Anthropogenic Climate Change is amongst the greatest challenges of human civilization. A key area that will play a large role in mitigating its effects are clean fossil fuel applications. Clean coal combustion is one such application with an urgent timeline. This can be achieved with an oxygen-fired pressurized fluidized bed combustor with downstream carbon capture and sequestration. In relation to pressurized fluidization processes, understanding the influence of pressure on bed hydrodynamics and in turn their effect on parameters including fuel residence time is essential. For the proposed combustor, the heat exchanger boiler tubes are submerged in the fluidized bed such that the effect of a horizontal tube bank on the fuel residence time is also of great importance. The main focus of present work was to evaluate the impact of gas velocity, pressure, presence of a tube bank and fuel feed rate on the average fuel residence time. Experiments were conducted under cold flow conditions in a pilot-scale pressurized fluidized bed with an inner diameter of 0.15 m. The fluidization material was relatively large glass beads (1.0 mm in diameter) while the fuel particles were simulated with smaller glass beads (40 to 138 μm in diameter), susceptible to entrainment. Operating pressures and superficial gas velocities tested were between 101.3 and 1200 kPa and 0.4 and 1.1 m/s respectively. To simulate coal combustors, experiments were then conducted in a continuous mode where the fuel particles were continuously fed to the fluidized bed of large particles over a desired period of time. Downstream, entrained particles were continuously captured to determine the entrainment rate and mass of fuel particles inside the fluidized bed at steady state, which yielded the average fuel residence time. The combination of elevated pressure with the tube bank present was found to enhance gas bubble break up and reduce the average gas bubble size. In turn, this increased the average fuel residence time of 83 μm particles by nearly 3 fold to a value of 77 s in comparison to 27 s at atmospheric pressure. The effect of gas velocity was not found to be statistically significant under the range tested. Similarly the effect of increased fuel feed rate by 50% neither had a statistically significant impact.

This work offers a well-developed understanding of the mixing process inside Jet- Stirred Reactors (JSR’s) with different geometries. Due to the difficulty of manufacturing these JSR’s made in quartz, existing JSR configurations were assessed with certain modifications and optimal operating conditions were suggested for each reactor. The effect of changing the reactor volume, the nozzle diameter and shape on mixing were both studied. Two nozzle geometries were examined in this study, a crossed shape nozzle and an inclined shape nozzle. Overall, six reactor configurations were assessed by conducting tracer experiments - using the state-of-art technologies of high-speed cameras and laser absorption spectroscopy- and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations. The high-speed camera tracer experiment gives unique qualitative information – not present in the literature – about the actual flow field. On the other hand, when using the laser technique, a more quantitative analysis emerges with determining the experimental residence time distribution (RTD) curves of each reactor. Comparing these RTD curves with the ideal curve helped in eliminating two cases. Finally, the CFD simulations predict the RTD curves as well as the mixing levels of the JSR’s operated at different residence times. All of these performed studies suggested the use of an inclined nozzle configuration with a reactor diameter D of 40mm and a nozzle diameter d of 1mm as the optimal choice for low residence time operation. However, for higher residence times, the crossed configuration reactor with D=56mm and d=0.3mm gave a nearly perfect behavior.

For many aggregate mining facilities, the stockpile is the preferred method of storing rock. In many aggregate mines, as well as other mines using stockpiling techniques, understanding the timing and flow of particles through a stockpile is important for correctly timing samples, making proper process adjustments and overall stockpile safety. Because much of the research of today lacks important information regarding actual interior particle movement within a stockpile, a series of Real Time Distribution (RTD) analyses and stockpile flow models have been prepared and analyzed for this study in order to better understand the flow characteristics of a stockpile. A series of three RTD analyses performed on three separate stockpiles provides information leading to the assumption that stockpiles tend to operate similar to a plug flow system. While conveyor loading techniques may lead to separation of rocks prior to traveling through the stockpile, the majority of the rock particles entering the pile remain near the point of entry, or within the "action" area, and will travel through the pile in a plug flow, rather than a mixed flow, manner. High Peclet number results for each analysis prove this assumption to be accurate. A series of models on three separate stockpiles have been created using PFC3d. Mainly, the simulations prove PFC3d is capable of showing how stockpile particles move in three dimensions while monitoring specific particles within the pile. In addition, these models provide simulation results similar to the results obtained within the RTD analyses. Results show that particles located directly above the discharge point, or "action" area, travel through the pile at a faster rate than particles surrounding this area. Velocity results obtained from the simulations show particles accelerating as they get closer to the discharge points while also providing evidence of "arching" during the simulation process. These findings provide a better understanding of internal flow within the stockpile and ways to possibly predict future stockpile flow issues that may be encountered. / Master of Science

