Controls on surface soil drying rates observed by SMAP and simulated by the Noah land surface model

Science.gov (United States)

Shellito, Peter J.; Small, Eric E.; Livneh, Ben

2018-03-01

Drydown periods that follow precipitation events provide an opportunity to assess controls on soil evaporation on a continental scale. We use SMAP (Soil Moisture Active Passive) observations and Noah simulations from drydown periods to quantify the role of soil moisture, potential evaporation, vegetation cover, and soil texture on soil drying rates. Rates are determined using finite differences over intervals of 1 to 3 days. In the Noah model, the drying rates are a good approximation of direct soil evaporation rates, and our work suggests that SMAP-observed drying is also predominantly affected by direct soil evaporation. Data cover the domain of the North American Land Data Assimilation System Phase 2 and span the first 1.8 years of SMAP's operation. Drying of surface soil moisture observed by SMAP is faster than that simulated by Noah. SMAP drying is fastest when surface soil moisture levels are high, potential evaporation is high, and when vegetation cover is low. Soil texture plays a minor role in SMAP drying rates. Noah simulations show similar responses to soil moisture and potential evaporation, but vegetation has a minimal effect and soil texture has a much larger effect compared to SMAP. When drying rates are normalized by potential evaporation, SMAP observations and Noah simulations both show that increases in vegetation cover lead to decreases in evaporative efficiency from the surface soil. However, the magnitude of this effect simulated by Noah is much weaker than that determined from SMAP observations.

Experimental study on soluble chemical transfer to surface runoff from soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Tong, Juxiu; Yang, Jinzhong; Hu, Bill X; Sun, Huaiwei

2016-10-01

Prevention of chemical transfer from soil to surface runoff, under condition of irrigation and subsurface drainage, would improve surface water quality. In this paper, a series of laboratory experiments were conducted to assess the effects of various soil and hydraulic factors on chemical transfer from soil to surface runoff. The factors include maximum depth of ponding water on soil surface, initial volumetric water content of soil, depth of soil with low porosity, type or texture of soil and condition of drainage. In the experiments, two soils, sand and loam, mixed with different quantities of soluble KCl were filled in the sandboxes and prepared under different initial saturated conditions. Simulated rainfall induced surface runoff are operated in the soils, and various ponding water depths on soil surface are simulated. Flow rates and KCl concentration of surface runoff are measured during the experiments. The following conclusions are made from the study results: (1) KCl concentration in surface runoff water would decrease with the increase of the maximum depth of ponding water on soil surface; (2) KCl concentration in surface runoff water would increase with the increase of initial volumetric water content in the soil; (3) smaller depth of soil with less porosity or deeper depth of soil with larger porosity leads to less KCl transfer to surface runoff; (4) the soil with finer texture, such as loam, could keep more fertilizer in soil, which will result in more KCl concentration in surface runoff; and (5) good subsurface drainage condition will increase the infiltration and drainage rates during rainfall event and will decrease KCl concentration in surface runoff. Therefore, it is necessary to reuse drained fertile water effectively during rainfall, without polluting groundwater. These study results should be considered in agriculture management to reduce soluble chemical transfer from soil to surface runoff for reducing non-point sources pollution.

Cokriging of Electromagnetic Induction Soil Electrical Conductivity Measurements and Soil Textural Properties to Demarcate Sub-field Management Zones for Precision Irrigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, R.; Cruz, L.; Whitney, J.; Telenko, D.; Oware, E. K.

2017-12-01

There is the growing need for the development of efficient irrigation management practices due to increasing irrigation water scarcity as a result of growing population and changing climate. Soil texture primarily controls the water-holding capacity of soils, which determines the amount of irrigation water that will be available to the plant. However, while there are significant variabilities in the textural properties of the soil across a field, conventional irrigation practices ignore the underlying variability in the soil properties, resulting in over- or under-irrigation. Over-irrigation leaches plant nutrients beyond the root-zone leading to fertilizer, energy, and water wastages with dire environmental consequences. Under-irrigation, in contrast, causes water stress of the plant, thereby reducing plant quality and yield. The goal of this project is to leverage soil textural map of a field to create water management zones (MZs) to guide site-specific precision irrigation. There is increasing application of electromagnetic induction methods to rapidly and inexpensively map spatially continuous soil properties in terms of the apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) of the soil. ECa is a measure of the bulk soil properties, including soil texture, moisture, salinity, and cation exchange capacity, making an ECa map a pseudo-soil map. Data for the project were collected from a farm site at Eden, NY. The objective is to leverage high-resolution ECa map to predict spatially dense soil textural properties from limited measurements of soil texture. Thus, after performing ECa mapping, we conducted particle-size analysis of soil samples to determine the textural properties of soils at selected locations across the field. We cokriged the high-resolution ECa measurements with the sparse soil textural data to estimate a soil texture map for the field. We conducted irrigation experiments at selected locations to calibrate representative water-holding capacities of each

Comparison of model microbial allocation parameters in soils of varying texture

Science.gov (United States)

Hagerty, S. B.; Slessarev, E.; Schimel, J.

2017-12-01

The soil microbial community decomposes the majority of carbon (C) inputs to the soil. However, not all of this C is respired—rather, a substantial portion of the carbon processed by microbes may remain stored in the soil. The balance between C storage and respiration is controlled by microbial turnover rates and C allocation strategies. These microbial community properties may depend on soil texture, which has the potential to influence both the nature and the fate of microbial necromass and extracellular products. To evaluate the role of texture on microbial turnover and C allocation, we sampled four soils from the University of California's Hastings Reserve that varied in texture (one silt loam, two sandy loam, and on clay soil), but support similar grassland plant communities. We added 14C- glucose to the soil and measured the concentration of the label in the carbon dioxide (CO2), microbial biomass, and extractable C pools over 7 weeks. The labeled biomass turned over the slowest in the clay soil; the concentration of labeled biomass was more than 1.5 times the concentration of the other soils after 8 weeks. The clay soil also had the lowest mineralization rate of the label, and mineralization slowed after two weeks. In contrast, in the sandier soils mineralization rates were higher and did not plateau until 5 weeks into the incubation period. We fit the 14C data to a microbial allocation model and estimated microbial parameters; assimilation efficiency, exudation, and biomass specific respiration and turnover for each soil. We compare these parameters across the soil texture gradient to assess the extent to which models may need to account for variability in microbial C allocation across soils of different texture. Our results suggest that microbial C turns over more slowly in high-clay soils than in sandy soils, and that C lost from microbial biomass is retained at higher rates in high-clay soils. Accounting for these differences in microbial allocation

Dust emission parameterization scheme over the MENA region: Sensitivity analysis to soil moisture and soil texture

Science.gov (United States)

Gherboudj, Imen; Beegum, S. Naseema; Marticorena, Beatrice; Ghedira, Hosni

2015-10-01

The mineral dust emissions from arid/semiarid soils were simulated over the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region using the dust parameterization scheme proposed by Alfaro and Gomes (2001), to quantify the effect of the soil moisture and clay fraction in the emissions. For this purpose, an extensive data set of Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity soil moisture, European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting wind speed at 10 m height, Food Agricultural Organization soil texture maps, MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, and erodibility of the soil surface were collected for the a period of 3 years, from 2010 to 2013. Though the considered data sets have different temporal and spatial resolution, efforts have been made to make them consistent in time and space. At first, the simulated sandblasting flux over the region were validated qualitatively using MODIS Deep Blue aerosol optical depth and EUMETSAT MSG (Meteosat Seciond Generation) dust product from SEVIRI (Meteosat Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager) and quantitatively based on the available ground-based measurements of near-surface particulate mass concentrations (PM10) collected over four stations in the MENA region. Sensitivity analyses were performed to investigate the effect of soil moisture and clay fraction on the emissions flux. The results showed that soil moisture and soil texture have significant roles in the dust emissions over the MENA region, particularly over the Arabian Peninsula. An inversely proportional dependency is observed between the soil moisture and the sandblasting flux, where a steep reduction in flux is observed at low friction velocity and a gradual reduction is observed at high friction velocity. Conversely, a directly proportional dependency is observed between the soil clay fraction and the sandblasting flux where a steep increase in flux is observed at low friction velocity and a gradual increase is

Nitrogen enrichment in runoff sediments as affected by soil texture in Beijing mountain area.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yang; Ye, Zhihan; Liu, Baoyuan; Zeng, Xianqin; Fu, Suhua; Lu, Bingjun

2014-02-01

Enrichment ratio (ER) is widely used in nonpoint source pollution models to estimate the nutrient loss associated with soil erosion. The objective of this study was to determine the ER of total nitrogen (ERN) in the sediments eroded from the typical soils with varying soil textures in Beijing mountain area. Each of the four soils was packed into a 40 by 30 by 15 cm soil pan and received 40-min simulated rainfalls at the intensity of 90 mm h(-1) on five slopes. ERN for most sediments were above unity, indicating the common occurrence of nitrogen enrichment accompanied with soil erosion in Beijing mountain area. Soil texture was not the only factor that influenced N enrichment in this experiment since the ERN for the two fine-textured soils were not always lower. Soil properties such as soil structure might exert a more important influence in some circumstances. The selective erosion of clay particles was the main reason for N enrichment, as implied by the significant positive correlation between the ER of total nitrogen and clay fraction in eroded sediments. Significant regression equations between ERN and sediment yield were obtained for two pairs of soils, which were artificially categorized by soil texture. The one for fine-textured soils had greater intercept and more negative slope. Thus, the initially higher ERN would be lower than that for the other two soils with coarser texture once the sediment yield exceeded 629 kg ha(-1).

Mapping the Soil Texture in the Heihe River Basin Based on Fuzzy Logic and Data Fusion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ling Lu

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Mapping soil texture in a river basin is critically important for eco-hydrological studies and water resource management at the watershed scale. However, due to the scarcity of in situ observation of soil texture, it is very difficult to map the soil texture in high resolution using traditional methods. Here, we used an integrated method based on fuzzy logic theory and data fusion to map the soil texture in the Heihe River basin in an arid region of Northwest China, by combining in situ soil texture measurement data, environmental factors, a previous soil texture map, and other thematic maps. Considering the different landscape characteristics over the whole Heihe River basin, different mapping schemes have been used to extract the soil texture in the upstream, middle, and downstream areas of the Heihe River basin, respectively. The validation results indicate that the soil texture map achieved an accuracy of 69% for test data from the midstream area of the Heihe River basin, which represents a much higher accuracy than that of another existing soil map in the Heihe River basin. In addition, compared with the time-consuming and expensive traditional soil mapping method, this new method could ensure greater efficiency and a better representation of the explicitly spatial distribution of soil texture and can, therefore, satisfy the requirements of regional modeling.

Global digital data sets of soil type, soil texture, surface slope and other properties: Documentation of archived data tape

Science.gov (United States)

Staub, B.; Rosenzweig, C.; Rind, D.

1987-01-01

The file structure and coding of four soils data sets derived from the Zobler (1986) world soil file is described. The data were digitized on a one-degree square grid. They are suitable for large-area studies such as climate research with general circulation models, as well as in forestry, agriculture, soils, and hydrology. The first file is a data set of codes for soil unit, land-ice, or water, for all the one-degree square cells on Earth. The second file is a data set of codes for texture, land-ice, or water, for the same soil units. The third file is a data set of codes for slope, land-ice, or water for the same units. The fourth file is the SOILWRLD data set, containing information on soil properties of land cells of both Matthews' and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) sources. The fourth file reconciles land-classification differences between the two and has missing data filled in.

Quantitative Characterisation of Surface Texture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

De Chiffre, Leonardo; Lonardo, P.M.; Trumpold, H.

2000-01-01

This paper reviews the different methods used to give a quantitative characterisation of surface texture. The paper contains a review of conventional 2D as well as 3D roughness parameters, with particular emphasis on recent international standards and developments. It presents new texture...

Soil Texture Aanalysis by Laser Diffraction – Standardisation Needed

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Callesen, Ingeborg; Palviainen, Marjo; Kjoenaas, O. Janne

2017-01-01

sedimentation and sieving methods have been well-defined. From literature and a mini-survey, we know already that laser diffraction is a commonly used analytical method for soil PSD determination in scientific environmental studies that involve soils. A body of literature has documented that colloid......-sized fraction results obtained by laser diffraction analysis of fine-textured soil samples are not comparable to those obtained with sedimentation and sieving methods, when translating to the traditional particle size limits clay, silt and sand. Also, operating procedures for pretreatment of soil samples...... content. We conclude that PSD’s obtained by the laser diffraction method are repeatable and mostly reproducible given standardised pretreatment. Translation to texture class using traditional separates does not work well, and more work and new PTF’s for soils are needed that can translate a laser...

Influence of surface roughness on the friction property of textured surface

OpenAIRE

Yuankai Zhou; Hua Zhu; Wenqian Zhang; Xue Zuo; Yan Li; Jianhua Yang

2015-01-01

In contrast with dimple textures, surface roughness is a texture at the micro-scale, essentially which will influence the load-bearing capacity of lubricant film. The numerical simulation was carried out to investigate the influence of surface roughness on friction property of textured surface. The lubricant film pressure was obtained using the method of computational fluid dynamics according to geometric model of round dimple, and the renormalization-group k–ε turbulent model was adopted in ...

Soil compaction during harvest operations in five tropical soils with different textures under eucalyptus forests

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Paula Cristina Caruana Martins

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Traffic of farm machinery during harvest and logging operations has been identified as the main source of soil structure degradation in forestry activity. Soil susceptibility to compaction and the amount of compaction caused by each forest harvest operation differs according to a number of factors (such as soil strength, soil texture, kind of equipment, traffic intensity, among many others, what requires the adequate assessment of soil compaction under different traffic conditions. The objectives of this study were to determine the susceptibility to compaction of five soil classes with different textures under eucalyptus forests based on their load bearing capacity models; and to determine, from these models and the precompression stresses obtained after harvest operations, the effect of traffic intensity with different equipment in the occurrence of soil compaction. Undisturbed soil samples were collected before and after harvest operations, being then subjected to uniaxial compression tests to determine their precompression stress. The coarse-textured soils were less resistant and endured greater soil compaction. In the clayey LVd2, traffic intensity below four Forwarder passes limited compaction to a third of the samples, whereas in the sandy loam PVd all samples from the 0-3 cm layer were compacted regardless of traffic intensity. The Feller Buncher and the Clambunk presented a high potential to cause soil compaction even with only one or two passes. The use of soil load bearing capacity models and precompression stress determined after harvest and logging operations allowed insight into the soil compaction process in forestry soils.

