Effects of the outlet pressure on two-phase slug flow distribution uniformity in a multi-branch microchannel

The two-phase flow maldistribution phenomenon in microchannels with multi-parallel branches is inevitable in almost all common conditions,and not only affects the performance of the facility but also increases the risk of system instability.In order to better understand the distribution mechanism and to explore a potential strategy to improve uniformity,the pressure evolutions under different split modes in a microchannel with multi-parallel branches,were analyzed numerically.The results show that the fluctuations of transient pressure exhibit similar trends at various split modes,but the time-averaged pressure drops in the branches are very different.This may be related to the maldistribution of mass flow.Thus,the outlet pressures of the branches are numerically changed to explore the relationship between differential pressure and flow distribution.From this study,the flow distribution is seen to display a strong sensitivity to the branch differential pressure.By changing the pressure conditions,the gas flow of the middle branch can be effectively prevented from the main channel,and the flow type in this branch turns from gas-liquid to a single liquid phase.When the differential pressure of the first branch channel changes,the maldistribution phenomenon of the model can be mitigated to a certain extent.Based on this,by adjusting the differential pressures of the second branch,the maldistribution phenomenon can be further mitigated,and the normalized standard deviation(NSTD)decreases from 0.52 to approximately 0.26.The results and conclusions are useful in understanding the two-phase flow distribution mechanism and for seeking optimizing strategies.

Development of a novel two-stage proportional valve with a pilot digital flow distribution

Pilot two-stage proportional valves are widely used in high-power hydraulic systems. For the purpose of improving the dynamic performance, reliability, and digitization of the traditional proportional valve, a novel two-stage proportional valve with a pilot digital flow distribution is proposed from the viewpoint of the dual nozzle-flapper valve’s working principle. In particular, the dual nozzle-flapper is decoupled by two high-speed on/off valves (HSVs). First, the working principle and mathematical model of the proposed valve are determined. Then, the influences of the control parameters (duty cycle and switching frequency) and structural parameters (fixed orifice’s diameter and main valve’s spring) on the main valve’s motion are analyzed on the basis of theory, simulation, and experiment. In addition, in optimizing the value of the fixed orifice’s diameter, a new design criterion that considers the maximum pressure sensitivity, flow controllability, and flow linearization is proposed to improve the balance between the effective displacement and the displacement fluctuation of the main valve. The new scheme is verified by simulations and experiments. Experimental results of the closed-loop displacement tracking have demonstrated that the delay time of the main valve is always within 3.5 ms under different working conditions, and the tracking error can be significantly reduced using the higher switching frequency. The amplitude–frequency experiments indicate that a −3 dB-frequency of the proposed valve can reach 9.5 Hz in the case of ±50% full scale and 15 Hz in the case of 0%–50% full scale. The values can be further improved by increasing the flow rate of the pilot HSV.

Velocity distribution of the flow field in the cyclonic zone of cyclone-static micro-bubble flotation column

Laboratory experiments have been conducted to study the flow field in a cyclone static micro-bubble flotation column. The method of Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) was used. The flow field velocity distribution in both cross section and longitudinal section within cyclonic zone was studied for different circulating volumes. The cross sectional vortex was also analyzed. The results show that in cross section as the circulating volume increases from 0.187 to 0.350 m 3 /h, the flow velocity ranges from 0 to 0.68 m/s. The flow field is mainly a non-vortex potential flow that forms a free vortex without outside energy input. In the cyclonic region the vortex deviates from the center of the flotation column because a single tangential opening introduces circulating fluid into the column. The tangential component of the velocity plays a defining role in the cross section. In the longitudinal section the velocity ranges from 0 to 0.08 m/s. The flow velocity increases as does the circulating volume. Advantageous mineral separation conditions arise from the combined effects of cyclonic flow in cross and longitudinal section.

