Combining ultrasound,vacuum and/or ethanol as pretreatments to the convective drying of celery slices

This work studied three emerging approaches to improve the convective drying (50 °C, 0.8 m/s) of celery. Celery slices of 2 mm thick were pretreated for 5 min using ultrasound (32 W/L, 40 kHz), vacuum (75 kPa vacuum pressure) and ethanol (99.8% v/v, as drying accelerator) applied individually or in combination. To evaluate individual effects of ultrasound and vacuum, the treatments were also performed with distilled water or air medium, respectively. Moreover, the cavitational level was characterized in each condition. Drying kinetics was evaluated tending into account the drying time required by each treatment and the Page’s model parameters. In addition, microstructural effects and shrinkage were evaluated. As results, ethanol combined with ultrasound significantly improved drying kinetics reducing drying time by around 38%. However, vacuum pretreatment did not affect drying kinetics even in combination with ethanol and/or ultrasound. Microstructural evaluation did not evidence cell disruption, suggesting changes in intercellular spaces, pores and/or cell wall permeability. The use of ethanol and vacuum showed a greater effect on shrinkage after pretreatment and after drying, respectively. In conclusion, at the studied conditions, the drying acceleration by vacuum and ultrasound is lower compared to the effect produced using ethanol.     

Electronic structure of graphene/Y2C heterostructure and related doping effect

Until now, many attempts have been made to dope graphene in various ways, but each method turned out to have pros and cons. In this study, to overcome the limitations of doping methods, yttrium hypocarbide (Y₂C) is investigated as one prospective material to dope graphene, using density functional theory calculations. In monolayer Y₂C, the anionic electrons localized away from Y atomic layers are confirmed to contribute to occupied states near the Fermi level. Next, we investigate the electronic structure of graphene in heterojunction with Y₂C. Anionic electrons of Y₂C occupy the empty states of graphene in graphene/Y₂C heterostructure, which makes the Dirac cone of graphene located at about 1.7 eV below the Fermi level. Such charge transfer of anionic electrons to graphene and the flatness of electric cloud of anionic electrons leads to evenly n-doped graphene in graphene/Y₂C heterostructure. This suggests that Y₂C is a good candidate to dope graphene.     

垂直各向异性Ho3Fe5O12薄膜的外延生长与其异质结构的自旋输运

垂直磁各向异性稀土-铁-石榴石纳米薄膜在自旋电子学中具有重要应用前景.本文使用溅射方法在(111)取向掺杂钇钪的钆镓石榴石(Gd_0.63Y_2.37Sc₂Ga₃O₁₂,GYSGG)单晶衬底上外延生长了2—100 nm厚的钬铁石榴石(Ho₃Fe₅O₁₂,HoIG)薄膜,并进一步在HoIG上沉积了3 nm Pt薄膜.测量了室温下HoIG的磁各向异性和HoIG/Pt异质结构的自旋相关输运性质.结果显示,厚度薄至2 nm的HoIG薄膜(小于2个单胞层)在室温仍具有铁磁性,且由于外延应变,2—60 nm厚HoIG薄膜都具有很强的垂直磁各向异性,有效垂直各向异性场最大达350 mT;异质结构样品表现出非常可观的反常霍尔效应和“自旋霍尔/各向异性”磁电阻效应,前者在HoIG厚度小于4 nm时开始缓慢下降,而后者当HoIG厚度小于7 nm时急剧减小,说明相较于反常霍尔效应,磁电阻效应对HoIG的体磁性相对更加敏感;此外,自旋相关热电压随HoIG厚度减薄在整个厚度范围以指数方式下降,说明遵从热激化磁振子运动规律的自旋塞贝克效应是其主要贡献者.本文结果表明HoIG纳米薄膜具有可调控的垂直磁各向异性,厚度大于4 nm的HoIG/Pt异质结构具有高效的自旋界面交换作用,是自旋电子学应用发展的一个重要候选材料.     

