A discontinuous control volume finite element method for multi-phase flow in heterogeneous porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salinas, P.; Pavlidis, D.; Xie, Z.; Osman, H.; Pain, C. C.; Jackson, M. D.

2018-01-01

We present a new, high-order, control-volume-finite-element (CVFE) method for multiphase porous media flow with discontinuous 1st-order representation for pressure and discontinuous 2nd-order representation for velocity. The method has been implemented using unstructured tetrahedral meshes to discretize space. The method locally and globally conserves mass. However, unlike conventional CVFE formulations, the method presented here does not require the use of control volumes (CVs) that span the boundaries between domains with differing material properties. We demonstrate that the approach accurately preserves discontinuous saturation changes caused by permeability variations across such boundaries, allowing efficient simulation of flow in highly heterogeneous models. Moreover, accurate solutions are obtained at significantly lower computational cost than using conventional CVFE methods. We resolve a long-standing problem associated with the use of classical CVFE methods to model flow in highly heterogeneous porous media.

Intelligent Flow Control Valve

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kelley, Anthony R (Inventor)

2015-01-01

The present invention is an intelligent flow control valve which may be inserted into the flow coming out of a pipe and activated to provide a method to stop, measure, and meter flow coming from the open or possibly broken pipe. The intelligent flow control valve may be used to stop the flow while repairs are made. Once repairs have been made, the valve may be removed or used as a control valve to meter the amount of flow from inside the pipe. With the addition of instrumentation, the valve may also be used as a variable area flow meter and flow controller programmed based upon flowing conditions. With robotic additions, the valve may be configured to crawl into a desired pipe location, anchor itself, and activate flow control or metering remotely.

Linking fish tolerance to water quality criteria for the assessment of environmental flows: A practical method for streamflow regulation and pollution control.

PubMed

Zhao, Changsen; Yang, Shengtian; Liu, Junguo; Liu, Changming; Hao, Fanghua; Wang, Zhonggen; Zhang, Huitong; Song, Jinxi; Mitrovic, Simon M; Lim, Richard P

2018-05-15

The survival of aquatic biota in stream ecosystems depends on both water quantity and quality, and is particularly susceptible to degraded water quality in regulated rivers. Maintenance of environmental flows (e-flows) for aquatic biota with optimum water quantity and quality is essential for sustainable ecosystem services, especially in developing regions with insufficient stream monitoring of hydrology, water quality and aquatic biota. Few e-flow methods are available that closely link aquatic biota tolerances to pollutant concentrations in a simple and practical manner. In this paper a new method was proposed to assess e-flows that aimed to satisfy the requirements of aquatic biota for both the quantity and quality of the streamflow by linking fish tolerances to water quality criteria, or the allowable concentration of pollutants. For better operation of water projects and control of pollutants discharged into streams, this paper presented two coefficients for streamflow adjustment and pollutant control. Assessment of e-flows in the Wei River, the largest tributary of the Yellow River, shows that streamflow in dry seasons failed to meet e-flow requirements. Pollutant influx exerted a large pressure on the aquatic ecosystem, with pollutant concentrations much higher than that of the fish tolerance thresholds. We found that both flow velocity and water temperature exerted great influences on the pollutant degradation rate. Flow velocity had a much greater influence on pollutant degradation than did the standard deviation of flow velocity. This study provides new methods to closely link the tolerance of aquatic biota to water quality criteria for e-flow assessment. The recommended coefficients for streamflow adjustment and pollutant control, to dynamically regulate streamflow and control pollutant discharge, are helpful for river management and ecosystems rehabilitation. The relatively low data requirement also makes the method easy to use efficiently in developing regions, and thus this study has significant implications for managing flows in polluted and regulated rivers worldwide. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Flow processes in overexpanded chemical rocket nozzles. Part 3: Methods for the aimed flow separation and side load reduction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmucker, R. H.

1983-01-01

Methods aimed at reduction of overexpansion and side load resulting from asymmetric flow separation for rocket nozzles with a high opening ratio are described. The methods employ additional measures for nozzles with a fixed opening ratio. The flow separation can be controlled by several types of nozzle inserts, the properties of which are discussed. Side loads and overexpansion can be reduced by adapting the shape of the nozzle and taking other additional measures for controlled separation of the boundary layer, such as trip wires.

Formation flow rate control method in multi-layer production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muzipov, H. N.; Akhmadulin, R. К; Bakanovskaya, L. N.

2018-05-01

The article describes a method of flow rate control of separate formations in multilayer production by noises frequency response (FR). The noise FR is converted into electrical signals scaled in proportion to the flow rates using secondary facilities. The pump noise is suggested to be reduced with the quarter-wave acoustic resonator working as an acoustic filter.

Application of Sweeping Jet Actuators on the NASA Hump Model and Comparison with CFDVAL2004 Experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koklu, Mehti

2017-01-01

Flow separation control over a wall-mounted hump model was studied experimentally to assess the performance of sweeping jet actuators. Results were compared to that of the 2004 CFD validation experiment (CFDVAL2004), which examined flow separation control with steady suction and unsteady zero-net-mass-flow actuators. Comparisons were carried out at low and high amplitude excitations. In addition to the active flow control methods, a passive flow control method (i.e., vortex generator) was used to complement the dataset. Steady/unsteady surface pressure measurements and surface oilflow visualization were used in the performance assessment of the actuators. The results indicated that the sweeping jet actuators are more effective than the steady suction and unsteady zero-net-mass-flow actuators. For the same momentum coefficient, the sweeping jet actuators produced more flow acceleration upstream of separation, more pressure recovery downstream, and consistently a smaller separation bubble.

A method of automatic control procedures cardiopulmonary resuscitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bureev, A. Sh.; Zhdanov, D. S.; Kiseleva, E. Yu.; Kutsov, M. S.; Trifonov, A. Yu.

2015-11-01

The study is to present the results of works on creation of methods of automatic control procedures of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). A method of automatic control procedure of CPR by evaluating the acoustic data of the dynamics of blood flow in the bifurcation of carotid arteries and the dynamics of air flow in a trachea according to the current guidelines for CPR is presented. Evaluation of the patient is carried out by analyzing the respiratory noise and blood flow in the interspaces between the chest compressions and artificial pulmonary ventilation. The device operation algorithm of automatic control procedures of CPR and its block diagram has been developed.

Method for controlling coolant flow in airfoil, flow control structure and airfoil incorporating the same

DOEpatents

Itzel, Gary Michael; Devine, II, Robert Henry; Chopra, Sanjay; Toornman, Thomas Nelson

2003-07-08

A coolant flow control structure is provided to channel cooling media flow to the fillet region defined at the transition between the wall of a nozzle vane and a wall of a nozzle segment, for cooling the fillet region. In an exemplary embodiment, the flow control structure defines a gap with the fillet region to achieve the required heat transfer coefficients in this region to meet part life requirements.

Current Trends in Modeling Research for Turbulent Aerodynamic Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gatski, Thomas B.; Rumsey, Christopher L.; Manceau, Remi

2007-01-01

The engineering tools of choice for the computation of practical engineering flows have begun to migrate from those based on the traditional Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes approach to methodologies capable, in theory if not in practice, of accurately predicting some instantaneous scales of motion in the flow. The migration has largely been driven by both the success of Reynolds-averaged methods over a wide variety of flows as well as the inherent limitations of the method itself. Practitioners, emboldened by their ability to predict a wide-variety of statistically steady, equilibrium turbulent flows, have now turned their attention to flow control and non-equilibrium flows, that is, separation control. This review gives some current priorities in traditional Reynolds-averaged modeling research as well as some methodologies being applied to a new class of turbulent flow control problems.

Coupled parametric design of flow control and duct shape

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Florea, Razvan (Inventor); Bertuccioli, Luca (Inventor)

2009-01-01

A method for designing gas turbine engine components using a coupled parametric analysis of part geometry and flow control is disclosed. Included are the steps of parametrically defining the geometry of the duct wall shape, parametrically defining one or more flow control actuators in the duct wall, measuring a plurality of performance parameters or metrics (e.g., flow characteristics) of the duct and comparing the results of the measurement with desired or target parameters, and selecting the optimal duct geometry and flow control for at least a portion of the duct, the selection process including evaluating the plurality of performance metrics in a pareto analysis. The use of this method in the design of inter-turbine transition ducts, serpentine ducts, inlets, diffusers, and similar components provides a design which reduces pressure losses and flow profile distortions.

Method for controlling start-up and steady state performance of a closed split flow recompression brayton cycle

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pasch, James Jay

A method of resolving a balanced condition that generates control parameters for start-up and steady state operating points and various component and cycle performances for a closed split flow recompression cycle system. The method provides for improved control of a Brayton cycle thermal to electrical power conversion system. The method may also be used for system design, operational simulation and/or parameter prediction.

Mass-flow-rate-controlled fluid flow in nanochannels by particle insertion and deletion.

PubMed

Barclay, Paul L; Lukes, Jennifer R

2016-12-01

A nonequilibrium molecular dynamics method to induce fluid flow in nanochannels, the insertion-deletion method (IDM), is introduced. IDM inserts and deletes particles within distinct regions in the domain, creating locally high and low pressures. The benefits of IDM are that it directly controls a physically meaningful quantity, the mass flow rate, allows for pressure and density gradients to develop in the direction of flow, and permits treatment of complex aperiodic geometries. Validation of IDM is performed, yielding good agreement with the analytical solution of Poiseuille flow in a planar channel. Comparison of IDM to existing methods indicates that it is best suited for gases, both because it intrinsically accounts for compressibility effects on the flow and because the computational cost of particle insertion is lowest for low-density fluids.

Orifice plate for controlling solids flow, methods of use thereof and articles comprising the same

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jukkola, Glen D.; Teigen, Bard C.

Disclosed herein is an orifice plate comprising one or more plates having orifices disposed therein; the orifices being operative to permit the flow of solids from a moving bed heat exchanger to a solids flow control system; where the orifice plate is downstream of a tube bundle of the moving bed heat exchanger and upstream of the solids flow control system and wherein the orifice plate is operative to evenly distribute the flow of solids in the solids flow control system.

Computation of records of streamflow at control structures

USGS Publications Warehouse

Collins, Dannie L.

1977-01-01

Traditional methods of computing streamflow records on large, low-gradient streams require a continuous record of water-surface slope over a natural channel reach. This slope must be of sufficient magnitude to be accuratly measured with available stage measuring devices. On highly regulated streams, this slope approaches zero during periods of low flow and accurate measurement is difficult. Methods are described to calibrate multipurpose regulating control structures to more accurately compute streamflow records on highly-regulated streams. Hydraulic theory, assuming steady, uniform flow during a computational interval, is described for five different types of flow control. The controls are: Tainter gates, hydraulic turbines, fixed spillways, navigation locks, and crest gates. Detailed calibration procedures are described for the five different controls as well as for several flow regimes for some of the controls. The instrumentation package and computer programs necessary to collect and process the field data are discussed. Two typical calibration procedures and measurement data are presented to illustrate the accuracy of the methods. (Woodard-USGS)

Experimental research of flow servo-valve

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takosoglu, Jakub

Positional control of pneumatic drives is particularly important in pneumatic systems. Some methods of positioning pneumatic cylinders for changeover and tracking control are known. Choking method is the most development-oriented and has the greatest potential. An optimal and effective method, particularly when applied to pneumatic drives, has been searched for a long time. Sophisticated control systems with algorithms utilizing artificial intelligence methods are designed therefor. In order to design the control algorithm, knowledge about real parameters of servo-valves used in control systems of electro-pneumatic servo-drives is required. The paper presents the experimental research of flow servo-valve.

Experimental study of flow separation control on a low- Re airfoil using leading-edge protuberance method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, M. M.; Wang, G. F.; Xu, J. Z.

2014-04-01

An experimental study of flow separation control on a low- Re c airfoil was presently investigated using a newly developed leading-edge protuberance method, motivated by the improvement in the hydrodynamics of the giant humpback whale through its pectoral flippers. Deploying this method, the control effectiveness of the airfoil aerodynamics was fully evaluated using a three-component force balance, leading to an effectively impaired stall phenomenon and great improvement in the performances within the wide post-stall angle range (22°-80°). To understand the flow physics behind, the vorticity field, velocity field and boundary layer flow field over the airfoil suction side were examined using a particle image velocimetry and an oil-flow surface visualization system. It was found that the leading-edge protuberance method, more like low-profile vortex generator, effectively modified the flow pattern of the airfoil boundary layer through the chordwise and spanwise evolutions of the interacting streamwise vortices generated by protuberances, where the separation of the turbulent boundary layer dominated within the stall region and the rather strong attachment of the laminar boundary layer still existed within the post-stall region. The characteristics to manipulate the flow separation mode of the original airfoil indicated the possibility to further optimize the control performance by reasonably designing the layout of the protuberances.

Sap flow sensors: construction, quality control and comparison.

PubMed

Davis, Tyler W; Kuo, Chen-Min; Liang, Xu; Yu, Pao-Shan

2012-01-01

This work provides a design for two types of sensors, based on the thermal dissipation and heat ratio methods of sap flow calculation, for moderate to large scale deployments for the purpose of monitoring tree transpiration. These designs include a procedure for making these sensors, a quality control method for the final products, and a complete list of components with vendors and pricing information. Both sensor designs were field tested alongside a commercial sap flow sensor to assess their performance and show the importance for quality controlling the sensor outputs. Results show that for roughly 2% of the cost of commercial sensors, self-made sap flow sensors can provide acceptable estimates of the sap flow measurements compared to the commercial sensors.

Turboprop engine and method of operating the same

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Klees, G.W.; Johnson, P.E.

1986-02-11

This patent describes a turboprop engine consisting of: 1.) A compressor; 2.) A turbine; 3.) A combustion section; 4.) A variable pitch propeller; 5.) A speed reducing transmission; 6.) An air inlet; 7.) An air inlet bypass; 8.) An air outlet bypass duct; 9.) A flow control operatively positioned to receive air flow from the air inlet bypass and air flow from the low pressure compressor component. To direct the air flow to the air outlet bypass duct, and the air flow to the high pressure compressor component, the flow control has a first position where the air flow ismore » from. The high and low pressure compressor components and is directed to the air outlet bypass duct. The flow control has a second position for the air flow from the air inlet bypass duct to the air outlet bypass duct and air from the low pressure compressor component is directed to the high pressure compressor component. A method of operating a turboprop engine.« less

Coordinated Control of Cross-Flow Turbines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strom, Benjamin; Brunton, Steven; Polagye, Brian

2016-11-01

Cross-flow turbines, also known as vertical-axis turbines, have several advantages over axial-flow turbines for a number of applications including urban wind power, high-density arrays, and marine or fluvial currents. By controlling the angular velocity applied to the turbine as a function of angular blade position, we have demonstrated a 79 percent increase in cross-flow turbine efficiency over constant-velocity control. This strategy uses the downhill simplex method to optimize control parameter profiles during operation of a model turbine in a recirculating water flume. This optimization method is extended to a set of two turbines, where the blade motions and position of the downstream turbine are optimized to beneficially interact with the coherent structures in the wake of the upstream turbine. This control scheme has the potential to enable high-density arrays of cross-flow turbines to operate at cost-effective efficiency. Turbine wake and force measurements are analyzed for insight into the effect of a coordinated control strategy.

Infusion volume control and calculation using metronome and drop counter based intravenous infusion therapy helper.

PubMed

Park, Kyungnam; Lee, Jangyoung; Kim, Soo-Young; Kim, Jinwoo; Kim, Insoo; Choi, Seung Pill; Jeong, Sikyung; Hong, Sungyoup

2013-06-01

This study assessed the method of fluid infusion control using an IntraVenous Infusion Controller (IVIC). Four methods of infusion control (dial flow controller, IV set without correction, IV set with correction and IVIC correction) were used to measure the volume of each technique at two infusion rates. The infused fluid volume with a dial flow controller was significantly larger than other methods. The infused fluid volume was significantly smaller with an IV set without correction over time. Regarding the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) of infused fluid volume in relation to a target volume, IVIC correction was shown to have the highest level of agreement. The flow rate measured in check mode showed a good agreement with the volume of collected fluid after passing through the IV system. Thus, an IVIC could assist in providing an accurate infusion control. © 2013 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Traffic Flow Management Using Aggregate Flow Models and the Development of Disaggregation Methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sun, Dengfeng; Sridhar, Banavar; Grabbe, Shon

2010-01-01

A linear time-varying aggregate traffic flow model can be used to develop Traffic Flow Management (tfm) strategies based on optimization algorithms. However, there are no methods available in the literature to translate these aggregate solutions into actions involving individual aircraft. This paper describes and implements a computationally efficient disaggregation algorithm, which converts an aggregate (flow-based) solution to a flight-specific control action. Numerical results generated by the optimization method and the disaggregation algorithm are presented and illustrated by applying them to generate TFM schedules for a typical day in the U.S. National Airspace System. The results show that the disaggregation algorithm generates control actions for individual flights while keeping the air traffic behavior very close to the optimal solution.

Successes and Challenges for Flow Control Simulations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rumsey, Christopher L.

2008-01-01

A survey is made of recent computations published for synthetic jet flow control cases from a CFD workshop held in 2004. The three workshop cases were originally chosen to represent different aspects of flow control physics: nominally 2-D synthetic jet into quiescent air, 3-D circular synthetic jet into turbulent boundarylayer crossflow, and nominally 2-D flow-control (both steady suction and oscillatory zero-net-mass-flow) for separation control on a simple wall-mounted aerodynamic hump shape. The purpose of this survey is to summarize the progress as related to these workshop cases, particularly noting successes and remaining challenges for computational methods. It is hoped that this summary will also by extension serve as an overview of the state-of-the-art of CFD for these types of flow-controlled flow fields in general.

CFD Analysis of Thermal Control System Using NX Thermal and Flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fortier, C. R.; Harris, M. F. (Editor); McConnell, S. (Editor)

2014-01-01

The Thermal Control Subsystem (TCS) is a key part of the Advanced Plant Habitat (APH) for the International Space Station (ISS). The purpose of this subsystem is to provide thermal control, mainly cooling, to the other APH subsystems. One of these subsystems, the Environmental Control Subsystem (ECS), controls the temperature and humidity of the growth chamber (GC) air to optimize the growth of plants in the habitat. The TCS provides thermal control to the ECS with three cold plates, which use Thermoelectric Coolers (TECs) to heat or cool water as needed to control the air temperature in the ECS system. In order to optimize the TCS design, pressure drop and heat transfer analyses were needed. The analysis for this system was performed in Siemens NX Thermal/Flow software (Version 8.5). NX Thermal/Flow has the ability to perform 1D or 3D flow solutions. The 1D flow solver can be used to represent simple geometries, such as pipes and tubes. The 1D flow method also has the ability to simulate either fluid only or fluid and wall regions. The 3D flow solver is similar to other Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) software. TCS performance was analyzed using both the 1D and 3D solvers. Each method produced different results, which will be evaluated and discussed.

ρ-VOF: An interface sharpening method for gas-liquid flow simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jiantao; Liu, Gang; Jiang, Xiong; Mou, Bin

2018-05-01

The study on simulation of compressible gas-liquid flow remains open. Popular methods are either confined to incompressible flow regime, or inevitably induce smear of the free interface. A new finite volume method for compressible two-phase flow simulation is contributed for this subject. First, the “heterogeneous equilibrium” assumption is introduced to the control volume, by hiring free interface reconstruction technology, the distribution of each component in the control volume is achieved. Next, AUSM+-up (advection upstream splitting method) scheme is employed to calculate the convective fluxes and pressure fluxes, with the contact discontinuity characteristic considered, followed by the update of the whole flow field. The new method features on density-based pattern and interface reconstruction technology from VOF (volume of fluid), thus we name it “ρ-VOF method”. Inherited from AUSM families and VOF, ρ-VOF behaves as an all-speed method, capable of simulating shock in gas-liquid flow, and preserving the sharpness of the free interface. Gas-liquid shock tube is simulated to evaluate the method, from which good agreement is obtained between the predicted results and those of the cited literature, meanwhile, sharper free interface is identified. Finally, the capability and validity of ρ-VOF method can be concluded in compressible gas-liquid flow simulation.

Physically consistent data assimilation method based on feedback control for patient-specific blood flow analysis.

PubMed

Ii, Satoshi; Adib, Mohd Azrul Hisham Mohd; Watanabe, Yoshiyuki; Wada, Shigeo

2018-01-01

This paper presents a novel data assimilation method for patient-specific blood flow analysis based on feedback control theory called the physically consistent feedback control-based data assimilation (PFC-DA) method. In the PFC-DA method, the signal, which is the residual error term of the velocity when comparing the numerical and reference measurement data, is cast as a source term in a Poisson equation for the scalar potential field that induces flow in a closed system. The pressure values at the inlet and outlet boundaries are recursively calculated by this scalar potential field. Hence, the flow field is physically consistent because it is driven by the calculated inlet and outlet pressures, without any artificial body forces. As compared with existing variational approaches, although this PFC-DA method does not guarantee the optimal solution, only one additional Poisson equation for the scalar potential field is required, providing a remarkable improvement for such a small additional computational cost at every iteration. Through numerical examples for 2D and 3D exact flow fields, with both noise-free and noisy reference data as well as a blood flow analysis on a cerebral aneurysm using actual patient data, the robustness and accuracy of this approach is shown. Moreover, the feasibility of a patient-specific practical blood flow analysis is demonstrated. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Determination of discharge during pulsating flow

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thompson, T.H.

1968-01-01

Pulsating flow in an open channel is a manifestation of unstable-flow conditions in which a series of translatory waves of perceptible magnitude develops and moves rapidly downstream. Pulsating flow is a matter of concern in the design and operation of steep-gradient channels. If it should occur at high stages in a channel designed for stable flow, the capacity of the channel may be inadequate at a discharge that is much smaller than that for which the channel was designed. If the overriding translatory wave carries an appreciable part of the total flow, conventional stream-gaging procedures cannot be used to determine the discharge; neither the conventional instrumentation nor conventional methodology is adequate. A method of determining the discharge during pulsating flow was tested in the Santa Anita Wash flood control channel in Arcadia, Calif., April 16, 1965. Observations of the dimensions and velocities of translatory waves were made during a period of controlled reservoir releases of about 100, 200, and 300 cfs (cubic feet per second). The method of computing discharge was based on (1) computation of the discharge in the overriding waves and (2) computation of the discharge in the shallow-depth, or overrun, part of the flow. Satisfactory results were obtained by this method. However, the procedure used-separating the flow into two components and then treating the shallow-depth component as though it were steady--has no theoretical basis. It is simply an expedient for use until laboratory investigation can provide a satisfactory analytical solution to the problem of computing discharge during pulsating flow. Sixteen months prior to the test in Santa Anita Wash, a robot camera had been designed .and programmed to obtain the data needed to compute discharge by the method described above. The photographic equipment had been installed in Haines Creek flood control channel in Los Angeles, Calif., but it had not been completely tested because of the infrequency of flow in that channel. Because the Santa Anita Wash tests afforded excellent data for analysis, further development of the photographic ,technique at Haines Creek was discontinued. Three methods for obtaining the data needed to compute discharge during pulsating flow are proposed. In two of the methods--the photographic method and the depth-recorder method--the dimensions and velocities of translatory waves are recorded, and discharge is then computed by the procedure developed in this report. The third method?the constant-rate-dye-dilution method--yields the discharge more directly. The discharge is computed from the dye-injection rate and the ratio of the concentration of dye in the injected solution to the concentration of dye in the water sampled at a site downstream. The three methods should be developed and tested in ,the Santa Anita Wash flood control channel under controlled conditions similar to those in the test of April 1965.

Fast gradient separation by very high pressure liquid chromatography: reproducibility of analytical data and influence of delay between successive runs.

PubMed

Stankovicha, Joseph J; Gritti, Fabrice; Beaver, Lois Ann; Stevensona, Paul G; Guiochon, Georges

2013-11-29

Five methods were used to implement fast gradient separations: constant flow rate, constant column-wall temperature, constant inlet pressure at moderate and high pressures (controlled by a pressure controller),and programmed flow constant pressure. For programmed flow constant pressure, the flow rates and gradient compositions are controlled using input into the method instead of the pressure controller. Minor fluctuations in the inlet pressure do not affect the mobile phase flow rate in programmed flow. There producibilities of the retention times, the response factors, and the eluted band width of six successive separations of the same sample (9 components) were measured with different equilibration times between 0 and 15 min. The influence of the length of the equilibration time on these reproducibilities is discussed. The results show that the average column temperature may increase from one separation to the next and that this contributes to fluctuation of the results.

Semidirect computation of three-dimensional viscous flows over suction holes in laminar flow control surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roache, P. J.

1979-01-01

A summary is given of the attempts made to apply semidirect methods to the calculation of three-dimensional viscous flows over suction holes in laminar flow control surfaces. The attempts were all unsuccessful, due to either (1) lack of resolution capability, (2) lack of computer efficiency, or (3) instability.

Scanning Mode Sensor for Detection of Flow Inhomogeneities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adamovsky, Grigory (Inventor)

1998-01-01

A scanning mode sensor and method is provided for detection of flow inhomogeneities such as shock. The field of use of this invention is ground test control and engine control during supersonic flight. Prior art measuring techniques include interferometry. Schlieren, and shadowgraph techniques. These techniques. however, have problems with light dissipation. The present method and sensor utilizes a pencil beam of energy which is passed through a transparent aperture in a flow inlet in a time-sequential manner so as to alter the energy beam. The altered beam or its effects are processed and can be studied to reveal information about flow through the inlet which can in turn be used for engine control.

Scanning Mode Sensor for Detection of Flow Inhomogeneities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adamovsky, Grigory (Inventor)

1996-01-01

A scanning mode sensor and method is provided for detection of flow inhomogeneities such as shock. The field of use of this invention is ground test control and engine control during supersonic flight. Prior art measuring techniques include interferometry, Schlieren, and shadowgraph techniques. These techniques, however, have problems with light dissipation. The present method and sensor utilizes a pencil beam of energy which is passed through a transparent aperture in a flow inlet in a time-sequential manner so as to alter the energy beam. The altered beam or its effects are processed and can be studied to reveal information about flow through the inlet which can in turn be used for engine control.

Successes and Challenges for Flow Control Simulations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rumsey, Christopher L.

2008-01-01

A survey is made of recent computations published for synthetic jet flow control cases from a CFD workshop held in 2004. The three workshop cases were originally chosen to represent different aspects of flow control physics: nominally 2-D synthetic jet into quiescent air, 3-D circular synthetic jet into turbulent boundary-layer crossflow, and nominally 2-D flow-control (both steady suction and oscillatory zero-net-mass-flow) for separation control on a simple wall-mounted aerodynamic hump shape. The purpose of this survey is to summarize the progress as related to these workshop cases, particularly noting successes and remaining challenges for computational methods. It is hoped that this summary will also by extension serve as an overview of the state-of-the-art of CFD for these types of flow-controlled flow fields in general.

Method, apparatus and system for controlling fluid flow

DOEpatents

McMurtrey, Ryan D.; Ginosar, Daniel M.; Burch, Joesph V.

2007-10-30

A system, apparatus and method of controlling the flow of a fluid are provided. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a flow control device includes a valve having a flow path defined therethrough and a valve seat in communication with the flow path with a valve stem disposed in the valve seat. The valve stem and valve seat are cooperatively configured to cause mutual relative linear displacement thereof in response to rotation of the valve stem. A gear member is coupled with the rotary stem and a linear positioning member includes a portion which complementarily engages the gear member. Upon displacement of the linear positioning member along a first axis, the gear member and rotary valve stem are rotated about a second axis and the valve stem and valve seat are mutually linearly displaced to alter the flow of fluid through the valve.

Applying flow chemistry: methods, materials, and multistep synthesis.

PubMed

McQuade, D Tyler; Seeberger, Peter H

2013-07-05

The synthesis of complex molecules requires control over both chemical reactivity and reaction conditions. While reactivity drives the majority of chemical discovery, advances in reaction condition control have accelerated method development/discovery. Recent tools include automated synthesizers and flow reactors. In this Synopsis, we describe how flow reactors have enabled chemical advances in our groups in the areas of single-stage reactions, materials synthesis, and multistep reactions. In each section, we detail the lessons learned and propose future directions.

Fluid delivery control system

DOEpatents

Hoff, Brian D.; Johnson, Kris William; Algrain, Marcelo C.; Akasam, Sivaprasad

2006-06-06

A method of controlling the delivery of fluid to an engine includes receiving a fuel flow rate signal. An electric pump is arranged to deliver fluid to the engine. The speed of the electric pump is controlled based on the fuel flow rate signal.

Aerodynamic shape optimization using control theory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reuther, James

1996-01-01

Aerodynamic shape design has long persisted as a difficult scientific challenge due its highly nonlinear flow physics and daunting geometric complexity. However, with the emergence of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) it has become possible to make accurate predictions of flows which are not dominated by viscous effects. It is thus worthwhile to explore the extension of CFD methods for flow analysis to the treatment of aerodynamic shape design. Two new aerodynamic shape design methods are developed which combine existing CFD technology, optimal control theory, and numerical optimization techniques. Flow analysis methods for the potential flow equation and the Euler equations form the basis of the two respective design methods. In each case, optimal control theory is used to derive the adjoint differential equations, the solution of which provides the necessary gradient information to a numerical optimization method much more efficiently then by conventional finite differencing. Each technique uses a quasi-Newton numerical optimization algorithm to drive an aerodynamic objective function toward a minimum. An analytic grid perturbation method is developed to modify body fitted meshes to accommodate shape changes during the design process. Both Hicks-Henne perturbation functions and B-spline control points are explored as suitable design variables. The new methods prove to be computationally efficient and robust, and can be used for practical airfoil design including geometric and aerodynamic constraints. Objective functions are chosen to allow both inverse design to a target pressure distribution and wave drag minimization. Several design cases are presented for each method illustrating its practicality and efficiency. These include non-lifting and lifting airfoils operating at both subsonic and transonic conditions.

Reduced order modeling and active flow control of an inlet duct

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ge, Xiaoqing

Many aerodynamic applications require the modeling of compressible flows in or around a body, e.g., the design of aircraft, inlet or exhaust duct, wind turbines, or tall buildings. Traditional methods use wind tunnel experiments and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to investigate the spatial and temporal distribution of the flows. Although they provide a great deal of insight into the essential characteristics of the flow field, they are not suitable for control analysis and design due to the high physical/computational cost. Many model reduction methods have been studied to reduce the complexity of the flow model. There are two main approaches: linearization based input/output modeling and proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) based model reduction. The former captures mostly the local behavior near a steady state, which is suitable to model laminar flow dynamics. The latter obtains a reduced order model by projecting the governing equation onto an "optimal" subspace and is able to model complex nonlinear flow phenomena. In this research we investigate various model reduction approaches and compare them in flow modeling and control design. We propose an integrated model-based control methodology and apply it to the reduced order modeling and active flow control of compressible flows within a very aggressive (length to exit diameter ratio, L/D, of 1.5) inlet duct and its upstream contraction section. The approach systematically applies reduced order modeling, estimator design, sensor placement and control design to improve the aerodynamic performance. The main contribution of this work is the development of a hybrid model reduction approach that attempts to combine the best features of input/output model identification and POD method. We first identify a linear input/output model by using a subspace algorithm. We next project the difference between CFD response and the identified model response onto a set of POD basis. This trajectory is fit to a nonlinear dynamical model to augment the linear input/output model. Thus, the full system is decomposed into a dominant linear subsystem and a low order nonlinear subsystem. The hybrid model is then used for control design and compared with other modeling methods in CFD simulations. Numerical results indicate that the hybrid model accurately predicts the nonlinear behavior of the flow for a 2D diffuser contraction section model. It also performs best in terms of feedback control design and learning control. Since some outputs of interest (e.g., the AIP pressure recovery) are not observable during normal operations, static and dynamic estimators are designed to recreate the information from available sensor measurements. The latter also provides a state estimation for feedback controller. Based on the reduced order models and estimators, different controllers are designed to improve the aerodynamic performance of the contraction section and inlet duct. The integrated control methodology is evaluated with CFD simulations. Numerical results demonstrate the feasibility and efficacy of the active flow control based on reduced order models. Our reduced order models not only generate a good approximation of the nonlinear flow dynamics over a wide input range, but also help to design controllers that significantly improve the flow response. The tools developed for model reduction, estimator and control design can also be applied to wind tunnel experiment.

Combustor air flow control method for fuel cell apparatus

DOEpatents

Clingerman, Bruce J.; Mowery, Kenneth D.; Ripley, Eugene V.

2001-01-01

A method for controlling the heat output of a combustor in a fuel cell apparatus to a fuel processor where the combustor has dual air inlet streams including atmospheric air and fuel cell cathode effluent containing oxygen depleted air. In all operating modes, an enthalpy balance is provided by regulating the quantity of the air flow stream to the combustor to support fuel cell processor heat requirements. A control provides a quick fast forward change in an air valve orifice cross section in response to a calculated predetermined air flow, the molar constituents of the air stream to the combustor, the pressure drop across the air valve, and a look up table of the orifice cross sectional area and valve steps. A feedback loop fine tunes any error between the measured air flow to the combustor and the predetermined air flow.

Control of Heat Fluxes on the Surface of the Body Streamlined by Supersonic Flow with the Help of MHD Method

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-10-01

Supersonic Flow with the Help of MHD Method 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER ISTC Registration No: 3475 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6...MONITOR’S ACRONYM(S) 11. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S REPORT NUMBER(S) ISTC 05-7004 12. DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY STATEMENT Approved for public release...Center ( ISTC ), Moscow. ISTC Project No. 3475р Control of heat fluxes on the surface of the body streamlined by supersonic flow with the help of MHD

Drag reduction in channel flow using nonlinear control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keefe, Laurence R.

1993-01-01

Two nonlinear control schemes have been applied to the problem of drag reduction in channel flow. Both schemes have been tested using numerical simulations at a mass flux Reynolds numbers of 4408, utilizing 2D nonlinear neutral modes for goal dynamics. The OGY-method, which requires feedback, reduces drag to 60-80 percent of the turbulent value at the same Reynolds number, and employs forcing only within a thin region near the wall. The H-method, or model-based control, fails to achieve any drag reduction when starting from a fully turbulent initial condition, but shows potential for suppressing or retarding laminar-to-turbulent transition by imposing instead a transition to a low drag, nonlinear traveling wave solution to the Navier-Stokes equation. The drag in this state corresponds to that achieved by the OGY-method. Model-based control requires no feedback, but in experiments to date has required the forcing be imposed within a thicker layer than the OGY-method. Control energy expenditures in both methods are small, representing less than 0.1 percent of the uncontrolled flow's energy.

System and method for networking electrochemical devices

DOEpatents

Williams, Mark C.; Wimer, John G.; Archer, David H.

1995-01-01

An improved electrochemically active system and method including a plurality of electrochemical devices, such as fuel cells and fluid separation devices, in which the anode and cathode process-fluid flow chambers are connected in fluid-flow arrangements so that the operating parameters of each of said plurality of electrochemical devices which are dependent upon process-fluid parameters may be individually controlled to provide improved operating efficiency. The improvements in operation include improved power efficiency and improved fuel utilization in fuel cell power generating systems and reduced power consumption in fluid separation devices and the like through interstage process fluid parameter control for series networked electrochemical devices. The improved networking method includes recycling of various process flows to enhance the overall control scheme.

Apparatus and method to inject a reductant into an exhaust gas feedstream

DOEpatents

Viola, Michael B [Macomb Township, MI

2009-09-22

An exhaust aftertreatment system for an internal combustion engine is provided including an apparatus and method to inject a reductant into the exhaust gas feedstream. Included is a fuel metering device adapted to inject reductant into the exhaust gas feedstream and a controllable pressure regulating device. A control module is operatively connected to the reductant metering device and the controllable pressure regulating device, and, adapted to effect flow of reductant into the exhaust gas feedstream over a controllable flow range.

Finite element analysis in fluids; Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference on Finite Element Methods in Flow Problems, University of Alabama, Huntsville, Apr. 3-7, 1989

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chung, T. J. (Editor); Karr, Gerald R. (Editor)

1989-01-01

Recent advances in computational fluid dynamics are examined in reviews and reports, with an emphasis on finite-element methods. Sections are devoted to adaptive meshes, atmospheric dynamics, combustion, compressible flows, control-volume finite elements, crystal growth, domain decomposition, EM-field problems, FDM/FEM, and fluid-structure interactions. Consideration is given to free-boundary problems with heat transfer, free surface flow, geophysical flow problems, heat and mass transfer, high-speed flow, incompressible flow, inverse design methods, MHD problems, the mathematics of finite elements, and mesh generation. Also discussed are mixed finite elements, multigrid methods, non-Newtonian fluids, numerical dissipation, parallel vector processing, reservoir simulation, seepage, shallow-water problems, spectral methods, supercomputer architectures, three-dimensional problems, and turbulent flows.

Simulation Analysis of Computer-Controlled pressurization for Mixture Ratio Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alexander, Leslie A.; Bishop-Behel, Karen; Benfield, Michael P. J.; Kelley, Anthony; Woodcock, Gordon R.

2005-01-01

A procedural code (C++) simulation was developed to investigate potentials for mixture ratio control of pressure-fed spacecraft rocket propulsion systems by measuring propellant flows, tank liquid quantities, or both, and using feedback from these measurements to adjust propellant tank pressures to set the correct operating mixture ratio for minimum propellant residuals. The pressurization system eliminated mechanical regulators in favor of a computer-controlled, servo- driven throttling valve. We found that a quasi-steady state simulation (pressure and flow transients in the pressurization systems resulting from changes in flow control valve position are ignored) is adequate for this purpose. Monte-Carlo methods are used to obtain simulated statistics on propellant depletion. Mixture ratio control algorithms based on proportional-integral-differential (PID) controller methods were developed. These algorithms actually set target tank pressures; the tank pressures are controlled by another PID controller. Simulation indicates this approach can provide reductions in residual propellants.

Analysis and experimental verification of new power flow control for grid-connected inverter with LCL filter in microgrid.

PubMed

Gu, Herong; Guan, Yajuan; Wang, Huaibao; Wei, Baoze; Guo, Xiaoqiang

2014-01-01

Microgrid is an effective way to integrate the distributed energy resources into the utility networks. One of the most important issues is the power flow control of grid-connected voltage-source inverter in microgrid. In this paper, the small-signal model of the power flow control for the grid-connected inverter is established, from which it can be observed that the conventional power flow control may suffer from the poor damping and slow transient response. While the new power flow control can mitigate these problems without affecting the steady-state power flow regulation. Results of continuous-domain simulations in MATLAB and digital control experiments based on a 32-bit fixed-point TMS320F2812 DSP are in good agreement, which verify the small signal model analysis and effectiveness of the proposed method.

Method and apparatus for dispensing compressed natural gas and liquified natural gas to natural gas powered vehicles

DOEpatents

Bingham, Dennis A.; Clark, Michael L.; Wilding, Bruce M.; Palmer, Gary L.

2005-05-31

A fueling facility and method for dispensing liquid natural gas (LNG), compressed natural gas (CNG) or both on-demand. The fueling facility may include a source of LNG, such as cryogenic storage vessel. A low volume high pressure pump is coupled to the source of LNG to produce a stream of pressurized LNG. The stream of pressurized LNG may be selectively directed through an LNG flow path or to a CNG flow path which includes a vaporizer configured to produce CNG from the pressurized LNG. A portion of the CNG may be drawn from the CNG flow path and introduced into the CNG flow path to control the temperature of LNG flowing therethrough. Similarly, a portion of the LNG may be drawn from the LNG flow path and introduced into the CNG flow path to control the temperature of CNG flowing therethrough.

Numerical simulation of axisymmetric valve operation for different outer cone angle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smyk, Emil

One of the method of flow separation control is application of axisymmetric valve. It is composed of nozzle with core. Normally the main flow is attached to inner cone and flow by preferential collector to primary flow pipe. If through control nozzle starts flow jet (control jet) the main flow is switched to annular secondary collector. In both situation the main flow is deflected to inner or outer cone (placed at the outlet of the valve's nozzle) by Coanda effect. The paper deals with the numerical simulation of this axisymetric annular nozzle with integrated synthetic jet actuator. The aim of the work is influence examination of outer cone angle on deflection on main stream.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bolenbaugh, Jonathan M.; Naqi, Syed

A method to operate a clutch device in an electro-mechanical transmission mechanically-operatively coupled to an internal combustion engine and at least one electric machine includes, in response to a failure condition detected within a flow control device configured to facilitate flow of hydraulic fluid for operating the clutch device, selectively preventing the flow of hydraulic fluid from entering the flow control device and feeding the clutch device. Synchronization of the clutch device is initiated when the clutch device is intended for activation, and only if the clutch device is synchronized, the flow of hydraulic fluid is selectively permitted to entermore » the flow control device to activate the clutch device.« less

The study of multiphase flow control during odor reproduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Dehan; Yu, Hao; Fan, Danjun; He, Meiqiu

2014-04-01

Odor reproduction, is the use of the chemical composition of the basic components of odor recipe, according to a certain proportion, to control the flow of the various components, which make them sufficiently blended to achieve reproduction. In this paper, reproducing method is to find the corresponding liquid flavor, and then based on chemical flavor recipes, using flowmeters to control the chemical composition of the liquid flavor ratio. In the proportional control, the liquid chemical composition is very likely to be volatile, so that the proportional control is multiphase flow control. Measurement of the flow control will directly affect the odor reproducible results. Using electronic nose to obtain reproducible odor data, and then use pattern recognition algorithm to determine reproducible results. The experimental results can be achieved on the process of odor components multiphase flow proportional control parameter adjustment.

Inlet Flow Control and Prediction Technologies for Embedded Propulsion Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McMillan, Michelle L.; Mackie, Scott A.; Gissen, Abe; Vukasinovic, Bojan; Lakebrink, Matthew T.; Glezer, Ari; Mani, Mori; Mace, James L.

2011-01-01

Fail-safe, hybrid, flow control (HFC) is a promising technology for meeting high-speed cruise efficiency, low-noise signature, and reduced fuel-burn goals for future, Hybrid-Wing-Body (HWB) aircraft with embedded engines. This report details the development of HFC technology that enables improved inlet performance in HWB vehicles with highly integrated inlets and embedded engines without adversely affecting vehicle performance. In addition, new test techniques for evaluating Boundary-Layer-Ingesting (BLI)-inlet flow-control technologies developed and demonstrated through this program are documented, including the ability to generate a BLI-like inlet-entrance flow in a direct-connect, wind-tunnel facility, as well as, the use of D-optimal, statistically designed experiments to optimize test efficiency and enable interpretation of results. Validated improvements in numerical analysis tools and methods accomplished through this program are also documented, including Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes CFD simulations of steady-state flow physics for baseline, BLI-inlet diffuser flow, as well as, that created by flow-control devices. Finally, numerical methods were employed in a ground-breaking attempt to directly simulate dynamic distortion. The advances in inlet technologies and prediction tools will help to meet and exceed "N+2" project goals for future HWB aircraft.

SEWER-SEDIMENT CONTROL: OVERVIEW OF AN EPA WET-WEATHER FLOW RESEARCH PROGRAM

EPA Science Inventory

This paper presents a historical overview of the sewer sediment control projects conducted by the Wet-Weather Flow Research Program of the USEPA. Research presented includes studies of the causes of sewer solids deposition and development/evaluation of control methods that can pr...

Simultaneous Multiple-Location Separation Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greenblatt, David (Inventor)

2009-01-01

A method of controlling a shear layer for a fluid dynamic body introduces first periodic disturbances into the fluid medium at a first flow separation location. Simultaneously, second periodic disturbances are introduced into the fluid medium at a second flow separation location. A phase difference between the first and second periodic disturbances is adjusted to control flow separation of the shear layer as the fluid medium moves over the fluid dynamic body.

A lattice hydrodynamic model based on delayed feedback control considering the effect of flow rate difference

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yunong; Cheng, Rongjun; Ge, Hongxia

2017-08-01

In this paper, a lattice hydrodynamic model is derived considering not only the effect of flow rate difference but also the delayed feedback control signal which including more comprehensive information. The control method is used to analyze the stability of the model. Furthermore, the critical condition for the linear steady traffic flow is deduced and the numerical simulation is carried out to investigate the advantage of the proposed model with and without the effect of flow rate difference and the control signal. The results are consistent with the theoretical analysis correspondingly.

Hybrid Method for Power Control Simulation of a Single Fluid Plasma Thruster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaisankar, S.; Sheshadri, T. S.

2018-05-01

Propulsive plasma flow through a cylindrical-conical diverging thruster is simulated by a power controlled hybrid method to obtain the basic flow, thermodynamic and electromagnetic variables. Simulation is based on a single fluid model with electromagnetics being described by the equations of potential Poisson, Maxwell and the Ohm's law while the compressible fluid dynamics by the Navier Stokes in cylindrical form. The proposed method solved the electromagnetics and fluid dynamics separately, both to segregate the two prominent scales for an efficient computation and for the delivery of voltage controlled rated power. The magnetic transport is solved for steady state while fluid dynamics is allowed to evolve in time along with an electromagnetic source using schemes based on generalized finite difference discretization. The multistep methodology with power control is employed for simulating fully ionized propulsive flow of argon plasma through the thruster. Numerical solution shows convergence of every part of the solver including grid stability causing the multistep hybrid method to converge for a rated power delivery. Simulation results are reasonably in agreement with the reported physics of plasma flow in the thruster thus indicating the potential utility of this hybrid computational framework, especially when single fluid approximation of plasma is relevant.

Active control of nanolitre droplet contents with convective concentration gradients across permeable walls.

PubMed

Zeitoun, Ramsey I; Goudie, Marcus J; Zwier, Jacob; Mahawilli, David; Burns, Mark A

2011-12-07

Nanolitre droplets in microfluidic devices can be used to perform thousands of independent chemical and biological experiments while minimizing reagents, cost and time. However, the absence of simple and versatile methods capable of controlling the contents of these nanolitre chemical systems limits their scientific potential. To address this, we have developed a method that is simple to fabricate and can continuously control nanolitre chemical systems by integrating a time-resolved convective flow signal across a permeable membrane wall. With this method, we can independently control the volume and concentration of nanolitre-sized drops without ever directly contacting the fluid. Transport occurring in these systems was also analyzed and thoroughly characterized. We achieved volumetric fluid introduction and removal rates ranging from 0.23 to 4.0 pL s(-1). Furthermore, we expanded this method to perform chemical processes. We precipitated silver chloride using a flow signal of sodium chloride and silver nitrate droplets. From there, we were able to separate sodium chloride reactants with a water flow signal, and dissolve silver chloride solids with an ammonia hydroxide flow signal. Finally, we demonstrate the potential to deliver large molecules and perform physical processes like crystallization and particle packing.

Mobile monolithic polymer elements for flow control in microfluidic devices

DOEpatents

Hasselbrink, Jr., Ernest F.; Rehm, Jason E.; Shepodd, Timothy J.

2004-08-31

A cast-in-place and lithographically shaped mobile, monolithic polymer element for fluid flow control in microfluidic devices and method of manufacture. Microfluid flow control devices, or microvalves that provide for control of fluid or ionic current flow can be made incorporating a cast-in-place, mobile monolithic polymer element, disposed within a microchannel, and driven by either fluid or gas pressure against a retaining or sealing surface. The polymer elements are made by the application of lithographic methods to monomer mixtures formulated in such a way that the polymer will not bond to microchannel walls. The polymer elements can seal against pressures greater than 5000 psi, and have a response time on the order of milliseconds. By the use of energetic radiation it is possible to depolymerize selected regions of the polymer element to form shapes that cannot be produced by conventional lithographic patterning and would be impossible to machine.

Mobile Monolith Polymer Elements For Flow Control In Microfluidic Systems

DOEpatents

Hasselbrink, Jr., Ernest F.; Rehm, Jason E.; Shepodd, Timothy J.; Kirby, Brian J.

2006-01-24

A cast-in-place and lithographically shaped mobile, monolithic polymer element for fluid flow control in microfluidic devices and method of manufacture. Microfluid flow control devices, or microvalves that provide for control of fluid or ionic current flow can be made incorporating a cast-in-place, mobile monolithic polymer element, disposed within a microchannel, and driven by fluid pressure (either liquid or gas) against a retaining or sealing surface. The polymer elements are made by the application of lithographic methods to monomer mixtures formulated in such a way that the polymer will not bond to microchannel walls. The polymer elements can seal against pressures greater than 5000 psi, and have a response time on the order of milliseconds. By the use of energetic radiation it is possible to depolymerize selected regions of the polymer element to form shapes that cannot be produced by conventional lithographic patterning and would be impossible to machine.

Mobile monolithic polymer elements for flow control in microfluidic devices

DOEpatents

Hasselbrink, Jr., Ernest F.; Rehm, Jason E [Alameda, CA; Shepodd, Timothy J [Livermore, CA; Kirby, Brian J [San Francisco, CA

2005-11-11

A cast-in-place and lithographically shaped mobile, monolithic polymer element for fluid flow control in microfluidic devices and method of manufacture. Microfluid flow control devices, or microvalves that provide for control of fluid or ionic current flow can be made incorporating a cast-in-place, mobile monolithic polymer element, disposed within a microchannel, and driven by fluid pressure (either liquid or gas) against a retaining or sealing surface. The polymer elements are made by the application of lithographic methods to monomer mixtures formulated in such a way that the polymer will not bond to microchannel walls. The polymer elements can seal against pressures greater than 5000 psi, and have a response time on the order of milliseconds. By the use of energetic radiation it is possible to depolymerize selected regions of the polymer element to form shapes that cannot be produced by conventional lithographic patterning and would be impossible to machine.

Analysis and Experimental Verification of New Power Flow Control for Grid-Connected Inverter with LCL Filter in Microgrid

PubMed Central

Gu, Herong; Guan, Yajuan; Wang, Huaibao; Wei, Baoze; Guo, Xiaoqiang

2014-01-01

Microgrid is an effective way to integrate the distributed energy resources into the utility networks. One of the most important issues is the power flow control of grid-connected voltage-source inverter in microgrid. In this paper, the small-signal model of the power flow control for the grid-connected inverter is established, from which it can be observed that the conventional power flow control may suffer from the poor damping and slow transient response. While the new power flow control can mitigate these problems without affecting the steady-state power flow regulation. Results of continuous-domain simulations in MATLAB and digital control experiments based on a 32-bit fixed-point TMS320F2812 DSP are in good agreement, which verify the small signal model analysis and effectiveness of the proposed method. PMID:24672304

Pressure-Aware Control Layer Optimization for Flow-Based Microfluidic Biochips.

PubMed

Wang, Qin; Xu, Yue; Zuo, Shiliang; Yao, Hailong; Ho, Tsung-Yi; Li, Bing; Schlichtmann, Ulf; Cai, Yici

2017-12-01

Flow-based microfluidic biochips are attracting increasing attention with successful biomedical applications. One critical issue with flow-based microfluidic biochips is the large number of microvalves that require peripheral control pins. Even using the broadcasting addressing scheme, i.e., one control pin controls multiple microvalves simultaneously, thousands of microvalves would still require hundreds of control prins, which is unrealistic. To address this critical challenge in control scalability, the control-layer multiplexer is introduced to effectively reduce the number of control pins into log scale of the number of microvalves. There are two practical design issues with the control-layer multiplexer: (1) the reliability issue caused by the frequent control-valve switching, and (2) the pressure degradation problem caused by the control-valve switching without pressure refreshing from the pressure source. This paper addresses these two design issues by the proposed Hamming-distance-based switching sequence optimization method and the XOR-based pressure refreshing method. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed methods with an average 77.2% (maximum 89.6%) improvement in total pressure refreshing cost, and an average 88.5% (maximum 90.0%) improvement in pressure deviation.

COLLECTION SYSTEM SOLIDS CONTROL: OVERVIEW OF AN EPA WET-WEATHER FLOW RESEARCH PROGRAM

EPA Science Inventory

This paper presents an historical overview of the sewer-solids control projects conducted by the Wet-Weather Flow Research Program of the US EPA. Research includes studies of the causes of sewer-solids deposition and development/evaluation of control methods that can prevent sewe...

Effect of rotation rate on the forces of a rotating cylinder: Simulation and control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burns, John A.; Ou, Yuh-Roung

1993-01-01

In this paper we present numerical solutions to several optimal control problems for an unsteady viscous flow. The main thrust of this work is devoted to simulation and control of an unsteady flow generated by a circular cylinder undergoing rotary motion. By treating the rotation rate as a control variable, we can formulate two optimal control problems and use a central difference/pseudospectral transform method to numerically compute the optimal control rates. Several types of rotations are considered as potential controls, and we show that a proper synchronization of forcing frequency with the natural vortex shedding frequency can greatly influence the flow. The results here indicate that using moving boundary controls for such systems may provide a feasible mechanism for flow control.

Evaluation of salivary glucose, IgA and flow rate in diabetic patients: a case-control study.

PubMed

Bakianian Vaziri, P; Vahedi, M; Mortazavi, H; Abdollahzadeh, Sh; Hajilooi, M

2010-01-01

An association between diabetes mellitus and alterations in the oral cavity has been noted. In this study, we evaluated differences between salivary IgA, glucose and flow rate in diabetic patients compared with healthy controls. Forty patients with type 1 diabetes, 40 patients with type 2 diabetes and 40 healthy controls were selected. Whole unstimulated saliva samples were collected by the standard method and the salivary flow rate was determined. Nephelometric and Pars method were used to measure salivary IgA and salivary glucose concentrations, respectively. Statistical analysis was performed by Chi-square and t test. There were no significant differences in salivary IgA and glucose concentrations between type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients and their matched control subjects (P>0.05). Salivary flow rate was significantly lower in diabetic patients (P<0.05). In addition, DMFT was higher in diabetic patients than the controls. Determination of salivary constituents may be useful in the description and management of oral findings in diabetic patients.

Oil field management system

DOEpatents

Fincke, James R.

2003-09-23

Oil field management systems and methods for managing operation of one or more wells producing a high void fraction multiphase flow. The system includes a differential pressure flow meter which samples pressure readings at various points of interest throughout the system and uses pressure differentials derived from the pressure readings to determine gas and liquid phase mass flow rates of the high void fraction multiphase flow. One or both of the gas and liquid phase mass flow rates are then compared with predetermined criteria. In the event such mass flow rates satisfy the predetermined criteria, a well control system implements a correlating adjustment action respecting the multiphase flow. In this way, various parameters regarding the high void fraction multiphase flow are used as control inputs to the well control system and thus facilitate management of well operations.

Seminar on Understanding Digital Control and Analysis in Vibration Test Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

The advantages of the digital methods over the analog vibration methods are demonstrated. The following topics are covered: (1) methods of computer-controlled random vibration and reverberation acoustic testing, (2) methods of computer-controlled sinewave vibration testing, and (3) methods of computer-controlled shock testing. General algorithms are described in the form of block diagrams and flow diagrams.

Ground vibration test of the laminar flow control JStar airplane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kehoe, M. W.; Cazier, F. W., Jr.; Ellison, J. F.

1985-01-01

A ground vibration test was conducted on a Lockheed JetStar airplane that had been modified for the purpose of conducting laminar flow control experiments. The test was performed prior to initial flight flutter tests. Both sine-dwell and single-point-random excitation methods were used. The data presented include frequency response functions and a comparison of mode frequencies and mode shapes from both methods.

ISS Payload Racks Automated Flow Control Calibration Method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simmonds, Boris G.

2003-01-01

Payload Racks utilize MTL and/or LTL station water for cooling of payloads and avionics. Flow control range from valves of fully closed, to up to 300 Ibmhr. Instrument accuracies are as high as f 7.5 Ibm/hr for flow sensors and f 3 Ibm/hr for valve controller, for a total system accuracy of f 10.5 Ibm/hr. Improved methodology was developed, tested and proven that reduces accuracy of the commanded flows to less than f 1 Ibmhr. Uethodology could be packed in a "calibration kit" for on- orbit flow sensor checkout and recalibration, extending the rack operations before return to earth. -

NASA research on viscous drag reduction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Petersen, R. H.; Maddalon, D. V.

1982-01-01

Research on natural laminar flow, laminar flow control by suction, and turbulent drag reduction is discussed. Preliminary results suggest that a significant amount of natural laminar flow can be achieved on small, straight wing airplanes. On larger, swept wing aircraft, laminar flow control by distributed suction is expected to result in significant fuel savings. The area over which laminar flow control is applied depends on tradeoffs involving structural complexity, maintenance, and cost. Several methods of reducing turbulent skin friction by altering the turbulence structure itself have shown promise in exploratory testing. The status of these technologies and the benefits of applying them to future aircraft are reviewed.

Inventory Management for Irregular Shipment of Goods in Distribution Centre

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takeda, Hitoshi; Kitaoka, Masatoshi; Usuki, Jun

2016-01-01

The shipping amount of commodity goods (Foods, confectionery, dairy products, such as public cosmetic pharmaceutical products) changes irregularly at the distribution center dealing with the general consumer goods. Because the shipment time and the amount of the shipment are irregular, the demand forecast becomes very difficult. For this, the inventory control becomes difficult, too. It cannot be applied to the shipment of the commodity by the conventional inventory control methods. This paper proposes the method for inventory control by cumulative flow curve method. It proposed the method of deciding the order quantity of the inventory control by the cumulative flow curve. Here, it proposes three methods. 1) Power method,2) Polynomial method and 3)Revised Holt's linear method that forecasts data with trends that is a kind of exponential smoothing method. This paper compares the economics of the conventional method, which is managed by the experienced and three new proposed methods. And, the effectiveness of the proposal method is verified from the numerical calculations.

Optimal Power Flow Pursuit

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dall'Anese, Emiliano; Simonetto, Andrea

This paper considers distribution networks featuring inverter-interfaced distributed energy resources, and develops distributed feedback controllers that continuously drive the inverter output powers to solutions of AC optimal power flow (OPF) problems. Particularly, the controllers update the power setpoints based on voltage measurements as well as given (time-varying) OPF targets, and entail elementary operations implementable onto low-cost microcontrollers that accompany power-electronics interfaces of gateways and inverters. The design of the control framework is based on suitable linear approximations of the AC power-flow equations as well as Lagrangian regularization methods. Convergence and OPF-target tracking capabilities of the controllers are analytically established. Overall,more » the proposed method allows to bypass traditional hierarchical setups where feedback control and optimization operate at distinct time scales, and to enable real-time optimization of distribution systems.« less

Flowmeter for gas-entrained solids flow

DOEpatents

Porges, Karl G.

1990-01-01

An apparatus and method for the measurement of solids feedrate in a gas-entrained solids flow conveyance system. The apparatus and method of the present invention include a vertical duct connecting a source of solids to the gas-entrained flow conveyance system, a control valve positioned in the vertical duct, and a capacitive densitometer positioned along the duct at a location a known distance below the control valved so that the solid feedrate, Q, of the gas entrained flow can be determined by Q=S.rho..phi.V.sub.S where S is the cross sectional area of the duct, .rho. is the density of the solid, .phi. is the solid volume fraction determined by the capacitive densitometer, and v.sub.S is the local solid velocity which can be inferred from the konown distance of the capacitive densitometer below the control valve.

Intracycle angular velocity control of cross-flow turbines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strom, Benjamin; Brunton, Steven L.; Polagye, Brian

2017-08-01

Cross-flow turbines, also known as vertical-axis turbines, are attractive for power generation from wind and water currents. Some cross-flow turbine designs optimize unsteady fluid forces and maximize power output by controlling blade kinematics within one rotation. One established method is to dynamically pitch the blades. Here we introduce a mechanically simpler alternative: optimize the turbine rotation rate as a function of angular blade position. We demonstrate experimentally that this approach results in a 59% increase in power output over standard control methods. Analysis of fluid forcing and blade kinematics suggest that power increase is achieved through modification of the local flow conditions and alignment of fluid force and rotation rate extrema. The result is a low-speed, structurally robust turbine that achieves high efficiency and could enable a new generation of environmentally benign turbines for renewable power generation.

