Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Compressed air is a powerful source of stored energy and is used in a variety of applications varying from painting to pressing, making it a versatile tool for manufacturers. Due to the high cost and energy consumption associated with producing compressed air and it’s use within industrial manufacturing, it is often referred to as a fourth utility behind electricity, natural gas, and water. This is the reason why air compressors and associated equipment are often the focus for improvements in the eyes of manufacturing plant managers. As compressed air can be used in multiple ways, the methods used to extract and transfer the energy from this source vary as well. Compressed air can flow through different types of piping, such as aluminum, Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), rubber, etc. with varying hydraulic diameters, and through different fittings such as 90-degree elbows, T-junctions, valves, etc. which can cause one of the major concerns related to managing the energy consumption of an air compressor, and that is the waste of air through leaks. Air leaks make up a considerable portion of the energy that is wasted in a compressed air system, as they cause a multitude of problems that the compressor will have to make up for to maintain the steady operation of the pneumatic devices on the manufacturing floor that rely on compressed air for their application. When air leaks are formed within the compressed air piping network, they act as continuous consumers and cause not only the siphoning off of said compressed air, put also reduce the pressure that is needed within the pipes. The air compressors will have to work harder to compensate for the losses in the pressure and the amount of air itself, causing an overconsumption of energy and power. Overworking the air compressor also causes the internal equipment to be stretched beyond its capabilities, especially if they are already running at full loads, reducing their total lifespans considerably. In addition, if there are multiple leaks close to the pneumatic devices on the manufacturing floor, the immediate loss in pressure and air can cause the devices to operate inefficiently and thus cause a reduction in production. This will all cumulatively impact the manufacturer considerably when it comes to energy consumption and profits. There are multiple methods of air leak detection and accounting that currently exist so as to understand their impact on the compressed air systems. The methods are usually conducted when the air compressors are running but during the time when there is no, or minimal, active consumption of the air by the pneumatic devices on the manufacturing floor. This time period is usually called non-production hours and generally occur during breaks or between employee shift changes. This time is specifically chosen so that the only air consumption within the piping is that of the leaks and thus, the majority of the energy and power consumed during this time is noted to be used to feed the air leaks. The collected data is then used to extrapolate and calculate the energy and power consumed by these leaks for the rest of the year. There are, however, a few problems that arise when using such a method to understand the effects of the leaks in the system throughout the year. One of the issues is that it is assumed that the air and pressure lost through the found leaks are constant even during the production hours i.e. the hours that there is active air consumption by the pneumatic devices on the floor, which may not be the case due to the increased air flow rates and varying pressure within the line which can cause an increase in the amount of air lost through the same orifices that was initially detected. Another challenge that arises with using only the data collected during a single non-production time period is that there may be additional air leaks that may be created later on, and the energy and power lost due to the newer air leaks would remain unaccounted for. As the initial estimates will not include the additional losses, the effects of the air leaks may be underestimated by the plant managers. To combat said issues, a continuous method of air leak analyses will be required so as to monitor the air compressors’ efficiency in relation to the air leaks in real time. By studying a model that includes both the production, and non-production hours when accounting for the leaks, it was observed that there was a 50.33% increase in the energy losses, and a 82.90% increase in the demand losses that were estimated when the effects of the air leaks were observed continuously and in real time. A real time monitoring system can provide an in-depth understanding of the compressed air system and its efficiency. Managing leaks within a compressed air system can be challenging especially when the amount of energy wasted through these leaks are unaccounted for. The main goal of this research was to find a nonintrusive way to calculate the amount of air as well as energy lost due to these leaks using time series pressure measurements. Previous studies have shown a strong relationship between the pressure difference, and the use of air within pneumatic lines, this correlation along with other factors has been exploited in this research to find a novel and viable method of leak accounting to develop a Continuous Air Leak Monitoring (CALM) system.

