298 research outputs found

    DEM simulation of dense granular flows in a vane shear cell: Kinematics and rheological laws

    Get PDF
    The rheology of dense granular flows is investigated through discrete element method (DEM) simulation of a vane shear cell. From the simulation, profiles of shear stress, shear rate, and velocity are obtained, which demonstrates that the flow features in the vane shear cell are equivalent to those in the classic annular Couette cell. A novel correlation for the shear viscosity is formulated and leads to a new expression for ÎĽKT in the kinetic theory analysis. The ÎĽKT formulation is able to qualitatively capture the ÎĽ-I relation in the shear cell. A correlation length is added in the energy dissipation term to account for the effects of the particle motion correlation. A simplified correlation length model is derived based on DEM results and is compared with the literature. The modified granular kinetic energy equation is able to correctly predict the granular temperature profiles in the shear cell

    Transition vers la turbulence en conduite cylindrique pour un fluide non Newtonien : Effet de la non linéarité de la loi de comportement

    Get PDF
    La transition vers la turbulence en conduite cylindrique pour un fluide non Newtonien a été peu étudiée en dépit de l'importance de ce problème. Comparativement au cas Newtonien, les résultats existants dans la littérature font état d'une part d'un retard à la transition vers la turbulence et d'autre part de l'apparition d'une asymétrie dans les profils moyens (au sens temporel) de la vitesse axiale. Notre étude numérique montre que la nonlinéarité de la viscosité est à l'origine d'une réorganisation significative de l'écoulement

    Use of remote-sensing reflectance to constrain a data assimilating marine biogeochemical model of the Great Barrier Reef

    Get PDF
    Skillful marine biogeochemical (BGC) models are required to understand a range of coastal and global phenomena such as changes in nitrogen and carbon cycles. The refinement of BGC models through the assimilation of variables calculated from observed in-water inherent optical properties (IOPs), such as phytoplankton absorption, is problematic. Empirically derived relationships between IOPs and variables such as chlorophyll-a concentration (Chl a), total suspended solids (TSS) and coloured dissolved organic matter (CDOM) have been shown to have errors that can exceed 100% of the observed quantity. These errors are greatest in shallow coastal regions, such as the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), due to the additional signal from bottom reflectance. Rather than assimilate quantities calculated using IOP algorithms, this study demonstrates the advantages of assimilating quantities calculated directly from the less error-prone satellite remote-sensing reflectance (RSR). To assimilate the observed RSR, we use an in-water optical model to produce an equivalent simulated RSR and calculate the mismatch between the observed and simulated quantities to constrain the BGC model with a deterministic ensemble Kalman filter (DEnKF). The traditional assumption that simulated surface Chl a is equivalent to the remotely sensed OC3M estimate of Chl a resulted in a forecast error of approximately 75 %. We show this error can be halved by instead using simulated RSR to constrain the model via the assimilation system. When the analysis and forecast fields from the RSR-based assimilation system are compared with the non-assimilating model, a comparison against independent in situ observations of Chl a, TSS and dissolved inorganic nutrients (NO3, NH4 and DIP) showed that errors are reduced by up to 90 %. In all cases, the assimilation system improves the simulation compared to the non-assimilating model. Our approach allows for the incorporation of vast quantities of remote-sensing observations that have in the past been discarded due to shallow water and/or artefacts introduced by terrestrially derived TSS and CDOM or the lack of a calibrated regional IOP algorithm

    Testing the universality of star formation - II. Comparing separation distributions of nearby star-forming regions and the field

    Get PDF
    We have measured the multiplicity fractions and separation distributions of seven young star-forming regions using a uniform sample of young binaries. Both the multiplicity fractions and separation distributions are similar in the different regions. A tentative decline in the multiplicity fraction with increasing stellar density is apparent, even for binary systems with separations too close (19-100au) to have been dynamically processed. The separation distributions in the different regions are statistically indistinguishable over most separation ranges, and the regions with higher densities do not exhibit a lower proportion of wide (300-620au) relative to close (62-300au) binaries as might be expected from the preferential destruction of wider pairs. Only the closest (19-100au) separation range, which would be unaffected by dynamical processing, shows a possible difference in separation distributions between different regions. The combined set of young binaries, however, shows a distinct difference when compared to field binaries, with a significant excess of close (19-100au) systems among the younger binaries. Based on both the similarities and differences between individual regions, and between all seven young regions and the field, especially over separation ranges too close to be modified by dynamical processing, we conclude that multiple star formation is not universal and, by extension, the star formation process is not universal.Comment: accepted for publication in MNRA

    Epidemiology and individual, household and geographical risk factors of podoconiosis in ethiopia: results from the first nationwide mapping

    Get PDF
    Although podoconiosis is one of the major causes of tropical lymphoedema and is endemic in Ethiopia its epidemiology and risk factors are poorly understood. Individual-level data for 129,959 individuals from 1,315 communities in 659 woreda (districts) were collected for a nationwide integrated survey of lymphatic filariasis and podoconiosis. Blood samples were tested for circulating Wuchereria bancrofti antigen using immunochromatographic card tests. A clinical algorithm was used to reach a diagnosis of podoconiosis by excluding other potential causes of lymphoedema of the lower limb. Bayesian multilevel models were used to identify individual and environmental risk factors. Overall, 8,110 of 129,959 (6.2%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 6.1-6.4%) surveyed individuals were identified with lymphoedema of the lower limb, of whom 5,253 (4.0%, 95% CI 3.9-4.1%) were confirmed to be podoconiosis cases. In multivariable analysis, being female, older, unmarried, washing the feet less frequently than daily, and being semiskilled or unemployed were significantly associated with increased risk of podoconiosis. Attending formal education and living in a house with a covered floor were associated with decreased risk of podoconiosis. Podoconiosis exhibits marked geographical variation across Ethiopia, with variation in risk associated with variation in rainfall, enhanced vegetation index, and altitude
    • …
    corecore