Model of the unsteady two-phase three-component filtration of the oil–water–supercritical fluid system in a homogeneous porous medium

A mathematical model of the two-phase three-component filtration of the oil–water–supercritical fluid system in a porous medium is developed. The results of numerical simulations of the three-component two-phase filtration during oil displacement by supercritical CO₂ from a watered stratum are reported. In the region of oil displacement from watered stratum, there is a significant discrepancy between the experimental and simulation results because of the transient mode of filtration associated with the concurrent saturation of the oil and water with supercritical CO₂ under high pressure. In the region of two-phase filtration of the oil–water system and in the region of pumping of three or more pore volumes of supercritical CO₂, the deviation of the simulation results from the experimental data does not exceed 10%.     

Ignition of a floating droplet of organic coal–water fuel

The results of experimental investigations are presented for the ignition of droplets (particles) of organic coal–water fuels (OCWFs) floating in a flow of an oxidizer using a special combustion chamber from high-temperature quartz glass. The temperature and the velocity of motion of the oxidizer vary in the ranges of 500–900 K and 0.5–3 m/s. The initial sizes (radii) of fuel droplets amounted to 0.3–1.5 mm. As the basic OCWF components, particles (of 80–100 µm in size) of brown coal “B2,” water, mazut, and waste castor and compressor oils are used. With use of the system of high-velocity video registration, the conditions providing for floating of OCWF particles without initiation of burning and with the subsequent steady ignition are established. Four modes of OCWF-droplet ignition with different trajectories of their motion in the combustion chamber are singled out. The times of the OCWF-ignition delay in dependence on the size of fuel particles and oxidizer temperatures are determined. The deviations of the OCWF-ignition-delay times obtained under conditions of suspension of a droplet on the thermocouple junction and while floating in the oxidizer flow are established.     

Initiation of organic coal–water fuel droplet burning in a vortex combustion chamber

Using a test bench the main part of which is a vortex combustion chamber, characteristics describing the initiation of burning of solitary droplets of a typical organic coal–water fuel (OCWF) are established. The oxidizer temperature varied in the range of 600–850 K. The linear motion velocity of the oxidizer in the vortex chamber was about 3 m/s. The configuration of the chamber and parameters of the air flow provided a stable regime of floating for droplets with a size (radius) of about 0.5 mm. The analysis results show that the intensity of initiation of OCWF combustion under conditions of processes occurring in boiler furnaces is significantly (by a factor of 2–4) higher than for droplets that are immovably fixed or freely float in the heated air flow.     

Some thermodynamic processes of anthracite–carbon dioxide mixture in supercritical fluid state

In the context of the development of the catalyst regeneration procedure via supercritical fluid CO₂ extraction, some thermodynamic properties of the anthracene–carbon dioxide mixture in supercritical fluid state have been studied. Data on anthracene solubility in pure and modified (dimethyl sulfoxide, 5 wt %) supercritical carbon dioxide (SC–CO₂), the heat capacity of anthracene and its mixtures with carbon dioxide, and the heat of solution of anthracene in SC–CO₂ are presented. Anthracene solubility in SC–CO₂ is described satisfactorily using the Peng–Robinson equation of state.     

Equation of state and liquid–vapour equilibrium in a triangle-well fluid

The second-order thermodynamic perturbation theory formulation of Barker and Henderson is used to derive the equation of state of the triangle-well fluid. This is combined with the rational function approximation to the radial distribution function of the hard-sphere fluid. Results are obtained for the critical parameters and the liquid–vapour coexistence curve for various values of the range of the potential. A comparison with available simulation data is presented.     

Quantum simulation of ‘zitterbewegung' in a single trapped ion under conditions of parity-keeping and parity-breaking

The motional trembling(‘zitterbewegung’)of a relativistic electron governed by Dirac equation was originally predicted by Schr¨odinger in the early days of quantum mechanics and simulated in a recent experiment with a single trapped ultracold ion.We investigate stable and instable confinements of a single trapped ion in a Paul trap under different conditions relevant to parity.Since our treatment involves neither restriction of Lamb-Dicke limit nor rotating-wave approximation,we may demonstrate different quantum dynamics of the single trapped ion in a wide range of the trapping parameters.We discuss the origin of the zitterbewegung which is relevant to the stability of the ion trapping.     