Soil texture drives responses of soil respiration to precipitation pulses in the sonoran desert: Implications for climate change

Science.gov (United States)

Cable, J.M.; Ogle, K.; Williams, D.G.; Weltzin, J.F.; Huxman, T. E.

2008-01-01

Climate change predictions for the desert southwestern U.S. are for shifts in precipitation patterns. The impacts of climate change may be significant, because desert soil processes are strongly controlled by precipitation inputs ('pulses') via their effect on soil water availability. This study examined the response of soil respiration-an important biological process that affects soil carbon (C) storage-to variation in pulses representative of climate change scenarios for the Sonoran Desert. Because deserts are mosaics of different plant cover types and soil textures-which create patchiness in soil respiration-we examined how these landscape characteristics interact to affect the response of soil respiration to pulses. Pulses were applied to experimental plots of bare and vegetated soil on contrasting soil textures typical of Sonoran Desert grasslands. The data were analyzed within a Bayesian framework to: (1) determine pulse size and antecedent moisture (soil moisture prior to the pulse) effects on soil respiration, (2) quantify soil texture (coarse vs. fine) and cover type (bare vs. vegetated) effects on the response of soil respiration and its components (plant vs. microbial) to pulses, and (3) explore the relationship between long-term variation in pulse regimes and seasonal soil respiration. Regarding objective (1), larger pulses resulted in higher respiration rates, particularly from vegetated fine-textured soil, and dry antecedent conditions amplified respiration responses to pulses (wet antecedent conditions dampened the pulse response). Regarding (2), autotrophic (plant) activity was a significant source (???60%) of respiration and was more sensitive to pulses on coarse- versus fine-textured soils. The sensitivity of heterotrophic (microbial) respiration to pulses was highly dependent on antecedent soil water. Regarding (3), seasonal soil respiration was predicted to increase with both growing season precipitation and mean pulse size (but only for pulses

Leaching of Contamination from Stabilization/Solidification Remediated Soils of Different Texture

Science.gov (United States)

Burlakovs, Juris; Kasparinskis, Raimonds; Klavins, Maris

2012-09-01

Development of soil and groundwater remediation technologies is a matter of great importance to eliminate historically and currently contaminated sites. Stabilization/solidification (S/S) refers to binding of waste contaminants to a more chemically stable form and thus diminishing leaching of contamination. It can be performed using cement with or without additives in order to stabilize and solidify soil with the contamination in matrix. A series of experiments were done to determine leaching properties of spiked soils of different texture bound with cement. Results of experiments showed, that soil texture (content of sand, silt and clay particles) affects the leaching of heavy metals from stabilized soils.

The effect of vegetation and soil texture on the nature of organics in runoff from a catchment supplying water for domestic consumption.

Science.gov (United States)

Awad, John; van Leeuwen, John; Abate, Dawit; Pichler, Markus; Bestland, Erick; Chittleborough, David J; Fleming, Nigel; Cohen, Jonathan; Liffner, Joel; Drikas, Mary

2015-10-01

The influence of vegetation and soil texture on the concentration and character of dissolved organic matter (DOM) present in runoff from the surface and sub-surface of zero order catchments of the Myponga Reservoir-catchment (South Australia) was investigated to determine the impacts of catchment characteristics and land management practices on the quality of waters used for domestic supply. Catchments selected have distinct vegetative cover (grass, native vegetation or pine) and contrasting texture of the surface soil horizon (sand or clay loam/clay). Water samples were collected from three slope positions (upper, middle, and lower) at soil depths of ~30 cm and ~60 cm in addition to overland flows. Filtered (0.45 μm) water samples were analyzed for dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and UV-visible absorbance and by F-EEM and HPSEC with UV and fluorescence detection to characterize the DOM. Surface and sub-surface runoff from catchments with clay soils and native vegetation or grass had lower DOC concentrations and lower relative abundances of aromatic, humic-like and high molecular weight organics than runoff from sandy soils with these vegetative types. Sub-surface flows from two catchments with Pinus radiata had similar DOC concentrations and DOM character, regardless of marked variation in surface soil texture. Runoff from catchments under native vegetation and grass on clay soils resulted in lower DOC concentrations and hence would be expected to have lower coagulant demand in conventional treatment for potable water supply than runoff from corresponding sandy soil catchments. However, organics in runoff from clay catchments would be more difficult to remove by coagulation. Surface waters from the native vegetation and grass catchments were generally found to have higher relative abundance of organic compounds amenable to removal by coagulation compared with sub-surface waters. Biophysical and land management practices combine to have a marked influence on the

Texture and organic carbon contents do not impact amount of carbon protected in Malagasy soils

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tantely Razafimbelo

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Soil organic carbon (SOC is usually said to be well correlated with soil texture and soil aggregation. These relations generally suggest a physical and physicochemical protection of SOC within soil aggregates and on soil fine particles, respectively. Because there are few experimental evidences of these relations on tropical soils, we tested the relations of soil variables (SOC and soil aggregate contents, and soil texture with the amount of SOC physically protected in aggregates on a set of 15 Malagasy soils. The soil texture, the SOC and water stable macroaggregate (MA contents and the amount of SOC physically protected inside aggregates, calculated as the difference of C mineralized by crushed and intact aggregates, were characterized. The relation between these variables was established. SOC content was significantly correlated with soil texture (clay+fine silt fraction and with soil MA amount while protected SOC content was not correlated with soil MA amount. This lack of correlation might be attributed to the highest importance of physicochemical protection of SOC which is demonstrated by the positive relation between SOC and clay+fine silt fraction.

Comparison of germination and seed vigor of sunflower in two contaminated soils of different texture

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Xin; Han, Jaemaro; Lee, Jong Keun; Kim, Jae Young

2014-05-01

Phytoremediation as an emerging low-cost and ecologically friendly alternative to the conventional soil remediation technologies has gained a great deal of attention and into lots of research. As a kind of the methods that use of green plants to remediate heavy metals contaminated soils, the early growth status of plant seeds in the contaminated environmental directly affects the effect of phytoremediation. Germination test in the water (aqueous solution of heavy metal) is generally used for assessing heavy metal phytotoxicity and possibility of plant growth, but there is a limit. Because soil is commonly main target of phytoremediation, not the water. The bioavailability of heavy metals in the soil also depends on the texture. So soil texture is an important factor of phytoremediation effect. Sunflower is the representative species which have good tolerance to various heavy metals; furthermore, the seeds of sunflower can be used as the raw-material for producing bio-diesel. The objectives of this research were to investigate germination rate of sunflowers in various heavy metal contaminated soils and to compare the seedling vigor index (SVI) of sunflower in two contaminated soils of different texture. Sunflower (Helianthusannuus L.) seeds were obtained from a commercial market. In order to prove the soil texture effect on heavy metal contaminated soil, germination tests in soil were conducted with two different types of soil texture (i.e., loam soil and sandy loam soil) classified by soil textural triangle (defined by USDA) including representative soil texture of Korea. Germination tests in soil were conducted using KS I ISO 11260-1 (2005) for reference that sunflower seeds were incubated for 7 days in dark at 25 ± 1 Celsius degree. The target heavy metals are Nickel (Ni) and Zinc (Zn). The Ni and Zn concentrations were 0, 10, 50, 100, 200, 300, 500 mg-Ni/kg-dry soil, and 0, 10, 50, 100, 300, 500, 900 mg-Zn/kg-dry soil, respectively. After germination test for 7

Relationship between soil texture and soil organic matter content on mined-out lands in Berau, East Kalimantan, Indonesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

WAHJUNI HARTATI

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract. Hartati, Sudarmadji T. 2016. Relationship between soil texture and soil organic matter content on mined-out lands in Berau, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Nusantara Bioscience 8: 83-88. Post open pit mining may in most cases leave unarable and degraded lands due to heavy soil disturbances and therefore reclamation efforts of such area should be addressed on the revitalization of the soil functions for plant growth. The capability of tropical humid soils, including post open pit mining soils, to support plant growth is largely determined by their organic matter content-nutrient pool, soil aggregation, microbial activity, etc. However, soil organic matter content is, to large extent, governed by the soil clay content which is most likely permanent. This may imply that the soil texture couple with soil organic matter content could be a sound measurement to assess the recovery stages of the mined-out lands in term of soil functions for plant growth. This research was conducted in three sites of reclamation area in Berau, East Kalimantan. Soil texture varied from moderately fine (35-40% clay to fine (40-50% clay and very fine (>50% clay for the BMO, SMO and LMO sites respectively. Soil clay eluviations were found in both of SMO (8 years old revegetation and BMO (>12 years old revegetation sites but not in LMO site. Soil organic matter content ranged from very low (12 and 8 years old revegetation when the organic matter content reaching its maximum. The very fine soil texture does not show clay eluviations process until > 12 years old revegetation even containing the highest organic C content and reaches its maximum at 8-10 years old revegetation.

Soil texture and climatc conditions for biocrust growth limitation: a meta analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, Thomas; Subbotina, Mariia

2015-04-01

Along with afforestation, attempts have been made to combat desertification by managing soil crusts, and is has been reported that recovery rates of biocrusts are dependent on many factors, including the type, severity, and extent of disturbance; structure of the vascular plant community; conditions of adjoining substrates; availability of inoculation material; and climate during and after disturbance (Belnap & Eldridge 2001). Because biological soil crusts are known to be more stable on and to prefer fine substrates (Belnap 2001), the question arises as to how successful crust management practices can be applied to coarser soil. In previous studies we observed similar crust biomasses on finer soils under arid and on coarser soils under temperate conditions. We hypothesized that the higher water holding capacity of finer substrates would favor crust development, and that the amount of silt and clay in the substrate that is required for enhanced crust development would vary with changes in climatic conditions. In a global meta study, climatic and soil texture threshold values promoting BSC growth were derived. While examining literature sources, it became evident that the amount of studies to be incorporated into this meta analysis was reversely related to the amount of common environmental parameters they share. We selected annual mean precipitaion, mean temperature and the amount of silt and clay as driving variables for crust growth. Response variable was the "relative crust biomass", which was computed per literature source as the ratio between each individual crust biomass value of the given study to the study maximum value reported. We distinguished lichen, green algal, cyanobacterial and moss crusts. To quantify threshold conditions at which crust biomass responded to differences in texture and climate, we (I) determined correlations between bioclimatic variables, (II) calculated linear models to determine the effect of typical climatic variables with soil

Effect of soil texture on phytoremediation of arsenic-contaminated soils

Science.gov (United States)

Pallud, C. E.; Matzen, S. L.; Olson, A.

2015-12-01

Soil arsenic (As) contamination is a global problem, resulting in part from anthropogenic activities, including the use of arsenical pesticides and treated wood, mining, and irrigated agriculture. Phytoextraction using the hyperaccumulating fern Pteris vittata is a promising new technology to remediate soils with shallow arsenic contamination with minimal site disturbance. However, many challenges still lie ahead for a global application of phytoremediation. For example, remediation times using P. vittata are on the order of decades. In addition, most research on As phytoextraction with P. vittata has examined As removal from sandy soils, where As is more available, with little research focusing on As removal from clayey soils, where As is less available. The objective of this study is to determine the effects of soil texture and soil fertilization on As extraction by P. vittata, to optimize remediation efficiency and decrease remediation time under complex field conditions. A field study was established 2.5 years ago in an abandoned railroad grade contaminated with As (average 85.5 mg kg-1) with texture varying from sandy loam to silty clay loam. Organic N, inorganic N, organic P, inorganic P, and compost were applied to separate sub-plots; control ferns were grown in untreated soil. In a parallel greenhouse experiment, ferns were grown in sandy loam soil extracted from the field (180 mg As kg-1), with similar treatments as those used at the field site, plus a high phosphate treatment and treatments with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. In the field study, fern mortality was 24% higher in clayey soil than in sandy soil due to waterlogging, while As was primarily associated with sandy soil. Results from the sandy loam soil indicate that soil treatments did not significantly increase As phytoextraction, which was lower in phosphate-treated ferns than in control ferns, both in the field and greenhouse study. Under greenhouse conditions, ferns treated with organic N were

The structure of surface texture knowledge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan Wang; Scott, Paul J; Jiang Xiangqian

2005-01-01

This research aims to create an intelligent knowledge-based system for engineering and bio-medical engineering surface texture, which will provide expert knowledge of surface texture to link surface function, specification of micro- and nano-geometry through manufacture, and verification. The intelligent knowledge base should be capable of incorporating knowledge from multiple sources (standards, books, experts, etc), adding new knowledge from these sources and still remain a coherent reliable system. A new data model based on category theory will be adopted to construct this system

Laser surface textured titanium alloy (Ti–6Al–4V): Part 1 – Surface characterization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pfleging, Wilhelm [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, IAM-AWP, P.O. Box 3640, 76021 Karlsruhe (Germany); Karlsruhe Nano Micro Facility, H.-von-Helmholtz-Pl. 1, 76344 Egg.-Leopoldshafen (Germany); Kumari, Renu [Department of Metal. and Maters. Eng., I. I. T. Kharagpur, WB 721302 (India); Besser, Heino [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, IAM-AWP, P.O. Box 3640, 76021 Karlsruhe (Germany); Scharnweber, Tim [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, IBG-1, P.O. Box 3640, 76021 Karlsruhe (Germany); Majumdar, Jyotsna Dutta, E-mail: jyotsna@metal.iitkgp.ernet.in [Department of Metal. and Maters. Eng., I. I. T. Kharagpur, WB 721302 (India)

2015-11-15

Highlights: • Texturing of Ti–6Al–4V with linear and dimple patterns are developed with ArF laser. • Linear textures have width of 25 μm and are at an interval of 20 μm. • Dimple textures are equi-spaced and have a diameter of 60 μm. • Significant refinement of microstructure in textured zone as compared to substrate. • Increased wettability of the textured surface against simulated body fluid. - Abstract: In the present study, a detailed study of the characterization of laser-surface textured titanium alloy (Ti–6Al–4V) with line and dimple geometry developed by using an ArF excimer laser operating at a wavelength of 193 nm with a pulse length of 5 ns is undertaken. The characterization of the textured surface (both the top surface and cross section) is carried out by scanning electron microscopy, electron back scattered diffraction (EBSD) technique and X-ray diffraction techniques. There is refinement of microstructure along with presence of titanium oxides (rutile, anatase and few Ti{sub 2}O{sub 3} phase) in the textured surface as compared to as-received one. The area fractions of linear texture and dimple texture measured by image analysis software are 45% and 20%, respectively. The wettability is increased after laser texturing. The total surface energy is decreased due to linear (29.6 mN/m) texturing and increased due to dimple (67.6 mN/m) texturing as compared to as-received Ti–6Al–4V (37 mN/m). The effect of polar component is more in influencing the surface energy of textured surface.

