Rising fuel cost has motivated increased fuel efficiency for freight trains. At cruising speed,the largest contributing factor to the fuel consumption is aerodynamic drag. As a result of stagnationand flow separation on and around lead and trailing cars, the first and last railcars experiencegreater drag than intermediate cars. Accordingly, this work focused on reducing drag on lead locomotivesby designing and optimizing an add-on nose fairing that is feasible for industrial operation.The fairing shape design was performed via computational fluid dynamic (CFD) software.The simulations consisted of two in-line freight locomotives, a stretch of rails on a raised subgrade,a computational domain, and a unique fairing geometry that was attached to the lead locomotive ineach non-baseline case. Relative motion was simulated by fixing the train and translating the rails,subgrade, and ground at a constant velocity. An equivalent uniform inlet velocity was applied atzero degree yaw to simulate relative motion between the air and the train.Five fairing families-Fairing Families A-E (FFA-FFE)-are presented in this thesis.Multidimensional regressions are created for each family to approximate drag as a function ofthe design variables. Thus, railroad companies may choose an alternative fairing if the recommendedfairing does not meet their needs and still have a performance estimate. The regression forFFE is used as a surrogate model in a surrogate based optimization. Results from a wind tunneltest and from CFD are reported on an FFE geometry to validate the CFD model. The wind tunneltest predicts a nominal drag reduction of 16%, and the CFD model predicts a reduction of 17%.A qualitative analysis is performed on the simulations containing the baseline locomotive, the optimalfairings from FFA-FFC, and the hybrid child and parent geometries from FFA & FFC. Theanalysis reveals that optimal performance is achieved for a narrow geometry from FFC becausesuction behind the fairing is greatly reduced. Similarly, the analysis reveals that concave geometriesboost the flow over the top leading edge of the locomotive, thus eliminating a vortex upstreamof the windshields. As a result, concave geometries yield greater reductions in drag.The design variable definitions for each family were strategically selected to improve manufacturability,operational safety, and aerodynamic performance relative to the previous families.As a result, the optimal geometry from FFE is believed to most completely satisfy the constraintsof the design problem and should be given the most consideration for application in the railroadindustry. The CFD solution for this particular geometry suggests a nominal drag reduction of 17%on the lead locomotive in an industrial freight train.

<p>This work is a five-article-based collection of published and to-be-published research articles that explore a novel combination of inlet conditions, wind turbine design, and non-flat topography by performing scaled-down experiments in a wind tunnel.</p>

Denna studie är ett examensarbete utfört under sista året av tre på Sportteknologiprogrammet vid Mittuniversitetet i Östersund. Syftet med studien är att ge det svenska klädföretaget Didriksons svar på frågan om vilken av de vadderingar använda i deras produktion besitter bäst isoleringsförmåga och vilka faktorer som kan påverka den. Målet var att kunna presentera ett fullgott resultat från alla studier för Didriksons som de senare förhoppningsvis kan ha hjälp utav i sin fortsatta produktutveckling. För att besvara frågan har tester av 9 likvärdiga jackor tillverkade med olika isoleringsmaterial och konstruktionsprinciper utförts i laboratorium, bland annat i kylkammaren på Nationellt Vintersportcentrum tillsammans med vindtunneln och textillaboratoriet på Sports Tech Research Centre vid Mittuniversitetet i Östersund. Testerna har inte följt någon standard utan är utvecklade tillsammans med studenten, Didriksons och personer med expertis inom området vid universitetet. Undersökningen har visat att den jacka som hade den bästa isoleringsförmågan var den isolerad med syntetiskt dun. Studien har också påvisat att så kallade cold spots, i form av sömmar, dragkedjor och andra attiraljer som på något sätt stör vadderingen, har stor påverkan på isoleringsförmågan. Jackor med samma typ av isolering men med olika mängd av cold spots har presterat bäst respektive sämst i testerna. De olika vadderingarna har även undersökts i laboratorium för att se dess vindtäthet och analysera dess mikrostruktur, allt för att skapa förståelse för materialens olika egenskaper. / This study is a thesis during the last semester of three years at the SportsTechnology program at the Mid Sweden University in Östersund. Theaim of the study is to give the swedish clothing brand Didriksons ananswer to the question of which padding used in their production thathas the best thermal insulation properties and which factors that mayhave an impact on it. The goal for this study is to present a satisfactoryresult for Didriksons from all the executed tests combined which laterhopefully will help them within their product development. To answerthat question, nine equal jackets with different isolation materials andways of construction have been tested in various laboratories such as thecold chamber at National Wintersport Centre and the wind tunnel atSports Tech Research Centre all within the Mid Sweden University. Thetests have not been according to any ISO-standards or such, but hasbeen produced by the student together with Didriksons and researcherswith expertise within the subject at the university. Studies showed thatthe jacket with the best thermal isolation property was the onefabricated with synthetic down. The study also showed that so calledcold spots, stiches, zippers and so on, may affect the padding whichresults in a big negative impact to the thermal isolation, especially whenthe garment is exposed to wind. Jackets with the same type of paddingbut different amounts of cold spots have delivered the best and theworst results during the tests. The different paddings have also beeninvestigated in laboratories to see how they withstand wind and toanalyze their micro structure. All this to get a better understanding ofthe materials and its various properties.

