Convection

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Kinds of Convection

  • deep convection
  • enhanced convection
  • forced convection
  • free convection
  • mantle convection
  • mixed convection
  • natural convection
  • thermal convection
  • tropical convection

  • Terms modified by Convection

  • convection cell
  • convection flow
  • convection heat transfer
  • convection oven
  • convection problem
  • convection scheme
  • convection section
  • convection term
  • convection zone

  • Selected Abstracts


    THIN-LAYER DRYING KINETICS OF SESAME HULLS UNDER FORCED CONVECTION AND OPEN SUN DRYING

    JOURNAL OF FOOD PROCESS ENGINEERING, Issue 3 2007
    MAJDI A. AL-MAHASNEH
    ABSTRACT Sesame hulls are a useful by-product of the sesame processing industry. The sesame hulls are produced at a high moisture content (68% wet basis) and need further drying to prevent deterioration. In this study, both open sun drying (OSD) and forced convection drying (FCD) at 42, 55, and 76C and 1.2 m/s air velocity were investigated. Six common thin-layer drying models were fitted to the experimental data. Several statistical parameters were used to evaluate the performance of thin-layer drying models, including r2, x2, root mean square error (RMSE) and residuals. Sesame hull drying was found to take place completely in the falling rate region. The modified Page model was found to describe OSD data well, while the Wang and Singh model was the best model for describing FCD. Effective diffusivity was found to be 1.89 × 10 - 8 m2/s and 7.36 × 10 - 10 to 1.20 × 10 - 9 m2/s for OSD and FCD, respectively. Activation energy was also found to be 12.95 kJ/mol for FCD. [source]


    Convection in the Earth's core driven by lateral variations in the core,mantle boundary heat flux

    GEOPHYSICAL JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL, Issue 2 2000
    Steven John Gibbons
    Summary Moving core fluid maintains an isothermal core,mantle boundary (CMB), so lateral variations in the CMB heat flow result from mantle convection. Such variations will drive thermal winds, even if the top of the core is stably stratified. These flows may contribute to the magnetic secular variation and are investigated here using a simple, non-magnetic numerical model of the core. The results depend on the equatorial symmetry of the boundary heat flux variation. Large-scale equatorially symmetric (ES) heat flux variations at the outer surface of a rapidly rotating spherical shell drive deeply penetrating flows that are strongly suppressed in stratified fluid. Smaller-scale ES heat flux variations drive flows less dominated by rotation and so less inhibited by stratification. Equatorially anti-symmetric flux variations drive flows an order of magnitude less energetic than those driven by ES patterns but, due to the nature of the Coriolis force, are less suppressed by stratification. The response of the rotating core fluid to a general CMB heat flow pattern will then depend strongly on the subadiabatic temperature profile. Imposing a lateral heat flux variation linearly related to a model of seismic tomography in the lowermost mantle drives flow in a density stratified fluid that reproduces some features found in flows inverted from geomagnetic data. [source]


    Remote weather associated with South Pacific subtropical sea-level high properties

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY, Issue 7 2004
    Richard Grotjahn
    Abstract The subtropical highs in sea-level pressure (SLP) are little studied and incompletely understood. In recent years, three groups of theories, i.e. tropical divergent circulations, subtropical Rossby wavetrains, and midlatitude frontal cyclone interactions, have been proposed for remote maintenance of these highs. The latter is presented here as a remote forcing of these highs for the first time in the reviewed literature. The focus of the study is upon illuminating associations between these mechanisms and the South Pacific subtropical high in SLP (SP high). Precipitation, outgoing longwave radiation, velocity potential, and divergent winds are used as proxy markers for the remote forcing mechanisms. The tools used include composites, one-point correlations, autocorrelations, cross-correlations, and cross-spectra. Observational evidence, in monthly and daily data, is examined that appears to support each mechanism. Associations seen in monthly data are better understood in daily data at various lags. Convection over Amazonia, coordinated with suppressed convection in the western tropical Pacific, leads to enhanced SLP on the tropical side of the high. Midlatitude weather systems are the strongest influence upon the maximum SLP and the SLP on the higher latitude side of the high. The western side is associated with both middle-and lower-latitude phenomena, such as the South Pacific convergence zone. Various properties of the high have a strong period around 45 days. Associations to the Madden,Julian oscillation and El Niño,southern oscillation are explored and are strong only for the tropical side of the SP high. Copyright © 2004 Royal Meteorological Society [source]


