Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Fans (Machinery) Computer simulation'

Thesis (PhD (Mechanical Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 1990.
Leaves printed on single pages, preliminary pages i- viii and numbered pages 1-1-R5. Includes bibliography, list of tables and figures and list of appendices. Digitized at 330 dpi black and white PDF format (OCR),using KODAK i 1220 PLUS scanner.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A numerical procedure for predicting the effect of inlet flow distortions on the performance of axial flow fans is proposed. The study is aimed specifically at fans of low solidity and low hub-to-tip ratios, which have attained some importance with the advent of large directly air-cooled power stations in certain arid regions of the world. The numerical model is an extension to cylindrical polar coordinates of the SIMPLEN algorithm that has been developed by the author previously. The algorithm is implemented in a computer code, FLOVAX, which solves the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations, augmented by the k-Ɛ model of turbulence, on a computational domain that is aligned with the cylindrical polar coordinate system. Several relatively simple flow problems are solved to verify the code: laminar stagnation flow, laminar flow near a rotating disk, turbulent flow near a propeller, turbulent flow through an abrupt axisymmetric expansion, and turbulent swirling flow in an annulus. Good agreement is obtained between the numerical solutions and the corresponding analytical, empirical or published experimental and numerical results. Some experimental results are also presented: measurements of shaft power, volume flow rate and static pressure rise were taken in a setup comprising an axial flow fan mounted in the wall of a wind tunnel. The wind tunnel was used to provide flow across the fan intake, thus establishing distorted inflow conditions. Detailed measurements of the velocity and static pressure distributions in the duct downstream of the fan rotor were also performed. It is clear from the results that flow across the intake of the test fan has a detrimental effect on its performance in that an increased amount of power is necessary to deliver the same flow rate as with no crossflow. In the numerical predictions, blade element theory is used to model the thrust and torque exerted by the fan blades on the air. The numerical results generally confirm the results of the experiment, although the increase in power is underestimated: an increase of only approximately half of the measured increase is predicted. Several recommendations for improvement of the numerical procedure are made.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: 'n Numeriese prosedure vir die voorspelling van die invloed van versteurings in inlaatvloei op die werking van aksiaalwaaiers word daargestel. Die studie is spesifiek gemik op waaiers van lae soliditeit en lae lempunt-tot-naafverhoudings. Waaiers van hierdie tipe het belangrikheid verwerf sedert die onlangse totstandkoming van groot lugverkoelde kragstasies in sekere droe werelddele. Die numeriese model is 'n uitbreiding na silindriese poolkoordinate van die SIMPLEN-algoritme wat voorheen deur die skrywer ontwikkel is. Die algoritme word geimplementeer in 'n rekenaarkode, FLOVAX, wat die onsamedukbare Navier-Stokes-vergelykings, aangevul deur die k-Ɛ-turbulensiemodel, oplos op 'n berekeningsgebied wat saamval met die silindriese poolkoordinaatstelsel. Verskeie relatief eenvoudige vloeiprobleme word opgelos ter verifikasie van die kode: laminere stagnasievloei, laminere vloei op 'n roterende skyf, turbulente vloei deur 'n propeller, turbulente vloei deur 'n aksiaalsimmetriese vernouing, en turbulente roterende vloei in 'n annulus. Goeie ooreenstemming tussen die numeriese oplossings en die ooreenstemmende analitiese, empiriese of gepubliseerde eksperimentele en numeriese resultate is verkry. Eksperimentele resultate word ook aangebied: metings van asdrywing, volumevloei en statiese drukstyging is geneem in 'n opstelling wat bestaan het uit 'n aksiaalwaaier wat in die wand van 'n windtonnel gemonteer is. Die windtonnel is gebruik om versteurde-invloei-toestande te genereer in die vorm van dwarsvloei oor die waaier-inlaat. Snelheids- en statiese drukverdelings in die kanaal stroom-af van die waaierrotor is ook gemeet. Dit blyk duidelik uit die resultate dat die dwarsvloei oor die inlaat van die toetswaaier 'n nadelige uitwerking het op die werking daarvan in die opsig dat meer drywing nodig is om dieselfde vloeitempo te handhaaf as wat die geval is sonder dwarsvloei. Vir die numeriese voorspellings word van lem-element-teorie gebruik gemaak om die stukrag en draaimoment wat deur die waaier op die lug uitgeoefen word, te modelleer. Die numeriese resultate bevestig oor die algemeen die eksperimentele resultate, alhoewel die drywingstoename onderskat word met sowat die helfte van die gemete toename. Verskeie aanbevelings ter verbetering van die numeriese prosedure word gemaak.

Thesis (M.S. in Aeronautical Engineering)--Naval Postgraduate School, March 2003.
Thesis advisor(s): Garth V. Hobson, Raymond P. Shreeve. Includes bibliographical references (p. 69-70). Also available online.

