Thesis (MEng) -- Stellenbosch University, 1991. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In the present study various mathematical models have been developed for the analysis of spray cooled finnned-tube heat exchangers. These models range from simplified models based on the work by Kreid et al. [78KR1], Nakayama et al. [88NA1] and Erens et al. [90ER1] to a more comprehensive model based on the work by Poppe [84P01]. Computer programs were written to evaluate the performance prediction of these models on spray cooled heat exchangers in the vertical air flow mode. Experimental tests were conducted on a four-row finned-tube heat exchanger in a vertical air /water mist flow to verify the mathematical models and it was found that the performance of this heat exchanger could be predicted within 20 per cent using the accurate model. Significant performance enhancement (up to 3.5 times the dry performance) was found by spraying relatively small amounts of water onto the heat exchanger. The spray water massflow rate was found to have a significant effect on the two phase pressure drop across the heat exchanger. The present study indicated certain important factors which have to be taken into consideration when designing spray cooled heat exchanger units. These include the geometry of the finned-tubes, the temperature difference between the process water and the optimum air and the air /spray water ratio. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In die tesis is 'n aantal wiskundige modelle ontwikkel wat gebruik kan word vir die analise van sproei verkoelde vinbuis warmte uitruilers. Die wiskundige modelle wissel van eenvoudige modelle wat gebaseer is op die werk van Kreid et al. [78KR1 ], Nakayama et al. [88NA1] en Erens et al. [90ER1] tot 'n omvattende model wat gebaseer is op die werk van Poppe [84 PO 1]. Rekenaar programme is geskryf om die die modelle se voorspellingsvermoe van die kapasiteit van sproei verkoelde warmte uitruilers te evalueer. 'n Eksperimentele ondersoek is gedoen op 'n warmte uitruiler met vier vinbuis rye in 'n toetsseksie met vertikale lugvloei. Die toets resultate is gebruik vir die evaluasie van die wiskundige modelle en het getoon dat die akkurate model se voorspellings binne 20 per sent van die gemete kapasitiet van die uitruiler val. Die eksperirnentele werk het verder aangetoon dat deur klein hoeveelhede water op die uitruiler te sproei, 'n toename in kapasiteit tot 3.5 keer die droe werkverrigting moontlik is. Die twee-fase drukval oor die uitruiler is sterk bei:nvloed deur die sproei water massavloei. Die analitiese navorsmg wat gedoen is met behulp van die rekenaar programme het aangedui dat daar 'n paar belangrike faktore is wat in ag geneem moet word met die ontwerp van sproei verkoelde warmte uitruilers. Die faktore sluit die vinbuis geometrie, die temperatuur verskil tussen die proses water en lug en optimum lug/sproeiwater massavloei verhouding in.

Thesis (MScEng)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Up to this point in time research on the South African solar chimney, proposed for a site in the Northern Cape, comprised of determining the structural integrity of the chimney structure, as well as airflow calculation, finding the optimal shape for the airflow channels. Not much work had been done on the realisation of the foundation of the global structure, i.e. how the cardinal parts are optimized in an integrated system. The inlet guide vanes (IGV's) should be central in such research efforts, being the main support of gravitational and lateral wind load on the chimney structure, as well as its important role in channelling air and creating pre-swirl of the airflow onto the turbine blades. However, little detailed research - research to actually determine and fix the many variables of the IGV's and integration with surrounding parts - had been performed! In this thesis as many of these variables as possible are investigated - ranging from structural integrity with regard to compressive and shear strength through optimizing structure eigenfrequency to economic feasibility. The outcome of this study is conceptual solutions regarding the geometry of the IGV structures in order for it to support the chimney while minimizing material volume. Finite element methods are used to create insight into the behaviour of the IGV's and force transferring structures, incorporating external factors such as lateral wind and gravitational loadsto determine the optimal shape of these structures. This study is valuable for researchers on the solar chimney, serving as a reference from where to design and secure the variables of the global structure, and eventually building the solar chimney. Keywords: Solar chimney, inlet guide vanes, solar power, massive concrete structures, structural realisation, finite element application, structure optimisation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Tot op hede het die navorsing op die Suid Afrikaanse sonskoorsteen, wat beplan word vir konstruksie in die Noordkaap, bestaan uit die bepaling van die integriteit van die struktuur asook lugvloei berekeninge om die optimale vorm van die lugvloei kanale te lewer. Min werk is gedoen om die fondasies van die globale struktuur, dus hoe die kardinale dele geïntegreer is in die gesamentlike sisteem, te ondersoek. Die inlaat lei lemme behoort sentraal te lê in sulke navorsingspogings aangesien dit die hoof ondersteuner en verspreider van gravitasie en laterale windlaste op die skoorsteen struktuur is. Dit speelook 'n integrale rol in die kanalisering van invloeiende lug om dit vooraf 'n vorteks beweging te gee vir 'n optimale invalshoek op die turbine lemme. Min gedetaileerde navorsing - navorsing om die verskeie onbekende faktore rondom die inlaat lei lemme en die omliggende strukture te bepaal - is tot op hede gedoen. Hierdie tesis mik om soveel moontlik van hierdie veranderlikes - wat reik van struktuur integriteit met betrekking tot die samedrukkings- en skuifsterktes in die materiaal tot die eie-frekwensies en ekonomiese vatbaarheid van die struktuur - vas te stel. Die uitkoms van hierdie studie is konseptueie oplossings vir die geometrie van die inlaat lei lem strukture wat terselfdertyd die totale struktuur se materiaal volume minimiseer. Eindige element metodes word gebruik om insig in die gedrag van die inlaat lei lemme en ander strukture wat krag oordra, te genereer. Die metodes inkorporeer soveel as moontlik van die eksterne faktore soos gravitasie en laterale windlas om die optimale geometrie vir die betrokke struktuur te bepaal. Hierdie studie is waardevol vir navorsers oor die sonskoorsteen en dien as 'n bron waaruit verdere ontwerp en die vasstel van veranderlikes in die globale struktuur gedoen kan word met die oog op die uiteindelike daarstelling van 'n sonskoorsteen.

