Orientadores: Elizabete Jordão, Moysés Alberto Navarro / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Química / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-20T11:58:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Rezende_HugoCesar_D.pdf: 10614958 bytes, checksum: aa2b2ce9d9ec481bd44e74cc217832a2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Resumo: O escoamento monofásico termicamente estratificado ocorre em tubulações horizontais onde duas camadas diferentes de um mesmo líquido escoam separadamente, sem que ocorra mistura significativa entre as camadas, devido às baixas velocidades e à diferença de densidade (e temperatura). As consequências desse fenômeno não foram consideradas no projeto da maioria das centrais nucleares atualmente em operação. Entretanto, em alguns componentes de centrais nucleares, as diferenças de temperatura podem atingir cerca de 200 °C em uma região bastante estreita nas proximidades da interface entre as camadas de água fria e quente. Nesta condição, as fortes tensões geradas pelas diferenças de dilatação podem comprometer a integridade estrutural e a vida útil de tubulações relacionadas aos sistemas de segurança dessas centrais nucleares. Com o objetivo de estudar o fenômeno da estratificação foi projetada e construída a Instalação de Testes de Estratificação Térmica (ITET), tendo sido realizada uma série de experimentos simulando o bocal de injeção do gerador de vapor de uma central nuclear tipo PWR. Foram estudadas a evolução e as configurações de escoamento em regime de estratificação térmica, assim como a influência do número de Froude nos gradientes de temperatura, na posição da interface entre as camadas de água fria e de água quente e no aparecimento de oscilações desta interface. Os experimentos foram realizados com número de Froude variando de 0,02 a 0,4...Observação: O resumo, na íntegra, poderá ser visualizado no texto completo da tese digital / Abstract: One phase thermally stratified flows occur when two different layers of the same liquid at different temperatures flow separately in horizontal pipes without appreciable mixing due to the low velocities and difference in density (and temperature). The phenomenon was not considered in the design stage of most of the operating nuclear power plants. However, temperature differences of about 200 °C have been found in a narrow band around the hot and cold water interface in components under stratified flows. Loadings due to this phenomenon affected the integrity of safety related piping systems. The Thermal Stratification Test Facility (ITET), built to allow the experimental simulation of the thermal stratification, is presented so as the results of some experiments simulating one phase thermally stratified flows in geometry and flow condition similar to a nuclear reactor steam generator nozzle. They have the objective of studying the flow configurations and understanding the evolution of the of thermal stratification process. The driving parameter considered to characterize flow under stratified regime due to difference in specific masses is the Froude number. Different Froude numbers, from 0.02 to 0.4, were obtained in different testes by setting injection cold water flow rates and hot water initial temperatures as planned in the test matrix. Results are presented showing the influence of Froude number on the hot and cold water interface position, temperature gradients and striping phenomenon...Note: The complete abstract is available with the full electronic document / Doutorado / Sistemas de Processos Quimicos e Informatica / Doutor em Engenharia Química

One of the prominent questions in modern psycholinguistics is the relationship between the grammar and the parser. Within the approach of Generative Grammar, this issue has been investigated in terms of the role that Principles of Universal Grammar may play in language processing. The aim of this research experiment is to investigate this topic. Specifically, this experiment aims to test whether the Minimal Structure Principle (MSP) plays a role in the processing of Preposition-Stranding versus Pied-Piped Constructions. This investigation is made with a self-paced reading task, an on-line processing test that measures participants’ unconscious reaction to language stimuli. Monolingual English speakers’ reading times of sentences with Preposition-Stranding and Pied-Piped Constructions are compared. Results indicate that neither construction has greater processing costs, suggesting that factors other than the MSP are active during language processing.

The diploma thesis deals with the design of cooling devices of a fourteen-storey polyfunctional building with administration part and housing units. The thesis describes the physical nature of cooling, the basic types and functions of cooling systems and legislation related to cooling devices. Two types of cooling systems are selected and developed for the assigned object at the building permit design level. The work includes calculations of all elements of individual systems. The purpose of this diploma thesis is the comparison of these variants and the evaluation of suitability for use on the individual parts of the assigned building. The variant chosen is elaborated at the level of the rea-lization project, including the drawing documentation.

