Orientational diffusivities measured by Rayleigh scattering in a lyotropic calamitic nematic () liquid crystal phase: the backflow problem revisited

Using a light-beating technique we have measured the damping time of thermal fluctuations of the nematic director for the so called cylindrical or calamitic nematic (N_C) phase of the lyotropic system K-laurate/decanol/. By varying the scattering angle in suitable geometries, we have been able to estimate the orientational diffusivities associated to the three pure deformations of splay, twist and bend. A former measurement made in the disk-like N_D phase of the same system yielded a large deviation between the splay and twist diffusivities. The effect was then attributed to induced flows, or backflow, which could be responsible for the reduction of the splay viscosity. In fact, this is the analogous effect, for disks, to the one recognized since long time ago arriving for rod-like molecules in a classical nematic, though in this case it is associated with bend deformations. The analogy comes about thanks to the interchange of the role played by disks and cylinders for, respectively, splay and bend fluctuations.The measurements reported here provide a new test on the applicability of the backflow model to a nematic system composed of micelles, that is, aggregates made of amphiphilic (surfactant) molecules, in its cylindrical-like variant, i.e. the N_C phase. In addition, the comparative study made here with the previous results existing in the literature for the N_D phase, allows us to conjecture on structural issues concerning lyotropic nematics. Received: 29 April 1998 / Revised: 19 August 1998 / Accepted: 31 August 1998     

[{Cp″Co}3(μ3-P)(μ3-PSe)], ein Dreikerncluster mit einem PSe-Liganden

[{Cp″Co}₃(μ₃-P)(μ₃-PSe)], a Trinuclear Cluster with a PSe Ligand The cothermolysis of [Cp″Co(CO)₂] ( 1 ), Cp″ = C₅H₃Bu-1.3, and P₄ gives besides [{Cp″Co}₃(μ₃-P)₂] ( 2 ) the cobalt P_n complexes [{Cp″Co}₄(μ₃-P)₄] ( 3 ) and [{Cp″Co}₂(μ, η^2:2-P₂)₂] ( 4 ). 2 can be oxidized with grey selenium forming [{Cp″Co}₃(μ₃-P)(μ₃-PSe)] ( 5 ) and [{Cp″Co}₃(μ₃-PSe)₂] ( 6 ), complexes with the hitherto unknown PSe ligand. The crystal structure of 5 reveals a trigonal-bipyramidal Co₃P₂ skeleton with one μ₃-PSe ligand.     

On the determination of laminar flame speed from low-pressure and super-adiabatic propagating spherical flames

The outwardly propagating spherical flame (OPF) method is popularly used to measure the laminar flame speed (LFS). Recently, great efforts have been devoted to improving the accuracy of the LFS measurement from OPF. In the OPF method, several assumptions are made. For examples, the burned gas is assumed to be static and in chemical equilibrium. However, these assumptions may not be satisfied under certain conditions. Here we consider low-pressure and super-adiabatic propagating spherical flames, for which chemical non-equilibrium exists and the burned gas may not be static. The objective is to assess the chemical non-equilibrium effects on the accuracy of LFS measurement from the OPF method. Numerical simulations considering detailed chemistry and transport are conducted. Stoichiometric methane/air flames at sub-atmospheric pressures and methane/oxygen flames at different equivalence ratios are considered. At low pressures, broad heat release zone is observed and the burned gas cannot quickly reach the adiabatic flame temperature, indicating the existence of chemical non-equilibrium of burned gas. Positive flow in the burned gas is identified and it is shown to become stronger at lower initial pressure. Consequently, the LFS measurement from OPF at low pressures is not accurate if the burned gas is assumed to be static and at chemical equilibrium. For super-adiabatic spherical flames, the burned gas speed is found to be negative due to the local temperature overshoot at the flame front. Such negative speed of burned gas can also reduce the accuracy of LFS measurement. It is recommended that the direct method measuring both flame propagation speed and flow speed of unburned gas should be used to determine the LFS at low pressures or for mixtures with super-adiabatic flame temperature.     

