Time-dependent Neutronic Analysis for High Level Waste Transmutation in a Fusion-driven Transmuter

This study presents time-dependent transmutations of high-level waste (HLW) including minor actinides (MAs) and long-lived fission products (LLFPs) in the fusion-driven transmuter (FDT) that is optimized in terms of the neutronic performance per fusion neutron in our previous study. Its blanket has two different transmutation zones (MA transmutation zone, TZ_MA, and LLFP transmutation zone, TZ_FP), located separately from each other. High burn-up pressured water reactor (PWR)-mixed oxide (MOX) spent fuel is used as HLW. The time-dependent transmutation analyses have been performed for an operation period (OP) of up to 10 years by 75% plant factor (η) under a first-wall neutron load (P) of 5 MW/m². The effective half-lives of the MA and LLFP nuclides can be shortened significantly in the considered FDT while substantial electricity is produced in situ along the OP.     

Determining the best type of heat exchangers for heat recovery

It is a common problem to choose the most appropriate heat exchanger configuration for heat recovery. In this study, a new model has been developed for determining the area and type of the most appropriate waste heat recovery heat exchanger for maximum net gain. A non-dimensional E number has been defined based on known technical and economic parameters such as the life-time, unit area cost of the heat exchanger, lower heating value of the fuel, overall heat transfer coefficient of heat exchanger, boiler efficiency, operation time per year, heat exchanger effectiveness, ratio of heat capacities, annual variation of the temperature of fluids supplied to the heat exchanger and present worth factor. The non-dimensional E numbers has been demonstrated in graphical forms as a function of NTU and ratio of heat capacities and corresponding heat exchanger area giving maximum net gain can easily be obtained from these graphs. The best heat exchanger type and its area can be determined comparing net gains or effectiveness of heat exchangers at NTU_max. Application of the new method has been given with a case study as a sample calculation.     

Experimental study of heat transfer of buried finned pipe for ground source heat pump applications

Ground heat exchangers have vital importance for ground source heat pump applications. Various configurations tried to improve heat transfer in the soil. A new kind of aluminium finned pipe buried in the soil for this aim. In order to compare effectiveness of the Al finned pipe over the traditional PPRC pipe an experimental study carried out. The experimental GSHP system was installed at Y?ld?z Technical University Davupasa Campus on 800 m² surface area with no special surface cover. Temperature data were collected using thermocouples buried in soil horizontally and vertically at various distances from the pipe center and at the inlet and the outlet of the ground heat exchanger. Experimental results were compared with results from analytical study. To compare effectiveness of the Al finned pipe and PPRC pipe a new parameter defined as transferred amount of heat per unit mass of working fluid per unit time for this aim. It is found that Al finned pipe has higher heat transfer values than the traditional PPRC pipe.     

Ultrathin Highly Luminescent Two‐Monolayer Colloidal CdSe Nanoplatelets

Surface effects in atomically flat colloidal CdSe nanoplatelets (NLPs) are significantly and increasingly important with their thickness being reduced to subnanometer level, generating strong surface related deep trap photoluminescence emission alongside the bandedge emission. Herein, colloidal synthesis of highly luminescent two‐monolayer (2ML) CdSe NPLs and a systematic investigation of carrier dynamics in these NPLs exhibiting broad photoluminescence emission covering the visible region with quantum yields reaching 90% in solution and 85% in a polymer matrix is shown. The astonishingly efficient Stokes‐shifted broadband photoluminescence (PL) emission with a lifetime of ≈100 ns and the extremely short PL lifetime of around 0.16 ns at the bandedge signify the participation of radiative midgap surface centers in the recombination process associated with the underpassivated Se sites. Also, a proof‐of‐concept hybrid LED employing 2ML CdSe NPLs is developed as color converters, which exhibits luminous efficacy reaching 300 lm W_opt^?1. The intrinsic absorption of the 2ML CdSe NPLs (≈2.15 × 10⁶ cm^?1) reported in this study is significantly larger than that of CdSe quantum dots (≈2.8 × 10⁵ cm^?1) at their first exciton signifying the presence of giant oscillator strength and hence making them favorable candidates for next‐generation light‐emitting and light‐harvesting applications.     

