This thesis investigates the application of CFD techniques to the aerodynamic analysis of a U-shaped JETC. Investigations were carried out to determine the flow patterns present at a number of locations within the structure of a full U-shaped JETC. The CFD solutions produced in these investigations used recommendations from the literature in the set-up of the CFD solver, and provided the computational component towards problem-specific validation of the CFD techniques used. A structured series of CFD-aided investigation and design processes were then performed. These processes were based around a series of analyses that evaluated the influence of a number of cell parameters in terms of cell airflow efficiency and velocity distortion. Four cell components; the inlet and exhaust stack baffle arrangements, the turning-vanes, the rear of the working section and augmenter entrance, and the lower exhaust stack, including the BB, were investigated in individual analyses. Throughout the investigations the value of CFD as a design tool was constantly assessed. Overall, the findings suggest that aerodynamic optimisation of the baffle arrangements would provide the greatest gains to cell airflow efficiency. As some cells contain as many as three baffle arrangements, the potential increases made to cell airflow capacity are sizable. Through implementing the findings of the baffle arrangement investigations, static pressure loss across the five-row baseline arrangement was reduced by 79%. For low levels of velocity distortion in the upstream region of the working section, the need to design the inlet stack baffles in the turning-vane arrangement was highlighted. Mid-baffle vane alignment, consistent flow channels, and sufficiently low chord to gap ratios should be incorporated into a turning-vane design to maximise flow uniformity. The need for the baffle and vane components to combine with the geometry of the cell to limit adverse pressure gradients was found as a requirement to minimise inner corner separation, and the downstream threat it creates to a safe testing environment. CFD proved to be a valuable analysis tool throughout the investigations performed in this thesis. The number of design iterations analysed, and the detail of data that could be extracted, significantly exceeded what could have been achieved through an isolated experimental testing programme.

This master thesis is part of a bigger project issued by AVL with the purpose to design a high pressure compression ignition fuel system for their single cylinder test cell at their facility in Södertälje. Typically compression-ignition fuel tests are being run within an operating pressure range of 500-2400 bar, but this system has to be able to run with pressures up to 3500 bar. The project was intended to be carried out by two participants where this master thesis covers the evaluation of how fuel consumption rates shall be measured in the system described above as well as how the fuel shall be conditioned. The selected concept for measuring fuel consumption rate was based on measuring the mass flow on the low-pressure side of the system with a Coriolis flowmeter. The chosen temperature sensor for monitoring the temperature on the high-pressure side was a K-type thermocouple which would be directly connected to the fuel rail in the system. A bleeder was selected on the basis that it had been used in one of AVL's old test cells. A heat exchanger could not be chosen. However a rough estimation of the capacity needed for a heat exchanger was calculated for future reference. The methodology used to develop a concept was based on the engineering project process taught to students at Karlstad University. First a project plan was made followed by a solution-independently expressed product specification including a specification of requirements and QFD-matrix. Several concepts were generated for measuring the fuel consumption by evaluating different measuring principles, available components, possible positions of the components within the system and combinations with different fuel supply concepts. Less extensive methods were used for the remaining tasks in the detailed engineering phase of the project. The concepts were compared using Pugh's analysis and a concept was selected in collaboration with AVL. The majority of the objectives for this master thesis could be successfully carried out. The documentation and drawings requested by the client, manufacturing of the system, implementation and validation into the test cell could not be done due to lack of time. This, along with the selection of a heat exchanger and low-pressure thermocouple was left for future work.

