Selective hydrogenolysis of glycerol to propylene glycol on Cu–ZnO catalysts

Hydrogenolysis of biomass-derived glycerol is an alternative route to sustainable production of propylene glycol. Cu–ZnO catalysts were prepared by coprecipitation with a range of Cu/Zn atomic ratio (0.6–2.0) and examined in glycerol hydrogenolysis to propylene glycol at 453–513 K and 4.2 MPa H₂. These catalysts possess acid and hydrogenation sites required for bifunctional glycerol reaction pathways, most likely involving glycerol dehydration to acetol and glycidol intermediates on acidic ZnO surfaces, and their subsequent hydrogenation on Cu surfaces. Glycerol hydrogenolysis conversions and selectivities depend on Cu and ZnO particle sizes. Smaller ZnO and Cu domains led to higher conversions and propylene glycol selectivities, respectively. A high propylene glycol selectivity (83.6%), with a 94.3% combined selectivity to propylene glycol and ethylene glycol (also a valuable product) was achieved at 22.5% glycerol conversion at 473 K on Cu–ZnO (Cu/Zn = 1.0) with relatively small Cu particles. Reaction temperature effects showed that optimal temperatures (e.g. 493 K) are required for high propylene glycol selectivities, probably as a result of optimized adsorption and transformation of the reaction intermediates on the catalyst surfaces. These preliminary results provide guidance for the synthesis of more efficient Cu–ZnO catalysts and for the optimization of reaction parameters for selective glycerol hydrogenolysis to produce propylene glycol.     

支持并行化快速实验部署的网络创新实验平台

清华大学网络创新实验(TUNIE)平台为新型网络体系结构的验证和测试提供了有力的工具。在TUNIE平台运行过程中,过长的实验部署耗时会降低整个TUNIE平台的运行效率。对实验部署过程进行分析和测量,发现实验部署的冗长耗时主要由集中式镜像池和串行的实验部署流程引起。为此,提出一种并行化的快速实验部署方案。利用分布式镜像池减少非本地节点的镜像拷贝时间,采用并行化实验部署提高时间维度上的资源利用率。仿真和实际应用结果证明,相比于串行部署方案,该方案可以减少40%~89%的部署耗时,有效提高了实验部署的速度。     

面向低功耗共享Cache路适应划分算法研究

如何提高多核处理器的性能和降低多核处理器中Cache的功耗已经成为下一代多核处理器的研究热点。为了降低片上多核处理器的功耗,基于路适应算法可以采用一种新的动态划分机制,该机制主要由路分配模块和动态功耗控制模块组成。路分配模块在程序运行过程中根据处理器核所运行线程的工作集的大小调整处理器核所分配的Cache路。动态功耗控制模块利用程序运行的局部性原理,将处理器核所运行线程的工作空间控制在少数Cache路中。关闭剩余的Cache路,从而达到降低Cache功耗的目的。该机制使用Simics全系统模拟平台模拟多核处理器,并用SpecOMP测试集测试了系统的性能和功耗。与传统的Cache(Conventional L2Cache,C-L2)相比,其IPC提高了9.27%,功耗降低了10.95%。     

游戏场景中基于势场的交互寻路方法

在即时战略游戏中,路径规划是一种重要且常见的任务。游戏的实时性要求玩家能够快速寻找一条进攻的路径,而且游戏单元之间普遍存在的交互作用对寻路质量有着重要的影响。传统的寻路算法如Dijkstra算法虽然能够找到最优路径,但是耗时较多,而且未体现真实游戏中的交互。为此选取RTS游戏中一种典型的攻防场景,提出基于人工势场的快速高效动态寻路方法,同时为了体现RTS中游戏单元之间的交互性,将模糊测度引入到势场寻路中。实验结果表明,采用人工势场法寻路较Dijkstra算法耗时少、路径平滑;而引入模糊测度体现了真实游戏中单元之间的交互影响作用,与真实的游戏场景更为接近。     

基于MATLAB的模块化机器人手臂运动学算法验证及运动仿真

针对由模块化关节构成的六自由度串联机器人手臂, 采用DH法对手臂的操作空间进行了描述, 得到了正运动学模型; 采用欧拉角表示手臂姿态, 得到了包含六个参数的用于表示手臂位姿的完备广义坐标, 并对欧拉角的几何关系进行了分析。针对SolidWorks虽然实体建模简洁方便但计算并非其强项的缺点, 编写相应接口程序, 将建立的手臂三维实体模型保留几何约束关系简化后导入MATLAB软件。基于MATLAB编写正逆运动学算法验证程序以及连杆驱动程序, 实现了手臂的仿真运动。通过仿真, 不仅更进一步验证了手臂正逆运动学解算的正确性, 而且非常直观地看出手臂末端在空间中运行的路径以及各关节的动作情况。机器人手臂正逆运动学算法正确性的验证及运动仿真为手臂的精确定位及其路径规划提供了必要的保证。     

