Support surfaces for pressure ulcer prevention.

Science.gov (United States)

McInnes, Elizabeth; Jammali-Blasi, Asmara; Bell-Syer, Sally E M; Dumville, Jo C; Middleton, Victoria; Cullum, Nicky

2015-09-03

Pressure ulcers (i.e. bedsores, pressure sores, pressure injuries, decubitus ulcers) are areas of localised damage to the skin and underlying tissue. They are common in the elderly and immobile, and costly in financial and human terms. Pressure-relieving support surfaces (i.e. beds, mattresses, seat cushions etc) are used to help prevent ulcer development. This systematic review seeks to establish:(1) the extent to which pressure-relieving support surfaces reduce the incidence of pressure ulcers compared with standard support surfaces, and,(2) their comparative effectiveness in ulcer prevention. In April 2015, for this fourth update we searched The Cochrane Wounds Group Specialised Register (searched 15 April 2015) which includes the results of regular searches of MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL and The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library 2015, Issue 3). Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-randomised trials, published or unpublished, that assessed the effects of any support surface for prevention of pressure ulcers, in any patient group or setting which measured pressure ulcer incidence. Trials reporting only proxy outcomes (e.g. interface pressure) were excluded. Two review authors independently selected trials. Data were extracted by one review author and checked by another. Where appropriate, estimates from similar trials were pooled for meta-analysis. For this fourth update six new trials were included, bringing the total of included trials to 59.Foam alternatives to standard hospital foam mattresses reduce the incidence of pressure ulcers in people at risk (RR 0.40 95% CI 0.21 to 0.74). The relative merits of alternating- and constant low-pressure devices are unclear. One high-quality trial suggested that alternating-pressure mattresses may be more cost effective than alternating-pressure overlays in a UK context.Pressure-relieving overlays on the operating table reduce postoperative pressure ulcer incidence

Variation of Pressure Waveforms in Measurements of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripter

Science.gov (United States)

Inose, Naoto; Ide, Masao

1993-05-01

In this paper, we describe measurement of variation in pressure waveforms of the acoustic field of an extra-corporeal shock-wave lithotripter (ESWL). Variations in the measured acoustic fields and pressure waveform of an underwater spark-gap-type ESWL with an exhausted spark plug electrode have been reported by researchers using crystal sensors. If the ESWL spark plugs become exhausted, patients feel pain during kidney, biliary stone disintegration. We studied the relationship between exhaustion of electrodes and the variation of pressure waveforms and shock-wave fields of the ESWL using a newly developed hydrophone.

The impact of sedation on pulse pressure variation

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Zvoníček, V.; Jurák, Pavel; Halámek, Josef; Kružliak, P.; Vondra, Vlastimil; Leinveber, P.; Cundrle, I.; Pavlík, M.; Suk, P.; Šrámek, V.

2015-01-01

Roč. 28, č. 4 (2015), s. 203-207 ISSN 1036-7314 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LO1212 Institutional support: RVO:68081731 Keywords : pulse pressure variation * sedation * heart lung interactions * mechanical ventilation * brain death * oesophageal pressure Subject RIV: FA - Cardiovascular Diseases incl. Cardiotharic Surgery Impact factor: 1.479, year: 2015

On the Responses of Azeotropes to Pressure Variations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Abildskov, Jens; O’Connell, John P.

2014-01-01

Systems with azeotropes cannot be separated by simple distillation since the vapor and liquid compositions are the same. Variation of the applied pressure can shift the azeotropic composition out of the range of purification of a single column or may allow pressure swing operation of two columns....... Because of the sensitivity of column size to accurate estimates of the relative volatility, it is important to use reliable phase equilibrium thermodynamics when exploring the possibility of varying pressure to avoid an azeotrope. Based on an analysis of the pressure sensitivity of azeotropic compositions...

Overlapping constraint for variational surface reconstruction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aanæs, Henrik; Solem, J.E.

2005-01-01

In this paper a counter example, illustrating a shortcoming in most variational formulations for 3D surface estimation, is presented. The nature of this shortcoming is a lack of an overlapping constraint. A remedy for this shortcoming is presented in the form of a penalty function with an analysi...... of the effects of this function on surface motion. For practical purposes, this will only have minor influence on current methods. However, the insight provided in the analysis is likely to influence future developments in the field of variational surface reconstruction....

Parameters of the center of pressure displacement on the saddle during hippotherapy on different surfaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fabiana M. Flores

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Background: Hippotherapy uses horseback riding movements for therapeutic purposes. In addition to the horse's movement, the choice of equipment and types of floor are also useful in the intervention. The quantification of dynamic parameters that define the interaction of the surface of contact between horse and rider provides insight into how the type of floor surface variations act upon the subject's postural control. Objective: To test whether different types of surfaces promote changes in the amplitude (ACOP and velocity (VCOP of the center of pressure (COP displacement during the rider's contact with the saddle on the horse's back. Method: Twenty two healthy adult male subjects with experience in riding were evaluated. The penetration resistances of asphalt, sand and grass surfaces were measured. The COP data were collected on the three surfaces using a pressure measurement mat. Results: ACOP values were higher in sand, followed by grass and asphalt, with significant differences between sand and asphalt (anteroposterior, p=0.042; mediolateral, p=0.019. The ACOP and VCOP values were higher in the anteroposterior than in the mediolateral direction on all surfaces (ACOP, p=0.001; VCOP, p=0.006. The VCOP did not differ between the surfaces. Conclusion: Postural control, measured by the COP displacement, undergoes variations in its amplitude as a result of the type of floor surface. Therefore, these results reinforce the importance of the choice of floor surface when defining the strategy to be used during hippotherapy intervention.

Parameters of the center of pressure displacement on the saddle during hippotherapy on different surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Flores, Fabiana M; Dagnese, Frederico; Mota, Carlos B; Copetti, Fernando

2015-01-01

Hippotherapy uses horseback riding movements for therapeutic purposes. In addition to the horse's movement, the choice of equipment and types of floor are also useful in the intervention. The quantification of dynamic parameters that define the interaction of the surface of contact between horse and rider provides insight into how the type of floor surface variations act upon the subject's postural control. To test whether different types of surfaces promote changes in the amplitude (ACOP) and velocity (VCOP) of the center of pressure (COP) displacement during the rider's contact with the saddle on the horse's back. Twenty two healthy adult male subjects with experience in riding were evaluated. The penetration resistances of asphalt, sand and grass surfaces were measured. The COP data were collected on the three surfaces using a pressure measurement mat. ACOP values were higher in sand, followed by grass and asphalt, with significant differences between sand and asphalt (anteroposterior, p=0.042; mediolateral, p=0.019). The ACOP and VCOP values were higher in the anteroposterior than in the mediolateral direction on all surfaces (ACOP, p=0.001; VCOP, p=0.006). The VCOP did not differ between the surfaces. Postural control, measured by the COP displacement, undergoes variations in its amplitude as a result of the type of floor surface. Therefore, these results reinforce the importance of the choice of floor surface when defining the strategy to be used during hippotherapy intervention.

Analysis of Pressure Variations in a Low-Pressure Nickel-Hydrogen Battery – Part 1

Science.gov (United States)

Purushothaman, B. K.; Wainright, J. S.

2012-01-01

A low pressure nickel-hydrogen battery using either a metal hydride or gaseous hydrogen for H2 storage has been developed for use in implantable neuroprosthetic devices. In this paper, pressure variations inside the cell for the gaseous hydrogen version are analyzed and correlated with oxygen evolution side reaction at the end of charging, the recombination of oxygen with hydrogen during charging and a subsequent rest period, and the self-discharge of the nickel electrode. About 70% of the recombination occurred simultaneously with oxygen evolution during charging and the remaining oxygen recombined with hydrogen during the 1st hour after charging. Self-discharge of the cell varies linearly with hydrogen pressure at a given state of charge and increased with increasing battery charge levels. The coulometric efficiency calculated based on analysis of the pressure-time data agreed well with the efficiency calculated based on the current-time data. Pressure variations in the battery are simulated accurately to predict coulometric efficiency and the state of charge of the cell, factors of extreme importance for a battery intended for implantation within the human body. PMID:22423175

Measurement of pressure on a surface using bubble acoustic resonances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aldham, Ben; Manasseh, Richard; Liffman, Kurt; Šutalo, Ilija D; Illesinghe, Suhith; Ooi, Andrew

2010-01-01

The frequency response of gas bubbles as a function of liquid ambient pressure was measured and compared with theory. A bubble size with equivalent spherical radius of 2.29 mm was used over a frequency range of 1000–1500 Hz. The ultimate aim is to develop an acoustic sensor that can measure static pressure and is sensitive to variations as small as a few kPa. The classical bubble resonance frequency is known to vary with ambient pressure. Experiments were conducted with a driven bubble in a pressurizable tank with a signal processing system designed to extract the resonant peak. Since the background response of the containing tank is significant, particularly near tank-modal resonances, it must be carefully removed from the bubble response signal. A dual-hydrophone method was developed to allow rapid and reliable real-time measurements. The expected pressure dependence was found. In order to obtain a reasonable match with theory, the classical theory was modified by the introduction of a 'mirror bubble' to account for the influence of a nearby surface. (technical design note)

Effects of Abrupt Variations of Solar Wind Dynamic Pressure on the High-Latitude Ionosphere

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Igino Coco

2011-01-01

Full Text Available We show the results of a statistical study on the effects in the high-latitude ionosphere of abrupt variations of solar wind dynamic pressure, using Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN data in both hemispheres. We find that, during periods of quiet ionospheric conditions, the amount of radar backscatter increases when a variation in the dynamic pressure occurs, both positive (increase of the pressure and negative (decrease of the pressure. We also investigate the behaviour of the Cross-Polar Cap Potential (CPCP during pressure variations and show preliminary results.

Dynamic surface tension measurements of ionic surfactants using maximum bubble pressure tensiometry

Science.gov (United States)

Ortiz, Camilla U.; Moreno, Norman; Sharma, Vivek

Dynamic surface tension refers to the time dependent variation in surface tension, and is intimately linked with the rate of mass transfer of a surfactant from liquid sub-phase to the interface. The diffusion- or adsorption-limited kinetics of mass transfer to interfaces is said to impact the so-called foamability and the Gibbs-Marangoni elasticity of surfaces. Dynamic surface tension measurements carried out with conventional methods like pendant drop analysis, Wilhelmy plate, etc. are limited in their temporal resolution (>50 ms). In this study, we describe design and application of maximum bubble pressure tensiometry for the measurement of dynamic surface tension effects at extremely short (1-50 ms) timescales. Using experiments and theory, we discuss the overall adsorption kinetics of charged surfactants, paying special attention to the influence of added salt on dynamic surface tension.

Automatic algorithm for monitoring systolic pressure variation and difference in pulse pressure.

Science.gov (United States)

Pestel, Gunther; Fukui, Kimiko; Hartwich, Volker; Schumacher, Peter M; Vogt, Andreas; Hiltebrand, Luzius B; Kurz, Andrea; Fujita, Yoshihisa; Inderbitzin, Daniel; Leibundgut, Daniel

2009-06-01

Difference in pulse pressure (dPP) reliably predicts fluid responsiveness in patients. We have developed a respiratory variation (RV) monitoring device (RV monitor), which continuously records both airway pressure and arterial blood pressure (ABP). We compared the RV monitor measurements with manual dPP measurements. ABP and airway pressure (PAW) from 24 patients were recorded. Data were fed to the RV monitor to calculate dPP and systolic pressure variation in two different ways: (a) considering both ABP and PAW (RV algorithm) and (b) ABP only (RV(slim) algorithm). Additionally, ABP and PAW were recorded intraoperatively in 10-min intervals for later calculation of dPP by manual assessment. Interobserver variability was determined. Manual dPP assessments were used for comparison with automated measurements. To estimate the importance of the PAW signal, RV(slim) measurements were compared with RV measurements. For the 24 patients, 174 measurements (6-10 per patient) were recorded. Six observers assessed dPP manually in the first 8 patients (10-min interval, 53 measurements); no interobserver variability occurred using a computer-assisted method. Bland-Altman analysis showed acceptable bias and limits of agreement of the 2 automated methods compared with the manual method (RV: -0.33% +/- 8.72% and RV(slim): -1.74% +/- 7.97%). The difference between RV measurements and RV(slim) measurements is small (bias -1.05%, limits of agreement 5.67%). Measurements of the automated device are comparable with measurements obtained by human observers, who use a computer-assisted method. The importance of the PAW signal is questionable.

The influence of thermal inertia on Mars' seasonal pressure variation and the effect of the weather component

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, S. E.; Paige, D. A.

Using a Leighton-Murray type diurnal and seasonal Mars thermal model, we found that it is possible to reproduce the seasonal variation in daily-averaged pressures (approximately 680-890 Pa) measured by Viking Lander 1 (VL1), during years without global dust storms, with a standard deviation of less than 5 Pa. In this simple model, surface CO2, frost condensation, and sublimation rates at each latitude are determined by the net effects of radiation, latent heat, and heat conduction in subsurface soil layers. An inherent assumption of our model is that the seasonal pressure variation is due entirely to the exchange of mass between the atmosphere and polar caps. However, the results of recent Mars GCM modeling have made it clear that there is a significant dynamical contribution to the seasonal pressure variation. This 'weather' component is primarily due to large-scale changes in atmospheric circulation, and its magnitude depends somewhat on the dust content of the atmosphere. The overall form of the theoretical weather component at the location of VL1, as calculated by the AMES GCM, remains the same over the typical range of Mars dust opacities.

Reactive solid surface morphology variation via ionic diffusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Zhenchao; Zhou, Qiang; Fan, Liang-Shih

2012-08-14

In gas-solid reactions, one of the most important factors that determine the overall reaction rate is the solid morphology, which can be characterized by a combination of smooth, convex and concave structures. Generally, the solid surface structure varies in the course of reactions, which is classically noted as being attributed to one or more of the following three mechanisms: mechanical interaction, molar volume change, and sintering. Here we show that if a gas-solid reaction involves the outward ionic diffusion of a solid-phase reactant then this outward ionic diffusion could eventually smooth the surface with an initial concave and/or convex structure. Specifically, the concave surface is filled via a larger outward diffusing surface pointing to the concave valley, whereas the height of the convex surface decreases via a lower outward diffusion flux in the vertical direction. A quantitative 2-D continuum diffusion model is established to analyze these two morphological variation processes, which shows consistent results with the experiments. This surface morphology variation by solid-phase ionic diffusion serves to provide a fourth mechanism that supplements the traditionally acknowledged solid morphology variation or, in general, porosity variation mechanisms in gas-solid reactions.

Flight testing of a luminescent surface pressure sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Mclachlan, B. G.; Bell, J. H.; Espina, J.; Gallery, J.; Gouterman, M.; Demandante, C. G. N.; Bjarke, L.

1992-01-01

NASA ARC has conducted flight tests of a new type of aerodynamic pressure sensor based on a luminescent surface coating. Flights were conducted at the NASA ARC-Dryden Flight Research Facility. The luminescent pressure sensor is based on a surface coating which, when illuminated with ultraviolet light, emits visible light with an intensity dependent on the local air pressure on the surface. This technique makes it possible to obtain pressure data over the entire surface of an aircraft, as opposed to conventional instrumentation, which can only make measurements at pre-selected points. The objective of the flight tests was to evaluate the effectiveness and practicality of a luminescent pressure sensor in the actual flight environment. A luminescent pressure sensor was installed on a fin, the Flight Test Fixture (FTF), that is attached to the underside of an F-104 aircraft. The response of one particular surface coating was evaluated at low supersonic Mach numbers (M = 1.0-1.6) in order to provide an initial estimate of the sensor's capabilities. This memo describes the test approach, the techniques used, and the pressure sensor's behavior under flight conditions. A direct comparison between data provided by the luminescent pressure sensor and that produced by conventional pressure instrumentation shows that the luminescent sensor can provide quantitative data under flight conditions. However, the test results also show that the sensor has a number of limitations which must be addressed if this technique is to prove useful in the flight environment.

Neighborhood Disadvantage and Variations in Blood Pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Cathorall, Michelle L.; Xin, Huaibo; Peachey, Andrew; Bibeau, Daniel L.; Schulz, Mark; Aronson, Robert

2015-01-01

Purpose: To examine the extent to which neighborhood disadvantage accounts for variation in blood pressure. Methods: Demographic, biometric, and self-reported data from 19,261 health screenings were used. Addresses of participants were geocoded and located within census block groups (n = 14,510, 75.3%). Three hierarchical linear models were…

Pressure relieving support surfaces (PRESSURE) trial: cost effectiveness analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Iglesias, Cynthia; Nixon, Jane; Cranny, Gillian; Nelson, E Andrea; Hawkins, Kim; Phillips, Angela; Torgerson, David; Mason, Su; Cullum, Nicky

2006-06-17

To assess the cost effectiveness of alternating pressure mattresses compared with alternating pressure overlays for the prevention of pressure ulcers in patients admitted to hospital. Cost effectiveness analysis carried out alongside the pressure relieving support surfaces (PRESSURE) trial; a multicentre UK based pragmatic randomised controlled trial. 11 hospitals in six UK NHS trusts. Intention to treat population comprising 1971 participants. Kaplan Meier estimates of restricted mean time to development of pressure ulcers and total costs for treatment in hospital. Alternating pressure mattresses were associated with lower overall costs (283.6 pounds sterling per patient on average, 95% confidence interval--377.59 pounds sterling to 976.79 pounds sterling) mainly due to reduced length of stay in hospital, and greater benefits (a delay in time to ulceration of 10.64 days on average,--24.40 to 3.09). The differences in health benefits and total costs for hospital stay between alternating pressure mattresses and alternating pressure overlays were not statistically significant; however, a cost effectiveness acceptability curve indicated that on average alternating pressure mattresses compared with alternating pressure overlays were associated with an 80% probability of being cost saving. Alternating pressure mattresses for the prevention of pressure ulcers are more likely to be cost effective and are more acceptable to patients than alternating pressure overlays.

Variations of free gas content in water during pressure fluctuations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keller, A.; Zielke, W.

1977-01-01

In this paper an experimental programme is described in order to determine the influence of the cavitation nuclei distribution on cavitation inception. This programme has been used to measure air bubbles dimensions and number and particularly to determine the influence of quick pressure variations on the size on the number of bubbles in a pipe. An optical device counting scattered light is used as a measuring technique. Gas bubbles go through an optical control volume where they receive a high intensity light beam and scatter the light, then led to a photomultiplier; the signals are sorted and counted according to their size. If the number of nuclei, the dimensions of the control volume and the velocity of the water are known, it is possible to determine bubbles concentrations and the bulk modulus of the water. This measuring technique has been applied to a flow in a 140 mm diameter pipe with quick pressure variations from 2 bar to 0-10 bar. During the variations, the void fraction depends on the Reynolds number of the flow and on the gas content of the water. The bulk modulus has been computed with different conditions. Most results concern pressures slightly over the vapor pressure. Air content has a strong influence on cavitation and on water compressibility after a vapor cavity collapse

The study of road surface micro-texture's effects for the pavement's decontamination by high pressure water washing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobayashi, Masatoshi; Shimizu, Tadaaki; Hirayama, Takahiro

2014-01-01

In the result of “decontamination technical demonstration project” by Ministry of the Environment, it has became clear that the effect variation is larger in high pressure water washing method, compared with others in road surface decontamination technology. In this study, we have hypothesized the fact at the difference of micro-texture of the road surface, by carrying out high pressure water washing method in different kinds of road surfaces and verified the relation between washing efficiency and micro-texture road surface. Positive correlation has admitted between the washing number of times and radiation reduction rate and the trend of primary regression equation (i.e. radiation reduction rate per washing time) is indicating that decreasing tendency of radiation carried by the increasing of micro-texture of the road surface. Here, we proposed the method to estimated essential washing number of times to achieve the targeted radiation reduction rate from the relation of that trend and micro-texture of the road surface. (author)

Non-invasive measurements of pulse pressure variation and stroke volume variation in anesthetized patients using the Nexfin blood pressure monitor.

Science.gov (United States)

Stens, Jurre; Oeben, Jeroen; Van Dusseldorp, Ab A; Boer, Christa

2016-10-01

Nexfin beat-to-beat arterial blood pressure monitoring enables continuous assessment of hemodynamic indices like cardiac index (CI), pulse pressure variation (PPV) and stroke volume variation (SVV) in the perioperative setting. In this study we investigated whether Nexfin adequately reflects alterations in these hemodynamic parameters during a provoked fluid shift in anesthetized and mechanically ventilated patients. The study included 54 patients undergoing non-thoracic surgery with positive pressure mechanical ventilation. The provoked fluid shift comprised 15° Trendelenburg positioning, and fluid responsiveness was defined as a concomitant increase in stroke volume (SV) >10 %. Nexfin blood pressure measurements were performed during supine steady state, Trendelenburg and supine repositioning. Hemodynamic parameters included arterial blood pressure (MAP), CI, PPV and SVV. Trendelenburg positioning did not affect MAP or CI, but induced a decrease in PPV and SVV by 3.3 ± 2.8 and 3.4 ± 2.7 %, respectively. PPV and SVV returned back to baseline values after repositioning of the patient to baseline. Bland-Altman analysis of SVV and PPV showed a bias of -0.3 ± 3.0 % with limits of agreement ranging from -5.6 to 6.2 %. The SVV was more superior in predicting fluid responsiveness (AUC 0.728) than the PVV (AUC 0.636), respectively. The median bias between PPV and SVV was different for patients younger [-1.5 % (-3 to 0)] or older [+2 % (0-4.75)] than 55 years (P < 0.001), while there were no gender differences in the bias between PPV and SVV. The Nexfin monitor adequately reflects alterations in PPV and SVV during a provoked fluid shift, but the level of agreement between PPV and SVV was low. The SVV tended to be superior over PPV or Eadyn in predicting fluid responsiveness in our population.

Variations in pCO2 during summer in the surface water of an unproductive lake in northern Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jonsson, A.; Aaberg, J.; Jansson, M.

2007-01-01

Unproductive lakes are generally supersaturated with carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and emit CO 2 to the atmosphere continuously during ice-free periods. However, temporal variation of the partial pressure of CO 2 (pCO 2 ) and thus of CO 2 evasion to atmosphere is poorly documented. We therefore carried out temporally high-resolution (every 6 h) measurements of the pCO 2 using an automated logger system in the surface water of a subarctic, unproductive, lake in the birch forest belt. The study period was June-September 2004. We found that the pCO 2 showed large seasonal variation, but low daily variation. The seasonal variation was likely mainly caused by variations in input and mineralization of allochthonous organic matter. Stratification depth probably also influenced pCO 2 of the surface water by controlling the volume in which mineralization of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) occurred. In lakes, with large variations in pCO 2 , as in our study lake a high (weekly) sampling intensity is recommended for obtaining accurate estimates of the evasion of CO 2

Ultrasound enhanced plasma surface modification at atmospheric pressure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kusano, Yukihiro; Singh, Shailendra Vikram; Norrman, Kion

and the material surface, and thus many reactive species generated in the plasma can reach the surface before inactivated, and be efficiently utilized for surface modification. In the present work polyester plates are treated using a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) and a gliding arc at atmospheric pressure......Atmospheric pressure plasma treatment can be highly enhanced by simultaneous high-power ultrasonic irradiation onto the treating surface. It is because ultrasonic waves with a sound pressure level (SPL) above approximately 140 dB can reduce the thickness of a boundary gas layer between the plasma...... irradiation, the water contact angle dropped markedly, and tended to decrease furthermore at higher power. The ultrasonic irradiation during the plasma treatment consistently improved the wettability. Oxygen containing polar functional groups were introduced at the surface by the plasma treatment...

Responses of azeotropes and relative volatilities to pressure variations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Abildskov, Jens; O’Connell, John P.

2015-01-01

Mixtures with azeotropes cannot be separated by simple distillation since the vapor and liquid compositions are the same. One option to overcome this limitation is to vary the applied pressure to shift the azeotropic composition out of the range of a single column or use pressure-swing operation...... of two columns. Because operating costs are highly sensitive to the pressure dependence of azeotropic compositions, reliable and accurate phase equilibrium thermodynamic property information is needed to computationally explore pressure variation for such processes. An analysis of property modeling has...... been done for the pressure sensitivity of azeotropic composition, and examples are given of modeling strategies for binary and ternary mixtures. A quantitative criterion for the need to consider nonideality effects in both modeling and parameter regression has been established, based on similarity...

The effect of surface distortions on the pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riveros, O.J.; Claro, F.H.

1985-08-01

We show that the pressure in a solid can be expressed as a sum of two contributions: a bulk pressure Psub(int) and a surface term Psub(sur). The first is a translationally invariant virial of the forces acting on each atom and the second arises from deformations at the surface. This splitting allows a direct comparison of a term that may be computed accurately, Psub(int), with a term that depends strongly on surface detail and is therefore a test on models of the surface. (author)

A variational approach to closed bosonic strings on bordered Riemann surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohrndorf, T.

1987-01-01

Polyakov's path integral for bosonic closed strings defined on a bordered Riemann surface is investigated by variational methods. It is demonstrated that boundary variations are generated by the Virasoro operators. The investigation is performed for both, simply connected Riemann surfaces as well as ringlike domains. It is shown that the form of the variational operator is the same on both kinds of surfaces. The Virasoro algebra arises as a consistency condition for the variation. (orig.)

Support surfaces for pressure ulcer prevention: A network meta-analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Dumville, Jo C.; Cullum, Nicky

2018-01-01

Background Pressure ulcers are a prevalent and global issue and support surfaces are widely used for preventing ulceration. However, the diversity of available support surfaces and the lack of direct comparisons in RCTs make decision-making difficult. Objectives To determine, using network meta-analysis, the relative effects of different support surfaces in reducing pressure ulcer incidence and comfort and to rank these support surfaces in order of their effectiveness. Methods We conducted a systematic review, using a literature search up to November 2016, to identify randomised trials comparing support surfaces for pressure ulcer prevention. Two reviewers independently performed study selection, risk of bias assessment and data extraction. We grouped the support surfaces according to their characteristics and formed evidence networks using these groups. We used network meta-analysis to estimate the relative effects and effectiveness ranking of the groups for the outcomes of pressure ulcer incidence and participant comfort. GRADE was used to assess the certainty of evidence. Main results We included 65 studies in the review. The network for assessing pressure ulcer incidence comprised evidence of low or very low certainty for most network contrasts. There was moderate-certainty evidence that powered active air surfaces and powered hybrid air surfaces probably reduce pressure ulcer incidence compared with standard hospital surfaces (risk ratios (RR) 0.42, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.29 to 0.63; 0.22, 0.07 to 0.66, respectively). The network for comfort suggested that powered active air-surfaces are probably slightly less comfortable than standard hospital mattresses (RR 0.80, 95% CI 0.69 to 0.94; moderate-certainty evidence). Conclusions This is the first network meta-analysis of the effects of support surfaces for pressure ulcer prevention. Powered active air-surfaces probably reduce pressure ulcer incidence, but are probably less comfortable than standard

Support surfaces for pressure ulcer prevention: A network meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Chunhu; Dumville, Jo C; Cullum, Nicky

2018-01-01

Pressure ulcers are a prevalent and global issue and support surfaces are widely used for preventing ulceration. However, the diversity of available support surfaces and the lack of direct comparisons in RCTs make decision-making difficult. To determine, using network meta-analysis, the relative effects of different support surfaces in reducing pressure ulcer incidence and comfort and to rank these support surfaces in order of their effectiveness. We conducted a systematic review, using a literature search up to November 2016, to identify randomised trials comparing support surfaces for pressure ulcer prevention. Two reviewers independently performed study selection, risk of bias assessment and data extraction. We grouped the support surfaces according to their characteristics and formed evidence networks using these groups. We used network meta-analysis to estimate the relative effects and effectiveness ranking of the groups for the outcomes of pressure ulcer incidence and participant comfort. GRADE was used to assess the certainty of evidence. We included 65 studies in the review. The network for assessing pressure ulcer incidence comprised evidence of low or very low certainty for most network contrasts. There was moderate-certainty evidence that powered active air surfaces and powered hybrid air surfaces probably reduce pressure ulcer incidence compared with standard hospital surfaces (risk ratios (RR) 0.42, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.29 to 0.63; 0.22, 0.07 to 0.66, respectively). The network for comfort suggested that powered active air-surfaces are probably slightly less comfortable than standard hospital mattresses (RR 0.80, 95% CI 0.69 to 0.94; moderate-certainty evidence). This is the first network meta-analysis of the effects of support surfaces for pressure ulcer prevention. Powered active air-surfaces probably reduce pressure ulcer incidence, but are probably less comfortable than standard hospital surfaces. Most prevention evidence was of low or

Support surfaces for pressure ulcer prevention: A network meta-analysis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chunhu Shi

Full Text Available Pressure ulcers are a prevalent and global issue and support surfaces are widely used for preventing ulceration. However, the diversity of available support surfaces and the lack of direct comparisons in RCTs make decision-making difficult.To determine, using network meta-analysis, the relative effects of different support surfaces in reducing pressure ulcer incidence and comfort and to rank these support surfaces in order of their effectiveness.We conducted a systematic review, using a literature search up to November 2016, to identify randomised trials comparing support surfaces for pressure ulcer prevention. Two reviewers independently performed study selection, risk of bias assessment and data extraction. We grouped the support surfaces according to their characteristics and formed evidence networks using these groups. We used network meta-analysis to estimate the relative effects and effectiveness ranking of the groups for the outcomes of pressure ulcer incidence and participant comfort. GRADE was used to assess the certainty of evidence.We included 65 studies in the review. The network for assessing pressure ulcer incidence comprised evidence of low or very low certainty for most network contrasts. There was moderate-certainty evidence that powered active air surfaces and powered hybrid air surfaces probably reduce pressure ulcer incidence compared with standard hospital surfaces (risk ratios (RR 0.42, 95% confidence intervals (CI 0.29 to 0.63; 0.22, 0.07 to 0.66, respectively. The network for comfort suggested that powered active air-surfaces are probably slightly less comfortable than standard hospital mattresses (RR 0.80, 95% CI 0.69 to 0.94; moderate-certainty evidence.This is the first network meta-analysis of the effects of support surfaces for pressure ulcer prevention. Powered active air-surfaces probably reduce pressure ulcer incidence, but are probably less comfortable than standard hospital surfaces. Most prevention evidence was

Surface pressure drag for hydrostatic two-layer flow over axisymmetric mountains

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leutbecher, M.

2000-07-01

The effect of partial reflections on surface pressure drag is investigated for hydrostatic gravity waves in two-layer flow with piecewise constant buoyancy frequency. The variation of normalized surface pressure drag with interface height is analyzed for axisymmetric mountains. The results are compared with the familiar solution for infinitely long ridges. The drag for the two-layer flow is normalized with the drag of one-layer flow, which has the buoyancy frequency of the lower layer. An analytical expression for the normalized drag of axisymmetric mountains is derived from linear theory of steady flow. Additionally, two-layer flow over finite-height axisymmetric mountains is simulated numerically for flow with higher stability in the upper layer. The temporal evolution of the surface pressure drag is examined in a series of experiments with different interface and mountain heights. The focus is on the linear regime and the nonlinear regime of nonbreaking gravity waves. The dispersion of gravity waves in flow over isolated mountains prevents that the entire wave spectrum is in resonance at the same interface height, which is the case in hydrostatic flow over infinitely long ridges. In consequence, the oscillation of the normalized drag with interface height is smaller for axisymmetric mountains than for infinitely long ridges. However, even for a reflection coefficient as low as 1/3 the drag of an axisymmetric mountain can be amplified by 50% and reduced by 40%. The nonlinear drag becomes steady in the numerical experiments in which no wave breaking occurs. The steady state nonlinear drag agrees quite well with the prediction of linear theory if the linear drag is computed for a slightly lowered interface. (orig.)

Noninvasive pulse pressure variation and stroke volume variation to predict fluid responsiveness at multiple thresholds : a prospective observational study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vos, Jaap Jan; Poterman, Marieke; Papineau Salm, Pieternel; Van Amsterdam, Kai; Struys, Michel M. R. F.; Scheeren, Thomas W. L.; Kalmar, Alain F.

2015-01-01

Pulse pressure variation (PPV) and stroke volume variation (SVV) are dynamic preload variables that can be measured noninvasively to assess fluid responsiveness (FR) in anesthetized patients with mechanical ventilation. Few studies have examined the effectiveness of predicting FR according to the

Feedback Regulation of Intracellular Hydrostatic Pressure in Surface Cells of the Lens

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Junyuan; Sun, Xiurong; White, Thomas W.; Delamere, Nicholas A.; Mathias, Richard T.

2015-01-01

In wild-type lenses from various species, an intracellular hydrostatic pressure gradient goes from ∼340 mmHg in central fiber cells to 0 mmHg in surface cells. This gradient drives a center-to-surface flow of intracellular fluid. In lenses in which gap-junction coupling is increased, the central pressure is lower, whereas if gap-junction coupling is reduced, the central pressure is higher but surface pressure is always zero. Recently, we found that surface cell pressure was elevated in PTEN null lenses. This suggested disruption of a feedback control system that normally maintained zero surface cell pressure. Our purpose in this study was to investigate and characterize this feedback control system. We measured intracellular hydrostatic pressures in mouse lenses using a microelectrode/manometer-based system. We found that all feedback went through transport by the Na/K ATPase, which adjusted surface cell osmolarity such that pressure was maintained at zero. We traced the regulation of Na/K ATPase activity back to either TRPV4, which sensed positive pressure and stimulated activity, or TRPV1, which sensed negative pressure and inhibited activity. The inhibitory effect of TRPV1 on Na/K pumps was shown to signal through activation of the PI3K/AKT axis. The stimulatory effect of TRPV4 was shown in previous studies to go through a different signal transduction path. Thus, there is a local two-legged feedback control system for pressure in lens surface cells. The surface pressure provides a pedestal on which the pressure gradient sits, so surface pressure determines the absolute value of pressure at each radial location. We speculate that the absolute value of intracellular pressure may set the radial gradient in the refractive index, which is essential for visual acuity. PMID:26536260

An Experimental Investigation of Unsteady Surface Pressure on an Airfoil in Turbulence

Science.gov (United States)

Mish, Patrick F.; Devenport, William J.

2003-01-01

Measurements of fluctuating surface pressure were made on a NACA 0015 airfoil immersed in grid generated turbulence. The airfoil model has a 2 ft chord and spans the 6 ft Virginia Tech Stability Wind Tunnel test section. Two grids were used to investigate the effects of turbulence length scale on the surface pressure response. A large grid which produced turbulence with an integral scale 13% of the chord and a smaller grid which produced turbulence with an integral scale 1.3% of the chord. Measurements were performed at angles of attack, alpha from 0 to 20 . An array of microphones mounted subsurface was used to measure the unsteady surface pressure. The goal of this measurement was to characterize the effects of angle of attack on the inviscid response. Lift spectra calculated from pressure measurements at each angle of attack revealed two distinct interaction regions; for omega(sub r) = omega b / U(sub infinity) is less than 10 a reduction in unsteady lift of up to 7 decibels (dB) occurs while an increase occurs for omega(sub r) is greater than 10 as the angle of attack is increased. The reduction in unsteady lift at low omega(sub r) with increasing angle of attack is a result that has never before been shown either experimentally or theoretically. The source of the reduction in lift spectral level appears to be closely related to the distortion of inflow turbulence based on analysis of surface pressure spanwise correlation length scales. Furthermore, while the distortion of the inflow appears to be critical in this experiment, this effect does not seem to be significant in larger integral scale (relative to the chord) flows based on the previous experimental work of McKeough suggesting the airfoils size relative to the inflow integral scale is critical in defining how the airfoil will respond under variation of angle of attack. A prediction scheme is developed that correctly accounts for the effects of distortion when the inflow integral scale is small relative

Surface modification of polyimide (PI) film using water cathode atmospheric pressure glow discharge plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng Peichao; Liu Keming; Wang Jinmei; Dai Yu; Yu Bin; Zhou Xianju; Hao Honggang; Luo Yuan

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Equipment called water cathode atmospheric pressure glow discharge was used to improve the hydrophilicity of polyimide films. ► The data shows good homogeneity and the variation trends of contact angles are different for polar and non-polar testing liquids. ► The thickness of liquid layer plays an important role in plasma processing and directly affects the treatment effect. ► Surface hydrophilicity after plasma treatment is improved partly due to the increase in the roughness. ► The hydrophilicity of polyimide films is still better than untreated ones after long-term storage. - Abstract: The industrial use of polyimide film is limited because of undesirable properties such as poor wettability. In the present paper, a new kind of equipment called water cathode atmospheric pressure glow discharge was used to improve the surface properties of polyimide films and made them useful to technical applications. The changes in hydrophilicity of modified polyimide film surfaces were investigated by contact angle, surface energy and water content measurements as a function of treatment time. The results obtained show good treatment homogeneity and that the variation trends of contact angles are different for polar and non-polar testing liquids, while surface energy and water content are significantly enhanced with the increase of treatment time until they achieve saturated values after 60 s plasma treatment. Also, the thickness of liquid layer plays an important role in plasma processing and directly affects the treatment effect. Changes in morphology of polyimide films were analyzed by atomic force microscope and the results indicate that surface hydrophilicity after plasma treatment are improved partly due to the increase in the roughness. In addition, polyimide films treated by plasma are subjected to an ageing process to determine the durability of plasma treatment. It is found that the hydrophilicity is still better than untreated ones though the

Investigation of the characteristics of atmospheric pressure surface barrier discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Rui; Zhan Rujuan; Wen Xiaohui; Wang Lei

2003-01-01

Experiments were performed on atmospheric pressure surface barrier discharges. Two types of panels were used. Both have pectinate high voltage electrodes on their upper surface, but the difference is that in type I, the grounded electrode consists of the same pectinate electrodes on the lower surface, whereas type II has an extended grounded plane electrode on the lower surface. The excitation temperature was determined from a Fermi-Dirac model and a temperature near 0.7 eV is obtained. The electron density was estimated from an electrical conductivity approach (Ohmic heating model) - an equivalent circuit model is proposed and the electron density is found to be of the order of 10 11 cm -3 . The electrical behaviour was studied, and it was found that the average power consumed in the discharge plasma increases with increasing strip width in the type I discharge, whereas it remains almost constant with increasing strip width in the type II discharge. The average discharge power remains almost constant with variation in the strip-to-strip distance. The type II discharge consumes much higher average discharge power than type I. We also find that panels with a larger height of high voltage electrodes can generate brighter and thicker discharge plasmas. The equivalent circuit model was used to interpret these phenomena

Directional mass transport in an atmospheric pressure surface barrier discharge.

Science.gov (United States)

Dickenson, A; Morabit, Y; Hasan, M I; Walsh, J L

2017-10-25

In an atmospheric pressure surface barrier discharge the inherent physical separation between the plasma generation region and downstream point of application reduces the flux of reactive chemical species reaching the sample, potentially limiting application efficacy. This contribution explores the impact of manipulating the phase angle of the applied voltage to exert a level of control over the electrohydrodynamic forces generated by the plasma. As these forces produce a convective flow which is the primary mechanism of species transport, the technique facilitates the targeted delivery of reactive species to a downstream point without compromising the underpinning species generation mechanisms. Particle Imaging Velocimetry measurements are used to demonstrate that a phase shift between sinusoidal voltages applied to adjacent electrodes in a surface barrier discharge results in a significant deviation in the direction of the plasma induced gas flow. Using a two-dimensional numerical air plasma model, it is shown that the phase shift impacts the spatial distribution of the deposited charge on the dielectric surface between the adjacent electrodes. The modified surface charge distribution reduces the propagation length of the discharge ignited on the lagging electrode, causing an imbalance in the generated forces and consequently a variation in the direction of the resulting gas flow.

Effects of periodic atmospheric pressure variation on radon entry into buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Tsang, Y. W.; Narasimhan, T. N.

1992-06-01

Using a mathematical model, we have investigated the temporal variations of radon entry into a house basement in the presence of time-dependent periodic variations of barometric pressure as well as a persistent small steady depressurization within the basement. The tool for our investigation is an integral finite difference numerical code which can solve for both diffusive and advective flux of radon in the soil gas which is treated as a slightly compressible fluid. Two different boundary conditions at the house basement are considered: (1) a dirt floor basement so that diffusion is equally or more important than advective transport, and (2) an "impermeable" cement basement except for a 1-cm-wide crack near the perimeter of the basement floor; in which case, advective transport of radon flux dominates. Two frequencies of barometric pressure fluctuation with representative values of amplitudes, based on a Fourier decomposition of barometric pressure data, were chosen in this study: one with a short period of 0.5 hour with pressure amplitude of 50 Pa, the other a diurnal variation with a period of 24 hours with the typical pressure amplitude of 250 Pa. For a homogeneous soil medium with soil permeability to air between 10-13 and 10-10 m2, we predict that the barometric fluctuations increase the radon entry into the basement by up to 120% of the steady radon inflow into the basement owing to a steady depressurization of 5 Pa. If soil permeability heterogeneity is present, such as the presence of a thin layer of higher permeability aggregate immediately below the basement floor, radon flux due to atmospheric pumping is further increased. Effects of pressure pumping on radon entry are also compared to diffusion-only transport when the steady depressurization is absent. It is found that contribution to radon entry is significant for the basement crack configuration. In particular, for pressure pumping at 0.5-hour period and for a homogeneous medium of permeability of 10

Variations in pCO{sub 2} during summer in the surface water of an unproductive lake in northern Sweden

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jonsson, A.; Aaberg, J.; Jansson, M. [Dept. of Ecology and Environmental Sci ence, Umeaa Univ., 901 87 Umeaa (Sweden)]. e-mail: anders.jonsson@emg.umu.se

2007-11-15

Unproductive lakes are generally supersaturated with carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) and emit CO{sub 2} to the atmosphere continuously during ice-free periods. However, temporal variation of the partial pressure of CO{sub 2} (pCO{sub 2}) and thus of CO{sub 2} evasion to atmosphere is poorly documented. We therefore carried out temporally high-resolution (every 6 h) measurements of the pCO{sub 2} using an automated logger system in the surface water of a subarctic, unproductive, lake in the birch forest belt. The study period was June-September 2004. We found that the pCO{sub 2} showed large seasonal variation, but low daily variation. The seasonal variation was likely mainly caused by variations in input and mineralization of allochthonous organic matter. Stratification depth probably also influenced pCO{sub 2} of the surface water by controlling the volume in which mineralization of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) occurred. In lakes, with large variations in pCO{sub 2}, as in our study lake a high (weekly) sampling intensity is recommended for obtaining accurate estimates of the evasion of CO{sub 2}.

Airfoil Trailing Edge Noise Generation and Its Surface Pressure Fluctuation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhu, Wei Jun; Shen, Wen Zhong

2015-01-01

In the present work, Large Eddy Simulation (LES) of turbulent flows over a NACA 0015 airfoil is performed. The purpose of such numerical study is to relate the aerodynamic surface pressure with the noise generation. The results from LES are validated against detailed surface pressure measurements...... where the time history pressure data are recorded by the surface pressure microphones. After the flow-field is stabilized, the generated noise from the airfoil Trailing Edge (TE) is predicted using the acoustic analogy solver, where the results from LES are the input. It is found that there is a strong...

Improvement of Diurnal Blood Pressure Variation by Azilsartan.

Science.gov (United States)

Okamura, Keisuke; Shirai, Kazuyuki; Okuda, Tetsu; Urata, Hidenori

2018-01-01

Azilsartan is an angiotensin II receptor blocker with a potent antihypertensive effect. In a multicenter, prospective, open-label study, 265 patients with poor blood pressure control despite treatment with other angiotensin II receptor blockers were switched to 20 mg/day of azilsartan (patients on standard dosages) or 40 mg/day of azilsartan (patients on high dosages). Blood pressure was 149/83 mm Hg before switching and was significantly reduced from 1 month after switching until final assessment (132/76 mm Hg, P < 0.001). The pulse rate was 72/min before switching and increased significantly from 3 months after switching until final assessment (74/min, P < 0.005). A significant decrease of home morning systolic and diastolic pressure was observed from 1 and 3 months, respectively. Home morning blood pressure was 143/82 mm Hg before switching and 130/76 mm Hg at final assessment (P < 0.01). The morning-evening difference of systolic blood pressure decreased from 14.6 to 6.6 mm Hg after switching (P = 0.09). The estimated glomerular filtration rate was significantly decreased at 3, 6, and 12 months after switching, and serum uric acid was significantly increased at 12 months. No serious adverse events occurred. Azilsartan significantly reduced the blood pressure and decreased diurnal variation in patients responding poorly to other angiotensin II receptor blockers.

Stroke volume variation compared with pulse pressure variation and cardiac index changes for prediction of fluid responsiveness in mechanically ventilated patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Randa Aly Soliman

2015-04-01

Conclusions: Baseline stroke volume variation ⩾8.15% predicted fluid responsiveness in mechanically ventilated patients with acute circulatory failure. The study also confirmed the ability of pulse pressure variation to predict fluid responsiveness.

Surface acoustic wave oxygen pressure sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Oglesby, Donald M. (Inventor); Upchurch, Billy T. (Inventor); Leighty, Bradley D. (Inventor)

1994-01-01

A transducer for the measurement of absolute gas-state oxygen pressure from pressures of less than 100 Pa to atmospheric pressure (1.01 x 10(exp 5) Pa) is based on a standard surface acoustic wave (SAW) device. The piezoelectric material of the SAW device is coated with a compound which will selectively and reversibly bind oxygen. When oxygen is bound by the coating, the mass of the coating increases by an amount equal to the mass of the bound oxygen. Such an increase in the mass of the coating causes a corresponding decrease in the resonant frequency of the SAW device.

Heart rate and blood pressure variations after transvascular patent ductus arteriosus occlusion in dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

De Monte, Valentina; Staffieri, Francesco; Caivano, Domenico; Nannarone, Sara; Birettoni, Francesco; Porciello, Francesco; Di Meo, Antonio; Bufalari, Antonello

2017-08-01

The objective of the study was to retrospectively analyse the cardiovascular effects that occurs following the transvascular occlusion of patent ductus arteriosus in dogs. Sixteen anaesthesia records were included. Variables were recorded at the time of placing the arterial introducer, occlusion of the ductus, and from 5 to 60min thereafter, including, among the other, heart rate, systolic, diastolic and mean arterial blood pressure. The maximal percentage variation of the aforementioned physiological parameters within 60min of occlusion, compared with the values recorded at the introducer placing, was calculated. The time at which maximal variation occurred was also computed. Correlations between maximal percentage variation of physiological parameters and the diameter of the ductus and systolic and diastolic flow velocity through it were evaluated with linear regression analysis. Heart rate decreased after occlusion of the ductus with a mean maximal percentage variation of 41.0±14.8% after 21.2±13.7min. Mean and diastolic arterial blood pressure increased after occlusion with a mean maximal percentage variation of 30.6±18.1 and 55.4±27.1% after 19.6±12.1 and 15.7±10.8min, respectively. Mean arterial blood pressure variation had a significant and moderate inverse correlation with diastolic and systolic flow velocity through the ductus. Transvascular patent ductus arteriosus occlusion in anaesthetised dogs causes a significant reduction in heart rate and an increase in diastolic and mean blood arterial pressure within 20min of closure of the ductus. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Longitudinal variation in pressure injury incidence among long-term aged care facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Jorgensen, Mikaela; Siette, Joyce; Georgiou, Andrew; Westbrook, Johanna I

2018-05-04

To examine variation in pressure injury (PI) incidence among long-term aged care facilities and identify resident- and facility-level factors that explain this variation. Longitudinal incidence study using routinely-collected electronic care management data. A large aged care service provider in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, Australia. About 6556 people aged 65 years and older who were permanent residents in 60 long-term care facilities between December 2014 and November 2016. Risk-adjusted PI incidence rates over eight study quarters. Incidence density over the study period was 1.33 pressure injuries per 1000 resident days (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.29-1.37). Funnel plots were used to identify variation among facilities. On average, 14% of facilities had risk-adjusted PI rates that were higher than expected in each quarter (above 95% funnel plot control limits). Ten percent of facilities had persistently high rates in any three or more consecutive quarters (n = 6). The variation between facilities was only partly explained by resident characteristics in multilevel regression models. Residents were more likely to have higher-pressure injury rates in facilities in regional areas compared with major city areas (adjusted incidence rate ratio = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.04-1.51), and facilities with persistently high rates were more likely to be located in areas with low socioeconomic status (P = 0.038). There is considerable variation among facilities in PI incidence. This study demonstrates the potential of routinely-collected care management data to monitor PI incidence and to identify facilities that may benefit from targeted intervention.

Stability analysis of a pressure-solution surface

Science.gov (United States)

Gal, Doron; Nur, Amos; Aharonov, Einat

We present a linear stability analysis of a dissolution surface subjected to non-hydrostatic stress. A sinusoidal perturbation is imposed on an initially flat solid/fluid interface, and the consequent changes in elastic strain energy and surface energy are calculated. Our results demonstrate that if the far-field lateral stresses are either greater, or much smaller than the fluid pressure, the perturbed configuration has a lower strain energy than the initial one. For wavelengths greater than a critical wavelength this energy decrease may be large enough to offset the increased surface energy. Under these conditions, the perturbation grows unstably. If these conditions are not met, the surface becomes flat. The growth rate and wavelength of the maximally unstable mode depend on the mechanism of matter transport. We conclude that the instability discussed in this paper may account for the formation of stylolites and other pressure-solution phenomena, such as roughening of grain contacts.

INVESTIGATION RESULTS PERTAINING TO DETERMINATION OF REVERSE FLOW PRESSURE ON TREATED FLAT SURFACE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. N. Zhuk

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The executed investigations have shown that it is possible to prepare sheet-like material for laser cutting economically viable and with small amount of power expenditure while using reverse jet cleaning for surface treatment. As compared to conventional jet cleaning technologies efficiency of the reverse jet cleaning is attributed to significant pressure increase (by 25–50 % when the jet is interacting with the treated surface. The paper proposes a mathematical model on the basis of approximate energy method (upper-bound method and the model is used for calculation of fracture pressure due to action of the reverse jet on the treated surface which consists of a corrosion deposit layer. A variational problem was solved within a framework of the developed model and the problem solution has made it possible to obtain a theoretical dependence for calculation of minimum fracture pressure value pmin in the point reverse jet impact with a barrier oretical dependence and it has taken into account yielding point of the deformed material ss, density of fractured material med material r, jet velocity uстр and parameter of reverse flowing – jet reduction ratio l. Comparison theoretical data and experimental ones (experimental data have been obtained while using a differential pressure transducer ЭДП-30 and a spring dynamometer with measuring limits 25 and 80 MPa, respectively has shown difference by 4–15 %. Determined insignificant difference between a theory and an experiment demonstrates that the obtained theoretical dependence is considered as a quite correct one and it can be used in engineering practice for prediction of power and kinematics parameters which are necessary for selection of the required pump equipment designed for realization of reverse-jet cleaning process.

Small-Scale Morphological Features on a Solid Surface Processed by High-Pressure Abrasive Water Jet

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Can Kang

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Being subjected to a high-pressure abrasive water jet, solid samples will experience an essential variation of both internal stress and physical characteristics, which is closely associated with the kinetic energy attached to the abrasive particles involved in the jet stream. Here, experiments were performed, with particular emphasis being placed on the kinetic energy attenuation and turbulent features in the jet stream. At jet pressure of 260 MPa, mean velocity and root-mean-square (RMS velocity on two jet-stream sections were acquired by utilizing the phase Doppler anemometry (PDA technique. A jet-cutting experiment was then carried out with Al-Mg alloy samples being cut by an abrasive water jet. Morphological features and roughness on the cut surface were quantitatively examined through scanning electron microscopy (SEM and optical profiling techniques. The results indicate that the high-pressure water jet is characterized by remarkably high mean flow velocities and distinct velocity fluctuations. Those irregular pits and grooves on the cut surfaces indicate both the energy attenuation and the development of radial velocity components in the jet stream. When the sample is positioned with different distances from the nozzle outlet, the obtained quantitative surface roughness varies accordingly. A descriptive model highlighting the behaviors of abrasive particles in jet-cutting process is established in light of the experimental results and correlation analysis.

Small-Scale Morphological Features on a Solid Surface Processed by High-Pressure Abrasive Water Jet.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Can; Liu, Haixia

2013-08-14

Being subjected to a high-pressure abrasive water jet, solid samples will experience an essential variation of both internal stress and physical characteristics, which is closely associated with the kinetic energy attached to the abrasive particles involved in the jet stream. Here, experiments were performed, with particular emphasis being placed on the kinetic energy attenuation and turbulent features in the jet stream. At jet pressure of 260 MPa, mean velocity and root-mean-square (RMS) velocity on two jet-stream sections were acquired by utilizing the phase Doppler anemometry (PDA) technique. A jet-cutting experiment was then carried out with Al-Mg alloy samples being cut by an abrasive water jet. Morphological features and roughness on the cut surface were quantitatively examined through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical profiling techniques. The results indicate that the high-pressure water jet is characterized by remarkably high mean flow velocities and distinct velocity fluctuations. Those irregular pits and grooves on the cut surfaces indicate both the energy attenuation and the development of radial velocity components in the jet stream. When the sample is positioned with different distances from the nozzle outlet, the obtained quantitative surface roughness varies accordingly. A descriptive model highlighting the behaviors of abrasive particles in jet-cutting process is established in light of the experimental results and correlation analysis.