The purpose of this study was primarily to promote the wider deployment of the hydraulic ram pump, and secondarily to provide the technical input into a programme aimed at using hydraulic ram pump technologies for third world development. Hitherto hydraulic ram pump technologies have been restricted by poor understanding of operational parameters, poor performance prediction, and poor design of pumps and installations. In pursuit of greater understanding the work utilised a computer simulation developed by the author as part of a previous research programme. This simulation was then greatly enhanced to provide improved accuracy and functionality. The enhanced simulation was then used to provide significant insight into the operation of a hydraulic ram pump and subsequently used to identify design improvements for the hydraulic ram pump. The simulation was used to investigate operational restrictions on the hydraulic ram, and was ultimately use to develop a model of hydraulic ram pump operation. The model of operation developed by the use of the simulation was computerised and used to predict the performance of hydraulic ram pump installations. This computerised model was then used to provide the most comprehensive design charts yet created for hydraulic ram pump, and was also used in the investigation of operational limits for the device. The study represents: the development of the first detailed simulation of the hydraulic ram pump and the most significant insight to date into the detail of operation of a hydraulic ram pump. The result of the study is the provision of an accurate method of pump calibration, an accurate method of pump performance prediction, and the first comprehensive design charts to be produced for the hydraulic ram pump.

Thesis (MScEng (Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this project is to investigate the method and accuracy of simulating axial ow fans with three-dimensional axisymmetric CFD models. Two models are evaluated and compared with experimental fan data. Veri cation data is obtained from a prototype fan tested in a facility conforming to the BS 848 standards. The ow eld over the blade surfaces is investigated further with a visualization experiment comprising of a stroboscope and wool tufts. Good correlation is found at medium to high ow rates and recommendations are made for simulation at lower ow rates as well as test guidelines at the fan test facility. The results and knowledge gained will be used to amend currently used actuator disc theory for axial ow fan simulation.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie projek is om die metode en akkuraatheid om aksiaalvloeiwaaiers met drie-dimensionele BVM modelle te simuleer, te ondersoek. Twee modelle word geëvalueer en met eksperimentele waaiertoetse vergelyk. Veri- kasie data is verkry vanaf 'n prototipe waaier wat in 'n fasiliteit getoets is en wat aan die BS 848 standaarde voldoen. Die vloeiveld oor die lemoppervlaktes word ondersoek met 'n visualisering eksperiment wat uit 'n stroboskoop en wolletjies bestaan. Goeie korrelasie word gevind vir medium tot hoë massavloeie en aanbevelings word gemaak vir die simulasie by laer massavloeie met riglyne vir toetswerk in die toets-fasiliteit. Die resultate en kennis opgedoen sal gebruik word in die verbetering van huidige aksieskyfteorie vir numeriese aksiaalvloeiwaaier simulasies.

Collapsible channel flows that originated from physiological applications have many intriguing dynamic system behaviours. In this thesis, the stability of a two-dimensional collapsible channel flow is studied numerically. Three approaches are adopted to investigate the fluid-structure interaction problem: an in-house Finite Element Method (FE) based Fluid-Beam model (FBM), a commercial FE based code, ADINA, and an eigensolver derived from the FBM (linear analysis). Two types of inlet boundary conditions are considered. One is the flow-driven system where the inlet flow rate is specified, and the other is the pressure-driven where the pressure drop is given. It turns out that these two systems yield very different dynamical features even though the steady solutions are the same. For the flow-driven system, a range of steady solutions are studied with both zero and non-zero initial wall tension by means of both FBM (using initial stress configuration) and ADINA (equipped with both initial strain and initial stress configurations). As expected, the FBM agrees with ADINA when using the initial stress configuration, but not when the initial strain configuration is adopted. This established the importance of the initial configuration. The effects of different wall thicknesses on the steady wall performance have also been shown as significant. Fully-coupled unsteady simulations have also been performed with FBM (Bernoulli-Euler beam) and ADINA (Timoshenko beam) to demonstrate significant influences of modelling assumptions on the dynamical behaviour. In addition to unsteady simulations, linear stability analysis is also carried out to identify the critical parameter values that occur when the system is in the neutrally stable state. Using the faster Fourier transform, the unsteady results are then compared with the linear stability analysis results. Excellent agreements are achieved in terms of frequencies of modes of instabilities. Finally, we focus on the dynamical behaviour of collapsible channel flows in a pressure-driven system, and the differences with those of the flow-driven system (Luo et al. 2008). It is found that the stability structure for the pressure-driven system is no longer cascade as in the flow-driven case. Instead, the mode-1 instability is the dominating unstable mode in the pressure-driven system. In the pressure drop and wall stiffness space, neutrally stable mode-2 curve is completely enclosed by the mode-1 neutral curve, and there is no purely mode-2 unstable solution in the parameter space investigated. Interesting mode-switch is also observed. By analysing the energy budgets at the neutral stable points, we confirmed that in the high tension region (on the upper branch of the mode-1 neutral curve), the stability mechanism is the same as that of Jensen & Heil (2003). Namely, self-excited oscillations can grow by extracting kinetic energy from the mean flow, with exactly two thirds of the net kinetic energy flux dissipated by the dissipations and the remainder balanced by increased dissipation in the mean flow. However, the mechanism doesn’t apply for the lower branch of the mode-1 neutral curve. In addition, energy balance changes further for the mode-2 curves in the flow-driven system. It is clear that different mechanisms are operating in different regions of the parameter space, and for different boundary conditions.

