Validation of full cavitation model in cryogenic fluids

Numerical simulation of cavitation in cryogenic fluids is important in improving the stable operation of the propulsion system in liquid-fuel rocket. It also represents a broader class of problems where the fluid is operating close to its critical point and the thermal effects of cavitation are pronounced. The present article focuses on simulating cryogenic cavitation by implementing the “full cavitation model”, coupled with energy equation, in conjunction with iterative update of the real fluid properties at local temperatures. Steady state computations are then conducted on hydrofoil and ogive in liquid nitrogen and hydrogen respectively, based on which we explore the mechanism of cavitation with thermal effects. Comprehensive comparisons between the simulation results and experimental data as well as previous computations by other researchers validate the full cavitation model in cryogenic fluids. The sensitivity of cavity length to cavitation number is also examined. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 50706042)     

Overexpression of OsRAA1 promotes flowering and hypocotyls elongation in Arabidopsis

Previously, OsRAA1, an AtFPF1 homologue gene, was found to play an important role in modulating rice root development. In the current study, OsRAA1 was overexpressed in Arabidopsis, and the transgenic plants showed early flowering and elongated hypocotyl phenotypes as compared with the wild-type under white-light conditions. The hypocotyls of transgenic lines were twice as long as those of wild-type plants under red-light conditions but were indistinguishable from those of the wild-type under blue and far-red light and darkness. In addition, the phenotypes of AtFPF1 transgenic lines were similar to those of OsRAA1 transgenic lines. These results suggested that OsRAAI/AtFPF1 protein is involved in regulating flowering time and plays an important role in the inhibition of hypocotyl elongation under continuous red light. The functions were preserved during the evolution.     

Kinetic modeling of dilute solid-liquid two-phase flows with inelastic collisions

A kinetic model was presented for dilute solid-liquid two-phase flows with inelastic collisions by modeling the inelastic collisions with the revised BGK model （Santos and Astillero, 2005） and particle turbulence interactions with the Fokker-Planck operator. The formulated model kinetic equation was solved with the Chapman-Enskog method and the obtained approximate solution was further adopted to derive the constitutive relationships for the conservation equations of the particle phase. The new constitutive relationships would be suitable for the study on dilute solid-liquid two-phase flows such as sediment-laden flows in open channels or rivers.     

First principles studies on the electronics structures of (Li<Subscript>1−<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Me<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>)FePO<Subscript>4</Subscript> (Me=Na and Be)

Based on density functional theory (DFT) of the first-principle for cathode materials of lithium ion battery, the electronic structures of (Li_1?x Me _x )FePO₄ (Me=Na and Be, x=0–0.40) are calculated by plane wave pseudo-potential method using Cambridge serial total energy package (CASTEP) program. The calculated results show that Li-site doping can improve the electronic conductivity enormously. Doping with Na has a noticeable effect on improving its electrical conductivity. However, serious structural distortion will occur when its doping density is beyond 0.25. In view of this, the best density of doping Na is less than 0.25. Doping with Be has an inconspicuous effect on increasing its electrical conductivity and has good cyclical stability, but it cannot achieve as good results as when it is doped with Na. Therefore we cannot find a middle ground between the two proposals. Considering cost and environmental protection, it is ideal to choose Na. So this method gives a reasonable prediction to the improvement of electronic conductivity through Li-site doping in LiFePO₄ material.     

Swelling behaviors and pervaporation properties of CA/PAN composite membranes for separation of caprolactam/water mixtures

The composite membranes with cellulose acetate (CA) as the separating layer material and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) as the supporting layer material were prepared for separating caprolactam (CPL) from CPL/water mixtures by pervaporation technique. The swelling experiments were carried out to investigate the effects of swelling time and CPL concentration on the degree of swelling. The results showed that the CA membrane reached swelling equilibrium within 24 h, and the degree of swelling first slightly decreased then increased with the increase of CPL concentration in the feed under the experimental conditions. Respectively comparing flux with permeance, and separation factor with selectivity, we found out that the separation performance of the CA/PAN composite membrane is more strongly dependent on its hydrophilic/hydrophobic nature as well as on the effects of operating parameters, such as feed composition concentration and feed temperature.     