Flow-controlled magnetic particle manipulation

DOEpatents

Grate, Jay W [West Richland, WA; Bruckner-Lea, Cynthia J [Richland, WA; Holman, David A [Las Vegas, NV

2011-02-22

Inventive methods and apparatus are useful for collecting magnetic materials in one or more magnetic fields and resuspending the particles into a dispersion medium, and optionally repeating collection/resuspension one or more times in the same or a different medium, by controlling the direction and rate of fluid flow through a fluid flow path. The methods provide for contacting derivatized particles with test samples and reagents, removal of excess reagent, washing of magnetic material, and resuspension for analysis, among other uses. The methods are applicable to a wide variety of chemical and biological materials that are susceptible to magnetic labeling, including, for example, cells, viruses, oligonucleotides, proteins, hormones, receptor-ligand complexes, environmental contaminants and the like.

Flow measuring structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boiten, W.

1993-11-01

The use of flow measuring structures is one of the various methods for the continuous measurement of discharges in open channels. In this report a brief summary of these methods is presented to get some insight in the selection of the most appropriate method. Then the distinct functions of water control structures are described. The flow measuring structures are classified according to international rules. The fields of application are dealt with and the definitions of weir flow are given. Much attention is paid to the aspects of how to select the most suitable flow measuring structure. The accuracy in the evaluation of the discharge has been related to the different error sources. A review of international standards on flow measuring structures concludes the report.

Application of low-dimensional techniques for closed-loop control of turbulent flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ausseur, Julie

The groundwork for an advanced closed-loop control of separated shear layer flows is laid out in this document. The experimental testbed for the present investigation is the turbulent flow over a NACA-4412 model airfoil tested in the Syracuse University subsonic wind tunnel at Re=135,000. The specified control objective is to delay separation - or stall - by constantly keeping the flow attached to the surface of the wing. The proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) is shown to he a valuable tool to provide a low-dimensional estimate of the flow state and the first POD expansion coefficient is proposed to he used as the control variable. Other reduced-order techniques such as the modified linear and quadratic stochastic measurement methods (mLSM, mQSM) are applied to reduce the complexity of the flow field and their ability to accurately estimate the flow state from surface pressure measurements alone is examined. A simple proportional feedback control is successfully implemented in real-time using these tools and flow separation is efficiently delayed by over 3 degrees angle of attack. To further improve the quality of the flow state estimate, the implementation of a Kalman filter is foreseen, in which the knowledge of the flow dynamics is added to the computation of the control variable to correct for the potential measurement errors. To this aim, a reduced-order model (ROM) of the flow is developed using the least-squares method to obtain the coefficients of the POD/Galerkin projection of the Navier-Stokes equations from experimental data. To build the training ensemble needed in this experimental procedure, the spectral mLSM is performed to generate time-resolved series of POD expansion coefficients from which temporal derivatives are computed. This technique, which is applied to independent PIV velocity snapshots and time-resolved surface measurements, is able to retrieve the rational temporal evolution of the flow physics in the entire 2-D measurement area. The quality of the spectral measurements is confirmed by the results from both the linear and quadratic dynamical systems. The preliminary results from the linear ROM strengthens the motivation for future control implementation of a linear Kalman filter in this flow.

Modified schirmer test--a screening tool for xerostomia among subjects on antidepressants.

PubMed

Kumar, Nerella Narendra; Panchaksharappa, Mamatha Gowda; Annigeri, Rajeshwari G

2014-08-01

The aim of the present study is to assess salivary flow rate in the subjects who were on antidepressant medications and its comparison with healthy controls and assessment of unstimulated salivary flow rate by modified Schirmer test (MST) and volumetric method (spitting method) for evaluation of xerostomia and whether any correlation exists between two methods. Thirty subjects who were on antidepressants were divided into two groups: tricyclic antidepressants (TCA) and selective sertonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) of 15 each, compared with 30 age and gender matched controls. Unstimulated salivary flow rate was measured by both MST and spitting method. The unstimulated salivary flow rate measured by MST at the end of 3rd minute was 13.7 ± 10.08, 19.86 ± 8.95 and 31.0 ± 5.4 mm and by spitting method was 0.12 ± 0.07, 0.19 ± 0.10 and 0.30 ± 0.75 ml/min in TCA, SSRI and controls respectively (p<0.001). The Pearson correlation coefficient of r=0.85 shows excellent correlation between the two screening tests. Sensitivity and Specificity of MST was 90.9% and 31.5%. Salivary flow rate was less in antidepressant subjects when compared to the healthy controls. Results of the present study showed an excellent correlation excellent correlation between the two screening tests which suggests that MST can be routinely used as chair-side screening tool to evaluate hyposalivation which is time saving, patient friendly and specific of salivary secretions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Operational considerations for laminar flow aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maddalon, Dal V.; Wagner, Richard D.

1986-01-01

Considerable progress has been made in the development of laminar flow technology for commercial transports during the NASA Aircraft Energy Efficiency (ACEE) laminar flow program. Practical, operational laminar flow control (LFC) systems have been designed, fabricated, and are undergoing flight testing. New materials, fabrication methods, analysis techniques, and design concepts were developed and show much promise. The laminar flow control systems now being flight tested on the NASA Jetstar aircraft are complemented by natural laminar flow flight tests to be accomplished with the F-14 variable-sweep transition flight experiment. An overview of some operational aspects of this exciting program is given.

Low-cost feedback-controlled syringe pressure pumps for microfluidics applications.

PubMed

Lake, John R; Heyde, Keith C; Ruder, Warren C

2017-01-01

Microfluidics are widely used in research ranging from bioengineering and biomedical disciplines to chemistry and nanotechnology. As such, there are a large number of options for the devices used to drive and control flow through microfluidic channels. Commercially available syringe pumps are probably the most commonly used instruments for this purpose, but are relatively high-cost and have inherent limitations due to their flow profiles when they are run open-loop. Here, we present a low-cost ($110) syringe pressure pump that uses feedback control to regulate the pressure into microfluidic chips. Using an open-source microcontroller board (Arduino), we demonstrate an easily operated and programmable syringe pump that can be run using either a PID or bang-bang control method. Through feedback control of the pressure at the inlets of two microfluidic geometries, we have shown stability of our device to within ±1% of the set point using a PID control method and within ±5% of the set point using a bang-bang control method with response times of less than 1 second. This device offers a low-cost option to drive and control well-regulated pressure-driven flow through microfluidic chips.

Low-cost feedback-controlled syringe pressure pumps for microfluidics applications

PubMed Central

Lake, John R.; Heyde, Keith C.

2017-01-01

Microfluidics are widely used in research ranging from bioengineering and biomedical disciplines to chemistry and nanotechnology. As such, there are a large number of options for the devices used to drive and control flow through microfluidic channels. Commercially available syringe pumps are probably the most commonly used instruments for this purpose, but are relatively high-cost and have inherent limitations due to their flow profiles when they are run open-loop. Here, we present a low-cost ($110) syringe pressure pump that uses feedback control to regulate the pressure into microfluidic chips. Using an open-source microcontroller board (Arduino), we demonstrate an easily operated and programmable syringe pump that can be run using either a PID or bang-bang control method. Through feedback control of the pressure at the inlets of two microfluidic geometries, we have shown stability of our device to within ±1% of the set point using a PID control method and within ±5% of the set point using a bang-bang control method with response times of less than 1 second. This device offers a low-cost option to drive and control well-regulated pressure-driven flow through microfluidic chips. PMID:28369134

Device and method for measuring multi-phase fluid flow in a conduit using an elbow flow meter

DOEpatents

Ortiz, Marcos G.; Boucher, Timothy J.

1997-01-01

A system for measuring fluid flow in a conduit. The system utilizes pressure transducers disposed generally in line upstream and downstream of the flow of fluid in a bend in the conduit. Data from the pressure transducers is transmitted to a microprocessor or computer. The pressure differential measured by the pressure transducers is then used to calculate the fluid flow rate in the conduit. Control signals may then be generated by the microprocessor or computer to control flow, total fluid dispersed, (in, for example, an irrigation system), area of dispersal or other desired effect based on the fluid flow in the conduit.

Experimental Investigation of Normal Shock Boundary-Layer Interaction with Hybrid Flow Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vyas, Manan A.; Hirt, Stefanie M.; Anderson, Bernhard H.

2012-01-01

Hybrid flow control, a combination of micro-ramps and micro-jets, was experimentally investigated in the 15x15 cm Supersonic Wind Tunnel (SWT) at the NASA Glenn Research Center. Full factorial, a design of experiments (DOE) method, was used to develop a test matrix with variables such as inter-ramp spacing, ramp height and chord length, and micro-jet injection flow ratio. A total of 17 configurations were tested with various parameters to meet the DOE criteria. In addition to boundary-layer measurements, oil flow visualization was used to qualitatively understand shock induced flow separation characteristics. The flow visualization showed the normal shock location, size of the separation, path of the downstream moving counter-rotating vortices, and corner flow effects. The results show that hybrid flow control demonstrates promise in reducing the size of shock boundary-layer interactions and resulting flow separation by means of energizing the boundary layer.

Adjoint Method and Predictive Control for 1-D Flow in NASA Ames 11-Foot Transonic Wind Tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nguyen, Nhan; Ardema, Mark

2006-01-01

This paper describes a modeling method and a new optimal control approach to investigate a Mach number control problem for the NASA Ames 11-Foot Transonic Wind Tunnel. The flow in the wind tunnel is modeled by the 1-D unsteady Euler equations whose boundary conditions prescribe a controlling action by a compressor. The boundary control inputs to the compressor are in turn controlled by a drive motor system and an inlet guide vane system whose dynamics are modeled by ordinary differential equations. The resulting Euler equations are thus coupled to the ordinary differential equations via the boundary conditions. Optimality conditions are established by an adjoint method and are used to develop a model predictive linear-quadratic optimal control for regulating the Mach number due to a test model disturbance during a continuous pitch

3D Numerical Simulation versus Experimental Assessment of Pressure Pulsations Using a Passive Method for Swirling Flow Control in Conical Diffusers of Hydraulic Turbines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

TANASA, C.; MUNTEAN, S.; CIOCAN, T.; SUSAN-RESIGA, R. F.

2016-11-01

The hydraulic turbines operated at partial discharge (especially hydraulic turbines with fixed blades, i.e. Francis turbine), developing a swirling flow in the conical diffuser of draft tube. As a result, the helical vortex breakdown, also known in the literature as “precessing vortex rope” is developed. A passive method to mitigate the pressure pulsations associated to the vortex rope in the draft tube cone of hydraulic turbines is presented in this paper. The method involves the development of a progressive and controlled throttling (shutter), of the flow cross section at the bottom of the conical diffuser. The adjustable cross section is made on the basis of the shutter-opening of circular diaphragms, while maintaining in all positions the circular cross-sectional shape, centred on the axis of the turbine. The stagnant region and the pressure pulsations associated to the vortex rope are mitigated when it is controlled with the turbine operating regime. Consequently, the severe flow deceleration and corresponding central stagnant are diminished with an efficient mitigation of the precessing helical vortex. Four cases (one without diaphragm and three with diaphragm), are numerically and experimentally investigated, respectively. The present paper focuses on a 3D turbulent swirling flow simulation in order to evaluate the control method. Numerical results are compared against measured pressure recovery coefficient and Fourier spectra. The results prove the vortex rope mitigation and its associated pressure pulsations when employing the diaphragm.

Creating fast flow channels in paper fluidic devices to control timing of sequential reactions.

PubMed

Jahanshahi-Anbuhi, Sana; Chavan, Puneet; Sicard, Clémence; Leung, Vincent; Hossain, S M Zakir; Pelton, Robert; Brennan, John D; Filipe, Carlos D M

2012-12-07

This paper reports the development of a method to control the flow rate of fluids within paper-based microfluidic analytical devices. We demonstrate that by simply sandwiching paper channels between two flexible films, it is possible to accelerate the flow of water through paper by over 10-fold. The dynamics of this process are such that the height of the liquid is dependent on time to the power of 1/3. This dependence was validated using three different flexible films (with markedly different contact angles) and three different fluids (water and two silicon oils with different viscosities). These covered channels provide a low-cost method for controlling the flow rate of fluid in paper channels, and can be added following printing of reagents to control fluid flow in selected fluidic channels. Using this method, we redesigned a previously published bidirectional lateral flow pesticide sensor to allow more rapid detection of pesticides while eliminating the need to run the assay in two stages. The sensor is fabricated with sol-gel entrapped reagents (indoxyl acetate in a substrate zone and acetylcholinesterase, AChE, in a sensing zone) present in an uncovered "slow" flow channel, with a second, covered "fast" channel used to transport pesticide samples to the sensing region through a simple paper-flap valve. In this manner, pesticides reach the sensing region first to allow preincubation, followed by delivery of the substrate to generate a colorimetric signal. This format results in a uni-directional device that detects the presence of pesticides two times faster than the original bidirectional sensors.

VORSTAB: A computer program for calculating lateral-directional stability derivatives with vortex flow effect

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lan, C. Edward

1985-01-01

A computer program based on the Quasi-Vortex-Lattice Method of Lan is presented for calculating longitudinal and lateral-directional aerodynamic characteristics of nonplanar wing-body combination. The method is based on the assumption of inviscid subsonic flow. Both attached and vortex-separated flows are treated. For the vortex-separated flow, the calculation is based on the method of suction analogy. The effect of vortex breakdown is accounted for by an empirical method. A summary of the theoretical method, program capabilities, input format, output variables and program job control set-up are described. Three test cases are presented as guides for potential users of the code.

A Mobile System for Measuring Water Surface Velocities Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle and Large-Scale Particle Image Velocimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Y. L.

2015-12-01

Measurement technologies for velocity of river flow are divided into intrusive and nonintrusive methods. Intrusive method requires infield operations. The measuring process of intrusive methods are time consuming, and likely to cause damages of operator and instrument. Nonintrusive methods require fewer operators and can reduce instrument damages from directly attaching to the flow. Nonintrusive measurements may use radar or image velocimetry to measure the velocities at the surface of water flow. The image velocimetry, such as large scale particle image velocimetry (LSPIV) accesses not only the point velocity but the flow velocities in an area simultaneously. Flow properties of an area hold the promise of providing spatially information of flow fields. This study attempts to construct a mobile system UAV-LSPIV by using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with LSPIV to measure flows in fields. The mobile system consists of a six-rotor UAV helicopter, a Sony nex5T camera, a gimbal, an image transfer device, a ground station and a remote control device. The activate gimbal helps maintain the camera lens orthogonal to the water surface and reduce the extent of images being distorted. The image transfer device can monitor the captured image instantly. The operator controls the UAV by remote control device through ground station and can achieve the flying data such as flying height and GPS coordinate of UAV. The mobile system was then applied to field experiments. The deviation of velocities measured by UAV-LSPIV of field experiments and handhold Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter (ADV) is under 8%. The results of the field experiments suggests that the application of UAV-LSPIV can be effectively applied to surface flow studies.

[Effect on tranquilizing and allaying excitement needling method on brain blood flow in the patients of insomnia of heart and spleen deficiency].

PubMed

Yan, Xing-ke; Zhang, Yan; Yu, Lu; Yue, Gong-lei; Li, Tie; Chen, Cheng; Cui, Hai-fu; Wang, Fu-chun

2010-02-01

To observe the therapeutic effect of tranquilizing and allaying excitement needling method on insomnia of heart and spleen deficiency and the effect of brain blood flow. Sixty cases were randomly divided into a tranquilizing and allaying excitement needling method group (observation group) and an eight confluence points selected group (control group), 30 cases in each group. The observation group was treated by acupuncture at Sishencong (EX-HN 1), Shenmen (HT 7), and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) with tranquilizing and allaying excitement needling method. The control group was treated by acupuncture at Shenmai (BL 62) and Zhaohai (KI 6). Their therapeutic effects and changes of brain blood flow were observed. The total effective rate was 93.3% (28/30) in the observation group which was better than 83.3% (25/30) in the control group (P < 0.05). After treatment, the peak velocity of systolic (Vp) and diastolic blood flow velocity (Vd) of middle cerebral artery, basilar artery and vertebral artery were increased in the both groups (P < 0.01, P < 0.05), with more obvious increase in the observation group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05), except the Vd of left vertebral artery. Both the tranquilizing and allaying excitement needling method and the eight confluence points selected needling method can improve the clinical signs and symptoms. Meanwhile, the therapeutic effect of acupuncture is related with improvement of brain blood flow. However, the tranquilizing and allaying excitement needling method has better therapeutic effect on insomnia of heart and spleen deficiency.

Apparatus and method for generating swirling flow

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Haden, Robert E.; Lorentz, Donald G.

An apparatus and method for generating a swirl is disclosed that is used to induce an axi-symmetric swirling flow to an incoming flow. The disclosed subject matter induces a uniform and axi-symmetric swirl, circumferentially around a discharge location, thus imparting a more accurate, repeatable, continuous, and controllable swirl and mixing condition of interest. Moreover, the disclosed subject matter performs the swirl injection at a lower pressure drop in comparison to a more traditional methods and devices.

Reducing the impact of speed dispersion on subway corridor flow.

PubMed

Qiao, Jing; Sun, Lishan; Liu, Xiaoming; Rong, Jian

2017-11-01

The rapid increase in the volume of subway passengers in Beijing has necessitated higher requirements for the safety and efficiency of subway corridors. Speed dispersion is an important factor that affects safety and efficiency. This paper aims to analyze the management control methods for reducing pedestrian speed dispersion in subways. The characteristics of the speed dispersion of pedestrian flow were analyzed according to field videos. The control measurements which were conducted by placing traffic signs, yellow marking, and guardrail were proposed to alleviate speed dispersion. The results showed that the methods of placing traffic signs, yellow marking, and a guardrail improved safety and efficiency for all four volumes of pedestrian traffic flow, and the best-performing control measurement was guardrails. Furthermore, guardrails' optimal position and design measurements were explored. The research findings provide a rationale for subway managers in optimizing pedestrian traffic flow in subway corridors. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Noble gas storage and delivery system for ion propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Back, Dwight Douglas (Inventor); Ramos, Charlie (Inventor)

2001-01-01

A method and system for storing and delivering a noble gas for an ion propulsion system where an adsorbent bearing a noble gas is heated within a storage vessel to desorb the noble gas which is then flowed through a pressure reduction device to a thruster assembly. The pressure and flow is controlled using a flow restrictor and low wattage heater which heats an adsorbent bed containing the noble gas propellant at low pressures. Flow rates of 5-60 sccm can be controlled to within about 0.5% or less and the required input power is generally less than 50 W. This noble gas storage and delivery system and method can be used for earth orbit satellites, and lunar or planetary space missions.

Dynamics and Control of Newtonian and Viscoelastic Fluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lieu, Binh K.

Transition to turbulence represents one of the most intriguing natural phenomena. Flows that are smooth and ordered may become complex and disordered as the flow strength increases. This process is known as transition to turbulence. In this dissertation, we develop theoretical and computational tools for analysis and control of transition and turbulence in shear flows of Newtonian, such as air and water, and complex viscoelastic fluids, such as polymers and molten plastics. Part I of the dissertation is devoted to the design and verification of sensor-free and feedback-based strategies for controlling the onset of turbulence in channel flows of Newtonian fluids. We use high fidelity simulations of the nonlinear flow dynamics to demonstrate the effectiveness of our model-based approach to flow control design. In Part II, we utilize systems theoretic tools to study transition and turbulence in channel flows of viscoelastic fluids. For flows with strong elastic forces, we demonstrate that flow fluctuations can experience significant amplification even in the absence of inertia. We use our theoretical developments to uncover the underlying physical mechanism that leads to this high amplification. For turbulent flows with polymer additives, we develop a model-based method for analyzing the influence of polymers on drag reduction. We demonstrate that our approach predicts drag reducing trends observed in full-scale numerical simulations. In Part III, we develop mathematical framework and computational tools for calculating frequency responses of spatially distributed systems. Using state-of-the-art automatic spectral collocation techniques and new integral formulation, we show that our approach yields more reliable and accurate solutions than currently available methods.

Frost sensor for use in defrost controls for refrigeration

DOEpatents

French, Patrick D.; Butz, James R.; Veatch, Bradley D.; O'Connor, Michael W.

2002-01-01

An apparatus and method for measuring the total thermal resistance to heat flow from the air to the evaporative cooler fins of a refrigeration system. The apparatus is a frost sensor that measures the reduction in heat flow due to the added thermal resistance of ice (reduced conduction) as well as the reduction in heat flow due to the blockage of airflow (reduced convection) from excessive ice formation. The sensor triggers a defrost cycle when needed, instead of on a timed interval. The invention is also a method for control of frost in a system that transfers heat from air to a refrigerant along a thermal path. The method involves measuring the thermal conductivity of the thermal path from the air to the refrigerant, recognizing a reduction in thermal conductivity due to the thermal insulation effect of the frost and due to the loss of airflow from excessive ice formation; and controlling the defrosting of the system.

Integrated control system and method

DOEpatents

Wang, Paul Sai Keat; Baldwin, Darryl; Kim, Myoungjin

2013-10-29

An integrated control system for use with an engine connected to a generator providing electrical power to a switchgear is disclosed. The engine receives gas produced by a gasifier. The control system includes an electronic controller associated with the gasifier, engine, generator, and switchgear. A gas flow sensor monitors a gas flow from the gasifier to the engine through an engine gas control valve and provides a gas flow signal to the electronic controller. A gas oversupply sensor monitors a gas oversupply from the gasifier and provides an oversupply signal indicative of gas not provided to the engine. A power output sensor monitors a power output of the switchgear and provide a power output signal. The electronic controller changes gas production of the gasifier and the power output rating of the switchgear based on the gas flow signal, the oversupply signal, and the power output signal.

SEWER SEDIMENT CONTROL: AN OVERVIEW OF THE EPA WET WEATHER FLOW (WWF) RESEARCH PROGRAM

EPA Science Inventory

This paper presents an overview of EPA WWF Research Program projects related to causes of sewer solids deposition and control methods that can prevent accumulation of sewer sediments. In particular, discussion will focus on the relationship of wastewater characteristics to flow ...

On Efficient Multigrid Methods for Materials Processing Flows with Small Particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomas, James (Technical Monitor); Diskin, Boris; Harik, VasylMichael

2004-01-01

Multiscale modeling of materials requires simulations of multiple levels of structural hierarchy. The computational efficiency of numerical methods becomes a critical factor for simulating large physical systems with highly desperate length scales. Multigrid methods are known for their superior efficiency in representing/resolving different levels of physical details. The efficiency is achieved by employing interactively different discretizations on different scales (grids). To assist optimization of manufacturing conditions for materials processing with numerous particles (e.g., dispersion of particles, controlling flow viscosity and clusters), a new multigrid algorithm has been developed for a case of multiscale modeling of flows with small particles that have various length scales. The optimal efficiency of the algorithm is crucial for accurate predictions of the effect of processing conditions (e.g., pressure and velocity gradients) on the local flow fields that control the formation of various microstructures or clusters.

Analysis of the STS-126 Flow Control Valve Structural-Acoustic Coupling Failure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Trevor M.; Larko, Jeffrey M.; McNelis, Mark E.

2010-01-01

During the Space Transportation System mission STS-126, one of the main engine's flow control valves incurred an unexpected failure. A section of the valve broke off during liftoff. It is theorized that an acoustic mode of the flowing fuel, coupled with a structural mode of the valve, causing a high cycle fatigue failure. This report documents the analysis efforts conducted in an attempt to verify this theory. Hand calculations, computational fluid dynamics, and finite element methods are all implemented and analyses are performed using steady-state methods in addition to transient analysis methods. The conclusion of the analyses is that there is a critical acoustic mode that aligns with a structural mode of the valve

Velocity-Field Measurements of an Axisymmetric Separated Flow Subjected to Amplitude-Modulated Excitation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trosin, Barry James

2007-01-01

Active flow control was applied at the point of separation of an axisymmetric, backward-facing-step flow. The control was implemented by employing a Helmholtz resonator that was externally driven by an amplitude-modulated, acoustic disturbance from a speaker located upstream of the wind tunnel. The velocity field of the separating/reattaching flow region downstream of the step was characterized using hotwire velocity measurements with and without flow control. Conventional statistics of the data reveal that the separating/reattaching flow is affected by the imposed forcing. Triple decomposition along with conditional averaging was used to distinguish periodic disturbances from random turbulence in the fluctuating velocity component. A significant outcome of the present study is that it demonstrates that amplitude-modulated forcing of the separated flow alters the flow in the same manner as the more conventional method of periodic excitation.

EFFECT OF FLOW CHARACTERISTICS ON DO DISTRIBUTION IN A FULL SCALE OXIDATION DITCH WITH DIFFUSED AERATION AND VERTICAL FLOW BOOSTERS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakamachi, Kazuo; Fujiwara, Taku; Kawaguchi, Yukio; Tsuno, Hiroshi

The high loading rate oxidation ditch (OD) system with dual dissolved oxygen (DO) control has been developed for the purpose of advanced wastewater treatment and cost saving. For the purpose of scale-up to the real scale, the clean water experiments were conducted, with the full scale oxidation ditch with diffused aeration and vertical flow boosters, to examine the effect to the dual DO control by the design and operational factors, which include a flow characteristics and a oxygen supply capability. In this study, the flow characteristics of the OD channel were analyzed using a tank number and circulation ratio as the parameters. The analysis showed the complicated flow characteristics of the OD channel, which changed from the plug flow to the completely mixing transiently. Based on the tank number N =65~100 which were obtained from the tracer tests, a model of DO mass balance was constructed, then the accurate method for estimate the overall oxygen transfer coefficients was proposed. The potential error of the conventional method in the specific conditions was indicated. In addition, the effect of the flow characteristics on the design and operational parameters of the dual DO control, which include the circulation time or the DO profile, was clarified.

Control theory based airfoil design for potential flow and a finite volume discretization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reuther, J.; Jameson, A.

1994-01-01

This paper describes the implementation of optimization techniques based on control theory for airfoil design. In previous studies it was shown that control theory could be used to devise an effective optimization procedure for two-dimensional profiles in which the shape is determined by a conformal transformation from a unit circle, and the control is the mapping function. The goal of our present work is to develop a method which does not depend on conformal mapping, so that it can be extended to treat three-dimensional problems. Therefore, we have developed a method which can address arbitrary geometric shapes through the use of a finite volume method to discretize the potential flow equation. Here the control law serves to provide computationally inexpensive gradient information to a standard numerical optimization method. Results are presented, where both target speed distributions and minimum drag are used as objective functions.

A self-adaptive-grid method with application to airfoil flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nakahashi, K.; Deiwert, G. S.

1985-01-01

A self-adaptive-grid method is described that is suitable for multidimensional steady and unsteady computations. Based on variational principles, a spring analogy is used to redistribute grid points in an optimal sense to reduce the overall solution error. User-specified parameters, denoting both maximum and minimum permissible grid spacings, are used to define the all-important constants, thereby minimizing the empiricism and making the method self-adaptive. Operator splitting and one-sided controls for orthogonality and smoothness are used to make the method practical, robust, and efficient. Examples are included for both steady and unsteady viscous flow computations about airfoils in two dimensions, as well as for a steady inviscid flow computation and a one-dimensional case. These examples illustrate the precise control the user has with the self-adaptive method and demonstrate a significant improvement in accuracy and quality of the solutions.

Stability theory applications to laminar-flow control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Malik, Mujeeb R.

1987-01-01

In order to design Laminar Flow Control (LFC) configurations, reliable methods are needed for boundary-layer transition predictions. Among the available methods, there are correlations based upon R sub e, shape factors, Goertler number and crossflow Reynolds number. The most advanced transition prediction method is based upon linear stability theory in the form of the e sup N method which has proven to be successful in predicting transition in two- and three-dimensional boundary layers. When transition occurs in a low disturbance environment, the e sup N method provides a viable design tool for transition prediction and LFC in both 2-D and 3-D subsonic/supersonic flows. This is true for transition dominated by either TS, crossflow, or Goertler instability. If Goertler/TS or crossflow/TS interaction is present, the e sup N will fail to predict transition. However, there is no evidence of such interaction at low amplitudes of Goertler and crossflow vortices.

Data center cooling method

DOEpatents

Chainer, Timothy J.; Dang, Hien P.; Parida, Pritish R.; Schultz, Mark D.; Sharma, Arun

2015-08-11

A method aspect for removing heat from a data center may use liquid coolant cooled without vapor compression refrigeration on a liquid cooled information technology equipment rack. The method may also include regulating liquid coolant flow to the data center through a range of liquid coolant flow values with a controller-apparatus based upon information technology equipment temperature threshold of the data center.

Numerical and experimental investigation of plasma plume deflection with MHD flow control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kai, ZHAO; Feng, LI; Baigang, SUN; Hongyu, YANG; Tao, ZHOU; Ruizhi, SUN

2018-04-01

This paper presents a composite magneto hydrodynamics (MHD) method to control the low-temperature micro-ionized plasma flow generated by injecting alkali salt into the combustion gas to realize the thrust vector of an aeroengine. The principle of plasma flow with MHD control is analyzed. The feasibility of plasma jet deflection is investigated using numerical simulation with MHD control by loading the User-Defined Function model. A test rig with plasma flow controlled by MHD is established. An alkali salt compound with a low ionization energy is injected into combustion gas to obtain the low-temperature plasma flow. Finally, plasma plume deflection is obtained in different working conditions. The results demonstrate that plasma plume deflection with MHD control can be realized via numerical simulation. A low-temperature plasma flow can be obtained by injecting an alkali metal salt compound with low ionization energy into a combustion gas at 1800–2500 K. The vector angle of plasma plume deflection increases with the increase of gas temperature and the magnetic field intensity. It is feasible to realize the aim of the thrust vector of aeroengine by using MHD to control plasma flow deflection.

Estimating drain flow from measured water table depth in layered soils under free and controlled drainage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saadat, Samaneh; Bowling, Laura; Frankenberger, Jane; Kladivko, Eileen

2018-01-01

Long records of continuous drain flow are important for quantifying annual and seasonal changes in the subsurface drainage flow from drained agricultural land. Missing data due to equipment malfunction and other challenges have limited conclusions that can be made about annual flow and thus nutrient loads from field studies, including assessments of the effect of controlled drainage. Water table depth data may be available during gaps in flow data, providing a basis for filling missing drain flow data; therefore, the overall goal of this study was to examine the potential to estimate drain flow using water table observations. The objectives were to evaluate how the shape of the relationship between drain flow and water table height above drain varies depending on the soil hydraulic conductivity profile, to quantify how well the Hooghoudt equation represented the water table-drain flow relationship in five years of measured data at the Davis Purdue Agricultural Center (DPAC), and to determine the impact of controlled drainage on drain flow using the filled dataset. The shape of the drain flow-water table height relationship was found to depend on the selected hydraulic conductivity profile. Estimated drain flow using the Hooghoudt equation with measured water table height for both free draining and controlled periods compared well to observed flow with Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency values above 0.7 and 0.8 for calibration and validation periods, respectively. Using this method, together with linear regression for the remaining gaps, a long-term drain flow record for a controlled drainage experiment at the DPAC was used to evaluate the impacts of controlled drainage on drain flow. In the controlled drainage sites, annual flow was 14-49% lower than free drainage.

Device and method for measuring multi-phase fluid flow in a conduit using an elbow flow meter

DOEpatents

Ortiz, M.G.; Boucher, T.J.

1997-06-24

A system is described for measuring fluid flow in a conduit. The system utilizes pressure transducers disposed generally in line upstream and downstream of the flow of fluid in a bend in the conduit. Data from the pressure transducers is transmitted to a microprocessor or computer. The pressure differential measured by the pressure transducers is then used to calculate the fluid flow rate in the conduit. Control signals may then be generated by the microprocessor or computer to control flow, total fluid dispersed, (in, for example, an irrigation system), area of dispersal or other desired effect based on the fluid flow in the conduit. 2 figs.

78 FR 62970 - Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products and Certain Commercial and Industrial Equipment...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-23

... of showerhead and hand-held showerhead; removal of body sprays from the proposed showerhead... standardized test method to be used when verifying the mechanical retention of a showerhead flow control insert... Faucets 1. Definitions 2. Test Procedure for Showerhead Flow Control Insert [[Page 62971

Method, system and computer program product for monitoring and optimizing fluid extraction from geologic strata

DOEpatents

Medizade, Masoud [San Luis Obispo, CA; Ridgely, John Robert [Los Osos, CA

2009-12-15

An arrangement which utilizes an inexpensive flap valve/flow transducer combination and a simple local supervisory control system to monitor and/or control the operation of a positive displacement pump used to extract petroleum from geologic strata. The local supervisory control system controls the operation of an electric motor which drives a reciprocating positive displacement pump so as to maximize the volume of petroleum extracted from the well per pump stroke while minimizing electricity usage and pump-off situations. By reducing the electrical demand and pump-off (i.e., "pounding" or "fluid pound") occurrences, operating and maintenance costs should be reduced sufficiently to allow petroleum recovery from marginally productive petroleum fields. The local supervisory control system includes one or more applications to at least collect flow signal data generated during operation of the positive displacement pump. No flow, low flow and flow duration are easily evaluated using the flap valve/flow transducer arrangement.

Topographic Controls on Landslide and Debris-Flow Mobility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCoy, S. W.; Pettitt, S.

2014-12-01

Regardless of whether a granular flow initiates from failure and liquefaction of a shallow landslide or from overland flow that entrains sediment to form a debris flow, the resulting flow poses hazards to downslope communities. Understanding controls on granular-flow mobility is critical for accurate hazard prediction. The topographic form of granular-flow paths can vary significantly across different steeplands and is one of the few flow-path properties that can be readily altered by engineered control structures such as closed-type check dams. We use grain-scale numerical modeling (discrete element method simulations) of free-surface, gravity-driven granular flows to investigate how different topographic profiles with the same mean slope and total relief can produce notable differences in flow mobility due to strong nonlinearities inherent to granular-flow dynamics. We describe how varying the profile shape from planar, to convex up, to concave up, as well how varying the number, size, and location of check dams along a flow path, changes flow velocity, thickness, discharge, energy dissipation, impact force and runout distance. Our preliminary results highlight an important path dependence for this nonlinear system, show that caution should be used when predicting flow dynamics from path-averaged properties, and provide some mechanics-based guidance for engineering control structures.

System and method for bidirectional flow and controlling fluid flow in a conduit

DOEpatents

Ortiz, Marcos German

1999-01-01

A system for measuring bidirectional flow, including backflow, of fluid in a conduit. The system utilizes a structural mechanism to create a pressure differential in the conduit. Pressure sensors are positioned upstream from the mechanism, at the mechanism, and downstream from the mechanism. Data from the pressure sensors are transmitted to a microprocessor or computer, and pressure differential detected between the pressure sensors is then used to calculate the backflow. Control signals may then be generated by the microprocessor or computer to shut off valves located in the conduit, upon the occurrence of backflow, or to control flow, total material dispersed, etc. in the conduit.

Method for non-contact particle manipulation and control of particle spacing along an axis

DOEpatents

Goddard, Gregory Russ; Kaduchak, Gregory; Jett, James Hubert; Graves, Steven Wayde

2013-09-10

One or more of the embodiments of the present invention provide for a method of non-contact particle manipulation and control of particle spacing along an axis which includes axial and radial acoustic standing wave fields. Particles are suspended in an aqueous solution, and this solution then flows into the cylindrical flow channel. While the solution flows through the flow channel, the outer structure of the flow channel is vibrated at a resonant frequency, causing a radial acoustic standing wave field to form inside the flow channel in the solution. These radial acoustic standing waves focus the particles suspended in the solution to the center axis of the cylindrical flow channel. At the same time, a transducer is used to create an axial acoustic standing wave field in the flow channel parallel to the axis of the flow channel. This drives the particles, which are already being focused to the center axis of the flow channel, to nodes or anti-nodes of the axial standing wave at half-wavelength intervals, depending on whether the particles are more or less dense and more or less compressible than the surrounding fluid.

Image processing via level set curvature flow

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Malladi, R.; Sethian, J.A.

We present a controlled image smoothing and enhancement method based on a curvature flow interpretation of the geometric heat equation. Compared to existing techniques, the model has several distinct advantages. (i) It contains just one enhancement parameter. (ii) The scheme naturally inherits a stopping criterion from the image; continued application of the scheme produces no further change. (iii) The method is one of the fastest possible schemes based on a curvature-controlled approach. 15 ref., 6 figs.

Numerical study of MHD supersonic flow control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryakhovskiy, A. I.; Schmidt, A. A.

2017-11-01

Supersonic MHD flow around a blunted body with a constant external magnetic field has been simulated for a number of geometries as well as a range of the flow parameters. Solvers based on Balbas-Tadmor MHD schemes and HLLC-Roe Godunov-type method have been developed within the OpenFOAM framework. The stability of the solution varies depending on the intensity of magnetic interaction The obtained solutions show the potential of MHD flow control and provide insights into for the development of the flow control system. The analysis of the results proves the applicability of numerical schemes, that are being used in the solvers. A number of ways to improve both the mathematical model of the process and the developed solvers are proposed.

Finite elements and finite differences for transonic flow calculations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hafez, M. M.; Murman, E. M.; Wellford, L. C.

1978-01-01

The paper reviews the chief finite difference and finite element techniques used for numerical solution of nonlinear mixed elliptic-hyperbolic equations governing transonic flow. The forms of the governing equations for unsteady two-dimensional transonic flow considered are the Euler equation, the full potential equation in both conservative and nonconservative form, the transonic small-disturbance equation in both conservative and nonconservative form, and the hodograph equations for the small-disturbance case and the full-potential case. Finite difference methods considered include time-dependent methods, relaxation methods, semidirect methods, and hybrid methods. Finite element methods include finite element Lax-Wendroff schemes, implicit Galerkin method, mixed variational principles, dual iterative procedures, optimal control methods and least squares.

Flow Cage Assemblies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bar-Cohen, Yoseph (Inventor); Sherrit, Stewart (Inventor); Badescu, Mircea (Inventor); Bao, Xiaoqi (Inventor)

2017-01-01

Apparatus, systems and methods for implementing flow cages and flow cage assemblies in association with high pressure fluid flows and fluid valves are provided. Flow cages and flow assemblies are provided to dissipate the energy of a fluid flow, such as by reducing fluid flow pressure and/or fluid flow velocity. In some embodiments the dissipation of the fluid flow energy is adapted to reduce erosion, such as from high-pressure jet flows, to reduce cavitation, such as by controllably increasing the flow area, and/or to reduce valve noise associated with pressure surge.

Microfluidic "Pouch" Chips for Immunoassays and Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests.

PubMed

Mauk, Michael G; Liu, Changchun; Qiu, Xianbo; Chen, Dafeng; Song, Jinzhao; Bau, Haim H

2017-01-01

Microfluidic cassettes ("chips") for processing and analysis of clinical specimens and other sample types facilitate point-of-care (POC) immunoassays and nucleic acid based amplification tests. These single-use test chips can be self-contained and made amenable to autonomous operation-reducing or eliminating supporting instrumentation-by incorporating laminated, pliable "pouch" and membrane structures for fluid storage, pumping, mixing, and flow control. Materials and methods for integrating flexible pouch compartments and diaphragm valves into hard plastic (e.g., acrylic and polycarbonate) microfluidic "chips" for reagent storage, fluid actuation, and flow control are described. We review several versions of these pouch chips for immunoassay and nucleic acid amplification tests, and describe related fabrication techniques. These protocols thus offer a "toolbox" of methods for storage, pumping, and flow control functions in microfluidic devices.

The Combination of Micro Diaphragm Pumps and Flow Sensors for Single Stroke Based Liquid Flow Control

PubMed Central

Jenke, Christoph; Pallejà Rubio, Jaume; Kibler, Sebastian; Häfner, Johannes; Richter, Martin; Kutter, Christoph

2017-01-01

With the combination of micropumps and flow sensors, highly accurate and secure closed-loop controlled micro dosing systems for liquids are possible. Implementing a single stroke based control mode with piezoelectrically driven micro diaphragm pumps can provide a solution for dosing of volumes down to nanoliters or variable average flow rates in the range of nL/min to μL/min. However, sensor technologies feature a yet undetermined accuracy for measuring highly pulsatile micropump flow. Two miniaturizable in-line sensor types providing electrical readout—differential pressure based flow sensors and thermal calorimetric flow sensors—are evaluated for their suitability of combining them with mircopumps. Single stroke based calibration of the sensors was carried out with a new method, comparing displacement volumes and sensor flow volumes. Limitations of accuracy and performance for single stroke based flow control are described. Results showed that besides particle robustness of sensors, controlling resistive and capacitive damping are key aspects for setting up reproducible and reliable liquid dosing systems. Depending on the required average flow or defined volume, dosing systems with an accuracy of better than 5% for the differential pressure based sensor and better than 6.5% for the thermal calorimeter were achieved. PMID:28368344

A statistical learning strategy for closed-loop control of fluid flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guéniat, Florimond; Mathelin, Lionel; Hussaini, M. Yousuff

2016-12-01

This work discusses a closed-loop control strategy for complex systems utilizing scarce and streaming data. A discrete embedding space is first built using hash functions applied to the sensor measurements from which a Markov process model is derived, approximating the complex system's dynamics. A control strategy is then learned using reinforcement learning once rewards relevant with respect to the control objective are identified. This method is designed for experimental configurations, requiring no computations nor prior knowledge of the system, and enjoys intrinsic robustness. It is illustrated on two systems: the control of the transitions of a Lorenz'63 dynamical system, and the control of the drag of a cylinder flow. The method is shown to perform well.

Supersonic wing and wing-body shape optimization using an adjoint formulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reuther, James; Jameson, Antony

1995-01-01

This paper describes the implementation of optimization techniques based on control theory for wing and wing-body design of supersonic configurations. The work represents an extension of our earlier research in which control theory is used to devise a design procedure that significantly reduces the computational cost by employing an adjoint equation. In previous studies it was shown that control theory could be used toeviseransonic design methods for airfoils and wings in which the shape and the surrounding body-fitted mesh are both generated analytically, and the control is the mapping function. The method has also been implemented for both transonic potential flows and transonic flows governed by the Euler equations using an alternative formulation which employs numerically generated grids, so that it can treat more general configurations. Here results are presented for three-dimensional design cases subject to supersonic flows governed by the Euler equation.

A method to approximate a closest loadability limit using multiple load flow solutions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yorino, Naoto; Harada, Shigemi; Cheng, Haozhong

A new method is proposed to approximate a closest loadability limit (CLL), or closest saddle node bifurcation point, using a pair of multiple load flow solutions. More strictly, the obtainable points by the method are the stationary points including not only CLL but also farthest and saddle points. An operating solution and a low voltage load flow solution are used to efficiently estimate the node injections at a CLL as well as the left and right eigenvectors corresponding to the zero eigenvalue of the load flow Jacobian. They can be used in monitoring loadability margin, in identification of weak spotsmore » in a power system and in the examination of an optimal control against voltage collapse. Most of the computation time of the proposed method is taken in calculating the load flow solution pair. The remaining computation time is less than that of an ordinary load flow.« less

Method and apparatus for strip casting

DOEpatents

Follstaedt, Donald W.; Powell, John C.; Sussman, Richard C.; Williams, Robert S.

1991-01-01

Casting nozzles will provide improved flow conditions with the parameters controlled according to the present invention. The gap relationships between the nozzle slot and exit orifice must be controlled in combination with converging exit passageway to provide a smooth flow without shearing and turbulence in the stream. The nozzle lips are also rounded to improve flow and increase refractory life of the lips of the nozzle. The tundish walls are tapered to provide improve flow for supplying the melt to the nozzle. The nozzle is located about 45.degree. below top dead center for optimum conditions.

Controllability of flow-conservation networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Chen; Zeng, An; Jiang, Rui; Yuan, Zhengzhong; Wang, Wen-Xu

2017-07-01

The ultimate goal of exploring complex networks is to control them. As such, controllability of complex networks has been intensively investigated. Despite recent advances in studying the impact of a network's topology on its controllability, a comprehensive understanding of the synergistic impact of network topology and dynamics on controllability is still lacking. Here, we explore the controllability of flow-conservation networks, trying to identify the minimal number of driver nodes that can guide the network to any desirable state. We develop a method to analyze the controllability on flow-conservation networks based on exact controllability theory, transforming the original analysis on adjacency matrix to Laplacian matrix. With this framework, we systematically investigate the impact of some key factors of networks, including link density, link directionality, and link polarity, on the controllability of these networks. We also obtain the analytical equations by investigating the network's structural properties approximatively and design the efficient tools. Finally, we consider some real networks with flow dynamics, finding that their controllability is significantly different from that predicted by only considering the topology. These findings deepen our understanding of network controllability with flow-conservation dynamics and provide a general framework to incorporate real dynamics in the analysis of network controllability.

Control method for turbocharged diesel engines having exhaust gas recirculation

DOEpatents

Kolmanovsky, Ilya V.; Jankovic, Mrdjan J; Jankovic, Miroslava

2000-03-14

A method of controlling the airflow into a compression ignition engine having an EGR and a VGT. The control strategy includes the steps of generating desired EGR and VGT turbine mass flow rates as a function of the desired and measured compressor mass airflow values and exhaust manifold pressure values. The desired compressor mass airflow and exhaust manifold pressure values are generated as a function of the operator-requested fueling rate and engine speed. The EGR and VGT turbine mass flow rates are then inverted to corresponding EGR and VGT actuator positions to achieve the desired compressor mass airflow rate and exhaust manifold pressure. The control strategy also includes a method of estimating the intake manifold pressure used in generating the EGR valve and VGT turbine positions.

Topology optimization of unsteady flow problems using the lattice Boltzmann method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nørgaard, Sebastian; Sigmund, Ole; Lazarov, Boyan

2016-02-01

This article demonstrates and discusses topology optimization for unsteady incompressible fluid flows. The fluid flows are simulated using the lattice Boltzmann method, and a partial bounceback model is implemented to model the transition between fluid and solid phases in the optimization problems. The optimization problem is solved with a gradient based method, and the design sensitivities are computed by solving the discrete adjoint problem. For moderate Reynolds number flows, it is demonstrated that topology optimization can successfully account for unsteady effects such as vortex shedding and time-varying boundary conditions. Such effects are relevant in several engineering applications, i.e. fluid pumps and control valves.

Methods to Enhance Laser Speckle Imaging of High-Flow and Low-Flow Vasculature

PubMed Central

Choi, Bernard; Ringold, Tyson L.; Kim, Jeehyun

2012-01-01

The objective of this paper is to present two methods to extend the response range of laser speckle imaging (LSI). We report on the use of two methods (image exposure time control and magnetomotive actuation of exogenous contrast agents) to enhance characterization of high- and low-flow vasculature, respectively. With an exposure time of 10 and 0.01 ms, the linear response range extended to 10 and 280 mm/s, respectively. With application of an AC magnetic field to a solution of stagnant SPIO particles, an apparent increase of ~3× in speckle flow index was induced. PMID:19964103

The effects of forcing on a single stream shear layer and its parent boundary layer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haw, Richard C.; Foss, John F.

1990-01-01

Forcing and its effect on fluid flows has become an accepted tool in the study and control of flow systems. It has been used both as a diagnostic tool, to explore the development and interaction of coherent structures, and as a method of controlling the behavior of the flow. A number of forcing methods have been used in order to provide a perturbation to the flow; among these are the use of an oscillating trailing edge, acoustically driven slots, external acoustic forcing, and mechanical piston methods. The effect of a planar mechanical piston forcing on a single stream shear layer is presented; it can be noted that this is one of the lesser studied free shear layers. The single stream shear layer can be characterized by its primary flow velocity scale and the thickness of the separating boundary layer. The velocity scale is constant over the length of the flow field; theta (x) can be used as a width scale to characterize the unforced shear layer. In the case of the forced shear layer the velocity field is a function of phase time and definition of a width measure becomes somewhat problematic.

ISCFD Nagoya 1989 - International Symposium on Computational Fluid Dynamics, 3rd, Nagoya, Japan, Aug. 28-31, 1989, Technical Papers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Recent advances in computational fluid dynamics are discussed in reviews and reports. Topics addressed include large-scale LESs for turbulent pipe and channel flows, numerical solutions of the Euler and Navier-Stokes equations on parallel computers, multigrid methods for steady high-Reynolds-number flow past sudden expansions, finite-volume methods on unstructured grids, supersonic wake flow on a blunt body, a grid-characteristic method for multidimensional gas dynamics, and CIC numerical simulation of a wave boundary layer. Consideration is given to vortex simulations of confined two-dimensional jets, supersonic viscous shear layers, spectral methods for compressible flows, shock-wave refraction at air/water interfaces, oscillatory flow in a two-dimensional collapsible channel, the growth of randomness in a spatially developing wake, and an efficient simplex algorithm for the finite-difference and dynamic linear-programming method in optimal potential control.

Unsteady Flow Simulation of a Sweeping Jet Actuator Using a Lattice-Boltzmann Method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duda, B.; Wessels, M.; Fares, E.; Vatsa, V.

2016-01-01

Active flow control technology is increasingly used in aerospace applications to control flow separation and to improve aerodynamic performance. In this paper, PowerFLOW is used to simulate the flow through a sweeping jet actuator at two different pressure ratios. The lower pressure ratio leads to a high subsonic flow, whereas the high pressure ratio produces a choked flow condition. Comparison of numerical results with experimental data is shown, which includes qualitatively good agreement of pressure histories and spectra. PIV measurements are also available but the simulation overestimates mean and fluctuation quantities outside the actuator. If supply pressure is matched at one point inside the mixing chamber a good qualitative agreement is achieved at all other monitor points.

Subsonic Flows through S-Ducts with Flow Control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yi

An inlet duct of an aircraft connects the air intake mounted on the fuselage to the engine within the aircraft body. The ideal outflow quality of the duct is steady, uniform and of high total pressure. Recently compact S-shaped inlet ducts are drawing more attention in the design of UAVs with short propulsion system. Compact ducts usually involve strong streamwise adverse pressure gradient and transverse secondary flow, leading to large-scale harmful vortical structures in the outflow. To improve the outflow quality modern flow control techniques have to be applied. Before designing successful flow control methods a solid understanding of the baseline flow field with the duct is crucial. In this work the fundamental mechanism of how the three dimensional flow topology evolves when the relevant parameters such as the duct geometry and boundary layer thickness are varied, is studied carefully. Two distinct secondary-flow patterns are identified. For the first time the sensitivity of the flow topology to the inflow boundary layer thickness in long ducts is clearly addressed. The interaction between the transverse motion induced by the transverse pressure gradient and the streamwise separation is revealed as the crucial reason for the various flow patterns existing in short ducts. A non-symmetric flow pattern is identified for the first time in both experiments and simulations in short ducts in which the intensity of the streamwise separation and the transverse invasion are in the same order of magnitude. A theory of energy accumulation and solution bifurcation is used to give a reasonable explanation for this non-symmetry. After gaining the knowledge of where and how the harmful vortical structures are generated several flow control techniques are tested to achieve a better outflow quality. The analysis of the flow control cases also provides a deeper insight into the behavior of the three-dimensional flow within the ducts. The conventional separation control method of Coanda injection is proved to be less effective in short ducts dominated by strong three-dimensional effects. Besides, the injection enhances the energy accumulation in duct with the asymmetric pattern and leads to the amplification of the asymmetry. Vortex generator jets are applied to generate spanwise near-wall motions opposing the transverse invasion and to break the strong interaction between the invasion and the separation. Symmetry is regained successfully.

Respiratory mechanics by least squares fitting in mechanically ventilated patients: application on flow-limited COPD patients.

PubMed

Volta, Carlo A; Marangoni, Elisabetta; Alvisi, Valentina; Capuzzo, Maurizia; Ragazzi, Riccardo; Pavanelli, Lina; Alvisi, Raffaele

2002-01-01

Although computerized methods of analyzing respiratory system mechanics such as the least squares fitting method have been used in various patient populations, no conclusive data are available in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), probably because they may develop expiratory flow limitation (EFL). This suggests that respiratory mechanics be determined only during inspiration. Eight-bed multidisciplinary ICU of a teaching hospital. Eight non-flow-limited postvascular surgery patients and eight flow-limited COPD patients. Patients were sedated, paralyzed for diagnostic purposes, and ventilated in volume control ventilation with constant inspiratory flow rate. Data on resistance, compliance, and dynamic intrinsic positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEPi,dyn) obtained by applying the least squares fitting method during inspiration, expiration, and the overall breathing cycle were compared with those obtained by the traditional method (constant flow, end-inspiratory occlusion method). Our results indicate that (a) the presence of EFL markedly decreases the precision of resistance and compliance values measured by the LSF method, (b) the determination of respiratory variables during inspiration allows the calculation of respiratory mechanics in flow limited COPD patients, and (c) the LSF method is able to detect the presence of PEEPi,dyn if only inspiratory data are used.

Magnetic Control in Crystal Growth from a Melt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Yue

Control of bulk melt crystal growth techniques is desirable for producing semiconductors with the highest purity and ternary alloys with tunable electrical properties. Because these molten materials are electrically conducting, external magnetic fields are often employed to regulate the flow in the melt. However, complicated by the coupled flow, thermal, electromagnetic and chemical physics, such magnetic control is typically empirical or even an educated guess. Two magnetic flow control mechanisms: flow damping by steady magnetic fields, and flow stirring by alternating magnetic fields, are investigated numerically. Magnetic damping during optically-heated float-zone crystal growth is modeled using a spectral collocation method. The Marangoni convection at the free melt-gas interface is suppressed when exposed to a steady axial magnetic field, measured by the Hartmann number Ha. As a result, detrimental flow instabilities are suppressed, and an almost quiescent region forms in the interior, ideal for single crystal growth. Using normal mode linear stability analyses, dominant flow instabilities are determined in a range applicable to experiments (up to Ha = 300 for Pr = 0.02, and up to Ha = 500 for Pr = 0.001). The hydrodynamic nature of the instability for small Prandtl number Pr liquid bridges is confirmed by energy analyses. Magnetic stirring is modeled for melt crystal growth in an ampule exposed to a transverse rotating magnetic field. Decoupled from the flow field at small magnetic Reynolds number, the electromagnetic field is first solved via finite element analysis. The flow field is then solved using the spectral element method. At low to moderate AC frequencies (up to a few kHz), the electromagnetic body force is dominant in the azimuthal direction, which stirs a steady axisymmetric flow primarily in the azimuthal direction. A weaker secondary flow develops in the meridional plane. However, at high AC frequencies (on the order of 10 kHz and higher), only the flow within a skin depth is directly stirred due to the magnetic shielding effect. By regulating the flow in the melt, magnetic control can improve grown-crystal properties in new materials, and achieve economically viable growth rates for production of novel crystalline semiconductors.

Shape-Controlled Synthesis of Hybrid Nanomaterials via Three-Dimensional Hydrodynamic Focusing

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Shape-controlled synthesis of nanomaterials through a simple, continuous, and low-cost method is essential to nanomaterials research toward practical applications. Hydrodynamic focusing, with its advantages of simplicity, low-cost, and precise control over reaction conditions, has been used for nanomaterial synthesis. While most studies have focused on improving the uniformity and size control, few have addressed the potential of tuning the shape of the synthesized nanomaterials. Here we demonstrate a facile method to synthesize hybrid materials by three-dimensional hydrodynamic focusing (3D-HF). While keeping the flow rates of the reagents constant and changing only the flow rate of the buffer solution, the molar ratio of two reactants (i.e., tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) and HAuCl4) within the reaction zone varies. The synthesized TTF–Au hybrid materials possess very different and predictable morphologies. The reaction conditions at different buffer flow rates are studied through computational simulation, and the formation mechanisms of different structures are discussed. This simple one-step method to achieve continuous shape-tunable synthesis highlights the potential of 3D-HF in nanomaterials research. PMID:25268035

Shape-controlled synthesis of hybrid nanomaterials via three-dimensional hydrodynamic focusing.

PubMed

Lu, Mengqian; Yang, Shikuan; Ho, Yi-Ping; Grigsby, Christopher L; Leong, Kam W; Huang, Tony Jun

2014-10-28

Shape-controlled synthesis of nanomaterials through a simple, continuous, and low-cost method is essential to nanomaterials research toward practical applications. Hydrodynamic focusing, with its advantages of simplicity, low-cost, and precise control over reaction conditions, has been used for nanomaterial synthesis. While most studies have focused on improving the uniformity and size control, few have addressed the potential of tuning the shape of the synthesized nanomaterials. Here we demonstrate a facile method to synthesize hybrid materials by three-dimensional hydrodynamic focusing (3D-HF). While keeping the flow rates of the reagents constant and changing only the flow rate of the buffer solution, the molar ratio of two reactants (i.e., tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) and HAuCl4) within the reaction zone varies. The synthesized TTF-Au hybrid materials possess very different and predictable morphologies. The reaction conditions at different buffer flow rates are studied through computational simulation, and the formation mechanisms of different structures are discussed. This simple one-step method to achieve continuous shape-tunable synthesis highlights the potential of 3D-HF in nanomaterials research.

Free-surface flow of liquid oxygen under non-uniform magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bao, Shi-Ran; Zhang, Rui-Ping; Wang, Kai; Zhi, Xiao-Qin; Qiu, Li-Min

2017-01-01

The paramagnetic property of oxygen makes it possible to control the two-phase flow at cryogenic temperatures by non-uniform magnetic fields. The free-surface flow of vapor-liquid oxygen in a rectangular channel was numerically studied using the two-dimensional phase field method. The effects of magnetic flux density and inlet velocity on the interface deformation, flow pattern and pressure drop were systematically revealed. The liquid level near the high-magnetic channel center was lifted upward by the inhomogeneous magnetic field. The interface height difference increased almost linearly with the magnetic force. For all inlet velocities, pressure drop under 0.25 T was reduced by 7-9% due to the expanded local cross-sectional area, compared to that without magnetic field. This work demonstrates the effectiveness of employing non-uniform magnetic field to control the free-surface flow of liquid oxygen. This non-contact method may be used for promoting the interface renewal, reducing the flow resistance, and improving the flow uniformity in the cryogenic distillation column, which may provide a potential for enhancing the operating efficiency of cryogenic air separation.

Control valve and control valve system for controlling solids flow, methods of manufacture thereof and articles comprising the same

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jukkola, Glen D.; Teigen, Bard C.

Disclosed herein is a solids flow control valve comprising a standpipe; a shoe; and a transport pipe; wherein the standpipe is in operative communication with the shoe and lies upstream of the shoe; the standpipe comprising a first end and a second end, where the first end is in contact with a source that contains disposable solids and the second end is in fluid contact with the shoe; the shoe being operative to restrict the flow of the disposable solids; the transport pipe being disposed downstream of the shoe to receive and transport the solids from the shoe.

System and method for bidirectional flow and controlling fluid flow in a conduit

DOEpatents

Ortiz, M.G.

1999-03-23

A system for measuring bidirectional flow, including backflow, of fluid in a conduit is disclosed. The system utilizes a structural mechanism to create a pressure differential in the conduit. Pressure sensors are positioned upstream from the mechanism, at the mechanism, and downstream from the mechanism. Data from the pressure sensors are transmitted to a microprocessor or computer, and pressure differential detected between the pressure sensors is then used to calculate the backflow. Control signals may then be generated by the microprocessor or computer to shut off valves located in the conduit, upon the occurrence of backflow, or to control flow, total material dispersed, etc. in the conduit. 3 figs.

