Affiliations: Department of Systems Engineering and Naval
Architecture, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan. E-mail:
[email protected]
Abstract: In this study, a non-staggered grid SIMPLER pressure solution
algorithm, which is able to produce correct pressure distribution directly if
correct velocities are given, is proposed to solve the pressure distribution
for PIV experiments. The cell face pseudo velocity required in the pressure
equation is approximated by a simple linear average of the adjacent nodal
pseudo velocities so that the velocity and pressure are collocated without
causing the checkerboard pressure distribution problem. In addition, the
proposed pressure solution algorithm has the features that upwind effects of
the convective terms are considered, boundary conditions are not required, and
the pressure distribution obtained can be used to correct the velocity field so
that the continuity equation is satisfied. These features make the present
algorithm a superior method to calculate the pressure distribution for PIV
experiments. The pressure field solved is realistic and accurate. The proposed
pressure equation solver is first calibrated with a two-dimensional cavity
flow. It is found that the results are almost identical to the exact solution
of the test flow. The algorithm is then applied to analyze a uniform flow past
two side-by-side circular cylinders in a soap film channel. With the velocity
and pressure distributions successfully measured, the structures of the complex
shedding flow patterns are clearly manifested.