Role of regression analysis and variation of rheological data in calculation of pressure drop for sludge pipelines.

Science.gov (United States)

Farno, E; Coventry, K; Slatter, P; Eshtiaghi, N

2018-06-15

Sludge pumps in wastewater treatment plants are often oversized due to uncertainty in calculation of pressure drop. This issue costs millions of dollars for industry to purchase and operate the oversized pumps. Besides costs, higher electricity consumption is associated with extra CO 2 emission which creates huge environmental impacts. Calculation of pressure drop via current pipe flow theory requires model estimation of flow curve data which depends on regression analysis and also varies with natural variation of rheological data. This study investigates impact of variation of rheological data and regression analysis on variation of pressure drop calculated via current pipe flow theories. Results compare the variation of calculated pressure drop between different models and regression methods and suggest on the suitability of each method. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Surface texture generation during cylindrical milling in the aspect of cutting force variations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wojciechowski, S; Twardowski, P; Pelic, M

2014-01-01

The work presented here concentrates on surface texture analysis, after cylindrical milling of hardened steel. Cutting force variations occurring in the machining process have direct influence on the cutter displacements and thus on the generated surface texture. Therefore, in these experiments, the influence of active number of teeth (z c ) on the cutting force variations was investigated. Cutting forces and cutter displacements were measured during machining process (online) using, namely piezoelectric force dynamometer and 3D laser vibrometer. Surface roughness parameters were measured using stylus surface profiler. The surface roughness model including cutting parameters (f z , D) and cutting force variations was also developed. The research revealed that in cylindrical milling process, cutting force variations have immediate influence on surface texture generation

Reproducibility of blood pressure variation in older ambulatory and bedridden subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsuchihashi, Takuya; Kawakami, Yasunobu; Imamura, Tsuyoshi; Abe, Isao

2002-06-01

We investigated the influence of ambulation on the reproducibility of circadian blood pressure variation in older nursing home residents. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was performed twice in 37 older nursing home residents. Nursing home in Japan. Subjects included 18 ambulatory nursing home residents who had no limitation on physical activity and 19 bedridden residents who did not participate in physical activity. Twenty-four-hour, daytime, and nighttime blood pressure levels and their variability. The 24-hour and daytime variability of systolic blood pressure (SBP) was significantly greater in ambulatory than in bedridden subjects, whereas nighttime variability was similar. Significant correlations in SBP averaged for the whole day, daytime, and nighttime were observed between the two examinations in ambulatory (r =.80-.83) and bedridden (r =.83-.91) subjects, but the variabilities of SBP for the whole day and during the daytime of the first measurement were correlated with those of the second measurement in bedridden (r =.67 and r =.47, respectively) but not in ambulatory (r =.39 and r =.28, respectively) subjects. Significant correlations were found between the nocturnal SBP changes at two occasions in both ambulatory (r =.50) and bedridden (r =.51) subjects, but the dipper versus nondipper profiles, defined as reduction in SBP of greater than 10% versus not, showed low reproducibility in ambulatory subjects; five ambulatory (28%) and one bedridden (5%) subjects showed divergent profiles between the two examinations. The reproducibility of blood pressure variation in nursing home residents is influenced by ambulation.

Pressurization Risk Assessment of CO2 Reservoirs Utilizing Design of Experiments and Response Surface Methods

Science.gov (United States)

Guyant, E.; Han, W. S.; Kim, K. Y.; Park, E.; Han, K.

2015-12-01

Monitoring of pressure buildup can provide explicit information on reservoir integrity and is an appealing tool, however pressure variation is dependent on a variety of factors causing high uncertainty in pressure predictions. This work evaluated pressurization of a reservoir system in the presence of leakage pathways as well as exploring the effects of compartmentalization of the reservoir utilizing design of experiments (Definitive Screening, Box Behnken, Central Composite, and Latin Hypercube designs) and response surface methods. Two models were developed, 1) an idealized injection scenario in order to evaluate the performance of multiple designs, and 2) a complex injection scenario implementing the best performing design to investigate pressurization of the reservoir system. A holistic evaluation of scenario 1, determined that the Central Composite design would be used for the complex injection scenario. The complex scenario evaluated 5 risk factors: reservoir, seal, leakage pathway and fault permeabilities, and horizontal position of the pathway. A total of 60 response surface models (RSM) were developed for the complex scenario with an average R2 of 0.95 and a NRMSE of 0.067. Sensitivity to the input factors was dynamic through space and time; at the earliest time (0.05 years) the reservoir permeability was dominant, and for later times (>0.5 years) the fault permeability became dominant for all locations. The RSM's were then used to conduct a Monte Carlo Analysis to further analyze pressurization risks, identifying the P10, P50, P90 values. This identified the in zone (lower) P90 values as 2.16, 1.77, and 1.53 MPa and above zone values of 1.35, 1.23, 1.09 MPa for monitoring locations 1, 2, and 3, respectively. In summary, the design of experiments and response surface methods allowed for an efficient sensitivity and uncertainty analysis to be conducted permitting a complete evaluation of the pressurization across the entire parameter space.

Normalization constraint for variational bounds on fluid permeability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berryman, J.G.; Milton, G.W.

1985-01-01

A careful reexamination of the formulation of Prager's original variational principle for viscous flow through porous media has uncovered a subtle error in the normalization constraint on the trial functions. Although a certain surface integral of the true pressure field over the internal surface area always vanishes for isotropic materials, the corresponding surface integral for a given trial pressure field does not necessarily vanish but has nevertheless been previously neglected in the normalization. When this error is corrected, the form of the variational estimate is actually simpler than before and furthermore the resulting bounds have been shown to improve when the constant trial functions are used in either the two-point or three-point bounds

Measurement of the surface tension by the method of maximum gas bubble pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dugne, Jean

1971-01-01

A gas bubble method for measuring surface tension was studied. Theoretical investigations demonstrated that the maximum pressure can be represented by the envelope of a certain family of curves and that the physical nature of the capillary tube imposes an upper limit to its useful radius. With a given tube and a specified liquid, the dynamic evolution of the gas bubble depends only upon the variation of the mass of gas contained with time; this fact may restrict the choice of tubes. The use of one single tube requires important corrections. Computer treatment of the problem led to some accurate equations for calculating γ. Schroedinger equations and Sudgen's table are examined. The choice of tubes, the necessary corrections, density measurement, and the accuracy attainable are discussed. Experiments conducted with water and mercury using the sessile drop method and continuous recording of the pressure verified the theoretical ideas. (author) [fr

Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma Cleaning of Contaminated Surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hicks, Robert F.; Herrmann, Hans W.

2003-01-01

The objective of this work is to demonstrate a practical, atmospheric pressure plasma tool for the surface decontamination of radioactive waste. Decontamination of radioactive materials that have accumulated on the surfaces of equipment and structures is a challenging and costly undertaking for the US Department of Energy. Our technology shows great potential for accelerating this clean up effort

Magnitude of Neck-Surface Vibration as an Estimate of Subglottal Pressure during Modulations of Vocal Effort and Intensity in Healthy Speakers

Science.gov (United States)

McKenna, Victoria S.; Llico, Andres F.; Mehta, Daryush D.; Perkell, Joseph S.; Stepp, Cara E.

2017-01-01

Purpose: This study examined the relationship between the magnitude of neck-surface vibration (NSV[subscript Mag]; transduced with an accelerometer) and intraoral estimates of subglottal pressure (P'[subscript sg]) during variations in vocal effort at 3 intensity levels. Method: Twelve vocally healthy adults produced strings of /p?/ syllables in 3…

Variational reconstruction using subdivision surfaces with continuous sharpness control

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Xiaoqun Wu; Jianmin Zheng; Yiyu Cai; Haisheng Li

2017-01-01

We present a variational method for subdivision surface reconstruction from a noisy dense mesh.A new set of subdivision rules with continuous sharpness control is introduced into Loop subdivision for better modeling subdivision surface features such as semi-sharp creases,creases,and corners.The key idea is to assign a sharpness value to each edge of the control mesh to continuously control the surface features.Based on the new subdivision rules,a variational model with L1 norm is formulated to find the control mesh and the corresponding sharpness values of the subdivision surface that best fits the input mesh.An iterative solver based on the augmented Lagrangian method and particle swarm optimization is used to solve the resulting non-linear,non-differentiable optimization problem.Our experimental results show that our method can handle meshes well with sharp/semi-sharp features and noise.

Preliminary investigation of foot pressure distribution variation in men and women adults while standing.

Science.gov (United States)

Periyasamy, R; Mishra, A; Anand, Sneh; Ammini, A C

2011-09-01

Women and men are anatomically and physiologically different in a number of ways. They differ in both shape and size. These differences could potentially mean foot pressure distribution variation in men and women. The purpose of this study was to analyze standing foot pressure image to obtain the foot pressure distribution parameter - power ratio variation between men and women using image processing in frequency domain. We examined 28 healthy adult subjects (14 men and 14 women) aged between 20 and 45 years was recruited for our study. Foot pressure distribution patterns while standing are obtained by using a PedoPowerGraph plantar pressure measurement system for foot image formation, a digital camera for image capturing, a TV tuner PC-add on card, a WinDvr software for still capture and Matlab software with dedicated image processing algorithms have been developed. Various PedoPowerGraphic parameters such as percentage medial impulse (PMI), fore foot to hind foot pressure distribution ratio (F/H), big toe to fore foot pressure distribution ratio (B/F) and power ratio (PR) were evaluated. In men, contact area was significantly larger in all regions of the foot compared with women. There were significant differences in plantar pressure distribution but there was no significant difference in F/H and B/F ratio. Mean PR value was significantly greater in men than women under the hind foot and fore foot. PMI value was greater in women than men. As compared to men, women have maximum PR variations in the mid foot. Hence there is significant difference at level pfeet can provide suitable guidelines to biomedical engineers and doctor for designing orthotic devices for reliving the area of excessively high pressure. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Surface treatment of aramid fiber by air dielectric barrier discharge plasma at atmospheric pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jia Caixia; Chen Ping; Liu Wei; Li Bin; Wang Qian

2011-01-01

Aramid fiber samples are treated by air dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma at atmospheric pressure; the plasma treatment time is investigated as the major parameter. The effects of this treatment on the fiber surface physical and chemical properties are studied by using surface characterization techniques. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is performed to determine the surface morphology changes, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is analyzed to reveal the surface chemical composition variations and dynamic contact angle analysis (DCAA) is used to examine the changes of the fiber surface wettability. In addition, the wetting behavior of a kind of thermoplastic resin, poly(phthalazinone ether sulfone ketone) (PPESK), on aramid fiber surface is also observed by SEM photos. The study shows that there seems to be an optimum treatment condition for surface modification of aramid fiber by the air DBD plasma. In this paper, after the 12 s, 27.6 W/cm 3 plasma treatment the aramid fiber surface roughness is significantly improved, some new oxygen-containing groups such as C-O, C=O and O=C-O are generated on the fiber surface and the fiber surface wettability is greatly enhanced, which results in the better wetting behavior of PPESK resin on the plasma-treated aramid fiber.

Surface cleaning of metal wire by atmospheric pressure plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakamura, T.; Buttapeng, C.; Furuya, S.; Harada, N.

2009-01-01

In this study, the possible application of atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge plasma for the annealing of metallic wire is examined and presented. The main purpose of the current study is to examine the surface cleaning effect for a cylindrical object by atmospheric pressure plasma. The experimental setup consists of a gas tank, plasma reactor, and power supply with control panel. The gas assists in the generation of plasma. Copper wire was used as an experimental cylindrical object. This copper wire was irradiated with the plasma, and the cleaning effect was confirmed. The result showed that it is possible to remove the tarnish which exists on the copper wire surface. The experiment reveals that atmospheric pressure plasma is usable for the surface cleaning of metal wire. However, it is necessary to examine the method for preventing oxidization of the copper wire.

Nanocapillary Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet: A Tool for Ultrafine Maskless Surface Modification at Atmospheric Pressure.

Science.gov (United States)

Motrescu, Iuliana; Nagatsu, Masaaki

2016-05-18

With respect to microsized surface functionalization techniques we proposed the use of a maskless, versatile, simple tool, represented by a nano- or microcapillary atmospheric pressure plasma jet for producing microsized controlled etching, chemical vapor deposition, and chemical modification patterns on polymeric surfaces. In this work we show the possibility of size-controlled surface amination, and we discuss it as a function of different processing parameters. Moreover, we prove the successful connection of labeled sugar chains on the functionalized microscale patterns, indicating the possibility to use ultrafine capillary atmospheric pressure plasma jets as versatile tools for biosensing, tissue engineering, and related biomedical applications.

Surface modification of polylactic acid films by atmospheric pressure plasma treatment

Science.gov (United States)

Kudryavtseva, V. L.; Zhuravlev, M. V.; Tverdokhlebov, S. I.

2017-09-01

A new approach for the modification of polylactic acid (PLA) materials using atmospheric pressure plasma (APP) is described. PLA films plasma exposure time was 20, 60, 120 s. The surface morphology and wettability of the obtained PLA films were investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and the sitting drop method. The atmospheric pressure plasma increased the roughness and surface energy of PLA film. The wettability of PLA has been improved with the application of an atmospheric plasma surface treatment. It was shown that it is possible to obtain PLA films with various surface relief and tunable wettability. Additionally, we demonstrated that the use of cold atmospheric pressure plasma for surface activation allows for the immobilization of bioactive compounds like hyaluronic acid (HA) on the surface of obtained films. It was shown that composite PLA-HA films have an increased long-term hydrophilicity of the films surface.

Variational mesh segmentation via quadric surface fitting

KAUST Repository

Yan, Dongming; Wang, Wen Ping; Liu, Yang; Yang, Zhouwang

2012-01-01

We present a new variational method for mesh segmentation by fitting quadric surfaces. Each component of the resulting segmentation is represented by a general quadric surface (including plane as a special case). A novel energy function is defined to evaluate the quality of the segmentation, which combines both L2 and L2 ,1 metrics from a triangle to a quadric surface. The Lloyd iteration is used to minimize the energy function, which repeatedly interleaves between mesh partition and quadric surface fitting. We also integrate feature-based and simplification-based techniques in the segmentation framework, which greatly improve the performance. The advantages of our algorithm are demonstrated by comparing with the state-of-the-art methods. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Variational mesh segmentation via quadric surface fitting

KAUST Repository

Yan, Dongming

2012-11-01

We present a new variational method for mesh segmentation by fitting quadric surfaces. Each component of the resulting segmentation is represented by a general quadric surface (including plane as a special case). A novel energy function is defined to evaluate the quality of the segmentation, which combines both L2 and L2 ,1 metrics from a triangle to a quadric surface. The Lloyd iteration is used to minimize the energy function, which repeatedly interleaves between mesh partition and quadric surface fitting. We also integrate feature-based and simplification-based techniques in the segmentation framework, which greatly improve the performance. The advantages of our algorithm are demonstrated by comparing with the state-of-the-art methods. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nuclear reactor of pressurized liquid coolant type

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costes, D.

1976-01-01

The reactor comprises a vertical concrete pressure vessel, a bell-housing having an open lower end and disposed coaxially with the interior of the pressure vessel so as to delimit therewith a space filled with gas under pressure for the thermal insulation of the internal vessel wall, a pressurizing device for putting the coolant under pressure within the bell-housing and comprising a volume of control gas in contact with a large free surface of coolant in order that an appreciable variation in volume of liquid displaced within the coolant circuit inside the bell-housing should correspond to a small variation in pressure of the control gas. 9 claims, 3 drawing figures

Passenger comfort on high-speed trains: effect of tunnel noise on the subjective assessment of pressure variations.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanok, Sandra; Mendolia, Franco; Wittkowski, Martin; Rooney, Daniel; Putzke, Matthias; Aeschbach, Daniel

2015-01-01

When passing through a tunnel, aerodynamic effects on high-speed trains may impair passenger comfort. These variations in atmospheric pressure are accompanied by transient increases in sound pressure level. To date, it is unclear whether the latter influences the perceived discomfort associated with the variations in atmospheric pressure. In a pressure chamber of the DLR-Institute of Aerospace Medicine, 71 participants (M = 28.3 years ± 8.1 SD) rated randomised pressure changes during two conditions according to a crossover design. The pressure changes were presented together with tunnel noise such that the sound pressure level was transiently elevated by either +6 dB (low noise condition) or +12 dB (high noise condition) above background noise level (65 dB(A)). Data were combined with those of a recent study, in which identical pressure changes were presented without tunnel noise (Schwanitz et al., 2013, 'Pressure Variations on a Train - Where is the Threshold to Railway Passenger Discomfort?' Applied Ergonomics 44 (2): 200-209). Exposure-response relationships for the combined data set comprising all three noise conditions show that pressure discomfort increases with the magnitude and speed of the pressure changes but decreases with increasing tunnel noise. Practitioner Summary: In a pressure chamber, we systematically examined how pressure discomfort, as it may be experienced by railway passengers, is affected by the presence of tunnel noise during pressure changes. It is shown that across three conditions (no noise, low noise (+6 dB), high noise (+12 dB)) pressure discomfort decreases with increasing tunnel noise.

Numerical analysis of transient pressure variation in the condenser of a nuclear power station

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Xinjun; Zhou, Zijie; Song, Zhao [Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an (China); Lu, Qiankui; Li, Jiafu [Dong Fang Turbine Co., Ltd, Deyang (China)

2016-02-15

To research the characteristics of the transient variation of pressure in a nuclear power station condenser under accident condition, a mathematical model was established which simulated the cycling cooling water, heat transfer and pressure in the condenser. The calculation program of transient variation characteristics was established in Fortran language. The pump's parameter, cooling line's organization, check valve's feature and the parameter of siphonic water-collecting well are involved in the cooling water flow's mathematical model. The initial conditions of control volume are determined by the steady state of the condenser. The transient characteristics of a 1000 MW nuclear power station's condenser and cooling water system were examined. The results show that at the condition of plant-power suspension of pump, the cooling water flow rate decreases rapidly and refluxes, then fluctuates to 0. The variation of heat transfer coefficient in the condenser has three stages: at start it decreases sharply, then increases and decreases, and keeps constant in the end. Under three conditions (design, water and summer), the condenser pressure goes up in fluctuation. The time intervals between condenser's pressure signals under three conditions are about 26.4 s, which can fulfill the requirement for safe operation of nuclear power station.

[Circadian blood pressure variation under several pathophysiological conditions including secondary hypertension].

Science.gov (United States)

Imai, Yutaka; Hosaka, Miki; Satoh, Michihiro

2014-08-01

Abnormality of circadian blood pressure (BP) variation, i.e. non-dipper, riser, nocturnal hypertension etc, is brought by several pathophysiological conditions especially by secondary hypertension. These pathophysiological conditions are classified into several categories, i.e. disturbance of autonomic nervous system, metabolic disorder, endocrine disorder, disorder of Na and water excretion (e.g. sodium sensitivity), severe target organ damage and ischemia, cardiovascular complications and drug induced hypertension. Each pathophysiological condition which brings disturbance of circadian BP variation is included in several categories, e.g. diabetes mellitus is included in metabolic disorder, autonomic imbalance, sodium sensitivity and endocrine disorder. However, it seems that unified principle of the genesis of disturbance of circadian BP variation in many pathophysiological conditions is autonomic imbalance. Thus, it is concluded that disturbance of circadian BP variation is not purposive biological behavior but the result of autonomic imbalance which looks as if compensatory reaction such as exaggerated Na-water excretion during night in patient with Na-water retention who reveals disturbed circadian BP variation.

Seasonal and diurnal variations of ocular pressure in ocular hypertensive subjects in Pakistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Qureshi, I A; Xiao, R X; Yang, B H; Zhang, J; Xiang, D W; Hui, J L

1999-05-01

Studies have been shown that intraocular pressure (IOP) shows a diurnal variation in ocular hypertensive subjects, but the amount of change differs from study to study. In recent years it has been noted that intraocular pressure is a dynamic function and is subjected to many influences both acutely and over the long term. The variability in the results may be due to negligence of factors that can affect IOP. Moreover, seasonal variations in the ocular hypertensive subjects have never been described. After placing control on those factors that can affect IOP, this study investigated seasonal and diurnal variations in IOP of ocular hypertensive subjects. IOP was measured each month over the course of 12 months with the Goldmann applanation tonometer in 91 ocular hypertensive male subjects. To see the diurnal changes, subjects were asked to stay in the hospital for 24 hours. The average IOP in the winter months was higher than those in spring, summer, and autumn. The IOP difference between winter and summer was (mean +/- sem) 2.9 +/- 0.9 mmHg (p < 0.001). The peak of mean IOP in diurnal variation curve (25.7 +/- 1.2 mmHg) appeared in the morning when the subjects had just awaken. The mean diurnal variation was found to be 4.2 +/- 0.6 mmHg (p < 0.001). This study confirms that seasons influence IOP and it shows diurnal variations. As compared to other nations, diurnal variations in ocular hypertensive subjects seem to be somewhat less in Pakistan. Knowledge of the seasonal and diurnal variations in IOP may help glaucoma screeners.

Improving a variation of the DSC technique for measuring the boiling points of pure compounds at low pressures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Troni, Kelly L.; Damaceno, Daniela S.; Ceriani, Roberta

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Improvement of a variation of the DSC technique for boiling points at low pressures. • Use of a ballpoint pen ball over the pinhole of the DSC crucible. • Effects of configuration variables of the DSC technique accounted by factorial design. • An optimized region was obtained and tested for selected compounds. - Abstract: This study aims to improve a variation of the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) technique for measuring boiling points of pure compounds at low pressures. Using a well-known n-paraffin (n-hexadecane), experimental boiling points at a pressure of 3.47 kPa with u(P) = 0.07 kPa were obtained by using a variation of the DSC technique, which consists of placing samples inside hermetically sealed aluminum crucibles, with a pinhole (diameter of 0.8 mm) made on the lid and a tungsten carbide ball with a diameter of 1.0 mm over it. Experiments were configured at nine different combinations of heating rates (K·min"−"1) and sample sizes (mg) following a full factorial design (2"2 trials plus a star configuration and three central points). Individual and combined effects of these two independent variables on the difference between experimental and estimated boiling points (NIST Thermo Data Engine v. 5.0 – Aspen Plus v. 8.4) were investigated. The results obtained in this work reveal that although both factors affect individually the accuracy of this variation of the DSC technique, the effect of heating rate is the most important. An optimized region of combinations of heating rate and sample size for determining boiling points of pure compounds at low pressures was obtained using the response-surface methodology (RSM). Within this optimized region, a selected condition, combining a heating rate of 24.52 K·min"−"1 and a sample size of (4.6 ± 0.5) mg, was tested for six different compounds (92.094–302.37 g mol"−"1) comprising four fatty compounds (tributyrin, monocaprylin, octanoic acid and 1-octadecanol), glycerol and n

Numerical model for surge and swab pressures on wells with cross-section variation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fedevjcyk, Joao Victor; Junqueira, Silvio Luiz de Mello; Negrao, Cezar Otaviano Ribeiro [UTFPR - Federal University of Technology - Parana - Curitiba, PR (Brazil)], e-mails: silvio@utfpr.edu.br, negrao@utfpr.edu.br

2010-07-01

Drilling is one of the most complex steps in petroleum exploration. The process is accomplished by rotating a drill bit to compress the rock formation. During drilling, a fluid is pumped into the well to lubricate and cool down the drill bit, to clean up the well, to avoid the formation fluid influx to the well and also to stabilize the borehole walls. Fluid circulation, however, can be interrupted for maintenance reasons and the drill pipe can be moved to remove the drill bit. The downward or upward movement of the drill pipe displaces the fluid within the well causing either under pressure (swab) or over pressure (surge), respectively. If the pressure at the well bore overcomes the formation fracture pressure, a loss of circulation can take place. On the other way round, the upward movement may reduce the pressure below the pore pressure and an inflow of fluid to the well (kick) can occur. An uncontrolled kick may cause a blowout with serious damages. The transient flow induced by the axial movement of the drill pipe is responsible for the pressure changes at the well bore. Nevertheless, the well bore cross section variation may modify the pressure change within the pipe. In this paper, the effects of diameter variation of the drilling well on the surge and swab pressures are investigated. The equations that represent the phenomenon (mass and momentum conservation) are discretized by the finite volume method. Despite its non-Newtonian properties, the fluid is considered Newtonian in this first work. The drill pipe is considered closed and the flow is assumed as single-phased, one-dimensional, isothermal, laminar, compressible and transient. A sensitivity analysis of the flow parameters is carried out. The cross-section changes cause the reflection of the pressure wave, and consequently pressure oscillations. (author)

Study of discharges produced by surface waves under medium and high pressure: application to chemical analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laye epouse Granier, Agnes

1986-01-01

This report deals with the study of microwave discharges produced in argon gas by surface waves in the 20-760 Torr pressure range. Application to chemical analysis by emission optical spectroscopy is also investigated. First of all we study the propagation of a surface wave in a bounded plasma in which the effective collision frequency for momentum transfer ν is higher than the excitation one. The axial electron density profile is determined from two diagnostic techniques, i.e., phase variations of the wave field and Stark broadening of H β line. Then we deduce the discharge characteristics ν, θ (maintaining power of an electron-ion pair) and E eff (effective electric field for discharge sustaining) from the electron density profile. Then an energy balance of the discharge is developed. It explains the change of operating conditions in the 20-50 Torr range. At low pressure the discharge is governed by ambipolar diffusion whereas at high pressure, the electrons are mainly lost by volume recombination of Ar 2 + . Finally, we report on chemical analysis experiment of gases (optimum sensibility in found near 100 Torr) and of metallic solutions sprayed by a graphite oven. Performances of such a design and ICP plasma torches are compared. (author) [fr

Performance verification of focus variation and confocal microscopes measuring tilted ultra-fine surfaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Quagliotti, Danilo; Baruffi, Federico; Tosello, Guido

2016-01-01

The behaviour of two optical instruments, scilicet a laser scanning confocal microscope and a focus-variation microscope, was investigated considering measurements of tilted surfaces. The measured samples were twelve steel artefacts for mould surface finish reference, covering Sa roughness...... parameter in the range (101—103) nm. The 3D surface texture parameters considered were Sa, Sq and Sdq. The small working distance of the confocal microscope objectives influenced the measurement setup, preventing from selecting a high tilting angle. The investigation was carried out comparing measurements...... of flat surfaces (0° tilt) with measurements of 12.5° tilted surfaces. The confocal microscope results showed a high sensitivity to tilting due to the laser beam reflection on the metal surfaces. The focus variation microscope results were more robust with respect to the considered angular variation...

Surface Freshwater Storage Variations in the Orinoco Floodplains Using Multi-Satellite Observations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frédéric Frappart

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Variations in surface water extent and storage are poorly characterized from regional to global scales. In this study, a multi-satellite approach is proposed to estimate the water stored in the floodplains of the Orinoco Basin at a monthly time-scale using remotely-sensed observations of surface water from the Global Inundation Extent Multi-Satellite (GIEMS and stages from Envisat radar altimetry. Surface water storage variations over 2003–2007 exhibit large interannual variability and a strong seasonal signal, peaking during summer, and associated with the flood pulse. The volume of surface water storage in the Orinoco Basin was highly correlated with the river discharge at Ciudad Bolivar (R = 0.95, the closest station to the mouth where discharge was estimated, although discharge lagged one month behind storage. The correlation remained high (R = 0.73 after removing seasonal effects. Mean annual variations in surface water volume represented ~170 km3, contributing to ~45% of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE-derived total water storage variations and representing ~13% of the total volume of water that flowed out of the Orinoco Basin to the Atlantic Ocean.

Analysis of Pressure Variations in a Low-Pressure Nickel-Hydrogen Battery- Part 2: Cells with Metal Hydride Storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Purushothaman, B K; Wainright, J S

2012-05-15

A sub-atmospheric pressure nickel hydrogen (Ni-H(2)) battery with metal hydride for hydrogen storage is developed for implantable neuroprosthetic devices. Pressure variations during charge and discharge of the cell are analyzed at different states of charge and are found to follow the desorption curve of the pressure composition isotherm (PCI) of the metal hydride. The measured pressure agreed well with the calculated theoretical pressure based on the PCI and is used to predict the state of charge of the battery. Hydrogen equilibration with the metal hydride during charge/discharge cycling is fast when the pressure is in the range from 8 to 13 psia and slower in the range from 6 to 8 psia. The time constant for the slower hydrogen equilibration, 1.37h, is similar to the time constant for oxygen recombination and therefore pressure changes due to different mechanisms are difficult to estimate. The self-discharge rate of the cell with metal hydride is two times lower in comparison to the cell with gaseous hydrogen storage alone and is a result of the lower pressure in the cell when the metal hydride is used.

Analysis of Pressure Variations in a Low-Pressure Nickel-Hydrogen Battery– Part 2: Cells with Metal Hydride Storage

Science.gov (United States)

Purushothaman, B. K.; Wainright, J. S.

2012-01-01

A sub-atmospheric pressure nickel hydrogen (Ni-H2) battery with metal hydride for hydrogen storage is developed for implantable neuroprosthetic devices. Pressure variations during charge and discharge of the cell are analyzed at different states of charge and are found to follow the desorption curve of the pressure composition isotherm (PCI) of the metal hydride. The measured pressure agreed well with the calculated theoretical pressure based on the PCI and is used to predict the state of charge of the battery. Hydrogen equilibration with the metal hydride during charge/discharge cycling is fast when the pressure is in the range from 8 to 13 psia and slower in the range from 6 to 8 psia. The time constant for the slower hydrogen equilibration, 1.37h, is similar to the time constant for oxygen recombination and therefore pressure changes due to different mechanisms are difficult to estimate. The self-discharge rate of the cell with metal hydride is two times lower in comparison to the cell with gaseous hydrogen storage alone and is a result of the lower pressure in the cell when the metal hydride is used. PMID:22711974

Ultrasound enhanced plasma surface modification at atmospheric pressure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kusano, Yukihiro; Singh, Shailendra Vikram; Norrman, Kion

2012-01-01

Efficiency of atmospheric pressure plasma treatment can be highly enhanced by simultaneous high power ultrasonic irradiation onto the treating surface. It is because ultrasonic waves with a sound pressure level (SPL) above ∼140 dB can reduce the thickness of a boundary gas layer between the plasma...... arc at atmospheric pressure to study adhesion improvement. The effect of ultrasonic irradiation with the frequency diapason between 20 and 40 kHz at the SPL of ∼150 dB was investigated. After the plasma treatment without ultrasonic irradiation, the wettability was significantly improved...

Can a central blood volume deficit be detected by systolic pressure variation during spontaneous breathing?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dahl, Michael; Hayes, Chris; Steen Rasmussen, Bodil

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Whether during spontaneous breathing arterial pressure variations (APV) can detect a volume deficit is not established. We hypothesized that amplification of intra-thoracic pressure oscillations by breathing through resistors would enhance APV to allow identification of a reduced card...

Investigation of an Axial Fan—Blade Stress and Vibration Due to Aerodynamic Pressure Field and Centrifugal Effects

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Cheng; Amano, Ryoichi Samuel; Lee, Eng Kwong

A 1.829m (6ft) diameter industrial large flow-rate axial fan operated at 1770rpm was studied experimentally in laboratory conditions. The flow characteristics on the fan blade surfaces were investigated by measuring the pressure distributions on the blade suction and pressure surfaces and the results were discussed by comparing with analytical formulations and CFD. Flow visualizations were also performed to validate the flow characteristics near the blade surface and it was demonstrated that the flow characteristics near the fan blade surface were dominated by the centrifugal force of the fan rotation which resulted in strong three-dimensional flows. The time-dependent pressure measurement showed that the pressure oscillations on the fan blade were significantly dominated by vortex shedding from the fan blades. It was further demonstrated that the pressure distributions during the fan start-up were highly unsteady, and the main frequency variation of the static pressure was much smaller than the fan rotational frequency. The time-dependent pressure measurement when the fan operated at a constant speed showed that the magnitude of the blade pressure variation with time and the main variation frequency was much smaller than the fan rotational frequency. The pressure variations that were related to the vortex shedding were slightly smaller than the fan rotational frequency. The strain gages were used to measure the blade stress and the results were compared with FEA results.

Pressure controlled transition into a self-induced topological superconducting surface state

KAUST Repository

Zhu, Zhiyong; Cheng, Yingchun; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

2014-01-01

Ab-initio calculations show a pressure induced trivial-nontrivial-trivial topological phase transition in the normal state of 1T-TiSe2. The pressure range in which the nontrivial phase emerges overlaps with that of the superconducting ground state. Thus, topological superconductivity can be induced in protected surface states by the proximity effect of superconducting bulk states. This kind of self-induced topological surface superconductivity is promising for a realization of Majorana fermions due to the absence of lattice and chemical potential mismatches. For appropriate electron doping, the formation of the topological superconducting surface state in 1T-TiSe 2 becomes accessible to experiments as it can be controlled by pressure.

Pressure controlled transition into a self-induced topological superconducting surface state

KAUST Repository

Zhu, Zhiyong

2014-02-07

Ab-initio calculations show a pressure induced trivial-nontrivial-trivial topological phase transition in the normal state of 1T-TiSe2. The pressure range in which the nontrivial phase emerges overlaps with that of the superconducting ground state. Thus, topological superconductivity can be induced in protected surface states by the proximity effect of superconducting bulk states. This kind of self-induced topological surface superconductivity is promising for a realization of Majorana fermions due to the absence of lattice and chemical potential mismatches. For appropriate electron doping, the formation of the topological superconducting surface state in 1T-TiSe 2 becomes accessible to experiments as it can be controlled by pressure.

Estimating Subglottal Pressure from Neck-Surface Acceleration during Normal Voice Production

Science.gov (United States)

Fryd, Amanda S.; Van Stan, Jarrad H.; Hillman, Robert E.; Mehta, Daryush D.

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential for estimating subglottal air pressure using a neck-surface accelerometer and to compare the accuracy of predicting subglottal air pressure relative to predicting acoustic sound pressure level (SPL). Method: Indirect estimates of subglottal pressure (P[subscript sg]') were obtained…

Surface strain engineering through Tb doping to study the pressure dependence of exciton-phonon coupling in ZnO nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, A.; Dhar, S.; Singh, B. P.; Nayak, C.; Bhattacharyya, D.; Jha, S. N.

2013-01-01

A compressive hydrostatic strain has been found to develop in the ZnO lattice as a result of accumulation of Tb ions on the surface of the nanoparticles for Tb mole-fraction less than 0.04. This hydrostatic strain can be controlled up to ≈14 GPa by varying the Tb mole-fraction. Here, we have utilized this novel technique of surface strain engineering through Tb doping for introducing hydrostatic compressive strain in the lattice to study the pressure dependent electronic and vibrational properties of ZnO nanoparticles. Our study reveals that when subjected to pressure, nanoparticles of ZnO behave quite differently than bulk in many aspects. Unlike bulk ZnO, which is reported to go through a wurtzite to rock-salt structural phase transition at ≈8 GPa, ZnO nanoparticles do not show such transition and remain in wurtzite phase even at 14 GPa of pressure. Furthermore, the Grüneisen parameters for the optical phonon modes are found to be order of magnitude smaller in ZnO nanoparticles as compared to bulk. Our study also suggests an increase of the dielectric constant with pressure, which is opposite to what has been reported for bulk ZnO. Interestingly, it has also been found that the exciton-phonon interaction depends strongly upon pressure in this system. The exciton-phonon coupling has been found to decrease as pressure increases. A variational technique has been adopted to theoretically calculate the exciton-LO phonon coupling coefficient in ZnO nanoparticles as a function of pressure, which shows a good agreement with the experimental results. These findings imply that surface engineering of ZnO nanoparticles with Tb could indeed be an efficient tool to enhance and control the optical performance of this material

Surface strain engineering through Tb doping to study the pressure dependence of exciton-phonon coupling in ZnO nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sharma, A.; Dhar, S., E-mail: dhar@phy.iitb.ac.in; Singh, B. P. [Physics Department, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076 (India); Nayak, C.; Bhattacharyya, D. [Applied Spectroscopy Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai-400085 (India); Jha, S. N. [Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT), Indore (India)

2013-12-07

A compressive hydrostatic strain has been found to develop in the ZnO lattice as a result of accumulation of Tb ions on the surface of the nanoparticles for Tb mole-fraction less than 0.04. This hydrostatic strain can be controlled up to ≈14 GPa by varying the Tb mole-fraction. Here, we have utilized this novel technique of surface strain engineering through Tb doping for introducing hydrostatic compressive strain in the lattice to study the pressure dependent electronic and vibrational properties of ZnO nanoparticles. Our study reveals that when subjected to pressure, nanoparticles of ZnO behave quite differently than bulk in many aspects. Unlike bulk ZnO, which is reported to go through a wurtzite to rock-salt structural phase transition at ≈8 GPa, ZnO nanoparticles do not show such transition and remain in wurtzite phase even at 14 GPa of pressure. Furthermore, the Grüneisen parameters for the optical phonon modes are found to be order of magnitude smaller in ZnO nanoparticles as compared to bulk. Our study also suggests an increase of the dielectric constant with pressure, which is opposite to what has been reported for bulk ZnO. Interestingly, it has also been found that the exciton-phonon interaction depends strongly upon pressure in this system. The exciton-phonon coupling has been found to decrease as pressure increases. A variational technique has been adopted to theoretically calculate the exciton-LO phonon coupling coefficient in ZnO nanoparticles as a function of pressure, which shows a good agreement with the experimental results. These findings imply that surface engineering of ZnO nanoparticles with Tb could indeed be an efficient tool to enhance and control the optical performance of this material.

Solar wind dynamic pressure variations and transient magnetospheric signatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sibeck, D.G.; Baumjohann, W.

1989-01-01

Contrary to the prevailing popular view, we find some transient ground events with bipolar north-south signatures are related to variations in solar wind dynamic pressure and not necessarily to magnetic merging. We present simultaneous solar wind plasma observations for two previously reported transient ground events observed at dayside auroral latitudes. During the first event, originally reported by Lanzerotti et al. [1987], conjugate ground magnetometers recorded north-south magetic field deflections in the east-west and vertical directions. The second event was reported by Todd et al. [1986], we noted ground rader observations indicating strong northward then southward ionospheric flows. The events were associated with the postulated signatures of patchy, sporadic, merging of magnetosheath and magnetospheric magnetic field lines at the dayside magnetospause, known as flux transfer events. Conversely, we demonstrate that the event reported by Lanzerotti et al. was accompanied by a sharp increase in solar wind dynamic pressure, a magnetospheric compression, and a consequent ringing of the magnetospheric magnetic field. The event reported by Todd et al. was associated with a brief but sharp increase in the solar wind dynamic pressure. copyright American Geophysical Union 1989

Collapse of Langmuir monolayer at lower surface pressure: Effect of hydrophobic chain length

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Das, Kaushik, E-mail: kaushikdas2089@gmail.com; Kundu, Sarathi [Physical Sciences Division, Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology, Vigyan Path, Paschim Boragaon, Garchuk, Guwahati, Assam 781035 (India)

2016-05-23

Long chain fatty acid molecules (e.g., stearic and behenic acids) form a monolayer on water surface in the presence of Ba{sup 2+} ions at low subphase pH (≈ 5.5) and remain as a monolayer before collapse generally occurs at higher surface pressure (π{sub c} > 50 mN/m). Monolayer formation is verified from the surface pressure vs. area per molecule (π-A) isotherms and also from the atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis of the films deposited by single upstroke of hydrophilic Si (001) substrate through the monolayer covered water surface. At high subphase pH (≈ 9.5), barium stearate molecules form multilayer structure at lower surface pressure which is verified from the π-A isotherms and AFM analysis of the film deposited at 25 mN/m. Such monolayer to multilayer structure formation or monolayer collapse at lower surface pressure is unusual as at this surface pressure generally fatty acid salt molecules form a monolayer on the water surface. Formation of bidentate chelate coordination in the metal containing headgroups is the reason for such monolayer to multilayer transition. However, for longer chain barium behenate molecules only monolayer structure is maintained at that high subphase pH (≈ 9.5) due to the presence of relatively more tail-tail hydrophobic interaction.

An oxygen pressure sensor using surface acoustic wave devices

Science.gov (United States)

Leighty, Bradley D.; Upchurch, Billy T.; Oglesby, Donald M.

1993-01-01

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) piezoelectric devices are finding widespread applications in many arenas, particularly in the area of chemical sensing. We have developed an oxygen pressure sensor based on coating a SAW device with an oxygen binding agent which can be tailored to provide variable sensitivity. The coating is prepared by dissolving an oxygen binding agent in a toluene solution of a copolymer which is then sprayed onto the surface of the SAW device. Experimental data shows the feasibility of tailoring sensors to measure the partial pressure of oxygen from 2.6 to 67 KPa (20 to 500 torr). Potential applications of this technology are discussed.

DNS of transcritical turbulent boundary layers at supercritical pressures under abrupt variations in thermodynamic properties

Science.gov (United States)

Kawai, Soshi

2014-11-01

In this talk, we first propose a numerical strategy that is robust and high-order accurate for enabling to simulate transcritical flows at supercritical pressures under abrupt variations in thermodynamic properties due to the real fluid effects. The method is based on introducing artificial density diffusion in a physically-consistent manner in order to capture the steep variation of thermodynamic properties in transcritical conditions robustly, while solving a pressure evolution equation to achieve pressure equilibrium at the transcritical interfaces. We then discuss the direct numerical simulation (DNS) of transcritical heated turbulent boundary layers on a zero-pressure-gradient flat plate at supercritical pressures. To the best of my knowledge, the present DNS is the first DNS of zero-pressure-gradient flat-plate transcritical turbulent boundary layer. The turbulent kinetic budget indicates that the compressibility effects (especially, pressure-dilatation correlation) are not negligible at the transcritical conditions even if the flow is subsonic. The unique and interesting interactions between the real fluid effects and wall turbulence, and their turbulence statistics, which have never been seen in the ideal-fluid turbulent boundary layers, are also discussed. This work was supported in part by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A) KAKENHI 26709066 and the JAXA International Top Young Fellowship Program.

A modification to linearized theory for prediction of pressure loadings on lifting surfaces at high supersonic Mach numbers and large angles of attack

Science.gov (United States)

Carlson, H. W.

1979-01-01

A new linearized-theory pressure-coefficient formulation was studied. The new formulation is intended to provide more accurate estimates of detailed pressure loadings for improved stability analysis and for analysis of critical structural design conditions. The approach is based on the use of oblique-shock and Prandtl-Meyer expansion relationships for accurate representation of the variation of pressures with surface slopes in two-dimensional flow and linearized-theory perturbation velocities for evaluation of local three-dimensional aerodynamic interference effects. The applicability and limitations of the modification to linearized theory are illustrated through comparisons with experimental pressure distributions for delta wings covering a Mach number range from 1.45 to 4.60 and angles of attack from 0 to 25 degrees.

Effects of pressure, temperature and atomic exchanges on phase separation dynamics in Au/Ni(111) surface alloy: Kinetic Monte Carlo study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zvejnieks, G. [Institute for Solid State Physics, University of Latvia, Kengaraga 8, LV-1063 Riga (Latvia); Ibenskas, A., E-mail: ibenskas@pfi.lt [Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Semiconductor Physics Institute, Gostauto 11, LT-01108 Vilnius (Lithuania); Tornau, E.E. [Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Semiconductor Physics Institute, Gostauto 11, LT-01108 Vilnius (Lithuania)

2015-11-15

Instability of the Au/Ni(111) surface alloy is studied in different CO gas pressure, p, and temperature limits using kinetic Monte Carlo simulations. We analyze the reaction front dynamics and formation of Au clusters using the model which takes into account surface adatom pair and three-body interactions, CO adsorption and desorption, catalytic carbonyl formation reaction, Au and Ni adatom diffusion and their concerted exchange. Variation of interaction parameters allows us to identify three possible reaction front propagation limits with different pressure dependencies: (i) slow channel-like flow in agreement with experimental data [1] (step flow rate, R, increases with p), (ii) intermediate regime (weak p–dependence), and (iii) fast homogeneous flow (R decreases with p). We find that only Au–Ni exchange, contrary to both Ni–CO and Au–CO exchanges, significantly reduces the number of screened Ni atoms inside the Au clusters and stimulates the occurrence of Ni-free Au clusters. The size of Au islands depends on both pressure and temperature. At a fixed temperature it decreases with pressure due to an increased step flow rate. In the high temperature limit, despite the step flow rate exponential increase with temperature, the cluster size increases due to an enhanced Au mobility. - Highlights: • Kinetic Monte Carlo study of Au–Ni surface alloy instability to CO pressure and temperature. • Three reaction front propagation regimes. • In channel-like regime, the step flow rate increases with CO pressure as in experiment. • Ni-free Au islands are obtained when Au-Ni adatom exchange mechanism is considered. • The size of Au islands decreases with pressure and increases with temperature.

Effects of pressure, temperature and atomic exchanges on phase separation dynamics in Au/Ni(111) surface alloy: Kinetic Monte Carlo study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zvejnieks, G.; Ibenskas, A.; Tornau, E.E.

2015-01-01

Instability of the Au/Ni(111) surface alloy is studied in different CO gas pressure, p, and temperature limits using kinetic Monte Carlo simulations. We analyze the reaction front dynamics and formation of Au clusters using the model which takes into account surface adatom pair and three-body interactions, CO adsorption and desorption, catalytic carbonyl formation reaction, Au and Ni adatom diffusion and their concerted exchange. Variation of interaction parameters allows us to identify three possible reaction front propagation limits with different pressure dependencies: (i) slow channel-like flow in agreement with experimental data [1] (step flow rate, R, increases with p), (ii) intermediate regime (weak p–dependence), and (iii) fast homogeneous flow (R decreases with p). We find that only Au–Ni exchange, contrary to both Ni–CO and Au–CO exchanges, significantly reduces the number of screened Ni atoms inside the Au clusters and stimulates the occurrence of Ni-free Au clusters. The size of Au islands depends on both pressure and temperature. At a fixed temperature it decreases with pressure due to an increased step flow rate. In the high temperature limit, despite the step flow rate exponential increase with temperature, the cluster size increases due to an enhanced Au mobility. - Highlights: • Kinetic Monte Carlo study of Au–Ni surface alloy instability to CO pressure and temperature. • Three reaction front propagation regimes. • In channel-like regime, the step flow rate increases with CO pressure as in experiment. • Ni-free Au islands are obtained when Au-Ni adatom exchange mechanism is considered. • The size of Au islands decreases with pressure and increases with temperature

Formation Mechanism of Surface Crack in Low Pressure Casting of A360 Alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Shan-Guang; Cao, Fu-Yang; Ying, Tao; Zhao, Xin-Yi; Liu, Jing-Shun; Shen, Hong-Xian; Guo, Shu; Sun, Jian-Fei

2017-12-01

A surface crack defect is normally found in low pressure castings of Al alloy with a sudden contraction structure. To further understand the formation mechanism of the defect, the mold filling process is simulated by a two-phase flow model. The experimental results indicate that the main reason for the defect deformation is the mismatching between the height of liquid surface in the mold and pressure in the crucible. In the case of filling, a sudden contraction structure with an area ratio smaller than 0.5 is obtained, and the velocity of the liquid front increases dramatically with the influence of inertia. Meanwhile, the pressurizing speed in the crucible remains unchanged, resulting in the pressure not being able to support the height of the liquid level. Then the liquid metal flows back to the crucible and forms a relatively thin layer solidification shell on the mold wall. With the increasing pressure in the crucible, the liquid level rises again, engulfing the shell and leading to a surface crack. As the filling velocity is characterized by the damping oscillations, surface cracks will form at different heights. The results shed light on designing a suitable pressurizing speed for the low pressure casting process.

Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma Interaction with Soft Materials as Fundamental Processes in Plasma Medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Takenaka, Kosuke; Miyazaki, Atsushi; Uchida, Giichiro; Setsuhara, Yuichi

2015-03-01

Molecular-structure variation of organic materials irradiated with atmospheric pressure He plasma jet have been investigated. Optical emission spectrum in the atmospheric-pressure He plasma jet has been measured. The spectrum shows considerable emissions of He lines, and the emission of O and N radicals attributed to air. Variation in molecular structure of Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film surface irradiated with the atmospheric-pressure He plasma jet has been observed via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). These results via XPS and FT-IR indicate that the PET surface irradiated with the atmospheric-pressure He plasma jet was oxidized by chemical and/or physical effect due to irradiation of active species.

Cold pressure welding of aluminium-steel blanks: Manufacturing process and electrochemical surface preparation

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Hans Christian; Homberg, Werner; Orive, Alejandro Gonzalez; Grundmeier, Guido; Hordych, Illia; Maier, Hans Jürgen

2018-05-01

In this study the manufacture of aluminium-steel blanks by cold pressure welding and their preparation for a welding process through electrochemical surface treatment are investigated and discussed. The cold pressure welding process was done with an incremental rolling tool that allows for the partial pressure welding of two blanks along a prepared path. The influence of the surface preparation by electrochemical deposition of bond promoting organosilane-based agents and roughening on a nano-scale is investigated and compared to conventional surface treatments. Coating the surfaces with a thin organosilane-based film incorporating specific functional groups should promote additional bonding between the mating oxide layers; its influence on the total weld strength is studied. Pressure welding requires suitable process strategies, and the current advances in the proposed incremental rolling process for the combination of mild steel and aluminium are presented.

Urbanization Process and Variation of Energy Budget of Land Surfaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ciro Gardi

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Urban areas are increasing at a rate much higher than human population growth in many part of the world; actually more than 73 towns in the world are larger than 1000 km2. The European Environmental Agency indicates an urban area average growth rate, over the last 20 years, of 20%. The urbanization process, and the consequent soil sealing, determines not only the losses of the ecological functions of the soil, but also a variation of the energy budget of land surfaces, that affect the microclimatic conditions (heat islands. The alteration of the energy budget are determined by the variations of albedo and roughness of surfaces, but especially by the net losses of evapotranspirating areas. In the present research we have assessed the variation of Parma territory energy budget, induced by the change in land use over the last 122 years. The urban area increase between 1881 and 2003 was 535%.

Atmospheric Pressure Variation is a Delayed Trigger for Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

Science.gov (United States)

van Donkelaar, Carlina E; Potgieser, Adriaan R E; Groen, Henk; Foumani, Mahrouz; Abdulrahman, Herrer; Sluijter, Rob; van Dijk, J Marc C; Groen, Rob J M

2018-04-01

There is an ongoing search for conditions that induce spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The seasonal pattern of SAH is shown in a large meta-analysis of the literature, but its explanation remains undecided. There is a clear need for sound meteorologic data to further elucidate the seasonal influence on SAH. Because of the stable and densely monitored atmospheric situation in the north of the Netherlands, we reviewed our unique cohort on the seasonal incidence of SAH and the association between SAH and local atmospheric changes. Our observational cohort study included 1535 patients with spontaneous SAH admitted to our neurovascular center in the north of the Netherlands between 2000 and 2015. Meteorologic data could be linked to the day of the ictus. To compare SAH incidences over the year and to test the association with meteorologic conditions, incidence rate ratios (IRRs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used, calculated by Poisson regression analyses. Atmospheric pressure variations were significantly associated with aneurysmal SAH. In particular, the pressure change on the second and third day before the ictus was independently correlated to a higher incidence of aneurysmal SAH (IRR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.00-1.23). The IRR for aneurysmal SAH in July was calculated 0.67 (95% CI, 0.49-0.92) after adjustment for temperature and atmospheric pressure changes. Atmospheric pressure variations are a delayed trigger for aneurysmal SAH. Also, a significantly decreased incidence of aneurysmal SAH was noted in July. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A study of the pressure profiles near the first pumping aperture in a high pressure photoelectron spectrometer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kahk, J. Matthias; Villar-Garcia, Ignacio J. [Department of Materials, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom); Grechy, Lorenza; Bruce, Paul J.K.; Vincent, Peter E. [Department of Aeronautics, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom); Eriksson, Susanna K. [Department of Chemistry-Ångström, Uppsala University, Box 523, 751 20 Uppsala (Sweden); Rensmo, Håkan; Hahlin, Maria [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Box 516, 751 20 Uppsala (Sweden); Åhlund, John; Edwards, Mårten O.M. [VG Scienta AB, Box 15120, 750 15 Uppsala (Sweden); Payne, David J., E-mail: d.payne@imperial.ac.uk [Department of Materials, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom)

2015-11-15

Highlights: • We have examined pressure variations in a high pressure photoelectron spectrometer. • Pressure profiles have been simulated using computational fluid dynamics modelling. • The results are useful for determining the optimal sample position for measurements. - Abstract: In a high-pressure photoelectron spectrometer, the sample is positioned close to a differential pumping aperture, behind which the pressure is several orders of magnitude lower than the pressure in the analysis chamber. To find the optimal sample position, where the path length of the photoelectrons through the high pressure region is minimized as far as possible without compromising knowledge of the actual pressure at the sample surface, an understanding of the pressure variations near the sample and the aperture is required. A computational fluid dynamics study has been carried out to examine the pressure profiles, and the results are compared against experimental spectra whose intensities are analyzed using the Beer–Lambert law. The resultant pressure profiles are broadly similar to the one previously derived from a simplistic molecular flow model, but indicate that as the pressure in the analysis chamber is raised, the region over which the pressure drop occurs becomes progressively narrower.

