A Numerical Research on Limits of the Dispersion Model

The axial dispersion in tubular reactors is frequently modeled by the dispersion model, which is an analytical solution under the assumption that the vessel dispersion number is sufficiently small. In this study, limits until which the analytical solution is valid are investigated by comparison with the numerical method. The results show that it is applied only if the vessel dispersion number is small enough and the entrance effect of the tracer is avoided. Therefore, an algorithm based on the numerical solution of the control equation of dispersion is proposed, which allows for higher vessel dispersion numbers.     

Effect of the chromium content on the corrosion of nickel based alloys in primary water of pressurised nuclear reactors

Abstract

Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) is a damaging mode of alloys used in pressurised water reactors. Those damages led to the replacement of Alloy 600 (15% Cr) by alloy 690 (30% Cr) but the mechanism responsible for the SCC and the reason for the positive effect of chromium are not yet very well understood. In this paper, we studied the corrosion of synthetic alloys – with controlled chromium content varying from 5 to 30 wt%. Characterisation was done using SEM and TEM observations together with chemical analysis and mapping using EDX, EFTEM and SIMS. The outer oxide scale is composed of crystallites, beneath it the presence of a continuous chromium oxide is accompanied with a Cr depleted zone for alloys that contain more than 10% Cr. The penetration of oxygen over very large distances (several microns) on triple junctions is demonstrated, as well as the role of plastic deformation that modifies strongly the overall structure of the oxide scale.     

New phospho-tellurite glasses with optimization of transition temperature and refractive index for hybrid microstructured optical fibers

The glass formation and compositional dependences of glass thermal properties and optical properties were investigated in TeO₂–ZnO–Na₂O–P₂O₅ system. The refractive index at 1.55 μm and glass transition temperature varied in a wide range from 1.513 to 2.036 and from 265 °C to 376 °C by controlling of the TeO₂/P₂O₅ and ZnO/Na₂O content, respectively. These properties enable phospho-tellurite glasses with large freedom in designing and fabrication of hybrid microstructured optical fiber. The structures of glasses were investigated by Raman spectra to understand their dependence of structure on composition. Using the present glasses, some hybrid microstructured optical fibers with various dispersion profiles were designed.     

Novel quasi-autothermal hydrogen production process in a fixed-bed using a chemical looping approach: A numerical study

This paper presents a novel quasi-autothermal hydrogen production process. The proposed layout couples a Chemical Looping Combustion (CLC) section and a Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) one. In CLC section, four packed-beds are operated using Ni as oxygen carrier and CH₄ as fuel to continuously produce a hot gaseous mixture of H₂O and CO₂. In SMR section, two fixed-beds filled with Ni-based catalyst convert CH₄ and H₂O into a H₂-rich syngas. Four heat exchangers were employed to recover residual heat content of all the exhaust gas currents. By means of a previously developed 1D numerical model, a dynamic simulation study was carried out to evaluate feasibility of the proposed system in terms of methane conversion (100% circa), hydrogen yield (about 0.65 mol_H2/mol_CH4) and selectivity (about 70%), and syngas ratio (about 2.3 mol_H2/mol_CO). Energetic and environmental analyses of the system performed with respect to conventional steam methane reforming, highlights an energy saving of about 98% and avoided CO₂ emission of about 99%.     

Thermochemical cycles over redox structured reactors

Structured bodies from redox materials are a key element for the implementation of thermochemical cycles on suitable reactors for the solar H₂O splitting. In the current work different configurations of nickel ferrite were investigated with respect to their performance in H₂O splitting: i) powder, ii) disk, iii) honeycomb flow-through monoliths. The structured bodies were prepared via pressing and extrusion techniques. The performance of the different structures was affected significantly by differences in the structural characteristics. Alternative approaches involving casting techniques for the structuring of nickel ferrite porous bodies were also investigated. This work constitutes a preliminary attempt towards tuning such characteristics to achieve enhanced and cycle-to-cycle stable production yields.     