基于光谱学分析的聚氨酯弹性体/聚磷酸铵/氢氧化铝复合材料阻燃机理研究

采用熔融共混技术,将聚磷酸铵(APP)和氢氧化铝(ATH)引入到聚氨酯弹性体(TPU)中,制备了一系列热塑性聚氨酯/聚磷酸铵/氢氧化铝(TPU/APP/ATH)复合材料。采用傅里叶红外光谱(FTIR)、X-射线光电子能谱(XPS)、扫描电镜(SEM)、激光拉曼光谱研究了TPU和阻燃TPU(FR-TPU)复合材料燃烧后炭渣的微观形貌、表面结构、元素组成、键合状态和石墨化程度,结合阻燃性能测试,揭示APP和ATH的协同阻燃机制。SEM分析表明相较于APP与ATH单独使用,TPU/APP/ATH炭层的空洞结构更少,炭渣的致密性更高。XPS分析表明FR-TPU的炭渣中C元素含量相比于纯TPU有所降低,O元素的含量有所上升,其中TPU/APP10/ATH10的C元素含量从88.2%降至69.24%,O元素的含量从8.07%升至17.78%,P和Al元素含量相较于单独添加分别从11.74%和16.36%下降至3.91%和3.31%。在此基础上,通过对C元素的分峰拟合发现TPU炭渣中C—C/C—H,C—O/C—N和CO/CN含量分别为61.05%,35.65%和3.30%;TPU/APP10/ATH10炭渣中三种结构含量分别为45.38%,45.00%和9.63%,说明ATH和APP复配使用有利于C元素形成酯、醚、羰基、羧酸（盐）、酯基等结构。通过对O元素的分峰拟合发现,TPU炭渣中O₂/H₂O,—O—,O三种结构含量分别为28.75%,44.36%和26.89%;TPU/APP10/ATH10炭渣中O₂/H₂O,—O—,O三种结构含量分别为44.33%,32.78%和22.89%,说明APP和ATH的加入有利于炭渣中O元素形成O₂/H₂O结构。通过对N元素的分峰拟合发现,TPU炭渣中—NH—,N结构的N元素含量分别为40.93%和59.07%;TPU/APP10/ATH10中—NH—,N结构的N元素含量分别47.17%和52.83%,说明ATH与APP复配使用促进了—NH—结构的形成。拉曼测试表明,相比于单独使用,APP和ATH复配使用,炭层的石墨化程度更好,致密性更高。以上分析结合阻燃测试可以得出TPU/APP/ATH复合材料阻燃机制：ATH受热分解生成氧化铝,吸收热量并释放大量水蒸气,有效促进APP降解,生成不燃性的氨气和聚磷酸,氨气和水蒸气稀释可燃性气体的浓度。随着温度继续升高,氧化铝可继续与聚磷酸反应生成偏磷酸铝[Al(PO₃)₃],同步催化聚氨酯基体成炭,形成高度石墨化炭层,石墨化炭层与偏磷酸铝一起覆盖在基体表面,有效抑制燃烧区域物质以及能量的输运,从而达到阻燃目的。     

高压下FCC相金属氢结构稳定性和非谐效应的理论研究

利用第一性原理分子动力学方法研究金属氢体系的非简谐效应, 给出金属氢的声子谱, 讨论金属氢声子谱的温度效应。计算得到氢的同位素氕、氘和氚的FCC相在非零温下的声子谱, 不同温度下的声子谱对比发现零温下3.6 TPa为热力学稳定的临界压强点, 而有限温度下(100 K)临界压强点降到2.8 TPa, 非简谐效应显著地改变了体系的结构稳定性和声子振动性质。     

