The present study examines the role of turbulence on the incipient motion of sediment. For this purpose, well-controlled experiments are performed at the laboratory in a tilting flume. In these tests glass beads of the same size and density are used as the testing material to isolate the role of turbulence. State of the art equipment are used during the course of this study. Specifically, a 3-D Laser Doppler Velocimetry system is employed to measure the instantaneous velocity components at different points near the vicinity of a ball while the ball motion is monitored with a video camera. An image analysis program is developed here to analyze the motion of the particles within a test area. To examine the importance of the different stress components in the entrainment of sediment, five tests of different packing configuration are performed. Specifically three different roughness regimes are examined namely, the isolated, the wake interference, and the skimming flow. The results reveal that the instantaneous normal stress in the streamwise direction is the most dominant component of the instantaneous stress tensor. The backbone of this study is the development of a methodology to link the effects of turbulence with the commencement of sediment motion. It is considered that the metastable bursting cycle (i.e. sweeps, ejections, inward and outward interactions) is responsible for the sediment entrainment. And that the sediment entrainment, if any, occurs within a bursting period. The main concept behind the determination of the critical conditions is that the probability of the entrainment of sediment (effect) is equal to the probability of occurrence of these highly energetic turbulent events that have magnitude greater than the critical (cause). The probability of sediment entrainment is computed by means of the image analysis tool. The balance of moments is obtained here to determine the minimum moment that is required for the commencement of sediment motion. The balance of moments yields the deduction of a new variable that is used to describe the probability of occurrence of the different turbulent events. This variable is the summation of the instantaneous normal stresses in the streamwise and vertical direction. It is shown here that a two-parameter gamma density function describes quite well the statistical behavior of this variable. The results that are obtained from the existing model suggest that the present methodology can adequately describe the commencement of sediment motion. It is shown here that the traditionally used shear stress term uw may not be the appropriate measure for the determination of the critical conditions. / Ph. D.

This research produced a new class of skin friction gages that measures wall shear even in shock environments. One test specimen separately measured wall shear and variable-pressure induced moment. Through the investigation of available computational modeling methods, techniques for accurately predicting gage physical responses were developed. The culmination of these model combinations was a design optimization procedure. This procedure was applied to three disparate test conditions: 1) short-duration, high-enthalpy testing, 2) blow-down testing, and 3) flight testing. The resulting optimized gage designs were virtually tested against each set of nominal load conditions. The finalized designs each successfully met their respective test condition constraints while maximizing strain output due to wall shear. These gages limit sources of apparent strain: inertia, temperature gradient, and uniform pressure. A unique use of bellows provided a protective shroud for surface strain gages. Oil fill provided thermal and dynamic damping while eliminating uniform pressure as a source of output voltage. Two Wheatstone bridge configurations were developed to minimize temperature effects first from temperature gradient and then from spatially varying heat flux induced gradient. An inertia limiting technique was developed that parametrically investigated mass and center of gravity impact on strain output. Multiple disciplinary computational simulations of thermal, dynamic, shear, moment, inertia, and instrumentation interaction were developed. Examinations of instrumentation error, settling time, filtering, multiple input dynamic response, and strain gage placement to avoid thermal gradient were conducted. Detailed mechanical drawings for several gages were produced for fabrication and future testing. / Ph. D.

