Rapid mixing studies in an entrained flow process

This paper describes the experimental results of rapid mixing studies for a high temperature, entrained flow process (with flow time scales of a few milliseconds) where very rapid mixing and particle heating is required. To study the effect of mixing, experiments were conducted in a hot (about 2600 K) reacting entrained flow coal pyrolysis system using several coal and steam injector geometries designed to achieve uniform dispersion of coal particles in the hot background gases. These tests were conducted in the Avco Research Laboratory's high-throughput, two-stage, entrained flow reactor facility. To visually observe the mixing and solids dispersion patterns, a cold flow (room temperature) analog was developed by matching several dimensionless hydrodynamic groups with the hot reacting gasifier system. Experiments in the cold flow analog were carried out in a glass apparatus using air to simulate the main flow and using spherical glass beads carried by nitrogen to simulate the coal feed. Photographic techniques were used to study the mixing and spatial distribution of the particles. The results from the cold flow tests and the coal carbon conversions from hot flow runs indicate that the improvement in mixing results in higher pyrolysis yields that are no longer limited by gross, time-averaged mixing behavior but rather by chemical kinetics.     

Residence time distribution study in a pilot-scale gas–solid fluidized bed reactor using radiotracer technique

This paper describes a radiotracer study carried out to measure residence time distribution (RTD) of coal particles in a pilot-scale gas–solid fluidized bed reactor (FBR). Gold-198 labelled on coal particles was used as radiotracer. RTD measurements were conducted for selected operating conditions and mean residence times (MRTs) of the coal particles were determined. Gamma function model was used to simulate the measured RTD data and mixing of coal particles in the reactor was investigated. Based on the results, the performance of the air distributor used in the reactor was evaluated.     

Comparative Study of Plasma Spray Flow Fields and Particle Behavior Near to Flat Inclined Substrates

Numerical models have been developed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis program FLUENT V6.02^© to investigate the effect of the substrate on the behavior of the plasma flow fields and in-flight particles. Simulations are performed for cases where flat substrates are either present or absent, for the former, the substrate is oriented perpendicularly or inclined to the torch axis. It is shown that although the presence of perpendicular or inclined substrate significantly influences the plasma flow fields at the vicinity of the substrate, the particle behavior remain relatively unaffected. The insignificant effect of the substrate on particle behavior is qualitatively verified by experimental observation using SprayWatch^© imaging diagnostics equipment. Images captured by the equipment confirm that the particles travel through the plasma plume with high momentum and show no sudden change in theirtrajectories right before impacting the substrate. Both the numerical and experimental findings show that the freestream model is sufficiently detailed for future work of this nature.     

Mechanism of gas-phase oxidation of hydrogen sulfide at high temperatures

A kinetic model of oxidation of hydrogen sulfide is proposed. The model contains 201 elementary stages, 23 particles, and satisfactorily describes the experimental data in a wide range of temperatures and pressures.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 9, pp. 1956–1966, September, 1990.We would like to thank M. G. Neigauz, the author of the kinetic program, for providing the program and constant assistance in performing the calculations.     

Comparison between Two Turbulence Models and Analysis of the Effect of the Substrate Movement on the Flow Field of a Plasma Jet

In the first part of the present study, an appropriate inflow turbulent boundary condition is chosen. Then, a comparison is made between two turbulence models for a plasma jet discharged into air atmosphere. The plasma jet gas phase flow is predicted with the standard k–ɛ model and the RNG model of turbulence. Particles behavior is modeled using stochastic particles trajectories. A validation of the plasma jet model is made by comparison with experimental data. This part of the study shows that the flow features are better predicted with the RNG model. The choice of appropriate boundary conditions seems to be crucial for a better simulation of plasma thermal spraying. Afterwards, computations are performed for projection of Ni particles. It is found that the computed particles velocities and temperatures are also better predicted with the RNG model compared with the k–ɛ model. The second part of this study is concerned with the effect of the substrate movement on the gas flow field. This is performed in order to simulate a realistic coatings process where a relative movement between the torch and the substrate always exists. Three substrate velocities have been used and it is found that the flow fields are affected only very near the substrate wall.     

