Full text
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| Author(s): |
Marcio Mesquita
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Doctoral Thesis |
| Press: | Campinas, SP. |
| Institution: | Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Faculdade de Engenharia Agrícola |
| Defense date: | 2014-02-21 |
| Examining board members: |
Roberto Testezlaf;
Alberto Colombo;
Leonardo Machado da Rosa;
José Euclides Stipp Paterniani;
Ariovaldo José da Silva
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| Advisor: | Roberto Testezlaf |
| Abstract | |
The deficiency of technological development on sand filters design using engineering technological tools restricts its structure optimization and operation effectiveness, causing energy and economic losses. This condition contributes to make the upgrades in the irrigation filtration science a longer path. Searching to help the technological and scientific development of a sand filter model the objective of this research was to contribute to the structural design improvement of these equipment, collaborating with the standardization of its operating parameters and generating information to help manufacturers to improve their filter models. The research methodology was divided into four steps: (1) validation of the use of computational fluid dynamics in sand filters hydraulic analyzes; (2) analyses of the hydrodynamic behavior of commercial model of diffuser plates and drains in the sand filters inner flow; (3) design of innovative models of diffuser plate and drain; and (4) construction and hydraulic evaluation of a prototype of a sand filter. The results indicated that for the defined assessment conditions, the parameterized numerical model simulated the flow process with significant accuracy the sand filter hydrodynamic. The designed diffuser plate reduced significantly the filter inflow, increasing the uniformity the flow lines distribution on the porous media surface. The proposed underdrain model allowed the establishment of radial and perpendicular flow lines in the operating area near the drain, reducing the occurrence of stagnation points and vortexes and the turbulence close to the slots. The projected spatial arrangement of the drainage system increased the effective operation area of each drain, resulting in uniform and homogeneous expansion of the filter bed during the upward flow and requiring lower fluidization velocities values to accomplish the backwash process. The sand filter prototype, developed from the application of CFD tools, reduced the pressure loss in the trials conditions comparing to evaluated commercials equipment. Mainly, this research validated the hypothesis of CFD¿s tools application in the design of the dimensions, shape and the structural arrangement of the diffuser plate and drains for sand filters. This methodology allowed accomplishing the homogenization of flow lines, reducing the pressure loss during the filtering and backwash processes, decreasing the media superficial deformations and increase the homogeneity of the bed fluidization during the backwash. Consequently, the computational fluid dynamics technique (CFD) showed suitable for design applications on new structural components¿ of sand filters, as well to study its functioning and operation¿s dynamics (AU) | |
| FAPESP's process: | 10/01910-2 - Technological development of a sand filter model for localized irrigation |
| Grantee: | Marcio Mesquita |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate |