Inactivation of Cryptosporidium Oocysts in a Pilot-Scale Ozone Bubble-Diffuser Contactor. II: Model Validation and Application

The axial dispersion reactor (ADR) model developed in Part I of this study was successfully validated with experimental data obtained for the inactivation of C. parvum and C. muris oocysts with a pilot-scale ozone-bubble diffuser contactor operated with treated Ohio River water. Kinetic parameters, required to model the effect of temperature on the decomposition of ozone in treated Ohio River water and oocyst inactivation, were determined from batch and semibatch ozonation experiments. The ADR model was used to simulate the effects of operating conditions (feed-gas ozone concentration, liquid flow rate, and gas flow rate), and water quality related parameters (fast ozone demand, first and second order ozone decomposition rate constants, and temperature) on the performance of the pilot-scale contactor. The model simulation provided valuable insight into understanding the performance of ozone disinfection systems and recommendations for ozone contactor design and optimization. For example, the simulation revealed that meeting inactivation requirements for C. parvum oocysts would be more challenging at relatively lower temperatures.     

Characterization of a sudden expansion flow chamber to study the response of endothelium to flow recirculation

In order to simulate regions of flow separation observed in vivo, a conventional parallel plate flow chamber was modified to produce an asymmetric sudden expansion. The flow field was visualized using light reflecting particles and the size of the recirculation zone was measured by image analysis of the particles. Finite element numerical solutions of the two and three-dimensional forms of the Navier-Stokes equation were used to determine the wall shear stress distribution and predict the location of reattachment. For two different size expansions, numerical estimates of the reattachment point along the centerline of the flow chamber agreed well with experimental values for Reynolds numbers below 473. Even at a Reynolds number of 473, the flow could be approximated as two-dimensional for 80 percent of the chamber width. Peak shear stresses in the recirculation zone as high as 80 dyne/cm2 and shear stress gradients of 2500 (dyne/cm2)/cm were produced. As an application of this flow chamber, subconfluent bovine aortic endothelial cell shape and orientation were examined in the zone of recirculation during a 24 h exposure to flow at a Reynolds number of 267. After 24 h, gradients in cell orientation and shape were observed within the recirculation zone. At the location of reattachment, where the wall shear stress was zero but the shear stress gradients were large, cells plated at low density were still aligned with the direction of flow. No preferred orientation was observed at the gasket edge where the wall shear stress and shear stress gradients were zero. At higher cell densities, no alignment was observed at the separation point.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

气体雾化制粉工艺中基于气体整流的卫星粉控制技术

金属熔体气体雾化法是制备增材制造专用金属粉末的重要方法。然而,气体雾化工艺制得的粉末中通常混有大量卫星粉,对金属增材制造工艺产生不利影响。本文通过施加辅助气流并采用阶梯状雾化室结构等气体整流措施抑制回流区中的粉尘回旋,进而控制卫星粉的形成。利用计算流体力学软件ANSYS Fluent进行数值模拟,研究施加辅助气流或采用阶梯状雾化室结构时,雾化室内宏观流场特征以及颗粒运动轨迹的变化规律。结果表明,在雾化室顶部距雾化室中心R/2(R为雾化室半径)处施加辅雾比(辅助气流与雾化气流的流量比)大于0.8的辅助气流时能够有效抑制回流区中的粉尘回旋;采用阶梯宽为300 mm、高为575～600 mm的雾化室结构能够有效抑制回流区中的粉尘回旋。根据数值模拟结果,采用气体整流措施制备TC4钛合金粉末,并检测粉末的粒径分布、球形度、赘生物指数等指标,发现与不采用气体整流措施制备的粉末相比,赘生物指数降低约45%。     

Study of transient flow and particle transport in continuous steel caster molds: Part I. Fluid flow