A study of the pressure profiles near the first pumping aperture in a high pressure photoelectron spectrometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kahk, J. Matthias; Villar-Garcia, Ignacio J.; Grechy, Lorenza; Bruce, Paul J.K.; Vincent, Peter E.; Eriksson, Susanna K.; Rensmo, Håkan; Hahlin, Maria; Åhlund, John; Edwards, Mårten O.M.; Payne, David J.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • We have examined pressure variations in a high pressure photoelectron spectrometer. • Pressure profiles have been simulated using computational fluid dynamics modelling. • The results are useful for determining the optimal sample position for measurements. - Abstract: In a high-pressure photoelectron spectrometer, the sample is positioned close to a differential pumping aperture, behind which the pressure is several orders of magnitude lower than the pressure in the analysis chamber. To find the optimal sample position, where the path length of the photoelectrons through the high pressure region is minimized as far as possible without compromising knowledge of the actual pressure at the sample surface, an understanding of the pressure variations near the sample and the aperture is required. A computational fluid dynamics study has been carried out to examine the pressure profiles, and the results are compared against experimental spectra whose intensities are analyzed using the Beer–Lambert law. The resultant pressure profiles are broadly similar to the one previously derived from a simplistic molecular flow model, but indicate that as the pressure in the analysis chamber is raised, the region over which the pressure drop occurs becomes progressively narrower.

The effect of surface pressure modification on the speed of vortex rings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Partridge, Matthew; Davis, Frank; Higson, Seamus P J [Centre of Biomedical Imaging, Cranfield University, Cranfield MK43 0AL (United Kingdom); James, Stephen W; Tatam, Ralph P, E-mail: f.davis@cranfield.ac.uk [Engineering Photonics, School of Engineering, Cranfield University, Cranfield MK43 0AL (United Kingdom)

2014-10-01

A series of experiments investigating the relationship between surface pressure, monolayer elasticity and the speed of vortex rings is presented. A drop of water, when touched to the surface of a larger body of water, will coalesce and form a vortex ring that moves perpendicularly to the surface of the water. The speed of the vortex ring movement away from the surface of the water has been seen to be sensitive to the presence of monolayer materials. Here we explore the influence of four monolayer forming materials, stearic acid, tricosanoic acid, 4-tert butyl calix[4]arene and calix[4]resorcarene (C11), on the properties of vortex rings. For each material, the speed of the vortex rings through the water was measured at a range of surface pressures. The speed was found to increase in a linear fashion until surface pressures greater than 30 mN m{sup −1}, where the ring’s speed decreased towards the value measured in the absence of a monolayer. Analysis of the results suggests a future route toward a better understanding of the mechanisms involved.

Near 7-day response of ocean bottom pressure to atmospheric surface pressure and winds in the northern South China Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Kun; Zhu, Xiao-Hua; Zhao, Ruixiang

2018-02-01

Ocean bottom pressures, observed by five pressure-recording inverted echo sounders (PIESs) from October 2012 to July 2014, exhibit strong near 7-day variability in the northern South China Sea (SCS) where long-term in situ bottom pressure observations are quite sparse. This variability was strongest in October 2013 during the near two years observation period. By joint analysis with European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) data, it is shown that the near 7-day ocean bottom pressure variability is closely related to the local atmospheric surface pressure and winds. Within a period band near 7 days, there are high coherences, exceeding 95% significance level, of observed ocean bottom pressure with local atmospheric surface pressure and with both zonal and meridional components of the wind. Ekman pumping/suction caused by the meridional component of the wind in particular, is suggested as one driving mechanism. A Kelvin wave response to the near 7-day oscillation would propagate down along the continental slope, observed at the Qui Nhon in the Vietnam. By multiple and partial coherence analyses, we find that local atmospheric surface pressure and Ekman pumping/suction show nearly equal influence on ocean bottom pressure variability at near 7-day periods. A schematic diagram representing an idealized model gives us a possible mechanism to explain the relationship between ocean bottom pressure and local atmospheric forcing at near 7-day periods in the northern SCS.

Ambient pressure photoemission spectroscopy of metal surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baikie, Iain D., E-mail: iain@kptechnology.ltd.uk; Grain, Angela C.; Sutherland, James; Law, Jamie

2014-12-30

Highlights: • Ambient pressure photoemission spectroscopy of metals. • Rastered photon energy scan overcomes inelastic scattering. • Relationship between photoemission threshold and contact potential difference. - Abstract: We describe a novel photoemission technique utilizing a traditional Kelvin probe as a detector of electrons/atmospheric ions ejected from metallic surfaces (Au, Ag, Cu, Fe, Ni, Ti, Zn, Al) illuminated by a deep ultra-violet (DUV) source under ambient pressure. To surmount the limitation of electron scattering in air the incident photon energy is rastered rather than applying a variable retarding electric field as is used with UPS. This arrangement can be applied in several operational modes: using the DUV source to determine the photoemission threshold (Φ) with 30–50 meV resolution and also the Kelvin probe, under dark conditions, to measure contact potential difference (CPD) between the Kelvin probe tip and the metallic sample with an accuracy of 1–3 meV. We have studied the relationship between the photoelectric threshold and CPD of metal surfaces cleaned in ambient conditions. Inclusion of a second spectroscopic visible source was used to confirm a semiconducting oxide, possibly Cu{sub 2}O, via surface photovoltage measurements with the KP. This dual detection system can be easily extended to controlled gas conditions, relative humidity control and sample heating/cooling.

Fracture analysis of axially cracked pressure tube of pressurized heavy water reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krishnan, S.; Bhasin, V.; Mahajan, S.C.

1997-01-01

Three Dimensional (313) finite element elastic plastic fracture analysis was done for through wall axially cracked thin pressure tubes of 220 MWe Indian Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor. The analysis was done for Zr-2 and Zr-2.5Nb pressure tubes operating at 300 degrees C and subjected to 9.5 Mpa internal pressure. Critical crack length was determined based on tearing instability concept. The analysis included the effect of crack face pressure due to the leaking fluid from tube. This effect was found to be significant for pressure tubes. The available formulae for calculating J (for axially cracked tubes) do not take into account the effect of crack face pressure. 3D finite element analysis also gives insight into variation of J across the thickness of pressure tube. It was observed that J is highest at the mid-surface of tube. The results have been presented in the form of across the thickness average J value and a peak factor on J. Peak factor on J is ratio of J at mid surface to average J value. Crack opening area for different cracked lengths was calculated from finite element results. The fracture assessment of pressure tubes was also done using Central Electricity Generating Board R-6 method. Ductile tearing was considered

Fracture analysis of axially cracked pressure tube of pressurized heavy water reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krishnan, S.; Bhasin, V.; Mahajan, S.C. [Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Bombay (India)] [and others

1997-04-01

Three Dimensional (313) finite element elastic plastic fracture analysis was done for through wall axially cracked thin pressure tubes of 220 MWe Indian Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor. The analysis was done for Zr-2 and Zr-2.5Nb pressure tubes operating at 300{degrees}C and subjected to 9.5 Mpa internal pressure. Critical crack length was determined based on tearing instability concept. The analysis included the effect of crack face pressure due to the leaking fluid from tube. This effect was found to be significant for pressure tubes. The available formulae for calculating J (for axially cracked tubes) do not take into account the effect of crack face pressure. 3D finite element analysis also gives insight into variation of J across the thickness of pressure tube. It was observed that J is highest at the mid-surface of tube. The results have been presented in the form of across the thickness average J value and a peak factor on J. Peak factor on J is ratio of J at mid surface to average J value. Crack opening area for different cracked lengths was calculated from finite element results. The fracture assessment of pressure tubes was also done using Central Electricity Generating Board R-6 method. Ductile tearing was considered.

Atmospheric pressure plasma jet's characterization and surface wettability driven by neon transformer

Science.gov (United States)

Elfa, R. R.; Nafarizal, N.; Ahmad, M. K.; Sahdan, M. Z.; Soon, C. F.

2017-03-01

Atmospheric pressure plasma driven by Neon transformer power supply argon is presented in this paper. Atmospheric pressure plasma system has attracted researcher interest over low pressure plasma as it provides a flexibility process, cost-efficient, portable device and vacuum-free device. Besides, another golden key of this system is the wide promising application in the field of work cover from industrial and engineering to medical. However, there are still numbers of fundamental investigation that are necessary such as device configuration, gas configuration and its effect. Dielectric barrier discharge which is also known as atmospheric pressure plasma discharge is created when there is gas ionization process occur which enhance the movement of atom and electron and provide energetic particles. These energetic particles can provide modification and cleaning property to the sample surface due to the bombardment of the high reactive ion and radicals to the sample surface. In order to develop atmospheric pressure plasma discharge, a high voltage and high frequency power supply is needed. In this work, we used a neon transformer power supply as the power supply. The flow of the Ar is feed into 10 mm cylinder quartz tube with different treatment time in order to investigate the effect of the plasma discharge. The analysis of each treatment time is presented by optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and water contact angle (WCA) measurement. The increase of gas treatment time shows increases intensity of reactive Ar and reduces the angle of water droplets in water contact angle. Treatment time of 20 s microslide glass surface shows that the plasma needle discharges have modified the sample surface from hydrophilic surface to superhydrophilic surface. Thus, this leads to another interesting application in reducing sample surface adhesion to optimize productivity in the industry of paintings, semiconductor and more.

A novel pressure variation study on electronic structure, mechanical stability and thermodynamic properties of potassium based fluoroperovskite

Science.gov (United States)

Erum, Nazia; Azhar Iqbal, Muhammad

2017-09-01

The effect of pressure variation on stability, structural parameters, elastic constants, mechanical, electronic and thermodynamic properties of cubic SrKF3 fluoroperovskite have been investigated by using the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method combined with Quasi-harmonic Debye model in which the phonon effects are considered. The calculated lattice parameters show a prominent decrease in lattice constant and bonds length with the increase in pressure. The application of pressure from 0 to 25 GPa reveals a predominant characteristic associated with widening of bandgap with GGA and GGA plus Tran-Blaha modified Becke-Johnson (TB-mBJ) potential. The influence of pressure on elastic constants and their related mechanical parameters have been discussed in detail. Apart of linear dependence of elastic coefficients, transition from brittle to ductile behavior is also observed at elevated pressure ranges. We have successfully computed variation of lattice constant, volume expansion, bulk modulus, Debye temperature and specific heat capacities at pressure and temperature in the range of 0-25 GPa and 0-600 K.

Atmospheric pressure plasma surface modification of carbon fibres

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kusano, Yukihiro; Løgstrup Andersen, Tom; Michelsen, Poul

2008-01-01

Carbon fibres are continuously treated with dielectric barrier discharge plasma at atmospheric pressure in various gas conditions for adhesion improvement in mind. An x-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analysis indicated that oxygen is effectively introduced onto the carbon fibre surfaces by He, He...

Liquid Hydrogen Propellant Tank Sub-Surface Pressurization with Gaseous Helium

Science.gov (United States)

Stephens, J. R.; Cartagena, W.

2015-01-01

A series of tests were conducted to evaluate the performance of a propellant tank pressurization system with the pressurant diffuser intentionally submerged beneath the surface of the liquid. Propellant tanks and pressurization systems are typically designed with the diffuser positioned to apply pressurant gas directly into the tank ullage space when the liquid propellant is settled. Space vehicles, and potentially propellant depots, may need to conduct tank pressurization operations in micro-gravity environments where the exact location of the liquid relative to the diffuser is not well understood. If the diffuser is positioned to supply pressurant gas directly to the tank ullage space when the propellant is settled, then it may become partially or completely submerged when the liquid becomes unsettled in a microgravity environment. In such case, the pressurization system performance will be adversely affected requiring additional pressurant mass and longer pressurization times. This series of tests compares and evaluates pressurization system performance using the conventional method of supplying pressurant gas directly to the propellant tank ullage, and then supplying pressurant gas beneath the liquid surface. The pressurization tests were conducted on the Engineering Development Unit (EDU) located at Test Stand 300 at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). EDU is a ground based Cryogenic Fluid Management (CFM) test article supported by Glenn Research Center (GRC) and MSFC. A 150 ft3 propellant tank was filled with liquid hydrogen (LH2). The pressurization system used regulated ambient helium (GHe) as a pressurant, a variable position valve to maintain flow rate, and two identical independent pressurant diffusers. The ullage diffuser was located in the forward end of the tank and was completely exposed to the tank ullage. The submerged diffuser was located in the aft end of the tank and was completely submerged when the tank liquid level was 10% or greater

Pressure variation of Rashba spin splitting toward topological transition in the polar semiconductor BiTeI

Science.gov (United States)

Ideue, T.; Checkelsky, J. G.; Bahramy, M. S.; Murakawa, H.; Kaneko, Y.; Nagaosa, N.; Tokura, Y.

2014-10-01

BiTeI is a polar semiconductor with gigantic Rashba spin-split bands in bulk. We have investigated the effect of pressure on the electronic structure of this material via magnetotransport. Periods of Shubunikov-de Haas (SdH) oscillations originating from the spin-split outer Fermi surface and inner Fermi surface show disparate responses to pressure, while the carrier number derived from the Hall effect is unchanged with pressure. The associated parameters which characterize the spin-split band structure are strongly dependent on pressure, reflecting the pressure-induced band deformation. We find the SdH oscillations and transport response are consistent with the theoretically proposed pressure-induced band deformation leading to a topological phase transition. Our analysis suggests the critical pressure for the quantum phase transition near Pc=3.5 GPa.

Studies of electron transitions using solid He pressure techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schirber, J.E.

1977-01-01

Changes in the topology of the Fermi surfaces of metals occur with variation of temperature or stoichiometry in a number of metallic systems of current interest. Pressure generated by a variety of techniques has proven to be the most useful experimental variable in the study of these transitions, but in most cases only solid He techniques yield sufficiently hydrostatic conditions to permit direct measurements of the Fermi surface as a function of pressure

Effect of beta phase composition and surface machining on the oxidation behavior of Zr-2.5Nb pressure tube material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nouduru, S.K.; Kiran Kumar, M.; Kain, V.; Khanna, A.S.

2015-01-01

Zr-2.5Nb is commonly used as the pressure tube material in pressurized heavy water reactors. it is also the pressure tube material for Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) being developed indigenously in India with light water as coolant and water chemistry similar to Boiling Water Reactors (BWR). Oxidation of the pressure tube depends on various factors like material composition, microstructure, fabrication route, and water chemistry. In the present research, the role of the composition and morphology of second phase β on the high temperature and pressure oxidation behavior of Zr-2.5Nb pressure tube material in steam was systematically studied. The as-received pressure tube material (fabricated through cold worked and stress relieved, CWSR route) was subjected to selective heat treatments to generate microstructures containing predominantly β(Zr) (∼ 20% Nb) and β(Nb) (∼ 80% Nb) phases. The presence of such phases was characterized by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy. Subsequently both the heat treated materials were subjected to surface machining. The Zr-2.5Nb material in different microstructural conditions was subjected to accelerated oxidation exposures in steam at 400 C. degrees, and 10 MPa pressure up to 30 days. Raman spectroscopy was carried out on the oxide surfaces to observe the variation in tetragonal versus monoclinic phase fractions with oxidation duration. The microstructure consisting of predominantly β(Nb) showed a relatively improved oxidation resistance as compared to the one with predominantly β(Zr). The tetragonal phase fraction in the oxide film decreased with oxidation time in all microstructural conditions and was found to be the least in the microstructure containing β(Zr) after 10 days of exposures. The explanation for the observed higher oxidation resistance of β(Nb) microstructure lies in the context of depleted matrix Nb content in the case of β(Nb). Surface machining

Nonmonotonic Temperature Dependence of the Pressure-Dependent Reaction Rate Constant and Kinetic Isotope Effect of Hydrogen Radical Reaction with Benzene Calculated by Variational Transition-State Theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hui; Zhang, Xin; Truhlar, Donald G; Xu, Xuefei

2017-11-30

The reaction between H and benzene is a prototype for reactions of radicals with aromatic hydrocarbons. Here we report calculations of the reaction rate constants and the branching ratios of the two channels of the reaction (H addition and H abstraction) over a wide temperature and pressure range. Our calculations, obtained with an accurate potential energy surface, are based on variational transition-state theory for the high-pressure limit of the addition reaction and for the abstraction reaction and on system-specific quantum Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel theory calibrated by variational transition-state theory for pressure effects on the addition reaction. The latter is a very convenient way to include variational effects, corner-cutting tunneling, and anharmonicity in falloff calculations. Our results are in very good agreement with the limited experimental data and show the importance of including pressure effects in the temperature interval where the mechanism changes from addition to abstraction. We found a negative temperature effect of the total reaction rate constants at 1 atm pressure in the temperature region where experimental data are missing and accurate theoretical data were previously missing as well. We also calculated the H + C 6 H 6 /C 6 D 6 and D + C 6 H 6 /C 6 D 6 kinetic isotope effects, and we compared our H + C 6 H 6 results to previous theoretical data for H + toluene. We report a very novel nonmonotonic dependence of the kinetic isotope effect on temperature. A particularly striking effect is the prediction of a negative temperature dependence of the total rate constant over 300-500 K wide temperature ranges, depending on the pressure but generally in the range from 600 to 1700 K, which includes the temperature range of ignition in gasoline engines, which is important because aromatics are important components of common fuels.

Applicability of Pulse Pressure Variation during Unstable Hemodynamic Events in the Intensive Care Unit: A Five-Day Prospective Multicenter Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bertrand Delannoy

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Pulse pressure variation can predict fluid responsiveness in strict applicability conditions. The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical applicability of pulse pressure variation during episodes of patient hemodynamic instability in the intensive care unit. We conducted a five-day, seven-center prospective study that included patients presenting with an unstable hemodynamic event. The six predefined inclusion criteria for pulse pressure variation applicability were as follows: mechanical ventilation, tidal volume >7 mL/kg, sinus rhythm, no spontaneous breath, heart rate/respiratory rate ratio >3.6, absence of right ventricular dysfunction, or severe valvulopathy. Seventy-three patients presented at least one unstable hemodynamic event, with a total of 163 unstable hemodynamic events. The six predefined criteria for the applicability of pulse pressure variation were completely present in only 7% of these. This data indicates that PPV should only be used alongside a strong understanding of the relevant physiology and applicability criteria. Although these exclusion criteria appear to be profound, they likely represent an absolute contraindication of use for only a minority of critical care patients.

Calculated Fermi surface properties of LaSn3 and YSn3 under pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanchana, V.

2012-01-01

The electronic structure, Fermi surface and elastic properties of the iso-structural and iso-electronic LaSn 3 and YSn 3 intermetallic compounds are studied under pressure within the frame work of density functional theory including spin-orbit coupling. The LaSn 3 Fermi surface consists of two sheets, of which the second is very complex. Under pressure a third sheet appears around compression V/V 0 =0.94, while a small topology changes in the second sheet is seen at compression V/V 0 =0.90. This may be in accordance with the anomalous behavior in the superconducting transition temperature observed in LaSn 3 , which has been suggested to reflect a Fermi surface topological transition, along with a non-monotonic pressure dependence of the density of states at the Fermi level. The similar behavior is not observed in YSn 3 for which the Fermi surface includes three sheets already at ambient conditions, and the topology remains unchanged under pressure. The reason for the difference in behavior between LaSn 3 and YSn 3 is the role of spin-orbit coupling and the hybridization of La-4f state with the Sn-p state in the vicinity of the Fermi level, which is well explained using the band structure calculation. The elastic constants and related mechanical properties are calculated at ambient as well as at elevated pressures. The elastic constants increase with pressure for both compounds and satisfy the conditions for mechanical stability under pressure. (author)

Interannual Variation of Surface Circulation in the Japan/East Sea due to External Forcings and Intrinsic Variability

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Byoung-Ju; Cho, Seong Hun; Jung, Hee Seok; Lee, Sang-Ho; Byun, Do-Seong; Kwon, Kyungman

2018-03-01

The interannual variation of surface ocean currents can be as large as seasonal variation in the Japan/East Sea (JES). To identify the major factors that cause such interannual variability of surface ocean circulation in the JES, surface circulation was simulated from 1998 to 2009 using a three-dimensional model. Contributions of atmospheric forcing (ATM), open boundary data (OBC), and intrinsic variability (ITV) of the surface flow in the JES on the interannual variability of surface ocean circulation were separately examined using numerical simulations. Variability in surface circulation was quantified in terms of variance in sea surface height, 100-m depth water temperature, and surface currents. ITV was found to be the dominant factor that induced interannual variabilities of surface circulation, the main path of the East Korea Warm Current (EKWC), and surface kinetic energy on a time scale of 2-4 years. OBC and ATM were secondary factors contributing to the interannual variation of surface circulation. Interannual variation of ATM changed the separation latitude of EKWC and increased the variability of surface circulation in the Ulleung Basin. Interannual variation of OBC enhanced low-frequency changes in surface circulation and eddies in the Yamato Basin. It also modulated basin-wide uniform oscillations of sea level. This study suggests that precise estimation of initial conditions using data assimilation is essential for long-term prediction of surface circulation in the JES.

Magnitude of long-term non-lithostatic pressure variations in lithospheric processes: insight from thermo-mechanical subduction/collision models

Science.gov (United States)

Gerya, Taras

2014-05-01

On the one hand, the principle of lithostatic pressure is habitually used in metamorphic geology to calculate paleo-depths of metamorphism from mineralogical pressure estimates given by geobarometry. On the other hand, it is obvious that this lithostatic (hydrostatic) pressure principle should only be valid for an ideal case of negligible deviatoric stresses during the long-term development of the entire tectono-metamorphic system - the situation, which newer comes to existence in natural lithospheric processes. The question is therefore not "Do non-lithostatic pressure variations exist?" but " What is the magnitude of long-term non-lithostatic pressure variations in various lithospheric processes, which can be recorded by mineral equilibria of respective metamorphic rocks?". The later question is, in particular, relevant for various types of high-pressure (HP) and ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) rocks, which are often produced in convergent plate boundary settings (e.g., Hacker and Gerya, 2013). This question, can, in particular, be answered with the use of thermo-mechanical models of subduction/collision processes employing realistic P-T-stress-dependent visco-elasto-brittle/plastic rheology of rocks. These models suggest that magnitudes of pressure deviations from lithostatic values can range >50% underpressure to >100% overpressure, mainly in the regions of bending of rheologically strong mantle lithosphere (Burg and Gerya, 2005; Li et al., 2010). In particular, strong undepresures along normal faults forming within outer rise regions of subducting plates can be responsible for downward water suction and deep hydration of oceanic slabs (Faccenda et al., 2009). Weaker HP and UHP rocks of subduction/collision channels are typically subjected to lesser non-lithostatic pressure variations with characteristic magnitudes ranging within 10-20% from the lithostatic values (Burg and Gerya, 2005; Li et al., 2010). The strength of subducted crustal rocks and the degree of

Does Pressure Accentuate General Relativistic Gravitational Collapse and Formation of Trapped Surfaces?

Science.gov (United States)

Mitra, Abhas

2013-04-01

It is widely believed that though pressure resists gravitational collapse in Newtonian gravity, it aids the same in general relativity (GR) so that GR collapse should eventually be similar to the monotonous free fall case. But we show that, even in the context of radiationless adiabatic collapse of a perfect fluid, pressure tends to resist GR collapse in a manner which is more pronounced than the corresponding Newtonian case and formation of trapped surfaces is inhibited. In fact there are many works which show such collapse to rebound or become oscillatory implying a tug of war between attractive gravity and repulsive pressure gradient. Furthermore, for an imperfect fluid, the resistive effect of pressure could be significant due to likely dramatic increase of tangential pressure beyond the "photon sphere." Indeed, with inclusion of tangential pressure, in principle, there can be static objects with surface gravitational redshift z → ∞. Therefore, pressure can certainly oppose gravitational contraction in GR in a significant manner in contradiction to the idea of Roger Penrose that GR continued collapse must be unstoppable.

Circadian variation of blood pressure in patients with chronic renal failure on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Clausen, P; Feldt-Rasmussen, B; Ladefoged, Jens

1995-01-01

The circadian pattern of blood pressure variation was investigated in 10 patients with advanced chronic renal failure on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and in an age-matched group of controls without renal disease with similar office blood pressure level. Monitoring was done using....... In patients with chronic renal failure undergoing CAPD, an otherwise unnoticed 24-h hypertension and nocturnal blood pressure elevation can be discovered by use of 24-h blood pressure monitoring and this may indicate a need of earlier start of antihypertensive treatment in CAPD patients with borderline...

Upstream pressure variations associated with the bow shock and their effects on the magnetosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fairfield, D.H.; Baumjohann, W.; Paschmann, G.; Luehr, H.; Sibeck, D.G.

1990-01-01

Magnetic field enhancements and depressions on the time scales of minutes were frequently observed simultaneously by the AMPTE CCE, GOES 5, and GOES 6 spacecraft in the subsolar magnetosphere. The source of these perturbations has been detected in the high time resolution AMPTE IRM measurements of the kinetic pressure of the solar wind upstream of the bow shock. It is argued that these upstream pressure variations are not inherent in the solar wind but rather are associated with the bow shock. This conclusion follows from the facts that (1) the upstream field strength and the density associated with the perturbations are highly correlated with each other whereas these quantities tend to be anticorrelated in the undisturbed solar wind, and (2) the upstream perturbations occur within the foreshock or at its boundary. The results imply a mode of interaction between the solar wind and the magnetosphere whereby density changes produced in the foreshock subsequently convect through the bow shock and impinge on the magnetosphere. Also velocity decreases deep within the foreshock sometimes reach many tens of kilometers per second and may be associated with further pressure variations as a changing interplanetary field direction changes the foreshock geometry. Upstream pressure perturbations should create significant effects on the magnetopause and at the foot of nearby field lines that lead to the polar cusp ionosphere

Variations of surface ozone concentration across the Klang Valley, Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Latif, Mohd Talib; Huey, Lim Shun; Juneng, Liew

2012-12-01

Hourly air quality data covering the period 2004-2008 was obtained from the Air Quality Division, the Department of Environment (DOE) through long-term monitoring by Alam Sekitar Sdn. Bhd. (ASMA) were analysed to investigate the variations of surface ozone (O3) in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. A total of nine monitoring stations were selected for analysis in this study and the results show that there are distinct seasonal patterns in the surface O3 across the Klang Valley. A high surface O3 concentration is usually observed between January and April, while a low surface O3 concentration is found between June and August. Analysis of daily variations in surface O3 and the precursors - NO, NO2, CO, NMHC and UVb, indicate that the surface O3 photochemistry in this study area exhibits a positive response to the intensity and wavelength in UVb while being influenced by the concentration of NOx, particularly through tritration processes. Although results from our study suggested that NMHCs may influence the maximum O3 concentration, further investigation is required. Wind direction during different monsoons was found to influence the concentration of O3 around the Klang Valley. HYSPLIT back trajectories (-72 h) were used to indicate the air-mass transport patterns on days with high concentrations of surface O3 in the study area. Results show that 47% of the high O3 days was associated with the localized circulation. The remaining 32% and 22% were associated with mid-range and long-range transport across the South China Sea from the northeast.

Hydrophilic surface modification of coronary stent using an atmospheric pressure plasma jet for endothelialization.

Science.gov (United States)

Shim, Jae Won; Bae, In-Ho; Park, Dae Sung; Lee, So-Youn; Jang, Eun-Jae; Lim, Kyung-Seob; Park, Jun-Kyu; Kim, Ju Han; Jeong, Myung Ho

2018-03-01

The first two authors contributed equally to this study. Bioactivity and cell adhesion properties are major factors for fabricating medical devices such as coronary stents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the advantages of atmospheric-pressure plasma jet in enhancing the biocompatibility and endothelial cell-favorites. The experimental objects were divided into before and after atmospheric-pressure plasma jet treatment with the ratio of nitrogen:argon = 3:1, which is similar to air. The treated surfaces were basically characterized by means of a contact angle analyzer for the activation property on their surfaces. The effect of atmospheric-pressure plasma jet on cellular response was examined by endothelial cell adhesion and XTT analysis. It was difficult to detect any changeable morphology after atmospheric-pressure plasma jet treatment on the surface. The roughness was increased after atmospheric-pressure plasma jet treatment compared to nonatmospheric-pressure plasma jet treatment (86.781 and 7.964 nm, respectively). The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results showed that the surface concentration of the C-O groups increased slightly from 6% to 8% after plasma activation. The contact angle dramatically decreased in the atmospheric-pressure plasma jet treated group (22.6 ± 15.26°) compared to the nonatmospheric-pressure plasma jet treated group (72.4 ± 15.26°) ( n = 10, p atmospheric-pressure plasma jet on endothelial cell migration and proliferation was 85.2% ± 12.01% and 34.2% ± 2.68%, respectively, at 7 days, compared to the nonatmospheric-pressure plasma jet treated group (58.2% ± 11.44% in migration, n = 10, p atmospheric-pressure plasma jet method. Moreover, the atmospheric-pressure plasma jet might affect re-endothelialization after stenting.

Development and validity of a new model for assessing pressure redistribution properties of support surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsuo, Junko; Sugama, Junko; Sanada, Hiromi; Okuwa, Mayumi; Nakatani, Toshio; Konya, Chizuko; Sakamoto, Jirou

2011-05-01

Pressure ulcers are a common problem, especially in older patients. In Japan, most institutionalized older people are malnourished and show extreme bony prominence (EBP). EBP is a significant factor in the development of pressure ulcers due to increased interface pressure concentrated at the skin surface over the EBP. The use of support surfaces is recommended for the prophylaxis of pressure ulcers. However, the present equivocal criteria for evaluating the pressure redistribution of support surfaces are inadequate. Since pressure redistribution is influenced by physique and posture, evaluations using human subjects are limited. For this reason, models that can substitute for humans are necessary. We developed a new EBP model based on the anthropometric measurements, including pelvic inclination, of 100 bedridden elderly people. A comparison between the pressure distribution charts of our model and bedridden elderly subjects demonstrated that maximum contact pressure values, buttock contact pressure values, and bone prominence rates corresponded closely. This indicates that the model provides a good approximation of the features of elderly people with EBP. We subsequently examined the validity of the model through quantitative assessment of pressure redistribution functions consisting of immersion, envelopment, and contact area change. The model was able to detect differences in the hardness of urethane foam, differences in the internal pressure of an air mattress, and sequential changes during the pressure switching mode. These results demonstrate the validity of our new buttock model in evaluating pressure redistribution for a variety of surfaces. Copyright © 2010 Tissue Viability Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

THE HABITABLE ZONE OF EARTH-LIKE PLANETS WITH DIFFERENT LEVELS OF ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vladilo, Giovanni; Murante, Giuseppe; Silva, Laura [INAF-Trieste Astronomical Observatory, Trieste (Italy); Provenzale, Antonello [Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate-CNR, Torino (Italy); Ferri, Gaia; Ragazzini, Gregorio, E-mail: vladilo@oats.inaf.it [Department of Physics, University of Trieste, Trieste (Italy)

2013-04-10

As a contribution to the study of the habitability of extrasolar planets, we implemented a one-dimensional energy balance model (EBM), the simplest seasonal model of planetary climate, with new prescriptions for most physical quantities. Here we apply our EBM to investigate the surface habitability of planets with an Earth-like atmospheric composition but different levels of surface pressure. The habitability, defined as the mean fraction of the planet's surface on which liquid water could exist, is estimated from the pressure-dependent liquid water temperature range, taking into account seasonal and latitudinal variations of surface temperature. By running several thousands of EBM simulations we generated a map of the habitable zone (HZ) in the plane of the orbital semi-major axis, a, and surface pressure, p, for planets in circular orbits around a Sun-like star. As pressure increases, the HZ becomes broader, with an increase of 0.25 AU in its radial extent from p = 1/3 to 3 bar. At low pressure, the habitability is low and varies with a; at high pressure, the habitability is high and relatively constant inside the HZ. We interpret these results in terms of the pressure dependence of the greenhouse effect, the efficiency of horizontal heat transport, and the extent of the liquid water temperature range. Within the limits discussed in the paper, the results can be extended to planets in eccentric orbits around non-solar-type stars. The main characteristics of the pressure-dependent HZ are modestly affected by variations of planetary properties, particularly at high pressure.

THE HABITABLE ZONE OF EARTH-LIKE PLANETS WITH DIFFERENT LEVELS OF ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vladilo, Giovanni; Murante, Giuseppe; Silva, Laura; Provenzale, Antonello; Ferri, Gaia; Ragazzini, Gregorio

2013-01-01

As a contribution to the study of the habitability of extrasolar planets, we implemented a one-dimensional energy balance model (EBM), the simplest seasonal model of planetary climate, with new prescriptions for most physical quantities. Here we apply our EBM to investigate the surface habitability of planets with an Earth-like atmospheric composition but different levels of surface pressure. The habitability, defined as the mean fraction of the planet's surface on which liquid water could exist, is estimated from the pressure-dependent liquid water temperature range, taking into account seasonal and latitudinal variations of surface temperature. By running several thousands of EBM simulations we generated a map of the habitable zone (HZ) in the plane of the orbital semi-major axis, a, and surface pressure, p, for planets in circular orbits around a Sun-like star. As pressure increases, the HZ becomes broader, with an increase of 0.25 AU in its radial extent from p = 1/3 to 3 bar. At low pressure, the habitability is low and varies with a; at high pressure, the habitability is high and relatively constant inside the HZ. We interpret these results in terms of the pressure dependence of the greenhouse effect, the efficiency of horizontal heat transport, and the extent of the liquid water temperature range. Within the limits discussed in the paper, the results can be extended to planets in eccentric orbits around non-solar-type stars. The main characteristics of the pressure-dependent HZ are modestly affected by variations of planetary properties, particularly at high pressure.

Unexpected and Unexplained Surface Temperature Variations on Mimas

Science.gov (United States)

Howett, C.; Spencer, J. R.; Pearl, J. C.; Hurford, T. A.; Segura, M.; Cassini Cirs Team

2010-12-01

Until recently it was thought one of the most interesting things about Mimas, Saturn’s innermost classical icy moon, was its resemblance to Star Wars’ Death Star. However, a bizarre pattern of daytime surface temperatures was observed on Mimas using data obtained by Cassini’s Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) in February 2010. The observations were taken during Cassini’s closest ever encounter with Mimas (<10,000 km) and cover the daytime anti-Saturn hemisphere centered on longitude ~145° W. Instead of surface temperatures smoothly increasing throughout the morning and early afternoon, then cooling in the evening, as expected, a sharp V-shaped boundary is observed separating cooler midday and afternoon temperatures (~77 K) on the leading side from warmer morning temperatures (~92 K) on the trailing side. The boundary’s apex is centered at equatorial latitudes near the anti-Saturn point and extends to low north and south latitudes on the trailing side. Subtle differences in the surface colors have been observed that are roughly spatially correlated with the observed extent of the temperature anomaly, with the cooler regions tending to be bluer (Schenk et al., Submitted). However, visible-wavelength albedo is similar in the two regions, so albedo variations are probably not directly responsible for the thermal anomaly. It is more likely that thermal inertia variations produce the anomaly, with thermal inertia being unusually high in the region with anomalously low daytime temperatures. Comparison of the February 2010 CIRS data to previous lower spatial resolution data taken at different local times tentatively confirm that the cooler regions do indeed display higher thermal inertias. Bombardment of the surface by high energy electrons from Saturn’s radiation belts has been proposed to explain the observed color variations (Schenk et al., Submitted). Electrons above ~1 MeV preferentially impact Mimas’ leading hemisphere at low latitudes where they

Impurities and Electronic Property Variations of Natural MoS 2 Crystal Surfaces

KAUST Repository

Addou, Rafik; McDonnell, Stephen; Barrera, Diego; Guo, Zaibing; Azcatl, Angelica; Wang, Jian; Zhu, Hui; Hinkle, Christopher L.; Quevedo-Lopez, Manuel; Alshareef, Husam N.; Colombo, Luigi; Hsu, Julia W P; Wallace, Robert M.

2015-01-01

Room temperature X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS), high resolution Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (HR-RBS), Kelvin probe method, and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) are employed to study the properties of a freshly exfoliated surface of geological MoS2 crystals. Our findings reveal that the semiconductor 2H-MoS2 exhibits both n- and p-type behavior, and the work function as measured by the Kelvin probe is found to vary from 4.4 to 5.3 eV. The presence of impurities in parts-per-million (ppm) and a surface defect density of up to 8% of the total area could explain the variation of the Fermi level position. High resolution RBS data also show a large variation in the MoSx composition (1.8 < x < 2.05) at the surface. Thus, the variation in the conductivity, the work function, and stoichiometry across small areas of MoS2 will have to be controlled during crystal growth in order to provide high quality uniform materials for future device fabrication. © 2015 American Chemical Society.

Impurities and Electronic Property Variations of Natural MoS 2 Crystal Surfaces

KAUST Repository

Addou, Rafik

2015-09-22

Room temperature X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS), high resolution Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (HR-RBS), Kelvin probe method, and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) are employed to study the properties of a freshly exfoliated surface of geological MoS2 crystals. Our findings reveal that the semiconductor 2H-MoS2 exhibits both n- and p-type behavior, and the work function as measured by the Kelvin probe is found to vary from 4.4 to 5.3 eV. The presence of impurities in parts-per-million (ppm) and a surface defect density of up to 8% of the total area could explain the variation of the Fermi level position. High resolution RBS data also show a large variation in the MoSx composition (1.8 < x < 2.05) at the surface. Thus, the variation in the conductivity, the work function, and stoichiometry across small areas of MoS2 will have to be controlled during crystal growth in order to provide high quality uniform materials for future device fabrication. © 2015 American Chemical Society.

Adsorbate induced surface alloy formation investigated by near ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nierhoff, Anders Ulrik Fregerslev; Conradsen, Christian Nagstrup; McCarthy, David Norman

2014-01-01

for engineering of more active or selective catalyst materials. Dynamical surface changes on alloy surfaces due to the adsorption of reactants in high gas pressures are challenging to investigate using standard characterization tools. Here we apply synchrotron illuminated near ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron...

Implications of Dynamic Pressure Transducer Mounting Variations on Measurements in Pyrotechnic Test Apparatus

Science.gov (United States)

Dibbern, Andreas; Crisafulli, Jeffrey; Hagopia, Michael; McDougle, Stephen H.; Saulsberry, Regor L.

2009-01-01

Accurate dynamic pressure measurements are often difficult to make within small pyrotechnic devices, and transducer mounting difficulties can cause data anomalies that lead to erroneous conclusions. Delayed initial pressure response followed by data ringing has been observed when using miniaturized pressure transducer mounting adapters required to interface transducers to small test chambers. This delayed pressure response and ringing, combined with a high data acquisition rate, has complicated data analysis. This paper compares the output signal characteristics from different pressure transducer mounting options, where the passage distance from the transducer face to the pyrotechnic chamber is varied in length and diameter. By analyzing the data and understating the associated system dynamics, a more realistic understanding of the actual dynamic pressure variations is achieved. Three pressure transducer mounting configurations (elongated, standard, and face/flush mount) were simultaneously tested using NASA standard initiators in closed volume pressure bombs. This paper also presents results of these pressure transducer mounting configurations as a result of a larger NASA Engineering and Safety Center pyrovalve test project. Results from these tests indicate the improved performance of using face/flush mounted pressure transducers in this application. This type of mounting improved initial pressure measurement response time by approximately 19 s over standard adapter mounting, eliminating most of the lag time; provided a near step-function type initial pressure increase; and greatly reduced data ringing in high data acquisition rate systems. The paper goes on to discuss other issues associated with the firing and instrumentation that are important for the tester to understand.

A variable pressure method for characterizing nanoparticle surface charge using pore sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Vogel, Robert; Anderson, Will; Eldridge, James; Glossop, Ben; Willmott, Geoff

2012-04-03

A novel method using resistive pulse sensors for electrokinetic surface charge measurements of nanoparticles is presented. This method involves recording the particle blockade rate while the pressure applied across a pore sensor is varied. This applied pressure acts in a direction which opposes transport due to the combination of electro-osmosis, electrophoresis, and inherent pressure. The blockade rate reaches a minimum when the velocity of nanoparticles in the vicinity of the pore approaches zero, and the forces on typical nanoparticles are in equilibrium. The pressure applied at this minimum rate can be used to calculate the zeta potential of the nanoparticles. The efficacy of this variable pressure method was demonstrated for a range of carboxylated 200 nm polystyrene nanoparticles with different surface charge densities. Results were of the same order as phase analysis light scattering (PALS) measurements. Unlike PALS results, the sequence of increasing zeta potential for different particle types agreed with conductometric titration.

Prediction of Fermi-Surface Pressure Dependence in Rb and Cs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jan, J. P.; MacDonald, A. H.; Skriver, Hans Lomholt

1980-01-01

The linear muffin-tin orbitals method of band-structure calculation, combined with a Gaussian integration technique using special directions in the Brillouin zone, has been used to calculate Fermi radii and extremal cross-sectional areas of the Fermi surface in rubidium and cesium. Band shifts we......-surface pressure dependence agree with the limited experimental data available....

Acoustic propagation operators for pressure waves on an arbitrarily curved surface in a homogeneous medium

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Yimin; Verschuur, Eric; van Borselen, Roald

2018-03-01

The Rayleigh integral solution of the acoustic Helmholtz equation in a homogeneous medium can only be applied when the integral surface is a planar surface, while in reality almost all surfaces where pressure waves are measured exhibit some curvature. In this paper we derive a theoretically rigorous way of building propagation operators for pressure waves on an arbitrarily curved surface. Our theory is still based upon the Rayleigh integral, but it resorts to matrix inversion to overcome the limitations faced by the Rayleigh integral. Three examples are used to demonstrate the correctness of our theory - propagation of pressure waves acquired on an arbitrarily curved surface to a planar surface, on an arbitrarily curved surface to another arbitrarily curved surface, and on a spherical cap to a planar surface, and results agree well with the analytical solutions. The generalization of our method for particle velocities and the calculation cost of our method are also discussed.

Surface Tension of Multi-phase Flow with Multiple Junctions Governed by the Variational Principle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsutani, Shigeki; Nakano, Kota; Shinjo, Katsuhiko

2011-01-01

We explore a computational model of an incompressible fluid with a multi-phase field in three-dimensional Euclidean space. By investigating an incompressible fluid with a two-phase field geometrically, we reformulate the expression of the surface tension for the two-phase field found by Lafaurie et al. (J Comput Phys 113:134–147, 1994) as a variational problem related to an infinite dimensional Lie group, the volume-preserving diffeomorphism. The variational principle to the action integral with the surface energy reproduces their Euler equation of the two-phase field with the surface tension. Since the surface energy of multiple interfaces even with singularities is not difficult to be evaluated in general and the variational formulation works for every action integral, the new formulation enables us to extend their expression to that of a multi-phase (N-phase, N ≥ 2) flow and to obtain a novel Euler equation with the surface tension of the multi-phase field. The obtained Euler equation governs the equation for motion of the multi-phase field with different surface tension coefficients without any difficulties for the singularities at multiple junctions. In other words, we unify the theory of multi-phase fields which express low dimensional interface geometry and the theory of the incompressible fluid dynamics on the infinite dimensional geometry as a variational problem. We apply the equation to the contact angle problems at triple junctions. We computed the fluid dynamics for a two-phase field with a wall numerically and show the numerical computational results that for given surface tension coefficients, the contact angles are generated by the surface tension as results of balances of the kinematic energy and the surface energy.

Hydromechanical Rock Mass Fatigue in Deep-Seated Landslides Accompanying Seasonal Variations in Pore Pressures

Science.gov (United States)

Preisig, Giona; Eberhardt, Erik; Smithyman, Megan; Preh, Alexander; Bonzanigo, Luca

2016-06-01

The episodic movement of deep-seated landslides is often governed by the presence of high pore pressures and reduced effective stresses along active shear surfaces. Pore pressures are subject to cyclic fluctuation under seasonal variations of groundwater recharge, resulting in an intermittent movement characterized by acceleration-deceleration phases. However, it is not always clear why certain acceleration phases reach alarming levels without a clear trigger (i.e., in the absence of an exceptional pore pressure event). This paper presents a conceptual framework linking hydromechanical cycling, progressive failure and fatigue to investigate and explain the episodic behavior of deep-seated landslides using the Campo Vallemaggia landslide in Switzerland as a case study. A combination of monitoring data and advanced numerical modeling is used. The principal processes forcing the slope into a critical disequilibrium state are analyzed as a function of rock mass damage and fatigue. Modeling results suggest that during periods of slope acceleration, the rock slope experiences localized fatigue and gradual weakening through slip along pre-existing natural fractures and yield of critically stressed intact rock bridges. At certain intervals, pockets of critically weakened rock may produce a period of enhanced slope movement in response to a small pore pressure increase similar to those routinely experienced each year. Accordingly, the distribution and connectivity of pre-existing permeable planes of weakness play a central role. These structures are often related to the rock mass's tectonic history or initiate (and dilate) in response to stress changes that disturb the entire slope, such as glacial unloading or seismic loading via large earthquakes. The latter is discussed in detail in a companion paper to this (Gischig et al., Rock Mech Rock Eng, 2015). The results and framework presented further demonstrate that episodic movement and progressive failure of deep

Effects of radiation pressure on the equipotential surfaces in X-ray binaries

Science.gov (United States)

Kondo, Y.; Mccluskey, G. E., Jr.; Gulden, S. L.

1976-01-01

Equipotential surfaces incorporating the effect of radiation pressure were computed for the X-ray binaries Cen X-3, Cyg X-1 = HDE 226868, Vela XR-1 = 3U 0900-40 = HD 77581, and 3U 1700-37 = HD 153919. The topology of the equipotential surfaces is significantly affected by radiation pressure. In particular, the so-called critical Roche (Jacobian) lobes, the traditional figure 8's, do not exist. The effects of these results on modeling X-ray binaries are discussed.

Effects of radiation pressure on the equipotential surfaces in x-ray binaries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kondo, Y.; McCluskey, G.E. Jr.; Gulden, S.L.

1976-01-01

Equipotential surfaces incorporating the effect of radiation pressure were computed for the x-ray binaries Cen X-3, Cyg X-1 = HDE 226868, Vela XR-1 = 3U 0900-40 = HD 77581, and 3U 1700-37 = HD 153919. The topology of the equipotential surfaces is significantly affected by radiation pressure. In particular, the so-called critical Roche (Jacobian) lobes, the traditional figure 8's, do not exist. The effects of these results on modeling x-ray binaries are discussed

Vacuum surface flashover and high pressure gas streamers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elizondo, J.M.; Krogh, M.L.; Smith, D.; Stolz, D.; Wright, S.N.

1997-07-01

Pre-breakdown current traces obtained during high pressure gas breakdown and vacuum surface flashover show similar signatures. The initial pre-breakdown current spike, a flat constant current phase, and the breakdown phase with voltage collapse and current surge differ mostly in magnitude. Given these similarities, a model, consisting of the initial current spike corresponding to a fast precursor streamer (ionization wave led by a photoionizing front), the flat current stage as the heating or glow phase, and the terminal avalanche and gap closure, is applied to vacuum surface flashover. A simple analytical approximation based on the resistivity changes induced in the vacuum and dielectric surface is presented. The approximation yields an excellent fit to pre-breakdown time delay vs applied field for previously published experimental data. A detailed kinetics model that includes surface and gas contributions is being developed based in the initial approximation

Surface modification of polyester synthetic leather with tetramethylsilane by atmospheric pressure plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kan, C.W., E-mail: tccwk@polyu.edu.hk [Institute of Textiles and Clothing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon (Hong Kong); Kwong, C.H. [Institute of Textiles and Clothing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon (Hong Kong); Ng, S.P. [Hong Kong Community College, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Hong Kong)

2015-08-15

Highlights: • Atmospheric pressure plasma treatment improved surface performance of polyester synthetic leather with tetramethylsilane. • XPS and FTIR confirmed the deposition of organosilanes on the sample's surface. • Contact angle increases to 138° after plasma treatment. - Abstract: Much works have been done on synthetic materials but scarcely on synthetic leather owing to its surface structures in terms of porosity and roughness. This paper examines the use of atmospheric pressure plasma (APP) treatment for improving the surface performance of polyester synthetic leather by use of a precursor, tetramethylsilane (TMS). Plasma deposition is regarded as an effective, simple and single-step method with low pollution. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirm the deposition of organosilanes on the sample's surface. The results showed that under a particular combination of treatment parameters, a hydrophobic surface was achieved on the APP treated sample with sessile drop static contact angle of 138°. The hydrophobic surface is stable without hydrophilic recovery 30 days after plasma treatment.

Surface modification of polyester synthetic leather with tetramethylsilane by atmospheric pressure plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kan, C.W.; Kwong, C.H.; Ng, S.P.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Atmospheric pressure plasma treatment improved surface performance of polyester synthetic leather with tetramethylsilane. • XPS and FTIR confirmed the deposition of organosilanes on the sample's surface. • Contact angle increases to 138° after plasma treatment. - Abstract: Much works have been done on synthetic materials but scarcely on synthetic leather owing to its surface structures in terms of porosity and roughness. This paper examines the use of atmospheric pressure plasma (APP) treatment for improving the surface performance of polyester synthetic leather by use of a precursor, tetramethylsilane (TMS). Plasma deposition is regarded as an effective, simple and single-step method with low pollution. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirm the deposition of organosilanes on the sample's surface. The results showed that under a particular combination of treatment parameters, a hydrophobic surface was achieved on the APP treated sample with sessile drop static contact angle of 138°. The hydrophobic surface is stable without hydrophilic recovery 30 days after plasma treatment

Dynamic modeling method of the bolted joint with uneven distribution of joint surface pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Shichao; Gao, Hongli; Liu, Qi; Liu, Bokai

2018-03-01

The dynamic characteristics of the bolted joints have a significant influence on the dynamic characteristics of the machine tool. Therefore, establishing a reasonable bolted joint dynamics model is helpful to improve the accuracy of machine tool dynamics model. Because the pressure distribution on the joint surface is uneven under the concentrated force of bolts, a dynamic modeling method based on the uneven pressure distribution of the joint surface is presented in this paper to improve the dynamic modeling accuracy of the machine tool. The analytic formulas between the normal, tangential stiffness per unit area and the surface pressure on the joint surface can be deduced based on the Hertz contact theory, and the pressure distribution on the joint surface can be obtained by the finite element software. Futhermore, the normal and tangential stiffness distribution on the joint surface can be obtained by the analytic formula and the pressure distribution on the joint surface, and assigning it into the finite element model of the joint. Qualitatively compared the theoretical mode shapes and the experimental mode shapes, as well as quantitatively compared the theoretical modal frequencies and the experimental modal frequencies. The comparison results show that the relative error between the first four-order theoretical modal frequencies and the first four-order experimental modal frequencies is 0.2% to 4.2%. Besides, the first four-order theoretical mode shapes and the first four-order experimental mode shapes are similar and one-to-one correspondence. Therefore, the validity of the theoretical model is verified. The dynamic modeling method proposed in this paper can provide a theoretical basis for the accurate dynamic modeling of the bolted joint in machine tools.

Load variation effects on the pressure fluctuations exerted on a Kaplan turbine runner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amiri, K; Cervantes, M J; Mulu, B; Raisee, M

2014-01-01

Introduction of intermittent electricity production systems like wind power and solar systems to electricity market together with the consumption-based electricity production resulted in numerous start/stops, load variations and off-design operation of water turbines. The hydropower systems suffer from the varying loads exerted on the stationary and rotating parts of the turbines during load variations which they are not designed for. On the other hand, investigations on part load operation of single regulated turbines, i.e., Francis and propeller, proved the formation of rotating vortex rope (RVR) in the draft tube. The RVR induces oscillating flow both in plunging and rotating modes which results in oscillating force with two different frequencies on the runner blades, bearings and other rotating parts of the turbine. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of transient operations on the pressure fluctuations on the runner and mechanism of the RVR formation/mitigation. Draft tube and runner blades of the Porjus U9 model, a Kaplan turbine, were equipped with pressure sensors. The model was run in off-cam mode during different load variation conditions to check the runner performance under unsteady condition. The results showed that the transients between the best efficiency point and the high load happens in a smooth way while transitions to/from the part load, where rotating vortex rope (RVR) forms in the draft tube induces high level of fluctuations with two frequencies on the runner; plunging and rotating mode of the RVR

Load variation effects on the pressure fluctuations exerted on a Kaplan turbine runner

Science.gov (United States)

Amiri, K.; Mulu, B.; Raisee, M.; Cervantes, M. J.

