Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering / M. H. Hosni / B. W. Jones / This dissertation focuses on airflow distribution in the longitudinal direction of a wide-body mockup aircraft cabin, turbulence energy and dissipation rates, and the effect of thermal plumes, generated by passengers, on airflow distribution within the cabin. The mockup cabin utilized for this study mimics a Boeing 767 passenger cabin and includes 11 rows in the longitudinal direction with each row consisting of seven seats. Each seat is occupied by an inflatable manikin which is instrumented with a 10 meters long wire heater generating approximately 100 Watts of distributed sensible heat, representing heat load from a sedentary human being. In order to investigate the fluid dynamics characteristics of the airflow within the cabin, different experimental techniques were implemented. Smoke visualization was used to qualitatively visualize the general airflow pattern inside the cabin. A tracer gas composed mainly of carbon dioxide was used to track the airflow distribution inside the cabin. The tracer gas was released in several locations and then sampled at various locations throughout the mockup cabin. The release and sampling of the tracer gas allowed tracing the airflow inside the cabin using non dispersive infrared sensors. Combining results from different release-sampling scenarios gave better understanding of the chaotic and three-dimensional nature of the airflow behavior inside the cabin. Air speed and turbulence parameters were evaluated using omni-directional probes. Finally, the effect of the heat generated by the thermal manikins on the airflow behavior was investigated. The results from the airflow visualization and the tracer gas were complementary and showed that there were multiple air circulations along the length of the cabin. The dimension of the circulations were controlled by the minimum physical distance inside the cabin. The identified-isotropic turbulence were spread over the full width of the cabin in the front and middle sections of the cabin, whereas, multiple-smaller circulations were identified in the rear section. Cabin sections identified with high speed fluctuations were associated with higher turbulence kinetic energy levels and lower local dissipation rates. These sections served as driving forces to create the circulations identified in the tracer gas experiments. Furthermore, the heat generated by the thermal manikins was shown to significantly impact the behavior of the gaseous flow inside the cabin, the turbulence parameters, and speed fluctuations. Detailed uncertainty analysis was conducted to estimate the uncertainty limits for the measurements taken. The uncertainty estimates obtained for the tracer gas results ranged from ±14% for the test cases with the heated manikins to ±17% with the corresponding unheated manikins cases. The data uncertainty limits for the turbulence parameters were of higher levels due to limitations associated with the omni-directional probes used to measure the speed. With flow repeatability phenomena in same locations inside the mockup cabin during different days reaching up to ±10%, the uncertainty estimates were considered acceptable for these chaotic and highly random airflow conditions within the cabin.

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A Baía da Guanabara vem sofrendo alterações na sua bacia de drenagem desde o início do século XIX que resultaram em acentuada degradação ambiental. O presente trabalho discute a influência da implantação de um Terminal Aquaviário de Gás Natural Liquefeito (GNL) na Baía, e suas possíveis influências nos processos de sedimentação local e/ou re-disponibilização de sedimentos de fundo, e possíveis contaminantes associados. Os resultados dos modelos matemáticos mostram que as maiores velocidades das plumas termicas que atingem o fundo são em média 0,46 m3/s para as simulações de verão e 0,47 m3/s para as simulações de inverno, sendo que são necessários pelo menos de 0,50 m3/s para uma corrente erodir o fundo, porem velocidades na faixa de 20 a 50 m3/s são suficientes para causar erosão de sedimentos finos inconsolidados. Sendo assim, a influência das plumas térmicas geradas no processo de re-gaseificação do GNL é de pequena magnitude, e suas correntes só conseguem exportar estes sedimentos para distancias inferiores a 1000 m. Em relação a re-disponibilização de contaminantes associados aos sedimentos de fundo se mostrou pouco provável, dado o fato da qualidade dos sedimentos apresentarem, diferente da água, baixa concentração de contaminantes e da baixa competência de erosão, que eles tenham competência para erodir sedimentos consolidados. / Since the beginning of the XIX century, interventions on the Guanabara\'s Bay drainage basin result in severe environmental degradation. This work aimed to analyze the implementation of an Aquaviary Terminal of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), and its putative consequences on the local sedimentation processes, and the availability and possible associated contaminants of the bottom sediments. According to the mathematical models developed, the means of the greatest speeds of the thermal plumes that reach the bottom are 0.46m3/s for the summer simulations and 0.47m3/s for the winter. However, for a current to be able to erode the bottom it must be of at least 50m3/s. Currents with speeds ranging from 20 to 50m3/s are sufficient only to cause the erosion of fine and non-consolidated sediment. Therefore, the thermal plumes generated in the process of re-gasification of the LNG are of little magnitude, and will not be able to export these sediments to any distance greater than 1000 meters. The re-availability of the contaminants associated with the bottom sediments is not likely, once these sediments, differently from the water, showed little concentration of contaminants. In addition, with the low erosion capacity of the currents generated, the consolidated sediments are not likely to be eroded.

A Baía da Guanabara vem sofrendo alterações na sua bacia de drenagem desde o início do século XIX que resultaram em acentuada degradação ambiental. O presente trabalho discute a influência da implantação de um Terminal Aquaviário de Gás Natural Liquefeito (GNL) na Baía, e suas possíveis influências nos processos de sedimentação local e/ou re-disponibilização de sedimentos de fundo, e possíveis contaminantes associados. Os resultados dos modelos matemáticos mostram que as maiores velocidades das plumas termicas que atingem o fundo são em média 0,46 m3/s para as simulações de verão e 0,47 m3/s para as simulações de inverno, sendo que são necessários pelo menos de 0,50 m3/s para uma corrente erodir o fundo, porem velocidades na faixa de 20 a 50 m3/s são suficientes para causar erosão de sedimentos finos inconsolidados. Sendo assim, a influência das plumas térmicas geradas no processo de re-gaseificação do GNL é de pequena magnitude, e suas correntes só conseguem exportar estes sedimentos para distancias inferiores a 1000 m. Em relação a re-disponibilização de contaminantes associados aos sedimentos de fundo se mostrou pouco provável, dado o fato da qualidade dos sedimentos apresentarem, diferente da água, baixa concentração de contaminantes e da baixa competência de erosão, que eles tenham competência para erodir sedimentos consolidados. / Since the beginning of the XIX century, interventions on the Guanabara\'s Bay drainage basin result in severe environmental degradation. This work aimed to analyze the implementation of an Aquaviary Terminal of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), and its putative consequences on the local sedimentation processes, and the availability and possible associated contaminants of the bottom sediments. According to the mathematical models developed, the means of the greatest speeds of the thermal plumes that reach the bottom are 0.46m3/s for the summer simulations and 0.47m3/s for the winter. However, for a current to be able to erode the bottom it must be of at least 50m3/s. Currents with speeds ranging from 20 to 50m3/s are sufficient only to cause the erosion of fine and non-consolidated sediment. Therefore, the thermal plumes generated in the process of re-gasification of the LNG are of little magnitude, and will not be able to export these sediments to any distance greater than 1000 meters. The re-availability of the contaminants associated with the bottom sediments is not likely, once these sediments, differently from the water, showed little concentration of contaminants. In addition, with the low erosion capacity of the currents generated, the consolidated sediments are not likely to be eroded.