262 research outputs found
Magnetic actuation of microparticles for mass transfer enhancement
This paper was presented at the 4th Micro and Nano Flows Conference (MNF2014), which was held at University College, London, UK. The conference was organised by Brunel University and supported by the Italian Union of Thermofluiddynamics, IPEM, the Process Intensification Network, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the Heat Transfer Society, HEXAG - the Heat Exchange Action Group, and the Energy Institute, ASME Press, LCN London Centre for Nanotechnology, UCL University College London, UCL Engineering, the International NanoScience Community, www.nanopaprika.eu.The motion of magnetic microparticles (250μm diameter) in a circular microfluidic reactor with a diameter of 10 mm under time dependent magnetic field has been studied using CFD code COMSOL. The effect of actuation protocol on the local and average particle velocity has been investigated. The local Sh numbers were obtained as a function of angular particle position in the range of Re numbers between 0.05 and 10 while the particle velocity was changed over two orders of magnitude. Under time dependent magnetic field, the thickness of the boundary layer continuously changes which results in an increased mass transfer towards the particle surface under periodic particle velocity conditions as compared to steady state velocity conditions. A good agreement between numerical and experimental data has been observed
Two-stage electrochemical synthesis of double molybdenum carbides
A new two-stage synthesis of double molybdenum and nickel carbides and high-activity and stable catalytic coatings of nickel-promoter molybdenum carbides in salt melts is developed. The first stage includes the formation of molybdenum-nickel alloys by an electrolytic method and currentless transfer in chloride melts. The second stage consists in the carbonization of the alloys in a chloride-carbonate melt under various synthesis conditions. The stabilities of the nickel-promoter catalytic systems are studied, and their catalytic activities in the back water-gas shift reaction are determined
Optimization of magnetic actuation protocol to enhance mass transfer in solid/liquid microfluidic systems
This paper was presented at the 4th Micro and Nano Flows Conference (MNF2014), which was held at University College, London, UK. The conference was organised by Brunel University and supported by the Italian Union of Thermofluiddynamics, IPEM, the Process Intensification Network, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the Heat Transfer Society, HEXAG - the Heat Exchange Action Group, and the Energy Institute, ASME Press, LCN London Centre for Nanotechnology, UCL University College London, UCL Engineering, the International NanoScience Community, www.nanopaprika.eu.The dynamic properties of a 250 m magnetic microparticle in a time varying magnetic field have been studied in a PDMS microreactor with a diameter of 13 mm using a dual coupled quadrupolar arrangement of electromagnets. A sinusoidal applied magnetic field has dictated a circular motion of the particles in the microreactor in the frequency range below 0.6 Hz. Different circular motion modes have been observed at higher frequencies of the applied field. The particular symmetric arrangement of the magnets has allowed a non-steady-state motion with variation in velocity between magnetic poles. The motion of magnetic particle has been described in terms of average velocity and mean square deviation from average velocity. The effect of actuation protocol parameters (frequency, magnetic field strength and phase shift) on particle velocity and acceleration has been investigated. The maximum average velocity of 0.016 m/s has been observed under an optimized actuation protocol. The mass transfer rate towards the particle surface is mainly influenced by the average velocity while the effect of acceleration/deceleration of the particle has an order of magnitude less influence
CHANGES IN THE LEVELS OF ANGIOTENSIN II, ALDOSTERONE, AND FIBROBLAST GROWTH FACTOR IN PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS IN RELATION TO CLINICAL FEATURES
Angiotensin II, aldosterone, and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) stimulate neoangiogenesis, fibroblast proliferation, and elaboration of proinflammatory cytokines, which in turn contributes to increased pannus mass and the development of joint tissue destruction in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Objective: to establish the specific features of changes in the blood levels of angiotensin II, aldosterone, and FGF in patients with RA in relation to the duration and severity of the disease.Subjects and methods. Examinations were made in 194 patients diagnosed with RA without comorbidity; the patients’ mean age was 47.7±10.2 years; the disease duration was 3.82±3.43 years. DAS28 scores for RA were calculated based on C-reactive protein levels. An enzyme immunoassay was used to determine the serum levels of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (ACCPA), angiotensin II, aldosterone, and FGF.Results and discussion. All the examinees were ascertained to have increases in the concentration of angiotensin II and aldosterone in blood by twice and in that of FGF by 2.5 times compared to the controls (p < 0.05). In patients with a RA duration of < 2 years, the blood level of angiotensin II was 25% higher than in those with a RA duration of > 5 years and the concentrations of aldosterone and FGF in patients with long-term RA were twice as high as in those with early RA. In patients with high RA activity, the blood level of angiotensin II was 1.5-fold higher than in those with low and moderate disease activity (p < 0.05). In patients with a high blood ACCPA level, the concentrations of angiotensin II, aldosterone, and FGF were 20, 30, and 25%, respectively, higher than in those with low ACCPA levels. The correlation of DAS28 with blood angiotensin II levels increased with enhanced RA activity. The high aldosterone and FGF values in RA patients are associated with the progression of joint radiographic changes