Viscous dampers are widely used to ensure seismic resistance of pipelines and equipment in nuclear power plants. Damping characteristics of these dampers are nonlinearly frequency dependent and thus causing complications in computational modelling of seismic response. Engineers commonly use two ways to deal with this nonlinearity: The first option is to consider damper by means of “snubber”. This is essentially linear spring element that is active for dynamic load and does not resist static loads. Snubber behaviour during seismic event is described by a equivalent stiffness (sometimes called pseudostiffness). The equivalent stiffness could be defined by the iterative calculations of piping natural frequencies and mode shapes taking into account seismic excitation. However, in complicated structures such as the main circulation loop of nuclear power plant the iterative calculation is difficult and could bring significant inaccuracies. On the other hand, the benefit of such modelling is a possibility to apply the commonly used linear response spectrum method for a solution. The second option is to describe damping characteristics using suitable rheological model. The seismic response is than determined by direct integration of the equations of motion. The behaviour of dampers is described exactly enough but the calculation and post-processing, especially nodal stresses time-histories, are time consuming. The goal of this work was to find a methodology for determining the seismic response of complex pipe systems with viscous dampers. Methodology allows a sufficiently accurate determination of the seismic response of piping systems and also allows obtaining of the results in effective time. The procedure is as follows. Firstly, specialized piping program (AutoPIPE) is used for the development of computational model. Next step is to determine a static response of structure and its verification with experimental measurements, if possible. Using script in Python language a computational model is converted from AutoPIPE into general finite element model in ANSYS system. Four-parameter Maxwell rheological model is used to describe behaviour of viscous dampers. Seismic load is represented by synthetic accelerograms. Newmark algorithm of direct integration of the equation of motion is used to obtain seismic response (only reactions and displacements in nodes of interest are necessary). Than is the equivalent stiffness is than gained from displacements and reactions as median value of their ratios. Received stiffness are subsequently transferred to AutoPIPE program where the seismic solution is performed using response spectra method. Finally, the dynamic response is combined with the static response and stress assessment according standards is done. The created methodology was applied in the seismic resistance calculation of the main circulation piping and piping of pressurizer in nuclear power plants type VVER 440 and type VVER 1000.

This diploma thesis deals reconstruction of sanitation installations in an apartment building in Brno. It is a multi-storey building which is intended mainly for living. The theoretical part deals individual ways of preparation hot water in the apartment buildings. The experimental part deals measurement consumption hot water in the apartment building. Calculating and design part contains a proposal of sewerage system, piping system and linking up of the object on present engineering systems. The diploma thesis also focuses on possible options and re-quested specifics. The diploma thesis was arranged in accordance with present-day valid norms and regulations.

In the arid west, water is among the most valuable of resources. Typically, in order to successfully and accurately measure a flow rate using most types of flow meters, it is recommended that a straight section of pipe be installed immediately upstream from the flow meter to avoid distorted flow patterns and extreme turbulence at the metering location. In many field piping situations, however, such flow conditions are impossible to achieve. The performance of ultrasonic flow meters in non-ideal piping scenarios was studied using laboratory experiments and numerical Computational Fluid Dynamics models. A Fuji PortaflowX clamp-on transit-time ultrasonic flow meter was calibrated in the laboratory and performed well within the manufacturer’s stated level of accuracy of ±1% for straight pipe. The ultrasonic flow meter was also used downstream of a single 12-inch long-radius elbow and the error in flow measurement resulting from the flow disturbance was measured. These tests were performed at four locations downstream of the elbow, at three orientations on the circumference of the pipe, and for three flow rates with Reynolds numbers ranging from 250,000 to 750,000. Using the same physical conditions, numerical models were built that utilized the realizable k-ε eddy viscosity model for turbulent flows. The resulting downstream velocity profiles from the numerical models were used to integrate the velocity of the flow across the ultrasonic signal path. The resulting velocity profiles were compared to similar profiles for fully developed flow to determine the error in flow measurement. The ultrasonic flow meter measurement errors downstream of the elbow were always negative, and were found to be as great as -16%. In general, the ultrasonic flow meter performed less accurately closer to the elbow due to the turbulent fluctuations and flow separation created by the elbow. A correction curve was applied to the results of this study, which provided a method to correct the ultrasonic flow measurement. By applying the correction equation to the laboratory ultrasonic flow meter measurements downstream of the elbow, the measurement error was reduced by nearly 90%. Computational Fluid Dynamics appears to be a viable tool for studying flow disturbances and making appropriate corrections for ultrasonic flow measurement in pipes.

