A new curvature technique calculation for surface tension contribution in PLIC-VOF method

The volume of fluid (VOF) methods have been used for numerous numerical simulations. Among these techniques used to define the moving interface, the piecewise linear interface reconstruction (PLIC-VOF) is one of the most accurate. A study of the superficial tension impact on two-phase flow with free surface is presented. A new method based on direct staggered grid is developped to include surface tension in PLIC-VOF. The new numerical curvature calculation method doesn't need smoothed colour function and leads to less “spurious current”. This technique is applied to the calculus of surface tension force in the case of the rise of air bubble in viscous liquid and the fall of liquid drop in the same liquid on free surface. Droplets, thin layer and capillarity waves are observed after the free surface rupture for different Bond number. The influence of surface tension calculus is then obvioused and when the drop hit the free surface, wavelets propagate toward the virtual boundaries imposed.     

Tearing, folding and deformation of a carbon-carbon sp-bonded network

A monolayer and a few layers of carbon sp²-bonded networks were torn and folded by the tip of an atomic force microscope at the steps on newly cleaved highly oriented pyrolytic graphite. It was found that the preferential breaking directions and folding axes are along the symmetry directions of the graphite hexagonal structure. Depending on the force exerted by the tip, breaking may occur along other directions. The torn part of the graphene sheet can even be stretched and deformed, and does not resume its original shape after release from the tip.     

Optical scattering in beef steak to predict tenderness using hyperspectral imaging in the VIS-NIR region

The objective of this research is to develop a non-destructive method for predicting cooked beef tenderness using optical scattering of light on fresh beef muscle tissue. A hyperspectral imaging system (λ = 496–1,036 nm) that consists of a CCD camera and an imaging spectrograph, was used to acquire beef steak images. The hyperspectral image consisted of 120 bands with spectral intervals of 4.54 nm. Sixty-one fresh beef steaks, including 44 strip loin and 17 tenderloin cuts, were collected. After imaging, the steaks were cooked and Warner-Bratzler shear (WBS) force values were collected as tenderness references. The optical scattering profiles were derived from the hyperspectral images and fitted to the modified Lorentzian function. Parameters, such as the peak height, full scattering width at half maximum (FWHM), and the slope around the FWHM were determined at each wavelength. Stepwise regression was used to identify 7 key wavelengths and parameters. The parameters were then used to predict the WBS scores. The model was able to predict WBS scores with an R = 0.67. Optical scattering implemented with hyperspectral imaging shows limited success for predicting current status of tenderness in beef steak.     

Interconnected power systems with superconducting magnetic energy storage

The objective of this work is to discuss the concept of back‐to‐back interconnection systems with energy storage, especially with a Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (SMES) incorporated into a back‐to‐back DC link. In this case, each converter of the back‐to‐back system is used as a power conditioning system for the SMES coils. Since the AC–DC converter can be designed independently of the frequency of the power system, a two‐way switch is connected to the AC side of each converter. This two‐way switch can select the interconnected power systems. By using the two‐way switches, this system can provide the stored energy in the SMES system to each interconnected power system through two AC–DC converters. For instance, lower‐cost power of each power network can be stored through two converters during the off‐peak hours and made available for dispatch to each power network during periods of demand peak. Then this system increases the reliability of electric power networks and enables the economical operations depending on the power demand. This paper describes the unique operations of the back‐to‐back interconnection with SMES and discuses the optimal SMES configuration for a 300‐MW‐class back‐to‐back interconnection. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 164(2): 37–43, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20482     

A physically based method for triangulated surface flattening

This paper introduces a new method of generating 2D flat patterns from a 3D triangulated surface by opening the bending configuration of each winged triangle pair. The flattening can be divided into four steps. First, a 3D triangulated surface is modeled with a mass-spring system that simulates the surface deformation during the flattening. Second, an unwrapping force field is built to drive the mass-spring system to a developable configuration through the numerical integration. Third, a velocity redistribution procedure is initiated to average velocity variances among the particles. Finally, the mass-spring system is forced to collide with a plane, and the final 2D pattern is generated after all the winged triangle pairs are spread onto the colliding plane. To retain the size and area of the original 3D surface, a strain control mechanism is introduced to keep the springs from over-elongation or over-shrinkage at each time step.     

