No / The determination of velocity profiles in turbulent narrow open channels is a difficult task due to the significant effects of the anisotropic turbulence that drives the Prandtl’s second kind of secondary flow in the cross section. Due to these currents the maximum velocity appears below the free surface. This is called the dip phenomenon. The classical log law describes the velocity distribution in the inner region of the turbulent boundary layer. The Coles law and its wake function are not able to predict the velocity profile in the outer region of narrow channels. This paper relies on an analysis of the Navier-Stokes equations and yields a new formulation of the vertical velocity profile in the outer region of the boundary layer in the central cross section area of steady, fully developed turbulent flows in open channels. This formulation is able to predict primary velocity profiles for both narrow and wide open channels. This new law is a modification of the classical one, it involves an additional parameter CAr that is a function of the position of the maximum velocity ξdip and roughness height (kS).ξdip may be derived either from measurements or from an empirical equation given in this paper. A wide range of longitudinal velocity profile data for narrow open channel has been used for validating the new law. The agreement between the experimental data and the profile given by the law is very good, despite the simplification used.

Detailed heat transfer coefficient distributions have been obtained for narrow converging and diverging channels with and without enhancement features. The enhancement feature considered for this study is dimples (inline and staggered) on the main heat transfer surfaces. All the measurements are presented at Reynolds numbers of 3500, 8900, 18000, and 7000, 14000, 28000 for converging and diverging channels respectively. Pressure drop measurements for the overall channel are also presented to evaluate the heat transfer enhancement geometry with respect to pumping power requirements. The test models were studied for wall heat transfer coefficient measurements using the transient liquid crystal technique. The modeled wall inner surfaces were sprayed with thermochromic liquid crystals, and a transient test was used to obtain the local heat transfer coefficients from the measured color change. Analysis of results shows that dimples, in general, have very good enhancement capabilities and staggered dimpled surfaces provide considerably higher heat transfer coefficients and a reasonable pressure drop compared to inline dimpled configuration. Additionally, this study was extended to understand the effect of strategic placement of dimples (staggered) at various locations along the channel to understand regions that contribute significantly to the overall enhancement. / Master of Science

A novel method has been implemented for measuring the concentration of gas species, water vapor and carbon dioxide, within a narrow channel flow field non-invasively using tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) in conjunction with a laser modulated at a high frequency [Wavelength Modulation Spectroscopy (WMS)] tuned to the ro-vibrational transition of the species. This technique measures the absorption profile which is a strong function of the species concentration across short path lengths and small time spans, as in PEM fuel cells during high load cycles. This method has been verified in a transparent circular flow 12 cm path length and a 12 mm rectangular flow channel. Distinct absorption peaks for water vapor and carbon dioxide have been identified, and concentrations of water vapor and carbon dioxide within the test cells have been measured in situ with high temporal resolutions. A comparison of the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the absorption lineshapes to the partial pressure of water vapor and carbon dioxide showed a predominantly linear relationship, except in the lower partial pressure regions. Test section temperature was observed to have very minimal impact on these curves at low partial pressure values. A porous media like a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) similar to those used in PEM fuel cells sandwiched between two rectangular flow channels was also tested. Some of the scattered radiation off the MEA was observed using a photodiode at high gain, allowing for more localized species detection. The technique was used to monitor the humidity on either side of the MEA during both temperature controlled and super-saturated conditions. The measurements were observed to be repeatable to within 10 %.

Dans cette thèse, les propriétés rhéologiques du sang sont étudiées suivant deux approches differentes. Les propriétés de l'écoulement du plasma sont analysées selon trois modes différents : sous cisaillement, en extension et en constriction. Jusqu'à présent, le plasma était considéré comme un fluide newtonien, et le comportement complexe du sang était simplement attribué à la présence des globules rouges. Les expériences menées ont montré un comportement visco-élastique du plasma, que doit désomais être pris en compte dans les études futures. La deuxième axe traite des globules rouges. Leur assemblage en agrégats rectilignes est à l'origine du comportement rhéofluidifiant, mais les causes de la formation des agrégats restent encore vagues. L'énergie d'interaction entre deux cellules et la distribution des tailles des clusters dans des canaux microfluidiques ont été mesurées en présence de dextran et de fibrinogène. Comme les agrégats sont normalement cassés à des taux de cisaillement élevés, on a cru qu'ils ne jouaient pas de rôle dans l'écoulement du sang. Mais le fait que le nombre de clusters augmente à des concentrations physiologiques de fibrinogène, même pour des taux de cisaillement correspondant à ceux du système microvasculaire, il est clair que l'agrégation ne peut pas être négligée dans la description de l'écoulement du sang en le réseau capillaire. / In this work, the rheological properties of human blood are investigated by two different approaches. The flow properties of plasma, the liquid component of blood, is analyzed under three different conditions: shear flow, elongational flow and contraction flow. Up to now, the plasma was considered as a Newtonian fluid, while the non-Newtonian properties of blood were only attributed to the red blood cells. The performed experiments reveal a viscoelastic behavior of the plasma which has to be considered in future studies. In addition to the plasma, also diluted polymer solutions are analyzed in order to find a good model solution for plasma. The second part concerns the red blood cells. Their adhesion to linear aggregates is held responsible for the well-known shear thinning behavior of blood but the reason for the cluster formation is still not clear. The interaction energy between two red blood cells and the distribution of different sized clusters flowing through narrow channels are measured under the influence of the two macromolecules dextran and fibrinogen. As the aggregates are actually broken at high shear rates, the current understanding is that they would not play a role for the properties of blood flow. However, an increased amount of clusters at physiological fibrinogen concentrations can be shown, even at shear rates which are common in the microvascular system, which clarifies that the aggregation cannot be neglected in the description of blood flow through the capillary network.