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Numerical simulation of 2-D laminar flow subjected to the Lorentz force effect in a channel with backward-facing step

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Abstract

This paper presents the numerical solutions of a two-dimensional laminar flow over a backward-facing step in the presence of the Lorentz body force. The Navier-Stokes equations in a vorticity-stream function formulation are numerically solved using a uniform grid mesh of 2001 × 51 points. A second-order central difference approximation is used for spatial derivatives. The solutions progress in time with a fourth-order Runge-Kutta method. The unsteady backward-facing step flow solution is computed for Reynolds numbers 100 to 800. The size and genesis of the recirculating regions are dramatically affected by applying the Lorentz force. The results demonstrate that using an appropriate configuration for applying the Lorentz force can make it an essential tool for controlling the flow in channels with a backward-facing step.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ocean Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), No. 424, Hafez Ave., Tehran, Iran

    Iman Farahbakhsh, Amin Paknejad & Hassan Ghassemi

Authors
  1. Iman Farahbakhsh
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  2. Amin Paknejad
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  3. Hassan Ghassemi
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Correspondence to Iman Farahbakhsh.

Additional information

Recommended by Associate Editor Dongshin Shin

Iman Farahbakhsh graduated from Yazd University with a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering (thermo-fluids) in 2007. He graduated with an M.Sc. in Hydrodynamics and Propulsion in 2010. He is currently a Ph.D student at the Department of Ocean Engineering in Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic). He is interested in numerical linear algebra, immersed boundary solution of incompressible flows, and fluid-solid interaction problems.

Amin Paknejad graduated from the Islamic Azad University in 2007 with a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering. He also graduated from the Shiraz University in 2006 with a B.Sc. in Computer Engineering (Software-Virtual University). He then went to the Malek Ashtar University of Technology (MUT) and graduated with an M.Sc. in Hydrodynamics and Propulsion in 2010. He currently works as a research assistant in the Marine Research Complex of the MUT. He is interested in linear algebra, adaptive mesh refinement, immersed boundary solution of incompressible flows, and parallel processing.

Hassan Ghassemi is an associate professor at the Amirkabir University of Technology (AUT). His research interests include marine propulsor design, high-speed crafts, and hydrodynamic numerical methods such as boundary element methods (BEM) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD).

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Farahbakhsh, I., Paknejad, A. & Ghassemi, H. Numerical simulation of 2-D laminar flow subjected to the Lorentz force effect in a channel with backward-facing step. J Mech Sci Technol 26, 3111–3117 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-012-0822-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-012-0822-8

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