Centrifugal pumps are widely used in the oil and mining industries. In contrast to water pumps, the centrifugal pumps in the oil and mining industries are used for the transportation of drilling fluid, which is typically non-Newtonian fluid. Drilling fluids are usually modeled as power-law fluids with varying shear viscosity and imposed shear rates. In this paper, a numerical simulation of power-law fluid flow in a centrifugal pump was simulated, varying only in the flow-rate magnitude, using water flow as a comparison. The simulation results show that the pump used for drilling fluid presents a lower head and efficiency but a higher shaft power than that used for water. The flow patterns of both the water pump and the drilling fluid pump were investigated in terms of pressure fluctuation, turbulent kinetic energy, and radial force on the impeller. In contrast to the literature, this paper also analyzes the pressure pulsations in the individual blades of the impeller, as well as those in the volute path. In the case of drilling fluid, it was found that the viscous effect made the flow at the end of the blades highly irregular, and this could be attributed to the pressure generated by them. At the same time, the fluid flow at the small cross-section of the volute was more sensitive to the rotation of the impeller. In addition, the effects of the shear collision exerted on the outlet fluid of the impeller and the fluid in the volute, as well as the dynamic and static interferences, made the non-Newtonian power-law fluid consume more mechanical energy than the water. The results of this paper can be used as a reference for improving the design of centrifugal pumps using non-Newtonian fluids as media.

Blast waves generated from the muzzles of weapons may exert negative effects, such as shock waves and impulse noise. If the weapon is fired with a muzzle brake, these effects are recognized to be more severe. This paper discusses the influence of the muzzle brake on certain aeroacoustic noise characteristics based on numerical simulations and a corresponding experiment. The impulse noise, which is induced by complex jet flows discharging from small caliber rifles with muzzle brakes, is focused in this study. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and computational aeroacoustics (CAA) are combined to calculate the muzzle flow field and jet noise for cases with and without a muzzle brake, and then the data sets are carefully compared. The simulations indicate that the muzzle brake alters the muzzle flow field and directional distribution of the jet noise compared to a rifle sans muzzle brake. Deviations less than 7.6% between experimental data and simulation results validate the simulation model. The results presented in this paper may provide a workable reference for the prediction of muzzle noise and the optimization of muzzle brake designs.

The structure of a muzzle brake has a significant effect on the overall technical performance of an automatic weapon. This paper presents a multi-objective optimization of a muzzle brake that enhances the overall performance, that is, it increases the muzzle brake efficiency and simultaneously decreases the noise emanating from the rifle upon discharge. A standard impact-reaction muzzle brake was selected as the research object. The optimal values of four structural parameters were established through multi-objective optimization. The process consists of design of experiments, coupled computational fluid dynamics and computational acoustics calculations, an approximation model, and a multi-objective genetic algorithm. Based on the results, the correlation and sensitivity between the structural parameters and the objectives were investigated. Moreover, the reaction force and noise directivity of the optimized muzzle brake were compared with those of the original design. The results show that the disk angle of the side holes was the most sensitive design variable for both efficiency and noise. The optimized muzzle brake had a remarkable improvement in brake efficiency accompanied by only a small increase in the sound pressure level, so it showed better overall performance. The optimization method proposed in this paper is practical and effective for engineering design.

The installation of muzzle brake changes the flow direction of propellant gas, which leads to a decline in the recoil force but an increase in the muzzle flow noise of the side rear. Therefore, the coordination between high efficiency and low harm of muzzle brake is one of the factors limiting its optimization. To address this problem, a numerical method for evaluating the comprehensive performance of muzzle brake targeting muzzle brake efficiency and impulse noise is proposed in the present study. The two performance indexes are calculated using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-computational aeroacoustics (CAA) coupled method. Afterwards, a corresponding experiment is conducted to verify its feasibility. Furthermore, the comprehensive performance of muzzle brakes with three different structures are analysed based on the two indexes obtained by the proposed numerical method. The results reveal that both indexes can be influenced by the structure of muzzle brakes. The increased braking efficiency is almost accompanied by increased impulse noise, but the functional relation is not linear dependence. Thus, the comprehensive performance can be improved by optimization of the structure. The evaluation method proposed in this paper has theoretical significance for optimizing muzzle brakes, which is of great engineering value.

The present study aimed to provide new insights into the behavior of high-strength low-alloy steel under dynamic compression and to promote its use in high-stress applications. The dynamic compression response of a Cr-Ni-Mo-V steel under shock stresses ranging from 3.54 GPa to 19.76 GPa was investigated using loading technology. The free surface velocity of the specimen was measured using a displacement interferometer system with the range of 166–945 m/s. The Hugoniot elastic limit (HEL), spalling fracture, and microstructure evolution of specimens under different shock stresses were determined. The results showed that an α→ε phase transition occurred in the material at an impact stress of 15.63 GPa, leading to a change in particle velocity. The relationship between the shock wave velocity and particle velocity was found to be linear. The HEL of the steel was found to be consistent at 2.28 GPa, while the spall strength showed a more complex relationship with the increasing shock stress. Initially, the spall strength increased and then decreased with increasing shock stress before increasing again after the phase transformation. The fracture mode of the steel shifted from brittle fracture to ductile fracture with the increasing impact stresses, which is related to the previous plastic deformation under different impact loads.

Vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) can enhance aerodynamic performance through wake interaction, but this also affects noise characteristics. This study investigates the influence of wake interference on noise in a twin-VAWT array using an Improved Delayed Detached Eddy Simulation coupled with the Ffowcs Williams–Hawkings acoustic analogy. By analyzing flow structures and acoustic directivity in comparison to an isolated turbine case, correlations between wake vortex evolution and noise features were established, uncovering the underlying mechanisms of noise alteration. Results show that the windward wake diffusion of the upstream turbine (Turb I) is suppressed, accelerating flow in the upwind region of the downstream turbine (Turb II). Along the centerline between the turbines, along the centerline between turbines, interactions among vortices from Turb I, the strong vortex shed by Turb II near 150°, and turbulent mixing raise the sound pressure level by 9.52 dB. Turb I's vortex shedding dynamically correlates with hump-shaped noise features in Turb II's upwind and leeward regions. The near-field decay rate of the wake from Turb II increases by 22.54% compared to the isolated turbine, while Turb I maintains a high noise level above 99.7 dB within the 1.5R–3R range. Phase difference is identified as a key control parameter that reshapes vortex–acoustic coupling without compromising power output, thereby modifying noise spectral humps and enabling spatial redistribution of acoustic energy. These findings provide a theoretical basis for noise control and performance optimization in turbine arrays.