Influences of assembly pressure and flow channel size on performances of proton exchange membrane fuel cells based on a multi-model

In this work, assembly pressure and flow channel size on proton exchange membrane fuel cell performance are optimized by means of a multi-model. Based on stress-strain data of the SGL-22BB GDL obtained from its initial compression experiments, Young's modulus with different ranges of assembly pressure fits well through modeling. A mechanical model is established to analyze influences of assembly pressure on various gas diffusion layer parameters. Moreover, a CFD calculation model with different assembly pressures, channel width, and channel depth are established to calculate PEMFC performances. Furthermore, a BP neural network model is utilized to explore optimal combination of assembly pressure, channel width and channel depth. Finally, the CFD model is used to validate effect of size optimization on PEMFC performance. Results indicate that gap change of GDL below bipolar ribs is more remarkable than that below channels under action of the assembly pressure, making liquid water easily transported under high porosity, which is conducive to liquid water to the channels, reduces the accumulation of liquid water under the ribs, and enhances water removal in the PEMFC. Affected by the assembly force, change of GDL porosity affects its diffusion rate, permeability and other parameters, which is not conducive to mass transfer in GDL. Optimizing the depth and different dimensions through width of the flow field can effectively compensate for this effect. Therefore, the PEMFC performance can be enhanced through the comprehensive optimization of the assembly force, flow channel width and flow channel depth. The optimal parameter is obtained when assembly pressure, channel width and channel depth are set as 0.6 MPa, 0.8 mm, and 0.8 mm, respectively. The parameter optimization enhances the mass transfer, impedance, and electrochemical characteristics of PEMFC. Besides, it effectively enhances the quality transfer efficiency inside GDL, prevents flooding, and reduces concentration loss and ohmic loss.     

Modulation of electrical transport in calcium cobaltite ceramics and thick films through microstructure control and doping

Ca₃Co₄O₉ is a promising p-type thermoelectric oxide material having intrinsically low thermal conductivity. With low cost and opportunities for automatic large scale production, thick film technologies offer considerable potential for a new generation of micro-sized thermoelectric coolers or generators. Here, based on the chemical composition optimized by traditional solid state reaction for bulk samples, we present a viable approach to modulating the electrical transport properties of screen-printed calcium cobaltite thick films through control of the microstructural evolution by optimized heat-treatment. XRD and TEM analysis confirmed the formation of high-quality calcium cobaltite grains. By creating 2.0 at% cobalt deficiency in Ca_2.7Bi_0.3Co₄O_9+δ, the pressureless sintered ceramics reached the highest power factor of 98.0 μWm^?1 K^-2 at 823 K, through enhancement of electrical conductivity by reduction of poorly conducting secondary phases. Subsequently, textured thick films of Ca_2.7Bi_0.3Co_3.92O_9+δ were efficiently tailored by controlling the sintering temperature and holding time. Optimized Ca_2.7Bi_0.3Co_3.92O_9+δ thick films sintered at 1203 K for 8 h exhibited the maximum power factor of 55.5 μWm^?1 K^-2 at 673 K through microstructure control.     

Effect of high hydrostatic pressure pretreatment on flavour and physicochemical properties of freeze-dried carambola slices

Ripe carambolas are hard to store and transport, while freeze-dried ones are easy to store. However, its long production time leads to higher costs. This study shows that high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment could shorten the freeze-drying time of carambola slices. After HHP treatment (25–250 MPa), the drying time of the fresh sample can be shortened by 33.3–44.4% and the distribution of water and pigment in tissues is much uniform. With the increment of the pressure, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and hydroxyl radical scavenging rate are increased. At 250 MPa, the total phenolic content (TPC) increased from 11.34 to 13.36 mg GAE g⁻¹, and the total flavonoid content (TFC) of the control sample was increased from 10.77 to 12.73 mg RE g⁻¹. Compared with the untreated sample, HHP treatment can enhance the flavour and shorten the freeze-drying time. This work guides the application of HHP technology for drying food processing.     

