An analytical model for gas leakage through contact interface in proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Sealing performance between two contacting surfaces is of significant importance to stable operation of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. In this work, an analytical micro-scale approach is first established to predict the gas leakage in fuel cells. Gas pressure and uneven pressure distribution at the interface are also included in the model. At first, the micro tortuous leakage path at the interface is constructed by introducing contact modelling and fractal porous structure theory. In order to obtain the leakage at the entire surface, contact pressure distribution is predicted based on bonded elastic layer model. The gas leakage through the discontinuous interface can be obtained with consideration of convection and diffusion. Then, experiments are conducted to validate the numerical model, and good agreement is obtained between them. Finally, influences of surface topology, gasket compression and gasket width on leakage are studied based on the model. The results show that gas leakage would be greatly amplified when the asperity standard deviation of surface roughness exceeds 1.0 μm. Gaskets with larger width and smaller thickness are beneficial to sealing performance. The model is helpful to understand the gas leakage behavior at the interface and guide the gasket design of fuel cells.     

Predictive environmental hydrogen embrittlement on fracture toughness of commercial ferritic steels with hydrogen-modified fracture strain model

In this work, a practical numerical model with few parameters was proposed for the prediction of environmental hydrogen embrittlement. The proposed method adopts hydrogen enhanced plasticity-based mechanism in a fracture strain model to describe hydrogen embrittlement. Fracture toughness degradation of three commercial steels SA372J70, AISI4130 and X80 in high pressure hydrogen environment were investigated. Firstly, governing equations for hydrogen distribution and material damage evolution was established. Hydrogen enhanced localized flow softening effect was coupled within fracture strain dependency on stress triaxiality. Then, the numerical implementation and identification process of model parameters was described. Model parameters of the investigated steels were determined based on experiment results from literatures. Finally, with the calibrated model, fracture toughness reduction of the steels was predicted in a wide range of hydrogen pressure. The prediction results were compared with experimental results. Reasonable accuracy was reached. The proposed method is an attempt to reach balance between physical accurate prediction and engineering practicality. It is promising to provide a simplified numerical tool for the design and fit for service evaluation of hydrogen storage vessels.     

基于人工神经网络的智能化架空线路应变快速解调方法北大核心

为了提高智能化光纤复合架空线路态势感知的实时性,将人工神经网络方法应用于光纤沿线应变解调,确定了神经网络的结构。编程实现了基于洛伦兹模型的最小二乘谱拟合方法和神经网络方法,采用不同信噪比和布里渊频移的布里渊谱训练神经网络,将它们应用于某光纤复合架空线路沿线光纤应变的测量,从不同角度比较了两种方法的计算结果。计算结果表明,神经网络方法能有效获得光纤沿线的布里渊频移进而获得应变,具有与谱拟合方法相似的准确性,但应变解调时间仅约为谱拟合方法的1/20000。研究结果为提高智能光纤复合架空线路态势感知的实时性提供了参考。     

Research and demonstration on hydrogen compatibility of pipelines: a review of current status and challenges

Hydrogen transportation by pipelines gradually becomes a critical engineering route in the worldwide adaptation of hydrogen as a form of clean energy. However, due to the hydrogen embrittlement effect, the compatibility of linepipe steels and associated welds with hydrogen is a major concern when designing hydrogen-carrying pipelines. When hydrogen enters the steels, their ductility, fracture resistance, and fatigue properties can be adversely altered. This paper reviews the status of several demonstration projects for natural gas-hydrogen blending and pure hydrogen transportation, the pipeline materials used and their operating parameters. This paper also compares the current standards of materials specifications for hydrogen pipeline systems from different parts of the world. The hydrogen compatibility and tolerance of varying grades of linepipe steels and the relevant testing methods for assessing the compatibility are then discussed, and the conservatism or the inadequacies of the test conditions of the current standards are pointed out for future improvement.     

Study on ice-melting performance of gradient gas diffusion layer in proton exchange membrane fuel cell

In this study, a three-dimensional model was established using the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) to study the internal ice melting process of the gas diffusion layer (GDL) of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). The single-point second-order curved boundary condition was adopted. The effects of GDL carbon fiber number, growth slope of the number of carbon fibers and carbon fiber diameter on ice melting were studied. The results were revealed that the temperature in the middle and lower part of the gradient distribution GDL is significantly higher than that of the no-gradient GDL. With the increase of the growth slope of the number of carbon fiber, the temperature and melting rate gradually increase, and the position of the solid-liquid interface gradually decreases. The decrease in the number of carbon fibers has a similar effect as the increase in the growth slope of the number of carbon fibers. In addition, as the diameter of the carbon fiber increases, the position of the solid-liquid interface gradually decreases first and then increases.     

