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  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
301

Aircraft Simulator / Simulator för flygfarkost

Iskender, Hani January 2005 (has links)
At Saab Bofors Dynamics there are projects running which purpose are to develop simulators for various weapon systems like RBS 70. In order to manage creating real working simulators Saab Bofors Dynamics has to do more research and this final thesis is a part of this process. This final thesis has been performed at Saab Bofors Dynamics in the department of modelling and simulation, RTRKM, in Karlskoga. The purpose was to develop a control algorithm which makes it possible for an aircraft to behave real when controlling through a joystick. The conclusions show that further improvements are needed before the aircraft behaves entirely by the laws of physics. Among other things it is necessary to decrease the number of delimitations that have been done.
302

Are Drag Queens Sexist? Female Impersonation and the Sociocultural Construction of Normative Femininity

Nixon, Kevin D. January 2009 (has links)
In a great deal of social scientific literature on gender, female impersonators have been framed as the example par excellence of crossgendering and crossdressing behaviour in the West. Perceived rather dichotomously as either gender transgressive or reinforcing of hegemonic gender norms, female impersonators occupy a very central position within the emerging fields of gay and lesbian, transgendered, and queer studies. Certain schools of feminist thought, dating back to the mid to late 1970s have framed female impersonators as misogynistic gay men who appropriate female bodies and a “feminine” gender from biological women. These theories argue that female impersonators utilize highly stereotypical and overly sexualized images of the feminine, in order to gain power, prestige, and status within the queer community. This study challenges popular feminist perspectives on drag, first on a theoretical level, utilizing advances in contemporary queer theory and secondly on an ethnographic level, based on a year long field study which involved both participant observation and unstructured interviews with several female impersonators and nightclub patrons at a local queeroriented nightclub in a city in southern Ontario, Canada. Aiming to understand the degree to which performers identified with the normative femininity they performed, this study argues for a more complex understanding of what motivates individuals to become drag queens, one that incorporates female impersonators unique subjective understandings of their own gender identities. Overall, this study calls for a more holistic perspective on female impersonation, which does not limit itself to any one theoretical model of drag.
303

Flow resistance and associated backwater effect due to spur dikes in open channels

Azinfar, Hossein 01 March 2010 (has links)
A spur dike is a hydraulic structure built on the bank of a river at some angle to the main flow direction. A series of spur dikes in a row may also be placed on one side or both sides of a river to form a spur dike field. Spur dikes are used for two main purposes, namely river training and bank protection. For river training, spur dikes may be used to provide a desirable path for navigation purposes or to direct the flow to a desirable point such as a water intake. For bank protection, spur dikes may be used to deflect flow away from a riverbank and thus protect it from erosion. It has also been observed that spur dikes provide a desirable environment for aquatic habitat. Despite the fact that spur dikes are useful hydraulic structures, they have been found to increase the flow resistance in rivers and hence increase the flow stage. The present study focuses on the quantification of the flow resistance and associated flow stage increase due to a single spur dike and also that of a spur dike field. Increased flow stage is referred to herein as a backwater effect.<p> In the first stage of the study, the flow resistance due to a single spur dike, expressed as a drag force exerted on the flow in an open channel, was studied and quantified. The work was carried out in a rigid bed flume, with the model spur dike being simulated using various sizes of a two-dimensional (2-D) rectangular plate. Several discharge conditions were studied. The drag force exerted by the spur dike for both submerged and unsubmerged flow conditions was determined directly from measurements made using a specially designed apparatus and also by application of the momentum equation to a control volume that included the spur dike. It was found that the unit drag force (i.e., drag force per unit area of dike) of an unsubmerged spur dike increases more rapidly with an increase in the discharge when compared with that of a submerged spur dike. The results also showed that an increase in the blockage of the open channel cross-section due to the spur dike is the main parameter responsible for an increase in the spur dike drag coefficient, hence the associated flow resistance and backwater effect. Based on these findings, relationships were developed for estimating the backwater effect due to a single spur dike in an open channel.<p> In the second stage of the study, the flow resistance due to a spur dike field expressed as a drag force exerted on the flow was quantified and subsequently related to the backwater effect. The work was carried out in a rigid bed flume, with the model spur dikes simulated using 2-D, rectangular plates placed along one side of the flume. For various discharges, the drag force of each individual spur dike in the spur dike field was measured directly using a specially-designed apparatus. For these tests, both submerged and unsubmerged conditions were evaluated along with various numbers of spur dikes and various relative spacings between the spur dikes throughout the field. It was concluded that the configuration of a spur dike field in terms of the number of spur dikes and relative spacing between the spur dikes has a substantial impact on the drag force and hence the flow resistance and backwater effect of a spur dike field. The most upstream spur dike had the highest drag force amongst the spur dikes in the field, and it acted as a shield to decrease the drag force exerted by the downstream spur dikes. From the experiments on the submerged spur dikes, it was observed that the jet flow over the spur dikes has an important effect on the flow structure and hence the flow resistance.<p> In the third stage of the study, the flow field within the vicinity of a single submerged spur dike was modeled using the three-dimensional (3-D) computational fluid dynamic (CFD) software FLUENT. Application of the software required solution of the 3-D Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations wherein the Reynolds stresses were resolved using the RNG ê-å turbulence model. One discharge condition was evaluated in a smooth, rectangular channel for two conditions, including uniform flow conditions without the spur dike in place and one with the spur dike in place. The CFD model was evaluated based on some experimental data acquired from the physical model. It was found that the CFD model could satisfactorily predict the flow resistance and water surface profile adjacent to the spur dike, including the resulting backwater effect. Furthermore, the CFD model gave a good prediction of the velocity field except for the area behind the spur dike where the effects of diving jet flow over the spur dike was not properly modeled.
304

