Optimum design of flow distribution in quenching tank for heat treatment of A357 aluminum alloy large complicated thin-wall workpieces by CFD simulation and ANN approach

Based on the computational fluid dynamics （CFD） method, a quenching tank with two agitator systems and two flow-equilibrating devices was selected to simulate flow distribution using Fluent software. A numerical example was used to testify the validity of the quenching tank model. In order to take tank parameters （agitation speed, position of directional flow baffle and coordinate position in quench zone） into account, an approach that combines the artificial neural network （ANN） with CFD method was developed to study the flow distribution in the quenching tank. The flow rate of the quenching medium shows a very good agreement between the ANN predicted results and the Fluent simulated data. Methods for the optimal design of the quenching tank can be used as technical support for industrial production.

CFD-supported optimization of flow distribution in quench tank for heat treatment of A357 alloy large complicated components

The flow distribution in quench tank for heat treatment of A357 alloy large complicated components was simulated using FLUENT computational fluid dynamics（CFD） software.The flow velocity and the uniformity of flow field in two types of quench tanks（with or without agitation system） were calculated.The results show that the flow field in the quench tank without agitation system has not evident regularity.While as for the quench tank with agitation system,the flow fields in different parameters have certain regularity.The agitation tanks have a distinct advantage over the system without agitation.Proper process parameters were also obtained.Finally,the tank model established in this work was testified by an example from publication.This model with high accuracy is able to optimize the tank structures and can be helpful for industrial production and theoretical investigation in the fields of heat treatment of large complicated components.

Flow pattern analysis of linear gradient flow distribution

This paper uses the Oseen transformation to solve the differential equations governing motion of the vertical linear gradient flow distribution close to a wall surface. The Navier-Stokes equations are used to consider the inertia term along the flow direction. A novel contour integral method is used to solve the complex Airy function. The boundary conditions of linear gradient flow distribution for finite problems are determined. The vorticity function, the pressure function, and the turbulent velocity profiles are provided, and the stability of particle trajectories is studied. An Lx-function form of the third derivative circulation is used to to simplify the solution. Theoretical results are compared with the experimental measurements with satisfactory agreement.

Experimental Research on Flow Maldistribution in Plate-Fin Heat Exchangers

The flow maldistribution and the effect of different inlet configuration on the flow distribution in platefin heat exchangers were studied experimentally. It is found that the flow maldistribution is serious because of the defects of inlet configurations, while the inlet configuration and Reynolds number are the main factors affecting the flow distribution. The improved inlet configurations, which are the header with a two-stage distributing configuration and the guide vane with a fluid complementary cavity were proposed and tested in this paper. The experimental results show that the improved inlet configurations can effectively improve the performance of flow distribution in heat exchangers.

Characteristics of turbulent flow distribution in branch piping system

Flow distribution in branch piping system is affected by flow characteristics and different geometric variations. Most of the flow distribution studies are performed with one-dimensional analysis to yield overall information only. However, detailed analysis is required to find effects of design parameters on the flow distribution. For this aspect, three-dimensional turbulent flow analysis was performed to assess turbulence model performance and effects of upstream pressure and branch pipe geometry. Three different turbulence models of standard k-e model, realizable k-e model and standard k-co yield similar results, indicating small effects of turbulence models on flow characteristics analysis. Geometric variations include area ratio of main and branch pipes, branch pipe diameter, and connection shape of main and branch pipes. Among these parameters, area ratio and branch diameter and shape show strong effect on flow distribution due to high friction and minor loss. Uniform flow distribution is one of common requirements in the branch piping system and this can be achieved with rather high total loss design.

A CFD study on optimal venting volume and air flow distribution in a special designed hood system for controlling dust flow

A novel hood structure has been designed for the dust control system in the foundry in order to improve the working environment. A composite strategy has been applied for comparative analysis of the optimal venting volume and the airflow distribution between the conventional hood and the novel one in this study. A Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) method is used to simulate the airflow fields and dust-polluted air moving paths. The CFD results show that a two-outlet hood, with one outlet located on the left of the hood, is better for improving dust-polluted air than the hood with one outlet only. It can be concluded that the number of the outlets as well as their location on the hood has a significant influence on the air flow pattern in the hood. The optimal venting volume is also a major consideration that is discussed in the study. The venting volume should be designed by considering both the effective level of air flow velocity around the dust source and the energy saving. The optimal airflow distribution may reduce the turbulence in the hood system.

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

Distribution Regularity of Debris Flow and Its Hazard in Upper Reaches of Yangtze River and Other Rivers of Southwestern China

In the upper reaches of Yangtze River and other rivers of southwestern China, the debris flows develop and lead to most serious disasters because of the various landforms, complex geological structures and abundant rainfall. The distribution of debris flows has regularity in the regions with different landform, geological structure, and precipitation. The regularities of distribution of debris flows are as following： （1） distributed in transition belts of different morphologic regions; （2） distributed in the area with strong stream trenching; （3） distributed along fracture zones and seismic belts： （4） distributed in the area with abundant precipitation; （5） distribution of debris flow is azonal. The activity of abundant debris flows not only brings harm to Towns, Villages and Farmlands, Main Lines of Communication, Water-Power Engineering, Stream Channels etc., but also induces strong water and soil loss. According to the present status of debris flow prevention, the problems in disasters mitigation and soil conservancy are found out, and the key works are brought up for the future disasters prevention and soil conservancy.

