Increase In Kinetic Energy Research Articles

Influence of pre-scission neutron emission on high-energy U238 fission studied by the Langevin approach

Background: The information about the pre-scission emitted neutrons is crucial for the fission dynamics study such as fission time scale and dissipation mechanism. Purpose: The aim is to investigate the influence of the pre-scission neutron emission on the fragments mass, total kinetic energy, and the deformation distribution at the scission point in $^{238}\mathrm{U}(n,f)$ fissions at 110, 325, and 500 MeV. Method: A three-dimensional Langevin approach considering nucleus elongation, deformation, and mass asymmetry is applied to simulate fission dynamics. The Hauser-Feshbach statistical decay model is coupled to simulate the pre-scission neutron emission. Results: The properties of the pre-scission emitted neutron are first investigated. It is found that the multiplicity and the average kinetic energy increase with increasing excitation energy. The energy carried away by neutron emission is not negligible and it leads to the multichance fission, especially for the 110 MeV case. The fragments mass, total kinetic energy, and the deformation distribution at the scission point are then calculated with and without coupling the Hauser-Feshbach statistical decay model. It is found that the calculations partially reproduce the leftward shift of the experimental fragment mass distribution at high excitation energy. The pre-scission neutron emission also causes a reduction of the average total kinetic energy by about 2 MeV and a leftward shift of the distribution. The deformation distribution shows that about 75% of the fragments are produced in spherical and prolate ellipsoid shapes. No significant influence on deformation at the scission point was found. Conclusions: For high-energy fission, the energy reduction by pre-scission neutron emission should be considered, which will lead to the multichance fission. The pre-scission neutron emission is one of the reasons for the decrease of the average mass and the leftward shift of the fission fragments mass and total kinetic energy distribution.

A methodology for attributing severe extratropical cyclones to climate change based on reanalysis data: the case study of storm Alex 2020

Extreme event attribution aims at evaluating the impact of climate change on specific extreme events. In this work, we present an attribution methodology for severe extratropical cyclones, and test it on storm Alex. Alex was an explosive extratropical cyclone that affected Southern France and Northern Italy at the beginning of October 2020. The methodology exploits mathematical properties of circulation analogues, and identifies changes in physical and statistical properties. We first divide 6-hourly ERA5 data into two periods: a counterfactual period (1950–1984) and a factual period (1986–2021). We then identify the 30 cyclones in each period whose sea-level pressure maps are closest to Alex’s map by selecting those with the lowest Euclidean distance from Alex. We term these “analogues” of Alex. We find that analogues in the factual period are more persistent than in the counterfactual period, which may favour severe impacts resulting from persistent strong winds and heavy precipitation, as was the case for Alex. This effect is compounded by the doubling in accumulated daily precipitation detected in Northern Italy between the counterfactual and factual analogues. In the factual period, the analogues display an increase in the eddy kinetic energy in their growth phase, with poleward-shifted backward tracks. We also identify a seasonal shift of the analogues, from spring to autumn. Finally, the analogues in the factual period are closer to Alex than in the counterfactual period. These changes collectively point to high-impact storms like Alex having become more common in a changing climate.

Investigation of thermo-physical and chemical effects of in-cylinder steam injection on gasoline engine performance

In this study, for a gasoline engine, the effects of thermo-physical properties and chemistry of in-cylinder steam injection were discussed. The properties of steam directly influence the combustion and emissions characteristics of engines. A computational fluid dynamic model was established to investigate the combustion characteristics of engines with steam injection. A premixed laminar flame model was developed to examine the influence of steam injection on laminar flame speed. The findings of this study show that with increase in steam quantity, flow velocity and turbulent kinetic energy increased and tended to the core of combustor, and laminar flame speed decreased. When the steam dilution ratio changed from 0 to 0.5, the maximum laminar flame speed decreased from 37.3 cm/s to 26.9 cm/s. The effect of thermo-physical properties of steam injection was 80 % more potent than its chemical effect on the laminar flame speed. The chemical effect was gradually strengthened in high initial temperature and poor oxygen. The maximum consumption rate of the reaction, C8H18+H⇌C8H17+H2, decreased by 27.7 % and 3.2 % due to the thermal-physical and chemical effects of steam, respectively. The mole fractions of O, H and OH decreased with increase in steam quantity. The findings of this study demonstrate that by manipulating the thermo-physical properties of steam injection, engine performance can be improved.