Laser surface textured titanium alloy (Ti–6Al–4V): Part 1 – Surface characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pfleging, Wilhelm; Kumari, Renu; Besser, Heino; Scharnweber, Tim; Majumdar, Jyotsna Dutta

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Texturing of Ti–6Al–4V with linear and dimple patterns are developed with ArF laser. • Linear textures have width of 25 μm and are at an interval of 20 μm. • Dimple textures are equi-spaced and have a diameter of 60 μm. • Significant refinement of microstructure in textured zone as compared to substrate. • Increased wettability of the textured surface against simulated body fluid. - Abstract: In the present study, a detailed study of the characterization of laser-surface textured titanium alloy (Ti–6Al–4V) with line and dimple geometry developed by using an ArF excimer laser operating at a wavelength of 193 nm with a pulse length of 5 ns is undertaken. The characterization of the textured surface (both the top surface and cross section) is carried out by scanning electron microscopy, electron back scattered diffraction (EBSD) technique and X-ray diffraction techniques. There is refinement of microstructure along with presence of titanium oxides (rutile, anatase and few Ti_2O_3 phase) in the textured surface as compared to as-received one. The area fractions of linear texture and dimple texture measured by image analysis software are 45% and 20%, respectively. The wettability is increased after laser texturing. The total surface energy is decreased due to linear (29.6 mN/m) texturing and increased due to dimple (67.6 mN/m) texturing as compared to as-received Ti–6Al–4V (37 mN/m). The effect of polar component is more in influencing the surface energy of textured surface.

Spatial Variation of Soil Type and Soil Moisture in the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buckley, R.

2001-06-27

Soil characteristics (texture and moisture) are typically assumed to be initially constant when performing simulations with the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS). Soil texture is spatially homogeneous and time-independent, while soil moisture is often spatially homogeneous initially, but time-dependent. This report discusses the conversion of a global data set of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) soil types to RAMS soil texture and the subsequent modifications required in RAMS to ingest this information. Spatial variations in initial soil moisture obtained from the National Center for Environmental Predictions (NCEP) large-scale models are also introduced. Comparisons involving simulations over the southeastern United States for two different time periods, one during warmer, more humid summer conditions, and one during cooler, dryer winter conditions, reveals differences in surface conditions related to increases or decreases in near-surface atmospheric moisture con tent as a result of different soil properties. Three separate simulation types were considered. The base case assumed spatially homogeneous soil texture and initial soil moisture. The second case assumed variable soil texture and constant initial soil moisture, while the third case allowed for both variable soil texture and initial soil moisture. The simulation domain was further divided into four geographically distinct regions. It is concluded there is a more dramatic impact on thermodynamic variables (surface temperature and dewpoint) than on surface winds, and a more pronounced variability in results during the summer period. While no obvious trends in surface winds or dewpoint temperature were found relative to observations covering all regions and times, improvement in surface temperatures in most regions and time periods was generally seen with the incorporation of variable soil texture and initial soil moisture.

Study on tribological properties of multi-layer surface texture on Babbitt alloys surface

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Dongya; Zhao, Feifei; Li, Yan; Li, Pengyang; Zeng, Qunfeng; Dong, Guangneng

2016-12-01

To improve tribological properties of Babbitt alloys, multi-layer surface texture consisted of the main grooves and secondary micro-dimples are fabricated on the Babbitt substrate through laser pulse ablation. The tribological behaviors of multi-layer surface texture are investigated using a rotating type pin-on-disc tribo-meter under variation sliding speeds, and the film pressure distributions on the textured surfaces are simulated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method for elucidating the possible mechanisms. The results suggest that: (i) the multi-layer surface texture can reduce friction coefficient of Babbitt alloy, which has lowest friction coefficient of 0.03, in case of the groove parameter of 300 μm width and 15% of area density; (ii) the improvement effect may be more sensitive to the groove area density and the siding speed, and the textured surface with lower area density has lower friction coefficient under high sliding speed. Based on the reasons of (i) the secondary micro-dimples on Babbitt alloy possesses a hydrophobicity surface and (ii) the CFD analysis indicates that main grooves enhancing hydrodynamic effect, thus the multi-layer surface texture is regarded as dramatically improve the lubricating properties of the Babbitt alloy.

Phosphorus leaching in a soil textural gradient

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Glæsner, Nadia; Kjærgaard, Charlotte; Rubæk, Gitte Holton

2009-01-01

Texture is a major factor influencing mobilization and transport of P in soil owing partly to differences in adsorptive properties, and partly to differences in pore-size distribution and pore organization. Slurry application strategies may be important mitigation measures for reducing agricultur...

Influence of surface roughness on the friction property of textured surface

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuankai Zhou

2015-02-01

Full Text Available In contrast with dimple textures, surface roughness is a texture at the micro-scale, essentially which will influence the load-bearing capacity of lubricant film. The numerical simulation was carried out to investigate the influence of surface roughness on friction property of textured surface. The lubricant film pressure was obtained using the method of computational fluid dynamics according to geometric model of round dimple, and the renormalization-group k–ε turbulent model was adopted in the computation. The numerical simulation results suggest that there is an optimum dimensionless surface roughness, and near this value, the maximum load-bearing capacity can be achieved. The load-bearing capacity is determined by the surface texture, the surface roughness, and the interaction between them. To get information of friction coefficient, the experiments were conducted. This experiment was used to evaluate the simulation. The experimental results show that for the frequency of 4 and 6 Hz, friction coefficient decreases at first and then increases with decreasing surface roughness, which indicates that there exists the optimum region of surface roughness leading to the best friction reduction effect, and it becomes larger when area fractions increase from 2% to 10%. The experimental results agree well with the simulation results.

The soil-water characteristic curve at low soil-water contents: Relationships with soil specific surface area and texture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Resurreccion, A C; Møldrup, Per; Tuller, M

2011-01-01

dominate over capillary forces, have also been used to estimate soil specific surface area (SA). In the present study, the dry end of the SWRC was measured with a chilled-mirror dew point psychrometer for 41 Danish soils covering a wide range of clay (CL) and organic carbon (OC) contents. The 41 soils were...

The effect of vegetation and soil texture on the nature of organics in runoff from a catchment supplying water for domestic consumption

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Awad, John [Centre for Water Management and Reuse, School of Natural and Built Environments, University of South Australia, South Australia 5095 (Australia); Leeuwen, John van, E-mail: John.VanLeeuwen@unisa.edu.au [Centre for Water Management and Reuse, School of Natural and Built Environments, University of South Australia, South Australia 5095 (Australia); State Key Laboratory for Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, CAS, Beijing (China); Barbara Hardy Institute, University of South Australia, South Australia 5095 (Australia); Abate, Dawit [Centre for Water Management and Reuse, School of Natural and Built Environments, University of South Australia, South Australia 5095 (Australia); Pichler, Markus; Bestland, Erick [School of the Environment, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia 5042 (Australia); Chittleborough, David J. [School of Physical Sciences, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, South Australia 5005 (Australia); Fleming, Nigel [South Australian Research and Development Institute, P.O. Box 397, Adelaide, SA 5000 (Australia); Cohen, Jonathan; Liffner, Joel [Centre for Water Management and Reuse, School of Natural and Built Environments, University of South Australia, South Australia 5095 (Australia); Drikas, Mary [Centre for Water Management and Reuse, School of Natural and Built Environments, University of South Australia, South Australia 5095 (Australia); Australian Water Quality Centre, SA Water Corporation, 250 Victoria Square, Adelaide, South Australia 5000 (Australia); State Key Laboratory for Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, CAS, Beijing (China)

2015-10-01

The influence of vegetation and soil texture on the concentration and character of dissolved organic matter (DOM) present in runoff from the surface and sub-surface of zero order catchments of the Myponga Reservoir-catchment (South Australia) was investigated to determine the impacts of catchment characteristics and land management practices on the quality of waters used for domestic supply. Catchments selected have distinct vegetative cover (grass, native vegetation or pine) and contrasting texture of the surface soil horizon (sand or clay loam/clay). Water samples were collected from three slope positions (upper, middle, and lower) at soil depths of ~ 30 cm and ~ 60 cm in addition to overland flows. Filtered (0.45 μm) water samples were analyzed for dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and UV–visible absorbance and by F-EEM and HPSEC with UV and fluorescence detection to characterize the DOM. Surface and sub-surface runoff from catchments with clay soils and native vegetation or grass had lower DOC concentrations and lower relative abundances of aromatic, humic-like and high molecular weight organics than runoff from sandy soils with these vegetative types. Sub-surface flows from two catchments with Pinus radiata had similar DOC concentrations and DOM character, regardless of marked variation in surface soil texture. Runoff from catchments under native vegetation and grass on clay soils resulted in lower DOC concentrations and hence would be expected to have lower coagulant demand in conventional treatment for potable water supply than runoff from corresponding sandy soil catchments. However, organics in runoff from clay catchments would be more difficult to remove by coagulation. Surface waters from the native vegetation and grass catchments were generally found to have higher relative abundance of organic compounds amenable to removal by coagulation compared with sub-surface waters. Biophysical and land management practices combine to have a marked influence on

The effect of vegetation and soil texture on the nature of organics in runoff from a catchment supplying water for domestic consumption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Awad, John; Leeuwen, John van; Abate, Dawit; Pichler, Markus; Bestland, Erick; Chittleborough, David J.; Fleming, Nigel; Cohen, Jonathan; Liffner, Joel; Drikas, Mary

2015-01-01

The influence of vegetation and soil texture on the concentration and character of dissolved organic matter (DOM) present in runoff from the surface and sub-surface of zero order catchments of the Myponga Reservoir-catchment (South Australia) was investigated to determine the impacts of catchment characteristics and land management practices on the quality of waters used for domestic supply. Catchments selected have distinct vegetative cover (grass, native vegetation or pine) and contrasting texture of the surface soil horizon (sand or clay loam/clay). Water samples were collected from three slope positions (upper, middle, and lower) at soil depths of ~ 30 cm and ~ 60 cm in addition to overland flows. Filtered (0.45 μm) water samples were analyzed for dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and UV–visible absorbance and by F-EEM and HPSEC with UV and fluorescence detection to characterize the DOM. Surface and sub-surface runoff from catchments with clay soils and native vegetation or grass had lower DOC concentrations and lower relative abundances of aromatic, humic-like and high molecular weight organics than runoff from sandy soils with these vegetative types. Sub-surface flows from two catchments with Pinus radiata had similar DOC concentrations and DOM character, regardless of marked variation in surface soil texture. Runoff from catchments under native vegetation and grass on clay soils resulted in lower DOC concentrations and hence would be expected to have lower coagulant demand in conventional treatment for potable water supply than runoff from corresponding sandy soil catchments. However, organics in runoff from clay catchments would be more difficult to remove by coagulation. Surface waters from the native vegetation and grass catchments were generally found to have higher relative abundance of organic compounds amenable to removal by coagulation compared with sub-surface waters. Biophysical and land management practices combine to have a marked influence on

Responses of plant available water and forest productivity to variably layered coarse textured soils

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Mingbin; Barbour, Lee; Elshorbagy, Amin; Si, Bing; Zettl, Julie

2010-05-01

Reforestation is a primary end use for reconstructed soils following oil sands mining in northern Alberta, Canada. Limited soil water conditions strongly restrict plant growth. Previous research has shown that layering of sandy soils can produce enhanced water availability for plant growth; however, the effect of gradation on these enhancements is not well defined. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of soil texture (gradation and layering) on plant available water and consequently on forest productivity for reclaimed coarse textured soils. A previously validated system dynamics (SD) model of soil moisture dynamics was coupled with ecophysiological and biogeochemical processes model, Biome-BGC-SD, to simulate forest dynamics for different soil profiles. These profiles included contrasting 50 cm textural layers of finer sand overlying coarser sand in which the sand layers had either a well graded or uniform soil texture. These profiles were compared to uniform profiles of the same sands. Three tree species of jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.), white spruce (Picea glauce Voss.), and trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) were simulated using a 50 year climatic data base from northern Alberta. Available water holding capacity (AWHC) was used to identify soil moisture regime, and leaf area index (LAI) and net primary production (NPP) were used as indices of forest productivity. Published physiological parameters were used in the Biome-BGC-SD model. Relative productivity was assessed by comparing model predictions to the measured above-ground biomass dynamics for the three tree species, and was then used to study the responses of forest leaf area index and potential productivity to AWHC on different soil profiles. Simulated results indicated soil layering could significantly increase AWHC in the 1-m profile for coarse textured soils. This enhanced AWHC could result in an increase in forest LAI and NPP. The increased extent varied with soil

Loss of surface horizon of an irrigated soil detected by radiometric images of normalized difference vegetation index.

Science.gov (United States)

Fabian Sallesses, Leonardo; Aparicio, Virginia Carolina; Costa, Jose Luis

2017-04-01

The use of the soil in the Humid Pampa of Argentina has changed since the mid-1990s from agricultural-livestock production (that included pastures with direct grazing) to a purely agricultural production. Also, in recent years the area under irrigation by central pivot has been increased to 150%. The waters used for irrigation are sodium carbonates. The combination of irrigation and rain increases the sodium absorption ratio of soil (SARs), consequently raising the clay dispersion and reducing infiltration. This implies an increased risk of soil loss. A reduction in the development of white clover crop (Trifolium repens L.) was observed at an irrigation plot during 2015 campaign. The clover was planted in order to reduce the impact of two maize (Zea mays L.) campaigns under irrigation, which had increased soil SAR and deteriorated soil structure. SPOT-5 radiometric normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) images were used to determine two zones of high and low production. In each zone, four random points were selected for further geo-referenced field sampling. Two geo-referenced measures of effective depth and surface soil sampling were carried out in each point. Texture of soil samples was determined by Pipette Method of Sedimentation Analysis. Data exploratory analysis showed that low production zone had a media effective depth = 80 cm and silty clay loam texture, while high production zone had a media effective depth > 140 cm and silt loam texture. The texture class of the low production zone did not correspond to prior soil studies carried out by the INTA (National Institute of Agricultural Technology), which showed that those soil textures were silt loam at surface and silty clay loam at sub-surface. The loss of the A horizon is proposed as a possible explanation, but further research is required. Besides, the need of a soil cartography actualization, which integrates new satellite imaging technologies and geo-referenced measurements with soil sensors is

Soil texture analysis revisited: Removal of organic matter matters more than ever

Science.gov (United States)

Schjønning, Per; Watts, Christopher W.; Christensen, Bent T.; Munkholm, Lars J.