    Energy Consumption, Density, and Rehydration Rate of Vacuum Microwave- and Hot-Air Convection- Dehydrated Tomatoes

    JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 6 2002
    T.D. Durance
    ABSTRACT: Vacuum to lower boiling temperature and microwaves for energy transfer can provide very rapid dehydration at low temperatures. Tomato sections were dehydrated in a batch convection air dryer (AD), a 16 kW vacuum microwave (VM) dryer, or by 1 of 3 combination processes. Drying rate of the 100% VM process was 18 times that of the 100% AD process. Only a slight falling rate effect was noted in VM drying AD and VM in sequence allowed the operator to choose any process time between 0.8 and 14.75 h. In this instance the least energy consumption occurred in the 100% VM process. Lowest energy cost was found for the 70% AD / 30% VM process. These results are expected to be strongly dependent upon the scale and design of dryers. Tomatoes finish-dried by VM exhibited a puffed structure associated with faster rehydration. [source]


    Convection, diffusion, and exothermic zero-order reaction in a porous catalyst slab: Scaling and perturbation analysis

    AICHE JOURNAL, Issue 10 2009
    João P. Lopes
    Abstract The analysis of the interaction between transport phenomena and chemical reaction inside large-pore catalyst particles needs to include intraparticular convection as an additional mass/heat transfer mechanism. In this work, we describe by a 3D regime diagram the global behavior of a permeable catalyst slab, where an exothermic, zero-order reaction is occurring. An order of magnitude estimate for the maximum temperature change is obtained by scaling techniques in each regime of operation. Specific operating regimes of fast mass/heat transport, dominant reaction and strong intraparticular convection, are then studied in more detail using perturbation analysis. The results include approximate concentration and temperature profiles, which allow the estimation of both the effectiveness factor and maximum temperature attained inside the catalyst in these regimes. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009 [source]


    Natural Convection in Heat Generating Oval Porous Enclosures: A Non-Darcian Model

    THE CANADIAN JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, Issue 2 2003
    Subrat Das
    Abstract This paper presents a series of numerical simulations dealing with the problem of natural convection flows and associated heat transfer in an enclosure filled with a fluid-saturated porous medium. The analysis is based on the finite element technique and incorporates the Brinkman-extended Darcy model for an oval enclosure. The numerical results obtained for a modified Rayleigh number, Ra, Darcy number, Da, offset, E, and eccentricity, e, are presented and discussed. The numerical predictions for a square enclosure compared well with published data. It is found that any increase in Da or Ra results in a higher fluid velocity that is responsible for shifting the core of the flow. Moreover, at higher ovality (E = 0.5), asymmetric flow is observed even at the lower range of Rayleigh number (Ra , 20), which may be attributed to the effect of curved isothermal wall. On présente dans cet article une série de simulations numériques des écoulements avec convection naturelle et du transfert de chaleur associé, dans une enceinte remplie d'un milieu poreux saturé en fluide. L'analyse repose sur la technique des éléments finis et fait appel à un modèle généralisé de Darcy-Brinkman pour une enceinte de forme ovale. Les résultats numériques obtenus pour le nombre de Rayleigh modifié, Ra, le nombre de Darcy, Da, le décentrement, E, et l'eccentricité, e, sont présentés et analysés. Les prédictions numériques pour une enceinte carrée se comparent bien aux données publiées. On trouve que toute augmentation de Da ou Ra entraîne une plus grande vitesse de fluide qui est responsable du déplacement du c,ur de l'écoulement. En outre, à une plus grande ovalité (E = 0,5), un écoulement asymétrique est observé même dans la gamme inférieure de nombre de Rayleigh (Ra" 20), ce qui peut être l'effet de la paroi isotherme courbée. [source]


    Rapid rotation, active nests of convection and global-scale flows in solar-likestars

