Numerical simulation of the PEM fuel cell performance enhancement by various blockage arrangement of the cathode serpentine gas flow channel outlets/inlets

In this paper, performance enhancement of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells by changing the outlet/inlet configuration of parallel-serpentine flow field is investigated. The geometrical changes of the channel outlets/inlets are designed to amplify the effects of transverse over-rib convection in the gas diffusion and catalyst layers. A three-dimensional and two-phase simulation of the fuel cell performance with four flow fields of parallel-serpentine, serpentine-baffled, serpentine-interdigitated and serpentine-stepped channel is conducted and the results are presented in the form of polarization curves, contours of velocity, oxygen concentration, liquid water saturation, local current density, and the dissolved water content. The results show that the liquid saturation volume coverage is reduced from 0.832 for the parallel-serpentine flow field to 0.514 for the serpentine-baffled flow field. Also, the regions with high concentration of oxygen was improved by 26.7% between these two cases. Due to the increase in oxygen delivery to the catalyst layer and better water removal on the cathode side, the serpentine-baffled, serpentine-interdigitated, and serpentine-stepped flow channel geometries showed a significant increase in performance compared to the parallel-serpentine case. The highest net power has resulted for the serpentine-baffled case so that at a current density of 1.5 A/cm(2), a performance increase of 38.5% was achieved compared to the parallel-serpentine case. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Cathodoluminescence, micro thermometry and laser raman spectroscopy studies on hydrothermal quartz in Latala deposit, Central Iran

National audienceThe Latala base and precious metals deposit is hosted by quartz veins, associated with a porphyry pluton intruded into a Cenozoic volcanic sequence. Euhedral quartz with sulfide mineralization such as pyrite, chalcopyrite, galena and sphalerite, with minor sulfosalts occurs in these veins as open space fillings and minor replacement bodies. Progressive growth of quartz crystals is evidenced by their texture revealed by cathodoluminescence imaging. The analysis of fluid inclusions indicate a decreasing homogenization temperature from 350°C in the core to 135°C along the edge of the quartz crystals with overgrowths. The presence of CO2 vapor suggested by the thermometric analysis is confirmed by Raman spectrometry. The solid phases in fluid inclusions identified as phyllosilicates, presumably muscovite and illite, chlorite, quartz and carbonate-mineral such as (Natrocarbonate, Dawsonite) by petrography and Raman spectrometry. Solid phase of halite were identified in two fluid inclusions. The homogenization temperature and salinity varies between 131 to 380 °C and 0.17 to 7.7 wt.% NaCl eq respectively. The properties of fluid inclusions corresponds to a magmatic hydrothermal fluid circulating from depth to shallower environments. The sulfur isotopic composition for galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite and pyrite varies between -9.8 and -1‰, which correspond to values of magmatic sulfur. The δ34S values from +1.8 to -9.2‰ are in the range of hydrothermal fluids. Fluid inclusions features show a magmatic hydrothermal source which transported magmatic fluid and vapor from the depth through fractures to shallow environment. It suggests that magmatic water mixing with meteoric water was responsible for transportation of metals in Latala. Epithermal mineral precipitation during boiling, mixing and water-rock interaction formed hydrothermal quartz and sulfide mineralization. The available evidence suggests that the hydrothermal fluids changed from magmatic to epithermal in the region

Evolution of the mineralizing fluids and possible genetic links between Miduk porphyry copper and Latala vein type deposits, Kerman copper belt, South Iran

International audienceThe Cenozoic Urumieh-DokhtarMagmaticBelt (UDMB) of Iran is a major host to porphyry Cu-Mo-Au deposits (PCDs), represented by the world-class Sarcheshmeh deposit and Miduk deposit in the south and the Sungun deposit in the north. Vein type, base and/or precious metal deposits are also common and some are spatially associated with PCDs. Latala and Chahmessi are vein type, base and precious metal deposits in the north and southwest Miduk deposit. The area is covered mainly by Paleocene-Eocene volcanic and pyroclastic rocks of basaltic, basaltic-andesitic and trachy-andesitic compositions, and minor marls and limestones. The volcanic and pyroclastic rocks are intruded by Miocene shallow intrusions of quartz diorite, quartz monzonite and granodiorite compositions.The rocks are host to a set of ore-bearing quartz veins. Mineralization in both the Chahmessi and Latala deposits are controlled by faults and fractures. The role of the ring structures and faults in the distribution of hydrothermal alteration zones and mineralization is important in the Latala deposit. In these veins, euhedral quartz with sulfide mineralization occurs as open space fillings, minor replacement bodies and hydrothermal breccia. The veins consist of quartz, calcite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, galena, sphalerite, bornite and minor sulfosalts, particularly enargite. According to studies based on fluid inclusions in the Miduk porphyry, three types of fluids are responsible for mineralization. Homogenization temperatures and salinity in porphyry-type fluids vary from 566 to 162 °C and 61.3 to 1.2 wt% NaCl equiv. For the Latala vein type base and precious metals deposit, homogenization temperature and salinity vary from 380 to 131 °C and 10.6 to 0.17 wt% NaCl equiv. The gas phase in fluid inclusions of Latala is dominated by CO 2 but also shows the presence of CO and H 2 , characterizing reducing conditions associated with ore deposition. The change from lithostatic to hydrostatic regime, boiling and fluid dilution associated with the introduction of meteoric fluids provides an explanation for the widespread Th and salinity data. Calculated pressure for examples of Miduk fluid inclusions varies from 700 to 200 bars. These pressures correspond to depths of 2500 to 1500 metres for porphyry mineralization. The three-phase fluid inclusions, corresponding to magmatic fluid, show the highest pressure. The Latala base and precious metals deposit has formed at pressures between 200 and 100 bars, corresponding to a depth of less than 1 km. Sphalerite mineralization occurs in shallow parts of the sedimentary-volcanic sequence from magmatic fluids diluted by meteoric fluids and also occurs in more distal parts of the porphyry. The sulphur isotopic composition for sulfide minerals varies between-9.8 and-1.0‰, which correspond to values of magmatic sulfur. This suggests that magmatic water was responsible for transportation of metals in Latala. Epithermal mineral precipitation occurred upon dilution of the low-salinity magmatic fluid with meteoric water, which entered the hydrothermal system as it cooled and successively diluted during continued magmatic fluid ascent

Identification of a therapeutic interfering particle—A single-dose SARS-CoV-2 antiviral intervention with a high barrier to resistance

Viral-deletion mutants that conditionally replicate and inhibit the wild-type virus (i.e., defective interfering particles, DIPs) have long been proposed as single-administration interventions with high genetic barriers to resistance. However, theories predict that robust, therapeutic DIPs (i.e., therapeutic interfering particles, TIPs) must conditionally spread between cells with R0 >1. Here, we report engineering of TIPs that conditionally replicate with SARS-CoV-2, exhibit R0 >1, and inhibit viral replication 10- to 100-fold. Inhibition occurs via competition for viral replication machinery, and a single administration of TIP RNA inhibits SARS-CoV-2 sustainably in continuous cultures. Strikingly, TIPs maintain efficacy against neutralization-resistant variants (e.g., B.1.351). In hamsters, both prophylactic and therapeutic intranasal administration of lipid-nanoparticle TIPs durably suppressed SARS-CoV-2 by 100-fold in the lungs, reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine expression, and prevented severe pulmonary edema. These data provide proof of concept for a class of single-administration antivirals that may circumvent current requirements to continually update medical countermeasures against new variants