It is recognized that detailed knowledge of turbulence parameters, as well as velocities, can aid in understanding and modeling mixing rate-dominated phenomena in stirred vessels. Measurements using a laser-Doppler velocimeter and modeling using a k-ε turbulence model and FLUENT, a general-purpose fluid flow modeling program, have been conducted of the flow in a baffled, turbine-agitated vessel. The complex flow patterns and high turbulence intensities explain why flows in stirred vessels are difficult to attack experimentally or numerically. In the measurements, the necessary corrections for the periodic, nondissipative velocity fluctuations in the near-impeller region, which were caused by the periodic passage of the impeller blades, were made by an autocorrelation method. With the contributions of the periodic fluctuations removed, meaningful turbulence data including turbulence intensities, autocorrelation functions, turbulence energy spectra, turbulence scales, and turbulence energy dissipation rates were obtained. Integral scales and energy dissipation rates were a particular objective in this work because of their usefulness in modeling local mixing rates in turbulent flows. An energy balance around a region containing the impeller and the impeller stream showed that 60% of the energy transmitted into the vessel via the impeller was dissipated in the region, and 40% was dissipated in the rest of the vessel. An equation for calculating local energy dissipation rates ε from total turbulence energy and resultant integral scales, ε = A q³/² /L(res), appeared adequate with constant A = 0.85 (where q ≡ uᵢuᵢ/2, L(res) ≡√LᵢLᵢ, and uᵢ and Lᵢ are, respectively, the i-th component of fluctuation velocity and the turbulence integral scale measured in direction i). Both the k-ε model (two-dimensional) and FLUENT (which employed three-dimensional k-ε and Reynolds stress models) obtained mean velocity profiles fairly close to the experimental data, but both predicted k and ε significantly lower than the measured values. The reason for the underestimation of k and ε was not entirely clear, but may have been caused by use of only the random parts of velocities for computing k and ε at the impeller boundary. The objective of modeling complex turbulent flows in stirred vessels has been accomplished, a goal which until recently would have been considered beyond the possibility of computation.

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Dissertação (Mestrado)
IPEN/D
Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN-CNEN/SP

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Industrial and Systems Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2007.
Yorai Wardi, Committee Member ; Gunter Sharp, Committee Member ; Spiridon Reveliotis, Committee Member ; Leon F. McGinnis, Committee Member ; Chen Zhou, Committee Chair.

In electronic devices solder joints form a mechanical as well as an electrical connection between the circuit board and the component (e.g. a chip or a resistor). Temperature variations occurring during field use cause crack initiation and crack growth inside the joints. Accurate prediction of the lifetime requires a method to simulate the damage process based on microstructural properties. Numerical simulation of developing cracks and microstructural entities such as grain boundaries and grain junctions gives rise to several problems. The solution contains strong and weak discontinuities as well as weak singularities. To obtain reasonable solutions with the finite element method (FEM) the element edges have to align with the cracks and the grain boundaries, which imposes geometrical restrictions on the mesh choice. Additionally, a large number of elements has to be used in the vicinity of the singularities which increases the computational effort. Both problems can be circumvented with the extended finite element method (X-FEM) by using appropriate enrichment functions. In this thesis the X-FEM will be developed for the simulation of complex microstructural geometries. Due to the anisotropy of the different grains forming a joint and the variety of different microstructural configurations it is not always possible to write the enrichment functions in a closed form. A procedure to determine enrichment functions numerically is explained and tested. As a result, a very simple meshing scheme, which will be introduced here, can be used to simulate developing cracks in solder joint microstructures. Due to the simplicity of the meshing algorithm the simulation can be automated completely. A large number of enrichment functions must be used to realize this. Well-conditioned equation systems, however, cannot be guaranteed for such an approach. To improve the condition number of the X-FEM stiffness matrix and thus the robustness of the solution process a preconditioning technique is derived and applied. This approach makes it possible to develop a new and fully automated procedure for addressing the reliability of solder joints numerically. The procedure relies on the random generation of microstructures. Performing crack growth calculations for a series of these structures makes it possible to address the influence of varying microstructures on the damage process. Material parameters describing the microstructure are determined in an inverse procedure. It will be shown that the numerical results correspond well with experimental observations.

