One singularly perturbed Stefan problem describing destruction of the fuel layer in a laser target

A mathematical model of degradation of a deuterium-tritium (D-T) fuel layer located on the interior wall of a spherical shell is proposed. Such a shell with a solid layer frozen on it is a laser target that is employed in controlled thermonuclear fusion. As the laser target is delivered from the cryogenic chamber to the focus of the laser beam, the chamber stays, during a certain time interval, in a warm-gas cloud. During this time interval, the D-T layer degrades, and, in particular, its surface becomes nonideal. The mathematical model is formulated as a Stefan problem for a system of parabolic equations with nonlinear initial-boundary conditions. Small-parameter methods are applied to obtain an analytic solution to this problem, and the time during which the changes in the geometric parameters of the target’s fuel layer do not exceed technologically admissible values is estimated.     

Mathematical model of the oxidation of a uranium carbide fuel pellet including an adherent product layer

Uranium carbide is a candidate fuel for Generation IV nuclear reactors. However, like any candidate fuel, a reprocessing route should be established before implementation. One proposed method involves a pre-oxidation step, where the carbide fuel is oxidized to an oxide and then reprocessed as normal. A mathematical model has been developed to simulate such an oxidation using finite difference approximations of the heat and mass transfer processes occurring. Available literature was consulted to provide coefficients for the reaction rates and importantly the diffusion of oxygen through the adherent oxide layer that forms on the carbide: the rate limiting step. The transient temperature, oxygen and carbon monoxide distributions through the system are modeled in order to predict oxidation completion times and the temperatures reached. It was found that for a spherical pellet of radius 0.935 cm, the oxidation can take from 1 to 19 h depending on the oxidation conditions and reach temperatures of up to 1556 °C. A robust model results that offers increased understanding of a process crucial to the sustainable use of carbide fuels in energy generation.     

Unsteady energy transfer in a layer of gray gas by thermal radiation

Zusammenfassung Das Aufheizen oder Abkühlen einer ruhenden Schicht eines strahlenden Gases wird analysiert. Streuung der Strahlung wird dabei vernachlässigt, und der Wärmetransport durch Leitung und Konvektion wird als vernachlässigbar klein im Vergleich zum Strahlungsaustausch betrachtet. Ein Schema wird entwickelt für die numerische Lösung der nichtlinearen Integral-Differentialgleichung der Energie. Von einer beliebig angenommenen Anfangsverteilung der Temperatur ausgehend werden Temperaturen und Strahlungs-Wärmestromdichten als Funktion der Zeit ermittelt. Weiterhin werden für konstante und sich ändernde Stoffgrössen die Einflüsse der optischen Dicke, der Anfangstemperaturverteilung und der einfallenden Strahlung auf die Temperaturverteilung und den Wärmetransport dargestellt.     

Mathematical modelling of the catalyst layer of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell

In this paper, we derive a mathematical model for the cathodecatalyst layer of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell. The modelexplicitly incorporates the restriction placed on oxygen inreaching the reaction sites, capturing the experimentally observedfall in the current density to a limiting value at low cellvoltages. Temperature variations and interfacial transfer ofO₂ between the dissolved and gas phases are also included. Boundson the solutions are derived from which we provide a rigourousproof that the model admits a solution. Of particular interestare the maximum and minimum attainable values. We perform anasymptotic analysis in several limits inherent in the problemby identifying important groupings of parameters. This analysisreveals a number of key relationships between the solutions,including the current density, and the composition of the layer.A comparison of numerically computed solutions and asymptoticsolutions shows very good agreement. Implications of the resultsare discussed and future work is outlined.     

Solutions of thermal boundary layer equations when temperature gradient at the moving flat plate in parabolic flow is prescribed

Solutions of steady as well as unsteady three-dimensional incompressible thermal boundary layer equations are studied when the temperature gradient at the moving flat plate in parabolic flow is prescribed. A general analysis is made and different cases are studied by giving values to β and Cx which determine the gradient and curvature of the outer flow steam lines. The components of velocity in boundary layer are discussed by Sarma and Gupta and those results are used to analyse the thermal boundary layer equations. The response of temperature of the plate are studied for large and small times and curves are drawn representing the variation of temperature with time for various cases. The limiting time is also calculated.     

An interior layer in the thermal power-law blown film model

Film blowing is a highly complex industrial process used to manufacture thin sheets of polymer. Models that describe this process are highly nonlinear and numerical instabilities often occur when solving the highly nonlinear differential equations. This paper investigates the structure of typical solutions that arise when the polymer is assumed to be described by a power-law fluid operating under nonisothermal conditions. We consider both a shear-thinning and shear-thickening polymer and use a balance of orders argument to identify the structure of a region of rapid expansion in the radial profile of the film. A mixture of heuristic and singular perturbation techniques is applied to obtain a closed form approximate expression for the radial profile of the film which displays the interior layer phenomenon. We demonstrate how approximate solutions to the highly nonlinear two-point boundary value problem describing this process may be constructed using this expression as an initial estimate in an iterative scheme. Numerical solutions for the radial temperature, velocity and thickness profiles of the film are subsequently obtained by iteration.     

