Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Particle deposition'

La projection à froid est une technologie en plein essor pour le dépôt de matériaux à l'état solide. Le procédé de dépôt des particules par pulvérisation à froid est simulé par la modélisation de l'impact à haute vitesse de particules sphériques sur un substrat plat dans diverses conditions. Pour la première fois, nous proposons une approche numérique par couplage Euler-Lagrange (CEL) afin de résoudre ce problème à haute vitesse de déformation. Les capacités de l'approche numérique CEL pour la modélisation du processus de dépôt de projection à froid sont évaluées par une étude paramétrique de : la vitesse d'impact, la température initiale des particules, le coefficient de frottement et le choix des matériaux. Les résultats de la simulation à l'aide de l'approche numérique CEL sont en accord avec les résultats expérimentaux publiés dans la littérature. La méthode CEL est généralement plus précise et plus robuste dans des régimes de déformations élevées. Un nouveau modèle d'empilement de type CFC, inspiré de la structure cristalline, est construit afin d'étudier le taux de porosité des particules déposées et les contraintes résiduelles dans le matériau de substrat pour diverses conditions. Nous pouvons observer non seulement la géométrie 3D de porosités, mais aussi leur répartition et leur évolution pendant les impacts successifs. Pour les particules, une vitesse d'impact et une température initiale élevées, sont des avantages pour produire des revêtements denses par projection à froid. Des contraintes résiduelles de compression existent à l'interface entre les particules et le substrat. Ces dernières sont causées par les grandes amplitudes et vitesses de déformation plastique induites par le procédé. Un second modèle moins complexe pour la modélisation de l'impact multiple oblique a été créé afin de simuler l'érosion de surface. Une forte érosion de surface est le résultat : d'une plus grande vitesse d'impact, d'un coefficient de frottement élevé et d'un angle de contact réduite. Pour un matériau ductile comme le cuivre, il y a deux modes de rupture : le mode 1 de traction et le mode 2 de rupture par cisaillement. Le premier survient principalement en dessous de la surface du substrat et à la périphérie de impacts, tandis que le second intervient de manière prédominante à la surface des impacts. On observe quatre étapes lors de la propagation des fissures : la formation de porosités, de fissures, la croissance de ces dernières, puis une dernière étape de coalescence et rupture. Un critère simple, où la vitesse d'érosion est fonction de l'angle de contact et de la vitesse critique d'érosion lors d'un impact de vitesse normale , est proposé sur la base des résultats des simulations afin de prédire l'initiation de l'endommagement. La déformation plastique équivalente est également un paramètre clef pour identifier l'initiation de l'endommagement, une valeur critique de 1,042 a été trouvée dans notre étude pour le cuivre
Cold spray is a rapidly developing coating technology for depositing materials in the solid state. The cold spray particle deposition process was simulated by modeling the high velocity impacts of spherical particles onto a flat substrate under various conditions. We, for the first time, proposed the Couple Eulerian Lagrangian (CEL) numerical approach to solve the high strain rate deformation problem. The capability of the CEL numerical approach in modeling the Cold Spray deposition process was verified through a systematic parameter study, including impact velocity, initial particle temperature, friction coefficient and materials combination. The simulation results by using the CEL numerical approach agree with the experimental results published in the literature. Comparing with other numerical approaches, which are Lagrangian, ALE and SPH, the CEL analyses are generally more accurate and more robust in higher deformation regimes. Besides simulating the single particle impact problem, we also extended our study into the simulation of multiple impacts. A FCC-like particles arrangement model that inspired by the crystal structure was built to investigate the porosity rate and residual stress of deposited particles under various conditions. We observed not only the 3D profiles of voids, but also their distributions and developments during different procedures. Higher impact velocity and higher initial temperature of particles are both of benefit to produce a denser cold spray coating. The compressive residual stresses existed in the interface between the particle and substrate is mainly caused by the large and fast plastic deformation. Another simplified model for multiple impacts was created for the simulation of surface erosion. A severe surface erosion is the result of a high impact velocity, a high friction coefficient and a low contact angle. Two element failure models suitable for high-strain-rate dynamic problems were introduced in this study. For a ductile material as Copper, it followed two fracture modes in our study, which are tensile failure mode and shear failure mode. The former one mainly occurred beneath the substrate surface and the periphery of substrate craters, nevertheless the latter one was found predominately at the surface of craters. Four steps were found during the propagation of crack: void formation; crack formation; crack growth; coalescence and failure. A simple criterion equation was derived based on the simulation results for predicting the initiation of damage, which the erosion velocity v_{ero} is a function of contact angle and erosion velocity for normal impact v_{pi/2}. The equivalent plastic strain could also be a parameter for identifying the onset of damage, identified as being 1.042 for Copper in our study

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Joint Program in Oceanography (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), 2002.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 137-143).
Predictions of deposition rate are integral to the transport of many constituents including contaminants, organic matter, and larvae. Review of the literature demonstrates a general appreciation for the potential control of deposition by bed roughness, but no direct tests involving flat sediment beds. Understanding the mechanisms at work for flat sediment beds would provide the basis for exploring more complicated bed conditions and the incorporation of other transport processes, such as bioturbation and bedload transport. Generally, fine particle deposition rates are assumed to be equivalent to the suspension settling velocity, therefore, deposition rates in excess of settling are considered enhanced. Flume observations of deposition were made using treatments that covered a wide range of flow, particle, and bed conditions. Specific treatments demonstrated large enhancements (up to eight times settling). Delivery of particles to the interface is important, but models based on delivery alone failed to predict the observed enhancement. This necessitated the development of a new model based on a balance between delivery and filtration in the bed. Interfacial diffusion was chosen as a model for particle delivery. Filtration of particles by the bed is a useful framework for retention, but the shear in the interstitial flow may introduce additional factors not included in traditional filtration experiments.
(cont.) The model performed well in prediction of flow conditions, but there remained a discrepancy between predictions and observed deposition rate, especially for treatments with significant enhancement. Fluid flow predictions by the model, such as slip at the sediment water interface and fluid penetration into the sediment, appeared to be supported by flume experiments. Therefore, failure to predict the magnitude of enhancement was attributed to far greater filtration efficiencies for the sediment water interface than those measured in sediment columns. Emerging techniques to directly measure fluid and particle motion at the interface could reveal these mechanisms. The observation of enhanced deposition to flat sediment beds reinforces the importance of permeable sediments to the mediation of transport from the water column to the sediment bed.
by Jerry Stephen Fries.
Ph.D.

This thesis describes validated improvements in the modelling of micron-sized particle deposition within gas turbine engine secondary air systems. The initial aim of the research was to employ appropriate models of instantaneous turbulent flow behaviour to RANS CFD simulations, allowing the trajectory of solid particulates in the flow to be accurately predicted. Following critical assessment of turbophoretic models, the continuous random walk (CRW) model was chosen to predict instantaneous fluid fluctuating velocities. Particle flow, characterised by non-dimensional deposition velocity and particle relaxation time, was observed to match published experimental vertical pipe flow data. This was possible due to redefining the integration time step in terms of Kolmagorov and Lagrangian time scales, reducing the disparity between simulations and experimental data by an order of magnitude. As no high temperature validation data for the CRW model were available, an experimental rig was developed to conduct horizontal pipe flow experiments under engine realistic conditions. Both the experimental rig, and a new particulate concentration measurement technique, based on post test aqueous solution electrical conductivity, were qualified at ambient conditions. These new experimental data compare well to published data at non-dimensional particle relaxation times below 7. Above, a tail off in the deposition rate is observed, potentially caused by a bounce or shear removal mechanism at higher particle kinetic energy. At elevated temperatures and isothermal conditions, similar behaviour is observed to the ambient data. Under engine representative thermophoretic conditions, a negative gas to wall temperature gradient is seen to increase deposition by up to 4.8 times, the reverse decreasing deposition by a factor of up to 560 relative to the isothermal data. Numerical simulations using the CRW model under-predict isothermal deposition, though capturing relative thermophoretic effects well. By applying an anisotropic Lagrangian time scale, and cross trajectory effects of the external gravitational force, good agreement was observed, the first inclusion of the effect within the CRW model. A dynamic mesh morphing method was then developed, enabling the effect of large scale particle deposition to be included in simulations, without continual remeshing of the fluid domain. Simulation of an impingement jet array showed deposition of characteristic mounds up to 30% of the hole diameter in height. Simulation of a passage with film-cooling hole off-takes generated hole blockage of up to 40%. These cases confirmed that the use of the CRW generated deposition locations in line with scant available experimental data, but widespread airline fleet experience. Changing rates of deposition were observed with the evolution of the deposits in both cases, highlighting the importance of capturing changing passage geometry through dynamic mesh morphing. The level of deposition observed, was however, greater than expected in a real engine environment and identifies a need to further refine bounce-stick and erosion modelling to complement the improved prediction of impact location identified in this thesis.

