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style="text-align: justify;">The work submits new release of the FlowVision software designed for automation of engineering calculations in computational fluid dynamics: FlowVision 3.09.05. The FlowVision software is used for solving different industrial problems. Its popularity is based on the capability to solve complex non-tradition problems involving different physical processes. The paradigm of complete automation of labor-intensive and time-taking processes like grid generation makes FlowVision attractive for many engineers. FlowVision is completely developer-independent software. It includes an advanced graphical interface, the system for specifying a computational project as well as the system for flow visualization on planes, on curvilinear surfaces and in volume by means of different methods: plots, color contours, iso-lines, iso-surfaces, vector fields. Besides that, FlowVision provides tools for calculation of integral characteristics on surfaces and in volumetric regions.

style="text-align: justify;">The software is based on the finite-volume approach to approximation of the partial differential equations describing fluid motion and accompanying physical processes. It provides explicit and implicit methods for time integration of these equations. The software includes automated generator of unstructured grid with capability of its local dynamic adaptation. The solver involves two-level parallelism which allows calculations on computers with distributed and shared memory (coexisting in the same hardware). FlowVision incorporates a wide spectrum of physical models: different turbulence models, models for mass transfer accounting for chemical reactions and radioactive decay, several combustion models, a dispersed phase model, an electro-hydrodynamic model, an original VOF model for tracking moving interfaces. It should be noted that turbulence can be simulated within URANS, LES, and ILES approaches. FlowVision simulates fluid motion with velocities corresponding to all possible flow regimes: from incompressible to hypersonic. This is achieved by using an original all-speed velocity-pressure split algorithm for integration of the Navier-Stokes equations.

style="text-align: justify;">FlowVision enables solving multi-physic problems with use of different modeling tools. For instance, one can simulate multi-phase flows with use of the VOF method, flows past bodies moving across a stationary grid (within Euler approach), flows in rotary machines with use of the technology of sliding grid. Besides that, the software solves fluid-structure interaction problems using the technology of two-way coupling of FlowVision with finite-element codes. Two examples of solving challenging problems in the FlowVision software are demonstrated in the given article. The first one is splashdown of a spacecraft after deceleration by means of jet engines. This problem is characterized by presence of moving bodies and contact surface between the air and the water in the computational domain. The supersonic jets interact with the air-water interphase. The second problem is simulation of the work of a human heart with artificial and natural valves designed on the basis of tomographic investigations with use of a finite-element model of the heart. This problem is characterized by two-way coupling between the “liquid” computational domain and the finite-element model of the hart muscles.

style="text-align: justify;">Reduction of the fire hazard of polymeric materials is one of the important scientific and technical problems. Since complexity of experimental procedures associated with flame spread, establishing reacting flows theoretical basics turned out to be crucial field of modern fundamental science. In order to determine parameters of flame spread over solid combustible materials numerical modelling methods have to be improved. Large amount of physical and chemical processes taking place needed to be resolved not just separately one by one but in connection with each other in gas and solid phases.

style="text-align: justify;">Upward flame spread over vertical solid combustible material is followed by unsteady eddy structures of gas flow in the vicinity of flame zone caused by thermal instability and natural convection forces accelerating hot combustion products. At every moment different amount of heat energy is transferred from hot gas-phase flame to solid material because of eddy flow structures. Therefore, satisfactory heat flux and eddy flow modelling are important to estimate flame spread rate.

style="text-align: justify;">In the current study we evaluated parameters of numerical method for flame spread over solid combustible material problem taking into account coupled nature of complex interaction between gas phase, solid material and eddy flow resulted from natural convection. We studied aspects of different approximation schemes used in differential equations integration process over space and time, of fields relaxation during iterations procedure carried out inside time step, of different time step values.

style="text-align: justify;">Mathematical model formulated allows to simulate flame spread over solid combustible material. Fluid dynamics is modeled by Navier – Stokes system of equations, eddy flow is described by combined turbulent model RANS–LES (DDES), turbulent combustion is resolved by modified turbulent combustion model Eddy Break-Up taking into account kinetic effects, radiation transfer is modeled by spherical harmonics method of first order approximation (P1). The equations presented are solved in OpenFOAM software.

