Applied Mechanics and Materials Vols. 284-287

Abstract: This work investigates the effects of circumferential casing grooves on stall flow characteristics of a transonic axial compressor. Numerical analysis is conducted by solving three-dimensional steady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations with the shear stress transport turbulence model. The results of flow analysis for an axial compressor with smooth casing are validated in comparison with experimental data for the pressure ratio and adiabatic efficiency. The numerical stall inception point is identified from the last converged point by convergence criteria, and the stall margin is predicted numerically. The peak adiabatic efficiency point is also obtained by reducing the normalized mass flow in the high mass flow region. In order to explore the influence of number of the circumferential casing grooves on the performance of the compressor, the stall margins and peak adiabatic efficiencies are evaluated compared to the case smooth casing. The stability of the axial compressor with circumferential casing grooves is found to be sensitively influenced by the number of grooves.

Abstract: The Levenberg-Marguardt algorithm is used to study effects on convergence for inverse heat conduction in the unsteady state. In this model, the finite volume method is usedto obtain anestimated temperature, which is necessary for minimizing inverse error. To validate the model, constant thermal conductivity (k) and heat capacity (ρCpC) are identified from a semi-infinite slab subjected to constant heat flux. These properties are inserted into the theoretical equation for a semi-infinite slab, and an analytical solution is obtained by solving the theoretical equation including the two identified properties. The analytical solution and the identified resultare in very good agreement. Three simulations were performed to investigate the sensitivity of computation time and conversion to initial thermo-physical values by changing three different damping ratios of the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm. Our results show that agood initial guessallowsgood convergence, but convergence time decreases as the value of damping ratio decreases.A poor initial guess results in more convergence time, and causes divergence when a small damping ratio is used. Once the simulation converges, our model shows that results areobtained within an error of 0.01%.

Abstract: Model configurations of turbine blade trailing-edge internal cooling passage with staggered elliptic pin-fins in streamwise and spanwise are adopted for numerical investigation using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Grid refinement study is performed at first to identify a baseline mesh, followed by validation study of passage total pressure loss, which gives 2% and 4% discrepancies respectively for two chosen configurations in comparison with experimental measurements. Further investigations are focused on evaluation of wall heat transfer coefficient (HTC) of both pin-fin and end walls, and it is found that CFD predicted pin-fin wall HTC are generally in good agreement with test data for the streamwise staggered elliptic pin-fins, but not the spanwise staggered elliptic pin-fins in which some discrepancies occur. CFD predicted end wall HTC have shown reasonable good agreement for the first three rows, but discrepancies seen in downstream rows are around a factor of 2-3. A ratio of averaged pin-fin and end walls HTC is estimated 1.3-1.5, close to that from a circular pin-fin configuration that has 1.8-2.1. Further study should focus on improving end wall HTC predictions, probably through a conjugate heat transfer model.

Abstract: This paper investigated the airflow distribution performance of the combustor which utilized trapped vortex in the cavity to improve the flame stability. Hole-filling method was used to study trapped vortex combustor airflow distribution at normal temperature and pressure condition. The influence of inlet velocity and mainstream flow-passage height were investigated. The results show that, inlet velocity hardly impacts the airflow distribution of trapped vortex combustor, but chamber height is a key parameter for airflow distribution. The size, number and opening area of the holes in trapped vortex combustor are important to airflow distribution, and increasing cavity back body air flow could bring well lean blowout limit. The research results may serve as a useful reference in further development and engineering application of trapped vortex combustor.

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is mainly to develop a method to simulate the bump height variation and probe mark profile for Eutectic (Sn63/ Pb37) bump wafer probing with continuing-touchdown probing. Certainly, the bump height variation and probe mark area on the solder bump influence the quality of the wafer probing and further impacts reliability of the packaging process after wafer probing to cause issues of cold-joint and needle damage. A three-dimensional computational model of was developed to analyze the contact phenomena between the vertical needle and the solder bump. Finite element simulation software, ANSYS, is used to analyze the loading force distributed on the vertical needle with various overdrives. In addition, the results of the bump height variation and probe mark area, which predicted by the finite element method (FEM), were verified against the on-line experimental results. Finally, the results predicted by the finite element model is consistent with experimental results and the numerical method presented in the paper can be used as a useful evaluating method to support the choice of suitable probe geometry and wafer probe testing parameters.