This article describes the first development phase of a centrifugal compressor with variable geometry which is designed to match the needs of future heavy-duty engines. Requirements of truck engines are analyzed, and their impact on the properties of the compressor map is evaluated in order to identify the most suitable kind of variable geometry. Our approach utilizes the transformation of engine data into pressure ratio and mass flow coordinates that can be displayed and interpreted using compressor maps. One-dimensional and three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics fluid flow calculations are used to identify loss mechanisms and constraints of fixed geometry compressors. Linking engine goals and aerodynamic objectives yields specific recommendations on the implementation of the variable geometry compressor.

<p>  </p> <p>Environmental challenges, increasing energy costs and demand, and upcoming regulations (e.g., new equipment performance ratings, phase-down of HFCs) are a few of the main drivers behind the research on advanced HVAC&R equipment. The HVAC&R systems are one of the largest energy consumers in both commercial and residential buildings and their operation is essential to ensure thermal comfort as well as other industrial needs. Within this context, large chillers provide chilled water to condition commercial buildings and the new generation of smart chillers feature variable speed compressors that enable active capacity modulation. In turn, variable speed operation along with other factors can contribute to performance degradation. Understanding mechanisms of degradation and developing models that enable predicting the decrease in performance with respect to the rated values are still open topics in the literature. </p> <p>The overarching goal of this research is to investigate the performance degradation of a water-cooled variable-speed screw chiller under long term operation and to gain insights on the behavior of the chiller under accelerated life testing. In particular, this thesis covers the initial task of designing an experimental test setup that enables performance testing according to the AHRI 550/590 standard. Once the experimental setup was commissioned, a set of four standard-conform baseline tests was conducted to map the rated performance of the chiller at both full and part-load conditions. After completing the baseline tests, an accelerated life test cycle procedure was developed and implemented in order to conduct 24/7 automated testing on the chiller. To this end, two test modes were established to simulate a real-life use of the chiller and induce high level of thermo-mechanical stresses on the compressor. Furthermore, eight recurring baseline tests were conducted to determine the performance behavior after 1000 operating hours. Finally, a preliminary system model was set up. This thesis describes the design of the system, the commissioning and control and provides insights on the performance testing as well as long-term testing methodology and the modeling work that was done so far. </p>

No description available.

Turbochargers play an important role in increasing the energetic efficiency andreducing emissions of modern power-train systems based on downsized recipro-cating internal combustion engines (ICE). The centrifugal compressor in tur-bochargers is limited at off-design operating conditions by the inception of flowinstabilities causing rotating stall and surge. They occur at reduced enginespeeds (low mass flow rates), i.e. typical operating conditions for a betterengine fuel economy, harming ICEs efficiency. Moreover, unwanted unsteadypressure loads within the compressor are induced; thereby lowering the com-pressors operating life-time. Amplified noise and vibration are also generated,resulting in a notable discomfort. The thesis aims for a physics-based understanding of flow instabilities andthe surge inception phenomena using numerical methods. Such knowledge maypermit developing viable surge control technologies that will allow turbocharg-ers to operate safer and more silent over a broader operating range. Therefore,broadband turbulent enabled compressible Large Eddy Simulation (LES) cal-culations have been performed and several flow-driven instabilities have beencaptured under unstable conditions. LES produces large amounts of 3D datawhich has been post-processed using Fourier spectra and Dynamic Mode De-composition (DMD). These techniques are able to quantify modes in the flowfield by extracting large coherent flow structures and characterize their relativecontribution to the total fluctuation energy at associated. Among the mainfindings, a dominant mode was found which describes the filling and emptyingprocess during surge. A narrowband feature at half of the rotating order wasidentified to correspond to co-rotating vortices upstream of the impeller faceas well as elevated velocity magnitude regions propagating tangentially in thediffuser and the volute. Dominant mode shapes were also found at the rotatingorder frequency and its harmonics, which manifest as a spinning mode shapelocalized at the diffuser inlet. From the compressible LES flow solution one can extract the acoustic infor-mation and the noise affiliated with the compressor. This enable through datacorrelation quantifying the flow-acoustics coupling phenomena in the compres-sor. Detailed comparison of flow (pressure, velocity) and aeroacoustics (soundpressure levels) predictions in terms of time-averaged, fluctuating quantities,and spectra is carried out against experimental measurements. / <p>QC 20160406</p>

