Functional properties of a protein product from Caryodendron orinocense (Barinas nut)

The functional properties of Caryodendron orinocense protein product were investigated and compared with those of soybean (Glycina maxima). The product protein content was 24.47 g/100 g (Nx6.25). Solubility increased at both sides of the isoelectric point (pH 4.0) and with increased NaCl concentration up to 0.5M. Compared with soybean flour (50% protein), the protein product exhibited higher water and oil absorption, but lower emulsifying activity, emulsion stability, foaming capacity, and foam stability, the last one increase at higher pH. Emulsifying activity, foaming capacity, and foam stability were ionic strength dependent. C. orinocense protein product increased its emulsifying activity steadily from 0.05M to 0.75M NaCl, while it remained almost constant for soybean flour. Foaming capacity increased drastically at pH 10. The minimum time and concentration to form a gel was 20% in 4 min and 10% in 8 min for the Caryodendron protein product and soybean flour, respectively. The bulk density was 0.5056+/-0.0041 g/mL.     

Study on the fluid/structure interaction at different inlet pressures in molded packaging

This paper presents the computational study of fluid/structure interaction (FSI) analysis in the molding process using the Mesh-based parallel Code Coupling Interface (MpCCI) method with finite volume coding (FLUENT 6.3) and finite element coding (ABAQUS 6.9). The FSI analysis is implemented on the molded package during the encapsulation process with different inlet pressures. Real-time flow visualization, deformation and stress of the silicon die during the encapsulation process are presented in this paper. A fluctuation phenomenon of the silicon die is found in the encapsulation process when the inlet pressure increases. The maximum deformation during the process is determined at different locations on the silicon die, calculated during the final stage of the filling process. The deformation and stress of the die is exponentially increased with increasing inlet pressure. The maximum stress on the solder bump is concentrated near to the inlet gate. Thus, the present FSI analysis approach is expected to be a guideline or reference and provides better understanding of the encapsulation process for package design in the microelectronic industry.     

Formation of silicon nanocrystals in SiN<Subscript><Emphasis Type=Italic>x</Emphasis></Subscript> film on PET substrates using femtosecond laser pulses

The formation of Si nanoclusters under the action of femtosecond laser pulses in a SiN _x film containing excess silicon has been studied. The initial film was grown by plasmachemical deposition at 100°C on a PET substrate. The pulsed crystallization was effected by a Ti-sapphire laser operating at a wavelength of 800 nm and a pulse duration of about 50 fs. According to the Raman spectroscopy data, the pulsed laser annealing stimulated the accumulation of excess silicon in nanoclusters and their crystallization. The proposed approach can be used for the formation of semiconductor nanocrystals in dielectric films on various plastic (polymer) substrates.     

Recent fluid–structure interaction modeling challenges in IC encapsulation – A review

The rapid development of computing software has facilitated multifarious research in integrated circuit (IC) packaging. Complicated and complex processes can be visualized via simulation modeling with this software. The applications of aided software enhance the fundamental physicochemical understanding and visualization of the IC encapsulation process. In this article, fluid–structure interaction (FSI) during IC encapsulation through computer-aided simulation is reviewed based on the amount of substantial work conducted from the past decades to the present. FSI phenomena in various IC encapsulations, such as wire sweep, paddle shift, lead frame deformation, IC chip, and through-silicon via (TSV) deformation, is considered in the review. The significance and challenges of FSI analysis are also highlighted in this article.     

Finite volume based CFD simulation of pressurized flip-chip underfill encapsulation process

This paper presents the simulation of pressurized underfill encapsulation process for high I/O flip chip package. 3D model of flip chip packages is built using GAMBIT and simulated using FLUENT software. Injection methods such as central point, one line, L-type and U-type are studied. Cross-viscosity model and volume of fluid (VOF) technique are applied for melt front tracking of the encapsulant. The melt front profiles and pressure field for all injection types are analyzed and presented. The pressure distribution within the flip-chip, fill volume versus filling time and viscosity versus shear rate are also plotted. The U-type injection is found to be faster in filling. The numerical results are compared with the previous experimental results and found in good conformity. The strength of CFD software in handling underfill encapsulation problems is proved to be excellent.     

Investigation of the fluid/structure interaction phenomenon in IC packaging

In the present study, experiment and simulation studies were conducted on the fluid/structure interaction (FSI) analysis of integrated circuit (IC) packaging. The visualisation of FSI phenomenon in the actual package is difficult due to limitations of package size, available equipment, and the high cost of the experimental setup. However, the experimental data are necessary to validate the simulation results in the FSI analysis of IC packaging. Scaled-up package size was fabricated to emulate the encapsulation of IC packaging and to study the effects of FSI phenomenon in the moulded package. The interaction between the fluid and the structure was observed. The deformation of the imitated chip was studied experimentally. The air-trap mechanism that occurred during the experiment is also presented in this paper. Simulation technique was utilised to validate the experimental result and to describe the physics of FSI. The predicted flow front was validated well by the experiment. Hence, the virtual modelling technique was proven to be excellent in handling this problem. The study also extends FSI modelling in actual-size packaging.     