Influence of Feed Rate on the Performance of Hydrocyclone Flow Field

In order to clarify the influence of feed rate on a hydrocyclone flow field, numerical simulation was employed to model the influence of feed rate on the pressure field, velocity field, air column, turbulent kinetic energy, and split ratio. The results revealed that static pressure, tangential velocity, and radial velocity increased with an increase in the feed rate. When the feed rate at the inlet increases from 1 m/s to 5 m/s, the static pressure increases from 5.49 kPa to 182.78 kPa, tangential velocity increases from 1.97 m/s to 11.16 m/s, and radial velocity increases from 0.20 m/s to 1.16 m/s demonstrating that a high feed rate facilitated the strengthening separation of the flow field. Meanwhile, with the increase in the feed rate, the split ratio of the hydrocyclone decreased, indicating that the concentration effect of the hydrocyclone improved. Additionally, the formation time of the air column was reduced, and the flow field became more stable. Nevertheless, the axial velocity and the turbulent kinetic energy also increased with the increase in the feed rate, and the increase in the axial velocity reduced the residence time of the material in the hydrocyclone, which was not conducive to the improvement of separation accuracy. In addition, the increase in turbulent kinetic energy led to an increase in energy consumption, which was not conducive to the improvement of the comprehensive performance of the hydrocyclone. Therefore, choosing an appropriate feed rate is of great significance to the regulation of the flow field and the improvement of hydrocyclone separation performance.

Influences of Mesoscale Ocean Eddies on Flow Vertical Structure in a Resolution‐Based Model Hierarchy

AbstractThe understanding and representation of energetic transfers associated with ocean mesoscale eddies is fundamental to the development of parameterizations for climate models. We investigate the influence of eddies on flow vertical structure as a function of underlying dynamical regime and grid resolution. We employ the GFDL‐MOM6 in an idealized configuration and systematically consider four horizontal resolutions: 1/4°, 1/8°, 1/16°, and 1/32°. We analyze the distributions of potential and kinetic energy, decomposed into barotropic and baroclinic, and eddy and mean parts. As resolution increases and baroclinically unstable modes are better captured, kinetic energy increases and potential energy decreases. The dominant trend in vertical structure is an increasing fraction of kinetic energy going into the barotropic mode, particularly its eddy component, as eddies are increasingly resolved. We attribute the increased baroclinicity at low resolutions to inaccurate representation of vertical energy fluxes, leading to suppressed barotropization and energy trapping in high vertical modes. We also explore how the underlying dynamical regime influences energetic pathways. In cases where large‐scale flow is dominantly barotropic, resolving the deformation radius is less crucial to accurately capturing the flow's vertical structure. We find the barotropic kinetic energy fraction to be a useful metric in assessing vertical structure. In the highest‐resolution case, the barotropic kinetic energy fraction correlates with the scale separation between the deformation scale and the energy‐containing scale, that is, the extent of the eddy‐driven inverse cascade. This work suggests that mesoscale eddy parameterizations should incorporate the energetic effects of eddies on vertical structure in a scale‐aware, physically informed manner.

An experimental and numerical study of turbulent heat transfer enhancement for graphene nanofluids produced by pulsed discharge

