Elementos estruturais como as placas finas fazem parte de um grande número de aplicações nas mais diversas áreas da engenharia e são de grande importância para a engenharia naval e aeronáutica, na construção de cascos de embarcações e estruturas offshore, e na construção de fuselagens de aviões. Por constituírem-se em um elemento estrutural esbelto, estão sujeitas a um comportamento mecânico diferenciado denominado de flambagem, proveniente de um carregamento de compressão uniaxial. O fenômeno da flambagem pode ser dividido em flambagem elástica e elasto-plástica, sendo dependente de aspectos dimensionais, construtivos e/ou operacionais. A inclusão de perfurações em placas provoca uma redistribuição de suas tensões internas, afetando não apenas a sua resistência, mas também as suas características de flambagem. Neste trabalho, desenvolveu-se a análise do comportamento mecânico de placas finas perfuradas de aço, simplesmente apoiadas em suas bordas, e submetidas à compressão. Serão analisados dois graus de liberdade: H/L e H0/L0. Para H/L, serão analisadas placas com H/L = 1,00 e H/L = 0,50, sendo que H e L representam, respectivamente, a largura e o comprimento da placa. Para H0/L0, serão analisadas infinitas possibilidades, sendo que H0 e L0 representam, respectivamente, a largura e o comprimento da perfuração. As placas utilizadas possuem espessura (h) de 10,00 mm e perfuração centralizada. Quanto às perfurações, estas serão dos tipos: oblonga longitudinal, oblonga transversal, elíptica, retangular, losangular, hexagonal longitudinal e hexagonal transversal. Ainda em relação às perfurações, serão consideradas as seguintes frações ϕ = 0,08; 0,10; 0,15; 0,20 e 0,25, sendo que (ϕ) corresponde ao volume da perfuração. Para a determinação das cargas crítica e última de flambagem, foi utilizada a simulação numérica com o auxílio do software Ansys®, que é baseado no método dos elementos finitos. A aplicação do método Design Construtal, possibilitou a determinação das geometrias ótimas para todos os tipos de perfurações, todos os valores de (ϕ) e para todas as relações de H/L. Os resultados obtidos mostram que há influência do tipo, da forma e do tamanho da perfuração na definição das curvas limites à flambagem e das curvas à flambagem elasto-plástica. Foi possível definir, para cada tipo de perfuração e para todos os valores de (ϕ), os pontos de transição entre a flambagem elástica e à elasto-plástica, assim como os pontos que definem os valores máximos para o fator TLNMáx (tensão limite normalizadora). / Structural elements such as thin plates are part of a large number of applications in various areas of engineering and are of great importance for marine and aerospace engineering, construction and offshore structures hulls, and the construction of airplane fuselages. Being a slender structural element, they are subject to a different mechanical behavior known as buckling, caused by a compressive loading. The phenomenon of buckling can be divided in elastic and elasto-plastic buckling, being dependent dimensional, construction and / or operational aspects. The inclusion of perforations in plates causes a redistribution of its internal stress, affecting not only their resistance but also their buckling characteristics. In this work it was performed the analysis of the mechanical behavior of thin perforated steel plates, simply supported on its edges, and subjected to compression. In the analysis it was considered two degrees of freedom: H/L and H0/L0. For H/L will be analyzed plates with H/L = 1.00 and H/L = 0.50, wherein H and L represent respectively the width and length of the plate. There are endless possibilities for the relation H0/L0. The studied plates have a thickness (h) of 10.00 mm and centralized perforation. The following types of perforation will be used: longitudinal oblong, transverse oblong, elliptical, rectangular, diamond, longitudinal hexagonal and transverse hexagonal. Also in relation to perforations, it will be considered the following fractions (ϕ = 0.08; 0.10; 0.15; 0.20 and 0.25), wherein (ϕ) corresponds to the volume ratio of the perforation. For determining the critical and ultimate buckling loads it was utilized numerical simulation with the assistance of Ansys® software, which is based on the finite element method. The application of the Constructal Design method of this study made it possible to determine the optimal geometries for all types of perforations, for all values of (ϕ) and all the relations H/L. The results show that there is an influence of the perforation type, shape and size, in defining the limit curves of the buckling and the curves of the elasto-plastic buckling. It was also possible to define, for each type of perforation and for all (ϕ) values, the transition points between elastic and elasto-plastic buckling; as well as the points that define the maximum values for the TLNMáx factor (normalized limit stress).

