A New Computation Method for Solidification Process in a Finite,Initially Overheated Slab

An approximate theory is presented for solidification in a finite,initially overheated slab in which one wall isinsulated and the other is subject to an instantaneous temperature drop below the freezing point.The simpleexpressions for the position of the phase change front as a function of time are derived.The results are com-pared with experimental data,numerical and approximate solutions as well as exact solution presented in otherliterature,and good agreement is attained.It is shown that the approximate method proposed herein is alsovalid for phase change problems with large Stefan numbers and different boundary conditions.     

Numerical simulation of tip leakage vortex effect on hydrogen-combustion flow around 3D turbine blade

In these years, a lot of environmental problems such as air pollution and exhaustion of fossil fuels have been discussed intensively. In our laboratory, a hydrogen-fueled propulsion system has been researched as an alternative to conventional systems. A hydrogen-fueled propulsion system is expected to have higher power, lighter weight and lower emissions. However, for the practical use, there exist many problems that must be overcome. Considering these backgrounds, jet engines with hydrogen-fueled combustion within a turbine blade passage have been studied. Although some studies have been made on injecting and burning hydrogen fuel from a stator surface, little is known about the interaction between a tip leakage vortex near the suction side of a rotor tip and hydrogen-fueled combustion. The purpose of this study is to clarify the influence of the tip leakage vortex on the characteristics of the 3-dimensional flow field with hydrogen-fueled combustion within a turbine blade passage. Reynolds-averaged compressible Navier-Stokes equations are solved with incorporating a k-ε turbulence and a reduced chemical mechanism models. Using the computational results, the 3-dimensional turbulent flow field with chemical reactions is numerically visualized, and the three-dimensional turbulent flow fields with hydrogen combustion and the structure of the tip leakage vortex are investigated.     

Experimental Study of the Viscous Pump with a Helical Channel Rotor： Torsion Effect of the Channel

The viscous pump, which has a rotor with a helical square channel, is studied experimentally. The non-dimensional channel curvature is taken to be about 0.1. Three types of torsion of the channel are made to investigate the torsion effect on the flow characteristics. We measure the flux through the channel at a constant rotor speed by changing the pressures at the entrance and exit of the pump. We also observe the secondary flow at a crosssection of the channel. Some of the results obtained are shown as follows： The friction factor along the channel to get the same flux is large for large channel torsion at a constant rotation, and becomes small when the favorable rotation of the rotor to the flow is applied. As for the secondary flow in a cross-section, there appear several types of vortex. When there is no rotation, the secondary flow is almost a symmetric two-vortex type for small flux as is the ordinary Dean vortex, but it changes to a four-vortex type when the flux is large. The secondary flow becomes asymmetric as the rotation is applied. We have unsteady flow patterns at large flux and rotation.     

Risk Analysis in Renewable Energy： Assessment of the Vulnerability of the Environment and Community

As a result of recent accidents, society is becoming more conscious and concerned about the risk that are under to the environment and communities. A proposal of assessment of the vulnerability of the environment and community is presented here under a holistic perspective using fuzzy logic as a formal tool. An internal factor of the risk of a system under a given threat is assessed. Risk is considered as the union between the threat and the vulnerability of the environment and community. This approach shows that the reduction in either or both of them makes a reduction in the risk content as well. The main purpose of this proposal is not to obtain a single value as output; in fact the result is a map which can contribute to the different areas of the community in decision making.     

An experimental investigation on the confined and elongated bubbles in subcooled flow boiling in a single microchannel

The characteristics of the confined bubble and elongated bubble in subcooled flow boiling in a single horizontal rectangular microchannel with hydraulic diameter Dh =1mm are studied experimentally.The channel with 1×1mm cross section is fabricated in a thin copper plate whose confinement number is Co=2.8 and the degassed deionized water is used as the working fluid.Visualization on the confined and elongated bubbles inside the microchannel is carried out by employing a high-speed CCD camera with a microlens.The recorded images are carefully analyzed to illustrate the behaviors of the confinement and elongation processes of the bubble.The boiling number is used as an adjustable parameter to regulate the operating conditions which is eventually found to take a vital role in the bubble elongation process.Two formation patterns of the confined and elongated bubble are identified and the interactions between the neighboring confined and elongated bubbles are elucidated.     