Sonochemical advanced oxidation process for the degradation of furosemide in water: Effects of sonication’s conditions and scavengers

The intensive consumption of pharmaceuticals and drugs in the last decades has led to their increased concentrations in wastewaters from industrial sources. The present paper deals, for the first time, with the sonochemical degradation and mineralization of furosemide (FSM) in water. FSM is a potent loop diuretic used to treat fluid build-up due to heart failure, liver scarring, or kidney disease. The influence of several operating parameters such as acoustic intensity, ultrasonic frequency, initial FSM concentration, solution’s pH, nature of the dissolved gas (Ar, air and N₂) and radical scavengers (2-propanol and tert-butanol) on the oxidation of FSM was assessed. The obtained results showed that the degradation rate of the drug increased significantly with the increase of the acoustic intensity in the range of 0.83 to 4.3 W cm⁻² and decreased with the augmentation of the frequency in the range of 585–1140 kHz. It was also found that the initial rate of the sonolytic degradation of FSM increased with the increase of its initial concentration (2, 5, 10, 15 and 20 mg/L). The most significant degradation was achieved in acidic conditions at pH 2, while in terms of saturating gas, the rate of FSM degradation decreased in the order of Ar > air > N₂. The FSM degradation experiments with radical scavengers showed that the diuretic molecule degraded mainly at the interfacial region of the bubble by hydroxyl radical attack. Additionally, in terms of acoustic conditions, the sono-degradation of 30.24 µmol L^-1 of FSM solution demonstrate an optimal performance at 585 kHz and 4.3 W/cm², the results indicated that even if the ultrasonic action eliminated the total concentration of FSM within 60 min, a low degree of mineralization was obtained due to the by-products formed during the sono-oxidation process. The ultrasonic process transforms FSM into biodegradable and environmentally friendly organic by-products that could be treated in a subsequent biological treatment. Besides, the efficiency of the sonolytic degradation of FSM in real environmental matrices such as natural mineral water and seawater was demonstrated. Consequently, the sonochemical advanced oxidation process represent a very interesting technique for the treatment of water contaminated with FSM.     

Conversion electron and X-ray Mössbauer studies of boronized low-carbon steel under corrosion and oxidation conditions

Iron-boride layers on low-carbon steel were produced by thermochemical diffusion process. The surface interaction products: Fe₂B, FeB, FeB_x (x>1) and a solid solution of iron in boron were identified by surface Mössbauer spectroscopy (CEMS and XMS). Samples of original and boronized steel were subjected to corrosion process by immersion in HCl (0.1 N) solution for 150 h. While the steel sample was strongly corroded, none corrosion product was found on the boronized sample surface. However, significant changes in relative percentages of the various iron boride phases were detected. Also, samples of original and boronized steel were subjected to oxidation process by heat-treatment in air at 300°C for 8 h and 500°C for 4 h. At 300°C, while bulk Fe₃O₄ and -Fe₂O₃ were formed on the steel surface, none iron oxide was detected on the boronized surface. At 500° C, while only pure bulk -Fe₂O₃ was detected on the steel surface, a particle size distribution of-Fe₂O₃, with particle size of about 100 Å, was probably formed on the boronized surface, as evidenced by CEMS.     

Effect of the shape of an organic water–coal fuel particle on the condition and characteristics of its ignition in a hot air flow

The results of experimental studies of the effect of the shape of an organic water–coal fuel (OCWF) particle on its ignition delay time and the time of its complete burnout in a hot air flow are reported. Three most common shapes of real particles, such as spherical, ellipsoidal, and irregular-polyhedron-like, are considered. It is shown that the shortest ignition delay time and the time of complete burnout correspond to polyhedron- shaped OCWF particles. Conditions are identified under which this factor significantly influences the ignition characteristics. The experiments were carried out at initial particle sizes (averaged maximum values) of 0.5–5 mm and temperatures and velocities of the oxidant flow of 600–900 K and 0.5–5 m/s, respectively. The main components of the studied fuels were coal processing wastes and waste motor, turbine, and transformer oils.     

