Visualization of flow behavior in ore-segregated packed beds with fine interlayers

Ore particles, especially fine interlayers, commonly segregate in heap stacking, leading to undesirable flow paths and changeable flow velocity fields of packed beds. Computed tomography(CT), COMSOL Multiphysics, and MATLAB were utilized to quantify pore structures and visualize flow behavior inside packed beds with segregated fine interlayers. The formation of fine interlayers was accompanied with the segregation of particles in packed beds. Fine particles reached the upper position of the packed beds during stacking. CT revealed that the average porosity of fine interlayers(24.21%) was significantly lower than that of the heap packed by coarse ores(37.42%), which directly affected the formation of flow paths. Specifically, the potential flow paths in the internal regions of fine interlayers were undeveloped. Fluid flowed and bypassed the fine interlayers and along the sides of the packed beds. Flow velocity also indicated that the flow paths easily gathered in the pore throat where flow velocity(1.8 × 10-5 m/s) suddenly increased. Fluid stagnant regions with a flow velocity lower than 0.2 × 10-5 m/s appeared in flow paths with a large diameter.     

Flow characteristics and reaction properties of carbon dioxide in microtubules and porous media

Carbon dioxide reacts with porous media while flowing through them enhancing their permeability. Its flow behavior as well as the permeability enhancement effects were studied in synthetic cores, natural cores and microtubes with an inner diameter of 5 μm. The results show that the permeability of H2O-saturated cores （containing carbonate ingredients） was enhanced by increasing the injection volume of a CO2-H2O solution. This enhancement is attributable to carbon dioxide＇s corrosion, which is justified by SEM scanning. The same phenomenon occurs with a CO2-H2O solution in microtubes, but for a different reason. The gas flow velocity of carbon dioxide in microtubes was approximately 100% faster than that of nitrogen because of the scale and the squeezing effects. Carbon dioxide molecules dissolved in water accelerate the diffusion rate of water molecules within the boundary layer, which in turn diminishes the thickness of the water film and enlarges the effective pore size. This flow behavior facilitates the injection of carbon dioxide into low-permeability reservoirs for oil-displacement and formation energy buildup purposes. This behavior also increases the potential for carbon dioxide channeling or release from the formation.     

Use of high-resolution X-ray computed tomography and 3D image analysis to quantify mineral dissemination and pore space in oxide copper ore particles

Mineral dissemination and pore space distribution in ore particles are important features that influence heap leaching performance. To quantify the mineral dissemination and pore space distribution of an ore particle, a cylindrical copper oxide ore sample (φ4.6 mm×5.6 mm) was scanned using high-resolution X-ray computed tomography (HRXCT), a nondestructive imaging technology, at a spatial resolution of 4.85 μm. Combined with three-dimensional (3D) image analysis techniques, the main mineral phases and pore space were segmented and the volume fraction of each phase was calculated. In addition, the mass fraction of each mineral phase was estimated and the result was validated with that obtained using traditional techniques. Furthermore, the pore phase features, including the pore size distribution, pore surface area, pore fractal dimension, pore centerline, and the pore connectivity, were investigated quantitatively. The pore space analysis results indicate that the pore size distribution closely fits a log-normal distribution and that the pore space morphology is complicated, with a large surface area and low connectivity. This study demonstrates that the combination of HRXCT and 3D image analysis is an effective tool for acquiring 3D mineralogical and pore structural data.     

Experimental study of the flow and heat transfer of a gas–water mixture through a packed channel

Waste heat recovery from the flue gas of gasfired boilers was studied experimentally by measuring the flow and heat transfer of air and water through six kinds of packing with saturated humid air as the simulated flue gas.The experiments measured the effects of inlet air temperature, inlet air velocity and circulating water flow rate on the flow and heat transfer. The results show that higher inlet air temperatures and lower inlet air velocities lower the flow resistance and increase the heat transfer coefficient. The stainless steel packing had better surface wettability and larger thermal conductivity than the plastic packing, which enhanced the heat transfer between the water and the saturated moist air. When both the flow resistance reduction and the heat transfer enhancement were considered, the experimental results gave an optimal packing-specific surface area. A packed heat exchanger tower was designed for waste heat recovery from the flue gas of gas-fired boilers based on the experimental results which had better flow and heat transfer characteristics with lower pump and fan power consumption, more stable system operation and less thermal fluctuations compared with a non-packed heat transfer system with atomized water.     

