arXiv subjects

Chunxiao Xu

Publications and source records attributed to Chunxiao Xu.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Compressible turbulent boundary layers over two-dimensional square-rib roughness

Direct numerical simulations are performed to investigate the combined effects of surface roughness and wall heat transfer on spatially developing compressible turbulent boundary layers at $Ma=2.5$. The roughness consists of transverse square bars with $λ_x/k=8$ and $k^+ \approx 35$, under adiabatic and wall-cooling ($T_w/T_r = 0.5$) conditions. Dynamically, the conventional zero-moment method fails to yield a consistent zero-plane displacement for the present cavity-type roughness. Instead, a fitting-based optimization procedure is proposed to determine the kinematic virtual origin, which successfully restores the logarithmic behavior. Based on this displacement, Griffin--Fu--Moin (GFM) transformation outperforms the classical van Driest transformation in recovering outer-layer similarity for the velocity defect. Thermodynamically, the physical disparity between momentum form drag and the absence of a corresponding heat transfer mechanism disrupts the classical Reynolds analogy. The effective turbulent Prandtl number ($Pr_e$) deviates severely from unity within the roughness sublayer, leading to the breakdown of the classical Generalized Reynolds Analogy (GRA). To address this, a modified rough-wall GRA (rGRA) is formulated by introducing an equivalent slip-plane or reference-point boundary conditions, which accurately reconstructs the temperature-velocity relationship by bypassing the near-wall thermal heterogeneity. Finally, the refined strong Reynolds analogy (RSRA) is shown to maintain predictive accuracy for fluctuation intensities in the outer layer despite near-wall modulation by roughness and cooling.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2026

Log-linear law of the mean streamwise velocity in turbulent boundary layers with moderate adverse pressure gradients

An essential feature of canonical zero-pressure-gradient (ZPG) turbulent boundary layers (TBLs) is that the mean streamwise velocity exhibits a logarithmic dependence on the wall-normal distance, known as the log law. In this study, we demonstrate that this conventional log law is not suitable for turbulent boundary layers subjected to pressure gradients (PGs). Instead, a log--linear law is theoretically derived for TBLs under moderate adverse pressure gradients (APGs), based on the total shear-stress balance and a rescaled eddy-viscosity model. The validity of the proposed log--linear law is assessed using available datasets of incompressible APG TBLs with the Clauser pressure-gradient parameter $β$ ranging from 0.73 to 9.0. Compared with the conventional log law, the present log--linear formulation shows significantly improved agreement with the measured mean velocity profiles. In the limiting case of $β\to 0$, the proposed law naturally recovers the classical log law.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2025

Mean velocity profiles and total shear stress profiles in adverse-pressure-gradient turbulent boundary layers considering history effect

This study focuses on developing a predictive model for mean velocity profiles and total shear stress profiles in turbulent boundary layers subjected to adverse pressure gradients, especially with history effects. A new scaling using friction velocity modified by Clauser pressure gradient parameter is introduced to restore streamwise self-similarity. Furthermore, an estimation-correction model is developed, explicitly incorporating a streamwise derivative of pressure gradient, which effectively captures history effect beyond the reach of Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations. With the help of the model, the total shear stress is decomposed into four parts, representing respectively the Reynolds number effects, equilibrium pressure gradient effects, the coupling between free-stream velocity and pressure gradient, and local non-equilibrium pressure gradient effects. The latter two are considered first-order history effects, and can account for up to approximately half of the total stress. Validation against multiple DNS/LES datasets across a wide range of pressure gradients and Reynolds numbers demonstrates the model's accuracy in predicting both mean velocity profiles and total shear stress profiles.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2024

Prolate spheroids settling in a quiescent fluid: clustering, microstructures and collisions

In this study, we investigate the sedimentation of prolate spheroids in a quiescent fluid by means of the particle-resolved direct numerical simulation. With the increase of the particle volume fraction $ϕ$ from $0.1\%$ to $10\%$, we observe a non-monotonic variation of the mean settling velocity of particles, $\langle V_s \rangle$. By virtue of the Voronoi analysis, we find that the degree of particle clustering is highest when $\langle V_s \rangle$ reaches the local maximum at $ϕ=1\%$. Under the swarm effect, clustered particles are found to preferentially sample downward fluid flows in the wake regions, leading to the enhancement of the settling speed. As for lower or higher volume fraction, the tendency of particle clustering and the preferential sampling of downward flows are attenuated. Hindrance effect becomes predominant when the volume fraction exceeds 5\% and reduces $\langle V_s \rangle$ to less than the isolated settling velocity. Particle orientation plays a minor role in the mean settling velocity, although individual prolate particles still tend to settle faster in suspensions when they deviate more from the broad-side-on alignment. Moreover, we also demonstrate that particles are prone to form column-like microstructures in dilute suspensions under the effect of wake-induced hydrodynamic attractions. The radial distribution function is higher at a lower volume fraction. As a result, the collision rate scaled by the particle number density decreases with the increasing volume fraction. By contrast, as another contribution to the particle collision rate, the relative radial velocity for nearby particles shows a minor degree of variation due to the lubrication effect.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2024

Interactions between the near-wall turbulent structures and heavy particles in compressible turbulent boundary layers

