Entropy generation for microscale forced convection: Effects of different thermal boundary conditions,velocity slip,temperature jump,viscous dissipation,and duct geometry

This work presents closed form solutions for fully developed temperature distribution and entropy generation due to forced convection in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) in the Slip-flow regime, for which the Knudsen number lies within the range 0.001 < Kn < 0.1. Two different cross-sections are analyzed, being microducts (composed of two parallel plates) and micropipes, with the effects of viscous dissipation being included. Invoking the temperature jump equation, two different thermal boundary conditions are investigated, being isothermal and isoflux walls. Expressions are presented for the local and bulk temperature profiles, the Nusselt number, the Bejan number, and the entropy generation rate in terms of the key parameters. Though the results are obtained for the microscale problems, they can be generalized to the macroscale counterparts by letting Kn = 0.     

TBM performance prediction developing a hybrid ANFIS-PNN predictive model optimized by imperialism competitive algorithm

Neural Computing and Applications - A reliable and accurate prediction of the tunnel boring machine (TBM) performance can assist in minimizing the relevant risks of high capital costs and in...     

An active sensing strategy for contact location without tactile sensors using robot geometry and kinematics

In this study, we develop new techniques to sense contact locations and control robots in contact situations in order to enable articulated robotic systems to perform manipulations and grasping actions. Active sensing approaches are investigated by utilizing robot kinematics and geometry to improve upon existing sensing methods for contact. Compliant motion control is used so that a robot can actively search for and localize the desired contact location. Robot control in a contact situation is improved by the precise estimation of the contact location. From this viewpoint, we investigate a new control strategy to accommodate the proposed sensing techniques in contact situations. The proposed estimation algorithm and the control strategy both work complementarily. Then, we verify the proposed algorithm through experiments using 7-DOF hardware and a simulation environment. The two major contributions of the proposed active sensing strategy are the estimation algorithm for contact location without any tactile sensors, and the control strategy complementing the proposed estimation algorithm.     

A miniature cell for gas solubility measurements in oils and bitumen

A miniature cell has been designed and constructed to measure gas solubility in crude oils and bitumen. The cell was made of stainless steel with a total internal volume of 1.835 cc and only an oil sample of 0.4 cc was required for one set of measurements at different pressures. By using this small cell, the waiting time for reaching equilibrium was less than 10 min. The technique was validated by measuring CO(2) gas solubility in two bitumen samples. The results were compared and found to be in very good agreement with available data. The apparatus was also used to study the effect of ashphaltene on CO(2) solubility in bitumen. It was shown that ashphaltene had a negligible effect on CO(2) solubility in bitumen.     

Application of metal foams in air-cooled condensers for geothermal power plants: An optimization study

Optimized design of metal foam heat exchangers, as replacements for finned-tubes in air-cooled condensers of a geothermal power plant, is presented here. Two different optimization techniques, based on first and second law (of thermodynamics) are reported. While the former aims at the highest heat transfer rate with as low pressure drop as possible, the latter minimizes the generated entropy in the thermodynamic system. Interestingly, the two methods lead to the same optimal design. The new design has been compared to the conventional air-cooled condenser designed and optimized by using the commercially available software ASPEN. It is shown that while the heat transfer rate increases significantly (by an order of magnitude) compared to the finned-tube for the same main flow obstruction height, the pressure drop increase is within an acceptable range. Further comparison between the two systems are carried out, making use of Mahjoob and Vafai's performance factor developed specifically for metal foam heat exchangers.     

Investigating peak stresses in fitting and repair patches of buried polyethylene gas pipes

