Megahertz Schlieren Imaging of Shock Structure and Sound Waves in Under-Expanded, Impinging Jets

The accompanying fluid dynamics videos visualize the temporal evolution of shock structures and sound waves in and around an under-expanded jet that is impinging on a rigid surface at varying pressure ratios. The recordings were obtained at frame rates of 500 kHz to 1 Mhz using a novel pulsed illumination source based on a high power light emitting diode (LED) which is operated in pulsed current mode synchronized to the camera frame rate.Comment: Contribution to "Gallery of Fluid Motion", 63rd Annual APS-DFD Meeting, Long Beach (CA

SMORE Phase 2: An Upgrade in Valve Systems & Startup Procedure for A Small Methanol Oxygen Liquid Rocket Engine

A Methanol-Oxygen liquid rocket engine was designed and manufactured under the California Polytechnic State University Aerospace Department by students in a graduate level rocket propulsion class. The SMORE, previously known as the KORE, is now in an ongoing testing and developing stage with plans to incorporate it into the aerospace undergraduate propulsion lab. Phase 2 of the liquid rocket engine development is to produce a start-up procedure that will improve the safety due to manual operation and poor ignition conditions. A propane ignition system along with the implementation of electrically operated solenoid valves to control the fuels and oxidizer were the preliminary approach to meeting the objective. However, after testing the propane ignition system it was found to have several shortcomings and instead a simpler re-designed spark igniter became the proven method for ignition without the need of an extra priming fuel, such as propane. Overall the objectives of the second phase of the SMORE were met and proven through live tests

Classifying the zoo of ultraluminous X-ray sources

Ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) are likely to include different physical types of objects. We discuss some possible subclasses, reviewing the properties of a sample of ULXs recently observed by Chandra and XMM-Newton. Sources with an isotropic X-ray luminosity up to a few times 10^{39} erg/s are consistent with ``normal'' stellar-mass X-ray binaries (mostly high-mass X-ray binaries in star-forming regions). Higher black hole (BH) masses (~ 50-100 M_sun) may be the end product of massive stellar evolution in peculiar environments: they may explain ULXs with luminosities ~ 1-2 x 10^{40} erg/s. Only a handful of ULXs require a true intermediate-mass BH (M >~ 500 M_sun). Finally, a small subclass of ULXs shows flaring or rapid variability in its power-law spectral component.Comment: Chinese Journal of Astronomy & Astrophysics, accepte

Analytical approach to ground heat losses for high temperature thermal storage systems

A new approach to estimate the heat loss from thermal energy storage tank foundations is presented. Results are presented through analytical correlations based on numerical solutions for the steady-state heat conduction problem for thermal energy slab-on-grade tanks with uniform insulation. Model results were verified with other well-established benchmark problems with similar boundary conditions and validated with experimental data with excellent agreement. In addition to the TES foundation heat loss, new correlations for the maximum temperature and for the radial evolution of the temperature underneath the insulation layer are also provided, giving important information related to the tank foundation design. The correlated variables are of primordial importance in the tank foundation design because, due to the typical high operating storage temperatures, an inappropriate tank foundation insulation would lead not only to a not desired loss of energy but also to an inadmissible increase of the temperatures underneath the insulation layer, affecting the structural stability of the tank. The proposed correlations provide a quick method for the estimation of total tank foundation heat losses and soil maximum temperature reached underneath the insulation layer, saving time, and cost on the engineering tank foundation design process. Finally, a comprehensive parametric analysis of the variables of interest is made and a set of cases covering a wide range of tank sizes, insulation levels, depths to water table, and storage temperatures are solved

Stability Analysis of Time-averaged Jet Flows: Fundamentals and Application

We report on experimental and theoretical investigations of shear flow instabilities in jet flows. Linear stability analysis is applied to the time-averaged flow taken from experiments, contrasting the ‘classic’ stability approach that is based on a stationary base flow. To some extend, mean flow stability eigenmodes may deal as a model for instability waves at their nonlinearly saturated state, which is typically encountered in experiments. The capability of mean flow stability models is first demonstrated on laminar oscillating jets where the primary interaction takes place between the mean flow and the instability wave. We then focus on turbulent swirling jets where additional interactions occur between the fine-scale turbulence and the instability waves. Swirling flows are widely used in combustion applications where the associated high turbulence levels and internal recirculation zones (vortex breakdown bubble) are exploited for flame stabilization. We demonstrate the application of mean flow stability analysis on the flow field of a industry- relevant swirl-stabilized flame. We show that the flame response to acoutstic perturbations is closely linked to the flow receptivity predicted from linear stability analysis, which suggests that the adopted theoretical framework is very useful for thermoacoustic modeling

