Numerical heat transfer analysis for the design of the engineering-scale electrowinning cell in pyroprocessing

A heat transfer analysis of the electrowinning cell was conducted to develop a basic tool for designing of the engineering-scale electrowinner. For calculating the heat transfer properties of argon gas and LiCl–KCl eutectic salt in the electrowinning cell, the ANSYS CFX commercial code was adapted. The simulation model was prepared, and the temperature profiles of the argon gas and the salt were compared with those in the lab-scale electrowinning cell. Using the simulation model, temperature distributions of the engineering-scale electrowinning cell were analyzed. When the heating zone length was 2.5 times longer than the height of the LiCl–KCl salt, the salt temperature was maintained at about 500 °C and its temperature gradient became less than 5 °C. The cooling zone length had an influence on both temperatures of the argon gas under the cell cover as well as the salt. When the cooling zone length was about 0.16–0.19 of the heating zone length, the temperature of the salt was maintained at 500 °C and the argon gas temperature under the cover decreased below 200 °C. The number of the heat shield plates and size mainly affected the temperature gradient of the salt and argon gas under the cover. More than 3 heat shield plates had to be placed in the cooling zone and their diameters should be extended over 410 mm that is over 0.95 of the cell diameter.     

Plastic ELISA-on-a-chip based on sequential cross-flow chromatography

A plastic chip that can perform immunoassays using an enzyme as signal generator, i.e., ELISA-on-a-chip, was developed by incorporating an immunostrip into channels etched on the surfaces of the chip. To utilize an analytical concept of cross-flow chromatography, the chip consisted of two cross-flow channels in the horizontal and vertical directions. In the vertical channel, we placed a 2-mm-wide immunostrip for cardiac troponin I (cTnI), which was identical to a conventional rapid test kit except for the utilization of an enzyme, horseradish peroxidase (HRP), as tracer. An enzyme substrate supply channel and a horizontal flow absorption pad compartment were transversely arranged on each lateral side of the signal generation pad of the strip, respectively. Upon application of a sample containing cTnI, it migrated vertically through the membrane strip by capillary action, and antigen-antibody binding occurred. After 15 min, the horizontal flow was initiated by the addition of a chromogenic substrate solution for HRP into the supply channel and by partial superimposition of the horizontal flow absorption pad onto the signal generation pad. A color signal proportional to the analyte concentration was produced on this pad, measured after 5 min as optical densities using a digital camera-based detector, and quantified by integration of the densities under the peak after normalization. Its calibration curve indicated that the detection limit of the chip was approximately 0.1 ng/mL and its quantification limit was 0.25 ng/mL. In measuring blindly prepared samples, the chip performance correlated with that of a reference system, Beckman Coulter Access, within 2.5-fold discrepancy at the detection limit.     

A study of carbon-nanotube-based nanoelectromechanical resonators tuned by shear strain

This paper has investigated, using a classical molecular dynamics simulation method based on the Tersoff-Brenner potential, the resonance-frequency changes of single-walled carbon-nanotube resonators originating from the purely mechanical response of single-walled carbon nanotubes. The tension decreased with increasing rotation angle, so the resonance frequencies could be changed by controlling the rotation angles of the single-walled carbon nanotubes. The resonance frequencies decreased with increasing angle, and when the rotation angle was greater than 60°, the changes were marked. For nanotubes of similar length, the bandwidth for the (3, 3) single-walled carbon nanotube was higher than for the (5, 0) single-walled carbon nanotube. Because properties arising from the shear-strain-induced tension response can affect the electromechanical behavior of carbon nanotubes, the shear-strain-induced tension response should be given serious consideration in the application of embedded carbon nanotubes in nanoelectromechanical systems.     

Optical and Dielectric Properties of Chalcogenide Glasses at Terahertz Frequencies

Terahertz time‐domain spectroscopy has been used to study the optical and dielectric properties of three chalcogenide glasses: Ge₃₀As₈Ga₂Se₆₀, Ge₃₅Ga₅Se₆₀, and Ge₁₀As₂₀S₇₀. The absorption coefficients α(ν), complex refractive index n(ν), and complex dielectric constants ?(ν) were measured in a frequency range from 0.3 THz to 1.5 THz. The measured real refractive indices were fitted using a Sellmeier equation. The results show that the Sellmeier equation fits well with the data throughout the frequency range and imply that the phonon modes of glasses vary with the glass compositions. The theory of far‐infrared absorption in amorphous materials is used to analyze the results and to understand the differences in THz absorption among the sample glasses.     

