Thermal performance analysis of arbitrary-profile fins with non-fourier heat conduction behavior

The thermal performance of variable cross-section fins is considered using the Maxwell–Cattaneo–Vernotte (MCV) heat conduction model. Four different fins, namely rectangular, triangular, convex, and concave fins, with a periodic thermal condition are examined. The governing equations are hyperbolic and are solved numerically using an implicit finite difference method. In the MCV model, the thermal wave propagates with a finite speed, and hence sharp discontinuities appear in the temperature profiles. In this study, temperature profiles at various times, heat transfer rates, and thermal efficiencies of Fourier and non-Fourier fins are presented. In addition, the effect of relaxation time is considered. The results show that the effects of cross-sectional area and relaxation time are considerable on the thermal performance of various non-Fourier fins. To validate our findings, the results for non-Fourier fins with constant cross-sectional area obtained from this study are compared to those of other numerical solutions. This comparison confirms the correctness of the current results.     

Ultrasound and water-mediated synthesis of bis-thiazoles catalyzed by Fe(SD)3 as Lewis acid-surfactant-combined catalyst

Preparation of bis-aminothiazoles under different conditions including synthesis in EtOH under ultrasound irradiation and also in water in the presence of Fe(SD)₃ as Lewis acid-surfactant-combined catalyst (LASC) under ultrasound irradiation has been studied. The results were compared with the traditional reflux method. Also, the results confirmed the efficiency of the synthesis in water and under ultrasound irradiation technique. Moreover, the antibacterial activity of products was investigated using the well-diffusion method against bacterial strains including Micrococcus luteus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus subtilis. All of the products showed good antibacterial activity against M. luteus and E. coli. Most of the products showed antibacterial activity higher than erythromycin against M. luteus, E. coli, and B. subtilis.     

Semi-automatic measurement of rigid gas-permeable contact lens movement in keratoconus patients using blinking images

Purpose

To introduce a method for estimation of the rigid gas-permeable contact lens (RGP) movement.

Probing the nanoscale phase separation and photophysics properties of low-bandgap polymer:fullerene blend film by near-field spectroscopic mapping

The effect of the additive 1,8-octanedithiol (ODT) on the nanometer-scale morphology and local photophysical properties of low-bandgap polymer blends of poly[2,6-(4,4-bis(2-ethylhexyl)-4H-cyclopenta[2,1-b;3,4-b'] dithiophene)- alt-4,7(2,1,3-benzothiadiazole)] (PCPDTBT) and [6,6]-phenyl C(61) -butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) is investigated. Phase separations of the PCPDTBT:PCBM blend film induced by ODT are visualized by the morphological changes from fibril-shaped features to spherical bumps, by the dramatically increased photoluminescence emission from PCPDTBT that was originally largely quenched, and by the fluctuations of spectral features at different locations of the sample surface. The correlations between the morphology and the local photophysical properties of the blend film with/without ODT at both the micrometer and nanometer scales are revealed by confocal and high-resolution near-field spectroscopic mapping techniques.     

Reconnaissance des sols non carottables a gros elements

Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment - La détermination des propriétés mécaniques de sols tels qu'éboulis, dépôts glaciaires qui sont non...     

Sources, distribution and variability of hydrocarbons and metals in atmospheric deposition in an urban area (Paris, France)

Total atmospheric deposition, i.e., both wet and dry deposition, was sampled during 11 months in the "Ile-de-France" region, France. Monthly fluxes of aliphatic hydrocarbons (AHs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals (HMs) were studied at three representative sites (two urbanised and one semiurban). A combination of spatial and temporal variability of total fluxes and pollutant fingerprints allows a better understanding of atmospheric pollutant dynamics over this region. In the whole studied area, aggregated total atmospheric fluxes of AHs, PAHs and HMs range from 19 to 33 mg m(-2) y(-1), 99 to 161 mug m(-2) y(-1) and 48 to 103 mg m(-2) y(-1), respectively. The highest values are observed in Paris centre, reflecting the importance of the urban centre as a source of pollutants, with a decline in many atmospheric deposits when moving away from urban areas. The seasonal distribution of these pollutants suggests the impact of residential heating on urban atmospheric deposition of hydrocarbons and the increase of dust loads containing HMs during summer. The qualitative study performed on atmospheric deposition data highlights the main sources of pollutants. Aliphatic fingerprints suggest a marked contribution of biogenic inputs to aliphatic contamination in the whole Ile-de-France region and slight petroleum inputs in urban areas. Aromatic fingerprints, characterised by the great predominance of phenanthrene, fluoranthene and pyrene, associated with some specific ratio values, suggest the mixture of petrogenic and pyrolytic contaminations of atmospheric deposition in the whole "Ile-de-France" region. HM distribution shows the presence of anthropogenic sources of Al and Fe in this area and the stationary sources (incinerators and plants) as a significant source of Si, S and Sb in the urban atmosphere. Moreover, a pollutant mix phenomenon, occurring in such an urban atmosphere, shows a significant influence on atmospheric deposition at the semiurban site.     