Unsteady three-dimensional flow in the mold region of the liquid pool during continuous casting of steel slabs has been computed using realistic geometries starting from the submerged inlet nozzle. Three large-eddy simulations (LES) have been validated with measurements and used to compare results between full-pool and symmetric half-pool domains and between a full-scale water model and actual behavior in a thin-slab steel caster. First, time-dependent turbulent flow in the submerged nozzle is computed. The time-dependent velocities exiting the nozzle ports are then used as inlet conditions for the flow in the liquid pool. Complex time-varying flow structures are observed in the simulation results, in spite of the nominally steady casting conditions. Flow in the mold region is seen to switch between a “double-roll” recirculation zone and a complex flow pattern with multiple vortices. The computed time-averaged flow pattern agrees well with measurements obtained by hot-wire anemometry and dye injection in full-scale water models. Full-pool simulations show asymmetries between the left and right sides of the flow, especially in the lower recirculation zone. These asymmetries, caused by interactions between two halves of the liquid pool, are not present in the half-pool simulation. This work also quantifies differences between flow in the water model and the corresponding steel caster. The top-surface liquid profile and fluctuations are predicted in both systems and agree favorably with measurements. The flow field in the water model is predicted to differ from that in the steel caster in having higher upward velocities in the lower-mold region and a more uniform top-surface liquid profile. A spectral analysis of the computed velocities shows characteristics similar to previous measurements. The flow results presented here are later used (in Part II of this article) to investigate the transport of inclusion particles.     

Evaluation of Mixing and Performance of Lab-Scale Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactors Treating Domestic Wastewater

The effects of varying hydraulic retention time (HRT) and associated upflow velocity on mixing and reactor performance were evaluated in five lab-scale upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors treating real domestic wastewater. The mixing and transport studies were carried out with the help of tracer experiments at various HRTs using a pulse tracer input. A number of existing models were assessed for the analysis of the time series of observed tracer concentrations. The plug-flow reactor (PFR) model with two-zone dispersion better simulated the time series of tracer concentrations at all HRTs than other models, such as single compartment dispersion, completely mixed flow reactors (CMFRs) in series, and a combination of CMFR and PFR. The dispersion coefficients obtained from the two-zone dispersion model correlated well with the dispersion analysis expression for flow in a circular cylinder, and the correlation can be used for the prediction of dispersion in a UASB reactor. The analysis of reactor performance data indicated that reduction of dispersion owing to decrease in the upflow velocity resulted in increased sulfidogenic activity in the reactor. This was attributed to the inability of the sulfate reducers to colonize in the reactor at high upflow velocity and mixing condition.     

Understanding the Mixing Pattern in an Anaerobic Expanded Granular Sludge Bed Reactor: Effect of Liquid Recirculation

An anaerobic expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) reactor is considered to be an improvement over upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactors owing to the former’s ability to recycle the effluent and its modified reactor geometry. However, the mixing pattern in EGSB reactors, which greatly influences the design and the performance of this reactor, has not yet been studied in detail. In this research, the mixing pattern in a lab-scale EGSB reactor treating a synthetic dye wastewater was studied using lithium chloride as a tracer. The tracer exit curve indicated a complete-mix behavior. A simulation study was conducted on identical reactors using conductivity probes, inserted through the sample ports along the height of the reactors and connected to a data acquisition system. The reactors were operated at three different hydraulic retention times (3.3, 5.5, and 9 h) and at four different upflow liquid velocities (1.10, 2.66, 5.33, and 8.68 m/h). The data showed the existence of a plug-flow regime in the basin at lower upflow liquid velocities although the tracer response curves resemble complete-mix behavior. With increasing upflow liquid velocity the flow pattern in the basin deviates from a plug-flow pattern and approaches a complete-mix condition. The EGSB reactor can be modeled as a plug-flow reactor with recycle and dead space, and with a large vessel dispersion number (D/uL>0.01).     

Large Eddy Simulation of Turbulent Fluid Flow in Liquid Metal of Continuous Casting

The transient turbulent flow in continuous casting steel plays a key role in minimizing defects. Compared with the k-ε model, the large eddy simulation (LES) of turbulence provides much more accurate representation of turbulent flow by resolving large-scale dynamics. The turbulent flow in a liquid metal model of continuous casting has been simulated by LES and measured using ultrasonic Doppler velocimetry (UDV). The result of measurement and LES has been compared to validate the LES model and furthermore enhance the understanding of the transient turbulent feature in the flow field. The results show that the jet exiting from the nozzle port swings, which is not steady, and turbulent velocity variation frequencies decreased with distance from the nozzle port region and also the LES mode can capture the high frequency fluctuation, which the measurement cannot detect.     