Studies on the flow and distribution of leukocytes in mesentery microcirculation of rats

AIM To study the effect of leukocyteendothelium interaction (LEI) on the flow anddistribution of leukocytes in microcirculationunder physiological condition.METHODS A microcirculation image multipleparameter computer analysis system (MIMPCAS)was used to study the flow and distribution ofleukocytes in mesentery microcirculation of ratsIn vivo.RESULTS The difference of visible leukocyteflux (VLF) was as high as 131 times in thearterioles and venules with similar diameter andblood velocity. The visible leukocytes rolledalong the blood vessel wall as a" jerky"movement. The frequency distribution of thevisible leukocyte velocity (VLV) showed a "twopeak" Curve. The low peak value was at 10 pm/ s-- 15 pm/ s while the high peak fell between25 pm/ s-- 30 pm/ s. With the increase of diameterof venules, VLF increased while the VLVremained at the same level. With the increase ofRBC velocity, VLV trends to elevate and VLF tofal I down.CONCLUSION The results herein might providea basic theory for the study on the mechanism ofLEI under physiological condition and novelmethods for the prevention and treatment of highLEI in many pathological

Numerical simulation study on multiphase flow pattern of hydrate slurry

The research on the multiphase flow characteristics of hydrate slurry is the key to implementing the risk prevention and control technology of hydrate slurry in deep-water oil and gas mixed transportation system.This paper established a geometric model based on the high-pressure hydrate slurry experimental loop.The model was used to carry out simulation research on the flow characteristics of gas-liquid-solid three-phase flow.The specific research is as follows:Firstly,the effects of factors such as slurry flow velocity,hydrate particle density,hydrate particle size,and hydrate volume fraction on the stratified smooth flow were specifically studied.Orthogonal test obtained particle size has the most influence on the particle concentration distribution.The slurry flow velocity is gradually increased based on stratified smooth flow.Various flow patterns were observed and their characteristics were analyzed.Secondly,increasing the slurry velocity to 2 m/s could achieve the slurry flow pattern of partial hydrate in the pipeline transition from stratified smooth flow to wavy flow.When the flow rate increases to 3 m/s,a violent wave forms throughout the entire loop.Based on wave flow,as the velocity increased to 4 m/s,and the flow pattern changed to slug flow.When the particle concentration was below 10%,the increase of the concentration would aggravate the slug flow trend;if the particle concentration was above 10%,the increase of the concentration would weaken the slug flow trend,the increase of particle density and liquid viscosity would weaken the tendency of slug flow.The relationship between the pressure drop gradients of several different flow patterns is:slug flow>wave flow>stratified smooth flow.

An Improved Hyperplane Assisted Multiobjective Optimization for Distributed Hybrid Flow Shop Scheduling Problem in Glass Manufacturing Systems

To solve the distributed hybrid flow shop scheduling problem(DHFS)in raw glass manufacturing systems,we investigated an improved hyperplane assisted evolutionary algorithm(IhpaEA).Two objectives are simultaneously considered,namely,the maximum completion time and the total energy consumptions.Firstly,each solution is encoded by a three-dimensional vector,i.e.,factory assignment,scheduling,and machine assignment.Subsequently,an efficient initialization strategy embeds two heuristics are developed,which can increase the diversity of the population.Then,to improve the global search abilities,a Pareto-based crossover operator is designed to take more advantage of non-dominated solutions.Furthermore,a local search heuristic based on three parts encoding is embedded to enhance the searching performance.To enhance the local search abilities,the cooperation of the search operator is designed to obtain better non-dominated solutions.Finally,the experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is more efficient than the other three state-of-the-art algorithms.The results show that the Pareto optimal solution set obtained by the improved algorithm is superior to that of the traditional multiobjective algorithm in terms of diversity and convergence of the solution.

