Micro-RBS characterisation of the chemical composition and particulate deposition on pulsed laser deposited Si1−xGex thin films

The formation and deposition of particulates by pulsed laser deposition of Si_1−xGe_x semiconductor alloy thin films are discussed. Using Rutherford backscattering spectrometry with micrometer lateral resolution (micro-RBS) the film composition was measured with high accuracy, even in the presence of particulates with a high areal density of 20,000–30,000 particulates per mm². We show that on impact of a particulate, the part of the thin film which is already deposited probably melts and its Ge content segregates to the surface.     

Bio-derived fuels may ease the regeneration of diesel particulate traps

Particulate is the most problematic emission from diesel engines. To comply with environmental regulations, these engines are often equipped with particulate traps, which must be regenerated frequently for the sake of efficiency. The regeneration is commonly achieved by rising the temperature in the trap till the particulate self-ignites. However, this method implies energy losses and thermal shocks in the trap. Alternatively, catalysts and additives have been recently considered for reducing the ignition temperature of particulate, but these techniques suffer from poisoning and undesirable byproducts. The present experimental study shows that the ignition temperature of particulate from seed-derived oils (SO) and from blends of SO with diesel fuel oil (DO) can be lower than that of particulate from neat DO. If substantiated by more extensive studies, such finding could have noteworthy implications on the future of fuels and traps.     

An investigation of carbon nanotube jet grinding

Since their observation in 1976 and 1991, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have generated much interest due to their properties and potential applications. CNTs are tubular carbon molecules with remarkable mechanical, electrical, chemical and thermal properties, which make them useful in various applications. Industries producing CNTs via the fluidized bed chemical vapor deposition technique face challenges related to the size of CNT bundles. The two main challenges are agglomeration and agglomerate size distribution control. A solution to these challenges involves the use of jet mills to grind the CNT agglomerates. The goal of this study was to determine whether the nanotubes could be ground with air jets using a commercial jet mill and apply a two-parameter model to describe the grinding process. The present study has indicated that air-jet grinding of CNTs is feasible with a typical commercial jet mill. This paper presents the effect of operational parameters on the arithmetic mean diameter of the ground product. Sonic velocity through the grinding nozzles was required to obtain reasonable grinding rates and relatively narrow particle size distributions. This occurs at high air to solids feedrate ratios. Additionally, a simple attrition model can describe the grinding process in the spiral jet mill.     

Particulate organic matter transport in the lower Colorado river,South-Western USA

The lower Colorado River from Laughlin, Nevada, to the border with Mexico is one of the most regulated rivers in North America. An analysis of particulate organic matter (POM) transport through the system was made to determine POM concentrations, composition and point of origin, as well as to determine the effect dams had on this transport. Particulate organic matter concentrations generally increased from upstream to downstream, and were dominated by very fine organic detritus (< 25μm size fraction). Reservoirs released more POM than they received during spring and summer, but less during autumn and winter. Reservoirs recycled POM, taking in organic detritus and discharging small limnoplankton. Backwater complexes functioned as filters during storm events, trapping coarse material and releasing fine material. Agricultural drains made only minor contributions of POM, but provided important nutrients for in-channel production of POM. Water diversions forced POM off-channel, whereas sluicing operations reduced inorganic loads in the canals. Despite the presence of six mainstem dams, the lower reaches support a diverse assemblage of detritivorous fishes, similar to that found in the lowermost reaches of natural, unregulated rivers. The food base for this fishery stems from autochthonous production of POM.     

On Modulus and Fracture Toughness of Rigid Particulate Filled High Density Polyethylene

A Kaolin-filled, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) system was used to illustrate the influence of particulates on modulus and toughness of the bulk material. A variation of filler content, particulate size and coupling quality for two HDPE-matrix systems with different viscosity led to a strong dependency of elastic modulus and fracture toughness under various testing conditions, e.g. static loading, fatigue and impact.

A stiffness improvement with increasing filler content was achieved by all coupling qualities. The developed Kaolin reinforcement of HDPE with optimised coupling offers an improvement of the stiffness and toughness under all investigated loading conditions. The degree of improvement depends on the particulate size and matrix viscosity. The energy dissipation mechanisms were investigated by fractographic analysis.     

Size segregation in gas-solid fluidized beds with continuous size distributions

Discrete-particle simulations of a gas-solid fluidized bed are used to investigate the species segregation (de-mixing) behavior of systems with continuous particle size distributions. Both Gaussian and lognormal distributions are investigated over a range of distribution widths, restitution and friction coefficients, and gas velocities. The results indicate that: (i) the average particle diameter decreases as the height within the bed increases, (ii) the level of segregation increases with an increase in the width of the particle size distribution, and (iii) segregation is attenuated as bubbling becomes more vigorous. Furthermore, the shape of the local size distribution (i.e., Gaussian or lognormal) is found to mimic that of the overall size distribution in most regions of the fluidized bed.     

Flow pattern measurement in a full scale silo containing iron ore

The flow pattern in a silo is important because it affects both the recovery of solids and the pressures on the silo wall during discharge. Wherever mass flow is not achieved, the boundary of the flow channel has significant implications for both the functional and structural design of the silo. Many techniques have been used for the study of flow patterns in model silos, but most cannot be used at full scale, and very few quality measurements at full scale have ever been made. This paper outlines a full scale experimental study in which the patterns of solids flow and the flow channel boundaries are reliably quantified.The full scale silo was specially designed, constructed and instrumented to exhibit funnel flow and to make observations of the solids flow pattern and the silo wall pressures. It had three outlets: one concentric, one fully eccentric and one in between. Three materials were used: iron ore pellets, slag fines and crushed basalt. This paper describes experiments involving iron ore pellets. The silo was seeded with radio frequency tags whose residence times were measured by detecting them on exit during discharge. The residence time data were studied to deduce the discharge flow pattern. This paper presents the results of three different flow pattern interpretation techniques: the best of them (mass-time relationships) is shown to give a very clear identification of the solids flow pattern and the flow channel boundary.     

Advancements in the design and validation of an air pollution integrated assessment model for Spain

This paper describes the design and application of the Atmospheric Evaluation and Research Integrated model for Spain (AERIS). Currently, AERIS can provide concentration profiles of NO₂, O₃, SO₂, NH₃, PM, as a response to emission variations of relevant sectors in Spain. Results are calculated using transfer matrices based on an air quality modelling system (AQMS) composed by the WRF (meteorology), SMOKE (emissions) and CMAQ (atmospheric-chemical processes) models. The AERIS outputs were statistically tested against the conventional AQMS and observations, revealing a good agreement in both cases. At the moment, integrated assessment in AERIS focuses only on the link between emissions and concentrations. The quantification of deposition, impacts (health, ecosystems) and costs will be introduced in the future. In conclusion, the main asset of AERIS is its accuracy in predicting air quality outcomes for different scenarios through a simple yet robust modelling framework, avoiding complex programming and long computing times.     

Integral approximation—an approach to reduced models for particulate processes

In this contribution, a model reduction technique for population balance systems describing particulate processes is presented. This technique is based on integral approximation and allows the derivation of highly accurate moment models. In contrast to other model reduction methods which can be found in literature, this integral approximation technique can be applied for arbitrarily complex phenomena specifications. The applicability of the presented method will be demonstrated for different example processes by comparing the dynamic behavior of the original population balance models with those of the derived reduced models of moments.