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The transportation of pupils to and from our schools has grown by leaps and bounds during the past few years until now it has developed into an educational activity of major importance. The Utah school bus which collided with a freight train in Novemeber 1938 and carried 23 of its passengers to their death was but one of over 86,000 such motor vehicles in operation in the United States during the school year of 1938-1939. Approximately 4,000,000 school children rode these buses daily over school-bus routes that extended in exess of 1,000,000,000 mildes. the annual expense for this transportation was in the neighborhood of sixty-five million dollars. To those of us who are close to the problem, and who see these adolescent people alight from their buses each morning, and board them again in the evening, there comes the questions of th effect of this daily transportation in the lives of the boyds and girls concerned. How does it affect their success in school? Does transportation lessen their efficiency in scholastic attainment? Is there a higher failure rate among transported pupils? Are these students preculted from participation in the extracurricular activities on an even basis with the non-transported students because of bus schedules, or fatigue, or boredom due to the prologned school day? Does the remoteness of the pupil's home from the school react upo his school attendance record, or cause a higher percentage of these transported pupils to discontinue school before graduation? Is there somehting about the transference from the warm rooms of the home and school to a ride on a crowded or cold school bus that lessens resistance to disease, or otherwise affects health in such a way as to keep pupils out of school due to illness? These are the questions with which this study is concerned. They are questions which, to the mide of the writer, are important, and so far as his information goes, they have never been answered by anyone possessing reliable data upon which to base his statements. Yet, authentic data with respect to these points are extremely vital in the administration of our schools. For example, accurate and reliable data in regard to the questions indicated would be valuable in reaching a decision concerning further consolidation of schools. The data should serve as one of the criteria to be considered in dtermining the length of the school day for the transported pupils, and it should throw some light on the problem of speical consideration, or treatment, of transported pupils in our schools. This study consists of a comparison of transported with non-transported pupils. The comparisons are made in 8 field. These are: (1) Number of school subjects taken (2) Number of shcool subjects failed (3) Scholastic attainment (4) School attendance (5) Discontinuance of school (6) Illness during school time (7) Causes of pupil absence from school (8) Participation in extra-curricular activities.

<p> The partial, catalytic oxidation of ortho-xylene was investigated in a transported-bed reactor in which the vanadium pentoxide catalyst in the form of extremely small particles (average particle size of 45 microns) was conveyed upward by the reacting gases.</p> <p> The reaction was studied at a contact time of about 0.2 seconds, at air-to-o-xylene molar ratios of 42 to 86, at catalyst-to-gas ratios of 8 to 23, and at a reaction temperature of 750°F (400°C).</p> <p> Reaction products were analyzed by Gas Chromatography and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy.</p> <p> Product analysis indicated a high yield of o-tolualdehyde, small yields of other oxidation products, but only trace amounts of phthalic anhydride. These results are consistent with proposed mechanisms for this reaction.</p> / Thesis / Master of Engineering (MEngr)

In the recent past, LES methodology has emerged as a viable tool for modeling turbulent combustion. LES computes the large scale mixing process accurately, thereby providing a better starting point for small-scale models that describe the combustion process. Significant effort has been made over past decades to improve accuracy and applicability of the LES approach to a wide range of flows, though the current conventions often lack consistency to the problems at hand. To this end, the two main objectives of this dissertation are to develop a dynamic transport equation-based combustion model for large- eddy simulation (LES) of turbulent spray combustion and to investigate grid- independent LES modeling for scalar mixing. Long-standing combustion modeling approaches have shown to be suc- cessful for a wide range of gas-phase flames, however, the assumptions required to derive these formulations are invalidated in the presence of liquid fuels and non-negligible evaporation rates. In the first part of this work, a novel ap- proach is developed to account for these evaporation effects and the resulting multi-regime combustion process. First, the mathematical formulation is de- rived and the numerical implementation in a low-Mach number computational solver is verified against one-dimensional and lab scale, both non-reacting and reacting spray-laden flows. In order to clarify the modeling requirements in LES for spray combustion applications, results from a suite of fully-resolved direct numerical simulations (DNS) of a spray laden planar jet flame are fil- tered at a range of length scales. LES results are then validated against two sets of experimental jet flames, one having a pilot and allowing for reduced chemistry modeling and the second requiring the use of detail chemistry with in situ tabulation to reduce the computational cost of the direct integration of a chemical mechanism. The conventional LES governing equations are derived from a low-pass filtering of the Navier-Stokes equations. In practice, the filter used to derive the LES governing equations is not formally defined and instead, it is assumed that the discretization of LES equations will implicitly act as a low-pass filter. The second part of this study investigates an alternative derivation of the LES governing equations that requires the formal definition of the filtering operator, known as explicitly filtered LES. It has been shown that decoupling the filter- ing operation from the underlying grid allows for the isolation of subfilter-scale modeling errors from numerical discretization errors. Specific to combustion modeling are the aggregate errors associated with modeling sub-filter distribu- tions of scalars that are transported by numerical impacted turbulent fields. Quantities of interest to commonly-used combustion models, including sub- filter scalar variance and filtered scalar dissipation rate, are investigated for both homogeneous and shear-driven turbulent mixing. / text