Rod seals are one of the most critical components of hydraulic systems. However, the fundamental physics of seal behavior is still poorly understood and the seal designers have virtually no analytical tools with which to predict the behavior of potential seal designs. In pursuit of a comprehensive physics based seal analysis/ design tool, in this work, a multi-scale multi-physics (MSMP) seal model is developed. The model solves the transient problem involving macro-scale viscoelastic deformation mechanics, macro-scale contact, micro-scale two phase fluid mechanics in the sealing zone, micro-scale asperity contact mechanics and micro-scale deformation mechanics of the sealing edge in a strongly coupled manner. The model takes into account surface roughness, mixed lubrication, cavitation and two phase flow, transient squeeze film effects and the dynamic operation as well as the effect of macro/micro/nano scale viscoelasticity. A hybrid finite element-finite volume-statistical computational framework is developed to solve the highly coupled multi-physics interactions of the MSMP model simultaneously. Surface characterization experiments are performed to extract the parameters like RMS roughness, asperity density, autocorrelation length and asperity radius needed by MSMP. To remove the high frequency noise without removing the high frequency real surface features, a wavelet transform based adaptive surface extraction method is implemented. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) is performed to extract the macro-scale viscoelastic parameters of the seal. Through atomic force microscopy (AFM) experiments, the local micro/nano scale elastic moduli were found to be varying within two orders of magnitude higher than the bulk of the polymer. Significant differences in local stiffness, adhesion and the relaxation time scales of individual surface asperities were also observed. With the MSMP model, dynamic seal performance was analyzed. The results confirmed the mixed lubrication and the effect of surface roughness. Thicker fluid films during instroke and cavitation during the outstroke were found to be important for non-leakage. Seal behavior was a function of the complex dual dependence on the time varying sealed pressure and hydrodynamic effects. Viscoelasticity is seen to critically affect the leakage and friction characteristics. It produces thicker fluid films and produces a significant increase in Poiseuille component of flow during instroke. Ignoring viscoelasticity leads to under-prediction of the time required to reach the zero leakage state. Several high pressure - high frequency sealing applications were analyzed. In such applications, a new phenomenon of "secondary contact" was observed. Viscoelastic creep was seen to critically affect the contact pressure and hence the friction characteristics. In high frequency applications, viscoelasticity induced significant differences in Poiseuille flow and friction force from cycle to cycle. Cycle frequency was seen to play an important role in governing visco-elastohydrodynamics and the leakage of such seals. The seals need to be designed by considering the relationship between relaxation time scales of the polymer and the cycle frequencies. Study also revealed the presence of characteristics like "critical temperature" and "critical frequency". Using the multi-physics modeling capability of MSMP framework, several novel seal designs using smart materials like piezo-ceramic embedded polymers are proposed and analyzed. The MSMP computational framework developed here has a great potential to be used as a stand-alone seal design and analysis software in academic and industrial research.

This research investigates the problem of constrained sequencing of a set of jobs on a conveyor system with the objective of minimizing setup cost. A setup cost is associated with extra material, labor, or energy required due to the change of attributes in consecutive jobs at processing stations. A finite set of attributes is considered in this research. Sequencing is constrained by the availability of two elements ??orage buffers and conveyor junctions. The problem is motivated by the paint purge reduction problem at a major U.S. automotive manufacturer. First, a diverging junction with a sequence-independent setup cost and predefined attributes is modeled as an assignment problem and this model is extended by relaxing the initial assumptions in various ways. We also model the constrained sequencing problem with an off-line buffer and develop heuristics for efficiently getting a good quality solution by exploiting the special problem structure. Finally, we conduct sensitivity analysis using numerical experiments, explain the case study, and discuss the use of the simulation model as a supplementary tool for analyzing the constrained sequencing problem.

Pulse tube cryocoolers (PTCs) are among the most attractive choices of refrigerators for applications requiring up to 1 kW of cooling in the temperature range of 4-123 K as a result of the high relative efficiency of the Stirling cycle, the reliability of linear compressors, and the lack of cryogenic moving parts resulting in long life and low vibration signature. Recently, PTCs have been successfully used in applications in the 150 K range, extending the useful range of the device beyond the traditional cryogenic regime. A carefully designed cylindrical cavity referred to as the pulse tube replaces the mechanical expander piston found in a Stirling machine. A network consisting of the pulse tube, inertance tube, and surge volume invoke out-of-phase pressure and mass flow oscillations while eliminating all moving parts in the cold region of the device, significantly improving reliability over Stirling cryocoolers. Terrestrial applications of PTCs expose a fundamental flaw. Many PTCs only function properly in a narrow range of orientations, with the cold end of the pulse tube pointed downward with respect to gravity. Unfavorable orientation of the cold head often leads to a catastrophic loss of cooling, rendering the entire cryocooler system inoperable. Previous research indicates that cooling loss is most likely attributed to secondary flow patterns in the pulse tube caused by free convection. Convective instability is initiated as a result of non-uniform density gradients within the pulse tube. The ensuing secondary flow mixes the cryogen and causes enhanced thermal transport between the warm and cold heat exchangers of the cryocooler. This study investigates the nonlinear stabilizing effect of fluid oscillation on Rayleigh-Bénard instability in a cryogenic gas subject to misalignment between gravitational body force and the primary flow direction. The results are directly applicable to the flow conditions frequently experienced in PTCs. Research has shown that the convective component can be minimized by parametrically driven fluid oscillation as a result of sinusoidal pressure excitation; however, a reliable method of predicting the influence of operating parameters has not been reported. In this dissertation, the entire PTC domain is first fully simulated in three dimensions at various angles of inclination using a hybrid method of finite volume and finite element techniques in order to incorporate conjugate heat transfer between fluid domains and their solid containment structures. The results of this method identify the pulse tube as the sole contributor to convective instability, and also illustrate the importance of pulse tube design by incorporating a comparison between two pulse tubes with constant volume but varying aspect ratio. A reduced domain that isolates the pulse tube and its adjacent components is then developed and simulated to improve computational efficiency, facilitating the model’s use for parametric study of the driving variables. A parametric computational study is then carried out and analyzed for pulse tubes with cold end temperatures ranging from 4 K to 80 K, frequencies between 25-60 Hz, mass flow - pressure phase relationships of -30◦ and +30◦, and Stokes thickness-based Reynolds numbers in the range of 43-350, where the turbulent transition occurs at 500. In order to validate the computational models reported and therefore justify their suitability to perform parametric exploration, the CFD codes are applied to a commercially developed single stage PTR design. The results of the CFD model are compared to laboratory-measured values of refrigeration power at temperatures ranging from 60 K to 120 K at inclination angles of 0◦ and 91◦. The modeled results are shown to agree with experimental values with less than 8.5% error for simulation times of approximately six days using high performance computing (HPC) resources through Georgia Tech’s Partnership for Advanced Computing (PACE) cluster resource, and 10 days on a common quad-core desktop computer. The results of the computational parametric study as well as the commercial cryocooler data sets are compiled in a common analysis of the body of data as a whole. The results are compared to the current leading pulse tube convective stability model to improve the reliability of the predictions and bracket the range of losses expected as a function of pulse tube convection number. Results can be used to bracket the normalized cooling loss as a function of the pulse tube convection number NPTC. Experimental data and simulated results indicate that a value of NPTC greater than 10 will yield a loss no greater than 10% of the net pulse tube energy flow at any angle. A value of NPTC greater than 40 is shown to yield a loss no greater than 1% of the net pulse tube energy flow at all angles investigated. The computational and experimental study completed in this dissertation addresses static angles of inclination. Recent interest in the application of PTCs to mobile terrestrial platforms such as ships, aircraft, and military vehicles introduces a separate regime wherein the angle of inclination is dynamically varying. To address this research need, the development of a single axis rotating cryogenic vacuum facility is documented. A separate effects apparatus with interchangeable pulse tube components has also been built in a modular fashion to accommodate future research needs.

