FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF THE FLOW INDUCED BY ROTATING BLADES IN AN INCOMPRESSIBLE VISCOUS FLUID

Aerodynamic loads on a multi-bladed helicopter rotor in hovering flight were calculated by solving the three-dimensional incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. The rotor wake effects were accounted by the correction of local geometric angle of attack according to a free-wake modeling in addition to an empirical modification for the tip flow effect. The validity and efficiency of the present method were verified by the comparisons between numerical results and experimental data.     

Discrete Modeling and Suggested Measurement of Heat Transfer in Gas-Solids Flows

This article presents a two-dimensional transient model for gas-solids flow and heat transfer through pipes using the coupled Computational Fluid Dynamics and Discrete Element Method approach. Numerical simulations have been conducted to examine the modification of fluid thermal structure due to the presence of particles in a pneumatic transport pipeline. Modeled results have demonstrated the key role of transversal motion of rebounding particles in the pipe cross section in altering fluid temperature. Further implementation of this modeling technique in air-drying processes is discussed and possible experimental methods for the measurement of in situ particle and fluid motion and temperature profile are cited.     

水平管气力输送数值模拟

本文采用粒子追踪理论对水平管中粒子流动状态进行了数值模拟.文中提出了一种新的粒子碰撞模型,并忽略粒子的旋转和扬力,仅考虑气流阻力和重力对粒子的影响,在输送量为9.13×10~3kg/s,混合比约0.3的条件下,通过数值计算得知:由于粒子间的碰撞,使得异径粒子的速度趋向平均化;粒子间的碰撞是粒子悬浮的原因之一;粒子的浓度沿管轴向是随时间而发生变化的.     

PROGRESS IN THE MODELLING OF AIR FLOW PATTERNS IN TIMBER KILNS

Progress in modelling air flow patterns in timber kilns using Computational Fluid Dynamics is reviewed in this work. These simulations are intended to predict the distribution of the flow in the fillet spaces between boards in a hydraulic model of a timber kiln. Here, the flow regime between the boards is transitional between laminar and turbulent flow, with Reynolds numbers of the order of 5000. Running the simulation as a transient calculation has shown few problems with convergence issues, reaching a mass residual of 0.2% of the total inflow after 40-100 iterations per time step for time steps of 0.01 s. Grid sensitivity studies have shown that non-uniform grids are necessary because of the sudden changes in flow cross section, and the flow simulations are insensitive to grid refinement for non-uniform grids with more than 300,000 cells. The best agreement between the experimentally-measured flow distributions between fillet spaces and those predicted by the simulation have been achieved for (effective) bulk viscosities between the laminar viscosity for water and ten times that value. This change in viscosity is not very large (less than an order of magnitude), given that effective turbulent viscosities are typically several orders of magnitude greater than laminar ones. This result is consistent with the transitional flows here.     

Homogenization of hardness distribution and distortion in high pressure gas quenching

Quenching with gases rather than oil or other liquid media has the advantages of reducing the risks concerning health and environment, while simultaneously homogenizing the quenching results and minimizing distortion due to a wide range of possible process parameter variations and the pure convective heat transfer. In this contribution, a coupled solution for increasing homogenization of quenching results within high pressure gas quenching will be presented. In the first stage, an experimental test facility was set up for flow investigations and in the second stage a numerical simulation model was generated. The numerical and experimental results of the flow through the chamber were compared for several boundary conditions. Finally, after complete verification of the simulation, the model may be used to assist in parameter variation for optimization of homogeneous high pressure gas quenching.     

Flow stress of high density polyethylene and nylon 66 at high rates of strain

Measurement of the flow stress of high density polyethylene (HDPE) and nylon 66 at strain rates of 10³ s^?1 using a split Hopkinson pressure bar technique is discussed. The flow stress at a strain of 10% has been determined for both polymers at 20°C. The intrinsic errors involved in this technique are briefly reviewed. The results indicate that the flow stress of HDPE and nylon 66 were 50MPa and 150MPa, respectively, at strain rates of about 10³s^?1.     

