Flow Control Through the Use of Topography

Published

May 1, 2007

Author(s)

David Cotrell, Anthony J. Kearsley

Abstract

In this work, optimal shaft shapes for flow in the annular space between a rotating shaft with axially-periodic radius and a fixed coaxial outer circular cylinder are investigated. Axisymmetric steady flows in this geometry are determined by solving the full Navier-Stokes equations in the actual domain. A measure of the flow field, a weighted convex combination of the volume averaged square of the L2-norm of the velocity and vorticity vectors, is employed. It has been demonstrated that boundary shape can be used to influence the characteristics of the flow field, such as velocity component distribution, kinetic energy, or even vorticity. This ability to influence flow fields through boundary shape may be employed to improve microfludic mixing, or possibly to minimize shear in biological applications.

Citation

Journal of Research (NIST JRES) -

Volume

112

Issue

3

NIST Pub Series

Journal of Research (NIST JRES)

Pub Type

NIST Pubs

Download Paper

Local Download

Keywords

Control, Navier Stokes Equations, Optimization

Citation

Cotrell, D. and Kearsley, A. (2007), Flow Control Through the Use of Topography, Journal of Research (NIST JRES), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=50917 (Accessed October 14, 2025)