• Time and cost-effective production of graphene nanofluids by pulsed discharge is tried and tested. • A new two-step method for producing graphene nanofluids has been developed. • Graphene nanofluids generated by pulsed discharge and ultrasound, like other graphene nanofluids, have high turbulent heat transfer performance (35% higher than water). • The numerical results show considerable increase in turbulent kinetic energy (8%) and velocity gradients near the wall due to physical interaction between continuous phase(water) and dispersed phase (graphene nano-particles). • The exchange of momentum and energy due to the movement of particles is considered as a cause-and-effect relationship between the aggregation of particles and the change in physical quantities in the continuous phase. Developing production methods for graphene nanofluids that can produce them in large quantities at once in a short time and at a low cost will contribute to the development of a wide range of industries that use nanofluids, and understanding their properties through mathematical modeling and experiments will lead to the development of new nanofluids. In this study, the new production method of graphene nanofluids is proposed and experimental and numerical investigations of the turbulent heat transfer performance of graphene nanofluids in a horizontal circular tube subjected to constant heat flux are conducted. The experimental investigation is conducted to evaluate the turbulent heat transfer performance of graphene nanofluids which are made by a new method using pulsed discharge and to compare them with numerical results. In the numerical investigation, the finite volume method with a Realizable k-ε model and Two-layer model is employed to solve the continuity, momentum, and energy conservation in two-dimensional domains. The Lagrangian two-phase model is applied to consider the physical interaction between the dispersed phase and continuous phase. In this model, the particles are tracked in a Lagrangian manner and coupled with the Eulerian flow description. Since the computational burden would be tremendous if individual nanoparticles were tracked in a Lagrangian manner, we defined a cluster of particles, called a parcel and treated it statistically. This concept of parcels allowed the average behavior of nanoparticles to be established as an analytical parameter. As a result, graphene nanofluids are not produced by pulsed discharge alone but are successfully produced by applying ultrasonic. Experimental investigations show a 33% increase in the Nu number of graphene nanofluid produced by pulsed discharge compared to water as the flow velocity increased. Numerical investigations confirm changes in the properties (Turbulent kinetic energy, Velocity distribution, Temperature distribution) of the continuous phase due to physical interactions between the dispersed and continuous phases. It is also shown that these changes contribute to the improved turbulent heat transfer performance of the nanofluid and that the aggregation of particles into the center of the tube is responsible for these changes.

Experimental study of turbulence intensity on the wake characteristics of a horizontal-axis wind turbine

ABSTRACT A time-resolved particle image velocity (TR-PIV) system was used to test the wake flow of a small horizontal-axis wind turbine at tip speed ratios (TSRs) in the range of 4–6 under uniform inflow and turbulent inflow in order to study the impact of turbulence intensity on wind turbine wake characteristics. The impact of incoming turbulence on the wake structure of a wind turbine and its mechanism was examined by comparing and analyzing the turbulence properties of the wake flow, including velocity field, vortex structure, additional turbulence intensity, and energy distribution coefficient. It was found that tip vortex structure remained intact in the range of 9 R under uniform inflow, and the longitudinal distribution of turbulent intensity had double peaks, indicating that it was in the near wake zone. Under turbulent inflow, the three vortex systems could not be distinguished at the position of 5 R, and the longitudinal distribution of turbulent intensity did not have peaks, the wake vortex system was broken and the wake transitioned to the far wake zone. With the increase in the turbulence intensity and tip speed ratio, the contribution of the longitudinal component of turbulence intensity to the turbulent kinetic energy increases, which is also the reason for the rapid wake recovery. Additionally, the recovery of the wake velocity was sped up in the range of 3 R and gradually decreased after 3 R.

Ballistic impact analyses of foam-filled double-arrow auxetic structure

In present study, the foam-filled composite double-arrow auxetic structures were obtained by the mold hot pressing method, bonding technology and stirring foaming process. The ballistic impact tests of the foam-filled composite double-arrow auxetic structure were carried out, and the effect of foam filling on the ballistic impact response of the composite double-arrow auxetic structure was analyzed. The ballistic impact test results indicated that the ballistic limit velocity of the foam-filled double-arrow auxetic structure with the relative density of 16.66% was 121.30 m/s. With the increase of the incident kinetic energy of the projectile, the specific energy absorption of the foam-filled auxetic structure increased first and then decreased, and remained near the horizontal line of 550 J/kg at last. Compared to unfilled auxetic structure, the ballistic limit velocity of foam-filled auxetic structure increased by 6.12% and the energy absorption property of foam-filled auxetic structure was improved. The ballistic impact performances of foam-filled composite double-arrow auxetic structures were studied by finite element method. The simulation results of foam-filled auxetic structure with RD=16.66% were in good agreement with the experimental results. The simulation results demonstrated that the ballistic limit velocities of foam-filled composite auxetic structures with relative densities of 9.08%, 16.66% and 23.06% were 86.74 m/s, 120.60 m/s and 152.80 m/s, respectively. Furthermore, the increase of relative density had a positive effect on improving the anti-penetration performance of foam-filled composite auxetic structures.

