Chemically reacting mixed convective Casson fluid flow in the presence of MHD and porous medium through group theoretical analysis

This paper explores the consequences of chemically reacting magnetohydrodynamic mixed convective fluid substances driven by the porous medium, slippery, incompressible, and laminar vertical channel flow. Casson fluid model in a vertical channel is strengthened with mixed convection flow. The effects of the heat source-sink parameter, the suction-injection parameter, slips on the slide wall, and thermal radiation are also considered. A Lie group method is taken into consideration and nonlinear partial differential equations are converted into nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The NDSolve command solves these ODEs and shows the action of the related parameters in the velocity, temperature, and concentration figures. The Casson fluid parameter increases the velocity profile but reduces the concentration profile. The parameter of suction-injection enhances the velocity, temperature, and concentration profiles. The variations in skin-friction coefficient in the heat and mass transfer rate are addressed in the diagrams. Moreover, streamlines are plotted for suction-injection parameter.     

Symmetry analysis of MHD Casson fluid flow for heat and mass transfer near a stagnation point over a linearly stretching sheet with variable viscosity and thermal conductivity

In this article, the impacts of variable viscosity and thermal conductivity on magnetohydrodynamic, heat transfer, and mass transfer flow of a Casson fluid are analyzed on a linearly stretching sheet inserted in a permeable medium along with heat source/sink and viscous dissipation. To reduce the ascendant partial differential equations into ordinary differential equations, Lie group transformation is utilized. Further, the fourth-order Runge–Kutta strategy is utilized to solve the ordinary differential equations numerically. The numerical results obtained for various parameters by employing coding in MATLAB programming are investigated and considered through graphical representation and tables. We anatomize the impacts of distinctive parameters on velocity, temperature, and concentration distributions.     

A novel Pd-Cr2O3/CdS photocatalyst for solar hydrogen production using a regenerable sacrificial donor

Noble metals and transition-metal oxides are needed as cocatalysts for facilitating H₂ production over photocatalysts. Such cocatalysts are typically deposited as nanoparticles on the catalyst surface using impregnation or photodeposition methods, for which an activation treatment process is necessary. In this paper, we describe a facile method that utilizes a Pd-Cr₂O₃ nanocomposite cocatalyst at room temperature for the efficient production of H₂ without the need of an activation treatment process. The Pd-Cr₂O₃/CdS photocatalyst shows a higher hydrogen evolution rate than that of a plain Pd metal loaded catalyst. Formation of a composite structure appears to be an important reason for the increased performance of Pd-Cr₂O₃/CdS photocatalyst.     

An Investigation into the Forming of Fiber Metal Laminates with Different Thickness Metal Skins Using Hydromechanical Deep Drawing

Applied Composite Materials - Lightweight composite materials are being extensively used in the aerospace and marine industry, considering environmental concerns. Fiber metal laminates are one such...     

Effect of Lactic Acid Bacteria Fermentation on Rosmarinic Acid and Antioxidant Properties of in vitro Shoot Culture of Orthosiphon aristatus as a Model Study

In vitro shoot culture of Orthosiphon aristatus was selected as a model system for lactic acid bacteria (LAB) fermentation study. This in vitro plant was subjected to different types of LAB fermentations (Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 8014 and Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM) for a different time periods of 24, 48, and 72 h at 37^oC. The LAB fermentations consisted of solid state fermentations in a climatic incubator and liquid state of fermentations in a DCU fermenter system. The aim was to determine the effect of fermentation on antioxidant properties of the in vitro plant extract. Results indicate that all types of LAB fermentation decreased the level of rosmarinic acid and total phenolic compounds; however, a slight increase in total flavonoids and flavonols was observed in solid state fermentations samples. The highest reduction was obtained in the sample of liquid state fermentation inoculated with L. plantarum for a period of 72 h. The loss in rosmarinic acid and phenolics was concomitant with a loss of total antioxidant activity (DPPH, TEAC, and SOD-like activity). HPLC result confirmed that the longer fermentation was the greater reduction phenolic acids content was found. These results indicate LAB fermentation caused a decrease on antioxidant properties of in vitro shoot culture of Orthosiphon aristatus.     

