Thesis (MSc.(Metallurgy)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Rutgers University, 2008. / "Graduate Program in Civil and Environmental Engineering." Includes bibliographical references (p. 79-80).

Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Hydrocyclones are stationary separating machines that separate materials based on centrifugal separation and are widely used in chemical engineering and mineral processing industries. Their design and operation, compact structure, low running costs and versatility all contribute to their applications in liquid clarification, slurry thickening, solid washing and classification. With any of these operations, the overall profitability of the process relies on the effective control of the process equipment. However, in practice, hydrocyclones are difficult to monitor and control, owing to the complexity and difficulty in measuring internal flows in the equipment. Several studies have indicated that hydrocyclone underflow images can be used to monitor process conditions. The research described in this thesis considers the use of image analysis to monitor particle size and solids concentration in the underflow discharge of a hydrocyclone. The experimental work consisted of laboratory and industrial-based case studies. The laboratory cyclone used was a 76 mm general laboratory cyclone. A Canon EOS 400D digital camera was used for the underflow imaging. Image features such as pixel intensity values, underflow discharge width and grey level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) were extracted from the images using MATLAB Toolbox software. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and neural network (NN) classification models were used to discriminate between different PGM ore types based on features extracted from the underflow of the hydrocyclone. Likewise, multiple linear regression and neural network models were used to estimate the underflow solids content and mean particle size in the hydrocyclone underflow. The LDA model could predict the PGM ore types with 61% reliability, while the NN model could do so with a statistically similar 62% reliability. The multiple linear regression models could explain 56% and 40% of variance in the mean particle size and solids content respectively. In contrast, the neural network model could explain 67% and 45% of the variance of the mean particle size and solids content respectively. For the industrial system, a 100% correct classification was achieved with all methods. However, these results are regarded as unreliable, owing to the insufficient data used in the models. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hidrosiklone is stasionêre skeidingsmasjiene wat materiale skei op grond van sentrifugale skeiding en word algemeen gebruik in die chemiese ingenieurswese en mineraalprosessering industrieë. Hul ontwerp en werking, kompakte struktuur, lae bedryfskoste en veelsydigheid dra by tot hul gebruik vir toepassings in vloeistofsuiwering, slykverdikking, vastestof wassing en klassifikasie. In enige van hierdie prosesse hang die oorhoofse winsgewendheid van die proses af van die effektiewe beheer van die prosestoerusting. In die praktyk is hidrosiklone egter moeilik om te monitor en beheer weens die kompleksiteit en moeilikheidsgraad daarvan om die interne vloei in die apparaat te meet. Verskeie studies het aangedui dat hidrosikloon ondervloeibeelde gebruik kan word om die proseskondisies te monitor. Die navorsing beskryf in hierdie tesis maak gebruik van beeldanalise moniteringstegnieke om die ertstipes en grootte- verspreidingsgebiede/ klasse van die ondervloei afvoerpartikels te bepaal. Sodoende word ‘n grondslag gelê vir verbeterde sikloon monitering en beheer. Die eksperimentele werk het bestaan uit beide laboratorium en industrieel-gebaseerde studies. Die laboratorium sikloon wat gebruik is, was ‘n 76 mm algemene laboratorium sikloon. ‘n Canon EOS 400D digitale kamera is gebruik om die hidrosikloon ondervloei beelde vas te vang. Beeldeienskappe soos beeldelement intensiteitswaardes, ondervloei afvoerwydte en grysvlak mede-voorkoms matriks is onttrek uit die beelde deur gebruik te maak van MATLAB Toolbox sagteware. Lineêre diskriminantanalise (LDA) en neural netwerk (NN) klassifikasiemodelle is gebou om te onderskei tussen die verskillende PGM ertse en gebaseer op veranderlikes wat afgelei is uit beelde van die ondervloei van die sikloon. Net so is daar ook gebruik gemaak van lineêre regressie- en neural netwerkmodelle om die vasestofkonsentrasie en gemiddelde partikelgrootte in die ondervloei van die sikloon te beraam. Die LDA model kon die PGM ertstipes met 61% betroubaarheid voorspel, terwyl die neural netwerkmodel dit kon doen met statisties dieselfde betroubaarheid van 62%. Die lineêre regressiemodelle kon onderskeidelik 56% en 40% van die variansie in die gemiddelde partikelgrootte en vastestofkonsentrasie verduidelik. In teenstelling iermee, kon die neurale netwerkmodel 67% en 45% van die variansie in die gemiddelde partikelgrootte en vastestofkonsentrasie verduidelik. In die nywerheidstelsel kon beide tipe modelle perfekte onderskeid tref tussen die partikelgroottes wat gemeet is op opeenvolgende dae van die bedryf van die siklone. Hierdie resultate is egter nie betroubaar nie, a.g.v. die beperkte hoeveelheid data wat beskikbaar was vir modellering.