O presente trabalho destina-se ao estudo numérico da geometria de tubos de seção elíptica que facilite a transferência de calor adimensional e diminua a queda de pressão adimensional (Δ̃) sofrida pelo escoamento. O método aplicado é o Design Construtal, que visa determinar a geometria que apresentará a menor resistência ao escoamento, ou seja, busca-se determinar a razão de aspecto da elipse (=⁄) que favorece a transferência de calor e diminui a queda de pressão do escoamento. O fluido empregado neste estudo apresenta características de viscoplasticidade. A relação entre a tensão cisalhante e a taxa de deformação obedece ao modelo de Herschel-Bulkley modificado. Considera-se que o escoamento é incompressível, laminar, bidimensional, externo e ocorre em regime permanente. A solução numérica do problema proposto é realizada com um código comercial baseado no método dos volumes finitos. É investigada a influência do índice de potência, , sobre a seção elíptica que facilita o escoamento e, para isso, este índice é variado de 0,4 a 1. A influência dos números de Reynolds (√), Herschel-Bulkley (√) e Prandtl (√) sobre o comportamento do escoamento também é avaliada. √ é variado de 1 a 40, √ é variado de 1 a 100 e √ é variado de 0,1 a 100 Os resultados mostram que, para um escoamento com √=1, √=1 e √=1, o aumento do índice de potência influencia negativamente na transferência de calor adimensional e a seção elíptica, que maximiza esta transferência de calor adimensional, tende a ser mais alongada na direção do escoamento. Já e influenciam positivamente na transferência de calor adimensional. Para um escoamento com √=1, √=1, =0,4 conclui-se que com o aumento de a razão de aspecto ótima (q,opt), do ponto de vista térmico, diminui. Quando é considerado um escoamento com √=1, √=1, =0,4 conclui-se que q,opt diminui com o aumento de , ou seja, a elipse torna-se mais alongada no sentido do escoamento. A variação de √ em um escoamento com √=1, √=1, =0,4 mostra que o aumento deste parâmetro acarreta em aumento da taxa de transferência adimensional e de Δ̃. / The present work is aimed at the numerical study of the geometry of elliptic section tubes that facilitates the dimensionless heat transfer and decreases the dimensionless pressure drop (Δ̃) suffered by the flow. The applied method is the Construtal Design, which aims to determine the geometry that will present the least resistance to the flow, that is, to determine the aspect ratio of the ellipse (=⁄) that favors heat transfer and decreases the flow pressure drop. The fluid used in this study has viscoplasticity characteristics. The relationship between shear stress and strain rate follows the modified Herschel-Bulkley model. It is considered that the flow is incompressible, laminar, two-dimensional, external and occurs in steady state. The numerical solution of the proposed problem is carried out with a commercial code based on the finite volume method. The influence of the power index, n, on the elliptical section facilitating the flow is investigated, and for this, the index is varied from 0.4 to 1. The influence of the Reynolds number (√), Herschel-Bulkley number (√) and Prandtl number (√) on the flow behavior is also evaluated √ is varied from 1 to 40, √ is varied from 1 to 100 and √ is varied from 0.1 to 100. The results show that for a flow with √=1, √=1 and √=1, the increase of the power index negatively influences the dimensionless heat transfer and the elliptic section, which maximizes this dimensionless heat transfer, tends to be more elongated in the direction of flow. Already √ and √ influence positively the dimensionless heat transfer. For a flow with √=1, √=1, =0.4 it is concluded that with the increase of √ the optimum aspect ratio (q,opt), from the thermal point of view, decreases. When a flow is considered with √=1, √=1, =0.4 it is concluded that q,opt decreases with the increase of √, that is, ellipse becomes more elongated in the flow direction. The variation of √ in a flow with √=1, √=1, =0.4 shows that the increase of this parameter causes an increase of the dimensionless transfer rate and Δ̃.

