Evaporation and Evolution of Suspended Solution Droplets at Atmospheric and Reduced Pressures

Thermal history and solute precipitation behavior of suspended solution droplets of sodium chloride (NaCl), magnesium sulphate (MgSO₄), and zirconium hydroxychloride (ZrO(OH)Cl) evaporating at atmospheric and reduced pressures are studied. Experimental measurements on the variation of droplet diameter, solution concentration, and temperature during the evaporation period are presented and discussed. The results of solute precipitation behavior in solution droplets observed under an optical microscope are displayed and discussed. Results indicate that reducing the pressure (∼ 33 kPa) results in a change in the solution droplet evaporation rate, but the thermal histories of a particular solution droplet are similar at the atmospheric and reduced pressures. At atmospheric and reduced pressures used in this study, the d² law for solution droplets is valid at early stages of the evaporation and before the solute precipitation initiates. Drying of MgSO₄ and ZrO(OH)Cl solution droplets results in the formation of spherical particles, whereas drying of spherical NaCl solution droplets results in the formation of cubic particles.     

The traditional Yemeni window and natural lighting

The traditional Yemeni window is considered to be one of the most important elements that characterize the yemeni architecture. The beauty of the traditional Yemeni window comes from its four main components which combined the functions of view, lighting, ventilation, protection, and privacy. These functions can be controlled by the occupants according to their social and environmental needs. The four main components are the lower part (Taqah), the fanlight (Qamariyah), the wooden external overhang (Konnah), and the small vent (Shaquos). Since fanlights provide natural lighting during day-time, the area of the lower part can be reduced and its exterior shutters can be closed without the need for artificial lighting. The internal natural lighting that is provided by the upper and lower parts of the window was investigated to see its quality. In this investigation, there were two main goals. The first is the contribution and quality of the internal light provided by the Qamariyah when shutters are closed. The second is the effect of the internal simple white cloth curtains, in the lower part, in the internal light quality. Visual measurements were taken in a typical room of a traditional house of the Old City of Sana'a, Yemen. From the findings, it was found that the fanlights (Qamariyat) provide low and soft homogeneous internal lighting which was as low as 22 lux average. However, the occupants have the ability to increase level of lighting to as high as 600 or 700 lux. This can be done simply by deciding which shutter to open and how many of them to be opened. In this paper, the methodology and findings will be presented and discussed.     

A knowledge-based system for sensor selection

This paper presents a Knowledge-based system (KBS) developed to allow users, who may not be knowledgeable about sensors, to select sensors suitable for their specific needs. The KBS runs on a micro-computer. The selection criteria are user specified and are based on the desired measurement parameters. The system output includes all of the operational and dimensional parameters of the recommended sensor, price, and vendor information.     

Electromagnetic scattering by metallic holes and its applicationsin microwave circuit design

The problem of arbitrarily incident plane-wave scattering from rod structures of thick conducting plates arranged with two-dimensional (2D) periodicity has been examined. The square approximation as well as truncated-square approximation of circular cross sections is used in this study. The impedance of cascaded screens and the reflection coefficient is calculated using the multimodal variational method for both TE- and TM-polarized incident electric field. The 2D periodic structure of holes described in this paper can be used for the purpose of designing new guiding microwave structures. A transverse resonance method is applied to solve this problem. The convergence behavior of the technique has also been examined. The numerical results of the reflection coefficient, surface impedance, and dispersion curves are presented     

Terson''s syndrome in a patient with acute promyelocytic leukemia on all-trans retinoic acid treatment