Trace metal concentrations in soil solution, and hence trace metal bioavailability and toxicity, are primarily controlled by sorption/desorption reactions at the mineral-water interface. While numerous studies have been conducted to understand the initial adsorption of these metals to soil minerals, less in known about long-term adsorption/ desorption processes. The objective of this study was to examine the influence of residence time and organic acids on the desorption of Pb2+and Cd2+ from goethite. Adsorption experiments were conducted at pH 6.0. Lead adsorption was nearly completed after 4 hours, with very little additional sorption during a 20-week period. In contrast cadmium showed a continuous slight increase in the amount of adsorption over the 20-week period. Desorption experiments were conducted at pH 4.5 and similar to previous studies examining trace metal desorption from oxide surfaces, the desorption kinetics for Pb2+and Cd2+ were slow compared to the sorption reaction. None of the experiments were completely reversible after an eight-hour desorption period. For all experiments except long-term Pb2+ desorption, the quantity of metal desorbed from goethite followed the order salicylate >NaNO3 > oxalate. Based on differences in cation affinity for the iron oxide surface one would expect a greater quantity of Cd2+ to be removed compared to Pb2+, for each of the extracting solutions. However at a pH of 4.5 we did not find a statistically significant trend. We observed a difference between the amount of metal removed for short and long-term experiments in five of six experiments, but these differences were only significant for Pb2+ experiments in the presence of salicylate. Two first order rate equations best fit the kinetics of trace metals desorption, with R2 values greater than 0.910 in all cases. Although our results show a decrease in rate coefficients (expect k1 for oxalate) with increased residence time, statistical analysis indicates that these results were only significant for Pb2+ experiments in the presence of salicylate. However raw and transformed data both suggest that desorption values are diverging as a function of aging time. Similar to other researchers we believe that Pb2+ and Cd2+ are sequestered by the goethite surface with an increase in residence time. These results suggest that residence time effects observed by many researchers are much less prevalent at low pH values. Therefore a reduction in soil pH created by natural anthropogenic processes may reduce the ability of soils to naturally sequester metals over time. / Master of Science

Surface transient storage (STS) in stream ecosystems serve an important function in retaining nutrients and refugia for aquatic communities. Unfortunately, they can retain contaminants as well. Therefore, it is of importance to determine the residence time distribution (RTD). A RTD of a particular STS zone encompasses the time it takes for the first pulse of water to leave the STS zone, and for the mean residence time of water in that zone, among other things. The RTD of STS is also useful to subtract from the RTD of the total transient storage in streams in order to determine the hyporheic transient storage (HTS) of streams, which is difficult to measure. Currently, there is no definitive method of determining the RTD of STS. They have been determined with tracer injection alone, though this is time consuming and subject to interference from HTS. A relationship between STS physical characteristics and a RTD would be desirable, as this would characterize the time of entrainment of STS based upon a few easily measured physical parameters. This exists for groyne fields and flumes, which both have artificial STS. However, direct application of these equations to natural STS leads to errors due to simplistic geometries. The focus of this study determines RTDs in lateral STS, which is adjacent to the main channel of a stream and a significant proportion of STS, and its relationship to physically measurable parameters of lateral STS. Twenty sites throughout Oregon were each injected with NaCl to determine four residence timescales: Langmuir time (��[subscript L]), negative inverse slope of the normalized concentration curve of the primary gyre (��[subscript 1]), negative inverse slope of the normalized concentration curve of the entire STS zone (��[subscript 2]), and the mean residence time (��[subscript STS]). The RTDs of these sites were then compared to the length, width, and depth of each lateral STS zone, as well as the velocity of the adjacent main channel. This data also was used to calculate dimensionless parameters submergence, a measure of bed roughness, and k, a measure of exchange that relates ��STS to lateral STS and associated parameters. ��[subscript 1] was found to be identical to ��[subscript STS], and ��[subscript 2] could not be defined. ��[subscript STS] was found to be approximately 1.35 times ��[subscript L], the ratio of which (��[subscript L]/��[subscript STS]) is positively correlated with lateral STS submergence. ��[subscript L] and ��[subscript STS] are positively correlated with lateral STS parameters, and inversely correlated with main channel velocity. The value of k from this study was comparable to the value of k from other studies in flumes, and so there is a relationship between RTDs and lateral STS parameters. / Graduation date: 2013

No description available.

