CaCO3 scaling in AISI 316 stainless steel tubes – effect of thermal and hydraulic parameters on the induction time and growth rate

Calcium Carbonate (CaCO₃) is predominantly present in cooling water which is commonly used as a coolant in many industrial processes. It has inverse solubility characteristics i.e., it is less soluble in warm water, resulting in the deposition of scale on heat transfer surfaces. An experimental study was carried out to determine the effect of tube surface temperature, Reynolds number, tube diameter and salt concentration on the induction time of CaCO₃ scaling. It was observed that tube surface temperature, Reynolds number and tube diameter had no effect on the onset time of scaling, whereas salt concentration and tube surface roughness had a profound influence on the induction period. The data collected from the experiments were used to develop dimensionless fouling resistance models for estimation and prediction purposes. Received on 22 December 1997     

Capillary Adhesion Between Elastically Hard Rough Surfaces

The adhesion versus vapor pressure (p/p _s) trend between two elastically hard rough surfaces is modeled and compared with experimental results. The experimental samples were hydrophilic surface-micromachined cantilevers, in which the nanometer-scale surface roughness is on the order of the Kelvin radius. The experimental results indicated that adhesion increases exponentially from p/p _s=0.3 to 0.95, with values from 1 mJ/m² to 50 mJ/m². Using the Kelvin equation to determine the force-displacement curves, the mechanics of a wetted rough interface are treated in two ways. First, the characteristics of a surface with rigid asperities of uniform height are derived. At low p/p _s, menisci surrounding individual asperities do not interact. Beyond a transition value, [p/p _s]_tr, a given meniscus grows beyond the asperity it is associated with, and liquid fills the interface. Capillary adhesion in each realm is found according to the integrated work of adhesion. Second, a more general approach allowing an arbitrary height distribution of Hertzian asperities subject to capillary forces is justified and developed. To compare with experimental results, a Gaussian height distribution is first assumed but significantly underestimates the measured adhesion. This is because equilibrium is found far into the Gaussian tail, where asperities likely do not exist. It is shown that by bounding the tail to more likely limits, the measured adhesion trend is more closely followed but is still not satisfactorily matched by the model. The uniform summit height model fits the data very well with a single free parameter. These results can be rationalized if the upper and lower surfaces are geometrically correlated.     

Evolution of subsequent yield surfaces and elastic constants with finite plastic deformation. Part III: Yield surface in tension–tension stress space (Al 6061–T 6511 and annealed 1100 Al)

Subsequent yield surfaces for aluminum alloys are determined for three proportional loading paths (i.e., axial, hoop, and combined hoop and axial stress) using 10 με deviation from linearity as the definition of yield. This paper is in continuation with Parts I and II of the author’s previous papers on subsequent yield surfaces under tension–torsion (σ11–√3σ₁₂) stress space using similar small offset definition of yield. In the current paper comprehensive experimental results on subsequent yield surfaces under tension–tension (σ₁₁–σ₂₂) stress space are presented. Comparison of subsequent yield surfaces under (σ₁₁–√3σ₁₂) stress space, investigated in the earlier papers, clearly indicated distinctive hardening behavior under various loading paths. However, subsequent yield surfaces for Al 6061–T 6511 (a low work hardening alloy) showed contraction and negative cross-effect with finite deformation as compared to the annealed 1100 Al (a high work hardening alloy) where expansion and positive cross-effect was observed.     

Transport of mass and energy of polyatomic gases in magnetic fields computed by a Monte Carlo algorithm

The transport of mass through a rectangular channel and of energy between parallel surfaces of polyatomic gases in the Knudsen regime and in the presence of external magnetic fields is calculated by means of a Monte Carlo algorithm. A four-parameter mathematical model is proposed that takes into account the dynamical aspects of molecule-surface interactions and the influence of external magnetic fields on the angular momentum of polyatomic molecules. The Monte Carlo algorithm makes use of the Latin super-cube sampling method, correlated samplings, and the concept of importance sampling. The four parameters are determined by an optimised method based on the Monte Carlo algorithm and on experimental results for the mass flux rate of the gases N₂ and CO in the presence of external magnetic fields through a rectangular channel with surfaces coated with Au. The optimised values of the parameters are used to determine the behaviour of the mass flux rate through a rectangular channel and the heat flux between two parallel plates for the gases N₂ and CO as a function of the applied magnetic field. The calculated curves fit the experimental data well.Received: 18 February 2003, Accepted: 2 September 2003, Published online: 12 December 2003PACS: 05.60.-k, 51.60. + aCorrespondence to: G.M. Kremer     

