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A wave cavity resonator (WCR) is investigated to determine the suitability of the device as an energy harvester in rivers or tidal flows. The WCR consists of coupling between self-excited oscillations of turbulent flow of water in an open channel along the opening of a rectangular cavity and the standing gravity wave in the cavity. The device was investigated experimentally for a range of inflow velocities, cavity opening lengths, and characteristic depths of the water. Determining appropriate models and empirical relations for the system over a range of depths allows for accuracy when designing prototypes and tools for determining the suitability of a particular river or tidal flow as a potential WCR site. The performance of the system when coupled with a wave absorber/generator is also evaluated for a range piston strokes in reference to cavity wave height. Video recording of the oscillating free-surface inside the resonator cavity in conjunction with free-surface elevation measurements using a capacitive wave gauge provides representation of the resonant wave modes of the cavity as well as the degree of the flow-wave coupling in terms of the amplitude and the quality factor of the associated spectral peak. Moreover, application of digital particle image velocimetry (PIV) provides insight into the evolution of the vortical structures that form across the cavity opening. Coherent oscillations were attainable for a wide range of water depths. Variation of the water depth affected the degree of coupling between the shear layer oscillations and the gravity wave as well as the three-dimensionality of the flow structure. In terms of the power investigation, conducted with the addition of a load cell and linear table-driven piston, the device is likely limited to running low power instrumentation unless it can be up-scaled. Up-scaling of the system, while requiring additional design considerations, is not unreasonable; large-scale systems of resonant water waves and the generation of large scale vortical structures due to tidal or river flows are even observed naturally. / Graduate / 0547 / 0548 / reaumejd@uvic.ca

Flow separation and reattachment happens in many fluid mechanical situations occurring in engineering applications as well as in nature. The flow over a backward-facing step represents a geometrically simple flow situation exhibiting both flow separation and reattachment. Broadly speaking there are only two important parameters in the problem, the Reynolds number(Re) based on the step height(h),and a geometrical parameter, referred to as the Expansion ratio(ER), defined as the downstream channel height to the upstream channel height. In spite of the relative simplicity of this geometry, the flow downstream is quite complex. The main focus of the present work is to elucidate the unsteady three-dimensional coherent structures present in this flow at large Re, Re>36,000,based on the step height(h). For this, we use velocity field measurements from Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV)in conjunction with hotwire anemometry measurements. The time-averaged structure of this flow is first studied in detail, including the effect of Reynolds number(Re) and Expansion Ratio(ER), on it. These studies show that at sufficiently large Re (Re>20,000), the reattachment length becomes independent of Re. The detailed internal structure of the separation bubble is also found to be independent of Re, but for Revalues that are relatively larger(Re>36,000). At large Re, the main effect of ER ,is found to be on the reattachment length, which increases with ER and saturates for ER values greater than about 1.8. The detailed internal structure of the separation bubble has been mapped at high Re and is found to be nearly the same for all ER, when the streamwise length is normalized by the reattachment length. In order to elucidate the unsteady coherent vortical structures, PIV measurements are done in two orthogonal planes downstream of the backward-facing step. These measurements are done for ER= 1.50 at large Re(Re=36,000) and in a large aspect ratio facility(AR= span length/step height= 24); the latter being important to avoid any effects due to span-wise confinement. In the spanwise plane parallel to the lower wall(x-z plane),instantaneous velocity fields show counter rotating vortex pairs, which is a signature of the three-dimensional vortical structures in this plane. Using conditional averaging, this counter-rotating vortex pair signature is captured right from upstream of the step, to well after reattachment. Spatial correlations are used to get the length scale of these coherent vortical structures, which varies substantially from the attached boundary layer before separation to the region after reattachment. The variation of these structures in the cross-stream (vertical) direction at reattachment and beyond gives an idea about their three dimensional shape. The circulation of these counter-rotating pairs is measured from the conditionally aver-aged fields, and is found to increase with