Effects of Hybrid Flow Control on a Normal Shock Boundary-Layer Interaction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hirt, Stefanie M.; Vyas, Manan A.

2013-01-01

Hybrid flow control, a combination of micro-ramps and steady micro-jets, was experimentally investigated in the 15x15 cm Supersonic Wind Tunnel at the NASA Glenn Research Center. A central composite design of experiments method, was used to develop response surfaces for boundary-layer thickness and reversed-flow thickness, with factor variables of inter-ramp spacing, ramp height and chord length, and flow injection ratio. Boundary-layer measurements and wall static pressure data were used to understand flow separation characteristics. A limited number of profiles were measured in the corners of the tunnel to aid in understanding the three-dimensional characteristics of the flowfield.

Toward microscale flow control using non-uniform electro-osmotic flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paratore, Federico; Boyko, Evgeniy; Gat, Amir D.; Kaigala, Govind V.; Bercovici, Moran

2018-02-01

We present a novel method that allows establishing desired flow patterns in a Hele-Shaw cell, solely by controlling the surface chemistry, without the use of physical walls. Using weak electrolytes, we locally pattern the chamber's ceiling and/or floor, thus defining a spatial distribution of surface charge. This translates to a non-uniform electric double layer which when subjected to an external electric field applied along the chamber, gives rise to non-uniform electroosmotic flow (EOF). We present the theory that allows prediction and design of such flows fields, as well as experimental demonstrations opening the door to configurable microfluidic devices.

Effects of boundary-layer separation controllers on a desktop fume hood.

PubMed

Huang, Rong Fung; Chen, Jia-Kun; Hsu, Ching Min; Hung, Shuo-Fu

2016-10-02

A desktop fume hood installed with an innovative design of flow boundary-layer separation controllers on the leading edges of the side plates, work surface, and corners was developed and characterized for its flow and containment leakage characteristics. The geometric features of the developed desktop fume hood included a rearward offset suction slot, two side plates, two side-plate boundary-layer separation controllers on the leading edges of the side plates, a slanted surface on the leading edge of the work surface, and two small triangular plates on the upper left and right corners of the hood face. The flow characteristics were examined using the laser-assisted smoke flow visualization technique. The containment leakages were measured by the tracer gas (sulphur hexafluoride) detection method on the hood face plane with a mannequin installed in front of the hood. The results of flow visualization showed that the smoke dispersions induced by the boundary-layer separations on the leading edges of the side plates and work surface, as well as the three-dimensional complex flows on the upper-left and -right corners of the hood face, were effectively alleviated by the boundary-layer separation controllers. The results of the tracer gas detection method with a mannequin standing in front of the hood showed that the leakage levels were negligibly small (≤0.003 ppm) at low face velocities (≥0.19 m/s).

Apparatus and method for spraying liquid materials

DOEpatents

Alvarez, J.L.; Watson, L.D.

1988-01-21

A method for spraying liquids involving a flow of gas which shears the liquid. A flow of gas is introduced in a converging-diverging nozzle where it meets and shears the liquid into small particles which are of a size and uniformity which can be controlled through adjustment of pressures and gas velocity. 5 figs.

Apparatus and method for spraying liquid materials

DOEpatents

Alvarez, Joseph L.; Watson, Lloyd D.

1990-01-01

A method for spraying liquids involving a flow of gas which shears the liquid. A flow of gas is introduced in a converging-diverging nozzle where it meets and shears the liquid into small particles which are of a size and uniformity which can be controlled through adjustment of pressures and gas velocity.

Normal and reverse flow injection–spectrophotometric determination of thiamine hydrochloride in pharmaceutical preparations using diazotized metoclopramide

PubMed Central

Al Abachi, Mouayed Q.; Hadi, Hind

2012-01-01

Simple and sensitive normal and reverse flow injection methods for spectrophotometric determination of thiamine hydrochloride (THC) at the microgram level were proposed and optimized. Both methods are based on the reaction between THC and diazotized metoclopramide in alkaline medium. Beer’s law was obeyed over the range of 10–300 and 2–90 μg/mL, the limits of detection were 2.118 and 0.839 μg/mL and the sampling rates were 80 and 95 injections per hour for normal and reverse flow injection methods respectively. The application of both methods to commercially available pharmaceuticals produced acceptable results. The flow system is suitable for application in quality control processes. PMID:29403765

Steering liquid metal flow in microchannels using low voltages.

PubMed

Tang, Shi-Yang; Lin, Yiliang; Joshipura, Ishan D; Khoshmanesh, Khashayar; Dickey, Michael D

2015-10-07

Liquid metals based on gallium, such as eutectic gallium indium (EGaIn) and Galinstan, have been integrated as static components in microfluidic systems for a wide range of applications including soft electrodes, pumps, and stretchable electronics. However, there is also a possibility to continuously pump liquid metal into microchannels to create shape reconfigurable metallic structures. Enabling this concept necessitates a simple method to control dynamically the path the metal takes through branched microchannels with multiple outlets. This paper demonstrates a novel method for controlling the directional flow of EGaIn liquid metal in complex microfluidic networks by simply applying a low voltage to the metal. According to the polarity of the voltage applied between the inlet and an outlet, two distinct mechanisms can occur. The voltage can lower the interfacial tension of the metal via electrocapillarity to facilitate the flow of the metal towards outlets containing counter electrodes. Alternatively, the voltage can drive surface oxidation of the metal to form a mechanical impediment that redirects the movement of the metal towards alternative pathways. Thus, the method can be employed like a 'valve' to direct the pathway chosen by the metal without mechanical moving parts. The paper elucidates the operating mechanisms of this valving system and demonstrates proof-of-concept control over the flow of liquid metal towards single or multiple directions simultaneously. This method provides a simple route to direct the flow of liquid metal for applications in microfluidics, optics, electronics, and microelectromechanical systems.

Optimal Operation and Management for Smart Grid Subsumed High Penetration of Renewable Energy, Electric Vehicle, and Battery Energy Storage System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shigenobu, Ryuto; Noorzad, Ahmad Samim; Muarapaz, Cirio; Yona, Atsushi; Senjyu, Tomonobu

2016-04-01

Distributed generators (DG) and renewable energy sources have been attracting special attention in distribution systems in all over the world. Renewable energies, such as photovoltaic (PV) and wind turbine generators are considered as green energy. However, a large amount of DG penetration causes voltage deviation beyond the statutory range and reverse power flow at interconnection points in the distribution system. If excessive voltage deviation occurs, consumer's electric devices might break and reverse power flow will also has a negative impact on the transmission system. Thus, mass interconnections of DGs has an adverse effect on both of the utility and the customer. Therefore, reactive power control method is proposed previous research by using inverters attached DGs for prevent voltage deviations. Moreover, battery energy storage system (BESS) is also proposed for resolve reverse power flow. In addition, it is possible to supply high quality power for managing DGs and BESSs. Therefore, this paper proposes a method to maintain voltage, active power, and reactive power flow at interconnection points by using cooperative controlled of PVs, house BESSs, EVs, large BESSs, and existing voltage control devices. This paper not only protect distribution system, but also attain distribution loss reduction and effectivity management of control devices. Therefore mentioned control objectives are formulated as an optimization problem that is solved by using the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm. Modified scheduling method is proposed in order to improve convergence probability of scheduling scheme. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by case studies results and by using numerical simulations in MATLAB®.

Development of a graphical method for choosing the optimal mode of traffic light

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novikov, A. N.; Katunin, A. A.; Novikov, I. A.; Kravchenko, A. A.; Shevtsova, A. G.

2018-05-01

Changing the transportation infrastructure for improving the main characteristics of the transportation flow is the key problem in transportation planning, therefore the main question lies in the ability to plan the change of the main indicators for the long term. In this investigation, an analysis of the city’s population has been performed and the most difficult transportation segment has been identified. During its identification, the main characteristics of the transportation flow have been established. For the evaluation of these characteristics until 2025, an analysis of the available methods of establishing changes in their values has been conducted. During the analysis of the above mentioned methods of evaluation of the change in intensity, based on the method of extrapolation, three scenarios of the development of the transportation system have been identified. It has been established that the most favorable method of controlling the transportation flow in the entrance to the city is the long term control of the traffic system. For the first time, with the help of the authors, based on the investigations of foreign scientists and the mathematical analysis of the changes in intensiveness on the main routes of the given road, the method of graphically choosing the required control plan has been put forward. The effectiveness of said organization scheme of the transportation system has been rated in the Transyt-14 program, with the analysis of changes in the main characteristics of the transportation flow.

One-Dimensional Ablation with Pyrolysis Gas Flow Using a Full Newton's Method and Finite Control Volume Procedure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Amar, Adam J.; Blackwell, Ben F.; Edwards, Jack R.

2007-01-01

The development and verification of a one-dimensional material thermal response code with ablation is presented. The implicit time integrator, control volume finite element spatial discretization, and Newton's method for nonlinear iteration on the entire system of residual equations have been implemented and verified for the thermochemical ablation of internally decomposing materials. This study is a continuation of the work presented in "One-Dimensional Ablation with Pyrolysis Gas Flow Using a Full Newton's Method and Finite Control Volume Procedure" (AIAA-2006-2910), which described the derivation, implementation, and verification of the constant density solid energy equation terms and boundary conditions. The present study extends the model to decomposing materials including decomposition kinetics, pyrolysis gas flow through the porous char layer, and a mixture (solid and gas) energy equation. Verification results are presented for the thermochemical ablation of a carbon-phenolic ablator which involves the solution of the entire system of governing equations.

Fluid Mechanics, Drag Reduction and Advanced Configuration Aeronautics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bushnell, Dennis M.

2000-01-01

This paper discusses Advanced Aircraft configurational approaches across the speed range, which are either enabled, or greatly enhanced, by clever Flow Control. Configurations considered include Channel Wings with circulation control for VTOL (but non-hovering) operation with high cruise speed, strut-braced CTOL transports with wingtip engines and extensive ('natural') laminar flow control, a midwing double fuselage CTOL approach utilizing several synergistic methods for drag-due-to-lift reduction, a supersonic strut-braced configuration with order of twice the L/D of current approaches and a very advanced, highly engine flow-path-integrated hypersonic cruise machine. This paper indicates both the promise of synergistic flow control approaches as enablers for 'Revolutions' in aircraft performance and fluid mechanic 'areas of ignorance' which impede their realization and provide 'target-rich' opportunities for Fluids Research.

High Reynolds Number Hybrid Laminar Flow Control (HLFC) Flight Experiment. Report 4; Suction System Design and Manufacture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

This document describes the design of the leading edge suction system for flight demonstration of hybrid laminar flow control on the Boeing 757 airplane. The exterior pressures on the wing surface and the required suction quantity and distribution were determined in previous work. A system consisting of porous skin, sub-surface spanwise passages ("flutes"), pressure regulating screens and valves, collection fittings, ducts and a turbocompressor was defined to provide the required suction flow. Provisions were also made for flexible control of suction distribution and quantity for HLFC research purposes. Analysis methods for determining pressure drops and flow for transpiration heating for thermal anti-icing are defined. The control scheme used to observe and modulate suction distribution in flight is described.

Performance characteristics of a novel blood bag in-line closure device and subsequent product quality assessment

PubMed Central

Serrano, Katherine; Levin, Elena; Culibrk, Brankica; Weiss, Sandra; Scammell, Ken; Boecker, Wolfgang F; Devine, Dana V

2010-01-01

BACKGROUND In high-volume processing environments, manual breakage of in-line closures can result in repetitive strain injury (RSI). Furthermore, these closures may be incorrectly opened causing shear-induced hemolysis. To overcome the variability of in-line closure use and minimize RSI, Fresenius Kabi developed a new in-line closure, the CompoFlow, with mechanical openers. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS The consistency of the performance of the CompoFlow closure device was assessed, as was its effect on component quality. A total of 188 RBC units using CompoFlow blood bag systems and 43 using the standard bag systems were produced using the buffy coat manufacturing method. Twenty-six CompoFlow platelet (PLT) concentrates and 10 control concentrates were prepared from pools of four buffy coats. RBCs were assessed on Days 1, 21, and 42 for cellular variables and hemolysis. PLTs were assessed on Days 1, 3, and 7 for morphology, CD62P expression, glucose, lactate, and pH. A total of 308 closures were excised after processing and the apertures were measured using digital image analysis. RESULTS The use of the CompoFlow device significantly improved the mean extraction time with 0.46 ± 0.11 sec/mL for the CompoFlow units and 0.52 ± 0.13 sec/mL for the control units. The CompoFlow closures showed a highly reproducible aperture after opening (coefficient of variation, 15%) and the device always remained opened. PLT and RBC products showed acceptable storage variables with no differences between CompoFlow and control. CONCLUSIONS The CompoFlow closure devices improved the level of process control and processing time of blood component production with no negative effects on product quality. PMID:20529007

Active flow separation control by a position-based iterative learning control algorithm with experimental validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Zhonglun; Chen, Peng; Angland, David; Zhang, Xin

2014-03-01

A novel iterative learning control (ILC) algorithm was developed and applied to an active flow control problem. The technique uses pulsed air jets to delay flow separation on a two-element high-lift wing. The ILC algorithm uses position-based pressure measurements to update the actuation. The method was experimentally tested on a wing model in a 0.9 m × 0.6 m low-speed wind tunnel at the University of Southampton. Compressed air and fast switching solenoid valves were used as actuators to excite the flow, and the pressure distribution around the chord of the wing was measured as a feedback control signal for the ILC controller. Experimental results showed that the actuation was able to delay the separation and increase the lift by approximately 10%-15%. By using the ILC algorithm, the controller was able to find the optimum control input and maintain the improvement despite sudden changes of the separation position.

Water hammer prediction and control: the Green's function method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xuan, Li-Jun; Mao, Feng; Wu, Jie-Zhi

2012-04-01

By Green's function method we show that the water hammer (WH) can be analytically predicted for both laminar and turbulent flows (for the latter, with an eddy viscosity depending solely on the space coordinates), and thus its hazardous effect can be rationally controlled and minimized. To this end, we generalize a laminar water hammer equation of Wang et al. (J. Hydrodynamics, B2, 51, 1995) to include arbitrary initial condition and variable viscosity, and obtain its solution by Green's function method. The predicted characteristic WH behaviors by the solutions are in excellent agreement with both direct numerical simulation of the original governing equations and, by adjusting the eddy viscosity coefficient, experimentally measured turbulent flow data. Optimal WH control principle is thereby constructed and demonstrated.

Heat rejection sublimator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dingell, Charles W. (Inventor); Quintana, Clemente E. (Inventor); Le, Suy (Inventor); Clark, Michael R. (Inventor); Cloutier, Robert E. (Inventor); Hafermalz, David Scott (Inventor)

2009-01-01

A sublimator includes a sublimation plate having a thermal element disposed adjacent to a feed water channel and a control point disposed between at least a portion of the thermal element and a large pore substrate. The control point includes a sintered metal material. A method of dissipating heat using a sublimator includes a sublimation plate having a thermal element and a control point. The thermal element is disposed adjacent to a feed water channel and the control point is disposed between at least a portion of the thermal element and a large pore substrate. The method includes controlling a flow rate of feed water to the large pore substrate at the control point and supplying heated coolant to the thermal element. Sublimation occurs in the large pore substrate and the controlling of the flow rate of feed water is independent of time. A sublimator includes a sublimation plate having a thermal element disposed adjacent to a feed water channel and a control point disposed between at least a portion of the thermal element and a large pore substrate. The control point restricts a flow rate of feed water from the feed water channel to the large pore substrate independent of time.

DONBOL: A computer program for predicting axisymmetric nozzle afterbody pressure distributions and drag at subsonic speeds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Putnam, L. E.

1979-01-01

A Neumann solution for inviscid external flow was coupled to a modified Reshotko-Tucker integral boundary-layer technique, the control volume method of Presz for calculating flow in the separated region, and an inviscid one-dimensional solution for the jet exhaust flow in order to predict axisymmetric nozzle afterbody pressure distributions and drag. The viscous and inviscid flows are solved iteratively until convergence is obtained. A computer algorithm of this procedure was written and is called DONBOL. A description of the computer program and a guide to its use is given. Comparisons of the predictions of this method with experiments show that the method accurately predicts the pressure distributions of boattail afterbodies which have the jet exhaust flow simulated by solid bodies. For nozzle configurations which have the jet exhaust simulated by high-pressure air, the present method significantly underpredicts the magnitude of nozzle pressure drag. This deficiency results because the method neglects the effects of jet plume entrainment. This method is limited to subsonic free-stream Mach numbers below that for which the flow over the body of revolution becomes sonic.

Flight research on natural laminar flow nacelles - A progress report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hastings, E. C., Jr.; Schoenster, J. A.; Obara, C. J.; Dodbele, S. S.

1986-01-01

This paper presents a progress report on an ongoing flight experiment for natural laminar flow nacelles. The results given herein were obtained during the first phase of the experiment, in which an instrumented natural laminar flow nacelle fairing was flight tested in the presence of turbofan engine noise and a controlled noise source. The results indicate that with the controlled noise source off, natural laminar flow was measured as far aft as 37 percent of the fairing length. The transition front was irregular in contour, and the extent of natural laminar flow was significantly affected by the relative flow angle for the fairing. In addition to these test results, the paper discusses the results of some recent computational analyses to predict pressure distributions and transition location, and to explain some of the data trends. Comparisons between measured and predicted data indicate that the analytical methods successfully predicted trends for the baseline (no controlled noise source) studies.

In situ realization of asymmetric ratchet structures within microchannels by directionally guided light transmission and their directional flow behavior.

PubMed

Bae, Won-Gyu; Kim, Sang Moon; Choi, Se-Jin; Oh, Sang Geun; Yoon, Hyunsik; Char, Kookheon; Suh, Kahp Y

2014-05-01

An asymmetric ratchet structure within microchannels is demonstrated by directionally guided light transmission for controlled liquid flow. A direct and facile method is presented to realize programmed asymmetric structures, which control the fluid direction and speed. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Control of Melt Conversion Using Traveling Magnetic Fields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mazurruk, Konstantin; Rose, M. Franklin (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

An axisymmetric traveling magnetic wave induces a meridional base flow in a cylindrical zone of an electrically conducting liquid. This remotely induced flow can be conveniently controlled, in magnitude and direction, and can have benefits for crystal growth applications. In particular, it can be used to significantly offset natural convection. Theoretical basics of this new technological method are presented.

Control of Melt Convection Using Traveling Magnetic Fields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mazuruk, Konstantin

2000-01-01

An axisymmetric traveling magnetic wave induces a meridional base flow in a cylindrical zone of an electrically conducting liquid. This remotely induced flow can be conveniently controlled, in magnitude and direction, and can have benefits for crystal growth applications. In particular, it can be used to offset natural convection. Theoretical basics of this new technological method are presented.

Performance of Improved High-Order Filter Schemes for Turbulent Flows with Shocks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kotov, Dmitry Vladimirovich; Yee, Helen M C.

2013-01-01

The performance of the filter scheme with improved dissipation control ? has been demonstrated for different flow types. The scheme with local ? is shown to obtain more accurate results than its counterparts with global or constant ?. At the same time no additional tuning is needed to achieve high accuracy of the method when using the local ? technique. However, further improvement of the method might be needed for even more complex and/or extreme flows.

Evaluation of a research circulation control airfoil using Navier-Stokes methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shrewsbury, George D.

1987-01-01

The compressible Reynolds time averaged Navier-Stokes equations were used to obtain solutions for flows about a two dimensional circulation control airfoil. The governing equations were written in conservation form for a body-fitted coordinate system and solved using an Alternating Direction Implicit (ADI) procedure. A modified algebraic eddy viscosity model was used to define the turbulent characteristics of the flow, including the wall jet flow over the Coanda surface at the trailing edge. Numerical results are compared to experimental data obtained for a research circulation control airfoil geometry. Excellent agreement with the experimental results was obtained.

Method and apparatus for fine tuning an orifice pulse tube refrigerator

DOEpatents

Swift, Gregory W.; Wollan, John J.

2003-12-23

An orifice pulse tube refrigerator uses flow resistance, compliance, and inertance components connected to a pulse tube for establishing a phase relationship between oscillating pressure and oscillating velocity in the pulse tube. A temperature regulating system heats or cools a working gas in at least one of the flow resistance and inertance components. A temperature control system is connected to the temperature regulating system for controlling the temperature of the working gas in the at least one of the flow resistance and inertance components and maintains a control temperature that is indicative of a desired temporal phase relationship.

Controlled placement and orientation of nanostructures

DOEpatents

Zettl, Alex K; Yuzvinsky, Thomas D; Fennimore, Adam M

2014-04-08

A method for controlled deposition and orientation of molecular sized nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) on substrates is disclosed. The method comprised: forming a thin layer of polymer coating on a substrate; exposing a selected portion of the thin layer of polymer to alter a selected portion of the thin layer of polymer; forming a suspension of nanostructures in a solvent, wherein the solvent suspends the nanostructures and activates the nanostructures in the solvent for deposition; and flowing a suspension of nanostructures across the layer of polymer in a flow direction; thereby: depositing a nanostructure in the suspension of nanostructures only to the selected portion of the thin layer of polymer coating on the substrate to form a deposited nanostructure oriented in the flow direction. By selectively employing portions of the method above, complex NEMS may be built of simpler NEMSs components.

Method and apparatus for strip casting

DOEpatents

Follstaedt, D.W.; Powell, J.C.; Sussman, R.C.; Williams, R.S.

1991-11-12

Casting nozzles will provide improved flow conditions with the parameters controlled according to the present invention. The gap relationships between the nozzle slot and exit orifice must be controlled in combination with converging exit passageway to provide a smooth flow without shearing and turbulence in the stream. The nozzle lips are also rounded to improve flow and increase refractory life of the lips of the nozzle. The tundish walls are tapered to provide improve flow for supplying the melt to the nozzle. The nozzle is located about 45[degree] below top dead center for optimum conditions. 2 figures.

Salivary flow rate and xerostomia in patients with type I and II diabetes mellitus

PubMed Central

Hoseini, Amineh; Mirzapour, Ali; Bijani, Ali; Shirzad, Atena

2017-01-01

Background Diabetes mellitus is one of the most prevalent metabolic diseases, with complications such as decreased salivary flow rate and xerostomia. Objective This study aimed to determine the salivary flow rate and xerostomia in type I and II diabetic patients in comparison with healthy controls. Methods This case-control study was performed on diabetic patients of a private office in Babol, Iran, between May 2015 and October 2016. This study involved two study groups (type I and II diabetes, with 40 in each group) and two control groups (control I and II, with 35 in each group) which were age- and sex-matched with the related study groups. They were all selected through simple sampling. Unstimulated whole saliva was collected through Navazesh method and the salivary flow rate was measured (ml/min). Xerostomia was evaluated via Fox’s test. Moreover, the patients’ data were recorded including age, sex, disease duration, type of diabetes, fasting blood glucose (FBG) and HbA1C. The obtained data were statistically analyzed by using SPSS version 17. Independent-samples t-test, Chi-square, Pearson correlation and multiple comparison post-hoc tests were employed as appropriated. p<0.05 was considered significant. Results The mean salivary flow rate in type I diabetics (0.35±0.11 ml/min) was lower than that in control I (0.50±0.07 ml/min) (p=0.01). The same difference was observed between type II diabetics (0.37±0.13 ml/min) and control II groups (0.47±0.11 ml/min) (p=0.01). No significant difference was observed in the salivary flow rate between type I and II diabetics (p=0.345). Furthermore, xerostomia was higher in type I (2.70±2.50, 1.17±1.60) and II (2.65±2.20–1.62±1.50) diabetics compared with the related control groups (p=0.01), (p=0.02). Conclusion Type I, II diabetic patients revealed lower salivary flow rate and higher xerostomia compared with healthy controls. The salivary flow rate and xerostomia had inverse correlation. PMID:29038704

Using Nonlinearity and Contact Lines to Control Fluid Flow in Microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perlin, M.; Schultz, W. W.; Bian, X.; Agarwal, M.

2002-01-01

Slug flows in a tube are affected by surface tension and contact lines, especially under microgravity. Numerical analyses and experiments are conducted of slug flows in small-diameter tubes with horizontal, inclined and vertical orientations. A PID-controlled, meter-long platform capable of following specified motions is used. An improved understanding of the contact line boundary condition for steady and unsteady contact-line motion is expected. Lastly, a direct fluid-handling method using nonlinear oscillatory motion of a tube is presented.

Acoustic Streaming in Microgravity: Flow Stability and Heat Transfer Enhancement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trinh, E. H.

1999-01-01

Experimental results are presented for drops and bubbles levitated in a liquid host, with particular attention given to the effect of shape oscillations and capillary waves on the local flow fields. Some preliminary results are also presented on the use of streaming flows for the control of evaporation rate and rotation of electrostatically levitated droplets in 1 g. The results demonstrate the potential for the technological application of acoustic methods to active control of forced convection in microgravity.

SDTCP: Towards Datacenter TCP Congestion Control with SDN for IoT Applications.

PubMed

Lu, Yifei; Ling, Zhen; Zhu, Shuhong; Tang, Ling

2017-01-08

The Internet of Things (IoT) has gained popularity in recent years. Today's IoT applications are now increasingly deployed in cloud platforms to perform Big Data analytics. In cloud data center networks (DCN), TCP incast usually happens when multiple senders simultaneously communicate with a single receiver. However, when TCP incast happens, DCN may suffer from both throughput collapse for TCP burst flows and temporary starvation for TCP background flows. In this paper, we propose a software defined network (SDN)-based TCP congestion control mechanism, referred to as SDTCP, to leverage the features, e.g., centralized control methods and the global view of the network, in order to solve the TCP incast problems. When we detect network congestion on an OpenFlow switch, our controller can select the background flows and reduce their bandwidth by adjusting the advertised window of TCP ACK packets of the corresponding background flows so as to reserve more bandwidth for burst flows. SDTCP is transparent to the end systems and can accurately decelerate the rate of background flows by leveraging the global view of the network gained via SDN. The experiments demonstrate that our SDTCP can provide high tolerance for burst flows and achieve better flow completion time for short flows. Therefore, SDTCP is an effective and scalable solution for the TCP incast problem.

Deployable Emergency Shutoff Device Blocks High-Velocity Fluid Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nabors, Sammy A.

2015-01-01

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center has developed a device and method for blocking the flow of fluid from an open pipe. Motivated by the sea-bed oil-drilling catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, NASA innovators designed the device to plug, control, and meter the flow of gases and liquids. Anchored with friction fittings, spikes, or explosively activated fasteners, the device is well-suited for harsh environments and high fluid velocities and pressures. With the addition of instrumentation, it can also be used as a variable area flow metering valve that can be set based upon flow conditions. With robotic additions, this patent-pending innovation can be configured to crawl into a pipe then anchor and activate itself to block or control fluid flow.

A Scheme to Optimize Flow Routing and Polling Switch Selection of Software Defined Networks.

PubMed

Chen, Huan; Li, Lemin; Ren, Jing; Wang, Yang; Zhao, Yangming; Wang, Xiong; Wang, Sheng; Xu, Shizhong

2015-01-01

This paper aims at minimizing the communication cost for collecting flow information in Software Defined Networks (SDN). Since flow-based information collecting method requires too much communication cost, and switch-based method proposed recently cannot benefit from controlling flow routing, jointly optimize flow routing and polling switch selection is proposed to reduce the communication cost. To this end, joint optimization problem is formulated as an Integer Linear Programming (ILP) model firstly. Since the ILP model is intractable in large size network, we also design an optimal algorithm for the multi-rooted tree topology and an efficient heuristic algorithm for general topology. According to extensive simulations, it is found that our method can save up to 55.76% communication cost compared with the state-of-the-art switch-based scheme.

Endoscopical determination of gastric mucosal blood flow by the crossed thermocouple method.

PubMed

Hiramatsu, A; Watanabe, T; Okuhira, M; Uchiyama, S; Mizuno, T; Sameshima, Y

1984-06-01

A crossed thermocouple method in combination with endoscopy was applied to determine the blood flow rate of the human gastric mucosa. Determination was carried out with 11 healthy control subjects at 8 sites of the stomach. The blood flow rates at all sites in the corpus were found to be higher than those at the antrum. In subjects less than 50 years old the blood flow rate in the corpus was higher than in older subjects. These results were in agreed well with those obtained by the hydrogen gas clearance method, which is widely adopted clinically. The crossed thermocouple method is easily applicable to all sites in the gastric mucosa and the time required for the assay is very short. This method dose not require the inhalation of hydrogen gas which is necessary for the hydrogen gas clearance method and which is possibly harmful to humans. Although the values obtained by the crossed thermocouple method are relative to the value at a certain fixed site, this method will holds great potential for the determination of gastric mucosal blood flow rate.

Optimal strategies for the control of autonomous vehicles in data assimilation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDougall, D.; Moore, R. O.

2017-08-01

We propose a method to compute optimal control paths for autonomous vehicles deployed for the purpose of inferring a velocity field. In addition to being advected by the flow, the vehicles are able to effect a fixed relative speed with arbitrary control over direction. It is this direction that is used as the basis for the locally optimal control algorithm presented here, with objective formed from the variance trace of the expected posterior distribution. We present results for linear flows near hyperbolic fixed points.

CFD-based aero-optical analysis of flow fields over two-dimensional cavities with active flow control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Yan

Prediction and control of optical wave front distortions and aberrations in a high energy laser beam due to interaction with an unsteady highly non-uniform flow field is of great importance in the development of directed energy weapon systems for Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAV). The unsteady shear layer over the weapons bay cavity is the primary cause of this distortion of the optical wave front. The large scale vortical structure of the shear layer over the cavity can be significantly reduced by employing an active flow control technique combined with passive flow control. This dissertation explores various active and passive control methods to suppress the cavity oscillations and thereby improve the aero-optics of cavity flow. In active flow control technique, a steady or a pulsed jet is applied at the sharp leading edge of cavities of different aspect ratios L/D (=2, 4, 15), where L and D are the width and the depth of a cavity respectively. In the passive flow control approach, the sharp leading or trailing edge of the cavity is modified into a round edge of different radii. Both of these active and passive flow control approaches are studied independently and in combination. Numerical simulations are performed, with and without active flow control for subsonic free stream flow past two-dimensional sharp and round leading or trailing edge cavities using Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS) equations with a two-equation Shear Stress Transport (SST) turbulence model or a hybrid SST/Large Eddy Simulation (LES) model. Aero-optical analysis is developed and applied to all the simulation cases. Index of refraction and Optical Path Difference (OPD) are compared for flow fields without and with active flow control. Root-Mean-Square (RMS) value of OPD is calculated and compared with the experimental data, where available. The effect of steady and pulsed blowing on buffet loading on the downstream face of the cavity is also computed. Using the numerical simulations, the most effective approach for controlling the cavity oscillations and aero-optical signatures is determined.

Performance evaluation of FlowCytomix assays to quantify cytokines in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

PubMed Central

Wang, Xuefeng; Dong, Liyang; Liang, Yong; Ni, Hongchang; Tang, Jun; Xu, Chengcheng; Zhou, Yuepeng; Su, Yuting; Wang, Jun; Chen, Deyu; Mao, Chaoming

2015-01-01

Objectives: To compare the cytokine profile in RA patients and healthy control by using two methods-FlowCytomix assay and traditional ELISA. Methods: Cytokine levels were evaluated by FlowCytomix assay and ELISA in serum and supernatants of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) cultures with and without stimulation by phytohaemagglutinin (PHA). Results: The levels of IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α were significantly higher in sera of RA patients than those of healthy controls. The levels of IL-22, IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-10 were higher in unstimulated PBMC culture supernatant of RA patients than those of healthy controls. PHA stimulation significantly increased the production of proinflammatory cytokines from PBMC with RA patients. Compared with detectable cytokine levels in sera, cytokine concentration in the supernatant of PBMCs was remarkably higher. FlowCytomix and ELISA showed significant correlation in detecting cytokines. However, the FlowCytomix assay detected more cytokines than ELISA. Conclusion: The supernatant of PBMCs provide a fine condition for the study of cytokine production because of the lack of interference factors in sera. The FlowCytomix assay is more sensitive than ELISA in detecting cytokines from RA patients. Multiple cytokine signatures using FlowCytomix assay may represent a more realistic approach in the future of personalized medicine in RA. PMID:26629129

Solution of a few nonlinear problems in aerodynamics by the finite elements and functional least squares methods. Ph.D. Thesis - Paris Univ.; [mathematical models of transonic flow using nonlinear equations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Periaux, J.

1979-01-01

The numerical simulation of the transonic flows of idealized fluids and of incompressible viscous fluids, by the nonlinear least squares methods is presented. The nonlinear equations, the boundary conditions, and the various constraints controlling the two types of flow are described. The standard iterative methods for solving a quasi elliptical nonlinear equation with partial derivatives are reviewed with emphasis placed on two examples: the fixed point method applied to the Gelder functional in the case of compressible subsonic flows and the Newton method used in the technique of decomposition of the lifting potential. The new abstract least squares method is discussed. It consists of substituting the nonlinear equation by a problem of minimization in a H to the minus 1 type Sobolev functional space.

An approximate analysis of the diffusing flow in a self-controlled heat pipe.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Somogyi, D.; Yen, H. H.

1973-01-01

Constant-density two-dimensional axisymmetric equations are presented for the diffusing flow of a class of self-controlled heat pipes. The analysis is restricted to the vapor space. Condensation of the vapor is related to its mass fraction at the wall by the gas kinetic formula. The Karman-Pohlhausen integral method is applied to obtain approximate solutions. Solutions are presented for a water heat pipe with neon control gas.

Geometric flow control of shear bands by suppression of viscous sliding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sagapuram, Dinakar; Viswanathan, Koushik; Mahato, Anirban; Sundaram, Narayan K.; M'Saoubi, Rachid; Trumble, Kevin P.; Chandrasekar, Srinivasan

2016-08-01

Shear banding is a plastic flow instability with highly undesirable consequences for metals processing. While band characteristics have been well studied, general methods to control shear bands are presently lacking. Here, we use high-speed imaging and micro-marker analysis of flow in cutting to reveal the common fundamental mechanism underlying shear banding in metals. The flow unfolds in two distinct phases: an initiation phase followed by a viscous sliding phase in which most of the straining occurs. We show that the second sliding phase is well described by a simple model of two identical fluids being sheared across their interface. The equivalent shear band viscosity computed by fitting the model to experimental displacement profiles is very close in value to typical liquid metal viscosities. The observation of similar displacement profiles across different metals shows that specific microstructure details do not affect the second phase. This also suggests that the principal role of the initiation phase is to generate a weak interface that is susceptible to localized deformation. Importantly, by constraining the sliding phase, we demonstrate a material-agnostic method-passive geometric flow control-that effects complete band suppression in systems which otherwise fail via shear banding.

"Batch" kinetics in flow: online IR analysis and continuous control.

PubMed

Moore, Jason S; Jensen, Klavs F

2014-01-07

Currently, kinetic data is either collected under steady-state conditions in flow or by generating time-series data in batch. Batch experiments are generally considered to be more suitable for the generation of kinetic data because of the ability to collect data from many time points in a single experiment. Now, a method that rapidly generates time-series reaction data from flow reactors by continuously manipulating the flow rate and reaction temperature has been developed. This approach makes use of inline IR analysis and an automated microreactor system, which allowed for rapid and tight control of the operating conditions. The conversion/residence time profiles at several temperatures were used to fit parameters to a kinetic model. This method requires significantly less time and a smaller amount of starting material compared to one-at-a-time flow experiments, and thus allows for the rapid generation of kinetic data. Copyright © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Effects of urban growth controls on intercity commuting.

PubMed

Ogura, Laudo M

2010-01-01

This paper presents an empirical study of the effects of urban growth controls on the intercity commuting of workers. Growth controls (land use regulations that attempt to restrict population growth and urban sprawl) have increased housing prices and diverted population growth to uncontrolled cities. It has been suggested that resulting changes in local labour supply might stimulate intercity commuting from uncontrolled to controlled cities. To test this hypothesis, a gravity model of commuting flows between places in California is estimated using alternative econometric methods (OLS, Heckman selection and count-data). The possibility of spatial dependence in commuting flows is also taken into consideration. Results suggest larger commuting flows to destination places that restrict residential growth.

Modeling of liquid flow in surface discontinuities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lobanova, I. S.; Meshcheryakov, V. A.; Kalinichenko, A. N.

2018-01-01

Polymer composite and metallic materials have found wide application in various industries such as aviation, rocket, car manufacturing, ship manufacturing, etc. Many design elements need permanent quality control. Ensuring high quality and reliability of products is impossible without effective nondestructive testing methods. One of these methods is penetrant testing using penetrating substances based on liquid penetration into defect cavities. In this paper, we propose a model of liquid flow to determine the rates of filling the defect cavities with various materials and, based on this, to choose optimal control modes.

Stability Improvement of High-Pressure-Ratio Turbocharger Centrifugal Compressor by Asymmetric Flow Control-Part I: Non-Axisymmetrical Flow in Centrifugal Compressor.

PubMed

Yang, Mingyang; Zheng, Xinqian; Zhang, Yangjun; Bamba, Takahiro; Tamaki, Hideaki; Huenteler, Joern; Li, Zhigang

2013-03-01

This is Part I of a two-part paper documenting the development of a novel asymmetric flow control method to improve the stability of a high-pressure-ratio turbocharger centrifugal compressor. Part I focuses on the nonaxisymmetrical flow in a centrifugal compressor induced by the nonaxisymmetrical geometry of the volute while Part II describes the development of an asymmetric flow control method to avoid the stall on the basis of the characteristic of nonaxisymmetrical flow. To understand the asymmetries, experimental measurements and corresponding numerical simulation were carried out. The static pressure was measured by probes at different circumferential and stream-wise positions to gain insights about the asymmetries. The experimental results show that there is an evident nonaxisymmetrical flow pattern throughout the compressor due to the asymmetric geometry of the overhung volute. The static pressure field in the diffuser is distorted at approximately 90 deg in the rotational direction of the volute tongue throughout the diffuser. The magnitude of this distortion slightly varies with the rotational speed. The magnitude of the static pressure distortion in the impeller is a function of the rotational speed. There is a significant phase shift between the static pressure distributions at the leading edge of the splitter blades and the impeller outlet. The numerical steady state simulation neglects the aforementioned unsteady effects found in the experiments and cannot predict the phase shift, however, a detailed asymmetric flow field structure is obviously obtained.

Robust optimal control of material flows in demand-driven supply networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laumanns, Marco; Lefeber, Erjen

2006-04-01

We develop a model based on stochastic discrete-time controlled dynamical systems in order to derive optimal policies for controlling the material flow in supply networks. Each node in the network is described as a transducer such that the dynamics of the material and information flows within the entire network can be expressed by a system of first-order difference equations, where some inputs to the system act as external disturbances. We apply methods from constrained robust optimal control to compute the explicit control law as a function of the current state. For the numerical examples considered, these control laws correspond to certain classes of optimal ordering policies from inventory management while avoiding, however, any a priori assumptions about the general form of the policy.

Time-delayed feedback technique for suppressing instabilities in time-periodic flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaabani-Ardali, Léopold; Sipp, Denis; Lesshafft, Lutz

2017-11-01

A numerical method is presented that allows to compute time-periodic flow states, even in the presence of hydrodynamic instabilities. The method is based on filtering nonharmonic components by way of delayed feedback control, as introduced by Pyragas [Phys. Lett. A 170, 421 (1992), 10.1016/0375-9601(92)90745-8]. Its use in flow problems is demonstrated here for the case of a periodically forced laminar jet, subject to a subharmonic instability that gives rise to vortex pairing. The optimal choice of the filter gain, which is a free parameter in the stabilization procedure, is investigated in the context of a low-dimensional model problem, and it is shown that this model predicts well the filter performance in the high-dimensional flow system. Vortex pairing in the jet is efficiently suppressed, so that the unstable periodic flow state in response to harmonic forcing is accurately retrieved. The procedure is straightforward to implement inside any standard flow solver. Memory requirements for the delayed feedback control can be significantly reduced by means of time interpolation between checkpoints. Finally, the method is extended for the treatment of periodic problems where the frequency is not known a priori. This procedure is demonstrated for a three-dimensional cubic lid-driven cavity in supercritical conditions.

Performance of the active sidewall boundary-layer removal system for the Langley 0.3-meter Transonic Cryogenic Tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Balakrishna, S.; Kilgore, W. Allen; Murthy, A. V.

1989-01-01

A performance evaluation of an active sidewall boundary-layer removal system for the Langley 0.3-m Transonic Cryogenic Tunnel (TCT) was evaluated in 1988. This system uses a compressor and two throttling digital valves to control the boundary-layer mass flow removal from the tunnel. The compressor operates near the maximum pressure ratio for all conditions. The system uses a surge prevention and flow recirculation scheme. A microprocessor based controller is used to provide the necessary mass flow and compressor pressure ratio control. Initial tests on the system indicated problems in realizing smooth mass flow control while running the compressor at high speed and high pressure ratios. An alternate method has been conceived to realize boundary-layer mass flow control which avoids the recirculation of the compressor mass flow and operation near the compressor surge point. This scheme is based on varying the speed of the compressor for a sufficient pressure ratio to provide needed mass flow removal. The system has a mass flow removal capability of about 10 percent of test section flow at M = 0.3 and 4 percent at M = 0.8. The system performance has been evaluated in the form of the compressor map, and compressor tunnel interface characteristics covering most of the 0.3-m TCT operational envelope.

A simple method for the evaluation of microfluidic architecture using flow quantitation via a multiplexed fluidic resistance measurement.

PubMed

Leslie, Daniel C; Melnikoff, Brett A; Marchiarullo, Daniel J; Cash, Devin R; Ferrance, Jerome P; Landers, James P

2010-08-07

Quality control of microdevices adds significant costs, in time and money, to any fabrication process. A simple, rapid quantitative method for the post-fabrication characterization of microchannel architecture using the measurement of flow with volumes relevant to microfluidics is presented. By measuring the mass of a dye solution passed through the device, it circumvents traditional gravimetric and interface-tracking methods that suffer from variable evaporation rates and the increased error associated with smaller volumes. The multiplexed fluidic resistance (MFR) measurement method measures flow via stable visible-wavelength dyes, a standard spectrophotometer and common laboratory glassware. Individual dyes are used as molecular markers of flow for individual channels, and in channel architectures where multiple channels terminate at a common reservoir, spectral deconvolution reveals the individual flow contributions. On-chip, this method was found to maintain accurate flow measurement at lower flow rates than the gravimetric approach. Multiple dyes are shown to allow for independent measurement of multiple flows on the same device simultaneously. We demonstrate that this technique is applicable for measuring the fluidic resistance, which is dependent on channel dimensions, in four fluidically connected channels simultaneously, ultimately determining that one chip was partially collapsed and, therefore, unusable for its intended purpose. This method is thus shown to be widely useful in troubleshooting microfluidic flow characteristics.

Flow chemistry to control the synthesis of nano and microparticles for biomedical applications.

PubMed

Hassan, Natalia; Oyarzun-Ampuero, Felipe; Lara, Pablo; Guerrero, Simón; Cabuil, Valérie; Abou-Hassan, Ali; Kogan, Marcelo J

2014-03-01

In this article we review the flow chemistry methodologies for the controlled synthesis of different kind of nano and microparticles for biomedical applications. Injection mechanism has emerged as new alternative for the synthesis of nanoparticles due to this strategy allows achieving superior levels of control of self-assemblies, leading to higher-ordered structures and rapid chemical reactions. Self-assembly events are strongly dependent on factors such as the local concentration of reagents, the mixing rates, and the shear forces, which can be finely tuned, as an example, in a microfluidic device. Injection methods have also proved to be optimal to elaborate microsystems comprising polymer solutions. Concretely, extrusion based methods can provide controlled fluid transport, rapid chemical reactions, and cost-saving advantages over conventional reactors. We provide an update of synthesis of nano and microparticles such as core/shell, Janus, nanocrystals, liposomes, and biopolymeric microgels through flow chemistry, its potential bioapplications and future challenges in this field are discussed.

Non-Intrusive Pressure/Multipurpose Sensor and Method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, William C. (Inventor)

2001-01-01

Method and apparatus are provided for determining pressure using a non-intrusive sensor that is easily attachable to the plumbing of a pressurized system. A bent mode implementation and a hoop mode implementation of the invention are disclosed. Each of these implementations is able to nonintrusively measure pressure while fluid is flowing. As well, each implementation may be used to measure mass flow rate simultaneously with pressure. An ultra low noise control system is provided for making pressure measurements during gas flow. The control system includes two tunable digital bandpass filters with center frequencies that are responsive to a clock frequency. The clock frequency is divided by a factor of N to produce a driving vibrational signal for resonating a metal sensor section.

Active Flow Control and Global Stability Analysis of Separated Flow Over a NACA 0012 Airfoil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munday, Phillip M.

The objective of this computational study is to examine and quantify the influence of fundamental flow control inputs in suppressing flow separation over a canonical airfoil. Most flow control studies to this date have relied on the development of actuator technology, and described the control input based on specific actuators. Taking advantage of a computational framework, we generalize the inputs to fundamental perturbations without restricting inputs to a particular actuator. Utilizing this viewpoint, generalized control inputs aim to aid in the quantification and support the design of separation control techniques. This study in particular independently introduces wall-normal momentum and angular momentum to the separated flow using swirling jets through model boundary conditions. The response of the flow field and the surface vorticity fluxes to various combinations of actuation inputs are examined in detail. By closely studying different variables, the influence of the wall-normal and angular momentum injections on separated flow is identified. As an example, open-loop control of fully separated, incompressible flow over a NACA 0012 airfoil at alpha = 6° and 9° with Re = 23,000 is examined with large-eddy simulations. For the shallow angle of attack alpha = 6°, the small recirculation region is primarily affected by wall-normal momentum injection. For a larger separation region at alpha = 9°, it is observed that the addition of angular momentum input to wall-normal momentum injection enhances the suppression of flow separation. Reducing the size of the separated flow region significantly impacts the forces, and in particular reduces drag and increases lift on the airfoil. It was found that the influence of flow control on the small recirculation region (alpha = 6°) can be sufficiently quantified with the traditional coefficient of momentum. At alpha = 9°, the effects of wall-normal and angular momentum inputs are captured by modifying the standard definition of the coefficient of momentum, which successfully characterizes suppression of separation and lift enhancement. The effect of angular momentum is incorporated into the modified coefficient of momentum by introducing a characteristic swirling jet velocity based on the non-dimensional swirl number. With the modified coefficient of momentum, this single value is able to categorize controlled flows into separated, transitional, and attached flows. With inadequate control input (separated flow regime), lift decreased compared to the baseline flow. Increasing the modified coefficient of momentum, flow transitions from separated to attached and accordingly results in improved aerodynamic forces. Modifying the spanwise spacing, it is shown that the minimum modified coefficient of momentum input required to begin transitioning the flow is dependent on actuator spacing. The growth (or decay) of perturbations can facilitate or inhibit the influence of flow control inputs. Biglobal stability analysis is considered to further analyze the behavior of control inputs on separated flow over a symmetric airfoil. Assuming a spanwise periodic waveform for the perturbations, the eigenvalues and eigenvectors about a base flow are solved to understand the influence of spanwise variation on the development of the flow. Two algorithms are developed and validated to solve for the eigenvalues of the flow: an algebraic eigenvalue solver (matrix based) and a time-stepping algorithm. The matrix based approach is formulated without ever storing the matrices, creating a computationally memory efficient algorithm. Increasing the Reynolds number to Re = 23,000 over a NACA 0012 airfoil, the time-stepper method is implemented due to rising computational cost of the matrix-based method. Stability analysis about the time-averaged flow is performed for spanwise wavenumbers of beta = 1/c, 10pi/ c and 20pi/c, which the latter two wavenumbers are representative of the spanwise spacing between the actuators. The largest spanwise wavelength (beta = 1/c) contained unstable modes that ranged from low to high frequency, and a particular unstable low-frequency mode corresponding to a frequency observed in the lift forces of the baseline large-eddy simulation. For the larger spanwise wavenumbers, beta = 10pi/ c (Lz/c = 0.2) and 20pi/c (Lz/c = 0.1), low-frequency modes were damped and only modes with f > 5were unstable. These results help us gain further insight into the influence of the flow control inputs. In conclusion, it was shown that the influence of wall-normal and angular momentum inputs on fully separated flow can adequately be described by the modified coefficient of momentum. Through further analysis and the development of a biglobal stability solver, spanwise spacing effects observed in the flow control study can be explained. The findings from this study should aid in the development of more intelligently designed flow control strategies and provide guidance in the selection of flow control actuators.

Automatic miniaturized fluorometric flow system for chemical and toxicological control of glibenclamide.

PubMed

Ribeiro, David S M; Prior, João A V; Taveira, Christian J M; Mendes, José M A F S; Santos, João L M

2011-06-15

In this work, and for the first time, it was developed an automatic and fast screening miniaturized flow system for the toxicological control of glibenclamide in beverages, with application in forensic laboratory investigations, and also, for the chemical control of commercially available pharmaceutical formulations. The automatic system exploited the multipumping flow (MPFS) concept and allowed the implementation of a new glibenclamide determination method based on the fluorometric monitoring of the drug in acidic medium (λ(ex)=301 nm; λ(em)=404 nm), in the presence of an anionic surfactant (SDS), promoting an organized micellar medium to enhance the fluorometric measurements. The developed approach assured good recoveries in the analysis of five spiked alcoholic beverages. Additionally, a good agreement was verified when comparing the results obtained in the determination of glibenclamide in five commercial pharmaceutical formulations by the proposed method and by the pharmacopoeia reference procedure. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Numerical Study of Hydrothermal Wave Suppression in Thermocapillary Flow Using a Predictive Control Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muldoon, F. H.

2018-04-01

Hydrothermal waves in flows driven by thermocapillary and buoyancy effects are suppressed by applying a predictive control method. Hydrothermal waves arise in the manufacturing of crystals, including the "open boat" crystal growth process, and lead to undesirable impurities in crystals. The open boat process is modeled using the two-dimensional unsteady incompressible Navier-Stokes equations under the Boussinesq approximation and the linear approximation of the surface thermocapillary force. The flow is controlled by a spatially and temporally varying heat flux density through the free surface. The heat flux density is determined by a conjugate gradient optimization algorithm. The gradient of the objective function with respect to the heat flux density is found by solving adjoint equations derived from the Navier-Stokes ones in the Boussinesq approximation. Special attention is given to heat flux density distributions over small free-surface areas and to the maximum admissible heat flux density.

Investigation on hemolytic effect of poly(lactic co-glycolic) acid nanoparticles synthesized using continuous flow and batch processes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Libi, Sumit; Calenic, Bogdan; Astete, Carlos E.

Abstract With the increasing interest in polymeric nanoparticles for biomedical applications, there is a need for continuous flow methodologies that allow for the precise control of nanoparticle synthesis. Poly(lactide-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) nanoparticles with diameters of 220–250 nm were synthesized using a lab-on-a-chip, exploiting the precise flow control offered by a millifluidic platform. The association and the effect of PLGA nanoparticles on red blood cells (RBCs) were compared for fluorescent PLGA nanoparticles made by this novel continuous flow process using a millifluidic chip and smaller PLGA nanoparticles made by a batch method. Results indicated that all PLGA nanoparticles studied, independent ofmore » the synthesis method and size, adhered to the surface of RBCs but had no significant hemolytic effect at concentrations lower than 10 mg/ml.« less

Disturbance Source Separation in Shear Flows Using Blind Source Separation Methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gluzman, Igal; Cohen, Jacob; Oshman, Yaakov

2017-11-01

A novel approach is presented for identifying disturbance sources in wall-bounded shear flows. The method can prove useful for active control of boundary layer transition from laminar to turbulent flow. The underlying idea is to consider the flow state, as measured in sensors, to be a mixture of sources, and to use Blind Source Separation (BSS) techniques to recover the separate sources and their unknown mixing process. We present a BSS method based on the Degenerate Unmixing Estimation Technique. This method can be used to identify any (a priori unknown) number of sources by using the data acquired by only two sensors. The power of the new method is demonstrated via numerical and experimental proofs of concept. Wind tunnel experiments involving boundary layer flow over a flat plate were carried out, in which two hot-wire anemometers were used to separate disturbances generated by disturbance generators such as a single dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuator and a loudspeaker.

Scheduling for Emergency Tasks in Industrial Wireless Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

Xia, Changqing; Kong, Linghe; Zeng, Peng

2017-01-01

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are widely applied in industrial manufacturing systems. By means of centralized control, the real-time requirement and reliability can be provided by WSNs in industrial production. Furthermore, many approaches reserve resources for situations in which the controller cannot perform centralized resource allocation. The controller assigns these resources as it becomes aware of when and where accidents have occurred. However, the reserved resources are limited, and such incidents are low-probability events. In addition, resource reservation may not be effective since the controller does not know when and where accidents will actually occur. To address this issue, we improve the reliability of scheduling for emergency tasks by proposing a method based on a stealing mechanism. In our method, an emergency task is transmitted by stealing resources allocated to regular flows. The challenges addressed in our work are as follows: (1) emergencies occur only occasionally, but the industrial system must deliver the corresponding flows within their deadlines when they occur; (2) we wish to minimize the impact of emergency flows by reducing the number of stolen flows. The contributions of this work are two-fold: (1) we first define intersections and blocking as new characteristics of flows; and (2) we propose a series of distributed routing algorithms to improve the schedulability and to reduce the impact of emergency flows. We demonstrate that our scheduling algorithm and analysis approach are better than the existing ones by extensive simulations. PMID:28726738

A novel personal air sampling device for collecting volatile organic compounds: a comparison to charcoal tubes and diffusive badges.

PubMed

Rossner, Alan; Farant, Jean-Pierre

2004-02-01

Evacuated canisters have been used for many years to collect ambient air samples for gases and vapors. Recently, significant interest has arisen in using evacuated canisters for personal breathing zone sampling as an alternative to sorbent sampling. A novel flow control device was designed and built at McGill University. The flow control device was designed to provide a very low flow rate, <0.5 mL/min, to allow a sample to be collected over an extended period of time. Previous experiments run at McGill have shown agreement between the mathematical and empirical models to predict flow rate. The flow control device combined with an evacuated canister (capillary flow control-canister) was used in a series of experiments to evaluate its performance against charcoal tubes and diffusive badges. Air samples of six volatile organic compounds were simultaneously collected in a chamber using the capillary flow control-canister, charcoal tubes, and diffusive badges. Five different concentrations of the six volatile organic compounds were evaluated. The results from the three sampling devices were compared to each other and to concentration values obtained using an online gas chromatograph (GC). Eighty-four samples of each method were collected for each of the six chemicals. Results indicate that the capillary flow control-canister device compares quite favorably to the online GC and to the charcoal tubes, p > 0.05 for most of the tests. The capillary flow control-canister was found to be more accurate for the compounds evaluated, easier to use, and easier to analyze than charcoal tubes and passive dosimeter badges.

Robust control of combustion instabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Boe-Shong

Several interactive dynamical subsystems, each of which has its own time-scale and physical significance, are decomposed to build a feedback-controlled combustion- fluid robust dynamics. On the fast-time scale, the phenomenon of combustion instability is corresponding to the internal feedback of two subsystems: acoustic dynamics and flame dynamics, which are parametrically dependent on the slow-time-scale mean-flow dynamics controlled for global performance by a mean-flow controller. This dissertation constructs such a control system, through modeling, analysis and synthesis, to deal with model uncertainties, environmental noises and time- varying mean-flow operation. Conservation law is decomposed as fast-time acoustic dynamics and slow-time mean-flow dynamics, served for synthesizing LPV (linear parameter varying)- L2-gain robust control law, in which a robust observer is embedded for estimating and controlling the internal status, while achieving trade- offs among robustness, performances and operation. The robust controller is formulated as two LPV-type Linear Matrix Inequalities (LMIs), whose numerical solver is developed by finite-element method. Some important issues related to physical understanding and engineering application are discussed in simulated results of the control system.

Very high pressure liquid chromatography using fully porous particles: quantitative analysis of fast gradient separations without post-run times.

PubMed

Stankovich, Joseph J; Gritti, Fabrice; Stevenson, Paul G; Beaver, Lois Ann; Guiochon, Georges

2014-01-10

Using a column packed with fully porous particles, four methods for controlling the flow rates at which gradient elution runs are conducted in very high pressure liquid chromatography (VHPLC) were tested to determine whether reproducible thermal conditions could be achieved, such that subsequent analyses would proceed at nearly the same initial temperature. In VHPLC high flow rates are achieved, producing fast analyses but requiring high inlet pressures. The combination of high flow rates and high inlet pressures generates local heat, leading to temperature changes in the column. Usually in this case a post-run time is input into the analytical method to allow the return of the column temperature to its initial state. An alternative strategy involves operating the column without a post-run equilibration period and maintaining constant temperature variations for subsequent analysis after conducting one or a few separations to bring the column to a reproducible starting temperature. A liquid chromatography instrument equipped with a pressure controller was used to perform constant pressure and constant flow rate VHPLC separations. Six replicate gradient separations of a nine component mixture consisting of acetophenone, propiophenone, butyrophenone, valerophenone, hexanophenone, heptanophenone, octanophenone, benzophenone, and acetanilide dissolved in water/acetonitrile (65:35, v/v) were performed under various experimental conditions: constant flow rate, two sets of constant pressure, and constant pressure operation with a programmed flow rate. The relative standard deviations of the response factors for all the analytes are lower than 5% across the methods. Programming the flow rate to maintain a fairly constant pressure instead of using instrument controlled constant pressure improves the reproducibility of the retention times by a factor of 5, when plotting the chromatograms in time. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electro-osmotically driven liquid delivery method and apparatus

DOEpatents

Rakestraw, David J.; Anex, Deon S.; Yan, Chao; Dadoo, Rajeev; Zare, Richard N.

1999-01-01

Method and apparatus for controlling precisely the composition and delivery of liquid at sub-.mu.L/min flow rate. One embodiment of such a delivery system is an electro-osmotically driven gradient flow delivery system that generates dynamic gradient flows with sub-.mu.L/min flow rates by merging a plurality of electro-osmotic flows. These flows are delivered by a plurality of delivery arms attached to a mixing connector, where they mix and then flow into a receiving means, preferably a column. Each inlet of the plurality of delivery arms is placed in a corresponding solution reservoir. A plurality of independent programmable high-voltage power supplies is used to apply a voltage program to each of the plurality of solution reservoirs to regulate the electro-osmotic flow in each delivery arm. The electro-osmotic flow rates in the delivery arms are changed with time according to each voltage program to deliver the required gradient profile to the column.

Hot-Film and Hot-Wire Anemometry for a Boundary Layer Active Flow Control Test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lenahan, Keven C.; Schatzman, David M.; Wilson, Jacob Samuel

2013-01-01

Unsteady active flow control (AFC) has been used experimentally for many years to minimize bluff-body drag. This technology could significantly improve performance of rotorcraft by cleaning up flow separation. It is important, then, that new actuator technologies be studied for application to future vehicles. A boundary layer wind tunnel was constructed with a 1ft-x-3ft test section and unsteady measurement instrumentation to study how AFC manipulates the boundary layer to overcome adverse pressure gradients and flow separation. This unsteady flow control research requires unsteady measurement methods. In order to measure the boundary layer characteristics, both hot-wire and hot-film Constant Temperature Anemometry is used. A hot-wire probe is mounted in the flow to measure velocity while a hot-film array lays on the test surface to measure skin friction. Hot-film sensors are connected to an anemometer, a Wheatstone bridge circuit with an output that corresponds to the dynamic flow response. From this output, the time varying flow field, turbulence, and flow reversal can be characterized. Tuning the anemometers requires a fan test on the hot-film sensors to adjust each output. This is a delicate process as several variables drastically affect the data, including control resistance, signal input, trim, and gain settings.