抵消Wigner-Ville分布交叉项的窄带运动声源无源测速

利用声波的多普勒频移可以对窄带运动声源进行单传感器无源测速,其性能很大程度上取决于能否精确地估计出声波的瞬时频率.Wigner-Ville分布虽然时频分辨率高,但存在交叉项干扰,很少被直接用于瞬时频率估计。对此,提出了抵消Wigner-Ville分布交叉项的单传感器窄带声源无源测速方法。利用交叉项与声源速度的关系构造一个抵消项,引入到Wigner-Ville分布中,通过对声源速度估计值进行迭代更新,使抵消项与交叉项相位相反,从而约掉交叉项。经实测噪声数据验证,对一辆以6.07 m/s匀速运动的卡车(信噪比约为29 dB)测速误差为0.1 m/s,运行时间为4.6 s,对一架以28.90 m/s匀速运动的直升机(信噪比约为16 dB)测速误差为0.46 m/s,运行时间为1.2 s,均优于匹配Wigner变换和多普勒线性调频小波变换测速方法.     

Dynamic maintenance decision-making for series–parallel manufacturing system based on MAM–MTW methodology

Proper maintenance schedule is required to improve manufacturing systems’ profitability and productivity. A novel dynamic maintenance strategy is thus developed to incorporate both the single-machine optimization and the whole-system schedule for series–parallel system. Firstly, multiple attribute value theory and maintenance effects are considered in the single-machine optimization. A developed multi-attribute model (MAM) is used to determine the optimal maintenance intervals. Then, a series–parallel structure of the system is investigated in terms of the whole-system schedule. Maintenance time window (MTW) programming is presented to make a cost-effective system schedule by dynamically utilizing maintenance opportunities. The maintenance scheme achieved by using the proposed MAM–MTW methodology is demonstrated through a case study in a hydraulic steering factory. It is concluded that proper consideration of maintenance effects and time window leads to a significant cost reduction.     

Bending features of a sandwich panel with asymmetric structure under local loads

The bending characteristics of a composite panel with asymmetric layered structure under local surface loads are obtained. A refined version of the applied theory is developed using the analytical solution of the bending problem of a sandwich plate with arbitrary asymmetric structure under a point load. Local effects are investigated within the limits of a discrete model allowing for the specific character of elastic properties of a soft filler. The advantages of the solution are expressions of bending characteristics — layer curvatures, displacements, and stresses — in a closed form. It is shown that these characteristics can vary several times depending on the asymmetry parameters of the structure. Degeneration peculiarities of the solution, stemming from the slipping of layers or, otherwise, their rigid linking by the Kirchoff—Love hypothesis, as well as from account of the transverse shear and compression of the normal, are examined in line with the degeneration of geometric and physical parameters of the discrete model adopted. The results obtained are illustrated by curves and surfaces for the characteristics studied.Submitted for the 11th International Conference on the Mechanics of Composite Materials (Riga, June 11–15, 2000).Institute of Polymer Mechanics, Latvian University, Riga, LV-1006 Latvia. Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 35, No. 6, pp. 717–742, November–December, 1999.     

Localized electric-field-enhanced low-light detection by a 2D SnS visible-light photodetector

Due to their excellent carrier mobility, high absorption coefficient and narrow bandgap, most 2 D IVA metal chalcogenide semiconductors(GIVMCs, metal = Ge, Sn, Pb;chalcogen = S, Se) are regarded as promising candidates for realizing high-performance photodetectors. We synthesized high-quality two-dimensional(2 D) tin sulfide(Sn S) nanosheets using the physical vapor deposition(PVD) method and fabricated a 2 D Sn S visible-light photodetector. The photodetector exhibits a high photoresponsivity of 161 A·W~(-1) and possesses an external quantum efficiency of 4.45 × 10~4%, as well as a detectivity of 1.15 × 10~9 Jones under 450 nm blue light illumination. Moreover, under poor illumination at optical densities down to 2 m W·cm~(-2), the responsivity of the device is higher than that at stronger optical densities. We suggest that a photogating effect in the 2 D Sn S photodetector is mainly responsible for its low-light responsivity. Defects and impurities in 2 D Sn S can trap carriers and form localized electric fields, which can delay the recombination process of electron-hole pairs,prolong carrier lifetimes, and thus improve the low-light responsivity. This work provides design strategies for detecting low levels of light using photodetectors made of 2 D materials.