Flow in a double-film-fed fluid bead between contra-rotating rolls, Part 2: bead break and flooding

Two-dimensional flow is considered in a fluid bead located in the gap between a pair of contra-rotating cylinders and bounded by two curved menisci. The stability of such bead flows with two inlet films, and hence no contact line, are analysed as the roll speed ratio S is increased. One of the inlet films can be regarded as an ‘input flux’ whilst the other is a ‘returning film’ whose thickness is specified as a fraction [zeta] of the outlet film on that roll. The flow is modelled via lubrication theory and for Ca [double less-than sign] 1, where Ca represents the capillary number, boundary conditions are formally developed that account for S [not equal] 1 and the non-constant gap. It is shown that there is a qualitative difference in the results between the single and double inlet film models unless small correction terms to the pressure drops at the interfaces are taken into account. Futhermore, it is shown that the inclusion of these small terms produces an O(1) effect on the prediction of the critical value of S at which bead break occurs. When the limits of the returning film fraction are examined it is found that as [zeta] [rightward arrow] 0 results are in good agreement with those for the single inlet film. Further it is shown for a fixed input flux that as [zeta] [rightward arrow] 1 a transition from bead break to upstream flooding of the nip can occur and multiple two-dimensionally stable solutions exist. For a varying input flux and fixed and ‘sufficiently large’ values of [zeta] there is a critical input flux &[lambda]macr;([zeta]) such that as S is increased from zero: (i) bead break occurs for [lambda] < &[lambda]macr;; (ii) upstream flooding occurs for [lambda] > &[lambda]macr;; (iii) when [lambda] = &[lambda]macr; the flow becomes neutrally stable at a specific value of S beyond which there exist two steady solutions (two-dimensionally stable) leading to bead break and upstream flooding, respectively

Flow in a double-film-fed fluid bead between contra-rotating rolls, Part 1: equilibrium flow structure

In multiple-roll coaters thin liquid films are transferred from roll to roll by means of liquid ‘beads’ which occupy the small gaps between adjacent rolls. Double-Film-Fed (DFF) beads are those which feature two ingoing films instead of the usual one, and arise in the intermediate stages of certain types of roll coater. One of the ingoing films, h1, is supplied from the previous inter-roll gap while the other, h2, ‘returns’ from the subsequent gap. Such a flow is investigated here under the conditions of low flow rate, small capillary number and negligible gravity and inertia, using lubrication theory and finite element analysis. The thickness of film h1 is fixed independently, while that of h2 is specified as a fraction, [zeta], of the film output on the same roll. This simple approach allows a degree of feedback between the output and input of the bead, and enables one to simulate different conditions in the subsequent gap. Predictions of outgoing film thicknesses made using the two models agree extremely well and show that, for each value of [zeta] < 1, one outgoing film thickness decreases monotonically with speed ratio, S, while the other features a maximum. Good agreement is also seen in the pressure profiles, which are entirely sub-ambient in keeping with the small capillary number conditions. The finite element solutions reveal that in the ‘zero-flux’ case (when [zeta] = 1) the flow structures are very similar to those seen in an idealized cavity problem. In the more general ([zeta] < 1) situation, as in single-film-fed meniscus roll coating, several liquid transfer-jets occur by which liquid is conveyed through the bead from one roll to the other. The lubrication model is used to calculate several critical flow rates at which the flow is transformed, and it is shown that when the total dimensionless flow rate through the bead exceeds 1/3, the downstream flow structure is independent of the relative sizes of the ingoing films

Nested separatrices in simple shear flows: the effect of localized disturbances on stagnation lines

The effects of localized two-dimensional disturbances on the structure of shear flows featuring a stagnation line are investigated. A simple superposition of a planar Couette flow and Moffatt's [J. Fluid Mech. 18, 1--18 (1964)] streamfunction for the decay of a disturbance between infinite stationary parallel plates shows that in general the stagnation line is replaced by a chain of alternating elliptic and hyperbolic stagnation points with a separation equal to 2.78 times the half-gap between the plates. The flow structure associated with each saddle point consists of a homoclinic separatrix and two other separatrices which locally diverge but become parallel far from the disturbance. This basic structure repeats to give a sequence of nested separatrices permitting the streamfunction to approach that of simple shear flow far from the disturbance. Using the finite element method, the specific disturbance caused by a stationary cylinder placed on the stagnation line is considered, and results confirm the existence of the stagnation point chain, with computed separations and velocity damping ratios in very good agreement with those obtained from the Couette-Moffatt superposition. Numerical solutions also illustrate that while Reynolds number greatly affects the stagnation point separation and velocity damping ratio, these two quantities are the same for any pair of adjacent stagnation points in a given chain. Insight gained from the analysis of planar shear flows is applied to the flow in a half-filled horizontal annulus between rotating coaxial cylinders, and is used to explain why only certain flow patterns from the range of mathematically possible structures arise in previous numerical solutions. By way of contrast, the concentric annulus solution is then perturbed to allow for a small eccentricity. The non-uniformity of the inter-cylinder gap is shown to destroy the chain of stagnation points, but also to unfold additional flow structures not realizable when the gap is uniform

