Analysis of counter-current gas–water capillary imbibition transfer at different temperatures

Gas water counter-current matrix–fracture interaction due to capillary forces was studied. The focus was on the rate of capillary imbibition and the development of residual gas phase under low (20 °C) and high temperatures (90 °C). Berea sandstone and Indiana limestone samples with different shape factors were obtained by cutting the plugs 1, 2.5, and 5 cm in diameter and 2.5, 5, and 10 cm in length. All sides were coated with epoxy except one end. Static imbibition experiments were conducted on vertically and horizontally situated samples where the matrix–fracture interaction took place upward and lateral directions, respectively. The effects of the matrix shape factor, wettability, surface tension, and core position on the recovery rate and ultimate recovery were investigated.The experimental scheme followed was useful in identification of the development of residual gas saturation for fully counter-current matrix–fracture interaction. We investigated and clarified to what degrees the rock/fluid properties (wettability and matrix shape factor) and existing conditions (temperature, causing lowered IFT and brine viscosity, and gravity) become effective on the residual gas saturation. It was observed that the residual gas saturation is sensitive to the matrix shape factor. The effect of surface tension on the recovery rate and ultimate recovery was also critical. The vertical cases yielded different recovery rates and ultimate recoveries with increasing temperature. Lower residual gas saturation with increasing temperature was obtained only for large diameters. That was attributed to the reduction in surface tension.Finally, critical matrix and fluid properties were correlated to the residual gas saturation and different dimensionless groups were tested for scaling.     

Thermal expansion of self-consolidating normal and lightweight aggregate concrete at elevated temperature

In this study, the effects of aggregate type on the coefficient of thermal expansion of self-consolidating concrete produced with normal (SCC) and lightweight aggregate (SCLC) at elevated temperature were investigated. In experiments, two aggregate types, crushed limestone and pumice, were used. Different combinations of water/powder ratio and superplasticizer dosage levels were prepared for the SCC and SCLC mixtures. The total powder content (cement and mineral additives) was constant in the experiments. Thermal test was performed to accurately characterize the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of SCC and SCLC aged 28 days using the dilatometer. The CTEs of SCC and SCLC were defined by measuring the linear change in length of concrete specimens subjected to a range of temperatures. Test temperatures were varied from 20 to 1000 °C at a heating rate of 5 °C/min. The results, in general, showed that SCC has higher CTE than normal weight concrete and that lightweight aggregate reduced the CTE of SCC due to their porous structure. The aggregate type has significant influence on the thermal expansion of SCC.     

Enhanced-discretization Selective Stabilization Procedure (EDSSP)

The enhanced-discretization selective stabilization procedure (EDSSP) provides a multiscale framework for applying numerical stabilization selectively at different scales. The EDSSP is based on the enhanced-discretization, multiscale function space concept underlying the enhanced- discretization successive update method (EDSUM). The EDSUM is a multi-level iteration method designed for computation of the flow behavior at small scales. It has a built-in mechanism for transferring flow information between the large and small scales in a fashion consistent with the discretizations resulting from the underlying stabilized formulations. This is accomplished without assuming that the small-scale trial or test functions vanish at the borders between the neighboring large-scale elements of the enhanced-discretization zones. This facilitates unrestricted movement of small-scale flow patterns from one large-scale element to another without any constraints at the border between the two elements. The enhanced-discretization concept underlying the EDSUM can also facilitate using different stabilizations for equations or unknowns corresponding to different scales. In this paper we propose a version of the EDSSP where the SUPG and PSPG stabilizations are used for unknowns corresponding to both the large and small scales but the discontinuity-capturing stabilizations are used for unknowns corresponding to only the small scales. We also propose a version where a linear discontinuity-capturing is used for the small-scale unknowns and a nonlinear discontinuity-capturing is used for the large-scale unknowns. We evaluate the performances of these versions of the EDSSP with test problems governed by the advection–diffusion equations.     

Effect of Welding Parameters on Tensile Properties and Fatigue Behavior of Friction Stir Welded 2014-T6 Aluminum Alloy

The present work describes the effect of welding parameters on the tensile properties and fatigue behaviour of 2014-T6 aluminum alloy joints produced by friction stir welding (FSW). Characterization of the samples has been carried out by means of microstructure, microhardness, tensile properties and fatigue behaviors. The hardness in the softened weld region decreases with decreasing the welding speed. Irrespective of the tool rotation speeds, the best tensile and fatigue properties were obtained in the joints with the welding speed of 80 mm/min. The joint welded with a rotating speed of 1520 rpm at 80 mm/min has given a highest tensile and fatigue properties. The fatigue behaviors of the joints are almost consistent with the tensile properties, especially elongations. Higher ductility in FSW joints made the material less sensitive to fatigue. The location of tensile fractures of the joints is dependent on the welding parameters. On the other hand, the fatigue fracture locations change depending on the welding parameters and stress range. In addition, a considerable correlation could not be established in between heat indexes and mechanical properties of FSW 2014-T6 joints under the investigated welding parameters.     