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Habitat loss and predation are threatening many shorebird populations worldwide. While habitat preservation often is preferable, sometimes habitat needs to be restored or created in order to stave off immediate declines. The Great Plains population of piping plovers (Charadrius melodus) was listed as threatened in 1986, and habitat loss and predation appear to be limiting the growth of this population. On the Missouri River, piping plovers nest on sandbars, but the damming of the mainstem of the Missouri in the mid-twentieth century reduced the natural capacity of the Missouri River to create sandbar habitat. In 2004, the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) implemented a habitat creation project on the Gavins Point Reach of the Missouri River (stretch of river immediately downriver from the Gavins Point Dam) in an effort to promote recovery of piping plovers and the endangered least tern (Sternula antillarum). The USACE built 3 sandbars in 2004 – 2005 and built another sandbar on Lewis and Clark Lake in 2007. We studied the population dynamics of piping plovers in relationship to this newly engineered habitat. We monitored 623 nests on 16 sandbar complexes, to evaluate habitat selection, determine the factors affecting nesting success, and compare nesting success between natural and engineered habitat. From these 623 nests, we banded 357 adults and 685 chicks to investigate the factors affecting adult and juvenile survival. We used a logistic-exposure model to calculate nest survival. Adult and juvenile survival was calculated using Cormack-Jolly-Seber based models in Program MARK. We used the estimates from these studies to create a matrix population model for piping plovers nesting on the Gavins Point Reach. We used this model to predict the effects of engineered habitat on the population growth rate. Piping plovers selected for engineered sandbars and against natural and natural/modified habitats. Daily survival rate (DSR) on engineered habitats was significantly higher than on natural or natural modified habitats (log odds: 2.71, 95% CI: 1.20 – 6.08). Predator exclosures around nests did not affect DSR after controlling for the effects of date, nest age, and clutch size. Piping plover juvenile survival to recruitment was negatively related to nesting density on the relatively densely populated engineered sandbars. On the less dense natural sandbars, survival to recruitment was positively correlated with density. Adult survival did not appear to be related to density within our study. Movement within the study area was related also to density. Juveniles from densely populated engineered sandbars were more likely to leave engineered habitat to nest on natural sandbars than were juveniles hatched on less densely populated engineered sandbars. Movements among sandbars by breeding adults suggested that adults preferred engineered habitat. It is possible that juveniles moved to natural habitats because they were unable to compete with adults for the more desirable engineered habitats. Adults and juveniles emigrated from the study area at a higher rate after the 2006 breeding season, a year when water discharge was higher, nesting densities were higher, and reproductive success was lower (as a result of predation) than in the other years. Deterministic modeling suggested that engineered habitat significantly increased population growth. Decreased productivity over time and associated predicted negative population growth suggest that the amount of engineered habitat created was inadequate to sustain population growth, and/or that relatively high water discharge and nesting densities coupled with low reproductive rates and high emigration rates could lead to rapid declines in the plover population. Continued research is needed to determine the effects of these factors on long-term population growth. Our results suggest that habitat creation could be a viable short-term solution to population declines in shorebird populations limited by habitat loss, but high densities and increased predation associated with habitat creation indicate that other, long-term solutions may be required. / Ph. D.

