The impact of thermal conductivity and diffusion rates on water vapor transport through gas diffusion layers

Proper water management in a hydrogen-fueled polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell is critical for performance and durability. A mathematical model has been developed to elucidate the effect of thermal conductivity and water vapor diffusion coefficient in the gas diffusion layers (GDLs). The fraction of product water removed in the vapor phase through the GDL as a function of GDL properties/set of material and component parameters and operating conditions has been calculated. The current model enables identification of conditions wherein condensation occurs in each GDL component. The model predicts the temperature gradient across various components of a PEM fuel cell, providing insight into the overall mechanism of water transport in a given cell design. The water condensation conditions and transport mode in the GDL components depend on the combination of water vapor diffusion coefficients and thermal conductivities of the GDL components. Different types of GDLs and water transport scenarios are defined in this work, based on water condensation in the GDL and fraction of water that the GDL removes through the vapor phase, respectively.     

Electromagnetic wave scattering from the sea surface in the presence of wind wave patterns

The study is concerned with electromagnetic wave (EM) scattering by a random sea surface in the presence of coherent wave patterns. The coherent patterns are understood in a broad sense as the existence of certain dynamical coupling between linear Fourier components of the water wave field. We show that the presence of weakly nonlinear wave patterns can significantly change the EM scattering compared to the case of a completely random wave field. Generalizing the Random Phase Approximation (RPA) we suggest a new paradigm for EM scattering by a random sea surface.

The specific analysis carried out in the paper synthesizes the small perturbation method for EM scattering and a weakly nonlinear approach for wind wave dynamics. By investigating, in detail, two examples of a random sea surface composed of either Stokes waves or horse-shoe (‘crescent-shaped’) patterns the mechanism of the pattern effect on scattering is revealed. Each Fourier harmonic of the scattered EM field is found to be a sum of contributions due to different combinations of wave field harmonics. Among these ‘partial scatterings’ there are phase-dependent ones and, therefore, the intensity of the resulting EM harmonic is sensitive to the phase relations between the wind wave harmonics. The effect can be interpreted as interference of partial scatterings due to the co-existence of several phase-related periodic scattering grids. A straightforward generalization of these results enables us to obtain, for a given wind wave field and an incident EM field, an a priori estimate of whether the effects due to the patterns are significant and the commonly used RPA is inapplicable. When the RPA is inapplicable, we suggest its natural generalization by re-defining the statistical ensemble for water surface. First, EM scattering by an ‘elementary’ constituent pattern should be considered. Each such scattering is affected by the interference because the harmonics comprising the pattern are dynamically linked. Then, ensemble averaging, which takes into account the distribution of the pattern parameters (based on the assumption that the phases between the patterns are random), should be carried out. It is shown that, generally, this interference does not vanish for any statistical ensemble due to dynamical coupling between water wave harmonics. The suggested RPA generalization takes into account weak non-Gaussianity of water wave field m contrast to the traditional RPA which ignores it.     

Identification of explosives with two-dimensional ultraviolet resonance Raman spectroscopy

The first two-dimensional (2D) resonance Raman spectra of TNT, RDX, HMX, and PETN are measured with an instrument that sequentially and rapidly switches between laser wavelengths, illuminating these explosives with forty wavelengths between 210 nm and 280 nm. Two-dimensional spectra reflect variations in resonance Raman scatter with illumination wavelength, adding information not available from single or few one-dimensional spectra, thereby increasing the number of variables available for use in identification, which is especially useful in environments with contaminants and interferents. We have recently shown that 2D resonance Raman spectra can identify bacteria. Thus, a single device that identifies the presence of explosives, bacteria, and other chemicals in complex backgrounds may be feasible.     

Gas-phase Photocatalytic Oxidation of Acrylonitrile on Sulphated TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>: Continuous Flow and Transient Study

Abstract  

The gaseous products of photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) of acrylonitrile on sulphated P25 in concentrations from 10 to 100 ppm at 60 to 130 °C were CO₂, HCN and HNCO. This photocatalyst showed disproportionally improved performance at higher temperature and longer retention times. The temperature-programmed oxidation (TPO) after PCO disclosed possible reaction routes.     