Experimental and kinetic study of 2,4,4-trimethyl-1-pentene and iso-octane in laminar flames

Laminar flame speeds of 2,4,4-trimethyl-1-pentene are investigated at equivalence ratios of 0.7–1.6, initial temperatures of 298–453 K and initial pressures of 0.1–0.5 MPa. The comparison between 2,4,4-trimethyl-1-pentene and iso-octane is also performed. Results show that 2,4,4-trimethyl-1-pentene has faster laminar flame speed than iso-octane. Chemical kinetic models (Metcalfe model, Modified model I) were tested against the present experimental data. The laminar flame speeds are apparently over-estimated by the Metcalfe model and under-predicted by the Modified model I. Therefore, high-level quantum mechanical calculations were used to revise the Modified model I to obtain Modified model II and it can give fairly good prediction at various conditions on laminar flame speeds. In addition, the chemical kinetic analysis was conducted. The analysis indicates both thermal and kinetic effects result in the discrepancy of laminar flame speeds between 2,4,4-trimethyl-1-pentene and iso-octane. Furthermore, IC₄H₈ plays a dominant role in laminar flame speeds of 2,4,4-trimethyl-1-pentene and iso-octane.     

Effect of ignition energy on the uncertainty in the determination of laminar flame speed using outwardly propagating spherical flames

The initial propagation processes of expanding spherical flames of CH₄/N₂/O₂/He mixtures at different ignition energies were investigated experimentally and numerically to reduce the effect of ignition energy on the accurate determination of laminar flame speeds. The experiments were conducted in a constant-volume combustion bomb at initial pressures of 0.07???0.7?MPa, initial temperatures of 298???398?K, and equivalence ratios of 0.9???1.3 with various Lewis numbers. The A-SURF program was employed to simulate the corresponding flame propagation processes. The results show that elevating the ignition energy increases the initial flame propagation speed and expands the range of flame trajectory which is affected by ignition energy, but the increase rates of the speed and range decrease with the ignition energy. Based on the trend of the minimum flame propagation speed during the initial period with the ignition energy, the minimum reliable ignition energy (MRIE) is derived by considering the initial flame propagation speed and energy conservation. It is observed that MRIE first decreases and then increases with the increasing equivalence ratio and monotonously decreases with increasing initial pressure and temperature. As the Lewis number rises, MRIE increases. The results also suggest that during the data processing of the spherical flame experiment, the accuracy of determination of laminar flame speeds can be enhanced when taking the flame radius influenced by MRIE as the lower limit of the flame radius range. Then the flame radius influenced by MRIE was defined as RFR. It can also be found that there exist nonlinear relationships between RFR and the equivalence ratio and Lewis number, and the RFR decreases with increasing initial pressure and temperature.     

Mid-infrared heterodyne phase-sensitive dispersion spectroscopy in flame measurements

We present the first demonstration of heterodyne phase-sensitive dispersion spectroscopy (HPSDS) for in situ, non-intrusive and quantitative CO₂ concentration measurements in flames. Dispersion spectroscopy retrieves gas properties by measuring the refractive index in the vicinity of a molecular resonance. The HPSDS scheme features a significant diagnostic advantage of the intrinsic immunity to laser power fluctuations caused by beam steering, thermal radiation and soot scattering in combustion environments, and thus no extra calibration process is required. In this work, we described the spectroscopic fundamentals for measuring heterodyne phase signals in flames. As a proof of principle, we used a mid-infrared interband cascade laser (ICL) near 4183?nm to exploit the strong CO₂ transitions in the R-branch of the v₃ fundamental band. The HPSDS signals of four CO₂ lines, R(76), R(78), R(80) and R(82), were measured in CH₄/air flames to obtain CO₂ concentrations at different equivalence ratios (Φ?=?0.8–1.2), yielding a good agreement with the simultaneous laser absorption measurements using the same ICL. With its immunity to laser power fluctuations verified experimentally, the HPSDS sensor was successfully implemented to measure CO₂ concentrations in C₂H₄/air sooting flames (Φ?=?1.78–2.38). Laser dispersion spectroscopy proves to be a promising and alternative diagnostic tool for combustion measurements.     