An electrical distribution network supplies power to many households at a time. Each house has various types of electrical appliances which consume different levels of power depending on its function and the load it supplies. An ideal case would be when no appliances cause power disturbances, however, in reality, many electrical appliances (e.g. refrigerators, computers, heat pumps, etc.), due to their inherent characteristics. The distribution network is now fed back with non-sinusoidal power, called harmonics, causing inefficiencies and potential failure in other appliances connected to the same network. Harmonics are the additional frequency components to the fundamental sinusoidal voltage or current (e.g. 50Hz fundamental frequency in Europe). To avoid the malfunction of the network, each electrical appliance in any household has to comply with the standard IEC 61000-3-2 (current rating $&lt;$16A) defined by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). According to these standards, current harmonics have been observed up to 40th harmonics. If the fundamental frequency is 50 Hz, then harmonic currents up to 2000 Hz have to be considered. Usually, the harmonics are quantified by the measurement when the appliance has been constructed at which point changes are costly and time-consuming.  This thesis investigates the possibility to model these appliances at an early stage of development enabling cost-effective and quick improvements. The model is achieved by reducing a heat pump into a set of chokes, an EMI filter, a rectifier, and a load represented by a variable current source to simulate the compressor which draws the majority of power the system uses. The state-of-the-art, referred to as white box modeling, uses schematics to model these components while this thesis presents a methodology to model without schematics, referred to as black box modeling.  For the black box model, impedance of the components is measured and equivalent circuits are modeled accordingly in Simulink to simulate the harmonics. The validity of a black box simulation model from the equivalent circuit extracted by the impedance measurements is investigated in this thesis. The black box modeling is compared with the white box modeling and measurements for the purpose of verification.   The result is good but more work is needed. The black box model is verified using two different systems which are similarly accurate. Simulating harmonics at a higher power level yields better results. The black box model is more accurate than the white box model, mainly due to the inclusion of parasitics in the EMI filter. Possible additional harmonics generation in unmodeled components is investigated and found to be insignificant.

Det här arbetets syfte är att ge förslag på ny kyllösning i en kommersiell fastighet. Den nuvarande lösningen innebär att kylan kommer ifrån tappkallvatten som spolas in i en värmeväxlare, den här lösningen är både dyr och har en negativ påverkan på vår miljö, fastighetsägaren är inte nöjd med detta och vill göra om systemet. Då det inte finns några direkta mätvärden från systemet förutom vattenförbrukningen så är effekt-och energibehovet en osäkerhet. Två driftfall har tagits fram där driftfall 1 och driftfall 2 har ett effektbehov på 80 kW respektive 130 kW. Utifrån driftfallen har effekt- och energiprofil tagits fram. Med hjälp av profilerna har en ny lösning tagits fram men med fyra olika metoder. Undersökningen tar upp lösningar med fjärrkyla, bergkyla, absorptionskyla och kompressorkyla. Fjärrkylan är idag inte ett möjligt alternativ då det fortfarande inte finns ett fjärrkylanät men diskussionerna pågår om ett sådant nät och på grund av detta är fjärrkyla med som en möjlig framtida lösning. Undersökningen visar att fjärrkyla inte är ett lönsamt alternativ, detta eftersom man behöver behålla nuvarande lösning fram till dess. Absorptionskyla är inte heller ett bra alternativ och det beror på det höga fjärrvärmepriset. Det visar sig att lösningen med bergkyla eller kompressorkyla är de bästa alternativen där en kompressordriven kylmaskin ses som den mest lönsammaste men ur en miljöaspekt är den det mindre bra även om den kylmaskin som används i denna undersökning använder sig av ett köldmedium med förhållandevis lågt GWP-värde. / This study’s purpose is to give suggestions of a new cooling system in a commercial building. The current system implies that the cooling come from tap cold water that flushes into a heat exchanger, this solution is both expensive and have a bad impact on the environment. The property owner isn’t satisfied with this and want to remake the system. There isn`t many measurement values that I can use to calculate the effect and energy needs for the building except the water consumption in the cooling system. Because of this uncertainty two cases have been used in this study. The first has an effect need of 80 kW and the other have an effect around 130 kW. From these two cases has an effect and energy profile been made from each of the two cases. With the profiles made, can a new solution be presented and in this study we have four different methods for the cooling system. An investigation has been made on district cooling, ground cooling, absorption cooling and compressor cooling. The district cooling isn`t possible today because it doesn’t exist but the local energy company having discussions about it and because of this, district cooling is a possible future solution. The study shows that to wait for a district cooling isn´t a profitable solution, neither is the solution with the absorption cooler, the absorption machine is being driven by district heat and the price is too high in Bollnäs. This study shows that ground cooling or compressor cooling are the best options in this case. The compressor cooling is the most profitable, but it has a downside in the environment perspective. All energy is based on electricity energy, and the refrigerant can affect the environment in a bad way if it´s a leak. But I should say that the cooling machine used in this study uses a refrigerant that has a relatively low GWP-value.

