Energy efficiency calculations and an economical analysis has been conducted on two different carbon regeneration kiln types. The purpose was do determine what economical winnings there could be by replacing the carbon regeneration system using propane burner with one heated by electricity. This project was conducted on a carbon regeneration kiln that stands at the G1A processing plant in Boliden. The two different heating solutions were implemented in the multiphysics software Comsol to determine their energy efficiency’s, and then an economical analysis was conducted by comparing the annual consumption of energy per kiln type. The models were built to be as accurate as possible, but some simplifications had to be made to make the simulations possible. The results from the study showed that the electrical heating solution was over four times more energy efficient, which would lead to an annual saving of 745 714 SEK/year. The results of this simulation must however be considered somewhat inconclusive due to implementation difficulties, but it might serve as a good predictor as to why electrical heating panels could be economically feasible.

This master thesis aim to model the annular flow that occurs in the final section between the fuel rods inside Boiling Water Reactors, by approximating the geometry to a cylindrical pipe. Simulations were performed in the software ANSYS Fluent, as a step in the development of replacing the 1D correlations currently used in the nuclear industry with CFD models in 3D. An Eulerian-Lagrangian approach was used for the three fields of steam, liquid film and liquid droplets in the model. Entrainment was modeled based on 1D correlations from Okawa [7] and deposition with the built in Discrete Phase Model in ANSYS Fluent. The work focused on making the process less time consuming, and increasing accuracy of the model by comparing the results with empirical data based on experimental values. A transverse velocity was applied on the droplets at the point of entrainment with better correlating results with the Okawa model.

Pipes in water distribution systems may change as they age. The accumulation of corrosion byproducts and suspended particles on the inside wall of aged pipes can increase pipe roughness and reduce pipe diameter. To quantify the hydraulic effects of irregular accumulation on the pipe walls, eleven aged pipes ranging in diameter from 0.020-m (0.75-in) to 0.100-m (4-in) and with varying degrees of turberculation were located and subjected to laboratory testing. The laboratory test results were used to determine a relationship between pipe diameter reduction and Hazen-Williams C. This relationship, combined with a manipulation of the Hazen-Williams equation, provided a simple and direct method for correcting the diameters of aged pipes in distribution models. Using EPANET 2, the importance of correcting pipe diameters when modeling water distribution systems containing aged pipes was investigated. Correcting the pipe diameters in the sample network reduced the modeled water age by up to 10% and changed the pattern of fluctuating water age that occurred as waters with different sources moved through the pipe network. In addition, two of the aforementioned aged pipes with diameters of 0.025-m (1-in) and 0.050-m (2-in) were modeled using Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) turbulence modeling. Flow was computed at Reynolds numbers ranging from 6700 to 31,000 using three turbulence models including a 4-equation v2-f model, and 2-equation realizable k-e; and k-ω models. In comparing the RANS results to the laboratory testing, the v2-f model was found to be most accurate, producing Darcy-Weisbach friction factors from 5% higher to 15% lower than laboratory-obtained values. The capability of RANS modeling to provide a detailed characterization of the flow in aged pipes was demonstrated. Large eddy simulation (LES) was also performed on a single 0.050-m (2-in) pipe at a Reynolds number of 6800. The Darcy-Weisbach friction factor calculated using LES was 20% less than obtained from experimental tests. Roughness elements smaller than the grid scale and deficiencies in the subgrid-scale model at modeling the complex three-dimensional flow structures due to the irregular pipe boundary were identified as likely sources of error. Even so, the utility of LES for describing complex flows was established.

Butterfly valves are commonly used in industrial applications to control the internal flow of both compressible and incompressible fluids. A butterfly valve typically consists of a metal disc formed around a central shaft, which acts as its axis of rotation. As the valve's opening angle is increased from 0 degrees (fully closed) to 90 degrees (fully open), fluid is able to more readily flow past the valve. Characterizing a valve's performance factors, such as pressure drop, hydrodynamic torque, flow coefficient, loss coefficient, and torque coefficient, is necessary for fluid system designers to account for system requirements to properly operate the valve and prevent permanent damage from occurring. This comparison study of a 48-inch butterfly valve's experimental performance factors using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) in an incompressible fluid at Reynolds numbers ranging approximately between 105 to 106 found that for mid-open positions (30-60 degrees), CFD was able to appropriately predict common performance factors for butterfly valves. For lower valve angle cases (10-20 degrees), CFD simulations failed to predict those same values, while higher valve angles (70-90 degrees) gave mixed results. (152 pages)

