In this paper we present a numerical approach to solve the Navier-Stokes equations for arbitrary vessel geometries by combining a Fourier-Spectral method with a direct forcing Immersed Boundary method which allows to consider solid-fluid interactions. The approach is applied to a paradigmatic setup motivated by the precession dynamo experiment currently under construction at Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR). The experiment consists of a fluid filled cylinder rotating about 2 axes which induces a precession driven flow inside the cavity. The cylinder is also equipped with baffles at the end caps with adjustable penetration depth to impact the flow. The numerical details as well as simulation results for the spin-up and precession driven flow in a circular cylinder with additional baffles are presented. The results provide a first confirmation that the use of such baffles in the precession dynamo experiment is a useful way of influencing the flow, allowing more efficient driving without changing the known flow structure too much.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.