Linker-free directed assembly of high-performance integrated devices based on nanotubes and nanowires

Advanced electronic devices based on carbon nanotubes (NTs) and various types of nanowires (NWs) could have a role in next-generation semiconductor architectures. However, the lack of a general fabrication method has held back the development of these devices for practical applications. Here we report an assembly strategy for devices based on NTs and NWs. Inert surface molecular patterns were used to direct the adsorption and alignment of NTs and NWs on bare surfaces to form device structures without the use of linker molecules. Substrate bias further enhanced the amount of NT and NW adsorption. Significantly, as all the processing steps can be performed with conventional microfabrication facilities, our method is readily accessible to the present semiconductor industry. We use this method to demonstrate large-scale assembly of NT- and NW-based integrated devices and their applications. We also provide extensive analysis regarding the reliability of the method.     

In-situ observation of a dendrite growth in an aqueous condition and a uranium deposition into a liquid cadmium cathode in an electrowinning system

A zinc-gallium system was setup to observe the growth process of dendrites and to compare the performance of the stirrers which would prevent a dendrite formation. In a no-stirring condition, zinc was easily deposited on a liquid gallium cathode in the form of dendrites. It was difficult for a paddle stirrer to directly fracture the zinc dendrites to fine particles. However, a harrow stirrer was observed to fracture the dendrite to some extent at high speeds. Not only their rotation speed but also the length of their blades needed to be properly adjusted to enhance their performance. In the uranium-cadmium experiment, the diffusion coefficient of the uranium species was obtained by the cyclic voltammetry method, which is around 1 × 10⁻⁵ cm²/s. In a no-stirring condition, most of the uranium deposited at the current densities of 35, 100 and 200 mA/cm² did not sink into the liquid cadmium cathode.     

混联式混合电动车辆最佳动力配置策略

采用一台内燃机和两台电动机组合的混联式混合电动车辆(HEV),具有可控制两混联混合系统功率流的优势.在该系统中,功率流的控制,不仅可调整机械能和电能的大小和方向,同时还可调整发动机的工作点.本研究引用一功率配置策略实现最小的功率流损耗和一个高效的发动机工作点.该策略采用控制图求出最有效的工作点降低计算载荷.此外,一种能...     

A Plane-Wave Beam-Steering Lens Design Using Microstrip Switched-Line Phase Shifters

A compact beam-steering lens design appropriate for millimeter-wave and submillimeter-wave applications is experimentally verified with an X-band test model. The lens achieves coupling to plane-wave beams through arrays of patch antennas placed on its two outer surfaces. The isolation between input and output antennas is accomplished by inserting a metal ground plane in the middle of the lens. The two closest patch antennas on the front and the backside are connected together with microstrip circuits that include switched-line phased shifters and interconnecting vias through the lens substrate. Three different X-band 100-element plane-wave microstrip lenses that use passive delay lines instead of actual phase-shifters were fabricated to successfully demonstrate the beam-steering angles of 20 and 40 degrees. From a separate waveguide measurement on the unit-cell element only, the insertion loss of the lens was estimated to be approximately 3.5 dB with bandwidth of 2% at 10 GHz.     

Measurement method for profiling the residual stress and the strain-optic coefficient of an optical fiber

A method, believed novel, is demonstrated for determining the strain-optic coefficient profile as well as the residual-stress profile of an optical fiber by use of a modified polariscope combined with a fiber-elongation apparatus. Measurement results of the residual-stress and the strain-optic coefficient profiles for Ge-doped and Er-Ge-Al-doped optical fibers are demonstrated with this method.     

Li‐Rich Li[Li1/6Fe1/6Ni1/6Mn1/2]O2 (LFNMO) Cathodes: Atomic Scale Insight on the Mechanisms of Cycling Decay and of the Improvement due to Cobalt Phosphate Surface Modification

Lithium‐rich Li[Li_1/6Fe_1/6Ni_1/6Mn_1/2]O₂ (0.4Li₂MnO₃‐0.6LiFe_1/3Ni_1/3Mn_1/3O₂, LFNMO) is a new member of the xLi₂MnO₃·(1 ? x)LiMO₂ family of high capacity–high voltage lithium‐ion battery (LIB) cathodes. Unfortunately, it suffers from the severe degradation during cycling both in terms of reversible capacity and operating voltage. Here, the corresponding degradation occurring in LFNMO at an atomic scale has been documented for the first time, using high‐angle annular dark‐field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF‐STEM), as well as tracing the elemental crossover to the Li metal anode using X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It is also demonstrated that a cobalt phosphate surface treatment significantly boosts LFNMO cycling stability and rate capability. Due to cycling, the unmodified LFNMO undergoes extensive elemental dissolution (especially Mn) and O loss, forming Kirkendall‐type voids. The associated structural degradation is from the as‐synthesized R‐3m layered structure to a disordered rock‐salt phase. Prior to cycling, the cobalt phosphate coating is epitaxial, sharing the crystallography of the parent material. During cycling, a 2–3 nm thick disordered Co‐rich rock‐salt structure is formed as the outer shell, while the bulk material retains R‐3m crystallography. These combined cathode–anode findings significantly advance the microstructural design principles for next‐generation Li‐rich cathode materials and coatings.