Electrohydrodynamic conduction induced convection in a film with interface charge

Film transportation driven by Electrohydrodynamic(EHD) conduction pumping has become a new prospect in many micro-scale industrial applications. This work numerically studied the electro-convection in a film induced by EHD conduction pumping. The effect of the interface charge on the heterocharge layer and the flow pattern has been carefully investigated. A 2-D geometry with flush electrodes situated at the bottom of a cavity was considered, and the EHD conduction flow was generated by both space charge and interface charge with the Onsager-Wien effect. Results show that the height of the heterocharge layer decreases due to the attraction by the interface charge. The interface charge also affects the flow pattern and contributes to the enhancement of the overall flow intensity. The average velocity of the flow field increases by 24.1% and the total kinetic energy increases by 44.1% within the parameters studied in this paper.

Mechanics of ballistic impact with non-axisymmetric projectiles on thin aluminium targets. Part II: Energy considerations

In Part I of this study, the ballistic performance and failure mechanisms of a thin aluminium target impacted by plate-like, non-axisymmetric projectiles with three different geometries, were considered using the gas-gun experiments. Failure mechanisms of the target material were found to depend strongly on the projectile’s geometrical features. Also, the local target’s response was not a reliable predictor of the critical kinetic energy for perforation or penetration. In order to improve the prediction of ballistic performance of thin targets, a nonlocal target behaviour should also be accounted for. In this part of the study, the global target response is examined, and a heuristic approach is introduced for the energy balance. The approach involves a new factor that represents additional energy-dissipating mechanisms between the projectile’s critical energy and the local work in target defeat. The methodology is based on the identified strong correlation of the normalised impact-induced peak kinetic energy in the target, KE¯Tmax, and the normalised target impact-induced nonlocal internal energy, U¯TPL+KE, associated with plastic deformation and increase in kinetic energy. A physically-based semi-analytical formulation for KE¯Tmax is developed by decomposition of the contributions by the inclined and blunt projectile sections, succeeding statistical analysis of key projectile’s geometrical and impact parameters. The developed approach was assessed for 17 projectile geometries implementing a total of 119 finite-element simulations with experimentally validated numerical models at subcritical (50) and critical/supercritical (69) projectile velocities. The obtained predictions had an average absolute error of less than 6.5% for impact velocities at and above the ballistic limit, while at subcritical velocities a higher scatter was observed as a result of secondary interaction effects between the projectile and the target. Overall, the methodology yielded results for the ballistic limit with an error below 5%, improving the otherwise derived results nearly twofold. The method was proven to be a practical and accurate way to improve the projectile’s critical energy prediction for thin targets, and, even though developed for non-axisymmetric projectile cases, its framework is directly transferable to axisymmetric projectiles.

Eddy Induced Cross-Shelf Exchanges in the Black Sea

Cross-shelf exchanges in the Black Sea were investigated using remote sensing data and an ocean circulation model to which an eddy-tracking algorithm and Lagrangian particle tracking model was applied. An anticyclonic eddy in 1998 and a cyclonic eddy in 2000 were investigated in detail. Eddy-induced cross-shelf transport of low salinity and high Chl-a waters reached a maximum in the presence of filaments associated with these eddies. The daily mean volume transport by the eddies was comparable with the previously documented transport by eddies of similar size in the north-western shelf region. Lagrangian particle tracking results showed that 59% of particles initially released over the shelf were transported offshore within 30 days by the 1998 anticyclone and 27% by the 2000 cyclone. The net volume transport across the Black Sea shelf-break reached the maxima in winter, coinciding with the increase in wind stress curl and mean kinetic energy that is a measure of the intensity of the boundary current. Ekman transport directly influences the cross-shelf exchanges in the surface layer. The south-eastern Black Sea is presented as an important area for cross-shelf transport. The total cross-shelf transport can be divided into its “large-scale” and “eddy-induced” components. Eddy-induced transport was 34% and 37% of the total cross-shelf transport (1998–2014) in the Black Sea in the off-shelf and on-shelf directions, respectively, but these values ranged between 25% and 65% depending on the eddy activity over time.

