The difficulties regarding the control of high velocity flying vehicles in supersonic/hypersonic flight regime are still prevailing. Whether it is mixing enhancement,side force generation or aerodynamic steering, wall cooling or any otherfavourable method to control the flow, the resultant effects of different flow controltechniques on the associated flowfield demands careful experimental and numericalinvestigations. Traditional aerodynamic control surfaces are subjected tosevere flight conditions and loadings in different flight regimes resulting in impairedthe control effectiveness. Active flow control methods serve strong alternativeto achieve separation postponement, transition control, lift enhancement,mixing enhancement, drag reduction, turbulence modification and/or noise suppression,etc. This thesis deals with two main active flow control techniques;transverse jets at Mach 5 cross flow and energy deposition using arc discharge atMach 5 flow. The influence of roughness on the control effectiveness of transversejet interactions is also examined. The first objective of this thesis is to investigate experimentally the flowphysics of the sonic transverse jets at Mach 5 laminar cross flow both in timeaveraged and time resolved manner to provide reliable experimental data andbetter understanding at high Mach numbers. The parameters such as momentumflux ratio, incoming Reynolds number, type of the gas and the surface roughnessare studied. The size and structures of the upstream and downstream separationregions and jet penetration characteristics together with jet shear layer behaviourare examined. Moreover CFD simulations are conducted on a two dimensionalcase of Spaid and Zukoski and the numerical solver/procedure is validated. Thena three dimensional experimental case is simulated to provide greater understandingon the flow physics as well as to cross check measurements. As the main finding; jet interaction flow field can not be oversimplified andrepresented with only one parameter that is momentum flux ratio, J, as suggested by the literature; the incoming Reynolds number, type of injectant and roughnessare clearly affecting the interaction resulting in advantages or drawbacks for flowcontrol point of view. The second objective of this thesis is to investigate experimentally the dynamicsbetween the localised energy spot and the blunt body shock for dragreduction at Mach 5 flow. The localised energy spot is created firstly via steadyelectric arc struck between two electrodes using a small amount of energy andsecondly via pulsed laser focusing with a significant amount of energy. In caseof electric discharge, the effects of discharge are evaluated in comparison to nodischarge case with the electrodes. The unsteady wake/compression structuresare examined between the steadily deposited energy spot and the modified bowshock wave. And for the laser focussing unsteady interaction that is happeningin a short duration of time is investigated. The effect of the truncation, the distancebetween the electrodes and the model as well as the type and amount ofthe energy input on this phenomenon are examined. Moreover CFD simulationsare conducted on the baseline cases to cross check measurements together withtheoretical estimates. As the main finding; the effectiveness of the arc discharge is increasing withincreased truncation or the frontal area and when the arc to nose distance isthe shortest. However an important thing to note is that energy deposition atshorter distances might result higher stagnation point heating rates which aredetrimental. The test campaign clearly renders that the use of small amount ofonboard energy to create a local focused thermal spot in front of a vehicle is anefficient way of reducing drag.

