Thesis: M.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1978 / Includes bibliographical references. / by Song Y. Chung. / M.S. / M.S. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Hot-wire measurements taken in the turbulent wake of a flat plate are presented. Symmetrical and antisymmetrical perturbations at various amplitudes and frequencies were introduced into the wake by small flap oscillations. As predicted by linear stability theory, the sinuous (antisymmetric) mode was observed to be more significant than the varicose (symmetric) mode. When the amplitude of the perturbation was low, the spatial development of the introduced coherent perturbation was predicted well by linear stability theory. At high forcing levels, the wake spreading showed dramatic deviations from the well known square-root behavior of the unforced case. Measured coherent Reynolds stresses changed sign in the neighborhood of the neutral point of the perturbation, as predicted by the linear theory. However, the linear theory failed to predict the disturbance amplitude and transverse shapes close to the neutral point. Some nonlinear aspects of the evolution of instabilities in the wake are discussed. Theoretical predictions of the mean flow distortion and the generation of the first harmonic are compared to experimental measurements. Given the unforced flow and the amplitude of the fundamental wave, the mean flow distortion and the amplitude of the first harmonic are predicted remarkably well.

This thesis focuses on modelling of wind turbine wakes when they are affected by real complex terrain features, such as hills and forests, and also examines the effect of the rotational momentum imparted to the downstream wake from the rotor blades. Modelling work is carried out using the commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) solver FLUENT. Motivation for this project was the fact that there is currently limited knowledge on several issues that affect the operation of a wind farm in a complex terrain environment. Wind developers normally use commercial, easy-to-use software (such as WAsP) to predict the potential wind farm output , which are based on simple linear models to model wakes and wind flow orographic effects and have been calibrated for cases of simple terrain. In cases of complex terrain, they are expected to give errors due to arising non-linearities. After a review of the relevant literature, the chosen CFD procedure is explained. This involves the use of 3-D Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes equations using the Reynolds Stress Model for the turbulence closure, in order to account for the anisotropy in atmospheric turbulence. The Virtual Blade Model in FLUENT is demonstrated as a useful tool for modelling the rotor effects without the need of meshing the rotor geometry in detail and avoiding significant computational cost. The approach is initially validated with the widely documented Nibe measurements, which involved full-scale observations of a single wake over at terrain. The model is also tested in the case of a wind turbine operating at the summit of an ideal, Gaussian hill. The wake development is examined in detail and in comparison with another CFD approach. Most notably, a slight divergence is found in the wake path as it evolves downwind. Additionally, the proposed approaches of modelling the neutral atmospheric ow over a real hill and over a forest are validated with full-scale measurements. Ultimately, the work includes the modelling of real wind farms over complex terrain and validating the results with measurements. A coastal complex terrain wind farm is initially examined and results are validated with SCADA measurements and compared with results using the WAsP wind modelling software. Finally, a wind farm over hilly terrain and near forests is also considered and the effect of the forest in the wake is studied. Results are also validated with full-scale measurements.

A low-order, dynamical systems approach is applied to the modeling of flow induced vibrations of flexible cables. By combining a coupled map lattice wake model with a linear wave equation cable model, both the free response of the cable as well as the resulting wake structures are examined. This represents an extension of earlier coupled map lattice models that only modeled the wake of forced cable vibration. The validity of the model is assessed through comparisons with both Computational Fluid Dynamics models (NEKTAR spectral element code) and wake experiments. The experimental wake data was collected through the use of hot-film anemometry techniques. Eight hot-film probes were placed along the span of a flexible cable mounted in the test section of a water tunnel. Through the use of frequency domain correlation algorithms, the phase of vortex shedding was calculated along the cable span from the hot-film velocity data. Results for an elastically mounted rigid cylinder showed that the freely vibrating CML model predicted behavior characteristic of a self-induced oscillator; the maximum amplitude of vibration was found to occur at a cylinder natural frequency that did not coincide identically with the natural shedding frequency of the cylinder. Furthermore, the variation of the frequency of cylinder vibration with its natural frequency was seen to be linear. For standing wave cable responses, the freely vibrating CML model predicted lace-like wake structures. This result is qualitatively consistent with both the NEKTAR simulations and experimental results. Little difference was found between the wakes of forced and freely vibrating cables at the Reynolds number of the study $Re=100$. Finally, it was found that the freely vibrating CML could match numerical predictions of cross-flow amplitude as the cable mass-damping parameter was varied over an order of magnitude (once the CML was tuned to match results at a specific mass-damping level). In addition to providing wake patterns for comparisons with the freely vibrating CML, experimental data was supplied to a self-learning CML scheme. This self-learning CML was able to estimate the experimental wake data with good accuracy. The self-learning CML is seen as the next extension of the freely-vibrating CML model, capable of estimating unmodeled wake dynamics through the use of experimental data.