Turfgrass establishment on sand-based rootzones is routinely accomplished by using sod produced on a fine-textured native soil. As a result, soil layering occurs, potentially causing initial reduction in water infiltration, rooting, aeration, and overall turfgrass quality. This research was aimed at determining the feasibility of applying sand over existing native soil to produce hybrid bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon [L.] Pers. x C. transvaalensis Burtt-Davy) sand-based sod. Factors evaluated were visual quality and scalping. Treatments were harvested and transplanted to a sand-based research green where handle-ability, tensile strength, and infiltration were also evaluated. Results indicate aerify and topdress treatments showed higher quality pre-harvest. Control and 25 mm treatments were best in terms of harvesting, handle-ability, and sod tensile strength. Infiltration data indicated no significant differences between treatments. These outcomes along with further analysis could provide sod producers with a valuable product for use on sand-based rootzones.

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) are mainly used as large stationary elec- tricity sources, therefore an every little improvement in their performance leads to considerable savings. In order to understand the fundamentals of the SOFC operation, we have developed a new model describing the main physical processes. The thermodynamical model of SOFC, developed in this thesis, concerns the gas transport, the transport of the charged particles in- cluding the thermoelectric effect and the electrochemical reactions. Linear irreversible thermodynamics is the key modelling framework, in which the dusty gas model and the Butler-Volmer equations are used. A new relation between the electrochemical affinity and the overpotential is introduced into the Butler-Volmer equation. A weakly formulated statinonary system en- dowed with boundary conditions is solved with the finite element method in one dimensional approximation. 1

<div>Studies of turbulent combustion in the past mainly focus on problems with single-regime combustion. In practical combustion systems, however, combustion rarely occurs in a single regime, and different regimes of combustion can be observed in the same system. This creates a significant gap between our existing knowledge of combustion in single regime and the practical need in multi-regime combustion. In this work, we aim to extend the traditional single-regime combustion models to problems involving different regimes of combustion. Among the existing modeling methods, Transported Probability Density Function (PDF) method is attractive for its intrinsic closure of treating detailed chemical kinetics and has been demonstrated to be promising in predicting low-probability but practically important combustion events like local extinction and re-ignition. In this work, we focus on the model assessment and advancement of the Large Eddy Simulation (LES)/ PDF method in predicting turbulent multi-regime combustion.</div><div><br></div><div><div>Two combustion benchmark problems are considered for the model assessment. One is a recently designed turbulent piloted jet flame that features statistically transient processes, the Sydney turbulent pulsed piloted jet flame. A direct comparison of the predicted and measured time series of the axial velocity demonstrates a satisfactory prediction of the flow and turbulence fields of the pulsed jet flame by the employed LES/PDF modeling method. A comparison of the PLIF-OH images and the predicted OH mass fraction contours at a few selected times shows that the method captures the different combustion stages including healthy burning, significant extinction, and the re-establishment of healthy burning, in the statistically transient process. The temporal history of the conditional PDF of OH mass fraction/temperature at around stoichiometric conditions at different axial locations suggests that the method predicts the extinction and re-establishment timings accurately at upstream locations but less accurately at downstream locations with a delay of burning reestablishment. The other test case is a unified series of existing turbulent piloted flames. To facilitate model assessment across different combustion regimes, we develop a model validation framework by unifying several existing pilot stabilized turbulent jet flames in different combustion regimes. The characteristic similarity and difference of the employed piloted flames are examined, including the Sydney piloted flames L, B, and M, the Sandia piloted flames D, E, and F, a series of piloted premixed Bunsen flames, and the Sydney/Sandia inhomogeneous inlet piloted jet flames. Proper parameterization and a regime diagram are introduced to characterize the pilot stabilized flames covering non-premixed, partially premixed, and premixed flames. A preliminary model assessment is carried out to examine the simultaneous model performance of the LES/PDF method for the piloted jet flames across different combustion regimes.</div><div><br></div><div>With the assessment work in the above two test cases, it is found that the LES/PDF method can predict the statistically transient combustion and multi-regime combustion reasonably well but some modeling limitations are also identified. Thus, further model advancement is needed for the LES/PDF method. In this work, we focus on two model advancement studies related to the molecular diffusion and sub-filter scale mixing processes in turbulent combustion. The first study is to deal with differential molecular diffusion (DMD) among different species. The importance of theDMD effects on combustion has been found in many applications. However, in most previous combustion models equal molecular diffusivity is assumed. To incorporate the DMD effects accurately, we develop a model called Variance Consistent Mean Shift (VCMS) model. The second model advancement focuses on the sub-filter scale mixing in high-Karlovitz (Ka) number turbulent combustion. We analyze the DNS data of a Sandia high-Ka premixed jet flame to gain insights into the modeling of sub-filter scale mixing. A sub-filter scale mixing time scale is analyzed with respect to the filter size to examine the validity of a power-law scaling model for the mixing time scale.</div></div>

