Graduation Year

2019

Document Type

Thesis

Degree

M.S.M.E.

Degree Name

MS in Mechanical Engineering (M.S.M.E.)

Degree Granting Department

Mechanical Engineering

Major Professor

David Murphy, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Andres E. Tejada-Martinez, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Rasim Guldiken, Ph.D.

Keywords

ANSYS Simulation, Cylindrical Lens, Fluid Mechanics, High Power LED, PIV

Abstract

Langmuir Circulation is a common phenomenon driven by wind in oceans and lakes and was first studied by Langmuir in 1927. According to various ocean observations, this kind of phenomenon plays an important role in many phenomena such as the aggregation of bubbles, the distribution of plankton as well as the mixing of spilled oil and sediment in the ocean. To study this, an experimental facility has been developed in the lab which creates a small scale version of Langmuir Circulation.

This thesis is about the design and testing of this tank and surrounding aluminum frame, as well as the design and construction of the illumination equipment (the Green Lantern 2.0) needed for Particle Image Velocimetry measurements within the tank. ANSYS will be used to show whether the tank is structurally strong enough to support the fluid. An enhancement is found that prevents a frontward bend of tank wall, which is analyzed by ANSYS to find an optimized construction to minimize tank deformation. Then, the Light-Emitting Diode (LED) and collimating lens selection for the Green Lantern 2.0 will also be shown in this paper. Besides, this thesis also presents preliminary flow measurement data acquired using the illumination equipment (the Green Lantern).

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