scholarly journals Natural Circulation Characteristics at Low-Pressure Conditions through PANDA Experiments and ATHLET Simulations

2008 ◽  
Vol 2008 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Domenico Paladino ◽  
Max Huggenberger ◽  
Frank Schäfer
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Natural Circulation ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Experimental Investigations ◽  
Stability Performance ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Circulation Characteristics

Natural circulation characteristics at low pressure/low power have been studied by performing experimental investigations and numerical simulations. The PANDA large-scale facility was used to provide valuable, high quality data on natural circulation characteristics as a function of several parameters and for a wide range of operating conditions. The new experimental data allow for testing and improving the capabilities of the thermal-hydraulic computer codes to be used for treating natural circulation loops in a range with increased attention. This paper presents a synthesis of a part of the results obtained within the EU-Project NACUSP “natural circulation and stability performance of boiling water reactors.” It does so by using the experimental results produced in PANDA and by showing some examples of numerical simulations performed with the thermal-hydraulic code ATHLET.

Design and experimental characterization of an electromagnetic transducer for large-scale vibratory energy harvesting applications

2011 ◽  
Vol 22 (17) ◽  
pp. 2009-2024 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian L. Cassidy ◽  
Jeffrey T. Scruggs ◽  
Sam Behrens ◽  
Henri P. Gavin
Keyword(s):  
Energy Harvesting ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Impedance Matching ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Matching Theory ◽  
Experimental Investigations ◽  
Experimental Characterization ◽  
Electromagnetic Transducer ◽  
Wide Range

This article reports on the design and experimental characterization of an electromagnetic transducer for energy harvesting from large structures (e.g., multistory buildings and bridges), for which the power levels can be above 100 W and disturbance frequencies below 1 Hz. The transducer consists of a back-driven ballscrew coupled to a permanent-magnet synchronous machine with power harvesting regulated via control of a four-quadrant power electronic drive. Design considerations between various subsystems are illustrated and recommendations in terms of minimal values are made for each design metric. Developing control algorithms to take full advantage of the unique features of this type of transducer requires a mechanical model that can adequately characterize the device’s intrinsic nonlinear behavior. A new model is proposed that can effectively capture this behavior. Comparison with experimental results verifies that the model is accurate over a wide range of operating conditions. As such, the model can be used to assess the viability of the technology and to correctly design controllers to maximize power generation. To demonstrate the device’s energy harvesting capability, impedance matching theory is used to optimize the power generated from a base-excited tuned mass damper. Both theoretical and experimental investigations are compared and the results are shown to match closely.

Large Eddy Simulations of Staggered Parallel-Plate Flows

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. V. Pham ◽  
F. Plourde ◽  
S. K. Doan
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Heat Transfer Enhancement ◽  
Parallel Plate ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Transfer Enhancement ◽  
Turbulent Structures ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Large Eddy

Heat transfer enhancement is a subject of major concern in numerous fields of industry and research. Having received undivided attention over the years, it is still studied worldwide. Given the exponential growth of computing power, large-scale numerical simulations are growing steadily more realistic, and it is now possible to obtain accurate time-dependent solutions with far fewer preliminary assumptions about the problems. As a result, an increasingly wide range of physics is now open for exploration. More specifically, it is time to take full advantage of large eddy simulation technique so as to describe heat transfer in staggered parallel-plate flows. In fact, from simple theory through experimental results, it has been demonstrated that surface interruption enhances heat transfer. Staggered parallel-plate geometries are of great potential interest, and yet many numerical works dedicated to them have been tarnished by excessively simple assumptions. That is to say, numerical simulations have generally hypothesized lengthwise periodicity, even though flows are not periodic; moreover, the LES technique has not been employed with sufficient frequency. Actually, our primary objective is to analyze turbulent influence with regard to heat transfers in staggered parallel-plate fin geometries. In order to do so, we have developed a LES code, and numerical results are compared with regard to several grid mesh resolutions. We have focused mainly upon identification of turbulent structures and their role in heat transfer enhancement. Another key point involves the distinct roles of boundary restart and the vortex shedding mechanism on heat transfer and friction factor.