Solar hybrid photo-thermochemical sulfur-ammonia water-splitting cycle: Photocatalytic hydrogen production stage

One of the main limitations of existing solar thermochemical water-splitting cycles (WSC) are that they utilize only thermal component of the solar irradiation neglecting its photonic component. A new hybrid photo-thermochemical sulfur–ammonia (HySA) WSC developed at the Florida Solar Energy Center allows circumventing this shortcoming. In the HySA cycle, water splitting occurs by means of solar beam splitting which enables utilization of the quantum (UV–Vis) portion of the solar spectrum in the hydrogen production stage and the thermal (IR) portion in the oxygen production stage. Present work investigates the photocatalytic hydrogen production step using narrow band gap CdS and CdSZnS composite photocatalysts, and ammonium sulfite as an electron donor. The choice of the electron donor was determined by the considerations of its regenerability in the thermal stages of the HySA cycle. This article examines the impact of photocatalyst and cocatalyst loading, temperature, and light intensity on hydrogen production rates. Photocatalysts, cocatalysts and photoreaction products were analyzed by a number of materials characterization (XRD, SEM, TEM, EDS) and analytical (GC and IC) methods. The experimental data obtained provide guidance for the improved solar photoreactor design.     

Challenges for biohydrogen production via direct lignocellulose fermentation

Direct cellulose fermentation by cellulolytic anaerobic bacteria offers potential to generate renewable hydrogen (H₂) from inexpensive “waste” cellulosic feedstocks. The rates and yields of H₂ production via direct cellulose fermentation are low and must be increased significantly if this technology is to become a viable method for generating usable H₂. A much more comprehensive understanding of the relationships between gene and gene product expression, end-product synthesis patterns, and the factors that regulate carbon and electron balance, within the context of the bioreactor conditions must be achieved if we are to improve molar yields of H₂ during cellulose fermentation. Strategies to increase yields of H₂ production from cellulose include manipulation of carbon and electron flow via end-product inhibition (metabolic shift), metabolic engineering at the genetic level, synergistic co-cultures, and bioprocess engineering and bioreactor designs that maintain a neutral pH during fermentation and ensure rapid removal of H₂ and CO₂ from the aqueous phase.     

Control efficiency optimization and Sobol’s sensitivity indices of MTMDs design parameters for buffeting and flutter vibrations in a cable stayed bridge

This paper studies optimization of three design parameters (mass ratio, frequency ratio and damping ratio) of multiple tuned mass dampers MTMDs that are applied in a cable stayed bridge excited by a strong wind using minimax optimization technique. ABAQUS finite element program is utilized to run numerical simulations with the support of MATLAB codes and Fast Fourier Transform FFT technique. The optimum values of these three parameters are validated with two benchmarks from the literature, first with Wang and coauthors and then with Lin and coauthors. The validation procedure detected a good agreement between the results. Box-Behnken experimental method is dedicated to formulate the surrogate models to represent the control efficiency of the vertical and torsional vibrations. Sobol’s sensitivity indices are calculated for the design parameters in addition to their interaction orders. The optimization results revealed better performance of the MTMDs in controlling the vertical and the torsional vibrations for higher mode shapes. Furthermore, the calculated rational effects of each design parameter facilitate to increase the control efficiency of the MTMDs in conjunction with the support of the surrogate models.     

Bioinspired Directional Surfaces for Adhesion,Wetting, and Transport

In Nature, directional surfaces on insect cuticle, animal fur, bird feathers, and plant leaves are composed of dual micro‐nanoscale features that tune roughness and surface energy. Here, experimental and theoretical approaches for the design, synthesis, and characterization of new bioinspired surfaces demonstrating unidirectional surface properties are summarized. The experimental approaches focus on bottom‐up and top‐down synthesis methods of unidirectional micro‐ and nanoscale films to explore and characterize their anomalous features. The theoretical component focuses on computational tools to predict the physicochemical properties of unidirectional surfaces.