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  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
101

Flow Duct Acoustics : An LES Approach

Alenius, Emma January 2012 (has links)
The search for quieter internal combustion engines drives the quest for a better understanding of the acoustic properties of engine duct components. Simulations are an important tool for enhanced understanding; they give insight into the flow-acoustic interaction in components where it is difficult to perform measurements. In this work the acoustics is obtained directly from a compressible Large Eddy Simulation (LES). With this method complex flow phenomena can be captured, as well as sound generation and acoustic scattering. The aim of the research is enhanced understanding of the acoustics of engine gas exchange components, such as the turbocharger compressor.In order to investigate methods appropriate for such studies, a simple constriction, in the form of an orifice plate, is considered. The flow through this geometry is expected to have several of the important characteristics that generate and scatter sound in more complex components, such as an unsteady shear layer, vortex generation, strong recirculation zones, pressure fluctuations at the plate, and at higher flow speeds shock waves. The sensitivity of the scattering to numerical parameters, and flow noise suppression methods, is investigated. The most efficient method for reducing noise in the result is averaging, both in time and space. Additionally, non-linear effects were found to appear when the amplitude of the acoustic velocity fluctuations became larger than around 1~\% of the mean velocity, in the orifice. The main goal of the thesis has been to enhance the understanding of the flow and acoustics of a thick orifice plate, with a jet Mach number of 0.4 to 1.2. Additionally, we evaluate different methods for analysis of the data, whereby better insight into the problem is gained. The scattering of incoming waves is compared to measurements with in general good agreement. Dynamic Mode Decomposition (DMD) is used in order to find significant frequencies in the flow and their corresponding flow structures, showing strong axisymmetric flow structures at frequencies where a tonal sound is generated and incoming waves are amplified.The main mechanisms for generating plane wave sound are identified as a fluctuating mass flow at the orifice openings and a fluctuating force at the plate sides, for subsonic jets. This study is to the author's knowledge the first numerical investigation concerning both sound generation and scattering, as well as coupling sound to a detailed study of the flow.With decomposition techniques a deeper insight into the flow is reached. It is shown that a feedback mechanism inside the orifice leads to the generation of strong coherent axisymmetric fluctuations, which in turn generate a tonal sound. / <p>QC 20121113</p>
102

Base Isolation of a Chilean Masonry House: A Comparative Study

Husfeld, Rachel L. 16 January 2010 (has links)
The objective of this study is to reduce the interstory drifts, floor accelerations, and shear forces experienced by masonry houses subject to seismic excitation. Ambient vibration testing was performed on a case study structure in Maip�, Chile, to identify characteristics of the system. Upon creating a multiple degree-of-freedom (MDOF) model of the structure, the effect of implementing several base isolation techniques is assessed. The isolation techniques analyzed include the use of friction pendulum systems (FPS), high-damping rubber bearings (HDRB), two hybrid systems involving HDRB and shape memory alloys (SMA), and precast-prestressed pile (PPP) isolators. The dynamic behavior of each device is numerically modeled using analytical formulations and experimental data through the means of fuzzy inference systems (FIS) and S-functions. A multiobjective genetic algorithm is utilized to optimize the parameters of the FPS and the PPP isolation systems, while a trial-and-error method is employed to optimize characteristic parameters of the other devices. Two cases are studied: one case involves using eight devices in each isolation system and optimizing the parameters of each device, resulting in different isolated periods for each system, while the other case involves using the number of devices and device parameters that result in a 1.0 sec fundamental period of vibration for each baseisolated structure. For both cases, the optimized devices are simulated in the numerical model of the case study structure, which is subjected to a suite of earthquake records. Numerical results for the devices studied indicate significant reductions in responses of the base-isolated structures in comparison with their counterparts in the fixed-base structure. Metrics monitored include base shear, structural shear, interstory drift, and floor acceleration. In particular, the PPP isolation system in the first case reduces the peak base shear, RMS floor acceleration, peak structural shear, peak interstory drift, and peak floor acceleration by at least 88, 87, 95, 95, and 94%, respectively, for all of the Chilean earthquakes considered. The PPP isolation system in the second case (yielding a 1.0 sec period) and the FPS isolation systems in both cases also significantly reduce the response of the base-isolated structure from that of the fixed-base structure.
103

