Flow boiling heat transfer and pressure drop of R-134a in a mini tube: an experimental investigation

This paper presents the results of an experimental study carried out with R-134a during flow boiling in a horizontal tube of 2.6 mm ID. The experimental tests included (i) heat fluxes in the range from 10 to 100 kW/m², (ii) the refrigerant mass velocities set to the discrete values in the range of 240-930 kg/(m² s) and (iii) saturation temperature of 12 and 22 °C. The study analyzed the heat transfer, through the local heat transfer coefficient along of flow, and pressure drop, under the variation of these different parameters. It was possible to observe the significant influence of heat flux in the heat transfer coefficient and mass velocity in the pressure drop, besides the effects of saturation temperature. In the low quality region, it was possible to observe a significant influence of heat flux on the heat transfer coefficient. In the high vapor quality region, for high mass velocities, this influence tended to vanish, and the coefficient decreased. The influence of mass velocity in the heat transfer coefficient was detected in most tests for a threshold value of vapor quality, which was higher as the heat flux increased. For higher heat flux the heat transfer coefficient was nearly independent of mass velocity. The frictional pressure drop increased with the increase in vapor quality and mass velocity. Predictive models for heat transfer coefficient in mini channels were evaluated and the calculated coefficient agreed well with measured data within a range 35% for saturation temperature of 22 °C. These results extend the ranges of heat fluxes and mass velocities beyond values available in literature, and add a substantial contribution to the comprehension of boiling heat transfer phenomena inside mini channels.     

Effect of moisture content on conveying characteristics of pulverized coal for pressurized entrained flow gasification

During the pneumatic conveying, pulverized coal with different moisture contents may develop substantial difference in flow characteristics, whose cause is not fully understood. This study focused on influence of moisture content on conveying characteristics in an experimental test facility with the conveying pressure up to 4 MPa. The experiments included soft coal and lignite with similar density and particle size. With the increase in moisture content, the mass flow rate decreased for lignite (3.24% < M < 8.18%) but increased at first and then decreased for soft coal (0.4% < M < 6.18%) at same operating parameters. The flowability of soft coal was worse than that of lignite at similar operating parameters and external moisture content. The extremal conveying moisture contents of two coal types were obtained. The particle charge and surface moisture content were investigated to indicate influence mechanism of moisture content on mass flow rate in pneumatic conveying at high pressure. Pressure drop of soft coal was greater than that of lignite for same test section. The conveying phase diagram of dense-phase pulverized coal at high pressure was obtained and the pressure drops through different test sections were compared and analyzed. The bend loss factor rose with the increase in moisture content and was independent of conveying velocity and solid-gas ratio in dense-phase pneumatic conveying at high pressure.     

A dynamic terramechanic model for small lightweight vehicles with rigid wheels and grousers operating in sandy soil

This paper presents a validated dynamic terramechanic model for rigid wheels with grousers that may be used for planetary and terrestrial mobile robots operating in loose sandy soil. The proposed model is based on established analytical terramechanic theories and incorporates two new dimensionless empirical coefficients. The additional terms in the model are based on existing soil mechanic theories that vary as a function of soil properties, slip conditions, and vehicle loading. The proposed model was able to capture and predict the dynamic oscillations observed in experimental data from a single-wheel testbed for the sinkage, drawbar pull and normal load. For the operating conditions tested in this research the simulation results using the proposed model show an improvement over traditional terramechanic models for capturing the dynamic effects of grousers.     

The skim of balance theory of 3D garment simulation

The balance theory of 3D garment simulation tries to integrally study the complex system of human body-fabric-environment. The theory includes the geometrical balance, dynamic balance, pressure balance, and heat and moisture transfer balance. In this paper, the ICAD-balance equations are established based on the framework of balance theory and the heat and moisture transfer model of garment. A finite volume method is employed to solve the equations. Experiment results show that ICAD-balance equations can excellently simulate real situation. Therefore, our balance theory provides a good tool for customized clothing design, electronic mirror for clothing-test-platform, and comfortable clothing evaluation research.     

