MHD mixed convection of a Cu–water nanofluid flow through a channel with an open trapezoidal cavity and an elliptical obstacle

In the current work, numerical simulations are achieved to study the properties and the characteristics of fluid flow and heat transfer of (Cu–water) nanofluid under the magnetohydrodynamic effects in a horizontal rectangular canal with an open trapezoidal enclosure and an elliptical obstacle. The cavity lower wall is grooved and represents the heat source while the obstacle represents a stationary cold wall. On the other hand, the rest of the walls are considered adiabatic. The governing equations for this investigation are formulated, nondimensionalized, and then solved by Galerkin finite element approach. The numerical findings were examined across a wide range of Richardson number (0.1 ≤ Ri ≤ 10), Reynolds number (1 ≤ Re ≤ 125), Hartmann number (0 ≤ Ha ≤ 100), and volume fraction of nanofluid (0 ≤ φ ≤ 0.05). The current study's findings demonstrate that the flow strength increases inversely as the Reynolds number rises, which pushes the isotherms down to the lower part of the trapezoidal cavity. The Nu_avg rises as the Ri rise, the maximum Nu_avg = 10.345 at Ri = 10, Re = 50, ϕ = 0.05, and Ha = 0; however, it reduces with increasing Hartmann number. Also, it increase by increasing ϕ, at Ri = 10, the Nu_avg increased by 8.44% when the volume fraction of nanofluid increased from (ϕ = 0–0.05).     

Systematic analysis and multi-objective optimization of an integrated power and freshwater production cycle

This study represents the results of the analysis and optimization of an integrated system for cogenerating electricity and freshwater. This setup consists of a Solid Oxide Fuel cell (SOFC) for producing electricity. Unburned fuel of the SOFC is burned in the afterburner to increase the temperature of the SOFC's outlet gasses and operate a Gas turbine (GT) to produce additional power and operate the air compressor. At the bottom of this cycle, a combined setup of a Multi-Effect Desalination (MED) and Reverse Osmosis (RO) is considered to produce freshwater from the unused heat capacity of the GT's exhaust gasses. Also, a Stirling engine is used in the fuel supply line to increase the fuel's temperature. Using LNG and the Stirling engine will replace the fuel compressor with a pump which increases the system performance and eliminates the need for the expansion valve. To study the system performance a mathematical model is developed in Engineering Equation Solver (EES) program. Then, the system's simulated data from the EES has been sent to MATLAB to promote the best operating condition based on the optimization criteria. An energetic, exergetic, economic, and environmental analysis has been performed and a Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (NSGA-II) is used to achieve the goal. The two-objective optimization is performed to maximize the exergetic efficiency of the proposed system while minimizing the system's total cost of production. This cost is a weighted distribution of the Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) and Levelized Cost of freshwater (LCOW). The results showed that the exergetic and energetic efficiencies of the system can reach 73.5% and 69.06% at the optimum point. The total electricity production of the system is 99 MW. The production cost is 11.71 Cents/kWh, of which 1.04 Cents/kWh is emission-related and environmental taxes. The freshwater production rate is 42.44 kg/s which costs 4.38 USD/m³.     

Hydrogen-rich gas generation via the exhaust gas-fuel reformer for the marine LNG engine

Reformed exhaust gas recirculation technology has attracted great attention in internal combustion engines. A platform of an exhaust gas-fuel reformer connected with the marine LNG engine was set up for generating on-board hydrogen. Based on the platform, effects of the methane to oxygen ratio (M/O) and reformed exhaust gas ratio (R_EG) from the reformer and excess air ratio (λ) from the engine on the components, hydrogen yield, thermal efficiency and reforming process of the reformer were experimentally investigated. Results shown that hydrogen-rich gases (reformate) can be generated by reforming the mixture of engine exhaust gas (about 400 °C) and methane supplied via the reformer with Ni/Al₂O₃ catalyst, and the hydrogen concentration of reformate was between 6.2% and 12.6% by volume. The methane supplied rate and λ affected the components and temperature of the reactant in the reformer, while R_EG changed the gas hour space velocity during the exhaust gas-fuel reforming processes, resulting in the difference in the components of the reformate and thermal efficiency. At the present experimental condition, the highest H₂ concentration reformate was generated under the M/O of 2.0, λ of 1.55 and R_EG of 6%.     

