Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Modern Computational Fluid Dynamics modelling (CFD) are becoming common design and analysis tools in the engineering field. Nowadays, project designs involve the use of CFD techniques along with physical scale modelling to analyse the complex rapidly varied and turbulent flows which would not be easily analysed by physical modelling. In particular, the consideration and/or use of CFD modelling in the Hydraulic Engineering field remains on the increase. Apart from being used for comparison with other design techniques, CFD may in future become a standalone modelling technique in hydraulic structures design. This research aims to use CFD models to validate the simulation of the flow over two ogee dam spillways which are installed in the Hydraulic Laboratory of Stellenbosch University. To achieve this simulation of the flow which involves an interaction between water and air, the flow behaviour has been mapped by the Volume of Fluid (VOF) and the realisable "𝑘−𝜀" turbulence numerical models. The Volume of Fluid (VOF) and the realisable "𝑘−𝜀" models simulate the free surface of two-phase flow and the flow turbulence, respectively. Firstly, the study embarks with details on the actual design approaches of a typical ogee dam spillway. It subsequently presents the geometry and dimensions of the physical models, the testing procedure and the experimental test results achieved from this modelling exercise. For CFD modelling, a commercially available Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) package, Ansys-Fluent, was used. To model the physical model, the use of Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations in combination with the realisable k-ε eddy-viscosity closure model was adopted. The process of CFD model development and the underlying theory of it are discussed in this thesis. Different test scenarios including steady and fully hydrodynamic states simulation for two and three-dimensional geometries were considered in this simulation to achieve the most accurate results. In order to determine the required mesh size, the mesh sensitivity tests were conducted on the 2 dimensional and 3 dimensional models. Finally, the pressure readings and water levels produced by numerical models are discussed through a validation process by comparing the CFD model results with the results obtained from physical models. The outcome proved that CFD models are able to map the behaviour of both flow phases since they exhibited a close correlation to those achieved in the physical models. Even though some slight differences in values were revealed, the graphical trend remains reasonably similar for all test results. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Moderne gerekenariseerde vloeidinamika numeriese modelle (CFD) word deesdae dikwels deur ingenieurs gebruik. Projekontwerpe sluit tans die gebruik van CFD tegnieke asook fisiese skaalmodellering in om komplekse, vinnig-veranderede en turbulente vloei te ontleed. Hierdie tipe vloeie is moeilik om met fisiese modellering te ontleed. Die gebruik van CFD numeriese modelle in hidrouliese ingenieurswese is besig om toe te neem, Die bevindinge van CFD modelering word tans vergelyk met die bevindinge van ander ontwerptegnieke, maar in die toekoms mag dit moontlik gebruik word as die enigste modelleringstegniek in hidrouliese struktuurontwerp. Die doel met hierdie navorsing is om CFD modelering te gebruik om die vloei oor twee ogee-vormige afvoergeute wat in die hidrouliese labrotorium van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch ge-installeer is, te ondersoek. Ten einde hierdie vloei, wat die interaksie tussen water en lug insluit, te simuleer, is die vloeigedrag deur ”volume van vloeistof” (VOF) en die "𝑘−𝜀" turbulensie numeriese modules, gemodeleer. Die VOF en "𝑘−𝜀" numeriese modules simuleer onderskeidelik die vry oppervlakte vloei van die twee-fase vloei en turbulente vloei. Die ontwerp van ’n tipiese ”ogee”-tipe dam oorloop word bespreek, gevolg deur die beskrywing van die geometrie van die fisiese modelle, die toetsprosedure en die eksperimentele toetsresultate. Vir die CFD modellering is die CFD pakket, Ansys-Fluent, gebruik. Vir die simulering van die fisiese model is die Reynolds-gemiddeld Navier-Stokes vergelykings tesame met die k-ε eddy-viskositeit geslote module gebruik. Die proses van CFD ontwikkeling en die onderliggende teorie daarvan word bespreek. Verskillende toets-scenario’s wat 2D en 3D simulasies insluit, uitgevoer. Ten einde die toepaslike berekeningsrooster grootte vir die numeriese model te verkry, is sensitiewiteitstoetse uitgevoer op die twee- en drie-dimensionele numeriese modelle. Laastens is die CFD numeries gesimuleerde drukke en die watervlakke met die van die fisiese modelle vergelyk om die akkuraatheid van die CFD resultate te verkry. Die uitkomstes het getoon dat CFD modelle gebruik kan word om die gedrag van albei vloei fases te simuleer aangesien dit goed vergelyk het met die uitkomstes van die fisiese modellering. Daar was wel klein verskille in die druk waardes, maar die tendense in drukverspreiding was ooreenstemmend.

