Analysis of Stable and Unstable Manifolds in
Fluid Flows Using Lagrangian Coherent
Department of Mechanical Engineering
NUST College of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering
National University of Sciences & Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 44000
Abstract- In dynamical systems, regions containing similar
dynamics can be identified and their boundaries visualized using
Lagrangian Coherent Structures (LCS). In fluid flows, LCS can
be approximated as virtual boundaries dictating the structure of
flow. Current study makes use of LCS to simulate two cases for
fluid flows; flow features around the turbine blade and
ventilation system. Detection of LCS will present
technique of providing an insight into coherent structures on the
suction surface and vortex formation downstream of the blade.
The performance of the low pressure turbine is significantly
affected by the laminar separation bubble that forms on the
suction surface and it is hence very important to capture the
details of the associated flow features. This information can in
turn help in the examination of procedures developed for their
control. A TI06 LP turbine blade is selected for the purpose of
present study. A numerical simulation is performed
Transition SST model. The results of the computational study are
validated using experimental and other computational studies.
Information from the CFD study is then used to generate LCS.
Different flow features are indentified and their evolution with
time is observed. LCS help describe the process of vortex
formation and are related to the flow topology. LCS associated
with the separation bubble are discussed. A second case of
ventilation inside a two dimensional domain is considered. LCS
are used to depict the effect of ventilation systems with changing
inlet air velocity angles. Study of ventilation using LCS show the
patterns of fluid flow inside the domain and can be useful in
design of HVAC systems by identifying real time location of
virtual walls inside the domain.
Index Terms-Lagrangian Coherent Structures,
Turbine, HVAC
I. INTRODUCTION
HIS of most important aspects in the study of
Tdynamical systems is the ability to interpret results
obtained during experimental or computational studies [1].
Dynamical systems are systems that change their state with
time [2]. These systems follow certain rules defined by
algebraic equations, partial differential equations or ordinary
'Graduate Student
2 AffiliateResearch Member, Interdisciplinary Center for Applied
Mathematics, Virginia Tech, MC 0531, Blacksburg VA 24061, USA.
3Graduate Student
978-1-4799-6369-0/15/$31.00 ©2015 IEEE
Proceedings of 2015 12th International Bhurban Conference on Applied Sciences & Technology (IBCAST)
Islamabad, Pakistan, 13th -17th January, 2015
Structures
differential equations [3]. A frequent example of dynamical
systems is fluid flow, Today's scientific and engineering
community has been bestowed with an important assignment
to study the behavior of fluid flows. Such studies have found
an important spot in several industries like aerospace, medical,
a automotive, and energy etc. With time several computational
a useful techniques have been developed to simulate more and more
complex phenomena in processes, such as combustion,
multiphase flows etc. The requirement of interpreting complex
results has resulted in creation of several visualization
techniques [ 4]. These visualization techniques help in
elucidating the physics of flows and helps in extracting more
meaning out of the results. Most of the tools used for analysis
of results in fluid flow problem are either based on Eulerian or
using Lagrangian perspective of flow [5]. Conventional techniques
which include vectors and streamlines are based on Eulerian
point of view. In Eulerian perspective properties of fluids are
written as functions of space and time and are calculated at
one particular instant of time on a specific spatial location. In
Lagrangian perspective, specific particles of fluid are followed
in time and their properties calculated. One of the difficulties
faced in interpretation of results of fluid flow simulations is
making sense of turbulence and chaos in complex fluid flows.
However in spite of their complexity turbulent flows are not
completely devoid of any structure. There are certain regions
inside the flow that maintain some kind of structure. These
TI06 LP bounded regions with similar topological properties are
referred to as coherent structures. A vortex can be taken as
example of one such coherent structure. In most cases the
coherent structures are responsible for controlling the
dynamics of flow. The non coherent parts just advect over the
domain without having a considerable impact over it [6]. This
property of flow can be put into use by focusing more on the
coherent structures inside the flow and not spending much
resource over non coherent regions.
In dynamical systems, a manifold attached to fixed points
across which the mass flux is zero can be referred to as a
separatrix. The concept of a zero mass flux lines can be used
in fluid flows to identify structure and dynamics of the system.
There are conventional analytical techniques that are used to
identify separatrices attached to stationary fixed points [1]. In
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