The wire-mesh sensor as a two-phase flow meter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaban, H.; Tavoularis, S.

2015-01-01

A novel gas and liquid flow rate measurement method is proposed for use in vertical upward and downward gas-liquid pipe flows. This method is based on the analysis of the time history of area-averaged void fraction that is measured using a conductivity wire-mesh sensor (WMS). WMS measurements were collected in vertical upward and downward air-water flows in a pipe with an internal diameter of 32.5 mm at nearly atmospheric pressure. The relative frequencies and the power spectral density of area-averaged void fraction were calculated and used as representative properties. Independent features, extracted from these properties using Principal Component Analysis and Independent Component Analysis, were used as inputs to artificial neural networks, which were trained to give the gas and liquid flow rates as outputs. The present method was shown to be accurate for all four encountered flow regimes and for a wide range of flow conditions. Besides providing accurate predictions for steady flows, the method was also tested successfully in three flows with transient liquid flow rates. The method was augmented by the use of the cross-correlation function of area-averaged void fraction determined from the output of a dual WMS unit as an additional representative property, which was found to improve the accuracy of flow rate prediction.

Crowd motion segmentation and behavior recognition fusing streak flow and collectiveness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Mingliang; Jiang, Jun; Shen, Jin; Zou, Guofeng; Fu, Guixia

2018-04-01

Crowd motion segmentation and crowd behavior recognition are two hot issues in computer vision. A number of methods have been proposed to tackle these two problems. Among the methods, flow dynamics is utilized to model the crowd motion, with little consideration of collective property. Moreover, the traditional crowd behavior recognition methods treat the local feature and dynamic feature separately and overlook the interconnection of topological and dynamical heterogeneity in complex crowd processes. A crowd motion segmentation method and a crowd behavior recognition method are proposed based on streak flow and crowd collectiveness. The streak flow is adopted to reveal the dynamical property of crowd motion, and the collectiveness is incorporated to reveal the structure property. Experimental results show that the proposed methods improve the crowd motion segmentation accuracy and the crowd recognition rates compared with the state-of-the-art methods.

Improved blend and tablet properties of fine pharmaceutical powders via dry particle coating.

PubMed

Huang, Zhonghui; Scicolone, James V; Han, Xi; Davé, Rajesh N

2015-01-30

The improvements in the flow and packing of fine pharmaceutical powder blends due to dry coating of micronized acetaminophen (mAPAP, ∼11μm), a model poorly flowing drug, are quantified. Poor flow and packing density of fine excipients (∼20μm) allowed testing the hypothesis that dry coating of cohesive API may counteract poor flow and packing of fine pharmaceutical powder blends. Further, fine excipients could improve compaction and reduce segregation tendency. It was found that flow function coefficient (FFC) and bulk density enhancements for 10%, 30%, and 60% (w/w), API loading blends with dry coated API are significantly higher than those without coated silica. At the highest API loading, for which coarser excipients were also used as reference, the flow and packing of dry coated mAPAP blends were significantly increased regardless of the excipient particle size, exceeding those of a well compacting excipient, Avicel 102. In addition, tensile strength of tablets with fine excipients was significantly higher, indicating improved compactibility. These results show for the first time that dry coating of fine, cohesive API powder leads to significantly improved flow and packing of high API loading blends consisting of fine excipients, while achieving improved tablet compactibility, suggesting suitability for direct compaction. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Improving the cold flow properties of biodiesel by fractionation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Production of biodiesel is increasing world-wide and contributing to the growing development of renewable alternative fuels. Biodiesel has many fuel properties such as density, viscosity, lubricity, and cetane number that make it compatible for combustion in compression-ignition (diesel) engines. ...

Longitudinal optical monitoring of blood flow in breast tumors during neoadjuvant chemotherapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cochran, J. M.; Chung, S. H.; Leproux, A.; Baker, W. B.; Busch, D. R.; DeMichele, A. M.; Tchou, J.; Tromberg, B. J.; Yodh, A. G.

2017-06-01

We measure tissue blood flow markers in breast tumors during neoadjuvant chemotherapy and investigate their correlation to pathologic complete response in a pilot longitudinal patient study (n  =  4). Tumor blood flow is quantified optically by diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS), and tissue optical properties, blood oxygen saturation, and total hemoglobin concentration are derived from concurrent diffuse optical spectroscopic imaging (DOSI). The study represents the first longitudinal DCS measurement of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in humans over the entire course of treatment; it therefore offers a first correlation between DCS flow indices and pathologic complete response. The use of absolute optical properties measured by DOSI facilitates significant improvement of DCS blood flow calculation, which typically assumes optical properties based on literature values. Additionally, the combination of the DCS blood flow index and the tissue oxygen saturation from DOSI permits investigation of tissue oxygen metabolism. Pilot results from four patients suggest that lower blood flow in the lesion-bearing breast is correlated with pathologic complete response. Both absolute lesion blood flow and lesion flow relative to the contralateral breast exhibit potential for characterization of pathological response. This initial demonstration of the combined optical approach for chemotherapy monitoring provides incentive for more comprehensive studies in the future and can help power those investigations.

Effect of EPDM-g-MAH on properties of HDPE/OBC blends

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, M.; Yu, L. Y.; Li, P. F.; Bin, Y. H.; Zhang, H. J.

2017-04-01

In this paper, we take the HDPE as the matrix material, OBC as the toughening material, and EDPM-g-MAH as the compatibility agent, HDPE/OBC/EPDM-g-MAH blends were prepared by high speed mixing, melt extrusion, injection molding and so on. The effects of OBC and EPDM-g-MAH on mechanical properties, crystalline properties, fracture surface structure and rheological properties of HDPE were analyzed by universal tensile tester, melt mass flow rate test machine, DSC and SEM. Experimental results show that: with the addition of EPDM-g-MAH, the notched impact strength of the blends increased first and then decreased; HDPE/OBC blend containing 4% EPDM-g-MAH, OBC dispersion in the matrix is more uniform, particle size is significantly refined, melt flow has some improvement, Compared with HDPE/OBC blend materials, notched impact strength and elongation at break increased by 41.07% and 107.28% respectively, the toughness of the blend was greatly improved.

Preparation and Physicochemical Properties of Vinblastine Microparticles by Supercritical Antisolvent Process

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xiaonan; Zhao, Xiuhua; Zu, Yuangang; Chen, Xiaoqiang; Lu, Qi; Ma, Yuliang; Yang, Lei

2012-01-01

The objective of the study was to prepare vinblastine microparticles by supercritical antisolvent process using N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone as solvent and carbon dioxide as antisolvent and evaluate its physicochemical properties. The effects of four process variables, pressure, temperature, drug concentration and drug solution flow rate, on drug particle formation during the supercritical antisolvent process, were investigated. Particles with a mean particle size of 121 ± 5.3 nm were obtained under the optimized process conditions (precipitation temperature 60 °C, precipitation pressure 25 MPa, vinblastine concentration 2.50 mg/mL and vinblastine solution flow rate 6.7 mL/min). The vinblastine was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and dissolution test. It was concluded that physicochemical properties of crystalline vinblastine could be improved by physical modification, such as particle size reduction and generation of amorphous state using the supercritical antisolvent process. Furthermore, the supercritical antisolvent process was a powerful methodology for improving the physicochemical properties of vinblastine. PMID:23202916

Thermal infrared data of active lava surfaces using a newly-developed camera system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, J. O.; Ramsey, M. S.

2017-12-01

Our ability to acquire accurate data during lava flow emplacement greatly improves models designed to predict their dynamics and down-flow hazard potential. For example, better constraint on the physical property of emissivity as a lava cools improves the accuracy of the derived temperature, a critical parameter for flow models that estimate at-vent eruption rate, flow length, and distribution. Thermal infrared (TIR) data are increasingly used as a tool to determine eruption styles and cooling regimes by measuring temperatures at high temporal resolutions. Factors that control the accurate measurement of surface temperatures include both material properties (e.g., emissivity and surface texture) as well as external factors (e.g., camera geometry and the intervening atmosphere). We present a newly-developed, field-portable miniature multispectral thermal infrared camera (MMT-Cam) to measure both temperature and emissivity of basaltic lava surfaces at up to 7 Hz. The MMT-Cam acquires emitted radiance in six wavelength channels in addition to the broadband temperature. The instrument was laboratory calibrated for systematic errors and fully field tested at the Overlook Crater lava lake (Kilauea, HI) in January 2017. The data show that the major emissivity absorption feature (around 8.5 to 9.0 µm) transitions to higher wavelengths and the depth of the feature decreases as a lava surface cools, forming a progressively thicker crust. This transition occurs over a temperature range of 758 to 518 K. Constraining the relationship between this spectral change and temperature derived from this data will provide more accurate temperatures and therefore, more accurate modeling results. This is the first time that emissivity and its link to temperature has been measured in situ on active lava surfaces, which will improve input parameters of flow propagation models and possibly improve flow forecasting.

Crystal and Particle Engineering Strategies for Improving Powder Compression and Flow Properties to Enable Continuous Tablet Manufacturing by Direct Compression.

PubMed

Chattoraj, Sayantan; Sun, Changquan Calvin

2018-04-01

Continuous manufacturing of tablets has many advantages, including batch size flexibility, demand-adaptive scale up or scale down, consistent product quality, small operational foot print, and increased manufacturing efficiency. Simplicity makes direct compression the most suitable process for continuous tablet manufacturing. However, deficiencies in powder flow and compression of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) limit the range of drug loading that can routinely be considered for direct compression. For the widespread adoption of continuous direct compression, effective API engineering strategies to address power flow and compression problems are needed. Appropriate implementation of these strategies would facilitate the design of high-quality robust drug products, as stipulated by the Quality-by-Design framework. Here, several crystal and particle engineering strategies for improving powder flow and compression properties are summarized. The focus is on the underlying materials science, which is the foundation for effective API engineering to enable successful continuous manufacturing by the direct compression process. Copyright © 2018 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Can crystal engineering be as beneficial as micronisation and overcome its pitfalls?: A case study with cilostazol.

PubMed

Sai Gouthami, Kodukula; Kumar, Dinesh; Thipparaboina, Rajesh; Chavan, Rahul B; Shastri, Nalini R

2015-08-01

Improvement in dissolution of the drugs having poor solubility is a challenge in pharmaceutical industry. Micronization is one technique, employed for dissolution enhancement of cilostazol, a BCS class II drug. However, the obtained micronized drug possesses poor flowability. The aim of this study was to improve the dissolution rate and flow properties of cilostazol by crystal engineering, using habit modification method and compare with micronized cilostazol bulk drug. Simulation studies were performed to predict the effect of solvents on cilostazol crystal habit. Cilostazol crystals with different habits were prepared by solvent:anti-solvent crystallization technique. SEM, FTIR, DSC, TGA and PXRD were used for solid state characterization. The results revealed that cilostazol re-crystallized from methanol-hexane system were hexagonal and ethanol-hexane system gave rods. Cilostazol engineered habits showed increased dissolution rate than unprocessed drug but similar dissolution rate when compared to micronized cilostazol. Micronized cilostazol showed a dissolution efficiency of 75.58% where as cilostazol recrystallized from methanol-hexane and ethanol-hexane systems resulted in a dissolution efficiency of 72.63% and 68.63%, respectively. In addition, crystal engineering resulted in improved flow properties of re-crystallized habits when compared to micronized form of the drug. In conclusion, crystal engineering by habit modification show potential for dissolution enhancement with an added advantage of improved flow properties over micronization technique, for poorly soluble drugs like cilostazol. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Pore-scale modeling of multiphase flows in reservoir rocks using the lattice Boltzmann method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mu, Y.; Baldwin, C. H.; Toelke, J.; Grader, A.

2011-12-01

Digital rock physics (DRP) is a new technology to compute the physical and fluid flow properties of reservoir rocks. In this approach, pore scale images of the porous rock are obtained and processed to create highly accurate 3D digital rock sample, and then the rock properties are evaluated by advanced numerical methods at the pore scale. Ingrain's DRP technology is a breakthrough for oil and gas companies that need large volumes of accurate results faster than the current special core analysis (SCAL) laboratories can normally deliver. In this work, we compute the multiphase fluid flow properties of 3D digital rocks using D3Q19 immiscible LBM with two relaxation times (TRT). For efficient implementation on GPU, we improved and reformulated color-gradient model proposed by Gunstensen and Rothmann. Furthermore, we only use one-lattice with the sparse data structure: only allocate memory for pore nodes on GPU. We achieved more than 100 million fluid lattice updates per second (MFLUPS) for two-phase LBM on single Fermi-GPU and high parallel efficiency on Multi-GPUs. We present and discuss our simulation results of important two-phase fluid flow properties, such as capillary pressure and relative permeabilities. We also investigate the effects of resolution and wettability on multiphase flows. Comparison of direct measurement results with the LBM-based simulations shows practical ability of DRP to predict two-phase flow properties of reservoir rock.

Solar wind flow past Venus - Theory and comparisons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spreiter, J. R.; Stahara, S. S.

1980-01-01

Advanced computational procedures are applied to an improved model of solar wind flow past Venus to calculate the locations of the ionopause and bow wave and the properties of the flowing ionosheath plasma in the intervening region. The theoretical method is based on a single-fluid, steady, dissipationless, magneto-hydrodynamic continuum model and is appropriate for the calculation of axisymmetric supersonic, super-Alfvenic solar wind flow past a nonmagnetic planet possessing a sufficiently dense ionosphere to stand off the flowing plasma above the subsolar point and elsewhere. Determination of time histories of plasma and magnetic field properties along an arbitrary spacecraft trajectory and provision for an arbitrary oncoming direction of the interplanetary solar wind have been incorporated in the model. An outline is provided of the underlying theory and computational procedures, and sample comparisons of the results are presented with observations from the Pioneer Venus orbiter.

Smoke Point in Co-flow Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Urban, David L.; Sunderland, Peter B.; Yuan, Zeng-Guang

2009-01-01

The Smoke Point In Co-flow Experiment (SPICE) determines the point at which gas-jet flames (similar to a butane-lighter flame) begin to emit soot (dark carbonaceous particulate formed inside the flame) in microgravity. Studying a soot emitting flame is important in understanding the ability of fires to spread and in control of soot in practical combustion systems space. Previous experiments show that soot dominates the heat emitted from flames in normal gravity and microgravity fires. Control of this heat emission is critical for prevention of the spread of fires on Earth and in space for the design of efficient combustion systems (jet engines and power generation boilers). The onset of soot emission from small gas jet flames (similar to a butane-lighter flame) will be studied to provide a database that can be used to assess the interaction between fuel chemistry and flow conditions on soot formation. These results will be used to support combustion theories and to assess fire behavior in microgravity. The Smoke Point In Co-flow Experiment (SPICE) will lead to a o improved design of practical combustors through improved control of soot formation; o improved understanding of and ability to predict heat release, soot production and emission in microgravity fires; o improved flammability criteria for selection of materials for use in the next generation of spacecraft. The Smoke Point In Co-flow Experiment (SPICE) will continue the study of fundamental phenomena related to understanding the mechanisms controlling the stability and extinction of jet diffusion flames begun with the Laminar Soot Processes (LSP) on STS-94. SPICE will stabilize an enclosed laminar flame in a co-flowing oxidizer, measure the overall flame shape to validate the theoretical and numerical predictions, measure the flame stabilization heights, and measure the temperature field to verify flame structure predictions. SPICE will determine the laminar smoke point properties of non-buoyant jet diffusion flames (i.e., the properties of the largest laminar jet diffusion flames that do not emit soot) for several fuels under different nozzle diameter/co-flow velocity configurations. Luminous flame shape measurements would also be made to verify models of the flame shapes under co-flow conditions. The smoke point is a simple measurement that has been found useful to study the influence of flow and fuel properties on the sooting propensity of flames. This information would help support current understanding of soot processes in laminar flames and by analogy in turbulent flames of practical interest.

Improved forward and inverse analyses of saturated-unsaturated flow toward a well in a compressible unconfined aquifer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mishra, Phoolendra Kumar; Neuman, Shlomo P.

2010-07-01

We present an analytical solution for flow to a partially penetrating well in a compressible unconfined aquifer that allows inferring its saturated and unsaturated hydraulic properties from drawdowns recorded in the saturated and/or unsaturated zone. We improve upon a previous such solution due to Tartakovsky and Neuman (2007) by (1) adopting a more flexible representation of unsaturated zone constitutive properties and (2) allowing the unsaturated zone to have finite thickness. Both solutions account for horizontal as well as vertical flows throughout the system. We investigate the effects of unsaturated zone constitutive parameters and thickness on drawdowns in the saturated and unsaturated zones as functions of position and time; demonstrate the development of significant horizontal hydraulic gradients in the unsaturated zone in response to pumping; validate our solution against numerical simulations of drawdown in a synthetic aquifer having unsaturated properties described by the van Genuchten-Mualem constitutive model; use our solution to analyze drawdown data from a pumping test conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey at Cape Cod, Massachusetts; and compare our estimates of van Genuchten-Mualem parameters with laboratory values obtained for similar materials in the area.

Analysis of BJ493 diesel engine lubrication system properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, F.

2017-12-01

The BJ493ZLQ4A diesel engine design is based on the primary model of BJ493ZLQ3, of which exhaust level is upgraded to the National GB5 standard due to the improved design of combustion and injection systems. Given the above changes in the diesel lubrication system, its improved properties are analyzed in this paper. According to the structures, technical parameters and indices of the lubrication system, the lubrication system model of BJ493ZLQ4A diesel engine was constructed using the Flowmaster flow simulation software. The properties of the diesel engine lubrication system, such as the oil flow rate and pressure at different rotational speeds were analyzed for the schemes involving large- and small-scale oil filters. The calculated values of the main oil channel pressure are in good agreement with the experimental results, which verifies the proposed model feasibility. The calculation results show that the main oil channel pressure and maximum oil flow rate values for the large-scale oil filter scheme satisfy the design requirements, while the small-scale scheme yields too low main oil channel’s pressure and too high. Therefore, application of small-scale oil filters is hazardous, and the large-scale scheme is recommended.

3D Sedimentological and geophysical studies of clastic reservoir analogs: Facies architecture, reservoir properties, and flow behavior within delta front facies elements of the Cretaceous Wall Creek Member, Frontier Formation, Wyoming

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Christopher D. White

2009-12-21

Significant volumes of oil and gas occur in reservoirs formed by ancient river deltas. This has implications for the spatial distribution of rock types and the variation of transport properties. A between mudstones and sandstones may form baffles that influence productivity and recovery efficiency. Diagenetic processes such as compaction, dissolution, and cementation can also alter flow properties. A better understanding of these properties and improved methods will allow improved reservoir development planning and increased recovery of oil and gas from deltaic reservoirs. Surface exposures of ancient deltaic rocks provide a high-resolution view of variability. Insights gleaned from these exposures canmore » be used to model analogous reservoirs, for which data is sparser. The Frontier Formation in central Wyoming provides an opportunity for high-resolution models. The same rocks exposed in the Tisdale anticline are productive in nearby oil fields. Kilometers of exposure are accessible, and bedding-plane exposures allow use of high-resolution ground-penetrating radar. This study combined geologic interpretations, maps, vertical sections, core data, and ground-penetrating radar to construct geostatistical and flow models. Strata-conforming grids were use to reproduce the observed geometries. A new Bayesian method integrates outcrop, core, and radar amplitude and phase data. The proposed method propagates measurement uncertainty and yields an ensemble of plausible models for calcite concretions. These concretions affect flow significantly. Models which integrate more have different flow responses from simpler models, as demonstrated an exhaustive two-dimensional reference image and in three dimensions. This method is simple to implement within widely available geostatistics packages. Significant volumes of oil and gas occur in reservoirs that are inferred to have been formed by ancient river deltas. This geologic setting has implications for the spatial distribution of rock types (\\Eg sandstones and mudstones) and the variation of transport properties (\\Eg permeability and porosity) within bodies of a particular rock type. Both basin-wide processes such as sea-level change and the autocyclicity of deltaic processes commonly cause deltaic reservoirs to have large variability in rock properties; in particular, alternations between mudstones and sandstones may form baffles and trends in rock body permeability can influence productivity and recovery efficiency. In addition, diagenetic processes such as compaction, dissolution, and cementation can alter the spatial pattern of flow properties. A better understanding of these properties, and improved methods to model the properties and their effects, will allow improved reservoir development planning and increased recovery of oil and gas from deltaic reservoirs. Surface exposures of ancient deltaic rocks provide a high resolution, low uncertainty view of subsurface variability. Patterns and insights gleaned from these exposures can be used to model analogous reservoirs, for which data is much sparser. This approach is particularly attractive when reservoir formations are exposed at the surface. The Frontier Formation in central Wyoming provides an opportunity for high resolution characterization. The same rocks exposed in the vicinity of the Tisdale anticline are productive in nearby oil fields, including Salt Creek. Many kilometers of good-quality exposure are accessible, and the common bedding-plane exposures allow use of shallow-penetration, high-resolution electromagnetic methods known as ground-penetrating radar. This study combined geologic interpretations, maps, vertical sections, core data, and ground-penetrating radar to construct high-resolution geostatistical and flow models for the Wall Creek Member of the Frontier Formation. Stratal-conforming grids were use to reproduce the progradational and aggradational geometries observed in outcrop and radar data. A new, Bayesian method integrates outcrop--derived statistics, core observations of concretions, and radar amplitude and phase data. The proposed method consistently propagates measurement uncertainty through the model-building process, and yields an ensemble of plausible models for diagenetic calcite concretions. These concretions have a statistically significant on flow. Furthermore, neither geostatistical data from the outcrops nor geophysical data from radar is sufficient: models which integrate these data have significantly different flow responses. This was demonstrated both for an exhaustive two-dimensional reference image and in three dimensions, using flow simulations. This project wholly supported one PhD student and part of the education of an additional MS and PhD student. It helped to sponsor 6 refereed articles and 8 conference or similar presentations.« less

Nonequilibrium thermodynamics of dilute polymer solutions in flow.

PubMed

Latinwo, Folarin; Hsiao, Kai-Wen; Schroeder, Charles M

2014-11-07

Modern materials processing applications and technologies often occur far from equilibrium. To this end, the processing of complex materials such as polymer melts and nanocomposites generally occurs under strong deformations and flows, conditions under which equilibrium thermodynamics does not apply. As a result, the ability to determine the nonequilibrium thermodynamic properties of polymeric materials from measurable quantities such as heat and work is a major challenge in the field. Here, we use work relations to show that nonequilibrium thermodynamic quantities such as free energy and entropy can be determined for dilute polymer solutions in flow. In this way, we determine the thermodynamic properties of DNA molecules in strong flows using a combination of simulations, kinetic theory, and single molecule experiments. We show that it is possible to calculate polymer relaxation timescales purely from polymer stretching dynamics in flow. We further observe a thermodynamic equivalence between nonequilibrium and equilibrium steady-states for polymeric systems. In this way, our results provide an improved understanding of the energetics of flowing polymer solutions.

Which key properties controls the preferential transport in the vadose zone under transient hydrological conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Groh, J.; Vanderborght, J.; Puetz, T.; Gerke, H. H.; Rupp, H.; Wollschlaeger, U.; Stumpp, C.; Priesack, E.; Vereecken, H.

2015-12-01

Understanding water flow and solute transport in the unsaturated zone is of great importance for an appropriate land use management strategy. The quantification and prediction of water and solute fluxes through the vadose zone can help to improve management practices in order to limit potential risk on our fresh water resources. Water related solute transport and residence time is strongly affected by preferential flow paths in the soil. Water flow in soils depends on soil properties and site factors (climate or experiment conditions, land use) and are therefore important factors to understand preferential solute transport in the unsaturated zone. However our understanding and knowledge of which on-site properties or conditions define and enhance preferential flow and transport is still poor and mostly limited onto laboratory experimental conditions (small column length and steady state boundary conditions). Within the TERENO SOILCan lysimeter network, which was designed to study the effects of climate change on soil functions, a bromide tracer was applied on 62 lysimeter at eight different test sites between Dec. 2013 and Jan. 2014. The TERENO SOILCan infrastructure offers the unique possibility to study the occurrence of preferential flow and transport of various soil types under different natural transient hydrological conditions and land use (crop, bare and grassland) at eight TERENO SOILCan observatories. Working with lysimeter replicates at each observatory allows defining the spatial variability of preferential transport and flow. Additionally lysimeters in the network were transferred within and between observatories in order to subject them to different rainfall and temperature regimes and enable us to relate the soil type susceptibility of preferential flow and transport not only to site specific physical and land use properties, but also to different transient boundary conditions. Comparison and statistical analysis between preferential flow indicators 5% arrival time and potential key soil properties, site factors and boundary conditions will be presented in order to identify key properties which control the preferential transport in the vadose zone under transient hydrological conditions.

DRAG REDUCING POLYMER ENCHANCES MICROVASCULAR PERFUSION IN THE TRAUMATIZED BRAIN WITH INTRACRANIAL HYPERTENSION

PubMed Central

Bragin, Denis E.; Thomson, Susan; Bragina, Olga; Statom, Gloria; Kameneva, Marina V.; Nemoto, Edwin M.

2016-01-01

SUMMARY Current treatments for traumatic brain injury (TBI) have not focused on improving microvascular perfusion. Drag-reducing polymers (DRP), linear, long-chain, blood soluble non-toxic macromolecules, may offer a new approach to improving cerebral perfusion by primary alteration of the fluid dynamic properties of blood. Nanomolar concentrations of DRP have been shown to improve hemodynamics in animal models of ischemic myocardium and limb, but have not yet been studied in the brain. Recently, we demonstrated that that DRP improved microvascular perfusion and tissue oxygenation in a normal rat brain. We hypothesized that DRP could restore microvascular perfusion in hypertensive brain after TBI. Using the in-vivo 2-photon laser scanning microscopy we examined the effect of DRP on microvascular blood flow and tissue oxygenation in hypertensive rat brains with and without TBI. DRP enhanced and restored capillary flow, decreased microvascular shunt flow and, as a result, reduced tissue hypoxia in both un-traumatized and traumatized rat brains at high ICP. Our study suggests that DRP could be an effective treatment for improving microvascular flow in brain ischemia caused by high ICP after TBI. PMID:27165871

N-Acetylcysteine's Role in Sepsis and Potential Benefit in Patients With Microcirculatory Derangements.

PubMed

Chertoff, Jason

2018-02-01

To review the data surrounding the utility of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in sepsis and identify areas needed for additional research. A review of articles describing the mechanisms of action and clinical use of NAC in sepsis. Despite many advances in critical care medicine, still as many as 50% of patients with septic shock die. Treatments thus far have focused on resuscitation and restoration of macrocirculatory targets in the early phases of sepsis, with less focus on microcirculatory dysfunction. N-acetylcysteine, due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties, has been readily investigated in sepsis and has yielded largely incongruous and disappointing results. In addition to its known anti-inflammatory and antioxidative roles, one underappreciated property of NAC is its ability to vasodilate the microcirculation and improve locoregional blood flow. Some investigators have sought to capitalize on this mechanism with promising results, as evidenced by microcirculatory vasodilation, improvements in regional blood flow and oxygen delivery, and reductions in lactic acidosis, organ failure, and mortality. In addition to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, N-acetylcysteine possesses vasodilatory properties that could benefit the microcirculation in sepsis. It is imperative that we investigate these properties to uncover NAC's full potential for benefit in sepsis.

Cocrystal habit engineering to improve drug dissolution and alter derived powder properties.

PubMed

Serrano, Dolores R; O'Connell, Peter; Paluch, Krzysztof J; Walsh, David; Healy, Anne Marie

2016-05-01

Cocrystallization of sulfadimidine (SDM) with suitable coformers, such as 4-aminosalicylic acid (4-ASA), combined with changes in the crystal habit can favourably alter its physicochemical properties. The aim of this work was to engineer SDM : 4-ASA cocrystals with different habits to investigate the effect on dissolution, and the derived powder properties of flow and compaction. Cocrystals were prepared in a 1 : 1 molar ratio by solvent evaporation using ethanol (habit I) or acetone (habit II), solvent evaporation followed by grinding (habit III) and spray drying (habit IV). Powder X-ray diffraction showed Bragg peak position was the same in all the solid products. The peak intensity varied, indicating different preferred crystal orientation confirmed by SEM micrographs: large prismatic crystals (habit I), large plate-like crystals (habit II), small cube-like crystals (habit III) and microspheres (habit IV). The habit III exhibited the fasted dissolution rate; however, it underwent a polymorphic transition during dissolution. Habits I and IV exhibited the highest Carr's compressibility index, indicating poor flowability. However, habits II and III demonstrated improved flow. Spray drying resulted in cocrystals with improved compaction properties. Even for cocrystals with poor pharmaceutical characteristics, a habit can be engineered to alter the dissolution, flowability and compaction behaviour. © 2015 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

Development of Efficient Real-Fluid Model in Simulating Liquid Rocket Injector Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cheng, Gary; Farmer, Richard

2003-01-01

The characteristics of propellant mixing near the injector have a profound effect on the liquid rocket engine performance. However, the flow features near the injector of liquid rocket engines are extremely complicated, for example supercritical-pressure spray, turbulent mixing, and chemical reactions are present. Previously, a homogeneous spray approach with a real-fluid property model was developed to account for the compressibility and evaporation effects such that thermodynamics properties of a mixture at a wide range of pressures and temperatures can be properly calculated, including liquid-phase, gas- phase, two-phase, and dense fluid regions. The developed homogeneous spray model demonstrated a good success in simulating uni- element shear coaxial injector spray combustion flows. However, the real-fluid model suffered a computational deficiency when applied to a pressure-based computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code. The deficiency is caused by the pressure and enthalpy being the independent variables in the solution procedure of a pressure-based code, whereas the real-fluid model utilizes density and temperature as independent variables. The objective of the present research work is to improve the computational efficiency of the real-fluid property model in computing thermal properties. The proposed approach is called an efficient real-fluid model, and the improvement of computational efficiency is achieved by using a combination of a liquid species and a gaseous species to represent a real-fluid species.

Hydraulic characterization of volcanic rocks in Pahute Mesa using an integrated analysis of 16 multiple-well aquifer tests, Nevada National Security Site, 2009–14

USGS Publications Warehouse

Garcia, C. Amanda; Jackson, Tracie R.; Halford, Keith J.; Sweetkind, Donald S.; Damar, Nancy A.; Fenelon, Joseph M.; Reiner, Steven R.

2017-01-20

An improved understanding of groundwater flow and radionuclide migration downgradient from underground nuclear-testing areas at Pahute Mesa, Nevada National Security Site, requires accurate subsurface hydraulic characterization. To improve conceptual models of flow and transport in the complex hydrogeologic system beneath Pahute Mesa, the U.S. Geological Survey characterized bulk hydraulic properties of volcanic rocks using an integrated analysis of 16 multiple-well aquifer tests. Single-well aquifer-test analyses provided transmissivity estimates at pumped wells. Transmissivity estimates ranged from less than 1 to about 100,000 square feet per day in Pahute Mesa and the vicinity. Drawdown from multiple-well aquifer testing was estimated and distinguished from natural fluctuations in more than 200 pumping and observation wells using analytical water-level models. Drawdown was detected at distances greater than 3 miles from pumping wells and propagated across hydrostratigraphic units and major structures, indicating that neither faults nor structural blocks noticeably impede or divert groundwater flow in the study area.Consistent hydraulic properties were estimated by simultaneously interpreting drawdown from the 16 multiple-well aquifer tests with an integrated groundwater-flow model composed of 11 well-site models—1 for each aquifer test site. Hydraulic properties were distributed across volcanic rocks with the Phase II Pahute Mesa-Oasis Valley Hydrostratigraphic Framework Model. Estimated hydraulic-conductivity distributions spanned more than two orders of magnitude in hydrostratigraphic units. Overlapping hydraulic conductivity ranges among units indicated that most Phase II Hydrostratigraphic Framework Model units were not hydraulically distinct. Simulated total transmissivity ranged from 1,600 to 68,000 square feet per day for all pumping wells analyzed. High-transmissivity zones exceeding 10,000 square feet per day exist near caldera margins and extend along the northern and eastern Pahute Mesa study area and near the southwestern edge of the study area. The estimated hydraulic-property distributions and observed hydraulic connections among geologic structures improved the characterization and representation of groundwater flow at Pahute Mesa.

Improved CFD Model to Predict Flow and Temperature Distributions in a Blast Furnace Hearth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komiyama, Keisuke M.; Guo, Bao-Yu; Zughbi, Habib; Zulli, Paul; Yu, Ai-Bing

2014-10-01

The campaign life of a blast furnace is limited by the erosion of hearth refractories. Flow and temperature distributions of the liquid iron have a significant influence on the erosion mechanism. In this work, an improved three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model is developed to simulate the flow and heat transfer phenomena in the hearth of BlueScope's Port Kembla No. 5 Blast Furnace. Model improvements feature more justified input parameters in turbulence modeling, buoyancy modeling, wall boundary conditions, material properties, and modeling of the solidification of iron. The model is validated by comparing the calculated temperatures with the thermocouple data available, where agreements are established within ±3 pct. The flow distribution in the hearth is discussed for intact and eroded hearth profiles, for sitting and floating coke bed states. It is shown that natural convection affects the flow in several ways: for example, the formation of (a) stagnant zones preventing hearth bottom from eroding or (b) the downward jetting of molten liquid promoting side wall erosion, or (c) at times, a vortex-like peripheral flow, promoting the "elephant foot" type erosion. A significant influence of coke bed permeability on the macroscopic flow pattern and the refractory temperature is observed.

Influence of ammonia flow rate for improving properties of polycrystalline GaN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ariff, A.; Ahmad, M. A.; Hassan, Z.; Zainal, N.

2018-06-01

Post-annealing treatment in ammonia ambient is widely accepted for GaN material, but less works have been done to investigate the influence of the ammonia (NH3) flow rate for reducing the N-deficiency as well as improving the quality of the material. In this work, we investigated the influence of NH3 flow rate at 1, 2, 3, and 4 slm in improving properties of a ∼1 μm thick polycrystalline GaN layer. Our simulation work suggested that the uniformity of temperature and pressure gradient of the NH3 gas did not lead to the reduction of N-deficiency of the polycrystalline GaN layer. Instead, it was found that the mitigation of the N-deficiency was strongly influenced by the fluid velocity of the NH3 gas, which had passed over the layer. Either at lower or higher fluid velocity, the chance for the active N atoms to incorporate into the GaN lattice structure was low. Therefore, the N-deficiency on the polycrystalline GaN layer could not be minimized under these conditions. As measured by EDX, the N atoms incorporation was the most effective when the NH3 flow rate at 3 slm, suggesting the flow rate significantly improved the N-deficiency of the polycrystalline GaN layer. Furthermore, it favored the formation of larger hexagonal faceted grains, with the smallest FWHM of XRD peaks from the GaN diffractions in (10 1 bar 0), (0002) and (10 1 bar 1) orientations, while allowing the polycrystalline GaN layer to show sharp and intense emissions peak of NBE in a PL spectrum.

An investigation into the mechanism for enhanced mechanical properties in friction stir welded AA2024-T3 joints coated with cold spraying

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, N.; Li, W. Y.; Yang, X. W.; Feng, Y.; Vairis, A.

2018-05-01

Using cold spraying (CS), a surface layer with a modified microstructure and enhanced mechanical properties was formed on a 3.2 mm thick friction stir welded (FSWed) AA2024-T3 joint. The combined effect of "shot peening effect (SPE)" and "heat flow effect (HFE)" during CS were used to enhance joint mechanical properties. The microstructure evolution of the FSWed AA2024-T3 joints in the surface layer following CS coatings and their effect on mechanical properties were systematically characterized with electron back-scattered diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and mechanical tests. Based on these experiments, a grain refinement, finer and more S phases, and improved amount of Guinier-Preston-Bagaryatsky (GPB) zones produced by CS treatments are proposed. The deposition of aluminum coating on the joint, lead to hardness recovery in the stir zone and the development of two low hardness zones as the density of GPB increased. The tensile properties of FSWed AA2024-T3 joints improved with the application of the aluminum coatings. Experiments and analysis of the enhanced mechanical properties mechanism indicate that SPE with a high plastic deformation and HFE with an intensive heat flow are necessary for the production of refined grains and increased numbers of GPB zones.

Bio-lubricants derived from waste cooking oil with improved oxidation stability and low-temperature properties.

PubMed

Li, Weimin; Wang, Xiaobo

2015-01-01

Waste cooking oil (WCO) was chemically modified via epoxidation using H2O2 followed by transesterification with methanol and branched alcohols (isooctanol, isotridecanol and isooctadecanol) to produce bio-lubricants with improved oxidative stability and low temperature properties. Physicochemical properties of synthesized bio-lubricants such as pour point (PP), cloud point (CP), viscosity, viscosity index (VI), oxidative stability, and corrosion resistant property were determined according to standard methods. The synthesized bio-lubricants showed improved low temperature flow performances compared with WCO, which can be attributing to the introduction of branched chains in their molecular structures. What's more, the oxidation stability of the WCO showed more than 10 folds improvement due to the elimination of -C=C-bonds in the WCO molecule. Tribological performances of these bio-lubricants were also investigated using four-ball friction and wear tester. Experimental results showed that derivatives of WCO exhibited favorable physicochemical properties and tribological performances which making them good candidates in formulating eco-friendly lubricants.

Effects of bathymetric lidar errors on flow properties predicted with a multi-dimensional hydraulic model

Treesearch

J. McKean; D. Tonina; C. Bohn; C. W. Wright

2014-01-01

New remote sensing technologies and improved computer performance now allow numerical flow modeling over large stream domains. However, there has been limited testing of whether channel topography can be remotely mapped with accuracy necessary for such modeling. We assessed the ability of the Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar, to support a multi-dimensional...

Tough, processable simultaneous semi-interpenetrating polyimides

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pater, Ruth H. (Inventor)

1996-01-01

A high temperature semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPN) was developed which had significantly improved processability, damage tolerance and mechanical performance, when compared to the commercial Thermid.RTM. materials. This simultaneous semi-IPN was prepared by mixing a thermosetting polyimide with a thermoplastic monomer precursor solution (NR-15082) and allowing them to react upon heating. This reaction occurs at a rate which decreases the flow and broadens the processing window. Upon heating at a higher temperature, there is an increase in flow. Because of the improved flow properties, broadened processing window and enhanced toughness, high strength polymer matrix composites, adhesives and molded articles can now be prepared from the acetylene endcapped polyimides which were previously inherently brittle and difficult to process.

A flexible open-source toolkit for lava flow simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mossoux, Sophie; Feltz, Adelin; Poppe, Sam; Canters, Frank; Kervyn, Matthieu

2014-05-01

Lava flow hazard modeling is a useful tool for scientists and stakeholders confronted with imminent or long term hazard from basaltic volcanoes. It can improve their understanding of the spatial distribution of volcanic hazard, influence their land use decisions and improve the city evacuation during a volcanic crisis. Although a range of empirical, stochastic and physically-based lava flow models exists, these models are rarely available or require a large amount of physical constraints. We present a GIS toolkit which models lava flow propagation from one or multiple eruptive vents, defined interactively on a Digital Elevation Model (DEM). It combines existing probabilistic (VORIS) and deterministic (FLOWGO) models in order to improve the simulation of lava flow spatial spread and terminal length. Not only is this toolkit open-source, running in Python, which allows users to adapt the code to their needs, but it also allows users to combine the models included in different ways. The lava flow paths are determined based on the probabilistic steepest slope (VORIS model - Felpeto et al., 2001) which can be constrained in order to favour concentrated or dispersed flow fields. Moreover, the toolkit allows including a corrective factor in order for the lava to overcome small topographical obstacles or pits. The lava flow terminal length can be constrained using a fixed length value, a Gaussian probability density function or can be calculated based on the thermo-rheological properties of the open-channel lava flow (FLOWGO model - Harris and Rowland, 2001). These slope-constrained properties allow estimating the velocity of the flow and its heat losses. The lava flow stops when its velocity is zero or the lava temperature reaches the solidus. Recent lava flows of Karthala volcano (Comoros islands) are here used to demonstrate the quality of lava flow simulations with the toolkit, using a quantitative assessment of the match of the simulation with the real lava flows. The influence of the different input parameters on the quality of the simulations is discussed. REFERENCES: Felpeto et al. (2001), Assessment and modelling of lava flow hazard on Lanzarote (Canary islands), Nat. Hazards, 23, 247-257. Harris and Rowland (2001), FLOWGO: a kinematic thermo-rheological model for lava flowing in a channel, Bull. Volcanol., 63, 20-44.

Rigid porous filter

DOEpatents

Chiang, Ta-Kuan; Straub, Douglas L.; Dennis, Richard A.

2000-01-01

The present invention involves a porous rigid filter including a plurality of concentric filtration elements having internal flow passages and forming external flow passages there between. The present invention also involves a pressure vessel containing the filter for the removal of particulates from high pressure particulate containing gases, and further involves a method for using the filter to remove such particulates. The present filter has the advantage of requiring fewer filter elements due to the high surface area-to-volume ratio provided by the filter, requires a reduced pressure vessel size, and exhibits enhanced mechanical design properties, improved cleaning properties, configuration options, modularity and ease of fabrication.

Flow-structure Interaction Modeling of a Fish Caudal Fin during Steady Swimming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Geng; Geng, Biao; Zheng, Xudong; Xue, Qian; Dong, Haibo

2017-11-01

It's widely thought that the flexibilities of fish fins play critical roles in propulsive performance enhancement (such as thrust augment and efficiency improvement) in nature. In order to explore the formation mechanisms of the fish fin's flexible morphing and its hydrodynamic benefits as well, a high-fidelity flow-structure/membrane interaction modeling of the fish caudal fin is conducted in this work. Following the realistic configuration of the fish caudal fin, a thin membrane supported by a series of beams is constructed. The material properties of the membrane and the beams are reversely determined by the realistic fin morphing obtained from the high-speed videos and the high fidelity flow-structure interaction simulations. With the accurate material property, we investigate the interplay between structure, kinematics and fluid flow in caudal fin propulsion. Detailed analyses on the relationship between the flexural stiffness, fin morphing patterns, hydrodynamic forces and vortex dynamics are then conducted.

Improving feeding powder distribution to the compaction zone in the roller compaction.

PubMed

Yu, Mingzhe; Omar, Chalak; Schmidt, Alexander; Litster, James D; Salman, Agba D

2018-07-01

In the roller compaction process, powder flow properties have a significant influence on the uniformity of the ribbon properties. The objective of this work was to improve the powder flow in the feeding zone by developing novel feeding guiders which are located in the feeding zone close to the rollers in the roller compactor (side sealing system). Three novel feeding guiders were designed by 3D printing and used in the roller compactor, aiming to control the amount of powder passing across the roller width. The new feeding guiders were used to guide more powder to the sides between the rollers and less powder to the centre comparing to the original feeding elements. Temperature profile and porosity across the ribbon width indicated the uniformity of the ribbon properties. Using the novel feeding guiders resulted in producing ribbons with uniform temperature profile and porosity distribution across the ribbon width. The design of the feeding guiders contributed to improving the tensile strength of the ribbons produced from the compaction stage as well as reducing the fines produced from the crushing stage. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nanofluid two-phase flow and thermal physics: a new research frontier of nanotechnology and its challenges.

PubMed

Cheng, Lixin; Bandarra Filho, Enio P; Thome, John R

2008-07-01

Nanofluids are a new class of fluids engineered by dispersing nanometer-size solid particles in base fluids. As a new research frontier, nanofluid two-phase flow and thermal physics have the potential to improve heat transfer and energy efficiency in thermal management systems for many applications, such as microelectronics, power electronics, transportation, nuclear engineering, heat pipes, refrigeration, air-conditioning and heat pump systems. So far, the study of nanofluid two-phase flow and thermal physics is still in its infancy. This field of research provides many opportunities to study new frontiers but also poses great challenges. To summarize the current status of research in this newly developing interdisciplinary field and to identify the future research needs as well, this paper focuses on presenting a comprehensive review of nucleate pool boiling, flow boiling, critical heat flux, condensation and two-phase flow of nanofluids. Even for the limited studies done so far, there are some controversies. Conclusions and contradictions on the available nanofluid studies on physical properties, two-phase flow, heat transfer and critical heat flux (CHF) are presented. Based on a comprehensive analysis, it has been realized that the physical properties of nanofluids such as surface tension, liquid thermal conductivity, viscosity and density have significant effects on the nanofluid two-phase flow and heat transfer characteristics but the lack of the accurate knowledge of these physical properties has greatly limited the study in this interdisciplinary field. Therefore, effort should be made to contribute to the physical property database of nanofluids as a first priority. Secondly, in particular, research on nanofluid two-phase flow and heat transfer in microchannels should be emphasized in the future.

Beyond Metrics? The Role of Hydrologic Baseline Archetypes in Environmental Water Management.

PubMed

Lane, Belize A; Sandoval-Solis, Samuel; Stein, Eric D; Yarnell, Sarah M; Pasternack, Gregory B; Dahlke, Helen E

2018-06-22

Balancing ecological and human water needs often requires characterizing key aspects of the natural flow regime and then predicting ecological response to flow alterations. Flow metrics are generally relied upon to characterize long-term average statistical properties of the natural flow regime (hydrologic baseline conditions). However, some key aspects of hydrologic baseline conditions may be better understood through more complete consideration of continuous patterns of daily, seasonal, and inter-annual variability than through summary metrics. Here we propose the additional use of high-resolution dimensionless archetypes of regional stream classes to improve understanding of baseline hydrologic conditions and inform regional environmental flows assessments. In an application to California, we describe the development and analysis of hydrologic baseline archetypes to characterize patterns of flow variability within and between stream classes. We then assess the utility of archetypes to provide context for common flow metrics and improve understanding of linkages between aquatic patterns and processes and their hydrologic controls. Results indicate that these archetypes may offer a distinct and complementary tool for researching mechanistic flow-ecology relationships, assessing regional patterns for streamflow management, or understanding impacts of changing climate.

The NBS: Processing/Microstructure/Property Relationships in 2024 Aluminum Alloy Plates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ives, L. K.; Swartzendruber, W. J.; Boettinger, W. J.; Rosen, M.; Ridder, S. D.

1983-01-01

As received plates of 2024 aluminum alloy were examined. Topics covered include: solidification segregation studies; microsegregation and macrosegregation in laboratory and commercially cast ingots; C-curves and nondestructive evaluation; time-temperature precipitation diagrams and the relationships between mechanical properties and NDE measurements; transmission electron microscopy studies; the relationship between microstructure and properties; ultrasonic characterization; eddy-current conductivity characterization; the study of aging process by means of dynamic eddy current measurements; and Heat flow-property predictions, property degradations due to improve quench from the solution heat treatment temperature.

Effects of furosemide on hemorheologic alterations induced by incremental treadmill exercise in thoroughbreds.

PubMed

Weiss, D J; Geor, R J; Burger, K

1996-06-01

To determine whether furosemide treatment altered the blood flow properties and serum and RBC electrolyte concentrations of Thoroughbreds during submaximal treadmill exercise. Thoroughbreds were subjected to submaximal treadmill exercise with and without treatment with furosemide (1 mg/kg of body weight, IV). 5 healthy Throughbreds that had raced within the past year and had no history of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage. Venous blood samples were obtained before exercise, at treadmill speeds of 9 and 13 m/s, and 10 minutes after exercise, and hemorheologic and electrolyte test results were determined. Hemorheologic changes 60 minutes after furosemide administration included increased PCV, plasma total protein concentration, whole blood viscosity, mean RBC volume, and RBC potassium concentration, and decreased serum potassium concentration, serum chloride concentration, and RBC chloride concentration. Furosemide treatment attenuated the exercise-associated changes in RBC size, serum sodium concentration, serum potassium concentration, RBC potassium and chloride concentrations, and RBC density; exacerbated exercise-associated increases in whole blood viscosity; and had no effect on RBC filterability. The hemorheologic effects of furosemide probably occurred secondary to total body and transmembrane fluid and electrolyte fluxes and would not improve blood flow properties. The beneficial effects of furosemide treatment in reducing the severity of bleeding in horses with exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage cannot be explained by improved blood flow properties.

Advanced Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Brayton Cycle Development

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anderson, Mark; Sienicki, James; Moisseytsev, Anton

2015-10-21

Fluids operating in the supercritical state have promising characteristics for future high efficiency power cycles. In order to develop power cycles using supercritical fluids, it is necessary to understand the flow characteristics of fluids under both supercritical and two-phase conditions. In this study, a Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) methodology was developed for supercritical fluids flowing through complex geometries. A real fluid property module was implemented to provide properties for different supercritical fluids. However, in each simulation case, there is only one species of fluid. As a result, the fluid property module provides properties for either supercritical CO 2 (S-CO 2)more » or supercritical water (SCW). The Homogeneous Equilibrium Model (HEM) was employed to model the two-phase flow. HEM assumes two phases have same velocity, pressure, and temperature, making it only applicable for the dilute dispersed two-phase flow situation. Three example geometries, including orifices, labyrinth seals, and valves, were used to validate this methodology with experimental data. For the first geometry, S-CO 2 and SCW flowing through orifices were simulated and compared with experimental data. The maximum difference between the mass flow rate predictions and experimental measurements is less than 5%. This is a significant improvement as previous works can only guarantee 10% error. In this research, several efforts were made to help this improvement. First, an accurate real fluid module was used to provide properties. Second, the upstream condition was determined by pressure and density, which determines supercritical states more precise than using pressure and temperature. For the second geometry, the flow through labyrinth seals was studied. After a successful validation, parametric studies were performed to study geometric effects on the leakage rate. Based on these parametric studies, an optimum design strategy for the see-through labyrinth seals was proposed. A stepped labyrinth seal, which mimics the behavior of the labyrinth seal used in the Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) S-CO 2 Brayton cycle, was also tested in the experiment along with simulations performed. The rest of this study demonstrates the difference of valves' behavior under supercritical fluid and normal fluid conditions. A small-scale valve was tested in the experiment facility using S-CO 2. Different percentages of opening valves were tested, and the measured mass flow rate agreed with simulation predictions. Two transients from a real S-CO 2 Brayton cycle design provided the data for valve selection. The selected valve was studied using numerical simulation, as experimental data is not available.« less

Inverse modeling of the hydraulic properties of fractured media : development of a flow tomography approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bour, O.; Klepikova, M.; Le Borgne, T.; De Dreuzy, J.

2013-12-01

Inverse modeling of hydraulic and geometrical properties of fractured media is a very challenging objective due to the spatial heterogeneity of the medium and the scarcity of data. Here we present a flow tomography approach that permits to characterize the location, the connectivity and the hydraulic properties of main flow paths in fractured media. The accurate characterization of the location, hydraulic properties and connectivity of major fracture zones is essential to model flow and solute transport in fractured media. Cross-borehole flowmeter tests, which consist of measuring changes in vertical borehole flows when pumping a neighboring borehole, were shown to be an efficient technique to provide information on the properties of the flow zones that connect borehole pairs [Paillet, 1998; Le Borgne et al., 2006]. The interpretation of such experiments may however be quite uncertain when multiple connections exist. In this study, we explore the potential of flow tomography (i.e., sequential cross-borehole flowmeter tests) for characterizing aquifer heterogeneity. We first propose a framework for inverting flow and drawdown data to infer fracture connectivity and transmissivities. Here we use a simplified discrete fracture network approach that highlights main connectivity structures. This conceptual model attempts to reproduce fracture network connectivity without taking fracture geometry (length, orientation, dip) into account. We then explore the potential of the method for simplified synthetic fracture network models and quantify the sensitivity of drawdown and borehole flow velocities to the transmissivity of the connecting flowpaths. Flow tomography is expected to be most effective if cross-borehole pumping induces large changes in vertical borehole velocities. The uncertainty of the transmissivity estimates increases for small borehole flow velocities. The uncertainty about the transmissivity of fractures that connect the main flowpath but not the boreholes is generally higher. We demonstrate that successively changing pumping and observation boreholes improves the quality of available information and reduces the indetermination of the problem. The inverse method is validated for different synthetic flow scenarios. It is shown to provide a good estimation of connectivity patterns and transmissivities of main flowpaths. Although the chosen fracture network geometry has been simplified, flow tomography appears to be a promising approach for characterizing connectivity patterns and transmissivities of fractured media.

High-performance holographic technologies for fluid-dynamics experiments

PubMed Central

Orlov, Sergei S.; Abarzhi, Snezhana I.; Oh, Se Baek; Barbastathis, George; Sreenivasan, Katepalli R.

2010-01-01

Modern technologies offer new opportunities for experimentalists in a variety of research areas of fluid dynamics. Improvements are now possible in the state-of-the-art in precision, dynamic range, reproducibility, motion-control accuracy, data-acquisition rate and information capacity. These improvements are required for understanding complex turbulent flows under realistic conditions, and for allowing unambiguous comparisons to be made with new theoretical approaches and large-scale numerical simulations. One of the new technologies is high-performance digital holography. State-of-the-art motion control, electronics and optical imaging allow for the realization of turbulent flows with very high Reynolds number (more than 107) on a relatively small laboratory scale, and quantification of their properties with high space–time resolutions and bandwidth. In-line digital holographic technology can provide complete three-dimensional mapping of the flow velocity and density fields at high data rates (over 1000 frames per second) over a relatively large spatial area with high spatial (1–10 μm) and temporal (better than a few nanoseconds) resolution, and can give accurate quantitative description of the fluid flows, including those of multi-phase and unsteady conditions. This technology can be applied in a variety of problems to study fundamental properties of flow–particle interactions, rotating flows, non-canonical boundary layers and Rayleigh–Taylor mixing. Some of these examples are discussed briefly. PMID:20211881

Efficient gas-liquid contact using microfluidic membrane devices with staggered herringbone mixers.

PubMed

Femmer, Tim; Eggersdorfer, Max L; Kuehne, Alexander J C; Wessling, Matthias

2015-08-07

We describe a novel membrane based gas-liquid-contacting device with increased mass transport and reduced pressure loss by combining a membrane with a staggered herringbone static mixer. Herringbone structures are imposed on the microfluidic channel geometry via soft lithography, acting as mixers which introduce secondary flows at the membrane interface. Such flows include Dean vortices and Taylor flows generating effective mixing while improving mass transport and preventing concentration polarization in microfluidic channels. Furthermore, our static herringbone mixer membranes effectively reduce pressure losses leading to devices with enhanced transfer properties for microfluidic gas-liquid contact. We investigate the red blood cell distribution to tailor our devices towards miniaturised extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and improved comfort of patients with lung insufficiencies.

Tough, processable simultaneous semi-interpenetrating polyimides

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pater, Ruth H. (Inventor)

1994-01-01

A high temperature semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPN) was developed which had significantly improved processability, damage tolerance, and mechanical performance when compared to the commercial Thermid materials. This simultaneous semi-IPN was prepared by mixing a thermosetting polyimide with a thermoplastic monomer precursor solution (NR150B2) and allowing them to react upon heating. This reaction occurs at a rate which decreases the flow and broadens the processing window. Upon heating at a higher temperature, there is an increase in flow. Because of the improved flow properties, broadened processing window and enhanced toughness, high strength polymer matrix composites, adhesives and molded articles can now be prepared from the acetylene endcapped polyimides which were previously inherently brittle and difficult to process.

An alternative to real estate ownership.

PubMed

Scarborough, Sydney

2004-05-01

Partnering with healthcare real estate managers and investors is one way to generate capital, improve cash flow, and minimize the management costs of developing and operating outpatient properties without sacrificing control of strategic locations or facilities. Eight simple steps can help you identify and select viable strategic healthcare real estate partners and negotiate effective monetization (sale of property title) agreements with them.

Rheological properties of sewage sludge during enhanced anaerobic digestion with microwave-H2O2 pretreatment.

PubMed

Liu, Jibao; Yu, Dawei; Zhang, Jian; Yang, Min; Wang, Yawei; Wei, Yuansong; Tong, Juan

2016-07-01

The rheological behavior of sludge is of serious concern in anaerobic digestion. This study investigated the rheological properties of sewage sludge during enhanced anaerobic digestion with microwave-H2O2 pretreatment (MW-H2O2). The results showed that MW-H2O2 pretreatment resulted in the improvement of sludge flowability and weakening of its viscoelastic properties. Further positive effects on the rheological properties of digested sludge during anaerobic digestion were observed. The flowability was improved with a low level of apparent viscosity. The decrease of the consistency index and increase of the flow behavior index indicated that the strength of the inner structures and non-Newtonian flow characteristics of digested sludge weakened. Both the storage modulus (G') and loss modulus (G″) decreased, indicating that the viscoelastic behavior became weak. These effects were possibly attributed to the changes of the digested sludge micro-structures, such as extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). This study concluded that anaerobic digestion for treating sewage sludge combined with pretreatment is a more favorable option than single anaerobic digestion from the perspective of rheology. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ventilation equations for improved exothermic process control.

PubMed

McKernan, John L; Ellenbecker, Michael J

2007-04-01

Exothermic or heated processes create potentially unsafe work environments for an estimated 5-10 million American workers each year. Excessive heat and process contaminants have the potential to cause acute health effects such as heat stroke, and chronic effects such as manganism in welders. Although millions of workers are exposed to exothermic processes, insufficient attention has been given to continuously improving engineering technologies for these processes to provide effective and efficient control. Currently there is no specific occupational standard established by OSHA regarding exposure to heat from exothermic processes, therefore it is important to investigate techniques that can mitigate known and potential adverse occupational health effects. The current understanding of engineering controls for exothermic processes is primarily based on a book chapter written by W. C. L. Hemeon in 1955. Improvements in heat transfer and meteorological theory necessary to design improved process controls have occurred since this time. The research presented involved a review of the physical properties, heat transfer and meteorological theories governing buoyant air flow created by exothermic processes. These properties and theories were used to identify parameters and develop equations required for the determination of buoyant volumetric flow to assist in improving ventilation controls. Goals of this research were to develop and describe a new (i.e. proposed) flow equation, and compare it to currently accepted ones by Hemeon and the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). Numerical assessments were conducted to compare solutions from the proposed equations for plume area, mean velocity and flow to those from the ACGIH and Hemeon. Parameters were varied for the dependent variables and solutions from the proposed, ACGIH, and Hemeon equations for plume area, mean velocity and flow were analyzed using a randomized complete block statistical design (ANOVA). Results indicate that the proposed plume mean velocity equation provides significantly greater means than either the ACGIH or Hemeon equations throughout the range of parameters investigated. The proposed equations for plume area and flow also provide significantly greater means than either the ACGIH or Hemeon equations at distances >1 m above exothermic processes. With an accurate solution for the total volumetric flow, ventilation engineers and practicing industrial hygienists are equipped with the necessary information to design and size hoods, as well as place them at an optimal distance from the source to provide adequate control of the rising plume. The equations developed will allow researchers and practitioners to determine the critical control parameters for exothermic processes, such as the exhaust flow necessary to improve efficacy and efficiency, while ensuring adequate worker protection.

Iron-Based Amorphous Coatings Produced by HVOF Thermal Spray Processing-Coating Structure and Properties

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Beardsley, M B

2008-03-26

The feasibility to coat large SNF/HLW containers with a structurally amorphous material (SAM) was demonstrated on sub-scale models fabricated from Type 316L stainless steel. The sub-scale model were coated with SAM 1651 material using kerosene high velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) torch to thicknesses ranging from 1 mm to 2 mm. The process parameters such as standoff distance, oxygen flow, and kerosene flow, were optimized in order to improve the corrosion properties of the coatings. Testing in an electrochemical cell and long-term exposure to a salt spray environment were used to guide the selection of process parameters.

Improving the properties of geopolymer containing oil-contaminated clay, metakaolin, and blast furnace slag by applying nano-SiO2.

PubMed

Luo, Huan-Lin; Lin, Deng-Fong; Chen, Shih-Chieh

2017-07-01

In this study, geopolymer specimens based on calcined oil-contaminated clays (OCCs), metakaolin replacements of OCCs, and blast furnace slag were manufactured by the addition of nano-SiO 2 to improve their properties. The effects of adding 0, 1, 2, or 3% nano-SiO 2 on the properties and microstructures of the geopolymer specimens were determined using compressive strength tests, flow tests, setting time tests, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and silicon nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (Si-NMR). The results showed that the setting time and flowability of the geopolymer specimens decreased and the compressive strength increased as the amount of nano-SiO 2 increased. These results were supported by the SEM and Si-NMR assays. This study suggests that the addition of nano-SiO 2 was beneficial and improved the properties of the geopolymer specimens containing calcined OCC.

Using environmental tracer data to identify deep-aquifer, long-term flow patterns and recharge distributions in the Surat Basin, Queensland, Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siade, A. J.; Suckow, A. O.; Morris, R.; Raiber, M.; Prommer, H.

2017-12-01

The calibration of regional groundwater flow models, including those investigating coal-seam gas (CSG) impacts in the Surat Basin, Australia, are not typically constrained using environmental tracers, although the use of such data can potentially provide significant reductions in predictive uncertainties. These additional sources of information can also improve the conceptualisation of flow systems and the quantification of groundwater fluxes. In this study, new multi-tracer data (14C, 39Ar, 81Kr, and 36Cl) were collected for the eastern recharge areas of the basin and within the deeper Hutton and Precipice Sandstone formations to complement existing environmental tracer data. These data were used to better understand the recharge mechanisms, recharge rates and the hydraulic properties associated with deep aquifer systems in the Surat Basin. Together with newly acquired pressure data documenting the response to the large-scale reinjection of highly treated CSG co-produced water, the environmental tracer data helped to improve the conceptualisation of the aquifer system, forming the basis for a more robust quantification of the long-term impacts of CSG-related activities. An existing regional scale MODFLOW-USG groundwater flow model of the area was used as the basis for our analysis of existing and new observation data. A variety of surrogate modelling approaches were used to develop simplified models that focussed on the flow and transport behaviour of the deep aquifer systems. These surrogate models were able to represent sub-system behaviour in terms of flow, multi-environmental tracer transport and the observed large-scale hydrogeochemical patterns. The incorporation of the environmental tracer data into the modelling framework provide an improved understanding of the flow regimes of the deeper aquifer systems as well as valuable information on how to reduce uncertainties in hydraulic properties where there is little or no historical observations of hydraulic heads.

Coupled prediction of flash flood response and debris flow occurrence: Application on an alpine extreme flood event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Destro, Elisa; Amponsah, William; Nikolopoulos, Efthymios I.; Marchi, Lorenzo; Marra, Francesco; Zoccatelli, Davide; Borga, Marco

2018-03-01

The concurrence of flash floods and debris flows is of particular concern, because it may amplify the hazard corresponding to the individual generative processes. This paper presents a coupled modelling framework for the predictions of flash flood response and of the occurrence of debris flows initiated by channel bed mobilization. The framework combines a spatially distributed flash flood response model and a debris flow initiation model to define a threshold value for the peak flow which permits identification of channelized debris flow initiation. The threshold is defined over the channel network as a function of the upslope area and of the local channel bed slope, and it is based on assumptions concerning the properties of the channel bed material and of the morphology of the channel network. The model is validated using data from an extreme rainstorm that impacted the 140 km2 Vizze basin in the Eastern Italian Alps on August 4-5, 2012. The results show that the proposed methodology has improved skill in identifying the catchments where debris-flows are triggered, compared to the use of simpler thresholds based on rainfall properties.

Improvement in Rayleigh Scattering Measurement Accuracy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fagan, Amy F.; Clem, Michelle M.; Elam, Kristie A.

2012-01-01

Spectroscopic Rayleigh scattering is an established flow diagnostic that has the ability to provide simultaneous velocity, density, and temperature measurements. The Fabry-Perot interferometer or etalon is a commonly employed instrument for resolving the spectrum of molecular Rayleigh scattered light for the purpose of evaluating these flow properties. This paper investigates the use of an acousto-optic frequency shifting device to improve measurement accuracy in Rayleigh scattering experiments at the NASA Glenn Research Center. The frequency shifting device is used as a means of shifting the incident or reference laser frequency by 1100 MHz to avoid overlap of the Rayleigh and reference signal peaks in the interference pattern used to obtain the velocity, density, and temperature measurements, and also to calibrate the free spectral range of the Fabry-Perot etalon. The measurement accuracy improvement is evaluated by comparison of Rayleigh scattering measurements acquired with and without shifting of the reference signal frequency in a 10 mm diameter subsonic nozzle flow.

Effect of Cement on Properties of Over-Burnt Brick Bituminous Concrete Mixes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarkar, Dipankar; Pal, Manish

2016-06-01

The present investigation is carried out to propose the use of cement coated over burnt brick aggregate in the preparation of bituminous concrete mix. The effect of cement on various mechanical properties such as Marshall stability, flow, Marshall quotient (stability to flow ratio), indirect tensile strength, stripping, rutting and fatigue life of bituminous concrete overlay has been evaluated. In this study, different cement percentages such as 2, 3, 4 and 5 % by weight of aggregate have been mixed with Over Burnt Brick Aggregate (OBBA). The laboratory results indicate that bituminous concrete prepared by 4 % cement coated OBBA gives the highest Marshall stability. The bituminous concrete mix with 4 % cement shows considerable improvement in various mechanical properties of the mix compared to the plain OBBA concrete mix.

Two-phase flow patterns in adiabatic and diabatic corrugated plate gaps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polzin, A.-E.; Kabelac, S.; de Vries, B.

2016-09-01

Correlations for two-phase heat transfer and pressure drop can be improved considerably, when they are adapted to specific flow patterns. As plate heat exchangers find increasing application as evaporators and condensers, there is a need for flow pattern maps for corrugated plate gaps. This contribution presents experimental results on flow pattern investigations for such a plate heat exchanger background, using an adiabatic visualisation setup as well as a diabatic setup. Three characteristic flow patterns were observed in the considered range of two-phase flow: bubbly flow, film flow and slug flow. The occurrence of these flow patterns is a function of mass flux, void fraction, fluid properties and plate geometry. Two different plate geometries having a corrugation angle of 27° and 63°, respectively and two different fluids (water/air and R365mfc liquid/vapor) have been analysed. A flow pattern map using the momentum flux is presented.

Hydrodynamic lift for single cell manipulation in a femtosecond laser fabricated optofluidic chip

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bragheri, Francesca; Osellame, Roberto

2017-08-01

Single cell sorting based either on fluorescence or on mechanical properties has been exploited in the last years in microfluidic devices. Hydrodynamic focusing allows increasing the efficiency of theses devices by improving the matching between the region of optical analysis and that of cell flow. Here we present a very simple solution fabricated by femtosecond laser micromachining that exploits flow laminarity in microfluidic channels to easily lift the sample flowing position to the channel portion illuminated by the optical waveguides used for single cell trapping and analysis.

Ion-exchange composite membranes pore-filled with sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) and Engelhard titanosilicate-10 for improved performance of vanadium redox flow batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jihoon; Lee, Yongkyu; Jeon, Jae-Deok; Kwak, Seung-Yeop

2018-04-01

A series of ion-exchange membranes for vanadium redox flow batteries (VRBs) are prepared by filling the pores of a poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) substrate with sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) and microporous Engelhard titanosilicate-10 (ETS-10). The effects of ETS-10 incorporation and PTFE reinforcement on membrane properties and VRB single-cell performance are investigated using various characterization tools. The results show that these composite membranes exhibit improved mechanical properties and reduced vanadium-ion permeabilities owing to the interactions between ETS-10 and SPEEK, the suppressed swelling of PTFE, and the unique ETS-10 framework. The composite membrane with 3 wt% ETS-10 (referred to as "SE3/P") exhibits the best membrane properties and highest ion selectivity. The VRB system with the SE3/P membrane exhibits higher cell capacity, higher cell efficiency, and lower capacity decay than that with a Nafion membrane. These results indicate that this composite membrane has potential as an alternative to Nafion in VRB systems.

Polyoxovanadate-alkoxide clusters as multi-electron charge carriers for symmetric non-aqueous redox flow batteries.

PubMed

VanGelder, L E; Kosswattaarachchi, A M; Forrestel, P L; Cook, T R; Matson, E M

2018-02-14

Non-aqueous redox flow batteries have emerged as promising systems for large-capacity, reversible energy storage, capable of meeting the variable demands of the electrical grid. Here, we investigate the potential for a series of Lindqvist polyoxovanadate-alkoxide (POV-alkoxide) clusters, [V 6 O 7 (OR) 12 ] (R = CH 3 , C 2 H 5 ), to serve as the electroactive species for a symmetric, non-aqueous redox flow battery. We demonstrate that the physical and electrochemical properties of these POV-alkoxides make them suitable for applications in redox flow batteries, as well as the ability for ligand modification at the bridging alkoxide moieties to yield significant improvements in cluster stability during charge-discharge cycling. Indeed, the metal-oxide core remains intact upon deep charge-discharge cycling, enabling extremely high coulombic efficiencies (∼97%) with minimal overpotential losses (∼0.3 V). Furthermore, the bulky POV-alkoxide demonstrates significant resistance to deleterious crossover, which will lead to improved lifetime and efficiency in a redox flow battery.

Development of a new semi-analytical model for cross-borehole flow experiments in fractured media

USGS Publications Warehouse

Roubinet, Delphine; Irving, James; Day-Lewis, Frederick D.

2015-01-01

Analysis of borehole flow logs is a valuable technique for identifying the presence of fractures in the subsurface and estimating properties such as fracture connectivity, transmissivity and storativity. However, such estimation requires the development of analytical and/or numerical modeling tools that are well adapted to the complexity of the problem. In this paper, we present a new semi-analytical formulation for cross-borehole flow in fractured media that links transient vertical-flow velocities measured in one or a series of observation wells during hydraulic forcing to the transmissivity and storativity of the fractures intersected by these wells. In comparison with existing models, our approach presents major improvements in terms of computational expense and potential adaptation to a variety of fracture and experimental configurations. After derivation of the formulation, we demonstrate its application in the context of sensitivity analysis for a relatively simple two-fracture synthetic problem, as well as for field-data analysis to investigate fracture connectivity and estimate fracture hydraulic properties. These applications provide important insights regarding (i) the strong sensitivity of fracture property estimates to the overall connectivity of the system; and (ii) the non-uniqueness of the corresponding inverse problem for realistic fracture configurations.

Variations in soil detachment rates after wildfire as a function of soil depth, flow properties, and root properties

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moody, John A.; Nyman, Peter

2013-01-01

Wildfire affects hillslope erosion through increased surface runoff and increased sediment availability, both of which contribute to large post-fire erosion events. Relations between soil detachment rate, soil depth, flow and root properties, and fire impacts are poorly understood and not represented explicitly in commonly used post-fire erosion models. Detachment rates were measured on intact soil cores using a modified tilting flume. The cores were mounted flush with the flume-bed and a measurement was made on the surface of the core. The core was extruded upward, cut off, and another measurement was repeated at a different depth below the original surface of the core. Intact cores were collected from one site burned by the 2010 Fourmile Canyon (FMC) fire in Colorado and from one site burned by the 2010 Pozo fire in California. Each site contained contrasting vegetation and soil types. Additional soil samples were collected alongside the intact cores and were analyzed in the laboratory for soil properties (organic matter, bulk density, particle-size distribution) and for root properties (root density and root-length density). Particle-size distribution and root properties were different between sites, but sites were similar in terms of bulk density and organic matter. Soil detachment rates had similar relations with non-uniform shear stress and non-uniform unit stream power. Detachment rates within single sampling units displayed a relatively weak and inconsistent relation to flow variables. When averaged across all clusters, the detachment rate displayed a linear relation to shear stress, but variability in soil properties meant that the shear stress accounted for only a small proportion of the overall variability in detachment rates (R2 = 0.23; R2 is the coefficient of determination). Detachment rate was related to root-length density in some clusters (R2 values up to 0.91) and unrelated in others (R2 values 2 value improved and the range of exponents became narrower by applying a multivariate regression model where boundary shear stress and root-length density were included as explanatory variables. This suggests that an erodibility parameter which incorporates the effects of both flow and root properties on detachment could improve the representation of sediment availability after wildfire.

Improved pressure contour analysis for estimating cardiac stroke volume using pulse wave velocity measurement.

PubMed

Kamoi, Shun; Pretty, Christopher; Balmer, Joel; Davidson, Shaun; Pironet, Antoine; Desaive, Thomas; Shaw, Geoffrey M; Chase, J Geoffrey

2017-04-24

Pressure contour analysis is commonly used to estimate cardiac performance for patients suffering from cardiovascular dysfunction in the intensive care unit. However, the existing techniques for continuous estimation of stroke volume (SV) from pressure measurement can be unreliable during hemodynamic instability, which is inevitable for patients requiring significant treatment. For this reason, pressure contour methods must be improved to capture changes in vascular properties and thus provide accurate conversion from pressure to flow. This paper presents a novel pressure contour method utilizing pulse wave velocity (PWV) measurement to capture vascular properties. A three-element Windkessel model combined with the reservoir-wave concept are used to decompose the pressure contour into components related to storage and flow. The model parameters are identified beat-to-beat from the water-hammer equation using measured PWV, wave component of the pressure, and an estimate of subject-specific aortic dimension. SV is then calculated by converting pressure to flow using identified model parameters. The accuracy of this novel method is investigated using data from porcine experiments (N = 4 Pietrain pigs, 20-24.5 kg), where hemodynamic properties were significantly altered using dobutamine, fluid administration, and mechanical ventilation. In the experiment, left ventricular volume was measured using admittance catheter, and aortic pressure waveforms were measured at two locations, the aortic arch and abdominal aorta. Bland-Altman analysis comparing gold-standard SV measured by the admittance catheter and estimated SV from the novel method showed average limits of agreement of ±26% across significant hemodynamic alterations. This result shows the method is capable of estimating clinically acceptable absolute SV values according to Critchely and Critchely. The novel pressure contour method presented can accurately estimate and track SV even when hemodynamic properties are significantly altered. Integrating PWV measurements into pressure contour analysis improves identification of beat-to-beat changes in Windkessel model parameters, and thus, provides accurate estimate of blood flow from measured pressure contour. The method has great potential for overcoming weaknesses associated with current pressure contour methods for estimating SV.

