FLUID DYNAMICS/HEAT TRANSFER GROUP

The director of the Institute, Dr. Paul D. Tinari, completed his Ph.D. degree in Environmental and Applied Fluid Mechanics at the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics in Belgium.  The von Karman Institute is a leading research organization currently carrying out fluid mechanics research for NATO, NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) the U.S. Air Force and many other organizations.  Dr. Tinari's area of research was the transient analysis of multi-phase, porous medium flows. The funding agency was NASA, and the application of this research was the development of a heat transport system for the International Space Station that would have no moving parts and therefore would not contaminate the 0-g experimental environment of the station with vibrations.  The Institute's extensive experience enables it to use many advanced tools and to choose the best combination to address each clients' specific needs.   Some of the advanced techniques that the Institute's researchers have employed in recent projects include:

• first-order analysis 

• detailed analytical approaches 

• computational fluid dynamics 

• use of thermo-hydraulic codes 

• flow visualization 

• similarity modelling 

• full scale experimentation 

It can often be demonstrated that the solution to a fluid flow problem involves the clever application of basic principles.  In cases dealing with multi-phase flows, flow visualizations can often demonstrate key features that will lead to modelling insights.  In many other applications, the use of computational fluid dynamics codes such as MUDFLOW, TRNSYS and CAMELOT-ARTHUR (developed by the director of the Institute in 1989) cam provide interesting insights.  For the last ten years, the Pacific Institute has applied analytical, experimental, computational and design skills in fluid dynamics to meet the needs of industrial, commercial and governmental clients. The Institute has performed dozens of projects including:

• Two-phase thermal management with applications to the NASA space station 

• Studies of flow instabilities 

• Analysis of two-phase flow problems in the oil and gas industry. 

• Application of porous medial flow analysis for the remediation of contaminated sites 

• Fluid/structure interactions and studies of flow induced vibrations. 

• Study of the fluid dynamics of a human swimming aid proposed to treat human back pain 

• Design of intrinsically safe nuclear reactors. 

• Studies of thermal pollution produced by thermal energy plants. 

In the area of heat transfer, the Pacific Institute's services include numerical calculations, process design, optimization, analytical and experimental modeling, customized software, and product and component development. Recent applications have included:

• Thermal management for space applications 

• Advanced methods for cooling microelectronics 

• Transient two-phase flow calculations 

• Spray Cooling 

The Institute has designed, built and tested advanced prototype heat transport and exchange systems for high heat flux/low vibration applications. The Institute's experience with two-phase flows has often been linked with heat transfer applications.

With a superior understanding of application priorities derived from many years of operational experience, the Pacific Institute chooses the best technology and approach to achieve optimum efficiency, reliability, size, weight and cost. System and component models are used to optimize performance at the design point and to plot performance at off-design operating conditions. Detailed design drawings can be generated using advanced CAD technology for prototype fabrication for client's use. Detailed technical reports document hardware design, construction and test results. The Institute's technical support extends through the installation of operating hardware through to the training of client's staff in its use and maintenance.