This work describes the results of experimental study of the flow of soft objects (microgels) through microchannels. This work was carried with the intention of building a fundamental biophysical model for the flow of neutrophil cells in microcirculatory system. In Chapter 1 we give a summary of the literature describing the flow of cells and “model cells” in microchannels. Paramount to this we developed methods to modify microchannels fabricated in poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS). Originally, these microchannels could not be used to mimic biological microenvironments because they are hydrophobic and have rectangular cross-sections. We designed a method to create durable protein coatings in PDMS microchannels, as outlined in Chapter 3. Surface modification of the channels was accomplished by a two-step approach which included (i) the site-specific photografting of a layer of poly(acrylamide) (PAAm) to the PDMS surface and (ii) the bioconjugation of PAAm with the desired protein. This method is compatible with different channel geometries and it exhibits excellent longevity under shear stresses up to 1 dyn/cm. The modification was proven to be successful for various proteins of various molecular weights and does not affect protein activity. The microchannels were further modified by modifying the cross-sections in order to replicate cardiovascular flow conditions. In our work, we transformed the rectangular cross-sections into circular corss-sections. Microchannels were modified by polymerizing a liquid silicone oligomer around a gas stream coaxially introduced into the channel, as outlined in Chapter 3. We demonstrated the ability to control the diameter of circular cross-sections of microchannels. The flow behaviour of microgels in microchannels was studied in a series of experiments aimed at studying microgel flow (i) under electrostatic interactions (Chapter 4), (ii) binding of proteins attached to the microgel and the microchannel (Chapter 5) and (iii) under the conditions of varying channel geometry (Chapter 6). This work overall present’s new methods to study the flow of soft objects such as cells, in the confined geometries of microchannels. Using these methods, variables can be independently probed and analyzed.

Master of Science / Department of Biological & Agricultural Engineering / Aleksey Y. Sheshukov / Soil erosion is one of the main reasons for agricultural land degradation in the world. Losses of land because of high soil erosion rates and rapidly expanding population result in significant reduction of cultivated land area per capita, and shortage of food on the global scale. Soil erosion can be a major source of sediment in the aquatic systems leading to reduction of organism population and poor water quality. Many factors affect soil erodibility, such as, soil properties, rainfall, topographic features, land use, and management practices, among others. The impacts of soil moisture content, however, are not well understood and. therefore, the primary goal of this study was to quantify two soil erodibility parameters, the erodibility coefficient and critical shear stress, under different soil moisture conditions using the jet erosion test (JET). The JET test uses the apparatus (called mini-JET) that creates an impinging jet of water into the soil and records the resulting scour depth over time. The scour depth time series are then fitted into a non-linear soil erosion equation, yielding the sought values of erodibility parameters. For this study, more than 40 soil samples were collected from several sites in Kansas, processed, and prepared to conduct JET tests in the lab setting. The effects of tillage and soil moisture content were of interest to this study. The results showed varied effects of soil type and sample soil moisture condition on the scour depth development and parameters sensitivity. The critical shear stress decreased and the erodibility coefficient increased with the increase of initial moisture content for clay loam soil, while critical shear stress did not change for sandy loam soil. The study also revealed higher erosive properties of soil collected from the tilled field compared to the no-till field.

Bayou St. John, an urban water body extending south from Lake Pontchartrain, has two anthropogenic structures that regulate flow from the Lake . The City of New Orleans has plans to remove the inner control structure to improve water quality. Field and numerical methods used in this study show removing this structure increased water elevations throughout the Bayou but resulted in lower water elevation signal amplitudes that caused a lower tidal flow exchange from north to south. Bulk Richardson numbers showed mixing was inversely related to flow and the Bayou generally remains stratified. Resuspension of contaminated sediment could negatively impact the local ecology but predicted shear stress values did not reach a critical value (0.1 N/m2) for resuspension. Removal of the waterfall structure will benefit Bayou St. John by decreasing energy losses from the Lake, however a more pronounced tidal signal from Lake Pontchartrain is required to flush the Bayou.

Ce travail expérimental s’intéresse à l’écoulement en aval d’un swirler statique court. L’induction d’un mouvement de swirl est une solution connue pour augmenter le gradient pariétal de vitesse. L’augmentation du frottement pariétal présente un intérêt industriel dans les échangeurs de chaleur pour accroître leurs potentiels de transfert de chaleur et diminuer leurs vitesses d’encrassement. Nous proposons d’approfondir la connaissance des écoulements avec swirl décroissant à faibles nombres de Reynolds pour lesquels l’intérêt énergétique est a priori plus important. Dans un premier temps, le champ d’écoulement est caractérisé à l’aide de méthodes optiques, pour identifier le type de tourbillon caractérisant le swirl. Dans un second temps, la méthode électrochimique est utilisée pour mesurer le frottement pariétal instationnaire. Par analogie, ces mesures permettent d’obtenir une première estimation du transfert de chaleur en écoulement anisotherme. / This experimental work is interested in understanding the flow downstream a short static swirler. Inducing a swirl motion is a known solution to increase the wall velocity gradient. The increase in wall shear stress is useful in industrial heat exchangers in order to enhance their heat transfer capabilities and reduce their fouling rates. We try to go deeper into knowledge of decaying swirl flows, for low Reynolds number for which energy interest is greater a priori. First, we study the flow field with optical methods in order to identify type of vortex characteristics of the swirl. Second, electrochemical method is used to measure the unsteady wall shear stress. By analogy, these measurements give a first estimate of the heat transfer for the case of non-isothermal flows.

