Comparison between blended mode and fumigation mode on combustion,performance and emissions of a diesel engine fueled with ternary fuel (diesel-biodiesel-ethanol) based on engine speed

According to the literature, there is in lack of a comprehensive study to compare the combustion, performance and emissions of a diesel engine using diesel, biodiesel and ethanol fuels (DBE) in the blended mode and fumigation mode under various engine speeds. This study was conducted to fill this knowledge gap by comparing the effect of blended, fumigation and combined fumigation + blended (F + B) modes on the combustion, performance and emissions of a diesel engine under a constant engine load (50% of full torque) with five engine speeds ranging from 1400 rpm to 2200 rpm. A constant overall fuel composition of 80% diesel, 5% biodiesel and 15% ethanol, by volume % (D80B5E15), was utilized to provide the same fuel for comparing the three fueling modes.According to the average results of five engine speeds, the blended mode has higher peak heat release rate (HRR), ignition delay (ID), brake thermal efficiency (BTE), brake specific nitrogen monoxide (BSNO) and brake specific nitrogen oxides (BSNO_X), but lower duration of combustion (DOC), brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC), brake specific carbon dioxide (BSCO₂), brake specific carbon monoxide (BSCO), brake specific hydrocarbon (BSHC), brake specific nitrogen dioxide (BSNO₂), brake specific particulate matter (BSPM), total number concentration (TNC) and geometric mean diameter (GMD), and similar peak in-cylinder pressure compared to the fumigation mode. In addition, for almost all the parameters, results obtained in the F + B mode are in between those of the blended and fumigation modes. In regard to the effect of engine speed, the results reveal that the increase in engine speed causes reduction in peak in-cylinder pressure, BTE, BSHC, BSNO_X, BSNO and BSNO₂, but increase in peak HRR, ID, DOC, BSFC, BSCO₂, BSPM and TNC, and similar BSCO and GMD for almost all the tested fueling modes. It can be inferred that the blended mode is the suitable fueling mode, compared with the fumigation mode, under the operating conditions investigated in this study.     

Multi-objective exergy-based optimization of a continuous photobioreactor applied to produce hydrogen using a novel combination of soft computing techniques

This work was aimed at proposing a flexible and reliable framework based on combination of three soft computing techniques, i.e., artificial neural network, genetic algorithm, and fuzzy systems for multi-objective exergetic optimization of continuous photobiohydrogen production process from syngas by Rhodospirillum rubrum bacterium. To this end, artificial neural network (ANN) coupled with fuzzy clustering method (FCM) to model exergetic outputs on the basis of input variables. The outputs of modeling system were then fed into a novel optimization approach developed by hybridizing additive linear interdependent fuzzy multi-objective optimization (ALIFMO) and the elitist non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II). The optimization was carried out to minimize the normalized exergy destruction and maximize the rational and process exergetic efficiencies, simultaneously. The solutions of the proposed approach were also compared with conventional fuzzy multi-objective optimization procedure with independent objectives. Overall, the modeling system predicted the exergetic parameters of photobioreactor with a coefficient of determination higher than 0.90. Furthermore, the optimization approach suggested syngas flow rate of 13.35 mL/min and agitation speed of 383.34 rpm as the best operational condition by considering the preferences of process exergy efficiency, rational exergy efficiency, and normalized exergy destruction, respectively. This condition could yield the normalized exergy destruction of 1.56, process exergetic efficiency of 21.66%, and rational exergetic efficiency of 85.65%. The obtained results showed the superiority of the proposed approach over the conventional fuzzy method in optimizing the complex biofuel production systems.     

Effect of Structural Parameters on Drop Size Distribution in Pulsed Packed Columns

The effect of packing type on drop size distribution in pulsed packed columns was investigated by means of different columns and three packing types with three liquid systems including n‐butyl acetate, toluene, and kerosene with water. These liquid systems cover a wide range of interfacial tensions. Also the influence of operating variables in terms of pulse intensity and volumetric flow rates of dispersed and continuous phases was examined. Pulse intensity, interfacial tension, and packing shape were found as the main important factors for drop size distribution while volumetric flow rates had no significant effect. Correlations are presented to predict drop distribution and mean drop size in pulsed packed columns.     

Quantum confinement effect on trilayer graphene nanoribbon carrier concentration

In this study, one-dimensional vision of carrier movement based on the band structure of trilayer graphene nanoribbon in the presence of a perpendicular electric field is employed. An analytical model of ABA-stacked trilayer graphene nanoribbon carrier statistics as a fundamental parameter of field effect transistor (FET) in corporation with a numerical solution is presented in the degenerate and non-degenerate limits. The simulated results based on the presented model indicate that the model can be approximated by degenerate and non-degenerate approximations in some numbers of normalised Fermi energy. Analytical model specifies that carrier concentration in degenerate limit is strongly independent of normalised Fermi energy; however, in the non-degenerate limit, it is a strong function of normalised Fermi energy. The proposed model is then compared with other types of graphene. As a result, the developed model can assist in comprehending experiments involving trilayer graphene nanoribbon FET-based devices.     

