Integrated theoretical and experimental analysis is carried out in this work to investigate the fundamental failure mechanisms and flow patterns involved in the process of fluid injection into dense granular media. The experimental work is conducted with aqueous glycerin solutions, utilizing a novel setup based on a Hele-Shaw cell filled with dense dry sand. The two dimensional nature of the setup allows direct visualization and imaging analysis of the real-time fluid and grain kinematics. The experimental results reveal that the fluid flow patterns show a transition from simple radial flow to a ramified morphology while the granular media behaviors change from that of rigid porous media to localized failure that lead to development of fluid channels. Based on the failure/flow patterns, four distinct failure/flow regimes can be identified, namely, (i) a simple radial flow regime, (ii) an infiltration-dominated regime, (iii) a grain displacement-dominated regime, and (iv) a viscous fingering-dominated regime. These distinct failure/flow regimes emerge as a result of competition among various energy dissipation mechanisms, namely, viscous dissipation through infiltration, dissipation due to grain displacements, and viscous dissipation through flow in thin channels and can be classified based on the characteristic times associated with fluid injection, hydromechanical coupling and viscoelastoplasticity. The injection process is also analyzed numerically using the discrete element method (DEM) coupled with two fluid flow scheme, a fixed coarse grid scheme based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and a pore network modeling scheme. The numerical results from the two complementary methods reproduce phenomena consistent with the experimental observations and justify the concept of associating the displacement regimes with the partition among energy dissipation mechanisms. The research in this work, though fundamental in nature, will have direct impacts on many engineering problems in civil, environmental and petroleum engineering such as ground improvement, environmental remediation and reservoir stimulation.

The condition of no relative velocity of fluid past solid is termed as ‘no-slip boundary condition’. This condition is a general observation in fluid mechanics. However, several research groups have recently reported slip of water for surfaces with water repelling chemistry (referred to as hydrophobic surfaces). The effect has been attributed to disruption of H-bonding network of water molecules at such surfaces and resulting nucleation of dissolved gases and even reduced water density locally in absence of dissolved air. Slip of water on hydrophobic surfaces has been demonstrated to get amplified by high degree of roughness and patterning. Trapping of air in the surface asperities has been cited as the possible reason. The present work focuses on the study of effect of surface chemistry and roughness on flow behavior close to solid surfaces. Superhydrophobic surfaces have been generated by novel methods and wet-etching has been used to generate well-defined patterns on silicon surfaces. For flow characterisation, a micrometre resolution Particle Image Velocimetry (micro-PIV) facility has been developed and flow measurements have been carried out with a spatial resolution of less than 4 µm. It has been found from the experiments that flow of water on smooth surfaces, with or without chemical modification, conforms to the no-slip within the resolution limits of experiments. Deviation is observed in case of rough and patterned hydrophobic surfaces, possibly because of trapped air in asperities. Total Internal Reflection experiments, used to visualise the air pockets, confirmed the trapping of air at asperities. Diffusion of air out of the crevices seems to be the limiting factor for the utility of these surfaces in under-water applications.

