Status and initial experiments of DRAGON-V facility for lithium-lead blanket technologies of hydrogen fusion reactors

A dual-coolant integrated experimental facility named DRAGON-V has been developed at the Institute of Nuclear Energy Safety Technology, Hefei Institute of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, for the key technology research and performance evaluation of candidate liquid lithium-lead (PbLi) blanket of hydrogen fusion reactors. The loop is composed of a material test sub-loop and thermal-hydraulic test sub-loop, the design parameters are PbLi inventory 20 tons, PbLi temperature up to 550 °C, the maximum PbLi flow rate up to 40 kg/s. A novel cold trap system is designed to remove the suspended and crystalized impurities in PbLi fluid with three cooling zones and cross row arrangement of rod bundle filter elements. The paper describes the loop itself and its major components, initial loop testing, flow and measurement diagnostics and current experiments. The obtained test results of the loop and its components have demonstrated that the new facility is fully functioning and ready for experimental studies of material corrosion with/without a magnetic field, magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) effect, purification, heat and mass transfer phenomena in PbLi flows and can also be used in mock-up testing in conditions relevant to fusion applications.     

Validation of qPCR method for enterococci quantification at Toronto beaches: Application for rapid recreational water monitoring

Rapid quantitative PCR-based methods for enterococci monitoring can allow public health authorities to make more timely beach posting decisions. However, qPCR methods must be assessed for proposed sites as locale-specific factors may affect DNA recovery or qPCR inhibition. We assessed the feasibility of the USEPA 1609.1 qPCR-based (Enterococcus) method at two urban Toronto beaches and three recreational areas at nearby river mouths in parallel with culture-based methods on the same water samples. A strong positive correlation was observed between the Enterococcus qPCR method and culturing-based quantification methods for E. coli and enterococci at both beaches and two river mouth areas. One river, known to be highly sewage-impacted, did not yield DNA suitable for qPCR analyses. qPCR results from biological replicates were strongly correlated and showed coefficients of variation as low as or lower than culture-based methods. With respect to Beach Action Value exceedances, the USEPA 1609.1 qPCR method provided an 80–90% level of agreement with E. coli enumeration results and >90% with enterococci enumeration. Results indicated that if recreational water locations and sampling conditions met the requirements of the USEPA 1609.1 qPCR method, the method can meet or exceed all quality control requirements and provide water quality results within 3.5 h for diverse recreational water settings around the City of Toronto.     

Flow distribution and mass removal in floating treatment wetlands arranged in series and spanning the channel width

Floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) use plants’ roots for water quality improvement. The plants are supported by a buoyant structure deployed at the water surface. The roots form a porous zone beneath the structure and remove pollutants carried in suspension through filtering, absorption and uptake. This paper used CFD simulation to model FTWs arranged in series and spanning the channel width and to study the effects of root length and spacing between FTWs on flow distribution and mass removal. The root zone was modelled as a porous media, and removal was computed using first-order decay, for which a range of removal constants was tested. Longer roots increased the reactive volume of the root zone, which increased the fraction of pollutant inflow entering the FTWs. Increasing the distance between FTWs allowed greater mixing between water that went through and beneath the upstream FTW. This increased the concentration entering each FTW, which enhanced mass removal per FTW. However, a larger distance between FTWs reduced the number of FTWs in the channel, reducing the reactive volume. In the tradeoff between mixing and reactive volume, the reactive volume was more important, such that total removal in the channel increased with longer roots and more units of FTW (shorter gap distance). However, removing the gap entirely was detrimental, as FTWs in series removed more mass than a continuous FTW of same volume. This study points to two design recommendations for FTWs in series. First, if resources for building FTWs are not limiting, but the channel length is, it is preferable to prioritize higher reactive volume (shorter gap distance) to achieve maximum removal per channel length. Second, if resources for FTWs are limiting, but channel length is not, it is better to place the FTWs with a longer gap distance, preferably along enough to allow mixing over the full depth between FTWs, as this will achieve maximum removal per FTW.     

Facile synthesis of black phosphorus directly grown on carbon paper as an efficient OER Electrocatalyst: Role of Interfacial charge transfer and induced local charge distribution

Black phosphorus (BP), as a new 2D material, is normally synthesized by a high-pressure and high-temperature (HPHT) method from white and red phosphorus, which severely hinders the further development of BP for any potential applications and leads to search for other potential applications of BP with big challenge. Herein, we develop a facile and efficient Thermal-Vaporization-Transformation (TVT) approach to prepare a highly active BP directly grown on carbon paper as the electrode for Oxygen evolution reaction (OER), showing a low onset potential of 1.45 V versus RHE. Simultaneously, the current density of BP-CP illustrates the excellent electro-catalysis stability only decreases by 3.4% after continuous operation for 10000 s. Meanwhile, the density functional theory (DFT) calculations further illustrates the P-doped carbon layer in the upper side of BP layer is actually responsible for its enhanced OER property, and the adjacent carbon atoms of the embedded P atoms are actually the active sites due to the induced local change distribution by intramolecular change transfer. Considering the facile, but efficient and scalable, TVT approach can directly synthesize BP-CP with excellent OER performance, which is promising for BP electrocatalysts used for OER in metal-air batteries, fuel cells, water-splitting devices, even other key renewable energy.     

