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Este trabalho apresenta a analise do efeito da concentração da mistura etilenoglicol / água, pressão do sistema, rotação da bomba e temperatura, sobre o fenômeno cavitação em sistemas de arrefecimento, tendo dois principais objetivos: 1 Explorar as principais características do fenômeno cavitação, através da analise crítica e citação de publicações existentes; 2 Mapear as condições de trabalho de um sistema de arrefecimento, para então simular em bancada as interações da variação dos fatores citados acima, comparando os resultados com publicações já existentes, contribuindo então com um banco de dados que possibilite a otimização do dimensionamento de novos sistemas de arrefecimento. / This work presents the effect analysis of the water / ethyleneglycol mixture, system pressure, pump speed and temperature upon the cavitation phenomenon in cooling systems. Moreover, it has two main targets which are: 1 To explore the main features of the cavitation phenomenon through a critical analysis and citation of available publications; 2 To monitor the cooling system work conditions in order to simulate in a test rig the variation of the parameters described above, understanding its interaction, for than to provide a database that make possible the design optimization of new cooling systems.

Este trabalho apresenta a analise do efeito da concentração da mistura etilenoglicol / água, pressão do sistema, rotação da bomba e temperatura, sobre o fenômeno cavitação em sistemas de arrefecimento, tendo dois principais objetivos: 1 Explorar as principais características do fenômeno cavitação, através da analise crítica e citação de publicações existentes; 2 Mapear as condições de trabalho de um sistema de arrefecimento, para então simular em bancada as interações da variação dos fatores citados acima, comparando os resultados com publicações já existentes, contribuindo então com um banco de dados que possibilite a otimização do dimensionamento de novos sistemas de arrefecimento. / This work presents the effect analysis of the water / ethyleneglycol mixture, system pressure, pump speed and temperature upon the cavitation phenomenon in cooling systems. Moreover, it has two main targets which are: 1 To explore the main features of the cavitation phenomenon through a critical analysis and citation of available publications; 2 To monitor the cooling system work conditions in order to simulate in a test rig the variation of the parameters described above, understanding its interaction, for than to provide a database that make possible the design optimization of new cooling systems.

Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The water utilized by passive air-conditioning systems in buildings is typically required at higher elevations. The thermally driven natural circulation water pump (TDNCWP) is a passively driven pumping system for delivering water from ground level against gravity to a higher elevation. It consists of a humid air closed duct loop to which a temperature difference is applied, resulting in a density gradient driven flow. A hot water evaporation tray inside the loop at ground level introduces water vapour to the loop air flow, and a cold condensation plate inside the loop at the elevated level removes this water vapour for passive airconditioning usage. In this thesis, a one-dimensional theoretical and numerical simulation model is developed. Experiments were conducted on two experimental TDNCWP set-ups of different cross sectional areas to evaluate the pump design and the theoretical model. It is shown in this thesis that the TDNCWP can provide water at varied elevations using non-mechanical, passive means. A temperature difference of 9 to 12.5 °C induced an average velocity of 0.4 to 0.6 m/s for a duct cross section of 100 mm2. For a larger cross section of 400 mm2, a temperature difference of 2 to 5 °C induced an average velocity of 0.25 to 0.3 m/s. An asymmetrical velocity profile was observed which varied at different points in the loop. A water delivery rate of 1.2 to 7.5 L/day was experimentally determined which compares well to the passive air-conditioning water requirements of a small building. The theoretical model over-predicted the delivery rate at increased duct cross sectional areas but fared well when compared to the smaller experimental model results. Further refinement of the numerical model and the TDNCWP design is required, and recommendations were made regarding this. It is clear however that the TDNCWP provides an alternative to a conventional water pump for low-volume water pumping requirements. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die water wat gebruik word deur passiewe lugversorgingstelsels in geboue word tipies benodig op hoër vlakte. Die termies gedrewe natuurlike sirkulasie waterpomp (TDNCWP) is ʼn passiewe gedrewe pomp stelsel vir die lewering van water vanaf die grondvlak teen swaartekrag na ʼn hoër vlak. Dit bestaan uit 'n vogtige geslote lug geut siklus waarop ʼn temperatuur verskil toegepas word, dit lei tot vloei gedrewe deur ʼn digtheids gradiënt. ʼn Warm water verdampings-pan binne die geut op grondvlak stel waterdamp aan die geut lugvloei toe, en ʼn koue kondensasie plaat binne die geut op die verhoogde vlak verwyder hierdie waterdamp vir passiewe lugversorgings gebruik. In hierdie tesis word ʼn eendimensionele teoretiese en numeriese simulasie model ontwikkel. Eksperimente is uitgevoer op twee eksperimentele TDNCWP stelsels van verskillende deursnee grootes om die pomp ontwerp en die teoretiese model te evalueer. Die tesis dui aan dat die TDNCWP water kan voorsien teen verskillende hoogtes op ʼn nie-meganiese, passiewe wyse. ʼn Temperatuur verskil van 9 tot 12.5 °C veroorsaak ʼn gemiddelde snelheid van 0.4 tot 0.6 m/s vir ʼn geut deursnit van 100 mm2.Vir ʼn groter deursnit van 400 mm2, het ʼn temperatuur verskil van 2 tot 5 °C ʼn gemiddelde snelheid van 0.25 tot 0.3 m/s veroorsaak. ʼn Asimmetriese snelheidsprofiel was waargeneem wat gewissel het op verskillende punte in die siklus. ʼn Water voorsienings tempo van 1.2 tot 7.5 L / dag was eksperimenteel waargeneem wat goed vergelyk met die passiewe water lugversorging vereistes van 'n klein gebou. Die teoretiese model het ʼn groter voorsienings tempo voorspel vir die groot deursneë, maar het goed gevaar in vergelyking met die kleiner eksperimentele model. Verdere verfyning van die numeriese model en die TDNCWP ontwerp word vereis, en aanbevelings is gemaak ten opsigte van hiervan. Dit is egter duidelik dat die TDNCWP ʼn alternatief is vir konvensionele lae-volume water pomp applikasies. / National Research Foundation (NRF)