Adhesive Dispensing Process Analysis: Steady-State Dispensing of One-Component Adhesives

The process of dispensing one-component heat-cure adhesives was investigated in order to understand current application processes and to guide new process development. Typical one-component adhesives exhibit non-Newtonian rheological behavior, and hence Newtonian fluid mechanics does not adequately describe the dispensing process. In the present study, the adhesives were modeled as Bingham fluids possessing a yield stress and a steady state viscosity. The model of the dispensing apparatus includes four major flow sections connected in a serial configuration. The fluid mechanics equations derived for Bingham fluids in the individual flow sections were solved by numerical methods in order to understand the interrelationships between the material variables (e.g. yield stress, viscosity, temperature dependencies) and process variables (e.g. pressure, flow geometry, temperature, output). The concept of the model is generic and the details of the model can be modified for any forced-flow adhesive application process.

The adhesive flow properties significantly influence the process output. Dispensing temperature, among the process variables, has the strongest effect on process output. A ± 1.0·C perturbation in the dispensing temperature can cause as much as a 14% variation in the bead size for the range of adhesives studied. Differences in flow characteristics result in differences in processability and non-linear temperature/pressure sensitivity. The non-linear sensitivity can be eliminated by operating the dispensing process isothermally. Finally, the process limits for one-component adhesives, which are susceptible to chemical instability induced by viscous heating during processing, are defined and discussed in terms of a modified Brinkman number that takes into account viscous dissipation, heat conduction and convection, and chemical stability of the material during processing.     

A novel direct aerodynamically assisted threading methodology for generating biologically viable microthreads encapsulating living primary cells

In a recent discovery, coaxial electrospinning was explored to encapsulate living organisms within a continuous bio‐polymeric microthread from which active biological scaffolds were fabricated (Townsend‐Nicholson and Jayasinghe, Biomacromolecules 2006, 7, 3364). The cells were demonstrated to have gone through all expected cellular activity without their viability being compromised. These biologically active threads and scaffolds have direct and tremendous applicability from regenerative to therapeutic medicine. Currently these post‐processed cells as composite threads and scaffolds are being investigated in‐depth at a cellular level to establish if the processing methodology has any affect on the cellular make‐up. We now demonstrate a competing non‐electric field driven approach for fabricating composite threads and scaffolds influenced only by a differential pressure. We refer to this novel composite thread to scaffold fabrication methodology as coaxial aerodynamically assisted bio‐threading (CAABT). Our investigations firstly, demonstrate that this technique can process handle living organisms without biologically perturbing them in anyway. Secondly the process is elucidated as possessing the ability to form composite active threads from which biologically viable scaffolds are formed. Finally our study employs florescent activated cell sorting (FACScan), a method by which the cellular dynamics and viability are quantified on control and threaded cellular samples at two prescribed time points. In parallel with FACScan, optical comparison of cellular morphology at three time points within a period of three weeks is carried out to photographically observe any changes in the post‐processed cellular phenotype. Our developmental investigations into this novel aerodynamically assisted threading methodology has unearthed a unique biomicrofabrication approach, which joins cell electrospinning in the cell threading to scaffold fabrication endeavor. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Sheet molding compound characterization using spiral flow

Sheet molding compound (SMC) is a fiber‐reinforced polymeric composite. It is often used in automotive, marine, and industrial applications over other materials because of its high strength to density ratio, resistance to corrosion, and low cost. There is a demand in the SMC industry to be able to characterize SMC processability. This is particularly true for heavy truck body panels, one of the fastest growing applications of SMC. Because of their large size and high strength requirement, the molding forces have a major influence in the molding cycle. Also because of the long flow paths involved, the ability of the paste to carry glass needs to be properly characterized when developing new SMC materials. In this article, we demonstrate the benefits of using spiral flow as a processability tester. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008