In-situ vapor extraction is performed by applying a pressure differential across a hydrophobic porous membrane that forms a wall of the channel as a means of reducing the local quality of flow boiling within the channel. As the local quality is reduced, the heat transfer capability can be improve while...
A one-dimensional numerical model has been developed to study diabatic and adiabatic
flow boiling in microchannels. This model accounts for developing flow effects and
variable property effects. The model uses correlations for void fraction and two-phase
multipliers found in the literature. The model has been used to study the performance...
A mechanistic based critical heat flux (CHF) correlation has been developed derived from a mass, momentum, and energy balance at a nucleation site for water. The trigger mechanism for the CHF condition is postulated to be related to the maximum boiling frequency on a heated surface. It is observed that...
In certain cases in system modeling, parameter search problems
are complicated by the availability of scanty and corrupt physical
system data and a large number of model parameters. An algorithm
using man-machine interaction is presented to attack this type
of parameter search problem with the objective of efficiency in the...
Biomechanical models have been used in designing human work environments to evaluate potential risks to workers before a work environment is constructed. In order for work environments to be modeled correctly, most biomechanical models require as input, an accurate body posture of the worker. This information can be obtained by,...
This dissertation consists of three papers on land use economics and policies. The first two papers focus primarily on local land use policies and urban development. The third paper addresses the question how environmental amenities affect households' residential choices in a metropolitan area. In the first paper, an option value...
Many engineering devices and propulsion systems suffer from undesirable effects of cavitation; such as degradation in the efficiency of pumps and turbines, generation of noise and vibration on ship propeller, increased drag and erosion of propeller blade, etc.
In spite of decades of research on this problem, detailed study of...
A model is presented which predicts the net present
value of a stand level multi-entry harvest plan. The model
accounts for potential volume losses due to harvest-related soil compaction. The goal of this project was to answer five economic questions about the issue of soil compaction in forestry. The five...
The atmospheric fluidized bed combustor (AFBC) is an alternative to
the pulverized coal burner. The size of a utility scale AFBC would be
enormous so that the use of large particles is necessary to reduce its
size. In modeling the combustion of coal and capture of sulfur released
from the...