Air Entrainment Processes in a Full-Scale Rectangular Dropshaft at Large Flows

Rectangular dropshafts, commonly used in sewers and storm water systems, are characterised by significant flow aeration. New detailed air-water flow measurements were conducted in a near-full-scale dropshaft at large discharges. In the shaft pool and outflow channel, the results demonstrated the complexity of different competitive air entrainment mechanisms. Bubble size measurements showed a broad range of entrained bubble sizes. Analysis of streamwise distributions of bubbles suggested further some clustering process in the bubbly flow although, in the outflow channel, bubble chords were in average smaller than in the shaft pool. A robust hydrophone was tested to measure bubble acoustic spectra and to assess its field application potential. The acoustic results characterised accurately the order of magnitude of entrained bubble sizes, but the transformation from acoustic frequencies to bubble radii did not predict correctly the probability distribution functions of bubble sizes.

Experimental Analysis of Froude Number Effect on Air Entrainment in the Hydraulic Jump

A hydraulic jump is characterized by strong energy dissipation and mixing, large-scale turbulence, air entrainment, waves and spray. Despite recent pertinent studies, the interaction between air bubbles diffusion and momentum transfer is not completely understood. The objective of this paper is to present experimental results from new measurements performed in rectangular horizontal flume with partially-developed inflow conditions. The vertical distributions of void fraction and air bubbles count rate were recorded for inflow Froude number Fr1 in the range from 5.2 to 14.3. Rapid detrainment process was observed near the jump toe, whereas the structure of the air diffusion layer was clearly observed over longer distances. These new data were compared with previous data generally collected at lower Froude numbers. The comparison demonstrated that, at a fixed distance from the jump toe, the maximum void fraction Cmax increases with the increasing Fr1. The vertical locations of the maximum void fraction and bubble count rate were consistent with previous studies. Finally, an empirical correlation between the upper boundary of the air diffusion layer and the distance from the impingement point was provided.

An experimental channel for the study of air entrainment in high-velocity flow /

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Air Entrainment in the Turbulent Ship Hull Boundary Layer

Turbulent fluctuations in the vicinity of the water free surface along a flat, vertically oriented surface-piercing plate are studied experimentally using a laboratory-scale experiment. In this experiment, a meter-wide stainless steel belt travels horizontally in a loop around two rollers with vertically oriented axes, which are separated by 7.5 meters. This belt device is mounted inside a large water tank with the water level set just below the top edge of the belt. The belt, rollers, and supporting frame are contained within a sheet metal box to keep the device dry except for one 6-meter-long straight test section between rollers. The belt is launched from rest with an acceleration of up to 3-g in order to quickly reach steady state velocity. This creates a temporally evolving boundary layer analogous to the spatially evolving boundary layer created along a flat-sided ship moving at the same velocity, with a length equivalent to the length of belt that has passed the measurement region since the belt motion began. Surface profile measurements in planes normal to the belt surface are conducted using cinematic Laser Induced Fluorescence and quantitative surface profiles are extracted at each instant in time. Using these measurements, free surface fluctuations are examined and the propagation behavior of these free surface ripples is studied. It is found that free surface fluctuations are generated in a region close to the belt surface, where sub-surface velocity fluctuations influence the behavior of these free surface features. These rapidly-changing surface features close to the belt appear to lead to the generation of freely-propagating waves far from the belt, outside the influence of the boundary layer. Sub-surface PIV measurements are performed in order to study the modification of the boundary layer flow field due to the effects of the water free surface. Cinematic planar PIV measurements are performed in horizontal planes parallel to the free surface by imaging the flow from underneath the tank, providing streamwise and wall-normal velocity fields. Additional planar PIV experiments are performed in vertical planes parallel to the belt surface in order to study the bahvior of streamwise and vertical velocity fields. It is found that the boundary layer grows rapidly near the free surface, leading to an overall thicker boundary layer close to the surface. This rapid boundary layer growth appears to be linked to a process of free surface bursting, the sudden onset of free surface fluctuations. Cinematic white light movies are recorded from beneath the water surface in order to determine the onset location of air entrainment. In addition, qualitative observations of these processes are made in order to determine the mechanisms leading to air entrainment present in this flow.