A modified numerical VBI element for vehicles with constant velocity including road irregularities

There has been a growing interest to model and analyze Vehicle-Bridge Interaction (VBI) of intricate vehicles on bridges. The objective of such an analysis is to realistically investigate the dynamic effects of moving vehicles particularly in case of high-speed trains, where the vehicle acceleration is a design criterion and should be calculated appropriately. One method of analysis is to eliminate the wheel degrees of freedom (DOF) that are in direct contact with the bridge surface resulting in a VBI element, which is a modified beam element acted upon directly by wheel(s) of a running vehicle. The contact force is the mutual force between the wheel and the bridge. The available formulation in the literature is used to formulate the contact forces, which are related to those in the beam element DOFs by the Hermitian interpolation functions. Considering suitable interpolation functions between the beam element displacement vector and those for contact points and also a new formulation for the contact points, a new formulation is proposed for the structural properties of the VBI element, resulting in a new element capable of capturing bridge and vehicle responses more realistically. A study is conducted on the model variables and their effects on the bridge dynamic amplification factor and also bridge and vehicle accelerations, in order to compare the new VBI method with the existing one. The studied parameters include vehicle and bridge damping, frequency parameter, system mass parameter, and a new parameter called vehicle mass parameter. Results generally demonstrate noticeable differences particularly for high speed vehicles. In addition, it is observed that the effect of shear deformations in a simply-supported bridge might not be negligible and should be considered for moving vehicle analysis. For double girder open-deck steel railway bridges, the difference in midspan deflection of models including or excluding shear deformation can vary from 18% to 8% for 4.0 m and 30.0 m spans, respectively, for a sample vehicle.     

Synthesis and Structural Characterization of New Lead(II) Discrete and Infinite Cage-Like Framework: A Precursor to Produce Pure Phase Nano-Sized Lead(II) Oxide

A novel Pb(II) complex, {[Pb₂(tpmba)₂(NO₃)₄]·MeOH} _n (1), was obtained by the reaction of a tripodal ligand, N,N′,N″-tris(pyrid-3-ylmethyl)-1,3,5-benzenetricarboxamide (tpmba), with Pb(NO₃)₂. The structure of complex was determined by X-ray crystallography. The results of structural analysis of the complex reveal that 1 is a M₂L₂ cage-like with a methanol molecule beside the cage. An entirely different structure and topology between 1 and similar complexes indicate that the nature of organic ligands affects the structure of assemblies. The results indicate that the framework of this complex is predominated by the nature of the organic ligand, anions, solvent and geometric need of the metal ions. It was found that the coordination number of Pb^II ions is eight, (PbN₃O₅) has a stereo-chemically active electron lone pair and the coordination sphere is hemi-directed. PbO nanoparticles are obtained by thermolysis of 1 at 180 °C with oleic acid as a surfactant. Scanning electron microscopy shows that the size of the PbO particles is ~30 nm.     

Optimal design of engineered gas adsorbents: Pore-scale level

This study presents an optimization methodology and results for the structure of gas adsorbents at a pore level by evaluating the effect of pore geometry, size and overall adsorbent porosity on ultimate working capacity of adsorbents used in pressure swing adsorption (PSA) processes. Three model pore network topologies are studied: parallel, grid-like and branched structures. These are “near” optimal structures for an adsorbent particle and their relative performance is compared in a two-step PSA cycle. The macropore network of such structured adsorbents is optimized through maximization of an objective function i.e. working capacity WC, defined as the number of moles adsorbed per unit volume of slab. Molecular and Knudsen diffusion are considered as the sole transport mechanisms in the macropore channels. An unexpected finding of this optimization technique is that the branched structure with a porosity of less than 50% represents an optimum structure with highest working capacity for the system considered. Furthermore, for faster cycles the advantage of branched structures is more obvious, reflecting the advantages of the pore network in facilitating diffusion more efficiently than other structures. A macropore channel density (defined as the density of macropores per metre of external surface) of below 10 is suggested for optimum performance for both “fast” and “slow” PSA cycles. The theoretical results of this study will be used as a priori results for the design of adsorbents at the macro-scale (bed) level.     

Kinetics of UV inactivation of wastewater bioflocs

Ultraviolet disinfection is a physical method of disinfecting secondary treated wastewaters. Bioflocs formed during secondary treatment harbor and protect microbes from exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light, and significantly decrease the efficiency of disinfection at high UV doses causing the tailing phenomena. However, the exact mechanism of tailing and the role of biofloc properties and treatment conditions are not widely understood. It is hypothesized that sludge bioflocs are composed of an easily disinfectable loose outer shell, and a physically stronger compact core inside that accounts for the tailing phenomena. Hydrodynamic shear stress was applied to the bioflocs to peel off the looser outer shell to isolate the cores. Biofloc and core samples were fractionated into narrow size distributions by sieving and their UV disinfection kinetics were determined and compared. The results showed that for bioflocs, the tailing level elevates as the biofloc size increases, showing greater resistance to disinfection. However, for the cores larger than 45 μm, it was found that the UV inactivation curves overlap, and show very close to identical inactivation kinetics. Comparing bioflocs and cores of similar size fraction, it was found that in all cases cores were harder to disinfect with UV light, and showed a higher tailing level. This study suggests that physical structure of bioflocs plays a significant role in the UV inactivation kinetics.