2017-01-01

Exact estimates of soil clay (<2 μm) and silt (2–20 μm) contents are crucial as these size fractions impact key soil functions, and as pedotransfer concepts based on clay and silt contents are becoming increasingly abundant. We examined the effect of removing soil organic matter (SOM) by H2O2 before soil dispersion and determination of clay and silt. Soil samples with gradients in SOM were retrieved from three long-term field experiments each with uniform soil mineralogy and texture. For soils with less than 2 g C 100 g-1 minerals, clay estimates were little affected by SOM. Above this threshold, underestimation of clay increased dramatically with increasing SOM content. Silt contents were systematically overestimated when SOM was not removed; no lower SOM threshold was found for silt, but the overestimation was more pronounced for finer textured soils. When exact estimates of soil particles <20 μm are needed, SOM should always be removed before soil dispersion. PMID:28542416

The Evaluation of Basal Respiration for Various Soil Textures in Ecologically Sensitive Area

Science.gov (United States)

Huličová, P.; Kotorová, D.; Fazekašová, D.; Hynšt, J.

2017-10-01

The present contribution was focused on monitoring changes in the soil basal respiration in different textures of soil in the dry polder Beša. The research was conducted between 2012 and 2014 on soil type Fluvisol locations on three soil textures: clay - loam soil, clayey soil and clay soil in three soil depths. The basal respiration (BR) has been determine by soil CO2 production measuring from incubated soil samples in serum bottles in laboratory condition. Release Co2 has been analysed by gas chromatography. Content of clay particles were in the range 52.18 % to 81.31%, indicating the high difference between the minimum and maximum content. By using of multiple LSD-test we recorded statistically significant impact of clay on basal respiration. Results confirm the values of basal respiration with the depth of the soil profile decreased.

Control and characterization of textured, hydrophobic ionomer surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xueyuan

Polymer thin films are of increasing interest in many industrial and technological applications. Superhydrophobic, self-cleaning surfaces have attracted a lot of attention for their application in self-cleaning, anti-sticking coatings, stain resistance, or anti-contamination surfaces in diverse technologies, including medical, transportation, textiles, electronics and paints. This thesis focuses on the preparation of nanometer to micrometer-size particle textured surfaces which are desirable for super water repellency. Textured surfaces consisting of nanometer to micrometer-sized lightly sulfonated polystyrene ionomer (SPS) particles were prepared by rapid evaporation of the solvent from a dilute polymer solution cast onto silica. The effect of the solvent used to spin coat the film, the molecular weight of the ionomer, and the rate of solvent evaporation were investigated. The nano-particle or micron-particle textured ionomer surfaces were prepared by either spin coating or solution casting ionomer solutions at controlled evaporation rates. The surface morphologies were consistent with a spinodal decomposition mechanism where the surface first existed as a percolated-like structure and then ripened into droplets if molecular mobility was retained for sufficient time. The SPS particles or particle aggregates were robust and resisted deformation even after annealing at 120°C for one week. The water contact angles on as-prepared surfaces were relatively low, ~ 90° since the polar groups in ionomer reduce the surface hydrophobicity. After chemical vapor deposition of 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyltrichlorosilane, the surface contact angles increased to ~ 109° on smooth surfaces and ~140° on the textured surfaces. Water droplets stuck to these surfaces even when tilted 90 degrees. Superhydrophobic surfaces were prepared by spraying coating ionomer solutions and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) of 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyltrichlorosilane onto textured surfaces. The

Gamma-ray beam attenuation to assess the influence of soil texture on structure deformation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pires, L.F.; Bacchi, O.O.S.; Dias, N.M.P.

2006-01-01

Gamma-ray beam attenuation is a non-invasive technique that permits analysis of soil porosity without disturbing the region of interest of the core sample. The technique has as additional advantage to allow measurements point by point on a millimetric scale in contrast to other methodologies that are invasive and analyze the soil properties in the bulk sample volume. Soil porosity can be used as an important parameter to quantify soil structural damages, which affect soil aeration, water movement and retention. In this study, porosities of three soils different in texture were measured at various positions in order to analyze the impact of the sampling procedure on the structure of each particular soil texture. The gamma-ray attenuation system consisted of an 241 Am radioactive source having an activity of 3.7 GBq, collimated with cylindrical lead collimators of 2 mm diameter. The results obtained show the presence of dense regions near the edges of samples and that different soil textures can suffer distinct deformations at sampling. (author)

Effects of Soil Texture on Belowground Carbon and Nutrient Storage in a Lowland Amazonian Forest Ecosystem.

Science.gov (United States)

Whendee L. Silver; Jason Neff; Megan McGroddy; Ed Veldkamp; Michael Keller; Raimundo Cosme

2000-01-01

Soil texture plays a key role in belowground C storage in forest ecosystems and strongly influences nutrient availability and retention, particularly in highly weathered soils. We used field data and the Century ecosystem model to explore the role of soil texture in belowground C storage, nutrient pool sizes, and N fluxes in highly weathered soils in an Amazonian...

Friction behavior of nano-textured polyimide surfaces measured by AFM colloidal probe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Xiaoliang [College of Equipment Manufacturing, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan 056038 (China); State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000 (China); Wu, Chunxia; Che, Hongwei; Hou, Junxian [College of Equipment Manufacturing, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan 056038 (China); Jia, Junhong, E-mail: jhjia@licp.cas.cn [State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000 (China)

2014-11-30

Highlights: • Flat PI film and nano-textured PI film were prepared by spin-coating process. • The nano-textured PI surface has effectively reduced the adhesion and friction. • Friction increased with the increasing of contact area and adhesion. • The growth rate of friction decreased with the increasing of applied load. - Abstract: Flat polyimide (PI) film and silicon dioxide nanoparticle-textured PI film were prepared by means of the spin-coating technique. The adhesion and friction properties of the flat PI surface and nano-textured PI surface were investigated by a series of Atomic force microscope (AFM) colloidal probes. Experimental results revealed that the nano-textured PI surface can significantly reduce the adhesive force and friction force, compared with the flat PI surface. The main reason is that the nano-textures can reduce the contact area between the sample surface and colloidal probe. The effect of colloidal probe size on the friction behavior of the flat and nano-textured PI surfaces was evaluated. The adhesive force and friction force of nano-textured PI surface were increased with the increasing of the size of interacting pairs (AFM colloidal probe) due to the increased contact area. Moreover, the friction forces of flat and nano-textured PI surfaces were increased with applied load and sliding velocity.

Wettability transition of laser textured brass surfaces inside different mediums

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Huangping; Abdul Rashid, Mohamed Raiz B.; Khew, Si Ying; Li, Fengping; Hong, Minghui

2018-01-01

Hydrophobic surface on brass has attracted intensive attention owing to its importance in scientific research and practical applications. Laser texturing provides a simple and promising method to achieve it. Reducing wettability transition time from hydrophilicity to hydrophobicity or superhydrophobicity remains a challenge. Herein, wettability transition of brass surfaces with hybrid micro/nano-structures fabricated by laser texturing was investigated by immersing the samples inside different mediums. Scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and surface contact angle measurement were employed to characterize surface morphology, chemical composition and wettability of the fabricated surfaces of brass samples. Wettability transition time from hydrophilicity to hydrophobicity was shortened by immersion into isopropyl alcohol for a period of 3 h as a result of the absorption and accumulation of organic substances on the textured brass surface. When the textured brass sample was immersed into sodium bicarbonate solution, flower-like structures on the sample surface played a key role in slowing down wettability transition. Moreover, it had the smallest steady state contact angle as compared to the others. This study provides a facile method to construct textured surfaces with tunable wetting behaviors and effectively extend the industrial applications of brass.

Antecedent moisture content and soil texture effects on infiltration and erosion

Science.gov (United States)

Mamedov, A. I.; Huang, C.; Levy, G. J.

2006-12-01

Water infiltration, seal formation, runoff and erosion depend on the soil's inherent properties and surface conditions. Most erosion models consider only soil inherent properties (mainly texture) in assessing infiltration and erosion without consideration of spatial and temporary variation in the surface condition, particularly the antecedent moisture content. We studied the interaction of two different surface conditions, i.e. antecedent moisture content (AMC) and aging (timing after wetting) on infiltration (IR), seal formation (runoff generation) and erosion in four soils varying from loam to clay. Soil samples were packed in erosion box and wetted with different amounts of water (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, or 16 mm) to obtain a wide moisture range (i.e., pF 0-6.2, or from air dry to full saturation). The boxes were put in plastic bags and allowed to age for 0.01, 1, 3, or 7 days. Then the soil in the erosion box exposed to 60 mm of rain. At no aging final IR of soils did not change significantly, but runoff volume (a measure for seal development) and soil loss increased with an increase in AMC mainly because of aggregate breakdown. For any given aging, the highest IR and smallest runoff volume and soil loss were obtained at the intermediate AMC levels (pF 2.4-4.2, between wilting point and field capacity). For instance, in the clay soil to which 3 mm of water (pF~2.7) was added, as aging increased from one to seven days, final IR increased from 5.3 to 7.9 mm h-1, while runoff and soil loss decreased from 34 mm to 22 mm, and from 630 to 360 g m2 respectively. At this AMC range, increasing aging time resulted in up to 40% increase in IR and decrease in runoff or soil loss. This tendency significantly more pronounced for clay soils because water-filled pores in the clay fabric were considered active in the stabilization process and the development of cohesive bonds between and within particles during the aging period. The results of this study are important for soil

Consequences of using different soil texture determination methodologies for soil physical quality and unsaturated zone time lag estimates.

Science.gov (United States)

Fenton, O; Vero, S; Ibrahim, T G; Murphy, P N C; Sherriff, S C; Ó hUallacháin, D

2015-11-01

Elucidation of when the loss of pollutants, below the rooting zone in agricultural landscapes, affects water quality is important when assessing the efficacy of mitigation measures. Investigation of this inherent time lag (t(T)) is divided into unsaturated (t(u)) and saturated (t(s)) components. The duration of these components relative to each other differs depending on soil characteristics and the landscape position. The present field study focuses on tu estimation in a scenario where the saturated zone is likely to constitute a higher proportion of t(T). In such instances, or where only initial breakthrough (IBT) or centre of mass (COM) is of interest, utilisation of site and depth specific "simple" textural class or actual sand-silt-clay percentages to generate soil water characteristic curves with associated soil hydraulic parameters is acceptable. With the same data it is also possible to estimate a soil physical quality (S) parameter for each soil layer which can be used to infer many other physical, chemical and biological quality indicators. In this study, hand texturing in the field was used to determine textural classes of a soil profile. Laboratory methods, including hydrometer, pipette and laser diffraction methods were used to determine actual sand-silt-clay percentages of sections of the same soil profile. Results showed that in terms of S, hand texturing resulted in a lower index value (inferring a degraded soil) than that of pipette, hydrometer and laser equivalents. There was no difference between S index values determined using the pipette, hydrometer and laser diffraction methods. The difference between the three laboratory methods on both the IBT and COM stages of t(u) were negligible, and in this instance were unlikely to affect either groundwater monitoring decisions, or to be of consequence from a policy perspective. When t(u) estimates are made over the full depth of the vadose zone, which may extend to several metres, errors resulting from

Consequences of using different soil texture determination methodologies for soil physical quality and unsaturated zone time lag estimates

Science.gov (United States)

Fenton, O.; Vero, S.; Ibrahim, T. G.; Murphy, P. N. C.; Sherriff, S. C.; Ó hUallacháin, D.

2015-11-01

Elucidation of when the loss of pollutants, below the rooting zone in agricultural landscapes, affects water quality is important when assessing the efficacy of mitigation measures. Investigation of this inherent time lag (tT) is divided into unsaturated (tu) and saturated (ts) components. The duration of these components relative to each other differs depending on soil characteristics and the landscape position. The present field study focuses on tu estimation in a scenario where the saturated zone is likely to constitute a higher proportion of tT. In such instances, or where only initial breakthrough (IBT) or centre of mass (COM) is of interest, utilisation of site and depth specific "simple" textural class or actual sand-silt-clay percentages to generate soil water characteristic curves with associated soil hydraulic parameters is acceptable. With the same data it is also possible to estimate a soil physical quality (S) parameter for each soil layer which can be used to infer many other physical, chemical and biological quality indicators. In this study, hand texturing in the field was used to determine textural classes of a soil profile. Laboratory methods, including hydrometer, pipette and laser diffraction methods were used to determine actual sand-silt-clay percentages of sections of the same soil profile. Results showed that in terms of S, hand texturing resulted in a lower index value (inferring a degraded soil) than that of pipette, hydrometer and laser equivalents. There was no difference between S index values determined using the pipette, hydrometer and laser diffraction methods. The difference between the three laboratory methods on both the IBT and COM stages of tu were negligible, and in this instance were unlikely to affect either groundwater monitoring decisions, or to be of consequence from a policy perspective. When tu estimates are made over the full depth of the vadose zone, which may extend to several metres, errors resulting from the use of

Evaluation of Tire/Surfacing/Base Contact Stresses and Texture Depth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W.J.vdM. Steyn

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Tire rolling resistance has a major impact on vehicle fuel consumption. Rolling resistance is the loss of energy due to the interaction between the tire and the pavement surface. This interaction is a complicated combination of stresses and strains which depend on both tire and pavement related factors. These include vehicle speed, vehicle weight, tire material and type, road camber, tire inflation pressure, pavement surfacing texture etc. In this paper the relationship between pavement surface texture depth and tire/surfacing contact stress and area is investigated. Texture depth and tire/surfacing contact stress were measured for a range of tire inflation pressures on five different pavement surfaces. In the analysis the relationship between texture and the generated contact stresses as well as the contact stress between the surfacing and base layer are presented and discussed, and the anticipated effect of these relationships on the rolling resistance of vehicles on the surfacings, and subsequent vehicle fuel economy discussed.

