• International Journal of Fluid Machinery and Systems
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• 제2권4호
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• pp.400-408
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• 2009

Optimization of seal geometries can reduce significantly the energetic losses in a hydraulic seal [1], especially for high head runner turbine. In the optimization process, a reliable prediction of the losses is needed and CFD is often used. This paper presents numerical experiments to determine an adequate CFD model for straight, labyrinth and stepped hydraulic seals used in Francis runners. The computation is performed with a finite volume commercial CFD code with a RANS low Reynolds turbulence model. As numerical computations in small radial clearances of hydraulic seals are not often encountered in the literature, the numerical results are validated with experimental data on straight seals and labyrinth seals. As the validation is satisfactory enough, geometrical optimization of hydraulic seals using CFD will be studied in future works.

• International Journal of Fluid Machinery and Systems
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• 제8권4호
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• pp.240-253
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• 2015

The objective of this paper is to evaluate the applicability of mass transfer cavitation models and determine appropriate numerical parameters for cavitating flow simulations. CFD simulations were performed for a NACA66 hydrofoil at cavitation numbers of 1.49 and 1.00, corresponding to steady sheet and unsteady sheet/cloud cavitating regimes using the Kubota and Merkle cavitation models. The Merkle model was implemented into CFX by User Fortran code. The Merkle cavitation model is found to give some improvements for cavitating flow simulation results for these cases. Turbulence modeling is also found to have an important contribution to the prediction quality of the simulations. The relationship between the turbulence viscosity modification, in order to take into account the local compressibility at the vapor/liquid interfaces, and the predicted numerical results is clarified. The limitations of current cavitating flow simulation techniques are discussed throughout the paper.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• 제4권1호
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• pp.19-37
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• 2012

This paper presents the results of analytical and numerical analyses of the effects of performing a pressuremeter test or driving a pile in clay. The geometry of the problem has been simplified by the assumptions of plane strain and axial symmetry. Pressuremeter testing or installation of driven piles has been modelled as an undrained expansion of a cylindrical cavity. Stresses, pore water pressures, and deformations are found by assuming that the clay behaves like normally consolidated modified Cam clay. Closed-form solutions are obtained which allow the determination of the principal effective stresses and the strains around the cavity. The analysis which indicates that the intermediate principal stress at critical state is not equal to the mean of the other two principal stresses, except when the clay is initially isotropically consolidated, also permits finding the limit expansion and excess pore water pressures by means of the Almansi finite strain approach. Results are compared with published data which were determined using finite element and finite difference methods.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• 제3권3_4호
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• pp.435-455
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• 2012

An impact on the ground surface may represent several phenomena, such as a crash of an airplane or an explosion or the passage of a train. In order to analyze and design structures and equipment to resist such a type of shocks, the response spectra for an impact on the ground must be given. We investigated the half-space motions due to impact using the finite element method. We performed extensive parametric analyses to define a suitable finite element model and arrive at displacement time histories and response spectra at varying distances from the impact point. The principal scope of our study has been to derive response spectra which: (a) provide insight and illustrate in detail the half-space response to an impact load, (b) can be readily used for the analysis of structures resting on a ground subjected to an impact and (c) are a new family of results for the impact problem and can serve as reference for future research.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제29권1호
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• pp.91-111
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• 2008

This paper outlines the development of a computational model in order to analyze the dynamic behaviour of coupled fluid-structure systems such as a) liquid containers, b) a set of parallel or radial plates. In this work a hybrid fluid-solid element is developed, capable of simulating both membrane and bending effects of the plate. The structural mass and stiffness matrices are determined using exact integration of governing equations which are derived using a combination of classical plate theory and a finite element approach. The Bernoulli equation and velocity potential function are used to describe the liquid pressure applied on the solid-fluid element. An impermeability condition assures a permanent contact at the fluid-structure interface. Applications of this model are presented for both parallel and radial plates as well as fluid-filled rectangular reservoir. The effect of physical parameters on the dynamic behaviour of a coupled fluid-structure system is investigated. The results obtained using the presented approach for dynamic characteristics such as natural frequency are in agreement to those calculated using other theories and experiments.

• International Journal of Control, Automation, and Systems
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• 제6권3호
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• pp.295-295
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• 2008

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• 제8권2호
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• pp.423-442
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• 2015

The effects of accidental eccentricity on the seismic response of four-storey steel buildings laterally stabilized by buckling restrained braced frames are studied. The structures have a square, symmetrical footprint, without inherent eccentricity between the center of lateral resistance (CR) and the center of mass (CM). The position of the bracing bents in the buildings was varied to obtain three different levels of torsional sensitivity: low, intermediate and high. The structures were designed in accordance with the seismic design provisions of the 2010 National Building Code of Canada (NBCC). Three different analysis methods were used to account for accidental eccentricity in design: (1) Equivalent Static Procedure with static in-plane torsional moments assuming a mass eccentricity of 10% of the building dimension (ESP); (2) Response Spectrum Analysis with static torsional moments based on 10% of the building dimension (RSA-10); and (3) Response Spectrum Analysis with the CM being displaced by 5% of the building dimension (RSA-5). Time history analyses were performed under a set of eleven two-component historical records. The analyses showed that the ESP and RSA-10 methods can give appropriate results for all three levels of torsional sensitivity. When using the RSA-5 method, adequate performance was also achieved for the low and intermediate torsional sensitivity cases, but the method led to excessive displacements (5-10% storey drifts), near collapse state, for the highly torsionally sensitive structures. These results support the current provisions of NBCC 2010.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• 제10권5호
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• pp.443-454
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• 2020

