It is standard practice in one-dimensional gasdynamic simulations of high performance two-stroke engines to model the exhaust tail pipe entry as an area change using an algorithm similar to the area change of the reverse cone. In the reverse cone the area continually steps down while at the tail pipe entry it changes from stepping down to constant area. At this point a vena contracta can form that effects the flow resistance of the tail pipe. In an effort to improve the accuracy of the gasdynamic simulations the area change algorithm at the tail pipe entry was replaced with a restriction algorithm that incorporates a coefficient of discharge and allows an increase in entropy on the expansion side. The coefficient of discharge is defined as the actual measured mass flow divided by the mass flow predicted by the restriction algorithm. An experimental set up was designed and constructed to measure mass flows for a variety of tail pipe entry geometries at a range of pressures covering the pressure ratios encountered in a real engine. From the mass flow results the coefficients of discharge for a range of pressure and area ratios and reverse cone angles could be calculated and arranged into matrix form to define Cd-maps. The Cd-maps were incorporated into the simulation software and tested to ensure that it functioned correctly. <p<Finally, the simulation results with and without the Cd-maps were compared to measured results and it was shown that incorporating this refinement improves the accuracy of the simulation results on the “over run” part of the power curve. This is the part of the power curve after maximum power and very important in the development of high performance two-stroke engines. These maps can be used for all future simulations on any engine size that uses the same tail pipe geometry. / Dissertation (MEng (Mechanical Engineering))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering / unrestricted

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New upwind kinetic-difference schemes have been developed for flows with nonequilibrium thermodynamics and chemistry. These schemes are derived from the Boltzmann equation with the resulting Euler schemes developed as moments of the discretized Boltzmann scheme with a locally Maxwellian velocity distribution. Application of a directionally-split Courant-Isaacson-Rees (CIR) scheme at the Boltzmann level results in a flux-vector splitting scheme at the Euler level and is called Kinetic Flux-Vector Splitting (KFVS). Extension to flows with finite-rate chemistry and vibrational relaxation is accomplished utilizing non-equilibrium kinetic theory. Computational examples are presented comparing KFVS with the schemes of Van-Leer and Roe for quasi-one-dimensional flow through a supersonic diffuser, inviscid flow through two-dimensional inlet, 'viscous flow over a cone at zero angle-of-attack, and shock-induced combustion/detonation in a premixed hydrogen-air mixture. Calculations are also shown for the transonic flow over a bump in a channel and the transonic flow over an NACA 0012 airfoil. The results show that even though the KFVS scheme is a Riemann solver at the kinetic level, its behavior at the Euler level is more similar to the the existing flux-vector splitting algorithms than to the flux-difference splitting scheme of Roe. A new approach toward the development of a genuinely multi-dimensional Riemann solver is also presented. The scheme is based on the same kinetic theory considerations used in the development of the KF VS scheme. The work has been motivated by the recent progress on multi-dimensional upwind schemes by the groups at the University of Michigan and the Von Karman Institute. These researchers have developed effective upwind schemes for the multi-dimensional linear advection equation using a cell-vertex fluctuation-splitting approach on unstructured grids of triangles or tetrahedra. They have made preliminary applications to the Euler equations using several wave decomposition models of the flux derivative. The issue of the appropriate wave model does not appear to be adequately resolved. The approach taken in the present work is to apply these new multi-dimensional upwind schemes for the scalar advection equation at the Boltzmann level. The resulting Euler schemes are obtained as moments of the fluctuations in the Maxwellian distribution function. The development is significantly more complicated than standard (dimensionally-split) kinetic schemes in that the Boltzmann discretization depends upon the direction of the molecular velocities which must be accounted for in the limits of integration in velocity space. The theoretical issues have been solved through analytic quadrature and Euler schemes have been developed. For this formulation it was not necessary to prescribe any explicit wave decomposition model. Encouraging preliminary results have been obtained for perfect gases on uniform Cartesian meshes with first-order spatial accuracy. Results are presented for a 29° shock reflection, a 45° shear discontinuity, and Mach 3 flow over a step. Finally, methods for obtaining accurate gas-dynamic simulations in the continuum transition regime are considered. In particular, large departures from translational equilibrium are modeled using algorithms based on the Burnett equations instead of the Navier-Stokes equations. Here, the same continuum formulation of the governing equations is retained, but new constitutive relations based on higher-order Chapman-Enskog theory are introduced. Both a rotational relaxation model and a bulk-viscosity model have been considered for simulating rotational non-equilibrium. Results are presented for hypersonic normal shock calculations in argon and diatomic nitrogen and comparisons are made with Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) results. The present work closely follows that of the group at Stanford, however, the use of upwind schemes and the bulk-viscosity model represent new contributions. / Ph. D.