This thesis details an in investigation of two problems arising during the testing of a jet engine in a test cell, namely the formation and ingestion of vortices and the generation and propagation of infrasound. Investigation involved the use of computational fluid dynamic as well as analytical tools. The author extended the work of previous researchers by investigating the effect when a suction inlet in surrounded by four walls, (as it is in a test cell). A previously suspected but not documented small region of unsteady vortex was discovered to lie between the steady vortex and no vortex regions. The preferential attachment of the vortex, when formed, to a particular surface was investigated and a low velocity region near that surface has been proven as a possible cause. A cell bypass ratio > 90% was found to be necessary to avoid the formation of vortices in typical situations. Parametric studies (conducted cetaris paribus) on four different geometries and flow parameters were also conducted to determine how they affected the vortex formation threshold. Boundary layer thickness on the vortex attachment surface, upstream vorticity, size of suction inlet was found to have a direct relationship with probability of vortex formation whereas Reynolds number of flow was found to have an inverse relationship. Three hypotheses regarding the generation and propagation of infrasound in test cells were analysed. The first hypothesis states that the fluctuating of flow within the test cell led to a periodic fluctuation of pressure. The second hypothesis predicts a change in flow conditions can leads to a change in the acoustic reflection characteristics of the blast basket perforates. The final hypothesis proposes that changing engine location and size of augmenter, can lead to a reduction in the slip velocity between the engine exhaust jet and the cell bypass flow thus reducing the engine jet noise. The first hypothesis has been disproved using CFD techniques, although the results are as yet inconclusive. The second and third hypotheses have been proven to be potentially feasible techniques to be employed in the future. The changes proposed in the final hypothesis are shown to reduce the engine jet noise by up to 5 dB.

ABSTRACT Bioreactor landfill operation has been promoted as a means of accelerating the degradation of waste for over 30 years. Accelerating the degradation of waste enables better predictability in biogas production and reduces aftercare costs. Most bioreactor landfill trials focus on the effect of leachate recirculation on otherwise conventional landfill cells. However, there is a range of design and operational measures that can be implemented with standard landfilling machinery to further enhance degradation. This thesis explores degradation rates that can be achieved in a landfill cell, designed to maximise degradation rate, with the constraint that it be constructed by standard earthmoving equipment, the waste be crudely shredded by sheep foot compactors to expose waste, and leachate recirculation be operable by landfill personnel. The major departures of these test cells from a conventional landfill cell operation were: the cells were only 3m deep; MSW loaded into the cell was crushed and bags ruptured with a sheep foot compactor; MSW was pre-mixed prior placement with digested sludge, as a ratio such that the buffering capacity of the sludge was equivalent to an amount of NaHCO3 known to successfully buffer the digestion of packed beds of MSW (10gL-1 NaHCO3 in packed bed at field capacity moisture content plus excess leachate equal to 10% of the bed volume (Lai et al 2001); and the waste was placed rather than compacted into the cell. The thesis examines the performance of two test cells, the second only containing MSW and inoculated and buffered by sequencing with the first. These performances are compared with an exhaustive set of control digestions in 200L laboratory reactors. The laboratory reactors were packed with 50kg sub-samples of the waste used in the cells, shredded to sub 5cm size. The laboratory reactors primarily focussed on the effect of temperature on degradation rates, to identify the optimum degradation rate for this sludge and MSW mixture. The laboratory scale reactors produced 231 L and 202 L of methane per kgVS at the mesophilic temperatures of 38°C and 45°C respectively. The degradation was faster in the 45°C reactor where methane production was completely exhausted after 35 days. A laboratory reactor operated at 55°C reactor showed little degradation activity. The pH of this reactor was initially over 8.5, and ammonia inhibition was suspected. However, the reactor did not respond to pH adjustments with hydrochloric acid, and subsequent step decreases in temperature did not have an effect until 47°C, where degradation suddenly accelerated. This suggests the methanogenic consortia in the sludge could not adapt to thermophilic temperatures. This was confirmed in the 63°C reactor which acidified and did not produce methane, until leachate from this reactor was transferred to the 45°C reactor where an established methanogenic community converted the soluble COD to methane. In order to compare laboratory reactor performance with the general literature, pure cellulose was added in a fed-batch fashion to the stabilised 38°C and 47°C leach-beds. The beds were fed under starved conditions, to clearly distinguish degradation products from the cellulose from background levels. This also allowed for the estimation of biomass growth by measuring the uptake of NH4-N, as all other bio-available N sources such as protein and amino acids were reduced to NH4-N under these starved conditions. Hydrolysis rates were determined to be 0.12±0.01 d-1 and 0.14±0.026 d-1 at the 38°C and 47°C temperatures. Degradation in the two test cells was completed within a 7 month period. Temperature in the cells was maintained between 25 – 30°C by biological activity, levels that were above ambient temperatures, but below ideal mesophilic conditions. Methane composition rapidly approached 50% in both cells, and biogas flow rates were consistent with a degradation timeframe in the order of less than year. Full flow rate data was not obtained from these trials due to mechanical problems with flow meters, however vigorous gas production was evident throughout the trial by monitoring gas composition, and the ballooning effect of the top cover. To confirm the degradation rates in the test cells, samples were collected from the second test cell and digested in laboratory reactors. Methane yields were only 2.4 and 6.4 L CH4 kgVS-1 confirming virtual exhaustion of biogas potential within 7 months of sequencing this MSW cell with the first MSW:sludge test cell. This is the first systematic experimental program that places the degradation performance of a test cell in the context of the potential degradation rate achievable with fine shredding, temperature control and thorough inoculation and buffering. Economically, in cases where degradation residues are left insitu as in landfills, the degradation enhancement in the test cells would effectively yield as much benefit as enhancing the degradation rate to a two to three week timeframe typical of an anaerobic digester (Clarke 2000).