Study on flow characteristics of solid/liquid system in lysozyme crystal growth

During the process of lysozyme protein crystallization with batch method,the macroscopic flow field of solid/liquid system was observed by particle image velocimetry(PIV). Furthermore,a normal growth rate of(110) face and local flow field around a single protein crystal were obtained by a long work dis-tance microscope. The experimental results showed that the average velocity,the maximal velocity of macroscopic solid/liquid system and the velocity of local flow field around single protein crystal were fluctuant. The effective boundary layer thickness δeff,the concentration at the interface Ci and the characteristic velocity V were calculated using a convection-diffusion model. The results showed that the growth of lysozyme crystal in this experiment was dominated by interfacial kinetics rather than bulk transport,and the function of buoyancy-driven flow in bulk transport was small,however,the effect of bulk transport in crystal growth had a tendency to increase with the increase of lysozyme concentra-tion. The calculated results also showed that the order of magnitude of shear force was about 10-21 N,which was much less than the bond force between the lysozyme molecules. Therefore the shear force induced by buoyancy-driven flows cannot remove the protein molecules from the interface of crystal.     

Large eddy simulation of the gas-particle turbulent wake flow

To find out the detailed characteristics of the coherent structures and associated particle dispersion in free shear flow, large eddy simulation method was adopted to investigate a two-dimensional particleladen wake flow. The well-known Sub-grid Scale mode introduced by Smagorinsky was employed to simulate the gas flow field and Lagrangian approach was used to trace the particles. The results showed that the typical large-scale vortex structures exhibit a stable counter rotating arrangement of opposite sign, and alternately form from the near wall region, shed and move towards the downstream positions of the wake with the development of the flow. For particle dispersion, the Stokes number of particles is a key parameter. At the Stokes numbers of 1.4 and 3.8 the particles concentrate highly in the outer boundary regions. While the particles congregate densely in the vortex core regions at the Stokes number of 0. 15, and the particles at Stokes number of 15 assemble in the vortex braid regions and the rib regions between the adjoining vortex structures.     

Experimental and molecular dynamics study of gas flow characteristics in nanopores

Gas flow characteristics in nanopores were investigated experimentally and numerically using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with an emphasis on the friction factor and gas viscosity. The results show that the viscosity and the friction factor in nanopores are much lower than those in macroscale channels. The actual viscosities obtained from the MD studies showed that the gas viscosity in nanopores is less than the macroscale viscosity because collisions between gas molecules are less frequent in high Knudsen number flows and there are more collisions with the wall. The MD simulations show that the velocity profile is composed of two parts, with a much steeper velocity gradient near the wall.     

Precipitation characteristic of high strength steels microalloyed with titanium produced by compact strip production

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and physics-chemical phase analysis were employed to investigate the precipitates in high strength steels microalloyed with Ti produced by compact strip production (CSP). It was seen that precipitates in Ti microalloyed steels mainly included TiN, Ti₄C₂S₂, and TiC. The size of TiN particles varied from 50 to 500 nm, and they could precipitate during or before soaking. The Ti₄C₂S₂ with the size of 40-100 nm might precipitate before rolling, and the TiC particles with the size of 5-50 nm precipitated heterogeneously. High Ti content would lead to the presence of bigger TiC particles that precipitated in austenite, and by contrast, TiC particles that precipitated in ferrite and the transformation of austenite to ferrite was smaller. They were less than 30 nm and mainly responsible for precipitate strengthening. It should be noted that the TiC particles in higher Ti content were generally smaller than those in the steel with a lower Ti content.     

Formation and transport of granular heaps in vertically vibrated containers with periodic corrugated bottoms

We report the formation and transportation of granular heaps in vertically vibrated containers with two types of periodic corrugated bottoms： one with a periodic array of ten identical plexiglas rectangles mounted （named the periodic container）, and the other with a single-step （named the single-step container）. For the periodic container, when the excitation was weaker, several small＇heaps formed, and the number of them was the same as that of the rectangles on the bottom. As the excitation increased, the system presented three types of states： single well-defined heap, weaker wave, and stronger wave. Some local convections were observed in the interior of heap. For the single-step container, we observed the transportation of a heap toward step. We propose that the compressive force from the amblent gas plays a crucial role in the movement of the heap.     

