Engineering Commons^™

Impact Of Flow Direction On Local Flow Behavior In Biologically-Inspired Flow Passages, Derrick Dewayne Herrin

Honors College Theses

ABSTRACT

A computational fluid dynamics model was utilized to study the effect of flow direction on local flow behavior in biologically-inspired microscale flow networks. Biologically-inspired flow networks have been found to offer numerous advantages when compared with parallel flow networks, particularly in thermal management applications. Flow behavior was examined for a range of bifurcation angles and laminar inlet Reynolds numbers. The computational model was validated with existing theoretical solutions and verified for grid independence. As the bifurcation angle increased, the pressure drop, and thus pumping power, across the biologically-inspired flow networks increased. In addition, as the inlet Reynolds number increased, …

Investigation Of The Thermal Performance Of Sierpinski Carpet Fractal Fins In A Natural Convection Environment, Jennifer P. Shaffer

Honors College Theses

This experimental investigation studies the thermal performance of the first four iterations of the Sierpinski carpet pattern in a natural convection environment. This particular fractal geometry is promising in that it increases the available surface area for heat transfer while simultaneously decreasing the mass of the system. This makes it a potentially advantageous design for fins or heat sinks, especially in aerospace applications where minimizing mass of the system is essential. The thermal performance was evaluated by comparing the efficiency, effectiveness, and effectiveness per unit mass for each fractal iteration. The results indicate that efficiency decreases with each fractal iteration …