Experimental study of oscillation behaviors in confined impinging jets reactor under excitation

Dynamic behaviors in a three‐dimensional confined impinging jets reactor (CIJR) under excitation were experimentally studied by a flow visualization technique at 75 ≤ Re ≤ 150. The effects of inlet Reynolds numbers (Re), excitation frequencies and excitation amplitudes on the oscillation behaviors in CIJR have been investigated by a particle image velocimetry (PIV) and a high‐speed camera. Results indicate that the excitation in the inflow of the opposed jets can induce periodic oscillation of the impingement plane along the axis, whose oscillation frequency is equal to the excitation frequency. At Re ≤ 100, the induced axial oscillation can further cause a deflective oscillation with a frequency nearly equal to the excitation, and the scale of the vortex in the impingement plane is well regulated by the excitation frequency. At Re = 150, the excitation of amplitude less than 20% has insignificant effect on the deflective oscillation existing in CIJR. A semiempirical formula has been proposed to predict the oscillation amplitude of the impingement plane in CIJR under excitation. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 61: 333–341, 2015     

Microfluidic Spinning of Cell‐Responsive Grooved Microfibers

Engineering living tissues that simulate their natural counterparts is a dynamic area of research. Among the various models of biological tissues being developed, fiber‐shaped cellular architectures, which can be used as artificial blood vessels or muscle fibers, have drawn particular attention. However, the fabrication of continuous microfiber substrates for culturing cells is still limited to a restricted number of polymers (e.g., alginate) having easy processability but poor cell–material interaction properties. Moreover, the typical smooth surface of a synthetic fiber does not replicate the micro‐ and nanofeatures observed in vivo, which guide and regulate cell behavior. In this study, a method to fabricate photocrosslinkable cell‐responsive methacrylamide‐modified gelatin (GelMA) fibers with exquisite microstructured surfaces by using a microfluidic device is developed. These hydrogel fibers with microgrooved surfaces efficiently promote cell encapsulation and adhesion. GelMA fibers significantly promote the viability of cells encapsulated in/or grown on the fibers compared with similar grooved alginate fibers used as controls. Importantly, the grooves engraved on the GelMA fibers induce cell alignment. Furthermore, the GelMA fibers exhibit excellent processability and could be wound into various shapes. These microstructured GelMA fibers have great potential as templates for the creation of fiber‐shaped tissues or tissue microstructures.     

臭氧氧化动力学模型及反应器建模研究进展

臭氧化技术可以实现对有机污染物的有效去除,同时兼具绿色环保、工艺流程简单等特点而被广泛应用,而臭氧化模型的构建可以实现对污染物减排的有效预测,对于臭氧化处理污水的工程应用意义重大。本文介绍了臭氧化技术的基本原理,并着重综述了臭氧氧化的动力学模型和反应器建模的研究进展。在臭氧氧化模型的建立中,臭氧的传质和反应是两个最重要的因素。本文首先讨论了臭氧的传质过程,并对其气液两相模型进行了阐述。然后针对忽略臭氧传质的液-液或液-固体系,并根据反应机理,分别总结了常规臭氧氧化、均相催化臭氧氧化和非均相催化臭氧氧化的动力学模型。在充分研究了臭氧氧化的动力学模型后,将其应用到具体反应器的建模中,并总结出模型建立的基本假设。最后指出现有模型存在的一些问题并给出相关的建议,提出臭氧化模型构建的出处是优化工业反应器,实现工程应用。     

微反应器结构对气液二相分布规律的影响

采用高速摄像仪对3种结构的微反应器内气液二相流型、流动分布及空隙率进行了研究。微反应器采用内置分布实现气液二相分布,3个内置分布器分布角度依次为60°,90°,120°。采用各支通道内气泡长度、气泡速度的相对偏差,相对标准偏差值体现气液二相分布的不均匀程度,考察了分布器结构对各支通道内空隙率的影响。结果表明:随内置分布器分布角度的增大,在实验范围内,各支通道气泡长度分布均匀程度减小,气泡运动速度分布均匀程度增大。各支通道空隙率变化与内置分布器分布角度及支通道与主通道的相对位置有关。