    ASTRONOMISCHE NACHRICHTEN, Issue 10 2007
    B.P. Brown
    Abstract In the solar convection zone, rotation couples with intensely turbulent convection to build global-scale flows of differential rotation and meridional circulation. Our sun must have rotated more rapidly in its past, as is suggested by observations of many rapidly rotating young solar-type stars. Here we explore the effects of more rapid rotation on the patterns of convection in such stars and the global-scale flows which are self-consistently established. The convection in these systems is richly time dependent and in our most rapidly rotating suns a striking pattern of spatially localized convection emerges. Convection near the equator in these systems is dominated by one or two patches of locally enhanced convection, with nearly quiescent streaming flow in between at the highest rotation rates. These active nests of convection maintain a strong differential rotation despite their small size. The structure of differential rotation is similar in all of our more rapidly rotating suns, with fast equators and slower poles. We find that the total shear in differential rotation, as measured by latitudinal angular velocity contrast, ,,, increases with more rapid rotation while the relative shear, ,,/,, decreases. In contrast, at more rapid rotation the meridional circulations decrease in both energy and peak velocities and break into multiple cells of circulation in both radius and latitude. (© 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source]


    CFD Study of Effects of Module Geometry on Forced Convection in a Channel with Non-Conducting Fins and Flow Pulsation

    CHEMICAL ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY (CET), Issue 10 2010
    B. O. Olayiwola
    Abstract CFD simulations were carried out to investigate the effects of the module geometry on forced convection in a rectangular channel containing series of regularly spaced non-conducting baffles with flow oscillation. The simulations were performed at constant wall temperature. Steady-flow Reynolds numbers Re in the range of 200 and 600 were studied. The results of the CFD simulations show that, for the effect fin spacing to be significant on heat transfer enhancement in finned system with oscillating flow, the oscillating flow velocity must be higher than the mean flow velocity. Superposition of oscillation yields increasing heat transfer performance with increasing fin height. Fin geometry with pyramidal shape yields highest performance in terms of the heat transfer effectiveness. [source]


    Introducing natural-convective chilling to food engineering undergraduate freshmen: Case studied assisted by CFD simulation and field visualization

    COMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION, Issue 1 2009
    J. A. Rabi
    Abstract A computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-assisted didactic activity has been applied to Food Engineering freshmen aiming at introducing basic concepts of process modeling and simulation towards the food industry. Evoking natural convection, a relatively simple case study was proposed involving two initially room temperature porous samples (identified as two fruits) that were placed inside a refrigeration chamber. Three different configurations were suggested for placing such warmer samples so that students were asked to order them with respect to their chilling capability, that is, to their ability to chill samples as fast as possible. Freshmen's written answers were collected before CFD was used to simulate and visualize each distinct chilling scenario. Accordingly, a finite-volume FORTRAN simulator for transport phenomena in domains fully or partially filled up with porous matrix was used to help compare each chilling performance. Among all possible combinations, answer distribution is presented and discussed in the light of freshmen's scholar background as well as based on the way natural convection concepts were introduced. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 17: 34,43, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com); DOI 10.1002/cae20161 [source]


    Combined effects of crucible geometry and Marangoni convection on silicon Czochralski crystal growth

    CRYSTAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 8 2009
    F. Mokhtari
    Abstract In order to understand the influence of crucible geometry combined with natural convection and Marangoni convection on melt flow pattern, temperature and pressure fields in silicon Czochralski crystal growth process, a set of numerical simulations was conducted. We carry out calculation enable us to determine temperature, pressure and velocity fields in function of Grashof and Marangoni numbers. The essential results show that the hemispherical geometry of crucible seems to be adapted for the growth of a good quality crystal and the pressure field is strongly affected by natural and Marangoni convection and it is more sensitive than temperature. (© 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source]


    Numerical modeling of frequency influence on the electromagnetic stirring of semiconductor melts

    CRYSTAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 7 2006
    C. Stelian
    Abstract Alternating magnetic fields can be used in order to increase the level of convection and to mix the doped semiconductor alloys. A numerical analysis of the electromagnetic induced convection in GaInSb semiconductor melts is performed by using the software package CrysVUn. The magnetic field parameters are varied in order to obtain a maximum efficiency of the induced convection with a minimum quantity of the heat released in the melt. The influence of the electrical current frequency on the convection intensity is analyzed for samples with various radii (R = 0.5 , 3cm). Numerical procedure is validated by comparing the numerical results obtained in mercury samples with the experimental data given from the literature, which show a maximum stirring for a magnetic skin depth , = 0.2R , in the case of a mercury sample with the radius R = 10 cm. This maximum corresponds to a shielding parameter R, = 40. Our numerical results show that the value of the shielding parameter for which the convection intensity reaches the maximum depends on the sample radius and increases when the sample radius increases. The results of this analysis are important in the case of samples with small radius, when a good mixing of the melt can be obtained for frequencies much lower than those corresponding to a shielding parameter R, = 40. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source]