Wirkungsgradsteigerungen moderner Turbomaschinen machen dort auch zukünftig verstellbare Leitschaufeln unverzichtbar. Infolge komplexer Ringraumgeometrie entstehen bei der Schaufelverstellung betriebspunktabhängige Radialspalte, welche hinsichtlich Effizienzoptimierungen eine zunehmende Rolle spielen. Die vorliegende Arbeit charakterisiert die aerodynamischen Mechanismen und das Potential von spezifischen radialen Teilspalt- und Seitenwandkonturgeometrien solcher Verstellstatoren. Anders als bei durchgehenden radialen Spalten variiert der Einfluss der Teilspalte abhängig von deren axialer Position. Ein Teilspalt im hinteren Schaufelsehnenbereich erreicht reduzierte Totaldruckverluste gegenüber einer spaltfreien Referenz- beschaufelung. Dieser Vorteil vergrößert sich mit steigender Gitterbelastung und erhöht sich nochmals im Vergleich mit Konfigurationen eines vorderen Teilspaltes. Die Ergebnisse zei- gen, dass die Position entlang der Sehne der wesentliche Ein- flussfaktor auf die Radialspaltcharakteristik ist, die Spaltlänge als auch deren radiale Variation spielen nur eine untergeordnete, quantitative Rolle. Auch die untersuchten modellhaften Seitenwandkonturen wirken sich aufgrund sekundärer geome- trischer Einflüsse positiv auf Verlust und Gitterumlenkung in der Abströmung aus. Reduzierte Abmessungen der Teilspalte schwächen auch charakteristische Periodizitäten in Verbindung mit Spaltströmung bzw. resultierendem Spaltwirbel ab. Diese Erkenntnisse erlauben aerodynamische Optimierungen der Geometrie eines spezifischen Statordesigns. Ebenso ergibt sich ein Anwendungspotential im Randbereich starrer Leitschaufeln.