Chemical Alterations Induced by Rock�CFluid Interactions When Injecting Brines in High Porosity Chalks

Effect of the aqueous chemistry on the mechanical strength of chalk has extensively been studied during the last decade. At high temperatures (~130°C), chalk exposed to seawater is significantly weaker compared to chalk exposed to distilled water when considering the hydrostatic yield strength and the following creep phase. The explanation of these experimental results must be of a chemical nature, as the density and viscosity of the aqueous phase vary little among these different brines. We present the results from simplified aqueous chemistry using MgCl₂ brines, and compare these results with seawater. Previous studies show that different ions, e.g. Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, ${{\rm SO}{_{4}}^{2-}}$ in the injected brine, as well as the chalk mineralogy have an impact on the stability of the rock. We performed mechanical tests on chalk cores from Liège and Stevns Klint; it was found that these two outcrop chalks exhibit an unexpected difference in their mechanical responses when comparing cores flooded with NaCl and MgCl₂ at 130°C. The results of this study show that the effects of magnesium seem to be governed not only by the differences in mineralogy, but also a time dependency on chalk deformation is additionally observed. Independent of the chalk type tested, the chemical analyses performed show that when MgCl₂ is flooded through the core, a significant loss of magnesium and a considerable additional amount of calcium are detected in the effluent. The experimental observations fit very well with the time-dependent chemical changes gained from the mathematical model of this study that accounts for transport effects (convection and molecular diffusion) as well as chemical processes such as precipitation/dissolution. Based on the calculations and chemical analyses, we argue that the loss of magnesium and the production of calcium cannot solely be a consequence of a substitution process. The calculations rather indicate that magnesium is precipitated forming new mineral phases and in this process not only calcite, but also silicates are dissolved. The amount of dissolved calcium and silicon from the rock matrix is significant and could thus cause an additional deformation to take place. Both the retention of magnesium in the chalk core and the formation of newly precipitated magnesium-bearing carbonates and/or magnesium-bearing clay-like minerals after flooding with MgCl₂ brine were demonstrated using scanning electron microscopic methods. In addition, precipitation of anhydrite as a result of flooding with seawater-like brine was proven. The water-induced strain not only depends on the ion composition of the injected brine; moreover, the presence of non-carbonate minerals will most likely also have a significant influence on the mechanical behaviour of chalk.     

A parametric study of CaCO3 scaling in AISI 316 stainless steel tubes

 The formation of undesirable layer of deposits on the heat-transfer surface is defined as fouling. These deposits present a major problem in the operation and maintenance of heat exchangers, particularly in cooling-water systems. It has been generally observed that the deposits in such systems consist mainly of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), which has inverse solubility characteristics. An experimental study was carried out to determine the effect of tube surface temperature, Reynolds number, tube diameter and salt concentration on the growth of CaCO₃ scale. In this paper, effects of some of these parameters on fouling growth are discussed. The effect of CaCO₃ concentration on the scale growth is compared with the ionic diffusion model presented by Hasson. The variation of the fouling thickness along the length of the heat exchanger is also illustrated. Furthermore, dimensionless parameters are introduced to present the fouling resistance data collected during the experimental study. Received on 14 June 2000     

Weakly magnetic field-assisted synthesis of magnetite nano-particles in oxidative co-precipitation

This paper presents experimental results on weakly magnetic field-assisted synthesis of magnetite （Fe3O4） nano-particles in an oxidative co-precipitation method, in comparison to the case without magnetic induction. The XRD results show that a weakly magnetic induction below 220 Gs could accelerate the phase transformation from goethite （α-FeOOH） to magnetite （Fe3O4）, and affect the crystal structure, the particle size/morphology and magnetic response of the magnetite nano-particles synthesized. In addition, a higher concentration of the FeCl2 solution in the synthesis reaction led to finer particles, both with and without magnetic induction.     