Estimation of soil texture and plant available water by correlation with the laser light-scattering method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haverland, R. L.; Post, D. F.; Cooper, L. R.; Shirley, E. D.

1985-07-01

Particle -size distribution and plant available water are basic input to studies of range, forest and cultivated land. Since the conventional laboratory procedures for determining these parameters are time consuming, an improved method for making these measurements is desirable. Weiss and Frock (1976) reported results from an instrument employing the principle of laser light scattering to measure particle -size distribution. The instrument was reported to be of high precision, and yielded reproducible results. The laser light- scattering instrument used in this study is the Microtrac Particle -size Analyzer Model 7991- 0, manufactured by Leeds and Northrup. The particle -size analysis range of this model is from 1.9 to 176 μm, which does not correspond to the entire fine earth fraction (< 2 mm) usually characterized by soil scientists. It is, therefore, desirable to develop predictive equations to estimate the soil texture of the fine earth fraction. We believe data from this instrument could be used to predict other soil properties. This paper reports on using Microtrac data to estimate the plant available water holding capacity and soil texture of Arizona soils. Two hundred and forty-seven Arizona soils were used in this study. Most of these soils (approximately 230 soils) are thermic or hyperthermic and arid or semiarid soils of dominantly mixed mineralogy, as described on the Arizona General Soils Map (Jay et al., 1975). An array of soil horizons are included, with approximately one half of the samples coming from the A or Ap surface horizons. The other half of the samples are from the subsurface B or C horizons.

Effect of surface texturing on friction properties of WC/Co cemented carbide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Ze; Deng, Jianxin; Xing, Youqiang; Cheng, Hongwei; Zhao, Jun

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Tribological properties of surface textured WC/Co cemented carbide were studied. ► Textured surfaces have better performance of antifriction and antiwear. ► Area density of textures has significant effect on tribological performance. -- Abstract: An experimental study was carried out to investigate the tribological properties of different surface textured WC/Co cemented carbide. The influence of applied load, sliding speed and area density of textures on frictional performance of surface textured patterns was investigated by Taguchi method. Results show that the textured surfaces filled with molybdenum disulfide solid lubricants can reduce the average friction coefficient, wear rates of Ti–6Al–4V alloy balls and adhesion of Ti–6Al–4V alloy materials on the worn track of cemented carbide compared with un-textured ones. Variance analysis of the experimental data indicates that the area density of textures plays major contribution of both average friction coefficient and wear rate of Ti–6Al–4V alloy balls. Higher area density of textures is beneficial to improve tribological performance of the cemented carbide samples. Sliding speed seems to have no effect on the tribological performance of textured surfaces within the reliability interval of 90%. Applied load has effect on both average friction coefficient and wear rate of Ti–6Al–4V alloy balls at the reliability interval of 95%.

Crop residue decomposition, residual soil organic matter and nitrogen mineralization in arable soils with contrasting textures

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Matus, F.J.

1994-01-01

To evaluate the significance of cropping, soil texture and soil structure for the decomposition of ¹⁴C- and ¹⁵N-labelled crop residues, a study was conducted in a sand and a

Pure Surface Texture Mapping Technology and it's Application for Mirror Image

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei Feng Wang

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Based on the study of pure surface texture mapping technology, pure texture surface rendering method is proposed. The method is combined pure surface texture rendering and view mirror, real-time rendering has an index of refraction, reflection, and the flow of water ripple effect. Through the experimental verification of the validity of the algorithm.

Importance of Surface Texture to Infrared Remote Sensing Interpretations

Science.gov (United States)

Kirkland, L. E.; Adams, P. M.; Herr, K. C.; Salisbury, J. W.

2001-11-01

Thermal infrared remote sensing may be used to identify minerals present on the surface using diagnostic spectral bands. As band depth (spectral contrast) exhibited by the mineral increases, the mineral is easier to detect. In order to determine the expected spectral contrast, thermal infrared spectra of typical mineral endmembers are commonly measured in the laboratory. For example, for calcite, well-crystalline limestone is commonly studied. However, carbonates occur in several forms, including thin coatings, indurated carbonate (calcrete), and hot springs deposits. Different formation pathways may cause different microstructures and surface textures. This in turn can also affect the surface texture of the weathered material. Different surface textures can affect the measured band contrast, through roughness that causes a cavity (hohlraum) effect, and particle size and roughness on a scale that causes volume scattering. Thus since detection limits vary with the spectral contrast, surface texture can be an important variable in how detectable a mineral is. To study these issues, we have examined limestone and calcrete deposits at Mormon Mesa, Nevada that have two distinctly different microstructures and surface texture [Kirkland et al., 2001]. The limestone studied has larger grains and the grains frequently have flat, smooth surfaces on the order of 10-50 microns in cross-section length. The calcrete has smaller, more angular calcite grains, which exhibit almost no flat surfaces longer than 5 microns in cross-section length. We will show scanning electron microscope images to compare the different microstructures and surface textures of both the fresh and weathered surfaces, and we will show corresponding thermal infrared spectra to illustrate the different spectral signatures. The results demonstrate the importance of understanding the microstructure of mineral deposits to accurately interpret infrared remote sensing data, especially for studies that lack ground

SURFACE TEXTURE ANALYSIS FOR FUNCTIONALITY CONTROL

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

De Chiffre, Leonardo; Andreasen, Jan Lasson; Tosello, Guido

This document is used in connection with three exercises of 3 hours duration as a part of the course VISION ONLINE – One week course on Precision & Nanometrology. The exercises concern surface texture analysis for functionality control, in connection with three different case stories. This docume...... contains a short description of each case story, 3-D roughness parameters analysis and relation with the product’s functionality.......This document is used in connection with three exercises of 3 hours duration as a part of the course VISION ONLINE – One week course on Precision & Nanometrology. The exercises concern surface texture analysis for functionality control, in connection with three different case stories. This document...

Dropwise condensation on inclined textured surfaces

CERN Document Server

Khandekar, Sameer

2014-01-01

Dropwise Condensation on Textured Surfaces presents a holistic framework for understanding dropwise condensation through mathematical modeling and meaningful experiments. The book presents a review of the subject required to build up models as well as to design experiments. Emphasis is placed on the effect of physical and chemical texturing and their effect on the bulk transport phenomena. Application of the model to metal vapor condensation is of special interest. The unique behavior of liquid metals, with their low Prandtl number and high surface tension, is also discussed. The model predicts instantaneous drop size distribution for a given level of substrate subcooling and derives local as well as spatio-temporally averaged heat transfer rates and wall shear stress.

Friction reduction using discrete surface textures: principle and design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hsu, Stephen M; Jing, Yang; Hua, Diann; Zhang, Huan

2014-01-01

There have been many reports on the use of dimples, grooves, and other surface textures to control friction in sliding interfaces. The effectiveness of surface textures in friction reduction has been demonstrated in conformal contacts under high speed low load applications such as mechanical seals and automotive water pump seals, etc., resulting in reduced friction and longer durability. For sliding components with higher contact pressures or lower speeds, conflicting results were reported. Reasons for the inconsistency may be due to the differences in texture fabrication techniques, lack of dimple size and shape uniformity, and different tester used. This paper examines the basic principles on which surface textural patterns influence friction under the three principle lubrication regimes: hydrodynamic, elastohydrodynamic, and boundary lubrication regimes. Our findings suggest that each regime requires specific dimple size, shape, depth, and areal density to achieve friction reduction. Control experiments were also conducted to explore mechanisms of friction reduction. The dimple geometric shape and the dimple's orientation with respect to the sliding direction influence friction significantly. The underlying mechanisms for friction control via textures are discussed. (paper)

Filtering Color Mapped Textures and Surfaces

OpenAIRE

Heitz , Eric; Nowrouzezahrai , Derek; Poulin , Pierre; Neyret , Fabrice

2013-01-01

International audience; Color map textures applied directly to surfaces, to geometric microsurface details, or to procedural functions (such as noise), are commonly used to enhance visual detail. Their simplicity and ability to mimic a wide range of realistic appearances have led to their adoption in many rendering problems. As with any textured or geometric detail, proper filtering is needed to reduce aliasing when viewed across a range of distances, but accurate and efficient color map filt...

Saturated hydraulic conductivity of US soils grouped according textural class and bulk density

Science.gov (United States)

Importance of the saturated hydraulic conductivity as soil hydraulic property led to the development of multiple pedotransfer functions for estimating it. One approach to estimating Ksat was using textural classes rather than specific textural fraction contents as pedotransfer inputs. The objective...

[Influence of a new phosphoramide urease inhibitor on urea-N transformation in different texture soil].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Xuan; Wu, Liang Huan; Dai, Feng

2016-12-01

Addition of urease inhibitors is one of the important measures to increase nitrogen (N) use efficiency of crop, due to retardant of urea hydrolysis and reduction of ammonia volatilization loss. An incubation experiment was conducted to investigate the urease inhibition effect of a new phosphoramide urease inhibitor, NPPT (N-(n-propyl) thiophosphoric triamide) in different texture soils under dark condition at 25 ℃, and NBPT (N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide) was obtained to compare the inhibition effect on urease in different soil textures by different dosages of urea adding. Results showed that the effective reaction time of urea was less than 9 d in the loamy and clay soil. Addition of inhibitors for retardation of urea hydrolysis was more than 3 d. In sandy soil, urea decomposition was relatively slow, and adding inhibitor significantly inhibited soil urease acti-vity, and reduced NH 4 + -N content. During the incubation time, the inhibition effect of high dosage urea in the soil was better than that of low dosage. At day 6, the urease inhibition rate of NBPT and NPPT (N 250 mg·kg -1 ) were 56.3% and 53.0% in sandy soil, 0.04% and 0.3% in loamy soil, 4.1% and 6.2% in clay soil; the urease inhibition rate of NBPT and NPPT (N 500 mg·kg -1 ) were 59.4% and 65.8% in sandy soil, 14.5% and 15.1% in loamy soil, 49.1% and 48.1% in clay soil. The urease inhibition effects in different texture soil were in order of sandy soil > clay soil> loamy soil. The soil NH 4 + -N content by different inhibitors during incubation time increased at first and then decreased, while soil NO 3 - -N content and apparent nitrification rate both showed rising trends. Compared with urea treatment, addition of urease inhibitors (NBPT and NPPT) significantly increased urea-N left in the soil and reduced NH 4 + -N content. In short, new urease inhibitor NPPT in different texture is an effective urease inhibitor.

Laser gas assisted texturing and formation of nitride and oxynitride compounds on alumina surface: Surface response to environmental dust

Science.gov (United States)

Yilbas, B. S.; Ali, H.; Al-Sharafi, A.; Al-Aqeeli, N.

2018-03-01

Laser gas assisted texturing of alumina surface is carried out, and formation of nitride and oxynitride compounds in the surface vicinity is examined. The laser parameters are selected to create the surface topology consisting of micro/nano pillars with minimum defect sites including micro-cracks, voids and large size cavities. Morphological and hydrophobic characteristics of the textured surface are examined using the analytical tools. The characteristics of the environmental dust and its influence on the laser textured surface are studied while mimicking the local humid air ambient. Adhesion of the dry mud on the laser textured surface is assessed through the measurement of the tangential force, which is required to remove the dry mud from the surface. It is found that laser texturing gives rise to micro/nano pillars topology and the formation of AlN and AlON compounds in the surface vicinity. This, in turn, lowers the free energy of the textured surface and enhances the hydrophobicity of the surface. The liquid solution resulted from the dissolution of alkaline and alkaline earth metals of the dust particles in water condensate forms locally scattered liquid islands at the interface of mud and textured surface. The dried liquid solution at the interface increases the dry mud adhesion on the textured surface. Some dry mud residues remain on the textured surface after the dry mud is removed by a pressurized desalinated water jet.

The Influence of the Tool Surface Texture on Friction and the Surface Layers Properties of Formed Component

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jana Šugárová

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The morphological texturing of forming tool surfaces has high potential to reduce friction and tool wear and also has impact on the surface layers properties of formed material. In order to understand the effect of different types of tool textures, produced by nanosecond fibre laser, on the tribological conditions at the interface tool-formed material and on the integrity of formed part surface layers, the series of experimental investigations have been carried out. The coefficient of friction for different texture parameters (individual feature shape, including the depth profile of the cavities and orientation of the features relative to the material flow was evaluated via a Ring Test and the surface layers integrity of formed material (surface roughness and subsurface micro hardness was also experimentally analysed. The results showed a positive effect of surface texturing on the friction coefficients and the strain hardening of test samples material. Application of surface texture consisting of dimple-like depressions arranged in radial layout contributed to the most significant friction reduction of about 40%. On the other hand, this surface texture contributed to the increase of surface roughness parameters, Ra parameter increased from 0.49 μm to 2.19 μm and the Rz parameter increased from 0.99 μm to 16.79 μm.

Texture and geochemistry of surface horizons of Arctic soils from a non-glaciated catchment, SW Spitsbergen

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Szymański Wojciech

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Physical and chemical properties of Arctic soils and especially the properties of surface horizons of the soils are very important because they are responsible for the rate and character of plant colonization, development of vegetation cover, and influence the rate and depth of thawing of soils and development of active layer of permafrost during summer. The main aim of the present study is to determine and explain the spatial diversity of selected physical and chemical properties of surface horizons of Arctic soils from the non-glaciated Fuglebekken catchment located in the Hornsund area (SW Spitsbergen by means of geostatistical approach. Results indicate that soil surface horizons in the Fuglebekken catchment are characterized by highly variable physical and chemical properties due to a heterogeneous parent material (marine sediments, moraine, rock debris, tundra vegetation types, and non-uniform influence of seabirds. Soils experiencing the strongest influence of seabird guano have a lower pH than other soils. Soils developed on the lateral moraine of the Hansbreen glacier have the highest pH due to the presence of carbonates in the parent material and a lack or presence of a poorly developed and discontinuous A horizon. The soil surface horizons along the coast of the Hornsund exhibit the highest content of the sand fraction and SiO2. The surface of soils occurring at the foot of the slope of Ariekammen Ridge is characterized by the highest content of silt and clay fractions as well as Al2O3, Fe2O3, and K2O. Soils in the central part of the Fuglebekken catchment are depleted in CaO, MgO, and Na2O in comparison with soils in the other sampling sites, which indicates the highest rate of leaching in this part of the catchment.