Numerical study of bubble induced mixing in stratified fluids

Direct numerical simulations of up to 146 bubbles rising in unbounded stratified fluids using finite-volume/front-tracking method are performed. Both the bubble dynamics and destratification effects caused by the bubble motion are analyzed. The importance of bubble deformability and bubble Reynolds numbers on the induced background mixing are studied by varying the Eo¨tvo¨s number in the range 1.55 to 4.95 and Reynolds number in the range 25 to 200. Highly deformable, high Reynolds number bubbles undergo path instabilities and give rise to higher levels of mixing. Liquid and bubble velocity fluctuations and pseudo-turbulence caused by the bubble motion are examined and are seen to play an important role in mixing statistics. An increase in turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) levels with void fraction is noted. TKE levels are seen to decrease slightly as the stratification strength is increased, indicating increasing stability and resistance to destratification. The dependence of mixing parameters on the void-fraction of bubbles and stratification strength of the liquid is also presented. An increase in buoyancy flux across pycnoclines is observed as void fraction increases. A similar increase in vertical mass flux is observed for a decrease in stratification strength. The bubble dispersion and wake flow patterns are seen to strongly influence mixing properties.

Effects of bed permeability on the hydrodynamic characteristics in a channel with a vegetation patch: A modeling study

• The impact of sediment layer characteristics on flow-vegetation interactions was investigated. • The bed permeability has a threshold effect on the hydrodynamic characteristics of channels with vegetation patches. • The permeability Reynolds number is suitable for characterizing the bed permeability and its threshold effect. Vegetation patches grow on permeable beds, but the effects of bed permeability on the hydrodynamic characteristics of channels with vegetation patches are rarely discussed. In this study, emergent rigid cylinders are used to represent a vegetation patch, and porous media are utilized to represent the sediment. Multiple groups of conditions with various bed permeabilities are simulated. The results show that when the bed permeability is high, a jet flow forms downstream of the patch. With increasing bed permeability, the velocity distribution of the Karman vortex block is closer to the level in front of the patch, and the peak value of the turbulent kinetic energy increases and extends downstream. However, when the bed permeability is low, the hydrodynamic characteristics in a channel with a vegetation patch (HCCVPs) change negligibly with the bed permeability. The bed permeability has a threshold effect on the HCCVPs. A further discussion suggests that the permeability Reynolds number Re k is suitable for characterizing the bed permeability and its threshold effect. The magnitude of the Re k threshold that corresponds to the change in hydrodynamic characteristics is 1. These new results also explain the process differences in sediment transport and patch expansion under different bed permeability conditions.

Laser excitation of the 1s-hyperfine transition in muonic hydrogen

The CREMA collaboration is pursuing a measurement of the ground-state hyperfine splitting (HFS) in muonic hydrogen (\muμp) with 1 ppm accuracy by means of pulsed laser spectroscopy to determine the two-photon-exchange contribution with 2\times10^{-4}2×10−4 relative accuracy. In the proposed experiment, the \muμp atom undergoes a laser excitation from the singlet hyperfine state to the triplet hyperfine state, then is quenched back to the singlet state by an inelastic collision with a H_22 molecule. The resulting increase of kinetic energy after the collisional deexcitation is used as a signature of a successful laser transition between hyperfine states. In this paper, we calculate the combined probability that a \muμp atom initially in the singlet hyperfine state undergoes a laser excitation to the triplet state followed by a collisional-induced deexcitation back to the singlet state. This combined probability has been computed using the optical Bloch equations including the inelastic and elastic collisions. Omitting the decoherence effects caused by the laser bandwidth and collisions would overestimate the transition probability by more than a factor of two in the experimental conditions. Moreover, we also account for Doppler effects and provide the matrix element, the saturation fluence, the elastic and inelastic collision rates for the singlet and triplet states, and the resonance linewidth. This calculation thus quantifies one of the key unknowns of the HFS experiment, leading to a precise definition of the requirements for the laser system and to an optimization of the hydrogen gas target where \muμp is formed and the laser spectroscopy will occur.

