Pressure Drop Mechanisms Generated in a Cooling System Enclosure of Construction Machinery

A potential way to reduce cooling system noises generated by heavy construction machines is to generate the required cooling airflow with a low fan speed, and one way to accomplish this is to optimize the ventilation path through which the airflow generated by the cooling fan must travel. However, while the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach would be effective for modeling the three-dimensional (3D) pressure drop characteristic of such systems, there have been few reports aimed at clarifying the loss generation mechanisms or suggesting minimization methods based on flow field viewpoints. Accordingly, in this study, we visualize the 3D flow field characteristics of an electric cooling fan system installed within the cooling enclosure of a heavy construction machine and investigate the details of the system’s pressure drop mechanisms. Our results confirm that airflow pressure declines in areas other than the radiator account for more than half of the reduced pressure experienced by the whole system. Additionally, we found that, in the exhaust side enclosure, pressure drops increased because the exhaust port outlet shapes were not optimized to the annular airflow of the cooling fan. Most notably, we found that in the region before reaching the exhaust port outlets, the airflow from the fan repeatedly collides with obstacles within the enclosure, thus producing stagnation and turbulence that exacerbates pressure drops before being expelled into the outside environment.

Joint improvements of radar/infrared stealth for exhaust system of unmanned aircraft based on sorting factor Pareto solution

In order to reduce the radar cross section (RCS) of the unmanned aircraft while suppressing its infrared signature, a comprehensive design method (CDM) based on sorting factor Pareto solution is presented. The physical optics and physical diffraction theory are used to evaluate the electromagnetic scattering characteristics of the aircraft, and the Monte Carlo and ray tracing method are used to evaluate the infrared radiation intensity of the exhaust system. CDM is used to evaluate and screen each individual in each offspring, and the design parameters and sub-models of the aircraft exhaust system are continuously improved. The results show that the exhaust port model, lower baffle and nozzle height are the main factors affecting the RCS indicators, nozzle stages, exhaust port model, lower baffle and outer width make the main contribution to infrared radiation suppression. The presented CDM is efficient and effective in enhancing the radar/infrared integrated stealth performance of the aircraft.

Fraction of expired oxygen: an additional safety approach to monitor oxygen delivery to the heart lung machine oxygenator

Background: Monitoring oxygen delivery to the oxygenator of a heart lung machine (HLM) is typically accomplished with an O2 analyzer connected to the gas inflow line. It is assumed when the FiO2 is greater than 21% that oxygen is being delivered to the oxygenator. However, this assumption is imperfect because the connection of the inflow line to the oxygenator is downstream from the O2 analyzer. FiO2 monitoring will not alert the perfusionist if the inflow line is not actually connected to the oxygenator. Measuring the fraction of expired oxygen (FEO2) is a more reliable way of monitoring O2 delivery. Methods: An O2 analyzer was placed on the scavenging line that is attached to the exhaust port of oxygenator (FEO2). Results: Whenever the FiO2 is greater than 21%, and the inflow line is properly connected, the FEO2 exiting the oxygenator is greater than 21%. The FEO2 falls to 21% when the inflow line is not functioning. Conclusion: Monitoring the FEO2 is a more reliable way to verify O2 delivery to an oxygenator. An alarm can be set on the FEO2 monitor to alert the perfusionist if the FEO2 falls below a predetermined threshold so any issue with O2 delivery will always be recognized.

Measurement of cycle-resolved engine-out soot concentration from a diesel-pilot assisted natural gas direct-injection compression-ignition engine

Exhaust-stream particulate matter (PM) emission from combustion sources such as internal combustion engines are typically characterized with modest temporal resolutions; however, in-cylinder investigations have demonstrated significant variability and the importance of individual cycles in transient PM emissions. Here, using a Fast Exhaust Nephelometer (FEN), a methodology is developed for measuring the cycle-specific PM concentration at the exhaust port of a single-cylinder research engine. The measured FEN light-scattering is converted to cycle-resolved soot mass concentration ([Formula: see text]), and used to characterize the variability of engine-out soot emission. To validate this method, exhaust-port FEN measurements are compared with diluted gravimetric PM mass and scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) measurements, resulting in close agreements with an overall root-mean-square deviation of better than 30%. It is noted that when PM is sampled downstream in the exhaust system, the particles are larger by 50–70 nm due to coagulation. The response time of the FEN was characterized using a “skip-firing” scheme, by enabling and disabling the fuel injection during otherwise steady-state operation. The average response time due to sample transfer and mixing times is 55 ms, well below the engine cycle period (100 ms) for the considered engine speeds, thus suitable for single-cycle measurements carried out in this work. Utilizing the fast-response capability of the FEN, it is observed that cycle-specific gross indicated mean effective pressure (GIMEP) and [Formula: see text] are negatively correlated ([Formula: see text]: 0.2–0.7), implying that cycles with lower GIMEP emit more soot. The physical causes of this association deserve further investigation, but are expected to be caused by local fuel-air mixing effects. The averaged exhaust-port [Formula: see text] is similar to the diluted gravimetric measurements, but the cycle-to-cycle variations can only be detected with the FEN. The methodology developed here will be used in future investigations to characterize PM emissions during transient engine operation, and to enable exhaust-stream PM measurements for optical engine experiments.