Modulation of dry tribological property of stainless steel by femtosecond laser surface texturing

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhuo; Zhao, Quanzhong; Wang, Chengwei; Zhang, Yang

2015-06-01

We reported on the modification of tribological properties of stainless steel by femtosecond laser surface microstructuring. Regular arranged micro-grooved textures with different spacing were produced on the AISI 304L steel surfaces by an 800-nm femtosecond laser. The tribological properties of smooth surface and textured surface were investigated by carrying out reciprocating ball-on-flat tests against Al2O3 ceramic balls under dry friction. Results show that the spacing of micro-grooves had a significant impact on friction coefficient of textured surfaces. Furthermore, the wear behaviors of smooth and textured surface were also investigated. Femtosecond laser surface texturing had a marked potential for modulating friction and wear properties if the micro-grooves were distributed in an appropriate manner.

Quantifying the ability of environmental parameters to predict soil texture fractions using regression-tree model with GIS and LIDAR data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Greve, Mogens Humlekrog; Bou Kheir, Rania; Greve, Mette Balslev

2012-01-01

Soil texture is an important soil characteristic that drives crop production and field management, and is the basis for environmental monitoring (including soil quality and sustainability, hydrological and ecological processes, and climate change simulations). The combination of coarse sand, fine...... sand, silt, and clay in soil determines its textural classification. This study used Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and regression-tree modeling to precisely quantify the relationships between the soil texture fractions and different environmental parameters on a national scale, and to detect...... precipitation, seasonal precipitation to statistically explain soil texture fractions field/laboratory measurements (45,224 sampling sites) in the area of interest (Denmark). The developed strongest relationships were associated with clay and silt, variance being equal to 60%, followed by coarse sand (54...

Soil texture analysis by laser diffraction - standardization needed

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Callesen, Ingeborg; Palviainen, M.; Kjønaas, O. Janne

2017-01-01

Soil texture is a central soil quality property. Laser diffraction (LD) for determination of particle size distribution (PSD) is now widespread due to easy analysis and low cost. However, pretreatment methods and interpretation of the resulting soil PSD’s are not standardized. Comparison of LD data...... with sedimentation and sieving data may cause misinterpretation and confusion. In literature that reports PSD’s based on LD, pretreatment methods, operating procedures and data methods are often underreported or not reported, although literature stressing the importance exists (e.g. Konert and Vandenberghe, 1997...... and many newer; ISO 13320:2009). PSD uncertainty caused by pretreatments and PSD bias caused by plate-shaped clay particles still calls for more method standardization work. If LD is used more generally, new pedotransfer functions for other soil properties (e.g water retention) based on sieving...

EUROMET SUPPLEMENTARY COMPARISON - SURFACE TEXTURE

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Koenders, L.; Andreasen, Jan Lasson; De Chiffre, Leonardo

At the length meeting in Prague in Oct. 1999 a new comparison was suggested on surface texture. The last comparison on this field was finished in 1989. In the meantime the instrumentation, the standards and the written standards have been improved including some software filters. The pilot labora...

Estimating spatially distributed soil texture using time series of thermal remote sensing - a case study in central Europe

Science.gov (United States)

Müller, Benjamin; Bernhardt, Matthias; Jackisch, Conrad; Schulz, Karsten

2016-09-01

For understanding water and solute transport processes, knowledge about the respective hydraulic properties is necessary. Commonly, hydraulic parameters are estimated via pedo-transfer functions using soil texture data to avoid cost-intensive measurements of hydraulic parameters in the laboratory. Therefore, current soil texture information is only available at a coarse spatial resolution of 250 to 1000 m. Here, a method is presented to derive high-resolution (15 m) spatial topsoil texture patterns for the meso-scale Attert catchment (Luxembourg, 288 km2) from 28 images of ASTER (advanced spaceborne thermal emission and reflection radiometer) thermal remote sensing. A principle component analysis of the images reveals the most dominant thermal patterns (principle components, PCs) that are related to 212 fractional soil texture samples. Within a multiple linear regression framework, distributed soil texture information is estimated and related uncertainties are assessed. An overall root mean squared error (RMSE) of 12.7 percentage points (pp) lies well within and even below the range of recent studies on soil texture estimation, while requiring sparser sample setups and a less diverse set of basic spatial input. This approach will improve the generation of spatially distributed topsoil maps, particularly for hydrologic modeling purposes, and will expand the usage of thermal remote sensing products.

Stabilization of Leidenfrost vapour layer by textured superhydrophobic surfaces

KAUST Repository

Vakarelski, Ivan Uriev

2012-09-12

In 1756, Leidenfrost observed that water drops skittered on a sufficiently hot skillet, owing to levitation by an evaporative vapour film. Such films are stable only when the hot surface is above a critical temperature, and are a central phenomenon in boiling. In this so-called Leidenfrost regime, the low thermal conductivity of the vapour layer inhibits heat transfer between the hot surface and the liquid. When the temperature of the cooling surface drops below the critical temperature, the vapour film collapses and the system enters a nucleate-boiling regime, which can result in vapour explosions that are particularly detrimental in certain contexts, such as in nuclear power plants. The presence of these vapour films can also reduce liquid-solid drag. Here we show how vapour film collapse can be completely suppressed at textured superhydrophobic surfaces. At a smooth hydrophobic surface, the vapour film still collapses on cooling, albeit at a reduced critical temperature, and the system switches explosively to nucleate boiling. In contrast, at textured, superhydrophobic surfaces, the vapour layer gradually relaxes until the surface is completely cooled, without exhibiting a nucleate-boiling phase. This result demonstrates that topological texture on superhydrophobic materials is critical in stabilizing the vapour layer and thus in controlling-by heat transfer-the liquid-gas phase transition at hot surfaces. This concept can potentially be applied to control other phase transitions, such as ice or frost formation, and to the design of low-drag surfaces at which the vapour phase is stabilized in the grooves of textures without heating. © 2012 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

Stabilization of Leidenfrost vapour layer by textured superhydrophobic surfaces

KAUST Repository

Vakarelski, Ivan Uriev; Patankar, Neelesh A.; Marston, Jeremy; Chan, Derek Y C; Thoroddsen, Sigurdur T

2012-01-01

In 1756, Leidenfrost observed that water drops skittered on a sufficiently hot skillet, owing to levitation by an evaporative vapour film. Such films are stable only when the hot surface is above a critical temperature, and are a central phenomenon in boiling. In this so-called Leidenfrost regime, the low thermal conductivity of the vapour layer inhibits heat transfer between the hot surface and the liquid. When the temperature of the cooling surface drops below the critical temperature, the vapour film collapses and the system enters a nucleate-boiling regime, which can result in vapour explosions that are particularly detrimental in certain contexts, such as in nuclear power plants. The presence of these vapour films can also reduce liquid-solid drag. Here we show how vapour film collapse can be completely suppressed at textured superhydrophobic surfaces. At a smooth hydrophobic surface, the vapour film still collapses on cooling, albeit at a reduced critical temperature, and the system switches explosively to nucleate boiling. In contrast, at textured, superhydrophobic surfaces, the vapour layer gradually relaxes until the surface is completely cooled, without exhibiting a nucleate-boiling phase. This result demonstrates that topological texture on superhydrophobic materials is critical in stabilizing the vapour layer and thus in controlling-by heat transfer-the liquid-gas phase transition at hot surfaces. This concept can potentially be applied to control other phase transitions, such as ice or frost formation, and to the design of low-drag surfaces at which the vapour phase is stabilized in the grooves of textures without heating. © 2012 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

Experimental Study on Tribological Properties of Laser Textured 45 Steel Surface

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Zhi Peng

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In order to study the influence of pits’ size parameters on the tribological properties of textured friction pairs, using the Nd:YAG laser micro machining system and the “single pulse at the same point, interval more times” processing technics to process the pits on the surface of 45 steel. The dimension parameters of pits texture were obtained by orthogonal experimental design. The tribological experiment of GCr15 pin/45 steel disc was carried out by UMT-2 test machine. The surface morphology of the specimens was analyzed by using scanning electron microscopy. The experimental results show that the pits texture on the surface of 45 steel can effectively reduce the friction coefficient and the wear on the condition of oil-rich lubrication. The textured specimen with diameter 60μm, depth 6μm and surface density 10% has the lowest friction coefficient, and the friction coefficient is reduced by 21% compared with the smooth specimen. By analyzing the wear morphology on the surface of 45 steel, it is found that the surface of pits texture can obviously reduce the wear.

Effect of environmental dust particles on laser textured yttria-stabilized zirconia surface in humid air ambient

Science.gov (United States)

Yilbas, B. S.; Ali, H.; Al-Sharafi, A.; Al-Sulaiman, F.; Karatas, C.

2018-05-01

Zirconium nitride is used as a selective surface for concentrated solar heating applications and one of the methods to form a zirconium nitride is texturing of zirconia surface by a high intensity laser beam under high pressure nitrogen gas environment. Laser texturing also provides hydrophobic surface characteristics via forming micro/nano pillars at the surface; however, environmental dust settlement on textured surface influences the surface characteristics significantly. In the present study, laser texturing of zirconia surface and effects of the dust particles on the textured surface in a humid air ambient are investigated. Analytical tools are used to assess the morphological changes on the laser textured surface prior and after the dust settlement in the humid air ambient. It is found that laser textured surface has hydrophobic characteristics. The mud formed during condensate of water on the dust particles alters the characteristics of the laser textured surface. The tangential force required to remove the dry mud from the textured surface remains high; in which case, the dried liquid solution at the mud-textured surface interface is responsible for the strong adhesion of the dry mud on the textured surface. The textured surface becomes hydrophilic after the dry mud was removed from the surface by a desalinated water jet.

Surface texture measurement for additive manufacturing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Triantaphyllou, Andrew; Tomita, Ben; Milne, Katherine A; Giusca, Claudiu L; Macaulay, Gavin D; Roerig, Felix; Hoebel, Matthias; Leach, Richard K

2015-01-01

The surface texture of additively manufactured metallic surfaces made by powder bed methods is affected by a number of factors, including the powder’s particle size distribution, the effect of the heat source, the thickness of the printed layers, the angle of the surface relative to the horizontal build bed and the effect of any post processing/finishing. The aim of the research reported here is to understand the way these surfaces should be measured in order to characterise them. In published research to date, the surface texture is generally reported as an Ra value, measured across the lay. The appropriateness of this method for such surfaces is investigated here. A preliminary investigation was carried out on two additive manufacturing processes—selective laser melting (SLM) and electron beam melting (EBM)—focusing on the effect of build angle and post processing. The surfaces were measured using both tactile and optical methods and a range of profile and areal parameters were reported. Test coupons were manufactured at four angles relative to the horizontal plane of the powder bed using both SLM and EBM. The effect of lay—caused by the layered nature of the manufacturing process—was investigated, as was the required sample area for optical measurements. The surfaces were also measured before and after grit blasting. (paper)

Surface texture measurement for additive manufacturing

Science.gov (United States)

Triantaphyllou, Andrew; Giusca, Claudiu L.; Macaulay, Gavin D.; Roerig, Felix; Hoebel, Matthias; Leach, Richard K.; Tomita, Ben; Milne, Katherine A.

2015-06-01

The surface texture of additively manufactured metallic surfaces made by powder bed methods is affected by a number of factors, including the powder’s particle size distribution, the effect of the heat source, the thickness of the printed layers, the angle of the surface relative to the horizontal build bed and the effect of any post processing/finishing. The aim of the research reported here is to understand the way these surfaces should be measured in order to characterise them. In published research to date, the surface texture is generally reported as an Ra value, measured across the lay. The appropriateness of this method for such surfaces is investigated here. A preliminary investigation was carried out on two additive manufacturing processes—selective laser melting (SLM) and electron beam melting (EBM)—focusing on the effect of build angle and post processing. The surfaces were measured using both tactile and optical methods and a range of profile and areal parameters were reported. Test coupons were manufactured at four angles relative to the horizontal plane of the powder bed using both SLM and EBM. The effect of lay—caused by the layered nature of the manufacturing process—was investigated, as was the required sample area for optical measurements. The surfaces were also measured before and after grit blasting.

Saturated hydraulic conductivity of US soils grouped according to textural class and bulk density

Science.gov (United States)

Importance of the saturated hydraulic conductivity as soil hydraulic property led to the development of multiple pedotransfer functions for estimating it. One approach to estimating Ksat was using textural classes rather than specific textural fraction contents as pedotransfer inputs. The objective...

Linking soil type and rainfall characteristics towards estimation of surface evaporative capacitance

Science.gov (United States)

Or, D.; Bickel, S.; Lehmann, P.

2017-12-01

Separation of evapotranspiration (ET) to evaporation (E) and transpiration (T) components for attribution of surface fluxes or for assessment of isotope fractionation in groundwater remains a challenge. Regional estimates of soil evaporation often rely on plant-based (Penman-Monteith) ET estimates where is E is obtained as a residual or a fraction of potential evaporation. We propose a novel method for estimating E from soil-specific properties, regional rainfall characteristics and considering concurrent internal drainage that shelters soil water from evaporation. A soil-dependent evaporative characteristic length defines a depth below which soil water cannot be pulled to the surface by capillarity; this depth determines the maximal soil evaporative capacitance (SEC). The SEC is recharged by rainfall and subsequently emptied by competition between drainage and surface evaporation (considering canopy interception evaporation). We show that E is strongly dependent on rainfall characteristics (mean annual, number of storms) and soil textural type, with up to 50% of rainfall lost to evaporation in loamy soil. The SEC concept applied to different soil types and climatic regions offers direct bounds on regional surface evaporation independent of plant-based parameterization or energy balance calculations.

Do soil tests help forecast nitrogen response in first-year corn following alfalfa on fine-textured soils?

Science.gov (United States)

Improved methods of predicting grain yield response to fertilizer N for first-year corn (Zea mays L.) following alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) on fine-textured soils are needed. Data from 21 site-years in the North Central Region were used to (i) determine how Illinois soil nitrogen test (ISNT) and pr...