style="text-align: justify;">The paper presents the results of numerical simulation of different-temperature water flows turbulent mixing in a T-junctions in the FlowVision software package. The article describes in detail an experimental stand specially designed to obtain boundary conditions that are simple for most computational fluid dynamics software systems. Values of timeaveraged temperatures and velocities in the control sensors and planes were obtained according to the test results. The article presents the system of partial differential equations used in the calculation describing the process of heat and mass transfer in a liquid using the Smagorinsky turbulence model. Boundary conditions are specified that allow setting the random velocity pulsations at the entrance to the computational domain. Distributions of time-averaged water velocity and temperature in control sections and sensors are obtained. The simulation is performed on various computational grids, for which the axes of the global coordinate system coincide with the directions of hot and cold water flows. The possibility for FlowVision PC to construct a computational grid in the simulation process based on changes in flow parameters is shown. The influence of such an algorithm for constructing a computational grid on the results of calculations is estimated. The results of calculations on a diagonal grid using a beveled scheme are given (the direction of the coordinate lines does not coincide with the direction of the tee pipes). The high efficiency of the beveled scheme is shown when modeling flows whose general direction does not coincide with the faces of the calculated cells. A comparison of simulation results on various computational grids is carried out. The numerical results obtained in the FlowVision PC are compared with experimental data and calculations performed using other computing programs. The results of modeling turbulent mixing of water flow of different temperatures in the FlowVision PC are closer to experimental data in comparison with calculations in CFX ANSYS. It is shown that the application of the LES turbulence model on relatively small computational grids in the FlowVision PC allows obtaining results with an error within 5%.

style="text-align: justify;">Numerical modeling of turbulent flows requires finding the balance between accuracy and computational efficiency. For example, DNS and LES models allow to obtain more accurate results, comparing to RANS models, but are more computationally expensive. Because of this, modern applied simulations are mostly performed with RANS models. But even RANS models can be computationally expensive for complex geometries or series simulations due to the necessity of resolving the boundary layer. Some methods, such as wall functions and near-wall domain decomposition, allow to significantly improve the speed of RANS simulations. However, they inevitably lose precision due to using a simplified model in the near-wall domain. To obtain a model that is both accurate and computationally efficient, it is possible to construct a surrogate model based on previously made simulations using the precise model.

style="text-align: justify;">In this paper, an operator is constructed that allows reconstruction of the flow field obtained by an accurate model based on the flow field obtained by the simplified model. Spalart–Allmaras model with approximate nearwall domain decomposition and Spalart–Allmaras model resolving the near-wall region are taken as the simplified and the base models respectively. The operator is constructed using a local approach, i. e. to reconstruct a point in the flow field, only features (flow variables and their derivatives) at this point in the field are used. The operator is constructed using the Random Forest algorithm. The efficiency and accuracy of the obtained surrogate model are demonstrated on the supersonic flow over a compression corner with different values for angle $\alpha$ and Reynolds number. The investigation has been conducted into interpolation and extrapolation both by $Re$ and $\alpha$.

style="text-align: justify;">Numerical investigation of mixing non-isothermal streams of sodium coolant in a T-branch is carried out in the FlowVision CFD software. This study is aimed at argumentation of applicability of different approaches to prediction of oscillating behavior of the flow in the mixing zone and simulation of temperature pulsations. The following approaches are considered: URANS (Unsteady Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokers), LES (Large Eddy Simulation) and quasi-DNS (Direct Numerical Simulation). One of the main tasks of the work is detection of the advantages and drawbacks of the aforementioned approaches.

style="text-align: justify;">Numerical investigation of temperature pulsations, arising in the liquid and T-branch walls from the mixing of non-isothermal streams of sodium coolant was carried out within a mathematical model assuming that the flow is turbulent, the fluid density does not depend on pressure, and that heat exchange proceeds between the coolant and T-branch walls. Model LMS designed for modeling turbulent heat transfer was used in the calculations within URANS approach. The model allows calculation of the Prandtl number distribution over the computational domain.

style="text-align: justify;">Preliminary study was dedicated to estimation of the influence of computational grid on the development of oscillating flow and character of temperature pulsation within the aforementioned approaches. The study resulted in formulation of criteria for grid generation for each approach.

style="text-align: justify;">Then, calculations of three flow regimes have been carried out. The regimes differ by the ratios of the sodium mass flow rates and temperatures at the T-branch inlets. Each regime was calculated with use of the URANS, LES and quasi-DNS approaches.

style="text-align: justify;">At the final stage of the work analytical comparison of numerical and experimental data was performed. Advantages and drawbacks of each approach to simulation of mixing non-isothermal streams of sodium coolant in the T-branch are revealed and formulated.

style="text-align: justify;">It is shown that the URANS approach predicts the mean temperature distribution with a reasonable accuracy. It requires essentially less computational and time resources compared to the LES and DNS approaches. The drawback of this approach is that it does not reproduce pulsations of velocity, pressure and temperature.

style="text-align: justify;">The LES and DNS approaches also predict the mean temperature with a reasonable accuracy. They provide oscillating solutions. The obtained amplitudes of the temperature pulsations exceed the experimental ones. The spectral power densities in the check points inside the sodium flow agree well with the experimental data. However, the expenses of the computational and time resources essentially exceed those for the URANS approach in the performed numerical experiments: 350 times for LES and 1500 times for ·DNS.