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.

Barrier fabrics laminated with nanofiber membranes are used in protective textiles due to their ability to achieve high breathability or water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) while maintaining required barrier properties. The objective of this thesis is to investigate the factors impacting nanofiber membrane breathability. To achieve this objective, the effect of test conditions on breathability, and the relationship between fiber diameter, web porosity and breathability were explored. Nanofiber membranes were solution-spun by electrospinning from 15wt% and 20wt% PA6 solution concentrations, and by forcespinning from 20wt% and 25wt% concentrations. Three web area densities were made from each spinning method and solution combination: 5GSM, 10GSM and 15GSM. In order to investigate the impact of measurement conditions, breathability of all samples was measured by upright cup method (ASTM E96B) at two relative humidity levels (20% and 50%), and three air flow velocity levels (300fpm, 500fpm and 700fpm). The results showed that WVTR of all samples increased significantly when decreasing humidity or increasing air flow velocity. Webs with a lower density (5GSM or 10GSM) had higher changes of WVTR than those with a higher density (10GSM or 15GSM). These results indicate an interaction between the ambient conditions and the nanoweb structure, whereby conditions that are more conducive to water vapor transmission, such as 20%RH and 700fpm, are more discriminant between membranes. Both electropspun and forcespun membranes processed from the lower concentration solutions (15wt%, and 20wt%, respectively) exhibited smaller fiber diameters and smaller mean pore size. Overall, WVTR values varied with membrane thickness, and with solution concentration following a similar pattern as porosity. These effects were more accentuated for the forcespun samples, which had considerably larger pores (2811-5230nm) than the electrospun counterparts (163-298nm). Furthermore, samples forcespun by 20wt% solution were found to have clearly higher WVTR (1587-2194g/m²/24h at 700fpm) than electrospun samples (1526-1614g/m²/24h at 700fpm). This can be explained by the significant difference of pore size between electrospun and forcespun webs. It was concluded that breathability of forcespun samples, particularly those low density ones, could be effectively adjusted by solution concentration and is more sensitive to change of test conditions than that of electrospun webs. / text

