The main task of the ventilation system in a building is to maintain the air quality and (together with the heating or cooling system) the thermal climate at an acceptable level within the building. This means that a sufficient amount of ventilation air at the appropriate temperature and quality must be supplied to satisfy thermal comfort and air quality demands and that this air is distributed to the parts of the building where people reside. Air movements caused by buoyancy forces can determine the distribution of ventilation air within buildings. The purpose of this thesis is to advance the state of knowledge of buoyancydriven air movements within buildings and to determine their importance both for ventilation air distribution and the maintenance of thermal comfort and air quality in buildings. The work is focused on studying thermally-driven air movements through large openings, both horizontal and vertical (i.e. doorways). The properties of a special type of thermally-driven currents, so called gravity currents, have also been explored. Large vertical openings like doorways are important for air exchange between rooms within a building. Air movements through doorways separating rooms with different air temperatures are often bidirectional and the buoyancy-driven flow rates are often greater than those caused by the mechanical ventilation system alone. Bidirectional flows through doorways can effectively spread contaminants, for example, from a kitchen or a hospital rooms, yet the results of this study indicate that the conversion of a thermally-driven bidirectional flow to a unidirectional flow via an increase of the mechanically forced flow rate requires forced flows that are more than three times greater than the thermally-driven flows. Experiments conducted in this project indicate that the resistance to buoyancy-driven flows in horizontal openings is significantly greater than that in vertical openings. Model tests have shown, however, that this problem may be mitigated if a simple model of a staircase located in the centre of the room (being ventilated) is linked to the horizontal ventilation opening. Gravity currents in rooms occur in connection with so called displacement ventilation as cool gravity currents propagate along the floor that are driven by the density difference of the ventilation air and the ambient, warmer air within the room. As these gravity currents easily pass obstacles and to a certain extent are self-controlling, they can effectively distribute the cool air within rooms in a building. Likewise, warm gravity currents occur when warmer air introduced in a room rises and spreads along the ceiling plane. One application where warm gravity currents may be used to advantage is when converting buildings from electric heating to district hot water heating thus, avoiding the introduction of an expensive hydronic heating system. This report includes a full-scale laboratory study of the basic properties of thermally-driven warm air gravity currents in a residential building and examines the possibilities of using the resulting air movements for the distribution of ventilation air as well as heat. Results from laboratory tests show that this conversion method may prove effective if certain conditions on the layout of the building are fulfilled. / QC 20100705

The goal of the work described in this report was the experimental investigation of the mixing of coolant with different quality (temperature, boron concentration) in nuclear reactors on the way from the cold leg through the downcomer and lower plenum to the core inlet in a systematic way. The obtained data were used for the clarification of the mixing mechanisms and form a data basis for the validation of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) codes. For these purposes, experiments on slug mixing have been performed at two test facilities, modelling different reactor types in scale 1:5, the Rossendorf and Vattenfall test facilities. The corresponding accident scenario is the start-up of first main coolant pump (MCP) after formation of a slug of lower borated water during the reflux-condenser mode phase of a small break loss of coolant accident (LOCA). The matrices for the experiments were elaborated on the basis of the key phenomena, being responsible for the coolant mixing during pump start-up. Slug mixing tests have also been performed at the VVER-1000 facility of EDO Gidropress to meet the specifics of this reactor type. The mixing of slugs of water of different quality is also very important for pre-stressed thermal shock (PTS) situations. In emergency core cooling (ECC) situations after a LOCA, cold ECC water is injected into the hot water in the cold leg and downcomer. Due to the large temperature differences, thermal shocks are induced at the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) wall. Temperature distributions near the wall and temperature gradients in time are important to be known for the assessment of thermal stresses. One of the important phenomena in connection with PTS is thermal stratification, a flow condition with a vertical temperature profile in a horizontal pipe. Due to the fluctuating character of the flow, this may cause thermal fatigue in the pipe. Besides of thermal fatigue, a single thermal shock can also be relevant for structural integrity, if it is large enough, especially in the case, that the brittle fracture temperature of the RPV material is reduced due to radiation embrittlement. Therefore, additional to the investigations of slug mixing during re-start of coolant circulation, the mixing of slugs or streams of water with higher density with the ambient fluid in the RPV was investigated. The aim of these investigations was to study the process of turbulent mixing under the influence of buoyancy forces caused by the temperature differences. Heat transfer to the wall and thermal conductivity in the wall material have not been considered. Experiments on density driven mixing were carried out at the Rossendorf and the Fortum PTS facilities.