Route Packets Uneven,Consume Energy Even: A Lifetime Expanding Routing Algorithm for WSNs

Wireless Personal Communications - Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are infrastructure-free networks consisting of tiny and simple environmental sensing devices. Sensor nodes collaborate through...     

Synthesis and Characterization of New Poly(ether-amide-imide)/Amino-Functionalized Fe3O4 Nanocomposites

New poly(amide-imide)/amino functionalized Fe₃O₄ nanocomposites were successfully fabricated through solution intercalation technique. A poly(amide-imide) derived from an imide-containing diacid and ether linkage diamine was synthesized and characterized. Aiming to have better compatibility, the hydrophilic nature of Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ was changed into organophilic using N-[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]ethylenediamine. The amino-functionalized Fe₃O₄ showed well dispersion in the poly(amide-imide) matrix. Thermal gravimetric analysis results indicated that char yields of the nanocomposites were improved. Microscale combustion calorimetry results showed that poly(amide-imide) had good flame retardancy and amino-functionalized Fe₃O₄ has further improved this property of poly(amide-imide).     

Prediction of mass transfer coefficients in an asymmetric rotating disk contactor using effective diffusivity

Mass transfer characteristics have been investigated in a 113 mm diameter asymmetric rotating disk contactor of the pilot plant scale for two different liquid–liquid systems. The effects of operating parameters including rotor speed and continuous and dispersed phase velocities on the volumetric overall mass transfer coefficients are investigated. The results show that the mass transfer performance is strongly dependent on agitation rate and interfacial tension, but only slightly dependent on phase flow rates. In this study, effective diffusivity is used instead of molecular diffusivity in the Gr?ber equation for estimation of dispersed phase overall mass transfer coefficient.The enhancement factor is determined experimentally and there from an empirical expression is derived for prediction of the enhancement factor as a function of Reynolds number. The predicted results compared to the experimental data show that the proposed correlation can efficiently predict the overall mass transfer coefficients in asymmetric rotating disk contactors.     

Stress-constrained topology optimization: a topological level-set approach

The objective of this paper is to introduce and demonstrate an algorithm for stress-constrained topology optimization. The algorithm relies on tracking a level-set defined via the topological derivative. The primary advantages of the proposed method are: (1) the stresses are well-defined at all points within the evolving topology, (2) the finite-element stiffness matrices are well-conditioned, making the analysis robust and efficient, (3) the level-set is tracked through a simple iterative process, and (4) the stress constraint is precisely satisfied at termination. The proposed algorithm is illustrated through numerical experiments in 2D and 3D.     

FLUORO/NO: A Nitric Oxide Donor with a Fluorescence Reporter

Nitric oxide (NO) plays significant signalling roles in cells; the controlled generation of NO is of therapeutic relevance. Although a number of methods for the delivery and detection of NO are available, these events are typically mutually exclusive. Furthermore, the efficiency of delivery of NO can be compromised by detection technologies that consume NO. Here, we report FLUORO/NO, an esterase‐activated diazeniumdiolate‐based NO donor with an in‐built fluorescence reporter. We demonstrate that this compound is capable of enhancing NO within cells in a dose‐dependent manner, accompanied by a similar increase in fluorescence. The compatibility of this tool to study NO‐mediated signalling as well as NO‐mediated stress is demonstrated. FLUORO/NO is a convenient tool that shows NO‐like activity and allows monitoring of NO release. This tool will help interrogate the redox biology of NO.     

Facile synthesis,morphology and structure of Dy<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> nanoparticles through electrochemical precipitation

The aim of this research was to introduce a new, facile and simple method for synthesis of Dy₂O₃ nanostructures at room temperature. For the first time, galvanostatic electrodeposition was used to synthesize Dy₂O₃ particles, and the influence of the current density on the structure and morphology of the product was studied. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET). The results show that the current density has little effect on the chemical composition but great effect on the structure and morphology of the samples. The average size of the particles decreases as the applied current density increases. The grain size of as-prepared samples decreases from 500 to 70 nm when the current density increases from 0.5 to 6.0 mA·cm^?2. To obtain oxide product, the as-prepared samples were heat-treated at 1,000 °C. The results show that the heat-treated samples have smaller particles. The XRD results show that the similar patterns are observed in the samples synthesized at different current densities, and the only difference from the JCPDS card is the ratio of peak intensities. With the increase in the current density, a decrease in the current efficiency is observed.