Visualization of Coherent Structures in Acoustically Forced, Gas-Particle Turbulent Round Jet

To show the effects of the particles and forced disturbances on the instantaneous large-scale vortex structures in a gas-particle round jet, coherent structures in gas-particle turbulent round jets were investigated experimentally by flow visualization. The 45-μm and 350-μm diameter glass beads were used as the particles in the experiments. An acoustic speaker was used to introduce velocity perturbations at the jet exit. The Strouhal number based on the nozzle diameter, exit velocity, and forcing frequency was varied from 0,1 to 0.9. The Reynolds number was 9400. The coherent structures were visualized in unforced and forced single-phase jet flows and unforced and forced particle-laden jet flows with different diameter glass beads. The experimental results show that the particles have significant effects on the gas phase coherent structures. The coherent structures are controlled by the large 350-μm diameter particles, while the structures are mainly dominated by the forced disturbances in the flows with 45-μm diameter particles.     

Effects of particle characteristics on the granulation ability of iron ores during the sintering process

The granulation behavior of iron ores is essential for subsequent parameter optimization and efficient granulation, especially under changing material conditions. In this study, the effects of surface properties and particle size were analyzed using a laboratory granulation method; an estimation of the granulation of sintering blends was subsequently conducted for the base ores. Circularity and porosity were observed to negatively affect the granulation of iron ores, whereas wettability positively affected the granulation and was the most influential factor, indicating that wetting of iron ores is desirable during granulation. When iron ores with complex size distributions were granulated, the equivalent surface area was the main influencing factor for coarse particles larger than 1 mm and the ratio of adhering fines to intermediates was the main factor for fine particles smaller than 1 mm. By combining the granulation of coarse and fine particles with their proportioning, we proposed a calculation method for estimating the granulation ability of sintering blends. Good verification was demonstrated with the designed schemes. The results suggest that the developed method is effective for predicting the granulation of iron ore mixtures.     

Influence of the roughness and shape of quartz particles on their flotation kinetics

Surface roughness and shape play an important role on the behavior of particles in various processes such as flotation. In this research, the influence of different grinding methods on the surface roughness and shape characteristics of quartz particles as well as the effect of these parameters on the flotation of the particles was investigated. The surface roughness of the particles was determined by measuring their specific surface area via the gas adsorption method. The shape characteristics of the particles were measured and calculated by images obtained by scanning electron microscopy via an image analysis system. The flotation kinetics was determined using a laboratory flotation cell. The results showed that the particles of rod mill products have higher roughness and elongation ratio and lower roundness than the particles of ball mill products. The flotation kinetics constant of the particles increased with their surface roughness increasing. Particles with higher elongation and lower roundness indicated higher floatability. In addition, the influence of the surface roughness on the flotation kinetics was greater than that of shape parameters.     

Abnormal high pressure in Kuqa foreland thrust belt of Tarim basin: Origin and impacts on hydrocarbon accumulation

Following analyses of the abnormal high pressure distribution characteristics, based on the geological characteristics, tectonic stress field and physical simulation, we investigated the formation mechanisms of abnormal high pressure and its impacts on hydrocarbon accumulation in the Kuqa foreland thrust belt. The abnormal high pressure appears at the bottom of the Paleogene and obviously exists in the Triassic and Jurassic. However, the pressure coefficient in the Triassic and Jurassic is lower than that in the Cretaceous and at the bottom of the Paleogene. Horizontally, the abnormal high pressure distribution is characterized by E-W orientation zoning. The maximum pressure coefficient lies in the Kelasu-Dongqiu-Dina tectonic zones in the center of the Kuqa foreland thrust belt and decreases away from the tectonic zones. The formation of abnormal high pressure was mainly related with the intense tectonic compression in the Early Pleistocene time, and tectonic uplifting, undercompaction and hydrocarbon generation were secondary factors contributing to abnormal high pressure. Under the rapid and intense tectonic compression in the Early Pleistocene, the rock framework firstly undertook 1/4 of the compression stress and the other was borne by the pore fluids. Due to the presence of great seal of gypsum-salt or gypsum-mudstone beds in the Paleogene, the pressure of pore fluids increased rapidly and led to the abnormal high pressure in the Kuqa foreland thrust belt. The abnormal high pressure has important impacts on hydrocarbon accumulation. It is one of the necessary conditions for formation of large oil and gas fields in the Kuqa foreland thrust belt.     