McDonalds Lime Ltd, situated in Otorohanga, New Zealand, operate two dry process rotary lime kilns producing burnt and hydrated lime for a range of industries including agriculture, roading, water treatment, gold mining and steel making. The following Technology in Industry Fellowship (TIF) funded Masters Project is structured around investigating the combustion characteristics of Kiln Two at McDonald’s Lime Ltd using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Numerical results obtained using the commercial CFD code FLUENT were first validated against experimental data from the International Flame Research Foundation’s (IFRF) Furnace No.1. The validation study focussed on comparing the finite rate and mixture fraction/PDF approaches to combustion chemistry, as well as different methods for defining coal particle size distributions. Numerical modelling of Kiln Two at McDonald’s Lime Ltd began with full three-dimensional simulations, however due to their complexity and large computational times, two-dimensional axisymmetric models were primarily used for investigations. Comparisons were made between the two approaches. Investigations into the original pulverised coal fired system focussed on how the kiln aerodynamics and heat transfer properties were affected by changes to the coal and air inlet properties. The performance of a recently installed waste oil firing system was also investigated, with results showing that firing the kiln with a 25% thermal substitution of oil is the most efficient mode of operation. As the investigations focussed on the combustion characteristics the effects of the reacting limestone bed were ignored in all simulations. CFD modelling of the combustion characteristics within a large scale rotary kiln proved to be an extremely complex task. The work presented in this thesis has however provided some promising results which will ultimately assist McDonalds Lime Ltd in reducing their operating costs and environmental impact. Futhermore, the project has laid the foundation for further investigations.

This thesis investigates the application of CFD techniques to the aerodynamic analysis of a U-shaped JETC. Investigations were carried out to determine the flow patterns present at a number of locations within the structure of a full U-shaped JETC. The CFD solutions produced in these investigations used recommendations from the literature in the set-up of the CFD solver, and provided the computational component towards problem-specific validation of the CFD techniques used. A structured series of CFD-aided investigation and design processes were then performed. These processes were based around a series of analyses that evaluated the influence of a number of cell parameters in terms of cell airflow efficiency and velocity distortion. Four cell components; the inlet and exhaust stack baffle arrangements, the turning-vanes, the rear of the working section and augmenter entrance, and the lower exhaust stack, including the BB, were investigated in individual analyses. Throughout the investigations the value of CFD as a design tool was constantly assessed. Overall, the findings suggest that aerodynamic optimisation of the baffle arrangements would provide the greatest gains to cell airflow efficiency. As some cells contain as many as three baffle arrangements, the potential increases made to cell airflow capacity are sizable. Through implementing the findings of the baffle arrangement investigations, static pressure loss across the five-row baseline arrangement was reduced by 79%. For low levels of velocity distortion in the upstream region of the working section, the need to design the inlet stack baffles in the turning-vane arrangement was highlighted. Mid-baffle vane alignment, consistent flow channels, and sufficiently low chord to gap ratios should be incorporated into a turning-vane design to maximise flow uniformity. The need for the baffle and vane components to combine with the geometry of the cell to limit adverse pressure gradients was found as a requirement to minimise inner corner separation, and the downstream threat it creates to a safe testing environment. CFD proved to be a valuable analysis tool throughout the investigations performed in this thesis. The number of design iterations analysed, and the detail of data that could be extracted, significantly exceeded what could have been achieved through an isolated experimental testing programme.

This thesis details a 1-d model of a lymphatic vessel, developed from a model by Reddy. Some additions to the modelling techniques were found to be necessary to prevent numerical phenomena not found in experiment. Furthermore the details of the wall and valve were important to the mechanics of the system. This developed model presents flow characteristics which are not represented in the existing lumped parameter or 1-d models of the lymphatic system. Additional terms allow more realistic representation of some modes of flow such as those occurring during collapse. The model was validated using Poiseuille flow calculations and experimental work. Features found in experiment were reproduced in the model. Such as the shark tooth shape of the radius time graph. A study of the sensitivity of the model to experimental parameters was performed. Features that increased flow included: increased compliance of the vessel, a larger diameter, amplitude of contraction or frequency, or a faster contraction wave. A lumped parameter model, relating the radius directly to the pressure, was investigated but this did not reproduce flow features such as the shark tooth shaped radius with time relationship or the radius peak at the beginning of a contraction or passive relaxation of the vessel. In the 1-d model the time constant of this passive relaxation increased with the magnitude of contraction. This value may have physiological relevance.