This project provides a steppingstone to comprehend the mechanisms that govern particulate fouling in metal foam heat exchangers. The method is based on development of an advanced Computational Fluid Dynamics model in addition to performing analytical validation. This novel method allows an engineer to better optimize heat exchanger designs, thereby mitigating fouling, reducing energy consumption caused by fouling, economize capital expenditure on heat exchanger maintenance, and reduce operation downtime. The robust model leads to the establishment of an alternative heat exchanger configuration that has lower pressure drop and particulate deposition propensity.

This study is the first-ever approach to simulate particulate matter transport and deposition in the terminal bronchioles of the 17-generation, whole lung model by considering a possible entire branching pattern. The anatomically explicit, digital 17-generation conduit model is generated from the high-resolution CT data. A comprehensive size- and shape-specific particle transport and deposition study is performed for different physical conditions and finds a new deposition pattern for a realistic anatomical model. The present findings would potentially help the targeted drug delivery system design and increase the efficiency of the drug delivery to the specific positions in the pulmonary airways.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, 1998.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 77-79).
The interlayer dielectric plays an important role in multilevel integration. Material choice, processing, and contamination greatly impact the performance of the layer. In this study, particle generation, deposition, and adhesion mechanisms are reviewed. In particular, four important sources of interlayer dielectric particle contamination were investigated: the cleanroom environment, improper wafer handling, the backside of the wafer, and microarcing during process.
by Elaine D. Haberer.
S.M.

CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO
FUNDAÇÃO DE APOIO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DO RIO DE JANEIRO
O presente trabalho é uma simulação numérica do processo de deposição de partículas num escoamento laminar no interior de um submetido a um aquecimento externo. A simulação tem como objetivo a modelagem do processo MCVD (Deposição Modificada de Vapor Químico), utilizado na fabricação de pré-formas para a produção de fibras óticas. Neste processo, as partículas carregadas por convenção pelo gás são depositadas na parede interna do tubo devido à força termoforética. A eficiência de deposição é obtida resolvendo-se numericamente as equações diferenciais de conservação de massa, quantidade de movimento linear, energia e espécie químicas (massa de partículas). A última equação foi resolvida utilizando o campo de velocidades calculado adicionando-se a velocidade de escoamento do gás à velocidade termoforética, obtida dos gradientes locais de temperatura. A fim de determinar os efeitos das velocidades termoforéticas axiais na deposição de partículas, as equações que governam o problema foram consideradas na forma elíptica. Os resultados apresentados revelaram que a temperatura de entrada do gás pode gerar um gradiente de temperatura axial que produz velocidades termoforéticas axiais significativas e influenciam marcantemente a eficiência de deposição de partículas.
The present work sets forth a numeriacal simulation of the processo f particle deposition in a laminar pipe flow subjected to external heating. The simulation is aimed at modeling the MCVD (Modified Chemical vapor Deposition) process utilized in the frabication or performs for optical fiver production. In this process, the particles convected with the carrier gas are deposited on the inner wall of the pipe due to thermophoretic forces. The deposition efficiency is obtained by numerically solving the differential equations governing conservation of mass, momentum, energy, and chemical species (particle concentration). The latter equation was solved utilizing a velocity field calculated by adding the carrier gas velocity to the thermophoretic velocity, obtained from the local temperature gradients. In order to assess the effects of axial thermophoretic velocities on particle deposition, the governing equations were considered in their elliptic form. The results presented revealed that the inlet which produce significant axial thermophoretic velocities and markedly influence the particle deposition efficiency.

Existing theories for the mechanical response of particle fluid mixtures have been reviewed and extended. They are made appropriate to geometries in which the dominant loading is a shearing one. The theories are then applied to the description of filtration experiments (these were performed by researchers dn a parallel research programme at Loughborough University). Two limits are distinguished: one in which particles experience a strong double layer interaction and one in which the particles are neutral and the fluid is the only significant force-mediating medium. The existing theories that have been reviewed and used are the quasi-static two-phase continuum mechanics framework (including seepage effects), the granular temperature theory for neutral particles and the common consolidation theory for strongly interacting particles. To extend these general theories - and especially to enter reliable constitutive relations - a micromechanical analysis is carried out and methods are developed to arrive at expressions for bulk properties. An analysis is performed of the response to a small localised fluctuation in either stress or solidosity of a particle-fluid mixture under arbitrary mean loading conditions. This analysis leads to a condition for stability of a mixture in terms of the solidosity sensitivity of the particle pressure and the solidosity sensitivity of the viscous constitutive parameters of the mixture given a mean loading regime. In the analysis it is recognised that a slurry in motion (especially shear) will always experience fluctuations. Two applications of the stability analysis are then presented. First it is recognised that homogenisation is impossible when the system is unstable. Second the border between a stable (packed) region and a free flowing region is defined by the edge of the stability condition, as made appropriate to the prevailing loading conditions. This piece of fundamental analysis is then used to describe filtration experiments, notably ones in which shear plays a distinctive role - these are torsion shear filtration and crossflow filtration. In order to analyse torsion shear filtration a calculation is carried out of a Newtonian fluid in a cylindrical vessel, loaded at the top by a rotating piston. A range of result is obtained: flow in an infinite cylinder, flow in a cylinder of finite length and flow in a finite cylinder with two immiscible fluids, occupying various sections of the cylindrical domain. The latter problem is particularly relevant to the torsion shear filtration problem as it shows that no significant shearing stress reaches, the cake until the fluid region near the piston is of the order of magnitude of the particle size of the mixture. Once shear can penetrate the cake the effects of it are noticed in that in a stable heterogeneous medium structures formation takes place in the direction of the major principal stress, implying that the greater the shear that is applied the greater the angle at which structures form. Then a calculation is presented to demonstrate the reduction in uniaxial stiffnes due to structures formation and the experimental result is recovered that for neutral particles cakes becoine denser when the shear is increased. This result is qualitative, though quantitative formulas are presented. The latter require parameters such as an estimate of the magnitude of the stiffness fluctuations that are hard to determine from current experiments. For double layer interacting particles the effects of shear are noticed at an earlier stage in the filtration process as particle interactions transmit the forces exerted externally on the mixture. The overall stiffness due to shearing is then estimated (stability is here required) and it is shown that the normal stress on the medium is reduced due to the fluctuations induced by the shearing. A lattice-Boltzmann, simulation of the same configuration confirms this interesting result. A crossflow setup has been analysed. A somewhat simplified one dimensional investigation is presented. The key point is that the edge of the cake near the septum is defined by the edge of stability analysis and this piece of information enables' a full survey of experimental results with a wide range of process paraméters (feed solidosity, crossflow velocity, crossflow pressure, particle type, pH). Two key experimental parameters are predicted: the end of filtration filtrate flow and time constant with which this end stage is reached. Double layer interacting particles and neutral particles have been explored. Some key findings pertaining especially to cases of thisn cakes are as follows. Double layer interacting particles: the end of filtration filtrate flux depends on the ratio of the crossflow velocity and feed solidosity only. The time constant depends Existing theories for the mechanical response of particle fluid mixtures have been reviewed and extended. They are made appropriate to geometries in which the dominant loading is a shearing one. The theories are then applied to the description of filtration experiments (these were performed by researchers dn a parallel research programme at Loughborough University). Two limits are distinguished: one in which particles experience a strong double layer interaction and one in which the particles are neutral and the fluid is the only significant force-mediating medium. The existing theories that have been reviewed and used are the quasi-static two-phase continuum mechanics framework (including seepage effects), the granular temperature theory for neutral particles and the common consolidation theory for strongly interacting particles. To extend these general theories - and especially to enter reliable constitutive relations - a micromechanical analysis is carried out and methods are developed to arrive at expressions for bulk properties. An analysis is performed of the response to a small localised fluctuation in either stress or solidosity of a particle-fluid mixture under arbitrary mean loading conditions. This analysis leads to a condition for stability of a mixture in terms of the solidosity sensitivity of the particle pressure and the solidosity sensitivity of the viscous constitutive parameters of the mixture given a mean loading regime. In the analysis it is recognised that a slurry in motion (especially shear) will always experience fluctuations. Two applications of the stability analysis are then presented. First it is recognised that homogenisation is impossible when the system is unstable. Second the border between a stable (packed) region and a free flowing region is defined by the edge of the stability condition, as made appropriate to the prevailing loading conditions. This piece of fundamental analysis is then used to describe filtration experiments, notably ones in which shear plays a distinctive role - these are torsion shear filtration and crossflow filtration. In order to analyse torsion shear filtration a calculation is carried out of a Newtonian fluid in a cylindrical vessel, loaded at the top by a rotating piston. A range of result is obtained: flow in an infinite cylinder, flow in a cylinder of finite length and flow in a finite cylinder with two immiscible fluids, occupying various sections of the cylindrical domain. The latter problem is particularly relevant to the torsion shear filtration problem as it shows that no significant shearing stress reaches, the cake until the fluid region near the piston is of the order of magnitude of the particle size of the mixture. Once shear can penetrate the cake the effects of it are noticed in that in a stable heterogeneous medium structures formation takes place in the direction of the major principal stress, implying that the greater the shear that is applied the greater the angle at which structures form. Then a calculation is presented to demonstrate the reduction in uniaxial stiffnes due to structures formation and the experimental result is recovered that for neutral particles cakes becoine denser when the shear is increased. This result is qualitative, though quantitative formulas are presented. The latter require parameters such as an estimate of the magnitude of the stiffness fluctuations that are hard to determine from current experiments.
For double layer interacting particles the effects of shear are noticed at an earlier stage in the filtration process as particle interactions transmit the forces exerted externally on the mixture. The overall stiffness due to shearing is then estimated (stability is here required) and it is shown that the normal stress on the medium is reduced due to the fluctuations induced by the shearing. A lattice-Boltzmann simulation of the same configuration confirms this interesting result. A crossflow setup has been analysed. A somewhat simplified one dimensional investigation is presented. The key point is that the edge of the cake near the septum is defined by the edge of stability analysis and this piece of information enables a full survey of experimental results with a wide range of process parameters (feed solidosity, crossflow velocity, crossflow pressure, particle type, pH).

