Sedimentation of Dispersed Particles and Evolution of Their Distribution Function

As a result of the sedimentation of dispersed particles in channels and ducts, distribution function with respect to the particle sizes changes. Particle sedimentation is affected by the gravitational forces and the diffusional migrations to channel walls. In this article, particle sedimentation in vertical and horizontal channels is investigated depending on Pe and Re_d numbers. Futhermore, new expressions for the calculation of sedimentation velocity depending on the diffusional migrations in turbulent flow were developed. Finally, a distribution function resulting from the particle sedimentaton was suggested. The suggested mathematical expressions were compared with the experimental results given in the literature and a very good aggrement was found.     

Converting Methane by Using an RF Plasma Reactor

A radio-frequency (RF) plasma system was used to convert methane gas. The reactants and final products were analyzed by using an FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectrometer). The effects of plasma operational parameters, including feeding concentration (C) of CH ₄ , operational pressure (P) in the RF plasma reactor, total gas flow rate (Q) and input power wattage (W) for CH ₄ decomposition were evaluated. The results showed that the CH ₄ decomposition fraction increases with increasing power input, decreasing operational pressure in the RF plasma reactor, decreasing CH ₄ feeding concentration, and decreasing total gas flow rate. In addition, mathematical models based on the obtained experimental data were developed and tested by means of sensitivity analysis.     

Slip flow in fixed and fluidized bed plasma reactors

The characteristics of low-pressure gas low through fixed and fluidized bed plasma reactors for the study of plasma-solid reactions are presented. In the plasma fluidized bed reactor (PFBR), solid particles are fuidized at subatmospheric conditions in a resonantly sustained high frequency 2.45 GHz) plasma. The reactor operates in a previously uninvestigated regime of fuidization and microwave breakdown. A modified version of Darey's law is developed to describe and compare fixed and fluidized bed behavior, as well as to rationalize experimental measurements of pressure drop and gas flow in the absence of information about the bed temperature profile. The study has shown for a bed operating in or near the slip flow region that minimum fluidization can be predicted for slip flow fluidization in the absence of a plasma. However, the results of this work indicate that the mass fluxes and pressure drops at minimum fluidization in the presence of a plasma are significantly different from nonplasma fuidized bed. The pressure drop at minimum fluidization, in the presence of a high-frequency electrical discharge, is as much as 25% above that required to levitate the bed contents, and appears to corroborate otherfndings that link increased stability of the bed with the presence of electromagnetic fields.Notation A cross-sectional area of tube, m₂ - B ₀ bed permeability - D _p diameter of glass bead, m - D hydraulic diameter, m, defined as the ratio of the cross-sectional area to the wetted perimeter - E electric field strength, J/(C m) - F slip flow correction factor - F _d volume driving force, N/m'm³ - g gravitational acceleration, N/kg - G mass flow rate, kg/s - G _min mass flow rate at minimum fluidization, kg/s - k Boltzmann's constant - K ₀ slip correction - L bed height, m - M molecular weight of gas, kg/kg-mole - M _p mass of particles in bed, kg - n _p,e number of density of positive ions or electrons, m^–3 - P _1,2,3 bed pressure below frit, above frit, and above bed, Pa - q electronic charge, C - Q volumetric flow rate of gas, m³/s - R gas constant - Re_p,mf Reynolds number at minimum fluidization - T temperature, K - u superficial gas velocity, m/s - U _mf superficial velocity at minimum fluidization, m/s XKnudsen number - x length variable, m or dimensionless Greek gl _o coefficient in expression for mean free path - c _n mean free path - gas viscosity, kg/(m s) - ₀ prefactor in expression for viscosity - 3.14159 ... - _g mass density, kg/m³ - hard sphere diameter, m     

Theory of Fast Capillary Gas Chromatography – Part 3: Column Performance vs. Gas Flow Rate

At the high pressure drop required for the fast analysis of complex mixtures, the equations for the column plate height, H, and plate duration, Q, as functions of the carrier gas velocity, u, differ substantially from the equations for the same quantities expressed via the carrier gas flow rate, F. While u as an independent pneumatic variable is more convenient for the theoretical studies, F is a more convenient as a control parameter in practical applications. Equations for H vs. u and for Q vs. u from Parts 1 and 2 are transformed here into expressions for H vs. F and Q vs. F. An efficiency-optimized flow rate (EOF) and a speed-optimized flow rate (SOF) are found. Expressions for these two quantities are considerably simpler than their velocity-based counterparts. In particular, SOF does not depend on column length, film thickness, and pressure drop.     