Thermal and mechanical properties of TPU/PBT reinforced by carbon fiber

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Huang, Jintao; Liu, Huanyu; Lu, Xiang

2016-03-09

In this study, thermal, mechanical properties and processability were performed on a series of carbon fiber (CF) filled thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)/poly (butylene terephthalate) (PBT) composites to identify the effect of CF weight fraction on the properties of TPU/PBT. Scanning Electronic Microscope (SEM) show that CFs are uniformly dispersed in TPU/PBT matrix and there are no agglomerations. Melt flow index (MFI) show that the melt viscosity increased with the CF loading. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed that the introduction of CF into organic materials tend to improve their thermal stability. The mechanical properties indicated that tensile strength and modulus, flexural strength andmore » modulus, improved with an increase in CF loading, but the impact strength decreased by the loading of CF.« less

Tough, processable semi-interpenetrating polymer networks from monomer reactants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pater, Ruth H. (Inventor)

1994-01-01

A high temperature semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPN) was developed which had significantly improved processability, damage tolerance, and mechanical performance, when compared to the commercial Thermid materials. This simultaneous semi-IPN was prepared by mixing the monomer precursors of Thermid AL-600 (a thermoset) and NR-150B2 (a thermoplastic) and allowing the monomers to react randomly upon heating. This reaction occurs at a rate which decreases the flow and broadens the processing window. Upon heating at a higher temperature, there is an increase in flow. Because of the improved flow properties, broadened processing window and enhanced toughness, high strength polymer matrix composites, adhesives and molded articles can now be prepared from the acetylene end-capped polyimides which were previously inherently brittle and difficult to process.

Drag reducing polymers improve coronary flow reserve through modulation of capillary resistance.

PubMed

Pacella, John J; Kameneva, Marina V; Villanueva, Flordeliza S

2009-01-01

We have shown that drag-reducing polymers (DRP) reduce microvascular resistance and improve myocardial perfusion during coronary stenosis. We used myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) and mathematical modeling to define the DRP microvascular effects. A non-flow-limiting left anterior descending (LAD) stenosis was created in 8 dogs. Intramyocardial blood volume, RBC velocity and flow in the LAD and circumflex (CX) beds were obtained from MCE at baseline, and in hyperemia, stenosis, hyperemia + stenosis, and hyperemia + stenosis + DRP. Microvascular resistances were calculated from a lumped-parameter model. During stenosis + hyperemia, LAD bed microvascular resistance increased (p<0.015), and capillary volume (p<0.002) and red cell velocity (p<0.0004) decreased relative to baseline. With DRP, during stenosis and hyperemia, LAD bed microvascular resistance decreased (p<0.04); there was an increase in capillary volume (p<0.007), RBC velocity (p<0.006), and flow (p<0.05). Decreased model-computed capillary resistance accounted for the reduction in LAD bed resistance after DRP. We conclude that DRP improve flow reserve during coronary stenosis by modulating capillary resistance. Primary modification of the rheological properties of blood to affect capillary resistance is a novel approach for the treatment of acute coronary syndromes.

Visualization of flow during cleaning process on a liquid nanofibrous filter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bílek, P.

2017-10-01

This paper deals with visualization of flow during cleaning process on a nanofibrous filter. Cleaning of a filter is very important part of the filtration process which extends lifetime of the filter and improve filtration properties. Cleaning is carried out on flat-sheet filters, where particles are deposited on the filter surface and form a filtration cake. The cleaning process dislodges the deposited filtration cake, which is loose from the membrane surface to the retentate flow. The blocked pores in the filter are opened again and hydrodynamic properties are restored. The presented optical method enables to see flow behaviour in a thin laser sheet on the inlet side of a tested filter during the cleaning process. The local concentration of solid particles is possible to estimate and achieve new information about the cleaning process. In the article is described the cleaning process on nanofibrous membranes for waste water treatment. The hydrodynamic data were compared to the images of the cleaning process.

Investigation of Anion-Exchange and Immunoaffinity Particle-Loaded Membranes for the Isolation of Charged Organic Analytes from Water

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dombrowski, T.R.; Wilson, G.S.; Thurman, E.M.

1998-01-01

Anion-exchange and immunoaffinity particle loaded membranes (PLMs) were investigated as a mechanism for the isolation of charged organic analytes from water. Kinetic properties determined theoretically included dynamic capacity, pressure drop (??P), residence and diffusion times (Tr, Td), and total membrane porosity (???T). These properties were confirmed through experimental evaluation, and the PLM method showed significant improvement over conventional solid-phase extraction (SPE) and ion-exchange formats. Recoveries of more than 90% were observed for a variety of test compounds at flow rates up to 70 mL/min (equipment-limited maximum flow rate). A fast-flow immunoaffinity column was developed using antibodies (Abs) attached to the PLMs. Reproducible recoveries (88% ?? 4%) were observed at flow rates up to 70 mL/min for the antibody (Ab)-loaded PLMs. Findings indicate increased selectivity over anion-exchange PLMs and conventional SPE or ion-exchange methods and rapid Ab-antigen binding rates given the excellent mass-transfer characteristics of the PLMs.

Optimisation of powders for pulmonary delivery using supercritical fluid technology.

PubMed

Rehman, Mahboob; Shekunov, Boris Y; York, Peter; Lechuga-Ballesteros, David; Miller, Danforth P; Tan, Trixie; Colthorpe, Paul

2004-05-01

Supercritical fluid technology exploited in this work afforded single-step production of respirable particles of terbutaline sulphate (TBS). Different crystal forms of TBS were produced consistently, including two polymorphs, a stoichiometric monohydrate and amorphous material as well as particles with different degrees of crystallinity, size, and morphology. Different solid-state and surface characterisation techniques were applied in conjunction with measurements of powder flow properties using AeroFlow device and aerosol performance by Andersen Cascade Impactor tests. Improved fine particle fraction (FPF) was demonstrated for some powders produced by the SCF process when compared to the micronised material. Such enhanced flow properties and dispersion correlated well with the reduced surface energy parameters demonstrated by these powders. It is shown that semi-crystalline particles exhibited lower specific surface energy leading to a better performance in the powder flow and aerosol tests than crystalline materials. This difference of the surface and bulk crystal structure for selected powder batches is explained by the mechanism of precipitation in SCF which can lead to surface conditioning of particles produced.

Simulation Analysis and Performance Study of CoCrMo Porous Structure Manufactured by Selective Laser Melting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guoqing, Zhang; Junxin, Li; Jin, Li; Chengguang, Zhang; Zefeng, Xiao

2018-04-01

To fabricate porous implants with improved biocompatibility and mechanical properties that are matched to their application using selective laser melting (SLM), flow within the mold and compressive properties and performance of the porous structures must be comprehensively studied. Parametric modeling was used to build 3D models of octahedron and hexahedron structures. Finite element analysis was used to evaluate the mold flow and compressive properties of the parametric porous structures. A DiMetal-100 SLM molding apparatus was used to manufacture the porous structures and the results evaluated by light microscopy. The results showed that parametric modeling can produce robust models. Square structures caused higher blood cell adhesion than cylindrical structures. "Vortex" flow in square structures resulted in chaotic distribution of blood elements, whereas they were mostly distributed around the connecting parts in the cylindrical structures. No significant difference in elastic moduli or compressive strength was observed in square and cylindrical porous structures of identical characteristics. Hexahedron, square and cylindrical porous structures had the same stress-strain properties. For octahedron porous structures, cylindrical structures had higher stress-strain properties. Using these modeling and molding results, an important basis for designing and the direct manufacture of fixed biological implants is provided.

Simulation Analysis and Performance Study of CoCrMo Porous Structure Manufactured by Selective Laser Melting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guoqing, Zhang; Junxin, Li; Jin, Li; Chengguang, Zhang; Zefeng, Xiao

2018-05-01

To fabricate porous implants with improved biocompatibility and mechanical properties that are matched to their application using selective laser melting (SLM), flow within the mold and compressive properties and performance of the porous structures must be comprehensively studied. Parametric modeling was used to build 3D models of octahedron and hexahedron structures. Finite element analysis was used to evaluate the mold flow and compressive properties of the parametric porous structures. A DiMetal-100 SLM molding apparatus was used to manufacture the porous structures and the results evaluated by light microscopy. The results showed that parametric modeling can produce robust models. Square structures caused higher blood cell adhesion than cylindrical structures. "Vortex" flow in square structures resulted in chaotic distribution of blood elements, whereas they were mostly distributed around the connecting parts in the cylindrical structures. No significant difference in elastic moduli or compressive strength was observed in square and cylindrical porous structures of identical characteristics. Hexahedron, square and cylindrical porous structures had the same stress-strain properties. For octahedron porous structures, cylindrical structures had higher stress-strain properties. Using these modeling and molding results, an important basis for designing and the direct manufacture of fixed biological implants is provided.

Pore Scale Dynamics of Microemulsion Formation.

PubMed

Unsal, Evren; Broens, Marc; Armstrong, Ryan T

2016-07-19

Experiments in various porous media have shown that multiple parameters come into play when an oleic phase is displaced by an aqueous solution of surfactant. In general, the displacement efficiency is improved when the fluids become quasi-miscible. Understanding the phase behavior oil/water/surfactant systems is important because microemulsion has the ability to generate ultralow interfacial tension (<10(-2) mN m(-1)) that is required for miscibility to occur. Many studies focus on microemulsion formation and the resulting properties under equilibrium conditions. However, the majority of applications where microemulsion is present also involve flow, which has received relatively less attention. It is commonly assumed that the characteristics of an oil/water/surfactant system under flowing conditions are identical to the one under equilibrium conditions. Here, we show that this is not necessarily the case. We studied the equilibrium phase behavior of a model system consisting of n-decane and an aqueous solution of olefin sulfonate surfactant, which has practical applications for enhanced oil recovery. The salt content of the aqueous solution was varied to provide a range of different microemulsion compositions and oil-water interfacial tensions. We then performed microfluidic flow experiments to study the dynamic in situ formation of microemulsion by coinjecting bulk fluids of n-decane and surfactant solution into a T-junction capillary geometry. A solvatochromatic fluorescent dye was used to obtain spatially resolved compositional information. In this way, we visualized the microemulsion formation and the flow of it along with the excess phases. A complex interaction between the flow patterns and the microemulsion properties was observed. The formation of microemulsion influenced the flow regimes, and the flow regimes affected the characteristics of the microemulsion formation. In particular, at low flow rates, slug flow was observed, which had profound consequences on the pore scale mixing behavior and resulting microemulsion properties.

Was the Deepwater Horizon Well Discharge Churn Flow? Implications on the Estimation of the Oil Discharge and Droplet Size Distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boufadel, Michel C.; Gao, Feng; Zhao, Lin; Özgökmen, Tamay; Miller, Richard; King, Thomas; Robinson, Brian; Lee, Kenneth; Leifer, Ira

2018-03-01

Improved understanding of the character of an uncontrolled pipeline flow is critical for the estimation of the oil discharge and droplet size distribution both essential for evaluating oil spill impact. Measured oil and gas properties at the wellhead of the Macondo255 and detailed numerical modeling suggested that the flow within the pipe could have been "churn," whereby oil and gas tumble violently within the pipe and is different from the bubbly flow commonly assumed for that release. The churn flow would have produced 5 times the energy loss in the pipe compared to bubbly flow, and its plume would have entrained 35% more water than that of the bubbly flow. Both findings suggest that the oil discharge in Deepwater Horizon could have been overestimated, by up to 200%. The resulting oil droplet size distribution of churn flow is likely smaller than that of bubbly flow.

DSC studies to evaluate the impact of bio-oil on cold flow properties and oxidation stability of bio-diesel.

PubMed

Garcia-Perez, Manuel; Adams, Thomas T; Goodrum, John W; Das, K C; Geller, Daniel P

2010-08-01

This paper describes the use of Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) to evaluate the impact of varying mix ratios of bio-oil (pyrolysis oil) and bio-diesel on the oxidation stability and on some cold flow properties of resulting blends. The bio-oils employed were produced from the semi-continuous Auger pyrolysis of pine pellets and the batch pyrolysis of pine chips. The bio-diesel studied was obtained from poultry fat. The conditions used to prepare the bio-oil/bio-diesel blends as well as some of the fuel properties of these blends are reported. The experimental results suggest that the addition of bio-oil improves the oxidation stability of the resulting blends and modifies the crystallization behavior of unsaturated compounds. Upon the addition of bio-oil an increase in the oxidation onset temperature, as determined by DSC, was observed. The increase in bio-diesel oxidation stability is likely to be due to the presence of hindered phenols abundant in bio-oils. A relatively small reduction in DSC characteristic temperatures which are associated with cold flow properties was also observed but can likely be explained by a dilution effect. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Micronization of Taxifolin by Supercritical Antisolvent Process and Evaluation of Radical Scavenging Activity

PubMed Central

Zu, Shuchong; Yang, Lei; Huang, Jinming; Ma, Chunhui; Wang, Wenjie; Zhao, Chunjian; Zu, Yuangang

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to prepare micronized taxifolin powder using the supercritical antisolvent precipitation process to improve the dissolution rate of taxifolin. Ethanol was used as solvent and carbon dioxide was used as an antisolvent. The effects of process parameters, such as temperature (35–65 °C), pressure (10–25 MPa), solution flow rate (3–6 mL/min) and concentration of the liquid solution (5–20 mg/mL) on the precipitate crystals were investigated. With a lower temperature, a stronger pressure and a lower concentration of the liquid solution, the size of crystals decreased. The precipitation temperature, pressure and concentration of taxifolin solution had a significant effect. However, the solution flow rate had a negligible effect. It was concluded that the physicochemical properties and dissolution rate of crystalline taxifolin could be improved by physical modification such as particle size reduction using the supercritical antisolvent (SAS) process. Further, the SAS process was a powerful methodology for improving the physicochemical properties and radical scavenging activity of taxifolin. PMID:22942740

Conceptual Model Evaluation using Advanced Parameter Estimation Techniques with Heat as a Tracer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naranjo, R. C.; Morway, E. D.; Healy, R. W.

2016-12-01

Temperature measurements made at multiple depths beneath the sediment-water interface has proven useful for estimating seepage rates from surface-water channels and corresponding subsurface flow direction. Commonly, parsimonious zonal representations of the subsurface structure are defined a priori by interpretation of temperature envelopes, slug tests or analysis of soil cores. However, combining multiple observations into a single zone may limit the inverse model solution and does not take full advantage of the information content within the measured data. Further, simulating the correct thermal gradient, flow paths, and transient behavior of solutes may be biased by inadequacies in the spatial description of subsurface hydraulic properties. The use of pilot points in PEST offers a more sophisticated approach to estimate the structure of subsurface heterogeneity. This presentation evaluates seepage estimation in a cross-sectional model of a trapezoidal canal with intermittent flow representing four typical sedimentary environments. The recent improvements in heat as a tracer measurement techniques (i.e. multi-depth temperature probe) along with use of modern calibration techniques (i.e., pilot points) provides opportunities for improved calibration of flow models, and, subsequently, improved model predictions.

Neem gum as a binder in a formulated paracetamol tablet with reference to Acacia gum BP.

PubMed

Ogunjimi, Abayomi Tolulope; Alebiowu, Gbenga

2014-04-01

This study determined the physical, compressional, and binding properties of neem gum (NMG) obtained from the trunk of Azadirachta indica (A Juss) in a paracetamol tablet formulation in comparison with official Acacia gum BP (ACA). The physical and flow properties were evaluated using density parameters: porosity, Carr's index, Hausner's ratio, and flow rate. Compressional properties were analyzed using Heckel and Kawakita equations. The tensile strength, brittle fracture index, and crushing strength-friability/disintegration time ratio were used to evaluate the mechanical properties of paracetamol tablets while the drug release properties of the tablets were assessed using disintegration time and dissolution times. Tablet formulations containing NMG exhibited faster onset and higher amount of plastic deformation during compression than those containing ACA. Neem gum produced paracetamol tablets with lower mechanical strength; however, the tendency of the tablets to cap or laminate was lower when compared to those containing ACA. Inclusion of NMG improved the balance between binding and disintegration properties of paracetamol tablets produced than those containing ACA. Neem gum produced paracetamol tablets with lower disintegration and dissolution times than those containing ACA.

Effects of Coating Materials and Processing Conditions on Flow Enhancement of Cohesive Acetaminophen Powders by High-Shear Processing With Pharmaceutical Lubricants.

PubMed

Wei, Guoguang; Mangal, Sharad; Denman, John; Gengenbach, Thomas; Lee Bonar, Kevin; Khan, Rubayat I; Qu, Li; Li, Tonglei; Zhou, Qi Tony

2017-10-01

This study has investigated the surface coating efficiency and powder flow improvement of a model cohesive acetaminophen powder by high-shear processing with pharmaceutical lubricants through 2 common equipment, conical comil and high-shear mixer. Effects of coating materials and processing parameters on powder flow and surface coating coverage were evaluated. Both Carr's index and shear cell data indicated that processing with the lubricants using comil or high-shear mixer substantially improved the flow of the cohesive acetaminophen powder. Flow improvement was most pronounced for those processed with 1% wt/wt magnesium stearate, from "cohesive" for the V-blended sample to "easy flowing" for the optimally coated sample. Qualitative and quantitative characterizations demonstrated a greater degree of surface coverage for high-shear mixing compared with comilling; nevertheless, flow properties of the samples at the corresponding optimized conditions were comparable between 2 techniques. Scanning electron microscopy images demonstrated different coating mechanisms with magnesium stearate or l-leucine (magnesium stearate forms a coating layer and leucine coating increases surface roughness). Furthermore, surface coating with hydrophobic magnesium stearate did not retard the dissolution kinetics of acetaminophen. Future studies are warranted to evaluate tableting behavior of such dry-coated pharmaceutical powders. Copyright © 2017 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Spatial organisation of ecologically-relevant high frequency flow properties and implications for habitat assessment.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trinci, G.; Harvey, G.; Henshaw, A.; Bertoldi, W.

2016-12-01

Turbulence plays a crucial role in the life cycle of river plants and animals. Turbulent flow facilitates access to food, maintenance of adequate oxygen levels, removal of wastes, locomotion and predator evasion, but can also act as a stressor, leading to dislodgement from habitats, increased energy costs, physiological damage and even mortality. Despite this, hydraulic habitat assessments for river appraisal and restoration design have largely focused on temporally and spatially averaged flow properties rather than more complex descriptors of turbulence (turbulence intensity, and the periodicity, orientation and scale of coherent flow structures) that are known to directly influence aquatic organisms. Contrasting relationships between turbulence and mean flow velocity have been reported and there is a pressing need to improve understanding of the hydraulic environment provided by mesoscale river features, such as geomorphic units (e.g. riffles, pools, steps), upon which river management and restoration often focuses. We undertook high frequency velocity surveys within three river reaches (low, medium and high gradient) using a 3-dimensional Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter, combined with detailed surveys of bed topography and visual assessments of the spatial organisation of geomorphic units. Using a combination of multivariate statistical analysis (Principal Components Analysis, Cluster Analysis and GLMs) and geostatistics (semi-variance), the paper explores the spatial organisation of key turbulence parameters across the reaches and linkages with mean flow velocity and characteristic roughness elements. The ability of `higher order' turbulence properties to distinguish between visually identified geomorphic units is also assessed. The findings provide insights into scales of variability in turbulence properties that have direct ecological relevance, helping to inform river assessment and restoration efforts.

Constraining the Rheologic Properties of Channelized Basaltic Flows on Earth and Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramsey, M. S.; Harris, A. J. L.; Crown, D. A.

2015-12-01

Basaltic volcanism is ubiquitous on the terrestrial planets and is the most common form of extrusive activity on Earth, with over half of the world's volcanoes consisting largely of basalt. Recently, new eruptions (or new phases of ongoing eruptions) have occurred at Tolbachik in Russia (2012-2013); Bardarbunga in Iceland (2014); Etna in Italy (2014); and Kilauea in Hawaii (2014-2015) emphasizing both the hazard potential and volumetric production of basaltic activity. Furthermore, new high-resolution data of flows on Arsia Mons volcano (Mars) show very similar features. Therefore, this style of effusive volcanism and especially its surface manifestation (lava flows) warrants continued study both from a fundamental science as well as a hazard mitigation point of view. Monitoring flow propagation direction and velocity are critical in these situations and a number of models have evolved over time focused on heat loss and down-flow topography to predict flow advance. In addition to topography, the dominant (internal) factors controlling flow propagation are the discharge rate combined with cooling and increasing viscosity. However, all these models rely on accurate temperature measurements derived from the cooling glassy surface using infrared (IR) non-contact instruments. New laboratory and field-based studies are attempting to characterize the cooling, formation, and dynamics of basaltic surfaces using IR data. Preliminary results are focused on resolving inconsistencies in the derived flow temperature, composition, texture and silicate structure, which can all impact the surface-leaving heat flux. Improved accuracy in these retrievals increases our ability to constrain and model flow surface and interior temperatures. The impact of this improved accuracy has now been assessed using flow model simulations of active terrestrial and well-preserved Martian flows, Results are improving our understanding of the initial eruption conditions of these channelized basaltic lava flows on both planets.

Direct compression of chitosan: process and formulation factors to improve powder flow and tablet performance.

PubMed

Buys, Gerhard M; du Plessis, Lissinda H; Marais, Andries F; Kotze, Awie F; Hamman, Josias H

2013-06-01

Chitosan is a polymer derived from chitin that is widely available at relatively low cost, but due to compression challenges it has limited application for the production of direct compression tablets. The aim of this study was to use certain process and formulation variables to improve manufacturing of tablets containing chitosan as bulking agent. Chitosan particle size and flow properties were determined, which included bulk density, tapped density, compressibility and moisture uptake. The effect of process variables (i.e. compression force, punch depth, percentage compaction in a novel double fill compression process) and formulation variables (i.e. type of glidant, citric acid, pectin, coating with Eudragit S®) on chitosan tablet performance (i.e. mass variation, tensile strength, dissolution) was investigated. Moisture content of the chitosan powder, particle size and the inclusion of glidants had a pronounced effect on its flow ability. Varying the percentage compaction during the first cycle of a double fill compression process produced chitosan tablets with more acceptable tensile strength and dissolution rate properties. The inclusion of citric acid and pectin into the formulation significantly decreased the dissolution rate of isoniazid from the tablets due to gel formation. Direct compression of chitosan powder into tablets can be significantly improved by the investigated process and formulation variables as well as applying a double fill compression process.

Effect of Li 2O on the microstructure, magnetic and transport properties of Tl-2223 superconductor

DOE PAGES

Shipra, R.; Sefat, Athena Safa

2015-10-08

Here, the present study gives an account of the effect of addition of Li 2O on the ease of phase formation and superconducting properties of Tl 2Ba 2Ca 2Cu 3O 10 + δ (Tl-2223) material. Li 2O slightly decreases the superconducting transition temperature, while an optimal concentration of 20% Li 2O improves the critical current density (J c) by about two fold. We also found substantial effects on the synthesis temperature, microstructure and normal state transport properties of Tl-2223 with Li 2O addition. Short-time annealing under flowing Ar + 4%H 2 (1 h) further improves the superconducting volume fractions, asmore » well as J c.« less

Mechanical and degradation property improvement in a biocompatible Mg-Ca-Sr alloy by thermomechanical processing

DOE PAGES

Henderson, Hunter B.; Ramaswamy, Vidhya; Wilson-Heid, Alexander E.; ...

2018-02-03

Magnesium-based alloys have attracted interest as a potential material to comprise biomedical implants that are simultaneously high-strength and temporary, able to provide stabilization before degrading safely and able to be excreted by the human body. Many alloy systems have been evaluated, but this work reports on improved properties through hot extrusion of one promising alloy: Mg-1.0 wt% Ca-0.5 wt%Sr. This alloy has previously demonstrated promising toxicity and degradation properties in the as-cast and rolled conditions. In the current study extrusion causes a dramatic improvement in the mechanical properties in tension and compression, as well as a low in vitro degradationmore » rate. Microstructure (texture, second phase distribution, and grain size), bulk mechanical properties, flow behavior, degradation in simulated body fluid, and effect on osteoblast cyctotoxicity are evaluated and correlated to extrusion temperature. In conclusion, maximum yield strength of 300 MPa (above that of annealed 316 stainless steel) with 10% elongation is observed, making this alloy competitive with existing implant materials.« less

Mechanical and degradation property improvement in a biocompatible Mg-Ca-Sr alloy by thermomechanical processing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Henderson, Hunter B.; Ramaswamy, Vidhya; Wilson-Heid, Alexander E.

Magnesium-based alloys have attracted interest as a potential material to comprise biomedical implants that are simultaneously high-strength and temporary, able to provide stabilization before degrading safely and able to be excreted by the human body. Many alloy systems have been evaluated, but this work reports on improved properties through hot extrusion of one promising alloy: Mg-1.0 wt% Ca-0.5 wt%Sr. This alloy has previously demonstrated promising toxicity and degradation properties in the as-cast and rolled conditions. In the current study extrusion causes a dramatic improvement in the mechanical properties in tension and compression, as well as a low in vitro degradationmore » rate. Microstructure (texture, second phase distribution, and grain size), bulk mechanical properties, flow behavior, degradation in simulated body fluid, and effect on osteoblast cyctotoxicity are evaluated and correlated to extrusion temperature. In conclusion, maximum yield strength of 300 MPa (above that of annealed 316 stainless steel) with 10% elongation is observed, making this alloy competitive with existing implant materials.« less

Mechanical and degradation property improvement in a biocompatible Mg-Ca-Sr alloy by thermomechanical processing.

PubMed

Henderson, Hunter B; Ramaswamy, Vidhya; Wilson-Heid, Alexander E; Kesler, Michael S; Allen, Josephine B; Manuel, Michele V

2018-04-01

Magnesium-based alloys have attracted interest as a potential material to comprise biomedical implants that are simultaneously high-strength and temporary, able to provide stabilization before degrading safely and able to be excreted by the human body. Many alloy systems have been evaluated, but this work reports on improved properties through hot extrusion of one promising alloy: Mg-1.0 wt% Ca-0.5 wt%Sr. This alloy has previously demonstrated promising toxicity and degradation properties in the as-cast and rolled conditions. In the current study extrusion causes a dramatic improvement in the mechanical properties in tension and compression, as well as a low in vitro degradation rate. Microstructure (texture, second phase distribution, and grain size), bulk mechanical properties, flow behavior, degradation in simulated body fluid, and effect on osteoblast cyctotoxicity are evaluated and correlated to extrusion temperature. Maximum yield strength of 300 MPa (above that of annealed 316 stainless steel) with 10% elongation is observed, making this alloy competitive with existing implant materials. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

The effect of resin on the impact damage tolerance of graphite-epoxy laminates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, J. G.; Rhodes, M. D.

1981-01-01

The effect of the matrix resin on the impact damage tolerance of graphite-epoxy composite laminates was investigated. The materials were evaluated on the basis of the damage incurred due to local impact and on their ability to retain compression strength in the presence of impact damage. Twenty-four different resin systems were evaluated. Five of the systems demonstrated substantial improvements compared to the baseline system including retention of compression strength in the presence of impact damage. Examination of the neat resin mechanical properties indicates the resin tensile properties influence significantly the laminate damage tolerance and that improvements in laminate damage tolerance are not necessarily made at the expense of room temperature mechanical properties. Preliminary results indicate a resin volume fraction on the order of 40 percent or greater may be required to permit the plastic flow between fibers necessary for improved damage tolerance.

An improved algorithm of image processing technique for film thickness measurement in a horizontal stratified gas-liquid two-phase flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuntoro, Hadiyan Yusuf; Hudaya, Akhmad Zidni; Dinaryanto, Okto; Majid, Akmal Irfan; Deendarlianto

2016-06-01

Due to the importance of the two-phase flow researches for the industrial safety analysis, many researchers developed various methods and techniques to study the two-phase flow phenomena on the industrial cases, such as in the chemical, petroleum and nuclear industries cases. One of the developing methods and techniques is image processing technique. This technique is widely used in the two-phase flow researches due to the non-intrusive capability to process a lot of visualization data which are contain many complexities. Moreover, this technique allows to capture direct-visual information data of the flow which are difficult to be captured by other methods and techniques. The main objective of this paper is to present an improved algorithm of image processing technique from the preceding algorithm for the stratified flow cases. The present algorithm can measure the film thickness (hL) of stratified flow as well as the geometrical properties of the interfacial waves with lower processing time and random-access memory (RAM) usage than the preceding algorithm. Also, the measurement results are aimed to develop a high quality database of stratified flow which is scanty. In the present work, the measurement results had a satisfactory agreement with the previous works.

An improved algorithm of image processing technique for film thickness measurement in a horizontal stratified gas-liquid two-phase flow

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kuntoro, Hadiyan Yusuf, E-mail: hadiyan.y.kuntoro@mail.ugm.ac.id; Majid, Akmal Irfan; Deendarlianto, E-mail: deendarlianto@ugm.ac.id

Due to the importance of the two-phase flow researches for the industrial safety analysis, many researchers developed various methods and techniques to study the two-phase flow phenomena on the industrial cases, such as in the chemical, petroleum and nuclear industries cases. One of the developing methods and techniques is image processing technique. This technique is widely used in the two-phase flow researches due to the non-intrusive capability to process a lot of visualization data which are contain many complexities. Moreover, this technique allows to capture direct-visual information data of the flow which are difficult to be captured by other methodsmore » and techniques. The main objective of this paper is to present an improved algorithm of image processing technique from the preceding algorithm for the stratified flow cases. The present algorithm can measure the film thickness (h{sub L}) of stratified flow as well as the geometrical properties of the interfacial waves with lower processing time and random-access memory (RAM) usage than the preceding algorithm. Also, the measurement results are aimed to develop a high quality database of stratified flow which is scanty. In the present work, the measurement results had a satisfactory agreement with the previous works.« less

EPA'S URBAN RESEARCH PROGRAM IN BMPS AND RESTORATION FOR WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENT

EPA Science Inventory

The Urban Watershed Management Branch is responsible for developing, and demonstrating technologies and methods required to manage the risk to public health, property and the environment from wet weather flows (WWF) in urban watersheds. The activities are primarily aimed at rest...

EPA'S URBAN RESEARCH PROGRAM IN BMPS AND RESTORATION FOR WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENT

EPA Science Inventory

The Urban Watershed Management Branch is responsible for developing, and demonstrating technologies and methods required to managing the risk to public health, property and the environment from wet weather flows (WWF) in urban watersheds. The activities are primarily aimed at re...

Material and Compression Properties of Cedrela odorata Gum Co-Processed with Plantain Starch and Microcrystalline Cellulose.

PubMed

Adetunji, Oladapo Adewale; Odeniyi, Michael Ayodele

2016-01-01

Many excipients used in tableting exhibit some undesirable properties such as poor flow, cohesion and lubricating characteristics, thus necessitating some modification to achieve the desired product. The objective of this study was to enhance the material, flow and compressional properties of Cedrela odorata gum (COG) (Family: Meliaceae) by co-processing with plantain starch (PS) and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC). The COG was co-processed with PS (or MCC) by physical co-grinding at ratio 1 : 1, 1 : 2 and 1 : 4, and characterized using morphological analysis, swelling index viscosity measurements, particle size analysis and FTIR spectra. The material, flow and compressional properties of the co-processed excipients were also evaluated. Results were analyzed using mean and standard deviation of data. There was a decrease in the degree of agglomeration of COG and a reduction in the size of the powdered gum. The co-processed excipients were more spherical than the native excipients. The COG had the highest viscosity, while MCC and COG : PS (1 : 2) showed the highest and lowest degrees of swelling at 27.0 ± 0.05°C respectively. Water absorption capacity of the component excipients improved with co-processing COG : MCC increasing from 171.8 ± 1.54 (1 : 1) to 214.8 ± 1.07 (1 : 2), while COG : PS increased from 95.2 ± 0.08 (1 : 1) to 206.2 ± 0.13. There was a decrease in the percentage solubility of the co-processed excipients with the highest and lowest solubility observed in COG (54.1 ± 0.07%) and PS (3.7 ± 0.16%), respectively. The FTIR spectra indicate no significant interaction between the excipients. The poor flow of the component excipients did not improve with co-processing; however, there was a significant increase in compressibility. Generally, COG co-processed with MCC showed better compression properties when compared with COG co-processed with PS. Co-processing of COD with MC or PS enhanced the characters of the component excipients, thus making the co-processed excipients suitable for direct compression of tablets without altering the chemical nature of the component excipients.

Research on Streamlines and Aerodynamic Heating for Unstructured Grids on High-Speed Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DeJarnette, Fred R.; Hamilton, H. Harris (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Engineering codes are needed which can calculate convective heating rates accurately and expeditiously on the surfaces of high-speed vehicles. One code which has proven to meet these needs is the Langley Approximate Three-Dimensional Convective Heating (LATCH) code. It uses the axisymmetric analogue in an integral boundary-layer method to calculate laminar and turbulent heating rates along inviscid surface streamlines. It requires the solution of the inviscid flow field to provide the surface properties needed to calculate the streamlines and streamline metrics. The LATCH code has been used with inviscid codes which calculated the flow field on structured grids, Several more recent inviscid codes calculate flow field properties on unstructured grids. The present research develops a method to calculate inviscid surface streamlines, the streamline metrics, and heating rates using the properties calculated from inviscid flow fields on unstructured grids. Mr. Chris Riley, prior to his departure from NASA LaRC, developed a preliminary code in the C language, called "UNLATCH", to accomplish these goals. No publication was made on his research. The present research extends and improves on the code developed by Riley. Particular attention is devoted to the stagnation region, and the method is intended for programming in the FORTRAN 90 language.

Evolution of weighted complex bus transit networks with flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Ailing; Xiong, Jie; Shen, Jinsheng; Guan, Wei

2016-02-01

Study on the intrinsic properties and evolutional mechanism of urban public transit networks (PTNs) has great significance for transit planning and control, particularly considering passengers’ dynamic behaviors. This paper presents an empirical analysis for exploring the complex properties of Beijing’s weighted bus transit network (BTN) based on passenger flow in L-space, and proposes a bi-level evolution model to simulate the development of transit routes from the view of complex network. The model is an iterative process that is driven by passengers’ travel demands and dual-controlled interest mechanism, which is composed of passengers’ spatio-temporal requirements and cost constraint of transit agencies. Also, the flow’s dynamic behaviors, including the evolutions of travel demand, sectional flow attracted by a new link and flow perturbation triggered in nearby routes, are taken into consideration in the evolutional process. We present the numerical experiment to validate the model, where the main parameters are estimated by using distribution functions that are deduced from real-world data. The results obtained have proven that our model can generate a BTN with complex properties, such as the scale-free behavior or small-world phenomenon, which shows an agreement with our empirical results. Our study’s results can be exploited to optimize the real BTN’s structure and improve the network’s robustness.

Mechanically and electrically robust metal-mask design for organic CMOS circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shintani, Michihiro; Qin, Zhaoxing; Kuribara, Kazunori; Ogasahara, Yasuhiro; Hiromoto, Masayuki; Sato, Takashi

2018-04-01

The design of metal masks for fabricating organic CMOS circuits requires the consideration of not only the electrical property of the circuits, but also the mechanical strength of the masks. In this paper, we propose a new design flow for metal masks that realizes coanalysis of the mechanical and electrical properties and enables design exploration considering the trade-off between the two properties. As a case study, we apply a “stitching technique” to the mask design of a ring oscillator and explore the best design. With this technique, mask patterns are divided into separate parts using multiple mask layers to improve the mechanical strength at the cost of high resistance of the vias. By a numerical experiment, the design trade-off of the stitching technique is quantitatively analyzed, and it is demonstrated that the proposed flow is useful for the exploration of the designs of metal masks.

Simulation of a 3D Turbulent Wavy Channel based on the High-order WENO Scheme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsai, Bor-Jang; Chou, Chung-Chyi; Tsai, Yeong-Pei; Chuang, Ying Hung

2018-02-01

Passive interest turbulent drag reduction, effective means to improve air vehicle fuel consumption costs. Most turbulent problems happening to the nature and engineering applications were exactly the turbulence problem frequently caused by one or more turbulent shear flows. This study was operated with incompressible 3-D channels with cyclic wavy boundary to explore the physical properties of turbulence flow. This research measures the distribution of average velocity, instant flowing field shapes, turbulence and pressure distribution, etc. Furthermore, the systematic computation and analysis for the 3-D flow field was also implemented. It was aimed to clearly understand the turbulence fields formed by wavy boundary of tube flow. The purpose of this research is to obtain systematic structural information about the turbulent flow field and features of the turbulence structure are discussed.

Polyoxovanadate-alkoxide clusters as multi-electron charge carriers for symmetric non-aqueous redox flow batteries† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c7sc05295b

PubMed Central

VanGelder, L. E.; Kosswattaarachchi, A. M.; Forrestel, P. L.

2018-01-01

Non-aqueous redox flow batteries have emerged as promising systems for large-capacity, reversible energy storage, capable of meeting the variable demands of the electrical grid. Here, we investigate the potential for a series of Lindqvist polyoxovanadate-alkoxide (POV-alkoxide) clusters, [V6O7(OR)12] (R = CH3, C2H5), to serve as the electroactive species for a symmetric, non-aqueous redox flow battery. We demonstrate that the physical and electrochemical properties of these POV-alkoxides make them suitable for applications in redox flow batteries, as well as the ability for ligand modification at the bridging alkoxide moieties to yield significant improvements in cluster stability during charge–discharge cycling. Indeed, the metal–oxide core remains intact upon deep charge–discharge cycling, enabling extremely high coulombic efficiencies (∼97%) with minimal overpotential losses (∼0.3 V). Furthermore, the bulky POV-alkoxide demonstrates significant resistance to deleterious crossover, which will lead to improved lifetime and efficiency in a redox flow battery. PMID:29675217

Accelerated aortic imaging using small field of view imaging and electrocardiogram-triggered quadruple inversion recovery magnetization preparation.

PubMed

Peel, Sarah A; Hussain, Tarique; Cecelja, Marina; Abbas, Abeera; Greil, Gerald F; Chowienczyk, Philip; Spector, Tim; Smith, Alberto; Waltham, Matthew; Botnar, Rene M

2011-11-01

To accelerate and optimize black blood properties of the quadruple inversion recovery (QIR) technique for imaging the abdominal aortic wall. QIR inversion delays were optimized for different heart rates in simulations and phantom studies by minimizing the steady state magnetization of blood for T(1) = 100-1400 ms. To accelerate and improve black blood properties of aortic vessel wall imaging, the QIR prepulse was combined with zoom imaging and (a) "traditional" and (b) "trailing" electrocardiogram (ECG) triggering. Ten volunteers were imaged pre- and post-contrast administration using a conventional ECG-triggered double inversion recovery (DIR) and the two QIR implementations in combination with a zoom-TSE readout. The QIR implemented with "trailing" ECG-triggering resulted in consistently good blood suppression as the second inversion delay was timed during maximum systolic flow in the aorta. The blood signal-to-noise ratio and vessel wall to blood contrast-to-noise ratio, vessel wall sharpness, and image quality scores showed a statistically significant improvement compared with the traditional QIR implementation with and without ECG-triggering. We demonstrate that aortic vessel wall imaging can be accelerated with zoom imaging and that "trailing" ECG-triggering improves black blood properties of the aorta which is subject to motion and variable blood flow during the cardiac cycle. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Development of thermoplastic starch blown film by incorporating plasticized chitosan.

PubMed

Dang, Khanh Minh; Yoksan, Rangrong

2015-01-22

The objective of the present work was to improve blown film extrusion processability and properties of thermoplastic starch (TPS) film by incorporating plasticized chitosan, with a content of 0.37-1.45%. The effects of chitosan on extrusion processability and melt flow ability of TPS, as well as that on appearance, optical properties, thermal properties, viscoelastic properties and tensile properties of the films were investigated. The possible interactions between chitosan and starch molecules were evaluated by FTIR and XRD techniques. Chitosan and starch molecules could interact via hydrogen bonds, as confirmed from the blue shift of OH bands and the reduction of V-type crystal formation. Although the incorporation of chitosan caused decreased extensibility and melt flow ability, as well as increased yellowness and opacity, the films possessed better extrusion processability, increased tensile strength, rigidity, thermal stability and UV absorption, as well as reduced water absorption and surface stickiness. The obtained TPS/chitosan-based films offer real potential application in the food industry, e.g. as edible films. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Numerical and experimental evaluation of microfluidic sorting devices.

PubMed

Taylor, Jay K; Ren, Carolyn L; Stubley, G D

2008-01-01

The development of lab-on-a-chip devices calls for the isolation or separation of specific bioparticles or cells. The design of a miniaturized cell-sorting device for handheld operation must follow the strict parameters associated with lab-on-a-chip technology. The limitations include applied voltage, high efficiency of cell-separation, reliability, size, flow control, and cost, among others. Currently used designs have achieved successful levels of cell isolation; however, further improvements in the microfluidic chip design are important to incorporate into larger systems. This study evaluates specific design modifications that contribute to the reduction of required applied potential aiming for developing portable devices, improved operation reliability by minimizing induced pressure disturbance when electrokinetic pumping is employed, and improved flow control by incorporating directing streams achieving dynamic sorting and counting. The chip designs fabricated in glass and polymeric materials include asymmetric channel widths for sample focusing, nonuniform channel depth for minimizing induced pressure disturbance, directing streams to assist particle flow control, and online filters for reducing channel blockage. Fluorescence-based visualization experimental results of electrokinetic focusing, flow field phenomena, and dynamic sorting demonstrate the advantages of the chip design. Numerical simulations in COMSOL are validated by the experimental data and used to investigate the effects of channel geometry and fluid properties on the flow field.

On improving the iterative convergence properties of an implicit approximate-factorization finite difference algorithm. [considering transonic flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Desideri, J. A.; Steger, J. L.; Tannehill, J. C.

1978-01-01

The iterative convergence properties of an approximate-factorization implicit finite-difference algorithm are analyzed both theoretically and numerically. Modifications to the base algorithm were made to remove the inconsistency in the original implementation of artificial dissipation. In this way, the steady-state solution became independent of the time-step, and much larger time-steps can be used stably. To accelerate the iterative convergence, large time-steps and a cyclic sequence of time-steps were used. For a model transonic flow problem governed by the Euler equations, convergence was achieved with 10 times fewer time-steps using the modified differencing scheme. A particular form of instability due to variable coefficients is also analyzed.

Flow-rate control for managing communications in tracking and surveillance networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Scott A.; Chong, Edwin K. P.

2007-09-01

This paper describes a primal-dual distributed algorithm for managing communications in a bandwidth-limited sensor network for tracking and surveillance. The algorithm possesses some scale-invariance properties and adaptive gains that make it more practical for applications such as tracking where the conditions change over time. A simulation study comparing this algorithm with a priority-queue-based approach in a network tracking scenario shows significant improvement in the resulting track quality when using flow control to manage communications.

Synthetic Design of Polysulfone Membranes: Morphological Effect on Property and Performance in Flow Batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gindt, Brandon

This dissertation outlines a novel path towards improved understanding and function of proton exchange membranes (PEMs) for redox flow batteries, a large-scale battery storage device. This research uses synthetic methods and nanotechnology through two different approaches to prepare tailored polymer membranes: 1) Ion exchange membranes with enhanced chemical structures to promote membrane morphology on the nano-scale were prepared. Specifically, functional polysulfones (PSUs) were synthesized from different pre-sulfonated monomers. These PSUs have controlled placement and content of unique sulfonic acid moieties. PEMs were fabricated and characterized. The new PEMs showed desirable physical properties and performance in a vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) cell. 2) Nanoporous PSU membranes were fabricated via post-hydrolysis of polylactide (PLA) from PLA-PSU-PLA triblock copolymer membranes. The controlled morphology and pore size of the resulting nanoporous membranes were evaluated by different microscopy and scattering techniques to understand structure-property relationships. Further, the resulting nanopore surface was chemically modified with sulfonic acid moieties. Membranes were analyzed and evaluated as separators for a VRFB. The chemically modified nanoporous PEMs exhibited unique behavior with respect to their ion conductivity when exposed to solutions of increasing acid concentration. In addition, the hierarchical micro-nanoporous membranes developed further showed promising structure and properties.

A texture-based framework for improving CFD data visualization in a virtual environment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bivins, Gerrick O'Ron

2005-01-01

In the field of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) accurate representations of fluid phenomena can be simulated hut require large amounts of data to represent the flow domain. Most datasets generated from a CFD simulation can be coarse, ~10,000 nodes or cells, or very fine with node counts on the order of 1,000,000. A typical dataset solution can also contain multiple solutions for each node, pertaining to various properties of the flow at a particular node. Scalar properties such as density, temperature, pressure, and velocity magnitude are properties that are typically calculated and stored in a dataset solution. Solutions are notmore » limited to just scalar properties. Vector quantities, such as velocity, are also often calculated and stored for a CFD simulation. Accessing all of this data efficiently during runtime is a key problem for visualization in an interactive application. Understanding simulation solutions requires a post-processing tool to convert the data into something more meaningful. Ideally, the application would present an interactive visual representation of the numerical data for any dataset that was simulated while maintaining the accuracy of the calculated solution. Most CFD applications currently sacrifice interactivity for accuracy, yielding highly detailed flow descriptions hut limiting interaction for investigating the field.« less

A texture-based frameowrk for improving CFD data visualization in a virtual environment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bivins, Gerrick O'Ron

2005-01-01

In the field of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) accurate representations of fluid phenomena can be simulated but require large amounts of data to represent the flow domain. Most datasets generated from a CFD simulation can be coarse, ~ 10,000 nodes or cells, or very fine with node counts on the order of 1,000,000. A typical dataset solution can also contain multiple solutions for each node, pertaining to various properties of the flow at a particular node. Scalar properties such as density, temperature, pressure, and velocity magnitude are properties that are typically calculated and stored in a dataset solution. Solutions aremore » not limited to just scalar properties. Vector quantities, such as velocity, are also often calculated and stored for a CFD simulation. Accessing all of this data efficiently during runtime is a key problem for visualization in an interactive application. Understanding simulation solutions requires a post-processing tool to convert the data into something more meaningful. Ideally, the application would present an interactive visual representation of the numerical data for any dataset that was simulated while maintaining the accuracy of the calculated solution. Most CFD applications currently sacrifice interactivity for accuracy, yielding highly detailed flow descriptions but limiting interaction for investigating the field.« less

Modelling the Transport of Nanoparticles under Blood Flow using an Agent-based Approach.

PubMed

Fullstone, Gavin; Wood, Jonathan; Holcombe, Mike; Battaglia, Giuseppe

2015-06-10

Blood-mediated nanoparticle delivery is a new and growing field in the development of therapeutics and diagnostics. Nanoparticle properties such as size, shape and surface chemistry can be controlled to improve their performance in biological systems. This enables modulation of immune system interactions, blood clearance profile and interaction with target cells, thereby aiding effective delivery of cargo within cells or tissues. Their ability to target and enter tissues from the blood is highly dependent on their behaviour under blood flow. Here we have produced an agent-based model of nanoparticle behaviour under blood flow in capillaries. We demonstrate that red blood cells are highly important for effective nanoparticle distribution within capillaries. Furthermore, we use this model to demonstrate how nanoparticle size can selectively target tumour tissue over normal tissue. We demonstrate that the polydispersity of nanoparticle populations is an important consideration in achieving optimal specificity and to avoid off-target effects. In future this model could be used for informing new nanoparticle design and to predict general and specific uptake properties under blood flow.

Influence of fracture network physical properties on stability criteria of density-driven flow in a dual-porosity system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hassanzadeh, H.; Jafari Raad, S. M.

2017-12-01

Linear stability analysis is conducted to study the onset of buoyancy-driven convection involved in solubility trapping of CO2 into deep fractured aquifers. In this study, the effect of fracture network physical properties on the stability criteria in a brine-rich fractured porous layer is investigated using dual porosity concept for both single and variable matrix block size distributions. Linear stability analysis results show that both fracture interporosity flow and fracture storativity factors play an important role in the stability behavior of the system. It is shown that a diffusive boundary layer under the gravity field in a fractured rock with lower fracture storativity and/or higher fracture interporosity flow coefficient is more stable. We present scaling relations that relate the onset of convective instability in fractured aquifers. These findings improve our understanding of buoyancy driven flow in fractured aquifers and are particularly important in estimation of potential storage capacity, risk assessment, and storage sites characterization and screening.Keywords: CO2 sequestration; fractured rock; buoyancy-driven convection; stability analysis

High-Performance Oligomeric Catholytes for Effective Macromolecular Separation in Nonaqueous Redox Flow Batteries

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Nonaqueous redox flow batteries (NRFBs) represent an attractive technology for energy storage from intermittent renewable sources. In these batteries, electrical energy is stored in and extracted from electrolyte solutions of redox-active molecules (termed catholytes and anolytes) that are passed through an electrochemical flow cell. To avoid battery self-discharge, the anolyte and catholyte solutions must be separated by a membrane in the flow cell. This membrane prevents crossover of the redox active molecules, while simultaneously allowing facile transport of charge-balancing ions. A key unmet challenge for the field is the design of redox-active molecule/membrane pairs that enable effective electrolyte separation while maintaining optimal battery properties. Herein, we demonstrate the development of oligomeric catholytes based on tris(dialkylamino)cyclopropenium (CP) salts that are specifically tailored for pairing with size-exclusion membranes composed of polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs). Systematic studies were conducted to evaluate the impact of oligomer size/structure on properties that are crucial for flow battery performance, including cycling stability, charge capacity, solubility, electron transfer kinetics, and crossover rates. These studies have led to the identification of a CP-derived tetramer in which these properties are all comparable, or significantly improved, relative to the monomeric counterpart. Finally, a proof-of-concept flow battery is demonstrated by pairing this tetrameric catholyte with a PIM membrane. After 6 days of cycling, no crossover is detected, demonstrating the promise of this approach. These studies provide a template for the future design of other redox-active oligomers for this application. PMID:29532018

High-Performance Oligomeric Catholytes for Effective Macromolecular Separation in Nonaqueous Redox Flow Batteries

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hendriks, Koen H.; Robinson, Sophia G.; Braten, Miles N.

Nonaqueous redox flow batteries (NRFBs) represent an attractive technology for energy storage from intermittent renewable sources. In these batteries, electrical energy is stored in and extracted from electrolyte solutions of redox-active molecules (termed catholytes and anolytes) that are passed through an electrochemical flow cell. To avoid battery self-discharge, the anolyte and catholyte solutions must be separated by a membrane in the flow cell. This membrane prevents crossover of the redox active molecules, while simultaneously allowing facile transport of charge-balancing ions. A key unmet challenge for the field is the design of redox-active molecule/membrane pairs that enable effective electrolyte separation whilemore » maintaining optimal battery properties. Herein, we demonstrate the development of oligomeric catholytes based on tris(dialkylamino)cyclopropenium (CP) salts that are specifically tailored for pairing with size-exclusion membranes composed of polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs). Systematic studies were conducted to evaluate the impact of oligomer size/structure on properties that are crucial for flow battery performance, including cycling stability, charge capacity, solubility, electron transfer kinetics, and crossover rates. These studies have led to the identification of a CP-derived tetramer in which these properties are all comparable, or significantly improved, relative to the monomeric counterpart. Finally, a proof-of-concept flow battery is demonstrated by pairing this tetrameric catholyte with a PIM membrane. After 6 days of cycling, no crossover is detected, demonstrating the promise of this approach. Finally, these studies provide a template for the future design of other redox-active oligomers for this application.« less

High-Performance Oligomeric Catholytes for Effective Macromolecular Separation in Nonaqueous Redox Flow Batteries.

PubMed

Hendriks, Koen H; Robinson, Sophia G; Braten, Miles N; Sevov, Christo S; Helms, Brett A; Sigman, Matthew S; Minteer, Shelley D; Sanford, Melanie S

2018-02-28

Nonaqueous redox flow batteries (NRFBs) represent an attractive technology for energy storage from intermittent renewable sources. In these batteries, electrical energy is stored in and extracted from electrolyte solutions of redox-active molecules (termed catholytes and anolytes) that are passed through an electrochemical flow cell. To avoid battery self-discharge, the anolyte and catholyte solutions must be separated by a membrane in the flow cell. This membrane prevents crossover of the redox active molecules, while simultaneously allowing facile transport of charge-balancing ions. A key unmet challenge for the field is the design of redox-active molecule/membrane pairs that enable effective electrolyte separation while maintaining optimal battery properties. Herein, we demonstrate the development of oligomeric catholytes based on tris(dialkylamino)cyclopropenium (CP) salts that are specifically tailored for pairing with size-exclusion membranes composed of polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs). Systematic studies were conducted to evaluate the impact of oligomer size/structure on properties that are crucial for flow battery performance, including cycling stability, charge capacity, solubility, electron transfer kinetics, and crossover rates. These studies have led to the identification of a CP-derived tetramer in which these properties are all comparable, or significantly improved, relative to the monomeric counterpart. Finally, a proof-of-concept flow battery is demonstrated by pairing this tetrameric catholyte with a PIM membrane. After 6 days of cycling, no crossover is detected, demonstrating the promise of this approach. These studies provide a template for the future design of other redox-active oligomers for this application.

High-Performance Oligomeric Catholytes for Effective Macromolecular Separation in Nonaqueous Redox Flow Batteries

DOE PAGES

Hendriks, Koen H.; Robinson, Sophia G.; Braten, Miles N.; ...

2018-01-17

Nonaqueous redox flow batteries (NRFBs) represent an attractive technology for energy storage from intermittent renewable sources. In these batteries, electrical energy is stored in and extracted from electrolyte solutions of redox-active molecules (termed catholytes and anolytes) that are passed through an electrochemical flow cell. To avoid battery self-discharge, the anolyte and catholyte solutions must be separated by a membrane in the flow cell. This membrane prevents crossover of the redox active molecules, while simultaneously allowing facile transport of charge-balancing ions. A key unmet challenge for the field is the design of redox-active molecule/membrane pairs that enable effective electrolyte separation whilemore » maintaining optimal battery properties. Herein, we demonstrate the development of oligomeric catholytes based on tris(dialkylamino)cyclopropenium (CP) salts that are specifically tailored for pairing with size-exclusion membranes composed of polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs). Systematic studies were conducted to evaluate the impact of oligomer size/structure on properties that are crucial for flow battery performance, including cycling stability, charge capacity, solubility, electron transfer kinetics, and crossover rates. These studies have led to the identification of a CP-derived tetramer in which these properties are all comparable, or significantly improved, relative to the monomeric counterpart. Finally, a proof-of-concept flow battery is demonstrated by pairing this tetrameric catholyte with a PIM membrane. After 6 days of cycling, no crossover is detected, demonstrating the promise of this approach. Finally, these studies provide a template for the future design of other redox-active oligomers for this application.« less

Centrifugal lyophobic separator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Booth, F. W.; Bruce, R. A. (Inventor)

1974-01-01

A centrifugal separator is described using a lyophobic filter for removing liquid particles from a mixed stream of gas and liquid under various negative or positive external acceleration conditions as well as zero g or weightless conditions. Rotating the lyophobic filter and inclining the filter to the entering flow improves the lyophobic properties of the filter, provides gross separation of larger liquid particles, and prevents prolonged contact of liquid droplets with the spinning filter which might change the filter properties or block the filter.

Investigation of the potential for direct compaction of a fine ibuprofen powder dry-coated with magnesium stearate.

PubMed

Qu, Li; Zhou, Qi Tony; Gengenbach, Thomas; Denman, John A; Stewart, Peter J; Hapgood, Karen P; Gamlen, Michael; Morton, David A V

2015-05-01

Intensive dry powder coating (mechanofusion) with tablet lubricants has previously been shown to give substantial powder flow improvement. This study explores whether the mechanofusion of magnesium stearate (MgSt), on a fine drug powder can substantially improve flow, without preventing the powder from being directly compacted into tablets. A fine ibuprofen powder, which is both cohesive and possesses a low-melting point, was dry coated via mechanofusion with between 0.1% and 5% (w/w) MgSt. Traditional low-shear blending was also employed as a comparison. No significant difference in particle size or shape was measured following mechanofusion. For the low-shear blended powders, only marginal improvement in flowability was obtained. However, after mechanofusion, substantial improvements in the flow properties were demonstrated. Both XPS and ToF-SIMS demonstrated high degrees of a nano-scale coating coverage of MgSt on the particle surfaces from optimized mechanofusion. The study showed that robust tablets were produced from the selected mechanofused powders, at high-dose concentration and tablet tensile strength was further optimized via addition of a Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) binder (10% w/w). The tablets with the mechanofused powder (with or without PVP) also exhibited significantly lower ejection stress than those made of the raw powder, demonstrating good lubrication. Surprisingly, the release rate of drug from the tablets made with the mechanofused powder was not retarded. This is the first study to demonstrate such a single-step dry coating of model drug with MgSt, with promising flow improvement, flow-aid and lubrication effects, tabletability and also non-inhibited dissolution rate.

Long-term evaluation of a nonpulsatile mechanical circulatory support system.

PubMed

Wakisaka, Y; Taenaka, Y; Chikanari, K; Nakatani, T; Tatsumi, E; Masuzawa, T; Nishimura, T; Takewa, Y; Ohno, T; Takano, H

1997-07-01

Antithrombogenicity of a centrifugal pump (CP) developed in our institute is provided by a central balancing hole (BH) in the impeller. A current CP, the National Cardiovascular Center (NCVC)-2, was ameliorated to improve antithrombogenicity, whereby the BH diameter was widened to improve self washout flow velocity, and an edge of the thrust bearing was rounded off to minimize flow separation. Effects of these modifications were assessed in a long-term in vivo experiment. The antithrombogenicity, hemolytic property, and mechanical durability of the NCVC-2 were investigated in 3 goats. The NCVC-2 was installed paracorporeally between the left atrium and the aorta and driven as long as possible at rotating speeds of about 2,800 rpm. The NCVC-2 ran for 50, 200, and 367+ days. The mean bypass flow rates were 6.8, 5.0, and 5.3 L/min, respectively. Creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT) did not increase until one week before termination. Plasma free hemoglobin was kept to a level less than 15 mg/dl, except for the last week of the second case. These results indicate that the NCVC-2 has excellent antithrombogenicity, an acceptable hemolytic property and the necessary durability for prolonged use.

Improved method of edge coating flat ribbon wire

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1966-01-01

Method to coat the edges of flat ribbon wire is devised by using enamel with modified flow properties due to addition of 2 to 4 percent silicon. Conventional coating procedes several edge coatings to minimize oxidation and additional conventional coats are applied after edge coating to build up thickness.

Effects of Blending Alcohols with Poultry Fat Methyl Esters on Cold Flow Properties

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The low temperature operability, kinematic viscosity, and acid value of poultry fat methyl esters were improved with addition of ethanol, isopropanol, and butanol in a linear fashion with increasing alcohol content. The flash point decreased and moisture content increased upon addition of alcohols t...

Branched-chain fatty acid methyl esters as cold flow improvers for biodiesel

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Biodiesel is an alternative diesel fuel derived mainly from the transesterification of plant oils with methanol or ethanol. This fuel is generally made from commodity oils such as canola, palm, or soybean and has a number of properties that make it compatible in compression-ignition engines. Despite...

MAG3D and its application to internal flowfield analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, K. D.; Henderson, T. L.; Choo, Y. K.

1992-01-01

MAG3D (multiblock adaptive grid, 3D) is a 3D solution-adaptive grid generation code which redistributes grid points to improve the accuracy of a flow solution without increasing the number of grid points. The code is applicable to structured grids with a multiblock topology. It is independent of the original grid generator and the flow solver. The code uses the coordinates of an initial grid and the flow solution interpolated onto the new grid. MAG3D uses a numerical mapping and potential theory to modify the grid distribution based on properties of the flow solution on the initial grid. The adaptation technique is discussed, and the capability of MAG3D is demonstrated with several internal flow examples. Advantages of using solution-adaptive grids are also shown by comparing flow solutions on adaptive grids with those on initial grids.

Application of Novel Anion-Exchange Blend Membranes (AEBMs) to Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries.

PubMed

Cho, Hyeongrae; Krieg, Henning M; Kerres, Jochen A

2018-06-19

Both cation-exchange membranes and anion-exchange membranes are used as ion conducting membranes in vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs). Anion-exchange membranes (AEMs) are applied in vanadium redox flow batteries due to the high blocking property of vanadium ions via the Donnan exclusion effect. In this study, novel anion-exchange blend membranes (AEBMs) were prepared, characterized, and applied in VRFBs. Bromomethylated poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide), poly[(1-(4,4′-diphenylether)-5-oxybenzimidazole)-benzimidazole] (PBI-OO) and sulfonated polyether sulfone polymer were combined to prepare 3-component AEBMs with 1,2,4,5-tetramethylimidazole (TMIm) for quaternization. 3-component AEBMs showed significantly enhanced chemical and mechanical properties compared with those of 2-component AEBMs, resulting in an improved performance in VRFBs. The compositions of the anion-exchange polymers in 3-component AEBMs were systematically varied to optimize the AEBMs for the redox-flow battery application. While the 3-component AEBMs showed comparable efficiencies with Nafion ® 212 membranes, they displayed improved vanadium ions cross-over as was confirmed by open circuit voltage tests and capacity fade tests conducted in VRFBs. In addition, one of the synthesized 3-component AEBM had a superior coulombic efficiency and capacity retention in a charging⁻discharging test over 300 cycles at a current density of 40 mA/cm². It can thus be concluded that 3-component AEBMs are promising candidates for long-term operation in VRFBs.

Advancement of atmospheric-vacuum interfaces for mass spectrometers with a focus on increasing gas throughput for improving sensitivity.

PubMed

Prasad, Satendra; Wouters, Eloy R; Dunyach, Jean-Jacques

2015-08-18

Ion sampling from an electrospray ionization (ESI) source was improved by increasing gas conductance of the MS inlet by 4.3-fold. Converting the gas throughput (Q) into sensitivity improvement was dependent on ion desolvation and handling of the gas load. Desolvation was addressed by using a novel slot shaped inlet that exhibited desolvation properties identical to the 0.58 mm i.d capillary. An assay tailored for "small molecules" at high chromatographic flow rate (500 μL/min) yielded a compound dependent 6.5 to 14-fold signal gain while analysis at nano chromatographic flow rate (300 nL/min) showed 2 to 3.5-fold improvement for doubly charged peptides. Improvement exceeding the Q (4.3-fold) at high chromatographic flow rate was explained by superior sampling of the spatially dispersed ion spray when using the slot shaped capillary. Sensitivity improvement across a wide range of chromatographic flow rate confirmed no compromise in ion desolvation with the increase in Q. Another improvement included less overflow of gas into the mass analyzer from the foreline region owing to the slot shape of the capillary. By doubling the roughing pump capacity and operating the electrodynamic ion funnel (EDIF) at ∼4 Torr, a single pumping stage was sufficient to handle the gas load. The transport of solvent clusters from the LC effluent into the mass analyzer was prevented by a "wavy shaped" transfer quadrupole and was compared with a benchmark approach that delivered ions orthogonally into a differentially pumped dual EDIF at comparable gas Q.

Multi-frequency electrical and electromagnetic measurements for imaging water flows: application to catchment and landslide hydrology.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lajaunie, Myriam; Sailhac, Pascal; Malet, Jean-Philippe; Larnier, Hugo; Gance, Julien; Gautier, Stéphanie; Pierret, Marie-Claire

2017-04-01

Imaging water flows in mountainous watersheds is a difficult task, not only because of the topography and the dimensions of the existing structures, but also because the soils and rocks consist of unsaturated porous and heterogeneous fractured media, leading to multi-scale water-flow properties. In addition, these properties can change in time, in relation to temperature, rainfall and biological forcings. Electrical properties are relevant proxies of the subsurface hydrological properties. In order to image water flows, we consider measurements of the complex electrical conductivity (conduction and polarization/chargeability effects) which translate into a frequency dependance of the conductivity at the sample scale. We further discuss the combined use of electromagnetic (CS-AMT) and electric (DC and IP) measurements at the slope scale. The solving of processing, calibration and modelling issues allows the estimation of hydrological properties (i.e. permeability, soil humidity) giving master constraints for slope-scale hydrological modelling. We illustrate the application of these methods for the identification of the hydrological role of weathered structures of granitic catchments (e.g. Strengbach, Vosges mountains, ca. 80 km from Strasbourg, North East France) where new AMT processing has been developed in the AMT dead band to improve DC electrical imaging. We also illustrate the use of these methods to document the seasonal regime of the groundwater of the Lodève landslide (unstable slope located at Pégairolles, foot of the Cévennes mountain, ca. 80 km from Montpellier, South of France) where a new detailed time-lapse DC and IP setup (surface and borehole) is being tested. The works are supported by the research projects HYDROCRISZTO and HYDROSLIDE, and the large infrastructure project CRITEX.

Time Resolved PIV for Space-Time Correlations in Hot Jets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wernet, Mark P.

2007-01-01

Temporally Resolved Particle Image Velocimetry (TR-PIV) is the newest and most exciting tool recently developed to support our continuing efforts to characterize and improve our understanding of the decay of turbulence in jet flows -- a critical element for understanding the acoustic properties of the flow. A new TR-PIV system has been developed at the NASA Glenn Research Center which is capable of acquiring planar PIV image frame pairs at up to 25 kHz. The data reported here were collected at Mach numbers of 0.5 and 0.9 and at temperature ratios of 0.89 and 1.76. The field of view of the TR-PIV system covered 6 nozzle diameters along the lip line of the 50.8 mm diameter jet. The cold flow data at Mach 0.5 were compared with hotwire anemometry measurements in order to validate the new TR-PIV technique. The axial turbulence profiles measured across the shear layer using TR-PIV were thinner than those measured using hotwire anemometry and remained centered along the nozzle lip line. The collected TR-PIV data illustrate the differences in the single point statistical flow properties of cold and hot jet flows. The planar, time-resolved velocity records were then used to compute two-point space-time correlations of the flow at the Mach 0.9 flow condition. The TR-PIV results show that there are differences in the convective velocity and growth rate of the turbulent structures between cold and hot flows at the same Mach number

Abnormal arterial flows by a distributed model of the fetal circulation.

PubMed

van den Wijngaard, Jeroen P H M; Westerhof, Berend E; Faber, Dirk J; Ramsay, Margaret M; Westerhof, Nico; van Gemert, Martin J C

2006-11-01

Modeling the propagation of blood pressure and flow along the fetoplacental arterial tree may improve interpretation of abnormal flow velocity waveforms in fetuses. The current models, however, either do not include a wide range of gestational ages or do not account for variation in anatomical, vascular, or rheological parameters. We developed a mathematical model of the pulsating fetoumbilical arterial circulation using Womersley's oscillatory flow theory and viscoelastic arterial wall properties. Arterial flow waves are calculated at different arterial locations from which the pulsatility index (PI) can be determined. We varied blood viscosity, placental and brain resistances, placental compliance, heart rate, stiffness of the arterial wall, and length of the umbilical arteries. The PI increases in the umbilical artery and decreases in the cerebral arteries, as a result of increasing placental resistance or decreasing brain resistance. Both changes in resistance decrease the flow through the placenta. An increased arterial stiffness increases the PIs in the entire fetoplacental circulation. Blood viscosity and peripheral bed compliance have limited influence on the flow profiles. Bradycardia and tachycardia increase and decrease the PI in all arteries, respectively. Umbilical arterial length has limited influence on the PI but affects the mean arterial pressure at the placental cord insertion. The model may improve the interpretation of arterial flow pulsations and thus may advance both the understanding of pathophysiological processes and clinical management.

Formation of particulate matter monitoring during combustion of wood pellete with additives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palacka, Matej; Holubčík, Michal; Vician, Peter; Jandačka, Jozef

2016-06-01

Application additives into the material for the production of wood pellets achieve an improvement in some properties such as pellets ash flow temperature and abrasion resistance. Additives their properties influence the course of combustion, and have an impact on the results of issuance. The experiment were selected additives corn starch and dolomite. Wood pellets were produced in the pelleting press and pelletizing with the additives. Selected samples were tested for the production of particulate matter (PM) during their direct burn. The paper analyzing a process of producing wood pellets and his effect on the final properties.

Predicting membrane flux decline from complex mixtures using flow-field flow fractionation measurements and semi-empirical theory.

PubMed

Pellegrino, J; Wright, S; Ranvill, J; Amy, G

2005-01-01

Flow-Field Flow Fractionation (FI-FFF) is an idealization of the cross flow membrane filtration process in that, (1) the filtration flux and crossflow velocity are constant from beginning to end of the device, (2) the process is a relatively well-defined laminar-flow hydrodynamic condition, and (3) the solutes are introduced as a pulse-input that spreads due to interactions with each other and the membrane in the dilute-solution limit. We have investigated the potential for relating FI-FFF measurements to membrane fouling. An advection-dispersion transport model was used to provide 'ideal' (defined as spherical, non-interacting solutes) solute residence time distributions (RTDs) for comparison with 'real' RTDs obtained experimentally at different cross-field velocities and solution ionic strength. An RTD moment analysis based on a particle diameter probability density function was used to extract "effective" characteristic properties, rather than uniquely defined characteristics, of the standard solute mixture. A semi-empirical unsteady-state, flux decline model was developed that uses solute property parameters. Three modes of flux decline are included: (1) concentration polarization, (2) cake buildup, and (3) adsorption on/in pores, We have used this model to test the hypothesis-that an analysis of a residence time distribution using FI-FFF can describe 'effective' solute properties or indices that can be related to membrane flux decline in crossflow membrane filtration. Constant flux filtration studies included the changes of transport hydrodynamics (solvent flux to solute back diffusion (J/k) ratios), solution ionic strength, and feed water composition for filtration using a regenerated cellulose ultrafiltration membrane. Tests of the modeling hypothesis were compared with experimental results from the filtration measurements using several correction parameters based on the mean and variance of the solute RTDs. The corrections used to modify the boundary layer mass transfer coefficient and the specific resistance of cake or adsorption layers demonstrated that RTD analysis is potentially useful technique to describe colloid properties but requires improvements.

Numerical simulations of groundwater flow at New Jersey Shallow Shelf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fehr, Annick; Patterson, Fabian; Lofi, Johanna; Reiche, Sönke

2016-04-01

During IODP Expedition 313, three boreholes were drilled in the so-called New Jersey transect. Hydrochemical studies revealed the groundwater situation as more complex than expected, characterized by several sharp boundaries between fresh and saline groundwater. Two conflicting hypotheses regarding the nature of these freshwater reservoirs are currently debated. One hypothesis is that these reservoirs are connected with onshore aquifers and continuously recharged by seaward-flowing groundwater. The second hypothesis is that fresh groundwater was emplaced during the last glacial period. In addition to the petrophysical properties measured during IODP 313 expedition, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) measurements were performed on samples from boreholes M0027, M0028 and M0029 in order to deduce porosities and permeabilities. These results are compared with data from alternative laboratory measurements and with petrophysical properties inferred from downhole logging data. We incorporate these results into a 2D numerical model that reflects the shelf architecture as known from drillings and seismic data to perform submarine groundwater flow simulations. In order to account for uncertainties related to the spatial distribution of physical properties, such as porosity and permeability, systematic variation of input parameters was performed during simulation runs. The target is to test the two conflicting hypotheses of fresh groundwater emplacements offshore New Jersey and to improve the understanding of fluid flow processes at marine passive margins.

Thermal management improvement of an air-cooled high-power lithium-ion battery by embedding metal foam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohammadian, Shahabeddin K.; Rassoulinejad-Mousavi, Seyed Moein; Zhang, Yuwen

2015-11-01

Effect of embedding aluminum porous metal foam inside the flow channels of an air-cooled Li-ion battery module was studied to improve its thermal management. Four different cases of metal foam insert were examined using three-dimensional transient numerical simulations. The effects of permeability and porosity of the porous medium as well as state of charge were investigated on the standard deviation of the temperature field and maximum temperature inside the battery in all four cases. Compared to the case of no porous insert, embedding aluminum metal foam in the air flow channel significantly improved the thermal management of Li-ion battery cell. The results also indicated that, decreasing the porosity of the porous structure decreases both standard deviation of the temperature field and maximum temperature inside the battery. Moreover, increasing the permeability of the metal foam drops the maximum temperature inside the battery while decreasing this property leads to improving the temperature uniformity. Our results suggested that, among the all studied cases, desirable temperature uniformity and maximum temperature were achieved when two-third and the entire air flow channel is filled with aluminum metal foam, respectively.

