Performance improvement of conventional and inverted polymer solar cells with hydrophobic fluoropolymer as nonvolatile processing additive

The morphology of the photoactive layer critically affects the performance of the bulk heterojunction polymer solar cells (PSCs). To control the morphology, we introduced a hydrophobic fluoropolymer polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as nonvolatile additive into the P3HT:PCBM active layer. The effect of PVDF on the surface and the bulk morphology were investigated by atomic force microscope and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. Through the repulsive interactions between the hydrophilic PCBM and the hydrophobic PVDF, much more uniform phase separation with good P3HT crystallinity is formed within the active layer, resulting enhanced light harvesting and improved photovoltaic performance in conventional devices. The PCE of the conventional device can improve from 2.40% to 3.07% with PVDF additive. The PVDF distribution within the active layer was investigated by secondary ion mass spectroscopy, confirming a bottom distribution of PVDF. Therefore, inverted device structure was designed, and the PCE can improve from 2.81% to 3.45% with PVDF additive. Our findings suggest that PVDF is a promising nonvolatile processing additive for high performance polymer solar cells.     

Doping-free hybrid white organic light-emitting diodes with fluorescent blue,phosphorescent green and red emission layers

Industrialized white organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) currently require host-guest doping, a complicated process necessitating precise control of the guest concentration to get high efficiency and stability. Two doping-free, hybrid white OLEDs with fluorescent blue, and phosphorescent green and red emissive layers (EMLs) are reported in this work. An ultra-thin red phosphorescent EML was situated in a blue-emitting electron transport layer (ETL), while the ultra-thin green phosphorescent EML was placed either in the ETL (Device 1), or the hole transport layer (HTL) (Device 2). Device 2 exhibits higher efficiency and more stable spectrum due to the enhanced utilization of excitons by ultra-thin green EML at the exciton generation zone within the HTL. Values of current efficiency (CE), power efficiency (PE), and CRI obtained for the optimized hybrid white OLEDs fabricated through a doping-free process were of 23.2 cd/A, 20.5 lm/W and 82 at 1000 cd/m², respectively.     

Thermoelastic evaluation of composite laminates using digital imaging processing

The study of the variation of the curvature of non-symmetric composite laminates with temperature provides a measure of the magnitude of the thermal stresses and the mechanical behavior of the material with temperature. In the present work, an experimental method based on the pioneer use of a digital camera and image processing method is proposed to perform such measurements. Taking advantage of the method and by comparing experimental and CLT, extended-CLT and FEM simulation results, an evaluation of the residual stresses is described and an approach providing more precise determination of the residual thermal stresses in non-symmetric laminates is proposed.     

Optimal configuration of Energy-Efficient Ethernet

The IEEE 802.3az standard provides a new low power mode that Ethernet network interfaces can use to save energy when there is no traffic to transmit. Simultaneously with the final standard approval, several algorithms were proposed to govern the physical interface state transition between the normal active mode and the new low power mode. In fact, the standard leaves this sleeping algorithm unspecified to spur competition among different vendors and achieve the greatest energy savings. In this paper, we try to bring some light to the most well known sleeping algorithms, providing mathematical models for the expected energy savings and the average packet delay inflicted on outgoing traffic. We will then use the models to derive optimum configuration parameters for them under given efficiency constraints.     

Automotive fuel cell sloshing under temporally and spatially varying high acceleration using GPU-based Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH)

Understanding how fuel sloshes in a fuel cell, as a vehicle races around a circuit, is an important but mostly unexplored factor when designing fuel containment systems. Cell designs are based on knowledge of how liquids slosh in other containers, with the design and placement of structures, such as weirs, based on engineering judgement.This work aims to provide better understanding for this difficult problem with a view to improve future designs. A Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) based Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) model is presented to simulate the fuel sloshing problem, with results from a simplified and real fuel cell geometry shown and compared against real data recorded in a vehicle. The vehicle motion and accelerations are included in the SPH simulations using a body force within the momentum equation. Results show good agreement between the simulation and the real fuel movement, with bulk motion captured well for accelerations up to 5 times gravity.Focus is placed on the practicality of the method for use as part of an industrial design process, therefore the amount of time needed to compute results is considered throughout. Computational performance is found to be within acceptable limits, while numerical accuracy is actively considered through the use of Kahan compensated summation. It is concluded that the model is successful in capturing the necessary fluid dynamics for it to be useful in fuel cell design. It is expected that the method will provide insight into current cell designs and highlight where improvements can be made.     