M. Tech. (Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering) Vaal University of Technology) / Water is one of the basic necessities of life. In addition to being essential for the maintenance of life, this basic resource is a crucial requirement for combating poverty, hunger and disease in South African communities. In excess of twenty-nine percent of South African households do not have water in either their dwellings, or on site (source: 2005 RSA census data). This study documents an engineering solution to the problem of water pumping, utilising renewable energy (solar power) and readily available pumping hardware, configured via a structured design process. Resultant from the research, a software application has been developed that facilitates the design of solar (photovoltaic) powered water pumping applications. The selected design configuration of a nontracking, stand-alone, directly coupled system provides for the most robust and least complex design possible, making it imminently suitable for application in rural African conditions. Operation of the program is via a simple graphical user interface, with full and context sensitive help provided. It is tailored for use in Southern Africa and is provided with comprehensive databases of location dependant design information such as solar radiation, meteorology and magnetic declination data, together with expandable databases of pre-configured pump and solar panel hardware specification data. The program is manufacturer and component independent, with no affiliations in the choice of hardware. Design methodologies, together with a component matching strategy. Optimisation is achieved by a quantitative and efficiency 'best fit' analysis of the selected hardware components within the design context. Design output predictions are tabulated and graphed by month for a period of one year, allowing design visualisation. The application has been named 'South African Stand-alone Solar (PV) Water Pumping Design Aid', abbreviated as 'SAS-SWP' in its run-time form. The SASSWP application is illustrated in the functional overview provided in Figure 1. / VUT

In this work, we were motivated to develop novel devices for water harvesting inspired by natural trees, and to understand their collection efficiency and working principles. We accomplished that with scale-model and large-scale fog harps, floating leaves, and synthetic trees. Fluids mechanics, physics, and thermodynamics were applied to solve the problems and rationalize the results. Redwood-inspired fog harps were designed with stainless steel vertical wires, using 3D-printing and laser-cutting techniques. Fog harps always harvested more water than any of the meshes, tested both under heavy fog and light fog conditions. The aerodynamic efficiency, deposition efficiency, and sliding efficiency were calculated to compare the fog harvesting performance. These findings provide insight into the new design of fog harvesters with high-efficiency fog harvesting performance, and future development of large fog harps, applied into regions even with light fog conditions, as an economically viable means. synthetic trees were fabricated with a nanoporous ceramic disk and silicone tubes. This tree system was tested in an environmental chamber (6 cm short trees) or a plant growth chamber (3m tall trees), both with controlled ambient humidities. The system pressure was calculated with Darcy's equation, Poiseuille equation and Laplace equation. The stable transpiration can happen to any scalable tree, which pumps water up an array of large tubes. Our synthetic trees, like natural trees, have the ability to lift water across a wide range of water temperatures and ambient humidities. They can be used as the large-scale evaporation-driven hydraulic pump, for example, pumped storage hydropower, filtration, underground water extraction. / Doctor of Philosophy / The purpose of this work is to investigate and characterize novel techniques for water harvesting that are inspired by natural trees. We are interested in two modes of water harvesting in particular: fog harps and synthetic trees. Fog harps were comprised of only vertical wires, inspired by the parallel structures of redwoods, which can capture and shed off fog droplets efficiently. Fog harps harvested more water than the traditional mesh nets, both under heavy fog and light fog conditions. Redwood-inspired fog harps have the high-efficient fog harvesting performance. They can be set up at coastal deserts to collect water from fog, where there is scarce rainfall but plenty of fog, like Chile, Peru and South Africa. Synthetic trees were designed with nanoporous disk (leaf) and tubes (xylem conduits), inspired by the transpiration process in natural trees. This transpiration-powered pump can lift water against the gravity at large scales, driven by the water evaporating from the nanopores. They can be used as the large-scale evaporation-driven hydraulic pump, for example, pumped storage hydropower, filtration, underground water extraction.

Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study is to construct and test a surface tension driven water pump. The surface tension driven water pump is a passive water pump which uses a similar mechanism to that of trees to pump water. This study was conducted at the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering at the University of Stellenbosch. For the study an extensive literature survey was done encompassing aspects such as water properties, surface tension (basic principles, capillary forces, temperature and contaminant effects, wettability), bubble formation (nucleation theory and tensile strength of water) and, finally water and mineral transport in trees (plant structures and mechanisms, limiting factors, misconceptions and organic substance transport). Previous work by botanists who demonstrate the transpiration mechanism needed for water transport in trees was also considered. The study further required the development of a theoretical thermal-hydraulic model to simulate the pumping performance for the surface tension driven water pump. The developed water pump was also experimentally tested with particular focus on design improvement, pumping performance, pump behaviour, potential pumping head as well as water collection capability. The experimental data was statistically analysed by multi-linear regression. Both the experimental data and statically generated predictions were compared to the theoretical thermal-hydraulic model. The results show that a working surface tension driven pump was constructed. Evaporation rates of up to 400 mL/hr.m2 were obtained, with pumping head heights reaching up to 1.8 m and a maximum pump functional lifespan of 13 days. The results further suggest that there is a good correlation between the various statistical fits and the experimental data. The developed theoretical thermal-hydraulic model was also found to be in good agreement with the experimental results. A sensitivity analysis of the theoretical and statistical models showed that the statistical models fairs poorly under extrapolation. Additionally, the mechanistic causes of pump failure as well as the effect of heat and pumping head on water pumping performance were identified. Thereafter, the water collection efficiency was established to be 98% on average. Further testing revealed that the pumping performance of larger area or multiple grouped “leaves” are less accurately predicted with the theoretical model than a single “leaf”. In conclusion, the results provide some support that the surface tension driven pump may be used as a water transport system in an artificial photosynthesis project, if the functional lifespan of the pump can be greatly improved. It is recommended that a more rigid hydrophilic material be used in the “leaf” interface and that multiple narrower conduits be used instead of a single larger pipe. Additional future work may include the development of pit-like structures to prevent air spreading throughout the system as well as a simple mechanism for evaporative control. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie ondersoek is om 'n oppervlakspanning-aangedrewe waterpomp te bou en te toets. Die oppervlakspanning-aangedrewe waterpomp is ‘n passiewe waterpomp wat gebruik maak van ‘n meganisme soortgelyke aan dié van bome om water te pomp. Hierdie ondersoek is by die Departement Meganiese en Megatroniese Ingenieurswese by die Universiteit van Stellenbosch uitgevoer. Vir die ondersoek is 'n uitgebreide literatuurstudie gedoen wat aspekte soos water eienskappe, oppervlakspanning (basiese beginsels, kapillêre kragte, die uitwerking van temperatuur, onsuiwerhede asook benatbaarheid), lugborrelvorming (kernvormingsteorie en die treksterkte van water) en uiteindelik water- en mineraalvervoer in bome (plantstrukture en -meganismes, beperkende faktore, wanpersepsies en die vervoer van organiese stowwe) insluit. Vorige navoring deur plantkundiges, wat die watervervoermeganismes in bome demonstreer, is ook in ag geneem. Die ondersoek het die ontwikkeling van 'n teoretiese termies-hidrouliese model ingesluit, wat gebruik is om die oppervlakspanning-aangedrewe waterpomp se werking te voorspel. Die waterpomp is ook eksperimenteel getoets met die fokus op ontwerpverbetering, pompwerkverrigting, pompwerking, potensiële pompopvoerdrukhoogte sowel as die waterversamelingsvermoë. Die eksperimentele data is statisties ontleed deur middel van meervoudige liniêre regressie. Beide die eksperimentele data en statisties-gegenereerde voorspellings is vergelyk met die teoretiese termies-hidrouliese-model. Die resultate toon dat 'n werkende oppervlakspanning-aangedrewe pomp gebou is. ‘n Verdampingstempo van tot 400 mL/hr.m2, pompopvoerdrukhoogte van tot 1.8m en 'n maksimum funksionele pompleeftyd van 13 dae is bereik. Die resultate dui verder daarop dat daar 'n goeie korrelasie tussen die verskillende statistiese lynpassings en die eksperimentele data is. Die teoretiese termies-hidrouliese-model wat ontwikkel is, toon 'n goeie ooreenkoms met die eksperimentele resultate. 'n Sensitiwiteitsanalise van die teoretiese en statistiese modelle het getoon dat die statistiese modelle swak voorspellings maak as geëkstrapoleerde data gebruik word. Verder is die meganismes wat pompweiering veroorsaak, die effek van hitte asook die effek van pompopvoerdrukhoogte op die pomp se werkverrigting geïdentifiseer. Daarna is die doeltreffendheid van waterversamelingsvermoë vir die waterpomp vasgestel op gemiddeld 98%. Verdere toetse het getoon dat die pompwerkverrigting van groter gegroepeerde "blare" minder akkuraat met die teoretiese model voorspel word as vir 'n enkele "blaar". Ten slotte: Die resultate toon dat die oppervlakspanning-aangedrewe waterpomp as 'n water vervoer stelsel gebruik kan word in 'n kunsmatige fotosinteseprojek, indien die funksionele leeftyd van die pomp verbeter kan word. Dit word aanbeveel dat 'n sterker hidrofiliese materiaal in die "blaar"-koppelvlak gebruik word en dat verskeie nouer leipype gebruik word in plaas van 'n enkele groter pyp. Bykomende toekomstige werk kan die ontwikkeling van put-agtige strukture insluit wat die verspeiding van lug deur die hele stelsel voorkom, sowel as 'n eenvoudige meganisme wat die verdampingstempo beheer.

