[pt] Este trabalho pretende demonstrar a possibilidade de usar pinos ativos em máquinas rotativas de forma a reduzir as amplitudes de órbitas em situações críticas através de uma investigação analítica com validação experimental. Os pinos funcionam como medida de segurança quando o rotor se torna instável ou começa a oscilar por qualquer razão. Para este propósito, foi realizado um estudo completo da influência da presença dos pinos dentro do mancal de retenção. Quatro pinos foram posicionados em duas bancadas de testes já existentes no laboratório. A atuação deles provém de motores de passo, que os inserem até um determinado comprimento na parte interna do mancal, isto é, a folga radial entre o rotor e a parede do mancal. Primeiramente, uma análise matemática dos fenômenos envolvidos foi desenvolvida, fornecendo as equações necessárias para as simulações numéricas do sistema. Em seguida, foram realizados testes experimentais nas bancadas e informações relevantes foram adquiridas e comparadas com os resultados das simulações. Eles demonstraram estar consistentes, o que ajudou a validar o conceito de inserção de pinos ativos no mancal de segurança, de modo a evitar possíveis condições perigosas, como atrito, roçamento total e efeitos abrasivos. / [en] This work intends to show the possibility of using active pins in rotating machines to reduce amplitudes of orbits at critical situations through an analytical investigation with experimental validations. The pins shall operate as a safety measure when the rotor becomes unstable or starts to oscillate by any reason. To this purpose a thorough study is made of the influence of the presence of pins inside the retainer bearing. Four pins were installed within two existing test rigs in the laboratory. Their actuation comes from step motors, which insert them until a certain length in the inner side of the retainer bearing, or the gap between the rotor and the bearing wall. First, a mathematical approach of the involved phenomena is developed, providing the equations to perform numerical simulations of the system. Then, experiments where performed in the test rigs and relevant data were collected and compared to the simulation results. They showed positive accordance, which helped to validate the concept of properly inserting active pins inside the retainer bearings to avoid possible hazardous conditions, such as, friction, full annular rubbing, and abrasive effects.

A economia mundial é fortemente dependente da disponibilidade de óleo, no entanto as reservas de óleo leve, mais atrativas ao mercado, tendem nos próximos anos ao esgotamento, trazendo à luz as reservas de óleo pesado para atender as demandas do mercado. No entanto, os processos associados ao transporte e processamento desses óleos viscosos consomem muita energia, impondo um grande desafio para a indústria do petróleo. Nesse contexto, se transportar óleos viscosos com água através de um escoamento bifásico em padrão Core Annular Flow (CAF) é muito promissor. Nessa prática, uma película anular de água envolve o núcleo que contém o óleo, minimizando o contato entre este e a parede do duto e reduzindo as perdas de energia por atrito. Visou o presente estudo mapear os padrões de escoamento de óleo pesado com água em dutos horizontais e verticais, mensurar os fatores de redução de potência e do diferencial de pressão associados à um trecho reto e à uma válvula de gaveta aberta e determinar o holdup para avaliar a eficiência do CAF. Para atingir esses objetivos, uma unidade de bancada foi construída, consistindo de tanques de armazenamento e de separação da mistura. Interligando os tanques, foram dispostos dutos transparentes com 27 mm de diâmetro interno e 8 m de extensão, contendo duas seções horizontais e uma vertical para análise e diversos acessórios hidráulicos. O óleo utilizado possuía viscosidade de 3200 cP a 22 °C e densidade de 945 kg/m3 . Os resultados experimentais demonstraram haver diversas configurações de fluxo segundo o posicionamento do duto, e que a diferença de densidade dos fluidos descentraliza o óleo nos escoamentos horizontais. Além disso, o trecho vertical intercalado entre os trechos horizontais se comportou como um retificador de fluxo, melhorando os índices do CAF. Foi determinado um fator de redução de perda de pressão máximo de 250 vezes para o trecho reto e de 12 vezes para a válvula de gaveta. O fator global máximo de redução de potência foi mensurado em 2,2 vezes. Concluiu-se que, para um trecho reto, o projeto de instalações hidráulicas para o escoamento bifásico deve considerar 15 % a mais de perda de carga em relação ao escoamento de água pura. Já para a válvula de gaveta, esse fator deve ser de 700 %. / The world economy is strongly dependent on the availability of oil, however, light oil