Nella tesi si affronta il problema della progettazione di un sistema meccatronico fortemente automatizzato per applicazioni agricole. In particolare il progetto è rivolto alla costruzione di una macchina per l’attività di raccolta automatizzata di teste di broccoli disposte in filari presenti in campo coltivato. Il fine dello studio, tramite l’applicazione su un vegetale specifico, è l’introduzione di tecnologie di uso ormai comune nel campo industriale in un settore tradizionalmente poco sensibile all’innovazione come quello agricolo. La progettazione deve quindi tenere conto di diverse problematiche di natura differente a quelle tipicamente industriali ed adoperare opportuni accorgimenti. L’ideazione di un sistema essenzialmente completo e funzionale, con relativa simulazione di un tipico ciclo di lavoro, si presta successivamente ad ulteriori valutazioni non esclusivamente tecniche ma anche di tipo economico. Dopo un’analisi generale dello scenario, si è trovato idoneo l’utilizzo di un robot cartesiano montato sopra una macchina agricola guidata da un operatore. Viene concretizzato il disegno ed il dimensionamento delle varie componenti meccaniche, compreso il manipolatore. In seguito è creato un modello matematico del sistema fisico utile a simulare il funzionamento della macchina. Particolare attenzione è data al controllo del robot in quanto risultante essere la parte più critica del sistema. E’ inoltre fornito il controllo temporizzato delle varie azioni. Infine si è effettuata una simulazione al calcolatore di un tipico ciclo di raccolta su una singola testa broccolo. Il vegetale, riconosciuto dalla macchina, viene raccolto secondo una sequenza di azioni sincronizzate tra loro e depositato in un punto specifico nel raggio di azione del robot. Sono inoltre forniti elementi sugli aspetti simulativi e sull’integrazione tra varie componenti del sistema complesso.

Atualmente, a análise de desempenho de sistemas de refrigeração domésticos é realizada através de ensaios experimentais normalizados. Durante esses experimentos, diversas variáveis como pressões de trabalho, temperaturas em diversos pontos do sistema, corrente elétrica e potência consumida, são monitoradas. Porém, em muitos casos são necessárias mais de 24 horas para execução de um teste experimental (e.g., teste abaixamento de temperatura). Tendo em vista o tempo despendido nestes testes, propõe-se no presente trabalho um modelo matemático semi-empírico capaz de predizer o comportamento das variáveis do sistema testado e, com isso, antecipar o final do ensaio. O modelo, desenvolvido através das leis de conservação da massa e da energia, apresenta parâmetros que são ajustados a partir de informações experimentais obtidas durante a execução do próprio teste. Após a inicialização do ensaio, a cada período de tempo prédeterminado, os dados medidos são utilizados para determinar os parâmetros empíricos do modelo. Obtidas as constantes, simula-se o comportamento das principais variáveis do sistema de refrigeração até a condição de regime permanente. Com isso, o teste experimental pode ser finalizado com antecedência. O modelo desenvolvido é capaz de prever com boa precisão, a partir de duas horas de teste, a variação da vazão mássica e da pressão de sucção (com diferenças da ordem de 10% em regime permanente quando comparadas às variáveis experimentais), da pressão de condensação (com diferença da ordem de 5%) e da temperatura da parede do condensador (diferença da ordem de 2°C).
The performance of household refrigeration systems are usually evaluated through experimental tests carried at in temperature and humidity controlled chambers. During the tests, the discharge and suction pressures, the temperature in several system positions, and the compressor power are measured. These tests are expensive and time-demanding, e.g., a single pull-down test can take more than 24 hours to be performed. Although the mathematical models have been proposed for decades as an alternative to the experiments, they are not sufficiently reliable to substitute completely the tests. Therefore, the current work proposes a semiempirical mathematical model to predict the system performance with the purpose of reducing the test time instead of replacing it. The model is based on the mass and energy conservation equations in which the constant parameters, such as conductance and capacitances, are calibrated from previous measured values of temperature and pressure. As soon as the parameters are obtained, a simulation is performed to forecast future values of temperature, pressure and compressor power and therefore, to anticipate the end of the test. Calibrations and simulations can be continuously performed as the test evolves. Preliminary results show that steadystate values of discharge and suction pressures can be predicted within error bands of 5 and 10%, respectively, after only two hours of a pull-down test being performed.

