This thesis focuses on lead related drinking water quality issues in general and on hydraulic transient induced lead pipe corrosion events in water distribution systems in particular. Corrosion is a complex phenomenon, and particularly in water distribution systems, when its already challenging electro-chemical processes are influenced by numerous other physical and chemical factors. Lead pipe corrosion can itself be influenced by both the hydraulic transients and water chemistry events. To understand the relationship among hydraulic, chemical and material processes, an existing numerical 1-D transient-corrosion model for iron-pipe based systems is modified and extended to apply for systems having lead-pipes connected in series. The coupled hydraulic transient and advection-dispersion-reaction model with improved data handling facilities is applied for analyzing the transient induced lead pipe corrosion behaviors in the system for a range of options and establishes interrelationships among the parameters.

This thesis focuses on lead related drinking water quality issues in general and on hydraulic transient induced lead pipe corrosion events in water distribution systems in particular. Corrosion is a complex phenomenon, and particularly in water distribution systems, when its already challenging electro-chemical processes are influenced by numerous other physical and chemical factors. Lead pipe corrosion can itself be influenced by both the hydraulic transients and water chemistry events. To understand the relationship among hydraulic, chemical and material processes, an existing numerical 1-D transient-corrosion model for iron-pipe based systems is modified and extended to apply for systems having lead-pipes connected in series. The coupled hydraulic transient and advection-dispersion-reaction model with improved data handling facilities is applied for analyzing the transient induced lead pipe corrosion behaviors in the system for a range of options and establishes interrelationships among the parameters.

The thesis numerically explores the use and behavior of Active Hydraulic Devices (AHDs), creating a new capability to simulate and control a pipe system’s transient performance. Automatic control valves are the first type of AHDs studied in this research. Due to the challenges inherent in the design of a pressure relief valve (PRV), the general principles of PRV use and selection are studied along with the system’s response to the PRV parameters. A new application of PID (proportional, integral and derivative) control valve is envisioned that combines a remote sensor at the upstream end of a pipeline to create a non- or semi- reflective boundary at the downstream end. Case studies show that, with such a boundary, the reflection and resonance of pressure waves within the pipeline are sometimes eliminated and invariably limited. The second type of AHDs studied in this research is the governed hydro turbine, the most complicated hydraulic component in terms of transient analysis and waterhammer control. A complete numerical model is developed for the turbine installations in either urban water networks or conventional hydropower generation systems. Using the model, transient simulations for several realistic hydro projects are presented along with various transient control measures.

The latest evidence indicates that 50,000 Canadians will experience a stroke in 2013. The hospital care, rehabilitation, and long term care associated with a stroke places a significant burden on our health care system. Lost productivity and premature death have an immeasurable impact on communities in our province as well as the rest of the country. Small, less populated regions such as Saskatchewan may be underrepresented in national data utilized in the development of national prevention and treatment strategies across the country. The absence of local research has necessitated the use of national information to guide prevention, treatment education and programming in Saskatchewan. The goals of this study was to provide a descriptive profile of stroke and transient ischemic attack cases admitted to Royal University Hospital over the period of April 1, 2009 to March 31st, 2010 and to assess the acute management of these cases as defined in the Canadian Best Practice Recommendations for Stroke Care (Strategy, 2010). A randomized sample of 200 cases 55 years and older was selected for a retrospective descriptive study involving review of adult stroke case records. Personal demographics and healthcare performance through the use of measures provided in The Canadian Best Practice Recommendations for Stroke Care (Canadian Stroke Network (CSN) and Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (HSFC), 2010) were evaluated. The results indicated many similarities to available national information on type of stroke, risk factors, gender, and age. Hospital adherence to national guidelines comparing selected indicators was exceeded in some areas, and met in most. The remaining indicators provide an opportunity for improvement and possibly more research. This regional information supplements the available Canadian information and could be used to guide planning and care strategically targeting Saskatchewan residents and increasing their potential for success.

