A newly-developed wide range molecular flow meter based on AAO leak element

An innovate constant volume flow meter (ICVFM) using AAO leak element was developed, and then applied to measure the pumping speed of dry vacuum pumps. The AAO leak element was calibrated with dynamic differential pressure decay method. The results imply that the conductance of AAO leak is inversely proportional to the square root of the molecular mass, and remains unchanged with pressure varying from vacuum to atmosphere. Then the pumping speed was measured by a simple test system. In the end, the uncertainties of calibrating AAO leak element and measuring pumping speed were considered to confirm the measurement capability. The newly developed flow meter enables flow measurements at pressures ranging from vacuum through atmospheric pressure, which has potential application in the semiconductor industry.     

Comparison of throttle devices to measure two-phase flowrates of wet gas with extremely-low liquid loading

The online measurement of wet gas with extremely-low liquid loading (Lockhart-Martinelli parameter lower than 0.02) remains a challenge. In this study, three types of throttle devices, Venturi, orifice plate and cone, are compared experimentally with air-water two-phase flow in a horizontal pipe of inner diameter of 50 mm. High-precision correlations are established to measure the gas and liquid flowrates via a single throttle device. Results show that the two-phase mass flow coefficient (K) of the three throttle devices all increase linearly with the liquid densiometric Froude number and the K correlations are established respectively to correct the gas mass flowrate deviation. The pressure loss ratio (δ) for Venturi is sensitive and monotonous to the liquid loading, which contributes to the high accuracy of liquid flowrate measurement. By incorporating the K correlations, both the gas and liquid mass flowrates can be predicted precisely. The relative error of the gas mass flowrate predicted by the Venturi is within ±2.0% at 95% confidence level, and that of the liquid mass flowrate is within ±15% at 90% confidence level.     

The control of paracetamol particle size and surface morphology through crystallisation in a spray dryer

The parameters governing the crystallisation of paracetamol using various conventional techniques has been extensively studied, however the factors influencing the drug crystallisation using spray drying is not as well understood. The aim of this work was to investigate the crystallisation of an active pharmaceutical ingredient through evaporative crystallisation using a spray dryer to study the physicochemical properties of the drug and to use semi-empirical equations to gain insight into the morphology and particle size of the dried powder. Paracetamol solutions were spray dried at various inlet temperatures ranging from 60 °C to 120 °C and also from a series of inlet feed solvent compositions ranging from 50/50% v/v ethanol/water to 100% ethanol and solid-state characterisation was done. The size and morphology of the dried materials were altered with a change in spray drying parameters, with an increase in inlet temperature leading to an increase in particle Sauter mean diameter (from 3.0 to 4.4 µm) and a decrease in the particle size with an increase in ethanol concentration in the feed (from 4.6 to 4.4 µm) as a result of changes in particle density and atomised droplet size. The morphology of the dried particles consisted of agglomerates of individual crystallites bound together into larger semi-spherical agglomerates with a higher tendency for particles having crystalline ridges to form at higher ethanol concentrations of the feed.     

Adaptive neuro-fuzzy algorithm applied to predict and control multi-phase flow rates through wellhead chokes

A Takagi-Sugeno adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (TSFIS) model is developed and applied to a dataset of wellhead flow-test data for the Resalat oil field located offshore southern Iran, the objective is to assist in the prediction and control of multi-phase flow rates of oil and gas through the wellhead chokes. For this purpose, 182 test data points (Appendix 1) related to the Resalat field are evaluated. In order to predict production flow rate (Q_L) expressed as stock-tank barrels per day (STB/D), this dataset includes four selected input variables: upstream pressure (Pwh); wellhead choke sizes (D64); gas to liquid ratio (GLR); and, base solids and water including some water-soluble oil emulsion (BS&W). The test data points evaluated include a wide range of oil flow rate conditions and values for the four input variables recorded. The TSFIS algorithm applied involves five data processing steps: a) pre-processing, b) fuzzification, c) rules base and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference engine, d) defuzzification, and e) post-processing of the fuzzy model. The developed TSFIS model for the Resalat oil field database predicted oil flow rate to a high degree of accuracy (root mean square error = 247 STB/D, correlation coefficient = 0.9987), which improves substantially on the commonly used empirical algorithms used for such predictions. TSFIS can potentially be applied in wellhead choke fuzzy controllers to stabilize flow in specific wells based on real-time input data records.     