The subject of this PhD thesis is the development of an efficient system that can simultaneously pump and separate a gas-liquid mixture, in particular an oil-air mixture. Two-phase flows are encountered in many applications (petroleum extraction, flow in nuclear power plant pumps, pulp and paper processing, etc.) but this study is mainly focused on lubrication systems of aircraft gas turbine engines.<p><p>The pump and separator system (PASS) for two-phase flows developed in this PhD thesis aims to perform three functions simultaneously:<p>• Send back the oil to the tank (oil pumping)<p>• Separate the air from the oil (de-aeration)<p>• Separate the oil from the air (de-oiling) and release the sealing air into the atmosphere (venting). <p>Particular care is given to the liquid flow rate lost at the gas outlet of the system.<p>Consequently, it could replace the scavenge pumps and oil-air separators existing in present lubrication systems. This modification provides several advantages: simplification of the lubrication circuit, reduction of oil consumption and of the size of the lubrication system.<p><p>This research is divided into three axes: the theoretical study of the important physical mechanisms taking place inside the two-phase flow pump and separator system, the experimental development, tests and optimization of different PASS prototypes, and also the numerical simulations of the two-phase flow inside these prototypes. Although the experiments were the central pillar of this research, the three axes were closely imbricated.<p><p>The PASS design includes three main components:<p>• An inlet chamber with one or several tangential inlets giving a natural centrifugation to the flow,<p>• An impeller (forced centrifugation) with an axial and a radial part followed by a volute chamber,<p>• A metallic foam that lets pass micron and sub-micron droplets and which is followed by an axial vent port.<p><p>The centrifugation causes the liquid (oil) to move radially outwards in an annular body (a liquid ring) generating pressure. The thickness of this liquid ring inside the impeller is mainly determined by the pressure coefficient (related to the back-pressure and the rotational speed). When the back-pressure increases, the thickness of the liquid ring increases too. An advantage of the PASS is that it does not impose any relation between the liquid head and the liquid flow rate, contrary to common centrifugal pump. It self-regulates the radial position of the gas-liquid interface to sustain the operating conditions.<p><p>The de-aeration efficiency mainly depends on the pressure coefficient (for a constant liquid viscosity or temperature) or on the thickness of the liquid ring. The pressure gradient which appears in the liquid rotating in an annular body acts like a dam for the gas phase. Indeed, the gas movement is mainly determined by the pressure field (buoyancy) while the liquid distribution is dominated by centrifugal and Coriolis forces. Buoyancy tends to accumulate the gas phase near low pressure areas (PASS hub, suction side of the blades, clearances between closed impeller and casing).<p><p>The first oil-air PASS prototype produces high viscous losses due to the high peripheral velocity and liquid viscosity. Therefore, the pumping efficiency is poor compared to common impeller pumps. However, the pumping is not the key function of the PASS and a power consumption below 5 kW is acceptable for the application considered in this work. For applications that require lower power consumptions, a reduction of the rotational speed must be considered.<p><p>Thus, the rotational speed and the impeller diameter are two major constraints for the PASS design which determine the de-aeration and pumping efficiencies. The impeller diameter also influences the size of passage sections for the air flow. The air velocity must be kept as low as possible because the entrainment of droplets increases when the air velocity rises (drag forces on droplets). Indeed, this large influence of the air flow rate on the oil consumption (de-oiling efficiency) was demonstrated by a theoretical analysis, the experiments and the CFD simulations. The production of droplets in the inlet pipes when the two-phase flow is annular is a key phenomenon regarding the oil consumption.<p><p>In addition to the air flow rate, other variables also influence the oil consumption:<p>• Air-oil temperature: when the temperature rises, the oil consumption increases because the surface tension and the oil density are reduced. Moreover, as the air density also decreases, the air velocity rises.<p>• Oil flow rate: the oil consumption rises more or less linearly with the oil flow rate. However, the influence of the oil flow rate on the inlet droplet size is uncertain.<p>• Rotational speed: the rotational speed has obviously a strong impact on the oil consumption without metallic foam. However, experiments showed that the metallic foam efficiency is almost independent on the rotational speed. Therefore, the oil consumption with the Retimet foam does not depend on the PASS rotational speed.<p>• Altitude or air density: the oil consumption decreases when the air density is reduced because the drag forces on droplets also decrease.<p>The gas density (altitude) is also supposed to influence the de-aeration efficiency but this could not be tested or simulated in this work (the de-aeration efficiency gets probably better when decreasing the gas density because the buoyancy forces increase).<p><p>Theory, experiments and numerical simulations also allowed the prediction of performance of the first oil-air prototype for real in-flight operating conditions. Two problems have been identified: the de-aeration efficiency at MTO and cruise ratings and the oil leak throughout the vent in cold start and windmilling. To solve them, some modifications of the lubrication system have been suggested. With these modifications, the oil-air PASS should become very efficient and attractive for engine manufacturers. / Doctorat en Sciences de l'ingénieur / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

The use of hydrophobic porous polymer membranes to vent unwanted gas bubbles from liquid streams is becoming increasingly more common in portable applications such as direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) and micro-fluidic cooling of electronic circuits. In order for these portable systems to keep up with the ever increasing demand of the mobile user, it is essential that auxiliary components, like gas-liquid separators (GLS), continue to decrease in weight and size. While there has been significant progress made in the field of membrane-based gas-liquid separation, the ability to miniaturize such devices has not been thoroughly addressed in the available literature. Thus, it was the purpose of this work to shed light on the scope of GLS miniaturization by examining how the amount porous membrane required to completely separate gas bubbles from a liquid stream varies with operating pressure. Two membrane characterization experiments were also employed to determine the permeability, k, and liquid entry pressure (LEP) of the membrane, which provided satisfying results. These parameters were then implemented into a mathematical model for predicting the theoretical membrane area required for a specified two-phase flow, and the results were compared to experimental values. It was shown that the drastically different surface properties of the wetted materials within the GLS device, namely polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and acrylic, caused the actual membrane area requirement to be higher than the theoretical predictions by a constant amount. By analyzing the individual effects of gas and liquid flow, it was also shown that the membrane area requirement increased significantly when the liquid velocity exceeded an amount necessary to cause the flow regime to transition from wedging/slug flow to wavy/semi-annular flow.