No description available.

The High Pressure Test Unit (HPTU) forms part of the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) Heat Transfer Test Facility (HTTF). One of the test sections that forms part of the HPTU is the Braiding Effect Test Section (BETS). This test section allows for the evaluation of the so–called ‘braiding effect’ that occurs in fluid flow through a packed pebble bed. The braiding effect implies an apparent enhancement of the fluid thermal conductivity due to turbulent mixing that occurs as the flow criss–crosses between the pebbles. The level of enhancement of the fluid thermal conductivity is evaluated from the thermal dispersion effect. The so–called thermal dispersion quantity r K is equivalent to an effective Peclet number eff Pe based on the inverse of the effective thermal conductivity eff k . This thesis describes the experiments carried out on three different BETS test sections with pseudo–homogeneous porosities of 0.36, 0.39 and 0.45, respectively. It also provides the values derived for the enhanced fluid thermal conductivity for the range of Reynolds numbers between 1,000 and 40,000. The study includes the following: * Compilation of a literature study and theoretical background. * An uncertainty analysis to estimate the impact of instrument uncertainties on the accuracy of the empirical data. * The use of a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model to simulate the heat transfer through the BETS packed pebble bed.* Application of the CFD model combined with a numerical search technique to extract the effective fluid thermal conductivity values from the measured results. * The assessment of the results of the experiments by comparing it with the results of other investigations found in the open literature. The primary outputs of the study are the effective fluid thermal conductivity values derived from the measured data on the HPTU plant. The primary variables that were measured are the temperatures at radial positions at different axial depths inside the bed and the total mass flow rate through the test section. The maximum and minimum standard uncertainties for the measured data are 10.80% and 0.06% respectively. The overall effective thermal conductivities that were calculated at the minimum and maximum Reynolds numbers were in the order of 1.166 W/mK and 38.015 W/mK respectively. A sensitivity study was conducted on the experimental data and the CFD data. A maximum uncertainty of 5.92 % was found in the calculated effective thermal conductivities. The results show that relatively high values of thermal dispersion quantities or effective Peclet numbers are obtained for the pseudo–homogeneous packed beds when compared to randomly packed beds. Therefore, the effective thermal conductivity is low and it can be concluded that the radial mixing in the structured packing is low relative to the mixing obtained in randomly packed beds. / Thesis (M.Ing. (Mechanical Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

The High Pressure Test Unit (HPTU) forms part of the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) Heat Transfer Test Facility (HTTF). One of the test sections that forms part of the HPTU is the Braiding Effect Test Section (BETS). This test section allows for the evaluation of the so–called ‘braiding effect’ that occurs in fluid flow through a packed pebble bed. The braiding effect implies an apparent enhancement of the fluid thermal conductivity due to turbulent mixing that occurs as the flow criss–crosses between the pebbles. The level of enhancement of the fluid thermal conductivity is evaluated from the thermal dispersion effect. The so–called thermal dispersion quantity r K is equivalent to an effective Peclet number eff Pe based on the inverse of the effective thermal conductivity eff k . This thesis describes the experiments carried out on three different BETS test sections with pseudo–homogeneous porosities of 0.36, 0.39 and 0.45, respectively. It also provides the values derived for the enhanced fluid thermal conductivity for the range of Reynolds numbers between 1,000 and 40,000. The study includes the following: * Compilation of a literature study and theoretical background. * An uncertainty analysis to estimate the impact of instrument uncertainties on the accuracy of the empirical data. * The use of a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model to simulate the heat transfer through the BETS packed pebble bed.* Application of the CFD model combined with a numerical search technique to extract the effective fluid thermal conductivity values from the measured results. * The assessment of the results of the experiments by comparing it with the results of other investigations found in the open literature. The primary outputs of the study are the effective fluid thermal conductivity values derived from the measured data on the HPTU plant. The primary variables that were measured are the temperatures at radial positions at different axial depths inside the bed and the total mass flow rate through the test section. The maximum and minimum standard uncertainties for the measured data are 10.80% and 0.06% respectively. The overall effective thermal conductivities that were calculated at the minimum and maximum Reynolds numbers were in the order of 1.166 W/mK and 38.015 W/mK respectively. A sensitivity study was conducted on the experimental data and the CFD data. A maximum uncertainty of 5.92 % was found in the calculated effective thermal conductivities. The results show that relatively high values of thermal dispersion quantities or effective Peclet numbers are obtained for the pseudo–homogeneous packed beds when compared to randomly packed beds. Therefore, the effective thermal conductivity is low and it can be concluded that the radial mixing in the structured packing is low relative to the mixing obtained in randomly packed beds. / Thesis (M.Ing. (Mechanical Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

No description available.