This study concerns the design, analysis, and initial testing of a novel skin friction gage for applications in three-dimensional, high-speed, high-enthalpy flows. Design conditions required favorable gage performance in the Arc-Heated Facilities at Arnold Engineering Development Center. Flow conditions are expected to be at Mach 3.4, with convective heat properties of h= 1,500 W/(m°·K) (264 Btu/(hr·ft°·°R)) and T_aw= 3,900 K (7,000 °R). The wall shear stress is expected to be as high as τ_w= 2,750 Pa (0.40 psi) with a correlating coefficient of skin friction value around C_f= 0.0035. Through finite element model and analytical analyses, a generic gage design is predicted to remain fully functional and within reasonable factors of safety for short duration tests. The deflection of the sensing head does not exceed 0.025 mm (0.0001 in). Surfaces exposed to the flow reach a maximum temperatures of 960 K (1,720 °R) and the region near the sensitive electronic components experience a negligible rise in temperature after a one second test run. The gage is a direct-measuring, non-nulling design in a cantilever beam arrangement. The sensing head is flush with the surrounding surface of the wall and is separated by a small gap, approximately 0.127 mm (0.005 in). A dual-axis, semi-conductor strain gage unit measures the strain in the beam resulting from the shear stress experienced by the head due to the flow. The gage design incorporates a unique bellows system as a shroud to contain the oil filling and protect the strain gages. Oil filling provides dynamic and thermal damping while eliminating uniform pressure loading. An active water-cooling system is routed externally around the housing in order to control the temperature of the gage system and electronic components. Each gage is wired in a full-bridge Wheatstone configuration and is calibrated for temperature compensation to minimize temperature effects. Design verification was conducted in the Virginia Tech Hypersonic Tunnel. The gage was tested in well-documented Mach 3.0, cold and hot flow environments. The tunnel provided stagnation temperatures and pressures of up to T₀= 655 K (1,180 °R) and P₀= 1,020 kPa (148 psi) respectively. The local wall temperatures ranged from T_w= 292 to 320 K (525 to 576 °R). The skin friction coefficient measurements were between 0.00118 and 0.00134 with an uncertainty of less than 5%. Results were shown to be repeatable and in good concurrence with analytical predictions. The design concept of the gage proved to be very sound in heated, supersonic flow. When it worked, it did so very effectively. Unfortunately, the implementation of the concept is still not robust enough for routine use. The strain gage units in general were often unstable and proved to be insufficiently reliable. The detailed gage design as built was subject to many potential sources of assembly misalignment and machining tolerances, and was susceptible to pre-loading. Further recommendations are provided for a better implementation of this design concept to make a fully functional gage test ready for Arnold Engineering Development Center. / Master of Science

Scalar (heat or mass) transfer plays an important role in many industrial and engineering applications. Difficulties in experimental measurements means that there is limited detailed information available, especially in the near-wall region. Prediction in simple flows is well documented and the basis for development of many Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models. This is, however, not the case for scalar transfer, especially when the Prandtl (Pr) or Schmidt number (Sc) is much greater than unity. In complex flows that involve separation and reattachment, the scalar transfer coefficient is significantly different to that of fully developed turbulent flow. The purpose of this Thesis is to investigate high Prandtl number (Pr ≥ 10) scalar transfer in fully developed (pipe) and disturbed (sudden pipe expansion) turbulent flow using CFD. Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) is the most straight-forward approach to the solution of turbulent flows with scalar transfer. However, this technique is computationally intensive because all turbulent scales need to be resolved by the simulation. Large eddy simulation (LES) is a compromise compared to DNS. Instead of resolving all spatial scales, LES resolves only the large-scales with the small-scales being accounted for by a subgrid-scale model. Chapter 2 details the mathematical, numerical and computational details of LES with scalar transfer. From this, an optimized and highly scalable parallel LES solver was developed based on state-of-the-art LES subgrid-scale models and numerical techniques. Chapter 3 provides a verification of the LES solver for fully developed turbulent pipe flow. Reynolds numbers between Re = 180 and 1050 were simulated with a single Prandtl number of Pr = 0.71. Detailed turbulent statistics are provided for Re = 180, 395 and 590 with varying grid resolution for each Reynolds number. The results from these simulations were compared to established experimental and numerical databases of fully developed turbulent