Finite element analysis of natural convection in a triangular enclosure: Effects of various thermal boundary conditions

The phenomena of natural convection in a right-angled triangular enclosure is studied numerically. A penalty finite element analysis with bi-quadratic elements is used for solving the Navier-Stokes and energy balance equations. The detailed study is carried out in two cases depending on various thermal boundary conditions:

(a)

Vertical wall is uniformly or linearly heated while inclined wall is cold isothermal.

(b)

Inclined wall is uniformly or linearly heated while vertical wall is cold isothermal.

In all the cases horizontal bottom wall is adiabatic and the aspect ratio of the lengths of base and height is considered to be one. The present numerical procedure adopted in this investigation yields consistent performance over a wide range of parameters of Rayleigh number Ra(10³?Ra?10⁵) and Prandtl number Pr(0.07?Pr?1000) in all the cases mentioned above. Numerical results are presented in terms of stream functions, temperature profiles and Nusselt numbers. It has been found that at low Rayleigh numbers (Ra?10⁴), the isotherms are almost parallel near the bottom portion of the triangular enclosure while at Ra=10⁵, the isotherms are more distorted. This is because the heat transfer is primarily due to conduction for lower values of Rayleigh number. As Rayleigh number increases, there is a change from conduction dominant region to convection dominant region, and the critical Rayleigh number corresponding to on-set of convection is obtained. It has been shown that the average Nusselt number for vertical wall is times that of the inclined wall as the bottom wall is adiabatic and that verifies the thermal equilibrium of the system for all case studies.     

Phenol–formaldehyde–pyrolytic oil resins for wood preservation: A rheological study

The rheological properties of a phenol–formaldehyde resin containing various ratios of softwood pyrolytic oil as phenol substitute were investigated using the simple Bingham rheological model for viscoplastic fluids. Flow activation energy was determined for the various resin blends and the pyrolytic oil between room temperature and 50°C and correlations relating the flow activation energy to the weight fraction of pyrolytic oil in the resin are proposed. Apparent crosslinking activation energy with and without copper chloride used as an activator was also evaluated based on two gel time measurements between 75 and 105°C. A significant decrease in activation energy was observed for the phenol–formaldehyde resin cured with copper chloride, while the effect was less important for resins containing pyrolytic oil even when gel times were much shorter for PF‐resins. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007     

A single-step photolithographic interface for cell-free gene expression and active biochips

We have developed a biochip platform technology suitable for controlled cell-free gene expression at the micrometer scale. A new hybrid molecule, "Daisy", was designed and synthesized to form in a single step a biocompatible lithographic interface on silicon dioxide. A protocol is described for the immobilization of linear DNA molecules thousands of base pairs long on Daisy-coated surfaces with submicrometer spatial resolution and up to high densities. On-chip protein synthesis can be obtained with a dynamic range of up to four orders of magnitude and minimal nonspecific activity. En route to on-chip artificial gene circuits, a simple two-stage gene cascade was built, in which the protein synthesized at the first location diffuses to regulate the synthesis of another protein at a second location. We demonstrate the capture of proteins from crude extract onto micrometer-scale designated traps, an important step for the formation of miniaturized self-assembled protein chips. Our biochip platform can be combined with elastomeric microfluidic devices, thereby opening possibilities for isolated and confined reaction chambers and artificial cells in which the transport of products and reagents is done by diffusion and flow. The Daisy molecule and described approach enables groups not proficient in surface chemistry to construct active biochips based on cell-free gene expression.     

Understanding the hydrogen effect on pop-in behavior of an equiatomic high-entropy alloy during in-situ nanoindentation

Hydrogen embrittlement has been recognized as a serious prob-lem in the application of metallic structural materials,where hy-drogen degrades the mechanical pro...     

Characterization of ITO/ZnPc/CHR/In p-n junction-photovoltaic device using J–V, C–V and photoaction measurements

The electrical and photovoltaic properties of a newly designed two-layered photocell having the configuration ITO/ZnPc/CHR/In p-n junction were investigated. The rectification effect observed in the device is due to an energy barrier formed between the CHR and ZnPc layer. The depletion layer characteristics of the device were investigated by measuring the temperature variation of capacitance. These measurements indicate that a depletion layer of width 190 nm as well as potential barrier height of about 0.78 eV, decreases with temperature. The current–voltage characteristics of the device yield a barrier height of about 0.74 eV formed between ZnPc and CHR. The device showed a response to light over the whole visible region extending from 400 nm to 800 nm. The comparison of photoaction spectra with the absorption spectra also indicates the formation of an energy barrier between CHR and ZnPc. The dissociation of excitons induced by the built-in field potential existing between the CHR and ZnPc layers is responsible for photogeneration of the carriers. Various photovoltaic parameters were calculated and are discussed in detail.     

Dynamics of impact of sphere on flat surfaces of polymer matrix composites

The primary objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of various reinforcements and matrix materials on the dynamic hardness of polymer matrix materials (PMC). Therefore, the impact of a WC ball, using a gravity drop system, was studied on PMCs. The two parameters, coefficient of restitution and dynamic hardness, of PMCs were determined. The mechanical properties of the PMCs were evaluated, and the correlation of the two parameters with the mechanical properties of PMCs was attempted.     

Effect of experimental parameters on the high-stress abrasive wear behavior of steels and a software package for its prediction

The effect of different experimental factors on the high-stress abrasive wear properties of steels has been studied. A correlation among the factors has been established by linear regression analysis. A computer software in Microsoft Basic language utilizing linear regression analysis has been developed with the capability of predicting the wear response of steels from the experimental factors.     

Biodegradable film. IV. Printability study on biodegradable film

A starch‐based biodegradable (BD) low density polyethylene (LDPE) film can be directly printable without any corona treatment, unlike virgin LDPE film. Such a film shows poor adhesion and nail scratch resistance of the ink on the printed area of the film. In order to increase the adhesion and nail scratch resistance of the ink on the printed BD film, grafting of acrylonitrile onto the BD film is carried out. The polyacrylonitrile grafted BD film shows better adhesion, nail scratch resistance, and printability. The printability of the polyacrylonitrile grafted BD film is comparable to the conventional corona treated LDPE film. The extent of printability is a function of the surface smoothness, as well as the optimum percentage of grafting on the biodegradable film. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 79: 1273–1277, 2001