Computational flow in a collapsed tube with wall contact

Biofluids are transported in deformable vessels. When the transmural pressure is negative, the vessel collapses; opposite walls can come into contact. The dynamics of collapsible pipes depend upon the coupling between the biofluid and the biosolid via the tube law, which is described in the present paper. A brief review of experimental and theoretical modelling is also given, with emphasis on the one-dimensional theory. However, this fruitful model has many limitations; three-dimensional studies must now be carried out. As an illustration, the laminar steady flow has been computed in a rigid pipe corresponding to a highly collapsed tube with wall contact (Reynolds number of 1 210). The Navier–Stokes equations, associated to the classical boundary conditions, were solved by a finite element method. Where the opposite walls are in contact, the fluid flows through two small tear-drop-shaped outer passages. In the downstream divergent, in- and up(bottom)ward jets are associated to flow separations and to flow characteristics behind a stationary immersed wall.     

Unbiased volume estimation with coaxial sections: an application to the human bladder

A problem of current medical interest is how to estimate the volume of an object from coaxial sections. Such images can be produced in ultrasound scanning, when the planar scan sections all emanate from a common axis. Two unbiased volume estimators for this sampling regime, previously published without derivation, are derived and presented here in some detail. The estimators are based on an ancient theorem of Pappus of Alexandria (c. ad 320). One of the estimators was used to estimate the volume of urine in the bladder of six human volunteers. The case example was attractive because the corresponding volumes could be voided and directly measured after the scanning session, thus confirming the unbiasedness of the estimator used. Sample size guidelines are also given.     

Flow rate measurement by an orifice in a slowly reciprocating gas flow

It is shown that small density changes can give rise to misinterpretation of flow rate signals in unsteady (reciprocating) flows. Basically a flow rate measured at some point A cannot simply be assigned to a remote point B. Depending on the way of plotting a hysteresis appears which, in fact, does not exist. Unsteady conservation of mass is applied to a volume and orifice flow system to obtain an equation which explains and predicts the apparent hysteresis. The equation in dimensionless form contains a key parameter β which holds the flow determining quantities. Experiments are conducted with respect to a wide spread of β. It is shown that the equation predicts reality quite well.     

From disturbance to measurement: Application of Coriolis meter for two-phase flow with gas bubbles

Entrained gas has been regarded as disturbance to measurements based on Coriolis meters, since measurement accuracy can be degraded because of this disturbance. Recent research from Endress + Hauser has discovered that different types of gas bubbles, namely free bubbles and suspended bubbles, have various impact on the meter measurement performance. It is important to understand the error mechanism for different effects, namely bubble effect and resonator effect, which are introduced by different bubble types, and to take the corresponding measures to cope with the effects. It is also crucial to identify the bubble pattern in the measuring tube of a Coriolis meter to make a diagnosis and reduce the negative influence of the disturbance accordingly. For free bubbles that typically cause inhomogeneity of a medium, the fluctuation of the resonance frequency of the measuring tube in a Coriolis meter is directly correlated to the existence of this type of bubbles, since this medium under a flowing condition causes density fluctuation to the meter as gas density is typically much lower than that of a liquid. For homogenous suspended bubbles that lead to a significantly increased compressibility of a medium, the innovative Multi-Frequency Technology in Promass Q sensor offers the means to qualitatively detect the existence of this type of bubbles and quantitatively calculate the volume fraction of the gas phase, based on its ability to derive the speed of sound in a medium containing such bubbles. Identification of the type of bubbles helps not only for crediting the measurement reliability, but also for obtaining more detailed medium properties, and in turn a better process insight, with which a process optimization can be enabled to improve the quality of production.     

Application of the method of discrete vortices to compute self-oscillations of a tube in liquid flow

The method of mathematical modeling and the application of the advanced method of discrete vortices to calculate the parallel-sided separated flow around bodies oscillating in the flow are presented. These methods find an application in the investigation of the nature of hydrodynamic mechanisms of the vibration excitation of tube bundles in heat-exchange apparatuses.     