Binary chromatographic retention times from perturbations in flowrate and composition

This work is a theoretical and experimental investigation of the binary retention time (t _step) when the disturbance is made to a chromatographic system by adding a small flow of one of the pure components. The established theory is for addition of a pulse: in this case, the retention time (t _pulse) depends on the two binary isotherm gradients, and should be independent of the choice of pulse gas. From the column material balance, the value of t _step also depends on the column pressure drop and perturbation gas—the value of t _step should always be greater for the more-adsorbed component. The theory has been validated from results on the nitrogen–argon–5A zeolite system at 25, 54 and 81 °C. For a 50% mixture at 25 °C with a column pressure drop of 0.1 bar, the values of t _step are 257 and 254 seconds for the nitrogen and argon perturbations. The values of t _step are different because addition of the perturbation flow causes a very small increase in average column pressure (about 0.5 mbar), which causes the binary isotherm gradients to be measured in (slightly) different directions along the isotherm surface. The intention is to determine the value of t _step for the case of a zero change in the average column pressure: experimentally, this would require a column with a zero pressure drop. The material balance shows that t _step for a column with a zero pressure drop is obtained from a simple weighted function of the values of t _step for the two pure-component perturbations. Accurate determination is essential because the “zero pressure drop” values are used to determine binary adsorption isotherms which are, of course, at a fixed pressure.     

A statistical model for the optimization of dsc performance in the evaluation of drugs for preformulation studies

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is a thermal analytical tool for preformulation studies. Extrapolated melting temperature (T_P) and heat of fusion (ΔH_f) can be used as parameters for optimizing the DSC performance. Two model pharmaceuticals acetaminophen and nicotinamide are used in this study. Using a factorial design for the experimental model and matrix analysis the results, the effect of sample mass, heating rate and the nitrogen flow rate were evaluated on the ΔH_f values and T_P values. Two levels for each of the procedural variables were used as a balanced experimental design with two sample sizes, two heating rates and two nitrogen flow rates. It was found that the change in the heating rate caused significant changes in the ΔH_f values but not the T_p values for acetaminophen. However, no significant effect was found for the T_p value but ΔH_f value was affected to a certain extent for nicotinamide.     

Transport phenomena in bubble colunm reactor II: Pressure drop

The two-phase frictional pressure drop was measured in a 0.15 m internal diameter bubble column operated in a continuous co-current manner. The fractional gas hold-up was measured using the gamma-ray absorption technique and the pressure drop using modified differential manometry. The superficial gas and liquid velocities were varied in the ranges 0.127–0.451 m s⁻¹ and 0.047–0.236 m s⁻¹ respectively. The effects of liquid viscosity, non-Newtonian behaviour, and the presence of electrolyte were investigated.A coherent model was developed to predict the pressure drop in homogeneous (bubbly flow) and heterogeneous (churn-turbulent) regimes. For this purpose, knowledge of the liquid phase flow pattern was used. A comparison between model predictions and experimental observations is presented.On the basis of the pressure drop, a criterion was developed to predict the transition from the homogeneous to the heterogeneous regime. A favourable comparison is shown between model predictions and experimental observations.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) pollution recorded in annual rings of gingko (Gingko biloba L.): Translocation, radial diffusion, degradation and modeling