Strength criterion and elastoplastic constitutive model of frozen silt in generalized plastic mechanics

Triaxial compressive tests of frozen silt were carried out under confining pressures from 0.0 to 14.0 MPa at the temperatures of −2, −4 and −6 °C. A strength criterion based upon experimental results is presented by the combination of extended Lade–Duncan strength function f_π(θ) in π-plane and f_p–q(p) in p–q-plane. In order to describe the deformation characteristic of frozen silt, an elastoplastic constitutive model in generalized plastic mechanics has been proposed for the nonlinear behavior of frozen silt, such as the pressure melting and crushing phenomena, strain softening/hardening characteristics and dilatation, etc., by employing an elliptical yield surface, together with a non-associated flow rule for the compressive mechanism, and two parabolic yield surfaces, together with non-associated flow rules for the shear mechanism. The validity of the model is verified by comparing its modeling results with the results of triaxial compressive tests. It is found that the stress–strain curves predicted by this model agree well with the corresponding experimental results both under low and high confining pressures.     

Determination of the Effective Probabilities of Catalytic Reactions on the Surfaces of Heat Shield Materials in Dissociated Carbon Dioxide Flows

The effect of heterogeneous catalysis on the heat transfer to cold and heated surfaces in subsonic dissociated carbon dioxide jet flows is studied experimentally, using a 100 kW inductive plasma generator, and simulated numerically. The effective probabilities of the heterogeneous reactions CO + O → CO₂ and O + O → O₂ on molybdenum (T_w=300 K) and quartz (T_w=470–620 K) surfaces, the Buran heat shield tile coating (T_w = 1470—1670 K), and two oxidation-resistant carbon-carbon coating materials (T_w=1420—1840 K) are determined by comparing the experimental and calculated data on the heat fluxes at the stagnation point of models at a pressure of 0.1 atm.     

Multiaxial constitutive model accounting for the strength-differential in Inconel 718

The nickel-base alloy Inconel 718 exhibits a strength-differential, that is, a different plastic flow behavior in uniaxial tension and uniaxial compression. A phenomenological viscoplastic model founded on thermodynamics has been extended for material behavior that deviates from classical metal plasticity by including all three stress invariants in the threshold function. The model can predict plastic flow in isotropic materials with or without a flow stress asymmetry as well as with or without pressure dependence. Viscoplastic material parameters have been fit to pure shear, uniaxial tension, and uniaxial compression experimental results at 650°°C. Threshold function material parameters have been fit to the strength-differential. Four classes of threshold functions have been considered and nonproportional loading of hollow tubes, such as shear strain followed by axial strain, has been used to select the most applicable class of threshold function for the multiaxial model as applied to Inconel 718 at 650 °C. These nonproportional load paths containing corners provide a rigorous test of a plasticity model, whether it is time-dependent or not. A J₂J₃ class model, where J₂ and J₃ are the second and third effective deviatoric stress invariants, was found to agree the best with the experimental results.     

Preparation of calcium sulfate whiskers from FGD gypsum via hydrothermal crystallization in the H2SO4–NaCl–H2O system

Little attention has thus far been paid to the potential effect of solution composition on the hydrothermal crystallization of calcium sulfate whiskers prepared from flue-gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum. When purified FGD gypsum was used as raw material, the morphology and phase structure of the hydrothermal products grown in pure water, H₂SO₄–H₂O, NaCl–H₂O, and H₂SO₄–NaCl–H₂O solutions as well as the solubility of purified FGD gypsum in these solutions were investigated. The results indicate that calcium sulfate whiskers grow favorably in the H₂SO₄–NaCl–H₂O system. When prepared using 10–70 g NaCl/kg gypsum −0.01 M H₂SO₄–H₂O at 130 °C for 60 min, the obtained calcium sulfate whiskers had diameters ranging from 3 to 5 μm and lengths from 200 to 600 μm, and their phase structure was calcium sulfate hemihydrate (HH). Opposing effects of sulfuric acid and sodium chloride on the solubility of the purified FGD gypsum were observed. With the co-presence of sulfuric acid and sodium chloride in the reaction solution, the concentrations of Ca²⁺ and SO₄²⁻ can be kept relatively stable, which implies that the crystallization of the hydrothermal products can be controlled by changing the concentrations of sulfuric acid and sodium chloride.     