Competitive and Cooperative-Based Strength Pareto Evolutionary Algorithm for Green Distributed Heterogeneous Flow Shop Scheduling

This work aims to resolve the distributed heterogeneous permutation flow shop scheduling problem(DHPFSP)with minimizing makespan and total energy consumption(TEC).To solve this NP-hard problem,this work proposed a competitive and cooperative-based strength Pareto evolutionary algorithm(CCSPEA)which contains the following features:1)An initialization based on three heuristic rules is developed to generate a population with great diversity and convergence.2)A comprehensive metric combining convergence and diversity metrics is used to better represent the heuristic information of a solution.3)A competitive selection is designed which divides the population into a winner and a loser swarms based on the comprehensive metric.4)A cooperative evolutionary schema is proposed for winner and loser swarms to accelerate the convergence of global search.5)Five local search strategies based on problem knowledge are designed to improve convergence.6)Aproblem-based energy-saving strategy is presented to reduce TEC.Finally,to evaluate the performance of CCSPEA,it is compared to four state-of-art and run on 22 instances based on the Taillard benchmark.The numerical experiment results demonstrate that 1)the proposed comprehensive metric can efficiently represent the heuristic information of each solution to help the later step divide the population.2)The global search based on the competitive and cooperative schema can accelerate loser solutions convergence and further improve the winner’s exploration.3)The problembased initialization,local search,and energy-saving strategies can efficiently reduce the makespan and TEC.4)The proposed CCSPEA is superior to the state-of-art for solving DHPFSP.

Creation and Evaluation of Construction Guidelines Using CFD for Low Pressure Plasma Gas Feed-in Systems to Homogenize the Precursor Gas Flow

The local gas-flow behavior is almost unknown for low pressure plasma systems, except parallel plate reactors for semiconductor purposes. To overcome this lack of knowledge, this study starts with the influence investigation of the gas feed-in systems technical layout on the homogeneity of the gas supply for large volume plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) chambers. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations are used as a tool to determine velocity and pressure distribution inside the gas feed-in pipe as well as in the PECVD-chamber itself. The parameters varied were: flow rate, pipe length, number of holes, hole diameter and aspect ratio of the pipe section. The calculated pressure values are compared with the experimentally measured ones to validate the simulation results. An excellent conformity of the calculated and measured pressures is observed. With the aim to evaluate the homogeneity of gas distribution through the pipe holes the nonuniformity coefficient (Φ) was created. The results show the influence of each layout parameter in the homogeneity of the gas distribution. Hence in future correct technical layouts of gas feed-in systems can easily be applied. With these results construction guidelines has been formulated.

Energy flow problem solution based on state estimation approaches and smart meter data

Accurate electric energy(EE)measurements and billing estimations in a power system necessitate the development of an energy flow distribution model.This paper summarizes the results of investigations on a new problem related to the determination of EE flow in a power system over time intervals ranging from minutes to years.The problem is referred to as the energy flow problem(EFP).Generally,the grid state and topology may fluctuate over time.An attempt to use instantaneous(not integral)power values obtained from telemetry to solve classical electrical engineering equations leads to significant modeling errors,particularly with topology changes.A promoted EFP model may be suitable in the presence of such topological and state changes.Herein,EE flows are determined using state estimation approaches based on direct EE measurement data in Watt-hours(Volt-ampere reactive-hours)provided by electricity meters.The EFP solution is essential for a broad set of applications,including meter data validation,zero unbalance EE billing,and nontechnical EE loss check.