Mixed Model for Silt-Laden Solid-Liquid Two-Phase Flows

The kinetic theory of molecular gases was used to derive the governing equations for dense solid-liquid two-phase flows from a microscopic flow characteristics viewpoint by multiplying the Boltzmann equation for each phase by property parameters and integrating over the velocity space. The particle collision term was derived from microscopic terms by comparison with dilute two-phase flow but with consideration of the collisions between particles for dense two-phase flow conditions and by assuming that the particle-phase velocity distribution obeys the Maxwell equations. Appropriate terms from the dilute two-phase governing equations were combined with the dense particle collision term to develop the governing equations for dense solid-liquid turbulent flows. The SIMPLEC algorithm and a staggered grid system were used to solve the discretized two-phase governing equations with a Reynolds averaged turbulence model. Dense solid-liquid turbulent two-phase flows were simulated for flow in a duct. The simulation results agree well with experimental data.     

Design and calculation of low infrared transmittance and low emissivity coatings for heat radiative applications

The infrared transmittance and emissivity of heat-insulating coatings pigmented with various structural particles were studied using Kubelka-Munk theory and Mie theory. The primary design purpose was to obtain the low transmittance and low emissivity coatings to reduce the heat transfer by thermal radiation for high-temperature applications. In the case of silica coating layers constituted with various structural titania particles (solid, hollow, and core-shell spherical), the dependence of transmittance and emissivity of the coating layer on the particle structure and the layer thickness was investigated and optimized. The results indicate that the coating pigmented with core-shell titania particles exhibits a lower infrared transmittance and a lower emissivity value than that with other structural particles and is suitable to radiative heat-insulating applications.     

A stochastic model of bubble distribution in gas-solid fluidized beds

On the basis of the Langevin equation and the Fokker-Planck equation, a stochastic model of bubble distribution in a gas-solid fluidized bed was developed. A fluidized bed with a cross section of 0.3 m×0.02 m and a height of 0.8 m was used to investigate the bubble distribution with the photographic method. Two distributors were used with orifice diameters of 3 and 6 mm and opening ratios of 6.4% and 6.8%, respectively. The particles were color glass beads with diameters of 0.3, 0.5 and 0.8 mm (Geldart group B particles). The model predictions are reasonable in accordance with the experiment data. The research results indicated that the distribution of bubble concentration was affected by the particle diameter, the fluidizing velocity, and the distributor style. The fluctuation extension of the distribution of bubble concentration narrowed as the particle diameter, fluidizing velocity and opening ratio of the distributor increased. For a given distributor and given particles the distribution was relatively steady along the bed height as the fluidizing velocity changed.     

Development and dynamic characteristics of an Organic Rankine Cycle

The design, construction and test of an Organic Rankine Cycle （ORC） with R123 as the working fluid were performed. A scroll expander was integrated in the system. The conductive oil with its temperature of 150 ℃ was used to simulate the low-grade heat source. An AC dynamometer unit measured the expander shaft torque, rotating speed and shaft power. The experiments were conducted in two operating modes： the constant mass flow rate and the constant shaft torque. Under the constant mass flow rate operating mode, the stepped increase of the shaft torque increased the expansion ratios of the expander and decreased the vapor superheats at the expander inlet. Thus, the shaft power and thermal efficiency were increased. Alternatively, the constant shaft torque operating mode involved two different regions, interfaced at the pumping frequency of 9 Hz. By the increase of the mass flow rates, the vapor superheats at the expander inlet was decreased and the shaft power was increased, but the ORC thermal efficiencies were slightly decreased. Both operating modes yielded the saturation shaft powers that were the maximum values one could use. It was found that the measured shaft powers and ORC thermal efficiencies were lower than the enthalpy determined values based on the fluid pressures and temperatures at the expander inlet and outlet. The maximum measured shaft power and thermal efficiency were 2.63 kW and 5.31%, compared with the enthalpy determined values of 3.87 kW and 9.46 %, respectively.     