Packet Scheduling Mechanism to Improve Quality of Short Flows and Low-Rate Flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yokota, Kenji; Asaka, Takuya; Takahashi, Tatsuro

In recent years elephant flows are increasing by expansion of peer-to-peer (P2P) applications on the Internet. As a result, bandwidth is occupied by specific users triggering unfair resource allocation. The main packet-scheduling mechanism currently employed is first-in first-out (FIFO) where the available bandwidth of short flows is limited by elephant flows. Least attained service (LAS), which decides transfer priority of packets by the total amount of transferred data in all flows, was proposed to solve this problem. However, routers with LAS limit flows with large amount of transferred data even if they are low-rate. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the quality of low-rate flows with long holding times such as voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) applications. This paper proposes rate-based priority control (RBPC), which calculates the flow rate and control the priority by using it. Our proposed method can transfer short flows and low-rate flows in advance. Moreover, its fair performance is shown through simulations.

Method of controlling temperature of a thermoelectric generator in an exhaust system

DOEpatents

Prior, Gregory P; Reynolds, Michael G; Cowgill, Joshua D

2013-05-21

A method of controlling the temperature of a thermoelectric generator (TEG) in an exhaust system of an engine is provided. The method includes determining the temperature of the heated side of the TEG, determining exhaust gas flow rate through the TEG, and determining the exhaust gas temperature through the TEG. A rate of change in temperature of the heated side of the TEG is predicted based on the determined temperature, the determined exhaust gas flow rate, and the determined exhaust gas temperature through the TEG. Using the predicted rate of change of temperature of the heated side, exhaust gas flow rate through the TEG is calculated that will result in a maximum temperature of the heated side of the TEG less than a predetermined critical temperature given the predicted rate of change in temperature of the heated side of the TEG. A corresponding apparatus is provided.

Visualization of flow separation and control by vortex generators on an single flap in landing configuration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Součková, Natálie; Kuklová, Jana; Popelka, Lukáš; Matějka, Milan

2012-04-01

This paper focuses on a suppression of the flow separation, which occurs on a deflected flap, by means of vortex generators (VG's). An airfoil NACA 63A421 with a simple flap and vane-type vortex generators were used. The investigation was carried out by using experimental and numerical methods. The data from the numerical simulation of the flapped airfoil without VG's control were used for the vortex generator design. Two sizes, two different shapes and various spacing of the vortex generators were tested. The flow past the airfoil was visualized through three methods, namely tuft filaments technique, oil and thermo camera visualization. The experiments were performed in closed circuit wind tunnels with closed and open test sections. The lift curves for both cases without and with vortex generators were acquired for a lift coefficient improvement determination. The improvement was achieved for several cases by means all of the applied methods.

Quality Control Method for a Micro-Nano-Channel Microfabricated Device

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grattoni, Alessandro; Ferrari, Mauro; Li, Xuewu

2012-01-01

A variety of silicon-fabricated devices is used in medical applications such as drug and cell delivery, and DNA and protein separation and analysis. When a fluidic device inlet is connected to a compressed gas reservoir, and the outlet is at a lower pressure, a gas flow occurs through the membrane toward the outside. The method relies on the measurement of the gas pressure over the elapsed time inside the upstream and downstream environments. By knowing the volume of the upstream reservoir, the gas flow rate through the membrane over the pressure drop can be calculated. This quality control method consists of measuring the gas flow through a device and comparing the results with a standard curve, which can be obtained by testing standard devices. Standard devices can be selected through a variety of techniques, both destructive and nondestructive, such as SEM, AFM, and standard particle filtration.

A Bayesian geostatistical approach for evaluating the uncertainty of contaminant mass discharges from point sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Troldborg, M.; Nowak, W.; Binning, P. J.; Bjerg, P. L.

2012-12-01

Estimates of mass discharge (mass/time) are increasingly being used when assessing risks of groundwater contamination and designing remedial systems at contaminated sites. Mass discharge estimates are, however, prone to rather large uncertainties as they integrate uncertain spatial distributions of both concentration and groundwater flow velocities. For risk assessments or any other decisions that are being based on mass discharge estimates, it is essential to address these uncertainties. We present a novel Bayesian geostatistical approach for quantifying the uncertainty of the mass discharge across a multilevel control plane. The method decouples the flow and transport simulation and has the advantage of avoiding the heavy computational burden of three-dimensional numerical flow and transport simulation coupled with geostatistical inversion. It may therefore be of practical relevance to practitioners compared to existing methods that are either too simple or computationally demanding. The method is based on conditional geostatistical simulation and accounts for i) heterogeneity of both the flow field and the concentration distribution through Bayesian geostatistics (including the uncertainty in covariance functions), ii) measurement uncertainty, and iii) uncertain source zone geometry and transport parameters. The method generates multiple equally likely realizations of the spatial flow and concentration distribution, which all honour the measured data at the control plane. The flow realizations are generated by analytical co-simulation of the hydraulic conductivity and the hydraulic gradient across the control plane. These realizations are made consistent with measurements of both hydraulic conductivity and head at the site. An analytical macro-dispersive transport solution is employed to simulate the mean concentration distribution across the control plane, and a geostatistical model of the Box-Cox transformed concentration data is used to simulate observed deviations from this mean solution. By combining the flow and concentration realizations, a mass discharge probability distribution is obtained. Tests show that the decoupled approach is both efficient and able to provide accurate uncertainty estimates. The method is demonstrated on a Danish field site contaminated with chlorinated ethenes. For this site, we show that including a physically meaningful concentration trend and the co-simulation of hydraulic conductivity and hydraulic gradient across the transect helps constrain the mass discharge uncertainty. The number of sampling points required for accurate mass discharge estimation and the relative influence of different data types on mass discharge uncertainty is discussed.

Power flow control based solely on slow feedback loop for heart pump applications.

PubMed

Wang, Bob; Hu, Aiguo Patrick; Budgett, David

2012-06-01

This paper proposes a new control method for regulating power flow via transcutaneous energy transfer (TET) for implantable heart pumps. Previous work on power flow controller requires a fast feedback loop that needs additional switching devices and resonant capacitors to be added to the primary converter. The proposed power flow controller eliminates these additional components, and it relies solely on a slow feedback loop to directly drive the primary converter to meet the heart pump power demand and ensure zero voltage switching. A controlled change in switching frequency varies the resonant tank shorting period of a current-fed push-pull resonant converter, thus changing the magnitude of the primary resonant voltage, as well as the tuning between primary and secondary resonant tanks. The proposed controller has been implemented successfully using an analogue circuit and has reached an end-to-end power efficiency of 79.6% at 10 W with a switching frequency regulation range of 149.3 kHz to 182.2 kHz.

High flow rate nozzle system with production of uniform size droplets

DOEpatents

Stockel, I.H.

1990-10-16

Method steps for production of substantially uniform size droplets from a flow of liquid include forming the flow of liquid, periodically modulating the momentum of the flow of liquid in the flow direction at controlled frequency, generating a cross flow direction component of momentum and modulation of the cross flow momentum of liquid at substantially the same frequency and phase as the modulation of flow direction momentum, and spraying the so formed modulated flow through a first nozzle outlet to form a desired spray configuration. A second modulated flow through a second nozzle outlet is formed according to the same steps, and the first and second modulated flows impinge upon each other generating a liquid sheet. Nozzle apparatus for modulating each flow includes rotating valving plates interposed in the annular flow of liquid. The plates are formed with radial slots. Rotation of the rotating plates is separably controlled at differential angular velocities for a selected modulating frequency to achieve the target droplet size and production rate for a given flow. The counter rotating plates are spaced to achieve a desired amplitude of modulation in the flow direction, and the angular velocity of the downstream rotating plate is controlled to achieve the desired amplitude of modulation of momentum in the cross flow direction. Amplitude of modulation is set according to liquid viscosity. 5 figs.

High flow rate nozzle system with production of uniform size droplets

DOEpatents

Stockel, Ivar H.

1990-01-01

Method steps for production of substantially uniform size droplets from a flow of liquid include forming the flow of liquid, periodically modulating the momentum of the flow of liquid in the flow direction at controlled frequency, generating a cross flow direction component of momentum and modulation of the cross flow momentum of liquid at substantially the same frequency and phase as the modulation of flow direction momentum, and spraying the so formed modulated flow through a first nozzle outlet to form a desired spray configuration. A second modulated flow through a second nozzle outlet is formed according to the same steps, and the first and second modulated flows impinge upon each other generating a liquid sheet. Nozzle apparatus for modulating each flow includes rotating valving plates interposed in the annular flow of liquid. The plates are formed with radial slots. Rotation of the rotating plates is separably controlled at differential angular velocities for a selected modulating frequency to achieve the target droplet size and production rate for a given flow. The counter rotating plates are spaced to achieve a desired amplitude of modulation in the flow direction, and the angular velocity of the downstream rotating plate is controlled to achieve the desired amplitude of modulation of momentum in the cross flow direction. Amplitude of modulation is set according to liquid viscosity.

Control Theory based Shape Design for the Incompressible Navier-Stokes Equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cowles, G.; Martinelli, L.

2003-12-01

A design method for shape optimization in incompressible turbulent viscous flow has been developed and validated for inverse design. The gradient information is determined using a control theory based algorithm. With such an approach, the cost of computing the gradient is negligible. An additional adjoint system must be solved which requires the cost of a single steady state flow solution. Thus, this method has an enormous advantage over traditional finite-difference based algorithms. The method of artificial compressibility is utilized to solve both the flow and adjoint systems. An algebraic turbulence model is used to compute the eddy viscosity. The method is validated using several inverse wing design test cases. In each case, the program must modify the shape of the initial wing such that its pressure distribution matches that of the target wing. Results are shown for the inversion of both finite thickness wings as well as zero thickness wings which can be considered a model of yacht sails.

Theoretical and Experimental Methods in Hypersonic Flows (Les Methodes Theoriques et Experimentales pour l’Etude Des Ecoulements Hypersoniques)

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-04-01

PROCEEDINGS 514 OELECTE f Theoretical and A U Experimental Methods in A Hypersonic Flows (Les Methodes Th6oriques et Experimentales pour 1’Etude des...nitrogen ent for both equilibrium and non -equilibrium chemistry between the two groups . Both groups state that the boundary makes this mode even more...flowfield on control is also m?,ndatory unstable due to the necessary oblate shape of Hermes. when the experimental rebuilding is clearly poor and

Apparatus for dispensing compressed natural gas and liquified natural gas to natural gas powered vehicles

DOEpatents

Bingham, Dennis A.; Clark, Michael L.; Wilding, Bruce M.; Palmer, Gary L.

2007-05-29

A fueling facility and method for dispensing liquid natural gas (LNG), compressed natural gas (CNG) or both on-demand. The fueling facility may include a source of LNG, such as cryogenic storage vessel. A low volume high pressure pump is coupled to the source of LNG to produce a stream of pressurized LNG. The stream of pressurized LNG may be selectively directed through an LNG flow path or to a CNG flow path which includes a vaporizer configured to produce CNG from the pressurized LNG. A portion of the CNG may be drawn from the CNG flow path and introduced into the CNG flow path to control the temperature of LNG flowing therethrough. Similarly, a portion of the LNG may be drawn from the LNG flow path and introduced into the CNG flow path to control the temperature of CNG flowing therethrough.

Stability Improvement of High-Pressure-Ratio Turbocharger Centrifugal Compressor by Asymmetrical Flow Control-Part II: Nonaxisymmetrical Self-Recirculation Casing Treatment.

PubMed

Zheng, Xinqian; Zhang, Yangjun; Yang, Mingyang; Bamba, Takahiro; Tamaki, Hideaki

2013-03-01

This is part II of a two-part paper involving the development of an asymmetrical flow control method to widen the operating range of a turbocharger centrifugal compressor with high-pressure ratio. A nonaxisymmetrical self-recirculation casing treatment (SRCT) as an instance of asymmetrical flow control method is presented. Experimental and numerical methods were used to investigate the impact of nonaxisymmetrical SRCT on the surge point of the centrifugal compressor. First, the influence of the geometry of a symmetric SRCT on the compressor performance was studied by means of numerical simulation. The key parameter of the SRCT was found to be the distance from the main blade leading edge to the rear groove (S r ). Next, several arrangements of a nonaxisymmetrical SRCT were designed, based on flow analysis presented in part I. Then, a series of experiments were carried out to analyze the influence of nonaxisymmetrical SRCT on the compressor performance. Results show that the nonaxisymmetrical SRCT has a certain influence on the performance and has a larger potential for stability improvement than the traditional symmetric SRCT. For the investigated SRCT, the surge flow rate of the compressor with the nonaxisymmetrical SRCTs is about 10% lower than that of the compressor with symmetric SRCT. The largest surge margin (smallest surge flow rate) can be obtained when the phase of the largest S r is coincident with the phase of the minimum static pressure in the vicinity of the leading edge of the splitter blades.

Viscous drag reduction in boundary layers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bushnell, Dennis M. (Editor); Hefner, Jerry N. (Editor)

1990-01-01

The present volume discusses the development status of stability theory for laminar flow control design, applied aspects of laminar-flow technology, transition delays using compliant walls, the application of CFD to skin friction drag-reduction, active-wave control of boundary-layer transitions, and such passive turbulent-drag reduction methods as outer-layer manipulators and complex-curvature concepts. Also treated are such active turbulent drag-reduction technique applications as those pertinent to MHD flow drag reduction, as well as drag reduction in liquid boundary layers by gas injection, drag reduction by means of polymers and surfactants, drag reduction by particle addition, viscous drag reduction via surface mass injection, and interactive wall-turbulence control.

Nonlinear model-order reduction for compressible flow solvers using the Discrete Empirical Interpolation Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fosas de Pando, Miguel; Schmid, Peter J.; Sipp, Denis

2016-11-01

Nonlinear model reduction for large-scale flows is an essential component in many fluid applications such as flow control, optimization, parameter space exploration and statistical analysis. In this article, we generalize the POD-DEIM method, introduced by Chaturantabut & Sorensen [1], to address nonlocal nonlinearities in the equations without loss of performance or efficiency. The nonlinear terms are represented by nested DEIM-approximations using multiple expansion bases based on the Proper Orthogonal Decomposition. These extensions are imperative, for example, for applications of the POD-DEIM method to large-scale compressible flows. The efficient implementation of the presented model-reduction technique follows our earlier work [2] on linearized and adjoint analyses and takes advantage of the modular structure of our compressible flow solver. The efficacy of the nonlinear model-reduction technique is demonstrated to the flow around an airfoil and its acoustic footprint. We could obtain an accurate and robust low-dimensional model that captures the main features of the full flow.

A Scheme to Optimize Flow Routing and Polling Switch Selection of Software Defined Networks

PubMed Central

Chen, Huan; Li, Lemin; Ren, Jing; Wang, Yang; Zhao, Yangming; Wang, Xiong; Wang, Sheng; Xu, Shizhong

2015-01-01

This paper aims at minimizing the communication cost for collecting flow information in Software Defined Networks (SDN). Since flow-based information collecting method requires too much communication cost, and switch-based method proposed recently cannot benefit from controlling flow routing, jointly optimize flow routing and polling switch selection is proposed to reduce the communication cost. To this end, joint optimization problem is formulated as an Integer Linear Programming (ILP) model firstly. Since the ILP model is intractable in large size network, we also design an optimal algorithm for the multi-rooted tree topology and an efficient heuristic algorithm for general topology. According to extensive simulations, it is found that our method can save up to 55.76% communication cost compared with the state-of-the-art switch-based scheme. PMID:26690571

Feedwater temperature control methods and systems

DOEpatents

Moen, Stephan Craig; Noonan, Jack Patrick; Saha, Pradip

2014-04-22

A system for controlling the power level of a natural circulation boiling water nuclear reactor (NCBWR) is disclosed. The system, in accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, may include a controller configured to control a power output level of the NCBWR by controlling a heating subsystem to adjust a temperature of feedwater flowing into an annulus of the NCBWR. The heating subsystem may include a steam diversion line configured to receive steam generated by a core of the NCBWR and a steam bypass valve configured to receive commands from the controller to control a flow of the steam in the steam diversion line, wherein the steam received by the steam diversion line has not passed through a turbine. Additional embodiments of the invention may include a feedwater bypass valve for controlling an amount of flow of the feedwater through a heater bypass line to the annulus.

Heat And Mass Transfer Analysis of a Film Evaporative MEMS Tunable Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Neill, William J.

This thesis details the heat and mass transfer analysis of a MEMs microthruster designed to provide propulsive, attitude control and thermal control capabilities to a cubesat. This thruster is designed to function by retaining water as a propellant and applying resistive heating in order to increase the temperature of the liquid-vapor interface to either increase evaporation or induce boiling to regulate mass flow. The resulting vapor is then expanded out of a diverging nozzle to produce thrust. Because of the low operating pressure and small length scale of this thruster, unique forms of mass transfer analysis such as non-continuum gas flow were modeled using the Direct Simulation Monte Carlo method. Continuum fluid/thermal simulations using COMSOL Multiphysics have been applied to model heat and mass transfer in the solid and liquid portions of the thruster. The two methods were coupled through variables at the liquid-vapor interface and solved iteratively by the bisection method. The simulations presented in this thesis confirm the thermal valving concept. It is shown that when power is applied to the thruster there is a nearly linear increase in mass flow and thrust. Thus, mass flow can be regulated by regulating the applied power. This concept can also be used as a thermal control device for spacecraft.

Ultrasound Velocity Measurement in a Liquid Metal Electrode

PubMed Central

Perez, Adalberto; Kelley, Douglas H.

2015-01-01

A growing number of electrochemical technologies depend on fluid flow, and often that fluid is opaque. Measuring the flow of an opaque fluid is inherently more difficult than measuring the flow of a transparent fluid, since optical methods are not applicable. Ultrasound can be used to measure the velocity of an opaque fluid, not only at isolated points, but at hundreds or thousands of points arrayed along lines, with good temporal resolution. When applied to a liquid metal electrode, ultrasound velocimetry involves additional challenges: high temperature, chemical activity, and electrical conductivity. Here we describe the experimental apparatus and methods that overcome these challenges and allow the measurement of flow in a liquid metal electrode, as it conducts current, at operating temperature. Temperature is regulated within ±2 °C using a Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controller that powers a custom-built furnace. Chemical activity is managed by choosing vessel materials carefully and enclosing the experimental setup in an argon-filled glovebox. Finally, unintended electrical paths are carefully prevented. An automated system logs control settings and experimental measurements, using hardware trigger signals to synchronize devices. This apparatus and these methods can produce measurements that are impossible with other techniques, and allow optimization and control of electrochemical technologies like liquid metal batteries. PMID:26273726

Fine PM measurements: personal and indoor air monitoring.

PubMed

Jantunen, M; Hänninen, O; Koistinen, K; Hashim, J H

2002-12-01

This review compiles personal and indoor microenvironment particulate matter (PM) monitoring needs from recently set research objectives, most importantly the NRC published "Research Priorities for Airborne Particulate Matter (1998)". Techniques and equipment used to monitor PM personal exposures and microenvironment concentrations and the constituents of the sampled PM during the last 20 years are then reviewed. Development objectives are set and discussed for personal and microenvironment PM samplers and monitors, for filter materials, and analytical laboratory techniques for equipment calibration, filter weighing and laboratory climate control. The progress is leading towards smaller sample flows, lighter, silent, independent (battery powered) monitors with data logging capacity to store microenvironment or activity relevant sensor data, advanced flow controls and continuous recording of the concentration. The best filters are non-hygroscopic, chemically pure and inert, and physically robust against mechanical wear. Semiautomatic and primary standard equivalent positive displacement flow meters are replacing the less accurate methods in flow calibration, and also personal sampling flow rates should become mass flow controlled (with or without volumetric compensation for pressure and temperature changes). In the weighing laboratory the alternatives are climatic control (set temperature and relative humidity), and mechanically simpler thermostatic heating, air conditioning and dehumidification systems combined with numerical control of temperature, humidity and pressure effects on flow calibration and filter weighing.

Dynamic Exergy Method for Evaluating the Control and Operation of Oxy-Combustion Boiler Island Systems.

PubMed

Jin, Bo; Zhao, Haibo; Zheng, Chuguang; Liang, Zhiwu

2017-01-03

Exergy-based methods are widely applied to assess the performance of energy conversion systems; however, these methods mainly focus on a certain steady-state and have limited applications for evaluating the control impacts on system operation. To dynamically obtain the thermodynamic behavior and reveal the influences of control structures, layers and loops, on system energy performance, a dynamic exergy method is developed, improved, and applied to a complex oxy-combustion boiler island system for the first time. The three most common operating scenarios are studied, and the results show that the flow rate change process leads to less energy consumption than oxygen purity and air in-leakage change processes. The variation of oxygen purity produces the largest impact on system operation, and the operating parameter sensitivity is not affected by the presence of process control. The control system saves energy during flow rate and oxygen purity change processes, while it consumes energy during the air in-leakage change process. More attention should be paid to the oxygen purity change because it requires the largest control cost. In the control system, the supervisory control layer requires the greatest energy consumption and the largest control cost to maintain operating targets, while the steam control loops cause the main energy consumption.

Control of flow separation in a turbulent boundary layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Minjeong; Choi, Sangho; Choi, Haecheon

2015-11-01

Towards the development of successful control methods for separation delay in a turbulent boundary layer, we adopt a model flow field, in which a turbulent separation occurs above a flat plate (Na and Moin 1998 JFM), and apply controls to this flow for reducing the size of the separation bubble and investigating the interaction between the forcing and flow near the separation bubble. We provide a single-frequency forcing with zero net mass flow rate at the upstream of the separation bubble. At low forcing frequencies, spanwise vortices are generated and travel downstream, bringing high momentum toward the wall and reducing the size of the separation bubble. Also, these vortices cause the separation and reattachment points to travel downstream. On the other hand, at high forcing frequencies, the size of the separation bubble becomes smaller and larger in time, respectively, due to the pressure gradient alternating favorably and adversely in time. Supported by NRF-2011-0028032 and 2014048162.

Super resolution PLIF demonstrated in turbulent jet flows seeded with I2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Wenjiang; Liu, Ning; Ma, Lin

2018-05-01

Planar laser induced fluorescence (PLIF) represents an indispensable tool for flow and flame imaging. However, the PLIF technique suffers from limited spatial resolution or blurring in many situations, which restricts its applicability and capability. This work describes a new method, named SR-PLIF (super-resolution PLIF), to overcome these limitations and enhance the capability of PLIF. The method uses PLIF images captured simultaneously from two (or more) orientations to reconstruct a final PLIF image with resolution enhanced or blurring removed. This paper reports the development of the reconstruction algorithm, and the experimental demonstration of the SR-PLIF method both with controlled samples and with turbulent flows seeded with iodine vapor. Using controlled samples with two cameras, the spatial resolution in the best case was improved from 0.06 mm in the projections to 0.03 mm in the SR image, in terms of the spreading width of a sharp edge. With turbulent flows, an image sharpness measure was developed to quantify the spatial resolution, and SR reconstruction with two cameras can effectively improve the spatial resolution compared to the projections in terms of the sharpness measure.

SDTCP: Towards Datacenter TCP Congestion Control with SDN for IoT Applications

PubMed Central

Lu, Yifei; Ling, Zhen; Zhu, Shuhong; Tang, Ling

2017-01-01

The Internet of Things (IoT) has gained popularity in recent years. Today’s IoT applications are now increasingly deployed in cloud platforms to perform Big Data analytics. In cloud data center networks (DCN), TCP incast usually happens when multiple senders simultaneously communicate with a single receiver. However, when TCP incast happens, DCN may suffer from both throughput collapse for TCP burst flows and temporary starvation for TCP background flows. In this paper, we propose a software defined network (SDN)-based TCP congestion control mechanism, referred to as SDTCP, to leverage the features, e.g., centralized control methods and the global view of the network, in order to solve the TCP incast problems. When we detect network congestion on an OpenFlow switch, our controller can select the background flows and reduce their bandwidth by adjusting the advertised window of TCP ACK packets of the corresponding background flows so as to reserve more bandwidth for burst flows. SDTCP is transparent to the end systems and can accurately decelerate the rate of background flows by leveraging the global view of the network gained via SDN. The experiments demonstrate that our SDTCP can provide high tolerance for burst flows and achieve better flow completion time for short flows. Therefore, SDTCP is an effective and scalable solution for the TCP incast problem. PMID:28075347

Reverse matrix converter control method for PMSM drives using DPC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bak, Yeongsu; Lee, Kyo-Beum

2018-05-01

This paper proposes a control method for a reverse matrix converter (RMC) that drives a three-phase permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM). In this proposed method, direct power control (DPC) is used to control the voltage source rectifier of the RMC. The RMC is an indirect matrix converter operating in the boost mode, in which the power-flow directions of the input and output are switched. It has a minimum voltage transfer ratio of 1/0.866 in a linear-modulation region. In this paper, a control method that uses DPC as an additional control method is proposed in order to control the RMC driving a PMSM in the output stage. Simulations and experimental results verify the effectiveness of the proposed control method.

Suction and Blowing Flow Control on Airfoil for Drag Reduction in Subsonic Flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baljit, S. S.; Saad, M. R.; Nasib, A. Z.; Sani, A.; Rahman, M. R. A.; Idris, A. C.

2017-10-01

Lift force is produced from a pressure difference between the pressures acting in upper and lower surfaces. Therefore, flow becomes detached from the surface of the airfoil at separation point and form vortices. These vortices affect the aerodynamic performance of the airfoil in term of lift and drag coefficient. Therefore, this study is investigating the effect of suction and jet blowing in boundary layer separation control on NACA 0012 airfoil in a subsonic wind tunnel. The experiment examined both methods at the position of 25% of the chord-length of the airfoil at Reynolds number 1.2 × 105. The findings show that suction and jet blowing affect the aerodynamic performance of NACA 0012 airfoil and can be an effective means for boundary layer separation control in subsonic flow.

Towards DMD-Based Estimation and Control of Flow Separation using an Array of Surface Pressure Sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deem, Eric; Cattafesta, Louis; Zhang, Hao; Rowley, Clancy

2016-11-01

Closed-loop control of flow separation requires the spatio-temporal states of the flow to be fed back through the controller in real time. Previously, static and dynamic estimation methods have been employed that provide reduced-order model estimates of the POD-coefficients of the flow velocity using surface pressure measurements. However, this requires a "learning" dataset a priori. This approach is effective as long as the dynamics during control do not stray from the learning dataset. Since only a few dynamical features are required for feedback control of flow separation, many of the details provided by full-field snapshots are superfluous. This motivates a state-observation technique that extracts key dynamical features directly from surface pressure, without requiring PIV snapshots. The results of identifying DMD modes of separated flow through an array of surface pressure sensors in real-time are presented. This is accomplished by employing streaming DMD "on the fly" to surface pressure snapshots. These modal characteristics exhibit striking similarities to those extracted from PIV data and the pressure field obtained via solving Poisson's equation. Progress towards closed-loop separation control based on the dynamic modes of surface pressure will be discussed. Supported by AFOSR Grant FA9550-14-1-0289.

Method and apparatus for in-cell vacuuming of radiologically contaminated materials

DOEpatents

Spadaro, Peter R.; Smith, Jay E.; Speer, Elmer L.; Cecconi, Arnold L.

1987-01-01

A vacuum air flow operated cyclone separator arrangement for collecting, handling and packaging loose contaminated material in accordance with acceptable radiological and criticality control requirements. The vacuum air flow system includes a specially designed fail-safe prefilter installed upstream of the vacuum air flow power supply. The fail-safe prefilter provides in-cell vacuum system flow visualization and automatically reduces or shuts off the vacuum air flow in the event of an upstream prefilter failure. The system is effective for collecting and handling highly contaminated radiological waste in the form of dust, dirt, fuel element fines, metal chips and similar loose material in accordance with radiological and criticality control requirements for disposal by means of shipment and burial.

Is it all in the game? Flow experience and scientific practices during an INPLACE mobile game

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bressler, Denise M.

Mobile science learning games show promise for promoting scientific practices and high engagement. Researchers have quantified this engagement according to flow theory. Using an embedded mixed methods design, this study investigated whether an INPLACE mobile game promotes flow experience, scientific practices, and effective team collaboration. Students playing the game (n=59) were compared with students in a business-as-usual control activity (n=120). Using an open-ended instrument designed to measure scientific practices and a self-report flow survey, this study empirically assessed flow and learner's scientific practices. The game players had significantly higher levels of flow and scientific practices. Using a multiple case study approach, collaboration among game teams (n=3 teams) were qualitatively compared with control teams (n=3 teams). Game teams revealed not only higher levels of scientific practices but also higher levels of engaged responses and communal language. Control teams revealed lower levels of scientific practice along with higher levels of rejecting responses and command language. Implications for these findings are discussed.

Bluff-body drag reduction using a deflector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fourrié, Grégoire; Keirsbulck, Laurent; Labraga, Larbi; Gilliéron, Patrick

2011-02-01

A passive flow control on a generic car model was experimentally studied. This control consists of a deflector placed on the upper edge of the model rear window. The study was carried out in a wind tunnel at Reynolds numbers based on the model height of 3.1 × 105 and 7.7 × 105. The flow was investigated via standard and stereoscopic particle image velocimetry, Kiel pressure probes and surface flow visualization. The aerodynamic drag was measured using an external balance and calculated using a wake survey method. Drag reductions up to 9% were obtained depending on the deflector angle. The deflector increases the separated region on the rear window. The results show that when this separated region is wide enough, it disrupts the development of the counter-rotating longitudinal vortices appearing on the lateral edges of the rear window. The current study suggests that flow control on such geometries should consider all the flow structures that contribute to the model wake flow.

Process For Controlling Flow Rate Of Viscous Materials Including Use Of Nozzle With Changeable Openings

DOEpatents

Ellingson, William A.; Forster, George A.

1999-11-02

Apparatus and a method for controlling the flow rate of viscous materials through a nozzle includes an apertured main body and an apertured end cap coupled together and having an elongated, linear flow channel extending the length thereof. An end of the main body is disposed within the end cap and includes a plurality of elongated slots concentrically disposed about and aligned with the flow channel. A generally flat cam plate having a center aperture is disposed between the main body and end cap and is rotatable about the flow channel. A plurality of flow control vane assemblies are concentrically disposed about the flow channel and are coupled to the cam plate. Each vane assembly includes a vane element disposed adjacent the end of the flow channel. Rotation of the cam plate in a first direction causes a corresponding rotation of each of the vane elements for positioning the individual vane elements over the aperture in the end cap blocking flow through the flow channel, while rotation in an opposite direction removes the vane elements from the aperture and positions them about the flow channel in a nested configuration in the full open position, with a continuous range of vane element positions available between the full open and closed positions.

Data-based adjoint and H2 optimal control of the Ginzburg-Landau equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banks, Michael; Bodony, Daniel

2017-11-01

Equation-free, reduced-order methods of control are desirable when the governing system of interest is of very high dimension or the control is to be applied to a physical experiment. Two-phase flow optimal control problems, our target application, fit these criteria. Dynamic Mode Decomposition (DMD) is a data-driven method for model reduction that can be used to resolve the dynamics of very high dimensional systems and project the dynamics onto a smaller, more manageable basis. We evaluate the effectiveness of DMD-based forward and adjoint operator estimation when applied to H2 optimal control approaches applied to the linear and nonlinear Ginzburg-Landau equation. Perspectives on applying the data-driven adjoint to two phase flow control will be given. Office of Naval Research (ONR) as part of the Multidisciplinary University Research Initiatives (MURI) Program, under Grant Number N00014-16-1-2617.

Asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation for the analysis of PEG-asparaginase.

PubMed

John, C; Herz, T; Boos, J; Langer, K; Hempel, G

2016-01-01

Monomethoxypolyethylene glycol L-asparaginase (PEG-ASNASE) is the PEGylated version of the enzyme L-asparaginase (ASNASE). Both are used for remission induction in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). The treatment control is generally carried out by performing activity assays, though methods to determine the actual enzyme rather than its activity are rare. Using asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AF4) offered the chance to develop a method capable of simultaneously measuring PEG-ASNASE and PEG. A method validation was performed in accordance with FDA guidelines for PEG-ASNASE from non-biological solutions. The method unfolded a linearity of 15-750 U/mL with coefficients of correlation of r(2)>0.99. The coefficients of variation (CV) for within-run and between-run variability were 1.18-10.15% and 2.43-8.73%, respectively. Furthermore, the method was used to perform stability tests of the product Oncaspar® (PEG-ASNASE) and estimation of the molecular weight by multi-angle light scattering (MALS) of stressed samples to correlate them with the corresponding activity. The findings indicate that Oncaspar® stock solution should not be stored any longer than 24 h at room temperature and cannot be frozen in pure aqueous media. The validated method might be useful for the pharmaceutical industry and its quality control of PEG-ASNASE production. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Idle speed and fuel vapor recovery control system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Orzel, D.V.

1993-06-01

A method for controlling idling speed of an engine via bypass throttle connected in parallel to a primary engine throttle and for controlling purge flow through a vapor recovery system into an air/fuel intake of the engine is described, comprising the steps of: positioning the bypass throttle to decrease any difference between a desired engine idle speed and actual engine idle speed; and decreasing the purge flow when said bypass throttle position is less than a preselected fraction of a maximum bypass throttle position.

General theory of conical flows and its application to supersonic aerodynamics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Germain, Paul

1955-01-01

Points treated in this report are: homogeneous flows, the general study of conical flows with infinitesimal cone angles, the numerical or analogous methods for the study of flows flattened in one direction, and a certain number of results. A thorough consideration of the applications on conical flows and demonstration of how one may solve within the scope of linear theory, by combinations of conical flows, the general problems of the supersonic wing, taking into account dihedral and sweepback, and also fuselage and control surface effects.

Geophysical Assessment of the Control of a Jetty on a Barrier Beach and Estuary System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ulrich, C.; Hubbard, S. S.; Peterson, J.; Blom, K.; Black, W.; Delaney, C.; Mendoza, J.

2014-12-01

An evaluation is underway at the Goat Rock State Park, located at the mouth of the Russian River near Jenner, CA, to quantify the influence of a man made jetty on the functioning of a barrier beach and associated implications for estuary fish habitat and flood control. Flow through the beach results from water level differences between the estuary and the ocean. When the estuary is closed or perched, one of the major sources of outflow from the lagoon is seepage flow through the barrier beach. The location and design of the jetty could be altering subsurface flow paths through the jetty and possibly impeding subsurface flow where the jetty is still intact. This will result in unnatural connectivity between the ocean and the estuary leading to atypical surface water elevations and possibly salinity imbalance. We are monitoring seepage through the jetty and beach berm with multiple surface and borehole geophysical methods, including: electrical resistivity (ERT), seismic refraction (SR), ground penetrating radar (GPR), and electromagnetic methods (EM). We use SR data to characterize deeper bedrock controls on beach barrier functioning; ERT and EM methods to characterize the beach sediment layers that could contribute to preferential flow paths during tide cycles in addition to preferential flow paths created by the jetty structure; time-lapse ERT and EM data to monitor moisture changes and mixing of saline and fresh water within the beach berm, and borehole ERT and GPR data to delineate the geometry of the (often buried) jetty. Preliminary ERT and EM results indicate two preferential flow paths through zones of missing jetty structure, while time-lapse borehole ERT data is expected to image saltwater flow impedance in zones of intact jetty structure. All data are being integrated with topography, tidal, borehole, and hydrological information and the results of the assessment will enable the Sonoma County Water Agency to develop the feasibility of alternatives to the existing jetty that may help achieve target estuarine water surface elevations.

Flow Diode and Method for Controlling Fluid Flow Origin of the Invention

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dyson, Rodger W (Inventor)

2015-01-01

A flow diode configured to permit fluid flow in a first direction while preventing fluid flow in a second direction opposite the first direction is disclosed. The flow diode prevents fluid flow without use of mechanical closures or moving parts. The flow diode utilizes a bypass flowline whereby all fluid flow in the second direction moves into the bypass flowline having a plurality of tortuous portions providing high fluidic resistance. The portions decrease in diameter such that debris in the fluid is trapped. As fluid only travels in one direction through the portions, the debris remains trapped in the portions.

Investigation of aerodynamic design issues with regions of separated flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gally, Tom

1993-01-01

Existing aerodynamic design methods have generally concentrated on the optimization of airfoil or wing shapes to produce a minimum drag while satisfying some basic constraints such as lift, pitching moment, or thickness. Since the minimization of drag almost always precludes the existence of separated flow, the evaluation and validation of these design methods for their robustness and accuracy when separated flow is present has not been aggressively pursued. However, two new applications for these design tools may be expected to include separated flow and the issues of aerodynamic design with this feature must be addressed. The first application of the aerodynamic design tools is the design of airfoils or wings to provide an optimal performance over a wide range of flight conditions (multipoint design). While the definition of 'optimal performance' in the multipoint setting is currently being hashed out, it is recognized that given a wide range of flight conditions, it will not be possible to ensure a minimum drag constraint at all conditions, and in fact some amount of separated flow (presumably small) may have to be allowed at the more demanding flight conditions. Thus a multipoint design method must be tolerant of the existence of separated flow and may include some controls upon its extent. The second application is in the design of wings with extended high speed buffet boundaries of their flight envelopes. Buffet occurs on a wing when regions of flow separation have grown to the extent that their time varying pressures induce possible destructive effects upon the wing structure or adversely effect either the aircraft controllability or passenger comfort. A conservative approach to the expansion of the buffet flight boundary is to simply expand the flight envelope of nonseparated flow under the assumption that buffet will also thus be alleviated. However, having the ability to design a wing with separated flow and thus to control the location, extent and severity of the separated flow regions may allow aircraft manufacturers to gain an advantage in the early design stages of an aircraft, when configuration changes are relatively inexpensive to make. The goal of the summer research at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) was twofold: first, to investigate a particular airfoil design problem observed under conditions of strong shock induced flow separation on the upper surface of an airfoil at transonic conditions; and second, to suggest and investigate design methodologies for the prediction (or detection) and control of flow separation. The context of both investigations was to use an existing two dimensional Navier-Stokes flow solver and the constrained direct/iterative surface curvature (CDISC) design algorithm developed at LaRC. As a lead in to the primary task, it was necessary to gain a familiarity with both the design method and the computational analysis and to perform the FORTRAN coding needed to couple them together.

Design of a Single-Cell Positioning Controller Using Electroosmotic Flow and Image Processing

PubMed Central

Ay, Chyung; Young, Chao-Wang; Chen, Jhong-Yin

2013-01-01

The objective of the current research was not only to provide a fast and automatic positioning platform for single cells, but also improved biomolecular manipulation techniques. In this study, an automatic platform for cell positioning using electroosmotic flow and image processing technology was designed. The platform was developed using a PCI image acquisition interface card for capturing images from a microscope and then transferring them to a computer using human-machine interface software. This software was designed by the Laboratory Virtual Instrument Engineering Workbench, a graphical language for finding cell positions and viewing the driving trace, and the fuzzy logic method for controlling the voltage or time of an electric field. After experiments on real human leukemic cells (U-937), the success of the cell positioning rate achieved by controlling the voltage factor reaches 100% within 5 s. A greater precision is obtained when controlling the time factor, whereby the success rate reaches 100% within 28 s. Advantages in both high speed and high precision are attained if these two voltage and time control methods are combined. The control speed with the combined method is about 5.18 times greater than that achieved by the time method, and the control precision with the combined method is more than five times greater than that achieved by the voltage method. PMID:23698272

Yield-stress fluids foams: flow patterns and controlled production in T-junction and flow-focusing devices.

PubMed

Laborie, Benoit; Rouyer, Florence; Angelescu, Dan E; Lorenceau, Elise

2016-11-23

We study the formation of yield-stress fluid foams in millifluidic flow-focusing and T-junction devices. First, we provide a phase diagram for the unsteady operating regimes of bubble production when the gas pressure and the yield-stress fluid flow rate are imposed. Three regimes are identified: a co-flow of gas and yield-stress fluid, a transient production of bubble and a flow of yield-stress fluid only. Taking wall slip into account, we provide a model for the pressure at the onset of bubble formation. Then, we detail and compare two simple methods to ensure steady bubble production: regulation of the gas pressure or flow-rate. These techniques, which are easy to implement, thus open pathways for controlled production of dry yield-stress fluid foams as shown at the end of this article.

Asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation for human serum albumin based nanoparticle characterisation and a deeper insight into particle formation processes.

PubMed

John, C; Langer, K

2014-06-13

Nanoparticles used as drug delivery systems are of growing interest in the pharmaceutical field. Understanding the behaviour and effects of nanosystems in the human body is dependent on comprehensive characterisation of the systems especially with regard to size and size distribution. Asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AF4) is a promising method for this challenge as this technique enables chromatographic separation of particles and solute molecules according to their respective size. Within this study AF4 was used for the characterisation of human serum albumin (HSA) based nanoparticles. In a first part, the most important aspects of method development like the choice of cross flow rate, focusing and the increase of sample concentration via outlet stream splitting on the sample separation were evaluated. Sample fractionation was controlled by inline-coupling of a dynamic light scattering detector (DLS, Zetasizer) and was confirmed by DLS batch mode measurements. In a second part the applicability of field-flow fractionation for characterisation of the HSA particle formation process by a desolvation method was evaluated. A time dependent particle formation was observed which was controlled by the amount of desolvating agent. Furthermore, field-flow fractionation in combination with in-line dynamic light scattering was used to monitor the increase of particle diameter during PEGylation of the resulting HSA nanoparticles. The separation of nanoparticles from dissolved polyethylene glycol (PEG) could successfully be used for determination of the particles' PEGylation degree. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Instability of cooperative adaptive cruise control traffic flow: A macroscopic approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ngoduy, D.

2013-10-01

This paper proposes a macroscopic model to describe the operations of cooperative adaptive cruise control (CACC) traffic flow, which is an extension of adaptive cruise control (ACC) traffic flow. In CACC traffic flow a vehicle can exchange information with many preceding vehicles through wireless communication. Due to such communication the CACC vehicle can follow its leader at a closer distance than the ACC vehicle. The stability diagrams are constructed from the developed model based on the linear and nonlinear stability method for a certain model parameter set. It is found analytically that CACC vehicles enhance the stabilization of traffic flow with respect to both small and large perturbations compared to ACC vehicles. Numerical simulation is carried out to support our analytical findings. Based on the nonlinear stability analysis, we will show analytically and numerically that the CACC system better improves the dynamic equilibrium capacity over the ACC system. We have argued that in parallel to microscopic models for CACC traffic flow, the newly developed macroscopic will provide a complete insight into the dynamics of intelligent traffic flow.

Application of the Moment Method in the Slip and Transition Regime for Microfluidic Flows

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

systems ( MEMS ), fluid flow at the micro- and nano-scale has received considerable attention [1]. A basic understanding of the nature of flow and heat ...Couette Flow Many MEMS devices contain oscillating parts where air (viscous) damping plays an important role. To understand the damping mechanisms...transfer in these devices is considered essential for efficient design and control of MEMS . Engineering applications for gas microflows include

Electroosmotic flow and mixing in microchannels with the lattice Boltzmann method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, G. H.; Li, Zhuo; Wang, J. K.; He, Y. L.; Tao, W. Q.

2006-11-01

Understanding the electroosmotic flow in microchannels is of both fundamental and practical significance for the design and optimization of various microfluidic devices to control fluid motion. In this paper, a lattice Boltzmann equation, which recovers the nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann equation, is used to solve the electric potential distribution in the electrolytes, and another lattice Boltzmann equation, which recovers the Navier-Stokes equation including the external force term, is used to solve the velocity fields. The method is validated by the electric potential distribution in the electrolytes and the pressure driven pulsating flow. Steady-state and pulsating electroosmotic flows in two-dimensional parallel uniform and nonuniform charged microchannels are studied with this lattice Boltzmann method. The simulation results show that the heterogeneous surface potential distribution and the electroosmotic pulsating flow can induce chaotic advection and thus enhance the mixing in microfluidic systems efficiently.

Flow Control in a Compact Inlet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vaccaro, John C.

2011-12-01

An experimental investigation of flow control, via various control jets actuators, was undertaken to eliminate separation and secondary flows in a compact inlet. The compact inlet studied was highly aggressive with a length-to-diameter ratio of 1.5. A brand new facility was designed and built to enable various actuation methodologies as well as multiple measurement techniques. Techniques included static surface pressure, total pressure, and stereoscopic particle image velocimetry. Experimental data were supplemented with numerical simulations courtesy of Prof. Kenneth Jansen, Dr. Onkar Sahni, and Yi Chen. The baseline flow field was found to be dominated by two massive separations and secondary flow structures. These secondary structures were present at the aerodynamic interface plane in the form of two counter-rotating vortices inducing upwash along centerline. A dominant shedding frequency of 350 Hz was measured both at the aerodynamic interface plane and along the lower surface of the inlet. Flow control experiments started utilizing a pair of control jets placed in streamwise locations where flow was found to separate. Tests were performed for a range of inlet Mach numbers from 0.2 to 0.44. Steady and unsteady static pressure measurements along the upper and lower walls of the duct were performed for various combinations of actuation. The parameters that were tested include the control jets momentum coefficient, their blowing ratio, the actuation frequency, as well as different combinations of jets. It was shown that using mass flux ratio as a criterion to define flow control is not sufficient, and one needs to provide both the momentum coefficient and the blowing ratio to quantify the flow control performance. A detailed study was undertaken on controlling the upstream separation point for an inlet Mach number of 0.44. Similar to the baseline flow field, the flow field associated with the activation of a two-dimensional control jet actuator was dominated by secondary flow structures. Unlike the baseline, these secondary flow structures produced downwash along the centerline. The formation of such structures was caused by the core flow stagnating on the lower surface near the aerodynamic interface plane. Using the two-dimensional steady jet resulted in an increase in the spanwise flow within the inlet and a reduction in the energy content of the 350 Hz shedding frequency. Unsteady forcing did not show much improvement over steady forcing for this configuration. A spanwise varying control jet and a hybrid Coanda jet / vortex generator jets were tested to reduce the three-dimensionality of the flow field. It was found that anytime the flow control method suppressed separation along the centerline, counter-rotating vortices existed in the lower corners of the aerodynamic interface plane.

Characterization of an induced pressure pumping force for microfluidics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Hai; Fan, Na; Peng, Bei; Weng, Xuan

2017-05-01

The electro-osmotic pumping and pressure-driven manipulation of fluids are considered as the most common strategies in microfluidic devices. However, both of them exhibit major disadvantages such as hard integration and high reagent consumption, and they are destructive methods for detection and photo bleaching. In this paper, an electric field-effect flow control approach, combining the electro-osmotic pumping force and the pressure-driven pumping force, was developed to generate the induced pressure-driven flow in a T-shaped microfluidic chip. Electro-osmotic flow between the T-intersection and two reservoirs was demonstrated, and it provided a stable, continuous, and electric field-free flow in the section of the microchannel without the electrodes. The velocity of the induced pressure-driven flow was linearly proportional to the applied voltages. Both numerical and experimental investigations were conducted to prove the concept, and the experimental results showed good agreement with the numerical simulations. In comparison to other induced pressure pumping methods, this approach can induce a high and controllable pressure drop in the electric field-free segment, subsequently causing an induced pressure-driven flow for transporting particles or biological cells. In addition, the generation of bubbles and the blocking of the microchannel are avoided.

Reynolds number dependence of large-scale friction control in turbulent channel flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Canton, Jacopo; Örlü, Ramis; Chin, Cheng; Schlatter, Philipp

2016-12-01

The present work investigates the effectiveness of the control strategy introduced by Schoppa and Hussain [Phys. Fluids 10, 1049 (1998), 10.1063/1.869789] as a function of Reynolds number (Re). The skin-friction drag reduction method proposed by these authors, consisting of streamwise-invariant, counter-rotating vortices, was analyzed by Canton et al. [Flow, Turbul. Combust. 97, 811 (2016), 10.1007/s10494-016-9723-8] in turbulent channel flows for friction Reynolds numbers (Reτ) corresponding to the value of the original study (i.e., 104) and 180. For these Re, a slightly modified version of the method proved to be successful and was capable of providing a drag reduction of up to 18%. The present study analyzes the Reynolds number dependence of this drag-reducing strategy by performing two sets of direct numerical simulations (DNS) for Reτ=360 and 550. A detailed analysis of the method as a function of the control parameters (amplitude and wavelength) and Re confirms, on the one hand, the effectiveness of the large-scale vortices at low Re and, on the other hand, the decreasing and finally vanishing effectiveness of this method for higher Re. In particular, no drag reduction can be achieved for Reτ=550 for any combination of the parameters controlling the vortices. For low Reynolds numbers, the large-scale vortices are able to affect the near-wall cycle and alter the wall-shear-stress distribution to cause an overall drag reduction effect, in accordance with most control strategies. For higher Re, instead, the present method fails to penetrate the near-wall region and cannot induce the spanwise velocity variation observed in other more established control strategies, which focus on the near-wall cycle. Despite the negative outcome, the present results demonstrate the shortcomings of the control strategy and show that future focus should be on methods that directly target the near-wall region or other suitable alternatives.

System and method for continuous solids slurry depressurization

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leininger, Thomas Frederick; Steele, Raymond Douglas; Cordes, Stephen Michael

A system includes a first pump having a first outlet and a first inlet, and a controller. The first pump is configured to continuously receive a flow of a slurry into the first outlet at a first pressure and to continuously discharge the flow of the slurry from the first inlet at a second pressure less than the first pressure. The controller is configured to control a first speed of the first pump against the flow of the slurry based at least in part on the first pressure, wherein the first speed of the first pump is configured to resistmore » a backflow of the slurry from the first outlet to the first inlet.« less

Numerical simulation of separated flows. Ph.D. Thesis - Stanford Univ., Calif.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spalart, P. R.; Leonard, A.; Baganoff, D.

1983-01-01

A new numerical method, based on the Vortex Method, for the simulation of two-dimensional separated flows, was developed and tested on a wide range of gases. The fluid is incompressible and the Reynolds number is high. A rigorous analytical basis for the representation of the Navier-Stokes equation in terms of the vorticity is used. An equation for the control of circulation around each body is included. An inviscid outer flow (computed by the Vortex Method) was coupled with a viscous boundary layer flow (computed by an Eulerian method). This version of the Vortex Method treats bodies of arbitrary shape, and accurately computes the pressure and shear stress at the solid boundary. These two quantities reflect the structure of the boundary layer. Several versions of the method are presented and applied to various problems, most of which have massive separation. Comparison of its results with other results, generally experimental, demonstrates the reliability and the general accuracy of the new method, with little dependence on empirical parameters. Many of the complex features of the flow past a circular cylinder, over a wide range of Reynolds numbers, are correctly reproduced.

An in vitro test bench reproducing coronary blood flow signals.

PubMed

Chodzyński, Kamil Jerzy; Boudjeltia, Karim Zouaoui; Lalmand, Jacques; Aminian, Adel; Vanhamme, Luc; de Sousa, Daniel Ribeiro; Gremmo, Simone; Bricteux, Laurent; Renotte, Christine; Courbebaisse, Guy; Coussement, Grégory

2015-08-07

It is a known fact that blood flow pattern and more specifically the pulsatile time variation of shear stress on the vascular wall play a key role in atherogenesis. The paper presents the conception, the building and the control of a new in vitro test bench that mimics the pulsatile flows behavior based on in vivo measurements. An in vitro cardiovascular simulator is alimented with in vivo constraints upstream and provided with further post-processing analysis downstream in order to mimic the pulsatile in vivo blood flow quantities. This real-time controlled system is designed to perform real pulsatile in vivo blood flow signals to study endothelial cells' behavior under near physiological environment. The system is based on an internal model controller and a proportional-integral controller that controls a linear motor with customized piston pump, two proportional-integral controllers that control the mean flow rate and temperature of the medium. This configuration enables to mimic any resulting blood flow rate patterns between 40 and 700 ml/min. In order to feed the system with reliable periodic flow quantities in vivo measurements were performed. Data from five patients (1 female, 4 males; ages 44-63) were filtered and post-processed using the Newtonian Womersley's solution. These resulting flow signals were compared with 2D axisymmetric, numerical simulation using a Carreau non-Newtonian model to validate the approximation of a Newtonian behavior. This in vitro test bench reproduces the measured flow rate time evolution and the complexity of in vivo hemodynamic signals within the accuracy of the relative error below 5%. This post-processing method is compatible with any real complex in vivo signal and demonstrates the heterogeneity of pulsatile patterns in coronary arteries among of different patients. The comparison between analytical and numerical solution demonstrate the fair quality of the Newtonian Womersley's approximation. Therefore, Womersley's solution was used to calculate input flow rate for the in vitro test bench.

A Reduced Order Model of the Linearized Incompressible Navier-Strokes Equations for the Sensor/Actuator Placement Problem

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allan, Brian G.

2000-01-01

A reduced order modeling approach of the Navier-Stokes equations is presented for the design of a distributed optimal feedback kernel. This approach is based oil a Krylov subspace method where significant modes of the flow are captured in the model This model is then used in all optimal feedback control design where sensing and actuation is performed oil tile entire flow field. This control design approach yields all optimal feedback kernel which provides insight into the placement of sensors and actuators in the flow field. As all evaluation of this approach, a two-dimensional shear layer and driven cavity flow are investigated.

Generation of Microbubbles with Applications to Industry and Medicine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodríguez-Rodríguez, Javier; Sevilla, Alejandro; Martínez-Bazán, Carlos; Gordillo, José Manuel

2015-01-01

We provide a comprehensive and systematic description of the diverse microbubble generation methods recently developed to satisfy emerging technological, pharmaceutical, and medical demands. We first introduce a theoretical framework unifying the physics of bubble formation in the wide variety of existing types of generators. These devices are then classified according to the way the bubbling process is controlled: outer liquid flows (e.g., coflows, cross flows, and flow-focusing flows), acoustic forcing, and electric fields. We also address modern techniques developed to produce bubbles coated with surfactants and liquid shells. The stringent requirements to precisely control the bubbling frequency, the bubble size, and the properties of the coating make microfluidics the natural choice to implement such techniques.

Low-Contamination Vibrating Feeder for Silicon Chips

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mackintosh, B. H.

1984-01-01

Vibratory feeding is method of controlling flow of small oddly shaped particles. Technique applied to other materials that require contamination control by feeding material through vibrating troughs topped by particular material.

Active control of panel vibrations induced by boundary-layer flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chow, Pao-Liu

1991-01-01

Some problems in active control of panel vibration excited by a boundary layer flow over a flat plate are studied. In the first phase of the study, the optimal control problem of vibrating elastic panel induced by a fluid dynamical loading was studied. For a simply supported rectangular plate, the vibration control problem can be analyzed by a modal analysis. The control objective is to minimize the total cost functional, which is the sum of a vibrational energy and the control cost. By means of the modal expansion, the dynamical equation for the plate and the cost functional are reduced to a system of ordinary differential equations and the cost functions for the modes. For the linear elastic plate, the modes become uncoupled. The control of each modal amplitude reduces to the so-called linear regulator problem in control theory. Such problems can then be solved by the method of adjoint state. The optimality system of equations was solved numerically by a shooting method. The results are summarized.

Separation Control at Flight Reynolds Numbers: Lessons Learned and Future Directions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pack, LaTunia G.; Seifert, Avi

2000-01-01

Active separation control, using periodic excitation, was studied experimentally at high Reynolds numbers. The effects of compressibility, mild sweep, location of excitation slot and steady momentum transfer on the efficacy of the method were identified. Tests conducted at chord Reynolds numbers as high as 40 x 10(exp 6) demonstrated that active control using oscillatory flow excitation can effectively delay flow separation from, and reattach separated flow to aerodynamic surfaces at flight conditions. The effective frequencies generate one to four vortices over the controlled region at all times, regardless of the Reynolds number. The vortices are initially amplified by the separated shear-layer, and after initiating reattachment, the strength of the vortices decay as they are convected downstream. Large amplitude, low frequency vortices break down to smaller ones upon introduction at the excitation slot. The effects of steady mass transfer were compared to those of periodic excitation. It was found that steady blowing is significantly inferior to periodic excitation in terms of performance benefits and that the response to steady blowing is abrupt, and therefore undesirable from a control point of view. Steady suction and periodic excitation are comparable in effectiveness and both exhibit a gradual response to changes in the magnitude of the control input. The combination of weak steady suction and periodic excitation is extremely effective while the addition of steady blowing could be detrimental. Compressibility effects are weak as long as separation is not caused by a shock-wave/boundary-layer interaction. The undesirable effects of the shock-induced separation could be alleviated by the introduction of periodic excitation upstream of the shock wave, inside the region of supersonic flow. The effects of mild sweep were also studied and periodic excitation was found to be very effective in reattaching three-dimensional separated flow. Scaling laws that correlate 2D and 3D controlled flows were tested and verified. Several performance benefits could be gained by applying the method to existing configurations, but it is expected that the full potential of the method can only be realized through the design of new configurations. A comprehensive, fully turbulent, database was generated in order to guide the development, and enable validation, of candidate unsteady CFD design tools.

Separation Control at Flight Reynolds Numbers: Lessons Learned and Future Directions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seifert, Avi; Pack, LaTunia G.

2000-01-01

Active separation control, using periodic excitation, was studied experimentally at high Reynolds numbers. The effects of compressibility, mild sweep, location o excitation slot and steady momentum transfer on the efficacy of the method were identified. Tests conducted at chord Reynolds numbers as high as 40 x 10(exp 6) demonstrated that active control using oscillatory flow excitation can effectively delay flow separation from and reattach separated flow to aerodynamic surfaces at flight conditions. The effective frequencies generate one to four vortices over the controlled region at all times, regardless of the Reynolds number. The vortices are initially amplified by the separated shear-layer, and after initiating reattachment, the strength of the vortices decay as they are convected downstream. Large amplitude, low frequency vortices break down to smaller ones upon introduction at the excitation slot. The effects of steady mass transfer were compared to those of periodic excitation. It was found that steady blowing is significantly inferior to periodic excitation in terms o performance benefits and that the response to steady blowing is abrupt, and therefore undesirable from a control point of view. Steady suction and periodic excitation are comparable in effectiveness and both exhibit a gradual response to changes in the magnitude of the control input. The combination of weak steady suction and periodic excitation is extremely effective while the addition of steady blowing could be detrimental. Compressibility effects are weak as long as separation is not caused by a shock-wave/boundary-layer interaction The undesirable effects of the shock-induced separation could be alleviated by the introduction of periodic excitation upstream of the shock wave, inside the region of supersonic flow. The effects of mild sweep were also studied and periodic excitation was found to be very effective in reattaching three-dimensional separated flow. Scaling laws that correlate 2D and 3D controlled flows were tested and verified. Several performance benefits could be gained by applying the method to existing configurations, but it is expected that the full potential of the method can only be realized through the design of new configurations. A comprehensive, fully turbulent, database was generated in order to guide the development, and enable validation, of candidate unsteady CFD design tools.

Electro-osmotically driven liquid delivery method and apparatus

DOEpatents

Rakestraw, D.J.; Anex, D.S.; Yan, C.; Dadoo, R.; Zare, R.N.

1999-08-24

Method and apparatus are disclosed for controlling precisely the composition and delivery of liquid at sub-{micro}L/min flow rate. One embodiment of such a delivery system is an electro-osmotically driven gradient flow delivery system that generates dynamic gradient flows with sub-{micro}L/min flow rates by merging a plurality of electro-osmotic flows. These flows are delivered by a plurality of delivery arms attached to a mixing connector, where they mix and then flow into a receiving means, preferably a column. Each inlet of the plurality of delivery arms is placed in a corresponding solution reservoir. A plurality of independent programmable high-voltage power supplies is used to apply a voltage program to each of the plurality of solution reservoirs to regulate the electro-osmotic flow in each delivery arm. The electro-osmotic flow rates in the delivery arms are changed with time according to each voltage program to deliver the required gradient profile to the column. 4 figs.

