Éliton Fontana

The Influence of Baffles on the Natural Convection in Trapezoidal Cavities

This article presents an investigation into natural convection in trapezoidal cavities. It examines a cavity whose floor and upper inclined walls are both adiabatic, while the vertical walls are isothermal. For these isothermal walls, we consider two thermal boundary conditions. Under the first condition, the short wall on the left side is heated as the tall one on the right side is cooled. The second condition is the reverse of the first—the short wall is cooled as the tall one is heated. Considering laminar conditions and a two-dimensional system, steady-state computations are carried out to assess the effects of one and two baffles, the baffles height (H b ), Rayleigh number, 103 ≤ Ra ≤ 106, and three Prandtl number values. To demonstrate the various effects, the results from several designed case studies are shown in terms of isotherms, streamlines, and local and average Nusselt numbers in order. Predictions reveal that the second baffle decreases the cavitys fluid flow and heat transfer. As the height of the baffle rises, the heat transfer drops drastically. Also, two baffles produce more pronounced thermal stratification than only one.

Kinetic study of biodegradation of BTX compounds in mono- and multicomponent systems in reactor with immobilized biomass

In this study, kinetic parameters were determined for the biodegradation of BTX compounds in a fixed-bed reactor with immobilized biomass, fed with mono- and multicomponent systems. The parameter estimation was achieved through an algorithm using the finite volume method. Different kinetic models were evaluated. The Monod model proved to be suitable to predict the experimental data for the biodegradation individual BTX compound. In multicomponent systems, it was found that the presence of more than one compound tends to cause competitive inhibition. To identify the models that best fit the experimental data, a statistical analysis using the F test was applied. For the two- and three-component systems the presence of more than one compound tends to cause competitive inhibition. In this study, it was possible to predict kinetic parameters in mono- and multicomponent systems as well as different operation conditions for a fixed-bed reactor with immobilized biomass.

Mathematical modeling and numerical simulation of heat and moisture transfer in a porous textile medium

The moisture accumulation within clothing is a serious problem for sportswear and clothing in cold climate. There are several experimental methods available to measure moisture build up in insulate materials. However, information on parameters such as temperature, relative humidity and vapor pressure can be obtained through simulation using a predictive mathematical model. The focus of this study is the development of a mathematical model to simulate heat and moisture transfer in a sample of fabric, coated to provide insulation, which is in contact with human skin on one side and with the external environment on the other. To numerically simulate the mathematical model, the finite volume method is used and a computational procedure for the solution of the model is designed. The simulation results are analyzed to verify whether they are consistent with the physical reality.