On identical problems of natural convection in enclosures and applications of the identity character

In this paper, a concept of "identical problems" of natural convection in enclosures is presented. A pair of problems of natural convection in enclosures is said to be identical if they look different in appearance but with appropriate selection of coordinates and appropriate definition of dimensionless variables for each problem, they will have identical geometric configurations and identical dimensionless governing equations and related boundary conditions. The identical characteristics of a pair of problems of natural convection in enclosures with an internal isolated island are demonstrated via dimensionless mathematical formulation and flow visualization results. Numerical computations are performed and the predicted streamlines agree with the flow visualization results. A number of other possible pairs of identical problems are also presented. Applications of the identical character are provided and assumptions under which the identical problems may exist are discussed.     

Fluid dynamic modeling of junctions in internal combustion engine inlet and exhaust systems

The modeling of inlet and exhaust systems of internal combustion engine is very important in order to evaluate the engine performance. This paper presents new pressure losses models which can be included in a one dimensional engine simulation code. In a first part, a CFD analysis is made in order to show the importance of the den- sity in the modeling approach. Then, the CFD code is used, as a numerical test bench, for the pressure losses models development. These coefficients depend on the geometrical characteristics of the junction and an experi- mental validation is made with the use of a shock tube test bench. All the models are then included in the engine simulation code of the laboratory. The numerical calculation of unsteady compressible flow, in each pipe of the inlet and exhaust systems, is made and the calculated engine torque is compared with experimental measurements.     

Dynamic Models of Heating and Cooling Coils with One—Dimensional Air Distribution

This paper presents the simulation models of the plate-fin, air-to-water (or water vapour) heat exchangers used as air-heating or air-cooling and dehumidifying coils in the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning) systems. The thermal models are used to calculate the heat exchange between distributing air and coil pipes and outlet temperatures of air and heat or chilled fluid. The aerodynamic models are used to account for the pressure drop of the air crossing the coil tubes. They can also be used to optimize the structures of such coils. The models are based on principal laws of heat and mass conservation and fluid mechanics. They are transparent and easy to use.In our work, a coil is considered as an assembly of numbers of basic elements in which all the state variables are unique. Therefore we can conveniently simulate the coils with different structures and different geometric parameters. Two modular programs TRNSYS (Transient System Simulation) and ESACAP are utilized as supporting softwares which make the programming and simulation greatly simplified. The coil elements and a real coil were simulated. The results were compared with the data offered by the manufacturer (company SOFICA) and also with those obtained using critical methods such as NTU method, etc. and good agreement is attained.     

Experiments and modeling of discharge characteristics in water-mist sprays generated by pressure-swirl atomizers

Pressure-swirl atomizers are often employed to generate a water-mist spray,typically employed in fire suppression.In the present study,an experimental characterization of dispersion(velocity and cone angle)and atomization(drop-size axial evolution)was carried out following a previously developed methodology,with specific reference to the initial region of the spray.Laser-based techniques were used to quantitatively evaluate the considered phenomena:velocity field was reconstructed through a Particle Image Velocimetry analysis;drop-size distribution was measured by a Malvern Spraytec device,highlighting secondary atomization and subsequent coalescence along the spray axis.Moreover,a comprehensive set of relations was validated as predictive of the involved parameters,following an inviscid-fluid approach.The proposed model pertains to early studies on pressure-swirl atomizers and primarily yields to determine both initial velocity and cone angle.The spray thickness is also predicted and a classic correlation for Sauter Mean Diameter is shown to provide good agreement with experimental results.The analysis was carried out at the operative pressure of 80 bar;two injectors were employed featuring different orifice diameters and flow numbers,as a sort of parametric approach to this spray typology.     

Cavity-Shape Identification with Convective Boundary Conditions Using Non-Boundary-Fitted Meshes

This article presents a system identification scheme to determine the geometric shape of a cavity with convective boundary condition in a heat-conducting medium using the measured temperatures on the surface of the object. The proposed algorithm is based on the nonlinear minimization of the squared errors between the measured temperatures and the calculated ones. In this article, a new approach based on non-boundary-fitted meshes and gradient smoothing technique is presented for the solution of the direct problem and shape sensitivity analysis. In this method, the domain boundary can be moved independently from the mesh, and the solution of the variable-domain problems can be found easily. The domain parameterization technique using cubic splines is adopted to manipulate the shape variation of the cavity. The conjugate gradient method is used as the optimization algorithm. Some numerical examples are solved to evaluate the applicability of the proposed method in the solution of inverse-geometry problems. In the examples, the effects of mesh size, measurement errors, cavity-shape, cavity size, and the initial guess are examined.     