Stirring and transport enhancement in a continuously modulated free-surface flow

The transport of fluid from a recirculation region adjacent to a free surface is studied using a numerical method validated with experimental flow visualization. The flow is an example of a liquid film coating process, and consists of two counter-rotating rolls placed side-by-side and half-submerged in a bath of fluid. In the gap between the rolls a recirculation zone exists just below the free surface, around which the flow splits into two films. Fluid recirculating for long periods has been identified as a source of coating defects, so this paper considers a possible method of inducing stirring. The flow is modulated by driving one of the rolls through a Hooke's joint, which delivers a well-characterized periodic perturbation to the roll speed. In response to this speed modulation, the free surface undergoes a periodic change in position and shape which drives an exchange of fluid between the recirculation region and the surrounding flow. The amplitude of the free-surface motion is strongly dependent on modulation frequency. The dynamics of the free surface preclude a quasi-steady approach, even in the small-frequency limit, and so a fully time-dependent analysis based on the finite element method is employed. Trigonometric temporal interpolation of the finite element data is used to make passive tracer advection calculations more efficient, and excellent agreement is seen between simulation and experiment. Computations of the stable and unstable invariant manifolds associated with periodic points on the free surface reveal that the exchange of fluid is governed by a self-intersecting turnstile mechanism, by which most fluid entrained during a modulation cycle is ejected later in the same cycle. Transport over several cycles is explored by observation of the evacuation of passive tracers initially distributed uniformly in the recirculation zone. Results demonstrate the persistence of unmixed cores whose size is dependent on the modulation frequency. By considering the percentage of tracers remaining after a fixed number of cycles, contours in frequency-amplitude space show that for each modulation amplitude there is a frequency which produces the most effective transport, with up to 80 % of tracers removed by a modulation which produces only a 5 % change in film thickness. Finally it is shown how modulation of both rolls at slightly different phases can reduce the film thickness variation to about 1 % while maintaining the level of transport

Gravity-driven flow of continuous thin liquid films on non-porous substrates with topography

A range of two- and three-dimensional problems is explored featuring the gravity-driven flow of a continuous thin liquid film over a non-porous inclined flat surface containing well-defined topography. These are analysed principally within the framework of the lubrication approximation, where accurate numerical solution of the governing nonlinear equations is achieved using an efficient multigrid solver. Results for flow over one-dimensional steep-sided topographies are shown to be in very good agreement with previously reported data. The accuracy of the lubrication approximation in the context of such topographies is assessed and quantified by comparison with finite element solutions of the full Navier–Stokes equations, and results support the consensus that lubrication theory provides an accurate description of these flows even when its inherent assumptions are not strictly satisfied. The Navier–Stokes solutions also illustrate the effect of inertia on the capillary ridge/trough and the two-dimensional flow structures caused by steep topography. Solutions obtained for flow over localized topography are shown to be in excellent agreement with the recent experimental results of Decré & Baret (2003) for the motion of thin water films over finite trenches. The spread of the ‘bow wave’, as measured by the positions of spanwise local extrema in free-surface height, is shown to be well-represented both upstream and downstream of the topography by an inverse hyperbolic cosine function. An explanation, in terms of local flow rate, is given for the presence of the ‘downstream surge’ following square trenches, and its evolution as trench aspect ratio is increased is discussed. Unlike the upstream capillary ridge, this feature cannot be completely suppressed by increasing the normal component of gravity. The linearity of free-surface response to topographies is explored by superposition of the free surfaces corresponding to two ‘equal-but-opposite’ topographies. Results confirm the findings of Decré & Baret (2003) that, under the conditions considered, the responses behave in a near-linear fashion

Aerodynamic shape optimization of a low drag fairing for small livestock trailers

