Thesis (PhD (Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering)--University of Stellenbosch, 1990. / 260 leaves printed single pages, preliminary pages i-xxi and numbered pages Chapter 1/1.1-1.3, Chapter 2/2.1-2.17, Chapter 3/3.1.1-3.10, Chapter 4/4.1-4.18, Chapter 5/5.1-5.3, References pages R.1-R.7, Appendix A pages A.1-A.34, Appendix B pages B.1-B.34, Appendix C pages C.1-C.26, Appendix D pages D.1-D.16, Appendix E pages E.1-E.30, Appendix F pages F.1-F.39. Includes bibliography, list of tables, figures and symbols. / Digitized at 600 dpi grayscale to pdf format (OCR), using a Bizhub 250 Konica Minolta Scanner. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The ultimate goal of this project is to ensure a better understanding of the governing mechanisms present when flow distorting components are installed in close proximity of an axial flow fan. The effect of different parameters on the operation of axial flow fans is investigated. These parameters are divided into flow enhancing and flow reduction effects. The performance of an axial flow fan can be enhanced by changing the tip clearance, by adding a solid disc to the hub of the fan or by varying the number of fan blades. Flow reductions are caused by components such as inlet grids, walkways and their supporting structures, heat exchangers and windwalls. The effects of flow enhancing components are measured and compared to the results of other authors. The sensitivity of these effects to parameters such as the type of fan rotor and the specific system in which the rotor is installed is highlighted. The system effect (the interaction between the fan rotor and flow resistances in close proximity of each other) of individual components, as well as the combination of different components, is predicted both theoretically and experimentally. These predictions are compared to measured data relevant to the components in an installation where the system effects are present. The results are correlated to the kinetic energy flux coefficient of the flow at different locations within the installation. Experimental data obtained from a full scale unit (inlet shroud diameter of 9,216 m) are used to compare to scaled data from the model (inlet shroud diameter of 1,542 m). The hub to tip ratio of the axial flow fans investigated is 0,15. The most important conclusions are that the performance of the type of axial flow fan under investigation can be improved by reducing its tip clearance and by installing a solid disc to the downstream side of the rotor. An increase in the number of blades of the fan leads to only marginal improvements in the fan performance. The overall performance of the system can also be improved by removing some of the flow resisting components, or by changing their relative positions. All these conclusions are based on the assumption that the power input to the fan rotor remains constant. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die uiteindelike doel van hierdie projek is om te verseker dat die beherende meganismes wat teenwoordig is wanneer vloeiversteurende komponente in die nabyheid van 'n aksiaalwaaier geinstalleer word, beter verstaan word. Die effek van verskillende parameters op die werkverrigting van aksiaalwaaiers word ondersoek. Hierdie parameters word verdeel in vloeiverbeterings- en vloeiverminderingseffekte. Die werkverrigting van 'n aksiaalwaaier kan verbeter word deur die lempuntspeling te verstel, deur 'n soliede skyf aan die naaf van die waaierrotor te installeer, of deur die aantal lemme te verander. Die vloeiverminderings word veroorsaak deur inlaatsiwwe, loopvlakke en hul ondersteuningsstrukture, warmteruilers en windwande. Die effekte van vloeiverbeteringskomponente word gemeet en vergelyk met die resultate van ander outeurs. Die sensitiwiteit van hierdie effekte op parameters soos die tipe rotor en die spesifieke stelsel waarin die rotor geinstalleer is, word uitgelig. Die stelseleffek (die interaksie tussen die rotor van die waaier en vloei weerstande wat naby mekaar geinstalleer is) van individuele, sowel as 'n kombinasie van verskillende komponente, word teoreties en eksperimenteel voorspel. Hierdie voorspellings word dan vergelyk met eksperimentele data wat van toepassing is op die komponente in 'n installasie waar stelseleffekte voorkom. Die resultate word gekoppel aan die kinetiese energievloedkoeffisient van die vloei by verskillende posisies binne die installasie. Eksperimentele data, verkry vanaf 'n volskaaleenheid (inlaatmondstukdiameter van 9,216 m), word met die geskaleerde data van die model (inlaatmondstukdiameter van 1,542 m) vcrgelyk. Die naaf- tot hulsverhouding van die aksiaalwaaiers wat ondersoek word is 0,15. Die belangrikste gevolgtrekkings is dat die werkverrigting van die tipe aksiaalwaaier wat ondersoek word verbeter kan word deur die lempuntspeling te verminder en deur 'n soliede skyf te installeer by die stroomaf kant van die rotor. 'n Toename in die aantal lemme van die waaier lei slegs tot marginale verbeterings in die werkverrigting van die waaier. Die totale werkverrigting van die stesel kan ook verbeter word deur sommige vloeiweerstandskomponente te verwyder, of deur hulle relatiewe posisies te verander. Al hierdie gevolgtrekkings is gebasseer op die aanname dat die drywingsinset na die waaierrotor konstant bly.