Darbo apimtis 53 puslapiai, tame tarpe 43 paveikslai, 1 lentelė. Literatūros sąraše 45 šaltiniai. Darbo pradžia 2008 09 01, pabaiga 2010 05 10. Objektas. Grūdų separacijos intensyvinimas kūlimo aparate, kai pobūgnio galinėje dalyje sukuriamas papildomas oro srautas. Tikslas. Ištirti grūdų separacijos intensyvinimo, naudojant papildomą oro srautą, efektyvumą. Literatūros apžvalgoje atlikta kukurūzų burbuolių nuėmimo ir kūlimo proceso tyrimų analizė. Atlikta pobūgnių konstrukcijų, grūdų separacijos ir masės judėjimo pobūgnio paviršiumi mokslinių tyrimų apžvalga. Laboratoriniais tyrimais nustatytas kukurūzų grūdų kritinis greitis. Eksperimentiniais tyrimais nustatyta grūdų separacija pro pobūgnį, kai pobūgnio trečiojoje dalyje sukuriamas papildomas oro srautas. Įvertinta kukurūzų burbuoles gaubiančių lapų įtaka burbuolių kūlimui ir grūdų separacijai pro pobūgnį. Taip pat įvertinta tiekiamo burbuolių srauto įtaka grūdų separacijai pro pobūgnį. Tyrimų rezultatais pagrįsta, kad pobūgnio trečiojoje dalyje sukuriamas papildomas oro srautas grūdų separacijai teigiamos įtakos neturėjo, tačiau įgalino sumažinti kūlimo grūdų nuostolius. / This work consists of 53 pages, including 43 figures and 1 table. There are 45 entries in the references. This work was started on the 1st of September 2008 and it was finished on the 10th of May 2010. The object of the work. Grain separation intensification of the threshing apparatus, when in the rear providing of the concave is additional air flow. The aim of the research. To examine the intensification of grain separation, using additional air flow in threshing apparatus. The analysis studies of corn cobs‘ harvesting and threshing process is made in the literature review. The research work review of concaves structures, grain separation and mass movement of concaves surface is also done. The critical speed of maize grain is established by laboratory studies. Experimental studies have shown the influence of grain separation through the concave when the additional air flow is made in the 3rd part of the concave. Furthermore, the influence of leaves that cover corn cobs on grain separation is investigated in this work as well. Considering grain damage and their threshing loss, the rational space between the threshing drum and the concave is determined. This work also assessed the influence of the supply of pulp to the threshing machine of high quality grain separation through the concave.

Darbo apimtis 45 puslapiai, tame tarpe 31 paveikslas. Literatūros sąraše 51 šaltinis. Darbo pradžia 2009 09 01, pabaiga 2011 05 10. Tikslas. Ištirti grikių grūdų sklaidą nuožulniajame oro sraute. Literatūros apžvalgoje atlikta sėklų rūšiavimo būdų mokslinių tyrimų apžvalga. Atlikta grūdų valomųjų analizė bei teorinių tyrimų apžvalga. Laboratoriniais tyrimais nustatytos grikių grūdų aerodinaminės savybės ir drėgnis. Eksperimentiniais tyrimais nustatyta grikių grūdų sklaida nuožulniajame oro sraute, keičiant oro srauto greitį, kampą bei grikių grūdų srautą. Tyrimų rezultatais pagrįsta, kad grikių grūdus rūšiuojant nuožulniajame oro sraute, rekomenduojamas oro srauto greitis 10 m/s, oro srauto kampas 3 laipsniai ir grikių grūdų srautas 0,9 kg(m/s). Nustatant grikių grūdų rūšiavimo parametrus būtina atsižvelgti į dėžutėse subirusių 1000 grūdų masę. Tinkamai parinkus nuožulniojo oro srauto parametrus grikių grūdus galima rūšiuoti oro srautu. / This work consists of 45 pages, including 31 figures. There are 51 entries in the references. This work was started on the 1 st of September 2009 and it was finished on the 10th of May 2011. The object of the work. To investigate the dissemination of buckwheat grain at the bevelled air flow. The analysis studies of seed sorting techniques is made in the literature review. The research work review of grain cleaner and theoretical studies is also done. The critical speed and humidity of buckwheat grain is established by laboratory studies. Experimental studies have shown the buckwheat grain dissemination at the bevelled air flow, by changing the supply of buckwheat flow, air flow speed and angle. It was determined, that recommended buckwheat sorting at the bevelled air flow is the most effective at 10 m/s air flow rate of 0,9 kg(m/s) shall be filed in buckwheat grain flow and air flow 3 angle. In determining the screening parameters of buckwheat sorting, must be taken into account 1000 grain weight. Properly selected the parameters of beveled air flow, buckwheat can be sorting by the air flow.