Phosphodiesterase-4 inhibition as a therapeutic approach to treat capillary leakage in systemic inflammation.

PubMed

Schick, Martin Alexander; Wunder, Christian; Wollborn, Jakob; Roewer, Norbert; Waschke, Jens; Germer, Christoph-Thomas; Schlegel, Nicolas

2012-06-01

In sepsis and systemic inflammation, increased microvascular permeability and consecutive breakdown of microcirculatory flow significantly contribute to organ failure and death. Evidence points to a critical role of cAMP levels in endothelial cells to maintain capillary endothelial barrier properties in acute inflammation. However, approaches to verify this observation in systemic models are rare. Therefore we tested here whether systemic application of the phosphodiesterase-4-inhibitors (PD-4-Is) rolipram or roflumilast to increase endothelial cAMP was effective to attenuate capillary leakage and breakdown of microcirculatory flow in severe lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced systemic inflammation in rats. Measurements of cAMP in mesenteric microvessels demonstrated significant LPS-induced loss of cAMP levels which was blocked by application of rolipram. Increased endothelial cAMP by application of either PD-4-I rolipram or roflumilast led to stabilization of endothelial barrier properties as revealed by measurements of extravasated FITC-albumin in postcapillary mesenteric venules. Accordingly, microcirculatory flow in mesenteric venules was significantly increased following PD-4-I treatment and blood gas analyses indicated improved metabolism. Furthermore application of PD-4-I after manifestation of LPS-induced systemic inflammation and capillary leakage therapeutically stabilized endothelial barrier properties as revealed by significantly reduced volume resuscitation for haemodynamic stabilization. Accordingly microcirculation was significantly improved following treatment with PD-4-Is. Our results demonstrate that inflammation-derived loss of endothelial cAMP contributes to capillary leakage which was blocked by systemic PD-4-I treatment. Therefore these data suggest a highly clinically relevant and applicable approach to stabilize capillary leakage in sepsis and systemic inflammation.

Weighted Non-linear Compact Schemes for the Direct Numerical Simulation of Compressible, Turbulent Flows

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ghosh, Debojyoti; Baeder, James D.

2014-01-21

A new class of compact-reconstruction weighted essentially non-oscillatory (CRWENO) schemes were introduced (Ghosh and Baeder in SIAM J Sci Comput 34(3): A1678–A1706, 2012) with high spectral resolution and essentially non-oscillatory behavior across discontinuities. The CRWENO schemes use solution-dependent weights to combine lower-order compact interpolation schemes and yield a high-order compact scheme for smooth solutions and a non-oscillatory compact scheme near discontinuities. The new schemes result in lower absolute errors, and improved resolution of discontinuities and smaller length scales, compared to the weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) scheme of the same order of convergence. Several improvements to the smoothness-dependent weights, proposed inmore » the literature in the context of the WENO schemes, address the drawbacks of the original formulation. This paper explores these improvements in the context of the CRWENO schemes and compares the different formulations of the non-linear weights for flow problems with small length scales as well as discontinuities. Simplified one- and two-dimensional inviscid flow problems are solved to demonstrate the numerical properties of the CRWENO schemes and its different formulations. Canonical turbulent flow problems—the decay of isotropic turbulence and the shock-turbulence interaction—are solved to assess the performance of the schemes for the direct numerical simulation of compressible, turbulent flows« less

NOAA-USGS Debris-Flow Warning System - Final Report

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2005-01-01

Landslides and debris flows cause loss of life and millions of dollars in property damage annually in the United States (National Research Council, 2004). In an effort to reduce loss of life by debris flows, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) operated an experimental debris-flow prediction and warning system in the San Francisco Bay area from 1986 to 1995 that relied on forecasts and measurements of precipitation linked to empirical precipitation thresholds to predict the onset of rainfall-triggered debris flows. Since 1995, there have been substantial improvements in quantifying precipitation estimates and forecasts, development of better models for delineating landslide hazards, and advancements in geographic information technology that allow stronger spatial and temporal linkage between precipitation forecasts and hazard models. Unfortunately, there have also been several debris flows that have caused loss of life and property across the United States. Establishment of debris-flow warning systems in areas where linkages between rainfall amounts and debris-flow occurrence have been identified can help mitigate the hazards posed by these types of landslides. Development of a national warning system can help support the NOAA-USGS goal of issuing timely Warnings of potential debris flows to the affected populace and civil authorities on a broader scale. This document presents the findings and recommendations of a joint NOAA-USGS Task Force that assessed the current state-of-the-art in precipitation forecasting and debris-flow hazard-assessment techniques. This report includes an assessment of the science and resources needed to establish a demonstration debris-flow warning project in recently burned areas of southern California and the necessary scientific advancements and resources associated with expanding such a warning system to unburned areas and, possibly, to a national scope.

Evaluation of the aero-optical properties of the SOFIA cavity by means of computional fluid dynamics and a super fast diagnostic camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Engfer, Christian; Pfüller, Enrico; Wiedemann, Manuel; Wolf, Jürgen; Lutz, Thorsten; Krämer, Ewald; Röser, Hans-Peter

2012-09-01

The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is a 2.5 m reflecting telescope housed in an open cavity on board of a Boeing 747SP. During observations, the cavity is exposed to transonic flow conditions. The oncoming boundary layer evolves into a free shear layer being responsible for optical aberrations and for aerodynamic and aeroacoustic disturbances within the cavity. While the aero-acoustical excitation of an airborne telescope can be minimized by using passive flow control devices, the aero-optical properties of the flow are difficult to improve. Hence it is important to know how much the image seen through the SOFIA telescope is perturbed by so called seeing effects. Prior to the SOFIA science fights Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations using URANS and DES methods were carried out to determine the flow field within and above the cavity and hence in the optical path in order to provide an assessment of the aero-optical properties under baseline conditions. In addition and for validation purposes, out of focus images have been taken during flight with a Super Fast Diagnostic Camera (SFDC). Depending on the binning factor and the sub-array size, the SFDC is able to take and to read out images at very high frame rates. The paper explains the numerical approach based on CFD to evaluate the aero-optical properties of SOFIA. The CFD data is then compared to the high speed images taken by the SFDC during flight.

Distributed flow estimation and closed-loop control of an underwater vehicle with a multi-modal artificial lateral line.

PubMed

DeVries, Levi; Lagor, Francis D; Lei, Hong; Tan, Xiaobo; Paley, Derek A

2015-03-25

Bio-inspired sensing modalities enhance the ability of autonomous vehicles to characterize and respond to their environment. This paper concerns the lateral line of cartilaginous and bony fish, which is sensitive to fluid motion and allows fish to sense oncoming flow and the presence of walls or obstacles. The lateral line consists of two types of sensing modalities: canal neuromasts measure approximate pressure gradients, whereas superficial neuromasts measure local flow velocities. By employing an artificial lateral line, the performance of underwater sensing and navigation strategies is improved in dark, cluttered, or murky environments where traditional sensing modalities may be hindered. This paper presents estimation and control strategies enabling an airfoil-shaped unmanned underwater vehicle to assimilate measurements from a bio-inspired, multi-modal artificial lateral line and estimate flow properties for feedback control. We utilize potential flow theory to model the fluid flow past a foil in a uniform flow and in the presence of an upstream obstacle. We derive theoretically justified nonlinear estimation strategies to estimate the free stream flowspeed, angle of attack, and the relative position of an upstream obstacle. The feedback control strategy uses the estimated flow properties to execute bio-inspired behaviors including rheotaxis (the tendency of fish to orient upstream) and station-holding (the tendency of fish to position behind an upstream obstacle). A robotic prototype outfitted with a multi-modal artificial lateral line composed of ionic polymer metal composite and embedded pressure sensors experimentally demonstrates the distributed flow sensing and closed-loop control strategies.

Determining temperature and thermal properties for heat-based studies of surface-water ground-water interactions: Appendix A of Heat as a tool for studying the movement of ground water near streams (Cir1260)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stonestrom, David A.; Blasch, Kyle W.; Stonestrom, David A.; Constantz, Jim

2003-01-01

Advances in electronics leading to improved sensor technologies, large-scale circuit integration, and attendant miniaturization have created new opportunities to use heat as a tracer of subsurface flow. Because nature provides abundant thermal forcing at the land surface, heat is particularly useful in studying stream-groundwater interactions. This appendix describes methods for obtaining the thermal data needed in heat-based investigations of shallow subsurface flow.

Nanostructure characterisation of flow-formed Cr-Mo-V steel using transmission Kikuchi diffraction technique.

PubMed

Birosca, S; Ding, R; Ooi, S; Buckingham, R; Coleman, C; Dicks, K

2015-06-01

Nowadays flow-forming has become a desired near net shape manufacturing method as it provides excellent mechanical properties with improved surface finish and significant manufacturing cost reduction. However, the material is subjected to excessive plastic deformation during flow-forming process, generating a very fine and complex microstructure. In addition, the intense dislocation density and residual stress that is generated in the component during processing makes the microstructure characterisation using conventional micro-analytical tools challenging. Thus, the microstructure/property relationship study in such a material is rather difficult. In the present study a flow-formed Cr-Mo-V steel nanostructure and crystallographic texture were characterised by means of Transmission Kikuchi Diffraction (TKD). Here, TKD is shown to be a powerful technique in revealing very fine martensite laths within an austenite matrix. Moreover, fine precipitates in the order of 20-70 nm on the martensite lath boundaries were clearly imaged and characterised. This greatly assisted in understanding the preferable site formation of the carbides in such a complex microstructure. The results showed that the actual TKD spatial resolution was in the range of 5-10 nm using 25 kV for flow-formed Cr-Mo-V steel. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Improving Freight Fire Safety: Assessment of the Effectiveness of Mist-Controlling Additives for Mitigating Crash-Induced Diesel Fires

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-12-01

Adding long chained polymers to diesel has been proposed as a method to prevent crash fires by arresting the breakup of diesel fuel into a fine mist in transportation related accidents. The effect of such additives on the flow properties of diesel wa...

Validation of model predictions of pore-scale fluid distributions during two-phase flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bultreys, Tom; Lin, Qingyang; Gao, Ying; Raeini, Ali Q.; AlRatrout, Ahmed; Bijeljic, Branko; Blunt, Martin J.

2018-05-01

Pore-scale two-phase flow modeling is an important technology to study a rock's relative permeability behavior. To investigate if these models are predictive, the calculated pore-scale fluid distributions which determine the relative permeability need to be validated. In this work, we introduce a methodology to quantitatively compare models to experimental fluid distributions in flow experiments visualized with microcomputed tomography. First, we analyzed five repeated drainage-imbibition experiments on a single sample. In these experiments, the exact fluid distributions were not fully repeatable on a pore-by-pore basis, while the global properties of the fluid distribution were. Then two fractional flow experiments were used to validate a quasistatic pore network model. The model correctly predicted the fluid present in more than 75% of pores and throats in drainage and imbibition. To quantify what this means for the relevant global properties of the fluid distribution, we compare the main flow paths and the connectivity across the different pore sizes in the modeled and experimental fluid distributions. These essential topology characteristics matched well for drainage simulations, but not for imbibition. This suggests that the pore-filling rules in the network model we used need to be improved to make reliable predictions of imbibition. The presented analysis illustrates the potential of our methodology to systematically and robustly test two-phase flow models to aid in model development and calibration.

Nanofluid heat transfer under mixed convection flow in a tube for solar thermal energy applications.

PubMed

Sekhar, Y Raja; Sharma, K V; Kamal, Subhash

2016-05-01

The solar flat plate collector operating under different convective modes has low efficiency for energy conversion. The energy absorbed by the working fluid in the collector system and its heat transfer characteristics vary with solar insolation and mass flow rate. The performance of the system is improved by reducing the losses from the collector. Various passive methods have been devised to aid energy absorption by the working fluid. Also, working fluids are modified using nanoparticles to improve the thermal properties of the fluid. In the present work, simulation and experimental studies are undertaken for pipe flow at constant heat flux boundary condition in the mixed convection mode. The working fluid at low Reynolds number in the mixed laminar flow range is undertaken with water in thermosyphon mode for different inclination angles of the tube. Local and average coefficients are determined experimentally and compared with theoretical values for water-based Al2O3 nanofluids. The results show an enhancement in heat transfer in the experimental range with Rayleigh number at higher inclinations of the collector tube for water and nanofluids.

Monitoring electrical properties for improving the lithological and hydrological characterization of landslides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malet, J. P.; Gance, J.; Lajaunie, M.; Gallistl, J.; Denchik, N.; Flores Orozco, A.; Ottowitz, D.; Supper, R.; Sailhac, P.; Gautier, S.; Schmutz, M.

2017-12-01

Imaging water flows in landslides is of critical importance as the distribution of pore-fluid pressures controls the dynamics (acceleration, deceleration) of the material. Detecting and imaging water is a difficult task, not only because of the complex topography and the small dimensions of the geological structures, but also because the landslide material consists of unsaturated porous and heterogeneous fractured media, leading to multi-scale water-flow properties. Further, these properties can change in time, in relation to temperature, rainfall and biological forcings. Electrical properties are relevant proxies of the sub-surface hydrological properties. In order to image water in landslide bodies, we propose to combine multi-frequency electrical and electromagnetic measurements using campaigns or permanent instruments, and surface/boreole investigations, installed on several unstable slopes in France. To evaluate the information gained from electrical properties for different geological conditions, we discuss electrical and electro-magnetic imaging results for data collected at four different landslides located in France (Super-Sauze and La Valette in the South East Alps, Lodève lin the southern border of the Massif Central Massif, and Séchilienne in the North French Alps). Time-lapse electrical DC resistivity observations, complex electrical conductivity (conduction and polarization/chargeability) measured by IP imaging methods, and controlled-source electromagnetic (CS-AMT) methods are discussed. Imaging results demonstrate an improved lithological characterization of the landslide structures (delineation of the sliding planes, identification of the fractures, discrimination of clay lenses with enhanced resolution); further, water infiltration within the soil matrix and/or the fractures is discriminated allowing better modelling of the hydrological regime of the landslides at the slope scale. This research is conducted in the frame of the project HYDROSLIDE - Hydrogeophysical Monitoring of Clay-Rich Landslides funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) and the French Research Agency (ANR).

Solvent Effects on the Photothermal Regeneration of CO 2 in Monoethanolamine Nanofluids

DOE PAGES

Nguyen, Du; Stolaroff, Joshuah; Esser-Kahn, Aaron

2015-11-02

We present that a potential approach to reduce energy costs associated with carbon capture is to use external and renewable energy sources. The photothermal release of CO 2 from monoethanolamine mediated by nanoparticles is a unique solution to this problem. When combined with light-absorbing nanoparticles, vapor bubbles form inside the capture solution and release the CO 2 without heating the bulk solvent. The mechanism by which CO 2 is released remained unclear, and understanding this process would improve the efficiency of photothermal CO 2 release. Here we report the use of different cosolvents to improve or reduce the photothermal regenerationmore » of CO 2 captured by monoethanolamine. We found that properties that reduce the residence time of the gas bubbles (viscosity, boiling point, and convection direction) can enhance the regeneration efficiencies. The reduction of bubble residence times minimizes the reabsorption of CO 2 back into the capture solvent where bulk temperatures remain lower than the localized area surrounding the nanoparticle. These properties shed light on the mechanism of release and indicated methods for improving the efficiency of the process. We used this knowledge to develop an improved photothermal CO 2 regeneration system in a continuously flowing setup. Finally, using techniques to reduce residence time in the continuously flowing setup, such as alternative cosolvents and smaller fluid volumes, resulted in regeneration efficiency enhancements of over 200%.« less

Solvent Effects on the Photothermal Regeneration of CO 2 in Monoethanolamine Nanofluids

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nguyen, Du; Stolaroff, Joshuah; Esser-Kahn, Aaron

We present that a potential approach to reduce energy costs associated with carbon capture is to use external and renewable energy sources. The photothermal release of CO 2 from monoethanolamine mediated by nanoparticles is a unique solution to this problem. When combined with light-absorbing nanoparticles, vapor bubbles form inside the capture solution and release the CO 2 without heating the bulk solvent. The mechanism by which CO 2 is released remained unclear, and understanding this process would improve the efficiency of photothermal CO 2 release. Here we report the use of different cosolvents to improve or reduce the photothermal regenerationmore » of CO 2 captured by monoethanolamine. We found that properties that reduce the residence time of the gas bubbles (viscosity, boiling point, and convection direction) can enhance the regeneration efficiencies. The reduction of bubble residence times minimizes the reabsorption of CO 2 back into the capture solvent where bulk temperatures remain lower than the localized area surrounding the nanoparticle. These properties shed light on the mechanism of release and indicated methods for improving the efficiency of the process. We used this knowledge to develop an improved photothermal CO 2 regeneration system in a continuously flowing setup. Finally, using techniques to reduce residence time in the continuously flowing setup, such as alternative cosolvents and smaller fluid volumes, resulted in regeneration efficiency enhancements of over 200%.« less

Flow properties of suspensions rich in solids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Armstrong, W. P.; Gay, E. C.; Nelson, P. A.

1969-01-01

Mathematical evaluation of flow properties of fluids carrying high concentrations of solids in suspension relates suspension viscosity to physical properties of the solids and liquids, and provides a means for predicting flow behavior. A technique for calculating a suspensions flow rates is applicable to the design of pipelines.

Application of Cement Science to Improved Wellbore Infrastructures Mileva Radonjic and Darko Kupresan Craft & Hawkins Department of Petroleum Engineering, Louisiana State University, USA Corresponding author: mileva@lsu.edu Key words: micro-annular gas flow, nano-properties of wellbore cements, micro-porosity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radonjic, M.

2015-12-01

Recent focus on carbon emission from cement industry inspired researchers to improve CSH properties by reducing Ca/Si ratio at the nanoscale, and lower porosity (permeability) of hydrated cement at micro scale. If implemented in wellbore cement technology, both of these efforts could provide advanced properties for wellbore infrastructure. These advancements would further reduce the issue of leaky wellbores in fluid injections, hydraulic fracturing and subsurface storage for existing operating wells. Numerous inadequately abandoned wells, however, pose more complex engineering problems, primarily due to the difficulty in locating fluid flow pathways along the wellbore structure. In order to appreciate the difficulty of this problem, we need to remind ourselves that: a typical 30,000-ft. wellbore with an average production casing of 8 inches in diameter can be presented in scale by a 6-m long human hair of 150 μm these structures are placed in the subsurface, often not just vertical in geometry but deviated close to 90° tangent where monitoring and remediation becomes demanding and if we consider that wellbore cement is not continuously placed along the wellbore and it is approximately 1/10 of a wellbore diameter, we can see that the properties of these materials demand application of nano-science and a different scale phenomena than perhaps previously acknowledged. The key concept behind Ca/Si reduction associated with improved mechanical properties is traditionally achieved chemically, by addition of supplemental cementitious materials. In our study we have tried to evaluate CSH alterations due to mechanically induced phase transformation. The data suggest that confined compression-extrusion of hydrated wellbore cement and the consequent propagation of pore water can change cement composition by dissolving and removing Ca, therefore reducing Ca/Si of cement phases. The advantage of this approach is that the process is less impacted by pressure/temperature oscillations found in subsurface conditions. In addition, we have proved experimentally, that even cement samples stored in corrosive environment for two years can successfully be treated and healed by confined compression of tubular expansion for purpose of microannular gas flow remediation.

Control of the hierarchical assembly of π-conjugated optoelectronic peptides by pH and flow

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mansbach, Rachael A.; Ferguson, Andrew L.

Self-assembled nanoaggregates of p-conjugated peptides possess optoelectronic properties due to electron delocalization over the conjugated peptide groups that make them attractive candidates for the fabrication of bioelectronic materials. We present a computational and theoretical study to resolve the microscopic effects of pH and flow on the non-equilibrium morphology and kinetics of early-stage assembly of an experimentally-realizable optoelectronic peptide that displays pH triggerable assembly. Employing coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations, we probe the effects of pH on growth kinetics and aggregate morphology to show that control of the peptide protonation state by pH can be used to modulate the assembly rates, degreemore » of molecular alignment, and resulting morphologies within the self-assembling nanoaggregates. We also quantify the time and length scales at which convective flows employed in directed assembly compete with microscopic diffusion to show that flow influences cluster alignment and assembly rate during early-stage assembly only at extremely high shear rates. This suggests that observed improvements in optoelectronic properties at experimentally-accessible shear rates are due to the alignment of large aggregates of hundreds of monomers on time scales in excess of hundreds of nanoseconds. Lastly, our work provides new fundamental understanding of the effects of pH and flow to control the morphology and kinetics of early-stage assembly of p-conjugated peptides and lays the groundwork for the rational manipulation of environmental conditions to direct assembly and the attendant emergent optoelectronic properties.« less

Control of the hierarchical assembly of π-conjugated optoelectronic peptides by pH and flow

DOE PAGES

Mansbach, Rachael A.; Ferguson, Andrew L.

2017-01-01

Self-assembled nanoaggregates of p-conjugated peptides possess optoelectronic properties due to electron delocalization over the conjugated peptide groups that make them attractive candidates for the fabrication of bioelectronic materials. We present a computational and theoretical study to resolve the microscopic effects of pH and flow on the non-equilibrium morphology and kinetics of early-stage assembly of an experimentally-realizable optoelectronic peptide that displays pH triggerable assembly. Employing coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations, we probe the effects of pH on growth kinetics and aggregate morphology to show that control of the peptide protonation state by pH can be used to modulate the assembly rates, degreemore » of molecular alignment, and resulting morphologies within the self-assembling nanoaggregates. We also quantify the time and length scales at which convective flows employed in directed assembly compete with microscopic diffusion to show that flow influences cluster alignment and assembly rate during early-stage assembly only at extremely high shear rates. This suggests that observed improvements in optoelectronic properties at experimentally-accessible shear rates are due to the alignment of large aggregates of hundreds of monomers on time scales in excess of hundreds of nanoseconds. Lastly, our work provides new fundamental understanding of the effects of pH and flow to control the morphology and kinetics of early-stage assembly of p-conjugated peptides and lays the groundwork for the rational manipulation of environmental conditions to direct assembly and the attendant emergent optoelectronic properties.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bougamont, M.; Christoffersen, P.; Price, S. F.

Ongoing, centennial-scale flow variability within the Ross ice streams of West Antarctica suggests that the present-day positive mass balance in this region may reverse in the future. Here we use a three-dimensional ice sheet model to simulate ice flow in this region over 250 years. The flow responds to changing basal properties, as a subglacial till layer interacts with water transported in an active subglacial hydrological system. We show that a persistent weak bed beneath the tributaries of the dormant Kamb Ice Stream is a source of internal ice flow instability, which reorganizes all ice streams in this region, leadingmore » to a reduced (positive) mass balance within decades and a net loss of ice within two centuries. This hitherto unaccounted for flow variability could raise sea level by 5 mm this century. Furthermore, better constraints on future sea level change from this region will require improved estimates of geothermal heat flux and subglacial water transport.« less

Calibrationless rotating Lorentz-force flowmeters for low flow rate applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hvasta, M. G.; Dudt, D.; Fisher, A. E.; Kolemen, E.

2018-07-01

A ‘weighted magnetic bearing’ has been developed to improve the performance of rotating Lorentz-force flowmeters (RLFFs). Experiments have shown that the new bearing reduces frictional losses within a double-sided, disc-style RLFF to negligible levels. Operating such an RLFF under ‘frictionless’ conditions provides two major benefits. First, the steady-state velocity of the RLFF magnets matches the average velocity of the flowing liquid at low flow rates. This enables an RLFF to make accurate volumetric flow measurements without any calibration or prior knowledge of the fluid properties. Second, due to minimized frictional losses, an RLFF is able to measure low flow rates that cannot be detected when conventional, high-friction bearings are used. This paper provides a brief background on RLFFs, gives a detailed description of weighted magnetic bearings, and compares experimental RLFF data to measurements taken with a commercially available flowmeter.

Inverse modeling of flow tomography experiments in fractured media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klepikova, Maria; Le Borgne, Tanguy; Bour, Olivier; de Dreuzy, Jean-Raynald

2014-05-01

Inverse modeling of fracture hydraulic properties and connectivity is a very challenging objective due to the strong heterogeneity of the medium at multiple scales and the scarcity of data. Cross-borehole flowmeter tests, which consist of measuring changes in vertical borehole flows when pumping a neighboring borehole, were shown to be an efficient technique to provide information on the properties of the flow zones that connect borehole pairs (Paillet, 1998, Le Borgne et al., 2007). The interpretation of such experiments may, however, be quite uncertain when multiple connections exist. We propose the flow tomography approach (i.e., sequential cross-borehole flowmeter tests) to characterize the connectivity and transmissivity of preferential permeable flow paths in fractured aquifers (Klepikova et al., 2013). An inverse model approach is developed to estimate log-transformed transmissivity values of hydraulically active fractures between the pumping and observation wells by inverting cross-borehole flow and water level data. Here a simplified discrete fracture network approach that highlights main connectivity structures is used. This conceptual model attempts to reproduce fracture network connectivity without taking fracture geometry (length, orientation, dip) into account. We demonstrate that successively exchanging the roles of pumping and observation boreholes improves the quality of available information and reduces the under-determination of the problem. The inverse method is validated for several synthetic flow scenarios. It is shown to provide a good estimation of connectivity patterns and transmissivities of main flow paths. It also allows the estimation of the transmissivity of fractures that connect the flow paths but do not cross the boreholes, although the associated uncertainty may be high for some geometries. The results of this investigation encourage the application of flow tomography to natural fractured aquifers.

The Anatomy of the Blue Dragon: Changes in Lava Flow Morphology and Physical Properties Observed in an Open Channel Lava Flow as a Planetary Analogue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sehlke, A.; Kobs Nawotniak, S. E.; Hughes, S. S.; Sears, D. W.; Downs, M. T.; Whittington, A. G.; Lim, D. S. S.; Heldmann, J. L.

2017-10-01

We present the relationship of lava flow morphology and the physical properties of the rocks based on terrestrial field work, and how this can be applied to infer physical properties of lunar lava flows.

Flow-Directed Crystallization for Printed Electronics.

PubMed

Qu, Ge; Kwok, Justin J; Diao, Ying

2016-12-20

The solution printability of organic semiconductors (OSCs) represents a distinct advantage for materials processing, enabling low-cost, high-throughput, and energy-efficient manufacturing with new form factors that are flexible, stretchable, and transparent. While the electronic performance of OSCs is not comparable to that of crystalline silicon, the solution processability of OSCs allows them to complement silicon by tackling challenging aspects for conventional photolithography, such as large-area electronics manufacturing. Despite this, controlling the highly nonequilibrium morphology evolution during OSC printing remains a challenge, hindering the achievement of high electronic device performance and the elucidation of structure-property relationships. Many elegant morphological control methodologies have been developed in recent years including molecular design and novel processing approaches, but few have utilized fluid flow to control morphology in OSC thin films. In this Account, we discuss flow-directed crystallization as an effective strategy for controlling the crystallization kinetics during printing of small molecule and polymer semiconductors. Introducing the concept of flow-directed crystallization to the field of printed electronics is inspired by recent advances in pharmaceutical manufacturing and flow processing of flexible-chain polymers. Although flow-induced crystallization is well studied in these areas, previous findings may not apply directly to the field of printed electronics where the molecular structures (i.e., rigid π-conjugated backbone decorated with flexible side chains) and the intermolecular interactions (i.e., π-π interactions, quadrupole interactions) of OSCs differ substantially from those of pharmaceuticals or flexible-chain polymers. Another critical difference is the important role of solvent evaporation in open systems, which defines the flow characteristics and determines the crystallization kinetics and pathways. In other words, flow-induced crystallization is intimately coupled with the mass transport processes driven by solvent evaporation during printing. In this Account, we will highlight these distinctions of flow-directed crystallization for printed electronics. In the context of solution printing of OSCs, the key issue that flow-directed crystallization addresses is the kinetics mismatch between crystallization and various transport processes during printing. We show that engineering fluid flows can tune the kinetics of OSC crystallization by expediting the nucleation and crystal growth processes, significantly enhancing thin film morphology and device performance. For small molecule semiconductors, nucleation can be enhanced and patterned by directing the evaporative flux via contact line engineering, and defective crystal growth can be alleviated by enhancing mass transport to yield significantly improved coherence length and reduced grain boundaries. For conjugated polymers, extensional and shear flow can expedite nucleation through flow-induced conformation change, facilitating the control of microphase separation, degree of crystallinity, domain alignment, and percolation. Although the nascent concept of flow-directed solution printing has not yet been widely adopted in the field of printed electronics, we anticipate that it can serve as a platform technology in the near future for improving device performance and for systematically tuning thin film morphology to construct structure-property relationships. From a fundamental perspective, it is imperative to develop a better understanding of the effects of fluid flow and mass transport on OSC crystallization as these processes are ubiquitous across all solution processing techniques and can critically impact charge transport properties.

Sirolimus formulation with improved pharmacokinetic properties produced by a continuous flow method.

PubMed

Solymosi, Tamás; Angi, Réka; Basa-Dénes, Orsolya; Ránky, Soma; Ötvös, Zsolt; Glavinas, Hristos; Filipcsei, Genovéva; Heltovics, Gábor

2015-08-01

The oral bioavailability of Sirolimus is limited by poor dissolution of the compound in the gastrointestinal tract resulting in a low bioavailability and large inter-individual differences in blood levels. Several different formulation approaches were applied to overcome these disadvantageous pharmacokinetic properties including the marketed oral solution and a tablet form containing wet milled nanocrystals. These approaches deliver improved pharmacokinetics, yet, they share the characteristics of complex production method and composition. We have developed a nanostructured Sirolimus formulation prepared by the controlled continuous flow precipitation of the compound from its solution in the presence of stabilizers. We have shown that contrary to the batch production the process could be easily intensified and scaled up; apparently the uniformity of the precipitation is heavily dependent on the production parameters, most likely the mixing of the solvent and antisolvent. We compared the physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties of the nanostructured formula with the marketed nanoformula. We found that our method produces particles in the size range of less than 100nm. The solid form redispersed instantaneously in water and in biorelevant media. Both the solid form and the redispersed colloid solution showed excellent stability even in accelerated test conditions. The oral administration of the nanostructured formula resulted in faster absorption, higher exposure and higher trough concentrations when compared to the marked form. These advantageous properties could allow the development of solid oral Sirolimus formulae with lower strength and gel based topical delivery systems. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The influence of additives on rheological properties of limestone slurry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaworska, B.; Bartosik, A.

2014-08-01

Limestone slurry appears in the lime production process as the result of rinsing the processed material. It consists of particles with diameter smaller than 2 mm and the water that is a carrier of solid fraction. Slurry is directed to the settling tank, where the solid phase sediments and the excess water through the transfer system is recovered for re-circulation. Collected at the bottom of the tank sludge is deposited in a landfill located on the premises. Rheological properties of limestone slurry hinder its further free transport in the pipeline due to generated flow resistance. To improve this state of affairs, chemical treatment of drilling fluid, could be applied, of which the main task is to give the slurry properties suitable for the conditions encountered in hydrotransport. This treatment consists of applying chemical additives to slurry in sufficient quantity. Such additives are called as deflocculants or thinners or dispersants, and are chemical compounds which added to aqueous solution are intended to push away suspended particles from each other. The paper presents the results of research allowing reduction of shear stress in limestone slurry. Results demonstrate rheological properties of limestone slurry with and without the addition of modified substances which causes decrease of slurry viscosity, and as a consequence slurry shear stress for adopted shear rate. Achieving the desired effects increases the degree of dispersion of the solid phase suspended in the carrier liquid and improving its ability to smooth flow with decreased friction.

Extensional flow of hyaluronic acid solutions in an optimized microfluidic cross-slot device.

PubMed

Haward, S J; Jaishankar, A; Oliveira, M S N; Alves, M A; McKinley, G H

2013-07-01

We utilize a recently developed microfluidic device, the Optimized Shape Cross-slot Extensional Rheometer (OSCER), to study the elongational flow behavior and rheological properties of hyaluronic acid (HA) solutions representative of the synovial fluid (SF) found in the knee joint. The OSCER geometry is a stagnation point device that imposes a planar extensional flow with a homogenous extension rate over a significant length of the inlet and outlet channel axes. Due to the compressive nature of the flow generated along the inlet channels, and the planar elongational flow along the outlet channels, the flow field in the OSCER device can also be considered as representative of the flow field that arises between compressing articular cartilage layers of the knee joints during running or jumping movements. Full-field birefringence microscopy measurements demonstrate a high degree of localized macromolecular orientation along streamlines passing close to the stagnation point of the OSCER device, while micro-particle image velocimetry is used to quantify the flow kinematics. The stress-optical rule is used to assess the local extensional viscosity in the elongating fluid elements as a function of the measured deformation rate. The large limiting values of the dimensionless Trouton ratio, Tr ∼ O(50), demonstrate that these fluids are highly extensional-thickening, providing a clear mechanism for the load-dampening properties of SF. The results also indicate the potential for utilizing the OSCER in screening of physiological SF samples, which will lead to improved understanding of, and therapies for, disease progression in arthritis sufferers.

Extensional flow of hyaluronic acid solutions in an optimized microfluidic cross-slot devicea

PubMed Central

Haward, S. J.; Jaishankar, A.; Oliveira, M. S. N.; Alves, M. A.; McKinley, G. H.

2013-01-01

We utilize a recently developed microfluidic device, the Optimized Shape Cross-slot Extensional Rheometer (OSCER), to study the elongational flow behavior and rheological properties of hyaluronic acid (HA) solutions representative of the synovial fluid (SF) found in the knee joint. The OSCER geometry is a stagnation point device that imposes a planar extensional flow with a homogenous extension rate over a significant length of the inlet and outlet channel axes. Due to the compressive nature of the flow generated along the inlet channels, and the planar elongational flow along the outlet channels, the flow field in the OSCER device can also be considered as representative of the flow field that arises between compressing articular cartilage layers of the knee joints during running or jumping movements. Full-field birefringence microscopy measurements demonstrate a high degree of localized macromolecular orientation along streamlines passing close to the stagnation point of the OSCER device, while micro-particle image velocimetry is used to quantify the flow kinematics. The stress-optical rule is used to assess the local extensional viscosity in the elongating fluid elements as a function of the measured deformation rate. The large limiting values of the dimensionless Trouton ratio, Tr ∼ O(50), demonstrate that these fluids are highly extensional-thickening, providing a clear mechanism for the load-dampening properties of SF. The results also indicate the potential for utilizing the OSCER in screening of physiological SF samples, which will lead to improved understanding of, and therapies for, disease progression in arthritis sufferers. PMID:24738010

Polysaccharides-based multiparticulated interpolyelectrolyte complexes for controlled benznidazole release.

PubMed

García, Mónica C; Manzo, Rubén H; Jimenez-Kairuz, Alvaro

2018-07-10

Polysaccharides-based delivery systems and interpolyelectrolyte complexes (IPECs) are interesting alternatives to control the release of drugs, thereby improving therapies. Benznidazole (BZ) is the selected drug for Chagas disease pharmacotherapy. However, its side effects limit its efficacy and safety. We developed novel multiparticulated BZ-loaded IPECs based on chitosan and alginic acid, and investigated their physicochemical and pharmacotechnical properties. IPECs were obtained using the casting solvent method, followed by wet granulation. They presented ionic interaction between the biopolymers, revealed that free BZ was uniformly distributed and showed adequate flow properties for hard gelatin-capsule formulation. The multiparticles exhibited mucoadhesion properties and revealed modulation of BZ release, depending on the release media, in accordance with the fluid uptake. The IPECs developed possess interesting properties that are promising for the design of novel alternatives to improve Chagas disease pharmacotherapy, which would diminish BZ's adverse effects and/or allow a reduction in the frequency of BZ administration. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Physicochemical properties and oral bioavailability of ursolic acid nanoparticles using supercritical anti-solvent (SAS) process.

PubMed

Yang, Lei; Sun, Zhen; Zu, Yuangang; Zhao, Chunjian; Sun, Xiaowei; Zhang, Zhonghua; Zhang, Lin

2012-05-01

The objective of the study was to prepare ursolic acid (UA) nanoparticles using the supercritical anti-solvent (SAS) process and evaluate its physicochemical properties and oral bioavailability. The effects of four process variables, pressure, temperature, drug concentration and drug solution flow rate, on drug particle formation during SAS process, were investigated. Particles with mean particle size ranging from 139.2±19.7 to 1039.8±65.2nm were obtained by varying the process parameters. The UA was characterised by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, specific surface area, dissolution test and bioavailability test. It was concluded that physicochemical properties and bioavailability of crystalline UA could be improved by physical modification, such as particle size reduction and generation of amorphous state using SAS process. Further, SAS process was a powerful methodology for improving the physicochemical properties and bioavailability of UA. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Protocol for Electrochemical Evaluations and State of Charge Diagnostics of a Symmetric Organic Redox Flow Battery

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Duan, Wentao; Vemuri, Rama S.; Hu, Dehong

Redox flow batteries have been considered as one of the most promising stationary energy storage solutions for improving the reliability of the power grid and deployment of renewable energy technologies. Among the many flow battery chemistries, nonaqueous flow batteries have the potential to achieve high energy density because of the broad voltage windows of nonaqueous electrolytes. However, significant technical hurdles exist currently limiting nonaqueous flow batteries to demonstrate their full potential, such as low redox concentrations, low operating currents, under-explored battery status monitoring, etc. In an attempt to address these limitations, we report a nonaqueous flow battery based on amore » highly soluble, redox-active organic nitronyl nitroxide radical compound, 2-phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide (PTIO). This redox materials exhibits an ambipolar electrochemical property with two reversible redox pairs that are moderately separated by a voltage gap of ~1.7 V. Therefore, PTIO can serve as both anolyte and catholyte redox materials to form a symmetric flow battery chemistry, which affords the advantages such as high effective redox concentrations and low irreversible redox material crossover. The PTIO flow battery shows decent electrochemical cyclability under cyclic voltammetry and flow cell conditions; an improved redox concentration of 0.5 M PTIO and operational current density of 20 mA cm-2 were achieved in flow cell tests. Moreover, we show that Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy could measure the PTIO concentrations during the PTIO flow battery cycling and offer reasonably accurate detection of the battery state of charge (SOC) as cross-validated by electron spin resonance measurements. This study suggests FTIR can be used as a reliable online SOC sensor to monitor flow battery status and ensure battery operations stringently in a safe SOC range.« less

Non-Aqueous Primary Li-Air Flow Battery and Optimization of its Cathode through Experiment and Modeling.

PubMed

Kim, Byoungsu; Takechi, Kensuke; Ma, Sichao; Verma, Sumit; Fu, Shiqi; Desai, Amit; Pawate, Ashtamurthy S; Mizuno, Fuminori; Kenis, Paul J A

2017-09-22

A primary Li-air battery has been developed with a flowing Li-ion free ionic liquid as the recyclable electrolyte, boosting power capability by promoting superoxide diffusion and enhancing discharge capacity through separately stored discharge products. Experimental and computational tools are used to analyze the cathode properties, leading to a set of parameters that improve the discharge current density of the non-aqueous Li-air flow battery. The structure and configuration of the cathode gas diffusion layers (GDLs) are systematically modified by using different levels of hot pressing and the presence or absence of a microporous layer (MPL). These experiments reveal that the use of thinner but denser MPLs is key for performance optimization; indeed, this leads to an improvement in discharge current density. Also, computational results indicate that the extent of electrolyte immersion and porosity of the cathode can be optimized to achieve higher current density. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Modification of flow and compressibility of corn starch using quasi-emulsion solvent diffusion method.

PubMed

Akhgari, Abbas; Sadeghi, Hasti; Dabbagh, Mohammad Ali

2014-08-01

The aim of this study was to improve flowability and compressibility characteristics of starch to use as a suitable excipient in direct compression tabletting. Quasi-emulsion solvent diffusion was used as a crystal modification method. Corn starch was dissolved in hydrochloric acid at 80°C and then ethanol as a non-solvent was added with lowering temperature until the formation of a precipitate of modified starch. Flow parameters, particle size and thermal behavior of the treated powders were compared with the native starch. Finally, the 1:1 mixture of naproxen and each excipient was tabletted, and hardness and friability of different tablets were evaluated. Larger and well shaped agglomerates were formed which showed different thermal behavior. Treated starch exhibited suitable flow properties and tablets made by the treated powder had relatively high hardness. It was found that recrystallization of corn starch by quasi emulsion solvent diffusion method could improve its flowability and compressibility characteristics.

Advanced flow MRI: emerging techniques and applications

PubMed Central

Markl, M.; Schnell, S.; Wu, C.; Bollache, E.; Jarvis, K.; Barker, A. J.; Robinson, J. D.; Rigsby, C. K.

2016-01-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques provide non-invasive and non-ionising methods for the highly accurate anatomical depiction of the heart and vessels throughout the cardiac cycle. In addition, the intrinsic sensitivity of MRI to motion offers the unique ability to acquire spatially registered blood flow simultaneously with the morphological data, within a single measurement. In clinical routine, flow MRI is typically accomplished using methods that resolve two spatial dimensions in individual planes and encode the time-resolved velocity in one principal direction, typically oriented perpendicular to the two-dimensional (2D) section. This review describes recently developed advanced MRI flow techniques, which allow for more comprehensive evaluation of blood flow characteristics, such as real-time flow imaging, 2D multiple-venc phase contrast MRI, four-dimensional (4D) flow MRI, quantification of complex haemodynamic properties, and highly accelerated flow imaging. Emerging techniques and novel applications are explored. In addition, applications of these new techniques for the improved evaluation of cardiovascular (aorta, pulmonary arteries, congenital heart disease, atrial fibrillation, coronary arteries) as well as cerebrovascular disease (intra-cranial arteries and veins) are presented. PMID:26944696

Massing in high shear wet granulation can simultaneously improve powder flow and deteriorate powder compaction: a double-edged sword.

PubMed

Shi, Limin; Feng, Yushi; Sun, Changquan Calvin

2011-05-18

The influence of massing during high shear wet granulation (HSWG) process on granule properties and performance was investigated using microcrystalline cellulose (MCC). Massing time varied from 0 to 40 min while other factors were fixed. Granule physical properties, including morphology, size, porosity, and specific surface area (SSA), were characterized. Changes in powder properties were profound in the first 10 min of massing but negligible beyond 10 min. With 10 min of massing, granule tabletability decreased by 75% while flowability increased by 75%. The significantly deteriorated tabletability and improved flowability resulted from dramatic changes in granule morphology, porosity, and SSA. The results confirm that massing time is a key process parameter in HSWG, and it must be carefully evaluated and controlled during process development, scale up, and manufacturing. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Polyimide processing additives

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fletcher, James C. (Inventor); Pratt, J. Richard (Inventor); St.clair, Terry L. (Inventor); Stoakley, Diane M. (Inventor); Burks, Harold D. (Inventor)

1992-01-01

A process for preparing polyimides having enhanced melt flow properties is described. The process consists of heating a mixture of a high molecular weight poly-(amic acid) or polyimide with a low molecular weight amic acid or imide additive in the range of 0.05 to 15 percent by weight of additive. The polyimide powders so obtained show improved processability, as evidenced by lower melt viscosity by capillary rheometry. Likewise, films prepared from mixtures of polymers with additives show improved processability with earlier onset of stretching by TMA.

Polyimide processing additives

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pratt, J. Richard (Inventor); St.clair, Terry L. (Inventor); Stoakley, Diane M. (Inventor); Burks, Harold D. (Inventor)

1993-01-01

A process for preparing polyimides having enhanced melt flow properties is described. The process consists of heating a mixture of a high molecular weight poly-(amic acid) or polyimide with a low molecular weight amic acid or imide additive in the range of 0.05 to 15 percent by weight of the additive. The polyimide powders so obtained show improved processability, as evidenced by lower melt viscosity by capillary rheometry. Likewise, films prepared from mixtures of polymers with additives show improved processability with earlier onset of stretching by TMA.

Reactivation of Kamb Ice Stream tributaries triggers century-scale reorganization of Siple Coast ice flow in West Antarctica

DOE PAGES

Bougamont, M.; Christoffersen, P.; Price, S. F.; ...

2015-10-21

Ongoing, centennial-scale flow variability within the Ross ice streams of West Antarctica suggests that the present-day positive mass balance in this region may reverse in the future. Here we use a three-dimensional ice sheet model to simulate ice flow in this region over 250 years. The flow responds to changing basal properties, as a subglacial till layer interacts with water transported in an active subglacial hydrological system. We show that a persistent weak bed beneath the tributaries of the dormant Kamb Ice Stream is a source of internal ice flow instability, which reorganizes all ice streams in this region, leadingmore » to a reduced (positive) mass balance within decades and a net loss of ice within two centuries. This hitherto unaccounted for flow variability could raise sea level by 5 mm this century. Furthermore, better constraints on future sea level change from this region will require improved estimates of geothermal heat flux and subglacial water transport.« less

Flow quality of NAL two-dimensional transonic wind tunnel. Part 1: Mach number distributions, flow angularities and preliminary study of side wall boundary layer suction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sakakibara, Seizo; Takashima, Kazuaki; Miwa, Hitoshi; Oguni, Yasuo; Sato, Mamoru; Kanda, Hiroshi

1988-01-01

Experimental data on the flow quality of the National Aerospace Laboratory two-dimensional transonic wind tunnel are presented. Mach number distributions on the test section axis show good uniformity which is characterized by the two sigma (standard deviation) values of 0.0003 to 0.001 for a range of Mach numbers from 0.4 to 1.0. Flow angularities, which were measured by using a wing model with a symmetrical cross section, remained within 0.04 deg for Mach numbers from 0.2 to 0.8. Side wall boundary layer suction was applied through a pair of porous plates. The variation of aerodynamic properties of the model due to the suction mass flow rate change is presented with a brief discussion. Two dimensionality of the flow over the wing span is expected to be improved by applying the appropriate suction rate, which depends on the Mach number, Reynolds number, and lift coefficient.

Effects of surfactants on the properties of mortar containing styrene/methacrylate superplasticizer.

PubMed

Negim, El-Sayed; Kozhamzharova, Latipa; Khatib, Jamal; Bekbayeva, Lyazzat; Williams, Craig

2014-01-01

The physical and mechanical properties of mortar containing synthetic cosurfactants as air entraining agent are investigated. The cosurfactants consist of a combination of 2% dodecyl benzene sodium sulfonate (DBSS) and either 1.5% polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) or 1.5% polyoxyethylene glycol monomethyl ether (POE). Also these cosurfactants were used to prepare copolymers latex: styrene/butyl methacrylate (St/BuMA), styrene/methyl methacrylate (St/MMA), and styrene/glycidyl methacrylate (St/GMA), in order to study their effects on the properties of mortar. The properties of mortar examined included flow table, W/C ratio, setting time, water absorption, compressive strength, and combined water. The results indicate that the latex causes improvement in mortar properties compared with cosurfactants. Also polymer latex containing DBSS/POE is more effective than that containing DBSS/PVA.

Effects of Surfactants on the Properties of Mortar Containing Styrene/Methacrylate Superplasticizer

PubMed Central

Negim, El-Sayed; Kozhamzharova, Latipa; Khatib, Jamal; Bekbayeva, Lyazzat; Williams, Craig

2014-01-01

The physical and mechanical properties of mortar containing synthetic cosurfactants as air entraining agent are investigated. The cosurfactants consist of a combination of 2% dodecyl benzene sodium sulfonate (DBSS) and either 1.5% polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) or 1.5% polyoxyethylene glycol monomethyl ether (POE). Also these cosurfactants were used to prepare copolymers latex: styrene/butyl methacrylate (St/BuMA), styrene/methyl methacrylate (St/MMA), and styrene/glycidyl methacrylate (St/GMA), in order to study their effects on the properties of mortar. The properties of mortar examined included flow table, W/C ratio, setting time, water absorption, compressive strength, and combined water. The results indicate that the latex causes improvement in mortar properties compared with cosurfactants. Also polymer latex containing DBSS/POE is more effective than that containing DBSS/PVA. PMID:24955426

Melt volume flow rate and melt flow rate of kenaf fibre reinforced Floreon/magnesium hydroxide biocomposites.

PubMed

Lee, C H; Sapuan, S M; Lee, J H; Hassan, M R

2016-01-01

A study of the melt volume flow rate (MVR) and the melt flow rate (MFR) of kenaf fibre (KF) reinforced Floreon (FLO) and magnesium hydroxide (MH) biocomposites under different temperatures (160-180 °C) and weight loadings (2.16, 5, 10 kg) is presented in this paper. FLO has the lowest values of MFR and MVR. The increment of the melt flow properties (MVR and MFR) has been found for KF or MH insertion due to the hydrolytic degradation of the polylactic acid in FLO. Deterioration of the entanglement density at high temperature, shear thinning and wall slip velocity were the possible causes for the higher melt flow properties. Increasing the KF loadings caused the higher melt flow properties while the higher MH contents created stronger bonding for higher macromolecular chain flow resistance, hence lower melt flow properties were recorded. However, the complicated melt flow behaviour of the KF reinforced FLO/MH biocomposites was found in this study. The high probability of KF-KF and KF-MH collisions was expected and there were more collisions for higher fibre and filler loading causing lower melt flow properties.

Mixing order of glidant and lubricant – Influence on powder and tablet properties

PubMed Central

Pingali, Kalyana; Mendez, Rafael; Lewis, Daniel; Michniak-Kohn, Bozena; Cuitino, Alberto; Muzzio, Fernando

2014-01-01

The main objective of the present work was to study the effect of mixing order of Cab-O-Sil (CS) and magnesium stearate (MgSt) and microlayers during mixing on blend and tablet properties. A first set of pharmaceutical blend containing Avicel PH200, Pharmatose and micronized acetaminophen was prepared with three mixing orders (mixing order-1: CS added first; mixing order-2: MgSt added first; mixing order-3: CS and MgSt added together). All the blends were subjected to a shear rate of 80 rpm and strain of 40, 160 and 640 revolutions in a controlled shear environment resulting in nine different blends. A second set of nine blends was prepared by replacing Avicel PH200 with Avicel PH102. A total of eighteen blends thus prepared were tested for powder hydrophobicity, powder flow, tablet weight, tablet hardness and tablet dissolution. Results indicated that powder hydrophobicity increased significantly for mixing order-1. Intermediate hydrophobic behavior was found for mixing order-3. Additionally, mixing order 1 resulted in improved powder flow properties, low weight variability, higher average tablet weight and slow drug release rates. Dissolution profiles obtained were found to be strongly dependent not only on the mixing order of flowing agents, but also on the strain and the resulting hydrophobicity. PMID:21356286

A flux splitting scheme with high-resolution and robustness for discontinuities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wada, Yasuhiro; Liou, Meng-Sing

1994-01-01

A flux splitting scheme is proposed for the general nonequilibrium flow equations with an aim at removing numerical dissipation of Van-Leer-type flux-vector splittings on a contact discontinuity. The scheme obtained is also recognized as an improved Advection Upwind Splitting Method (AUSM) where a slight numerical overshoot immediately behind the shock is eliminated. The proposed scheme has favorable properties: high-resolution for contact discontinuities; conservation of enthalpy for steady flows; numerical efficiency; applicability to chemically reacting flows. In fact, for a single contact discontinuity, even if it is moving, this scheme gives the numerical flux of the exact solution of the Riemann problem. Various numerical experiments including that of a thermo-chemical nonequilibrium flow were performed, which indicate no oscillation and robustness of the scheme for shock/expansion waves. A cure for carbuncle phenomenon is discussed as well.

Preparation and characterization of composites based on poly(lactic acid) and CaCO{sub 3} nanofiller

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moreno, Janaína Fernandes; Silva, Ana Lúcia N. da, E-mail: janamoreno.quim@gmail.com, E-mail: ananazareth@ima.ufrj.br; Silva, Antonio Henrique Monteiro da Fonseca T. da, E-mail: antoniohmfts@id.uff.br

In recent years, extensive studies have been conducted on the study of the poly(lactic acid) (PLA) properties, because of its being a typical biobased and biodegradable polymer, with good mechanical properties. However, its toughness and gas barrier properties are not satisfactory and can be improved by the addition of nanofillers, such as calcium carbonate (n-CaCO{sub 3}). The present work PLA composites with nano-sized precipitated calcium carbonate (n-NPCC) were prepared by melt extrusion. Thermal, mechanical and flow properties of the composites were evaluated by using a factorial design.The results showed that the addition of the nanofiller in the PLA matrix didn’tmore » improve thethermal and mechanical properties of the matrix significantly. This behavior is probably due to the presence of the stearic acid that is coating on the n-NPCC particles, resulting in a weak polymer-particle interaction. Beyond this, it was also observed a decrease in MFI of the composites when nanofiller was added and at a higher screw speed.« less

Effect of colloidal silica on rheological properties of common pharmaceutical excipients.

PubMed

Majerová, Diana; Kulaviak, Lukáš; Růžička, Marek; Štěpánek, František; Zámostný, Petr

2016-09-01

In pharmaceutical industry, the use of lubricants is mostly based on historical experiences or trial and error methods even these days. It may be demanding in terms of the material consumption and may result in sub-optimal drug composition. Powder rheology enables more accurate monitoring of the flow properties and because the measurements need only a small sample it is perfectly suitable for the rare or expensive substances. In this work, rheological properties of four common excipients (pregelatinized maize starch, microcrystalline cellulose, croscarmellose sodium and magnesium stearate) were studied by the FT4 Powder Rheometer, which was used for measuring the compressibility index by a piston and flow properties of the powders by a rotational shear cell. After an initial set of measurements, two excipients (pregelatinized maize starch and microcrystalline cellulose) were chosen and mixed, in varying amounts, with anhydrous colloidal silicon dioxide (Aerosil 200) used as a glidant. The bulk (conditioned and compressed densities, compressibility index), dynamic (basic flowability energy) and shear (friction coefficient, flow factor) properties were determined to find an optimum ratio of the glidant. Simultaneously, the particle size data were obtained using a low-angle laser light scattering (LALLS) system and scanning electron microscopy was performed in order to examine the relationship between the rheological properties and the inner structure of the materials. The optimum of flowability for the mixture composition was found, to correspond to empirical findings known from general literature. In addition the mechanism of colloidal silicone dioxide action to improve flowability was suggested and the hypothesis was confirmed by independent test. New findings represent a progress towards future application of determining the optimum concentration of glidant from the basic characteristics of the powder in the pharmaceutical research and development. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Physical consistency of subgrid-scale models for large-eddy simulation of incompressible turbulent flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silvis, Maurits H.; Remmerswaal, Ronald A.; Verstappen, Roel

2017-01-01

We study the construction of subgrid-scale models for large-eddy simulation of incompressible turbulent flows. In particular, we aim to consolidate a systematic approach of constructing subgrid-scale models, based on the idea that it is desirable that subgrid-scale models are consistent with the mathematical and physical properties of the Navier-Stokes equations and the turbulent stresses. To that end, we first discuss in detail the symmetries of the Navier-Stokes equations, and the near-wall scaling behavior, realizability and dissipation properties of the turbulent stresses. We furthermore summarize the requirements that subgrid-scale models have to satisfy in order to preserve these important mathematical and physical properties. In this fashion, a framework of model constraints arises that we apply to analyze the behavior of a number of existing subgrid-scale models that are based on the local velocity gradient. We show that these subgrid-scale models do not satisfy all the desired properties, after which we explain that this is partly due to incompatibilities between model constraints and limitations of velocity-gradient-based subgrid-scale models. However, we also reason that the current framework shows that there is room for improvement in the properties and, hence, the behavior of existing subgrid-scale models. We furthermore show how compatible model constraints can be combined to construct new subgrid-scale models that have desirable properties built into them. We provide a few examples of such new models, of which a new model of eddy viscosity type, that is based on the vortex stretching magnitude, is successfully tested in large-eddy simulations of decaying homogeneous isotropic turbulence and turbulent plane-channel flow.

A lattice Boltzmann investigation of steady-state fluid distribution, capillary pressure and relative permeability of a porous medium: Effects of fluid and geometrical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Zi; Galindo-Torres, Sergio; Yan, Guanxi; Scheuermann, Alexander; Li, Ling

2018-06-01

Simulations of simultaneous steady-state two-phase flow in the capillary force-dominated regime were conducted using the state-of-the-art Shan-Chen multi-component lattice Boltzmann model (SCMC-LBM) based on two-dimensional porous media. We focused on analyzing the fluid distribution (i.e., WP fluid-solid, NP fluid-solid and fluid-fluid interfacial areas) as well as the capillary pressure versus saturation curve which was affected by fluid and geometrical properties (i.e., wettability, adhesive strength, pore size distribution and specific surface area). How these properties influenced the relative permeability versus saturation relation through apparent effective permeability and threshold pressure gradient was also explored. The SCMC-LBM simulations showed that, a thin WP fluid film formed around the solid surface due to the adhesive fluid-solid interaction, resulting in discrete WP fluid distributions and reduction of the WP fluid mobility. Also, the adhesive interaction provided another source of capillary pressure in addition to capillary force, which, however, did not affect the mobility of the NP fluid. The film fluid effect could be enhanced by large adhesive strength and fine pores in heterogeneous porous media. In the steady-state infiltration, not only the NP fluid but also the WP fluid were subjected to the capillary resistance. The capillary pressure effect could be alleviated by decreased wettability, large average pore radius and improved fluid connectivity in heterogeneous porous media. The present work based on the SCMC-LBM investigations elucidated the role of film fluid as well as capillary pressure in the two-phase flow system. The findings have implications for ways to improve the macroscopic flow equation based on balance of force for the steady-state infiltration.

EDDA: integrated simulation of debris flow erosion, deposition and property changes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, H. X.; Zhang, L. M.

2014-11-01

Debris flow material properties change during the initiation, transportation and deposition processes, which influences the runout characteristics of the debris flow. A quasi-three-dimensional depth-integrated numerical model, EDDA, is presented in this paper to simulate debris flow erosion, deposition and induced material property changes. The model considers changes in debris flow density, yield stress and dynamic viscosity during the flow process. The yield stress of debris flow mixture is determined at limit equilibrium using the Mohr-Coulomb equation, which is applicable to clear water flow, hyper-concentrated flow and fully developed debris flow. To assure numerical stability and computational efficiency at the same time, a variable time stepping algorithm is developed to solve the governing differential equations. Four numerical tests are conducted to validate the model. The first two tests involve a one-dimensional dam-break water flow and a one-dimensional debris flow with constant properties. The last two tests involve erosion and deposition, and the movement of multi-directional debris flows. The changes in debris flow mass and properties due to either erosion or deposition are shown to affect the runout characteristics significantly. The model is also applied to simulate a large-scale debris flow in Xiaojiagou Ravine to test the performance of the model in catchment-scale simulations. The results suggest that the model estimates well the volume, inundated area, and runout distance of the debris flow. The model is intended for use as a module in a real-time debris flow warning system.

Magnetic nanofluid flow and convective heat transfer in a porous cavity considering Brownian motion effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheikholeslami, M.; Rokni, Houman B.

2018-01-01

In the present article, the improvement of nanofluid heat transfer inside a porous cavity by means of a non-equilibrium model in the existence of Lorentz forces has been investigated by employing control volume based finite element method. Nanofluid properties are estimated by means of Koo-Kleinstreuer-Li. The Darcy-Boussinesq approximation is utilized for the nanofluid flow. Roles of the solid-nanofluid interface heat transfer parameter (N h s ), Hartmann number (H a ), porosity (ɛ ), and Rayleigh number (R a ) were presented. Outputs demonstrate that the convective flow decreases with the rise of N h s , but it enhances with the rise of R a . Porosity has opposite relationship with the temperature gradient.

Flow and compaction properties of hypromellose: new directly compressible versus the established grades.

PubMed

Grdešič, Peter; Vrečer, Franc; Ilić, Ilija

2016-11-01

Information about flow and compaction properties of hypromellose (HPMC) polymers is essential for the technologists who are facing challenges regarding poor flow and compaction while developing new controlled release matrix tablets. There is a profound lack of studies in this field and none of the published ones deal with the compaction of the newly introduced HPMC grades specifically designed for direct compression (DC). The objective behind this study was the evaluation of flow and compaction properties of six different grades of HPMC substitution type 2208 polymers, including two second generation directly compressible grades from Dow Chemical Company (K100LV, K15M, K4M CR, K4M DC, K100M CR and K100M DC). Flow properties were determined using flow time and Carr index. Compaction properties were quantified using "out-of-die" Heckel and modified Walker models as well as tensile strength profile and elastic recovery. We used statistical approach to analyze the results. Due to larger, rounder and smoother particles both DC grades showed distinctly better flow properties compared to their non-DC counterparts. Overall, K15M showed the best compaction properties, closely followed by K100LV. K100M grades showed superior compaction properties over K4M grades. The new, second generation DC grades had poorer compaction properties, however, they exhibited better flow properties on the other hand. Considering all compaction results, the Heckel model gave better description of compressibility compared to the Walker model, so it may be preferred in case of studying HPMC polymers and other similar materials.

Optimal race strategy for a 200-m flying sprint in a human-powered vehicle: A case study of a world-record attempt.

PubMed

de Koning, Jos J; van der Zweep, Cees-Jan; Cornelissen, Jesper; Kuiper, Bouke

2013-03-01

Optimal pacing strategy was determined for breaking the world speed record on a human-powered vehicle (HPV) using an energy-flow model in which the rider's physical capacities, the vehicle's properties, and the environmental conditions were included. Power data from world-record attempts were compared with data from the model, and race protocols were adjusted to the results from the model. HPV performance can be improved by using an energy-flow model for optimizing race strategy. A biphased in-run followed by a sprint gave best results.

Numerical modeling of melt flows in vertical Bridgman configuration affected by a rotating heat field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kokh, K. A.; Popov, V. N.; Kokh, A. E.; Krasin, B. A.; Nepomnyaschikh, A. I.

2007-05-01

In this work, the numerical modeling of convection in a vertical Bridgman system under the influence of a rotating heat field was studied. First results show that changing of the heating from an axi-symmetric to a non-symmetric non-stationary configuration results in an increase in the convective flow and thus led to an increase of the melt uniformity because the convective cell is occupying almost the entire melt domain. Experimental growth of polycrystalline silicon under such special conditions provided ingots with improved texture and uniformity of electronic properties.

Predicting radiative heat transfer in thermochemical nonequilibrium flow fields. Theory and user's manual for the LORAN code

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chambers, Lin Hartung

1994-01-01

The theory for radiation emission, absorption, and transfer in a thermochemical nonequilibrium flow is presented. The expressions developed reduce correctly to the limit at equilibrium. To implement the theory in a practical computer code, some approximations are used, particularly the smearing of molecular radiation. Details of these approximations are presented and helpful information is included concerning the use of the computer code. This user's manual should benefit both occasional users of the Langley Optimized Radiative Nonequilibrium (LORAN) code and those who wish to use it to experiment with improved models or properties.

Sediment features at the grounding zone and beneath Ekström Ice Shelf, East Antarctica, imaged using on-ice vibroseis.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Emma C.; Eisen, Olaf; Hofstede, Coen; Lambrecht, Astrid; Mayer, Christoph

2017-04-01

The grounding zone, where an ice sheet becomes a floating ice shelf, is known to be a key threshold region for ice flow and stability. A better understanding of ice dynamics and sediment transport across such zones will improve knowledge about contemporary and palaeo ice flow, as well as past ice extent. Here we present a set of seismic reflection profiles crossing the grounding zone and continuing to the shelf edge of Ekström Ice Shelf, East Antarctica. Using an on-ice vibroseis source combined with a snowstreamer we have imaged a range of sub-glacial and sub-shelf sedimentary and geomorphological features; from layered sediment deposits to elongated flow features. The acoustic properties of the features as well as their morphology allow us to draw conclusions as to their material properties and origin. These results will eventually be integrated with numerical models of ice dynamics to quantify past and present interactions between ice and the solid Earth in East Antarctica; leading to a better understanding of future contributions of this region to sea-level rise.

Individual-Environment Interactions in Swimming: The Smallest Unit for Analysing the Emergence of Coordination Dynamics in Performance?

PubMed

Guignard, Brice; Rouard, Annie; Chollet, Didier; Hart, John; Davids, Keith; Seifert, Ludovic

2017-08-01

Displacement in competitive swimming is highly dependent on fluid characteristics, since athletes use these properties to propel themselves. It is essential for sport scientists and practitioners to clearly identify the interactions that emerge between each individual swimmer and properties of an aquatic environment. Traditionally, the two protagonists in these interactions have been studied separately. Determining the impact of each swimmer's movements on fluid flow, and vice versa, is a major challenge. Classic biomechanical research approaches have focused on swimmers' actions, decomposing stroke characteristics for analysis, without exploring perturbations to fluid flows. Conversely, fluid mechanics research has sought to record fluid behaviours, isolated from the constraints of competitive swimming environments (e.g. analyses in two-dimensions, fluid flows passively studied on mannequins or robot effectors). With improvements in technology, however, recent investigations have focused on the emergent circular couplings between swimmers' movements and fluid dynamics. Here, we provide insights into concepts and tools that can explain these on-going dynamic interactions in competitive swimming within the theoretical framework of ecological dynamics.

Numerical Study of Suspension Plasma Spraying

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farrokhpanah, Amirsaman; Coyle, Thomas W.; Mostaghimi, Javad

2017-01-01

A numerical study of suspension plasma spraying is presented in the current work. The liquid suspension jet is replaced with a train of droplets containing the suspension particles injected into the plasma flow. Atomization, evaporation, and melting of different components are considered for droplets and particles as they travel toward the substrate. Effect of different parameters on particle conditions during flight and upon impact on the substrate is investigated. Initially, influence of the torch operating conditions such as inlet flow rate and power is studied. Additionally, effect of injector parameters like injection location, flow rate, and angle is examined. The model used in the current study takes high-temperature gradients and non-continuum effects into account. Moreover, the important effect of change in physical properties of suspension droplets as a result of evaporation is included in the model. These mainly include variations in heat transfer properties and viscosity. Utilizing this improved model, several test cases have been considered to better evaluate the effect of different parameters on the quality of particles during flight and upon impact on the substrate.

EDDA 1.0: integrated simulation of debris flow erosion, deposition and property changes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, H. X.; Zhang, L. M.

2015-03-01

Debris flow material properties change during the initiation, transportation and deposition processes, which influences the runout characteristics of the debris flow. A quasi-three-dimensional depth-integrated numerical model, EDDA (Erosion-Deposition Debris flow Analysis), is presented in this paper to simulate debris flow erosion, deposition and induced material property changes. The model considers changes in debris flow density, yield stress and dynamic viscosity during the flow process. The yield stress of the debris flow mixture determined at limit equilibrium using the Mohr-Coulomb equation is applicable to clear water flow, hyper-concentrated flow and fully developed debris flow. To assure numerical stability and computational efficiency at the same time, an adaptive time stepping algorithm is developed to solve the governing differential equations. Four numerical tests are conducted to validate the model. The first two tests involve a one-dimensional debris flow with constant properties and a two-dimensional dam-break water flow. The last two tests involve erosion and deposition, and the movement of multi-directional debris flows. The changes in debris flow mass and properties due to either erosion or deposition are shown to affect the runout characteristics significantly. The model is also applied to simulate a large-scale debris flow in Xiaojiagou Ravine to test the performance of the model in catchment-scale simulations. The results suggest that the model estimates well the volume, inundated area, and runout distance of the debris flow. The model is intended for use as a module in a real-time debris flow warning system.

Short communication: Effect of whey protein addition and transglutaminase treatment on the physical and sensory properties of reduced-fat ice cream.

PubMed

Danesh, Erfan; Goudarzi, Mostafa; Jooyandeh, Hossein

2017-07-01

The effects of whey protein addition and transglutaminase treatment, alone and in combination, on the physical and sensory properties of reduced-fat ice cream were investigated. Adding whey protein with or without enzyme treatment decreased melting rate, overrun, and hardness of the reduced-fat ice cream; however, the enzyme-treated sample had a higher melting rate and overrun and softer texture. Whey protein-fortified samples showed higher melting resistance, but lower overrun and firmer texture compared with the enzyme-treated sample without added whey protein. Whey protein addition with or without transglutaminase treatment caused an increase in apparent viscosity and a decrease in flow index of the reduced-fat ice cream; nevertheless, the flow behavior of full-fat sample was most similar to the enzyme-treated reduced-fat sample with no added whey protein. Descriptive sensory analyses showed that neither whey protein addition nor transglutaminase treatment significantly influenced the flavor and odor of reduced-fat ice cream, but they both noticeably improved the color and texture of the final product. The results of this study suggest that whey protein addition with transglutaminase treatment improves the physical and sensory properties of reduced-fat ice cream more favorably than does whey protein addition or transglutaminase treatment alone. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Preparation of SiO2 Passivation Thin Film for Improved the Organic Light-Emitting Device Life Time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Jeong Soo; Kim, Sang Mo; Kim, Kyung-Hwan

2011-08-01

To improve the organic light-emitting diode (OLED) lifetime, we prepared a SiO2 thin film for OLED passivation using a facing target sputtering (FTS) system as a function of oxygen gas flow rate and working pressure. The properties of the SiO2 thin film were examined by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), photoluminescence (PL) intensity measurement, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectrometry that As a result, we found that a SiO2 thin film is formed at a 2 sccm oxygen gas flow rate and results the minimum damage to the organic layer is observed at a 1 mTorr working pressure. Also, from the water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), we observed that all of the as-deposited SiO2 thin films showed the ability of blocking moisture. After the properties were evaluated, an optimized SiO2 thin film was applied to OLED passivation. As a result, the property of the OLED fabricated by SiO2 passivation is similar to the OLED fabricated by glass passivation. However, the performance of OLED was degraded by enhancing of SiO2 passivation. This is the organic layer of the device is exposed to plasma for a prolonged period. Therefore, a method of minimizing damage to the organic layer and optimum conditions for what are important.

The influence of metakaolin substitution by slag in alkali-activated inorganic binders for civil engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kadlec, J.; Rieger, D.; Kovářík, T.; Novotný, P.; Franče, P.; Pola, M.

2017-02-01

In this study the effect of metakaolin replacement by milled blast furnace slag in alkali-activated geopolymeric binder was investigated in accordance to their rheological and mechanical properties. It was demonstrated that slag addition into the metakaolin binder can improve mechanical properties of final products. Our investigation was focused on broad interval of metakaolin substitution in the range from 100 to 40 volume per cents of metakaolin so that the volume content of solids in final binder was maintained constant. Prepared binders were activated by alkaline solution of potassium silicate with silicate module of 1.61. The particle size analyses were performed for determination of particle size distribution. The rheological properties were determined in accordance to flow properties by measurements on Ford viscosity cup and by oscillatory measurements of hardening process. For the investigation of hardening process, the strain controlled small amplitude oscillatory rheometry was used in plane-plate geometry. For determination of applied mechanical properties were binders filled by ceramic grog in the granularity range 0-1 mm. The filling was maintained constant at 275 volume per cents in accordance to ratio of solids in dry binder. The mechanical properties were investigated after 1, 7 and 28 days and microstructure was documented by scanning electron microscopy. The results indicate that slag addition have beneficial effect not only on mechanical properties of hardened binder but also on flow properties of fresh geopolymer paste and subsequent hardening kinetics of alkali-activated binders.

Rheological effects of drag-reducing polymers improve cerebral blood flow and oxygenation after traumatic brain injury in rats.

PubMed

Bragin, Denis E; Kameneva, Marina V; Bragina, Olga A; Thomson, Susan; Statom, Gloria L; Lara, Devon A; Yang, Yirong; Nemoto, Edwin M

2017-03-01

Cerebral ischemia has been clearly demonstrated after traumatic brain injury (TBI); however, neuroprotective therapies have not focused on improvement of the cerebral microcirculation. Blood soluble drag-reducing polymers (DRP), prepared from high molecular weight polyethylene oxide, target impaired microvascular perfusion by altering the rheological properties of blood and, until our recent reports, has not been applied to the brain. We hypothesized that DRP improve cerebral microcirculation and oxygenation after TBI. DRP were studied in healthy and traumatized rat brains and compared to saline controls. Using in-vivo two-photon laser scanning microscopy over the parietal cortex, we showed that after TBI, nanomolar concentrations of intravascular DRP significantly enhanced microvascular perfusion and tissue oxygenation in peri-contusional areas, preserved blood-brain barrier integrity and protected neurons. The mechanisms of DRP effects were attributable to reduction of the near-vessel wall cell-free layer which increased near-wall blood flow velocity, microcirculatory volume flow, and number of erythrocytes entering capillaries, thereby reducing capillary stasis and tissue hypoxia as reflected by a reduction in NADH. Our results indicate that early reduction in CBF after TBI is mainly due to ischemia; however, metabolic depression of contused tissue could be also involved.