Air Bubble Entrainment in Hydraulic Jumps: Physical Modelling and Scale Effects

A hydraulic jump is characterised by strong energy dissipation and air entrainment. In the present study, new air-water flow measurements were performed in hydraulic jumps with partially-developed flow conditions in relatively large-size facilities with phase-detection probes. The experiments were conducted with identical Froude numbers, but a range of Reynolds numbers and relative channel widths. The results showed drastic scale effects at small Reynolds numbers in terms of void fraction and bubble count rate distributions. The void fraction distributions implied comparatively greater detrainment at low Reynolds numbers leading to a lesser overall aeration of the jump roller, while dimensionless bubble count rates were drastically lower especially in the mixing layer. The experimental results suggested also that the relative channel width had little effect on the air-water flow properties for identical inflow Froude and Reynolds numbers.

Dynamic Similarity and Scale Effects Affecting Air Bubble Entrainment in Hydraulic Jumps

In an open channel, the transition from super- to sub-critical flow is a flow singularity (the hydraulic jump) characterised by a sharp rise in free-surface elevation, strong turbulence and air entrainment in the roller. A key feature of the hydraulic jump flow is the strong free-surface aeration and air-water flow turbulence. In the present study, similar experiments were conducted with identical inflow Froude numbers Fr1 using a geometric scaling ratio of 2:1. The results of the Froude-similar experiments showed some drastic scale effects in the smaller hydraulic jumps in terms of void fraction, bubble count rate and bubble chord time distributions. Void fraction distributions implied comparatively greater detrainment at low Reynolds numbers yielding some lesser aeration of the jump roller. The dimensionless bubble count rates were significantly lower in the smaller channel, especially in the mixing layer. The bubble chord time distributions were quantitatively close in both channels, and they were not scaled according to a Froude similitude. Simply the hydraulic jump remains a fascinating two-phase flow motion that is still poorly understood.

Air uptake along the lower nappe of a spillway aerator

Air concentration measurements performed along the lower nappe of a bottom aerator through the impact and downstream flow regions permitted the calculation of air entrainment along the jet length. The air uptake was also measured in the air supply conduit. It was shown that integration of the concentration profiles along the jet overestimates the air uptake measured in the air supply conduit. Corrective procedures were developed by adapting the concept of entrained and entrapped air, in which the latter is re-circulated in the cavity, but both are measured by air concentration probes.

Air Content and Permeability of PCC Pavements: 1909 to 2006, MLR-05-02, 2007

Portland cement concrete pavements have given excellent service history for Iowa. Many of these pavements placed during the 1920’s and 1930’s are still in service today. Many factors go in to achieve a long term durable concrete pavement. Probably the most important is the durability of the aggregate. Until the 1930’s, pit run gravel was the most predominant aggregate used. Many of these gravels provided long term performance and their durability is dependent upon the carbonate fraction of the gravel. Later, limestone (calcium carbonate) and dolomite (calcium, magnesium carbonate) sources were mined across Iowa. The durability of these carbonate aggregates is largely dependent upon the pore system which can cause freeze thaw problems known as D-cracking, which was a problem with some sources during the 1960’s. Also, some of these carbonate aggregates are also susceptible to deterioration from deicing salts. Geologists have identified the major components that affect the durability of these carbonate aggregates and sources are tested to ensure long term performance in Portland cement concrete. Air entrainment was originally put in concrete to improve scaling resistance. It is well known that air entrainment is required to provide freeze thaw protection in concrete pavements today. In Iowa, air entrainment was not introduced in concrete pavements until 1952. This research investigates properties that made older concrete pavements durable without air entrainment.

Investigation into Freezing-Thawing Durability of Low-Permeability Concrete with and without Air Entraining Agent, 2009

The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of low-permeability concrete, made with reduced water‐to‐binder ratios (w/b) and/or supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), on the need for air entrainment to achieve freezing‐thawing (F‐T) durability. In the present study, concrete mixes were made with different types of cement (Types I and IP), with or without fly ash replacement (15%), with different water‐to‐binder ratios (w/b =0.25, 0.35, 0.45 and 0.55), and with or without air entraining agent (AEA). All concrete mixtures were controlled to have a similar slump by using different dosages of superplasticizer. The rapid chloride permeability and F-T durability of the concrete samples were determined according to ASTM C1202 and ASTM C666A, respectively. The air void structure of the concrete was studied using the Air Void Analyzer, RapidAir, and porosity tests (ASTM C642). In addition, the general concrete properties, such as slump, air content, unit weight, and 28‐day compressive strength, were evaluated. The results indicate that all concrete mixes with proper air entrainment (ASTM C231 air content ≥ 6%) showed good F‐T resistance (durability factor ≥85%). All concrete mixes without AEA showed poor F‐T resistance (durability factor < 40%), except for one mix that had very low permeability and high strength. This was the concrete made with Type IP cement and with a w/b of 0.25, which had a permeability of 520 coulombs and a compressive strength of 12,760 psi (88 MPa). There were clear relationships between the F‐T durability and hardened concrete properties of non–air entrained concrete. However, such relationships did not exist in concrete with AEA. For concrete with AEA, good F‐T durability was associated with an air void spacing factor ≤ 0.28 mm (by AVA) or ≤ 0.22 mm (by RapidAir).