    Numerical study of influences of buoyancy and solutal Marangoni convection on flow structures in a germanium-silicon floating zone

    CRYSTAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 6 2005
    K. Lin
    Abstract This paper presents a numerical study of Marangoni flows in a floating zone of germanium-silicon crystals, which was performed by using a commercial finite element program FIDADTM. The numerical results point out that for fluids with a small Pr number the influence of buoyancy forces cannot be ignored in the numerical model. Furthermore, the competition between the thermocapillary (TC) and solutocapillary (SC) flows in the floating zones was qualitatively examined. If the TC flow is as strong as that in the Si-rich floating zone, the SC flow may be restricted to the bottom area near the free surface. Otherwise, the SC flow may overcome the TC flow and induce a surface transfer of species. The numerical predictions agree well with the previous experiment results. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source]


    Recent developments in modelling of liquid phase electroepitaxy under applied magnetic field

    CRYSTAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 4-5 2005
    S. Dost
    Abstract Growth of single crystals under magnetic field is of interest for suppressing the adverse effect of natural convection and for better mixing in the liquid solution, which are the favorable conditions for prolonged growth and high quality crystals. In this short review article, recent developments in the modelling of electroepitaxy under magnetic field are presented. An application is given for the liquid phase electroepitaxial growth of GaAs bulk single crystals under a static magnetic field. Experimental results, that have shown that the growth rate under an applied static magnetic field is proportional to the applied magnetic field, and increases with the field intensity level, are predicted from the present model. The model also predicts growth interface shapes accurately. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source]


    Adsorptive Stripping Analysis of Riboflavin at Electrically Heated Graphite Cylindrical Electrodes

    ELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 21 2007
    Shao-Hua Wu
    Abstract Electrically heated graphite cylindrical electrodes (HGCEs) made from ground pencil leads have been used to perform adsorptive stripping square wave voltammetry (SWV) measurements of trace riboflavin (RF). The SWV stripping peak current was significantly enhanced with increasing the electrode temperature only during preconcentration step. This enhancement was due to the forced thermal convection induced by heating the electrode rather than the bulk solution. It is the thermal convection that has the ability to improve mass transfer and facilitate adsorption thus enhance stripping responses. It was found that the detection limit of 5×10,9,M (S/N=3) could be obtained at an electrode temperature of 72,°C during 5,min accumulation, more than one magnitude lower than that at 22,°C (room temperature), the sensitivity could be enhanced ca. eight or four folds for two different RF concentration ranges. So it is possible to develop a new highly sensitive method to determine riboflavin at HGCEs. Such HGCEs were also successfully used to determine RF in multivitamin tablets. [source]


    Voltammetric Studies of Parallel Electrode Processes Under Low Ionic Strength Conditions.

    ELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 7 2006
    Influence of Convection
    Abstract It is known that either a very strong enhancement or an almost complete depression of the height of one of two waves can be obtained when two analytes (one appropriately charged and one uncharged) are present in a quiet solution containing no supporting electrolyte. In this paper we examine whether these effects can be extended for solutions with forced convection. Three two-analyte mixtures were examined voltammetrically under conditions of no added supporting electrolyte and added convection. The first mixture (1,1,-ferrocenedimethanol and ferrocenesulfonate anion) changes its total charge from ,1 to +1 after electrooxidation of both components. Under all applied conditions, the introduction of convection caused an increase of both waves without changing the wave height ratio. A similar behavior was observed for the mixture of ferrocene and 1,1,-ferrocenedimethanol. For this system the total charge changes from 0 to +2. A substantial influence of convection on the ratio of two waves was found for the third mixture: ferrocene and ferrocenylmethyltrimethylammonium cation (total charge changes from +1 to +3). For this system the convection strongly depressed the migrational effects. The obtained experimental results were verified with simulations using software MIOTRAS. This software is capable of modeling diffusion, migration, convection and following homogenous reactions. The agreement between experiment and simulations was fairly good. [source]


    High-Temperature Electrochemistry: A Review

    ELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 6 2004
    Gregory
    Abstract High-temperature electrochemistry remains a relatively unexplored field of research, although in recent years significant developments have been made. This report details the main experimental methods and approaches to heating an electrochemical system under both isothermal and non-isothermal conditions and gives an insight into the experimental and electroanalytical results obtainable under such conditions. It has been shown that the promotion of mass transport at high-temperatures, through diffusion or convection, often results in increased current signals. This increase benefits electroanalytical measurements by lowering detection limits. High temperatures also usefully enhance the sensitivity of systems with sluggish kinetics. [source]