pipe and channel flows. The LES solver was shown to be in good agreement with the prior work with most discrepancies being accounted for by only reporting the resolved (large-scale) component directly reported from the LES results. For a Prandtl number close to unity, the mechanisms of turbulent transport and scalar transfer are similar. The near-wall region was shown to be dominated by large-scale sweeping structures that bring high momentum and scalar concentrations to the near-wall region. These are convected parallel to the wall as diffusion mechanisms act to transfer this to the wall where dissipation takes effect. An ejection structure then acts to transport the resultant low momentum, scalar depleted fluid back to the bulk to be replenished and continue the cycle. As the Prandtl number increases, molecular diffusivity decreases relative to viscosity, and the mechanisms of scalar transfer differ to those at Pr = 0.71. This is investigated in Chapter 4 using simulations at Re = 180, 395 and 590, with detailed statistics at Re = 395 for Pr = 0.71, 5, 10, 100 and 200. Where possible the results are compared to other numerical work and the LES solver was shown to accurately resolve the higher Prandtl number flows. There are marked variations in the scalar transfer with increasing Prandtl number as the turbulent scalar transfer becomes concentrated closer to the wall and dominated by large-scale turbulent structures. Sweeping structures are still responsible for bringing the high scalar concentrations towards the wall, however, high Prandtl number scalars are unable to completely diffuse to the wall in the time that the structure is convected parallel to the wall adjacent to the diffusive sublayer. Therefore, most of the high Prandtl number scalar is returned to the bulk via the ejection structure rather than being dissipated at the wall. Chapter 5 uses the sudden pipe expansion (SPE) to investigate disturbed turbulent flow for an inlet Reynolds numbers of Reb = 15600 and a diameter ratio of E = 1.6. These simulation parameters were chosen to match the experimental LDA measurements of Stieglmeier et al. (1989). The LES results for a range of grid resolutions were shown to be in very good agreement with the experimental work. From the LES results it was determined that the fluctuations in the wall shear stress are important in the near-wall turbulent transport. These are the result of eddies originating from the free shear layer down-washing and impinging upon the wall. This is a more effective sweeping mechanism than that observed for the fully developed turbulent pipe flow. Despite the down-wash structures impinging upon the wall, a viscous sublayer still exists in the reattachment region, albeit much thinner than the fully developed turbulent pipe flow further downstream. Using the same Reynolds number and diameter ratio, scalar transfer simulations were also undertaken in the SPE with Prandtl numbers of Pr = 0.71, 5, 10, 100 and 200. An applied scalar flux was used to heat the expanded pipe wall. The LES results are in agreement with experimental Nusselt numbers from Baughn et al. (1984) for Pr = 0.71. The disturbed turbulent flow enhances the scalar transfer and this is the result of down wash events transporting low (cold) scalar from the inlet pipe to the near-wall of the expanded pipe. This cools the heated wall and enhances localized scalar transfer downstream of the expansion. A diffusive sublayer still exists in the reattachment region within the viscous sublayer for Prandtl numbers greater than unity. As the Prandtl number increases the diffusivity decreases relative to viscosity and near-wall scalar transfer enhancement decreases as the diffusion time-scales increase.

As variações de temperatura influenciam nas propriedades da água, especialmente na viscosidade. Este pode ser um fator significativo, que afeta a vazão dos emissores e consequentemente a uniformidade de aplicação. A necessidade de estudos que considerem o material das fitas gotejadoras, com diferentes tipos de emissores integrados e diferentes características construtivas, são importantes para entender a sensibilidade desses materiais quando submetidos a temperaturas de água distintas. Este experimento foi conduzido no Laboratório de Ensaios de Material de Irrigação (LEMI) do Departamento de Engenharia de Biossistemas da Escola Superior de Agricultura \"Luiz de Queiroz\" - ESALQ/USP. Foram avaliados cinco tipos de fitas gotejadoras, com diferentes emissores integrados e espessuras de parede. As curvas vazão-pressão para os diferentes materiais e espessuras de parede, apresentaram a mesma tendência, porém, com valores distintos dos parâmetros K e x para cada temperatura. Os valores de CVf para todos os materiais nas diferentes temperaturas apresentaram valores em conformidade com o estipulado por norma técnica. Não houve uma tendência específica dos valores de CVf e de IQR em relação à temperatura da água para os materiais avaliados. Para os emissores planos de fluxo turbulento, a vazão tende a diminuir com o incremento da temperatura, porém não significativamente (p>0,05). Para os emissores contínuos de fluxo turbulento, respostas