Structural regulation and polishing performance of dendritic mesoporous silica (D-mSiO2) supported with samarium-doped cerium oxide composites

Ceria (CeO₂) particles are prevalent polishing abrasive materials. Trivalent lanthanide ions are the popular category of dopants for enriched surface defects and thus improved physicochemical properties, since they are highly compatible with CeO₂ lattices. Herein, a series of dendritic-like mesoporous silica (D-mSiO₂)-supported samarium (Sm)-doped CeO₂ nanocrystals were synthesized via a facile chemical precipitation method. The relation of the structural characteristics and chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) performances were investigated to explore the effect of Sm-doping amounts on the D-mSiO₂/Sm_xCe_1?xO_2?δ (x = 0–1) composite abrasives. The involved low-modulus D-mSiO₂ cores aimed to eliminate surface scratch and damage, resulting from the optimized contact behavior between abrasives and surfaces. The trivalent cerium (Ce³⁺) and oxygen vacancy (V_O) at CeO₂ surfaces were expected to be reactive sites for the material removal process over SiO₂ films. The optimal oxide-CMP performances in terms of removal efficiency and surface quality were achieved by the 40% Sm-doped composite abrasives. It might be attributed to the high Ce³⁺ and V_O concentrations and the enhancement of tribochemical reactivity between CeO₂SiO₂ interfaces. Furthermore, the relationship between the surface chemistry, polishing performance as well as the actual role in oxide-CMP of the D-mSiO₂/Sm_xCe_1?xO_2?δ abrasives were also discussed.     

Recent progress on the discrete element method simulations for powder transport systems: A review

Powder transport systems are ubiquitous in various industries, where they can encounter single powder flow, two-phase flow with solids carried by gas or liquid, and gas–solid–liquid three-phase flow. System geometry, operating conditions, and particle properties have significant impacts on the flow behavior, making it difficult to achieve good transportation of granular materials. Compared to experimental trials and theoretical studies, the numerical approach provides unparalleled advantages over the investigation and prediction of detailed flow behavior, of which the discrete element method (DEM) can precisely capture complex particle-scale information and attract a plethora of research interests. This is the first study to review recent progress in the DEM and coupled DEM with computational fluid dynamics for extensive powder transport systems, including single-particle, gas–solid/solid–liquid, and gas–solid–liquid flows. Some important aspects (i.e., powder electrification during pneumatic conveying, pipe bend erosion, non-spherical particle transport) that have not been well summarized previously are given special attention, as is the application in some new-rising fields (ocean mining, hydraulic fracturing, and gas/oil production). Studies involving important large-scale computation methods, such as the coarse grained DEM, graphical processing unit-based technique, and periodic boundary condition, are also introduced to provide insight for industrial application. This review study conducts a comprehensive survey of the DEM studies in powder transport systems.     

Numerical study of microscopic particle arrangement of suspension flow in a narrow channel for the estimation of macroscopic rheological properties

In a narrow channel, the apparent relative viscosity of a suspension with finite-size particles is strongly dependent on its microscopic particle arrangement. Relative viscosity increases when suspended particles flow near the channel wall; thus, a suspension in a narrow channel does not always exhibit the same rheological properties even if the concentration is the same. In this study, we focus on the inertia and concentration of particles in a narrow channel and consider their effects on the microscopic particle arrangement and macroscopic suspension rheology. Two-dimensional pressure-driven suspension flow simulations were performed using a two-way coupling scheme, and normalized particle density distribution (PDD) were implemented to consider their particle arrangements. The results demonstrated that the velocity profiles for the particle suspension were changed by the Reynolds number and particle concentration because of the interactions between particles according to the power-law index. These changes affected the particle equilibrium positions in the channel, and the subsequent changes in solvent layer thickness caused changes in the macroscopic apparent viscosity. The behavior of microscopic particles played important roles in determining macroscopic rheology. Thus, we have confirmed that a normalized PDD can be used to estimate and assess the macroscopic rheology of a suspension.     

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.     

超临界机组发生FAC的因素及相互关系分析

为了减轻因流动加速腐蚀(FAC)引起的锅炉结垢加速、汽水系统管道厚度减小甚至爆裂现象，对超临界机组发生流动加速腐蚀的机理及其主要影响因素进行了研究，并讨论了管壁内表面粗糙度、蒸汽含汽率、pH值、溶氧量对FAC的影响，以及温度与pH值、温度与流速、pH值与溶解氧量、溶解氧量与氢电导率等影响因素之间的相互作用关系，最后结合实际电厂的运行数据验证了分析结果。研究表明：减小工质流速、管壁粗糙度和氢电导率，增大给水的pH值和溶解氧含量可以使FAC的腐蚀速率减小，超临界加氧处理时pH值应在8.9～9.2之间，溶解氧量范围为45～100μg/L,氢电导率的期望值在0.1μS/cm以下。由于各影响因素之间的作用十分复杂，本文只给出了大致范围和趋势，并未给出准确数据。     

Hall current effects on MHD flow of chemically reacting fluid through a porous medium with heat source

We considered the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) free convective flow of an incompressible electrically conducting viscous fluid past an infinite vertical permeable porous plate with a uniform transverse magnetic field, heat source and chemical reaction in a rotating frame taking Hall current effects into account. The momentum equations for the fluid flow during absorbent medium are controlled by the Brinkman model. Through the undisturbed state, both the plate and fluid are in a rigid body rotation by the uniform angular velocity perpendicular to an infinite vertical plate. The perpendicular surface is subject to the homogeneous invariable suction at a right angle to it and the heat on the surface varies about a non-zero unvarying average whereas the warmth of complimentary flow is invariable. The systematic solutions of the velocity, temperature, and concentration distributions are acquired systematically by utilizing the perturbation method. The velocity expressions consist of steady-state and fluctuating situations. It is revealed that the steady part of the velocity field has a three-layer characteristic while the oscillatory part of the fluid field exhibits a multi-layer characteristic. The influence of various governing flow parameters on the velocity, temperature, and concentration are analyzed graphically. We also discuss computational results for the skin friction, Nusselt number, and Sherwood number in the tabular forms.     

Shock/expansion fan interaction with real gas effects for Earth and Mars atmospheric conditions

Numerical simulations are performed to investigate the real gas effects on shock/expansion fan interaction. Initial perfect gas simulations at low enthalpy capture the flow structures efficiently and outcomes are found to have excellent agreement with the analytical calculations. Furthermore, the simulations with the real gas solver for different enthalpies showed that the variation in enthalpy significantly changes the flow structures. It is observed that an increase in enthalpy leads to a decrease and increase in the postshock and postexpansion fan Mach numbers, respectively. Another important observation is the decrement in the peak pressure ratio with an increment in the enthalpy. These effects are noted to be more pronounced for Mars's environment due to the higher dependency of specific heat on temperature.     

Nonsimilar solution of a boundary layer flow of a Reiner–Philippoff fluid with nonlinear thermal convection

The thermodynamics modeling of a Reiner–Philippoff-type fluid is essential because it is a complex fluid with three distinct probable modifications. This fluid model can be modified to describe a shear-thinning, Newtonian, or shear-thickening fluid under varied viscoelastic conditions. This study constructs a mathematical model that describes a boundary layer flow of a Reiner–Philippoff fluid with nonlinear radiative heat flux and temperature- and concentration-induced buoyancy force. The dynamical model follows the usual conservation laws and is reduced through a nonsimilar group of transformations. The resulting equations are solved using a spectral-based local linearization method, and the accuracy of the numerical results is validated through the grid dependence and convergence tests. Detailed analyses of the effects of specific thermophysical parameters are presented through tables and graphs. The study reveals, among other results, that the buoyancy force, solute and thermal expansion coefficients, and thermal radiation increase the overall wall drag, heat, and mass fluxes. Furthermore, the study shows that amplifying the space and temperature-dependent heat source parameters allows fluid particles to lose their cohesive force and, consequently, maximize flow and heat transfer.     

Impact of viscous dissipation and Dufour on MHD natural convective flow past an accelerated vertical plate with Hall current

The present research work concentrates on viscous dissipation, Dufour, and heat source on an unsteady magnetohydrodynamics natural convective flow of a viscous, incompressible, and electrically conducting fluid past an exponentially accelerated infinite vertical plate in the existence of a strong magnetic field. The presence of the Hall current induces a secondary flow in the problem. The distinguishing features of viscous dissipation and heat flux produced due to gradient of concentration included in the model along with heat source as they are known to arise in thermal-magnetic polymeric processing. The flow equations are discretized implicitly using the finite difference method and solved using MATLAB fsolve routine. Numerical values of the primary and secondary velocities, temperature, concentration, skin friction, Nusselt number, and Sherwood number are illustrated and presented via graphs and tables for various pertinent parametric values. The Dufour effect was observed to strengthen the velocity and temperature profile in the flow domain. In contrast, due to the impact of viscous dissipation, the local Nusselt number reduces. The study also reveals that the inclusion of the chemical reaction term augments the mass transfer rate and diminishes the heat transfer rate at the plate.     

Influence of high energy ball milling on structural,microstructural and optical properties of TiO2 nanoparticles

The influence of high-energy ball milling on structural, microstructural, and optical properties of TiO₂ by modifying the nanoparticle size was studied. Five samples were extracted at different milling times (0, 2, 4, 8, and 13 h). The average particle sizes estimated by dynamic light scattering (DLS) were 205, 155.8, 116.8, 82.9, and 82.7 nm at 0, 2, 4, 8, and 13 h, respectively. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed progressive broadening of the peaks as the milling time elapsed. Besides, a correlation was found between d spacing and the average crystal size. The UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectra of TiO₂ revealed a decrease in reflectance due to particle size reduction. Similarly, an alteration of the bandgap transition energy was presented, whose values gradually decreased from 2.966 eV to 2.861 eV for the sample without and with the maximum duration milling performed (13 h), respectively. Likewise, the SEM analysis showed a distribution in nanoparticle size that became more homogeneous and smaller average grain size as the milling duration was longer.