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<p>Accurate and reliable prediction of laminar-turbulent boundary layer transition at hypersonic velocities is important for the development of a variety of practical high-speed flight systems currently under development. Boundary layer transition can cause up to an order of magnitude increase in skin friction and heat flux on a flight vehicle, meaning that understanding boundary layer behavior is critical to the design of weight-efficient thermal protection systems. Despite the importance of the topic, significant gaps remain in the community's current understanding of boundary layer transition and control. </p> <p>One of the biggest areas of concern in the field of high-speed boundary layer transition is the effect of facility noise on wind tunnel measurements. Conventional hypersonic wind tunnels are contaminated by freestream fluctuations which can be as much as two orders of magnitude higher than free-flight atmospheric conditions. These disturbances are typically produced by turbulent boundary layers on the tunnel walls; they are acoustic in nature and consist of pressure waves which radiate into the test section. This facility noise plays a leading role in high-speed transition phenomena in conventional hypersonic tunnels.</p> <p><br></p> <p>The current work studies the effects of facility noise on hypersonic transition using both linear stability theory and direct numerical simulation. A model for the freestream disturbance environment of the von Karman Facility's Tunnel B based on experimental measurements of the disturbance spectra present in the tunnel is created and used to study a past experiment performed in the same wind tunnel using a sharp cone and hollow cylinder. The results show that while linear stability theory accurately captures the behavior of second-mode instability growth, it fails to predict the growth of low-frequency instabilities recorded in the experiments. The stability theory analysis also suggests that very fine scale variation in nose tip geometry can play an outsize role in the development of boundary layer instabilities significantly farther downstream.</p> <p><br></p> <p>The direct numerical simulation demonstrates that, using an artificial body forcing term to implement the constructed tunnel noise model, the experimental effects of facility noise can be adequately captured with a sufficiently dense computational grid. For the conical geometry used in the experiments, calculations of surface heat flux indicate good experimental agreement with in prediction of transition location, and total temperature spectra extracted from the flow compare favorably with the experimental data as well. Visualizations of the flowfield confirm the onset of turbulence as a result of the freestream forcing. The computations also suggest that nonlinear interactions may be present in the turbulent breakdown region, leading to the production of streamwise streaks along the cone's surface. Transition on the hollow cylinder was not achieved due to suspected resolution issues, so detailed physical comparison of the two cases was not possible.</p> <p><br></p> <p>Overall, the results of this work suggest that direct numerical simulation is a capable tool for studying the effects of facility noise on hypersonic transition for simple geometries, albeit one which can be difficult to practically realize considering the required computational cost. Computational results indicate that two phenomena may play a role in the development of boundary layer instabilities for a sharp cone --- the fine-scale shape of the tip, which may change the behavior of the entropy layer near the nose; and the interactions between low- and high-frequency waveforms, which seems to cause nonlinear breakdown in line with current experimental understanding.</p>