Systems and methods for controlling diesel engine emissions

DOEpatents

Webb, Cynthia Chaffin; Weber, Phillip Anthony; Khair, Magdi K.

2004-06-01

Systems and methods for controlling diesel engine emissions, including, for example, oxides of nitrogen emissions, particulate matter emissions, and the like. The emission control system according to this invention is provided in the exhaust passageway of a diesel engine and includes a catalyst-based particulate filter; and first and second lean NO.sub.x trap systems coupled to the catalyst-based particulate filter. The first and second lean NO.sub.x trap systems are arranged in a parallel flow configuration with each other. Each of the first and second lean NO.sub.x trap systems include a carbon monoxide generating catalyst device, a sulfur trap device, a lean NO.sub.x device, a supplemental fuel injector device, and a plurality of flow diverter devices.

Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Turbulent Transport Control via Shaping of Radial Plasma Flow Profiles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gilmore, Mark Allen

Turbulence, and turbulence-driven transport are ubiquitous in magnetically confined plasmas, where there is an intimate relationship between turbulence, transport, instability driving mechanisms (such as gradients), plasma flows, and flow shear. Though many of the detailed physics of the interrelationship between turbulence, transport, drive mechanisms, and flow remain unclear, there have been many demonstrations that transport and/or turbulence can be suppressed or reduced via manipulations of plasma flow profiles. This is well known in magnetic fusion plasmas [e.g., high confinement mode (H-mode) and internal transport barriers (ITB’s)], and has also been demonstrated in laboratory plasmas. However, it may be that themore » levels of particle transport obtained in such cases [e.g. H-mode, ITB’s] are actually lower than is desirable for a practical fusion device. Ideally, one would be able to actively feedback control the turbulent transport, via manipulation of the flow profiles. The purpose of this research was to investigate the feasibility of using both advanced model-based control algorithms, as well as non-model-based algorithms, to control cross-field turbulence-driven particle transport through appropriate manipulation of radial plasma flow profiles. The University of New Mexico was responsible for the experimental portion of the project, while our collaborators at the University of Montana provided plasma transport modeling, and collaborators at Lehigh University developed and explored control methods.« less

Thermodynamic evaluation of transonic compressor rotors using the finite volume approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nicholson, S.; Moore, J.

1986-01-01

A method was developed which calculates two-dimensional, transonic, viscous flow in ducts. The finite volume, time marching formulation is used to obtain steady flow solutions of the Reynolds-averaged form of the Navier Stokes equations. The entire calculation is performed in the physical domain. The method is currently limited to the calculation of attached flows. The features of the current method can be summarized as follows. Control volumes are chosen so that smoothing of flow properties, typically required for stability, is now needed. Different time steps are used in the different governing equations to improve the convergence speed of the viscous calculations. A new pressure interpolation scheme is introduced which improves the shock capturing ability of the method. A multi-volume method for pressure changes in the boundary layer allows calculations which use very long and thin control volumes. A special discretization technique is also used to stabilize these calculations. A special formulation of the energy equation is used to provide improved transient behavior of solutions which use the full energy equation. The method is then compared with a wide variety of test cases. The freestream Mach numbers range from 0.075 to 2.8 in the calculations. Transonic viscous flow in a converging diverging nozzle is calculated with the method; the Mach number upstream of the shock is approximately 1.25. The agreement between the calculated and measured shock strength and total pressure losses is good. Essentially incompressible turbulent boundary layer flow in a adverse pressure gradient is calculated and the computed distribution of mean velocity and shear stress are in good agreement with the measurements. At the other end of the Mach number range, a flat plate turbulent boundary layer with a freestream Mach number of 2.8 is calculated using the full energy equation; the computed total temperature distribution and recovery factor agree well with the measurements when a variable Prandtl number is used through the boundary layer.

End-to-End Flow Control for Visual-Haptic Communication under Bandwidth Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yashiro, Daisuke; Tian, Dapeng; Yakoh, Takahiro

This paper proposes an end-to-end flow controller for visual-haptic communication. A visual-haptic communication system transmits non-real-time packets, which contain large-size visual data, and real-time packets, which contain small-size haptic data. When the transmission rate of visual data exceeds the communication bandwidth, the visual-haptic communication system becomes unstable owing to buffer overflow. To solve this problem, an end-to-end flow controller is proposed. This controller determines the optimal transmission rate of visual data on the basis of the traffic conditions, which are estimated by the packets for haptic communication. Experimental results confirm that in the proposed method, a short packet-sending interval and a short delay are achieved under bandwidth change, and thus, high-precision visual-haptic communication is realized.

Control-Volume Analysis Of Thrust-Augmenting Ejectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Drummond, Colin K.

1990-01-01

New method of analysis of transient flow in thrust-augmenting ejector based on control-volume formulation of governing equations. Considered as potential elements of propulsion subsystems of short-takeoff/vertical-landing airplanes.

18 CFR 806.25 - Water conservation standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

..., as applicable, by all classes of users. (ii) Prepare and distribute literature to customers... meters or other suitable devices or utilize acceptable flow measuring methods for accurate determination of water use by various parts of the company operation. (3) Install flow control devices which match...

18 CFR 806.25 - Water conservation standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

..., as applicable, by all classes of users. (ii) Prepare and distribute literature to customers... meters or other suitable devices or utilize acceptable flow measuring methods for accurate determination of water use by various parts of the company operation. (3) Install flow control devices which match...

18 CFR 806.25 - Water conservation standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

..., as applicable, by all classes of users. (ii) Prepare and distribute literature to customers... meters or other suitable devices or utilize acceptable flow measuring methods for accurate determination of water use by various parts of the company operation. (3) Install flow control devices which match...

Lipid tubules Formed by Flow-Controlled Hydration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Jing; Hirst, Linda S.

2007-03-01

Self-assembled cylindrical tubules from lipid molecules have attracted considerable attention because of their interesting supramolecular structures and technological applications. Schnur et al. [1] reported the formation of tubular microstructures from a series of diacetylenic phospholipids after liposomes were cooled through their chain melting transition. After that, several methods have been developed to fabricate such unique microstructures mainly by means of deforming preformed Giant unilamellar vesicles. Here we present a simple strategy to construct lipid microtubules through a flow-controlled lipid hydration. Fluorescent microscopy and Confocal Laser Microscopy were used to visualize the formation and the structure of the lipid tubules. Tubules were found to develop following the direction of the dynamic flow with highly parallel alignment. At high flow speeds, partial cross-linking of the lipid tubules was observed. To demonstrate the generality of this method, different types of phospholipids, such as Phosphatidic Acid (PA), Phosphatidylserine (PS), Phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), and Phosphatidylglycerol (PG) were investigated. [1] J.M. Schnur et al, Science, 264, 945 (1994).

The Design and Analysis of Helium Turbine Expander Impeller with a Given All-Over-Controlled Vortex Distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xiaodong; Fu, Bao; Zhuang, Ming

2014-03-01

To make the large-scale helium cryogenic system of fusion device EAST (experimental advanced super-conducting tokamak) run stably, as the core part, the helium turbine expander must meet the requirement of refrigeration capacity. However, previous designs were based on one dimension flow to determine the average fluid parameters and geometric parameters of impeller cross-sections, so that it could not describe real physical processes in the internal flow of the turbine expander. Therefore, based on the inverse proposition of streamline curvature method in the context of quasi-three-dimensional flows, the all-over-controlled vortex concept was adopted to design the impeller under specified condition. The wrap angle of the impeller blade and the whole flow distribution on the meridian plane were obtained; meanwhile the performance of the designed impeller was analyzed. Thus a new design method is proposed here for the inverse proposition of the helium turbine expander impeller.

Flow-induced fiber deformation in a confined microchannel: in situ mechanical testing of gels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duprat, Camille; Berthet, Helene; Wexler, Jason; Du Roure, Olivia; Lindner, Anke

2014-11-01

Photopolymerized hydrogels are a functional template for micro-particle fabrication, microflowsensors and microbiology experiments. The control and knowledge of their mechanical properties are paramount to many applications. We have designed a novel robust method to determine these properties. We measure the deformation of a gel beam of precisely controlled shape, under a controlled flow forcing, which provides a direct measurement of the Young's modulus of the gel upon its fabrication. We then use this method to determine the mechanical properties of the commonly used poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) under various experimental conditions. The mechanical properties of the gel can be highly tuned, yielding two orders of magnitude in the Young's modulus. We provide a simple control parameter, the UV exposure time, to have a great control over the network properties, and rationalize these observations by studying the kinetics of the polymerization reaction.

Test Methodologies for Hydrogen Sensor Performance Assessment: Chamber vs. Flow Through Test Apparatus: Preprint

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Buttner, William J; Hartmann, Kevin S; Schmidt, Kara

Certification of hydrogen sensors to standards often prescribes using large-volume test chambers [1, 2]. However, feedback from stakeholders such as sensor manufacturers and end-users indicate that chamber test methods are often viewed as too slow and expensive for routine assessment. Flow through test methods potentially are an efficient, cost-effective alternative for sensor performance assessment. A large number of sensors can be simultaneously tested, in series or in parallel, with an appropriate flow through test fixture. The recent development of sensors with response times of less than 1s mandates improvements in equipment and methodology to properly capture the performance of thismore » new generation of fast sensors; flow methods are a viable approach for accurate response and recovery time determinations, but there are potential drawbacks. According to ISO 26142 [1], flow through test methods may not properly simulate ambient applications. In chamber test methods, gas transport to the sensor can be dominated by diffusion which is viewed by some users as mimicking deployment in rooms and other confined spaces. Alternatively, in flow through methods, forced flow transports the gas to the sensing element. The advective flow dynamics may induce changes in the sensor behaviour relative to the quasi-quiescent condition that may prevail in chamber test methods. One goal of the current activity in the JRC and NREL sensor laboratories [3, 4] is to develop a validated flow through apparatus and methods for hydrogen sensor performance testing. In addition to minimizing the impact on sensor behaviour induced by differences in flow dynamics, challenges associated with flow through methods include the ability to control environmental parameters (humidity, pressure and temperature) during the test and changes in the test gas composition induced by chemical reactions with upstream sensors. Guidelines on flow through test apparatus design and protocols for the evaluation of hydrogen sensor performance are being developed. Various commercial sensor platforms (e.g., thermal conductivity, catalytic and metal semiconductor) were used to demonstrate the advantages and issues with the flow through methodology.« less

A protocol for characterizing the impact of collateral flow after distal middle cerebral artery occlusion

PubMed Central

DeFazio, R. Anthony; Levy, Sean; Morales, Carmen L.; Levy, Rebecca V.; Dave, Kunjan R.; Lin, Hung W.; Abaffy, Tatjana; Watson, Brant D.; Perez-Pinzon, Miguel A.; Ohanna, Victoria

2010-01-01

I. SUMMARY In humans and in animal models of stroke, collateral blood flow between territories of the major pial arteries has a profound impact on cortical infarct size. However, there is a gap in our understanding of the genetic determinants of collateral formation and flow, as well as the signaling pathways and neurovascular interactions regulating this flow. Previous studies have demonstrated that collateral flow between branches of the anterior cerebral artery (ACA) and the middle cerebral artery (MCA) can protect mouse cortex from infarction after middle cerebral artery occlusion. Because the number and diameter of collaterals varies among mouse strains and after transgenic manipulations, a combination of methods is required to control for these variations. Here, we report an inexpensive approach to characterizing the cerebrovascular anatomy, and in vivo monitoring of cerebral blood flow as well. Further, we introduce a new, minimally invasive method for the occlusion of distal MCA branches. These methods will permit a new generation of studies on the mechanisms regulating collateral remodeling and cortical blood flow after stroke. PMID:21593993

Flow control for a paper-based microfluidic device by adjusting permeability of paper

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jang, Ilhoon; Kim, Gangjune; Song, Simon

2014-11-01

The paper-based microfluidics has attracted intensive attention as a prospective substitute for conventional microfluidic substrates used for a point-of-care diagnostics due to its superior advantages such as the cost effectiveness and production simplicity. Generally, a paper-based microfluidic device utilizes capillary force to drive a flow. Recent studies on flow control in such a device aimed at obtaining accurate and quantitative results by varying a channel geometry like width and length. According to the Darcy's law describing a flow in a porous media like paper, a flow rate can be adjusted the permeability of paper. In this study, we investigate a flow control method by adjusting the permeability of paper. We utilize the wax printing for the adjustment and the fabrication of paper channels. A rectangular wax pattern was printed on one inlet channel of a Y-channel geometry. By varying the brightness of the wax pattern, a relationship between the flow rate and permeability changes due to the wax was investigated. As a result, we obtained an effective permeability contour with respect to the wax pattern length and brightness. In addition, we developed a paper-based micromixer of which the mixing ratio was controlled precisely by adjusting the permeability.

The flow patterning capability of localized natural convection.

PubMed

Huang, Ling-Ting; Chao, Ling

2016-09-14

Controlling flow patterns to align materials can have various applications in optics, electronics, and biosciences. In this study, we developed a natural-convection-based method to create desirable spatial flow patterns by controlling the locations of heat sources. Fluid motion in natural convection is induced by the spatial fluid density gradient that is caused by the established spatial temperature gradient. To analyze the patterning resolution capability of this method, we used a mathematical model combined with nondimensionalization to correlate the flow patterning resolution with experimental operating conditions. The nondimensionalized model suggests that the flow pattern and resolution is only influenced by two dimensionless parameters, and , where Gr is the Grashof number, representing the ratio of buoyancy to the viscous force acting on a fluid, and Pr is the Prandtl number, representing the ratio of momentum diffusivity to thermal diffusivity. We used the model to examine all of the flow behaviors in a wide range of the two dimensionless parameter group and proposed a flow pattern state diagram which suggests a suitable range of operating conditions for flow patterning. In addition, we developed a heating wire with an angular configuration, which enabled us to efficiently examine the pattern resolution capability numerically and experimentally. Consistent resolutions were obtained between the experimental results and model predictions, suggesting that the state diagram and the identified operating range can be used for further application.

Controlling transient chaos in deterministic flows with applications to electrical power systems and ecology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhamala, Mukeshwar; Lai, Ying-Cheng

1999-02-01

Transient chaos is a common phenomenon in nonlinear dynamics of many physical, biological, and engineering systems. In applications it is often desirable to maintain sustained chaos even in parameter regimes of transient chaos. We address how to sustain transient chaos in deterministic flows. We utilize a simple and practical method, based on extracting the fundamental dynamics from time series, to maintain chaos. The method can result in control of trajectories from almost all initial conditions in the original basin of the chaotic attractor from which transient chaos is created. We apply our method to three problems: (1) voltage collapse in electrical power systems, (2) species preservation in ecology, and (3) elimination of undesirable bursting behavior in a chemical reaction system.

METHOD FOR SENSING DEGREE OF FLUIDIZATION IN FLUIDIZED BED

DOEpatents

Levey, R.P. Jr.; Fowler, A.H.

1961-12-12

A method is given for detecting, indicating, and controlling the degree of fluidization in a fluid-bed reactor into which powdered material is fed. The method comprises admitting of gas into the reactor, inserting a springsupported rod into the powder bed of the reactor, exciting the rod to vibrate at its resonant frequency, deriving a signal responsive to the amplitude of vibi-ation of the rod and spring, the signal being directiy proportional to the rate of flow of the gas through the reactor, displaying the signal to provide an indication of the degree of fluidization within the reactor, and controlling the rate of gas flow into the reactor until said signal stabilizes at a constant value to provide substantially complete fluidization within the reactor. (AEC)

Method and device for controlling plume during laser welding

DOEpatents

Fuerschbach, Phillip W.; Jellison, James L.; Keicher, David M.; Oberkampf, William L.

1991-01-01

A method and apparatus for enhancing the weldment of a laser welding system is provided. The laser weld plume control device includes a cylindrical body defining an upside-down cone cavity; the upper surface of the body circumscribes the base of the cone cavity, and the vertex of the cone cavity forms an orifice concentrically located with respect to the laser beam and the plume which forms as a result of the welding operation. According to the method of the invention, gas is directed radially inward through inlets in the upper surface of the body into and through channels in the wall of the body and finally through the orifice of the body, and downward onto the surface of the weldment. The gas flow is then converted by the orifice of the device from radial flow to an axisymmetric gas jet flowing away from the weldment surface in a direction perpendicular to the surface and opposite to that of the laser.

Mixing in microfluidic devices and enhancement methods

PubMed Central

Ward, Kevin; Fan, Z Hugh

2015-01-01

Mixing in microfluidic devices presents a challenge due to laminar flows in microchannels, which result from low Reynolds numbers determined by the channel’s hydraulic diameter, flow velocity, and solution’s kinetic viscosity. To address this challenge, novel methods of mixing enhancement within microfluidic devices have been explored for a variety of applications. Passive mixing methods have been created, including those using ridges or slanted wells within the microchannels, as well as their variations with improved performance by varying geometry and patterns, by changing the properties of channel surfaces, and by optimization via simulations. In addition, active mixing methods including microstirrers, acoustic mixers, and flow pulsation have been investigated and integrated into microfluidic devices to enhance mixing in a more controllable manner. In general, passive mixers are easy to integrate, but difficult to control externally by users after fabrication. Active mixers usually take efforts to integrate within a device and they require external components (e.g. power sources) to operate. However, they can be controlled by users to a certain degree for tuned mixing. In this article, we provide a general overview of a number of passive and active mixers, discuss their advantages and disadvantages, and make suggestions on choosing a mixing method for a specific need as well as advocate possible integration of key elements of passive and active mixers to harness the advantages of both types. PMID:26549938

Mixing in microfluidic devices and enhancement methods.

PubMed

Ward, Kevin; Fan, Z Hugh

2015-09-01

Mixing in microfluidic devices presents a challenge due to laminar flows in microchannels, which result from low Reynolds numbers determined by the channel's hydraulic diameter, flow velocity, and solution's kinetic viscosity. To address this challenge, novel methods of mixing enhancement within microfluidic devices have been explored for a variety of applications. Passive mixing methods have been created, including those using ridges or slanted wells within the microchannels, as well as their variations with improved performance by varying geometry and patterns, by changing the properties of channel surfaces, and by optimization via simulations. In addition, active mixing methods including microstirrers, acoustic mixers, and flow pulsation have been investigated and integrated into microfluidic devices to enhance mixing in a more controllable manner. In general, passive mixers are easy to integrate, but difficult to control externally by users after fabrication. Active mixers usually take efforts to integrate within a device and they require external components (e.g. power sources) to operate. However, they can be controlled by users to a certain degree for tuned mixing. In this article, we provide a general overview of a number of passive and active mixers, discuss their advantages and disadvantages, and make suggestions on choosing a mixing method for a specific need as well as advocate possible integration of key elements of passive and active mixers to harness the advantages of both types.

Integration of enabling methods for the automated flow preparation of piperazine-2-carboxamide.

PubMed

Ingham, Richard J; Battilocchio, Claudio; Hawkins, Joel M; Ley, Steven V

2014-01-01

Here we describe the use of a new open-source software package and a Raspberry Pi(®) computer for the simultaneous control of multiple flow chemistry devices and its application to a machine-assisted, multi-step flow preparation of pyrazine-2-carboxamide - a component of Rifater(®), used in the treatment of tuberculosis - and its reduced derivative piperazine-2-carboxamide.

A New Method for the Adaptive Control of Vortex-Wall Interactions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koumoutsakos, P.

1996-01-01

The control of vortical flows is gaining significance in the design of aeronautical and marine structures. While passive devices have been used effectively in the past, active control strategies have the potential of allowing a leap in the performance of future configurations. The efficiency of control schemes is strongly dependent on the development of accurate flow models that can be devised using information that is available not only from numerical solutions of the governing Navier-Stokes equations but also can be measured experimentally. In that context it is desirable to construct adaptive control schemes using information that can be measured at the wall.

Surface roughness of flowable resin composites eroded by acidic and alcoholic drinks

PubMed Central

Poggio, Claudio; Dagna, Alberto; Chiesa, Marco; Colombo, Marco; Scribante, Andrea

2012-01-01

Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the surface roughness of four flowable resin composites following exposure to acidic and alcoholic drinks. Materials and Methods: SureFil SDR flow, TetricEvoFlow, Esthet-X Flow and Amaris Flow HT samples were immersed in artificial saliva, Coca Cola and Chivas Regal Whisky. Each specimen was examined using a Leica DCM 3D microscope: Arithmetical mean height of the surface profiles was measured (Sa). Results: Kruskal-Wallis test showed significant differences among various groups (P<0,001). Mann Whitney test was applied and control groups showed significantly lower Sa values than other groups (P=0,008). Coca Cola groups showed highest Sa values (P<0,021). No significant differences (P=0,14) in surface texture were found among the specimens of the different materials. No significant differences were found among TetricEvoFlow, Esthet-X Flow and Amaris Flow under control conditions nor after Coca Cola application. Under control condition and after Coca Cola application SureFil SDR flow showed significantly higher Sa values. Moreover, after whisky application Amaris Flow showed significantly lower Sa values then the other three groups that showed no significant differences among them. Conclusions: Acidic and alcoholic drinks eroded the surface roughness of all evaluated flowable resin composites. PMID:22557811

Combinational concentration gradient confinement through stagnation flow.

PubMed

Alicia, Toh G G; Yang, Chun; Wang, Zhiping; Nguyen, Nam-Trung

2016-01-21

Concentration gradient generation in microfluidics is typically constrained by two conflicting mass transport requirements: short characteristic times (τ) for precise temporal control of concentration gradients but at the expense of high flow rates and hence, high flow shear stresses (σ). To decouple the limitations from these parameters, here we propose the use of stagnation flows to confine concentration gradients within large velocity gradients that surround the stagnation point. We developed a modified cross-slot (MCS) device capable of feeding binary and combinational concentration sources in stagnation flows. We show that across the velocity well, source-sink pairs can form permanent concentration gradients. As source-sink concentration pairs are continuously supplied to the MCS, a permanently stable concentration gradient can be generated. Tuning the flow rates directly controls the velocity gradients, and hence the stagnation point location, allowing the confined concentration gradient to be focused. In addition, the flow rate ratio within the MCS rapidly controls (τ ∼ 50 ms) the location of the stagnation point and the confined combinational concentration gradients at low flow shear (0.2 Pa < σ < 2.9 Pa). The MCS device described in this study establishes the method for using stagnation flows to rapidly generate and position low shear combinational concentration gradients for shear sensitive biological assays.

Application of superplastically formed and diffusion bonded aluminum to a laminar flow control leading edge

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goodyear, M. D.

1987-01-01

NASA sponsored the Aircraft Energy Efficiency (ACEE) program in 1976 to develop technologies to improve fuel efficiency. Laminar flow control was one such technology. Two approaches for achieving laminar flow were designed and manufactured under NASA sponsored programs: the perforated skin concept used at McDonnell Douglas and the slotted design used at Lockheed-Georgia. Both achieved laminar flow, with the slotted design to a lesser degree (JetStar flight test program). The latter design had several fabrication problems concerning springback and adhesive flow clogging the air flow passages. The Lockheed-Georgia Company accomplishments is documented in designing and fabricating a small section of a leading edge article addressing a simpler fabrication method to overcome the previous program's manufacturing problems, i.e., design and fabrication using advanced technologies such as diffusion bonding of aluminum, which has not been used on aerospace structures to date, and the superplastic forming of aluminum.

Numerical Analysis of the Cavity Flow subjected to Passive Controls Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melih Guleren, Kursad; Turk, Seyfettin; Mirza Demircan, Osman; Demir, Oguzhan

2018-03-01

Open-source flow solvers are getting more and more popular for the analysis of challenging flow problems in aeronautical and mechanical engineering applications. They are offered under the GNU General Public License and can be run, examined, shared and modified according to user’s requirements. SU2 and OpenFOAM are the two most popular open-source solvers in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) community. In the present study, some passive control methods on the high-speed cavity flows are numerically simulated using these open-source flow solvers along with one commercial flow solver called ANSYS/Fluent. The results are compared with the available experimental data. The solver SU2 are seen to predict satisfactory the mean streamline velocity but not turbulent kinetic energy and overall averaged sound pressure level (OASPL). Whereas OpenFOAM predicts all these parameters nearly as the same levels of ANSYS/Fluent.

Reduced-Order Modeling of 3D Rayleigh-Benard Turbulent Convection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hassanzadeh, Pedram; Grover, Piyush; Nabi, Saleh

2017-11-01

Accurate Reduced-Order Models (ROMs) of turbulent geophysical flows have broad applications in science and engineering; for example, to study the climate system or to perform real-time flow control/optimization in energy systems. Here we focus on 3D Rayleigh-Benard turbulent convection at the Rayleigh number of 106 as a prototype for turbulent geophysical flows, which are dominantly buoyancy driven. The purpose of the study is to evaluate and improve the performance of different model reduction techniques using this setting. One-dimensional ROMs for horizontally averaged temperature are calculated using several methods. Specifically, the Linear Response Function (LRF) of the system is calculated from a large DNS dataset using Dynamic Mode Decomposition (DMD) and Fluctuation-Dissipation Theorem (FDT). The LRF is also calculated using the Green's function method of Hassanzadeh and Kuang (2016, J. Atmos. Sci.), which is based on using numerous forced DNS runs. The performance of these LRFs in estimating the system's response to weak external forcings or controlling the time-mean flow are compared and contrasted. The spectral properties of the LRFs and the scaling of the accuracy with the length of the dataset (for the data-driven methods) are also discussed.

A comparison of multiprocessor scheduling methods for iterative data flow architectures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Storch, Matthew

1993-01-01

A comparative study is made between the Algorithm to Architecture Mapping Model (ATAMM) and three other related multiprocessing models from the published literature. The primary focus of all four models is the non-preemptive scheduling of large-grain iterative data flow graphs as required in real-time systems, control applications, signal processing, and pipelined computations. Important characteristics of the models such as injection control, dynamic assignment, multiple node instantiations, static optimum unfolding, range-chart guided scheduling, and mathematical optimization are identified. The models from the literature are compared with the ATAMM for performance, scheduling methods, memory requirements, and complexity of scheduling and design procedures.

Changes in Retinal and Choroidal Vascular Blood Flow after Oral Sildenafil: An Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Study

PubMed Central

Berrones, David; Morales-Cantón, Virgilio

2017-01-01

Purpose To describe changes in the retina and choroidal flow by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) after a single dose of oral sildenafil. Method A case-control study. Patients in the study group received 50 mg of oral sildenafil. Patients in the control group received a sham pill. Retinal and choroidal images were obtained at baseline (before pill ingestion) and 1 hour after ingestion. Central macular and choroidal thickness, choroidal and outer retina flow, and the retinal and choroidal vascular density were compared using a Mann-Whitney U test. Results Twenty eyes were enrolled into the study group and 10 eyes in the control group. There was a significant difference in central choroidal thickness and outer retina blood flow between groups after 1 hour of sildenafil ingestion (p < 0.01). There were no differences in central macular thickness, choroidal flow, and retinal vascular density among groups. Conclusions A single dose of oral sildenafil increases choroidal thickness, probably due to sildenafil-induced vasodilation. PMID:29129998

Engineered channel controls limiting spawning habitat rehabilitation success on regulated gravel-bed rivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Rocko A.; Pasternack, Gregory B.

2008-05-01

In efforts to rehabilitate regulated rivers for ecological benefits, the flow regime has been one of the primary focal points of management strategies. However, channel engineering can impact channel geometry such that hydraulic and geomorphic responses to flow reregulation do not yield the sought for benefits. To illustrate and assess the impacts of structural channel controls and flow reregulation on channel processes and fish habitat quality in multiple life stages, a highly detailed digital elevation model was collected and analyzed for a river reach right below a dam using a suite of hydrologic, hydraulic, geomorphic, and ecological methods. Results showed that, despite flow reregulation to produce a scaled-down natural hydrograph, anthropogenic boundary controls have severely altered geomorphic processes associated with geomorphic self-sustainability and instream habitat availability in the case study. Given the similarity of this stream to many others, we concluded that the potential utility of natural flow regime reinstatement in regulated gravel-bed rivers is conditional on concomitant channel rehabilitation.

Rapid, high-temperature, field test method for evaluation of geothermal calcium carbonate scale inhibitors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Asperger, R.G.

1986-09-01

A new test method is described that allows the rapid field testing of calcium carbonate scale inhibitors at 500/sup 0/F (260/sup 0/C). The method evolved from use of a full-flow test loop on a well with a mass flow rate of about 1 x 10/sup 6/ lbm/hr (126 kg/s). It is a simple, effective way to evaluate the effectiveness of inhibitors under field conditions. Five commercial formulations were chosen for field evaluation on the basis of nonflowing, laboratory screening tests at 500/sup 0/F (260/sup 0/C). Four of these formulations from different suppliers controlled calcium carbonate scale deposition as measured bymore » the test method. Two of these could dislodge recently deposited scale that had not age-hardened. Performance-profile diagrams, which were measured for these four effective inhibitors, show the concentration interrelationship between brine calcium and inhibitor concentrations at which the formulations will and will not stop scale formation in the test apparatus. With these diagrams, one formulation was chosen for testing on the full-flow brine line. The composition was tested for 6 weeks and showed a dramatic decrease in the scaling occurring at the flow-control valve. This scaling was about to force a shutdown of a major, long-term flow test being done for reservoir economic evaluations. The inhibitor stopped the scaling, and the test was performed without interruption.« less

METHODS FOR OPTIMIZING URBAN WET-WEATHER CONTROL SYSTEM

EPA Science Inventory

To minimize impacts of urban nonpoint source pollution and associated costs of control (storage and treatment) associated with wet-weather flows (WWFs), stormwater runoff volumes and pollutant loads must be reduced. A number of control strategies, so-called “best management pract...

Experimental Investigation of the Application of Microramp Flow Control to an Oblique Shock Interaction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hirt, Stefanie M.; Anderson, Bernhard H.

2009-01-01

The effectiveness of microramp flow control devices in controlling an oblique shock interaction was tested in the 15- by 15-Centimeter Supersonic Wind Tunnel at NASA Glenn Research Center. Fifteen microramp geometries were tested varying the height, chord length, and spacing between ramps. Measurements of the boundary layer properties downstream of the shock reflection were analyzed using design of experiments methods. Results from main effects, D-optimal, full factorial, and central composite designs were compared. The designs provided consistent results for a single variable optimization.

A flow-control mechanism for distributed systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maitan, J.

1991-01-01

A new approach to the rate-based flow control in store-and-forward networks is evaluated. Existing methods display oscillations in the presence of transport delays. The proposed scheme is based on the explicit use of an embedded dynamic model of a store-and-forward buffer in a controller's feedback loop. It is shown that the use of the model eliminates the oscillations caused by the transport delays. The paper presents simulation examples and assesses the applicability of the scheme in the new generation of high-speed photonic networks where transport delays must be considered.

Control system of an excitation power supply for fast axial flow CO2 lasersupda

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Bo; Jia, Xinting; Yuan, Hao; Gao, Yuhu; Wang, Youqing

2009-08-01

A switching power control system of fast axial flow CO2 lasers based on DSP is presented. The key techniques are described in detail, include the control principle, realization method and program design. The experiment showed that the system make the laser discharge stably and work in multi-mode. The discharge current can be adjusted from 3mA to 85mA continuously. 20-2000Hz frequency, 0-100% duty cycle laser pulse is achieved. The power supply can improve the processing efficiency and quality.

Optofluidic control of axonal guidance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Ling; Ordonez, Simon; Black, Bryan; Mohanty, Samarendra K.

2013-03-01

Significant efforts are being made for control on axonal guidance due to its importance in nerve regeneration and in the formation of functional neuronal circuitry in-vitro. These include several physical (topographic modification, optical force, and electric field), chemical (surface functionalization cues) and hybrid (electro-chemical, photochemical etc) methods. Here, we report comparison of the effect of linear flow versus microfluidic flow produced by an opticallydriven micromotor in guiding retinal ganglion axons. A circularly polarized laser tweezers was used to hold, position and spin birefringent calcite particle near growth cone, which in turn resulted in microfluidic flow. The flow rate and resulting shear-force on axons could be controlled by a varying the power of the laser tweezers beam. The calcite particles were placed separately in one chamber and single particle was transported through microfluidic channel to another chamber containing the retina explant. In presence of flow, the turning of axons was found to strongly correlate with the direction of flow. Turning angle as high as 90° was achieved. Optofluidic-manipulation can be applied to other types of mammalian neurons and also can be extended to stimulate mechano-sensing neurons.

Controlling the trajectories of bubble trains at a microfluidic junction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parthiban, Pravien; Khan, Saif

2011-11-01

The increasing number of applications facilitated by digital microfluidic flows has resulted in a sustained interest in not only understanding the diverse, interesting and often complex dynamics associated with such flows in microchannel networks but also in developing facile strategies to control them. We find that there are readily accessible flow speeds wherein resistance to flow in microchannels decreases with an increase in the number of confined bubbles present, and exploit this intriguing phenomenon to sort all bubble of a train exclusively into one of the arms of a nominally symmetric microfluidic loop. We also demonstrate how the arm into which the train filters into can be chosen by applying a temporary external stimulus by means of an additional flow of the continuous liquid into one the arms of the loop. Furthermore, we show how by tuning the magnitude and period of this temporary stimulus we can switch controllably, the traffic of bubbles between both arms of the loop even when the loop is asymmetric. The results of this work should aid in developing viable methods to regulate traffic of digital flows in microfluidic networks.

Gene delivery by direct injection (microinjection) using a controlled-flow system.

PubMed

Dean, David A

2006-12-01

INTRODUCTIONThis protocol describes a method for constant-flow microinjection using the Pneumatic PicoPump (World Precision Instruments). This type of system is very simple and can be assembled on a relatively low budget. In this method, a constant flow of sample is delivered from the tip of the pipette, and the amount of sample injected into the cell is determined by how long the pipette remains in the cell. A typical system is composed of a pressure regulator that can be adjusted for two pressures (back pressure and injection pressure), a capillary holder, and a coarse and fine micromanipulator.

Method and apparatus for controlling the flow rate of mercury in a flow system

DOEpatents

Grossman, Mark W.; Speer, Richard

1991-01-01

A method for increasing the mercury flow rate to a photochemical mercury enrichment utilizing an entrainment system comprises the steps of passing a carrier gas over a pool of mercury maintained at a first temperature T1, wherein the carrier gas entrains mercury vapor; passing said mercury vapor entrained carrier gas to a second temperature zone T2 having temperature less than T1 to condense said entrained mercury vapor, thereby producing a saturated Hg condition in the carrier gas; and passing said saturated Hg carrier gas to said photochemical enrichment reactor.

The Effect of the Air-Delivery Method on Parameters of the Precessing Vortex Core in a Hydrodynamic Vortex Chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alekseenko, S. V.; Shtork, S. I.; Yusupov, R. R.

2018-03-01

The effect of the method of gas-phase injection into a swirled fluid flow on parameters of a precessing vortex core is studied experimentally. Conditions of the appearance of the vortex-core precession effect were modeled in a hydrodynamic sudden expansion vortex chamber. The dependences of the vortexcore precession frequency, flow-pulsation level, and full pressure differential in the vortex chamber on the consumption gas content in the flow have been obtained. The results of measurements permit one to determine optimum conditions for the most effective control of vortex-core precession.

Computation of peak discharge at culverts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carter, Rolland William

1957-01-01

Methods for computing peak flood flow through culverts on the basis of a field survey of highwater marks and culvert geometry are presented. These methods are derived from investigations of culvert flow as reported in the literature and on extensive laboratory studies of culvert flow. For convenience in computation, culvert flow has been classified into six types, according to the location of the control section and the relative heights of the head-water and tail-water levels. The type of flow which occurred at any site can be determined from the field data and the criteria given in this report. A discharge equation has been developed for each flow type by combining the energy and continuity equations for the distance between an approach section upstream from the culvert and a terminal section within the culvert barrel. The discharge coefficient applicable to each flow type is listed for the more common entrance geometries. Procedures for computing peak discharge through culverts are outlined in detail for each of the six flow types.

Analytical study of mixed electroosmotic-pressure-driven flow in rectangular micro-channels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Movahed, Saeid; Kamali, Reza; Eghtesad, Mohammad; Khosravifard, Amir

2013-09-01

Operational state of many miniaturized devices deals with flow field in microchannels. Pressure-driven flow (PDF) and electroosmotic flow (EOF) can be recognized as the two most important types of the flow field in such channels. EOF has many advantages in comparison with PDF, such as being vibration free and not requiring any external mechanical pumps or moving parts. However, the disadvantages of this type of flow such as Joule heating, electrophoresis demixing, and not being suitable for mobile devices must be taken into consideration carefully. By using mixed electroosmotic/pressure-driven flow, the role of EOF in producing desired velocity profile will be reduced. In this way, the advantages of EOF can be exploited, and its disadvantages can be prevented. Induced pressure gradient can be utilized in order to control the separation in the system. Furthermore, in many complicated geometries such as T-shape microchannels, turns may induce pressure gradient to the electroosmotic velocity. While analytical formulas are completely essential for analysis and control of any industrial and laboratory microdevices, lack of such formulas in the literature for solving Poisson-Boltzmann equation and predicting electroosmotic velocity field in rectangular domains is evident. In the present study, first a novel method is proposed to solve Poisson-Boltzmann equation (PBE). Subsequently, this solution is utilized to find the electroosmotic and the mixed electroosmotic/pressure-driven velocity profile in a rectangular domain of the microchannels. To demonstrate the accuracy of the presented analytical method in solving PBE and finding electroosmotic velocity, a general nondimensional example is analyzed, and the results are compared with the solution of boundary element method. Additionally, the effects of different nondimensional parameters and also aspect ratio of channels on the electroosmotic part of the flow field will be investigated.

Modular microfluidic systems using reversibly attached PDMS fluid control modules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skafte-Pedersen, Peder; Sip, Christopher G.; Folch, Albert; Dufva, Martin

2013-05-01

The use of soft lithography-based poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) valve systems is the dominating approach for high-density microscale fluidic control. Integrated systems enable complex flow control and large-scale integration, but lack modularity. In contrast, modular systems are attractive alternatives to integration because they can be tailored for different applications piecewise and without redesigning every element of the system. We present a method for reversibly coupling hard materials to soft lithography defined systems through self-aligning O-ring features thereby enabling easy interfacing of complex-valve-based systems with simpler detachable units. Using this scheme, we demonstrate the seamless interfacing of a PDMS-based fluid control module with hard polymer chips. In our system, 32 self-aligning O-ring features protruding from the PDMS fluid control module form chip-to-control module interconnections which are sealed by tightening four screws. The interconnection method is robust and supports complex fluidic operations in the reversibly attached passive chip. In addition, we developed a double-sided molding method for fabricating PDMS devices with integrated through-holes. The versatile system facilitates a wide range of applications due to the modular approach, where application specific passive chips can be readily attached to the flow control module.

Method and apparatus for improved melt flow during continuous strip casting

DOEpatents

Follstaedt, Donald W.; King, Edward L.; Schneider, Ken C.

1991-11-12

The continuous casting of metal strip using the melt overflow process is improved by controlling the weir conditions in the nozzle to provide a more uniform flow of molten metal across the width of the nozzle and reducing the tendency for freezing of metal along the interface with refractory surfaces. A weir design having a sloped rear wall and tapered sidewalls and critical gap controls beneath the weir has resulted in the drastic reduction in edge tearing and a significant improvement in strip uniformity. The floor of the container vessel is preferably sloped and the gap between the nozzle and the rotating substrate is critically controlled. The resulting flow patterns observed with the improved casting process have reduced thermal gradients in the bath, contained surface slag and eliminated undesirable solidification near the discharge area by increasing the flow rates at those points.

Method and apparatus for improved melt flow during continuous strip casting

DOEpatents

Follstaedt, D.W.; King, E.L.; Schneider, K.C.

1991-11-12

The continuous casting of metal strip using the melt overflow process is improved by controlling the weir conditions in the nozzle to provide a more uniform flow of molten metal across the width of the nozzle and reducing the tendency for freezing of metal along the interface with refractory surfaces. A weir design having a sloped rear wall and tapered sidewalls and critical gap controls beneath the weir has resulted in the drastic reduction in edge tearing and a significant improvement in strip uniformity. The floor of the container vessel is preferably sloped and the gap between the nozzle and the rotating substrate is critically controlled. The resulting flow patterns observed with the improved casting process have reduced thermal gradients in the bath, contained surface slag and eliminated undesirable solidification near the discharge area by increasing the flow rates at those points. 8 figures.

Hepatic blood flow measurement III. Total hepatic blood flow measured by ICG clearance and electromagnetic flowmeters in a canine septic shock model.

PubMed Central

Nxumalo, J L; Teranaka, M; Schenk, W G

1978-01-01

The validity of the ICG clearance method for the measurement of THBF in abnormal circulatory states remains questionable. In this study THBF measured by this method is compared with the electromagnetic flow technique in a canine spetic model. Good correlation is demonstrated between the two in normal control animals. However, in the septic animals the ICG underestimated the electromagnetic flow result by 20%. This is true in both the high and the low cardiac output septic shock pictures that emerge. In the septic animals, the total hepatic blood flow as measured by the ICG was almost equal to the portal vein flow alone measured by the electromagnetic flowmeters suggesting that this was the quantity it was measuring in this abnormal state. Pathophysiologic mechanisms that may explain the discrepancy are given. PMID:637587

Simulation of the Transverse Injection of a Pulsed Jet from the Surface of a Flat Plate into a Supersonic Flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Volkov, K. N.; Emelyanov, V. N.; Yakovchuk, M. S.

2017-11-01

The transverse injection of a pulsed jet into a supersonic flow for thrust vectoring in solid rocket motors is investigated. The gas flow through the injection nozzle is controlled by a piston which performs reciprocating motion. Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations and the ( k- ɛ) turbulence model equations are discretized using the finite volume method and moving grids. The pressure distributions on the plate surface obtained using various approaches to the description of the flow field and difference schemes are compared. The solution obtained for the case of injection of a pulsed jet is compared with the solution for the case where a valve prevents gas flow through the injection nozzle. The dependence of the control force produced by gas injection on time is investigated.

Experimental investigation of high-incidence delta-wing flow control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buzica, Andrei; Bartasevicius, Julius; Breitsamter, Christian

2017-09-01

The possibility of extending the flight envelope for configurations with slender delta-shaped wings is investigated in this study by means of active flow control through pulsating jets from slot pairs distributed along the leading edge. The experiments comprise stereoscopic particle image velocimetry as well as force and moment measurements on a half-delta wing model. The analysis focuses on three high-incidence regimes: pre-stall, stall, and post-stall. This study also compares different perturbation methods: blowing with spatially constant and variable parameters, frequency and phase. At an incidence of 45°, the unison pulsed blowing facilitates the most significant flow transformation. Here, the separated shear layer reattaches on the wing's suction side, thus increasing the lift. Phase-averaged flow field measurements describe, in this particular case, the underlying physics of the flow-disturbance interaction.

Analysis and improvement measures of flight delay in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zang, Yuhang

2017-03-01

Firstly, this paper establishes the principal component regression model to analyze the data quantitatively, based on principal component analysis to get the three principal component factors of flight delays. Then the least square method is used to analyze the factors and obtained the regression equation expression by substitution, and then found that the main reason for flight delays is airlines, followed by weather and traffic. Aiming at the above problems, this paper improves the controllable aspects of traffic flow control. For reasons of traffic flow control, an adaptive genetic queuing model is established for the runway terminal area. This paper, establish optimization method that fifteen planes landed simultaneously on the three runway based on Beijing capital international airport, comparing the results with the existing FCFS algorithm, the superiority of the model is proved.

Vibroconvective mixing applied to vertical Bridgman growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zawilski, Kevin T.; Claudia, M.; Custodio, C.; DeMattei, Robert C.; Feigelson, Robert S.

2003-10-01

A promising method for stirring melts during vertical Bridgman growth is the coupled vibrational stirring (CVS) method. It involves the application of low frequency vibrations to the outside of the growth ampoule and produces strong flows emanating from the fluid surface. Although the technique was pioneered a number of years ago, previous studies have not provided sufficient information to explain how to control CVS generated flows in a particular system. This paper examines both the fluid flow produced by CVS and the effect of these flows on a model oxide growth system. CVS generated flows were studied using tracer particles in a water/glycerin system. The particle velocities were measured as a function of distance from the fluid surface. A large velocity gradient, decreasing from the surface, was found to be present. The velocity profile produced was dependent on the vibrational amplitude and frequency, the crucible diameter, and the fluid viscosity. The effects of CVS flows on the crystal growth interface were studied using NaNO 3 as a model oxide. Under non-growth conditions (i.e. no furnace or crucible translation), the solid-liquid interface position was found to be a strong function of vibrational frequency once CVS generated flows approached the interface. During crystal growth, undesirable growth rate fluctuations were found as the growth interface moved into regions of increasing fluid flow. This data suggests that a control system in which CVS flows are continuously decreased during growth to maintain a constant flow rate in the vicinity of the growth interface is necessary in order to prevent or reduce growth rate fluctuations.

An Anaylsis of Control Requirements and Control Parameters for Direct-Coupled Turbojet Engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Novik, David; Otto, Edward W.

1947-01-01

Requirements of an automatic engine control, as affected by engine characteristics, have been analyzed for a direct-coupled turbojet engine. Control parameters for various conditions of engine operation are discussed. A hypothetical engine control is presented to illustrate the use of these parameters. An adjustable speed governor was found to offer a desirable method of over-all engine control. The selection of a minimum value of fuel flow was found to offer a means of preventing unstable burner operation during steady-state operation. Until satisfactory high-temperature-measuring devices are developed, air-fuel ratio is considered to be a satisfactory acceleration-control parameter for the attainment of the maximum acceleration rates consistent with safe turbine temperatures. No danger of unstable burner operation exists during acceleration if a temperature-limiting acceleration control is assumed to be effective. Deceleration was found to be accompanied by the possibility of burner blow-out even if a minimum fuel-flow control that prevents burner blow-out during steady-state operation is assumed to be effective. Burner blow-out during deceleration may be eliminated by varying the value of minimum fuel flow as a function of compressor-discharge pressure, but in no case should the fuel flow be allowed to fall below the value required for steady-state burner operation.

Development of an inflow controlled environmental flow regime for a Norwegian river

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alfredsen, Knut; Harby, Atle; Linnansaari, Tommi; Ugedal, Ola

2010-05-01

For most regulated rivers in Norway the common environmental flow regime is static and shows very little variation over the year. Recent research indicate that flow regimes that follow the natural inflow variation can meet the ecological and social demands for water in a better way. The implementation of a variable environmental flow regime provides many challenges both related to defining flow for various species and user groups in the river, but also due to practical implementation, legislation and control. A inflow controlled flow regime is developed for a Norwegian river regulated for hydro power as a pilot study. The regime should meet ecological demands from Atlantic salmon and brown trout, recreational use of water and visual impression of the river. This should be achieved preferably without altering the energy production in the hydro power system. The flow regime is developed for wet, dry and normal discharge conditions based on unregulated inflow to the catchment. The development of the seasonal flow requirements for various targets identified is done using a modification of the Building Block Method. Several options are tested regarding the integration of the flow regime into the operational strategy of the hydropower plant, both using real time prognosis of inflow and combinations with historical data. An important topic in selecting the release strategy is how it meets current Norwegian legislation and how well future documentation and environmental control can be carried out. An evaluation protocol is also proposed for the flow regime to test if the ecological targets are met.

Integration of enabling methods for the automated flow preparation of piperazine-2-carboxamide

PubMed Central

Ingham, Richard J; Battilocchio, Claudio; Hawkins, Joel M

2014-01-01

Summary Here we describe the use of a new open-source software package and a Raspberry Pi® computer for the simultaneous control of multiple flow chemistry devices and its application to a machine-assisted, multi-step flow preparation of pyrazine-2-carboxamide – a component of Rifater®, used in the treatment of tuberculosis – and its reduced derivative piperazine-2-carboxamide. PMID:24778715

Planning for Schools of Choice: Achieving Equity and Excellence. Book II--Planning Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clinchy, Evans; Kolb, Frances Arick, Ed.

Designed to aid school personnel considering school choice as a possible desegregation method, this booklet explains the principles of controlled choice, presents an overall plan and flow chart, and reviews the types of organizations that might be developed. Controlled choice is a desegregation method that is voluntary, empowers parents and school…

Numerical investigation of flow and heat transfer in a novel configuration multi-tubular fixed bed reactor for propylene to acrolein process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Bin; Hao, Li; Zhang, Luhong; Sun, Yongli; Xiao, Xiaoming

2015-01-01

In the present contribution, a numerical study of fluid flow and heat transfer performance in a pilot-scale multi-tubular fixed bed reactor for propylene to acrolein oxidation reaction is presented using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. Firstly, a two-dimensional CFD model is developed to simulate flow behaviors, catalytic oxidation reaction, heat and mass transfer adopting porous medium model on tube side to achieve the temperature distribution and investigate the effect of operation parameters on hot spot temperature. Secondly, based on the conclusions of tube-side, a novel configuration multi-tubular fixed-bed reactor comprising 790 tubes design with disk-and-doughnut baffles is proposed by comparing with segmental baffles reactor and their performance of fluid flow and heat transfer is analyzed to ensure the uniformity condition using molten salt as heat carrier medium on shell-side by three-dimensional CFD method. The results reveal that comprehensive performance of the reactor with disk-and-doughnut baffles is better than that of with segmental baffles. Finally, the effects of operating conditions to control the hot spots are investigated. The results show that the flow velocity range about 0.65 m/s is applicable and the co-current cooling system flow direction is better than counter-current flow to control the hottest temperature.

Mitigation of Adverse Effects Caused by Shock Wave Boundary Layer Interactions Through Optimal Wall Shaping

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liou, May-Fun; Lee, Byung Joon

2013-01-01

It is known that the adverse effects of shock wave boundary layer interactions in high speed inlets include reduced total pressure recovery and highly distorted flow at the aerodynamic interface plane (AIP). This paper presents a design method for flow control which creates perturbations in geometry. These perturbations are tailored to change the flow structures in order to minimize shock wave boundary layer interactions (SWBLI) inside supersonic inlets. Optimizing the shape of two dimensional micro-size bumps is shown to be a very effective flow control method for two-dimensional SWBLI. In investigating the three dimensional SWBLI, a square duct is employed as a baseline. To investigate the mechanism whereby the geometric elements of the baseline, i.e. the bottom wall, the sidewall and the corner, exert influence on the flow's aerodynamic characteristics, each element is studied and optimized separately. It is found that arrays of micro-size bumps on the bottom wall of the duct have little effect in improving total pressure recovery though they are useful in suppressing the incipient separation in three-dimensional problems. Shaping sidewall geometry is effective in re-distributing flow on the side wall and results in a less distorted flow at the exit. Subsequently, a near 50% reduction in distortion is achieved. A simple change in corner geometry resulted in a 2.4% improvement in total pressure recovery.

Selective flow path alpha particle detector and method of use

DOEpatents

Orr, Christopher Henry; Luff, Craig Janson; Dockray, Thomas; Macarthur, Duncan Whittemore

2002-01-01

A method and apparatus for monitoring alpha contamination are provided in which ions generated in the air surrounding the item, by the passage of alpha particles, are moved to a distant detector location. The parts of the item from which ions are withdrawn can be controlled by restricting the air flow over different portions of the apparatus. In this way, detection of internal and external surfaces separately, for instance, can be provided. The apparatus and method are particularly suited for use in undertaking alpha contamination measurements during the commissioning operations.

Method for pressure modulation of turbine sidewall cavities

DOEpatents

Leone, Sal Albert; Book, Matthew David; Banares, Christopher R.

2002-01-01

A method is provided for controlling cooling air flow for pressure modulation of turbine components, such as the turbine outer sidewall cavities. The pressure at which cooling and purge air is supplied to the turbine outer side wall cavities is modulated, based on compressor discharge pressure (Pcd), thereby to generally maintain the back flow margin (BFM) so as to minimize excessive leakage and the consequent performance deterioration. In an exemplary embodiment, the air pressure within the third stage outer side wall cavity and the air pressure within the fourth stage outer side wall cavity are each controlled to a respective value that is a respective prescribed percentage of the concurrent compressor discharge pressure. The prescribed percentage may be determined from a ratio of the respective outer side wall pressure to compressor discharge pressure at Cold Day Turn Down (CDTD) required to provide a prescribed back flow margin.

Rheology of the Ronne Ice Shelf, Antarctica, Inferred from Satellite Radar Interferometry Data using an Inverse Control Method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Larour, E.; Rignot, E.; Joughin, I.; Aubry, D.

2005-01-01

The Antarctic Ice Sheet is surrounded by large floating ice shelves that spread under their own weight into the ocean. Ice shelf rigidity depends on ice temperature and fabrics, and is influenced by ice flow and the delicate balance between bottom and surface accumulation. Here, we use an inverse control method to infer the rigidity of the Ronne Ice Shelf that best matches observations of ice velocity from satellite radar interferometry. Ice rigidity, or flow law parameter B, is shown to vary between 300 and 900 kPa a(sup 1/3). Ice is softer along the side margins due to frictional heating, and harder along the outflow of large glaciers, which advect cold continental ice. Melting at the bottom surface of the ice shelf increases its rigidity, while freezing decreases it. Accurate numerical modelling of ice shelf flow must account for this spatial variability in mechanical characteristics.

Screw-actuated displacement micropumps for thermoplastic microfluidics.

PubMed

Han, J Y; Rahmanian, O D; Kendall, E L; Fleming, N; DeVoe, D L

2016-10-05

The fabrication of on-chip displacement pumps integrated into thermoplastic chips is explored as a simple and low cost method for achieving precise and programmable flow control for disposable microfluidic systems. The displacement pumps consist of stainless steel screws inserted into threaded ports machined into a thermoplastic substrate which also serve as on-chip reagent storage reservoirs. Three different methods for pump sealing are investigated to enable high pressure flows without leakage, and software-defined control of multiple pumps is demonstrated in a self-contained platform using a compact and self-contained microcontroller for operation. Using this system, flow rates ranging from 0.5-40 μl min -1 are demonstrated. The pumps are combined with on-chip burst valves to fully seal multiple reagents into fabricated chips while providing on-demand fluid distribution in a downstream microfluidic network, and demonstrated for the generation of size-tunable water-in-oil emulsions.

Left globus pallidus abnormality in never-medicated patients with schizophrenia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Early, T.S.; Reiman, E.M.; Raichle, M.E.

1987-01-01

Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric disorder characterized by onset in young adulthood, the occurrence of hallucinations and delusions, and the development of enduring psychosocial disability. The pathophysiology of this disorder remains unknown. Studies of cerebral blood flow and metabolism designed to identify brain abnormalities in schizophrenia have been limited by inadequate methods of anatomical localization and the possibility of persistent medication effects. The authors have now used positron emission tomography and a validated method of anatomical localization in an attempt to identify abnormalities of regional cerebral blood flow in newly diagnosed never-medicated patients with schizophrenia. An exploratory study of 5more » patients and 10 normal control subjects identified abnormally high blood flow in the left globus pallidus of patients with schizophrenia. A replication study of 5 additional patients and 10 additional control subjects confirmed this finding. No other abnormalities were found.« less

Operator splitting method for simulation of dynamic flows in natural gas pipeline networks

DOE PAGES

Dyachenko, Sergey A.; Zlotnik, Anatoly; Korotkevich, Alexander O.; ...

2017-09-19

Here, we develop an operator splitting method to simulate flows of isothermal compressible natural gas over transmission pipelines. The method solves a system of nonlinear hyperbolic partial differential equations (PDEs) of hydrodynamic type for mass flow and pressure on a metric graph, where turbulent losses of momentum are modeled by phenomenological Darcy-Weisbach friction. Mass flow balance is maintained through the boundary conditions at the network nodes, where natural gas is injected or withdrawn from the system. Gas flow through the network is controlled by compressors boosting pressure at the inlet of the adjoint pipe. Our operator splitting numerical scheme ismore » unconditionally stable and it is second order accurate in space and time. The scheme is explicit, and it is formulated to work with general networks with loops. We test the scheme over range of regimes and network configurations, also comparing its performance with performance of two other state of the art implicit schemes.« less

Numerical method for predicting flow characteristics and performance of nonaxisymmetric nozzles, theory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomas, P. D.

1979-01-01

The theoretical foundation and formulation of a numerical method for predicting the viscous flowfield in and about isolated three dimensional nozzles of geometrically complex configuration are presented. High Reynolds number turbulent flows are of primary interest for any combination of subsonic, transonic, and supersonic flow conditions inside or outside the nozzle. An alternating-direction implicit (ADI) numerical technique is employed to integrate the unsteady Navier-Stokes equations until an asymptotic steady-state solution is reached. Boundary conditions are computed with an implicit technique compatible with the ADI technique employed at interior points of the flow region. The equations are formulated and solved in a boundary-conforming curvilinear coordinate system. The curvilinear coordinate system and computational grid is generated numerically as the solution to an elliptic boundary value problem. A method is developed that automatically adjusts the elliptic system so that the interior grid spacing is controlled directly by the a priori selection of the grid spacing on the boundaries of the flow region.

Aerodynamic Shape Optimization of Complex Aircraft Configurations via an Adjoint Formulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reuther, James; Jameson, Antony; Farmer, James; Martinelli, Luigi; Saunders, David

1996-01-01

This work describes the implementation of optimization techniques based on control theory for complex aircraft configurations. Here control theory is employed to derive the adjoint differential equations, the solution of which allows for a drastic reduction in computational costs over previous design methods (13, 12, 43, 38). In our earlier studies (19, 20, 22, 23, 39, 25, 40, 41, 42) it was shown that this method could be used to devise effective optimization procedures for airfoils, wings and wing-bodies subject to either analytic or arbitrary meshes. Design formulations for both potential flows and flows governed by the Euler equations have been demonstrated, showing that such methods can be devised for various governing equations (39, 25). In our most recent works (40, 42) the method was extended to treat wing-body configurations with a large number of mesh points, verifying that significant computational savings can be gained for practical design problems. In this paper the method is extended for the Euler equations to treat complete aircraft configurations via a new multiblock implementation. New elements include a multiblock-multigrid flow solver, a multiblock-multigrid adjoint solver, and a multiblock mesh perturbation scheme. Two design examples are presented in which the new method is used for the wing redesign of a transonic business jet.

Association of salivary calcium, phosphate, pH and flow rate on oral health: A study on 90 subjects

PubMed Central

Fiyaz, Mohamed; Ramesh, Amitha; Ramalingam, Karthikeyan; Thomas, Biju; Shetty, Sucheta; Prakash, Prashanth

2013-01-01

Background and Objectives: This study was designed to compare inorganic salivary calcium, phosphate, flow rate and pH of un-stimulated saliva and oral hygiene of healthy subjects, patients with periodontitis and dental caries and to correlate salivary calcium level with the number of intact teeth. Materials and Methods: The present study consisted of 90 patients aged between 18 and 55 years and were divided into three groups, periodontitis, dental caries and controls. Oral hygiene index-simplified, probing pocket depth, clinical attachment level and number of teeth present, teeth with active carious lesions were recorded. Salivary flow rate and pH was recorded and subjected to biochemical investigation. Estimation of inorganic calcium and phosphate was performed by colorimetric method. Results: Results showed statistically significant increase in salivary inorganic calcium and phosphate levels, poor oral hygiene status, pH and salivary flow rate in patients with periodontitis when compared with dental caries group and controls. Interpretation and Conclusion: Individuals who have increased salivary inorganic calcium, phosphate, pH, flow rate and maintain poor oral hygiene could be at a higher risk for developing periodontitis and may have less dental caries and more number of intact teeth. PMID:24174724

Non-invasive energy meter for fixed and variable flow systems

DOEpatents

Menicucci, David F.; Black, Billy D.