Matrix mediated alignment of single wall carbon nanotubes in polymer composite films

Alignment of single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) in liquid crystalline (LC) polymer matrix imparting orientation to the nanotubes along the nematic director was studied by atomic force microscopy, measurements of electrical conductivity and Raman spectroscopy of the composite in the directions parallel and perpendicular to the nematic director. The composites were prepared through dispersion of SWNT with LC monomer in a common solvent, their alignment in nematic monomer and consequent UV polymerization of the monomer. The anisotropy of electrical and optical properties of the system depends strongly on the concentration of the nanotubes in the range of 1-10% SWNT being especially strong for smaller concentrations and negligible at higher loads. A simple semi-quantitative model is suggested to account for the orientational behavior of nanotubes in nematic matrices. It successfully describes the observed anisotropy of physical properties at microscale (up to 200 μm) in terms of anchoring of the polymer chains to the nanotubes surface and adjustment of the nanotubes orientation to the nematic direction due to such coupling. The increasing disorientation of the nematic domains at higher nanotubes loads is explained as a development of larger number of LC defects induced by the nanotubes in the nematic matrix due to their intrinsic nature of aggregation. The anisotropy of physical properties at macro scale (several millimeters) is much smaller and less dependable on SWNT concentration because differently oriented LC domains effectively wash out the anisotropy.     

Hydrodynamic force between two hard spheres tangentially translating in a power-law fluid

The hydrodynamic interaction between two hard spheres tangentially translating in a power-law fluid is investigated. By considering the gap between the two spheres being sufficiently small such that the Reynolds’ lubrication theory applies, an analytical equation to the pressure in the gap is obtained using truncated Fourier series. To a good approximation, the pressure equation can be further simplified. The simplified approximate equation over-predicts the pressure for shear thickening fluid (n>1) but under-predicts the pressure for shear-thinning fluid (n<1). However, the errors in the predicted tangential force and moment are relatively small. In particular, for a Newtonian fluid, the accurate solution and the simplified approximate solution degenerate to the asymptotic solution of Goldman et al. [1967. Slow viscous motion of a sphere parallel to a plane wall-motion through a quiescent fluid. Chemical Engineering Science 22, 637-651.] and O’Neill and Stewartson [1967. On the slow motion of a sphere parallel to a nearby plane wall. Journal of Fluid Mechanics 27, 705-724.]. Both solutions predict that for shear thickening fluid (n>1), the hydrodynamic force converged in the inner region of the gap between the two spheres and the contribution from the outer region is sufficiently small. For shear thinning fluid (n<1), the contribution from the outer region is also significant.     

Organic‐acid‐catalyzed sol–gel route for preparing poly(methyl methacrylate)–silica hybrid materials

In this study, a series of organic–inorganic hybrid sol–gel materials consisting of a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) matrix and dispersed silica (SiO₂) particles were successfully prepared through an organic‐acid‐catalyzed sol–gel route with N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone as the mixing solvent. The as‐synthesized PMMA–SiO₂ nanocomposites were subsequently characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The solid phase of organic camphor sulfonic acid was employed to catalyze the hydrolysis and condensation (i.e., sol–gel reactions) of tetraethyl orthosilicate in the PMMA matrix. The formation of the hybrid membranes was beneficial for the physical properties at low SiO₂ loadings, especially for enhanced mechanical strength and gas barrier properties, in comparison with the neat PMMA. The effects of material composition on the thermal stability, thermal conductivity, mechanical strength, molecular permeability, optical clarity, and surface morphology of the as‐prepared hybrid PMMA–SiO₂ nanocomposites in the form of membranes were investigated with thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis, gas permeability analysis, ultraviolet–visible transmission spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy, respectively. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Influence of the amount of ferromagnetic addition on the rheological properties of spinning solutions,the structure,the strength,and thermal properties of polyacrylonitrile fibres

The rheological properties of spinning solutions of polyacrylonitrile in dimethyl formamide (DMF) containing various amounts of a ferromagnetic nanoaddition were investigated. The porous structure, the strength and thermal properties of fibers obtained from these solutions were assessed, as well as the uniformity of the nanoaddition distribution on the fiber surface was estimated. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Measuring interdiffusion at an interface between two elastomers with tapping-mode and contact-resonance atomic force microscopy imaging

Despite the common use of tapping-mode atomic force microscopy to image composites or polymer blends, very few studies have focused on the measurement of the interdiffusion at an interface between two polymers in contact. In this study, we show how to assess the interphase between two polymers with two methods. First, stable and robust tapping conditions are established, and the problem of the phase contrast is discussed. Second, a contact-resonance method is presented: the tip in contact with the sample is electrostatically excited at its resonance frequency by a self-controlled oscillator. The gain and frequency images allow us to measure the interdiffusion width. Both methods (using high and weak mechanical solicitation) give the same assessment of the interdiffusion width. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008