Analytical and Experimental Studies of Drag Embedment Anchors and Suction Caissons

Beemer, Ryan 2011 May 1900 (has links)
The need for experimental and analytical modeling in the field of deep water offshore anchoring technologies is high. Suction caisson and drag embedment anchors (DEA) are common anchors used for mooring structures in deep water. The installation process of drag embedment anchors has been highly empirical, employing a trial and error methodology. In the past decade analytical methods have been derived for modeling DEA installation trajectories. However, obtaining calibration data for these models has not been economical. The development of a small scale experimental apparatus, known as the Laponite Tank, was developed for this thesis. The Laponite Tank provides a quick and economical means of measuring DEA trajectories, visually. The experimental data can then be used for calibrating models. The installation process of suctions caissons has benefited from from a more rational approach. Nevertheless, these methods require refinement and removal methodology requires development. In this thesis, an algorithm for modeling suction caisson installation in clay has been presented. An analytical method and modeling algorithm for removal processes of suction caissons in clay was also developed. The installation and removal models were calibrated to field data. These analytical and experimental studies can provide a better understanding of installation of drag embedment anchors and the installation and removal of suction caissons.
305

Experimental Modeling and Laboratory Measurements of Drag Embedment Anchors Subjected to In-Plane and Out-Of-Plane Loading

Drake, Aaron C. 2011 August 1900 (has links)
Extreme hurricane events of the past decade are responsible for several drag embedment anchor (DEA) mooring failures of mobile offshore drilling platforms stationed within the Gulf of Mexico. A proposed failure mechanism is caused by out-of-plane loading. The current status of DEA holding capacity is based on empirical design charts and does not include the effects of out-of-plane loading. Experimental modeling using a 1:10 scale generic DEA was performed at the Haynes Coastal Engineering Laboratory at Texas A & M University to examine the effects of out-of-plane load conditions. Instrumentation and specialized devices were constructed to measure the anchor's trajectory through a representative sample of Gulf of Mexico clay with average un-drained shear strength of 0.764 kPa (16 psf). The sediment basin allowed for drag distances of 4.87 m (16 ft) and an embedment depth of 1.37 m (4.5 ft). The measurements included pitch and roll of the anchor and line tension measured at the shank pad-eye. The variables modeled were fluke angle settings of 22°, 36° and 50°. The initial towline angle was varied from a minimum of 5° to upwards of 20°. Surface out-of-plane angles of 45° and 90° and embedment loading of 15°, 30° and 45° were examined. Curves of the ultimate holding capacity with respect to the out-of-plane towline angle and ultimate embedment depth were developed as functions of out-of-plane loading angles. Analysis of the rate effect indicates that a 46 percent increase in towing velocity causes an average 3 percent increase of holding capacity. The 50° fluke angle embeds an average of 0.7 fluke lengths deeper and has a holding capacity of 0.73 units greater than the 36° setting. The surface out-of-plane tests have a 5.1 percent reduction in holding capacity as the out-of-plane load angle increases from 45° to 90°. For all one fluke length initial towing distance tests, the ultimate holding capacity increases and the ultimate embedment depth decreases as the out-of-plane towing angle increases from 15° to 45°. The three fluke length initial towing distance tests indicate a contrasting trend, in that as the out-of-plane tow angle increases, both the ultimate holding capacity and ultimate embedment depth decrease.
306