Monte Carlo simulation of ion transport in non-linear ion mobility spectrometry

A program for Monte Carlo simulation of ion transport in non-linear ion mobility spectrometry, also known as field asymmetric ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS) or differential mobility spectrometry (DMS), has been developed. Simulations are based on elastic collisions between the ions and the gas particles, and take into account the effects of flow dynamics and asymmetric electric fields. Using this program, the separation and diffusion of the ions moving in a planar DMS filtration gap are demonstrated. Ion focusing in a cylindrical filtration gap is also confirmed. A characteristic compensation voltage is found to provide insight for understanding separation in non-linear ion mobility spectrometry. The simulation program is used to study the characteristics of non-linear ion mobility spectrometry, the effect of the carrier gas flow, and the dependence of the compensation voltage and nonlinear mobility coefficient (α) on the applied asymmetric electric field.     

On-line monitoring,modeling, and model validation of semibatch emulsion polymerization in an automated reactor control facility

The modeling of the semibatch emulsion polymerization of styrene and its validation against data obtained from a reactor facility is presented. The model, which describes the growth of a monodisperse polystyrene seed as neat monomer is fed to the reactor, incorporates recent findings in radical diffusion and kinetics. The current controversy surrounding radical absorption into particles is handled by considering absorption via propagation, diffusion, and collision in the model. Simulation results including weight fraction polymer inside the particles and particle diameter are compared to data obtained from a custom-designed and built automated reactor control facility capable of on-line density and on-line particle diameter measurements. Good agreement between simulation results and experimental data are obtained for any of the three absorption mechanisms considered by varying only one adjustable parameter located in the absorption rate coefficient relation. A sensitivity analysis of the model to this adjustable parameter, using the program ODESSA, is also presented and shown to be an important tool in the validation procedure. Lastly, an analysis of the dynamics of the process shows the variety of phenomena that can be obtained in a semibatch reactor including regions that exhibit pseudosteady states, autoacceleration of the rate, and limiting conversion. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 1553–1571, 1998     

Dielectrophoretic levitation in the presence of shear flow: implications for colloidal fouling of filtration membranes

The ability of dielectrophoretic (DEP) forces created using a microelectrode array to levitate particles in a colloidal suspension is studied experimentally and theoretically. The experimental system employs microfabricated electrode arrays on a glass substrate to apply repulsive DEP forces on polystyrene latex particles suspended in an aqueous medium. A numerical model based on the convection-diffusion-migration equation is presented to calculate the concentration distribution of colloidal particles in shear flow under the influence of a repulsive DEP force field. The results obtained from the numerical simulations are compared against trajectory analysis results and experimental data. The results indicate that by incorporating ac electric field-induced DEP forces in a shear flow, particle accumulation and deposition on the flow channel surfaces can be significantly reduced or even completely averted. The mathematical model is then used to indicate how the deposition behavior is modified in the presence of a permeable substrate, representative of tangential flow membrane filtration operations. The results indicate that the repulsive dielectrophoretic (DEP) forces imparted to the particles suspended in the feed can be employed to mitigate membrane fouling in a cross-flow filtration process.     

聚对苯乙烯磺酸钠添加剂的分子量对水煤浆浆体性质的影响

选用了变质程度不同的八种煤和三种不同分子量的聚对苯乙烯磺酸钠（PSS）添加剂，详细考查了该添加剂的分子量对水煤浆浆体性质的影响。结果发现，在考查PSS相对分子量的范围内（质均分子量为5.34×104～33.39×104），八种煤的水煤浆成浆性随着分子量的增大而增加，水煤浆成浆性与PSS添加剂的平均分子量的关系可归因于添加剂在煤粒上的吸附，分子量小的PSS在煤粒上的吸附量大于分子量大的PSS；PSS分子量的增加有利于水煤浆的流变性由胀性向假塑性转变；PSS分子量的增加使水煤浆的静态稳定性得到显著的改善。     