Many developed nations depend on oil for the production of gasoline, diesel, and natural gas. Meanwhile, oil shortages progress and bottlenecks in oil productions continue to materialize. These and other factors result in an energy crisis, which cause detrimental social and economic effects. Because of the impending energy crisis, various potential energy sources have developed including solar, wind, hydroelectric, nuclear, and biomass. Within the biomass sector for renewable energy sources, algae-based biofuels have become one of the most exciting, new feedstocks. Of the potential plant biofuel feedstocks, microalgae is attractive in comparison to other crops because it is versatile and doesn’t pose a threat to food sources. Despite its many advantages, the process to convert the microalgae into a biofuel is very complex and inefficient. All steps within the algae to biofuel production line must be optimized for microalgal biofuel to be sustainable. The production of biofuels from algae begins with selecting and cultivating an algae strain and giving it all the necessities to grow. The algae is then harvested and processed for specific uses. It is the harvesting or lysing step, which includes the extraction of the algal lipids, which is the biggest hindrance of algae being used as a cost effective energy source. The lysing step within the microalgal biofuel processing is of particular interest and will be the focus of this work. This work discusses the optimization of the biofuel production from microalgae biomass through computational and experimental approaches. With atomic force microscopy (AFM), a key mechanical property that would aid in the computational modeling of mechanical lysis in the in-house computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code, Particle-Surface Analysis Code (P-STAC), was determined. In P-STAC, various flow patterns were modeled that would most effectively lyse microalgal cells based on the shear stresses placed on the cells, which will be compared against microfluidic experiments using lipid specific dyes. These results would be influential in developing an energy-efficient method of processing microalgae for biofuel.

A full three dimensional computational study was carried out using a finite-volume based solver for analyzing the performance of pin-fin based micro/meso scale heat exchangers with air as the working fluid. A staggered arrangement of cylindrical pin fins in rectangular channel geometry was used. Various configurations were considered consistent with a parallel experimental study being conducted based on a micro-wind tunnel setup. The pin/channel height used was 0.4 mm, and the pin diameters varied from 0.17-0.50 mm to give hydraulic diameters in the range of 0.13-0.78 mm. This gave volumetric area densities for the heat exchangers in the range of 5-15 mm2/mm3. Various heat exchanger configurations were simulated to determine performance characteristics such as the Nusselt number, friction factor, specific fluid friction power and Mach number in the Reynolds number regime for laminar flows. In addition a detailed numerical diagnosis was carried out to determine local behavior on the pin surfaces, end walls, etc to identify specific characteristics such as regions of high and low heat transfer, locations for possible shock formation, etc. The range of results obtained would be useful for future design of micro heat exchangers for use in small footprint, high heat flux dissipation applications like turbine blade and microelectronic systems.

AC electrothermal flow (ACEF) is the fluid motion created as a result of Joule heating induced temperature gradients. ACEF is capable of performing major microfluidic operations, such as pumping, mixing, concentration, separation and assay enhancement, and is effective in biological samples with a wide range of electrical conductivity. Here, we report long-range fluid motion induced by ACEF, which creates centimeter-scale vortices. The long-range fluid motion displays a strong voltage dependence and is suppressed in microchannels with a characteristic length below similar to 300 mu m. An extended computational model of ACEF, which considers the effects of the density gradient and temperature-dependent parameters, is developed and compared experimentally by particle image velocimetry. The model captures the essence of ACEF in a wide range of channel dimensions and operating conditions. The combined experimental and computational study reveals the essential roles of buoyancy, temperature rise, and associated changes in material properties in the formation of the long-range fluid motion. Our results provide critical information for the design and modeling of ACEF based microfluidic systems toward various bioanalytical applications. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death in the world, resulting mostly from the sudden rupture of atherosclerotic plaques. From a biomechanical view, plaque rupture can be considered as a mechanical failure caused by extremely high plaque stress. In this PhD project, we are aiming to predict 3D plaque stress based on in-vivo MRI by using fluid structure interaction (FSI) method, and provide information for plaque rupture risk assessment. Fluid structure interaction was implemented with ANSYS 11.0, followed by a parameter study on fibrous cap thickness and lipid core size with realistic carotid plaque geometry. Twenty patients with carotid plaques imaged by in-vivo MRI were provided in the project. A framework of reconstructing 3D plaque geometry from in-vivo multispectral MRI was designed. The followed reproducibility study on plaque geometry reconstruction procedure and its effect on plaque stress analysis filled the gap in the literature on imaging based plaque stress modeling. The results demonstrated that current MRI technology can provide sufficient information for plaque structure characterization; however stress analysis result is highly affected by MRI resolution and quality. The application of FSI stress analysis to 4 patients with different plaque burdens has showed that the whole procedure from plaque geometry reconstruction to FSI stress analysis was applicable. In the study, plaque geometries from three patients with recent transient ischemic attack were reconstructed by repairing ruptured fibrous cap. The well correlated relationship between local stress concentrations and plaque rupture sites indicated that extremely high plaque stress could be a factor responsible for plaque rupture. Based on the 20 reconstructed carotid plaques from two groups (symptomatic and asymptomatic), fully coupled fluid structure interaction was performed. It was found that there is a significant difference between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients in plaque stress levels, indicating plaque stress could be used as one of the factors for plaque vulnerability assessment. A corresponding plaque morphological feature study showed that plaque stress is significantly affected by fibrous cap thickness, lipid core size and fibrous cap surface irregularities (curvedness). A procedure was proposed for predicting plaque stress by using fibrous cap thickness and curvedness, which requires much less computational time, and has the potential for clinical routine application. The effects of residual stress on plaque stress analysis and arterial wall material property characterization by using in-vivo MRI data were also discussed for patient specific modeling. As the further development, histological study of plaque sample has been combined with conventional plaque stress analysis by assigning material properties to each computational element, based on the data from histological analysis. This method could bridge the gap between biochemistry and biomechanical study of atherosclerosis plaques. In conclusion, extreme stress distributions in the plaque region can be predicted by modern numerical methods, and used for plaque rupture risk assessment, which will be helpful in clinical practice. The combination of plaque MR imaging analysis, computational modelling, and clinical study/ validation would advance our understandings of plaque rupture, prediction of future rupture, and establish new procedures for patient diagnose, management, and treatment.

