It is widely accepted that flocculation improves filtration performance by increasing cake permeability. This principle is important in submerged membrane filtration for drinking water applications where the feed material can potentially contain fouling components which prohibit the extended operation of the filter. Less well understood is the impact of floc properties on the hydraulic properties of the fouling layer formed on the membrane or the impact of hydrodynamic conditions during treatment on the floc-fouling layer relationship. In order to advance knowledge of this area, a set of tools were developed to characterise the cake formed during constant pressure filtration in terms of the compressive yield stress and permeability as a function of solid volume fraction. Using an iterative procedure, the optimal parameters for these models are calculated as are pressure and solid fraction distribution profiles. Input parameters to the numerical analysis are flux and final cake height data obtained from batch filtration experiments which are driven to steady state. The calculated material properties are compared against piston and centrifuge data with good agreement. Application of the material properties to constant flux filtration involved development of a numerical model for simultaneous consolidation and cake formation. Flocculated yeast was used as the test system with the predicted transmembrane pressure rise as a function of time under constant flux conditions compared with experimental data. Good agreement is observed between model and experimental trends. The close correspondence between experimental and predicted results also suggests that it may be possible to predict trans-membrane pressure rise during constant flux filtration on the basis of material properties determined through simple constant pressure steady state experiments. A good account of the data was also achieved through extension of the general equation to include an empirical model for the consolidation time constant. These new tools were applied to characterise the cakes formed under well controlled shear conditions. To avoid complications with modeling the sheared filtration system, the filtration was performed below the critical shear rate for particle rejection. This was verified by in-situ particle counts and size measurement. The material properties were determined for flocculated yeast filtered in a coni-cylindrical Couette at several shear rates below the critical shear. Comparison of the compressive yield stress showed that cakes subjected to shear required less compressive stress to collapse. It is shown that the general equation for constant flux could be modified to encompass this effect through inclusion of an empirical shear parameter. The transmembrane pressure rise is able to be described well by this model. DEM particle simulation was performed to investigate the effect of floc size and structure on cake permeability. Flocs of known size and structure were placed in a virtual suspension and the process of consolidation simulated by application of a compressive force. The permeability of the cake was calculated by computational fluid dynamics at various stages of the consolidation showing that the larger compact floc showed the highest permeability despite the highly compact structures formed. Comparison of pore size distribution also confirmed that several larger pores remained after consolidation of the larger compact flocs. Further work needs to be undertaken to pin point the microstructural mechanism governing this behaviour and whether the presence of fluid passing through these pores under normal filtration flows affects the retention of permeability of cakes under compression. Furthermore, the shear environment required to minimise the detrimental effects caused by shear enhanced cake collapse and also to form flocs of compact structure and large size needs to investigated.

Spine title: "Time-dependent & viscoplastic fluids". / Bibliography: leaves 193-201. / xvii, 201, 39 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / A method based on a critical radius has been experimentally demonstrated as an reasonably accurate approach to determine the flow properties of time dependent fluids with a yield stress using Couette rheometry. Develops a new modelling approach to characterize thixotropic yield stress fluids. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Chemical Engineering, 1998?

The literature concerning bluff-body flows in two-dimensional, incompressible, sheared and unsheared streams is reviewed. It is found that no theory yet exists which can predict the form drag of a bluff body without some recourse to experimental data, even for the simple case of an isolated bluff-plate in an unsheared stream. In the present state of knowledge, and considering the complexity of turbulent shear flows, a theory for the form drag of bluff-plates immersed in turbulent boundary-layers seems remote. A correlation scheme is proposed to relate the form drag of a bluff-plate which is attached to a smooth-wall with the mean-flow characteristics of the naturally-developed, turbulent boundary-layer in which it is immersed. The investigation is limited to smooth-wall flows of the type described by Coles (1956). It is suggested that, for bluff-plates which are small compared with the boundary-layer thickness, the drag might depend only on the “wall variables”: wall shear-stress, fluid density and viscosity, and the plate height.

The first section of this thesis (Chapter 2) describes the creation and analysis of a database on concrete and masonry dam incidents known as CONGDATA. The aim was to carry out as complete a study of concrete and masonry dam incidents as was practicable, with a greater emphasis than in other studies on the geology, mode of failure, and the warning signs that were observed. This analysis was used to develop a method of very approximately assessing probabilities of failure. This can be used in initial risk assessments of large concrete and masonry dams along with analysis of stability for various annual exceedance probability floods. The second and main section of this thesis (Chapters 3-6) had its origins in the results of Chapter 2 and the general interests of the author. It was found that failure through the foundation was common in the list of dams analysed and that information on how to assess the strength of the foundations of dams on rock masses was limited. This section applies to all applications of rock mass strength such as the stability of rock slopes. Methods used for assessing the shear strength of jointed rock masses are based on empirical criteria. As a general rule such criteria are based on laboratory scale specimens with very little, and often no, field validation. The Hoek-Brown empirical rock mass failure criterion was developed in 1980 for hard rock masses. Since its development it has become virtually universally accepted and is now used for all types of rock masses and in all stress regimes. This thesis uses case studies and databases of intact rock and rockfill triaxial tests collated by the author to review the current Hoek-Brown criterion. The results highlight the inability of the criterion to fit all types of intact rock and poor quality rock masses. This arose predominately due to the exponent a being restrained to approximately 0.5 to 0.62 and using rock type as a predictor of mi. Modifications to the equations for determining the Hoek-Brown parameters are provided that overcome these problems. In the course of reviewing the Hoek-Brown criterion new equations were derived for estimating the shear strength of intact rock and rockfill. Empirical slope design curves have also been developed for use as a preliminary tool for slope design.

Spine title: "Time-dependent & viscoplastic fluids". / Bibliography: leaves 193-201. / xvii, 201, 39 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / A method based on a critical radius has been experimentally demonstrated as an reasonably accurate approach to determine the flow properties of time dependent fluids with a yield stress using Couette rheometry. Develops a new modelling approach to characterize thixotropic yield stress fluids. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Chemical Engineering, 1998?

Thesis (M.S.)--Ohio State University, 1987. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 92-95). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Chemical Engineering, 1998? / Spine title: "Time-dependent & viscoplastic fluids". Bibliography: leaves 193-201.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of New South Wales, 2002. / Also available online.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of New South Wales, 2001. / Also available online.

Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1991. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 46-49). Also available via the Internet.