O presente trabalho propõe a execução de ensaios de medição do número de swirl em bancada de fluxo em regime permanente, com a utilização de um dispositivo modular e dutos de admissão do cabeçote de um motor diesel produzidos via prototipagem rápida (PR). A medição do número de swirl com dutos produzidos via PR, traz como principais vantagens: reprodutibilidade dos ensaios, facilidade de simular e mensurar o número de swirl dos potenciais desvios no processo de fundição ou usinagem, além da redução no tempo para o desenvolvimento de novas geometrias dos dutos de admissão. O trabalho é experimental e uma unidade do cabeçote estudado foi encaminhado para o laboratório da EPUSP e o número de swirl medido para posterior comparação dos dados. Após a fase inicial de aquisição de dados e ajustes no projeto do dispositivo, essa unidade do cabeçote foi seccionada e digitalizada para que a geometria interna fosse reproduzida via prototipagem rápida. Os dutos de admissão foram montados no dispositivo modular para a realização dos testes em bancada. Todos os testes foram realizados no mesmo equipamento e com o mesmo sistema de controle, com o intuito de reduzir o número de variáveis externas na aquisição de dados. Quando realizou-se a comparação das médias dos resultados do número de swirl do cabeçote e do dispositivo modular com o uso de prototipagem rápida não foram encontradas diferenças estatisticamente significantes. O método proposto representou o escoamento de ar da admissão do modelo de cabeçote analisado. / The present work proposes to execute steady state bench test, swirl number measurements, using a modular device and cylinder head intake ports from a diesel engine manufactured via rapid prototype (RP) techniques. Swirl number measurements with intake ports produced by RP, bring as main advantages: Tests reproducibility, easy to measure the swirl number variances in consequence of potential casting or machining process deviations besides of time reduction to the development of new intake ports geometry. The research is experimental and one sample of the investigated cylinder head was sent to the laboratory and the swirl number was measured for later results comparison. After the early development phase of data acquisition and design improvements, this cylinder head sample was then sectioned and digitalized as to know to have the same internal geometry in the intake ports produced via rapid prototype. The intake ports were assembled in the modular device to perform bench tests. All tests were performed in the same rig and with the same control system with aiming to reduce the external variables during data acquisition. When the mean results analysis was performed in order to compare the results between cylinder head and modular device using rapid prototype, no statistically significant changes were found. The proposed method represented the investigated cylinder head´s intake air flow.

An imaging-based computational framework for simulation of airflow in subject specific breathing human lungs is established. The three-dimensional (3D) airways of up to 9 generations and lobes are segmented and reconstructed from computed tomography (CT) images. Beyond the CT-resolved 3D airways, a volume filling method is applied to generate the one-dimensional (1D) conducting airway tree that bridges the central airway with the lung parenchyma. Through 3D-1D airway coupling, a novel image-registration-based boundary condition (BC) is proposed to derive physiologically-consistent regional ventilation for the whole lung and provide flow-rate fractions needed for the 3D airway model via the 1D-tree connectivity and the mass conservation. The in-house parallel finite-element large-eddy simulation (LES) code enables to capture genuinely complex airflow characteristics in a computationally-efficient manner. The 3D-1D coupling framework is multiscale because it can not only predict detailed flows in the 3D central airways at a local level, but also yields subject-specific physiologically-consistent regional ventilation at the whole lung level. The framework has been applied to investigate pulmonary airflow and lung physiology. For example, the study of intra- and inter-subject variability provides insight into the effect of airway geometry on airflow structure. The relations between airflow structure, energy dissipation, and airway resistance under normal breathing condition have also been studied, showing similarity behaviors for inspiratory and expiratory flows. In the study of high-frequency oscillatory ventilation, we have compared counter-flow structures near flow reversal (namely phase change between inspiration and expiration) and quantified associated convective mixing in both idealized and CT-based airway models. Furthermore, the image-registration-derived displacement field is used to deform 3D-1D airway models for breathing lung simulation and estimate diameter changes of 1D airway segments during deformation. In conjunction with an arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian method, airflow in a breathing lung has been simulated and compared with that of a rigid airway model. The results show that the proposed computational framework is promising in better understanding the human lung physiology and improving the treatment of diseased lung.

Aim: The primary purpose of this study was to examine effects of a fan-induced airflow at standard room temperature (20-23°C) on 20-km cycling time trial performance. A secondary purpose was to investigate two fan speeds and whether a difference in performance existed with increased fan speed in intermediate duration indoor cycling tests. Methods: Seven trained cyclists completed three 20-km cycling time trials under three conditions in a randomized crossover design. The 3 conditions were: 1) control (no fan), 2) low speed fan, and 3) high speed fan. Results: A tendency for modest decreases in time to completion (TTC) were noted in the two experimental conditions compared to the control condition (-2.06% low speed fan; -3.29% high speed fan). There was also a tendency for small increases in power output during the experimental conditions, although neither time nor power output differences were statistically significant. No differences in mean heart rate and rating of perceived exertion were observed among the three conditions. Conclusion: These results suggest a relationship between fan use and 20-km indoor cycling time trial performance, specifically TTC and mean power output, but larger samples are needed to provide adequate statistical power. Further investigation into the effects of fan use in standard testing environments is recommended. No additional benefit was observed from increased fan speeds. Differences in the experimental conditions on average resulted in non-significant 1.2% improvement.

No description available.