Japanese activities in refrigeration technology

Recent activities in refrigeration technology in Japan are discussed. Stirling cycle refrigerators and magnetic refrigerators are discussed. The development of units for use on trains is discussed

Desperate housewives: An analysis of the characterisations of female gamblers portrayed in gambling movies in Hong Kong

This article examines portrayals of female gamblers in recent Hong Kong movies. The authors report that the depiction of female gamblers is very different from that of male gamblers in the movies made in the same period. Whereas the male gamblers are pitching a lonely and desperate battle against the evil opponent, the female gamblers portrayed in the movies are housewives or small-time players who gamble only for their personal gain. A general negative overtone in portrayals of female gamblers was interpreted as a reflection of the traditional view that discourages women from gambling. The shift of gambling themes in the Hong Kong movies has been identified to reflect the most salient concerns among Hong Kong residents. Such changes are attributed to particular social and cultural changes in the community

PS-MRT Lattice Boltzmann model for direct simulation of granular soils and seepage flow

We proposed a direct numerical simulation model of granular soils and seepage flow by combining the discrete element method and the lattice Boltzmann method. The MRT model was introduced in order to obtain stable solutions of fluid flow under high Reynolds number condition. The PS model, which retains a local operation at each fluid node and keep from intensive increasing the computational costs for the calculation of collision term, was also introduced as a solid-fluid coupled model. We show the effectiveness of the PS-MRT lattice Boltzmann model through several validation tests

Synthesis and characterization of phenylethynylcarbonyl terminated novel thermosetting imide compound

Phenylethynyl terminated novel imide compound based on 1,3-bis(3-aminophenoxy)benzene (APB) and phenylethynyl trimellitic anhydride (PETA) were prepared. The curing behavior of phenylethynyl terminated imide compound was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry. The curing reaction of phenylethynylcarbonyl end group completed at 220°C, and proceeded much faster than that of phenylethynyl end group. Glass transition temperature of the thermosetting resin from phenylethynylcarbonyl terminated novel imide compound determined by dynamic mechanical analysis was almost the same as that of o-cresolnovolac type epoxy resin. In addition, the thermosetting resin from phenylethynylcarbonyl terminated novel imide compound exhibited excellent thermal and dimensional stabilities. These excellent properties of these phenylethynyl terminated imide compound might be due to the incorporation of alkene group or aromatic ring substitutes in the backbones, which might enhance the chain interaction (molecular packing) and reduce the molecular chain mobility

Mn-based binary oxides as catalysts for the conversion of methane to C-2 hydrocarbons with carbon dioxide as oxidant

Binary oxides, mainly Ca-Mn, Sr-Mn and Ba-Mn, have been studied as catalysts for the coupling of CH4 to C-2 hydrocarbons (C2H6 and C2H4) using CO2 as oxidant. At temperatures of greater than or equal to 840 degreesC, the Ca-Mn catalyst exhibits quite similar performances to those of other Ca-containing binary oxide catalysts (Ca-Ce, Ca-Cr and Ca-Zn) reported previously; C-2 selectivity and yield at 850 degreesC increase remarkably with increasing partial pressure of CO2, and apparent activation energies observed over these catalysts are roughly the same (190-220 kJ mol(-1)). When the temperature is decreased from 840 to 825 degreesC, CH4 conversion and C-2 selectivity over the Ca-Mn catalyst abruptly drop; here a discontinuous change also is seen in the Arrhenius plots. On the other hand, the Sr-Mn and Ba-Mn catalysts show different kinetic features from the Ca-Mn system; C-2 selectivity at 850 degreesC changes only slightly with partial pressure of CO2, and the activation energies are constant over the whole temperature range examined and notably lower. Characterizations reveal that solid solution of Ca0.48Mn0.52O is the main phase for the Ca-Mn catalyst after reaction at 850 degreesC, while, at 800 degreesC, some Ca2+ ions separate from the solid solution to form CaCO3, which covers the catalyst surface. Such a difference probably accounts for the discontinuous change in the catalytic behavior with temperature. With the Sr-Mn and Ba-Mn catalysts, SrCO3 and BaCO3 are formed along with MnO after reaction, and the carbonates are suggested to react with MnO to form SrMnO2.5 and BaMnO2.5 in the conversion process of CH4 with CO2. The mechanism for C-2 formation involving SrMnO2.5 and BaMnO2.5 as intermediates is discussed. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved

Carbon dioxide-induced selective conversion of methane to C-2 hydrocarbons on CeO2 modified with CaO

Selectivity and yield of ethane and ethylene in the conversion of methane without O-2 increased remarkably with increasing partial pressure of carbon dioxide over CeO2 modified with CaO. The chemisorbed carbon dioxide is proposed to be responsible for the selective formation of ethane and ethylene. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved