The contribution compares results of Large Eddy Simulations of the cavitating flow in a model oil hydraulic spool valve using an Euler-Euler and a one-way coupled Euler- Lagrange model. The impact of the choice of the empirical constants in the Kunz cavitation model is demonstrated. Provided these are chosen appropriately the approach can yield reasonable agreement with the corresponding experiment. The one-way Euler-Lagrange model yields less agreement. It is demonstrated that this is due to the lack of realistic volumetric coupling, rarely accounted for in this type of method. First results of such an algorithm are presented featuring substantially more realism.

The advance in computational fluid dynamics in recent years has provided the opportunity for many fluid dynamic problems to be analyzed numerically. One such problem concerns the modeling of plunging water into a still water body, often encountered in pump stations. Air bubbles introduced into the system by the plunging jet can be a significant problem, especially when consumed into operating pumps. The classical approach to investigate the hydrodynamics of plunging jet in pump stations is by physical model studies. This approach is time consuming, tedious and costly. The availability of computational power today, along with appropriate numerical techniques, allows such phenomenon to be studied in a greater level of detail and more cost efficient. Despite the advantages of numerical studies, little attention has been devoted to solve the plunging jet and air transport problem numerically. In this current work, a 3-dimensional finite volume, Large Eddy Simulation (LES) code is developed to simulate these flow conditions. For turbulent flow, the large scale quantities were numerically resolved while the dynamic sub-grid scale model is used to model the small scale energy dissipations. The code also has the capability to handle free surface deformation, an important aspect in simulating the impact section of an impinging jet. Modeling of the air entrainment is performed numerically utilizing the information obtained from the hydrodynamics. Migration of air bubbles is modeled using the scalar transport equation, modified to account for the buoyancy of the bubbles. Instead of the typical Lagrangian schemes, which track individual air bubbles, air bubble dynamics are modeled in the form of concentrations. Modeling air bubbles in this manner is computational efficient and simpler to implement. For the air entrainment simulations, standard numerical boundaries conditions and empirical entrainment equations are used to provide the necessary boundary conditions. The developed model is compared with the literature, producing satisfactory results, suggesting that the code has an excellent potential of extending its application to practical industry practices.

In many areas of aerodynamics the technique of Large Eddy Simulation (LES) has proved a practical way of modelling the unsteady phenomena in numerical simulations. Few applications are as dependent on such an approach as the prediction of flow within a gas turbine combustor. Like any form of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), LES requires specification of the velocity field at the inflow boundary, with much evidence suggesting the specification of inlet turbulence can be critical to the resultant accuracy of the prediction. While a database of time-resolved velocity data may be obtained from a precursor LES calculation, this technique is prohibitively expensive for complex geometries. An alternative is to use synthetic inlet conditions obtained from experimental data High-speed Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) is used here to provide planar velocity data at up to 1kHz temporal resolution in two test cases representative of gas turbine combustor flows (a vortex generator in a duct and an idealised combustor). As the data sampling rate is approaching a typical LES time-step it introduces the possibility of applying instantaneous experimental data directly as an inlet condition. However, as typical solution domain inlet regions for gas turbine combustor geometries cannot be adequately captured in a single field of PIV data, it is necessary to consider a method by which a synchronous velocity field may be obtained from multiple PIV fields that were not captured concurrently. A method is proposed that attempts to achieve this by a combined process of Linear Stochastic Estimation and high-pass filtering. The method developed can be generally applied without a priori assumptions of the flow and is demonstrated to produce a velocity field that matches very closely that of the original PIV, with no discontinuities in the velocity correlations. The fidelity and computational cost of the method compares favourably to several existing inlet condition generation methods. Finally, the proposed and existing methods for synthetic inlet condition generation are applied to LES predictions of the two test cases. There is shown to be significant differences in the resulting flow, with the proposed method showing a marked ii reduction in the adjustment period that is required to establish turbulent equilibrium downstream of the inlet. However, it is noted the presence of downstream turbulence generating features can mask any differences in the inlet condition, to the extent that the flow in the core of the combustor test case is found to be insensitive to the inlet condition applied at the entry to the feed annulus for the test conditions applied here.

Climate change is emerging as a significant challenge in terms of the response needed to mitigate or adapt to the predicted global changes. Severe impacts due to rising sea-level, seasonal shifts, increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as storms, floods or droughts have become accepted by the scientific community as a real and present threat to civilisation. The most significant impacts are expected in the Arctic, the Asian mega-deltas, Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and sub-Saharan Africa (IPCC 2007). There are two approaches to global climate change either mitigation or adaptation. This dissertation aims to provide the initial design concepts for a system to mitigate methane, a significant Greenhouse Gas (GHG), emitted from coalmines by ventilation air circulated through the underground workings. The VamTurBurner©, a Ventilation Air Methane (VAM) gas turbine based methane burning system, is proposed as a method of extracting the thermal energy from the VAM. A key aspect of the problem responsible for the difficulty in extracting the energy from VAM is the low concentration of methane in the high volume ventilation airflow. This approach recasts the concepts of combustion dynamics of a premixed fuel flow to that expected for VAM to ascertain the conditions conducive to combustion or oxidation of the methane in the ventilation air. A numerical model using Large Eddy Simulation (LES) to study the combustion dynamics revealed that the temperature of the incoming ventilation air is a key variable related to the concentration of the VAM. Computational Fluid Dynamics modeling was used to study the design features needed to engineer a system capable of providing the required temperature of the incoming ventilation air. Applications for the available thermal energy are discussed in terms of the potential to generate electricity with steam turbines, provide space heating, produce hot water for many uses, and use the heat for industrial drying or as desired. The efficiency of the energy system is enhanced when the output from the amount of natural gas or electricity purchased is compared to the output enhanced by the addition of methane, considered as free. The VamTurBurner© concept, as described in this dissertation, appears to be a viable method of mitigating atmospheric methane in the pursuit greenhouse gas reduction.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering / M.H. Hosni / Z.C. Zheng / In order to study the capability of computational methods in investigating the mechanisms associated with disease and contaminants transmission in aircraft cabins, the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models are used for the simulation of turbulent airflow, tracer gas diffusion, and particle dispersion in a generic aircraft cabin mockup. The CFD models are validated through comparisons of the CFD predictions with the corresponding experimental measurements. It is found that using Large Eddy Simulation (LES) with the Werner-Wengle wall function, one can predict unsteady airflow velocity field with relatively high accuracy. However in the middle region of the cabin mockup, where the recirculation of airflow takes place, the accuracy is not as good as that in other locations. By examining different k-ε models, the current study recommends the use of the RNG k-ε model with the non-equilibrium wall function as a Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) model for predicting the steady-state airflow velocity data. It is also found that changing the cabin air-inlet nozzle height has a significant effect on the flow behavior in the middle and upper part of the cabin, while the flow pattern in the lower part is not affected as much. Through the use of LES and species transport model in simulating tracer gas diffusion, very good agreement between predicted and measured tracer gas concentration data is observed for some monitoring locations, but the agreement level is not uniform for all the sampling point locations. The reasons for the deviations between predictions and measurements for those locations are discussed. The Lagrange-Euler approach is invoked in the particle dispersion simulations. In this approach, the equation of motion for the discrete phase is coupled with the continuous phase governing equations through the calculation of drag and buoyancy forces acting on particles. The continuous phase flow is turbulent and RANS is employed in order to calculate the continuous phase velocity field. A complete study on grid dependence for RANS simulation is performed through a controllable regional mesh refinement scheme. The grid dependence study shows that using unstructured grid with tetrahedral and hybrid elements in the refinement region are more efficient than using structured grid with hexahedral elements. The effect of turbulence on the particle dispersion is taken into account by using a stochastic tracking method (Discrete Random Walk model). One of the significant features of this study is the investigation of the effect of the number of tries on the accuracy of particle concentration predictions when Discrete Random Walk is used to model turbulent distribution of particles. Subsequently, the optimum number of tries to obtain the most accurate predictions is determined. In accordance with the corresponding experimental data, the effect of particle size on particle distribution is also studied and discussed through the simulation of two different sizes of mono-disperse particles in the cabin with straight injection tube, i.e., 3µm and 10µm. Due to the low particle loading, neglecting the effect of particles motion on the continuous phase flow-field seems to be a reasonable, simplifying assumption in running the simulations. However, this assumption is verified through the comparison of the results from 1-way and 2-way coupling simulations. Eventually through the simulations for the particle injection using the cone diffuser, the effects of cabin pressure gradient as well as the particle density on particles dispersion behavior are studied and discussed. In the last part of this dissertation, the turbulent airflow in a full-scale Boeing 767 aircraft cabin mockup with eleven rows of seats and manikins is simulated using steady RANS method. The results of this simulation cannot only be used to study the airflow pattern, but also can be used as the initial condition for running the tracer gas diffusion and particle dispersion simulations in this cabin mockup.