Mesothelial cells: A cellular surrogate for tissue engineering of corneal endothelium

[Purpose]: To evaluate whether mouse adipose tissue mesothelial cells (ATMCs) share morphologic and biochemical characteristics with mouse corneal endothelial cells (CECs) and to evaluate their capacity to adhere to the decellularized basal membrane of human anterior lens capsules (HALCs) as a potential tissue-engineered surrogate for corneal endothelium replacement. [Methods]: Adipose tissue mesothelial cells were isolated from the visceral adipose tissue of adult mice, and their expression of several corneal endothelium markers was determined with quantitative RT-PCR, immunofluorescence, and Western blotting. Adipose tissue mesothelial cells were cultured in a mesothelial retaining phenotype medium (MRPM) and further seeded and cultured on top of the decellularized basal membrane of HALCs. ATMC-HALC composites were evaluated by optical microscopy, immunofluorescence, and transmission electron microscopy. [Results]: Mesothelial retaining phenotype medium-cultured ATMCs express the corneal endothelium markers COL4A2, COL8A2, SLC4A4, CAR2, sodium- and potassium-dependent adenosine triphosphatase (Na+/K+-ATPase), b-catenin, zona occludens-1, and N-cadherin in a pattern similar to that in mouse CECs. Furthermore, ATMCs displayed strong adhesion capacity onto the basal membrane of HALCs and formed a confluent monolayer within 72 hours of culture in MRPM. Ultrastructural morphologic and marker characteristics displayed by ATMC monolayer on HALCs clearly indicated that ATMCs retained their original phenotype of squamous epithelial-like cells. [Conclusions]: Corneal epithelial cells and ATMCs share morphologic (structural) and marker (functional) similarities. The ATMCs adhered and formed structures mimicking focal adhesion complexes with the HALC basal membrane. Monolayer structure and achieved density of ATMCs support the proposal to use adult human mesothelial cells (MCs) as a possible surrogate for damaged corneal endothelium.Supported by Fondos FEDER, Fundación Progreso y Salud, Consejería de Salud, Junta de Andalucía (Grant PI-0022/2008), INNPACTO Program (INP-2011-1615-900000), and SUDOE Program-BIOREG (Intereg SOE3/P1/E750); Consejer´ıa de Innovación Ciencia y Empresa, Junta de Andalucía (Grant CTS-6505); Ministry of Science and Innovation (Red TerCel-FEDER Grant RD12/0019/ 0028); Instituto de Salud Carlos III Grant PI10/00964); the Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs Advanced Therapies Program Grant TRA-120 (BS); and Corporación Tecnológica de Andalucía CTA (NBT). CIBERDEM is an initiative of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III.Peer Reviewe

EGF-induced adipose tissue mesothelial cells undergo functional vascular smooth muscle differentiation

Recent studies suggested that the post-natal mesothelium retain differentiative potential of the embryonic mesothelium, which generates fibroblasts and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), in developing coelomic organs via epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Whether adult mesothelial cells (MCs) are able to give rise to functional VSMCs in vitro and which are the factors and mechanisms directing this process remain largely unknown. Here, we isolated adipose tissue MCs (ATMCs) from adult mice, and demonstrated that ATMCs cultured in a serum-containing media supplemented with epidermal growth factor (EGF) efficiently increased both their proliferation and EMT above levels found in only serum-containing media cultures. EGF-induced ATMCs gained phosphorylation of the EGF receptor and activated simultaneously ILK/Erk1/2, PI3K/Akt and Smad2/3-dependent pathways. Sequential subculture onto collagen-I surface efficiently improved their vasculogenic EMT towards cells featuring VSMCs (α-SMA, calponin, caldesmon, SM22α, desmin, SM-MHC, smoothelin-B and PDGFR-β) that could actively contract in response to receptor and non-receptor-mediated vasoactive agonists. Overall, our results indentify EGF signalling as a robust vasculogenic inductive pathway for ATMCs, leading to their transdifferentiation into functional VSMC-like cells.Junta de Andalucía Grant PI-0022/2008Junta de Andalucía, Consejería de Innovación Ciencia y Empresa P07-CVI-279