In the present study, we conduct direct numerical simulations to investigate the near-wall dynamics of compressible turbulent boundary layers at the free-stream Mach number of 6 laden with heavy particles. By inspecting the instantaneous near-wall flow structures, Reynolds stresses and the impacts of particle forces on solenoidal and dilatational motions, we observed that higher particle mass loadings lead to the less meandering yet almost equally intense velocity streaks, but the weakened wall-normal velocity fluctuations induced by vortices and near-wall dilatational motions organized as travelling wave packets. The strong correlation between the particle force and dilatational velocities indicates that particles are accelerated/decelerated while travelling through these travelling wave packets composed of expansive and compressive events, and in return, leading to the weakened dilatational motions of the fluid during this process. This correlation further supports the elucidation by Yu et al. (J. Fluid. Mech., vol. 984, 2024, pp. A44) that dilatational motions are generated by the vortices that induce strong bursting events, rather than the evolving perturbations beneath the velocity streaks. Nevertheless, the variation of skin friction in the presently considered cases with moderate mass loadings, either increased or decreased by the presence of particles, is found to be primarily attributed to the solenoidal Reynolds shear stress as in incompressible turbulence, suggesting the essentially unaltered nature of wall-bounded turbulence populated by vortical and shear motions instead of gradually switching to the state dominated by dilatational motions.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2024

Onset of global instability in a premixed annular V-flame

We investigate self-excited axisymmetric oscillations of a lean premixed methane--air V-flame in a laminar annular jet. The flame is anchored near the rim of the centrebody, forming an inverted cone, while the strongest vorticity is concentrated along the outer shear layer of the annular jet. Consequently, the reaction and vorticity dynamics are largely separated, except where they coalesce near the flame tip. The global eigenmodes corresponding to the linearised reacting flow equations around the steady base state are computed in an axisymmetric setting. We identify an arc branch of eigenmodes exhibiting strong oscillations at the flame tip. The associated eigenvalues are robust with respect to domain truncation and numerical discretisation, and they become destabilised as the Reynolds number increases. The frequency of the leading eigenmode is found to correspond to the Lagrangian disturbance advection time from the nozzle outlet to the flame tip. Nonlinear time-resolved simulation further reveals notable hysteresis phenomena in the subcritical regime prior to instability. Hence, even when the flame is linearly stable, perturbations of sufficient amplitude can trigger limit-cycle oscillations and higher-dimensional dynamics sustained by nonlinear feedback. A Monte Carlo simulation of passive tracers in the unsteady flame suggests a nonlinear non-local instability mechanism. Notably, linear analysis of the subcritical time-averaged limit-cycle state yields eigenvalues that do not match the nonlinear periodic oscillation frequencies, attributed to the fundamentally nonlinear dynamics of the subcritical V-flame instability, where the dichromatic, non-local interaction cannot be approximated as a simple distortion of the mean flow.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2024

Transport of inertial spherical particles in compressible turbulent boundary layers

In the present study, we perform direct numerical simulations of compressible turbulent boundary layers at the free stream Mach number of 2 ~ 6 laden with dilute phase of spherical particles to investigate the Mach number effects on particle transport and dynamics. Most of the phenomena observed and well-recognized for inertia particles in incompressible wall-bounded turbulent flows, such as the near-wall preferential accumulation and clustering beneath the low-speed streaks, the flatter mean velocity profiles and the trend variation of the particle velocity fluctuations, are identified in the compressible turbulent boundary layer as well. However, we find that the compressibility effects are significant for large inertia particles. As the Mach number increases, the near-wall accumulation and the small-scale clustering are alleviated, which is probably caused by the variation of the fluid density and viscosity that are crucial to particle dynamics. This can be affected by the fact that the forces acting on the particles with the viscous Stokes number greater than 500 are modulated by the comparatively high particle Mach numbers in the near-wall region. This is also the reason for the abatement of the streamwise particle velocity fluctuation intensities with the Mach numbers.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2023

Realistic Volume Rendering with Environment-Synced Illumination in Mixed Reality

Interactive volume visualization using a mixed reality (MR) system helps provide users with an intuitive spatial perception of volumetric data. Due to sophisticated requirements of user interaction and vision when using MR head-mounted display (HMD) devices, the conflict between the realisticness and efficiency of direct volume rendering (DVR) is yet to be resolved. In this paper, a new MR visualization framework that supports interactive realistic DVR is proposed. An efficient illumination estimation method is used to identify the high dynamic range (HDR) environment illumination captured using a panorama camera. To improve the visual quality of Monte Carlo-based DVR, a new spatio-temporal denoising algorithm is designed. Based on a reprojection strategy, it makes full use of temporal coherence between adjacent frames and spatial coherence between the two screens of an HMD to optimize MR rendering quality. Several MR development modules are also developed for related devices to efficiently and stably display the DVR results in an MR HMD. Experimental results demonstrate that our framework can better support immersive and intuitive user perception during MR viewing than existing MR solutions.

cs.GR↗

arXiv2020

Swimming strategy of settling elongated microswimmers by reinforcement learning

Particular types of plankton in aquatic ecosystems can coordinate their motion depending on the local flow environment to reach regions conducive to their growth or reproduction. Investigating their swimming strategies with regard to the local environment is important to obtain in-depth understanding of their behavior in the aquatic environment. In the present research, to examine an impact of the shape and gravity on a swimming strategy, plankton is considered as settling swimming particles of ellipsoidal shape. The Q-learning approach is adopted to obtain swimming strategies for smart particles with a goal of efficiently moving upwards in a two-dimensional steady flow. Strategies obtained from reinforcement learning are compared to those of naive gyrotactic particles that is modeled considering the behavior of realistic plankton. It is found that elongation of particles improves the performance of upward swimming by facilitating particles' resistance to the perturbation of vortex. In the case when the settling velocity is included, the strategy obtained by reinforcement learning has similar performance to that of the naive gyrotactic one, and they both align swimmers in upward direction. The similarity between the strategy obtained from machine learning and the biological gyrotactic strategy indicates the relationship between the aspherical shape and settling effect of realistic plankton and their gyrotactic feature.

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