Analytical solution for two-phase flow between two rotating cylinders filled with power law liquid and a micro layer of gas

This paper deals with the effects that a thin gas layer exerts on the hydrodynamic aspects of power law liquid in a radial Couette flow between two cylinders. Analytical solution is made to determine the velocity profile in the two-phase flow system occupied by the power law liquid and the micro layer of a gas. It is shown that the thin (micro) gas layer contributes in reducing torque to set the fluid in motion in most cases. However, by considering generalized power law liquids, this paper limits the credibility for the positive role of the gas layer on reducing the torque for lubrication. For instance, when n < 0.5 (n is the behavior index of the liquid), slight increment in the torque (about 6%) is reported. Finally, energy gradient method is used for stability analysis. It is shown that the stability nature may be changed based on behavior index of the liquid.     

Development of a novel rotary flow control valve with an electronic actuator and a pressure compensator valve for a gas turbine engine fuel control system

This paper presents a new rotary proportional flow control valve with Cam-Nozzle configuration. The rotating cam against the fixed nozzle changes the flow area and then can meter the fuel flow. This valve equipped with a pressure compensator plunger type valve to retaining constant pressure difference across the flow control or metering valve. The cam shaft directly coupled to an electronic servomotor type rotary actuator and then it is possible to apply digital control techniques such as pulse width modulation (PWM) in this control system. This new valve configuration is developed for an electro hydro mechanical fuel control system in a gas turbine engine. In addition to aero engine application, this type of flow metering valve can widely be used in industrial hydraulic systems. In this unit, the output flow is proportional to the cam's angular position (or throttle command) and it is not sensitive to pressure fluctuations at nozzle inlet and outlet. The aim of this new design is to modify a manual single adjusted hydro-pneumatic fuel control unit to obtain a new electro-hydraulic fuel control system for a gas turbine engine. The main innovations in the presented fuel metering unit include new design of the rotary valve opening shape (Cam-Nozzle) without metal to metal contact, use of a rotary electronic actuating mechanism and also direct coupling between the actuator and the rotating cam. The increased fuel metering precision in the new flow control valve has improved the ultimate control accuracy of system. A computer simulation software based on the proposed model, is performed to predict the steady state and transient performance and to analyze effect of important design parameters on valve outlet fuel flow and obtain the final design parameters. The validity of the proposed valve configuration is assessed experimentally in the steady state and transient modes of operation. The results show good agreement between simulation and experimental in both modes (max. 4% deviation).     

Numerical simulation of fully developed flow and heat transfer characteristics in a curved tube with pulsating pressure gradient

Characteristics of fluid flow and convective heat transfer of a pulsating flow in a curved tube have been investigated numerically. The tube wall is assumed to be maintained at a uniform temperature peripherally in a fully developed pulsating flow region. The temperature and flow distributions over a cross-section of a curved tube with the associated velocity field need to be studied in detail. This problem is of particular interest in the design of Stirling engine heat exchangers and in understanding the blood flow in the aorta. The time-dependent, elliptic governing equations are solved, employing finite volume technique. The periodic steady state results are obtained for various governing dimensionless parameters, such as Womersley number, pulsation amplitude ration, curvature ratio and Reynolds number. The numerical results indicate that the phase difference between the pressure gradient and averaged axial velocity increases gradually up to π/2 as Womersley number increases. However, this phase difference is almost independent of the amplitude ratio of pulsation. It is also found that the secondary flow patterns are strongly affected by the curvature ratio and Reynolds number. These, in turn, give a strong influence on the convective heat transfer from the pipe wall to the pulsating flow. The results obtained lead to a better understanding of the underlying physical process and also provide input that may be used to design the relevant system. The numerical approach is discussed in detail, and the aspects that must be included for an accurate simulation are discussed.     

Reverse flow in a square duct with an obstruction at the entry

In this paper, the reverse flow in a square duct with an obstruction at the front (which is a square plate), is investigated using particle image velocimetry (PIV). The gap g between the obstruction and the entry to the duct was systematically varied, and it was found that maximum reverse flow occurs around a g/w value of 0.75. The velocity vectors, vorticity plots, and other details described indicate that the flow field is different compared with the two-dimensional channel case.     

