Study of dynamic structure and heat and mass transfer of a vertical ceramic tiles dryer using CFD simulations

In this study, we developed a two-dimensional Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model to simulate dynamic structure and heat and mass transfer of a vertical ceramic tiles dryer (EVA 702). The carrier’s motion imposed the choice of a dynamic mesh based on two methods: “spring based smoothing” and “local remeshing”. The dryer airflow is considered as turbulent (Re = 1.09 × 10⁵ at the dryer inlet), therefore the Re-Normalization Group $k - \in$ model with Enhanced Wall Treatment was used as a turbulence model. The resolution of the governing equation was performed with Fluent 6.3 whose capacities do not allow the direct resolution of drying problems. Thus, a user defined scalar equation was inserted in the CFD code to model moisture content diffusion into tiles. User-defined functions were implemented to define carriers’ motion, thermo-physical properties… etc. We adopted also a “two-step” simulation method: in the first step, we follow the heat transfer coefficient evolution (H_c). In the second step, we determine the mass transfer coefficient (H_m) and the features fields of drying air and ceramic tiles. The found results in mixed convection mode (Fr = 5.39 at the dryer inlet) were used to describe dynamic and thermal fields of airflow and heat and mass transfer close to the ceramic tiles. The response of ceramic tiles to heat and mass transfer was studied based on Biot numbers. The evolutions of averages temperature and moisture content of ceramic tiles were analyzed. Lastly, comparison between experimental and numerical results showed a good agreement.     

Drying of solids with irregular geometry: numerical study and application using a three-dimensional model

This article proposes a numerical solution for the diffusion equation applied to solids with arbitrary geometry using non-orthogonal structured grids for the boundary condition of the first kind. A transient three-dimensional mathematical formulation written in boundary fitted coordinates and numerical formalism to discretize the diffusion equation by using the finite volume method, including numerical analysis of the computational solution are presented. To validate the proposed solution, the results obtained in this work were compared with well-known numerical solution available in literature and good agreement was observed. In order to verify the potential of the proposed numerical solution, it was applied to describe mass transfer inside ceramic roof tiles during drying. For that, it was used experimental data of the drying kinetics at the following temperatures: 55.6; 69.7; 82.7 and 98.6 °C. An optimization technique using experimental dataset has been presented to estimation of transport properties. The obtained statistical indicators enable to conclude that the numerical solution satisfactorily describes the drying processes.     

Monitoring of Pollutant Diffusion into Clay Liners by Electrical Methods

A non-destructive test was carried out on a liner material—sand bentonite mixture (SB) with a continuous concentration diffusion of NaCl electrolyte. The work reported studied the spacio-temporal variation of the electrical conductivity $\sigma ^{*}_{\mathrm{s}}$ (z, t) in a diffusion soil column with different heights. A relationship between the interstitial pore fluid concentration of SB and the electrical conductivity of the solution has been established by mixing and compacting samples of sand bentonite with NaCl electrolytes at different concentrations. Electrical conductivity of compacted specimens was measured with a two-electrode cell. The conductivity measurements were used to quantify the pore fluid concentration and effective diffusion coefficient of SB liners. It is concluded here that the electrical conductivity of compacted specimens depends mainly on the salt concentration in the pore fluid and it could be used to measure ionic movement through liners during diffusion. The experimental diffusion coefficient reached theoretical diffusion coefficient when sample height is equal to 40 cm.     

Identification of radon transfer velocity coefficient between liquid and gaseous phasesIdentification de la vitesse de transfert de radon entre une phase liquide et une phase gazeuse

Radon transfer between a liquid phase and a gaseous phase is modelled by a Robin's condition (radon flux at the common interface is expressed as function of radon concentrations in the two phases). This condition involves two constants: Ostwald's coefficient (α) and the transfer velocity coefficient (β). Assuming the value of α is known, a method is proposed to determinate the value of β, by studying the radon transfer phenomenon at the laboratory scale. Knowing the initial radon concentrations, the experiment consists in measuring how long the radon flux passes through the common interface. In this stabilisation time radon transport is governed in each phase by diffusion and disintegration. Then, determination of β is equivalent to solving an inverse problem formulated using measured data. A numerical procedure is developed to solve this problem. To cite this article: D.-G. Calugaru, J.-M. Crolet, C. R. Mecanique 330 (2002) 377–382.     

