Stability of gas pressure regulators

Gas pressure regulators are widely used in both commercial and residential applications to control the operational pressure of the gas. One common problem in these systems is the tendency for the regulating apparatus to vibrate in an unstable manner during operation. These vibrations tend to cause an auditory hum in the unit, which may cause fatigue damage and failure if left unchecked. This work investigates the stability characteristics of a specific type of hardware and shows the cause of the vibration and possible design modifications that eliminate the unstable vibration modes. A dynamic model of a typical pressure regulator is developed, and a linearized model is then used to investigate the sensitivity of the most important governing parameters. The values of the design parameters are optimized using root locus techniques, and the design trade-offs are discussed.     

Use of polyethylene glycol coatings for optical fibre humidity sensing

Humidity induced change in the refractive index and thickness of the polyethylene glycol (PEG) coatings are in situ investigated for a range from 10 to 95%, using an optical waveguide spectroscopic technique. It is experimentally demonstrated that, upon humidity change, the optical and swelling characteristics of the PEG coatings can be employed to build a plastic fibre optic humidity sensor. The sensing mechanism is based on the humidity induced change in the refractive index of the PEG film, which is directly coated onto a polished segment of a plastic optical fibre with dip-coating method. It is observed that PEG, which is a highly hydrophilic material, shows no monotonic linear response to humidity but gives different characteristics for various ranges of humidity levels both in index of refraction and in thickness. It undergoes a physical phase change from a semi-crystalline structure to a gel one at around 80% relative humidity. At this phase change point, a drastic decrease occurs in the index of refraction as well as a drastic increase in the swelling of the PEG film. In addition, PEG coatings are hydrogenated in a vacuum chamber. It is observed that the hydrogen has a preventing effect on the humidity induced phase change in PEG coatings. Finally, the possibility of using PEG coatings in construction of a real plastic fibre optic humidity sensor is discussed.     

A rapid-scanning autocorrelation scheme for continuous monitoring of picosecond laser pulses

We describe a scheme for rapidly introducing a periodic linear time delay to a train of picosecond laser pulses. By incorporating this scheme in one arm of the Michelson interferometer of a conventional autocorrelator, the second order intensity autocorrelation function of a cw train of picosecond pulses is continuously displayed on an oscilloscope.     

Quasielastic scattering of neutrons from freely jointed polymer chains in dilute solutions

Starting with Kirkwood's Fokker–Planck equation for the polymer configuration-space distribution function and using the Zwanzig–Mori projection operator technique we have calculated the scattering law S_(q,w) for a freely jointed model polymer chain in a dilute solution. When memory effects are neglected, the theory predicts a Lorentzian for S_(q,w) with a halfwidth Ω_(q), which we have determined as a function of the momentum transfer q for all values of q. The results are compared with recent neutron scattering experiments on deuterated polytetrahydrofuran and polystyrene in dilute solution in CS₂. It is found that the observed q dependence of Ω(q) is represented satisfactorily by the present theory with a bond length b of about 6.3 Å for polystyrene and 3.8 Å for polytetrahydrofuran, and a friction coefficient ζ = 4πη0b where η₀ is the viscosity of the solvent.     

H(D) → D(H) + Cu(111) collision system: molecular dynamics study of surface temperature effects