2005-11-01

An energy metering method and apparatus for liquid flow systems comprising first and second segments of one or more conduits through which a liquid flows, comprising: attaching a first temperature sensor for connection to an outside of the first conduit segment; attaching a second temperature sensor for connection to an outside of the second conduit segment; via a programmable control unit, receiving data from the sensors and calculating energy data therefrom; and communicating energy data from the meter; whereby the method and apparatus operate without need to temporarily disconnect or alter the first or second conduit segments. The invention operates with both variable and fixed flow systems, and is especially useful for both active and passive solar energy systems.

Control of impurities in toroidal plasma devices

DOEpatents

Ohkawa, Tihiro

1980-01-01

A method and apparatus for plasma impurity control in closed flux plasma systems such as Tokamak reactors is disclosed. Local axisymmetrical injection of hydrogen gas is employed to reverse the normally inward flow of impurities into the plasma.

Controlled multistep synthesis in a three-phase droplet reactor

PubMed Central

Nightingale, Adrian M.; Phillips, Thomas W.; Bannock, James H.; de Mello, John C.

2014-01-01

Channel-fouling is a pervasive problem in continuous flow chemistry, causing poor product control and reactor failure. Droplet chemistry, in which the reaction mixture flows as discrete droplets inside an immiscible carrier liquid, prevents fouling by isolating the reaction from the channel walls. Unfortunately, the difficulty of controllably adding new reagents to an existing droplet stream has largely restricted droplet chemistry to simple reactions in which all reagents are supplied at the time of droplet formation. Here we describe an effective method for repeatedly adding controlled quantities of reagents to droplets. The reagents are injected into a multiphase fluid stream, comprising the carrier liquid, droplets of the reaction mixture and an inert gas that maintains a uniform droplet spacing and suppresses new droplet formation. The method, which is suited to many multistep reactions, is applied to a five-stage quantum dot synthesis wherein particle growth is sustained by repeatedly adding fresh feedstock. PMID:24797034

Random walk-percolation-based modeling of two-phase flow in porous media: Breakthrough time and net to gross ratio estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ganjeh-Ghazvini, Mostafa; Masihi, Mohsen; Ghaedi, Mojtaba

2014-07-01

Fluid flow modeling in porous media has many applications in waste treatment, hydrology and petroleum engineering. In any geological model, flow behavior is controlled by multiple properties. These properties must be known in advance of common flow simulations. When uncertainties are present, deterministic modeling often produces poor results. Percolation and Random Walk (RW) methods have recently been used in flow modeling. Their stochastic basis is useful in dealing with uncertainty problems. They are also useful in finding the relationship between porous media descriptions and flow behavior. This paper employs a simple methodology based on random walk and percolation techniques. The method is applied to a well-defined model reservoir in which the breakthrough time distributions are estimated. The results of this method and the conventional simulation are then compared. The effect of the net to gross ratio on the breakthrough time distribution is studied in terms of Shannon entropy. Use of the entropy plot allows one to assign the appropriate net to gross ratio to any porous medium.

Development of a new dynamic gas flow-control system in the pressure range of 1 Pa-133 Pa

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hong, S. S.; Chung, J. W.; Khan, Wakil

2011-12-15

A new flow-control system (FCS-705) has been developed at Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science. The system is intended for calibration of vacuum gauges in the pressure range of 1 Pa-133 Pa by comparison method. This paper describes some basic characteristics of the system including; (1) the design and construction of the system, (2) the generation of stable pressures in the chamber, (3) achieving high upstream pressure limit by installing a short duct in the by-pass pumping line, and (4) investigation of the gas flow regimes within the short duct.

A Systems Approach towards an Intelligent and Self-Controlling Platform for Integrated Continuous Reaction Sequences**

PubMed Central

Ingham, Richard J; Battilocchio, Claudio; Fitzpatrick, Daniel E; Sliwinski, Eric; Hawkins, Joel M; Ley, Steven V

2015-01-01

Performing reactions in flow can offer major advantages over batch methods. However, laboratory flow chemistry processes are currently often limited to single steps or short sequences due to the complexity involved with operating a multi-step process. Using new modular components for downstream processing, coupled with control technologies, more advanced multi-step flow sequences can be realized. These tools are applied to the synthesis of 2-aminoadamantane-2-carboxylic acid. A system comprising three chemistry steps and three workup steps was developed, having sufficient autonomy and self-regulation to be managed by a single operator. PMID:25377747

Study on the Automatic Detection Method and System of Multifunctional Hydrocephalus Shunt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Xuan; Wang, Guangzhen; Dong, Quancheng; Li, Yuzhong

2017-07-01

Aiming to the difficulty of micro pressure detection and the difficulty of micro flow control in the testing process of hydrocephalus shunt, the principle of the shunt performance detection was analyzed.In this study, the author analyzed the principle of several items of shunt performance detection,and used advanced micro pressure sensor and micro flow peristaltic pump to overcome the micro pressure detection and micro flow control technology.At the same time,This study also puted many common experimental projects integrated, and successfully developed the automatic detection system for a shunt performance detection function, to achieve a test with high precision, high efficiency and automation.

The modeling, simulation, and control of transport phenomena in a thermally destabilizing Bridgman crystal growth system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sonda, Paul Julio

This thesis presents a comprehensive examination of the modeling, simulation, and control of axisymmetric flows occurring in a vertical Bridgman crystal growth system with the melt underlying the crystal. The significant complexity and duration of the manufacturing process make experimental optimization a prohibitive task. Numerical simulation has emerged as a powerful tool in understanding the processing issues still prevalent in industry. A first-principles model is developed to better understand the transport phenomena within a representative vertical Bridgman system. The set of conservation equations for momentum, energy, and species concentration are discretized using the Galerkin finite element method and simulated using accurate time-marching schemes. Simulation results detail the occurrence of fascinating nonlinear dynamics, in the form of stable, time-varying behavior for sufficiently large melt regimes and multiple steady flow states. This discovery of time-periodic flows for high intensity flows is qualitatively consistent with experimental observations. Transient simulations demonstrate that process operating conditions have a marked effect on the hydrodynamic behavior within the melt, which consequently affects the dopant concentration profile within the crystal. The existence of nonlinear dynamical behavior within this system motivates the need for feedback control algorithms which can provide superior crystal quality. This work studies the feasibility of using crucible rotation to control flows in the vertical Bridgman system. Simulations show that crucible rotation acts to suppress the axisymmetric flows. However, for the case when the melt lies below the crystal, crucible rotation also acts to accelerate the onset of time-periodic behavior. This result is attributed to coupling between the centrifugal force and the intense, buoyancy-driven flows. Proportional, proportional-integral, and input-output linearizing controllers are applied to vertical Bridgman systems in stabilizing (crystal below the melt) and destabilizing (melt below the crystal) configurations. The spatially-averaged, axisymmetric kinetic energy is the controlled output. The flows are controlled via rotation of the crucible containing the molten material. Simulation results show that feedback controllers using crucible rotation effectively attenuate flow oscillations in a stabilizing configuration with time-varying disturbance. Crucible rotation is not an optimal choice for suppressing inherent flow oscillations in the destabilizing configuration.

Three-dimensional self-adaptive grid method for complex flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Djomehri, M. Jahed; Deiwert, George S.

1988-01-01

A self-adaptive grid procedure for efficient computation of three-dimensional complex flow fields is described. The method is based on variational principles to minimize the energy of a spring system analogy which redistributes the grid points. Grid control parameters are determined by specifying maximum and minimum grid spacing. Multidirectional adaptation is achieved by splitting the procedure into a sequence of successive applications of a unidirectional adaptation. One-sided, two-directional constraints for orthogonality and smoothness are used to enhance the efficiency of the method. Feasibility of the scheme is demonstrated by application to a multinozzle, afterbody, plume flow field. Application of the algorithm for initial grid generation is illustrated by constructing a three-dimensional grid about a bump-like geometry.

Investigation of multidimensional control systems in the state space and wavelet medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fedosenkov, D. B.; Simikova, A. A.; Fedosenkov, B. A.

2018-05-01

The notions are introduced of “one-dimensional-point” and “multidimensional-point” automatic control systems. To demonstrate the joint use of approaches based on the concepts of state space and wavelet transforms, a method for optimal control in a state space medium represented in the form of time-frequency representations (maps), is considered. The computer-aided control system is formed on the basis of the similarity transformation method, which makes it possible to exclude the use of reduced state variable observers. 1D-material flow signals formed by primary transducers are converted by means of wavelet transformations into multidimensional concentrated-at-a point variables in the form of time-frequency distributions of Cohen’s class. The algorithm for synthesizing a stationary controller for feeding processes is given here. The conclusion is made that the formation of an optimal control law with time-frequency distributions available contributes to the improvement of transient processes quality in feeding subsystems and the mixing unit. Confirming the efficiency of the method presented is illustrated by an example of the current registration of material flows in the multi-feeding unit. The first section in your paper.

Enhancement of Arterial Pressure Pulsatility by Controlling Continuous-Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device Flow Rate in Mock Circulatory System.

PubMed

Bozkurt, Selim; van de Vosse, Frans N; Rutten, Marcel C M

Continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (CF-LVADs) generally operate at a constant speed, which reduces pulsatility in the arteries and may lead to complications such as functional changes in the vascular system, gastrointestinal bleeding, or both. The purpose of this study is to increase the arterial pulse pressure and pulsatility by controlling the CF-LVAD flow rate. A MicroMed DeBakey pump was used as the CF-LVAD. A model simulating the flow rate through the aortic valve was used as a reference model to drive the pump. A mock circulation containing two synchronized servomotor-operated piston pumps acting as left and right ventricles was used as a circulatory system. Proportional-integral control was used as the control method. First, the CF-LVAD was operated at a constant speed. With pulsatile-speed CF-LVAD assistance, the pump was driven such that the same mean pump output was generated. Continuous and pulsatile-speed CF-LVAD assistance provided the same mean arterial pressure and flow rate, while the index of pulsatility increased significantly for both arterial pressure and pump flow rate signals under pulsatile speed pump support. This study shows the possibility of improving the pulsatility of CF-LVAD support by regulating pump speed over a cardiac cycle without reducing the overall level of support.

Variability of sap flow on forest hillslopes: patterns and controls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hassler, Sibylle; Blume, Theresa

2013-04-01

Sap flow in trees is an essential variable in integrated studies of hydrologic fluxes. It gives indication of transpiration rates for single trees and, with a suitable method of upscaling, for whole stands. This information is relevant for hydrologic and climate models, especially for the prediction of change in water fluxes in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum under climate change. To this end, we do not only need knowledge concerning the response of sapflow to atmospheric forcing but also an understanding of the main controls on its spatial variability. Our study site consists of several subcatchments of the Attert basin in Luxembourg underlain by schists of the Ardennes massif. Within these subcatchments we measure sap flow in more than 20 trees on a range of forested hillslopes covered by a variety of temperate deciduous tree species such as beech, oak, hornbeam and maple as well as conifers such as firs. Our sap flow sensors are based on the heat pulse velocity method and consist of three needles, one needle acting as the heating device and the other two holding three thermistors each, enabling us to simultaneously measure sap flow velocity at three different depths within the tree. In close proximity to the trees we collect additional data on soil moisture, matric potential and groundwater levels. First results show that the sensor design seems promising for an upscaling of the measured sap flow velocities to sap flow at the tree level. The maximum depth of actively used sapwood as well as the decrease in sap flow velocity with increasing depth in the tree can be determined by way of the three thermistors. Marked differences in sap flow velocity profiles are visible between the different species, resulting in differences in sap flow for trees of similar diameter. We examine the range of tree sap flow values and variation due to species, size class, slope position and exposition and finally relate them to the dynamics of soil moisture conditions with the goal to identify the most important controls of sap flow at our study site.

Microencapsulation of curcumin in PLGA microcapsules by coaxial flow focusing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lei, Fan; Si, Ting; Luo, Xisheng; Xu, Ronald X.

2014-03-01

Curcumin-loaded PLGA microcapsules are fabricated by a liquid-driving coaxial flow focusing device. In the process, a stable coaxial cone-jet configuration is formed under the action of a coflowing liquid stream and the coaxial liquid jet eventually breaks up into microcapsules because of flow instability. This process can be well controlled by adjusting the flow rates of three phases including the driving PVA water solution, the outer PLGA ethyl acetate solution and the inner curcumin propylene glycol solution. Confocal and SEM imaging methods clearly indicate the core-shell structure of the resultant microcapsules. The encapsulation rate of curcumin in PLGA is measured to be more than 70%, which is much higher than the tranditional methods such as emulsion. The size distribution of resultant microcapsules under different conditions is presented and compared. An in vitro release simulation platform is further developed to verify the feasibility and reliability of the method.

Diverter/bop system and method for a bottom supported offshore drilling rig

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Roche, J.R.; Alexander, G.G.; Carbaugh, W.L.

1986-07-01

A system is described adapted for alternative use as a diverter or a blowout preventer for a bottom supported drilling rig and adapted for connection to a permanent housing attached to rig structural members beneath a drilling rig rotary table, the permanent housing having an outlet connectable to a rig fluid system flow line. The system consists of: a fluid flow controller having a controller housing with a lower cylindrical opening and an upper cylindrical opening and a vertical path therebetween and a first outlet passage and a second outlet passage provided in its wall, a packing element disposed withinmore » the controller housing, and annular piston means adapted for moving from a first position to a second position, whereby in the first position the piston means wall prevents interior fluid from communicating with the outlet passages in the controller housing wall and in the second position the piston means wall allows fluid communication of interior fluid with the outlet passages and urges the annular packing element to close about an object extending through the bore of the controller housing or to close the vertical flow path through through the controller housing in the absence of any object in the vertical flow path, means for connecting a vent line to the outlet passage provided in the controller housing wall, a lower telescoping spool having a lower joining means at its lower end for joining alternatively to structural casing or to a mandrel connected to a conductor string cemented within the structural casing and an upper connection means at its upper end for connection to the lower cylindrical opening of the fluid flow controller, and an upper telescoping spool having a lower connection means for connection to the upper cylindrical opening of the fluid flow controller.« less

Vibrational Power Flow Analysis of Rods and Beams

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wohlever, James Christopher; Bernhard, R. J.

1988-01-01

A new method to model vibrational power flow and predict the resulting energy density levels in uniform rods and beams is investigated. This method models the flow of vibrational power in a manner analogous to the flow of thermal power in a heat conduction problem. The classical displacement solutions for harmonically excited, hysteretically damped rods and beams are used to derive expressions for the vibrational power flow and energy density in the rod and beam. Under certain conditions, the power flow in these two structural elements will be shown to be proportional to the energy density gradient. Using the relationship between power flow and energy density, an energy balance on differential control volumes in the rod and beam leads to a Poisson's equation which models the energy density distribution in the rod and beam. Coupling the energy density and power flow solutions for rods and beams is also discussed. It is shown that the resonant behavior of finite structures complicates the coupling of solutions, especially when the excitations are single frequency inputs. Two coupling formulations are discussed, the first based on the receptance method, and the second on the travelling wave approach used in Statistical Energy Analysis. The receptance method is the more computationally intensive but is capable of analyzing single frequency excitation cases. The traveling wave approach gives a good approximation of the frequency average of energy density and power flow in coupled systems, and thus, is an efficient technique for use with broadband frequency excitation.

An efficient method for computing unsteady transonic aerodynamics of swept wings with control surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, D. D.; Kao, Y. F.; Fung, K. Y.

1989-01-01

A transonic equivalent strip (TES) method was further developed for unsteady flow computations of arbitrary wing planforms. The TES method consists of two consecutive correction steps to a given nonlinear code such as LTRAN2; namely, the chordwise mean flow correction and the spanwise phase correction. The computation procedure requires direct pressure input from other computed or measured data. Otherwise, it does not require airfoil shape or grid generation for given planforms. To validate the computed results, four swept wings of various aspect ratios, including those with control surfaces, are selected as computational examples. Overall trends in unsteady pressures are established with those obtained by XTRAN3S codes, Isogai's full potential code and measured data by NLR and RAE. In comparison with these methods, the TES has achieved considerable saving in computer time and reasonable accuracy which suggests immediate industrial applications.

Application of laser chaos control methods to controlling thyroid-catatonic oscillations and burst firing of dopamine neurons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duong-van, Minh

1993-11-01

A method of controlling chaotic to laminar flows in the Lorenz equations using fixed points dictated by minimizing the Lyapunov functional was proposed by Singer, Wang and Bau. Using different fixed points, we find that the solutions in a chaotic regime can also be periodic. Since the lasers equations are isomorphic to the Lorenz equations, we use this new method to control chaos when the laser is operated over the pump threshold. Furthermore, by solving the laser equations with an occasional proportional feedback mechanism, we recover the essential lasers controlling features experimentally discovered by Roy, Murphy, Jr., Maier, Gills and Hunt. This method of control chaos is now extended to various medical and biological systems.

Prediction of forces and moments for hypersonic flight vehicle control effectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maughmer, Mark D.; Long, Lyle N.; Guilmette, Neal; Pagano, Peter

1993-01-01

This research project includes three distinct phases. For completeness, all three phases of the work are briefly described in this report. The goal was to develop methods of predicting flight control forces and moments for hypersonic vehicles which could be used in a preliminary design environment. The first phase included a preliminary assessment of subsonic/supersonic panel methods and hypersonic local flow inclination methods for such predictions. While these findings clearly indicated the usefulness of such methods for conceptual design activities, deficiencies exist in some areas. Thus, a second phase of research was conducted in which a better understanding was sought for the reasons behind the successes and failures of the methods considered, particularly for the cases at hypersonic Mach numbers. This second phase involved using computational fluid dynamics methods to examine the flow fields in detail. Through these detailed predictions, the deficiencies in the simple surface inclination methods were determined. In the third phase of this work, an improvement to the surface inclination methods was developed. This used a novel method for including viscous effects by modifying the geometry to include the viscous/shock layer.

Development of laminar flow control wing surface porous structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klotzsche, M.; Pearce, W.; Anderson, C.; Thelander, J.; Boronow, W.; Gallimore, F.; Brown, W.; Matsuo, T.; Christensen, J.; Primavera, G.

1984-01-01

It was concluded that the chordwise air collection method, which actually combines chordwise and spanwise air collection, is the best of the designs conceived up to this time for full chord laminar flow control (LFC). Its shallower ducting improved structural efficiency of the main wing box resulting in a reduction in wing weight, and it provided continuous support of the chordwise panel joints, better matching of suction and clearing airflow requirements, and simplified duct to suction source minifolding. Laminar flow control on both the upper and lower surfaces was previously reduced to LFC suction on the upper surface only, back to 85 percent chord. The study concludes that, in addition to reduced wing area and other practical advantages, this system would be lighter because of the increase in effective structural wing thickness.

Development and acceleration of unstructured mesh-based cfd solver

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Emelyanov, V.; Karpenko, A.; Volkov, K.

2017-06-01

The study was undertaken as part of a larger effort to establish a common computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code for simulation of internal and external flows and involves some basic validation studies. The governing equations are solved with ¦nite volume code on unstructured meshes. The computational procedure involves reconstruction of the solution in each control volume and extrapolation of the unknowns to find the flow variables on the faces of control volume, solution of Riemann problem for each face of the control volume, and evolution of the time step. The nonlinear CFD solver works in an explicit time-marching fashion, based on a three-step Runge-Kutta stepping procedure. Convergence to a steady state is accelerated by the use of geometric technique and by the application of Jacobi preconditioning for high-speed flows, with a separate low Mach number preconditioning method for use with low-speed flows. The CFD code is implemented on graphics processing units (GPUs). Speedup of solution on GPUs with respect to solution on central processing units (CPU) is compared with the use of different meshes and different methods of distribution of input data into blocks. The results obtained provide promising perspective for designing a GPU-based software framework for applications in CFD.

Hemodynamic effects of spiral ePTFE prosthesis compared with standard arteriovenous graft in a carotid to jugular vein porcine model.

PubMed

Jahrome, Ommid K; Hoefer, Imo; Houston, Graeme J; Stonebridge, Peter A; Blankestijn, Peter J; Moll, Frans L; de Borst, Gert J

2011-01-01

The primary patency rate of arteriovenous (AV) grafts is limited by distal venous anastomosis stenosis or occlusion due to intimal hyperplasia associated with distal graft turbulence. The normal blood flow in native arteries is spiral laminar flow. Standard vascular grafts do not produce spiral laminar flow at the distal anastomosis. Vascular grafts which induce a spiral laminar flow distally result in lower turbulence, particularly near the vessel wall. This initial study compares the hemodynamic effects of a spiral flow-inducing graft and a standard graft in a new AV carotid to jugular vein crossover graft porcine model. Four spiral flow grafts and 4 control grafts were implanted from the carotid artery to the contralateral jugular vein in 4 pigs. Two animals were terminated after 48 hours and 2 at 14 days. Graft patency was assessed by selective catheter digital angiography, and the flow pattern was assessed by intraoperative flow probe and color Doppler ultrasound (CDU) measurements. The spiral grafts were also assessed at enhanced flow rates using an external roller pump to simulate increased flow rates that may occur during dialysis using a standard dialysis needle cannulation. The method increased the flow rate through the graft by 660 ml/min. The graft distal anastomotic appearances were evaluated by explant histopathology. All grafts were patent at explantation with no complications. All anastomoses were found to be wide open and showed no significant angiographic stenosis at the distal anastomosis in both spiral and control grafts. CDU examinations showed a spiral flow pattern in the spiral graft and double helix pattern in the control graft. No gross histopathological effects were seen in either spiral or control grafts. This porcine model is robust and allows hemodynamic flow assessment up to 14 days postimplantation. The spiral flow-inducing grafts produced and maintained spiral flow at baseline and enhanced flow rates during dialysis needle cannulation, whereas control grafts did not produce spiral flow through the distal anastomosis. There was no deleterious effect of the spiral flow-inducing graft on macroscopic and histological examination. The reducing effect of spiral flow on intima hyperplasia formation will be the subject of further study using the same AV graft model at a longer period of implantation.

40 CFR 63.425 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... location for each leak. (g) Nitrogen pressure decay field test. For those cargo tanks with manifolded... adding commercial grade nitrogen gas from a high pressure cylinder capable of maintaining a pressure of 2... and a flow control metering valve. The flow rate of the nitrogen shall be no less than 2 cfm. The...

40 CFR 63.425 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... location for each leak. (g) Nitrogen pressure decay field test. For those cargo tanks with manifolded... adding commercial grade nitrogen gas from a high pressure cylinder capable of maintaining a pressure of 2... and a flow control metering valve. The flow rate of the nitrogen shall be no less than 2 cfm. The...

40 CFR 63.425 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... location for each leak. (g) Nitrogen pressure decay field test. For those cargo tanks with manifolded... adding commercial grade nitrogen gas from a high pressure cylinder capable of maintaining a pressure of 2... and a flow control metering valve. The flow rate of the nitrogen shall be no less than 2 cfm. The...

40 CFR 63.425 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... location for each leak. (g) Nitrogen pressure decay field test. For those cargo tanks with manifolded... adding commercial grade nitrogen gas from a high pressure cylinder capable of maintaining a pressure of 2... and a flow control metering valve. The flow rate of the nitrogen shall be no less than 2 cfm. The...

40 CFR 63.425 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... location for each leak. (g) Nitrogen pressure decay field test. For those cargo tanks with manifolded... adding commercial grade nitrogen gas from a high pressure cylinder capable of maintaining a pressure of 2... and a flow control metering valve. The flow rate of the nitrogen shall be no less than 2 cfm. The...

A flow cytometric approach to the study of crustacean cellular immunity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cardenas, W.; Jenkins, J.A.; Dankert, J.R.

2000-01-01

Responses of hemocytes from the crayfish Procambarus zonangulus to stimulation by fungal cell walls (Zymosan A) were measured by flow cytometry. Changes in hemocyte physical characteristics were assessed flow cytometrically using forward- and sidescatter light parameters, and viability was measured by two-color fluorescent staining with calcein-AM and ethidium homodimer 1. The main effects of zymosan A on crayfish hemocytes were reduction in cell size and viability compared to control mixtures (hemocytes in buffer only). Adding diethyldithiocarbamic acid, an inhibitor of phenoloxidase, to hemocyte to zymosan mixtures delayed the time course of cell size reduction and cell death compared to zymosan-positive controls. The inclusion of trypsin inhibitor in reaction mixtures further delayed the reduction in hemocyte size and cell death, thereby indicating that a proteolytic cascade, along with prophenoloxidase activation, played a key role in generating signal molecules which mediate these cellular responses. In addition to traditional methods such as microscopy and protein chemistry, flow cytometry can provide a simple, reproducible, and sensitve method for evaluating invertebrate hemocyte responses to immunological stimuli.

Building a Practical Natural Laminar Flow Design Capability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, Richard L.; Lynde, Michelle N.

2017-01-01

A preliminary natural laminar flow (NLF) design method that has been developed and applied to supersonic and transonic wings with moderate-to-high leading-edge sweeps at flight Reynolds numbers is further extended and evaluated in this paper. The modular design approach uses a knowledge-based design module linked with different flow solvers and boundary layer stability analysis methods to provide a multifidelity capability for NLF analysis and design. An assessment of the effects of different options for stability analysis is included using pressures and geometry from an NLF wing designed for the Common Research Model (CRM). Several extensions to the design module are described, including multiple new approaches to design for controlling attachment line contamination and transition. Finally, a modification to the NLF design algorithm that allows independent control of Tollmien-Schlichting (TS) and cross flow (CF) modes is proposed. A preliminary evaluation of the TS-only option applied to the design of an NLF nacelle for the CRM is performed that includes the use of a low-fidelity stability analysis directly in the design module.

Liquid rocket engine self-cooled combustion chambers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

Self-cooled combustion chambers are chambers in which the chamber wall temperature is controlled by methods other than fluid flow within the chamber wall supplied from an external source. In such chambers, adiabatic wall temperature may be controlled by use of upstream fluid components such as the injector or a film-coolant ring, or by internal flow of self-contained materials; e.g. pyrolysis gas flow in charring ablators, and the flow of infiltrated liquid metals in porous matrices. Five types of self-cooled chambers are considered in this monograph. The name identifying the chamber is indicative of the method (mechanism) by which the chamber is cooled, as follows: ablative; radiation cooled; internally regenerative (Interegen); heat sink; adiabatic wall. Except for the Interegen and heat sink concepts, each chamber type is discussed separately. A separate and final section of the monograph deals with heat transfer to the chamber wall and treats Stanton number evaluation, film cooling, and film-coolant injection techniques, since these subjects are common to all chamber types. Techniques for analysis of gas film cooling and liquid film cooling are presented.

Procedures for Computing Transonic Flows for Control of Adaptive Wind Tunnels. Ph.D. Thesis - Technische Univ., Berlin, Mar. 1986

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rebstock, Rainer

1987-01-01

Numerical methods are developed for control of three dimensional adaptive test sections. The physical properties of the design problem occurring in the external field computation are analyzed, and a design procedure suited for solution of the problem is worked out. To do this, the desired wall shape is determined by stepwise modification of an initial contour. The necessary changes in geometry are determined with the aid of a panel procedure, or, with incident flow near the sonic range, with a transonic small perturbation (TSP) procedure. The designed wall shape, together with the wall deflections set during the tunnel run, are the input to a newly derived one-step formula which immediately yields the adapted wall contour. This is particularly important since the classical iterative adaptation scheme is shown to converge poorly for 3D flows. Experimental results obtained in the adaptive test section with eight flexible walls are presented to demonstrate the potential of the procedure. Finally, a method is described to minimize wall interference in 3D flows by adapting only the top and bottom wind tunnel walls.

Effect of stress, anxiety and depression on unstimulated salivary flow rate and xerostomia.

PubMed

Gholami, Neda; Hosseini Sabzvari, Behrous; Razzaghi, Alireza; Salah, Shilan

2017-01-01

Background. Unstimulated salivary flow rate can be influenced by different factors. This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of stress, anxiety and depression on unstimulated salivary flow rate in adults. Methods. A total of 247 adult subjects, randomly selected from patients referring to Zanjan Dental School, were included in this investigation. The study procedures consisted of collecting salivary samples (in 5 minutes), completing a form for feeling of xerostomia and completing Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) Questionnaire to assess the severity of stress, anxiety and depression. Based on the results, the patients were categorized in four groups: Low salivary flow rate plus xerostomia (group 1, n=60), normal salivary flow rate plus xerostomia (group 2, n=59), low salivary flow rate without xerostomia (group 3, n=60) and normal salivary flow rate without xerostomia (control group, n=68). Results. The frequencies of subjects with severe and major depression in groups 1, 2 and 3 were 31.4%, 11.7% and 8.5%, respectively, with 4.4% in the control group. The frequencies of subjects with severe stress in groups 1, 2 and 3 were 21.7%, 3.3% and 11.9%, respectively, with 1.5% in the control group. The frequencies of patients with severe anxiety in groups 1, 2 and 3 were 50%, 30% and 61.1%, respectively, with 4.4% in the control group. Stress, anxiety and depression exhibited a statistically significant relationship with unstimulated salivary flow rate and xerostomia (P<0.05). Conclusion. Stress, anxiety and depression can influence unstimulated salivary flow rate and lead to xerostomia.

Coolant and ambient temperature control for chillerless liquid cooled data centers

DOEpatents

Chainer, Timothy J.; David, Milnes P.; Iyengar, Madhusudan K.; Parida, Pritish R.; Simons, Robert E.

2016-02-02

Cooling control methods include measuring a temperature of air provided to a plurality of nodes by an air-to-liquid heat exchanger, measuring a temperature of at least one component of the plurality of nodes and finding a maximum component temperature across all such nodes, comparing the maximum component temperature to a first and second component threshold and comparing the air temperature to a first and second air threshold, and controlling a proportion of coolant flow and a coolant flow rate to the air-to-liquid heat exchanger and the plurality of nodes based on the comparisons.

Measuring retinal blood flow in rats using Doppler optical coherence tomography without knowing eyeball axial length

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Wenzhong; Yi, Ji; Chen, Siyu

Purpose: Doppler optical coherence tomography (OCT) is widely used for measuring retinal blood flow. Existing Doppler OCT methods require the eyeball axial length, in which empirical values are usually used. However, variations in the axial length can create a bias unaccounted for in the retinal blood flow measurement. The authors plan to develop a Doppler OCT method that can measure the total retinal blood flow rate without requiring the eyeball axial length. Methods: The authors measured the retinal blood flow rate using a dual-ring scanning protocol. The small and large scanning rings entered the eye at different incident angles (smallmore » ring: 4°; large ring: 6°), focused on different locations on the retina, and detected the projected velocities/phase shifts along the probing beams. The authors calculated the ratio of the projected velocities between the two rings, and then used this ratio to estimate absolute flow velocity. The authors tested this method in both Intralipid phantoms and in vivo rats. Results: In the Intralipid flow phantom experiments, the preset and measured flow rates were consistent with the coefficient of determination as 0.97. Linear fitting between preset and measured flow rates determined the fitting slope as 1.07 and the intercept as −0.28. In in vivo rat experiments, the measured average total retinal blood flow was 7.02 ± 0.31μl/min among four wild-type rats. The authors’ measured flow rates were consistent with results in the literature. Conclusions: By using a dual-ring scanning protocol with carefully controlled incident angle difference between the two scanning rings in Doppler OCT, the authors demonstrated that it is feasible to measure the absolute retinal blood flow without knowing the eyeball axial length.« less

Measuring retinal blood flow in rats using Doppler optical coherence tomography without knowing eyeball axial length

PubMed Central

Liu, Wenzhong; Yi, Ji; Chen, Siyu; Jiao, Shuliang; Zhang, Hao F.

2015-01-01

Purpose: Doppler optical coherence tomography (OCT) is widely used for measuring retinal blood flow. Existing Doppler OCT methods require the eyeball axial length, in which empirical values are usually used. However, variations in the axial length can create a bias unaccounted for in the retinal blood flow measurement. The authors plan to develop a Doppler OCT method that can measure the total retinal blood flow rate without requiring the eyeball axial length. Methods: The authors measured the retinal blood flow rate using a dual-ring scanning protocol. The small and large scanning rings entered the eye at different incident angles (small ring: 4°; large ring: 6°), focused on different locations on the retina, and detected the projected velocities/phase shifts along the probing beams. The authors calculated the ratio of the projected velocities between the two rings, and then used this ratio to estimate absolute flow velocity. The authors tested this method in both Intralipid phantoms and in vivo rats. Results: In the Intralipid flow phantom experiments, the preset and measured flow rates were consistent with the coefficient of determination as 0.97. Linear fitting between preset and measured flow rates determined the fitting slope as 1.07 and the intercept as −0.28. In in vivo rat experiments, the measured average total retinal blood flow was 7.02 ± 0.31μl/min among four wild-type rats. The authors’ measured flow rates were consistent with results in the literature. Conclusions: By using a dual-ring scanning protocol with carefully controlled incident angle difference between the two scanning rings in Doppler OCT, the authors demonstrated that it is feasible to measure the absolute retinal blood flow without knowing the eyeball axial length. PMID:26328984

A microfluidic device for simultaneous measurement of viscosity and flow rate of blood in a complex fluidic network

PubMed Central

Jun Kang, Yang; Yeom, Eunseop; Lee, Sang-Joon

2013-01-01

Blood viscosity has been considered as one of important biophysical parameters for effectively monitoring variations in physiological and pathological conditions of circulatory disorders. Standard previous methods make it difficult to evaluate variations of blood viscosity under cardiopulmonary bypass procedures or hemodialysis. In this study, we proposed a unique microfluidic device for simultaneously measuring viscosity and flow rate of whole blood circulating in a complex fluidic network including a rat, a reservoir, a pinch valve, and a peristaltic pump. To demonstrate the proposed method, a twin-shaped microfluidic device, which is composed of two half-circular chambers, two side channels with multiple indicating channels, and one bridge channel, was carefully designed. Based on the microfluidic device, three sequential flow controls were applied to identify viscosity and flow rate of blood, with label-free and sensorless detection. The half-circular chamber was employed to achieve mechanical membrane compliance for flow stabilization in the microfluidic device. To quantify the effect of flow stabilization on flow fluctuations, a formula of pulsation index (PI) was analytically derived using a discrete fluidic circuit model. Using the PI formula, the time constant contributed by the half-circular chamber is estimated to be 8 s. Furthermore, flow fluctuations resulting from the peristaltic pumps are completely removed, especially under periodic flow conditions within short periods (T < 10 s). For performance demonstrations, the proposed method was applied to evaluate blood viscosity with respect to varying flow rate conditions [(a) known blood flow rate via a syringe pump, (b) unknown blood flow rate via a peristaltic pump]. As a result, the flow rate and viscosity of blood can be simultaneously measured with satisfactory accuracy. In addition, the proposed method was successfully applied to identify the viscosity of rat blood, which circulates in a complex fluidic network. These observations confirm that the proposed method can be used for simultaneous measurement of viscosity and flow rate of whole blood circulating in the complex fluid network, with sensorless and label-free detection. Furthermore, the proposed method will be used in evaluating variations in the viscosity of human blood during cardiopulmonary bypass procedures or hemodialysis. PMID:24404074

A microfluidic device for simultaneous measurement of viscosity and flow rate of blood in a complex fluidic network.

PubMed

Jun Kang, Yang; Yeom, Eunseop; Lee, Sang-Joon

2013-01-01

Blood viscosity has been considered as one of important biophysical parameters for effectively monitoring variations in physiological and pathological conditions of circulatory disorders. Standard previous methods make it difficult to evaluate variations of blood viscosity under cardiopulmonary bypass procedures or hemodialysis. In this study, we proposed a unique microfluidic device for simultaneously measuring viscosity and flow rate of whole blood circulating in a complex fluidic network including a rat, a reservoir, a pinch valve, and a peristaltic pump. To demonstrate the proposed method, a twin-shaped microfluidic device, which is composed of two half-circular chambers, two side channels with multiple indicating channels, and one bridge channel, was carefully designed. Based on the microfluidic device, three sequential flow controls were applied to identify viscosity and flow rate of blood, with label-free and sensorless detection. The half-circular chamber was employed to achieve mechanical membrane compliance for flow stabilization in the microfluidic device. To quantify the effect of flow stabilization on flow fluctuations, a formula of pulsation index (PI) was analytically derived using a discrete fluidic circuit model. Using the PI formula, the time constant contributed by the half-circular chamber is estimated to be 8 s. Furthermore, flow fluctuations resulting from the peristaltic pumps are completely removed, especially under periodic flow conditions within short periods (T < 10 s). For performance demonstrations, the proposed method was applied to evaluate blood viscosity with respect to varying flow rate conditions [(a) known blood flow rate via a syringe pump, (b) unknown blood flow rate via a peristaltic pump]. As a result, the flow rate and viscosity of blood can be simultaneously measured with satisfactory accuracy. In addition, the proposed method was successfully applied to identify the viscosity of rat blood, which circulates in a complex fluidic network. These observations confirm that the proposed method can be used for simultaneous measurement of viscosity and flow rate of whole blood circulating in the complex fluid network, with sensorless and label-free detection. Furthermore, the proposed method will be used in evaluating variations in the viscosity of human blood during cardiopulmonary bypass procedures or hemodialysis.

Rapid Flow-Based Peptide Synthesis

PubMed Central

Simon, Mark D.; Heider, Patrick L.; Adamo, Andrea; Vinogradov, Alexander A.; Mong, Surin K.; Li, Xiyuan; Berger, Tatiana; Policarpo, Rocco L.; Zhang, Chi; Zou, Yekui; Liao, Xiaoli; Spokoyny, Alexander M.; Jensen, Klavs F.

2014-01-01

A flow-based solid phase peptide synthesis methodology that enables the incorporation of an amino acid residue every 1.8 minutes under automatic control, or every three minutes under manual control, is described. This is accomplished by passing a stream of reagent through a heat exchanger, into a low volume, low backpressure reaction vessel, and through a UV detector. These features enable the continuous delivery of heated solvents and reagents to the solid support at high flow rate, maintaining a maximal concentration of reagents in the reaction vessel, quickly exchanging reagents, and eliminating the need to rapidly heat reagents after they have been added to the vessel. The UV detector enables continuous monitoring of the process. To demonstrate the broad applicability and reliability of this method, it was employed in the total synthesis of a small protein, as well as dozens of peptides. The quality of the material obtained with this method is comparable to traditional batch methods, and, in all cases, the desired material was readily purifiable via RP-HPLC. The application of this method to the synthesis of the 113 residue B. amyloliquefaciens RNase and the 130 residue pE59 DARPin is described in the accompanying manuscript. PMID:24616230

Proceedings of the 2004 Workshop on CFD Validation of Synthetic Jets and Turbulent Separation Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rumsey, Christopher L. (Compiler)

2007-01-01

The papers presented here are from the Langley Research Center Workshop on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Validation of Synthetic Jets and Turbulent Separation Control (nicknamed "CFDVAL2004"), held March 2004 in Williamsburg, Virginia. The goal of the workshop was to bring together an international group of CFD practitioners to assess the current capabilities of different classes of turbulent flow solution methodologies to predict flow fields induced by synthetic jets and separation control geometries. The workshop consisted of three flow-control test cases of varying complexity, and participants could contribute to any number of the cases. Along with their workshop submissions, each participant included a short write-up describing their method for computing the particular case(s). These write-ups are presented as received from the authors with no editing. Descriptions of each of the test cases and experiments are also included.

Hamiltonian methods of modeling and control of AC microgrids with spinning machines and inverters

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Matthews, Ronald C.; Weaver, Wayne W.; Robinett, Rush D.

This study presents a novel approach to the modeling and control of AC microgrids that contain spinning machines, power electronic inverters and energy storage devices. The inverters in the system can adjust their frequencies and power angles very quickly, so the modeling focuses on establishing a common reference frequency and angle in the microgrid based on the spinning machines. From this dynamic model, nonlinear Hamiltonian surface shaping and power flow control method is applied and shown to stabilize. From this approach the energy flow in the system is used to show the energy storage device requirements and limitations for themore » system. This paper first describes the model for a single bus AC microgrid with a Hamiltonian control, then extends this model and control to a more general class of multiple bus AC microgrids. Finally, simulation results demonstrate the efficacy of the approach in stabilizing and optimization of the microgrid.« less

Hamiltonian methods of modeling and control of AC microgrids with spinning machines and inverters

DOE PAGES

Matthews, Ronald C.; Weaver, Wayne W.; Robinett, Rush D.; ...

2017-12-22

This study presents a novel approach to the modeling and control of AC microgrids that contain spinning machines, power electronic inverters and energy storage devices. The inverters in the system can adjust their frequencies and power angles very quickly, so the modeling focuses on establishing a common reference frequency and angle in the microgrid based on the spinning machines. From this dynamic model, nonlinear Hamiltonian surface shaping and power flow control method is applied and shown to stabilize. From this approach the energy flow in the system is used to show the energy storage device requirements and limitations for themore » system. This paper first describes the model for a single bus AC microgrid with a Hamiltonian control, then extends this model and control to a more general class of multiple bus AC microgrids. Finally, simulation results demonstrate the efficacy of the approach in stabilizing and optimization of the microgrid.« less

Three-dimensional Diffusive Strip Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez-Ruiz, Daniel; Meunier, Patrice; Duchemin, Laurent; Villermaux, Emmanuel

2016-11-01

The Diffusive Strip Method (DSM) is a near-exact numerical method developed for mixing computations at large Péclet number in two-dimensions. The method consists in following stretched material lines to compute a-posteriori the resulting scalar field is extended here to three-dimensional flows, following surfaces. We describe its 3D peculiarities, and show how it applies to a simple Taylor-Couette configuration with non-rotating boundary conditions at the top end, bottom and outer cylinder. This flow produces an elaborate, although controlled, steady 3D flow which relies on the Ekman pumping arising from the rotation of the inner cylinder is both studied experimentally, and numerically modeled. A recurrent two-cells structure appears formed by stream tubes shaped as nested tori. A scalar blob in the flow experiences a Lagrangian oscillating dynamics with stretchings and compressions, driving the mixing process, and yielding both rapidly-mixed and nearly pure-diffusive regions. A triangulated-surface method is developed to calculate the blob elongation and scalar concentration PDFs through a single variable computation along the advected blob surface, capturing the rich evolution observed in the experiments.

Mechanisms and methods for biofouling prevention via aeration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dickenson, Natasha; Henoch, Charles; Belden, Jesse

2013-11-01

Biofouling is a major problem for the Navy and marine industries, with significant economic and ecological consequences. Specifically, biofouling on immersed hull surfaces generates increased drag and thus requires increased fuel consumption to maintain speed. Considerable effort has been spent developing techniques to prevent and control biofouling, but with limited success. Control methods that have proven to be effective are costly, time consuming, or negatively affect the environment. Recently, aeration via bubble injection along submerged surfaces has been shown to achieve long-lasting antifouling effects, and is the only effective non-toxic method available. An understanding of the basic mechanisms by which bubble-induced flow impedes biofouling is lacking, but is essential for the design of large-scale systems. We present results from an experimental investigation of several bubble induced flow fields over an inclined plate with simultaneous measurements of the fluid velocity and bubble characteristics using Digital article Image Velocimetry and high speed digital video. Trajectories of representative larval organisms are also resolved and linked with the flow field measurements to determine the mechanisms responsible for biofouling prevention.

Microfluidic generation of aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) droplets by controlled pulsating inlet pressures.

PubMed

Moon, Byeong-Ui; Jones, Steven G; Hwang, Dae Kun; Tsai, Scott S H

2015-06-07

We present a technique that generates droplets using ultralow interfacial tension aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS). Our method combines a classical microfluidic flow focusing geometry with precisely controlled pulsating inlet pressure, to form monodisperse ATPS droplets. The dextran (DEX) disperse phase enters through the central inlet with variable on-off pressure cycles controlled by a pneumatic solenoid valve. The continuous phase polyethylene glycol (PEG) solution enters the flow focusing junction through the cross channels at a fixed flow rate. The on-off cycles of the applied pressure, combined with the fixed flow rate cross flow, make it possible for the ATPS jet to break up into droplets. We observe different droplet formation regimes with changes in the applied pressure magnitude and timing, and the continuous phase flow rate. We also develop a scaling model to predict the size of the generated droplets, and the experimental results show a good quantitative agreement with our scaling model. Additionally, we demonstrate the potential for scaling-up of the droplet production rate, with a simultaneous two-droplet generating geometry. We anticipate that this simple and precise approach to making ATPS droplets will find utility in biological applications where the all-biocompatibility of ATPS is desirable.

A Second Law Based Unstructured Finite Volume Procedure for Generalized Flow Simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Majumdar, Alok

1998-01-01

An unstructured finite volume procedure has been developed for steady and transient thermo-fluid dynamic analysis of fluid systems and components. The procedure is applicable for a flow network consisting of pipes and various fittings where flow is assumed to be one dimensional. It can also be used to simulate flow in a component by modeling a multi-dimensional flow using the same numerical scheme. The flow domain is discretized into a number of interconnected control volumes located arbitrarily in space. The conservation equations for each control volume account for the transport of mass, momentum and entropy from the neighboring control volumes. In addition, they also include the sources of each conserved variable and time dependent terms. The source term of entropy equation contains entropy generation due to heat transfer and fluid friction. Thermodynamic properties are computed from the equation of state of a real fluid. The system of equations is solved by a hybrid numerical method which is a combination of simultaneous Newton-Raphson and successive substitution schemes. The paper also describes the application and verification of the procedure by comparing its predictions with the analytical and numerical solution of several benchmark problems.

Feedback stabilization of an oscillating vertical cylinder by POD Reduced-Order Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tissot, Gilles; Cordier, Laurent; Noack, Bernd R.

2015-01-01

The objective is to demonstrate the use of reduced-order models (ROM) based on proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) to stabilize the flow over a vertically oscillating circular cylinder in the laminar regime (Reynolds number equal to 60). The 2D Navier-Stokes equations are first solved with a finite element method, in which the moving cylinder is introduced via an ALE method. Since in fluid-structure interaction, the POD algorithm cannot be applied directly, we implemented the fictitious domain method of Glowinski et al. [1] where the solid domain is treated as a fluid undergoing an additional constraint. The POD-ROM is classically obtained by projecting the Navier-Stokes equations onto the first POD modes. At this level, the cylinder displacement is enforced in the POD-ROM through the introduction of Lagrange multipliers. For determining the optimal vertical velocity of the cylinder, a linear quadratic regulator framework is employed. After linearization of the POD-ROM around the steady flow state, the optimal linear feedback gain is obtained as solution of a generalized algebraic Riccati equation. Finally, when the optimal feedback control is applied, it is shown that the flow converges rapidly to the steady state. In addition, a vanishing control is obtained proving the efficiency of the control approach.

Adaptive Numerical Dissipation Control in High Order Schemes for Multi-D Non-Ideal MHD

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yee, H. C.; Sjoegreen, B.

2005-01-01

The required type and amount of numerical dissipation/filter to accurately resolve all relevant multiscales of complex MHD unsteady high-speed shock/shear/turbulence/combustion problems are not only physical problem dependent, but also vary from one flow region to another. In addition, proper and efficient control of the divergence of the magnetic field (Div(B)) numerical error for high order shock-capturing methods poses extra requirements for the considered type of CPU intensive computations. The goal is to extend our adaptive numerical dissipation control in high order filter schemes and our new divergence-free methods for ideal MHD to non-ideal MHD that include viscosity and resistivity. The key idea consists of automatic detection of different flow features as distinct sensors to signal the appropriate type and amount of numerical dissipation/filter where needed and leave the rest of the region free from numerical dissipation contamination. These scheme-independent detectors are capable of distinguishing shocks/shears, flame sheets, turbulent fluctuations and spurious high-frequency oscillations. The detection algorithm is based on an artificial compression method (ACM) (for shocks/shears), and redundant multiresolution wavelets (WAV) (for the above types of flow feature). These filters also provide a natural and efficient way for the minimization of Div(B) numerical error.

Recent improvements of the French liquid micro-flow reference facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Florestan, Ogheard; Sandy, Margot; Julien, Savary

2018-02-01

According to the mission of the national reference laboratory, LNE-CETIAT achieved in 2012 the construction and accreditation of a modern and innovative calibration laboratory based on the gravimetric method. The measurement capabilities cover a flow rate range for liquid from 10 kg · h-1 down to 1 g · h-1 with expanded relative uncertainties from 0.1% to 0.6% (k  =  2). Since 2012, several theoretical and experimental studies have allowed a better knowledge and control over uncertainty sources and have decreased calibration time. When dealing with liquid micro-flow using a reference method such as the gravimetric method, several difficulties have to be overcome. The main improvements described in this paper relate to the enhancement of the evaporation trap system, the merging of the four dedicated measurement lines into one, and the implementation of a gravimetric dynamic ‘flying’ method for the calculation of the reference flow rate. The evaporation-avoiding system has been replaced by an oil layer in order to remove the possibility of condensation of water on both the weighed vessel and the immersed capillary. The article describes the experimental method used to quantify the effect of surface tension of water/oil/air interfaces on the weighed mass. The traditional static gravimetric method has been upgraded by a dynamic ‘flying’ gravimetric method. The article presents the newly implemented method, its validation and its advantages compared to the static method. The four dedicated weighing devices, dispatched over four sub-ranges of flow rate, have been merged leading to the use of only one weighing scale with the same uncertainties on the reference flow rate. The article discusses the new uncertainty budget over the full flow rate range capability. Finally, the article discusses the improvements still under development and the general prospects of liquid micro-flow metrology.

Application of Control Method on a West Antarctic Glacier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmeltz, M.; Rignot, E. J.; Macayeal, D. R.

2002-12-01

We use surface velocity inferred with Interferometric synthetic-aperture radar and a control method to estimate unknown basal characteristics of a fast-moving glacier in West Antarctica, Pine Island Glacier. Previous modelling experiments on Pine Island Glacier have shown that using a coupled ice-stream/ice-shelf flow model in a forward approach (trial and error method) we were able to reproduce fairly well the surface velocity. Some discrepancies remained, however, that are partly due to uncertainties in the thickness map and incertainty in our chosen basal stress distribution (because of the non-unicity of the solution). The control method allow us to take the basal stress (or basal friction, since they are related through the velocity), as an unknown parameter. Results given by the control method should provide better reliable inputs for further modelling experiments. We investigate the results' sensitivity to the initial value of the basal stress. The inferred ratio basal drag/driving stress seems to be always low upstream, 60 to 80 km upstream of the grounding line, as if the ice stream was behaving like an ice shelf, and also reveals the presence of a snake shape channel of low ratio basal drag/driving stress, surrounded by a higher ratio, in the main flow of increasing velocity, from 20 to 40 km upstream of the grounding line.

Controlled differential pressure system for an enhanced fluid blending apparatus

DOEpatents

Hallman, Jr., Russell Louis

2009-02-24

A system and method for producing a controlled blend of two or more fluids. Thermally-induced permeation through a permeable tube is used to mix a first fluid from outside the tube with a second fluid flowing through the tube. Mixture ratios may be controlled by adjusting the temperature of the first fluid or by adjusting the pressure drop through the permeable tube. The combination of a back pressure control valve and a differential regulator is used to control the output pressure of the blended fluid. The combination of the back pressure control valve and differential regulator provides superior flow control of the second dry gas. A valve manifold system may be used to mix multiple fluids, and to adjust the volume of blended fluid produced, and to further modify the mixture ratio.

Plasma-based actuators for turbulent boundary layer control in transonic flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Budovsky, A. D.; Polivanov, P. A.; Vishnyakov, O. I.; Sidorenko, A. A.

2017-10-01

The study is devoted to development of methods for active control of flow structure typical for the aircraft wings in transonic flow with turbulent boundary layer. The control strategy accepted in the study was based on using of the effects of plasma discharges interaction with miniature geometrical obstacles of various shapes. The conceptions were studied computationally using 3D RANS, URANS approaches. The results of the computations have shown that energy deposition can significantly change the flow pattern over the obstacles increasing their influence on the flow in boundary layer region. Namely, one of the most interesting and promising data were obtained for actuators basing on combination of vertical wedge with asymmetrical plasma discharge. The wedge considered is aligned with the local streamlines and protruding in the flow by 0.4-0.8 of local boundary layer thickness. The actuator produces negligible distortion of the flow at the absence of energy deposition. Energy deposition along the one side of the wedge results in longitudinal vortex formation in the wake of the actuator providing momentum exchange in the boundary layer. The actuator was manufactured and tested in wind tunnel experiments at Mach number 1.5 using the model of flat plate. The experimental data obtained by PIV proved the availability of the actuator.

Assessing the potential for improved scramjet performance through application of electromagnetic flow control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindsey, Martin Forrester

Sustained hypersonic flight using scramjet propulsion is the key technology bridging the gap between turbojets and the exoatmospheric environment where a rocket is required. Recent efforts have focused on electromagnetic (EM) flow control to mitigate the problems of high thermomechanical loads and low propulsion efficiencies associated with scramjet propulsion. This research effort is the first flight-scale, three-dimensional computational analysis of a realistic scramjet to determine how EM flow control can improve scramjet performance. Development of a quasi-one dimensional design tool culminated in the first open source geometry of an entire scramjet flowpath. This geometry was then tested extensively with the Air Force Research Laboratory's three-dimensional Navier-Stokes and EM coupled computational code. As part of improving the model fidelity, a loosely coupled algorithm was developed to incorporate thermochemistry. This resulted in the only open-source model of fuel injection, mixing and combustion in a magnetogasdynamic (MGD) flow controlled engine. In addition, a control volume analysis tool with an electron beam ionization model was presented for the first time in the context of the established computational method used. Local EM flow control within the internal inlet greatly impacted drag forces and wall heat transfer but was only marginally successful in raising the average pressure entering the combustor. The use of an MGD accelerator to locally increase flow momentum was an effective approach to improve flow into the scramjet's isolator. Combustor-based MGD generators proved superior to the inlet generator with respect to power density and overall engine efficiency. MGD acceleration was shown to be ineffective in improving overall performance, with all of the bypass engines having approximately 33% more drag than baseline and none of them achieving a self-powered state.

Effect of secondary flows on dispersion in finite-length channels at high Peclet numbers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adrover, Alessandra

2013-09-01

We investigate the effects of secondary (transverse) flows on convection-dominated dispersion of pressure driven, open column laminar flow in a conduit with rectangular cross-section. We show that secondary flows significantly reduce dispersion (enhancing transverse diffusion) in Taylor-Aris regime [H. Zhao and H. H. Bau, "Effect of secondary flows on Taylor-Aris dispersion," Anal. Chem. 79, 7792-7798 (2007)], as well as in convection-controlled regime. In the convection-controlled dispersion regime (i.e., laminar dispersion in finite-length channel with axial flow at high Peclet numbers) the properties of the dispersion boundary layer and the values of the scaling exponents controlling the dependence of the moment hierarchy on the Peclet number m^{(n)}_out ˜ Pe_eff^{θ _n} are determined by the local near-wall behaviour of the axial velocity. The presence of transverse flows strongly modify the localization properties of the dispersion boundary layer and consequently the moment scaling exponents. Different secondary flows, electrokinetically induced and independent of the primary axial flow are considered. A complete scaling theory is presented for the nth order moment of the outlet chromatogram as a function of the axial Peclet number, the secondary flow's pattern and intensity. We show that some secondary flows (the corotating and the counter-rotating cavity flows) significantly reduce dispersion and m^{(n)}_out ˜ Pe_eff^{(n-1)/3}. No significant dispersion reduction is obtained with the cavity cross-flow m^{(n)}_out ˜ Pe_eff^{(n-1)/2}. The best result is obtained with the two full-motion counter-rotating cross-flows because m^{(n)}_out saturates towards a constant value. Theoretical results from scaling theory are strongly supported by numerical results obtained by Finite Element Method.

Reconstructing recent volcanic histories from high-resolution AUV sidescan sonar imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeo, I. A.

2016-12-01

Detecting high-resolution differences in age between young basaltic lava flows on the seafloor is notoriously difficult. However, using sediment thickness as a proxy for age it is possible to derive information on spatial extents, surface morphologies and lava flow age simultaneously using high-resolution sidescan sonar imagery. Ground truthing of this new method on cruise POS502 (July 2016) using photogrammetry from ROV cameras has provided constraints on the method allowing the detailed morphological changes and sediment cover thicknesses to be calibrated to produce reliable, quantitative ages for individual flow units. Sediment thickness is shown to be the primary controlling factor in backscatter intensity in most cases, although sediment redistribution by different flow morphologies can also affect the recorded reflection amplitudes. Seafloor lava flows were found to be very morphologically complicated on small scales, which may explain their relative unimportance when amplitude values are averaged over several tens of meters.

Vortex equations: Singularities, numerical solution, and axisymmetric vortex breakdown

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bossel, H. H.

1972-01-01

A method of weighted residuals for the computation of rotationally symmetric quasi-cylindrical viscous incompressible vortex flow is presented and used to compute a wide variety of vortex flows. The method approximates the axial velocity and circulation profiles by series of exponentials having (N + 1) and N free parameters, respectively. Formal integration results in a set of (2N + 1) ordinary differential equations for the free parameters. The governing equations are shown to have an infinite number of discrete singularities corresponding to critical values of the swirl parameters. The computations point to the controlling influence of the inner core flow on vortex behavior. They also confirm the existence of two particular critical swirl parameter values: one separates vortex flow which decays smoothly from vortex flow which eventually breaks down, and the second is the first singularity of the quasi-cylindrical system, at which point physical vortex breakdown is thought to occur.

Numerical study of unsteady Williamson fluid flow and heat transfer in the presence of MHD through a permeable stretching surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bibi, Madiha; Khalil-Ur-Rehman; Malik, M. Y.; Tahir, M.

2018-04-01

In the present article, unsteady flow field characteristics of the Williamson fluid model are explored. The nanosized particles are suspended in the flow regime having the interaction of a magnetic field. The fluid flow is induced due to a stretching permeable surface. The flow model is controlled through coupled partial differential equations to the used shooting method for a numerical solution. The obtained partial differential equations are converted into ordinary differential equations as an initial value problem. The shooting method is used to find a numerical solution. The mathematical modeling yields physical parameters, namely the Weissenberg number, the Prandtl number, the unsteadiness parameter, the magnetic parameter, the mass transfer parameter, the Lewis number, the thermophoresis parameter and Brownian parameters. It is found that the Williamson fluid velocity, temperature and nanoparticles concentration are a decreasing function of the unsteadiness parameter.

Salivary protein concentration, flow rate, buffer capacity and pH estimation: A comparative study among young and elderly subjects, both normal and with gingivitis and periodontitis.

PubMed

Shaila, Mulki; Pai, G Prakash; Shetty, Pushparaj

2013-01-01

To evaluate the salivary protein concentration in gingivitis and periodontitis patients and compare the parameters like salivary total protein, salivary albumin, salivary flow rate, pH, buffer capacity and flow rate in both young and elderly patients with simple methods. One hundred and twenty subjects were grouped based on their age as young and elderly. Each group was subgrouped (20 subjects) as controls, gingivitis and periodontitis. Unstimulated whole saliva was collected from patients and flow rate was noted down during collection of the sample. Salivary protein estimation was done using the Biuret method and salivary albumin was assessed using the Bromocresol green method. pH was estimated with a pHmeter and buffering capacity was analyzed with the titration method. Student's t-test, Fisher's test (ANOVA) and Tukey HSD (ANOVA) tests were used for statistical analysis. A very highly significant rise in the salivary total protein and albumin concentration was noted in gingivitis and periodontitis subjects of both young and elderly. An overall decrease in salivary flow rate was observed among the elderly, and also the salivary flow rate of women was significantly lower than that of men. Significant associations between salivary total protein and albumin in gingivitis and periodontitis were found with simple biochemical tests. A decrease in salivary flow rate among elderly and among women was noted.