An experimental investigation of the sonic criterion for transition from regular to Mach reflection of weak shock waves

The signal speed, namely the local sound speed plus the flow velocity, behind the reflected shocks produced by the interaction of weak shock waves (M _i < 1.4) with rigid inclined surfaces has been measured for several shock strengths close to the point of transition from regular to Mach reflection. The signal speed was measured using piezo-electric transducers, and with a multiple schlieren system to photograph acoustic signals created by a spark discharge behind a small aperture in the reflecting surfaces. Both methods yielded results with equal values within experimental error. The theoretical signal speeds behind regularly reflected shocks were calculated using a non-stationary model, and these agreed with the measured results at large angles of incidence. As the angle of incidence was reduced, for the same incident shock Mach number, so as to approach the point of transition from regular to Mach reflection, the measured values of the signal speed deviated significantly from the theoretical predictions. It was found, within experimental uncertainty, that transition from regular to Mach reflection occurred at the experimentally observed sonic point, namely, when the signal speed was equal to the speed of the reflection point along the reflecting surface. This sonic condition did not coincide with the theoretical value.     

Modeling Floodplain Filtration for the Improvement of River Water Quality

A mathematical model was developed to describe a treatment method of floodplain filtration for the improvement of river water quality. The process consists of spraying poor quality river water onto the river floodplains and thus allowing soil filtration to treat water before it gets back again into the main river stream. This technique can be readily employed in Korea because it exploits the characteristics of the climate and rivers in the country, as described in an experimental study of Chung et al. The model was analyzed by numerical methods and validated by comparing the simulated values with experimental data. A scenario analysis of the model was also performed in order to have a better understanding of the floodplain filtration process. Our results show that the model was able to predict the reduction in organic matter and NO₃^– in river water through the floodplain filtration. Furthermore, it was found that only a few decimeters of top soil profile were enough to degrade most of the organic matter under wider operational conditions than those reported in the literature. Also, it was found that significant infiltration of atmospheric oxygen took place near the soil surface. The N₂O emission and the NO₃^– leaching increased with the increase in the influent NO₃^– concentration. However, the N₂O emission due to floodplain filtration was not expected to exceed 0.1 mL/m²-day.     

Mechanism for the promotional formation of NH4+ by SO2 on different mineral dust surfaces

Ammonium is an important atmospheric particulate component that dictates many environmental processes. The promotion of the heterogeneous conversion of NH₃ to NH₄⁺ by SO₂ on different mineral dust surfaces displays remarkable discrepancies, especially on MgO and α-Fe₂O₃ surfaces, however, the underlying mechanisms are not well known. Here, using periodic density functional theory (DFT) calculation and Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics (BOMD) simulation, we explored the heterogeneous adsorption of NH₃ on MgO (110) and α-Fe₂O₃ (001) surfaces in the presence and absence of SO₂. The results show that on MgO (110) surface, hydrogen-bonding interactions of NH₃ on both adsorbed hydroxyl or bisulfite/bisulfate sites are observed no matter whether SO₂ is present or not. While, on the α-Fe₂O₃ (001) surface, significant conversion of NH₃ to NH₄⁺ occurs with the coexistence of SO₂, which is due to the hydrogen transfer reaction from surface HSO₄ to N in NH₃. The fundamental reason may be that the stronger electron affinity of Fe³⁺ than Mg²⁺ results in adsorbed bisulfate and/or bisulfite with greater acidity on α-Fe₂O₃ surface than MgO surface. Our results give a molecular-level explanation for the heterogeneous conversion of NH₃ to NH₄⁺ on different mineral dust surfaces under complex air pollution conditions. Considering the fact that ammonium is abundant in secondary particulates, this work would help in understanding the rapid conversion of ammonia to ammonium and in developing classification governance policies for the key precursor pollutants in China.     

Numerical analysis of simulation accuracy for hypersonic heat transfer in subsonic jets of dissociated nitrogen