    Study of Joule heating effects on temperature gradient in diverging microchannels for isoelectric focusing applications

    ELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 10 2006
    Brian Kates
    Abstract IEF is a high-resolution separation method taking place in a medium with continuous pH gradients, which can be set up by applying electrical field to the liquid in a diverging microchannel. The axial variation of the channel cross-sectional area will induce nonuniform Joule heating and set up temperature gradient, which will generate pH gradient when proper medium is used. In order to operationally control the thermally generated pH gradients, fundamental understanding of heat transfer phenomena in microfluidic chips with diverging microchannels must be improved. In this paper, two 3-D numerical models are presented to study heat transfer in diverging microchannels, with static and moving liquid, respectively. Through simulation, the temperature distribution for the entire chip has been revealed, including both liquid and solid regions. The model for the static liquid scenario has been compared with published results for validation. Parametric studies have showed that the channel geometry has significant effects on the peak temperature location, and the electrical conductivity of the medium and the wall boundary convection have effects on the generated temperature gradients and thus the generated pH gradients. The solution to the continuous flow model, where the medium convection is considered, shows that liquid convection has significant effects on temperature distribution and the peak temperature location. [source]


    Gravity-induced convective flow in microfluidic systems: Electrochemical characterization and application to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay tests

    ELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 21-22 2004
    Patrick Morier
    Abstract A way of using gravity flow to induce a linear convection within a microfluidic system is presented. It is shown and mathematically supported that tilting a 1 cm long covered microchannel is enough to generate flow rates up to 1000 nL·min -1, which represents a linear velocity of 2.4 mm·s -1. This paper also presents a method to monitor the microfluidic events occurring in a covered microchannel when a difference of pressure is applied to force a solution to flow in said covered microchannel, thanks to electrodes inserted in the microfluidic device. Gravity-induced flow monitored electrochemically is applied to the performance of a parallel-microchannel enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) with electrochemical detection. A simple method for generating and monitoring fluid flows is described, which can, for instance, be used for controlling parallel assays in microsystems. [source]


    El Niño, climate change, and Southern African climate

    ENVIRONMETRICS, Issue 4 2001
    Simon J. Mason
    Abstract The El Niño phenomenon involves a large-scale warming of the equatorial eastern and central Pacific Ocean. Recent developments in the El Niño,Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon have raised concerns about climate change. In this review paper, these recent developments are critically assessed and forecasts of possible future changes are reviewed. Since the late-1970s, El Niño episodes have been unusually recurrent, while the frequency of strong La Niña events has been low. Prolonged/recurrent warm event conditions of the first half of the 1990s were the result of the persistence of an anomalously warm pool near the date line, which, in turn, may be part of an abrupt warming trend in tropical sea-surface temperatures that occurred in the late-1970s. The abrupt warming of tropical sea-surface temperatures has been attributed to the enhanced-greenhouse effect, but may be indicative of inter-decadal variability: earlier changes in the frequency of ENSO events and earlier persistent El Niño and La Niña sequences have occurred. Most forecasts of ENSO variability in a doubled-CO2 climate suggest that the recent changes in the tropical Pacific are anomalous. Of potential concern, however, is a possible reduction in the predictability of ENSO events given a warmer background climate. El Niño events usually are associated with below-normal rainfall over much of southern Africa. Mechanisms for this influence on southern African climate are discussed, and the implications of possible changes in ENSO variability on the climate of the region are assessed. Recent observed changes in southern African climate and their possible relationships with trends in ENSO variability are investigated. The El Niño influence on rainfall over southern Africa occurs largely because of a weakening of tropical convection over the subcontinent. A warming of the Indian Ocean during El Niño events appears to be important in providing a teleconnection from the equatorial Pacific Ocean. The abrupt warming of the tropical Pacific and Indian oceans in the late-1970s is probably partly responsible for increasing air temperatures over southern Africa, and may have contributed to a prolongation of predominantly dry conditions. A return to a wet phase appears to have occurred, despite the persistence of anomalously high sea-surface temperatures associated with the late-1970s warming, and a record-breaking El Niño in 1997/98. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