Previous work on rigid splitter plates in the wake of a bluff body has shown that the primary vortex shedding can be suppressed for sufficiently long splitter plates. In the present work, we study the problem of a flexible splitter plate in the wake of a circular cylinder. In this case, the splitter plate can deform due to the fluid forces acting on it, and hence the communication between the two sides of the wake is not totally disrupted like in the rigid splitter plate case. In particular, we study two kinds of flexible splitter plates. In the first case, the splitter plate is rigid but is flexibly mounted (hinged) to the cylinder, while in the second case, the entire splitter plate is flexible. We are interested in both the dynamics of the splitter plate, if they do vibrate at all, and in the wake dynamics downstream of the flexible splitter plates. The main parameters in the problem are the splitter plate length (L) to cylinder diameter (D) ratio, the relative mass of the plate, the Reynolds number, and the stiffness and internal damping associated with the flexible plate. In our study, we investigate this problem in the limit where the stiffness and internal damping of the plate are negligible and hence are not parameters of interest. For the hinged-rigid splitter plate case, experiments show that the splitter plate oscillations increase with Reynolds numbers at low values of Re, and are found to reach a saturation amplitude level at higher Re. This type of saturation amplitude level that appears to continue indefinitely with Re, appears to be related to the fact that there is no structural restoring force in this case, and has been seen previously for elastically-mounted cylinders with no restoring force. In the present case, the saturation tip amplitude level can be up to 0.45D,where D is the cylinder diameter. For this hinged-rigid splitter plate case, it is found that the splitter plate length to cylinder diameter (L/D) ratio is crucial in determining the character and magnitude of the oscillations. For small splitter plate lengths (L/D ≤ 3.0), the oscillations appear to be nearly periodic with tip amplitudes of about 0.45D nearly independent of L/D. The non-dimensional oscillation frequencies (fD/U ) on the other hand are found to continuously vary with L/D from fD/U ≈ 0.2at L/D =1 to fD/U ≈ 0.1 at L/D = 3. As the splitter plate length is further increased beyond L/D ≥ 4.0, the character of the splitter plate oscillations suddenly changes. The oscillations become aperiodic with much smaller amplitudes. In this long splitter plate regime, the spectra of the oscillations become broadband, and are reminiscent of the change in character of the wake oscillations seen in the earlier fixed-rigid splitter plate case for L/D ≥ 5.0. It appears that the vortex shedding is nearly inhibited for L/D ≥ 4.0 in the present case. This is also supported by measurements of the wake vorticity field from Particle-Image Velocimetry (PIV). The phase-averaged PIV vorticity fields show that the strength of the shed vortices decreases rapidly as the splitter plate length increases. For longer splitter plates, L/D ≥ 4.0, the plate oscillations are no longer periodic, and hence it appears that the wake vortices are not synchronized with the splitter plate motions. For the entirely-flexible splitter plate case, the splitter plate deformations appear to be in the form of a travelling wave. In this case, the tip amplitudes are significantly larger of the order of 1.1D, and the non-dimensional oscillation frequency (fD/U )is close to 0.2, approximately the same as the Strouhal number for the bare cylinder. In sharp contrast to the hinged-rigid splitter plate case, the non-dimensional amplitude and frequency appear to be nearly independent of the normalized splitter plate length (L/D)even up to L/D =7.0. PIV measurements of the wake vorticity field indicates that there appears to be a nearly continuous sheet of vorticity on both sides of the flexible splitter plate, and the vortex sheet sheds and forms distinct vortices only at the trailing edge of the plate. The strength of these shed vortices appears to be close to that of the bare cylinder at similar Re. The results appear to suggest that in this entirely-flexible case, the vortices form at the same frequency and are of the same strength as in the bare cylinder case, but their formation is just pushed further downstream. This would suggest that in this case, the base suction and drag could be lower than the bare cylinder. Further, the formation of vortices further downstream of the body could imply that this type of flexible splitter plate could be useful to suppress vortex-induced vibrations (VIV).

Für die Untersuchung von Luft/Wasser-Strömungen wurde ein horizontaler Acrylglas-Kanal mit rechteckigem Querschnitt gebaut. Der Kanal ermöglicht Gleich- und Gegenstrom-Versuche bei Atmosphärendruck, insbesondere die Untersuchung der Schwallströmung. Es wurden optische Messungen mit einer Hochgeschwindigkeits-Kamera durchgeführt, die durch synchronisierte dynamische Druckmessungen ergänzt wurden. Für die Analyse der Bilder wurde eine Methode zur Erfassung der Phasengrenze entwickelt und diese anhand möglicher Anwendungen getestet. Die Druckmessungen zeigten, dass der Druck bei Schwallströmungen um einige Kilopascal ansteigt und wieder abfällt, sobald der Schwall aus dem Kanal austritt. Zudem wurden Geschwindigkeiten in der flüssigen Phase mittels nicht invasiver Verfahren gemessen. Das durchschnittliche Geschwindigkeits-Profil am Kanaleintritt wurde mit Ultraschall-Köpfen bestimmt. Die Ermittlung des Geschwindigkeitsfeldes in einem Schwall erfolgte mit PIV (Particle Image Velocimetry).