Phpa As A Frictional Pressure Loss Reducer And Its Pressure Loss Estimation

Ercan, Can 01 June 2007 (has links) (PDF)
As the demand of oil and gas is increasing, using the existing reservoirs more efficiently as well as searching for new reservoirs is mandatory. Most undiscovered reservoirs are in deep or ultra-deep offshore locations, where drilling to such targets are very difficult with the available fluid circulation technology, since there exists a significant frictional pressure loss due to extreme long wellbores. In order to reduce the frictional pressure losses inside the drillstring, frictional drag reducers are used. Frictional drag reducers are mostly high molecular weight linear polymer molecules and can be used with water or hydrocarbon based solvents. The system used in this study is Baroid EZ-Mud water solutions. Baroid EZ-Mud is a liquid polymer emulsion containing partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide / polyacrylate (PHPA) co-polymer. This study aims to observe the performance of EZ-Mud as a frictional drag reducer. For this purpose, a flow loop that consisted of a circular pipe where the frictional pressure losses can be observed under various flow rates and concentrations is developed. Pipe flow experiments were performed using water-based mud generated using different concentrations of Baroid EZ-Mud at different flow rates. Differential pressure values were recorded for each run. Rheological properties of each mud sample were determined using Fann (Couette) viscometer in order to determine the theoretical frictional pressure losses. Theoretical and measured frictional pressure losses were compared. Results showed that, as the concentration of EZ-Mud was increased, considerable frictional drag reduction as high as 60% was observed. Based on the experimental data obtained from the flow loop using EZ-Mud with different concentrations, a friction factor correlation as a function of Reynolds Number and EZ-Mud concentration is developed. The proposed correlation performance was also compared with the existing correlations from the literature. It has been observed that, frictional pressure losses using the developed friction factor could be estimated within an error range of maximum 15 %, whereas, the existing models could not predict frictional pressure losses as accurate as the proposed model.
307

Computer Aided Engineering Of An Unmanned Underwater Vehicle

Cevheri, Necmettin 01 July 2009 (has links) (PDF)
Hydrodynamic and thermal analyses performed during the conceptual design of an unmanned underwater vehicle are presented in this study. The hull shape is determined by considering alternative shapes and the dimensions are determined from the internal arrangement of components. Preliminary thermal analyses of the watertight section are performed with a commercial software called FLUENT to check the risk of over-heating due to the heat dissipation of devices. Performance of the proposed hull design is analyzed by FLUENT. Before simulations of the vehicle, validation studies are performed. Models 4159, 4158 and 4154 of Series 58 are chosen as the experimental reference. Their total resistance coefficients are compared with the results of the validations analyses. Mesh densities, turbulence models, near wall modeling approaches and inlet turbulence intensities are varied to understand their effects on the accuracy of predictions. A suitable turbulence modeling approach is chosen to analyze forward and vertical motions of the vehicle to check whether speed requirements are fulfilled. Hull configurations with and without appendages are used to observe their effects on total drag. It is observed that the proposed design satisfies speed requirements of the vehicle and no overheating is expected in the watertight section.
308