Novel Heat Transfer Issues Associated with the Design and Safe Operation of the MEGAPIE Spallation Source Target

Critical heat transfer problems are discussed in the context of the operation of a spallation source target, which represents a first demonstration of the feasibility of an innovative concept for generating energy using a particle accelerator. Within the framework of the umbrella project MEGAPIE, an R&D support group was organized to take responsibility for target cooling. This involved the use of advanced numerical methods — Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Finite Element Method (FEM) — validated against suitable experimental data, and by means of appropriate benchmarking exercises. The design studies using CFD resulted in an optimum flow configuration being defined for the coolant circulation. Flow visualization tests were undertaken using a glass/water test section, with the velocity field mapped using optical and ultrasonic measuring techniques. These were followed by heat transfer tests, using the actual target materials (lead-bismuth-eutectic coolant and steel confinement). Further CFD/FEM work to analyze operational transients and accident sequences was also carried out, and is described in the paper.     

Dynamic Coverage Optimal Control for Multiple Spacecraft Interferometric Imaging

In this paper, we study and generalize a class of optimal control problems known in the literature as τ-elastic variational optimal control problems. In the τ-elastic optimal control, we want to minimize a cost function over trajectories that evolve on a Riemannian manifold and satisfy a second-order differential equation together with some smoothness and motion constraints. The cost function is a weighted sum of the squared norm of the acceleration and the squared norm of the velocity. Here, we generalize the τ-elastic variational problem to the dynamic coverage optimal control problem, which is a class of optimal control problems motivated by multiple spacecraft formation flying for imaging applications. The main novelty of this paper is an interesting connection between multiple spacecraft formation flying and the τ-elastic and coverage optimal control problems. This research is supported by NSF grants DMS-0103895, DMS-0305837, and CMS-0408542.     

Transportation: meeting the dual challenges of achieving energy security and reducing greenhouse gas emissions

As the population and economy continue to grow globally, demand for energy will continue to grow. The transportation sector relies solely on petroleum for its energy supply. The United States and China are the top two oil-importing countries. A major issue both countries face and are addressing is energy insecurity as a result of the demand for liquid fuels. Improvements in the energy efficiency of vehicles and the substitution of petroleum fuels with alternative fuels can help contain growth in the demand for transportation oil. Although most alternative transportation fuels — when applied to advanced vehicle technologies — can substantially reduce greenhouse emissions, coal-based liquid fuels may increase greenhouse gas emissions by twice as much as gasoline. Such technologies as carbon capture and storage may need to be employed to manage the greenhouse gas emissions of coal-based fuels. At present, there is no ideal transportation fuel option to solve problems related to transportation energy and greenhouse gas emissions. To solve these problems, research and development efforts are needed for a variety of transportation fuel options and advanced vehicle technologies.     

Application of the variational iteration method to nonlinear non‐Fourier conduction heat transfer equation with variable coefficient

In this paper, a variational iteration method (VIM) has been applied to nonlinear non‐Fourier conduction heat transfer equation with variable specific heat coefficient. The concept of the variational iteration method is introduced briefly for applying this method for problem solving. The proposed iterative scheme finds the solution without any discretization, linearization, or restrictive assumptions. The results of VIM as an analytical solution are then compared with those derived from the established numerical solution obtained by the fourth order Runge–Kutta method in order to verify the accuracy of the proposed method. The results reveal that the VIM is very effective and convenient in predicting the solution of such problems, and it is predicted that VIM can find a wide application in new engineering problems. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res; Published online in Wiley Online Library ( wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/htj ). DOI 10.1002/htj.20362     