乙醇和二甲醚微射流火焰燃烧特性研究

采用实验及数值计算研究了乙醇和二甲醚微圆管射流火焰燃烧特性。通过实验观察到不同燃料流速下乙醇和二甲醚火焰都具有四种典型的火焰形态；使用平面激光诱导荧光测试系统获得了微射流火焰的OH基元分布，实验结果表明在较高流速下稳定燃烧的乙醇火焰比二甲醚火焰直径小，且略高于二甲醚火焰；采用考虑详细化学反应机理的数值计算对乙醇和二甲醚火焰进行了数值模拟，计算结果与实验现象吻合较好；利用一维非预混对冲火焰计算进一步研究了这两种燃料的化学反应路径，分析结果表明乙醇和二甲醚火焰的中间产物有显著差异，两种燃料化学反应特性的差异导致了不同的微火焰结构。     

Containment control of multi‐agent systems by exploiting the control inputs of neighbors

This paper studies the containment control problem for multi‐agent systems consisting of multiple leaders and followers connected as a network. The objective is to design control protocols so that the leaders will converge to a certain desired formation while the followers converge to the convex hull of the leaders. A novel protocol is proposed by exploiting the control input information of neighbors. Both continuous‐time and discrete‐time systems are considered. For continuous‐time systems, it is proved that the protocol is robust to any constant delays of the neighbors' control inputs. For discrete‐time systems, a sufficient condition on the feedback gain for the containment control is given in terms of the time delay and graph information. Some numerical examples are given to demonstrate the results. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

局部表面改性紫铜方柱阵列池沸腾传热特性和机理

以局部表面改性的紫铜直方柱和梯度方柱阵列为研究对象，实验研究了表面润湿性、表面形貌和表面活性剂对池沸腾换热性能和气泡生长特性的影响。实验工质为去离子水，浓度分别为100、200、400、800 mg·L^-1的异丙醇溶液和正庚醇溶液。实验结果表明：方柱阵列表面镀银之后润湿性变差，表面产生的气泡数量减少。向去离子水中添加异丙醇或正庚醇后，在热通量为66.1～202 kW·m^-2时，气泡脱离直径变小、数目减少，而当热通量增至413 kW·m^-2时，活性剂能够有效阻碍气泡合并，故池沸腾传热系数随着浓度增加先减小后增大。上下层宽分别0.5 mm和1 mm、间距为2 mm的梯度方柱阵列结构有助于气泡的合并，但由于促进了固体表面气膜的形成，从而降低了沸腾换热性能。     

Unsteady temperature fields of monoliths in catalytic converters

This paper measured unsteady temperature fields of uncoated-monolith and catalytic monolith under real engine operating conditions using thermocouples. A multi-dimensional flow model of the turbulence, heat and mass transfer, and chemical reactions in monoliths was established and numerically solved in the whole flow field of the catalytic converter. The purpose of this paper is to study unsteady warm-up characteristics of the monoliths and to investigate effects of inlet cone structure on temperature distribution of the catalytic converter. Experimental results show that the warm-up behaviors between uncoated-monolith and catalytic monolith are quite different. Simulation results indicate that the established model can qualitatively predict the warm-up characteristics. Increasing the inlet cone angle can improve the light-off characteristics of the catalysts due to high flow velocity and high temperature in the center of the monoliths.     

Intercalation of methylene blue in n-alkanethiolated self-assembled monolayers: Versatile electrochemical platforms for characterizing surfactant adsorption on hydrophobic surfaces

A versatile electrochemical platform for characterizing the adsorption of neutral and positively charged surfactants on hydrophobic surfaces was established using methylene blue (MB) as the probe. As a rigid, planar and electroactive species, MB can intercalate inside the regular self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of n-hexanethiol and exhibit well-defined electrochemical responses. The adsorption of surfactants on the hydrophobic SAMs through the intercalation interaction between the hydrophobic tails of surfactants and the SAMs might change the density of the SAMs and influence the electrochemical behaviors of MB, providing a simple but effective approach for characterizing surfactant adsorption on hydrophobic surfaces. As an example, the adsorptive behaviors of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), a positively charged surfactant, and Triton X-100, a neutral surfactant, on hydrophobic surfaces were investigated by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results showed that these surfactants generally experienced three different adsorptive behaviors: the monomer adsorption at low concentrations, the loose monolayer adsorption at intermediate concentrations and the dense monolayer adsorption at high concentrations. In the case of CTAB, a new additional submonolayer adsorptive behavior between the monomer and the loose monolayer adsorption was observed for the first time, due to its rather long hydrophobic tail.