Pore network modelling of the behaviour of a solute in chromatography media: transient and steady-state diffusion properties

A pore network model is presented, that is a geometrical simplification of a porous medium. The network consists of pore chambers interconnected by pore throats. A recursive algorithm for the simulation of mercury intrusion porosimetry in the network is presented. Calculations indicate that it is possible to fit simulated mercury intrusion data to experimental data, and thereby obtain parameters of the pore size distribution and pore topology (pore connectivity). A time-dependent material balance equation for diffusion on the pore level is set up and solved for the pore network. By calculating the concentration evolution in the network, the transient diffusivity and the steady-state diffusivity are found. When the network is well connected, those two diffusivities are equal, but for poorly-connected networks they differ. For migrating solutes that are non-negligibly small compared to the pore throats, considerable differences between the transient and steady-state diffusivities were found.     

Finding the Shortest Watchman Route in a Simple Polygon

We present the first polynomial time algorithm that finds the shortest route in a simple polygon such that all points of the polygon are visible from the route. This route is called the shortest watchman route, and we do not assume any restrictions on the route or on the simple polygon. Our algorithm runs in worst case O(n ⁶ ) time, but it is adaptive, making it run faster on polygons with a simple structure. Received December 12, 1997, and in revised form September 30, 1998.     

Valuations and multiplier ideals

We present a new approach to the study of multiplier ideals in a local, two-dimensional setting. Our method allows us to deal with ideals, graded systems of ideals and plurisubharmonic functions in a unified way. Among the applications are a formula for the complex integrability exponent of a plurisubharmonic function in terms of Kiselman numbers, and a proof of the openness conjecture by Demailly and Kollár. Our technique also yields new proofs of two recent results: one on the structure of the set of complex singularity exponents for holomorphic functions; the other by Lipman and Watanabe on the realization of ideals as multiplier ideals.

     

Simultaneous 36 kHz PLIF/chemiluminescence imaging of fuel,CH2O and combustion in a PPC engine

The requirements on high efficiency and low emissions of internal combustion engines (ICEs) raise the research focus on advanced combustion concepts, e.g., premixed-charge compression ignition (PCCI), partially premixed compression ignition (PPCI), reactivity controlled compression ignition (RCCI), partially premixed combustion (PPC), gasoline compression ignition (GCI) etc. In the present study, an optically accessible engine is operated in PPC mode, featuring compression ignition of a diluted, stratified charge of gasoline-like fuel injected directly into the cylinder. A high-speed, high-power burst-mode laser system in combination with a high-speed CMOS camera is employed for diagnostics of the autoignition process which is critical for the combustion phasing and efficiency of the engine. To the authors’ best knowledge, this work demonstrates for the first time the application of the burst-system for simultaneous fuel tracer planar laser induced fluorescence (PLIF) and chemiluminescence imaging in an optical engine, at 36?kHz repetition rate. In addition, high-speed formaldehyde PLIF and chemiluminescence imaging are employed for investigation of autoignition events with a high temporal resolution (5 frames/CAD). The development of autoignition together with fuel or CH₂O distribution are simultaneously visualized using a large number of consecutive images. Prior to the onset of combustion the majority of both fuel and CH₂O are located in the recirculation zone, where the first autoignition also occurs. The ability to record, in excess of 100 PLIF images, in a single cycle brings unique possibilities to follow the in-cylinder processes without the averaging effects caused by cycle-to-cycle variations.     

Bearing Load Measurement in a Hydropower Unit Using Strain Gauges Installed Inside Pivot Pin

To determine a machine’s mechanical condition it is of importance to know the radial bearing forces in the machine. Radial forces are caused by magnetic pull forces in the generator, clamped shafts, mass unbalance and flow properties around the turbine. Measuring the shaft displacement in the bearing or the bearing housing acceleration is not sufficient for status determination of a vertical hydropower unit. It is the magnitude and frequencies of the radial forces in combination with structure properties which give information as to whether a measured value is harmful or not. This paper presents an alternative method for measurement of radial bearing load in a hydropower unit. The method presented in this paper is based on strain measurements on pivot pins. The pivot pins are placed behind the bearing pad and the radial loads acting on the pad propagate through the pivot pin. New pivot pins were purchased and equipped with strain gauges. The new pivot pins were calibrated and a transfer function between applied load and measured output voltage was identified for each pivot pin. After calibration the pivot pins were installed in a vertical hydropower unit. Measurements were performed for several different operating modes of the hydropower unit. To verify that the measured load levels were of right order of magnitude, the radial bearing loads were calculated from numerical simulations of bearing properties and shaft eccentricity measurements. The two methods for determining bearing load showed almost the same results. This indicates that either method can be used to determine bearing load.     

Quantitative oxygen concentration imaging in toluene atmospheres using Dual Imaging with Modeling Evaluation

Fluorescence lifetimes of toluene as a function of oxygen concentration in toluene/nitrogen/oxygen mixtures have been measured at room temperature using picosecond-laser excitation of the S₁–S₀ transition at 266 nm. The data satisfy the Stern–Volmer relation with high accuracy, providing an updated value of the Stern–Volmer slope. A newly developed fluorescence lifetime imaging scheme, called Dual Imaging with Modeling Evaluation (DIME), is evaluated and successfully demonstrated for quantitative oxygen concentration imaging in toluene-seeded O₂/N₂ gas mixtures.     

Ergodic properties of fibered rational maps

We study the ergodic properties of fibered rational maps of the Riemann sphere. In particular we compute the topological entropy of such mappings and construct a measure of maximal relative entropy. The measure is shown to be the unique one with this property. We apply the results to selfmaps of ruled surfaces and to certain holomorphic mapping of the complex projective planeP ². Supported by the Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education (STINT).     

Extraction, interpretation and validation of information for comparing samples in metabolic LC/MS data sets

LC/MS is an analytical technique that, due to its high sensitivity, has become increasingly popular for the generation of metabolic signatures in biological samples and for the building of metabolic data bases. However, to be able to create robust and interpretable (transparent) multivariate models for the comparison of many samples, the data must fulfil certain specific criteria: (i) that each sample is characterized by the same number of variables, (ii) that each of these variables is represented across all observations, and (iii) that a variable in one sample has the same biological meaning or represents the same metabolite in all other samples. In addition, the obtained models must have the ability to make predictions of, e.g. related and independent samples characterized accordingly to the model samples. This method involves the construction of a representative data set, including automatic peak detection, alignment, setting of retention time windows, summing in the chromatographic dimension and data compression by means of alternating regression, where the relevant metabolic variation is retained for further modelling using multivariate analysis. This approach has the advantage of allowing the comparison of large numbers of samples based on their LC/MS metabolic profiles, but also of creating a means for the interpretation of the investigated biological system. This includes finding relevant systematic patterns among samples, identifying influential variables, verifying the findings in the raw data, and finally using the models for predictions. The presented strategy was here applied to a population study using urine samples from two cohorts, Shanxi (People's Republic of China) and Honolulu (USA). The results showed that the evaluation of the extracted information data using partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) provided a robust, predictive and transparent model for the metabolic differences between the two populations. The presented findings suggest that this is a general approach for data handling, analysis, and evaluation of large metabolic LC/MS data sets.