No description available.

In the automotive industry engines are regularly tested and evaluated by running them for a prolonged time under controlled conditions; environmental conditions, engine load, and drive cycle. These tests are performed in an engine test cell; a computer controlled environment with mechanical fittings and sensors to facilitate the testing of an engine. Our goal was to develop a software suite that provides a distributed graphical interface to the data acquisition and control systems of an engine cell. As we found existing systems to be inadequate in providing a distributed interface, we designed and developed a light weight flexible software suite to remotely, over a network, observe and control the parameters in an engine cell. We used the Fast Light Toolkit (FLTK) GUI library, with networking sockets and process threads to establish the software architecture of the engine test system. Through use of process threads, the client architecture divides tasks into network data sending and receiving, local channel synchronization, and interface operation. Networking sockets used in network data sending and receiving facilitate synchronization of each clients' channel storage and host's channel data. The FLTK GUI library produces visual interactive components of the interface for invoking interactions. Distributed interfacing allows display and modification of the engine cell's operation remotely in locations where relocating an engine cell is not feasible. These locations, such as demonstrations to distant clients and meeting rooms, display the current status of the engine cell through its interfaces without requiring migration of the engine cell to the specified rooms. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

As the world is evolving faster and technology gets cheaper and more powerful, simulations are proving to be more and more beneficial. Simulations allow for faster development with less lead time between iterations which means that product versions can be released more often and at less cost. The automotive industry is heavily affected by emission legislation and environmental politics. The development of more environmentally friendly engines forces the rate of development to speed up. Simulations allow the industry to keep up with the increasing requests for more complex systems. For software development, it speeds up the process significantly. Although real-life testing in engine test cells and test cars still sets the foundation for and validates the results of the simulations, simulations can drastically decrease the amount needed. Less unnecessary real-life testing with bugs in the software causing wasted time and cost. In the meantime, more iterations can be tested in a smaller time frame, making the actual real-life testing more valuable and giving. The aim of this thesis is to develop a method to convert an accurate but relatively slow simulation model of the airflow through an engine, into a faster-running format preparing it to run in close to Real-Time and with a fixed timestep. Then exporting the converted model as a functional mock-up unit, FMU, a standardised entity, part of the Functional Mock-up Interface standard. The FMU was to be used in Software in Loop, SiL, simulations using it in cooperation with Matlab Simulink and Synopsys Silver. The SiL environment is then to be used to develop and test calibration software for the engine in question.