En lättgaskanon är en typ av kanon som används vid experiment där mycket snabba förlopp är av intresse, till exempel hypersonisk strömning och höghastighetskollisioner. Kanontypen når betydligt högre hastigheter än en konventionell kanon då projektilen accelereras genom eldröret av en gas med låg molekylmassa som vätgas eller helium istället för krutgaser. Denna lättgas komprimeras först till högt tryck och temperatur i pumptuben av en kolv som accelererats av en krutladdning. Pumptuben är ett rör anslutet till eldröret som initialt är frånskild av ett membran. För kanonen kan en mängd olika parametrar varieras och hur dessa ska väljas för att en viss mynningshastighet ska nås är inte självklart. Vid FOI har val av parametrar historiskt gjorts baserat på erfarenhet och genom experiment vilket kan vara tidsödslande. Syftet med examensarbetet var därför att simulera kanonen och undersöka hur olika parametrar påverkar dess prestanda. Forskningsfrågor som skulle besvaras var hur olika parametrar påverkar projektilens mynningshastighet och vilket utav två eldrörsalternativ som är bäst lämpat för en viss projektilvikt. Det innerballistiska förloppet i kanonen har simulerats för olika parameterkombinationer med ett program utvecklat specifikt för lättgaskanoner vid NASA:s Ames Research Center och modellen har i viss mån kunnat jämföras mot experimentell data. Resultatet av simuleringarna är att mängden lättgas och krut båda har stor inverkan på mynningshastigheten och att högre kolvvikt jämnar ut trycktoppar som uppstår till följd av stötar i gasen. Att ändra membranets öppningstryck ger ingen förbättring av kanonprestandan för den undersökta projektilvikten och utav de två eldrören som undersökts är det med större kaliber mer lämpligt för de aktuella experimenten. / A light gas gun is a type of gun which is used for experiments when high velocity phenomena are of interest, such as hypersonic flow and high-velocity impacts. The gun type can reach much higher velocities than a conventional gun as the projectile is accelerated down the barrel by a gas with low molecular mass such as hydrogen or helium instead of combustion gasses. This light gas is first compressed to high pressure and temperature in the pump tube with a piston which is accelerated with a propellant charge. The pump tube is connected to the barrel but initially separated from it with a membrane. A vast array of parameters can be varied on the gun in order to achieve a target muzzle velocity and their selection is not trivial. Historically parameters have been selected at FOI through experience and experiments which can be tedious. The purpose of this thesis was to simulate the gun and investigate how various parameters influence its performance. The research questions to be answered was how the parameters influence the muzzle velocity of the projectile and which of two barrels is the most suitable for a given projectile weight. The internal ballistics of the gun was simulated for various combinations of parameters using a program specifically developed for light gas guns at NASA's Ames Research Center and the model has to some extent been compared to experimental data. The result of the simulations shows that the amount of light gas and the propellant charge have a significant effect of the achieved velocity and that the weight of the piston has a reducing effect on the pressure peaks caused by shockwaves in the gas. Changing the opening pressure of the membrane does not improve gun performance for the investigated projectile weight and of the two barrels investigated the one with larger calibre is better suited for the experiments of interest.