多高斯关联扭曲光束在GRIN光纤中的轨道角动量演化

轨道角动量(orbital angular momentum, OAM)的引入丰富了光通信领域内的调制维度,为寻找更高效快捷的通信方式提供了新思路,相较于传统携带涡旋相位的涡旋光束,部分相干扭曲光束携带的OAM性质更为复杂。本文针对椭圆多高斯关联扭曲光束在梯度折射率(gradient-index, GRIN)光纤中的OAM传输,基于GRIN光纤的ABCD光学传输矩阵,着重分析了多高斯关联扭曲光束在GRIN光纤传输的OAM的传输演化特性。研究结果表明,光束的光强、OAM通量密度以及归一化OAM通量密度在光纤传输过程中均呈现周期性变化,通过对关联结构以及扭曲因子的调控不仅可以改变光束OAM通量密度的分布,还可以调控单光子携带OAM的大小。本文的研究有助于丰富扭曲部分相干光束在GRIN光纤中传输的理论结果,在光纤通信中具有潜在的应用前景。     

冲击速度对开孔泡沫金属冲击动力学性能影响

利用有限元软件ANSYS中的LS-DYNA模块,建立起了泡沫金属胞元方孔模型,采用能更好反应实际情况的幂函数塑性模型,研究了冲击速度对泡沫金属冲击动力学性能的影响,对泡沫金属在冲击载荷作用下的应力传递和分布以及变形过程进行了数值模拟,分析了冲击速度对泡沫金属应力传递和分布以及变形的影响。研究表明,随着初始撞击速度的提高,泡沫铝屈服强度有所提高,应力传递速度和接触端面处的泡孔变形速度加快。     

Boundary element analysis of guided waves in a bar with an arbitrary cross-section

A boundary element method (BEM) is presented for analyzing the dispersion relation of guided waves in a bar with an arbitrary cross-section. A boundary integral equation for a harmonic motion in time and space is derived with respect to the boundary of the cross-section of the bar. By means of a collocation method, a homogeneous matrix equation which depends on the frequency and the wave number of the guided wave is obtained. The dispersion relation of guided waves is then obtained by finding nontrivial solutions of the matrix equation. The Newton's method is used to find the solution of the dispersion relation mode by mode for both propagating waves and nonpropagating waves. Numerical results are shown for a square bar, rectangular bars, and an L-shaped bar. Dispersive properties of guided waves in the bars are discussed in comparison with the results for Lamb modes in a 2D plate.     

Physical metallurgy of concentrated solid solutions from low-entropy to high-entropy alloys

The alloy world could be divided into low-entropy (LEAs), medium-entropy (MEAs) and high-entropy alloys (HEAs) based on the configurational entropy at the random solution state. In HEAs, four core effects, i.e. high entropy, sluggish diffusion, severe lattice distortion and cocktail effects, are much more significant than low-entropy alloys in affecting phase transformation, microstructure and properties. In fact, the degree of the influence from these core effects more or less increases with increased mixing entropy. The trend is gradual from low-entropy alloys to high-entropy alloys. In this article, physical metallurgy of HEAs is discussed with the bridge connected to that of conventional alloys. As disordered and ordered solid solutions are the main constituent phases of alloys, the understanding of solid solutions is fundamental for the understanding of alloys. In addition, as dilute solid solutions have been well treated in current physical metallurgy, concentrated solid solutions from low-entropy to high-entropy alloys are focused in this article. Physical properties are especially emphasized besides mechanical properties.     

The mechanical properties of natural fibre based honeycomb core materials

This paper investigates the compression properties of square and triangular honeycomb core materials based on co-mingled flax fibre reinforced polypropylene (PP) and polylactide (PLA) polymers. Initial testing focused on investigating the sensitivity of the tensile properties of the composites to variations in processing conditions. Following this, a range of triangular and square honeycomb structures were manufactured using a simple slotting technique. These structures were tested in compression at quasi-static rates of strain and their strength and specific energy absorption characteristics were determined. Finally, a finite element analysis was undertaken to accurately predict the strength, energy-absorbing characteristics, buckling behaviour and failure modes of these natural fibre based core materials.