Parabolic trough systems are one of the most commercially and technically developed technologies for concentrated solar power. With the current research and development efforts, the cost of electricity from these systems is approaching the cost of electricity from medium-sized coal-fired power plants. Some of the cost-cutting options for parabolic trough systems include: (i) increasing the sizes of the concentrators to improve the system’s concentration ratio and to reduce the number of drives and controls and (ii) improving the system’s optical efficiency. However, the increase in the concentration ratios of these systems requires improved performance of receiver tubes to minimise the absorber tube circumferential temperature difference, receiver thermal loss and entropy generation rates in the receiver. As such, the prediction of the absorber tube’s circumferential temperature difference, receiver thermal performance and entropy generation rates in parabolic trough receivers therefore, becomes very important as concentration ratios increase. In this study, the thermal and thermodynamic performance of parabolic trough receivers at different Reynolds numbers, inlet temperatures and rim angles as concentration ratios increase are investigated. The potential for improved receiver thermal and thermodynamic performance with heat transfer enhancement using wall-detached twisted tape inserts, perforated plate inserts and perforated conical inserts is also evaluated. In this work, the heat transfer, fluid flow and thermodynamic performance of a parabolic trough receiver were analysed numerically by solving the governing equations using a general purpose computational fluid dynamics code. SolTrace, an optical modelling tool that uses Monte-Carlo ray tracing techniques was used to obtain the heat flux profiles on the receiver’s absorber tube. These heat flux profiles were then coupled to the CFD code by means of user-defined functions for the subsequent analysis of the thermal and thermodynamic performance of the receiver. With this approach, actual non-uniform heat flux profiles and actual non-uniform temperature distribution in the receiver different from constant heat flux profiles and constant temperature distribution often used in other studies were obtained. Both thermodynamic and multi-objective optimisation approaches were used to obtain optimal configurations of the proposed heat transfer enhancement techniques. For thermodynamic optimisation, the entropy generation minimisation method was used. Whereas, the multi-objective optimisation approach was implemented in ANSYS DesignXplorer to obtain Pareto solutions for maximum heat transfer and minimum fluid friction for each of the heat transfer enhancement techniques. Results showed that rim angles lower than 60o gave high absorber tube circumferential temperature differences, higher receiver thermal loss and higher entropy generation rates, especially for flow rates lower than 43 m3/h. The entropy generation rates reduced as the inlet temperature increased, increased as the rim angles reduced and as concentration ratios increased. Existence of an optimal Reynolds number at which entropy generation is a minimum for any given inlet temperature, rim angle and concentration ratio is demonstrated. In addition, for the heat transfer enhancement techniques considered, correlations for the Nusselt number and fluid friction were obtained and presented. With heat transfer enhancement, the thermal efficiency of the receiver increased in the range 5% – 10%, 3% – 8% and 1.2% – 8% with twisted tape inserts, perforated conical inserts and perforated plate inserts respectively. Results also show that with heat transfer enhancement, the absorber tube’s circumferential temperature differences reduce in the range 4% – 68%, 3.4 – 56% and up to 67% with twisted tape inserts, perforated conical inserts and perforated plate inserts respectively. Furthermore, the entropy generation rates were reduced by up to 59%, 45% and 53% with twisted tape inserts, perforated conical inserts and perforated plate inserts respectively. Moreover, using multi-objective optimisation, Pareto optimal solutions were obtained and presented for each heat transfer enhancement technique. In summary, results from this study demonstrate that for a parabolic trough system, rim angles, concentration ratios, flow rates and inlet temperatures have a strong influence on the thermal and thermodynamic performance of the parabolic trough receiver. The potential for improved receiver thermal and thermodynamic performance with heat transfer enhancement has also been demonstrated. Overall, this study provides useful knowledge for improved design and efficient operation of parabolic trough systems. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / tm2015 / Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering / PhD / Unrestricted

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Electromagnetic levitation experiments provide a powerful tool that allows for the study of nucleation, solidification and growth in a containerless processing environment. Containerless processing allows for the study of reactive melts at elevated temperatures without chemical interactions or contamination from a container. Further, by removing the interface between the liquid and its container, this processing technique allows for greater access to the undercooled region for solidification studies. However, in these experiments it is important to understand the magnetohydrodynamic flow within the sample and the effects that this fluid flow has on the experiment. A recent solidification study found that aluminum-nickel alloy sample have an unusual response of the growth rate of the solid to changes in undercooling. This alloy experienced a decrease in the growth velocity as the initial undercooling deepened, instead of the expected increase in solidification velocity with deepening undercoolings. Current work is exploring several different theories to explain this phenomenon. Distinguishing among these theories requires a comprehensive understanding of the behavior of the internal fluid flow. Our project, USTIP, has done flow modeling to support this and multiple other collaborators on ISS-EML. The fluid flow models presented for the aluminum-nickel sample provide critical insights into the nature of the flow within the aluminum-nickel alloy experiments conducted in the ISS-EML facility. These models have found that for this sample the RNG k-ε model should be used with this sample at temperatures greater than 1800 K and the laminar flow model should be used at temperatures lower than 1600 K. Other work in the ISS-EML, has studied the thermophysical properties of liquid germanium and has found the most recent measurements using oscillating drop techniques to have a discrepancy from the expected property measurements taken terrestrially. Investigating this discrepancy required the quantification of the velocity and characterization of the internal fluid flow in the drop. The models have found that the flow within the sample maintains turbulent behavior throughout cooling. This thesis presents the analysis of the internal flow of four additional samples processed in the International Space Station Electromagnetic Levitation facility. These samples consist of the following alloys: Ti39.5Zr39.5Ni21, Cu50Zr50, Vitreloy 106, and Zr64Ni36. Our collaborators work required the internal flow to be characterized and quantified for their work on solidification. In addition to quantifying the velocity of the flow, the Reynolds number was calculated to characterize the flow during processing. Additionally, the shear-strain rate was calculated for the flow during processing up to the recalescence of the melt.

