Peatlands cover a total area of approximately 3 million square kilometers and are one of the largest natural sources of atmospheric methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2). Most traditional methods used to estimate biogenic gas dynamics are invasive and provide little or no information about lateral distribution of gas. In contrast, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is an emerging technique for non-invasive investigation of gas dynamics in peat soils. This thesis establishes a direct comparison between gas dynamics (i.e. build-up and release) of four different types of peat soil using GPR. Peat soil blocks were collected at peatlands with contrasting latitudes, including the Everglades, Maine and Minnesota. A unique two-antenna GPR setup was used to monitor biogenic gas buildup and ebullition events over a period of 4.5 months, constraining GPR data with surface deformation measurements and direct CH4 and CO2 concentration measurements. The effect of atmospheric pressure was also investigated. This study has implications for better understanding global gas dynamics and carbon cycling in peat soils and its role in climate change. / by Anastasija Cabolova. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2010. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2010. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Abstract not available

ABSTRACT A theoretical and experimental study of the vibrational and chemical relaxation rates of diatomic gases, in flows behind shock waves and along nozzles,is made here. ¶ The validity of the conventional relaxation rate models, which are generally used to analyse experiments, is tested by developing a detailed microscopic description of the diatomic relaxation processes. Assuming the diatomic molecules to be represented by the anharmonic Morse Oscillator, the vibrational Master equation, which describes the time variation of each vibrational energy level population, is constructed by allowing one-quantum vibration to translation (V-T) energy exchanges and vibration to vibration (V-V) energy exchanges between the molecules. Dissociation and recombination are allowed to occur from, and to, the uppermost vibrational level. Solving the Master equation, it is found that a number of effects are explained by the inclusion of V-V transitions. In particular it is found that V-V energy exchanges cause the induction time for H2 dissociation to be increased; suggest that the linear rate law, for H2 and Ar mixtures, fails for a H2 mole fraction above 20%; give an acceleration of vibrational excitation as equilibrium is approached for H2 and N2; cause the vibrational temperature to be lower than the value found without V-V transitions for vibrational de-excitation in nozzle flows of H2 and N2, and conversely for recombination of H2 in nozzle flows. The most important result is the demonstration that conventional nozzle flow calculations, with shock-tube-determined dis-sociation and vibrational excitation rates, appear to be valid for the recombining and vibrationally de-excitating flows considered. ¶ The dissociation rates of undiluted nitrogen are measured in the free-piston shock tube DDT, using time-resolved optical interferometry, over a temperature range of 6000-14000K and confirm the strong temperature dependence of the pre-exponential factor observed by Hanson and Baganoff (1972). ¶ The vibrational de-excitation and excitation rates are determined in the small free-piston shock tunnel T2 over temperature ranges of 2000-4000K and 7000-10300K, respectively, by measuring the shock angles and curvatures, from optical interferograms, of flow over an inclined flat plate in the nonequilibrium nozzle flow. The de-excitation rate is found to be within a factor of ten of the excitation rate, while the excitation rate of N2 by collision with N is found to be less than about 50 times the excitation rate of N2 by N2. The dissociation rates of nitrogen, in the flow behind a shock attached to a wedge, are investigated in the large free-piston shock tunnel, using the shock curvature technique. The discrepancy, reported by Kewley and Hornung (1974b), between theory and experiment at the highest enthalpy is found to be resolved by including the measured helium contamination (Crane 1975) in the free-stream. Reasonable agreement is obtained between experimental shock curvatures and calculations using accepted dissociation rates.

