PROJECTS THEMES SUGGESTIONS
2015
Ranque–Hilsch vortex tube:
spot cooling device with no moving parts
The vortex tube, also known as the Ranque-Hilsch vortex tube, is a
mechanical device that separates a compressed gas into hot and cold
streams. It has no moving parts. Vortex tubes have lower efficiency
than traditional air conditioning equipment. They are commonly used
for inexpensive spot cooling, when compressed air is available.
Ref #1
Ref #2
Pipeline start up of crude oil transport
• Oil produced from offshore production platforms can be
transported to the mainland either by oil-tanker. When a tanker is
chosen to transport the oil, it is necessary to accumulate oil in
some form of storage tank such that the oil tanker is not
continuously occupied during oil production, and is only needed
once sufficient oil has been produced to fill the tanker.
FPSO
W.D. 1000m
Semi-Submersible
W.D. 1650m
Oil 16 API
f 12” - 20 km
Pipeline start up
• Initial time: the pipeline is full of oil at 4oC.
• One has to specify a pump to work with high pressure at low flow
rates at the initial time.
• But at steady state the flow rate is high and the pressure is low!
May be OK for Steady State
...but not able to reach it
Pipeline start up
• Use CFD to study the pipeline start up and estimate:
• The inlet pressure x time for a range of constant flow rates
• The heat transfer rate for a range of constant flow rates
• Consider a fixed pressure at the inlet
• Determine the inlet volume flow rate with time
• Determine how long it takes to get steady state
Flow in a diffuser for water turbine
• The use of diffusers around of the horizontal-axis water turbines have
been widely studied, since the diffuser causes an improvement in the
power coefficient of a turbine and are often called Diffuser
Augmented Wind Turbines (DAWT’s).
Ref (2)
Flow in a diffuser for a wind turbine
• The use of diffusers around of the horizontal-axis wind turbines have
been widely studied, since the diffuser causes an improvement in the
power coefficient of a turbine and are often called Diffuser
Augmented Wind Turbines (DAWT’s).
Ref (1)
Deslocamento de ar em túneis devido a
passagem de trem.
• A passagem do trem em túneis causa um deslocamento de ar que
pode causar um aumento de pressão e arrasto, desconforto para
passageiros (trens alta velocidade) e constituir um dos principais
mecanismos de renovação de ar em linhas metroviarias
(subterrâneas).
• Este tema deverá ser
abordado como uma
continuação do trabalho
desenvolvido pelo Leonardo
e Marcelo (2º Sem 2013).
Flow Past Cylinders: Vortex Shedding
• Flow over cylindrical bodies shed periodic vortices which change
the drag and lift forces. The fluid-cylinder interaction is relevant to
mechanical design of structures (Tacoma mov) and mixing applied
to chemical reactors, combustion and in heat transfer equipments.
Reference (1)
See also TG works of
Durante 2013 (2) and Panza
2013 (3)
See oscillating cylinder (2)
See elliptical cylinder (5)
See paired cylinders (6)
F SAE engine cooling heat exchanger
• Numerical prediction of the airglicol solution for the FSAE heat
exchange.
• Designed for high heat flux and
low weight.
• See details in G2 1sem15
COAXIAL TURBULENT JETS
• Turbulent coaxial jets are employed on several industrial processes
including combustion chambers, mixing tanks, cooling systems and
premixed burners, for example.
• Project’s objective: compare the numerical results against the
experimental jet velocity profiles.
Reference
ROUND JET IN CROSS FLOW
• Are central to applications such as dilution holes in gas-turbine
combustors, fuel injectors and pollutant dispersion from smoke
stacks
 REFERENCES:
 YASUHIRO KAMOTANI and ISAAC GREBER. "Experiments on a Turbulent Jet in a Cross Flow", AIAA
Journal, Vol. 10, No.11 (1972), pp. 1425-1429. doi: 10.2514/3.50386.
 KELSO, R.M., LIM, T.T. and PERRY A.E. “An Experimental Study of Round Jets in Cross-Flow” , J. Fluid Mech.
306, Jan 1996, pp 111-144. doi: 10.1017/S0022112096001255 .