Bacterial screening by flow cytometry offers potential for extension of platelet storage: results of 14 months of active surveillance.

PubMed

Vollmer, T; Engemann, J; Kleesiek, K; Dreier, J

2011-06-01

Bacterial contamination is currently the major infectious hazard of platelet transfusion in developed countries. It has been demonstrated that a significant transfusion risk remains, in particular with older platelet concentrates (PCs). In 2009, the shelf life of PCs was therefore reduced in Germany to 4 days after the day of production according to Vote 38. The aim of the present study was the application and implementation of a recently developed flow cytometry-based rapid screening method (BactiFlow) for bacterial contamination at the end of PC shelf life as a routine in-process control. A total of 472 apheresis-derived PCs were tested using the BactiFlow flow cytometric assay to detect and count bacteria based on esterase activity in viable bacterial cells, while the BacT/Alert automated culture system served as the reference method. The automation potential of the flow cytometric assay was analysed by applying the semi-automated BactiFlow ALS system. An algorithm was developed for use in routine blood bank operations to extend the storage period of PCs. Two of the 472 apheresis PCs tested were positive in culture and identified as Propionibacterium species. One PC was positive for Staphylococcus aureus by both methods. All remaining specimens were tested negative by both methods. Our study demonstrates that routine bacterial testing of PCs was successfully implemented and the established algorithm proved efficient. The BactiFlow flow cytometric assay is the first rapid screening method which is suitable for a routine application combined with a high sensitivity. © 2011 The Authors. Transfusion Medicine © 2011 British Blood Transfusion Society.

Flow Pattern Phenomena in Two-Phase Flow in Microchannels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keska, Jerry K.; Simon, William E.

2004-02-01

Space transportation systems require high-performance thermal protection and fluid management techniques for systems ranging from cryogenic fluid management devices to primary structures and propulsion systems exposed to extremely high temperatures, as well as for other space systems such as cooling or environment control for advanced space suits and integrated circuits. Although considerable developmental effort is being expended to bring potentially applicable technologies to a readiness level for practical use, new and innovative methods are still needed. One such method is the concept of Advanced Micro Cooling Modules (AMCMs), which are essentially compact two-phase heat exchangers constructed of microchannels and designed to remove large amounts of heat rapidly from critical systems by incorporating phase transition. The development of AMCMs requires fundamental technological advancement in many areas, including: (1) development of measurement methods/systems for flow-pattern measurement/identification for two-phase mixtures in microchannels; (2) development of a phenomenological model for two-phase flow which includes the quantitative measure of flow patterns; and (3) database development for multiphase heat transfer/fluid dynamics flows in microchannels. This paper focuses on the results of experimental research in the phenomena of two-phase flow in microchannels. The work encompasses both an experimental and an analytical approach to incorporating flow patterns for air-water mixtures flowing in a microchannel, which are necessary tools for the optimal design of AMCMs. Specifically, the following topics are addressed: (1) design and construction of a sensitive test system for two-phase flow in microchannels, one which measures ac and dc components of in-situ physical mixture parameters including spatial concentration using concomitant methods; (2) data acquisition and analysis in the amplitude, time, and frequency domains; and (3) analysis of results including evaluation of data acquisition techniques and their validity for application in flow pattern determination.

Fracture control methods for space vehicles. Volume 1: Fracture control design methods. [for space shuttle configuration planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, A. F.

1974-01-01

A systematic approach for applying methods for fracture control in the structural components of space vehicles consists of four major steps. The first step is to define the primary load-carrying structural elements and the type of load, environment, and design stress levels acting upon them. The second step is to identify the potential fracture-critical parts by means of a selection logic flow diagram. The third step is to evaluate the safe-life and fail-safe capabilities of the specified part. The last step in the sequence is to apply the control procedures that will prevent damage to the fracture-critical parts. The fracture control methods discussed include fatigue design and analysis methods, methods for preventing crack-like defects, fracture mechanics analysis methods, and nondestructive evaluation methods. An example problem is presented for evaluation of the safe-crack-growth capability of the space shuttle crew compartment skin structure.

On-Line Measurement of Heat of Combustion of Gaseous Hydrocarbon Fuel Mixtures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sprinkle, Danny R.; Chaturvedi, Sushil K.; Kheireddine, Ali

1996-01-01

A method for the on-line measurement of the heat of combustion of gaseous hydrocarbon fuel mixtures has been developed and tested. The method involves combustion of a test gas with a measured quantity of air to achieve a preset concentration of oxygen in the combustion products. This method involves using a controller which maintains the fuel (gas) volumetric flow rate at a level consistent with the desired oxygen concentration in the combustion products. The heat of combustion is determined form a known correlation with the fuel flow rate. An on-line computer accesses the fuel flow data and displays the heat of combustion measurement at desired time intervals. This technique appears to be especially applicable for measuring heats of combustion of hydrocarbon mixtures of unknown composition such as natural gas.

Apparatus and method for combusting low quality fuel

DOEpatents

Brushwood, John Samuel; Pillsbury, Paul; Foote, John; Heilos, Andreas

2003-11-04

A gas turbine (12) capable of combusting a low quality gaseous fuel having a ratio of flammability limits less than 2, or a heat value below 100 BTU/SCF. A high quality fuel is burned simultaneously with the low quality fuel to eliminate instability in the combustion flame. A sensor (46) is used to monitor at least one parameter of the flame indicative of instability. A controller (50) having the sensor signal (48) as input is programmed to control the relative flow rates of the low quality and high quality fuels. When instability is detected, the flow rate of high quality fuel is automatically increased in relation to the flow rate of low quality fuel to restore stability.

Applications of Sharp Interface Method for Flow Dynamics, Scattering and Control Problems

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-07-30

Reynolds number, Advances in Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, to appear. 17. K. Ito and K. Kunisch, Optimal Control of Parabolic Variational ...provides more precise and detailed sensitivity of the solution and describes the dynamical change due to the variation in the Reynolds number. The immersed... Inequalities , Journal de Math. Pures et Appl, 93 (2010), no. 4, 329-360. 18. K. Ito and K. Kunisch, Semi-smooth Newton Methods for Time-Optimal Control for a

A Crank–Nicolson Leapfrog stabilization: Unconditional stability and two applications

DOE PAGES

Jiang, Nan; Kubacki, Michaela; Layton, William; ...

2014-12-09

We propose and analyze a linear stabilization of the Crank-Nicolson Leapfrog (CNLF) method that removes all time step/CFL conditions for stability and controls the unstable mode. It also increases the SPD part of the linear system to be solved at each time step while increasing solution accuracy. We give a proof of unconditional stability of the method as well as a proof of unconditional, asymptotic stability of both the stable and unstable modes. As a result, we illustrate two applications of the method: uncoupling groundwater-surface water flows and Stokes flow plus a Coriolis term.

Design of Distributed Controllers Seeking Optimal Power Flow Solutions Under Communication Constraints

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dall'Anese, Emiliano; Simonetto, Andrea; Dhople, Sairaj

This paper focuses on power distribution networks featuring inverter-interfaced distributed energy resources (DERs), and develops feedback controllers that drive the DER output powers to solutions of time-varying AC optimal power flow (OPF) problems. Control synthesis is grounded on primal-dual-type methods for regularized Lagrangian functions, as well as linear approximations of the AC power-flow equations. Convergence and OPF-solution-tracking capabilities are established while acknowledging: i) communication-packet losses, and ii) partial updates of control signals. The latter case is particularly relevant since it enables asynchronous operation of the controllers where DER setpoints are updated at a fast time scale based on local voltagemore » measurements, and information on the network state is utilized if and when available, based on communication constraints. As an application, the paper considers distribution systems with high photovoltaic integration, and demonstrates that the proposed framework provides fast voltage-regulation capabilities, while enabling the near real-time pursuit of solutions of AC OPF problems.« less

Design of Distributed Controllers Seeking Optimal Power Flow Solutions under Communication Constraints: Preprint

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dall'Anese, Emiliano; Simonetto, Andrea; Dhople, Sairaj

This paper focuses on power distribution networks featuring inverter-interfaced distributed energy resources (DERs), and develops feedback controllers that drive the DER output powers to solutions of time-varying AC optimal power flow (OPF) problems. Control synthesis is grounded on primal-dual-type methods for regularized Lagrangian functions, as well as linear approximations of the AC power-flow equations. Convergence and OPF-solution-tracking capabilities are established while acknowledging: i) communication-packet losses, and ii) partial updates of control signals. The latter case is particularly relevant since it enables asynchronous operation of the controllers where DER setpoints are updated at a fast time scale based on local voltagemore » measurements, and information on the network state is utilized if and when available, based on communication constraints. As an application, the paper considers distribution systems with high photovoltaic integration, and demonstrates that the proposed framework provides fast voltage-regulation capabilities, while enabling the near real-time pursuit of solutions of AC OPF problems.« less

Pseudo-shock waves and their interactions in high-speed intakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gnani, F.; Zare-Behtash, H.; Kontis, K.

2016-04-01

In an air-breathing engine the flow deceleration from supersonic to subsonic conditions takes places inside the isolator through a gradual compression consisting of a series of shock waves. The wave system, referred to as a pseudo-shock wave or shock train, establishes the combustion chamber entrance conditions, and therefore influences the performance of the entire propulsion system. The characteristics of the pseudo-shock depend on a number of variables which make this flow phenomenon particularly challenging to be analysed. Difficulties in experimentally obtaining accurate flow quantities at high speeds and discrepancies of numerical approaches with measured data have been readily reported. Understanding the flow physics in the presence of the interaction of numerous shock waves with the boundary layer in internal flows is essential to developing methods and control strategies. To counteract the negative effects of shock wave/boundary layer interactions, which are responsible for the engine unstart process, multiple flow control methodologies have been proposed. Improved analytical models, advanced experimental methodologies and numerical simulations have allowed a more in-depth analysis of the flow physics. The present paper aims to bring together the main results, on the shock train structure and its associated phenomena inside isolators, studied using the aforementioned tools. Several promising flow control techniques that have more recently been applied to manipulate the shock wave/boundary layer interaction are also examined in this review.

Balancing Training Techniques for Flight Controller Certification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gosling, Christina

2011-01-01

Training of ground control teams has been a difficult task in space operations. There are several intangible skills that must be learned to become the steely eyed men and women of mission control who respond to spacecraft failures that can lead to loss of vehicle or crew if handled improperly. And as difficult as training is, it can also be costly. Every day, month or year an operator is in training, is a day that not only they are being trained without direct benefit to the organization, but potentially an instructor or mentor is also being paid for hours spent assisting them. Therefore, optimization of the training flow is highly desired. Recently the Expedition Division (DI) at Johnson Space Flight Center has recreated their training flows for the purpose of both moving to an operator/specialist/instructor hierarchy and to address past inefficiencies in the training flow. This paper will discuss the types of training DI is utilizing in their new flows, and the balance that has been struck between the ideal learning environments and realistic constraints. Specifically, the past training flow for the ISS Attitude Determination and Control Officer will be presented, including drawbacks that were encountered. Then the new training flow will be discussed and how a new approach utilizes more training methods and teaching techniques. We will look at how DI has integrated classes, workshops, checkouts, module reviews, scenarios, OJT, paper sims, Mini Sims, and finally Integrated Sims to balance the cost and timing of training a new flight controller.

An Ejector Air Intake Design Method for a Novel Rocket-Based Combined-Cycle Rocket Nozzle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waung, Timothy S.

Rocket-based combined-cycle (RBCC) vehicles have the potential to reduce launch costs through the use of several different air breathing engine cycles, which reduce fuel consumption. The rocket-ejector cycle, in which air is entrained into an ejector section by the rocket exhaust, is used at flight speeds below Mach 2. This thesis develops a design method for an air intake geometry around a novel RBCC rocket nozzle design for the rocket-ejector engine cycle. This design method consists of a geometry creation step in which a three-dimensional intake geometry is generated, and a simple flow analysis step which predicts the air intake mass flow rate. The air intake geometry is created using the rocket nozzle geometry and eight primary input parameters. The input parameters are selected to give the user significant control over the air intake shape. The flow analysis step uses an inviscid panel method and an integral boundary layer method to estimate the air mass flow rate through the intake geometry. Intake mass flow rate is used as a performance metric since it directly affects the amount of thrust a rocket-ejector can produce. The design method results for the air intake operating at several different points along the subsonic portion of the Ariane 4 flight profile are found to under predict mass flow rate by up to 8.6% when compared to three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics simulations for the same air intake.

A critical evaluation of a flow cytometer used for detecting enterococci in recreational waters.

PubMed

King, Dawn N; Brenner, Kristen P; Rodgers, Mark R

2007-06-01

The current U. S. Environmental Protection Agency-approved method for enterococci (Method 1600) in recreational water is a membrane filter (MF) method that takes 24 hours to obtain results. If the recreational water is not in compliance with the standard, the risk of exposure to enteric pathogens may occur before the water is identified as hazardous. Because flow cytometry combined with specific fluorescent antibodies has the potential to be used as a rapid detection method for microorganisms, this technology was evaluated as a rapid, same-day method to detect enterococci in bathing beach waters. The flow cytometer chosen for this study was a laser microbial detection system designed to detect labeled antibodies. A comparison of MF counts with flow cytometry counts of enterococci in phosphate buffer and sterile-filtered recreational water showed good agreement between the two methods. However, when flow cytometry was used, the counts were several orders of magnitude higher than the MF counts with no correlation to Enterococcus spike concentrations. The unspiked sample controls frequently had higher counts than the samples spiked with enterococci. Particles within the spiked water samples were probably counted as target cells by the flow cytometer because of autofluorescence or non-specific adsorption of antibody and carryover to subsequent samples. For these reasons, this technology may not be suitable for enterococci detection in recreational waters. Improvements in research and instrument design that will eliminate high background and carryover may make this a viable technology in the

Characterization of winemaking yeast by cell number-size distribution analysis through flow field-flow fractionation with multi-wavelength turbidimetric detection.

PubMed

Zattoni, Andrea; Melucci, Dora; Reschiglian, Pierluigi; Sanz, Ramsés; Puignou, Lluís; Galceran, Maria Teresa

2004-10-29

Yeasts are widely used in several areas of food industry, e.g. baking, beer brewing, and wine production. Interest in new analytical methods for quality control and characterization of yeast cells is thus increasing. The biophysical properties of yeast cells, among which cell size, are related to yeast cell capabilities to produce primary and secondary metabolites during the fermentation process. Biophysical properties of winemaking yeast strains can be screened by field-flow fractionation (FFF). In this work we present the use of flow FFF (FlFFF) with turbidimetric multi-wavelength detection for the number-size distribution analysis of different commercial winemaking yeast varieties. The use of a diode-array detector allows to apply to dispersed samples like yeast cells the recently developed method for number-size (or mass-size) analysis in flow-assisted separation techniques. Results for six commercial winemaking yeast strains are compared with data obtained by a standard method for cell sizing (Coulter counter). The method here proposed gives, at short analysis time, accurate information on the number of cells of a given size, and information on the total number of cells.

Aeroacoustic directivity via wave-packet analysis of mean or base flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edstrand, Adam; Schmid, Peter; Cattafesta, Louis

2017-11-01

Noise pollution is an ever-increasing problem in society, and knowledge of the directivity patterns of the sound radiation is required for prediction and control. Directivity is frequently determined through costly numerical simulations of the flow field combined with an acoustic analogy. We introduce a new computationally efficient method of finding directivity for a given mean or base flow field using wave-packet analysis (Trefethen, PRSA 2005). Wave-packet analysis approximates the eigenvalue spectrum with spectral accuracy by modeling the eigenfunctions as wave packets. With the wave packets determined, we then follow the method of Obrist (JFM, 2009), which uses Lighthill's acoustic analogy to determine the far-field sound radiation and directivity of wave-packet modes. We apply this method to a canonical jet flow (Gudmundsson and Colonius, JFM 2011) and determine the directivity of potentially unstable wave packets. Furthermore, we generalize the method to consider a three-dimensional flow field of a trailing vortex wake. In summary, we approximate the disturbances as wave packets and extract the directivity from the wave-packet approximation in a fraction of the time of standard aeroacoustic solvers. ONR Grant N00014-15-1-2403.

Thermally-actuated, phase change flow control for microfluidic systems.

PubMed

Chen, Zongyuan; Wang, Jing; Qian, Shizhi; Bau, Haim H

2005-11-01

An easy to implement, thermally-actuated, noninvasive method for flow control in microfluidic devices is described. This technique takes advantage of the phase change of the working liquid itself-the freezing and melting of a portion of a liquid slug-to noninvasively close and open flow passages (referred to as a phase change valve). The valve was designed for use in a miniature diagnostic system for detecting pathogens in oral fluids at the point of care. The paper describes the modeling, construction, and characteristics of the valve. The experimental results favorably agree with theoretical predictions. In addition, the paper demonstrates the use of the phase change valves for flow control, sample metering and distribution into multiple analysis paths, sealing of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) chamber, and sample introduction into and withdrawal from a closed loop. The phase change valve is electronically addressable, does not require any moving parts, introduces only minimal dead volume, is leakage and contamination free, and is biocompatible.

Advanced stability analysis for laminar flow control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Orszag, S. A.

1981-01-01

Five classes of problems are addressed: (1) the extension of the SALLY stability analysis code to the full eighth order compressible stability equations for three dimensional boundary layer; (2) a comparison of methods for prediction of transition using SALLY for incompressible flows; (3) a study of instability and transition in rotating disk flows in which the effects of Coriolis forces and streamline curvature are included; (4) a new linear three dimensional instability mechanism that predicts Reynolds numbers for transition to turbulence in planar shear flows in good agreement with experiment; and (5) a study of the stability of finite amplitude disturbances in axisymmetric pipe flow showing the stability of this flow to all nonlinear axisymmetric disturbances.

Active control of continuous air jet with bifurcated synthetic jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dančová, Petra; Vít, Tomáš; Jašíková, Darina; Novosád, Jan

The synthetic jets (SJs) have many significant applications and the number of applications is increasing all the time. In this research the main focus is on the primary flow control which can be used effectively for the heat transfer increasing. This paper deals with the experimental research of the effect of two SJs worked in the bifurcated mode used for control of an axisymmetric air jet. First, the control synthetic jets were measured alone. After an adjustment, the primary axisymmetric jet was added in to the system. For comparison, the primary flow without synthetic jets control was also measured. All experiments were performed using PIV method whereby the synchronization between synthetic jets and PIV system was necessary to do.

The development of three-dimensional adjoint method for flow control with blowing in convergent-divergent nozzle flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sikarwar, Nidhi

The noise produced by the low bypass ratio turbofan engines used to power fighter aircraft is a problem for communities near military bases and for personnel working in close proximity to the aircraft. For example, carrier deck personnel are subject to noise exposure that can result in Noise-Induced Hearing Loss which in-turn results in over a billion dollars of disability payments by the Veterans Administration. Several methods have been proposed to reduce the jet noise at the source. These methods include microjet injection of air or water downstream of the jet exit, chevrons, and corrugated nozzle inserts. The last method involves the insertion of corrugated seals into the diverging section of a military-style convergent-divergent jet nozzle (to replace the existing seals). This has been shown to reduce both the broadband shock-associated noise as well as the mixing noise in the peak noise radiation direction. However, the original inserts were designed to be effective for a take-off condition where the jet is over-expanded. The nozzle performance would be expected to degrade at other conditions, such as in cruise at altitude. A new method has been proposed to achieve the same effects as corrugated seals, but using fluidic inserts. This involves injection of air, at relatively low pressures and total mass flow rates, into the diverging section of the nozzle. These fluidic inserts" deflect the flow in the same way as the mechanical inserts. The fluidic inserts represent an active control method, since the injectors can be modified or turned off depending on the jet operating conditions. Noise reductions in the peak noise direction of 5 to 6 dB have been achieved and broadband shock-associated noise is effectively suppressed. There are multiple parameters to be considered in the design of the fluidic inserts. This includes the number and location of the injectors and the pressures and mass flow rates to be used. These could be optimized on an ad hoc basis with multiple experiments or numerical simulations. Alternatively an inverse design method can be used. An adjoint optimization method can be used to achieve the optimum blowing rate. It is shown that the method works for both geometry optimization and active control of the flow in order to deflect the flow in desirable ways. An adjoint optimization method is described. It is used to determine the blowing distribution in the diverging section of a convergent-divergent nozzle that gives a desired pressure distribution in the nozzle. Both the direct and adjoint problems and their associated boundary conditions are developed. The adjoint method is used to determine the blowing distribution required to minimize the shock strength in the nozzle to achieve a known target pressure and to achieve close to an ideally expanded flow pressure. A multi-block structured solver is developed to calculate the flow solution and associated adjoint variables. Two and three-dimensional calculations are performed for internal and external of the nozzle domains. A two step MacCormack scheme based on predictor- corrector technique is was used for some calculations. The four and five stage Runge-Kutta schemes are also used to artificially march in time. A modified Runge-Kutta scheme is used to accelerate the convergence to a steady state. Second order artificial dissipation has been added to stabilize the calculations. The steepest decent method has been used for the optimization of the blowing velocity after the gradients of the cost function with respect to the blowing velocity are calculated using adjoint method. Several examples are given of the optimization of blowing using the adjoint method.

Deep Learning for Flow Sculpting: Insights into Efficient Learning using Scientific Simulation Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoecklein, Daniel; Lore, Kin Gwn; Davies, Michael; Sarkar, Soumik; Ganapathysubramanian, Baskar

2017-04-01

A new technique for shaping microfluid flow, known as flow sculpting, offers an unprecedented level of passive fluid flow control, with potential breakthrough applications in advancing manufacturing, biology, and chemistry research at the microscale. However, efficiently solving the inverse problem of designing a flow sculpting device for a desired fluid flow shape remains a challenge. Current approaches struggle with the many-to-one design space, requiring substantial user interaction and the necessity of building intuition, all of which are time and resource intensive. Deep learning has emerged as an efficient function approximation technique for high-dimensional spaces, and presents a fast solution to the inverse problem, yet the science of its implementation in similarly defined problems remains largely unexplored. We propose that deep learning methods can completely outpace current approaches for scientific inverse problems while delivering comparable designs. To this end, we show how intelligent sampling of the design space inputs can make deep learning methods more competitive in accuracy, while illustrating their generalization capability to out-of-sample predictions.

Study of 3-D Dynamic Roughness Effects on Flow Over a NACA 0012 Airfoil Using Large Eddy Simulations at Low Reynolds Numbers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guda, Venkata Subba Sai Satish

There have been several advancements in the aerospace industry in areas of design such as aerodynamics, designs, controls and propulsion; all aimed at one common goal i.e. increasing efficiency --range and scope of operation with lesser fuel consumption. Several methods of flow control have been tried. Some were successful, some failed and many were termed as impractical. The low Reynolds number regime of 104 - 105 is a very interesting range. Flow physics in this range are quite different than those of higher Reynolds number range. Mid and high altitude UAV's, MAV's, sailplanes, jet engine fan blades, inboard helicopter rotor blades and wind turbine rotors are some of the aerodynamic applications that fall in this range. The current study deals with using dynamic roughness as a means of flow control over a NACA 0012 airfoil at low Reynolds numbers. Dynamic 3-D surface roughness elements on an airfoil placed near the leading edge aim at increasing the efficiency by suppressing the effects of leading edge separation like leading edge stall by delaying or totally eliminating flow separation. A numerical study of the above method has been carried out by means of a Large Eddy Simulation, a mathematical model for turbulence in Computational Fluid Dynamics, owing to the highly unsteady nature of the flow. A user defined function has been developed for the 3-D dynamic roughness element motion. Results from simulations have been compared to those from experimental PIV data. Large eddy simulations have relatively well captured the leading edge stall. For the clean cases, i.e. with the DR not actuated, the LES was able to reproduce experimental results in a reasonable fashion. However DR simulation results show that it fails to reattach the flow and suppress flow separation compared to experiments. Several novel techniques of grid design and hump creation are introduced through this study.

Effects of Temperature on the Performance of a Small Internal Combustion Engine at Altitude

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-21

flexible diaphragm was attached to damp out pulses in the air flow pulsations . Their method of temperature control was electric heating of the intake air...42  Figure 14. Heat exchanger ................................................................................................ 45  Figure...15. Both liquid nitrogen lines from Dewar ............................................................ 45  Figure 16. Engine inlet flow path heat

Prediction of forces and moments for hypersonic flight vehicle control effectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maughmer, Mark D.; Long, Lyle N.; Pagano, Peter J.

1991-01-01

Developing methods of predicting flight control forces and moments for hypersonic vehicles, included a preliminary assessment of subsonic/supersonic panel methods and hypersonic local flow inclination methods for such predictions. While these findings clearly indicate the usefulness of such methods for conceptual design activities, deficiencies exist in some areas. Thus, a second phase of research was proposed in which a better understanding is sought for the reasons of the successes and failures of the methods considered, particularly for the cases at hypersonic Mach numbers. To obtain this additional understanding, a more careful study of the results obtained relative to the methods used was undertaken. In addition, where appropriate and necessary, a more complete modeling of the flow was performed using well proven methods of computational fluid dynamics. As a result, assessments will be made which are more quantitative than those of phase 1 regarding the uncertainty involved in the prediction of the aerodynamic derivatives. In addition, with improved understanding, it is anticipated that improvements resulting in better accuracy will be made to the simple force and moment prediction.

Solutions to Kuessner's integral equation in unsteady flow using local basis functions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fromme, J. A.; Halstead, D. W.

1975-01-01

The computational procedure and numerical results are presented for a new method to solve Kuessner's integral equation in the case of subsonic compressible flow about harmonically oscillating planar surfaces with controls. Kuessner's equation is a linear transformation from pressure to normalwash. The unknown pressure is expanded in terms of prescribed basis functions and the unknown basis function coefficients are determined in the usual manner by satisfying the given normalwash distribution either collocationally or in the complex least squares sense. The present method of solution differs from previous ones in that the basis functions are defined in a continuous fashion over a relatively small portion of the aerodynamic surface and are zero elsewhere. This method, termed the local basis function method, combines the smoothness and accuracy of distribution methods with the simplicity and versatility of panel methods. Predictions by the local basis function method for unsteady flow are shown to be in excellent agreement with other methods. Also, potential improvements to the present method and extensions to more general classes of solutions are discussed.

Planning-free cerebral blood flow territory mapping in patients with intracranial arterial stenosis

PubMed Central

Arteaga, Daniel F; Strother, Megan K; Davis, L Taylor; Fusco, Matthew R; Faraco, Carlos C; Roach, Brent A; Scott, Allison O

2016-01-01

A noninvasive method for quantifying cerebral blood flow and simultaneously visualizing cerebral blood flow territories is vessel-encoded pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling MRI. However, obstacles to acquiring such information include limited access to the methodology in clinical centers and limited work on how clinically acquired vessel-encoded pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling data correlate with gold-standard methods. The purpose of this work is to develop and validate a semiautomated pipeline for the online quantification of cerebral blood flow maps and cerebral blood flow territories from planning-free vessel-encoded pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling MRI with gold-standard digital subtraction angiography. Healthy controls (n = 10) and intracranial atherosclerotic disease patients (n = 34) underwent 3.0 T MRI imaging including vascular (MR angiography) and hemodynamic (cerebral blood flow-weighted arterial spin labeling) MRI. Patients additionally underwent catheter and/or CT angiography. Variations in cross-territorial filling were grouped according to diameters of circle of Willis vessels in controls. In patients, Cohen’s k-statistics were computed to quantify agreement in perfusion patterns between vessel-encoded pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling and angiography. Cross-territorial filling patterns were consistent with circle of Willis anatomy. The intraobserver Cohen's k-statistics for cerebral blood flow territory and digital subtraction angiography perfusion agreement were 0.730 (95% CI = 0.593–0.867; reader one) and 0.708 (95% CI = 0.561–0.855; reader two). These results support the feasibility of a semiautomated pipeline for evaluating major neurovascular cerebral blood flow territories in patients with intracranial atherosclerotic disease. PMID:27389177

Advanced Method of Boundary-Layer Control Based on Localized Plasma Generation

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-05-01

measurements, validation of experiments, wind-tunnel testing of the microwave / plasma generation system , preliminary assessment of energy required...and design of a microwave generator , electrodynamic and multivibrator systems for experiments in the IHM-NAU wind tunnel: MW generator and its high...equipped with the microwave - generation and protection systems to study advanced methods of flow control (Kiev) Fig. 2.1,a. The blade

Quality Control Circles: A Vehicle for Just-in-Time Implementation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sepehri, Mehran

1985-01-01

Explains just-in-time (JIT) material flow and production, a method of production designed to eliminate waste. Discusses why quality control circles work so well with a JIT system, and describes how several companies have made JIT work for them. (CT)

Performance characterization of a cross-flow hydrokinetic turbine in sheared inflow

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Forbush, Dominic; Polagye, Brian; Thomson, Jim

2016-12-01

A method for constructing a non-dimensional performance curve for a cross-flow hydrokinetic turbine in sheared flow is developed for a natural river site. The river flow characteristics are quasi-steady, with negligible vertical shear, persistent lateral shear, and synoptic changes dominated by long time scales (days to weeks). Performance curves developed from inflow velocities measured at individual points (randomly sampled) yield inconclusive turbine performance characteristics because of the spatial variation in mean flow. Performance curves using temporally- and spatially-averaged inflow velocities are more conclusive. The implications of sheared inflow are considered in terms of resource assessment and turbine control.

Intelligent Engine Systems: HPT Clearance Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2008-01-01

The Advanced Thermally Actuated Clearance Control System underwent several studies. Improved flow path isolation quantified what can be gained by making the HPT case nearly adiabatic. The best method of heat transfer was established, and finally two different borrowed air cooling circuits were evaluated to be used for the HPT Active Clearance Control System.

Current Methods for Modeling and Simulating Icing Effects on Aircraft Performance, Stability and Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ralvasky, Thomas P.; Barnhart, Billy P.; Lee, Sam

2008-01-01

Icing alters the shape and surface characteristics of aircraft components, which results in altered aerodynamic forces and moments caused by air flow over those iced components. The typical effects of icing are increased drag, reduced stall angle of attack, and reduced maximum lift. In addition to the performance changes, icing can also affect control surface effectiveness, hinge moments, and damping. These effects result in altered aircraft stability and control and flying qualities. Over the past 80 years, methods have been developed to understand how icing affects performance, stability and control. Emphasis has been on wind tunnel testing of two-dimensional subscale airfoils with various ice shapes to understand their effect on the flow field and ultimately the aerodynamics. This research has led to wind tunnel testing of subscale complete aircraft models to identify the integrated effects of icing on the aircraft system in terms of performance, stability, and control. Data sets of this nature enable pilot in the loop simulations to be performed for pilot training, or engineering evaluation of system failure impacts or control system design.

Kill operation requires thorough analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Abel, L.W.

1995-05-15

Full control of a blowout well requires a properly designed post-capping kill operation because failures in regaining well control usually occur during the kill operation, not during capping. Capping (the installation of pressure control or diverter equipment on the wellhead) is generally very reliable in gaining control of a blowout well. The following techniques are some of the viable means of killing blowout wells once the capping assemblies are in place: direct shut in of the flow; bullheading; momentum kill; volumetric control for migration of fluids or lubrication after migration ceases; and dynamic kills (friction-based dynamic kills or mass flowmore » rate kills) The objective of most post-capping operations is to stop the flow and put the well under hydrostatic control. The means of killing a blowout once capping assemblies are in place should be chosen with care to avoid problems such as cratering, equipment failure, and underground blowouts. The particular circumstances and well integrity will dictate which kill method will be the most viable. Each of these five methods are explained.« less

An Novel Continuation Power Flow Method Based on Line Voltage Stability Index

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Jianfang; He, Yuqing; He, Hongbin; Jiang, Zhuohan

2018-01-01

An novel continuation power flow method based on line voltage stability index is proposed in this paper. Line voltage stability index is used to determine the selection of parameterized lines, and constantly updated with the change of load parameterized lines. The calculation stages of the continuation power flow decided by the angle changes of the prediction of development trend equation direction vector are proposed in this paper. And, an adaptive step length control strategy is used to calculate the next prediction direction and value according to different calculation stages. The proposed method is applied clear physical concept, and the high computing speed, also considering the local characteristics of voltage instability which can reflect the weak nodes and weak area in a power system. Due to more fully to calculate the PV curves, the proposed method has certain advantages on analysing the voltage stability margin to large-scale power grid.

Drag reduction of motor vehicles by active flow control using the Coanda effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geropp, D.; Odenthal, H.-J.

A test facility has been constructed to realistically simulate the flow around a two dimensional car shaped body in a wind tunnel. A moving belt simulator has been employed to generate the relative motion between model and ground. In a first step, the aerodynamic coefficients cL and cD of the model are determined using static pressure and force measurements. LDA-measurements behind the model show the large vortex and turbulence structures of the near and far wake. In a second step, the ambient flow around the model is modified by way of an active flow control which uses the Coanda effect, whereby the base-pressure increases by nearly 50% and the total drag can be reduced by 10%. The recirculating region is completely eliminated. The current work reveals the fundamental physical phenomena of the new method by observing the pressure forces on the model surface as well as the time averaged velocities and turbulence distributions for the near and far wake. A theory resting on this empirical information is developed and provides information about the effectiveness of the blowing method. For this, momentum and energy equations were applied to the flow around the vehicle to enable a validation of the theoretical results using experimental values.

Real-Time Optical Monitoring of Flow Kinetics and Gas Phase Reactions Under High-Pressure OMCVD Conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dietz, N.; McCall, S.; Bachmann, K. J.

2001-01-01

This contribution addresses the real-time optical characterization of gas flow and gas phase reactions as they play a crucial role for chemical vapor phase depositions utilizing elevated and high pressure chemical vapor deposition (HPCVD) conditions. The objectives of these experiments are to validate on the basis of results on real-time optical diagnostics process models simulation codes, and provide input parameter sets needed for analysis and control of chemical vapor deposition at elevated pressures. Access to microgravity is required to retain high pressure conditions of laminar flow, which is essential for successful acquisition and interpretation of the optical data. In this contribution, we describe the design and construction of the HPCVD system, which include access ports for various optical methods of real-time process monitoring and to analyze the initial stages of heteroepitaxy and steady-state growth in the different pressure ranges. To analyze the onset of turbulence, provisions are made for implementation of experimental methods for in-situ characterization of the nature of flow. This knowledge will be the basis for the design definition of experiments under microgravity, where gas flow conditions, gas phase and surface chemistry, might be analyzed by remote controlled real-time diagnostics tools, developed in this research project.

Development and simulation of microfluidic Wheatstone bridge for high-precision sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shipulya, N. D.; Konakov, S. A.; Krzhizhanovskaya, V. V.

2016-08-01

In this work we present the results of analytical modeling and 3D computer simulation of microfluidic Wheatstone bridge, which is used for high-accuracy measurements and precision instruments. We propose and simulate a new method of a bridge balancing process by changing the microchannel geometry. This process is based on the “etching in microchannel” technology we developed earlier (doi:10.1088/1742-6596/681/1/012035). Our method ensures a precise control of the flow rate and flow direction in the bridge microchannel. The advantage of our approach is the ability to work without any control valves and other active electronic systems, which are usually used for bridge balancing. The geometrical configuration of microchannels was selected based on the analytical estimations. A detailed 3D numerical model was based on Navier-Stokes equations for a laminar fluid flow at low Reynolds numbers. We investigated the behavior of the Wheatstone bridge under different process conditions; found a relation between the channel resistance and flow rate through the bridge; and calculated the pressure drop across the system under different total flow rates and viscosities. Finally, we describe a high-precision microfluidic pressure sensor that employs the Wheatstone bridge and discuss other applications in complex precision microfluidic systems.

Optical Flow Estimation for Flame Detection in Videos

PubMed Central

Mueller, Martin; Karasev, Peter; Kolesov, Ivan; Tannenbaum, Allen

2014-01-01

Computational vision-based flame detection has drawn significant attention in the past decade with camera surveillance systems becoming ubiquitous. Whereas many discriminating features, such as color, shape, texture, etc., have been employed in the literature, this paper proposes a set of motion features based on motion estimators. The key idea consists of exploiting the difference between the turbulent, fast, fire motion, and the structured, rigid motion of other objects. Since classical optical flow methods do not model the characteristics of fire motion (e.g., non-smoothness of motion, non-constancy of intensity), two optical flow methods are specifically designed for the fire detection task: optimal mass transport models fire with dynamic texture, while a data-driven optical flow scheme models saturated flames. Then, characteristic features related to the flow magnitudes and directions are computed from the flow fields to discriminate between fire and non-fire motion. The proposed features are tested on a large video database to demonstrate their practical usefulness. Moreover, a novel evaluation method is proposed by fire simulations that allow for a controlled environment to analyze parameter influences, such as flame saturation, spatial resolution, frame rate, and random noise. PMID:23613042

Predictive onboard flow control for packet switching satellites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bobinsky, Eric A.

1992-01-01

We outline two alternate approaches to predicting the onset of congestion in a packet switching satellite, and argue that predictive, rather than reactive, flow control is necessary for the efficient operation of such a system. The first method discussed is based on standard, statistical techniques which are used to periodically calculate a probability of near-term congestion based on arrival rate statistics. If this probability exceeds a present threshold, the satellite would transmit a rate-reduction signal to all active ground stations. The second method discussed would utilize a neural network to periodically predict the occurrence of buffer overflow based on input data which would include, in addition to arrival rates, the distributions of packet lengths, source addresses, and destination addresses.

Experiments in Aircraft Roll-Yaw Control using Forebody Tangential Blowing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pedreiro, Nelson

1997-01-01

Advantages of flight at high angles of attack include increased maneuverability and lift capabilities. These are beneficial not only for fighter aircraft, but also for future supersonic and hypersonic transport aircraft during take-off and landing. At high angles of attack the aerodynamics of the vehicle are dominated by separation, vortex shedding and possibly vortex breakdown. These phenomena severely compromise the effectiveness of conventional control surfaces. As a result, controlled flight at high angles of attack is not feasible for current aircraft configurations. Alternate means to augment the control of the vehicle at these flight regimes are therefore necessary. The present work investigates the augmentation of an aircraft flight control system by the injection of a thin sheet of air tangentially to the forebody of the vehicle. This method, known as Forebody Tangential Blowing (FTB), has been proposed as an effective means of increasing the controllability of aircraft at high angles of attack. The idea is based on the fact that a small amount of air is sufficient to change the separation lines on the forebody. As a consequence, the strength and position of the vortices are altered causing a change on the aerodynamic loads. Although a very effective actuator, forebody tangential blowing is also highly non-linear which makes its use for aircraft control very difficult. In this work, the feasibility of using FTB to control the roll-yaw motion of a wind tunnel model was demonstrated both through simulations and experimentally. The wind tunnel model used in the experiments consists of a wing-body configuration incorporating a delta wing with 70-degree sweep angle and a cone-cylinder fuselage. The model is equipped with forebody slots through which blowing is applied. There are no movable control surfaces, therefore blowing is the only form of actuation. Experiments were conducted at a nominal angle of attack of 45 degrees. A unique apparatus that constrains the model to two degrees-of-freedom, roll and yaw, was designed and built. The apparatus was used to conduct dynamic experiments which showed that the system was unstable, its natural motion divergent. A model for the unsteady aerodynamic loads was developed based on the basic physics of the flow and results from flow visualization experiments. Parameters of the aerodynamic model were identified from experimental data. The model was validated using data from dynamic experiments. The aerodynamic model completes the equations of motion of the system which were used in the design of control laws using blowing as the only actuator. The unsteady aerodynamic model was implemented as part of the real-time vehicle control system. A control strategy using asymmetric blowing was demonstrated experimentally. A discrete vortex method was developed to help understand the main physics of the flow. The method correctly captures the interactions between forebody and wing vortices. Moreover, the trends in static loads and flow structure are correctly represented. Flow visualization results revealed the vortical structure of the flow to be asymmetric even for symmetric flight conditions. The effects of blowing, and roll and yaw angles on the flow structure were determined. It is shown that superimposing symmetric and asymmetric blowing has a linearizing effect on the actuator characteristics. Transient responses of roll and yaw moments to step input blowing were characterized, and their differences were explained based on the physical mechanisms through which these loads are generated.

Development of an automated analysis system for data from flow cytometric intracellular cytokine staining assays from clinical vaccine trials

PubMed Central

Shulman, Nick; Bellew, Matthew; Snelling, George; Carter, Donald; Huang, Yunda; Li, Hongli; Self, Steven G.; McElrath, M. Juliana; De Rosa, Stephen C.

2008-01-01

Background Intracellular cytokine staining (ICS) by multiparameter flow cytometry is one of the primary methods for determining T cell immunogenicity in HIV-1 clinical vaccine trials. Data analysis requires considerable expertise and time. The amount of data is quickly increasing as more and larger trials are performed, and thus there is a critical need for high throughput methods of data analysis. Methods A web based flow cytometric analysis system, LabKey Flow, was developed for analyses of data from standardized ICS assays. A gating template was created manually in commercially-available flow cytometric analysis software. Using this template, the system automatically compensated and analyzed all data sets. Quality control queries were designed to identify potentially incorrect sample collections. Results Comparison of the semi-automated analysis performed by LabKey Flow and the manual analysis performed using FlowJo software demonstrated excellent concordance (concordance correlation coefficient >0.990). Manual inspection of the analyses performed by LabKey Flow for 8-color ICS data files from several clinical vaccine trials indicates that template gates can appropriately be used for most data sets. Conclusions The semi-automated LabKey Flow analysis system can analyze accurately large ICS data files. Routine use of the system does not require specialized expertise. This high-throughput analysis will provide great utility for rapid evaluation of complex multiparameter flow cytometric measurements collected from large clinical trials. PMID:18615598

Effect of perturbations and a meal on superior mesenteric artery flow in patients with orthostatic hypotension

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fujimura, J.; Camilleri, M.; Low, P. A.; Novak, V.; Novak, P.; Opfer-Gehrking, T. L.

1997-01-01

Our aims were to evaluate to role of superior mesenteric blood flow in the pathophysiology of orthostatic hypotension in patients with generalized autonomic failure. METHODS: Twelve patients with symptomatic neurogenic orthostatic hypotension and 12 healthy controls underwent superior mesenteric artery flow measurements using Doppler ultrasonography during head-up tilt and tilt plus meal ingestion. Autonomic failure was assessed using standard tests of the function of the sympathetic adrenergic, cardiovagal and postganglionic sympathetic sudomotor function. RESULTS: Superior mesenteric flow volume and time-averaged velocity were similar in patients and controls at supine rest; however, responses to cold pressor test and upright tilt were attenuated (p < 0.05) in patients compared to controls. Head-up tilt after the meal evoked a profound fall of blood pressure and mesenteric blood flow in the patients; the reduction of mesenteric blood flow correlated (r = 0.89) with the fall of blood pressure in these patients, providing another manifestation of failed baroreflexes. We make the novel finding that the severity of postprandial orthostatic hypotension regressed negatively with the postprandial increase in mesenteric flow in patients with orthostatic hypotension. CONCLUSION: Mesenteric flow is under baroreflex control, which when defective, results in, or worsens orthostatic hypotension. Its large size and baroreflexivity renders it quantitatively important in the maintenance of postural normotension. The effects of orthostatic stress can be significantly attenuated by reducing the splanchnic-mesenteric volume increase in response to food. Evaluation of mesenteric flow in response to eating and head-up tilt provide important information on intra-abdominal sympathetic adrenergic function, and the ability of the patient to cope with orthostatic stress.

2-D Circulation Control Airfoil Benchmark Experiments Intended for CFD Code Validation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Englar, Robert J.; Jones, Gregory S.; Allan, Brian G.; Lin, Johb C.

2009-01-01

A current NASA Research Announcement (NRA) project being conducted by Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) personnel and NASA collaborators includes the development of Circulation Control (CC) blown airfoils to improve subsonic aircraft high-lift and cruise performance. The emphasis of this program is the development of CC active flow control concepts for both high-lift augmentation, drag control, and cruise efficiency. A collaboration in this project includes work by NASA research engineers, whereas CFD validation and flow physics experimental research are part of NASA s systematic approach to developing design and optimization tools for CC applications to fixed-wing aircraft. The design space for CESTOL type aircraft is focusing on geometries that depend on advanced flow control technologies that include Circulation Control aerodynamics. The ability to consistently predict advanced aircraft performance requires improvements in design tools to include these advanced concepts. Validation of these tools will be based on experimental methods applied to complex flows that go beyond conventional aircraft modeling techniques. This paper focuses on recent/ongoing benchmark high-lift experiments and CFD efforts intended to provide 2-D CFD validation data sets related to NASA s Cruise Efficient Short Take Off and Landing (CESTOL) study. Both the experimental data and related CFD predictions are discussed.

Surfactant-induced flow compromises determination of air-water interfacial areas by surfactant miscible-displacement.

PubMed

Costanza-Robinson, Molly S; Henry, Eric J

2017-03-01

Surfactant miscible-displacement (SMD) column experiments are used to measure air-water interfacial area (A I ) in unsaturated porous media, a property that influences solute transport and phase-partitioning. The conventional SMD experiment results in surface tension gradients that can cause water redistribution and/or net drainage of water from the system ("surfactant-induced flow"), violating theoretical foundations of the method. Nevertheless, the SMD technique is still used, and some suggest that experimental observations of surfactant-induced flow represent an artifact of improper control of boundary conditions. In this work, we used numerical modeling, for which boundary conditions can be perfectly controlled, to evaluate this suggestion. We also examined the magnitude of surfactant-induced flow and its impact on A I measurement during multiple SMD flow scenarios. Simulations of the conventional SMD experiment showed substantial surfactant-induced flow and consequent drainage of water from the column (e.g., from 75% to 55% S W ) and increases in actual A I of up to 43%. Neither horizontal column orientation nor alternative boundary conditions resolved surfactant-induced flow issues. Even for simulated flow scenarios that avoided surfactant-induced drainage of the column, substantial surfactant-induced internal water redistribution occurred and was sufficient to alter surfactant transport, resulting in up to 23% overestimation of A I . Depending on the specific simulated flow scenario and data analysis assumptions used, estimated A I varied by nearly 40% and deviated up to 36% from the system's initial A I . We recommend methods for A I determination that avoid generation of surface-tension gradients and urge caution when relying on absolute A I values measured via SMD. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Method of controlling chaos in laser equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duong-van, Minh

1993-01-01

A method of controlling chaotic to laminar flows in the Lorenz equations using fixed points dictated by minimizing the Lyapunov functional was proposed by Singer, Wang, and Bau [Phys. Rev. Lett. 66, 1123 (1991)]. Using different fixed points, we find that the solutions in a chaotic regime can also be periodic. Since the laser equations are isomorphic to the Lorenz equations we use this method to control chaos when the laser is operated over the pump threshold. Furthermore, by solving the laser equations with an occasional proportional feedback mechanism, we recover the essential laser controlling features experimentally discovered by Roy, Murphy, Jr., Maier, Gills, and Hunt [Phys. Rev. Lett. 68, 1259 (1992)].

Low-dimensional modelling of a transient cylinder wake using double proper orthogonal decomposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siegel, Stefan G.; Seidel, J.?Rgen; Fagley, Casey; Luchtenburg, D. M.; Cohen, Kelly; McLaughlin, Thomas

For the systematic development of feedback flow controllers, a numerical model that captures the dynamic behaviour of the flow field to be controlled is required. This poses a particular challenge for flow fields where the dynamic behaviour is nonlinear, and the governing equations cannot easily be solved in closed form. This has led to many versions of low-dimensional modelling techniques, which we extend in this work to represent better the impact of actuation on the flow. For the benchmark problem of a circular cylinder wake in the laminar regime, we introduce a novel extension to the proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) procedure that facilitates mode construction from transient data sets. We demonstrate the performance of this new decomposition by applying it to a data set from the development of the limit cycle oscillation of a circular cylinder wake simulation as well as an ensemble of transient forced simulation results. The modes obtained from this decomposition, which we refer to as the double POD (DPOD) method, correctly track the changes of the spatial modes both during the evolution of the limit cycle and when forcing is applied by transverse translation of the cylinder. The mode amplitudes, which are obtained by projecting the original data sets onto the truncated DPOD modes, can be used to construct a dynamic mathematical model of the wake that accurately predicts the wake flow dynamics within the lock-in region at low forcing amplitudes. This low-dimensional model, derived using nonlinear artificial neural network based system identification methods, is robust and accurate and can be used to simulate the dynamic behaviour of the wake flow. We demonstrate this ability not just for unforced and open-loop forced data, but also for a feedback-controlled simulation that leads to a 90% reduction in lift fluctuations. This indicates the possibility of constructing accurate dynamic low-dimensional models for feedback control by using unforced and transient forced data only.

Experimental studies of deposition at a debris-flow flume

USGS Publications Warehouse

Major, Jon J.

1995-01-01

Geologists commonly infer the flow conditions and the physical properties of debris flows from the sedimentologic, stratigraphic, and morphologic characteristics of their deposits. However, such inferences commonly lack corroboration by direct observation because the capricious nature of debris flows makes systematic observation and measurement of natural events both difficult and dangerous. Furthermore, in contrast to the numerous experimental studies of water flow and related fluvial deposition, few real-time observations and measurements of sediment deposition by large-scale mass flow of debris under controlled conditions have been made. Recent experiments at the U.S. Geological Survey debris-flow flume in the H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest, Oregon (Iverson and others, 1992) are shedding new insight on sediment deposition by debris flows and on the veracity of methods commonly used to reconstruct flow character from deposit characteristics.

Coolant and ambient temperature control for chillerless liquid cooled data centers

DOEpatents

Chainer, Timothy J.; David, Milnes P.; Iyengar, Madhusudan K.; Parida, Pritish R.; Simons, Robert E.

2017-08-29

Cooling control methods and systems include measuring a temperature of air provided to one or more nodes by an air-to-liquid heat exchanger; measuring a temperature of at least one component of the one or more nodes and finding a maximum component temperature across all such nodes; comparing the maximum component temperature to a first and second component threshold and comparing the air temperature to a first and second air threshold; and controlling a proportion of coolant flow and a coolant flow rate to the air-to-liquid heat exchanger and the one or more nodes based on the comparisons.

Charge Transfer and Catalysis at the Metal Support Interface

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Baker, Lawrence Robert

Kinetic, electronic, and spectroscopic characterization of model Pt–support systems are used to demonstrate the relationship between charge transfer and catalytic activity and selectivity. The results show that charge flow controls the activity and selectivity of supported metal catalysts. This dissertation builds on extensive existing knowledge of metal–support interactions in heterogeneous catalysis. The results show the prominent role of charge transfer at catalytic interfaces to determine catalytic activity and selectivity. Further, this research demonstrates the possibility of selectively driving catalytic chemistry by controlling charge flow and presents solid-state devices and doped supports as novel methods for obtaining electronic control over catalyticmore » reaction kinetics.« less

Computational investigation of flow control by means of tubercles on Darrieus wind turbine blades

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sevinç, K.; Özdamar, G.; Şentürk, U.; Özdamar, A.

2015-09-01

This work presents the current status of the computational study of the boundary layer control of a vertical axis wind turbine blade by modifying the blade geometry for use in wind energy conversion. The control method is a passive method which comprises the implementation of the tubercle geometry of a humpback whale flipper onto the leading edge of the blades. The baseline design is an H-type, three-bladed Darrieus turbine with a NACA 0015 cross-section. Finite-volume based software ANSYS Fluent was used in the simulations. Using the optimum control parameters for a NACA 634-021 profile given by Johari et al. (2006), turbine blades were modified. Three dimensional, unsteady, turbulent simulations for the blade were conducted to look for a possible improvement on the performance. The flow structure on the blades was investigated and flow phenomena such as separation and stall were examined to understand their impact on the overall performance. For a tip speed ratio of 2.12, good agreement was obtained in the validation of the baseline model with a relative error in time- averaged power coefficient of 1.05%. Modified turbine simulations with a less expensive but less accurate turbulence model yielded a decrease in power coefficient. Results are shown comparatively.

Design of a new controller to treat the obstructive sleep apnea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Netzel, Thomas

2002-06-01

The obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a sleep related breathing disorder caused by a relaxation of the upper airway structure during the sleep that leads to a complete closure of the upper airway. The most successful therapy is the nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) treatment that keeps the airway opened. More recent devices use an automatic adaptation of the applied pressure. Either the forced oscillation technique (FOT) or the evaluation of the inspiration flow contour are used to evaluate the severity of obstructions. Both methods have disadvantages that may lead to wrong applied pressures. Based on the precise measurement of airflow and mask pressure during nCPAP with a Weinmann SOMNOsmart and additional polysomnography a new parameter set is presented that uses the advantage of both methods to detect the obstructive sleep apnoea. To evaluate the applicability of this parameter set to control Auto-nCPAP-devices a fuzzy-controller is designed under MATLAB/Simulink using an A/D-D/A-converter to control the blower of the SOMNOsmart during Auto-nCPAP-therapy. Obstructive events are detected and treated with a rise of nCPAP-pressure depending on the inspiratory flow requirement. The pressure is lowered after the end of flow limited phases. Although temporary low pressures no oxygen desaturation is recognized by the pulse oxymeter.

Assay validation for the assessment of adipogenesis of multipotential stromal cells—a direct comparison of four different methods

PubMed Central

Aldridge, Andrew; Kouroupis, Dimitrios; Churchman, Sarah; English, Anne; Ingham, Eileen; Jones, Elena

2013-01-01

Background aims Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are regenerative and immuno-privileged cells that are used for both tissue regeneration and treatment of severe inflammation-related disease. For quality control of manufactured MSC batches in regard to mature fat cell contamination, a quantitative method for measuring adipogenesis is needed. Methods Four previously proposed methods were validated with the use of bone marrow (BM) MSCs during a 21-day in vitro assay. Oil red staining was scored semiquantitatively; peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-γ and fatty acid binding protein (FABP)4 transcripts were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction; FABP4 protein accumulation was evaluated by flow cytometry; and Nile red/4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) ratios were measured in fluorescent microplate assay. Skin fibroblasts and MSCs from fat pad, cartilage and umbilical cord were used as controls. Results Oil red staining indicated considerable heterogeneity between BM donors and individual cells within the same culture. FABP4 transcript levels increased 100- to 5000-fold by day 21, with large donor variability observed. Flow cytometry revealed increasing intra-culture heterogeneity over time; more granular cells accumulated more FABP4 protein and Nile red fluorescence compared with less granular cells. Nile red increase in day-21 MSCs was ∼5- and 4-fold, measured by flow cytometry or microplate assay, respectively. MSC proliferation/apoptosis was accounted through the use of Nile red/DAPI ratios; adipogenesis levels in day-21 BM MSCs increased ∼13-fold, with significant correlations with oil red scoring observed for MSC from other sources. Conclusions Flow cytometry permits the study of MSC differentiation at the single-cell level and sorting more and less mature cells from mixed cell populations. The microplate assay with the use of the Nile red/DAPI ratio provides rapid quantitative measurements and could be used as a low-cost, high-throughput method to quality-control MSC batches from different tissue sources. PMID:23260089

[Clinical evaluation of Engström's electrically controlled ELSA for low flow closed circuit anesthesia].

PubMed

Igarashi, M; Nakae, Y; Ichimiya, N; Watanabe, H; Iwasaki, H; Namiki, A

1993-02-01

Many anesthesiologists are now interested in low flow, closed circuit anesthesia from an economical and environmental point of view. In order to evaluate clinically a newly developed electronically controlled anesthesia machine Engström's ELSA, we compared low flow, closed circuit anesthesia on 38 ASA I-II patients using ELSA, with high flow anesthesia on 12 ASA I-II patients using a conventional anesthesia machine. The results were as follows; 1. We could perform safe and economical low flow, closed circuit anesthesia using ELSA's injection vaporizer and accurate monitoring devices for O2, N2O, CO2 and concentrations of various volatile anesthetic agents. 2. Under low flow anesthesia, isoflurane consumption was 5.3 +/- 1.1 ml.h-1 x Vol.%-1 (mean +/- SE) with ELSA, which is about one fourth of the high flow anesthesia consumption (22.6 +/- 2.1 ml.h-1 x Vol.%-1 (mean +/- SE). 3. Low flow closed circuit anesthesia could maintain significantly higher temperature and humidity compared with high flow anesthesia. 4. Under low flow anesthesia of more than 7hrs, color of soda lime becomes blue, but this does not affect FIO2 nor PaCO2, and the method is clinically safe for patients.

Control volume based hydrocephalus research; a phantom study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cohen, Benjamin; Voorhees, Abram; Madsen, Joseph; Wei, Timothy

2009-11-01

Hydrocephalus is a complex spectrum of neurophysiological disorders involving perturbation of the intracranial contents; primarily increased intraventricular cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volume and intracranial pressure are observed. CSF dynamics are highly coupled to the cerebral blood flows and pressures as well as the mechanical properties of the brain. Hydrocephalus, as such, is a very complex biological problem. We propose integral control volume analysis as a method of tracking these important interactions using mass and momentum conservation principles. As a first step in applying this methodology in humans, an in vitro phantom is used as a simplified model of the intracranial space. The phantom's design consists of a rigid container filled with a compressible gel. Within the gel a hollow spherical cavity represents the ventricular system and a cylindrical passage represents the spinal canal. A computer controlled piston pump supplies sinusoidal volume fluctuations into and out of the flow phantom. MRI is used to measure fluid velocity and volume change as functions of time. Independent pressure measurements and momentum flow rate measurements are used to calibrate the MRI data. These data are used as a framework for future work with live patients and normal individuals. Flow and pressure measurements on the flow phantom will be presented through the control volume framework.

COMSAC: Computational Methods for Stability and Control. Part 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fremaux, C. Michael (Compiler); Hall, Robert M. (Compiler)

2004-01-01

The unprecedented advances being made in computational fluid dynamic (CFD) technology have demonstrated the powerful capabilities of codes in applications to civil and military aircraft. Used in conjunction with wind-tunnel and flight investigations, many codes are now routinely used by designers in diverse applications such as aerodynamic performance predictions and propulsion integration. Typically, these codes are most reliable for attached, steady, and predominantly turbulent flows. As a result of increasing reliability and confidence in CFD, wind-tunnel testing for some new configurations has been substantially reduced in key areas, such as wing trade studies for mission performance guarantees. Interest is now growing in the application of computational methods to other critical design challenges. One of the most important disciplinary elements for civil and military aircraft is prediction of stability and control characteristics. CFD offers the potential for significantly increasing the basic understanding, prediction, and control of flow phenomena associated with requirements for satisfactory aircraft handling characteristics.

Primary-Side Power Flow Control of Wireless Power Transfer for Electric Vehicle Charging

DOE PAGES

Miller, John M.; Onar, Omer C.; Chinthavali, Madhu

2014-12-22

Various noncontacting methods of plug-in electric vehicle charging are either under development or now deployed as aftermarket options in the light-duty automotive market. Wireless power transfer (WPT) is now the accepted term for wireless charging and is used synonymously for inductive power transfer and magnetic resonance coupling. WPT technology is in its infancy; standardization is lacking, especially on interoperability, center frequency selection, magnetic fringe field suppression, and the methods employed for power flow regulation. This paper proposes a new analysis concept for power flow in WPT in which the primary provides frequency selection and the tuned secondary, with its resemblancemore » to a power transmission network having a reactive power voltage control, is analyzed as a transmission network. Analysis is supported with experimental data taken from Oak Ridge National Laboratory s WPT apparatus. Lastly, this paper also provides an experimental evidence for frequency selection, fringe field assessment, and the need for low-latency communications in the feedback path.« less

Posterior hypoperfusion in Parkinson's disease with and without dementia measured with arterial spin labeling MRI.