Syftet med detta arbete har varit att genomföra en konceptstudie av en teknisk lösning för öppning och stängning av en testcells avgastorn. Detta som en del av det projekt som omfattar ombyggnation av testcellens utlopp. Frågeställningen som studien skall svara på är om det lönar sig att ha en lucka på tornet med hänsyn till det skydd den kan erbjuda och den ekonomiska kostnaden. De mål som sattes upp var att framställa en lämplig kravspecifikation, framställa minst ett fullständigt koncept, framställa en jämförelsematris, föreslå en lösning att ta till förstudie och ge förslag på fortsatt arbete till förstudien. Konceptmetodiken har hämtats från den metod som SAAB använder sig av i utvecklingsprojekt men har modifierats aningen av författarna. Intressenterna till testcellen står i fokus för att framställa en kravspecifikation utifrån deras behov. Intervjuer genomfördes med intressenter och sakkunniga för att erhålla uttalanden. Dessa uttalanden skulle sammanställas och användas som en del av underlaget till en rekommendation. Ett iterativt arbetssätt användes i konceptgenereringen där koncept framställdes och dess funktion utvärderades. De koncept som togs vidare utvärderades mot de identifierade behoven och mot varandra i ett antal jämförelsematriser. Den ekonomiska prognosen byggdes på uppskattade värden och historisk data för kostnader. En övervägande del av intressenterna och sakkunniga som intervjuats har varit positivt inställda till att ha en lucka på avgastornet. Framförallt för det utökade skydd det bidrar med och den potentiellt förlängda livslängden. Kravspecifikationen utformades på ett sådant sätt att det skulle fungera som ett styrdokument för studien, men också innehålla tillräckligt med information för att ge en översiktlig bild av problemet vid överlämning. Tre slutgiltiga koncept presenterades varav ett rekommenderas att ta vidare till förstudie, med motiveringen att den uppfyllde kravet på funktionalitet bäst. Det var även en känd lösning så livscykelanalysen hade en högre grad av säkerhet. / The purpose of this work has been to carry out a concept study of a technical solution for opening and closing a test cell's exhaust tower. This is a part of the project that includes rebuilding the test cell outlet. The question that the study will answer is whether it pays to have a hatch on the tower with regard to the protection it can offer and the financial cost. The goals that were set were to produce an appropriate requirements specification, produce at least one complete concept, produce a comparison matrix, propose a solution to use for a prestudy and provide suggestions for further work for the prestudy. The concept methodology has been taken from the method that SAAB uses in development projects but has been slightly modified by the authors. The stakeholders in the test cell are the prime focus as the requirements specification is based on their needs. Interviews were conducted with stakeholders and experts to obtain statements. These statements would be compiled and used as part of the basis for are commendation. An iterative approach was used in the concept generation where concepts were produced and its function was evaluated. Suitable concepts were evaluated against the identified needs and against each other in a number of comparison matrices. The economic forecast was based on estimated values and historical data for costs. A predominant part of the interviewed stakeholders and experts were positive about having a hatch on the exhaust tower. Mainly because of the increased protection it would contribute and the potential extension of the towers lifespan. The requirements specification was designed to function as a control document but also contain enough information to provide an overview of the problem for the handover to the prestudy. Three final concepts were presented, one of which is recommended for further study, with the justification that it best met the requirement for functionality. It was also a known solution so the life cycle analysis had a higher degree of certainty.

The subject of this diploma thesis is the design of a single-purpose machine for automatic testing of pneumatic fittings. Pneumatic fittings used in brake systems are subject to high technical requirements and 100% tightness control in production. In this case, manual testing is not effective and the goal is to automate the process. The theoretical part presents pneumatic mechanisms, analysis of the tested pneumatic fitting with technical parameters, the possibility of tightness testing, use of sensors, and rotary tables. In the practical part, a systematic analysis of the problem was performed, according to which the overall design proceeded. Subsequently, the design of the complete machine containing individual nodes is processed, supplemented by the necessary calculations. The conclusion of the thesis contains an evaluation of the whole project.

This diploma thesis is occupy by assesment optimum method straining of tyres and then constructional concept of test cell for ozone degradation of rubber tyres with sizes from 13” to 15”. The final aim of this diploma thesis is construction of test cell which is based on choice of optimum method straining of tyres. The next output of this diploma thesis is concept of unit for ozone degaradation of tyres.