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We investigate a number of complex patterns driven by the electroconvection instability in a planarly aligned layer of a nematic liquid crystal. They are traced back to various secondary instabilities of the ideal roll patterns bifurcating at onset of convection, whereby the basic nematohydrodynamic equations are solved by common Galerkin expansion methods. Alternatively these equations are systematically approximated by a set of coupled amplitude equations. They describe slow modulations of the convection roll amplitudes, which are coupled to a flow field component with finite vorticity perpendicular to the layer and to a quasihomogeneous in-plane rotation of the director. It is demonstrated that the Galerkin stability diagram of the convection rolls is well reproduced by the corresponding one based on the amplitude equations. The main purpose of the paper is, however, to demonstrate that their direct numerical simulations match surprisingly well new experiments, which serves as a convincing test of our theoretical approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Simulation of fuel assembly bow by coupled CFD and finite element method. [•] Comparison of calculated and experimentally measured bow shapes. [•] Investigation of boundary condition effect on bow pattern of a fuel assembly row. [•] Highlighting importance of consideration of fluid–structure interaction. [•] Assessment of flow redistribution within the fuel assembly row model. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were performed with square arrayed rod bundles featuring pitch to diameter (P/D) ratio of 1.194 and 1.326 in order to find an optimal mesh and turbulence model for simulations with more complex geometries in the future. With the tighter lattice a mesh sensitivity and turbulence model study were accomplished and the post processed turbulence quantities, velocity field and wall shear stress were compared with experimental data ( Developed single phase turbulent flow through a square-pitch rod cluster. Nuclear Engineering and Design 60, 365–379.). The comparisons show that Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes method with the Reynolds stress model of Gibson and Launder in conjunction with an appropriate mesh can provide reasonable agreement with the experiment for this lattice. For pure bundle simulations the body fitted structured meshes are suggested, since slightly better agreement can be captured considering all quantities with the same number of cells. Based on the drawn conclusions the procession was repeated for P/D =1.326, where, due to lack of experiment, just the correct tendencies of the turbulence quantities and velocity field were established. The results show Reynolds number independency correctly and the increase of P/D issues in more similar flow to axisymmetric pipe flow. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]