PubMed

Kamagata, Koji; Motoi, Yumiko; Hori, Masaaki; Suzuki, Michimasa; Nakanishi, Atsushi; Shimoji, Keigo; Kyougoku, Shinsuke; Kuwatsuru, Ryohei; Sasai, Keisuke; Abe, Osamu; Mizuno, Yoshikuni; Aoki, Shigeki; Hattori, Nobutaka

2011-04-01

To determine whether quantitative arterial spin labeling (ASL) can be used to evaluate regional cerebral blood flow in Parkinson's disease with dementia (PDD) and without dementia (PD). Thirty-five PD patients, 11 PDD patients, and 35 normal controls were scanned by using a quantitative ASL method with a 3 Tesla MRI unit. Regional cerebral blood flow was compared in the posterior cortex using region-of-interest analysis. PD and PDD patients showed lower regional cerebral blood flow in the posterior cortex than normal controls (P = 0.002 and P = 0.001, respectively, analysis of variance with a Bonferroni post hoc test). This is the first study to detect hypoperfusion in the posterior cortex in PD and PDD patients using ASL perfusion MRI. Because ASL perfusion MRI is completely noninvasive and can, therefore, safely be used for repeated assessments, this method can be used to monitor treatment effects or disease progression in PD. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Assessing the Hydraulic Criticality of Deep Ocean Overflows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pratt, L. J.; Helfrich, K. R.

2004-12-01

Two methods for assessing the hydraulic criticality of a modelled or observed deep overflow are discussed. The methods should be of use in determining the position of the control section, which is needed to establish the transport relation helpful for long-term monitoring from upstream. Both approaches are based on a multiple streamtube idealization in which the observed flow at a particular section is divided up into subsections (streamtubes). There are no restrictions on the bottom topography or potential vorticity distribution. The first criteria involves evauation of a generalized Jacobian condition based on the conservation laws for each streamtube; the second involves direct calculation of the long-wave phase speeds. We also comment on the significance of the local Froude number F of the flow and argue that F must pass through unity across a section of hydraulic control. These criteria are applied to some numerically modelled flows and are used in the companion presentation (Girton, et al.) to evaluate the hydraulic criticality of the Faroe Bank Channel.

Crystal diffraction lens with variable focal length

DOEpatents

Smither, R.K.

1991-04-02

A method and apparatus for altering the focal length of a focusing element of one of a plurality of pre-determined focal lengths by changing heat transfer within selected portions of the element by controlled quantities is disclosed. Control over heat transfer is accomplished by manipulating one or more of a number of variables, including: the amount of heat or cold applied to surfaces; type of fluids pumped through channels for heating and cooling; temperatures, directions of flow and rates of flow of fluids; and placement of channels. 19 figures.

Combuston method of oil shale retorting

DOEpatents

Jones, Jr., John B.; Reeves, Adam A.

1977-08-16

A gravity flow, vertical bed of crushed oil shale having a two level injection of air and a three level injection of non-oxygenous gas and an internal combustion of at least residual carbon on the retorted shale. The injection of air and gas is carefully controlled in relation to the mass flow rate of the shale to control the temperature of pyrolysis zone, producing a maximum conversion of the organic content of the shale to a liquid shale oil. The parameters of the operation provides an economical and highly efficient shale oil production.

Development and characterization of an IPMC hair-like transducer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akle, Barbar J.; Challita, Elio; Khairalah, Nady

2015-04-01

Hair-like sensors are very common in natural and biological systems. Such sensors are used to measure acoustic pressures, fluid flows, and chemical concentrations among others. Hair-like actuators are also used to control fluid flows and perform temperature management. This study presents a manufacturing technique for a hair-like IPMC transducer. A thorough study is presented on the building process of the sensor. The method used to control the diameter and the electrodes thickness of the transducer is developed. The sensing behavior of the manufactured transducers is experimentally characterized.

Progress in fuel systems to meet new fuel economy and emissions standards

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1995-12-31

This publication includes information describing the latest developments within the automotive industry on fuel system hardware and control strategies. Contents include: Slow heating process of a heated pintle-type gasoline fuel injector; Mixture preparation measurements; Study of fuel flow rate change in injector for methanol fueled S.I. engine; Flow and structural analysis for fuel pressure regulator performance; A new method to analyze fuel behavior in a spark ignition engine; Throttle body at engine idle -- tolerance effect on flow rate; and more.

Simultaneous Independent Control of Tool Axial Force and Temperature in Friction Stir Processing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ross, Kenneth A.; Grant, Glenn J.; Darsell, Jens T.

Maintaining consistent tool depth relative to the part surface is a critical requirement for many Friction stir processing (FSP) applications. Force control is often used with the goal of obtaining a constant weld depth. When force control is used, if weld temperature decreases, flow stress increases and the tool is pushed up. If weld temperature increases, flow stress decreases and the tool dives. These variations in tool depth and weld temperature cause various types of weld defects. Robust temperature control for FSP maintains a commanded temperature through control of the spindle axis only. Robust temperature control and force control aremore » completely decoupled in control logic and machine motion. This results in stable temperature, force and tool depth despite the presence of geometric and thermal disturbances. Performance of this control method is presented for various weld paths and alloy systems.« less

Salivary flow rate and xerostomia in patients with type I and II diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Hoseini, Amineh; Mirzapour, Ali; Bijani, Ali; Shirzad, Atena

2017-09-01

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most prevalent metabolic diseases, with complications such as decreased salivary flow rate and xerostomia. This study aimed to determine the salivary flow rate and xerostomia in type I and II diabetic patients in comparison with healthy controls. This case-control study was performed on diabetic patients of a private office in Babol, Iran, between May 2015 and October 2016. This study involved two study groups (type I and II diabetes, with 40 in each group) and two control groups (control I and II, with 35 in each group) which were age- and sex-matched with the related study groups. They were all selected through simple sampling. Unstimulated whole saliva was collected through Navazesh method and the salivary flow rate was measured (ml/min). Xerostomia was evaluated via Fox's test. Moreover, the patients' data were recorded including age, sex, disease duration, type of diabetes, fasting blood glucose (FBG) and HbA1C. The obtained data were statistically analyzed by using SPSS version 17. Independent-samples t-test, Chi-square, Pearson correlation and multiple comparison post-hoc tests were employed as appropriated. p<0.05 was considered significant. The mean salivary flow rate in type I diabetics (0.35±0.11 ml/min) was lower than that in control I (0.50±0.07 ml/min) (p=0.01). The same difference was observed between type II diabetics (0.37±0.13 ml/min) and control II groups (0.47±0.11 ml/min) (p=0.01). No significant difference was observed in the salivary flow rate between type I and II diabetics (p=0.345). Furthermore, xerostomia was higher in type I (2.70±2.50, 1.17±1.60) and II (2.65±2.20-1.62±1.50) diabetics compared with the related control groups (p=0.01), (p=0.02). Type I, II diabetic patients revealed lower salivary flow rate and higher xerostomia compared with healthy controls. The salivary flow rate and xerostomia had inverse correlation.

CVD-MPFA full pressure support, coupled unstructured discrete fracture-matrix Darcy-flux approximations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed, Raheel; Edwards, Michael G.; Lamine, Sadok; Huisman, Bastiaan A. H.; Pal, Mayur

2017-11-01

Two novel control-volume methods are presented for flow in fractured media, and involve coupling the control-volume distributed multi-point flux approximation (CVD-MPFA) constructed with full pressure support (FPS), to two types of discrete fracture-matrix approximation for simulation on unstructured grids; (i) involving hybrid grids and (ii) a lower dimensional fracture model. Flow is governed by Darcy's law together with mass conservation both in the matrix and the fractures, where large discontinuities in permeability tensors can occur. Finite-volume FPS schemes are more robust than the earlier CVD-MPFA triangular pressure support (TPS) schemes for problems involving highly anisotropic homogeneous and heterogeneous full-tensor permeability fields. We use a cell-centred hybrid-grid method, where fractures are modelled by lower-dimensional interfaces between matrix cells in the physical mesh but expanded to equi-dimensional cells in the computational domain. We present a simple procedure to form a consistent hybrid-grid locally for a dual-cell. We also propose a novel hybrid-grid for intersecting fractures, for the FPS method, which reduces the condition number of the global linear system and leads to larger time steps for tracer transport. The transport equation for tracer flow is coupled with the pressure equation and provides flow parameter assessment of the fracture models. Transport results obtained via TPS and FPS hybrid-grid formulations are compared with the corresponding results of fine-scale explicit equi-dimensional formulations. The results show that the hybrid-grid FPS method applies to general full-tensor fields and provides improved robust approximations compared to the hybrid-grid TPS method for fractured domains, for both weakly anisotropic permeability fields and very strong anisotropic full-tensor permeability fields where the TPS scheme exhibits spurious oscillations. The hybrid-grid FPS formulation is extended to compressible flow and the results demonstrate the method is also robust for transient flow. Furthermore, we present FPS coupled with a lower-dimensional fracture model, where fractures are strictly lower-dimensional in the physical mesh as well as in the computational domain. We present a comparison of the hybrid-grid FPS method and the lower-dimensional fracture model for several cases of isotropic and anisotropic fractured media which illustrate the benefits of the respective methods.

Full-order optimal compensators for flow control: the multiple inputs case

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Semeraro, Onofrio; Pralits, Jan O.

2018-03-01

Flow control has been the subject of numerous experimental and theoretical works. We analyze full-order, optimal controllers for large dynamical systems in the presence of multiple actuators and sensors. The full-order controllers do not require any preliminary model reduction or low-order approximation: this feature allows us to assess the optimal performance of an actuated flow without relying on any estimation process or further hypothesis on the disturbances. We start from the original technique proposed by Bewley et al. (Meccanica 51(12):2997-3014, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11012-016-0547-3), the adjoint of the direct-adjoint (ADA) algorithm. The algorithm is iterative and allows bypassing the solution of the algebraic Riccati equation associated with the optimal control problem, typically infeasible for large systems. In this numerical work, we extend the ADA iteration into a more general framework that includes the design of controllers with multiple, coupled inputs and robust controllers (H_{∞} methods). First, we demonstrate our results by showing the analytical equivalence between the full Riccati solutions and the ADA approximations in the multiple inputs case. In the second part of the article, we analyze the performance of the algorithm in terms of convergence of the solution, by comparing it with analogous techniques. We find an excellent scalability with the number of inputs (actuators), making the method a viable way for full-order control design in complex settings. Finally, the applicability of the algorithm to fluid mechanics problems is shown using the linearized Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation and the Kármán vortex street past a two-dimensional cylinder.

Software to Control and Monitor Gas Streams

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arkin, C.; Curley, Charles; Gore, Eric; Floyd, David; Lucas, Damion

2012-01-01

This software package interfaces with various gas stream devices such as pressure transducers, flow meters, flow controllers, valves, and analyzers such as a mass spectrometer. The software provides excellent user interfacing with various windows that provide time-domain graphs, valve state buttons, priority- colored messages, and warning icons. The user can configure the software to save as much or as little data as needed to a comma-delimited file. The software also includes an intuitive scripting language for automated processing. The configuration allows for the assignment of measured values or calibration so that raw signals can be viewed as usable pressures, flows, or concentrations in real time. The software is based on those used in two safety systems for shuttle processing and one volcanic gas analysis system. Mass analyzers typically have very unique applications and vary from job to job. As such, software available on the market is usually inadequate or targeted on a specific application (such as EPA methods). The goal was to develop powerful software that could be used with prototype systems. The key problem was to generalize the software to be easily and quickly reconfigurable. At Kennedy Space Center (KSC), the prior art consists of two primary methods. The first method was to utilize Lab- VIEW and a commercial data acquisition system. This method required rewriting code for each different application and only provided raw data. To obtain data in engineering units, manual calculations were required. The second method was to utilize one of the embedded computer systems developed for another system. This second method had the benefit of providing data in engineering units, but was limited in the number of control parameters.

Computational simulations of supersonic magnetohydrodynamic flow control, power and propulsion systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Tian

This work is motivated by the lack of fully coupled computational tool that solves successfully the turbulent chemically reacting Navier-Stokes equation, the electron energy conservation equation and the electric current Poisson equation. In the present work, the abovementioned equations are solved in a fully coupled manner using fully implicit parallel GMRES methods. The system of Navier-Stokes equations are solved using a GMRES method with combined Schwarz and ILU(0) preconditioners. The electron energy equation and the electric current Poisson equation are solved using a GMRES method with combined SOR and Jacobi preconditioners. The fully coupled method has also been implemented successfully in an unstructured solver, US3D, and convergence test results were presented. This new method is shown two to five times faster than the original DPLR method. The Poisson solver is validated with analytic test problems. Then, four problems are selected; two of them are computed to explore the possibility of onboard MHD control and power generation, and the other two are simulation of experiments. First, the possibility of onboard reentry shock control by a magnetic field is explored. As part of a previous project, MHD power generation onboard a re-entry vehicle is also simulated. Then, the MHD acceleration experiments conducted at NASA Ames research center are simulated. Lastly, the MHD power generation experiments known as the HVEPS project are simulated. For code validation, the scramjet experiments at University of Queensland are simulated first. The generator section of the HVEPS test facility is computed then. The main conclusion is that the computational tool is accurate for different types of problems and flow conditions, and its accuracy and efficiency are necessary when the flow complexity increases.

Microfluidic strategies for design and assembly of microfibers and nanofibers with tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications.

PubMed

Daniele, Michael A; Boyd, Darryl A; Adams, André A; Ligler, Frances S

2015-01-07

Fiber-based materials provide critical capabilities for biomedical applications. Microfluidic fiber fabrication has recently emerged as a very promising route to the synthesis of polymeric fibers at the micro and nanoscale, providing fine control over fiber shape, size, chemical anisotropy, and biological activity. This Progress Report summarizes advanced microfluidic methods for the fabrication of both microscale and nanoscale fibers and illustrates how different methods are enabling new biomedical applications. Microfluidic fabrication methods and resultant materials are explained from the perspective of their microfluidic device principles, including co-flow, cross-flow, and flow-shaping designs. It is then detailed how the microchannel design and flow parameters influence the variety of synthesis chemistries that can be utilized. Finally, the integration of biomaterials and microfluidic strategies is discussed to manufacture unique fiber-based systems, including cell scaffolds, cell encapsulation, and woven tissue matrices. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Evaluation of exhaled nitric oxide in schoolchildren at different exhalation flow rates.

PubMed

Pedroletti, Christophe; Zetterquist, Wilhelm; Nordvall, Lennart; Alving, Kjell

2002-09-01

Nitric oxide (NO) in exhaled air is believed to reflect allergic inflammation in the airways. Measured levels of exhaled NO vary with the exhaled flow rate, which therefore must be standardized. The aim of this study was to estimate the optimal exhalation flow rate when measuring NO in exhaled air. We studied 15 asthmatic children (8-18 y) with elevated NO levels and 15 age-matched controls and focused on how the quality of the NO curve profile, the discriminatory power, and the reproducibility were influenced by the exhalation flow rate. We used an on-line system for NO measurements at six different exhalation flow rates in the interval of 11-382 mL/s. The fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) was highly flow-dependent as was expected. Intermediate flow rates yielded a flat and stable NO plateau and were considerably easier to interpret than those obtained at the highest and lowest flow rates. The ratio of FENO between asthmatics and controls was lower at higher flow rates and a considerable overlap in NO values was demonstrated at all flow rates except 50 mL/s. The reproducibility was much lower at more extreme flow rates and was best at 50 mL/s. We conclude that a target exhalation flow rate of approximately 50 mL/s is to be preferred using the single-breath method for on-line NO measurements in schoolchildren.

STOL landing thrust: Reverser jet flowfields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kotansky, D. R.; Glaze, L. W.

1987-01-01

Analysis tools and modeling concepts for jet flow fields encountered upon use of thrust reversers for high performance military aircraft are described. A semi-empirical model of the reverser ground wall jet interaction with the uniform cross flow due to aircraft forward velocity is described. This ground interaction model is used to demonstrate exhaust gas ingestion conditions. The effects of control of exhaust jet vector angle, lateral splay, and moving versus fixed ground simulation are discussed. The Adler/Baron jet-in-cross flow model is used in conjunction with three dimensional panel methods to investigate the upper surface jet induced flow field.

Momentum kill procedure can quickly control blowouts

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Watson, W.D.; Moore, P.

1993-08-30

The momentum kill method can help in quickly regaining control of a blowing well, providing the blowing well rate and fluid properties can be estimated reasonably. The momentum of the kill fluid counteracts and overcomes the flowing momentum of formation fluids. In other words, sufficient mud density pumped at a sufficient rate is directed into the flow stream to force the escaping fluid column back into the well bore. Sufficient kill fluid hydrostatic pressure must be stacked'' in the hole so that the well remains dead after the operation. The momentum kill is not a panacea for all blowouts. Anmore » assessment must be made of the potential problems unique to this method, and certain requirements must be met if the technique is to be successful. The paper discusses some of the considerations for evaluating the use of the momentum kill method.« less

Apparatus and method for constant flow oxidizing of organic materials

DOEpatents

Surma, Jeffrey E.; Nelson, Norvell; Steward, G. Anthony; Bryan, Garry H.

1999-01-01

The invention is a method and apparatus using high cerium concentration in the anolyte of an electrochemical cell to oxidize organic materials. The method and apparatus further use an ultrasonic mixer to enhance the oxidation rate of the organic material in the electrochemical cell. A reaction vessel provides an advantage of independent reaction temperature control and electrochemical cell temperature control. A separate or independent reaction vessel may be used without an ultrasonic mixer to oxidize gaseous phase organic materials.

Novel method based on video tracking system for simultaneous measurement of kinematics and flow in the wake of a freely swimming fish

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Guanhao; Yang, Yan; Zeng, Lijiang

2006-11-01

A novel method based on video tracking system for simultaneous measurement of kinematics and flow in the wake of a freely swimming fish is described. Spontaneous and continuous swimming behaviors of a variegated carp (Cyprinus carpio) are recorded by two cameras mounted on a translation stage which is controlled to track the fish. By processing the images recorded during tracking, the detailed kinematics based on calculated midlines and quantitative analysis of the flow in the wake during a low-speed turn and burst-and-coast swimming are revealed. We also draw the trajectory of the fish during a continuous swimming bout containing several moderate maneuvers. The results prove that our method is effective for studying maneuvers of fish both from kinematic and hydrodynamic viewpoints.

Diverter bop system and method for a bottom supported offshore drilling rig

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Roche, J. R.; Alexander, G. G.; Carbaugh, W. L.

1985-06-25

A system and method for installing a fluid flow controller and telescoping spools beneath an offshore bottom supported drilling rig rotary table is disclosed. Upper and lower telescoping spools are provided for initially connecting a Diverter/BOP convertible fluid flow controller between structural casing in the well and a permanent housing beneath the drilling rig rotary table. Clamp means are provided for clamping the rig vent line to an opening in the housing wall of the fluid flow controller during drilling of the borehole through the structural casing in preparation for setting and cementing the conductor casing. In that mode, themore » system is adapted as a diverter system. After the well is drilled for the conductor casing and the conductor casing is cemented and cut off at its top, a mandrel is fitted at the top of the conductor casing to which the lower end of the lower spool may be connected. The system may be used in this configuration as a diverter system, or after removal of the vent line and connection of a kill line to the housing outlet, the system may be used as a low pressure blowout preventer system.« less

Performance Evaluation, Emulation, and Control of Cross-Flow Hydrokinetic Turbines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cavagnaro, Robert J.

Cross-flow hydrokinetic turbines are a promising option for effectively harvesting energy from fast-flowing streams or currents. This work describes the dynamics of such turbines, analyzes techniques used to scale turbine properties for prototyping, determines and demonstrates the limits of stability for cross-flow rotors, and discusses means and objectives of turbine control. Novel control strategies are under development to utilize low-speed operation (slower than at maximum power point) as a means of shedding power under rated conditions. However, operation in this regime may be unstable. An experiment designed to characterize the stability of a laboratory-scale cross-flow turbine operating near a critically low speed yields evidence that system stall (complete loss of ability to rotate) occurs due, in part, to interactions with turbulent decreases in flow speed. The turbine is capable of maintaining 'stable' operation at critical speed for short duration (typically less than 10 s), as described by exponential decay. The presence of accelerated 'bypass' flow around the rotor and decelerated 'induction' region directly upstream of the rotor, both predicted by linear momentum theory, are observed and quantified with particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements conducted upstream of the turbine. Additionally, general agreement is seen between PIV inflow measurements and those obtained by an advection-corrected acoustic Doppler velocimeter (ADV) further upstream. Performance of a turbine at small (prototype) geometric scale may be prone to undesirable effects due to operation at low Reynolds number and in the presence of high channel blockage. Therefore, testing at larger scale, in open water is desirable. A cross-flow hydrokinetic turbine with a projected area (product of blade span and rotor diameter) of 0.7 m2 is evaluated in open-water tow trials at three inflow speeds ranging from 1.0 m/s to 2.1 m/s. Measurements of the inflow velocity, the rotor mechanical power, and electrical power output of a complete power take-off (PTO) system are utilized to determine the rotor hydrodynamic efficiency (maximum of 17%) and total system efficiency (maximum of 9%). A lab-based dynamometry method yields individual component and total PTO efficiencies, shown to have high variability and strong influence on total system efficiency. Dynamic efficiencies of PTO components can effect the overall efficiency of a turbine system, a result from field characterization. Thus, the ability to evaluate such components and their potential effects on turbine performance prior to field deployment is desirable. Before attempting control experiments with actual turbines, hardware-in-the-loop testing on controllable motor-generator sets or electromechanical emulation machines (EEMs) are explored to better understand power take-off response. The emulator control dynamic equations are presented, methods for scaling turbine parameters are developed and evaluated, and experimental results are presented from three EEMs programmed to emulate the same cross-flow turbine. Although hardware platforms and control implementations varied, results show that each EEM is successful in emulating the turbine model at different power levels, thus demonstrating the general feasibility of the approach. However, performance of motor control under torque command, current command, or speed command differed; torque methods required accurate characterization of the motors while speed methods utilized encoder feedback and more accurately tracked turbine dynamics. In a demonstration of an EEM for evaluating a hydrokinetic turbine implementation, a controller is used to track the maximum power-point of the turbine in response to turbulence. Utilizing realistic inflow conditions and control laws, the emulator dynamic speed response is shown to agree well at low frequencies with simulation but to deviate at high frequencies. The efficacy of an electromechanical emulator as an accurate representation of a fielded turbine is evaluated. A commercial horizontally-oriented cross-flow turbine is dynamically emulated on hardware to investigate control strategies and grid integration. A representative inflow time-series with a mean of 2 m/s is generated from high-resolution flow measurements of a riverine site and is used to drive emulation. Power output during emulation under similar input and loading conditions yields agreement with field measurements to within 3% at high power, near-optimal levels. Constant tip-speed ratio and constant speed proportional plus integral control schemes are compared to optimal nonlinear control and constant resistance regulation. All controllers yield similar results in terms of overall system efficiency. The emulated turbine is more responsive to turbulent inflow than the field turbine, as the model utilized to drive emulation does not account for a smoothing effect of turbulent fluctuations over the span of the fielded turbine's rotors. The turbine has a lower inertia than the demand of an isolated grid, indicating a secondary source of power with a similar frequency response is necessary if a single turbine cannot meet the entire demand. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).

Analysis of lignans in Magnoliae Flos by turbulent flow chromatography with online solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Zhou, Xuan; Chen, Cen; Ye, Xiaolan; Song, Fenyun; Fan, Guorong; Wu, Fuhai

2016-04-01

In this study, a method coupling turbulent flow chromatography with online solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry was developed for analyzing the lignans in Magnoliae Flos. By the online pretreatment of turbulent flow chromatography solid-phase extraction, the impurities removal and analytes concentration were automatically processed, and the lignans were separated rapidly and well. Seven lignans of Magnoliae Flos including epieudesmin, magnolin, 1-irioresinol-B-dimethyl ether, epi-magnolin, fargesin aschantin, and demethoxyaschantin were identified by comparing their retention behavior, UV spectra, and mass spectra with those of reference substances or literature data. The developed method was validated, and the good results showed that the method was not only automatic and rapid, but also accurate and reliable. The turbulent flow chromatography with online solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method holds a high potential to become an effective method for the quality control of lignans in Magnoliae Flos and a useful tool for the analysis of other complex mixtures. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Two-dimensional numerical simulation of flow around three-stranded rope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xinxin; Wan, Rong; Huang, Liuyi; Zhao, Fenfang; Sun, Peng

2016-08-01

Three-stranded rope is widely used in fishing gear and mooring system. Results of numerical simulation are presented for flow around a three-stranded rope in uniform flow. The simulation was carried out to study the hydrodynamic characteristics of pressure and velocity fields of steady incompressible laminar and turbulent wakes behind a three-stranded rope. A three-cylinder configuration and single circular cylinder configuration are used to model the three-stranded rope in the two-dimensional simulation. The governing equations, Navier-Stokes equations, are solved by using two-dimensional finite volume method. The turbulence flow is simulated using Standard κ-ɛ model and Shear-Stress Transport κ-ω (SST) model. The drag of the three-cylinder model and single cylinder model is calculated for different Reynolds numbers by using control volume analysis method. The pressure coefficient is also calculated for the turbulent model and laminar model based on the control surface method. From the comparison of the drag coefficient and the pressure of the single cylinder and three-cylinder models, it is found that the drag coefficients of the three-cylinder model are generally 1.3-1.5 times those of the single circular cylinder for different Reynolds numbers. Comparing the numerical results with water tank test data, the results of the three-cylinder model are closer to the experiment results than the single cylinder model results.

Identifying Flow Networks in a Karstified Aquifer by Application of the Cellular Automata-Based Deterministic Inversion Method (Lez Aquifer, France)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fischer, P.; Jardani, A.; Wang, X.; Jourde, H.; Lecoq, N.

2017-12-01

The distributed modeling of flow paths within karstic and fractured fields remains a complex task because of the high dependence of the hydraulic responses to the relative locations between observational boreholes and interconnected fractures and karstic conduits that control the main flow of the hydrosystem. The inverse problem in a distributed model is one alternative approach to interpret the hydraulic test data by mapping the karstic networks and fractured areas. In this work, we developed a Bayesian inversion approach, the Cellular Automata-based Deterministic Inversion (CADI) algorithm to infer the spatial distribution of hydraulic properties in a structurally constrained model. This method distributes hydraulic properties along linear structures (i.e., flow conduits) and iteratively modifies the structural geometry of this conduit network to progressively match the observed hydraulic data to the modeled ones. As a result, this method produces a conductivity model that is composed of a discrete conduit network embedded in the background matrix, capable of producing the same flow behavior as the investigated hydrologic system. The method is applied to invert a set of multiborehole hydraulic tests collected from a hydraulic tomography experiment conducted at the Terrieu field site in the Lez aquifer, Southern France. The emergent model shows a high consistency to field observation of hydraulic connections between boreholes. Furthermore, it provides a geologically realistic pattern of flow conduits. This method is therefore of considerable value toward an enhanced distributed modeling of the fractured and karstified aquifers.

Test and evaluation of constant-flow devices for use in SSN AFFF proportioning systems. Interim report, January-May 1986

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Williams, F.W.; Back, G.G.; Burns, R.E.

1986-11-04

Constant flow devices, which deliver a constant flow of liquid over a range of upstream and downstream pressures, have been suggested as an alternative to orifice plates for proportioning AFFF in SSN 21 fire-suppression systems. Operational and performance characteristics of two lightweight, inexpensive, commercially available constant-flow devices have significant advantages over orifice plates. Both models tested, however, showed performance degradation when subjected to simulated service conditions. A constant flow device with improved resistance to wear and to AFFF exposure is desirable. Since the constant-flow control devices tested improves proportioning efficiency but do not have optimum characteristics, investigation of improved devicesmore » or methods is recommended.« less

The prediction of pressure distributions on an arrow-wing configuration including the effect of camber, twist, and a wing fin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bobbitt, P. J.; Manro, M. E.; Kulfan, R. M.

1980-01-01

Wind tunnel tests of an arrow wing body configuration consisting of flat, twisted, and cambered twisted wings were conducted at Mach numbers from 0.40 to 2.50 to provide an experimental data base for comparison with theoretical methods. A variety of leading and trailing edge control surface deflections were included in these tests, and in addition, the cambered twisted wing was tested with an outboard vertical fin to determine its effect on wing and control surface loads. Theory experiment comparisons show that current state of the art linear and nonlinear attached flow methods were adequate at small angles of attack typical of cruise conditions. The incremental effects of outboard fin, wing twist, and wing camber are most accurately predicted by the advanced panel method PANAIR. Results of the advanced panel separated flow method, obtained with an early version of the program, show promise that accurate detailed pressure predictions may soon be possible for an aeroelasticity deformed wing at high angles of attack.

Designing Adaptive Low Dissipative High Order Schemes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yee, H. C.; Sjoegreen, B.; Parks, John W. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Proper control of the numerical dissipation/filter to accurately resolve all relevant multiscales of complex flow problems while still maintaining nonlinear stability and efficiency for long-time numerical integrations poses a great challenge to the design of numerical methods. The required type and amount of numerical dissipation/filter are not only physical problem dependent, but also vary from one flow region to another. This is particularly true for unsteady high-speed shock/shear/boundary-layer/turbulence/acoustics interactions and/or combustion problems since the dynamics of the nonlinear effect of these flows are not well-understood. Even with extensive grid refinement, it is of paramount importance to have proper control on the type and amount of numerical dissipation/filter in regions where it is needed.

Velocimetry with refractive index matching for complex flow configurations, phase 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, B. E.; Vafidis, C.; Whitelaw, J. H.

1987-01-01

The feasibility of obtaining detailed velocity field measurements in large Reynolds number flow of the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) main injector bowl was demonstrated using laser velocimetry and the developed refractive-index-matching technique. An experimental system to provide appropriate flow rates and temperature control of refractive-index-matching fluid was designed and tested. Test results are presented to establish the feasibility of obtaining accurate velocity measurements that map the entire field including the flow through the LOX post bundles: sample mean velocity, turbulence intensity, and spectral results are presented. The results indicate that a suitable fluid and control system is feasible for the representation of complex rocket-engine configurations and that measurements of velocity characteristics can be obtained without the optical access restrictions normally associated with laser velocimetry. The refractive-index-matching technique considered needs to be further developed and extended to represent other rocket-engine flows where current methods either cannot measure with adequate accuracy or they fail.

Asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation of white wine chromophoric colloidal matter.

PubMed

Coelho, Christian; Parot, Jérémie; Gonsior, Michael; Nikolantonaki, Maria; Schmitt-Kopplin, Philippe; Parlanti, Edith; Gougeon, Régis D

2017-04-01

Two analytical separation methods-size-exclusion chromatography and asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation-were implemented to evaluate the integrity of the colloidal composition of Chardonnay white wine and the impact of pressing and fermentations on the final macromolecular composition. Wine chromophoric colloidal matter, representing UV-visible-absorbing wine macromolecules, was evaluated by optical and structural measurements combined with the description of elution profiles obtained by both separative techniques. The objective of this study was to apply these two types of fractionation on a typical Chardonnay white wine produced in Burgundy and to evaluate how each of them impacted the determination of the macromolecular chromophoric content of wine. UV-visible and fluorescence measurements of collected fractions were successfully applied. An additional proteomic study revealed that grape and microorganism proteins largely impacted the composition of chromophoric colloidal matter of Chardonnay wines. Asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation appeared to be more reliable and less invasive with respect to the native chemical environment of chromophoric wine macromolecules, and hence is recommended as a tool to fractionate chromophoric colloidal matter in white wines. Graphical Abstract An innovative macromolecular separation method based on Asymmetrical Flow Field-Flow Fractionation was developed to better control colloidal dynamics across Chardonnay white winemaking.

Growth of graphene films from non-gaseous carbon sources

DOEpatents

Tour, James; Sun, Zhengzong; Yan, Zheng; Ruan, Gedeng; Peng, Zhiwei

2015-08-04

In various embodiments, the present disclosure provides methods of forming graphene films by: (1) depositing a non-gaseous carbon source onto a catalyst surface; (2) exposing the non-gaseous carbon source to at least one gas with a flow rate; and (3) initiating the conversion of the non-gaseous carbon source to the graphene film, where the thickness of the graphene film is controllable by the gas flow rate. Additional embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to graphene films made in accordance with the methods of the present disclosure.

Incorporation of Condensation Heat Transfer in a Flow Network Code

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anthony, Miranda; Majumdar, Alok

2002-01-01

Pure water is distilled from waste water in the International Space Station. The distillation assembly consists of an evaporator, a compressor and a condenser. Vapor is periodically purged from the condenser to avoid vapor accumulation. Purged vapor is condensed in a tube by coolant water prior to entering the purge pump. The paper presents a condensation model of purged vapor in a tube. This model is based on the Finite Volume Method. In the Finite Volume Method, the flow domain is discretized into multiple control volumes and a simultaneous analysis is performed.

29 CFR 1910.1029 - Coke oven emissions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., including at least one sample during each shift for each battery and each job classification within the... controls to control coke oven emissions during charging operations: (a) One of the following methods of...) Aspiration systems designed and operated to provide sufficient negative pressure and flow volume to...

29 CFR 1910.1029 - Coke oven emissions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., including at least one sample during each shift for each battery and each job classification within the... controls to control coke oven emissions during charging operations: (a) One of the following methods of...) Aspiration systems designed and operated to provide sufficient negative pressure and flow volume to...

29 CFR 1910.1029 - Coke oven emissions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., including at least one sample during each shift for each battery and each job classification within the... controls to control coke oven emissions during charging operations: (a) One of the following methods of...) Aspiration systems designed and operated to provide sufficient negative pressure and flow volume to...

The use of temperature programmable flow tubes for the study of atmospheric aerosols

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khalizov, A.; Sloan, J. J.

2003-04-01

In order to understand the response of atmospheric aerosols to changes they encounter in the natural atmosphere, it is usually necessary to observe models of these aerosol systems under carefully controlled laboratory conditions. This is particularly difficult for the condensed phase, for which agglomeration, gas-particle exchange and gravitational settling affect the composition and limit the observation time. Traditionally, studies of this kind have been carried out in large static chambers and flow tubes. While large chambers provide relatively long observations times, they afford the experimenter less direct control over the environment of the particles. Flow tubes, on the other hand provide very precise control of the experimental conditions, but a much shorter contact time. We have used temperature programmable flow tubes for the past decade to study the composition, size and phase changes that occur when aerosols are exposed to variations in the temperature and composition of the surrounding atmosphere. In many cases, our measurements also yield accurate rate constants for the nucleation of solids in liquid droplets. In this presentation, we will illustrate the capabilities of this method using results obtained from a new temperature programmable flow tube recently built in our laboratory.

Effects of episodic sediment supply on bedload transport rate in mountain rivers. Detecting debris flow activity using continuous monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uchida, Taro; Sakurai, Wataru; Iuchi, Takuma; Izumiyama, Hiroaki; Borgatti, Lisa; Marcato, Gianluca; Pasuto, Alessandro

2018-04-01

Monitoring of sediment transport from hillslopes to channel networks as a consequence of floods with suspended and bedload transport, hyperconcentrated flows, debris and mud flows is essential not only for scientific issues, but also for prevention and mitigation of natural disasters, i.e. for hazard assessment, land use planning and design of torrent control interventions. In steep, potentially unstable terrains, ground-based continuous monitoring of hillslope and hydrological processes is still highly localized and expensive, especially in terms of manpower. In recent years, new seismic and acoustic methods have been developed for continuous bedload monitoring in mountain rivers. Since downstream bedload transport rate is controlled by upstream sediment supply from tributary channels and bed-external sources, continuous bedload monitoring might be an effective tool for detecting the sediments mobilized by debris flow processes in the upper catchment and thus represent an indirect method to monitor slope instability processes at the catchment scale. However, there is poor information about the effects of episodic sediment supply from upstream bed-external sources on downstream bedload transport rate at a single flood time scale. We have examined the effects of sediment supply due to upstream debris flow events on downstream bedload transport rate along the Yotagiri River, central Japan. To do this, we have conducted continuous bedload observations using a hydrophone (Japanese pipe microphone) located 6.4 km downstream the lower end of a tributary affected by debris flows. Two debris flows occurred during the two-years-long observation period. As expected, bedload transport rate for a given flow depth showed to be larger after storms triggering debris flows. That is, although the magnitude of sediment supply from debris flows is not large, their effect on bedload is propagating >6 km downstream at a single flood time scale. This indicates that continuous bedload observations could be effective for detecting sediment supply as a consequence of debris flow events.

Mathematical model of an indirect action fuel flow controller for aircraft jet engines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tudosie, Alexandru-Nicolae

2017-06-01

The paper deals with a fuel mass flow rate controller with indirect action for aircraft jet engines. The author has identified fuel controller's main parts and its operation mode, then, based on these observations, one has determined motion equations of each main part, which have built system's non-linear mathematical model. In order to realize a better study this model was linearised (using the finite differences method) and then adimensionalized. Based on this new form of the mathematical model, after applying Laplace transformation, the embedded system (controller+engine) was described by the block diagram with transfer functions. Some Simulink-Matlab simulations were performed, concerning system's time behavior for step input, which lead to some useful conclusions and extension possibilities.

High-throughput continuous flow synthesis of nickel nanoparticles for the catalytic hydrodeoxygenation of guaiacol

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Roberts, Emily J.; Habas, Susan E.; Wang, Lu

2016-11-07

The translation of batch chemistries to high-throughput continuous flow methods dresses scaling, automation, and reproducibility concerns associated with the implementation of colloidally prepared nanoparticle (NP) catalysts for industrial catalytic processes. Nickel NPs were synthesized by the high-temperature amine reduction of a Ni2+ precursor using a continuous millifluidic (mF) flow method, achieving yields greater than 60%. The resulting Ni NP catalysts were compared against catalysts prepared in a batch reaction under conditions analogous to the continuous flow conditions with respect to total reaction volume, time, and temperature and by traditional incipient wetness (IW) impregnation for the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of guaiacol undermore » ex situ catalytic fast pyrolysis conditions. Compared to the IW method, the colloidally prepared NPs displayed increased morphological control and narrowed size distributions, and the NPs prepared by both methods showed similar size, shape, and crystallinity. The Ni NP catalyst synthesized by the continuous flow method exhibited similar H-adsorption site densities, site-time yields, and selectivities towards deoxygenated products as compared to the analogous batch reaction, and outperformed the IW catalyst with respect to higher selectivity to lower oxygen content products and a 6.9-fold slower deactivation rate. These results demonstrate the utility of synthesizing colloidal Ni NP catalysts using continuous flow methods while maintaining the catalytic properties displayed by the batch equivalent. Finally, this methodology can be extended to other catalytically relevant base metals for the high-throughput synthesis of metal NPs for the catalytic production of biofuels.« less

The Particle Distribution in Liquid Metal with Ceramic Particles Mould Filling Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Qi; Xing, Shu-ming

2017-09-01

Adding ceramic particles in the plate hammer is an effective method to increase the wear resistance of the hammer. The liquid phase method is based on the “with the flow of mixed liquid forging composite preparation of ZTA ceramic particle reinforced high chromium cast iron hammer. Preparation method for this system is using CFD simulation analysis the particles distribution of flow mixing and filling process. Taking the 30% volume fraction of ZTA ceramic composite of high chromium cast iron hammer as example, by changing the speed of liquid metal viscosity to control and make reasonable predictions of particles distribution before solidification.

Transition scenario and transition control of the flow over a semi-infinite square leading-edge plate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Yadong; Zhou, Benmou; Tang, Zhaolie; Zhang, Fei

2017-07-01

In recent investigations of the flow over a square leading-edge flat plate, elliptic instability and transient growth of perturbations are proposed to explain the turbulent transition mechanism of the separating and reattaching flow reported in early experimental visualizations. An original transition scenario as well as a transition control method is presented by a detailed numerical study in this paper. The transient growth of perturbations in the separation bubble induces the primary instability that causes the 2D unsteady flow consisting of Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) vortices. The pairing instability of the KH vortices induces the subharmonic secondary instability, and then resonance transition occurs. The streamwise Lorentz force as the control input is applied in the recirculation region where the separation bubble generates. The maximum energy amplification magnitude of perturbations takes a linear attenuation with the interaction number; thus, the primary instability is reduced under control. The interaction number represents the strength of the streamwise Lorentz force relative to the inertial force of the fluid. The reduced primary instability is not strong enough to induce the secondary instability, so the flow is globally stable under control. Three-dimensional direct numerical simulation confirms the results of the linear stability analysis. Although the growth rate of the convectively unstable secondary instability is limited by the flow field scale, the feedback loop of the energy transfer promotes the resonance transition. However, as the separation bubble scale is reduced and the feedback loop is broken by the streamwise Lorentz force, the three-dimensional transition is suppressed and a skin-friction drag reduction is achieved.

Influence of Dai-kenchu-to (DKT) on human portal blood flow.

PubMed

Ogasawara, Takashi; Morine, Yuji; Ikemoto, Tetsuya; Imura, Satoru; Fujii, Masahiko; Soejima, Yuji; Shimada, Mitsuo

2008-01-01

Dai-kenchu-to (DKT) is known as an herbal medicine used for postoperative ileus. However, no report exists about the effect of DKT on portal blood flow. The aim of this study is to clarify the influence of DKT on portal blood flow. To healthy volunteers (Healthy; n = 6), cirrhotic patients (Cirrhosis; n = 7) and liver-transplant patients (LTx; n = 3), DKT (2.5g) with 100mL of warm water was orally administrated in the DKT group, and only warm water was administrated in the control group. The portal blood flow rate (M-VEL: cm/sec.) and portal blood flow (Flow volume: mL/min.) was measured each time after administration using an ultrasonic Doppler method. Furthermore, the arterial blood pressure and heart rate was measured at the same time points. In the DKT group, a significant increase of M-VEL (120%) and flow volume (150%) 30 minutes after administration was observed in both Healthy and Cirrhosis in comparison with the control group. In LTx, there was also a significant increase of flow volume (128%) 30 minutes after administration. However, there was no change in average blood pressure and heart rate in all groups. DKT increases portal blood flow in early phase after oral administration without any significant changes in the blood pressure and heart rate.

Retinal Blood Flow in Type 1 Diabetic Patients With No or Mild Diabetic Retinopathy During Euglycemic Clamp

PubMed Central

Pemp, Berthold; Polska, Elżbieta; Garhofer, Gerhard; Bayerle-Eder, Michaela; Kautzky-Willer, Alexandra; Schmetterer, Leopold

2010-01-01

OBJECTIVE To compare total retinal blood flow in diabetic patients with no or mild nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy and healthy control subjects and to investigate in patients whether there is a difference between retinal blood flow before morning insulin and under normoglycemic conditions using a glucose clamp. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Twenty patients with type 1 diabetes with no or mild diabetic retinopathy were included in this open parallel-group study, and 20 healthy age- and sex-matched subjects were included as control subjects. Retinal blood flow was assessed by combining velocity measurements using laser Doppler velocimetry and diameter measurements using a commercially available dynamic vessel analyzer. Measurements were performed before and during a euglycemic clamp. RESULTS Total retinal blood flow was higher in diabetic patients (53 ± 16 μl/min) than in healthy subjects (43 ± 16 μl/min; P = 0.034 between groups). When plasma glucose in diabetic patients was reduced from 9.3 ± 1.7 to 5.3 ± 0.5 mmol/l (P < 0.001) retinal blood flow decreased to 49 ± 15 μl/min (P = 0.0003 vs. baseline). Total retinal blood flow during the glucose clamp was not significantly different from blood flow in normal control subjects (P = 0.161). CONCLUSIONS Type 1 diabetic patients with no or only mild diabetic retinopathy have increased retinal blood flow before their morning insulin dosage. Blood flow is reduced toward normal during euglycemic conditions. Retinal blood flow may fluctuate significantly with fluctuating plasma glucose levels, which may contribute to the microvascular changes seen in diabetic retinopathy. PMID:20585003

High-angle-of-attack aerodynamics - Lessons learned

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chambers, J. R.

1986-01-01

Recently, the military and civil technical communities have undertaken numerous studies of the high angle-of-attack aerodynamic characteristics of advanced airplane and missile configurations. The method of approach and the design methodology employed have necessarily been experimental and exploratory in nature, due to the complex nature of separated flows. However, despite the relatively poor definition of many of the key aerodynamic phenomena involved for high-alpha conditions, some generic guidelines for design consideration have been identified. The present paper summarizes some of the more important lessons learned in the area of high angle-of-attack aerodynamics with examples of a number of key concepts and with particular emphasis on high-alpha stability and control characteristics of high performance aircraft. Topics covered in the discussion include the impact of design evolution, forebody flows, control of separated flows, configuration effects, aerodynamic controls, wind-tunnel flight correlation, and recent NASA research activities.

Analysis of DC control in double-inlet GM type pulse tube refrigerators for detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, B. Y.

2016-10-01

Pulse tube refrigerators have demonstrated many advantages with respect to temperature stability, vibration, reliability and lifetime among cryo-coolers for detectors. Double-inlet type pulse tube refrigerators are popular in GM type pulse tube refrigerators. The single double-inlet valve may introduce DC flow in refrigerator, which deteriorates the performance of pulse tube refrigerator. One new type of DC control mode is introduced in this paper. Two parallel-placed needle valves with opposite direction named double-valve configuration, instead of single double-inlet valve, are used in our experiment to reduce the DC flow. With two double-inlet operating, the lowest cold end temperature of 18.1K and a coolant of 1.2W@20K have been obtained. It has proved that this method is useful for controlling DC flow of the pulse tube refrigerators, which is very important to understand the characters of pulse tube refrigerators for detectors.

Urban drainage control applying rational method and geographic information technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aldalur, Beatriz; Campo, Alicia; Fernández, Sandra

2013-09-01

The objective of this study is to develop a method of controlling urban drainages in the town of Ingeniero White motivated by the problems arising as a result of floods, water logging and the combination of southeasterly and high tides. A Rational Method was applied to control urban watersheds and used tools of Geographic Information Technology (GIT). A Geographic Information System was developed on the basis of 28 panchromatic aerial photographs of 2005. They were georeferenced with control points measured with Global Positioning Systems (basin: 6 km2). Flow rates of basins and sub-basins were calculated and it was verified that the existing open channels have a low slope with the presence of permanent water and generate stagnation of water favored by the presence of trash. It is proposed for the output of storm drains, the use of an existing channel to evacuate the flow. The solution proposed in this work is complemented by the placement of three pumping stations: one on a channel to drain rain water which will allow the drain of the excess water from the lower area where is located the Ingeniero White city and the two others that will drain the excess liquid from the port area.

Numerical study of active control of mixing in electro-osmotic flows by temperature difference using lattice Boltzmann methods.

PubMed

Alizadeh, A; Wang, J K; Pooyan, S; Mirbozorgi, S A; Wang, M

2013-10-01

In this paper, the effect of temperature difference between inlet flow and walls on the electro-osmotic flow through a two-dimensional microchannel is investigated. The main objective is to study the effect of temperature variations on the distribution of ions and consequently internal electric potential field, electric body force, and velocity fields in an electro-osmotic flow. We assume constant temperature and zeta potential on walls and use the mean temperature of each cross section to characterize the Boltzmann ion distribution across the channel. Based on these assumptions, the multiphysical transports are still able to be described by the classical Poisson-Boltzmann model. In this work, the Navier-Stokes equation for fluid flow, the Poisson-Boltzmann equation for ion distribution, and the energy equation for heat transfer are solved by a couple lattice Boltzmann method. The modeling results indicate that the temperature difference between walls and the inlet solution may lead to two symmetrical vortices at the entrance region of the microchannel which is appropriate for mixing enhancements. The advantage of this phenomenon for active control of mixing in electro-osmotic flow is the manageability of the vortex scale without extra efforts. For instance, the effective domain of this pattern could broaden by the following modulations: decreasing the external electric potential field, decreasing the electric double layer thickness, or increasing the temperature difference between inlet flow and walls. This work may provide a novel strategy for design or optimization of microsystems. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Optical aggregometry of red blood cells associated with the blood-clotting reaction in extracorporeal circulation support.

PubMed

Sakota, Daisuke; Kosaka, Ryo; Nishida, Masahiro; Maruyama, Osamu

2016-09-01

The aggregability of red blood cell (RBCs) is associated with the contribution of plasma proteins, such as fibrinogen and lipoproteids, to blood-clotting. Hence, we hypothesized that RBC aggregability reflects the blood-clotting reaction. A noninvasive optical monitoring method to measure RBC aggregability for the assessment of blood-clotting stage during mechanical circulatory support was developed. An in vitro thrombogenic test was conducted with a rotary blood pump using heparinized fresh porcine blood. Near-infrared laser light at a wavelength of 785 nm was guided by an optical fiber. The fibers for detecting incident, forward-, and backward-scattered light were fixed on the circuit tubing with an inner diameter of 1/4 inch. Because there is substantial RBC aggregation at low shear flow rates, a pulsatile flow was generated by controlling the pump rotational speed. The flow rate was changed from 0 to 8.5 L/min at a period of 40 s. The intensities of forward- and backward-scattered light changed dramatically when the flow stopped. The aggregability was evaluated by the increase ratio of the transmitted light intensity from the flow stopping in the low-flow condition. The experiment started when the anticoagulation was stopped by the addition of protamine into the circulating blood. Reduction in RBC aggregability was associated with a decrease in the amount of fibrinogen and the number of platelets. Continuous, noninvasive monitoring of thrombosis risk is possible using optical measurements combining pulsatile flow control of a rotary blood pump. RBC aggregometry is a potential label-free method for evaluating blood-clotting risk.

Progress in the development and integration of fluid flow control tools in paper microfluidics.

PubMed

Fu, Elain; Downs, Corey

2017-02-14

Paper microfluidics is a rapidly growing subfield of microfluidics in which paper-like porous materials are used to create analytical devices. There is a need for higher performance field-use tests for many application domains including human disease diagnosis, environmental monitoring, and veterinary medicine. A key factor in creating high performance paper-based devices is the ability to manipulate fluid flow within the devices. This critical review is focused on the progress that has been made in (i) the development of fluid flow control tools and (ii) the integration of those tools into paper microfluidic devices. Further, we strive to be comprehensive in our presentation and provide historical context through discussion and performance comparisons, when possible, of both relevant earlier work and recent work. Finally, we discuss the major areas of focus for fluid flow methods development to advance the potential of paper microfluidics for high-performance field applications.

Flow-enhanced solution printing of all-polymer solar cells

DOE PAGES

Diao, Ying; Zhou, Yan; Kurosawa, Tadanori; ...

2015-08-12

Morphology control of solution coated solar cell materials presents a key challenge limiting their device performance and commercial viability. Here we present a new concept for controlling phase separation during solution printing using an all-polymer bulk heterojunction solar cell as a model system. The key aspect of our method lies in the design of fluid flow using a microstructured printing blade, on the basis of the hypothesis of flow-induced polymer crystallization. Our flow design resulted in a similar to 90% increase in the donor thin film crystallinity and reduced microphase separated donor and acceptor domain sizes. The improved morphology enhancedmore » all metrics of solar cell device performance across various printing conditions, specifically leading to higher short-circuit current, fill factor, open circuit voltage and significantly reduced device-to-device variation. However, we expect our design concept to have broad applications beyond all-polymer solar cells because of its simplicity and versatility.« less

Application of laminar flow control to high-bypass-ratio turbofan engine nacelles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wie, Y. S.; Collier, F. S., Jr.; Wagner, R. D.

1991-01-01

Recently, the concept of the application of hybrid laminar flow to modern commercial transport aircraft was successfully flight tested on a Boeing 757 aircraft. In this limited demonstration, in which only part of the upper surface of the swept wing was designed for the attainment of laminar flow, significant local drag reduction was measured. This paper addresses the potential application of this technology to laminarize the external surface of large, modern turbofan engine nacelles which may comprise as much as 5-10 percent of the total wetted area of future commercial transports. A hybrid-laminar-flow-control (HLFC) pressure distribution is specified and the corresponding nacelle geometry is computed utilizing a predictor/corrector design method. Linear stability calculations are conducted to provide predictions of the extent of the laminar boundary layer. Performance studies are presented to determine potential benefits in terms of reduced fuel consumption.

The Effect of Flow Distribution on the Concentration of NO Produced by Pulsed Arc Discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Hui; Bao, Bin; Wang, Heli; Liang, Haiyan; He, Junjia; He, Zhenghao; Li, Jin

2007-12-01

As a new method to cure acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), high blood pressure and some illnesses related to the lung, NO has recently received more attention. Thermal plasmas produced by arc discharge can create medical NO, but the concentration of NO2 produced by arc discharge must be controlled simultaneously. This paper investigates the characteristics and regulations of NO production at different flow distribution by pulsed arc discharge in dry air with a special pulsed power. The experimental results show that the flow distribution has a considerable effect on the NO concentration, the stabilization of NO. The production of NO2 could be controlled and the ratio of NO2/NO was decreased to about 10% in the arc discharge. Therefore, the arc discharge could produce stable inhaled NO for medical treatment by changing the flow distribution.

Flow-enhanced solution printing of all-polymer solar cells

PubMed Central

Diao, Ying; Zhou, Yan; Kurosawa, Tadanori; Shaw, Leo; Wang, Cheng; Park, Steve; Guo, Yikun; Reinspach, Julia A.; Gu, Kevin; Gu, Xiaodan; Tee, Benjamin C. K.; Pang, Changhyun; Yan, Hongping; Zhao, Dahui; Toney, Michael F.; Mannsfeld, Stefan C. B.; Bao, Zhenan

2015-01-01

Morphology control of solution coated solar cell materials presents a key challenge limiting their device performance and commercial viability. Here we present a new concept for controlling phase separation during solution printing using an all-polymer bulk heterojunction solar cell as a model system. The key aspect of our method lies in the design of fluid flow using a microstructured printing blade, on the basis of the hypothesis of flow-induced polymer crystallization. Our flow design resulted in a ∼90% increase in the donor thin film crystallinity and reduced microphase separated donor and acceptor domain sizes. The improved morphology enhanced all metrics of solar cell device performance across various printing conditions, specifically leading to higher short-circuit current, fill factor, open circuit voltage and significantly reduced device-to-device variation. We expect our design concept to have broad applications beyond all-polymer solar cells because of its simplicity and versatility. PMID:26264528

SAPFLUXNET: towards a global database of sap flow measurements.

PubMed

Poyatos, Rafael; Granda, Víctor; Molowny-Horas, Roberto; Mencuccini, Maurizio; Steppe, Kathy; Martínez-Vilalta, Jordi

2016-12-01

Plant transpiration is the main evaporative flux from terrestrial ecosystems; it controls land surface energy balance, determines catchment hydrological responses and influences regional and global climate. Transpiration regulation by plants is a key (and still not completely understood) process that underlies vegetation drought responses and land evaporative fluxes under global change scenarios. Thermometric methods of sap flow measurement have now been widely used to quantify whole-plant and stand transpiration in forests, shrublands and orchards around the world. A large body of research has applied sap flow methods to analyse seasonal and diurnal patterns of transpiration and to quantify their responses to hydroclimatic variability, but syntheses of sap flow data at regional to global scales are extremely rare. Here we present the SAPFLUXNET initiative, aimed at building the first global database of plant-level sap flow measurements. A preliminary metadata survey launched in December 2015 showed an encouraging response by the sap flow community, with sap flow data sets from field studies representing >160 species and >120 globally distributed sites. The main goal of SAPFLUXNET is to analyse the ecological factors driving plant- and stand-level transpiration. SAPFLUXNET will open promising research avenues at an unprecedented global scope, namely: (i) exploring the spatio-temporal variability of plant transpiration and its relationship with plant and stand attributes, (ii) summarizing physiological regulation of transpiration by means of few water-use traits, usable for land surface models, (iii) improving our understanding of the coordination between gas exchange and plant-level traits (e.g., hydraulics) and (iv) analysing the ecological factors controlling stand transpiration and evapotranspiration partitioning. Finally, SAPFLUXNET can provide a benchmark to test models of physiological controls of transpiration, contributing to improve the accuracy of individual water stress responses, a key element to obtain robust predictions of vegetation responses to climate change. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Method of Simulating Flow-Through Area of a Pressure Regulator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hass, Neal E. (Inventor); Schallhorn, Paul A. (Inventor)

2011-01-01

The flow-through area of a pressure regulator positioned in a branch of a simulated fluid flow network is generated. A target pressure is defined downstream of the pressure regulator. A projected flow-through area is generated as a non-linear function of (i) target pressure, (ii) flow-through area of the pressure regulator for a current time step and a previous time step, and (iii) pressure at the downstream location for the current time step and previous time step. A simulated flow-through area for the next time step is generated as a sum of (i) flow-through area for the current time step, and (ii) a difference between the projected flow-through area and the flow-through area for the current time step multiplied by a user-defined rate control parameter. These steps are repeated for a sequence of time steps until the pressure at the downstream location is approximately equal to the target pressure.

Measuring retinal blood flow in rats using Doppler optical coherence tomography without knowing eyeball axial length.

PubMed

Liu, Wenzhong; Yi, Ji; Chen, Siyu; Jiao, Shuliang; Zhang, Hao F

2015-09-01

Doppler optical coherence tomography (OCT) is widely used for measuring retinal blood flow. Existing Doppler OCT methods require the eyeball axial length, in which empirical values are usually used. However, variations in the axial length can create a bias unaccounted for in the retinal blood flow measurement. The authors plan to develop a Doppler OCT method that can measure the total retinal blood flow rate without requiring the eyeball axial length. The authors measured the retinal blood flow rate using a dual-ring scanning protocol. The small and large scanning rings entered the eye at different incident angles (small ring: 4°; large ring: 6°), focused on different locations on the retina, and detected the projected velocities/phase shifts along the probing beams. The authors calculated the ratio of the projected velocities between the two rings, and then used this ratio to estimate absolute flow velocity. The authors tested this method in both Intralipid phantoms and in vivo rats. In the Intralipid flow phantom experiments, the preset and measured flow rates were consistent with the coefficient of determination as 0.97. Linear fitting between preset and measured flow rates determined the fitting slope as 1.07 and the intercept as -0.28. In in vivo rat experiments, the measured average total retinal blood flow was 7.02 ± 0.31 μl/min among four wild-type rats. The authors' measured flow rates were consistent with results in the literature. By using a dual-ring scanning protocol with carefully controlled incident angle difference between the two scanning rings in Doppler OCT, the authors demonstrated that it is feasible to measure the absolute retinal blood flow without knowing the eyeball axial length.

Apparatus and method for controlling the secondary injection of fuel

DOEpatents

Martin, Scott M.; Cai, Weidong; Harris, Jr., Arthur J.

2013-03-05

A combustor (28) for a gas turbine engine is provided comprising a primary combustion chamber (30) for combusting a first fuel to form a combustion flow stream (50) and a transition piece (32) located downstream from the primary combustion chamber (30). The transition piece (32) comprises a plurality of injectors (66) located around a circumference of the transition piece (32) for injecting a second fuel into the combustion flow stream (50). The injectors (66) are effective to create a radial temperature profile (74) at an exit (58) of the transition piece (32) having a reduced coefficient of variation relative to a radial temperature profile (64) at an inlet (54) of the transition piece (32). Methods for controlling the temperature profile of a secondary injection are also provided.