The aim of the current study is to model (non-wetting) liquid flow in a packed bed under the influence of gas flow. It has been observed experimentally that non-wetting liquid flows in a packed bed in form of small droplets and rivulets falling through the void regions. Continuum models have not been successful in predicting liquid flow paths when the liquid is injected through a point source in the packed bed. In the current study, we present a discrete deterministic model for modeling the liquid flow in a packed bed, under the influence of gas flow. When a high velocity gas blast in injected into a dry packed bed, a cavity or a void is formed in front of the nozzle. The cavity size increases with increasing gas velocity and exhibits hystersis in size upon increasing and decreasing gas flow rate. The cavity size is very important in determining the gas penetration into the packed bed. A proper gas flow profile prediction is necessary for determining it’s effect on the liquid flow behavior. Attempts at modeling cavity sizes have mostly been confined to experimental studies and development of correlations. Different correlations show different dependence on operating as well as bed parameters and a fundamental understanding of the cavity formation and hystersis phenomena is missing. We adopt a combined Eulerean-Lagrangian approach to study the above mentioned phenomena mathematically. Gas is modeled as a continua and solid as discrete (soft sphere D.E.M. approach). Hystersis and cavity formation studies are carried out in a 2D-slot rectangular packed bed. A discrete deterministic liquid flow model (developed and validated under structured packing conditions using x-ray radiography flow visualization technique), is used to study the effect of presence of liquid on the dry bed void size, when liquid is injected in a packed bed through a point source. It is found that the gas pushes the liquid away from the nozzle side wall. Also, the cavity sizes during gas velocity decreasing case are found to be larger in size than the void size obtained during velocity increasing case for the same inlet gas flow rate. This difference is void size leads to more gas penetration into the bed and thus more liquid shift away from the nozzle side wall. Presence of liquid is found to affect the void size (compared to dry bed size) negligibly.

This is an experimental and theoretical study of a laminar separation bubble and the associated transition dynamics in its early stages. The separation of a laminar boundary layer from a solid surface is prevalent in very many flow situations such as over gas turbine blades (especially in the low-pressure turbine stage) and the wings of micro-aero-vehicles (MAVs) that operate at fairly low Reynolds numbers. Flow separation occurs in such cases due to the presence of an adverse pressure gradient. The separated shear layer becomes unstable due to the presence of an inflection point and presumably transitions to turbulence rapidly. Eventually, there is reattachment back to the solid surface further downstream, if conditions are right. The region enclosed by the shear layer is called a laminar separation bubble and has been a subject of many studies in the past. The present experiments have been conducted in a closed-circuit wind tunnel. A separation bubble was obtained on the upper surface of a flat plate by appropriately contouring the top wall of the tunnel. Four different techniques were used for qualitative and quantitative study viz. surface flow visualisation, smoke flow visualisation, surface pressure measurements and hotwire anemometry. Response of the bubble to both natural as well as artificial (impulsive excitation) disturbance environment has been studied. Linear stability analyses (both Orr-Sommerfeld and Rayleigh calculations), in the spatial framework, have been performed for the mean velocity profiles starting from an attached adverse pressure gradient boundary layer all the way up to the front portion of the separation bubble region (i.e. up to the end of the dead-air region where linear evolution of disturbances could be expected). The measured velocity profiles (both attached and separated) were fitted with analytical model profiles for doing stability calculations. A separation bubble consists of aspects of both wall-bounded and wall-free shear layers and therefore both viscous and inviscid mechanisms are expected to be at play. Most of the studies in the literature point to the inviscid instability associated with the shear layer to be the main mechanism. The main aim of the present work is to understand the exact origin of the primary instability mechanism responsible for the amplification of disturbances. We argue that at least up to the front portion of the bubble, the instability mechanism is due to the inflectional mode associated with the mean velocity profile. However, the seeds of this inviscid inflectional instability could be traced back to the attached boundary layer upstream of separation. In other words, the inviscid inflectional instability of the separated shear layer should be logically seen as an extension of the instability of the upstream attached adverse-pressure-gradient boundary layer. This modifies the traditional view that pegs the origin of the instability in a separation bubble to the free shear layer outside