<p> An existing transient network model for wicked heat pipes was extended to incorporate the effects of axial heat transfer along the wall and wick, heat transfer in the surrounding media, and non-condensable gases in the vapour region. The thermal resistance of the different components was broken down into a larger number of smaller resistances in both axial and radial directions to account for the axial conduction and to handle non-uniform boundary conditions. Two sets of experiments were performed on copper-water wicked heat pipes to evaluate the effect of non-condensable gases, axial conduction, surrounding media and non-uniform boundary conditions. In the first set of experiments, the heat pipes were electrically heated at one end and cooled on the other end using a water jacket. This set of experiments was used to investigate the effect of non-condensable gases, axial conduction and surrounding media on the steady state and transient performance. The effect of the surrounding media was investigated by heating the heat pipe through two different sized aluminum blocks mounted around then heat pipe evaporator section. In the second set of experiments, the effect of using a finned condenser on the steady state performance of the heat pipes were tested in a wind tunnel. The condenser section of the heat pipes in this case was mounted in the test section of the wind tunnel and cooled at different air velocities. Three fin densities were tested along with a heat pipe with no fins. The model predictions of the steady and transient response of the vapour and wall temperature of the heat pipes were in good agreement with the experimental results. </p> <p> The presence of non-condensable gases inside the heat pipe increased the overall thermal resistance of the heat pipe. While the non-condensable gases did not notably affect the transient response during the heat-up phase, it significantly slows down the cool-down phase. The axial conduction through the pipe wall and the wick structure decreases the overall thermal resistance of the heat pipe. The axial conduction did not have a great influence on the time response during the heat-up phase, but was very important in the cooldown phase, especially with the presence of non-condensable gases. The wick structure was found to be the most dominant component in the transient performance of the heat pipe. The evaporator block was the dominant capacitance in the overall conjugate system, and significantly affects the transient response. The experimental results from the finned condenser study showed that the internal resistance increased slightly with the fin density. There was some nonuniformity in the condenser surface temperature at the locations of the fins. However, this non-uniformity did not propagate to other parts of the heat pipe. </p> / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

This thesis advances the state of the art in modeling electric machines in electro-magnetic transient simulation programs, particularly in real-time digital simulators. A new tool, developed in this thesis, expands the application of real-time digital simulators to closed-loop testing of protection relays designed to protect synchronous machines during internal faults. To evaluate the inductances of synchronous machines, a winding function approach was developed in this thesis which is capable of taking into account both the actual distribution of windings and the shape of the pole-arc. Factors such as MMF drop in the iron and effects of slots are compensated by evaluating the effective permeance function of the machine using experimentally measured values of d-, q- and 0- axis inductances. In this winding function approach, the effects of magnetic saturation are also included by considering the actual distribution of magneto-motive force in each loading condition of the machine. The inductances of an experimental machine are evaluated using this approach and validated using the finite-element method and laboratory measurements. This thesis also proposes an embedded phase-domain approach for time-domain simulation of the machine model in electromagnetic transients programs. The approach significantly improves the numerical stability of the simulations. Special numerical techniques are introduced, which speed up the execution of the algorithm as needed for real-time simulation. The machine model is validated in healthy and faulted conditions using simulations and laboratory experiments. Effects of damper grid representation on simulating turn-to-turn faults are investigated. The capability of this new real-time synchronous machine model in closed-loop testing of synchronous machines ground- faults protection relays is clearly demonstrated.

This thesis advances the state of the art in modeling electric machines in electro-magnetic transient simulation programs, particularly in real-time digital simulators. A new tool, developed in this thesis, expands the application of real-time digital simulators to closed-loop testing of protection relays designed to protect synchronous machines during internal faults. To evaluate the inductances of synchronous machines, a winding function approach was developed in this thesis which is capable of taking into account both the actual distribution of windings and the shape of the pole-arc. Factors such as MMF drop in the iron and effects of slots are compensated by evaluating the effective permeance function of the machine using experimentally measured values of d-, q- and 0- axis inductances. In this winding function approach, the effects of magnetic saturation are also included by considering the actual distribution of magneto-motive force in each loading condition of the machine. The inductances of an experimental machine are evaluated using this approach and validated using the finite-element method and laboratory measurements. This thesis also proposes an embedded phase-domain approach for time-domain simulation of the machine model in electromagnetic transients programs. The approach significantly improves the numerical stability of the simulations. Special numerical techniques are introduced, which speed up the execution of the algorithm as needed for real-time simulation. The machine model is validated in healthy and faulted conditions using simulations and laboratory experiments. Effects of damper grid representation on simulating turn-to-turn faults are investigated. The capability of this new real-time synchronous machine model in closed-loop testing of synchronous machines ground- faults protection relays is clearly demonstrated.