We examine the dense gas behavior of Bethe-Zel'dovich-Thompson (BZT) fluids in two-dimensional, steady, inviscid, supersonic cascade configurations. Bethe-Zel'dovichThompson fluids are single-phase gases having specific heats so large that the fundamental derivative of gas dynamics, Γ, is negative over a finite range of pressures and temperatures. The equation of state is the well-known Martin-Hou equation, and the numerical scheme is the explicit predictor-corrector method of MacCormack. Numerical comparisons between BZT fluids and more classical fluids such as steam are presented in order to illustrate the possible advantages of using BZT fluids in supersonic cascades. It was found that the natural dynamics of BZT fluids can result in significant reductions in the adverse pressure gradients associated with the collision of compression waves with neighboring turbine blades. A numerical example of an entirely isentropic supersonic cascade flow using a BZT fluid is also presented. / Master of Science

The abstract kinetic equation Tψ’=-Aψ is studied with partial range boundary conditions in two geometries, in the half space x≥0 and on a finite interval [0, r]. T and A are abstract self-adjoint operators in a complex Hilbert space. In the case of the half space problem it is assumed that T is a (possibly) unbounded injection and A is a positive compact perturbation of the identity satisfying a regularity condition, while in the case of slab geometry T is a bounded injection and A is a bounded Fredholm operator with a finite dimensional negative part. Existence and uniqueness theory is developed for both models. Results are illustrated on relevant physical examples. / Ph. D.

A complete formulation of the recently developed. F_N method in kinetic theory is presented and the accuracy of this advanced semi-analytical-numerical technique is demonstrated by testing the method to several classical problems in rarefied gas dynamics. The method is based on the existing analysis for the vector transport equation arising from the decomposition of the linearized BGK equation. Using full-range orthogonality, a system of singular integral equations for the distribution functions at the boundaries is established. The unknown distribution functions are then approximated by a finite expansion in terms of a set of basis functions and the coefficients of the expansion are found by requiring the set of the reduced algebraic equations to be satisfied at certain collocation points. By studying the half-space heat transfer and weak evaporation problems and the problem of heat transfer between two parallel plates it is demonstrated that the F_N method is a viable solution technique yielding results of benchmark accuracy. Two different sets of basis functions are provided for half-space and finite media problems, respectively. In all cases, highly accurate numerical results are computed and compared to existing exact solutions. The obtained numerical results help in judging the accuracy to expect of the method and indicate that the F_N method may be applied with confidence to problems for which, more exact methods of analysis do not appear possible. Then, the cylindrical Poiseuille flow and thermal creep problems, which are not amenable to exact treatment, are solved. The F_N method is formulated and tested successfully for the first time in cylindrical geometry in kinetic theory. The complete solution of the two aforementioned problems is presented with the numerical results quoted as converged being of reference-quality good for benchmark accuracy. / Ph. D. / incomplete_metadata

The ongoing changes in the extent and the properties of sea ice, associated with the warming climate, are affecting the polar ecosystem and the interactions between the atmosphere, sea ice and the underlying waters. How sea ice biogeochemistry will change in the foreseeable future is currently uncertain, but is a crucial problem to tackle.<p>To better understand how sea ice biogeochemistry could change, we investigated the factors regulating the distribution of some dissolved compounds (e.g. nutrients, dissolved organic matter (DOM)) and gaseous compounds (e.g. Ar, O2, N2, CH4) in sea ice, from ice growth to ice decay. The results were obtained from a 19-day indoor experiment in Hamburg (Germany) and a five-month-long field survey in Barrow (Alaska). They were then compared to the physical properties of the ice (temperature, salinity, and other derived parameters such as brine volume fraction) and different biological parameters (bacterial activity, bacterial abundance, chlorophyll-a and phaeopigments).