the bubble with its associated Kelvin-Helmholtz mechanism. Our contention is that only when the separated shear layer has moved considerably away from the wall (and this happens near the maximum height of the mean bubble) that a description by Kelvin-Helmholtz instability paradigm with its associated scaling principles could become relevant. We also propose a new scaling for the most amplified frequency for a wall-bounded shear layer in terms of the inflection point height and the vorticity thickness, and show its universality. Next, we theoretically investigate the role played by the re-circulating region of the separation bubble in the linear instability regime. In the re-circulating region near the wall, associated with the so-called wall mode, the production of disturbance kinetic energy is found to be negative. This is a very interesting observation which has been cursorily noted in earlier studies. Here we show that the near-wall negative production region exerts a stabilising influence on the downstream travelling disturbances. A theoretical support for such a mechanism to exist close to the wall is presented. It is shown that the stabilising wall-proximity effect is not a peripheral aspect but has a significant effect on the overall stability especially for the waves close to the upper neutral branch. We demonstrate the appropriateness of inviscid analysis for the stability of the separated flow velocity profile away from the wall, by comparing the numerical solutions of Rayleigh and Orr-Sommerfeld equations. Following this, the analytical consequences of the Rayleigh equation such as the inflection point criterion and the Fjortoft criterion are derived for the wall-bounded inflectional velocity profiles. Furthermore, we also discuss the relevance of the negative production region towards flow control and management for the wall-bounded flows. It appears fruitful to divide the separation bubble region into two parts with respect to the nature of disturbance dynamics: one outside the mean dividing streamline (which behaves as an amplifier) and the other inside the bubble corresponding to the re-circulating region (having oscillator type characteristics). To explore the oscillator-like behaviour of the bubble further, we have carried out spatio-temporal stability analysis of the reversed flow velocity profiles and determined the conditions for the onset of absolute instability. We contend that the presence of the negative production region for the upstream travelling waves has a restraining effect arresting the tendency of the flow (both wall-free and wall-bounded) to become absolutely unstable and thereby requiring a particular threshold of the backflow velocity to be crossed for its realisation. Moreover, the delay in the onset of absolute instability for a wall-bounded profile as compared to a free shear layer is attributed to a certain ‘negative-drag’ effect of the wall on the overall flow which increases the group velocities for the wall-bounded flows. A related theme in the literature regarding the dynamics of laminar separation bubbles is the so-called ‘bursting’ of the bubble wherein there is a sudden increase in the length and height of the bubble as some critical conditions are reached. Bubbles before bursting are termed as ‘short’ bubbles and those after bursting as ‘long’ bubbles. In this work, we provide a criterion to predict bursting which is a refinement over the existing criteria. The proposed criterion takes into account not just the length of the bubble but also the maximum height and it is shown to be more universal in differentiating short bubbles from the long ones, as compared to the other criteria. We also present a hypothesis regarding the sequence of events leading to bubble bursting by relating its onset to the instability of the re-circulating region. For this we observe that as the amount of backflow velocity is increased for a reversed flow velocity profile, the inflection point moves inside the mean dividing streamline and this happens before the onset of absolute instability. This causes a vorticity maximum to develop inside the re-circulating region which could lead to the instability of the closed streamlines with respect to two-dimensional cylindrical disturbances. The actual bursting process may be expected to involve non-linear interactions of the disturbances and the long bubble could be a nonlinearly saturated state of the instability of the re-circulating region. In order to explore the three-dimensionality associated with the bubble, extensive surface flow visualisation experiments have been performed. The surface streamline pattern is obtained for the entire span of the plate for three different freestream velocities. The patterns have been interpreted using topological ideas and various critical points have been identified. It is shown that the arrangement of critical points satisfies the ‘index theorem’ which is a topological necessity and the streamline patterns are ‘structurally stable’. An interesting observation from these patterns is the presence of three-dimensionality upstream of the separation line close to the wall even though the oncoming flow is nominally two-dimensional. Using the critical point theory, we propose a hypothesis which could be used to construct a semi-empirical model wherein the critical points