Near-wall porosity characteristics of fixed beds packed with wood chips

Packed beds of fuel wood chips are commonly found in thermal conversion processes such as combustion or gasification. Wood chips in particular are mostly used as fuel for small-scale domestic heating boilers but also for commercial-scale combustion units. The characterization of spatial voidage distribution inside the wood chip beds is of great importance for flow and reactor modelling. This study focuses on the radial porosity variations of cylindrical beds of three different types of commercially available wood chips including chips classified as G30 size class. The conventional technique of consolidating packed beds with a resin was chosen as the experimental procedure. The radial voidage distribution in different cylindrical beds is determined by image analysis of sections of the solidified packings. Additionally, a packing of monosized spheres was investigated in order to assess the selected procedure in comparison with widely available literature data for spheres. The results are discussed and summarized in a mathematical expression correlating the radial voidage distribution depending on average wood chip size, packing core porosity and dimensionless distance from the tube wall.     

A novel direct aerodynamically assisted threading methodology for generating biologically viable microthreads encapsulating living primary cells

In a recent discovery, coaxial electrospinning was explored to encapsulate living organisms within a continuous bio‐polymeric microthread from which active biological scaffolds were fabricated (Townsend‐Nicholson and Jayasinghe, Biomacromolecules 2006, 7, 3364). The cells were demonstrated to have gone through all expected cellular activity without their viability being compromised. These biologically active threads and scaffolds have direct and tremendous applicability from regenerative to therapeutic medicine. Currently these post‐processed cells as composite threads and scaffolds are being investigated in‐depth at a cellular level to establish if the processing methodology has any affect on the cellular make‐up. We now demonstrate a competing non‐electric field driven approach for fabricating composite threads and scaffolds influenced only by a differential pressure. We refer to this novel composite thread to scaffold fabrication methodology as coaxial aerodynamically assisted bio‐threading (CAABT). Our investigations firstly, demonstrate that this technique can process handle living organisms without biologically perturbing them in anyway. Secondly the process is elucidated as possessing the ability to form composite active threads from which biologically viable scaffolds are formed. Finally our study employs florescent activated cell sorting (FACScan), a method by which the cellular dynamics and viability are quantified on control and threaded cellular samples at two prescribed time points. In parallel with FACScan, optical comparison of cellular morphology at three time points within a period of three weeks is carried out to photographically observe any changes in the post‐processed cellular phenotype. Our developmental investigations into this novel aerodynamically assisted threading methodology has unearthed a unique biomicrofabrication approach, which joins cell electrospinning in the cell threading to scaffold fabrication endeavor. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

FEM model of the ohmic resistance of IP-SOFCs

In the present work, the ohmic resistance of an integrated planar-SOFC (IP-SOFC) has been evaluated by developing a model whose equations have been solved numerically through an FEM method. The model allows to estimate the distribution of voltage and current density in the cell. A comparison between simulated and experimental data of area specific resistance is reported, which shows satisfactory agreement. The mathematical model has also been used to carry out some parametric studies for optimisation purposes. Indeed, a reduction in cell pitch length and an increase in electrode thickness are predicted to lead to a reduction in ohmic losses in IP-SOFCs.     

Finite element simulation of the mechanics of flat contact pad fretting fatigue tests

An understanding into the macro kinetic and kinematic behaviour of fretted surfaces is provided. Making use of a modified version of a previously developed in‐house two‐dimensional elastic–plastic finite element analysis numerically simulates flat contact pad fretting fatigue tests. Basic macro mechanics concepts are adopted to idealise two bodies with rough contact surfaces and loaded at two different sites with arbitrary axial loading profiles. A time scale factor is devised to recognise the earliest candidate out of the events possibly accommodated at each loading increment. The present analysis utilises a relevant experimental set up developed in the Structural Integrity Research Institute of the University of Sheffield as an application. Computational results accurate to within 1.2% and corresponding to one contact pad span and six constant normal loads acting individually with four amplitudes of two sinusoidal axial load cycles are presented. The present computations include (1) the development of the global and local normal and tangential reactions and relative sliding displacement acting along the fretting surfaces and (2) contact pad deformation, generated stress fields and plasticity development within the neighbouring region of the fretted area.     

Electron spectroscopies and their use for materials characterization

We present here a general overview of electron spectroscopies from a practical point of view. The most frequently used ones are described and the type of structural information they can provide on materials is explained in relation to the physical processes on which they are based. Furthermore, we explore critically and in detail various tools that have been developed to allow a systematic solving of structures by these spectroscopies.     