"This thesis documents the experimental proof of concept study for an ultrasonic method of wake vortex detection. A new acoustic technique is utilized to measure the circulation produced in the wake of lift-generating aircraft. Ultrasonic signals are transmitted in a path around the wake vortex, and are used to determine the average in-line velocity component along the acoustic path. It is shown herein that this velocity component is directly proportional to the net circulation value within the acoustic path. This is the first study to take this methodology and implement it in a realistic airport setting. This project included constructing a prototype and conducting field tests to prove the validity of this technology in a realistic environment setting. During field tests an acoustic path enclosed the vorticity shed behind one wing of a Piper PA-28 aircraft. Fourteen initial test flights were conducted in calm atmospheric conditions, and results show circulation values measured are comparable in magnitude and direction to expected circulations generated by the Piper PA-28 aircraft. Additional testing in various atmospheric conditions revealed the scope of practice for such a measurement technology. This study demonstrates the validity of the acoustic method in detecting aircraft wake vortices. Future investigations and applications utilizing this technique are discussed within."

Thesis. 1978. M.S.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Ocean Engineering. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ENGINEERING. / Bibliography: leaf 51. / M.S.

Thesis (M.S.)--Joint Program in Applied Ocean Science and Engineering (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Ocean Engineering; and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 85-91). / by Alexandra Hughes Techet. / M.S.

An overview of unsteady incompressible jet flows is presented, with the primary interest being radially developing jets in cylindrical polar coordinates. The radial free jet emanates from some orifice, being axisymmetric about the transverse (z) axis and possessing reflectional symmetry across its z=0 centreline. The radial wall jet is also axisymmetric about the transverse axis, however in this case impermeability and no-slip conditions are imposed at the wall, which is situated at z=0. The numerical solution of a linear perturbation superposed on the free jet, whose temporal form is assumed to be driven by a periodic source pulsation, gives rise to a wave-like disturbance whose amplitude grows downstream as its local wavelength decreases. An asymptotic analysis of this linear perturbation, which applies to the wall jet as well with some minor changes, captures the exact nature of the exponential spatial growth, and also algebraic attenuation of the growth. The linear theory is only valid for a small amplitude pulsation (|ε| << 1, where ε is the perturbation amplitude). When a nonlinear pulsation (ε = O(1)) is applied to the radial free jet, any linear theory must be dropped. Solving the full nonlinear system of equations reveals singular behaviour at a critical downstream location, which corresponds to the presence of an infinitely steep downstream gradient. The replacement of molecular diffusivity with a larger-scale eddy viscosity does little to affect the qualitative growth of the linear perturbation. In order for an experimental study to reproduce any of the discussed boundary-layer results, we must consider the behaviour of jet-type flows at finite Reynolds number. This involves solving the full Navier-Stokes equations numerically, to determine the Reynolds number at which we should expect to qualitatively recover boundary-layer behaviour. The steady solution for the radial free jet and its linear pulsation are studied in this way, as is the linear pulsatile planar free jet. We may enhance the streamwise velocity of a radial jet by applying swirl around the z axis. Modulating this swirl is looked at as a possible mechanism to induce the previously discussed pulsation, which then motivates the introduction of a finite spinning disk problem. In this case the system may be completely confined within an enclosed cylinder, making a hypothetical experimental approach somewhat more approachable.