Withdrawal contractures of guinea-pig isolated ileum after acute activation of kappa-opioid receptors

High cell density cultivation of Escherichia coli on a glycerol-based mineral medium was studied. The cultivation was done in a dialysis reactor composed of two chambers. The inner chamber is formed and separated from an outer chamber by a membrane. Fresh medium was continuously exchanged with medium in the outer chamber so that both glycerol and other components of the medium were supplied to the inner chamber through the membrane. Inhibitory substances diffused from the inner to the outer chamber and were subsequently removed with effluent from the outer chamber. Initially, mathematical models were used to describe the process. The optimal cultivation parameters, such as the initial glycerol concentrations in the two chambers, the desired transport rate across the membrane, glycerol concentration in the feed/dialysing medium, and the time to start the medium exchange, were determined from preliminary experiments and calculations. The actual cultivation results agreed very well with the model predictions. A very high cell concentration of 174 g dry weight/l was obtained. This cell concentration is within the range of the maximum theoretical concentration of E. coli in culture broth (160-200 g/l).     

Modeling of Disinfection Contactor Hydraulics under Uncertainty

A study has been done to evaluate the predictive capabilities of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models of disinfection contactor hydraulics under model input uncertainty. The study consists of modeling the transport of a chemical tracer in a full-scale reactor and predicting the effluent residence time distribution (RTD) curve. An uncertainty analysis using Monte Carlo probabilistic techniques was used to determine the sensitivity of the effluent RTD to uncertainty in the influent turbulent kinetic energy constant, the turbulent Schmidt number, the wall roughness height, the influent turbulent length scale, and the turbulence model selection. Kruskal–Wallis, Friedman, and Spearman Rho statistical tests were used to evaluate changes in T10/HRT and Morril index due to input uncertainties. The results show that there are some variations in the effluent RTD due to changes in the model input parameters. The effluent RTD variations increased with decreasing contactor hydraulic efficiency or increased mixing. The effluent RTD was most sensitive to uncertainty in the turbulent Schmidt number and the selected turbulence model.     

Modeling of the turbulent flow in induction furnaces

Experimental results show that heat- and mass-transfer processes in recirculating turbulent flows, which comprise several vortexes of the mean flow, are significantly influenced by low-frequency large scale flow oscillations. The large eddy simulation (LES) model reproduces with good conformity not only these oscillations together with the dynamics of the macroscopic coherent structure, but also the turbulent energy transfer. Numerical studies, presented in this article, confirm the possibility of using LES for successful simulation of heat- and mass-transfer processes in metallurgical applications.     

Fluid Mechanics of Triangular Sediment Oxygen Demand Chamber

Benthal respiration rates are often measured in situ by a sediment oxygen demand (SOD) chamber in which a continuous flow is generated above the sediment. The steady three-dimensional turbulent flow field inside a triangular SOD chamber (previously used in field investigations) is computed using the renormalization group (RNG) k–ε model on an unstructured tetrahedral mesh. The numerical predictions reveal a highly complicated flow characterized by (1) a jet flow near the level of the inlet, with strong downflow near the outlet end; (2) significant reverse bottom currents; and (3) strong secondary circulations in the triangular cross section. Good mixing is achieved, with mean near-bottom velocities about 10 times greater than that determined from the inflow discharge and cross-sectional area. The computed velocity field is well supported by laboratory velocity measurements using laser-Doppler anemometry (LDA). The implications on SOD chamber design are also discussed with reference to computed flow fields in representative dome-shaped and rectangular chambers used in field application. The present study explains the previous large discrepancies in SOD field measurement using chambers of different designs, and points to the importance of hydrodynamics of SOD chambers.     

Computational and experimental study of turbulent flow in a 0.4-scale water model of a continuous steel caster

Single-phase turbulent flow in a 0.4-scale water model of a continuous steel caster is investigated using large eddy simulations (LES) and particle image velocimetry (PIV). The computational domain includes the entire submerged entry nozzle (SEN) starting from the tundish exit and the complete mold region. The results show a large, elongated recirculation zone in the SEN below the slide gate. The simulation also shows that the flow exiting the nozzle ports has a complex time-evolving pattern with strong cross-stream velocities, which is also seen in the experiments. With a few exceptions, which are probably due to uncertainties in the measurements, the computed flow field agrees with the measurements. The instantaneous jet is seen to have two typical patterns: a wobbling “stair-step” downward jet and a jet that bends upward midway between the SEN and the narrow face. A 51-second time average suppressed the asymmetries between the two halves of the upper mold region. However, the instantaneous velocity fields can be very different in the two halves. Long-term flow asymmetry is observed in the lower region. Interactions between the two halves cause large velocity fluctuations near the top surface. The effects of simplifying the computational domain and approximating the inlet conditions are presented.     