Observation of polarized atoms of rubidium isotopes in experiments on optical orientation in a He–Rb mixture under conditions of a pulsed gas discharge

We are the first to have observed magnetic resonance signals from atoms of ⁸⁵Rb and ⁸⁷Rb isotopes when using the indirect optical orientation in conditions of helium–rubidium gas discharge plasma. An anomalously small ratio of magnetic resonance signals from isotopes of rubidium and metastable helium upon optical orientation of ⁴Не atoms has been detected. The experimental results have been considered theoretically, and an explanation of the observed anomaly in the signals is presented.Z     

Influence of turbulence–chemistry interaction for n-heptane spray combustion under diesel engine conditions with emphasis on soot formation and oxidation

The influence of the turbulence–chemistry interaction (TCI) for n-heptane sprays under diesel engine conditions has been investigated by means of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. The conditional moment closure approach, which has been previously validated thoroughly for such flows, and the homogeneous reactor (i.e. no turbulent combustion model) approach have been compared, in view of the recent resurgence of the latter approaches for diesel engine CFD. Experimental data available from a constant-volume combustion chamber have been used for model validation purposes for a broad range of conditions including variations in ambient oxygen (8?21% by vol.), ambient temperature (900 and 1000 K) and ambient density (14.8 and 30 kg/m³). The results from both numerical approaches have been compared to the experimental values of ignition delay (ID), flame lift-off length (LOL), and soot volume fraction distributions. TCI was found to have a weak influence on ignition delay for the conditions simulated, attributed to the low values of the scalar dissipation relative to the critical value above which auto-ignition does not occur. In contrast, the flame LOL was considerably affected, in particular at low oxygen concentrations. Quasi-steady soot formation was similar; however, pronounced differences in soot oxidation behaviour are reported. The differences were further emphasised for a case with short injection duration: in such conditions, TCI was found to play a major role concerning the soot oxidation behaviour because of the importance of soot-oxidiser structure in mixture fraction space. Neglecting TCI leads to a strong over-estimation of soot oxidation after the end of injection. The results suggest that for some engines, and for some phenomena, the neglect of turbulent fluctuations may lead to predictions of acceptable engineering accuracy, but that a proper turbulent combustion model is needed for more reliable results.     

Electronic absorption spectra of ascorbic acid in water and water–dialkylsulfoxide mixtures

Gaussian analysis (LinkFit program) was used to deconvolute overlapping absorption bands due to neutral and anionic forms of ascorbic acid (AA). It has been shown that the neutral form of AA predominates in aqueous solutions of AA containing dialkylsulfoxides (DASO) because a hydrogen-bonded complex forms between DASO and AA molecules.     

Synthesis of MnO2 nanoparticles from sonochemical reduction of MnO4− in water under different pH conditions

MnO₂ was synthesized by sonochemical reduction of MnO₄⁻ in water under Ar atmosphere at 20 °C, where the effects of solution pH on the reduction of MnO₄⁻ were investigated. The obtained XRD results showed that poor crystallinity δ-MnO₂ was formed at pH 2.2, 6.0 and 9.3. When solution pH was increased from 2.2 to 9.3, the morphologies of δ-MnO₂ changed from aggregated sheet-like or needle-like structures to spherical nanoparticles and finally to cubic or polyhedron nanoparticles. After further irradiation, MnO₂ was readily reduced to Mn²⁺. It was confirmed that H₂O₂ and H atoms formed in the sonolysis of water acted as reductants for both reduction for MnO₄⁻ to MnO₂ and MnO₂ to Mn²⁺. The optimum irradiation time for the effective synthesis of MnO₂ was 13 min at pH 2.2, 9 min at pH 6.0, 8 min at pH 9.3, respectively.     