L'objectif de ce travail de recherche est d'étudier numériquement le transport et le dépôt de particules dans des milieux poreux à l'échelle des pores.Premièrement, un couplage entre la méthode de Boltzmann sur réseau (LBM) et la méthode des éléments discrets (DEM) est réalisé et utilisé pour simuler l'écoulement d'un fluide chargé en particules. La LBM est utilisée pour décrire l'écoulement du fluide autour des fibres tandis que la DEM est utilisée pour traiter la dynamique des particules. Ce couplage est bidirectionnel dans le sens où le mouvement des particules affecte le flux de fluide et réciproquement. Ce modèle nous a permis de prédire l'efficacité de capture et la chute de pression à l'étape initiale du processus de filtration. Le facteur de qualité est également calculé pour déterminer la qualité de filtration.Ensuite, on se focalise sur l'étude de l'efficacité de la capture de fibres de formes de section transversale différentes (circulaire, losange et carrée). Les résultats issus de nos simulations du processus de filtration de la fibre circulaire concordent bien avec les corrélations empiriques. L'impaction des particules sur la face avant de la fibre de forme carrée est plus importante que dans les cas de fibre de formes circulaire et losange. Cependant, en raison d'une chute de pression plus faible, la fibre de section losange présente une meilleure qualité de filtration. Ensuite, les variations du facteur de qualité dues à l'angle d'orientation et au rapport d'aspect des fibres ont été étudiées numériquement pour la forme rectangulaire. Pour chaque cas, on a déterminé la valeur optimale de la zone au vent pour laquelle le facteur de qualité est maximal. La comparaison des valeurs du facteur de qualité obtenues pour les différentes formes de fibre monte une meilleure performance pour la fibre de section carrée orientée avec un angle de π/4.Enfin, l'influence de l'arrangement des fibres sur la qualité de la filtration est analysée en considérant la configuration en quinconce pour les différentes formes. Les simulations conduites pour différentes tailles de particules et différentes valeurs de la densité (particule/air) montent que la fibre de section losange est plus performante en termes de facteur de qualité pour les particules de grande taille et pour les valeurs de densité élevée. La présente étude fournit des pistes pour optimiser le processus de filtration et prédire la qualité de filtration
The objective of the present research was to numerically investigate the transport and deposition of particles in porous media at the pore scale. Firstly, a developed coupled lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) and discrete element method (DEM) is used to simulate the fluid-particle flow. LBM is employed to describe the fluid flow around fibers whereas DEM is used to deal with the particle dynamics. The corresponding method is two-way coupling in the sense that particle motion affects the fluid flow and reciprocally. It allowed us to predict the capture efficiency and pressure drop at the initial stage of filtration process. The quality factor is also calculated for determining the filtration performance. Secondly, we focus on the study the capture efficiency of single fiber with circular, diamond and square cross-section, respectively. The results of LBM-DEM for filtration process of single circular fiber agree well with the empirical correlation. The impaction of particles on the front side of square-shaped fiber is more favorable than those on circular and diamond cases. However, diamond fiber exhibits a good filtration performance. Then the variations of quality factor due to the different orientation angle and aspect ratio of rectangular fiber were studied using LBM-DEM. For each case, we have found the optimal value of the windward area to which corresponds a maximum value of the quality factor. The comparison of the performance of the different forms of fibers shows that the largest quality factor is obtained for square fiber oriented with angle π/4.Finally, the influence of the arrangement of fiber on filtration performance is analyzed by considering the staggered configuration. Simulations conducted for several particle size and density show that the diamond with staggered array performs better for large particles and high particle-to-fluid density ratio in terms of quality factor. The present study provide an insight to optimize the filtration process and predict filtration performance

Granular materials are in abundance both in nature and in industry. They are of considerable interest to both the engineering and physics communities, due to their practical importance and many unsolved scientific challenges. This thesis is concerned with the “pressure dip” phenomenon underneath a granular pile (commonly known as the “sandpile problem”) which has attracted great attention in the past few decades. Underneath a sandpile that is formed by funnel feeding, a significant minimum (dip) in the vertical base pressure is often found below the apex where a maximum pressure is intuitively expected. Despite a large amount of work undertaken, a comprehensive understanding of this phenomenon remains elusive. This thesis presents an extensive study investigating the underlying mechanism of this phenomenon and also its implications on pressures in silos. The study started with a laboratory test programme of conical mini iron pellet piles. The results confirmed that the pressure dip is a robust phenomenon. It was shown that, under certain deposition radius with uniform deposition across the deposition area, a dip emerges firstly in a ring shape when the radius of the formed pile is small and comparable to the deposition radius. With the increase of the pile radius upon further deposition, the dip ring gradually evolves to a central dip as the pressure at outer radius eventually overtakes that in the centre. The magnitude of the dip was found to be significantly affected by the deposition rate but almost unaffected by the deposition height.

