Influence of SiO2 in SiCp on the microstructure and impact strength of Al/SiCp composites fabricated by pressureless infiltration

The effect of SiO₂ in SiC_p and the following processing parameters on the microstructure and impact strength of Al/SiC_p composites fabricated by pressureless infiltration was investigated: Mg content in the aluminum alloy, SiC particle size, and holding time. Preforms of SiC_p in the form of rectangular bars (10 × 1 × 1 cm) were infiltrated at 1150°C in an argon→nitrogen atmosphere for 45 and 60 min by utilizing two aluminum alloys (Al-6 Mg-11 Si and Al-9 Mg-11 Si, wt.%). The results obtained show that the presence of SiO₂ in SiC affects the microstructure and impact strength of the composites significantly. When Al₄C₃ is formed, the impact strength decreases. However, a high proportion of SiC to SiO₂ limits the formation of the unwanted Al₄C₃ phase in the composites. Also, a higher content of Mg in the Al alloy lowers the residual porosity and, consequently, increases the composite strength. The impact strength grows with decrease in SiC particle size and increases considerably when the residual porosity is less than 1%. Russian translation published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 42, No. 3, pp. 401–418, May–June, 2006.     

Boundary-Value Problem of Drainage in a Fresh Groundwater Fringe above Saline Groundwater

A multiparameter boundary-value problem of fresh infiltration water seepage in a drained fringe above quiescent saline water is solved in the direct statement and studied in detail.     

Implementation of ADER scheme for a bore on an unsaturated permeable slope

The paper details the implementation of the Godunov‐type finite volume Arbitrary high order schemes using Derivatives (ADER) scheme for the case of a large source term in the continuity equation of the nonlinear shallow water equations. The particular application is the movement of a bore on a highly permeable slope. The large source term is caused by the infiltration into the initially unsaturated slope material. Infiltration is modelled as vertical downwards piston‐like flow with Forchheimer quadratic parameterisation of the resistance law. The corresponding ODE is solved using the fourth‐order Runge–Kutta method. The surface and subsurface flow models have been tested by comparison with analytical solutions. Example predictions of surface bore propagation and wetting front propagation are presented for a range of slope permeabilities. The effects of permeability on bore run‐up, water depths and velocities are illustrated. The ADER scheme is capable of handling the source term, including the extreme case when this term dominates the volume balance. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

LSM-infiltrated LSCF cathodes for solid oxide fuel cells

Mixed ionic-electronic conductors in the family of La_xSr_1–xCo_yFe_1–yO_3–δ have been widely studied as cathode materials for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). However, the long-term stability was a concern. Here we report our findings on the effect of a thin film coating of La_0.85Sr_0.15MnO_3–δ (LSM) on the performance of a porous La_0.6Sr_0.4Co_0.2Fe_0.8O_3–δ (LSCF) cathode. When the thicknesses of the LSM coatings are appropriate, an LSM-coated LSCF electrode showed better stability and lower polarization (or higher activity) than the blank LSCF cathode without LSM infiltration. An anode-supported cell with an LSM-infiltrated LSCF cathode demonstrated at 825 °C a peak power density of ～1.07 W/cm², about 24% higher than that of the same cell without LSM infiltration (～0.86 W/cm²). Further, the LSM coating enhanced the stability of the electrode; there was little degradation in performance for the cell with an LSM-infiltrated LSCF cathode during 100 h operation.     

Tuning Internal Strain in Metal–Organic Frameworks via Vapor Phase Infiltration for CO2 Reduction

A gas‐phase approach to form Zn coordination sites on metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) by vapor‐phase infiltration (VPI) was developed. Compared to Zn sites synthesized by the solution‐phase method, VPI samples revealed approximately 2.8 % internal strain. Faradaic efficiency towards conversion of CO₂ to CO was enhanced by up to a factor of four, and the initial potential was positively shifted by 200–300 mV. Using element‐specific X‐ray absorption spectroscopy, the local coordination environment of the Zn center was determined to have square‐pyramidal geometry with four Zn?N bonds in the equatorial plane and one Zn‐OH₂ bond in the axial plane. The fine‐tuned internal strain was further supported by monitoring changes in XRD and UV/Visible absorption spectra across a range of infiltration cycles. The ability to use internal strain to increase catalytic activity of MOFs suggests that applying this strategy will enhance intrinsic catalytic capabilities of a variety of porous materials.     

Isotopes in groundwater as indicators of climate changes

Isotopes of the water molecule (δ¹⁸O and δ²H) are a well-used tool for investigating groundwater origin and history (i.e. tracing the recharge conditions over time, processes occurring during infiltration of rainwater towards aquifers and those involved in the water-rock interaction, and mixing of different waters).This review covers several large European aquifers (Portugal, France, UK, Switzerland, Germany, Hungary, and Poland), which were investigated in terms of their recharge conditions, and the story of the groundwater at a large scale, involving recent, Holocene and Pleistocene components and their eventual mixing.     

Asymptotic infiltration into a soil which contains cracks or holes but whose surface is otherwise impermeable

An asymptotic, one-dimensional Green-Ampt model is derived for infiltration into a soil whose surface is impermeable except for regularly spaced vertical cracks, and infiltration into a cylindrical soil column whose top surface is also impermeable except for a central hole. The model is valid at times when the wetting front has become horizontal and corresponds to one-dimensional infiltration initiated from a plane lying above or below the soil surface, depending on the crack spacing/depth ratio (or column radius/hole depth ratio). When applicable, asymptotic Green-Ampt solutions are shown to agree well, in selected cases, with corresponding finite difference solutions of the saturated-unsaturated flow equations.     

基于LB方法的非均质砂质砾岩渗吸规律数值模拟

采用随机四参数法对非均质砂质砾岩孔隙结构进行重构, 基于改进的SC-LBM(Shan-Chen格子玻尔兹曼)模型研究润湿流体在多孔介质中的渗吸行为。结果表明: 初始阶段的界面动力学与孔隙骨架的排列有很大关系, 会形成以基质为主的渗吸界面; 流体流经孔喉部分时, 流动断面瞬间缩小, 导致压力梯度和流动阻力迅速增加, 孔吼压力的存在导致流动断面瞬间缩小, 提高了流动阻力, 说明孔隙半径变化对渗吸速率影响较大; 后期阶段, 润湿流体会形成优势渗吸通道, 降低了波及面积, 大幅度降低了渗吸驱油速率。研究结果有助于理解流体在非均质孔隙中的自发渗吸规律, 对发挥裂缝性致密油藏渗吸驱油作用具有重要意义。     

Effects of rainfall infiltration on deep slope failure

With the finite element method and the limit equilibrium method, a numerical model has been established for examining the effects of rainfall infiltration on the stability of slopes. This model is able to availably reflect the variations in pore pressure field in slopes, dead weight of soil, and the softening of soil strength caused by rainfall infiltration. As a case study, an actual landslide located at the Nongji Jixiao in Chongqing is studied to analyze the effects of rainfall infiltration on the seepage field and the slope stability. The simulated results show that a deep slope failure is prone to occur when rainfall infiltration will lead to a remarkable variation in the seepage field, in particular, for large range pore water pressure increase in slopes. Supported by the Knowledge Innovation Project of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. KJCX2-SW-L1-4) and the Major State Basic Research Development Program of China (Grant No. 2002CB412703)