3,718 research outputs found
Validation of a physically-based solid oxide fuel cell anode model combining 3D tomography and impedance spectroscopy
This study presents a physically-based model for the simulation of impedance spectra in solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) composite anodes. The model takes into account the charge transport and the charge-transfer reaction at the three-phase boundary distributed along the anode thickness, as well as the phenomena at the electrode/electrolyte interface and the multicomponent gas diffusion in the test rig. The model is calibrated with experimental impedance spectra of cermet anodes made of nickel and scandia-stabilized zirconia and satisfactorily validated in electrodes with different microstructural properties, quantified through focused ion beam SEM tomography. Besides providing the material-specific kinetic parameters of the electrochemical hydrogen oxidation, this study shows that the correlation between electrode microstructure and electrochemical performance can be successfully addressed by combining physically-based modelling, impedance spectroscopy and 3D tomography. This approach overcomes the limits of phenomenological equivalent circuits and is suitable for the interpretation of experimental data and for the optimisation of the electrode microstructure
Guidelines for the rational design and engineering of 3D manufactured solid oxide fuel cell composite electrodes
The growth of 3D printing has opened the scope for designing microstructures for solid oxide fuel cell s (SOFCs) with improved power density and lifeti me. This technique can introduce structural modifications at a scale larger than particle size but smaller than cell size, such as by inserting electrolyte pillars of ~5 - 100 µ m. This study sets the minimum requirements for the rational design of 3D printed electrodes based on an electrochemical model and analytical solutions for functional layers with negligible electronic resistance and no mixed conduction . Results show that this structural modification enhances the power density when the ratio k eff betwee n effective conductivity and bulk conductivity of the ionic phase is smaller than 0.5. The maximum performance improvement is predicted as a function of k eff . A design study on a wide range of pillar shapes indicates that improvements are achieved by any s tructural modification which provides ionic conduction up to a characteristic thickness ~10 - 40 µ m without removing active volume at the electrolyte interface. The best performance is reached for thin ( ~80 µ m) pillars when the composite electrode is optimised for ma ximum three - phase boundary density, pointing towards the design of scaffolds with well - defined geometry and fractal structures
Rapid induction of dopamine sensitization in the nucleus accumbens shell induced by a single injection of cocaine
Repeated intermittent exposure to cocaine results in the neurochemical sensitization of dopamine (DA) transmission within the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Indeed, the excitability of DA neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) is enhanced within hours of initial psychostimulant exposure. However, it is not known if this is accompanied by a comparably rapid change in the ability of cocaine to increase extracellular DA concentrations in the ventral striatum. To address this question we used fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) in awake-behaving rats to measure DA responses in the NAc shell following an initial intravenous cocaine injection, and then again 2-hours later. Both injections quickly elevated DA levels in the NAc shell, but the second cocaine infusion produced a greater effect than the first, indicating sensitization. This suggests that a single injection of cocaine induces sensitization-related plasticity very rapidly within the mesolimbic DA system
Electrochemical simulation of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell electrodes: an integrated approach to address the microstructure-performance correlation
Understanding the complex interplay between electrode microstructure and electrochemical performance is one of the key aspects for the optimization of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC). Physically-based modelling, at different levels of sophistication, can provide a valuable insight in order to help the interpretation of experimental data and provide design indications to improve electrode stability and performance. In this contribution we summarize the different modelling approaches used in our group, ranging from physically-based equivalent circuits, continuum conservation models and 3D models solved within the reconstructed electrode microstructure. When necessary, these models are coupled with percolation theory, packing algorithms and tomographic techniques. Special focus is given to the application of the models to interpret impedance spectra and their thorough validation under different conditions. Examples include the application of the models to electrodes with different microstructures, the study of the degradation mechanisms of Ni-infiltrated anodes as well as impedance simulations in real microstructures (Figure 1). Results reveal that coupling physically-based modelling, impedance spectroscopy and 3D tomography is a promising approach to gain a fundamental understanding of the phenomena occurring at different length scales in SOFC electrodes, allowing for interpreting and planning experiments as well as to design more stable and more efficient electrodes
A Comparison of Airborne In Situ Cloud Microphysical Measurement with Ground-Based C-Band Radar Observations in Deep Stratiform Regions of African Squall Lines
This study addresses clouds with significant ice water content (IWC) in the stratiform regions downwind of the convective cores of African squall lines in the framework of the French–Indian satellite Megha-Tropiques project, observed in August 2010 next to Niamey (13.5°N, 2°E) in the southwestern part of Niger. The objectives included comparing the IWC–Z reflectivity relationship for precipitation radars in deep stratiform anvils, collocating reflectivity observed from ground radar with the calculated reflectivity from in situ microphysics for all aircraft locations inside the radar range, and interpreting the role of large ice crystals in the reflectivity of centimeter radars through analysis of their microphysical characteristics as ice crystals larger than 5 mm frequently occurred. It was found that, in the range of 20–30 dBZ, IWC and C-band reflectivity are not really correlated. Cloud regions with high IWC caused by important crystal number concentrations can lead to the same reflectivity factor as cloud regions with low IWC formed by a few millimeter-sized ice crystals
Front pinning in capillary filling of chemically coated channels
The dynamics of capillary filling in the presence of chemically coated
heterogeneous boundaries is investigated, both theoretically and numerically.
