Swirl measurements in a motor cylinder

 The present article analyzes different definitions of the swirl number and their application to control the mixing process in the cylinder of direct injection diesel engines. We first of all discuss the origins of the existing methods used to control swirl, which are usually based on the presence of a stirring device, or rotometer, in the cylinder head. A new possibility is then proposed for determining the swirl number, based on equivalent angular velocity, and a comparison made of results obtained using the different techniques available for measuring swirl in motor cylinders. Received: 16 December 1997/Accepted: 18 May 1998     

Theoretical study of the SrLi+ molecular ion: structural,electronic and dipolar properties

ABSTRACT

The structural and electronic properties of (SrLi)⁺ molecular ion have been determined by the use of ab initio approaches. Potential energy curves (PECs) with their spectroscopic constants (R_e, D_e, ω_e, T_e, B_e and ω_eχ_e) have been calculated. Also, the vibrational properties and the electric dipole moments, either permanent (PDM) or transition (TDM) ones, have been investigated and analysed. Large Gaussian basis sets, the full valence configuration interaction (FCI) and the formalism of non-empirical pseudo-potential including the two approaches, effective core potential (ECP) and core polarisation potential (CPP), are analysed. Therefore, (SrLi)⁺ is considered as a two effective electrons system. Numerous excited states of symmetries ^1,3Σ⁺, ^1,3Π and ^1,3Δ dissociating below the ionic limit Sr²⁺Li^? have been investigated. This study shows interesting behaviours around the avoided crossing related to charge transfer involving important processes in physics and astrophysics such as dynamics, pre-dissociation and inelastic transitions.     

Picosecond spectroscopy of pinacyanol (1,1′-diethyl2,2′-monocarbocyanine chloride)

Photobleaching and absorption recovery of the fundamental state of pinacyanol have been investigated in different solvents, using a single picosecond pulse. In a viscous solvent, glycerol, the recovery time constant is τ = (330 ± 30) ps which may be compared with the fluorescence lifetime τ = (302 ± 29) ps, as measured using a steak camera. In the lighter alcohols, methanol or isopropanol, the shorter recovery time constant τ < 10 ps indicates a very efficient non-radiative process, internal conversion between the two singlet states involved.     

Cryopreservation of Citrus madurensis embryonic axes encapsulation-dehydration

In this paper, we demonstrate that C. madurensis embryonic axes can withstand cryopreservation using the encapsulation-dehydration technique. Up to 57.5 % survival was achieved using a standard encapsulation-dehydration protocol, which included pregrowth of encapsulated axes for 16 h in medium containing 0.8 M sucrose + 1 M glycerol, desiccation of beads to around 30 % moisture content (fresh weight basis) followed by rapid freezing. A slightly higher survival percentage (65 %) was obtained using a modified encapsulation-dehydration protocol, which included pretreatment of axes with 2 M glycerol + 0.6 M sucrose for 1 h, concomitantly with their encapsulation in 3 % calcium alginate beads, followed by desiccation of the beads to around 30 % moisture content.     

Cryopreservation of Citrus aurantifolia seeds and embryonic axes using a desiccation protocol

The desiccation and freezing tolerance of seeds, with and without testas, and embryonic axes of Citrus aurantifolia were investigated. Seeds were desiccated with silica gel, under the laminar air flow cabinet or by placing them on a laboratory bench. Whatever the desiccation method employed, survival before and after cryopreservation was higher for seeds without testas. When freezing intact seeds, the highest survival percentage (41.3 %) was achieved after desiccation to 7.3 % moisture content (fresh weight basis) on the laboratory bench. Survival of seeds cryopreserved without testas could reach up to 85 % after desiccation under the laminar air flow cabinet or on the laboratory bench, corresponding to moisture contents of 7.1 and 4.5 %, respectively. After desiccation with silica gel, survival reached a maximum of 60.0 %, for a seed moisture content of 3.3 %. Survival of control embryonic axes was high (80-100 %) whatever the sucrose concentration in the preculture medium and the duration of the desiccation period. After cryopreservation, no survival was noted with embryonic axes, which had not been precultured nor desiccated. Survival of non-desiccated embryonic axes after cryopreservation increased progressively in line with increasing sucrose concentrations in the preculture medium, from 7.5 % with 0.1 M sucrose to 77.5 % with 0.7 M sucrose. Survival of desiccated and cryopreserved embryos was always high, whatever the preculture treatment and desiccation period, ranging from 55.8 % to 92.5 %.     

Cryopreservation of chayote (Sechium edule JACQ. SW.) zygotic embryos and shoot-tips from in vitro plantlets

This paper presents the development of cryopreservation protocols for zygotic embryos and apices of chayote (Sechium edule Jacq. Sw.), a tropical plant species with recalcitrant seeds. Zygotic embryos of two cultivars, Ccocro negro (CN) and Claudio (Cl) could withstand cryopreservation, with survival percentages of 10 and 30 %, after desiccation to 23 and 19 % moisture content (fresh weight basis), respectively. Apices sampled on in vitro plantlets of cultivars Cl, 13 and JM were successfully cryopreserved using a vitrification technique. Optimal conditions included the culture of mother-plants for 22 days on medium containing 0.3 M sucrose, culture of excised apices on the same medium for 1 day, loading of apices for 20 min with 2M glycerol + 0.4M glycerol, treatment with a series of diluted PVS2 solution (60 % PVS2 followed by 80 % PVS2 solution for 15 min (cultivar Cocoro Blanco [CB]) or 30 min (cultivars CN and Cl) at each concentration), rapid freezing and thawing, washing of shoot-tips with a 1.2 M sucrose solution, followed by recovery on media with progressively decreasing sucrose concentrations until the standard concentration of 0.1 M was reached. The highest survival percentages achieved ranged between 17 and 38 %, depending on the cultivar.     

Selecting passive and active materials for 1.3 composite power transducers

1.3 PZT-polymer composites were fabricated using the dice and fill method with various PZT types and volume fractions. These composites were evaluated for power underwater transducer applications with an air backed and no matching layer configuration. Electrical input and acoustical output powers were monitored as a function of the drive level. Total acoustic power densities of 30 W/cm2 were obtained with a P189/epoxy piezocomposite vibrating at 350 kHz with a low duty cycle (1-5%) and with a 90% efficiency. Power densities up to 20 W/cm2 were measured with a 50% duty cycle. Evolution and destruction of the transducers were monitored versus increasing averaged power. It was observed that better efficiencies were obtained with low volume fraction configurations allowing natural acoustic impedance matching to water. It was found that hard PZT type (Navy III) are optimal compositions even for piezocomposite transducers. It is shown that, unlike a common belief, the polymer mechanical losses are comparable to those of the active ceramic justifying that 1.3 piezocomposites are suited for low-cost power applications. In fact, the main limitation induced by the polymer phase is a strong thermal breakdown when the temperature of the transducer approaches the glass transition region of the polymer. Measurements of the polymer losses as a function of the temperature were obtained confirming this point and offering interesting new alternatives for future composite power transducers.     

Permutation statistics related to a class of noncommutative symmetric functions and generalizations of the Genocchi numbers

We prove conjectures of the third author [L. Tevlin, Proc. FPSAC’07, Tianjin] on two new bases of noncommutative symmetric functions: the transition matrices from the ribbon basis have nonnegative integral coefficients. This is done by means of two composition-valued statistics on permutations and packed words, which generalize the combinatorics of Genocchi numbers.