La simulation de scenarios d’incendie nécessite de modéliser de nombreux processus complexe, particulièrement la combustion gazeuse d’hydrocarbure incluant la production de suie et les transferts radiatifs dans un écoulement turbulent. La nature turbulente de l’écoulement fait apparaitre des interactions qui doivent être prises en compte entre ces processus. L’objectif de cette thèse est d’implémenter une méthode de transport de la fonction de densité de probabilité afin de modéliser ces interactions de manière précise. En conjonction avec un modèle de flammelettes, le modèle de Lindstedt et un modèle à large-bande k-corrélé, l’équation de transport de la PDF jointe de composition est résolue avec la méthode des Champs Eulérien Stochastiques. Le modèle est validé en simulant 12 flammes turbulentes recouvrant une large gamme de nombre de Reynolds et de propension à former de la suie par les combustibles. Dans un second temps, les effets des interactions rayonnement-turbulence (TRI) sur l’émission de la suie sont étudiés en détails, montrant que la TRI tend à augmenter l’émission radiative de la suie à cause des fluctuations de température, mais que cette augmentation est plus faible pour des nombres de Reynolds élevés ou des quantités de suie plus élevées. Ceci est dû à la corrélation négative entre le coefficient d’absorption des suies et la fonction de Planck. Finalement, l’influence de la corrélation entre la fraction de mélange et le paramètre de non-adiabaticité est étudiée sur une flamme d’éthylène, montrant qu’elle a peu d’effet sur la structure moyenne de flamme mais tend à limiter les fluctuations de température et les pertes radiatives. / The simulation of fire scenarios requires the numerical modeling of various complex process, particularly the gaseous combustion of hydrocarbons including soot production and radiative transfers in a turbulent. The turbulent nature of the flow induces interactions between these processes that need to be taken accurately into account. The purpose of this thesis is to implement a transported Probability Density function method to model these interactions precisely. In conjunction with the flamelet model, the Lindstedt model, and a wide-band correlated-k model, the composition joint-PDF transport equation is solved using the Stochastic Eulerian Fields method. The model is validated by simulating 12 turbulent jet flames covering a large range of Reynolds numbers and fuel sooting propensity. Model prediction are found to be in reasonable agreement with experimental data. Second, the effects of turbulence-radiation interactions (TRI) on soot emission are studied in details, showing that TRI tends to increase soot radiative emission due to temperature fluctuations, but that this increase is smaller for higher Reynolds numbers and higher soot loads. This is due to the negative correlation between soot absorption coefficient and the Planck function. Finally, the effects of taking into account the correlation between mixture fraction and enthalpy defect on flame structure and radiative characteristics are also studied on an ethylene flame, showing that it has weak effect on the mean flame structure but tends to inhibit both temperature fluctuations and radiative loss.