diferentes foram obtidas, sendo que no emissor SilverDrip&#174; a vazão aumentou com o incremento da temperatura (p<0,05), enquanto no emissor Turbo Tape&#174;, a vazão diminuiu e as maiores variações de vazão ocorreram a partir de 60 kPa (p<0,05). Para o emissor moldado, a vazão aumentou (p<0,05) em função da temperatura, porém a maior variação ocorreu nas pressões mais baixas. Para nenhum dos materiais houve diferença significativa (p>0,05) na variação de vazão entre as espessuras de parede, indicando para os emissores estudados, que a espessura de parede não influencia na sensibilidade do emissor às variações de temperatura. Os resultados obtidos indicam que a sensibilidade do emissor em função da temperatura da água está associada ao valor do expoente de fluxo do emissor. / Temperature variations influence the properties of water, especially viscosity. This can be a significant factor, which affects the emitters\' discharge and consequently the uniformity of application. Studies analyzing drip tape material, types of integrated emitters and manufacturing characteristics are important to understand the sensitivity of these materials when operated in a range of values of water temperature. This experiment was carry out at the Laboratory of Tests of Irrigation Material (LEMI) of the Department of Engineering of Biosystems of the \"Luiz de Queiroz\" School of Agriculture - ESALQ / USP. Five types of drip tapes were evaluated, with various integrated emitters and wall thicknesses. The pressure-flow curves presented the same trend for the evaluated material, however, different values of the parameters K and x were found for each temperature. The CVf for all materials evaluating in a range of temperatures presented values in accordance with technical standards. There was no specific trend of the values of CVf neither IQR in relation to the water temperature. For the turbulent flow emitters, the discharge tends to decrease with increasing temperature, but not significantly (p>0.05). For the continuous emitters of turbulent flow, different responses were obtained, the emitter SilverDrip&#174; the discharge increased with the increase of the temperature (p<0,05), while for the emitter Turbo Tape&#174;, the discharge decreased and the greater variations of flow occurred from 60 kPa (p<0.05). For the emitter molded, the discharge increased (p<0.05) as a function of temperature, but the greater variation occurred in the lower pressures. For any of the materials, there was a significant difference (p>0.05) in the discharge variation comparing the wall thicknesses, indicating for the emitters studied, the wall thickness does not influence the discharge sensitivity to temperature variations. The results indicate that the sensitivity of the emitter as a function of the water temperature is associated with the exponent of emitter flow.

O presente trabalho versa sobre a modelagem de uma chama turbulenta difusiva usando a técnica de simulação de grandes estruturas turbulentas (LES), juntamente com o modelo termo-químico de folha de chama (flame sheet model) e o conceito de fração de mistura como escalar conservativo. Este trabalho também é pioneiro de utilização de LES com reação química no Brasil, podendo colaborar para o desenvolvimento desta técnica na área de combustão. O trabalho consiste na construção e validação das rotinas computacionais de um código CFD, baseado em LES e com flexibilidade para uma futura utilização de cinética química detalhada de combustão (EDC/ISAT), para casos complexos onde modelos mais simples, como a fração de mistura, são falhos. O programa será validado em uma chama de difusão turbulenta não-confinada de metano (CH4), para a qual existem dados experimentais na literatura [61,62] e utilizados pela comunidade acadêmica em excelência (Stanford, TU-Darmstadt, Imperial College, Cornell University etc). As características da implementação numérica do código permitirão sua expansão futura para outras aplicações em: queima de combustíveis líquidos, combustão em câmaras fechadas e fornalhas com a inclusão de modelo de radiação. / The present work is about modeling a diffusive turbulent flame using the Large-Eddy Simulation approach (LES) and the Flame Sheet model as the chemical model with the mixture fraction concept as the conservative scalar. This work is pioneer in the sense of using LES and reactive flow in Brazil, making possible the development for LES techniques in the combustion area. The work is intended to construct and validate a CFD code based on LES and with future flexibility for a more detailed combustion chemical model (EDC/ISAT) for complex flows, where simple models are failed, like the mixture fraction. The program will be validated for a turbulent diffusion methane (CH4) flame not confined, which there are some experimental data on the specialized literature [61,62], and commonly used by the academic community (Stanford, TU-Darmstadt, Imperial College, Cornell University etc). The features of the numerical code implementation will make possible future expansion of its use in other applications: liquid fuel burning, combustion chambers and ovens with the radiation model inclusion.

