Temperature field,H2 and H2O mass transfer in SOFC single cell: Electrode and electrolyte thickness effects

The temperature increment in electrodes and electrolyte of a fuel cell is mainly attributed to the chemical reaction and the irreversibilities. The aim of this work is to study the increasing temperature of a SOFC single cell under the influence of the electrode and electrolyte thicknesses for its type of heat source. The hydrogen and water field are also discussed according to anode thickness.     

HOS-based image sequence noise removal.

In this paper, a new spatiotemporal filtering scheme is described for noise reduction in video sequences. For this purpose, the scheme processes each group of three consecutive sequence frames in two steps: 1) estimate motion between frames and 2) use motion vectors to get the final denoised current frame. A family of adaptive spatiotemporal L-filters is applied. A recursive implementation of these filters is used and compared with its nonrecursive counterpart. The motion trajectories are obtained recursively by a region-recursive estimation method. Both motion parameters and filter weights are computed by minimizing the kurtosis of error instead of mean squared error. Using the kurtosis in the algorithms adaptation is appropriate in the presence of mixed and impulsive noises. The filter performance is evaluated by considering different types of video sequences. Simulations show marked improvement in visual quality and SNRI measures cost as well as compared to those reported in literature.     

One dimensional transient numerical study of the mass heat and charge transfer in a proton exchange membrane for PEMFC

The objective of our study is to quantify the mass water transferred by various modes: diffusion, convection and migration. For the water transfer, the principal forces considered in the model are, the convection force, the osmotic force (i.e. diffusion) and the electric force (migration). The first of these forces results from a pressure gradient, the second of a concentration gradient and the third of a protons' migration from the anode to the cathode, which has an effect on the dipole of the water molecules (resistance force to the advancement). The numerical tool used to solve the equations' system is the finite element method. The results obtained numerically considering this method are concentration profiles and concentration variation with time and membrane thickness. These results illustrate the contribution of each mass transfer mode.     

Fracture problems of rubbers: J-integral estimation based upon η factors and an investigation on the strain energy density distribution as a local criterion

The plane elasticity problem studied is of a circular inclusion having a circular arc-crack along the interface and a crack of arbitrary shape in an infinite matrix of different material subjected to uniform stresses at infinity. The solution of the problem is given using Muskhelishvili's complex variable method with sectionally holomorphic functions. First, the solution to the (auxiliary) problem of a dislocation (or force) applied at a point in the matrix with the circular inclusion partially bonded is derived fully in its general form by solving the appropriate Rieman-Hilbert problem. It is subsequently used as the Green's function for the initial problem by introducing an unknown density function associated with a distribution of dislocations along the crack in the matrix. The initial problem is then reduced to a singular integral equation (SIE) over the crack in the matrix only. The SIE is solved numerically by appropriate quadratures and the stress intensity factors reported for the arc-cut and a straight crack in the matrix for a range of values of the geometrical parameters.     

Simulation of ductile tearing by the BEM with 2D domain discretization and a local damage model

A numerical procedure based on the Boundary Element Method with internal cells and dedicated to the simulation of the ductile tearing of thin metal sheets is presented. Plasticity is handled with an integral formulation based on the initial strain approach involving a discretization of the planar domain. Time integration is performed in an implicit way for the local strain-stress relationships while the global algorithm relies on an explicit formulation. Damage is represented by the scalar parameter of the uncoupled local damage model of Rice and Tracey. Within the scope of our applications, the cracks propagate along paths a priori known. As damage spreads, boundary elements are gradually released. Elastoplastic problems with large yielding zones are solved and compared to reference solutions. At last, the ductile tearing of a specimen is addressed. The calibration of the critical damage parameter leads to numerical results in good agreement with the experimental ones.     

Contribution to the modeling of a voltage driven pulsed eddy current sensor for the characterization of conductive plates

We highlight some physical phenomena occurring in pulsed eddy current testing, through the modeling of the response of a voltage driven pulsed eddy current sensor for the characterization of the thickness and conductivity of a metallic conductive plate. We use the finite element time domain method coupled to the electric circuit equation in the eddy current sensor which consists of an air cored coil. The characterization parameters are obtained from the current variation in the coil. The effects of the thickness and conductivity are clearly distinguished by considering three metallic plates of different conductivities. Time and frequency approaches are considered. We show that the reconstitution of the coil response signal from its Fourier series expansion leads to a loss of important features of the latter, limiting thus the characterization parameters, since this reconstitution does not take account of the sub-transient phenomena, i.e., the time of diffusion of the electromagnetic field in the conductive plate. The numerical results are supported by measurements.     

Kinetics study of microwave-assisted solvent extraction of oil from olive cake using hexane: Comparison with the conventional extraction

Microwave-assisted solvent extraction (MASE) of oil from olive cake can be used as an alternative for conventional solvent extraction (CSE).The present research showed that, compared to the CSE, the MASE gave better yields within very short times. The results obtained with this new procedure indicated that the radiation power and exposition time enhanced extraction ability.The Patricelli model has been applied to describe the MASE kinetic. The coefficients of determination were found to be very high in all the cases (R² ≥ 0.992) indicating a good fit of the experimental data at tested conditions. The results obtained were compared with those given by the same model in the case of the conventional extraction.Industrial relevanceOlive cake pollutes the environment around the Mediterranean basin where it is generated in great amounts within a short period (from November to March). To avoid this pollution, it must be treated. Its valorization by recovery of its residual oil using conventional solvent extraction is time-consuming and needs large volumes of solvent. Compared to this conventional technique, the microwave-assisted solvent extraction can be a nice alternative because it gives better yields within short times and consumes less solvent.     

Sulfuric Containing Sugar Bath and Permanent Weak Magnetic Field Effect during Anodizing AlCu<Subscript>6</Subscript>Si Alloy Sheet Surfaces

Rolling and perpendicular to rolling surfaces of AlCu₆Si aluminum sheet have been anodized at 27 ± 1°C in 20 wt % sulfuric acid containing an additive of white sugar powder with and without permanent weak magnetic field. After one hour of anodizing, some hillocks-shaped micropores are developed and craters are formed in the oxide layers. The micropores obtained in rolling faces are often smaller than those obtained on other faces. Sulfuric anodizing at 21 V causes the formation of combined micropore-nanopore structures in rolling surface. It demonstrated that sugar additive increases the density of micropores in spherical shape in rolling surface and the increasing of sugar concentration changes the pores to hillocks form. In addition, the application of weak magnetic field induces homogeneous repartition of micropores.     

Numerical simulation of exchange membrane fuel cells in different operating conditions

A two-dimensional, steady state model for proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is presented. The model is used to describe the effect operation conditions (current density, pressure and water content) on the water transport, ohmic resistance and water distribution in the membrane and performance of PEMFC. This model considers the transport of species and water along the porous media: gas diffusion layers (GDL) anode and cathode, and the membrane of PEMFC fuel cell.     

Dual boundary element method modelling of aircraft structural joints with multiple site damage

The computation of crack growth from a bolt or rivet hole in a structural joint practically requires that the geometry be approximated to some degree. In this paper a simplified quasi-2D stress analysis method, using the boundary element method is presented, where the load transfer rate and the contact stresses at the hole edge for the full 3D geometry are fairly well approximated. Coupled with a dual boundary element formulation for the crack propagation problem, this model is used to evaluate stress intensity factors for through cracks emanating from holes in several double shear lap joint configurations. As the calculated stress intensity factors compare well with experimental data, this procedure is considered to approximate satisfactorily the load transfer rate and the contact stresses at the hole edge of the full 3D geometry, when secondary bending is not a factor.