Solid-fluid thermal interactions during unsteady flow in porous media play an important role in the regenerators of pulse tube cryocoolers. Pore-level thermal processes in porous media under unsteady flow conditions are poorly understood. The objective of this investigation is to study the pore-level thermal phenomena during pulsating flow through a generic, two-dimensional porous medium by numerical analysis. Furthermore, an examination of the effects of flow pulsations on the thermal dispersion and heat transfer coefficient that are encountered in the standard, volume-average energy equations for porous media are carried out. The investigated porous media are periodic arrays of square cylinders. Detailed numerical data for the porosity range of 0.64 to 0.84, with flow Reynold's numbers from 0-1000 are obtained. Based on these numerical data, the instantaneous as well as cycle-average thermal dispersion and heat transfer coefficients, to be used in the standard unsteady volume-average energy conservation equations for flow in porous media, are derived. Also, the adequacy of current applied cycle-average correlations for heat transfer coefficients and the inclusion of the thermal dispersion in the definition of an effective fluid thermal conductivity are investigated.

The purpose of this study is to investigate forced convection of air through open cell foams. It can be numerically investigated either by implementing the time efficient macroscopic models or computationally expensive microscopic models. However, during the course of this study, it was observed that the macroscopic models are not sufficient for determining the desired key parameters. Nevertheless, it is still possible that these macroscopic models can be used to design an application accurately with minimum time efforts if the concerned key parameters are already known through other means. Accordingly, in this work, a methodology is developed to determine the desired key parameters by implementing the microscopic models, which are further used into the macroscopic models for designing different applications. To validate the proposed methodology, a set of steady state and transient forced convection experiments were performed for a set of ceramic foams having different pore diameter (10−30 PPI) and porosity (0.79−0.87) for a superficial velocity in the range of 0.5−10 m/s.

Le contrôle thermique des réactions dans les réacteurs à lits fixes nécessite la maîtrise du transfert thermique en proche paroi. Afin d’optimiser leur conception et en particulier de maintenir un chemin réactionnel le plus proche possible de l’isothermicité, un modèle de transfert thermique pertinent dans un tel milieu est indispensable. Deux premières thèses au Laboratoire d'Energétique et de Mécanique Théorique et Appliquée ont permis de mettre au point un modèle dispersif utilisable à cœur de réacteur. La présente thèse met en évidence un effet de paroi non négligeable causé par la variation de porosité du lit à l’approche de la paroi. Ce travail propose un raccordement du cœur, où le modèle thermique précédent est légitime, à la paroi, par une couche homogénéisée. Cette approche est validée par une caractérisation expérimentale des paramètres du modèle sur un dispositif de laboratoire en utilisant une méthode d’inversion originale reposant sur une approche Bayesienne. Une validation de cette caractérisation dans une géométrie plus proche d’un réacteur industriel est également effectuée / Thermal control for chemical reactions conducted in fixed-bed reactors requires a fine knowledge about heat transfer in the near-wall region of the bed. In order to optimize the process design, to minimize the mass of catalyst that is needed, one must attempt to maintain the operational path of the reactor the closest of the isotherm functioning. A pertinent and reliable heat transfer model is then required. Two thesis were realized in the Laboratoire d'Energétique et de Mécanique Théorique et Appliquée in order to construct a corresponding dispersive model. This model can be used at the core of the reactor, where the porous medium can be homogenized. This thesis shows a wall effect that cannot be neglected. This wall effect is directly caused by the important variation of the porosity distribution near the wall of the bed. This work proposes a junction between a core layer, where the previous model is still valid, and the wall through an homogenized near-wall layer. This approach is validated by the mean of an experimental characterization of the model parameters, using an original inversion technique based on a Bayesian approach. A validation of this characterization in another geometry is also done. This geometry is closer to an industrial reactor

The purpose of this study is to investigate forced convection of air through open cell foams. It can be numerically investigated either by implementing the time efficient macroscopic models or computationally expensive microscopic models. However, during the course of this study, it was observed that the macroscopic models are not sufficient for determining the desired key parameters. Nevertheless, it is still possible that these macroscopic models can be used to design an application accurately with minimum time efforts if the concerned key parameters are already known through other means. Accordingly, in this work, a methodology is developed to determine the desired key parameters by implementing the microscopic models, which are further used into the macroscopic models for designing different applications. To validate the proposed methodology, a set of steady state and transient forced convection experiments were performed for a set of ceramic foams having different pore diameter (10−30 PPI) and porosity (0.79−0.87) for a superficial velocity in the range of 0.5−10 m/s.