Transient hazard model using radar data for predicting debris flows in Madison County, Virginia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morrissey, M.M.; Wieczorek, G.F.; Morgan, B.A.

2004-01-01

During the rainstorm of June 27, 1995, roughly 330-750 mm of rain fell within a 16-hour period, initiating floods and over 600 debris flows in a small area (130 km2) of Madison County, VA. We developed a distributed version of Iverson's transient response model for regional slope stability analysis for the Madison County debris flows. This version of the model evaluates pore-pressure head response and factor of safety on a regional scale in areas prone to rainfall-induced shallow (<2-3 m) landslides. These calculations used soil properties of shear strength and hydraulic conductivity from laboratory measurements of soil samples collected from field sites where debris flows initiated. Rainfall data collected by radar every 6 minutes provided a basis for calculating the temporal variation of slope stability during the storm. The results demonstrate that the spatial and temporal variation of the factor of safety correlates with the movement of the storm cell. When the rainstorm was treated as two separate rainfall events and a larger hydraulic conductivity and friction angle than the laboratory values were used, the timing and location of landslides predicted by the model were in closer agreement with eyewitness observations of debris flows. Application of spatially variable initial pre-storm water table depth and soil properties may improve both the spatial and temporal prediction of instability.

A method to determine the acoustical properties of locally and nonlocally reacting duct liners in grazing flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Succi, G.

1982-01-01

The acoustical properties of locally and nonlocally reacting acoustical liners in grazing flow are described. The effect of mean flow and shear flow are considered as well as the application to rigid and limp bulk reacting materials. The axial wavenumber of the least attenuated mode in a flow duct is measured. The acoustical properties of duct liners is then deduced from the measured axial wavenumber and known flow profile and boundary conditions. This method is a natural extension of impedance-like measurements.

Spatial variability of herbicide mobilisation and transport at catchment scale: insights from a field experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doppler, T.; Camenzuli, L.; Hirzel, G.; Krauss, M.; Lück, A.; Stamm, C.

2012-07-01

During rain events, herbicides can be transported from their point of application to surface waters, where they may harm aquatic organisms. Since the spatial pattern of mobilisation and transport is heterogeneous, the contributions of different fields to the herbicide load in the stream may vary considerably within one catchment. Therefore, the prediction of contributing areas could help to target mitigation measures efficiently to those locations where they reduce herbicide pollution the most. Such spatial predictions require sufficient insight into the underlying transport processes. To improve the understanding of the process chain of herbicide mobilisation on the field and the subsequent transport through the catchment to the stream, we performed a controlled herbicide application on corn fields in a small agricultural catchment (ca. 1 km2) with intensive crop production in the Swiss Plateau. Water samples were collected at different locations in the catchment (overland flow, tile drains and open channel) for two months after application in 2009, with a high temporal resolution during rain events. We also analysed soil samples from the experimental fields and measured discharge, groundwater level, soil moisture and the occurrence of overland flow at several locations. Several rain events with varying intensities and magnitudes occurred during the study period. Overland flow and erosion were frequently observed in the entire catchment. Infiltration excess and saturation excess overland flow were both observed. However, the main herbicide loss event was dominated by infiltration excess. Despite the frequent and wide-spread occurrence of overland flow, most of this water did not reach the channel directly, but was retained in small depressions in the catchment. From there, it reached the stream via macropores and tile drains. Manholes of the drainage system and storm drains for road and farmyard runoff acted as additional shortcuts to the stream. Although fast flow processes such as overland and macropore flow reduce the influence of the herbicide's chemical properties on transport due to short travel times, sorption properties influenced the herbicide transfer from ponding overland flow to tile drains (macropore flow). However, no influence of sorption was observed during the mobilisation of the herbicides from soil to overland flow. These observations on the role of herbicide properties contradict previous findings to some degree. Furthermore, they demonstrate that valuable insight can be gained by making spatially detailed observations along the flow paths.

An improved Cauchy number approach for predicting the drag and reconfiguration of flexible vegetation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whittaker, Peter; Wilson, Catherine A. M. E.; Aberle, Jochen

2015-09-01

An improved model to describe the drag and reconfiguration of flexible riparian vegetation is proposed. The key improvement over previous models is the use of a refined 'vegetative' Cauchy number to explicitly determine the magnitude and rate of the vegetation's reconfiguration. After being derived from dimensional consideration, the model is applied to two experimental data sets. The first contains high-resolution drag force and physical property measurements for twenty-one foliated and defoliated full-scale trees, including specimens of Alnus glutinosa, Populus nigra and Salix alba. The second data set is independent and of a different scale, consisting of drag force and physical property measurements for natural and artificial branches of willow and poplar, under partially and fully submerged flow conditions. Good agreement between the measured and predicted drag forces is observed for both data sets, especially when compared to a more typical 'rigid' approximation, where the effects of reconfiguration are neglected.

Developing Structure-Property Relationships in Branched Wormlike Micelles via Advanced Rheological and Neutron Scattering Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calabrese, Michelle A.

Surfactant wormlike micelles (WLMs) are of particular scientific interest due to their ability to branch, break, and reform under shear, which can lead to shear banding flow instabilities. The tunable self-assembly of WLMs makes them ubiquitous in applications ranging from consumer products to energy recovery fluids. Altering the topology of WLMs by inducing branching provides a microstructural pathway to design and optimize the flow properties for such targeted applications. The goal of this thesis is to understand the role of micellar branching on the resulting equilibrium and non-equilibrium properties, while advancing instrumentation and analysis methods in rheology and neutron scattering. The degree of branching in the mixed cationic/anionic surfactant solutions is controlled by the addition of sodium tosylate. The equilibrium properties are characterized via small angle neutron scattering (SANS), linear viscoelastic rheology, neutron spin echo, and dynamic light scattering. Combining rheology with spatiotemporally-resolved SANS enables unambiguous identification of non-equilibrium rheological and scattering signatures of branching and shear banding. The nonlinear WLM response is characterized via flow-SANS under steady shear, shear startup, and large amplitude oscillatory shear. New methods of time-resolved data analysis are developed, which improve experimental resolution by several-fold. Shear-induced orientation is a complex function of branching level, radial position, and deformation type. The structural mechanisms behind shear band formation are elucidated for steady and dynamic flows, which depend on branching level. Shear banding disappears at high branching levels for all deformation types. These responses are used to validate constitutive modeling predictions of dynamic shear banding for the first time. Finally, quantitative metrics to predict shear banding from rheology or flow-induced orientation are developed. Together, advanced rheological and neutron techniques provide a platform for creating structure-property relationships that predict flow and structural phenomena in WLMs and other soft materials. These methods have enabled characteristic differences in linear versus branched WLMs to be determined. This research is part of a broader effort to characterize branching in polymers and self-assembled systems, and may aid in the formulation of WLMs for specific applications. Finally, this work provides a basis for testing and developing microstructure-based constitutive equations that incorporate micellar breakage and branching.

Free-surface flow of liquid oxygen under non-uniform magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bao, Shi-Ran; Zhang, Rui-Ping; Wang, Kai; Zhi, Xiao-Qin; Qiu, Li-Min

2017-01-01

The paramagnetic property of oxygen makes it possible to control the two-phase flow at cryogenic temperatures by non-uniform magnetic fields. The free-surface flow of vapor-liquid oxygen in a rectangular channel was numerically studied using the two-dimensional phase field method. The effects of magnetic flux density and inlet velocity on the interface deformation, flow pattern and pressure drop were systematically revealed. The liquid level near the high-magnetic channel center was lifted upward by the inhomogeneous magnetic field. The interface height difference increased almost linearly with the magnetic force. For all inlet velocities, pressure drop under 0.25 T was reduced by 7-9% due to the expanded local cross-sectional area, compared to that without magnetic field. This work demonstrates the effectiveness of employing non-uniform magnetic field to control the free-surface flow of liquid oxygen. This non-contact method may be used for promoting the interface renewal, reducing the flow resistance, and improving the flow uniformity in the cryogenic distillation column, which may provide a potential for enhancing the operating efficiency of cryogenic air separation.

The Model Analysis of Inclusion Moving in the Swirl Flow Zone Sourcing from the Inner-Swirl-Type Turbulence Controller in Tundish

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Yan; Ye, Chen; Luo, Xiao; Yuan, Hui; Cheng, Changgui

2017-05-01

In order to improve the inclusion removal property of the tundish, the mathematic model for simulation of the flow field sourced from inner-swirl-type turbulence controller (ISTTC) was developed, in which there were six blades arranged with an eccentric angle (θ) counterclockwise. Based on the mathematical and water model, the effect of inclusion removal in the swirling flow field formed by ISTTC was analyzed. It was found that ISTTC had got the better effect of inhibiting turbulence in tundish than traditional turbulence inhibitor (TI). As the blades eccentric angle (θ) of ISTTC increasing, the intensity of swirling flow above it increased. The maximum rotate speed of fluid in swirling flow band driven by ISTTC (θ=45°) was equal to 25 rmp. Based on the force analysis of inclusion in swirling flow sourced from ISTTC, the removal effect of medium size inclusion by ISTTC was attributed to the centripetal force (Fct) of swirling flow, but removal effect of ISTTC to small size inclusion was more depend on its better turbulence depression behavior.

Multiscale properties of weighted total variation flow with applications to denoising and registration.

PubMed

Athavale, Prashant; Xu, Robert; Radau, Perry; Nachman, Adrian; Wright, Graham A

2015-07-01

Images consist of structures of varying scales: large scale structures such as flat regions, and small scale structures such as noise, textures, and rapidly oscillatory patterns. In the hierarchical (BV, L(2)) image decomposition, Tadmor, et al. (2004) start with extracting coarse scale structures from a given image, and successively extract finer structures from the residuals in each step of the iterative decomposition. We propose to begin instead by extracting the finest structures from the given image and then proceed to extract increasingly coarser structures. In most images, noise could be considered as a fine scale structure. Thus, starting the image decomposition with finer scales, rather than large scales, leads to fast denoising. We note that our approach turns out to be equivalent to the nonstationary regularization in Scherzer and Weickert (2000). The continuous limit of this procedure leads to a time-scaled version of total variation flow. Motivated by specific clinical applications, we introduce an image depending weight in the regularization functional, and study the corresponding weighted TV flow. We show that the edge-preserving property of the multiscale representation of an input image obtained with the weighted TV flow can be enhanced and localized by appropriate choice of the weight. We use this in developing an efficient and edge-preserving denoising algorithm with control on speed and localization properties. We examine analytical properties of the weighted TV flow that give precise information about the denoising speed and the rate of change of energy of the images. An additional contribution of the paper is to use the images obtained at different scales for robust multiscale registration. We show that the inherently multiscale nature of the weighted TV flow improved performance for registration of noisy cardiac MRI images, compared to other methods such as bilateral or Gaussian filtering. A clinical application of the multiscale registration algorithm is also demonstrated for aligning viability assessment magnetic resonance (MR) images from 8 patients with previous myocardial infarctions. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Quick reproduction of blast-wave flow-field properties of nuclear, TNT, and ANFO explosions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Groth, C. P. T.

1986-04-01

In many instances, extensive blast-wave flow-field properties are required in gasdynamics research studies of blast-wave loading and structure response, and in evaluating the effects of explosions on their environment. This report provides a very useful computer code, which can be used in conjunction with the DNA Nuclear Blast Standard subroutines and code, to quickly reconstruct complete and fairly accurate blast-wave data for almost any free-air (spherical) and surface-burst (hemispherical) nuclear, trinitrotoluene (TNT), or ammonium nitrate-fuel oil (ANFO) explosion. This code is capable of computing all of the main flow properties as functions of radius and time, as well as providing additional information regarding air viscosity, reflected shock-wave properties, and the initial decay of the flow properties just behind the shock front. Both spatial and temporal distributions of the major blast-wave flow properties are also made readily available. Finally, provisions are also included in the code to provide additional information regarding the peak or shock-front flow properties over a range of radii, for a specific explosion of interest.

Pulsatile perfusion bioreactor for cardiac tissue engineering.

PubMed

Brown, Melissa A; Iyer, Rohin K; Radisic, Milica

2008-01-01

Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of mortality in North America. Cardiac tissue engineering aims to engineer a contractile patch of physiological thickness to use in surgical repair of diseased heart tissue. We previously reported that perfusion of engineered cardiac constructs resulted in improved tissue assembly. Because heart tissues respond to mechanical stimuli in vitro and experience rhythmic mechanical forces during contraction in vivo, we hypothesized that provision of pulsatile interstitial medium flow to an engineered cardiac patch would result in enhanced tissue assembly by way of mechanical conditioning and improved mass transport. Thus, we constructed a novel perfusion bioreactor capable of providing pulsatile fluid flow at physiologically relevant shear stresses and flow rates. Pulsatile perfusion (PP) was achieved by incorporation of a normally closed solenoid pinch valve into the perfusion loop and was carried out at a frequency of 1 Hz and a flow rate of 1.50 mL/min (PP) or 0.32 mL/min (PP-LF). Nonpulsatile flow at 1.50 mL/min (NP) or 0.32 mL/min (NP-LF) served as controls. Static controls were cultivated in well plates. The main experimental groups were seeded with cells enriched for cardiomyocytes by one preplating step (64% cardiac Troponin I+, 34% prolyl-4-hydroxylase+), whereas pure cardiac fibroblasts and cells enriched for cardiomyocytes by two preplating steps (81% cardiac Troponin I+, 16% prolyl-4-hydroxylase+) served as controls. Cultivation under pulsatile flow had beneficial effects on contractile properties. Specifically, the excitation threshold was significantly lower in the PP condition (pulsatile perfusion at 1.50 mL/min) than in the Static control, and the contraction amplitude was the highest; whereas high maximum capture rate was observed for the PP-LF conditions (pulsatile perfusion at 0.32 mL/min). The enhanced hypertrophy index observed for the PP-LF group was consistent with the highest cellular length and diameter in this group. Within the same cultivation groups (Static, NP-LF, PP-LF, PP, and NP) there were no significant differences in the diameter between fibroblasts and cardiomyocytes, although cardiomyocytes were significantly more elongated than fibroblasts under PP-LF conditions. Cultivation of control cell populations resulted in noncontractile constructs when cardiac fibroblasts were used (as expected) and no overall improvement in functional properties when two steps of preplating were used to enrich for cardiomyocytes in comparison with only one step of preplating.

Virus removal by unsaturated wastewater filtration: effects of biofilm accumulation and hydrophobicity.

PubMed

Heistad, A; Scott, T; Skaarer, A M; Seidu, R; Hanssen, J F; Stenström, T A

2009-01-01

Enhanced treatment of septic tank effluent can improve the hydraulic function and performance of infiltration systems and constructed wetlands. By intermittent spray application of septic tank effluent onto a coarse-grained filter media, an unsaturated flow regime beneficial for pathogen removal is created. A column filtration study showed an increase in PRD-1 removal by time of operation with corresponding biofilm accumulation in the filter material. The same increased removal was observed for 1 mum polystyrene beads, irrespective of their hydrophilic/hydrophobic surface properties. A control experiment with sorption of 1 mum hydrophobic and hydrophilic polystyrene beads to different glass surfaces with hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties indicate that mechanisms other than hydrophobic interactions may govern the rate of attachment to the filter media. For a given volumetric flow-rate in the columns, the presence of biofilm altered the hydrodynamic characteristics and this resulted in increased retention time and particle removal.

Petrophysical properties, mineralogy, fractures, and flow tests in 25 deep boreholes at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nelson, Philip H.; Kibler, Joyce E.

2014-01-01

As part of a site investigation for the disposal of radioactive waste, numerous boreholes were drilled into a sequence of Miocene pyroclastic flows and related deposits at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. This report contains displays of data from 25 boreholes drilled during 1979–1984, relatively early in the site investigation program. Geophysical logs and hydrological tests were conducted in the boreholes; core and cuttings analyses yielded data on mineralogy, fractures, and physical properties; and geologic descriptions provided lithology boundaries and the degree of welding of the rock units. Porosity and water content were computed from the geophysical logs, and porosity results were combined with mineralogy from x-ray diffraction to provide whole-rock volume fractions. These data were composited on plates and used by project personnel during the 1990s. Improvements in scanning and computer technology now make it possible to publish these displays.

Performance back-deduction from a loading to flow coefficient map: Application to radial turbine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carbonneau, Xavier; Binder, Nicolas

2012-12-01

Radial turbine stages are often used for applications requiring off-design operation, as turbocharging for instance. The off-design ability of such stages is commonly analyzed through the traditional turbine map, plotting the reduced mass-flow against the pressure-ratio, for reduced-speed lines. However, some alternatives are possible, such as the flow-coefficient ( Ψ) to loading-coefficient ( φ) diagram where the pressure-ratio lines are actually straight lines, very convenient property to perform prediction. A robust method re-creating this map from a predicted Ψ-φ diagram is needed. Recent work has shown that this back-deduction quality, without the use of any loss models, depends on the knowledge of an intermediate pressure-ratio. A modelization of this parameter is then proposed. The comparison with both experimental and CFD results is presented, with quite good agreement for mass flow rate and rotational speed, and for the intermediate pressure ratio. The last part of the paper is dedicated to the application of the intermediate pressure-ratio knowledge to the improvement of the deduction of the pressure ratio lines in the Ψ-φ diagram. Beside this improvement, the back-deduction method of the classical map is structured, applied and evaluated.

Simulating Heterogeneous Infiltration and Contaminant leaching Processes at Chalk River, Ontario

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali, M. A.; Ireson, A. M.; Keim, D.

2015-12-01

A study is conducted at a waste management area in Chalk River, Ontario to characterize flow and contaminant transport with the aim of contributing to improved hydrogeological risk assessment in the context of waste management. Field monitoring has been performed to gain insights into the unsaturated zone characteristics, moisture dynamics, and contaminant transport rates. The objective is to provide quantitative estimates of surface fluxes (quantification of infiltration and evaporation) and investigations of unsaturated zone processes controlling water infiltration and spatial variability in head distributions and flow rates. One particular issue is to examine the effectiveness of the clayey soil cap installed to prevent infiltration of water into the waste repository and the top sand soil cover above the clayey layer to divert the infiltrated water laterally. The spatial variability in the unsaturated zone properties and associated effects on water flow and contaminant transport observed at the site, have led to a concerted effort to develop improved model of flow and transport based on stochastic concepts. Results obtained through the unsaturated zone model investigations are combined with the hydrogeological and geochemical components and develop predictive tools to assess the long term fate of the contaminants at the waste management site.

Andic soil features and debris flows in Italy. New perspective towards prediction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scognamiglio, Solange; Calcaterra, Domenico; Iamarino, Michela; Langella, Giuliano; Orefice, Nadia; Vingiani, Simona; Terribile, Fabio

2016-04-01

Debris flows are dangerous hazards causing fatalities and damage. Previous works have demonstrated that the materials involved by debris flows in Campania (southern Italy) are soils classified as Andosols. These soils have peculiar chemical and physical properties which make them fertile but also vulnerable to landslide. In Italy, andic soil properties are found both in volcanic and non-volcanic mountain ecosystems (VME and NVME). Here, we focused on the assessment of the main chemical and physical properties of the soils in the detachment areas of eight debris flows occurred in NVME of Italy in the last 70 years. Such landslides were selected by consulting the official Italian geodatabase (IFFI Project). Andic properties (by means of ammonium oxalate extractable Fe, Si and Al forms for the calculation of Alo+1/2Feo) were also evaluated and a comparison with soils of VME was performed to assess possible common features. Landslide source areas were characterised by slope gradient ranging from 25° to 50° and lithological heterogeneity of the bedrock. The soils showed similar, i.e. all were very deep, had a moderately thick topsoil with a high organic carbon (OC) content decreasing regularly with depth. The cation exchange capacity trend was generally consistent with the OC and the pH varied from extremely to slightly acid, but increased with depth. Furthermore, the soils had high water retention values both at saturation (0.63 to 0.78 cm3 cm-3) and in the dryer part of the water retention curve, and displayed a prevalent loamy texture. Such properties denote the chemical and physical fertility of the investigated ecosystems. The values of Alo+1/2Feoindicated that the soils had vitric or andic features and can be classified as Andosols. The comparison between NVME soils and those of VME showed similar depth, thickness of soil horizons, and family texture, whereas soil pH, degree of development of andic properties and allophane content were higher for VME soils. Such results are consistent with the different soil environments; indeed, in VME a continuous soil enrichment of weatherable volcanic glass affects both soil pH and formation of short range order clay minerals. In conclusion, the direct relationship between debris flows and Andosols, previously found in the Campania VME, is confirmed in some NVME. These findings highlight the similarity of the materials involved by debris flows both in VME and NVME and suggest the existence of a pedological control on debris flow initiation. Furthermore, these results encourage a further extension of soil studies to other European mountain ecosystems. The evidence that andic soils may play a crucial role in debris flows initiation in Italy enables to develop a new strategy for debris flows forecasting. For the case of Sarno 1998 landslides, we provide an example of innovative approach exploring the results obtained by combining the spatial distribution of these andic soils with "on the fly" simulation modelling of the soil water balance, using real time weather forecasting data. The obtained results enable to develop promising Geospatial Decision Support Systems to improve our ability to predict debris flows on soil-covered slopes.

Rheology of tissue conditioners.

PubMed

Murata, H; Hamada, T; Djulaeha, E; Nikawa, H

1998-02-01

Tissue conditioners can be used to condition abused tissues, record functional impressions, make temporary relinings, and for other clinical applications, mainly because of their specific viscoelasticity. However, little information is available on the rheology of the materials, manipulation, and suitability for various clinical applications. This study evaluated the gelation times, the viscoelastic properties after gelation of tissue conditioners, and the influence of the powder/liquid (P/L) ratio. Ten tissue conditioners were used and gelation times were obtained with an oscillating rheometer. A series of stress relaxation tests were also conducted to evaluate the viscoelastic properties after gelation and the changes with the passage of time by means of Maxwell model analogies. Significant differences were found in the gelation times and flow properties after gelation among the materials mixed with the P/L ratios recommended by the manufacturers. The flow properties tended to increase with time of storage. Large differences in the limits of the clinically acceptable P/L ratios and the adjustable limits of elasticity and viscosity by altering P/L ratios were found among the materials. The results suggested that each material should be selected according to each clinical purpose because of the wide ranges of viscoelastic properties and changes in viscoelasticity with time among the materials. Furthermore, gelation times and the viscoelastic properties after gelation can be controlled to improve handling and suit various applications by altering the P/L ratios within the acceptable limits.

Large-scale field testing on flexible shallow landslide barriers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bugnion, Louis; Volkwein, Axel; Wendeler, Corinna; Roth, Andrea

2010-05-01

Open shallow landslides occur regularly in a wide range of natural terrains. Generally, they are difficult to predict and result in damages to properties and disruption of transportation systems. In order to improve the knowledge about the physical process itself and to develop new protection measures, large-scale field experiments were conducted in Veltheim, Switzerland. Material was released down a 30° inclined test slope into a flexible barrier. The flow as well as the impact into the barrier was monitored using various measurement techniques. Laser devices recording flow heights, a special force plate measuring normal and shear basal forces as well as load cells for impact pressures were installed along the test slope. In addition, load cells were built in the support and retaining cables of the barrier to provide data for detailed back-calculation of load distribution during impact. For the last test series an additional guiding wall in flow direction on both sides of the barrier was installed to achieve higher impact pressures in the middle of the barrier. With these guiding walls the flow is not able to spread out before hitting the barrier. A special constructed release mechanism simulating the sudden failure of the slope was designed such that about 50 m3 of mixed earth and gravel saturated with water can be released in an instant. Analysis of cable forces combined with impact pressures and velocity measurements during a test series allow us now to develop a load model for the barrier design. First numerical simulations with the software tool FARO, originally developed for rockfall barriers and afterwards calibrated for debris flow impacts, lead already to structural improvements on barrier design. Decisive for the barrier design is the first dynamic impact pressure depending on the flow velocity and afterwards the hydrostatic pressure of the complete retained material behind the barrier. Therefore volume estimation of open shallow landslides by assessing the thickness of the failure layer and the width of the possible failure are essential for the required barrier design parameter height and width. First results of the calculated drag coefficients of dynamic impact pressure measurements showed that the dynamic coefficient cw is much lower than 1.0 which is contradictory to most of existing dimensioning property protection guidelines. It appears to us that special adaptation to the system like smaller mesh sizes and special ground-barrier interface compared to normal rock-fall barriers and channelised debris flow barriers are necessary to improve the retention behavior of shallow landslide barriers. Detailed analysis of the friction coefficient in relationship with pore water pressure measurements gives interesting insights into the dynamic of fluid-solid mixed flows. Impact pressures dependencies on flow features are analyzed and discussed with respect to existing models and guidelines for shallow landslides.

Thermosets as compatibilizers at the isotactic polypropylene film and thermomechanical pulp fiber interphase

Treesearch

Sangyeob Lee; Todd F. Shupe; Chung Y. Hse

2008-01-01

The objective of this study was to improve interfacial adhesion properties at the interface of thermomechanical pulp (TMP) fiber and isotactic polypropylene (iPP) using thermoset adhesives such as phenol formaldehyde (PF) and urea formaldehyde (UF). This study also attempted to achieve fiber-to-fiber adhesion using thermoset adhesives before the molten iPP would flow...

Optical coherence tomography angiography offers comprehensive evaluation of skin optical clearing in vivo by quantifying optical properties and blood flow imaging simultaneously

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Li; Shi, Rui; Zhang, Chao; Zhu, Dan; Ding, Zhihua; Li, Peng

2016-08-01

Tissue optical clearing (TOC) is helpful for reducing scattering and enhancing the penetration depth of light, and shows promising potential in optimizing optical imaging performances. A mixture of fructose with PEG-400 and thiazone (FPT) is used as an optical clearing agent in mouse dorsal skin and evaluated with OCT angiography (Angio-OCT) by quantifying optical properties and blood flow imaging simultaneously. It is observed that FPT leads to an improved imaging performance for the deeper tissues. The imaging performance improvement is most likely caused by the FPT-induced dehydration of skin, and the reduction of scattering coefficient (more than ˜40.5%) and refractive-index mismatching (more than ˜25.3%) in the superficial (epidermal, dermal, and hypodermal) layers. A high correlation (up to ˜90%) between the relative changes in refractive-index mismatching and Angio-OCT signal strength is measured. The optical clearing rate is ˜5.83×10-5 cm/s. In addition, Angio-OCT demonstrates enhanced performance in imaging cutaneous hemodynamics with satisfactory spatiotemporal resolution and contrast when combined with TOC, which exhibits a powerful practical application in studying microcirculation.

Preparation and Preliminary Dialysis Performance Research of Polyvinylidene Fluoride Hollow Fiber Membranes

PubMed Central

Zhang, Qinglei; Lu, Xiaolong; Liu, Juanjuan; Zhao, Lihua

2015-01-01

In this study, the separation properties of Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) hollow fiber hemodialysis membranes were improved by optimizing membrane morphology and structure. The results showed that the PVDF membrane had better mechanical and separation properties than Fresenius Polysulfone High-Flux (F60S) membrane. The PVDF membrane tensile stress at break, tensile elongation and bursting pressure were 11.3 MPa, 395% and 0.625 MPa, respectively. Ultrafiltration (UF) flux of pure water reached 108.2 L∙h−1∙m−2 and rejection of Albumin from bovine serum was 82.3%. The PVDF dialyzers were prepared by centrifugal casting. The influences of membrane area and simulate fluid flow rate on dialysis performance were investigated. The results showed that the clearance rate of urea and Lysozyme (LZM) were improved with increasing membrane area and fluid flow rate while the rejection of albumin from bovine serum (BSA) had little influence. The high-flux PVDF dialyzer UF coefficient reached 62.6 mL/h/mmHg. The PVDF dialyzer with membrane area 0.69 m2 has the highest clearance rate to LZM and urea. The clearance rate of LZM was 66.8% and urea was 87.7%. PMID:25807890

Flowability of lignocellusic biomass powders: influence of torrefaction intensity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pachón-Morales, John; Colin, Julien; Pierre, Floran; Champavert, Thibaut; Puel, François; Perré, Patrick

2017-06-01

The poor flowability of powders produced from raw lignocellulosic biomass may be an economically issue for the production of second-generation biofuels. Torrefaction is a pre-treatment step of the gasification process that improves the physical characteristics of biomass by making it more coal-like. Particularly, the loss of resilience allows a reduction of the grinding energy consumption and is likely to improve the flow behaviour of woody powders. In this study, we investigated the effect of particle size and shape distribution on flow properties (unconfined yield stress and flowability factor) of powder from raw and torrefied biomass (Picea abies). Several intensities of torrefaction were tested, and its extent was quantified by the global mass loss, chosen as synthetic indicator of torrefaction intensity (its accounts for both the temperature level and the residence time). The intensity of torrefaction shifts the particle size distribution towards smaller sizes. An effect on the circularity and aspect ratio was also observed. A strong, positive correlation was obtained between the measured flowability of biomass powders at different consolidation stresses and the intensity of heat treatment. These results confirm the interest of torrefaction as a pre-treatment step and aim to provide new knowledge on rheological properties of biomass powders.

A watershed model to integrate EO data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jauch, Eduardo; Chambel-Leitao, Pedro; Carina, Almeida; Brito, David; Cherif, Ines; Alexandridis, Thomas; Neves, Ramiro

2013-04-01

MOHID LAND is a open source watershed model developed by MARETEC and is part of the MOHID Framework. It integrates four mediums (or compartments): porous media, surface, rivers and atmosphere. The movement of water between these mediums are based on mass and momentum balance equations. The atmosphere medium is not explicity simulated. Instead, it's used as boundary condition to the model through meteorological properties: precipitation, solar radiation, wind speed/direction, relative humidity and air temperature. The surface medium includes the overland runoff and vegetation growth processes and is simulated using a 2D grid. The porous media includes both the unsaturated (soil) and saturated zones (aquifer) and is simulated using a 3D grid. The river flow is simulated through a 1D drainage network. All these mediums are linked through evapotranspiration and flow exchanges (infiltration, river-soil growndwater flow, surface-river overland flow). Besides the water movement, it is also possible to simulate water quality processes and solute/sediment transport. Model setup include the definition of the geometry and the properties of each one of its compartments. After the setup of the model, the only continuous input data that MOHID LAND requires are the atmosphere properties (boundary conditions) that can be provided as timeseries or spacial data. MOHID LAND has been adapted the last 4 years under FP7 and ESA projects to integrate Earth Observation (EO) data, both variable in time and in space. EO data can be used to calibrate/validate or as input/assimilation data to the model. The currently EO data used include LULC (Land Use Land Cover) maps, LAI (Leaf Area Index) maps, EVTP (Evapotranspiration) maps and SWC (Soil Water Content) maps. Model results are improved by the EO data, but the advantage of this integration is that the model can still run without the EO data. This means that model do not stop due to unavailability of EO data and can run on a forecast mode. The LCLU maps are coupled with a database that transforms land use into model properties through lookup tables. The LAI maps, usually based on NDVI satellite images, can be used directly as input to the model. When the vegetation growth is being simulated, the use of a LAI distributed in space improve the model results, by improving, for example, the estimated evapotranspiration, the estimated values of biomass, the nutrient uptake, etc. MOHID LAND calculates a Reference Evapotranspiration (rEVTP), based on the meteorological properties. The Actual Evapotranspiration (aEVTP) is then computed based on vegetation transpiration, soil evaporation and the available water in soil. Alternatively, EO derived maps of EVTP can be used as input to the model, in the place of the rEVTP, or even in the place of the aEVTP, both being provided as boundary condition. The same can be done with SWC maps, that can be used to initialize the model soil water content. The integration of EO data with MOHID LAND was tested and is being continuously developed and applied for support farmers and to help water managers to improve the water management.

Multi-Scale Long-Range Magnitude and Sign Correlations in Vertical Upward Oil-Gas-Water Three-Phase Flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, An; Jin, Ning-de; Ren, Ying-yu; Zhu, Lei; Yang, Xia

2016-01-01

In this article we apply an approach to identify the oil-gas-water three-phase flow patterns in vertical upwards 20 mm inner-diameter pipe based on the conductance fluctuating signals. We use the approach to analyse the signals with long-range correlations by decomposing the signal increment series into magnitude and sign series and extracting their scaling properties. We find that the magnitude series relates to nonlinear properties of the original time series, whereas the sign series relates to the linear properties. The research shows that the oil-gas-water three-phase flows (slug flow, churn flow, bubble flow) can be classified by a combination of scaling exponents of magnitude and sign series. This study provides a new way of characterising linear and nonlinear properties embedded in oil-gas-water three-phase flows.

Experimental and numerical investigation of hydro power generator ventilation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jamshidi, H.; Nilsson, H.; Chernoray, V.

2014-03-01

Improvements in ventilation and cooling offer means to run hydro power generators at higher power output and at varying operating conditions. The electromagnetic, frictional and windage losses generate heat. The heat is removed by an air flow that is driven by fans and/or the rotor itself. The air flow goes through ventilation channels in the stator, to limit the electrical insulation temperatures. The temperature should be kept limited and uniform in both time and space, avoiding thermal stresses and hot-spots. For that purpose it is important that the flow of cooling air is distributed uniformly, and that flow separation and recirculation are minimized. Improvements of the air flow properties also lead to an improvement of the overall efficiency of the machine. A significant part of the windage losses occurs at the entrance of the stator ventilation channels, where the air flow turns abruptly from tangential to radial. The present work focuses exclusively on the air flow inside a generator model, and in particular on the flow inside the stator channels. The generator model design of the present work is based on a real generator that was previously studied. The model is manufactured taking into consideration the needs of both the experimental and numerical methodologies. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) results have been used in the process of designing the experimental setup. The rotor and stator are manufactured using rapid-prototyping and plexi-glass, yielding a high geometrical accuracy, and optical experimental access. A special inlet section is designed for accurate air flow rate and inlet velocity profile measurements. The experimental measurements include Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and total pressure measurements inside the generator. The CFD simulations are performed based on the OpenFOAM CFD toolbox, and the steady-state frozen rotor approach. Specific studies are performed, on the effect of adding "pick-up" to spacers, and the effects of the inlet fan blades on the flow rate through the model. The CFD results capture the experimental flow details to a reasonable level of accuracy.

SHINE Tritium Nozzle Design: Activity 6, Task 1 Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Okhuysen, Brett S.; Pulliam, Elias Noel

In FY14, we studied the qualitative and quantitative behavior of a SHINE/PNL tritium nozzle under varying operating conditions. The result is an understanding of the nozzle’s performance in terms of important flow features that manifest themselves under different parametric profiles. In FY15, we will consider nozzle design with a focus on nozzle geometry and integration. From FY14 work, we will understand how the SHINE/PNL nozzle behaves under different operating scenarios. The first task for FY15 is to evaluate the FY14 model as a predictor of the actual flow. Considering different geometries is more time-intensive than parameter studies, therefore we recommendmore » considering any relevant flow features that were not included in the FY14 model. In the absence of experimental data, it is particularly important to consider any sources of heat in the domain or boundary conditions that may affect the flow and incorporate these into the simulation if they are significant. Additionally, any geometric features of the beamline segment should be added to the model such as the orifice plate. The FY14 model works with hydrogen. An improvement that can be made for FY15 is to develop CFD properties for tritium and incorporate those properties into the new models.« less

Use of limestone powder during incorporation of Pb-containing cathode ray tube waste in self-compacting concrete.

PubMed

Sua-iam, Gritsada; Makul, Natt

2013-10-15

For several decades, cathode ray tubes (CRTs) were the primary display component of televisions and computers. The CRT glass envelope contains sufficient levels of lead oxide (PbO) to be considered hazardous, and there is a need for effective methods of permanently encapsulating this material during waste disposal. We examined the effect of adding limestone powder (LS) on the fresh and cured properties of self-compacting concrete (SCC) mixtures containing waste CRT glass. The SCC mixtures were prepared using Type 1 Portland cement at a constant cement content of 600 kg/m(3) and a water-to-cement ratio (w/c) of 0.38. CRT glass waste cullet was blended with river sand in proportions of 20 or 40% by weight. To suppress potential viscosity effects limestone powder was added at levels of 5, 10, or 15% by weight. The slump flow time, slump flow diameter, V-funnel flow time, Marsh cone flow time, and setting time of the fresh concrete were tested, as well as the compressive strength and ultrasonic pulse velocity of the hardened concrete. Addition of limestone powder improved the fresh and hardened properties. Pb leaching levels from the cured concrete were within US EPA allowable limits. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

3D-printed conductive static mixers enable all-vanadium redox flow battery using slurry electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Percin, Korcan; Rommerskirchen, Alexandra; Sengpiel, Robert; Gendel, Youri; Wessling, Matthias

2018-03-01

State-of-the-art all-vanadium redox flow batteries employ porous carbonaceous materials as electrodes. The battery cells possess non-scalable fixed electrodes inserted into a cell stack. In contrast, a conductive particle network dispersed in the electrolyte, known as slurry electrode, may be beneficial for a scalable redox flow battery. In this work, slurry electrodes are successfully introduced to an all-vanadium redox flow battery. Activated carbon and graphite powder particles are dispersed up to 20 wt% in the vanadium electrolyte and charge-discharge behavior is inspected via polarization studies. Graphite powder slurry is superior over activated carbon with a polarization behavior closer to the standard graphite felt electrodes. 3D-printed conductive static mixers introduced to the slurry channel improve the charge transfer via intensified slurry mixing and increased surface area. Consequently, a significant increase in the coulombic efficiency up to 95% and energy efficiency up to 65% is obtained. Our results show that slurry electrodes supported by conductive static mixers can be competitive to state-of-the-art electrodes yielding an additional degree of freedom in battery design. Research into carbon properties (particle size, internal surface area, pore size distribution) tailored to the electrolyte system and optimization of the mixer geometry may yield even better battery properties.

Numerical Simulation of Shock/Detonation-Deformable-Particle Interaction with Constrained Interface Reinitialization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Ju; Jackson, Thomas; Balachandar, Sivaramakrishnan

2015-06-01

We will develop a computational model built upon our verified and validated in-house SDT code to provide improved description of the multiphase blast wave dynamics where solid particles are considered deformable and can even undergo phase transitions. Our SDT computational framework includes a reactive compressible flow solver with sophisticated material interface tracking capability and realistic equation of state (EOS) such as Mie-Gruneisen EOS for multiphase flow modeling. The behavior of diffuse interface models by Shukla et al. (2010) and Tiwari et al. (2013) at different shock impedance ratio will be first examined and characterized. The recent constrained interface reinitialization by Shukla (2014) will then be developed to examine if conservation property can be improved. This work was supported in part by the U.S. Department of Energy and by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency.

Development of a numerical model to simulate groundwater flow in the shallow aquifer system of Assateague Island, Maryland and Virginia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Masterson, John P.; Fienen, Michael N.; Gesch, Dean B.; Carlson, Carl S.

2013-01-01

A three-dimensional groundwater-flow model was developed for Assateague Island in eastern Maryland and Virginia to simulate both groundwater flow and solute (salt) transport to evaluate the groundwater system response to sea-level rise. The model was constructed using geologic and spatial information to represent the island geometry, boundaries, and physical properties and was calibrated using an inverse modeling parameter-estimation technique. An initial transient solute-transport simulation was used to establish the freshwater-saltwater boundary for a final calibrated steady-state model of groundwater flow. This model was developed as part of an ongoing investigation by the U.S. Geological Survey Climate and Land Use Change Research and Development Program to improve capabilities for predicting potential climate-change effects and provide the necessary tools for adaptation and mitigation of potentially adverse impacts.

Combustion of hydrogen injected into a supersonic airstream (a guide to the HISS computer program)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dyer, D. F.; Maples, G.; Spalding, D. B.

1976-01-01

A computer program based on a finite-difference, implicit numerical integration scheme is described for the prediction of hydrogen injected into a supersonic airstream at an angle ranging from normal to parallel to the airstream main flow direction. Results of calculations for flow and thermal property distributions were compared with 'cold flow data' taken by NASA/Langley and show excellent correlation. Typical results for equilibrium combustion are presented and exhibit qualitatively plausible behavior. Computer time required for a given case is approximately one minute on a CDC 7600. A discussion of the assumption of parabolic flow in the injection region is given which demonstrates that improvement in calculation in this region could be obtained by a partially-parabolic procedure which has been developed. It is concluded that the technique described provides an efficient and reliable means for analyzing hydrogen injection into supersonic airstreams and the subsequent combustion.

Elements of an improved model of debris‐flow motion

USGS Publications Warehouse

Iverson, Richard M.

2009-01-01

A new depth‐averaged model of debris‐flow motion describes simultaneous evolution of flow velocity and depth, solid and fluid volume fractions, and pore‐fluid pressure. Non‐hydrostatic pore‐fluid pressure is produced by dilatancy, a state‐dependent property that links the depth‐averaged shear rate and volumetric strain rate of the granular phase. Pore‐pressure changes caused by shearing allow the model to exhibit rate‐dependent flow resistance, despite the fact that the basal shear traction involves only rate‐independent Coulomb friction. An analytical solution of simplified model equations shows that the onset of downslope motion can be accelerated or retarded by pore‐pressure change, contingent on whether dilatancy is positive or negative. A different analytical solution shows that such effects will likely be muted if downslope motion continues long enough, because dilatancy then evolves toward zero, and volume fractions and pore pressure concurrently evolve toward steady states.

Elements of an improved model of debris-flow motion

USGS Publications Warehouse

Iverson, R.M.

2009-01-01

A new depth-averaged model of debris-flow motion describes simultaneous evolution of flow velocity and depth, solid and fluid volume fractions, and pore-fluid pressure. Non-hydrostatic pore-fluid pressure is produced by dilatancy, a state-dependent property that links the depth-averaged shear rate and volumetric strain rate of the granular phase. Pore-pressure changes caused by shearing allow the model to exhibit rate-dependent flow resistance, despite the fact that the basal shear traction involves only rate-independent Coulomb friction. An analytical solution of simplified model equations shows that the onset of downslope motion can be accelerated or retarded by pore-pressure change, contingent on whether dilatancy is positive or negative. A different analytical solution shows that such effects will likely be muted if downslope motion continues long enough, because dilatancy then evolves toward zero, and volume fractions and pore pressure concurrently evolve toward steady states. ?? 2009 American Institute of Physics.

Cascade flow analysis by Navier-Stokes equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nozaki, Osamu

1987-06-01

As the performance of the large electronic computer has improved, numerical simulation of the flow around the blade of the aircraft, for instance, is being actively conducted. In the compressor and turbine cascades of aircraft engine, multiple blades are put side by side closely, and the pressure gradient in the flow direction is large. Thus they have more complicated properties than the independent blade. At present, therefore, it is the mainstream to use potential, Euler's equation, etc., as the basic equation but, for knowing the phenomenon caused by the viscosity like the interference of shock waves and boundary layers, it is necessary to solve the Navier-Stokes (N-S) equation. A two-dimensional cascade analysis program was developed by the N-S equation by expanding the two-dimensional high Reynolds number transonic profile analysis code NSFOIL and the lattice formation program AFMESH for the independent blade, which were already developed so as to fit the cascade flow.

Cold flow properties of biodiesel: A guide to getting an accurate analysis

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Biodiesel has several advantages compared to conventional diesel fuel (petrodiesel). Nevertheless, biodiesel has poor cold flow properties that may restrict its use in moderate climates. It is essential that the cold flow properties of biodiesel and its blends with petrodiesel be measured as accurat...

Design and aerodynamic performance evaluation of a high-work mixed flow turbine stage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neri, Remo N.; Elliott, Thomas J.; Marsh, David N.; Civinskas, Kestutis C.

1994-01-01

As axial and radial turbine designs have been pushed to their aerothermodynamic and mechanical limits, the mixed-flow turbine (MFT) concept has been projected to offer performance and durability improvements, especially when ceramic materials are considered. The objective of this NASA/U.S. Army sponsored mixed-flow turbine (AMFT) program was to determine the level of performance attainable with MFT technology within the mechanical constraints of 1997 projected ceramic material properties. The MFT geometry is similar to a radial turbine, exhibiting a large radius change from inlet to exit, but differing in that the inlet flowpath is not purely radial, nor axial, but mixed; it is the inlet geometry that gives rise to the name 'mixed-flow'. The 'mixed' orientation of the turbine inlet offers several advantages over radial designs by allowing a nonzero inlet blade angle yet maintaining radial-element blades. The oblique inlet not only improves the particle-impact survivability of the design, but improves the aerodynamic performance by reducing the incidence at the blade inlet. The difficulty, however, of using mixed-flow geometry lies in the scarcity of detailed data and documented design experience. This paper reports the design of a MFT stage designed with the intent to maximize aerodynamic performance by optimizing design parameters such as stage reaction, rotor incidence, flowpath shape, blade shape, vane geometry, and airfoil counts using 2-D, 3-D inviscid, and 3-D viscous computational fluid dynamics code. The aerodynamic optimization was accomplished while maintaining mechanical integrity with respect to vibration and stress levels in the rotor. A full-scale cold-flow rig test was performed with metallic hardware fabricated to the specifications of the hot ceramic geometry to evaluate the stage performance.

Improved Discrimination of Volcanic Complexes, Tectonic Features, and Regolith Properties in Mare Serenitatis from Earth-Based Radar Mapping

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, Bruce A.; Hawke, B. Ray; Morgan, Gareth A.; Carter, Lynn M.; Campbell, Donald B.; Nolan, Michael

2014-01-01

Radar images at 70 cm wavelength show 4-5 dB variations in backscatter strength within regions of relatively uniform spectral reflectance properties in central and northern Mare Serenitatis, delineating features suggesting lava flow margins, channels, and superposition relationships. These backscatter differences are much less pronounced at 12.6 cm wavelength, consistent with a large component of the 70 cm echo arising from the rough or blocky transition zone between the mare regolith and the intact bedrock. Such deep probing is possible because the ilmenite content, which modulates microwave losses, of central Mare Serenitatis is generally low (2-3% by weight). Modeling of the radar returns from a buried interface shows that an average regolith thickness of 10m could lead to the observed shifts in 70 cm echo power with a change in TiO2 content from 2% to 3%. This thickness is consistent with estimates of regolith depth (10-15m) based on the smallest diameter for which fresh craters have obvious blocky ejecta. The 70 cm backscatter differences provide a view of mare flow-unit boundaries, channels, and lobes unseen by other remote sensing methods. A localized pyroclastic deposit associated with Rima Calippus is identified based on its low radar echo strength. Radar mapping also improves delineation of units for crater age dating and highlights a 250 km long, east-west trending feature in northern Mare Serenitatis that we suggest is a large graben flooded by late-stage mare flows.

Corrosion and Heat Transfer Characteristics of Water Dispersed with Carboxylate Additives and Multi Walled Carbon Nano Tubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moorthy, Chellapilla V. K. N. S. N.; Srinivas, Vadapalli

2016-10-01

This paper summarizes a recent work on anti-corrosive properties and enhanced heat transfer properties of carboxylated water based nanofluids. Water mixed with sebacic acid as carboxylate additive found to be resistant to corrosion and suitable for automotive environment. The carboxylated water is dispersed with very low mass concentration of carbon nano tubes at 0.025, 0.05 and 0.1 %. The stability of nanofluids in terms of zeta potential is found to be good with carboxylated water compared to normal water. The heat transfer performance of nanofluids is carried out on an air cooled heat exchanger similar to an automotive radiator with incoming air velocities across radiator at 5, 10 and 15 m/s. The flow Reynolds number of water is in the range of 2500-6000 indicating developing flow regime. The corrosion resistance of nanofluids is found to be good indicating its suitability to automotive environment. There is a slight increase in viscosity and marginal decrease in the specific heat of nanofluids with addition of carboxylate as well as CNTs. Significant improvement is observed in the thermal conductivity of nanofluids dispersed with CNTs. During heat transfer experimentation, the inside heat transfer coefficient and overall heat transfer coefficient has also improved markedly. It is also found that the velocity of air and flow rate of coolant plays an important role in enhancement of the heat transfer coefficient and overall heat transfer coefficient.

Wetting and free surface flow modeling for potting and encapsulation.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brooks, Carlton, F.; Brooks, Michael J.; Graham, Alan Lyman

As part of an effort to reduce costs and improve quality control in encapsulation and potting processes the Technology Initiative Project ''Defect Free Manufacturing and Assembly'' has completed a computational modeling study of flows representative of those seen in these processes. Flow solutions are obtained using a coupled, finite-element-based, numerical method based on the GOMA/ARIA suite of Sandia flow solvers. The evolution of the free surface is solved with an advanced level set algorithm. This approach incorporates novel methods for representing surface tension and wetting forces that affect the evolution of the free surface. In addition, two commercially available codes,more » ProCAST and MOLDFLOW, are also used on geometries representing encapsulation processes at the Kansas City Plant. Visual observations of the flow in several geometries are recorded in the laboratory and compared to the models. Wetting properties for the materials in these experiments are measured using a unique flowthrough goniometer.« less

Numerical evaluation of laminar heat transfer enhancement in nanofluid flow in coiled square tubes

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Convective heat transfer can be enhanced by changing flow geometry and/or by enhancing thermal conductivity of the fluid. This study proposes simultaneous passive heat transfer enhancement by combining the geometry effect utilizing nanofluids inflow in coils. The two nanofluid suspensions examined in this study are: water-Al2O3 and water-CuO. The flow behavior and heat transfer performance of these nanofluid suspensions in various configurations of coiled square tubes, e.g., conical spiral, in-plane spiral, and helical spiral, are investigated and compared with those for water flowing in a straight tube. Laminar flow of a Newtonian nanofluid in coils made of square cross section tubes is simulated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD)approach, where the nanofluid properties are treated as functions of particle volumetric concentration and temperature. The results indicate that addition of small amounts of nanoparticles up to 1% improves significantly the heat transfer performance; however, further addition tends to deteriorate heat transfer performance. PMID:21711901

VisFlow - Web-based Visualization Framework for Tabular Data with a Subset Flow Model.

PubMed

Yu, Bowen; Silva, Claudio T

2017-01-01

Data flow systems allow the user to design a flow diagram that specifies the relations between system components which process, filter or visually present the data. Visualization systems may benefit from user-defined data flows as an analysis typically consists of rendering multiple plots on demand and performing different types of interactive queries across coordinated views. In this paper, we propose VisFlow, a web-based visualization framework for tabular data that employs a specific type of data flow model called the subset flow model. VisFlow focuses on interactive queries within the data flow, overcoming the limitation of interactivity from past computational data flow systems. In particular, VisFlow applies embedded visualizations and supports interactive selections, brushing and linking within a visualization-oriented data flow. The model requires all data transmitted by the flow to be a data item subset (i.e. groups of table rows) of some original input table, so that rendering properties can be assigned to the subset unambiguously for tracking and comparison. VisFlow features the analysis flexibility of a flow diagram, and at the same time reduces the diagram complexity and improves usability. We demonstrate the capability of VisFlow on two case studies with domain experts on real-world datasets showing that VisFlow is capable of accomplishing a considerable set of visualization and analysis tasks. The VisFlow system is available as open source on GitHub.

Real-Gas Flow Properties for NASA Langley Research Center Aerothermodynamic Facilities Complex Wind Tunnels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hollis, Brian R.

1996-01-01

A computational algorithm has been developed which can be employed to determine the flow properties of an arbitrary real (virial) gas in a wind tunnel. A multiple-coefficient virial gas equation of state and the assumption of isentropic flow are used to model the gas and to compute flow properties throughout the wind tunnel. This algorithm has been used to calculate flow properties for the wind tunnels of the Aerothermodynamics Facilities Complex at the NASA Langley Research Center, in which air, CF4. He, and N2 are employed as test gases. The algorithm is detailed in this paper and sample results are presented for each of the Aerothermodynamic Facilities Complex wind tunnels.

Effects of self washout structure on the antithrombogenicity and the hemolytic properties of a centrifugal pump.

PubMed

Wakisaka, Y; Taenaka, Y; Araki, K; Chikanari, K; Nakatani, T; Baba, Y; Anai, H; Eya, K; Toda, K; Takano, H

1997-02-01

Antithrombogenicity in an initial type (N1) of a centrifugal pump (CP) developed in our institute is provided by the central balancing hole of an impeller. A new CP (N2) was modified to obtain better antithrombogenicity, in which the balancing hole was widened to improve self washout flow velocity (Vsf), and an edge of the thrust bearing was rounded off to minimize flow separation. Effects of the modifications were assessed in vitro and in vivo studies. The Vsf of the N1 and the N2 evaluated by a Doppler velocimeter were 12.8 and 22.1 cm/s, respectively. Flow around the thrust bearing, which was visualized by a light cutting method, confirmed less flow stagnation in the N2. The hemolytic indices of the N1 and the N2 were 0.023 and 0.008 mg/dl, respectively. In vivo antithrombogenicity and the hemolytic properties of the N2 and the N1 were investigated without anticoagulation therapy in 3 goats. In each goat the N2 was driven for 1 week and exchanged for the N1, which was driven for the same period. Red thrombi at the thrust bearing were found in 2 N1s, and 2 small thrombi were on the impeller of another N1, whereas a thrombus of less than 1 mm3 at the TB was noted in 1 N2. Plasma free hemoglobin was not increased in either CP. These results indicate that the N2 has better antithrombogenicity and hemolytic properties than the N1.

The effect of heat and moisture exchanger and gas flow on humidity and temperature in a circle anaesthetic system.

PubMed

Poopalalingam, R; Goh, M H; Chan, Y W

2002-11-01

The aim of the study was to measure the humidity and temperature of the inspired gas in a circle absorber system at fresh gas flows of 11/min and 31/min and assess the need of a heat and moisture exchanger (HME). This prospective randomised controlled study received the Hospital Ethics Committee approval and informed consent. Forty adult ASA 1 and 11 patients were randomised into four groups to receive with or without HME fresh gas flow of 1L/min or 3L/min. Temperature and the relative humidity readings were taken at the start and every 10 minutes for the first hour of anaesthesia. There was a significantly higher relative humidity, absolute humidity and temperatures of the inspired gases at fresh gas flow of 1L/min and 3L/min with a HME compared to 3L/min without HME. Patients receiving fresh gas flows of lL/min had higher relative and absolute humidity than patients with fresh gas flows of 3L/min. However, the addition of the HME improved the absolute and relative humidity of the inspired gas in patients receiving fresh gas flow of 3l/min to a comparable level. However, the addition of a HME to a fresh gas flow of 1L/min did not significantly improve the humidity of the inspired gas. This suggests that the inherent humidifying property of the circle system at low fresh gas flow of 1L/min was sufficient in short surgeries lasting less than one hour and that the addition of a HME may not be necessary.

On central-difference and upwind schemes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swanson, R. C.; Turkel, Eli

1990-01-01

A class of numerical dissipation models for central-difference schemes constructed with second- and fourth-difference terms is considered. The notion of matrix dissipation associated with upwind schemes is used to establish improved shock capturing capability for these models. In addition, conditions are given that guarantee that such dissipation models produce a Total Variation Diminishing (TVD) scheme. Appropriate switches for this type of model to ensure satisfaction of the TVD property are presented. Significant improvements in the accuracy of a central-difference scheme are demonstrated by computing both inviscid and viscous transonic airfoil flows.

Microfluidic Impedance Flow Cytometry Enabling High-Throughput Single-Cell Electrical Property Characterization

PubMed Central

Chen, Jian; Xue, Chengcheng; Zhao, Yang; Chen, Deyong; Wu, Min-Hsien; Wang, Junbo

2015-01-01

This article reviews recent developments in microfluidic impedance flow cytometry for high-throughput electrical property characterization of single cells. Four major perspectives of microfluidic impedance flow cytometry for single-cell characterization are included in this review: (1) early developments of microfluidic impedance flow cytometry for single-cell electrical property characterization; (2) microfluidic impedance flow cytometry with enhanced sensitivity; (3) microfluidic impedance and optical flow cytometry for single-cell analysis and (4) integrated point of care system based on microfluidic impedance flow cytometry. We examine the advantages and limitations of each technique and discuss future research opportunities from the perspectives of both technical innovation and clinical applications. PMID:25938973

Ontological modeling of electronic health information exchange.

PubMed

McMurray, J; Zhu, L; McKillop, I; Chen, H

2015-08-01

Investments of resources to purposively improve the movement of information between health system providers are currently made with imperfect information. No inventories of system-level electronic health information flows currently exist, nor do measures of inter-organizational electronic information exchange. Using Protégé 4, an open-source OWL Web ontology language editor and knowledge-based framework, we formalized a model that decomposes inter-organizational electronic health information flow into derivative concepts such as diversity, breadth, volume, structure, standardization and connectivity. The ontology was populated with data from a regional health system and the flows were measured. Individual instance's properties were inferred from their class associations as determined by their data and object property rules. It was also possible to visualize interoperability activity for regional analysis and planning purposes. A property called Impact was created from the total number of patients or clients that a health entity in the region served in a year, and the total number of health service providers or organizations with whom it exchanged information in support of clinical decision-making, diagnosis or treatment. Identifying providers with a high Impact but low Interoperability score could assist planners and policy-makers to optimize technology investments intended to electronically share patient information across the continuum of care. Finally, we demonstrated how linked ontologies were used to identify logical inconsistencies in self-reported data for the study. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Modelling the Thermal and Infrared Spectral Properties of Active Vents: Comparing Basaltic Lava Flows of Tolbachik, Russia to Arsia Mons, Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramsey, M. S.; Harris, A. J. L.

2016-12-01

Satellite observations of active vents commonly group into several broad categories: thermal analysis, deformational studies, and gas/ash detection. These observations become increasingly detailed depending on the spatial, spectral and/or temporal resolution of the sensor. Higher temporal resolution thermal infrared (TIR) data are used to determine the time-averaged discharge rate (TADR) and the potential down-slope inundation of the newly-forming flow using thermorheologic-based modelling. Whereas, increased spectral resolution leads to improved measurement of the flow's composition, crystal content, and vesicularity. Combined, these data help to improve the accuracy of cooling-based viscosity models such as FLOWGO. In addition to topography, the dominant (internal) factors controlling flow propagation are the discharge rate combined with cooling and increasing viscosity. The cooling of the glassy lava surface is directly imaged by the TIR instrument to determine temperature, which is then used to calculate the model's starting conditions. Understanding the cooling, formation and dynamics of basaltic surfaces therefore helps to resolve compositional, textural, and silicate structural changes. Models, coupled with accurate knowledge of the characteristics of older, inactive flows (such as those on Mars), can be reversed to predict the vent conditions at the time of the eruption. Being able to directly connect the final flow morphology to specific eruption conditions is a critical goal to understand the last stages of volcanism on Mars and becomes an important educational tool where combined with 3D visualization. The 2012-2013 eruption of Tolbachik volcano, Russia was the largest and most thermally intense flow-forming eruption in the past 50 years, producing longer lava flows than that of a typical eruption at Kilauea or Etna. These flows have been studied using various scales of TIR data at the time of eruption and following cooling. The input parameters for the FLOWGO model are then tuned to produce the best fit of eruptive conditions to final flow morphology. The refined model can then be used to determine the TADR from the vent and make improved estimates of cooling, viscosity, velocity and crystallinity with distance. Final results are visualized and their educational potential assessed.

Applicable research in practice: understanding the hydrophilic and flow property measurements of impression materials.

PubMed

Perry, Ronald D; Goldberg, Jeffrey A; Benchimol, Jacques; Orfanidis, John

2006-10-01

The flow properties and hydrophilicity of an impression material are key factors that affect its performance. This article details in vitro studies comparing these properties in 1 polyether and several vinyl polysiloxane light-body impression materials. The first series of studies examined the materials' flow properties used in a "shark fin" measurement procedure to determine which exhibited superior flow characteristics. The second series of studies reviewed the hydrophilic properties of the materials. Video analysis was used to record contact angle measurements at the early- and late-stage working times. Results showed 1 polyether material to be more hydrophilic. Applying this knowledge to practice, the authors present a clinical case in which a polyether's superior flow and quality of detail were used to make impressions for a patient receiving 8 single-unit zirconia crowns.

Fluid dynamics of aortic valve stenosis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keshavarz-Motamed, Zahra; Maftoon, Nima

2009-11-01

Aortic valve stenosis, which causes considerable constriction of the flow passage, is one of the most frequent cardiovascular diseases and is the most common cause of the valvular replacements which take place for around 100,000 per year in North America. Furthermore, it is considered as the most frequent cardiac disease after arterial hypertension and coronary artery disease. The objective of this study is to develop an analytical model considering the coupling effect between fluid flow and elastic deformation with reasonable boundary conditions to describe the effect of AS on the left ventricle and the aorta. The pulsatile and Newtonian blood flow through aortic stenosis with vascular wall deformability is analyzed and its effects are discussed in terms of flow parameters such as velocity, resistance to flow, shear stress distribution and pressure loss. Meanwhile we developed analytical expressions to improve the comprehension of the transvalvular hemodynamics and the aortic stenosis hemodynamics which is of great interest because of one main reason. To medical scientists, an accurate knowledge of the mechanical properties of whole blood flow in the aorta can suggest a new diagnostic tool.

Identification of the full anisotropic flow resistivity tensor for multiple glass wool and melamine foam samples.

PubMed

Van der Kelen, Christophe; Göransson, Peter

2013-12-01

The flow resistivity tensor, which is the inverse of the viscous permeability tensor, is one of the most important material properties for the acoustic performance of porous materials used in acoustic treatments. Due to the manufacturing processes involved, these porous materials are most often geometrically anisotropic on a microscopic scale, and for demanding applications, there is a need for improved characterization methods. This paper discusses recent refinements of a method for the identification of the anisotropic flow resistivity tensor. The inverse estimation is verified for three fictitious materials with different degrees of anisotropy. Measurements are performed on nine glass wool samples and seven melamine foam samples, and the anisotropic flow resistivity tensors obtained are validated by comparison to measurements performed on uni-directional cylindrical samples, extracted from the same, previously measured cubic samples. The variability of flow resistivity in the batch of material from which the glass wool is extracted is discussed. The results for the melamine foam suggest that there is a relation between the direction of highest flow resistivity, and the rise direction of the material.

Application of Electromagnetic Induction Technique to Measure the Void Fraction in Oil/Gas Two Phase Flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wahhab, H. A. Abdul; Aziz, A. R. A.; Al-Kayiem, H. H.; Nasif, M. S.; Reda, M. N.

2018-03-01

In this work, electromagnetic induction technique of measuring void fraction in liquid/gas fuel flow was utilized. In order to improve the electric properties of liquid fuel, an iron oxide Fe3O4 nanoparticles at 3% was blended to enhance the liquid fuel magnetization. Experiments have been conducted for a wide range of liquid and gas superficial velocities. From the experimental results, it was realized that there is an existing linear relationship between the void fraction and the measured electromotive force, when induction coils were connected in series for excitation coils, regardless of increase or decrease CNG bubbles distribution in liquid fuel flow. Therefore, it was revealed that the utilized method yielded quite reasonable account for measuring the void fraction, showing good agreement with the other available measurement techniques in the two-phase flow, and also with the published literature of the bubbly flow pattern. From the results of the present investigation, it has been proven that the electromagnetic induction is a feasible technique for the actual measurement of void fraction in a Diesel/CNG fuel flow.

Spatial variability of herbicide mobilisation and transport at catchment scale: insights from a field experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doppler, T.; Camenzuli, L.; Hirzel, G.; Krauss, M.; Lück, A.; Stamm, C.

2012-02-01

During rain events, herbicides can be transported from their point of application to surface waters where they may harm aquatic organisms. Since the spatial pattern of mobilisation and transport is heterogeneous, the contributions of different fields to the herbicide load in the stream may differ considerably within one catchment. Therefore, the prediction of contributing areas could help to target mitigation measures efficiently to those locations where they reduce herbicide pollution the most. Such spatial predictions require sufficient insight into the underlying transport processes. To improve the understanding of the process chain of herbicide mobilisation on the field and the subsequent transport through the catchment to the stream, we performed a controlled herbicide application on corn fields in a small agricultural catchment (ca. 1 km2) with intensive crop production in the Swiss Plateau. For two months after application in 2009, water samples were taken at different locations in the catchment (overland flow, tile drains and open channel) with a high temporal resolution during rain events. We also analysed soil samples from the experimental fields and measured discharge, groundwater level, soil moisture and the occurrence of overland flow at several locations. Several rain events with varying intensities and magnitudes occurred during the study period. Overland flow and erosion were frequently observed in the entire catchment. Infiltration excess and saturation excess overland flow were both observed. However, the main herbicide loss event was dominated by infiltration excess. This is in contrast to earlier studies in the Swiss Plateau, demonstrating that saturation excess overland flow was the dominant process. Despite the frequent and wide-spread occurrence of overland flow, most of this water did not directly reach the channel. It mostly got retained in small sinks in the catchment. From there, it reached the stream via macropores and tile drains. Manholes of the drainage system and catch basins for road and farmyard runoff acted as additional shortcuts to the stream. Although fast flow processes like overland and macropore flow reduce the influence of herbicide properties due to short travel times, sorption properties influenced the herbicide transfer from ponding overland flow to tile drains (macropore flow). However, no influence of sorption was observed during the mobilisation of the herbicides from soil to overland flow. These two observations on the role of herbicide properties contradict, to some degrees, previous findings. They demonstrate that valuable insight can be gained by spatially detailed observations along the flow paths.

Rheological Flow Behavior of Structural Polysaccharides from Edible Tender Cladodes of Wild, Semidomesticated and Cultivated 'Nopal' (Opuntia) of Mexican Highlands.

PubMed

López-Palacios, C; Peña-Valdivia, C B; Rodríguez-Hernández, A I; Reyes-Agüero, J A

2016-12-01

The aim of this study was to quantify the content of polysaccharides of edible tender cladodes (nopalitos) of three species of Opuntia and to evaluate the rheological flow behavior of isolated polysaccharides. A completely randomized experimental design was used to characterize a wild (O. streptacantha), a semidomesticated (O. megacantha) and a domesticated (O. ficus-indica) species. Mucilage content was higher (4.93 to 12.43 g 100 g -1 dry matter), tightly bound hemicelluloses were lower (3.32 to 1.81 g 100 g -1 dry matter) and pectins and loosely bound hemicelluloses were not different in wild than in domesticated species. Aqueous solution/suspensions of mucilage, pectins, hemicellulose and cellulose of all species showed non-Newtonian behavior under simple shear flow. The flow behavior of the structural polysaccharides was well described by the Ostwald de-Waele model. Pectins and mucilages exhibited the highest consistency indexes (K values ranged from 0.075 to 0.177 Pas n ) with a moderated shear-thinning behavior (n values ranged from 0.53 to 0.67). Cellulose dispersions exhibited the most shear-thinning behavior (n values ranged from 0.17 to 0.41) and hemicelluloses showed a tendency to Newtonian flow (n values ranged from 0.82 to 0.97). The rheological flow properties of these polysaccharides may be useful to improve the textural and sensory qualities of some foods and pharmaceutical materials. Moreover, they can emerge as functional ingredients mainly due to the nutraceutical properties that have been attributed to nopalitos.

Properties of a novel polysiloxane-guttapercha calcium silicate-bioglass-containing root canal sealer.

PubMed

Gandolfi, M G; Siboni, F; Prati, C

2016-05-01

Root canal filling sealers based on polymethyl hydrogensiloxane or polymethyl hydrogensiloxane-guttapercha--introduced to improve the quality of conventional guttapercha-based and resin-based systems--showed advantages in handiness and clinical application. The aim of the study was to evaluate the chemical-physical properties of a novel polysiloxane-guttapercha calcium silicate-containing root canal sealer (GuttaFlow bioseal). GuttaFlow bioseal was examined and compared with GuttaFlow2, RoekoSeal and MTA Fillapex sealers. Setting times, open and impervious porosity and apparent porosity, water sorption, weight loss, calcium release, and alkalinizing activity were evaluated. ESEM-EDX-Raman analyses of fresh materials and after soaking in simulated body fluid were also performed. Marked differences were obtained among the materials. GuttaFlow bioseal showed low solubility and porosity, high water sorption, moderate calcium release and good alkalinizing activity. MTA Fillapex showed the highest calcium release, alkalinizing activity and solubility, RoekoSeal the lowest calcium release, no alkalinizing activity, very low solubility and water sorption. Only GuttaFlow bioseal showed apatite forming ability. GuttaFlow bioseal showed alkalinizing activity together with negligible solubility and slight calcium release. Therefore, the notable nucleation of apatite and apatite precursors can be related to the co-operation of CaSi particles (SiOH groups) with polysiloxane (SiOSi groups). The incorporation of a calcium silicate component into polydimethyl polymethylhydrogensiloxane guttapercha sealers may represent an attractive strategy to obtain a bioactive biointeractive flowable guttapercha sealer for moist/bleeding apices with bone defects in endodontic therapy. Copyright © 2016 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Explicit finite-volume time-marching calculations of total temperature distributions in turbulent flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nicholson, Stephen; Moore, Joan G.; Moore, John

1987-01-01

A method was developed which calculates two-dimensional, transonic, viscous flow in ducts. The finite volume, time-marching formulation is used to obtain steady flow solutions of the Reynolds-averaged form of the Navier-Stokes equations. The entire calculation is performed in the physical domain. This paper investigates the introduction of a new formulation of the energy equation which gives improved transient behavior as the calculation converges. The effect of variable Prandtl number on the temperature distribution through the boundary layer is also investigated. A turbulent boundary layer in an adverse pressure gradient (M = 0.55) is used to demonstrate the improved transient temperature distribution obtained when the new formulation of the energy equation is used. A flat plate turbulent boundary layer with a supersonic free-stream Mach number of 2.8 is used to investigate the effect of Prandtl number on the distribution of properties through the boundary layer. The computed total temperature distribution and recovery factor agree well with the measurements when a variable Prandtl number is used through the boundary layer.

Explicit finite-volume time-marching calculations of total temperature distributions in turbulent flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nicholson, Stephen; Moore, Joan G.; Moore, John

1986-01-01

A method was developed which calculates two-dimensional, transonic, viscous flow in ducts. The finite volume, time-marching formulation is used to obtain steady flow solutions of the Reynolds-averaged form of the Navier-Stokes equations. The entire calculation is performed in the physical domain. This paper investigates the introduction of a new formulation of the energy equation which gives improved transient behavior as the calculation converges. The effect of variable Prandtl number on the temperature distribution through the boundary layer is also investigated. A turbulent boundary layer in an adverse pressure gradient (M = 0.55) is used to demonstrate the improved transient temperature distribution obtained when the new formulation of the energy equation is used. A flat plate turbulent boundary layer with a supersonic free-stream Mach number of 2.8 is used to investigate the effect of Prandtl number on the distribution of properties through the boundary layer. The computed total temperature distribution and recovery factor agree well with the measurements when a variable Prandtl number is used through the boundary layer.

Effects of physical properties on thermo-fluids cavitating flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, T. R.; Wang, G. Y.; Huang, B.; Li, D. Q.; Ma, X. J.; Li, X. L.

2015-12-01

The aims of this paper are to study the thermo-fluid cavitating flows and to evaluate the effects of physical properties on cavitation behaviours. The Favre-averaged Navier-Stokes equations with the energy equation are applied to numerically investigate the liquid nitrogen cavitating flows around a NASA hydrofoil. Meanwhile, the thermodynamic parameter Σ is used to assess the thermodynamic effects on cavitating flows. The results indicate that the thermodynamic effects on the thermo-fluid cavitating flows significantly affect the cavitation behaviours, including pressure and temperature distribution, the variation of physical properties, and cavity structures. The thermodynamic effects can be evaluated by physical properties under the same free-stream conditions. The global sensitivity analysis of liquid nitrogen suggests that ρv, Cl and L significantly influence temperature drop and cavity structure in the existing numerical framework, while pv plays the dominant role when these properties vary with temperature. The liquid viscosity μl slightly affects the flow structure via changing the Reynolds number Re equivalently, however, it hardly affects the temperature distribution.

Numerical simulation of velocity and temperature fields in natural circulation loop

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sukomel, L. A.; Kaban'kov, O. N.

2017-11-01

Low flow natural circulation regimes are realized in many practical applications and the existence of the reliable engineering and design calculation methods of flows driven exclusively by buoyancy forces is an actual problem. In particular it is important for the analysis of start up regimes of passive safety systems of nuclear power plants. In spite of a long year investigations of natural circulation loops no suitable predicting recommendations for heat transfer and friction for the above regimes have been proposed for engineering practice and correlations for forced flow are commonly used which considerably overpredicts the real flow velocities. The 2D numerical simulation of velocity and temperature fields in circular tubes for laminar flow natural circulation with reference to the laboratory experimental loop has been carried out. The results were compared with the 1D modified model and experimental data obtained on the above loop. The 1D modified model was still based on forced flow correlations, but in these correlations the physical properties variability and the existence of thermal and hydrodynamic entrance regions are taken into account. The comparison of 2D simulation, 1D model calculations and the experimental data showed that even subject to influence of liquid properties variability and entrance regions on heat transfer and friction the use of 1D model with forced flow correlations do not improve the accuracy of calculations. In general, according to 2D numerical simulation the wall shear stresses are mainly affected by the change of wall velocity gradient due to practically continuous velocity profiles deformation along the whole heated zone. The form of velocity profiles and the extent of their deformation in its turn depend upon the wall heat flux density and the hydraulic diameter.

