RELATED STUDIES

Buoyancy Driven Flows in an Urban Environment

Abstract
This paper reviews some recent studies (after 2000) pertaining to buoyancy driven flows
in nature and thier use in reducing air pollution levels in a city (city ventilation). Natural
convection flows occur due to the heating and cooling of various urban surfaces (e.g.,
mountain slopes), leading to upslope and downslope flows. Such flows can have a
significant effect on city ventilation which has been the subject of study in the recent
times due to increased pollution levels in a city. A major portion of the research reviewed
here consists of natural convection flows occurring along mountain slopes, with a few
studies devoted to flows along building walls. The studies discussed here primarily
include field measurements and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models. This
review shows that for densely populated cities with high pollution levels, natural
convection flows (mountain slope or building walls) can significantly aid the dispersion
of pollutants. Additional studies in this area using CFD and water channel
measurements can explain the physical processes involved in such flows and help
improve CFD modelling. Future research should focus on a complete understanding of
the mechanisms of buoyancy flows in nature and developing design guidelines for
better planning of cities.

Studies on buoyancy-driven back-layering flow in tunnel fires

Abstract
The back-layering length and critical longitudinal ventilation velocity in tunnel fires will
be studied in this paper. A semi-empirical model was formulated and compared with
former expressions appearing in the literature predicting the back-layering length. An
equation on predicting the critical longitudinal ventilation velocity was further derived by
setting the back-layering length to be zero. Field tests were carried out in a new tunnel
with pool fires up to 3.2 MW. The results from the full-scale burning tests were applied
to examine the equation. In addition, some scenarios were simulated using
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Critical velocities predicted in this study were
similar to those observed in the field tests, CFD simulations and estimation by a simple
model by Thomas. As the plume configuration for a bigger tunnel fire is not the same as
that for a small fire, other empirical expressions for large tunnel fires gave some lower
critical velocity in comparing with the result for small tunnel fire in this paper.

Buoyancy Effect of Ionic Vacancy on the Change of the Partial Molar Volume in
Ferricyanide-Ferrocyanide Redox Reaction under a Vertical Gravity Field
Abstract

With a gravity electrode (GE) in a vertical gravity field, the buoyancy effect of ionic
vacancy on the change of the partial molar volume in the redox reaction between
ferricyanide (FERRI) and ferrocyanide (FERRO) ions was examined. The buoyancy
force of ionic vacancy takes a positive or negative value, depending on whether the
rate-determining step is the production or extinction of the vacancy. Though the upward
convection over an upward electrode in the FERRO ion oxidation suggests the
contribution of the positive buoyancy force arising from the vacancy production, the
partial molar volume of the vacancy was not measured. On the other hand, for the
downward convection under a downward electrode in the FERRI ion reduction, it was
not completely but partly measured by the contribution of the negative buoyancy force
from the vacancy extinction. Since the lifetime of the vacancy is decreased by the
collision between ionic vacancies during the convection, the former result was ascribed
to the shortened lifetime due to the increasing collision efficiency in the enhanced
upward convection over an upward electrode, whereas the latter was thought to arise
from the elongated lifetime due to the decreasing collision efficiency by the stagnation
under the downward electrode.

An experimental investigation of buoyancy-opposed wall jet flow

Abstract
An experimental study is reported of the flow and thermal fields produced by injecting a
plane jet of warm water down one wall of a vertical passage of rectangular cross section
into a slowly moving upward stream of cooler water. Flow visualisation and particle
image velocimetry techniques were used to obtain pictures of the flow. This was found
to be turbulent and non-steady under certain conditions. Detailed measurements of
local mean velocity, turbulence quantities and temperature were made using a laser
Doppler anemometry system and a traversable rake of thermocouples. In the regions
where the warm water encountered the cooler water the variation of temperature with
time was highly intermittent. As Richardson number was increased, the influence of the
buoyancy, opposing the flow, had the effect of stabilising it and restricting the downward
penetration of the jet and its lateral spread. In the case of the experiments with the
higher values of Richardson number a very concentrated shear layer was formed at the
interface between the two flow streams. The turbulence was strongly modified in this
region, its intensity peaked and the turbulent shear stress changed sign.

Buoyancy and Drug Release Patterns of Floating Minitablets Containing

Piretanide and Atenolol as Model Drugs
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to evaluate factors for improving the in vitro buoyancy
and the drug release characteristics of floating minitablets containing either piretanide or
atenolol as model drugs. The buoyancy of the minitablets was achieved either by the
swelling of the excipient or by incorporation of the gas-generating agent sodium
bicarbonate. Resultant-weight kinetics were performed in order to evaluate the
buoyancy. The release rate of the poorly soluble drug piretanide was enhanced by
increasing its solubility or by promoting the erosion of the minitablets. For the sparingly
soluble drug atenolol, the minitablets were coated with different ratio of insoluble
polymer in order to diminish the release rate of this drug. The swelling of a hydrophilic
excipient was not sufficient to obtain floating minitablets. The buoyancy of the
minitablets containing either piretanide or atenolol was greatly improved by adding
sodium bicarbonate as well as by a wet granulation. The most satisfactory improvement
in the release rate of piretanide was achieved using a solid dispersion with povidone,
thus increasing the drug solubility concomitantly with the increase of the minitablets'
erosion. Regarding atenolol, minitablets containing 7% sodium bicarbonate and coated
with Eudragit NE30D:RS 70:30 gave satisfactory results concerning buoyancy and drug
release rate. This study showed that it was possible to produce minitablets containing
either piretanide or atenolol, which have a positive resultant-weight during more than 6
hr and satisfactory release profiles.