Numerical Analysis of Non-Radial Blading in a Low Speed and Low Pressure Turbine for Electric Turbocompounding Applications

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Alvarez-Regueiro ◽  
Esperanza Barrera-Medrano ◽  
Ricardo Martinez-Botas ◽  
Srithar Rajoo
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Analysis ◽  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Thermal Stresses ◽  
Waste Heat ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Turbine Rotor ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Blade Angle ◽  
Low Speed

Abstract This paper presents a CFD-based numerical analysis on the potential benefits of non-radial blading turbine for low speed-low pressure applications. Electric turbocompounding is a waste heat recovery technology consisting of a turbine coupled to a generator that transforms the energy left over in the engine exhaust gases, which is typically found at low pressure, into electricity. Turbines designed to operate at low specific speed are ideal for these applications since the peak efficiency occurs at lower pressure ratios than conventional high speed turbines. The baseline design consisted of a vaneless radial fibre turbine, operating at 1.2 pressure ratio and 28,000rpm. Experimental low temperature tests were carried out with the baseline radial blading turbine at nominal, lower and higher pressure ratio operating conditions to validate numerical simulations. The baseline turbine incidence angle effect was studied and positive inlet blade angle impact was assessed in the current paper. Four different turbine rotor designs of 20, 30, 40 and 50° of positive inlet blade angle are presented, with the aim to reduce the losses associated to positive incidence, specially at midspan. The volute domain was included in all CFD calculations to take into account the volute-rotor interactions. The results obtained from numerical simulations of the modified designs were compared with those from the baseline turbine rotor at design and off-design conditions. Total-to-static efficiency improved in all the non-radial blading designs at all operating points considered, by maximum of 1.5% at design conditions and 5% at off-design conditions, particularly at low pressure ratio. As non-radial fibre blading may be susceptible to high centrifugal and thermal stresses, a structural analysis was performed to assess the feasibility of each design. Most of non-radial blading designs showed acceptable levels of stress and deformation.

Influence of Longitudinal Roughness on Friction in EHL Contacts

2004 ◽  
Vol 126 (3) ◽  
pp. 473-481 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Jacod ◽  
C. H. Venner ◽  
P. M. Lugt
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Simplified Approach ◽  
Curve Fit ◽  
Longitudinal Roughness ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Equivalent Wave ◽  
Harmonic Components ◽  
Comparison Of The Results ◽  
Relative Friction

The effect of longitudinal roughness on the friction in EHL contacts is investigated by means of numerical simulations. In the theoretical model the Eyring equation is used to describe the rheological behavior of the lubricant. First the relative friction variation caused by a single harmonic roughness component is computed as a function of the amplitude and wavelength for a wide range of operating conditions. From the results a curve fit formula is derived for the relative friction variation as a function of the out-of-contact geometry of the waviness and a newly derived parameter characterizing the response of the lubricant to pressure variations. Subsequently, the case of a superposition of two harmonic components is considered. It is shown that for the effect on friction such a combined pattern can be represented by a single equivalent wave. The amplitude and the wavelength of the equivalent wave can be determined from a nonlinear relation in terms of the amplitudes and wavelengths of the individual harmonic components. Finally the approach is applied to the prediction of the effect of a real roughness profile (many components) on the friction. From a comparison of the results with full numerical simulations it appears that the simplified approach is quite accurate.

Performance Prediction and Optimization of Low Pressure Steam Turbine Radial Diffuser at Design and Off-Design Conditions Using Streamline Curvature Method

2017 ◽  
Vol 139 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luying Zhang ◽  
Francesco Congiu ◽  
Xiaopeng Gan ◽  
David Karunakara
Keyword(s):  
Steam Turbine ◽  
Flow Separation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Current Method ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Numerical Approach ◽  
Optimization Process ◽  
Exhaust Hood ◽  
Streamline Curvature ◽  
Wide Range

The performance of the radial diffuser of a low pressure (LP) steam turbine is important to the power output of the turbine. A reliable and robust prediction and optimization tool is desirable in industry for preliminary design and performance evaluation. This is particularly critical during the tendering phase of retrofit projects, which typically cover a wide range of original equipment manufacturer and other original equipment manufacturers designs. This work describes a fast and reliable numerical approach for the simulation of flow in the last stage and radial diffuser coupled with the exhaust hood. The numerical solver is based on a streamline curvature throughflow method and a geometry-modification treatment has been developed for off-design conditions, at which large-scale flow separation may occur in the diffuser domain causing convergence difficulty. To take into account the effect of tip leakage jet flow, a boundary layer solver is coupled with the throughflow calculation to predict flow separation on the diffuser lip. The performance of the downstream exhaust hood is modeled by a hood loss model (HLM) that accounts for various loss generations along the flow paths. Furthermore, the solver is implemented in an optimization process. Both the diffuser lip and hub profiles can be quickly optimized, together or separately, to improve the design in the early tender phase. 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations are used to validate the solver and the optimization process. The results show that the current method predicts the diffuser/exhaust hood performance within good agreement with the CFD calculation and the optimized diffuser profile improves the diffuser recovery over the datum design. The tool provides General Electric the capability to rapidly optimize and customize retrofit diffusers for each customer considering different constraints.