Physical modeling of air injection as a scour remediation technique near gated weir stilling basins

The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) manages and operates numerous water control structures that are subject to scour. In an effort to reduce scour downstream of these gated structures, laboratory experiments were performed to investigate the effect of active air-injection downstream of the terminal structure of a gated spillway on the depth of the scour hole. A literature review involving similar research revealed significant variables such as the ratio of headwater-to-tailwater depths, the diffuser angle, sediment uniformity, and the ratio of air-to-water volumetric discharge values. The experimental design was based on the analysis of several of these non-dimensional parameters. Bed scouring at stilling basins downstream of gated spillways has been identified as posing a serious risk to the spillway’s structural stability. Although this type of scour has been studied in the past, it continues to represent a real threat to water control structures and requires additional attention. A hydraulic scour channel comprised of a head tank, flow straightening section, gated spillway, stilling basin, scour section, sediment trap, and tail-tank was used to further this analysis. Experiments were performed in a laboratory channel consisting of a 1:30 scale model of the SFWMD S65E spillway structure. To ascertain the feasibility of air injection for scour reduction a proof-of-concept study was performed. Experiments were conducted without air entrainment and with high, medium, and low air entrainment rates for high and low headwater conditions. For the cases with no air entrainment it was found that there was excessive scour downstream of the structure due to a downward roller formed upon exiting the downstream sill of the stilling basin. When air was introduced vertically just downstream of, and at the same level as, the stilling basin sill, it was found that air entrainment does reduce scour depth by up to 58% depending on the air flow rate, but shifts the deepest scour location to the sides of the channel bed instead of the center. Various hydraulic flow conditions were tested without air injection to verify which scenario caused more scour. That scenario, uncontrolled free, in which water does not contact the gate and the water elevation in the stilling basin is lower than the spillway crest, would be used for the remainder of experiments testing air injection. Various air flow rates, diffuser elevations, air hole diameters, air hole spacings, diffuser angles and widths were tested in over 120 experiments. Optimal parameters include air injection at a rate that results in a water-to-air ratio of 0.28, air holes 1.016mm in diameter the entire width of the stilling basin, and a vertically orientated injection pattern. Detailed flow measurements were collected for one case using air injection and one without. An identical flow scenario was used for each experiment, namely that of a high flow rate and upstream headwater depth and a low tailwater depth. Equilibrium bed scour and velocity measurements were taken using an Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter at nearly 3000 points. Velocity data was used to construct a vector plot in order to identify which flow components contribute to the scour hole. Additionally, turbulence parameters were calculated in an effort to help understand why air-injection reduced bed scour. Turbulence intensities, normalized mean flow, normalized kinetic energy, and anisotropy of turbulence plots were constructed. A clear trend emerged that showed air-injection reduces turbulence near the bed and therefore reduces scour potential.

Rheological behavior of mortars under different squeezing rates

In the present work the squeeze flow technique was used to evaluate the rheological behavior of cement-based mortars containing macroscopic aggregates up to 1.2 mm. Compositions with different water and air contents were tested at three squeezing rates (0.01, 0.1 and 1 mm/s) 15 and 60 min after mixing. The mortars prepared with low (13 wt.%) and usual water content (15 wt.%) presented opposite behaviors as a function of elapsed time and squeezing speed. The first lost its cohesion with time and required higher loads when squeezed faster, while the latter became stiffer with time and was more difficult to be squeezed slowly as a result of phase segregation. Due to the increase of air content, the effects of this compressible phase became more significant and a more complex behavior was observed. Rheological properties such as elongational viscosity and yield stress were also determined. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Free-Surface Aeration and Momentum Exchange at a Bottom Outlet

This study aims to provide some new understanding of the air-water flow properties in high-velocity water jets discharging past an abrupt drop. Such a setup has been little studied to date despite the relevance to bottom outlets. Downstream of the step brink, the free-jet entrains air at both upper and lower air-water interfaces, as well as along the sides. An air-water shear layer develops at the lower nappe interface. At the lower nappe, the velocity redistribution was successfully modelled and the velocity field was found to be similar to that in two-dimensional wake flow. The results highlighted further two distinct flow regions. Close to the brink (Wex < 5000), the flow was dominated by momentum transfer. Further downstream (Wex > 5000), a strong competition between air bubble diffusion and momentum exchanges took place.