Em mecânica dos fluidos, especificamente em processos turbulentos, o problema de fechamento representa um dos maiores desafios para qualquer pessoa interessada nesta área. Durante décadas, cientistas vêm usando abordagens estatísticas com o objetivo de \"fechar\" o problema ou, pelo menos, diminuir as dificuldades inerentes. Assim, o presente trabalho apresenta uma criteriosa análise com base em ferramentas estatísticas em que ondas quadradas aleatórias, aliadas a um número fixo de parâmetros, foram utilizadas para criar equações paramétricas para representar um fluxo turbulento unidimensional com uma abordagem a priori, diferenciando de outras abordagens aplicadas amplamente na área, que utilizam uma abordagem a posteriori. Em seguida, simulações foram realizadas, a fim de avaliar o comportamento do modelo. Nas simulações pôde-se reproduzir o comportamento observado na literatura e estipular a abrangência do método. Além disso, uma importante discussão acerca das condições de contorno foi desenvolvida. / In fluid mechanics, specifically in turbulent processes, the closure problem represents one of the biggest challenges for anyone interested in this area. For decades, scientists have been using statistical approaches aiming to close the problem or, at least, decrease the inherent difficulties. So, the present project presents a judicious analyze based on statistical tools in which random square waves, allied with a fixed numbers of parameters, were used to create parametric equations to represent a turbulent flow with an a priori approach, differentiating from other approaches broadly applied in the area, which use an a posteriori approach. Then simulations were done, in order to evaluate the behavior of the model. In the simulations, the behavior of some data from the literature could be followed and the scope of the method was stipulated. Besides this, an important discussion about boundary conditions was developed.

The present study utilizes the ultrasonic travel time technique to diagnose grid generated turbulence. Ultrasonic flow metering technology relies on the measurement and computation of small perturbations in the travel time of acoustic ultrasonic waves through the dynamic medium. The statistics of the travel time variations of ultrasonic waves that are caused by turbulence probably affect the performance of ultrasonic flow meters. Motivation for the study stems from the large travel time variations observed in typical ultrasonic flow and circulation meters. Turbulent flow data was collected downstream of a grid introduced in a uniform flow in the wind tunnel using ultrasonic techniques. Grid turbulence is well defined in literature, and is nearly homogeneous and isotropic. The experimental investigation was performed under well-controlled laboratory conditions. The grid mesh sizes varied from 0.25-0.5in, and flow velocities from 0-20m/s. The ultrasonic transducers were of 100 kHz working frequency; and all of the data was collected with them oriented perpendicular to the mean flow. Path lengths were increased from 2-10in; and the data acquisition and control system featured a very high speed data acquisition card with an analog to digital converter that enabled excellent resolution of ultrasonic signals. Experimental data was validated by comparison to other studies. The work aims to investigate the influence of the grid-generated turbulent flow on acoustic wave propagation, in terms of the variance of the travel time. The effect of turbulence on acoustic wave propagation was observed. The experimental data was used to compute average travel times, acoustic travel time variances, and standard deviation amplitude fluctuations. The data was collected in the region estimated to be homogeneous and isotropic. Average travel time data support the assumption that only the large (as compared to the wavelength ) turbulent inhomogeneities influence acoustic wave propagation. Variance data confirm the presence of a non-linear trend in the acoustic travel times with increasing path length. Amplitude fluctuations data confirm a correlation between areas of caustic formation and large amplitude fluctuations.