Spatially-Resolved Hydraulic Conductivity Estimation Via Poroelastic Magnetic Resonance Elastography

PubMed Central

McGarry, Matthew; Weaver, John B.; Paulsen, Keith D.

2015-01-01

Poroelastic magnetic resonance elastography is an imaging technique that could recover mechanical and hydrodynamical material properties of in vivo tissue. To date, mechanical properties have been estimated while hydrodynamical parameters have been assumed homogeneous with literature-based values. Estimating spatially-varying hydraulic conductivity would likely improve model accuracy and provide new image information related to a tissue’s interstitial fluid compartment. A poroelastic model was reformulated to recover hydraulic conductivity with more appropriate fluid-flow boundary conditions. Simulated and physical experiments were conducted to evaluate the accuracy and stability of the inversion algorithm. Simulations were accurate (property errors were < 2%) even in the presence of Gaussian measurement noise up to 3%. The reformulated model significantly decreased variation in the shear modulus estimate (p≪0.001) and eliminated the homogeneity assumption and the need to assign hydraulic conductivity values from literature. Material property contrast was recovered experimentally in three different tofu phantoms and the accuracy was improved through soft-prior regularization. A frequency-dependence in hydraulic conductivity contrast was observed suggesting that fluid-solid interactions may be more prominent at low frequency. In vivo recovery of both structural and hydrodynamical characteristics of tissue could improve detection and diagnosis of neurological disorders such as hydrocephalus and brain tumors. PMID:24771571

Effects of Thickness and Amount of Carbon Nanofiber Coated Carbon Fiber on Improving the Mechanical Properties of Nanocomposites

PubMed Central

Ghaemi, Ferial; Ahmadian, Ali; Yunus, Robiah; Ismail, Fudziah; Rahmanian, Saeed

2016-01-01

In the current study, carbon nanofibers (CNFs) were grown on a carbon fiber (CF) surface by using the chemical vapor deposition method (CVD) and the influences of some parameters of the CVD method on improving the mechanical properties of a polypropylene (PP) composite were investigated. To obtain an optimum surface area, thickness, and yield of the CNFs, the parameters of the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method, such as catalyst concentration, reaction temperature, reaction time, and hydrocarbon flow rate, were optimized. It was observed that the optimal surface area, thickness, and yield of the CNFs caused more adhesion of the fibers with the PP matrix, which enhanced the composite properties. Besides this, the effectiveness of reinforcement of fillers was fitted with a mathematical model obtaining good agreement between the experimental result and the theoretical prediction. By applying scanning electronic microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and Raman spectroscopy, the surface morphology and structural information of the resultant CF-CNF were analyzed. Additionally, SEM images and a mechanical test of the composite with a proper layer of CNFs on the CF revealed not only a compactness effect but also the thickness and surface area roles of the CNF layers in improving the mechanical properties of the composites. PMID:28344263

Friction and wear properties of three hard refractory coatings applied by radiofrequency sputtering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brainard, W. A.

1977-01-01

The adherence, friction, and wear properties of thin hard refractory compound coatings applied to 440C bearing steel by radiofrequency sputtering were investigated. Friction and wear tests were done with nonconforming pin on disk specimens. The compounds examined were chromium carbide, molybdenum silicide, and titanium carbide. The adherence, friction, and wear were markedly improved by the application of a bias voltage to the bearing steel substrate during coating deposition. Analysis by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicated that the improvement may be due to a reduction in impurities in bias deposited coatings. A fivefold reduction in oxygen concentration in MoSi2 coating by biasing was noted. Chromium carbide was not effective as an antiwear coating. Molybdenum silicide provided some reduction in both friction and wear. Titanium carbide exhibited excellent friction and antiwear properties at light loads. Plastic flow and transfer of the coating material onto the pin specimen appears to be important in achieving low friction and wear.

On Characterizing Particle Shape

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ennis, Bryan J.; Rickman, Douglas; Rollins, A. Brent; Ennis, Brandon

2014-01-01

It is well known that particle shape affects flow characteristics of granular materials, as well as a variety of other solids processing issues such as compaction, rheology, filtration and other two-phase flow problems. The impact of shape crosses many diverse and commercially important applications, including pharmaceuticals, civil engineering, metallurgy, health, and food processing. Two applications studied here include the dry solids flow of lunar simulants (e.g. JSC-1, NU-LHT-2M, OB-1), and the flow properties of wet concrete, including final compressive strength. A multi-dimensional generalized, engineering method to quantitatively characterize particle shapes has been developed, applicable to both single particle orientation and multi-particle assemblies. The two-dimension, three dimension inversion problem is also treated, and the application of these methods to DEM model particles will be discussed. In the case of lunar simulants, flow properties of six lunar simulants have been measured, and the impact of particle shape on flowability - as characterized by the shape method developed here -- is discussed, especially in the context of three simulants of similar size range. In the context of concrete processing, concrete construction is a major contributor to greenhouse gas production, of which the major contributor is cement binding loading. Any optimization in concrete rheology and packing that can reduce cement loading and improve strength loading can also reduce currently required construction safety factors. The characterization approach here is also demonstrated for the impact of rock aggregate shape on concrete slump rheology and dry compressive strength.

A novel representation of chalk hydrology in a land surface model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahman, Mostaquimur; Rosolem, Rafael

2016-04-01

Unconfined chalk aquifers contain a significant portion of water in the United Kingdom. In order to optimize the assessment and management practices of water resources in the region, modelling and monitoring of soil moisture in the unsaturated zone of the chalk aquifers are of utmost importance. However, efficient simulation of soil moisture in such aquifers is difficult mainly due to the fractured nature of chalk, which creates high-velocity preferential flow paths in the unsaturated zone. In this study, the Joint UK Land Environment Simulator (JULES) is applied on a study area encompassing the Kennet catchment in Southern England. The fluxes and states of the coupled water and energy cycles are simulated for 10 consecutive years (2001-2010). We hypothesize that explicit representation for the soil-chalk layers and the inclusion of preferential flow in the fractured chalk aquifers improves the reproduction of the hydrological processes in JULES. In order to test this hypothesis, we propose a new parametrization for preferential flow in JULES. This parametrization explicitly describes the flow of water in soil matrices and preferential flow paths using a simplified approach which can be beneficial for large-scale hydrometeorological applications. We also define the overlaying soil properties obtained from the Harmonized World Soil Database (HWSD) in the model. Our simulation results are compared across spatial scales with measured soil moisture and river discharge, indicating the importance of accounting for the physical properties of the medium while simulating hydrological processes in the chalk aquifers.

Magnetic Control in Crystal Growth from a Melt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Yue

Control of bulk melt crystal growth techniques is desirable for producing semiconductors with the highest purity and ternary alloys with tunable electrical properties. Because these molten materials are electrically conducting, external magnetic fields are often employed to regulate the flow in the melt. However, complicated by the coupled flow, thermal, electromagnetic and chemical physics, such magnetic control is typically empirical or even an educated guess. Two magnetic flow control mechanisms: flow damping by steady magnetic fields, and flow stirring by alternating magnetic fields, are investigated numerically. Magnetic damping during optically-heated float-zone crystal growth is modeled using a spectral collocation method. The Marangoni convection at the free melt-gas interface is suppressed when exposed to a steady axial magnetic field, measured by the Hartmann number Ha. As a result, detrimental flow instabilities are suppressed, and an almost quiescent region forms in the interior, ideal for single crystal growth. Using normal mode linear stability analyses, dominant flow instabilities are determined in a range applicable to experiments (up to Ha = 300 for Pr = 0.02, and up to Ha = 500 for Pr = 0.001). The hydrodynamic nature of the instability for small Prandtl number Pr liquid bridges is confirmed by energy analyses. Magnetic stirring is modeled for melt crystal growth in an ampule exposed to a transverse rotating magnetic field. Decoupled from the flow field at small magnetic Reynolds number, the electromagnetic field is first solved via finite element analysis. The flow field is then solved using the spectral element method. At low to moderate AC frequencies (up to a few kHz), the electromagnetic body force is dominant in the azimuthal direction, which stirs a steady axisymmetric flow primarily in the azimuthal direction. A weaker secondary flow develops in the meridional plane. However, at high AC frequencies (on the order of 10 kHz and higher), only the flow within a skin depth is directly stirred due to the magnetic shielding effect. By regulating the flow in the melt, magnetic control can improve grown-crystal properties in new materials, and achieve economically viable growth rates for production of novel crystalline semiconductors.

Industrial application of ultrasound based in-line rheometry: From stationary to pulsating pipe flow of chocolate suspension in precrystallization process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ouriev, Boris; Windhab, Erich; Braun, Peter; Birkhofer, Beat

2004-10-01

In-line visualization and on-line characterization of nontransparent fluids becomes an important subject for process development in food and nonfood industries. In our work, a noninvasive Doppler ultrasound-based technique is introduced. Such a technique is applied for investigation of nonstationary flow in the chocolate precrystallization process. Unstable flow conditions were induced by abrupt flow interruption and were followed up by strong flow pulsations in the piping system. While relying on available process information, such as absolute pressures and temperatures, no analyses of flow conditions or characterization of suspension properties could possibly be done. It is obvious that chocolate flow properties are sensitive to flow boundary conditions. Therefore, it becomes essential to perform reliable structure state monitoring and particularly in application to nonstationary flow processes. Such flow instabilities in chocolate processing can often lead to failed product quality with interruption of the mainstream production. As will be discussed, a combination of flow velocity profiles, on-line fit into flow profiles, and pressure difference measurement are sufficient for reliable analyses of fluid properties and flow boundary conditions as well as monitoring of the flow state. Analyses of the flow state and flow properties of chocolate suspension are based on on-line measurement of one-dimensional velocity profiles across the flow channel and their on-line characterization with the power-law model. Conclusions about flow boundary conditions were drawn from a calculated velocity standard mean deviation, the parameters of power-law fit into velocity profiles, and volumetric flow rate information.

An investigation of air solubility in Jet A fuel at high pressures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Faeth, G. M.

1981-01-01

Problems concerned with the supercritical injection concept are discussed. Supercritical injection involves dissolving air into a fuel prior to injection. A similar effect is obtained by preheating the fuel so that a portion of the fuel flashes when its pressure is reduced. Flashing improves atomization properties and the presence of air in the primary zone of a spray flame reduces the formation of pollutants. The investigation is divided into three phases: (1) measure the solubility and density properties of fuel/gas mixtures, including Jet A/air, at pressures and correlate these results using theory; (2) investigate the atomization properties of flashing liquids, including fuel/dissolved gas systems. Determine and correlate the effect of inlet properties and injector geometry on mass flow rates, Sauter mean diameter and spray angles; (3) examine the combustion properties of flashing injection in an open burner flame, considering flame shape and soot production.

Dispersion controlled by permeable surfaces: surface properties and scaling

DOE PAGES

Ling, Bowen; Tartakovsky, Alexandre M.; Battiato, Ilenia

2016-08-25

Permeable and porous surfaces are common in natural and engineered systems. Flow and transport above such surfaces are significantly affected by the surface properties, e.g. matrix porosity and permeability. However, the relationship between such properties and macroscopic solute transport is largely unknown. In this work, we focus on mass transport in a two-dimensional channel with permeable porous walls under fully developed laminar flow conditions. By means of perturbation theory and asymptotic analysis, we derive the set of upscaled equations describing mass transport in the coupled channel–porous-matrix system and an analytical expression relating the dispersion coefficient with the properties of themore » surface, namely porosity and permeability. Our analysis shows that their impact on the dispersion coefficient strongly depends on the magnitude of the Péclet number, i.e. on the interplay between diffusive and advective mass transport. Additionally, we demonstrate different scaling behaviours of the dispersion coefficient for thin or thick porous matrices. Our analysis shows the possibility of controlling the dispersion coefficient, i.e. transverse mixing, by either active (i.e. changing the operating conditions) or passive mechanisms (i.e. controlling matrix effective properties) for a given Péclet number. By elucidating the impact of matrix porosity and permeability on solute transport, our upscaled model lays the foundation for the improved understanding, control and design of microporous coatings with targeted macroscopic transport features.« less

Aerosol Particle Interfacial Thermodynamics and Phase Partitioning Measurements Using Biphasic Microfluidics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dutcher, Cari; Metcalf, Andrew

2015-03-01

Secondary organic aerosol particles are nearly ubiquitous in the atmosphere and yet there remain large uncertainties in their formation processes and ambient properties. These particles are complex microenvironments, which can contain multiple interfaces due to internal aqueous-organic phase partitioning and to the external liquid-vapor surface. Interfacial properties affect the ambient aerosol morphology, or internal structure of the particle, which in turn can affect the way a particle interacts with an environment of condensable clusters and organic vapors. To improve our ability to accurately predict ambient aerosol morphology, we must improve our knowledge of aerosol interfaces and their interactions with the ambient environment. Unfortunately, many techniques employed to measure interfacial properties do so in bulk solutions or in the presence of a ternary (e.g. solid) phase. In this talk, a novel method using biphasic microscale flows will be introduced for generating, trapping, and perturbing complex interfaces at atmospherically relevant conditions. These microfluidic experiments utilize high-speed imaging to monitor interfacial phenomena at the microscale and are performed with phase contrast and fluorescence microscopy on a temperature-controlled inverted microscope stage. From these experiments, interfacial thermodynamic properties such as surface or interfacial tension, rheological properties such as interfacial moduli, and kinetic properties such as mass transfer coefficients can be measured or inferred.

Rheological effects of drag-reducing polymers improve cerebral blood flow and oxygenation after traumatic brain injury in rats

PubMed Central

Kameneva, Marina V; Bragina, Olga A; Thomson, Susan; Statom, Gloria L; Lara, Devon A; Yang, Yirong; Nemoto, Edwin M

2016-01-01

Cerebral ischemia has been clearly demonstrated after traumatic brain injury (TBI); however, neuroprotective therapies have not focused on improvement of the cerebral microcirculation. Blood soluble drag-reducing polymers (DRP), prepared from high molecular weight polyethylene oxide, target impaired microvascular perfusion by altering the rheological properties of blood and, until our recent reports, has not been applied to the brain. We hypothesized that DRP improve cerebral microcirculation and oxygenation after TBI. DRP were studied in healthy and traumatized rat brains and compared to saline controls. Using in-vivo two-photon laser scanning microscopy over the parietal cortex, we showed that after TBI, nanomolar concentrations of intravascular DRP significantly enhanced microvascular perfusion and tissue oxygenation in peri-contusional areas, preserved blood–brain barrier integrity and protected neurons. The mechanisms of DRP effects were attributable to reduction of the near-vessel wall cell-free layer which increased near-wall blood flow velocity, microcirculatory volume flow, and number of erythrocytes entering capillaries, thereby reducing capillary stasis and tissue hypoxia as reflected by a reduction in NADH. Our results indicate that early reduction in CBF after TBI is mainly due to ischemia; however, metabolic depression of contused tissue could be also involved. PMID:28155574

Comparison of Glass Powder and Fly Ash Effect on the Fresh Properties of Self-Compacting Mortars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Öznur Öz, Hatice; Erhan Yücel, Hasan; Güneş, Muhammet

2017-10-01

This study is aimed to determine effects of glass powder on fresh properties of self-compacting mortars. Self-compacting mortars incorporating glass powder (SCMGPs) were designed with a water/binder ratio of 0.40 and a total binder content of 550 kg/m3. At first, the control mixture was produced with 20% fly ash and % 80 cement of the total binder content without using the glass powder. Then, glass powder was used in the proportions 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% instead of fly ash in the mortars. Mini-slump flow and mini-v funnel tests experimentally investigated on SCMGPs to compare the effect of fly ash and glass powder. With increasing the amount of glass powder used in SCMGPs increased the amount of superplasticizer used to obtain the desired mini-slump flow diameter. So, the use of glass powder reduced the flow ability of SCMGPs in comparison to fly ash. Additionally, the compressive strength and flexural strength of the mortar mixtures were determined at the 28th day. The test results indicated that the mechanical characteristics of SCMGPs improved when the fly ash was replaced with glass powder in SCMGPs.

On supervised graph Laplacian embedding CA model & kernel construction and its application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Junwei; Qian, Yongsheng; Wang, Min; Yang, Yongzhong

2017-01-01

There are many methods to construct kernel with given data attribute information. Gaussian radial basis function (RBF) kernel is one of the most popular ways to construct a kernel. The key observation is that in real-world data, besides the data attribute information, data label information also exists, which indicates the data class. In order to make use of both data attribute information and data label information, in this work, we propose a supervised kernel construction method. Supervised information from training data is integrated into standard kernel construction process to improve the discriminative property of resulting kernel. A supervised Laplacian embedding cellular automaton model is another key application developed for two-lane heterogeneous traffic flow with the safe distance and large-scale truck. Based on the properties of traffic flow in China, we re-calibrate the cell length, velocity, random slowing mechanism and lane-change conditions and use simulation tests to study the relationships among the speed, density and flux. The numerical results show that the large-scale trucks will have great effects on the traffic flow, which are relevant to the proportion of the large-scale trucks, random slowing rate and the times of the lane space change.

Effect of silica fume on the fresh and hardened properties of fly ash-based self-compacting geopolymer concrete

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Memon, Fareed Ahmed; Nuruddin, Muhd Fadhil; Shafiq, Nasir

2013-02-01

The effect of silica fume on the fresh and hardened properties of fly ash-based self-compacting geopolymer concrete (SCGC) was investigated in this paper. The work focused on the concrete mixes with a fixed water-to-geopolymer solid (W/Gs) ratio of 0.33 by mass and a constant total binder content of 400 kg/m3. The mass fractions of silica fume that replaced fly ash in this research were 0wt%, 5wt%, 10wt%, and 15wt%. The workability-related fresh properties of SCGC were assessed through slump flow, V-funnel, and L-box test methods. Hardened concrete tests were limited to compressive, splitting tensile and flexural strengths, all of which were measured at the age of 1, 7, and 28 d after 48-h oven curing. The results indicate that the addition of silica fume as a partial replacement of fly ash results in the loss of workability; nevertheless, the mechanical properties of hardened SCGC are significantly improved by incorporating silica fume, especially up to 10wt%. Applying this percentage of silica fume results in 4.3% reduction in the slump flow; however, it increases the compressive strength by 6.9%, tensile strength by 12.8% and flexural strength by 11.5%.

Tunable optical limiting optofluidic device filled with graphene oxide dispersion in ethanol

PubMed Central

Fang, Chaolong; Dai, Bo; Hong, Ruijin; Tao, Chunxian; Wang, Qi; Wang, Xu; Zhang, Dawei; Zhuang, Songlin

2015-01-01

An optofluidic device with tunable optical limiting property is proposed and demonstrated. The optofluidic device is designed for adjusting the concentration of graphene oxide (GO) in the ethanol solution and fabricated by photolithography technique. By controlling the flow rate ratio of the injection, the concentration of GO can be precisely adjusted so that the optical nonlinearity can be changed. The nonlinear optical properties and dynamic excitation relaxation of the GO/ethanol solution are investigated by using Z-scan and pump-probe measurements in the femtosecond regime within the 1.5 μm telecom band. The GO/ethanol solution presents ultrafast recovery time. Besides, the optical limiting property is in proportion to the concentration of the solution. Thus, the threshold power and the saturated power of the optical limiting property can be simply and efficiently manipulated by controlling the flow rate ratio of the injection. Furthermore, the amplitude regeneration is demonstrated by employing the proposed optofluidic device. The signal quality of intensity-impaired femtosecond pulse is significantly improved. The optofluidic device is compact and has long interaction length of optical field and nonlinear material. Heat can be dissipated in the solution and nonlinear material is isolated from other optical components, efficiently avoiding thermal damage and mechanical damage. PMID:26477662

Reduction of Convection in Closed Tube Vapor Transport Experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Naumann, R. J.; Tan, Sarwa Bakti; Shin, In-Seok; Kim, Joo Soo

2002-01-01

The primary objective of this effort was to develop a method for suppressing convective flows during the growth of mercurous chloride crystals by vapor transport in closed tubes to levels approaching those obtained in the microgravity environment. Mercurous chloride was chosen because it is a technologically interesting acoustical optical material whose optical properties are believed to be affected by convective flows. Since the Grashof number scales as the cube of the smallest dimension in the flow system, reduction of the size scale can be extremely effective in reducing unwanted convective flows. However, since materials of practical interest must be grown at least on the cm scale, reduction of the overall growth system is not feasible. But if the region just above the growing crystal could be restricted to a few mm, considerable reduction in flow velocity would result. By suspending an effusive barrier in the growth ampoule just above the growth interface, it should be possible to reduce the convective velocity in this vicinity to levels approaching flows in microgravity. If successful, this growth technique will offer a screening test for proposed space experiments that involve vapor transport to see if reduction of convection will result in improved material and will set a new standard against which the improvements obtained in microgravity may be judged. In addition, it may provide an improved method for preparing materials on Earth whose growth is affected adversely by convection. If the properties of this material can be improved there is a potential commercial interest from Brimrose Inc., who has agreed to fabricate and test devices from the crystals we have grown. This report describes the development of the growth facility, the purification processes developed for preparing the starting material, and the results from growth experiments with and without the effusive baffle. Mercurous chloride turned out to be a more difficult material to deal with than originally anticipated. At growth temperatures, it is extremely sensitive to practically any impurity which causes it to form oxychlorides and/or to decompose into elemental mercury and bichloride of mercury. We were unable to find a suitable method for protecting the magnetic material used to suspend the effusion barrier from the attack of mercurous chloride vapor. Although we were successful in growing single crystals of mercurous chloride without the effusion baffle, they exhibited severe microcracking which we attribute to wall-induced thermal stresses. This leads us to believe that uncontrolled convection may not be the most important problem in the development of this material and a new growth process was attempted that eliminates the wall-induced stress. Unfortunately, the grant ran out before this new method could be adequately tested.

Spatial-temporal and modal analysis of propeller induced ground vortices by particle image velocimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Y.; Sciacchitano, A.; Veldhuis, L. L. M.; Eitelberg, G.

2016-10-01

During the ground operation of aircraft, there is potentially a system of vortices generated from the ground toward the propulsor, commonly denoted as ground vortices. Although extensive research has been conducted on ground vortices induced by turbofans which were simplified by suction tubes, these studies cannot well capture the properties of ground vortices induced by propellers, e.g., the flow phenomena due to intermittent characteristics of blade passing and the presence of slipstream of the propeller. Therefore, the investigation of ground vortices induced by a propeller is performed to improve understanding of these phenomena. The distributions of velocities in two different planes containing the vortices were measured by high frequency Particle Image Velocimetry. These planes are a wall-parallel plane in close proximity to the ground and a wall-normal plane upstream of the propeller. The instantaneous flow fields feature highly unsteady flow in both of these two planes. The spectral analysis is conducted in these two flow fields and the energetic frequencies are quantified. The flow fields are further evaluated by applying the Proper Orthogonal Decomposition analysis to capture the coherent flow structures. Consistent flow structures with strong contributions to the turbulent kinetic energy are noticed in the two planes.

Thermal control of electroosmotic flow in a microchannel through temperature-dependent properties.

PubMed

Kwak, Ho Sang; Kim, Hyoungsoo; Hyun, Jae Min; Song, Tae-Ho

2009-07-01

A numerical investigation is conducted on the electroosmotic flow and associated heat transfer in a two-dimensional microchannel. The objective of this study is to explore a new conceptual idea that is control of an electroosmotic flow by using a thermal field effect through the temperature-dependent physical properties. Two exemplary problems are examined: a flow in a microchannel with a constant vertical temperature difference between two horizontal walls and a flow in a microchannel with the wall temperatures varying horizontally in a sinusoidal manner. The results of numerical computations showed that a proper control of thermal field may be a viable means to manipulate various non-plug-like flow patterns. A constant vertical temperature difference across the channel produces a shear flow. The horizontally-varying thermal condition results in spatial variation of physical properties to generate fluctuating flow patterns. The temperature variation at the wall with alternating vertical temperature gradient induces a wavy flow.

Improving Lowland Rice (O. sativa L. cv. MR219) Plant Growth Variables, Nutrients Uptake, and Nutrients Recovery Using Crude Humic Substances.

PubMed

Palanivell, Perumal; Ahmed, Osumanu Haruna; Ab Majid, Nik Muhamad; Jalloh, Mohamadu Boyie; Susilawati, Kasim

2015-01-01

High cation exchange capacity and organic matter content of crude humic substances from compost could be exploited to reduce ammonia loss from urea and to as well improve rice growth and soil chemical properties for efficient nutrients utilization in lowland rice cultivation. Close-dynamic air flow system was used to determine the effects of crude humic substances on ammonia volatilization. A pot experiment was conducted to determine the effects of crude humic substances on rice plant growth, nutrients uptake, nutrients recovery, and soil chemical properties using an acid soil mixed with three rates of crude humic substances (20, 40, and 60 g pot(-1)). Standard procedures were used to evaluate rice plant dry matter production, nutrients uptake, nutrients recovery, and soil chemical properties. Application of crude humic substances increased ammonia volatilization. However, the lowest rate of crude humic substances (20 g pot(-1)) significantly improved total dry matter, nutrients uptake, nutrients recovery, and soil nutrients availability compared with crude humic substances (40 and 60 g pot(-1)) and the normal fertilization. Apart from improving growth of rice plants, crude humic substances can be used to ameliorate acid soils in rice cultivation. The findings of this study are being validated in our ongoing field trials.

Improving Lowland Rice (O. sativa L. cv. MR219) Plant Growth Variables, Nutrients Uptake, and Nutrients Recovery Using Crude Humic Substances

PubMed Central

Palanivell, Perumal; Ahmed, Osumanu Haruna; Ab Majid, Nik Muhamad; Jalloh, Mohamadu Boyie; Susilawati, Kasim

2015-01-01

High cation exchange capacity and organic matter content of crude humic substances from compost could be exploited to reduce ammonia loss from urea and to as well improve rice growth and soil chemical properties for efficient nutrients utilization in lowland rice cultivation. Close-dynamic air flow system was used to determine the effects of crude humic substances on ammonia volatilization. A pot experiment was conducted to determine the effects of crude humic substances on rice plant growth, nutrients uptake, nutrients recovery, and soil chemical properties using an acid soil mixed with three rates of crude humic substances (20, 40, and 60 g pot−1). Standard procedures were used to evaluate rice plant dry matter production, nutrients uptake, nutrients recovery, and soil chemical properties. Application of crude humic substances increased ammonia volatilization. However, the lowest rate of crude humic substances (20 g pot−1) significantly improved total dry matter, nutrients uptake, nutrients recovery, and soil nutrients availability compared with crude humic substances (40 and 60 g pot−1) and the normal fertilization. Apart from improving growth of rice plants, crude humic substances can be used to ameliorate acid soils in rice cultivation. The findings of this study are being validated in our ongoing field trials. PMID:25977938

Shear induced alignment of short nanofibers in 3D printed polymer composites.

PubMed

Yunus, Doruk Erdem; Shi, Wentao; Sohrabi, Salman; Liu, Yaling

2016-12-09

3D printing of composite materials offers an opportunity to combine the desired properties of composite materials with the flexibility of additive manufacturing in geometric shape and complexity. In this paper, the shear-induced alignment of aluminum oxide nanowires during stereolithography printing was utilized to fabricate a nanowire reinforced polymer composite. To align the fibers, a lateral oscillation mechanism was implemented and combined with wall pattern printing technique to generate shear flow in both vertical and horizontal directions. A series of specimens were fabricated for testing the composite material's tensile strength. The results showed that mechanical properties of the composite were improved by reinforcement of nanofibers through shear induced alignment. The improvement of tensile strength was approximately ∼28% by aligning the nanowires at 5 wt% (∼1.5% volume fraction) loading of aluminum oxide nanowires.

Measurement of the Rheological Properties of High Performance Concrete: State of the Art Report

PubMed Central

Ferraris, Chiara F.

1999-01-01

The rheological or flow properties of concrete in general and of high performance concrete (HPC) in particular, are important because many factors such as ease of placement, consolidation, durability, and strength depend on the flow properties. Concrete that is not properly consolidated may have defects, such as honeycombs, air voids, and aggregate segregation. Such an important performance attribute has triggered the design of numerous test methods. Generally, the flow behavior of concrete approximates that of a Bingham fluid. Therefore, at least two parameters, yield stress and viscosity, are necessary to characterize the flow. Nevertheless, most methods measure only one parameter. Predictions of the flow properties of concrete from its composition or from the properties of its components are not easy. No general model exists, although some attempts have been made. This paper gives an overview of the flow properties of a fluid or a suspension, followed by a critical review of the most commonly used concrete rheology tests. Particular attention is given to tests that could be used for HPC. Tentative definitions of terms such as workability, consistency, and rheological parameters are provided. An overview of the most promising tests and models for cement paste is given.

Pore scale simulations for the extension of the Darcy-Forchheimer law to shear thinning fluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tosco, Tiziana; Marchisio, Daniele; Lince, Federica; Boccardo, Gianluca; Sethi, Rajandrea

2014-05-01

Flow of non-Newtonian fluids through porous media at high Reynolds numbers is often encountered in chemical, pharmaceutical and food as well as petroleum and groundwater engineering and in many other industrial applications (1 - 2). In particular, the use of shear thinning polymeric solutions has been recently proposed to improve colloidal stability of micro- and nanoscale zerovalent iron particles (MZVI and NZVI) for groundwater remediation. In all abovementioned applications, it is of paramount importance to correctly predict the pressure drop resulting from non-Newtonian fluid flow through the porous medium. For small Reynolds numbers, usually up to 1, typical of laboratory column tests, the extended Darcy law is known to be applicable also to non Newtonian fluids, provided that all non-Newtonian effects are lumped together into a proper viscosity parameter (1,3). For higher Reynolds numbers (eg. close to the injection wells) non linearities between pressure drop and flow rate arise, and the Darcy-Forchheimer law holds for Newtonian fluids, while for non-Newtonian fluids, it has been demonstrated that, at least for simple rheological models (eg. power law fluids) a generalized Forchheimer law can be applied, even if the determination of the flow parameters (permeability K, inertial coefficient β, and equivalent viscosity) is not straightforward. This work (co-funded by European Union project AQUAREHAB FP7 - Grant Agreement Nr. 226565) aims at proposing an extended formulation of the Darcy-Forchheimer law also for shear-thinning fluids, and validating it against results of pore-scale simulations via computational fluid dynamics (4). Flow simulations were performed using Fluent 12.0 on four different 2D porous domains for Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids (Cross, Ellis and Carreau models). The micro-scale flow simulation results are analyzed in terms of 'macroscale' pressure drop between inlet and outlet of the model domain as a function of flow rate. The results of flow simulations show the superposition of two contributions to pressure drops: one, strictly related to the non-Newtonian properties of the fluid, dominates at low Reynolds numbers, while a quadratic one, arising at higher Reynolds numbers, is dependent only on the porous medium properties. The results suggest that, for Newtonian flow, the porous medium can be fully described by two macroscopic parameters, namely permeability K and inertial coefficient β. Conversely, for non-Newtonian flow, an additional parameter is required, represented by the shift factor α, which depends on the properties of both porous medium and fluid, which is not easy to be determined in laboratory tests, but can be in turn calculated from 2D or 3D pore-scale flow simulations, following the approach which was adopted in this work. References 1. Sorbie, K.S. Polymer-improved oil recovery; Blackie ; CRC Press: Glasgow, Boca Raton, Fla., 1991. 2. Xue, D.; Sethi, R. Viscoelastic gels of guar and xanthan gum mixtures provide long-term stabilization of iron micro- and nanoparticles. J Nanopart Res 2012, 14(11). 3. Bird, R.B.; Armstrong, R.C.; Hassager, O. Dynamics of polymeric liquids. Volume 1. Fluid mechanics; John Wiley and Sons Inc.: New York - NY, 1977. 4. Tosco, T.; Marchisio, D.L.; Lince, F.; Sethi, R. Extension of the Darcy-Forchheimer Law for Shear-Thinning Fluids and Validation via Pore-Scale Flow Simulations. Transport in Porous Media 2013, 96(1), 1-20.

Liquid-Vapor Flow Regime Transitions for Spacecraft Heat Transfer Loops

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-12-01

effects of fluid properties on flow regime transitions. 5 A carnauba wax with no additives was used because it resists dissolution by oil. 19 4.2...importance of an annular flow entrance geometry and of waxing the tube wall to change its wetting properties (to prevent inverse annular flow) were

Investigation of bypass fluid flow in an active magnetic regenerative liquefier

DOE PAGES

Holladay, Jamelyn; Teyber, Reed; Meinhardt, Kerry; ...

2018-05-19

Active magnetic regenerators (AMR) with second order magnetocaloric materials operating below the Curie temperature have a unique property where the magnetized specific heat is lower than the demagnetized specific heat. The associated thermal mass imbalance allows a fraction of heat transfer fluid in the cold heat exchanger to bypass the magnetized regenerator. This cold bypassed fluid can precool a process stream as it returns to the hot side, thereby increasing the efficiency of liquefaction and reducing the cost of liquid cryogens. In the present work, the net cooling power of an active magnetic regenerative liquefier is investigated as a functionmore » of the bypass flow fraction. In conclusion, experiments are performed at a fixed temperature span yielding a 30% improvement in net cooling power, affirming the potential of bypass flow in active magnetic regenerative liquefiers.« less

Investigation of bypass fluid flow in an active magnetic regenerative liquefier

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Holladay, Jamelyn; Teyber, Reed; Meinhardt, Kerry

Active magnetic regenerators (AMR) with second order magnetocaloric materials operating below the Curie temperature have a unique property where the magnetized specific heat is lower than the demagnetized specific heat. The associated thermal mass imbalance allows a fraction of heat transfer fluid in the cold heat exchanger to bypass the magnetized regenerator. This cold bypassed fluid can precool a process stream as it returns to the hot side, thereby increasing the efficiency of liquefaction and reducing the cost of liquid cryogens. In the present work, the net cooling power of an active magnetic regenerative liquefier is investigated as a functionmore » of the bypass flow fraction. Experiments are performed at a fixed temperature span yielding a 30% improvement in net cooling power, affirming the potential of bypass flow in active magnetic regenerative liquefiers.« less

Investigation of bypass fluid flow in an active magnetic regenerative liquefier

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Holladay, Jamelyn; Teyber, Reed; Meinhardt, Kerry

Active magnetic regenerators (AMR) with second order magnetocaloric materials operating below the Curie temperature have a unique property where the magnetized specific heat is lower than the demagnetized specific heat. The associated thermal mass imbalance allows a fraction of heat transfer fluid in the cold heat exchanger to bypass the magnetized regenerator. This cold bypassed fluid can precool a process stream as it returns to the hot side, thereby increasing the efficiency of liquefaction and reducing the cost of liquid cryogens. In the present work, the net cooling power of an active magnetic regenerative liquefier is investigated as a functionmore » of the bypass flow fraction. In conclusion, experiments are performed at a fixed temperature span yielding a 30% improvement in net cooling power, affirming the potential of bypass flow in active magnetic regenerative liquefiers.« less

Effects of mold geometry on fiber orientation of powder injection molded metal matrix composites

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ahmad, Faiz, E-mail: faizahmad@petronas.com.my; Aslam, Muhammad, E-mail: klaira73@gmail.com; Altaf, Khurram, E-mail: khurram.altaf@petronas.com.my

2015-07-22

Fiber orientations in metal matrix composites have significant effect on improving tensile properties. Control of fiber orientations in metal injection molded metal composites is a difficult task. In this study, two mold cavities of dimensions 6x6x90 mm and 10x20x180 mm were used for comparison of fiber orientation in injection molded metal composites test parts. In both mold cavities, convergent and divergent flows were developed by modifying the sprue dimensions. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to examine the fiber orientations within the test samples. The results showed highly aligned fiber in injection molded test bars developed from the convergent melt flow. Randommore » orientation of fibers was noted in the composites test bars produced from divergent melt flow.« less

GENERALIZED VISCOPLASTIC MODELING OF DEBRIS FLOW.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chen, Cheng-lung

1988-01-01

The earliest model developed by R. A. Bagnold was based on the concept of the 'dispersive' pressure generated by grain collisions. Some efforts have recently been made by theoreticians in non-Newtonian fluid mechanics to modify or improve Bagnold's concept or model. A viable rheological model should consist both of a rate-independent part and a rate-dependent part. A generalized viscoplastic fluid (GVF) model that has both parts as well as two major rheological properties (i. e. , the normal stress effect and soil yield criterion) is shown to be sufficiently accurate, yet practical for general use in debris-flow modeling. In fact, Bagnold's model is found to be only a particular case of the GVF model. analytical solutions for (steady) uniform debris flows in wide channels are obtained from the GVF model based on Bagnold's simplified assumption of constant grain concentration.

Effect of swaging on the 1000 C compressive slow plastic flow characteristics of the directionally solidified eutectic alloy gamma/gamma prime-alpha

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whittenberger, J. D.; Wirth, G.

1983-01-01

Swaging between 750 and 1050 C has been investigated as a means to introduce work into the directionally solidified eutectic alloy gamma/gamma prime-alpha (Ni-32.3 wt percent Mo-6.3 wt percent Al) and increase the elevated temperature creep strength. The 1000 C slow plastic compressive flow stress-strain rate properties in air of as-grown, annealed, and worked nominally 10 and 25 percent materials have been determined. Swaging did not improve the slow plastic behavior. In fact large reductions tended to degrade the strength and produced a change in the deformation mechanism from uniform flow to one involving intense slip band formation. Comparison of 1000 C tensile and compressive strength-strain rate data reveals that deformation is independent of the stress state.

A unified RANS–LES model: Computational development, accuracy and cost

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gopalan, Harish, E-mail: hgopalan@uwyo.edu; Heinz, Stefan, E-mail: heinz@uwyo.edu; Stöllinger, Michael K., E-mail: MStoell@uwyo.edu

2013-09-15

Large eddy simulation (LES) is computationally extremely expensive for the investigation of wall-bounded turbulent flows at high Reynolds numbers. A way to reduce the computational cost of LES by orders of magnitude is to combine LES equations with Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations used in the near-wall region. A large variety of such hybrid RANS–LES methods are currently in use such that there is the question of which hybrid RANS-LES method represents the optimal approach. The properties of an optimal hybrid RANS–LES model are formulated here by taking reference to fundamental properties of fluid flow equations. It is shown that unifiedmore » RANS–LES models derived from an underlying stochastic turbulence model have the properties of optimal hybrid RANS–LES models. The rest of the paper is organized in two parts. First, a priori and a posteriori analyses of channel flow data are used to find the optimal computational formulation of the theoretically derived unified RANS–LES model and to show that this computational model, which is referred to as linear unified model (LUM), does also have all the properties of an optimal hybrid RANS–LES model. Second, a posteriori analyses of channel flow data are used to study the accuracy and cost features of the LUM. The following conclusions are obtained. (i) Compared to RANS, which require evidence for their predictions, the LUM has the significant advantage that the quality of predictions is relatively independent of the RANS model applied. (ii) Compared to LES, the significant advantage of the LUM is a cost reduction of high-Reynolds number simulations by a factor of 0.07Re{sup 0.46}. For coarse grids, the LUM has a significant accuracy advantage over corresponding LES. (iii) Compared to other usually applied hybrid RANS–LES models, it is shown that the LUM provides significantly improved predictions.« less

Flow and free running speed characterization of dental air turbine handpieces.

PubMed

Dyson, J E; Darvell, B W

1999-09-01

Dental air turbine handpieces have been widely used in clinical dentistry for over 30 years, yet little work has been reported on their performance. A few studies have been concerned with measurement of speed (i.e. rotation rate), torque and power performance of these devices, but neither investigations of functional relationships between controlling variables nor theory dealing specifically with this class of turbine have been reported. This has hindered the development of satisfactory methods of handpiece specification and of testing dental rotary cutting tools. It was the intention of the present work to remedy that deficiency. Measurements of pressure, temperature, gas flow rate and rotation rate were made with improved accuracy and precision for 14 ball bearing turbine handpieces on several gases. Functional relationships between gas properties, supply pressure, flow rate, turbine design factors and free running speed were identified and equations describing these aspects of behaviour of this class of turbine developed. The rotor radius, through peripheral Mach number, was found to be a major determinant of speed performance. In addition, gas flow was found to be an important limiting factor through the effect of choke. Each dental handpiece can be treated as a simple orifice of a characteristic cross-sectional area. Free running speed can be explained in terms of gas properties and pressure, with allowance for a design-specific performance coefficient.

Al/Cu Dissimilar Friction Stir Welding with Ni, Ti, and Zn Foil as the Interlayer for Flow Control, Enhancing Mechanical and Metallurgical Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahu, Prakash Kumar; Pal, Sukhomay; Pal, Surjya K.

2017-07-01

This research investigates the effects of Ni, Ti, and Zn foil as interlayer, inserted between the faying edges of Al and Cu plates, for controlled intermetallic compound (IMC) formation. The weld tensile strength with Ti and Zn as interlayer is superior to Al base metal strength. This is due to controlled flow of IMCs by diffused Ti interlayer and thin, continuous, and uniform IMC formation in the case of Zn interlayer. Improved flexural stress was observed with interlayer. Weld microhardness varied with different interlayers and purely depends on IMCs present at the indentation point, flow of IMCs, and interlayer hardness. Specimens with interlayer failed at the interface of the nugget and thermomechanical-affected zone (TMAZ) with complete and broken three-dimensional (3-D) grains, indicating transgranular fracture. Phase analysis revealed that Al/Cu IMCs are impeded by Ni and Ti interlayer. The minor binary and ternary IMC phases form adjacent to the interlayer due to diffusion of the material with Al/Cu. Line scan and elemental mapping indicate thin, continuous, and uniform IMCs with enhanced weld metallurgical and mechanical properties for the joints with Zn interlayer. Macrostructural analysis revealed IMC flow variations with and without interlayer. Variation in grain size at different zones is also observed for different interlayers.

Pore-Scale Investigation on Stress-Dependent Characteristics of Granular Packs and Their Impact on Multiphase Fluid Distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torrealba, V.; Karpyn, Z.; Yoon, H.; Hart, D. B.; Klise, K. A.

2013-12-01

The pore-scale dynamics that govern multiphase flow under variable stress conditions are not well understood. This lack of fundamental understanding limits our ability to quantitatively predict multiphase flow and fluid distributions in natural geologic systems. In this research, we focus on pore-scale, single and multiphase flow properties that impact displacement mechanisms and residual trapping of non-wetting phase under varying stress conditions. X-ray micro-tomography is used to image pore structures and distribution of wetting and non-wetting fluids in water-wet synthetic granular packs, under dynamic load. Micro-tomography images are also used to determine structural features such as medial axis, surface area, and pore body and throat distribution; while the corresponding transport properties are determined from Lattice-Boltzmann simulations performed on lattice replicas of the imaged specimens. Results are used to investigate how inter-granular deformation mechanisms affect fluid displacement and residual trapping at the pore-scale. This will improve our understanding of the dynamic interaction of mechanical deformation and fluid flow during enhanced oil recovery and geologic CO2 sequestration. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

Design Optimization Tool for Synthetic Jet Actuators Using Lumped Element Modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gallas, Quentin; Sheplak, Mark; Cattafesta, Louis N., III; Gorton, Susan A. (Technical Monitor)

2005-01-01

The performance specifications of any actuator are quantified in terms of an exhaustive list of parameters such as bandwidth, output control authority, etc. Flow-control applications benefit from a known actuator frequency response function that relates the input voltage to the output property of interest (e.g., maximum velocity, volumetric flow rate, momentum flux, etc.). Clearly, the required performance metrics are application specific, and methods are needed to achieve the optimal design of these devices. Design and optimization studies have been conducted for piezoelectric cantilever-type flow control actuators, but the modeling issues are simpler compared to synthetic jets. Here, lumped element modeling (LEM) is combined with equivalent circuit representations to estimate the nonlinear dynamic response of a synthetic jet as a function of device dimensions, material properties, and external flow conditions. These models provide reasonable agreement between predicted and measured frequency response functions and thus are suitable for use as design tools. In this work, we have developed a Matlab-based design optimization tool for piezoelectric synthetic jet actuators based on the lumped element models mentioned above. Significant improvements were achieved by optimizing the piezoceramic diaphragm dimensions. Synthetic-jet actuators were fabricated and benchtop tested to fully document their behavior and validate a companion optimization effort. It is hoped that the tool developed from this investigation will assist in the design and deployment of these actuators.

Effect of resin on impact damage tolerance of graphite/epoxy laminates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, J. G.; Rhodes, M. D.

1982-01-01

Twenty-four different epoxy resin systems were evaluated by a variety of test techniques to identify materials that exhibited improved impact damage tolerance in graphite/epoxy composite laminates. Forty-eight-ply composite panels of five of the material systems were able to sustain 100 m/s impact by a 1.27-cm-diameter aluminum projectile while statically loaded to strains of 0.005. Of the five materials with the highest tolerance to impact, two had elastomeric additives, two had thermoplastic additives, and one had a vinyl modifier; all the five systems used bisphenol A as the base resin. An evaluation of test results shows that the laminate damage tolerance is largely determined by the resin tensile properties, and that improvements in laminate damage tolerance are not necessarily made at the expense of room-temperature mechanical properties. The results also suggest that a resin volume fraction of 40 percent or greater may be required to permit the plastic flow between fibers necessary for improved damage tolerance.

Coffee polyphenols extracted from green coffee beans improve skin properties and microcirculatory function.

PubMed

Fukagawa, Satoko; Haramizu, Satoshi; Sasaoka, Shun; Yasuda, Yuka; Tsujimura, Hisashi; Murase, Takatoshi

2017-09-01

Coffee polyphenols (CPPs), including chlorogenic acid, exert various physiological activities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of CPPs on skin properties and microcirculatory function in humans. In this double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 49 female subjects with mildly xerotic skin received either a test beverage containing CPPs (270 mg/100 mL/day) or a placebo beverage for 8 weeks. The ingestion of CPPs significantly lowered the clinical scores for skin dryness, decreased transepidermal water loss, skin surface pH, and increased stratum corneum hydration and the responsiveness of skin blood flow during local warming. Moreover, the amounts of free fatty acids and lactic acid in the stratum corneum significantly increased after the ingestion of CPPs. These results suggest that an 8-week intake of CPPs improve skin permeability barrier function and hydration, with a concomitant improvement in microcirculatory function, leading to efficacy in the alleviation of mildly xerotic skin.

Improved Measurement System for Atmospheric Studies

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-05

wire placed in fluid flow depends on: 1- the properties of the ambient fluid (density, viscosity, thermal conductivity , specific heat) and, 2- the...bead thermistors in gas chromatog- raphy and thermal conductivity gas analysis equipment, as well as in ther- mistor catheters and hypodermic needles...ground. Special MCX plugs on the turbulence payload (outside of MCX plug not in contact with any metal part but connected to the outside conductor

Mathematical model of the stack region of a commercial lead blast furnace

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hussain, Mansoor M.; Morris, David R.

1989-02-01

A mathematical model of the stack region of a commercial lead blast furnace is presented. The mass and heat balance equations were solved in conjunction with the kinetic expression for the rate of re-duction of the solids based upon the grain model, utilizing the measured structural parameters of the sinter feed and the measured kinetic parameters. Satisfactory agreement has been achieved between the computed and experimental axial profiles of gas and solids temperature, pressure, gas composi-tion, and condensed phases composition. The model is used to predict the effects of changes of bed voidage, physical properties, and chemical constitution of the sinter and the effects of gas and solids flow maldistribution on the operation of the furnace. In particular, it is noted that for a sinter with the typical physical properties of a commercial sinter, improved conversion in the upper reaches of the furnace is predicted when lead is in the form of lead oxide rather than as the relatively unreac-tive lead calcium silicates. The improved conversion is accompanied by better utilization of carbon monoxide. Further, the model suggests that the formation of scaffolds in the furnace may be due to flow maldistribution causing high temperatures in the vicinity of the furnace wall.

Adaptive multiresolution modeling of groundwater flow in heterogeneous porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malenica, Luka; Gotovac, Hrvoje; Srzic, Veljko; Andric, Ivo

2016-04-01

Proposed methodology was originally developed by our scientific team in Split who designed multiresolution approach for analyzing flow and transport processes in highly heterogeneous porous media. The main properties of the adaptive Fup multi-resolution approach are: 1) computational capabilities of Fup basis functions with compact support capable to resolve all spatial and temporal scales, 2) multi-resolution presentation of heterogeneity as well as all other input and output variables, 3) accurate, adaptive and efficient strategy and 4) semi-analytical properties which increase our understanding of usually complex flow and transport processes in porous media. The main computational idea behind this approach is to separately find the minimum number of basis functions and resolution levels necessary to describe each flow and transport variable with the desired accuracy on a particular adaptive grid. Therefore, each variable is separately analyzed, and the adaptive and multi-scale nature of the methodology enables not only computational efficiency and accuracy, but it also describes subsurface processes closely related to their understood physical interpretation. The methodology inherently supports a mesh-free procedure, avoiding the classical numerical integration, and yields continuous velocity and flux fields, which is vitally important for flow and transport simulations. In this paper, we will show recent improvements within the proposed methodology. Since "state of the art" multiresolution approach usually uses method of lines and only spatial adaptive procedure, temporal approximation was rarely considered as a multiscale. Therefore, novel adaptive implicit Fup integration scheme is developed, resolving all time scales within each global time step. It means that algorithm uses smaller time steps only in lines where solution changes are intensive. Application of Fup basis functions enables continuous time approximation, simple interpolation calculations across different temporal lines and local time stepping control. Critical aspect of time integration accuracy is construction of spatial stencil due to accurate calculation of spatial derivatives. Since common approach applied for wavelets and splines uses a finite difference operator, we developed here collocation one including solution values and differential operator. In this way, new improved algorithm is adaptive in space and time enabling accurate solution for groundwater flow problems, especially in highly heterogeneous porous media with large lnK variances and different correlation length scales. In addition, differences between collocation and finite volume approaches are discussed. Finally, results show application of methodology to the groundwater flow problems in highly heterogeneous confined and unconfined aquifers.

One-dimensional and two-dimensional hydrodynamic modelling derived flow properties: Impacts on aquatic habitat quality predictions

Treesearch

Rohan Benjankar; Daniele Tonina; James McKean

2014-01-01

Studies of the effects of hydrodynamic model dimensionality on simulated flow properties and derived quantities such as aquatic habitat quality are limited. It is important to close this knowledge gap especially now that entire river networks can be mapped at the microhabitat scale due to the advent of point-cloud techniques. This study compares flow properties, such...

Quantitative analysis of optical properties of flowing blood using a photon-cell interactive Monte Carlo code: effects of red blood cells' orientation on light scattering.

PubMed

Sakota, Daisuke; Takatani, Setsuo

2012-05-01

Optical properties of flowing blood were analyzed using a photon-cell interactive Monte Carlo (pciMC) model with the physical properties of the flowing red blood cells (RBCs) such as cell size, shape, refractive index, distribution, and orientation as the parameters. The scattering of light by flowing blood at the He-Ne laser wavelength of 632.8 nm was significantly affected by the shear rate. The light was scattered more in the direction of flow as the flow rate increased. Therefore, the light intensity transmitted forward in the direction perpendicular to flow axis decreased. The pciMC model can duplicate the changes in the photon propagation due to moving RBCs with various orientations. The resulting RBC's orientation that best simulated the experimental results was with their long axis perpendicular to the direction of blood flow. Moreover, the scattering probability was dependent on the orientation of the RBCs. Finally, the pciMC code was used to predict the hematocrit of flowing blood with accuracy of approximately 1.0 HCT%. The photon-cell interactive Monte Carlo (pciMC) model can provide optical properties of flowing blood and will facilitate the development of the non-invasive monitoring of blood in extra corporeal circulatory systems.

Performance characteristics of rubber seed oil biodiesel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, P.; Qin, M.; Wu, J.; Chen, B. S.

2018-01-01

The lubricity, ignition quality, oxidative stability, low temperature flow property and elastomeric compatibility of rubber seed oil biodiesel(RSM) were evaluated and compared with conventional petro-diesel. The results indicated that RSM and its blends with petro-diesel possessed outstanding lubricity manifested by sharp decrease in wear scar diameters in the high-frequency reciprocating rig(HFRR) testing. They also provided acceptable flammability and cold flow property,although the cetane numbers (CN) and cold filter plugging points(CFPP) of biodiesel blends slightly decreased with increasing contents of petro-diesel. However, RSM proved to be very susceptible to oxidation at elevated temperatures during prolonged oxidation durations, characterized by increased peroxide values, viscosity, acid values and isooctane insolubles. The oxidation stability of RSM could be significantly improved by antioxidants such as BD100, a phenol antioxidant produced by Ciba corporation. Furthermore, RSM provided poor compatibility with some elastomeric rubbers such as polyacrylate, nitrile-butadiene and chloroprene, but was well compatible with the hydrogenated nitrile-butadiene elastomer.

Sonication-Based Improvement of the Physicochemical Properties of Guar Gum as a Potential Substrate for Modified Drug Delivery Systems

PubMed Central

Ansari, Siddique Akber; Cencetti, Claudia; Carafa, Maria; Mazzuca, Claudia; Capitani, Donatella; Coviello, Tommasina

2013-01-01

Guar Gum is a natural polysaccharide that, due to its physicochemical properties, is extensively investigated for biomedical applications as a matrix for modified drug delivery, but it is also used in the food industry as well as in cosmetics. A commercial sample of Guar Gum was sonicated for different periods of time, and the reduction in the average molecular weight was monitored by means of viscometric measurements. At the same time, the rheological behaviour was also followed, in terms of viscoelasticity range, flow curves, and mechanical spectra. Sonicated samples were used for the preparation of gels in the presence of borate ions. The effect of borax on the new samples was investigated by recording mechanical spectra, flow curves, and visible absorption spectra of complexes with Congo Red. The anisotropic elongation, observed in previous studies with tablets of Guar Gum and borax, was remarkably reduced when the sonicated samples were used for the preparation of the gels. PMID:23984426

Thermotropic nanostructured gels with complex hierarchical structure and two gelling components for water shut-off and enhance of oil recovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Altunina, L. K.; Kuvshinov, I. V.; Kuvshinov, V. A.; Kozlov, V. V.; Stasyeva, L. A.

2017-12-01

This work presents the results of laboratory and field tests of thermotropic composition MEGA with two simultaneously acting gelling components, polymer and inorganic. The composition is intended for improving oil recovery and water shut-off at oilfields developed by thermal flooding, and cyclic-steam stimulated oil production wells. The composition forms an in-situ "gel-in-gel" system with improved structural-mechanical properties, using reservoir or carrier fluid heat for gelling. The gel blocks water breakthrough into producing wells and redistribute fluid flows, thus increasing the oil recovery factor.

Fractal rigidity in migraine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Latka, Miroslaw; Glaubic-Latka, Marta; Latka, Dariusz; West, Bruce J.

2004-04-01

We study the middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity (MCAfv) in humans using transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD). Scaling properties of time series of the axial flow velocity averaged over a cardiac beat interval may be characterized by two exponents. The short time scaling exponent (STSE) determines the statistical properties of fluctuations of blood flow velocities in short-time intervals while the Hurst exponent describes the long-term fractal properties. In many migraineurs the value of the STSE is significantly reduced and may approach that of the Hurst exponent. This change in dynamical properties reflects the significant loss of short-term adaptability and the overall hyperexcitability of the underlying cerebral blood flow control system. We call this effect fractal rigidity.

An improved method for design of expansion-chamber mufflers with application to an operational helicopter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parrott, T. L.

1973-01-01

An improved method for the design of expansion-chamber mufflers is described and applied to the task of reducing exhaust noise generated by a helicopter. The method is an improvement of standard transmission-line theory in that it accounts for the effect of the mean exhaust-gas flow on the acoustic-transmission properties of a muffler system, including the termination boundary condition. The method has been computerized, and the computer program includes an optimization procedure that adjusts muffler component lengths to achieve a minimum specified desired transmission loss over a specified frequency range. A printout of the program is included together with a user-oriented description.

Modeling the hydrophysical soil properties as a part of self-regulated flood dams projection in gis-environment for sustainable urban development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nikonorov, Aleksandr; Terleev, Vitaly; Badenko, Vladimir; Mirschel, Wilfried; Abakumov, Evgeny; Ginevsky, Roman; Lazarev, Viktor; Togo, Issa; Volkova, Yulia; Melnichuk, Aleksandr; Dunaieva, Ielizaveta; Akimov, Luka

2017-10-01

The problem of flood protection measures are considered in the paper. The regulation of river flow by the system of Self-Regulated Flood Dams (SRFD) is analyzed. The method of SRFD modeling in GIS environment is proposed. The question of the ecological aspect of the SRFD management is considered based on the hydrophysical properties of the soil. The improved Mualem-Van Genuchted method is proposed for the evaluation of the possible SRFD location influence on the soil of flooded territory - the temporary reservoirs. The importance and utility of the proposed complex method is stated.

Lichenysin-geminal amino acid-based surfactants: Synergistic action of an unconventional antimicrobial mixture.

PubMed

Coronel-León, Jonathan; Pinazo, Aurora; Pérez, Lourdes; Espuny, Mª José; Marqués, Ana Mª; Manresa, Angeles

2017-01-01

Recently it has been demonstrated that catanionic mixtures of oppositely charged surfactants have improved physicochemical-biological properties compared to the individual components. Isotherms of mixtures of an anionic biosurfactant (lichenysin) and a cationic aminoacid surfactant (C 3 (LA) 2 ) indicate a strong interaction suggesting the formation of a new "pseudo-surfactant". The antimicrobial properties of the mixture lichenysin and C 3 (LA) 2 M80:20, indicate a synergistic effect of the components. The mechanism of action on the bacterial envelope was assessed by flow cytometry and Transmission Electron Microscopy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Large Eddy Simulations and Turbulence Modeling for Film Cooling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Acharya, Sumanta

1999-01-01

The objective of the research is to perform Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) and Large Eddy Simulations (LES) for film cooling process, and to evaluate and improve advanced forms of the two equation turbulence models for turbine blade surface flow analysis. The DNS/LES were used to resolve the large eddies within the flow field near the coolant jet location. The work involved code development and applications of the codes developed to the film cooling problems. Five different codes were developed and utilized to perform this research. This report presented a summary of the development of the codes and their applications to analyze the turbulence properties at locations near coolant injection holes.

Behavior of fiber reinforced mortar joints in masonry walls subjected to in-plane shear and out-of-plane bending

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armwood, Catherine K.

In this project, 26 fiber-reinforced mortar (FRM) mixtures are evaluated for their workability and strength characteristics. The specimens tested include two control mixtures and 24 FRMs. The mixtures were made of two types of binders; Type N Portland cement lime (Type N-PCL) and Natural Hydrated Lime 5 (NHL5); and 6 fiber types (5 synthetic fibers and one organic). When tested in flexure, the results indicate that majority of the synthetic fiber mixtures enhanced the performance of the mortar and the nano-nylon and horse hair fibers were the least effective in improving the mortar's modulus of rupture, ductility, and energy absorption. Four FRMs that improved the mortar's mechanical properties most during the flexural strength test were then used to conduct additional experiments. The FRM's compressive strength, as well as flexural and shear bond strength with clay and concrete masonry units were determined. Those four mixtures included Type N-PCL as the binder and 4 synthetic fibers. They were evaluated at a standard laboratory flow rate of 110% +/- 5% and a practical field flow rate of 130% +/- 5%. Results indicate that the use of fibers decreases the compressive strength of the mortar most of the time. However, the bond strength test results were promising: 81% of the FRM mixtures increased the flexural bond strength of the prism. The mixtures at 110 +/- 5% flow rate bonded better with concrete bricks and those ate 130+/-5% flow rate bonded better with clay bricks. The results of the shear bond strength show 50% of the FRM mixtures improved the shear bond strength. The FRM mixtures at 110+/-5% flow rate bonded with clay units provided the most improvement in shear bond strength compared to control specimen results. Along with detailed discussions and derived conclusions of these experiments, this dissertation includes recommendations for the most feasible FRM for different applications.

When and where does preferential flow matter - from observation to large scale modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiler, Markus; Leistert, Hannes; Steinbrich, Andreas

2017-04-01

Preferential flow can be of relevance in a wide range of soils and the interaction of different processes and factors are still difficult to assess. As most studies (including our own studies) focusing on the effect of preferential flow are based on relatively high precipitation rates, there is always the question how relevant preferential flow is under natural conditions, considering the site specific precipitation characteristics, the effect of the drying and wetting cycle on the initial soil water condition and shrinkage cracks, the site specific soil properties, soil structure and rock fragments, and the effect of plant roots and soil fauna (e.g. earthworm channels). In order to assess this question, we developed the distributed, process-based model RoGeR (Runoff Generation Research) to include a large number relevant features and processes of preferential flow in soils. The model was developed from a large number of process based research and experiments and includes preferential flow in roots, earthworm channels, along rock fragments and shrinkage cracks. We parameterized the uncalibrated model at a high spatial resolution of 5x5m for the whole state of Baden-Württemberg in Germany using LiDAR data, degree of sealing, landuse, soil properties and geology. As the model is an event based model, we derived typical event based precipitation characteristics based on rainfall duration, mean intensity and amount. Using the site-specific variability of initial soil moisture derived from a water balance model based on the same dataset, we simulated the infiltration and recharge amounts of all event classes derived from the event precipitation characteristics and initial soil moisture conditions. The analysis of the simulation results allowed us to extracts the relevance of preferential flow for infiltration and recharge considering all factors above. We could clearly see a strong effect of the soil properties and land-use, but also, particular for clay rich soils a strong effect of the initial conditions due to the development of soil cracks. Not too surprisingly, the relevance of preferential flow was much lower when considering the whole range of precipitation events as only considering events with a high rainfall intensity. Also, the influence on infiltration and recharge were different. Despite the model can still be improved in particular considering more realistic information about the spatial and temporal variability of preferential flow by soil fauna and plants, the model already shows under what situation we need to be very careful when predicting infiltration and recharge with models considering only longer time steps (daily) or only matrix flow.

Feedback of land subsidence on the movement and conjunctive use of water resources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schmid, Wolfgang; Hanson, Randall T.; Leake, Stanley A.; Hughes, Joseph D.; Niswonger, Richard G.

2014-01-01

The dependency of surface- or groundwater flows and aquifer hydraulic properties on dewatering-induced layer deformation is not available in the USGS's groundwater model MODFLOW. A new integrated hydrologic model, MODFLOW-OWHM, formulates this dependency by coupling mesh deformation with aquifer transmissivity and storage and by linking land subsidence/uplift with deformation-dependent flows that also depend on aquifer head and other flow terms. In a test example, flows most affected were stream seepage and evapotranspiration from groundwater (ETgw). Deformation feedback also had an indirect effect on conjunctive surface- and groundwater use components: Changed stream seepage and streamflows influenced surface-water deliveries and returnflows. Changed ETgw affected irrigation demand, which jointly with altered surface-water supplies resulted in changed supplemental groundwater requirements and pumping and changed return runoff. This modeling feature will improve the impact assessment of dewatering-induced land subsidence/uplift (following irrigation pumping or coal-seam gas extraction) on surface receptors, inter-basin transfers, and surface-infrastructure integrity.

Optimal design and uncertainty quantification in blood flow simulations for congenital heart disease

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marsden, Alison

2009-11-01

Recent work has demonstrated substantial progress in capabilities for patient-specific cardiovascular flow simulations. Recent advances include increasingly complex geometries, physiological flow conditions, and fluid structure interaction. However inputs to these simulations, including medical image data, catheter-derived pressures and material properties, can have significant uncertainties associated with them. For simulations to predict clinically useful and reliable output information, it is necessary to quantify the effects of input uncertainties on outputs of interest. In addition, blood flow simulation tools can now be efficiently coupled to shape optimization algorithms for surgery design applications, and these tools should incorporate uncertainty information. We present a unified framework to systematically and efficient account for uncertainties in simulations using adaptive stochastic collocation. In addition, we present a framework for derivative-free optimization of cardiovascular geometries, and layer these tools to perform optimization under uncertainty. These methods are demonstrated using simulations and surgery optimization to improve hemodynamics in pediatric cardiology applications.

GPU computing of compressible flow problems by a meshless method with space-filling curves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Z. H.; Wang, H.; Pu, S. H.

2014-04-01

A graphic processing unit (GPU) implementation of a meshless method for solving compressible flow problems is presented in this paper. Least-square fit is used to discretize the spatial derivatives of Euler equations and an upwind scheme is applied to estimate the flux terms. The compute unified device architecture (CUDA) C programming model is employed to efficiently and flexibly port the meshless solver from CPU to GPU. Considering the data locality of randomly distributed points, space-filling curves are adopted to re-number the points in order to improve the memory performance. Detailed evaluations are firstly carried out to assess the accuracy and conservation property of the underlying numerical method. Then the GPU accelerated flow solver is used to solve external steady flows over aerodynamic configurations. Representative results are validated through extensive comparisons with the experimental, finite volume or other available reference solutions. Performance analysis reveals that the running time cost of simulations is significantly reduced while impressive (more than an order of magnitude) speedups are achieved.

A numerical model for a thermally-regenerative ammonia-based flow battery using for low grade waste heat recovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Weiguang; Shu, Gequn; Tian, Hua; Zhu, Xiuping

2018-06-01

A stationary and a transient two-dimensional models, based on the universal conservation laws and coupled with electrochemical reactions, are firstly applied to describe a single thermally-regenerative ammonia-based flow battery (TR-AFB), and emphasis is placed on studying the effects of reactant concentrations, physical properties of the electrolyte, flow rates and geometric parameters of flow channels on the battery performance. The model includes several experimental parameters measured by cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry (CA) and Tafel plot. The results indicate that increasing NH3 concentration has a decisive effect on the improvement of power production and is beneficial to use higher Cu2+ concentrations, but the endurance of membrane and self-discharge need to be considered at the same time. It is also suggested that appropriately reducing the initial Cu(NH3)42+ concentration can promote power and energy densities and mitigate cyclical fluctuation. The relation between the energy and power densities is given, and the models are validated by some experimental data.

Test of a new heat-flow equation for dense-fluid shock waves.

PubMed

Holian, Brad Lee; Mareschal, Michel; Ravelo, Ramon

2010-09-21

Using a recently proposed equation for the heat-flux vector that goes beyond Fourier's Law of heat conduction, we model shockwave propagation in the dense Lennard-Jones fluid. Disequilibrium among the three components of temperature, namely, the difference between the kinetic temperature in the direction of a planar shock wave and those in the transverse directions, particularly in the region near the shock front, gives rise to a new transport (equilibration) mechanism not seen in usual one-dimensional heat-flow situations. The modification of the heat-flow equation was tested earlier for the case of strong shock waves in the ideal gas, which had been studied in the past and compared to Navier-Stokes-Fourier solutions. Now, the Lennard-Jones fluid, whose equation of state and transport properties have been determined from independent calculations, allows us to study the case where potential, as well as kinetic contributions are important. The new heat-flow treatment improves the agreement with nonequilibrium molecular-dynamics simulations under strong shock wave conditions, compared to Navier-Stokes.

A computational model for the flow of resin in self-healing composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hall, J.; Qamar, I. P. S.; Rendall, T. C. S.; Trask, R. S.

2015-03-01

To explore the flow characteristics of healing agent leaving a vascular network and infusing a damage site within a fibre reinforced polymer composite, a numerical model of healing agent flow from an orifice has been developed using smoothed particle hydrodynamics. As an initial validation the discharge coefficient for low Reynolds number flow from a cylindrical tank is calculated numerically, using two different viscosity formulations, and compared to existing experimental data. Results of this comparison are very favourable; the model is able to reproduce experimental results for the discharge coefficient in the high Reynolds number limit, together with the power-law behaviour for low Reynolds numbers. Results are also presented for a representative delamination geometry showing healing fluid behaviour and fraction filled inside the delamination for a variety of fluid viscosities. This work provides the foundations for the vascular self-healing community in calculating not only the flow rate through the network, but also, by simulating a representative damage site, the final location of the healing fluid within the damage site in order to assess the improvement in local and global mechanical properties and thus healing efficiency.

Long-term affects of experimental flows on riverine biota below a reservoir

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robinson, Chris; Ortlepp, Johannes

2010-05-01

Large dams have altered the flow regime of most rivers on the globe with consequent effects on riverine biota. Experimental flows (multiple floods per year) have been used on the regulated Spöl River below Livigno Reservoir for over 9 years to enhance the ecological condition of the river. The flow program has improved the brown trout fishery in the river as indicated by an increased number of redds. Floods have reset periphyton assemblages from a moss-dominated streambed to one dominated by diatoms and patches of filamentous algae. Zoobenthic assemblages have shown dramatic shifts in benthic structure in line with predictions from altered state models. Ecosystem regime shifts have been characterized with increases in parameter variances followed by periods of stable states. The system appears to be entering a second zoobenthic regime shift after year 8, perhaps in response to biotic interactions due to changes in the fishery. The response patterns clearly show that a long-term perspective must be in place when assessing biotic responses to changes in physical habitat properties resulting from flow experiments.

Simulating compressible-incompressible two-phase flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Denner, Fabian; van Wachem, Berend

2017-11-01

Simulating compressible gas-liquid flows, e.g. air-water flows, presents considerable numerical issues and requires substantial computational resources, particularly because of the stiff equation of state for the liquid and the different Mach number regimes. Treating the liquid phase (low Mach number) as incompressible, yet concurrently considering the gas phase (high Mach number) as compressible, can improve the computational performance of such simulations significantly without sacrificing important physical mechanisms. A pressure-based algorithm for the simulation of two-phase flows is presented, in which a compressible and an incompressible fluid are separated by a sharp interface. The algorithm is based on a coupled finite-volume framework, discretised in conservative form, with a compressive VOF method to represent the interface. The bulk phases are coupled via a novel acoustically-conservative interface discretisation method that retains the acoustic properties of the compressible phase and does not require a Riemann solver. Representative test cases are presented to scrutinize the proposed algorithm, including the reflection of acoustic waves at the compressible-incompressible interface, shock-drop interaction and gas-liquid flows with surface tension. Financial support from the EPSRC (Grant EP/M021556/1) is gratefully acknowledged.

Analysis of internal flows relative to the space shuttle main engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

Cooperative efforts between the Lockheed-Huntsville Computational Mechanics Group and the NASA-MSFC Computational Fluid Dynamics staff has resulted in improved capabilities for numerically simulating incompressible flows generic to the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME). A well established and documented CFD code was obtained, modified, and applied to laminar and turbulent flows of the type occurring in the SSME Hot Gas Manifold. The INS3D code was installed on the NASA-MSFC CRAY-XMP computer system and is currently being used by NASA engineers. Studies to perform a transient analysis of the FPB were conducted. The COBRA/TRAC code is recommended for simulating the transient flow of oxygen into the LOX manifold. Property data for modifying the code to represent LOX/GOX flow was collected. The ALFA code was developed and recommended for representing the transient combustion in the preburner. These two codes will couple through the transient boundary conditions to simulate the startup and/or shutdown of the fuel preburner. A study, NAS8-37461, is currently being conducted to implement this modeling effort.

Conditioning of material properties by micro rotary swaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishkina, Svetlana; Schenck, Christian; Kuhfuss, Bernd

2018-05-01

Cold forming initiates a change of the material properties like flow stress and hardness. Due to work hardening and the accompanied loss of formability some intermediate heat treatment may become necessary in multi-stage forming processes. One possibility to avoid this heat treatment is to adjust the forming characteristics in terms of flow stress and formability by rotary swaging. This process is particularly suitable not only for producing of the target geometry but also for modifying of the material properties during the process and thus, rotary swaging can prepare the parts for further forming, such as extrusion. In this contribution, the process chain "rotary swaging - extrusion" for austenite stainless steel AISI304 was investigated. The forming characteristics of the semi-finished products for the extrusion were influenced by the previous swaging process. The conditioning by changing of the microstructure, the work hardening and the geometry of the processed wires was achieved by the process design. For this purpose, the geometry of the swaging dies, the feeding velocity as well as the process kinematics (eccentric swaging) and a stroke following angle Δɸ were varied. In particular, the novel geometry of the swaging dies with extraordinary sloped faces generated a non-symmetric material flow with severe shear deformation and thus an extreme change of the microstructure. The required forming force of the following extrusion process reflected the range of achievable conditioning. The micro rotary swaging process positively improved the formability of AISI304 by work softening.

Correction of Dynamic Characteristics of SAR Cryogenic GTE on Consumption of Gasified Fuel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bukin, V. A.; Gimadiev, A. G.; Gangisetty, G.