In modern heat transfer, shape and geometric optimisation are new considerations in the evaluation of thermal performance. In this research, we employed constructal theory and design to present three-dimensional theoretical and numerical solutions of conjugate forced convection heat transfer in heat generating devices with cooling channels of different cross-sectional shapes. In recent times, geometric configurations of cooling channel have been found to play an important role in thermal performance. Therefore, an efficient ways of optimally designing these cooling channels shapes is required. Experimentation has been extensively used in the past to understand the behaviour of heat removals from devices. In this research, the shapes of the cooling channels and the configurations of heat-generating devices were analytically and numerically studied to minimise thermal resistance and thus illustrate cooling performance under various design conditions. The cooling channels of five different cross-sectional shapes were studied: Circular, square, rectangular, isosceles right triangular and equilateral triangular. They were uniformly packed and arranged to form larger constructs. The theoretical analysis is presented and developed using the intersection of asymptotes method. This proves the existence of an optimal geometry of parallel channels of different cross-sectional shapes that penetrate and cool a volume with uniformly distributed internal heat generation and heat flux, thus minimising the global thermal resistance. A three-dimensional finite volume-based numerical model was used to analyse the heat transfer characteristics of the cross-sectional shapes of various cooling channels. The numerical computational fluid dynamics (CFD) package recently provided a more cost-effective and less time-consuming means of achieving the same objective. However, in order to achieve optimal design solutions using CFD, the thermal designers have to be well experienced and carry out a number of trial-and-error simulations. Unfortunately, this can not always guarantee an accurate optimal design solution. In this thesis a mathematical optimisation algorithm (a leapfrog optimisation program and DYNAMIC-Q algorithm) coupled with numerical CFD was employed and incorporated into the finite volume solver, –FLUENT, and grid (geometry and mesh) generation package, – GAMBIT to search and identify the optimal design variables at which the system would perform optimally for greater efficiency and better accuracy. The algorithm was also specifically designed to handle constraint problems where the objective and constraint functions were expensive to evaluate. The automated process was applied to different design cases of cooling channels shapes. These cooling channels were embedded in a highly conductive solid and the peak temperature was minimised. The trend and performance of all the cooling channel shapes cases studied were compared analytically and numerically. It was concluded that an optimal design can be achieved with a combination of CFD and mathematical optimisation. Furthermore, a geometric optimisation of cooling channels in the forced convection of a vascularised material (with a localised self-cooling property subjected to a heat flux) was also considered. A square configuration was studied with different porosities. Analytical and numerical solutions were provided. This gradient-based optimisation algorithm coupled with CFD was used to determine numerically the optimal geometry that gave the lowest thermal resistance. This optimiser adequately handled the numerical objective function obtained from numerical simulations of the fluid flow and heat transfer. The numerical results obtained were in good agreement with results obtained in the approximate solutions based on scale analyses at optimal geometry dimensions. The approximate dimensionless global thermal resistance predicted the trend obtained in the numerical results. This shows that there were unique optimal design variables (geometries) for a given applied dimensionless pressure number for fixed porosity. The results also showed that the material property had a significant influence on the performance of the cooling channel. Therefore, when designing the cooling structure of vascularised material, the internal and external geometries of the structure, material properties and pump power requirements would be very important parameters to be considered in achieving efficient and optimal designs for the best performance. Finally, this research investigated a three-dimensional geometric optimisation of conjugate cooling channels in forced convection with an internal heat generation within the solid for an array of cooling channels. Three different flow orientations based on constructal theory were studied numerically- firstly, an array of channels with parallel flow; secondly, an array of channels in which flow of every second row was in a counter direction and finally, an array of channels in which the flow direction in every channel was opposite to that of previous channel. The geometric configurations and flow orientations were optimised in such a way that the peak temperature was minimised subject to the constraint of fixed global volume of solid material. The optimisation algorithm coupled with CFD was also used to determine numerically the optimal geometry that gave the lowest thermal resistance. The use of the optimisation algorithm coupled with the computational fluid dynamics package; render the numerical results more robust with respect to the selection of optimal structure geometries, internal configurations of the flow channels and dimensionless pressure difference. / Thesis (PhD(Eng))--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering / unrestricted