The effect of thermophoresis on the particle deposition on a cooled cylinderin non-isothermal laminar gas ow has been studied using Direct NumericalSimulations (DNS). Simulations where thermophoresis have been taken intoaccount for different Stokes numbers and particle-to-gas thermal conductivityratios, Λ, have been performed at Reynolds number Re = 380. In additionreference cases, simulations where thermophoresis have not been taken intoaccount, have been performed both for isothermal and non-isothermal owfor Re = 20 and Re = 380.The ratio between the front side particle impaction efficiency in the non-isothermal reference case and the isothermal reference case for the smallestStokes numbers considered was expected to be proportional to the ratio ofthe free stream temperature and the cylinder temperature, according to an-analytical considerations. The simulations for Re = 20 was in good agreementwith this relation, but for Re = 380 the front side particle impaction efficiency for the smallest particles was lower in the non-isothermal referencecase compared to the isothermal reference case. This is believed to havebeen caused by inaccuracies in the numerical method for the non-isothermalsimulation at Re = 380.Thermophoresis was not found to affect the particle impaction for thelargest Stokes numbers. For intermediate and small Stokes numbers the effect of thermophoresis depended on Λ. The particle impaction efficiency wassignificantly higher, both for the front side and the back side, in the ther-mophoretic simulations compared to the non-isothermal reference case forparticles with Λ = 1 and Λ = 100. The particle impaction efficiency forparticles with Λ = 1000 was lower, both for the front side and the back side,in the thermophoretic case compared to the non-isothermal reference case.

Ground-based imaging and broad beam riometers are used in conjunction with ionospheric radars and satellite instruments to investigate high-energy precipitation in the auroral zone. There are two dominant precipitation regimes in the auroral zone which lead to enhanced high frequency radio absorption; high energy electrons (> keV) from closed field lines, and protons (> MeV) penetrating from the solar wind following solar flares. Much of the work in this thesis uses data from riometers in Fennoscandia to measure the extent and movement of energetic precipitation from both sources. A case study of dayside absorption combines data from the imaging riometer with radar and satellite observations leading to an estimation of the energy of precipitation based on the riometer data. Two separate precipitation mechanisms were identified in the case study through the use of satellite particle measurements and ground-based observations of geomagnetic pulsations. The riometer showed varying movements of the absorption patches through the case study and a determination of different dominating particle drift regimes was possible through comparison with coherent HF radar. A statistical analysis of absorption in the imaging riometer field of view is carried out. The absorption is linked to both Kp and solar wind velocity using linear and quadratic fits of the data. The daily variation and distribution of absorption is investigated along with seasonal effects which are shown to be reliant on geomagnetic activity. A study of the large number of solar proton events from 1995 to 2001 inclusive is carried out with particular reference to those that produce significant absorption in the northern hemisphere polar cap (polar cap absorption –PCA). The occurrence of the absorption events is investigated and a simple empirical relationship between the integral proton flux and the absorption observed during geomagnetically undisturbed PCA conditions is developed.

Slagging and fouling during the combustion of pulverised coal in boilers is a major problem as power generators strive to improve the efficiency of plants. The coal type has a major influence on the slagging propensity in furnaces. The correlation between predicted results using some of the existing slagging indices and the actual observations made in most conventional boilers has been poor, especially when their use is extended to different coals. In this thesis, a numerical model to predict coal ash particle deposition rate in pulverized coal boilers has been developed. The overall sticking probability of the particle is determined by its viscosity and its tendency to rebound after impaction. The deposition model has been implemented in the Fluent 12.1 software, and the effects of swirling motion ash particle viscosity on deposition rates have been investigated. The predicted results are in good agreement with the reported experimental measurements on the Australian bituminous coals. Also, a novel numerical slagging index (NSI) which is based on ash fusibility, ash viscosity and the content of ash in the coals has been developed. The incoming ash shows significant influence on slag accumulation in boilers. The results of assessment of the slagging potential using the NSI on a wide range of coals and some coal blends correlate very well with the reported field performance of the coals. The NSI has been modified to predict the slagging potential of some coal and biomass blends with < 20% biomass ratio. The results of predictions using the modified index on coals blended with sewage sludge and saw-dust are in good agreement with the experimental data.

Particle ingestion and deposition is an issue of concern for gas turbine engines operating in harsh environments. The ingested particles accelerate the deterioration of engine components and thus reduce its service life. This effect is observed to a greater extent in aircrafts/helicopters operating in particle laden environment. Understanding the effects of particle ingestion at engine representative condition leads to improved designs for turbomachinery. Experiments have been in an Aerothermal Rig facility at Virginia Tech to study particle deposition at engine representative temperatures. The Aerothermal Rig was upgraded to achieve air temperatures of up to 1100°C at the test section. The experiments are performed using Arizona Road Dust (ARD) of 20-40 μm size range. The temperature of air and particles are around 1100°C at a constant velocity of 70 m/s. The target coupon is made of Hastelloy X, a nickel-based alloy and the angle at which the particles impact the coupon varies from 30° to 80°. The experiments were performed with different amounts of total particle injected, concentration, and coupon angle to understand their effects on deposition. Similar research was carried out in the past at the same facility to study particle deposition at temperatures up to 1050°C and 70 m/s flow velocity. However, this previous research only studied how the coupon angle affects particle deposition; other parameters such as total particle input and particle concentration were not studied. It was found that particle deposition increases significantly at higher temperatures beyond 1050°C for higher coupon angle and amount of sand injected. Results from current study also show that deposition increases with increase in total sand injected, concentration, and coupon angle for a given temperature and velocity.
Master of Science

The delivery of suspended sediment from drainage basins has frequently been quantified in mass terms by use of the suspended sediment budget approach, which identifies sources, storage and output of mobilised sediment. This thesis investigates the particle size characteristics of the sediment associated with the key components of the suspended sediment budgets of four drainage basins in Devon, U. K. to determine whether particle size selectivity occurs in the delivery of suspended sediment from the hillslopes to the basin outlet. Attention focused on pasture land because previous studies had indicated that this was the dominant source of suspended sediment and that arable fields and channel banks were relatively insignificant in these catchments. Samples of sediment were mobilised from pasture hillslopes using a field-portable rainfall simulator; samples of suspended sediment were collected from the river channel during storm events either manually, by automatic pump samplers or by using rising limb siphon samplers; suspended sediment deposited on the channel bed was sampled using bed traps and by resuspending sediment deposited on the river bed during low flows; and sediment deposited on the floodplain during overbank flooding was collected using Astroturf mat traps or by sampling surface material. Samples were collected to investigate both temporal and spatial variability in grain size behaviour. All sediment samples were pretreated to remove organic matter and their chemically dispersed (absolute) particle size composition was measured using a Coulter LS 130 laser granulometer. The particle size composition of transported/deposited sediment was compared with that of the samples from potential sources to determine whether particle size selectivity had occurred. Where possible, measurements of the natural in situ particle size distribution (effective particle size) were also undertaken by quick return of samples to the laboratory for immediate measurement without pre-treatment using the laser granulometer. Particle size selectivity was found to have occurred in the mobilisation of sediment from the hillslope pasture land sources. Seasonal variations were identified in the particle size characteristics of both sediment mobilised from the hillslopes and suspended sediment samples. Spatial variations were identified in the particle size composition of sediment deposited on the floodplain. These seasonal and spatial variations reflect the particle size selectivity of detachment, transport and deposition processes which is in turn influenced by the aggregation or flocculation (effective particle size) of the sediment.