The flow in a layer of volatile fluid driven by a horizontal temperature gradient is a fundamental transport model for numerous evaporative passive cooling applications. When a thin film of a volatile liquid is subject to a horizontal temperature gradient, changes in the surface tension at the free surface lead to Marangoni stresses that drive the flow. In a thicker liquid layer, the flow is also affected by buoyancy. This thesis describes experimental studies of convection driven by a combined action of Marangoni stresses and buoyancy in simple and binary volatile liquid layers confined in a sealed rectangular cavity heated at one end and cooled at the other. Experiments with varying concentrations of noncondensables (i.e., air) ca were performed to investigate their effect on the phase change and heat and mass transport. In the simple liquid, thermocapillary stresses drive the liquid near the free surface away from the heated end. Varying ca is shown to strongly affect the stability of this buoyancy-thermocapillary flow for Marangoni numbers Ma = 290 - 3600 and dynamic Bond numbers BoD = 0.56 - 0.82: removing air suppresses transition to multicellular and unsteady flow. The results are compared with numerical simulations and linear stability analysis. In the binary liquid considered here, a methanol-water (MeOH-H2O) mixture, solutocapillary stresses drive the flow near the free surface towards the heated end. Four distinct flow regimes are identified for this complex flow driven by thermocapillarity, solutocapillarity, and buoyancy, and are summarized in a flow regime map as a function of ca and the liquid composition (MeOH concentration). At low ca, solutocapillary effects are strong enough to drive the liquid near the free surface towards the heated end over the entire liquid layer, suggesting that binary-fluid coolants could significantly reduce film dryout.

No description available.

Gravity waves have a significant dynamic effect in the mesosphere. In particular, they drive the mesospheric circulation and are the reason that the summer polar mesosphere is cooler than the winter polar mesosphere. This thesis examines whether the effects of gravity waves are largely determined by filtering effects which allow only gravity waves with certain properties to propagate into the atmosphere. The filtering of gravity waves above Scott Base, Antarctica is examined using a radiosonde derived gravity wave source function, an MF-radar derived mesospheric gravity wave climatology, and a model derived filtering function. Least squares fitting of the source function and filtering function to the observed mesospheric gravity wave climatology allows us to determine which gravity wave phase velocities and propagation direction are likely to be present in the mesosphere and the relative importance of filtering and sources in this region. It is concluded the blocking of eastward gravity waves is important in winter and westward waves in summer.

Gravity waves have a significant dynamic effect in the mesosphere. In particular, they drive the mesospheric circulation and are the reason that the summer polar mesosphere is cooler than the winter polar mesosphere. This thesis examines whether the effects of gravity waves are largely determined by filtering effects which allow only gravity waves with certain properties to propagate into the atmosphere. The filtering of gravity waves above Scott Base, Antarctica is examined using a radiosonde derived gravity wave source function, an MF-radar derived mesospheric gravity wave climatology, and a model derived filtering function. Least squares fitting of the source function and filtering function to the observed mesospheric gravity wave climatology allows us to determine which gravity wave phase velocities and propagation direction are likely to be present in the mesosphere and the relative importance of filtering and sources in this region. It is concluded the blocking of eastward gravity waves is important in winter and westward waves in summer.

