The hydro-abrasive erosion wear behavior of duplex-treated surfaces of AISI H13 tool steel

The influence of duplex surface treatments consisting of a DC-pulsed plasma nitriding process and subsequent coatings of CrN and TiAlN deposited by physical vapor deposition(PVD)on AISI H13 tool steel was studied in this article.The treated samples were characterized using metallographic techniques,SEM,EDS,and microhardness methods.Hydro-abrasive erosion wear tests were performed in a specifically designed wear tester in which the samples were rotated in a wear tank containing a mixture of distilled water and ceramic abrasive chips with a fixed rotational speed.The wear rates caused by the abrasive particle impacts were assessed based on accumulated weight loss measurements.The worn surfaces were also characterized using optical microscopy,SEM,and EDS.Microhardness measurements indicated a significant increase in the surface hardness of the duplex-treated samples.The surfaces of the samples with the TiAlN coating were approximately 15 times harder than that of the untreated samples and 3 times that of the plasma nitrided samples.Hydro-abrasive erosion wear results showed that the duplex surface treatments,especially the CrN coating,displayed the highest erosion wear resistance.     

Prevalence of idiopathic long QT syndrome in children with congenital deafness

The aim of this study was to investigate retrospectively the efficacy of expandable metallic stents (EMSs) for severe respiratory distress in patients with central airway obstruction. Twenty patients with central airway obstructions were treated with an EMS. An intraluminal stricture was present in 15 and an extraluminal stricture in 5 patients. Of the 15 patients with intraluminal stenosis, 11 exhibited symptomatic improvement. All 11 patients had tumor infiltration occupying less than 50% of the endoluminal diameter. The other four patients with intraluminal stenosis had tumor infiltration occupying > 50% of the endoluminal diameter and demonstrated no improvement. All five patients with extraluminal stenosis were improved. EMS is useful for an extraluminal stricture in the central airway and the effect of EMS for intraluminal stenosis is related to the degree of infiltration and of tumor progression itself.     

The Computational Modeling of Transitional Flow through a Transonic Linear Turbine: Comparative Performance of Various Turbulence Models

Aero-thermal characteristics of transitional flow through a highly loaded transonic linear turbine are studied at the design incidence using computational methods. The three-dimensional compressible turbulent flow through a turbine inlet guide vane is simulated using finite-volume method-based fluid flow solutions using both Reynolds-averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) equations-based turbulence models, and a dynamic large eddy simulation (LES) approach which is based on a Smagorinsky-Lilly subgrid scale (SGS) model. The calculations are made for exit isentropic Mach numbers ranging from 0.7 to 1.1, and for Reynolds numbers ranging from 5 × 10⁵ to 2 × 10⁶. The numerical results obtained from different turbulence model simulations are compared with each other, and with the experimental data available in the open literature in terms of integrated flow parameters, such as pressure and heat transfer coefficients for varying exit Mach and Reynolds numbers. The present numerical approach indicates a guide line that the present LES approach can be a reliable choice for turbomachinery flows.     

Hexavalent chromium removal by Osage Orange

This study explores the sorption potential of Osage Orange (Maclura Pomifera) for the removal of Cr(VI) ion. The influence of contact time, solution pH, initial metal concentration, amount of biosorbent and ionic strength on the removal of Cr(VI) ion was studied. The biosorption of Cr(VI) with pulp and peel was investigated in a batch arrangement. The initial and equilibrium concentrations of Cr(VI) ions in aqueous phase were determined by spectrophotometry. The sorption process was pH and concentration dependent. The sorption of Cr(VI) ions increased with a decreasing pH until pH 2. The increase in initial Cr(VI) ions concentration in aqueous phase increased the sorption. The sorption data fitted well with the Langmuir sorption model within the concentration range studied. The observed maximum biosorption capacity by Langmuir sorption model at pH of 2 for M. Pomifera pulp was 0.92 mmol of Cr(VI)/g and for M. Pomifera peel was 0.55 mmol of Cr(VI)/g.     

Velocity and temperature field characteristics of water and air during natural convection heating in cans

Presence of headspace during canning is required since an adequate amount allows forming vacuum during the process. Sealing technology may not totally eliminate all entrapped gases, and headspace might affect heat transfer. Not much attention has been given to solve this problem in computational studies, and cans, for example, were mostly assumed to be fully filled with product. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine velocity and temperature evolution of water and air in cans during heating to evaluate the relevance of headspace in the transport mechanism. For this purpose, canned water samples with a certain headspace were used, and required governing continuity, energy, and momentum equations were solved using a finite volume approach coupled with a volume of fluid element model. Simulation results correlated well with experimental results validating faster heating effects of headspace rather than insulation effects as reported in the literature. The organized velocity motions along the air-water interface were also shown. Practical Application: Canning is a universal and economic method for processing of food products, and presence of adequate headspace is required to form vacuum during sealing of the cans. Since sealing technology may not totally eliminate the entrapped gases, mainly air, headspace might affect heating rates in cans. This study demonstrated the increased heating rates in the presence of headspace in contrast with some studies in the literature. By applying the effect of headspace, required processing time for thermally processed foods can be reduced leading to more rapid processes and lower energy consumptions.     