O estudo do transporte de sedimentos, partindo da estimativa de estruturas turbulentas relevantes, constituiu o principal foco deste trabalho. Assim, a equação de transporte de massa (advecção-difusão) foi aplicada em conjunto com as equações de Navier-Stokes e da continuidade filtradas. Neste contexto, houve a necessidade de uma descrição conveniente da turbulência, o que ocorreu mediante a aplicação da simulação de grandes escalas acoplada a modelos de viscosidade turbulenta sub-malha. O método de fronteira imersa foi utilizado na modelação da interface sólido/fluido, representada pela geometria de fundo dos canais. As equações de Navier-Stokes filtradas e da continuidade foram resolvidas numericamente pelo método de passos fracionados, o qual estabeleceu o almejado acoplamento entre ambas. Na discretização das equações governantes foi utilizado o método de diferenças finitas, aplicado sobre malhas deslocadas. Os esquemas explícitos de Adams-Bashforth (de segunda e quarta ordens) foram utilizados no avanço temporal das velocidades do escoamento e das concentrações de sedimentos. Uma nova formulação para a velocidade de sedimentação foi desenvolvida analiticamente, enquanto que eventuais fluxos de ressuspensão foram impostos como condição de contorno no fundo do canal. Todos os códigos computacionais, que estabeleceram as diretrizes e a lógica de cálculo, foram criados no contexto deste trabalho. Os resultados obtidos indicam que a simulação de grandes escalas, associada ao método de fronteira imersa, considerando velocidade de sedimentação conforme aqui modelada, e ainda utilizando a equação de advecção-difusão para o transporte de massa, constituem ferramentas altamente adequadas à estimativa do transporte de sedimentos pela água. / The goal of this work is the research of sediment transport phenomena, deriving from outstanding turbulent eddies estimative. Thus, the mass transport equation (advection-diffusion) was connected with the filtered Navier-Stokes and continuity equations. In this context, the large-eddy simulation and sub-grid viscosity modeling established a convenient description of turbulence effects. The immersed boundary method was applied to model solid/fluid interface, represented here by the shapes of channel bottom. The filtered Navier-Stokes and continuity equations were solved by the fractional step method. The equations were discretized with the finite difference method, applied over staggered grids, whereas explicit Adams-Bashforth schemes (second and forth orders) were used in temporal advancement of velocities and sediment concentration fields. A new analytical formulation for settling velocity was obtained, while fortuitous re-suspension flux was applied like a boundary condition in the channel bottom. The computational code was totally developed in this work. The results of present simulations show that large-eddy simulation coupled to the immersed boundary method, considering, yet, the settling velocity of particles and the advection-diffusion equation for mass transport, constitute potential tools for sediment transport evaluation in water flows.

L’allumage constitue une phase critique dans de nombreuses applications de combustion et plus particulièrement dans celles qui sont liées à la propulsion aéronautique et spatiale. Un des défis actuels a été de développer des simulations aux grandes échelles de ce phénomène transitoire dans des configurations réalistes comme celles trouvées dans les moteurs aéronautiques. A cet égard, le travail pionnier de Boileau et al. (2008)a indiqué que des calculs complets de ce processus pouvaient être réalisés dans des géométries complètes de chambre de combustion annulaire et que ces calculs pouvaient fournir des informations de première main sur le processus d’allumage circulaire. Il était toutefois important devoir si la simulation pouvait reproduiredes données expérimentales bien contrôlées.Ceci est accompli dans le présent travail qui utilise un dispositif expérimental nouveau désigné sous le nom de MICCA.La thèse décrit l’ensemble des données recueillies au cours d’essais systématiques sur MICCA, la méthode de calcul aux grandes échelles et sa validation dans une configuration de brûleur simplifiée, les résultats de simulations aux grandes échelles du processus d’allumage circulaire, une analyse détaillée des résultats numériques et enfin une modélisation simplifiée du processus d’allumage fondée sur des équations de bilan macroscopiques. / Ignition constitutes a critical phase in many combustion applications and specifically those related to aerospace propulsion. One of the current challenges has been to develop large eddy simulations of this transient phenomenon in realistic configurations like those found in aeroengines.In this respect, the pioneering work of Boileau et a. (2008) indicated that complete calculations of this process in a full annular combustor geometry could be carried out and that they provided first hand information on the light-round process.It was however important to see if the simulation can match well controlled experimental data. This is accomplished in the present work which uses a novel experimental device named MICCA. The thesis describes the experimental set of data,the calculation methodology and its validation in a single burner configuration,results of large eddy simulation of the full light round process, a detailed analysis of the numerical results and an attempt to build a simplified model of the process based on macroscopic balance equations.

