Steady-state longitudinal conductivity of an electron boundary layer

An analytic solution is obtained for the problem of electron motion in an electron boundary layer along the surface of a conductor in a static electric field. Calculations are made of the longitudinal conductivity near the surface in the limit of weak and strong Coulomb nonideality of the layer electrons. It is shown that under certain conditions the boundary conductivity may greatly exceed the conductivity in the bulk of the conductor. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 69, 88–93 (June 1999)     

Mechanisms of the catalytic carbon monoxide oxidation on Pt (110)

The kinetics of the carbon monoxide oxidation on a clean Pt (110) crystal were investigated in an ultra-high vacuum system by utilizing Auger electron spectroscopy, low-energy electron diffraction and residual gas analysis. Two different catalytic reaction mechanisms were found to prevail for the experimental conditions chosen. In the temperature range, 100 < T ? 220°C, where essentially CO was preadsorbed on the Pt surface the subsequent adsorption of O₂ was competitive and the reaction exhibited the characteristics of a Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism. In this case the onset of the CO₂ formation was delayed by a characteristic time which depended strongly on temperature (“induction period”). A simple model for the Langmuir-Hinshelwood reaction was developed which permitted a more detailed evaluation of the kinetic curves yielding an activation energy for the catalytic reaction of 2.9 kcal/mole. On the other hand, when oxygen was preadsorbed on the Pt surface (T > 90°C) the subsequent reaction with CO occurred immediately and was temperature independent. This behavior was interpreted in terms of an Eley-Rideal mechanism. Both reactions were used for titration of the adsorbed species. From area measurements under the titration curves it was concluded that the saturation coverage for CO and oxygen on Pt(110) is approximately the same.     

Island models and the catalytic oxidation of carbon monoxide and carbon monoxide-olefin mixtures

Simple kinetic models which take account of the formation of islands of adsorbate on a catalyst surface are proposed, and are compared with an elementary step model for CO oxidation and oxidation of a CO-butene or CO-propylene mixture. The island models give fits to data from step change transient experiments which are comparable with the elementary step model, and give better fits to steady-state and continuously oscillating data (the latter with hydrocarbon present). Theoretical predictions of chaotic behaviour in CO oxidation can be obtained with the island models. Comparisons between island models suggest that islands of CO have the most significant effect on simulations at the experimental conditions.     

Effect of riblets on nonlinear disturbances in the boundary layer

Results of experimental investigations of the nonlinear stage of sinusoidal and varicose instability of a streaky structure, which leads to multiplication of streaky structures and origination of coherent structures (such as Λ-structures), are presented. Riblets suppress the intensity of streaky structures, stabilize the flow against the development of the secondary high-frequency instability of streaky structures, and, for this reason, delay spatial turbulization of the flow. The results of these investigations can be useful for understanding the flow structure in such situations and for possible controlling of the coherent structures aimed at flow stabilization. This work was supported by the President of the Russian Federation (Grant No. NSh-964.2003.1) and by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (Grant No. 05-01-00034).     

The adsorption and catalytic oxidation of carbon monoxide on evaporated palladium particles

Palladium crystallites, evaporated in UHV on a α-Al₂O₃ single crystal support and characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), have been used as catalysts for the low pressure oxidation of carbon monoxide between 450 and 550 K. Average particle diameters varied between 1.5 and 8 nm. The turnover rate N, i.e. the number of molecules of CO₂ made per second per surface palladium atom was measured. The number of surface palladium atoms was determined by combining TEM and temperature programmed desorption of CO. Values of N, under constant conditions, were practically identical on all samples. It is noted that the reaction studied is structure insensitive on palladium.     

Beyond the Fourier heat conduction law and the thermal no-slip boundary condition

The problem of heat slip flow along solid walls is investigated within the framework of modern thermodynamics. The underlying idea is to elevate the heat flux at the boundary to the status of independent variable. General boundary conditions are obtained from the constraint imposed by the second law of thermodynamics expressing that the rate of entropy production is non-negative. In parallel, evolution equations for the heat flux inside the bulk of the system are also formulated.     

Current-voltage characteristics of structures with a porous silicon layer at adsorption of carbon monoxide

The current-voltage characteristics of structures with a layer of porous silicon of 73% porosity were measured at adsorption of gas (carbon monoxide) at room temperature. Estimations are performed of the height of potential heterobarrier at the interface between porous silicon and p ⁺-type single-crystal silicon, of the perfectness factor and the resistance of a layer of porous silicon in air, in air with 0.4% CO, and in air with 2% CO. Physical causes explaining the experimental data are discussed.     

