Nanostructured BaTi1-xSnxO3 ferroelectric materials for electrocaloric applications and energy performance

Nanostructured BaTi_1-xSn_xO₃ (x = 0, 0.05 & 0.075) were successfully synthesized using the modified Pechini processing method. The phase purity and symmetry were examined by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. Tetragonal symmetry was obtained for BaTiO₃ (BT) while orthorhombic symmetry for Sn doped BT. BT exhibits an up-shift of the Curie temperature towards high temperatures (T_C = 139 °C). In contrast, a down-shift was recorded for Sn doped BT. Then, indirect electrocaloric (EC) adiabatic temperature change ΔT and the energy storage performances were determined based on ferroelectric hysteresis loops. Interestingly, large EC responsivity of ΔT/ΔE = 0.81 × 10⁻⁶ K m/V was obtained for the BT accompanied with a moderate stored energy of 23 mJ/cm³ but with a high energy efficiency of 67%. The incorporation of Sn in BT was found to broaden the EC responsivity and to improve the energy efficiency up to 90%, recorded for the 5% Sn doped BT.     

Optimal time delays in a class of reaction-diffusion equations

ABSTRACT

A class of semilinear parabolic reaction diffusion equations with multiple time delays is considered. These time delays and corresponding weights are to be optimized such that the associated solution of the delay equation is the best approximation of a desired state function. The differentiability of the mapping is proved that associates the solution of the delay equation to the vector of weights and delays. Based on an adjoint calculus, first-order necessary optimality conditions are derived. Numerical test examples show the applicability of the concept of optimizing time delays.     

Ab initio simulations of liquid electrolytes for energy conversion and storage

Understanding physicochemical properties of liquid electrolytes is essential for predicting and optimizing device performance for a wide variety of emerging energy technologies, including photoelectrochemical water splitting, supercapacitors, and batteries. In this work, we review recent progress and open challenges in predicting structural, dynamical, and electronic properties of the liquids using first-principles approaches. We briefly summarize the basic concepts of first-principles molecular dynamics (FPMD), and we discuss how FPMD methods have enriched our understanding of a number of liquids, including aqueous solutions, organic electrolytes and ionic liquids. We also discuss technical challenges in extending FPMD simulations to the study of liquid electrolytes in more complex environments, including the interface between electrolytes and electrodes, which is a key component in many energy storage and conversion systems.     

改进的PNC方法及其在非线性偏微分方程多解问题中的应用

2017年，李昭祥等提出了一种偏牛顿-校正法（Partial Newton-Correction Method，简记为PNC方法），并利用它成功地计算出了三类非线性偏微分方程的多重不稳定解.本文在PNC方法的基础上，提出并发展了一种改进的PNC方法.首先，利用Nehari流形$\mathcal{N}$与零平凡解的可分离性，建立并证明了$\mathcal{N}$的某特殊子流形$\mathcal{M}$上的全局分离定理及其推广（即局部分离定理）.全局分离定理只跟非线性偏微分算子或相应的非线性泛函本身有关，而与具体的计算方法无关.对一些典型的非线性偏微分方程多解问题（比如，Henon方程问题），该全局分离定理的分离条件，经验证是成立的.另一个方面，通过修改或补充原辅助变换的定义，去掉了原辅助变换的奇异性；接着建立并证明了某些非线性偏微分方程问题的新未知解与该非线性偏微分算子零核空间的密切关系；在证明中，去掉了在原奇异变换下所需的标准收敛（standard convergence）假设.最后，计算实例与数值结果验证了改进的PNC方法的可行性和有效性；同时表明子流形$\mathcal{M}$与已知解的可分离性是PNC方法和本文新方法能成功找到多解的关键.     