Surface pressure fluctuations developed by turbulent flow within a boundary layer is a major cause of flow noise from a body and an issue which reveals itself over a wide range of engineering applications. Modified boundary layers (MBLs) inspired by the down coat of an owl’s wing has shown to reduce the acoustic effects caused by flow noise. This thesis investigates the mechanisms that modified boundary layers can provide for reducing the surface pressure fluctuations in a boundary layer. This study analyzes various types of MBLs in a wall jet wind tunnel through computational fluid dynamics and numerical surface pressure spectrum predictions. A novel surface pressure fluctuation spectrum model is developed for use in a wall jet boundary layer and demonstrates high accuracy over a range of Reynolds numbers. Non-dimensional parameters which define the MBL’s geometry and flow environment were found to have a key role in optimizing the acoustic performance. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2019. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Three-dimensional spheroid arrays represent in vivo activity better than conventional 2D cell culturing. A high-throughput microfluidic chip may be capable of depositing cells into spheroid arrays, but it is difficult to regulate the path of individual cells for deposition. Droplets that encapsulate cells may aid in facilitating cell delivery and deposition in the return bend of a microfluidic chip. In this study, a low-cost method for fabricating polymer-cast microfluidic chips has been developed for rapid device prototyping. Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations were conducted to quantify how a change in geometry or fluid properties affects the dynamics of a droplet. These simulations have shown that the deformation, velocity, and trajectory of a droplet are altered when varying the geometry and fluid properties of a multiphase microfluidic system. This quantitative data will be beneficial for the future design of a microfluidic chip for cell deposition into 3D spheroid arrays.

京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(医学) / 甲第23371号 / 医博第4740号 / 新制||医||1051(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院医学研究科医学専攻 / (主査)教授 髙橋 良輔, 教授 安達 泰治, 教授 YOUSSEFIAN Shohab / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Medical Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

This document focuses on the procedure and results of creating a thermohydraulic model of the secondary cooling system of the SAFARI-1 research reactor at the Pelindaba facility of the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) to the west of Pretoria, South Africa. The secondary cooling system is an open recirculating cooling system that comprises an array of parallel-coupled heat exchangers between the primary systems and the main heat sink system, which consists of multiple counterflow-induced draught cooling towers. The original construction of the reactor was a turnkey installation, with no theoretical/technical support or verifiability. The design baseline is therefore not available and it is necessary to reverse-engineer a system that could be modelled and characterised. For the nuclear operator, it is essential to be able to make predictions and systematically implement modifications to improve system performance, such as to understand and modify the control system. Another objective is to identify the critical performance areas of the thermohydraulic system or to determine whether the cooling capacity of the secondary system meets the optimum original design characteristics. The approach was to perform a comprehensive one-dimensional modelling of all the available physical components, which was followed by using existing performance data to verify the accuracy and validity of the developed model. Where performance data is not available, separate analysis through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling is performed to generate the required inputs. The results yielded a model that is accurate within 10%. This is acceptable when compared to the variation within the supplied data, generated and assumed alternatives, and when considering the compounding effect of the large amount of interdependent components, each with their own characteristics and associated performance uncertainties. The model pointed to potential problems within the current system, which comprised either an obstruction in a certain component or faulty measuring equipment. Furthermore, it was found that the current spray nozzles in the cooling towers are underutilised. It should be possible to use the current cooling tower arrangement to support a similar second reactor, although slight modifications would be required to ensure that the current system is not operated beyond its current limits. The interdependent nature of two parallel systems and the variability of the conditions that currently exist would require a similar analysis as the current model to determine the viability of using the existing cooling towers for an additional reactor. / Dissertation (MEng)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering / MEng / Unrestricted