2014-03-01

Introduction of intermittent electricity production systems like wind power and solar systems to electricity market together with the consumption-based electricity production resulted in numerous start/stops, load variations and off-design operation of water turbines. The hydropower systems suffer from the varying loads exerted on the stationary and rotating parts of the turbines during load variations which they are not designed for. On the other hand, investigations on part load operation of single regulated turbines, i.e., Francis and propeller, proved the formation of rotating vortex rope (RVR) in the draft tube. The RVR induces oscillating flow both in plunging and rotating modes which results in oscillating force with two different frequencies on the runner blades, bearings and other rotating parts of the turbine. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of transient operations on the pressure fluctuations on the runner and mechanism of the RVR formation/mitigation. Draft tube and runner blades of the Porjus U9 model, a Kaplan turbine, were equipped with pressure sensors. The model was run in off-cam mode during different load variation conditions to check the runner performance under unsteady condition. The results showed that the transients between the best efficiency point and the high load happens in a smooth way while transitions to/from the part load, where rotating vortex rope (RVR) forms in the draft tube induces high level of fluctuations with two frequencies on the runner; plunging and rotating mode of the RVR.

Flexible Sensors for Pressure Therapy: Effect of Substrate Curvature and Stiffness on Sensor Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Khodasevych, Iryna; Parmar, Suresh; Troynikov, Olga

2017-10-20

Flexible pressure sensors are increasingly being used in medical and non-medical applications, and particularly in innovative health monitoring. Their efficacy in medical applications such as compression therapy depends on the accuracy and repeatability of their output, which in turn depend on factors such as sensor type, shape, pressure range, and conformability of the sensor to the body surface. Numerous researchers have examined the effects of sensor type and shape, but little information is available on the effect of human body parameters such as support surfaces' curvature and the stiffness of soft tissues on pressure sensing performance. We investigated the effects of body parameters on the performance of pressure sensors using a custom-made human-leg-like test setup. Pressure sensing parameters such as accuracy, drift and repeatability were determined in both static (eight hours continuous pressure) and dynamic (10 cycles of pressure application of 30 s duration) testing conditions. The testing was performed with a focus on compression therapy application for venous leg ulcer treatments, and was conducted in a low-pressure range of 20-70 mmHg. Commercially available sensors manufactured by Peratech and Sensitronics were used under various loading conditions to determine the influence of stiffness and curvature. Flat rigid, flat soft silicone and three cylindrical silicone surfaces of radii of curvature of 3.5 cm, 5.5 cm and 6.5 cm were used as substrates under the sensors. The Peratech sensor averaged 94% accuracy for both static and dynamic measurements on all substrates; the Sensitronics sensor averaged 88% accuracy. The Peratech sensor displayed moderate variations and the Sensitronics sensor large variations in output pressure readings depending on the underlying test surface, both of which were reduced markedly by individual pressure calibration for surface type. Sensor choice and need for calibration to surface type are important considerations for

Variations and asymmetries in regional brain surface in the genus Homo.

Science.gov (United States)

Balzeau, Antoine; Holloway, Ralph L; Grimaud-Hervé, Dominique

2012-06-01

Paleoneurology is an important field of research within human evolution studies. Variations in size and shape of an endocast help to differentiate among fossil hominin species whereas endocranial asymmetries are related to behavior and cognitive function. Here we analyse variations of the surface of the frontal, parieto-temporal and occipital lobes among different species of Homo, including 39 fossil hominins, ten fossil anatomically modern Homo sapiens and 100 endocasts of extant modern humans. We also test for the possible asymmetries of these features in a large sample of modern humans and observe individual particularities in the fossil specimens. This study contributes important new information about the brain evolution in the genus Homo. Our results show that the general pattern of surface asymmetry for the different regional brain surfaces in fossil species of Homo does not seem to be different from the pattern described in a large sample of anatomically modern H. sapiens, i.e., the right hemisphere has a larger surface than the left, as do the right frontal, the right parieto-temporal and the left occipital lobes compared with the contra-lateral side. It also appears that Asian Homo erectus specimens are discriminated from all other samples of Homo, including African and Georgian specimens that are also sometimes included in that taxon. The Asian fossils show a significantly smaller relative size of the parietal and temporal lobes. Neandertals and anatomically modern H. sapiens, who share the largest endocranial volume of all hominins, show differences when considering the relative contribution of the frontal, parieto-temporal and occipital lobes. These results illustrate an original variation in the pattern of brain organization in hominins independent of variations in total size. The globularization of the brain and the enlargement of the parietal lobes could be considered derived features observed uniquely in anatomically modern H. sapiens. Copyright

Subchannel flow analysis in Candu and ACR pressure tubes with radial and axial diameter variation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Catana, A.; Prodea, L. [RAAN, Institute for Nuclear Research, Arges (Romania); Danila, N.; Prisecaru, I.; Dupleac, D. [Bucharest Univ. Politehnica(Romania)

2007-07-01

The Candu (Canada Deuterium Uranium) and ACR (Advanced Candu Reactor) are pressure tubes (PT) heavy water moderated reactors. Candu are heavy water and ACR are light water cooled reactors. The pressure tube is filled with 12 bundles, each consisting of 37 respectively 43 fuel rods. One Candu reactor is in operation at Cernavoda, Romania since 1996. ACR is a proposed advanced Candu. PT diameter variation has a significant impact on the thermal-hydraulic parameters. Almost all thermal-hydraulic parameters change, but some of them have a greater significance. In this work we have considered a set of radial and axial PT diameter variations both for Candu-600 and ACR-700 reactors using various types of fuel bundles. We can conclude the following: 1) some thermal-hydraulic parameters are significantly influenced: critical heat flux (CHF), pressure drop, or void fraction; 2) the most significant parameter CHF is worsening which reduces the safety margin; 3) some fuel types present a better thermal-hydraulic behavior; and 4) fuel bundles with fresh fuel or low burnup have a worse thermal-hydraulic behaviour than those at average burn-up.

Subchannel flow analysis in Candu and ACR pressure tubes with radial and axial diameter variation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Catana, A.; Prodea, L.; Danila, N.; Prisecaru, I.; Dupleac, D.

2007-01-01

The Candu (Canada Deuterium Uranium) and ACR (Advanced Candu Reactor) are pressure tubes (PT) heavy water moderated reactors. Candu are heavy water and ACR are light water cooled reactors. The pressure tube is filled with 12 bundles, each consisting of 37 respectively 43 fuel rods. One Candu reactor is in operation at Cernavoda, Romania since 1996. ACR is a proposed advanced Candu. PT diameter variation has a significant impact on the thermal-hydraulic parameters. Almost all thermal-hydraulic parameters change, but some of them have a greater significance. In this work we have considered a set of radial and axial PT diameter variations both for Candu-600 and ACR-700 reactors using various types of fuel bundles. We can conclude the following: 1) some thermal-hydraulic parameters are significantly influenced: critical heat flux (CHF), pressure drop, or void fraction; 2) the most significant parameter CHF is worsening which reduces the safety margin; 3) some fuel types present a better thermal-hydraulic behavior; and 4) fuel bundles with fresh fuel or low burnup have a worse thermal-hydraulic behaviour than those at average burn-up

Unsteady surface pressure measurements on a slender delta wing undergoing limit cycle wing rock

Science.gov (United States)

Arena, Andrew S., Jr.; Nelson, Robert C.

1991-01-01

An experimental investigation of slender wing limit cycle motion known as wing rock was investigated using two unique experimental systems. Dynamic roll moment measurements and visualization data on the leading edge vortices were obtained using a free to roll apparatus that incorporates an airbearing spindle. In addition, both static and unsteady surface pressure data was measured on the top and bottom surfaces of the model. To obtain the unsteady surface pressure data a new computer controller drive system was developed to accurately reproduce the free to roll time history motions. The data from these experiments include, roll angle time histories, vortex trajectory data on the position of the vortices relative to the model's surface, and surface pressure measurements as a function of roll angle when the model is stationary or undergoing a wing rock motion. The roll time history data was numerically differentiated to determine the dynamic roll moment coefficient. An analysis of these data revealed that the primary mechanism for the limit cycle behavior was a time lag in the position of the vortices normal to the wing surface.

Durability of simulated waste glass: effects of pressure and formation of surface layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wicks, G.G.; Mosley, W.C.; Whitkop, P.G.; Saturday, K.A.

1981-01-01

The leaching behavior of simulated Savannah River Plant (SRP) waste glass was studied at elevated pressures and anticipated storage temperatures. An integrated approach, which combined leachate solution analyses with both bulk and surface studies, was used to study the corrosion process. Compositions of leachates were evaluated by colorimetry and atomic absorption. Used in the bulk and surface analyses were optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, x-ray energy spectroscopy, wide-angle x-ray, diffraction, electron microprobe analysis, infrared reflectance spectroscopy, electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis, and Auger electron spectroscopy. Results from this study show that there is no significant adverse effect of pressure, up to 1500 psi and 90 0 C, on the chemical durability of simulated SPR waste glass leached for one month in deionized water. In addition, the leached glass surface layer was characterized by an adsorbed film rich in minor constituents from the glass. This film remained on the glass surface even after leaching in relatively alkaline solutions at elevated pressures at 90 0 C for one month. The sample surface area to volume of leachant ratios (SA/V) was 10:1 cm -1 and 1:10 cm -1 . The corrosion mechanisms and surface and subsurface layers produced will be discussed along with the potential importance of these results to repository storage

Seasonal Variations in Surface Metabolite Composition of Fucus vesiculosus and Fucus serratus from the Baltic Sea.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Esther Rickert

Full Text Available Perennial macroalgae within the genus Fucus are known to exude metabolites through their outer thallus surface. Some of these metabolites have pro- and/or antifouling properties. Seasonal fluctuations of natural fouling pressure and chemical fouling control strength against micro- and macrofoulers have previously been observed in Fucus, suggesting that control strength varies with threat. To date, a study on the seasonal composition of surface associated metabolites, responsible for much of the fouling control, has not been done. We sampled individuals of the two co-occurring species F. vesiculosus and F. serratus at monthly intervals (six per species and month during a one-year field study. We analysed the chemical composition of surface associated metabolites of both Fucus species by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS to describe temporal patterns in chemical surface composition. Additionally, we correlated abiotic and biotic parameters recorded monthly within the sampled habitat with the variation in the chemical surface landscape of Fucus. Our study revealed that the chemical surface composition of both Fucus species exhibits substantial seasonal differences between spring/summer and autumn/winter months. Light and temperature explained most of the seasonal variability in surface metabolite composition of both Fucus species. A strong summerly up-regulation of eighteen saccharides and two hydroxy acids in F. vesiculosus as well as of four fatty acids and two saccharides in F. serratus was observed. We discuss how these up-regulated molecules may have a complex effect on associated microfoulers, both promoting or decreasing fouling depending on metabolite and bacterial identity. These seasonal shifts in the surface metabolome seem to exert a compound control of density and composition of the Fucus associated biofilm.

Use of AMSR-E microwave satellite data for land surface characteristics and snow cover variation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mukesh Singh Boori

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This data article contains data related to the research article entitled “Global land cover classification based on microwave polarization and gradient ratio (MPGR” [1] and “Microwave polarization and gradient ratio (MPGR for global land surface phenology” [2]. This data article presents land surface characteristics and snow cover variation information from sensors like EOS Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E. This data article use the HDF Explorer, Matlab, and ArcGIS software to process the pixel latitude, longitude, snow water equivalent (SWE, digital elevation model (DEM and Brightness Temperature (BT information from AMSR-E satellite data to provide land surface characteristics and snow cover variation data in all-weather condition at any time. This data information is useful to discriminate different land surface cover types and snow cover variation, which is turn, will help to improve monitoring of weather, climate and natural disasters.

Effect of Channel Orientation and Rib Pitch-to-Height Ratio on Pressure Drop in a Rotating Square Channel with Ribs on Two Opposite Surfaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prabhu S. V.

2005-01-01

Full Text Available The effect of channel orientation and rib pitch-to-height ratio on the pressure drop distribution in a rib-roughened channel is an important issue in turbine blade cooling. The present investigation is a study of the overall pressure drop distribution in a square cross-sectioned channel, with rib turbulators, rotating about an axis normal to the free stream. The ribs are configured in a symmetric arrangement on two opposite surfaces with a rib angle of 90 ∘ to the mainstream flow. The study has been conducted for three Reynolds numbers, namely, 13 000, 17 000, and 22 000 with the rotation number varying from 0– 0.38 . Experiments have been carried out for various rib pitch-to-height ratios ( P/e with a constant rib height-to-hydraulic diameter ratio ( e/D of 0.1 . The test section in which the ribs are placed on the leading and trailing surfaces is considered as the base case ( orientation angle= 0 ∘ , Coriolis force vector normal to the ribbed surfaces. The channel is turned about its axis in steps of 15 ∘ to vary the orientation angle from 0 ∘ to 90 ∘ . The overall pressure drop does not change considerably under conditions of rotation for the base case. However, for the other cases tested, it is observed that the overall pressure drop increases with an increase in the rotation number for a given orientation angle and also increases with an increase in the orientation angle for a given rotation number. This change is attributed to the variation in the separation zone downstream of the ribs due to the presence of the Coriolis force—local pressure drop data is presented which supports this idea. At an orientation angle of 90 ∘ (ribs on the top and bottom surfaces, Coriolis force vector normal to the smooth surfaces, the overall pressure drop is observed to be maximum during rotation. The overall pressure drop for a case with a rib pitch-to-height ratio of 5 on both surfaces is found to be the highest

The effect of positive end-expiratory pressure on pulse pressure ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The effect of positive end-expiratory pressure on pulse pressure variation. FJ Smith, M Geyser, I Schreuder, PJ Becker. Abstract. Objectives: To determine the effect of different levels of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) on pulse pressure variation (PPV). Design: An observational study. Setting: Operating theatres of a ...

Atmospheric pressure, density, temperature and wind variations between 50 and 200 km

Science.gov (United States)

Justus, C. G.; Woodrum, A.

1972-01-01

Data on atmospheric pressure, density, temperature and winds between 50 and 200 km were collected from sources including Meteorological Rocket Network data, ROBIN falling sphere data, grenade release and pitot tube data, meteor winds, chemical release winds, satellite data, and others. These data were analyzed by a daily difference method and results on the distribution statistics, magnitude, and spatial structure of the irregular atmospheric variations are presented. Time structures of the irregular variations were determined by the analysis of residuals from harmonic analysis of time series data. The observed height variations of irregular winds and densities are found to be in accord with a theoretical relation between these two quantities. The latitude variations (at 50 - 60 km height) show an increasing trend with latitude. A possible explanation of the unusually large irregular wind magnitudes of the White Sands MRN data is given in terms of mountain wave generation by the Sierra Nevada range about 1000 km west of White Sands. An analytical method is developed which, based on an analogy of the irregular motion field with axisymmetric turbulence, allows measured or model correlation or structure functions to be used to evaluate the effective frequency spectra of scalar and vector quantities of a spacecraft moving at any speed and at any trajectory elevation angle.

Rocket Engine Turbine Blade Surface Pressure Distributions Experiment and Computations

Science.gov (United States)

Hudson, Susan T.; Zoladz, Thomas F.; Dorney, Daniel J.; Turner, James (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Understanding the unsteady aspects of turbine rotor flow fields is critical to successful future turbine designs. A technology program was conducted at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center to increase the understanding of unsteady environments for rocket engine turbines. The experimental program involved instrumenting turbine rotor blades with miniature surface mounted high frequency response pressure transducers. The turbine model was then tested to measure the unsteady pressures on the rotor blades. The data obtained from the experimental program is unique in two respects. First, much more unsteady data was obtained (several minutes per set point) than has been possible in the past. Also, an extensive steady performance database existed for the turbine model. This allowed an evaluation of the effect of the on-blade instrumentation on the turbine's performance. A three-dimensional unsteady Navier-Stokes analysis was also used to blindly predict the unsteady flow field in the turbine at the design operating conditions and at +15 degrees relative incidence to the first-stage rotor. The predicted time-averaged and unsteady pressure distributions show good agreement with the experimental data. This unique data set, the lessons learned for acquiring this type of data, and the improvements made to the data analysis and prediction tools are contributing significantly to current Space Launch Initiative turbine airflow test and blade surface pressure prediction efforts.

The face of appearance-related social pressure: gender, age and body mass variations in peer and parental pressure during adolescence.

Science.gov (United States)

Helfert, Susanne; Warschburger, Petra

2013-05-17

Appearance-related social pressure plays an important role in the development of a negative body image and self-esteem as well as severe mental disorders during adolescence (e.g. eating disorders, depression). Identifying who is particularly affected by social pressure can improve targeted prevention and intervention, but findings have either been lacking or controversial. Thus the aim of this study is to provide a detailed picture of gender, weight, and age-related variations in the perception of appearance-related social pressure by peers and parents. 1112 German students between grades 7 and 9 (mean age: M = 13.38, SD = .81) filled in the Appearance-Related Social Pressure Questionnaire (German: FASD), which considers different sources (peers, parents) as well as various kinds of social pressure (e.g. teasing, modeling, encouragement). Girls were more affected by peer pressure, while gender differences in parental pressure seemed negligible. Main effects of grade-level suggested a particular increase in indirect peer pressure (e.g. appearance-related school and class norms) from early to middle adolescence. Boys and girls with higher BMI were particularly affected by peer teasing and exclusion as well as by parental encouragement to control weight and shape. The results suggest that preventive efforts targeting body concerns and disordered eating should bring up the topic of appearance pressure in a school-based context and should strengthen those adolescents who are particularly at risk - in our study, girls and adolescents with higher weight status. Early adolescence and school transition appear to be crucial periods for these efforts. Moreover, the comprehensive assessment of appearance-related social pressure appears to be a fruitful way to further explore social risk-factors in the development of a negative body image.

Effects of Mach Numbers on Side Force, Yawing Moment and Surface Pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Sohail, Muhammad Amjad; Muhammad, Zaka; Husain, Mukkarum; Younis, Muhammad Yamin

2011-09-01

In this research, CFD simulations are performed for air vehicle configuration to compute the side force effect and yawing moment coefficients variations at high angle of attack and Mach numbers. As the angle of attack is increased then lift and drag are increased for cylinder body configurations. But when roll angle is given to body then side force component is also appeared on the body which causes lateral forces on the body and yawing moment is also produced. Now due to advancement of CFD methods we are able to calculate these forces and moment even at supersonic and hypersonic speed. In this study modern CFD techniques are used to simulate the hypersonic flow to calculate the side force effects and yawing moment coefficient. Static pressure variations along the circumferential and along the length of the body are also calculated. The pressure coefficient and center of pressure may be accurately predicted and calculated. When roll angle and yaw angle is given to body then these forces becomes very high and cause the instability of the missile body with fin configurations. So it is very demanding and serious problem to accurately predict and simulate these forces for the stability of supersonic vehicles.

Ice-Shelf Tidal Flexure and Subglacial Pressure Variations

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Ryan T.; Parizek, Byron R.; Alley, Richard B.; Anandakrishnan, Sridhar; Riverman, Kiya L.; Christianson, Knut

2013-01-01

We develop a model of an ice shelf-ice stream system as a viscoelastic beam partially supported by an elastic foundation. When bed rock near the grounding line acts as a fulcrum, leverage from the ice shelf dropping at low tide can cause significant (approx 1 cm) uplift in the first few kilometers of grounded ice.This uplift and the corresponding depression at high tide lead to basal pressure variations of sufficient magnitude to influence subglacial hydrology.Tidal flexure may thus affect basal lubrication, sediment flow, and till strength, all of which are significant factors in ice-stream dynamics and grounding-line stability. Under certain circumstances, our results suggest the possibility of seawater being drawn into the subglacial water system. The presence of sea water beneath grounded ice would significantly change the radar reflectivity of the grounding zone and complicate the interpretation of grounded versus floating ice based on ice-penetrating radar observations.

Experimental study of static pressure distribution and axial pressure drop in a seven wire-wrapped rod bundle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandez y Fernandez, E.; Carajilescov, P.

1980-11-01

The fuel element of a LMFBR type reactor consists of a rod bundle in a triangular array with helicoidal spacers among which the coolant flows. By utilizing a seven wire-wrapped rod bundle, coupled to an air loop, the hydrodynamic behaviour of the flow was simulated. A series of measurements was performed in order to obtain static pressure distributions in the surface of the rods and in the walls of the hexagonal duct, for different Reynolds numbers, the axial and the angular position being varied. The axial pressure drop was also measured and the friction coefficient for different Reynolds numbers was calculated. From the results obtained, the existence of zones of low pressure on the surface of the rods was observed, as well as the non-dependence of the nondimensional static pressure on the Reynolds number. Sudden variations in the distribution of the static pressure distribution were observed and they must be taken in to account in the thermal-hydraulic design, due to the possibility of occurence of cavitation bubbles in the coolant. (I.C.R.) [pt

Pressure effects on interfacial surface contacts and performance of organic solar cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Agyei-Tuffour, B.; Doumon, Nutifafa Y.; Rwenyagila, E. R.; Asare, J.; Oyewole, O. K.; Shen, Z.; Petoukhoff, C. E.; Zebaze Kana, M. G.; Ocarroll, D. M.; Soboyejo, W. O.

2017-01-01

This paper explores the effects of pressure on the interfacial surface contacts and the performance of organic solar cells. A combination of experimental techniques and analytical/computational models is used to study the evolving surface contacts profiles that occur when compliant, semi-rigid and

Use of Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma Jet for Polymer Surface Modification: An Overview

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuettner, Lindsey A. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2017-03-16

Atmospheric-pressure plasma jets (APPJs) are playing an increasingly important role in materials processing procedures. Plasma treatment is a useful tool to modify surface properties of materials, especially polymers. Plasma reacts with polymer surfaces in numerous ways thus the type of process gas and plasma conditions must be explored for chosen substrates and materials to maximize desired properties. This report discusses plasma treatments and looks further into atmospheric-pressure plasma jets and the effects of gases and plasma conditions. Following the short literature review, a general overview of the future work and research at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is discussed.

Cleaning of niobium surface by plasma of diffuse discharge at atmospheric pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Tarasenko, V. F.; Erofeev, M. V.; Shulepov, M. A.; Ripenko, V. S.

2017-07-01

Elements composition of niobium surface before and after plasma treatment by runaway electron preionized diffuse discharge was investigated in atmospheric pressure nitrogen flow by means of an Auger electron spectroscopy. Surface characterizations obtained from Auger spectra show that plasma treatment by diffuse discharge after exposure of 120000 pulses provides ultrafine surface cleaning from carbon contamination. Moreover, the surface free energy of the treated specimens increased up to 3 times, that improve its adhesion property.

Development of bio/blood compatible polypropylene through low pressure nitrogen plasma surface modification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gomathi, N.; Rajasekar, R.; Babu, R. Rajesh; Mishra, Debasish; Neogi, S.

2012-01-01

Surface modification of polypropylene by nitrogen containing plasma was performed in this work in order to improve the wettability which resulted in enhanced biocompatibility and blood compatibility. Various nitrogen containing functional groups as well as oxygen containing functional groups were found to be incorporated to the polymer surface during plasma treatment and post plasma reaction respectively. Wettability of the polymers was evaluated by static contact angle measurement to show the improvement in hydrophilicity of plasma treated polypropylene. Cross linking and surface modification were reported to be dominating in the case of nitrogen plasma treatment compared to degradation. The effect of various process variables namely power, pressure, flow rate and treatment time on surface energy and weight loss was studied at various levels according to the central composite design of response surface methodology (RSM). Except pressure the other variables resulted in increased weight loss due to etching whereas with increasing pressure weight loss was found to increase and then decrease. The effect of process variables on surface morphology of polymers was evaluated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Well spread fibroblast cells on nitrogen plasma treated polypropylene due to the presence of CO, NH 2+ and NH + was observed. Reduced platelet adhesion and increased partial thromboplastin time evidenced the increased blood compatibility. - Highlights: ► Improved biocompatibility and blood compatibility of polypropylene. ► Nitrogen plasma surface modification. ► Maintaining a balance between polar group incorporation and weight loss due to etching. ► Optimization of process conditions by response surface methodology.

Synthesis and surface engineering of nanomaterials by atmospheric-pressure microplasmas

Science.gov (United States)

McKenna, J.; Patel, J.; Mitra, S.; Soin, N.; Švrček, V.; Maguire, P.; Mariotti, D.

2011-11-01

Two different atmospheric pressure microplasma systems are discussed and used for the synthesis and surface engineering of a range of nanomaterials. Specifically a gas-phase approach from vaporized tetramethylsilane has been used to synthesize silicon carbide nanoparticles with diameters below 10 nm. A different microplasma system that interfaces with a liquid solution has then been used for the synthesis of surfactant-free electrically stabilized gold nanoparticles with varying size. A similar microplasma-liquid system has been finally successfully used to tailor surface properties of silicon nanoparticles and to reduce graphene oxide into graphene. The synthesis and surface engineering mechanisms are also discussed.

Impact of Water Withdrawals from Groundwater and Surface Water on Continental Water Storage Variations

Science.gov (United States)

Doell, Petra; Hoffmann-Dobrev, Heike; Portmann, Felix T.; Siebert, Stefan; Eicker, Annette; Rodell, Matthew; Strassberg, Gil

2011-01-01

Humans have strongly impacted the global water cycle, not only water flows but also water storage. We have performed a first global-scale analysis of the impact of water withdrawals on water storage variations, using the global water resources and use model WaterGAP. This required estimation of fractions of total water withdrawals from groundwater, considering five water use sectors. According to our assessment, the source of 35% of the water withdrawn worldwide (4300 cubic km/yr during 1998-2002) is groundwater. Groundwater contributes 42%, 36% and 27% of water used for irrigation, households and manufacturing, respectively, while we assume that only surface water is used for livestock and for cooling of thermal power plants. Consumptive water use was 1400 cubic km/yr during 1998-2002. It is the sum of the net abstraction of 250 cubic km/yr of groundwater (taking into account evapotranspiration and return flows of withdrawn surface water and groundwater) and the net abstraction of 1150 km3/yr of surface water. Computed net abstractions indicate, for the first time at the global scale, where and when human water withdrawals decrease or increase groundwater or surface water storage. In regions with extensive surface water irrigation, such as Southern China, net abstractions from groundwater are negative, i.e. groundwater is recharged by irrigation. The opposite is true for areas dominated by groundwater irrigation, such as in the High Plains aquifer of the central USA, where net abstraction of surface water is negative because return flow of withdrawn groundwater recharges the surface water compartments. In intensively irrigated areas, the amplitude of seasonal total water storage variations is generally increased due to human water use; however, in some areas, it is decreased. For the High Plains aquifer and the whole Mississippi basin, modeled groundwater and total water storage variations were compared with estimates of groundwater storage variations based on

Irreversible particle motion in surfactant-laden interfaces due to pressure-dependent surface viscosity

Science.gov (United States)

Manikantan, Harishankar; Squires, Todd M.

2017-09-01

The surface shear viscosity of an insoluble surfactant monolayer often depends strongly on its surface pressure. Here, we show that a particle moving within a bounded monolayer breaks the kinematic reversibility of low-Reynolds-number flows. The Lorentz reciprocal theorem allows such irreversibilities to be computed without solving the full nonlinear equations, giving the leading-order contribution of surface pressure-dependent surface viscosity. In particular, we show that a disc translating or rotating near an interfacial boundary experiences a force in the direction perpendicular to that boundary. In unbounded monolayers, coupled modes of motion can also lead to non-intuitive trajectories, which we illustrate using an interfacial analogue of the Magnus effect. This perturbative approach can be extended to more complex geometries, and to two-dimensional suspensions more generally.

The New Horizons Radio Science Experiment: Expected Performance in Measurements of Pluto's Atmospheric Structure, Surface Pressure, and Surface Temperature

Science.gov (United States)

Hinson, D. P.; Linscott, I.; Woods, W. W.; Tyler, G. L.; Bird, M. K.; Paetzold, M.; Strobel, D. F.

2014-12-01

The New Horizons (NH) payload includes a Radio Science Experiment (REX) for investigating key characteristics of Pluto and Charon during the upcoming flyby in July 2015. REX flight equipment augments the NH radio transceiver used for spacecraft communications and tracking. The REX hardware implementation requires 1.6 W and 160 g. This presentation will focus on the final design and the predicted performance of two high-priority observations. First, REX will receive signals from a pair of 70-m antennas on Earth - each transmitting 20 kW at 4.2-cm wavelength - during a diametric radio occultation by Pluto. The data recorded by REX will reveal the surface pressure, the temperature structure of the lower atmosphere, and the surface radius. Second, REX will measure the thermal emission from Pluto at 4.2-cm wavelength during two linear scans across the disk at close range when both the dayside and the nightside are visible, allowing the surface temperature and its spatial variations to be determined. Both scans extend from limb to limb with a resolution of about 10 pixels; one bisects Pluto whereas the second crosses the winter pole. We will illustrate the capabilities of REX by reviewing the method of analysis and the precision achieved in a lunar occultation observed by New Horizons in May 2011. Re-analysis of radio occultation measurements by Voyager 2 at Triton is also under way. More generally, REX objectives include a radio occultation search for Pluto's ionosphere; examination of Charon through both radio occultation and radiometry; a search for a radar echo from Pluto's surface; and improved knowledge of the Pluto system mass and the Pluto-Charon mass ratio from a combination of two-way and one-way Doppler frequency measurements.

Atmospheric pressure plasma cleaning of contamination surfaces. 1997 mid-year progress report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hicks, R.; Selwyn, G.S.

1997-01-01

'Goals of the project are to (1) identify the key physics and chemistry underlying the use of high pressure plasmas for etching removal of actinides and actinide surrogates; and (2) identify key surface reactions and plasma physics necessary for optimization of the atmospheric pressure plasma jet. Technical description of the work decommissioning of transuranic waste (TRU) into low-level radioactive waste (LLW) represents the largest cleanup cost associated with the nuclear weapons complex. This work is directed towards developing a low-cost plasma technology capable of converting TRU into LLW, based upon highly selective plasma etching of plutonium and other actinides from contaminated surfaces. In this way, only the actinide material is removed, leaving the surface less contaminated. The plasma etches actinide material by producing a volatile halide compound, which may be efficiently trapped using filters. To achieve practical, low-cost operation of a plasma capable of etching actinide materials, the authors have developed a y-mode, resonant-cavity, atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ). In contrast to conventional, low pressure plasmas, the APPJ produces a purely-chemical effluent free of ions, and so achieves very high selectivity and produces negligible damage to the surface. Since the jet operates outside a chamber, many nuclear wastes may be treated including machinery, duct-work, concrete and other building materials. In some cases, it may be necessary to first remove paint from contaminated surfaces using a plasma selective for that surface, then to switch to the actinide etching chemistry for removal of actinide contamination. The goal of this work is to develop the underlying science required for maturation of this technology and to establish early version engineering prototypes. Accomplishments to Date The authors have made significant progress in this program. The work conducted jointly at Los Alamos and at UCLA. This has been facilitated by exchange

Atmospheric pressure plasma cleaning of contamination surfaces. 1997 mid-year progress report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Selwyn, G.S. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (US); Hicks, R. [Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA (US)

1997-06-01

'Goals of the project are to (1) identify the key physics and chemistry underlying the use of high pressure plasmas for etching removal of actinides and actinide surrogates; and (2) identify key surface reactions and plasma physics necessary for optimization of the atmospheric pressure plasma jet. Technical description of the work decommissioning of transuranic waste (TRU) into low-level radioactive waste (LLW) represents the largest cleanup cost associated with the nuclear weapons complex. This work is directed towards developing a low-cost plasma technology capable of converting TRU into LLW, based upon highly selective plasma etching of plutonium and other actinides from contaminated surfaces. In this way, only the actinide material is removed, leaving the surface less contaminated. The plasma etches actinide material by producing a volatile halide compound, which may be efficiently trapped using filters. To achieve practical, low-cost operation of a plasma capable of etching actinide materials, the authors have developed a y-mode, resonant-cavity, atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ). In contrast to conventional, low pressure plasmas, the APPJ produces a purely-chemical effluent free of ions, and so achieves very high selectivity and produces negligible damage to the surface. Since the jet operates outside a chamber, many nuclear wastes may be treated including machinery, duct-work, concrete and other building materials. In some cases, it may be necessary to first remove paint from contaminated surfaces using a plasma selective for that surface, then to switch to the actinide etching chemistry for removal of actinide contamination. The goal of this work is to develop the underlying science required for maturation of this technology and to establish early version engineering prototypes. Accomplishments to Date The authors have made significant progress in this program. The work conducted jointly at Los Alamos and at UCLA. This has been facilitated by

Detection of small-amplitude periodic surface pressure fluctuation by pressure-sensitive paint measurements using frequency-domain methods

Science.gov (United States)

Noda, Takahiro; Nakakita, Kazuyki; Wakahara, Masaki; Kameda, Masaharu

2018-06-01

Image measurement using pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) is an effective tool for analyzing the unsteady pressure field on the surface of a body in a low-speed air flow, which is associated with wind noise. In this study, the surface pressure fluctuation due to the tonal trailing edge (TE) noise for a two-dimensional NACA 0012 airfoil was quantitatively detected using a porous anodized aluminum PSP (AA-PSP). The emission from the PSP upon illumination by a blue laser diode was captured using a 12-bit high-speed complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) camera. The intensities of the captured images were converted to pressures using a standard intensity-based method. Three image-processing methods based on the fast Fourier transform (FFT) were tested to determine their efficiency in improving the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the unsteady PSP data. In addition to two fundamental FFT techniques (the full data and ensemble averaging FFTs), a technique using the coherent output power (COP), which involves the cross correlation between the PSP data and the signal measured using a pointwise sound-level meter, was tested. Preliminary tests indicated that random photon shot noise dominates the intensity fluctuations in the captured PSP emissions above 200 Hz. Pressure fluctuations associated with the TE noise, whose dominant frequency is approximately 940 Hz, were successfully measured by analyzing 40,960 sequential PSP images recorded at 10 kfps. Quantitative validation using the power spectrum indicates that the COP technique is the most effective method of identification of the pressure fluctuation directly related to TE noise. It is possible to distinguish power differences with a resolution of 10 Pa^2 (4 Pa in amplitude) when the COP was employed without use of another wind-off data. This resolution cannot be achieved by the ensemble averaging FFT because of an insufficient elimination of the background noise.

Using an expiratory resistor, arterial pulse pressure variations predict fluid responsiveness during spontaneous breathing: an experimental porcine study.

Science.gov (United States)

Dahl, Michael K; Vistisen, Simon T; Koefoed-Nielsen, Jacob; Larsson, Anders

2009-01-01

Fluid responsiveness prediction is difficult in spontaneously breathing patients. Because the swings in intrathoracic pressure are minor during spontaneous breathing, dynamic parameters like pulse pressure variation (PPV) and systolic pressure variation (SPV) are usually small. We hypothesized that during spontaneous breathing, inspiratory and/or expiratory resistors could induce high arterial pressure variations at hypovolemia and low variations at normovolemia and hypervolemia. Furthermore, we hypothesized that SPV and PPV could predict fluid responsiveness under these conditions. Eight prone, anesthetized and spontaneously breathing pigs (20 to 25 kg) were subjected to a sequence of 30% hypovolemia, normovolemia, and 20% and 40% hypervolemia. At each volemic level, the pigs breathed in a randomized order either through an inspiratory and/or an expiratory threshold resistor (7.5 cmH2O) or only through the tracheal tube without any resistor. Hemodynamic and respiratory variables were measured during the breathing modes. Fluid responsiveness was defined as a 15% increase in stroke volume (DeltaSV) following fluid loading. Stroke volume was significantly lower at hypovolemia compared with normovolemia, but no differences were found between normovolemia and 20% or 40% hypervolemia. Compared with breathing through no resistor, SPV was magnified by all resistors at hypovolemia whereas there were no changes at normovolemia and hypervolemia. PPV was magnified by the inspiratory resistor and the combined inspiratory and expiratory resistor. Regression analysis of SPV or PPV versus DeltaSV showed the highest R2 (0.83 for SPV and 0.52 for PPV) when the expiratory resistor was applied. The corresponding sensitivity and specificity for prediction of fluid responsiveness were 100% and 100%, respectively, for SPV and 100% and 81%, respectively, for PPV. Inspiratory and/or expiratory threshold resistors magnified SPV and PPV in spontaneously breathing pigs during hypovolemia

Surface pressure retrieval from SCIAMACHY measurements in the O2 A Band: validation of the measurements and sensitivity on aerosols

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. van Diedenhoven

2005-01-01

Full Text Available We perform surface pressure retrievals from cloud-free Oxygen A band measurements of SCIAMACHY. These retrievals can be well validated because surface pressure is a quantity that is, in general, accurately known from meteorological models. Therefore, surface pressure retrievals and their validation provide important insight into the quality of the instrument calibration. Furthermore, they can provide insight into retrievals which are affected by similar radiation transport processes, for example the retrieval of total columns of H2O, CO, CO2 and CH4. In our retrieval aerosols are neglected. Using synthetic measurements, it is shown that for low to moderate surface albedos this leads to an underestimation of the retrieved surface pressures. For high surface albedos this generally leads to an overestimation of the retrieved surface pressures. The surface pressures retrieved from the SCIAMACHY measurements indeed show this dependence on surface albedo, when compared to the corresponding pressures from a meteorological database. However, an offset of about 20 hPa was found, which can not be caused by neglecting aerosols in the retrieval. The same offset was found when comparing the retrieved surface pressures to those retrieved from co-located GOME Oxygen A band measurements. This implies a calibration error in the SCIAMACHY measurements. By adding an offset of 0.86% of the continuum reflectance at 756 nm to the SCIAMACHY reflectance measurements, this systematic bias vanishes.

Surface effects on in-shoe plantar pressure and tibial impact during running

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weijie Fu

2015-12-01

Conclusion: There may not be an inevitable relationship between the surface and the lower-limb impact in runners. It is, however, still noteworthy that the effects of different treadmill surfaces should be considered in the interpretation of plantar pressure performance and translation of such results to overground running.

Spectroscopic studies of surface-gas interactions and catalyst restructuring at ambient pressure: mind the gap!

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rupprechter, Guenther; Weilach, Christian

2008-01-01

Recent progress in the application of surface vibrational spectroscopy at ambient pressure allows us to monitor surface-gas interactions and heterogeneous catalytic reactions under conditions approaching those of technical catalysis. The surface specificity of photon-based methods such as polarization modulation infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRAS) and sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy is utilized to monitor catalytically active surfaces while they function at high pressure and high temperature. Together with complementary information from high-pressure x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HP-XPS) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), reaction mechanisms can be deduced on a molecular level. Well defined model catalysts, prepared under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV), are typically employed in such studies, including smooth and stepped single crystals, thin oxide films, and oxide-supported nanoparticles. A number of studies on unsupported and supported noble metal (Pd, Rh) catalysts are presented, focusing on the transformation of the catalysts from the 'as-prepared' to the 'active state'. This often involves pronounced alterations in catalyst structure and composition, for example the creation of surface carbon phases, surface oxides or surface alloys, as well as nanoparticle restructuring. The reactivity studies include CH 3 OH, CH 4 and CO oxidation with gas phase analysis by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Differing results between studies under ultrahigh vacuum and ambient pressure, and between studies on single crystals and supported nanoparticles, demonstrate the importance of 'minding the gap' between idealized and realistic conditions

Hydrophobic and superhydrophobic surfaces fabricated using atmospheric pressure cold plasma technology: A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Dimitrakellis, Panagiotis; Gogolides, Evangelos

2018-04-01

Hydrophobic surfaces are often used to reduce wetting of surfaces by water. In particular, superhydrophobic surfaces are highly desired for several applications due to their exceptional properties such as self-cleaning, anti-icing, anti-friction and others. Such surfaces can be prepared via numerous methods including plasma technology, a dry technique with low environmental impact. Atmospheric pressure plasma (APP) has recently attracted significant attention as lower-cost alternative to low-pressure plasmas, and as a candidate for continuous rather than batch processing. Although there are many reviews on water-repellent surfaces, and a few reviews on APP technology, there are hardly any review works on APP processing for hydrophobic and superhydrohobic surface fabrication, a topic of high importance in nanotechnology and interface science. Herein, we critically review the advances on hydrophobic and superhydrophobic surface fabrication using APP technology, trying also to give some perspectives in the field. After a short introduction to superhydrophobicity of nanostructured surfaces and to APPs we focus this review on three different aspects: (1) The atmospheric plasma reactor technology used for fabrication of (super)hydrophobic surfaces. (2) The APP process for hydrophobic surface preparation. The hydrophobic surface preparation processes are categorized methodologically as: a) activation, b) grafting, c) polymerization, d) roughening and hydrophobization. Each category includes subcategories related to different precursors used. (3) One of the most important sections of this review concerns superhydrophobic surfaces fabricated using APP. These are methodologically characterized as follows: a) single step processes where micro-nano textured topography and low surface energy coating are created at the same time, or b) multiple step processes, where these steps occur sequentially in or out of the plasma. We end the review with some perspectives in the field. We

Surface ozone concentrations in Europe: Links with the regional-scale atmospheric circulation

Science.gov (United States)

Davies, T. D.; Kelly, P. M.; Low, P. S.; Pierce, C. E.

1992-06-01

Daily surface ozone observations from 1978 (1976 for some analyses) to 1988 for Bottesford (United Kingdom), Cabauw, Kloosterburen (The Netherlands), Hohenpeissenberg, Neuglobsow, Hamburg, and Arkona (Germany) are used to analyze links between surface ozone variations and the atmospheric circulation. A daily Europe-wide synoptic classification highlights marked differences between surface ozone/meteorology relationships in summer and winter. These relationships are characterized by correlations between daily surface ozone concentrations at each station and a local subregional surface pressure gradient (a wind speed index). Although there are geographical variations, which are explicable in terms of regional climatology, there are distinct annual cycles. In summer, the surface ozone/wind speed relationship exhibits the expected negative sign; however, in winter, the relationship is, in the main, strongly positive, especially at those stations which are more influenced by the vigorous westerlies. Spring and autumn exhibit negative, positive, or transitional (between summer and winter) behavior, depending on geographical position. It is suggested that these relationships reflect the importance of vertical exchange from the free troposphere to the surface in the nonsummer months. Composite surface pressure patterns and surface pressure anomaly (from the long-term mean) patterns associated with high surface ozone concentrations on daily and seasonal time scales are consistent with the surface ozone/wind speed relationships. Moreover, they demonstrate that high surface ozone concentrations, in a climatological time frame, can be associated with mean surface pressure patterns which have a synoptic reality and are robust. Such an approach may be useful in interpreting past variations in surface ozone and may help to isolate the effect of human activity. It is also possible that assessments can be made of the effect of projected future changes in the atmospheric circulation

Characteristics of meter-scale surface electrical discharge propagating along water surface at atmospheric pressure

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hoffer, Petr; Sugiyama, Y.; Hosseini, S.H.R.; Akiyama, H.; Lukeš, Petr; Akiyama, M.

2016-01-01

Roč. 49, č. 41 (2016), č. článku 415202. ISSN 0022-3727 Institutional support: RVO:61389021 Keywords : water surface * spectroscopy * high-speed photography * pulsed plasma discharge * Atmospheric-pressure plasmas * electric discharges * liquids * water Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics Impact factor: 2.588, year: 2016 http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0022-3727/49/41/415202

Characteristics of meter-scale surface electrical discharge propagating along water surface at atmospheric pressure

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hoffer, Petr; Sugiyama, Y.; Hosseini, S.H.R.; Akiyama, H.; Lukeš, Petr; Akiyama, M.

2016-01-01

Roč. 49, č. 41 (2016), č. článku 415202. ISSN 0022-3727 Institutional support: RVO:61389021 Keywords : water surface * spectroscopy * high-speed photography * pulsed plasma discharge * Atmospheric - pressure plasmas * electric discharges * liquids * water Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics Impact factor: 2.588, year: 2016 http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0022-3727/49/41/415202

Variation in ebmental quantification by X-ray fluorescence analysis in crystalline materials when applying pressure in sample preparation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macias B, L.R.; Garcia C, R.M.; De Ita de la Torre, A.; Chavez R, A.

2000-01-01

In this work making use of the diffraction and fluorescence techniques its were determined the presence of elements in a known compound ZrSiO 4 under different pressure conditions. At preparing the samples it were applied different pressures from 1600 until 350 k N/m 2 and it is detected the apparent variations in concentration in the Zr and Si elements. (Author)

Background levels of methane in Mars’ atmosphere show strong seasonal variations

Science.gov (United States)

Webster, Christopher R.; Mahaffy, Paul R.; Atreya, Sushil K.; Moores, John E.; Flesch, Gregory J.; Malespin, Charles; McKay, Christopher P.; Martinez, German; Smith, Christina L.; Martin-Torres, Javier; Gomez-Elvira, Javier; Zorzano, Maria-Paz; Wong, Michael H.; Trainer, Melissa G.; Steele, Andrew; Archer, Doug; Sutter, Brad; Coll, Patrice J.; Freissinet, Caroline; Meslin, Pierre-Yves; Gough, Raina V.; House, Christopher H.; Pavlov, Alexander; Eigenbrode, Jennifer L.; Glavin, Daniel P.; Pearson, John C.; Keymeulen, Didier; Christensen, Lance E.; Schwenzer, Susanne P.; Navarro-Gonzalez, Rafael; Pla-García, Jorge; Rafkin, Scot C. R.; Vicente-Retortillo, Álvaro; Kahanpää, Henrik; Viudez-Moreiras, Daniel; Smith, Michael D.; Harri, Ari-Matti; Genzer, Maria; Hassler, Donald M.; Lemmon, Mark; Crisp, Joy; Sander, Stanley P.; Zurek, Richard W.; Vasavada, Ashwin R.

2018-06-01

Variable levels of methane in the martian atmosphere have eluded explanation partly because the measurements are not repeatable in time or location. We report in situ measurements at Gale crater made over a 5-year period by the Tunable Laser Spectrometer on the Curiosity rover. The background levels of methane have a mean value 0.41 ± 0.16 parts per billion by volume (ppbv) (95% confidence interval) and exhibit a strong, repeatable seasonal variation (0.24 to 0.65 ppbv). This variation is greater than that predicted from either ultraviolet degradation of impact-delivered organics on the surface or from the annual surface pressure cycle. The large seasonal variation in the background and occurrences of higher temporary spikes (~7 ppbv) are consistent with small localized sources of methane released from martian surface or subsurface reservoirs.

Surface treatment of polyethylene terephthalate film using atmospheric pressure glow discharge in air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fang Zhi; Qiu Yuchang; Wang Hui

2004-01-01

Non-thermal plasmas under atmospheric pressure are of great interest in polymer surface processing because of their convenience, effectiveness and low cost. In this paper, the treatment of Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film surface for improving hydrophilicity using the non-thermal plasma generated by atmospheric pressure glow discharge (APGD) in air is conducted. The discharge characteristics of APGD are shown by measurement of their electrical discharge parameters and observation of light-emission phenomena, and the surface properties of PET before and after the APGD treatment are studied using contact angle measurement, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It is found that the APGD is homogeneous and stable in the whole gas gap, which differs from the commonly filamentary dielectric barrier discharge (DBD). A short time (several seconds) APGD treatment can modify the surface characteristics of PET film markedly and uniformly. After 10 s APGD treatment, the surface oxygen content of PET surface increases to 39%, and the water contact angle decreases to 19 degree, respectively. (authors)

Variation of the Korotkoff Stethoscope Sounds During Blood Pressure Measurement: Analysis Using a Convolutional Neural Network.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Fan; He, Peiyu; Liu, Chengyu; Li, Taiyong; Murray, Alan; Zheng, Dingchang

2017-11-01

Korotkoff sounds are known to change their characteristics during blood pressure (BP) measurement, resulting in some uncertainties for systolic and diastolic pressure (SBP and DBP) determinations. The aim of this study was to assess the variation of Korotkoff sounds during BP measurement by examining all stethoscope sounds associated with each heartbeat from above systole to below diastole during linear cuff deflation. Three repeat BP measurements were taken from 140 healthy subjects (age 21 to 73 years; 62 female and 78 male) by a trained observer, giving 420 measurements. During the BP measurements, the cuff pressure and stethoscope signals were simultaneously recorded digitally to a computer for subsequent analysis. Heartbeats were identified from the oscillometric cuff pressure pulses. The presence of each beat was used to create a time window (1 s, 2000 samples) centered on the oscillometric pulse peak for extracting beat-by-beat stethoscope sounds. A time-frequency two-dimensional matrix was obtained for the stethoscope sounds associated with each beat, and all beats between the manually determined SBPs and DBPs were labeled as "Korotkoff." A convolutional neural network was then used to analyze consistency in sound patterns that were associated with Korotkoff sounds. A 10-fold cross-validation strategy was applied to the stethoscope sounds from all 140 subjects, with the data from ten groups of 14 subjects being analyzed separately, allowing consistency to be evaluated between groups. Next, within-subject variation of the Korotkoff sounds analyzed from the three repeats was quantified, separately for each stethoscope sound beat. There was consistency between folds with no significant differences between groups of 14 subjects (P = 0.09 to P = 0.62). Our results showed that 80.7% beats at SBP and 69.5% at DBP were analyzed as Korotkoff sounds, with significant differences between adjacent beats at systole (13.1%, P = 0.001) and diastole (17.4%, P < 0

Variation of High-Intensity Therapeutic Ultrasound (HITU) Pressure Field Characterization: Effects of Hydrophone Choice, Nonlinearity, Spatial Averaging and Complex Deconvolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yunbo; Wear, Keith A; Harris, Gerald R

2017-10-01

Reliable acoustic characterization is fundamental for patient safety and clinical efficacy during high-intensity therapeutic ultrasound (HITU) treatment. Technical challenges, such as measurement variation and signal analysis, still exist for HITU exposimetry using ultrasound hydrophones. In this work, four hydrophones were compared for pressure measurement: a robust needle hydrophone, a small polyvinylidene fluoride capsule hydrophone and two fiberoptic hydrophones. The focal waveform and beam distribution of a single-element HITU transducer (1.05 MHz and 3.3 MHz) were evaluated. Complex deconvolution between the hydrophone voltage signal and frequency-dependent complex sensitivity was performed to obtain pressure waveforms. Compressional pressure (p + ), rarefactional pressure (p - ) and focal beam distribution were compared up to 10.6/-6.0 MPa (p + /p - ) (1.05 MHz) and 20.65/-7.20 MPa (3.3 MHz). The effects of spatial averaging, local non-linear distortion, complex deconvolution and hydrophone damage thresholds were investigated. This study showed a variation of no better than 10%-15% among hydrophones during HITU pressure characterization. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Surface topography and bond strengths of feldspathic porcelain prepared using various sandblasting pressures.

Science.gov (United States)

Moravej-Salehi, Elham; Moravej-Salehi, Elahe; Valian, Azam

2016-11-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the bond strength of composite resin to feldspathic porcelain and its surface topography after sandblasting at different pressures. In this in vitro study, 68 porcelain disks were fabricated and randomly divided into four groups of 17. The porcelain surface in group 1 was etched with hydrofluoric acid. Groups 2, 3, and 4 were sandblasted at 2, 3 and 4 bars pressure, respectively. Surface topography of seven samples in each of the four groups was examined by a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The remaining 40 samples received the same silane agent, bonding agent, and composite resin and they were then subjected to 5000 thermal cycles and evaluated for shear bond strength. Data were analyzed using one-way anova. The mode of failure was determined using stereomicroscope and SEM. The highest shear bond strength was seen in group 4. however, statistically significant differences were not seen between the groups (P = 0.780). The most common mode of failure was cohesive in porcelain. The SEM showed different patterns of hydrofluoric acid etching and sandblasting. Increasing the sandblasting pressure increased the surface roughness of feldspathic porcelain but no difference in bond strength occurred. © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

A Variational Model for Two-Phase Immiscible Electroosmotic Flow at Solid Surfaces

KAUST Repository

Shao, Sihong; Qian, Tiezheng

2012-01-01

We develop a continuum hydrodynamic model for two-phase immiscible flows that involve electroosmotic effect in an electrolyte and moving contact line at solid surfaces. The model is derived through a variational approach based on the Onsager

In Situ Studies of Surface Mobility on Noble Metal Model Catalysts Using STM and XPS at Ambient Pressure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Butcher, Derek Robert [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

2010-06-01

High Pressure Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (HP-STM) and Ambient Pressure X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy were used to study the structural properties and catalytic behavior of noble metal surfaces at high pressure. HP-STM was used to study the structural rearrangement of the top most atomic surface layer of the metal surfaces in response to changes in gas pressure and reactive conditions. AP-XPS was applied to single crystal and nanoparticle systems to monitor changes in the chemical composition of the surface layer in response to changing gas conditions. STM studies on the Pt(100) crystal face showed the lifting of the Pt(100)-hex surface reconstruction in the presence of CO, H₂, and Benzene. The gas adsorption and subsequent charge transfer relieves the surface strain caused by the low coordination number of the (100) surface atoms allowing the formation of a (1 x 1) surface structure commensurate with the bulk terminated crystal structure. The surface phase change causes a transformation of the surface layer from hexagonal packing geometry to a four-fold symmetric surface which is rich in atomic defects. Lifting the hex reconstruction at room temperature resulted in a surface structure decorated with 2-3 nm Pt adatom islands with a high density of step edge sites. Annealing the surface at a modest temperature (150 C) in the presence of a high pressure of CO or H₂ increased the surface diffusion of the Pt atoms causing the adatom islands to aggregate reducing the surface concentration of low coordination defect sites. Ethylene hydrogenation was studied on the Pt(100) surface using HP-STM. At low pressure, the lifting of the hex reconstruction was observed in the STM images. Increasing the ethylene pressure to 1 Torr, was found to regenerate the hexagonally symmetric reconstructed phase. At room temperature ethylene undergoes a structural rearrangement to form ethylidyne. Ethylidyne preferentially binds at the three-fold hollow sites, which

Dynamic surface-pressure instrumentation for rods in parallel flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mulcahy, T.M.; Lawrence, W.