A novel hybrid estimation of distribution algorithm for solving hybrid flowshop scheduling problem with unrelated parallel machine

The hybrid flow shop scheduling problem with unrelated parallel machine is a typical NP-hard combinatorial optimization problem, and it exists widely in chemical, manufacturing and pharmaceutical industry. In this work, a novel mathematic model for the hybrid flow shop scheduling problem with unrelated parallel machine(HFSPUPM) was proposed. Additionally, an effective hybrid estimation of distribution algorithm was proposed to solve the HFSPUPM, taking advantage of the features in the mathematic model. In the optimization algorithm, a new individual representation method was adopted. The(EDA) structure was used for global search while the teaching learning based optimization(TLBO) strategy was used for local search. Based on the structure of the HFSPUPM, this work presents a series of discrete operations. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed hybrid algorithm compared with other algorithms.

The Effect of Flow Distribution on the Concentration of NO Produced by Pulsed Arc Discharge

As a new method to cure acute respiratory distress syndrome （ARDS）, high blood pressure and some illnesses related to the lung, NO has recently received more attention. Thermal plasmas produced by arc discharge can create medical NO, but the concentration of NO2 produced by arc discharge must be controlled simultaneously. This paper investigates the characteristics and regulations of NO production at different flow distribution by pulsed arc discharge in dry air with a special pulsed power, The experimental results show that the flow distribution has a considerable effect on the NO concentration, the stabilization of NO. The production of NO2 could be controlled and the ratio of NO2/NO was decreased to about 10% in the arc discharge. Therefore, the arc discharge could produce stable inhaled NO for medical treatment by changing the flow distribution.

NUMERICAL STUDY ON FLOW DISTRIBUTION IN PLATE-FIN HEAT EXCHANGERS

Objective To investigate the flow distribution in plate fin heat exchangers and optimize the design of header configuration for plate fin heat exchangers. Methods A mathematical model of header was proposed. The effects of the header configuration on the flow distribution in plate fin heat exchangers were investigated by CFD. The second header configuration with a two stage distributing structure was brought forward to improve the performance of flow distribution. Results It is found that the flow maldistribution is very serious in the direction of header length for the conventional header used in industry. The numerical predictions indicate that the improved header configurations can effectively improve the performance of flow distribution in plate fin heat exchangers. Conclusion The numerical simulation confirms that CFD should be a suitable tool for predicting the flow distribution. The method has a wide variety of applications in the design of plate fin heat exchangers.

Application of genetic algorithm for influent flow distribution in the four stage A/O biological nutrient removal system

The application of the Genetic Algorithm （GA） for the influent flow optimized distribution in the four stage pilot plant of Step-Feed Biological Nutrient Removal （BNR） System was discussed. Under decided process parameter and influent water conditions, the objective function of optimization was designed to minimize the difference between estimated and required effluent concentrations at the four stage pilot plant of Step-Feed BNR System, the optimized parameter for influent distribution ratios of the four stages is 37.2%, 27.4%, 23.2% and 12.2% respectively. According to the optimizations results and raw wastewater pilot-scale experiment, the average removal efficiencies for pollutants are higher.

A Parallel Approach for Real-Time Power Flow in Distribution Networks

The new reality of smart distribution systems with use of generation sources of small and medium sizes brings new challenges for the operation of these systems. The complexity and the large number of nodes requires use of methods which can reduce the processing time of algorithms such as power flow, allowing its use in real time. This paper presents a known methodology for calculating the power flow in three phases using backward/forward sweep method, and also considering other network elements such as voltage regulators, shunt capacitors and sources of dispersed generation of types PV （active power and voltage） and PQ （active and reactive power）. After that, new elements are introduced that allow the parallelization of this algorithm and an adequate distribution of work between the available processors. The algorithm was implemented using a multi-tiered architecture; the processing times were measured in many network configurations and compared with the same algorithm in the serial version.

FORCE ANALYSIS AND DYNAMIC SIMULATION OF THE PLAIN FLOWDISTRIBUTION PAIR IN A RADIALPISTON HYDRAULIC

New design of plain flow distributor of the radial piston low speed hydraulic motor is presented. On the basis of analyzing its static mathematic model and structural optimization, the kinetic characteristics of the distribution plates and the oil film between them are discussed in detail.