2018-01-01

When the gas turbine engines (GTE) NK-88 were developed for liquid hydrogen and NK-89 for liquefied natural gas, performance of the systems with a turbo-pump unitary was improved and its proved without direct regulation of the flow of a cryogenic fuel, which was supplied by a centrifugal pump of the turbo-pump unit (TPU) Command from the “kerosene” system. Such type of the automatic control system (SAR) has the property of partial “neutralization” of the delay caused by gasification of the fuel. This does not require any measurements in the cryogenic medium, and the failure of the centrifugal cryogenic pump does not lead to engine failure. On the other hand, the system without direct regulation of the flow of cryogenic fuel has complex internal dynamic connections, their properties are determined by the characteristics of the incoming units and assemblies, and it is difficult to maintain accurate the maximum boundary level and minimum fuel consumption due to the influence of a booster pressure change. Direct regulation of the consumption of cryogenic fuel (prior to its gasification) is the preferred solution, since for using traditional liquid and gaseous fuels this is the main and proven method. The scheme of correction of dynamic characteristics of a single-loop SAR GTE for the consumption of a liquefied cryogenic fuel with a flow rate correction in its gasified state, which ensures the dynamic properties of the system is not worse than for NK-88 and NK-89 engines.

Studies on the effect of compatibilizers on mechanical, thermal and flow properties of polycarbonate/poly (butylene terephthalate) blends

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Ravindra; Kar, Kamal K.; Kumar, Vijai

2018-01-01

Bisphenol-A polycarbonate (PC) and poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) were melt blended with ethylene-n-butylacrylate-glycidylmethacrylate terpolymer (E-BA-GMA) at various proportions in order to study the effects of compatibilizers on mechanical, thermal and flow properties of blends. Furthermore, on the basis of this study, PC and PBT were melt-blended at 60/40 proportion with three different compatibilizers viz., ethylene-n-butylacrylate copolymer (E-BA), E-BA-GMA and random copolymer of ethylene and glycidylmethacrylate (E-GMA) at 3 phr loading in a co-rotating twin screw extruder. Tensile, flexural and impact tests were carried out on injection molded samples of PC/PBT blends. The notched izod impact strength increases enormously (˜2-3 times) on addition of any one of the three compatibilizers, and elongation at break (%) also improves tremendously (3, 5 and 4 times) on incorporation of E-BA, E-BA-GMA and E-GMA copolymer, respectively while other mechanical properties decreases slightly (3%-8%) on addition of any one of these compatibilizers. The heat deflection temperature (HDT) raises ˜8 °C-9 °C on addition of either E-BA-GMA or E-GMA, while E-BA shows a negative effect on HDT. The melt flow index diminishes significantly (˜5%-20%) on incorporation of these compatibilizers. The morphology studies via scanning electron microscopy of these four blends were carried out to confirm the mechanical results.

The 3D pore structure and fluid dynamics simulation of macroporous monoliths: High permeability due to alternating channel width.

PubMed

Jungreuthmayer, Christian; Steppert, Petra; Sekot, Gerhard; Zankel, Armin; Reingruber, Herbert; Zanghellini, Jürgen; Jungbauer, Alois

2015-12-18

Polymethacrylate-based monoliths have excellent flow properties. Flow in the wide channel interconnected with narrow channels is theoretically assumed to account for favorable permeability. Monoliths were cut into 898 slices in 50nm distances and visualized by serial block face scanning electron microscopy (SBEM). A 3D structure was reconstructed and used for the calculation of flow profiles within the monolith and for calculation of pressure drop and permeability by computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The calculated and measured permeabilities showed good agreement. Small channels clearly flowed into wide and wide into small channels in a repetitive manner which supported the hypothesis describing the favorable flow properties of these materials. This alternating property is also reflected in the streamline velocity which fluctuated. These findings were corroborated by artificial monoliths which were composed of regular (interconnected) cells where narrow cells followed wide cells. In the real monolith and the artificial monoliths with interconnected flow channels similar velocity fluctuations could be observed. A two phase flow simulation showed a lateral velocity component, which may contribute to the transport of molecules to the monolith wall. Our study showed that the interconnection of small and wide pores is responsible for the excellent pressure flow properties. This study is also a guide for further design of continuous porous materials to achieve good flow properties. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The use of simulation and multiple environmental tracers to quantify groundwater flow in a shallow aquifer

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reilly, Thomas E.; Plummer, Niel; Phillips, Patrick J.; Busenberg, Eurybiades

1994-01-01

Measurements of the concentrations of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), tritium, and other environmental tracers can be used to calculate recharge ages of shallow groundwater and estimate rates of groundwater movement. Numerical simulation also provides quantitative estimates of flow rates, flow paths, and mixing properties of the groundwater system. The environmental tracer techniques and the hydraulic analyses each contribute to the understanding and quantification of the flow of shallow groundwater. However, when combined, the two methods provide feedback that improves the quantification of the flow system and provides insight into the processes that are the most uncertain. A case study near Locust Grove, Maryland, is used to investigate the utility of combining groundwater age dating, based on CFCs and tritium, and hydraulic analyses using numerical simulation techniques. The results of the feedback between an advective transport model and the estimates of groundwater ages determined by the CFCs improve a quantitative description of the system by refining the system conceptualization and estimating system parameters. The plausible system developed with this feedback between the advective flow model and the CFC ages is further tested using a solute transport simulation to reproduce the observed tritium distribution in the groundwater. The solute transport simulation corroborates the plausible system developed and also indicates that, for the system under investigation with the data obtained from 0.9-m-long (3-foot-long) well screens, the hydrodynamic dispersion is negligible. Together the two methods enable a coherent explanation of the flow paths and rates of movement while indicating weaknesses in the understanding of the system that will require future data collection and conceptual refinement of the groundwater system.

Characterization of Calcite Mineral Precipitation Process by EICP in Porous Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, D.; Mahabadi, N.; Hall, C.; Jang, J.; van Paassen, L. A.

2017-12-01

One of the most prevalent ground improvement techniques is injection of synthetic materials, such as cement grout or silicates into the pore space to create cementing bonds between soil particles. Besides these traditional ground improvement methods, several biological processes have been developed to improve soil properties. Enzyme induced carbonate precipitation (EICP) is a biological process in which urea hydrolyzes into ammonia and inorganic carbon, and promotes carbonate mineral precipitation. Different morphologies and patterns of calcite mineral precipitation, such as particle surface coating, pore filling, and soil particles bonding, have been observed in the previous studies. Most of the researches have detected precipitated minerals after the completion of the treatment using SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) imaging and XRD (X-ray Diffractometer) structural analysis. In this research, an EICP reaction medium is injected into a microfluidic chip to observe the entire process of carbonate precipitation through several cycles of EICP treatment in the porous medium. Once the process of mineral precipitation is completed, water is injected into the microfluidic chip with different flow rates to evaluate the stability of carbonates during fluid flow injection.

Enhanced viscous flow drag reduction using acoustic excitation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nagel, R. T.

1988-01-01

Large eddy break up devices (LEBUs) constitute a promising method of obtaining drag reduction in a turbulent boundary layer. Enhancement of the LEBU effectiveness by exciting its trailing edge with acoustic waves phase locked to the large scale structure influencing the momentum transfer to the wall is sought. An initial estimate of the required sound pressure level for an effective pulse was obtained by considering the magnitude of the pressure perturbations at the near wake of a thin plate in inviscid flow. Detailed skin friction measurments were obtained in the flow region downstream of a LEBU excited with acoustic waves. The data are compared with skin friction measurements of a simply manipulated flow, without acoustic excitation and with a plain flow configuration. The properties and the scales of motion in the flow regime downstream of the acoustically excited LEBU are studied. A parametric study based upon the characteristics of the acoustic input was pursued in addition to the careful mapping of the drag reduction phenomenon within the acoustically manipulated boundary layer. This study of boundary layer manipulation has lead to improved skin friction drag reduction and further understanding of the turbulent boundary layer.

Secondary Crater-Initiated Debris Flow on the Moon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin-Wells, K. S.; Campbell, D. B.; Campbell, B. A.; Carter, L. M.; Fox, Q.

2016-01-01

In recent work, radar circular polarization echo properties have been used to identify "secondary" craters without distinctive secondary morphologies. Because of the potential for this method to improve our knowledge of secondary crater population-in particular the effect of secondary populations on crater- derived ages based on small craters-it is important to understand the origin of radar polarization signatures associated with secondary impacts. In this paper, we utilize Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera photographs to examine the geomorphology of secondary craters with radar circular polarization ratio enhancements. Our investigation reveals evidence of dry debris flow with an impact melt component at such secondary craters. We hypothesize that these debris flows were initiated by the secondary impacts themselves, and that they have entrained blocky material ejected from the secondaries. By transporting this blocky material downrange, we propose that these debris flows (rather than solely ballistic emplacement) are responsible for the tail-like geometries of enhanced radar circular polarization ratio associated with the secondary craters investigated in this work. Evidence of debris flow was observed at both clustered and isolated secondary craters, suggesting that such flow may be a widespread occurrence, with important implications for the mixing of primary and local material in crater rays.

Lecithin-based emulsions for potential use as saliva substitutes in patients with xerostomia--viscoelastic properties.

PubMed

Hanning, Sara M; Yu, Tao; Jones, David S; Andrews, Gavin P; Kieser, Jules A; Medlicott, Natalie J

2013-11-18

The purpose of the present study was to investigate lecithin-rice bran oil rheological properties with the view to consider these as potential saliva substitutes in patients with severe xerostomia and salivary hypofunction. Pseudo-ternary phase diagrams of rice bran oil, lecithin and water mixtures were constructed and characterised using polarising light microscopy. Viscoelastic properties, which we hypothesise are important determinants in product performance, were analysed using both flow and oscillatory rheology. Rheological properties were influenced by composition, frequency and shear stress. Frequency-dependent viscoelasticity was observed in some formulations where viscosity dominated (tanδ>1) at frequencies under 5 Hz and elasticity dominated (tanδ<1) at higher frequencies. Threshold frequencies were determined for each formulation, where a peak in loss tangent was observed, coinciding with a reduction in the storage modulus and increase in loss modulus. The frequency-dependent behaviour of emulsions are of interest because these combinations exhibit viscous behaviour at low frequencies, which may improve lubrication of the oral cavity at rest, whereas increased elasticity at higher frequencies may improve retention during higher-shear tasks such as swallowing and speaking. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Compressibility and compactibility of granules produced by wet and dry granulation.

PubMed

Bacher, C; Olsen, P M; Bertelsen, P; Sonnergaard, J M

2008-06-24

The bulk properties, compactibility and compressibility of granules produced by wet and dry granulation were compared applying a rotary tablet press, three different morphological forms of calcium carbonate and two particle sizes of sorbitol. Granules from both granulation methods possessed acceptable flow properties; however, the ground (Mikhart) and cubic (Scoralite) calcium carbonate demonstrated better die-filling abilities in the tablet press than the scalenhedral calcium carbonate (Sturcal). The wet processed granules showed in general larger compression properties. This was explained as these granules were mechanical stronger and had a higher initial porosity. In some cases, a large particle surface area of calcium carbonate and sorbitol resulted in a small, insignificant improvement of the consolidation characteristics. A correlation between the compression and compaction characteristics was demonstrated.

Mechanical impedance measurements for improved cost-effective process monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clopet, Caroline R.; Pullen, Deborah A.; Badcock, Rodney A.; Ralph, Brian; Fernando, Gerard F.; Mahon, Steve W.

1999-06-01

The aerospace industry has seen a considerably growth in composite usage over the past ten years, especially with the development of cost effective manufacturing techniques such as Resin Transfer Molding and Resin Infusion under Flexible Tooling. The relatively high cost of raw material and conservative processing schedules has limited their growth further in non-aerospace technologies. In-situ process monitoring has been explored for some time as a means to improving the cost efficiency of manufacturing with dielectric spectroscopy and optical fiber sensors being the two primary techniques developed to date. A new emerging technique is discussed here making use of piezoelectric wafers with the ability to sense not only aspects of resin flow but also to detect the change in properties of the resin as it cures. Experimental investigations to date have shown a correlation between mechanical impedance measurements and the mechanical properties of cured epoxy systems with potential for full process monitoring.

Supersonic turbulent boundary layers with periodic mechanical non-equilibrium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ekoto, Isaac Wesley

Previous studies have shown that favorable pressure gradients reduce the turbulence levels and length scales in supersonic flow. Wall roughness has been shown to reduce the large-scales in wall bounded flow. Based on these previous observations new questions have been raised. The fundamental questions this dissertation addressed are: (1) What are the effects of wall topology with sharp versus blunt leading edges? and (2) Is it possible that a further reduction of turbulent scales can occur if surface roughness and favorable pressure gradients are combined? To answer these questions and to enhance the current experimental database, an experimental analysis was performed to provide high fidelity documentation of the mean and turbulent flow properties along with surface and flow visualizations of a high-speed (M = 2.86), high Reynolds number (Retheta ≈ 60,000) supersonic turbulent boundary layer distorted by curvature-induced favorable pressure gradients and large-scale ( k+s ≈ 300) uniform surface roughness. Nine models were tested at three separate locations. Three pressure gradient models strengths (a nominally zero, a weak, and a strong favorable pressure gradient) and three roughness topologies (aerodynamically smooth, square, and diamond shaped roughness elements) were used. Highly resolved planar measurements of mean and fluctuating velocity components were accomplished using particle image velocimetry. Stagnation pressure profiles were acquired with a traversing Pitot probe. Surface pressure distributions were characterized using pressure sensitive paint. Finally flow visualization was accomplished using schlieren photographs. Roughness topology had a significant effect on the boundary layer mean and turbulent properties due to shock boundary layer interactions. Favorable pressure gradients had the expected stabilizing effect on turbulent properties, but the improvements were less significant for models with surface roughness near the wall due to increased tendency towards flow separation. It was documented that proper roughness selection coupled with a sufficiently strong favorable pressure gradient produced regions of "negative" production in the transport of turbulent stress. This led to localized areas of significant turbulence stress reduction. With proper roughness selection and sufficient favorable pressure gradient strength, it is believed that localized relaminarization of the boundary layer is possible.

O2 Plasma Etching and Antistatic Gun Surface Modifications for CNT Yarn Microelectrode Improve Sensitivity and Antifouling Properties.

PubMed

Yang, Cheng; Wang, Ying; Jacobs, Christopher B; Ivanov, Ilia N; Venton, B Jill

2017-05-16

Carbon nanotube (CNT) based microelectrodes exhibit rapid and selective detection of neurotransmitters. While different fabrication strategies and geometries of CNT microelectrodes have been characterized, relatively little research has investigated ways to selectively enhance their electrochemical properties. In this work, we introduce two simple, reproducible, low-cost, and efficient surface modification methods for carbon nanotube yarn microelectrodes (CNTYMEs): O 2 plasma etching and antistatic gun treatment. O 2 plasma etching was performed by a microwave plasma system with oxygen gas flow and the optimized time for treatment was 1 min. The antistatic gun treatment flows ions by the electrode surface; two triggers of the antistatic gun was the optimized number on the CNTYME surface. Current for dopamine at CNTYMEs increased 3-fold after O 2 plasma etching and 4-fold after antistatic gun treatment. When the two treatments were combined, the current increased 12-fold, showing the two effects are due to independent mechanisms that tune the surface properties. O 2 plasma etching increased the sensitivity due to increased surface oxygen content but did not affect surface roughness while the antistatic gun treatment increased surface roughness but not oxygen content. The effect of tissue fouling on CNT yarns was studied for the first time, and the relatively hydrophilic surface after O 2 plasma etching provided better resistance to fouling than unmodified or antistatic gun treated CNTYMEs. Overall, O 2 plasma etching and antistatic gun treatment improve the sensitivity of CNTYMEs by different mechanisms, providing the possibility to tune the CNTYME surface and enhance sensitivity.

Thermodynamic evaluation of transonic compressor rotors using the finite volume approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nicholson, S.; Moore, J.

1986-01-01

A method was developed which calculates two-dimensional, transonic, viscous flow in ducts. The finite volume, time marching formulation is used to obtain steady flow solutions of the Reynolds-averaged form of the Navier Stokes equations. The entire calculation is performed in the physical domain. The method is currently limited to the calculation of attached flows. The features of the current method can be summarized as follows. Control volumes are chosen so that smoothing of flow properties, typically required for stability, is now needed. Different time steps are used in the different governing equations to improve the convergence speed of the viscous calculations. A new pressure interpolation scheme is introduced which improves the shock capturing ability of the method. A multi-volume method for pressure changes in the boundary layer allows calculations which use very long and thin control volumes. A special discretization technique is also used to stabilize these calculations. A special formulation of the energy equation is used to provide improved transient behavior of solutions which use the full energy equation. The method is then compared with a wide variety of test cases. The freestream Mach numbers range from 0.075 to 2.8 in the calculations. Transonic viscous flow in a converging diverging nozzle is calculated with the method; the Mach number upstream of the shock is approximately 1.25. The agreement between the calculated and measured shock strength and total pressure losses is good. Essentially incompressible turbulent boundary layer flow in a adverse pressure gradient is calculated and the computed distribution of mean velocity and shear stress are in good agreement with the measurements. At the other end of the Mach number range, a flat plate turbulent boundary layer with a freestream Mach number of 2.8 is calculated using the full energy equation; the computed total temperature distribution and recovery factor agree well with the measurements when a variable Prandtl number is used through the boundary layer.

Using TLS to Improve Models of Volcano Conduit Processes (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Connor, C.; Connor, L.

2010-12-01

In volcanology, diverse numerical models of conduit flow have been developed to relate the properties of these flows to processes that occur at the surface during eruptions. Conduit models incorporate varying degrees of complexity and account for the transport properties of magmas, steady-state or transient behavior, and conduit geometry (e.g., 1- to 1.5 D, variable width and erodable conduit walls). Improvement of these models is important if we are to work toward deployment of eruption models at active volcanoes, link these models to geophysical observations (seismic, deformation, gravity) and eventually forecast eruption magnitude. One conclusion of a recent comparison of many conduit models is that next generation models need to better account for interaction of the erupting mixture with surrounding wall rocks (accounting for melting, solidification, and erosion) and better account for the effects of conduit shape on flows. We made progress toward accounting for this interaction by using TLS to map basaltic conduits in a deeply eroded volcanic field, the San Rafael volcanic field, Utah. TLS data were collected with UNAVCO support during a field campaign in summer 2010. A region of approximately 1 x 1 km was imaged from 9 TLS stations. TLS data reveal the exact geometries of several exposed conduits, their relationship to sills and dikes, and dramatic change in reflectivity of the Entrada sandstone country rock with alteration. The TLS data are particularly good for (a) quantifying rapid change in conduit shape and area as a function of height, (b) differentiating breccias zones (complex mixing zones along conduit margins) from areas of late stage intrusion, (c) imaging complexity of sill geometry near conduits, illustrating the mechanical and perhaps geochemical interaction between sills and conduits in volcanic fields. Overall, application of TLS in this volcanic field has resulted in substantial improvement in our models of volcanic conduit formation, growth, and interaction with shallow magma storage systems.

Effect of oxidation of carbon material on suspension electrodes for flow electrode capacitive deionization.

PubMed

Hatzell, Kelsey B; Hatzell, Marta C; Cook, Kevin M; Boota, Muhammad; Housel, Gabrielle M; McBride, Alexander; Kumbur, E Caglan; Gogotsi, Yury

2015-03-03

Flow electrode deionization (FCDI) is an emerging area for continuous and scalable deionization, but the electrochemical and flow properties of the flow electrode need to be improved to minimize energy consumption. Chemical oxidation of granular activated carbon (AC) was examined here to study the role of surface heteroatoms on rheology and electrochemical performance of a flow electrode (carbon slurry) for deionization processes. Moreover, it was demonstrated that higher mass densities could be used without increasing energy for pumping when using oxidized active material. High mass-loaded flow electrodes (28% carbon content) based on oxidized AC displayed similar viscosities (∼21 Pa s) to lower mass-loaded flow electrodes (20% carbon content) based on nonoxidized AC. The 40% increased mass loading (from 20% to 28%) resulted in a 25% increase in flow electrode gravimetric capacitance (from 65 to 83 F g(-1)) without sacrificing flowability (viscosity). The electrical energy required to remove ∼18% of the ions (desalt) from of the feed solution was observed to be significantly dependent on the mass loading and decreased (∼60%) from 92 ± 7 to 28 ± 2.7 J with increased mass densities from 5 to 23 wt %. It is shown that the surface chemistry of the active material in a flow electrode effects the electrical and pumping energy requirements of a FCDI system.

Research on flow behaviors of the constituent grains in ferrite-martensite dual phase steels based on nanoindentation measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gou, Rui-bin; Dan, Wen-jiao; Zhang, Wei-gang; Yu, Min

2017-07-01

To investigate the flow properties of constituent grains in ferrite-martensite dual phase steel, both the flow curve of individual grain and the flow behavior difference among different grains were investigated both using a classical dislocation-based model and nanoindentation technique. In the analysis of grain features, grain size, grain shape and martensite proximity around ferrite grain were parameterized by the diameter of area equivalent circular of the grain d, the grain shape coefficient λ and the martensite proximity coefficient p, respectively. Three grain features influenced significantly on the grain initial strength which increases when the grain size d decreases and when grain shape and martensite proximity coefficients enlarge. In describing the flow behavior of single grain, both single-parameter and multi-parameter empirical formulas of grain initial strength were proposed by defining three grain features as the evaluation parameters. It was found that the martensite proximity is an important determinant of ferrite initial strength, while the influence of grain size is minimal. The influence of individual grain was investigated using an improved flow model of overall stress on the overall flow curve of the steel. It was found that the predicted overall flow curve was in good agreement with the experimental one when the flow behaviors of all the constituent grains in the evaluated region were fully considered.

Effect of oxidation of carbon material on suspension electrodes for flow electrode capacitive deionization

DOE PAGES

Hatzell, Kelsey B.; Hatzell, Marta C.; Cook, Kevin M.; ...

2015-01-29

Flow electrode deionization (FCDI) is an emerging area for continuous and scalable deionization, but the electrochemical and flow properties of the flow electrode need to be improved to minimize energy consumption. We examine chemical oxidation of granular activated carbon (AC) here to study the role of surface heteroatoms on rheology and electrochemical performance of a flow electrode (carbon slurry) for deionization processes. Moreover, it was demonstrated that higher mass densities could be used without increasing energy for pumping when using oxidized active material. High mass-loaded flow electrodes (28% carbon content) based on oxidized AC displayed similar viscosities (~21 Pa s)more » to lower mass-loaded flow electrodes (20% carbon content) based on nonoxidized AC. The 40% increased mass loading (from 20% to 28%) resulted in a 25% increase in flow electrode gravimetric capacitance (from 65 to 83 F g –1) without sacrificing flowability (viscosity). The electrical energy required to remove ~18% of the ions (desalt) from of the feed solution was observed to be significantly dependent on the mass loading and decreased (~60%) from 92 ± 7 to 28 ± 2.7 J with increased mass densities from 5 to 23 wt %. Finally, it is shown that the surface chemistry of the active material in a flow electrode effects the electrical and pumping energy requirements of a FCDI system.« less

The application of satellite differential SAR interferometry-derived ground displacements in hydrogeology

USGS Publications Warehouse

Galloway, D.L.; Hoffmann, J.

2007-01-01

The application of satellite differential synthetic aperture radar (SAR) interferometry, principally coherent (InSAR) and to a lesser extent, persistent-scatterer (PSI) techniques to hydrogeologic studies has improved capabilities to map, monitor, analyze, and simulate groundwater flow, aquifer-system compaction and land subsidence. A number of investigations over the previous decade show how the spatially detailed images of ground displacements measured with InSAR have advanced hydrogeologic understanding, especially when a time series of images is used in conjunction with histories of changes in water levels and management practices. Important advances include: (1) identifying structural or lithostratigraphic boundaries (e.g. faults or transitional facies) of groundwater flow and deformation; (2) defining the material and hydraulic heterogeneity of deforming aquifer-systems; (3) estimating system properties (e.g. storage coefficients and hydraulic conductivities); and (4) constraining numerical models of groundwater flow, aquifer-system compaction, and land subsidence. As a component of an integrated approach to hydrogeologic monitoring and characterization of unconsolidated alluvial groundwater basins differential SAR interferometry contributes unique information that can facilitate improved management of groundwater resources. Future satellite SAR missions specifically designed for differential interferometry will enhance these contributions. ?? Springer-Verlag 2006.

Geologic map of the Mead quadrangle (V-21), Venus

USGS Publications Warehouse

Campbell, Bruce A.; Clark, David A.

2006-01-01

The Magellan spacecraft orbited Venus from August 10, 1990, until it plunged into the Venusian atmosphere on October 12, 1994. Magellan Mission objectives included (1) improving the knowledge of the geological processes, surface properties, and geologic history of Venus by analysis of surface radar characteristics, topography, and morphology and (2) improving the knowledge of the geophysics of Venus by analysis of Venusian gravity. The Mead quadrangle (V-21) of Venus is bounded by lat 0 deg and 25 deg N., long 30 deg and 60 deg E. This quadrangle is one of 62 covering Venus at 1:5,000,000 scale. Named for the largest crater on Venus, the quadrangle is dominated by effusive volcanic deposits associated with five major coronae in eastern Eistla Regio (Didilia, Pavlova, Calakomana, Isong, and Ninmah), corona-like tectonic features, and Disani Corona. The southern extremity of Bell Regio, marked by lava flows from Nyx Mons, north of the map area, forms the north-central part of the quadrangle. The shield volcanoes Kali, Dzalarhons, and Ptesanwi Montes lie south and southwest of the large corona-related flow field. Lava flows from sources east of Mead crater flood low-lying areas along the east edge of the quadrangle.

Modelling stream aquifer seepage in an alluvial aquifer: an improved loosing-stream package for MODFLOW

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osman, Yassin Z.; Bruen, Michael P.

2002-07-01

Seepage from a stream, which partially penetrates an unconfined alluvial aquifer, is studied for the case when the water table falls below the streambed level. Inadequacies are identified in current modelling approaches to this situation. A simple and improved method of incorporating such seepage into groundwater models is presented. This considers the effect on seepage flow of suction in the unsaturated part of the aquifer below a disconnected stream and allows for the variation of seepage with water table fluctuations. The suggested technique is incorporated into the saturated code MODFLOW and is tested by comparing its predictions with those of a widely used variably saturated model, SWMS_2D simulating water flow and solute transport in two-dimensional variably saturated media. Comparisons are made of both seepage flows and local mounding of the water table. The suggested technique compares very well with the results of variably saturated model simulations. Most currently used approaches are shown to underestimate the seepage and associated local water table mounding, sometimes substantially. The proposed method is simple, easy to implement and requires only a small amount of additional data about the aquifer hydraulic properties.

Numerical study of effect parameter fluid flow nanofluid Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}-water on heat transfer in corrugated tube

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ramadhan, Anwar Ilmar, E-mail: anwar.ilmar@ftumj.ac.id; Diniardi, Ery, E-mail: ery.diniardi@ftumj.ac.id; Dermawan, Erwin, E-mail: erwin.dermawan@ftumj.ac.id

Heating or cooling fluid is a major requirement in the industrial sector, including transport, energy and production needs of the field and the field of electronics. It is known that the thermal properties of the working fluid hold an important role in the development of energy efficiency of heat transfer equipment. The cooling system can be improved either by replacing conventional cooling fluid from the fluid into the fluid of water mixed with nanoparticles (nanofluid). The method of this research is to analyze the calculations and numerical simulations of the nanofluid Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}− Water with the volume fraction ofmore » 1% and 3% coolant fluid using CFD Codes. The results of this research show the rate of heat transfer at the increasing velocity of fluid flow, with the velocity of 5 [m/s]. Whereas the 3% nanofluid have greater value than the 1% nanofluid and water, as well as for the velocity of 10 [m/s] which has almost the same pattern. Shown that the concentration of nanofluid has a value effective for improving heat release along the fluid flow rate.« less

Onset of density-driven instabilities in fractured aquifers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jafari Raad, Seyed Mostafa; Hassanzadeh, Hassan

2018-04-01

Linear stability analysis is conducted to study the onset of density-driven convection involved in solubility trapping of C O2 in fractured aquifers. The effect of physical properties of a fracture network on the stability of a diffusive boundary layer in a saturated fractured porous media is investigated using the dual porosity concept. Linear stability analysis results show that both fracture interporosity flow and fracture storativity play an important role in the stability behavior of the system. It is shown that a diffusive boundary layer under the gravity field in fractured porous media with lower fracture storativity and/or higher fracture interporosity flow coefficient is more stable. We present scaling relations for the onset of convective instability in fractured aquifers with single and variable matrix block size distribution. These findings improve our understanding of density-driven flow in fractured aquifers and are important in the estimation of potential storage capacity, risk assessment, and storage site characterization and screening.

CFD Analysis of nanofluid forced convection heat transport in laminar flow through a compact pipe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Kitae; Park, Cheol; Kim, Sedon; Song, Heegun; Jeong, Hyomin

2017-08-01

In the present paper, developing laminar forced convection flows were numerically investigated by using water-Al2O3 nano-fluid through a circular compact pipe which has 4.5mm diameter. Each model has a steady state and uniform heat flux (UHF) at the wall. The whole numerical experiments were processed under the Re = 1050 and the nano-fluid models were made by the Alumina volume fraction. A single-phase fluid models were defined through nano-fluid physical and thermal properties calculations, Two-phase model(mixture granular model) were processed in 100nm diameter. The results show that Nusselt number and heat transfer rate are improved as the Al2O3 volume fraction increased. All of the numerical flow simulations are processed by the FLUENT. The results show the increment of thermal transfer from the volume fraction concentration.

Spray and High-Pressure Flow Computations in the National Combustion Code (NCC) Improved

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raju, Manthena S.

2002-01-01

Sprays occur in a wide variety of industrial and power applications and in materials processing. A liquid spray is a two-phase flow with a gas as the continuous phase and a liquid as the dispersed phase in the form of droplets or ligaments. The interactions between the two phases--which are coupled through exchanges of mass, momentum, and energy--can occur in different ways at disparate time and length scales involving various thermal, mass, and fluid dynamic factors. An understanding of the flow, combustion, and thermal properties of a rapidly vaporizing spray requires careful modeling of the ratecontrolling processes associated with turbulent transport, mixing, chemical kinetics, evaporation, and spreading rates of the spray, among many other factors. With the aim of developing an efficient solution procedure for use in multidimensional combustor modeling, researchers at the NASA Glenn Research Center have advanced the state-of-the-art in spray computations in several important ways.

Research and Design on a Product Data Definition System of Semiconductor Packaging Industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Jinfei; Ma, Qingyao; Zhou, Yifan; Chen, Ruwen

2017-12-01

This paper develops a product data definition (PDD) system for a semiconductor packaging and testing company with independent intellectual property rights. The new PDD system can solve the problems such as, the effective control of production plans, the timely feedback of production processes, and the efficient schedule of resources. Firstly, this paper introduces the general requirements of the PDD system and depicts the operation flow and the data flow of the PDD system. Secondly, the overall design scheme of the PDD system is put forward. After that, the physical data model is developed using the Power Designer15.0 tool, and the database system is built. Finally, the function realization and running effects of the PDD system are analysed. The successful operation of the PDD system can realize the information flow among various production departments of the enterprise to meet the standard of the enterprise manufacturing integration and improve the efficiency of production management.

Möbius domain-wall fermions on gradient-flowed dynamical HISQ ensembles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berkowitz, Evan; Bouchard, Chris; Chang, Chia Cheng; Clark, M. A.; Joó, Bálint; Kurth, Thorsten; Monahan, Christopher; Nicholson, Amy; Orginos, Kostas; Rinaldi, Enrico; Vranas, Pavlos; Walker-Loud, André

2017-09-01

We report on salient features of a mixed lattice QCD action using valence Möbius domain-wall fermions solved on the dynamical Nf=2 +1 +1 highly improved staggered quark sea-quark ensembles generated by the MILC Collaboration. The approximate chiral symmetry properties of the valence fermions are shown to be significantly improved by utilizing the gradient-flow scheme to first smear the highly improved staggered quark configurations. The greater numerical cost of the Möbius domain-wall inversions is mitigated by the highly efficient QUDA library optimized for NVIDIA GPU accelerated compute nodes. We have created an interface to this optimized QUDA solver in Chroma. We provide tuned parameters of the action and performance of QUDA using ensembles with the lattice spacings a ≃{0.15 ,0.12 ,0.09 } fm and pion masses mπ≃{310 ,220 ,130 } MeV . We have additionally generated two new ensembles with a ˜0.12 fm and mπ˜{400 ,350 } MeV . With a fixed flow time of tg f=1 in lattice units, the residual chiral symmetry breaking of the valence fermions is kept below 10% of the light quark mass on all ensembles, mres≲0.1 ×ml , with moderate values of the fifth dimension L5 and a domain-wall height M5≤1.3 . As a benchmark calculation, we perform a continuum, infinite volume, physical pion and kaon mass extrapolation of FK±/Fπ± and demonstrate our results are independent of flow time and consistent with the FLAG determination of this quantity at the level of less than one standard deviation.

Rheological Characteristics of Cement Grout and its Effect on Mechanical Properties of a Rock Fracture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Quansheng; Lei, Guangfeng; Peng, Xingxin; Lu, Chaobo; Wei, Lai

2018-02-01

Grouting reinforcement, which has an obvious strengthening effect on fractured rock mass, has been widely used in various fields in geotechnical engineering. The rheological properties of grout will greatly affect its diffusion radius in rock fractures, and the water-cement ratio is an important factor in determining the grouting flow patterns. The relationship between shear stress and shear rate which could reflect the grout rheological properties, the effects of water-cement ratio, and temperature on the rheological properties of grouting was studied in the laboratory. Besides, a new method for producing fractured rock specimens was proposed and solved the problem of producing natural fractured rock specimens. To investigate the influences of grouting on mechanical properties of a rock fracture, the fractured rock specimens made using the new method were reinforced by grouting on the independent designed grouting platform, and then normal and tangential mechanical tests were carried out on fractured rock specimens. The results showed that the mechanical properties of fractured rock mass are significantly improved by grouting, the peak shear strength and residual strength of rock fractures are greatly improved, and the resistance to deformation is enhanced after grouting. Normal forces affect the tangential behavior of the rock fracture, and the tangential stress strength increases with normal forces. The strength and stability of fractured rock mass are increased by grouting reinforcement.

Transient thermal, hydraulic, and mechanical analysis of a counter flow offset strip fin intermediate heat exchanger using an effective porous media approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Urquiza, Eugenio

This work presents a comprehensive thermal hydraulic analysis of a compact heat exchanger using offset strip fins. The thermal hydraulics analysis in this work is followed by a finite element analysis (FEA) to predict the mechanical stresses experienced by an intermediate heat exchanger (IHX) during steady-state operation and selected flow transients. In particular, the scenario analyzed involves a gas-to-liquid IHX operating between high pressure helium and liquid or molten salt. In order to estimate the stresses in compact heat exchangers a comprehensive thermal and hydraulic analysis is needed. Compact heat exchangers require very small flow channels and fins to achieve high heat transfer rates and thermal effectiveness. However, studying such small features computationally contributes little to the understanding of component level phenomena and requires prohibitive computational effort using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). To address this issue, the analysis developed here uses an effective porous media (EPM) approach; this greatly reduces the computation time and produces results with the appropriate resolution [1]. This EPM fluid dynamics and heat transfer computational code has been named the Compact Heat Exchanger Explicit Thermal and Hydraulics (CHEETAH) code. CHEETAH solves for the two-dimensional steady-state and transient temperature and flow distributions in the IHX including the complicating effects of temperature-dependent fluid thermo-physical properties. Temperature- and pressure-dependent fluid properties are evaluated by CHEETAH and the thermal effectiveness of the IHX is also calculated. Furthermore, the temperature distribution can then be imported into a finite element analysis (FEA) code for mechanical stress analysis using the EPM methods developed earlier by the University of California, Berkeley, for global and local stress analysis [2]. These simulation tools will also allow the heat exchanger design to be improved through an iterative design process which will lead to a design with a reduced pressure drop, increased thermal effectiveness, and improved mechanical performance as it relates to creep deformation and transient thermal stresses.

Confocal Imaging of Confined Quiescent and Flowing Colloid-polymer Mixtures

PubMed Central

Conrad, Jacinta C.

2014-01-01

The behavior of confined colloidal suspensions with attractive interparticle interactions is critical to the rational design of materials for directed assembly1-3, drug delivery4, improved hydrocarbon recovery5-7, and flowable electrodes for energy storage8. Suspensions containing fluorescent colloids and non-adsorbing polymers are appealing model systems, as the ratio of the polymer radius of gyration to the particle radius and concentration of polymer control the range and strength of the interparticle attraction, respectively. By tuning the polymer properties and the volume fraction of the colloids, colloid fluids, fluids of clusters, gels, crystals, and glasses can be obtained9. Confocal microscopy, a variant of fluorescence microscopy, allows an optically transparent and fluorescent sample to be imaged with high spatial and temporal resolution in three dimensions. In this technique, a small pinhole or slit blocks the emitted fluorescent light from regions of the sample that are outside the focal volume of the microscope optical system. As a result, only a thin section of the sample in the focal plane is imaged. This technique is particularly well suited to probe the structure and dynamics in dense colloidal suspensions at the single-particle scale: the particles are large enough to be resolved using visible light and diffuse slowly enough to be captured at typical scan speeds of commercial confocal systems10. Improvements in scan speeds and analysis algorithms have also enabled quantitative confocal imaging of flowing suspensions11-16,37. In this paper, we demonstrate confocal microscopy experiments to probe the confined phase behavior and flow properties of colloid-polymer mixtures. We first prepare colloid-polymer mixtures that are density- and refractive-index matched. Next, we report a standard protocol for imaging quiescent dense colloid-polymer mixtures under varying confinement in thin wedge-shaped cells. Finally, we demonstrate a protocol for imaging colloid-polymer mixtures during microchannel flow. PMID:24894062

Numerical Simulation of Permeability Change in Wellbore Cement Fractures after Geomechanical Stress and Geochemical Reactions Using X-ray Computed Tomography Imaging

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kabilan, Senthil; Jung, Hun Bok; Kuprat, Andrew P.

X-ray microtomography (XMT) imaging combined with a three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling technique was used to study the effect of geochemical and geomechanical processes on fracture properties in composite Portland cement–basalt caprock core samples. The effect of fluid properties and flow conditions on fracture permeability was numerically studied by using fluids with varying physical properties and simulating different pressure conditions. CFD revealed that the application of geomechanical stress led to increased fluid flow, which resulted in increased fracture permeability. After CO2-reaction, XMT images displayed preferential precipitation of calcium carbonate within the fractures in the cement matrix and lessmore » precipitation in fractures located at the cement–basalt interface. CFD predicted changes in flow characteristics and differences in absolute values of flow properties due to different pressure gradients. CFD was able to highlight the profound effect of fluid properties on flow characteristics and hydraulic properties of fractures. This study demonstrates the applicability of XMT imaging and CFD as powerful tools for characterizing the hydraulic properties of fractures in a number of applications like geologic carbon sequestration and storage, hydraulic fracturing for shale gas production, and enhanced geothermal systems.« less

Experimental constraints on the rheology and mechanical properties of lava erupted in the Holuhraun area during the 2014 rifting event at Bárðarbunga, Iceland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lavallee, Yan; Kendrick, Jackie; Wall, Richard; von Aulock, Felix; Kennedy, Ben; Sigmundsson, Freysteinn

2015-04-01

A fissure eruption began at Holuhraun on 16 August 2014, following magma drainage from the Bárðarbunga volcanic system (Iceland). Extrusion initiated as fire fountaining along a segment of the fracture and rapidly localised to a series of small, aligned cones containing a lava lake that over spilled at both ends, feeding a large lava field. The lava composition and flow behaviour put some constraints on its rheology and mechanical properties. The lava erupted is a nearly aphyric basalt containing approximately 2-3% plagioclase with traces of olivine and pyroxene in a quenched groundmass composed of glass and 20-25% microlites. The transition from fire fountaining to lava flow leads to lava with variable vesicularities; pyroclasts expelled during fire fountaining reach up to 80% vesicles whilst the lava contain up to 45% vesicles. Textures in the lava vary from a'a to slabby pahoehoe, and flow thicknesses from several meters to few centimetres. Tension gashes, crease structures and shear zones in the upper lava carapace reveal the importance of both compressive and tensional stresses. In addition, occasional frictional marks at the base of the lava flow as well as bulldozing of sediments along the flow hint at the importance of frictional properties of the rocks during lava flow. Flow properties, textures and failure modes are strongly dependent on the material properties as well as the local conditions of stress and temperature. Here we expand our field observation with preliminary high-temperature experimental data on the rheological and mechanical properties of the erupted lava. Dilatometric measurements are used to constrain the thermal expansion coefficient of the lava important to constrain the dynamics of cooling of the flow. Micropenetration is further employed to determine the viscosity of the melt at super-liquidus temperature, which is compared to the temperature-dependence of viscosity as constrained by geochemistry. Lastly, uniaxial compression and tension tests are presented to constrain the mechanical properties (strength and Young's modulus) of the rocks, forming the cooler carapace of the flow. This high-temperature experimental dataset will be integrated to field observations to constrain lava flow emplacement.

Trend and variability in western and central Africa streamflow, and major drivers of variability between 1950 and 2005

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dieppois, B.; Sidibe, M.; Mahe, G. M.; Paturel, J. E.; Anifowose, B. A.; Lawler, D.; Amoussou, E.

2017-12-01

Unprecedented drought episodes that struck western and central Africa between the late 1960s and 1980s, triggered many studies investigating rainfall variability and its impacts on water resources and food production systems. However, most studies were focused at the catchment scale. In this study, we aim at investigating the key large-scale controls determining and modulating climate-river flows relationships at the subcontinental scale between 1950 and 2005. Using the first complete monthly streamflow data set (1950-2005) over western and central Africa, streamflow trend and variability are seasonally assessed at this subcontinental scale and compared to those observed in other hydroclimatic variables (precipitation, temperature and potential evapotranspiration). Long-term trends and variability in streamflow are mainly consistent with trends in rainfall. In particular, the recent post-1990s partial recovery in Sahel rainfall could have, at least partially, positively impacted river flows (e.g. the Senegal and Niger rivers). However, these relationships may have been moderated by: i) changes in land use; and ii) contributions from groundwater resources. In addition, the time-evolution of river flows is shown to be primarily driven by very strong decadal fluctuations, which can be interpreted as modulations in the baseflow, as determined using multi-temporal trend and continuous wavelet analysis. These decadal fluctuations, which are also significantly detected in rainfall, are likely related to large-scale sea-surface temperature (SST) anomaly patterns (such as the tropical Atlantic SST variability, the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation), which are together modulating the West African monsoon. Furthermore, influences of the catchment properties (e.g. size, vegetation and land use cover, soil properties, direction of stream flow across climate zones) on these decadal fluctuations in river flows have been examined. This study therefore aims to improve the ability of current global to regional climate models to simulate such ranges of variability and understand regional hydroclimate, as a means for improving the development of future scenarios for water resources in western and central Africa.

Selective flow-induced vesicle rupture to sort by membrane mechanical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pommella, Angelo; Brooks, Nicholas J.; Seddon, John M.; Garbin, Valeria

2015-08-01

Vesicle and cell rupture caused by large viscous stresses in ultrasonication is central to biomedical and bioprocessing applications. The flow-induced opening of lipid membranes can be exploited to deliver drugs into cells, or to recover products from cells, provided that it can be obtained in a controlled fashion. Here we demonstrate that differences in lipid membrane and vesicle properties can enable selective flow-induced vesicle break-up. We obtained vesicle populations with different membrane properties by using different lipids (SOPC, DOPC, or POPC) and lipid:cholesterol mixtures (SOPC:chol and DOPC:chol). We subjected vesicles to large deformations in the acoustic microstreaming flow generated by ultrasound-driven microbubbles. By simultaneously deforming vesicles with different properties in the same flow, we determined the conditions in which rupture is selective with respect to the membrane stretching elasticity. We also investigated the effect of vesicle radius and excess area on the threshold for rupture, and identified conditions for robust selectivity based solely on the mechanical properties of the membrane. Our work should enable new sorting mechanisms based on the difference in membrane composition and mechanical properties between different vesicles, capsules, or cells.

Selective flow-induced vesicle rupture to sort by membrane mechanical properties

PubMed Central

Pommella, Angelo; Brooks, Nicholas J.; Seddon, John M.; Garbin, Valeria

2015-01-01

Vesicle and cell rupture caused by large viscous stresses in ultrasonication is central to biomedical and bioprocessing applications. The flow-induced opening of lipid membranes can be exploited to deliver drugs into cells, or to recover products from cells, provided that it can be obtained in a controlled fashion. Here we demonstrate that differences in lipid membrane and vesicle properties can enable selective flow-induced vesicle break-up. We obtained vesicle populations with different membrane properties by using different lipids (SOPC, DOPC, or POPC) and lipid:cholesterol mixtures (SOPC:chol and DOPC:chol). We subjected vesicles to large deformations in the acoustic microstreaming flow generated by ultrasound-driven microbubbles. By simultaneously deforming vesicles with different properties in the same flow, we determined the conditions in which rupture is selective with respect to the membrane stretching elasticity. We also investigated the effect of vesicle radius and excess area on the threshold for rupture, and identified conditions for robust selectivity based solely on the mechanical properties of the membrane. Our work should enable new sorting mechanisms based on the difference in membrane composition and mechanical properties between different vesicles, capsules, or cells. PMID:26302783

Coupling of rainfall-induced landslide triggering model with predictions of debris flow runout distances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehmann, Peter; von Ruette, Jonas; Fan, Linfeng; Or, Dani

2014-05-01

Rapid debris flows initiated by rainfall induced shallow landslides present a highly destructive natural hazard in steep terrain. The impact and run-out paths of debris flows depend on the volume, composition and initiation zone of released material and are requirements to make accurate debris flow predictions and hazard maps. For that purpose we couple the mechanistic 'Catchment-scale Hydro-mechanical Landslide Triggering (CHLT)' model to compute timing, location, and landslide volume with simple approaches to estimate debris flow runout distances. The runout models were tested using two landslide inventories obtained in the Swiss Alps following prolonged rainfall events. The predicted runout distances were in good agreement with observations, confirming the utility of such simple models for landscape scale estimates. In a next step debris flow paths were computed for landslides predicted with the CHLT model for a certain range of soil properties to explore its effect on runout distances. This combined approach offers a more complete spatial picture of shallow landslide and subsequent debris flow hazards. The additional information provided by CHLT model concerning location, shape, soil type and water content of the released mass may also be incorporated into more advanced models of runout to improve predictability and impact of such abruptly-released mass.

Calibration of diffuse correlation spectroscopy blood flow index with venous-occlusion diffuse optical spectroscopy in skeletal muscle

PubMed Central

Li, Zhe; Baker, Wesley B.; Parthasarathy, Ashwin B.; Ko, Tiffany S.; Wang, Detian; Schenkel, Steven; Durduran, Turgut; Li, Gang; Yodh, Arjun G.

2015-01-01

Abstract. We investigate and assess the utility of a simple scheme for continuous absolute blood flow monitoring based on diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS). The scheme calibrates DCS using venous-occlusion diffuse optical spectroscopy (VO-DOS) measurements of arm muscle tissue at a single time-point. A calibration coefficient (γ) for the arm is determined, permitting conversion of DCS blood flow indices to absolute blood flow units, and a study of healthy adults (N=10) is carried out to ascertain the variability of γ. The average DCS calibration coefficient for the right (i.e., dominant) arm was γ=(1.24±0.15)×108 (mL·100  mL−1·min−1)/(cm2/s). However, variability can be significant and is apparent in our site-to-site and day-to-day repeated measurements. The peak hyperemic blood flow overshoot relative to baseline resting flow was also studied following arm-cuff ischemia; excellent agreement between VO-DOS and DCS was found (R2=0.95, slope=0.94±0.07, mean difference=−0.10±0.45). Finally, we show that incorporation of subject-specific absolute optical properties significantly improves blood flow calibration accuracy. PMID:26720870

Influence of architecture and material properties on vanadium redox flow battery performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Houser, Jacob; Clement, Jason; Pezeshki, Alan; Mench, Matthew M.

2016-01-01

This publication reports a design optimization study of all-vanadium redox flow batteries (VRBs), including performance testing, distributed current measurements, and flow visualization. Additionally, a computational flow simulation is used to support the conclusions made from the experimental results. This study demonstrates that optimal flow field design is not simply related to the best architecture, but is instead a more complex interplay between architecture, electrode properties, electrolyte properties, and operating conditions which combine to affect electrode convective transport. For example, an interdigitated design outperforms a serpentine design at low flow rates and with a thin electrode, accessing up to an additional 30% of discharge capacity; but a serpentine design can match the available discharge capacity of the interdigitated design by increasing the flow rate or the electrode thickness due to differing responses between the two flow fields. The results of this study should be useful to design engineers seeking to optimize VRB systems through enhanced performance and reduced pressure drop.

LASER APPLICATIONS IN MEDICINE: Analysis of distortions in the velocity profiles of suspension flows inside a light-scattering medium upon their reconstruction from the optical coherence Doppler tomograph signal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bykov, A. V.; Kirillin, M. Yu; Priezzhev, A. V.

2005-11-01

Model signals from one and two plane flows of a particle suspension are obtained for an optical coherence Doppler tomograph (OCDT) by the Monte-Carlo method. The optical properties of particles mimic the properties of non-aggregating erythrocytes. The flows are considered in a stationary scattering medium with optical properties close to those of the skin. It is shown that, as the flow position depth increases, the flow velocity determined from the OCDT signal becomes smaller than the specified velocity and the reconstructed profile extends in the direction of the distant boundary, which is accompanied by the shift of its maximum. In the case of two flows, an increase in the velocity of the near-surface flow leads to the overestimated values of velocity of the reconstructed profile of the second flow. Numerical simulations were performed by using a multiprocessor parallel-architecture computer.

Advanced porous electrodes with flow channels for vanadium redox flow battery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattarai, Arjun; Wai, Nyunt; Schweiss, Ruediger; Whitehead, Adam; Lim, Tuti M.; Hng, Huey Hoon

2017-02-01

Improving the overall energy efficiency by reducing pumping power and improving flow distribution of electrolyte, is a major challenge for developers of flow batteries. The use of suitable channels can improve flow distribution through the electrodes and reduce flow resistance, hence reducing the energy consumption of the pumps. Although several studies of vanadium redox flow battery have proposed the use of bipolar plates with flow channels, similar to fuel cell designs, this paper presents the use of flow channels in the porous electrode as an alternative approach. Four types of electrodes with channels: rectangular open channel, interdigitated open cut channel, interdigitated circular poked channel and cross poked circular channels, are studied and compared with a conventional electrode without channels. Our study shows that interdigitated open channels can improve the overall energy efficiency up to 2.7% due to improvement in flow distribution and pump power reduction while interdigitated poked channel can improve up to 2.5% due to improvement in flow distribution.

Theoretical and experimental evaluation of the flow behavior of a magnetorheological damper using an extremely bimodal magnetic fluid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iglesias, G. R.; Ahualli, S.; Echávarri Otero, J.; Fernández Ruiz-Morón, L.; Durán, J. D. G.

2014-08-01

The flow behavior of a magnetorheological (MR) fluid, consisting of iron particles dispersed in a ferrofluid carrier (‘MRFF’) in a commercial monotube MR shock absorber is studied. The magnetorheological properties of the MRFF suspensions are compared with those of a conventional oil-based MR fluid (‘MRF’). The mechanical behavior of the MR damper, filled with the MRFF or alternatively with the MRF, is characterized by means of different oscillatory force-displacement and force-velocity tests. The MR shock absorber has an internal electromagnet that generates a controlled magnetic field in the channels through which the MR suspensions flow under operation conditions. The results obtained indicate that the damper filled with MRFF shows a reliable and reproducible behavior. In particular, the response of the shock absorber can be controlled to a large extent by adjusting the electromagnetic current, showing a response that is independent of the mechanical and magnetic history of the MRFF. The non-linear hysteresis model proposed for predicting the damping force provides good agreement with the experimental results when the MRFF is employed. The improved response of the damper loaded with ferrofluid-based MRFF (instead of the conventional MRF) is explained considering the physical properties and the internal structure of the suspension.

MultiDK: A Multiple Descriptor Multiple Kernel Approach for Molecular Discovery and Its Application to Organic Flow Battery Electrolytes.

PubMed

Kim, Sungjin; Jinich, Adrián; Aspuru-Guzik, Alán

2017-04-24

We propose a multiple descriptor multiple kernel (MultiDK) method for efficient molecular discovery using machine learning. We show that the MultiDK method improves both the speed and accuracy of molecular property prediction. We apply the method to the discovery of electrolyte molecules for aqueous redox flow batteries. Using multiple-type-as opposed to single-type-descriptors, we obtain more relevant features for machine learning. Following the principle of "wisdom of the crowds", the combination of multiple-type descriptors significantly boosts prediction performance. Moreover, by employing multiple kernels-more than one kernel function for a set of the input descriptors-MultiDK exploits nonlinear relations between molecular structure and properties better than a linear regression approach. The multiple kernels consist of a Tanimoto similarity kernel and a linear kernel for a set of binary descriptors and a set of nonbinary descriptors, respectively. Using MultiDK, we achieve an average performance of r 2 = 0.92 with a test set of molecules for solubility prediction. We also extend MultiDK to predict pH-dependent solubility and apply it to a set of quinone molecules with different ionizable functional groups to assess their performance as flow battery electrolytes.

Thermodynamic evaluation of transonic compressor rotors using the finite volume approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, J.; Nicholson, S.; Moore, J. G.

1985-01-01

Research at NASA Lewis Research Center gave the opportunity to incorporate new control volumes in the Denton 3-D finite-volume time marching code. For duct flows, the new control volumes require no transverse smoothing and this allows calculations with large transverse gradients in properties without significant numerical total pressure losses. Possibilities for improving the Denton code to obtain better distributions of properties through shocks were demonstrated. Much better total pressure distributions through shocks are obtained when the interpolated effective pressure, needed to stabilize the solution procedure, is used to calculate the total pressure. This simple change largely eliminates the undershoot in total pressure down-stream of a shock. Overshoots and undershoots in total pressure can then be further reduced by a factor of 10 by adopting the effective density method, rather than the effective pressure method. Use of a Mach number dependent interpolation scheme for pressure then removes the overshoot in static pressure downstream of a shock. The stability of interpolation schemes used for the calculation of effective density is analyzed and a Mach number dependent scheme is developed, combining the advantages of the correct perfect gas equation for subsonic flow with the stability of 2-point and 3-point interpolation schemes for supersonic flow.

Deleterious Thermal Effects due to Randomized Flow Paths in Pebble Bed, and Particle Bed Style Reactors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moran, Robert P.

2013-01-01

Reactor fuel rod surface area that is perpendicular to coolant flow direction (+S) i.e. perpendicular to the P creates areas of coolant stagnation leading to increased coolant temperatures resulting in localized changes in fluid properties. Changes in coolant fluid properties caused by minor increases in temperature lead to localized reductions in coolant mass flow rates leading to localized thermal instabilities. Reductions in coolant mass flow rates result in further increases in local temperatures exacerbating changes to coolant fluid properties leading to localized thermal runaway. Unchecked localized thermal runaway leads to localized fuel melting. Reactor designs with randomized flow paths are vulnerable to localized thermal instabilities, localized thermal runaway, and localized fuel melting.

Cobalt(II) complexes with azole-pyridine type ligands for non-aqueous redox-flow batteries: Tunable electrochemistry via structural modification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armstrong, Craig G.; Toghill, Kathryn E.

2017-05-01

A single species redox flow battery employing a new class of cobalt(II) complexes with 'tunable' tridentate azole-pyridine type ligands is reported. Four structures were synthesised and their electrochemical, physical and battery characteristics were investigated as a function of successive substitution of the ligand terminal pyridyl donors. The Co(II/I) and Co(III/II) couples are stable and quasi-reversible on gold and glassy carbon electrodes, however redox potentials are tunable allowing the cobalt potential difference to be preferentially increased from 1.07 to 1.91 V via pyridine substitution with weaker σ-donating/π-accepting 3,5-dimethylpyrazole groups. The charge-discharge properties of the system were evaluated using an H-type glass cell and graphite rod electrodes. The complexes delivered high Coulombic efficiencies of 89.7-99.8% and very good voltaic efficiencies of 70.3-81.0%. Consequently, energy efficiencies are high at 63.1-80.8%, marking an improvement on other similar non-aqueous systems. Modification of the ligands also improved solubility from 0.18 M to 0.50 M via pyridyl substitution with 3,5-dimethylpyrazole, though the low solubility of the complexes limits the overall energy capacity to between 2.58 and 12.80 W h L-1. Preliminary flow cell studies in a prototype flow cell are also demonstrated.

Computation of Thermally Perfect Properties of Oblique Shock Waves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tatum, Kenneth E.

1996-01-01

A set of compressible flow relations describing flow properties across oblique shock waves, derived for a thermally perfect, calorically imperfect gas, is applied within the existing thermally perfect gas (TPG) computer code. The relations are based upon a value of cp expressed as a polynomial function of temperature. The updated code produces tables of compressible flow properties of oblique shock waves, as well as the original properties of normal shock waves and basic isentropic flow, in a format similar to the tables for normal shock waves found in NACA Rep. 1135. The code results are validated in both the calorically perfect and the calorically imperfect, thermally perfect temperature regimes through comparisons with the theoretical methods of NACA Rep. 1135, and with a state-of-the-art computational fluid dynamics code. The advantages of the TPG code for oblique shock wave calculations, as well as for the properties of isentropic flow and normal shock waves, are its ease of use, and its applicability to any type of gas (monatomic, diatomic, triatomic, polyatomic, or any specified mixture thereof).

A direct comparison of the performance of ground, beaded and silica-grafted MIPs in HPLC and turbulent flow chromatography applications.

PubMed

Fairhurst, Robert E; Chassaing, Christophe; Venn, Richard F; Mayes, Andrew G

2004-12-15

Spherical molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) specific to the beta-blocker propranolol have been synthesised using two different approaches and compared to traditional ground monolithic MIPs in HPLC and TFC applications. TFC is a LC technique used for rapid extraction of compounds directly from complex matrices. It can be easily coupled to HPLC and MS for automation of an extraction/analysis procedure. Spherical MIP beads were produced using a suspension polymerisation technique and silica/MIP composite beads by grafting MIP to spherical silica particles using a surface-bound initiator species. Synthesis of both beaded and silica-grafted MIPs was more practical than using the traditional grinding method and yields of spherical particles of the required size between 80 and 100% were routinely achieved. Under HPLC conditions, beaded and ground MIP materials showed a degree of chiral separation for all of the nine beta-blockers tested. The beaded MIP, however, showed much better flow properties and peak shape than the ground material. Silica-grafted MIP showed some separation in five of the drugs and a large improvement in peak shape and analysis times compared with both ground and beaded MIPs. The materials prepared were also used in extraction columns for Turbulent Flow Chromatography (TFC). Although no imprinting effect was observed under typical TFC conditions, beaded polymer materials showed promise for use as TFC extraction columns due to the good flow properties and clean extracts obtained.

Evaluation of setting time and flow properties of self-synthesize alginate impressions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halim, Calista; Cahyanto, Arief; Sriwidodo, Harsatiningsih, Zulia

2018-02-01

Alginate is an elastic hydrocolloid dental impression materials to obtain negative reproduction of oral mucosa such as to record soft-tissue and occlusal relationships. The aim of the present study was to synthesize alginate and to determine the setting time and flow properties. There were five groups of alginate consisted of fifty samples self-synthesize alginate and commercial alginate impression product. Fifty samples were divided according to two tests, each twenty-five samples for setting time and flow test. Setting time test was recorded in the s unit, meanwhile, flow test was recorded in the mm2 unit. The fastest setting time result was in the group three (148.8 s) and the latest was group fours). The highest flow test result was in the group three (69.70 mm2) and the lowest was group one (58.34 mm2). Results were analyzed statistically by one way ANOVA (α= 0.05), showed that there was a statistical significance of setting time while no statistical significance of flow properties between self-synthesize alginate and alginate impression product. In conclusion, the alginate impression was successfully self-synthesized and variation composition gives influence toward setting time and flow properties. The most resemble setting time of control group is group three. The most resemble flow of control group is group four.

Characterizing Drainage Multiphase Flow in Heterogeneous Sandstones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackson, Samuel J.; Agada, Simeon; Reynolds, Catriona A.; Krevor, Samuel

2018-04-01

In this work, we analyze the characterization of drainage multiphase flow properties on heterogeneous rock cores using a rich experimental data set and mm-m scale numerical simulations. Along with routine multiphase flow properties, 3-D submeter scale capillary pressure heterogeneity is characterized by combining experimental observations and numerical calibration, resulting in a 3-D numerical model of the rock core. The uniqueness and predictive capability of the numerical models are evaluated by accurately predicting the experimentally measured relative permeability of N2—DI water and CO2—brine systems in two distinct sandstone rock cores across multiple fractional flow regimes and total flow rates. The numerical models are used to derive equivalent relative permeabilities, which are upscaled functions incorporating the effects of submeter scale capillary pressure. The functions are obtained across capillary numbers which span four orders of magnitude, representative of the range of flow regimes that occur in subsurface CO2 injection. Removal of experimental boundary artifacts allows the derivation of equivalent functions which are characteristic of the continuous subsurface. We also demonstrate how heterogeneities can be reorientated and restructured to efficiently estimate flow properties in rock orientations differing from the original core sample. This analysis shows how combined experimental and numerical characterization of rock samples can be used to derive equivalent flow properties from heterogeneous rocks.

The NASA Low-Pressure Turbine Flow Physics Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ashpis, David E.

1998-01-01

An overview of the NASA Lewis Low-Pressure Turbine (LPT) Flow Physics Program will be presented. The program was established in response to the aero-engine industry's need for improved LPT efficiency and designs. Modern jet engines have four to seven LPT stages, significantly contributing to engine weight. In addition, there is a significant efficiency degradation between takeoff and cruise conditions, of up to 2 points. Reducing the weight and part count of the LPT and minimizing the efficiency degradation will translate into fuel savings. Accurate prediction methods of LPT flows and losses are needed to accomplish those improvements. The flow in LPT passages is at low Reynolds number, and is dominated by interplay of three basic mechanisms: transition, separation and wake interaction. The affecting parameters traditionally considered are Reynolds number, freestream turbulence intensity, wake frequency parameter, and the pressure distribution (loading). Three-dimensional effects and additional parameters, particularly turbulence characteristics like length scales, spectra and other statistics, as well as wake turbulence intensity and properties also play a role. The flow of most interest is on the suction surface, where large losses are generated as the flow tends to separate at the low Reynolds numbers. Ignoring wakes, a common flow scenario, there is laminar separation, followed by transition on the separation bubble and turbulent reattachment. If transition starts earlier the separation will be eliminated and the boundary layer will be attached leading to the well known bypass transition issues. In contrast, transition over a separation bubble is closer to free shear layer transition and was not investigated as well, particularly in the turbine environment. Unsteadiness created by wakes complicates the picture. Wakes induce earlier transition, and the calmed regions trailing the induced turbulent spots can delay or eliminate separation via shear stress modification. Three-dimensional flow physics and geometry will have strong effects. Altogether a very complex and challenging problem emerges. The objective of the program is to provide improved models and physical understanding of the complex flow, which are essential for accurate prediction of flow and losses in the LPT. Experimental, computational and analytical work as complementing and augmenting approaches are used. The program involves industry, universities and research institutes, and other government laboratories. It is characterized by strong interaction among participants, quick dissemination of results, and responsiveness to industry's needs. The presentation will describe the work elements. Highlighting some activities in progress are experiments on simulated blade suction surface in low-speed wind tunnels, on curved wall, and on a flat-plate, both with pressure gradient. In the area of computation, assessment of existing models is performed using RANS (Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes) simulations. Laminar flow DNS was completed. Analytical studies of instability and receptivity in attached and separated flows were started. In the near future the program is moving to include wake effects and development of improved modeling. Experimental work in preparation stages are: (1) Addition of wakes to the curved tunnel experiment; (2) Low-speed rotating rig experiment on GE90 engine LPT; and (3) Transonic cascade. In the area of computation, it is expected to move from model assessment towards development of improved models. In addition, a new project of Large Eddy Simulation (LES) of LPT is to begin and will provide numerical data bases. It is planned to implement the emerging improved models in a multistage turbomachinery code and to validate against the GE90 engine LPT.

Water movement through plant roots - exact solutions of the water flow equation in roots with linear or exponential piecewise hydraulic properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meunier, Félicien; Couvreur, Valentin; Draye, Xavier; Zarebanadkouki, Mohsen; Vanderborght, Jan; Javaux, Mathieu

2017-12-01

In 1978, Landsberg and Fowkes presented a solution of the water flow equation inside a root with uniform hydraulic properties. These properties are root radial conductivity and axial conductance, which control, respectively, the radial water flow between the root surface and xylem and the axial flow within the xylem. From the solution for the xylem water potential, functions that describe the radial and axial flow along the root axis were derived. These solutions can also be used to derive root macroscopic parameters that are potential input parameters of hydrological and crop models. In this paper, novel analytical solutions of the water flow equation are developed for roots whose hydraulic properties vary along their axis, which is the case for most plants. We derived solutions for single roots with linear or exponential variations of hydraulic properties with distance to root tip. These solutions were subsequently combined to construct single roots with complex hydraulic property profiles. The analytical solutions allow one to verify numerical solutions and to get a generalization of the hydric behaviour with the main influencing parameters of the solutions. The resulting flow distributions in heterogeneous roots differed from those in uniform roots and simulations led to more regular, less abrupt variations of xylem suction or radial flux along root axes. The model could successfully be applied to maize effective root conductance measurements to derive radial and axial hydraulic properties. We also show that very contrasted root water uptake patterns arise when using either uniform or heterogeneous root hydraulic properties in a soil-root model. The optimal root radius that maximizes water uptake under a carbon cost constraint was also studied. The optimal radius was shown to be highly dependent on the root hydraulic properties and close to observed properties in maize roots. We finally used the obtained functions for evaluating the impact of root maturation versus root growth on water uptake. Very diverse uptake strategies arise from the analysis. These solutions open new avenues to investigate for optimal genotype-environment-management interactions by optimization, for example, of plant-scale macroscopic hydraulic parameters used in ecohydrogolocial models.

Impact of alpine meadow degradation on soil hydraulic properties over the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Chen; Zhang, Fan; Wang, Quanjiu; Chen, Yingying; Joswiak, Daniel R.

2013-01-01

SummaryAlpine meadow soil is an important ecosystem component of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. However, the alpine meadow soil is undergoing serious degradation mainly due to global climate change, overgrazing, human activities and rodents. In this paper, spatial sequencing was chosen over time succession sequencing to study the changes of soil hydraulic properties under different degrees of alpine meadow degradation. Soil saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) and Gardner α both at the surface and at 40-50 cm depth were investigated in the field using tension infiltrometers. Soil physical and chemical properties, together with the root index at 0-10 cm and 40-50 cm soil layer depths were also analyzed. Pearson correlations were adopted to study the relationships among the investigated factors and principal component analysis was performed to identify the dominant factor. Results show that with increasing degree of degradation, soil sand content increased while soil Ks and Gardner α as well as soil clay content, soil porosity decreased in the 0-10 cm soil layers, and organic matter and root gravimetric density decreased in both the 0-10 cm and 40-50 cm soil layers. However, soil moisture showed no significant changes with increasing degradation. With decreasing pressure head, soil unsaturated hydraulic conductivity reduced more slowly under degraded conditions than non-degraded conditions. Soil Ks and Gardner α were significantly correlated (P = 0.01) with bulk density, soil porosity, soil organic matter and root gravimetric density. Among these, soil porosity is the dominant factor explaining about 90% of the variability in total infiltration flow. Under non-degraded conditions, the infiltration flow principally depended on the presence of macropores. With increasing degree of degradation, soil macropores quickly changed to mesopores or micropores. The proportion of total infiltration flow through macropores and mesopores significantly decreased with the most substantial decrease observed for the macropores in the 0-10 cm soil layer. The substantial decrease of macropores caused a cut in soil moisture and hydraulic conductivity. This study improves the understanding and prediction of alpine meadow soil and ecosystem changes and provides guidelines for improving water flow modeling under the background of global climate change over the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and similar regions.

Study of Basin Recession Characteristics and Groundwater Storage Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yen-Bo, Chen; Cheng-Haw, Lee

2017-04-01

Stream flow and groundwater storage are freshwater resources that human live on.In this study, we discuss southern area basin recession characteristics and Kao-Ping River basin groundwater storage, and hope to supply reference to Taiwan water resource management. The first part of this study is about recession characteristics. We apply Brutsaert (2008) low flow analysis model to establish two recession data pieces sifting models, including low flow steady period model and normal condition model. Within individual event analysis, group event analysis and southern area basin recession assessment, stream flow and base flow recession characteristics are parameterized. The second part of this study is about groundwater storage. Among main basin in southern Taiwan, there are sufficient stream flow and precipitation gaging station data about Kao-Ping River basin and extensive drainage data, and data about different hydrological characteristics between upstream and downstream area. Therefore, this study focuses on Kao-Ping River basin and accesses groundwater storage properties. Taking residue of groundwater volume in dry season into consideration, we use base flow hydrograph to access periodical property of groundwater storage, in order to establish hydrological period conceptual model. With groundwater storage and precipitation accumulative linearity quantified by hydrological period conceptual model, their periodical changing and alternation trend properties in each drainage areas of Kao-Ping River basin have been estimated. Results of this study showed that the recession time of stream flow is related to initial flow rate of the recession events. The recession time index is lower when the flow is stream flow, not base flow, and the recession time index is higher in low flow steady flow period than in normal recession condition. By applying hydrological period conceptual model, groundwater storage could explicitly be analyzed and compared with precipitation, by only using stream flow data. Keywords: stream flow, base flow, recession characteristics, groundwater storage

CFD analyses of coolant channel flowfields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yagley, Jennifer A.; Feng, Jinzhang; Merkle, Charles L.

1993-01-01

The flowfield characteristics in rocket engine coolant channels are analyzed by means of a numerical model. The channels are characterized by large length to diameter ratios, high Reynolds numbers, and asymmetrical heating. At representative flow conditions, the channel length is approximately twice the hydraulic entrance length so that fully developed conditions would be reached for a constant property fluid. For the supercritical hydrogen that is used as the coolant, the strong property variations create significant secondary flows in the cross-plane which have a major influence on the flow and the resulting heat transfer. Comparison of constant and variable property solutions show substantial differences. In addition, the property variations prevent fully developed flow. The density variation accelerates the fluid in the channels increasing the pressure drop without an accompanying increase in heat flux. Analyses of the inlet configuration suggest that side entry from a manifold can affect the development of the velocity profile because of vortices generated as the flow enters the channel. Current work is focused on studying the effects of channel bifurcation on the flow field and the heat transfer characteristics.

The effect of various metallurgical parameters on the flow and fracture behavior of polycrystalline NiAl near the brittle-to-ductile transition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Noebe, Ronald D.

1994-01-01

An investigation of the effect of various metallurgical parameters such as interfaces, allowing additions, test temperature, and strain rate on the flow and fracture behavior of polycrystalline NiAl is summarized. From this study, a more complete understanding of the deformation and fracture behavior of polycrystalline NiAl near the brittle-to-ductile transition temperature has been developed. A mechanism for the BDTT is proposed that is based on the operation of localized dislocation climb processes that operate within the vicinity of the grain boundaries and provide the additional deformation mechanisms necessary for grain-to-grain compatibility during plastic deformation. Finally, methods for improving the low temperature mechanical behavior of NiAl were considered and reviewed within the context of the present knowledge of NiAl-based materials and the operative deformation and fracture mechanisms determined in this study. Special emphasis was placed on the use of second phases for improving low temperature properties.

Winds, Mountains, and Wildland Fire: Improved Understanding of Coupled Atmosphere-Topography-Fire Interactions Through Large-Eddy Simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munoz-Esparza, D.; Sauer, J.; Linn, R.

