A new and rapid method for the evaluation of the liquid-solid contact resulting from liquid injection into a fluidized bed

Liquid feeds are injected into fluidized bed reactors such as fluid cokers, fluid catalytic crackers and gas-phase polymerization reactors. In these industrial processes, it is of crucial importance to optimize the contact between the injected liquid and the bed solids to minimize agglomeration, to ensure good reactor operability, and to allow reactions to proceed under minimum heat and mass transfer limitations in order to maximize the yields of valuable products. It has been shown [P. House, M. Saberian, C. Briens, F. Berruti, E. Chan, Injection of a liquid spray into a fluidized bed: particle-liquid mixing and impact on fluid coker yields. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research 43 (2004) 5663-5669., S. Bruhns, J. Werther, An investigation of the mechanism of liquid injection into fluidized beds. AIChE Journal 51 (2005) 766-775] that the nozzle technology and the operating conditions have a significant effect on the quality of the liquid-solid interaction resulting from the injection of gas-atomized liquid feed. The goal of this study was to develop a rapid and reliable experimental technique to assess the liquid-solid contact efficiency resulting from the injection of a liquid feed into a fluidized bed. Air-fluidized silica sand particles were first charged by triboelectrification as a result of their random collisions with the inner walls of the fluidized bed. Immediately after the injection of water through an aerated nozzle, the fluidization air was stopped and the wetted bed solids were allowed to settle. While the bed was defluidized, the triboelectric charges accumulated on the particles migrated to a grounded electrode through the low-resistance paths offered by the conductive liquid. A stronger electric current flowing through the electrode indicated that the liquid was more evenly distributed on the solid particles. The intensity of the current flowing through the electrode was, therefore, used to define a spray nozzle performance index. This technique was used to examine the effect of increasing the nozzle aeration, and, specifically, the gas-to-liquid mass ratio (G/L) through the nozzle on the liquid-solid contact efficiency. The results showed that changing the nozzle geometry can change how the contact efficiency between atomized liquid and fluidized solids varies with (G/L), especially at relatively high G/L ratios. A model of the time-evolution of the electric current generated during defluidization of the bed solids is also presented.     

Trap-assisted tunneling in Si-InAs nanowire heterojunction tunnel diodes

We report on the electrical characterization of one-sided p(+)-si/n-InAs nanowire heterojunction tunnel diodes to provide insight into the tunnel process occurring in this highly lattice mismatched material system. The lattice mismatch gives rise to dislocations at the interface as confirmed by electron microscopy. Despite this, a negative differential resistance with peak-to-valley current ratios of up to 2.4 at room temperature and with large current densities is observed, attesting to the very abrupt and high-quality interface. The presence of dislocations and other defects that increase the excess current is evident in the first and second derivative of the I-V characteristics as distinct peaks arising from trap-and phonon-assisted tunneling via the corresponding defect levels. We observe this assisted tunneling mainly in the forward direction and at low reverse bias but not at higher reverse biases because the band-to-band generation rates are peaked in the InAs, which is also confirmed by modeling. This indicates that most of the peaks are due to dislocations and defects in the immediate vicinity of the interface. Finally, we also demonstrate that these devices are very sensitive to electrical stress, in particular at room temperature, because of the extremely high electrical fields obtained at the abrupt junction even at low bias. The electrical stress induces additional defect levels in the band gap, which reduce the peak-to-valley current ratios.     

Barrier coverage with line-based deployed mobile sensors

Barrier coverage of a wireless sensor network is a critical issue in military and homeland security applications, aiming to detect intruders that attempt to cross the deployed region. While a range of problems related to barrier coverage have been investigated, little effort has been made to explore the effects of different sensor deployment strategies and mechanisms to improve barrier coverage of a wireless sensor network after it is deployed. In this paper we study the barrier coverage of a line-based sensor deployment strategy and explore how to exploit sensor mobility to improve barrier coverage. We first establish a tight lower bound for the existence of barrier coverage under the line-based deployment. Our results show that the barrier coverage of the line-based deployment significantly outperforms that of the Poisson model when the random offsets are relatively small compared to the sensor’s sensing range. To take advantage of the performance of line-based deployment, we further devise an efficient algorithm to relocate mobile sensors based on the deployed line so as to improve barrier coverage. The algorithm finds barrier gaps and then relocates mobile sensors to fill the gaps while at the same time balancing the energy consumption among mobile sensors. Simulation results show that the algorithms can effectively improve the barrier coverage of a wireless sensor network for a wide range of deployment parameters. Therefore, in wireless sensor network applications, the coverage goal, possible sensor deployment strategies, and sensor mobility must be carefully and jointly considered. The results obtained in this paper will provide important guidelines and insights into the deployment and performance of wireless sensor networks for barrier coverage.     

The effects of noradrenergic activation of the nucleus tractus solitarius on memory and in potentiating norepinephrine release in the amygdala.