In particular, by mapping the equations of front motion onto the dynamics of a
dissipative driven oscillator, an analytical criterion for front pinning is
derived, under the condition of diluteness of the coating spots. The criterion
is tested against two dimensional Lattice Boltzmann simulations, and found to
provide satisfactory agreement as long as the width of the front interface
remains much thinner than the typical heterogeneity scale of the chemical
coating.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Physical Review
Effect of Revalor-XR and Revalor-XH on Heifer Performance and Carcass Characteristics
A feedlot study evaluated the effects of 4 implant strategies (Revalor-XR on day 1, Revalor-XH on day 1, Revalor-200 on day 1, and Revalor-200 on day 70) on growth performance and carcass characteristics of feedlot heifers compared to non-implanted heifers fed 198 days. Intake was not impacted by treatments. Implanted cattle had greater carcass-adjusted ADG and lower F:G compared to cattle that received no implant. Implanted treatments had significantly greater HCW, dressing percentages, and lower marbling scores compared to non-implanted cattle. Heifers implanted with Revalor-XR, Revalor-XH, and Revalor-200 on day 70 had larger LM area resulting in lower calculated yield grades compared to Revalor-200 administered on day 1 and control cattle. The response in gain, feed efficiency, and yield grade suggest that Revalor-XR, Revalor-XH, and Revalor-200 implanted on day 70 respond similarly when heifers are fed to similar days
Covariant analysis of Newtonian multi-fluid models for neutron stars: I Milne-Cartan structure and variational formulation
This is the first of a series of articles showing how 4 dimensionally
covariant analytical procedures developed in the context of General Relativity
can be usefully adapted for application in a purely Newtonian framework where
they provide physical insights (e.g. concerning helicity currents) that are not
so easy to obtain by the traditional approach based on a 3+1 space time
decomposition. After an introductory presentation of the relevant Milne
spacetime structure and the associated Cartan connection, the essential
principles are illustrated by application to the variational formulation of
simple barotropic perfect fluid models. This variational treatment is then
extended to conservative multiconstituent self gravitating fluid models of the
more general kind that is needed for treating the effects of superfluidity in
neutron stars.Comment: 35 pages Latex, with typo corrections and updated reference
Nucleon scattering with higgsino and wino cold dark matter
Neutralinos that are mostly wino or higgsino are shown to be compatible with
the recent DAMA annual modulation signal. The nucleon scattering rates for
these dark matter candidates are typically an order of magnitude above the
oft-considered bino. Although thermal evolution of higgsino and wino number
densities in the early universe implies that they are not viable dark matter
candidates, non-thermal sources, such as from gravitino or moduli decay in
anomaly mediated supersymmetry breaking, suggest that they can be the dominant
source of cold dark matter. Their stealthiness at high energy colliders gives
even more impetus to analyze nucleon scattering detection methods. We also
present calculations for their predicted scattering rate with Germanium
detectors, which have yet to see evidence of WIMP scattering.Comment: 16 pages, LaTex, 4 figures, uses feynMF, minor changes made for PRD
publicatio
Reduction of neurovascular damage resulting from microelectrode insertion into the cerebral cortex using
Penetrating neural probe technologies allow investigators to record electrical signals in the brain. The implantation of probes causes acute tissue damage, partially due to vasculature disruption during probe implantation. This trauma can cause abnormal electrophysiological responses and temporary increases in neurotransmitter levels, and perpetuate chronic immune responses. A significant challenge for investigators is to examine neurovascular features below the surface of the brain in vivo. The objective of this study was to investigate localized bleeding resulting from inserting microscale neural probes into the cortex using two-photon microscopy (TPM) and to explore an approach to minimize blood vessel disruption through insertion methods and probe design. 3D TPM images of cortical neurovasculature were obtained from mice and used to select preferred insertion positions for probe insertion to reduce neurovasculature damage. There was an 82.8 ± 14.3% reduction in neurovascular damage for probes inserted in regions devoid of major (>5 µm) sub-surface vessels. Also, the deviation of surface vessels from the vector normal to the surface as a function of depth and vessel diameter was measured and characterized. 68% of the major vessels were found to deviate less than 49 µm from their surface origin up to a depth of 500 µm. Inserting probes more than 49 µm from major surface vessels can reduce the chances of severing major sub-surface neurovasculature without using TPM.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/85401/1/7_4_046011.pd
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