Visual hull method for tomographic PIV measurement of flow around moving objects

Tomographic particle image velocimetry (PIV) is a recently developed method to measure three components of velocity within a volumetric space. We present a visual hull technique that automates identification and masking of discrete objects within the measurement volume, and we apply existing tomographic PIV reconstruction software to measure the velocity surrounding the objects. The technique is demonstrated by considering flow around falling bodies of different shape with Reynolds number?~1,000. Acquired image sets are processed using separate routines to reconstruct both the volumetric mask around the object and the surrounding tracer particles. After particle reconstruction, the reconstructed object mask is used to remove any ghost particles that otherwise appear within the object volume. Velocity vectors corresponding with fluid motion can then be determined up to the boundary of the visual hull without being contaminated or affected by the neighboring object velocity. Although the visual hull method is not meant for precise tracking of objects, the reconstructed object volumes nevertheless can be used to estimate the object location and orientation at each time step.     

Stereoselective Synthesis of α-Digitoxosides and α-Boivinosides via Chelation-Controlled Anomeric O-Alkylation

A chelation-controlled anomeric O-alkylation has been developed for the stereoselective synthesis of α-digitoxosides and α-boivinosides bearing a C3-free hydroxyl group. Due to chelation via sodium ion, the anomeric alkoxides are locked in the axial configuration, which leads to the selective production of α-glycosides.     

Trihydrazone functionalized cyanopyridine discoids: synthesis,mesogenic and optical properties

A new series of trihydrazone functionalized cyanopyridine derivatives (CPTH-D_m) carrying 3,4-dialkoxyphenyl groups was designed and synthesized successfully as discotic columnar liquid crystals. These new discoid mesogens display hexagonal columnar phase with a wide mesophase range from ambient temperature to 110 °C and the observed columnar assembly is due to the presence of intermolecular hydrogen bonds and π–π interactions in them. Their optical studies reveal that the compounds are good blue light emitters and hence they are potential candidates for OLED device fabrication.     

Sonochemical reactors: scale up aspects

The present work deals with the discussion on the engineering aspects of the design of large-scale sonochemical reactors using the solutions of the bubble dynamics equations as well as experimentation with different reactor types and reactions. Design correlations for the collapse pressure and its relation to the cavitational yield have also been given which should assist the designers in the choice of the operating parameters for a desired cavitational effect. Some techniques for the intensification of cavitational activity (with the use of additives) with an aim of reducing the cost of operation have also been discussed. The guidelines for the future work to be carried out to remove the lacunae in the design information with an aim of developing industrial scale efficient sonochemical reactors have also been mentioned.     

Morphology and micromechanical behavior of blends of ethene/1-hexene copolymers

Using (Me₅Cp)₂ZrCl₂ and Et(Ind)₂ZrCl₂ activated by methylaluminoxane (MAO), ethene/1-hexene copolymers of markedly different densities were produced under the same conditions. Binary blends were produced by melt blending of a high-density ethene/1-hexene copolymer with an elastomeric ethene/1-hexene copolymer. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) investigations of ultrathin sections of samples stained with ruthenium tetroxide revealed the morphology of the different blends. Depending on the blend composition, the degrees of segregation differed. An analysis of the TEM micrographs shows that increasing the segregation of the elastomeric blend component seems to be accompanied by an increase of the mean thickness of the crystalline lamellae of the matrix. Corresponding to the TEM results, typical morphological structures were also revealed by scanning force microscope (SFM) investigations using the tapping mode and a force modulation mode. Furthermore, these SFM techniques were applied to study in situ local deformations and changes in the morphological structures in a certain specimen position while the external stress was successively increased. Results of these experiments, as well as those from additional TEM in situ tensile tests of thin sections, show that the deformation that appears homogeneously down to the micron range is strongly inhomogeneous in the submicron range.     

Effect of geometry of hydrodynamically cavitating device on degradation of orange-G

In this research work, we have carried out geometric optimization of different cavitating devices using degradation of orange-G dye [OG] as a model pollutant. Three different cavitating devices viz. orifice plate, circular venturi and slit venturi were optimized and the degradation of orange-G dye was studied. The optimization of all three cavitating devices was done in terms of fluid inlet pressure to the cavitating devices and cavitation number. The effect of pH and initial concentration of the dye on the degradation rate was also studied. The geometry of cavitating device (flow cross sectional area, perimeter, shape, etc.) was found to be an important parameter in getting the maximum cavitational effect using hydrodynamic cavitation. The cavitational yield of all three cavitating devices were compared on the basis of mg of total organic carbon (TOC) reduction per unit energy supplied. The slit venturi gives almost 50% higher degradation rate and cavitational yield among all three cavitating devices studied for the same amount of energy supplied.     

Bright solitons and soliton trains in a fermion-fermion mixture

We use a time-dependent dynamical mean-field-hydrodynamic model to predict and study bright solitons in a degenerate fermion-fermion mixture in a quasi-one-dimensional cigar-shaped geometry using variational and numerical methods. Due to a strong Pauli-blocking repulsion among identical spin-polarized fermions at short distances there cannot be bright solitons for repulsive interspecies fermion-fermion interactions. However, stable bright solitons can be formed for a sufficiently attractive interspecies interaction. We perform a numerical stability analysis of these solitons and also demonstrate the formation of soliton trains. These fermionic solitons can be formed and studied in laboratory with present technology.