Burken's “donut ring” model was solved correctly, which was developed based upon the anatomy structure and the flow patterns of the tree. The correction of the model solution was validated by our field experimental data statistically. The vertical PAHs in sapwood is described as a carbon–nitrogen–water interaction process, which is companied with the allocation of photosynthate and other non-structure carbon. It could be found that the vertical translocation is related to the height of the sampling position closely. The anisotropy result of the estimated D_z and D_r is in agreement with the structure of trunk tissue, suggesting that the radial diffusion is much difficult. Although the estimated D_z and D_r are confirmed to depend upon Kow (the partition coefficient of PAHs in octanol/water), the different dominant factors are demonstrated in our result. Although the metabolism and degradation in Burken's model were neglected, the evidence of degradation presents in this work. 2-Chloro-Nap might be the degradation product of Nap by adding Cl to Nap rings, for 2-chloro-Nap only contains in trunk samples. This result was validated by the first-order degradation equation. The initial degradation reaction mechanism was also discussed briefly.     

High‐pressure rheology of polystyrene melts plasticized with CO2: Experimental measurement and predictive scaling relationships

A high‐pressure extrusion slit die rheometer was constructed to measure the viscosity of polymer melts plasticized by liquid and supercritical CO₂. A novel gas injection system was devised to accurately meter the follow of CO₂ into the extruder barrel. Measurements of pressure drop, within the die, confirm the presence of a one‐phase mixture and a fully developed flow during viscosity measurements. Experimental measurements of viscosity as a function of shear rate, pressure, temperature, and CO₂ concentration were conducted for three commercial polystyrene melts. The CO₂ was shown to be an effective plasticizer for polystyrene, lowering the viscosity of the polymer melt by as much as 80%, depending of the process conditions and CO₂ concentration. Existing theories for viscoelastic scaling of polymer melts and the prediction of T_g depression by a diluent were used to develop a free volume model for predicting the effects of CO₂ concentration and pressure on polymer melt rheology. The free volume model, dependent only on material parameters of the polymer melt and pure CO₂, was shown to accurately collapse the experimental data onto a single master curve independent of pressure and CO₂ concentration for each of the three polystyrene samples. This model constitutes a simple predictive set of equations to quantify the effects of gas‐induced plasticization on molten polymer systems. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 3168–3180, 2000     

The effect of surface tension on flow pattern,holdup and pressure drop during horizontal air—water pipe flow at atmospheric conditions

Experimental data are reported for cocurrent air—water and air—surfactant solution two-phase flow in a pipe 0.0935 m in inside diameter. The surfactant solution reduced the surface tension of water from 0.072 to 0.046 kg s⁻². The effect of surface tension reduction on observed flow pattern, holdup and pressure drop was investigated. The pressure drop was unaffected, but holdup increased by a maximum of 30% above that of water, between air flow rates of 0.02 and 0.07 m³ s⁻¹. The transition from smooth stratified to stratified and ripple flow was at higher air velocities and the onset of entrainment at reduced air velocities, for the surfactant solution. The observed experimental flow patterns were plotted on the flow maps of Baker, Weisman et al. and Andritsos. The entrainment criterion of Ishii was also investigated.     

Process characteristics for a gas—liquid system agitated in a vessel equipped with a turbine impeller and tubular baffles

Results of the experimental research on gas hold-up, power consumption for liquid phase and gas—liquid systems, and on residence time of the gas bubbles are presented in the paper for an agitated vessel with a turbine impeller. Distilled water or aqueous solutions of NaCl were used as the liquid phase. Air was dispersed into liquid as the gas phase. The studies were carried out in an agitated vessel of the inner diameter D = 0.634 m. Tubular baffles of the diameter of 0.7D, consisting of 24 vertical tubes of the diameter of 0.016D, were located inside a flat-bottomed tank. Turbines with six blades and the pitch of 90°, 60°, or 45°, respectively, were used for agitation. Measurements were carried out in the range of good dispersion of gas bubbles in the liquid within the turbulent regime of the liquid flow. Effects of the gas bubbles capability to coalesce on the gas hold-up, residence time of the gas bubbles, and power consumption were analyzed. Results of the power consumption (P _G-L /P _o = f ₁(Kg, Fr)) and gas hold-up (φ= f ₂(Kg, We, Y)) were approximated mathematically, using Eqs. (5) and (6), respectively. In Eq. (6), parameter Y was introduced in order to describe the influence of the bubbles capability to coalesce on the gas hold-up. The results of the study show that power consumption does not depend on the capability of bubbles to coalesce, but the pitch of the turbine impeller affects the power characteristics in such a physical system significantly. However, the residence time of the gas phase in agitated liquid depends on the pitch of the impeller blade and on the capability of bubbles to coalesce.     