Use of La2O3 with 8YSZ as thermal barrier coating and its effect on thermal cycle behavior,microstructure, mechanical properties and performance of diesel engine operated by hydrogen-algae biodiesel blend

In this present work, the effect of lanthanum oxides (La₂O₃) on the thermal cycle behavior of TBC coatings and mechanical properties such as adhesion strength and microhardness of 8% Yttria Stabilized Zirconia (8YSZ) TBCs were investigated. CoNiCrAlY and aluminium alloy (Al–13%Si) were used as bond coat and substrate materials. 8YSZ and different wt % of La₂O₃ (10, 20, and 30%) top coatings were applied using the atmospheric plasma spray (APS) method. The thermal cycling test for TBC coated samples were conducted at 800 °C in the electric furnace. The XRD pattern shows that the La₂O₃ doped 8YSZ material transformed to cubic pyrochloric structured La₂Zr₂O₇ during thermal cycling. Further, the Taguchi-based grey relation analysis (GRA) method was applied to optimize the TBC coating parameters to achieve better mechanical properties such as adhesion strength and microhardness. And the optimized La₂O₃/8YSZ TBC coating was coated on CRDI engine combustion chamber components. The engine was tested with microalgae biodiesel and hydrogen, and the results were promising for the TBC-coated engine. The engine performance increased while using La₂O₃/8YSZ coated components, and the emissions from engine exhaust gas such as CO, HC, and smoke reduced considerably. It was found that there was no separation crack and spallation of the coating layer in the microstructure. Ultimately, the microstructural analysis of the optimized TBC coated piston sample after 50 h of running in the diesel engine confirmed that the developed coating had a superior thermal insulation effect and longer life.     

Method for calculating horizontal drain induced non-linear and large strain degree of consolidation

Consolidating dredged clay slurries using a combination of vacuum pressure and prefabricated horizontal drains (PHDs) is widely used in practice. This is a large strain problem, but there is no existing large strain theory for PHD induced consolidation. A method with explicit equations has been proposed to consider both mechanical and geometrical non-linearities in analyzing PHD induced consolidation. The method considers stepwise variation of properties using imaginary time concept. An imaginary time is determined by the condition of continuity of degree of consolidation before and after changing the properties. Then the method was applied to analyze a large scale model test of vacuum consolidation with PHD. Two analyses were conducted. One considered both the mechanical and geometrical non-linearity (large strain), and another only considered mechanical non-linearity (small strain). The results of large strain analysis agree with the measured settlement curve and excess pore pressures well. While the small strain analysis under-estimated the rate of consolidation significantly. The results from this study indicate that for analyzing PHD induced consolidation of clay slurries considering the effect of large strain is important, and the proposed method can be a useful design tool.     

基于等压差水膜的柴油机尾气净化装置研究

开发设计了一款新型尾气颗粒物过滤净化装置,该装置利用颗粒物惯性作用和水膜吸附效应实现颗粒物与柴油机尾气的分离。通过分析计算得到形成湿润壁面连续水膜的条件。选择合适的波形板面,搭建柴油机尾气颗粒物检测系统。试验结果表明,设计的柴油机尾气颗粒净化装置可以起到很好地净化颗粒物的作用,尤其是在柴油机刚刚启动低速运转的情况下净化效率高。     

Oil Demand and Stocks

Current data of world oil demand. This includes international bunkers and refinery fuel. Updated on a monthly basis. Current data of oil demand from counties such as Canada, the United States of America, Japan, OECD Europe, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Australia, Mexico, Republic of Korea, and Turkey. Updated on a monthly basis. Current data for crude oil and refined product stocks in Canada, Chile, Mexico, the United States (Western Hemisphere), France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom and Other Europe (Europe), Japan, Republic of Korea, Other Pacific (Asia‐Pacific), and Total OECD (Table 12.1) Current data for refined product stocks in the OECD Western Hemisphere, OECD Europe, OECD Asia‐Pacific and Total OECD. Products include gasoline, diesel and gasoil, and heavy fuel oil. Updated on a monthly basis (Table 12.2).     

