arXiv subjects

Zuoli Xiao

Publications and source records attributed to Zuoli Xiao.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Boundary layer transition induced by surface roughness distributed over a low-pressure turbine blade

Direct numerical simulations of a low-pressure turbine with roughness elements distributed over the blade surface have been performed. A series of fifteen cases with varying roughness heights and streamwise wavenumbers are introduced to present a systematic study of the effect of roughness on the various transition phenomena in the suction-side boundary layer. For cases with large roughness heights, the boundary layer is violently disturbed by the wake of rough elements in the leading edge (LE) region, and maintains the turbulent state over the whole blade suction-side. For cases with small roughness heights, however, the disturbances induced by the LE roughness are suppressed by the favourable pressure gradient in the downstream boundary layer, and the relaminarized flow does not undergo transition until the separation near the blade trailing edge (TE). Furthermore, the streamwise wavenumber of the distributed roughness plays an important role in cases with intermediate roughness height. Specifically, cases with larger streamwise slope show earlier transition induced by strong shear layer instability, which manages to suppress the mean flow separation near the TE region. Overall, the combined effect of several factors, including the geometric effect at the blade LE and TE, the complex pressure gradient distribution across the turbine vane, and the various roughness configurations, is responsible for the intriguing boundary layer behaviours in the present study.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2025

Overshoot-resolved transition modeling based on field inversion and symbolic regression

Overshoot of high-speed transitional skin-friction and heat-transfer values over their fully turbulent levels is well documented by numerous direct numerical simulations (DNS) and experimental studies. However, this high-speed-specific overshoot phenomenon remains a longstanding challenge in Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) transition models. In this paper, field inversion and symbolic regression (FISR) methodologies are adopted to explore a generalizable and interpretable augmentation for resolving the missing overshoot characteristic. Specifically, field inversion is implemented on our previous high-speed-improved $k$-$ω$-$γ$-$\widetilde{Re}_{θ\rm{t}}$ transition-turbulence model. Then symbolic regression is employed to derive an analytical map from RANS mean flow variables to the pre-defined and inferred corrective field $β(\mathbf{x})$. Results manifest that the excavated expression faithfully reproduces the overshoot phenomena of transition region over various test cases while does not corrupt model behavior in transition location and length. Based on its transparent functional form, mechanistic investigations are conducted to illustrate the underlying logic for accurate capture of overshoot phenomenon. In addition, importance of protect function in $β(\mathbf{x})$, feasibility of a more concise expression for $β(\mathbf{x})$, and reliable performance of $β(\mathbf{x})$ in low-speed transitional flows are emphasized.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2022

Simulation of two-phase flows at large density ratios and high Reynolds numbers using a discrete unified gas kinetic scheme

In order to treat immiscible two-phase flows at large density ratios and high Reynolds numbers, a three-dimensional code based on the discrete unified gas kinetic scheme (DUGKS) is developed, incorporating two major improvements. First, the particle distribution functions at cell interfaces are reconstructed using a weighted essentially non-oscillatory scheme. Second, the conservative lower-order Allen-Cahn equation is chosen, instead of the higher-order Cahn-Hilliard equation, to evolve the free-energy based phase field governing the dynamics of two-phase interfaces. Five benchmark problems are simulated to demonstrate the capability of the approach in treating two phase flows at large density ratios and high Reynolds numbers, including three two dimensional problems (a stationary droplet, Rayleigh-Taylor instability, and a droplet splashing on a thin liquid film) and two three-dimensional problems (binary droplets collision and Rayleigh-Taylor instability). All results agree well with the previous numerical and the experimental results. In these simulations, the density ratio and Reynolds number can reach a large value of O(1000). Our improved approach sets the stage for the DUGKS scheme to handle realistic two-phase flow problems.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2022

Study of a droplet breakup process in decaying homogeneous isotropic turbulence based on the phase-field DUGKS approach

The breakup of a spherical droplet in a decaying homogeneous isotropic turbulence is studied by solving the Cahn-Hilliard-Navier-Stokes equations, using the discrete unified gas kinetic scheme combined with the free-energy-based phase-field model. We focus on the combined effects of turbulence and surface tension on the breakup process by assuming that the two fluid phases have the same density and same viscosity. The key physical parameters of the system include the volume fraction (6.54%), the initial Weber number (21.7), and the initial Taylor microscale Reynolds number (58). Three distinct stages of droplet evolution are identified, namely, the deformation stage when the initially spherical droplet evolves into an irregular geometric shape with complex structures, the breakup stage when many daughter droplets are formed, and the restoration stage when the droplets relax towards spherical shape. These three stages are analyzed systematically from several perspectives: (1) a geometric perspective concerning the maximum equivalent diameter, the total number of droplets, total interface area, and probability distribution of droplet diameters, (2) a dynamic perspective concerning the evolution of local velocity and vorticity at the fluid-fluid interface, (3) a global perspective concerning the evolution of average kinetic energy / dissipation rate and their Fourier spectra, (4) spherical harmonics based energetics concerning simultaneous transfer of kinetic energy across different length scales and different radii relative to initial droplet center, and (5) the time evolution of global kinetic energy and free energy of the system.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2006

Is the Kelvin Theorem Valid for High-Reynolds-Number Turbulence?

The Kelvin-Helmholtz theorem on conservation of circulations is supposed to hold for ideal inviscid fluids and is believed to be play a crucial role in turbulent phenomena, such as production of dissipation by vortex line-stretching. However, this expectation does not take into account singularities in turbulent velocity fields at infinite Reynolds number. We present evidence from numerical simulations for the breakdown of the classical Kelvin theorem in the three-dimensional turbulent energy cascade. Although violated in individual realizations, we find that circulations are still conserved in some average sense. For comparison, we show that Kelvin's theorem holds for individual realizations in the two-dimensional enstrophy cascade, in agreement with theory. The turbulent ``cascade of circulations'' is shown to be a classical analogue of phase-slip due to quantized vortices in superfluids and various applications in geophysics and astrophysics are outlined.

physics.flu-dyn↗