Pressure Drop and Performance Characteristics of Water-Based Al2O3 and CuO Nanofluids in a Triangular Duct

An experimental study is performed to determine the pressure drop and performance characteristics of Al₂O₃/water and CuO/water nanofluids in a triangular duct under constant heat flux where the flow is laminar. The effects of adding nanoparticles to the base fluid on the pressure drop and friction factor are investigated at different Reynolds numbers. The results show that at a specified Reynolds number, using the nanofluids can lead to an increase in the pressure drop by 35%. It is also found that with increases in the Reynolds number, the rate of increase in the friction factor with the volume fraction of nanoparticles is reduced. Finally, the performance characteristics of the two nanofluids are investigated using the data of pressure drop and convective heat transfer coefficient. The results show that the use of Al₂O₃/water nanofluid with volume fractions of 1.5% and 2% is not helpful in the triangular duct. It is also concluded that at the same volume fraction of nanoparticles, using Al₂O₃ nanoparticles is more beneficial than CuO nanoparticles based on the performance index.     

Measurements of fuel cell internal resistances for the detection of electrode flooding

A clear understanding and the means of prevention of electrode flooding are needed for a durable and commercially viable fuel cell product. Measurements of cell internal resistances, R, have proven useful in detecting the onset of flooding. Flooding manifests in the form of a gradual drop in the cell resistance values. For experimental purposes, self-humidified single cells of electrode area 25 cm² were built with membrane-electrode assembly (MEAs) made from an experimental lower-Teflon-content gas diffusion layer (GDL) in the micro-porous layer and a commercial GDL sample. To facilitate flooding, favorable conditions, such as lower temperature, air flow, and pressures, were chosen. During the collection of V-I and R-I data, gradual drops in the R values were observed in the entire polarization region of the V-I plot. The drop in R values is due to the gradual increased hydration level of the Pt/C electrical double-layer interface. At the extreme polarization, the electrode hydration or the flooding of the cell interior is the maximum. Thus, resistance measurement is a viable method for assessing electrode hydration or flooding.     

Effect of bubble size on foam fractionation of ovalbumin

The bubble size distribution and void fraction (ɛ _g ) (at two bulk liquid pool positions below the bulk liquid-foam interface and one lower foam phase position) in a continuous foam fractionation column containing ovalbumin were obtained using a photoelectric capillary probe. The bubble size and ɛ _g data were gathered for different operating conditions (including the changes in the superficial gas velocity and feed flow rate) at a feed solution of pH 6.5 and used to calculate the specific area, a, of the bubbles. Thus, local enrichment (ER _l ), values of ovalbumin could be estimated and compared with directly obtained experimental results. The ER _l results were also correlated with the bubble size and ɛ _g to understand better the concentration mechanisms of foam fractionation. The high ER _l in the lower foam phase was largely attributable to the abrupt increase in ɛ _g (from 0.25 to 0.75), or the a (from about 12 to 25 cm²/cm³) from the bulk liquid to the foam phase. These changes correspond with enhanced gravity drainage. With an increase in the superficial gas velocity, the bubble size increased and the a decreased in both the bulk liquid and lower foam phases, resulting in a decrease in the local experimentally determined enrichments at high superficial gas velocities. At intermediate feed flow rates, the bubble size reached the maximum. The ɛ _g and a, on the other hand, were the largest for the largest feed flow rate. The ER _l in the lower foam phase was maximized at the lowest feed flow rate. It follows, therefore, that a alone is not sufficient to determine the magnitude of the ER _l in the foam phase.     