Fuel size effect on pinewood combustion in a packed bed

In this paper, particle size effect on pinewood combustion in a stationary packed bed was investigated. Mass loss rate, temperature profile at different bed locations and gas compositions in the out-of-bed flue gases were measured at a fixed primary air flow rate. Pinewood cubes was fired with size ranging from 5 to 35 mm. A unique numerical model applicable to thermally thick particles was proposed and relevant equations were solved to simulate the non-homogeneous characteristics of the burning process. It is found that at the operating conditions of the current study, smaller particles are quicker to ignite than larger particles and have distinctive combustion stages; burning rate is also higher with smaller fuel size; and smaller fuels have a thinner reaction zone and result in both higher CO and CH₄ concentrations in the out-of-bed flue gases; on the other hand, larger particles produced a higher flame temperature and result in higher H₂ concentration in the flue gases. Larger particles also cause the combustion process becoming more transient where the burning rate varies for most part of the combustion process.     

Reliability and accuracy of measured overpotential in a three-electrode fuel cell system

Numerical simulation was conducted to study the potential and current density distributions at the active electrode surface of a solid oxide fuel cell. The effects of electrode deviation, electrolyte thickness and electrode polarization resistance on the measurement error were investigated. For a coaxial anode/electrolyte/cathode system where the radius of the anode is greater than that of cathode, the cathode overpotential is overestimated while the anode overpotential is underestimated. Although the current interruption method or impedance spectroscopy can be employed to compensate/correct the error for a symmetric electrode configuration, it is not useful when dealing with the asymmetric electrode system. For the purpose of characterizing the respective overpotentials in a fuel cell, the cell configuration has to be carefully designed to minimize the measurement error, in particular the selection of the electrolyte thickness, which may cause significant error. For the anode-support single fuel cell, it is difficult to distinguish the polarization between the anode and cathode with reference to a reference electrode. However, numerical results can offer an approximate idea about the source/cause of the measurement error and provide design criteria for the fuel cell to improve the reliability and accuracy of the measurement technique.     

AI-Li/SiCp composites and Ti-AI alloy powders and coatings prepared by a plasma spray atomization (PSA) technique

There has been increasing use of Al-Li alloys in the aerospace industry, due mainly to the low density and high elastic modulus of this material. However, the problem of low ductility and fracture toughness of this material has limited its present application to only weight- and stiffness-critical components. Development of Al-Li/ceramic composites is currently being investigated to enhance the service capabilities of this material. The Ti-Al alloy is also of interest to aerospace-type applications, engine components in particular, due to its attractive high-temperature properties. Preparation of fine powders by plasma melting of composite feedstock and coatings formed by plasma spraying was carried out to examine the effect of spray parameters on the microstructure and properties of these materials. Characterization of the powders and coatings was performed using the scanning electron microscope and image analyzer. Examination of the plasma-sprayed powders and coatings has shown that in the Al-Li/SiC composite there is melting of both materials to form a single composite particle. The SiC reinforcement was in the submicron range and contributed to additional strengthening of the composite body, which was formed by a cold isostatic press and consolidated by hot extrusion or hot forging processes. The plasma-sprayed Ti-Al powder showed four categories of microstructures: featureless, dendritic, cellular, and martensite-like.     

Non-destructive evaluation of plasma sprayed functionally graded thermal barrier coatings

Acoustic emission (AE) as a non-destructive evaluation technique has recently been used in a number of studies to investigate the performance and failure behavior of plasma sprayed thermal barrier coatings. The mechanism of coating failure is complex, especially when considering the composite nature of the coating. In the present paper, the thermal shock tests with in situ acoustic emission are used to study the cracking behavior of plasma sprayed functionally graded thermal barrier coatings. Each thermal cycle consists of 8 min heating in the furnace at 1000°C and 8 min cooling from 1000°C to the room temperature by a compressed air jet. The AE signals are recorded during the quench stage. Three, four and five layer functionally graded coatings have been tested. The results show that the five layer functionally graded coatings appear to have the best thermal shock resistance in the specimens tested, because of the gradual changes in material properties. Higher AE energy counts and cumulative counts recorded by the tests are associated with the macro-crack initiation and growth. On the other hand, micro cracking and phase transformation only give rise to lower AE signals.