Si And Si(1-x)ge(x) Nanocrystals: Synthesis, Structural Characterization, And Simultaneous Observation Of Quantum Confined And Interface Related Photoluminescence

Asghar Pour Moghaddam, Nader 01 April 2010 (has links) (PDF)
In this work we have prepared Si and SI(1-X)GE(X) nanocrystals by rf magnetron cosputtering method. The eect of annealing parameters and Ge content of x on the structural and optical properties sandwiched SiO2/SiO2: Si: Ge/SiO2 nanostructures have been investigated. For characterization we have used cross-sectional high resolution electron microscope (HREM), X-ray diraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy (RS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), photoluminescence (PL), and temperature dependent PL (TDPL) techniques. It was shown that Ge content of x, annealing temperature, and annealing time are important parameters aecting the structural and optical properties of the nanocrystals. We have observed a uniform SI(1-X)GE(X) nanocrystal formation upon annealing at relatively low temperatures and short annealing time. However, Ge-rich SI(1-X)GE(X) nanocrystals do not hold their compositional uniformity when annealed at high temperatures for enough long time. A segregation process leads to the separation of Ge and Si atoms from each other and formation of Si-rich core covered by a Ge-rich shell. Related to the optical properties of Si and SI(1-X)GE(X) nanocrystals, influence of annealing treatments and Ge content of x on the simultaneous observation and relative contribution of quantum confined and interface related radiative emission to PL spectra are investigated. On the other hand, temperature dependent photoluminescence (TDPL) measurements have been applied to investigate in detail the involving PL mechanisms and the competing thermally activated emission process and the thermally activated escape process of carriers into nonradiative recombination centers and/or tunneling of the excitons into the interface or to larger nanocrystals.
104

Behavior Of Cfrp Confined Concrete Specimens Under Temperature Cycles And Sustained Loads

Erdil, Baris 01 February 2012 (has links) (PDF)
The application of carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) is one of the effective retrofitting and strengthening methods that is used worldwide and is starting to be used in Turkey as well because they have high strength and high modulus in the fiber direction, have very low coefficient of thermal expansion when compared to concrete and steel and are known not to corrode. Since FRPs are lightweight, their mass can be neglected when compared to concrete and steel. However, before proposing this material as an alternative for strengthening and retrofitting applications their long-term behavior should be understood because they are applied on to concrete by several layers of epoxy-based adhesives, which can be affected by change in humidity, temperature and load. Therefore, behavior of CFRP-strengthened structures in varying temperature and humidity conditions must be investigated. In this dissertation, behavior of CFRP confined cylindrical and prismatic concrete specimens having square cross-section were investigated under sustained compressive loads, dry and wet heating-cooling cycles, and outdoor exposures under direct sunlight, to determine the possible changes in their mechanical properties. Sustained loads were applied as the 40% and 50% of their confined axial load capacity. In addition to the sustained loads, specimens were subjected to 200 heating-cooling cycles between -10&deg / C to 50&deg / C. In order to understand the change in behavior of CFRP confined concrete specimens better, they were divided in six groups. A single effect was investigated in each group. After aging tests mechanical properties of the specimens were recorded via monotonic uniaxial loading. It was observed that temperature cycles had little effect on behavior but sustained loads changed the shape of the axial stress-strain diagram and resulted in a dramatic decrease in ultimate strain. Based on the test results and also using the data of similar studies available in the literature, strength and strain models considering the exposures as independent parameters were established and finally axial stress-strain curve was tried to be predicted.
105

Numerical Simulations of Heat Transfer Processes in a Dehumidifying Wavy Fin and a Confined Liquid Jet Impingement on Various Surfaces