Discharge of brine wastewater produced from industrial plants into adjacent coastal water bodies is considered as a preferable and common method currently used in many offshore industrial plants. Therefore, it is important to carefully study the behavior of jets and their environmental impacts on water bodies close to the discharge points, especially when the density is different between the jets and the receiving water. The main goal of this study is to improve the understanding of the mixing behaviour of jet trajectories for positively (offset) and negatively (inclined) buoyant jets when density is considered a significant factor, and also to examine the accuracy of some RANS turbulence models and one type of artificial neural network in predicting jet trajectory behaviours. In the first part of this study, experiments using a PIV system for offset buoyant jets were conducted in order to study the effect of the density differences (due to salinity [nonthermal] or temperature [thermal]) between the discharge and the receiving water body on the jet behavior, and the results showed that the nonthermal jets behaved differently as compared to the thermal jets, even though the densimetric Froude numbers (Frd) and density differences (∆ρ) were similar. In addition, a Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) numerical model was performed using open-source CFD code (OpenFOAM) with a developed solver (modified form of the pisoFoam solver). The realizable k-ε model showed the best prediction among the models. Secondly, an extensive experimental study of an inclined dense jet for two angles (15°and 52°) was conducted to study the effect of these angles on the jets’ geometrical characteristics in the presence of a wide range of densimetric Froude numbers as well as with different discharge densities. More experimental data were obtained for these angles to be added to the previous data for the purpose of calibrating, validating, and comparing the various numerical models for future studies. The results of these experiments are used to evaluate the performance of a type of artificial neural network method called the group method of data handling (GMDH), and the GMDH results are then compared with existing analytical solutions in order to prove the accuracy of the GMDH method in simulating mixing behaviors in water bodies. Thirdly, a comprehensive study on predicting the geometrical characteristics of inclined negatively-buoyant jests using GMDH approach was conducted. The superiority of this model was demonstrated statistically by comparing to several previous analytical models. The results obtained from this study confirm that the GMDH model was highly accurate and was the best among others for predicting the geometrical characteristics of inclined negatively-buoyant jests.

The purpose of this study was to examine the conceptual understandings of 55 elementary preservice teachers for the concept of buoyancy. This study used Ausubel’s Assimilation Theory (Ausubel, 1963) as a framework for a 15-week intervention that used pre/post concept maps (Cmaps), pre/post face-to-face semi-structured interviews, and drawings as evidences for change of formation of cognitive structures. Using a convergent parallel design and mixed methods approach, preservice teachers’ conceptions were analyzed using these evidences. Results of the study show that preservice teachers held both scientific conceptions and misconceptions about buoyancy as a force before and after an instructional intervention. Of importance were the existence of robust misconceptions about buoyancy that included inaccurate scientific knowledge about the foundational concepts of gravity, weight, mass, and density. The largest gains in scientific knowledge included the concepts of gravity, surface area, opposing forces, and the buoyant force. These concepts were consistently supported with evidence from post-concept maps, post, semi-structured interviews, and drawings. However, high frequencies of misconceptions were associated with these same aforementioned concepts as well as additional misconceptions about buoyancy-related concepts (i.e., weight, density, displacement, and sinking/floating). A paired t test showed a statistically significant difference (t = -3.504, p = .001) in the total number of scientifically correct concepts for the pre-concept maps (M = 0.51, SD = .879) and post-concept maps (M = 1.25, SD = 1.542). The Cohen’s d effect size was small, .47. Even through gains for the pre/post concept maps were noted, a qualitative analysis of the results indicated that not only were there serious gaps in the participant’s scientific understanding of buoyancy, after the instructional intervention an increased number of misconceptions were presented alongside the newly learned concepts. A paired t test examining misconceptions showed that there was a statistically significant difference (t = -3.160, p = .003) in the total number of misconceptions for the pre-concept maps (M = 2.709, SD = 1.449) and post-concept maps (M = 3.363, SD = 2.094) after the intervention. The Cohen’s d effect size was small, .43. Taken together, these results revealed that, in general, the preservice teachers had understandings of buoyancy that align with children in preschool and elementary school (Biddulph and Osborne, 1983; Grimellini-Tomasini et al., 1990; Halford, Brown & Thompson, 1986; Hsin and Wu, 2011; Kohn, 1993; Rappolt-Schlichtmann et al., 2007; Yin et al., 2008). Based on these findings, implications for this study suggest that elementary preservice teacher candidates should be carefully screened to ensure they have mastered foundational scientific knowledge that they are expected to teach to children. As such knowledge is a prerequisite to the development of pedagogical content knowledge, it is unlikely that large numbers of robust misconceptions will be significantly reduced or eliminated during a science methods course that is designed to focus on pedagogical content knowledge.