<p dir="ltr">Addressing the pressing need for reduced carbon emissions, Turbulent Jet Ignition (TJI) emerges as a promising technology for ultra-lean combustion, offering enhanced thermal efficiencies and minimized cyclic variability in spark-ignited engines. To facilitate rapid testing and integration of this technology, a robust computational modeling framework is crucial. This study delves into the predictive capabilities of computational models for main-chamber ignition and premixed flame propagation using a single-cycle TJI rig measured by Biswas et al. (Applied Thermal Engineering, volume 106, 2016). Employing an open-source compressible flow simulation solver with Large Eddy Simulation (LES) for turbulence modeling, the investigation integrates the conventional Laminar Finite Rate Chemistry (LFRC) model alongside the transported Probability Density Method (PDF) for turbulence-chemistry interaction. A fully-consistent Eulerian Monte-Carlo Fields (EMCF) method is utilized to approximate the transported PDF, while Interaction by Exchange with Mean is employed to close micro-mixing terms in stochastic differential equations. A reduced chemical reaction mechanism with 21 species and 84 reactions (DRM-19) is used for solving chemical kinetics, and a double Gaussian energy deposition model is used to approximate the spark ignition in the pre-chamber. An unstructured O-grid mesh with 0.3 million cells in the pre-chamber and 1 million cells in the main chamber is employed. Results are divided into two phases: pre-chamber initialization and full TJI simulations. Validation of the predicted pre-chamber flame propagation and the lean ignition in the main-chamber is carried out by using available experimental data. Under quiescent conditions, both the LFRC and transported PDF methods largely underestimate the flame speed and subsequent pressure growth in the pre-chamber. A linear momentum forcing technique is applied to investigate the impact of initial turbulence in the pre-chamber, demonstrating a notable influence on flame propagation. Fine-tuning of the forcing coefficient reproduces the sudden pressure growth observed in the experiment. The experimentally validated pre-chamber simulation serves as the initial condition for the full TJI simulations. It is found that the LFRC model fails to predict lean-ignition in the main-chamber, resulting in a misfiring event. Incorporation of turbulence-chemistry interaction using the transported PDF method substantially improves the prediction of the ignition event in the main-chamber, achieving fair qualitative agreement and quantitative validation of combustion parameters within 10% of the reported experimental data. The rich simulation results consisting of a full set of statistical description of the thermo-chemical states enable us to gain deep insights into the ignition mechanisms in the main chamber, which is limited when done experimentally. A novel dual ignition phenomenon is revealed in the TJI rig for the first time. Initially, a primary ignition kernel is formed at a downstream location which eventually detaches from the main jet. As the jet momentum decreases, a secondary ignition event follows, this time at a more upstream location which eventually combines with the primary ignition kernel to form a single connected flame front. Investigation of these ignition sequences in chemical composition space reveal distinct differences between the two. The primary ignition event in the main-chamber is followed by a large concentration of active radicals from the pre-chamber jet, accelerating the chain-branching steps, characterizing what has been referred to as flame ignition. In contrast, the secondary ignition occurs in the absence of active radicals in the pre-chamber jet, hence characterized as jet ignition. Further analysis of the effect of pre-chamber jet characteristics on lean ignition in the main-chamber is conducted by setting up cases with different initial pressure ratios (p_r^o) between the two chambers, a non-dimensional parameter, ranging from 1.2 to 3.2. As the initial pressure ratio increases, jet momentum increases, with dual ignition observed in cases above p_r^o= 2.2. Case with p_r^o= 3.2 lead to misfiring. The effect of ignition sequence on global combustion characteristics of TJI is analyzed. Dual ignition events lead to non-monotonicity in combustion characteristics such as global reaction progress variable, flame penetration, and global heat release rate. In dual ignition events, although the rate of fuel consumption and global heat release rate is initially lower, the secondary ignition leads to a sudden increase in flame surface area, resulting in a sudden jump and promoting the overall performance of the TJI system.</p>

Despite a high proportion of the population experiencing traumatic events within their lifetime, the number of individuals who go on to develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is comparatively small; herein highlighting the importance of individual differences in imparting risk and resilience towards the development and maintenance of PTSD. Existing literature illustrates that biological and ecological factors are important in predicting PTSD development, with pathological vulnerabilities excepting their effects at pre- peri- and post trauma stages. Whilst cognitive and emotion based models of PTSD account for the role of a minority of known pre-trauma risk factors, individual differences in peri- and post trauma processes are held as critical to the development of PTSD. The broad range of risk factors implicated in the empirical literature, and necessity of traumatic exposure to PTSD, implicates the utility of a diathesis-stress conceptualisation of PTSD development. The current thesis employed an analogue VR-trauma paradigm to investigate the respective importance of vulnerability factors at each stage, in the prediction of analogue PTSD symptoms (memory problems, startle responses, re-exposure fear habituation), whilst measuring affective and electrophysiological concomitance. Findings supported the importance of peri-traumatic responses in the prediction of PTSD, where present, showing increased predictive capacities over pre- and post-trauma factors. Biological and ecological factors also illustrated important predictive associations, with genetic SNPs implicated in reflex startle and cardiac responses towards intrusive memories. Moreover, peri-traumatic HR decelerations and accelerations mediated the association between pre-trauma factors and cued recall inaccuracy and intrusion severity respectively. Results support existing cognitive and emotional models in their emphasis on peri-traumatic processes but suggest the added utility of a diathesis stress conceptualisation of the development of PTSD, in highlighting the importance of pre-trauma biological and ecological risk and resilience factors.