Experimental Study on Momentum Transfer of Surface Texture in Taylor-Couette Flow

Science.gov (United States)

Xue, Yabo; Yao, Zhenqiang; Cheng, De

2017-05-01

The behavior of Taylor-Couette (TC) flow has been extensively studied. However, no suitable torque prediction models exist for high-capacity fluid machinery. The Eckhardt-Grossmann-Lohse (EGL) theory, derived based on the Navier-Stokes equations, is proposed to model torque behavior. This theory suggests that surfaces are the significant energy transfer interfaces between cylinders and annular flow. This study mainly focuses on the effects of surface texture on momentum transfer behavior through global torque measurement. First, a power-law torque behavior model is built to reveal the relationship between dimensionless torque and the Taylor number based on the EGL theory. Second, TC flow apparatus is designed and built based on the CNC machine tool to verify the torque behavior model. Third, four surface texture films are tested to check the effects of surface texture on momentum transfer. A stereo microscope and three-dimensional topography instrument are employed to analyze surface morphology. Global torque behavior is measured by rotating a multi component dynamometer, and the effects of surface texture on the annular flow behavior are observed via images obtained using a high-speed camera. Finally, torque behaviors under four different surface conditions are fitted and compared. The experimental results indicate that surface textures have a remarkable influence on torque behavior, and that the peak roughness of surface texture enhances the momentum transfer by strengthening the fluctuation in the TC flow.

Selection of soil hydraulic properties in a land surface model using remotely-sensed soil moisture and surface temperature

Science.gov (United States)

Shellito, P. J.; Small, E. E.; Gutmann, E. D.

2013-12-01

Synoptic-scale weather is heavily influenced by latent and sensible heating from the land surface. The partitioning of available energy between these two fluxes as well as the distribution of moisture throughout the soil column is controlled by a unique set of soil hydraulic properties (SHPs) at every location. Weather prediction systems, which use coupled land surface and atmospheric models in their forecasts, must therefore be parameterized with estimates of SHPs. Currently, land surface models (LSMs) obtain SHP values by assuming a correlation exists between SHPs and the soil type, which the USDA maps in 12 classes. This method is spurious because texture is only one control of many that affects SHPs. Alternatively, SHPs can be obtained by calibrating them within the framework of an LSM. Because remotely-sensed data have the potential for continent-wide application, there is a critical need to understand their specific role in calibration efforts and the extent to which such calibrated SHPs can improve model simulations. This study focuses on SHP calibration with soil moisture content (SMC) and land surface temperature (Ts), data that are available from the SMOS and MODIS satellite missions, respectively. The scientific goals of this study are: (1) What is the model performance tradeoff between weighting SMC and Ts differently during the calibration process? (2) What can the tradeoff between calibration using in-situ and remotely-sensed SMC reveal about SHP scaling? (3) How are these relationships influenced by climatic regime and vegetation type? (4) To what extent can calibrated SHPs improve model performance over that of texture-based SHPs? Model calibrations are carried out within the framework of the Noah LSM using the Shuffled Complex Evolution Metropolis (SCEM-UA) algorithm in five different climatic regimes. At each site, a five-dimensional parameter space of SHPs is searched to find the location that minimizes the difference between observed and

Texturing in titanium grade 2 surface irradiate with ultrashort pulse laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nogueira, Alessandro Francelino

2015-01-01

The texturing laser micromachining is an important alternative to improve the bonding adhesion between composites and titanium, which are applied to structural components in the aerospace industry. The texturing running on titanium plates is due to the fact that the preferred joining technique for many composite materials is the adhesive bonding. In this work, titanium plates were texturized using laser ultrashort pulses temporal widths of femtoseconds. This process resulted in minimal heat transfer to the material, avoiding deformation of the titanium plate surface as well as the formation of resolidified material in the ablated region. These drawbacks have occurred with the use of nanoseconds pulses. Were performed three types of texturing using laser with femtosecond pulses, with variations in the distances between the machined lines. The analysis of the obtained surfaces found that the wettability increases when there is the increased distance between the texturing lines. Advancing in the analysis by optical profilometry of textured surfaces was observed that there is substantial increase in the volume available for penetration of structural adhesive when the distances between the textured lines are diminished. In tensile tests conducted it was observed that there is an increase in shear strength of the adhesive joint by reducing the distance between the textured lines. (author)

Texture segregation, surface representation and figure-ground separation.

Science.gov (United States)

Grossberg, S; Pessoa, L

1998-09-01

A widespread view is that most texture segregation can be accounted for by differences in the spatial frequency content of texture regions. Evidence from both psychophysical and physiological studies indicate, however, that beyond these early filtering stages, there are stages of 3-D boundary segmentation and surface representation that are used to segregate textures. Chromatic segregation of element-arrangement patterns--as studied by Beck and colleagues--cannot be completely explained by the filtering mechanisms previously employed to account for achromatic segregation. An element arrangement pattern is composed of two types of elements that are arranged differently in different image regions (e.g. vertically on top and diagonally on the bottom). FACADE theory mechanisms that have previously been used to explain data about 3-D vision and figure-ground separation are here used to simulate chromatic texture segregation data, including data with equiluminant elements on dark or light homogeneous backgrounds, or backgrounds composed of vertical and horizontal dark or light stripes, or horizontal notched stripes. These data include the fact that segregation of patterns composed of red and blue squares decreases with increasing luminance of the interspaces. Asymmetric segregation properties under 3-D viewing conditions with the equiluminant elements close or far are also simulated. Two key model properties are a spatial impenetrability property that inhibits boundary grouping across regions with non-collinear texture elements and a boundary-surface consistency property that uses feedback between boundary and surface representations to eliminate spurious boundary groupings and separate figures from their backgrounds.

Doping profile measurement on textured silicon surface

Science.gov (United States)

Essa, Zahi; Taleb, Nadjib; Sermage, Bernard; Broussillou, Cédric; Bazer-Bachi, Barbara; Quillec, Maurice

2018-04-01

In crystalline silicon solar cells, the front surface is textured in order to lower the reflection of the incident light and increase the efficiency of the cell. This texturing whose dimensions are a few micrometers wide and high, often makes it difficult to determine the doping profile measurement. We have measured by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and electrochemical capacitance voltage profiling the doping profile of implanted phosphorus in alkaline textured and in polished monocrystalline silicon wafers. The paper shows that SIMS gives accurate results provided the primary ion impact angle is small enough. Moreover, the comparison between these two techniques gives an estimation of the concentration of electrically inactive phosphorus atoms.

Analysis of SURRGO Data and Obtaining Soil Texture Classifications for Simulating Hydrologic Processes

Science.gov (United States)

2016-07-01

the general texture classifications. 2. Another source for soil information, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO...is to use another soils dataset that contains soil properties for the areas of interest, such as the Digital Soil Map of the World provided by the...www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/soils/survey/ NOTE: The contents of this technical note are not to be used for advertising

Computer Texture Mapping for Laser Texturing of Injection Mold

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yongquan Zhou

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Laser texturing is a relatively new multiprocess technique that has been used for machining 3D curved surfaces; it is more flexible and efficient to create decorative texture on 3D curved surfaces of injection molds so as to improve the surface quality and achieve cosmetic surface of molded plastic parts. In this paper, a novel method of laser texturing 3D curved surface based on 3-axis galvanometer scanning unit has been presented to prevent the texturing of injection mold surface from much distortion which is often caused by traditional texturing processes. The novel method has been based on the computer texture mapping technology which has been developed and presented. The developed texture mapping algorithm includes surface triangulation, notations, distortion measurement, control, and numerical method. An interface of computer texture mapping has been built to implement the algorithm of texture mapping approach to controlled distortion rate of 3D texture math model from 2D original texture applied to curvature surface. Through a case study of laser texturing of a high curvature surface of injection mold of a mice top case, it shows that the novel method of laser texturing meets the quality standard of laser texturing of injection mold.

Dynamic air layer on textured superhydrophobic surfaces

KAUST Repository

Vakarelski, Ivan Uriev

2013-09-03

We provide an experimental demonstration that a novel macroscopic, dynamic continuous air layer or plastron can be sustained indefinitely on textured superhydrophobic surfaces in air-supersaturated water by a natural gas influx mechanism. This type of plastron is an intermediate state between Leidenfrost vapor layers on superheated surfaces and the equilibrium Cassie-Baxter wetting state on textured superhydrophobic surfaces. We show that such a plastron can be sustained on the surface of a centimeter-sized superhydrophobic sphere immersed in heated water and variations of its dynamic behavior with air saturation of the water can be regulated by rapid changes of the water temperature. The simple experimental setup allows for quantification of the air flux into the plastron and identification of the air transport model of the plastron growth. Both the observed growth dynamics of such plastrons and millimeter-sized air bubbles seeded on the hydrophilic surface under identical air-supersaturated solution conditions are consistent with the predictions of a well-mixed gas transport model. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Influence of surface texturing on the performance of tilting pad thrust bearings

OpenAIRE

Gropper, Daniel; Wang, Ling; Harvey, Terry J.; Meck, Klaus-Dieter; Gviniashvili, Vladimir

2016-01-01

Surface textures have been shown to have the potential of enhancing the performance of hydrodynamic bearings and many other applications. However, a comprehensive literature review by the authors has revealed that the application of surface texturing is still limited due to major challenges, such as the complexity of computational models and the large variety of operating conditions encountered in conventional industrial applications. In the present work, the potential of surface texturing fo...

Soil erosion model predictions using parent material/soil texture-based parameters compared to using site-specific parameters

Science.gov (United States)

R. B. Foltz; W. J. Elliot; N. S. Wagenbrenner

2011-01-01

Forested areas disturbed by access roads produce large amounts of sediment. One method to predict erosion and, hence, manage forest roads is the use of physically based soil erosion models. A perceived advantage of a physically based model is that it can be parameterized at one location and applied at another location with similar soil texture or geological parent...

Assessing Asphalt and Concrete Pavement Surface Texture in the Field

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saad I. Sarsam

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The incorporation of safety characteristics into the traditional pavement structural design or in the functional evaluation of pavement condition has not been established yet. The design has focused on the structural capacity of the roadway so that the pavement can withstand specific level of repetitive loading over the design life. On the other hand, the surface texture condition was neither included in the AASHTO design procedure nor in the present serviceability index measurements. The pavement surface course should provide adequate levels of friction and ride quality and maintain low levels of noise and roughness. Many transportation departments perform routine skid resistant testing, the type of equipment used for testing varies depending on the preference of each transportation department. It was felt that modeling of the surface texture condition using different methods of testing may assist in solving such problem. In this work, Macro texture and Micro texture of asphalt and cement concrete pavement surface have been investigated in the field using four different methods (The Sand Patch Method, Outflow Time Method, British Pendulum Tester and Photogrammetry Technique. Two different grain sizes of sand have been utilized in conducting the Sand Patch while the Micro texture was investigated using the British Pendulum tester method at wet pavement surface conditions. The test results of the four methods were correlated to the skid number. It was concluded that such modeling could provide instant data in the field for pavement condition which may help in pavement maintenance management.

Fingerprint-Inspired Flexible Tactile Sensor for Accurately Discerning Surface Texture.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Yudong; Li, Tie; Gu, Yang; Luo, Hui; Wang, Shuqi; Zhang, Ting

2018-04-01

Inspired by the epidermal-dermal and outer microstructures of the human fingerprint, a novel flexible sensor device is designed to improve haptic perception and surface texture recognition, which is consisted of single-walled carbon nanotubes, polyethylene, and polydimethylsiloxane with interlocked and outer micropyramid arrays. The sensor shows high pressure sensitivity (-3.26 kPa -1 in the pressure range of 0-300 Pa), and it can detect the shear force changes induced by the dynamic interaction between the outer micropyramid structure on the sensor and the tested material surface, and the minimum dimension of the microstripe that can be discerned is as low as 15 µm × 15 µm (interval × width). To demonstrate the texture discrimination capability, the sensors are tested for accurately discerning various surface textures, such as the textures of different fabrics, Braille characters, the inverted pyramid patterns, which will have great potential in robot skins and haptic perception, etc. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Soil Structure - A Neglected Component of Land-Surface Models

Science.gov (United States)

Fatichi, S.; Or, D.; Walko, R. L.; Vereecken, H.; Kollet, S. J.; Young, M.; Ghezzehei, T. A.; Hengl, T.; Agam, N.; Avissar, R.

2017-12-01

Soil structure is largely absent in most standard sampling and measurements and in the subsequent parameterization of soil hydraulic properties deduced from soil maps and used in Earth System Models. The apparent omission propagates into the pedotransfer functions that deduce parameters of soil hydraulic properties primarily from soil textural information. Such simple parameterization is an essential ingredient in the practical application of any land surface model. Despite the critical role of soil structure (biopores formed by decaying roots, aggregates, etc.) in defining soil hydraulic functions, only a few studies have attempted to incorporate soil structure into models. They mostly looked at the effects on preferential flow and solute transport pathways at the soil profile scale; yet, the role of soil structure in mediating large-scale fluxes remains understudied. Here, we focus on rectifying this gap and demonstrating potential impacts on surface and subsurface fluxes and system wide eco-hydrologic responses. The study proposes a systematic way for correcting the soil water retention and hydraulic conductivity functions—accounting for soil-structure—with major implications for near saturated hydraulic conductivity. Modification to the basic soil hydraulic parameterization is assumed as a function of biological activity summarized by Gross Primary Production. A land-surface model with dynamic vegetation is used to carry out numerical simulations with and without the role of soil-structure for 20 locations characterized by different climates and biomes across the globe. Including soil structure affects considerably the partition between infiltration and runoff and consequently leakage at the base of the soil profile (recharge). In several locations characterized by wet climates, a few hundreds of mm per year of surface runoff become deep-recharge accounting for soil-structure. Changes in energy fluxes, total evapotranspiration and vegetation productivity

Impact of Sub-grid Soil Textural Properties on Simulations of Hydrological Fluxes at the Continental Scale Mississippi River Basin

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, R.; Samaniego, L. E.; Livneh, B.