Perinatal Obesity Induces Hepatic Growth Restriction with Increased DNA Damage Response,Senescence, and Dysregulated Igf-1-Akt-Foxo1 Signaling in Male Offspring of Obese Mice

Maternal obesity predisposes for hepato-metabolic disorders early in life. However, the underlying mechanisms causing early onset dysfunction of the liver and metabolism remain elusive. Since obesity is associated with subacute chronic inflammation and accelerated aging, we test the hypothesis whether maternal obesity induces aging processes in the developing liver and determines thereby hepatic growth. To this end, maternal obesity was induced with high-fat diet (HFD) in C57BL/6N mice and male offspring were studied at the end of the lactation [postnatal day 21 (P21)]. Maternal obesity induced an obese body composition with metabolic inflammation and a marked hepatic growth restriction in the male offspring at P21. Proteomic and molecular analyses revealed three interrelated mechanisms that might account for the impaired hepatic growth pattern, indicating prematurely induced aging processes: (1) Increased DNA damage response (γH2AX), (2) significant upregulation of hepatocellular senescence markers (Cdnk1a, Cdkn2a); and (3) inhibition of hepatic insulin/insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1-AKT-p38-FoxO1 signaling with an insufficient proliferative growth response. In conclusion, our murine data demonstrate that perinatal obesity induces an obese body composition in male offspring with hepatic growth restriction through a possible premature hepatic aging that is indicated by a pathologic sequence of inflammation, DNA damage, senescence, and signs of a possibly insufficient regenerative capacity.     

Vacuum heat treatment of LiAlO2 densified silicon nitride ceramics

The aim of the present work has been to produce high-dense Si₃N₄ ceramics by a cheaper pressureless sintering method and then to attain vacuum heat treatment to remove residual grain boundary glass in gaseous form. LiAlO₂ was used as a sintering additive rather than using Li₂O, since its grain boundary glass is not stable above 1200 °C. LiAlO₂ was synthesised from 42% Li₂CO₃ and 58% Al₂O₃ powder mix reacting together at 1450 °C for 3 h in a muffle furnace. X-ray analysis showed that 95% LiAlO₂ was obtained. LiAlO₂ was milled and added to silicon nitride powder as a sintering additive. Hot-pressing and pressureless sintering of LiAlO₂ containing Si₃N₄ compacts were carried out at temperatures between 1450–1750 °C. The sintered samples were vacuum heat-treated at elevated temperatures under high vacuum to remove intergranular glass and to increase refractoriness of Si₃N₄ ceramics. Scanning electron microscope images and weight loss results showed that Li in grain boundary glass (Li–Al–Si–O–N) was successfully volatilised, and oxidation resistance of the sintered samples was increased.     

AC susceptibility and FC-ZFC magnetic properties of SrTb_xFe_(12-x)O_(19) and SrTm_xFe_(12-x)O_(19) hexaferrites:a comparative study

In this comparative study,Tb and Tm substituted Sr-hexafe rrites(HFs) with the chemical compositions of SrTb_xFe_(12-x)O_(19) and SrTm_xFe_(12-x)O_(19)(x=0.00,0.02 and 0.04) were fabricated via citrate sol-gel approach.The AC susceptibility and FC-ZFC magnetization were investigated.The product structure and morphologies were also investigated via XRD,TEM and SEM along with EDX.Measurements of temperature dependence of magnetization M-T and AC magnetic susceptibility versus temperature were carried out.The various synthesized HFs displayed ferrimagnetic behavior within 10-325 K.At lower temperatures,super-spin glass-like behavior was noticed.Neel-Arrhenius and Vogel-Fulcher models were employed to explore the experimental data of AC susceptibility.     

Fabrication of basalt embedded composite fiber membrane using electrospinning method and response surface methodology

In this study, a novel basalt embedded fiber membranes was prepared by the electrospinning method. The effects of the feed rate, voltage, tip to collector distance, and the basalt content on the prepared composite fiber membranes were investigated and optimized using the response surface method. Four models were built to compare the fibers in terms of deionized water flux (DWF), activated sludge flux, chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal, and porosity of fiber membranes. All the developed models were significant and adequately precise. The maximum flux of DWF was obtained when the voltage was 17.25 kV, the tip to collector distance of 19 cm, and a basalt content in polymer of 1.25%. COD removal decreased at higher voltage values as the feed rate increased. The porosity, pore size, and the contact angle values decreased for basalt embedded fiber membrane. The increases in the basalt percentage in polymer increased the hydrophilicity of the fiber. The flux decline for the basalt embedded fiber membrane was compared with the pristine fiber membrane. The permeate fluxes of pristine and basalt embedded fiber membranes were 42.3 and 59.6 L/m²/h, respectively. The biofouling performances of pristine and basalt embedded fiber membranes were also examined. Irreversible fouling decreased from 42.9% to 8.0%, and reversible fouling increased from 56.5% to 91.1% after modification of the membrane with basalt powder. Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM–EDX) analysis showed that basalt powder was successfully embedded into polyether sulfone polymer.     

Quantitative Analysis Using Scattered Radiation with WDXRF

Abstract

The coherent and Compton scattered radiation of X‐ray tube target line from the sample, instead of characteristic X‐rays, has been used for the quantitative analysis in wavelength dispersive X‐ray fluorescence (WDXRF) spectrometry. The relationships between the coherent to Compton intensity ratio versus the concentration and mean atomic number were determined experimentally. Also, a comparison of the scattered radiation method and fundamental parameters method, with respect to results, was made.