Fluid flow feature identification methods and tools

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016377462-A1
Application number	US-201615172820-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 3, 2016
Priority date	Jun 29, 2015
Publication date	Dec 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A flow feature detection method is described. The method includes storing a plurality of points at locations over a region in which vortex detection is to be performed. A value for each of a plurality of fluid flow parameters, such as velocity, pressure and density, is determined at each point. The points are grouped as being contained in either a flow feature portion or normal flow portion of the region according to one or more statistical distribution for the fluid flow parameters. A point is identified as being indicative of the flow feature by identifying multiple further points at least partially surrounding the point, and determining a plane in which the flow feature is identifiable based upon the relative values of the one or more fluid flow parameter for the further points. The method may be used to detect vortices and to identify a two-dimensional plane representative of a vortex.

First claim

1 . A flow feature detection method comprising:
identifying a plurality of points at locations over a three-dimensional flow region in which flow feature detection is to be performed; storing for each point a value for one or more fluid flow parameter; grouping the points as being contained in a flow feature portion or a remaining portion of the flow region according to the values of said one or more fluid flow parameter; identifying a point within the flow feature portion and a plurality of further points at least partially surrounding said point; and determining and outputting a plane in which a flow feature is identifiable based upon the relative values of the one or more fluid flow parameter for the plurality of further points.

2 . A flow feature detection method according to claim 1 , wherein a flow parameter within said plane is determined and stored as a characteristic of the flow feature.

3 . A flow feature detection method according to claim 1 , wherein the plane is determined as the plane through the flow feature portion for which the first and further points display the greatest variation in values of the one or more flow parameter.

4 . A flow feature detection method according to claim 1 , wherein the value of the flow parameter for the first point is subtracted from the value of the flow parameter for each further point.

5 . A flow feature detection method according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more flow parameter comprises a flow velocity vector, or a component thereof in an axial direction of a Cartesian coordinate system for the flow region.

6 . A flow feature detection method according to claim 1 , wherein the determining of the plane in which a flow feature is identifiable is repeated for each point within the flow feature region.

7 . A flow feature detection method according to claim 1 , wherein the flow feature is a flow feature inducing a loss of energy from the flow, such as, for example, a vortex.

8 . A flow feature detection method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of further points comprises an array of points that closely surround or neighbour the first point.

9 . A flow feature detection method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of further points comprises a two or three-dimensional array of points centred about the first point.

10 . A flow feature detection method according to claim 1 , wherein a three-dimensional array is used to identify the plane and/or a two-dimensional array of further points is used to identify a location or characteristic of the flow feature within the plane.

11 . A flow feature detection method according to claim 1 , wherein a statistical analysis of the flow parameters according for the further points is performed to identify the plane.

12 . A flow feature detection method according to claim 1 , wherein a statistical analysis for the plurality of points over the flow region according to a probability distribution of the flow parameters is used to group the points as being contained in the flow feature portion or the remaining portion of the flow region.

13 . A flow feature detection method according to claim 1 , wherein the angular orientation of the plane relative to one or more axis of a Cartesian coordinate system for the flow region is determined according to a fluid flow vector.

14 . A flow feature detection method according to claim 1 , wherein the relative direction of motion of said further points is used to determine the plane and/or a location of a flow feature within the plane.

15 . A flow feature detection method according to claim 1 , wherein a change in velocity angle between each further point and an adjacent further point is determined and an aggregate the changes in angle for all of the further points about the first point is used to determine whether the first point lies within a flow feature.

16 . A flow feature detection method according to claim 15 wherein the changes in velocity angle are calculated for further points lying within the determined plane.

17 . A method of designing or modifying the geometry of a component washed by fluid within a region of fluid flow, comprising performing a flow feature detection method according to claim 1 and modifying the geometry of a fluid washed component so as to alter the flow feature.

18 . A data carrier comprising machine readable instructions for the control of one or more processor to:
access one or more data file containing fluid flow parameter data for a plurality of points at locations over a three-dimensional flow region in which flow feature detection is to be performed; group the points as being contained in a flow feature portion or a remaining portion of the flow region according to the values of said one or more fluid flow parameter; identify a point within the flow feature portion and a plurality of further points at least partially surrounding said point; and determine and output a plane in which a flow feature is identifiable based upon the relative values of the one or more fluid flow parameter for the plurality of further points.

19 . A vortex detection tool comprising:
a data store on which is stored location data for a plurality of points over a three-dimensional fluid flow region in which vortex detection is to be performed and a plurality of fluid flow parameter values at each of said points; one or more processor arranged to group the points as being contained in a vortical flow portion or non-vortical flow portion of the flow region according to the values of said fluid flow parameters, and to identify a first point in a vortex core and a plurality of further points at least partially surrounding said point, wherein the one or more processor determines a plane in which a flow feature is identifiable based upon the relative values of at least one of the one or more fluid flow parameter for the plurality of further points.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Plc

Inventors

• Ke Yiping
• Wong Jian Cheng
• Goh Chi-Keong
• Lee Kee Khoon

Classifications

• G01F1/3209 Primary

  using Karman vortices · CPC title

• G06F30/20 Primary

  Design optimisation, verification or simulation (optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30) · CPC title