新一代运载火箭发射燃气动力学数值模拟

By using the mesh resolution control method based on the nozzle scale,a paralleled super numerical simulation and high-quality mesh model of the launch jet dynamics for new-generation launch vehicles was developed.Based upon this,a transient numerical simulation method,combining the pressure and velocity,tightly coupled algorithm and SST turbulence model,was used to complete the unsteady numerical simulation of the launch jet dynamics of the new-generation launch vehicles.The numerical simulation results of the launch jet dynamics,for the new-generation launch vehicles,demonstrated that despite the complex structure of the launch platform,the jet flows of the core stage and booster engines were generally smoothly channeled into the double deflecting trench through the launch platform’s diversion hole at the initial stage of ignition.After the lift off,the jet flows of the core stage and the booster engines began to affect and ablate the grillage-shaped beam and the adjoined surface of the launch platform adjacent to the booster engines.At a higher altitude after lift off,it could be seen for the new-generation launch vehicles the ablation range of high temperature and high-speed jet flows on the launch platform further expanded,which would have a severe ablation effect on the fuel filling tower near the booster engines and even all the support arms.The numerical simulation of launch jet dynamics also established that the jet flows embers at the bottom of the core stage rocket body continued to be affected for an extended period of time due to the large number of nozzles in the new-generation launch vehicles engine and the weak suction effect of the jet flows in the core-stage engines.

Experimental study on flow excursion instability of supercritical hydrocarbon fuel in scramjet regenerative cooling parallel channels

Flow instability of supercritical hydrocarbon fuel is a crucial issue in scramjet regenerative cooling structure. In this study, flow excursion instability and flow distribution in parallel tubes were experimentally studied for supercritical fluids. Two types of flow excursion occur in a single tube. Type Ⅰ and Type Ⅱ excursions, and they are corresponding to decreasing and increasing flow rate respectively. They can trigger flow maldistribution between parallel tubes and the hysteresis phenomenon of flow distribution. The effects of system parameters, including inlet temperature,system pressure, and heat flux, on flow distribution were analyzed. In addition, the relationship between flow excursion and the pseudo-critical interval proposed in the literature was established according to the heated tube outlet temperature at the onset of flow instability. Finally, the flow excursion instability boundary was obtained using two dimensionless parameters. These experimental results can provide helpful insight on the mechanism of Scramjet regenerative cooling.

Performance Simulation of a Modified Geothermal Grain Dryer Based at Menengai Well 3 in Kenya

Geothermal energy can be effectively utilized for grain drying to reduce carbon emissions and also cut operational costs associated with conventional methods. The main challenges encountered in the use of the geothermal grain dryer, such as in Menengai, Kenya, include uneven grain drying and long throughput times. Grains near the hot air inlet dry at a faster rate compared to those near the exhaust end. Therefore, the grains must be recirculated within the dryer to achieve uniform moisture distribution. Grain recirculation is energy-intensive as it utilizes electricity running the elevator motors in addition to the suction pump. A Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model was developed to study the airflow pattern and its impact on drying of maize. The model was simulated in ANSYS 21 and validated using experimental data. Finite volume discretization method was employed for meshing. Pressure-based segregated solver was used in the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation. Also, K-Omega turbulent model was used for enhancing wall treatment. The findings indicate that non-uniform hot air distribution across the grain buffer section causes uneven drying. Introducing filleted flow-guides results in a relatively uniform velocity, temperature, and turbulence kinetic energy distribution across the dryer. The average velocity and temperature magnitudes in lower compartments increased by 153.3% and 0.25% respectively for the improved dryer. In the upper compartments, the velocity and temperature increase were 176.5% and 0.22% respectively.

A three dimensional visualized physical simulation for natural gas charging in the micro-nano pore system