Questões de aeração forçada ou natural estão intimamente ligadas à capacidade de autodepuração dos corpos hídricos, ou seja, oxidar substâncias agressivas para resultar em baixo teor de toxicidade. Uma das etapas do processamento de efluentes consiste na dissolução de oxigênio em água e, para realizar essa dissolução, utilizam-se aeradores que são unidades (tanques) onde o ar é borbulhado no meio líquido, o qual se desloca em um regime contínuo de escoamento. Esta pesquisa refere-se à obtenção experimental de valores de viscosidade turbulenta para inserção em modelagem fenomenológica da transferência de oxigênio das bolhas de ar para o meio líquido. Tais modelos, se bem realísticos, podem contribuir aos estudos de gestão de recursos hídricos ou em operações nos tratamentos de efluentes líquidos. O método experimental empregado foi a velocimetria por imagem de partículas, no qual foi possível obter velocidades instantâneas do fluido (água). Estas consideram o movimento turbulento, que é o principal responsável pelo transporte de oxigênio da superfície para o seio do corpo hídrico, sendo que essa superfície pode ser livre para o ambiente, ou a superfície de uma bolha. Praticamente, o método consiste em correlacionar posições de partículas traçadoras em suspensão no fluido, as quais são assumidas ter a mesma velocidade do fluido. As posições consecutivas para fornecer a trajetória e a velocidade foram obtidas por imagens capturadas em uma freqüência definida através de uma câmera digital, onde a luz do laser contrastou as partículas em uma área desejada com uma precisão elevada. Então, nessa área (um plano), foi possível correlacionar um perfil de velocidades. Assim, os valores de viscosidade turbulenta foram obtidos para serem usados em modelagem da transferência de oxigênio, os quais poderão contribuir nos estudos de aeração em corpos hídricos. / Problems involving natural or forced aeration are intimately bind to the reaeration of water bodies. Pollutants are oxidized to yield low toxicity conditions. One of the steps of wastewater treatment consists in dissolving oxygen in water. To perform this, aeration tanks are used where bubbling air crosses the continuous liquid flow. This research focuses on the experimental determination of turbulent viscosity values to be used in modeling of oxygen transfer from air bubbles to the bulk liquid. Such models, if realistic enough, may contribute to water resources management studies or in wastewater treatment operations. Particle image velocimetry method was used, by means of which it became possible to obtain instantaneous velocities of the fluid (water). These velocities embody the turbulent flow, which is the main responsible for oxygen transport from the surface to the bulk liquid. This surface may be either facing the atmosphere or the interior of a bubble. In practice, the method consists in correlating tracking particles suspended in the liquid, which are supposed to have the same velocity of the fluid. The successive positions that give path and speed were obtained by images took in predefined intervals by a digital camera. The laser light illuminated the particles in a predefined area with high precision, making possible to determine velocity profiles. Turbulent viscosity values were so determined and may be used in the modeling of oxygen transfer, which may contribute to water body aeration studies.

[Formulae and special characters can only be approximated here. Please see the pdf version of the Abstract for an accurate reproduction.] Since the damping functions employed by most of the low-Reynolds-number models are related to the non-dimensional distance y+[ special character ??? near-wall non-dimensional distance in y direction], which is based on local wall shear stress, these models become invalid for separated flows, because the wall shear stress is zero at the reattachment point. In addition, the pressure-velocity correlation term is neglected in most of these models, although this term is shown in this thesis to be important in the near-wall region for simple flows and large pressure gradient flows. In this thesis, two main efforts are made to improve the k ??? [special character - dissipation rate] model. First, based on Myong and Kasagi???s (1990) low-Reynolds-number model (hereafter referred to as MK model), a more general damping function [special character - turbulent viscosity damping function in LRN turbulent model] is postulated which only depends on the Reynolds numbers [formula ??? near-wall turbulence Reynolds number]. Second, a form for the pressure-velocity correlation term is postulated based on the Poisson equation for pressure fluctuations. This modified model predicts the turbulent flow over a flat plate very well. It is found that the inclusion of the pressure-velocity correlation term leads to significant improvement of the prediction of near-wall turbulence kinetic energy. When the model is applied to turbulent flow over a backward-facing step, it produces better predictions than the traditional k ??? [special character - dissipation rate] model, FLUENT???s two-layer model and the MK model. Again, the pressure-velocity correlation term improves the turbulence kinetic energy prediction in the separated region over that of other models investigated here. The studies of numerical methods concerning computational domain size and grid spacing reveal that a very large domain size is required for accurate flat plate flow computation. They also show that a fine grid distribution in the near-wall region upstream of the step is necessary for acceptable flow prediction accuracy in the downstream separated region.