published_or_final_version / Mechanical Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

The main objective of this thesis research is to test the applicability of a novel heat and moisture transfer panel (HAMP) in an office building to control the space humidity. A HAMP is a panel that uses a liquid desiccant to add or remove heat and moisture to or from a space. This thesis research uses the TRNSYS computer package to model an office building in four different cities representing four climatic conditions. The cities are Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; Chicago, Illinois; Phoenix, Arizona; and Miami, Florida; representing cold-dry, cool-humid, hot-dry, and hot-humid climates, respectively. The HAMP is employed in the office building with a radiant ceiling panel (RCP) system. Three other HVAC systems are examined and compared to the system employing the HAMP. The systems are: a conventional all-air system, a RCP system with 100% outdoor air, a RCP system with a parallel dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS), and the RCP system with the HAMP and 100% outdoor air. In the latter, the HAMP covers 10% of the ceiling area and uses lithium chloride solution as the liquid desiccant at different temperatures and concentrations. The results show that the HAMP is able to control the space humidity within the control limits in all climates. The HAMP also shows the ability to provide better humidity control than the other systems as it directly responds to the space latent loads. The HAMP is able to control the relative humidity between 26% RH and 62%, 24% RH and 57% RH, 27% RH and 60%, and 40% RH and 62% RH in Chicago, Saskatoon, Phoenix, and Miami, respectively. The HAMP is able to achieve a relative humidity of 35% in Chicago, Saskatoon, and Phoenix for 14%, 13%, and 20% of the working hours of the year, respectively. It is also able to achieve a relative humidity of 60% in Chicago, and Miami 10% and 55% of the working hours of the year, respectively. The results also show the potential of the RCP system with the HAMP to reduce the total energy consumed by a conventional all-air system in the hot climates by 40%, and 54% in Miami and Phoenix respectively, and in the cold climates by 14% and 23% in Saskatoon and Chicago, respectively.

