Dynamics of cavitational bubbles and design of a hydrodynamic cavitational reactor: cluster approach

In the present work, a cavity cluster of predetermined size has been considered to study the bubble dynamics in the hydrodynamic cavitation reactor. The effect of different operating and system parameters on the cavitational intensity has been numerically investigated. The yield of any cavitationally induced physical/chemical transformations depends not only on the collapse pressure of the cavities but also on the active volume of cavitation within the reactor. Empirical correlations have been developed to predict the collapse pressure and the active volume of cavitation as a function of different operating parameters based on the bubble dynamics studies. Recommendations are made for designing a cavitational reactor on the basis of the proposed empirical correlations. This work is a first step towards the designing and optimization of hydrodynamic cavitational reactor with cluster approach.     

Ultrasonic bath with longitudinal vibrations: a novel configuration for efficient wastewater treatment

Efficacy of a novel configuration for large-scale wastewater treatment applications has been investigated using formic acid degradation as a model reaction. The reactor is first characterized using energy efficiency measurements and the optimum operating volume for maximum transfer of supplied energy and hence maximum cavitational effects has been established. Effect of initial concentration of the pollutant on the rates of degradation has been investigated. Comparison has been also made with the conventional ultrasonic horn in terms of energy efficiency and cavitational yield for the model reaction. With an aim of possible reduction in the total treatment time, some intensification studies have been undertaken considering hydrogen peroxide as an additional source of free radicals.     

An efficient background suppression ratio and output power using a novel fiber loop mirrors technique

This paper demontrates a novel configuration of a linear cavity erbium-doped fiber laser using fiber loop mirrors to effectively suppress the noise generated by the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE). A tunable filter is deployed in each fiber loop mirror to create a narrow passband for the selected mode. The fiber laser produces high background suppression ratio (BSR) of more than 75 dB from 1525 to 1565 nm at the output coupling of 95%. There is no residual ASE detected at the output to verify the effectiveness of the noise filtering in the proposed fiber laser. Low threshold powers are obtained in the range of 2.5–3 mW and the peak power variation is smaller than 1.6 dB.     

Electron scattering based on a novel internal target technique: SCRIT

A novel technique for forming internal targets, named SCRIT (Self-Confining RI Ion Target), has been developed, which can make electron scattering off short-lived radioactive nuclei possible in an electron storage ring. SCRIT confines the ions of interest by utilizing the “ion trapping” phenomenon in the electron storage ring. Approximately 10⁷ stable ¹³³Cs ions were trapped in a three-dimensional configuration along the electron beam axis at an electron beam current of 75mA. The angular distribution of the electrons scattered from the trapped ¹³³Cs ions was successfully measured, and a collision luminosity of 10²⁶/(cm² s) was achieved.     

Ultrasound and deep eutectic solvent (DES): A novel blend of techniques for rapid and energy efficient synthesis of oxazoles

The present work deals with the synthesis of novel oxazole compounds by using effective combination of ultrasound (US) and deep eutectic solvent (DES). The reaction was also conducted by thermal method (NUS) and the comparative studies are provided. It was observed that applying ultrasound not only improved yields and reduced reaction times but also saved more than 85% energy as shown by energy consumption calculations. The advantages of using DES as reaction medium is highlighted from the fact that it is bio-degradable, non-toxic, recyclable and could be easily prepared using inexpensive raw materials. The recyclability for DES was studied wherein it was found that ultrasound has no negative effects on DES even up to four runs. In addition, the present work is the first report on the combinative use of DES and US in organic synthesis.     

Modeling a novel energy harvester working in Lame mode

A new square shaped piezoelectric bimorph structure for energy scavenging purposes has been proposed and simulated. It is derived from theoretical analysis that the output power of the structure is proportional to the value of the resonant frequency. The device working in Lame mode has a much higher resonant frequency of 2.39 MHz than devices working in ordinary bending modes, which is expected to significantly increase the energy output of radioisotope power generators (RPGs). The results of static analysis and dynamic response show that output voltage is linear with the applied load; the output power is quadratic with the applied load.     

Oxygen-distribution imaging with a novel two-tracer laser-induced fluorescence technique

We introduce a new technique for imaging oxygen concentrations in fuel/air mixtures that takes advantage of the different responses of toluene and 3-pentanone to collisional quenching by molecular oxygen. Since laser-induced fluorescence signals from both tracers upon excitation at 248 nm are spectrally well separated, simultaneous detection is possible. The technique is first applied to instantaneous imaging in turbulent mixing processes of interacting seeded air and nitrogen flows. Received: 1 August 2001 / Revised version: 29 October 2001 / Published online: 29 November 2001     

Temperature Integration: An efficient procedure for calculation of free energy differences

We propose a method, Temperature Integration, which allows an efficient calculation of free energy differences between two systems of interest, with the same degrees of freedom, which may have rough energy landscapes. The method is based on calculating, for each single system, the difference between the values of lnZ$lnZ$ at two temperatures, using a Parallel Tempering procedure. If our two systems of interest have the same phase space volume, they have the same values of lnZ$lnZ$ at high-T$T$, and we can obtain the free energy difference between them, using the two single-system calculations described above. If the phase space volume of a system is known, our method can be used to calculate its absolute (versus relative) free energy as well. We apply our method and demonstrate its efficiency on a “toy model” of hard rods on a 1-dimensional ring.     