A comparative study of flow rate characteristics of an averaging Pitot tube type flow meter according to H parameters based on two kinds of differential pressure measured at the flow meter with varying air temperature

A new averaging Pitot tube flow meter that has a shape similar to an Annubar® type flow meter was designed and its flow rate characteristic was evaluated. The air temperature supplied to the developed flow meter was maintained at a constant by controlling electric power supply to an electric heater during the calibration. Two kinds of differential pressure measured at the flow meter were used in calculating the H parameters, which represent characteristics of the developed flow meter. One H parameter (H_ΔP1) which was newly proposed in this research was calculated based on the difference between upstream pressure (stagnation pressure) at the flow meter and static pressure of the measured flow. The differential pressure is equivalent to the dynamic pressure of the flow. The other H parameter (H_ΔP2) which is used in a typical Annubar® type flow meter was calculated based on the difference between upstream and downstream pressure at the developed flow meters. Relationship curves between the two H parameters and the mass flow rate at the developed flow meter were obtained. The curves based on the H_ΔP2 parameter, which uses the difference between up and down stream pressure, show different gradients for varying the controlled air temperature. However, the other curve, based on the other H_ΔP1 parameter, which uses the dynamic pressure, can be represented by one linear curve even with varying air temperature.     

Reverse flow in a circular duct with an obstruction at the entry

In this paper the reverse flow in a duct (diameter D) with an obstruction at the front (which is a disc), is investigated using PIV. The gap g between the obstruction and the entry to the duct is systematically varied and it is found that maximum reverse flow occurs at a g/D value of 0.5. The flow is stagnant around g/D of 1.25 and forward flow occurs for g/D values of 1.5 and above. The vortex formation length behind the disc is smaller than that of the plate and the variation of the magnitude of reverse flow with the gap g between the axisymmetrical circular duct and two-dimensional channel differs considerably. The reverse flow phenomena in the circular duct with an obstruction at the entry can be explained by the vortex formation length and low pressure behind the obstruction.     

Minimum Film Thickness in a Gas Foil Journal Bearing with an Unbalanced Rotor

A gas-lubricated foil journal bearing consists of a compliant metal shell structure that supports a rigid journal or rotor by means of a gas film. The response of this system to the periodic forces of an unbalanced rotor supported by a single bearing is predicted using perturbation analysis. The foil structure and the gas film are modeled with an analytically perturbed finite element approach to predict the rotor dynamic coefficients. A dynamic model of the rotor is used to predict periodic journal motion. The perturbation analysis is then used with the periodic response of the rotor to calculate periodic changes in the gas film thickness. Other quantities such as the gas film pressure and the foil deflection can also be calculated. The model includes bending and membrane effects in the top foil, coupled radial and circumferential deflections in the corrugated sub-foil, and the equivalent viscous dissipation of Coulomb friction effects in the foil structure. The approach is used to investigate the effects of top-foil thickness on minimum film thickness in a bearing.     

上隅角瓦斯处理装置的研制

根据上隅角瓦斯积聚的机理,提出治理上隅角瓦斯积聚的新思路,设计新的瓦斯治理系统.     

The flexible Ca-test: an improved performance in a gas permeability measurement system

A flexible performance permeability measuring test for flexible organic light-emitting diodes is described in this paper. A single thin film layer of gas barriers is constructed on polyethersulfone (PES). The barrier coats the upper and lower surfaces of the PES layer. Two PES samples, one coated with Al(2)O(3) on both surfaces and the other coated on a single surface, were made for comparison. According to this test, the time-dependent transmission curve of the one sided barrier sample had a linear slope which measured 1.65 g∕m(2)∕day at room temperature at a 50% relative humidity. This result shows that the measurement time is about 182% faster than has been achieved with the conventional test structure that uses a glass substrate. In addition, this measurement structure not only reduces the inevitable electrical noise which occurs during measurement but also increases the water vapor permeation signal. These effects improve the sensing reliability of the test. In addition, this structure is flexible, so one can instantly detect barrier performance changes when applying external stress.     

Comparison between wire-mesh sensor and ultra-fast X-ray tomograph for an air–water flow in a vertical pipe