    Modelling of colloid leaching from unsaturated, aggregated soil

    EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 3 2007
    M. Laegdsmand
    Summary The migration of colloids in soils can enhance the leaching of strongly sorbing contaminants. We present a model for the simulation of colloid leaching from unsaturated, aggregated soil media under stationary flow. Transport in the intra-aggregate pores is simulated by convection,dispersion, and transport in the interaggregate pores, and a stagnant layer of water surrounding the aggregates, is simulated by diffusion. The model describes the release of colloids from soil aggregates, sorption and desorption processes at the air,water interfaces, and flocculation and subsequent straining from the flowing water. All three processes were simulated as functions of ionic strength. Transport of ions in intra-aggregate pores was simulated by Fickian diffusion. The model was calibrated against experimental results of colloid leaching from columns packed with natural soil aggregates. The aggregates were of two soils differing in organic matter content. On each soil a single calibrated parameter set could describe the experiments with the three ionic strengths. The parameters for release of colloids from the aggregate surface and the sorption properties of the air,water interface were different for the two soils. The key parameters for leaching were the thickness of the stagnant layer of water surrounding the aggregates, the mechanical dispersion, the maximum concentration of colloids at the surface of the aggregates, the sorption capacity and rate coefficient of the colloids at the air,water interface, and the colloid diffusion coefficient. Simulations were also done with two additional irrigation intensities at one ionic strength. Simulated leaching was greater than measured leaching at both irrigation intensities, but the diffusion-controlled release of colloids from the aggregates was simulated correctly. [source]


    Pedotransfer functions for solute transport parameters of Portuguese soils

    EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 4 2001
    M. C. Gonc, alves
    Summary The purpose of this study is to quantify solute transport parameters of fine-textured soils in an irrigation district in southern Portugal and to investigate their prediction from basic soil properties and unsaturated hydraulic parameters. Solute displacement experiments were carried out on 24 undisturbed soil samples by applying a 0.05 m KCl pulse during steady flow. The chloride breakthrough curves (BTCs) were asymmetric, with early breakthrough and considerable tailing characteristic of non-equilibrium transport. The retardation factor (R), dispersion coefficient (D), partitioning coefficient (,), and mass transfer coefficient (,) were estimated by optimizing the solution of the non-equilibrium convection,dispersion equation (CDE) to the breakthrough data. The solution could adequately describe the observed data as proved by a median of 0.972 for the coefficient of determination (r2) and a median for the mean squared error (MSE) of 5.1 × 10,6. The median value for R of 0.587 suggests that Cl, was excluded from a substantial part of the liquid phase. The value for , was typically less than 0.5, but the non-equilibrium effects were mitigated by a large mass transfer coefficient (, > 1). Pedotransfer functions (PTFs) were developed with regression and neural network analyses to predict R, D, , and , from basic soil properties and unsaturated hydraulic parameters. Fairly accurate predictions could be obtained for logD (r2 , 0.9) and , (r2 , 0.8). Prediction for R and log, were relatively poor (r2 , 0.5). The artificial neural networks were all somewhat more accurate than the regression equations. The networks are also more suitable for predicting transport parameters because they require only three input variables, whereas the regression equations contain many predictor variables. [source]


    Closed-form thermal stress intensity factors for an internal circumferential crack in a thick-walled cylinder

    FATIGUE & FRACTURE OF ENGINEERING MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES, Issue 8 2010
    R. GHAJAR
    ABSTRACT In this paper the method of weight functions is employed to calculate the stress intensity factors for an internal circumferential crack in a thick-walled cylinder. The pressurized cylinder is also subjected to convection cooling on the inner surface. Finite element method is used to determine an accurate weight function for the crack and a closed-form thermal stress intensity factor with the aid of the weight function method is extracted. The influence of crack parameter and the heat transfer coefficient on the stress intensity factors are determined. Comparison of the results in the special cases with those cited in the literature and the finite element data shows that the results are in very good agreement. [source]