Mechanism and Parameters Controlling the Decomposition Kinetics of Na2SiF6 Powder to SiF4

Sodium hexafluorosilicate (Na₂SiF₆) powder has been used as a silicon source for formation of Si₃N₄ coatings by the hybrid precursor system‐chemical vapor deposition (HYSY‐CVD) route. The quantitative effect of processing time, temperature, gas flow rate, and process atmosphere (N₂ and N₂:5% NH₃) upon the fractional weight loss during the decomposition of Na₂SiF₆ was studied using a standard L₉ Taguchi experimental design and analysis of variance. The decomposition kinetics of Na₂SiF₆(s) was studied theoretically and experimentally in the temperature range of 550–650ºC by applying the shrinking core model. It was found that regardless of atmosphere type, the reaction order is n ≈ 0.12 and that a two‐stage mixed mechanism consisting of chemical reaction and boundary layer gas transfer controls the decomposition rate. The determined fractional weight loss during Na₂SiF₆ decomposition in nitrogen atmosphere is about 1.05–1.5 orders of magnitude greater than that in N₂:NH₃. The gas flow rate affects the dissociation activation energy, being of 121, 109, and 94 kJ/mol in N₂ and of 140, 120, and 115 kJ/mol in N₂:NH₃, for the flow rates of 20, 60, and 100 cm³/min, respectively, in both atmosphere types. A good agreement is observed by comparing experimental weight loss data with model predictions.     

Rheology of Water-in-Oil Emulsions with Different Drop Sizes

Systemic experiments have been conducted to investigate the effect of drop sizes on the rheology of water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions. Three sets of emulsions with different average drop sizes were first prepared and then the corresponding rheologies were determined using a concentric viscometer. Results indicated that the flow behavior of concentrated emulsions changes qualitatively from Newtonian flow to non-Newtonian flow with shear rates. In Newtonian flow regime, a smaller drop size leads to a higher viscosity, and the increments are more pronounced at high dispersed phase volume fractions. Two local remarkable increases of the emulsion viscosity with dispersed phase volume fractions correspond to the percolation and glass-transition, respectively. In non-Newtonian flow regime, emulsions show shear-thinning behavior and can be fitted well by the power law model. For emulsions with volume fractions between 0.132 and 0.325, the flow index and consistency constant show power law relationship with the water content. Furthermore, the shear-thinning effect becomes stronger in the emulsions with smaller drop sizes. A correlation has been successfully developed for determining the clusters’ sizes in W/O emulsions and shows excellent agreement with the experimental data. As a consequence, a microscopic understanding (cluster level) was presented for the shear-thinning behavior of the emulsions in this study.     

Hydrodynamics in a Gas-Solids Fluidized Bed Using X-Ray Fluoroscopy and Pressure Fluctuation Measurements

In this work, non-intrusive techniques were used to characterize the hydrodynamics in a gas-solids bubbling fluidized bed using polyethylene powder and glass beads of comparable mean diameter (d_p = 360 µm) but different density. X-ray fluoroscopy measurements and pressure fluctuations were performed on a pseudo 2-dimensional gas-solids fluidized bed. Bubble properties were captured from X-ray fluoroscopy measurements. Similarities and differences of flow behavior of the two particle systems were revealed from comparison of bubble properties. Bubble properities normally varied similary with operating conditions for the two particle systems, while bubble sizes for the glass beads system are larger than those for the polyethylene system. Wavelet analysis of pressure fluctuations was applied to investigate the gas and solids phase flow behavior. Multi-scale flow behavior was extracted from the standard deviation of the decomposed coefficient series. Flow behavior due to particles and bubbles of different sizes were captured at different decomposition levels of pressure fluctuations, which is difficult to know from analysis of the original signal. Results extracted from X-ray fluoroscopy and pressure fluctuation measurements were consistent, suggesting that conventional pressure fluctuation measurements can be effectively used for investigation of the bubbling behavior.