This master thesis project was done in collaboration with Epiroc Group Ab. Epiroc supplies high-quality drills of various types that can be used both above and below ground. A major problem in their percussive rock drills is that that cavitation is formed. Cavitation is a phenomenon that occurs when a fluid is subject to a sudden pressure drop. This pressure drop causes the liquid to vaporize and create gas bubbles. These gas bubbles will cause erosion to the walls when imploded. These cavitation damages lead to drills breaking and parts having to be replaced preserved. An experimental rig was used to create cavitation. From the experimental rig, it was possible to measure the hydraulic transients that are created when the valve was closed. In this study, we examined whether one can visually see these damages occurring inside the pipe on valve parts that are subjected to these cavitation damages. CFD simulations were used to re-create the closing of the valve in the experimental rig. By exporting pressure data from the experiments one could compare the numerical result to the experimental data. It was also investigated if it is possible to see some connection between the gas formation and the damages seen visually from the experimental part. For the simulation the realizable k − ε methods were implemented with enhanced wall treatment. The mixture model was used since we have a multi-phase flow. Some visual damages were recognized during the experiments. However, no distinguished pattern or specific areas was established. From the simulations, it could be determined that they generated gas when the valve was closed. However, the pressure transients could not be replicated in the numerical result.

This diploma thesis deals with hydraulic optimization of distribution pipeline for 5 nozzle Pelton’s turbine by using CFD. The thesis is a follow-up to a previous diploma thesis which deals with the possibilities to simplify existing distribution pipeline. A few simplified versions of distribution pipelines were solved and the results show which way we should proceed towards the right solution. The simplified distribution pipeline arises from given parameters and retains the same procedure of evaluation to give us the opportunity of comparing achieved results. Two new geometries of distribution pipeline were created. They were then modified to achieve optimal distribution of discharge in each nozzle. Other criteria used for comparison were static pressure and Coriolis’ number in specific slices inside pipeline. Last but not least a simple economical analysis for selected version of distribution pipeline was carried out on the basis of which we can see the manufacturing costs of the pipeline.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(工学) / 甲第19280号 / 工博第4077号 / 新制||工||1629(附属図書館) / 32282 / 京都大学大学院工学研究科社会基盤工学専攻 / (主査)教授 牛島 省, 准教授 米山 望, 准教授 山上 路生 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering) / Kyoto University / DFAM

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Many Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (SUAV) are driven by small scale, fixed blade propellers. The flow produced by the propeller, known as the propeller slipstream, can have significant impact on SUAV aerodynamics. In the design and analysis process for SUAVs, numerous Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) simulations of the coupled aircraft and propeller are often conducted which require a time-averaged, steady-state approximation of the propeller for computational efficiency. Most steady-state propeller models apply an actuator disk of momentum sources to model the thrust and swirl imparted to the flow field by a propeller. These momentum source models are based on simplified theories which lack accuracy. Currently, the most common momentum source models are based on blade element theory. Blade element theory discretizes the propeller blade into airfoil sections and assumes them to behave as two-dimensional (2D) airfoils. Blade element theory neglects many 3D flow effects that can greatly affect propeller performance limiting its accuracy and range of application. The research work in this dissertation uses a surrogate modeling method to develop a more accurate momentum source propeller model. Surrogate models for the time averaged thrust and swirl produced by each blade element are trained from a database of timeurate, highidelity 3D CFD propeller simulations. Since the surrogate models are trained from these highidelity CFD simulations, various 3D effects on propellers are inherently accounted for such as tip loss, hub loss, post stall effect, and element interaction. These efficient polynomial response surface surrogate models are functions of local flow properties at the blade elements and are embedded into 3D CFD simulations as locally adaptive momentum source terms. Results of the radial distribution of thrust and swirl for the steady-state surrogate propeller model are compared to that of time-dependent, highidelity 3D CFD propeller simulations for various aircraft-propeller coupled situations. This surrogate propeller model which is dependent on local flow field properties simulates the time-averaged flow field produced by the propeller at a momentum source term level of detail. Due to the nature of the training cases, it also captures the accuracy of time-dependent 3D CFD propeller simulations but at a much lower cost.