Tilting the nacelle of a wind turbine modifies entrainment into the wind plant and impacts total efficiency. Extreme angles can produce flying and crashing wakes where the wake either disrupts entertainment from the undisturbed flow above or is decimated on the ground. The effect of tilt angle on downstream wake behavior was investigated in a series of wind tunnel experiments. Scale model turbines with a hub height and diameter of 12 cm were arranged in a Cartesian array comprised of four rows of three turbines each. Nacelle tilt was varied in the third row from -15° to 15° in chosen 5° increments. Stereo PIV measurements of the instantaneous velocity field were recorded at four locations for each angle. Tilted wakes are described in terms of the average streamwise velocity field, wall-normal velocity field, Reynolds stresses, and mean vertical transport of kinetic energy. Conditional sampling is used to quantify the importance of sweep vs. ejection events and thus downwards vs. upwards momentum transfer. Additionally, wake center displacement and changes in net power are presented and compared to existing models. The results demonstrate large variations in wake velocity and vertical displacement with enhanced vertical energy and momentum transfer for negative tilt angles. Simulation models accurately predict wake deflection while analytic models deviate considerably highlighting the difficulties in describing tilt phenomena. Negative angles successfully produce crashing wakes and improve the availability of kinetic energy thereby improving the power output of the wind plant.

