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The research focus of this thesis is on modelling techniques for river kinetic turbines, to develop predictive numerical tools to further the design of this emerging hydro technology. The performance benefits of enclosing the turbine in a shroud are quantified numerically and an optimized shroud design is developed. The optimum performing model is then used to study river kinetic turbines, including different anchoring systems to enhance performance. Two different turbine numerical models are studied to simulate the rotor. Four different computational fluid dynamics (CFD) turbulence models are compared against a series of particle image velocimetry (PIV) experiments involving highly-separated diffuser-flow and nozzle-flow conditions. The risk of cavitation is briefly discussed as well as riverbed boundary layer losses. This study is part of an effort to develop this emerging technology for distributed power generation in provinces like Manitoba that have a river system well adapted for this technology.

A research program was designed to investigate the characteristics of three-dimensional laminar wall jet flow of both Newtonian and two shear-thinning non-Newtonian fluids. The non-Newtonian fluids were prepared from xanthan gum solutions of various concentrations. Both experimental and numerical methodologies were employed in this study. The wall jet was created using a circular pipe of diameter 7 mm and flows into an open fluid tank. The initial Reynolds numbers based on the pipe diameter and jet exit velocity ranged from 250 to 800. The velocity measurements were conducted using a particle image velocimetry technique. The measurements were conducted at several streamwise locations to cover both the developing and self-similar regions. For the numerical study, the complete nonlinear Navier-Stokes equation was solved using an in-house colocated finite volume based CFD code. A Carreau model was employed for the non-Newtonian fluids. The viscosity in the governing equations was obtained explicitly. From the PIV measurements and CFD results, velocity profiles and jet half-widths were extracted at selected downstream locations to study the effects of Reynolds number and specific fluid type on the jet characteristics. It was observed that the numerical results are in reasonable agreement with the experimental data. The decay of maximum velocity, jet spread rates, skin friction coefficient, streamwise velocity profiles, and secondary flows depend strongly on the initial Reynolds number irrespective of the fluid. The results also show that the jet spreads more in the spanwise direction than in the transverse direction in the early flow development whereas the reverse is true in the downstream region. Important differences were observed when the results for the non-Newtonian fluids were compared with those for Newtonian fluid.

Analogue modelling of strike-slip faulting provides insight into the development and behaviour of surface ruptures with accumulated slip, with relevance for understanding how information recorded in paleoseismic trenches relates to the earthquake behaviour of active faults. Patterns of surface deformation were investigated in analogue experiments using cohesive and non-cohesive granular materials above planar strike-slip basement faults. Surface deformation during the experiments was monitored by 3D PIV (particle image velocimetry) and 2D time lapse photography. Analysis focused on fault zone morphology and development, as well as the relationship of the models to surface deformation observed at the Greendale Fault that resulted from the 2010 Darfield earthquake. Complex rupture patterns with similar characteristics to the Greendale Fault (e.g. en echelon fractures, Riedel shears, pop-up structures, etc.) can be generated by a simple fault plane of uniform dip, slip, and frictional properties. The specific structures and the style of their development are determined by the properties of the overburden and the nature of the material surface. The width of the zone of distributed deformation correlates closely with sediment thickness, while the width of discrete fracturing is controlled by the material properties as well as the thickness of the overburden. The overall deformation zone width increases with the growth of initial, oblique fractures and subsequently narrows with time as strain localizes onto discrete fractures parallel to the underlying basement fault. Mapping the evolution of fracture patterns with progressive strain reveals that Riedel shears, striking at 90-120° (underlying fault strike = 90°) are more frequently reactivated during multiple earthquake cycles, and are thus most likely to provide reliable paleoseismic records. This will help identify suitable locations for paleoseismic trenches and interpret trench records on the Greendale Fault and other active, strike-slip faults in analogous geologic settings. These results also highlight the tendency of trenching studies on faults of this type to underestimate the number and displacement of previous ruptures, which potentially leads to an underestimate of the magnitude potential and recurrence interval of paleoearthquakes.

An adjustable systemic-pulmonary artery (SPA) shunt is being developed that consists of apolytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) graft with a screw plunger mechanism. This device would allowfull control of flow through SPA shunts used to augment pulmonary blood flow in neonates bornwith single ventricle physiology. The objective of this study is to evaluate the changes this mechanismhas on flow fields for a 4 mm and 5 mm adjustable SPA shunt. Two in vitro models wereexamined; an idealized model with an axisymmetric constriction and a model developed from 3-Dreconstruction of the actual shunt under asymmetric constriction. These models were used to measurethe instantaneous velocity and vorticity fields using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) underboth steady and pulsatile flow conditions. Recirculation regions and maximum values of velocity,vorticity, and shear stress are compared between the 4 mm and 5 mm models. The results indicatethat for the idealized model of both shunts, separation regions are much smaller, persistingfor approximately 0-1.75 diameters downstream of the constriction, while for the realistic modelsseparation regions of 2.5 diameters downstream were observed. Additional models of a 4 mm and5 mm shunt were tested under pulsatile conditions matching Re of 1061 and 849 and a Womersleynumber of 4.09 and 5.12, respectively, as seen in vivo. The maximum shear rates observed in bothshunts are within an allowable range without inducing platelet aggregation or hemolysis. However,regions of reverse flow exist distal to the throat, leading to possible concerns of plaque formation.Further in vivo testing will be needed to address this concern. This work is part of an extensiveeffort in developing a completely implantable adjustable systemic-pulmonary artery shunt.