Master of Science / Department of Chemical Engineering / Mary E. Rezac / Mary E. Rezac / Energy consumption due to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning amounts to 10-20% of global electrical energy usage. Air conditioning alone uses one trillion kilowatt hours globally. This energy is required for the dehumidification of air in addition to its cooling. New membrane technologies have the potential to decrease air conditioning energy requirements by significant amounts. A membrane acts as a partial heat and mass exchanger in conjunction with a traditional air conditioning system to remove water content and reduce the cooling load. Membranes vary according to their properties and method of mass transport. Liquid membranes have high permeability and selectivity, dense membranes have high selectivity and low permeability, and porous membranes have low selectivity and high permeability. A theoretical model was created to observe how membrane properties affected the potential energy savings of such systems. The most influential properties were flow rate, water permeability and selectivity, membrane area and thickness, and the purge flow temperature. Other properties were determined to be minimally important such as outdoor temperature and humidity. The effect on energy savings in many cases was not a linear relationship but suggested an optimal value beyond which energy savings did not significantly increase. The best simulations showed electrical energy savings of 86-95%.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Howard Hahn / Outdoor landscape irrigation is a prodigious consumer of potable water and accounts for more than 50% of urban water use in the United States. It is therefore imperative to reserve potable water for essential uses. The variability of recent drought trends coupled with the prediction of more intense, less frequent storms and rising water costs suggest the need to recycle as much free water as possible to meet non-essential irrigation demands. But is it possible to harvest enough water on-site to meet landscape water requirements with little to no reliance on municipal water? If not, how can design professionals adjust planting plans to bring the landscape water demand into equilibrium with potential supply while still meeting aesthetic objectives? This report uses predictive performance-based modeling to answer these questions. The author chose three study sites in St. Louis, Missouri to determine if the water demand of the existing landscapes can be supplied by collecting enough rainfall runoff and air conditioning condensate. Site selection depended on site size, differing harshness of localized environmental conditions, and ability to collect and generate large quantities of runoff and condensate water. Methods included a literature review, site inventory/analyses, estimation of plant water requirements using evapotranspiration data, estimation of rainfall runoff from various surfaces, and estimation of air conditioning condensate using thermodynamic equations. Findings show that landscape water needs for two of the three sites can be potentially met by on-site water sources with little to no reliance on municipal water. This was due to limited landscape areas compared to larger paved areas, the building footprint, and large quantities of air conditioning condensate produced during the hottest months. Under existing conditions, the third site was out of water balance. Consequently, the author undertook a planting re-design to convert low priority turf expanses to a naturalistic meadow requiring less water. Additionally, the author performed a return on investment analysis for both retrofit conditions and new construction. Overall, this research demonstrates that site-scale water harvesting for landscape irrigation purposes is a viable option to curtail reliance on municipal water supplies in the Midwest and similar climates.

[pt] Os laboratórios projetados para testes de motores de combustão interna trabalham sob normas que especificam métodos de ensaios aplicados à avaliação do desempenho do motor. Um motor veicular testado em um dinamômetro de bancada possui equipamentos auxiliares necessários para garantir condições de ensaio específicas, tal como a temperatura do ar de admissão, que deve ser mantida dentro dos valores indicados nas condições-padrão de referência da aplicação pretendida. Diante deste cenário, é evidente a importância de um estudo dos sistemas de condicionamento presentes nas salas de testes de motores. Esta dissertação apresenta o projeto, dimensionamento e simulação de um sistema de condicionamento que controla a temperatura e umidade do ar de admissão para realização de testes de motores de combustão dispostos em dinamômetros de bancada, independente das condições ambientais. A modelagem dinâmica do condicionador de ar e seus componentes (trocador de calor de água gelada, aquecedor elétrico e umidificador) foi implementada no EES. O sistema de controle PID com dois esquemas de ajuste de ganhos (utilizando a fórmula de Ziegler-Nichols, e auto-sintonizado on-line por um sistema supervisório fuzzy) foi desenhado no MATLAB. Para avaliar o desempenho do condicionador e do seu sistema de controle foi estabelecida uma comunicação através do intercâmbio dinâmico de dados entre o MATLAB e o EES. Um estudo de simulação comparativa entre ambos esquemas de ajuste dos controladores, mostra que a estratégia de controle fuzzy supervisório PID proposta permite obter um melhor desempenho dinâmico do sistema condicionador, em termos de estabilidade diante variações tanto na vazão quanto nas condições do ar de admissão, segundo os resultados obtidos na simulação com dados experimentais de um motor Diesel testado sob o ciclo de ensaios dos 13 modos em estado estacionário (ESC test) para certificação de emissões. / [en] Engine testing laboratories designed for automotive vehicles operate under standards that specify test methods used to evaluate the performance of internal combustion engines. A vehicle engine tested on a dynamometer bench has auxiliary equipment required in order to ensure the test conditions, such as intake air temperature which must be maintained within the specified values by standard reference conditions of the intended application. Given this backdrop, it is clear the importance of study of conditioning systems present in engine test facilities. This dissertation presents the design, implementation and simulation of a conditioning system that controls temperature and humidity of the intake air for testing of combustion engines arranged in a dynamometer bench, regardless of ambient conditions. The dynamical modelling of the air conditioner and its components (chilled water heat exchanger, electric heater and humidifier) was implemented in EES. The PID control system with two gains adjustment schemes (using the Ziegler-Nichols formula, and self-tuned on-line with a fuzzy supervisory system) was designed in MATLAB. The conditioning unit performance and its control system was assessed using a communication established through of the dynamic data exchange between EES and MATLAB. A comparative simulation study on both schemes for tuning of controllers shows that the use of the PID supervisory fuzzy control strategy proposed allows for considerable improvements in dynamic performance of the system, in terms of stability on both variation in flow rate and conditions of the intake air, according to the results obtained in the simulation with experimental data of a heavy-duty Diesel engine over the test cycle 13 steady state modes (ESC test) for emission certification.