Mixing Measurements in a Supersonic Expansion-Ramp Combustor

This paper reports results on molecular mixing for injection via an expansion-ramp into a supersonic freestream with M ₁ = 1.5. This geometry produces a compressible turbulent shear layer between an upper, high-speed “air” stream and a lower, low-speed “fuel” stream, injected through an expansion-ramp at α = 30° to the high-speed freestream. Mass injection is chosen to force the shear layer to attach to the lower guide wall. This results in part of the flow being directed upstream, forming a recirculation zone. Employing the hypergolic hydrogen-fluorine chemical reaction and pairs of “flip” experiments, molecular mixing is quantified by measuring the resulting temperature rise. Initial experiments established the fast-chemistry limit for this flow in terms of a Damköhler number (Da). For Da ≥ 1.4, molecularly mixed fluid effectively reacts to completion. Parameters varied in these experiments were the measurement station location, the injection velocity of the (lower) “fuel” stream, the stoichiometry for the flip experiments, and the density ratio of the fuel and air streams. As expected, mixing increases with increasing distance from the injection surface. The mixed fluid fraction increases by 12% when changing the fuel-to-air stream density ratio from 1 to 0.2. Comparisons with measurements at subsonic (high-speed) “air” stream velocities show that the trend of decreasing mixing with increasing speed documented in free-shear layer flows is also encountered in these flows. The current geometry produces higher mixing levels than do free shear layers.     

Theoretical and numerical investigations of TAP experiments: new approaches for variable pressure conditions

Temporal analysis of products (“TAP”, see Gleaves et al. in Catal Rev Sci Eng 30:49, 1988) is a valuable tool for characterisation of porous catalytic structures. Established TAP-modelling requires a spatially constant diffusion coefficient and neglect convective flows, which is only valid in Knudsen diffusion regime. A new theoretical model is developed for estimating the number of molecules per pulse to stay in Knudsen diffusion regime under any conditions and at any time. Moreover a new methodology for generating a full three-dimensional geometrical representation of beds is presented and used for numerical simulations. In computational fluid dynamics software (ANSYS CFX^® version 14) a transient diffusive transport equation with time-dependent inlet boundary conditions is solved. Three different pellet diameters were investigated with 1E+18 molecules per pulse, which is higher than the limit from the theoretical calculation (about 1E+15). From this results, the distance from inlet can be calculated where the theoretical pressure limit (Kn = 2) is obtained, i.e., from this point to the end of reactor, Knudsen regime can be assumed.     

Kinetics of the interaction of a liquid diffusing into another one as studied by reflection spectroscopy (ATR)

An approach is offered for determining the reaction rate constant (k) between two liquid substances, the one penetrating into the other. The procedure is based on the experimental measurement of the diffusion coefficient (D). As model reaction the isotopic exchange process in the ketone octanone-2 molecule is chosen, whose active hydrogen atoms undergo deuteration by the strong base trioctyl-methyl-ammonium deuteroxide (TOMAOD). The diffusion coefficient of the penetrating TOMA-OD, when this reaction takes place, and the rate constant of the latter are determined by an attenuated total reflection (ATR) spectroscopic method [1] on the grounds of appropriate mathematical modeling [2]. The application of this simple and comparatively rapid approach results in thek-value of 1.04 × 10^?2 sec^?1 for the monomolecular interaction mentioned above. The reasons for such an assumption arise from the only initial process stage treatment, where the reactant (TOMA-OD) particles enter the substrate (the ketone) surrounded by an excess of its own molecules. This further allows an analytical solution of the resulting diffusion problem.     