The approximate solution of nonlinear heat equation

Nowadays there are many approximate methods for thermal conductivity calculation, that lead to satisfactory outcomes in engineering practice. With the new approach, the solution of the nonlinear thermal conductivity equation was investigated. In addition to this, we reviewed the approximate solution of the nonlinear equation of thermal conductivity with cubic nonlinearity. To solve the problems of mathematical analysis, differential and integral equations, and boundary value problems of mathematical physics, difference, and interpolation are applied. Thus, for thinking of the effectiveness and reasonableness of these approaches, it is crucial for their theoretical investigation. The solution to these questions was found for each class of equation and each of its methods in their way and was often represented as significant difficulty, and in many cases was an obstacle for the current time. A natural approach to solving this issue is the use of the ideas of functional analysis. The variational principle initially was considered as a variational approach for solving linear functional equations and finding eigenvalues of linear operators. As in any variational approach, the problem of solving an equation will be brought to finding the extremum of the certain function of a special type, given over the entire space. It was found that the approach is useful in a way of minimizing functions of the more general type.     

The effect of life-cycle cost disclosure on consumer behavior: evidence from a field experiment with cooling appliances

Theory suggests that providing consumers with an estimated life-cycle cost (LCC) may make them buy more energy-efficient household appliances in cases where energy efficiency is cost effective. This article evaluates the link between the provision of LCC and consumer behavior by using an online field experiment for cooling appliances. Internet users arriving at a commercially operating price comparison website were randomly assigned to two experimental groups, and the groups were exposed to different visual stimuli. The control group received regular product price information, whereas the treatment group was offered additional information about estimated operating cost and total LCC. Consumers’ click behavior was evaluated with multiple regression controlling for several product characteristics (n = 1,969 clicks). We find that LCC disclosure reduces the mean specific energy use of chosen cooling appliances by 2.5% (p < 0.01), making it a potentially interesting approach for environmental policy regarding the market transformation toward more energy-efficient household appliances. However, LCC disclosure also decreases the number of clicks from the price comparison website to final retailers by about 23% (p < 0.01), which makes it—in the format chosen here—undesirable from a business perspective. Therefore, future research should clarify under what (if any) conditions can monetary energy cost disclosure be associated with more positive effects for price comparison websites.     

Elastoplastic frictional contact problem study on interference fits of compressor

The FE parametric quadratic programming (PQP) method developed from the parametric variational principle (PVP) was used for the analysis of the stress distribution of the 3D elastoplastic frictional contact of an impeller-shaft sleeve-shaft. A locomotive-type turbocharger compressor with 24 blades under combined centrifugal and interference-fit loading was considered in the numerical analysis. The solution of elastoplastic frictional contact problems belongs to unspecified boundary problems where the interaction between two kinds of nonlinearities should occur. To save time in the numerical computation, a multi-substructure technique was adopted in the structural modeling. The effect of fit tolerance, wall thickness of the shaft sleeve, and rotational speed on the contact stress was discussed in detail in the numerical computation. To decrease the difficulty of the assembly process and ensure the safety of the working state, the amount of interference between the shaft sleeve and shaft by press-fitting should be controlled strictly to avoid the rapid increase of contact stress. The numerical results show that the algorithm has high accuracy and good convergence. The study can be referred to in deciding the proper fit tolerance and improving the design and manufacturing technology of compressor impellers. __________ Translated from Engineering Mechanics, 2007, 24(1): 186–192, 177 [译自: 工程力学]     

A SEMIANALYTIC APPROACH TO GENERAL TRANSIENT PROBLEMS AND ITS APPLICATIONS TO HEAT TRANSFER

Abstract

In this article a new method of solving the transient problems is developed that is based on convolution-type variational principles, where finite-element discretization in the space domain and series representation in the time domain are considered. This approach can overcome the shortcomings of existing methods and combine the advantages of those methods for solving transient problems. The examples show that the new method is a most effective method of obtaining solutions for transient problems.     

Exact Variational Principle For 3-D Unsteady Heat Conduction With Second Sound

The exact variational formulation of the extended unsteady heat conduction equation with finite propagationspeed(the 2nd sound speed)of hyperbolic type is derived herein via a systematic and natural way.Moreover,theboundary- and the physically acceptable initial-value conditions are accommodated in the variational principle bya novel method suggested just recently.In this way a perfect justification of the variational theory of transient heatconduction and a rigorous theoretical basis for the finite element analysis of heat conduction are provided.