Electrical contact between a local discharge on an electrolyticsolution and the solution surface [wet polluted insulators]

An electrolytic solution surface was used to simulate the surface of wet polluted insulators. A local discharge propagates on the solution surface when a voltage is applied to the surface. The electrical contact between the local discharge on the electrolytic solution and the solution surface was examined. The distribution of the current from the local discharge to the solution is estimated from the potential distribution measured with probes placed in the solution. The resistivity of the solution is varied from ~80 to 370 Ω cm. Impulse voltages of 2/80 μs, 10/800 μs and 100/2500 μs are used as the applied voltage. The peak value of the applied voltage was 1.05 to 1.4× the 50% flashover voltage V₅₀ under each set of experimental conditions. As a result, it is found that most of the discharge current flows from the tip part of the local discharge, and the current from the local discharge column is considerably lower. Furthermore, the distribution of the current from the local discharge to the solution is found to be barely influenced by the resistivity of the solution, the peak value of the applied voltage, or the applied voltage waveform     

Electron‐beam‐pumped light sources using graphite nanoneedle field emitters and Si electron‐transparent films

Sputter‐induced carbon nanoneedle field emitters and Si electron‐transparent films have been developed for electron‐beam‐pumped light sources. The sputter‐induced carbon nanoneedle field emitters exhibited a stable electron emission of 0.1 mA at an average field of 13 V/µm. The 1.5‐µm thick Si electron‐transparent films achieved an electron transmittance of about 60% at an acceleration voltage of 27 kV. An electron‐beam‐pumped light source was demonstrated from the excitation of N₂ gas, and a N₂ gas spectrum was clearly observed. The increase of the beam current is important for increasing the light intensity. Copyright © 2007 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan© 2007 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Humic substances and crude oil induce cytochrome P450 1A expression in the Amazonian fish species Colossoma macropomum (Tambaqui)

Cytochrome P450 1A (CYP1A) induction is used widely as a biomarker of exposure to pollutants, such as petroleum hydrocarbons, yet CYP1A inducibility has been characterized in few tropical fish. Using Western blot analysis, catalytic assay, and immunohistochemistry, we evaluated CYP1A induction in an Amazonian fish (tambaqui; Colossoma macropomum) acclimated to humic substances (HS) and acutely exposed to crude oil. HS are ubiquitous in Amazonian waters, and they are known to affect the bioavailability of pollutants. CYP1A activity was also measured in fish exposed for 10 days to a range of concentrations of HS from both natural and commercial sources. Crude oil induced CYP1A expression in tambaqui, as expected. Exposure to both HS and crude oil resulted in greater levels of CYP1A expression relative to that in fish exposed to petroleum alone. Interestingly, CYP1A induction was also observed in fish exposed to HS alone. Induction by HS was concentration-dependent, and activity was higher in fish exposed to HS from the commercial source than in fish exposed to the HS from the natural source. The use of CYP1A as a biomarker of exposure to pollutants such as petroleum hydrocarbons in fish living in environments rich in humic substances should be considered with caution given that HS themselves induce CYP1A expression. Our results suggest that there may be as yet unknown CYP1A inducing components (aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonists) in humic substances.     

Effect of Nonequilibrium Homogenous Condensation on Flow Fields in a Supersonic Nozzle

INTRODUCTIONManystudies[1-131onthecondensationshockwaveoccurringinthecaseoftheraPidexPansionofmoistairorsteaminasupersonicnozzlehavebeenper-formed,andthecharacteristicsofcondensationshock'wavehavenearlybeenclarilied.Acondensationshockwavealsooccursinthebladepassageinasteamturbinel14,15]andsuchacondensationshockwavinteractswiththeboundarylayeronthesurfaceoftheblade.Thus,thefiowinthebladepassageofthesteamturbinewiththecondensationshockwavehasnotyetbeenclariliedl16'17].InthepreseDtstudythee…     

Discharge of a shock wave from an open end of a tube

IntroductionWhen a Pressure wave such as the shock waveprOPagates along a constant area straight tube andreaches at the open end, an impulsive wave is emittedOutward from the tube exit toward the surrounding areaand causes an impulsive noise laal a sonic boomproduced by a supersonic aircraft. Therefore, someauthors have investigated the discharge of a weakcompression wave from an open end in order to reducethe impulsive noise in relation to'the high speed railWaytUImel in the previous paped'…     

Effect of nonequilibrium condensation of moist air on transonic flow fields

luttoductionMany studies on condensation occwhng in the caseof the rapid expansion of moist air mr steam in asupersonic nozzle have been performed experimentallyand numerically, and the characteristics of condensationhave been nearly clchfiedll4]. Schnerr et al.[5] and lriya atal.le] investigated the effect of condensation on thestrength of shock wave on suiface of wing, drag and liftnumerically. However, the. effect of condensation on theshock wave on s~e of wing and talulences behindshock wa…     

A method of measuring windmill torque loss coefficients

The aim of this work is to investigate a method of measuring windmill torque loss coefficients of a windmill power system. We discussed the mathematical windmill model and defined the windmill torque loss coefficients. An estimating technique based on Kalman filtering was developed for decision of the value of these coefficients. We manifested the valdity of this method by the estimated results from both the simulated data and wind-tunnel experimental data.     

Hysteretic Phenomenon of Shock Wave in a Supersonic Nozzle

In recent years, hysteretic phenomena in fluid flow systems drew attention for their great variety of industrial and engineering applications. When the high-pressure gas is exhausted to atmosphere from the nozzle exit, the expanded supersonic jet with the Mach disk is formed at a specific condition. In two-dimensional expanded supersonic jet, the hysteresis phenomenon for the reflection type of shock wave is occurred under the quasi-steady flow and the transitional pressure ratio between the regular reflection and Mach reflection is affected by this phe- nomenon. However, so far, there are very few researches for the hysteretic phenomenon of shock wave in a supersonic internal flow and the phenomenon has not been investigated satisfactorily. The present study was concemed with the experimental and numerical investigations of hysteretic phenomena of shock wave in a supersonic nozzle, and discussed the relationship between hysteresis phenomenon and rate of the change of pressure ratio with time.     

Effect of Annular Slit Geometry on Characteristics of Spiral Jet

A spiral flow using an annular slit connected to a conical cylinder does not need special device to generate a tangential velocity component of the flow and differs from swirling flows. Pressurized fluid is supplied to an annular chamber and injected into the convergent nozzle through the annular slit. The annular jet develops into the spiral flow. In the present study, a spiral jet discharged out of nozzle exit was obtained by using a convergent nozzle and an annular slit set in nozzle inlet, and the effect of annular slit geometry on characteristics of the spiral jet was investigated by using a Laser Doppler Velocimeter (LDV) experimentally. Furthermore, velocity distributions of the spiral jet were compared with those of a normal jet.     

Experimental Investigation on Noise Suppression in Supersonic Jets from Convergent-Divergent Nozzles with Baffles

The acoustic properties of supersonic jet noise from a convergent-divergent nozzle with a baffle have been studied experimentally over the range of nozzle pressure ratios from 2.0 to 8.0. Acoustic measurements were conducted in a carefully designed anechoic room providing a free-field environment. A new approach for screech noise suppression by a cross-wire is proposed. Schlieren photographs were taken to visualize the shock wave patterns in the supersonic jet with and without the cross-wire. The effects of the baffle and the cross-wire on acoustic properties are discussed. It is shown that the baffle has little effect on the screech frequency for the underexpanded supersonic jet without the cross-wire. Also, the cross-wire introduced in supersonic jets is found to lead to a significant reduction in overall sound pressure level.