scholarly journals A Computational Survey of Semiconductors for Power Electronics

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prashun Gorai ◽  
Robert McKinney ◽  
Nancy Haegel ◽  
Andriy Zakutayev ◽  
Vladan Stevanovic
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Power Electronics ◽  
Figure Of Merit ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Lattice Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Consumer Products ◽  
Breakdown Field ◽  
Experimental Investigations ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Screening Parameter

Power electronics (PE) are used to control and convert electrical energy in a wide range of applications from consumer products to large-scale industrial equipment. While Si-based power devices account for the vast majority of the market, wide band gap semiconductors such as SiC, GaN, and Ga2O3 are starting to gain ground. However, these emerging materials face challenges due to either non-negligible defect densities, or high synthesis and processing costs, or poor thermal properties. Here, we report on a broad computational survey aimed to identify promising materials for future power electronic devices beyond SiC, GaN, and Ga2O3. We consider 863 oxides, sulfides, nitrides, carbides, silicides, and borides that are reported in the crystallographic database and exhibit finite calculated band gaps. We utilize ab initio methods in conjunction with models for intrinsic carrier mobility, and critical breakdown field to compute the widely used Baliga figure of merit. We also compute the lattice thermal conductivity as a screening parameter. In addition to correctly identifying known PE materials, our survey has revealed a number of promising candidates exhibiting the desirable combination of high figure of merit and high lattice thermal conductivity, which we propose for further experimental investigations.

scholarly journals Pressure losses and oscillations in a compact valve of a steam turbine

2021 ◽  
Vol 345 ◽  
pp. 00027
Author(s):  
Václav Sláma ◽  
David Šimurda ◽  
Lukáš Mrózek ◽  
Ladislav Tajč ◽  
Jindřich Hála ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Pressure Oscillation ◽  
Operational Reliability ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Steam Turbines ◽  
Valve Seat ◽  
Pressure Losses ◽  
Oscillation Analysis ◽  
Seat Angle ◽  
Wide Range

Characteristics of a new compact valve design for steam turbines are analysed by measuring pressure losses and oscillations on the valve model. It is the model of an intercept valve of the intermediate-pressure turbine part. This valve is relatively smaller hence cheaper than usual control and intercept valves. Besides, four different valve seat angles were tested in order to investigate the valve seat angle influence. In order to further clarify measured phenomena, the wide range of numerical simulations were also carried out. Measurements were performed in the Aerodynamic laboratory of the Institute of Thermomechanics of the Czech Academy of Sciences in an air test rig installed in a modular aerodynamic tunnel. Numerical simulations were performed in the Doosan Skoda Power Company using a package of ANSYS software tools. Measurement results are compared with numerical and generalized in the form of valve characteristics and pressure oscillation maps. As a result of the pressure loss analysis, pressure losses in similar valve assemblies can be predicted with required accuracy for each new turbine where modern compact valves are used. As a result of the pressure oscillation analysis, operating conditions at which dangerous flow instabilities can occur were identified. Thanks to this, the areas of safe and dangerous operating conditions can be predicted so that the operational reliability of the valve can be guaranteed.

scholarly journals Combined numerical and experimental study of microstructure and permeability in porous granular media

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philipp Eichheimer ◽  
Marcel Thielmann ◽  
Wakana Fujita ◽  
Gregor J. Golabek ◽  
Michihiko Nakamura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Flow ◽  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Granular Media ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Earth Science ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Effective Porosity ◽  
Flow Properties ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Flow Through

Abstract. Fluid flow on different scales is of interest for several Earth science disciplines like petrophysics, hydrogeology and volcanology. To parameterize fluid flow in large-scale numerical simulations (e.g. groundwater and volcanic systems), flow properties on the microscale need to be considered. For this purpose experimental and numerical investigations of flow through porous media over a wide range of porosities are necessary. In the present study we sinter glass bead media with various porosities. The microstructure, namely effective porosity and effective specific surface, is investigated using image processing. We determine flow properties like hydraulic tortuosity and permeability using both experimental measurements and numerical simulations. By fitting microstructural and flow properties to porosity, we obtain a modified Kozeny-Carman equation for isotropic low-porosity media, that can be used to simulate permeability in large-scale numerical models. To verify the modified Kozeny-Carman equation we compare it to the computed and measured permeability values.