A comparison between ultra-fast X-ray CT and a wire-mesh sensor is presented. The measurements were carried out in a vertical pipe of 42 mm inner diameter, which was supplied with an air–water mixture. Both gas and liquid superficial velocities were varied. The X-ray CT delivered 263 frames per second, while the wire-mesh sensor was operated at a frequency four times higher. Two different gas injectors were used: four orifices of 5 mm diameter for creating large bubbles and gas plugs and a sintered plate with a pore size of 100 μm for generating a bubbly flow. It was found that the wire-mesh sensor has a significantly higher resolution than the X-ray CT. Small bubbles, which are clearly shown by the wire-mesh sensor, cannot be found in the CT images, because they cross the measuring plane before a complete scan can be performed. This causes artifacts in the reconstructed images, instead. Furthermore, there are large deviations between the quantitative information contained in the reconstructed tomographic 2D distributions and the gas fractions measured by the sensor, while the agreement is very good when the gas fraction is obtained by a direct evaluation of the X-ray attenuation along the available through-transmission chords of the tomography set-up. This shows that there is still potential for an improvement of the image reconstruction method. Concerning the wire-mesh sensor it was found that the gas fraction inside large bubbles is slightly underestimated. Furthermore, a significant distortion of large Taylor bubbles by the sensor was found for small liquid velocities up to 0.24 m/s. This effect vanished with growing superficial water velocity.     

Investigation of the turbulence characteristics in the swirling flow of a gun-type gas burner with two different hot-wire probes

Mean velocities and turbulence characteristics in the swirling flow of a gun-type gas burner (GTGB) were measured with a triaxial hot-wire probe (T-probe) and compared with previous data measured with an X-type hot-wire probe (Xprobe). Vectors and axial mean velocity data obtained by the measurement of the two types of probes in the horizontal plane and in the cross section differ in magnitude, but have very similar shape in overall distribution. Axial mean velocity components show especially wide differences around the slits and outer part of the swirl vanes within the range of X/R=2. Also, various turbulence intensities appear in a similar trend to axial mean velocity components within the range of X/R=2. The radial component of turbulence intensity around the slits and the outer part of swirl vanes above the range of X/R=2 has an opposite phenomenon. On the whole, the T-probe’s measurements appear smaller than the X-probe’s. This shows that the X-probe is better than the T-probe, especially on the swirling flow because it is much easier to use.     

Water flow measurement in large bore pipes: an experimental comparison between two different types of insertion flowmeters

In this paper the metrological behavior of two different insertion flowmeters (magnetic and turbine types) in large water pipes is described. A master-slave calibration was carried out in order to estimate the overall uncertainty of the tested meters. The experimental results show that (i) the magnetic insertion tested flowmeter performs the claimed accuracy (+/- 2%) within all the flow range (20:1); (ii) the insertion turbine tested meter, instead, reaches the claimed accuracy just in the upper zone of the flow range.     

Application of optical velocity measurements including a novel calibration technique for micron-resolution to investigate the gas flow in a model experiment for crystal growth

An important step in the fabrication of many modern semiconductor materials and devices is the crystal growth process. These processes take place in high-temperature furnaces using inert gas and other atmospheres. The flow in the gas phase influences the transport of crystal components, dopants and impurities and hence has a significant impact on the grown crystals. In this work, we study the flow in a simplified model of a crystal growth furnace. This model is made of PMMA filled with a Diesel mixture as a model fluid to match the refractive index of PMMA and to allow for measurements in the complex geometry. The comparability to the flow in a real furnace is ensured by matching the Reynolds number. Two optical measurement methods, Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and the Laser Doppler Velocity Profile Sensor (LDV-PS) are used to investigate the global flow field as well as the small-scale flow structures. A calibration model is developed for the LDV-PS to reduce systematic measurement errors caused by the refractive index of the model fluid from up to 1% to less than 0,1%. The results obtained in this study improve the understanding of the gas flow behavior inside a crystal growth furnace and provide reference data for simulation. The first analysis shows a highly unsteady flow with unexpected flow direction along the crystal and melt surfaces. The near-surface flow patterns are of particular relevance in crystal growth because of their large influence on the local heat and mass transport during the crystallization process.     

Mathematical programming approach to optimize material flow in an AGV-based flexible jobshop manufacturing system with performance analysis

An automated manufacturing system (AMS) is a complex network of processing, inspecting, and buffering nodes connected by system of transportation mechanisms. For an AMS, it is desirable to be capable to increase or decrease the output with the rise and fall of demand. Such specifications show the complexity of decision making in the field of AMSs and the need for concise and accurate modeling methods. Therefore, in this paper, a flexible jobshop automated manufacturing system is proposed to optimize the material flow. The flexibility is on the multi-shops of the same type and also multiple products that can be produced. An automated guided vehicle is applied for material handling. The objective is to optimize the material flow regarding the demand fluctuations and machine specifications. An illustrative example is presented to test the validity of the proposed mathematical model.