Computation of Inviscid Supersonic Flows Around Cylinders and Spheres with the SUPG Formulation and YZβ Shock-Capturing

Numerical experiments with inviscid supersonic flows around cylinders and spheres are carried out to evaluate the stabilization and shock-capturing parameters introduced recently for the Streamline–Upwind/Petrov–Galerkin (SUPG) formulation of compressible flows based on conservation variables. The tests with the cylinders are carried out for both structured and unstructured meshes. The new shock-capturing parameters, which we call “YZβ Shock-Capturing”, are compared to earlier SUPG parameters derived based on the entropy variables. In addition to being much simpler, the new shock-capturing parameters yield better shock quality in the test computations, with more substantial improvements seen for unstructured meshes with triangular and tetrahedral elements. Furthermore, the results obtained with YZβ Shock-Capturing compare very favorably to those obtained with the well established OVERFLOW code     

Compressible Flow SUPG Stabilization Parameters Computed from Degree-of-freedom Submatrices

We present, for the SUPG formulation of inviscid compressible flows, stabilization parameters defined based on the degree-of-freedom submatrices of the element-level matrices. With 2D steady-state test problems involving supersonic flows and shocks, we compare these stabilization parameters with the ones defined based on the full element-level matrices. We also compare them to the stabilization parameters introduced in the earlier development stages of the SUPG formulation of compressible flows. In all cases the formulation includes a shock-capturing term involving a shock-capturing parameter. We investigate the difference between updating the stabilization and shock-capturing parameters at the end of every time step and at the end of every nonlinear iteration within a time step. The formulation includes, as an option, an algorithmic feature that is based on freezing the shock-capturing parameter at its current value when a convergence stagnation is detected.     

Computation of flow problems with the Mixed Interface-Tracking/Interface-Capturing Technique (MITICT)

In computation of flow problems with fluid-solid interfaces, an interface-tracking technique, where the fluid mesh moves to track the interface, would allow us to have full control of the resolution of the fluid mesh in the boundary layers. With an interface-capturing technique (or an interface locator technique in the more general case), on the other hand, independent of how accurately the interface geometry is represented, the resolution of the fluid mesh in the boundary layer will be limited by the resolution of the fluid mesh at the interface. In computation of flow problems with fluid-fluid interfaces where the interface is too complex or unsteady to track while keeping the remeshing frequency under control, interface-capturing techniques, with enhanced-discretization as needed, could be used as more flexible alternatives. Sometimes we may need to solve flow problems with both fluid-solid interfaces and complex or unsteady fluid-fluid interfaces. The Mixed Interface-Tracking/Interface-Capturing Technique (MITICT) was introduced for computation of flow problems that involve both interfaces that can be accurately tracked with a moving mesh method and interfaces that are too complex or unsteady to be tracked and therefore require an interface-capturing technique. As the interface-tracking technique, we use the Deforming-Spatial-Domain/Stabilized Space-Time (DSD/SST) formulation. The interface-capturing technique rides on this, and is based on solving over a moving mesh, in addition to the Navier-Stokes equations, the advection equation governing the time-evolution of the interface function. For the computations reported in this paper, as interface-capturing technique we are using one of the versions of the Edge-Tracked Interface Locator Technique (ETILT).     

Solution‐processed Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 absorber yielding a 15.2% efficient solar cell

The remarkable potential for inexpensive upscale of solution processing technologies is expected to enable chalcogenide‐based photovoltaic systems to become more widely adopted to meet worldwide energy needs. Here, we report a thin‐film solar cell with solution‐processed Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)₂ (CIGS) absorber. The power conversion efficiency of 15.2% is the highest published value for a pure solution deposition technique for any photovoltaic absorber material and is on par with the best nonvacuum‐processed CIGS devices. We compare the performance of our cell with a world champion vacuum‐deposited CIGS cell and perform detailed characterization, such as biased quantum efficiency, temperature‐dependent electrical measurement, time‐resolved photoluminescence, and capacitance spectroscopy. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Exergetic Analysis of Textile Convective Drying with Stenters by Subsystem Models: Part 2—Parametric Study on Exergy Analysis

In this study, the effects of exhaust air humidity ratio, the residual moisture content of fabric outlet, and the temperature of the drying air on the exergy destruction and efficiency of stenters were investigated. The exergy efficiencies of the direct gas heated stenter (DGHS) and hot oil heated stenter (HOHS) were calculated to be varying from 8.5 to 17.5% and from 6.8 to 14.0%, depending on the exhaust air humidity ratio, respectively. The increase in the drying air temperature led to an increase in the exergy efficiency, especially in the constant rate and second rate period of the drying. On the other hand, the application of the gradual temperature method caused the highest total exergy efficiency due to the highest drying rates in the first chambers where considerably high air temperatures were set. Overdrying resulted in the higher irreversibility due to the increase in the fuel consumption in the falling rate period of drying. Thus, the exergy efficiency decreased drastically.