Solvothermal synthesis and ferromagnetic property of bamboo-shoot-like oriented carbon micromaterials

Bamboo-shoot-like oriented carbon micromaterials (BOCMs) were synthesized by a solvothermal method at 450°C for 4 h using deoiled asphalt (DOA) as carbon source, toluene as solvent, ferrocene as catalyst precursor and amphiphilic triblock copolymer P123 as surfactant. The morphology and structure of the products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results reveal that the obtained products have good distribution with uniform diameters of about 0.5 μm and the lengths of 1–1.5μm, and hydrogen-carbon bonds are observed on the surface of BOCMs. The growth mechanism of BOCMs is discussed, in which that the catalysis of ferrocene and the dispersion and assembly of the aromatic molecules of DOA directed by P123 are critical to the formation of the BOCMs. The coercivity value (231.91 Oe) from the measurement of a vibrating sample magnetometer shows that the BOCMs have an obvious ferromagnetic behavior.     

Comparison of different triolein-based composite semipermeable membranes for passive sampling of organochlorine pesticides

Passive sampling methods have been widely used for more than 20 years because they can provide information on time-weighted average concentrations(CTWA) of hydrophobic organic contaminants in water.Many factors affect the efficiency and applicability of a passive sampling process.Among others,selection of the sampler design and choice of the supporting membrane material are important factors that determine the performance of passive samplers.In this work,the influences of some critical properties of membranes,such as membrane density,hydrophilicity of the membrane surface,and chemical and mechanical resistances,on the uptake of organic chlorinated pesticides(OCPs) were evaluated.Four membrane materials,namely cellulose acetate(CA),cellulose acetate butyrate(CAB),a cellulose acetate-cellulose triacetate blend(CA-CTA),and cellulose triacetate(CTA),and their triolein-embedded samplers were selected for the study.The four membranes are all hydrophilic;CAB has the highest contact angle and CA has the lowest.CTA is chemically and mechanically resistant,and has better tensile strength than the other membranes have.CAB does not have good chemical resistance and dissolves in hexane/dichloromethane solvent.CA and CTA alone showed lower uptake rates for the selected OCPs than with triolein-embedded passive samplers,indicating that triolein increased the accumulation capacity.Triolein-embedded CA(TECAM),CA-CTA(TECA-CTA),CTA(TECTA),and CAB(TECAB) as passive samplers showed similar uptake patterns;TECTA showed the highest uptake rates and TECAB showed the poorest accumulation.In summary,TECTA gave the best performance among all the tested composite semipermeable membranes.     

Biomimetic fluorapatite films for conservation of historic calcareous stones

Fluorapatite protective films were prepared on marble substrates using a biomimetic method. By mimicking the mineralization mechanism of enamel, phosphorus and fluorine were introduced on the surface of the marble substrate. In the presence of a biological template, namely collagen, an integrated fluorapatite film was produced and the marble substrate was entirely covered. The prepared fluorapatite films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. The performances of the fluorapatite films were evaluated by color changes, capillary water absorption, and acid resistance tests. The results revealed that the fluorapatite films had good compatibility with the marble substrate; the physical properties such as color and capillary water adsorption of the marble substrates were unchanged. The fluorapatite films also had good acid resistance and were stable even in heavy acid rain.     

Production of 316L stainless steel implant materials by powder metallurgy and investigation of their wear properties

In this study,the mechanical and wear properties of AISI 316L stainless steel implant materials,produced by powder metallurgy(P/M),were investigated.AISI 316L stainless steel powder was cold-pressed with 800 MPa of pressure and then sintered at 1200,1250 and 1300°C for 30 min as three sample groups.The microstructure,and mechanical and wear properties of the resulting steels were investigated.Light optical and scanning electron microscopiese were used to characterize the microstructure of the steels.Room temperature mechanical properties of the steels were determined by hardness measurements and impact tests.Wear was determined using the pin-on-disc wear test,and the results were evaluated according to weight loss.The results indicate that the sintering temperature,time and atmosphere are important parameters that affect the porous ratio of materials produced by P/M.Sintering at high temperature can eliminate small pores and make the residual pores spherical.The wear tests showed that the wear of the AISI 316L stainless steel implants changed depending on the sintering temperature and load.Spherical pores in the samples increase the wear resistance.Moreover,decreasing the porosity ratio of these materials improves all of their mechanical properties.     

POSFET压电传感器结构参数与特性的研究

本文分析了ＰＯＳＦＥＴ压电传感器的结构参数与特性。理论分析表明ＰＶＤＦ薄膜的声学灵敏度与膜的厚度和膜的弹性刚性系数成正比。实验结果显示，ＰＯＳＦＥＴ传感器的输出峰值随扩展栅面积的增加而增大，随沟道长度的减小而增大。ＰＯＳＦＥＴ传感器的灵敏度比之ＰＶＤＦ直接粘贴硅背衬传感结构提高了２０ｄＢ。