Effect of a wavy interface on the natural convection of a nanofluid in a cavity with a partially layered porous medium using the ISPH method

The effect of a wavy nanofluid/porous-medium interface on the natural convection of a Cu–water nanofluid in a differentially heated non-Darcy porous cavity was investigated using the ISPH method. Wall boundary conditions were applied by improved scheme using the analytical kernel renormalization function and its gradient based on the quintic kernel function. The effect of the Rayleigh number and the Darcy number on the heat transfer of Cu–water nanofluid with a various solid volume fraction were studied. Results showed that higher amplitude, height, and the undulation number of the sinusoidal interface between the nanofluid and porous medium layer lead to a decrease in the average Nusselt number.     

Biohydrogen production from Imperata cylindrica bio-oil using non-stoichiometric and thermodynamic model

This paper presents a non-stoichiometric and thermodynamic model for steam reforming of Imperata cylindrica bio-oil for biohydrogen production. Thermodynamic analyses of major bio-oil components such as formic acid, propanoic acid, oleic acid, hexadecanoic acid and octanol produced from fast pyrolysis of I. cylindrica was examined. Sensitivity analyses of the operating conditions; temperature (100–1000 °C), pressure (1–10 atm) and steam to fuel ratio (1–10) were determined. The results showed an increase in biohydrogen yield with increasing temperature although the effect of pressure was negligible. Furthermore, increase in steam to fuel ratio favoured biohydrogen production. Maximum yield of 60 ± 10% at 500–810 °C temperature range and steam to fuel ratio 5–9 was obtained for formic acid, propanoic acid and octanol. The heavier components hexadecanoic and oleic acid maximum hydrogen yield are 40% (740 °C and S/F = 9) and 43% (810 °C and S/F = 8) respectively. However, the effect of pressure on biohydrogen yield at the selected reforming temperatures was negligible. Overall, the results of the study demonstrate that the non-stoichiometry and thermodynamic model can successfully predict biohydrogen yield as well as the composition of gas mixtures from the gasification and steam reforming of bio-oil from biomass resources. This will serve as a useful guide for further experimental works and process development.     

泡沫Ni-32Cr合金的结构及其性能研究

以聚氨酯泡沫树脂为基体,采用浆料涂覆、电沉积、热解和合金化等技术制备出网状结构的高孔率泡沫Ni-32Cr合金.对该泡沫合金的形貌结构、成分分布和使用性能进行了分析研究.实验结果表明:该泡沫合金骨架平整,成分均匀,相对密度为6.4%,骨架的室温显微硬度HV为168,压缩强度约5MPa,且800℃时氧化1h,其增重率小于2×10-3.     

Relaxations of parameterized LMIs with control applications

A wide variety of problems in control system theory fall within the class of parameterized Linear Matrix Inequalities (LMIs), that is, LMIs whose coefficients are functions of a parameter confined to a compact set. However, in contrast to LMIs, parameterized LMI (PLMIs) feasibility problems involve infinitely many LMIs hence are very hard to solve. In this paper, we propose several effective relaxation techniques to replace PLMIs by a finite set of LMIs. The resulting relaxed feasibility problems thus become convex and hence can be solved by very efficient interior point methods. Applications of these techniques to different problems such as robustness analysis, or Linear Parameter-Varying (LPV) control are then thoroughly discussed and illustrated by examples. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Suppression of Bone Necrosis around Tooth Extraction Socket in a MRONJ-like Mouse Model by E-rhBMP-2 Containing Artificial Bone Graft Administration

Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is related to impaired bone healing conditions in the maxillomandibular bone region as a complication of bisphosphonate intake. Although there are several hypotheses for the onset of MRONJ symptoms, one of the possible causes is the inhibition of bone turnover and blood supply leading to bone necrosis. The optimal treatment strategy for MRONJ has not been established either. BMP-2, a member of the TGF-β superfamily, is well known for regulating bone remodeling and homeostasis prenatally and postnatally. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to evaluate whether cyclophosphamide/zoledronate (CY/ZA) induces necrosis of the bone surrounding the tooth extraction socket, and to examine the therapeutic potential of BMP-2 in combination with the hard osteoinductive biomaterial, β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP), in the prevention and treatment of alveolar bone loss around the tooth extraction socket in MRONJ-like mice models. First, CY/ZA was intraperitoneally administered for three weeks, and alveolar bone necrosis was evaluated before and after tooth extraction. Next, the effect of BMP-2/β-TCP was investigated in both MRONJ-like prevention and treatment models. In the prevention model, CY/ZA was continuously administered for four weeks after BMP-2/β-TCP transplantation. In the treatment model, CY/ZA administration was suspended after transplantation of BMP-2/β-TCP. The results showed that CY/ZA induced a significant decrease in the number of empty lacunae, a sign of bone necrosis, in the alveolar bone around the tooth extraction socket after tooth extraction. Histological analysis showed a significant decrease in the necrotic alveolar bone around tooth extraction sockets in the BMP-2/β-TCP transplantation group compared to the non-transplanted control group in both MRONJ-like prevention and treatment models. However, bone mineral density, determined by micro-CT analysis, was significantly higher in the BMP-2/β-TCP transplanted group than in the control group in the prevention model only. These results clarified that alveolar bone necrosis around tooth extraction sockets can be induced after surgical intervention under CY/ZA administration. In addition, transplantation of BMP-2/β-TCP reduced the necrotic alveolar bone around the tooth extraction socket. Therefore, a combination of BMP-2/β-TCP could be an alternative approach for both prevention and treatment of MRONJ-like symptoms.     