Sub-Saharan Africa is the region in the world that suffers the most from poverty and its worst effects: hunger, lack of water and diseases. And the problem is not even decreasing: in the past years there has been a peak in undernourishment in the continent. Furthermore, according to ongoing research, the area is expected to be one of the most affected by climate change. A solution that tackles at the same time water scarcity, diseases, hunger and greenhouse gas emissions is urgent. Luckily, with the development in the past years of the solar photovoltaic and battery technologies, these solutions can now compete head-to-head with fossil-fuelled pumps. Indeed, the photovoltaic water pump (PVWP) is becoming the preferred solution for locals and NGOs, enabling a cheaper, less pollutant and more self-sustainable growth vector. In this thesis, a PVWP system is pre-designed. This means that the effect of the different variables over the system are studied, without aiming to design any specific system. However, the calculations are done with the climatic conditions of Fada N’gourma (Burkina Faso) as an example. To start, the importance of water for basic supply, sanitation and agriculture is researched through reviewing existing literature. The specific advantages of an advanced method of irrigation such as drip irrigation are also investigated. To continue, the analysis of the influence of each parameter intervening in the system is undertaken. First, a method to calculate the watering needs of the plants (through the concept of evapotranspiration), and simultaneously the passive self-regulation of PVWP systems for irrigation purposes is analysed. Second, the possibility to calculate faithfully the optimal angle with only climatic values and the size of the orchard is demonstrated. Third, a model to obtain the optimal diameter of the pipes through the optimisation of the cost is elaborated. The specific influence of the pump efficiency in this process is also explored. Fourth, an analysis on the effect in the system resilience to weather changes depending on the different starting dates for planting the crops is done. To finish, some considerations and a preliminary design are made. The option of implementing a storage system is discussed, with advantages of the batteries and the water tank. A quick economical evaluation done, leading to the conclusion that a PVWP system of the characteristics studied is viable under most of the circumstances.

The need to minimize carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions is becoming increasingly important with the total number of vehicles throughout the world exceeding one billion. Carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced by improving vehicle fuel efficiency. While electric transportation is gaining popularity, most passenger vehicles are still powered by gasoline or diesel engines. The main objective of this work was to provide opportunities for studying and improving the fuel efficiency of internal combustion engines (ICE). This was achieved by 1) Designing, building and testing auxiliary systems necessary to run a Cummins 2.8 L engine in a an engine test cell; 2) Creating educational labs for the ICE class; and 3) Measuring the parasitic losses of the vacuum pump and water pump on the installed Cummins 2.8 L diesel engine. All auxiliary systems were completed at a hardware cost of $8100 and are rated to support an engine with the power output capacity of 233 kW (312 hp). The educational laboratories enable future engineers to measure and assess the efficiency of internal combustions engines. The parasitic losses of the vacuum pump and water pump were found to impact the relative brake fuel conversion efficiency by 1.3% and 1.5% respectively over the Federal Test Procedure (FTP) cycle.

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