reserves, more market-oriented, tend to deplete in coming years, bringing to light the heavy oil reserves to meet the demands of the market. However, the processes associated with the transportation and production of these viscous oils consume a lot of energy and pose a great challenge for the oil industry. In this context, transporting viscous oils through a liquid-liquid two-phase oil-water flow in a core annular pattern (CAF) is very promising. In this method, an annular water film surrounds the oil-containing core, minimizing its contact with the pipe wall and reducing energy losses by friction. The aim of the present work was to map the flow patterns of a biphasic oil-water flow in horizontal and vertical pipes, to evaluate the overall energy savings provided by the CAF technique, to measure the pressure gradient reduction factor along the pipe and in a gate valve and to determine the holdup as a way of assessing the energy efficiency of the biphasic oil-water flow transport. To achieve these goals, an experimental facility was built and it consisted of cargo and separation tanks. Connecting these tanks, approximately 8 m of 27mm-ID clear transparent PVC pipes, two horizontal and one vertical sections and various hydraulic fittings. It was used in the tests lubricating oil with 3200 cP and 945 kg/m3 at 22°C and distilled water. The experimental results showed that there are several flow configurations according to the pipe positioning, and that the oil and the water density difference decentralizes the oil core in horizontal flows. In addition, the vertical section placed between the two horizontal ones behaved like a flow rectifier, improving the core annular flow energy savings basis. An average pressure gradient reduction factor of 250 times in a straight pipe and of 12 times in a gate valve was determined. The maximum overall power reduction factor was measured as being 2.2 times. It was concluded that the design of a hydraulic installation to transport heavy oil with water in a core annular pattern should consider a pressure drop increase by a factor of 15 % in a straight pipe and by a factor of 700 % in a gate valve based on the monophasic water transport at similar flow rates.

Neste trabalho de pesquisa foram estudados os efeitos dos parâmetros geométricos e de processo nas características do escoamento bifásico no interior de oito bocais nebulizadores do tipo \"Y-Jet\" através de uma bancada de análise experimental utilizando-se como fluidos de trabalho ar comprimido e água. Os resultados indicaram que as vazões mássicas são altamente dependentes da pressão de suprimento de ar e da relação entre os diâmetros do duto de mistura e do bocal de alimentação de ar. Em muitas situações de operação, esses dispositivos nebulizadores operavam com o escoamento de ar blocado à saída do seu bocal de alimentação. Outro aspecto importante é que, devido a fortes irreversibilidades inerentes ao padrão de escoamento, a expansão do fluxo de ar do seu bocal de alimentação para o duto de mistura aproxima-se muito mais de uma expansão isoentálpica que isoentrópica. Para fluxos mássicos de água superiores a 6000 kg/m2.s a distribuição de pressão no interior do duto de mistura é praticamente linear, independentemente do valor da pressão de alimentação de ar. Uma correlação para a previsão do valor da pressão no ponto de mistura entre os fluxos de ar e água dentro do duto de mistura foi desenvolvida e mostrou-se adequada para valores dentro da faixa de variação de cada parâmetro no experimento. Através de um aparato óptico buscou-se a medição da espessura média local de filme de líquido e da velocidade das perturbações na interface ar/água. Os resultados para a medição da espessura de filme mostraram-se sensivelmente dispersos, apontando para um melhor desenvolvimento dessas técnicas ópticas em futuros trabalhos. Quanto às velocidades das perturbações os resultados indicaram um razoável aumento destas conforme o escoamento se aproxima da saída do duto de mistura. Para todos os oito bocais ensaiados o valor médio destas velocidades, à saída do duto de mistura, situou-se em torno de 60 a 65 m/s. Um modelo teórico-experimental, baseado na medição da queda de pressão no interior do duto de mistura desses bocais, foi desenvolvido. Através desse modelo foi possível prever, localmente, a espessura e a velocidade médias de filme de líquido, a fração de entranhamento, a tensão de cisalhamento na interface ar/água, a fração de vazio e a velocidade média do ar no núcleo do escoamento. / In this research work the effects of the process and geometrical parameters on the characteristics of the internal two-phase flow inside eight Y-Jet atomizers were studied using an apparatus working with air and water. The results show that the flow rates are very