1979-01-01

Methods employed and experience gained in measuring random fluid boundary layer pressures on the surface of a small diameter cylindrical rod subject to dense, nonhomogeneous, turbulent, parallel flow in a relatively noise-contaminated flow loop are described. Emphasis is placed on identification of instrumentation problems; description of transducer construction, mounting, and waterproofing; and the pretest calibration required to achieve instrumentation capable of reliable data acquisition

Polymorphisms in the WNK1 gene are associated with blood pressure variation and urinary potassium excretion.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen Newhouse

Full Text Available WNK1--a serine/threonine kinase involved in electrolyte homeostasis and blood pressure (BP control--is an excellent candidate gene for essential hypertension (EH. We and others have previously reported association between WNK1 and BP variation. Using tag SNPs (tSNPs that capture 100% of common WNK1 variation in HapMap, we aimed to replicate our findings with BP and to test for association with phenotypes relating to WNK1 function in the British Genetics of Hypertension (BRIGHT study case-control resource (1700 hypertensive cases and 1700 normotensive controls. We found multiple variants to be associated with systolic blood pressure, SBP (7/28 tSNPs min-p = 0.0005, diastolic blood pressure, DBP (7/28 tSNPs min-p = 0.002 and 24 hour urinary potassium excretion (10/28 tSNPs min-p = 0.0004. Associations with SBP and urine potassium remained significant after correction for multiple testing (p = 0.02 and p = 0.01 respectively. The major allele (A of rs765250, located in intron 1, demonstrated the strongest evidence for association with SBP, effect size 3.14 mmHg (95%CI:1.23-4.9, DBP 1.9 mmHg (95%CI:0.7-3.2 and hypertension, odds ratio (OR: 1.3 [95%CI: 1.0-1.7].We genotyped this variant in six independent populations (n = 14,451 and replicated the association between rs765250 and SBP in a meta-analysis (p = 7 x 10(-3, combined with BRIGHT data-set p = 2 x 10(-4, n = 17,851. The associations of WNK1 with DBP and EH were not confirmed. Haplotype analysis revealed striking associations with hypertension and BP variation (global permutation p10 mmHg reduction and risk for hypertension (OR<0.60. Our data indicates that multiple rare and common WNK1 variants contribute to BP variation and hypertension, and provide compelling evidence to initiate further genetic and functional studies to explore the role of WNK1 in BP regulation and EH.

Blood Pressure Variation Throughout Pregnancy According to Early Gestational BMI: A Brazilian Cohort

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernanda Rebelo

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Background: The maternal cardiovascular system undergoes progressive adaptations throughout pregnancy, causing blood pressure fluctuations. However, no consensus has been established on its normal variation in uncomplicated pregnancies. Objective: To describe the variation in systolic blood pressure (SBP and diastolic blood pressure (DBP levels during pregnancy according to early pregnancy body mass index (BMI. Methods: SBP and DBP were measured during the first, second and third trimesters and at 30-45 days postpartum in a prospective cohort of 189 women aged 20-40 years. BMI (kg/m2 was measured up to the 13th gestational week and classified as normal-weight (<25.0 or excessive weight (≥25.0. Longitudinal linear mixed-effects models were used for statistical analysis. Results: A decrease in SBP and DBP was observed from the first to the second trimester (βSBP=-0.394; 95%CI: -0.600- -0.188 and βDBP=-0.617; 95%CI: -0.780- -0.454, as was an increase in SBP and DBP up to 30-45 postpartum days (βSBP=0.010; 95%CI: 0.006-0.014 and βDBP=0.015; 95%CI: 0.012-0.018. Women with excessive weight at early pregnancy showed higher mean SBP in all gestational trimesters, and higher mean DBP in the first and third trimesters. Excessive early pregnancy BMI was positively associated with prospective changes in SBP (βSBP=7.055; 95%CI: 4.499-9.610 and in DBP (βDBP=3.201; 95%CI: 1.136-5.266. Conclusion: SBP and DBP decreased from the first to the second trimester and then increased up to the postpartum period. Women with excessive early pregnancy BMI had higher SBP and DBP than their normal-weight counterparts throughout pregnancy, but not in the postpartum period.

Effect of pressure variation on structural, elastic, mechanical, optoelectronic and thermodynamic properties of SrNaF3 fluoroperovskite

Science.gov (United States)

Erum, Nazia; Azhar Iqbal, Muhammad

2017-12-01

The effect of pressure variation on structural, electronic, elastic, mechanical, optical and thermodynamic characteristics of cubic SrNaF3 fluoroperovskite have been investigated by employing first-principles method within the framework of gradient approximation (GGA). For the total energy calculations, we have used the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method. Thermodynamic properties are computed in terms of quasi-harmonic Debye model. The pressure effects are determined in the range of 0-25 GPa, in which mechanical stability of SrNaF3 fluoroperovskite remains valid. A prominent decrease in lattice constant and bonds length is observed with the increase in pressure from 0 to 25 GPa. The effect of increase in pressure on band structure calculations with GGA and GGA plus Tran-Blaha modified Becke-Johnson (TB-mBJ) potential reveals a predominant characteristic associated with widening of bandgap. The influence of pressure on set of isotropic elastic parameters and their related properties are numerically estimated for SrNaF3 polycrystalline aggregate. Apart of linear dependence of elastic coefficients, transition from brittle to ductile behavior is observed as pressure is increased from 0 to 25 GPa. We have successfully obtained variation of lattice constant, volume expansion, bulk modulus, Debye temperature and specific heat capacities with pressure and temperature in the range of 0-25 GPa and 0-600 K. All the calculated optical properties such as the complex dielectric function ɛ(ω), optical conductivity σ(ω), energy loss function L(ω), absorption coefficient α(w), refractive index n(ω), reflectivity R(ω), and effective number of electrons n eff, via sum rules shift towards the higher energies under the application of pressure.

The influence of the radiation pressure force on possible critical surfaces in binary systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vanbeveren, D.

1978-01-01

Using a spherically symmetric approximation for the radiation pressure force to compute a possible critical surface for binary systems, previous authors found that the surface opens up at the far side of the companion. It is shown that this effect may be unreal, and could be a consequence of the simple approximation for the radiation pressure force, Due to the influence of the radiation force, mass will be lost over the whole surface of the star. In that way much mass could leave the system in massive binary systems. On the basis of evolutionary models, including mass loss by stellar wind, the results were applied on the X-ray binaries 3U 1700 - 37 and HD 77581. (Auth.)

The effect of variations in first- and second-order derivatives on airfoil aerodynamic performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Penghui Yi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The geometric factors which influence airfoil aerodynamic performance are attributed to variations in local first- and second-order curvature derivatives. Based on a self-developed computational fluid dynamics (CFD program called UCFD, the influence of local profile variations on airfoil aerodynamic performance in different pressure areas is investigated. The results show that variations in first- and second-order derivatives of the airfoil profiles can cause fluctuations in airfoil aerodynamic performance. The greater the variation in local first- and second-order derivatives, the greater the fluctuation amplitude of the airfoil aerodynamic coefficients. Moreover, at the area near the leading edge and the shock-wave position, the surface pressure is more sensitive to changes in first- and second-order derivatives. These results provide a reference for airfoil aerodynamic shape design.

Understanding the Effect of Atmospheric Density on the Cosmic Ray Flux Variations at the Earth Surface

OpenAIRE

Dayananda, Mathes; Zhang, Xiaohang; Butler, Carola; He, Xiaochun

2013-01-01

We report in this letter for the first time the numerical simulations of muon and neutron flux variations at the surface of the earth with varying air densities in the troposphere and stratosphere. The simulated neutron and muon flux variations are in very good agreement with the measured neutron flux variation in Oulu and the muon flux variation in Atlanta. We conclude from this study that the stratosphere air density variation dominates the effects on the muon flux changes while the density...

Tearing stability analysis of an axial surface flaw in thick-walled pressure vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zahoor, A.; Ghassemi, B.B.

1991-01-01

This paper presents two fracture mechanics models for evaluation of an axial surface flaw in pressure vessels. The surface flaw is located on the outside surface of the vessel. The first model assumes yielding of the remaining ligament directly ahead of the flaw. The second model assumes contained yielding ahead of the flaw and uses a linear elastic fracture mechanics solution. The former model is suitable for cases where the combination of material toughness, flaw size, and load is such that initiation of flaw growth follows ligament yielding. The latter model is suitable for low-toughness materials where initiation of crack growth and potential tearing instability may occur prior to the yielding of the ligament. Both models are suitable for thick-walled vessels. The paper discusses the applicability regime for both models. The models are then applied to a test vessel and the predicted failure pressure is compared against the pressure attained in the test. Results show that both models can be applied successfully. In particular, the contained yielding model when used with the plane-stress assumption can give reasonable predictions even for cases that involve yielding of the ligament. (orig.)

Tearing stability analysis of an axial surface flaw in thick-walled pressure vessels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zahoor, A.; Ghassemi, B.B. (NOVETECH Corp., Rockville, MD (USA))

1991-04-01

This paper presents two fracture mechanics models for evaluation of an axial surface flaw in pressure vessels. The surface flaw is located on the outside surface of the vessel. The first model assumes yielding of the remaining ligament directly ahead of the flaw. The second model assumes contained yielding ahead of the flaw and uses a linear elastic fracture mechanics solution. The former model is suitable for cases where the combination of material toughness, flaw size, and load is such that initiation of flaw growth follows ligament yielding. The latter model is suitable for low-toughness materials where initiation of crack growth and potential tearing instability may occur prior to the yielding of the ligament. Both models are suitable for thick-walled vessels. The paper discusses the applicability regime for both models. The models are then applied to a test vessel and the predicted failure pressure is compared against the pressure attained in the test. Results show that both models can be applied successfully. In particular, the contained yielding model when used with the plane-stress assumption can give reasonable predictions even for cases that involve yielding of the ligament. (orig.).

Change in surface SP caused by pressure buildup observed at the Nigorikawa geothermal area; Nigorikawa chiiki ni okeru atsuryoku buildup ji no shizen den`i henka

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yasukawa, K; Yano, Y; Matsushima, N; Ishido, T [Geological Survey of Japan, Tsukuba (Japan); Takahashi, M; Suzuki, I; Aoyama, K; Kuwano, T

1996-10-01

To examine the effect of change of subsurface flow system on the surface SP (self potential), SP measurements were carried out before and after the pressure buildup and drawdown during the periodic inspection at Nigorikawa area. Relation between the SP distribution and the observed data was also examined by 2-D numerical simulation. Tendency was found that the SP increased gradually with the production near the production well, decreased during the pressure buildup, and increased again during the drawdown. There were some points having the reverse tendency in the surrounding area. Behavior during the pressure buildup and drawdown was not clear. The resistivity near the ground surface was low ranging between 2 and 5 ohm/m within the Nigorikawa basin. The variation of SP was not so large when compared with the measuring error. The SP profiles on the secondary section passing in the center of caldera at the production stop and at one week after the production start were well corresponded with the profiles under natural conditions which were reproduces using the 2-D model. It was considered that the SP profile before the production stop was affected by the production. 12 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab.

Near-surface density profiling of Fe ion irradiated Si (100) using extremely asymmetric x-ray diffraction by variation of the wavelength

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khanbabaee, B., E-mail: khanbabaee@physik.uni-siegen.de; Pietsch, U. [Solid State Physics, University of Siegen, D-57068 Siegen (Germany); Facsko, S. [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01314 Dresden (Germany); Doyle, S. [Synchrotron Light Source ANKA, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, D-76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany)

2014-10-20

In this work, we report on correlations between surface density variations and ion parameters during ion beam-induced surface patterning process. The near-surface density variations of irradiated Si(100) surfaces were investigated after off-normal irradiation with 5 keV Fe ions at different fluences. In order to reduce the x-ray probing depth to a thickness below 5 nm, the extremely asymmetrical x-ray diffraction by variation of wavelength was applied, exploiting x-ray refraction at the air-sample interface. Depth profiling was achieved by measuring x-ray rocking curves as function of varying wavelengths providing incidence angles down to 0°. The density variation was extracted from the deviations from kinematical Bragg angle at grazing incidence angles due to refraction of the x-ray beam at the air-sample interface. The simulations based on the dynamical theory of x-ray diffraction revealed that while a net near-surface density decreases with increasing ion fluence which is accompanied by surface patterning, there is a certain threshold of ion fluence to surface density modulation. Our finding suggests that the surface density variation can be relevant with the mechanism of pattern formation.

Asphaltene laboratory assessment of a heavy onshore reservoir during pressure, temperature and composition variations to predict asphaltene onset pressure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bahrami, Peyman; Ahmadi, Yaser [Islamic Azad University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Kharrat, Riyaz [Petroleum University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Mahdavi, Sedigheh; James, Lesley [Memorial University of Newfoundland, Saint John' s (Canada)

2015-02-15

An Iranian heavy oil reservoir recently encountered challenges in oil production rate, and further investigation has proven that asphaltene precipitation was the root cause of this problem. In addition, CO{sub 2} gas injection could be an appropriate remedy to enhance the production of heavy crudes. In this study, high pressure-high temperature asphaltene precipitation experiments were performed at different temperatures and pressures to investigate the asphaltene phase behavior during the natural depletion process and CO{sub 2} gas injection. Compositional modeling of experimental data predicted onset points at different temperatures which determine the zone of maximum probability of asphaltene precipitation for the studied heavy oil reservoir. Also, the effect of CO{sub 2} gas injection was investigated as a function of CO{sub 2} concentration and pressure. It was found that a CO{sub 2}-oil ratio of 40% is the optimum for limiting precipitation to have the least formation damage and surface instrument contamination.

DPPC Monolayers Exhibit an Additional Phase Transition at High Surface Pressure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shen, Chen; de la Serna, Jorge B.; Struth, Bernd

2015-01-01

Pulmonary surfactant forms a monolayer at the air/aqueous interface within the lung. During the breath process, the surface pressure (Π) periodically varies from ~40mN/m up to ~70mN/m. The film is mechanically stable during this rapid and reversible expansion. Pulmonary surfactant consists of ~90......% of lipid with 10% integrated proteins. Among its lipid compounds, di-palmitoyl-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) dominates (~45wt%). DPPC is the only known lipid that can be compressed to very high surface pressure (~70mN/m) before its monolayer collapses. Most probably, this feature contributes to the mechanical...... stability of the alveoli monolayer. Still, to the best of our knowledge, some details of the compression isotherm presented here and the related structures of the DPPC monolayer were not studied so far. The liquid-expanded/liquid-condensed phase transition of the DPPC monolayer at ~10mN/m is well known...

Causes of plasma column contraction in surface-wave-driven discharges in argon at atmospheric pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Ridenti, Marco Antonio; de Amorim, Jayr; Dal Pino, Arnaldo; Guerra, Vasco; Petrov, George

2018-01-01

In this work we compute the main features of a surface-wave-driven plasma in argon at atmospheric pressure in view of a better understanding of the contraction phenomenon. We include the detailed chemical kinetics dynamics of Ar and solve the mass conservation equations of the relevant neutral excited and charged species. The gas temperature radial profile is calculated by means of the thermal diffusion equation. The electric field radial profile is calculated directly from the numerical solution of the Maxwell equations assuming the surface wave to be propagating in the TM00 mode. The problem is considered to be radially symmetrical, the axial variations are neglected, and the equations are solved in a self-consistent fashion. We probe the model results considering three scenarios: (i) the electron energy distribution function (EEDF) is calculated by means of the Boltzmann equation; (ii) the EEDF is considered to be Maxwellian; (iii) the dissociative recombination is excluded from the chemical kinetics dynamics, but the nonequilibrium EEDF is preserved. From this analysis, the dissociative recombination is shown to be the leading mechanism in the constriction of surface-wave plasmas. The results are compared with mass spectrometry measurements of the radial density profile of the ions Ar+ and Ar2+. An explanation is proposed for the trends seen by Thomson scattering diagnostics that shows a substantial increase of electron temperature towards the plasma borders where the electron density is small.

New method for remote and repeatable monitoring of intraocular pressure variations.

Science.gov (United States)

Margalit, Israel; Beiderman, Yevgeny; Skaat, Alon; Rosenfeld, Elkanah; Belkin, Michael; Tornow, Ralf-Peter; Mico, Vicente; Garcia, Javier; Zalevsky, Zeev

2014-02-01

We present initial steps toward a new measurement device enabling high-precision, noncontact remote and repeatable monitoring of intraocular pressure (IOP)-based on an innovative measurement principle. Using only a camera and a laser source, the device measures IOP by tracking the secondary speckle pattern trajectories produced by the reflection of an illuminating laser beam from the iris or the sclera. The device was tested on rabbit eyes using two different methods to modify IOP: via an infusion bag and via mechanical pressure. In both cases, the eyes were stimulated with increasing and decreasing ramps of the IOP. As IOP variations changed the speckle distributions reflected back from the eye, data were recorded under various optical configurations to define and optimize the best experimental configuration for the IOP extraction. The association between the data provided by our proposed device and that resulting from controlled modification of the IOP was assessed, revealing high correlation (R2=0.98) and sensitivity and providing a high-precision measurement (5% estimated error) for the best experimental configuration. Future steps will be directed toward applying the proposed measurement principle in clinical trials for monitoring IOP with human subjects.

First-order Probabilistic Analysis of the Effects of Heterogeneity on Pore-water Pressure in a Hillslope

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, J.; Yan, E.; Yeh, T. C. J.

2015-12-01

Pore-water pressure in a hillslope is a critical control of its stability. The main objective of this paper is to introduce a first-order moment analysis to investigate the pressure head variability within a hypothetical hillslope, induced by steady rainfall infiltration. This approach accounts for the uncertainties and spatial variation of the hydraulic conductivity, and is based on a first-order Taylor approximation of pressure perturbations calculated by a variably saturated, finite element flow model. Using this approach, the effects of variance (σ2lnKs) and spatial structure anisotropy (λh/λv) of natural logarithm of saturated hydraulic conductivity, and normalized vertical infiltration flux (q/ks) on the hillslope pore-water pressure are evaluated. We found that the responses of pressure head variability (σ2p) are quite different between unsaturated region and saturated region divided by the phreatic surface. Above the phreatic surface, a higher variability in pressure head is obtained from a higher σ2lnKs, a higher λh/λv and a smaller q/ks; while below the phreatic surface, a higher σ2lnKs, a lower λh/λv or a larger q/ks would lead to a higher variability in pressure head, and greater range of fluctuation of the phreatic surface within the hillslope. σ2lnKs has greatest impact on σ2p within the slope and λh/λv has smallest impact. All three variables have greater influence on maximum σ2p within the saturated region below the phreatic surface than that within the unsaturated region above the phreatic surface. The results obtained from this study are useful to understand the influence of hydraulic conductivity variations on slope seepage and stability under different slope conditions and material spatial distributions.

Assessment of broiler surface temperature variation when exposed to different air temperatures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

GR Nascimento

2011-12-01

Full Text Available This study was conducted to determine the effect of the air temperature variation on the mean surface temperature (MST of 7- to 35-day-old broiler chickens using infrared thermometry to estimate MST, and to study surface temperature variation of the wings, head, legs, back and comb as affected by air temperature and broiler age. One hundred Cobb® broilers were used in the experiment. Starting on day 7, 10 birds were weekly selected at random, housed in an environmental chamber and reared under three distinct temperatures (18, 25 and 32 ºC to record their thermal profile using an infrared thermal camera. The recorded images were processed to estimate MST by selecting the whole area of the bird within the picture and comparing it with the values obtained using selected equations in literature, and to record the surface temperatures of the body parts. The MST estimated by infrared images were not statistically different (p > 0.05 from the values obtained by the equations. MST values significantly increased (p < 0.05 when the air temperature increased, but were not affected by bird age. However, age influenced the difference between MST and air temperature, which was highest on day 14. The technique of infrared thermal image analysis was useful to estimate the mean surface temperature of broiler chickens.

A three-layer model of self-assembly induced surface-energy variation experimentally extracted by using nanomechanically sensitive cantilevers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zuo Guomin; Li Xinxin

2011-01-01

This research is aimed at elucidating surface-energy (or interfacial energy) variation during the process of molecule-layer self-assembly on a solid surface. A quasi-quantitative plotting model is proposed and established to distinguish the surface-energy variation contributed by the three characteristic layers of a thiol-on-gold self-assembled monolayer (SAM), namely the assembly-medium correlative gold/head-group layer, the chain/chain interaction layer and the tail/medium layer, respectively. The data for building the model are experimentally extracted from a set of correlative thiol self-assemblies in different media. The variation in surface-energy during self-assembly is obtained by in situ recording of the self-assembly induced nanomechanical surface-stress using integrated micro-cantilever sensors. Based on the correlative self-assembly experiment, and by using the nanomechanically sensitive self-sensing cantilevers to monitor the self-assembly induced surface-stressin situ, the experimentally extracted separate contributions of the three layers to the overall surface-energy change aid a comprehensive understanding of the self-assembly mechanism. Moreover, the quasi-quantitative modeling method is helpful for optimal design, molecule synthesis and performance evaluation of molecule self-assembly for application-specific surface functionalization.

Super-quasi-conformal transformation and Schiffer variation on super-Riemann surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahasi, Wataru

1990-01-01

A set of equations which characterizes the super-Teichmueller deformations is proposed. It is a supersymmetric extension of the Beltrami equation. Relations between the set of equations and the Schiffer variations with the KN bases are discussed. This application of the KN bases shows the powerfulness of the KN theory in the study of super-Riemann surfaces. (author)

Variations of surface temparature with solar activity at two stations in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Nigeria Journal of Pure and Applied Physics ... A consistent and persistent diurnal variation in surface air temperature exists which shows an almost constant level in the early morning hours (0000 0600 hours LT.); a rise at sunrise till about 1500 hr LT., a subsequent fall to the constant level by about 1900 hr LT. at sunset.

Surface characterization of TiNi deformed by high-pressure torsion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Awang Shri, Dayangku Noorfazidah [Graduate School of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577 (Japan); Structural Materials Unit, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047 (Japan); Tsuchiya, Koichi, E-mail: tsuchiya.koichi@nims.go.jp [Graduate School of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577 (Japan); Structural Materials Unit, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047 (Japan); Yamamoto, Akiko [Biomaterials Unit, International Center for Material Nanoarchitectonics (WPI-MANA), National Institute for Materials Science, Namiki 1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044 (Japan)

2014-01-15

Effect of grain refinements and amorphization by high-pressure torsion (HPT) on surface chemistry was investigated on TiNi. X-ray diffraction and micro-Vickers tests were used to check the phase changes and hardness before and after HPT. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to observe the changes in the natural passive film formation on the surface. Phase analysis reveals the change of crystalline TiNi to nanostructured one with increased hardness with straining by HPT. Grain refinement and amorphization caused by HPT reduce the amount of metallic Ni in the passive films and also increase the thickness of the film.

Evaluation of pressure transducers to measure surface level in the waste storage tanks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peters, T.J.; Colson, J.B.

1994-06-01

This report describes the results of tests conducted at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) to determine if pressure transducers can be used to measure the surface level in the waste tanks. A survey was first conducted to evaluate which, if any, commercially available pressure transducers were available that could meet the requirements for use in the waste tanks. More than 35 companies were contacted to determine if they manufactured a pressure transducer that could be used in the 101-SY waste tank. The three basic requirements for a pressure transducer for this application were that they were radiation-hardened, could withstand a caustic environment, and were certified to be intrinsically safe. No manufacturer was able to meet all three of these requirements with a commercially available product. Seven companies were able to meet the requirements for being radiation-hardened and being able to withstand the caustic environment. However, only two of the nine companies were willing to supply a pressure transducer for laboratory testing. The two pressure transducers that were tested in this program were the VEGA D36-38 from HiTech Technologies, Inc., and the KP-1911-A from Kaman Instrumentation Corporation. Pressure transducers operate on the principle that the pressure at the location of a sensor increases directly with the depth of the liquid above it. A liquid is required in order for these devices to operate. For these tests, water was first used to determine the ideal operation of the devices, then the devices were placed in a 101-SY waste tank simulant. The simulant had a specific gravity of 1.96 and had the consistency similar to the convective layer in the 101-SY waste tank. In order to determine the surface level with pressure transducers, the density of the material needs to be known

Color Variation on the Surfaces of Jupiter’s Greek and Trojan Asteroids

Science.gov (United States)

Chatelain, Joseph; Trilling, David E.; Emery, Joshua P.

2017-10-01

The L4 and L5 Lagrange points of Jupiter are populated with thousands of known, and possibly hundreds of thousands of unknown, Greek and Trojan Asteroids. Understanding the environmental and weathering conditions experienced by these objects over their lifetimes could constrain formation models for the Solar System. In an effort to shine some light on this issue, we have collected partial, simultaneous, lightcurves in both Johnson-Cousins V and I filters for a dozen large Jupiter Trojans. We found significant signs of color variation over the surfaces of four of these objects, and more subtle signs on an additional four. The most convincing examples of variation occur on (4709) Ennomos and (4833) Meges. Such a variation in color with rotation likely implies a large surface feature such as a recent crater. That such a high fraction of observed Trojans display these signatures could imply a more active collisional history for Jupiter Trojans than previously thought. It is therefore likely that one or more of the targets for the Lucy mission will have experienced a large, relatively recent, cratering event. This may help us obtain a much more in-depth understanding of the evolutionary processes ongoing for the Jupiter Trojan populations.

Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma Jet Surface Treatment for Use in Improving Adhesion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuettner, Lindsey Ann [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2017-09-06

Atmospheric-pressure plasma jets (APPJs) are a method of plasma treatment that plays an important role in material processing and modifying surface properties of materials, especially polymers. Gas plasmas react with polymer surfaces in numerous ways such as oxidation, radical formation, degradation, and promotion of cross-linking. Because of this, gas and plasma conditions can be explored for chosen processes to maximize desired properties. The purpose of this study is to investigate plasma parameters in order to modify surface properties for improved adhesion between aluminum and epoxy substrates using two types of adhesives. The background, results to date, and future work will be discussed.

Genetic variation and significance of hepatitis B surface antigen

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ZHANG Zhenhua

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Hepatitis B virus (HBV is prone to genetic variation because there is reverse transcription in the process of HBV replication. The gene mutation of hepatitis B surface antigen may affect clinical diagnosis of HBV infection, viral replication, and vaccine effect. The current research and existing problems are discussed from the following aspects: the mechanism and biological and clinical significance of S gene mutation. Most previous studies focused on S gene alone, so S gene should be considered as part of HBV DNA in the future research on S gene mutation.

Relation between surface roughness and number of cathode spots of a low-pressure arc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, Atsushi; Iwao, Toru; Yumoto, Motoshige

2008-01-01

A remarkable characteristic of the cathode spot of a low-pressure arc is that it can remove an oxide layer preferentially. Recently, cathode spots of a low-pressure arc have been used for cleaning metal oxide surfaces before thermal spraying or surface modification. Nevertheless, few reports have described the cathode spot movement or the oxide removal process. This experiment was carried out using a Fe+C cathode workpiece and a cylindrical copper anode. The cathode spot movement was recorded using a high-speed video camera. The images were later analysed using plasma image processing. The workpiece surface, which was covered with a 9.67 μm thick oxide, was analysed using laser microscopy after processing. The surface roughness and the number of cathode spots showed no direct relation because the current density per cathode spot did not change according to the number of cathode spots.

Rough-Surface-Enabled Capacitive Pressure Sensors with 3D Touch Capability.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Kilsoo; Lee, Jaehong; Kim, Gwangmook; Kim, Youngjae; Kang, Subin; Cho, Sungjun; Kim, SeulGee; Kim, Jae-Kang; Lee, Wooyoung; Kim, Dae-Eun; Kang, Shinill; Kim, DaeEun; Lee, Taeyoon; Shim, Wooyoung

2017-11-01

Fabrication strategies that pursue "simplicity" for the production process and "functionality" for a device, in general, are mutually exclusive. Therefore, strategies that are less expensive, less equipment-intensive, and consequently, more accessible to researchers for the realization of omnipresent electronics are required. Here, this study presents a conceptually different approach that utilizes the inartificial design of the surface roughness of paper to realize a capacitive pressure sensor with high performance compared with sensors produced using costly microfabrication processes. This study utilizes a writing activity with a pencil and paper, which enables the construction of a fundamental capacitor that can be used as a flexible capacitive pressure sensor with high pressure sensitivity and short response time and that it can be inexpensively fabricated over large areas. Furthermore, the paper-based pressure sensors are integrated into a fully functional 3D touch-pad device, which is a step toward the realization of omnipresent electronics. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Effect of surface microgeometry on the physical contact formation during pressure welding

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karakozov, E S; Grigor' evskii, V I; Orlova, L M

1976-01-01

Methods are discussed to analyse both qualitatively and quantitatively the physical contact formation depending upon a microprotrusion height in case of pressure welding. For this purpose VT14 two-phase titanium alloy and in some cases OT4 alloy (for comparison) have been used. Those alloys are of a fine-grained polyhedral structure with a grain size of 8-10 ..mu..m for OT4 alloy and 2-3 ..mu..m for VT14 alloy. The tests have been performed with round specimens with a dia. of 16 mm and a height of 30 mm. The contact surface of one of the samples has been polished, that of the other one had triangular notched microprotrusions with a constant angle ..beta.. equalling 15 deg and a pitch varying in different samples. The specimens have been butt-welded. The surface of the contact formed has been assessed after a break-down of welded joints depending upon the imprint area of the specimen with a polished surface. An assessment of the physical contact surface as well as fractographic and metallographic studies of the break-down surface have been performed with MMI-2, MBS-2 and MIM-8 microscopes. The paper describes results of studies at a welding temperature of 850-950 deg C, with a duration of 20 min specific pressure of 0.2 kgf/sq.mm.

Effect of surface microgeometry on the physical contact formation during pressure welding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karakozov, Eh.S.; Grigor'evskij, V.I.; Orlova, L.M.

1976-01-01

Methods are discussed to analyse both qualitatively and quantitatively the physical contact formation depending upon a microprotrusion height in case of pressure welding. For this purpose VT14 two-phase titanium alloy and in some cases OT4 alloy (for comparison) have been used. Those alloys are of a fine-grained polyhedral structure with a grain size of 8-10 μm for OT4 alloy and 2-3 μm for VT14 alloy. The tests have been performed with round specimens with a dia. of 16 mm and a height of 30 mm. The contact surface of one of the samples has been polished, that of the other one had triangular notched microprotrusions with a constant angle β equalling 15 deg and a pitch varying in different samples. The specimens have been butt-welded. The surface of the contact formed has been assessed after a break-down of welded joints depending upon the imprint area of the specimen with a polished surface. An assessment of the physical contact surface as well as fractographic and metallographic studies of the break-down surface have been performed with MMI-2, MBS-2 and MIM-8 microscopes. The paper describes results of studies at a welding temperature of 850-950 deg C, with a duration of 20 min specific pressure of 0.2 kgf/sq.mm

Use of Pressure-Redistributing Support Surfaces among Elderly Hip Fracture Patients across the Continuum of Care: Adherence to Pressure Ulcer Prevention Guidelines

Science.gov (United States)

Baumgarten, Mona; Margolis, David; Orwig, Denise; Hawkes, William; Rich, Shayna; Langenberg, Patricia; Shardell, Michelle; Palmer, Mary H.; McArdle, Patrick; Sterling, Robert; Jones, Patricia S.; Magaziner, Jay

2010-01-01

Purpose: To estimate the frequency of use of pressure-redistributing support surfaces (PRSS) among hip fracture patients and to determine whether higher pressure ulcer risk is associated with greater PRSS use. Design and Methods: Patients (n = 658) aged [greater than or equal] 65 years who had surgery for hip fracture were examined by research…

Pressurized-thermal-shock technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dickson, T.L.

1991-01-01

It was recognized at the time the original Issues on Pressurized Thermal Shock (IPTS) studies were conducted that distinct vertical plumes of cooling water form beneath the cold leg inlet nozzles during those particular transients that exhibit fluid/thermal stratification. The formation of these plumes (referred to as thermal streaming) induces a time-dependent circumferential temperature variation on the inner surface of the Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) wall that creates an axial stress component. This axial stress component is in addition to the axial stress components induced by time-dependent radial temperature variation through the wall thickness and the time-dependent pressure transient. This additional axial stress component will result in a larger axial stress resultant that results in a larger stress-intensity factor acting on circumferential flaws, thus reducing the fracture margin for circumferential flaws. Although this was recognized at the time of the original IPTS study, the contribution appeared to be relatively small; therefore, it was neglected. The original IPTS studies were performed with OCA-P, a computer program developed at ORNL to analyze the cleavage fracture response of a nuclear RPV subjected to PTS loading. OCA-P is a one-dimensional (1-D) finite-element code that analyzes the stresses and stress-intensity factors (axial and tangential) resulting from the pressure and the radial temperature variation through the wall thickness only. The HSST Program is investigating the potential effects of thermal-streaming-induced stresses in circumferential welds on the reactor vessel PTS analyses. The initial phase of this investigation focused on an evaluation of the available thermal-hydraulic data and analyses results. The objective for the initial phase of the investigation is to evaluate thermal-streaming behavior under conditions relevant to the operation of U.S. PWRs and chracterize any predicted thermal-streaming plumes

Rock discontinuity surface roughness variation with scale

Science.gov (United States)

Bitenc, Maja; Kieffer, D. Scott; Khoshelham, Kourosh

2017-04-01

hypothesize that roughness can increase or decrease with the joint size, depending on the large scale roughness (or waviness), which is entering the roughness calculation once the discontinuity size increases. Therefore, our objective is to characterize roughness at various spatial scales, rather than at changing surface size. Firstly, the rock surface is interpolated into a grid on which a Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) is applied. The resulting surface components have different frequencies, or in other words, they have a certain physical scale depending on the decomposition level and input grid resolution. Secondly, the Grasselli Parameter is computed for the original and each decomposed surface. Finally, the relative roughness change is analyzed with respect to increasing roughness wavelength for four different rock samples. The scale variation depends on the sample itself and thus indicates its potential mechanical behavior. References: - Barton, N. and V. Choubey (1977). "The shear strength of rock joints in theory and practice." Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering 10(1): 1-54. - Grasselli, G. (2001). Shear strength of rock joints based on quantified surface description. École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne. Lausanne, EPFL. - Tatone, B. S. A. and G. Grasselli (2009). "A method to evaluate the three-dimensional roughness of fracture surfaces in brittle geomaterials." Review of Scientific Instruments 80(12) - Tatone, B. and G. Grasselli (2012). "An Investigation of Discontinuity Roughness Scale Dependency Using High-Resolution Surface Measurements." Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering: 1-25.

Tactile surface classification for limbed robots using a pressure sensitive robot skin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shill, Jacob J; Collins Jr, Emmanuel G; Coyle, Eric; Clark, Jonathan

2015-01-01

This paper describes an approach to terrain identification based on pressure images generated through direct surface contact using a robot skin constructed around a high-resolution pressure sensing array. Terrain signatures for classification are formulated from the magnitude frequency responses of the pressure images. The initial experimental results for statically obtained images show that the approach yields classification accuracies >98%. The methodology is extended to accommodate the dynamic pressure images anticipated when a robot is walking or running. Experiments with a one-legged hopping robot yield similar identification accuracies ≈99%. In addition, the accuracies are independent with respect to changing robot dynamics (i.e., when using different leg gaits). The paper further shows that the high-resolution capabilities of the sensor enables similarly textured surfaces to be distinguished. A correcting filter is developed to accommodate for failures or faults that inevitably occur within the sensing array with continued use. Experimental results show using the correcting filter can extend the effective operational lifespan of a high-resolution sensing array over 6x in the presence of sensor damage. The results presented suggest this methodology can be extended to autonomous field robots, providing a robot with crucial information about the environment that can be used to aid stable and efficient mobility over rough and varying terrains. (paper)

Variations in pulmonary artery occlusion pressure to estimate changes in pleural pressure.

Science.gov (United States)

Bellemare, Patrick; Goldberg, Peter; Magder, Sheldon A

2007-11-01

A readily available assessment of changes in pleural pressure would be useful for ventilator and fluid management in critically ill patients. We examined whether changes in pulmonary artery occlusion pressure (Ppao) adequately reflect respiratory changes in pleural pressure as assessed by changes in intraesophageal balloon pressure (Peso). We studied patients who had a pulmonary catheter and esophageal balloon surrounding a nasogastric tube as part of their care (n=24). We compared changes in Ppao (dPpao) to changes in Peso (dPeso) by Bland-Altman and regression analysis. Adequacy of balloon placement was assessed by performing Mueller maneuvers and adjusting the position to achieve a ratio of dPeso to change in tracheal pressure (dPtr) of 0.85 or higher. This was achieved in only 14 of the 24 subjects. We also compared dCVP to dPeso. The dPpao during spontaneous breaths and positive pressure breaths gave a good estimate of Peso but generally underestimated dPeso (bias=2.2 +8.2 and -3.9 cmH2O for the whole group). The dCVP was not as good a predictor (bias=2.9 +10.3 and -4.6). In patients who have a pulmonary artery catheter in place dPpao gives a lower estimate of changes in pleural pressure and may be more reliable than dPeso. The dCVP is a less reliable predictor than changes in pleural pressure.

Sources of measurement variation in blood pressure in large-scale epidemiological surveys with follow-up

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Ulla Overgaard; Henriksen, Jens H; Jensen, Gorm

2002-01-01

The Copenhagen City Heart Study (CCHS) is a longitudinal epidemiological study of 19698 subjects followed up since 1976. Variation in blood pressure (BP) measurement in the first three CCHS surveys is evaluated by assessing two components, systematic variation and random variation [daytime...... min rest, with the cuff around the non-dominating arm, in accordance with recommended guidelines. The participation rate fell from 74% in survey 1 to 63% in survey 3. Significant non-response bias with respect to BP values was not found. No daytime variability was noted either in systolic (SBP...... and plasma cholesterol. SBP was 5-10 mmHg higher in diabetics (p = 0.000-0.04) than in age- and sex-matched non-diabetics. DBP did not differ between the two groups. Smokers from the age of 50 years had a 2-4 mmHg lower SBP (p = 0.000-0.01) and 1-3 mmHg lower DBP (p = 0.000-0.005) than had non...

The dependence of lipid monolayer lipolysis on surface pressure.

OpenAIRE

Hall, D G

1992-01-01

Brönsted-Bjerrum theory [Brönsted (1922) Z. Phys. Chem. 102, 169-207; (1925) Z. Phys. Chem. 115, 337-364; Bjerrum (1924) Z. Phys. Chem. 108, 82-100] as applied to reactions at interfaces is used to interpret published data on the lipolysis of dinonanoyl phosphatidylcholine monolayers by pancreatic phospholipase A2. Reasonable quantitative agreement between theoretical and experimental results occurs when the reported effects of surface pressure on the amount of adsorbed enzyme are used togeth...

Non-storm irregular variation of the Dst index

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Nakano

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The Dst index has a long-term variation that is not associated with magnetic storms. We estimated the long-term non-storm component of the Dst variation by removing the short-term variation related to magnetic storms. The results indicate that the variation of the non-storm component includes not only a seasonal variation but also an irregular variation. The irregular long-term variation is likely to be due to an anti-correlation with the long-term variation of solar-wind activity. In particular, a clear anti-correlation is observed between the non-storm component of Dst and the long-term variation of the solar-wind dynamic pressure. This means that in the long term, the Dst index tends to increase when the solar-wind dynamic pressure decreases. We interpret this anti-correlation as an indication that the long-term non-storm variation of Dst is influenced by the tail current variation. The long-term variation of the solar-wind dynamic pressure controls the plasma sheet thermal pressure, and the change of the plasma sheet thermal pressure would cause the non-storm tail current variation, resulting in the non-storm variation of Dst.

Elastoplastic analysis of surface cracks in pressure vessels using slip-line theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keskinen, R.P.

1983-01-01

The paper considers the aspects of engineering application of SLF theory to long surface cracks in pressure vessels. Green's upper-bound SLF for a bend specimen with deep wedge-shaped notch of small flank angle is adopted to analyse the remaining ligament of the cracked section. The SLF involves only one unknown variable, i.e., the radius of a circular slip-line arc, which can be evaluated from the equilibrium condition across the ligament. The stress distribution across the ligament is easily computed by Hencky's theorem and the respective stress resultants produce the boundary conditions for the solution of the neighboring elastic material. The elastic solution readily yields the rotation of the crack edges, COA, and it in turn geometrically defines the applied CTOD. Comparison has proved their relation to the stress resultants identical with that following from the customary single plastic hinge model when Tresca's yield condition prevails and the tensile side plastic constraint factor of the hinge model is chosen as 1.7. The SLF approach is demonstrated for an internal circumferential surface crack subjected to thermal gradient and axial load representative of overpressurization and emergency cooling conditions of a pressure vessel. Analytical formulas relating COA and CTOD to applied loading are derived and CTOD-R curve based stable crack propagation is solved iteratively. Generic numerical results are presented for COA and CTOD under arbitrary loading combination. The risk of crack growth initiation appears to increase with the linear dimensions of the pressure vessel, but remains small for a chosen BWR application. For a long axial surface crack the approach agrees with a previous plastic hinge analysis by Ranta-Maunus et al. suggesting instability under certain combinations of thermal gradient and internal pressure. (orig./HP)

Variational analysis of topological stationary barotropic MHD in the case of single-valued magnetic surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yahalom, A

2014-01-01

Variational principles for magnetohydrodynamics have been introduced by previous authors both in Lagrangian and Eulerian form. Yahalom and Lynden-Bell (2008) have previously introduced simpler Eulerian variational principles from which all the relevant equations of barotropic magnetohydrodynamics can be derived. These variational principles were given in terms of six independent functions for non-stationary barotropic flows with given topologies and three independent functions for stationary barotropic flows. This is less then the seven variables which appear in the standard equations of barotropic magnetohydrodynamics which are the magnetic field B-vector the velocity field v-vector and the density ρ. Later, Yahalom (2010) introduced a simpler variational principle in terms of four functions for non-stationary barotropic magnetohydrodynamics. It was shown that the above variational principles are also relevant for flows of non-trivial topologies and in fact using those variational variables one arrives at additional topological conservation laws in terms of cuts of variables which have close resemblance to the Aharonov- Bohm phase (Yahalom (2013)). In previous examples (Yahalom and Lynden-Bell (2008); Yahalom (2013)) the magnetic field lines with non-trivial topology were at the intersection of two surface one of which was always multivalued; in this paper an example is introduced in which the magnetic helicity is not zero yet both surfaces are single-valued

High pressure water jet cutting and stripping

Science.gov (United States)

Hoppe, David T.; Babai, Majid K.

1991-01-01

High pressure water cutting techniques have a wide range of applications to the American space effort. Hydroblasting techniques are commonly used during the refurbishment of the reusable solid rocket motors. The process can be controlled to strip a thermal protective ablator without incurring any damage to the painted surface underneath by using a variation of possible parameters. Hydroblasting is a technique which is easily automated. Automation removes personnel from the hostile environment of the high pressure water. Computer controlled robots can perform the same task in a fraction of the time that would be required by manual operation.

Improving Weather Research and Forecasting Model Initial Conditions via Surface Pressure Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

2015-09-01

ADDRESS(ES) US Army Research Laboratory ATTN: RDRL- CIE -M 2800 Powder Mill Road Adelphi, MD 20783-1138 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER...air radii of influence to account for the smaller error correlation length scales at the surface. However, the surface observations are limited to a...analysis will only account for errors in the first guess due to errors in the meteorological features (e.g., the strength of an area of high pressure

Influence of atmospheric pressure plasma treatment on surface properties of PBO fiber

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Ruiyun; Pan Xianlin; Jiang Muwen; Peng Shujing; Qiu Yiping

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► PBO fibers were treated with atmospheric pressure plasmas. ► When 1% of oxygen was added to the plasma, IFSS increased 130%. ► Increased moisture regain could enhance plasma treatment effect on improving IFSS with long treatment time. - Abstract: In order to improve the interfacial adhesion property between PBO fiber and epoxy, the surface modification effects of PBO fiber treated by atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) in different time, atmosphere and moisture regain (MR) were investigated. The fiber surface morphology, functional groups, surface wettability for control and plasma treated samples were analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and water contact angle measurements, respectively. Meanwhile, the fiber interfacial shear strength (IFSS), representing adhesion property in epoxy, was tested using micro-bond pull-out test, and single fiber tensile strength was also tested to evaluate the mechanical performance loss of fibers caused by plasma treatment. The results indicated that the fiber surface was etched during the plasma treatments, the fiber surface wettability and the IFSS between fiber and epoxy had much improvement due to the increasing of surface energy after plasma treatment, the contact angle decreased with the treatment time increasing, and the IFSS was improved by about 130%. The processing atmosphere could influence IFSS significantly, and moisture regains (MR) of fibers also played a positive role on improving IFSS but not so markedly. XPS analysis showed that the oxygen content on fiber surface increased after treatment, and C=O, O-C=O groups were introduced on fiber surface. On the other hand, the observed loss of fiber tensile strength caused by plasma treatment was not so remarkable to affect the overall performance of composite materials.

Small surface wave discharge at atmospheric pressure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kiss' ovski, Zh; Kolev, M; Ivanov, A; Lishev, St; Koleva, I, E-mail: kissov@phys.uni-sofia.b [Faculty of Physics, Sofia University, BG-1164 Sofia (Bulgaria)

2009-09-21

A small surface wave driven source produces plasma at atmospheric pressure. Microwave power at frequency 2.45 GHz is coupled with the source and a discharge is ignited at power levels below 10 W. The coaxial exciter of the surface waves has a length of 10 mm because its dielectric is a high permittivity discharge tube. The plasma source operates as a plasma jet in the case of plasma columns longer than the tube length. The source maintains stable plasma columns over a wide range of neutral gas flow and applied power in continuous and pulse regimes. An additional advantage of this source is the discharge self-ignition. An electron temperature of T{sub e} {approx} 1.9 eV and a density of n{sub e} {approx} 3.9 x 10{sup 14} cm{sup -3} are estimated by the probe diagnostics method. The emission spectra in the wavelength range 200-1000 nm under different experimental conditions are analysed and they prove the applicability of the source for analytical spectroscopy. The dependences of column length, reflected power and plasma parameters on the gas flow and the input power are discussed. (fast track communication)

Reduction of Islands in Full-pressure Stellarator Equilibria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hudson, S.R.; Monticello, D.A.; Reiman, A.H.

2001-01-01

The control of magnetic islands is a crucial issue in designing Stellarators. Islands are associated with resonant radial magnetic fields at rational rotational-transform surfaces and can lead to chaos and poor plasma confinement. In this article, we show that variations in the resonant fields of a full-pressure stellarator equilibrium can be related to variations in the boundary via a coupling matrix, and inversion of this matrix determines a boundary modification for which the island content is significantly reduced. The numerical procedure is described and the results of island optimization are presented. Equilibria with islands are computed using the Princeton Iterative Equilibrium Solver, and resonant radial fields are calculated via construction of quadratic-flux-minimizing surfaces. A design candidate for the National Compact Stellarator Experiment [Phys. Plasmas 8, 2001], which has a large island, is used to illustrate the technique. Small variations in the boundary shape are used to reduce island size and to reverse the phase of a major island chain

Superconductivity and its pressure variation in GaAs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nirmala Louis, C.; Jayam, Sr. Gerardin; Amalraj, A.

2005-01-01

The electronic band structure, metallization, phase transition and superconducting transition of gallium arsenide under pressure are studied using TB-LMTO method. Metallization occurs via indirect closing of band gap between Γ and X points. GaAs becomes superconductor under high pressure but before that it undergoes structural phase transition from ZnS phase to NaCl phase. The ground state properties are analyzed by fitting the calculated total energies to the Birch-Murnaghan's equation of state. The superconducting transition temperatures (T c ) obtained as a function of pressure for both the ZnS and NaCl structures and GaAs comes under the class of pressure induced superconductor. When pressure is increased T c increases in both the normal and high pressure structures. The dependence of T c on electron-phonon mass enhancement factor λ shows that GaAs is an electron-phonon-mediated superconductor. Also it is found that GaAs retained in their normal structure under high pressure give appreciably high T c . (author)

Polydiagnostic calibration performed on a low pressure surface wave sustained argon plasma

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vries, de N.; Palomares, J.M.; Iordanova, E.I.; Veldhuizen, van E.M.; Mullen, van der J.J.A.M.

2008-01-01

The electron density and electron temperature of a low pressure surface wave sustained argon plasma have been determined using passive and active (laser) spectroscopic methods simultaneously. In this way the validity of the various techniques is established while the plasma properties are determined

Surface modification of polyester synthetic leather with tetramethylsilane by atmospheric pressure plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Kan, C. W.; Kwong, C. H.; Ng, S. P.

2015-08-01

Much works have been done on synthetic materials but scarcely on synthetic leather owing to its surface structures in terms of porosity and roughness. This paper examines the use of atmospheric pressure plasma (APP) treatment for improving the surface performance of polyester synthetic leather by use of a precursor, tetramethylsilane (TMS). Plasma deposition is regarded as an effective, simple and single-step method with low pollution. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirm the deposition of organosilanes on the sample's surface. The results showed that under a particular combination of treatment parameters, a hydrophobic surface was achieved on the APP treated sample with sessile drop static contact angle of 138°. The hydrophobic surface is stable without hydrophilic recovery 30 days after plasma treatment.

Surface chemical structure of poly(ethylene naphthalate) films during degradation in low-pressure high-frequency plasma treatments

Science.gov (United States)

Kamata, Noritsugu; Yuji, Toshifumi; Thungsuk, Nuttee; Arunrungrusmi, Somchai; Chansri, Pakpoom; Kinoshita, Hiroyuki; Mungkung, Narong

2018-06-01

The surface chemical structure of poly(ethylene naphthalate) (PEN) films treated with a low-pressure, high-frequency plasma was investigated by storing in a box at room temperature to protect the PEN film surface from dust. The functional groups on the PEN film surface changed over time. The functional groups of –C=O, –COH, and –COOH were abundant in the Ar + O2 mixture gas plasma-treated PEN samples as compared with those in untreated PEN samples. The changes occurred rapidly after 2 d following the plasma treatment, reaching steady states 8 d after the treatment. Hydrophobicity had an inverse relationship with the concentration of these functional groups on the surface. Thus, the effect of the low-pressure high-frequency plasma treatment on PEN varies as a function of storage time. This means that radical oxygen and oxygen molecules are clearly generated in the plasma, and this is one index to confirm that radical reaction has definitely occurred between the gas and the PEN film surface with a low-pressure high-frequency plasma.

Surface Heat Flux and Pressure Distribution on a Hypersonic Blunt Body With DEAS

Science.gov (United States)

Salvador, I. I.; Minucci, M. A. S.; Toro, P. G. P.; Oliveira, A. C.; Channes, J. B.

2008-04-01

With the currently growing interest for advanced technologies to enable hypersonic flight comes the Direct Energy Air Spike concept, where pulsed beamed laser energy is focused upstream of a blunt flight vehicle to disrupt the flow structure creating a virtual, slender body geometry. This allies in the vehicle both advantages of a blunt body (lower thermal stresses) to that of a slender geometry (lower wave drag). The research conducted at the Henry T. Nagamatsu Laboratory for Aerodynamics and Hypersonics focused on the measurement of the surface pressure and heat transfer rates on a blunt model. The hypersonic flight conditions were simulated at the HTN Laboratory's 0.3 m T2 Hypersonic Shock Tunnel. During the tests, the laser energy was focused upstream the model by an infrared telescope to create the DEAS effect, which was supplied by a TEA CO2 laser. Piezoelectric pressure transducers were used for the pressure measurements and fast response coaxial thermocouples were used for the measurement of surface temperature, which was later used for the estimation of the wall heat transfer using the inverse heat conduction theory.