Diluted chemical bath deposition of CdZnS as prospective buffer layer in CIGS solar cell

In this study, dilute chemical bath deposition technique has been used to deposit CdZnS thin films on soda-lime glass substrates. The structural, morphological, optoelectronic properties of as-grown films have been investigated as a function of different Zn²⁺ precursor concentrations. The X-ray diffractogram of CdS thin-film reveals a peak corresponding to (002) plane with wurtzite structure, and the peak shift has been observed with the increase of the Zn²⁺ concentration upon formation of CdZnS thin film. From morphological studies, it has been revealed that the diluted chemical bath deposition technique provides homogeneous distribution of film on the substrate even at a lower concentration of Zn²⁺. Optical characterization has shown that the transparency of the film is influenced by Zn²⁺ concentration and when the Zn²⁺ concentration is varied from 0 M to 0.0256 M, bandgap values of resulting films range from 2.42 eV to 3.90 eV while. Furthermore, electrical properties have shown that with increasing zinc concentration the resistivity of the film increases. Finally, numerical simulation validates and suggests that CdZnS buffer layer with composition of 0.0032 M Zn²⁺ concentration would be a promising candidate in CIGS solar cell.     

Effects of high-pressure-modified soy 11S globulin on the gel properties and water-holding capacity of pork batter

The effects of high-pressure-modified soy 11S globulin (0.1, 200, and 400 MPa) on the gel properties, water-holding capacity, and water mobility of pork batter were investigated. The high-pressure-modified soy 11S globulin significantly increased (P < 0.05) the emulsion stability, cooking yield, hardness, springiness, chewiness, resilience, cohesiveness, the a^* and b^* values, and the G′ and G′′ values of pork batter at 80 °C, compared with those of 0.1 MPa-modified globulin. In contrast, the centrifugal loss and initial relaxation time of T_2b, T₂₁, and T₂₂ significantly decreased (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the microstructure was denser, and the voids were smaller and more uniform compared with those of 0.1 MPa-modified globulin. In addition, the sample with 11S globulin modified at 400 MPa had the best water-holding capacity, gel structure, and gel properties among the samples. Overall, the use of high-pressure-modified soy 11S globulin improved the gel properties and water-holding capacity of pork batter, especially under 400 MPa.     

Large domain-wall currents in epitaxial Au/BiFeO3/SrRuO3 thin-film capacitors with modulated oxygen vacancy and wall densities

Large domain wall (DW) conductivity in an insulating ferroelectric plays an important role in the future nanosensors and nonvolatile memories. However, the wall current was usually too small to drive high-speed memory circuits and other agile nanodevices requiring high output-powers. Here, a large domain-wall current of 67.8 μA in a high on/off ratio of ~4460 was observed in an epitaxial Au/BiFeO₃/SrRuO₃ thin-film capacitor with the minimized oxygen vacancy concentration. The studies from read current-write voltage hysteresis loops and piezo-response force microscope images consistently showed remaining of partially unswitched domains after application of an opposite poling voltage that increased domain wall density and wall current greatly. A theoretical model was proposed to explain the large wall current. According to this model, the domain reversal occurs with the appearance of head-to-head and tail-to-tail 180° domain walls (DWs), resulting in the formation of highly conductive wall paths. As the applied voltage increased, the domain-wall number increased to enhance the on-state current, in agreement with the measurements of current-voltage curves. This work paves a way to modulate DW currents within epitaxial Au/BiFeO₃/SrRuO₃ thin-film capacitors through the optimization of both oxygen vacancy and domain wall densities to achieve large output powers of modern domain-wall nanodevices.     

Photophysical investigation of the formation of defect levels in P doped ZnO thin films

Zinc oxide (ZnO) offers a major disadvantage of asymmetry doping in terms of reliability, stability, and reproducibility of p-type doping, which is the main hindrance in realization of optoelectronic devices. The problem is even more complicated due to formation of various native defects in unintentionally doped n-type ZnO. The realization of p-type conductivity in doped ZnO requires an in-depth understanding of the formation of an effective shallow acceptor, as well as donor-acceptor compensation. Photophysical properties such as photoconductivity along with photoluminescence (PL) studies have unprecedentedly and effectively been utilized in this work to monitor the evolution of various in-gap defects. Phosphorus (P) doped ZnO thin films have been grown by RF magnetron sputtering under various Ar to O₂ gas ratios to investigate the effect of O₂ on the donor-acceptor compensation by comprehensive photoconductivity measurements supported by the PL studies. Initial elemental analyses indicate presence of abundant zinc vacancies (V_Zn) in O-rich ambience. The results predict that P sits in the zinc (Zn) site rather than the oxygen (O) site causing the formation of P_Zn–2V_Zn acceptor-like defects, which compensates the donor defects in P doped ZnO films. Photocurrent spectra uniquely reveal presence of more oxygen vacancies (V_O) defects states in lower O₂ flow, which gets compensated with an increase in the O₂ flow. Successive photocurrent transients indicate probable presence of more V_O in the films grown with lower O₂ flow and more V_Zn in higher O₂ flow. Overall the photosensitivity measurements clearly present that O-rich ambience expedites the formation of acceptor defects which are compensated, thereby lowering the dark current and enhancing the ultraviolet photosensitivity.     