dependent on the air supply pressure and the diameter ratio of the mixing duct and the air port. It was also verified that, in many operational conditions, these atomizers worked in the critical condition at the exit of the air port. Due to the strong irreversibilities present in the flow, the expansion from the air port to the mixing duct is closer to an isoenthalpic process than to an isoentropic process. For water mass flux greater than 6000 kg/m2.s, the pressure distribution into the mixing duct is most of the time linear, independently on the air supply pressure. A correlation to predict the mixing point pressure was developed and showed a good agreement with the experimental data. Using an optical apparatus it was measured the local liquid film thickness and the perturbations velocities on the air/water interface. The results for the liquid film showed a reasonable data dispersion. Concerning the perturbation velocities the results indicated that they increase along the mixing duct. For the eight atomizers tested the mean values of these velocities, near the mixing duct exit, were around 60 to 65 m/s. A theoretical-experimental model which uses the pressure drop measured inside the mixing duct was developed to predict locally the mean liquid film velocity and thickness, the entrainment fraction, the shear stress on the air/water interface, the void fraction and the mean air velocity in the flow core.

[pt] Vibrações induzidas por escoamento tem apresentado cada vez mais importância na indústria do petróleo. A vibração de colunas produção, somada aos ciclos normais de oscilação de temperatura e pressão dos poços, pode causar o desgaste dos diversos micro-componentes presentes no sistema. Uma potencial fonte de perturbação, em poços injetores, é a turbulência do escoamento formado por um jato que sai em alta velocidade da coluna de injeção e atinge a parede do revestimento. No presente estudo, investiga-se o efeito causado por jatos confinados no espaço anular formado por dois tubos concêntricos. A geometria assemelha-se àquela de um poço injetor, entretanto os números de Reynolds analisados são inferiores ao caso real. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi analisar o comportamento desse tipo de escoamento sob diferentes condições, no que diz respeito a número de Reynolds, distância em relação a superfície e número de jatos presentes no espaço anular. O escoamento no interior do espaço anular foi caracterizado com a técnica de velocimetria por imagem de partículas com alta resolução temporal (time resolved PIV). O comportamento dinâmico das perturbações foi analisado e as estruturas espaciais mais relevantes foram estimadas utilizando a decomposição por modos próprios ortogonais. Os resultados mostram que na presença de dois jatos o escoamento o escoamento apresenta flutuações periódicas mais intensas, com frequências bem definidas, sugerindo um acoplamento dos jatos. Foram realizados experimentos para estimar os coeficientes de transferência de calor associados com esse escoamento. Para isso, foram realizados experimentos com aquecimento da superfície do tubo externo. Nos casos com jatos próximos a superfície, os resultados sugerem que ocorre uma redução da transferência de calor na região de estagnação do jato. / [en] Flow induced vibration has shown an increasingly higher relevance in oil and gas industry. The vibration of completion strings, plus normal cycles of wells, can cause premature failure of micro-components present in the system. Flow turbulence is a potential source of vibration for the system. In injection wells, the fluid flows from the inner pipe (completion string) towards the surface of the external pipes (casings). This flow frequently has a turbulent behaviour, due to the high flow rates employed. In the present study, flow resulting from jets in a confined annular space is investigated, for different parameters, including Reynolds number, pipe diameters and number of jets. The geometry resembles that of an injection well, however the Reynolds numbers analyzed are lower than the actual case. The flow field inside the annular space is characterized using time resolved PIV (Particle Image Velocimetry) techniques. The dynamic behavior of the perturbations was analyzed and the most relevant spatial structures were estimated using Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD). Results show that, in presence of two jets, flow exhibits intense periodic fluctuations, with well-defined frequencies This suggests the presence of a coupling between jets. Experiments are carried out to estimate the heat transfer coefficients associated with this flow. In the cases with jets close to the surface, results suggest that a reduction of heat transfer occurs in the region of jet stagnation.