Crystallization behavior and density functional theory study of solution combustion synthesized silicon doped calcium phosphates

The influence of heat-treatment temperatures (700 °C, 900°C, 1200 °C) on the phase, physical properties, crystallization rate, and in vitro properties of the solution combustion synthesized silicon-doped calcium phosphates (CaPs) were investigated. The thermodynamic aspects (enthalpy, entropy, and free energy) of the synthesis process and the crystallographic properties of the final samples were first predicted and then confirmed using density functional theory (DFT). Results demonstrated that the crystallization rate was controlled by the fuel(s) type (glycine, citric acid, and urea) and the amounts of Si⁴⁺ ions (0, 0.1, 0.4 mol). The highest calculated crystallization rate values of the un-doped, 0.1, and 0.4 mol Si-doped samples were 64%, 22%, 38%, respectively. The obtained results from the DFT simulation revealed that crystal growth in the direction of c-axis of hydroxyapatite (HAp) structure could change the stability of (001) surface of (HAp). Also, the computational data confirmed the adsorption of Si–OH groups on the (001) surface of HAp during the SCS process with an adsorption energy of 1.53 eV. AFM results in line with DFT simulation showed that the observed change in the surface roughness of Si-doped CaPs from 2 to 8 nm could be related to the doping of Si⁴⁺ ions onto the surface of CaPs. Besides, the theoretical and experimental investigation showed that crystal growth and doping of Si⁴⁺ ions could decrease the activation energy of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Furthermore, the results showed that the crystallized HAp structure could have great potential to efficiently reduce oxidative stress in human body.     

不同进水流速对泵站进水池漩涡的影响

为探究泵站进水流速大小与泵站进水池水流流态、漩涡的产生与发展变化规律,结合泵站实际运行情况,建立引渠、前池、进水池和进水管的泵站物理模型和湍流数学模型,采用VOF模型和非定常的SST k-ω湍流模型对9种不同流速的泵站进水水流特性进行数值模拟,分析不同进水流速的泵站进水池水流流场分布、漩涡涡量的变化及分布规律。研究结果表明:当进水流速为0.322 2～0.564 2 m/s时,泵站表面漩涡的强度随进水流速的增大而增强:当进水流速为0.322 2～0.401 6 m/s时,进水池出现Ⅲ、Ⅳ型漩涡;当进水流速为0.483 5 m/s时,进水池出现Ⅴ型漩涡;当进水流速为0.520 8～0.564 2 m/s时,进水池出现Ⅵ型漩涡。将数值计算结果与模型试验结果进行对比,两者基本吻合。研究结果可为泵站工程设计提供参考。     

广义正交码索引调制系统的性能分析

摘 要：为了提高码索引调制（code index modulation，CIM）系统的传输效率，提出了一种具有更低复杂度的单输入单输出（single input single output，SISO）的广义正交码索引调制（generalized orthogonal code index modulation，GQCIM）系统。CIM 系统使用扩频码和星座符号传输信息，但只能激活两个扩频码索引和一个调制符号。而 GQCIM 系统以一种新颖的方式克服了只激活一个调制符号的限制，同时充分利用了调制符号的正交性，增加扩频码索引以传输更多的额外信息位，提高了系统的传输效率。此外，分析了GQCIM系统的理论性能，推导了误码率性能的上界。通过蒙特卡罗仿真验证了GQCIM系统的性能，对比发现GQCIM系统的理论和仿真性能一致。而且在相同的传输效率下，结果显示GQCIM系统的性能优于同样具有正交性的调制系统，如广义码索引调制（generalized code index modulation，GCIM）系统、CIM系统、码索引调制-正交空间调制（code index modulation aided quadrature spatial modulation，CIM-QSM）系统、码索引调制-正交空间调制（code index modulation aided spatial modulation，CIM-SM）系统、脉冲索引调制（pulse index modulation，PIM）系统。     

火龙果真空冷冻干燥的模拟分析和实验研究

为了准确预测冷冻干燥时间，本文基于传热传质理论，利用COMSOL软件对厚度为12 mm、半径为4 cm的红心火龙果片进行建模，模拟升华干燥阶段火龙果内部水蒸气流动耦合热质传递、火龙果温度分布特性、升华界面位移以及冰升华过程，预测升华周期，并通过实验验证模型的可靠性。结果表明：模拟值与实测值相吻合且误差较小，火龙果中心点温度模拟值与实测值绝对误差为0.9℃,火龙果含水率模拟值与实测值相对误差为1.2%,脱水速率模拟值与实测值相对误差为6.63%。本模型可以准确模拟升华干燥过程热质传递动态变化。通过模拟对比不同厚度火龙果片升华周期，同时考虑到冻干制品质量和产量，12 mm为红心火龙果片冻干最佳厚度。     

Evaluation of a sulfidogenic system fed with microalgal biomass of Chlorella pyrenoidosa as an electron donor: Sulfate reduction kinetics

In this study, a sulfidogenic reactor fed with microalgal biomass of Chlorella pyrenoidosa as an electron donor was operated in a continuous mode. This study evaluated the influence of various initial sulfate concentration from 1.0 to 2.5 g/L on anaerobic sulfate reduction kinetics by a sulfidogenic enrichment culture predominantly Desulfovibrio sp. VSV2. It was observed that volumetric sulfate reduction rate (VSRR) was consistently increasing with an increase in volumetric sulfate loading rate (VSLR) across the retention time of 7–10 days. For a retention time of 7 days, the maximum VSRR was noted as 0.0050 g/(L.h) with a corresponding VSLR of 0.0089 g/(L.h). When retention time was maintained for 10 days, a maximum sulfate reduction of 65% and a maximum bacterial concentration of 1.632 g/L were achieved for an initial sulfate concentration of 1.5 g/L. It was concluded that VSLR facilitated through both dilution rate and initial sulfate concentration had a significant influence over sulfate reduction kinetics. The results of the study suggested that the microalgal-fed sulfidogenic system could be effectively employed for reduction of sulfate from sulfate-rich wastewater.