Film properties and in-situ optical analysis of TiO2 layers synthesized by remote plasma ALD
TiO2 is a widely studied material due to its optical and photocatalytic properties and its hydrophilic nature after prolonged UV exposure. When synthesized by atomic layer deposition (ALD) the TiO2 can be deposited with ultimate growth control with a high conformality on demanding topologies and even at room temperature when e.g. using a plasma based process. We report on the deposition of TiO2 films using remote plasma ALD with titanium (IV) isopropoxide as precursor and O2 plasma as oxidant. Stochiometric TiO2 films with carbon and hydrogen levels below the detection limit of Rutherford backscattering/elastic recoil detection (<2 at.%) have been deposited within the temperature range of 25°C to 300°C. Depending on the ALD conditions and film thickness amorphous films turn anatase for temperatures higher than 200°C as revealed by X-ray diffraction. It is demonstrated that this change in crystal phase can also be observed by spectroscopic ellipsometry revealing an increase in growth rate per cycle (from typically 0.45 Å/cycle to 0.7 Å/cycle) and change in bandgap (from 3.4 eV to 3.7 eV) when the TiO2 becomes anatase. An accompanying change in surface topology is clearly observed by atomic force microscopy. The hydrophilicity of low temperature TiO2 films is studied by contact angle measurements for adhesion purposes revealing that the amorphous films are super-hydrophilic after UV exposure
Third and fourth degree collisional moments for inelastic Maxwell models
The third and fourth degree collisional moments for -dimensional inelastic
Maxwell models are exactly evaluated in terms of the velocity moments, with
explicit expressions for the associated eigenvalues and cross coefficients as
functions of the coefficient of normal restitution. The results are applied to
the analysis of the time evolution of the moments (scaled with the thermal
speed) in the free cooling problem. It is observed that the characteristic
relaxation time toward the homogeneous cooling state decreases as the
anisotropy of the corresponding moment increases. In particular, in contrast to
what happens in the one-dimensional case, all the anisotropic moments of degree
equal to or less than four vanish in the homogeneous cooling state for .Comment: 15 pages, 3 figures; v2: addition of two new reference
Simulation study of a pulsed DBD with an electrode containing charge injector parts
By using a multispecies fluid model, the tunability and controllability of plasma parameters such as distributions of electron density, electron energy, ion density, and electric field in a microdielectric barrier discharge (DBD) with a charge injector electrode and driven by negatively polarized nanosecond pulsed voltage superimposed on a positive DC bias voltage are investigated. To this end, the effects of changing features of pulsed voltage like pulse rise time (10–20 ns), pulse peak width (10–15 ns), and pulse fall time (20–30 ns) on characteristics of argon plasma formed inside the reactor are studied. The results show that with the increase in pulse width and pulse rise time, the density of electron and ion increases, while fall time change does not significantly affect the plasma parameters. Generally, the results of this study explicitly prove the possibility of controlling plasma formed inside DBD reactors driven by negative pulse voltage combined with a positive DC voltage, which is very important in waste gas conversion applications
Mathematical model of diesel engine characteristics for determining the performance of traction dynamics of wheel-type tractor
Wheel-type tractors carry out a range of processing operations, with the exception of early spring work, when caterpillar tractors are used to reduce the compaction effect on the soil. Therefore, to plan the costs and reserves associated with fuel consumption, it is necessary to have an estimate of the fuel economy of the tractor in basic agricultural operations. An objective assessment of fuel consumption requires a mathematical model that describes the fuel characteristics of the engine, taking into account the speed and load torque in a wide range of variation. Verification of the model is possible only with experimental data. Since the efficiency and fuel economy of a tractor depends not only on engine performance, but also on the perfection of the
transmission, the running system and the rational choice of speed, it is necessary to take into account the time-varying nature of the tractor’s traction load. The complex of agricultural operations can be divided into characteristic cycles of load change over time. This principle is the basis of PowerMix test cycles, which are conducted on a concrete track to ensure repeatability of the experiment. The use of the variable load on the tractor in the PowerMix tests is positive, but in actual field tests the results may differ due to the instability of the soil properties. On the other hand, PowerMix field cycles can be taken as standard test loads in the simulation of tractor traction tests on the ground
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