A economia mundial é fortemente dependente da disponibilidade de óleo, no entanto as reservas de óleo leve, mais atrativas ao mercado, tendem nos próximos anos ao esgotamento, trazendo à luz as reservas de óleo pesado para atender as demandas do mercado. No entanto, os processos associados ao transporte e processamento desses óleos viscosos consomem muita energia, impondo um grande desafio para a indústria do petróleo. Nesse contexto, se transportar óleos viscosos com água através de um escoamento bifásico em padrão Core Annular Flow (CAF) é muito promissor. Nessa prática, uma película anular de água envolve o núcleo que contém o óleo, minimizando o contato entre este e a parede do duto e reduzindo as perdas de energia por atrito. Visou o presente estudo mapear os padrões de escoamento de óleo pesado com água em dutos horizontais e verticais, mensurar os fatores de redução de potência e do diferencial de pressão associados à um trecho reto e à uma válvula de gaveta aberta e determinar o holdup para avaliar a eficiência do CAF. Para atingir esses objetivos, uma unidade de bancada foi construída, consistindo de tanques de armazenamento e de separação da mistura. Interligando os tanques, foram dispostos dutos transparentes com 27 mm de diâmetro interno e 8 m de extensão, contendo duas seções horizontais e uma vertical para análise e diversos acessórios hidráulicos. O óleo utilizado possuía viscosidade de 3200 cP a 22 °C e densidade de 945 kg/m3 . Os resultados experimentais demonstraram haver diversas configurações de fluxo segundo o posicionamento do duto, e que a diferença de densidade dos fluidos descentraliza o óleo nos escoamentos horizontais. Além disso, o trecho vertical intercalado entre os trechos horizontais se comportou como um retificador de fluxo, melhorando os índices do CAF. Foi determinado um fator de redução de perda de pressão máximo de 250 vezes para o trecho reto e de 12 vezes para a válvula de gaveta. O fator global máximo de redução de potência foi mensurado em 2,2 vezes. Concluiu-se que, para um trecho reto, o projeto de instalações hidráulicas para o escoamento bifásico deve considerar 15 % a mais de perda de carga em relação ao escoamento de água pura. Já para a válvula de gaveta, esse fator deve ser de 700 %. / The world economy is strongly dependent on the availability of oil, however, light oil reserves, more market-oriented, tend to deplete in coming years, bringing to light the heavy oil reserves to meet the demands of the market. However, the processes associated with the transportation and production of these viscous oils consume a lot of energy and pose a great challenge for the oil industry. In this context, transporting viscous oils through a liquid-liquid two-phase oil-water flow in a core annular pattern (CAF) is very promising. In this method, an annular water film surrounds the oil-containing core, minimizing its contact with the pipe wall and reducing energy losses by friction. The aim of the present work was to map the flow patterns of a biphasic oil-water flow in horizontal and vertical pipes, to evaluate the overall energy savings provided by the CAF technique, to measure the pressure gradient reduction factor along the pipe and in a gate valve and to determine the holdup as a way of assessing the energy efficiency of the biphasic oil-water flow transport. To achieve these goals, an experimental facility was built and it consisted of cargo and separation tanks. Connecting these tanks, approximately 8 m of 27mm-ID clear transparent PVC pipes, two horizontal and one vertical sections and various hydraulic fittings. It was used in the tests lubricating oil with 3200 cP and 945 kg/m3 at 22°C and distilled water. The experimental results showed that there are several flow configurations according to the pipe positioning, and that the oil and the water density difference decentralizes the oil core in horizontal flows. In addition, the vertical section placed between the two horizontal ones behaved like a flow rectifier, improving the core annular flow energy savings basis. An average pressure gradient reduction factor of 250 times in a straight pipe and of 12 times in a gate valve was determined. The maximum overall power reduction factor was measured as being 2.2 times. It was concluded that the design of a hydraulic installation to transport heavy oil with water in a core annular pattern should consider a pressure drop increase by a factor of 15 % in a straight pipe and by a factor of 700 % in a gate valve based on the monophasic water transport at similar flow rates.