Flow Structure of Round Jet in Crossflow
Carneiro Hidráulico
• Veja link no globo rural:
http://g1.globo.com/economia/agronegocios/noticia/2013/06/bomb
a-de-agua-de-facil-execucao-promete-ajudar-o-produtor-rural.html
• Referencias (1) e (2)
Pulsatile flow in pipes: Um(t) = Um(1+ γ cosωt)
• The pulsatile flows occurs in several applications, such as
compressors, I.C. engines, turbo-machineries, biological systems
(breathing and blood pumping) among others.
• The fully developed periodic pipe flow in which the flow rate is
forced to vary sinusoidally with time around a mean value may
change the steady state friction factor.
Strouhal number Str =ωD/Um,
Reynolds number Re =UmD/ 
ftrans = transient friction
fstat = steady state friction
Reference: Friction Factor Under
Transient Flow Condition, 2004
Friction factor in pulsatile pipe flow
• Pulsating flows appear in various areas of engineering and natural
sciences. They not only play an important role in the operations of IC
engines, pumps, nuclear power systems, etc., but are also of immense
interest for better understanding of human breathing or blood flow
through arteries and hence, have received considerable attention
over the years.
Ref (1)
Ref (2)
Ref (3)
Flow over wavy walls
• Separating and attaching regions, friction factor and heat
transfer coefficients.
• References: Stony & Vanka (1997); Rabel (2012)
VACUUM EJECTOR
PUMP
WATCH YOU TUBE MOVIE
A steam ejector is a type of pump that uses the Venturi effect of a convergingdiverging nozzle to convert the pressure energy of a motive fluid to velocity energy
which creates a low pressure zone that draws in and entrains a suction fluid. After
passing through the throat of the injector, the mixed fluid expands and the velocity is
reduced which results in recompressing the mixed fluids by converting velocity
energy back into pressure energy. The motive fluid may be a liquid, steam or any
other gas. The entrained suction fluid may be a gas, a liquid, a slurry, or a dust-laden
gas stream. (from wikipedia)
Reference (1)
Turbulent B.L. over an Elevation
• Fundamental problem applied to atmospheric
phenomena and also to grain transport in
form of dunes. (BFC + Turbulent Flow)
Ref (1)
Ref (2)
Ref (2a)
Ref (2b)
Ref (3)
Ref (4)
http://link.springer.com/article/10.
1007%2Fs40430-013-0024-z
Orifice Plates Flow Meter
• Orifice plates are used as a flow meter for being simple and relatively
cheap. They are the first option for most industrial applications.
Objective of the project is to determine de discharge coefficient using
CFD.
Ref (1)
Ref (2)
Flow over a Backward-Facing Step
• A numerical bench mark solution (in Griebel)
Ref (1)
Ref (2)
Couette Flow
• Turbulence model test. Flow prediction in a channel where one wall is
smooth and the other is rough.
Ref (1)
Plate Heat Exchanger & Flow over wavy walls
• Compact heat exchanger composed by parallel plates with
groved channels (hering bone) to enhance heat transfer.
Applied to the food industry.
Pressure drop and heat transfer in a compact heat exch.
• friction factor and heat transfer coefficients.
• Reference: (1), (2)
FLAT PLATE SOLAR PANNEL
• Este tema deverá ser
abordado como uma
continuação do trabalho
desenvolvido pelo
Ranyer, Mauro e Cassio
(projeto 2º Sem 2013).
Acesse Thermopedia
SOLAR CHYMNEY TO ENHANCE NATURAL
VENTILATION
Veja artigo
Solar Chimney to energy
production
• For thermal
environmental comfort
• For energy generation
Referências:
(1); (2); (3); (4); (5)
• Este tema deverá ser abordado
como uma continuação do trabalho
desenvolvido pelo Adriano e Felipe
(projeto 1º Sem 2013).
Also of Interest
• Automotive:
– flow in manifolds, (see (1))
– car aerodynamic,
– brake heating,
• Environmental: thermal comfort, pollution dispersion
• Hydrodynamic bearings
• Flow in ducts:
– T branching flows 3D;
– L duct with guiding vanes (BFC);
– curved duct: friction and heat transfer (see (1))
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Estudo da distribuição de ar numa sala (auditório do DE)
Estudo da distribuição de ar no interior de um veículo
Determinar o arrasto e sustentação num NACA 0012 – 2D, perfil SELIG 1223
Determinar o arrasto num automóvel, simulação 2D (caminhão, camionete, mini-baja, eco-car,
formula SAE)
Deslocamento de ar em túneis devido ao deslocamento dos trens. Estudar o aumento no arrasto, o
aumento de pressão.