Nowadays, polyethylene composes a large number of natural gas distribution pipelines installed under the ground. The focus of the present contribution is two fold. One of the objectives is to investigate the applicability of polyethylene fittings in joining polyethylene gas pipes which are electrofused onto the pipe ends and buried under the ground, by estimating stress distribution using finite element method. The second objective is to study the effectiveness of polyethylene repair patches which are used to mend the defected pipelines by performing a finite element analysis to calculate peak stress values. Buried polyethylene pipelines in the natural gas industry, can be imposed by sever loadings including the soil-structure interaction, traffic load, soil’s column weight, internal pressure, and thermal loads resulting from daily and/or seasonal temperature changes. Additionally, due to the application of pipe joints, and repair patches local stresses superimposed on the aforementioned loading effects. The pipe is assumed to be made of PE80 resin and its jointing socket, and the repair patch is PE100 material. The computational analysis of stresses and the computer simulations are performed using ANSYS commercial software. According to the results, the peak stress values take place in the middle of the fitting and at its internal surface. The maximum stress values in fitting and pipe are below the allowable stresses which shows the proper use of introduced fitting is applicable even in hot climate areas of Ahvaz, Iran. Although the buried pipe is imposed to the maximum values of stresses, the PE100 socket is more sensitive to a temperature drop. Furthermore, all four studied patch arrangements show significant reinforcing effects on the defected section of the buried PE gas pipe to transfer applied loads. Meanwhile, the defected buried medium density polyethylene gas pipe and its saddle fused patch can resist the imposed mechanical and thermal loads of 22°C temperature increase. Moreover, increasing the saddle fusion patch length to 12 inches reduces the maximum stress values in the pipe, significantly.     

Composition of the teat canal and intramammary microbiota of dairy cows subjected to antimicrobial dry cow therapy and internal teat sealant

Antimicrobial dry cow therapy (DCT) is an important component of mastitis control programs aimed to eliminate existing intramammary infections and prevent the development of new ones during the dry period. However, to what extent the microbiota profiles of different niches of the udder change during the dry period and following administration of DCT remains poorly understood. Therefore, the main objective of the present study was to qualitatively evaluate dynamics of the microbiota of teat canal (TC) and mammary secretions (i.e., milk and colostrum) of healthy udder quarters subjected to DCT using a long-acting antimicrobial product, containing penicillin G and novobiocin, in combination with internal teat sealant. To this end, TC swabs (n = 58) and their corresponding milk (n = 29) and colostrum samples (n = 29) were collected at the time of drying off and immediately after calving from clinically healthy udder quarters of Holstein dairy cows from a commercial dairy farm. All samples were subjected to DNA extraction and high-throughput sequencing of the V1–V2 hypervariable regions of bacterial 16S rRNA genes. Overall, shifts were more pronounced within the microbiota of mammary secretions than the TC. In particular, microbiota of colostrum samples collected immediately after calving were less species-rich compared with the pre-DCT milk samples. Proportions of several bacterial genera belonging to the phylum Proteobacteria, including Pseudomonas, Stenotrophomonas, and unclassified Alcaligenaceae, were enriched within the microbiota of colostrum samples, whereas Firmicutes genera, including Butyrivibrio, unclassified Clostridiaceae, and unclassified Bacillales, were overrepresented in pre-DCT milk microbiota. Apart from shifts in the proportion of main bacterial genera and phyla, qualitative analysis revealed a high degree of commonality between pre-DCT and postpartum microbiota of both niches of the udder. Most importantly, a considerable number of bacterial genera and species commonly regarded as mastitis pathogens or opportunists (or both), including Staphylococcus spp., unclassified Enterobacteriaceae, and Corynebacterium spp., were shared between pre-DCT and postpartum microbiota of mammary secretions. Percentage of shared bacterial genera and species was even higher between pre-DCT and postpartum microbiota of TC samples, suggesting that the DCT approach of the present study had limited success in eliminating a considerable proportion of bacteria during the dry period.     

Scaling effects for flow in micro-channels: Variable property,viscous heating,velocity slip,and temperature jump

This paper reports closed form solutions, based on perturbation techniques, for fully developed, both hydrodynamically and thermally, slip-flow forced convection in both parallel plate and circular microchannels subject to isothermal wall boundary condition. Scaling effects, including variable property, viscous dissipation, velocity slip, and temperature jump are studied in detail. The results are not only applicable to gaseous flow in the slip-flow regime but also can be used for no-slip liquid flow in microchannels.     

Design of thermal management subsystem for a 5 kW polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell system

High-efficiency thermal management subsystem has a key role on the PEM fuel cell performance and durability. In this study, design of thermal management subsystem for a 5 kW PEM fuel cell system is investigated. A numerical model is presented to study the cooling flow field performance. The number of parallel channels in parallel serpentine flow field is selected as the design parameter of the flow field and its optimum value is obtained by compromising between the minimum pressure drop of coolant across the flow field and maximum temperature uniformity within the bipolar plate criteria. The optimum coolant flow rate is also determined by compromising between different criteria. Test results of a 5-cells short stack are presented to verify the numerical simulation results.