Les structures planes supportent la propagation de modes de Lamb, dont certains présentent une vitesse de groupe nulle et une vitesse de phase finie. Ces modes ZGV, favorablement engendrés et détectés par ultrasons laser, donnent lieu à des résonances locales étroites qui sont sensibles à l'épaisseur, aux propriétés élastiques et aux conditions de surface. Dans le premier volet de cette thèse, l'optimisation spatiale de la source laser (Faisceau rectangle ou Gaussien, anneau à profil rectangle ou Gaussien obtenu à l'aide d'un axicon) est étudiée afin d'améliorer la génération d'un mode de Lamb de longueur d'onde λ. Il est démontré que le rayon optimal d'un faisceau Gaussien est égal à λ/π. Les résultats théoriques sont en bon accord avec les simulations semi-analytiques et les mesures réalisées à la fréquence du mode ZGV S1S2 dans une plaque de Duralumin. Le second volet est dédié au contrôle de plaques collées par résonance ZGV. Ces structures sont décrites par un modèle rhéologique adhésif faisant intervenir des raideurs d'interface. La sensibilité des fréquences ZGV aux paramètres de la couche d'adhésif et aux raideurs d'interface est étudiée. La mesure des résonances ZGV a conduit à l'obtention des cartes de raideurs et d'épaisseur de colle. Elle a également permis de différencier des assemblages à tenue mécanique contrôlée / For some Lamb modes propagating in plane structures, the group velocity vanishes while the phase velocity remains finite. These modes are associated with local and narrow resonances and are sensitive to thickness, elastic properties and boundary conditions. Laser ultrasound techniques are well suited to generate and detect these resonances. In the first part of this thesis, spatial optimization of laser sources (Top-Hat and Gaussian beam, rectangular and Gaussian ring produced by an axicon-lens system) are studied in order to enhance the generation of a Lamb mode at wavelength λ. Optimal radius of a Gaussian beam is demonstrated to be λ/π. Theoretical results are shown to be in a good agreement with semi-analytical simulation and experimental results performed in a Duralumin plate at the S1S2-ZGV mode frequency. The second part of this work is dedicated to the use of ZGV resonances for the inspection of bonded plates. Trilayers are described by rheological model where interfaces are modelized by stiffnesses. The sensitivity of ZGV frequencies to the interfacial stiffnesses as well as adhesive layer parameters has been studied. Stiffnesses and adhesive thickness maps have been extracted from ZGV resonance measurements. In addition, ZGV mode measurements have been shown to allow the differenciation of controled bond strengh samples

[pt] O presente trabalho investigou a queda de pressão em escoamento através de um espaço anular com rotação do cilindro interno. A motivação para o trabalho veio da aplicação desta configuração em diversas situações de interesse industrial, como reatores químicos catalíticos, filtros e nas operações de perfuração de poços produtores de petróleo e gás. O estudo realizado foi conduzido em uma seção de testes especialmente projetada e construída, formando um espaço anular com razão de raios de 0,65 e com um comprimento de 256 diâmetros hidráulicos, suficiente para garantir o desenvolvimento hidrodinâmico do escoamento nos regimes laminar e turbulento. O trabalho investigou a queda de pressão ao longo do espaço anular como função da vazão, dada pelo número de Reynolds, e da rotação do cilindro interno, caracterizada pelo número de Reynolds rotacional. A faixa de números de Reynolds investigada foi de 260 a 10000, enquanto o Reynolds rotacional variou de 60 a 1000. Dois fluidos de trabalho foram utilizados nos testes: água e uma mistura de água e glicerina. Os resultados para a queda de pressão foram apresentados na forma de fatores de atrito hidrodinâmicos. Testes preliminares para o caso do cilindro interno sem rotação foram realizados e comparados com resultados da literatura, com o objetivo de validar a seção de testes e o procedimento experimental. Os resultados apresentados mostraram boa concordância com valores disponíveis na literatura tanto para o caso de escoamento laminar , quanto para escoamento turbulento. Para os casos de baixos números de Reynolds, os resultados mostraram que a rotação do cilindro interno provocava um pico na razão entre o fator de atrito com rotação e sem rotação para um valor do número de Reynolds da ordem de 500. Aumentos da ordem de 15% foram verificados. / [en] The present work investigated the pressure drop generated by the flow through an annular configuration