Acquisition and Spread of Antimicrobial Resistance: A tet(X) Case Study

Understanding the mechanisms leading to the rise and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is crucially important for the preservation of power of antimicrobials and controlling infectious diseases. Measures to monitor and detect AMR, however, have been significantly delayed and introduced much later after the beginning of industrial production and consumption of antimicrobials. However, monitoring and detection of AMR is largely focused on bacterial pathogens, thus missing multiple key events which take place before the emergence and spread of AMR among the pathogens. In this regard, careful analysis of AMR development towards recently introduced antimicrobials may serve as a valuable example for the better understanding of mechanisms driving AMR evolution. Here, the example of evolution of tet(X), which confers resistance to the next-generation tetracyclines, is summarised and discussed. Initial mechanisms of resistance to these antimicrobials among pathogens were mostly via chromosomal mutations leading to the overexpression of efflux pumps. High-level resistance was achieved only after the acquisition of flavin-dependent monooxygenase-encoding genes from the environmental microbiota. These genes confer resistance to all tetracyclines, including the next-generation tetracyclines, and thus were termed tet(X). ISCR2 and IS26, as well as a variety of conjugative and mobilizable plasmids of different incompatibility groups, played an essential role in the acquisition of tet(X) genes from natural reservoirs and in further dissemination among bacterial commensals and pathogens. This process, which took place within the last decade, demonstrates how rapidly AMR evolution may progress, taking away some drugs of last resort from our arsenal.     

纵轴式掘进机截割头载荷影响因素的仿真分析

针对现有掘进机截割头载荷特性研究方法采用单一影响因素不能全面反映截割头载荷及其波动变化规律的问题,通过分析截割头瞬时载荷,确定了纵轴式掘进机在水平截割工况下截割头载荷的主要影响因素有截割岩石特性、截割头掏槽深度、截割头吃刀深度、截割头转速和截割臂摆速。针对某纵轴式掘进机水平截割工况,采用Matlab对影响截割头载荷的多种因素进行仿真分析,得到了各向载荷及其波动随各因素的变化规律:截割头载荷随着岩壁普氏系数的增大而增加,其中横向阻力增加尤为明显,横向阻力波动程度高于其他方向载荷,且随着岩壁普氏系数的增大呈减小趋势;随着截割头掏槽深度的增加,截割头各向载荷近似呈线性增加,其中升力增加幅度最大,各向载荷波动则随着截割头掏槽深度的增大而减小;随着吃刀深度的增加,截割头载荷总体呈增大趋势,载荷波动程度则随之减小;在截割头转速一定的情况下,截割头载荷均随着截割臂摆速的增加而增大,在同一摆速下,截割头载荷随着截割头转速的减小而增大,横向阻力波动明显高于升力和推进阻力波动,横向阻力和推进阻力波动按截割头载荷规律变化,升力波动则与之相反。截割头载荷波动变化规律与截割头载荷变化规律不尽一致,有时甚至相互冲突。因此,掘进机作业过程中应合理选择截割头掏槽深度、吃刀深度等操作参数和截割头转速、截割臂摆速等运动参数,使各参数相互匹配,以减小掘进机振动,延长使用寿命。     

PA6B柴油机进排气阀断裂原因分析

针对PA6B柴油机进排气阀断裂故障,根据现场勘验情况并结合该柴油机当时的热工参数,建立相应的故障树;对制造质量、装配质量、配气定时、异物进入、热工参数等因素进行逐一排查。结果表明:导致PA6B柴油机进排气阀断裂的原因为喷油器制造质量存在问题。