环形窄缝通道单相流动特性研究

对环形窄缝通道内单相流动特性进行了分析，提出了理论模型预测环形窄缝通道内单相流动阻力特性。根据该模型，对窄缝宽度分别为1.0、1.5、2.0mm环形通道内单相湍流流动摩擦阻力系数进行了理论计算，并与实验结果进行了比较。理论预测值与实验结果符合较好，且窄缝间隙大小对环形窄缝通道内流动特性有着重要影响，随着间隙的减小，摩擦阻力系数相应减小。间隙对流动阻力系数的影响还依赖于Re大小，其影响随Re的减小而降低。     

Pore-scale visualization of gas trapping in porous media by X-ray CT scanning

Entrapment of the non-wetting phase in porous media has been observed in a variety of fields such as petroleum engineering, geological storage of carbon dioxide, and remediation of ground water. We investigated gas trapping in porous media from a microscopic point of view. High-resolution, three-dimensional images of pore structure and trapped gas bubbles in Berea sandstones were obtained using a micro-focused X-ray CT scanner. We used vertical and horizontal Berea sandstone cores, 8 mm in diameter and 15 mm long. Based on the three-dimensional image analysis, the statistical distribution of the trapped gas volume was estimated. Trapped bubbles have a pore-network scale size and distribute over several pores. In the case of the vertical core, the porosity fluctuates along the flow direction due to the layered structure. The residual gas saturation also fluctuates with porosity along the flow direction. The higher gas saturation in porous layers at the end of gas injection results in a higher trapped gas saturation compared to dense layers. On the other hand, in dense layers the gas saturation at the end of gas injection is almost the same as residual gas saturation. Therefore, most of the gas injected into the dense layers would be trapped. In the case of the horizontal core, the gas saturation at the irreducible water condition is lower than that for the vertical core, because the injected gas selectively passes through the more permeable layers. However, the residual gas saturation is 29.2% for the horizontal core, which is comparable with that for the vertical core (30.9%). Finally, the effect of capillary number on stability of trapped gas bubbles has been estimated. Trapped gas bubbles are stable against the increased flow rate up to a capillary number of 1.0×10^?5.     

MCM-41-supported poly(γ-mercaptopropylsiloxane palladium(0)) complex as an efficient catalyst for Heck arylation of conjugated alkenes with aryl halides

MCM-41-supported poly(γ-mercaptopropylsiloxane palladium(0)) complex [MCM-41-SH-Pd(0)] was conveniently synthesized from commercially available and cheap γ-mercaptopropyltriethoxysilane via immobilization on MCM-41, followed by reacting with palladium chloride and then the reduction with hydrazine hydrate. XRD and XPS spectroscopy were employed to characterize the title palladium complex. It was found that this complex is a highly active and stereoselective catalyst for Heck arylation of conjugated alkenes with aryl halides and can be reused many times without loss of activity.     

CFD analysis of fast loss of flow accident in typical MTR reactor undergoing partial and full blockage: The average channel scenario

CFD investigation of loss of flow accident (LOFA) in typical MTR reactor undergoing partial and full blockage under the average channel condition is considered. The blockage scenarios considered in this work describe changes in the geometrical configuration of the flow channels as a result of thermal stresses or any other reason. That is the fuel plates of the average channel are assumed to buckle inwards along the plate height. As a result, the flow area decreases along the height of the channel until it achieves minimum in the middle. Three adjacent channels are simulated. With the area of the blocked channel decreases, that of the adjacent channel increases while the third channel remains unaltered. Blockage ratios considered in this work includes 0%, 20%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 80%, and full blockage. As a result of the change in the geometrical configuration of the flow channels, the hydraulic resistance also changes resulting in flow and heat transfer load to redistribute among the three channels. During the course of LOFA, the decay heat load is taken up by natural convection. While under the hot channel conditions, previous work showed that boiling is inevitable for even small blockage ratios. In this work maximum clad temperature is found to be under the boiling temperature at the operating pressure up to approximately 80% blockage ratio. For blockage ratio larger than 80%, the maximum clad temperature exceeds the boiling temperature indicating that boiling may occur.     

Nucleate boiling heat transfer from a structured surface – Effect of liquid intake

A model of the suction evaporation mode in nucleate boiling from tunnel and pore structures is presented. The model is based on the analysis by Nakayama et al. [W. Nakayama, T. Daikoku, H. Kuwahara, T. Nakajima, Dynamic model of enhanced boiling heat transfer on porous surfaces – Part II. Analytical model, ASME J. Heat Transfer 102 (3) (1980) 451–456] and L.H. Chein and R.L. Webb [A nucleate boiling model for structured enhanced surfaces, Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer 41 (14) (1998) 2183–2195]. Additionally, a detailed phenomenological model of liquid refill has been developed. It has been shown that the process of liquid refill and the time needed for it is strongly dependent on pool height. Effect of liquid pool height on bubble frequency has also been discussed. Finally, a generalized methodology is given for the prediction of boiling data from a structured surface.     