with rotation of the inner cylinder. The motivation for the work comes from the several industrial application of the configuration, such as chemical reactors, filters and in drilling operations for oil and gas wells. The experimental study was conducted in a specially designed test section forming an annular space with radius ratio of 0.65 and a length equivalent to 265 hydraulic diameters, what guaranteed the hydrodynamic development of the flow for the laminar and turbulent regimes. The study investigated the pressure drop along the annular space as a function of the flow rate, given by the Reynolds number, and of the rotation of the inner cylinder, given by the rotational Reynolds number. The range of Reynolds number investigated was from 260 to 10,000, while the rotational Reynolds number was varied from 60 to 1,000. Two fluids were employed in the testes; water and a mixture of water and glycerol. The pressure drop results were presented in the form of dimensionless friction factors. Preliminary tests for the case of no rotation of the inner cylinder were compared with results available in the literature, in order to validate the test section and the experimental procedure. The results displayed good agreement with the literature for both laminar and turbulent regimes. For the low Reynolds number test cases, the results obtained have shown that the inner cylinder rotation induces a peak in the distribution of the ratio of friction factor to the friction factor without rotation. The peak, of about 15%, is found for Reynolds numbers of the order of 500.

In this study, radial solid density distributions in upward flowing water-feldspar mixtures through a concentric annulus were investigated. Local solid density measurements were performed at a test cross-section in the fully developed flow region of a concentric annulus, which is a part of a closed-loop system consisting of a head tank, a variable speed slurry pump, an orificemeter, a heat exchanger, an annulus, a temperature probe, and a drain line. The solid particles with mean diameters of 72 and 138 &amp / #61549 / m at two different feed solid concentrations of 1 and 2 % v/v were used in the prepared slurries. The dependent variables being local solid density, local mixture velocity, and axial frictional pressure drop along the test-section, an experimental work was performed to obtain the radial solid density profiles and axial pressure gradients at different operating conditions. To determine the local solid densities, a sampling probe was used. At the beginning, this probe was used as a pitot tube to measure the local velocities in the test cross-section. Making use of these data, local solid densities were measured with the same probe under isokinetic and nonisokinetic conditions to compare both. For this purpose, an isokinetic sampling unit was designed and constructed to withdraw the samples under isokinetic flow conditions, at which the sampling velocity in the probe equated to the true flow velocity in the annulus very closely. The required constant back-pressure was supplied by pressurized N2 gas to equate these velocities to each other. The amounts of solids in the slurry samples collected at seven different radial locations in the test area under isokinetic and non-isokinetic conditions were determined by the gravimetric method. Local solid densities showed more uniform trends at the feed solid concentration of 1% v/v than those at 2% v/v. Increasing the feed solid concentration and particle size changed the shape of these profiles. The obtained local solid densities were generally higher near the outer wall than those near the inner wall / this result was consistent with the literature. As a general trend, local solid densities showed a decreasing trend at around a dimensionless radial distance of &amp / #61548 / =0.4, where the slurry velocity profile had its maximum value. It was observed that the two-phase axial frictional pressure gradients along the test section in the fully developed flow region increased with increasing feed solid concentration and the particle size at a constant slurry flow rate. Isokinetic sampling results showed that the local solid densities increased consistently with the increasing slurry velocity at all radial distances in the annular gap, while this trend was not observed clearly in the non-isokinetic measurements. Also the variations of the local solid densities along the radial distance were more obvious in the isokinetic results while these variations were obscured under nonisokinetic conditions by the experimental error at a higher level.