Features of the Current Sustainment in a Low-Current Discharge in Airflow

The paper relates to the investigations of a low-current discharge in a vortex airflow with the electrode configuration corresponding to classical coaxial plasmatron. The gas flow rate is varied from 0.1 to 0.3 g/s at an inner diameter of the plasmatron nozzle of 5 mm. The discharge is powered by dc voltage via a ballast resistor. Typical averaged current is changed from 0.06 to 0.15 A so that a maximum averaged power dissipated in the discharge amounts to 160 W. In these conditions, a luminous gas region at the plasmatron exit, which in most publications is associated with a plasma jet, is observed. The method for the jet diagnostics based on a usage of the additional electrodes at the plasmatron exit has been proposed. The main idea of the experiments is the elucidation of the problem whether the jet actually represents the plasma area or we have to apply the term “plasma” with care. In particular, in the case under discussion the main charged particles in the jet are electrons that are emitted from a plasma column located in the plasmatron nozzle. The model that describes the formation of electron flow in the jet has been proposed. Typical electron density in the jet estimated with a usage of the model is at a level of 10⁹ cm^?3.

     

Onset of cohesion in cement paste

It is generally agreed that the cohesion of cement paste occurs through the formation of a network of nanoparticles of a calcium-silicate-hydrate ("C-S-H"). However, the mechanism by which these particles develop this cohesion has not been established. Here we propose a dielectric continuum model which includes all ionic interactions within a dispersion of C-S-H particles. It takes into account all co-ions and counterions explicitly (with pure Coulomb interactions between ions and between ions and the surfaces) and makes no further assumptions concerning their hydration or their interactions with the surface sites. At high surface charge densities, the model shows that the surface charge of C-S-H particles is overcompensated by Ca2+ ions, giving a reversal of the apparent particle charge. Also, at high surface charge densities, the model predicts that the correlations of ions located around neighboring particles causes an attraction between the particle surfaces. This attraction has a range of approximately 3 nm and a magnitude of 1 nN, values that are in good agreement with recent AFM experiments. These predictions are stable with respect to small changes in surface-surface separation, hydrated ion radius, and dielectric constant of the solution. The model also describes the effect of changes in cement composition through the introduction of other ions, either monovalent (Na) or multivalent (aluminum or iron hydroxide).     

Development and characterization of an integrated silicon micro flow cytometer

This paper describes an innovative integrated micro flow cytometer that presents a new arrangement for the excitation/detection system. The sample liquid, containing the fluorescent marked particles/cells under analysis, is hydrodynamically squeezed into a narrow stream by two sheath flows so that the particles/cells flow individually through a detection region. The detection of the particles/cells emitted fluorescence is carried out by using a collection fiber placed orthogonally to the flow. The device is based on silicon hollow core antiresonant reflecting optical waveguides (ARROWs). ARROW geometry allows one to use the same channel to guide both the sample stream and the fluorescence excitation light, leading to a simplification of the optical configuration and to an increase of the signal-to-noise ratio. The integrated micro flow cytometer has been characterized by using biological samples marked with standard fluorochromes. The experimental investigation confirms the success of the proposed microdevice in the detection of cells. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Performance of planar electrode-supported high-temperature solid oxide fuel cell using syngas

In China, coal is a dominant energy source. In order to ensure China’s energy security, coal should be used efficiently and cleanly. Integrated gasification fuel cell hybrid power generation system is a promising system for coal utilization. It combines clean coal gasification technology with high efficient fuel cell technology. In this work, the performance of solid oxide fuel cell using syngas as fuel was investigated, based on the commercial computational fluid dynamic software and the developed program used to analyze chemical, electrochemical, heat/mass transfer, current, and electric potential. The results show that the temperature difference is about 300 K in the cell under all calculation conditions. Along the cell length, hydrogen concentration rapidly reduces, and its decrement is larger than that of carbon monoxide. The variation of current density in electrolyte layer is relatively small along the direction of gas flow, but it is obvious along the direction vertical to gas flow.     