潜山内幕油藏裂缝发育段井眼信息响应特征研究

裂缝发育段是潜山内幕油藏主要储集空间。辽河油田在兴隆台潜山内幕油藏勘探开发实践中,注重挖掘裂缝发育段的井眼信息响应特征以及各种信息间的匹配关系,认识到裂缝发育段在钻井过程中钻井液易漏失,录井显示级别高、气测异常明显、地球化学录井与轻烃录井含油指标突出,测井信息特征明显,且不同信息之间表现出较好的耦合关系,大大提高了裂缝发育段识别的准确性。为投产选择射孔层段、储量计算中有效厚度的合理划分、潜山内幕油藏立体开发模式的建立提供了可靠的地质基础。有效指导了辽河油田潜山内幕油藏的勘探开发工作,实现了兴隆台潜山亿吨级规模储量的快速探明和百万吨年产能力快速建成,以及油藏的有效开发、高效开发。     

Fabrication of nanodot plasmonic waveguide structures using FIB milling and electron beam‐induced deposition

Fabrication of metallic Au nanopillars and linear arrays of Au‐containing nanodots for plasmonic waveguides is reported in this article by two different processes—focused ion beam (FIB) milling of deposited thin films and electron beam‐induced deposition (EBID) of metallic nanostructures from an organometallic precursor gas. Finite difference time domain (FDTD) modeling of electromagnetic fields around metallic nanostructures was used to predict the optimal size and spacing between nanostructures useful for plasmonic waveguides. Subsequently, a multi‐step FIB fabrication method was developed for production of metallic nanorods and nanopillars of the size and geometry suggested by the results of the FDTD simulations. Nanostructure fabrication was carried out on planar substrates including Au‐coated glass, quartz, and mica slides as well as cleaved 4‐mode optical fibers. In the second fabrication process, EBID was utilized for the development of similar nanostructures on planar Indium Tin Oxide and Titanium‐coated glass substrates. Each method allows formation of nanostructures such that the plasmon resonances associated with the nanostructures could be engineered and precisely controlled by controlling the nanostructure size and shape. Linear arrays of low aspect ratio nanodot structures ranging in diameter between 50–70 nm were fabricated using EBID. Preliminary dark field optical microscopy demonstrates differences in the plasmonic response of the fabricated structures. SCANNING 31: 139–146, 2009. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Simultaneous measurement of temperature and pressure by a single fiber Bragg grating with a broadened reflection spectrum

Simultaneous measurement of temperature and pressure with a single fiber Bragg grating (FBG) based on a broadened reflection spectrum is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. A novel double-hole structure of a cantilever beam is designed, and a FBG is affixed on the nonuniform strain area of the cantilever beam. The Bragg reflection bandwidth is sensitive to the spatially gradient strain but is free from the spatially uniform temperature. The wavelength peak shift and the bandwidth broadening of the FBG with a change of temperature and pressure allow for simultaneous discrimination between the temperature and the pressure effects. Standard deviation errors of 1.4 degrees C and 1.8 kPa were obtained with temperature and pressure ranges of 20 degrees C-100 degrees C and 0-80 kPa, respectively. This novel and low-cost sensor approach has considerable potential applications for temperature-insensitive strain measurement.     

Analysis of stresses during the freezing of solid spherical foods

An analytical model is presented to calculate thermal stresses and strains during the freezing of a spherical food, taking into account both the expansion during phase change and subsequent thermal contraction due to temperature decrease. The Young modulus and Poisson ratio are assumed to undergo a step change at the freezing point. The expansion due to phase change cause a uniform and virtually constant isotropic tensile stress in the unfrozen core. In the frozen shell, this expansion gives rise to tensile radial stress and compressive tangential stress. The thermal contraction subsequent to phase change causes reverse effects, i.e. uniform compressive stress in the unfrozen core and compressive radial stress in the frozen shell, while tangential stress is tensile on the outside and compressive on the inside of the frozen shell. The effect of thermal contraction is noticeable only at cryogenic temperatures.