Numerical Simulation of Turbulent Flows,Heat and Mass Transfer in Metallurgical Induction Processes

Comprehensive knowledge of the turbulent flows, heat and mass transfer processes in the melt of induction applications is required to realize efficient metallurgical processes. Experimental and numerical studies of the melt flow in induction furnaces show that the flow pattern, which comprises several vortices of the mean flow, and the temperature distribution in the melt are significantly influenced by low‐frequency large‐scale flow oscillations. Two‐ and three‐dimensional hydrodynamic calculations of the melt flow, using two‐equation turbulence models based on Reynolds Averaged Navier‐Stokes approach, do not predict the large‐scale periodic flow instabilities obtained from the experimental data. That is why the Large Eddy Simulation (LES) numerical technique was approved to be an alternative for the various k‐? model modifications. The results of the transient 3D LES simulation of the turbulent melt flow revealed the large‐scale periodic flow instabilities and the temperature distribution in the melt, which both are in good agreement with the expectations based on the data from the experiments. The studies, presented in this paper, demonstrate the possibility of using the three‐dimensional transient LES approach for successful simulation of heat and mass transfer processes in metallurgical applications.     

Numerical Simulation of Transient Flow Patterns of Upper Swirls in Continuous Slab Casting Moulds

The transient aspect of turbulent flow in a continuous slab casting mould is studied and the transient flow patterns of the upper rolls are investigated through the application of Large Eddy Simulation (LES), employing a static Smagorinsky sub‐grid scale (SGS) model. The unsteady and coherent features of the upper recirculation zones are found, and the mechanism causing vortices developing from the upper recirculation zones is described and analysed. Results show that the asymmetry of flow patterns of the upper rolls appears most of the time. The upper swirls may break into a series of relatively small scale vortices that are chaotically distributed, and large‐scale vortex shedding occurs during the switching process between flow patterns.     

Verification of Full-Scale Ozone Contactor Inactivation Performance Using Biodosimetry

A biodosimetric technique was used to verify the concentration-contact time (CT) values [CT10, CT integrated disinfection design framework (CT-IDDF), CT segregated flow analysis (CT-SFA)] of the ozone contactors of the DesBaillets water treatment plant (Montreal), using indigenous aerobic spore formers (ASFs) as indicators of disinfection efficiency. ASF measurement in ozonated water was performed using a large water sample concentration method. Four assays, completed over a 6-week period, involved the implementation of biodosimetric calibration curves using an ozone pilot apparatus and followed by full-scale verifications. ASF inactivation kinetics were well described by a simple Chick–Watson model. The most accurate data also indicated that the CT10 underestimates the effective CT (by 1.2–1.9-fold), whereas the CT-IDDF and CT-SFA overestimate it (by 1.0–1.7-fold and 0.9–1.5-fold, respectively). Underestimation from CT10 was more pronounced with increased ozone dose while overestimation from CT-IDDF and CT-SFA is most likely due to the difficulty in obtaining a representative ozone residual profile within the contactor. The use of segregated flow analysis provided the best estimate of disinfection performance. Biodosimetry is useful in measuring the effective CT transferred, in verifying model predictions, and in determining the influence of water quality on microbial inactivation.     

Validation of a Large-Eddy Simulation Model to Simulate Flow in Pump Intakes of Realistic Geometry

This paper describes efforts toward developing a reliable numerical model to predict pump intake flow and associated vortices. Numerical prediction of these flows characterized by the formation of unsteady (meandering) intermittent vortices and presence of massive separation is very challenging. Successful prediction of these phenomena and their effects on the mean flow fields requires numerical methods and turbulence models that can accurately capture the dynamics of the main coherent structures in these flows. In the present work, large-eddy simulation (LES) in conjunction with an accurate nondissipative nonhydrostatic Navier-Stokes massively parallel solver is used to predict the flow and vortical structures in a pressurized pump intake of complex geometry. The LES model is validated using particle image velocimetry data recently collected on a laboratory model of a realistic geometry pump intake. To better put in perspective the predictive performance of the LES model, results from steady simulations employing the shear stress transport (SST) Reynolds-averaged-Navier-Stokes (RANS) model are presented and compared with LES. It is shown that even if SST can fairly successfully capture the mean velocity distribution and mean vortical structures in some regions, overall LES can more accurately predict the mean flow and turbulence statistics compared to the steady SST model.     

