The Onsager relations analyzed using an ellipsoidal statistical equation

Validity on the well-known Onsager reciprocal relations L ₁₂=L ₂₁ is verified in the kinetic theory of gases taking into account mass and heat transfer near the surface. Using an analytical solution to the ellipsoidal statistical equation (providing for the true Prandtl number), it is demonstrated that the Onsager relations are obeyed, at least to within exponential corrections of the type exp(−1/Kn) in the Knudsen number.     

On the nonuniformity of a capillary flow

It is established that the capillary rise of a liquid has an oscillatory character, in contrast to the commonly accepted opinion that a vertical capillary is filled at a monotonically varying velocity. The value of the tangential shear stress arising in an ascending liquid is evaluated for ethyl alcohol and distilled water.     

Experimental Electronuclear Setup at the Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics

The purpose and current construction status, at the Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics, of an experimental electronuclear setup, combining a pulsed proton linear accelerator (36 MeV, 0.5 mA) and a subcritical blanket thermal-power assembly 100 kW, are discussed. The main equipment is already available or is being built in industry. The setup can be used to investigate the dynamics of the interaction of a linac–driver and a subcritical reactor and problems concerning the accelerator–driver and the target–blanket assembly. The proton beams and neutron fluxes will be used for applied purposes. In the future it will be possible to increase substantially the current and energy of the proton beam.     

Phase-change optical recording: Past, present, future

We discuss specific features of Te-based compounds that made them the best materials for the phase-change data storage. It is demonstrated that the phase-change recording is due to a switch of Ge atoms between octahedral and tetrahedral symmetry positions within the Te face-centered cubic lattice. It is this nature of the transition that makes the Te-based media fast and stable. The driving force for this transition is also discussed. The chapter is concluded by introduction of a concept of the super-resolution near-field structure (super-RENS) disc that allows to reduce a bit size well below the diffraction limit and makes 100 GB/disc storage a reality.     

A Distributed State Estimator Utilizing Synchronized Phasor Measurements

With the creation of balancing authorities by the North American Reliability Council that span large portions of the North American interconnection, and stringent requirements for real time monitoring of power system evolution, faster and more accurate state estimation algorithms that can efficiently handle systems of very large sizes are needed in the present environment. This paper presents a distributed state estimation algorithm suitable for large-scale power systems. Synchronized phasor measurements are applied to aggregate the voltage phase angles of each decomposed subsystem in the distributed state estimation solution. The aggregated state estimation solution is obtained from the distributed solution using a sensitivity analysis based update at chosen boundary buses. Placement of synchronized phasor measurements in the decomposed subsystems is also investigated in this paper. Test results on the IEEE 118-bus test bed are provided     

CFD Prediction of Flow and Homogenization in a Stirred Vessel: Part I Vessel with One and Two Impellers

A simulation of flow field and tracer homogenization was performed using the commercial CFD software FLUENT 6.1. The aim is to investigate the potential of CFD software to predict concentration distribution of added tracer in cylindrical vessels. The calculated results – dimensionless velocity profiles, power and pumping numbers, dimensionless concentration curves, and mixing times – were compared with experiments in stirred vessels. In Part I, the study was performed for vessels agitated by one or two impellers on a centric shaft. Two different impellers were used – a 6‐bladed 45° pitched blade turbine and a standard Rushton turbine. The standard k‐? turbulence model and multiple reference frames method were used for the simulations. The influence of the grid type was also investigated; three types of grid – a structured, unstructured and a special user‐defined grid – were studied.