Dispersão de gases, transiente.
Medição de vazão utilizando placas com orifícios.
Bocal de uma turbina hidráulica tipo Pelton.
Escoamento compressível sub-sonico e supersonico em um bocal convergente-divergente
Escoamento num tubo curvo 90.
Transferência de calor num feixe de tubos: escoamento cruzado em arranjo triangular – comparação
com dados da literatura
Resfriamento de discos rotativos por jatos de ar – aplicação em freios automotivos
Transferência de calor num tubo aletado – comparação com dados da literatura.
Escoamento em bifurcações tipo T – branching flows
Sustentação e distribuição de ar num Hover-Craft.
Força num amortecedor hidráulico
Mancal hidrodinâmico incluindo dissipação térmica
Chaminé Solar para gerar energia:
http://thefraserdomain.typepad.com/energy/2005/06/about_solar_tow.html
Escoamento induzido pela corrente de gás que impacta normalmente a uma parede (impinging jet) (
arquivo )
Escoamento transiente em um canal com superfície livre (tema geral aplicado a imundações de rios e
quebra de barragens) método HOL.
Velocidade de deslocamento de uma bolha alongada dentro de uma tubulação preenchida com
líquido, HOL.
Escoamento de óleo com resfriamento. Problema de relaminarização e pico de pressão. (veja
arquivo)
THEMES NO LONGER AVAILIABLE
THESE ARE PROJECTS’ THEMES ALREADY DONE BY
PREVIOUS YEAR STUDENTS OR IN I.C. AND OR T.G.
Wave Propagation in an Explosion
• Fundamental study in compressible flow. Interesting to investigate
the wall interaction. Also in compressible flow there are the following
topics: shock tube and axi-symmetric flow nozzle. (Stadke)
Thermal conduction in composite materials
COMMONLY USED POLYMER materials such as polyethylene (PE),
polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyamide are good
electrical and thermal insulators. Recent applications of polymers as
heat sinks in electronic packaging require new composites with
relatively high thermal conductivity. Improved thermal conductivity in
polymers may be achieved either by molecular orientation or by the
addition of conductive fillers.
Supersonic Nozzle
The purpose of this project is to
simulate the operation of a
converging-diverging nozzle, perhaps
the most important and basic piece
of engineering hardware associated
with propulsion and the high speed
flow of gases. This device was
invented by Carl de Laval toward the
end of the l9th century and is thus
often referred to as the 'de Laval'
nozzle. This project explores the
compressible aerodynamics assessing
the flow through this type of nozzle
at a range of conditions.
Shark-skin Drag Reduction
(Turbulence)
• See review work of BRIAN DEAN AND BHARAT BHUSHAN
• Also visit: http://www.csi.tudarmstadt.de/institute/dcc/forschung_7/skinfriction/index.
en.jsp
Flow in the Wake of a Taylor Bubble
• Study of slug flow has application in oil production. The flow in the
wake is still poorly understood. The knowledge on the wake flow
allow the development of accurate pressure drop model. Objective:
model the wake flow numerically.
Design of a flush film height sensor
• Using a conduction heat transfer analog design a capacitive sensor
capable to measure liquid film height. The sensor consists of two
parallel strips of metal flush to the wall.
Coney – conductance probe
Ceccio – conductance probe
Turbulent Jet Impinging
• Turbulent jets impinging onto a rough surface are a simple and
effective means of promoting the heating or cooling of surfaces. In
fact, the number of applications an impinging jet encounters in
nature and technology is impressively high. The vertical take-off of
aircrafts, the cooling of electronic instruments and the tempering and
shaping of glass name only a few of numerous applications.
Drag Reduction in Cylinders
• Flow control is a technique that can be used to improve the
efficiency of moving objects by changing the airflow over the
boundary surface of the structure’s wall, or the free shear flow.
Reference (1)
Watch mythbuster episode car drag reduction