Advances in rapid and effective break-in/conditioning/recovery of automotive PEMFC stacks

Automotive proton exchange membrane fuel cell stacks need to meet manufacturer specified rated beginning-of-life (BOL) performance before being assembled into vehicles and shipped off to customers. The process of “breaking-in” of a freshly assembled stack is often referred to as “conditioning.” It has become an intensely researched area especially in automotive companies, where imminent commercialization of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) demands a short, energy- and cost-efficient, and practical conditioning protocol. Significant advances in reducing the conditioning time from 1 to 2 days to as low as 4h or less, in some cases without the use of additional inert gases such as nitrogen, and with minimal use of hydrogen, and specialized test stations will be discussed.     

Height in splittings of relatively hyperbolic groups

Geometriae Dedicata - Given a finite graph of relatively hyperbolic groups with its fundamental group relatively hyperbolic and edge groups quasi-isometrically embedded and relatively quasiconvex...     

An approximation algorithm for finding long paths in Hamiltonian graphs

In this paper we present a polynomial-time algorithm that finds paths of length Ω((logn/loglogn)²) in undirected Hamiltonian graphs, improving the previous best of Ω(logn).     

Equivariant Spectral Triples on the Quantum SU(2) Group

We characterize all equivariant odd spectral triples for the quantum SU(2) group acting on its L ₂-space and having a nontrivial Chern character. It is shown that the dimension of an equivariant spectral triple is at least three, and given any element of the K-homology group of SU_q(2), there is an equivariant odd spectral triple of dimension 3 inducing that element. The method employed to get equivariant spectral triples in the quantum case is then used for classical SU(2), and we prove that for p < 4, there does not exist any equivariant spectral triple with nontrivial K-homology class and dimension p acting on the L ₂-space.The first author would like to acknowledge support from the National Board of Higher Mathematics, India.     

Use of ultrafine-dispersed nanodiamond for selective deposition of boron-doped diamond films

A suspension of ultrafine-dispersed nanodiamond was used for introducing (in particular, selectively) high-density centers of diamond nucleation on various substrates. High-quality doped diamond films to be used as electrochemistry electrodes were deposited from the gas phase in a microwave discharge on certain substrates treated using ultrafine-dispersed nanodiamond. A uniform distribution of nucleation centers with concentrations greater than 10¹⁰ cm^-2 on silicon substrates was obtained. Electrochemical current-potential curves were measured for continuous films. Diamond meshes of different transparency were grown using selective nucleation. Successful production of high-quality doped diamond meshes gives grounds to consider them the most promising electrodes for use in electrochemistry.     

Microstructure and mechanical characteristics of nanodiamond-SiC compacts

Superhard nanodiamond-SiC ceramics are prepared by infiltrating liquid Si into porous nanodiamond compacts under pressure. Synthesized samples are 2.2 mm thick and 3–4 mm in diameter. The effect of particle size of dynamically synthesized nanodiamond powders on silicon infiltration and SiC phase formation is studied. It is established that silicon does not penetrate into the pores of nanodiamond powders if the original particle size is smaller than 0.5–1.0 μm. The critical pore size for infiltration is 100–200 nm. A study of the microstructure of the samples showed the presence of the nanometer-and submicron-scale SiC phase. The ultrasound velocities are measured in the prepared compacts, and the elastic moduli are calculated. __________ Translated from Fizika Tverdogo Tela, Vol. 46, No. 4, 2004, pp. 734–736. Original Russian Text Copyright ? 2004 by Ekimov, Gromnitskaya, Mazalov, Pal’, Pichugin, Gierlotka, Palosz, Kozubowski.     

Synthesis and characterization of soluble polyimides containing trifluoromethyl groups in their backbone

A series of polyimides were synthesized from 2,2‐Bis(3,4‐dicarboxyphenyl)hexafluoropropane, 2,2‐bis(3‐amino‐4‐hydroxyphenyl)‐hexafluoropropane, and 4,4′‐oxydianiline by chemical imidization. The effects of the diamine ratios on the properties of the films were evaluated through the study of their thermal, electrical, and morphological properties. All the polymers exhibited better solubility in most of the organic solvents and hence were easily processable. Polyimides with more 2,2‐bis(3‐amino‐4‐hydroxyphenyl)‐hexafluoropropane exhibited better solubility and a low refractive index, which is highly desired for microelectronic applications. The dielectric constant and birefringence were strongly dependent on the fluorine content. With an increase in the fluorine substitution, both the dielectric constant and birefringence decreased. All the polymers exhibited high thermal stability (>400 °C). The absence of crystalline melting in differential scanning calorimetry and broad wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction patterns revealed the amorphous nature of the polymers, which was due to the presence of bulky CF₃ groups and hinged ether linkages of the diamine component. The residual stress values decreased with an increase in the 4,4′‐oxydianiline content, and the results were in agreement with the dielectric constant. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 4303–4312, 2004     

Low-temperature specific heat of crystalline and amorphous Eu2(MoO4)3

The specific heat C _total of crystalline and amorphous Eu₂(MoO₄)₃ is measured in the temperature interval 4.5–30 K. The amorphous state is obtained by applying pressure ∼7 GPa at room temperature. It is found that the specific heat of the crystal at T⩽7.5 K is described by a cubic function of temperature, while the specific heat of the amorphous sample has a strongly non-Debye character in the entire experimental temperature interval. The curve of C _total for amorphous europium molybdate is analyzed in a model of soft atomic potentials, and it is shown that it agrees well with universal low-temperature anomalies of the specific heat of classical glasses obtained by quenching from the liquid. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 68, No. 8, 623–627 (25 October 1998)