Effect of polymorphic phase transformations in alumina layer on ignition of aluminium particles

The mechanism of aluminium oxidation is quantified and a simplified ignition model is developed. The model describes ignition of an aluminium particle inserted in a hot oxygenated gas environment: a scenario similar to the particle ignition in a reflected shock in a shock tube experiment. The model treats heterogeneous oxidation as an exothermic process leading to ignition. The ignition is assumed to occur when the particle's temperature exceeds the alumina melting point. The model analyses processes of simultaneous growth and phase transformations in the oxide scale. Kinetic parameters for both direct oxidative growth and phase transformations are determined from thermal analysis. Additional assumptions about oxidation rates are made to account for discontinuities produced in the oxide scale as a result of increase in its density caused by the polymorphic phase changes. The model predicts that particles of different sizes ignite at different environment temperatures. Generally, finer particles ignite at lower temperatures. The model consistently interprets a wide range of the previously published experimental data describing aluminium ignition.     

Effect of boundary layer thickness before the flow separation on aerodynamic characteristics and heat transfer behind an abrupt expansion in a round tube

Results of numerical investigation of the boundary layer thickness on turbulent separation and heat transfer in a tube with an abrupt expansion are shown. The Menter turbulence model of shear stress transfer implemented in Fluent package was used for calculations. The range of Reynolds numbers was from 5·10³ to 105. The air was used as the working fluid. A degree of tube expansion was (D ₂/D ₁)² = 1.78. A significant effect of thickness of the separated boundary layer both on dynamic and thermal characteristics of the flow is shown. In particular, it was found that with an increase in the boundary layer thickness the recirculation zone increases, and the maximum heat transfer coefficient decreases. The work was financially supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project codes 07-08-00025 and 06-08-00300).     

Melting heat transfer in boundary layer stagnation-point flow towards a stretching/shrinking sheet

An analysis is carried out to study the steady two-dimensional stagnation-point flow and heat transfer from a warm, laminar liquid flow to a melting stretching/shrinking sheet. The governing partial differential equations are converted into ordinary differential equations by similarity transformation, before being solved numerically using the Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg method. Results for the skin friction coefficient, local Nusselt number, velocity profiles as well as temperature profiles are presented for different values of the governing parameters. Effects of the melting parameter, stretching/shrinking parameter and Prandtl number on the flow and heat transfer characteristics are thoroughly examined. Different from a stretching sheet, it is found that the solutions for a shrinking sheet are non-unique.     

Effect of structural conduction and heat loss on combustion in micro-channels

This paper presents a simple analytical model for the effects of heat exchange within the structure of a micro-channel combustor, and heat loss from the structure to the environment. This is accomplished by extending reasoning similar to that employed by Mallard and Le Chatelier in their thermal theory for flame propagation. The model is used to identify some of the basic parameters that must be considered when designing an efficient micro-combustor and its predictions are compared with the results of a numerical simulation of stoichiometric premixed combustion of a hydrogen–air mixture stabilized between two parallel plates. The simulation incorporates a one-dimensional continuity/energy equation solver with full chemistry coupled with a model for thermal exchange in the structure. The results show that heat exchange through the structure of the micro-combustor can lead to a broadening of the reaction zone. Heat loss to the environment decreases the broadening effect and eventually results in flame quenching. This behaviour, which arises from the thermal coupling between the gas and the structure, influences the maximum achievable power density of microscale combustors.     

Effect of wall temperature on hypersonic turbulent boundary layer

Turbulent boundary layers at Mach 4.9 with the ratio of wall temperature to recovery temperature from 0.5 to 1.5 are investigated by means of direct numerical simulation. Various fundamental properties relevant to the influence of wall temperature on Morkovin’s scaling, standard and modified strong Reynolds analogies, and coherent vortical structures have been studied. It is identified that the scaling relations proposed for cool and adiabatic wall conditions, such as Morkovin’s scaling and the modified strong Reynolds analogy, are also applicable for hot wall condition. Moreover, the relation between the density and temperature fluctuations under the second-order approximation is derived and verified to provide a reliable prediction. Based on the analysis of coherent vortical structures, it is found that the orientation of vortex core can be quantitatively determined by means of the vector with its direction and modulus using the local strain direction and the imaginary part of the eigenvalue of velocity gradient tensor, respectively. As the increase of wall temperature, the spanwise distance between the two legs of hairpin vortex increases, and the mean swirling strength and the angle of vortical structure with respect to the wall plane also increase in the inner layer. The statistical properties relevant to vortical structures are nearly insensitive to the wall temperature in the outer layer.     

Upper bound on the heat transport in a layer of fluid of infinite prandtl number, rigid lower boundary, and stress-free upper boundary

We obtain an upper bound on the convective heat transport in a heated from below horizontal fluid layer of infinite Prandtl number with rigid lower boundary and stress-free upper boundary. Because of the asymmetric boundary conditions the solutions of the Euler-Lagrange equations of the corresponding variational problem are also asymmetric with different thicknesses of the boundary layers on the upper and lower boundary of the fluid. The obtained bound on the convective heat transport and the corresponding wave number are between the values for a fluid layer with two rigid boundaries and a fluid layer with two stress-free boundaries.