Multiobjective differential evolution (MODE) for optimization of adiabatic styrene reactor

In this paper, a novel algorithm is proposed for solving multiobjective optimization problems. The proposed algorithm, multiobjective differential evolution (MODE), is applied to optimize industrial adiabatic styrene reactor considering productivity, selectivity and yield as the main objectives. Five combinations of the objectives are considered. Pareto set (a set of equally good solutions) obtained for all the cases is compared with results reported using non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA). The results show that all objectives besides profit can be improved compared to those reported using NSGA and current operating conditions. The Pareto optimal front provides wide-ranging optimal operating conditions and an appropriate operating point can be selected based on the requirements of the user.     

Plasticity spread in mild steel pre-cracked charpy bars

During dynamic service loading, small fatigue cracks are normally seen to emanate from the root of sharp machined stress concentration region. In a recent authors' paper at ICF4, the fracture strength of a charpy type notched beam has been studied in three different engineering materials, when a small fatigue crack emanates from the notch root. Fracture tests on these medium and high strength materials demonstrate the presence of a large size plastic zone near the crack tip [1–6]. To understand the mechanism of fracture for such complex geometry. it is important to know the size and shape of these plastically yielded regions. The present paper is mainly on the experimental measurement of plasticity spread as well as the stress intensity factor (S.I.F.) for such short cracks. Firstly, the S.I.F. is approximately measured by plain transmission photoelasticity on model castolite specimens. Secondly, plastic zones around crack tip are measured for a wide range of notch root radii and crack-length, by using photo-stress PS-3B coating on mild steel pre-cracked charpy type notched specimens. It is observed that for small scale yielding at the crack tip, the plasticity spread is around 60–65° angle to the line of crack-extension. On the contrary, as the gross applied stress approaches the yield strength of the material, the maximum plasticity spreads around 45° angle. Finally, it is noticed that at high stress level, the plastic zone boundary (for short crack) touches the free machined notch surface. These experimental observations explain the nature and degree of non-linearity in a load—C.O.D. diagram during the fracture test of a short cracked-notched specimen. These data are also useful to predict the crack-extension load for an elastic-plastic material.     

Silver-based intermetallic heterostructures in Sb2Te3 thick films with enhanced thermoelectric power factors

In this work, Ag(x)Te(y)-Sb(2)Te(3) heterostructured films are prepared by ligand exchange using hydrazine soluble metal chalcogenide. Because of the created interfacial barrier, cold carriers are more strongly scattered than hot ones and thereby an over 50% enhanced thermoelectric power factor (~2 μW/(cm·K(2))) is obtained at 150 °C. This shows the possibility of engineering multiphases to further improve thermoelectric performance beyond phonon scattering through a low-temperature solution processed route.     

Boundary layer flow and heat transfer for the stretching plate with suction

A boundary layer flow of incompressible viscous fluid past a stretching plate with suction has been investigated. Expressions for the Nusselt number have been derived for Pr=1, Pr1 and Pr1 using an order of magnitude analysis. Further, the Nusselt number has been obtained for large Prandtl numbers applying an asymptotic series expansion. The dependence of the boundary layer thickness and the Nusselt number on suction v_o are discussed.     

Plasmonic photosensitization of a wide band gap semiconductor: converting plasmons to charge carriers

A fruitful paradigm in the development of low-cost and efficient photovoltaics is to dope or otherwise photosensitize wide band gap semiconductors in order to improve their light harvesting ability for light with sub-band-gap photon energies.(1-8) Here, we report significant photosensitization of TiO2 due to the direct injection by quantum tunneling of hot electrons produced in the decay of localized surface-plasmon polaritons excited in gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) embedded in the semiconductor (TiO2). Surface plasmon decay produces electron-hole pairs in the gold.(9-15) We propose that a significant fraction of these electrons tunnel into the semiconductor's conduction band resulting in a significant electron current in the TiO2 even when the device is illuminated with light with photon energies well below the semiconductor's band gap. Devices fabricated with (nonpercolating) multilayers of AuNPs in a TiO2 film produced over 1000-fold increase in photoconductance when illuminated at 600 nm over what TiO2 films devoid of AuNPs produced. The overall current resulting from illumination with visible light is ～50% of the device current measured with UV (?ω>Eg band gap) illumination. The above observations suggest that plasmonic nanostructures (which can be fabricated with absorption properties that cover the full solar spectrum) can function as a viable alternative to organic photosensitizers for photovoltaic and photodetection applications.     

Plasmonic properties of gold nanoparticles separated from a gold mirror by an ultrathin oxide

That a nanoparticle (NP) (for example of gold) residing above a gold mirror is almost as effective a surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate (when illuminated with light of the correct polarization and wavelength) as two closely coupled gold nanoparticles has been known for some time. The NP-overmirror (NPOM) configuration has the valuable advantage that it is amenable to top-down fabrication. We have fabricated a series of Au-NPOM substrates with varying but thin atomic layer-deposited oxide spacer and measured the SERS enhancement as a function of spacer thickness and angle of incidence (AOI). These were compared with high-quality finite-difference time-domain calculations, which reproduce the observed spacer thickness and AOI dependences faithfully. The SERS intensity is expected to be strongly affected by the AOI on account for the fact that the hot spot formed in the space between the NP and the mirror is most efficiently excited with an electromagnetic field component that is normal to the surface of the mirror. Intriguingly we find that the SERS intensity maximizes at ~60° and show that this is due to the coherent superposition of the incident and the reflected field components. The observed SERS intensity is also shown to be very sensitive to the dielectric constant of the oxide spacer layer with the most intense signals obtained when using a low dielectric constant oxide layer (SiO(2)).     

Removal of Cu(II) from water by tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl) porphyrin-functionalized mesoporous silica

Various adsorbents are available for the removal of heavy and toxic metals, silica-based materials have been the most popular. Recently, there has been considerable interest for the modification of organic moieties and mesostructured materials to enable their use as efficient adsorbent for metal removal. In this study, here we are reporting successful incorporation of tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin (TCPP) in mesoporous silica by the post-synthetic method. TCPP-SBA-15 has been found to be an effective material for the removal of Cu(II) from aqueous solution due to the chelating nature of the porphyrin-bridging group. A comparative study on adsorption of copper(II) ion over NH(2)-SBA-15 silica and TCPP-SBA-15 was performed. The results show that TCPP-SBA-15 material has higher adsorption capacity than NH(2)-SBA-15 silica and it reaches the adsorption maxima around 13 mmol g(-1).     

Cylindrical specimens for KIC of rocks

Stress intensity factors for pairs of diametrically opposite radial cracks on the inside of a jacketed pressurized hole in a thick cylinder have been calculated by using finite element technique. Burst tests on thick cylinder rock samples under above conditions have been performed and the K_IC values for Antrim Shale and Limestone determined. The method is very convenient for rocks whose samples are often available in form of cylindrical bars drawn as cores from underground drilling.