In this paper we explore the mechanical generation of steady—non pulsatile—flow in microfluidic systems. The rationale of the paper is inspired in the example of cardiovascular systems where at the microscale (i.e. capillaries) the flow is steady rather than pulsatile to optimize performance. We present a solution to the generation of steady flow in engineered microfluidic systems either in open or closed loop configurations via the use of disc pumps. The disc pump consists of a flat rotating disc and utilizes both viscous drag and centrifugal force to achieve pumping. Experiments using single loop and double loop microfluidic systems are presented to characterize the disc pump. Continuous flow generated by the disc pumps can be used to separate particles based on size using recirculating loops and for extraction of small particles without disturbing the concentration of bigger particles. The potential impact of this technology includes sample separation and extraction techniques into portable microfluidic labs-on-a-chip, and long term culture systems for cells in suspension.

Steady flow generation in microcirculatory systems

This paper reviews the available methods to study thermal applications with open-cell metal foam. Both experimental and numerical work are discussed. For experimental research, the focus of this review is on the repeatability of the results. This is a major concern, as most studies only report the dependence of thermal properties on porosity and a number of pores per linear inch (PPI-value). A different approach, which is studied in this paper, is to characterize the foam using micro tomography scans with small voxel sizes. The results of these scans are compared to correlations from the open literature. Large differences are observed. For the numerical work, the focus is on studies using computational fluid dynamics. A novel way of determining the closure terms is proposed in this work. This is done through a numerical foam model based on micro tomography scan data. With this foam model, the closure terms are determined numerically.

How to Study Thermal Applications of Open-Cell Metal Foam: Experiments and Computational Fluid Dynamics.

The primary goal for this PhD project has been to investigate instability of reversiblepump turbines (RPTs) as a phenomenon and to find remedies to solve it. The instability occurs for turbines with s-shaped characteristics, unfavourable waterways and limited rotating inertia. It is only observed for certain operation points at either high speed or low load. These correspond to either high values of Ned or low values of Qed. The work done in this PhD thesis can be divided into the three following categories.Investigate and understand the behaviour of a pump turbine: A model was designed in order to investigate the pump turbine behaviour related to its characteristics. This model was manufactured and measurements were performed in the laboratory. By using throttling valves or torque as input the full s-shaped characteristics was measured. When neither of these techniques is used, the laboratory system has unstable operation points which result in hysteresis behaviour. Global behaviour of the RPT in a power plant system was investigated through analytical stability analysis and dynamic system simulations. The latter included both rigid and elastic representation of the water column.Turbine internal flow: The flow inside the runner was investigated by computer simulations (CFD). Two-dimensional analysis was used to study the inlet part of the runner. This showed that a vortex forming at the inlet is one of the causes for the unstable characteristics. Three-dimensional analyses were performed and showed multiple complex flow structures in the unstable operation range. Measurements at different pressure levels showed that the characteristics were dependent on the Reynolds number at high Ned values in turbine mode. This means that the similarity of flows is not sufficiently described by constant Qed and Ned values at this part of the characteristics.Design modifications: The root of the stability problem was considered to be the runner’s geometric design at the inlet in turbine mode. Therefore different design parameters were investigated to find relations to the characteristics. Methods used were measurements, CFD modelling and analytical models. The leading edge profile was altered on the physical model and measurements were performed in the laboratory. Results showed that the profiles have significant influence on characteristics and therewith stability at high speed operation points. Other design parameters were investigated by CFD analysis with special focus on the inlet blade angle.

Stability Limits of Reversible-Pump Turbines in Turbine Mode of Operation and Measurements of Unstable Characteristics

Most multi-phase pumps used in crude oil production have been developed to satisfy certain pressure specifications. In the design of these pumps, the flow characteristics of the posterior stage are different from those of the prior stage. For this reason, the design of the second stage needs to be supplemented. To optimize performance in this stage, multi-objective optimization to simultaneously increase pressure and efficiency is reported in this article. Flow analyses of the single and multiple phases of the multi-phase pump were conducted by solving three-dimensional steady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations. For the numerical optimization, two design variables related to the blade inlet angle were selected. The impeller and the diffuser blades were optimized using a systematic optimization technique combined with a central composite method and a hybrid multi-objective evolutionary algorithm coupled with a surrogate model. The selected optimal model yielded better hydrodynamic performance than the base model, and reasons for this are investigated through internal flow field analysis.

Multi-Objective Optimization of the Hydrodynamic Performance of the Second Stage of a Multi-Phase Pump

Abstract In centrifugal pumps, it is important to select appropriate turbulence model for the numerical simulation in order to obtain reliable and accurate results. In this work, ten turbulence models in 3-D transient simulation for the centrifugal pump are chosen and compared. The pump performance is validated with experimental results. The numerical results reveal that the SST turbulence model was closer to the experimental results in predicting head. In addition, the pressure variation trend for the ten models is very similar which increases and then decreases from the inlet to outlet of the pump along the streamline. The SST k-ω model predicts the performance of the pump was more accurately than other turbulent models. Furthermore, the results also found that the error is the least at design operation condition 300(l/min), which is around 1.98 % for the SST model and 2.14 % and 2.38 % for the LES and transition omega model. Within 7.61 %, the errors at higher flow rate 350(l/min) for SST. The error for SST model is smaller as compared to different turbulent models. For the Realizable k-ɛ model, the errors fluctuate were more high than other models.

A. Inokuty

Papers

On centrifugal pumps