微小层片型缺陷的超声非线性区域检测技术*

针对微小层片型缺陷的超声检测效率低、检测能力弱、易受主客观因素干扰的问题,提出弹簧扁钢中微小层片型缺陷的非线性超声区域检测技术。首先,优化探头夹持装置并提出区域检测方法,提取稳定可靠的检测信号;其次,提出相对非线性系数均值及波动系数表征缺陷分布;最后,基于斯皮尔曼次序相关系数分析扁钢各类缺陷与非线性超声系数均值的相关性。研究结果显示:两种非线性超声特征参数中的波动系数具有更高的缺陷敏感度,可表征扁钢中缺陷分布;波动系数与扁钢中微小层片型缺陷的相关系数比与体积型缺陷的相关性系数大得多,特别适用于微小层片型缺陷的检测。     

Analytical modeling of constricted channel flow

Analytical flow models are frequently applied when describing constricted channel flow at low and moderate Reynolds numbers. A common assumption underlying such flow models is two-dimensional or axi-symmetrical flow. In this work, two analytical model approaches are formulated in order to overcome this assumption in the case of naturally occurring channel flows for which the assumption might be critiqued. Advantages and flaws of both model approaches are discussed and their outcome is compared with experimental data.     

Microstructural transition in an ordered set of magnetic spheres immersed in a carrier liquid

This work explores the physics of an ordered set of interacting spheres immersed in a carrier liquid. We present numerical simulations that compute the translational and rotational motion of N interacting spheres based on classical principles of Stokesian dynamics. The spheres are assumed to be made of a magnetizable material, subjected to magnetic and hydrodynamic long range interactions. We explore structure transition using a Lagragian approach of a continuum volume of fluid containing micrometric magnetic particles. We present local maps of particle volume fraction within the calculation Lattice. In this condition, considering the presence and absence of an applied magnetic field, instantaneous snapshots of the local microstructure are taken. Thus, different possibilities of long range interactions are considered. We also complement these results with meaningful statistics of time series obtained through our simulations, such as the correlation time of velocity fluctuations and their self-correlation functions. The data analyzed in the present work sustain the fact that initially ordered neutrally buoyant suspensions have an anisotropic memory-like behavior in the direction of an applied field. It is also observed that particles tend to form small isotropic clusters in the absence of an external field. However, hydrodynamic interactions tend to disperse the particulate phase, avoiding the formation of clusters. This finding suggests that hydrodynamic interactions may play a relevant role on the magnetization dynamics of ferrofluids.     

“Magnetic-ribs” in fully developed laminar liquid–metal channel flow

This paper documents the numerical investigation of the effects of non-uniform magnetic fields, i.e. magnetic-ribs, on a liquid–metal flowing through a two-dimensional channel. The magnetic ribs are physically represented by electric currents flowing underneath the channel walls. The Lorentz forces generated by the magnetic ribs alter the flow field and, as consequence, the convective heat transfer and wall shear stress. The dimensionless numbers characterizing a liquid–metal flow through a magnetic field are the Reynolds (Re) and the Stuart (N) numbers. The latter provides the ratio of the Lorentz forces and the inertial forces. A liquid–metal flow in a laminar regime has been simulated in the absence of a magnetic field (Re_H = 1000, N = 0), and in two different magnetic ribs configurations for increasing values of the Stuart number (Re_H = 1000, N equal to 0.5, 2 and 5). The analysis of the resulting velocity, temperature and force fields has revealed the heat transport phenomena governing these magneto-hydro-dynamic flows. Moreover, it has been noticed that, by increasing the strength of the magnetic field, the convective heat transfer increases with local Nusselt numbers that are as much 27.0% larger if compared to those evaluated in the absence of the magnetic field. Such a convective heat transfer enhancement has been obtained at expenses of the pressure drop, which increases more than twice with respect to the non-magnetic case.