The aerodynamic characteristics of rotorcraft flying at low speed close to the ground are investigated. This will help better understand and quantify the flowfield structures and unsteadiness associated with various in ground effect flight conditions. This study aims to separate out the various phenomena according to their causal factors. Experimental investigations first involved flow visualization, which helped in identifying the various flight regimes and in getting an approximate estimate of the unsteadiness. The problem was divided into its unsteady and quasi-steady aspects. Hotwire measurements were performed and the unsteadiness in the flow structure was quantified. It was found that there were long time scale and fluctuations in the upwind side of the rotor disk, with significant changes in the in and flow. On the quasi-steady side, the fuselage loads for two fuselage cross-sectional shapes were investigated both in and out of ground effect. The fuselage cross-section shape had a significant effect on the loads felt by the fuselage in ground effect. The power required for the experimental configuration was measured to provide a basis for comparison. Finally, the flowfield around the ground vortex was quantified, and the structure of the ground vortex was investigated using Particle Image Velocimetry. It was found that tip vorticity was ingested by the ground vortex and that the strength of the ground vortex was considerably more than the tip vortex.

This thesis presents a performance evaluation of a micro horizontal axis wind turbine, investigates the use of particle image velocimetry (PIV) to capture the flow field around a rotating blade and to track water droplets in the flow. The testing was done in a low speed wind tunnel in a highly blocked configuration. The turbine was instrumented to measure rotational speed of the rotor, axial thrust and power output. Wind speed of the wake was measured with a Kiel probe. Performance characteristics were calculated and compared with the manufacturer’s published data and to power predictions by axial momentum theories. The turbine was shown to perform well and the manufacturer’s published data are accurate. Axial momentum theory over-predicts power by approximately 50%. It is shown that good PIV results can be obtained using a fog machine to seed the flow. Improved illumination and optics will be required to measure 3D flow close to the blade. Water droplets can be tracked but a shadowgraphy arrangement should be used to better visualize the droplets. The droplets also affect the rotational speed of the rotor such that capturing the blade in a consistent point in the field of view is problematic.

Particle image velocimetry was widely used in many kinds of flow field recently. It provides a global view of instantaneous fluid velocity without disturbs flow field. In the present study, the cylinder wake with momentum addition was measured by PIV. The Reynolds number was fixed at 465 and 535 with cylinder diameter 19mm. The flow¡¦s displacement was measured by tracking flow images of 50 diameter ployamid 12 particles. The mean velocity of the momentum interference from the cylinder surface were 21 and 52 mm/s, respectively. From the results, the wake region shrinks under momentum injection at 0˚, but enlarges at 30˚ to 90˚. Under momentum suction, the effect of the wake expands at 0˚. Although the down stream velocity becomes more uniform at 30˚ and 60˚, the wake region spreads when suction at 90˚. On the other hand, the velocity spectra by hot-film anemometry also give consistent results with PIV analysis.

An investigation of turbulent structure modification of a boundary layer for a fully developed channel flow by microbubble injection close to the upper wall was carried out using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). Two-dimensional velocity components in an x-y plane at Reynolds number of 5128 based on the half height of the channel and bulk velocity were measured. Microbubbles, with an average diameter of 30 ??m were produced by electrolysis and injected in the buffer layer. Different values of the void fraction were attained and used to evaluate the effects of the presence of microbubbles and their concentration within the boundary layer. A reduction in drag was observed due to the injection of microbubbles. Drag reduction augments as the value of the void fraction increases. Furthermore, increases in both the non-dimensional values of streamwise and normal turbulent intensities, normalized by the friction velocity were observed with the void fraction growth. A gradual decrease in the Reynolds shear stresses was achieved as the void fraction increases. This effect is due to a ??decorrelation?? or ??decoupling?? between the streamwise and normal fluctuating velocities. Modifications in the length and time scales due to the presence of microbubbles were detected by calculating two-point correlation coefficients in one and two dimensions and the autocorrelation coefficient at various locations within the measurement zone. Streamline length and time scales were increased. On the contrary, the normal length and time scales were decreased. The vorticity and strain rate values decreased with the injection of microbubbles. Turbulent energy production was also decreased within the boundary layer. Quadrant analysis was used to find out the contribution of the u?? and v?? fluctuating velocity components to the Reynolds stress. The presence of microbubbles reduces the contribution to the Reynolds stresses by Q4 events (sweeps), which are responsible for the production of skin friction. Vortical structure detection in the measurement area was pursued. The structure with and without the microbubble injection is compared. In this study the presence of microbubbles within the boundary layer has produced several modifications in the flow structure as well as reduction in the drag.

Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and pressure measurement techniques were performed to investigate the drag reduction due to microbubble injection in the boundary layer of a fully developed turbulent channel flow. Two-dimensional full-field velocity components in streamwise-near-wall normal plane of a turbulent channel flow at Reynolds number of 5128 based on the half height of the channel were measured. The influence of the presence of microbubbles in the boundary layer was assessed and compared with single phase channel flow characteristics. A drag reduction of 38.4% was achieved with void fraction of 4.9%. The measurements were analyzed by studying the turbulence characteristics utilizing wavelet techniques. The wavelet cross-correlation and auto-correlation maps with and without microbubbles were studied and compared. The two-dimensional and threedimensional wavelet maps were used to interpret the results. The following observations were deduced from this study: 1. The microbubble injection within the boundary layer increases the turbulent energy of the streamwise velocity components of the large scale (large eddy size, low frequency) range and decreases the energy of the small scale (small eddy size, high frequency) range. 2. The wavelet cross-correlation maps of the normal velocities indicate that the microbubble presence decrease the turbulent energy of normal velocity components for both the large scale (large eddy size, low frequency) and the small scale (small eddy size, high frequency) ranges. 3. The wavelet auto-correlation maps of streamwise velocity shows that the intensities at low frequency range were increased with microbubble presence and the intensities at high frequency range were decreased. 4. The turbulent intensities for the normal fluctuating velocities at both low frequency and high frequency range were decreased with microbubble injection. This study presents the modifications in the characteristics of the boundary layer of channel flow which are attributed to the presence of microbubbles. Drag reduction studies with microbubble injections utilizing wavelet techniques are promising and are needed to understand the drag reduction phenomena.

No description available.

No description available.