    Fatigue crack initiation detection by an infrared thermography method

    FATIGUE & FRACTURE OF ENGINEERING MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES, Issue 1 2010
    D. WAGNER
    ABSTRACT In this paper, the study of the temperature variation during fatigue tests was carried out on different materials (steels and aluminium alloys). Tests were performed at ambient temperature using a piezoelectric fatigue system (20 kHz). The temperature field was measured on the surface of the specimen, by means of an infrared camera. Just at the beginning of the test, it was observed that the temperature increased, followed by a stabilization which corresponds to the balance between dissipated energy associated with microplasticity and the energy lost by convection and radiation at the specimen surface and by conduction inside the specimen. At the crack initiation, the surface temperature suddenly increases (whatever the localization of the initiation), which allows the determination of the number of cycles at the crack initiation and the number of cycles devoted to the fatigue crack propagation. In the gigacycle fatigue domain, more than 92% of the total life is devoted to the initiation of the crack. So, the study of the thermal dissipation during the test appears a promising method to improve the understanding of the damage and failure mechanism in fatigue and to determine the number of cycles at initiation. [source]


    Combustion of a substitution fuel made of cardboard and polyethylene: influence of the mix characteristics,modeling

    FIRE AND MATERIALS, Issue 7 2008
    S. Salvador
    Abstract The model proposed in this paper describes the combustion of a porous medium subjected to a radiative heat flux at its surface. There is no forced convection of air through the medium; hence this situation corresponds to the one encountered at the surface of fuel elements such as pellets, bricks or ballots, inside a furnace or kiln. Ash is not removed from the surface. No assumption is made a priori in terms of the limiting phenomena. The medium is composed of cardboard and polyethylene (PE). Based on previous experimental work (Fuel 2004; 83:451,462), the material is assumed to be a macroscopically homogeneous porous medium. Local thermal equilibrium is also assumed. Most of the parameters required for the modeling were determined from specific experiments. Good predictions of the sample mass evolution and of the temperature levels inside the sample body were obtained for a large range of densities and PE content. A devolatilization front of about 20,mm first propagates inside the medium. The volatile matter flux is advected to the surface, which leads to the formation of the flame above the surface. Then a second char oxidation front propagates, starting from the surface. The front thickness is approximately 25,mm under the experimental conditions. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


    Heat transfer by radiation and convection in fire testing

    FIRE AND MATERIALS, Issue 5 2004
    Ulf Wickström
    Abstract Fire safety engineers, especially those experts writing fire test standards, often have different understandings of the concepts of heat transfer from a fire to a surface by radiation and convection. The concepts are therefore often not very well defined, in e.g. ISO and CEN standards, leading in many cases to confusions, misunderstandings and considerable errors. This paper is an effort, in a very simple way, to make the issue a little clearer, particularly for use in international standardization work. ISO/TC92 and the International FORUM of Fire Research Directors are currently endorsing very important work on procedures to calibrate heat flux meters. The two entities, heat transfer by radiation and convection, may be treated independently. The presentation below is deliberately very short and basic avoiding many phenomena that are not immediately needed in most fire standardization work. Recommendations are reached on how to define and measure heat transfer in fire testing. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


    Interaction between wind-induced seiches and convective cooling governs algal distribution in a canyon-shaped reservoir

    FRESHWATER BIOLOGY, Issue 7 2007
    RAFAEL MARCÉ
    Summary 1. Wind is considered the dominant factor controlling phytoplankton distribution in lentic environments. In canyon-shaped reservoirs, wind tends to blow along the main axis generating internal seiches and advective water movements that jointly with biological features of algae can produce a heterogeneous phytoplankton distribution. Turbulence generated by wind stress and convection will also affect the vertical distribution of algae, depending on their sinking properties. 2. We investigated the vertical and horizontal distribution of phytoplankton during the stratification period in Sau Reservoir (NE Spain). Sites along the main reservoir axis were sampled every 4 h for 3 days, and profiles of chlorophyll- a and temperature were made using a fluorescent FluoroProbe, which can discriminate among the main algal groups. Convective and wind shear velocity scales, and energy dissipation were calculated from meteorological data, and simulation experiments were performed to describe non-measured processes, like vertical advection and sinking velocity of phytoplankton. 3. Wind direction changed from day to night, producing a diel thermocline oscillation and an internal seiche. Energy dissipation was moderate during the night, and mainly attributed to convective cooling. During the day the energy dissipation was entirely attributed to wind shear, but values indicated low turbulence intensity. 4. The epilimnetic algal community was mainly composed of diatoms and chlorophytes. Chlorophytes showed a homogeneous distribution on the horizontal and vertical planes. Diatom horizontal pattern was also homogeneous, because the horizontal advective velocities generated by wind forcing were not high enough to develop phytoplankton gradients along the reservoir. 5. Diatom vertical distribution was heterogeneous in space and time. Different processes dominated in different regions of the reservoir, due to the interaction between seiching and the daily cycle of convective-mediated turbulence. As the meteorological forcing followed a clear daily pattern, we found very different diatom sedimentation dynamics between day and night. Remarkably, these dynamics were asynchronous in the extremes of the seiche, implying that under the same meteorological forcing a diatom population can show contrasting sedimentation dynamics at small spatial scales (approximately 103 m). This finding should be taken into account when interpreting paleolimnological records from different locations in a lake. 6. Vertical distribution of non-motile algae is a complex process including turbulence, vertical and horizontal advection, variations in the depth of the mixing layer and the intrinsic sinking properties of the organisms. Thus, simplistic interpretations considering only one of these factors should be regarded with caution. The results of this work also suggest that diatoms can persist in stratified water because of a synergistic effect between seiching and convective turbulence. [source]