Design of Functional Carbon Composite Materials for Energy Conversion and Storage

The carbon composite materials have been a research hotspot in the fields of catalysis, energy conversion and so on, because of their features of large structure and morphology variety, good chemical and electrochemical stability, and high electronic conductivity, large specific surface area and rich active sites. This paper summarizes some research progress of carbon composite materials, including assembly methodologies, their structure regulation, properties, and related applications. Moreover, the current challenges and the prospects of these materials are also discussed.     

A modified model for isothermal homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions in the boundary-layer flow of a nanofluid

The homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions in the boundary-layer of a flat surface are considered. The autocatalysts are assumed to be of regular sizes, while the solution is a dilute nanofluid. The heat release due to the chemical reactions is taken into account. The Buongiorno's model is used to describe the behaviors of this reaction system. This configuration makes the current model be different from all previous publications. Multiple solutions are given numerically to the rescaled nonlinear system, whose stability is verified. The results show that the strength coefficients of the homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions are key factors to cause the appearance of the multiple solutions in the distribution of the chemical reactions. Nanofluids enhance the diffusion of heat and help maintain the stability of chemical reactions.     

Base‐Stabilized Phosphinidene Boranes by Silylium‐Ion Abstraction

We report the preparation of N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC)‐stabilized compounds containing P=B double bonds. The reaction of the highly functionalized phosphinoborane Mes*(SiMe₃)P?B(Cl)Cp* with Lewis bases allows access to base‐stabilized phosphinidene boranes Mes*P=B(L)Cp* (L=4‐dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP), NHC) by Me₃SiCl elimination. The formation of these species is shown to proceed through transient borylphosphide anions generated by Me₃Si abstraction.     

Ni–Al composite hydroxides fabricated by cation–anion double hydrolysis method for high-performance supercapacitor

Chemical doping of nickel hydroxide with other cations(e.g. Al~(3+)) is an efficient way to enhance its electrochemical capacitive performances. Herein, a simple cation–anion(Ni~(2+)and AlO_2) double hydrolysis method was developed toward the synthesis of nickel–aluminum(Ni–Al) composite hydroxides. The obtained composite hydroxides possesses a porous structure, large surface area(121 m~2/g) and homogeneous element distribution. The electrochemical test shows that the obtained composite hydroxides exhibits a superior supercapacitive performances(specific capacitance of 1670F/g and rate capability of 87% from 0.5 A/g to 20 A/g) to doping-free nickel hydroxide(specific capacitance of 1227 F/g and rate capability of 47% from 0.5 A/g to 20 A/g). Moreover, the galvanostatic charge/discharge test displays that after 2000 cycles at large current density of 10 A/g, the composite hydroxides achieves a high capacitance retention of 98%, indicative of an excellent electrochemical cycleability.     

Incompressible fluid flow simulations with flow rate as the sole information at synthetic inflow and outflow boundaries

In numerically simulating heat and mass transport processes in an unconfined domain involving synthetic open (inflow and/or outflow) boundaries, how to properly specify flow conditions at these boundaries can become a challenging issue. In this work, within the context of a pressure‐based finite volume method under an unstructured grid, a solution procedure without the need for explicit specification of flow profiles at any of these boundaries when simulating incompressible fluid flow is proposed and numerically examined. Within this methodology, the flow at any open boundary is not necessarily assumed to be unidirectional or fully developed; indeed, the sole information required is the mass flow rate crossing the boundary. As a result, one can select the specific region of interest to perform simulations, rather than having to artificially increase the flow domain so as to invoke fully developed flow at all open boundaries. This not only greatly reduces computational costs (both in terms of memory requirements and simulation run‐time) but provides the means to engage with flow problems, which otherwise cannot be solved with currently available methods for handling the flow conditions at open boundaries. The proposed methodology is demonstrated by simulating laminar flow of an incompressible fluid in a two‐dimensional planar channel with a 90° T‐branch, a known inflow rate, and flow splits for the two outflow channels. The results obtained by placing the entrance and the two exits at different locations show that the flow behavior predicted is completely unaffected by using a highly truncated domain. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.