An improved method for calculating flow past flapping and hovering airfoils

A method is reported here for calculating unsteady aerodynamics of hovering and flapping airfoil for two-dimensional flow via the following improved methodologies: (a) a correct formulation of the problem using stream function (ψ) and vorticity (ω) as dependent variables; (b) calculating loads and moment by a new method to solve the governing pressure Poisson equation (PPE) in a truncated part of the computational domain on a nonstaggered grid; (c) accurate solution using high accuracy compact difference scheme for the vorticity transport equation (VTE) and (d) accelerating the computations by using a high-order filter after each time step of integration. These have been used to solve Navier–Stokes equation for flow past flapping and hovering NACA 0014 and 0015 airfoils at typical Reynolds numbers relevant to the study of unsteady aerodynamics of micro air vehicle (MAV) and insect/bird flight.     

Dynamic shearing resistance of molten metal films under high pressures and extremely high shearing rates

In the present study plate-impact pressureshear experiments have been conducted to study the dynamic shearing resistance of molten metal films at shearing rates of approximately 10⁷ s⁻¹. These molten films are generated by pressure-shear impact of relatively low melt-point metals such as 7075-T6 Al alloy with high hardness and high flow-strength tool-steel plates. By employing high impact speeds and relatively smooth impacting surfaces, normal interfacial pressures ranging from 1–3 GPa and slip speeds of over 100 m/s are generated during the pressure-shear loading. The resulting friction stress (∼100 to 400 MPa) combined with the high slip speeds generate conditions conductive to interfacial temperatures approaching the fully melt temperature regime of the lower melt-point metal (7075-T6 aluminum alloy) comprising the tribo-pair. During pressure-shear loading, laser interferometry is employed to measure normal and transverse motion at the rear surface of the target plate. The normal component of the particle velocity provides the interfacial normal traction while the transverse component provides the shearing resistance of the interface as it passes through melt. In order to extract the critical interfacial parameters, such as the interfacial slip-speed and interfacial temperatures, a Lagrangian finiteelement code is developed. The computational procedure accounts for dynamic effects, heat conduction, contact with friction, and full thermo-mechanical coupling. At temperatures below melt the flyer and target materials are described as an isotropic thermally softening elastic-viscoplastic solid. For material elements with temperatures in excess of the melt point, a purely Newtonian fluid constitutive model is employed. The results of this hybrid experimental-computational study provide insights into the dynamic shearing resistance of molten metal films at high pressures and extremely high shearing rates.     

Syntheses of (−)-gabosine A, (+)-4-epi-gabosine A, (−)-gabosine E, and (+)-4-epi-gabosine E

(+)-4-epi-Gabosine A 1 and (−)-gabosine A 2 have been synthesized starting from methyl α,d-glucopyranoside and methyl α,d-mannopyranoside, respectively, by utilizing Pd(0) catalyzed Stille coupling as the key step. On the other hand, syntheses of (+)-4-epi-gabosine E 3 and (−)-gabosine E 4 have been accomplished from methyl α,d-glucopyranoside and from methyl α,d-mannopyranoside, respectively, by utilizing DMAP catalyzed Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction as the key step. Presence of acetyl group at C-6 position of sugar derived cyclic enone prevented the aromatization of MBH adduct. A plausible mechanism is also described.     

Synthesis of high surface area transitional alumina from Al(OPh)<Subscript>3</Subscript>

Al(OPh)₃ involving sterically hindered phenyl groups on ultrasonic assisted micro hydrolysis yielded a mixture of boehmite and bayerite as deduced from the FTIR and powder X-ray diffraction pattern. In the thermogravimetric trace, the complete removal of decomposable moieties of the hydrolyzed gel occurred around 530 °C. Calcining the gel at temperatures 600, 700, 800 and 900 °C showed crystalline tetragonal δ-Al₂O₃ to be the product at 900 °C as deduced from FTIR, ²⁷Al NMR and PXRD techniques. δ-Al₂O₃ showed a surface area of 135 m²/g with rectangular bar like morphology with the sizes below 50 nm in the TEM images.     

Single mode phonon energy transmission in functionalized carbon nanotubes

Although the carbon nanotube (CNT) features superior thermal properties in its pristine form, the chemical functionalization often required for many applications of CNT inevitably degrades the structural integrity and affects the transport of energy carriers. In this article, the effect of the side wall functionalization on the phonon energy transmission along the symmetry axis of CNT is studied using the phonon wave packet method. Three different functional groups are studied: methyl (-CH(3)), vinyl (-C(2)H(3)), and carboxyl (-COOH). We find that, near Γ point of the Brillouin zone, acoustic phonons show ideal transmission, while the transmission of the optical phonons is strongly suppressed. A positive correlation between the energy transmission coefficient and the phonon group velocity is observed for both acoustic and optical phonon modes. On comparing the transmission due to functional groups with equivalent point mass defects on CNT, we find that the chemistry of the functional group, rather than its molecular mass, has a dominant role in determining phonon scattering, hence the transmission, at the defect sites.     

