleration of TLP should be taken into account when loads are calculated. In addition, equations of motions should be set up on the instantaneous position. A theoretical model for analyzing the nonlinear behavior of a TLP with finite displacement is developed, in which multifold nonlinearities are taken into account, i.e., finite displacement, coupling of the six degrees of freedom, instantaneous position, instantaneous wet surface, free surface effects and viscous drag force. Based on the theoretical model, the comprehensive nonlinear differential equations are deduced. Then the nonlinear dynamic analysis of ISSC TLP in regular waves is performed in the time domain. The degenerative linear solution of the proposed nonlinear model is verified with existing published one. Furthermore, numerical results are presented, which illustrate that nonlinearities exert a significant influence on the dynamic responses of the TLP.