Human-machine interfaces influence both operator effectiveness and machine efficiency. Further immersion of the operator into the machine’s working environment gives the operator a better feel for the status of the machine and its working conditions. With this knowledge, operators can more efficiently control machines. The use of multi-modal HMIs involving haptics, sound, and visual feedback can immerse the operator into the machine’s environment and provide assistive clues about the state of the machine. This thesis develops a realistic excavator model that mimics a mini-excavator’s dynamics and soil interaction during digging tasks. A realistic graphical interface is written that exceeds the quality of current academic simulators. The graphical interface and new HMI are placed together with a model of the excavator’s mechanical and hydraulic dynamics into an operator workstation. Two coordinated control schemes are developed on an haptic display for a mini-excavator and preliminary tests are run to measure increases in operator effectiveness and machine efficiency.

Le graphe du Web, plus précisément le crawl qui permet de l'obtenir et les communautés qu'il contient est le sujet de cette thèse, qui est divisée en deux parties.
La première partie fait une analyse des grand réseaux d'interactions et introduit un nouveau modèle de crawls du Web. Elle commence par définir les propriétés communes des réseaux d'interactions, puis donne quelques modèles graphes aléatoires générant des graphes semblables aux réseaux d'interactions. Pour finir, elle propose un nouveau modèle de crawls aléatoires.
La second partie propose deux modèles de calcul de communautés par émergence dans le graphe du Web. Après un rappel sur les mesures d'importances, PageRank et HITS est présenté le modèle gravitationnel dans lequel les nœuds d'un réseau sont mobile et interagissent entre eux grâce aux liens entre eux. Les communautés émergent rapidement au bout de quelques itérations. Le second modèle est une amélioration du premier, les nœuds du réseau sont dotés d'un objectif qui consiste à atteindre sa communautés.

Cette thèse s'inscrit dans le cadre d'une Convention Industrielle de Formation par la Recherche (CIFRE) issue du partenariat entre le laboratoire Roberval de l'Université de Technologie de Compiègne et l'entreprise HYDRO LEDUC. Cette dernière fabrique et conçoit des composants hydrauliques tels que des pompes et moteurs à pistons, des accumulateurs, des vérins, mais aussi des outils spécifiques destinés à des applications diverses et variées. La discipline de l'hydraulique de puissance est omniprésente dans de nombreuses applications industrielle. Elle constitue une solution incontournable pour toutes les utilisations qui nécessitent des puissances élevées. Elle touche ainsi de nombreux domaines d'activité tels que les transports, l'aéronautique, les machines-outils, le BTP et bien d'autres. Les circuits hydrauliques, que ce soit en termes d'entrainement ou de contrôle, présentent de nombreux avantages. IIS permettent entre autre de transmettre des efforts considérables, garantissent un contrôle précis des récepteurs qu'ils soient linéaires ou rotatifs, et ont une durée de vie élevée. Les pompes hydrauliques sont le véritable cœur de tous les circuits hydrauliques. Dotées d'une puissance massique inégalable, elles sont capables de travailler à des hautes pressions tout en conservant un haut rendement global. Les contraintes environnementales ainsi que l'augmentation du prix de l'énergie font croître la demande en composants toujours plus performants. Afin de rester compétitif, les fabricants sont contraints de répondre à ces exigences tout en contrôlant leurs coûts de développement et production. La méthode conventionnelle d'amélioration des produits basée sur des cycles essais/erreurs est une démarche financièrement coûteuse et chronophage. Les vingt dernières années ont vu la puissance de calcul des ordinateurs croître de manière exponentielle, faisant de la simulation numérique un véritable outil de compréhension des phénomènes physiques et d'amélioration des produits. L'enjeu de notre travail consiste à s'approprier et à analyser les multiples données et savoirs théoriques issues de nombreuses années de travaux de recherche. A partir de ce socle de connaissances, l'objectif est de mettre au point une méthode de conception mettant en oeuvre la démarche des plans d'expériences et reposant sur la modélisation ainsi que sur la simulation dans la conception intégrée de composants hydrauliques. Cette dernière a été appliquée à une pompe à pistons axiaux à cylindrée variable. En effet, associée à des stratégies de conception dûment établies, la simulation numérique permet de réduire considérablement les temps de développement et d'amélioration des produits tout en diminuant de manière drastique le nombre d'essais expérimentaux
This thesis has been achieved as part of the partnership between HYDRO LEDUC company and Roberval laboratory located at the "Université de Technologie de Compiègne". HYDRO LEDUC designs and makes hydraulic components such as piston pumps and motors, accumulators, cylinders and specific tools reserved for varied applications. A large amount of applications uses fluid power transmission. Indeed, because of its high power density, hydraulic solutions are unavoidable. Thus, this latter is present in various fields such as transport, aeronautical, machine tool, building industry and many others. Hydraulic circuits allow delivering considerable efforts. They enable a very accurate control of receptors and ensure a high life time to systems and components. Hydraulic pumps can be considered as the heart of every hydraulic systems. Their matchless high power density makes them to perform at high pressure while keeping a high efficiency level. Environment constraints, energy cost rise and global market have led manufacturers to make products more efficient while decreasing their manufacturing and development costs. Conventional design methodology relies on test/error cycles, which is a development strategy that can be expensive and time consuming. Computing power of computers have been increasing sharply over the last 20 years. In that sense, numerical simulation has become the mainstream in terms of design, research and development and physical analysis. The objective of our work is to gather, and analyse data and theoretical knowledge stem from many years of research investigations. From this point, the second goal of our work is to choose and develop a design strategy, which employs Design of Experiments method, and relying on numerical modelling and simulation applied to hydraulic components. This latter has been applied to a variable displacement axial piston pump. Hence, performing a design strategy that integrates Design of Experiments, numerical simulation and modelling for hydraulic components leads to reduce considerably the time and the cost of the design process