Influence of stacking fault energy on formation of long period stacking ordered structures in Mg ? Zn? Y ? Zr alloys

The influence of alloying elements on the stacking fault energy (SFE) of Mg ? Y? Zn? Zr alloys was calculated by using first-principles, and the microstructure of as-cast Mg-1.05Y-0 .79Zn-0.07Zr (mole fraction, %) alloy prepared by conventional casting was investigated by SEM, TEM and HRTEM. The block-like long period stacking orde red (LPSO) phase, the lamellar LPSO phase and stacking faults were observed simulta neously and the lamellar LPSO structure an d stacking faults were both formed on (0001)α-Mg habit plane and grown or extended along [010-1]α-Mg direction. The calculation results by the first-principles showed that the addition of Y can sharply decrease the stacking fault energy of the Mg? Zn?Y? Zr alloy, while Zn slightly increases the stacking fault energy of the alloy. The influence of stacking fault energy on the formation of LPSO was di scussed. It shows that LPSO may nucleate directly through stacking faults and the lower stacking fault energy was in favor of formation of LPSO.     

Characterization of individual fly ash particles in surface snow at Urumqi Glacier No. 1, Eastern Tianshan

This research aimed to identify and characterize individual spherical fly ash particles extracted from surface snow at Urumqi Glacier No.1 (UG1), Eastern Tien Shan, central Asia. Characterization of the spherical particles (i.e. morphology, chemical composition and genesis) was obtained by scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (SEM-EDX). This method enabled the characterization of submicroscopic spherical particles, which were present in very small quantities. Spherical particles and agglomerates were identified according to their morphology in five snow samples. Prevalent particle types in all samples were granular spherical particles, hollow spherical particles, irregularly shaped carbonaceous particles and agglomerates. The vast majority of spherical particles in our samples had mostly smooth and glossy surfaces, although these particles varied in diameter and elemental composition. The diameter of fly ash particles ranged from 0.76 to 16.7 m, with an average of 3.79 m (median: 3.21 m). Individual particle analyses of elemental composition showed that particles formed in combustion were mainly composed of carbon, silicon, aluminum and trace elements (e.g. Na, K, Ca, Fe). Some spherical fly ash particles contained toxic heavy metals (e.g. Pb, Cr, As, Zn), and indicated that fly ash particles acted as the main possible carriers of toxic heavy metals deposited in snow and ice of glaciers in high altitudes of central Asia. On the basis of chemical information obtained from EDX, the fly ash particles deposited in the snow could be classified into four types. Namely, Si-dominant particles, with average diameters of 3.24 m were formed by industrial coal combustion via high temperature processes in typical coal-fired heating stations and thermal power plants. Moreover, Fe-dominant particles, with average diameters of 3.82 m, and Ti-dominant spherical particles formed by lower temperature processes in foundry and iron or steel plants. In addition, C-dominant particles, with average diameters of 8.43 m, formed from unburned coal. Fe-dominant particles had larger average diameters than Sidominant particles, indicating that the former were easier to form and developed earlier in the furnace because of their differential melting points of compositional oxide. Backward air mass trajectory analysis suggests that the developed urban regions of central Asia contributed the primary fly ash particles from industrial combustion to the study site through the high-level westerlies jet steam.     

Microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of a hot-rolled Ti alloy

The microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of a hot-rolled Ti-5.1 Al-2.5 Cr-0.5 Fe-4.5 Mo-1.1 Sn-1.8 Zr-2.9 Zn titanium alloy sheet along the thickness direction were investigated.The results indicated that the hotrolled titanium alloy sheet presented different microstructures along the thickness direction owing to the uneven distribution of stress and temperature during the hot rolling.The grains in central region underwent a larger deformation,leading to relative complete grain fragmentation and the formation of fine grains.During the air cooling process followed by hot rolling,the fraction of a phase precipitated in the central region was lower than that in the regions near the surface of the sheet.During hot rolling process,more deformation energy transformed to thermal energy and lower cooling rate in the central region promoted the α→β phase transformation,resulting in the increasing of the dynamic recrystallization in the β phase.By contrast,the dynamic recrystallization for a phase decreased.Distinct {0001}_α and {001}_β textures were observed,and these textures were markedly strengthened with the increasing distance from the central region.Due to the softening induced by dynamic recrystallization and the strengthening by concentrated dislocations,the surface of the sheet exhibits highest yield strength and lowest elongation.