Non-linear peristaltic transport of a second-order fluid through a porous medium

The present paper investigates phenomena brought about into the classic peristaltic mechanism by inclusion of non-Newtonian effects through a porous space in a channel. The peristaltic motion of a second-order fluid through a porous medium was studied for the case of a planar channel with harmonically undulating extensible walls. The system of the governing nonlinear PDE is solved by using the perturbation method to second-order in dimensionless wavenumber. The analytic solution has been obtained in the form of a stream function from which the axial pressure gradient has been derived. The flow is investigated in a wave frame of reference moving with velocity of the wave. Numerical calculations are carried out for the pressure rise and frictional force. The features of the flow characteristics are analyzed by plotting graphs and discussed in detail.     

Collisional broadening and shifting of the 211-202 transition of H2O, H2O, H2O by atmosphere gases

Broadening and shifting of the 2₁₁-2₀₂ transition of H₂¹⁶O, H₂¹⁷O, H₂¹⁸O by pressure of water, nitrogen and oxygen were precisely measured at room temperature using spectrometer with radio-acoustic detection of absorption. Shift parameters for all studied lines as well as broadening parameters of H₂¹⁷O, H₂¹⁸O lines were measured for the first time. Comparison of obtained results with previously known experimental and theoretical data is presented.     

Improvements on open and traction boundary conditions for Navier–Stokes time-splitting methods

We present in this paper a numerical scheme for incompressible Navier–Stokes equations with open and traction boundary conditions, in the framework of pressure-correction methods. A new way to enforce this type of boundary condition is proposed and provides higher pressure and velocity convergence rates in space and time than found in the present state of the art. We illustrate this result by computing some numerical and physical tests. In particular, we establish reference solutions of a laminar flow in a geometry where a bifurcation takes place and of the unsteady flow around a square cylinder.     

Structural and morphological dependence of carbon nanotube arrays on catalyst aggregation

Catalyst aggregation affects the growth of carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays in terms of tubular structures, waviness, entanglement, lengths, and growth density etc., which are important issues for application developments. We present a systematic correlation between the aggregation of catalyst on the SiO₂/Si substrate and the structure and morphology of CNT arrays. The thickness of the catalyst film has a direct effect on the areal density of the catalytic particles and then the alignment of the CNT array. Introducing alumina as buffer layer and annealing the catalyst film at low pressure are two effective approaches to downsize the catalyst particles and then the diameter, wall number of the CNTs. Both the size and areal density of the catalyst also change with the CNT growth in accordance with Ostwald ripening process, with the bottom of the CNT array varying from well-aligned to disordered and adhesion between catalyst particles and the substrate getting enhanced. Strategies including tuning the thickness of the catalyst film, changing buffer layer, controlling on the growth time and the system pressure were used to regulate the aggregation of the catalyst. CNT arrays from disordered to well-aligned, from multi-walled to few-walled and further to single-walled were reproducibly synthesized by chemical vapor deposition of acetylene.     

Temperature and pressure dependences of EPR spectra of Gd ion doped in the EuAl3(BO3)4 monocrystal

The ground state of Gd³⁺ ions substituting for trivalent europium in the EuAl₃(BO₃)₄ single crystal was studied by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) over the temperature range of 300-4.2 K and at pressures up to 9 kbar. The EPR spectra were analysed using the spin Hamiltonian of axial symmetry. The following parameters are reported: g=1.981±0.002, b₂⁰=280.18±0.12, b₄⁰=−12.95±0.08 and b₆⁰=0.61±0.12 (at Т=298 K). The distortions of the nearest environment of Gd³⁺ ion were analysed within the framework of the superposition model of crystal field.     

Behavior of antiferromagnetic MnCoSi in a magnetic field under pressure

Experimental data on magnetization of the antiferromagnetic (AFM) polycrystalline samples in the temperature range of 20-300 K, for pressures of 2 kbar and in magnetic field of 300 kOe, are presented in the paper. In the fields of 250 kOe, the magnetization curve demonstrates a jump explained by exchange-interaction sign change. In the region of 50-70 kOe, on the differential susceptibility versus magnetic field curve, there is a break of the 2nd order corresponding to the anomalous behavior of the magnetization. The obtained results were processed on the basis of the phenomenological Landau theory. It is shown that the ferromagnetic vector occurrence is forced during the formation of AFM spiral structure. The behavior of thermodynamic potential factors has been determined. Three more anomalies have been revealed and explained by a jump-like magnetization change of the Co-subsystem.