are assigned with a quantity called ‘strength’ for determining the extent of upstream influence of a given separation line. Finally, we derive a necessary condition for the existence of inviscid spatial instability in plane parallel flows. It states that for spatial instability the curvature of the velocity profile should be positive in some region of the profile. This includes Rayleigh’s inflection point theorem (which was proposed and proved by Rayleigh for temporal instability) as a special case. It thus provides a rigorous basis for applying the inflection point criterion to the flows in the framework of spatial stability theory (which we have used extensively in the present thesis). Moreover, the condition derived here is more general as it also includes velocity profiles with the curvature positive everywhere which are excluded by Rayleigh’s theorem in the temporal framework. An example of such a profile is presented (Couette-Poiseuille flow with adverse pressure gradient) and it is shown that this flow is an exceptional case which is temporally stable but spatially unstable. Eigenvalue calculations as well as energy considerations suggest that the mechanism governing instability of this flow is inviscid and non-inflectional in character. This is a new result which could have important implications in understanding the instability dynamics of parallel flows.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The method discrete ordinates is used to solve problems involving rarefied gas dynamics. In this work, a version of the analytical method discrete ordinates (ADO) is used to solve problems in a semi-infinite. The complete analytical development, in cartesian coordinates, the solution of the Thermal-Slip and Viscous-Slip problems is presented, for four kinetic models: BGK model, S model, Gross Jackson model and MRS model in a unified approach. In addition, to describe the interaction between gas and surface, we use the Cercignani-Lampis boundary condition defined in terms of the coefficients of accommodation of tangential momentum and energy accommodation coefficient kinetic corresponding the velocity normal. Numerical results are presented, where we obtain quantities of interest, such as: velocity profile and heat flow profile, which were implemented computationally through the FORTRAN program. / O método de ordenadas discretas é utilizado na solução de alguns problemas envolvendo a dinâmica de gases rarefeitos. Neste trabalho, uma versão analítica do método de ordenadas discretas (ADO) é usada para resolver problemas em meio semiinfinito. O desenvolvimento analítico completo, em coordenadas cartesianas, da solução dos problemas Deslizamento Térmico e Deslizamento Viscoso é apresentada, para quatro modelos cinéticos: modelo BGK, modelo S, modelo Gross Jackson e modelo MRS em uma abordagem unificada. Além disso, para descrever o processo de interação entre o gás e a parede utiliza-se o núcleo de Cercignani-Lampis definido em termos do coeficiente de acomodação do momento tangencial e do coeficiente de acomodação da energia cinética correspondendo a velocidade normal. Resultados numéricos são apresentados, onde obtém-se grandezas de interesse, tais como: perfil de velocidade e perfil de fluxo de calor, os quais foram implementados computacionalmente através do programa FORTRAN.

Orientadores: Philippe Remy Bernard Devloo, Sonia Maria Gomes / Dissertação (Mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Civil, Arquitetura e Urbanismo / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-04T00:26:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Santos_ErickSlisRaggio_M.pdf: 3573187 bytes, checksum: 016737de065f039de0141d987e4bdd7a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2004 / Resumo: A simulação de escoamentos compressíveis considerados sem viscosidade tem grande aplicabilidade na aeronáutica. Atualmente tem sido foco de muitas pesquisas o desenvolvimento destas simulações segundo o método de Galerkin descontínuo[7, 12, 16, 20], que alia as boas características dos métodos de elementos finitos e volumes finitos, beneficiando-se da modelagem polinomial no interior de subdomínios e escontínua nas interfaces entre subdomínios. Neste trabalho o autor se propõe a estender as funcionalidades do ambiente de elementos finitos PZ[28], habilitando-o a modelar as equações de Euler de dinâmica dos gases com o método de Galerkin descontínuo em 3 dimensões. Para cálculo dos fluxos nas interfaces entre os subdomínios emprega-se o fluxo de Roe de primeira ordem e para estabilizar eventuais oscilações na distribuição da solução no interior dos subdomínios são adicionados termos de difusão artificial à formulação. O esquema de integração temporal a empregar é o de Euler implícito, resolvido pelo método de Newton-Raphson. O cálculo da matriz jacobiana do resíduo de Euler, necessário para o método de Newton-Raphson, é desafiador devido à complexidade dos termos de difusão e fluxo numérico, mas viabilizado pelo emprego de técni-cas de diferenciação automática. Dada a qualidade do integrador temporal consistentemente implícito, algoritmos de evolução de CFL são desenvolvidos e aplicados, visando a redução dos tempos de simulação. A validação do esquema proposto e a avaliação da qualidade dos resultados fornecidos pelo simulador são obtidas através da simulação de