Le formage incrémental est un procédé de mise en forme flexible, avec des outillages peu couteux. Il est adapté pour la réalisation de pièces à usage unique comme des prothèses ou implants personnalisés en titane. Mais les efforts de formage importants avec le titane limitent les possibilités de géométries. Une solution pour diminuer les efforts de formage consiste à réaliser ce formage à chaud.L’objectif de cette thèse était d’étudier numériquement et expérimentalement le formage incrémental à chaud de pièces en titane. Un nouveau dispositif expérimental à chaud basé sur l’utilisation de cartouches chauffantes est proposé. Une campagne d’essais expérimentaux à chaud est menée afin d’étudier l’effet de la température et de différents paramètres du procédé pour une pièce tronconique en titane (Ti-6Al-4V). On montre qu’à haute température les efforts de formage sont plus faibles, la formabilité est améliorée. A 450°C, on obtient un angle limite de formage de 57°. La simulation numérique du formage incrémental est effectuée avec ABAQUS à température ambiante puis à chaud. On montre l’impact de certains paramètres du procédé sur l’effort axial et l’épaisseur finale. Les valeurs optimums de ces paramètres sont déterminées à partir de plans d’expériences et des surfaces de réponse. La comparaison des résultats numériques et expérimentaux à chaud permet de valider le modèle numérique. On s’intéresse ensuite au formage incrémental à chaud d’une prothèse de crâne humain en titane en utilisant une approche d’ingénierie inverse
The incremental forming process is a flexible forming process, with low cost tooling. It is perfectly suited for single use products as customized titanium implants or prosthesis. But the important forming forces with titanium limit the geometries to realize. One of the solutions consists in performing this process at hot temperature.The objective of this work is to study numerically and experimentally the warm incremental forming process of titanium sheets. A new setup for the warm incremental forming process is proposed. It is based on the use of heating cartridges. A hot experimental test campaign with Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy sheets is conducted in order to study the impact of the temperature and process parameters on the axial force and thickness distribution for a truncated cone. It is shown that the forming forces are lower at hot temperature and the formability is improved. For a temperature of 450°C, a forming limit angle of 57° is obtained.Numerical simulations with Abaqus of the incremental forming process are performed at room temperature and hot temperature. We show the impact of the punch diameter and the axial step size on the axial force and thickness. The optimum values of these parameters are determined by using an experimental design and response surfaces. The comparison between results obtained numerically and experimentally allows to validate the numerical model. We are then interested in the warm incremental forming process of a human skull prosthesis. A reverse engineering approach is used

Single leaf in pocket on back end paper.
Bibliography: p. 475-488.
xxviii, 488 p. : ill. ; 30 cm.
Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library.
This study aims to develop a robust set of tools to model the performance of a range of composite coil configurations, to develop an operational model to predict the steady state performance of single and multizone air conditioning systems and to use the computational model as an exploratory tool to examine the performance of a series of candidate design solutions.
Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 1996?