<p>Our work indicates that the physical properties of sea ice exert a strong influence on the distribution of the biogeochemical compounds in the ice, through their impact on brine dynamics, gas bubble formation and ice permeability. We have described 4 stages of brine dynamics, which affect the distribution of the dissolved compounds (e.g. silicate and DOM) in sea ice. However, inert gas (Ar) shows a different dynamic in comparison to the dissolved compounds, indicating a different transport pathway. We suggest that the formation of gas bubbles in sea ice is responsible for that different transport pathway, because gas bubbles should move upward owing to their buoyancy in comparison to brine, while dissolved compounds are drained downward due to gravity. Our observations further indicate that the critical permeability threshold for the upward gas bubble transport should range between 7.5 and 10 % of brine volume fraction, which is higher than the 5 % suggested for the downward brine transport. Increasing ice permeability and prolonged gas exchange tend to draw gas concentrations toward their solubility values, except when the under-ice water is supersaturated relative to the atmosphere (e.g. CH4) or when in-situ production occurs in sea ice (e.g. O2).<p>Because ammonium and O2 obviously accumulate in the ice layers where convection is limited, we suggest that the changes of these biogeochemical compounds in sea ice depend on the competing effect between the physical transport and the biological activity; the biological impact on these biogeochemical compounds in sea ice is obvious when the biological production rate exceeds largely the physical transport rate. We further discussed on the potential of using Ar and N2 as inert tracers to correct the physical controls on O2 and to determine the net community production in sea ice.<p>In addition to the physical and biological controls, the chemical properties of some biogeochemical compounds (e.g. nitrate, ammonium, DOM) may further influence their distribution in sea ice; further investigations are however needed to confirm this.<p>Finally, based on our findings, we present an update of the processes regulating the distribution of gases in sea ice, with references to recent observations supporting each of the process. We also provide some insights on how sea ice biogeochemistry could change in the future and the research priorities for an accurate quantification of these changes.<p><p>Les changements dans l’extension et les propriétés de la glace de la mer, liés au réchauffement climatique, affectent l’écosystème polaire, ainsi que les interactions entre l’atmosphère, la glace de mer et l’eau sous-jacente. Cependant, des incertitudes subsistent quant aux changements potentiels qui affecteront la biogéochimie de la glace de mer dans un futur proche.<p>Afin de mieux comprendre les changements potentiels qui affecteront la biogéochimie de la glace de mer, nous avons étudié les facteurs qui influencent la distribution de certains composés dissouts (e.g. nutriments, matière organique dissoute (DOM)) et gazeux (e.g. Ar, O2, N2, CH4) au sein de la glace de mer, depuis la croissance de la glace, jusqu’à sa fonte. Les résultats ont été obtenus à partir d’une expérience de 19 jours dans un bassin expérimental à Hambourg (Allemagne) et une étude de terrain de 5 mois à Barrow (Alaska). Ils ont été ensuite comparés aux propriétés physiques de la glace (température, salinité et autres paramètres dérivés) et à des paramètres biologiques (activité bactérienne, abondance bactérienne, chlorophylle-a et phaeopigments).<p>Nos travaux ont montré que les propriétés physiques de la glace exercent une forte influence sur la répartition des composes biogéochimiques dans la glace de mer, à travers leur impact sur la dynamique des saumures, la formation de bulles de gaz et la perméabilité de la glace. Nous avons décrit 4 stades dans la dynamique des saumures qui influencent la distribution des composés dissouts (e.g. silice et DOM) dans la glace. Cependant, le gaz inerte étudié (Ar) montre une dynamique différente de celle des composés dissouts, indiquant un mécanisme de transport différent. Nous suggérons que la formation de bulles de gaz dans la glace de mer est le mécanisme responsable de cette différence, parce que les bulles de gaz devraient migrer vers le haut, à cause de leur différence de densité par rapport aux saumures, alors que les saumures sont drainées vers le bas à cause de la gravité. Nos observations montrent également que le seuil critique de perméabilité pour l’ascension des bulles de gaz devrait se trouver entre 7.5 et 10 % de volume relatif en saumure ;seuil qui est plus élevé que les 5 % suggérés pour le transport de saumure vers le bas. L’augmentation de la perméabilité de la glace et les échanges de gaz prolongés tendent à amener les concentrations de gaz vers leur valeur de solubilité, sauf lorsque l’eau sous-jacente présente une sursaturation parrapport à l’atmosphère (e.g. CH4), ou lorsque une production in-situ se produit au sein de la glace (e.g. O2).<p>Etant donné que l’ammonium et O2 s’accumulent clairement dans les couches de glace où la convection est limitée, nous suggérons que les variations de ces composés biogéochimiques dans la glace dépendent de la balance entre le transport physique et l’activité biologique ;l’impact de cette dernière sur les composés biogéochimiques est particulièrement visible lorsque le taux de production biologique du composé excède largement la vitesse d’élimination du composé par le transport physique. Nous avons ensuite discuté du potentiel d’utiliser Ar et N2 comme traceurs inertes pour corriger l’impact des processus physiques sur les variations de O2, afin de déterminer la production communautaire nette dans la glace de mer.