Abrasive flow finishing of micro-channel produced by selective laser melting

ABSTRACT Abrasive flow machining (AFM) process and ultrasonically assisted AFM technique (UAAFM) were carried out to polish micro-channel internal faces produced by selective laser melting (SLM). Both numerical simulation and experimental studies were investigated. Simulation results confirmed that the distribution of the flow velocity, absolute pressure, and turbulence intensity inside the S-shaped micro-channel exhibit significantly different. After loading ultrasonic-vibration, cavitation can indeed enhance the turbulence intensity. As the ultrasonic frequency increases, the cavitation area and turbulent kinetic energy increase accordingly. A set of AFM and UAAFM experiments were conducted. Compared with traditional AFM process, UAAFM owns better surface roughness and more uniform material removal at the same experimental condition.

Effect of splitter angles and orientations attached to pin fin on heat transfer and hydraulic characteristics in a jet impingement rectangular channel

Heat transfer improvement of heat sinks is very interesting in many applications including electronic devices cooling. In this study, the influence of rotational angle of splitters attached to pin fins for two cases of identical and opposite directions is investigated. Five angles including 0, 30, 45, 60 and 90 are considered in the analysis conducted for the rectangular channel. Air as the heat transfer fluid at 302 K and 35,000 Reynolds number enters the channel. The temperature of the bottom of the channel is assumed to be constant. 18 rows of circular pin fins on which splitters are attached for enhancement of heat transfer are examined. In the numerical analysis, Nusselt number, turbulent kinetic energy, friction factor and pressure drop are analyzed parameters. The simulation of the models presented in the current study is endeavored using ANSYS Fluent software, which employs finite volume method. Results revealed that, for the identical-direction case, as the angle rises, the average Nusselt number, turbulent kinetic energy, friction factor and pressure drop increase, in a way that for the case of 90 degree, Nusselt number is 9 % and turbulent kinetic energy is 96 % higher than the base case of zero angle. Moreover, friction factor and pressure drop of the vertical-splitter case are 4.8 and 4.6 times more than those of the base case. It is also concluded that increasing angle from 0 to 45° for the opposite-direction case, Nusselt number diminishes. However, extra increase in the angle from 45 to 90 degree results in Nusselt number enhancement. Similar trend of variation is also reported for turbulent kinetic energy. Results also indicated that for the opposite-direction case, friction factor and pressure drop rise; for the case of 90 degree, friction factor and pressure drop increase 4.4 and 4.32 times, respectively.

Spring-dashpot vibrational model for the investigation of viscoelasticity in gelatinous abrasive media and subsequent control of parameters for the blast polishing of Ti-6Al-4 V alloy

Blast polishing offers an operator-friendly solution to many of the previously encountered polishing difficulties. However, the process lacks studies into the control of key parameters, one of which is viscoelasticity (particularly present in biological-based abrasive medias). Together with analytical-empirical models, a vibrational spring-dashpot model is presented, which characterizes the impact force, contact time, and damping ratio/coefficient of polishing media upon impact; as well as the effects of damping on contact parameters: stress, deformation, and area of contact. These are compared to experimentally gathered results for verification of the model. Impact force is shown to decrease dramatically with increasing hydration while increasing linearly with an increase in kinetic energy. Experimental findings reveal that 50% wet contact exhibits a 340% reduction in force magnitude compared to dry contact. Contact time results show an exponential increase with an increase in hydration. Research findings also show that higher hydration levels result in lower damping ratios and that higher kinetic energies (related to higher hydration levels) tend toward a decrease in damping ratio. Similarly, media damping coefficients decrease with both hydrational increases and kinetic energy increases. Results show that contact stress is reduced at higher hydration levels, which is mainly due to higher contact areas, and hence it was noticed that an increase in hydration prevents occurrence of chipping and brittle failure on the workpiece surface. Contact stress is shown to reduce by 325% from a 10% wet contact to a 50% wet contact. A high hydration of 30 to 50%, a high impinging velocity of value 31.4 m/s and above, a low stand-off distance of value 20 mm and below, a 45° polishing angle, and a polishing time of 20 to 40 min provide the most optimal parameters for efficient polishing to achieve a mirror finish on an additive manufactured Ti-6Al-4V component. The findings stipulated provide a base on which to further characterize the process and aim to promote further development and optimization of the blast polishing process.