Este trabalho apresenta uma análise minuciosa das solicitações de cisalhamento nas paredes de edifícios em alvenaria estrutural submetidos a ações horizontais. O estudo compreende a análise do comportamento global da estrutura, empregando-se diferentes modelagens numéricas para o sistema de contraventamento do edifício. Os modelos utilizados incluem a deformabilidade por cisalhamento das paredes e os efeitos provenientes da torção do edifício. Os resultados apresentados consistem em deslocamentos horizontais, distribuição dos esforços cortantes e momentos fletores entre as paredes, e análise das tensões de cisalhamento das paredes e lintéis. Avaliam-se, também, os diagramas de esforço cortante e momento fletor das paredes mais solicitadas. / This work presents a shear stress study of the shear walls of masonry buildings under lateral loads. The study consists of building overall structural behavior, with the use of different theoretical models for the lateral-load-resisting system of the building. The models include shear deformation and torsion effects. The results comprise horizontal displacement, shear force and bending moment distribution on shear walls, enhancing the shear stress verification of greater internal-forces values in walls and lintels. Shear force and bending moment diagrams related to the walls with the greater internal forces are also shown.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-23T14:08:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Breno Almeida Dornelas - parte 1.pdf: 376911 bytes, checksum: b45e88c007da3db1f74fa38428506e5c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-12-22 / A remoção eficiente de cascalhos ainda é um desafio na perfuração de poços para produção de óleo e gás. O ponto crítico corresponde ao estágio horizontal da perfuração que intrinsecamente tende a formar um leito de partículas sedimentadas na parte inferior do poço em perfuração. A erosão desse leito de cascalhos oriundos do solo perfurado depende principalmente da tensão de cisalhamento promovida pelo escoamento do fluido de perfuração. Utilizando uma bancada experimental, composta de sistema para circulação de fluidos, caixa de cascalhos, unidade de bombeio e equipamentos de medição, investiga-se a tensão de cisalhamento mínima necessária para a erosão de um leito em função das propriedades do fluido e das partículas do leito. A área de observação consiste de uma caixa abaixo da linha de escoamento, para partículas calibradas de areia, em um duto de acrílico. Para as medições iniciam-se as bombas com baixa rotação e são feitos incrementos de freqüência. A cada patamar de freqüência são capturadas imagens de partículas carreadas pelo escoamento, registrando a vazão estabelecida. Com a análise do processamento das imagens define-se o momento em que o carreamento das partículas deixa de ser aleatório e esporádico e começa a ser permanente. A tensão de cisalhamento é determinada pela Correlação PKN (de Prandtl, von Kármán e Nikuradse) a partir da vazão mínima necessária para o arraste. Os resultados são obtidos para o escoamento de água e de solução águaglicerina / The efficient hole cleaning is still a challenge in the wellbore drilling for production of oil and gas. The critical point is the horizontal drilling that inherently tends to produce a bed of sediment particles at the bottom of the well. The erosion of this cuttings bed depends mainly on the shear stress promoted by the flow of drilling fluid. The shear stress required to drag cuttings bed is investigate according to the fluid and particles properties, using an experimental assembly, composed of a loop for circulation of fluids, of a particle box, of a pump system, camera and measuring equipment. The area of observation consists of a box below the line of flow, for calibrated sand particles, in an acrylic duct. The test starts with the pumps in low frequency and are made the increments. At each level of frequency are captured images of particles carried and it is records the established flow rate. The erosion criteria is defined when the drag particle no longer be random and sporadic, and begins to be permanent. The shear stress is determined by the PKN correlation (by Prandtl, von Kármán, and Nikuradse) from the minimum flow rate necessary to start the erosion process. Results were obtained for the flow of water; and of water and glycerin solution