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)
In this thesis, a high- fidelity multibody dynamics model of a backhoe for simulating the digging operation is developed using the DIS (Dynamic Interactions Simulator)multibody dynamics software. Sand is used as a sample digging material to illustrate the model. The backhoe components (such as frame, manipulators links,track segments, wheels and sprockets) are modeled as rigid bodies. The geometry of the major moving components of the backhoe is created using the Pro/E solid modeling software. The components of the backhoe are imported to DIS and connected using joints (revolute, cylindrical and prismatic joints). Rotary and linear actuators along with PD (Proportional-Derivative) controllers are used to move and steer the backhoe and to move the backhoes manipulator in the desired trajectory. Sand is modeled using cubic shaped particles that can come into contact with each other, the backhoes bucket and ground. A cubical sand particle contact surface is modeled using eight spheres that are rigidly glued to each other to form a cubical shaped particle, The backhoe and ground surfaces are modeled as polygonal surfaces. A penalty technique is used to impose both joint and normal contact constraints (including track-wheels, track-terrain, bucket-particles and particles-particles contact). An asperity-based friction model is used to model joint and contact friction. A Cartesian Eulerian grid contact search algorithm is used to allow fast contact detection between particles. A recursive bounding box contact search algorithm is used to allow fast contact detection for polygonal contact surfaces and is used to detect contact between: track and ground; track and wheels; bucket and particles; and ground and particles. The governing equations of motion are solved along with joint/constraint equations using a time-accurate explicit solution procedure. The sand model is validated using a conical hopper sand flow experiment in which the sand flow rate during discharge and the angle of repose of the resulting sand pile are experimentally measured. The results of the conical hopper simulation are compared with previously published experimental results. Parameter studies are performed using the sand model to study the e ffects of the particle size and the orifi ces diameter of the hopper on the sand pile angle of repose and sand flow rate. The sand model is integrated with the backhoe model to simulate a typical digging operation. The model is used to predict the manipulators actuator forces needed to dig through a pile of sand. Integrating the sand model and backhoe model can help improving the performance of construction equipment by predicting, for various vehicle design alternatives: the actuator and joint forces, and the vehicle stability during digging.

Increased consumer demand for fresh fruit throughout the year has created a need for long term storage. Long term storage of fruit uses more energy than fresh market products, thus increasing production cost. Pacific Northwest energy costs and more competition for markets has made energy conservation an important factor to be considered by the fruit industry. A BASICA computer program, RLSIM, was developed to predict the transient refrigeration load throughout the storage season in apple and pear cold storage warehouses. RLSIM accurately predicted the seasonal and component refrigeration system energy demand curves during the 1985-1986 cold storage season. The results also indicated that the largest single energy use component is the continuous operation of evaporator fans. Simulation of a six hours on and six hours off fan cycling technique indicated a reduction of 23.75 percent could be achieved in overall refrigeration system energy use in the cold storage warehouse. Cold storage warehouse management can be improved by using the results of RLSIM. Fan cycling schemes could be properly employed without risk of increasing fruit temperature. Recommendations were made to update research in areas of cooling and respiration rates of various fruits in both controlled atmosphere and common storage.
Graduation date: 1988

African copper PLC’s flagship is the copper producing Mowana mine located 129 km from Francistown in the North-Eastern part of the Republic of Botswana. The processing operation at Mowana is a standard flotation plant designed to produce copper concentrates from oxide, supergene, and sulphide ores. The expected average output of 16.2 tons per hour of copper concentrates has never been attained since plant commissioning. The major bottleneck has been established to be located around the crushing circuit of the Mowana production chain. The major hypotheses of this research are that performance in a crushing plant is adversely influenced by moderate and discrete changes in the process. The ultimate objective is to develop a dynamic process simulator, administered in Simulink/MATLAB® background, for application in the design of a control model utilising two crusher variables and a self-tuning control algorithm. In this research work, a process model describing the dynamic operation of an Osborn 57S gyrasphere cone crusher is investigated. Modelling of the Mowana crushing circuit is carried out by combining the steady-state and dynamic components of the crushing equipment in the Simulink/Matlab® environment. Eccentric speed (ES) and closed-side setting (CSS) are amongst the important inputs to the models. The rest of the inputs (crusher power, crusher cavity level, federate, pulley diameters, liner wear measurement, number of teeth of the pinion and bevel gear) are extracted from the data collected across the Mowana mine crushing circuit. While it has been demonstrated that the crusher CSS is the most influential controllable parameter, it has also been demonstrated that crusher capacity and power can be used effectively to optimise the circuit. The use of crushing power and cavity level control is suitable for the crushing circuit since the crushers are running on a constant ES and the CSS is set and reset manually. The outcome of the study presents an insight into the optimization of the Mowana mine crushing circuit through the design of a self-tuning controller for the cone crusher and for prototyping, parameters of a PID controller were determined in the Simulink/MATLAB® environment. The simulation involved the optimisation of the control model as a function of the cavity level of and the power drawn by the cone crusher. A self-tuning control algorithm at PLC and SCADA level of control was then tested. This formed the simulations and training platform. The outcome of the simulations carried out in this research needs to be validated against the real Mowana crushing process control upgrade. This will then inform the modifications and recommended crusher motor resizing exercise to be implemented.
Electrical and Mining Engineering
M. Tech. (Engineering: Electrical)