Theoretical and experimental studies of particle deposition in turbulent pipe flow have been carried out for over forty years, but some of the most important transport mechanisms are still not well understood. The first part of this thesis is concerned with the calculation of particle density when using Lagrangian methods to predict inertial particle transport in two-dimensional laminar fluid flows. Traditionally, Lagrangian calculations involve integrating the particle equations of motion along particle pathlines, and the particle density is obtained by applying a statistical averaging procedure to those pathlines which intersect a particular computational grid cell. Unfortunately, extremely large numbers of particles are required to reduce the statistical errors to acceptable levels, and this makes the method computationally expensive. Recently, the Full Lagrangian approach has been developed, which allows the direct calculation of the particle density along particle pathlines. This method had previously been applied only to simple analytical flow fields. The application of the method to CFD generated fluid velocity fields was shown to be possible, and the results obtained using the Full Lagrangian approach were compared to those from a traditional Lagrangian approach. It was found that better quality solutions could be obtained with the use of far fewer particle pathlines. An analysis of the manner in which the Full Lagrangian approach deals with particles whose paths cross each other (and the resulting discontinuity in particle density) was also undertaken, and this illustrates the sophistication of the method. The second part of the thesis comprises an experimental and theoretical study of the deposition of small particles in turbulent flows by thermophoresis. Thermophoresis is the phenomenon whereby small particles suspended in a gas in which there exists a temperature gradient experience a force in the direction opposite from that of the temperature gradient. Previous researchers have attempted to impose a radial temperature difference in pipe flow experiments, but have not yet succeeded in attaining a constant thermophoretic force along the length of the pipe. This limits the accuracy and usefulness of the data for the validation of theoretical expressions for the thermophoretic fluxes. An experimental rig has been designed to achieve a constant thermophoretic force. This was done by using an annular geometry with a cold inner wall and hot outer wall. The particle size was varied and the deposition flux was measured for turbulent flow with three temperature differences. The deposition fluxes for small particles were found to be independent of dimensionless particle size, with each increase in temperature difference resulting in an increase in magnitude of the flux. Evidence of a thermophoresis-turbulence coupling was found for intermediate-sized particles, and large particles were not influenced by thermophoresis. A theory of particle deposition, developed for the case of turbulent pipe flow, was modified to study flow in a turbulent annulus, so that theoretical expressions for the thermophoretic fluxes could be included and compared with the experimental results. Agreement with experimental data was quite good, but some deficiencies in a widely used theoretical expression for the thermophoretic flux were exposed. An alternative expression was used, which gave much better agreement with the experimental data, and the mechanisms behind the thermophoresis-turbulence coupling were also investigated. The validation of this expression for the thermophoretic force will allow its inclusion in numerical studies of particle deposition in more complex geometries.

SEGAL, REBECCA ANNE. Patterns of air flow and particle depositionin the diseased human lung. (Under the direction of Michael Shearer.)In this work, we investigate particle deposition and air flow in thehuman lung. In particular we are interested in how the motion ofparticulate matter and air is affected by the presence of lungdisease. Patients with compromised lung function are more sensitiveto air pollution; understanding the extent of that sensitivity canlead to more effective air quality standards. Also, understanding ofair flow andparticle trajectories could lead to the development of better aerosoldrugs to treat the lung diseases.We focus our efforts on twodiseases: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bronchialtumors. Because COPD affects the majority of airways in a patientwith the disease, we are able to take a more global approach toanalyzing the effects of the disease. Using a FORTRAN codewhich computes total deposition in the lung over the course of onebreath, we modified the pre-existing code to account forthe difference between healthy subjects and patients with COPD. Usingthe model, itwas possible to isolate the different disease components of COPD andsimulate their effects separately. It was determined thatthe chronic bronchitis component of COPD was responsible for the increaseddeposition seen in COPD patients.While COPD affects the whole lung, tumors tend to belocalized to one or several airways. This led us to investigate theeffects of bronchial tumors in detail within these individualairways. Using a computational fluid dynamics package, FIDAP, wedefined a Weibel type branching network of airways.In particular, we modeled theairways of a four-year-old child.In the work with the tumors, we ran numerous simulations with variousinitial velocities and tumor locations. It was determined that tumorslocated on the carinal ridge had the dominant effect on the flow. Athigher initial velocities, areas of circulation developed downstreamfrom the tumors. Extensive simulations were run with a 2-D model. Theresults from the 2-D model were then compared with some initial 3-Dsimulations.In the development of the FIDAP model, we avoided thecomplications of flow past the larynx, by limiting the model togenerations 2-5 of the Weibel lung. We developed a realistic inletvelocity profile to be used as the input into the model. The skewednature ofthis inlet profile led to thequestion of boundary layer development and the determination of theentrance length needed to achieve fully developed parabolicflow. Simple scale analysis of the Navier-Stokes equations did notcapture the results we were seeing with the CFD simulations.We turned to a more quantitative, energy correctionanalysis to determine the theoretical entrance length.In conclusion, the presence of disease in the lunghas a large effect both on global deposition patterns and on localizedairflow patterns. This indicates the need for different protocolsregarding susceptibility of people to airborne pollutants that take intoaccount lung disease. It also suggests that treatment should accountfor changes in airflow in the diseased lung.

There is a requirement to predict the spatial variation of particle dry deposition following a nuclear accident. The interaction of landscape features, atmospheric flow and particle dry deposition has been investigated with this in mind. Wind tunnel studies have been used with computational fluid dynamics to predict the deposition rate relative to a flat landscape. Good quantitative agreement was seen for this relative deposition rate. Landscape shapes showed significant effects on deposition rate, increasing it by more than two in some cases, over limited areas. The effect of turbulence intensity, in the absence of landscape features, was also studied and a weak relationship to dry deposition was observed. Computational fluid dynamics methods used in wind tunnel comparisons were extended to a wide range of landscape cases. Deposition rates varied spatially around the landscape features. In general, for hills and ridges, deposition was seen to increase on the windward face, decrease on the leeward face and near wake, and increase in the further wake, before returning to the flat case value. The computational results were applied to a real landscape with the use of a customised geographical information system. Good general agreement was seen when compared with a test case.

Non-metallic inclusions in molten steel have received worldwide attention due to their serious influence on both the steel product quality and the steel production process. These inclusions may come from the de-oxidation process, the re-oxidation by air and/or slag due to an entrainment during steel transfer, and so on. The presence of some inclusion types can cause a termination of a casting process by clogging a nozzle. Thus, a good knowledge of the inclusion behavior and deposition rate in steel flows is really important to understand phenomena such as nozzle clogging. In this thesis, inclusion behaviors and deposition rates in steel flows were investigated by using mathematical simulations and validation by experiments. A ladle teeming process was simulated and Ce2O3 inclusion behavior during a teeming stage was studied. A Lagrangian method was used to track the inclusions in a steel flow and to compare the behaviors of inclusions of different sizes. In addition, a statistical analysis was conducted by the use of a stochastic turbulence model to investigate the behaviors of different-sized inclusions in different nozzle regions. The results show that inclusions with a diameter smaller than 20 μm were found to have similar trajectories and velocity distributions in the nozzle. The inertia force and buoyancy force were found to play an important role for the behavior of large-size inclusions or clusters. The statistical analysis results indicate that the region close to the connection region of the straight pipe and the expanding part of the nozzle seems to be very sensitive for an inclusion deposition. In order to know the deposition rate of non-metallic inclusions, an improved Eulerian particle deposition model was developed and subsequently used to predict the deposition rate of inclusions. It accounts for the differences in properties between air and liquid metals and considers Brownian and turbulent diffusion, turbophoresis and thermophoresis as transport mechanisms. A CFD model was firstly built up to obtain the friction velocity caused by a fluid flow. Then, the friction velocity was put into the deposition model to calculate the deposition rate. For  the  case  of  inclusion/particle  deposition  in  vertical  steel  flows,  effects  on  the deposition rate of parameters such as steel flow rate, particle diameter, particle density, wall roughness and temperature gradient near a wall were investigated. The results show that the steel flow rate/friction velocity has a very important influence on the rate of the deposition of large particles, for which turbophoresis is the main deposition mechanism. For small particles, both the wall roughness and thermophoresis have a significant influence on the particle deposition rate. The extended Eulerian model was thereafter used to predict the inclusion deposition rate in a submerged entry nozzle (SEN). Deposition rates of different-size inclusions in the SEN were obtained. The result shows that the steel flow is non-uniform in the SEN of the tundish. This leads to an uneven distribution of the inclusion deposition rates at different locations of the inner wall of the SEN. A large deposition rate was found to occur at the regions near the SEN inlet, the SEN bottom and the upper region of two SEN ports. For the case of an inclusion/particle deposition in horizontal straight channel flows, the deposition rates of particles at different locations of a horizontal straight pipe cross- section were found to be different due to the influence of gravity and buoyancy. For small particles with a small particle relaxation time, the gravity separation is important for their deposition  behaviors  at  high  and  low  parts  of  the  horizontal  pipe  compared  to  the turbophoresis. For large particles with a large particle relaxation time, turbophoresis is the dominating deposition mechanism.