This work is about the study of the turbulent round jet to low Reynolds number in the outlet of a nozzle due to the countless uses in the industrial field. The objectives of the thesis are the verification of the Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) data with other methods and authors and the analysis of the near and transition region of the flow. The method has been divided in three parts: processing of the PIV data that has been the normalization and union of the data; validation of the PIV measurement in comparison with other related studies; and the analysis of the near and intermediate field with the known data. Once that this part has been realized, the results and the discussion of the same have been presented. The preparation of the data has been made with a big accuracy how it has been demonstrated in the report. The verification of the PIV data has been affirmative with a big similitude for every magnitude that have been compared with other authors. Several patterns and an equation checked have been obtained in the analysis of the potential and transition region of the turbulent flow. In the near field, a model has been found in the self-similarity turbulence intensity. In the intermediate field, the inverse streamwise mean velocity have been proved that follow a lineal function depending the parameters of the Reynolds number and nozzle geometry. Also, self-similarity streamwise velocity has evolved similar to Gaussian distribution. Finally, an evaluation of the principal point to eddy will be development has been made. Turbulent kinetic energy and vector fields have demonstrated that vortices are created in the intersection between near and intermediate zone.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi a análise do movimento do fluido dentro de um segmento de vórtice em anel gerado através da ação magnetohidrodinâmica e o monitoramento do seu movimento resultante, de modo a oferecer condições de visualização usando velocimetria a laser com técnica de processamento de imagens de partículas envolvidas na circulação. O objetivo final desta linha de pesquisa é que através de análises de dados como as velocidades envolvidas na circulação obtida, possa modelar corpos em movimento em fluidos, de forma que o arrasto devido ao seu deslocamento possa ser reduzido. O movimento circulatório a que foi submetido o fluido sem meios mecânicos, ou seja, por meio de uma força resultante da ação de campos conjugados, teve a função de criar campos de baixa pressão tendo, para isso, acelerado o fluido em um circuito fechado restrito pela atuação da força e das paredes da célula de ensaio. O movimento do fluido, com a leitura da variação de velocidades em pontos diferentes do circuito teve o auxílio de um equipamento ótico que forneceu todas as variações, mesmo as mínimas, mostrando que tal aparato pode ser desenvolvido para a obtenção de melhores resultados. / The aim of this work involves the analysis of fluid flow, using sea water stimulated by localised magnetohydrodynamic induction within an experimental glass sided receptacle. The above mentioned apparatus simulated one segment of a three dimensional apparatus capable of creating a flow pattern very similar to that of a vortex ring. Particle Image Velocimetry techniques using a copper vapour laser with computerised image and data acquisition system were used to analyse the flow in the experimental segment. The final aim of this line of research is to be able to eventually model the shape of bodies in movement within a fluid when combined with the use of a magnetohydrodynamically induced flow field in such a way as to significantly reduce fluid drag forces on the body. Circulatory movement was induced in the fluid within the confines of the experimental tank using a locally applied Lorentz field force between electrodes to accelerate the fluid. Both the electrical and magnetic fields were controlled independently using separate external rectified a.c. circuits. The aim of the fluid movement described above was to induce low static pressure over a specific surface area. The analysis of the fluid movement, including the measurement of velocities in different points of the circuit was attained using specialised optical equipment linked to a computerised data acquisition and analysis system. The results, which included exceptionally low velocity readings, showed thatsuch equipment possesses the potential for developed for the attainment of better results in the future.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi a análise do movimento do fluido dentro de um segmento de vórtice em anel gerado através da ação magnetohidrodinâmica e o monitoramento do seu movimento resultante, de modo a oferecer condições de visualização usando velocimetria a laser com técnica de processamento de imagens de partículas envolvidas na circulação. O objetivo final desta linha de pesquisa é que através de análises de dados como as velocidades envolvidas na circulação obtida, possa modelar corpos em movimento em fluidos, de forma que o arrasto devido ao seu deslocamento possa ser reduzido. O movimento circulatório a que foi submetido o fluido sem meios mecânicos, ou seja, por meio de uma força resultante da ação de campos conjugados, teve a função de criar campos de baixa pressão tendo, para isso, acelerado o fluido em um circuito fechado restrito pela atuação da força e das paredes da célula de ensaio. O movimento do fluido, com a leitura da variação de velocidades em pontos diferentes do circuito teve o auxílio de um equipamento ótico que forneceu todas as variações, mesmo as mínimas, mostrando que tal aparato pode ser desenvolvido para a obtenção de melhores resultados. / The aim of this work involves the analysis of fluid flow, using sea water stimulated by localised magnetohydrodynamic induction within an experimental glass sided receptacle. The above mentioned apparatus simulated one segment of a three dimensional apparatus capable of creating a flow pattern very similar to that of a vortex ring. Particle Image Velocimetry techniques using a copper vapour laser with computerised image and data acquisition system were used to analyse the flow in the experimental segment. The final aim of this line of research is to be able to eventually model the shape of bodies in movement within a fluid when combined with the use of a magnetohydrodynamically induced flow field in such a way as to significantly reduce fluid drag forces on the body. Circulatory movement was induced in the fluid within the confines of the experimental tank using a locally applied Lorentz field force between electrodes to accelerate the fluid. Both the electrical and magnetic fields were controlled independently using separate external rectified a.c. circuits. The aim of the fluid movement described above was to induce low static pressure over a specific surface area. The analysis of the fluid movement, including the measurement of velocities in different points of the circuit was attained using specialised optical equipment linked to a computerised data acquisition and analysis system. The results, which included exceptionally low velocity readings, showed thatsuch equipment possesses the potential for developed for the attainment of better results in the future.