In recent years, many studies have been done on the performance of concrete containing glass powder (GP). For the purpose of widespread use of GP in concrete mixes, a knowledge of the performance of such a mixture after a fire is essential for the perspective of structural use. This research work was carried out to evaluate the performance of High Performance Concrete (HPC) made with GP after being exposed to elevated temperature. The studied mixtures include partial replacement of cement by GP with up to 30%. The mechanical performance and structural alterations were assessed after high temperature treatment from 200℃ to 800℃. The mechanical performance was evaluated by testing the specimens to the compressive and tensile strength. In addition, the mass loss and the porosity were measured to notice the structural alterations. Changes in microstructure due to temperature was also investigated by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermal gravimetric analyses (TGA) as well as porosity adsorption tests. The results of the concrete strength tests showed a slight difference in compressive strength and the same tensile strength performance when replacing a part of the cement by GP. However, after high temperature exposition, concrete with GP showed better performance than the reference concrete for temperature below 600℃. But, after heating at 800℃, the strength of the concrete with GP drop slightly more than reference concrete. This is accompanied by an important increase in mass loss and water porosity. After the microstructure analysis, no important changes happened differently for concrete with GP at high temperature except a new calcium silica form appears after the 800℃ heating.

• International Journal of Fluid Machinery and Systems
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• 제4권1호
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• pp.179-190
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• 2011

The swirling flow developing in Francis turbine draft tube under part load operation leads to pressure fluctuations usually in the range of 0.2 to 0.4 times the runner rotational frequency resulting from the so-called vortex breakdown. For low cavitation number, the flow features a cavitation vortex rope animated with precession motion. Under given conditions, these pressure fluctuations may lead to undesirable pressure fluctuations in the entire hydraulic system and also produce active power oscillations. For the upper part load range, between 0.7 and 0.85 times the best efficiency discharge, pressure fluctuations may appear in a higher frequency range of 2 to 4 times the runner rotational speed and feature modulations with vortex rope precession. It has been pointed out that for this particular operating point, the vortex rope features elliptical cross section and is animated of a self-rotation. This paper presents an experimental investigation focusing on this peculiar phenomenon, defined as the upper part load vortex rope. The experimental investigation is carried out on a high specific speed Francis turbine scale model installed on a test rig of the EPFL Laboratory for Hydraulic Machines. The selected operating point corresponds to a discharge of 0.83 times the best efficiency discharge. Observations of the cavitation vortex carried out with high speed camera have been recorded and synchronized with pressure fluctuations measurements at the draft tube cone. First, the vortex rope self rotation frequency is evidenced and the related frequency is deduced. Then, the influence of the sigma cavitation number on vortex rope shape and pressure fluctuations is presented. The waterfall diagram of the pressure fluctuations evidences resonance effects with the hydraulic circuit. The influence of outlet bubble cavitation and air injection is also investigated for low cavitation number. The time evolution of the vortex rope volume is compared with pressure fluctuations time evolution using image processing. Finally, the influence of the Froude number on the vortex rope shape and the associated pressure fluctuations is analyzed by varying the rotational speed.

• 한국정보디스플레이학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국정보디스플레이학회 2008년도 International Meeting on Information Display
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• pp.107-108
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• 2008

The spectacular development of AMLCDs, been made possible by a-Si:H technology, still faces two major drawbacks due to the intrinsic structure of a-Si:H, namely a low mobility and most important a shift of the transfer characteristics of the TFTs when submitted to bias stress. This has lead to strong research in the crystallization of a-Si:H films by laser and furnace annealing to produce polycrystalline silicon TFTs. While these devices show improved mobility and stability, they suffer from uniformity over large areas and increased cost. In the last decade we have focused on microcrystalline silicon (${\mu}c$-Si:H) for bottom gate TFTs, which can hopefully meet all the requirements for mass production of large area AMOLED displays [1,2]. In this presentation we will focus on the transfer of a deposition process based on the use of $SiF_4$-Ar-$H_2$ mixtures from a small area research laboratory reactor into an industrial gen 1 AKT reactor. We will first discuss on the optimization of the process conditions leading to fully crystallized films without any amorphous incubation layer, suitable for bottom gate TFTS, as well as on the use of plasma diagnostics to increase the deposition rate up to 0.5 nm/s [3]. The use of silicon nanocrystals appears as an elegant way to circumvent the opposite requirements of a high deposition rate and a fully crystallized interface [4]. The optimized process conditions are transferred to large area substrates in an industrial environment, on which some process adjustment was required to reproduce the material properties achieved in the laboratory scale reactor. For optimized process conditions, the homogeneity of the optical and electronic properties of the ${\mu}c$-Si:H films deposited on $300{\times}400\;mm$ substrates was checked by a set of complementary techniques. Spectroscopic ellipsometry, Raman spectroscopy, dark conductivity, time resolved microwave conductivity and hydrogen evolution measurements allowed demonstrating an excellent homogeneity in the structure and transport properties of the films. On the basis of these results, optimized process conditions were applied to TFTs, for which both bottom gate and top gate structures were studied aiming to achieve characteristics suitable for driving AMOLED displays. Results on the homogeneity of the TFT characteristics over the large area substrates and stability will be presented, as well as their application as a backplane for an AMOLED display.