QC 20150326

Surfaces with static contact angle greater than 150 degrees are typically classified as superhydrophobic. Such coatings have been inspired by the lotus leaf. As water flows over a superhydrophobic surface, "slip effect" is produced resulting in a reduction in the skin-friction drag exerted on the surface. Slip flow is caused by the entrapment of a layer of air between water and the surface. Superhydrophobicity could be utilized to design surfaces for applications such as energy conservation, noise reduction, laminar-to-turbulent-transition delay, and mixing enhancement. A popular method of manufacturing a superhydrophobic surface is microfabrication in which well-designed microgrooves and/or poles are placed on a surface in a regular configuration. This method is a costly process and cannot easily be applied to large-scale objects with arbitrary shapes. In this work, we fabricated and characterized simpler low-cost superhydrophobic coatings based on controlling the volume of entrapped air in order to enhance durability (longevity) and the properties of the coating bringing the technology closer to large-scale submerged bodies such as submarines and ships. Two different low-cost fabricating techniques have been utilized: (i) random deposition of hydrophobic aerogel microparticles; and (ii) deposition of hydrophobic polymer micro- and nanofibers using DC-biased AC-electrospinning. The present study is aimed at providing experimental, numerical, and analytical models to characterize the superhydrophobicity and longevity of the coatings depending on the morphology of the surfaces and the concentration of the hydrophobic materials. The surface's micro/nanostructure were observed by field emission scanning electron microscopy. The degree of hydrophobicity of the coatings was estimated using drag-reduction and contact-angle measurements using a rheometer and a goniometer respectively. Furthermore, We have advanced and calibrated a novel optical technique to noninvasively measure the longevity of submerged superhydrophobic coatings subjected to different environmental conditions. We have also modeled the performance of superhydrophobic surfaces comprised of randomly distributed roughness. The numerical simulations are aimed at improving our understanding of the drag-reduction effect and the stability of the air–water interface against pressure in terms of the microstructure parameters. Moreover, we have experimentally characterized the terminal pressure (i.e. the pressure at which the air–water interface completely fails) of aerogel coatings with different morphologies.

In the past 10 years there has been a significant amount of research into two-phase particle transport. The terrorist events of September 11, 2001 sparked a series of studies analyzing particle entrainment and deposition in turbulent airflows. One area of research needing further attention has been the study of particles entrained in axisymmetric air jets. An experimental rig was designed and built to study entrainment properties and deposition of Newtonian particles, after injection into a turbulent axisymmetric free air jet. Newtonian spherical particles, ranging from 1mm to 6mm in diameter, were injected into a turbulent airstream and blown through a nozzle into a large, open space. As the particles fell out of the jet stream, their linear distances, from nozzle to initial-ground-contact, were recorded and analyzed. The experiments conducted indicated particle size and density to be significant factors when considering Newtonian particle entrainment. Additionally, particle deposition distribution revealed a consistent positive skewness, as opposed to an expected Gaussian form. The data presented in this paper provide a starting point for understanding entrainment of Newtonian spherical particles in jets. The simple experimental rig geometry and results also provide an opportunity for computational fluid dynamics models to be validated, answering a call from the 2006 Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics.
Master of Science

The understanding of human exposure to indoor particles of all sizes is important to enable exposure control and reduction, but especially for smaller particles since the smaller particles have a higher probability of penetration into the deeper parts of the respiratory tract and also contain higher levels of trace elements and toxins. Due to the limited understanding of the relationship between particle size and the health effects they cause, as well as instrument limitations, the available information on submicrometer (d < 1.0 µm) particles indoors, both in terms of mass and number concentrations, is still relatively limited. This PhD project was conducted as part of the South-East Queensland Air Quality program and Queensland Housing Study aimed at providing a better understanding of ambient particle concentrations within the indoor environment with a focus on exposure assessment and control. This PhD project was designed to investigate comprehensively the sources and sinks of indoor aerosol particles and the relationship between indoor and outdoor aerosol particles, particle and gaseous pollutant, as well as the association between indoor air pollutants and house characteristics by using, analysing and interpreting existing experimental data which were collected before this project commenced, as well as data from additional experiments which were designed and conducted for the purpose of this project. The focus of this research was on submicrometer particles with a diameter between 0.007 - 0.808 µm. The main outcome of this project may be summarised as following: * A comprehensive review of particle concentration levels and size distributions characteristics in the residential and non-industrial workplace environments was conducted. This review included only those studies in which more general trends were investigated, or could be concluded based on information provided in the papers. This review included four parts: 1) outdoor particles and their effect on indoor environments; 2) the relationship between indoor and outdoor concentration levels in the absence of indoor sources for naturally ventilated buildings; 3) indoor sources of particles: contribution to indoor concentration levels and the effect on I/O ratios for naturally ventilated buildings; and 4) indoor/outdoor relationship in mechanically ventilated buildings. * The relationship between indoor and outdoor airborne particles was investigated for sixteen residential houses in Brisbane, Australia, in the absence of operating indoor sources. Comparison of the ratios of indoor to outdoor particle concentrations revealed that while temporary values of the ratio vary in a broad range from 0.2 to 2.5 for both lower and higher ventilation conditions, average values of the ratios were very close to one regardless of ventilation conditions and of particle size range. The ratios were in the range from 0.78 to 1.07 for submicrometer particles, from 0.95 to 1.0 for supermicrometer particles and from 1.01 to 1.08 for PM2.5 fraction. Comparison of the time series of indoor to outdoor particle concentrations showed a clear positive relationship existing for many houses under normal ventilation conditions (estimated to be about and above 2 h-1), but not under minimum ventilation conditions (estimated to be about and below 1 h-1). These results suggest that for normal ventilation conditions and in the absence of operating indoor sources, outdoor particle concentrations could be used to predict instantaneous indoor particle concentrations but not for minium ventilation, unless air exchange rate is known, thus allowing for estimation of the "delay constant". * Diurnal variation of indoor submicrometer particle number and particle mass (approximation of PM2.5) concentrations was investigated in fifteen of the houses. The results show that there were clear diurnal variations in both particle number and approximation of PM2.5 concentrations, for all the investigated houses. The pattern of diurnal variations varied from house to house, however, there was always a close relationship between the concentration and human indoor activities. The average number and mass concentrations during indoor activities were (18.2±3.9)×10³ particles cm-³ and (15.5±7.9) µg m-³ respectively, and under non-activity conditions, (12.4±2.7)x10³ particles cm-³ (11.1±2.6) µg m-³, respectively. In general, there was a poor correlation between mass and number concentrations and the correlation coefficients were highly variable from day to day and from house to house. This implies that conclusions cannot be drawn about either one of the number or mass concentration characteristics of indoor particles, based on measurement of the other. The study also showed that it is unlikely that particle concentrations indoors could be represented by measurements conducted at a fixed monitoring station due to the large impact of indoor and local sources. * Emission characteristics of indoor particle sources in fourteen residential houses were quantified. In addition, characterizations of particles resulting from cooking conducted in an identical way in all the houses were measured. All the events of elevated particle concentrations were linked to indoor activities using house occupants diary entries, and catalogued into 21 different types of indoor activities. This enabled quantification of the effect of indoor sources on indoor particle concentrations as well as quantification of emission rates from the sources. For example, the study found that frying, grilling, stove use, toasting, cooking pizza, smoking, candle vaporizing eucalyptus oil and fan heater use, could elevate the indoor submicrometer particle number concentration levels by more than 5 times, while PM2.5 concentrations could be up to 3, 30 and 90 times higher than the background levels during smoking, frying and grilling, respectively. * Indoor particle deposition rates of size classified particles in the size range from 0.015 to 6 µm were quantified. Particle size distribution resulting from cooking, repeated under two different ventilation conditions in 14 houses, as well as changes to particle size distribution as a function of time, were measured using a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS), an aerodynamic particle sizer (APS), and a DustTrak. Deposition rates were determined by regression fitting of the measured size-resolved particle number and PM2.5 concentration decay curves, and accounting for air exchange rate. The measured deposition rates were shown to be particle size dependent and they varied from house to house. The lowest deposition rates were found for particles in the size range from 0.2 to 0.3 µm for both minimum (air exchange rate: 0.61±0.45 h-1) and normal (air exchange rate: 3.00±1.23 h-1) ventilation conditions. The results of statistical analysis indicated that ventilation condition (measured in terms of air exchange rate) was an important factor affecting deposition rates for particles in the size range from 0.08 to 1.0 µm, but not for particles smaller than 0.08 µm or larger than 1.0 µm. Particle coagulation was assessed to be negligible compared to the two other processes of removal: ventilation and deposition. This study of particle deposition rates, the largest conducted so far in terms of the number of residential houses investigated, demonstrated trends in deposition rates comparable with studies previously reported, usually for significantly smaller samples of houses (often only one). However, the results compare better with studies which, similarly to this study, investigated cooking as a source of particles (particle sources investigated in other studies included general activity, cleaning, artificial particles, etc). * Residential indoor and outdoor 48 h average levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), 48h indoor submicrometer particle number concentration and the approximation of PM2.5 concentrations were measured simultaneously for fourteen houses. Statistical analyses of the correlation between indoor and outdoor pollutants (NO2 and particles) and the association between house characteristics and indoor pollutants were conducted. The average indoor and outdoor NO2 levels were 13.8 ± 6.3 ppb and 16.7 ± 4.2 ppb, respectively. The indoor/outdoor NO2 concentration ratio ranged from 0.4 to 2.3, with a median value of 0.82. Despite statistically significant correlations between outdoor and fixed site NO2 monitoring station concentrations (p = 0.014, p = 0.008), there was no significant correlation between either indoor and outdoor NO2 concentrations (p = 0.428), or between indoor and fixed site NO2 monitoring station concentrations (p = 0.252, p = 0.465,). However, there was a significant correlation between indoor NO2 concentration and indoor submicrometer aerosol particle number concentrations (p = 0.001), as well as between indoor PM2.5 and outdoor NO2 (p = 0.004). These results imply that the outdoor or fixed site monitoring concentration alone is a poor predictor of indoor NO2 concentration. * Analysis of variance indicated that there was no significant association between indoor PM2.5 and any of the house characteristics investigated (p > 0.05). However, associations between indoor submicrometer particle number concentration and some house characteristics (stove type, water heater type, number of cars and condition of paintwork) were significant at the 5% level. Associations between indoor NO2 and some house characteristics (house age, stove type, heating system, water heater type and floor type) were also significant (p < 0.05). The results of these analyses thus strongly suggest that the gas stove, gas heating system and gas water heater system are main indoor sources of indoor submicrometer particle and NO2 concentrations in the studied residential houses. The significant contributions of this PhD project to the knowledge of indoor particle included: 1) improving an understanding of indoor particles behaviour in residential houses, especially for submicrometer particle; 2) improving an understanding of indoor particle source and indoor particle sink characteristics, as well as their effects on indoor particle concentration levels in residential houses; 3) improving an understanding of the relationship between indoor and outdoor particles, the relationship between particle mass and particle number, correlation between indoor NO2 and indoor particles, as well as association between indoor particle, NO2 and house characteristics.