Elsheikh, Mutasim Mohamed Sarour 01 January 2011 (has links)
This thesis consists of two different research problems. In the first one, the heat transfer characteristic of wavy fin assembly with dehumidification is carried out. In general, fin tube heat exchangers are employed in a wide variety of engineering applications, such as cooling coils for air conditioning, air pre-heaters in power plants and for heat dissipation from engine coolants in automobile radiators. In these heat exchangers, a heat transfer fluid such as water, oil, or refrigerant, flows through a parallel tube bank, while a second heat transfer fluid, such as air, is directed across the tubes. Since the principal resistance is much greater on the air side than on the tube side, enhanced surfaces in the form of wavy fins are used in air-cooled heat exchangers to improve the overall heat transfer performance. In heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems (HVAC), the air stream is cooled and dehumidified as it passes through the cooling coils, circulating the refrigerant. Heat and mass transfer take place when the coil surface temperature in most cooling coils is below the dew point temperature of the air being cooled. This thesis presents a simplified analysis of combined heat and mass transfer in wavy-finned cooling coils by considering condensing water film resistance for a fully wet fin in dehumidifier coil operation during air condition. The effects of variation of the cold fluid temperature (-5˚C - 5˚C), air side temperature (25˚C - 35˚C), and relative humidity (50% - 70%) on the dimensionless temperature distribution and the augmentation factor are investigated and compared with those under dry conditions. In addition, comparison of the wavy fin with straight radial or rectangular fin under the same conditions were investigated and the results show that the wavy fin has better heat dissipation because of the greater area. The results demonstrate that the overall fin efficiency is dependent on the relative humidity of the surrounding air and the total surface area of the fin. In addition, the findings of the present work are in good agreement with experimental data. The second problem investigated is the heat transfer analysis of confined liquid jet impingement on various surfaces. The objective of this computational study is to characterize the convective heat transfer of a confined liquid jet impinging on a curved surface of a solid body, while the body is being supplied with a uniform heat flux at its opposite flat surface. Both convex and concave configurations of the curved surface are investigated. The confinement plate has the same shape as the curved surface. Calculations were done for various solid materials, namely copper, aluminum, Constantan, and silicon; at two-dimensional jet. For this research, Reynolds numbers ranging from 750 to 2000 for various nozzle widths channel spacing, radii of curvature, and base thicknesses of the solid body, were used. Results are presented in terms of dimensionless solid-fluid interface temperature, heat transfer coefficient, and local and average Nusselt numbers. The increments of Reynolds numbers increase local Nusselt numbers over the entire solid-fluid interface. Decreasing the nozzle width, channel spacing, plate thickness or curved surface radius of curvature all enhanced the local Nusselt number. Results show that a convex surface is more effective compared to a flat or concave surface. Numerical simulation results are validated by comparing them with experimental data for flat and concave surfaces.
106

Probing Molecules in Confined Space

Vetromile, Carissa Marie 01 January 2011 (has links)
Despite the plethora of information regarding cellular crowding and its importance on modulating protein function the effects of confinement on biological molecules are often overlooked when investigating their physiological function. Recently however, the encapsulation of biomolecules in solid state matrices (NafionTM, sol-gels, zirconium phosphate,etc.) has increased in importance as a method for examining protein conformation and dynamics in confined space as well as novel applications in biotechnology. Biotechnological applications include, but are not limited to, bioremediation, biosensors, biocatalysts, etc. In order to better utilize solid state materials as substrates for biological molecules an understanding of the effects of encapsulation on the detailed dynamics associated with physiological function is required as well as a complete characterization of the physical properties associated with the space in which the biological molecule is to be confined. The focus of this research is to probe the effects of confinement on the thermodynamics of ligand photo-release/rebinding to the prototypical heme protein, myoglobin, encapsulated within sol-gel glasses utilizing photoacoustic calorimetry (PAC) and photothermal beam deflection (PBD). Optical spectroscopies (including optical absorption and fluorescence) have also been employed to characterize the molecular environments of materials including Zr-phosphate and metal organic polyhedral (MOPs), thought to be good candidates for novel bio-hybrid materials. The assembly mechanisms associated with MOPs were also examined in order to develop a foundation through which new, bio-compatible MOPs can be designed. Overall the results presented here represent a technological breakthrough in the application of fast calorimetry to the study of proteins in confined space. This will allow for the first time the acquisition of detailed thermodynamic maps associated with the well-choreographed biomolecular dynamics in confined environments.
107