One-dimensional problems of the flow in a boundary layer of finite thickness on the end face of a model and in a thin viscous shock layer on a sphere are solved numerically for three regimes of subsonic flow past a model with a flat blunt face exposed to subsonic jets of pure dissociated nitrogen in an induction plasmatron [1] (for stagnation pressures of (10⁴–3·10⁴) N/m² and an enthalpy of 2.1·10⁷ m²/sec²) and three regimes of hypersonic flow past spheres with parameters related by the local heat transfer simulation conditions [2, 3]. It is established that given equality of the stagnation pressures, enthalpies and velocity gradients on the outer edges of the boundary layers at the stagnation points on the sphere and the model, for a model of radius R_m=1.5·10^–2 m in a subsonic jet the accuracy of reproduction of the heat transfer to the highly catalytic surface of a sphere in a uniform hypersonic flow is about 3%. For surfaces with a low level of catalytic activity the accuracy of simulation of the nonequilibrium heat transfer is determined by the deviations of the temperatures at the outer edges of the boundary layers on the body and the model. For this case the simulation conditions have the form: dU_e/dx=idem, p₀=idem, T_e=idem. At stagnation pressuresP ₀2·10⁴ N/m² irrespective of the catalycity of the surface the heat flux at the stagnation point and the structure of the boundary layer near the axis of symmetry of models with a flat blunt face of radius R_m1.5·10^–2 m exposed to subsonic nitrogen jets in a plasmatron with a discharge channel radius R_c=3·10^–2 m correspond closely to the case of spheres in hypersonic flows with parameters determined by the simulation conditions [2, 3].Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 2, pp. 135–143, March–April, 1990.     

Growth characteristics of spherical titanium oxide nanoparticles during the rapid gaseous detonation reaction

The nanosize grain growth characteristics of spherical single-crystal titanium oxide (TiO₂) during the rapid gaseous detonation reaction are discussed. Based on the experimental conditions and the Chapman–Jouguet theory, the Kruis model was introduced to simulate the growth characteristics of spherical TiO₂ nanoparticles obtained under high pressure, high temperature and by rapid reaction. The results show that the numerical analysis can satisfactorily predict the growth characteristics of spherical TiO₂ nanoparticles with diameters of 15–300 nm at different affecting factors, such as concentration of particles, reaction temperature and time, which are in agreement with the obtained experimental results. We found that the increase of the gas-phase reaction temperature, time, and particle concentration affects the growth tendency of spherical nanocrystal TiO₂, which provides effective theoretical support for the controllable synthesis of multi-scale nanoparticles.     

Microstructural effects on yield surface evolution in cubic metals using the viscoplastic ?-model

Polycrystalline yield surfaces of metals are a good way to characterize the anisotropy of plastic deformation. The evolution of these surfaces is impossible to accurately reproduce without taking into account the evolution of the material microstructure such as texture development. In this paper, a numerical computation of yield surfaces using the viscoplastic ?-model is proposed. Results concerning face-centered cubic metals subjected to a plane strain compression test are presented. The influence of several mechanical parameters (strain hardening, strain rate sensitivity coefficient and accumulated deformation) on subsequent yield surfaces evolution is studied. The analysis of the change in the shape and size of the yield surfaces shows that the results depend strongly on the parameter ? which controls the strength of the interactions in the polycrystal. In addition, the predictions are compared to the widely used viscoplastic self-consistent model as well as to experimental yield loci taken from the literature for various aluminum alloy sheets. A fairly good qualitative agreement between our ?-model results and the experimental ones is found. The probable links between the parameter ? and the microstructural features such as the stacking fault energy and the grain size of the polycrystal are also briefly discussed.     

高温润滑脂中WS_2亚微米粒子的摩擦学性能研究

以新型润滑材料WS2亚微米粒子作为高温润滑脂添加剂,对其在高温润滑脂中于不同温度下所起的抗磨、减摩、抗极压等摩擦学性能进行了研究,并用电子探针显微镜和俄歇电子能谱仪分析了钢球磨斑表面形貌与表面典型元素的面分布和深度分布.结果表明:在不同温度尤其高温下,WS2亚微米粒子能显著提高润滑脂的摩擦学性能;在摩擦过程中,WS2亚微米粒子在摩擦副表面形成WS2吸附膜和含Fe、S的化学反应膜来有效减少摩擦磨损,增强润滑脂的抗磨、减摩和极压性能,从而更好地保护摩擦表面.     

Thermal validation of a simple moving boundary model to determine the frying time of a thin potato crisp

A simple moving boundary model was redesigned to describe the immersion frying of a thin cut potato crisp of thickness 2 mm. The model took into account the effects of a variable oil convection heat transfer coefficient. In the model, the centre temperature was defined as a value of a region rather than a point. The model also predicted the effect of some shift in the location of the thermocouple on the measurements. Experiments at oil temperatures of 170, 180 and 190 °C were conducted to verify whether or not the model predictions were accurate. Good agreement was found between the experimental and predicted values, which were generally within the t ₉₉(0.01) confidence interval of the experimental data. Received on 3 November 1998