Computational studies on tetrazole derivatives as potential high energy materials

The tetrazole is an important functionality of the most of energetic materials due to 80% nitrogen content, stability, and high enthalpy of formation. The present structure–property relationship study focuses on the optimized geometries of tetrazole derivatives obtained from density functional theory (DFT) calculations at B3LYP/6-31G* levels. The heat of formation (HOF) of tetrazole derivatives have been calculated by designing the appropriate isodesmic reactions. The increase in nitro groups on azole rings shows the remarkable increase in HOF. Density has been predicted by using CVFF force field. Increase in the nitro group increases the density. Detonation properties of the designed compounds were evaluated by using the Kamlet–Jacobs equation based on predicted densities and HOFs. Designed tetrazole derivatives show detonation velocity (D) over 8 km/s and detonation pressure (P) of about 32 GPa. Thermal stability was evaluated via bond dissociation energies (BDE) of the weakest C–NO₂ bond at B3LYP/6-31G* level. Charge on the nitro group has been used to assess the sensitivity correlation. Overall, the study implies that designed compounds of this series are found to be stable and expected to be the novel candidates of high energy materials (HEMs).     

Propagation of plane waves in microstretch fluid

The propagation of plane harmonic waves are studied in a microstretch fluid medium. It is found that five basic waves can propagate at distinct speeds in an infinite linear homogeneous isotropic microstretch fluid. Out of these five waves, one is a longitudinal micro-rotational wave, two are coupled longitudinal waves and remaining two are coupled transverse waves. The longitudinal micro-rotational wave travels independently and is not influenced by the microstretching of the medium, while the coupled longitudinal waves arise due to the presence of microstretching and coupled transverse waves arise due to the presence of micro-rotation in the medium. Speed of propagation of all the waves are found to be complex valued and dispersive at low frequency, but almost non-dispersive at high frequency. Due to complex valued speeds of propagation, all the waves are attenuating but differently. Coupled sets of longitudinal waves reduce to a longitudinal wave of micropolar fluid in the absence of microstretching. Reflection phenomena of a set of coupled longitudinal waves incident obliquely at the free surface of a microstretch fluid half-space has been investigated. Closed formulae for the reflection coefficients are presented and computed numerically for a particular medium. The real and imaginary parts of the complex speeds of all the waves and their corresponding attenuation coefficients have also been studied numerically and depicted graphically against frequency parameter.     

Chiral pyridin-3-ones and pyridines: syntheses of enantiopure 2,4-disubstituted 6-hydroxy-1,6-dihydro-2H-pyridin-3-ones, 2,3-disubstituted 4-iodopyridines, and enantiopure 2,3-disubstituted 4-pyridinemethanols

The development of an innovative method to access enantiopure 2,4-disubstituted 6-hydroxy-1,6-dihydro-2H-pyridin-3-ones starting from D-glucal via the aza-Achmatowicz transformation has been described. These highly functionalized pyridin-3-ones have been utilized for the synthesis of contiguously substituted pyridines through a rapid and efficient Et(3)N/Ac(2)O promoted cyclo-elimination, aromatization cascade, allowing the facile assembly of important pyridine-based building blocks like 2-substituted 3-acetoxy-4-iodopyridines and enantiopure 2-substituted 3-acetoxy-4-pyridinemethanols possessing benzylic stereogenic centers, whose synthesis otherwise would be tedious. The utilization of commercially available sugars as starting materials, mild reaction conditions, catalytic transfer hydrogen (CTH) of α-furfuryl azide derivatives, transfer of chiral aryl/alkyl methanols from enulosides to pyridin-3-ones and pyridines, high yields, and short reaction times are key features of this method. The utility of the method has been further exemplified by demonstrating the usage of the 2-substituted 3-acetoxy-4-iodopyridine for the construction of biologically significant molecules like 2,7-disubstituted furo[2,3-c]pyridines and 7,7'-disubstituted 2,2'-bifuro[2,3-c]pyridines.     

Density functional theory calculations and vibrational spectral analysis of 3,5-(dinitrobenzoic acid)

The FT-IR and Raman spectra of 3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid (DNBA) have been recorded and analyzed. The equilibrium geometry, various bonding and harmonic vibrational wavenumbers have been calculated with the help of density functional theory (DFT) method. Most of the vibrational modes are observed in the expected range. Mulliken population analysis shows the interactions C-N-O?H-C and C-O?H-C. The most possible interaction is explained using natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis. The strengthening and polarization of the CO bond increases due to the degree of conjugation. HOMO-LUMO energy and the thermodynamic properties are also evaluated.     

Synthesis and characterization of Eu doped SrY2O4 phosphor

The present paper reports that TL glow curve and kinetic parameter of Eu³⁺ doped SrY₂O₄ phosphor irradiated by beta source. Sample was prepared by solid state preparation method. Sample was characterized by XRD analysis and particle size was calculated by Debye–Scherrer formula. The sample was irradiated with Sr-90 beta source giving a dose of 10 Gy and the heating rate used for TL measurements are 6.7 °C/s. The samples display good TL peaks at 106 °C, 225 °C and 382 °C. The corresponding kinetic parameters are calculated. The photoluminescence excitation spectrum at 247 and 364 nm monitored with 400 nm excitation and the corresponding emission peaks at 590, 612 and 624 nm are reported.