Molecular Arrangement, Electronic Structure and Transport Properties in Surfactant Gel- and Related Systems Studied by Soft X-ray and Dielectric Spectroscopy

Gråsjö, Johan January 2013 (has links)
This thesis concerns studies of aqueous soft matter systems, especially surfactant micelle systems. The aim has been to study the molecular arrangement and electronic structure of the constituents of, as well as transport properties in such a system. The molecular arrangement and electronic structure has been studied by means of X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and resonant inelastic X-ray spectroscopy (RIXS). The transport properties have been investigated by low-frequency dielectric spectroscopy (LFDS) and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) as well as a theoretical modelling. The latter was based on Fick’s laws of the release from binary surfactant system and was validated by experiments. The RIXS and XAS measurements show the electronic structure in bulk water and the influence of the chemical surrounding of the water molecule in bulk water and of the water molecules confined in a micelle lattice. The spectra are highly dependent on the molecular arrangement in such systems. For glycine and sodium polyacrylate RIXS and XAS spectra show features which are unique for carboxyl and carboxylate groups and such measurements can thus be used for fingerprinting. The LFDS and SAXS measurements show a strong correlation between structure in a surfactant/poly-ion system and apparent mobility of surfactants. This conclusion is in line with earlier observations. By the theoretical modelling a predictive model for the surfactant release from a binary surfactant micelle system has been obtained and the importance of different factors for surfactant release has been further clarified.
108

Role and properties of the confined amorphous phase of polymers

Walczak, Malgorzata 21 November 2012 (has links) (PDF)
The aim of the thesis was to elucidate the effect of confinement of amorphous phase of apolymer above its glass transition temperature being in contact with another polymer in a rigid state.Confinement is unavoidably connected with surfaces enforcing confinement. It is very difficult to separate theeffect of confinement from the effect of interfaces because both effects arise parallel and coincide. Multilayeredfilms were chosen as the base material for the studies because they contain multifold number of confined layerand response from confinement and interfaces is multifold increased. Hoping that some of experimentaltechniques are more sensitive to interfaces while others to confinement we selected the following:microcalorimetry, SSNMR, direlectrical spectroscopy and dynamic shear rheology. We have searched for theinfluence of PS on dynamics of phenyl rings of PC for PC/PS film with ratio 70/30 in the temperature rangefrom 296 K to 393 K employing PILGRIM pulse sequence. .We show that above the glass transition temperatureof PS, the PC component became more flexible. It is at the first glance the effect of the interface because there isno significant confinement of thicker PC layers. Dielectric relaxation spectroscopy measurements in our studyclearly provide evidence for deviations from a simple 2-phase structure in multilayered films PC/PS that is worthto be analyzed more in the future. The dielectric response of the multilayer samples was also modeled andcompared with experimental results. We obtained again discrepancies between the simulated spectra and themeasured spectra for multilayer films. Knowing the exact composition and viscoelastic behaviour of eachcomponent, the theoretical viscoelastic behavior of composites has been predicted numerically. Then,rheological tests have been made, and confronted with numerical predictions, to detect the confinement effect.The upper limit of thickness beyond which PS in confined layers at rubbery state becomes stiffer than in bulk isabout 150/200 nm. It appeared that the shear modulus of the thinnest PS layers (10 nm) is nearly 2.5 times largerthan that for bulk PS sample. We can note that Tg of PS layers also begins to increase beyond this upper limit ofthickness.. None of the experiment could clearly deliver the information about the effect of confinement orinterface on the behavior of PS layers alone. The results obtained here point out that separation of the effects ofconfinement and interfaces remains very difficult.
109