Globally, riparian ecosystems are in decline due to anthropogenic modifications including damming, channelization and the conversion of the floodplain for human use. These changes can profoundly affect riparian species as many have adapted to the historical dynamism of these ecosystems. On the managed Missouri River, an imperiled shorebird, the piping plover (Charadrius melodus) uses riverine sandbars to breed. From 2004 to 2009, due to limited breeding habitat and low population numbers, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed 255 ha of sandbar habitat to benefit piping plovers and least terns (Sternula antillarum). During the breeding seasons of 2010 and 2011, historically high flows resulted in the creation of 1,887 ha of suitable sandbar habitat. Our study compared the demographic response and the condition of piping plovers to these anthropogenic and natural habitat creation events. From 2005–2014 we monitored 1,071 nests, and from those nests we uniquely banded 968 adults and 2,021 piping plover chicks. We obtained 405 egg (clutch) mass measurements, 1,285 mass measurements from 633 adults, and 7,093 mass measurements from 1,996 plover chicks resulting in 3,175 mass measurements from 654 broods of chicks. We also collected 3,347 invertebrate prey samples. We used a random effects logistic exposure model to estimate nest success, a random effects Cormack-Jolly-Seber model in RMARK to estimate pre-fledge chick survival and the Barker model in RMARK to estimate hatch-year (HY) and after hatch-year (AHY) survival and fidelity to our study area. We then used estimates from these analyses to calculate reproductive output, reproductive output necessary for a stationary population, and population growth (λ). For adult condition and egg (clutch) mass we used generalized linear mixed regression, and for pre-fledge chick growth rates we used a modified Richard's model to estimate the effects of habitat type (pre- vs. post-flood). We also tested for differences in invertebrate prey abundance between habitat types using negative binomial regression. Our results indicated that AHY survival varied throughout our study and was lowest during the flood (2010 and 2011). We found that nest success, pre-fledge chick survival, reproductive output, and HY survival and fidelity were consistently higher on the flood-created habitat than engineered habitat, leading to sustained population growth after the flooding, as compared to just one year of population growth prior to the flood. Unlike pre-flood engineered habitat, the demographic parameters we measured did not decrease as the post-flood habitat aged. These differences were related to increased sandbar habitat, low nesting densities, and decreased nest and chick predation on the post-flood habitat. Although we hypothesized that increased demographic rates would be reflected by increased piping plover condition following the flood, we found that our measured condition variables (adult mass, clutch mass, and pre-fledge chick growth rates) remained unchanged following the flood. We also found evidence that clutch mass, chick growth rates and invertebrate prey abundance decreased as the post-flood sandbar habitat aged. As the condition of individuals did not appear to contribute directly to the increased demographic rates following the flood, we suggest that the change in density-dependent predation pressure may explain the discrepancy. As many ecosystems have previously been altered, it's rare that ecologists have the opportunity to compare management practices with natural ecosystem processes. Results from this study suggest that management intervention may not be an equivalent substitute for natural ecosystem processes and provide insight on future management of riparian ecosystem. / Master of Science

The piping plover (Charadrius melodus) is a federally-listed shorebird that nests on barrier islands along the U.S. Atlantic Coast and is highly vulnerable to habitat change and predation. We have addressed these two threats by 1) developing and implementing a linked model system that predicts future change to piping plover habitat resulting from sea-level rise and beach management efforts by joining dynamic models of sea-level rise, shoreline change, island geomorphology and piping plover nest habitat suitability, and 2) quantifying occupancy and movement of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), a key shorebird predator at Assateague Island, Maryland and Virginia. We constructed and tested a model that links changes in geomorphological characteristics to piping plover nesting habitat suitability. We then linked this model to larger scale shoreline change resulting from sea level rise and storms. Using this linked model to forecast future sea-level rise and beach management efforts, we found that modest sea-level rise rates (3 mm and 4.1 mm/yr; similar to current rates) may increase suitable piping plover nesting habitat area in 50-100 years and some beach management strategies (beach nourishment and artificial dune modifications) also influence habitat availability. Our development and implementation of this tool to predict change in piping plover habitat suitability provides a vital starting point for predicting how plover nesting habitat will change in a context of planned human modifications intended to address climate change-related threats. Our findings regarding red fox occupancy and movement complement the use of this model for planning future management actions by providing vital information on the effects of certain predator management activities and habitat use of a key mammalian predator, the red fox, for shorebirds along the U.S. Atlantic Coast. Overall, we found that 1) red fox occupancy was strongly tied to eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) trap success, increasing sharply with increased eastern cottontail trap success, 2) red fox occupancy did not change in response to an intensive eradication program, and 3) red foxes in our study area generally moved little between camera stations spaced 300 m from each other, but may move large distances (> 6km) at times, likely to occupy new territory available after lethal control efforts. Our findings have important ramifications for the sustainability of long-term predator removal programs and our understanding of future habitat change on the red fox. For example how vegetation changes affect eastern cottontails, how resulting fluctuations in eastern cottontails affect red fox occupancy, and how consequential changes in red fox occupancy affect plover breeding productivity. Our predictive model combined with these predator findings will allow wildlife managers to better plan and implement effective management actions for piping plovers in response to the multiple stressors of SLR-induced habitat change and predation. / Ph. D.