Analysis of Bubble Flow Mechanism and Characteristics in Gas–Liquid Cyclone Separator

The separation of bubbles in a gas–liquid cyclone is complicated. A combination of numerical simulation and visual experimentation was considered apt to reveal the microscopic mechanisms of bubble flow. First of all, cyclones with different structures were numerically simulated. The calculation results show that the larger the diameter of the exhaust port, the better the bubble flow effect. When the exhaust port diameter was 24 mm, the gas discharge efficiency was 8% higher than that with an exhaust port diameter of 16 mm. The sequence of the bubble flow effect of a four-structure cyclone was obtained, and the gas discharge efficiency of the cyclone with a rectangular inlet was 7% higher than that of the trapezoidal inlet. Finally, a visual experimental platform was built to compare the rectangular inlet cyclone and spiral inlet cyclone with the best bubble flow effect. In accordance with the simulation numerical calculations, the bubble flow effect of the rectangular inlet cyclone was better than that of the spiral and trapezoid inlet cyclones, and the rectangular inlet in the middle was better. This article provides a specific theory and experience to guide further research on the separation mechanism, flow field characteristics and structurally optimal design of gas–liquid cyclones.

Joint Improvements of Radar/infrared Stealth for Exhaust System of Unmanned Aircraft Based on Sorting Factor Pareto Solution

In order to reduce the radar cross section (RCS) of the unmanned aircraft while suppressing its infrared signature, a comprehensive design method (CDM) based on sorting factor Pareto solution is presented. The physical optics and physical diffraction theory are used to evaluate the electromagnetic scattering characteristics of the aircraft, and the Monte Carlo and ray tracing method are used to evaluate the infrared radiation intensity of the exhaust system. CDM is used to evaluate and screen each individual in each offspring, and the design parameters and sub-models of the aircraft exhaust system are continuously improved. The results show that the exhaust port model, lower baffle and nozzle height are the main factors affecting the RCS indicators, nozzle stages, exhaust port model, lower baffle and outer width make the main contribution to infrared radiation suppression. The presented CDM is efficient and effective in enhancing the radar/infrared integrated stealth performance of the aircraft.

Performance improvement of turbocharged SI engine by post-oxidation enhancement in exhaust gas in-homogeneity

In this research, the improvement of mixing and pulsation in exhaust manifold with a design and implementation of bypass adapter at exhaust port were deeply investigated. This in-turn can improve the post-oxidation phenomena and hence emissions and engine performance could be enhanced. This research investigation includes 1-D, 3-D simulations and experimental validation on a 4-cylinder turbocharged spark ignition (SI) engine. Firstly, the 1-D and 3-D simulation models were developed and calibrated with the experimental results. Then, the simulations were used for the detailed investigation of mixing and pulsation in exhaust manifold with and without bypass adapter. Thereafter, experimental test for the post-oxidation were conducted with and without consideration of the bypass adapter and results were compared. From the simulation and experimental results, it was proven that by using bypass adapter at the exhaust port, the mixing of exhaust gas species was observed to be significantly improved to some extent. Also, the unbalance between exhaust port and turbocharger upstream gas species were reduced. This also reduced the exhaust gas pulsation. By the improvement of mixing between scavenged O2 and unburned gas species, the post-oxidation reaction was also noted to have improved and consequently the emissions and turbo-speed were found to be better that led to an improved IMEP and thermal efficiency of the engine.

Using gas dynamic models to improve exhaust system design for large-bore, two-stroke engines

It is vital to have accurate predictions of the gas exchange behavior of an engine in order to reliably study engine performance and emissions using engine simulation models. There are a multitude of factors, both upstream and downstream of the engine cylinder, which influence its gas exchange characteristics. Quite often these influences are interconnected in a non-linear manner that results in complicated feedback loops, which can introduce significant errors in the computed thermodynamic state of the post-breathing cylinder mixture. The effects of such bi-directional movement of pressure pulses are particularly pronounced in two-stroke engines. This study investigates the importance of exhaust system design on the scavenging characteristics of a piston-scavenged, cross-flow, two-stroke engine. A validated one-dimensional predictive model is used to study the effects of changing the exhaust port timing, exhaust system length, and exhaust port efficiency on the breathing performance of the engine, along with the consequent effects on the thermal efficiency and NOx emissions. Exhaust pressure waves and mass flows across ports are used to understand and explain the observed changes. The results show that while making design changes, thermodynamic efficiency considerations can act as a barrier to improving the scavenging efficiency of the engine; in addition, a trade-off between the two has to be considered in the design process to meet engine performance targets. The effects of such a trade-off on the NOx production are analyzed and two exhaust system modifications are discussed.