Experimental Oxygen Mass Transfer Study of Micro-Perforated Diffusers

We studied new micro-perforated diffuser concepts for the aeration process in wastewater treatment plants and evaluated their aeration efficiency. These are micro-perforated plate diffusers with orifice diameters of 30 µm, 50 µm and 70 µm and a micro-perforated tube diffuser with an orifice diameter of 50 µm. The oxygen transfer of the diffuser concepts is tested in clean water, and it is compared with commercial aerators from the literature. The micro-perforated tube diffuser and micro-perforated plate diffusers outperform the commercial membrane diffusers by up to 44% and 20%, respectively, with regard to the oxygen transfer efficiency. The most relevant reason for the improved oxygen transfer is the fine bubble aeration with bubble sizes as small as 1.8 mm. Furthermore, the more homogenous cross-sectional bubble distribution of the micro-perforated tube diffuser has a beneficial effect on the gas mass transfer due to less bubble coalescence. However, the pressure drop of micro-perforated diffusers seems to be the limiting factor for their standard aeration efficiencies due to the size and the number of orifices. Nevertheless, this study shows the potential for better aeration efficiency through the studied conceptual micro-perforated diffusers.

Tuning acoustic performance of multi-chamber hybrid mufflers

In this paper, we investigate the functional acoustic performance of multi-chamber mufflers using a numerical approach. The wave propagation governing in expansion chamber domains is first introduced and solved by the finite element method. Our numerical results of selected muffler configurations are compared with the reference predictions model and experiments in order to validate the present procedure. Then, the influence of the geometry characteristics of typical and hybrid configurations of multi-chambered mufflers (number of sub-chambers, micro-perforated tube structure) on their sound transmission loss is studied. The obtained results indicate that the structure of the considered muffler has a strong effect on their acoustical performance, and the location and the high level of resonances of the sound transmission loss behavior are strongly related to the number of sub-chambers as well as micro-perforated tube characteristics. By tuning geometrical parameters (e.g., having a small perforation ratio), we enable to design mufflers having a higher sound transmission loss (up to 110 dB) at low frequencies (~ 195 Hz) but a constraint space (e.g., acoustic chamber length of 300 mm).

Compact silencers for new-generation light small arms

This paper presents the results of the development of silencers, whose design feature is a central perforated tube, at the institute of Technical Mechanics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the State Space Agency of Ukraine (ITM of NASU and SSAU). The advisability of silencers of this type is confirmed by their operational reliability and shot sound suppression efficiency in their actual service as part of light small arms of different types. To design high-efficiency advanced silencers, technical requirements for their design were developed. The paper describes the possibility of using a central perforated tube as the key component of a powder gas spreader. Differently shaped elements or a combination thereof are used as additional elements that form a powder gas flow inside a silencer: conical and spherical axisymmetric baffles coaxial with the silencer body, cylindrical shells (including perforated ones) that provide a powder gas flow between the expansion chambers along the internal axis of the central channel, helicoidal elements, and peripheral labyrinth-vortex contours. One way to increase silencer efficiency is an additional expansion chamber that embraces the external part of the barrel and is gas-dynamically connected to a traditional muzzle silencer. In deciding on an advisable design for compact silencers, the following was redetermined: the number of expansion chambers, the powder gas energy converter design, the baffle type, the presence of a gas flow between the chambers along the inner surface of the silencer body, and, if so, the gas flow rate. The silencer design was optimized based on simulating the silencer gas dynamics using the authors’ efficiency calculation procedure for silencers with a central perforated tube and different internal components. The paper describes the procedure and presents the results calculated with its help. Comparison tests of the silencers developed and foreign silencers confirmed a high efficiency of the former. The silencers with a central perforated tube for light small arms developed at the ITM of NASU and SSAU compare well in performance with their best foreign counterparts. The designs of some of them are covered by Ukrainian patents.