Desulfurization of pittsburgh coal by microbial column flotation

Microbial column flotation usingThiobacillus ferrooxidans was applied for desulfurization of Pittsburgh coal of CWM (Coal-Water Mixture) size between 38 μm and 75 μm. The coal contained ferrous ion which would interfere separation of pyrite from coal by microbial flotation. The wash-out of ferrous ion with 0.5N HC1 solution enabled pyrite removal from coal. The coal was divided into two parts, the small-size coal between 38 μm and 53 μm, and the large-size coal between 53 μm and 75 μm. The pyritic sulfur content was decreased from 2.88% of the feed coal to 0.98% of the product coal for the largesize coal and from 2.77% of the feed coal to 1.12% of the product coal for the small-size coal by microbial flotation. The decrease was based on removal of liberated pyrite particles (between 20 μm and 70 μm). However, the fine particles (less than 20 μm) could not be removed even though the pyrite particles were liberated from coal particles. The microbial column flotation was more effective for desulfurization of the large liberated pyrite particle than that of the small. It was not effective for desulfurization of the locked pyrite particles that were buried in coal particles. Both the pyrite liberation from coal and its particle size are important factors for the pyrite removal by microbial column flotation.     

Simulation of droplet heating and desolvation in an inductively coupled plasma — Part I

The total desolvation rate of sample droplets in an argon inductively coupled plasma (Ar ICP) is investigated through the development of a two-phase continuum flow computer model. The desolvation model is supplemented by equations used to determine the trajectories of particles through the plasma. The model is used to calculate the behavior of aerosol droplets from a direct injection high efficiency nebulizer (DIHEN), a micronebulizer used to inject microliter quantities of samples that are toxic, expensive, or of limited volume. We use the combination of desolvation and transport models to present the first predicted spatial distribution of droplet concentrations and evaporation rates in an ICP flow. These data are compared with the behavior of a DIHEN spray in an environment with no net argon gas flow to determine the importance of gas flow rates to overall droplet concentration profiles in the ICP. In addition, two separate techniques (Stokes’ equation and the direct simulation Monte Carlo treatment) for determining droplet trajectories are contrasted.     

DensMat: fully time-resolved simulation of two-step pulsed laser excitation of atoms in highly collisional media

A program that simulates and displays the level populations of atomic systems exposed to dual-wavelength (i.e. two-colour) pulsed laser excitation in highly collisional media (such as flames and plasmas) has been developed. The program is based upon a previously published fully time-dependent density-matrix model that describes step-wise excitations of atoms with degenerate states under collision-dominated conditions, and which thus goes beyond the rate-equations formalism. This model can predict such phenomena as Rabi flopping and a.c.-Stark splitting, shifting and broadening. The program can be used as a prediction tool for laser-enhanced ionization, laser-induced fluorescence, fluorescence dip spectroscopy and other two-colour laser-based spectroscopic experiments. The program provides the user with a flexible four-level atomic system, configurable as a one- or two-step excitation ladder, along with an ionization continuum and non-laser-connected level(s) that may act as trap(s) or metastable level(s). Parameters such as level degeneracy, collisional rates and laser pulse widths, shapes, wavelengths, intensities and bandwidths are accessible to the user. The program can display both the time development of the level populations and also level populations versus laser wavelength. This article is an electronic publication in Spectrochimica Acta Electronica (SAE), the electronic section of Spectrochimica Acta Part B (SAB). The hardcopy text is accompanied by a disk containing the program DensMat, an associated on-line help file and manual, an installation program, and data files pertaining to the examples illustrated in this article. The program runs under Windows 3.1 on an IBM-compatible computer.     

Hypercoal对不同炼焦煤炭化改质作用的显微镜研究

Hypercoal(HPC)被作为一种添加剂加入到两种性质不同的炼焦煤中,以探讨其对炼焦煤炭化的改质作用。通过偏光显微镜以及扫描电镜观测炭化产物的组织结构变化。结果表明,添加剂的用量以及粒径对炼焦煤炭化改质作用的大小与原料煤的煤质有关,对焦煤改质时要求添加剂颗粒的粒径较大;而对弱黏结性煤改质时,添加剂粒径较小且添加量较多更有利于黏结和熔融作用。通过添加HPC可改善焦煤因过度膨胀造成的不均匀孔隙结构,而且孔的数量与孔径减小,孔壁增厚;添加剂在炭化过程中产生的胶质体促进了弱黏结性煤的黏结和熔融,改善了炭化产物的结构。实验还考察了原料中水分、成型压力等因素对炭化产物结构的影响。结果表明,煤中水分会在炭化产物中产生特殊的孔隙结构,而成型压力对炭化改质作用则因原料煤质不同而不同。     