Fluid flow and heat transfer with nail dipping method in mould during continuous casting process

ABSTRACT

The character and cause of sliver defect on IF steel sheet surface are studied by means of SEM, unstable flow in mould could induce surface velocity and level fluctuations, leading to surface defects during continuous casting of steel. The nozzle clogging is a serious problem during the continuous casting of steel, due to its influence on the casting operations and products quality. In this study, the nail dipping method for measuring surface velocity and flow direction in molten steel were employed. The fluid flow in mould of whole casting sequence was investigated, especially during the nozzle clogging conditions. The results showed that when nozzle clogging occurred in the 7th heat, the flow velocities on R and L side of nozzle were 0.280 and 0.402?m/s, respectively. The surface defect ratio of hot-rolled and cold-rolled plates increases with the increase of heat flux deviation on both sides of the mould copper. The different clogging per cent on both sides of the nozzle will lead to asymmetry flow, the surface velocity is higher with the small clogging per cent side compared to that of relatively large per cent clogging side.     

大方坯结晶器电磁搅拌器结构优化

为改善连铸结晶器内钢液的流动状况，采用有限元法和有限容积法研究了大方坯结晶器电磁搅拌器结构对连铸结晶器内电磁场、流场和温度场分布的影响。结果表明，新型结晶器电磁搅拌器在400 A、3 Hz时产生的电磁力比传统结晶器电磁搅拌器在500 A、3 Hz时产生的电磁力更加均匀，对结晶器内钢液的扰动更强，可提高结晶器内的传热效率，有助于初始凝固坯壳和等轴晶的形成，改善方坯质量。     

基于DoG检测图像特征点的快速二进制描述子

针对SIFT描述子实时性差和传统二进制描述子对尺度、旋转和视角变化鲁棒性差的问题,本文通过优化采样模式和添加灰度差分不变量比较测试进行改进,提出了一种鲁棒性更高的二进制描述子。首先,设计了一种尺度关联、编号标记的采样模式;然后,旋转采样模式中各采样点到特定位置,确保描述子尺度、旋转不变性;接着,分析了采样点点对模式对描述子的影响,选择使用机器学习训练后的128对采样点对;最后,选择灰度值比较测试及梯度绝对值和比较测试构建二进制描述子。实验中采用DoG检测图像关键点,结果表明:本文提出的描述子在描述子构建和描述子匹配上比SIFT描述子分别快84%和67%;在有视角变化的图像匹配上,准确率比传统的二进制描述子高3%~5%,召回率平均要高30%以上。本文提出的特征点描述方法适用于时间要求高的图像匹配领域。     

Unsteady natural convection magnetohydrodynamic stagnation point flow with assisting and opposing characteristics: Buongiorno model

In this investigation, the flow of an unsteady mixed convection boundary layer viscous nanofluid on a stretchable sheet is considered. The flow examination is affected by a magnetic field. The reason for the examination exhibited is to create models for nanomaterials that incorporate the Brownian movement and thermophoresis phenomena. The created nonlinear standard differential condition is illuminated numerically utilizing the Runge-Kutta-Gill technique and the start program. The different factors of speed, temperature, and concentration are reported and discussed. The examination shows that the speed, temperature, and concentration are lower in contrast with the consistent stream on account of an assisting flow, whereas the opposite situation is noticed in the opposing flow case. The effects of Brownian movement and thermophoresis in the concentration case are totally different.     

入口长度对旋转直通式迷宫气封流场及流场力的影响

迷宫密封的转子和定子部件之间的流场和流场力直接影响转子的振动和稳定性。为了深入了解迷宫密封的流场和流场力特性,选取旋转直通式迷宫气封为研究对象,利用稳态CFD分析方法,研究密封入口长度对旋转直通式迷宫气封泄漏、流场和流场力的影响。考虑和不考虑入口预旋的影响,计算不同入口长度的旋转直通式迷宫气封的泄漏量、流场速度流线、总压强分布、流体压力和流体黏滞力。结果表明:随着入口长度的增大,密封流场泄漏量先增加后减小,转子表面流体压力和流体黏滞力先增加后快速减小;入口长度影响着直通式迷宫气封流场力,存在一个特定的入口长度,使转子表面的流体压力和流体黏滞力最大;当考虑入口预旋时,泄漏量、流体压力和流体黏滞力均有所减小。     

Responsive supply in fashion mass customisation systems with consumer returns

Mass customisation systems have been well-established in the fashion industry. Some fashion brands offer the mass customisation system for their selected seasonal products, and allow unconditional returns and full refund for any unsatisfied customers. Motivated by the above mentioned observed industrial practice and based on the growing importance of responsive supply, we explore in this paper the value of quick response supply in fashion mass customisation systems with consumer returns. We focus on investigating how the consumer returns rate affects (i) the optimal inventory decision of the fashion brand, (ii) the achievability of Pareto improvement in implementing quick response supply, (iii) the respective values of quick response for the fashion brand, the fashion supplier and also the fashion supply chain, and (iv) the impact of quick response supply on the environment. We interestingly find that consumer returns enhance the value of quick response supply to the fashion supplier. Quick response supply is also found to be helpful in reducing the environmental cost under the fashion mass customisation system with consumer returns.