streamwise distance reaching normalized circulation values (Γ/Uoh) of about 0.5 around reattachment. Velocity spectra downstream of the step show peaks corresponding to both the shear layer frequency(Stsl)and a relatively lower frequency that corresponds to large-scale shedding from the separation bubble (Stb); the latter in particular being quasi-periodic. Small amplitude sinusoidal forcing at the shedding frequency(Stb) is applied close to the step, by blowing and suction, to make the quasi-periodic shedding more regular. Measurements show that this has a very small effect on both the mean separation bubble and on the counter-rotating structures in the x-z plane. This mild forcing however enables phase locked PIV measurements to be made which shows the bubble shedding phenomenon in the cross-stream plane(side view or x-y plane). The phase-averaged velocity fields show significant variations from phase to phase. Although there is some hint of structures being shed, from these phase-averaged fields, it is not very clear. One of the primary reasons is the fact that the flow is effectively spanwise averaged, as the three-dimensional structures are not locked in the spanwise direction. To get a three dimensional view of the sheddin gphenomenon, it is necessary to lock the spanwise location with respect to the three-dimensional vortical structures before averaging across the different phases. We use the condition, u’<- urms, to locate the central plane between the counter-rotating structures, which in effect are the “legs” of the three-dimensional structure. With this condition, we effectively get a slice of the shedding cycle cutting through the “head” of the three-dimensional structure. Apart from this cut, we also get a cut between adjacent structures from the weak sweep events, with the condition u’<- urms. Using these conditions, on the phase-locked velocity fields, we effectively lock the structures in time, as well as in the spanwise direction. With this ,a clearer picture of the shedding process emerges. The flow is highly three-dimensional near reattachment and the shedding of the separation bubble is modulated in the spanwise direction owing to the three-dimensional hairpin like vortical structures in the flow. The separation bubble is seen bulged out and lifted high at locations where the head of the hairpin vortex passes, owing to the strong ejection of fluid caused by the vortical structure. On the other hand, outside the hairpin vortices, weak sweep events push the flow towards the wall and make it shallow and less prominent, with the shedding being very weak in this plane. From these observations, a three-dimensional picture of the flow is proposed.

The present research project is carried out at the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics (Rhode-Saint-Genèse, Belgium) with the financial support of the European Space Agency.<p><p>The first stage of spacecrafts (e.g. Ariane 5, Vega, Shuttle) generally consists of large solid propellant rocket motors (SRM), which often consist of segmented structure and incorporate a submerged nozzle. During the combustion, the regression of the solid propellant surrounding the nozzle integration part leads to the formation of a cavity around the nozzle lip. The propellant combustion generates liquefied alumina droplets coming from chemical reaction of the aluminum composing the propellant grain. The alumina droplets being carried away by the hot burnt gases are flowing towards the nozzle. Meanwhile the droplets may interact with the internal flow. As a consequence, some of the droplets are entrapped in the cavity forming an alumina puddle (slag) instead of being exhausted through the throat. This slag reduces the performances.<p><p>The aim of the present study is to characterize the slag accumulation process in a simplified model of the MPS P230 motor using primarily optical experimental techniques. Therefore, a 2D-like cold-gas model is designed, which represents the main geometrical features of the real motor (presence of an inhibitor, nozzle and cavity) and allows to approximate non-dimensional parameters of the internal two-phase flow (e.g. Stokes number, volume fraction). The model is attached to a wind-tunnel that provides quasi-axial flow (air) injection. A water spray device in the stagnation chamber realizes the models of the alumina droplets, which are accumulating in the aft-end cavity of the motor.<p><p>To be able to carry out experimental investigation, at first the the VKI Level Detection and Recording(LeDaR) and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurement techniques had to be adapted to the two-phase flow condition of the facility.<p><p>A parametric liquid accumulation assessment is performed experimentally using the LeDaR technique to identify the influence of various parameters on the liquid deposition rate. The obstacle tip to nozzle tip distance (OT2NT) is identified to be the most relevant, which indicates how much a droplet passing just at the inhibitor tip should deviate transversally to leave through the nozzle and not to be entrapped in the cavity.