Les préoccupations environnementales actuelles ont conduit les constructeurs automobiles à proposer de nouvelles technologies dans le but de réduire les émissions de CO2. Parmi ces technologies, le downsizing appliqué aux moteurs turbocompressés à allumage commandé est une des solutions privilégiées, car permettant d'atteindre des points de fonctionnement fortement chargés, avec un meilleur rendement thermique. Cependant, les fortes charges favorisent l'apparition de cliquetis, un phénomène potentiellement dommageable pour le moteur et qui l'empêche d'exploiter tout son potentiel. Du fait des variabilités cycliques de combustion dans le moteur, le cliquetis, qui dépend des conditions locales dans la chambre de combustion, peut apparaître uniquement sur quelques cycles, à différents endroits et instants. Dans cette thèse, une approche par Simulation aux Grandes Échelles (SGE) a été choisi, dans le but d'étudier et d'améliorer notre compréhension du cliquetis. L'étude se base sur la SGE d'un moteur industriel, le RENAULT 1.2 TCe 115. Un premier ensemble de 30 cycles a été simulé sur un point de fonctionnement de référence, correspondant à un point cliquetant dans la base de données banc d'essais fournie par RENAULT. Les résultats de simulation ont été comparés aux résultats expérimentaux, aussi bien en termes de variabilités cycliques de combustion que de cliquetis. A la suite, un balayage d'avance à l'allumage a été simulé pour étendre la base de données LES à des points plus faiblement et plus fortement cliquetants. La base de données résultante se compose de 150 cycles de combustion, utilisés pour développer des méthodologies et outils, dans le but de mieux caractériser le cliquetis et d'approfondir sa compréhension. L'accès numérique à toute grandeur dans la chambre de combustion, combiné à la description séparée dans cette simulation entre la flamme de pré-mélange initiée par la bougie et l'auto-inflammation dans les gaz frais, ont permis de caractériser le cliquetis en se focalisant sur son origine : l'auto-inflammation. A la suite, les méthodologies et outils développés ont soutenu une analyse détaillée des mécanismes qui contrôlent l'apparition du cliquetis. En particulier, le lien entre le cliquetis et les variabilités cycliques de combustion a été exploré. Les résultats mettent notamment en évidence l'impact des variabilités cycliques, aussi bien de la vitesse de propagation que de la forme de la flamme de pré-mélange, sur le cliquetis. / The rising concerns about the environment have led car manufacturers to come up with new engine technologies, in order to reduce the impact of internal combustion engines on CO2 emissions. In this context, downsizing of turbocharged spark-ignition engines has become a commonly used technology, the advantage of which is to operate the engine under thermally more efficient high loads. However, these high loads favour the appearance of potentially damaging knock phenomena, which prevent the engine to fully exploit its potential. Because of cyclic combustion variability (CCV) in the engine, knock, which depends on the local conditions inside the combustion chamber, can appear at different locations and timings and not in all engine cycles. In this thesis, a Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) approach was selected to investigate and further improve our understanding of the appearance of knock. The study is based on the LES of a production engine, the RENAULT 1.2 TCe 115. For this engine, a set of 30 cycles was initially simulated at a single operating point, corresponding to a knocking point in the test bench database from RENAULT. The results were compared to experimental findings, both in terms of CCV and knock. Subsequently, a spark-timing sweep was simulated in order to enlarge the LES database to also include weaker and stronger knock levels. The resulting LES, which consists of 150 combustion cycles, was used to develop methodologies and tools with the objective to better characterize and understand knock. The computational access to any quantity inside the combustion chamber, together with the separate description with the present LES approach between the spark-triggered premixed flame propagation and auto-ignition, were exploited to characterize knock focusing on its source: autoignition in the fresh gases. Then, the developed methodologies and tools supported a detailed analysis of the mechanisms that control the knock onset. In particular, its link with CCV was explored. The results point out the impact of the cyclic variability in the premixed flame propagation speed and shape on knock.

