Low‐order optimal regulation of parabolic PDEs with time‐dependent domain

Observer and optimal boundary control design for the objective of output tracking of a linear distributed parameter system given by a two‐dimensional (2‐D) parabolic partial differential equation with time‐varying domain is realized in this work. The transformation of boundary actuation to distributed control setting allows to represent the system's model in a standard evolutionary form. By exploring dynamical model evolution and generating data, a set of time‐varying empirical eigenfunctions that capture the dominant dynamics of the distributed system is found. This basis is used in Galerkin's method to accurately represent the distributed system as a finite‐dimensional plant in terms of a linear time‐varying system. This reduced‐order model enables synthesis of a linear optimal output tracking controller, as well as design of a state observer. Finally, numerical results are prepared for the optimal output tracking of a 2‐D model of the temperature distribution in Czochralski crystal growth process which has nontrivial geometry. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 61: 494–502, 2015     

Combined Spectroscopic and Calorimetric Studies to Reveal Absorption Mechanisms and Conformational Changes of Protein on Nanoporous Biomaterials

In this study the effect of surface modification of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) on its adsorption capacities and protein stability after immobilization of beta-lactoglobulin B (BLG-B) was investigated. For this purpose, non-functionalized (KIT-6) and aminopropyl-functionalized cubic Ia3d mesoporous silica ([n-PrNH₂-KIT-6]) nanoparticles were used as nanoporous supports. Aminopropyl-functionalized mesoporous nanoparticles exhibited more potential candidates for BLG-B adsorption and minimum BLG leaching than non-functionalized nanoparticles. It was observed that the amount of adsorbed BLG is dependent on the initial BLG concentration for both KIT-6 and [n-PrNH₂-KIT-6] mesoporous nanoparticles. Also larger amounts of BLG-B on KIT-6 was immobilized upon raising the temperature of the medium from 4 to 55 °C while such increase was undetectable in the case of immobilization of BLG-B on the [n-PrNH₂-KIT-6]. At temperatures above 55 °C the amounts of adsorbed BLG on both studied nanomaterials decreased significantly. By Differential scanning calorimetry or DSC analysis the heterogeneity of the protein solution and increase in Tm may indicate that immobilization of BLG-B onto the modified KIT-6 results in higher thermal stability compared to unmodified one. The obtained results provide several crucial factors in determining the mechanism(s) of protein adsorption and stability on the nanostructured solid supports and the development of engineered nano-biomaterials for controlled drug-delivery systems and biomimetic interfaces for the immobilization of living cells.     

Spatially Resolved Characterization of the Gas Propagator in Monolithic Structured Catalysts Using NMR Diffusiometry

Gas diffusivity measurements in opaque porous media were performed using nuclear magnetic resonance. An optimized pulsed‐field gradient stimulated echo method with free volume selection was used to investigate the propagator of thermally polarized methane gas within commercial monolithic catalyst supports. Since signal losses due to T₂ relaxation were minimized by using a short echo time, diffusion processes could be characterized by the measured propagator functions and effective diffusion coefficients were determined for a broad range of observation times and in different spatial directions. The study of this noninvasive characterization of gas diffusion found a clear effect of the monolith type and its pore size and coating on the effective gas diffusion coefficient and the apparent tortuosity for a given observation time.     

Physical and Morphological Properties of Combined Treated Wood Polymer Composites by Maleic Anhydride and Methyl Methacrylate

Wood polymer composites were prepared by consecutive impregnation with maleic anhydride (MAN) and methyl methacrylate (MMA). Samples impregnated with MAN alone, were heated at 120°C and 150°C for 4 and 8 h. Based on the Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) analysis and soaking-drying test results, treatment with MAN at 150°C for 4 h resulted in formation of stable crosslinks. In the second stage, MMA was used for in situ polymerization within MAN-treated wood. Field emission scanning electron microscopy observation and FT-IR analysis indicated that MMA copolymerized with MAN, and the resultant polymer filled up the lumen and is also grafted on to the cell wall. Improvement of water repellency and dimensional stability were observed in the treated samples, particularly in combined treated samples. The MAN/MMA treatment improved interaction between polymer and wood.     

Flexural and Charpy impact behaviour of epoxy/glass fabric treated by nano-SiO2 and silane blend

A sizing formulation, containing compatible and incompatible silane coupling agents with epoxy resin in conjunction with nanoscale colloidal silica, was used to modify the surface of glass fabric. The modified glass fabric/epoxy resin composite panels were fabricated and characterised by flexural test, Charpy impact test and scanning electron microscope (SEM). By combining nano silica with silane blend in the fabric sizing, more energy was consumed under bending and impacting, which resulted in an improvement of the toughness in composites. The flexural strength, bending stain and Charpy impact strength of the epoxy composite/glass fabric treated with 1?wt-% nano silica and silane blend were ～42, ～22 and 35%, respectively, higher than those of silane blend coated glass fabric-reinforced composites (without nano silica). Furthermore, the change of the brittle fracture of the composite into ductile fracture was investigated by SEM micrographs. A possible toughening mechanism was also proposed.     

