GLASGOW CALEDONIAN UNIVERSITY MSc in Mechanical Engineering

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING, SCIENCE & (Design)

DESIGN

FINAL EXAMINATION
FIRST DIET

11 JANUARY 2007 SESSION 2006/07

1000-1200

APPLIED THERMOFLUIDS
AND
COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS
(ESDM502)

2 HOURS

Attempt TWO questions:

ONE question from Section A and ONE question from Section B

All questions carry equal marks

To be supplied: Manuscript Book (unlined)

Electronic Calculator (allowed)
Dictionary (allowed)

Students for whom English is not their first language are permitted to use a Standard
English/Foreign Language dictionary, e.g. French/English/English/French. Please ensure that the
dictionary does not contain any notes or other materials and note that electronic dictionaries
are not permissible
 Section A
Attempt ONE question

Q.1 (a) Outline the need for CFD and typical areas of application.
[5]

(b) Describe in some detail, with the aid of diagrams, the ways in which a CFD
analysis numerically represents geometry and fluid flow using:

i) a finite volume method;

[10]
ii) the SIMPLE solution strategy.
[10]
Q.2 (a) Outline the steps you would take to perform a CFD analysis, which
involves a rapid flow, together with heat transfer in a complex geometry.
[5]

(b) Discuss the principle factors which you would consider in taking these
steps.
[16]

(c) Explain the influencing factors and possible consequences on the validity of
the analysis.
[4]
 Section B
Attempt ONE question

Q.3 (a) With reference to gas flow through a convergent-divergent nozzle from a
reservoir, explain the terms under-expansion and over-expansion and
describe briefly their effects on the behaviour of the flow through the
nozzle.
[8]

(b) Air flows through a convergent-divergent nozzle which has an exit area of
18 x 10-3 m2. The pressure and temperature at inlet are 1 MN/m2 and
77 C respectively, and the pressure at discharge is 100 kN/m2. Assuming
isentropic flow conditions and neglecting the inlet velocity, determine:

i) the Mach number at exit;

[8]

ii) the mass flow rate through the nozzle;

[3]

iii) the required area of the throat.

[6]

Data: For air, R = 287 J/kgK

= 1.4
1
To p pt 2 1
a RT
1/ 2
Formulae: o
T p p ( 1)
Q.4 (a) A nuclear reactor contains fuel elements that can be considered to be of
plane wall geometry with a uniformly distributed heat source.
The thickness of the wall in the x-direction is 2L, and it is assumed that the
dimensions in the other directions are sufficiently large that the heat flow
may be considered as one-dimensional. Using Fouriers law of conduction
assuming that the heat transfer rate q is constant, the differential equation
governing the heat flow is given by:

d 2T q
0
2 k
dx

Given that the heat generated per unit volume is q , assuming that the
thermal conductivity k does not vary with temperature and that the
boundary surface temperatures are equal, show that the maximium
temperature T0 within the wall occurs at the midpoint and is given by the
expression:

q L2
T0 Tw
2k
[10]

(b) A nuclear reactor contains a 10 mm thick flat plate uranium fuel element
which is cladded on each face with 2 mm thick aluminium plate. The rate
of heat generation of the fuel element is 40000 W/kg of uranium. Given
that the coolant temperature is 120oC, calculate the temperature:

i) at the outer surface of the aluminium cladding;

[4]

ii) at the interface of uranium/aluminium cladding;

[4]

iii) at the centre of the fuel element.

[7]

Data: Density () of uranium = 18900 kg/m3

Thermal conductivity of uranium = 24.4 W/mK
Thermal conductivity of aluminium = 206 W/mK
Surface heat transfer coefficient at the aluminium/coolant interface
= 28000 W/m2K

Formulae:
dt
Fouriers Law of Conduction: Q kA
dx
Newtons law of cooling: Q UA(t w t )

END OF EXAMINATION PAPER