Bubbly Flow Structure in Hydraulic Jump

In an open channel, a hydraulic jump is the rapid transition from super- to sub-critical flow associated with strong turbulence and air bubble entrainment in the mixing layer. New experiments were performed at relatively large Reynolds numbers using phase-detection probes. Some new signal analysis provided characteristic air-water time and length scales of the vortical structures advecting the air bubbles in the developing shear flow. An analysis of the longitudinal air-water flow structure suggested little bubble clustering in the mixing layer, although an interparticle arrival time analysis showed some preferential bubble clustering for small bubbles with chord times below 3 ms. Correlation analyses yielded longitudinal air-water time scales Txx*V1/d1 of about 0.8 in average. The transverse integral length scale Z/d1 of the eddies advecting entrained bubbles was typically between 0.25 and 0.4, irrespective of the inflow conditions within the range of the investigations. Overall the findings highlighted the complicated nature of the air-water flow

Hydraulic Design of Stepped Spillways and Downstream Energy Dissipators for Embankment Dams

In recent years, the design flows of many dams were re-evaluated, often resulting in discharges larger than the original design. In many cases, the occurrence of the revised flows could result in dam overtopping because of insufficient storage and spillway capacity. An experimental study was conducted herein to gain a better understanding of the flow properties in stepped chutes with slopes typical of embankment dams. The work was based upon a Froude similitude in large-size experimental facilities. A total of 10 configurations were tested including smooth steps, steps equipped with devices to enhance energy dissipation and rough steps. The present results yield a new design procedure. The design method includes some key issues not foreseen in prior studies : e.g., gradually varied flow, type of flow regime, flow resistance. It is believed that the outcomes are valid for a wide range of chute geometry and flow conditions typical of embankment chutes.

Reduction of Concrete Deterioration by Ettringite Using Crystal Growth Inhibition Techniques, TR-431, 2001

Many researchers have concluded that secondary or delayed ettringite is responsible for serious premature deterioration of concrete highways. In some poorly performing Iowa concretes, ettringite is the most common secondary mineral but its role in premature deterioration is uncertain since some researchers still maintain that secondary ettringite does not itself cause deterioration. The current research project was designed to determine experimentally if it is possible to reduce secondary ettringite formation in concrete by treating the concrete with commercial crystallization inhibitor chemicals. The hypothesis is such that if the amount of ettringite is reduced, there will also be a concomitant reduction of concrete expansion and cracking. If both ettringite formation and deterioration are simultaneously reduced, then the case for ettringite induced expansion/cracking is strengthened. The experiment used four commercial inhibitors - two phosphonates, a polyacrylic acid, and a phosphate ester. Concrete blocks were subjected to continuous immersion, wet/dry and freeze/thaw cycling in sodium sulfate solutions and in sulfate solutions containing an inhibitor. The two phosphonate inhibitors, Dequest 2060 and Dequest 2010, manufactured by Monsanto Co., were effective in reducing ettringite nucleation and growth in concrete. Two other inhibitors, Good-rite K752 and Wayhib S were somewhat effective, but less so than the two phosphonates. Rapid experiments with solution growth inhibition of ettringite without the presence of concrete phases were used to explore the mechanisms of inhibition of this mineral. Reduction of new ettringite formation in concrete blocks also reduced expansion and cracking of the blocks. This relationship clearly links concrete expansion with this mineral - a conclusion that some research workers have disputed despite theoretical arguments for such a relationship and despite numerous observations of ettringite mineralization in prematurely deteriorated concrete highways. Secondary ettringite nucleation and growth must cause concrete expansion because the only known effect of the inhibitor chemicals is to reduce crystal nucleation and growth, and the inhibitors cannot in any other way be responsible for the reduction in expansion. The mechanism of operation of the inhibitors on ettringite reduction is not entirely clear but the solution growth experiments show that they prevent crystallization of a soluble ettringite precursor gel. The present study shows that ettringite growth alone is not responsible for expansion cracking because the experiments showed that most expansion occurs under wet/dry cycling, less under freeze/thaw cycling, and least under continuous soaking conditions. It was concluded from the different amounts of damage that water absorption by newly-formed, minute ettringite crystals is responsible for part of the observed expansion under wet/dry conditions, and that reduction of freeze resistance by ettringite filling of air-entrainment voids is also important in freeze/thaw environments.