This dissertation presents the results from an experimental study of three-dimensional turbulent tip gap flow in a linear cascade wind tunnel with 3.3% chord tip clearance with and without moving endwall simulation. Experimental measurements have been completed in Virginia Tech low speed linear cascade wind tunnel. A 24" access laser-Doppler velocimeter (LDV) system was developed to make simultaneous three-velocity-component measurements. The overall size of the probe is 24"à 37"à 24"and measurement spatial resolution is about 100 μm. With 24" optical access distance, the LDV probe allows measurements to be taken from the side of the linear cascade tunnel instead of through the bottom of the tunnel floor. The probe has been tested in a zero-pressure gradient two-dimensional turbulent boundary layer. Experimental measurements (oil flow visualization, pressure measurement, and LDV measurement) for the stationary wall captured the major flow structures of the tip leakage flow in the linear compressor cascade, such as tip leakage vortex, tip leakage vortex separation and tip separation vortex. Large velocity gradients in the tip leakage vortex separation, tip leakage vortex, and tip separation vortex regions generate large production of the Reynolds stresses and turbulent kinetic energy. One of the most interesting features of the tip leakage flow is the bimodal velocity probability histograms of the v component due to the unsteady motion of the flow in the interaction region between the tip leakage vortex and tip leakage jet. The tip separation vortex, tip leakage vortex separation, and tip leakage vortex contain most of turbulent kinetic energy and generate the highest dissipation rate. Relative motion of the endwall significantly affects the tip gap flow structures, especially in the near wall region. Compared to the stationary wall case, velocity gradients in the near wall region for the moving wall case are much smaller and lower velocity gradients in the near wall region cause the low production of Reynolds stresses and turbulent kinetic energy. Similar to the stationary wall case, high Reynolds stresses and turbulent kinetic energy values are mainly located in the vicinity of the tip leakage vortex and tip separation vortex region. The bimodal velocity probability histograms of the v component are also found at the same locations. The tip separation vortex with most of the turbulent kinetic energy generates the highest dissipation rate. The dissipation rate in the tip leakage vortex region is reduced with the decrease of turbulent kinetic energy under the moving wall effect. / Ph. D.

This thesis presents some results from an experimental study of three-dimensional turbulent tip gap flows in the linear cascade wind tunnel, for two different tip gap clearances (t/c=1.65% and 3.3%). The experiments focus on near-wall flow field measurements for the stationary wall and moving wall, and static pressure measurement on the low end-wall for the stationary wall case. The representative flows were pressure driven, three-dimensional turbulent boundary layers in the linear cascade tunnel for the stationary wall case, and the combination of the pressure driven and shear driven flow for the moving wall case. Several experimental techniques are used in the studies: a three-orthogonal-velocity-component fiber-optic laser Doppler anemometer (3D-LDA) system, surface oil flow visualization, and a scanivalve system for static pressure measurement through pressure ports on the end-wall. From the details of the oil flow visualization pattern on the end-wall, some features of the passage flow, cross flow, and the tip leakage vortex in this cascade flow were captured. Oil flow visualization on the blade surface reveals the reattachment of the tip leakage vortex on the blade surface. The static pressure results on the lower end-wall and mid-span of the blade show huge pressure drop on the lower end-wall from the pressure side to the suction side of the blade and from mid-span to the lower end wall. The end-wall skin friction velocity is calculated from near-wall LDA data and pressure gradient data using the near-wall momentum equation. The statistics of Reynolds stresses and triple products in two-dimensional turbulent boundary layer and three-dimensional turbulent boundary layer was examined using a velocity fluctuation octant analysis in three different coordinates (the wall collateral coordinates, the mid tip gap coordinates, and the local mean flow angle coordinates). The velocity fluctuation octant analysis for the two-dimensional turbulent boundary layer reveals that ejections of the low speed streaks outward from the wall and the sweeps of high speed streaks inward toward the wall are the dominant coherent motions. The octant analysis for the three-dimensional turbulent boundary layer in the tip gap shows that the dominant octant events are partially different from those in the two-dimensional turbulent boundary layer, but ejection and sweep motions are still the dominant coherent motions. For the three-dimensional turbulent boundary layer in the moving wall flow, the near-wall shear flow reinforces the sweep motion to the moving wall and weakens the out-ward ejection motion in the shear flow dominant region. Between the passage flow and the shear flow, is the interaction region of the high speed streaks and the low speed streaks. This is the first time that the coherent structure of the three-dimensional turbulent boundary in the linear cascade tip gap has been studied. / Master of Science