Oxygen saturation-dependent effects on blood transverse relaxation at low fields

Objective

Blood oxygenation can be measured using magnetic resonance using the paramagnetic effect of deoxy-haemoglobin, which decreases the \(\textit{T}_{2}\) relaxation time of blood. This \(\textit{T}_{2}\) contrast has been well characterised at the \(\textit{B}_{{0}}\) fields used in MRI (1.5 T and above). However, few studies have characterised this effect at lower magnetic fields. Here, the feasibility of blood oximetry at low field based on \(\textit{T}_{2}\) changes that are within a physiological relevant range is explored. This study could be used for specifying requirements for construction of a monitoring device based on low field permanent magnet systems.

Methods

A continuous flow circuit was used to control parameters such as oxygen saturation and temperature in a sample of blood. It flowed through a variable field magnet, where CPMG experiments were performed to measure its \(\textit{T}_{2}\). In addition, the oxygen saturation was monitored by an optical sensor for comparison with the \(\textit{T}_{2}\) changes.

Results

These results show that at low \(\textit{B}_{{0}}\) fields, the change in blood \(\textit{T}_{2}\) due to oxygenation is small, but still detectable. The data measured at low fields are also in agreement with theoretical models for the oxy-deoxy \(\textit{T}_{2}\) effect.

Conclusion

\(\textit{T}_{2}\) changes in blood due to oxygenation were observed at fields as low as 0.1 T. These results suggest that low field NMR relaxometry devices around 0.3 T could be designed to detect changes in blood oxygenation.

     

Phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging using flyback echo planar readout trajectories

Object

To present and evaluate a fast phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) sequence using echo planar spectroscopic imaging with flyback readout gradient trajectories.

Materials and Methods

Waveforms were designed and implemented using a 3 Tesla MRI system. ³¹P spectra were acquired with 2 × 2 cm² and 3 × 3 cm² resolution over a 20- and 21-cm field of view and spectral bandwidths up to 1923 Hz. The sequence was first tested using a 20-cm-diameter phosphate phantom, and subsequent in vivo tests were performed on healthy human calf muscles and brains from five volunteers.

Results

Flyback EPSI achieved 10× and 7× reductions in acquisition time, with 68.0 ± 1.2 and 69.8 ± 2.2% signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) per unit of time efficiency (theoretical SNR efficiency was 74.5 and 76.4%) for the in vivo experiments, compared to conventional phase-encoded MRSI for the 2 × 2 cm² and 3 × 3 cm² resolution waveforms, respectively. Statistical analysis showed no difference in the quantification of most metabolites. Time savings and SNR comparisons were consistent across phantom, leg and brain experiments.

Conclusion

EPSI using flyback readout trajectories was found to be a reliable alternative for acquiring ³¹P-MRSI data in a shorter acquisition time.

     

基于自抗扰控制原理的全电飞机用永磁同步电机转速闭环控制

采用永磁同步电机直接驱动全电飞机螺旋桨,为了抑制不稳定气流对输出转矩影响和提高螺旋桨抗扰动能力,对永磁同步电机实现基于自抗扰原理的转速闭环控制。分析不同飞行状态下螺旋桨的转速与转矩需求,建立基于自抗扰转速闭环控制模型并利用Dspace模拟飞行工况运行。仿真和实验验证了基于自抗扰转速闭环系统对负载变化具有抗扰能力,整个飞行工况下永磁同步电机转速响应平稳,转矩输出符合螺旋桨转矩需求。     

Electrorheological behavior of low filled suspensions of highly anisometric montmorillonite particles

The electrorheological (ER) behavior of modified montmorillonite (MMT) suspensions in polydimethylsiloxane is studied. As established by rotational viscometry, the samples with a dispersed phase concentration from 1 to 8 wt % reveal viscous Newtonian behavior and dramatically change their properties to elastic when electric field is applied. The rheological characteristics of the suspensions over 0–7 kV mm⁻¹ range of electric field strengths are also studied. Novel X-ray diffraction method is developed to evaluate the suspension of the filler in a siloxane medium and to calculate the degree of its exfoliation. The dependence of exfoliation degree, dielectric, and ER characteristics on the type of modifier in the MMT structure is considered. Based on the obtained data, a new model of system behavior with the various types of fillers is proposed and the prospects of utilizing MMT as a filler for ER fluids are demonstrated. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47678.