ISSN:
0271-2091
Keywords:
Cavity Flows
;
Finite-differences
;
Numerical Accuracy
;
Velocity Measurements
;
Engineering
;
Engineering General
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
Notes:
A numerical and an experimental study of the flow of an incompressible fluid in a polar cavity is presented. The experiments included flow visualization, in two perpendicular planes, and quantitative measurements of the velocity field by a laser Doppler anemometer. Measurements were done for two ranges of Reynolds numbers; about 60 and about 350. The stream function-vorticity form of the governing equations was approximated by upwind or central finite-differences. Both types of finite-difference approximations were solved by a multi-grid method. Numerical solutions were computed on a sequence of grids and the relative accuracy of the solutions was studied. Our most accurate numerical solutions had an estimated error of 0.1 per cent and 1 per cent for Re = 60 and Re = 350, respectively. It was also noted that the solution to the second order finite difference equations was more accurate, compared to the solution to the first order equations, only if fine enough meshes were used. The possibility of using extrapolations to improve accuracy was also considered. Extrapolated solutions were found to be valid only if solutions computed on fine enough meshes were used. The numerical and the experimental results were found to be in very good agreement.
Additional Material:
22 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/fld.1650050403