Stream chemistry changes in response to snowmelt, but does not typically reflect thechemistry of the snowpack. This suggests that flow processes between snowmelt and streamsystem, such as interactions with the soil and bedrock, have an important control on waterchemistry and highlight the complex flow pathways from the snowpack to stream. To investigateflow processes in the upper Provo River watershed, northern Utah, we sampled three sites on theriver ~20 times per year during 2016 and 2017. The sites, from highest elevations to lowest wereSoapstone, Woodland, and Hailstone, corresponding to locations of active stream gauges. Toidentify possible water sources to the stream during snowmelt, water samples were taken forsnow, ephemeral streams, soil water, lake, and spring water. To investigate potential impacts ofmineralogy, samples were taken for dust, soil and bedrock. The upper Provo River showeddistinct temporal variation in filtered (<0.45 microns) stream water for 87Sr/86Sr, dissolvedorganic carbon (DOC), silica (Si), and Lead (Pb) during the snowmelt season. The watershed hasdistinct 87Sr/86Sr ratios for bedrock (0.7449)

Modèle monodimensionnel de type Piston-Dispersion. Le terme de dispersion axiale englobe alors toutes les imperfections de l'écoulement : injection des fluides non homogène dans l’espace et étalée dans le temps, effet de parois, et enfin volumes morts derrière les obstacles noyés dans le tamis (poutres, conduites...) dans le cas des Lits Mobiles Simulés. Cette représentation, quoique très simpliste, s'avère généralement suffisante tant que l’étalement des fronts de concentration est d'abord induit par les limitations au transfert externe, interne (macro/microporeux) et par la thermodynamique du système. Par contre, lorsque l’adsorbant employé présente d’excellentes performances de transfert, une approche aussi simple s'avère extrêmement risquée. En effet, les phénomènes dispersifs associés à l’adsorbant (transfert et thermodynamique) et à l’hydrodynamique ont des contributions de même ordre de grandeur sur la dispersion des fronts de concentration. Dans ce cas, une description plus réaliste de l'écoulement est requise afin de mieux appréhender son effet sur les performances de séparation.Dans ce contexte, l’objectif de ce projet de thèse est de mettre en place une méthodologie pour prendre en compte ces phénomènes hydrodynamiques lors de l’extrapolation d’un procédé de séparation par adsorption. Pour cela, nous proposons une étude du couplage entre les phénomènes hydrodynamiques et le phénomène d’adsorption. / Hydrodynamics inside industrial Simulated Moving Bed (SMB) adsorption columns can be complex due to the presence of internal distribution devices, free flow chambers and heterogeneous injections. These have to be taken into account in SMB numerical models to scale-up purposes. In the present thesis, a CFD approach is adopted as an intermediate step to develop a 1D model simple enough to be used for cyclic SMB simulations while being able to represent realistic hydrodynamics. This model results from the interpretation of the moments of the fluid age distribution, transported by CFD according to the method developed by Liu and Tilton (2010) that allows to estimate the degree of mixing (Liu, 2011) of the adsorption columns. The resulting 1D model consists in the two examples provided by Zwietering (1959) of a completely segregated system and a maximum mixedness system. This model is able to reproduce the residence time distribution of the CFD model of an adsorption column, while being representative of the internal flow patterns. This results in a good representation of the coupling of adsorption and hydrodynamics by the 1D model. When integrated in a SMB simulator and compared to the traditionally used dispersed plug flow model, the new 1D model demonstrates that for most of the adsorption column geometries considered a detailed hydrodynamic description is mandatory. Such detailed hydrodynamic description is even more important when employing adsorbents with better mass transfer performances than those currently used for the p-xylene purification, which is expected in the upcoming years.