Although it is known that norepinephrine (NE) modulates memory by acting on limbic areas, few studies describe how structures supplying NE to the limbic system such as the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) contribute to this process. The present study examined the effects on memory of activating the NE pathway between the NTS and the amygdala (AMYG). Rats received buffer or the β-noradrenergic agonist clenbuterol (CLN; 10, 50, or 100 ng/0.5 μl) into the NTS after footshock training in a Y-maze discrimination task. Infusion of 100 ng CLN significantly improved memory when retention was tested in the absence or presence of cues associated with the footshock. Experiment 2 used in vivo microdialysis to determine whether the mnemonic effects of CLN are mediated by influencing NE output in the AMYG. Subjects were given an intra-NTS infusion of CLN or phosphate buffered saline, footshock (0.8 mA, 1 s) and injected with epinephrine (EPI; 0.3 mg/kg ip) or saline. CLN or EPI injection produced a significant increase in NE sampled from the AMYG. These findings indicate that activation of NTS neurons that project to and release NE in the AMYG modulates memory storage processing. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Conceptual basis for the definition and calculation of expected dose in performance assessments for the proposed high-level radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

A deep geologic repository for high-level radioactive waste is under development by the US Department of Energy (DOE) at Yucca Mountain (YM), Nevada. As mandated in the Energy Policy Act of 1992, the US Environmental Protection Agency has promulgated public health and safety standards (i.e., 40 CFR Part 197) for the YM repository, and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has promulgated licensing standards (i.e., 10 CFR Parts 2, 19, 20, etc.) consistent with 40 CFR Part 197 that the DOE must establish are met in order for the YM repository to be licensed for operation. Important requirements in 40 CFR Part 197 and 10 CFR Parts 2, 19, 20, etc. relate to the determination of expected (i.e., mean) dose to a reasonably maximally exposed individual (RMEI) and the incorporation of uncertainty into this determination. This paper is the first part of a two-part presentation and describes how general and typically nonquantitative statements in 40 CFR Part 197 and 10 CFR Parts 2, 19, 20, etc. can be given a formal mathematical structure that facilitates both the calculation of expected dose to the RMEI and the appropriate separation in this calculation of aleatory uncertainty (i.e., randomness in the properties of future occurrences such as igneous and seismic events) and epistemic uncertainty (i.e., lack of knowledge about quantities that are imprecisely known but assumed to have constant values in the calculation of expected dose to the RMEI). The second part of this presentation is contained in the following paper, “Computational Implementation of Sampling-Based Approaches to the Calculation of Expected Dose in Performance Assessments for the Proposed High-Level Radioactive Waste Repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada,” and both describes and illustrates sampling-based procedures for the estimation of expected dose and the determination of the uncertainty in estimates for expected dose.     

High Pressure Raman Spectroscopic Study of the Effects of n‐Ethylamines and Water on the 2‐Nitropropane/Nitric Acid System

High pressure Raman spectroscopy measurements in a diamond anvil cell (0–10 GPa) on 2‐nitropropane/nitric acid/X (X=triethylamine, diethylamine, and water) ternary systems and 2‐nitropropane/nitric acid/water/Y (Y=triethylamine and diethylamine) quaternary systems are reported. The modifications of the chemical behavior of the 2‐nitropropane/nitric acid model system, induced by the presence of triethylamine, diethylamine, and/or water, were studied at ambient and high pressure. At ambient pressure, the ionization of the nitric acid has been observed with each of the additives. Moreover, in the case of ethylamines, new peaks have been observed and the hypothesis of a 2‐nitropropane/ethylamine complex is advanced. At high pressure, the decomposition of the 2‐nitropropane/nitric acid system, with an oxygen balance near zero, has been observed only in presence of triethylamine. The role of each additive to the 2‐nitropropane/nitric acid system in the modification of the respective reducing and oxidizing character of the components, and in the reactivity of the system, is discussed. Several hypotheses are advanced concerning the sensitizing effect of the additives on the 2‐nitropropane/nitric acid system.     

Analysis and Convenient Formulas for Elasto-Plastic Contacts of Nominally Flat Surfaces: Average Gap,Contact Area Ratio,and Plastically Deformed Volume

Interaction of nominally flat engineering surfaces that leads to a large contact area exists in many mechanical systems. Considering periodic similarity of surface geometry, a numerical three-dimensional elasto-plastic contact model can be used to simulate the contact behaviors of two nominally flat surfaces with the assistance of the continuous convolution and Fourier transform (CC-FT) algorithm. This model utilizes the analytical frequency response functions (FRF) of elastic/plastic responses of materials and provides contact performance results, including the average surface gap, the contact area ratio, and the volume of plastically deformed material, which may be defined as performance variables. Following the digital filtration technology, rough surfaces can be numerically generated with specified autocorrelation length and the first four orders of statistical moments. A group of contact simulations are conducted with various working conditions. The effects of topographic and material properties on the contact behaviors are discussed. With a multi-variables regression method, empirical formulas are developed for the performance variables as functions of surface statistical characteristics, material properties, a hardening parameter, and the applied load in terms of pressure.     

Distributed fiber optic monitoring of a CFA pile with a central reinforcement bar bundle

In this paper, we present an application of distributed fiber optic sensor (DFOS) technology to measure the strain of a continuous flight auger (CFA) test pile with a central reinforcement bar bundle, during a static load test carried out in London. Being distributed in nature, DFOS gives much more information about the pile performance as compared to traditional point sensors, such as identifying cross-sectional irregularities or other anomalies. The strain profiles recorded along the depth of the piles from the DFOS were used to calculate pile deformation (contraction), shaft friction, and tip resistance under various loads. Based on this pile load test, a finite element (FE) analysis was performed using a one-dimensional nonlinear load-transfer model. Calibrated by the shaft friction and tip resistance derived from the monitored data, the FE model was able to simulate the pile and soil performance during the load testing with good accuracy. The effect of the reinforcement cage and central reinforcement bar bundle were investigated, and it was found that the addition of a reinforcement cage would reduce the pile settlement by up to 20%.     

HOUSING AND LAND POLICIES IN DELHI

ABSTRACT: Land and housing policies in New Delhi have great significance in urban policy. When the Delhi Development Authority was given substantial powers to purchase land and plan its use, it had the potential to innovate and create an example of “best practice” in urban development in developing countries. For a variety of situational, political, and managerial reasons, the opportunity was lost. This paper offers an explanation, evaluates the loss of potential, and indicates the reforms which are necessary to achieve better results.