An Analytical Study On Minimum Confinement In Spiral Columns

Ozkaya, Cenan 01 July 2005 (has links) (PDF)
ABSTRACT AN ANALYTICAL STUDY ON THE MINIMUM CONFINEMENT IN SPIRAL COLUMNS &Ouml / zkaya, Cenan M.S., Department of Civil Engineering Supervisor: Prof. Dr. G&uuml / ney &Ouml / zcebe Co-Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Ugur Ersoy July 2005, 135 pages The minimum spiral ratio equation given in the codes is derived by equating the strength at the second peak to the strength at the first peak for spiral columns tested under uniaxial load. In this study, specimen behavior under combined bending and axial load was taken as basis while deriving proposed equations. Analyses were carried out by using a Moment-Curvature program. For normal strength concrete, one regression and one simplified equation giving minimum spiral ratio are proposed. Difference between two equations arises from the number in front of (Ac/Ack). In regression equation, this number is calculated by means of a function. In simplified equation, this number is a constant. For high strength concrete, a different regression equation is proposed which is valid for concrete strengths up to 95 MPa. Simplified equation proposed for normal strength concrete is also proposed for high strength concrete up to concrete strengths of 120 MPa. It was found that / (i) Simplified equation proposed for normal and high strength concrete yielded consistent results in the range of variables studied / (ii) Except some points, regression equations yielded consistent results / (iii) It is recommended to use simplified equation instead of regression and code equations since it yields more consistent results than code and regression equations. Keywords: Confined Concrete, Ductility, Moment-Curvature, Minimum Spiral Volumetric Ratio
110

CFD simulation of single-phase and flow boiling in confined jet impingement with in-situ vapor extraction using two kinds of multiphase models

He, Xiaoliang 04 January 2013 (has links)
With continued development of the electronic industry, the demand for highly efficient heat removal solutions requires innovative cooling technologies. A computational fluid dynamic (CFD) study, including heat transfer, is performed for an axisymmetric, confined jet impingement experiencing boiling and coupled with vapor extraction. Boiling occurs at the target surface while extraction occurs at the wall confining the radial flow. The region between the target and confining wall is defined as a confined gap. Extraction is employed to enhance heat transfer and to minimize the potential negative influence of flow instabilities resulting from two-phase flow within a confined region. A three-dimensional sector of the confined jet is employed in the simulation. A single circular impinging jet with a constant jet diameter (4 mm) and variable gap height (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 mm), also known as nozzle-to-target spacing, is considered. The effect of mass flux at the confined gap entrance is also investigated (200, 400 and 800 kg/m²-s) for a range of heat flux (5 to 50 W/cm²). Fluid flow and heat transfer are simulated using the Volume of Fluid (VOF) model and the wall-boiling sub-model within the Multiphase Segregated Flow (MSF) model. The boiling sub-model in the VOF model applies the Rohsenow boiling correlation, while in the MSF model, the Kurul-Podowski boiling sub-model is used. Also, vapor extraction is realized by different mechanisms for these two models. For the VOF model, a specific phase "wall porosity" can be assigned to a wall to make it porous. Over a range of pressure differentials across this porous wall such that the inertial transport influence is negligible, vapor transport should agree with Darcy's law. For the MSF model, a wall can be made permeability to one substance or phase while remaining impermeable to the other substance or phase. However, a portion of the substance or phase reaching the boundary allowed to pass through the surface must be specified. A pressure drop cannot be applied across the wall, thereby prohibiting Darcy flow modeling. The solutions of both models are at steady state. The boiling curves without vapor extraction from both models are provided and compared to experiments. Simulations matching experimental wall temperatures under-predict theoretical vapor generation and those matching vapor generation over-estimate wall superheat. For cases with no extraction, local temperature and velocity profiles from the VOF model are provided at several radial locations within the confined gap. Scalar temperature and pressure distributions and velocity vectors are presented to explain observations in profiles. / Graduation date: 2013

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