    New Stack Design of Micro-tubular SOFCs for Portable Power Sources

    FUEL CELLS, Issue 6 2008
    T. Suzuki
    Abstract Micro-tubular solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) have high thermal stability and higher volumetric power density, which are considered to be ideal features for portable power sources and auxiliary power units for automobile. Here, we report a new stack design using anode supported micro-tubular SOFCs with 2,mm diameter using Gd doped CeO2 (GDC) electrolyte, NiO-GDC anode and (La, Sr)(Co, Fe)O3 (LSCF)-GDC cathode. The new stack consists of three bundles with five tubular cells, sealing layers and interconnects and fuel manifolds. The performance of the stack whose volume is 1,cm3 was shown to be 2.8,V OCV and maximum power output of 1.5,W at 500,°C, applying air only by natural convection. The results also showed strong dependence of the fuel flow rates on the stack performance, which was correlated to the gas diffusion limitation. [source]


    Analysis of Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC)-Performance via FTIR Spectroscopy of Cathode Exhaust

    FUEL CELLS, Issue 4 2003
    F. Meier
    Abstract Water and methanol flux through NafionÔ and polyaryl-blend membranes prepared at ICVT were studied under DMFC operation. The water, methanol, and CO2 content in the cathode exhaust were measured by FTIR spectroscopy. Both the water and methanol flux turned out to be strongly dependent on the operating temperature and thus on membrane swelling. Apart from this, water flux through the membrane is primarily affected by the gas volume flux on the cathode side. A coupling between water flux and methanol flux was observed, which leads to the conclusion that methanol is transported both by diffusion and by convection caused by the superimposed water flux. Polyaryl-blend membranes showed a reduced diffusive methanol transport when compared to NafionÔ due to their different internal microstructure. The impact of methanol cross-over on cathode losses at high current density needs further clarification with respect to the prevailing mechanism of methanol oxidation at the cathode. [source]


    Heat and mass transfer phenomena in magnetic fluids

    GAMM - MITTEILUNGEN, Issue 1 2007
    Th. Völker
    Abstract In this article the influence of a magnetic field on heat and mass transport phenomena in magnetic fluids (ferrofluids) will be discussed. The first section is dealing with a magnetically driven convection, the so called thermomagnetic convection while in the second section the influence of a temperature gradient on the mass transport, the Soret effect in ferrofluids, is reviewed. (© 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source]


    Heterogeneity effects on possible salinity-driven free convection in low-permeability strata

    GEOFLUIDS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 4 2009
    J. M. SHARP JR
    Abstract Although studies of free convection commonly focus on highly permeable strata, but numerical analyses indicate that density-driven free convection may also occur in heterogeneous low-permeability strata. Traditional Rayleigh number criteria are overly conservative in predicting thermohaline convection in these systems; so, numerical models are used to make inferences on the process. Simulations with stochastic realizations of permeability fields show that dense plumes can take preferential pathways to sink through generally low-permeability strata; patch analysis using percolation theory shows that the threshold permeability for the onset of free convection can be as low as 10,16 m2 even with a mean permeability of 10,18 m2. Threshold permeability for the percolation pathways decreases with increasing concentration gradient, vertical correlation length and the mean and variance of the permeability. The connectedness of relatively high-permeability zones is important in initiating and controlling plume fingers of free convection in both single-layer and sand-shale sequence models. Permeable units above and below are conducive to free convection through intervening low-permeability strata if buoyancy gradients exist. This heterogeneity is on scales that are difficult to sample by drilling and too localized to be simulated in regional models but may be significant in solute transport in these systems. [source]