With many decades of research devoted to the intriguing nature of vortex-induced vibrations, the offshore industry is constantly looking for new effective solutions in predicting VIV of slender marine structures such as riser pipes. These structures are very sensitive to excitations induced by vortex shedding, which results in vibrations that in certain combinations of waves and current develop into a structural resonance phenomenon known as lock-in. This kind of vibrations can be destructive to some structures and lead to collapse. Many of VIV aspects are far from being understood and advanced modelling is required to investigate the impact of the phenomenon, which significantly affects the service life of marine structures. The main objective of this research is to contribute to the family of semi-empirical models used for prediction of vortex-induced vibrations, with emphasis on low mass ratio elastically supported cylinders capable of moving in cross-flow and in-line directions. In this work a new two degree-of-freedom wake oscillator model has been developed, where vortex-induced lift and drag forces were modelled with two nonlinear self-excited oscillators of van der Pol type. Phenomena exclusive for two degreeof- freedom motion at low mass ratios were examined in detail. Computational fuid dynamics was applied to the problem in order to tune the model parameters. Twodimensional flow past an elastically supported cylinder was considered, and CFD simulation results were used to calibrate the wake oscillator model predictions of the complex fluid-structure interaction.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Engineering Johannesburg, May 2017 / Flow around flat plates that were uniformly accelerated from rest with acceleration of 13g is analysed with overset mesh from Star CCM+ commercial CFD software. The particular interest is more on the vortices shed from the plate edges. Three 8mm thick plates of the same cross-sectional areas (108mm length equilateral triangular, 71mm length square and 80mm diameter circular) were simulated. The validation of the numerical method was achieved by using laser vapor sheet method to visualize the flow profiles of accelerating circular plate and comparing the CFD and experimental results. The CFD and experimental results were consistent with each other. It was found that when a plate accelerated in air, it displaced air particles out of its way. The shear layers of air separated from the front edges of the plate and rolled around a vortex core forming a primary vortex ring in the plate wake. The size of the primary vortex increased with Reynolds number (Re) that was increasing with time. This was because as Re increased, more fluid particles were displaced from the front face of the plate at a time. More displacement of the fluid particles led to shear layers separating from the plate edges with stronger momentum resulting in larger vortex ring. The shape of the primary vortex depended on the shape of the accelerating plate. For the circular plate, all the points on the front edge being equidistant from the plate centroid, fluid particles were evenly displaced from that separation edge. The result was an axis-symmetric ring of primary vortex around a circular vortex core. The asymmetric plates (triangular and square) did not evenly displace air particles from their edges of separation. The result was an asymmetric vortex ring. More air particles separated from the plate at separation points closest to the plate centroid and led to the largest vortical structure there. That is; the primary vortex ring was largest at the midpoints of the plate edges because they were the closest points of separation from the plate centroid. The size of the primary vortex continuously reduced from the mid-points of the plate edges to the corners. The corners had the smallest primary vortical structure due to being furthest points of separation from the plate centroid. The parts of the vortex ring from the two edges of the plate interacted at the corner connecting those edges. / MT 2017