A probabilistic model of thermal explosion in polydisperse fuel spray

This work is concerned with an analysis of polydisperse spray droplets distribution on the thermal explosion processes. In many engineering applications it is usual to relate to the practical polydisperse spray as a monodisperse spray. The Sauter Mean Diameter (SMD) and its variations are frequently used for this purpose [13]. The SMD and its modifications depend only on “integral” characterization of polydisperse sprays and can be the same for very different types of polydisperse spray distributions.The current work presents a new, simplified model of the thermal explosion in a combustible gaseous mixture containing vaporizing fuel droplets of different radii (polydisperse). The polydispersity is modeled using a probability density function (PDF) that corresponds to the initial distribution of fuel droplets size. This approximation of polydisperse spray is more accurate than the traditional ‘parcel’ approximation and permits an analytical treatment of the simplified model. Since the system of the governing equations represents a multi-scale problem, the method of invariant (integral) manifolds is applied.An explicit expression of the critical condition for thermal explosion limit is derived analytically. Numerical simulations demonstrate an essential dependence of these thermal explosion conditions on the PDF type and represent a natural generalization of the thermal explosion conditions of the classical Semenov theory.     

Transient thermal model for the hot chamber injection system in the pressure die casting process

This paper describes a three-dimensional numerical model that is used to predict the transient thermal behaviour of the metal injection system of a hot chamber pressure die casting machine. The behaviour of the injection system is considered in conjunction with that of the die. The Boundary Element Method (BEM) is used to model the transient thermal behaviour of the injection system elements and the die blocks. A perturbation approach is adopted. By adopting this approach, only those surfaces over which a significant transient variation in temperature occurs need be considered. The model assumes that a corresponding steady-state analysis has first been performed so that time-averaged thermal information is available. A finite element based technique is used to model the phase change of the liquid metal in the die cavity and in the injection system. At injection the nozzle and die are assumed to be instantly filled with liquid metal, however, a procedure is presented that attempts to model the heat transfer associated with the flow through the nozzle, gate, and runner regions during injection. Model predictions are compared against thermocouple readings and thermal images obtained from experimental tests. Good agreement is obtained between predicted and measured temperatures. The transient thermal behaviour of an existing hot chamber injection system is investigated in detail and recommendations for improved performance are made. In an attempt to improve the solidification pattern of the casting and the thermal behaviour of the injection system, a redesign of the experimental die is considered. The numerical predictions indicate that the redesign will have a beneficial effect on the solidification pattern of the casting, and on the performance of the injection system.     

Theoretical analysis of a model of the thermal boundary layer with drag

For solutions of a system of degenerate quasilinear parabolic equations we prove some interior Schauder estimates and use them to establish an existence theorem for solutions of the problem of extending the thermal boundary layer of a compressible fluid in a magnetic field.     

The model of security market when the security price is a continuous semimartingale

In this paper, we set the stock price model in security market when the price process is a continuous semartingale, and find a unigue solution of price process model.     

Effects of thermal radiation on the boundary layer flow of a Jeffrey fluid over an exponentially stretching surface

In the present investigation we have analyzed the boundary layer flow of a Jeffrey fluid over an exponentially stretching surface. The effects of thermal radiation are carried out for two cases of heat transfer analysis known as (1) Prescribed exponential order surface temperature (PEST) and (2) Prescribed exponential order heat flux (PEHF). The highly nonlinear coupled partial differential equations of Jeffrey fluid flow along with the energy equation are simplified by using similarity transformation techniques based on boundary layer assumptions. The reduced similarity equations are then solved analytically by the homotopy analysis method (HAM). The convergence of the HAM series solution is obtained by plotting (^h/_2p)\hbar-curves for velocity and temperature. The effects of physical parameters on the velocity and temperature profiles are examined by plotting graphs.     

A control theory approach in the theory of search when the motion of the target is conditionally deterministic with stochastic parameters

The target is moving in a discrete space, consisting of cells, according to so called conditionally deterministic law with stochastic parameters. A necessary condition for search density to be optimal is determined by using control theory in the cases when a) probability of detection during given time is to be maximized and b) expected search time is to be minimized. The results obtained are applicable also in the cases where the conditional non-detection function is not convex.     

Non-Darcy unsteady mixed convection flow near the stagnation point on a heated vertical surface embedded in a porous medium with thermal radiation and variable viscosity

The unsteady mixed convection boundary layer flow near the stagnation point on a heated vertical plate embedded in a fluid saturated porous medium is studied. It is assumed that the unsteadiness is caused by the impulsive motion of the free stream velocity and by sudden increase in the surface temperature. Both the buoyancy assisting and the buoyancy opposing flow situations are considered with combined effects of the first and second order resistance of solid matrix of non-Darcy porous medium, variable viscosity and radiation. The problem is reduced to a system of non-dimensional partial differential equations, which is solved numerically using the Keller-box method. The features of the flow and the heat transfer characteristics for different values of the governing parameters are analyzed and discussed. The surface shear stress and the heat transfer of the present study are compared with the available results and a good agreement is found.