Experimental methods in chemical engineering: Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy-EPR/ESR

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, also known as electron spin resonance spectroscopy (ESR), utilizes absorption of microwave radiation by unpaired electrons in a magnetic field. The interaction between the unpaired electron(s) and nearby magnetic nuclei helps identify paramagnetic species and can provide information about the motion of the molecule and the local polarity, pH, viscosity, concentration, and accessibility to other paramagnetic species. This mini-review discusses the fundamental underpinnings of EPR needed to correctly interpret EPR spectra. We describe various types of EPR spectra encountered by chemical engineers, and use application examples drawn from the chemical engineering literature to illustrate the information available from the technique. Few chemical engineering departments or even chemistry departments have EPR instruments, which contributes to the significant barrier that prevents this being adopted as a routine measurement technique. However, in 2016 and 2017, Web of Science indexed 7000 articles that applied EPR spectroscopy. A bibliometric map categorized the keywords in four categories based on co-occurrences: magnetic properties, films, and luminescence; crystal structure, complexes, and ligands; nanoparticles, oxidation, and degradation; and, systems, radicals, and H₂ O₂ .     

电流型阻抗源升压整流器

自Z源网络提出以来,阻抗源变流器得到了广泛的研究和应用,但大多是针对电压型及逆变器的。选择电流型准Z源整流器作为研究对象,在传统控制策略中加入了阻抗源电感电流的前馈控制和有源阻尼控制,得到了更高的输出范围和更好的输出波形,并通过仿真验证了控制策略的正确性。设计了1台1 kW量级的样机并进行实验验证。     

晶体锗切削温度场的理论建模及数值模拟

针对晶体锗切削加工过程,首先采用热源法及温度叠加原理建立了切削温度场的理论数学模型。然后运用MATLAB软件分别计算出切削速度分别为1.5、2.0、2.5m/s,进给量分别为0.02、0.025mm/r时工件在剪切变形区的温度场,分析了不同切削速度、不同进给量下的温度变化。最后,采用DEFORM-3D软件进行三维切削仿真分析,获得了不同切削参数下工件温度场的云图。计算结果与仿真结果表明:切削速度与进给量的增大会导致切削温度的升高,刀具与工件开始接触时,切削温度、进给量与时间呈线性急剧增加,但温度升高到一定值后会保持相对稳定。相同增量下,进给量对切削温度的影响大于切削速度。不同切削速度和进给量下的仿真结果与理论计算结果误差均小于10%。     

基于AIC信息准则的Delta T声发射源定位方法

疲劳断裂是金属结构中的主要失效形式,而金属结构中的早期疲劳断裂信号通常难以检测。TOA方法是常用的声发射定位源方法,但是声波传播过程中波速变换和路径的复杂性对其结果影响很大。运用Delta T声发射源定位方法,用断铅实验模拟声发射源,用AIC信息准则对到达时间进行优化,通过使用差值求源点坐标和图像处理的方法,求得声发射源坐标。通过在平板上的实验,比较两种源定位方法在不同结构中的定位结果,分析定位误差,结果表明图像处理方法更为优秀。     

Laboratory investigation on the use of thermally enhanced phase change material to improve the performance of borehole heat exchangers for ground source heat pumps

Ground source heat pumps have high efficiency and high capital cost primarily due to borehole drillings. This research investigates the inclusion of high‐conductivity phase change material (PCM) in the borehole heat exchanger of a ground source heat pump to reduce the borehole length required and improve its coefficient of performance (COP). In the laboratory model, the borehole heat exchanger was represented by a cylindrical electrical heater having a total power of 9.216 W, operating for 1 hour while resting for 3 hours. Surrounding the heater in the annular region, either soil, PCM, or high‐conductivity PCM was used as grouting material. The annular region was surrounded by a large amount of soil enclosed in a large bin as a representation of ground soil. The high‐conductivity graphite was impregnated with the commercial PCM “PureTemp29.” Results from the experiments revealed that the PCM is able to decrease the temperature fluctuations in the annular and soil regions, while graphite increases the thermal conductivity of the annular region and hence increases the rate of heat dissipation from the heater to the soil surrounding it. The maximum COP values of a ground source heat pump calculated assuming ideal reversed Carnot cycle for cooling mode showed an increase of approximately 81% with PCM and by 112% with graphite‐enhanced PCM.     

Numerical modelling of second‐grade fluid flow past a stretching sheet

The present numerical study reports the chemically reacting boundary layer flow of a magnetohydrodynamic second‐grade fluid past a stretching sheet under the influence of internal heat generation or absorption with work done due to deformation in the presence of a porous medium. To distinguish the non‐Newtonian behaviour of the second‐grade fluid with those of Newtonian fluids, a very popularly known second‐grade fluid flow model is used. The fourth order momentum equation with four appropriate boundary conditions along with temperature and concentration equations governing the second‐grade fluid flow are coupled and highly nonlinear in nature. Well‐established similarity transformations are efficiently used to reduce the dimensional flow equations into a set of nondimensional ordinary differential equations with the necessary conditions. The standard bvp4c MATLAB solver is effectively used to solve the fluid flow equations to get the numerical solutions in terms of velocity, temperature, and concentration fields. Numerical results are obtained for a different set of physical parameters and their behaviour is described through graphs and tables. The viscoelastic parameter enhances the velocity field whereas the magnetic and porous parameters suppress the velocity field in the flow region. The temperature field is magnified for increasing values of the heat source/sink parameter. However, from the present numerical study, it is noticed that the flow of heat occurs from sheet to the surrounding ambient fluid. Before concluding the considered problem, our results are validated with previous results and are found to be in good agreement.     

Unsteady MHD flow of laminar liquid film over a porous medium using DTM‐Pade approximation

An analysis is carried out for the flow of an unsteady electrically conducting liquid film on a horizontal stretching surface embedded with porous medium. In addition, a uniform heat source is taken care of in the present problem to model the governing equations of momentum and thermal energy to enhance the thermal properties of the considered fluid. Similarity variable as well as transformations are used to transform these equations into nondimensional. Solutions of these transformed ordinary differential equations are obtained using approximate analytical method, such as differential transformation method, and their refinement is verified by Pade approximant. The methodology of the analytical approach is presented clearly. Further, for validation, the numerical solutions are obtained and compared with the present analytical solution. The characteristics of the exhibiting parameters are shown via graphs and then discussed.