A study on squeal noise reduction considering the pad shape of the disc brake system for urban railway vehicles

Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology - In this paper, to help reduce the squeal noise produced during the braking of urban railway vehicles, the shape of the disc brake pad was investigated...     

A multi‐point electrical resistance measurement system for characterization of foam drainage regime and stability

Foam drainage regimes are significantly associated with the nature of the hydrodynamic resistance in foam structure. A multi‐point electrical resistance measurement technique has been applied for characterization of the drainage regimes and quantifying stability within standing foams. The capacity of the technique was confirmed by the estimation of macroscopic drainage rates for aqueous foams stabilized with sodium dodecyl sulfate. The drainage of sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate, a commercial form of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate that is the most frequently used in household detergents was studied in detail by two complementary methods (forced and free drainage). The experimental data could be fitted using a power‐law with an exponent of 1/3 for forced drainage and of 1.0 for free drainage. These data indicate the following drainage behavior: mobile bubble surfaces, causing plug‐like flow within Plateau borders, thus dissipation mainly occurs inside the nodes. This research introduced an accurate method for quantifying foam stability that can be assessed by variations of real‐time measured foam heights that incorporate the evolution of the liquid content. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 60: 3143–3150, 2014     

Performance evaluation of pretreatment processes in integrated membrane system for wastewater reuse

A series of lab-scale filtration experiments were performed under various operating conditions to investigate the fouling behavior of microfiltration (MF) membranes when employing two different pretreatment methods. The secondary effluents from a biologically advanced treatment process were fed to each hybrid system, consisting of coagulation-flocculation-MF (CF-MF) and ozonation-MF processes. All experiments were carried out using a stirred-cell system, which consisted of polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) MF membranes with a 0.22 μm pore size. When MF membrane was used alone without any pretreatment, the permeate flux dropped significantly. However, in the case of employing polyaluminium chloride (PACl) coagulation and ozonation as a pretreatment, the extent of flux decline rates was enhanced up to 88 and 38%, respectively. In the CF-MF hybrid system, the removal efficiencies of COD and total phosphorus were significantly enhanced at a coagulant dose above 30 mg/L. With ozonation, more than 90% of the color was removed even at a low dosage of ozone (5 mg/L). Therefore, ozonation would be strongly recommended as a pretreatment in terms of removing organic matter. The permeate water quality by ozonation-MF process was in good compliance with the guidelines for wastewater reuse proposed by South Korean Ministry of Environment.     

Ladder-Type Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)–Poly(ethylene glycol)–Polyurethane Supramolecular Network for Gel Polymer Electrolyte

A ladder-type poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)–poly(ethylene glycol)–polyurethane (PEDOT–PEG–PU) supramolecular network was successfully synthesized using graft copolymerization of hydroxymethyl-EDOT with isocyanate-terminated PEG–PU prepolymer. PEDOT functionalized as the frame for a ladder-type supramolecular structure and PEG–PU as the rung. The successful formation of supramolecular network was confirmed by analyzing the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. A series of PEDOT–PEG–PU gel polymer electrolytes by linking the LiClO₄ were prepared as a function of [O/Li⁺] ratios. The pH effect of their electrical capacitances was investigated using cyclic voltammetry. Ionic conductivities of different PEDOT–PEG–PU/Li⁺ complexes at a fixed pH were also evaluated through impedance analysis.     

Semi‐crystalline polypyrrole: Polystyrene sulfonate synthesized through the pores of filter paper

Semi‐crystalline polypyrrole:polystyrene sulfonate (PPy:PSS) composites were synthesized successfully after passing through the micro‐pores of filter paper. Filter paper was used as a tunnel to channel the diffusion speed of the initiator and to separate the PSS chains as a function of the occupied pore volume. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR) suggested the specific bonding structures of the formed PPy:PSS. The crystallographic structures of the PPy:PSS composites were analyzed by X‐ray diffraction based on various pore sizes of the filter paper used. The crystallinity dependence of the conductivity was evaluated using a standard four‐point probe. A series of PPy:PSS samples with different crystallinity exhibited electrical conductivity ranging from 0.007 S/cm to 0.062 S/cm. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 58:1033–1036, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Motion-estimation-based stabilization of infrared video

In the course of the filming of infrared (IR) video, intrinsic equipment instability incurs movement that in turn causes image blurring. For image clarity and viewing comfortability, it is required that such movement be countered. Presently, video stabilization systems perform Motion Estimation of frames that is then applied frame-by-frame to subsequent frames in order to calculate a motion vector, counter movement, and produce, thereby, a more stable image. However, frame-by-frame comparison for long-distance filming often is difficult due to lack of information. The present study determined the appropriate blocks with the most information for Motion Estimation. We also were able to differentiate between equipment movement and movement in the video itself. By these means, we were able to stabilize videos. The methods employed in the experimentation were 5 sets of 640 × 480 long-distance videos and 5 sets of 480 × 320 long-distance videos. When compared with the current motion estimation methods, our proposed method afforded a 10% increase in accuracy.     

Effect of cake layer structure on colloidal fouling in reverse osmosis membranes

A series of reverse osmosis (RO) membrane filtration experiments was performed systematically in order to investigate the effects of various hydrodynamic and physicochemical operational parameters on a cake layer formation in colloidal and particulate suspensions. Bench-scale fouling experiments with a thin-film composite RO membrane were performed at various combinations of trans-membrane pressure (TMP), cross-flow velocity (CFV), particle size, pH, and ionic strength. In this study, silica particles with two different mean diameters of 0.1 and 3.0 μm were used as model colloids. Membrane filtration experiments with colloidal suspensions under various hydrodynamic operating conditions resulted that more significant permeate flux decline was observed as TMP increased and CFV decreased, which was attributed to the higher accumulative mass of particles on the membrane surface. Results of fouling experiments under various physicochemical operating conditions demonstrated that the rate of flux decline decreased significantly with an increase of the ionic strength as well as particle size, while the flux decline rate did not vary when solution pH changed. The experimentally measured cake layer thickness increased with a decrease in particle size and solution ionic strength. Furthermore, the model estimation of cake layer thickness by using a cake filtration theory based on the hydraulic resistance of membrane and cake layer was performed under various ionic strength conditions. The primary model parameters including accumulated mass and specific cake resistance were calculated from the cake layer resistance. This result indicated that the formation of cake layer could be closely related with solution water chemistry. The model estimated cake layer thickness values were in good agreement with the experimentally measured values.     

Recent Advances in Structural Design of Efficient Near-Infrared Light-Emitting Organic Small Molecules

Organic light-emitting materials in the near-infrared (NIR) region are important to realize next-generation lightweight and wearable applications in bioimaging, photodynamic therapy, and telecommunications. Inorganic and organometallic light-emitting materials are expensive and toxic; thus, the development of purely organic light-emitting materials is essential. However, the development of highly efficient NIR light-emitting materials made of organic materials is still in its infancy. Therefore, this review outlines molecular design strategies for developing organic small-molecule NIR light-emitting materials with high emission efficiency that can overcome the energy-gap law to be applied to next-generation wearable devices. After briefly reviewing the basic knowledge required for the NIR emission of organic molecules, representative high-efficiency molecules reported over the past 5 years are classified according to their core moieties, and their molecular design, physical properties, and luminescence characteristics are analyzed. Further, the perspective and outlook regarding the development of next-generation high-efficiency NIR organic light-emitting materials are provided.