Increasingly stringent pollution and emission controls have caused a rise in the use of combustors operating under lean, premixed conditions. Operating lean (excess air) lowers the level of nitrous oxides (NOx) emitted to the environment. In addition, concerns over climate change due to increased carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and the need for energy independence in the United States have spurred interest in developing combustors capable of operating with a wide range of fuel compositions. One method to decrease the carbon footprint of modern combustors is the use of high hydrogen content (HHC) fuels. The objective of this research is to develop tools to better understand the physics of turbulent flame propagation in highly stretch sensitive premixed flames in order to predict their behavior at conditions realistic to the environment of gas turbine combustors. This thesis presents the results of an experimental study into the flame propagation characteristics of highly stretch-sensitive, turbulent premixed flames generated in a low swirl burner (LSB). This study uses a scaling law, developed in an earlier thesis from leading point concepts for turbulent premixed flames, to collapse turbulent flame speed data over a wide range of conditions. The flow and flame structure are characterized using high speed particle image velocimetry (PIV) over a wide range of fuel compositions, mean flow velocities, and turbulence levels. The first part of this study looks at turbulent flame speeds for these mixtures and applies the previously developed leading points scaling model in order to test its validity in an alternate geometry. The model was found to collapse the turbulent flame speed data over a wide range of fuel compositions and turbulence levels, giving merit to the leading points model as a method that can produce meaningful results with different geometries and turbulent flame speed definitions. The second part of this thesis examines flame front topologies and stretch statistics of these highly stretch sensitive, turbulent premixed flames. Instantaneous flame front locations and local flow velocities are used to calculate flame curvatures and tangential strain rates. Statistics of these two quantities are calculated both over the entire flame surface and also conditioned at the leading points of the flames. Results presented do not support the arguments made in the development of the leading points model. Only minor effects of fuel composition are noted on curvature statistics, which are mostly dominated by the turbulence. There is a stronger sensitivity for tangential strain rate statistics, however, time-averaged values are still well below the values hypothesized from the leading points model. The results of this study emphasize the importance of local flame topology measurements towards the development of predictive models of the turbulent flame speed.

No description available.

