Numerical simul tion of droplet impact erosion : dang van fatigue approach

The aim of this work is to understand the erosion mechanism caused by repeated water droplets impingement on a metallic structure, and then perform numerical simulations of the damage. When a high velocity water droplet with small diameter impacts a rigid surface, interaction is driven by inertial effects. Upon impact, the “water-hammer” pressure appears by inertial effect at the center of the contact though the maximum pressure occurs on the envelope of the contact area. Lateral jetting occurs by compression when the wave front travelling inside droplet overtakes the contact area. Concerning the structure, erosion is due to fatigue crack- ing. First, material grains are weakened during an “incubation” phase. After a large number of impacts, micro-cracks emerge and lead to ejection or fracture of grains, what is called “am- plification” phase. Numerical simulation including rigid solid allows to locate the most loaded zones of the area, by observing the pressure and mainly the impulse. A 2-way coupling compu- tation with fluid-structure interaction at macroscopic scale allows to confirm the fatigue-based mechanism by observing the hydrostatic stress. Finally, erosion program developed with Dang Van criterion provides the location of the most eroded zones of the structure during a loading cycle. They locate at the edge of jetting zone, which shows the influence of microjets in the erosion mechanism

Implicit iterative particle shifting for meshless numerical schemes using kernel basis functions

A novel particle shifting technique (PST) for meshless numerical methods is presented. The proposed methodology uses an implicit iterative particle shifting (IIPS) technique aiming to reduce the spatial particle’ anisotropy, which is associated with the discretization error in meshless numerical schemes based on kernel basis functions. The algorithm controls the particle spatial distribution through an implicit minimization problem, related to the particle concentration gradient and therefore, to the particles’ anisotropy. This results in accurate particle distributions, to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, the IIPS algorithm is tested within a smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) framework, with static and kinematic cases, by examining the particle distributions and the corresponding spatial accuracy. Further, the computational cost of the proposed methodology is reported and it is shown that it introduces minimal overhead. Moreover, the simulations of the Taylor–Green vortex (TGV), employing a weakly-compressible SPH Navier–Stokes solver, confirmed the superior accuracy of the IIPS in comparison to existing explicit shifting approaches, in simulating internal flows

An experimental approach for in-situ characterization of dynamic dissipative properties of road pavements

The dissipative properties of road pavements may have beneficial effects to reduce vehicle vibrations, traffic noise, vehicles-structure dynamic interaction, and degradation of pavement materials. Assessing the dissipative capacity and the damping properties of road pavements is, therefore, of critical importance. Such assessment has been mainly conducted in recent years by laboratory-scale dynamic experiments, while little effort has been devoted to insitu tests. The latter are, in fact, cumbersome for practical reasons and typically require a more advanced data analysis when highly coupled modes of vibration are involved. Due to the heterogeneity of the road structure, classical methods are not capable of accurately estimating the road damping properties. The present study proposes an alternative experimental approach based on recording signals from accelerometers embedded in the road, which is impacted by an instrumented hammer. The data are analyzed both in the frequency and in the time domains through the combined use of stabilization diagrams and energy decay tools. Multi-mode fitting algorithms are employed to construct stabilization diagrams for the identification of resonance frequencies, while energy decay curves allow for a robust evaluation of the damping values at the identified frequencies. The effectiveness of the approach was assessed on an asphalt road structure

Simulation des écoulements à surface libre dans les turbines Pelton par une méthode hybride SPH-ALE

International audienceAn Arbitrary Lagrange Euler (ALE) description of fluid flows is used together with the meshless numerical method Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) to simulate free surface flows. The ALE description leads to an hybrid method that can be closely connected to the finite volume approach. It is then possible to adapt some common techniques like upwind schemes and preconditioning to remedy some of the well known drawbacks of SPH like stability and accuracy. An efficient boundary treatment based on a proper upwinding of fluid information at the boundary surface is settled. The resulting SPH-ALE numerical method is applied to simulate free surface flows encountered in Pelton turbines.La méthode numérique sans maillage Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) est modifiée par l'adoption d'une description Arbitrary Lagrange Euler (ALE) des écoulements fluides, dans le but de simuler des écoulements à surface libre. Le formalisme ALE conduit à une méthode numérique hybride s'apparentant sur de nombreux points à une approche volumes finis. Il est alors possible d'adapter des techniques numériques courantes comme les schémas décentrés et le préconditionnement pour résoudre certains défauts majeurs de la méthode SPH, comme la stabilité numérique ou le manque de précision. Par ailleurs, le traitement des conditions limites est réalisé par un décentrement approprié des informations fluides sur les surfaces frontières. La méthode numérique SPH-ALE résultante est appliquée à la simulation d'écoulements à surface libre tels que ceux rencontrés dans les turbines Pelton

Effect of beetroot juice supplementation on aerobic response during swimming

The beneficial effects of beetroot juice supplementation (BJS) have been tested during cycling, walking, and running. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether BJS can also improve performance in swimmers. Fourteen moderately trained male master swimmers were recruited and underwent two incremental swimming tests randomly assigned in a pool during which workload, oxygen uptake (VO2), carbon dioxide production (VCO2), pulmonary ventilation (VE), and aerobic energy cost (AEC) of swimming were measured. One was a control swimming test (CSW) and the other a swimming test after six days of BJS (0.5l/day organic beetroot juice containing about 5.5 mmol of NO3 -). Results show that workload at anaerobic threshold was significantly increased by BJS as compared to the CSW test (6.3 ± 1 and 6.7 ± 1.1 kg during the CSW and the BJS test respectively). Moreover, AEC was significantly reduced during the BJS test (1.9 ± 0.5 during the SW test vs. 1.7 ± 0.3 kcal·kg-1·h-1 during the BJS test). The other variables lacked a statistically significant effect with BJS. The present investigation provides evidence that BJS positively affects performance of swimmers as it reduces the AEC and increases the workload at anaerobic threshold