problemas teste modelados pelo autor. O resultado é um simulador 2D e 3D robusto e que fornece resultados consistentes com os da literatura. Destaca-se o desenvolvimento de um esquema de evolução de CFL que reduz o número de iterações para convergência até a solução estacionária, a com-paração de eficiência dos termos de difusão artificial e o desenvolvimento matricial destes. O trabalho evidencia as qualidades da aproximação numérica segundo o método de Galerkin descontínuo em comparação com resultados analíticos e de simulações por volumes finitos e as qualidades do integrador temporal desenvolvido, guiando futuros desenvolvimentos e elencando sugestões de extensões que visam aumentar a eficiência e ampliar as funcionalidades do simulador / Abstract: The simulation of compressible flows considered inviscid is largely appliable to aeronautics. The development of such simulations using the Garlekin discontinuous method[7,12,16,20], wich presents the good characteristics of fine element and finite volume methods, benefitting from the polynomial interpolation within subdomains and discontinuous across interfaces among them, has been the focus of many current researches. In this work the author extends the functionalities of the PZ finite element environment[28], enabling it to model the Euler equations of gas dynamics with the discontinuous Galerkin method in three space dimensions. The flux evaluation across interfaces uses the first order Roe¿s numerical flux. Artificial diffusive terms added to the formulation aatempt to stabilize spatial oscillations of the distribution of the solution within each subdomain. The time marcing scheme applied is the implicit first order Euler, solved by a Newton-Raphson method. The evaluation of the matrix tangent to the Euler residual required by the neton-Raphson method is challenging due to the complexity of the artificial diffusive and numerical flux terms, but feasible thanks to the automatic differentiation techniques. Given the quality of the consistently implicit time integrator. CFL evolution algorithms are developed and applied to reduce the simulation ti-ming. The proposed scheme validation as well as the result quality juclgements are obtained through the simulation of test problems proposed by the author. The result is a 2D and 3D robust simulator that off'ers results consistent ivith those availabe in the bibliography. Outstanding qualities are presented by the CFL c.volution scheme. which reduces the num-ber of time marching iterations required to converge to steady-state solutions. An efficiency benchmark of the artificial cliff'usive terms and the matricial development of such are also emphasized. This work evinces the qualities of the discontinuous Galerkin approximation method compared to analytical and finite volume simulation solutions and the qualities of the developed time integrator. guiding future developments and stating suggestions on pos-sible extensions focusing performance enhancement and additional features / Mestrado / Estruturas / Mestre em Engenharia Civil

The modern gas turbine engine industry needs a simpler and faster method to facilitate the design of gas turbine combustors due to the enormous costs of experimental test rigging and detailed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. Therefore, in the initial design phase, a couple of preliminary designs are conducted to establish initial values for combustor performance and geometric characteristics. In these preliminary designs, various one-dimensional models using analytical and empirical formulations may be used. One of the disadvantages of existing models is that they are typically geometric dependant, i.e. they apply only to the geometry they are derived for. Therefore the need for a more versatile design tool exists. In this work, which constitutes the first step in the development of such a versatile design tool, a single equation-set network simulation model to describe both steady state compressible and incompressible isothermal flow is developed. The continuity and momentum equations are solved through a hybrid type network model analogy which makes use of the SIMPLE pressure correction methodology. The code has the capability to efficiently compute flow through elements where the loss factor K is highly flow dependant and accurately describes variable area duct flow in the case of incompressible flow. The latter includes ducts with discontinuously varying flow sectional areas. Proper treatment of flow related non-linearities, such as flow friction, is facilitated in a natural manner in the proposed methodology. The proposed network method is implemented into a Windows based simulation package with a user interface. The ability of the proposed method to accurately model both compressible and incompressible flow is demonstrated through the analyses of a number of benchmark problems. It will be shown that the proposed methodology yields similar or improved results as compared to other’s work. The proposed method is applied to a research combustor to solve for isothermal flows and flow splits. The predicted flows were in relatively close agreement with measured data as well as detailed CFD analysis. / Dissertation (MEng (Mechanical Engineering))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering / unrestricted