The effect of rotation on flow in a gas turbine blade cooling duct model is investigated experimentally. The present work consists of velocity measurements at different locations in a test section with a 180° bend with ribs on one wall. Three geometric rib parameters are considered; rib-rib spacing, rib orientation angle and rib blockage ratio. PIV is used for flow visualization and analysis. Along with the clean duct measurements, ribs with blockage ratios, b/h, of 0.25 and 0.125 were considered. The b/h = 0.25 cases have been comprehensively analyzed while the b/h = 0.125 cases have been studied at the post-bend region of the duct only. Reynolds number considered is in the range of approximately 5000-40,000 and the rotation speed is varied for a rotation number from 0 to 7. It is observed that rotation has a significant effect on secondary flows within the rotating duct. For blockage ratio, b/h = 0.25, at a constant Re and Ro, the RMS of fluctuations of velocity do not show large spatial variations with ribs or rib orientations. At higher Re, the value decreases in comparison to the low Re cases. The kinetic energy of fluctuations increases due to the presence of ribs, indicating better heat transfer for the ribbed duct, but do not show large variations with rib orientation angle. The fluctuations and kinetic energy show maximum values at the post-bend regions of the duct. The velocity fields and PDFs show a possible cause for e°cient heat transfer for the 45° rib arrangement as compared with the 90° rib cases. At high Ro, the absolute value of circulation has a large increase at the post-bend and thereafter there is a gradual decay at the exit for all cases. The ribs with blockage ratio of b/h = 0.125 showed no marked changes in circulation with changes in rib orientation angle, thus implying that the rib blockage plays a role in the generation of secondary flows, particularly in conjunction with rotation.

During the teeming process of molten steel from a ladle, a bathtub-type vortex may be formed in the ladle. The vortex entrains undesired slag on the surface into the tundish, lowering the quality. The formation of such vortices has been studied using two different scale models. Since the kinematic viscosity of water is similar to that of molten steel, the molten steel was simulated by water in the experiments. The Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) technique was used to measure water flow patterns. Results show that the initial tangential velocity of water is responsible for the vortex formation. The effects of Reynolds and Froude numbers on the vortex formation were investigated and Froude number was found to be the dominant pi-number. A Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling was also conducted to simulate the vortex formation with good agreement with the experiments.

A model of a gas turbine blade cooling channel equipped with turbulators and a backward facing step geometry was examined. Up to four turbulators oriented cross-stream and inclined 45° to the flow direction were mounted in the channel. The blockage ratio b/H of the turbulators and the height h/H of the backward facing step was 0:125 and 0:14 respectively. The number of turbulators as well as their size was varied. In a preliminary investigation, hot-wire and pressure measurements were taken for three different Reynolds numbers (5,000, 12,000, 18,000)in the center plane of the test section. Subsequently, particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements were made on the same geometries. Results of PIV measurements for a Reynolds number range of Reb=600 to 5,000 for the turbulators and Reh=1,500 to 16,200 for the backward facing step are presented, where Reynolds numbers are based on turbulator height b and step height h, respectively. Plots of the velocity field, vorticity, reverse flow probability and RMS velocity are shown. The focus is on the steady flow behavior but also the unsteadiness of the flow is discussed in one section. Also reattachment lengths were obtained and compared among the various turbulator arrangements and the backward facing step geometry. It was found that the flow becomes periodic after three or four ribs. For one turbulator, a very large separation region was observed. The magnitude of the skin friction factor was found to be the highest for two ribs. If the first rib is replaced by a smaller rib, the skin friction factor becomes the lowest for this case. Compared to the backward facing step, the flow reattaches earlier for multiple turbulators. A dependency of reattachment length on Reynolds number was not observed.

The flow field around a low pressure turbine blade is examined using smoke-wire flow visualization, static surface pressure measurements, and particle image velocimetry (PIV). The purpose of the experimental study is to investigate the transition and separation characteristics on low pressure turbine blades under low Reynolds number (Re) and varying freestream turbulence intensity (FSTI). A cascade model consisting of 6 Pratt andamp; Whitney PAK-B low pressure turbine blades was examined in a wind tunnel using PIV and flow visualization. Smoke-wire visualization was performed for test section exit angles of 93°, 95°, and 97°, in the range Re = 3 · 104 to 9 · 104 and three levels of FSTI varied with a passive grid. The locations of separation and transition were determined to be approximately 45% and 77% of the suction surface length, respectively, based upon the smoke stream lines observed in the images, and appear to be independent of Re, turning angle, and FSTI. The maximum size of the separation bubble was found to decrease with increasing Re, turning angle, and FSTI. PIV images from three camera views were processed for an exit angle of 95° and a Re range of 3:0 · 104 to 30:0 · 104 and three levels of FSTI. Velocity, vorticity, and reversed flow probability field plots were generated along with velocity, vorticity, and RMS velocity profiles. The point of separation point was determined to be from 63% SSL to 67% SSL. The area of reversed flow was computed for each image pair from camera views 1 and 3, as an approxiamtion of the relative size of the separation region. For low Re and FSTI cases the area was much larger than for higher FSTI cases at any Re. The raw PIV images include some of the rst clear pictures of the turbulent flow structures forming in the unsteady shear layer over the suction surface of low pressure turbine blades. Several movies are compiled that show how the geometry and location of the shear layer evolve in time for a given set of flow conditions.