Buoyancy Force on a Plain or Perforated Portion of a Pipe

Torque and drag models have been used for many decades to calculate tensions and torques along drill-strings, casing strings and liner strings. However, when applied to sand-screens, it is important to check that all the initial hypotheses used for torque and drag calculations are still valid. In particular, it should be checked whether the buoyancy force on a perforated tube may differ from the one applied to a plain tube. The buoyancy force applied on a pipe, contributes to the sum of efforts at the contact between the pipe and the borehole and therefore influences torque and drag calculations. This contact force is local and should account for localized effects as well as the material internal forces, torques and moments on each side of the contact. As the buoyancy force is the result of the gravitational component of the pressure gradient on the surface of the pipe that is in contact with the fluid, the presence of holes in the pipe also influences the buoyancy force. When applied to a portion of a pipe, buoyancy does not have contributions at the end caps of that portion of the drill-stem since these end caps are not in contact with the fluid, except at positions with a change of diameter. Therefore, one shall be cautious when calculating the local buoyancy force either on a plain or a perforated tube. The paper describes how to calculate the local buoyancy force on a portion of a drill-stem by application of the Gauss theorem accounting for the necessary corrections arising from the end caps not being exposed to the fluid. An experimental setup has been built to verify that the tension inside a pipe subject to buoyancy does follow the derived mathematical calculations. With complex well construction operations, for instance during extended reach drilling or when drilling very shallow wells with high kick-off rates, the slightest error in torques and drag calculations may end up in jeopardizing the chance of success of the drilling operation. It is therefore important to check that all initial calculation hypotheses are still valid in those contexts and that for instance, sand-screens may be run in hole safely after a successful drilling operation.

STUDY OF EFFICIENCY OF DRUM DRYERS OF METALLURGICAL PRODUCTIONS USING PERFORATED PIPES WITH LOCALIZATION OF HEAT FLOWS

The article presents the design of a drum furnace, providing for the provision of differentiated heat flows through the use of an internal perforated pipe. The design of the presented horizontal drum dryer with a perforated tube having openings is designed to eliminate such technological risk factors as the ignition of the oil component of the processed material, and the metal dispersed material itself having pyrophoric properties. As a result of the numerical simulation using the LS–DYNA program, the temperature and heat fluxes in the quasi-boiling zone of the drained oil-containing dispersed material were determined. The calculations made it possible to establish the dependence of the temperature in the quasi-boiling zone on the number of holes of the perforated pipe. Analysis of the obtained graphs allows us to conclude that the gradient of temperature (heat) flows in fixed sections of the furnace of the quasi-boiling zone.

Effect of water and air injection on reduction of bend scour

In the proposed method, air and water were injected into the 180° bend flow from both sides of a perforated tube to overcome curvature-induced secondary flows by creating a non-rigid barrier. The experimental results showed that the secondary flows were deviated from the outer bend causing a reduction in the maximum scour depth along the bend. The navigable width may also be increased by shifting the maximum scour depth from the outer wall to the centerline. On the other hand, the maximum scour depth was reduced by decreasing the distance between the perforated tube and the outer wall. For example, the maximum scour depth in the water and air injection main experiments at 130° section of the bend and two tube distances of 2.5 cm and 5 cm decreased by 88%, 91%, 63% and 45%, respectively. With the increase in the Froude numbers, the maximum scour depth has increased.

Subterranean biodiversity and depth distribution of myriapods in forested scree slopes of Central Europe

The shallow underground of rock debris is a unique animal refuge. Nevertheless, the research of this habitat lags far behind the study of caves and soil, due to technical and time-consuming demands. Data on Myriapoda in scree habitat from eleven localities in seven different geomorphological units of the Czech and Slovak Republics were processed. Based on previous studies, as well as knowledge of cave and soil fauna, it was hypothesised that the occurrence of a varied and peculiar fauna would show a pattern of depth distribution with variations due to local specificities. From 2005–2016 (at least one year on each site), macrofauna was collected via sets of three long-term exposed subterranean traps consisting of 110 cm long perforated tube, with ten cups located in a gradient at 5–95 cm below the soil surface. In total, 14 symphylans (not identified to species level), 271 centipedes (23 spp.) and 572 millipedes (32 spp.) were sampled. The overall depth distribution of centipedes and millipedes appeared to have relatively similar pattern, with both groups being found at all depth levels. Nevertheless, this pattern depends on locations. The depth distribution trend lines are mostly in the form of an asymmetric ‘U’, with decreased abundance until the middle of the gradient, followed by increase in the deepest levels. Epigeic species were sporadically distributed along the whole depth gradient, but concentrated at the soil surface, while some subterranean species, such as the centipede Lithobius lucifugus and the millipedes Geoglomeris subterranea, Cibiniulus slovacus and Archiboreoiulus pallidus, were recorded in the deepest parts of the gradient. This characterises the debris community as a mixture of soil and subterranean species with an absence of species exclusively found in caves. The use of different fixation methods in traps had a significant and selective impact on samples; millipedes were either attracted by ethylene glycol or repelled by formaldehyde. Centipedes were also captured more frequently in ethylene glycol; however, the species composition varied in each of the fixatives. Depth distribution of myriapods was similar in both fixative solutions. Traps with these fixatives could be recommended for similar ecological studies.