Dans un monde de plus en plus pollué par l'activité industrielle, la détection des espèces gazeuses nocives dans l'atmosphère est d'une importance essentielle. Le marché des capteurs de gaz est déjà bien développé, avec la présence de diverses technologies et principes de détection, chacune présentant des avantages et des inconvénients intrinsèques. Dans le cadre de cette thèse, un alliage entre deux ou plusieurs technologies de détection typiquement utilisées de façon autonome a été visée, afin d'améliorer les performances globales des systèmes capteurs ainsi formées. A ce fin, nous avons conçu et étudié des dispositifs capteurs basées sur la transduction optique, couplée à un matériau sensible au gaz cible à détecter. Plus précisément, nous avons intégré pour la première fois un matériau catalyseur pouvant accélérer le taux d'oxydation des espèces chimiques (tel le monoxyde de carbone ou l'hydrogène) avec une architecture optique capable d'absorber la chaleur cédée lors de cette oxydation. L'augmentation de température occasionnée est traduite en une variation d'intensité lumineuse constituante le signal de sortie du capteur. Les travaux effectués sur les mesures de la dispersion thermique et chromatique de l'indice de réfraction des matériaux constituant le transducteur optique par des techniques d'optique guidé, ellipsométrie et des techniques photométriques sont présentés. Le sondage par moyen optique des propriétés électriques des matériaux semiconducteurs a également été étudié, y compris les variations de ces propriétés en présence des gaz oxydants, réducteurs et combustibles. / In a world suffering from increasing air pollution due to spiraling industrial activity, the detection of toxic gasses in the atmosphere is of paramount importance. The gas detector market is already well developed, and features a wide variety of detection technologies and techniques, each presenting its own set of intrinsic advantages and drawbacks. In this thesis, a combination of two or more technologies typically used independently has been studied in order to improve the global performances of gas detection systems. To this length, we have conceived and studied detector architectures based upon optical transduction systems, coupled with a material presenting a specific sensitivity to the target gas. More precisely, we have for the first time integrated a catalyst designed to accelerate the oxidation rate of chemical species (such as carbon monoxide or hydrogen) with an optical component capable of absorbing the heat generated by the oxidation reaction. The associated increase in temperature is translated to a variation of the optical intensity comprising the exit signal of the detector. The work carried out measuring the chromatic and temperature dispersion of the refractive index of the materials comprising the optical transduction component by guided mode techniques, ellipsometry and photometric techniques is presented. The optical probing of the electrical properties of semiconductor materials has also been studied, including the variations of these properties following interactions with oxidizing, reducing, or combustible gasses.

Pulse tube cryocoolers (PTC) are a class of rugged and high-endurance refrigeration systems that operate without moving parts at their low temperature ends, and are capable of reaching temperatures down to and below 123 K. PTCs are particularly suitable for applications in space, guiding systems, cryosurgery, medicine preservation, superconducting electronics, magnetic resonance imaging, weather observation, and liquefaction of gases. Applications of these cryocoolers span across many industries including defense, aerospace, biomedical, energy, and high tech. Among the challenges facing the PTC research community is the improvement of system efficiency, which is a direct function of the regenerator component performance. A PTC implements the theory of oscillatory compression and expansion of the gas within a closed volume to achieve desired refrigeration. An important deficiency with respect to the state of art models dealing with PTCs is the limited understanding of the hydrodynamic and thermal transport parameters associated with periodic flow of a cryogenic fluid in micro-porous structures. In view of the above, the goals of this investigation include: 1) experimentally measuring and correlating the steady and periodic flow Darcy permeability and Forchheimer’s inertial hydrodynamic parameters for available rare-Earth ErPr regenerator filler; 2) employing a CFD-assisted methodology for the unambiguous quantification of the Darcy permeability and Forchheimer’s inertial hydrodynamic parameters, based on experimentally measured steady and periodic flow pressure drops in porous structures representing recently developed regenerator fillers; and 3) performing a direct numerical pore-level investigation for steady and periodic flows in a generic porous medium in order to elucidate the flow and transport processes, and quantify the solid-fluid hydrodynamic and heat transfer parameters. These hydrodynamic resistances parameters were found to be significantly different for steady and oscillatory flows.