Enhancement of process modelling and simulation evaluation by deploying a test for assessment and feedback individualisation

This paper demonstrates a novel approach for a computer-based course assessment. A test is introduced in which computers are deployed. This significantly contributes to the enhancement of the marking consistency, individual performance distinction and feedbacks, and widen the questions range for computer-based modules. The proposed test method, for the first time, uses the simulation files marking for individualised evaluation purposes. The methodology has successfully been implemented in practice for three modules including Process Simulation (CE2105), Advanced Process Simulation (CE4023), and Process Computation (CE3021) at Aston University (UK) over three academic years, from 2016 to 2019. The effectiveness of the proposed approach has been evaluated using several factors, including final marks, consistency multiple academic years, and mark distribution. In contrast to the common teamwork assessments, individualised feedback became possible. While ASPEN has been used for CE4023 and CE2105 tests, MATLAB has been applied as the computation platform for CE3021 module. This reveals the applicability of different software in proposed methodology. The number of students in the cohorts studied was from 52 to 204, demonstrating the applicability of the method for various cohort sizes. Even though the methodology has been demonstrated based on the chemical engineering discipline modules, it allows digitalising the delivery and assessment of a wide range of simulation techniques in many disciplines.     

Water vapor volatilization and oxidation induced surface cracking of environmental barrier coating systems: A numerical approach

A numerical model is developed for surface crack propagation in brittle ceramic coatings, aiming at the intrinsic failure of rare-earth silicate environmental barrier coating systems (EBCs) under combustion conditions in advanced gas turbines. The main features of progressive degradation of EBCs in such conditions are captured, including selective silica vaporization in the top coat due to exposure to water vapor, diffusion path-dependent bond coat oxidation, as well as crack propagation during cyclic thermal loading. In light of these features, user-defined subroutines are implemented in finite element analysis, where surface crack growth is simulated by node separation. Numerical results are validated by existing experimental data, in terms of monosilicate layer thickening, thermal oxide growth, and fracture behaviors. The experimentally observed quasi-linear oxidation in the early stage is also elucidated. Furthermore, it is suggested that surface crack undergoes rapid propagation in the late stage of extended thermal cycling in water vapor and leads to catastrophic failure, driven by both thermal mismatch and oxide growth stresses. The latter is identified as the dominant mechanism of penetration. Based on detailed analyses of failure mechanisms, the optimization strategy of EBCs composition is proposed, balancing the trade-off between mechanical compliance and erosion resistance.     

Self-healing capacity of Mullite-Yb2SiO5 environmental barrier coating material with embedded Ti2AlC MAX phase particles

Repetitive heating and cooling cycles inevitably cause crack damage of hot gas components of gas turbine engines, such as blades and vanes. In this study the self-healing capacity is investigated of mullite + ytterbium monosilicate (Yb₂SiO₅) as EBC material with Ti₂AlC MAX phase particles embedded as a crack-healing agent. The effect of Ti₂AlC in the EBC was compared with the self-healing ability of the mullite + Yb₂SiO₅ material. After introducing cracks by Vickers indentation on the surface of each sample, crack healing was realized by controlling the temperature and time during the post-heat-treatment process. For the mullite + Yb₂SiO₅ composite with Ti₂AlC particles, crack healing occurred at 1000 °C, while in the case of the mullite + Yb₂SiO₅ composite without Ti₂AlC, a sustained temperature of 1300 °C or higher was required. Compared with the healing of the mullite + Yb₂SiO₅ composite by the formation of a eutectic phase, the addition of Ti₂AlC promoted healing via the oxidation of Ti and Al. Notably, the surface formation of a ternary oxide of Ti–Yb–O was confirmed, which completely covered the damage area. Consequently, the addition of a Ti₂AlC MAX phase to the EBC composite resulted in a complete strength recovery, while the mullite + Yb₂SiO₅ composite without Ti₂AlC showed a strength recovery of about 80%. Furthermore, by analyzing the indentation load–displacement curve to indicate the role of Ti₂AlC, the addition of Ti₂AlC improved both the hardness and stiffness of the composite.     

一种新型的室温快速固化胶黏剂的研制

本文开发了一种新型的方舱夹芯板用室温固化高强度环氧结构胶黏剂,验证了其物化特性、相关力学性能和环境适应性。结果表明此胶黏剂具有优良性能,可以满足方舱用大板胶黏剂的使用需求。     

Effect of environmental pressure on the microstructure of YSZ thermal barrier coating via suspension plasma spraying

Suspension plasma spraying (SPS) as a potential technique to prepare thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) has been attracting more and more attention. However, most reports on SPS were carried out in the atmosphere. Given the unique features of in-flight particles and plasma jets under low pressure, the resulting coatings are expected to be different from those under atmospheric pressure. In this article, yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thermal barrier coatings were prepared using suspension plasma spraying under different environmental pressures. The results show that as the environmental pressure decreased, the column-like structural coating turned into a vertical crack segmented structure, as well as a dramatic decrease in surface roughness. More nanoparticle agglomerates were formed in the coating under lower environmental pressures. The real porosity of the coating increased with a decrease in environmental pressure.     