Study on the Flow Field around Two Parallel Moving Bubbles and Interaction Between Bubbles Rising in CMC Solutions by PIV

The flow fields surrounding two parallel moving bubbles rising from two identical orifices submerged in non-Newtonian fluid of carboxymethylcellulose （CMC） solution of three different mass concentration were measured experimentally by the use of particle image velocimetry （PIV）. The influences of gas flowrate, solution mass concentration, orifice interval and the angle between two bubble centers line and vertical direction on the flow field surrounding bubbles were discussed respectively by analyzing the velocity vector, velocity contours as well as individual velocity components. The results show that the liquid velocity both in front of two bubbles and behind increases with gas flowrate duo to shear-thinning effect of previous bubbles, whereas decreases with the increase of CMC concentration due to the increase of drag force acting on bubbles. The effect of the orifice interval on the flow field around two moving bubbles becomes gradually obvious as the interval becomes closer. Moreover, two adjacent side-by-side bubbles repulse each other during rising, leading to the practical interval between them increased somewhat above the orifice interval. When the distance between bubbles is less than the orifice interval 10 mm, the interaction between two neighboring bubbles changed from mutual repellence to attraction with the decrease of the angle of the line of linking two bubble centers to the vertical direction.

Connection Between Liquid Distribution and Gas-Liquid Mass Transfer in Monolithic Bed

With a particular focus on the connection between liquid flow distribution and gas-liquid mass transfer in monolithic beds in the Taylor flow regime, hydrodynamic and gas-liquid mass transfer experiments were carriedout in a column with a monolithic bed of cell density of 50 cpsi with trio different distributors （nozzle and packed bed distributors）. Liquid saturation in individual channels was measured by using self-made micro-conductivity probes. A mal-distribution factor was used to evaluate uniform degree of phase distribution in monoliths. Overall bed pressure drop and mass transfer coefficients were measured. For liquid flow distribution and gas-liquid masstransfer, it is found that the superficial liquid velocity is a crucial factor and the packed bed distributor is better than the nozzle distributor. A semi-theoretical analysis using single channel models shows that the packed bed distributor always yields shorter and uniformly distributed liquid slugs compared to the nozzle distributor, which in turn ensures a better mass transfer performance. A bed scale mass transfer model is proposed by employing the single channel models in individual channels and incorporating effects of non-uniform liquid distribution along the bedcross-section. The model predicts the overall gas-liquid mass transfer coefficient wig a relative error within ＋30%.

Investigation on a vertical radial flow adsorber designed by a novel parallel connection method

Due to the increasing global demand for industrial gas, the development of large-scale cryogenic air separation systems has attracted considerable attention in recent years. Increasing the height of the adsorption bed in a vertical radial flow adsorber used in cryogenic air separation systems may efficiently increase the treatment capacity of the air in the adsorber. However, uniformity of the flow distribution of the air inside the adsorber would be deteriorated using the height-increasing method. In order to reduce the non-uniformity of the flow distribution caused by the excessive height of adsorption bed in a vertical radial flow adsorber, a novel parallel connection method is proposed in the present work. The experimental apparatus is designed and constructed; the Computational Fluid Dynamics(CFD) technique is used to develop a CFD-based model, which is used to analyze the flow distribution, the static pressure drop and the radial velocity in the newly designed adsorber. In addition, the geometric parameters of annular flow channels and the adsorption bed thickness of the upper unit in the parallelconnected vertical radial flow adsorber are optimized, so that the upper and lower adsorption units could be penetrated by air simultaneously. Comparisons are made between the height-increasing method and the parallel connection method with the same adsorber height. It is shown that using the parallel connection method could reduce the difference between the maximum and minimum radial static pressure drop by 86.2% and improve the uniformity by 80% compared with those of using the height-increasing method. The optimal thickness ratio of the upper and lower adsorption units is obtained as 0.966, in which case the upper and lower adsorption units could be penetrated by air simultaneously, so that the adsorbents in adsorption space could be used more efficiently.

An improved CFD model of gas flow and particle interception in a fiber material

An improved CFD model of gas flow and particle interception in a fiber material which fiber size is Y-shape was developed in this work. The porous medium model was used to build the model of the whole size of fiber filter medium. Mixture model was adopted. The algorithm of particle interception in the whole size of fiber filter medium was derived and UDF(User Defined Function) that described kinds of particle filtering mechanisms in filter fibrous media was added to the Fluent default conservation equation as source term for simulation. The inertial resistance of the filter was taken into consideration, which provided a more precise measurement of the smoke flow and the particle interception in the filter under higher smoke speed conditions. The commercial software, Fluent 6.3, was used to simulate the smoke flow and particle interception in the filter in a single suction. The velocity and pressure profiles of smoke or nicotine particle in the filter, as well as nicotine particle volume fraction profile were well simulated. Finally, the comparisons of nicotine particle filtration efficiency between Fluent simulation results in this work and experimental results, as well as the model prediction in the literature were made to validate the simulation model. The comparisons showed that the particle entrapment model from simulation results was in good agreement with that from the experimental results. In addition, the Fluent simulation results are closer to reality both at the beginning and the end of the smoke process comparing with the model predicted results in the literature.