Nanotechnology for natural medicine: Formulation of neem oil loaded phospholipid vesicles modified with argan oil as a strategy to protect the skin from oxidative stress and promote wound healing

Neem oil, a plant-derived product rich in bioactives, has been incorporated in liposomes and hyalurosomes modified by adding argan oil and so called argan-liposomes and argan-hyaluro-somes. Argan oil has also been added to the vesicles because of its regenerative and protective effects on skin. In the light of this, vesicles were specifically tailored to protect the skin from oxidative stress and treat lesions. Argan-liposomes were the smallest vesicles (~113 nm); the addition of sodium hyaluronate led to an increase in vesicle size (~143 nm) but it significantly improved vesicle stability during storage. In vitro studies confirmed the free radical scavenging activity of formula-tions, irrespective of their composition. Moreover, rheological investigation confirmed the higher viscosity of argan-hyalurosomes, which avoid formulation leakage after application. In vitro studies performed by using the most representative cells of the skin (i.e., keratinocytes and fibroblasts) un-derlined the ability of vesicles, especially argan-liposomes and argan-hyalurosomes, to counteract ox-idative stress induced in these cells by using hydrogen peroxide and to improve the proliferation and migration of cells ensuring the more rapid and even complete closure of the wound (scratch assay)

Longitudinal phase-space manipulation with beam-driven plasma wakefields

The development of compact accelerator facilities providing high-brightness beams is one of the most challenging tasks in field of next-generation compact and cost affordable particle accelerators, to be used in many fields for industrial, medical and research applications. The ability to shape the beam longitudinal phase-space, in particular, plays a key role to achieve high-peak brightness. Here we present a new approach that allows to tune the longitudinal phase-space of a high-brightness beam by means of a plasma wakefields. The electron beam passing through the plasma drives large wakefields that are used to manipulate the time-energy correlation of particles along the beam itself. We experimentally demonstrate that such solution is highly tunable by simply adjusting the density of the plasma and can be used to imprint or remove any correlation onto the beam. This is a fundamental requirement when dealing with largely time-energy correlated beams coming from future plasma accelerators

Focusing of high-brightness electron beams with active-plasma lenses

Plasma-based technology promises a tremendous reduction in size of accelerators used for research, medical, and industrial applications, making it possible to develop tabletop machines accessible for a broader scientific community. By overcoming current limits of conventional accelerators and pushing particles to larger and larger energies, the availability of strong and tunable focusing optics is mandatory also because plasma-accelerated beams usually have large angular divergences. In this regard, active-plasma lenses represent a compact and affordable tool to generate radially symmetric magnetic fields several orders of magnitude larger than conventional quadrupoles and solenoids. However, it has been recently proved that the focusing can be highly nonlinear and induce a dramatic emittance growth. Here, we present experimental results showing how these nonlinearities can be minimized and lensing improved. These achievements represent a major breakthrough toward the miniaturization of next-generation focusing devices

An International Survey of Front-End Receivers and Observing Performance of Telescopes for Radio Astronomy

This paper presents a survey of microwave front-end receivers installed at radio telescopes throughout the World. This unprecedented analysis was conducted as part of a review of front-end developments for Italian radio telescopes, initiated by the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics in 2016. Fifteen international radio telescopes have been selected to be representative of the instrumentation used for radio astronomical observations in the frequency domain from 300 MHz to 116 GHz. A comprehensive description of the existing receivers is presented and their characteristics are compared and discussed. The observing performances of the complete receiving chains are also presented. An overview of on-going developments illustrates and anticipates future trends in front-end projects to meet the most ambitious scientific research goals.Comment: 34 pages, 13 figures, accepted to PAS

Vaccine-induced severe thrombotic thrombocytopenia following COVID-19 vaccination: A report of an autoptic case and review of the literature

OBJECTIVE: Vaccine-induced immune thrombocytopenia (VITT) is a new syndrome occurring primarily in healthy young adults, with a female predominance, after receiving the first dose of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine. We describe VITT syndrome characterized by severe thrombosis and thrombocytopenia found in our patient, with fatal outcome. CASE REPORT: A 5 8-year-old m an, a fter 13 days from the first administration of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (AstraZeneca), presented with abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomitus. Laboratory tests revealed a severe thrombocytopenia, low fibrinogen serum levels and marked increase of D-dimer serum levels. The patient quickly developed a multiple organ failure, till death, three days after the hospital admission. RESULTS: At histology, in the lungs, interalveolar septa appeared thickened with microthrombi in the capillaries and veins. Interalveolar septa appeared thickened and showed vascular proliferation. Thrombi were detected in the capillaries of glomerular tufts. In the hearth, thrombi were observed in veins and capillaries. In the liver, voluminous fibrin thrombi were diffusely observed in the branches of the portal vein. Microthrombi were also found in the vasa vasorum of the wall of abdominal aorta. In the brain, microthrombi were observed in the capillaries of the choroid plexuses. Diffuse hemorrhagic necrosis was observed in the intestinal wall with marked congestion of the venous vessels. CONCLUSIONS: In our patient, the majority of data necessary for a VITT final diagnosis were present: thrombocytopenia and thrombosis in pulmonary, portal, hepatic, renal and mesenteric veins, associated with a marked increase of D-dimer serum levels. The finding of cerebral thrombosis in choroid plexuses, is a new finding in VITT. These features are suggestive for a very aggressive form of VITT