Patterns in environmental priorities revealed through government open data portals

The ways in which environmental priorities are framed are varied and influenced by political forces. One technological advance--the proliferation of government open data portals (ODPs)--has the potential to improve governance through facilitating access to data. Yet it is also known that the data hosted on ODPs may simply reflect the goals and interests of multiple levels of political power. In this article, I use traditional statistical correlation and regression techniques along with newer natural language processing and machine learning algorithms to analyze the corpus of datasets hosted on government ODPs (total: 49,066) to extract patterns that relate scales of governance and political liberalism/conservatism to the priorities and meaning attached to environmental issues. I find that state-level and municipal-level ODPs host different categories of environmental datasets, with municipal-level ODPs generally hosting more datasets pertaining to services and amenities and state-level ODPs hosting more datasets pertaining to resource protection and extraction. Stronger trends were observed for the influences of political conservatism/liberalism among state-level ODPs than for municipal-level ODPs.     

Mass transfer in polycrystalline ytterbium monosilicate under oxygen potential gradients at high temperatures

Mass transfer in polycrystalline Yb₂SiO₅ wafers with precise composition control was evaluated and analyzed by oxygen permeation experiments at high temperatures using an oxygen tracer. Oxygen permeation proceeded due to mutual grain boundary diffusion of oxide ions and Yb ions without synergistic effects such as acceleration or suppression. The oxygen shielding properties of Yb₂SiO₅ were compared with those of the other line compounds such as Yb₂Si₂O₇ and Al₂O₃ based on the determined mass transfer parameters. It was found that the more preferentially an oxide ion diffuses in the grain boundary compared to the interior of the grain, the greater the effect of suppressing the movement of the oxide ion by applying an oxygen potential gradient becomes.     

Use of a smartphone-based Student Response System in large active-learning Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics classrooms

Smartphones are a promising tool as student response systems (SRS) for interactive teaching due to their widespread diffusion. Here, the main purpose is to assess the efficacy of smartphone-based SRS in large classroom settings of undergraduate Thermodynamics, as representative of engineering courses requiring high-level cognitive skills for problem solving. Four sets of multiple-choice questions were presented during the course. Overall, the results refer to 1055 students between control and SRS classes, each corresponding to a3 years period.One of the main results of this work is the strong linear correlation between the average questionnaire score and the final exam grade (R² = 0.91). A similar correlation, although with a lower value of R², is already found in the first questionnaire, thus showing the SRS high predictive power of class performance. The results of this study provide guidance for a quantitative use of smartphone-based SRS in teaching basic disciplines. The SRS monitoring capability allows early detection of struggling students, thus paving the way to personalized tutoring and improved student engagement in active learning practices. This approach is especially important in emergency situations, such as the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic, when distance learning is widely adopted, and remote interactive tools are highly needed.     

碳中和背景下配电网差异化节能降耗潜力评估分

为了提高配电网差异化节能降耗效果，解决现有潜力评估方法存在的应用性能差的问题，提出碳中和背景下配电网差异化节能降耗潜力优化评估方法。根据配电网的空间结构，构建相应的等值电路模型。在该模型下，从设备损耗和运行附加损耗2个方面计算配电网的损耗量。根据损耗量计算结果，确定配电网差异化碳中和节能降耗方式。从静态和动态2个角度设置潜力评估指标，通过指标数据处理、指标权重求解等步骤，得出配电网差异化节能降耗潜力的综合量化评估结果。将设计潜力评估方法应用到配电网的差异化节能降耗改造工作中，能够有效降低配电网的实际线损量、降低区域损耗费用，并具有较高的应用价值。     

Data requirements for improving the Quantitative Risk Assessment of liquid hydrogen storage systems

Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) supports the development of risk-informed safety codes and standards which are employed to enable the safe deployment of hydrogen technologies essential to decarbonize the transportation sector. System reliability data is a necessary input for rigorous QRA. The lack of reliability data for bulk liquid hydrogen (LH₂) storage systems located on site at fueling stations limits the use of QRAs. In turn, this hinders the ability to develop the necessary safety codes and standards that enable worldwide deployment of these stations. Through a QRA-based analysis of a LH₂ storage system, this work focuses on identifying relevant scenario and probability data currently available and ascertaining future data collection requirements regarding risks specific to liquid hydrogen releases. The work developed consists of the analysis of a general bulk LH₂ storage system design located at a hydrogen fueling station. Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) and traditional QRA modeling tools such as Event Sequence Diagrams (ESD) and Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) are employed to identify, rank, and model risk scenarios related to the release of LH₂. Based on this analysis, scenario and reliability data needs to add LH₂-related components to QRA are identified with the purpose of improving the future safety and risk assessment of these systems.