A micro-nano pore three-dimensional visualized real-time physical simulation of natural gas charging, in-situ pore-scale computation, pore network modelling, and apparent permeability evaluation theory were used to investigate laws of gas and water flow and their distribution, and controlling factors during the gas charging process in low-permeability(tight) sandstone reservoir. By describing features of gas-water flow and distribution and their variations in the micro-nano pore system, it is found that the gas charging in the low permeability(tight) sandstone can be divided into two stages, expansion stage and stable stage. In the expansion stage, the gas flows continuously first into large-sized pores then small-sized pores, and first into centers of the pores then edges of pores;pore-throats greater than 20 μm in radius make up the major pathway for gas charging. With the increase of charging pressure, movable water in the edges of large-sized pores and in the centers of small pores is displaced out successively. Pore-throats of 20-50 μm in radius and pore-throats less than 20 μm in radius dominate the expansion of gas charging channels at different stages of charging in turn, leading to reductions in pore-throat radius, throat length and coordination number of the pathway, which is the main increase stage of gas permeability and gas saturation. Among which, pore-throats 30-50 μm in radius control the increase pattern of gas saturation. In the stable stage, gas charging pathways have expanded to the maximum, so the pathways keep stable in pore-throat radius, throat length, and coordination number, and irreducible water remains in the pore system, the gas phase is in concentrated clusters, while the water phase is in the form of dispersed thin film, and the gas saturation and gas permeability tend stable. Connected pore-throats less than 20 μm in radius control the expansion limit of the charging pathways, the formation of stable gas-water distribution, and the maximum gas saturation. The heterogeneity of connected pore-throats affects the dynamic variations of gas phase charging and gas-water distribution. It can be concluded that the pore-throat configuration and heterogeneity of the micro-nanometer pore system control the dynamic variations of the low-permeability(tight) sandstone gas charging process and gas-water distribution features.

Digital/Analog Simulation Platform for Distributed Power Flow Controller Based on ADPSS and dSPACE

Distributed power flow controller,which is among the most powerful distributed flexible transmission equipments,is still only in the stage of the oretical research and digital simulation.In order to promote the engineering demonstration of a distributed power flow controller,it is urgent to establish a digital/analog simulation platform that supports closed-loop real-time simulation of a distributed power flow controller.In this paper,the electromagnetic transient model of a distributed power flow controller is established on ADPSS(advanced digital power system simulator).The rapid control prototype realized by dSPACE is connected to ADPSS to form a digital/analog simulation platform for a distributed power flow controller.Through a voltage control and power flow control simulation of the test system with a distributed power flow controller,the correctness and effectiveness of the constructed simulation platform are verified,which provides a new way for the verification of the new theory of a distributed power flow controller.

Decomposition-Based Multi-Objective Optimization for Energy-Aware Distributed Hybrid Flow Shop Scheduling with Multiprocessor Tasks

This paper addresses the Energy-Aware Distributed Hybrid Flow Shop Scheduling Problem with Multiprocessor Tasks(EADHFSPMT)by considering two objectives simultaneously,i.e.,makespan and total energy consumption.It consists of three sub-problems,i.e.,job assignment between factories,job sequence in each factory,and machine allocation for each job.We present a mixed inter linear programming model and propose a Novel MultiObjective Evolutionary Algorithm based on Decomposition(NMOEA/D).We specially design a decoding scheme according to the characteristics of the EADHFSPMT.To initialize a population with certain diversity,four different rules are utilized.Moreover,a cooperative search is designed to produce new solutions based on different types of relationship between any solution and its neighbors.To enhance the quality of solutions,two local intensification operators are implemented according to the problem characteristics.In addition,a dynamic adjustment strategy for weight vectors is designed to balance the diversity and convergence,which can adaptively modify weight vectors according to the distribution of the non-dominated front.Extensive computational experiments are carried out by using a number of benchmark instances,which demonstrate the effectiveness of the above special designs.The statistical comparisons to the existing algorithms also verify the superior performances of the NMOEA/D.

Multi-objective Coordination Control of Distributed Power Flow Controller

In this paper,distributed power flow controller(DPFC)constraints are analyzed.The energy balance relationship between fundamental wave and third harmonic in series and shunt-side converter is deduced.A proportional integral(PI)controller of the DPFC is constructed.The PI controller uses the voltage amplitude and phase angle injected into the system in the series side,along with the modulation ratio of the three-phase converter on the shunt side as the control variables.A multiobjective coordinated control equation is proposed,which factors the constraints of the energy balance between series and shunt side,device capacity limit,safe operation limit,fundamental component,as well as third harmonic component of the injection voltage at the series side.The equation minimizes the variance between the actual value of the control target and its given value to ensure that the DC capacitor voltage,both in the series and shunt side,is stable at target value.Simulations are conducted to verify correctness and effectiveness of the proposed control method.