<p>Les propriétés chimiques de certains composés biogéochimiques (e.g. nitrate, ammonium, DOM) pourraient également influencer leur répartition au sein de la glace de mer, en plus des processus physiques et biologiques. Cependant, il est nécessaire d’avoir plus d’études à ce sujet pour confirmer cela.<p>Enfin, sur base de nos résultats, nous présentons une mise à jour des processus qui régulent la répartition des gaz dans la glace de mer, avec des références à des observations récentes qui illustrent chacun des processus. Nous donnons également un aperçu des changements qui pourraient affecter la biogéochimie de la glace de mer à l’avenir, et des pistes de recherches pour une quantification précise de ces changements. / Doctorat en Sciences / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Peatlands act as carbon sinks while representing major sources of biogenic gases such as methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2), two potent greenhouse gases. Gas production and release in these peats soils are also influenced by overall warm temperatures and water table fluctuations due to the naturally shallow water table in the Florida Everglades. Releases of biogenic gases from Florida Everglades peat soils are not well understood and the temporal distribution and dynamics are uncertain. The general objective of this work was geared towards a methodological approach which aimed to examine the feasibility of capacitance moisture probes to investigate biogenic gas dynamics in various Florida Everglades peat soils at high temporal resolution. This work has implications for establishing capacitance moisture probes as a method to monitor gas dynamics in peat soils at high temporal resolution and better understanding patterns of gas build-up and release from peat soils in the Everglades. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2016. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

The Direct Simulation Monte Carlo method is a computational tool for modelling rarefied flows. The Macroscopic Chemistry Method was developed to simplify the modelling of dissociation and recombination reactions in DSMC. The ability to understand and predict the behaviour of chemically reacting, rarefied flows is a critical aspect in the development of high altitude, high speed bodies such as re-entry craft, high altitude aircraft, space transport vehicles and missiles. Computational methods are an invaluable source of information when experimental techniques are difficult, costly or time-consuming. However, traditional methods of modelling chemical kinetics using DSMC suffer from a number of drawbacks. The Macroscopic Chemistry Method overcomes a number of these problems, but has previously only been applied to simulations of a single diatomic gas. The Macroscopic Chemistry Method (MCM) is extended to consider multiple species and multiple reaction sets, thermal non-equilibrium effects, trace species modelling, unsteady flows, vibrational state specific chemistry, electronic excitation, relaxation and ionization and coupled nonequilibrium radiation emission. The Macroscopic Method is described as a general DSMC modelling philosophy rather than as a single formulated method. That is, the flexibility and utility of the method are shown through examples of applying a macroscopic approach to a number of problems, and by highlighting instances where a macroscopic approach is useful or even necessary. The problems investigated include reservoir relaxation calculations, 1-D shock, expansion and shock-expansion calculations, two-dimensional flows over a vertical step and through a cavity, and axis-symmetric flow about a sphere. The studies demonstrate that although MCM may often present a simplified approach as compared to traditional 'non-macroscopic' methods, it does not necessarily lead to more approximate solutions. On the contrary, the ability of macroscopic methods to combine different models of physical processes with the most recent (verified) data means that they are particularly suited to simulate high altitude, rarefied flows. It is also shown that, like any model approach, the validity of the approximations employed must be justified for a particular problem. In general, macroscopic methods of varying complexity and accuracy may be implemented to model a specific physical process. Adoption of the Macroscopic Chemistry Method in DSMC has the potential to enhance the modelling of chemical kinetics, charged-particle effects and radiation in rarefied hypersonic flows. This capability may be attributed to the simplicity and flexibility which the macroscopic approach affords over methods which seek to avoid the use of collective information. Macroscopic methods have already been employed to model weakly ionized flows. Their further application to model chemical kinetics and other processes would be useful for modelling and understanding the behaviour of objects in rarefied hypersonic flow-fields.