When it comes to design a wind turbine rotor, several parameters have to be taken into account. The present work focuses on the inclination of the blades with respect to the rotor plane, namely the pich angle. The main goal of the project was to design a small-scale wind turbine rotor for wind tunnel tests and in this thesis the optimization of a first prototype is presented. The characterization of the performances was carried out by coupling two different approaches: an experimental and a numerical one. For the experimental part, a proper setup was built and the wind turbine model was tested in a wind tunnel. The results were compared with a Blade Element Momentum theory code developed in Python, that involved also CFD simulations to assess the aerodynamic properties of the blade sections. The analysis characterized the performances at variable collective pitch in terms of power and thrust coefficient, showing that the intitial blade design was not the optimal one. Therefore, the optimal pitch angle that maximize the power porduction was found for variable conditions. The second part of the experiments focused on the case of pitch unbalanced and the potential risks connected to it. As a result, the analysis demonstrated that any kind of pitch unbalance generates losses in the power production and may lead to a possible increase of the thrust. To compare the results, a modified BEM code was developed by assuming an axisymmetric axial induction factor. Finally, an additional analysis on the wind turbine oscillations was made, finding a connection between lateral vibrations and rotor unbalance and revealing the resonance frequency of the structure.

This study was performed to investigate aerodynamic characteristics of the 37.5% scaled­ down Green Raven MK18 airframe, to evaluate boundary corrections method, and to investigate on support interference. A wind tunnel test was originally planned on June 2021 at a Large­Low­Speed Wind Tunnel at University of Bristol; however, due to COVID­19 travel restrictions, the test has been postponed to November 2021. In or­der to supplement the work and data directly required for the test, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) investigations were performed in free air and in wind tunnel condi­tions, both with and without support interference, at a Reynolds number of 7E+05. The simulations utilized an incompressible Reynolds-­Averaged­-Navier.­Stokes equa­tion accompanied with k − ω SST for turbulent modelling. Corrections factors were obtained to compensate for wall interference, and results indicate a satisfactory agree­ment between free ­air and wind­ tunnel corrected data for wall interference. The sup­ port structure interferes with the aerodynamic loads produced by the model. Lift and drag decrease, and pitching moment increases compared to WT without support structure condition. / Denna studie utfördes för att undersöka aerodynamiska egenskaper hos det nedskalade Green Raven MK18­flygplanet för 37.5%, för att utvärdera gränskorrigeringsmetoden och för att undersöka stödinterferens. Ett vindtunneltest planerades ursprungligen i juni 2021 vid en stor­låghastighets vindtunnel vid University of Bristol. Men på grund av resebegränsningar för covid­19 har testet skjutits upp till november 2021. För att komplettera det arbete och de data som direkt krävs för testet, utfördes CFD under­ sökningar (Computational Fluid Dynamics) i fri luft och i vindtunnelförhållanden, både med och utan supportinterferens, med ett Reynolds­tal på 7E+05. Simuleringarna använde en inkompressibel Reynolds­Averaged­Navier­Stokes­ekvation tillsammans med k − ω SST för turbulent modellering. Korrigeringsfaktorer erhölls för att kom­ pensera för väggstörningar, och resultaten tyder på en tillfredsställande överensstäm­ melse mellan frilufts­ och vindtunnelkorrigerade data för väggstörningar. Stödstruk­ turen stör de aerodynamiska belastningar som modellen producerar. Lyft och drag minskar och stigningsmomentet ökar jämfört med WT utan stödstruktur.

Acoustic and aerodynamic measurements have been carried out on a rotor operating in a planar turbulent boundary layer near a wall for a variety of thrust conditions and yaw angles with respect to the inflow. At the highest thrust condition a strong flow reversal in the wall-rotor tip gap was observed. Average velocity fields filtered by the angular position of the rotor show that the flow reversal is fed by jets of fluid that tend to form below the blade as it passes by the wall. Instantaneous velocity measurements show the presence of strong vortices in the tip gap. These vortices were characterized and found to be both stronger and more numerous on the downstroke side of the tip gap. Additionally, vortices with the same handedness as the bound circulation in the blade were more numerous and only located on the downstroke side of the tip gap. Those with the opposite handedness were found to be only located on the upstroke side. Unexpectedly strong far-field acoustic response at the blade passage frequency at this highest thrust condition and is believed to be due to an interaction of the blade tip with these vortices. At moderate thrust, when the rotor was yawed toward the downstroke side the far field acoustic response at the blade passage frequency was found to increase. The opposite was true as it was yawed toward the upstroke side. At the highest thrust, however the unyawed rotor had the strongest blade passage frequency response which is believed to be due to stronger vortex-tip interaction in this case. / Master of Science