Distributed Flow Shop Scheduling with Sequence-Dependent Setup Times Using an Improved Iterated Greedy Algorithm

To meet the multi-cooperation production demand of enterprises,the distributed permutation flow shop scheduling problem(DPFSP)has become the frontier research in the field of manufacturing systems.In this paper,we investigate the DPFSP by minimizing a makespan criterion under the constraint of sequence-dependent setup times.To solve DPFSPs,significant developments of some metaheuristic algorithms are necessary.In this context,a simple and effective improved iterated greedy(NIG)algorithm is proposed to minimize makespan in DPFSPs.According to the features of DPFSPs,a two-stage local search based on single job swapping and job block swapping within the key factory is designed in the proposed algorithm.We compare the proposed algorithm with state-of-the-art algorithms,including the iterative greedy algorithm(2019),iterative greedy proposed by Ruiz and Pan(2019),discrete differential evolution algorithm(2018),discrete artificial bee colony(2018),and artificial chemical reaction optimization(2017).Simulation results show that NIG outperforms the compared algorithms.

Optimal integration of DGs into radial distribution network in the presence of plug-in electric vehicles to minimize daily active power losses and to improve the voltage profile of the system using bioinspired optimization algorithms

Purpose:The increase in plug-in electric vehicles(PEVs)is likely to see a noteworthy impact on the distribution system due to high electric power consumption during charging and uncertainty in charging behavior.To address this problem,the present work mainly focuses on optimal integration of distributed generators(DG)into radial distribution systems in the presence of PEV loads with their charging behavior under daily load pattern including load models by considering the daily(24 h)power loss and voltage improvement of the system as objectives for better system performance.Design/methodology/approach:To achieve the desired outcomes,an efficient weighted factor multi-objective function is modeled.Particle Swarm Optimization(PSO)and Butterfly Optimization(BO)algorithms are selected and implemented to minimize the objectives of the system.A repetitive backward-forward sweep-based load flow has been introduced to calculate the daily power loss and bus voltages of the radial distribution system.The simulations are carried out using MATLAB software.Findings:The simulation outcomes reveal that the proposed approach definitely improved the system performance in all aspects.Among PSO and BO,BO is comparatively successful in achieving the desired objectives.Originality/value:The main contribution of this paper is the formulation of the multi-objective function that can address daily active power loss and voltage deviation under 24-h load pattern including grouping of residential,industrial and commercial loads.Introduction of repetitive backward-forward sweep-based load flow and the modeling of PEV load with two different charging scenarios.

Bi-objective optimization models for mitigating traffic congestion in urban road networks

Traffic congestion in road transportation networks is a persistent problem in major metropolitan cities around the world.In this context,this paper deals with exploiting underutilized road capacities in a network to lower the congestion on overutilized links while simultaneously satisfying the system optimal flow assignment for sustainable transportation.Four congestion mitigation strategies are identified based on deviation and relative deviation of link volume from the corresponding capacity.Consequently,four biobjective mathematical programming optimal flow distribution(OFD)models are proposed.The case study results demonstrate that all the proposed models improve system performance and reduce congestion on high volume links by shifting flows to low volumeto-capacity links compared to UE and SO models.Among the models,the system optimality with minimal sum and maximum absolute relative-deviation models(SO-SAR and SO-MAR)showed superior results for different performance measures.The SO-SAR model yielded 50%and 30%fewer links at higher link utilization factors than UE and SO models,respectively.Also,it showed more than 25%improvement in path travel times compared to UE travel time for about 100 paths and resulted in the least network congestion index of1.04 compared to the other OFD and UE models.Conversely,the SO-MAR model yielded the least total distance and total system travel time,resulting in lower fuel consumption and emissions,thus contributing to sustainability.The proposed models contribute towards efficient transportation infrastructure management and will be of interest to transportation planners and traffic managers.