Development of a novel electric field-assisted modified hydrodynamic cavitation system for disintegration of waste activated sludge

In this current study, we present a modified hydrodynamic cavitation device that combines an electric field to substitute for the chemical addition. A modified HC system is basically an orifice plate and crisscross pipe assembly, in which the crisscross pipe imparts some turbulence, which creates collision events. This study shows that for maximizing disintegration, combining HC system, which called electric field-assisted modified orifice plate hydrodynamic cavitation (EFM-HC) in this study, with an electric field is important. Various HC systems were compared in terms of disintegration of WAS, and, among them, the EFM-HC system exhibited the best performance with the highest disintegration efficiency of 47.0 ± 2.0% as well as the destruction of WAS morphological characteristics. The experimental results clearly show that a conventional HC system was successfully modified. In addition, electric field has a great potential for efficient disintegration of WAS for as a additional option in a combination treatment. This study suggests continued research in this field may lead to an appropriate design for commercial use.     

A novel design for a variable energy positron lifetime spectrometer

We present computer simulations of a new design of a variable energy positron lifetime beam that uses for a start signal the secondary electron emission from a 25-nm thick carbon foil (C-foil) located in front of the sample. A needle of ∼30 μm diameter is positioned on-axis right behind the foil, creating a radial electric field that deflects the secondary electrons radially outward so as to miss the sample and to hit the micro-channel plate (MCP) detector placed down beam. The MCP signal provides the start signal for the positron lifetime spectrometer. A grid can be further introduced between the sample holder and the MCP to yield a cleaner signal by preventing the positrons with large transmitted scattering angle from hitting the MCP. The cylindrical symmetry of this design reduces the experimental complexity and offers good timing resolution. We show that the design is robust against the transmitted energy and angle of the secondary electrons and positrons.     

On the dynamics of a novel ocean wave energy converter

Buoy-type ocean wave energy converters are designed to exhibit resonant responses when subject to excitation by ocean waves. A novel excitation scheme is proposed which has the potential to improve the energy harvesting capabilities of these converters. The scheme uses the incident waves to modulate the mass of the device in a manner which amplifies its resonant response. To illustrate the novel excitation scheme, a simple one-degree of freedom model is developed for the wave energy converter. This model has the form of a switched linear system. After the stability regime of this system has been established, the model is then used to show that the excitation scheme improves the power harvesting capabilities by 25-65 percent even when amplitude restrictions are present. It is also demonstrated that the sensitivity of the device's power harvesting capabilities to changes in damping becomes much smaller when the novel excitation scheme is used.     

Sum-frequency vibrational spectroscopy on chiral liquids: a novel technique to probe molecular chirality

Optical activity in sum-frequency vibrational spectra has been observed for the first time in chiral liquids. The electric-dipole allowed chiral element of the nonlinear susceptibility appears to be 3 orders of magnitude smaller than typical allowed achiral elements. This is partly because the observed chirality requires a breakdown of the Born-Oppenheimer approximation.     

Preparation of a novel ferrofluidic photoresist for two-photon photopolymerization technique

We present a novel route for the preparation of ferrofluidic photoresist compatible with two-photon photopolymerization (TPP). To get a homogeneous ferrofluidic photoresit, the compatibility of photoresist and magnetic materials has been improved. Monodispersed Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles synthesized via thermal decomposition of iron precursor were stabilized by 6-(methacryloyloxy) hexanoic acid (a kind of acrylate-based monomer). A ferrofluidic photoresist was prepared by doping the modified Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles in acrylate-based resin. In this way, the dispersibility of nanoparticles in photoresist was enhanced significantly. As a representative example, a precise magnetic micron-sized spring was created. In the test of the magnetic response, the sensitivity of magnetic microspring was improved remarkably due to the optimization of the ferrofluidic photoresist. When the intensity of external magnetic field reached a value of 1500 Gs, the deformation rate of the microspring would get to 2.25, indicating the compatibility of the ferrofluidic photoresist in microfabrication.     

Liquids microprinting through a novel film-free femtosecond laser based technique

Laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) is a high resolution microprinting technique in which small amounts of material are transferred from a previously prepared donor thin film to a receptor substrate. The application of LIFT to liquid donor films allows depositing complex and fragile materials in solution or suspension without compromising the integrity of the deposited material. However, the main drawback of LIFT is the preparation of the donor material in thin film form, being difficult to obtain reproducible thin films with thickness uniformity and good stability.In this work we present a laser microprinting technique that is able to overcome the drawbacks associated with the preparation of the liquid film, allowing the deposition of well-defined uniform microdroplets with high reproducibility and resolution. The droplet transfer mechanism relies on the highly localized absorption of strongly focused femtosecond laser pulses underneath the free surface of the liquid contained in a reservoir.An analysis of the influence of laser pulse energy on the morphology of the printed droplets is carried out, revealing a clear correlation between the printed droplet dimensions and the laser pulse energy. Such correlation is interpreted in terms of the dynamics of the liquid displaced by a laser-generated cavitation bubble close to the free surface of the liquid. Finally, the feasibility of the technique for the production of miniaturized biosensors is tested.     