Small livestock trailers are commonly used to transport animals from farms to market within the United Kingdom. Due to the bluff nature of these vehicles there is great potential for reducing drag with a simple add-on fairing. This paper explores the feasibility of combining high-fidelity aerodynamic analysis, accurate metamodeling, and efficient optimization techniques to find an optimum fairing geometry which reduces drag, without significantly impairing internal ventilation. Airflow simulations were carried out using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to assess the performance of each fairing based on three design variables. A Moving Least Squares (MLS) metamodel was built on a fifty-point Optimal Latin Hypercube (OLH) Design of Experiments (DoE), where each point represented a different geometry configuration. Traditional optimization techniques were employed on the metamodel until an optimum geometrical configuration was found. This optimum design was tested using CFD and it matched closely to the metamodel prediction. Further, the drag reduction was measured at 14.4% on the trailer and 6.6% for the combined truck and trailer

Ventilation of small livestock trailers

A large number of livestock is transported to market in small box trailers. The welfare of animals transported in this way is now assuming greater importance with the onset of tougher EU legislation. This paper presents the first study into the ventilation of small livestock trailers using experimental and computational methods. Wind tunnel studies, using a 1/7th scale model, highlight the important influence of the towing vehicle and trailer design on the airflow within the trailer. Detailed CFD analysis agrees well with the wind tunnel data and offers the ability to assess the impact of design changes

Drop Pinch-Off for Discrete Flows from a Capillary

The problem of drop formation and pinch-off from a capillary tube under the influence of gravity has been extensively studied when the internal capillary pressure gradient is constant. This ensures a continuous time independent flow field inside the capillary tube typically of the Poiseuille flow type. Characteristic drop ejection behaviour includes: periodic drop ejection, drop ejection with associated satellite production, complex dripping, chaotic behaviour and jetting. It is well known that this characteristic behaviour is governed by the Weber (We) and Ohnesorge (Oh) numbers (for a given Bond number) and may be delineated in a We verses Oh operability diagram. An in-depth physical understanding of drop ejection is also of great importance to industry where the tight control of drop size and ejection velocity are of critical importance in industrial processes such as sealants used in electronics assembly and inkjet printing. However, the use of such a continuous flow approach for drop ejection in industry is often impractical since such flows cannot be operator controlled. For this reason it is important to investigate so-called discrete pipe flows where the flow can be turned on and off at will. This means the flow inside the pipe is now time-dependent being controlled in a step-wise fashion. As a first stage in the investigation of drop pinch-off behaviour in discrete pipe flows this paper will study the critical pinch-off time required for drop ejection starting from a pendant drop. This is the discrete amount of time the pipe flow is turned on for in order for a drop to be ejected from the capillary. A Newtonian incompressible free-surface CFD flow code developed at the University of Leeds is used to investigate the critical pinch-off time for a range of internal pipe velocities (the central flow maximum in Poiseuille flow). It is found that the time required for drop ejection to occur decreases exponentially with internal pipe velocity. These characteristic times are also far smaller than typical static drop release times expected from Harkins and Brown analyses. The phenomenology of the process is due to the creation of a capillary wave at the pipe exit upon the sudden turning on of the flow inside the pipe. The capillary wave acts to transport fluid from the upper part of the forming pendant drop at the end of the capillary to the lower part of the drop both lowering the pendant drop centre-of-mass and thinning the neck region connecting the drop to the pipe. This allows the drop to be pinched off at an earlier than expected time as compared to static drop release times

Inward propagating chemical waves in Taylor vortices

Advection-reaction-diffusion (ARD) waves in the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction in steady Taylor-Couette vortices have been visualized using magnetic-resonance imaging and simulated using an adapted Oregonator model. We show how propagating wave behavior depends on the ratio of advective, chemical and diffusive time scales. In simulations, inward propagating spiral flamelets are observed at high Damköhler number (Da). At low Da, the reaction distributes itself over several vortices and then propagates inwards as contracting ring pulses—also observed experimentally

Heat Transfer Characteristics of Conventional Fluids and Nanofluids in Micro-Channels with Vortex Generators: A Review

An effective way to enhance the heat transfer in mini and micro electronic devices is to use different shapes of micro-channels containing vortex generators (VGs). This attracts researchers due to the reduced volume of the electronic micro-chips and increase in the heat generated from the devices. Another way to enhance the heat transfer is using nanofluids, which are considered to have great potential for heat transfer enhancement and are highly suited to application in practical heat transfer processes. Recently, several important studies have been carried out to understand and explain the causes of the enhancement or control of heat transfer using nanofluids. The main aim upon which the present work is based is to give a comprehensive review on the research progress on the heat transfer and fluid flow characteristics of nanofluids for both single- and two- phase models in different types of micro-channels. Both experimental and numerical studies have been reviewed for traditional and nanofluids in different types and shapes of micro-channels with vortex generators. It was found that the optimization of heat transfer enhancement should consider the pumping power reduction when evaluating the improvement of heat transfer