<p>A comprehensive study of inclusion aggregation and removal in different bottom gas-stirred ladles has been conducted. The unsteady, three dimensional, isothermal, multiphase computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was developed. A ladle with two bottom plugs was used in the study. Effects of plug separation angles (180° and 90°) and argon flow rate combinations (5/5 SCFM, 5/20 SCFM and 20/20 SCFM) were investigated. The whole study can be divided into two parts: first, the flow field, slag eye size and wall shear stress have been studied; second, inclusion aggregation and removal in different ladles have been investigated. In the first part, argon bubble breakup and coalescence has been considered. The slag eye size was validated with plant measurement. When the flow rate increases, the size of slag eye will increase while the wall shear stress increases as well. In the second part, a parametric study of ladle design and argon flow rate on inclusion aggregation and removal has been conducted. Turbulence shear collision shows the most dominant effect on inclusion aggregation. The argon flow rate is positively related to inclusion aggregation and removal. When the argon flow rate is fixed, a larger plug separation angle shows higher inclusion aggregation and removal efficiency. </p><br>

One possible way of solving future energy shortages is by the optimization of our current energy consumption. These optimizations must span all possible fields of consumption. In the mechanical field radial piston hydraulic motors may show some margin of improvement. The radial piston hydraulic motor is driven by a pressure difference in hydraulic oil. These motors are commonly found in heavy industrial equipments such as drills and conveyor belts. The advantage with these motors in comparison with electric motors is the high torque and ability to absorb shock loads that may cause damage to electrical motors. The effectiveness of these motors are determined both by the motor and by the drive system as a whole consisting of hydraulic pump driven by a electric motor, hydraulic hoses, motor and possible external coolers. If the effectiveness of the motor is low the whole drive system will be affected thus amplifying the total losses. The losses in the motor can be both mechanical and derived to the viscosity of the oil. One region in the motor where there are viscous losses are in the housing. The housing is filled with oil, that both aids in the cooling and acts as a lubricant for the motor. Pistons and rollers are some of the components found in the housing. These components rotates around the centre line axis while having a pulsating radial motion following a cam ring. This rotating and pulsating motion will push oil in and out of a volume between two consecutive pistons and rollers. This will create viscous losses and regions with a enhanced risk of cavitation. This study investigates if the flow of oil in the housing can be simulated accurately. The study also examine what are the main problems regarding the flow of oil in the housing and the factors affecting the size of the viscous losses. The study also examines the correlation between viscosity and viscous losses. Finally two different optimizations with the intention of decreasing the viscous losses are compared. The study found that the majority of the viscous losses in the housing can be derived to the flow of hydraulic oil in and out of the volume between two consecutive pistons and rollers. The oil will pass a sharp edge around the cylinder block and a narrow passage under the spacing between the cylinder rows in a two cam ring configured motor. This will create regions with a enhanced velocity and risk of cavitation. The stroke of the motor will greatly affect the effectiveness of the motor especially at a high rotational speed. The viscous losses will be transformed into internal energy, heat, thus increasing the temperature of the oil. A increased temperature will decrease the viscosity and the viscous losses. The viscous losses will vary with 17 % if the viscosity is varied between 20 and 100 cSt. The developed model is not sufficient to determine the viscous losses accurately since the geometry had to be considerably simplified, but can act as a way of comparing different optimizations of the motor. The viscous losses can be decreased with 25 % in the CCe motor at 150 rpm by milling material of the cylinder block between the piston holes. This is an expensive optimization and needs to be justified from a cost-benefit perspective.