Comparison of surface modification of polypropylene film by filamentary DBD at atmospheric pressure and homogeneous DBD at medium pressure in air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fang, Z; Xie, X; Li, J; Yang, H; Qiu, Y; Kuffel, E

2009-01-01

Non-equilibrium plasmas generated by a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) are of great interest in material surface processing because of their convenience, effectiveness and low cost. In this paper, polypropylene (PP) films are modified using a non-equilibrium plasma generated by a DBD in air in homogeneous mode and in filamentary mode. The filamentary DBD is generated in ambient air, and the homogeneous DBD is generated at medium pressure with an operating pressure value of 3 kPa. The characteristics of homogeneous DBD are studied and compared with those of filamentary DBD by measuring their electrical discharge parameters and observing their light emission phenomena, and the surface properties of the PP films before and after the treatments are studied using contact angle and surface energy measurement, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. It is found that the homogeneous DBD is even and stable in the whole gas gap, which differs from the commonly filamentary DBD. The plasma treatments modify the PP surface in both morphology and composition. The PP films modified in both treatments show a remarkable decrease in the water contact angle and a remarkable increase in surface energy due to the introduction of oxygen-containing groups on the surface and the etching of the surface. The homogeneous DBD is more effective in PP surface modification than the filamentary DBD as it can make the contact angle decrease to a lower level by introducing more oxygen-containing groups. This effect could be explained by the evenly distributed plasma at a homogeneous DBD than at a filamentary DBD, and by the more efficient introduction of atomic oxygen to the PP surface in the case of homogeneous DBD.

An experimental investigation of wind pressures on square pillars in tornado-like vortices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwatani, Yoshiharu; Maruta, Eizou; Kanda, Makoto; Hattori, Yousuke; Hamano, Naoki; Matsuura, Takeshi

1992-01-01

This report describes a laboratory simulation of tornado-like vortices and laboratory measurements of steady wind loads on model structures in tornado-like vortices. The variations of wind direction and wind speed of tornado-like vortices and ground surface pressure under tornado-like vortices with the swirl ratio, Reynolds number and the surface roughness were investigated. Wind pressure distributions on square pillars were measured in tornado-like vortices. It was observed in the experiment that the negative pressures on the roof faces of square pillars were high and distributed rather uniformly but these on the side faces differed greatly from place to place and locally became high. The high pressure regions on the side faces were close to ground surface in the case where the model structures stood in the center of tornado-like vortex, and became higher as the increase of distance between the model structures and the center of tornado-like vortices. (author)

LB03.04: SPHYGMOMANOMETER CUFF CONSTRUCTION AND MATERIALS AFFECT TRANSMISSION OF PRESSURE FROM CUFF TO ARTERIAL WALL. FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF HUMAN PRESSURE MEASUREMENTS AND DICOM DATA.

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, P; Naqvi, S; Mandal, P; Potluri, P

2015-06-01

Sphygmomanometer cuff pressure during deflation is assumed to equal systolic arterial pressure at the point of resumption of flow. Previous studies demonstrated that pressure decreases with increasing depth of soft tissues whilst visco-elastic characteristics of the arm tissue cause spatial and temporal variation in pressure magnitude. These generally used non-anatomical axisymmetrical arm simulations without incorporating arterial pressure variation. We used data from a volunteer's Magnetic Resonance (MR) arm scan and investigated the effect of variations in cuff materials and construction on the simulated transmission of pressure from under the cuff to the arterial wall under sinusoidal flow conditions. Pressure was measured under 8 different cuffs using Oxford Pressure Monitor Sensors placed at 90 degrees around the mid upper arm of a healthy male. Each cuff was inflated 3 times to 155 mmHg and then deflated to zero with 90 seconds between inflations. Young's modulus, flexural rigidity and thickness of each cuff was measured.Using DICOM data from the MR scan of the arm, a 3D model was derived using ScanIP and imported into Abaqus for Finite Element Analysis (FEA). Published mechanical properties of arm tissues and geometric non-linearity were assumed. The measured sub-cuff pressures were applied to the simulated arm and pressure was calculated around the brachial arterial wall. which was loaded with a sinusoidal pressure of 125/85 mmHg. FEA estimates of pressure around the brachial artery cuffs varied by up to 27 mmHg SBP and 17 mmHg DBP with different cuffs. Pressures within the cuffs varied up to 27 mmHg. Pressure transmission from the cuff to the arterial surface achieved a 95% transmission ratio with one rubber-bladdered cuff but varied between 76 and 88% for the others. Non-uniform pressure distribution around the arterial wall was strongly related to cuff fabric elastic modulus. Identical size cuffs with a separate rubber bladder produced peri

Numerical modeling and experimental validation of seismic uplift pressure variations in cracked concrete dams

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Javanmardi, F.; Leger, P. [Ecole Polytechnique, Montreal, PQ (Canada). Dept. of Civil, Mining and Geological Engineering; Tinawi, R. [Quebec Univ., Montreal, PQ (Canada)

2004-07-01

Concrete dams could sustain cracking and damage during maximum design earthquakes (MDE). Dam safety guidelines are established so that dams maintain a stable condition following MDE oscillatory motions. In this study, a theoretical model was developed to calculate the uplift pressure variations along concrete cracks with moving walls. The proposed model was verified using experimental crack test data. The model was applied in a finite element computer program for dynamic analysis of gravity dams considering hydro-mechanical water-crack coupling. An analysis of a typical 90 metre dam subjected to low and high frequency sinusoidal accelerations demonstrated that water can penetrate into part of a seismically initiated crack. Pressure tends to develop in a region close to the crack mouth, therefore detrimental effects for the global dam stability are unlikely to occur. The study showed that the seismic uplift force during the heel crack opening mode is small compared to the dam weight. This preliminary study suggests that the critical sliding safety factors (SSF) of the dam against downstream sliding could be computed by considering zero uplift pressure in the crack region subjected to tensile opening. 14 refs., 1 tab., 7 figs.

Seasonal emanation of radon at Ghuttu, northwest Himalaya: Differentiation of atmospheric temperature and pressure influences.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamra, Leena

2015-11-01

Continuous monitoring of radon along with meteorological parameters has been carried out in a seismically active area of Garhwal region, northwest Himalaya, within the frame work of earthquake precursory research. Radon measurements are carried out by using a gamma ray detector installed in the air column at a depth of 10m in a 68m deep borehole. The analysis of long time series for 2006-2012 shows strong seasonal variability masked by diurnal and multi-day variations. Isolation of a seasonal cycle by minimising short-time by 31 day running average shows a strong seasonal variation with unambiguous dependence on atmospheric temperature and pressure. The seasonal characteristics of radon concentrations are positively correlated to atmospheric temperature (R=0.95) and negatively correlated to atmospheric pressure (R=-0.82). The temperature and pressure variation in their annual progressions are negatively correlated. The calculations of partial correlation coefficient permit us to conclude that atmospheric temperature plays a dominant role in controlling the variability of radon in borehole, 71% of the variability in radon arises from the variation in atmospheric temperature and about 6% of the variability is contributed by atmospheric pressure. The influence of pressure variations in an annual cycle appears to be a pseudo-effect, resulting from the negative correlation between temperature and pressure variations. Incorporation of these results explains the varying and even contradictory claims regarding the influence of the pressure variability on radon changes in the published literature. Temperature dependence, facilitated by the temperature gradient in the borehole, controls the transportation of radon from the deep interior to the surface. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Atmospheric-pressure-plasma-enhanced fabrication of nonfouling nanocoatings for 316 stainless steel biomaterial interfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Chun; Lin, Jin-He; Li, Chi-Heng; Yu, I.-Chun; Chen, Ting-Lun

2018-03-01

Atmospheric-pressure plasma, which was generated with electrical RF power, was fed to a tetramethyldisiloxane/argon gas mixture to prepare bioinert organosilicon coatings for 316 stainless steel. The surface characteristics of atmospheric-pressure-plasma-deposited nanocoatings were evaluated as a function of RF plasma power, precursor gas flow, and plasma working distance. After surface deposition, the chemical features, elemental compositions, and surface morphologies of the organosilicon nanocoatings were examined. It was found that RF plasma power and plasma working distance are the essential factors that affect the formation of plasma-deposited nanocoatings. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectra indicate that the atmospheric-pressure-plasma-deposited nanocoatings formed showed inorganic features. Atomic force microscopy analysis showed the surface roughness variation of the plasma-deposited nanocoating at different RF plasma powers and plasma working distances during surface treatment. From these surface analyses, it was found that the plasma-deposited organosilicon nanocoatings under specific operational conditions have relatively hydrophobic and inorganic characteristics, which are essential for producing an anti-biofouling interface on 316 stainless steel. The experimental results also show that atmospheric-pressure-plasma-deposited nanocoatings have potential use as a cell-resistant layer on 316 stainless steel.

A Variational Model for Two-Phase Immiscible Electroosmotic Flow at Solid Surfaces

KAUST Repository

Shao, Sihong

2012-01-01

We develop a continuum hydrodynamic model for two-phase immiscible flows that involve electroosmotic effect in an electrolyte and moving contact line at solid surfaces. The model is derived through a variational approach based on the Onsager principle of minimum energy dissipation. This approach was first presented in the derivation of a continuum hydrodynamic model for moving contact line in neutral two-phase immiscible flows (Qian, Wang, and Sheng, J. Fluid Mech. 564, 333-360 (2006)). Physically, the electroosmotic effect can be formulated by the Onsager principle as well in the linear response regime. Therefore, the same variational approach is applied here to the derivation of the continuum hydrodynamic model for charged two-phase immiscible flows where one fluid component is an electrolyte exhibiting electroosmotic effect on a charged surface. A phase field is employed to model the diffuse interface between two immiscible fluid components, one being the electrolyte and the other a nonconductive fluid, both allowed to slip at solid surfaces. Our model consists of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equation for momentum transport, the Nernst-Planck equation for ion transport, the Cahn-Hilliard phase-field equation for interface motion, and the Poisson equation for electric potential, along with all the necessary boundary conditions. In particular, all the dynamic boundary conditions at solid surfaces, including the generalized Navier boundary condition for slip, are derived together with the equations of motion in the bulk region. Numerical examples in two-dimensional space, which involve overlapped electric double layer fields, have been presented to demonstrate the validity and applicability of the model, and a few salient features of the two-phase immiscible electroosmotic flows at solid surface. The wall slip in the vicinity of moving contact line and the Smoluchowski slip in the electric double layer are both investigated. © 2012 Global-Science Press.

Surface modification for biomedical purposes utilizing dielectric barrier discharges at atmospheric pressure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gessner, Cordula; Bartels, Volker; Betker, Tanja; Matucha, Ulrike; Penache, Cristina; Klages, Claus-Peter

2004-07-01

Using dielectric barrier discharges (DBD) at atmospheric pressure, glass or polymer surfaces were equipped with epoxide groups or amino groups by plasma deposition from suitable monomers or - in case of polymers - DBD treatment in nitrogen-containing gases. Functional group densities have been estimated using absorption and fluorescence measurements or by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Amino group densities are comparable or even larger than those of aminosilylated surfaces. Fluorescence-labeled streptavidin has been used to investigate the binding capacity of surfaces equipped with covalently bound biotin molecules, starting either from epoxide or from amino groups. As an example of a Plasma Printing process, the generation of an array amino-functionalized spots, 400-{mu}m in diameter on a polymer surface by local deposition from aminopropyl-trimethoxysilane is demonstrated.

Mechanisms of Surface Antigenic Variation in the Human Pathogenic Fungus Pneumocystis jirovecii.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmid-Siegert, Emanuel; Richard, Sophie; Luraschi, Amanda; Mühlethaler, Konrad; Pagni, Marco; Hauser, Philippe M

2017-11-07

Microbial pathogens commonly escape the human immune system by varying surface proteins. We investigated the mechanisms used for that purpose by Pneumocystis jirovecii This uncultivable fungus is an obligate pulmonary pathogen that in immunocompromised individuals causes pneumonia, a major life-threatening infection. Long-read PacBio sequencing was used to assemble a core of subtelomeres of a single P. jirovecii strain from a bronchoalveolar lavage fluid specimen from a single patient. A total of 113 genes encoding surface proteins were identified, including 28 pseudogenes. These genes formed a subtelomeric gene superfamily, which included five families encoding adhesive glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored glycoproteins and one family encoding excreted glycoproteins. Numerical analyses suggested that diversification of the glycoproteins relies on mosaic genes created by ectopic recombination and occurs only within each family. DNA motifs suggested that all genes are expressed independently, except those of the family encoding the most abundant surface glycoproteins, which are subject to mutually exclusive expression. PCR analyses showed that exchange of the expressed gene of the latter family occurs frequently, possibly favored by the location of the genes proximal to the telomere because this allows concomitant telomere exchange. Our observations suggest that (i) the P. jirovecii cell surface is made of a complex mixture of different surface proteins, with a majority of a single isoform of the most abundant glycoprotein, (ii) genetic mosaicism within each family ensures variation of the glycoproteins, and (iii) the strategy of the fungus consists of the continuous production of new subpopulations composed of cells that are antigenically different. IMPORTANCE Pneumocystis jirovecii is a fungus causing severe pneumonia in immunocompromised individuals. It is the second most frequent life-threatening invasive fungal infection. We have studied the mechanisms

Critical heat flux on micro-structured zircaloy surfaces for flow boiling of water at low pressures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haas, C.; Miassoedov, A.; Schulenberg, T.; Wetzel, T.

2012-01-01

The influence of surface structure on critical heat flux for flow boiling of water was investigated for Zircaloy tubes in a vertical annular test section. The objectives were to find suitable surface modification processes for Zircaloy tubes and to test their critical heat flux performance in comparison to the smooth tube. Surface structures with micro-channels, porous layer, oxidized layer, and elevations in micro- and nano-scale were produced on a section of a Zircaloy cladding tube. These modified tubes were tested in an internally heated vertical annulus with a heated length of 326 mm and an inner and outer diameter of 9.5 and 18 mm. The experiments were performed with mass fluxes of 250 and 400 kg/(m 2 s), outlet pressures between 120 and 300 kPa, and constant inlet subcooling enthalpy of 167 kJ/kg. Only a small influence of modified surface structures on critical heat flux was observed for the pressure of 120 kPa in the present test section geometry. However, with increasing pressure the critical heat flux could increase up to 29% using the surface structured tubes with micro-channels, porous and oxidized layers. Capillary effects and increased nucleation site density are assumed to improve the critical heat flux performance. (authors)

Seasonal emanation of radon at Ghuttu, northwest Himalaya: Differentiation of atmospheric temperature and pressure influences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamra, Leena

2015-01-01

Continuous monitoring of radon along with meteorological parameters has been carried out in a seismically active area of Garhwal region, northwest Himalaya, within the frame work of earthquake precursory research. Radon measurements are carried out by using a gamma ray detector installed in the air column at a depth of 10 m in a 68 m deep borehole. The analysis of long time series for 2006–2012 shows strong seasonal variability masked by diurnal and multi-day variations. Isolation of a seasonal cycle by minimising short-time by 31 day running average shows a strong seasonal variation with unambiguous dependence on atmospheric temperature and pressure. The seasonal characteristics of radon concentrations are positively correlated to atmospheric temperature (R=0.95) and negatively correlated to atmospheric pressure (R=−0.82). The temperature and pressure variation in their annual progressions are negatively correlated. The calculations of partial correlation coefficient permit us to conclude that atmospheric temperature plays a dominant role in controlling the variability of radon in borehole, 71% of the variability in radon arises from the variation in atmospheric temperature and about 6% of the variability is contributed by atmospheric pressure. The influence of pressure variations in an annual cycle appears to be a pseudo-effect, resulting from the negative correlation between temperature and pressure variations. Incorporation of these results explains the varying and even contradictory claims regarding the influence of the pressure variability on radon changes in the published literature. Temperature dependence, facilitated by the temperature gradient in the borehole, controls the transportation of radon from the deep interior to the surface. - Highlights: • Seasonal variability of radon in borehole. • Influence of atmospheric temperature and pressure on radon variability. • Partial correlation coefficient.

Influence of Hydrostatic Pressure on the Corrosion Behavior of Superhydrophobic Surfaces on Bare and Oxidized Aluminum Substrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Ou, J F; Fang, X Z; Zhao, W J; Lei, S; Xue, M S; Wang, F J; Li, C Q; Lu, Y L; Li, W

2018-05-22

It is generally recognized that superhydrophobic surfaces in water may be used for corrosion resistance due to the entrapped air in the solid/liquid interface and could find potential applications in the protection of ship hull. For a superhydrophobic surface, as its immersion depth into water increases, the resultant hydrostatic pressure is also increased, and the entrapped air can be squeezed out much more easily. It is therefore predicted that high hydrostatic pressure would cause an unexpected decrease in corrosion resistance for the vessels in deep water (e.g., submarines) because of the unstable entrapped air. In this work, in order to clarify the role of hydrostatic pressure in the corrosion behavior of superhydrophobic surfaces, two typical superhydrophobic surfaces (SHSs) were prepared on bare and oxidized aluminum substrates, respectively, and then were immersed into the NaCl aqueous solutions with different depths of ∼0 cm (hydrostatic pressure ∼0 kPa), 10 cm (1 kPa), and 150 cm (15 kPa). It was found out for the SHSs on the oxidized Al, as the hydrostatic pressure increased, the corrosion behavior became severe. However, for the SHSs on the bare Al, their corrosion behavior was complex due to hydrostatic pressure. It was found that the corrosion resistance under 1 kPa was the highest. Further mechanism analysis revealed that this alleviated corrosion behavior under 1 kPa resulted from suppressing the oxygen diffusion through the liquid and reducing the subsequent corrosion rate as compared with 0 kPa, whereas the relatively low hydrostatic pressure (HP) could stabilize the entrapped air and hence enhance the corrosion resistance, compared with 15 kPa. The present study therefore provided a fundamental understanding for the applications of SHSs to prevent the corrosion, especially for various vessels in deep water.

The relationship of age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity ındex and diurnal variation of blood pressure.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalaycı, Belma; Erten, Yunus Turgay; Akgün, Tunahan; Karabag, Turgut; Kokturk, Furuzan

2018-03-05

Charlson Comorbidity index (CCI) is a scoring system to predict prognosis and mortality. It exhibits better utility when combined with age, age-adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index (ACCI). The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between ACCI and diurnal variation of blood pressure parameters in hypertensive patients and normotensive patients. We enrolled 236 patients. All patients underwent a 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) for evaluation of dipper or non-dipper pattern. We searched the correlation between ACCI and dipper or non-dipper pattern and other ABPM parameters. To further investigate the role of these parameters in predicting survival, a multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional hazard model was performed. 167 patients were in the hypertensive group (87 patients in non-dipper status) and 69 patients were in the normotensive group (41 patients in non-dipper status) of all study patients. We found a significant difference and negative correlation between AACI and 24-h diastolic blood pressure (DBP), awake DBP, awake mean blood pressure (MBP) and 24-h MBP and awake systolic blood pressure(SBP). Night decrease ratio of blood pressure had also a negative correlation with ACCI (p = 0.003, r = -0.233). However, we found a relationship with non-dipper pattern and ACCI in the hypertensive patients (p = 0.050). In multivariate Cox analysis sleep MBP was found related to mortality like ACCI (p = 0.023, HR = 1.086, %95 CI 1.012-1.165) Conclusion: ACCI was statistically significantly higher in non-dipper hypertensive patients than dipper hypertensive patients while ACCI had a negative correlation with blood pressure. Sleep MBP may predict mortality.

A comparative pressure analysis of air flow between horizontal and V-Tail of UAV MALE of NACA0012H with speed variation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Riza Rahmat

2018-01-01

Full Text Available NACA0012H is an airfoil type that could be used for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Medium Altitude Long Endurance. This experiment was used to analyze stress in the surface of Tail of UAV MALE that was caused by air flow. The experiment was conducted using Computational Fluid Dynamics Software. Two designs of tail, horizontal and V-tail, were considered to simulate pressure occurred on the surface of leading edge, chamber and trailing edge. The simulation was developed varying the speed of the UAV MALE. The results showed that pressure occurred on the surface of horizontal tail higher than pressure on the V-tail.

Pressure RElieving Support SUrfaces: a Randomised Evaluation 2 (PRESSURE 2): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Sarah; Smith, Isabelle L; Brown, Julia M; Hulme, Claire; McGinnis, Elizabeth; Stubbs, Nikki; Nelson, E Andrea; Muir, Delia; Rutherford, Claudia; Walker, Kay; Henderson, Valerie; Wilson, Lyn; Gilberts, Rachael; Collier, Howard; Fernandez, Catherine; Hartley, Suzanne; Bhogal, Moninder; Coleman, Susanne; Nixon, Jane E

2016-12-20

Pressure ulcers represent a major burden to patients, carers and the healthcare system, affecting approximately 1 in 17 hospital and 1 in 20 community patients. They impact greatly on an individual's functional status and health-related quality of life. The mainstay of pressure ulcer prevention practice is the provision of pressure redistribution support surfaces and patient repositioning. The aim of the PRESSURE 2 study is to compare the two main mattress types utilised within the NHS: high-specification foam and alternating pressure mattresses, in the prevention of pressure ulcers. PRESSURE 2 is a multicentre, open-label, randomised, double triangular, group sequential, parallel group trial. A maximum of 2954 'high-risk' patients with evidence of acute illness will be randomised on a 1:1 basis to receive either a high-specification foam mattress or alternating-pressure mattress in conjunction with an electric profiling bed frame. The primary objective of the trial is to compare mattresses in terms of the time to developing a new Category 2 or above pressure ulcer by 30 days post end of treatment phase. Secondary endpoints include time to developing new Category 1 and 3 or above pressure ulcers, time to healing of pre-existing Category 2 pressure ulcers, health-related quality of life, cost-effectiveness, incidence of mattress change and safety. Validation objectives are to determine the responsiveness of the Pressure Ulcer Quality of Life-Prevention instrument and the feasibility of having a blinded endpoint assessment using photography. The trial will have a maximum of three planned analyses with unequally spaced reviews at event-driven coherent cut-points. The futility boundaries are constructed as non-binding to allow a decision for stopping early to be overruled by the Data Monitoring and Ethics Committee. The double triangular, group sequential design of the PRESSURE 2 trial will provide an efficient design through the possibility of early stopping for

Surface modification of nanofibrillated cellulose films by atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Siró, Istvan; Kusano, Yukihiro; Norrman, Kion

2013-01-01

of atmospheric pressure plasma treatment, the water contact angle of NFC films increased and the values were comparable with those of PLA films. On the other hand, surface chemical characterization revealed inhomogeneity of the plasma treatment and limited improvement in adhesion between NFC and PLA films...

Patient-ventilator asynchrony affects pulse pressure variation prediction of fluid responsiveness.

Science.gov (United States)

Messina, Antonio; Colombo, Davide; Cammarota, Gianmaria; De Lucia, Marta; Cecconi, Maurizio; Antonelli, Massimo; Corte, Francesco Della; Navalesi, Paolo

2015-10-01

During partial ventilatory support, pulse pressure variation (PPV) fails to adequately predict fluid responsiveness. This prospective study aims to investigate whether patient-ventilator asynchrony affects PPV prediction of fluid responsiveness during pressure support ventilation (PSV). This is an observational physiological study evaluating the response to a 500-mL fluid challenge in 54 patients receiving PSV, 27 without (Synch) and 27 with asynchronies (Asynch), as assessed by visual inspection of ventilator waveforms by 2 skilled blinded physicians. The area under the curve was 0.71 (confidence interval, 0.57-0.83) for the overall population, 0.86 (confidence interval, 0.68-0.96) in the Synch group, and 0.53 (confidence interval, 0.33-0.73) in the Asynch group (P = .018). Sensitivity and specificity of PPV were 78% and 89% in the Synch group and 36% and 46% in the Asynch group. Logistic regression showed that the PPV prediction was influenced by patient-ventilator asynchrony (odds ratio, 8.8 [2.0-38.0]; P < .003). Of the 27 patients without asynchronies, 12 had a tidal volume greater than or equal to 8 mL/kg; in this subgroup, the rate of correct classification was 100%. Patient-ventilator asynchrony affects PPV performance during partial ventilatory support influencing its efficacy in predicting fluid responsiveness. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cytocompatibility evaluation and surface characterization of TiNi deformed by high-pressure torsion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Awang Shri, Dayangku Noorfazidah, E-mail: AWANGSHRI.Dayangku@nims.go.jp [Graduate School of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577 (Japan); Structural Materials Unit, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047 (Japan); Tsuchiya, Koichi [Graduate School of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577 (Japan); Structural Materials Unit, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047 (Japan); Yamamoto, Akiko [Biomaterials Unit, International Center for Material Nanoarchitectonics (WPI-MANA), National Institute for Materials Science, Namiki 1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044 (Japan)

2014-10-01

Effect of high-pressure torsion (HPT) deformation on biocompatibility and surface chemistry of TiNi was systematically investigated. Ti–50 mol% Ni was subjected to HPT straining for different numbers of turns, N = 0.25, 0.5, 1, 5 and 10 at a rotation speed of 1 rpm. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy observations after 7 days of cell culture revealed the changes in the surface oxide composition, enrichment of Ti and detection of nitrogen derived from organic molecules in the culture medium. Plating efficiency of L929 cells was slightly increased by HPT deformation though no significant difference was observed. Albumin adsorption was higher in HPT-deformed samples, while vitronectin adsorption was peaked at N = 1. HPT deformation was also found to effectively suppress the Ni ion release from the TiNi samples into the cell culture medium even after the low degree of deformation at N = 0.25. - Highlights: • Nanostructured Ti–50 mol%Ni alloy was produced using high-pressure torsion. • HPT deformation improved L929 growth on TiNi samples. • Changes in surface chemistry were observed in HPT deformed samples. • Protein adsorption behavior was influenced by the surface chemistry. • Ni ion release was suppressed in HPT deformed samples.

Title: variations and sensitivities of some blood pressure monitors ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by circulating blood upon the walls of blood vessels. Accuracy in blood pressure meters is of essence to health, especially in blood pressure monitoring and treatment. The aim of this research was to compare the readings and the sensitivities of some blood pressure monitors in use ...

Application of SH surface acoustic waves for measuring the viscosity of liquids in function of pressure and temperature.

Science.gov (United States)

Kiełczyński, P; Szalewski, M; Balcerzak, A; Rostocki, A J; Tefelski, D B

2011-12-01

Viscosity measurements were carried out on triolein at pressures from atmospheric up to 650 MPa and in the temperature range from 10°C to 40°C using ultrasonic measuring setup. Bleustein-Gulyaev SH surface acoustic waves waveguides were used as viscosity sensors. Additionally, pressure changes occurring during phase transition have been measured over the same temperature range. Application of ultrasonic SH surface acoustic waves in the liquid viscosity measurements at high pressure has many advantages. It enables viscosity measurement during phase transitions and in the high-pressure range where the classical viscosity measurement methods cannot operate. Measurements of phase transition kinetics and viscosity of liquids at high pressures and various temperatures (isotherms) is a novelty. The knowledge of changes in viscosity in function of pressure and temperature can help to obtain a deeper insight into thermodynamic properties of liquids. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synchronous Surface Pressure and Velocity Measurements of standard model in hypersonic flow

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhijun Sun

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Experiments in the Hypersonic Wind tunnel of NUAA(NHW present synchronous measurements of bow shockwave and surface pressure of a standard blunt rotary model (AGARD HB-2, which was carried out in order to measure the Mach-5-flow above a blunt body by PIV (Particle Image Velocimetry as well as unsteady pressure around the rotary body. Titanium dioxide (Al2O3 Nano particles were seeded into the flow by a tailor-made container. With meticulous care designed optical path, the laser was guided into the vacuum experimental section. The transient pressure was obtained around model by using fast-responding pressure-sensitive paint (PSPsprayed on the model. All the experimental facilities were controlled by Series Pulse Generator to ensure that the data was time related. The PIV measurements of velocities in front of the detached bow shock agreed very well with the calculated value, with less than 3% difference compared to Pitot-pressure recordings. The velocity gradient contour described in accord with the detached bow shock that showed on schlieren. The PSP results presented good agreement with the reference data from previous studies. Our work involving studies of synchronous shock-wave and pressure measurements proved to be encouraging.

A scalable variational inequality approach for flow through porous media models with pressure-dependent viscosity

Science.gov (United States)

Mapakshi, N. K.; Chang, J.; Nakshatrala, K. B.

2018-04-01

Mathematical models for flow through porous media typically enjoy the so-called maximum principles, which place bounds on the pressure field. It is highly desirable to preserve these bounds on the pressure field in predictive numerical simulations, that is, one needs to satisfy discrete maximum principles (DMP). Unfortunately, many of the existing formulations for flow through porous media models do not satisfy DMP. This paper presents a robust, scalable numerical formulation based on variational inequalities (VI), to model non-linear flows through heterogeneous, anisotropic porous media without violating DMP. VI is an optimization technique that places bounds on the numerical solutions of partial differential equations. To crystallize the ideas, a modification to Darcy equations by taking into account pressure-dependent viscosity will be discretized using the lowest-order Raviart-Thomas (RT0) and Variational Multi-scale (VMS) finite element formulations. It will be shown that these formulations violate DMP, and, in fact, these violations increase with an increase in anisotropy. It will be shown that the proposed VI-based formulation provides a viable route to enforce DMP. Moreover, it will be shown that the proposed formulation is scalable, and can work with any numerical discretization and weak form. A series of numerical benchmark problems are solved to demonstrate the effects of heterogeneity, anisotropy and non-linearity on DMP violations under the two chosen formulations (RT0 and VMS), and that of non-linearity on solver convergence for the proposed VI-based formulation. Parallel scalability on modern computational platforms will be illustrated through strong-scaling studies, which will prove the efficiency of the proposed formulation in a parallel setting. Algorithmic scalability as the problem size is scaled up will be demonstrated through novel static-scaling studies. The performed static-scaling studies can serve as a guide for users to be able to select

Damping Effect of an Unsaturated-Saturated System on Tempospatial Variations of Pressure Head and Specific Flux

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, C.; Zhang, Y. K.; Liang, X.

2014-12-01

Damping effect of an unsaturated-saturated system on tempospatialvariations of pressurehead and specificflux was investigated. The variance and covariance of both pressure head and specific flux in such a system due to a white noise infiltration were obtained by solving the moment equations of water flow in the system and verified with Monte Carlo simulations. It was found that both the pressure head and specific flux in this case are temporally non-stationary. The variance is zero at early time due to a deterministic initial condition used, then increases with time, and approaches anasymptotic limit at late time.Both pressure head and specific flux arealso non-stationary in space since the variance decreases from source to sink. The unsaturated-saturated systembehavesasa noise filterand it damps both the pressure head and specific flux, i.e., reduces their variations and enhances their correlation. The effect is stronger in upper unsaturated zone than in lower unsaturated zone and saturated zone. As a noise filter, the unsaturated-saturated system is mainly a low pass filter, filtering out the high frequency components in the time series of hydrological variables. The damping effect is much stronger in the saturated zone than in the saturated zone.

Critical Assessment of the Surface Tension determined by the Maximum Pressure Bubble Method

OpenAIRE

Benedetto, Franco Emmanuel; Zolotucho, Hector; Prado, Miguel Oscar

2015-01-01

The main factors that influence the value of surface tension of a liquid measured with the Maximum Pressure Bubble Method are critically evaluated. We present experimental results showing the effect of capillary diameter, capillary depth, bubble spheroidicity and liquid density at room temperature. We show that the decrease of bubble spheroidicity due to increase of capillary immersion depth is not sufficient to explain the deviations found in the measured surface tension values. Thus, we pro...

Support surfaces for pressure ulcer prevention

OpenAIRE

McInnes, E; Bell-Syer, SE; Dumville, JC; Legood, R; Cullum, NA

2008-01-01

Background Pressure ulcers (also known as bedsores, pressure sores, decubitus ulcers) are areas of localised damage to the skin and underlying tissue due to pressure, shear or friction. They are common in the elderly and immobile and costly in financial and human terms. Pressure-relieving beds, mattresses and seat cushions are widely used as aids to prevention in both institutional and non-institutional settings. Objectives This systematic review seeks to answer the following questions: (1) t...

Characterizing developing adverse pressure gradient flows subject to surface roughness

Science.gov (United States)

Brzek, Brian; Chao, Donald; Turan, Özden; Castillo, Luciano

2010-04-01

An experimental study was conducted to examine the effects of surface roughness and adverse pressure gradient (APG) on the development of a turbulent boundary layer. Hot-wire anemometry measurements were carried out using single and X-wire probes in all regions of a developing APG flow in an open return wind tunnel test section. The same experimental conditions (i.e., T ∞, U ref, and C p) were maintained for smooth, k + = 0, and rough, k + = 41-60, surfaces with Reynolds number based on momentum thickness, 3,000 carefully designed such that the x-dependence in the flow field was known. Despite this fact, only a very small region of the boundary layer showed a balance of the various terms in the integrated boundary layer equation. The skin friction computed from this technique showed up to a 58% increase due to the surface roughness. Various equilibrium parameters were studied and the effect of roughness was investigated. The generated flow was not in equilibrium according to the Clauser (J Aero Sci 21:91-108, 1954) definition due to its developing nature. After a development region, the flow reached the equilibrium condition as defined by Castillo and George (2001), where Λ = const, is the pressure gradient parameter. Moreover, it was found that this equilibrium condition can be used to classify developing APG flows. Furthermore, the Zagarola and Smits (J Fluid Mech 373:33-79, 1998a) scaling of the mean velocity deficit, U ∞δ*/δ, can also be used as a criteria to classify developing APG flows which supports the equilibrium condition of Castillo and George (2001). With this information a ‘full APG region’ was defined.

Flange surface detection device for upper lid of reactor pressure vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobayashi, Teruo.

1996-01-01

The present invention provide a device for detecting a flatness of an O-ring groove formed on a flange surface simply and at a high accuracy in a state where the upper lid of a reactor pressure vessel is removed as it is. Namely, a running truck provided with magnetic wheels is caused to run while being adsorbed along the outer circumferential surface of a downward flange surface and the lower surface of the flange in a state where the upper lid is removed. A sensor attaching stand equipped with spring-biased wheels is mounted to the running truck. The sensor attaching stand is provided with a flange surface sensor for measuring the distance to the lower surface of the flange and a groove sensor for measuring the distance to the bottom surface of an O-ring groove. Relative displacement of the groove sensor is determined by a calculator based on the measured value on the flange surface sensor. A flatness is obtained from the maximum value and the minimum value. In addition, presence of flaws on the bottom surface of the groove is detected based on the relative change of both measured values at the same time. As a result, all of the errors caused by the running are off-set thereby capable of performing a measurement at high accuracy. (I.S.)

Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma Cleaning of Contaminated Surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hicks, Robert F.; Selwyn, Gary S.

2001-01-01

Project was to develop a low-cost, environmentally benign technology for the decontamination and decommissioning of transuranic waste. With the invention of the atmospheric-pressure plasma jet the goal was achieved. This device selectively etches heavy metals from surfaces, rendering objects radiation free and suitable for decommissioning. The volatile reaction products are captured on filters, which yields a tremendous reduction in the volume of the waste. Studies on tantalum, a surrogate material for plutonium, have shown that etch rate of 6.0 microns per minute can be achieved under mild conditions. Over the past three years, we have made numerous improvements in the design of the plasma jet. It may now be operated for hundreds of hours and not undergo any degradation in performance. Furthermore, small compact units have been developed, which are easily deployed in the field

Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma Cleaning of Contaminated Surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robert F. Hicks; Gary S. Selwyn

2001-01-09

Project was to develop a low-cost, environmentally benign technology for the decontamination and decommissioning of transuranic waste. With the invention of the atmospheric-pressure plasma jet the goal was achieved. This device selectively etches heavy metals from surfaces, rendering objects radiation free and suitable for decommissioning. The volatile reaction products are captured on filters, which yields a tremendous reduction in the volume of the waste. Studies on tantalum, a surrogate material for plutonium, have shown that etch rate of 6.0 microns per minute can be achieved under mild conditions. Over the past three years, we have made numerous improvements in the design of the plasma jet. It may now be operated for hundreds of hours and not undergo any degradation in performance. Furthermore, small compact units have been developed, which are easily deployed in the field.

Trends in Arctic Ocean bottom pressure, sea surface height and freshwater content using GRACE and the ice-ocean model PIOMAS from 2008-2012

Science.gov (United States)

Peralta-Ferriz, Cecilia; Morison, James; Zhang, Jinlun; Bonin, Jennifer

2014-05-01

The variability of ocean bottom pressure (OBP) in the Arctic is dominated by the variations in sea surface height (SSH) from daily to monthly timescales. Conversely, OBP variability is dominated by the changes in the steric pressure (StP) at inter-annual timescales, particularly off the continental shelves. The combination of GRACE-derived ocean bottom pressure and ICESat altimetry-derived sea surface height variations in the Arctic Ocean have provided new means of identifying inter-annual trends in StP (StP = OBP-SSH) and associated freshwater content (FWC) of the Arctic region (Morison et al., 2012). Morison et al. (2012) showed that from 2004 to 2008, the FWC increased in the Beaufort Gyre and decreased in the Siberian and Central Arctic, resulting in a relatively small net basin-averaged FWC change. In this work, we investigate the inter-annual trends from 2008 to 2012 in OBP from GRACE, SSH from the state-of-the-art pan-Arctic ocean model PIOMAS -validated with tide and pressure gauges in the Arctic-, and compute the trends in StP and FWC from 2008-2012. We compare these results with the previous trends from 2005-2008 described in Morison et al. (2012). Our initial findings suggest increased salinity in the entire Arctic basin (relative to the climatological seasonal variation) from 2008-2012, compared to the preceding four years (2005-2008). We also find that the trends in OBP, SSH and StP from 2008-2012 present a different behavior during the spring-summer and fall-winter, unlike 2005-2008, in which the trends were generally consistent through all months of the year. It seems since 2009, when the Beaufort Gyre relaxed and the export of freshwater from the Canada Basin into the Canadian Archipelago and Fram Strait, via the Lincoln Sea, was anomalously large (de Steur et al., 2013), the Arctic Ocean has entered a new circulation regime. The causes of such changes in the inter-annual trends of OBP, SSH and StP -hence FWC-, associated with the changes in the

Sterilization and decontamination of surfaces using atmospheric pressure plasma discharges

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garate, E.; Gornostaeva, O.; Alexeff, I.; Kang, W.L.

1999-07-01

The goal of the program is to demonstrate that an atmospheric pressure plasma discharge can rapidly and effectively sterilize or decontaminate surfaces that are contaminated with model biological and chemical warfare agents. The plasma is produced by corona discharge from an array of pins and a ground plane. The array is constructed so that various gases, like argon or helium, can be flowed past the pins where the discharge is initiated. The pin array can be biased using either DC. AC or pulsed discharges. the work done to date has focused on the sterilization of aluminum, polished steel and tantalum foil metal coupons, about 2 cm on a side and 2 mm thick, which have been inoculated with up to 10{sup 6} spores per coupon of Bacillus subtilis var niger or Bascillus stearothermorphilus. Results indicate that 5 minute exposures to the atmospheric pressure plasma discharge can reduce the viable spore count by 4 orders of magnitude. The atmospheric pressure discharge is also effective in decomposing organic phosphate compounds that are stimulants for chemical warfare agents. Details of the decomposition chemistry, by-product formation, and electrical energy consumption of the system will be discussed.

Calculation of Pressure Distribution at Rotary Body Surface with the Vortex Element Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. A. Dergachev

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Vortex element method allows to simulate unsteady hydrodynamic processes in incompressible environment, taking into account the evolution of the vortex sheet, including taking into account the deformation or moving of the body or part of construction.For the calculation of the hydrodynamic characteristics of the method based on vortex element software package was developed MVE3D. Vortex element (VE in program is symmetrical Vorton-cut. For satisfying the boundary conditions at the surface used closed frame of vortons.With this software system modeled incompressible flow around a cylindrical body protection elongation L / D = 13 with a front spherical blunt with the angle of attack of 10 °. We analyzed the distribution of the pressure coefficient on the body surface of the top and bottom forming.The calculate results were compared with known Results of experiment.Considered design schemes with different number of Vorton framework. Also varied radius of VE. Calculation make possible to establish the degree of sampling surface needed to produce close to experiment results. It has been shown that an adequate reproducing the pressure distribution in the transition region spherical cylindrical surface, on the windward side requires a high degree of sampling.Based on these results Can be possible need to improve on the design scheme of body's surface, allowing more accurate to describe the flow vorticity in areas with abrupt changes of geometry streamlined body.

Pore Pressure and Field stress variation from Salt Water Injection; A case Study from Beaver Lodge Field in Williston Basin

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammed, R. A.; Khatibi, S.

2017-12-01

One of the major concerns in producing from oil and gas reservoirs in North American Basins is the disposal of high salinity salt water. It is a misconception that Hydro frack triggers Earthquakes, but due to the high salinity and density of water being pumped to the formation that has pore space of the rock already filled, which is not the case in Hydro-frack or Enhanced Oil Recovery in which fracturing fluid is pumped into empty pore space of rocks in depleted reservoirs. A review on the Bakken history showed that the concerns related to induce seismicity has increased over time due to variations in Pore pressure and In-situ stress that have shown steep changes in the region over the time. In this study, we focused on Pore pressure and field Stress variations in lower Cretaceous Inyan Kara and Mississippian Devonian Bakken, Inyan Kara is the major source for class-II salt-water disposal in the basin. Salt-water disposal is the major cause for induced seismicity. A full field study was done on Beaver Lodge Field, which has many salt-water disposal wells Adjacent to Oil and Gas Wells. We analyzed formation properties, stresses, pore-pressure, and fracture gradient profile in the field and. The constructed Mechanical Earth Model (MEM) revealed changes in pore pressure and stresses over time due to saltwater injection. Well drilled in the past were compared to recently drilled wells, which showed much stress variations. Safe mud weight Window of wells near proximity of injection wells was examined which showed many cases of wellbore instabilities. Results of this study will have tremendous impact in studying environmental issues and the future drilling and Fracking operations.

Operation method for wall surface of pressure suppression chamber of reactor container and floating scaffold used for the method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuzaki, Tetsuo; Kounomaru, Toshimi; Saito, Koichi.

1996-01-01

A floating scaffold is provisionally disposed in adjacent with the wall surface of pool water of a pressure suppression chamber while being floated on the surface of the pool water before the drainage of the pool water from the pressure vessel. The floating scaffold has guide rollers sandwiching a bent tube of an existent facility so that the horizontal movement is restrained, and is movable only in a vertical direction depending on the change of water level of the pool water. In addition, a handrail for preventing dropping, and a provisional illumination light are disposed. When pool water in the pressure suppression chamber is drained, the water level of the pool water is lowered in accordance with the amount of drained water. The floating scaffold floating on the water surface is lowered while being guided by the bent tube, and the operation position is lowered. An operator riding on the floating scaffold inspects the wall surfaces of the pressure chamber and conducts optional repair and painting. (I.N.)

Ranges of diurnal variation and the pattern of body temperature, blood pressure and heart rate in laboratory beagle dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Miyazaki, Hiroyasu; Yoshida, Mutsumi; Samura, Keiji; Matsumoto, Hiroyoshi; Ikemoto, Fumihiko; Tagawa, Masahiro

2002-01-01

Ranges in diurnal variation and the patterns of body temperature (T), blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR) and locomotor activity (LA) in 61 laboratory beagle dogs were analyzed using a telemetry system. Body temperature, BP, HR and LA increased remarkably at feeding time. Locomotor activity increased sporadically during the other periods. Body temperature was maintained at the higher value after feeding but had decreased by 0.2 C by early the next morning. Blood pressure fell to a lower value after feeding but had increased by 2.8% by early the next morning. Heart rate decreased progressively after feeding and was 14.5% lower the next morning. This study determined that in laboratory beagles the ranges of diurnal variation and patterns of T, BP and HR are significantly different from those reported in humans and rodents, and that over 24 hr these physiological changes were associated with their sporadic wake-sleep cycles of the dogs.

Surface chemical changes of atmospheric pressure plasma treated rabbit fibres important for felting process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Štěpánová, Vlasta, E-mail: vstepanova@mail.muni.cz [Department of Physical Electronics, Faculty of Science Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno (Czech Republic); Slavíček, Pavel; Stupavská, Monika; Jurmanová, Jana [Department of Physical Electronics, Faculty of Science Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno (Czech Republic); Černák, Mirko [Department of Physical Electronics, Faculty of Science Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno (Czech Republic); Department of Experimental Physics, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University, Mlynská dolina F2, 842 48 Bratislava (Slovakia)

2015-11-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Rabbit fibres plasma treatment is an effective method for fibres modification. • Atmospheric pressure plasma treatment is able to affect fibres properties. • Surface changes on fibres after plasma treatment were analysed via SEM, ATR-FTIR, XPS. • Significant increase of fibres wettability after plasma treatment was observed. • Plasma treatment at atmospheric pressure can replace the chemical treatment of fibres. - Abstract: We introduce the atmospheric pressure plasma treatment as a suitable procedure for in-line industrial application of rabbit fibres pre-treatment. Changes of rabbit fibre properties due to the plasma treatment were studied in order to develop new technology of plasma-based treatment before felting. Diffuse Coplanar Surface Barrier Discharge (DCSBD) in ambient air at atmospheric pressure was used for plasma treatment. Scanning electron microscopy was used for determination of the fibres morphology before and after plasma treatment. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used for evaluation of reactive groups. The concentration of carbon decreased and conversely the concentration of nitrogen and oxygen increased after plasma treatment. Aging effect of plasma treated fibres was also investigated. Using Washburn method the significant increase of fibres wettability was observed after plasma treatment. New approach of pre-treatment of fibres before felting using plasma was developed. Plasma treatment of fibres at atmospheric pressure can replace the chemical method which consists of application of strong acids on fibres.

Atmospheric summer teleconnections and Greenland Ice Sheet surface mass variations: insights from MERRA-2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lim, Young-Kwon; Schubert, Siegfried D; Molod, Andrea M; Cullather, Richard I; Zhao, Bin; Nowicki, Sophie M J; Lee, Jae N; Velicogna, Isabella

2016-01-01

The relationship between leading atmospheric teleconnection patterns and Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) temperature, precipitation, and surface mass balance (SMB) are investigated for the last 36 summers (1979–2014) based on Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications version 2 reanalyses. The results indicate that the negative phase of both the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and Arctic Oscillation, associated with warm and dry conditions for the GrIS, lead to SMB decreases within 0–1 months. Furthermore, the positive phase of the East Atlantic (EA) pattern often lags the negative NAO, reflecting a dynamical linkage between these modes that acts to further enhance the warm and dry conditions over the GrIS, leading to a favorable environment for enhanced surface mass loss. The development of a strong negative NAO in combination with a strong positive EA in recent years leads to significantly larger GrIS warming compared to when the negative NAO occurs in combination with a negative or weak positive EA (0.69 K versus 0.13 K anomaly). During 2009 and 2011, weakened (as compared to conditions during the severe surface melt cases of 2010 and 2012) local high pressure blocking produced colder northerly flow over the GrIS inhibiting warming despite the occurrence of a strong negative NAO, reflecting an important role for the EA during those years. In particular, the EA acts with the NAO to enhance warming in 2010 and 2012, and weaken high pressure blocking in 2009 and 2011. In general, high pressure blocking primarily impacts the western areas of the GrIS via advective temperature increases, while changes in net surface radiative fluxes account for both western and eastern GrIS temperature changes. (letter)

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy applied to the characterization of surfaces at pressures of up to 0.1 mbar

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kong, C.W.

1987-01-01

The thesis describes the design principles, operation and an X-Ray Photoelectron Spectrometer capable of analyzing surfaces under in situ conditions in the pressure range of 10 -11 to 1 mbar. Measurements at pressures exceeding 10 -5 mbar are carried out by placing a differentially pumped aperture system between sample surface and the hemispherical electron energy analyzer. The reduction of signal intensity due to the aperture is, depending on the operating mode and resolution of the analyzer, between a factor of 5-12. Measurements at pressures as high as 6 x 10 -1 mbar show that the sensitivity of the apparatus is sufficient to detect coverages as low as ∼.1 monolayers. The experimental work described in this thesis relates to the interaction of sulfur dioxide with metallic copper and CuO and Cu 2 O surfaces. Adsorption and reaction of SO 2 with these surfaces comprise one of the elemental steps in the flue gas cleanup process from a duct stream using copper oxide particles. The adsorption and reaction of SO 2 with copper and copper oxide surfaces was studied by in situ x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy between 173 K-473 K and pressures ranging from UHV to 10 -1 mbar. It was found that a Cu 2 SO 3 species acts as an intermediate in the formation of CuSO 4 at T 300 K, in the formation of copper sulfide. The presence of gas phase oxygen was found to accelerate the surface reaction between SO 2 and the substrates. Contrary to previous suggestions, the author finds that a copper sulfate is found only under conditions which are far removed form the conditions in a duct-pipe. Under temperature and partial pressure conditions resembling the industrial process, a copper sulfide is formed

The change of steel surface chemistry regarding oxygen partial pressure and dew point

Science.gov (United States)

Norden, Martin; Blumenau, Marc; Wuttke, Thiemo; Peters, Klaus-Josef

2013-04-01

By investigating the surface state of a Ti-IF, TiNb-IF and a MnCr-DP after several series of intercritical annealing, the impact of the annealing gas composition on the selective oxidation process is discussed. On behalf of the presented results, it can be concluded that not the general oxygen partial pressure in the annealing furnace, which is a result of the equilibrium reaction of water and hydrogen, is the main driving force for the selective oxidation process. It is shown that the amounts of adsorbed gases at the strip surface and the effective oxygen partial pressure resulting from the adsorbed gases, which is mainly dependent on the water content of the annealing furnace, is driving the selective oxidation processes occurring during intercritical annealing. Thus it is concluded, that for industrial applications the dew point must be the key parameter value for process control.

Investigation of surface porosity measurements and compaction pressure as means to ensure consistent contact angle determinations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holm, René; Borkenfelt, Simon; Allesø, Morten

2016-01-01

for a compound is determined by its contact angle to a liquid, which in the present study was measured using the sessile drop method applied to a disc compact of the compound. Precise determination of the contact angle is important should it be used to either rank compounds or selected excipients to e.......g. increase the wetting from a solid dosage form. Since surface roughness of the compact has been suggested to influence the measurement this study investigated if the surface quality, in terms of surface porosity, had an influence on the measured contact angle. A correlation to surface porosity was observed......, however for six out of seven compounds similar results were obtained by applying a standard pressure (866MPa) to the discs in their preparation. The data presented in the present work therefore suggest that a constant high pressure should be sufficient for most compounds when determining the contact angle...

Helium atmospheric pressure plasma jets touching dielectric and metal surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Norberg, Seth A.; Johnsen, Eric; Kushner, Mark J.

2015-07-01

Atmospheric pressure plasma jets (APPJs) are being investigated in the context plasma medicine and biotechnology applications, and surface functionalization. The composition of the surface being treated ranges from plastics, liquids, and biological tissue, to metals. The dielectric constant of these materials ranges from as low as 1.5 for plastics to near 80 for liquids, and essentially infinite for metals. The electrical properties of the surface are not independent variables as the permittivity of the material being treated has an effect on the dynamics of the incident APPJ. In this paper, results are discussed from a computational investigation of the interaction of an APPJ incident onto materials of varying permittivity, and their impact on the discharge dynamics of the plasma jet. The computer model used in this investigation solves Poisson's equation, transport equations for charged and neutral species, the electron energy equation, and the Navier-Stokes equations for the neutral gas flow. The APPJ is sustained in He/O2 = 99.8/0.2 flowing into humid air, and is directed onto dielectric surfaces in contact with ground with dielectric constants ranging from 2 to 80, and a grounded metal surface. Low values of relative permittivity encourage propagation of the electric field into the treated material and formation and propagation of a surface ionization wave. High values of relative permittivity promote the restrike of the ionization wave and the formation of a conduction channel between the plasma discharge and the treated surface. The distribution of space charge surrounding the APPJ is discussed.

Scalable Pressure Sensor Based on Electrothermally Operated Resonator

KAUST Repository

Hajjaj, Amal Z.; Hafiz, Md Abdullah Al; Alcheikh, Nouha; Younis, Mohammad I.

2017-01-01

We experimentally demonstrate a new pressure sensor that offers the flexibility of being scalable to small sizes up to the nano regime. Unlike conventional pressure sensors that rely on large diaphragms and big-surface structures, the principle of operation here relies on convective cooling of the air surrounding an electrothermally heated resonant structure, which can be a beam or a bridge. This concept is demonstrated using an electrothermally tuned and electrostatically driven MEMS resonator, which is designed to be deliberately curved. We show that the variation of pressure can be tracked accurately by monitoring the change in the resonance frequency of the resonator at a constant electrothermal voltage. We show that the range of the sensed pressure and the sensitivity of detection are controllable by the amount of the applied electrothermal voltage. Theoretically, we verify the device concept using a multi-physics nonlinear finite element model. The proposed pressure sensor is simple in principle and design and offers the possibility of further miniaturization to the nanoscale.

