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Research Article

Inverse design of 3D curved ducts using a 3D-upgraded ball-spine algorithm

, ORCID Icon & ORCID Icon
Pages 1946-1980 | Received 26 Oct 2019, Accepted 18 Feb 2021, Published online: 01 Mar 2021
 

ABSTRACT

Achieving a unique solution for the 3D inverse design of a curved duct is a challenging problem in aerodynamic design. The centre-line curvature, and cross-sections’ area and shape of a 3D curved duct influence the wall pressure distribution. All the previous developments on the ball-spine method were limited to 2D and quasi-3D ducts, in which only the upper and lower lines of the symmetry plane were modified based on the target pressure distribution. In the present work, the ball-spine method was three-dimensionally developed for the design of curved ducts while considering the effects of cross-sectional shape and area. To validate the method, all the nodes of a 3D duct wall were iteratively corrected under the modified ball-spine method to reach the target geometry. The effects of the ball movement directions (spines) and the grid generation scheme in achieving the unique solution in inverse design were evaluated. The results showed that the new method converges to a unique solution only if the streamline-based grids are applied for the flow numerical solution, and the horizontal spines are considered as the directions for the displacement of the nodes. Finally, the wall pressure distribution of a high-deflected 3D S-shaped diffuser was three-dimensionally modified to reduce the separation, secondary flow, and flow distortion.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Nomenclature

a=

Linear acceleration (m s−2)

a=

Half the cross-section height (m)

A=

Area (m2)

b=

Half the cross-section width (m)

C=

Geometry correction coefficient (m2 s2 kg−1)

E=

Inviscid flux vectors in x-direction

et=

Total internal energy (J kg−1)

F=

Force vector (N), Inviscid flux vectors in y-direction

G=

Inviscid flux vectors in z-direction

H=

Total enthalpy (J kg−1)

L=

Duct length (m)

n=

Index of cross-sectional profile

Nx=

Number of nodes in axial direction

Nr=

Number of nodes in radial direction

Nθ=

Number of nodes in azimuthal direction

m˙=

Mass flow rate (kg s−1)

P=

Static pressure (Pa)

Q=

Conservative vector in physical domain

t=

Time (s)

TPD=

Target Pressure Distribution

U=

Velocity component in x-direction (m s−1)

V=

Velocity component in y-direction (m s−1)

V=

Flow velocity (m s−1)

W=

Velocity component in z-direction (m s−1)

W=

Width of duct (m)

X=

x coordinate

Y=

y coordinate

Z=

z coordinate

Δt=

Time step (s)

ΔP=

Target and computed pressure difference (Pa)

θ=

Angle between force vector and spine (rad)

φ=

Circumferential location (deg)

ρ=

Density (kg m−3)

Subscripts

Comp=

Computed conditions

Target=

Target conditions

(e)=

Exit or outlet node

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the Brain Pool Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT [grant number NRF-2019H1D3A2A01061428]. This work was also supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant, which is funded by the Korean government (MSIT) [grant number 2020R1A5A8018822].

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