Metabolic Profiling of VOCs Emitted by Bacteria Isolated from Pressure Ulcers and Treated with Different Concentrations of Bio-AgNPs

Considering the advent of antibiotic resistance, the study of bacterial metabolic behavior stimulated by novel antimicrobial agents becomes a relevant tool to elucidate involved adaptive pathways. Profiling of volatile metabolites was performed to monitor alterations of bacterial metabolism induced by biosynthesized silver nanoparticles (bio-AgNPs). Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Proteus mirabilis were isolated from pressure ulcers, and their cultures were prepared in the presence/absence of bio-AgNPs at 12.5, 25 and 50 µg mL⁻¹. Headspace solid phase microextraction associated to gas chromatography–mass spectrometry was the employed analytical platform. At the lower concentration level, the agent promoted positive modulation of products of fermentation routes and bioactive volatiles, indicating an attempt of bacteria to adapt to an ongoing suppression of cellular respiration. Augmented response of aldehydes and other possible products of lipid oxidative cleavage was noticed for increasing levels of bio-AgNPs. The greatest concentration of agent caused a reduction of 44 to 80% in the variety of compounds found in the control samples. Pathway analysis indicated overall inhibition of amino acids and fatty acids routes. The present assessment may provide a deeper understanding of molecular mechanisms of bio-AgNPs and how the metabolic response of bacteria is untangled.     

毫米波三维异质异构集成技术的进展与应用

三维异质异构集成技术是实现电子信息系统向着微型化、高效能、高整合、低功耗及低成本方向发展的最重要方法,也是决定信息化平台中微电子和微纳系统领域未来发展的一项核心高技术。文章详细介绍了毫米波频段三维异质异构集成技术的优势、近年来的发展趋势以及面临的挑战。利用硅基MEMS 光敏复合薄膜多层布线工艺可实现异质芯片的低损耗互连,同时三维集成高性能封装滤波器、高辐射效率封装天线等无源元件,还能很好地处理布线间的电磁兼容和芯片间的屏蔽问题。最后介绍了一款新型毫米波三维异质异构集成雷达及其在远距离生命体征探测方面的应用。     

Influence of pulse-jet cleaning pressure on performance of compact dust collector with pleated filter operated in clean-on-time mode

To operate a bag filter continuously, pulse-jet cleaning of dust particles from the filter medium is commonly required, and the pulse-jet pressure significantly affects the filter performance. In this study, the accumulation structure of residual dust particles inside and on the surface of a filter medium at different pulse-jet pressures was investigated by constructing a simple model, and the influence of the dust structure on the filter performance was clarified. Using a simple model, we determined the effective ratio of filtration area β, which represents the ratio of the filterable area to the total filtration area, the true resistance coefficient due to the primary dust layer ζ_p’ thinly deposited on the filter surface, and the true resistance coefficient inside the filter media itself ζ_f’_. The effective ratio of filtration area β decreased with operation time for all pulse-jet pressures; however, it maintained a high value when the pulse-jet pressure was high. The validity of β analyzed by the model was verified using two different methods, and the results showed good agreement, indicating that the model is effective in identifying real conditions. The true resistance coefficient due to the primary dust layer ζ_p’ decreased as the pulse-jet pressure increased; however, the true resistance coefficient inside the filter media itself ζ_f’ was the highest at 0.5 MPa. In addition, the dust collection efficiency was different at each pulse-jet pressure, which was considered to be caused by the difference in the dust particle accumulation structure.