The unsteady nature of coastal hydrodynamics is associated with complex boundary layer dynamics and hence engineering predictions of shear stresses and sediment transport are difficult. This thesis explores some of the complex hydrodynamic problems and boundary layer behaviour in the coastal zone and seeks to provide new and improved modelling approaches. The latest experimental results are used to inform the model development process. New laboratory experiments carried out as part of this thesis illustrate the value of convolution integral calculations for both pressure and skin friction forces on particles on the bed. The experiments also highlight the importance of the phase differences between free stream velocity and boundary layer shear stresses. The use of a “bed” shear stress as a model input is found to be problematic whenever there is a large vertical gradient in the boundary layer shear stress. New experimental and modelling work has helped to improve our understanding of sheet flow boundary layer dynamics. This thesis builds on some of these new discoveries to propose a new simplified model framework for sheet flow sediment transport prediction using convolution integrals. This time domain technique has the advantage of simplicity while incorporating the most important physical processes from more detailed models. The new model framework could be incorporated into any depth averaged coastal hydrodynamic modelling software package. Boundary layer analysis techniques presented in the thesis provide an improved understanding of the effective roughness of mobile beds and can be used to calculate instantaneous shear stress profiles throughout the mobile bed boundary layer. New solutions for swash zone hydrodynamics are presented which illustrate the limitations of the previous benchmark analytical model for swash hydrodynamics. It is shown that real swash necessarily involves a much larger influx of mass and momentum than the analytical solution which was previously used by many in the swash sediment transport research community. Models for swash boundary layer development are also presented.

The thesis deals with the problem of friction during rapid transient 1-D flows in a pipe caused by water hammers. The evolution of the wall shear stress is interpreted in terms of two steps. The first step is the dramatic change of the wall shear stress during the passage of the pressure wave; the corresponding new value of the shear stress is much greater than the value predicted in steady-state. The second step, which begins after the passage of the pressure wave, is a relaxation process; here the shear stress decreases, tending to the new steady-state value corresponding to the new average velocity. The Extended Irreversible Thermodynamics theory is proposed as a tool to model the wall shear stress during the relaxation process. The Friction Relaxation Model presented in this thesis describes both steps of the evolution of the wall shear stress during water hammers, and therefore it enables to take into account the information about the velocity gradient at the wall, which is otherwise not available in 1D modelling.

Improved basic understanding, predictability, and controllability of vortex-dominated and unsteady aerodynamic flows are important in enhancement of the performance of next generation helicopters. The primary objective of this research project was improved understanding of the fundamental vorticity and turbulent flow physics for a dynamically stalling airfoil at realistic helicopter flight conditions. An experimental program was performed on a large-scale (C = 0.45 m) dynamically pitching NACA 0012 wing operating in the Texas A&M University large-scale wind tunnel. High-resolution particle image velocimetry data were acquired on the first 10-15% of the wing. Six test cases were examined including the unsteady (k>0) and steady (k=0) conditions. The relevant mechanical, shear and turbulent time-scales were all of comparable magnitude, which indicated that the flow was in a state of mechanical non-equilibrium, and the expected flow separation and reattachment hystersis was observed. Analyses of the databases provided new insights into the leading-edge Reynolds stress structure and the turbulent transport processes. Both of which were previously uncharacterized. During the upstroke motion of the wing, a bubble structure formed in the leading-edge Reynolds shear stress. The size of the bubble increased with increasing angle-of-attack before being diffused into a shear layer at full separation. The turbulent transport analyses indicated that the axial stress production was positive, where the transverse production was negative. This implied that axial turbulent stresses were being produced from the axial component of the mean flow. A significant portion of the energy was transferred to the transverse stress through the pressure-strain redistribution, and then back to the transverse mean flow through the negative transverse production. An opposite trend was observed further downstream of this region.

The lymphatic system is an extensive vascular network responsible for the transport of fluid, immune cells, proteins and lipids. It is composed of thin-walled vessels, valves, nodes and ducts, which work together to collect fluid, approximately 4 L/day, from the interstitium transporting it back to the systemic network via the great veins. The failure to transport lymph fluid results in a number of disorders and diseases. Lymphedema, for example, is a pathology characterized by the retention of fluid in limbs creating extreme discomfort, reduced mobility and impaired immunity. In general, there are two types of edema: primary edema, being those cases that are inherited (i.e. genetic predisposition), and secondary edema, which develop post-trauma or injury of the lymphatic vessels. With the onset of breast cancer and radiation therapies, the prevalence of secondary edema is on the rise. Clinical studies have shown that up to 80% of women who undergo nodal-dissection surgery develop lymphedema in their arms within 3-5 years of the surgery. Unfortunately, there is no cure or remedy for lymphedema stemming from our lack of understanding of the lymphatic system. The goal of this study was to evaluate lymph flow both experimentally and analytically to better understand the mechanisms regulating lymph transport. In particular we investigated the effects of pressure, volume loads and valve resistance on lymphatic function in the rat mesentery. Our experimental results were then used to develop computational and constitutive models to emulate the dynamic behavior of lymph transport. Collectively, the data illustrate the mechanics of lymphatic contractility and lymph flow. In particular, lymph flow and pumping significantly increased post edemagenic stress in the rat model. Furthermore, lymphangions exhibited highly nonlinear pressure-diameter responses at low pressures between 3-5 cmH2O. These experimental results strongly suggest the regulation of lymph flow via changes in pressure, shear stress and vessel diameter. Furthermore, the computational and constitutive models from this study provide great insight into lymphatic function characterizing the mechanical properties of a single pumping unit (i.e. lymphangion). These models will serve as valuable tools to further lymphatic research.