School-based optimization for performance-based optimum seismic design of steel frames

The performance-based optimum seismic design of steel frames is one of the most complicated and computationally demanding structural optimization problems. Metaheuristic optimization methods have been successfully used for solving engineering design problems over the last three decades. A very recently developed metaheuristic method called school-based optimization (SBO) will be utilized in the performance-based optimum seismic design of steel frames for the first time in this study. The SBO actually is an improved/enhanced version of teaching–learning-based optimization (TLBO), which mimics the teaching and learning process in a class where learners interact with the teacher and between themselves. Ad hoc strategies are adopted in order to minimize the computational cost of SBO results. The objective of the optimization problem is to minimize the weight of steel frames under interstory drift and strength constraints. Three steel frames previously designed by different metaheuristic methods including particle swarm optimization, improved quantum particle swarm optimization, firefly and modified firefly algorithms, teaching–learning-based optimization, and JAYA algorithm are used as benchmark optimization examples to verify the efficiency and robustness of the present SBO algorithm. Optimization results are compared with those of other state-of-the-art metaheuristic algorithms in terms of minimum structural weight, convergence speed, and several statistical parameters. Remarkably, in all test problems, SBO finds lighter designs with less computational effort than the TLBO and other methods available in metaheuristic optimization literature.

     

Functional Nanomaterials on 2D Surfaces and in 3D Nanocomposite Hydrogels for Biomedical Applications

An emerging approach to improve the physicobiochemical properties and the multifunctionality of biomaterials is to incorporate functional nanomaterials (NMs) onto 2D surfaces and into 3D hydrogel networks. This approach is starting to generate promising advanced functional materials such as self‐assembled monolayers (SAMs) and nanocomposite (NC) hydrogels of NMs with remarkable properties and tailored functionalities that are beneficial for a variety of biomedical applications, including tissue engineering, drug delivery, and developing biosensors. A wide range of NMs, such as carbon‐, metal‐, and silica‐based NMs, can be integrated into 2D and 3D biomaterial formulations due to their unique characteristics, such as magnetic properties, electrical properties, stimuli responsiveness, hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity, and chemical composition. The highly ordered nano‐ or microscale assemblies of NMs on surfaces alter the original properties of the NMs and add enhanced and/or synergetic and novel features to the final SAMs of the NM constructs. Furthermore, the incorporation of NMs into polymeric hydrogel networks reinforces the (soft) polymer matrix such that the formed NC hydrogels show extraordinary mechanical properties with superior biological properties.     

NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF FLUID FLOW AND HEAT TRANSFER CHARACTERISTICS IN THREE-DIMENSIONAL PLATE FIN-AND-TUBE HEAT EXCHANGERS

This numerical study provides three-dimensional (3-D) time-dependent modeling of unsteady laminar flow and heat transfer over single- and multirow plate fin-and-tube heat exchangers. The complex nature of the flow field featuring a horseshoe vortex is investigated for both configurations. The time-dependent evolution of the horseshoe vortex mechanism on the forward part of the tube and its journey to the rear of the tube are studied to provide fundamental information on the local flow structure and the corresponding heat transfer characteristics. The effects of various governing parameters, such as fin spacing, Reynolds number, tube row number, and tube arrangement, on the heat transfer and flow characteristics are also studied for the Reynolds number range investigated. It is found that the local flow structure including formation and evolution of vortex systems and singular-point interactions correlates strongly with the heat transfer characteristics. The numerical results for the integral heat transfer parameters agree well with available experimental measurements.     

Effect of Welding Parameters on Tensile Properties and Fatigue Behavior of Friction Stir Welded 2014-T6 Aluminum Alloy

The present work describes the effect of welding parameters on the tensile properties and fatigue behaviour of 2014-T6 aluminum alloy joints produced by friction stir welding (FSW). Characterization of the samples has been carried out by means of microstructure, microhardness, tensile properties and fatigue behaviors. The hardness in the softened weld region decreases with decreasing the welding speed. Irrespective of the tool rotation speeds, the best tensile and fatigue properties were obtained in the joints with the welding speed of 80 mm/min. The joint welded with a rotating speed of 1520 rpm at 80 mm/min has given a highest tensile and fatigue properties. The fatigue behaviors of the joints are almost consistent with the tensile properties, especially elongations. Higher ductility in FSW joints made the material less sensitive to fatigue. The location of tensile fractures of the joints is dependent on the welding parameters. On the other hand, the fatigue fracture locations change depending on the welding parameters and stress range. In addition, a considerable correlation could not be established in between heat indexes and mechanical properties of FSW 2014-T6 joints under the investigated welding parameters.     

Development and application of a new multiplex real‐time PCR assay for simultaneous identification of Brucella melitensis,Cronobacter sakazakii and Listeria monocytogenes in raw milk and cheese

Brucella melitensis, Cronobacter sakazakii and Listeria monocytogenes are important foodborne pathogens in milk and milk products, which are responsible for a variety of diseases that pose serious hazards to public health and food safety. The objective of this study was to develop a novel multiplex RTi‐PCR for the detection of B. melitensis, C. sakazakii and L. monocytogenes and to characterise the potential risk of these pathogens in raw milk and cheese. The raw milk (n = 25) and cheese samples (n = 20) were analysed by multiplex RTi‐PCR assay and detected for quantification of the three pathogens. In this study, B. melitensis, C. sakazakii and L. monocytogenes were simultaneously identified using BMEII0466, mms operon and hly as target genes, respectively. The multiplex RTi‐PCR assay that was developed showed good sensitivity and selectivity for the pathogenic microorganisms (r² = 0.986–0.997). Multiplex RTi‐PCR results showed that most of the samples were contaminated with the pathogens screened.