Cd(II) binding by particulate low-rank coals in aqueous media: sorption characteristics and NICA-Donnan models

An experimental investigation of Cd(II) sorption onto two Australian coals was carried out in 0.1 M NaNO3 at 298.2 K. The initial concentration of Cd(II) was varied from 0.133 to 2.000 mmol/g in a series of batch adsorption experiments with an initial coal concentration of 3.75 g/L of Loy Yang (brown) or of Collie (sub-bituminous) coals in the p[H+] range 2-8. Adsorption edges were typical of metal ion adsorption onto negatively charged organic substrates, starting at p[H+] approximately 3 and increasing with increasing pH. The largest measured Cd(II) uptake capacities from these experiments were of 1.2 mmol/g for Loy Yang and 0.7 mmol/g for Collie coals. This difference is ascribed to the larger concentrations of carboxyl groups in Loy Yang coal (2.78 mmol/g) compared to Collie coal (1.34 mmol/g). An adsorption isotherm for Loy Yang coal at p[H+] 6 was collected up to a surface loading of 1.7 mmol/g of adsorbed Cd(II). These experiments also revealed a release of about 1.5-1.6 protons per adsorbed Cd(II). Zeta potentials of Loy Yang coal suspensions were not affected by Cd(II) adsorption, suggesting that the coal particles efficiently neutralize the charge of Cd(II). Collie coal, on the other hand, exhibited a zeta potential increase that may indicate a modification of the surface potentials of the coal particles. Cd(II) uptake data obtained from both batch experiments and proton balance data have been combined with p[H+] stat data for the same experimentally covered Cd(II)/coal ratios to model adsorption using the NICA-Donnan model. The modeling results suggest that both coals possess identical affinities and reaction stoichiometries. Loy Yang coal, however, possessed a narrower distribution of affinities.     

SURFACE DYNAMIC FRICTION OF POLYMER GELS

The sliding friction of various kinds of hydrogels has been studied and it was found that the frictional behaviors ofthe hydrogels do not conform to Amonton's law F=μW which well describes the friction of solids. The frictional force andits dependence on the load are quite different depending on the chemical structures of the gels, surface properties of theopposing substrates, and the measurement condition. The gel friction is explained in terms of interracial interaction, eitherattractive or repulsive, between the polymer chain and the solid surface. According to this model, the friction is ascribed tothe viscous flow of solvent at the interface in the repulsive case. In the attractive case, the force to detach the adsorbing chainfrom the substrate appears as friction. The surface adhesion between glass particles and gels measured by AFM showed agood correlation with the friction, which supported the repulsion-adsorption model proposed by the authors.     

Electrokinetic translocation of a deformable nanoparticle controlled by field effect in nanopores

Nanopores have become a popular single-molecule manipulation and detection technology. In this paper, we have constructed a continuum model of the nanopore; the arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) method is used to describe the motion of particles and fluid. The mathematical model couples the stress-strain equation for the dynamics of a deformable particle, the Poisson equation for the electric field, the Navier-Stokes equations for the flow field, and the Nernst-Planck equations for ionic transport. Based on the model, the mechanism of field-effect regulation of particles passing through a nanopore is investigated. The results show that the transport of particles which is controlled by the field effect depends on the electroosmotic flow (EOF) generated by the gate electrode in the nanopore and the electrostatic interaction between the nanopore and particles. That also explains the asymmetry of particle transport velocity in the nanopore with a gate electrode. When the gate potential is negative, or the gate electrode length is small, the maximum deformation of the particles is increased. The field-effect regulation in the nanopore provides an active and compatible method for nanopore detection, and provides a convenient method for the active control of the particle deformation in the nanopore.