Simulation of a turbulent premixed open V-shaped flame using contour advection with surgery

Despite its capability of high spatial resolution, simulation of turbulent flows with traditional Lagrangian (front tracking) scheme is often discouraged by numerical instability caused by clustering of marker nodes and topological changes of fronts. Contour advection surgery (CAS), being a robust front tracking scheme, can limit the growth of front complexity during simulation without jeopardizing accuracy or efficiency. This allows it to open up an advantage over traditional front-tracking schemes. It has already been demonstrated that CAS, with incorporation of the reaction sheet model, can accurately simulate the propagation and advection of a turbulent premixed V-shaped flame. In this study, it is further tested with 10 values of vortex circulation. A range of upstream turbulence levels of 1.8–19.8% was obtained. Results indicate that upstream turbulence increase the average flame length, flame zone area and the overall burning rate. Flame surface density Σ was also estimated. Maximum values of Σ obtained lie in the range 0.1–1.4 mm⁻¹. Skewness towards the burnt region was observed in all profiles of Σ. Similar to results from laboratory experiments, it was found that Σ values decreases with upstream turbulence. From this study, the ability of CAS to cope with intense turbulence is demonstrated and a better quantitative understanding on the scheme has also been acquired.     

Surface functionalisation of polymer nanofibres by sputter coating of titanium dioxide

The surface properties of nanofibres are of importance in various applications. In this work, electrospun polyamide nanofibres were used as substrates for creating functional nanostructures on the nanofibre surfaces. A RF magnetron sputter coating was used to deposit the functional layer of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) onto the nanofibres. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) were employed to study the topography, grain structure and wetting of the nanofibre surfaces, respectively. The AFM results indicated a significant difference in the morphology of the nanofibres before and after the TiO₂ sputter coating. The XRD analysis showed the amorphous structures of the TiO₂ deposition layer. XPS spectra reflected the chemical features of the deposited nanostructures. The ESEM observation revealed that the surface wettability of TiO₂ sputter coated nanofibres was significantly improved after UV irradiation.     

Bulk Sn1−xMnxO2 magnetic semiconductors without room-temperature ferromagnetism

Polycrystalline Sn_1−xMn_xO₂ (0≤x≤0.05) diluted magnetic semiconductors were prepared by solid-state reaction method and their structural and magnetic properties had been investigated systematically. The three Mn-doped samples (x=0.01, 0.03, 0.05) undergo paramagnetic to ferromagnetic phase transitions upon cooling, but their Curie temperatures are far lower than room temperature. The magnetization cannot be attributed to any identified impurity phase. It is also found that the magnetization increases with increasing Mn doping, while the ratio of the Mn ions contributing to ferromagnetic ordering to the total Mn ions decreases.     

Differential algebraic equations with after-effect

In this paper, we are concerned with the solution of delay differential algebraic equations. These are differential algebraic equations with after-effect, or constrained delay differential equations. The general semi-explicit form of the problem consists of a set of delay differential equations combined with a set of constraints that may involve retarded arguments. Even simply stated problems of this type can give rise to difficult analytical and numerical problems. The more tractable examples can be shown to be equivalent to systems of delay or neutral delay differential equations. Our purpose is to highlight some of the complexities and obstacles that can arise when solving these problems, and to indicate problems that require further research.     

Optical characterization of thin thermal oxide films on copper by ellipsometry

A complete optical characterization in the visible region of thin copper oxide films has been performed by ellipsometry. Copper oxide films of various thicknesses were grown on thick copper films by low temperature thermal oxidation at 125 °C in air for different time intervals. The thickness and optical constants of the copper oxide films were determined in the visible region by ellipsometric measurements. It was found that a linear time law is valid for the oxide growth in air at 125 °C. The spectral behaviour of the optical constants and the value of the band gap in the oxide films determined by ellipsometry in this study are in agreement with the behaviour of those of Cu₂O, which have been obtained elsewhere through reflectance and transmittance methods. The band gap of copper oxide, determined from the spectral behaviour of the absorption coefficient was about 2 eV, which is the generally accepted value for Cu₂O. It was therefore concluded that the oxide composition of the surface film grown on copper is in the form of Cu₂O (cuprous oxide). It was also shown that the reflectance spectra of the copper oxide–copper structures exhibit behaviour expected from a single layer antireflection coating of Cu₂O on Cu. Received: 19 July 2001 / Accepted: 27 July 2001 / Published online: 17 October 2001     

GENERALIZED DIFFERENTIAL QUADRATURE METHOD FOR THE FREE VIBRATION OF TRUNCATED CONICAL PANELS

This paper presents an improved generalized differential quadrature (GDQ) method for the investigation of the effects of boundary conditions on the free vibration characteristics of truncated conical panels. The truncated conical panel is an important geometrical shape in the fields of aerospace, marine and structural engineering. However, despite this importance, few works in free vibration analysis have dealt with this particular geometry. In this work, the vibration characteristics of clamped and simply supported truncated conical shells are obtained for various circumferential wave numbers. Further, the effects of the vertex and subtended angles on the frequency parameters are also examined in detail. Due to limited published results in the open literature, results for a range of cases are compared with those generated from the commercial finite element solver McNeal-Schwendler Corporation Nastran, and excellent agreement is observed.     

Solution of a Duffing-harmonic oscillator by the method of harmonic balance

The first-order harmonic balance method via first Fourier coefficient is used to construct an approximate frequency-amplitude relation for a Duffing-harmonic oscillator. This relation is in agreement with the result obtained by the Ritz procedure.     

Structural studies of Cr-doped mullite derived from single-phase precursors

Cr-doped mullites were prepared from single-phase precursors containing up to 9.60 wt% Cr₂O₃ using a sol-gel technique followed by thermal treatment. Particle induced X-ray emission spectroscopy and X-ray powder diffraction were used to characterize the samples. Mullites were orthorhombic, space group Pbam. Cr doping caused the increase of unit-cell parameters. Strongest expansion was noticed along c-axis followed by a and b (Δc/c=0.089, Δa/a=0.061, Δb/b=0.045% per mole Cr₂O₃). A second phase, namely θ-(Al,Cr)₂O₃, was revealed by XRD in the sample containing 9.60 wt% Cr₂O₃. The structure of mullites was refined by the Rietveld method, location of Cr³⁺ was performed by the EPR spectroscopy. At low chromium doping level (Cr₂O₃ content less than ∼5 wt%) Cr³⁺ ions were substituted for Al³⁺ in the AlO₆ octahedra of the mullite structure (M1 site). For higher doping level, Cr³⁺ ions were additionally substituted for Al³⁺ in the AlO₆ octahedra of the second phase [θ-(Al,Cr)₂O₃ at 1400 °C, or α-(Al,Cr)₂O₃ at 1600 °C] which segregated in the system. Substitution of Cr³⁺ for Al³⁺ on M1 site in the mullite structure resulted in increase of average distances in (M1)O₆ octahedron and decrease of average distances in T*O₄ tetrahedron, while average distances in TO₄ tetrahedron stayed almost constant.