The impact phenomena of high velocity micron-size particles, although commonly considered and described as detrimental in numerous engineering applications, can be used in a beneficial way if properly understood and controlled. The Cold Gas Dynamic Spray (CGDS) process, known as a surface modification, repair and additive manufacturing process, relies on such high velocity impacts. In the process, solid particles are accelerated by a supersonic gas flow to velocities up to 1200 m/s and are simultaneously heated to temperatures lower than their melting point. When propelled under proper velocity and temperature, the particles can bond onto a target surface. This bonding is caused by the resulting interfacial deformation processes occurring at the contact interface. Hence, the process relies heavily on the gas/particle and particle/substrate interactions. Although numerous experimental and/or numerical studies have been performed to describe the phenomena occurring during particle flight and impact in the CGDS process, numerous phenomena remain poorly understood. First, the effect of substrate surface topographical condition on the particle deformation and ability to successfully adhere, i.e. atomically and/or mechanically, has not been thoroughly investigated such that its influence is not well understood. Another aspect of the process that is generating the largest gap between experimental and numerical studies in the field is the lack of particle in-flight temperature measurements. Obtaining such data has proven to be technically difficult. The challenges stem from the short particle flight time, low particle temperature and small particle size preventing the use of established thermal spray pyrometry equipment. Relatedly, lack of such measurements precludes a proper experimental study of the impact related phenomena at the particle/substrate interface. As a result, the effect of particle size dependent temperature on overall coating properties and atomic bonding relies currently on estimates. Finally, the effect of particle impact characteristics on interfacial phenomena, i.e. grain size and geometry, velocity/temperature, and oxide scale thickness, on adhesion and deformation upon single particle collision has also been scarcely studied for soft particle depositions on hard substrate. Hence, the current research work aims at studying fundamental aspects of particle/gas heat transfer and particle/substrate impact features in goals to improve the understanding of the CGDS process. Different surface preparation methods will be used to create various surface roughness and topographical features, to provide a clear understanding of the target surface state influence on coating formation and adhesion. Additionally, new equipment relying on novel technology, i.e. high-speed IR camera, will be utilized to obtain particle in-flight temperature readings with sequence recordings. Subsequently, the experimental particle in-flight temperature readings will be used to develop a computational fluid dynamics model in goals to validate currently used Nusselt number correlations and heat transfer equations. The particle size-dependent temperature effect on the particle’s elastic and plastic response to its impact with a targeted surface and its ability to successfully bond and form a coating will be studied experimentally. A thorough CFD numerical work, based on experimental findings, will be included to provide full impact characteristics (velocity, temperature, size and trajectory) of successfully deposited particles. Finally, the numerical results will be utilized in the ensuing study to correlate single particle deformation, adhesion and interfacial features to impact characteristics. A finite element model will be included to investigate the effect of particle size dependent temperature on single particle interfacial pressure, temperature and bonding ability.

<p> The Virtual Super-resolution Optics with Reconfigurable Swarms (VISORS) mission  aims to produce high-resolution images of solar release sites in the solar corona using a  distributed telescope. The collected data will be used to investigate the existence of underlying  energy release mechanisms. The VISORS telescope is composed of two spacecraft flying in a  formation configuration. The optics spacecraft (OSC) hosts the optic system, while the detector  spacecraft (DSC) is located behind the OSC in alignment with the Sun and houses a detector.  The two modes of operation for the CubeSats are Science Operations Mode and Standby Mode.  In Science Operations Mode, the two spacecraft are at a close distance which may make the plume impingement an issue. The cold gas thruster propulsion systems in both the OSC and  DSC use R-236fa (HFC) refrigerant. The plume from the system is modeled using SPARTA  Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) Simulator while the refrigerant itself is modeled using  an equivalent particle that closely matches viscosity and specific heat. This work aims to  investigate plume propagation for two different flow inputs. The DSMC simulations are  performed with the input parameters acquired using the isentropic relations and CFD simulations  of the 2D axisymmetric nozzle flow. Additionally, the DSMC results are compared to the  Boynton-Simons, Roberts-South, and Gerasimov analytical plume models. </p>