Towards Primary Breakup Simulation of a Complete Aircraft Nozzle at Realistic Aircraft Conditions

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharina Warncke ◽  
Amsini Sadiki ◽  
Max Staufer ◽  
Christian Hasse ◽  
Johannes Janicka
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Liquid Fuel ◽  
Fuel Injection ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Nozzle Geometry ◽  
Nozzle Flow ◽  
Spray Characteristics ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Primary Breakup ◽  
Turbulent Scales

Abstract Predicting details of aircraft engine combustion by means of numerical simulations requires reliable information about spray characteristics from liquid fuel injection. However, details of liquid fuel injection are not well documented. Indeed, standard droplet distributions are usually utilized in Euler-Lagrange simulations of combustion. Typically, airblast injectors are employed to atomize the liquid fuel by feeding a thin liquid film in the shear zone between two swirled air flows. Unfortunately, droplet data for the wide range of operating conditions during a flight is not available. Focusing on numerical simulations, Direct Numerical simulations (DNS) of full nozzle designs are nowadays out of scope. Reducing numerical costs, but still considering the full nozzle flow, the embedded DNS methodology (eDNS) has been introduced within a Volume of Fluid framework (Sauer et al., Atomization and Sprays, vol. 26, pp. 187–215, 2016). Thereby, DNS domain is kept as small as possible by reducing it to the primary breakup zone. It is then embedded in a Large Eddy Simulation (LES) of the turbulent nozzle flow. This way, realistic turbulent scales of the nozzle flow are included, when simulating primary breakup. Previous studies of a generic atomizer configuration proved that turbulence in the gaseous flow has significant impact on liquid disintegration and should be included in primary breakup simulations (Warncke et al., ILASS Europe, Paris, 2019). In this contribution, an industrial airblast atomizer is numerically investigated for the first time using the eDNS approach. The complete nozzle geometry is simulated, considering all relevant features of the flow. Three steps are necessary: 1. LES of the gaseous nozzle flow until a statistically stationary flow is reached. 2. Position and refinement of the DNS domain. Due to the annular nozzle design the DNS domain is chosen as a ring. It comprises the atomizing edge, where the liquid is brought between inner and outer air flow, and the downstream primary breakup zone. 3. Start of liquid fuel injection and primary breakup simulation. Since the simulation of the two-phase DNS and the LES of the surrounding nozzle flow are conducted at the same time, turbulent scales of the gas flow are directly transferred to the DNS domain. The applicability of eDNS to full nozzle designs is demonstrated and details of primary breakup at the nozzle outlet are presented. In particular a discussion of the phenomenological breakup process and spray characteristics is provided.

Development and validation of a novel quasi-dimensional combustion model for un-scavenged prechamber gas engines with numerical simulations and engine experiments

2020 ◽  
pp. 146808742095133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstantinos Bardis ◽  
Panagiotis Kyrtatos ◽  
Guoqing Xu ◽  
Christophe Barro ◽  
Yuri Martin Wright ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Combustion Model ◽  
Experimental Investigations ◽  
Computationally Efficient ◽  
Lean Burn ◽  
Dimensional Models ◽  
Three Dimensional Models

Lean-burn gas engines equipped with an un-scavenged prechamber have proven to reduce nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions and fuel consumption, while mitigating combustion cycle-to-cycle fluctuations and unburned hydrocarbon (UHC) emissions. However, the performance of a prechamber gas engine is largely dependent on the prechamber design, which has to be optimised for the particular main chamber geometry and the foreseen engine operating conditions. Optimisation of such complex engine components relies partly on computationally efficient simulation tools, such as quasi and zero-dimensional models, since extensive experimental investigations can be costly and time-consuming. This article presents a newly developed quasi-dimensional (Q-D) combustion model for un-scavenged prechamber gas engines, which is motivated by the need for reliable low order models to optimise the principle design parameters of the prechamber. Our fundamental aim is to enhance the predictability and robustness of the proposed model with the inclusion of the following: (i) Formal derivation of the combustion and flow submodels via reduction of the corresponding three-dimensional models. (ii) Individual validation of the various submodels. (iii) Combined use of numerical simulations and experiments for the model validation. The resulting model shows very good agreement with the numerical simulations and the experiments from two different engines with various prechamber geometries using a set of fixed calibration parameters.

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