2015-12-01

Anomalous and unexpected fire behavior in complex terrain continues to result in substantial loss of property and extremely dangerous conditions for firefighting field personnel. We briefly discuss proposed hypotheses of fire interactions with atmospheric flows over complex terrain that can lead to poorly-understood and potentially catastrophic scenarios. Then, our recent results of numerical investigations via large-eddy simulation of coupled atmosphere-topography-fire phenomenology with the Los Alamos National Laboratory, HiGrad-Firetec model are presented as an example of the potential for increased understanding of these complex processes. This investigation focuses on the influence of downslope surface wind enhancement through stably stratified flow over an isolated hill, and the resulting dramatic changes in fire behavior including spread rate, and intensity. Implications with respect to counter-intuitive fire behavior and extreme fire events are discussed. This work demonstrates a tremendous opportunity to immediately create safer and more effective policy for field personnel through improved predictability of atmospheric conditions over complex terrain

Research on the drag reduction performance induced by the counterflowing jet for waverider with variable blunt radii

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Shi-bin; Wang, Zhen-guo; Barakos, George N.; Huang, Wei; Steijl, Rene

2016-10-01

Waverider will endure the huge aero-heating in the hypersonic flow, thus, it need be blunt for the leading edge. However, the aerodynamic performance will decrease for the blunt waverider because of the drag hoik. How to improve the aerodynamic performance and reduce the drag and aero-heating is very important. The variable blunt radii method will improve the aerodynamic performance, however, the huge aero-heating and bow shock wave at the head is still serious. In the current study, opposing jet is used in the waverider with variable blunt radii to improve its performance. The three-dimensional coupled implicit Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes(RANS) equation and the two equation SST k-ω turbulence model have been utilized to obtain the flow field properties. The numerical method has been validated against the available experimental data in the open literature. The obtained results show that the L/D will drop 7-8% when R changes from 2 to 8. The lift coefficient will increase, and the drag coefficient almost keeps the same when the variable blunt radii method is adopted, and the L/D will increase. The variable blunt radii method is very useful to improve the whole characteristics of blunt waverider and the L/D can improve 3%. The combination of the variable blunt radii method and opposing jet is a novel way to improve the whole performance of blunt waverider, and L/D can improve 4-5%. The aperture as a novel way of opposing jet is suitable for blunt waverider and also useful to improve the aerodynamic and aerothermodynamic characteristics of waverider in the hypersonic flow. There is the optimal P0in/P0 that can make the detached shock wave reattach the lower surface again so that the blunt waverider can get the better aerodynamic performance.

Resin impregnation process for producing a resin-fiber composite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palmer, Raymond J. (Inventor); Moore, William E. (Inventor)

1994-01-01

Process for vacuum impregnation of a dry fiber reinforcement with a curable resin to produce a resin-fiber composite, by drawing a vacuum to permit flow of curable liquid resin into and through a fiber reinforcement to impregnate same and curing the resin-impregnated fiber reinforcement at a sufficient temperature and pressure to effect final curing. Both vacuum and positive pressure, e.g. autoclave pressure, are applied to the dry fiber reinforcement prior to application of heat and prior to any resin flow to compact the dry fiber reinforcement, and produce a resin-fiber composite of reduced weight, thickness and resin content, and improved mechanical properties. Preferably both a vacuum and positive pressure, e.g. autoclave pressure, are also applied during final curing.

Mixing due Pulsating Turbulent Jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grosshans, Holger; Nygård, Alexander; Fuchs, Laszlo

Combustion efficiency and the formation of soot and/or NOx in Internal- Combustion engines depends strongly on the local air/fuel mixture, the local flow conditions and temperature. Modern diesel engines employ high injection pressure for improved atomization, but mixing is controlled largely by the flow in the cylinder. By injecting the fuel in pulses one can gain control over the atomization, evaporation and the mixing of the gaseous fuel. We show that the pulsatile injection of fuel enhances fuel break-up and the entrainment of ambient air into the fuel stream. The entrainment level depends on fuel property, such as fuel/air viscosity and density ratio, fuel surface-tension, injection speed and injection sequencing. Examples of enhanced break-up and mixing are given.

Damping parameter study of a perforated plate with bias flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazdeh, Alireza

One of the main impediments to successful operation of combustion systems in industrial and aerospace applications including gas turbines, ramjets, rocket motors, afterburners (augmenters) and even large heaters/boilers is the dynamic instability also known as thermo-acoustic instability. Concerns with this ongoing problem have grown with the introduction of Lean Premixed Combustion (LPC) systems developed to address the environmental concerns associated with the conventional combustion systems. The most common way to mitigate thermo-acoustic instability is adding acoustic damping to the combustor using acoustic liners. Recently damping properties of bias flow initially introduced to liners only for cooling purposes have been recognized and proven to be an asset in enhancing the damping effectiveness of liners. Acoustic liners are currently being designed using empirical design rules followed by build-test-improve steps; basically by trial and error. There is growing concerns on the lack of reliability associated with the experimental evaluation of the acoustic liners with small size apertures. The development of physics-based tools in assisting the design of such liners has become of great interest to practitioners recently. This dissertation focuses primarily on how Large-Eddy Simulations (LES) or similar techniques such as Scaled Adaptive Simulation (SAS) can be used to characterize damping properties of bias flow. The dissertation also reviews assumptions made in the existing analytical, semi-empirical, and numerical models, provides a criteria to rank order the existing models, and identifies the best existing theoretical model. Flow field calculations by LES provide good insight into the mechanisms that led to acoustic damping. Comparison of simulation results with empirical and analytical studies shows that LES simulation is a viable alternative to the empirical and analytical methods and can accurately predict the damping behavior of liners. Currently the role of LES for research studies concerned with damping properties of liners is limited to validation of other empirical or theoretical approaches. This research has shown that LES can go beyond that and can be used for performing parametric studies to characterize the sensitivity of acoustic properties of multi--perforated liners to the changes in the geometry and flow conditions and be used as a tool to design acoustic liners. The conducted research provides an insightful understanding about the contribution of different flow and geometry parameters such as perforated plate thickness, aperture radius, porosity factors and bias flow velocity. While the study agrees with previous observations obtained by analytical or experimental methods, it also quantifies the impact from these parameters on the acoustic impedance of perforated plate, a key parameter to determine the acoustic performance of any system. The conducted study has also explored the limitations and capabilities of commercial tool when are applied for performing simulation studies on damping properties of liners. The overall agreement between LES results and previous studies proves that commercial tools can be effectively used for these applications under certain conditions.

Mechanical properties of bulk graphene oxide/poly(acrylic acid)/poly(ethylenimine) ternary polyelectrolyte complex.

PubMed

Duan, Yipin; Wang, Chao; Zhao, Mengmeng; Vogt, Bryan D; Zacharia, Nicole S

2018-05-30

Ternary complexes formed in a single pot process through the mixing of cationic (branched polyethylenimine, BPEI) and anionic (graphene oxide, GO, and poly(acrylic acid), PAA) aqueous solutions exhibit superior mechanical performance in comparison to their binary analogs. The composition of the ternary complex can be simply tuned through the composition of the anionic solution, which influences the water content and mechanical properties of the complex. Increasing the PAA content in the complex decreases the overall water content due to improved charge compensation with the BPEI, but this change also significantly improves the toughness of the complex. Ternary complexes containing ≤32 wt% PAA were too brittle to generate samples for tensile measurements, while extension in excess of 250% could be reached with 57 wt% PAA. From this work, the influence of GO and PAA on the mechanical properties of GO/PAA/BPEI complexes were elucidated with GO sheets acting to restrain the viscous flow and improve the mechanical strength at low loading (<12.6 wt%) and PAA more efficiently complexes with BPEI than GO to generate a less swollen and stronger network. This combination overcomes the brittle nature of GO-BPEI complexes and viscous creep of PAA-BPEI complexes. Ternary nanocomposite complexes appear to provide an effective route to toughen and strengthen bulk polyelectrolyte complexes.

Fiber Optic Temperature Sensors in TPS: Arc Jet Model Design & Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Black, Richard; Feldman, Jay; Ellerby, Donald; Monk, Joshua; Moslehi, Behzad; Oblea, Levy; Switzer, Matthew

2017-01-01

Techniques for using fiber optics with Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBGs) have been developed by IFOS Corp. for use in thermal protection systems (TPS) on spacecraft heat shield materials through NASA Phase 1 and 2 SBIR efforts and have been further improved in a recent collaboration between IFOS and NASA that will be described here. Fiber optic temperature sensors offer several potential advantages over traditional thermocouple sensors including a) multiplexing many sensors in a single fiber to increase sensor density in a given array or to provide spatial resolution, b) improved thermal property match between sensor and TPS to reduce heat flow disruption, c) lack of electrical conductivity.

Improved Boundary Conditions for Cell-centered Difference Schemes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

VanderWijngaart, Rob F.; Klopfer, Goetz H.; Chancellor, Marisa K. (Technical Monitor)

1997-01-01

Cell-centered finite-volume (CCFV) schemes have certain attractive properties for the solution of the equations governing compressible fluid flow. Among others, they provide a natural vehicle for specifying flux conditions at the boundaries of the physical domain. Unfortunately, they lead to slow convergence for numerical programs utilizing them. In this report a method for investigating and improving the convergence of CCFV schemes is presented, which focuses on the effect of the numerical boundary conditions. The key to the method is the computation of the spectral radius of the iteration matrix of the entire demoralized system of equations, not just of the interior point scheme or the boundary conditions.

Creep and Toughness of Cryomilled NiAl Containing Cr

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whittenberger, J. Daniel; Aikin, Beverly; Salem, Jon

2000-01-01

NiAl-AlN + Cr composites were produced by blending cryomilled NiAl powder with approx. 10 vol % Cr flakes. In comparison to the as-consolidated matrices, hot isostatically pressed Cr-modified materials did not demonstrate any significant improvement in toughness. Hot extruded NiAl-AlN+10.5Cr, however, possessed a toughness twice that determine for the base NiAl-AlN alloy. Measurement of the 1200 to 1400 K plastic flow properties revealed that the strength of the composites was completely controlled by the properties of the NiAl-AlN matrices. This behavior could be successfully modeled by the Rule-of-Mixtures, where load is shed from the weak Cr to the strong matrix.

Nonlinear behavior of PP/PS blends with and without clay under large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salehiyan, Reza; Song, Hyeong Yong; Hyun, Kyu

2015-05-01

Dynamic oscillatory measurement, i.e., small amplitude oscillatory shear (SAOS) and large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) test was used to investigate linear and non-linear viscoelastic properties of Polypropylene (PP)/Polystyrene (PS) blends with and without 5 wt.% clay (C20A). Fourier transform (FT-Rheology), Lissajous curves and stress decomposition methods were used to analyze non-linear responses under LAOS flow. Composition effects of blends were investigated prior to compatibilization effects. Elevated concentrations of dispersed phase (PS) increased the moduli G'(ω) from SAOS test and G*( γ 0) from LAOS test of the blends as well as strain thinning behavior. Interestingly, addition of 5 wt.% clay (C20A) boosted moduli of the blends as well as led to similar strain thinning behaviors among the PP/PS/C20A blends, except for the (90/10) PP/PS blend. The latter did not show improved rheological properties despite morphological improvements, as shown by SEM. Results from SEM and improved rheological properties of PP/PS/C20A blends revealed the compatibilization effects of clay (C20A) particles regardless of size reduction mechanisms. Third relative intensities ( I 3/1) from FT-rheology were found to be sensitive to clay (C20A) additions for the (70/30) and (30/70) PP/PS blends. Similarly, Lissajous curves could detect changes upon clay (C20A) addition, specifically at lower strain amplitudes whereupon addition of 5 wt.% clay resulted in the closed loops of Lissajous curves showing a more ellipsoidal shape due to increased elasticity in the blends. However, detection of these changes at larger strain amplitudes was more challenging. Therefore, stress decomposition (SD) method was applied for more precise characterization as it decomposes the total stress (σ) into elastic stress (σ') and viscous stress (σ″). Using SD method, elastic stress was more distorted, especially, strain hardening, while the total stress response remained almost unchanged at larger strain amplitudes.

Composite bipolar plate for electrochemical cells

DOEpatents

Wilson, Mahlon S.; Busick, Deanna N.

2001-01-01

A bipolar separator plate for fuel cells consists of a molded mixture of a vinyl ester resin and graphite powder. The plate serves as a current collector and may contain fluid flow fields for the distribution of reactant gases. The material is inexpensive, electrically conductive, lightweight, strong, corrosion resistant, easily mass produced, and relatively impermeable to hydrogen gas. The addition of certain fiber reinforcements and other additives can improve the properties of the composite material without significantly increasing its overall cost.

Multi-parameter flow cytometry as a process analytical technology (PAT) approach for the assessment of bacterial ghost production.

PubMed

Langemann, Timo; Mayr, Ulrike Beate; Meitz, Andrea; Lubitz, Werner; Herwig, Christoph

2016-01-01

Flow cytometry (FCM) is a tool for the analysis of single-cell properties in a cell suspension. In this contribution, we present an improved FCM method for the assessment of E-lysis in Enterobacteriaceae. The result of the E-lysis process is empty bacterial envelopes-called bacterial ghosts (BGs)-that constitute potential products in the pharmaceutical field. BGs have reduced light scattering properties when compared with intact cells. In combination with viability information obtained from staining samples with the membrane potential-sensitive fluorescent dye bis-(1,3-dibutylarbituric acid) trimethine oxonol (DiBAC4(3)), the presented method allows to differentiate between populations of viable cells, dead cells, and BGs. Using a second fluorescent dye RH414 as a membrane marker, non-cellular background was excluded from the data which greatly improved the quality of the results. Using true volumetric absolute counting, the FCM data correlated well with cell count data obtained from colony-forming units (CFU) for viable populations. Applicability of the method to several Enterobacteriaceae (different Escherichia coli strains, Salmonella typhimurium, Shigella flexneri 2a) could be shown. The method was validated as a resilient process analytical technology (PAT) tool for the assessment of E-lysis and for particle counting during 20-l batch processes for the production of Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 BGs.

High-aspect-ratio, silicon oxide-enclosed pillar structures in microfluidic liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Taylor, Lisa C; Lavrik, Nickolay V; Sepaniak, Michael J

2010-11-15

The present paper discusses the ability to separate chemical species using high-aspect-ratio, silicon oxide-enclosed pillar arrays. These miniaturized chromatographic systems require smaller sample volumes, experience less flow resistance, and generate superior separation efficiency over traditional packed bed liquid chromatographic columns, improvements controlled by the increased order and decreased pore size of the systems. In our distinctive fabrication sequence, plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) of silicon oxide is used to alter the surface and structural properties of the pillars for facile surface modification while improving the pillar mechanical stability and increasing surface area. The separation behavior of model compounds within our pillar systems indicated an unexpected hydrophobic-like separation mechanism. The effects of organic modifier, ionic concentration, and pressure-driven flow rate were studied. A decrease in the organic content of the mobile phase increased peak resolution while detrimentally effecting peak shape. A resolution of 4.7 (RSD = 3.7%) was obtained for nearly perfect Gaussian shaped peaks, exhibiting plate heights as low as 1.1 and 1.8 μm for fluorescein and sulforhodamine B, respectively. Contact angle measurements and DART mass spectrometry analysis indicate that our employed elastomeric soft bonding technique modifies pillar properties, creating a fortuitous stationary phase. This discovery provides evidence supporting the ability to easily functionalize PECVD oxide surfaces by gas-phase reactions.

The rheology, degradation, processing, and characterization of renewable resource polymers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conrad, Jason David

Renewable resource polymers have become an increasingly popular alternative to conventional fossil fuel based polymers over the past couple decades. The push by the government as well as both industrial and consumer markets to go "green" has provided the drive for companies to research and develop new materials that are more environmentally friendly and which are derived from renewable materials. Two polymers that are currently being produced commercially are poly-lactic acid (PLA) and polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) copolymers, both of which can be derived from renewable feedstocks and have shown to exhibit similar properties to conventional materials such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, and PET. PLA and PHA are being used in many applications including food packaging, disposable cups, grocery bags, and biomedical applications. In this work, we report on the rheological properties of blends of PLA and PHA copolymers. The specific materials used in the study include Natureworks RTM 7000D grade PLA and PHA copolymers of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate). Blends ranging from 10 to 50 percent PHA by weight are also examined. Shear and extensional experiments are performed to characterize the flow behavior of the materials in different flow fields. Transient experiments are performed to study the shear rheology over time in order to determine how the viscoelastic properties change under typical processing conditions and understand the thermal degradation behavior of the materials. For the blends, it is determined that increasing the PHA concentration in the blend results in a decrease in viscosity and increase in degradation. Models are fit to the viscosity of the blends using the pure material viscosities in order to be able to predict the behavior at a given blend composition. We also investigate the processability of these materials into films and examine the resultant properties of the cast films. The mechanical and thermal properties of the films are studied as a function of the blend composition. With increasing PHA content in the blends, the films show increases in the crystallinity and the percent elongation versus the pure materials, but decreases in both the modulus and the tensile strength. The 10% PHA blend is found to be the optimum concentration since the toughness is significantly improved without sacrificing the strength of the material. A post-processing uniaxial orientation step is also studied, and an improvement in the mechanical properties and crystallinity of the films is discovered with the largest effects observed by varying the stretch ratio. Increasing the stretch ratio resulted in an improvement in percent elongation and greater modulus, strength, and crystallinity versus the unstretched samples. Therefore, by varying the blend composition and film processing parameters, we are able to systematically manipulate the properties of the final product and therefore tailor the materials for specific applications depending on the desired properties.

Parametric study of natural circulation flow in molten salt fuel in molten salt reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pauzi, Anas Muhamad; Cioncolini, Andrea; Iacovides, Hector

2015-04-01

The Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) is one of the most promising system proposed by Generation IV Forum (GIF) for future nuclear reactor systems. Advantages of the MSR are significantly larger compared to other reactor system, and is mainly achieved from its liquid nature of fuel and coolant. Further improvement to this system, which is a natural circulating molten fuel salt inside its tube in the reactor core is proposed, to achieve advantages of reducing and simplifying the MSR design proposed by GIF. Thermal hydraulic analysis on the proposed system was completed using a commercial computation fluid dynamics (CFD) software called FLUENT by ANSYS Inc. An understanding on theory behind this unique natural circulation flow inside the tube caused by fission heat generated in molten fuel salt and tube cooling was briefly introduced. Currently, no commercial CFD software could perfectly simulate natural circulation flow, hence, modeling this flow problem in FLUENT is introduced and analyzed to obtain best simulation results. Results obtained demonstrate the existence of periodical transient nature of flow problem, hence improvements in tube design is proposed based on the analysis on temperature and velocity profile. Results show that the proposed system could operate at up to 750MW core power, given that turbulence are enhanced throughout flow region, and precise molten fuel salt physical properties could be defined. At the request of the authors and the Proceedings Editor the name of the co-author Andrea Cioncolini was corrected from Andrea Coincolini. The same name correction was made in the Acknowledgement section on page 030004-10 and in reference number 4. The updated article was published on 11 May 2015.

Multi-Wall Carbon Nanotubes for Flow-Induced Voltage Generation (Preprint)

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-08-01

flow sensors with a large dynamic range. The present work investigates voltage generation properties of multi-walled carbon nanotubes ( MWCNT ) as a...wall carbon nanotubes, has been generated from our perpendicularly-aligned MWCNT in an aqueous solution of 1 M NaCl at a relatively low flow velocity of...generation properties of multi-walled carbon nanotubes ( MWCNT ) as a function of the relative orientation of the nanotube array with respect to the flow

Topology of three-dimensional separated flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tobak, M.; Peake, D. J.

1981-01-01

Based on the hypothesis that patterns of skin-friction lines and external streamlines reflect the properties of continuous vector fields, topology rules define a small number of singular points (nodes, saddle points, and foci) that characterize the patterns on the surface and on particular projections of the flow (e.g., the crossflow plane). The restricted number of singular points and the rules that they obey are considered as an organizing principle whose finite number of elements can be combined in various ways to connect together the properties common to all steady three dimensional viscous flows. Introduction of a distinction between local and global properties of the flow resolves an ambiguity in the proper definition of a three dimensional separated flow. Adoption of the notions of topological structure, structural stability, and bifurcation provides a framework to describe how three dimensional separated flows originate and succeed each other as the relevant parameters of the problem are varied.

Generating Inviscid and Viscous Fluid Flow Simulations over a Surface Using a Quasi-simultaneous Technique

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sturdza, Peter (Inventor); Martins-Rivas, Herve (Inventor); Suzuki, Yoshifumi (Inventor)

2014-01-01

A fluid-flow simulation over a computer-generated surface is generated using a quasi-simultaneous technique. The simulation includes a fluid-flow mesh of inviscid and boundary-layer fluid cells. An initial fluid property for an inviscid fluid cell is determined using an inviscid fluid simulation that does not simulate fluid viscous effects. An initial boundary-layer fluid property a boundary-layer fluid cell is determined using the initial fluid property and a viscous fluid simulation that simulates fluid viscous effects. An updated boundary-layer fluid property is determined for the boundary-layer fluid cell using the initial fluid property, initial boundary-layer fluid property, and an interaction law. The interaction law approximates the inviscid fluid simulation using a matrix of aerodynamic influence coefficients computed using a two-dimensional surface panel technique and a fluid-property vector. An updated fluid property is determined for the inviscid fluid cell using the updated boundary-layer fluid property.

Cardiovascular cine imaging and flow evaluation using Fast Interrupted Steady-State (FISS) magnetic resonance.

PubMed

Edelman, Robert R; Serhal, Ali; Pursnani, Amit; Pang, Jianing; Koktzoglou, Ioannis

2018-02-19

Existing cine imaging techniques rely on balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) or spoiled gradient-echo readouts, each of which has limitations. For instance, with bSSFP, artifacts occur from rapid through-plane flow and off-resonance effects. We hypothesized that a prototype cine technique, radial fast interrupted steady-state (FISS), could overcome these limitations. The technique was compared with standard cine bSSFP for cardiac function, coronary artery conspicuity, and aortic valve morphology. Given its advantageous properties, we further hypothesized that the cine FISS technique, in combination with arterial spin labeling (ASL), could provide an alternative to phase contrast for visualizing in-plane flow patterns within the aorta and branch vessels. The study was IRB-approved and subjects provided consent. Breath-hold cine FISS and bSSFP were acquired using similar imaging parameters. There was no significant difference in biplane left ventricular ejection fraction or cardiac image quality between the two techniques. Compared with cine bSSFP, cine FISS demonstrated a marked decrease in fat signal which improved conspicuity of the coronary arteries, while suppression of through-plane flow artifact on thin-slice cine FISS images improved visualization of the aortic valve. Banding artifacts in the subcutaneous tissues were reduced. In healthy subjects, dynamic flow patterns were well visualized in the aorta, coronary and renal arteries using cine FISS ASL, even when the slice was substantially thicker than the vessel diameter. Cine FISS demonstrates several benefits for cardiovascular imaging compared with cine bSSFP, including better suppression of fat signal and reduced artifacts from through-plane flow and off-resonance effects. The main drawback is a slight (~ 20%) decrease in temporal resolution. In addition, preliminary results suggest that cine FISS ASL provides a potential alternative to phase contrast techniques for in-plane flow quantification, while enabling an efficient, visually-appealing, semi-projective display of blood flow patterns throughout the course of an artery and its branches.

Development of a binary carrier system consisting polyethylene glycol 4000 - ethyl cellulose for ibuprofen solid dispersion

PubMed Central

Alagdar, Gada Sulaiman A.; Oo, May Kyaw; Sengupta, Pinaki; Mandal, Uttam Kumar; Jaffri, Julian Md.; Chatterjee, Bappaditya

2017-01-01

Background and Objective: One of the established strategies to improve solubility and dissolution rate of poorly water-soluble drugs is solid dispersion (SD). Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is used as common carrier despite its stability problem which may be overcome by the addition of hydrophobic polymer. The present research aimed to develop an SD formulation with ibuprofen, a poor water-soluble BCS Class II drug as active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and PEG 4000-ethyl cellulose (EC) as binary carrier. Methods: Melt mixing SD method was employed using a ratio of API: binary carrier (1:3.5 w/w) (SDPE). Another SD was prepared using only PEG (SDP) as a carrier for comparative study. The developed formulation was evaluated using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), determination of moisture content, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), in vitro dissolution test, attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and flow properties. Results: SEM and DSC indicated the conversion of crystalline ibuprofen to fine partly amorphous solid dispersion, which was responsible for the increase in dissolution rate of SD than a physical mixture. The release characteristics within 1 h from the higher to the lower value were the SDPE> SDP> physical mixture. Flow property evaluation using the angle of repose showed no difference between SD and PM. However, by Carr index and Hausner ratio, the flow properties of SDPE was excellent. Conclusion: The SD formulation with the PEG 4000-EC carrier can be effective to enhance in vitro dissolution of ibuprofen immediate release dosage form. PMID:29184827

Construction of Low Dissipative High Order Well-Balanced Filter Schemes for Non-Equilibrium Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Wei; Yee, H. C.; Sjogreen, Bjorn; Magin, Thierry; Shu, Chi-Wang

2009-01-01

The goal of this paper is to generalize the well-balanced approach for non-equilibrium flow studied by Wang et al. [26] to a class of low dissipative high order shock-capturing filter schemes and to explore more advantages of well-balanced schemes in reacting flows. The class of filter schemes developed by Yee et al. [30], Sjoegreen & Yee [24] and Yee & Sjoegreen [35] consist of two steps, a full time step of spatially high order non-dissipative base scheme and an adaptive nonlinear filter containing shock-capturing dissipation. A good property of the filter scheme is that the base scheme and the filter are stand alone modules in designing. Therefore, the idea of designing a well-balanced filter scheme is straightforward, i.e., choosing a well-balanced base scheme with a well-balanced filter (both with high order). A typical class of these schemes shown in this paper is the high order central difference schemes/predictor-corrector (PC) schemes with a high order well-balanced WENO filter. The new filter scheme with the well-balanced property will gather the features of both filter methods and well-balanced properties: it can preserve certain steady state solutions exactly; it is able to capture small perturbations, e.g., turbulence fluctuations; it adaptively controls numerical dissipation. Thus it shows high accuracy, efficiency and stability in shock/turbulence interactions. Numerical examples containing 1D and 2D smooth problems, 1D stationary contact discontinuity problem and 1D turbulence/shock interactions are included to verify the improved accuracy, in addition to the well-balanced behavior.

Effects of Using Silica Fume and Polycarboxylate-Type Superplasticizer on Physical Properties of Cementitious Grout Mixtures for Semiflexible Pavement Surfacing

PubMed Central

Karim, Mohamed Rehan; Mahmud, Hilmi; Mashaan, Nuha S.; Katman, Herdayati; Husain, Nadiah Md

2014-01-01

Semi-flexible pavement surfacing is a composite pavement that utilizes the porous pavement structure of the flexible bituminous pavement, which is subsequently grouted with appropriate cementitious materials. This study aims to investigate the compressive strength, flexural strength, and workability performance of cementitious grout. The grout mixtures are designed to achieve high strength and maintain flow properties in order to allow the cement slurries to infiltrate easily through unfilled compacted skeletons. A paired-sample t-test was carried out to find out whether water/cement ratio, SP percentages, and use of silica fume influence the cementitious grout performance. The findings showed that the replacement of 5% silica fume with an adequate amount of superplasticizer and water/cement ratio was beneficial in improving the properties of the cementitious grout. PMID:24526911

Effects of using silica fume and polycarboxylate-type superplasticizer on physical properties of cementitious grout mixtures for semiflexible pavement surfacing.

PubMed

Koting, Suhana; Karim, Mohamed Rehan; Mahmud, Hilmi; Mashaan, Nuha S; Ibrahim, Mohd Rasdan; Katman, Herdayati; Husain, Nadiah Md

2014-01-01

Semi-flexible pavement surfacing is a composite pavement that utilizes the porous pavement structure of the flexible bituminous pavement, which is subsequently grouted with appropriate cementitious materials. This study aims to investigate the compressive strength, flexural strength, and workability performance of cementitious grout. The grout mixtures are designed to achieve high strength and maintain flow properties in order to allow the cement slurries to infiltrate easily through unfilled compacted skeletons. A paired-sample t-test was carried out to find out whether water/cement ratio, SP percentages, and use of silica fume influence the cementitious grout performance. The findings showed that the replacement of 5% silica fume with an adequate amount of superplasticizer and water/cement ratio was beneficial in improving the properties of the cementitious grout.

Limited role of spectra in dynamo theory: coherent versus random dynamos.

PubMed

Tobias, Steven M; Cattaneo, Fausto

2008-09-19

We discuss the importance of phase information and coherence times in determining the dynamo properties of turbulent flows. We compare the kinematic dynamo properties of three flows with the same energy spectrum. The first flow is dominated by coherent structures with nontrivial phase information and long eddy coherence times, the second has random phases and long-coherence time, the third has nontrivial phase information, but short coherence time. We demonstrate that the first flow is the most efficient kinematic dynamo, owing to the presence of sustained stretching and constructive folding. We argue that these results place limitations on the possible inferences of the dynamo properties of flows from the use of spectra alone, and that the role of coherent structures must always be accounted for.

The effect of nanocrystalline cellulose on flow properties of fiber crop aqueous suspension.

PubMed

Gharehkhani, Samira; Seyed Shirazi, Seyed Farid; Yarmand, Hooman; Montazer, Elham; Kazi, Salim Newaz; Ibrahim, Rushdan; Ashjaei, Mehdi; Zulkifli, Nurin Wahidah Binti Mohd; Rahmati, Sadegh

2018-03-15

Nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) a nature-based material, has gained significant attentions for its unique properties. The present study aims to investigate the flow behavior of cellulosic suspension containing non-wood pulp fibers and NCC, by means of rheological and pressure drop measurements. The NCC sample was prepared by sulfuric acid hydrolysis from Acacia mangium fibers. The rheological properties of kenaf/NCC suspensions were studied using viscosity and yield stress measurements. The pressure drop properties of the suspension flow were studied with respect to variation in flow velocity (0.4 m/s-3.6 m/s) and the NCC concentration (70 mg/l and 150 mg/l). The pressure drop results showed that the pulp suspension containing 150 mg/l NCC had higher drag reduction than kenaf suspension alone. The present insights into the flow of pulp/NCC suspension provide a new data and promote the application of NCC in industries. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Flight and Static Exhaust Flow Properties of an F110-GE-129 Engine in an F-16XL Airplane During Acoustic Tests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holzman, Jon K.; Webb, Lannie D.; Burcham, Frank W., Jr.

1996-01-01

The exhaust flow properties (mass flow, pressure, temperature, velocity, and Mach number) of the F110-GE-129 engine in an F-16XL airplane were determined from a series of flight tests flown at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. These tests were performed in conjunction with NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia (LARC) as part of a study to investigate the acoustic characteristics of jet engines operating at high nozzle pressure conditions. The range of interest for both objectives was from Mach 0.3 to Mach 0.9. NASA Dryden flew the airplane and acquired and analyzed the engine data to determine the exhaust characteristics. NASA Langley collected the flyover acoustic measurements and correlated these results with their current predictive codes. This paper describes the airplane, tests, and methods used to determine the exhaust flow properties and presents the exhaust flow properties. No acoustics results are presented.

Terrestrial analogues for lunar impact melt flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neish, C. D.; Hamilton, C. W.; Hughes, S. S.; Nawotniak, S. Kobs; Garry, W. B.; Skok, J. R.; Elphic, R. C.; Schaefer, E.; Carter, L. M.; Bandfield, J. L.; Osinski, G. R.; Lim, D.; Heldmann, J. L.

2017-01-01

Lunar impact melt deposits have unique physical properties. They have among the highest observed radar returns at S-Band (12.6 cm wavelength), implying that they are rough at the decimeter scale. However, they are also observed in high-resolution optical imagery to be quite smooth at the meter scale. These characteristics distinguish them from well-studied terrestrial analogues, such as Hawaiian pāhoehoe and ´a´ā lava flows. The morphology of impact melt deposits can be related to their emplacement conditions, so understanding the origin of these unique surface properties will help to inform us as to the circumstances under which they were formed. In this work, we seek to find a terrestrial analogue for well-preserved lunar impact melt flows by examining fresh lava flows on Earth. We compare the radar return and high-resolution topographic variations of impact melt flows to terrestrial lava flows with a range of surface textures. The lava flows examined in this work range from smooth Hawaiian pāhoehoe to transitional basaltic flows at Craters of the Moon (COTM) National Monument and Preserve in Idaho to rubbly and spiny pāhoehoe-like flows at the recent eruption at Holuhraun in Iceland. The physical properties of lunar impact melt flows appear to differ from those of all the terrestrial lava flows studied in this work. This may be due to (a) differences in post-emplacement modification processes or (b) fundamental differences in the surface texture of the melt flows due to the melts' unique emplacement and/or cooling environment. Information about the surface properties of lunar impact melt deposits will be critical for future landed missions that wish to sample these materials.

Estimation of Rheological Properties of Viscous Debris Flow Using a Belt Conveyor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hübl, J.; Steinwendtner, H.

2000-09-01

Rheological parameters of viscous debris flows are influenced by a great amount of factors and are therefore extremely difficult to estimate. Because of this uncertainties a belt conveyor (conveyor channel) was constructed to measure flow behaviour and rheological properties of natural debris flow material. The upward movement of the smooth rubberised belt between fixed lateral plastic walls causes a stationary wave relative to these bends. This special experimental design enables to study behaviour of viscous ebris flow material with maximum grain diameters up to 20 mm within several minutes and to hold measuring equipment very simple. The conveyor channel was calibrated first with Xanthan, a natural polysaccharide used as thickener in food technology, whose rheological properties are similar to viscous debris flow material. In a second step natural debris flow material was investigated. Velocities and rheological parameters were measured with varying solid concentration and slope of the channel. In cases where concentration of coarse particles exceed around 15% by volume the conveyor channel obtains an alternative to expensive commercial viscometers for determination of rheological parameters of viscous debris flows.

Production of egg white protein hydrolysates with improved antioxidant capacity in a continuous enzymatic membrane reactor: optimization of operating parameters by statistical design.

PubMed

Jakovetić Tanasković, Sonja; Luković, Nevena; Grbavčić, Sanja; Stefanović, Andrea; Jovanović, Jelena; Bugarski, Branko; Knežević-Jugović, Zorica

2018-01-01

This study focuses on the influence of operating conditions on Alcalase-catalyzed egg white protein hydrolysis performed in a continuously stirred tank reactor coupled with ultrafiltration module (10 kDa). The permeate flow rate did not significantly affect the degree of hydrolysis (DH), but a significant increase in process productivity was apparent above flow rate of 1.9 cm 3 min -1 . By contrast, an increase in enzyme/substrate ( E / S ) ratio provided an increase in DH, but a negative correlation was observed between E / S ratio and productivity. The relationship between operating conditions and antioxidant properties of the hydrolysates, measured by three methods, was studied using Box-Behnken experimental design and response surface methodology. The statistical analysis showed that each variable (impeller speed, E / S ratio, and permeate flow rate) had a significant effect on the antioxidant capacity of all tested systems. Nevertheless, obtained response functions revealed that antioxidative activity measured by DPPH, ABTS and FRAP methods were affected differently by the same operating conditions. High impeller speeds and low permeate flow rates favor ABTS while high impeller speeds and high permeate flow rates had a positive effect on the DPPH scavenging activity. On the other hand, the best results obtained with FRAP method were achieved under moderate operating conditions. The integration of the reaction and ultrafiltration membrane separation in a continuous manner appears to be a right approach to improve and intensify the enzymatic process, enabling the production of peptides with desired antioxidant activity.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pauzi, Anas Muhamad, E-mail: Anas@uniten.edu.my; Cioncolini, Andrea; Iacovides, Hector

The Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) is one of the most promising system proposed by Generation IV Forum (GIF) for future nuclear reactor systems. Advantages of the MSR are significantly larger compared to other reactor system, and is mainly achieved from its liquid nature of fuel and coolant. Further improvement to this system, which is a natural circulating molten fuel salt inside its tube in the reactor core is proposed, to achieve advantages of reducing and simplifying the MSR design proposed by GIF. Thermal hydraulic analysis on the proposed system was completed using a commercial computation fluid dynamics (CFD) software calledmore » FLUENT by ANSYS Inc. An understanding on theory behind this unique natural circulation flow inside the tube caused by fission heat generated in molten fuel salt and tube cooling was briefly introduced. Currently, no commercial CFD software could perfectly simulate natural circulation flow, hence, modeling this flow problem in FLUENT is introduced and analyzed to obtain best simulation results. Results obtained demonstrate the existence of periodical transient nature of flow problem, hence improvements in tube design is proposed based on the analysis on temperature and velocity profile. Results show that the proposed system could operate at up to 750MW core power, given that turbulence are enhanced throughout flow region, and precise molten fuel salt physical properties could be defined. At the request of the authors and the Proceedings Editor the name of the co-author Andrea Cioncolini was corrected from Andrea Coincolini. The same name correction was made in the Acknowledgement section on page 030004-10 and in reference number 4. The updated article was published on 11 May 2015.« less

Lava-substrate heat transfer: Laboratory experiments and thermodynamic modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rumpf, M.; Fagents, S. A.; Hamilton, C. W.; Wright, R.; Crawford, I.

2012-12-01

We have performed laboratory experiments and numerical modeling to investigate the heat transfer from a lava flow into various substrate materials, focusing on the effects of the differing thermophysical properties of substrate materials. Initial motivation for this project developed from the desire to understand the loss of solar wind volatiles embedded in lunar regolith deposits that were subsequently covered by a lava flow. The Moon lacks a significant atmosphere and magnetosphere, leaving the surface regolith exposed to bombardment by solar flare and solar wind particles, and by the cosmogenic products of galactic cosmic rays. Preservation of particle-rich regolith deposits may have occurred by the emplacement of an active lava flow on top of the regolith layer, provided the embedded particles survive heating by the lava. During future expeditions to the lunar surface, ancient regolith deposits could be sampled through surface drilling to extract the extra-lunar particles, revealing a history of the solar activity and galactic events not available on the Earth. This project also has important implications for terrestrial lava flows, particularly in the prediction of lava flow hazards. Lava erupted on Earth may be emplaced on various substrates, including solid lava rock, volcanic tephra, sands, soils, etc. The composition, grain size, consolidation, moisture content, etc. of these materials will vary greatly and have different effects on the cooling of the flow. Accounting for specific properties of the substrate could be an important improvement in lava flow models We have performed laboratory experiments in collaboration with the Department of Art and Art History at the University of Hawaii at Manoa in which ~5-6 kg of basalt, collected at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii, is melted to ~1200 °C. The lava is poured into a device constructed of calcium silicate sheeting that has been filled with a solid or particulate substrate material and embedded with thermocouples. Internal temperatures are monitored by the thermocouple array, while external temperatures are monitored by a Forward Looking Infrared Radiometer (FLIR) video camera. The experimental data thus describe the cooling rates of the system, and reveal the release of latent heat of crystallization within the cooling lava. These experiments have been conducted in conjunction with numerical simulations of the heat transfer from a lava flow into various substrates, to quantify the depth reached by the heat pulse as it penetrates the substrate. Models include material-specific, temperature-dependent thermophysical properties, including thermal conductivity, specific heat capacity, and latent heat of crystallization. We find that particulate materials, such as lunar regolith, sand, and soils will be heated to depths shallower than solid materials. In addition, the particulate materials will act as insulators, shielding the lava flow from basal cooling and maintaining high temperatures in the flow core. These results suggest that lava flows emplaced on a dry particulate terrain will remain above solidus for a longer duration, allowing the lava to flow further than when emplaced on a solid substrate.

Generating Inviscid and Viscous Fluid-Flow Simulations over an Aircraft Surface Using a Fluid-Flow Mesh

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rodriguez, David L. (Inventor); Sturdza, Peter (Inventor)

2013-01-01

Fluid-flow simulation over a computer-generated aircraft surface is generated using inviscid and viscous simulations. A fluid-flow mesh of fluid cells is obtained. At least one inviscid fluid property for the fluid cells is determined using an inviscid fluid simulation that does not simulate fluid viscous effects. A set of intersecting fluid cells that intersects the aircraft surface are identified. One surface mesh polygon of the surface mesh is identified for each intersecting fluid cell. A boundary-layer prediction point for each identified surface mesh polygon is determined. At least one boundary-layer fluid property for each boundary-layer prediction point is determined using the at least one inviscid fluid property of the corresponding intersecting fluid cell and a boundary-layer simulation that simulates fluid viscous effects. At least one updated fluid property for at least one fluid cell is determined using the at least one boundary-layer fluid property and the inviscid fluid simulation.

Performance of maleated castor oil based plasticizer on rubber: rheology and curing characteristic studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Indrajati, I. N.; Dewi, I. R.

2017-07-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of maleated castor oil (MACO) as plasticizer on natural rubber (NR), ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM), and nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR). The parameter studied were involving rheological, curing and swelling properties. The MACOs were prepared by an esterification reaction between castor oil (CO) and maleic anhydride (MAH) with the help of xylene as water entrainer to improve water removal. Resulting oils then applied as a plasticizer in each of those rubbers within a fixed loading of 5 phr. Comparison has been made to evaluate the performance of MACO and conventional plasticizer (paraffinic oil for NR and EPDM, DOP for NBR) on each rubber. Rheology, curing characteristic and swelling of each rubber were studied. The results showed that rubber (NR/EPDM/NBR) plasticized with MACO had given similar flow characteristic to conventional plasticizers. MACO exhibited slow curing, confirmed by higher t90, but the scorch safety was of the same magnitude. MAH loading tended to decrease the flow properties and curing rate, while scorch time (ts2) was independent.

Prediction of fundamental properties of ionic liquid electrospray thrusters using molecular dynamics.

PubMed

Borner, Arnaud; Li, Zheng; Levin, Deborah A

2013-06-06

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are performed to model an electrospray thruster for the ionic liquid (IL) EMIM-BF4 using two coarse-grained (CG) potentials. Different equilibrium properties were obtained for the two potentials and then both were used to study the electrical extrusion of the IL for different electric field strengths and mass flow rates. The MD simulations provide the first insight into the atomistic modeling of a capillary-tip-extractor system, the basic elements of an electrospray thruster. One of the CG potentials was found to predict the formation of the Taylor cone, the cone-jet, and other extrusion modes for similar electric fields and mass flow rates observed in experiments of a IL fed capillary-tip-extractor system. Current distributions and anion and cation behavior were characterized and estimates of thrust and specific impulse are presented and compare reasonably well with measurements. Moreover, the role of inhomogeneities in the electric field as well as that of the IL space-charge most likely will improve agreement between modeling and experiment.

Measuring Physical Properties of Neuronal and Glial Cells with Resonant Microsensors

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) resonant sensors provide a high degree of accuracy for measuring the physical properties of chemical and biological samples. These sensors enable the investigation of cellular mass and growth, though previous sensor designs have been limited to the study of homogeneous cell populations. Population heterogeneity, as is generally encountered in primary cultures, reduces measurement yield and limits the efficacy of sensor mass measurements. This paper presents a MEMS resonant pedestal sensor array fabricated over through-wafer pores compatible with vertical flow fields to increase measurement versatility (e.g., fluidic manipulation and throughput) and allow for the measurement of heterogeneous cell populations. Overall, the improved sensor increases capture by 100% at a flow rate of 2 μL/min, as characterized through microbead experiments, while maintaining measurement accuracy. Cell mass measurements of primary mouse hippocampal neurons in vitro, in the range of 0.1–0.9 ng, demonstrate the ability to investigate neuronal mass and changes in mass over time. Using an independent measurement of cell volume, we find cell density to be approximately 1.15 g/mL. PMID:24734874

Statistical Modeling of an Optically Trapped Cilium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flaherty, Justin; Resnick, Andrew

We explore, analytically and experimentally, the stochastic dynamics of a biologically significant slender microcantilever, the primary cilium, held within an optical trap. Primary cilia are cellular organelles, present on most vertebrate cells, hypothesized to function as a fluid flow sensor. The mechanical properties of a cilium remain incompletely characterized. Optical trapping is an ideal method to probe the mechanical response of a cilium due to the spatial localization and non-contact nature of the applied force. However, analysis of an optically trapped cilium is complicated both by the geometry of a cilium and boundary conditions. Here, we present experimentally measured mean-squared displacement data of trapped cilia where the trapping force is oppositely directed to the elastic restoring force of the ciliary axoneme, analytical modeling results deriving the mean-squared displacement of a trapped cilium using the Langevin approach, and apply our analytical results to the experimental data. We demonstrate that mechanical properties of the cilium can be accurately determined and efficiently extracted from the data using our model. It is hoped that improved measurements will result in deeper understanding of the biological function of cellular flow sensing by this organelle.

RELAP-7 Progress Report. FY-2015 Optimization Activities Summary

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Berry, Ray Alden; Zou, Ling; Andrs, David

2015-09-01

This report summarily documents the optimization activities on RELAP-7 for FY-2015. It includes the migration from the analytical stiffened gas equation of state for both the vapor and liquid phases to accurate and efficient property evaluations for both equilibrium and metastable (nonequilibrium) states using the Spline-Based Table Look-up (SBTL) method with the IAPWS-95 properties for steam and water. It also includes the initiation of realistic closure models based, where appropriate, on the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s TRACE code. It also describes an improved entropy viscosity numerical stabilization method for the nonequilibrium two-phase flow model of RELAP-7. For ease of presentationmore » to the reader, the nonequilibrium two-phase flow model used in RELAP-7 is briefly presented, though for detailed explanation the reader is referred to RELAP-7 Theory Manual [R.A. Berry, J.W. Peterson, H. Zhang, R.C. Martineau, H. Zhao, L. Zou, D. Andrs, “RELAP-7 Theory Manual,” Idaho National Laboratory INL/EXT-14-31366(rev. 1), February 2014].« less

NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS OF KELVIN–HELMHOLTZ INSTABILITY: A TWO-DIMENSIONAL PARAMETRIC STUDY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tian, Chunlin; Chen, Yao, E-mail: chunlin.tian@sdu.edu.cn

2016-06-10

Using two-dimensional simulations, we numerically explore the dependences of Kelvin–Helmholtz (KH) instability upon various physical parameters, including viscosity, the width of the sheared layer, flow speed, and magnetic field strength. In most cases, a multi-vortex phase exists between the initial growth phase and the final single-vortex phase. The parametric study shows that the evolutionary properties, such as phase duration and vortex dynamics, are generally sensitive to these parameters, except in certain regimes. An interesting result is that for supersonic flows, the phase durations and saturation of velocity growth approach constant values asymptotically as the sonic Mach number increases. We confirmmore » that the linear coupling between magnetic field and KH modes is negligible if the magnetic field is weak enough. The morphological behavior suggests that the multi-vortex coalescence might be driven by the underlying wave–wave interaction. Based on these results, we present a preliminary discussion of several events observed in the solar corona. The numerical models need to be further improved to perform a practical diagnostic of the coronal plasma properties.« less

Direct simulation of heat transfer in a turbulent swept flow over a wire in a channel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ranjan, Reetesh; Pantano, Carlos; Fischer, Paul; Siegel, Andrew

2009-11-01

We present results from direct numerical simulations of heat transfer (considered as a passive scalar) in a turbulent swept flow across a thin, cylindrical wire in a channel. This model mimics the flow through the wire-wrapped fuel pins typical of fast neutron reactor designs. Mean flow develops both along the wire and across the wire, leading to the formation of a turbulent cross-flow regime in the channel. This leads to improvement in heat transfer properties of the channel surface due to enhancement in mixing. The friction Reynolds number in the axial direction is approximately 305. Cross-flow friction Reynolds numbers ranging from 0 to 115 are examined. Two passive scalars at Prandtl number of 1.0 and 0.01 respectively, are simulated in this study. Constant flux boundary conditions are used along the walls of the channel and adiabatic conditions are used along the surface of the wire. The numerical method uses spectral elements in the plane perpendicular to the wire axis and Fourier decomposition in the direction of the axis of the wire. The simulations use up to 107 million collocation points and were performed at the Argonne Leadership BG/P supercomputer. The passive scalar field statistics are investigated, including mean scalar field, turbulence statistics and instantaneous surface scalar distribution.

Amphoteric Ion-Exchange Membranes with Significantly Improved Vanadium Barrier Properties for All-Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries.

PubMed

Nibel, Olga; Rojek, Tomasz; Schmidt, Thomas J; Gubler, Lorenz

2017-07-10

All-vanadium redox flow batteries (VRBs) have attracted considerable interest as promising energy-storage devices that can allow the efficient utilization of renewable energy sources. The membrane, which separates the porous electrodes in a redox flow cell, is one of the key components in VRBs. High rates of crossover of vanadium ions and water through the membrane impair the efficiency and capacity of a VRB. Thus, membranes with low permeation rate of vanadium species and water are required, also characterized by low resistance and stability in the VRB environment. Here, we present a new design concept for amphoteric ion-exchange membranes, based on radiation-induced grafting of vinylpyridine into an ethylene tetrafluoroethylene base film and a two-step functionalization to introduce cationic and anionic exchange sites, respectively. During long-term cycling, redox flow cells containing these membranes showed higher efficiency, less pronounced electrolyte imbalance, and significantly reduced capacity decay compared to the cells with the benchmark material Nafion 117. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

An Improved Simulation of the Diurnally Varying Street Canyon Flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yaghoobian, Neda; Kleissl, Jan; Paw U, Kyaw Tha

2012-11-01

The impact of diurnal variation of temperature distribution over building and ground surfaces on the wind flow and scalar transport in street canyons is numerically investigated using the PArallelized LES Model (PALM). The Temperature of Urban Facets Indoor-Outdoor Building Energy Simulator (TUF-IOBES) is used for predicting urban surface heat fluxes as boundary conditions for a modified version of PALM. TUF-IOBES dynamically simulates indoor and outdoor building surface temperatures and heat fluxes in an urban area taking into account weather conditions, indoor heat sources, building and urban material properties, composition of the building envelope (e.g. windows, insulation), and HVAC equipment. Temperature (and heat flux) distribution over urban surfaces of the 3-D raster-type geometry of TUF-IOBES makes it possible to provide realistic, high resolution boundary conditions for the numerical simulation of flow and scalar transport in an urban canopy. Compared to some previous analyses using uniformly distributed thermal forcing associated with urban surfaces, the present analysis shows that resolving non-uniform thermal forcings can provide more detailed and realistic patterns of the local air flow and pollutant dispersion in urban canyons.

Numerical investigation of air flow in a supersonic wind tunnel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drozdov, S. M.; Rtishcheva, A. S.

2017-11-01

In the framework of TsAGI’s supersonic wind tunnel modernization program aimed at improving flow quality and extending the range of test regimes it was required to design and numerically validate a new test section and a set of shaped nozzles: two flat nozzles with flow Mach number at nozzle exit M=4 and M=5 and two axisymmetric nozzles with M=5 and M=6. Geometric configuration of the nozzles, the test section (an Eiffel chamber) and the diffuser was chosen according to the results of preliminary calculations of two-dimensional air flow in the wind tunnel circuit. The most important part of the work are three-dimensional flow simulation results obtained using ANSYS Fluent software. The following flow properties were investigated: Mach number, total and static pressure, total and static temperature and turbulent viscosity ratio distribution, heat flux density at wind tunnel walls (for high-temperature flow regimes). It is demonstrated that flow perturbations emerging from the junction of the nozzle with the test section and spreading down the test section behind the boundaries of characteristic rhomb’s reverse wedge are nearly impossible to eliminate. Therefore, in order to perform tests under most uniform flow conditions, the model’s center of rotation and optical window axis should be placed as close to the center of the characteristic rhomb as possible. The obtained results became part of scientific and technical basis of supersonic wind tunnel design process and were applied to a generalized class of similar wind tunnels.

Fractional flow in fractured chalk; a flow and tracer test revisited.

PubMed

Odling, N E; West, L J; Hartmann, S; Kilpatrick, A

2013-04-01

A multi-borehole pumping and tracer test in fractured chalk is revisited and reinterpreted in the light of fractional flow. Pumping test data analyzed using a fractional flow model gives sub-spherical flow dimensions of 2.2-2.4 which are interpreted as due to the partially penetrating nature of the pumped borehole. The fractional flow model offers greater versatility than classical methods for interpreting pumping tests in fractured aquifers but its use has been hampered because the hydraulic parameters derived are hard to interpret. A method is developed to convert apparent transmissivity and storativity (L(4-n)/T and S(2-n)) to conventional transmissivity and storativity (L2/T and dimensionless) for the case where flow dimension, 2

Synthesis of silver-containing calcium aluminate particles and their effects on a MTA-based endodontic sealer.

PubMed

Almeida, Luiza Helena S; Moraes, Rafael R; Morgental, Renata D; Cava, Sérgio S; Rosa, Wellington Luiz O; Rodrigues, Patrícia; Ribeiro, Anderson S; Só, Marcus; Pappen, Fernanda G

2018-05-19

To synthetize calcium aluminate (C3A) and silver-containing C3A particles (C3A+Ag) testing their effects on the properties of a MTA-based endodontic sealer in comparison to an epoxy resin- and a calcium silicate-based sealer. Pure C3A and C3A+Ag particles were synthesized by a chemical method and characterized using XRD to identify crystalline phases. SEM/EDS analysis investigated morphology, particle size, and elemental composition of particles. Setting time, flow, radiopacity, water sorption and solubility of commercial and modified sealers were evaluated according to ISO 6876/2012. The pH and ions release were measured using a pHmeter and a microwave induced plasma optical emission spectrometer. The inhibition of biofilm growth was evaluated by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Data were rank transformed and analyzed by ANOVA and Tukey test (P<0.05). The C3A particles showed an irregular grain agglomerated structure with voids and pores. In C3A+Ag particles, Ag modified the material morphology, confirming the deposition of Ag. The physicochemical properties of the modified MTA-based sealer were similar to the commercial material, except for the significant increase in Ca +2 release. However, there was no Ag release. Setting time, flow, radiopacity, water sorption and solubility were adequate for all materials. All the materials showed alkaline pH. Antibiofilm effect was improved in the presence of C3A particles, while the biofilm inhibition was lower in the presence of Ag. The modified sealer presented improved antibiofilm properties and calcium release, without dramatic effects on the other characteristics. It is expected a positive effect in its antimicrobial behavior. Copyright © 2018 The Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Membrane-based lateral flow immunochromatographic strip with nanoparticles as reporters for detection: A review.

PubMed

Huang, Xiaolin; Aguilar, Zoraida P; Xu, Hengyi; Lai, Weihua; Xiong, Yonghua

2016-01-15

Membrane-based lateral flow immunochromatographic strip (LFICS) is widely used in various fields because of its simplicity, rapidity (detection within 10min), and low cost. However, early designs of membrane-based LFICS for preliminary screening only provide qualitative ("yes/no" signal) or semi-quantitative results without quantitative information. These designs often suffer from low-signal intensity and poor sensitivity and are only capable of single analyte detection, not simultaneous multiple detections. The performance of existing techniques used for detection using LFICS has been considerably improved by incorporating different kinds of nanoparticles (NPs) as reporters. NPs can serve as alternative labels and improve analytical sensitivity or limit of detection of LFICS because of their unique properties, such as optical absorption, fluorescence spectra, and magnetic properties. The controlled manipulation of NPs allows simultaneous or multiple detections by using membrane-based LFICS. In this review, we discuss how colored (e.g., colloidal gold, carbon, and colloidal selenium NPs), luminescent (e.g., quantum dots, up-converting phosphor NPs, and dye-doped NPs), and magnetic NPs are integrated into membrane-based LFICS for the detection of target analytes. Gold NPs are also featured because of their wide applications. Different types and unique properties of NPs are briefly explained. This review focuses on examples of NP-based LFICS to illustrate novel concepts in various devices with potential applications as screening tools. This review also highlights the superiority of NP-based approaches over existing conventional strategies for clinical analysis, food safety, and environmental monitoring. This paper is concluded by a short section on future research trends regarding NP-based LFICS. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Post-wildfire landscape change and erosional processes from repeat terrestrial lidar in a steep headwater catchment, Chiricahua Mountains, Arizona, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeLong, Stephen B.; Youberg, Ann M.; DeLong, Whitney M.; Murphy, Brendan P.

2018-01-01

Flooding and erosion after wildfires present increasing hazard as climate warms, semi-arid lands become drier, population increases, and the urban interface encroaches farther into wildlands. We quantify post-wildfire erosion in a steep, initially unchannelized, 7.5 ha headwater catchment following the 2011 Horseshoe 2 Fire in the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona. Using time-lapse cameras, rain gauges, and repeat surveys by terrestrial laser scanner, we quantify the response of a burned landscape to subsequent precipitation events. Repeat surveys provide detailed pre-and post-rainfall measurements of landscape form associated with a range of weather events. The first post-fire precipitation led to sediment delivery equivalent to 0.017 m of erosion from hillslopes and 0.12 m of erosion from colluvial hollows. Volumetrically, 69% of sediment yield was generated from hillslope erosion and 31% was generated from gully channel establishment in colluvial hollows. Processes on hillslopes included erosion by extensive shallow overland flow, formation of rills and gullies, and generation of sediment-laden flows and possibly debris flows. Subsequent smaller rain events caused ongoing hillslope erosion and local deposition and erosion in gullies. Winter freeze-thaw led to soil expansion, likely related to frost-heaving, causing a net centimeter-scale elevation increase across soil-mantled slopes. By characterizing landscape form, the properties of near-surface materials, and measuring both precipitation and landscape change, we can improve our empirical understanding of landscape response to environmental forcing. This detailed approach to studying landscape response to wildfires may be useful in the improvement of predictive models of flood, debris flow and sedimentation hazards used in post-wildfire response assessments and land management, and may help improve process-based models of landscape evolution.

Post-wildfire landscape change and erosional processes from repeat terrestrial lidar in a steep headwater catchment, Chiricahua Mountains, Arizona, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

DeLong, Stephen B.; Youberg, Ann M.; DeLong, Whitney M.; Murphy, Brendan P.

2018-01-01

Flooding and erosion after wildfires present increasing hazard as climate warms, semi-arid lands become drier, population increases, and the urban interface encroaches farther into wildlands. We quantify post-wildfire erosion in a steep, initially unchannelized, 7.5 ha headwater catchment following the 2011 Horseshoe 2 Fire in the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona. Using time-lapse cameras, rain gauges, and repeat surveys by terrestrial laser scanner, we quantify the response of a burned landscape to subsequent precipitation events. Repeat surveys provide detailed pre-and post-rainfall measurements of landscape form associated with a range of weather events. The first post-fire precipitation led to sediment delivery equivalent to 0.017 m of erosion from hillslopes and 0.12 m of erosion from colluvial hollows. Volumetrically, 69% of sediment yield was generated from hillslope erosion and 31% was generated from gully channel establishment in colluvial hollows. Processes on hillslopes included erosion by extensive shallow overland flow, formation of rills and gullies, and generation of sediment-laden flows and possibly debris flows. Subsequent smaller rain events caused ongoing hillslope erosion and local deposition and erosion in gullies. Winter freeze-thaw led to soil expansion, likely related to frost-heaving, causing a net centimeter-scale elevation increase across soil-mantled slopes. By characterizing landscape form, the properties of near-surface materials, and measuring both precipitation and landscape change, we can improve our empirical understanding of landscape response to environmental forcing. This detailed approach to studying landscape response to wildfires may be useful in the improvement of predictive models of flood, debris flow and sedimentation hazards used in post-wildfire response assessments and land management, and may help improve process-based models of landscape evolution.

Modification of the crystal habit of celecoxib for improved processability.

PubMed

Banga, Sheere; Chawla, Garima; Varandani, Deepak; Mehta, B R; Bansal, Arvind K

2007-01-01

Crystallization is often used in the pharmaceutical industry for purification and isolation of drugs, and also as a means of generating polymorphs or isomorphs. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of extrinsic crystallization parameters on the crystallized product, with special emphasis on improving the mechanical properties of acicular celecoxib. Celecoxib isomorphs were prepared using different techniques (solvent crystallization and vapour diffusion) and crystallization conditions (solvents, stirring, degree of supersaturation, crystallization temperature and seeding). Powder X-ray diffractometry, spectroscopic and thermal methods were used to investigate physical characteristics of crystals. Growth kinetics and aggregation dynamics of crystallization in polar and non-polar solvents were simulated using a dynamic light scattering method. The quick appearance of broad peaks over the range of 10-8000 nm in chloroform during crystallization simulation studies indicated faster aggregation in non-polar solvents. Aspect ratio, flow, compressibility and surface area of recrystallized products were also determined. Surface topography was determined by atomic force microscopy and the lath-shaped crystals (aspect ratio of 2-4) exhibited a roughness index of 1.79 in comparison with 2.92 for needles. Overall, the lath-shaped isomorphs exhibited improved flow and better compressibility.

Adaptive fuzzy PID control of hydraulic servo control system for large axial flow compressor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yannian; Wu, Peizhi; Liu, Chengtao

2017-09-01

To improve the stability of the large axial compressor, an efficient and special intelligent hydraulic servo control system is designed and implemented. The adaptive fuzzy PID control algorithm is used to control the position of the hydraulic servo cylinder steadily, which overcomes the drawback that the PID parameters should be adjusted based on the different applications. The simulation and the test results show that the system has a better dynamic property and a stable state performance.

Analysis of the flow in a 1-MJ electric-arc shock tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reller, J. O., Jr.; Reddy, N. M.

1972-01-01

In the electric-arc-heated shock tunnel, the facility performance over a range of shock Mach numbers from 7 to 19 was evaluated. The efficiency of the arc-heated driver is deduced using an improved form of the shock tube equation. A theoretical and experimental analysis is made of the tailored-interface condition. The free stream properties in the test section, with nitrogen as the test gas, are evaluated using a method based on stagnation point, heat transfer measurements.

An experimental investigation on the subcritical instability in plane Poieseuille flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nishioka, T.; Honda, S.; Kamibayashi, S.

1981-01-01

The relationship between the three dimensional properties of the fundamental flow of a plane Poieseuille flow and subcritical stability was studied. An S-T wave was introduced into the flow and the three dimensional development of the wave observed. Results indicate that: (1) the T-S wave has three dimensional properties which are synchronous with the fundamental flow, but there is damping at microamplitude; (2) when the amplitude reaches a certain threshold, subcritical instability and peak valley bifurcation occur simultaneously and a peak valley structure is formed; (3) this threshold depends to a great extent on the frequency; and (4) after the peak valley bifurcation there is a transition to a turbulent flow by the process of laminar flow collapse identical to that in Blasius flow.

On-site detection of stacked genetically modified soybean based on event-specific TM-LAMP and a DNAzyme-lateral flow biosensor.

PubMed

Cheng, Nan; Shang, Ying; Xu, Yuancong; Zhang, Li; Luo, Yunbo; Huang, Kunlun; Xu, Wentao

2017-05-15

Stacked genetically modified organisms (GMO) are becoming popular for their enhanced production efficiency and improved functional properties, and on-site detection of stacked GMO is an urgent challenge to be solved. In this study, we developed a cascade system combining event-specific tag-labeled multiplex LAMP with a DNAzyme-lateral flow biosensor for reliable detection of stacked events (DP305423× GTS 40-3-2). Three primer sets, both event-specific and soybean species-specific, were newly designed for the tag-labeled multiplex LAMP system. A trident-like lateral flow biosensor displayed amplified products simultaneously without cross contamination, and DNAzyme enhancement improved the sensitivity effectively. After optimization, the limit of detection was approximately 0.1% (w/w) for stacked GM soybean, which is sensitive enough to detect genetically modified content up to a threshold value established by several countries for regulatory compliance. The entire detection process could be shortened to 120min without any large-scale instrumentation. This method may be useful for the in-field detection of DP305423× GTS 40-3-2 soybean on a single kernel basis and on-site screening tests of stacked GM soybean lines and individual parent GM soybean lines in highly processed foods. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Flow, packing and compaction properties of novel coprocessed multifunctional directly compressible excipients prepared from tapioca starch and mannitol.

PubMed

Adeoye, Oluwatomide; Alebiowu, Gbenga

2014-12-01

Novel multifunctional excipients were prepared by coprocessing tapioca starch with mannitol using two methods viz; co-grinding and co-fusion. The flow, packing and compaction properties of the native and novel excipients were evaluated by using density, Hausner's ratio, angle of repose, the maximum volume reduction, consolidation index, the rate of consolidation, angle of internal friction, morphological properties, Heckel analysis, tensile strength and dilution potential as evaluation parameters. The study revealed that the method of coprocessing, particle size and particle shape influenced the properties of the resulting novel excipients. Co-grinding was less effective than co-fusion in the preparation of excipients with enhanced properties. The study concluded that coprocessing tapioca starch and mannitol will enhance the flow, packing and compaction properties of the novel excipient and that the co-fusion method of coprocessing would produce novel excipients with enhanced direct compression potential compared to the co-grinding method.

Rheological Principles for Food Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daubert, Christopher R.; Foegeding, E. Allen

Food scientists are routinely confronted with the need to measure physical properties related to sensory texture and processing needs. These properties are determined by rheological methods, where rheology is a science devoted to the deformation and flow of all materials. Rheological properties should be considered a subset of the textural properties of foods, because the sensory detection of texture encompasses factors beyond rheological properties. Specifically, rheological methods accurately measure "force," "deformation," and "flow," and food scientists and engineers must determine how best to apply this information. For example, the flow of salad dressing from a bottle, the snapping of a candy bar, or the pumping of cream through a homogenizer are each related to the rheological properties of these materials. In this chapter, we describe fundamental concepts pertinent to the understanding of the subject and discuss typical examples of rheological tests for common foods. A glossary is included as Sect. 30.6 to clarify and summarize rheological definitions throughout the chapter.

Improvement of the Mechanical Properties of 1022 Carbon Steel Coil by Using the Taguchi Method to Optimize Spheroidized Annealing Conditions.

PubMed

Yang, Chih-Cheng; Liu, Chang-Lun

2016-08-12

Cold forging is often applied in the fastener industry. Wires in coil form are used as semi-finished products for the production of billets. This process usually requires preliminarily drawing wire coil in order to reduce the diameter of products. The wire usually has to be annealed to improve its cold formability. The quality of spheroidizing annealed wire affects the forming quality of screws. In the fastener industry, most companies use a subcritical process for spheroidized annealing. Various parameters affect the spheroidized annealing quality of steel wire, such as the spheroidized annealing temperature, prolonged heating time, furnace cooling time and flow rate of nitrogen (protective atmosphere). The effects of the spheroidized annealing parameters affect the quality characteristics of steel wire, such as the tensile strength and hardness. A series of experimental tests on AISI 1022 low carbon steel wire are carried out and the Taguchi method is used to obtain optimum spheroidized annealing conditions to improve the mechanical properties of steel wires for cold forming. The results show that the spheroidized annealing temperature and prolonged heating time have the greatest effect on the mechanical properties of steel wires. A comparison between the results obtained using the optimum spheroidizing conditions and the measures using the original settings shows the new spheroidizing parameter settings effectively improve the performance measures over their value at the original settings. The results presented in this paper could be used as a reference for wire manufacturers.

Standing shocks in magnetized dissipative accretion flow around black holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarkar, Biplob; Das, Santabrata

2018-02-01

We explore the global structure of the accretion flow around a Schwarzschild black hole where the accretion disc is threaded by toroidal magnetic fields. The accretion flow is optically thin and advection dominated. The synchrotron radiation is considered to be the active cooling mechanism in the flow. With this, we obtain the global transonic accretion solutions and show that centrifugal barrier in the rotating magnetized accretion flow causes a discontinuous transition of the flow variables in the form of shock waves. The shock properties and the dynamics of the post-shock corona are affected by the flow parameters such as viscosity, cooling rate and strength of the magnetic fields. The shock properties are investigated against these flow parameters. We further show that for a given set of boundary parameters at the outer edge of the disc, accretion flow around a black hole admits shock when the flow parameters are tuned for a considerable range.

Improved CORF model of simple cell combined with non-classical receptive field and its application on edge detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Xiao; Chai, Guobei; Liu, Wei; Bao, Wenzhuo; Zhao, Xiaoning; Ming, Delie

2018-02-01

Simple cells in primary visual cortex are believed to extract local edge information from a visual scene. In this paper, inspired by different receptive field properties and visual information flow paths of neurons, an improved Combination of Receptive Fields (CORF) model combined with non-classical receptive fields was proposed to simulate the responses of simple cell's receptive fields. Compared to the classical model, the proposed model is able to better imitate simple cell's physiologic structure with consideration of facilitation and suppression of non-classical receptive fields. And on this base, an edge detection algorithm as an application of the improved CORF model was proposed. Experimental results validate the robustness of the proposed algorithm to noise and background interference.

A Protocol for Electrochemical Evaluations and State of Charge Diagnostics of a Symmetric Organic Redox Flow Battery.

PubMed

Duan, Wentao; Vemuri, Rama S; Hu, Dehong; Yang, Zheng; Wei, Xiaoliang

2017-02-13

Redox flow batteries have been considered as one of the most promising stationary energy storage solutions for improving the reliability of the power grid and deployment of renewable energy technologies. Among the many flow battery chemistries, non-aqueous flow batteries have the potential to achieve high energy density because of the broad voltage windows of non-aqueous electrolytes. However, significant technical hurdles exist currently limiting non-aqueous flow batteries to demonstrate their full potential, such as low redox concentrations, low operating currents, under-explored battery status monitoring, etc. In an attempt to address these limitations, we recently reported a non-aqueous flow battery based on a highly soluble, redox-active organic nitronyl nitroxide radical compound, 2-phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide (PTIO). This redox material exhibits an ambipolar electrochemical property, and therefore can serve as both anolyte and catholyte redox materials to form a symmetric flow battery chemistry. Moreover, we demonstrated that Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy could measure the PTIO concentrations during the PTIO flow battery cycling and offer reasonably accurate detection of the battery state of charge (SOC), as cross-validated by electron spin resonance (ESR) measurements. Herein we present a video protocol for the electrochemical evaluation and SOC diagnosis of the PTIO symmetric flow battery. With a detailed description, we experimentally demonstrated the route to achieve such purposes. This protocol aims to spark more interests and insights on the safety and reliability in the field of non-aqueous redox flow batteries.

Application of ERT, Saline Tracer and Numerical Studies to Delineate Preferential Paths in Fractured Granites.

PubMed

Sreeparvathy, Vijay; Kambhammettu, B V N P; Peddinti, Srinivasa Rao; Sarada, P S L

2018-03-22

Accurate quantification of in situ heterogeneity and flow processes through fractured geologic media remains elusive for hydrogeologists due to the complexity in fracture characterization and its multiscale behavior. In this research, we demonstrated the efficacy of tracer-electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) experiments combined with numerical simulations to characterize heterogeneity and delineate preferential flow paths in a fractured granite aquifer. A series of natural gradient saline tracer experiments were conducted from a depth window of 18 to 22 m in an injection well (IW) located inside the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad campus. Tracer migration was monitored in a time-lapse mode using two cross-sectional surface ERT profiles placed in the direction of flow gradient. ERT data quality was improved by considering stacking, reciprocal measurements, resolution indicators, and geophysical logs. Dynamic changes in subsurface electrical properties inferred via resistivity anomalies were used to highlight preferential flow paths of the study area. Temporal changes in electrical resistivity and tracer concentration were monitored along the vertical in an observation well located at 48 m to the east of the IW. ERT-derived tracer breakthrough curves were in agreement with geochemical sample measurements. Fracture geometry and hydraulic properties derived from ERT and pumping tests were further used to evaluate two mathematical conceptualizations that are relevant to fractured aquifers. Results of numerical analysis conclude that dual continuum model that combines matrix and fracture systems through a flow exchange term has outperformed equivalent continuum model in reproducing tracer concentrations at the monitoring wells (evident by a decrease in RMSE from 199 to 65 mg/L). A sensitivity analysis on model simulations conclude that spatial variability in hydraulic conductivity, local-scale dispersion, and flow exchange at fracture-matrix interface have a profound effect on model simulations. © 2018, National Ground Water Association.

A Novel Multi-Scale Domain Overlapping CFD/STH Coupling Methodology for Multi-Dimensional Flows Relevant to Nuclear Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grunloh, Timothy P.

The objective of this dissertation is to develop a 3-D domain-overlapping coupling method that leverages the superior flow field resolution of the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code STAR-CCM+ and the fast execution of the System Thermal Hydraulic (STH) code TRACE to efficiently and accurately model thermal hydraulic transport properties in nuclear power plants under complex conditions of regulatory and economic importance. The primary contribution is the novel Stabilized Inertial Domain Overlapping (SIDO) coupling method, which allows for on-the-fly correction of TRACE solutions for local pressures and velocity profiles inside multi-dimensional regions based on the results of the CFD simulation. The method is found to outperform the more frequently-used domain decomposition coupling methods. An STH code such as TRACE is designed to simulate large, diverse component networks, requiring simplifications to the fluid flow equations for reasonable execution times. Empirical correlations are therefore required for many sub-grid processes. The coarse grids used by TRACE diminish sensitivity to small scale geometric details such as Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) internals. A CFD code such as STAR-CCM+ uses much finer computational meshes that are sensitive to the geometric details of reactor internals. In turbulent flows, it is infeasible to fully resolve the flow solution, but the correlations used to model turbulence are at a low level. The CFD code can therefore resolve smaller scale flow processes. The development of a 3-D coupling method was carried out with the intention of improving predictive capabilities of transport properties in the downcomer and lower plenum regions of an RPV in reactor safety calculations. These regions are responsible for the multi-dimensional mixing effects that determine the distribution at the core inlet of quantities with reactivity implications, such as fluid temperature and dissolved neutron absorber concentration.

Study of Heat Transfer Characteristics of Nanofluids in an Automotive Radiator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harsh, R.; Srivastav, Hitish; Balakrishnan, Prabhat; Saini, Vivek; Senthil Kumar, D.; Rajni, K. S.; Thirumalini, S.

