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Metal plates are being replaced by lighter but equally strong laminated composite plates in order to improve efficiency and increase performance of aerospace vehicles. But because of the complex construction of laminated plates they are very difficult to analyze. Conventional thin plate theories prove to be inadequate in predicting laminated composite plate behavior. Therefore, a finite element model which incorporates a first- order shear-deformation theory and nonlinear von Karman strains is described. The model is shown to accurately predict deflections in laminated composite plates due to nonuniform transient heat fluxes and transverse mechanical loads. / Master of Science

This thesis presents the derivation of the theory leading to the determination of the governing equations of chemically reacting flows under local thermodynamic equilibrium, which rigorously takes into account effects of elemental (de)mixing. As a result, new transport coefficients appear in the equations allowing a quantitative predictions and helping to gain deeper insight into the physics of chemically reacting flows at and near local equilibrium. These transport coefficients have been computed for both air and carbon dioxide mixtures allowing the application of this theory to both Earth and Mars entry problems in the framework of the methodology for the determination of the catalytic activity of Thermal Protections Systems (TPS) materials. Firstly, we analyze the influence of elemental fraction variations on the computation of thermochemical equilibrium flows for both air and carbon dioxide mixtures. To this end, the equilibrium computations are compared with several chemical regimes to better analyze the influence of chemistry on wall heat flux and to observe the elemental fractions behavior along a stagnation line. The results of several computations are presented to highlight the effects of elemental demixing on the stagnation point heat flux and chemical equilibrium composition for air and carbon dioxide mixtures. Moreover, in the chemical nonequilibrium computations, the characteristic time of chemistry is artificially decreased and in the limit the chemical equilibrium regime, with variable elemental fractions, is achieved. Then, we apply the closed form of the equations governing the behavior of local thermodynamic equilibrium flows, accounting for the variation in local elemental concentrations in a rigorous manner, to simulate heat and mass transfer in CO2/N2 mixtures. This allows for the analysis of the boundary layer near the stagnation point of a hypersonic vehicle entering the true Martian atmosphere. The results obtained using this formulation are compared with those obtained using a previous form of the equations where the diffusive fluxes of elements are computed as a linear combination of the species diffusive fluxes. This not only validates the new formulation but also highlights its advantages with respect to the previous one : by using and analyzing the full set of equilibrium transport coefficients we arrive at a deep understanding of the mass and heat transfer for a CO2/N2 mixture. Secondly, we present and analyze detailed numerical simulations of high-pressure inductively coupled air plasma flows both in the torch and in the test chamber using two different mathematical formulations: an extended chemical non-equilibrium formalism including finite rate chemistry and a form of the equations valid in the limit of local thermodynamic equilibrium and accounting for the demixing of chemical elements. Simulations at various operating pressures indicate that significant demixing of oxygen and nitrogen occurs, regardless of the degree of nonequilibrium in the plasma. As the operating pressure is increased, chemistry becomes increasingly fast and the nonequilibrium results correctly approach the results obtained assuming local thermodynamic equilibrium, supporting the validity of the proposed local equilibrium formulation. A similar analysis is conducted for CO2 plasma flows, showing the importance of elemental diffusion on the plasma behavior in the VKI plasmatron torch. Thirdly, the extension of numerical tools developed at the von Karman Institute, required within the methodology for the determination of catalycity properties for thermal protection system materials, has been completed for CO2 flows. Non equilibrium stagnation line computations have been performed for several outer edge conditions in order to analyze the influence of the chemical models for bulk reactions. Moreover, wall surface reactions have been examined, and the importance of several recombination processes has been discussed. This analysis has revealed the limits of the model currently used, leading to the proposal of an alternative approach for the description of the flow-surface interaction. Finally the effects of outer edge elemental fractions on the heat flux map is analyzed, showing the need to add them to the list of parameters of the methodology currently used to determine catalycity properties of thermal protection materials.

Clinical hyperthermia refers to treatment of tumors by heating the lesions between 40 and 45° C. Several clinical trials have demonstrated that hyperthermia provides significant improvements in clinical outcomes for a variety of tumors, especially when combined with radiotherapy. However, its routine clinical application is still not optimal and major improvements are needed. The temperature distributions achieved are far from satisfactory and improved temperature control and monitoring are still in need of further development. The use of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) has emerged as a good method to achieve local heat delivery when combined with near-infrared (NIR) laser. GNPs have a plasmon resonance frequency that can be tuned to absorb strongly in the NIR region where tissue absorption of laser light is minimal, allowing for less tissue heating and better penetration. For further development of the technique and appropriate clinical translation, it is essential to have a computational method by which the temperature distribution within the tumor and surrounding tissue can be estimated. Previously, our group developed a technique to estimate the temperature increase in a GNP-filled medium, by taking into account the heat generated from individual GNPs. This method involved a two-step approach combining the temperature rise due to GNPs and the solution to the heat equation using the laser light as heat source. The goal of this project was to develop a one-step approach that calculates the temperature distribution using the solution to the heat equation with multiple heat source terms, the laser light, and each individual GNP. This new method can be of great use in developing a treatment planning technique for GNP-mediated thermal therapy including hyperthermia.

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Ablation and run-off on the White Glacier (38 km2), Axel Heiberg Island, N.W.T., were studied during the summers 1959-61 and some comparisons were made with nearby glaciers. Techniques of measuring ablation and run-off are described and assessed and the results of longterm, including full season, and short term measurements of both are presented. [...]

An experimental and numerical investigation of the flow and convective heat transfer distribution around a high turning angle gas turbine rotor blade has been carried out at the University of Kwa-Zulu, Durban campus. This study in gas turbine blade aerothermodynamics was done to meet the research and development requirements of the CSIR and ARMSCOR. The experimental results were generated using an existing continuously running supersonic cascade facility which offers realistic engine conditions at low operating costs. These results were then used to develop and validate a 2-D model created using the commercially available Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software package, FLUENT. An initial phase of the study entailed a restoration of what was an unoperational experimental facility to a state capable of producing test simulation conditions. In the analysis, a 4-blade cascade system with provisions for an interchangeable, test blade was subjected to the steady state conditions set up by the facility. Firstly, the flow was characterised by evaluating the static pressures around the midspan of a pressure measurement test blade. This was done using two pressure transducers, a scanivalve, an upgraded data acquisition system and LABview software. The method for measuring the heat transfer distributions made use of a transient measuring technique, whereby a pre-chilled Macor test blade, instrumented with thin film heat flux gauges was rapidly introduced into the hot cascade flow conditions by displacing an aluminum dummy blade while still maintaining the flow conditions. Measurement of the heat flux and generation of the isothermal heat transfer co-efficient distributions entailed re-instrumentation of the test blade section with gauges of increased temperature sensitivity along with modifications of the associated electrical circuitry to improve on the quality of experimental data. Both the experimental flow and heat transfer data were used to validate the CFD model developed in FLUENT. An investigation into different meshing strategies and turbulence models placed emphasis on the choice of model upon correlation. The outcome of which showed the k -co model's superiority in predicting the flow at transonic conditions. A feasibility study regarding a new means of implementing a film cooled turbine test blade at the supersonic cascade facility was also successfully investigated. The study comprised of experimental facility modifications as well as cascade and blade redesigns, all of which were to account for the requirements of film cooling. The implementation of this project, however, demanded the resources of both time and money of which neither commodity was available. / Thesis (M.Sc.Eng.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2006.