Observations of Tidal-Current Profiles

Shi, Mon-Shen 31 January 2002 (has links)
This study aims to better understand the characteristics of the tidal- current profiles and the near-bed boundary layer structures off the southwestern coast of Taiwan. The velocity profile is measured by a bottom-mounted ADCP. Six experiments were conducted, each lasted 10~20 days and the water depth ranging 12~18 m. Twenty-minute averaged velocity profiles have been fitted to a logarithmic form with 4% accuracy. The friction velocity (u*) and roughness length (z0) are then derived from the slope and intercept of the best-fitted straight lines. Our results show that the profile shape and friction velocity vary tidally, the latter reaches O(0.06)ms-1 during peak current flow. The magnitude of z0 is large and scattered, but it shows a general trend of decrease with increasing flow speed. The observed log-layer height increases, and the bottom drag coefficient (CD) decrease, respectively with increasing flow speed. Measurements also show that water turbidity increases with rainfall, as a result the z0 and CD also increase. Finally, harmonic analysis of the tidal currents indicate significant changes between winter (homogeneous) and summer (stratified) conditions. In winter the vertical variation of orientation and phase is small, whereas in summer there was a 150 orientation and 250 phase difference (the bottom currents lead the surface currents) between the near surface and near bed regions.
309

Wall-pressure and PIV analysis for microbubble drag reduction investigation

Dominguez Ontiveros, Elvis Efren 01 November 2005 (has links)
The effects of microbubbles injection in the boundary layer of a turbulent channel flow are investigated. Electrolysis demonstrated to be an effective method to produce microbubbles with an average diameter of 30 ??m and allowed the placement of microbubbles at desired locations within the boundary layer. Measurement of velocity fluctuations and the instantaneous wall shear stress were carried out in a channel flow facility. The wall shear stress is an important parameter that can help with the characterization of the boundary layer. This parameter can be obtained indirectly by the measurement of the flow pressure at the wall. The wall shear stress in the channel was measured by means of three different independent methods: measurement of the pressure gradient by a differential pressure transducer, Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), and an optical wall shear stress sensor. The three methods showed reasonable agreement of the wall shear stress values for single-phase flow. However, differences as skin friction reductions were observed when the microbubbles were injected. Several measurements of wall-pressure were taken at various Reynolds numbers that ranged from 300 up to 6154. No significant drag reduction was observed for flows in the laminar range; however, a drag reduction of about 16% was detected for turbulent Reynolds numbers. The wall-pressure measurements were shown to be a powerful tool for the measurement of drag reduction, which could help with the design of systems capable of controlling the skin friction based on feedback given by the wall-pressure signal. The proposed measurement system designed in this work has capabilities for application in such diverse fields as multiphase flows, drag reduction, stratified flows, heat transfer among others. The synchronization between independent systems and apparatus has the potential to bring insight about the complicated phenomena involved in the nature of fluid flows.
310

Unloading using auger tool and foam and experimental identification of liquid loading of low rate natural gas wells

Bose, Rana 17 September 2007 (has links)
Low-pressure, low-producing natural gas wells commonly encounter liquid loading during production. Because of the decline in the reservoir pressure and the flow capacity, wells can fall below terminal velocity. Identifying and predicting the onset of liquid loading allows the operators to plan and prepare for combating the liquid loading hence saving valuable reserves and downtime. The present industrial applications of artificial lift, wellhead pressure reduction by compressor installation at the wellheads and reduction in tubing size are costly and often intermittent. The thesis examines the above aspects to generate a workflow for identifying and predicting the liquid loading conclusively and also assessing the application of Auger Tool and foam combination towards achieving a cost effective and more efficient solution for liquid unloading. In chapters I-IV, I describe the process of using production surveillance software of Halliburton Digital Consulting Services, named DSS (Dynamic Surveillance Software), to create a workflow of identifying the liquid loaded wells based on well data on daily basis for field personnel and engineers. This workflow also decides the most cost effective solution to handle it. Moreover, it can perform decline analysis to predict the conditions of liquid loading. In chapters V-VIII of the thesis, I describe the effort of handling the problem of liquid loading in a cost effective manner by introduction of an inexpensive Auger Tool in the bottomhole assembly and using WhiteMax surfactant soapstick from J&J Solutions. Four different combinations of well completion and fluid were tested for performance in respect to liquid hold up, pressure loss in the tubing, unloading efficiency and critical flow requirement. The test facilities and instruments, along with the operational methods, are discussed in chapter VI. Except for the reduction of the operational envelope with the inclusion of Auger Tool, the performance improved with the insertion of Auger Tool. The best combination of Auger and foam system could be a result of flow modification by the Auger Tool caused by reduced pressure loss and increase in drag coefficient and also by reduced density and surface tension of foam.

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