The understanding of human exposure to indoor particles of all sizes is important to enable exposure control and reduction, but especially for smaller particles since the smaller particles have a higher probability of penetration into the deeper parts of the respiratory tract and also contain higher levels of trace elements and toxins. Due to the limited understanding of the relationship between particle size and the health effects they cause, as well as instrument limitations, the available information on submicrometer (d < 1.0 µm) particles indoors, both in terms of mass and number concentrations, is still relatively limited. This PhD project was conducted as part of the South-East Queensland Air Quality program and Queensland Housing Study aimed at providing a better understanding of ambient particle concentrations within the indoor environment with a focus on exposure assessment and control. This PhD project was designed to investigate comprehensively the sources and sinks of indoor aerosol particles and the relationship between indoor and outdoor aerosol particles, particle and gaseous pollutant, as well as the association between indoor air pollutants and house characteristics by using, analysing and interpreting existing experimental data which were collected before this project commenced, as well as data from additional experiments which were designed and conducted for the purpose of this project. The focus of this research was on submicrometer particles with a diameter between 0.007 - 0.808 µm. The main outcome of this project may be summarised as following: * A comprehensive review of particle concentration levels and size distributions characteristics in the residential and non-industrial workplace environments was conducted. This review included only those studies in which more general trends were investigated, or could be concluded based on information provided in the papers. This review included four parts: 1) outdoor particles and their effect on indoor environments; 2) the relationship between indoor and outdoor concentration levels in the absence of indoor sources for naturally ventilated buildings; 3) indoor sources of particles: contribution to indoor concentration levels and the effect on I/O ratios for naturally ventilated buildings; and 4) indoor/outdoor relationship in mechanically ventilated buildings. * The relationship between indoor and outdoor airborne particles was investigated for sixteen residential houses in Brisbane, Australia, in the absence of operating indoor sources. Comparison of the ratios of indoor to outdoor particle concentrations revealed that while temporary values of the ratio vary in a broad range from 0.2 to 2.5 for both lower and higher ventilation conditions, average values of the ratios were very close to one regardless of ventilation conditions and of particle size range. The ratios were in the range from 0.78 to 1.07 for submicrometer particles, from 0.95 to 1.0 for supermicrometer particles and from 1.01 to 1.08 for PM2.5 fraction. Comparison of the time series of indoor to outdoor particle concentrations showed a clear positive relationship existing for many houses under normal ventilation conditions (estimated to be about and above 2 h-1), but not under minimum ventilation conditions (estimated to be about and below 1 h-1). These results suggest that for normal ventilation conditions and in the absence of operating indoor sources, outdoor particle concentrations could be used to predict instantaneous indoor particle concentrations but not for minium ventilation, unless air exchange rate is known, thus allowing for estimation of the "delay constant". * Diurnal variation of indoor submicrometer particle number and particle mass (approximation of PM2.5) concentrations was investigated in fifteen of the houses. The results show that there were clear diurnal variations in both particle number and approximation of PM2.5 concentrations, for all the investigated houses. The pattern of diurnal variations varied from house to house, however, there was always a close relationship between the concentration and human indoor activities. The average number and mass concentrations during indoor activities were (18.2±3.9)×10³ particles cm-³ and (15.5±7.9) µg m-³ respectively, and under non-activity conditions, (12.4±2.7)x10³ particles cm-³ (11.1±2.6) µg m-³, respectively. In general, there was a poor correlation between mass and number concentrations and the correlation coefficients were highly variable from day to day and from house to house. This implies that conclusions cannot be drawn about either one of the number or mass concentration characteristics of indoor particles, based on measurement of the other. The study also showed that it is unlikely that particle concentrations indoors could be represented by measurements conducted at a fixed monitoring station due to the large impact of indoor and local sources. * Emission characteristics of indoor particle sources in fourteen residential houses were quantified. In addition, characterizations of particles resulting from cooking conducted in an identical way in all the houses were measured. All the events of elevated particle concentrations were linked to indoor activities using house occupants diary entries, and catalogued into 21 different types of indoor activities. This enabled quantification of the effect of indoor sources on indoor particle concentrations as well as quantification of emission rates from the sources. For example, the study found that frying, grilling, stove use, toasting, cooking pizza, smoking, candle vaporizing eucalyptus oil and fan heater use, could elevate the indoor submicrometer particle number concentration levels by more than 5 times, while PM2.5 concentrations could be up to 3, 30 and 90 times higher than the background levels during smoking, frying and grilling, respectively. * Indoor particle deposition rates of size classified particles in the size range from 0.015 to 6 µm were quantified. Particle size distribution resulting from cooking, repeated under two different ventilation conditions in 14 houses, as well as changes to particle size distribution as a function of time, were measured using a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS), an aerodynamic particle sizer (APS), and a DustTrak. Deposition rates were determined by regression fitting of the measured size-resolved particle number and PM2.5 concentration decay curves, and accounting for air exchange rate. The measured deposition rates were shown to be particle size dependent and they varied from house to house. The lowest deposition rates were found for particles in the size range from 0.2 to 0.3 µm for both minimum (air exchange rate: 0.61±0.45 h-1) and normal (air exchange rate: 3.00±1.23 h-1) ventilation conditions. The results of statistical analysis indicated that ventilation condition (measured in terms of air exchange rate) was an important factor affecting deposition rates for particles in the size range from 0.08 to 1.0 µm, but not for particles smaller than 0.08 µm or larger than 1.0 µm. Particle coagulation was assessed to be negligible compared to the two other processes of removal: ventilation and deposition. This study of particle deposition rates, the largest conducted so far in terms of the number of residential houses investigated, demonstrated trends in deposition rates comparable with studies previously reported, usually for significantly smaller samples of houses (often only one). However, the results compare better with studies which, similarly to this study, investigated cooking as a source of particles (particle sources investigated in other studies included general activity, cleaning, artificial particles, etc). * Residential indoor and outdoor 48 h average levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), 48h indoor submicrometer particle number concentration and the approximation of PM2.5 concentrations were measured simultaneously for fourteen houses. Statistical analyses of the correlation between indoor and outdoor pollutants (NO2 and particles) and the association between house characteristics and indoor pollutants were conducted. The average indoor and outdoor NO2 levels were 13.8 ± 6.3 ppb and 16.7 ± 4.2 ppb, respectively. The indoor/outdoor NO2 concentration ratio ranged from 0.4 to 2.3, with a median value of 0.82. Despite statistically significant correlations between outdoor and fixed site NO2 monitoring station concentrations (p = 0.014, p = 0.008), there was no significant correlation between either indoor and outdoor NO2 concentrations (p = 0.428), or between indoor and fixed site NO2 monitoring station concentrations (p = 0.252, p = 0.465,). However, there was a significant correlation between indoor NO2 concentration and indoor submicrometer aerosol particle number concentrations (p = 0.001), as well as between indoor PM2.5 and outdoor NO2 (p = 0.004). These results imply that the outdoor or fixed site monitoring concentration alone is a poor predictor of indoor NO2 concentration. * Analysis of variance indicated that there was no significant association between indoor PM2.5 and any of the house characteristics investigated (p > 0.05). However, associations between indoor submicrometer particle number concentration and some house characteristics (stove type, water heater type, number of cars and condition of paintwork) were significant at the 5% level. Associations between indoor NO2 and some house characteristics (house age, stove type, heating system, water heater type and floor type) were also significant (p < 0.05). The results of these analyses thus strongly suggest that the gas stove, gas heating system and gas water heater system are main indoor sources of indoor submicrometer particle and NO2 concentrations in the studied residential houses. The significant contributions of this PhD project to the knowledge of indoor particle included: 1) improving an understanding of indoor particles behaviour in residential houses, especially for submicrometer particle; 2) improving an understanding of indoor particle source and indoor particle sink characteristics, as well as their effects on indoor particle concentration levels in residential houses; 3) improving an understanding of the relationship between indoor and outdoor particles, the relationship between particle mass and particle number, correlation between indoor NO2 and indoor particles, as well as association between indoor particle, NO2 and house characteristics.