La conception d'un statoréacteur bénificie aujourd'hui des progrès divers des outils numériques permettant par la même occasion d'alléger les différentes étapes préliminaires de tests en géométrie réelle nécessaires au développement de telle configuration. L'objectif de cette thèse est de développer une méthodologie s'appuyant sur la Simulation aux Grandes Echelles (SGE) afin de contribuer à la validation de ce nouvel outil numérique pour la simulation de statoréacteur et ainsi de contribuer à la compréhension des phénomènes mis en jeu dans ces chambres de combustion. L'outil numérique est tout d'abord adapté pour la simulation des écoulements réactifs fortement turbulents avec un accent mis sur la gestion des chocs avec des schémas centrés et la discrétisation de la convection pour la simulation Eulérienne de la phase dispersée. La configuration cible est le "Statoréacteur de Recherche'' étudié expérimentalement par l'ONERA. Sa simulation est réalisée de manière graduelle. Tout d'abord, il est montré que la simulation de la totalité de la configuration, y compris les diffuseurs d'entrée où se positionne un réseau de choc, est essentielle afin de considérer une géométrie acoustiquement close pour reproduire correctement les modes d'oscillation du statoréacteur. La pertinence du schéma cinétique est aussi étudiée et il est montré l'importance de bien reproduire l'évolution de la vitesse de flamme adiabatique pour une plage de richesse grande, en raison du régime de combustion partiellement prémélangé. Finalement, trois cas à richesse différente sont simulés et un excellent accord est trouvé avec l'expérience. La phénoménologie et les mécanismes pilotant la combustion sont alors étudiés pour ces trois cas. / Design of ramjets benefits today from the progress of numerical tools which relieve the various test stages of real engines that remain necessary for the development of such a kind of configuration. The objective of this dissertation is to develop a methodology based on the Large Eddy Simulation (LES) to contribute to the validation of this new type of advanced numerical tool for the simulation of ramjets and improve the understanding of combustion in these devices. The numerical tool is first adapted for the simulation of highly turbulent reacting flows with emphases on the management of shocks with centered schemes and the discretization of convection for the Eulerian simulation of the dispersed phase. The target configuration is the “Research ramjet” experimentally studied by ONERA. Simulation is carried out gradually. First, it is shown that the simulation of the entire configuration, including diffusers at the inlets where shocks appear is essential to consider an acoustically close geometry to properly reproduce the oscillation modes of combustion. The relevance of the kinetic scheme is also studied. It is shown that reproducing the evolution of the adiabatic flame speed for a wide range of equivalence ratio is critical because of the partially premixed combustion regime involved in this configuration. Finally, three different cases are simulated and excellent agreement is found with experimental data. The phenomenology and the different mechanisms governing combustion are studied for these three cases.

O estudo do transporte de sedimentos, partindo da estimativa de estruturas turbulentas relevantes, constituiu o principal foco deste trabalho. Assim, a equação de transporte de massa (advecção-difusão) foi aplicada em conjunto com as equações de Navier-Stokes e da continuidade filtradas. Neste contexto, houve a necessidade de uma descrição conveniente da turbulência, o que ocorreu mediante a aplicação da simulação de grandes escalas acoplada a modelos de viscosidade turbulenta sub-malha. O método de fronteira imersa foi utilizado na modelação da interface sólido/fluido, representada pela geometria de fundo dos canais. As equações de Navier-Stokes filtradas e da continuidade foram resolvidas numericamente pelo método de passos fracionados, o qual estabeleceu o almejado acoplamento entre ambas. Na discretização das equações governantes foi utilizado o método de diferenças finitas, aplicado sobre malhas deslocadas. Os esquemas explícitos de Adams-Bashforth (de segunda e quarta ordens) foram utilizados no avanço temporal das velocidades do escoamento e das concentrações de sedimentos. Uma nova formulação para a velocidade de sedimentação foi desenvolvida analiticamente, enquanto que eventuais fluxos de ressuspensão foram impostos como condição de contorno no fundo do canal. Todos os códigos computacionais, que estabeleceram as diretrizes e a lógica de cálculo, foram criados no contexto deste trabalho. Os resultados obtidos indicam que a simulação de grandes escalas, associada ao método de fronteira imersa, considerando velocidade de sedimentação conforme aqui modelada, e ainda utilizando a equação de advecção-difusão para o transporte de massa, constituem ferramentas altamente adequadas à estimativa do transporte de sedimentos pela água. / The goal of this work is the research of sediment transport phenomena, deriving from outstanding turbulent eddies estimative. Thus, the mass transport equation (advection-diffusion) was connected with the filtered Navier-Stokes and continuity equations. In this context, the large-eddy simulation and sub-grid viscosity modeling established a convenient description of turbulence effects. The immersed boundary method was applied to model solid/fluid interface, represented here by the shapes of channel bottom. The filtered Navier-Stokes and continuity equations were solved by the fractional step method. The equations were discretized with the finite difference method, applied over staggered grids, whereas explicit Adams-Bashforth schemes (second and forth orders) were used in temporal advancement of velocities and sediment concentration fields. A new analytical formulation for settling velocity was obtained, while fortuitous re-suspension flux was applied like a boundary condition in the channel bottom. The computational code was totally developed in this work. The results of present simulations show that large-eddy simulation coupled to the immersed boundary method, considering, yet, the settling velocity of particles and the advection-diffusion equation for mass transport, constitute potential tools for sediment transport evaluation in water flows.