L’étude des Réacteurs à Lit Bouillonnant (RLB) est à l’origine de ce projet de thèse. Ce type de réacteur chimique est très étudié en génie des procédés, en raison notamment de son utilisation pour l’hydrocraquage des charges lourdes. Des phénomènes complexes ont lieu dans un RLB, ce qui rend leur design et leur optimisation difficiles. Certains des mécanismes physiques prenant place dans les RLBs sont également des champs de recherche actifs en mécanique des fluides. Par conséquent, cette étude se concentre sur des mécanismes locaux participant à l’hydrodynamique des RLBs avec des catalyseurs cylindriques. Dans un premier temps, l’impact de l’anisotropie du catalyseur sur sa chute est étudié. Nous réalisons une étude expérimentale de la chute libre d’un cylindre en fluide au repos, afin de déterminer l’effet de l’anisotropie du corps sur sa dynamique. Les paramètres d’intérêt du problème sont le nombre d’Archimède du cylindre (Ar) et son rapport d’élongation (L/d). Les expériences sont menées avec deux caméras orthogonales, et des techniques de traitement d’images avancées sont développées pour parvenir à une mesure précise de la position et de l’orientation du corps en 3D. Pour (200 < Ar < 1100, 2 < L/d < 20), les cylindres adoptent différents types de trajectoire. Les deux principaux sont la chute rectiligne, durant laquelle l’axe du cylindre reste horizontal, et un mouvement de fluttering, qui est analysé en détail. D’autres types de mouvement plus complexes sont observés et discutés. De surcroît, le sillage du cylindre est analysé et caractérisé. De nombreuses particules sont présentes dans un RLB (40% de fraction massique environ). Les interactions entre ces corps multiples ont un impact fort sur le mouvement de chacun d’entre eux, mais sont très complexes. En première approximation, nous rendons compte de la présence de multiples particules en introduisant un milieu confiné. Nous étudions expérimentalement la chute d’un seul cylindre dans une cellule confinée verticale, dans laquelle le cylindre n’est libre de se mouvoir que dans deux directions. Le rapport d’élongation du cylindre (3<L/d<40) et son rapport de densité ( c / f = 1,16, 2,70, 4,50) sont les deux paramètres d’intérêt. Le nombre d’Archimède du cylindre se trouve entre les mêmes bornes qu’en milieu non confiné, et les deux modes principaux de mouvement sont aussi la chute rectiligne et le fluttering. Cependant, pour des paramètres (Ar,L/d) comparables, il existe des différences importantes dans le déplacement du cylindre comparé au cas non confiné. Nous avons également étudié l’interaction entre un cylindre en chute libre et un nuage de bullesascendantes. Cette étude a été menée expérimentalement dans la cellule confinée utilisée pour la seconde partie de la thèse. Des cylindres de plusieurs rapports de densité ( c / f = 1,16, 2,70, 4,50) and rapports d’élongation (3<L/d<20) ont été lâchés dans un nuage de bulles de fraction volumique de gaz comprise entre 2% et 5%. Plusieurs mécanismes d’interaction entre le cylindre et les bulles ont été identifiés (contact direct, interaction avec des perturbations du fluide. . .), et leur effet a été caractérisé. Nous avons effectué une étude statistique du mouvement du cylindre dans le nuage de bulles, et nous l’avons comparée aux résultats obtenus en milieu confiné et en fluide au repos. Les rapports de densité et d’élongation du cylindre jouent tous deux un rôle important dans son mouvement au sein du nuage de bulles. Des statistiques conditionnelles nous permettent d’approfondir notre analyse du contact entre le cylindre et les bulles, ainsi que du rôle de l’orientation du cylindre. Enfin, la dispersion du mouvement du cylindre dans le nuage est caractérisée. Un des principaux effets du nuage de bulles est d’accroître, via les contacts bulle cylindre, l’orientation du cylindre jusqu’à-ce qu’il soit presque vertical, ce qui a un effet très fort sur sa cinématique en comparaison avec le fluide au repos / The origin of this PhD thesis lies in the study of Ebullated Bed Reactors (EBRs). These chemical reactors are very active research topics in chemical processes, notably thanks to their usage in heavy oil processing. Many complex phenomena take place within EBRs, and make their design and optimization difficult. In fluid mechanics, a lot of physical mechanisms present in EBRs are active fields of study (three-phase flow, fluid-body interaction...). Hence, in the present work, a study of the mechanisms participating in the hydrodynamics of an EBR with cylindrical catalysts is performed. In a first part, the impact of the catalyst anisotropy on its fall is investigated. In order to gain insight on the effect of the body anisotropy on its fall dynamics, we investigate experimentally the free fall of a solid cylinder in a fluid at rest. The sensitivity to two dimensionless parameters, the Archimedes number (Ar) and the aspect ratio of the cylinder (L/d) is examined. Experiments are conducted with two orthogonal cameras, and advanced image processing techniques are developed in order to measure the position and orientation of the cylinder in 3D. Within the range of parameters studied (200 < Ar < 1100, 2 < L/d < 20), the cylinders adopt different types of falling motion. Two main types of paths are observed, the first one is a rectilinear fall of the cylinder that keeps its axis horizontal, and the second one is a fluttering oscillatory motion. Other more complex types of motion are observed and discussed. The fluttering motion of the cylinder is analyzed in details. On top of the study of the body motion, the cylinder wake is also visualized and characterized. A large number of particles are present at the same time inside an EBRs (about 40% of the mass). Interactions between multiple objects have a strong impact on the motion of each individual particle, but are very complex. In a first approximation, we take into account the presence of numerous particles by introducing a confined medium. We study experimentally the fall of a single cylinder in a confined vertical thin-gap cell, where the cylinders are free to move in only two directions. The cylinder elongation ratio (3<L/d<40) and density ratio ( c / f = 1.16, 2.70, 4.50) are the two parameters of interest. The Archimedes number of the cylinder lies within the same range as in the unconfined medium, and the two main modes of motion of the cylinder are a rectilinear motion, and a fluttering one. However, for the same parameters (Ar,L/d), the motion of the cylinder in the confined cell is strongly different in form to that in the unconfined medium. We also studied the interaction between a freely falling cylinder and a rising swarm of bubbles. This investigation was performed experimentally, in the confined cell used in the second part. Cylinders of various density ratio ( c / f = 1.16, 2.70, 4.50) and elongation ratio (3<L/d<20) are released in a bubble swarm of gas volume fraction between 2% and 5%. The cylinder motion is greatly modified by the bubble swarm. Several mechanisms of interaction between the cylinder and the bubbles are identified (direct contact, interactions with fluid perturbations...), and their effect is characterized. We perform a statistical analysis of the cylinder motion in the swarm, and compare it to results in the confined fluid at rest. The cylinder density ratio and elongation ratio both play an important role in its motion in the bubble swarm. Conditional statistics allow us to further investigate the effect of the contact between the cylinder and a bubble, and of the cylinder orientation in the swarm. Finally, the dispersion of the cylinder motion in the swarm is characterized. A major effect of the bubble swarm is to increase, through bubble-cylinder contacts, the probability of the cylinder to be in nearly vertical orientations. This drastically changes the kinematics of the cylinder as compared to its motion in the fluid at rest