Scalable Pressure Sensor Based on Electrothermally Operated Resonator

KAUST Repository

Hajjaj, Amal Z.

2017-11-03

We experimentally demonstrate a new pressure sensor that offers the flexibility of being scalable to small sizes up to the nano regime. Unlike conventional pressure sensors that rely on large diaphragms and big-surface structures, the principle of operation here relies on convective cooling of the air surrounding an electrothermally heated resonant structure, which can be a beam or a bridge. This concept is demonstrated using an electrothermally tuned and electrostatically driven MEMS resonator, which is designed to be deliberately curved. We show that the variation of pressure can be tracked accurately by monitoring the change in the resonance frequency of the resonator at a constant electrothermal voltage. We show that the range of the sensed pressure and the sensitivity of detection are controllable by the amount of the applied electrothermal voltage. Theoretically, we verify the device concept using a multi-physics nonlinear finite element model. The proposed pressure sensor is simple in principle and design and offers the possibility of further miniaturization to the nanoscale.

Tuning of turbulent boundary layer anisotropy for improved surface pressure and trailing-edge noise modeling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bertagnolio, Franck; Fischer, Andreas; Zhu, Wei Jun

2014-01-01

The modeling of the surface pressure spectrum beneath a turbulent boundary layer is investigated, focusing on the case of airfoil flows and associated trailing edge noise prediction using the so-called TNO model. This type of flow is characterized by the presence of an adverse pressure gradient...... along the airfoil chord. It is shown that discrepancies between measurements and results from the TNO model increase as the pressure gradient increases. The original model is modified by introducing anisotropy in the definition of the turbulent vertical velocity spectrum across the boundary layer...

Combining Unsteady Blade Pressure Measurements and a Free-Wake Vortex Model to Investigate the Cycle-to-Cycle Variations in Wind Turbine Aerodynamic Blade Loads in Yaw

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moutaz Elgammi

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Prediction of the unsteady aerodynamic flow phenomenon on wind turbines is challenging and still subject to considerable uncertainty. Under yawed rotor conditions, the wind turbine blades are subjected to unsteady flow conditions as a result of the blade advancing and retreating effect and the development of a skewed vortical wake created downstream of the rotor plane. Blade surface pressure measurements conducted on the NREL Phase VI rotor in yawed conditions have shown that dynamic stall causes the wind turbine blades to experience significant cycle-to-cycle variations in aerodynamic loading. These effects were observed even though the rotor was subjected to a fixed speed and a uniform and steady wind flow. This phenomenon is not normally predicted by existing dynamic stall models integrated in wind turbine design codes. This paper couples blade pressure measurements from the NREL Phase VI rotor to a free-wake vortex model to derive the angle of attack time series at the different blade sections over multiple rotor rotations and three different yaw angles. Through the adopted approach it was possible to investigate how the rotor self-induced aerodynamic load fluctuations influence the unsteady variations in the blade angles of attack and induced velocities. The hysteresis loops for the normal and tangential load coefficients plotted against the angle of attack were plotted over multiple rotor revolutions. Although cycle-to-cycle variations in the angles of attack at the different blade radial locations and azimuth positions are found to be relatively small, the corresponding variations in the normal and tangential load coefficients may be significant. Following a statistical analysis, it was concluded that the load coefficients follow a normal distribution at the majority of blade azimuth angles and radial locations. The results of this study provide further insight on how existing engineering models for dynamic stall may be improved through

Pressure-driven peristaltic flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mingalev, S V; Lyubimov, D V; Lyubimova, T P

2013-01-01

The peristaltic motion of an incompressible fluid in two-dimensional channel is investigated. Instead of fixing the law of wall's coordinate variation, the law of pressure variation on the wall is fixed and the border's coordinate changes to provide the law of pressure variation on the wall. In case of small amplitude of pressure-variation on the wall A, expansion wave propagates along the length of channel and the wave results in the peristaltic transport of fluid. In the case of large A, the channel divides into two parts. The small pulsating part in the end of the tube creates the flow as a human heart, while the other big part loses this function. The solution of problem for the first peristaltic mode is stable, while the solution for the second 'heart' mode is unstable and depends heavily on boundary conditions.

Subsonic and transonic pressure measurements on a high-aspect-ratio supercritical-wing model with oscillating control surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Sandford, M. C.; Ricketts, R. H.; Watson, J. J.

1981-01-01

A high aspect ratio supercritical wing with oscillating control surfaces is described. The semispan wing model was instrumented with 252 static orifices and 164 in situ dynamic pressure gases for studying the effects of control surface position and sinusoidal motion on steady and unsteady pressures. Data from the present test (this is the second in a series of tests on this model) were obtained in the Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel at Mach numbers of 0.60 and 0.78 and are presented in tabular form.

Comparative study on two different seal surface structure for reactor pressure vessel sealing behavior

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Jun; Xiong Guangming; Deng Xiaoyun

2014-01-01

The seal surface structure is very important to reactor pressure vessel (RPV) sealing behavior. In this paper, two 3-D RPV sealing analysis finite models have been established with different seal surface structures, in order to study the influence of two structures. The separation of RPV upper and lower flanges, bolt loads and etc. are obtained, which are used to evaluate the sealing behavior of the RPV. Meanwhile, the comparative analysis of safety margin of two seal surface structural had been done, which provides the theoretical basis for RPV seal structure design optimization. (authors)

Temporal variation of 228Ra in the near-surface Gulf of Mexico

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reid, F.D.; Moore, W.S.; Sackett, W.M.

1979-01-01

The Mn-fiber technique for extracting radium from seawater has proved useful for studying the marine geochemistry of 228 Ra. In the Gulf of Mexico, this technique was used to measure the surface and near-surface distribution of 226 Ra and 228 Ra. The observed surface distribution of 228 Ra, and particularly the radium activity ratio (228/226) can be explained by known circulation patterns, or, when local surface currents are not well understood, may provide insight into their general characteristics. The radium activity ratio has increased from 0.5 in 1968 to 0.7 in 1973 in the surface Gulf of Mexico. This observed increase cannot be attributed to known anthropogenic or natural source perturbations within the Caribbean Sea-Gulf of Mexico system. Possible causes include a change in the residence time for near-surface water, or variations in the relative dominance of the two eastern Caribbean; the North Equatorial Current and the Guiana Current. The temporal distribution of 228 Ra is unstable and naturally variable over a time period less than or equal to five years in the Gulf of Mexico and by extrapolation, the Caribbean Sea. Therefore, its usefulness in calculations of eddy diffusion coefficients for these regions is greatly diminished. (Auth.)

Transonic steady- and unsteady-pressure measurements on a high-aspect-ratio supercritical-wing model with oscillating control surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Sandford, M. C.; Ricketts, R. H.; Cazier, F. W., Jr.

1980-01-01

A supercritical wing with an aspect ratio of 10.76 and with two trailing-edge oscillating control surfaces is described. The semispan wing is instrumented with 252 static orifices and 164 in situ dynamic-pressure gages for studying the effects of control-surface position and motion on steady- and unsteady-pressures at transonic speeds. Results from initial tests conducted in the Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel at two Reynolds numbers are presented in tabular form.

Impact of electrode geometry on an atmospheric pressure surface barrier discharge

Science.gov (United States)

Hasan, M. I.; Morabit, Y.; Dickenson, A.; Walsh, J. L.

2017-06-01

Several of the key characteristics of an atmospheric pressure surface barrier discharge (SBD) are heavily dependent on the geometrical configuration of the plasma generating electrodes. This paper reveals that increasing the surface area of an SBD device by reducing the gaps within the electrodes can have major and unforeseen consequence on the discharge properties. It is experimentally demonstrated that a critical limit exists when reducing the diameter of a circular electrode gap below 5 mm, beyond which the required breakdown voltage increases exponentially and the power deposited in the discharge is impeded. Using a numerical model, it is shown that a reduced electrode gap diameter yields a decrease in the voltage difference between the electrode and dielectric surface, thus lowering the maximum electric field. This study indicates a link between the electrode geometry and the nature of the reactive chemistry produced in the plasma, findings which have wide-reaching implications for many applications where multiple closely packed surface barrier discharges are employed to achieve uniform and large area plasma processing.

How to increase the hydrophobicity of PTFE surfaces using an r.f. atmospheric-pressure plasma torch

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Carbone, E.A.D.; Boucher, N.; Sferrazza, M.; Reniers, F.

2010-01-01

An experimental investigation of the surface modification of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) by an Ar and Ar/O2 plasma created with an atmospheric-pressure radio frequency (r.f.) torch is presented here. The surfaces were analyzed by atomic force microscopy (AFM), XPS and water contact angle (WCA) to

Failure maps for internally pressurized Zr-2.5% Nb pressure tubes with circumferential temperature variations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shewfelt, R.S.W.

1986-01-01

During some postulated loss-of-coolant accidents, the pressure tube temperature may rise before the internal pressure drops, causing the pressure tube to balloon. The temperature around the pressure tube circumference would likely be nonuniform, producing localized deformation that could possibly cause failure. The computer program, GRAD, was used to determine the circumferential temperature distribution required to cause an internally pressurized Zr-2.5% Nb pressure tube to fail before coming into full contact with its calandria tube. These results were used to construct failure maps. 7 refs

A structural view of Pd model catalysts : high-pressure surface X-Ray diffraction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rijn, Richard van

2012-01-01

This thesis describes the development of a combined high-pressure/ultrahigh-vacuum flow reactor for the study of model catalysts by means of surface x-ray diffraction and grazing incidence small angle scattering. The system was used to measure a stability diagram for the different oxide phases

Surface energy and surface stress on vicinals by revisiting the Shuttleworth relation

Science.gov (United States)

Hecquet, Pascal

2018-04-01

In 1998 [Surf. Sci. 412/413, 639 (1998)], we showed that the step stress on vicinals varies as 1/L, L being the distance between steps, while the inter-step interaction energy primarily follows the law as 1/L2 from the well-known Marchenko-Parshin model. In this paper, we give a better understanding of the interaction term of the step stress. The step stress is calculated with respect to the nominal surface stress. Consequently, we calculate the diagonal surface stresses in both the vicinal system (x, y, z) where z is normal to the vicinal and the projected system (x, b, c) where b is normal to the nominal terrace. Moreover, we calculate the surface stresses by using two methods: the first called the 'Zero' method, from the surface pressure forces and the second called the 'One' method, by homogeneously deforming the vicinal in the parallel direction, x or y, and by calculating the surface energy excess proportional to the deformation. By using the 'One' method on the vicinal Cu(0 1 M), we find that the step deformations, due to the applied deformation, vary as 1/L by the same factor for the tensor directions bb and cb, and by twice the same factor for the parallel direction yy. Due to the vanishing of the surface stress normal to the vicinal, the variation of the step stress in the direction yy is better described by using only the step deformation in the same direction. We revisit the Shuttleworth formula, for while the variation of the step stress in the direction xx is the same between the two methods, the variation in the direction yy is higher by 76% for the 'Zero' method with respect to the 'One' method. In addition to the step energy, we confirm that the variation of the step stress must be taken into account for the understanding of the equilibrium of vicinals when they are not deformed.

Sterilization of Surfaces with a Handheld Atmospheric Pressure Plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Hicks, Robert; Habib, Sara; Chan, Wai; Gonzalez, Eleazar; Tijerina, A.; Sloan, Mark

2009-10-01

Low temperature, atmospheric pressure plasmas have shown great promise for decontaminating the surfaces of materials and equipment. In this study, an atmospheric pressure, oxygen and argon plasma was investigated for the destruction of viruses, bacteria, and spores. The plasma was operated at an argon flow rate of 30 L/min, an oxygen flow rate of 20 mL/min, a power density of 101.0 W/cm^3 (beam area = 5.1 cm^2), and at a distance from the surface of 7.1 mm. An average 6log10 reduction of viable spores was obtained after only 45 seconds of exposure to the reactive gas. By contrast, it takes more than 35 minutes at 121^oC to sterilize anthrax in an autoclave. The plasma properties were investigated by numerical modeling and chemical titration with nitric oxide. The numerical model included a detailed reaction mechanism for the discharge as well as for the afterglow. It was predicted that at a delivered power density of 29.3 W/cm^3, 30 L/min argon, and 0.01 volume% O2, the plasma generated 1.9 x 10^14 cm-3 O atoms, 1.6 x 10^12 cm-3 ozone, 9.3 x 10^13 cm-3 O2(^1δg), and 2.9 x 10^12 cm-3 O2(^1σ^+g) at 1 cm downstream of the source. The O atom density measured by chemical titration with NO was 6.0 x 10^14 cm-3 at the same conditions. It is believe that the oxygen atoms and the O2(^1δg) metastables were responsible for killing the anthrax and other microorganisms.

Experimentally obtained values of electric field of an atmospheric pressure plasma jet impinging on a dielectric surface

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sobota, A.; Guaitella, O.; Garcia-Caurel, E.

2013-01-01

We report on experimentally obtained values of the electric field magnitude on a dielectric surface induced by an impinging atmospheric pressure plasma jet. The plasma plume was striking the dielectric surface at an angle of 45¿, at 5mm from the surface measured at the axis of the jet. The results

Modeling seasonal surface temperature variations in secondary tropical dry forests

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Sen; Sanchez-Azofeifa, Arturo

2017-10-01

Secondary tropical dry forests (TDFs) provide important ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, and nutrient cycle regulation. However, their biogeophysical processes at the canopy-atmosphere interface remain unknown, limiting our understanding of how this endangered ecosystem influences, and responds to the ongoing global warming. To facilitate future development of conservation policies, this study characterized the seasonal land surface temperature (LST) behavior of three successional stages (early, intermediate, and late) of a TDF, at the Santa Rosa National Park (SRNP), Costa Rica. A total of 38 Landsat-8 Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) data and the Surface Reflectance (SR) product were utilized to model LST time series from July 2013 to July 2016 using a radiative transfer equation (RTE) algorithm. We further related the LST time series to seven vegetation indices which reflect different properties of TDFs, and soil moisture data obtained from a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN). Results showed that the LST in the dry season was 15-20 K higher than in the wet season at SRNP. We found that the early successional stages were about 6-8 K warmer than the intermediate successional stages and were 9-10 K warmer than the late successional stages in the middle of the dry season; meanwhile, a minimum LST difference (0-1 K) was observed at the end of the wet season. Leaf phenology and canopy architecture explained most LST variations in both dry and wet seasons. However, our analysis revealed that it is precipitation that ultimately determines the LST variations through both biogeochemical (leaf phenology) and biogeophysical processes (evapotranspiration) of the plants. Results of this study could help physiological modeling studies in secondary TDFs.

Variation of air--water gas transfer with wind stress and surface viscoelasticity

OpenAIRE

Frew, Nelson M.; Bock, Erik J.; McGillis, Wade R.; Karachintsev, Andrey V.; Hara, Tetsu; Münsterer, Thomas; Jähne, Bernd

1995-01-01

Previous parameterizations of gas transfer velocity have attempted to cast this quantity as a function of wind speed or wind-stress. This study demonstrates that the presence of a surface film is effective at reducing the gas transfer velocity at constant wind-stress. Gas exchange experiments were performed at WHOI and UH using annular wind-wave tanks of different scales. Systematic variations of wind-stress and surfactant concentration (Triton-X-100) were explored to determ...

Monitoring pressure profiles across an airfoil with a fiber Bragg grating sensor array

Science.gov (United States)

Papageorgiou, Anthony W.; Parkinson, Luke A.; Karas, Andrew R.; Hansen, Kristy L.; Arkwright, John W.

2018-02-01

Fluid flow over an airfoil section creates a pressure difference across the upper and lower surfaces, thus generating lift. Successful wing design is a combination of engineering design and experience in the field, with subtleties in design and manufacture having significant impact on the amount of lift produced. Current methods of airfoil optimization and validation typically involve computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and extensive wind tunnel testing with pressure sensors embedded into the airfoil to measure the pressure over the wing. Monitoring pressure along an airfoil in a wind tunnel is typically achieved using surface pressure taps that consist of hollow tubes running from the surface of the airfoil to individual pressure sensors external to the tunnel. These pressure taps are complex to configure and not ideal for in-flight testing. Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) pressure sensing arrays provide a highly viable option for both wind tunnel and inflight pressure measurement. We present a fiber optic sensor array that can detect positive and negative pressure suitable for validating CFD models of airfoil profile sections. The sensing array presented here consists of 6 independent sensing elements, each capable of a pressure resolution of less than 10 Pa over the range of 70 kPa to 120 kPa. The device has been tested with the sensor array attached to a 90mm chord length airfoil section subjected to low velocity flow. Results show that the arrays are capable of accurately detecting variations of the pressure profile along the airfoil as the angle of attack is varied from zero to the point at which stall occurs.

Skeletal muscle oxygen pressure fields in artificially ventilated, critically ill patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lund, N.; Jorfeldt, L.; Lewis, D.H.; Oedman, S.

1980-01-01

The MDO (Mehrdraht Dostmund Oberflaeche) oxygen electrode was used in a study of skeletal muscle oxygen pressure fields, presented as histograms, in critically ill patients artificially ventilated with gas mixtures of different oxygen concentrations. The histograms were compared with forearm blood flow measurements performed with strain gauge plethysmography. Local blood flow and permeability-surface area product (PS) were also studied by the simultaneous clearances of 133 xenon and 51 Cr-EDTA. The histogram distribution type was normal, i.e. approximately Gaussian, at arterial oxygen pressure levels between 10 and 18 kPa. At arterial oxygen pressures outside this range the histogram distribution types were abnormal, i.e. they showed a non-symmetrical distribution of oxygen pressure values, but their mean was approximately the same as in the normal histogram. However, there were significantly higher tissue oxygen pressure mean values in the patients (3.43 kPa) than in a group of healthy human volunteers (2.25 kPa). Mean forearm blood flow and the clearances of 133 xenon and 51 Cr-EDTA showed marked variations during the measurements both intraindividually and interindividually. Mean forearm blood flow and mean clearances of 133 xenon showed opposite trends compared with arterial oxygen pressures. Mean clearances of 51 Cr-EDTA and mean PS showed minor variations at the different arterial oxygen pressure levels. (author)

Solid hydrogen and deuterium. II. Pressure and compressibility calculated by a lowest-order constrained-variation method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pettersen, G.; Ostgaard, E.

1988-01-01

The pressure and the compressibility of solid H 2 and D 2 are obtained from ground-state energies calculated by means of a modified variational lowest order constrained-variation (LOCV) method. Both fcc and hcp structures are considered, but results are given for the fcc structure only. The pressure and the compressibility are calculated or estimated from the dependence of the ground-state energy on density or molar volume, generally in a density region of 0.65σ -3 to 1.3σ -3 , corresponding to a molar volume of 0.65σ -3 to 1.3σ -3 , corresponding to a molar volume of 12-24 cm 3 mole, where σ = 2.958 angstrom, and the calculations are done for five different two-body potentials. Theoretical results for the pressure are 340-460 atm for solid H 2 at a particle density of 0.82σ -3 or a molar volume of 19 cm 3 /mole, and 370-490 atm for solid 4 He at a particle density of 0.92σ -3 or a molar volume of 17 cm 3 /mole. The corresponding experimental results are 650 and 700 atm, respectively. Theoretical results for the compressibility are 210 times 10 -6 to 260 times 10 -6 atm -1 for solid H 2 at a particle density of 0.82σ -3 or a molar volume of 19 cm 3 /mole, and 150 times 10 -6 to 180 times 10 -6 atm -1 for solid D 2 at a particle density of 0.92σ -3 or a molar volume of 17 cm 3 mole. The corresponding experimental results are 180 times 10 -6 and 140 times 10 -6 atm -1 , respectively. The agreement with experimental results is better for higher densities

MODELING THE VARIATIONS OF DOSE RATE MEASURED BY RAD DURING THE FIRST MSL MARTIAN YEAR: 2012–2014

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guo, Jingnan; Wimmer-Schweingruber, Robert F.; Heber, Bernd; Köhler, Jan; Appel, Jan K.; Böhm, Eckart; Böttcher, Stephan; Burmeister, Sönke; Lohf, Henning; Martin, Cesar [Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel (Germany); Zeitlin, Cary [Southwest Research Institute, Earth, Oceans and Space Department, Durham, NH (United States); Rafkin, Scot; Hassler, Donald M.; Ehresmann, Bent [Southwest Research Institute, Space Science and Engineering Division, Boulder, CO (United States); Posner, Arik [NASA Headquarters, Science Mission Directorate, Washington, DC (United States); Brinza, David E. [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA (United States); Kahanpää, H. [Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki (Finland); Reitz, Günther, E-mail: guo@physik.uni-kiel.de [Aerospace Medicine, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, Köln (Germany)

2015-09-01

The Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD), on board Mars Science Laboratory’s (MSL) rover Curiosity, measures the energy spectra of both energetic charged and neutral particles along with the radiation dose rate at the surface of Mars. With these first-ever measurements on the Martian surface, RAD observed several effects influencing the galactic cosmic-ray (GCR) induced surface radiation dose concurrently: (a) short-term diurnal variations of the Martian atmospheric pressure caused by daily thermal tides, (b) long-term seasonal pressure changes in the Martian atmosphere, and (c) the modulation of the primary GCR flux by the heliospheric magnetic field, which correlates with long-term solar activity and the rotation of the Sun. The RAD surface dose measurements, along with the surface pressure data and the solar modulation factor, are analyzed and fitted to empirical models that quantitatively demonstrate how the long-term influences ((b) and (c)) are related to the measured dose rates. Correspondingly, we can estimate dose rate and dose equivalents under different solar modulations and different atmospheric conditions, thus allowing empirical predictions of the Martian surface radiation environment.

Spatial and temporal variation of surface waves in shallow waters along the eastern Arabian Sea.

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Anoop, T.R.; SanilKumar, V.; Shanas, P.R.

We studied the spatial and temporal variation of surface waves along the eastern Arabian Sea during 2011 and 2012. Measured directional wave data at two shallow water locations and re-analysis datasets (ERA-Interim) at 0.751 intervals at four...

Investigation of surface treatment of conductive wire in cylindrical atmospheric pressure plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ye Rubin; Kagohashi, Tsutomu; Zheng Wei

2009-01-01

Polyethylene insulated electric wire was treated in He and Ar dielectric barrier discharge atmospheric pressure plasmas generated in a quartz tube wound with tubular electrodes. The wire was put penetrating through the high voltage and the grounded electrodes, improving the discharge and facilitating uniform surface treatment. In this work, the influences of conductivity of the wire on the effects of surface treatment and discharge behavior were investigated. Surface properties of the wire samples were analyzed by means of surface energy measurement and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In order to reveal the mechanism for treating the conductive wire, I-V discharge waveforms were measured and time-resolved plasma images were taken. It was demonstrated that the conductive wire was involved in the discharge process, reducing the breakdown voltage significantly and enhancing the discharge. It shows that the discharge mode was strongly dependent on the conductivity of a wire. Intensive surface discharges developed along the conductive wire were found to be mainly responsible for noticeable improvement in the treatment effect.

The effect of ammonium partial pressure on residual stresses in surface layer of SW7M HSS steel after vacuum nitriding 'NITROVAC'79'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gawronski, Z.

1997-01-01

The effect of the nitriding atmosphere on the residual stresses in the surface layer of the SW7M HSS steel has been investigated in the work. It has been proved that the pressure influences the distribution of those stresses to a great extent. At lower pressures (20 hPa and 40 hPa) at which only one zone is being created - the one of internal nitriding, without that of ε type nitrides on the surface - the highest residual stresses are operating on the HSS steel surface itself or eventually in the subsurface region very close to the surface. In the difference, in case of higher pressure (120 hPa and 240 hPa), the highest stresses are operating at great depth 8-12 μm from the steel surface - depending on the thickness of the ε type nitride layer created on the steel surface at those pressure. All the relevant stresses are compressive one. (author). 6 refs, 4 figs, 1 tab

Influence of reactions heats on variation of radius, temperature, pressure and chemical species amounts within a single acoustic cavitation bubble.

Science.gov (United States)

Kerboua, Kaouther; Hamdaoui, Oualid

2018-03-01

The scientific interest toward the study of acoustic bubble is mainly explained by its practical benefit in providing a reactional media favorable to the rapid evolution of chemical mechanism. The evolution of this mechanism is related to the simultaneous and dependent variation of the volume, temperature and pressure within the bubble, retrieved by the resolution of a differential equations system, including among others the thermal balance. This last one is subject to different assumptions, some authors deem simply that the temperature varies adiabatically during the collapsing phase, without considering the reactions heat of the studied mechanism. This paper aims to evaluate the pertinence of neglecting reactions heats in the thermal balance, by analyzing their effect on the variation of radius, temperature, pressure and chemical species amounts. The results show that the introduction of reactions heats conducts to a decrease of the temperature, an increase of the pressure and a reduction of the bubble volume. As a consequence, this leads to a drop of the quantities of free radicals produced by the chemical mechanism evolving within the bubble. This paper also proved that the impact of the consideration of reactions heats is dependent of the frequency and the acoustic amplitude of the ultrasonic wave. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Analyses on interaction of internal and external surface cracks in a pressurized cylinder by hybrid boundary element method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chai Guozhong; Fang Zhimin; Jiang Xianfeng; Li Gan

2004-01-01

This paper presents a comprehensive range of analyses on the interaction of two identical semi-elliptical surface cracks at the internal and external surfaces of a pressurized cylinder. The considered ratios of the crack depth to crack length are b/a=0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0; the ratios of the crack depth to wall thickness of the cylinder are 2b/t=0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.7 and 0.8. Forty crack configurations are analyzed and the stress intensity factors along the crack front are presented. The numerical results show that for 2b/t<0.7, the interaction leads to a decrease in the stress intensity factors for both internal and external surface cracks, compared with a single internal or external surface crack. Thus for fracture analysis of a practical pressurized cylinder with two identical semi-elliptical surface cracks at its internal and external surfaces, a conservative result is obtained by ignoring the interaction

Plantar Pressure Variation during Jogging with Different Heel Height

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. D. Gu

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the key testing and analysis results of an investigation on the effect of heel height on the plantar pressure over different foot areas in jogging. It is important in improving the understanding of jogging with high heels and damage/injury prevention. It can also potentially guide the development of suitable/adaptive exercise schemes in between daily activities with high heels. In this work, plantar pressure data were collected from 10 habituated healthy female subjects (aged 21–25 years at their natural jogging speed with three different conditions: flat heeled shoes (0.8 cm, low heeled shoes (4.0 cm, and high heeled shoes (6.6 cm. Data analysis showed significantly differences in plantar pressure distribution associated with the heel heights with increased pressure in the first metatarsal region and decreased pressure in the lateral metatarsal and midfoot sections. However, there is no significant alteration of plantar pressure in the central area of the forefoot with jogging gait.

Acoustic Pressure Waves in Vibrating 3-D Laminated Beam-Plate Enclosures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Charles A. Osheku

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The effect of structural vibration on the propagation of acoustic pressure waves through a cantilevered 3-D laminated beam-plate enclosure is investigated analytically. For this problem, a set of well-posed partial differential equations governing the vibroacoustic wave interaction phenomenon are formulated and matched for the various vibrating boundary surfaces. By employing integral transforms, a closed form analytical expression is computed suitable for vibroacoustic modeling, design analysis, and general aerospace defensive applications. The closed-form expression takes the form of a kernel of polynomials for acoustic pressure waves showing the influence of linear interface pressure variation across the axes of vibrating boundary surfaces. Simulated results demonstrate how the mode shapes and the associated natural frequencies can be easily computed. It is shown in this paper that acoustic pressure waves propagation are dynamically stable through laminated enclosures with progressive decrement in interfacial pressure distribution under the influence of high excitation frequencies irrespective of whether the induced flow is subsonic, sonic , supersonic, or hypersonic. Hence, in practice, dynamic stability of hypersonic aircrafts or jet airplanes can be further enhanced by replacing their noise transmission systems with laminated enclosures.

Blade Surface Pressure Distributions in a Rocket Engine Turbine: Experimental Work With On-Blade Pressure Transducers

Science.gov (United States)

Hudson, Susan T.; Zoladz, Thomas F.; Griffin, Lisa W.; Turner, James E. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Understanding the unsteady aspects of turbine rotor flowfields is critical to successful future turbine designs. A technology program was conducted at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center to increase the understanding of unsteady environments for rocket engine turbines. The experimental program involved instrumenting turbine rotor blades with surface-mounted high frequency response pressure transducers. The turbine model was then tested to measure the unsteady pressures on the rotor blades. The data obtained from the experimental program is unique in three respects. First, much more unsteady data was obtained (several minutes per set point) than has been possible in the past. Also, two independent unsteady data acquisition systems and fundamental signal processing approaches were used. Finally, an extensive steady performance database existed for the turbine model. This allowed an evaluation of the effect of the on-blade instrumentation on the turbine's performance. This unique data set, the lessons learned for acquiring this type of data, and the improvements made to the data analysis and prediction tools will contribute to future turbine programs such as those for reusable launch vehicles.

Pressure Fluctuations Induced by a Hypersonic Turbulent Boundary Layer

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Lian; Choudhari, Meelan M.; Zhang, Chao

2016-01-01

Direct numerical simulations (DNS) are used to examine the pressure fluctuations generated by a spatially-developed Mach 5.86 turbulent boundary layer. The unsteady pressure field is analyzed at multiple wall-normal locations, including those at the wall, within the boundary layer (including inner layer, the log layer, and the outer layer), and in the free stream. The statistical and structural variations of pressure fluctuations as a function of wall-normal distance are highlighted. Computational predictions for mean velocity pro les and surface pressure spectrum are in good agreement with experimental measurements, providing a first ever comparison of this type at hypersonic Mach numbers. The simulation shows that the dominant frequency of boundary-layer-induced pressure fluctuations shifts to lower frequencies as the location of interest moves away from the wall. The pressure wave propagates with a speed nearly equal to the local mean velocity within the boundary layer (except in the immediate vicinity of the wall) while the propagation speed deviates from the Taylor's hypothesis in the free stream. Compared with the surface pressure fluctuations, which are primarily vortical, the acoustic pressure fluctuations in the free stream exhibit a significantly lower dominant frequency, a greater spatial extent, and a smaller bulk propagation speed. The freestream pressure structures are found to have similar Lagrangian time and spatial scales as the acoustic sources near the wall. As the Mach number increases, the freestream acoustic fluctuations exhibit increased radiation intensity, enhanced energy content at high frequencies, shallower orientation of wave fronts with respect to the flow direction, and larger propagation velocity.

Occurrence, distribution and seasonal variation of organophosphate flame retardants and plasticizers in urban surface water in Beijing, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi, Yali; Gao, Lihong; Li, Wenhui; Wang, Yuan; Liu, Jiemin; Cai, Yaqi

2016-01-01

The occurrence, spatial distribution and seasonal variation of 14 organophosphate esters (OPEs) were investigated in urban surface water (river and lake water) from July 2013 to June 2014 in Beijing, China. Sewage influent and effluent samples, as well as rainwater and road runoff samples were also analyzed as the potential sources of OPEs in surface water. Tris(2-chloro-1-methylethyl) phosphate (TCPP) and tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) were the most abundant OPEs with the average concentrations of 291 ng L"−"1 and 219 ng L"−"1, respectively. Relatively high concentrations of OPEs were detected in rivers located at southern and eastern urban of Beijing, which was probably attributed to the treated and untreated sewage discharge. Besides, higher levels of OPEs were observed in urban surface water in the summer, and the wet deposition (rainfall) was confirmed to be an important factor for this observation. Risk assessment showed low or medium risk of OPEs for the organisms (algae, crustacean and fish). - Highlights: • High levels of OPEs were detected in urban surface water of Beijing, China. • Seasonal variation revealed higher levels of OPEs in the summer. • Wastewater, rainwater and road runoff samples were analyzed as sources of OPEs. • The risks of OPEs to the organisms (algae, crustacean and fish) were assessed. - The occurrence, spatial distribution and seasonal variation of OPEs in urban surface water were investigated from densely populated big city (Beijing, China).

Surface treatment of a titanium implant using low temperature atmospheric pressure plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Hyun-Young; Tang, Tianyu; Ok, Jung-Woo; Kim, Dong-Hyun; Lee, Ho-Jun; Lee, Hae June

2015-09-01

During the last two decades, atmospheric pressure plasmas(APP) are widely used in diverse fields of biomedical applications, reduction of pollutants, and surface treatment of materials. Applications of APP to titanium surface of dental implants is steadily increasing as it renders surfaces wettability and modifies the oxide layer of titanium that hinders the interaction with cells and proteins. In this study, we have treated the titanium surfaces of screw-shaped implant samples using a plasma jet which is composed of a ceramic coaxial tube of dielectrics, a stainless steel inner electrode, and a coper tube outer electrode. The plasma ignition occurred with Ar gas flow between two coaxial metal electrodes and a sinusoidal bias voltage of 3 kV with a frequency of 20 kHz. Titanium materials used in this study are screw-shaped implants of which diameter and length are 5 mm and 13 mm, respectively. Samples were mounted at a distance of 5 mm below the plasma source, and the plasma treatment time was set to 3 min. The wettability of titanium surface was measured by the moving speed of water on its surface, which is enhanced by plasma treatment. The surface roughness was also measured by atomic force microscopy. The optimal condition for wettability change is discussed.

Development of a novel test-setup for identifying the frictional characteristics of carbon fibre reinforced polymer composites at high surface pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Saxena, Prateek; Schinzel, Marie; Andrich, Manuela; Modler, Niels

2016-09-01

Carbon fibre reinforced polymer composites are extensively used in industrial applications. They are light in weight and have excellent load bearing properties. To understand this material's behaviour when carrying loads at high pressure, a tensile-friction test device was developed that can apply a contact surface pressure between composite and counterpart of 50-300 MPa. A tribological investigation of carbon fibre reinforced epoxy composites was carried out, in which the influence of the surface morphology was investigated by using grinding and sandblasting techniques. The friction coefficient of the polymer composite was measured at 100 MPa surface pressure against uncoated and Diamond-Like Carbon coated stainless steel counterparts.

Surface Temperature Variation Prediction Model Using Real-Time Weather Forecasts

Science.gov (United States)

Karimi, M.; Vant-Hull, B.; Nazari, R.; Khanbilvardi, R.

2015-12-01

Combination of climate change and urbanization are heating up cities and putting the lives of millions of people in danger. More than half of the world's total population resides in cities and urban centers. Cities are experiencing urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. Hotter days are associated with serious health impacts, heart attaches and respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Densely populated cities like Manhattan, New York can be affected by UHI impact much more than less populated cities. Even though many studies have been focused on the impact of UHI and temperature changes between urban and rural air temperature, not many look at the temperature variations within a city. These studies mostly use remote sensing data or typical measurements collected by local meteorological station networks. Local meteorological measurements only have local coverage and cannot be used to study the impact of UHI in a city and remote sensing data such as MODIS, LANDSAT and ASTER have with very low resolution which cannot be used for the purpose of this study. Therefore, predicting surface temperature in urban cities using weather data can be useful.Three months of Field campaign in Manhattan were used to measure spatial and temporal temperature variations within an urban setting by placing 10 fixed sensors deployed to measure temperature, relative humidity and sunlight. Fixed instrument shelters containing relative humidity, temperature and illumination sensors were mounted on lampposts in ten different locations in Manhattan (Vant-Hull et al, 2014). The shelters were fixed 3-4 meters above the ground for the period of three months from June 23 to September 20th of 2013 making measurements with the interval of 3 minutes. These high resolution temperature measurements and three months of weather data were used to predict temperature variability from weather forecasts. This study shows that the amplitude of spatial and temporal variation in temperature for each day can be predicted

Variation in Pockels constants of silicate glass-ceramics prepared by perfect surface crystallization

Science.gov (United States)

Takano, Kazuya; Takahashi, Yoshihiro; Miyazaki, Takamichi; Terakado, Nobuaki; Fujiwara, Takumi

2018-01-01

We investigated the Pockels effect in polycrystalline materials consisting of highly oriented polar fresnoite-type Sr2TiSi2O8 fabricated using perfectly surface-crystallized glass-ceramics (PSC-GCs). The chemical composition of the precursor glass was shown to significantly affect the crystallized texture, e.g., the crystal orientation and appearance of amorphous nanoparasites in the domains, resulting in variations in the Pockels constants. Single crystals exhibiting spontaneous polarization possessed large structural anisotropy, leading to a strong dependence of the nonlinear-optical properties on the direction of polarized light. This study suggests that variations in the Pockels constants (r13 and r33) and tuning of the r13/r33 ratio can be realized in PSC-GC materials.

Effect of Pressure on the Uniformity of Nozzles Transverse Distribution and Mathematical Model Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vladimir Višacki

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Timely and high-quality application of pesticides contributes to environmental protection, economical production and production of healthy food. The efficacy of pesticide application depends not only on the quality of pesticides but also the quality of the application. One of the factor that most influences the quality of applications, from the standpoint of mechanization, are nozzles. They working liquid applied on the surface the plant resulting in the same volume of pesticide is applied to the entire surface of the plants. To achieve this goal, nozzles must be performed uniform application of working liquid per unit area, or tractor sprayer working width. The variable factor in the application of pesticides may be nozzle and operating pressure. With increasing working pressure obtained smaller droplets. The paper presents test of three different nozzles. Each nozzle is characterized by a flat jet with an angle of 110° and a flow rate of 1.6 l∙min−1 at a pressure of 3 bar. Differ from each other are by the way of disintegration of the jet. Exactly this characteristic causes that with pressure change coming to changes in the uniformity of nozzles transverse distribution. So the best distribution has nozzle with a flat jet. The coefficient of variation is between roughly from 4 to 6 % at the pressure application of 2 to 4 bar. Obtained mathematical model that describes changes in the coefficient of variation depending on pressure applications can be a good basis for easy harmonization parameters in the pesticide application.

A moving boundary problem for the Stokes equations involving osmosis : Variational modelling and short-time well-posedness

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lippoth, F.; Peletier, M.A.; Prokert, G.

2016-01-01

Within the framework of variational modelling we derive a one-phase moving boundary problem describing the motion of a semipermeable membrane enclosing a viscous liquid, driven by osmotic pressure and surface tension of the membrane. For this problem we prove the existence of classical solutions for

Applying a Machine Learning Technique to Classification of Japanese Pressure Patterns

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H Kimura

2009-04-01

Full Text Available In climate research, pressure patterns are often very important. When a climatologists need to know the days of a specific pressure pattern, for example "low pressure in Western areas of Japan and high pressure in Eastern areas of Japan (Japanese winter-type weather," they have to visually check a huge number of surface weather charts. To overcome this problem, we propose an automatic classification system using a support vector machine (SVM, which is a machine-learning method. We attempted to classify pressure patterns into two classes: "winter type" and "non-winter type". For both training datasets and test datasets, we used the JRA-25 dataset from 1981 to 2000. An experimental evaluation showed that our method obtained a greater than 0.8 F-measure. We noted that variations in results were based on differences in training datasets.

Diagnostics of plasma-biological surface interactions in low pressure and atmospheric pressure plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishikawa, Kenji; Hori, Masaru

2014-01-01

Mechanisms of plasma-surface interaction are required to understand in order to control the reactions precisely. Recent progress in atmospheric pressure plasma provides to apply as a tool of sterilization of contaminated foodstuffs. To use the plasma with safety and optimization, the real time in situ detection of free radicals - in particular dangling bonds by using the electron-spin-resonance (ESR) technique has been developed because the free radical plays important roles for dominantly biological reactions. First, the kinetic analysis of free radicals on biological specimens such as fungal spores of Penicillium digitatum interacted with atomic oxygen generated plasma electric discharge. We have obtained information that the in situ real time ESR signal from the spores was observed and assignable to semiquinone radical with a g-value of around 2.004 and a line width of approximately 5G. The decay of the signal was correlated with a link to the inactivation of the fungal spore. Second, we have studied to detect chemical modification of edible meat after the irradiation. Using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectroscopy (MALDI-TOF-MS) and ESR, signals give qualification results for chemical changes on edible liver meat. The in situ real-time measurements have proven to be a useful method to elucidate plasma-induced surface reactions on biological specimens. (author)

Continuous processing of polymers in repetitively pulsed atmospheric pressure discharges with moving surfaces and gas flow

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bhoj, Ananth N [Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Kushner, Mark J [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 (United States)

2007-11-21

Atmospheric pressure corona discharges are industrially employed to treat large areas of commodity polymer sheets by creating new surface functional groups. The most common processes use oxygen containing discharges to affix oxygen to hydrocarbon polymers, thereby increasing their surface energy and wettability. The process is typically continuous and is carried out in a web configuration with film speeds of tens to hundreds of cm s{sup -1}. The densities and relative abundances of functional groups depend on the gas composition, gas flow rate and residence time of the polymer in the discharge zone which ultimately determine the magnitude and mole fractions of reactive fluxes to the surface. In this paper, results are discussed from a two-dimensional computational investigation of the atmospheric pressure plasma functionalization of a moving polypropylene sheet in repetitively pulsed He/O{sub 2}/H{sub 2}O discharges. O and OH typically initiate surface processing by hydrogen abstraction. These species are regenerated during every plasma pulse but are also largely consumed during the inter-pulse period. Longer-lived species such as O{sub 3} accumulate over many pulses and convect downstream with the gas flow. Optimizing the interplay between local rapid reactions, such as H abstraction which occurs dominantly in the discharge zone, and non-local slower processes, such as surface-surface reactions, may enable the customization of the relative abundance of surface functional groups.

Continuous processing of polymers in repetitively pulsed atmospheric pressure discharges with moving surfaces and gas flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhoj, Ananth N; Kushner, Mark J

2007-01-01

Atmospheric pressure corona discharges are industrially employed to treat large areas of commodity polymer sheets by creating new surface functional groups. The most common processes use oxygen containing discharges to affix oxygen to hydrocarbon polymers, thereby increasing their surface energy and wettability. The process is typically continuous and is carried out in a web configuration with film speeds of tens to hundreds of cm s -1 . The densities and relative abundances of functional groups depend on the gas composition, gas flow rate and residence time of the polymer in the discharge zone which ultimately determine the magnitude and mole fractions of reactive fluxes to the surface. In this paper, results are discussed from a two-dimensional computational investigation of the atmospheric pressure plasma functionalization of a moving polypropylene sheet in repetitively pulsed He/O 2 /H 2 O discharges. O and OH typically initiate surface processing by hydrogen abstraction. These species are regenerated during every plasma pulse but are also largely consumed during the inter-pulse period. Longer-lived species such as O 3 accumulate over many pulses and convect downstream with the gas flow. Optimizing the interplay between local rapid reactions, such as H abstraction which occurs dominantly in the discharge zone, and non-local slower processes, such as surface-surface reactions, may enable the customization of the relative abundance of surface functional groups

Surface recombination of oxygen atoms in O2 plasma at increased pressure: II. Vibrational temperature and surface production of ozone

Science.gov (United States)

Lopaev, D. V.; Malykhin, E. M.; Zyryanov, S. M.

2011-01-01

Ozone production in an oxygen glow discharge in a quartz tube was studied in the pressure range of 10-50 Torr. The O3 density distribution along the tube diameter was measured by UV absorption spectroscopy, and ozone vibrational temperature TV was found comparing the calculated ab initio absorption spectra with the experimental ones. It has been shown that the O3 production mainly occurs on a tube surface whereas ozone is lost in the tube centre where in contrast the electron and oxygen atom densities are maximal. Two models were used to analyse the obtained results. The first one is a kinetic 1D model for the processes occurring near the tube walls with the participation of the main particles: O(3P), O2, O2(1Δg) and O3 molecules in different vibrational states. The agreement of O3 and O(3P) density profiles and TV calculated in the model with observed ones was reached by varying the single model parameter—ozone production probability (\\gamma_{O_{3}}) on the quartz tube surface on the assumption that O3 production occurs mainly in the surface recombination of physisorbed O(3P) and O2. The phenomenological model of the surface processes with the participation of oxygen atoms and molecules including singlet oxygen molecules was also considered to analyse \\gamma_{O_{3}} data obtained in the kinetic model. A good agreement between the experimental data and the data of both models—the kinetic 1D model and the phenomenological surface model—was obtained in the full range of the studied conditions that allowed consideration of the ozone surface production mechanism in more detail. The important role of singlet oxygen in ozone surface production was shown. The O3 surface production rate directly depends on the density of physisorbed oxygen atoms and molecules and can be high with increasing pressure and energy inputted into plasma while simultaneously keeping the surface temperature low enough. Using the special discharge cell design, such an approach opens up the

Surface recombination of oxygen atoms in O2 plasma at increased pressure: II. Vibrational temperature and surface production of ozone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopaev, D V; Malykhin, E M; Zyryanov, S M

2011-01-01

Ozone production in an oxygen glow discharge in a quartz tube was studied in the pressure range of 10-50 Torr. The O 3 density distribution along the tube diameter was measured by UV absorption spectroscopy, and ozone vibrational temperature T V was found comparing the calculated ab initio absorption spectra with the experimental ones. It has been shown that the O 3 production mainly occurs on a tube surface whereas ozone is lost in the tube centre where in contrast the electron and oxygen atom densities are maximal. Two models were used to analyse the obtained results. The first one is a kinetic 1D model for the processes occurring near the tube walls with the participation of the main particles: O( 3 P), O 2 , O 2 ( 1 Δ g ) and O 3 molecules in different vibrational states. The agreement of O 3 and O( 3 P) density profiles and T V calculated in the model with observed ones was reached by varying the single model parameter-ozone production probability (γ O 3 ) on the quartz tube surface on the assumption that O 3 production occurs mainly in the surface recombination of physisorbed O( 3 P) and O 2 . The phenomenological model of the surface processes with the participation of oxygen atoms and molecules including singlet oxygen molecules was also considered to analyse γ O 3 data obtained in the kinetic model. A good agreement between the experimental data and the data of both models-the kinetic 1D model and the phenomenological surface model-was obtained in the full range of the studied conditions that allowed consideration of the ozone surface production mechanism in more detail. The important role of singlet oxygen in ozone surface production was shown. The O 3 surface production rate directly depends on the density of physisorbed oxygen atoms and molecules and can be high with increasing pressure and energy inputted into plasma while simultaneously keeping the surface temperature low enough. Using the special discharge cell design, such an approach opens up

Atmospheric and oceanic excitation of decadal-scale Earth orientation variations

Science.gov (United States)

Gross, Richard S.; Fukumori, Ichiro; Menemenlis, Dimitris

2005-09-01

The contribution of atmospheric wind and surface pressure and oceanic current and bottom pressure variations during 1949-2002 to exciting changes in the Earth's orientation on decadal timescales is investigated using an atmospheric angular momentum series computed from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) reanalysis project and an oceanic angular momentum series computed from a near-global ocean model that was forced by surface fluxes from the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis project. Not surprisingly, since decadal-scale variations in the length of day are caused mainly by interactions between the mantle and core, the effect of the atmosphere and oceans is found to be only about 14% of that observed. More surprisingly, it is found that the effect of atmospheric and oceanic processes on decadal-scale changes in polar motion is also only about 20% (x component) and 38% (y component) of that observed. Therefore redistribution of mass within the atmosphere and oceans does not appear to be the main cause of the Markowitz wobble. It is also found that on timescales between 10 days and 4 years the atmospheric and oceanic angular momentum series used here have very little skill in explaining Earth orientation variations before the mid to late 1970s. This is attributed to errors in both the Earth orientation observations prior to 1976 when measurements from the accurate space-geodetic techniques became available and to errors in the modeled atmospheric fields prior to 1979 when the satellite era of global weather observing systems began.

Detection and sizing of inside-surface cracks in reactor pressure vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamata, Hiroshi; Kanazawa, Katsuo; Satoh, Kunio; Honma, Takashi

1984-01-01

According to the past operational experience of LWRs, most of the defects arising in reactor pressure vessels accompanying operation are cracks occurring in the build up welding of austenitic stainless steel on the internal surfaces. The detection of these cracks has been carried out by ultrasonic flaw detection from outside in BWRs and from inside in PWRs as in-service inspection. However, there are difficulties such as ultrasonic echoes often occur though defects do not exist, and the quantitative evaluation of detected cracks is difficult by this method because of its accuracy. One of the means to reduce the first difficulty is to use eddy current method together to help the judgement, and for overcoming the second, the ultrasonic method catching end peak echo, that catching diffracted waves, eddy current method and electric resistance method were tried and compared. It is desirable to detect cracks in early stage before they reach parent material. The techniques to detect cracks on the internal surfaces of pressure vessels from the inside and to measure the depth are reported in this paper. The methods of flaw detection examined and the instruments used, the experimental method and the results are reported. It was concluded that eddy current method can be used as the backup for ultrasonic remote flaw detection, and the accuracy of depth measurement was the highest in ultrasonic diffraction wave method. (Kako, I.)

Atmospheric pressure plasmas for surface modification of flexible and printed electronic devices: A review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Kyong Nam; Lee, Seung Min; Mishra, Anurag [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 440-746 (Korea, Republic of); Yeom, Geun Young, E-mail: gyyeom@skku.edu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 440-746 (Korea, Republic of); SKKU Advanced Institute of Nano Technology (SAINT), Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 440-746 (Korea, Republic of)

2016-01-01

Recently, non-equilibrium atmospheric pressure plasma, especially those operated at low gas temperatures, have become a topic of great interest for the processing of flexible and printed electronic devices due to several benefits such as the reduction of process and reactor costs, the employment of easy-to-handle apparatuses and the easier integration into continuous production lines. In this review, several types of typical atmospheric pressure plasma sources have been addressed, and the processes including surface treatment, texturing and sintering for application to flexible and printed electronic devices have been discussed.

Variations of Negative Pressure Wound Therapy

African Journals Online (AJOL)

a living reaction which serves to eradicate necrotic tissue and suppress bacterial propagation. In order to gain maximum advantages from NPWT, not only the negative pressure environment, but also the selection of the most suitable dressing material will be necessary. Regarding the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers, there.

Effects of diluents on soot surface temperature and volume fraction in diluted ethylene diffusion flames at pressure

KAUST Repository

Kailasanathan, Ranjith Kumar Abhinavam

2014-05-20

Soot surface temperature and volume fraction are measured in ethylene/air coflowing laminar diffusion flames at high pressures, diluted with one of four diluents (argon, helium, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide) using a two-color technique. Both temperature and soot measurements presented are line-of-sight averages. The results aid in understanding the kinetic and thermodynamic behavior of the soot formation and oxidation chemistry with changes in diluents, ultimately leading to possible methods of reducing soot emission from practical combustion hardware. The diluted fuel and coflow exit velocities (top-hat profiles) were matched at all pressures to minimize shear effects. In addition to the velocity-matched flow rates, the mass fluxes were held constant for all pressures. Addition of a diluent has a pronounced effect on both the soot surface temperature and volume fraction, with the helium diluted flame yielding the maximum and carbon dioxide diluted flame yielding minimum soot surface temperature and volume fraction. At low pressures, peak soot volume fraction exists at the tip of the flame, and with an increase in pressure, the location shifts lower to the wings of the flame. Due to the very high diffusivity of helium, significantly higher temperature and volume fraction are measured and explained. Carbon dioxide has the most dramatic soot suppression effect. By comparing the soot yield with previously measured soot precursor concentrations in the same flame, it is clear that the lower soot yield is a result of enhanced oxidation rates rather than a reduction in precursor formation. Copyright © 2014 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Thermochemical micro imprinting of single-crystal diamond surface using a nickel mold under high-pressure conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Imoto, Yuji; Yan, Jiwang, E-mail: yan@mech.keio.ac.jp

2017-05-15

Graphical abstract: A Ni mold and thermochemically imprinted microstructures on diamond. - Highlights: • A thermochemical method for micro machining/patterning of diamond is proposed. • Various kinds of microstructures were imprinted on diamond using a Ni mold. • A graphite layer is formed during imprinting which can be removed by acid. • The processing depth depends strongly on pressure and temperature. - Abstract: Single-crystal diamond is an important material for cutting tools, micro electro mechanical systems, optical devices, and semiconductor substrates. However, the techniques for producing microstructures on diamond surface with high efficiency and accuracy have not been established. This paper proposes a thermochemical imprinting method for transferring microstructures from a nickel (Ni) mold onto single-crystal diamond surface. The Ni mold was micro-structured by a nanoindenter and then pressed against the diamond surface under high temperature and pressure in argon atmosphere. Results show that microstructures on the Ni mold were successfully transferred onto the diamond surface, and their depth increased with both pressure and temperature. Laser micro-Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) analyses indicate that a graphite layer was formed over the contact area between diamond and Ni during pressing, and after washing by a mixed acid, the graphite layer could be completely removed. This study demonstrated the feasibility of a cost-efficient fabrication method for large-area microstructures on single-crystal diamond.