Abstract: The double ballbar (DBB) test is a well-known way to check the geometric error of axis interaction. The DBB test captures actual data from multiple error origins. Here, we define the DBB measurement result as the sinusoid error map model plus noise. Using this concept, we extract a single source geometric error value from the DBB error map by LS fitting. We considered the “noise” as mix error from other sources. To ensure the quality of a numerical fitting, we used a sinusoid model of each geometric error that was generated by simulation of axis movement based on homogeneous transformation matrices (HTMs) as general best-fit curve. To verify the proposed method, we extract a well-known geometric error of linear axes and compare it with the result from a commercial measurement system. This method is applicable to both a full circle and a truncated DBB test path. Then, we use the method to estimate the geometric error of axis interaction between linear and rotary axes in a five-axis machine. A sequence of DBB tests is arranged based on linear-linear and linear-rotary simultaneous motions. The tests contain seven DBB test runs with two setups, and are able to identify eleven geometry errors of interaction of axes in less time, and with less human “intervention” error.

Abstract: In this study, the free vibration behaviors of fluid-loaded transversely isotropic Magneto-electro-elastic (MEE) rectangular plates are investigated. The mathematical formulation on the determination of added virtual mass for fluid-loaded MEE rectangular plates with uniform thickness is derived. Based on the recently proposed differential equation governing the dynamical responses of the MEE rectangular plates, a fluid-structure interaction model is established and analyzed. The added virtual mass incremental (AVMI) factor of the system is estimated by using the proposed approach and the added virtual mass can then be calculated. It is noted that the natural frequencies based on the proposed method are very useful for those people who are involved in the vibration analysis and design of the fluid-loaded MEE plate.

Abstract: This paper presents results of a frictional analysis on a new rotating sleeve multi-vane rotary (RSMVR) compressor. The new five-vane rotary compressor is adapted from the existing concept of a rotating sleeve single-vane rotary (RSSVR) compressor, in which the extended rounded end of one vane is embedded into the inner surface of the sleeve which allows the vane to swing within a certain small angle. As the rotor rotates, this vane drives the sleeve which in turn pushes and pulls the vane into and out of the slot in the rotor, respectively. The other four vanes are similarly pushed into the respective slots in the rotor but slide out only when a sufficient centrifugal force is developed. The driving vane ensures that suction, compression and discharge of the gas occur at all speeds of rotation. Although the sleeve rotates along, due to eccentricity between the rotor and the sleeve, each tip of the four vanes still rubs against the inner surface of the sleeve. The focus of the present study limits its analysis on to only frictions between the vane tip and the inner surface of the sleeve and between the vane sides and the respective slot walls. The frictional analysis is carried out by first determining the instantaneous pressure inside the compression cell and all the associated forces that exist. This involves an analysis on the dynamics of each vane when it reciprocates and at the same time rotates eccentrically with the sleeve. The kinematics of the vane are modelled using cosine and sine rules taking the cell leading vane as a reference to the angle of rotation. In the operation the model estimates a dramatic reduction in friction which is up to 82% lower than that occurs in an existing design of an equivalent conventional multi-vane rotary compressor (MVR). A friction between the rotating sleeve and the two opposite end plates exists in the RSMVR compressor but does not in that of the MVR. This will be included in a later study but on a new integrated brushless DC motor RSMVR compressor concept and on that of the existing shaft driven MVR, to see the overall difference in the frictions exerted.

Abstract: High-power light emitting diode (LED) modules offer several advantages over conventional light sources, but require effective thermal management for optimal performance, such as liquid cooling or thermoelectric cooling (TEC). This study compared the thermal performance of high-power LEDs with liquid cooling and TEC using both the finite element method and experiments. We considered a mutichip module in which the LEDs are immersed in one of three different cooling fluids in a metal enclosure with passive cooling or a TEC module. In the experiments, temperatures were measured by thermocouples. The temperature and flow fields of the liquid-cooled package inside the enclosure were analyzed in detail using a numerical model, and the results were validated against the experimental measurements. In this paper, we discuss the major design considerations when using liquid cooling and TEC. Our results show that for the illumination module considered in this study, appropriate heat sink design is crucial to optimizing performance with TEC, which can enhance the heat dissipation for small and compact LED modules.

Abstract: This study examines several effects, including the piezofan positions, and piezofan arrangements, as well as piezofan height, on the heat transfer enhancement of two typical types of vertical heat sink. Either 30-mm-high or 10-mm-high heat sink having 11 plate-fins or 100 square pin-fins is tested with a running piezofan. The piezofan having Mylar blade is either vertically or horizontally placed above the heat sinks vibrating with resonant frequency of 31 Hz and tip mean-to-peak amplitude of 7.2 mm. The heat transfer coefficient is measured at five different fan locations with fan heights of 12 mm and 16 mm. Results show that the piezofan located at x/L = 0.5 usually performs the highest heat transfer enhancement for a given heat sink, while piezofan located at x/L = 1 usually shows the worst heat transfer enhancement. Depending on the fan arrangements and positions, heat transfer coefficient of the present 10-mm-high plate-fin heat sink shows 1.2 – 2.4 times higher than that under natural convection, while the enhancement factor ranges from 1.1 to 2.6 for 10-mm-high pin-fin heat sink.