Monitoring the presence of water and water–sand droplets in a horizontal pipe with Acoustic Emission technology

Monitoring of multiphase flow is a process that has been established over several decades. This paper demonstrates the use of Acoustic Emission (AE) technology to detect and monitor moving water and water–sand droplets in a horizontal pipe. The experimental investigation considered two types of droplets, water and water–sand with average droplet volumes ranging from 1 ml to 5 ml. The experimental findings show good correlation between AE energy, droplet volume and the superficial gas velocity (V_SG).     

Polaron in an electron–exciton structure under the conditions of the Bose–Einstein condensation

A polaron state of an electron in a hybrid system composed of a two-dimensional electron gas and a Bose–Einstein condensate of excitons situated in a quantum well coplanar with the electron gas has been investigated. It has been shown that self-localization is possible even at a weak coupling between the components of the structure, when a fluctuation of the density of excitons producing a potential well for the electron is small compared to their average density.     

Photo–induced processes in Ag and Eu β-diketonates incorporated into aerogel matrix of silicon dioxide by supercritical fluid impregnation

Samples of silicon dioxide aerogel with embedded Ag and Eu β-diketonate molecules are obtained by impregnation in supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO₂). The sample impregnated by Eu(tta)₃ molecules possesses photoluminescence properties. Moreover, adsorption of Eu(tta)₃ on the walls of the pores results in a strong broadening of the Stark components of its photoluminescence spectra. It is found that aerogel impregnation by AgFOD molecules followed by laser irradiation causes the formation of Ag nanoparticles in the sample volume as a result of AgFOD photolysis and subsequent diffusion self-assembly. The Ag nanoparticles assemble into filament structures due to self-organization as they focus laser radiation.     

Critical point and mechanism of the fluid–fluid phase transition in warm dense hydrogen

The density functional theory is used to calculate the equation of state and the proton–proton pair correlation functions in the range of hydrogen temperatures and densities where the fluid–fluid phase transition is expected. The metastable states are considered. The critical temperature has been estimated to be ~4000 K. We propose a two-step mechanism: the partial ionization of molecules to produce H ₂ ⁺ ions at the phase transition followed by the formation of H ₃ ⁺ ions.     

Acceleration of methane–oxygen mixture ignition by adding singlet oxygen produced in a chemical generator

Ignition acceleration in a methane–oxygen mixture flow with added oxygen in the electronic excited state O₂(a ¹Δ _g ), produced in a chemical generator, was experimentally demonstrated for the first time.     

Interaction of binary cuprates with oxygen and water vapor at temperatures of 200–400°C

Interaction of binary cuprates with oxygen and water vapor at T = 200–400°C has been studied. It has been established that only compounds containing oxygen vacancy chains in their structure can absorb oxygen and moisture from annealing atmosphere. Absorption of oxygen brings about decrease in the lattice parameters while embedding of OH^? groups leads to their growth. In contrast to YBa₂Cu₃O _y , binary cuprates do not undergo phase transitions in interaction with the atmosphere. Saturation with water and formation of oxyhydroxides is followed by their hydrolytic decomposition involving formation of simpler oxides and hydroxides.     

Determination of temperature and concentration of a vapor–gas mixture in a wake of water droplets moving through combustion products

Characteristic temperatures and concentrations of a vapor–gas mixture in a wake of water droplets moving through combustion products (initial temperature 1170 K) were determined using the Ansys Fluent mathematical modeling package. We investigated two variants of motion: motion of two droplets (with sizes from 1 mm to 3 mm), consecutive and parallel, and motion of five staggered droplets. The influence of the relative position of droplets and also of distances between them (varied from 0.01 mm to 5 mm) on temperatures and concentrations of water vapor was established. The distances determine the relation between the evaporation areas and the total volume occupied by a droplet aggregate in the gas medium. The results of modeling for conditions that take into account vaporization on the droplet surface at average constant values of evaporation rate and also with consideration of the change in the latter, depending on the droplet temperature field, are compared. We determined conditions under which the modeling results are comparable for the assumption of a constant vaporization rate and with regard to the dependence of the latter on temperature. The earlier hypothesis on formation of a buffer vapor layer (“thermal protection”) around a droplet, which decreases the thermal flow from the external gas medium, was validated.