Mass Transfer of Ozone in a Novel In Situ Ozone Generator and Reactor

A porous tubular reactor that also served as an electrode for ozone generation was studied in this research to determine the effects of in situ ozone generation on mass transfer and reaction rates. Experimental data over a range of gas flow rates and ozone generation rates gave KLa values in the range 0.77–1.14?min?1. These values are more than double the values typically reported for bubble columns, and about 30% higher than that for packed beds. The specific power requirement for the laboratory-scale in situ reactor is an order of magnitude lower than that for bubble columns and stirred tank reactors that are used for ozone dissolution. A compartments-in-series fluid flow model was developed to describe the reactor system, and this model provides a good comparison to the experimental data for dissolved ozone and off-gas concentrations in the reactor. Sensitivity analyses indicate that the dissolved and off-gas ozone profiles are most sensitive to the gas–liquid partition coefficient and the overall mass transfer coefficient.     

Two-Dimensional LDV Measurement, Modeling, and Optimal Design of Rectangular Primary Settling Tanks

To optimize the design parameters of rectangular primary settling tanks, we used two-dimensional laser Doppler velocimetry (2D LDV) to conduct flow field measurements in five cases and used a previous model to simulate the flow field. The relative baffle submergence height and the ratio of tank length to height were optimized in a low suspended solid (LSS) concentration (LSS<150–200?mg/L). The experimental and simulation results show that a large recirculation zone exists behind the reaction baffle and the flow magnitude is small in the recirculation region; the length of recirculation increases with an increasing flow rate; the length of recirculation increases as the depth of the submerged reaction baffle increases; and the variation of the reaction baffle height can affect the flow field more significantly than does the variation of the flow rate. We also determined that to reach a higher removal rate and to optimize the area dimensions of a sedimentation tank, a length-to-height design ratio between 8 and 12 is optimal.     

Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulation of Concentration Distributions from a Point Source in the Urban Street Canyons

Air pollution in big city areas resulting from exhaust emissions is a major urban problem. Often traffic pollution excess controls air pollution management decisions. There are a number of elaborate predictive models of pollutant dispersion and diffusion that address the effects of variable shapes of city buildings on pollutant concentrations, but few are fully validated. This paper presents ventilation behavior in different street canyon configurations. To evaluate dispersion in a model urban street canyon, a series of tests with various street canyon aspect ratios (B/H) are presented. Physical modeling in wind tunnels and numerical modeling can be used for dispersion simulation when investigating air quality. The flow and dispersion of gases emitted by a point source located between two buildings inside of the urban street canyons were determined by the prognostic model FLUENT using the four differences closure approximation [standard κ-ε, RNG κ-ε, Reynolds-stress, and large eddy simulation (LES)] and Fire Dynamics Simulator, LES methodology. Calculations are compared against fluid modeling in an industrial wind tunnel at Colorado State University. These buildings were arranged in various symmetric configurations with different separation distances and different numbers of surrounding buildings. The objective of this paper was to develop reliable computer models for the bluff body flow and transport of pollutants or chemical and biological agents in urban environments.     

Detached Eddy Simulation Investigation of Turbulence at a Circular Pier with Scour Hole

This paper uses results from detached eddy simulation to reveal the dynamics of large-scale coherent eddies in the flow around a circular pier with an equilibrium scour hole. This is important for the sediment transport because the local scour process is controlled to a large extent by the large-scale coherent structures present in the near-bed region. The present paper investigates the dynamics of these coherent structures, their interactions and their role in entraining sediment in the later stages of the scour process when the horseshoe vortex system is stabilized by the presence of a large scour hole. The pier Reynolds number was 2.06×105, outside the range of well-resolved large-eddy simulation (LES). Additionally, scale effects are investigated based on comparison with LES results obtained at a much lower Reynolds number of 16,000 in a previous investigation. The paper provides a detailed study of the dynamics of the main necklace vortices of the horseshoe vortex system, including an investigation of the bimodal oscillations, their effect on the amplification of the turbulence within the scour hole and the interactions of the necklace vortices with the downflow. Several mechanisms for the growth of the downstream part of the scour hole in the later stages of the scour process are discussed. Similar to the low-Reynolds-number simulation, and consistent with experimental observations, the presence of strong upwelling motions near the symmetry plane resulted in the suppression of the large-scale vortex shedding in the wake. The fact that the nondimensional values of the turbulent kinetic energy and pressure RMS fluctuations in the higher Reynolds number simulation were consistently lower inside the regions of high turbulence amplification associated with the main necklace vortex, the separated shear layers and the near-wake shows that changes in the flow and turbulence due to the Reynolds number and scour hole geometry can be quantitatively significant over Reynolds numbers between 104 and 105.