[pt] Devido ao interesse crescente na utilização da energia solar no condicionamento de ar e secagem de alimentos, o presente trabalho descreve diversos ciclos solares de condicionamento de ar e apresenta um modelo de simulação das condições de operação e desempenho dos equipamentos usados num ciclo aberto de condicionamento. O modelo calcula o ciclo termodinâmico e especifica as características de transferência de calor e massa dos equipamentos para sistemas de qualquer capacidade térmica. Os resultados encontrados são exemplificados para sistemas de 1 a 5 toneladas de refrigeração de capacidade. / [en] Due to the increasing interest in the use of solar energy for air contioning and drying of foods, the present work describes different cycles of solar air conditioning and presents a model for simulating the operating conditions and the performance of the equipaments used in an open air conditioning cycle. The model calculates the termodynamic cycle and specifies the heat and mass transfer characteristics of the equipments for systems of any cooling capacity. The results are exemplified for systems of 1 to 5 refrigerating tons of cooling capacity.

Os sistemas de condicionamento de ar exercem função importante em uma sala cirúrgica, que é proteger a ferida cirúrgica e os equipamentos estéreis dos microrganismos carreados pelo ar. Essa proteção é feita pelo controle simultâneo da movimentação e distribuição do ar, da temperatura, da umidade, da filtragem, das infiltrações de ar de outros setores, entre outros. Esses são fatores que afetam diretamente a quantidade de partículas aéreas presentes em uma sala cirúrgica. Dentro deste contexto, no presente trabalho foi desenvolvido um modelo matemático para predição da concentração de partículas em salas cirúrgicas e para determinação da importância relativa dos fatores que interferem na geração e remoção dessas partículas. O modelo proposto baseia-se no balanço de massa para o cálculo da concentração de partículas, que foi aplicado e validado com os dados obtidos em salas cirúrgicas com diferentes tipos de sistemas de condicionamento de ar. Nessas salas cirúrgicas foram realizadas medições de variáveis ambientais considerando diferentes situações que normalmente ocorrem na rotina de salas cirúrgicas. Para cada uma das condições analisadas, é proposto um determinado conjunto de parâmetros relativos ao ambiente, ao sistema de condicionamento de ar e às concentrações de partículas provenientes das diversas fontes, que são utilizados como dados de entrada no modelo. O modelo que está sendo proposto também pode ser utilizado como uma importante ferramenta para auxiliar na análise específica dos fatores que afetam tanto a geração como a remoção de partículas. / Air conditioning systems exert an important function in surgical rooms, to protect the surgical wound and the sterile equipments from airborne infected particles. This protection is achieved by means of a simultaneous control of the movement and distribution of the air, of the temperature, of the humidity, of the filtering, of air infiltrations from other sections etc. Those factors directly affect the amount of airborne particles present in a surgical room. Within this context, the present work aimed to develop a mathematical model for the prediction of particle concentrations in surgical rooms and for the determination of the relative importance of the factors that interfere in the generation and removal of those particles. The proposed model, based on mass balance for the calculation of the particle concentrations, has been applied and validated with the data obtained from different types of air conditioning systems in which the measurements were carried out, as well as with different conditions that commonly occur in the routine of surgical rooms. For each one of these conditions, a certain group of relative parameters is proposed to the environment, to the air conditioning system, and to the concentrations of particles originated from the different sources, which are used as input data to the model. The proposed model can also be used as an important tool to aid in the specific analysis of the factors that affect both particle generation and removal.