Spatial distribution, temporal variation and risks of parabens and their chlorinated derivatives in urban surface water in Beijing, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Wenhui; Gao, Lihong; Shi, Yali; Wang, Yuan; Liu, Jiemin; Cai, Yaqi

2016-01-01

The occurrence and distribution of 13 target compounds, including eight parabens, four chlorinated parabens and p-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHBA), were detected in surface water samples at 35 sampling sites in the Beijing River system, China. The surface water samples were collected from the main rivers and lakes in the urban area monthly from July 2013 to June 2014 (except the frozen period). Laboratory analyses revealed that parabens were ubiquitous in the surface water of Beijing. PHBA was the predominant compound in the surface water samples, with the average concentration of 239 ng L −1 , followed by the total amount of chlorinated parabens (average 50.1 ng/L) and parabens (average 44.3 ng/L). It is noteworthy that octylparaben with longer chain was firstly detected in the surface water. Significant difference was observed for paraben concentrations from different sampling sites, and the highest level of parabens was found in the Xiaotaihou River, which was mainly due to the untreated sewage discharge. Seasonal variation of target compounds in the urban surface water was also studied, and parabens exhibited a different temporal variation from chlorinated derivatives. A combination of factors including high residual chlorine level and water temperature as well as intense ultraviolet radiation might enhance the persistence of chlorinated parabens in chlorinated water during the wet season. Risk assessment showed that parabens and their chlorinated derivatives are not likely to produce biological effects on aquatic ecosystems at current levels in the surface water of Beijing. - Highlights: • Parabens and chlorinated parabens are ubiquitous in surface water in Beijing. • Octylparaben with longer chain was firstly detected in surface water. • Untreated sewage discharge was the main source of parabens in river. • Parabens exhibited a different seasonal variation from chlorinated derivatives. • The risks of target compounds are negligible at environmentally

Spatial distribution, temporal variation and risks of parabens and their chlorinated derivatives in urban surface water in Beijing, China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Wenhui; Gao, Lihong [School of Chemistry and Biological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083 (China); Shi, Yali; Wang, Yuan [State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085 (China); Liu, Jiemin, E-mail: liujm@ustb.edu.cn [School of Chemistry and Biological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083 (China); Cai, Yaqi, E-mail: caiyaqi@rcees.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085 (China)

2016-01-01

The occurrence and distribution of 13 target compounds, including eight parabens, four chlorinated parabens and p-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHBA), were detected in surface water samples at 35 sampling sites in the Beijing River system, China. The surface water samples were collected from the main rivers and lakes in the urban area monthly from July 2013 to June 2014 (except the frozen period). Laboratory analyses revealed that parabens were ubiquitous in the surface water of Beijing. PHBA was the predominant compound in the surface water samples, with the average concentration of 239 ng L{sup −1}, followed by the total amount of chlorinated parabens (average 50.1 ng/L) and parabens (average 44.3 ng/L). It is noteworthy that octylparaben with longer chain was firstly detected in the surface water. Significant difference was observed for paraben concentrations from different sampling sites, and the highest level of parabens was found in the Xiaotaihou River, which was mainly due to the untreated sewage discharge. Seasonal variation of target compounds in the urban surface water was also studied, and parabens exhibited a different temporal variation from chlorinated derivatives. A combination of factors including high residual chlorine level and water temperature as well as intense ultraviolet radiation might enhance the persistence of chlorinated parabens in chlorinated water during the wet season. Risk assessment showed that parabens and their chlorinated derivatives are not likely to produce biological effects on aquatic ecosystems at current levels in the surface water of Beijing. - Highlights: • Parabens and chlorinated parabens are ubiquitous in surface water in Beijing. • Octylparaben with longer chain was firstly detected in surface water. • Untreated sewage discharge was the main source of parabens in river. • Parabens exhibited a different seasonal variation from chlorinated derivatives. • The risks of target compounds are negligible at

ANALYSIS OF THE INTRA-CITY VARIATION OF URBAN HEAT ISLAND AND ITS RELATION TO LAND SURFACE/COVER PARAMETERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Gerçek

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Along with urbanization, sealing of vegetated land and evaporation surfaces by impermeable materials, lead to changes in urban climate. This phenomenon is observed as temperatures several degrees higher in densely urbanized areas compared to the rural land at the urban fringe particularly at nights, so-called Urban Heat Island. Urban Heat Island (UHI effect is related with urban form, pattern and building materials so far as it is associated with meteorological conditions, air pollution, excess heat from cooling. UHI effect has negative influences on human health, as well as other environmental problems such as higher energy demand, air pollution, and water shortage. Urban Heat Island (UHI effect has long been studied by observations of air temperature from thermometers. However, with the advent and proliferation of remote sensing technology, synoptic coverage and better representations of spatial variation of surface temperature became possible. This has opened new avenues for the observation capabilities and research of UHIs. In this study, "UHI effect and its relation to factors that cause it" is explored for İzmit city which has been subject to excess urbanization and industrialization during the past decades. Spatial distribution and variation of UHI effect in İzmit is analysed using Landsat 8 and ASTER day & night images of 2015 summer. Surface temperature data derived from thermal bands of the images were analysed for UHI effect. Higher temperatures were classified into 4 grades of UHIs and mapped both for day and night. Inadequate urban form, pattern, density, high buildings and paved surfaces at the expanse of soil ground and vegetation cover are the main factors that cause microclimates giving rise to spatial variations in temperatures across cities. These factors quantified as land surface/cover parameters for the study include vegetation index (NDVI, imperviousness (NDISI, albedo, solar insolation, Sky View Factor (SVF, building

Analysis of the Intra-City Variation of Urban Heat Island and its Relation to Land Surface/cover Parameters

Science.gov (United States)

Gerçek, D.; Güven, İ. T.; Oktay, İ. Ç.

2016-06-01

Along with urbanization, sealing of vegetated land and evaporation surfaces by impermeable materials, lead to changes in urban climate. This phenomenon is observed as temperatures several degrees higher in densely urbanized areas compared to the rural land at the urban fringe particularly at nights, so-called Urban Heat Island. Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect is related with urban form, pattern and building materials so far as it is associated with meteorological conditions, air pollution, excess heat from cooling. UHI effect has negative influences on human health, as well as other environmental problems such as higher energy demand, air pollution, and water shortage. Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect has long been studied by observations of air temperature from thermometers. However, with the advent and proliferation of remote sensing technology, synoptic coverage and better representations of spatial variation of surface temperature became possible. This has opened new avenues for the observation capabilities and research of UHIs. In this study, "UHI effect and its relation to factors that cause it" is explored for İzmit city which has been subject to excess urbanization and industrialization during the past decades. Spatial distribution and variation of UHI effect in İzmit is analysed using Landsat 8 and ASTER day & night images of 2015 summer. Surface temperature data derived from thermal bands of the images were analysed for UHI effect. Higher temperatures were classified into 4 grades of UHIs and mapped both for day and night. Inadequate urban form, pattern, density, high buildings and paved surfaces at the expanse of soil ground and vegetation cover are the main factors that cause microclimates giving rise to spatial variations in temperatures across cities. These factors quantified as land surface/cover parameters for the study include vegetation index (NDVI), imperviousness (NDISI), albedo, solar insolation, Sky View Factor (SVF), building envelope

Atmospheric pressure plasma jets : properties of plasma bullets and the dynamics of the interaction with dielectric surfaces

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sobota, A.; Slikboer, E.; Guaitella, O.Y.N.

2015-01-01

Cold atmospheric pressure plasma jets, although mostly researched for applications in surface treatment, are rarely investigated in the presence of a surface. This paper presents the properties of plasma bullets formed in the capillary as well as the dynamics of the propagation of the plasma on

Variation in resistance of natural isolates of Staphylococcus aureus to heat, pulsed electric field and ultrasound under pressure.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-Calleja, J M; Cebrián, G; Condón, S; Mañas, P

2006-05-01

To study and compare the resistance of 15 Staphylococcus aureus isolates to heat, pulsed electric field (PEF) and ultrasound (UW) under pressure (manosonication, MS). Survival curves to heat (58 degrees C), to PEF (22 kV cm(-1), 2 micros square wave pulses) and to UW under pressure (117 microm, 20 kHz, 200 kPa) were obtained and inactivation parameters (decimal reduction times for heat and UW under pressure, and b-values for PEF) were calculated. A wide resistance variation to heat treatment, but not to PEF and MS, was observed amongst the 15 strains. There was no relationship between the resistances to the three physical agents studied. Staphylococcus aureus was relatively resistant to MS but sensitive to PEF. Heat resistance varied with strain and was positively correlated to carotenoid pigment content. Results would help in defining safe food preservation processes. Care should be taken to choose the most adequate strain of S. aureus to model food preservation processing.

Aluminum metal surface cleaning and activation by atmospheric-pressure remote plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muñoz, J., E-mail: jmespadero@uco.es; Bravo, J.A.; Calzada, M.D.

2017-06-15

Highlights: • Atmospheric-pressure postdischarges have been applied on aluminium surfaces. • The outer hydrocarbon layer is reduced by the action of the postdischarge. • The treatment promotes the appearance of hydrophilic OH radicals in the surface. • Effectivity for distances up to 5 cm allows for treating irregular surfaces. • Ageing in air due to the disappearance of OH radicals has been reported. - Abstract: The use of the remote plasma (postdischarge) of argon and argon-nitrogen microwave plasmas for cleaning and activating the surface of metallic commercial aluminum samples has been studied. The influence of the nitrogen content and the distance between the treated samples and the end of the discharge on the hydrophilicity and the surface energy has been analyzed by means of the sessile drop technique and the Owens-Wendt method. A significant increase in the hydrophilicity has been noted in the treated samples, together with an increase in the surface energy from values around 37 mJ/m{sup 2} to 77 mJ/m{sup 2}. Such increase weakly depends on the nitrogen content of the discharge, and the effectivity of the treatment extends to distances up to 5 cm from the end of the discharge, much longer than those reported in other plasma-based treatments. The analysis of the treated samples using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals that such increase in the surface energy takes place due to a reduction of the carbon content and an increase in the amount of OH radicals in the surface. These radicals tend to disappear within 24–48 h after the treatment when the samples are stored in contact with ambient air, resulting in the ageing of the treated surface and a partial retrieval of the hydrophobicity of the surface.

On numerical heat transfer characteristic study of flat surface subjected to variation in geometric thickness

Science.gov (United States)

Umair, Siddique Mohammed; Kolawale, Abhijeet Rangnath; Bhise, Ganesh Anurath; Gulhane, Nitin Parashram

Thermal management in the looming world of electronic packaging system is the most prior and conspicuous issue as far as the working efficiency of the system is concerned. The cooling in such systems can be achieved by impinging air jet over the heat sink as jet impingement cooling is one of the cooling technologies which are widely studied now. Here the modulation in impinging and geometric parameters results in the establishment of the characteristic cooling rate over the target surface. The characteristic cooling curve actually resembles non-uniformity in cooling rate. This non-uniformity favors the area average heat dissipation rate. In order to study the non-uniformity in cooling characteristic, the present study takes an initiative in plotting the local Nusselt number magnitude against the non-dimensional radial distance of the different thickness of target surfaces. For this, the steady temperature distribution over the target surface under the impingement of air jet is being determined numerically. The work is completely inclined towards the determination of critical value of geometric thickness below which the non-uniformity in the Nusselt profile starts. This is done by numerically examining different target surfaces under constant Reynolds number and nozzle-target spacing. The occurrences of non-uniformity in Nusselt profile contributes to over a 42% enhancement in area average Nusselt magnitude. The critical value of characteristic thickness (t/d) reported in the present investigation approximate to 0.05. Below this value, the impingement of air jet generates a discrete pressure zones over the target surface in the form of pressure spots. As a result of this, the air flowing in contact with the target surface experiences a damping potential, in due of which it gets more time and contact with the surface to dissipate heat.

Enhancement of cell growth on honeycomb-structured polylactide surface using atmospheric-pressure plasma jet modification

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cheng, Kuang-Yao; Chang, Chia-Hsing; Yang, Yi-Wei; Liao, Guo-Chun; Liu, Chih-Tung; Wu, Jong-Shinn, E-mail: chongsin@faculty.nctu.edu.tw

2017-02-01

Graphical abstract: Atmospheric-pressure plasma enhances cell growth on two different pore sizes of honeycomb pattern on polylactide surface. - Highlights: • Different pore sizes of honeycomb pattern on PLA film are created. • The two-step plasma treatment provided the oxygen- and nitrogen-containing functional groups that had a major impact on cell cultivation. • The plasma treatment had a significant effect for cell proliferation. • The surface structures are the main influence on cell cultivation, while plasma treatment can indeed improve the growth environment. - Abstract: In this paper, we compare the cell growth results of NIH-3T3 and Neuro-2A cells over 72 h on flat and honeycomb structured PLA films without and with a two-step atmospheric-pressure nitrogen-based plasma jet treatment. We developed a fabrication system used for forming of a uniform honeycomb structure on PLA surface, which can produce two different pore sizes, 3–4 μm and 7–8 μm, of honeycomb pattern. We applied a previously developed nitrogen-based atmospheric-pressure dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) jet system to treat the PLA film without and with honeycomb structure. NIH-3T3 and a much smaller Neuro-2A cells were cultivated on the films under various surface conditions. The results show that the two-step plasma treatment in combination with a honeycomb structure can enhance cell growth on PLA film, should the cell size be not too smaller than the pore size of honeycomb structure, e.g., NIH-3T3. Otherwise, cell growth would be better on flat PLA film, e.g., Neuro-2A.

Diurnal and seasonal variations in surface methane at a tropical coastal station: Role of mesoscale meteorology.

Science.gov (United States)

Kavitha, M; Nair, Prabha R; Girach, I A; Aneesh, S; Sijikumar, S; Renju, R

2018-08-01

In view of the large uncertainties in the methane (CH 4 ) emission estimates and the large spatial gaps in its measurements, studies on near-surface CH 4 on regional basis become highly relevant. This paper presents the first time observational results of a study on the impacts of mesoscale meteorology on the temporal variations of near-surface CH 4 at a tropical coastal station, in India. It is based on the in-situ measurements conducted during January 2014 to August 2016, using an on-line CH 4 analyzer working on the principle of gas chromatography. The diurnal variation shows a daytime low (1898-1925ppbv) and nighttime high (1936-2022ppbv) extending till early morning hours. These changes are closely associated with the mesoscale circulations, namely Sea Breeze (SB) and Land Breeze (LB), as obtained through the meteorological observations, WRF simulations of the circulations and the diurnal variation of boundary layer height as observed by the Microwave Radiometer Profiler. The diurnal enhancement always coincides with the onset of LB. Several cases of different onset timings of LB were examined and results presented. The CH 4 mixing ratio also exhibits significant seasonal patterns being maximum in winter and minimum in pre-monsoon/monsoon with significant inter-annual variations, which is also reflected in diurnal patterns, and are associated with changing synoptic meteorology. This paper also presents an analysis of in-situ measured near-surface CH 4 , column averaged and upper tropospheric CH 4 retrieved by Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) onboard Earth Observing System (EOS)/Aqua which gives insight into the vertical distribution of the CH 4 over the location. An attempt is also made to estimate the instantaneous radiative forcing for the measured CH 4 mixing ratio. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rupture of thin liquid films on structured surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Ajaev, Vladimir S; Gatapova, Elizaveta Ya; Kabov, Oleg A

2011-10-01

We investigate stability and breakup of a thin liquid film on a solid surface under the action of disjoining pressure. The solid surface is structured by parallel grooves. Air is trapped in the grooves under the liquid film. Our mathematical model takes into account the effect of slip due to the presence of menisci separating the liquid film from the air inside the grooves, the deformation of these menisci due to local variations of pressure in the liquid film, and nonuniformities of the Hamaker constant which measures the strength of disjoining pressure. Both linear stability and strongly nonlinear evolution of the film are analyzed. Surface structuring results in decrease of the fastest growing instability wavelength and the rupture time. It is shown that a simplified description of film dynamics based on the standard formula for effective slip leads to significant deviations from the behavior seen in our simulations. Self-similar decay over several orders of magnitude of the film thickness near the rupture point is observed. We also show that the presence of the grooves can lead to instability in otherwise stable films if the relative groove width is above a critical value, found as a function of disjoining pressure parameters.

Variations in dark respiration and mitochondrial numbers within needles of Pinus radiata grown in ambient or elevated CO2 partial pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Griffin, K. L.; Anderson, O. R.; Tissue, D. T.; Turnbull, M. H.; Whitehead, D.

2004-01-01

An experiment involving comparison of within-leaf variations in cell size, mitochondrial numbers and dark respiration in the most recently expanded tip, the mid-section and the base of needles of Pinus radiata grown for four years at ambient and elevated carbon dioxide partial pressure, is described. Results showed variation in mitochondrial numbers and respiration along the length of the needle, with the highest number of mitochondria per unit cytoplasm and the highest rate of respiration per unit leaf area at the base of the needle. Elevated carbon dioxide pressure caused the number of mitochondria per unit cytoplasm to double regardless of location (tip, basal or mid sections). Under these conditions, greatest mitochondrial density was observed at the tip. The mean size of mitochondria was not affected by either growth at elevated carbon dioxide pressure or by position on the needle. Respiration per unit leaf area at elevated carbon dioxide pressure was highest at the tip of needles, decreasing towards the middle and basal sections. The observed data supports the hypothesis that the highest number of mitochondria per unit area of cytoplasm occurs at the base of the needle, but does not support the hypothesis that the lowest rate of respiration also occurs at the base. It is suggested that the relationship that determines the association between structure and function in these needles is more complex than previously thought. 33 refs., 4 tabs., 1 fig

Ambient pressure dried tetrapropoxysilane-based silica aerogels with high specific surface area

Science.gov (United States)

Parale, Vinayak G.; Han, Wooje; Jung, Hae-Noo-Ree; Lee, Kyu-Yeon; Park, Hyung-Ho

2018-01-01

In the present paper, we report the synthesis of tetrapropoxysilane (TPOS)-based silica aerogels with high surface area and large pore volume. The silica aerogels were prepared by a two-step sol-gel process followed by surface modification via a simple ambient pressure drying approach. In order to minimize drying shrinkage and obtain hydrophobic aerogels, the surface of the alcogels was modified using trichloromethylsilane as a silylating agent. The effect of the sol-gel compositional parameters on the polymerization of aerogels prepared by TPOS, one of the precursors belonging to the Si(OR)4 family, was reported for the first time. The oxalic acid and NH4OH concentrations were adjusted to achieve good-quality aerogels with high surface area, low density, and high transparency. Controlling the hydrolysis and condensation reactions of the TPOS precursor turned out to be the most important factor to determine the pore characteristics of the aerogel. Highly transparent aerogels with high specific surface area (938 m2/g) and low density (0.047 g/cm3) could be obtained using an optimized TPOS/MeOH molar ratio with appropriate concentrations of oxalic acid and NH4OH.

Numerical Investigation of Pressure Fluctuation Characteristics in a Centrifugal Pump with Variable Axial Clearance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lei Cao

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Clearance flows in the sidewall gaps of centrifugal pumps are unsteady as well as main flows in the volute casing and impeller, which may cause vibration and noise, and the corresponding pressure fluctuations are related to the axial clearance size. In this paper, unsteady numerical simulations were conducted to predict the unsteady flows within the entire flow passage of a centrifugal pump operating in the design condition. Pressure fluctuation characteristics in the volute casing, impeller, and sidewall gaps were investigated with three axial clearance sizes. Results show that an axial clearance variation affects the pressure fluctuation characteristics in each flow domain by different degree. The greatest pressure fluctuation occurs at the blade pressure surface and is almost not influenced by the axial clearance variation which has a certainly effect on the pressure fluctuation characteristics around the tongue. The maximum pressure fluctuation amplitude in the sidewall gaps is larger than that in the volute casing, and different spectrum characteristics show up in the three models due to the interaction between the clearance flow and the main flow as well as the rotor-stator interaction. Therefore, clearance flow should be taken into consideration in the hydraulic design of centrifugal pumps.

Supersonic flow over a pitching delta wing using surface pressure measurements and numerical simulations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mostafa HADIDOOLABI

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Experimental and numerical methods were applied to investigating high subsonic and supersonic flows over a 60° swept delta wing in fixed state and pitching oscillation. Static pressure coefficient distributions over the wing leeward surface and the hysteresis loops of pressure coefficient versus angle of attack at the sensor locations were obtained by wind tunnel tests. Similar results were obtained by numerical simulations which agreed well with the experiments. Flow structure around the wing was also demonstrated by the numerical simulation. Effects of Mach number and angle of attack on pressure distribution curves in static tests were investigated. Effects of various oscillation parameters including Mach number, mean angle of attack, pitching amplitude and frequency on hysteresis loops were investigated in dynamic tests and the associated physical mechanisms were discussed. Vortex breakdown phenomenon over the wing was identified at high angles of attack using the pressure coefficient curves and hysteresis loops, and its effects on the flow features were discussed.

Using AFM to probe the complexation of DNA with anionic lipids mediated by Ca(2+): the role of surface pressure.

Science.gov (United States)

Luque-Caballero, Germán; Martín-Molina, Alberto; Sánchez-Treviño, Alda Yadira; Rodríguez-Valverde, Miguel A; Cabrerizo-Vílchez, Miguel A; Maldonado-Valderrama, Julia

2014-04-28

Complexation of DNA with lipids is currently being developed as an alternative to classical vectors based on viruses. Most of the research to date focuses on cationic lipids owing to their spontaneous complexation with DNA. Nonetheless, recent investigations have revealed that cationic lipids induce a large number of adverse effects on DNA delivery. Precisely, the lower cytotoxicity of anionic lipids accounts for their use as a promising alternative. However, the complexation of DNA with anionic lipids (mediated by cations) is still in early stages and is not yet well understood. In order to explore the molecular mechanisms underlying the complexation of anionic lipids and DNA we proposed a combined methodology based on the surface pressure-area isotherms, Gibbs elasticity and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). These techniques allow elucidation of the role of the surface pressure in the complexation and visualization of the interfacial aggregates for the first time. We demonstrate that the DNA complexes with negatively charged model monolayers (DPPC/DPPS 4 : 1) only in the presence of Ca(2+), but is expelled at very high surface pressures. Also, according to the Gibbs elasticity plot, the complexation of lipids and DNA implies a whole fluidisation of the monolayer and a completely different phase transition map in the presence of DNA and Ca(2+). AFM imaging allows identification for the first time of specific morphologies associated with different packing densities. At low surface coverage, a branched net like structure is observed whereas at high surface pressure fibers formed of interfacial aggregates appear. In summary, Ca(2+) mediates the interaction between DNA and negatively charged lipids and also the conformation of the ternary system depends on the surface pressure. Such observations are important new generic features of the interaction between DNA and anionic lipids.

Pressure Stimulated Currents (PSCin marble samples

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Vallianatos

2004-06-01

Full Text Available The electrical behaviour of marble samples from Penteli Mountain was studied while they were subjected to uniaxial stress. The application of consecutive impulsive variations of uniaxial stress to thirty connatural samples produced Pressure Stimulated Currents (PSC. The linear relationship between the recorded PSC and the applied variation rate was investigated. The main results are the following: as far as the samples were under pressure corresponding to their elastic region, the maximum PSC value obeyed a linear law with respect to pressure variation. In the plastic region deviations were observed which were due to variations of Young s modulus. Furthermore, a special burst form of PSC recordings during failure is presented. The latter is emitted when irregular longitudinal splitting is observed during failure.

Surface conductivity dependent dynamic behaviour of an ultrafine atmospheric pressure plasma jet for microscale surface processing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abuzairi, Tomy [Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, Hamamatsu 432-8561 (Japan); Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia, Depok 16424 (Indonesia); Okada, Mitsuru [Department of Engineering, Shizuoka University, Hamamatsu 432-8561 (Japan); Bhattacharjee, Sudeep [Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur 208016 (India); Nagatsu, Masaaki, E-mail: nagatsu.masaaki@shizuoka.ac.jp [Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, Hamamatsu 432-8561 (Japan); Department of Engineering, Shizuoka University, Hamamatsu 432-8561 (Japan); Research Institute of Electronics, Shizuoka University, Hamamatsu 432-8561 (Japan)

2016-12-30

Highlights: • Spatio-temporal behaviors of capillary APPJs are studied for various substrates. • Plasma irradiation area depended on the substrate conductivity and permittivity. • Surface irradiation area was significantly broadened in polymer-like substrate. • Effect of applying a substrate bias on the APPJ irradiation area was investigated. - Abstract: An experimental study on the dynamic behaviour of microcapillary atmospheric pressure plasma jets (APPJs) with 5 μm tip size for surfaces of different conductivity is reported. Electrical and spatio-temporal characteristics of the APPJs are monitored using high voltage probe, current monitor and high speed intensified charge couple device camera. From these experimental results, we presented a simple model to understand the electrical discharge characteristics of the capillary APPJs with double electrodes, and estimated the velocity of the ionization fronts in the jet and the electron density to be 3.5–4.2 km/s and 2–7 × 10{sup 17} m{sup −3}. By analyzing the dynamics of the microcapillary APPJs for different substrate materials, it was found that the surface irradiation area strongly depended on the substrate conductivity and permittivity, especially in the case of polymer-like substrate, surface irradiation area was significantly broadened probably due to the repelling behaviour of the plasma jets from the accumulated electrical charges on the polymer surface. The effect of applying a substrate bias in the range from −900 V to +900 V on the plasma irradiation onto the substrates was also investigated. From the knowledge of the present results, it is helpful for choosing the substrate materials for microscale surface modification.

Surface conductivity dependent dynamic behaviour of an ultrafine atmospheric pressure plasma jet for microscale surface processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abuzairi, Tomy; Okada, Mitsuru; Bhattacharjee, Sudeep; Nagatsu, Masaaki

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Spatio-temporal behaviors of capillary APPJs are studied for various substrates. • Plasma irradiation area depended on the substrate conductivity and permittivity. • Surface irradiation area was significantly broadened in polymer-like substrate. • Effect of applying a substrate bias on the APPJ irradiation area was investigated. - Abstract: An experimental study on the dynamic behaviour of microcapillary atmospheric pressure plasma jets (APPJs) with 5 μm tip size for surfaces of different conductivity is reported. Electrical and spatio-temporal characteristics of the APPJs are monitored using high voltage probe, current monitor and high speed intensified charge couple device camera. From these experimental results, we presented a simple model to understand the electrical discharge characteristics of the capillary APPJs with double electrodes, and estimated the velocity of the ionization fronts in the jet and the electron density to be 3.5–4.2 km/s and 2–7 × 10"1"7 m"−"3. By analyzing the dynamics of the microcapillary APPJs for different substrate materials, it was found that the surface irradiation area strongly depended on the substrate conductivity and permittivity, especially in the case of polymer-like substrate, surface irradiation area was significantly broadened probably due to the repelling behaviour of the plasma jets from the accumulated electrical charges on the polymer surface. The effect of applying a substrate bias in the range from −900 V to +900 V on the plasma irradiation onto the substrates was also investigated. From the knowledge of the present results, it is helpful for choosing the substrate materials for microscale surface modification.

Self-organized pattern on the surface of a metal anode in low-pressure DC discharge

Science.gov (United States)

Yaqi, YANG; Weiguo, LI

2018-03-01

Self-organization phenomena on the surface of a metal electrode in low-pressure DC discharge is studied. In this paper, we carry out laboratory investigations of self-organization in a low-pressure test platform for 100-200 mm rod-plane gaps with a needle tip, conical tip and hemispherical tip within 1-10 kPa. The factors influencing the pattern profile are the pressure value, gap length and shape of the electrode, and a variety of pattern structures are observed by changing these factors. With increasing pressure, first the pattern diameter increases and then decreases. With the needle tip, layer structure, single-ring structure and double-ring structure are displayed successively with increasing pressure. With the conical tip, the ring-like structure gradually forms separate spots with increasing pressure. With the hemispherical tip, there are anode spots inside the ring structure. With the increase of gap length, the diameter of the self-organized pattern increases and the profile of the pattern changes. The development process of the pattern contains three key stages: pattern enlargement, pattern stabilization and pattern shrink.

Planar time-resolved PIV for velocity and pressure retrieval in atmospheric boundary layer over surface waves.

Science.gov (United States)

Troitskaya, Yuliya; Kandaurov, Alexander; Sergeev, Daniil; Bopp, Maximilian; Caulliez, Guillemette

2017-04-01

Air-sea coupling in general is important for weather, climate, fluxes. Wind wave source is crucially important for surface waves' modeling. But the wind-wave growth rate is strongly uncertain. Using direct measurements of pressure by wave-following Elliott probe [1] showed, weak and indefinite dependence of wind-wave growth rate on the wave steepness, while Grare et.al. [2] discuss the limitations of direct measurements of pressure associated with the inability to measure the pressure close to the surface by contact methods. Recently non-invasive methods for determining the pressure on the basis of technology of time-resolved PIV are actively developed [3]. Retrieving air flow velocities by 2D PIV techniques was started from Reul et al [4]. The first attempt for retrieving wind pressure field of waves in the laboratory tank from the time-resolved PIV measurements was done in [5]. The experiments were performed at the Large Air-Sea Interaction Facility (LASIF) - MIO/Luminy (length 40 m, cross section of air channel 3.2 x 1.6 m). For 18 regimes with wind speed up to 14 m/s including presence of puddle waves, a combination of time resolved PIV technique and optical measurements of water surface form was applied to detailed investigation of the characteristics of the wind flow over the water surface. Ammonium chloride smoke was used for flow visualization illuminated by two 6 Wt blue diode lasers combined into a vertical laser plane. Particle movement was captured with high-speed camera using Scheimpflug technique (up to 20 kHz frame rate with 4-frame bursts, spatial resolution about 190 μm, field of view 314x12 mm). Velocity air flow field was retrieved by PIV images processing with adaptive cross-correlation method on the curvilinear grid following surface wave form. The resulting time resolved instantaneous velocity fields on regular grid allowed us to obtain momentum fluxes directly from measured air velocity fluctuations. The average wind velocity patterns were

Pressure exerted by a vesicle on a surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Owczarek, A L; Prellberg, T

2014-01-01

Several recent works have considered the pressure exerted on a wall by a model polymer. We extend this consideration to vesicles attached to a wall, and hence include osmotic pressure. We do this by considering a two-dimensional directed model, namely that of area-weighted Dyck paths. Not surprisingly, the pressure exerted by the vesicle on the wall depends on the osmotic pressure inside, especially its sign. Here, we discuss the scaling of this pressure in the different regimes, paying particular attention to the crossover between positive and negative osmotic pressure. In our directed model, there exists an underlying Airy function scaling form, from which we extract the dependence of the bulk pressure on small osmotic pressures. (paper)

Lake-level variations and tides in Lago Argentino, Patagonia: insights from pressure tide gauge records

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Andreas Richter

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Based on precise pressure tide gauge observations lake-level records are derived for two sites in Lago Argentino, southern Patagonia, of 2.5 and 1 years of duration. Applying the tools of time series analysis, the principal processes affecting the lake level are identified and quantified. Lake-level changes reflecting variations in lake volume are dominated by a seasonal cycle of 1.2 m in amplitude. Lake-volume changes occur in addition with a daily period in response to melt water influx from surrounding glaciers. Sporadic lake-volume jumps are caused by bursting of the ice dam of Perito Moreno glacier. Water movements in Lago Argentino are dominated by surface seiches reaching 20 cm in amplitude. Lake tides reach a maximum amplitude of 3 mm. The comparison of the tidal signal extracted from the lake-level observations with a model composed of the contributions of body tide and ocean tidal loading indicates a phase shift of 23° which is most likely explained by an 1 hour phase lag of global ocean tide models in the region of the highly fragmented Pacific coast. The comparison of the obtained results with those of a previous study of Lago Fagnano, Tierra del Fuego, allows to relate differences in the hydrological and hydrodynamic processes between both lakes to morphological properties. This leads to a tentative prediction of the lake-level variability to be expected from other great Patagonian lakes. The presented geodetic results shall serve as a starting point for a detailed limnological investigation of these aquatic ecosystems.

Electrostatic attraction between overall neutral surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Adar, Ram M; Andelman, David; Diamant, Haim

2016-08-01

Two overall neutral surfaces with positively and negatively charged domains ("patches") have been shown in recent experiments to exhibit long-range attraction when immersed in an ionic solution. Motivated by the experiments, we calculate analytically the osmotic pressure between such surfaces within the Poisson-Boltzmann framework, using a variational principle for the surface-averaged free energy. The electrostatic potential, calculated beyond the linear Debye-Hückel theory, yields an overall attraction at large intersurface separations, over a wide range of the system's controlled length scales. In particular, the attraction is stronger and occurs at smaller separations for surface patches of larger size and charge density. In this large patch limit, we find that the attraction-repulsion crossover separation is inversely proportional to the square of the patch-charge density and to the Debye screening length.

Remote Sensing Global Surface Air Pressure Using Differential Absorption BArometric Radar (DiBAR)

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Bing; Harrah, Steven; Lawrence, Wes; Hu, Yongxiang; Min, Qilong

2016-01-01

Tropical storms and severe weathers are listed as one of core events that need improved observations and predictions in World Meteorological Organization and NASA Decadal Survey (DS) documents and have major impacts on public safety and national security. This effort tries to observe surface air pressure, especially over open seas, from space using a Differential-absorption BArometric Radar (DiBAR) operating at the 50-55 gigahertz O2 absorption band. Air pressure is among the most important variables that affect atmospheric dynamics, and currently can only be measured by limited in-situ observations over oceans. Analyses show that with the proposed space radar the errors in instantaneous (averaged) pressure estimates can be as low as approximately 4 millibars (approximately 1 millibar under all weather conditions). With these sea level pressure measurements, the forecasts of severe weathers such as hurricanes will be significantly improved. Since the development of the DiBAR concept about a decade ago, NASA Langley DiBAR research team has made substantial progress in advancing the concept. The feasibility assessment clearly shows the potential of sea surface barometry using existing radar technologies. The team has developed a DiBAR system design, fabricated a Prototype-DiBAR (P-DiBAR) for proof-of-concept, conducted lab, ground and airborne P-DiBAR tests. The flight test results are consistent with the instrumentation goals. Observational system simulation experiments for space DiBAR performance based on the existing DiBAR technology and capability show substantial improvements in tropical storm predictions, not only for the hurricane track and position but also for the hurricane intensity. DiBAR measurements will lead us to an unprecedented level of the prediction and knowledge on global extreme weather and climate conditions.

Diurnal Variations of Titan's Surface Temperatures From Cassini -CIRS Observations

Science.gov (United States)

Cottini, Valeria; Nixon, Conor; Jennings, Don; Anderson, Carrie; Samuelson, Robert; Irwin, Patrick; Flasar, F. Michael

The Cassini Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) observations of Saturn's largest moon, Titan, are providing us with the ability to detect the surface temperature of the planet by studying its outgoing radiance through a spectral window in the thermal infrared at 19 m (530 cm-1) characterized by low opacity. Since the first acquisitions of CIRS Titan data the in-strument has gathered a large amount of spectra covering a wide range of latitudes, longitudes and local times. We retrieve the surface temperature and the atmospheric temperature pro-file by modeling proper zonally averaged spectra of nadir observations with radiative transfer computations. Our forward model uses the correlated-k approximation for spectral opacity to calculate the emitted radiance, including contributions from collision induced pairs of CH4, N2 and H2, haze, and gaseous emission lines (Irwin et al. 2008). The retrieval method uses a non-linear least-squares optimal estimation technique to iteratively adjust the model parameters to achieve a spectral fit (Rodgers 2000). We show an accurate selection of the wide amount of data available in terms of footprint diameter on the planet and observational conditions, together with the retrieved results. Our results represent formal retrievals of surface brightness temperatures from the Cassini CIRS dataset using a full radiative transfer treatment, and we compare to the earlier findings of Jennings et al. (2009). The application of our methodology over wide areas has increased the planet coverage and accuracy of our knowledge of Titan's surface brightness temperature. In particular we had the chance to look for diurnal variations in surface temperature around the equator: a trend with slowly increasing temperature toward the late afternoon reveals that diurnal temperature changes are present on Titan surface. References: Irwin, P.G.J., et al.: "The NEMESIS planetary atmosphere radiative transfer and retrieval tool" (2008). JQSRT, Vol. 109, pp

Modification of OCA-I for application to a reactor pressure vessel with cladding on the inner surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sauter, A.; Cheverton, R.D.; Iskander, S.K.

1983-01-01

The computer code OCA-I calculates the temperature distribution through the walls of a cylinder during a thermal transient and then performs a two-dimensional linear-elastic fracture-mechanics analysis to obtain stress-intensity factors for long surface flaws, considering both pressure and thermal loads. The code has been particularly useful in evaluating flaw behavior in reactor pressure vessels during overcooling accidents, but it has not previously treated the stainless steel cladding on the inner surface of the vessel as a discrete region. Although the cladding is quite thin compared with the base material, the large difference in thermal conductivity and coefficient of thermal expansion between the two materials results in a significant effect of the cladding on stress-intensity factors for surface cracks. Thus, the cladding was recently included as a discrete region in OCA-I

Influence of cloud fraction and snow cover to the variation of surface UV radiation at King Sejong station, Antarctica

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Yun Gon; Koo, Ja-Ho; Kim, Jhoon

2015-10-01

This study investigated how cloud fraction and snow cover affect the variation of surface ultraviolet (UV) radiation by using surface Erythemal UV (EUV) and Near UV (NUV) observed at the King Sejong Station, Antarctica. First the Radiative Amplification Factor (RAF), the relative change of surface EUV according to the total-column ozone amount, is compared for different cloud fractions and solar zenith angles (SZAs). Generally, all cloudy conditions show that the increase of RAF as SZA becomes larger, showing the larger effects of vertical columnar ozone. For given SZA cases, the EUV transmission through mean cloud layer gradually decreases as cloud fraction increases, but sometimes the maximum of surface EUV appears under partly cloudy conditions. The high surface EUV transmittance under broken cloud conditions seems due to the re-radiation of scattered EUV by cloud particles. NUV transmission through mean cloud layer also decreases as cloud amount increases but the sensitivity to the cloud fraction is larger than EUV. Both EUV and NUV radiations at the surface are also enhanced by the snow cover, and their enhancement becomes higher as SZA increases implying the diurnal variation of surface albedo. This effect of snow cover seems large under the overcast sky because of the stronger interaction between snow surface and cloudy sky.

Molecular dynamics simulations of disjoining pressure effects in ultra-thin water films on a metal surface

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Han; Sun, Ying

2013-11-01

Disjoining pressure, the excess pressure in an ultra-thin liquid film as a result of van der Waals interactions, is important in lubrication, wetting, flow boiling, and thin film evaporation. The classic theory of disjoining pressure is developed for simple monoatomic liquids. However, real world applications often utilize water, a polar liquid, for which fundamental understanding of disjoining pressure is lacking. In the present study, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are used to gain insights into the effect of disjoining pressure in a water thin film. Our MD models were firstly validated against Derjaguin's experiments on gold-gold interactions across a water film and then verified against disjoining pressure in an argon thin film using the Lennard-Jones potential. Next, a water thin film adsorbed on a gold surface was simulated to examine the change of vapor pressure with film thickness. The results agree well with the classic theory of disjoining pressure, which implies that the polar nature of water molecules does not play an important role. Finally, the effects of disjoining pressure on thin film evaporation in nanoporous membrane and on bubble nucleation are discussed.

Characterization of an atmospheric pressure air plasma source for polymer surface modification

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Shujun; Tang, Jiansheng

2013-10-01

An atmospheric pressure air plasma source was generated through dielectric barrier discharge (DBD). It was used to modify polyethyleneterephthalate (PET) surfaces with very high throughput. An equivalent circuit model was used to calculate the peak average electron density. The emission spectrum from the plasma was taken and the main peaks in the spectrum were identified. The ozone density in the down plasma region was estimated by Absorption Spectroscopy. NSF and ARC-ODU

Temperature profiles on the gadolinium surface during electron beam evaporation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ohba, Hironori; Shibata, Takemasa [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment

1995-03-01

The distributions of surface temperature of gadolinium in a water-cooled copper crucible during electron beam evaporation were measured by optical pyrometry. The surface temperatures were obtained from the radiation intensity ratio of the evaporating surface and a reference light source using Planck`s law of radiation. The emitted radiation from the evaporating surface and a reference source was detected by a CCD sensor through a band pass filter of 650 nm. The measured surface temperature generally agreed with those estimated from the deposition rate and the data of the saturated vapor pressure. At high input powers, it was found that the measured value had small difference with the estimated one due to variation of the surface condition. (author).

Temperature profiles on the gadolinium surface during electron beam evaporation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohba, Hironori; Shibata, Takemasa

1995-01-01

The distributions of surface temperature of gadolinium in a water-cooled copper crucible during electron beam evaporation were measured by optical pyrometry. The surface temperatures were obtained from the radiation intensity ratio of the evaporating surface and a reference light source using Planck's law of radiation. The emitted radiation from the evaporating surface and a reference source was detected by a CCD sensor through a band pass filter of 650 nm. The measured surface temperature generally agreed with those estimated from the deposition rate and the data of the saturated vapor pressure. At high input powers, it was found that the measured value had small difference with the estimated one due to variation of the surface condition. (author)

Hysteresis of boiling for different tunnel-pore surfaces

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Pastuszko Robert

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Analysis of boiling hysteresis on structured surfaces covered with perforated foil is proposed. Hysteresis is an adverse phenomenon, preventing high heat flux systems from thermal stabilization, characterized by a boiling curve variation at an increase and decrease of heat flux density. Experimental data were discussed for three kinds of enhanced surfaces: tunnel structures (TS, narrow tunnel structures (NTS and mini-fins covered with the copper wire net (NTS-L. The experiments were carried out with water, R-123 and FC-72 at atmospheric pressure. A detailed analysis of the measurement results identified several cases of type I, II and III for TS, NTS and NTS-L surfaces.

Economical surface treatment of die casting dies to prevent soldering in high pressure casting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fraser, D.T.; Jahedi, M.Z.

2001-01-01

This paper describes the use of a gas oxidation treatment of H13 tool steel to develop a compact iron oxide layer at the surface of core pins to prevent soldering in high pressure die casting. The performance of oxide layers in the protection of die steel against soldering during high pressure die casting was tested in a specially designed die using removable core pins and Al-11 Si-3 Cu casting alloy. The gas oxidation treatment can be applied at low temperatures and to large areas of the die surface. In addition this process is very cost effective compared to other coating processes such as physical vapour deposition (PVD), or thermo-reactive diffusion (TRD) coatings. This work demonstrated that surface treatment producing pure magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 ) layers are more protective than oxide layers containing a combination of Fe 3 O 4 (magnetite) and Fe 3 O 3 (haematite). The magnetite layer acts as a barrier between the die steel/casting alloy interface and prevents the formation of inter-metallic phases. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscope were used to determine the thickness of the oxide layer, while X-ray diffraction was performed to determine the oxide phase structure

Increasing the reliability of the Olkiluoto surface and near-surface hydrological model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karvonen, T.

2009-05-01

The aim of the study was to improve the reliability of the Olkiluoto surface hydrological model that calculates the overall water balance components of Olkiluoto Island. ONKALO and Korvensuo reservoir were added as explicit structures to the model. The model links the unsaturated and saturated soil water in the overburden and groundwater in bedrock to a continuous pressure system. With the model it is possible to evaluate the influence of water leaking to ONKALO on groundwater level in overburden soils and pressure head in shallow bedrock drillholes. Anisotropy was added to the surface hydrological model and several model runs were carried out using anisotropy factors 1, 5 and 10. Anisotropy factor of 10 is used in the 2008 version of the deep hydrogeological model and the same anisotropy will be used in future calculations of the surface hydrological model to ensure consistency of the parameter values in the two models. The correspondence between measured and computed groundwater levels has been improved due to new soil type delineation and the calibration of the soil water retention curve parameters. Computed groundwater level variation can be characterized by a measure ΔH COMP , which is difference between maximum and minimum value during the calibration period. Average ΔH COMP in groundwater tubes was 1.98 m and the corresponding measured value ΔH MEAS was 2.08 m, i.e. the difference between measured and computed value was around 0.1 m (0.16 m in the 2007 version). Temporal variation (difference between maximum and minimum pressure head) was simulated well also in most of the shallow bedrock drillholes. ONKALO was added to the 2008 version of the Olkiluoto surface hydrological model. Influence of ONKALO is taken into account by giving the total discharge as input data from existing measurements or from calculations of the deep hydrogeological model of the Olkiluoto Island. The computed results show that ONKALO has a temporal effect on groundwater level in

Atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharges for sterilization and surface treatment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chin, O. H.; Lai, C. K.; Choo, C. Y.; Wong, C. S.; Nor, R. M. [Plasma Technology Research Centre, Physics Department, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Thong, K. L. [Microbiology Division, Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

2015-04-24

Atmospheric pressure non-thermal dielectric barrier discharges can be generated in different configurations for different applications. For sterilization, a parallel-plate electrode configuration with glass dielectric that discharges in air was used. Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Salmonella enteritidis) and Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus cereus) were successfully inactivated using sinusoidal high voltage of ∼15 kVp-p at 8.5 kHz. In the surface treatment, a hemisphere and disc electrode arrangement that allowed a plasma jet to be extruded under controlled nitrogen gas flow (at 9.2 kHz, 20 kVp-p) was applied to enhance the wettability of PET (Mylar) film.

Surface pressure and aerodynamic loads determination of a transonic airfoil based on particle image velocimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ragni, D; Ashok, A; Van Oudheusden, B W; Scarano, F

2009-01-01

The present investigation assesses a procedure to extract the aerodynamic loads and pressure distribution on an airfoil in the transonic flow regime from particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements. The wind tunnel model is a two-dimensional NACA-0012 airfoil, and the PIV velocity data are used to evaluate pressure fields, whereas lift and drag coefficients are inferred from the evaluation of momentum contour and wake integrals. The PIV-based results are compared to those derived from conventional loads determination procedures involving surface pressure transducers and a wake rake. The method applied in this investigation is an extension to the compressible flow regime of that considered by van Oudheusden et al (2006 Non-intrusive load characterization of an airfoil using PIV Exp. Fluids 40 988–92) at low speed conditions. The application of a high-speed imaging system allows the acquisition in relatively short time of a sufficient ensemble size to compute converged velocity statistics, further translated in turbulent fluctuations included in the pressure and loads calculation, notwithstanding their verified negligible influence in the computation. Measurements are performed at varying spatial resolution to optimize the loads determination in the wake region and around the airfoil, further allowing us to assess the influence of spatial resolution in the proposed procedure. Specific interest is given to the comparisons between the PIV-based method and the conventional procedures for determining the pressure coefficient on the surface, the drag and lift coefficients at different angles of attack. Results are presented for the experiments at a free-stream Mach number M = 0.6, with the angle of attack ranging from 0° to 8°

Evolution effects of the copper surface morphology on the nucleation density and growth of graphene domains at different growth pressures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hedayat, Seyed Mahdi [Transport Phenomena & Nanotechnology Lab., School of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Karimi-Sabet, Javad, E-mail: j_karimi@alum.sharif.edu [NFCRS, Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Shariaty-Niassar, Mojtaba, E-mail: mshariat@ut.ac.ir [Transport Phenomena & Nanotechnology Lab., School of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2017-03-31

Highlights: • Manipulation of the Cu surface morphology in a wide range by electropolishing treatment. • Comparison of the nucleation density of graphene at low pressure and atmospheric pressure CVD processes. • Controlling the evolution of the Cu surface morphology inside a novel confined space. • Growth of large-size graphene domains. - Abstract: In this work, we study the influence of the surface morphology of the catalytic copper substrate on the nucleation density and the growth rate of graphene domains at low and atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD and APCVD) processes. In order to obtain a wide range of initial surface morphology, precisely controlled electropolishing methods were developed to manipulate the roughntreess value of the as-received Cu substrate (RMS = 30 nm) to ultra-rough (RMS = 130 nm) and ultra-smooth (RMS = 2 nm) surfaces. The nucleation and growth of graphene domains show obviously different trends at LPCVD and APCVD conditions. In contrast to APCVD condition, the nucleation density of graphene domains is almost equal in substrates with different initial roughness values at LPCVD condition. We show that this is due to the evolution of the surface morphology of the Cu substrate during the graphene growth steps. By stopping the surface sublimation of copper substrate in a confined space saturated with Cu atoms, the evolution of the Cu surface was impeded. This results in the reduction of the nucleation density of graphene domains up to 24 times in the pre-smoothed Cu substrates at LPCVD condition.

Evolution effects of the copper surface morphology on the nucleation density and growth of graphene domains at different growth pressures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hedayat, Seyed Mahdi; Karimi-Sabet, Javad; Shariaty-Niassar, Mojtaba

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Manipulation of the Cu surface morphology in a wide range by electropolishing treatment. • Comparison of the nucleation density of graphene at low pressure and atmospheric pressure CVD processes. • Controlling the evolution of the Cu surface morphology inside a novel confined space. • Growth of large-size graphene domains. - Abstract: In this work, we study the influence of the surface morphology of the catalytic copper substrate on the nucleation density and the growth rate of graphene domains at low and atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD and APCVD) processes. In order to obtain a wide range of initial surface morphology, precisely controlled electropolishing methods were developed to manipulate the roughntreess value of the as-received Cu substrate (RMS = 30 nm) to ultra-rough (RMS = 130 nm) and ultra-smooth (RMS = 2 nm) surfaces. The nucleation and growth of graphene domains show obviously different trends at LPCVD and APCVD conditions. In contrast to APCVD condition, the nucleation density of graphene domains is almost equal in substrates with different initial roughness values at LPCVD condition. We show that this is due to the evolution of the surface morphology of the Cu substrate during the graphene growth steps. By stopping the surface sublimation of copper substrate in a confined space saturated with Cu atoms, the evolution of the Cu surface was impeded. This results in the reduction of the nucleation density of graphene domains up to 24 times in the pre-smoothed Cu substrates at LPCVD condition.

Atmospheric pressure surface sampling/ionization techniques for direct coupling of planar separations with mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Pasilis, Sofie P; Van Berkel, Gary J

2010-06-18

Planar separations, which include thin layer chromatography and gel electrophoresis, are in widespread use as important and powerful tools for conducting separations of complex mixtures. To increase the utility of planar separations, new methods are needed that allow in situ characterization of the individual components of the separated mixtures. A large number of atmospheric pressure surface sampling and ionization techniques for use with mass spectrometry have emerged in the past several years, and several have been investigated as a means for mass spectrometric read-out of planar separations. In this article, we review the atmospheric pressure surface sampling and ionization techniques that have been used for the read-out of planar separation media. For each technique, we briefly explain the operational basics and discuss the analyte type for which it is appropriate and some specific applications from the literature. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lateral variation in crustal and mantle structure in Bay of Bengal based on surface wave data

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Amit; Mukhopadhyay, Sagarika; Kumar, Naresh; Baidya, P. R.

2018-01-01

Surface waves generated by earthquakes that occurred near Sumatra, Andaman-Nicobar Island chain and Sunda arc are used to estimate crustal and upper mantle S wave velocity structure of Bay of Bengal. Records of these seismic events at various stations located along the eastern coast of India and a few stations in the north eastern part of India are selected for such analysis. These stations lie within regional distance of the selected earthquakes. The selected events are shallow focused with magnitude greater than 5.5. Data of 65, 37, 36, 53 and 36 events recorded at Shillong, Bokaro, Visakhapatnam, Chennai and Trivandrum stations respectively are used for this purpose. The ray paths from the earthquake source to the recording stations cover different parts of the Bay of Bengal. Multiple Filtering Technique (MFT) is applied to compute the group velocities of surface waves from the available data. The dispersion curves thus obtained for this data set are within the period range of 15-120 s. Joint inversion of Rayleigh and Love wave group velocity is carried out to obtain the subsurface information in terms of variation of S wave velocity with depth. The estimated S wave velocity at a given depth and layer thickness can be considered to be an average value for the entire path covered by the corresponding ray paths. However, we observe variation in the value of S wave velocity and layer thickness from data recorded at different stations, indicating lateral variation in these two parameters. Thick deposition of sediments is observed along the paths followed by surface waves to Shillong and Bokaro stations. Sediment thickness keeps on decreasing as the surface wave paths move further south. Based on velocity variation the sedimentary layer is further divided in to three parts; on top lay unconsolidated sediment, underlain by consolidated sediment. Below this lies a layer which we consider as meta-sediments. The thickness and velocity of these layers decrease from north

Method and Apparatus for Characterizing Pressure Sensors using Modulated Light Beam Pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Youngquist, Robert C. (Inventor)

2003-01-01

Embodiments of apparatuses and methods are provided that use light sources instead of sound sources for characterizing and calibrating sensors for measuring small pressures to mitigate many of the problems with using sound sources. In one embodiment an apparatus has a light source for directing a beam of light on a sensing surface of a pressure sensor for exerting a force on the sensing surface. The pressure sensor generates an electrical signal indicative of the force exerted on the sensing surface. A modulator modulates the beam of light. A signal processor is electrically coupled to the pressure sensor for receiving the electrical signal.

Characteristics of meter-scale surface electrical discharge propagating along water surface at atmospheric pressure