All the channels of the reaction dynamics of gas-phase H (or D) atoms with D (or H) atoms adsorbed onto a Cu(111) surface have been studied by quasiclassical constant energy molecular dynamics simulations. The surface is flexible and is prepared at different temperature values, such as 30 K, 94 K, and 160 K. The adsorbates were distributed randomly on the surface to create 0.18 ML, 0.28 ML, and 0.50 ML of coverages. The multi-layer slab is mimicked by a many-body embedded-atom potential energy function. The slab atoms can move according to the exerted external forces. Treating the slab atoms non-rigid has an important effect on the dynamics of the projectile atom and adsorbates. Significant energy transfer from the projectile atom to the surface lattice atoms takes place especially during the first impact that modifies significantly the details of the dynamics of the collisions. Effects of the different temperatures of the slab are investigated in this study. Interaction between the surface atoms and the adsorbates is modeled by a modified London-Eyring-Polanyi-Sato (LEPS) function. The LEPS parameters are determined by using the total energy values which were calculated by a density functional theory and a generalized gradient approximation for an exchange-correlation energy for many different orientations, and locations of one- and two-hydrogen atoms on the Cu(111) surface. The rms value of the fitting procedure is about 0.16 eV. Many different channels of the processes on the surface have been examined, such as inelastic reflection of the incident hydrogen, subsurface penetration of the incident projectile and adsorbates, sticking of the incident atom on the surface. In addition, hot-atom and Eley-Rideal direct processes are investigated. The hot-atom process is found to be more significant than the Eley-Rideal process. Furthermore, the rate of subsurface penetration is larger than the sticking rate on the surface. In addition, these results are compared and analyzed as a function of the surface temperatures.     

Biofuel Cell Based on Anode and Cathode Modified by Glucose Oxidase

A single compartment biofuel cell (BFC) based on an anode and a cathode powered by the same fuel glucose is reported. Glucose oxidase (GOx) from Aspergillus niger was applied as a glucose consuming biocatalyst for both anode and cathode of the BFC. The 5‐amino‐1,10‐phenanthroline modified graphite rod electrode (GRE) with cross‐linked GOx was used as the bioanode, and the GRE with co‐immobilised horseradish peroxidase and GOx was exploited as the biocathode of the BFC. The open‐circuit voltage of the designed BFC exceeded 450 mV and a maximal power density of 3.5 µW/cm² was registered at a cell voltage of 300 mV.     

Babinet's principle in the Fraunhofer diffraction by a finite thin wire

The scattered waves by a thin finite wire are evaluated by using the Rayleigh-Sommerfeld integral in the Fraunhofer approximation. The scattered fields by the complementary thin wire are also obtained with the aid of the Babinet's principle. The scattering integrals are evaluated directly. It is shown that Babinet's principle holds excellently for this problem. The scattered fields are examined numerically.     

Spectral image analysis for the absorption bands of the beta-methallyl free radical in the vapor phase

The radicals formed in the flash photolysis of 2-methylbut-1-ene and subsequent reactions have been investigated by kinetic spectroscopy and gas liquid chromatography. Less than 10% of photo products are formed by a molecular made of fission of the excited olefin, and of the radical modes the relative probabilities of band fission, beta(CH):beta(CH):alpha(CC) are 13:1.37:1. The extinction coefficients of beta-methallyl radical measured experimentally for all the absorption bands. The decay of the beta-methallyl radical was second order. The rate constant for the beta-methallyl radical recombination experimentally measured was 2.6+/-0.3 x 10(10) l mol(-1)s(-1) at 295+/-2K. The spectrum image showing the absorption bands was examined by image processing techniques in order to improve the visual experience of each band by localizing to a specific region of interest. Experimental results illustrate how the exact location of absorption bands was clearly extracted from the spectral image and further improvements in the visual detection of absorption bands.     

On the Diophantine equation x 2 − kxy + y 2 − 2 n = 0

In this study, we determine when the Diophantine equation x ²?kxy+y ²?2 ⁿ = 0 has an infinite number of positive integer solutions x and y for 0 ? n ? 10. Moreover, we give all positive integer solutions of the same equation for 0 ? n ? 10 in terms of generalized Fibonacci sequence. Lastly, we formulate a conjecture related to the Diophantine equation x ² ? kxy + y ² ? 2 ⁿ = 0.     

Heterogeneous Au/Ru hybrid nanoparticle decorated graphene oxide nanosheet catalyst for the catalytic reduction of nitroaromatics

Research on Chemical Intermediates - Gold and ruthenium nanoparticles have been self-assembled on graphene oxide by using cysteine or glutamic acid junctions as heterogeneous nanocatalysts in the...