Unconfined multiple interacting confluent round jets are interesting from a purely scientific point of view, as interaction between neighboring jets brings additional complexity to the flow field. Unconfined confluent round jets also exist in various engineering applications, such as ventilation supply devices, sewage disposal systems, combustion burners, chemical mixing or chimney stacks. Even so, little scientific attention has been paid to unconfined confluent round jets. The present work uses both advanced measurement techniques and computational models to provide deeper understanding of the turbulent flow field development of unconfined confluent round jets. Both Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA) and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) have been used to measure mean velocity and turbulence properties within two setups, consisting of a single row of 1×6 jets and a square array of 6×6 confluent jets. Simulations using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) of the 6×6 setup were conducted using three different Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) turbulence models: the standard k-ε, the RNG k-ε and the Reynolds Stress model (RSM). The results from the CFD simulations were compared with experimental data. The employed RANS turbulence models were all capable of accurately predicting mean velocities and turbulent properties in the investigated confluent jet array. In general the RSM and k-ε std. models provided smaller deviations between numerical and experimental results than the RNG k-ε model. In terms of mean velocity the second-order closure model (RSM) was not found to be superior to the less complex standard k-ε model. The validated CFD model was employed in a parametrical investigation, including five independent variables: inlet velocity, nozzle diameter, nozzle edge-to-edge spacing, nozzle height and the number of jets in the array. The parametrical investigations made use of statistical methods in the form of response surface methodology. The derived response surface models provided information on the principal influence and relative importance of the investigated parameters within the investigated design space. The positions of the jets within the array strongly influence both mean velocity and turbulence. In all investigated setups the jets experience merging and combining. Square arrays also include considerable jet convergence, which was not present in the 1×6 jet array. Due to the jet convergence in square arrays the turbulent flow field, especially for jets far away from the array center, is affected by mean flow curvature. Jets located along the sides of square jet arrays experience strong jet-to-jet interactions that result in considerable jet deformation, shorter potential core, higher turbulent kinetic energy and faster velocity decay compared to other jets. Jets located at the corners of the array do not interact as strongly with neighboring jets as do the jets along the sides. The locations of merging and combined points differ considerably between different jets and different jet configurations. As the jets combine a zone with uniform stream-wise velocity and low turbulence intensity forms in the center of square jet arrays. This zone has been called Confluent Core Zone (CCZ) due to its similarities with the potential core zone of a single jet. Within the CCZ the appropriate scaling length changes from nozzle diameter to the effective source diameter. The parametrical investigation showed that nozzle diameter and edge-to-edge nozzle spacing were the most important of the investigated parameters, reflecting a strong dependence on dimensionless jet spacing, S/d0. Higher S/d0 delays both merging and combining of the jets and leads to a CCZ with lower velocity and longer downstream extension. Increasing the array size leads to a reduced combined point distance, a stronger inwards displacement of jets in the outer part of the array, and reduced entrainment near the nozzles. A higher inlet velocity was found to increase the jet convergence in the investigated square confluent jet arrays. Nozzle height generally has minor impact on the investigated response variables.

No description available.

The increased fatigue loads and decreased power output of a wind turbine placed in the wake of another turbine is a well-known problem when building new wind-power farms and a subject of intensive research. These problems are caused by the velocity gradients and high turbulence levels present in the wake of a turbine. In order to better estimate the total power output and life time of a wind-power farm, knowledge about the development and stability of wind-turbine wakes is crucial. In the present thesis, the flow field around small-scale model wind turbines has been investigated experimentally in two wind tunnels. The flow velocity was measured with both hot-wire anemometry and particle image velocimetry. To monitor the turbine performance, the rotational frequency, the power output and the total drag force on the turbine were also measured. The power and thrust coefficients for different tip-speed ratios were calculated and compared to the blade element momentum method, with a reasonable agreement. The same method was also used to design and manufacture new turbine blades, which gave an estimate of the distribution of the lift and drag forces along the blades. The influence of the inlet conditions on the turbine and the wake properties was studied by subjecting the turbine to both uniform in flow and different types of boundary layer in flows. In order to study the stability and development of the tip vortices shed from the turbine blades, a new experimental setup for phase-locked measurements was constructed. The setup made it possible to introduce perturbations of different frequencies and amplitudes, located in the rear part of the nacelle. With a newly developed method, it was possible to characterize the vortices and follow their development downstream, using only the streamwise velocity component. Measurements were also performed on porous discs placed in different configurations. The results highlighted the importance of turbine spacings. Both the measurements on the turbine and the discs were also used to compare with large eddy simulations using the actuator disc method. The simulations managed to predict the mean velocity fairly well in both cases, while larger discrepancies were seen in the turbulence intensity. / <p>QC 20140424</p>

An isolated wing-tip vortex from a square-tipped NACA 0012 wing at an angle of attack of 5 degrees was studied in a water tunnel at a chord based Reynolds number of approximately 24000. Measurements were taken using stereo particle image velocimetry at three measurement planes downstream of the wing under each of three freestream turbulence conditions. The amplitude of wandering of the vortex axis increased with increasing distance downstream of the wing and with increasing freestream turbulence intensity. The magnitude of the peak azimuthal velocity decreased with increasing distance from the wing as well as with increases in the freestream turbulence intensity. The streamwise velocity in the vortex core was less than the freestream velocity in all cases. Time resolved histories of the instantaneous waveform shape and location of the vortex axis were determined from sequences of images of fluorescent dye released from the wing.