The borehole heat exchangers of today suffer from poor thermal and hydrodynamic performance. The purpose of this thesis is to improve the performance of ground source heat pump systems and thermal energy storages by increasing the energy efficiency of the borehole heat exchangers. For this reason, the annular coaxial borehole heat exchanger (CBHE) has been analyzed. This type of heat exchanger is interesting in terms of both thermal and hydrodynamic performance. A model has been set up in the program Comsol Multiphysics in order to investigate the heat transfer characteristics along the borehole. A literature survey that summarizes the analytical calculation methods developed in earlier Swedish research is presented in the report. Different geometries with or without insulation of the central pipe have been analyzed and the effective borehole resistance for each geometry has been calculated based on the simulation results. The model has been validated against a recently performed thermal response test, and shows very good correlation with reality. The results from the simulations show that by using the annular CBHE an increase of 2-3 °C in the evaporator of the heat pump can be achieved. Calculations show that the pump work (head loss) can be reduced to 1/6 of the corresponding case with a single U-pipe. There arises a vertical temperature gradient in the bedrock when recharging and extracting heat with the annular CBHE. This means that the annular CBHE acts like a counter-flow heat exchanger which is thermally optimal. In total, the simulation result shows that the annular CBHE geometry in this thesis can increase a system's seasonal performance factor (SPF) with 10-19 % in comparison with a U-pipe BHE. This is equivalent to 10-19 % lower electrical power consumption every year.

The absence of appropriate media to cultivate photons efficiently at the micro or nano scale has hindered taking the full advantage of processing information with light. The proposal of such a medium for light, known as photonic crystals (PCs)--multi-dimensional artificially periodic dielectric media--brings the possibility of a revolution in communications and sensing much closer. In such media, one can manipulate light at a scale on the order of the wavelength or even shorter. Applications of PCs other than in communication include bio-sensing because of the peculiar properties of PCs such as the capability of enhance field-matter interaction and control over the group velocity. As a result, PC waveguide (PCW) structures are of interest and it is expected that PC sensors offer the feasibility of multi-analyte and compact sensing schemes as well as the ability of the detection of small absolute analyte quantities (nanoliters) and low-concentration samples (picomoles), which may be advantages over conventional approaches such as fiber optic and slab waveguide sensors. Depending on the nature of the analyte, either dispersive or absorptive sensing schemes may be implemented. Light propagation is controlled fully only with 3D PCs. One of the problems arising due to reducing the dimension to 2D is that PCs become strongly polarization sensitive. In many cases, one wants to implement polarization insensitive devices such that the PC provides a full band gap for all polarizations. To address this problem, a novel type of PC called annular PC is proposed and analyzed. The capability of tuning the TE and TM polarizations independently within the same structure provides great flexibility to produce polarization-independent or polarization-dependent devices as desired. PCW bends are expected to be the essential building blocks of photonic integrated circuits. Sharp corners having small radii of curvature can be obtained. To enhance the low-loss and narrow-band transmission through these bends, PC heterostructures waveguide concept is introduced. We show that in PCWs formed by joining different types of PCs in a single structure, light can flow around extremely sharp bends in ways that are not possible using conventional PCWs based on a single type of PC.