Composite materials are usually multi-phase materials, made up from two or more phases, which are combined to provide properties that the individual constituents cannot. This technology represents an economical way to improve product performances avoiding the use of expensive materials. Composite materials can be obtained as films by means of the electrolysis of electroplating solutions in which micrometre- or submicrometre-size particles are suspended: variable amounts of these particles become incorporated in the electrochemically produced solid phase, to which they impart enhanced properties. The main aims of the present work contributing to this thesis are the study of different parameters influencing the electroco-deposition process in order to promote and improve the applicability of such a technology in the high speed electroplating industry. Following a comprehensive review on the electroco-deposition of composite coatings, the phenomena have been analysed moving from a microscopic point of view i. e. the role of the metal ions present in the electrolyte and adsorption on the inert particles and their interactions with the growing metal layer, to a macroscopic point of view i. e. the electrolyte agitation, its influence on particle motion and all the issues related to the presence of particles in an electrolyte during electroplating. In particular the inert particle influence in terms of geometry, dimension and chemical nature (spherical polystyrene particles vs. irregular alumina particles with different dimensions), the metal matrix influence (nickel, copper and zinc), the influence of electrolyte agitation (using a Rotating Cylinder Electrode cell system) and the influence of the coating thickness on particle content in the final coating, using different deposition times, have been examined. The importance of the particle shape has been highlighted showing how incorporating irregular geometries gave higher particle incorporation densities than regular geometries. The influence of the substrate finishing in terms of imperfections has been related to the particle incorporation rate showing how small surface imperfections enhanced the incorporation of particles. Different hydrodynamic regimes have been analysed resulting three different regimes being discerned: laminar, transitional and turbulent. The consequence, in terms of particle incorporation levels, has been found showing how the amount of particles in the coating changed from one regime to another. Different rate-determining steps were related to the hydrodynamics: when the regime is laminar, particles were incorporated as agglomerates and the process was under particle transfer control, whilst in the turbulent zone, the rate determining step was the velocity of reduction of the ions adsorbed on the particle surface.

The aim of this work was to examine the behaviour of sediment, from the perspective of the grain scale mechanics, through computer simulation of grain interactions. A discrete particle model was developed, capable of manipulating the simultaneous motion of large numbers of grains through numerical integration of the equation of motion on an individual basis. Simulations of the critical entrainment shear stress of grains in the surface of single-sized sediment beds demonstrated a distributed nature of threshold values which was dependent upon the arrangement of the randomly deposited bed surface. Geometrical arguments were developed that indicated the existence of general critical entrainment shear stress distributions of both single and mixed-sized beds of a restricted grain size range. Effects of flow sheltering were examined, finding them to hold a significant influence over the effective critical entrainment shear stress distributions. Simulations of saltation trajectories revealed a transition in saltation behaviour associated with a densimetric Froude number, Fr ˜ 1.2, above which saltation was maintained indefinitely. Trajectory lengths were also investigated over a range of bed grain to saltating grain size ratios and were found to vary linearly with particle Froude number, to a first approximation, for d/D =1. The critical entrainment shear stress and trajectory length results were then incorporated into a probabilistic model which was used to predict fractional bed-load composition, providing valuable insight into the significance of grain scale effects upon large scale phenomena. The results reproduced some of the aspects of the partial transport regime identified by Wilcock (1997), showing evidence of a strong dependency on saltation trajectory length.

Aerosol particle deposition rates on surfaces inside a clean room are predicted by a model developed to account for particle convection, diffusion and sedimentation. External forces acting on the particle also influence the rate of deposition. Both electrical charge build up on product surfaces and temperature gradients in the air near the product surface are known to effect the rate of deposition. A description of an electrostatic and thermophoretic force on the particle is thus included in the model. The equations governing the particle deposition process and the approach used in obtaining a solution to these equations are both described. A finite element numerical solution is detailed, followed by a description of the electrostatic force models. Finally, predictions of the model are presented with a comparison to data experimentally obtained by other researchers.

Niobium thin films are expected to be free of solid inclusions commonly seen in solid niobium. For particle accelerators, niobium thin film has the potential to replace the solid niobium in the making of the accelerating structures. In order to understand and improve the superconducting performance of niobium thin films at cryogenic temperature, an energetic vacuum deposition system has been developed to study deposition energy effects on the properties of niobium thin films on various substrates. The system directly uses microwave power to create a pure niobium plasma, which can be used to extract niobium ion flux with controllable kinetic energy for direct deposition. The ultra high vacuum avoids the gaseous inclusions in thin films. A retarding field energy analyzer is developed and used to measure the kinetic energy of niobium at the substrate location. A systematic process for thin film characterization is developed and used to analyze the niobium thin films made by this energetic condensation. The properties of niobium thin films at several deposition energies are obtained, and the results show that there exists a preferred deposition energy around 115eV.
Ph. D.