The effect of stereotomy on the shape of the thrust-line and the minimum thickness of semicircular masonry arches

More than a century ago, the Serbian engineer and astronomer Milutin Milankovitch presented a remarkable formulation for the thrust-line of arches that do not sustain tension, and by taking radial cuts and a polar coordinate system, he published for the first time the correct and complete solution for the theoretical minimum thickness, t, of a monolithic semicircular arch with radius R. This paper shows that Milankovitch’s solution, t/R = 0.1075, is not unique and that it depends on the stereotomy exercised. The adoption of vertical cuts which are associated with a cartesian coordinate system yields a neighboring thrust-line and a different, slightly higher value for the minimum thickness (t/R = 0.1095) than the value computed by Milankovitch. This result has been obtained in this paper with a geometric and a variational formulation. The Milankovitch minimum thrust-line derived with radial stereotomy and our minimum thrust-line derived with vertical stereotomy are two distinguishable, physically admissible thrust-lines which do not coincide with R. Hooke’s catenary that meets the extrados of the arch at the three extreme points. Furthermore, the paper shows that the catenary (the “hanging chain”) is not a physically admissible minimum thrust-line of the semicircular arch, although it is a neighboring line to the aforementioned physically admissible thrust-lines. The minimum thickness of a semicircular arch that is needed to accommodate the catenary curve is t/R = 0.1117—a value that is even higher than the enhanced minimum thickness t/R = 0.1095 computed in this paper after adopting a cartesian coordinate system; therefore, it works toward the safety of the arch.     

Mathematical modelling of the soil desalinization process

Of the many physical and chemical factors influencing the migration of salt in the ground, only molecular-filtration diffusion, convective transport, and salt exchange between the porous soil skeleton and the moving solution are usually taken into account [1]. The salt-exchange process is of a diffusion nature (“internal” diffusion) and depends on the types of soil and the nature of their salinization. We may assume that soils of a heavy mechanical composition (clay, heavy loam) possessing high moisture-retention capacity are most appropriately modelled by a heterogeneous porous medium with porosity m = m₁ + m₂, where m₁ denotes the volume of transit pores occupied by the moving solution and m₂, the volume of terminal pores, filled with a stationary solution (“bound” moisture). In this case, the internal diffusion mass-exchange process between both types of pores is described [2, 3] in the form of Freundlich-type isotherms, (0.1) $$\alpha {{\partial N} \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{\partial N} {\partial t}}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {\partial t}} = c - N,$$ where c (x, t) and N (x, t) are the concentrations of solutions in the transit and terminal pores, respectively, t is the time, x is a coordinate, and α is the kinetic parameter. Salinization of soil of light mechanical composition (sand, light loam) with low moisture-retention capacity is associated with the presence of salts in the solid phase. We must write kinetic equations for salt dissolution in place of Eq. (0.1). Some types of these equations have been previously presented [1–5]. In this work, three problems modelling the soil desalinization process and admitting analytic solutions for arbitrarily given initial salinization are considered. It is assumed here that the “internal” diffusion process occurs sufficiently rapidly (or infinitely rapidly) in comparison with the “external” diffusion process and convection.     

On human–robot interaction of a 3-DOF decoupled parallel mechanism based on the design and construction of a novel and low-cost 3-DOF force sensor

This paper addresses the extension of a 3-degrees-of-freedom (3-DOF) decoupled parallel mechanism for human–robot interaction purposes. To this end, a low-cost 3-DOF force sensor for human–robot interaction applications is proposed, designed and constructed. In the latter force sensor, five load cells are placed in order to identify the amount of the applied force along each Cartesian direction. In addition, an experimental identification procedure based on least square method is carried out in order to obtain the first and third degree polynomial models of the sensor output model. From the practical tests it has been reveled that the force sensor has a reasonable precision of 0.1 N in both x and y-axes and 0.2 N in z-axis, within a range of 5 N which is suitable for human–robot interaction applications. Then, using the proposed force sensor, two control methods, namely “position control” and “speed control” are applied for human–robot interaction purposes and their performances are compared.     