<p><p>As LeDaR gives no indication of the driving mechanisms, the flow field is analysed experimentally, which is supported by numerical simulations to understand the main driving forces of the accumulation process. A single-phase PIV measurement campaign provides detailed information about the statistical and instantaneous flow structures. The flow quantities are successfully compared to an equivalent 3D unsteady LES numerical model.<p><p>Two-phase flow CFD simulations suggest the importance of the droplet diameter on the accumulation rate. This observation is confirmed by two-phase flow PIV experiments as well. Accordingly, the droplet entrapment process is described by two mechanisms. The smaller droplets (representing a short characteristic time) appear to follow closely the air-phase. Thus, they may mix with the air-phase of the recirculation region downstream the inhibitor and can be carried into the cavity. On the other hand, the large droplets (representing a long characteristic time) are not able to follow the air-phase motion. Consequently, a large mean velocity difference is found between the droplets and the air-phase using the two-phase flow measurement data. Therefore, due to the inertia of the large droplets, they may fall into the cavity in function of the OT2NT and their velocity vector at the level of the inhibitor tip.<p><p>Finally, a third mechanism, dripping is identified as a contributor to the accumulation process. In the current quasi axial 2D-like set-up large drops are dripping from the inhibitor. In this configuration they are the main source of the accumulation process. Therefore, additional numerical simulations are performed to estimate the importance of dripping in more realistic configurations. The preliminary results suggest that dripping is not the main mechanism in the real slag accumulation process. However, it may still lead to a considerable contribution to the final amount of slag.<p> / Doctorat en Sciences de l'ingénieur / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Peripheral vascular grafts are used for the treatment of peripheral arterial disease and arteriovenous grafts for vascular access in end stage renal disease. The development of neo-intimal hyperplasia and thrombosis in the distal anastomosis remains the main reason for occlusion in that region. The local haemodynamics produced by a graft in the host vessel is believed to significantly affect endothelial function. Single spiral flow is a normal feature in medium and large sized vessels and it is induced by the anatomical structure and physiological function of the cardiovascular system. Grafts designed to generate a single spiral flow in the distal anastomosis have been introduced in clinical practice and are known as spiral grafts. In this work, spiral peripheral vascular and arteriovenous grafts were compared with conventional grafts using ultrasound and computational methods to identify their haemodynamic differences. Vascular-graft flow phantoms were developed to house the grafts in different surgical configurations. Mimicking components, with appropriate acoustic properties, were chosen to minimise ultrasound beam refraction and distortion. A dual-beam two-dimensional vector Doppler technique was developed to visualise and quantify vortical structures downstream of each graft outflow in the cross-flow direction. Vorticity mapping and measurements of circulation were acquired based on the vector Doppler data. The flow within the vascular-graft models was simulated with computed tomography based image-guided modelling for further understanding of secondary flow motions and comparison with the experimental results. The computational assessments provided a three-dimensional velocity field in the lumen of the models allowing a range of fluid dynamic parameters to be predicted. Single- or double-spiral flow patterns consisting of a dominant and a smaller vortex were detected in the outflow of the spiral grafts. A double- triple- or tetra-spiral flow pattern was found in the outflow of the conventional graft, depending on model configuration and Reynolds number. These multiple-spiral patterns were associated with increased flow stagnation, separation and instability, which are known to be detrimental for endothelial behaviour. Increased in-plane mixing and wall shear stress, which are considered atheroprotective in normal vessels, were found in the outflow of the spiral devices. The results from the experimental approach were in agreement with those from the computational approach. This study applied ultrasound and computational methods to vascular-graft phantoms in order to characterise the flow field induced by spiral and conventional peripheral vascular and arteriovenous grafts. The results suggest that spiral grafts are associated with advanced local haemodynamics that may protect endothelial function and thereby may prevent their outflow anastomosis from neo-intimal hyperplasia and thrombosis. Consequently this work supports the hypothesis that spiral grafts may decrease outflow stenosis and hence improve patency rates in patients.