With the high costs of flight testing, especially at hypersonic speeds, ground based facility testing of scramjets becomes an attractive option. The expansion tube is the only facility currently that can offer full flight property duplication at the total pressures and total enthalpies required, while maintaining correct chemical composition. Due to difficulties with short test times and unsteady flow phenomena, scramjet testing in these facilities has not been thoroughly investigated. This study examines these issues, in order to explore the practicality of testing a full ’tip to tail’ scramjet engine at a true flight replication condition in an expansion tube facility. An investigation was initially undertaken on the large X3 expansion tunnel facility to maximise test time and core flow, aimed at producing a 30 km altitude, Mach 10 flow condition. This was identified as the limitation point of the T4 reflected shock tunnel, which has generally been accepted to produce reliable scramjet data for propulsion tests. Using a condition that is also able to be produced in the T4 facility, will permit direct comparison of data between the two facilities in the future, providing confidence in results from expansion tube facilities. Both experimental measurements and numerical calculations showed that the limitation of the test time was due to large boundary layer growth after transition, which engulfed the entire core flow 200 μs into the test time. This phenomenon is likely to affect all scramjet duplication conditions in expansion tubes, as the flow properties are conducive to boundary layer transition occurring. Two solutions where proposed and investigated in order to overcome the flow disruption caused by boundary layer transition; the use of a steady expansion nozzle at the acceleration tube exit; the use of hydrogen as an accelerator gas. Since the smaller X2 facility had a Mach 10 steady expansion nozzle and X3 was decommissioned for the free piston driver to be upgraded, the investigation was shifted to X2. Due to a restricted test time of 550 μs, the static pressure of the flow condition was increased to allow a reduction in the length of the scramjet (pressure-length scaling). A combination of experimental and numerical calculations of the facility was used to define the flow properties. With the confidence of overcoming the phenomenon associated with boundary transition in the X2 facility, numerical modelling of the X3 facility with a steady expansion nozzle was then undertaken to show a 1 ms condition could be produced. Although initially promising, the hydrogen accelerator gas solution requires further investigation. A two dimensional scramjet was designed with upstream injection for testing in X2. This was a three shock inlet with a constant area combustor and a planar thrust surface. Since the flow condition involved changes in flow properties during the test time, aninvestigation of the appropriateness of a quasi steady analysis was undertaken. Using a fuel off simulation of the scramjet duct with the transient inflow properties from the X2 facility nozzle exit, the convective terms for pressure were shown to be two orders of magnitude larger than local terms indicating the dominance of the convective terms change in flow properties at any location allowing quasi-steady flow to be assumed. A normalisation procedure was developed to deal with the transient nature of the data and to accurately represent the axial progression of the gas through the duct. The numerical simulations were also used to show that both flow establishment was achieved and that impulsive starting of the intake would occur. Experimentation with the scramjet using static pressure measurements throughout the body side of the engine provided verification of supersonic combustion. This was verified by the doubling of the static pressure from the start to the end of the combustor for an air test gas, whereas with a nitrogen test gas no significant change in pressure occurred. Effects of fuel equivalence ratio, injector size and cowl position were also investigated. A net inviscid thrust was predicted, using the quasi-steady flow analysis, indicating a specific impulse of 183 s. This work provides evidence to validate the use of expansion tube facilities for experimental testing of scramjets at flight duplication conditions. Limitations due to boundary layer transition flow effects has been shown to be avoidable. Numerical simulations of the facilities showed good agreement with experimental measurements, allowing definition of freestream properties and can now be applied to further scramjet conditions with confidence. Stable, supersonic combustion was shown to be produced for these expansion tube conditions. Coupling the transient simulation of the flow condition with a numerical calculation of the fuel off experimental scramjet has been useful in both verification of the design and performance predictions. Appropriate techniques have been presented to analyse scramjet pressure and thrust measurements where transient effects are present in the freestream.

Thesis (M.S.)--Texas State University-San Marcos, 2008. / Vita. Appendices: leaves 132 -234. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 235-236). Also available on microfilm.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 68-75) Also available in print.

Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Auburn University, 2006. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographic references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2010. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on June 25, 2010). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.(Physics))--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Includes abstract in English. Includes bibliographical references. Also available online.