Natural Convection as an Asymmetrical Factor of the Transport Through Porous Membrane

For nonionic substances, which density of solution depends on its concentration, concentration polarization of the membrane in horizontal plane depends not only on diffusion but on the hydrodynamic instabilities at the membrane surfaces also. Such instabilities are the cause of asymmetry of membrane transport in gravitational field. On the basis of results of glucose transport through the Nephrophan membrane in horizontal plane we can state that this asymmetry was observed for the cases with concentration Rayleigh number greater than critical value (R _C )_crit = 1709.3. The mathematical model based on Kedem–Katchalsky equations and Rayleigh number was presented. On the basis of this model and the dependence of volume flux through the Nephrophan membrane as a function of glucose concentration in the upper (configuration B) and lower (configuration A) chamber of the membrane system, the dependencies of thickness of concentration boundary layer, Rayleigh number, and introduced coefficient of asymmetry as a function of glucose concentration were presented for both configurations. These dependencies show that asymmetry of the membrane transport is observed for glucose concentration higher than 0.015 mol l^?1.     

A thermodynamically consistent framework for saturated viscoplastic rock-materials subject to damage

The aim of this study is to build a thermodynamically consistent theoretical framework to model viscoplasticity and damage in saturated geomaterials. The induced anisotropic damage is represented by a second-order tensor. The key point of the model formulation is the definition of a “double effective stress”, stemming from the concept of “damaged effective stress” (used in Continuum Damage Mechanics to couple damage and viscoplasticity in solids), and from the concept of “hydro-mechanical effective stress” (used in poromechanics to account for solid–fluid interactions). The dissipation potential is expressed as a function of the “double effective stress”, which makes it possible to couple creep, fluid flow and damage in a consistent framework.     

Analysis and reconstruction of a pulsed jet in crossflow by multi-plane snapshot POD

In this work, snapshot proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) is used to study a pulsed jet in crossflow where the velocity fields are extracted from stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (SPIV) results. The studied pulsed jet is characterized by a frequency f = 1 Hz, a Reynolds number Re _j  = 500 (based on the mean jet velocity ${\overline{U}_{j}}$  = 1.67 cm/s and a mean velocity ratio of R = 1). Pulsed jet and continuous jet are compared via mean velocity field trajectory and Q criterion. POD results of instantaneous, phase-averaged and fluctuating velocity fields are presented and compared in this paper. Snapshot POD applied on one plane allows us to distinguish an organization of the first spatial eigenmodes. A distinction between “natural modes” and “pulsed modes” is achieved with the results obtained by the pulsed and unforced jet. Secondly, the correlation tensor is established with four parallel planes (multi-plane snapshot POD) for the evaluation of volume spatial modes. These resulting modes are interpolated and the volume velocity field is reconstructed with a minimal number of modes for all the times of the pulsation period. These reconstructions are compared to orthogonal measurements to the transverse jet in order to validate the obtained three-dimensional velocity fields. Finally, this POD approach for the 3D flow field reconstruction from experimental data issued from planes parallel to the flow seems capable to extract relevant information from a complex three-dimensional flow and can be an alternative to tomo-PIV for large volume of measurement.     

FLOW-INDUCED VIBRATION OF A CIRCULAR CYLINDER AT LIMITING STRUCTURAL PARAMETERS

Transverse oscillation of a dynamically supported circular cylinder in a flow at Re=100 has been numerically simulated using a high-resolution viscous-vortex method, for a range of dynamical parameters. At the limiting case with zero values of mass, damping and elastic force, the cylinder oscillates sinusoidally at amplitudeA /D=0·47 and frequency fD/U_∞=0·156. For zero damping, the effects of mass and elasticity are combined into a new, “effective” dynamic parameter, which is different from the classic “reduced velocity”. Over a range of this parameter, the response exhibits oscillations at amplitudes up to 0·6 and frequencies between 0·15 and 0·2. From this response function, the classic response in terms of reduced velocity can be obtained for fixed values of the cylinder/fluid ratio m^*. It displays “lock-in” at very high values of m^*.     