É apresentado um estudo de distribuição do tempo de residência nas etapas de um processo de pasteurização contínuo por trocador de calor a placas (aquecimento, resfriamento, regeneração e retenção). Para o estudo experimental, foi adotada a técnica condutimétrica usando cloreto de sódio em solução aquosa como traçador. Foram verificadas as influências da vazão, da configuração do trocador de calor a placas (número de passes para o arranjo em série) e do tipo de tubo de retenção (tubo em \"S\" e tubo helicoidal). Modelos de distribuição foram usados para representar o comportamento experimental (dispersão axial, tanques em série, laminar modificado, combinado PFR+CSTR). Este estudo foi aplicado para as condições de pasteurização HTST de leite, visando a futura implementação de uma modelagem matemática rigorosa do processo, para otimização do projeto e operação do processo. / It is presented a study of residence time distribution in the steps of a process of continuous pasteurization by plate heat exchanger (heating, cooling, regeneration and holding). For the experimental study, it was adopted a conductimetric technique using sodium chloride in aqueous solution as a tracer. It was also studied the influence of the flow rate, the configuration of the plate heat exchanger (number of passes in series arrangement) and the type of holding tube (\"S\"- shaped tube and helicoidal tube). Distribution models were used for representing the experimental behavior (axial dispersion, tank in series, modified laminar, combined PFR+CSTR). This study was applied for the conditions of HTST pasteurization of milk, targeting the future implementation of a rigorous mathematical modeling of the process, which can be applied for the process operation and optimization of the project design.

Os trocadores de calor tubulares são muito utilizados para o processamento térmico de alimentos líquidos viscosos por possuírem um maior diâmetro hidráulico em comparação aos trocadores de calor a placas. O cálculo da letalidade neste tipo de trocador está diretamente relacionado ao perfil de velocidade e à distribuição do tempo de residência (DTR). Para escoamento laminar de fluidos viscosos, Newtonianos e não-Newtonianos, geralmente adota-se um perfil de velocidade laminar e de lei de potência, respectivamente. No entanto, algumas características do equipamento como irregularidades na tubulação, a corrugação do tubo ou as curvas podem modificar o perfil de velocidade ideal. Esse desvio da idealidade pode ser caracterizado através da determinação experimental da distribuição do tempo de residência do processo. Este trabalho teve como objetivo a determinação experimental da DTR de fluidos viscosos em um equipamento bitubular de processamento térmico e o ajuste do perfil de velocidade associado. Modelos clássicos de DTR foram ajustados aos dados, assim como foram propostos e testados novos modelos generalizados de DTR, a fim de caracterizar o escoamento laminar não ideal em tubos. A determinação da DTR experimental foi realizada para vazões entre 10 e 50 L/h utilizando água, solução de carboximeticelulose 1,0% (pseudoplástico) e mistura glicerina/água 80%. Os dados de DTR foram obtidos através de duas técnicas: condutimétrica e colorimétrica. A primeira técnica baseia-se na injeção de solução saturada de cloreto de sódio e detecção online por um condutivímetro, porém, não apresentou resultados satisfatórios mostrando que o método não é adequado para fluidos viscosos. Já a segunda técnica utilizada se baseia na injeção de corante e posterior detecção em espectrofotômetro. Os modelos que melhor se ajustaram aos dados experimentais para os três fluidos estudados foram os modelos generalizados y-laminar e exponencial. A letalidade foi calculada a partir da distribuição de temperatura no trocador de calor em estado estacionário e do tempo médio de residência obtido experimentalmente e permitiu detectar o sobreprocessamento no processo estudado. / Tubular heat exchangers are widely used for thermal processing of viscous liquid foods because they have larger hydraulic diameters than the plate heat exchangers. The calculation of lethality in this type of exchanger is directly related to velocity profile and the residence time distribution (RTD). For the laminar flow of viscous fluids, Newtonian and non-Newtonian, generally laminar and power law velocity profiles are used, respectively. However, some features of the equipment as irregularities in the pipe, the corrugation of the pipe or the presence of curves can change the ideal velocity profile. This ideality deviation can be characterized through the experimental determination of the residence time distribution of the process. The aim of this work was the experimental determination of the RTD of a viscous fluid in a bitubular thermal processing equipment and the determination of the associated velocity profile. Classic models of RTD were fitted to the data, as well as were proposed and tested new generalized models of RTD, in order to characterize the non ideal laminar flow in tubes. The experimental determination of RTD was performed to volumetric flow rates between 10 and 50 L/h using water, carboximeticelulose solution 1,0% (pseudoplastic) and glycerin/water mixture 80%. The RTD data were obtained through two techniques: conductimetric and colorimetric. The first technique is based on injection of saturated solution of sodium chloride and online detection with a conductivimeter however, unsatisfactory results showed that the method was not suitable for viscous fluids. The second technique is based on the injection of dye and subsequent detection with a spectrophotometer. The best fitted models to the experimental data for the three studied fluids were: ylaminar and exponential generalized models. The lethality was calculated from the temperature distribution in the heat exchanger at steady state and average residence time obtained experimentally and allowed the evaluation of the overprocessing of this process.