Investigation into Influence of Wall Roughness on the Hydraulic Characteristics of an Axial Flow Pump as Turbine

Pump as turbine (PAT) is a factual alternative for electricity generation in rural and remote areas where insufficient or inconsistent water flows pose a threat to local energy demand satisfaction. Recent studies on PAT hydrodynamics have shown that its continuous operations lead to a progressive deterioration of inner surface smoothness, serving the source of near-wall turbulence build-up, which itself depends on the level of roughness. The associated boundary layer flow incites significant friction losses that eventually deteriorate the performance. In order to study the influence of wall roughness on PAT hydraulic performance under different working conditions, CFD simulation of the water flow through an axial-flow PAT has been performed with a RNG k-ε turbulence model. Study results have shown that wall roughness gradually decreases PAT’s head, efficiency, and shaft power. Nevertheless, the least wall roughness effect on PAT hydraulic performance was experienced under best efficiency point conditions. Wall roughness increase resulted in the decrease of axial velocity distribution uniformity and the increase of velocity-weighted average swirl angle. This led to a disorderly distribution of streamlines and backflow zones formation at the conduit outlet. Furthermore, the wall roughness impact on energy losses is due to the static pressure drop on the blade pressure surface and the increase of turbulent kinetic energy near the blade. Further studies on the roughness influence over wider range of PAT operating conditions are recommended, as they will lead to quicker equipment refurbishment.

Investigation of boiling process of different fluids in microchannels and nanochannels in the presence of external electric field and external magnetic field using molecular dynamics simulation

The microfluidic systems' thermal performance in various industries is affected by the fluid flow within their micro/nanochannels. This study aimed to investigate the boiling process of samples simulated in micro/nanochannel by molecular dynamics simulation. In the present study, the boiling time inside the micro/nanochannel is investigated at different types of base fluid (Helium, oxygen (air), and water), different types of channels walls particles (copper, platinum, and copper/platinum), number of atomic curvatures (1, 2, and 3), external electric field (1, 2, and 5 V/m), and external magnetic fields (1, 2, and 5 T). Numerically, the phase change rate in Helium base fluid samples is higher than other fluids. Its boiling time in micro/nanochannels was 3.88 and 3.54 ns, respectively. This indicates an increase in these structures' efficiency in constructing heat transfer processes. In addition, the boiling time of the base fluid in the platinum atomic micro/nanochannels occurs in a shorter time of 3.61 and 3.52 ns. By increasing the number of curves from 1 to 3 complete curvatures, the micro/nanochannel's boiling time decreases from 3.88/3.54 to 3.07/2.89 ns. Also, by increasing the intensity of the external electric field from 0 to 5 V/m, the boiling time in the micro/nanochannel decreases from 3.88/3.84 ns to 3.21/3.16 ns. Finally, increasing the intensity of the external magnetic field from 0 to 5 T leads to a decrease in boiling time in the micro/nanochannel to 3.10/3.02 ns. This phenomenon indicates an increase in mobility and kinetic energy of the base fluid by applying the external field.

Observations of boundary layer wind and turbulence of a landfalling tropical cyclone

This study investigates the atmospheric boundary layer structure based on multiple-level tower observations with a height of 350 m during the landfall of Super Typhoon Mangkhut (2018). Results show a layer of log wind profile outside of the radius of maximum wind speed with a height of 100 m or larger. The log layer height increases with the wind speed. The height of the constant flux layer reaches ~ 300 m for 10-m wind speeds less than 13 m s−1 while this height decreases with the wind speed. Momentum fluxes and turbulent kinetic energy increase with the wind speed at all vertical levels. The drag coefficient and surface roughness length estimated at the tower location have values of 7.3 × 10–3 and 0.09 m, respectively, which are independent of wind speed. The estimated vertical eddy diffusivity and mixing length increase with height up to ~ 160 m and then slowly decrease with height. The vertical eddy diffusivity increases with the wind speed while the vertical mixing length has no dependence on the wind speed. Comparing our results with previous work indicates that the vertical eddy diffusivity is larger over land than over ocean at a given wind speed range.