Characterisation of inter-particle forces within agglomerated metallurgical powders

The strength of agglomerates of nickel flash furnace concentrate and dust was determined from experimental observations of agglomerates forming under controlled conditions, combined with mathematical equations from the literature. It was found that the agglomerates had a tensile strength ranging from 0.01 Pa to 38.7 Pa, while inter-particle forces ranged from 2.2 × 10^− 12 N to 1.5 × 10^− 10 N. These values were compared to the expected magnitude of van der Waals, electrostatic, magnetic and capillary forces within the agglomerates, and it was found that both electrostatic and van der Waals forces are likely to contribute to the cohesion of agglomerates, although sub-micron particles and the presence of sufficiently large asperities on the surface of particles limit the magnitude of van der Waals forces. Magnetic forces are large enough to contribute to the cohesion of dust agglomerates, which is in keeping with the high magnetite content of the recycle dust. It is postulated that electrostatic forces, acting over a longer range than van der Waals forces, may be responsible for initially bringing particles together. The methodology for determining inter-particle forces can be applied to the computer modelling of flash smelting systems, as well as other gas/particle systems such as fluidized beds.     

Studies of substrate specificities of lipases from different sources

Although lipases are widely applied in a wide variety of reactions, available information on the factors that are responsible for the substrate specificities of lipases from different sources is scarce. In this paper, nine lipase‐producing microorganism strains were isolated from oil‐containing samples. The properties of these enzymes, including pH optima, temperature optima, thermal stability, and pH stability, vary significantly with the different sources from which these lipases were isolated. The substrate specificities of the nine lipases, including fatty acid and positional specificities, were also studied. The fatty acid specificities of the nine lipases were observably different toward 15 substrates with different carbon chain lengths, different saturation degrees and different side chains. The lipases from S₃ Penicillium citrinum (PCL), MJ₁ Aspergillus niger (ANL), MJ₂ Aspergillus oryzae (AOL), YM Bacillus coughing (BCL), S₉ Geotrichum candidum (GCL), and S₁₁ Candida lypolytica (CLL) showed the strongest specificities to short‐chain esters, and the other lipases showed strong selectivity for medium‐ or long‐chain and branched esters. The positional specificities were examined by analyzing the hydrolytic products of triolein catalyzed by the nine lipases, using TLC. The lipases can be mainly classified into two groups by their specificities for the ester bond at position 2 of triglycerides; one group can selectively hydrolyze the ester bond at position 2 of the triglycerides, the other group cannot. All these nine lipases were divided into four groups by hierarchical clustering analysis on the basis of the results of fatty acid and positional specificities.     

Flammability ranking of foliage species by factor analysis of physical and chemical pyric properties

In this paper, factor analysis is introduced to evaluate the flammability of 55 foliage species that may be used in China for construction of the fuel break network of forest strips with lower flammability. Six pyric parameters, i.e. air dry moisture content, absolute dry moisture content, ignition point, ash content, caloric value and extractive content, are measured and used as variables for factor analysis. The covariance analysis shows that four principal factors can be extracted to reflect the flammability in different physical and chemical senses. In terms of the contributions of the four factors to the variances and the physical significance of the relevant parameters, the four factors are, respectively, termed as ‘flaming factor,’ ‘air dry factor,’ ‘ash factor’ and ‘absolute dry factor.’ The stability of the factor analysis method is examined by a different number of samples considered, and the variation degrees of the orderings indicate that the method has high reliability to measure the total flammability of foliage species. The results of the flammability evaluation are verified by comparison with the recommended tree species in the Chinese technology standard. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Direct synthesis and catalytic performance of ultralarge pore GaSBA-15 mesoporous molecular sieves with high gallium content

Mesoporous GaSBA-15 molecular sieves with different n_Si/n_Ga ratios have been directly synthesized using Pluronic 123 triblock polymer as a structure-directing agent by pH-adjusting method. The mesoporous materials have been characterized using ICP-AES, XRD, N₂ adsorption, ⁷¹Ga-MAS NMR, SEM and TEM. ICP-AES studies show a high amount of gallium incorporation on the silica pore walls. The structural and textural properties of calcined GaSBA-15 are characterized by XRD and N₂ adsorption. ⁷¹Ga MAS NMR results demonstrate that a high amount of tetrahedral-gallium could be substituted for Si in the framework of SBA-15. TEM and FE-SEM images show the uniform pore diameter and rope-like hexagonal mesoporous structure of GaSBA-15. These GaSBA-15 materials have been used as catalysts for vapour-phase t-butylation of 1,2-dihydroxybenzene (DHB) for selective synthesis of 4-t-butylcatechol (4-TBC) under different reaction conditions. GaSBA-15(10) gave the highest 93.2% conversion of DHB and 95.7% selectivity of 4-TBC as compared with other GaSBA-15 catalysts.