Hypothermia induced by surface cooling has shown to protect vulnerable regions of the brain during an ischemic insult. This study evaluated the neuroprotective efficacy of neurotensin, a potent hypothermic agent, using a 5-min carotid occlusion procedure in the gerbil. In Experiment 1, the dose-response and time course of neurotensin-induced hypothermia were evaluated (n = 5/dose). Central infusion of 10, 20, and 30 micrograms neurotensin were found to significantly decrease core body temperature of conscious gerbils within 30 min of administration. In Experiment 2, gerbils pretreated with 30 micrograms neurotensin were permitted to become hypothermic or were maintained at 37 degrees-38 degrees C (rectal) during ischemic insult. Other gerbils were pretreated with peptide vehicle prior to ischemic insult (at 37 degrees -38 degrees C) or underwent a sham procedure (n = 6/condition). At 24 h after surgery, gerbils were tested for increased locomotor activity in an open-field apparatus. Gerbils pretreated with peptide vehicle or neurotensin and maintained at 37 degrees-38 degrees C during ischemia had significantly higher activity levels compared to the other treated groups. In contrast, gerbils made hypothermic with neurotensin exhibited activity levels similar to sham gerbils. Histological assessment revealed that neurotensin-induced hypothermia protected the CA1 region from ischemic damage.     

Effect of Reactor Ambient Pressure on the Morphology of Spray Dried Magnesium Sulphate Powders

The effect of reducing the reactor air pressure on the morphology of spray dried magnesium sulphate powders is investigated, experimentally. A reactor, capable of drying and pyrolyzing solution sprays at low pressures, is designed and manufactured. A vibrating mesh nebulizer is employed to generate the spray. Four different pressures, starting from 60 Torr to the atmospheric pressure, and two different reactor air temperatures of 130°C and 420°C, are considered. In addition, two different concentrations of magnesium sulphate solutions are tested. The results are explained based on the effect of reactor air pressure on the droplet evaporation rate.     

Time jitter analysis of 1-bit sigma-delta synthesizer

This letter presents a general analysis of time jitter in sigma-delta synthesizer. One of the practical applications of 1-bit sigma-delta systems is a generation of high-resolution local oscillator (LO) signals. In order to generate LO signals, one may use a single-bit sigma-delta technique to encode sine waves. Today, direct generation of high-frequency sine wave using a clock with higher frequency, is possible. In this letter, we will analyze different LO signal generators and develop a practical way of computation to decide how to choose the best configuration under minimum degradation of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at the output.     

Synthesis and Thermal Treatment of Pd-Cr@Carbon for Efficient Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Proton-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

A nanostructured Pd-Cr catalyst was deposited on a supported carbon surface using the modified borohydride reduction method for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) to be utilized as an efficient catalyst in the proton-exchange membrane fuel cell. The crystal structure and feature nanostructure of the Pd-Cr@carbon were established through the use of X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Meanwhile, its catalytic activity was studied using the cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical polarization techniques. Based on the XRD analysis, it was observed that the Pd phase with the fcc crystal structure was dominant, while the Pd-Cr phase with tetragonal crystal structure was detected only for the as-prepared sample and samples calcined at 573 K. The estimated average crystallite size of the Pd phase increased from 9.66 to 37.54 nm as the calcination temperature increased to 973 K, and the calcination time had a slight effect on the crystallite size. On the other side, the average crystallite size for the formed Pd-Cr phase slightly increased from 43.74 nm for the as-prepared sample to 44.90 nm for the sample calcined at 573 K for 3 h. The TEM examination revealed the uniform distribution of the Pd and Pd-Cr nanoparticles upon the carbon surface. The calcination temperature and time played an important role in controlling the structural and morphology parameters of Pd-Cr@carbon. The adsorption/desorption potentials were found to be dependent on the calcination temperature and time and hence the particle and crystallite sizes. The optimum ORR activity and chemical stability were observed for samples calcined at 773 K for 3 h.

     

Temperature-dependent diffusion coefficient of soluble substances during ethanol extraction of clove

The temperature dependence of the diffusion coefficient of ethanol-soluble substances from ground cloves (particle size 250 μm) during extraction was estimated by fitting batch extraction data at several temperatures (27.8, 40, 50, and 60°C) to a previously developed mass transfer model. The model was based on spherical geometry of particles. Nonlinear regression analysis was used to develop an equation that describes the diffusivity as a function of temperature. The temperature dependence ofD _A was of the Arrhenius type.