Investigation of dynamic liquid distribution and hold-up in structured packings using ultrafast electron beam X-ray tomography

Dynamic cross-sectional liquid distribution and hold-up in a DN80 separation column filled with structured packings was studied using an ultrafast electron-beam X-ray tomograph with high temporal resolution of 2000 images per second. The modality allows visualisation and characterisation of the counter-current flow before and at the flooding point representing the upper operation limit. Two packings of the same type (Montz B1-MN) with different specific surface area were used to investigate the influence of the packing geometry on the spatial liquid distribution. The system studied was water/air at different gas and liquid loads. The results of the tomographic imaging and corresponding post-processing routines were validated by comparison with conventional draining measurements.     

Evaporation of liquids on chemically patterned surfaces

We studied evaporation rates of volatile liquids deposited onto chemically patterned surfaces by means of experiments and numerical simulations. We quantified the influence of the droplet geometry, in particular circular, triangular, rectangular and square shapes, as well as the influence of contact angles. We considered the two cases of vaporization both in stagnant atmospheres as well as in the presence of well-defined laminar airflows. While lateral air-convection enhances evaporation, it causes a dependence of the evaporation rate on the pattern orientation with respect to the airflow. Neighboring droplets and rivulets tend to mutually reduce their evaporation rate relative to isolated patterns.     

Single bubble dynamics and transient pressure during subcooled nucleate pool boiling

This article investigates the growth and collapse of a single vapor bubble during subcooled nucleate pool boiling of water at a vertical copper surface. Two high-speed cameras and a hydrophone were used for a synchronized measurement of the bubble life cycle and the pressure transient in the surrounding liquid at a system pressure of 25 kPa. A pressure transient with the basic form of one and a half sine was expected. This expectation was basically confirmed, but additional significant minima and maxima corresponding to a frequency of approximately 60 Hz were found in the pressure transient. The comparison of the bubble volume and the pressure transient leads to the conclusion, that heat transfer effects will have to be considered to explain the deviations from the sine. Pressure wave reflections inside the evaporator are of minor importance since their wave length is much larger than the extensions of the evaporator.     

Gas-cooled reactor thermal hydraulic analyses with MELCOR

Pursuant to the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR) has been selected as the reference design for the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP). Stemming from a U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) HTGR research initiative, a need was identified for validation of systems-level computer code modeling capabilities in anticipation of the eventual need to perform licensing analyses. Because the NRC has used MELCOR for light water reactors (LWR) in the past and because MELCOR was recently updated to include gas-cooled reactor (GCR) physics models, MELCOR is among the system codes of interest to the NRC. This paper describes MELCOR modeling of the General Atomics' Modular High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (MHTGR). The MHGTR is a suitable design for demonstration of MELCOR GCR modeling competency for two reasons: 1) the MHTGR is a predecessor to the more advanced General Atomics’ Gas-Turbine Modular High Temperature Reactor (GTMHR), and 2) experimental data useful for benchmark calculations may soon become available. Using the most complete literature references available for the MHTGR design, researchers at Texas A&M University (TAMU) constructed a MELCOR input deck for the MHTGR to partially validate MELCOR GCR modeling capabilities. Normal and off-normal system operating conditions were modeled with appropriate boundary and initial conditions. MELCOR predictions of system response were obtained for steady-state, pressurized conduction cool-down (PCC), and depressurized conduction cool-down (DCC) scenarios. Code results were checked against nominal MHTGR design parameters, physical intuition, and anticipated GCR thermal hydraulic response. No inherent deficiencies in MELCOR modeling capability were observed, suggesting that the newly-implemented GCR models are adequate for systems-level analysis. If and when experimental benchmark data becomes available, further validation activities may proceed given the modeling efforts discussed herein.     

An optimal parametric design to improve chip cooling

The thermal problems of most electronic components have been solved in recent years by installing various cooling equipments. The passive cooling, which has no need of the fluid-driving devices, can be more reliable and achieved with less cost. In this paper, the Taguchi’s method is applied on the optimization of the passive cooling for electronic systems, and a representative CFD (computational fluid dynamic) model is selectively implemented for statistical analysis. The selected parameters in this study are the power density, mother board orientation, chip geometry, opening between chips and the flow pattern. The optimal combination for thermal cooling is obtained by using a two-level statistical approach. Analysis results indicate that about 50% of the effort in performing experiments and simulations can be saved. Further, the results confirmed that the most important parameters affecting the thermal behaviors are the openings in the mother board, power density, and the flow pattern in sequence. Finally, the concept of opening increases the reliability, reduces the manufacturing cost, and simplifies the assembly procedures.