The goal of the work described in this report was the experimental investigation of the mixing of coolant with different quality (temperature, boron concentration) in nuclear reactors on the way from the cold leg through the downcomer and lower plenum to the core inlet in a systematic way. The obtained data were used for the clarification of the mixing mechanisms and form a data basis for the validation of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) codes. For these purposes, experiments on slug mixing have been performed at two test facilities, modelling different reactor types in scale 1:5, the Rossendorf and Vattenfall test facilities. The corresponding accident scenario is the start-up of first main coolant pump (MCP) after formation of a slug of lower borated water during the reflux-condenser mode phase of a small break loss of coolant accident (LOCA). The matrices for the experiments were elaborated on the basis of the key phenomena, being responsible for the coolant mixing during pump start-up. Slug mixing tests have also been performed at the VVER-1000 facility of EDO Gidropress to meet the specifics of this reactor type. The mixing of slugs of water of different quality is also very important for pre-stressed thermal shock (PTS) situations. In emergency core cooling (ECC) situations after a LOCA, cold ECC water is injected into the hot water in the cold leg and downcomer. Due to the large temperature differences, thermal shocks are induced at the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) wall. Temperature distributions near the wall and temperature gradients in time are important to be known for the assessment of thermal stresses. One of the important phenomena in connection with PTS is thermal stratification, a flow condition with a vertical temperature profile in a horizontal pipe. Due to the fluctuating character of the flow, this may cause thermal fatigue in the pipe. Besides of thermal fatigue, a single thermal shock can also be relevant for structural integrity, if it is large enough, especially in the case, that the brittle fracture temperature of the RPV material is reduced due to radiation embrittlement. Therefore, additional to the investigations of slug mixing during re-start of coolant circulation, the mixing of slugs or streams of water with higher density with the ambient fluid in the RPV was investigated. The aim of these investigations was to study the process of turbulent mixing under the influence of buoyancy forces caused by the temperature differences. Heat transfer to the wall and thermal conductivity in the wall material have not been considered. Experiments on density driven mixing were carried out at the Rossendorf and the Fortum PTS facilities.

In the wind resource and wind turbine suitability industry Computational Fluid Dynamics has gained widespread use to model the airflow at proposed wind farm locations. These models typically focus on the neutrally stratified surface layer and ignore physical process such as buoyancy and the Coriolis force. These physical processes are integral to the accurate description of the atmospheric boundary layer and reductions in uncertainties of turbine suitability and power production calculations can be achieved if these processes are included. The present work focuses on atmospheric flows in which atmospheric stability and the Coriolis force are included. The study uses Monin-Obukhov Similarity Theory to analyse time series data output from a proposed wind farm location to determine the prevalence and impact of stability at the location. The output provides the necessary site data required for the CFD model as well as stability-dependent wind profiles from measurements. The results show non-neutral stratification to be the dominant condition onsite with impactful windfield changes between stability conditions. The wind flows considered in this work are classified as high Reynolds number flows and are based on numerical solutions of the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations. A two-equation closure method for turbulence based on the k __ turbulence model is utilized. Modifications are introduced to standard CFD model equations to account for the impact of atmospheric stability and ground roughness effects. The modifications are introduced by User Defined Functions that describe the profiles, source terms and wall functions required for the ABL CFD model. Two MOST models and two wall-function methods are investigated. The modifications are successfully validated using the horizontal homogeneity test in which the modifications are proved to be in equilibrium by the model�s ability to maintain inlet profiles of velocity and turbulence in an empty domain. The ABL model is applied to the complex terrain of the proposed wind farm location used in the data analysis study. The inputs required for the stability modifications are generated using the available measured data. Mesoscale data are used to describe the inlet boundary conditions. The model is successfully validated by cross prediction of the stabilitydependent wind velocity profiles between the two onsite masts. The advantage of the developed model is the applicability into standard wind industry loading and power production calculations using outputs from typical onsite measurement campaigns. The model is tuning-free and the site-specific modifications are input directly into the developed User Defined Functions. In summary, the results show that the implemented modifications and developed methods are applicable and reproduce the main wind flow characteristics in neutral and non-neutral flows over complex wind farm terrains. In additions, the developed method reduce modelling uncertainties compared against models and measurements that neglect non-neutral stratification. / Dissertation (MEng)--University of Pretoria, 2018. / Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering / MEng / Unrestricted