Search results for " fluid flow"

Application of minidisk infiltrometer to estimate water repellency in Mediterranean pine forest soils

2017

Assessment of soil water repellency (SWR) was conducted in the decomposed organic floor layer (duff) and in the mineral soil layer of two Mediterranean pine forests, one in Italy and the other in Spain, by the widely-used water drop penetration time (WDPT) test and alternative indices derived from infiltration experiments carried out by the minidisk infiltrometer (MDI). In particular, the repellency index (RI) was calculated as the adjusted ratio between ethanol and water soil sorptivities whereas the water repellency cessation time (WRCT) and the specifically proposed modified repellency index (RIm) were derived from the hydrophobic and wettable stages of a single water infiltration experi…

Comparison among different rainfall energy harvesting structures

2018

In this paper, an experimental comparison between different rainfall harvesting devices through the study of the electrical rectifying circuit is proposed. In more detail, three harvesting structures are considered: the cantilever, the bridge and the floating circle. Different waveforms were acquired and discussed. The processed data were compared in order to suggest the best choice for the rectifying circuit, from the simplest one to that most frequently endorsed in the technical literature.

Investigation of heat transfer in spacer-filled channels by experiments and direct numerical simulations

2016

Abstract The analysis of flow fields and heat or mass transfer phenomena is of great importance in the optimum design of spacer-filled channel geometries for a variety of membrane-based processes. In the present work, models of spacer-filled channels often adopted in Membrane Distillation are simultaneously investigated by experiments and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Experiments rely on a non-intrusive technique, based on the use of Thermochromic Liquid Crystals (TLC) and digital image processing, and provide the local distribution of the convective heat transfer coefficient on a thermally active wall. CFD relies on steady-state (laminar flow) simulations in the lower end of the Reyn…

Deformation mechanism and hydraulic properties of normal and strike-slip fault zones in porous carbonates outcropping in central and southern Italy.

2013

Deformation of porous carbonate grainstones takes generally place by compactive shear banding, which initially produce single bands that may evolve during incremental strain into zones of multiple bands and, eventually, fault zones with discrete slip surfaces. The several processes associated to increased deformation are recorded in the aforementioned structural elements. In fact, they are characterized by a different texture, porosity, dimensional attributes (length, thickness, displacement). Fault zones are characterized by inner fault cores made of cataclastic material surrounded by thicker damage zones including single bands and zones of bands. In this work, we present the results of in…

Analysis of fluid flow through porous media based on x-ray micro-tomographic reconstructions

2010

This thesis deals with creeping fluid flow through fibrous porous materials. Permeability through a porous medium is a measure of the ability of the material to transmit fluids. For testing and demonstration purposes the permeability values of a few fibrous heterogeneous materials, namely synthetic non-woven felt, wet pressing felt, cardboard, newsprint and hardwood paper, were measured experimentally. Reconstructions of the same materials under similar compression states were captured by x-ray micro-tomography. The actual microscopic pore structure thus obtained was utilised in the numerical lattice-Boltzmann analysis for solving the fluid flow permeability of the materials. Agreement betw…

Subsurface flow and large-scale lateral saturated soil hydraulic conductivity in a Mediterranean hillslope with contrasting land uses

2017

Abstract The lateral saturated hydraulic conductivity, Ks,l , is the soil property that mostly governs subsurface flow in hillslopes. Determinations of Ks,l at the hillslope scale are expected to yield valuable information for interpreting and modeling hydrological processes since soil heterogeneities are functionally averaged in this case. However, these data are rare since the experiments are quite difficult and costly. In this investigation, that was carried out in Sardinia (Italy), large-scale determinations of Ks,l were done in two adjacent hillslopes covered by a Mediterranean maquis and grass, respectively, with the following objectives: i) to evaluate the effect of land use change o…

Modelling nanoscale fluid dynamics and transport in physiological flows

1996

The concept of nanotechnology is discussed, and its connection with biomedical engineering is elucidated. For the specific field of nanoscale flow and transport problems of physiological relevance, some typical examples are presented, and their interaction is discussed for some classic biomechanical problems like the flow in arteries with blood-wall coupling. Then, existing computational models are presented and classified according to the length scale of interest, with emphasis on particle-fluid problems. Final remarks address the essential unity of biomedical and engineering behaviour and the possible relevance to small-scale industrial research.

Unsteady Turbulence: Phenomena and Modelling

2010

Analytical solutions of magnetohydrodynamical problems on a flow of conducting fluid in the entrance region of channels in a strong magnetic field šķ…

2014

Darbā iegūti analītiskie atrisinājumi magnetohidrodinamiskiem (MHD) uzdevumiem par elektrovadoša šķidruma plūsmu plakanā un cilindriskā kanālā stiprā magnētiskā laukā gadījumiem, kad šķidrums ietek kanālos caur galīga platuma spraugu vai caur galīga rādiusa atveri kanāla sānu malā. Pamatojoties uz iegūtajiem atrisinājumiem, veikta plūsmas ātruma lauka skaitliskā analīze. Iegūti uzdevumu asimptotiskie atrisinājumi lieliem Hartmana skaitļiem. Turklāt darbā pētīta pilna spiediena spēka šķidruma ieplūdes apgabalā atkarība no funkcijas veida, ar kuru ir uzdots ātruma robežnosacījums. Pētījums veikts analītiski, risinot divas hidrodinamiskas problēmas un divas MHD problēmas par viskoza šķidruma i…