Synthesis of water dispersible reduced graphene oxide via supramolecular complexation with modified β-cyclodextrin

A noncovalent functionalization of the edges of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) with β-cyclodextrin-graft-hyperbranched polyglycerol (β-CD-g-HPG) was successfully performed via a host-guest interaction. The results showed that β-CD-g-HPG disperses the graphene sheets better than pure β-CD or HPG. The resulted supramolecular structure is stable in neutral water medium more than one week. However, in acidic medium the host-guest interaction is collapsed and graphene nanosheets precipitate.     

Polyurethane-SAPO-34 mixed matrix membrane for CO2/CH4 and CO2/N2 separation

SAPO-34 nanocrystals (inorganic filler) were incorporated in polyurethane membranes and the permeation properties of CO₂, CH_4, and N₂ gases were explored. In this regard, the synthesized PU-SAPO-34 mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) were characterized via SEM, AFM, TGA, XRD and FTIR analyses. Gas permeation properties of PU-SAPO-34 MMMs with SAPO-34 contents of 5 wt%, 10 wt% and 20 wt% were investigated. The permeation results revealed that the presence of 20 wt% SAPO-34 resulted in 4.45%, 18.24% and 40.2% reductions in permeability of CO_2, CH_4, and N₂, respectively, as compared to the permeability of neat polyurethane membrane. Also, the findings showed that at the pressure of 1.2 MPa, the incorporation of 20 wt% SAPO-34 into the polyurethane membranes enhanced the selectivity of CO₂/CH₄ and CO₂/N₂, 14.43 and 37.46%, respectively. In this research, PU containing 20 wt% SAPO-34 showed the best separation performance. For the first time, polynomial regression (PR) as a simple yet accurate tool yielded a mathematical equation for the prediction of permeabilities with high accuracy (R² > 99%).     

Voronoi based discrete least squares meshless method for heat conduction simulation in highly irregular geometries

A new technique is used in Discrete Least Square Meshfree(DLSM) method to remove the common existing deficiencies of meshfree methods in handling of the problems containing cracks or concave boundaries. An enhanced Discrete Least Squares Meshless method named as VDLSM(Voronoi based Discrete Least Squares Meshless) is developed in order to solve the steady-state heat conduction problem in irregular solid domains including concave boundaries or cracks. Existing meshless methods cannot estimate precisely the required unknowns in the vicinity of the above mentioned boundaries. Conducted researches are limited to domains with regular convex boundaries. To this end, the advantages of the Voronoi tessellation algorithm are implemented. The support domains of the sampling points are determined using a Voronoi tessellation algorithm. For the weight functions, a cubic spline polynomial is used based on a normalized distance variable which can provide a high degree of smoothness near those mentioned above discontinuities. Finally, Moving Least Squares(MLS) shape functions are constructed using a varitional method. This straight-forward scheme can properly estimate the unknowns(in this particular study, the temperatures at the nodal points) near and on the crack faces, crack tip or concave boundaries without need to extra backward corrective procedures, i.e. the iterative calculations for modifying the shape functions of the nodes located near or on these types of the complex boundaries. The accuracy and efficiency of the presented method are investigated by analyzing four particular examples. Obtained results from VDLSM are compared with the available analytical results or with the results of the well-known Finite Elements Method(FEM) when an analytical solution is not available. By comparisons, it is revealed that the proposed technique gives high accuracy for the solution of the steady-state heat conduction problems within cracked domains or domains with concave boundaries and at the same time possesses a high convergence rate which its accuracy is not sensitive to the arrangement of the nodal points. The novelty of this paper is the use of Voronoi concept in determining the weight functions used in the formulation of the MLS type shape functions.     

Comparing thermal and mechanochemical decomposition of ammonium paratungstate (APT)

In this research, the possibility of mechanochemical decomposition of ammonium paratungstate (APT) has been studied, and compared with thermal decomposition method. For this purpose, APT powders were milled using a planetary ball mill up to 36 h and under air atmosphere. For thermal decomposition, APT powders were heated for 30 minutes at 300 and 450 °C in air atmosphere. X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), and thermo gravimetric analyzer (TGA) were used to study the decomposition progress, and products. The XRD results showed that APT completely decomposed to WO₃ by thermal decomposition, while the final product of mechanochemical decomposition was WO₃ (H₂O)_0.5. According to DSC and TGA results, during thermal decomposition, ammonia and water released in four steps, and leaved WO₃. By mechanochemical decomposition crystal water and ammonia liberated from APT structure, but structural water of APT remained. In both methods, an X-ray amorphous phase was the intermediate product of APT decomposition.