2018-02-01

This paper presents an experimental study on heat transfer using nanofluid as coolants in engines. Previous studies shows that Al2O3 is found to be more effective in heat transfer due to its high conductive property which is found to increase with concentration. Particles having diameter in the range 10-3 to 10-6 m have low thermal conductivities and cause clogging in the flow section along with significant friction and are highly unstable in solution. Nanoparticles on the other hand are easily dispersed and cause minimal clogging or friction in the flow. In the present work, ethylene glycol-water solution is taken as a base fluid for nanoparticle dispersion. The ratio of water to ethylene glycol used is 80:20 and it has been noted out that heat conduction improved with increasing fraction of ethylene glycol. The experiments were conducted with flow rate of 4,5,6 and 7 L/min and the air flow rate inside the duct was kept constant at 4.9 m/s. The temperature of water in the reservoir is kept at 70°C. The nanoparticles used in this experiment are Cu and TiO2 having particle size less than 80nm. Result shows that there is an improvement of 24.5% in the overall heat transfer coefficient and there was also an increase of 13.9% in the heat transfer rate compared to the base fluid (80:20 Water: EG solution).

Efficient simulation of press hardening process through integrated structural and CFD analyses

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Palaniswamy, Hariharasudhan; Mondalek, Pamela; Wronski, Maciek

Press hardened steel parts are being increasingly used in automotive structures for their higher strength to meet safety standards while reducing vehicle weight to improve fuel consumption. However, manufacturing of sheet metal parts by press hardening process to achieve desired properties is extremely challenging as it involves complex interaction of plastic deformation, metallurgical change, thermal distribution, and fluid flow. Numerical simulation is critical for successful design of the process and to understand the interaction among the numerous process parameters to control the press hardening process in order to consistently achieve desired part properties. Until now there has been no integratedmore » commercial software solution that can efficiently model the complete process from forming of the blank, heat transfer between the blank and tool, microstructure evolution in the blank, heat loss from tool to the fluid that flows through water channels in the tools. In this study, a numerical solution based on Altair HyperWorks® product suite involving RADIOSS®, a non-linear finite element based structural analysis solver and AcuSolve®, an incompressible fluid flow solver based on Galerkin Least Square Finite Element Method have been utilized to develop an efficient solution for complete press hardening process design and analysis. RADIOSS is used to handle the plastic deformation, heat transfer between the blank and tool, and microstructure evolution in the blank during cooling. While AcuSolve is used to efficiently model heat loss from tool to the fluid that flows through water channels in the tools. The approach is demonstrated through some case studies.« less

Application of waste bulk moulded composite (BMC) as a filler for isotactic polypropylene composites.

PubMed

Barczewski, Mateusz; Matykiewicz, Danuta; Andrzejewski, Jacek; Skórczewska, Katarzyna

2016-05-01

The aim of this study was to produce isotactic polypropylene based composites filled with waste thermosetting bulk moulded composite (BMC). The influence of BMC waste addition (5, 10, 20 wt%) on composites structure and properties was investigated. Moreover, additional studies of chemical treatment of the filler were prepared. Modification of BMC waste by calcium stearate (CaSt) powder allows to assess the possibility of the production of composites with better dispersion of the filler and more uniform properties. The mechanical, processing, and thermal properties, as well as structural investigations were examined by means of static tensile test, Dynstat impact strength test, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), melt flow index (MFI) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Developed composites with different amounts of non-reactive filler exhibited satisfactory thermal and mechanical properties. Moreover, application of the low cost modifier (CaSt) allows to obtain composites with better dispersion of the filler and improved processability.

Application of waste bulk moulded composite (BMC) as a filler for isotactic polypropylene composites

PubMed Central

Barczewski, Mateusz; Matykiewicz, Danuta; Andrzejewski, Jacek; Skórczewska, Katarzyna

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to produce isotactic polypropylene based composites filled with waste thermosetting bulk moulded composite (BMC). The influence of BMC waste addition (5, 10, 20 wt%) on composites structure and properties was investigated. Moreover, additional studies of chemical treatment of the filler were prepared. Modification of BMC waste by calcium stearate (CaSt) powder allows to assess the possibility of the production of composites with better dispersion of the filler and more uniform properties. The mechanical, processing, and thermal properties, as well as structural investigations were examined by means of static tensile test, Dynstat impact strength test, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), melt flow index (MFI) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Developed composites with different amounts of non-reactive filler exhibited satisfactory thermal and mechanical properties. Moreover, application of the low cost modifier (CaSt) allows to obtain composites with better dispersion of the filler and improved processability. PMID:27222742

Amphiphilic block copolymer membrane for vanadium redox flow battery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Fei; Sylvia, James M.; Jacob, Monsy M.; Peramunage, Dharmasena

2013-11-01

An amphiphilic block copolymer comprised of hydrophobic polyaryletherketone (PAEK) and hydrophilic sulfonated polyaryletherketone (SPAEK) blocks has been synthesized and characterized. A membrane prepared from the block copolymer is used as the separator in a single cell vanadium redox flow battery (VRB). The proton conductivity, mechanical property, VO2+ permeability and single VRB cell performance of this block copolymer membrane are investigated and compared to Nafion™ 117. The block copolymer membrane showed significantly improved vanadium ion selectivity, higher mechanical strength and lower conductivity than Nafion™ 117. The VRB containing the block copolymer membrane exhibits higher coulombic efficiency and similar energy efficiency compared to a VRB using Nafion™ 117. The better vanadium ion selectivity of the block copolymer membrane has led to a much smaller capacity loss during 50 charge-discharge cycles for the VRB.

High-density fuel effects. Final report, September 1985-April 1988

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rizk, N.K.; Oechsie, V.L.; Ross, P.T.

1988-08-18

The purpose of this program was to determine, by combustor rig tests and data evaluation, the effects of the high-density fuel properties on the performance and durability of the Allison T56-A-15 combustion system. Four high-density fuels in addition to baseline JP4 were evaluated in the effort. The rig-test program included: nozzle-flow bench testing, aerothermal performance and wall temperature, flame stability and ignition, injector coking and plugging, and flow-transient effect. The data-evaluation effort involved the utilization of empirical correlations in addition to analytical multidimensional tools to analyze the performance of the combustor. The modifications required to optimize the performance with high-densitymore » fuels were suggested and the expected improvement in performance was evaluated.« less

Review of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) researches on nano fluid flow through micro channel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dewangan, Satish Kumar

2018-05-01

Nanofluid is becoming a promising heat transfer fluids due to its improved thermo-physical properties and heat transfer performance. Micro channel heat transfer has potential application in the cooling high power density microchips in CPU system, micro power systems and many such miniature thermal systems which need advanced cooling capacity. Use of nanofluids enhances the effectiveness of t=scu systems. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a very powerful tool in computational analysis of the various physical processes. It application to the situations of flow and heat transfer analysis of the nano fluids is catching up very fast. Present research paper gives a brief account of the methodology of the CFD and also summarizes its application on nano fluid and heat transfer for microchannel cases.

Effect of gas flow ratio on the microstructure and mechanical properties of boron phosphide films prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Z. C.; Zhu, J. Q.; Jiang, C. Z.; Shen, W. X.; Han, J. C.; Chen, R. R.

2011-10-01

Boron phosphide films were grown on silicon substrate by radio frequency reactive magnetron sputtering using boron target and hydrogen phosphine at different gas flow ratios (PH 3/Ar) at lower temperature. The chemical composition, microstructure and mechanical properties were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectrum, FTIR spectrum, surface profilometer and nano-indenter. The results indicate that the atomic ratio (P/B) rises from 1.06 up to 1.52 with the gas flow ratio increasing from 3/50 to 15/50. Simultaneously, the hardness and Young's modulus decrease from 25.4 GPa to 22.5 GPa, and 250.4 GPa to 238.4 GPa, respectively. Microstructure transforms from microcrystalline state to amorphous state along with the gas flow ratio increasing. Furthermore higher gas flow ratio leads to lower stress. The BP film prepared at the gas flow ratio of 3/50 can be contributed with the best properties.

Multimodel Simulation of Water Flow: Uncertainty Analysis

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Simulations of soil water flow require measurements of soil hydraulic properties which are particularly difficult at the field scale. Laboratory measurements provide hydraulic properties at scales finer than the field scale, whereas pedotransfer functions (PTFs) integrate information on hydraulic pr...

Characterization of Fluorescent Polystyrene Microspheres for Advanced Flow Diagnostics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maisto, Pietro M. F.; Lowe, K. Todd; Byun, Guibo; Simpson, Roger; Vercamp, Max; Danley, Jason E.; Koh, Brian; Tiemsin, Pacita; Danehy, Paul M.; Wohl, Christopher J.

2013-01-01

Fluorescent dye-doped polystyrene latex microspheres (PSLs) are being developed for velocimetry and scalar measurements in variable property flows. Two organic dyes, Rhodamine B (RhB) and dichlorofluorescence (DCF), are examined to assess laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) properties for flow imaging applications and single-shot temperature measurements. A major interest in the current research is the application of safe dyes, thus DCF is of particular interest, while RhB is used as a benchmark. Success is demonstrated for single-point laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV) and also imaging fluorescence, excited via a continuous wave 2 W laser beam, for exposures down to 10 ms. In contrast, when exciting with a pulsed Nd:YAG laser at 200 mJ/pulse, no fluorescence was detected, even when integrating tens of pulses. We show that this is due to saturation of the LIF signal at relatively low excitation intensities, 4-5 orders of magnitude lower than the pulsed laser intensity. A two-band LIF technique is applied in a heated jet, indicating that the technique effectively removes interfering inputs such as particle diameter variation. Temperature measurement uncertainties are estimated based upon the variance measured for the two-band LIF intensity ratio and the achievable dye temperature sensitivity, indicating that particles developed to date may provide about +/-12.5 C precision, while future improvements in dye temperature sensitivity and signal quality may enable single-shot temperature measurements with sub-degree precision.

Visible-Light Upconversion Carbon Quantum Dots Decorated TiO2 for the Photodegradation of Flowing Gaseous Acetaldehyde

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Yidan; Xie, Xiaofeng; Wang, Xiao; Wang, Yan; Zeng, Yi; Pui, David Y. H.; Sun, Jing

2018-05-01

Carbon-modified photocatalyst has attracted extensive attentions in the field of gaseous pollutant removal, mainly due to the improved adsorption properties and electronic transport of carbon matrix, such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, and fullerene, etc. In this work, carbon quantum dots (CQDs) were employed to enhance the photocatalytic performance of TiO2-based composites for flowing gaseous acetaldehyde removal. Besides the aforementioned advantages of carbon materials, the unique up-converted photoluminescence property of CQDs is capable of extending the optical absorption to visible-light range. Moreover, the electron spin resonance (ESR) results firstly verified a stable existence of Ti3+ defect in the CQDs/TiO2 composite, which is possibly induced by the electron migration from CQDs to TiO2. And the formed Ti3+ donor energy level in the band gap could further help with the visible-light harvesting. During the photodegradation experiments, with two-hour continuous flowing gaseous acetaldehyde injection (500 ppm, 20 sccm), the CQDs/TiO2 composite remained 99% removal efficiency under fluorescent lamp irradiation (λ > 380 nm). The optimized CQDs content was obtained as 3 wt%, and the underlying mechanism was further analyzed by temperature programmed desorption (TPD) methods. This work will push forward the air purification researches by providing new insights of CQDs sensitized photocatalyst.

Aerothermodynamic properties of stretched flames in enclosures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rotman, D. A.; Oppenheim, A. K.

Flames are stretched by being pulled along their frontal surface by the flow field in which they reside. Their trajectories tend to approach particle paths, acquiring eventually the role of contact boundaries, -interfaces between the burnt and unburnt medium that may broaden solely as a consequence of diffusion. Fundamental properties of flow fields governing such flames are determined here on the basis of the zero Mach number model, providng a rational method of approach to the computational analysis of combustion fields in enclosures where, besides the aerodynamic properties flow, the thermodynamic process of compression must be taken into account. To illustrate its application, the method is used to reveal the mechanism of formation of a tulip-shape flame in a rectangular enclosure under nonturbulent flow conditions.

Preliminary study of the effect of the turbulent flow field around complex surfaces on their acoustic characteristics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Olsen, W. A.; Boldman, D.

1978-01-01

Fundamental theories for noise generated by flow over surfaces exist for only a few simple configurations. The role of turbulence in noise generation by complex surfaces should be essentially the same as for simple configurations. Examination of simple-surface theories indicates that the spatial distributions of the mean velocity and turbulence properties are sufficient to define the noise emission. Measurements of these flow properties were made for a number of simple and complex surfaces. The configurations were selected because of their acoustic characteristics are quite different. The spatial distribution of the turbulent flow properties around the complex surfaces and approximate theory are used to locate and describe the noise sources, and to qualitatively explain the varied acoustic characteristics.

Sensing Structures Inspired by Blind Cave Fish

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McConney, Michael E.; Chen, Nannan; Lu, David; Anderson, Kyle D.; Hu, Huan; Liu, Chang; Tsukruk, Vladimir V.

2009-03-01

Blind cave fish, with degenerated non-functioning eyes, have evolved to ``see'' their hydrodynamic environment by using the flow receptors of the lateral line system. The hair-cell receptors are encapsulated in a hydrogel-like material, called a cupula, which increases the sensitivity of the hair-cell receptors by coupling their motion to the surrounding flowing media. We characterized the viscoelastic properties and of blind cave fish cupulae by using colloidal-probe spectroscopy in fluid. A photo-patternable hydrogel with similar properties was developed to mimic the fish receptor coupling structure. Flow-based measurements indicated that the hydrogels enhance drag through increased surface area, but also inherent material properties. These bio-inspired structures endowed micro-fabricated flow sensors with sensitivities rivaling that of fish.

Characterization of Mechanical Properties of Microbial Biofilms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Callison, Elizabeth; Gose, James; Perlin, Marc; Ceccio, Steven

2017-11-01

The physical properties of microbial biofilms grown subject to shear flows determine the form and mechanical characteristics of the biofilm structure, and consequently, the turbulent interactions over and through the biofilm. These biofilms - sometimes referred to as slime - are comprised of microbial cells and extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) matrices that surround the multicellular communities. Some of the EPSs take the form of streamers that tend to oscillate in flows, causing increased turbulent mixing and drag. As the presence of EPS governs the compliance and overall stability of the filamentous streamers, investigation of the mechanical properties of biofilms may also inform efforts to understand hydrodynamic performance of fouled systems. In this study, a mixture of four diatom genera was grown under turbulent shear flow on test panels. The mechanical properties and hydrodynamic performance of the biofilm were investigated using rheology and turbulent flow studies in the Skin-Friction Flow Facility at the University of Michigan. The diatoms in the mixture of algae were identified, and the elastic and viscous moduli were determined from small-amplitude oscillations, while a creep test was used to evaluate the biofilm compliance.

Absorption Filter Based Optical Diagnostics in High Speed Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Samimy, Mo; Elliott, Gregory; Arnette, Stephen

1996-01-01

Two major regimes where laser light scattered by molecules or particles in a flow contains significant information about the flow are Mie scattering and Rayleigh scattering. Mie scattering is used to obtain only velocity information, while Rayleigh scattering can be used to measure both the velocity and the thermodynamic properties of the flow. Now, recently introduced (1990, 1991) absorption filter based diagnostic techniques have started a new era in flow visualization, simultaneous velocity and thermodynamic measurements, and planar velocity measurements. Using a filtered planar velocimetry (FPV) technique, we have modified the optically thick iodine filter profile of Miles, et al., and used it in the pressure-broaden regime which accommodates measurements in a wide range of velocity applications. Measuring velocity and thermodynamic properties simultaneously, using absorption filtered based Rayleigh scattering, involves not only the measurement of the Doppler shift, but also the spectral profile of the Rayleigh scattering signal. Using multiple observation angles, simultaneous measurement of one component velocity and thermodynamic properties in a supersonic jet were measured. Presently, the technique is being extended for simultaneous measurements of all three components of velocity and thermodynamic properties.

Current problems in the dynamics and design of mechanisms and machines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kestel'Man, V. N.

The papers contained in this volume deal with possible ways of improving the dynamic and structural properties of machines and mechanisms and also with problems associated with the design of aircraft equipment. Topics discussed include estimation of the stressed state of a model of an orbital film structure, a study of the operation of an aerodynamic angle transducer in flow of a hot gas, calculation of the efficiency of aircraft gear drives, and dynamic accuracy of a controlled manipulator. Papers are also presented on optimal synthesis of mechanical systems with variable properties, synthesis of mechanisms using initial kinematic chains, and using shape memory materials in the design of machines and mechanisms. (For individual items see A93-31202 to A93-31214)

The effect of epoxidized soybean oil on mechanical and rheological properties of poly(butylene succinate)/lignin via vane extruder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Huanyu; Huang, Zhaoxia; Qu, Jinping; Meng, Cong

2016-03-01

Epoxidized Soybean Oil (ESO) have been used as the compatilizer in the Poly (butylene succinate)/lignin (PBS/lignin) composites. Compatibilized composites were fabricated by a novel vane extruder (VE) which can generate global and dynamic elongational flow. The effects of ESO on the mechanical, rheological properties and morphology of PBS/lignin were studied. The results indicated that the use of ESO had plasticizing effect on the matrix PBS while the addition reduced tensile strength. From SEM micrographs it could be clearly observed that there was a better interfacial adhesion between lignin and matrix. Meanwhile, rheological tests showed the incorporation of ESO improved its Newtonian behavior and can enhance PBS's flexibility.

Optimization Design of Bipolar Plate Flow Field in PEM Stack

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wen, Ming; He, Kanghao; Li, Peilong; Yang, Lei; Deng, Li; Jiang, Fei; Yao, Yong

2017-12-01

A new design of bipolar plate flow field in proton exchange membrane (PEM) stack was presented to develop a high-performance transfer efficiency of the two-phase flow. Two different flow fields were studied by using numerical simulations and the performance of the flow fields was presented. the hydrodynamic properties include pressure gap between inlet and outlet, the Reynold’s number of the two types were compared based on the Navier-Stokes equations. Computer aided optimization software was implemented in the design of experiments of the preferable flow field. The design of experiments (DOE) for the favorable concept was carried out to study the hydrodynamic properties when changing the design parameters of the bipolar plate.

Fostering triacylglycerol accumulation in novel oleaginous yeast Cryptococcus psychrotolerans IITRFD utilizing groundnut shell for improved biodiesel production.

PubMed

Deeba, Farha; Pruthi, Vikas; Negi, Yuvraj S

2017-10-01

The investigation was carried out to examine the potential of triacylglycerol (TAG) accumulation by novel oleaginous yeast isolate Cryptococcus psychrotolerans IITRFD on utilizing groundnut shell acid hydrolysate (GSH) as cost-effective medium. The maximum biomass productivity and lipid productivity of 0.095±0.008g/L/h and 0.044±0.005g/L/h, respectively with lipid content 46% was recorded on GSH. Fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profile obtained by GC-MS analysis revealed oleic acid (37.8%), palmitic (29.4%) and linoleic (32.8%) as major fatty acids representing balance between oxidative stability (OS) and cold flow filter properties (CFFP) for improved biodiesel quality. The biodiesel property calculated were correlated well with the fuel standards limits of ASTM D6751, EN 14214 and IS 15607. The present findings raise the possibility of using agricultural waste groundnut shell as a substrate for production of biodiesel by novel oleaginous yeast isolate C. psychrotolerans IITRFD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The influence of carbon nanotubes on the properties of water solutions and fresh cement pastes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leonavičius, D.; Pundienė, I.; Girskas, G.; Pranckevičienė, J.; Kligys, M.; Sinica, M.

2017-10-01

It is known, that the properties of cement-based materials can be significantly improved by addition of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The dispersion of CNTs is an important process due to an extremely high specific surface area. This aspect is very relevant and is one of the main factors for the successful use of CNTs in cement-based materials. The influence of CNTs in different amounts (from 0 to 0.5 percent) on the pH values of water solutions and fresh cement pastes, and also on rheological properties, flow characteristics, setting time and EXO reaction of the fresh cement pastes was analyzed in this work. It was found that the increment of the amount of CNTs leads to decreased pH values of water solutions and fresh cement pastes, and also increases viscosity, setting times and EXO peak times of fresh cement pastes.

BMFO-PVDF electrospun fiber based tunable metamaterial structures for electromagnetic interference shielding in microwave frequency region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Revathi, Venkatachalam; Dinesh Kumar, Sakthivel; Subramanian, Venkatachalam; Chellamuthu, Muthamizhchelvan

2015-11-01

Metamaterial structures are artificial structures that are useful in controlling the flow of electromagnetic radiation. In this paper, composite fibers of sub-micron thickness of barium substituted magnesium ferrite (Ba0.2Mg0.8Fe2O4) - polyvinylidene fluoride obtained by electrospinning is used as a substrate to design electromagnetic interference shielding structures. While electrospinning improves the ferroelectric properties of the polyvinylidene fluoride, the presence of barium magnesium ferrite modifies the magnetic property of the composite fiber. The dielectric and magnetic properties at microwave frequency measured using microwave cavity perturbation technique are used to design the reflection as well as absorption based tunable metamaterial structures for electromagnetic interference shielding in microwave frequency region. For one of the structures, the simulation indicates that single negative metamaterial structure becomes a double negative metamaterial under the external magnetic field.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carpentier, J.L.; Di Bono, P.J.; Tournebise, P.J.

The efficient bounding method for DC contingency analysis is improved using reciprocity properties. Knowing the consequences of the outage of a branch, these properties provide the consequences on that branch of various kinds of outages. This is used in order to reduce computation times and to get rid of some difficulties, such as those occurring when a branch flow is close to its limit before outage. Compensation, sparse vector, sparse inverse and bounding techniques are also used. A program has been implemented for single branch outages and tested on actual French EHV 650 bus network. Computation times are 60% ofmore » the Efficient Bounding method. The relevant algorithm is described in detail in the first part of this paper. In the second part, reciprocity properties and bounding formulas are extended for multiple branch outages and for multiple generator or load outages. An algorithm is proposed in order to handle all these cases simultaneously.« less

Impact property enhancement of poly (lactic acid) with different flexible copolymers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Likittanaprasong, N.; Seadan, M.; Suttiruengwong, S.

2015-07-01

The objective of this work was to improve the impact property of Poly (lactic acid) (PLA) by blending with different copolymers. Six flexible copolymers, namely, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) powder, Biomax, polybutyrate adipate co-terephthalate (PBAT), polyether block amide (PEBAX), ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) and ethylene acrylic elastomer (EAE), with loading less than 20wt% were used and compared. The rheological, mechanical and morphological properties of samples were investigated by melt flow index, tensile testing, impact testing and scanning electron microscope (SEM), respectively. It was found that PLA added 20wt% EAE showed the highest impact strength (59.5 kJ/m2), which was 22 times higher than neat PLA. The elongation at break was also increased by 12 folds compared to neat PLA. The SEM images showed good interface and distribution for PLA containing 20wt% EAE, 15 phr Biomax and 20 wt% PEBAX.

Scramjet test flow reconstruction for a large-scale expansion tube, Part 2: axisymmetric CFD analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gildfind, D. E.; Jacobs, P. A.; Morgan, R. G.; Chan, W. Y. K.; Gollan, R. J.

2018-07-01

This paper presents the second part of a study aiming to accurately characterise a Mach 10 scramjet test flow generated using a large free-piston-driven expansion tube. Part 1 described the experimental set-up, the quasi-one-dimensional simulation of the full facility, and the hybrid analysis technique used to compute the nozzle exit test flow properties. The second stage of the hybrid analysis applies the computed 1-D shock tube flow history as an inflow to a high-fidelity two-dimensional-axisymmetric analysis of the acceleration tube. The acceleration tube exit flow history is then applied as an inflow to a further refined axisymmetric nozzle model, providing the final nozzle exit test flow properties and thereby completing the analysis. This paper presents the results of the axisymmetric analyses. These simulations are shown to closely reproduce experimentally measured shock speeds and acceleration tube static pressure histories, as well as nozzle centreline static and impact pressure histories. The hybrid scheme less successfully predicts the diameter of the core test flow; however, this property is readily measured through experimental pitot surveys. In combination, the full test flow history can be accurately determined.

Scramjet test flow reconstruction for a large-scale expansion tube, Part 2: axisymmetric CFD analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gildfind, D. E.; Jacobs, P. A.; Morgan, R. G.; Chan, W. Y. K.; Gollan, R. J.

2017-11-01

This paper presents the second part of a study aiming to accurately characterise a Mach 10 scramjet test flow generated using a large free-piston-driven expansion tube. Part 1 described the experimental set-up, the quasi-one-dimensional simulation of the full facility, and the hybrid analysis technique used to compute the nozzle exit test flow properties. The second stage of the hybrid analysis applies the computed 1-D shock tube flow history as an inflow to a high-fidelity two-dimensional-axisymmetric analysis of the acceleration tube. The acceleration tube exit flow history is then applied as an inflow to a further refined axisymmetric nozzle model, providing the final nozzle exit test flow properties and thereby completing the analysis. This paper presents the results of the axisymmetric analyses. These simulations are shown to closely reproduce experimentally measured shock speeds and acceleration tube static pressure histories, as well as nozzle centreline static and impact pressure histories. The hybrid scheme less successfully predicts the diameter of the core test flow; however, this property is readily measured through experimental pitot surveys. In combination, the full test flow history can be accurately determined.

The unique radar scattering properties of silicic lava flows and domes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Plaut, Jeffrey J.; Stofan, Ellen R.; Anderson, Steven W.; Crown, David A.

1995-01-01

Silicic (silica-rich) lava flows, such as rhyolite, rhyodacite, and dacite, possess unique physical properties primarily because of the relatively high viscosity of the molten lava. Silicic flows tend to be thicker than basaltic flows, and the resulting large-scale morphology is typically a steep-sided dome or flow lobe, with aspect ratios (height/length) sometimes approaching unity. The upper surfaces of silicic domes and flows are normally emplaced as relatively cool, brittle slabs that fracture as they are extruded from the central vent areas, and are then rafted away toward the flow margin as a brittle carapace above a more ductile interior layer. This mode of emplacement results in a surface with unique roughness characteristics, which can be well-characterized by multiparameter synthetic aperture radar (SAR) observations. In this paper, we examine the scattering properties of several silicic domes in the Inyo volcanic chain in the Eastern Sierra of California, using AIRSAR and TOPSAR data. Field measurements of intermediate-scale (cm to tens of m) surface topography and block size are used to assess the mechanisms of the scattering process, and to quantify the unique roughness characteristics of the flow surfaces.

Morphology, stratigraphy, and surface roughness properties of Venusian lava flow fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byrnes, Jeffrey M.; Crown, David A.

2002-10-01

Morphologic characteristics, flow stratigraphy, and radar backscatter properties of five lava flow fields on Venus (Turgmam Fluctus, Zipaltonal Fluctus, Tuli Mons/Uilata Fluctus, Var Mons, and Mylitta Fluctus) were examined to understand flow field emplacement mechanisms and relationships to other surface processes. These analyses indicate that the flow fields studied developed through emplacement of numerous, thin flow units, presumably over extended periods of time. Although the Venusian fields display flow morphologies similar to those observed within terrestrial flow fields, the Venusian flow units are significantly larger and have a larger range of radar backscatter coefficients. Both simple and compound flow emplacement appear to have occurred within the flow fields. A potential correlation between flow rheology and radar brightness is suggested by differences in planform morphology, apparent flow thickness, and apparent sensitivity to topography between bright and dark flows. Distributary flow morphologies may result from tube-fed flows, and postemplacement modification by processes such as flow inflation and crustal foundering is consistent with discrete zones of increased radar brightness within individual flow lobes. Mapping of these flow fields does not indicate any simple evolutionary trend in eruptive/resurfacing style within the flow fields, or any consistent temporal sequence relative to other tectonic and volcanic features.

Numerical study of transitional flow in fractures: the role of roughness on the road to turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Linga, G.; Mathiesen, J.

2017-12-01

In aquifers and petroleum reservoirs, fractures are ubiquitous, and the majority of the fluid transport in such systems often occurs through fracture networks. Knowledge of the flow properties in the single fractures that together form the networks is hence necessary for safe operation downhole. Non-linear, high-velocity flow in such systems is of particular importance for geothermics, since turbulent mixing is known to increase heat conduction by several orders of magnitude. This is of importance both in terms of storing and recovering heat from aquifers. On the other hand, flow in rough fractures is interesting from a turbulence perspective. The onset of turbulence in pipes and channels is a phenomenon that historically has received broad attention since the early experiments by Reynolds, and only during the last decades, the phenomenon is beginning to be fully understood. However, in the presence of roughness, much less is known. In this work, we present comprehensive numerical simulations of flow in synthetic rough channels, representing single fracture joints. Using the finite element method, we solve the full-fledged, time-dependent Navier-Stokes equations for flow in the channels, from laminar flow, through transitional, to turbulent flow. We link the descriptions of microscopic to macroscopic properties, using geometric properties such as effective aperture, paying particular attention to the role of inertia and roughness for the transport properties of the channels. Finally, we discuss implications of our study for the transition to turbulence in the presence of roughness.

Performance characteristics of LOX-H2, tangential-entry, swirl-coaxial, rocket injectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howell, Doug; Petersen, Eric; Clark, Jim

1993-01-01

Development of a high performing swirl-coaxial injector requires an understanding of fundamental performance characteristics. This paper addresses the findings of studies on cold flow atomic characterizations which provided information on the influence of fluid properties and element operating conditions on the produced droplet sprays. These findings are applied to actual rocket conditions. The performance characteristics of swirl-coaxial injection elements under multi-element hot-fire conditions were obtained by analysis of combustion performance data from three separate test series. The injection elements are described and test results are analyzed using multi-variable linear regression. A direct comparison of test results indicated that reduced fuel injection velocity improved injection element performance through improved propellant mixing.

Development of improved asbestos reinforced phenolic insulating composites (optimization of physical properties as a function of molding technique and post cure conditions)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hedges, L. M. (Editor)

1973-01-01

Detailed data are presented on phenolic-glass and phenolic-asbestos compounds which compare the effect of compression molding without degas to the effects of four variations of compression molding. These variations were designed to improve elimination of entrapped volatiles and the volatile products of the condensate reaction associated with the cure of phenolic resins. The utilization of conventional methods of degas plus degas by vacuum and directional heat flow methods are involved. Detailed data are also presented on these same compounds, comparing the effect of changes in post-bake time, and post-bake temperature for the five molding techniques.

Large area silicon sheet by EFG

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

The influence of parameters such as CO2 concentration, gas flow patterns, quartz in the bulk melt, melt doping level and growth speed on ribbon properties was examined for 10 cm wide ribbon. Ribbon quality is optimized for ambient CO2 in argon concentrations in the range from 1000 to 5000 ppm. Cell performance degrades at CO2 concentrations above 5000 ppm and IR interstitial oxygen levels decrease. These experiments were done primarily at a growth speed of 3.5 cm/minute. Cartridge parameters influencing the ribbon thickness were studied and thickness uniformity at 200 micrometers (8 mils) has been improved. Growth stability at the target speed of 4.0 cm/minute was improved significantly.

Evaluation and Comparison of Three Types of Spray Dried Coprocessed Excipient Avicel® for Direct Compression

PubMed Central

Solný, Tomaš

2018-01-01

As coprocessed excipients (CPE) gain a lot of focus recently, this article compares three commercially available CPE of Avicel brand, namely, CE 15, DG, and HFE 102. Comparison is based on measured physical properties of coprocessed mixtures, respectively, flow properties, pycnometric density, mean particle size, specific surface area, moisture content, hygroscopicity, solubility, pH leaching, electrostatic charge, SEM images, and DSC. Tablets were made employing three pressure sets. Viscoelastic properties and ejection force were assessed during compression, as well as pycnometric density, mass uniformity, height, tensile strength, friability, disintegration, and wetting times. Avicel CE 15 is of mid-range flow properties, contains mid-size and nonspherical particles, and has high hygroscopicity, growing negative charge, best lubricity, lowest tensile strength, and mid-long disintegration times. Avicel DG possesses the worst flow properties, small asymmetrical particles, lowest hygroscopicity, stable charge, intermediate lubricity, and tensile strength and exhibits fast disintegration of tablets. Finally, Avicel HFE 102 has the best flow properties, large symmetrical particles, and middle hygroscopicity and its charge fluctuates throughout blending. It also exhibits inferior lubricity, the highest tensile strength, and slow disintegration of tablets. Generally, it is impossible to select the best CPE, as their different properties fit versatile needs of countless manufacturers and final products. PMID:29850496

Turbidimetric and photometric determination of total tannins in tea using a micro-flow-batch analyzer.

PubMed

Lima, Marcelo B; Andrade, Stéfani I E; Harding, David P; Pistonesi, Marcelo F; Band, Beatriz S F; Araújo, Mário C U

2012-01-15

Both turbidimetric and photometric determinations of total tannins in samples of green and black tea, using a micro-flow-batch analyzer (μFBA) were studied. The miniaturized system was formed using photocurable urethane-acrylate resin and ultraviolet lithography technique. The turbidimetric method was based on the precipitation reaction of Cu (II) with tannins in acetate medium at a pH of 4.5. The photometric method was based on the complexation reaction of tannins with ferrous tartrate. The turbidimetric μFBA was able to test 200 samples per hour. The photometric μFBA allowed 300 analyses per hour, generating 136μL of residue per analysis. The paired t test, at a 95% confidence level, showed no statistically significant differences between results obtained by both methods and the reference method. The urethane-acrylate μFBA maintained satisfactory physical and chemical properties, and represents an improvement over conventional flow-batch analyzer. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Properties permitting the renal cortex to be the oxygen sensor for the release of erythropoietin: clinical implications.

PubMed

Halperin, Mitchell L; Cheema-Dhadli, Surinder; Lin, Shih-Hua; Kamel, Kamel S

2006-09-01

The PO2 at this site where erythropoietin release is regulated should vary only when the hemoglobin concentration changes in capillary blood. The kidney cortex is an ideal location for this O2 sensor for four reasons. First, it extracts a small proportion of the oxygen that is delivered in each liter of blood; this makes the PO2 signal easier to recognize. Second, there is a constant ratio of the work performed (consumption of O2) to the renal blood flow rate (delivery of O2). Third, the high renal blood flow rate improves diffusion of O2 from capillaries to this O2 receptor. Fourth, a high renal cortical PCO2 prevents an additional shift of the O2:hemoglobin dissociation curve by other factors from being a confounding variable. This suggests that the GFR and the renal blood flow rate should be examined in patients with unexplained anemia or erythrocytosis.

Magnetohydrodynamic and gasdynamic theories for planetary bow waves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spreiter, J. R.; Stahara, S. S.

1984-01-01

The observed properties of bow waves and the associated plasma flows are outlined, along with those features identified that can be described by a continuum magnetohydrodynamic flow theory as opposed to a more detailed multicomponent particle and field plasma theory. The primary objectives are to provide an account of the fundamental concepts and current status of the magnetohydrodynamic and gas dynamic theories for solar wind flow past planetary bodies. This includes a critical examination of: (1) the fundamental assumptions of the theories; (2) the various simplifying approximations introduced to obtain tractable mathematical problems; (3) the limitations they impose on the results; and (4) the relationship between the results of the simpler gas dynamic-frozen field theory and the more accurate but less completely worked out magnetohydrodynamic theory. Representative results of the various theories are presented and compared. A number of deficiencies, ambiguities, and suggestions for improvements are discussed, and several significant extensions of the theory required to provide comparable results for all planets, their satellites, and comets are noted.

Continuous-flow technology—a tool for the safe manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredients.

PubMed

Gutmann, Bernhard; Cantillo, David; Kappe, C Oliver

2015-06-01

In the past few years, continuous-flow reactors with channel dimensions in the micro- or millimeter region have found widespread application in organic synthesis. The characteristic properties of these reactors are their exceptionally fast heat and mass transfer. In microstructured devices of this type, virtually instantaneous mixing can be achieved for all but the fastest reactions. Similarly, the accumulation of heat, formation of hot spots, and dangers of thermal runaways can be prevented. As a result of the small reactor volumes, the overall safety of the process is significantly improved, even when harsh reaction conditions are used. Thus, microreactor technology offers a unique way to perform ultrafast, exothermic reactions, and allows the execution of reactions which proceed via highly unstable or even explosive intermediates. This Review discusses recent literature examples of continuous-flow organic synthesis where hazardous reactions or extreme process windows have been employed, with a focus on applications of relevance to the preparation of pharmaceuticals. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of nanofluids in a plate heat exchanger.

PubMed

Kwon, Y H; Kim, D; Li, C G; Lee, J K; Hong, D S; Lee, J G; Lee, S H; Cho, Y H; Kim, S H

2011-07-01

In this paper, the heat transfer characteristics and pressure drop of the ZnO and Al2O3 nanofluids in a plate heat exchanger were studied. The experimental conditions were 100-500 Reynolds number and the respective volumetric flow rates. The working temperature of the heat exchanger was within 20-40 degrees C. The measured thermophysical properties, such as thermal conductivity and kinematic viscosity, were applied to the calculation of the convective heat transfer coefficient of the plate heat exchanger employing the ZnO and Al2O3 nanofluids made through a two-step method. According to the Reynolds number, the overall heat transfer coefficient for 6 vol% Al2O3 increased to 30% because at the given viscosity and density of the nanofluids, they did not have the same flow rates. At a given volumetric flow rate, however, the performance did not improve. After the nanofluids were placed in the plate heat exchanger, the experimental results pertaining to nanofluid efficiency seemed inauspicious.

Determination of L-phenylalanine on-line based on molecularly imprinted polymeric microspheres and flow injection chemiluminescence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiu, Huamin; Xi, Yulei; Lu, Fuguang; Fan, Lulu; Luo, Chuannan

2012-02-01

A novel molecular imprinting-chemiluminescence (MIP-CL) sensor for the determination of L-phenylalanine (Phe) using molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) as recognition element is reported. The Phe-MIP was synthesized using acrylamide (AM) as functional monomer and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as cross-linker, 2,2-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as initiator and the polymers' properties were characterized. Then the synthesized MIP was employed as recognition element by packing into flow cell to establish a novel flow injection CL sensor. The CL intensity responded linearly to the concentration of Phe in the range 1.3 × 10 -6 to 5.44 × 10 -4 mol/L with a detection limit of 6.23 × 10 -7 mol/L (3 σ), which is lower than that of conventional methods. The sensor is reusable and has a great improvement in sensitivity and selectivity for CL analysis. As a result, the new MIP-CL sensor had been successfully applied to the determination of Phe in samples.

Physical property control in core/shell inorganic nanostructures for fluorescence and magnetic targeting applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberts, Stephen K.

Nanomaterials show immense promise for the future in numerous areas of application. Properties that are unique from the bulk material and are tunable allow for innovation in material design. This thesis will focus on controlling the physical properties of core/shell nanostructures to enhance the utility of the materials. The first focus is on the impact of different solvent mixtures during the shell growth phase of SILAR based core/shell quantum dot synthesis is studied. Gaining insight into the mechanism for SILAR growth of core/shell nanoparticles allows improved synthetic yields and precursor binding, providing enhanced control to synthesis of core/shell nanoparticles. The second focus of this thesis is exploring the use of magnetic nanoparticles for magnetic drug targeting for cardiovascular conditions. Magnetic targeting for drug delivery enables increased local drug concentration, while minimizing non-specific interactions. In order to be effective for magnetic targeting, it must be shown that low magnetic strength is sufficient to capture flowing nanoparticles. By demonstrating the binding of a therapeutic agent to the surface at medicinal levels, the viability for use as a nanoparticle drug delivery system is improved.

Particle Engineering of Excipients for Direct Compression: Understanding the Role of Material Properties.

PubMed

Mangal, Sharad; Meiser, Felix; Morton, David; Larson, Ian

2015-01-01

Tablets represent the preferred and most commonly dispensed pharmaceutical dosage form for administering active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Minimizing the cost of goods and improving manufacturing output efficiency has motivated companies to use direct compression as a preferred method of tablet manufacturing. Excipients dictate the success of direct compression, notably by optimizing powder formulation compactability and flow, thus there has been a surge in creating excipients specifically designed to meet these needs for direct compression. Greater scientific understanding of tablet manufacturing coupled with effective application of the principles of material science and particle engineering has resulted in a number of improved direct compression excipients. Despite this, significant practical disadvantages of direct compression remain relative to granulation, and this is partly due to the limitations of direct compression excipients. For instance, in formulating high-dose APIs, a much higher level of excipient is required relative to wet or dry granulation and so tablets are much bigger. Creating excipients to enable direct compression of high-dose APIs requires the knowledge of the relationship between fundamental material properties and excipient functionalities. In this paper, we review the current understanding of the relationship between fundamental material properties and excipient functionality for direct compression.

Structural properties and release of insulin-loaded reverse hexagonal (HII) liquid crystalline mesophase.

PubMed

Mishraki-Berkowitz, Tehila; Aserin, Abraham; Garti, Nissim

2017-01-15

Insulin loading into the H II mesophases was examined as a function of its concentration, with addition of glycerol as a cosolvent and with addition of phosphatidylcholine (PC) as a structural stabilizer. The structural properties, the molecular interactions, the viscoelastic properties, and the dynamic behavior were investigated by SAXS, ATR-FTIR, and rheological measurements. Insulin release was then monitored and analyzed. Insulin incorporation into the H II systems shrank the cylinders as it competed with the lipids in water-bonding. Insulin interrupted the interface while increasing τ max and creating a more solid-like response. Upon addition of PC, cooperative flow behavior was detected, which is probably the reason for increase in insulin cumulative release from 28% to 52% after 300 min. In the presence of glycerol, the system was less cooperative but insulin was more compactly folded, resulting in a slight improvement in insulin release (up to 6%). Addition of both PC and glycerol caused the maximum release (55%). The addition of additives into the H II system demonstrates how structural modifications can improve insulin release, and influence future design of encapsulated drug delivery systems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Plasma Modification of Poly Lactic Acid Solutions to Generate High Quality Electrospun PLA Nanofibers.

PubMed

Rezaei, Fatemeh; Nikiforov, Anton; Morent, Rino; De Geyter, Nathalie

2018-02-02

Physical properties of pre-electrospinning polymer solutions play a key role in electrospinning as they strongly determine the morphology of the obtained electrospun nanofibers. In this work, an atmospheric-pressure argon plasma directly submerged in the liquid-phase was used to modify the physical properties of poly lactic acid (PLA) spinning solutions in an effort to improve their electrospinnability. The electrical characteristics of the plasma were investigated by two methods; V-I waveforms and Q-V Lissajous plots while the optical emission characteristics of the plasma were also determined using optical emission spectroscopy (OES). To perform a complete physical characterization of the plasma-modified polymer solutions, measurements of viscosity, surface tension, and electrical conductivity were performed for various PLA concentrations, plasma exposure times, gas flow rates, and applied voltages. Moreover, a fast intensified charge-couple device (ICCD) camera was used to image the bubble dynamics during the plasma treatments. In addition, morphological changes of PLA nanofibers generated from plasma-treated PLA solutions were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The performed plasma treatments were found to induce significant changes to the main physical properties of the PLA solutions, leading to an enhancement of electrospinnability and an improvement of PLA nanofiber formation.

A Brief History of the use of Electromagnetic Induction Techniques in Soil Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brevik, Eric C.; Doolittle, James

2017-04-01

Electromagnetic induction (EMI) has been used to characterize the spatial variability of soil properties since the late 1970s. Initially used to assess soil salinity, the use of EMI in soil studies has expanded to include: mapping soil types; characterizing soil water content and flow patterns; assessing variations in soil texture, compaction, organic matter content, and pH; and determining the depth to subsurface horizons, stratigraphic layers or bedrock, among other uses. In all cases the soil property being investigated must influence soil apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) either directly or indirectly for EMI techniques to be effective. An increasing number and diversity of EMI sensors have been developed in response to users' needs and the availability of allied technologies, which have greatly improved the functionality of these tools and increased the amount and types of data that can be gathered with a single pass. EMI investigations provide several benefits for soil studies. The large amount of georeferenced data that can be rapidly and inexpensively collected with EMI provides more complete characterization of the spatial variations in soil properties than traditional sampling techniques. In addition, compared to traditional soil survey methods, EMI can more effectively characterize diffuse soil boundaries and identify included areas of dissimilar soils within mapped soil units, giving soil scientists greater confidence when collecting spatial soil information. EMI techniques do have limitations; results are site-specific and can vary depending on the complex interactions among multiple and variable soil properties. Despite this, EMI techniques are increasingly being used to investigate the spatial variability of soil properties at field and landscape scales. The future should witness a greater use of multiple-frequency and multiple-coil EMI sensors and integration with other sensors to assess the spatial variability of soil properties. Data analysis will be improved with advanced processing and presentation systems and more sophisticated geostatistical modeling algorithms will be developed and used to interpolate EMI data, improve the resolution of subsurface features, and assess soil properties.

Resolving structural influences on water-retention properties of alluvial deposits

USGS Publications Warehouse

Winfield, K.A.; Nimmo, J.R.; Izbicki, J.A.; Martin, P.M.

2006-01-01

With the goal of improving property-transfer model (PTM) predictions of unsaturated hydraulic properties, we investigated the influence of sedimentary structure, defined as particle arrangement during deposition, on laboratory-measured water retention (water content vs. potential [??(??)]) of 10 undisturbed core samples from alluvial deposits in the western Mojave Desert, California. The samples were classified as having fluvial or debris-flow structure based on observed stratification and measured spread of particle-size distribution. The ??(??) data were fit with the Rossi-Nimmo junction model, representing water retention with three parameters: the maximum water content (??max), the ??-scaling parameter (??o), and the shape parameter (??). We examined trends between these hydraulic parameters and bulk physical properties, both textural - geometric mean, Mg, and geometric standard deviation, ??g, of particle diameter - and structural - bulk density, ??b, the fraction of unfilled pore space at natural saturation, Ae, and porosity-based randomness index, ??s, defined as the excess of total porosity over 0.3. Structural parameters ??s and Ae were greater for fluvial samples, indicating greater structural pore space and a possibly broader pore-size distribution associated with a more systematic arrangement of particles. Multiple linear regression analysis and Mallow's Cp statistic identified combinations of textural and structural parameters for the most useful predictive models: for ??max, including Ae, ??s, and ??g, and for both ??o and ??, including only textural parameters, although use of Ae can somewhat improve ??o predictions. Textural properties can explain most of the sample-to-sample variation in ??(??) independent of deposit type, but inclusion of the simple structural indicators Ae and ??s can improve PTM predictions, especially for the wettest part of the ??(??) curve. ?? Soil Science Society of America.

GaAsBi Synthesis: From Band Structure Modification to Nanostructure Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collar, Kristen N.

Research and development bismides have proven bismides to be a promising field for material science with important applications in optoelectronics. However, the development of a complete description of the electrical and material properties of bismide ternaries is not comprehensive or straightforward. One of the main benefits of this ternary system is the opportunity for bandgap tuning, which opens doors to new applications. Tuning the bandgap is achieved by means of varying the composition; this allows access to a wider energy spectrum with particular applications in long wavelength emitters and detectors. In addition to bandgap tuning, Bi provides an opportunity to decrease lasing threshold currents, the temperature sensitivity and a major loss mechanism of today's telecom lasers. We propose to characterize the electronic and chemical structure of GaAsBi grown by molecular beam epitaxy. We probe the binding structure using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. This provides insights into the antisite incorporation of Bi and the reactivity of the surface. Furthermore, we use XPS to track the energy variation in the valence band with dilute Bi incorporation into GaAs. These insights provide valuable perspective into improving the predictability of bandgaps and of heterostructure band offsets for the realization of bismides in future electronics. The stringent growth conditions required by GaAsBi and the surfactant properties of Bi provide a unique opportunity to study nanostructure formation and epitaxial growth control mechanisms. The GaAsBi epitaxial films under Ga-rich growth conditions self-catalyze Ga droplet seeds for Vapor-Liquid-Solid growth of embedded nanowires. We demonstrate a means to direct the nanowires unidirectionally along preferential crystallographic directions utilizing the step-flow growth mode. We mediated the step-flow growth by employing vicinal surfaces and Bi's surfactant-like properties to enhance the properties of the step-flow growth mode. Semiconductor nanostructures are becoming a cornerstone of future optoelectronics and the work presented herein exploits the power of a bottom-up architecture to self-assemble aligned unidirectional planar nanowires.

Comparison of Tomo-PIV Versus Dual Plane PIV on a Synthetic Jet Flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wernet, Mark P.

2017-01-01

Particle Imaging Velocimetry (PIV) is a planar velocity measurement technique that has found widespread use across a wide class of engineering disciplines. Tomographic PIV (tomoPIV) is an extension of the traditional PIV technique whereby the velocity across a volume of fluid is measured. TomoPIV provides additional fluid mechanical properties of the flow due to the adjacent planes of velocity information that are extracted. Dual Plane PIV is another approach for providing cross-plane flow field properties. Dual Plane PIV and tomoPIV provide all of the same flow properties, albeit through very different routes with significantly different levels of effort, hence a comparison of their application and performance would prove beneficial in a well-known, highly three dimensional flow field. A synthetic jet flow which has a wide range of flow field features including high velocity gradients and regions of high vorticity was used as a rigorous test bed to determine the capabilities limitations of the Dual Plane PIV and tomoPIV techniques. The results show that compressing 3D particle field information down to a limited number of views does not permit the accurate reconstruction of the flow field. The traditional thin sheet techniques are the best approach for accurate flow field measurements.

Effects of Pump Pulsation on Hydrodynamic Properties and Dissolution Profiles in Flow-Through Dissolution Systems (USP 4).

PubMed

Yoshida, Hiroyuki; Kuwana, Akemi; Shibata, Hiroko; Izutsu, Ken-Ichi; Goda, Yukihiro

2016-06-01

To clarify the effects of pump pulsation and flow-through cell (FTC) dissolution system settings on the hydrodynamic properties and dissolution profiles of model formulations. Two FTC systems with different cell temperature control mechanisms were used. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) was used to analyze the hydrodynamic properties of test solutions in the flow-through dissolution test cell. Two pulsation pumps (semi-sine, full-sine) and a non-pulsatile pump were used to study the effects of varied flows on the dissolution profiles of United States Pharmacopeia standard tablets. PIV analysis showed periodic changes in the aligned upward fluid flow throughout the dissolution cell that was designed to reduce the temperature gradient during pump pulsation (0.5 s/pulse). The maximum instantaneous flow from the semi-sine pump was higher than that of the full-sine pump under all conditions. The flow from the semi-sine wave pump showed faster dissolution of salicylic acid and prednisone tablets than those from other pumps. The semi-sine wave pump flow showed similar dissolution profiles in the two FTC systems. Variations in instantaneous fluid flow caused by pump pulsation that meets the requirements of pharmacopoeias are a factor that affects the dissolution profiles of tablets in FTC systems.

The influence of Reynolds numbers on resistance properties of jet pumps

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Geng, Q.; Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049; Zhou, G.

2014-01-29

Jet pumps are widely used in thermoacoustic Stirling heat engines and pulse tube cryocoolers to eliminate the effect of Gedeon streaming. The resistance properties of jet pumps are principally influenced by their structures and flow regimes which are always characterized by Reynolds numbers. In this paper, the jet pump of which cross section contracts abruptly is selected as our research subject. Based on linear thermoacoustic theory, a CFD model is built and the oscillating flow of the working gas is simulated and analyzed with different Reynolds numbers in the jet pump. According to the calculations, the influence of different structuresmore » and Reynolds numbers on the resistance properties of the jet pump are analyzed and presented. The results show that Reynolds numbers have a great influence on the resistance properties of jet pumps and some empirical formulas which are widely used are unsuitable for oscillating flow with small Reynolds numbers. This paper provides a more comprehensive understanding on resistance properties of jet pumps with oscillating flow and is significant for the design of jet pumps in practical thermoacoustic engines and refrigerators.« less

The influence of Reynolds numbers on resistance properties of jet pumps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geng, Q.; Zhou, G.; Li, Q.

2014-01-01

Jet pumps are widely used in thermoacoustic Stirling heat engines and pulse tube cryocoolers to eliminate the effect of Gedeon streaming. The resistance properties of jet pumps are principally influenced by their structures and flow regimes which are always characterized by Reynolds numbers. In this paper, the jet pump of which cross section contracts abruptly is selected as our research subject. Based on linear thermoacoustic theory, a CFD model is built and the oscillating flow of the working gas is simulated and analyzed with different Reynolds numbers in the jet pump. According to the calculations, the influence of different structures and Reynolds numbers on the resistance properties of the jet pump are analyzed and presented. The results show that Reynolds numbers have a great influence on the resistance properties of jet pumps and some empirical formulas which are widely used are unsuitable for oscillating flow with small Reynolds numbers. This paper provides a more comprehensive understanding on resistance properties of jet pumps with oscillating flow and is significant for the design of jet pumps in practical thermoacoustic engines and refrigerators.

Integration of geology, geostatistics, well logs and pressure data to model a heterogeneous supergiant field in Iran

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Samimi, B.; Bagherpour, H.; Nioc, A.

1995-08-01

The geological reservoir study of the supergiant Ahwaz field significantly improved the history matching process in many aspects, particularly the development of a geostatistical model which allowed a sound basis for changes and by delivering much needed accurate estimates of grid block vertical permeabilities. The geostatistical reservoir evaluation was facilitated by using the Heresim package and litho-stratigraphic zonations for the entire field. For each of the geological zones, 3-dimensional electrolithofacies and petrophysical property distributions (realizations) were treated which captured the heterogeneities which significantly affected fluid flow. However, as this level of heterogeneity was at a significantly smaller scale than themore » flow simulation grid blocks, a scaling up effort was needed to derive the effective flow properties of the blocks (porosity, horizontal and vertical permeability, and water saturation). The properties relating to the static reservoir description were accurately derived by using stream tube techniques developed in-house whereas, the relative permeabilities of the grid block were derived by dynamic pseudo relative permeability techniques. The prediction of vertical and lateral communication and water encroachment was facilitated by a close integration of pressure, saturation data, geostatistical modelling and sedimentological studies of the depositional environments and paleocurrents. The nature of reservoir barriers and baffles varied both vertically and laterally in this heterogeneous reservoir. Maps showing differences in pressure between zones after years of production served as a guide to integrating the static geological studies to the dynamic behaviour of each of the 16 reservoir zones. The use of deep wells being drilled to a deeper reservoir provided data to better understand the sweep efficiency and the continuity of barriers and baffles.« less

Imaging and computational considerations for image computed permeability: Operating envelope of Digital Rock Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saxena, Nishank; Hows, Amie; Hofmann, Ronny; Alpak, Faruk O.; Freeman, Justin; Hunter, Sander; Appel, Matthias

2018-06-01

This study defines the optimal operating envelope of the Digital Rock technology from the perspective of imaging and numerical simulations of transport properties. Imaging larger volumes of rocks for Digital Rock Physics (DRP) analysis improves the chances of achieving a Representative Elementary Volume (REV) at which flow-based simulations (1) do not vary with change in rock volume, and (2) is insensitive to the choice of boundary conditions. However, this often comes at the expense of image resolution. This trade-off exists due to the finiteness of current state-of-the-art imaging detectors. Imaging and analyzing digital rocks that sample the REV and still sufficiently resolve pore throats is critical to ensure simulation quality and robustness of rock property trends for further analysis. We find that at least 10 voxels are needed to sufficiently resolve pore throats for single phase fluid flow simulations. If this condition is not met, additional analyses and corrections may allow for meaningful comparisons between simulation results and laboratory measurements of permeability, but some cases may fall outside the current technical feasibility of DRP. On the other hand, we find that the ratio of field of view and effective grain size provides a reliable measure of the REV for siliciclastic rocks. If this ratio is greater than 5, the coefficient of variation for single-phase permeability simulations drops below 15%. These imaging considerations are crucial when comparing digitally computed rock flow properties with those measured in the laboratory. We find that the current imaging methods are sufficient to achieve both REV (with respect to numerical boundary conditions) and required image resolution to perform digital core analysis for coarse to fine-grained sandstones.

Acute spinal cord injury changes the disposition of some, but not all drugs given intravenously.

PubMed

García-López, P; Martínez-Cruz, A; Guízar-Sahagún, G; Castañeda-Hernández, G

2007-09-01

Experimental laboratory investigations in paraplegic rats. In order to understand why acute spinal cord injury (SCI) changes the disposition of some, but not all drugs given intravenously (i.v.), pharmacokinetic parameters of drugs with different pharmacological properties were evaluated to determine the influence of SCI on physiological processes such as distribution, metabolism and excretion. Mexico City, Mexico. Rats were subjected to severe SCI (contusion) at T-9 level; pharmacokinetic studies of phenacetin, naproxen or gentamicin were performed 24 h after. These drugs were not chosen as markers because of their therapeutic properties, but because of their pharmacokinetic characteristics. Additional studies including plasma proteins, liver and renal function tests, and micro-vascular hepatic blood flow, were also performed at the same time after injury. Acute SCI significantly reduced distribution of drugs with intermediate and low binding to plasma proteins (phenacetin 30% and gentamicin 10%, respectively), but distribution did not change when naproxen - a drug highly bound to plasma proteins (99%) - was used, in absence of changes in plasma proteins. Metabolism was significantly altered only for a drug with liver blood flow - limited clearance (phenacetin) and not for a drug with liver capacity-limited clearance (naproxen). The liver function test did not change, whereas the hepatic micro-vascular blood flow significantly decreased after SCI. Renal excretion, evaluated by gentamicin clearance, was significantly reduced as a consequence of SCI, without significant changes in serum creatinine. Changes in drug disposition associated to acute SCI are complex and generalization is not possible. They are highly dependent on each drug properties as well as on the altered physiological processes. Results motivate the quest for strategies to improve disposition of selective i.v. drugs during spinal shock, in an effort to avoid therapeutic failure.

NOAA/National Weather Service Support in Response to the Threat of Debris Flows from the 2009 Station Fire in Los Angeles County: Lessons Learned in Hazard Communications and Public Response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackson, M.; Laber, J. L.; Boldt, E.

2010-12-01

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS) and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) have developed a prototype debris flow early warning system for Southern California. The system uses USGS-defined rainfall rate thresholds for debris flows and burn area hazard maps to protect interests in and near burn areas of damaging and potentially deadly debris flows. Although common throughout Southern California, as witnessed by the December 25, 2003 storm in which sixteen people were swept to their deaths by debris flows generated from a recent burn area near Devore, debris flows are commonly misunderstood by the public. They are often perceived as rare events, are difficult to warn for with sufficient lead time, and present unique challenges when communicating proper calls to action to best save lives and property. Many improvements to the system have been realized since the project’s inception in 2005, including using more refined rainfall rate thresholds, use of burn area hazard maps, and the establishment of a tiered system to categorize the potential severity of flash floods and debris flows. These efforts have collectively resulted in a reduction of warning false alarms. However, the massive 400,000 hectare 2009 Station burn area in the Angeles National Forest of Los Angeles County has created numerous challenges to the early warning system. The geology of the area burned is highly susceptible to debris flows, due in part to the burn severity, soil types and steep slopes. Most importantly, the burn area is adjacent to and uphill of the highly populated lower foothills of the San Fernando Valley. NOAA/NWS and the USGS have thus worked closely with local response and preparedness agencies to analyze and communicate the threat and assist in developing a unified command response plan in preparation for flash flood and debris flows from this burn area. The early warning system was put to the ultimate test on February 6, 2010 when intense rainfall over the burn area produced very damaging but fortunately nonfatal flash flooding and debris flows. Unfortunately public and local agency response to NWS forecasts, watches, and warnings issued for this event was minimal. Possible causes of, and actions needed to improve upon, this minimal response are examined, including 1) complacency due to previous watch and warning false alarms, 2) underestimating the hazard threat due to local residents having not personally experienced a severe debris flow event in recent history if ever, 3) misinterpretation of NWS point precipitation forecasts and current limits of predictability related to forecasting specific locations and amounts of intense rainfall beyond 12-24 hours, 4) the challenges of ensuring NWS information is consistently received and interpreted among the multiple agencies and jurisdictions of the unified command, and 5) the likelihood that most people did not hear NWS warnings due to the event taking place late at night. Also examined are proper calls to action to protect life and property at a time when evacuations may put people in harm's way.

Three-dimensional simulation of rivulet and film flows over an inclined plate: Effects of solvent properties and contact angle

DOE PAGES

Singh, Rajesh K.; Galvin, Janine E.; Sun, Xin

2015-12-10

We numerically investigated the film flow down an inclined plate using the volume of fluid (VOF) method. The flow simulations have been systematically carried out for a wide range of parameters, such as inlet size, inclination angle, contact angle, flow rates and solvent properties (viscosity and surface tension). Based on the simulation results, scaling theory is proposed for both interfacial area and for film thickness in terms of the Kapitza number (Ka).The Kapitza number is advantageous because it depends only on solvent properties. The Kapitza number decreases with increased solvent viscosity and is fixed for a given fluid. Here, tomore » investigate the effects of solvent properties on interfacial area a small inlet cross-section was used. The interfacial area decreases with increased value of Ka. The time to reach pseudo-steady state of rivulet is also observed to increase with decreasing Ka. For a fixed flow rate, the inlet cross-section has marginal effect on the interfacial area; however, the developed width of the rivulet remains unchanged. In addition to inlet size, flow rate and solvent properties, the impact of contact angle on film thickness and interfacial area was also investigated. The contact angle has negligible effect for a fully wetted plate, but it significantly affects the interfacial area of the rivulet. Finally, a scaling theory for interfacial area in terms of the contact angle and Ka is presented.« less

Latex improvement of recycled asphalt pavement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drennon, C.

1982-08-01

The performance of a single unmodified milled recycled asphalt concrete was compared to milled asphalt concrete modified by addition of three types of rubber latex. Latex was added at 2, 3, 5, and 8 percent latex by weight of asphalt in the asphalt concrete. Lattices used were a styrene butadiene (SBR), a natural rubber (NR), an acrylonitrile butadiene (NBR), and four varieties of out of specification SBR lattices. Marshall tests, while indecisive, showed a modest improvement in properties of SBR and NR added material at 3 and 5 percent latex. Addition of NBR latex caused deterioration in Marshall stability and flow over that of control. Repeated load tests were run using the indirect tensile test, analyzed by the VESYS program, which computes life of pavements. Repeated load tests showed improvement in asphalt concrete life when 3 and 5 percent SBR was added. Improvement was also shown by the out of specification SBR.

Improved predictions of saturated and unsaturated zone drawdowns in a heterogeneous unconfined aquifer via transient hydraulic tomography: Laboratory sandbox experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berg, Steven J.; Illman, Walter A.

2012-11-01

SummaryInterpretation of pumping tests in unconfined aquifers has largely been based on analytical solutions that disregard aquifer heterogeneity. In this study, we investigate whether the prediction of drawdown responses in a heterogeneous unconfined aquifer and the unsaturated zone above it with a variably saturated groundwater flow model can be improved by including information on hydraulic conductivity (K) and specific storage (Ss) from transient hydraulic tomography (THT). We also investigate whether these predictions are affected by the use of unsaturated flow parameters estimated through laboratory hanging column experiments or calibration of in situ drainage curves. To investigate these issues, we designed and conducted laboratory sandbox experiments to characterize the saturated and unsaturated properties of a heterogeneous unconfined aquifer. Specifically, we conducted pumping tests under fully saturated conditions and interpreted the drawdown responses by treating the medium to be either homogeneous or heterogeneous. We then conducted another pumping test and allowed the water table to drop, similar to a pumping test in an unconfined aquifer. Simulations conducted using a variably saturated flow model revealed: (1) homogeneous parameters in the saturated and unsaturated zones have a difficult time predicting the responses of the heterogeneous unconfined aquifer; (2) heterogeneous saturated hydraulic parameter distributions obtained via THT yielded significantly improved drawdown predictions in the saturated zone of the unconfined aquifer; and (3) considering heterogeneity of unsaturated zone parameters produced a minor improvement in predictions in the unsaturated zone, but not the saturated zone. These results seem to support the finding by Mao et al. (2011) that spatial variability in the unsaturated zone plays a minor role in the formation of the S-shape drawdown-time curve observed during pumping in an unconfined aquifer.

Documentation for the “XT3D” option in the Node Property Flow (NPF) Package of MODFLOW 6

USGS Publications Warehouse

Provost, Alden M.; Langevin, Christian D.; Hughes, Joseph D.

2017-08-10

This report describes the “XT3D” option in the Node Property Flow (NPF) Package of MODFLOW 6. The XT3D option extends the capabilities of MODFLOW by enabling simulation of fully three-dimensional anisotropy on regular or irregular grids in a way that properly takes into account the full, three-dimensional conductivity tensor. It can also improve the accuracy of groundwater-flow simulations in cases in which the model grid violates certain geometric requirements. Three example problems demonstrate the use of the XT3D option to simulate groundwater flow on irregular grids and through three-dimensional porous media with anisotropic hydraulic conductivity.Conceptually, the XT3D method of estimating flow between two MODFLOW 6 model cells can be viewed in terms of three main mathematical steps: construction of head-gradient estimates by interpolation; construction of fluid-flux estimates by application of the full, three-dimensional form of Darcy’s Law, in which the conductivity tensor can be heterogeneous and anisotropic; and construction of the flow expression by enforcement of continuity of flow across the cell interface. The resulting XT3D flow expression, which relates the flow across the cell interface to the values of heads computed at neighboring nodes, is the sum of terms in which conductance-like coefficients multiply head differences, as in the conductance-based flow expression the NPF Package uses by default. However, the XT3D flow expression contains terms that involve “neighbors of neighbors” of the two cells for which the flow is being calculated. These additional terms have no analog in the conductance-based formulation. When assembled into matrix form, the XT3D formulation results in a larger stencil than the conductance-based formulation; that is, each row of the coefficient matrix generally contains more nonzero elements. The “RHS” suboption can be used to avoid expanding the stencil by placing the additional terms on the right-hand side of the matrix equation and evaluating them at the previous iteration or time step.The XT3D option can be an alternative to the Ghost-Node Correction (GNC) Package. However, the XT3D formulation is typically more computationally intensive than the conductance-based formulation the NPF Package uses by default, either with or without ghost nodes. Before deciding whether to use the GNC Package or XT3D option for production runs, the user should consider whether the conductance-based formulation alone can provide acceptable accuracy for the particular problem being solved.

Regional variation of flow duration curves in the eastern United States: Process-based analyses of the interaction between climate and landscape properties

Treesearch

Wafa Chouaib; Peter V. Caldwell; Younes Alila

2018-01-01

This paper advances the physical understanding of the flow duration curve (FDC) regional variation. It provides a process-based analysis of the interaction between climate and landscape properties to explain disparities in FDC shapes. We used (i) long term measured flow and precipitation data over 73 catchments from the eastern US. (ii) We calibrated the...

Thermodynamic and Kinematic Flow Characteristics of Some Developing and Non-Developing Disturbances in Predict

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-01

normal ( 1S ) and parallel ( 2S ) strain rates squared. U and V are the zonal and meridional velocities and the x and y subscripts indicate partial...between developing and non-developing tropical disturbances appears to lie with the kinematic flow boundary structure and thermodynamic properties ...tropical disturbances appears to lie with the kinematic flow boundary structure and thermodynamic properties hypothesized in the marsupial paradigm

Aeroacoustics. [analysis of properties of sound generated by aerodynamic forces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldstein, M., E.

1974-01-01

An analysis was conducted to determine the properties of sound generated by aerodynamic forces or motions originating in a flow, such as the unsteady aerodynamic forces on propellers or by turbulent flows around an aircraft. The acoustics of moving media are reviewed and mathematical models are developed. Lighthill's acoustic analogy and the application to turbulent flows are analyzed. The effects of solid boundaries are calculated. Theories based on the solution of linearized vorticity and acoustic field equations are explained. The effects of nonuniform mean flow on the generation of sound are reported.

Evolution of a natural debris flow: In situ measurements of flow dynamics, video imagery, and terrestrial laser scanning

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCoy, S.W.; Kean, J.W.; Coe, J.A.; Staley, D.M.; Wasklewicz, T.A.; Tucker, G.E.

2010-01-01

Many theoretical and laboratory studies have been undertaken to understand debris-flow processes and their associated hazards. However, complete and quantitative data sets from natural debris flows needed for confirmation of these results are limited. We used a novel combination of in situ measurements of debris-flow dynamics, video imagery, and pre- and postflow 2-cm-resolution digital terrain models to study a natural debris-flow event. Our field data constrain the initial and final reach morphology and key flow dynamics. The observed event consisted of multiple surges, each with clear variation of flow properties along the length of the surge. Steep, highly resistant, surge fronts of coarse-grained material without measurable pore-fluid pressure were pushed along by relatively fine-grained and water-rich tails that had a wide range of pore-fluid pressures (some two times greater than hydrostatic). Surges with larger nonequilibrium pore-fluid pressures had longer travel distances. A wide range of travel distances from different surges of similar size indicates that dynamic flow properties are of equal or greater importance than channel properties in determining where a particular surge will stop. Progressive vertical accretion of multiple surges generated the total thickness of mapped debris-flow deposits; nevertheless, deposits had massive, vertically unstratified sedimentological textures. ?? 2010 Geological Society of America.

Novel Epoxy Particulate Composites for Mitigation of Insect Residue Adhesion on Future Aircraft Surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wohl, Christopher J.; Smith, Joseph G., Jr.; Gardner, John M.; Penner, Ronald K.; Connell, John W.; Siochi, Emilie J.

2014-01-01

Drag is reduced significantly for airflow over surfaces when laminar flow can be maintained over greater chord lengths, the distance from the leading edge of an airfoil.1 However, surface imperfections, such as chipped paint, scratches, and events that change topography on a microscopic scale can introduce airflow instabilities resulting in premature transition to turbulent flow.1 Although many of these surface imperfections can be avoided with proper maintenance, advanced materials, and advanced manufacturing practices, topographical surface anomalies arising during flight from insect impacts cannot be controlled and can influence laminar flow stability. Practical solutions to this operational challenge need to be developed for future aircraft to have full advantage of laminar flow designs that improve fuel efficiency.2 Researchers have investigated various methods to mitigate insect residue adhesion for decades.3 Although several techniques have demonstrated efficacy including mechanical scrapers, active liquid discharge systems, and sacrificial paper coatings, they have not been commercially implemented due to increased manufacturing and operational complexity, environmental impact, and weight penalties. Coatings offer a simple route for passive insect residue adhesion prevention without many of the challenges associated with maintenance of laminar flow.4 In our previous work, we determined that most commercially available materials were not effective at insect residue adhesion.5 We also identified improvements when both surface energy could be controlled by surface modifying agents and the topography could be altered through the use of micron-sized and nanometer-sized filler materials.6 In this work, these general principles were applied to an epoxy system to evaluate the behavior of the surface modifying agent, a fluorinated alkyl ether oligomer, on surface energy and insect residue adhesion properties.

ASDIR-II. Volume II. Program Description

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-01-01

in ASDIR. INPUT: Engine description, gas properties and case definition (See ASDIR-II, Volume I, User’s Manual). OIWPUT: Primarily the information...conditions Special surface cooling flow conditions Exhaust system surface properties The predictions provided by the progi un for the combination of a...nonattenuated by the atmosphere Optional exhaust system information which can be requested from the program is: Internal fluid flow properties Surface

The effects of drainage basin geomorphometry on minimum low flow discharge: the study of small watershed in Kelang River Valley in Peninsular Malaysia.

PubMed

Yunus, Ahmad Jailani Muhamed; Nakagoshi, Nobukazu; Salleh, Khairulmaini Osman

2003-03-01

This study investigate the relationships between geomorphometric properties and the minimum low flow discharge of undisturbed drainage basins in the Taman Bukit Cahaya Seri Alam Forest Reserve, Peninsular Malaysia. The drainage basins selected were third-order basins so as to facilitate a common base for sampling and performing an unbiased statistical analyses. Three levels of relationships were observed in the study. Significant relationships existed between the geomorphometric properties as shown by the correlation network analysis; secondly, individual geomorphometric properties were observed to influence minimum flow discharge; and finally, the multiple regression model set up showed that minimum flow discharge (Q min) was dependent of basin area (AU), stream length (LS), maximum relief (Hmax), average relief (HAV) and stream frequency (SF). These findings further enforced other studies of this nature that drainage basins were dynamic and functional entities whose operations were governed by complex interrelationships occurring within the basins. Changes to any of the geomorphometric properties would influence their role as basin regulators thus influencing a change in basin response. In the case of the basin's minimum low flow, a change in any of the properties considered in the regression model influenced the "time to peak" of flow. A shorter time period would mean higher discharge, which is generally considered the prerequisite to flooding. This research also conclude that the role of geomorphometric properties to control the water supply within the stream through out the year even though during the drought and less precipitations months. Drainage basins are sensitive entities and any deteriorations involve will generate reciprocals and response to the water supply as well as the habitat within the areas.