Anchor plate bearing capacity in flexible mesh facings

This work addresses the problem of the loading capacity of an anchor plate coupled with a steel wire mesh in soil retaining applications. The interaction mechanism between the flexible mesh facing, the underlying soil layer and the plate is studied starting from the results of several laboratory punch tests involving both the plate and the mesh only, and the whole soil-mesh-plate system. The experimental tests have been reproduced by adopting a 3D discrete element model where also the wire mesh is discretized as an assembly of interconnected nodal particles. The interaction between these particles is ruled by elasto-plastic tensile force–displacement laws in which a distortion is introduced in a stochastic manner to account for the wires’ geometrical irregularities. The mesh model is then validated with reference to a set of punch tests in which the shape and size of the punching element as well as the nominal wire diameter were varied. Subsequently, the model is extended to a punch against soil test configuration permitting an insight into the nontrivial local mechanism between the mesh facing and the underlying granular layer. The good agreement between the numerical predictions and the experimental observations at the laboratory scale allowed us to extend the model towards more realistic field conditions for which the role of the mesh panel boundary conditions, the mesh mechanical properties, the soil mechanical properties and the anchor plate geometry is investigated.     

Generation,validation and application of dynamic load profiles in flow measurement using cavitating Herschel–Venturi nozzles

Today, utility meters for water are tested for measurement behavior at stable operating conditions at specified flow rates as part of the approval process. The measurement error that occurs during start and stop or when changing between flow rates may not be taken into account. In addition, there are new technologies whose measuring behavior under real-world conditions is only known to a limited extend. To take these facts into account, a new method has been developed and tested to determine the measurement behavior of water meters under dynamic load profiles as they occur in the real application. For this purpose, a test rig for flow rate measurement was extended by a cavitation nozzle apparatus and the generation of dynamic load profiles was validated. For the cavitation nozzles used, possible factors influencing the flow rate, such as temperature and purity of the water as well as the upstream pressure were investigated. Using different types of domestic water meters, the applicability of the dynamic test procedure was demonstrated and the measurement behavior of the meters was characterised.     

Relationships among boredom proneness,sensation seeking and smartphone addiction among Chinese college students: Mediating roles of pastime,flow experience and self-regulation

Smartphones are indispensable for many young people, which in turn increases the risk of smartphone addiction. Previous studies have discovered significant and positive influences of boredom proneness, sensation seeking and smartphone addiction. This study further explored these influences, their underlying mechanisms, and the mediating effects of pastime, flow experience and self-regulation on smartphone addiction. A total of 442 Chinese college students completed a survey focusing on boredom proneness, sensation seeking, pastime, flow experience, self-regulation and smartphone addiction. The results indicated that boredom proneness positively affects smartphone addiction. Contrary to expectations, the results showed that there is no significant relationship between sensation seeking and smartphone addiction. Moreover, pastime and self-regulation have partial mediation effects on the relationship between boredom proneness and smartphone addiction, while the effect of sensation seeking on smartphone addiction is completely transmitted with the help of flow experience and self-regulation. The findings and their implications are discussed.     

基于改进相干增强扩散与纹理能量测度和高斯混合模型的导光板表面缺陷检测方法

针对液晶屏(LCD)导光板表面缺陷检测方法存在漏检率和误检率较高,对产品表面复杂渐变的纹理结构适应性差的问题,提出一种基于改进相干增强扩散(ICED)与纹理能量测度和高斯混合模型(TEM-GMM)的LCD导光板表面缺陷检测方法。首先,构建ICED模型,基于结构张量引入平均曲率流扩散(MCF)滤波,使得相干增强扩散(CED)模型对缺陷的细线状纹理有良好的边缘保持效果,并利用相干性得到缺陷纹理增强和背景纹理抑制的滤波后图像;然后,根据Laws纹理能量测度(TEM)提取图像纹理特征,将图像的背景纹理特征作为离线阶段高斯混合模型(GMM)的训练数据,使用期望最大化(EM)算法估计GMM参数;最后,计算待检测图像各像素的后验概率,并将其作为在线检测阶段缺陷像素的判断依据。实验结果表明,该检测方法在导光颗粒随机、规则两种分布的缺陷图像测试数据组上的漏检率和误检率分别为3.27%、4.32%和3.59%、4.87%。所提检测方法适用范围广,可有效检测出LCD导光板表面划痕、异物、脏污和压伤等类型的缺陷。     

How vloggers embrace their viewers: Focusing on the roles of para-social interactions and flow experience

Social media allow marketers to directly influence consumers through a diverse set of tools. The characteristics of individual platforms enable the development of creative and innovative strategies for social media marketing. This study aims at examining para-social interactions (PSI), their antecedents (i.e., attitude homophily and physical attractiveness), and their consequences (i.e., consumers’ sense of belonging, flow experience, urge to purchase, addiction, and impulse purchase). The mediating role of flow experience is also examined in this study. Findings, implications, and directions for further research are also presented in this study.     

An effective method of bulk materials moisture measurement using capacitive sensors

When we speak about capacitance moisture meters for bulk materials we have to face with different values of dielectric permittivity for different bulk materials in dehydrated state, what causes a method error that can be named ‘type uncertainty’. Besides, different varieties of the same material have different values of dielectric permittivity, which depend from geographical origin, processing conditions etc. It can be hardly predicted automatically and type uncertainty can be compensated only in separate situations with the help of preliminary calibration. Main tasks of the research are to develop new comparison principle of moisture measurement with better accuracy due to effective compensation of physical, chemical and granulometric composition influence on the result of moisture measurement, develop new primary and secondary instrument transducers. Moisture sensor consists of four measuring capacitors. Two of them should be filled with a sample, which moisture content should be determined, and other pair of measuring capacitors should be filled with a same substance, but previously dehydrated. Mathematical models, developed to take into account granulometric composition of a bulk material were used to carry out a comparison analysis for three types of instrument measuring transducers. Obtained results proved that suggested principle of moisture measurement provides effective compensation of granulometric composition influence. Developed measuring principle had been experimentally tested what helped to confirm that it provides two times better compensation of different physical and chemical composition for different materials in comparison with the direct comparison method.