La notion de moyenne en turbulence. Quelques réflexions selon une perspective historique

The historical evolution of the averaging concept in turbulence is presented according to a two-fold analysis, taking into consideration the physical meaning and the mathematical formulation. After having placed in their historical context some symptomatic characteristics of turbulent flows, the question of their interpretation as a turbulence syndrome, leading to a unitary identification of the phenomenon, is discussed. We then deal with the emergence of the notion of mean as a tool of physical understanding of such a unitary approach, and its relation with the progression of the “experimental” evidence. We conclude by relating this notion to the theoretical aspects of a determinism on average of the turbulent regime, its finality and some attempts to develop a probabilistic theory of turbulence.     

Experimental study of pitching and plunging airfoils at low Reynolds numbers

Measurements of the unsteady flow structure and force time history of pitching and plunging SD7003 and flat plate airfoils at low Reynolds numbers are presented. The airfoils were pitched and plunged in the effective angle of attack range of 2.4°–13.6° (shallow-stall kinematics) and ?6° to 22° (deep-stall kinematics). The shallow-stall kinematics results for the SD7003 airfoil show attached flow and laminar-to-turbulent transition at low effective angle of attack during the down stroke motion, while the flat plate model exhibits leading edge separation. Strong Re-number effects were found for the SD7003 airfoil which produced approximately 25 % increase in the peak lift coefficient at Re = 10,000 compared to higher Re flows. The flat plate airfoil showed reduced Re effects due to leading edge separation at the sharper leading edge, and the measured peak lift coefficient was higher than that predicted by unsteady potential flow theory. The deep-stall kinematics resulted in leading edge separation that led to formation of a large leading edge vortex (LEV) and a small trailing edge vortex (TEV) for both airfoils. The measured peak lift coefficient was significantly higher (~50 %) than that for the shallow-stall kinematics. The effect of airfoil shape on lift force was greater than the Re effect. Turbulence statistics were measured as a function of phase using ensemble averages. The results show anisotropic turbulence for the LEV and isotropic turbulence for the TEV. Comparison of unsteady potential flow theory with the experimental data showed better agreement by using the quasi-steady approximation, or setting C(k) = 1 in Theodorsen theory, for leading edge–separated flows.     

Simulation of mass transfer during osmotic dehydration of apple: a power law approximation method

In this study, unsteady one-dimensional mass transfer during osmotic dehydration of apple was modeled using an approximate mathematical model. The mathematical model has been developed based on a power law profile approximation for moisture and solute concentrations in the spatial direction. The proposed model was validated by the experimental water loss and solute gain data, obtained from osmotic dehydration of infinite slab and cylindrical shape samples of apple in sucrose solutions (30, 40 and 50 % w/w), at different temperatures (30, 40 and 50 °C). The proposed model’s predictions were also compared with the exact analytical and also a parabolic approximation model’s predictions. The values of mean relative errors respect to the experimental data were estimated between 4.5 and 8.1 %, 6.5 and 10.2 %, and 15.0 and 19.1 %, for exact analytical, power law and parabolic approximation methods, respectively. Although the parabolic approximation leads to simpler relations, the power law approximation method results in higher accuracy of average concentrations over the whole domain of dehydration time. Considering both simplicity and precision of the mathematical models, the power law model for short dehydration times and the simplified exact analytical model for long dehydration times could be used for explanation of the variations of the average water loss and solute gain in the whole domain of dimensionless times.     

Sizing of heat exchangers with non-uniform coefficients

A technique is presented to include the effects of a non-uniform, overall heat transfer coefficient in double-pipe heat exchanger analysis using the effectiveness (or efficiency) method. The local overall coefficient is permitted to vary with the local temperature difference between the two fluids according to (T?t)ⁿ, where the exponent “n” assumes individual values for various physical situations. A procedure is provided to estimate the appropriate value of “n” for a particular problem. The development provides a correction factor to the ordinary results of the effectiveness method for uniform overall coefficients.