Cabines de aeronaves vêm sendo desenvolvidas de modo a tornar o ambiente a bordo mais aceitável e confortável para os seus usuários. No presente trabalho, a influência de sistema de ventilação personalizada instalado na poltrona na dispersão de partículas expiratórias foi estudada em um mock-up de 12 lugares, que reproduz o interior de uma aeronave comercial com quatro poltronas por fileira. Os ensaios foram realizados com temperatura do ar insuflado na cabine a 18°C, correspondendo a uma leve sensação de frio, e temperatura do ar insuflado pelo sistema personalizado a 24°C com vazão de 3,0 l/s. As partículas simulando uma pessoa espirrando foram injetadas em dois pontos no fundo da cabine, respectivamente, na poltrona próxima da fuselagem e naquela perto do corredor, a 1,10m do piso, que corresponde à região de respiração. A contagem de partículas foi realizada nos assentos da fileira imediatamente à frente do ponto de injeção das partículas, ou seja, na fileira do meio do mock-up, onde se encontra instalado o sistema de ventilação personalizada, respectivamente, na poltrona próxima da fuselagem e naquela perto do corredor. Medições para o mapeamento dos perfis de temperaturas e de velocidades do ar também foram realizadas. Os resultados mostraram que a dispersão de partículas sofre forte influência do sistema de ventilação personalizada e do ponto de injeção de partículas. A quantidade de partículas expiratórias na cabine sempre foi maior quando a injeção foi feita pelo assento junto ao corredor. Isto ocorre devido ao sistema de ventilação por mistura da cabine, com exaustão do ar pela parte inferior próximo da fuselagem. O sistema personalizado avaliado no assento próximo da fuselagem e junto do corredor foi capaz de reduzir, respectivamente, em 40% e 65% a quantidade de partículas expiratórias na zona de respiração dos ocupantes destas poltronas. Adicionalmente, quando o sistema personalizado está funcionando junto ao corredor, a redução das partículas em toda a fileira é de quase 60% em comparação ao sistema personalizado desligado. / Aircraft cabins have been developed in order to make the onboard environment more acceptable and comfortable for their users. In the present work, the influence of a personalized ventilation system installed on the armchair in the dispersion of expiratory particles was studied in a 12-seat mock-up, which reproduces the interior of a commercial aircraft with four seats per row. The tests were performed with inlet air temperature into the cabin at 18°C, corresponding to a slight cold sensation, and inlet air temperature of the customized system at 24°C with a flow rate of 3.0 l/s. Particles simulating a person sneezing were injected at two points in the bottom of the cabin, respectively, in the seat near the fuselage and in the one near the corridor, 1.10m from the floor, which corresponds to the breathing zone. Particle counting was carried out in the row seats immediately in front of the particles\' injection point, i.e. in the middle row of the mock-up, where the custom ventilation system is installed, respectively, in the seat near the fuselage and in that one near the aisle. Measurements for the mapping of temperature and air velocities profiles were also performed. The results showed that the particle dispersion is strongly influenced by the custom ventilation system and the particle injection point. The amount of expiratory particles in the cabin was always greater when the injection was done by the seat near the aisle. This occurs due to the mixing ventilation system of cabin, with air exhaust located nearby the fuselage low part. The personalized ventilation evaluated on the fuselage seat and the aisle seat was able to reduce by 40% and 65%, respectively, the amount of expiratory particles in the breathing zone in these seats. Moreover, when the custom system is working along the corridor, the particle reduction across the row is nearly 60% less compared to the custom system, when it is off.

Thesis. 1977. Ph.D.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Alfred P. Sloan School of Management. / Vita. / Bibliography : leaves 336-346. / Ph.D.