Shock treatment: Heavy quark drag in a novel AdS geometry

We calculate the drag force on a heavy quark hit by a shock wave, thus generalizing the strongly coupled AdS/CFT heavy quark drag calculations to both hot and cold nuclear matter. The derivation employs the trailing string configuration, similar to that used in the literature for a quark moving through a thermal medium, though in the shock metric the string profile is described by a much simpler analytic function. Our expression for the drag depends on the typical transverse momentum scale of the matter in the shock. For a thermal medium this scale becomes proportional to the temperature, making our drag coefficient and momentum limit of applicability identical to those found previously. As the shock wave can be composed of either thermalized or non-thermalized media, our derivation extends the existing drag calculations to the case of arbitrarily distributed matter.     

Refining a relativistic,hydrodynamic solver: Admitting ultra-relativistic flows

We have undertaken the simulation of hydrodynamic flows with bulk Lorentz factors in the range 10²–10⁶. We discuss the application of an existing relativistic, hydrodynamic primitive variable recovery algorithm to a study of pulsar winds, and, in particular, the refinement made to admit such ultra-relativistic flows. We show that an iterative quartic root finder breaks down for Lorentz factors above 10² and employ an analytic root finder as a solution. We find that the former, which is known to be robust for Lorentz factors up to at least 50, offers a 24% speed advantage. We demonstrate the existence of a simple diagnostic allowing for a hybrid primitives recovery algorithm that includes an automatic, real-time toggle between the iterative and analytical methods. We further determine the accuracy of the iterative and hybrid algorithms for a comprehensive selection of input parameters and demonstrate the latter’s capability to elucidate the internal structure of ultra-relativistic plasmas. In particular, we discuss simulations showing that the interaction of a light, ultra-relativistic pulsar wind with a slow, dense ambient medium can give rise to asymmetry reminiscent of the Guitar nebula leading to the formation of a relativistic backflow harboring a series of internal shockwaves. The shockwaves provide thermalized energy that is available for the continued inflation of the PWN bubble. In turn, the bubble enhances the asymmetry, thereby providing positive feedback to the backflow.     

A novel editing technique for F MRI: Molecule-specific imaging

A novel technique is proposed to facilitate the selective imaging of specific molecules from a mixture. The application of the technique presented here demonstrates the ability to selectively produce ¹⁹F MR images of either trifluoroacetic acid or the perfluorocarbon emulsion Oxypherol-ET (perfluorotributylamine), when both molecules are present simultaneously. Selective detection is based on the presence of homonuclear J-modulation in one molecule and differential spin-spin relaxation time (T₂). Perfluorotributylamine, an A₃B₂ system, is subject to homonuclear J-modulation, which produces a null signal from the antiphase components of the triplet (A₃) when an echo time is used in a spin-echo image. At this echo time the second molecule, in this example trifluoroacetic acid, a non-coupled spin system, is selectively imaged. At longer echo times, e.g., TE = 1/J there is substantial recovery of the J-modulated signal, which may be solely observed due to T₂ decay of the trifluoroacetic acid signal. The method is demonstrated both using phantoms and in vivo.     

Room-temperature Tm, Ho:LuLiF(4) laser with a novel quasi-end-pumping technique

A novel diode-pumped, efficient, quasi-end-pumping scheme that uses two lens ducts to achieve homogeneous pumping in a gain medium was proposed and evaluated. With this technique, room-temperature laser action at a pulse repetition frequency up to 20 Hz was demonstrated in 5%Tm, 0.5%Ho:LuLiF(4), which we grew by the Czochralski method. At 10 Hz a long-pulse laser output energy in excess of 24 mJ and a slope efficiency with respect to the incident pump energy of 10.7% were obtained.     

Aligned carbon nanotube from catalytic chemical vapor deposition technique for energy storage device: a review

Carbon nanomaterial especially carbon nanotube (CNT) possesses remarkably significant achievements towards the development of sustainable energy storage applications. This article reviews aligned CNTs grown from chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique as electrode material in batteries and electrochemical capacitors. As compared to the entangled CNTs, aligned or well-organized CNTs have advantages in specific surface area and ion accessibility in which more electrolyte ions can access to CNT surfaces for better charge storage performance. CVD known as the most popular technique to produce CNTs enables the use of various substrates and CNT can grow in a variety of forms, such as powder, films, aligned or entangled. Also, CVD is a simple and economic technique, and has good controllability of direction and CNT dimension. High purity of as-grown CNTs is also another beauty of the CVD technique. The current trend and performance of devices utilizing CNTs as electrode material is also extensively discussed.