We are thankful to be welcome on these lands in friendship. The lands we are situated on are covered by the Williams Treaties and are the traditional territory of the Mississaugas, a branch of the greater Anishinaabeg Nation, including Algonquin, Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi. These lands remain home to many Indigenous nations and peoples.

We acknowledge this land out of respect for the Indigenous nations who have cared for Turtle Island, also called North America, from before the arrival of settler peoples until this day. Most importantly, we acknowledge that the history of these lands has been tainted by poor treatment and a lack of friendship with the First Nations who call them home.

This history is something we are all affected by because we are all treaty people in Canada. We all have a shared history to reflect on, and each of us is affected by this history in different ways. Our past defines our present, but if we move forward as friends and allies, then it does not have to define our future.

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November 25, 2011

Speaker: Tian Chen, Ontario Tech University

Title: Mathematical Modelling of the Plunger Pump Operation with Numerical Methods for Simulating the Flow across the Valve

Abstract: Plunger pumps are needed for heavy duty sludge pumping at wastewater treatment facilities. America's leading pump manufacturer Wastecorp Inc. brought their plunger pump problem to us in late 2009. It was found that when the flow rate reaches a critical value, the plunger pump starts to generate a clicking noise.

A one-dimensional model was built for studying the flow of a typical plunger pump operation. The velocities and pressures are calculated at certain interesting locations. Pressure jumps have been found while opening or closing the valves. The valve motion is then modelled with considerations to its geometry. The results show that as the plunger speed reaches a critical value, the valve moves more rapidly and more likely to hit the wall and generates a noise. We also provide a methodology to study the flow across the valve in higher resolution. A finite-difference approach to the Navier-Stokes equations are presented with the immersed boundary method.