Transient flow analysis in a Roots blower: Experimental and numerical investigations

It is widely acknowledged that rotary positive displacement machines exhibit highly unsteady flow fields that affect their performance. The presence of the operational clearances impacts this unsteady flow field and further affects the performance. However, the exact nature of these unsteady flow mechanisms remains largely unknown that necessitates both detailed experimental investigations and computational modelling. Thus, the present study employs both optical visualization and unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier Stokes (URANS) computational modelling methods while focussing on investigating the transient flow field inside a Roots blower, a general type of the rotary positive displacement machine. Straight lobes in a Roots blower provide convenient optical access to experimentally analyse internal flow and compare it with the predictions obtained by standard computational models. In the first part of this paper, this study covers the low-speed experimental investigations using i) High-Speed Camera (HC), ii) the continuous High-Speed Particle Image Velocimetry (CPIV) and, iii) the instantaneous PIV (IPIV) obtained with a double pulse laser and a double shutter camera. Relative merits from these techniques are discussed with respect to the Roots blower unsteady flow mechanisms. In addition, computational analyses are performed using a combination of in-house and commercial modelling methods and the results are compared against the experiments. The results confirm the existence of highly three-dimensional and unsteady flow field where certain distinct flow mechanisms originating from the operational clearances impact the performance of the Roots blower. The study also highlights challenges of the experimental and computational methods used for evaluation of positive displacement machines that impact the accuracy of results

Low computational demand stray light correction method for hyperspectral imaging spectrometers

Stray light correction in hyperspectral imaging spectrometers has long been restricted by high computational requirements. This paper presents a low computational demand method, based on the matrix operations for spectrometer stray light correction, using an iterative approach to efficiently correct stray light across both spectral and spatial dimensions. The efficacy of this method is demonstrated through its application to simulated and real images, achieving an overall reduction of stray light by over 50%, with significantly reduced computation time and memory usage compared to the method by Zong et al. based on a sparse matrix [Appl. Opt. 45, 1111 (2006)]. By enabling stray light correction on general-purpose computers, this method enhances affordability and accessibility, promoting broader use and reducing measurement uncertainties in various hyperspectral imaging applications. (c) 2024 Optica Publishing Group. All rights, including for text and data mining (TDM), Artificial Intelligence (AI) training, and similar technologies, are reserved

SnS2@C Hollow Nanospheres with Robust Structural Stability as High-Performance Anodes for Sodium Ion Batteries

Abstract Constructing unique and highly stable structures with plenty of electroactive sites in sodium storage materials is a key factor for achieving improved electrochemical properties through favorable sodium ion diffusion kinetics. An SnS2@carbon hollow nanospheres (SnS2@C) has been designed and fabricated via a facile solvothermal route, followed by an annealing treatment. The SnS2@C hybrid possesses an ideal hollow structure, rich active sites, a large electrode/electrolyte interface, a shortened ion transport pathway, and, importantly, a buffer space for volume change, generated from the repeated insertion/extraction of sodium ions. These merits lead to the significant reinforcement of structural integrity during electrochemical reactions and the improvement in sodium storage properties, with a high specific reversible capacity of 626.8 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles at a current density of 0.2 A g−1 and superior high-rate performance (304.4 mAh g−1 at 5 A g−1)

Influence of two-phase suction injection on performances of the scroll refrigeration compressor with a high-temperature shell

The two-phase suction injection can reduce the discharge temperature of scroll refrigeration compressors, which work under a high-pressure ratio. The heat transfer along the pipe axis from the shell affects the two-phase suction injection significantly for the compressor with a high-temperature shell. In this paper, the suction mixing and heat transfer model was developed to calculate the heat transfer along the pipe axis from the high-temperature compressor shell. Then the model was coupled with the two-phase compressor model to obtain the compressor performance under different suction injection volume flow rates. The compressor with two-phase suction injection was tested under different injection volume flow rates to validate the model. The results indicated that the discharge temperature decreased by 2 °C when the mass injection ratio increased by 1%. As the injection volume flow rates increased, the total mass flow rate increased due to the reduction of the specific volume of the suction fluid; the input work decreased because of the reduction of specific work and the improvement of the motor's electric efficiency. The cooling capacity decreased since the cooling capacity of the injection refrigerant was wasted for cooling the suction process and the compressor shell, especially at high injection volume flow rates. The coefficient of performance reached the maximum value at the injection volume flow rate of 0.015 m3·h−1 and became lower than the coefficient of performance without injection when the injection volume flow rate raised to 0.035 m3·h−1. Hence, the two-phase suction injection can reduce the discharge temperature efficiently at low injection volume flow rates with a slight improvement of coefficient of performance. </jats:p