2013-12-01

Knowledge of soil hydraulic properties such as porosity and saturated hydraulic conductivity is required to accurately model the dynamics of near-surface hydrological processes (e.g. evapotranspiration and root-zone soil moisture dynamics) and provide reliable estimates of regional water and energy budgets. Soil hydraulic properties are commonly derived from pedo-transfer functions using soil textural information recorded during surveys, such as the fractions of sand and clay, bulk density, and organic matter content. Typically large scale land-surface models are parameterized using a relatively coarse soil map with little or no information on parametric sub-grid variability. In this study we analyze the impact of sub-grid soil variability on simulated hydrological fluxes over the Mississippi River Basin (≈3,240,000 km2) at multiple spatio-temporal resolutions. A set of numerical experiments were conducted with the distributed mesoscale hydrologic model (mHM) using two soil datasets: (a) the Digital General Soil Map of the United States or STATSGO2 (1:250 000) and (b) the recently collated Harmonized World Soil Database based on the FAO-UNESCO Soil Map of the World (1:5 000 000). mHM was parameterized with the multi-scale regionalization technique that derives distributed soil hydraulic properties via pedo-transfer functions and regional coefficients. Within the experimental framework, the 3-hourly model simulations were conducted at four spatial resolutions ranging from 0.125° to 1°, using meteorological datasets from the NLDAS-2 project for the time period 1980-2012. Preliminary results indicate that the model was able to capture observed streamflow behavior reasonably well with both soil datasets, in the major sub-basins (i.e. the Missouri, the Upper Mississippi, the Ohio, the Red, and the Arkansas). However, the spatio-temporal patterns of simulated water fluxes and states (e.g. soil moisture, evapotranspiration) from both simulations, showed marked

Evaluation of Wear on Macro-Surface Textures Generated by ns Fiber Laser

Science.gov (United States)

Harish, V.; Soundarapandian, S.; Vijayaraghavan, L.; Bharatish, A.

2018-03-01

The demand for improved performance and long term reliability of mechanical systems dictate the use of advanced materials and surface engineering techniques. A small change in the surface topography can lead to substantial improvements in the tribological behaviour of the contact surfaces. One way of altering the surface topography is by surface texturing by introducing dimples or channels on the surfaces. Surface texturing is already a successful technique which finds a wide area of applications ranging from heavy industries to small scale devices. This paper reports the effect of macro texture shapes generated using a nanosecond fiber laser on wear of high carbon chromium steel used in large size bearings having rolling contacts. Circular and square shaped dimples were generated on the surface to assess the effect of sliding velocities on friction coefficient. Graphite was used as solid lubricant to minimise the effect of wear on textured surfaces. The laser parameters such as power, scan speed and passes were optimised to obtain macro circular and square dimples which was characterised using a laser confocal microscope. The friction coefficients of the circular and square dimples were observed to lie in the same range due to minimum wear on the surface. On the contrary, at medium and higher sliding velocities, square dimples exhibited lower friction coefficient values compared to circular dimples. The morphology of textured specimen was characterised using Scanning Electron Microscope.

Implementing a physical soil water flow model with minimal soil characteristics and added value offered by surface soil moisture measurements assimilation.

Science.gov (United States)

Chanzy, André

2010-05-01

climatic data. The strategy takes profit of all work made on soil texture as a proxi of soil hydraulic through pedotransfer functions. It also takes into account the constraints in soil moisture variations after important precipitation events. Performances on soil moisture are assessed by considering both the soil moisture accuracy and the ability of detecting a soil moisture threshold. o The added value of soil moisture measurements. The aim is to evaluate to which extent we can improve soil moisture simulations by assimilating a few soil moisture measurements made in the surface layer (ploughed layers). We focus on such a layer since moisture can be derived from remote sensing observations or by using in situ sensors (capacitance sensor, TDR) with minimal effort. The validity of such measurements to represent the soil moisture at the field scale is analysed. It is shown that relative variations in soil moisture are much easier to obtain than an absolute characterisation of the soil moisture measurements. We evaluate the value of assimilating surface measurement in the TEC model and how we can deal with a measurement of relative soil moisture variations (in order to prevent a tedious calibration process). Again the performances of the approach are evaluated with the soil moisture accuracy and the ability of detecting a soil moisture threshold.

Control of crystallographic texture and surface morphology of Pt/Tio2 templates for enhanced PZT thin film texture.

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, Austin J; Drawl, Bill; Fox, Glen R; Gibbons, Brady J; Trolier-McKinstry, Susan

2015-01-01

Optimized processing conditions for Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Si templating electrodes were investigated. These electrodes are used to obtain [111] textured thin film lead zirconate titanate (Pb[ZrxTi1-x ]O3 0 ≤ x ≤ 1) (PZT). Titanium deposited by dc magnetron sputtering yields [0001] texture on a thermally oxidized Si wafer. It was found that by optimizing deposition time, pressure, power, and the chamber pre-conditioning, the Ti texture could be maximized while maintaining low surface roughness. When oxidized, titanium yields [100]-oriented rutile. This seed layer has as low as a 4.6% lattice mismatch with [111] Pt; thus, it is possible to achieve strongly oriented [111] Pt. The quality of the orientation and surface roughness of the TiO2 and the Ti directly affect the achievable Pt texture and surface morphology. A transition between optimal crystallographic texture and the smoothest templating surface occurs at approximately 30 nm of original Ti thickness (45 nm TiO2). This corresponds to 0.5 nm (2 nm for TiO2) rms roughness as determined by atomic force microscopy and a full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of the rocking curve 0002 (200) peak of 5.5/spl degrees/ (3.1/spl degrees/ for TiO2). A Pb[Zr0.52Ti 0.48]O3 layer was deposited and shown to template from the textured Pt electrode, with a maximum [111] Lotgering factor of 87% and a minimum 111 FWHM of 2.4/spl degrees/ at approximately 30 nm of original Ti.

Climate, soil texture, and soil types affect the contributions of fine-fraction-stabilized carbon to total soil organic carbon in different land uses across China.

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Andong; Feng, Wenting; Zhang, Wenju; Xu, Minggang

2016-05-01

Mineral-associated organic carbon (MOC), that is stabilized by fine soil particles (i.e., silt plus clay, organic carbon (SOC) persistence and sequestration, due to its large contribution to total SOC (TSOC) and long turnover time. Our objectives were to investigate how climate, soil type, soil texture, and agricultural managements affect MOC contributions to TSOC in China. We created a dataset from 103 published papers, including 1106 data points pairing MOC and TSOC across three major land use types: cropland, grassland, and forest. Overall, the MOC/TSOC ratio ranged from 0.27 to 0.80 and varied significantly among soil groups in cropland, grassland, and forest. Croplands and forest exhibited significantly higher median MOC/TSOC ratios than in grassland. Moreover, forest and grassland soils in temperate regions had higher MOC/TSOC ratios than in subtropical regions. Furthermore, the MOC/TSOC ratio was much higher in ultisol, compared with the other soil types. Both the MOC content and MOC/TSOC ratio were positively correlated with the amount of fine fraction (silt plus clay) in soil, highlighting the importance of soil texture in stabilizing organic carbon across various climate zones. In cropland, different fertilization practices and land uses (e.g., upland, paddy, and upland-paddy rotation) significantly altered MOC/TSOC ratios, but not in cropping systems (e.g., mono- and double-cropping) characterized by climatic differences. This study demonstrates that the MOC/TSOC ratio is mainly driven by soil texture, soil types, and related climate and land uses, and thus the variations in MOC/TSOC ratios should be taken into account when quantitatively estimating soil C sequestration potential of silt plus clay particles on a large scale. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Treatability of volatile chlorinated hydrocarbon-contaminated soils of different textures along a vertical profile by mechanical soil aeration: A laboratory test.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Yan; Shi, Yi; Hou, Deyi; Zhang, Xi; Chen, Jiaqi; Wang, Zhifen; Xu, Zhu; Li, Fasheng; Du, Xiaoming

2017-04-01

Mechanical soil aeration is a simple, effective, and low-cost soil remediation technology that is suitable for sites contaminated with volatile chlorinated hydrocarbons (VCHs). Conventionally, this technique is used to treat the mixed soil of a site without considering the diversity and treatability of different soils within the site. A laboratory test was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of mechanical soil aeration for remediating soils of different textures (silty, clayey, and sandy soils) along a vertical profile at an abandoned chloro-alkali chemical site in China. The collected soils were artificially contaminated with chloroform (TCM) and trichloroethylene (TCE). Mechanical soil aeration was effective for remediating VCHs (removal efficiency >98%). The volatilization process was described by an exponential kinetic function. In the early stage of treatment (0-7hr), rapid contaminant volatilization followed a pseudo-first order kinetic model. VCH concentrations decreased to low levels and showed a tailing phenomenon with very slow contaminant release after 8hr. Compared with silty and sandy soils, clayey soil has high organic-matter content, a large specific surface area, a high clay fraction, and a complex pore structure. These characteristics substantially influenced the removal process, making it less efficient, more time consuming, and consequently more expensive. Our findings provide a potential basis for optimizing soil remediation strategy in a cost-effective manner. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Susceptibility of coarse-textured soils to soil erosion by water in the tropics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salako, F.K.

2004-01-01

The application of soil physics for the evaluation of factors of soil erosion in the tropics received considerable attention in the last four decades. In Nigeria, physical characteristics of rainfall such as drop size and drop-size distribution, rainfall intensity at short intervals and kinetic energy of rainfall were evaluated using different methods. Thus, compound erosivity indices were evaluated which showed a similar trend in annual rainfall erosivity with annual rainfall amounts. Attempts have also been made to use geostatistical tools and fractal theory to describe temporal variability in rainfall erosivity. High erosivity aggravates the vulnerability of coarse-textured soils to erosion. These soils, high in sand content were poorly aggregated and structurally weak. Thus, they were easily detached and transported by runoff. Long-term data are needed to describe factors of soil erosion in the tropics but quite often, equipment are not available or poorly maintained where available such that useful data are not collected. A greater cooperation of pure physicists, soil physicists and engineers in the developing nations is needed to improve or design equipment and methods for the characterization of factors of soil erosion in the tropics. (author)

Nanosecond laser textured superhydrophobic metallic surfaces and their chemical sensing applications

Science.gov (United States)

Ta, Duong V.; Dunn, Andrew; Wasley, Thomas J.; Kay, Robert W.; Stringer, Jonathan; Smith, Patrick J.; Connaughton, Colm; Shephard, Jonathan D.

2015-12-01

This work demonstrates superhydrophobic behavior on nanosecond laser patterned copper and brass surfaces. Compared with ultrafast laser systems previously used for such texturing, infrared nanosecond fiber lasers offer a lower cost and more robust system combined with potentially much higher processing rates. The wettability of the textured surfaces develops from hydrophilicity to superhydrophobicity over time when exposed to ambient conditions. The change in the wetting property is attributed to the partial deoxidation of oxides on the surface induced during laser texturing. Textures exhibiting steady state contact angles of up to ∼152° with contact angle hysteresis of around 3-4° have been achieved. Interestingly, the superhydrobobic surfaces have the self-cleaning ability and have potential for chemical sensing applications. The principle of these novel chemical sensors is based on the change in contact angle with the concentration of methanol in a solution. To demonstrate the principle of operation of such a sensor, it is found that the contact angle of methanol solution on the superhydrophobic surfaces exponentially decays with increasing concentration. A significant reduction, of 128°, in contact angle on superhydrophobic brass is observed, which is one order of magnitude greater than that for the untreated surface (12°), when percent composition of methanol reaches to 28%.

Relationships between respiration, chemical and microbial properties of afforested mine soils with different soil texture and tree species: Does the time of incubation matter

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Józefowska, A.; Pietrzykowski, M.; Woś, B.; Cajthaml, T.; Frouz, Jan

2017-01-01

Roč. 80, May (2017), s. 102-109 ISSN 1164-5563 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : afforested mine soils * soil texture * tree species * chemical properties * microbial properties Subject RIV: DF - Soil Science OBOR OECD: Soil science Impact factor: 2.445, year: 2016

Tribological Properties of Surface-Textured and Plasma-Nitrided Pure Titanium Under Oil Lubrication Condition

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Baosen; Dong, Qiangsheng; Ba, Zhixin; Wang, Zhangzhong; Shi, Hancheng; Xue, Yanting

2018-01-01

Plasma nitriding was conducted as post-treatment for surface texture on pure titanium to obtain a continuous nitriding layer. Supersonic fine particles bombarding (SFPB) was carried out to prepare surface texture. The surface morphologies and chemical composition were analyzed using scanning electron microscope and energy disperse spectroscopy. The microstructures of modified layers were characterized by transmission electron microscope. The tribological properties of surface-textured and duplex-treated pure titanium under oil lubrication condition were systematically investigated in the ball-on-plate reciprocating mode. The effects of applied load and sliding velocity on the tribological behavior were analyzed. The results show that after duplex treatments, the grains size in modified layer becomes slightly larger, and hardness is obviously improved. Wear resistance of duplex-treated pure titanium is significantly improved referenced to untreated and surface-textured pure titanium, which is 3.22 times as much as untreated pure titanium and 2.15 times of that for surface-textured pure titanium, respectively.

The application of slip length models to larger textures in turbulent flows over superhydrophobic surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Fairhall, Chris; Garcia-Mayoral, Ricardo

2017-11-01

We present results from direct numerical simulations of turbulent flows over superhydrophobic surfaces. We assess the validity of simulations where the surface is modelled as homogeneous slip lengths, comparing them to simulations where the surface texture is resolved. Our results show that once the coherent flow induced by the texture is removed from the velocity fields, the remaining flow sees the surface as homogeneous. We then investigate how the overlying turbulence is modified by the presence of surface texture. For small textures, we show that turbulence is shifted closer to the wall due to the presence of slip, but otherwise remains essentially unmodified. For larger textures, the texture interacts with the turbulent lengthscales, thereby modifying the overlying turbulence. We also show that the saturation of the effect of the spanwise slip length (Fukagata et al. 2006, Busse & Sandham 2012, Seo & Mani 2016), which is drag increasing, is caused by the impermeability imposed at the surface. This work was supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

Moisture and textural variations in unsaturated soils/sediments near the Hanford Wye barricade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heller, P.R.; Gee, G.W.; Myers, D.A.

1985-03-01

During November and December 1983, soil samples were collected by Pacific Northwest Laboratory for hydrologic characterization of the partially saturated (vadose) zone sediments from five wells drilled near the Hanford Wye barricade, about 15 km northwest of Richland, Washington. The samples were taken from each of five boreholes in 1.5-m segments down to the water table or to a depth where further drilling became impossible, whichever was deeper. The samples were collected and handled in such a manner as to minimize water loss through evaporation. The field moisture content was determined for each sample, and for three of the five boreholes the water potential at the field moisture content was also measured. Other characterization included textural analysis, water retention characteristics, hydraulic conductivity, and soil chemistry. From the laboratory data, travel time (i.e., the time necessary for water to move a distance of 43 m, from the soil surface to the ground water) estimates were calculated: they range from 600 years for annual water influx rates that ranged from 0.5 to 5.0 cm/yr. The soil properties determined in this study will aid in modeling the transport of water and chemicals (e.g., radionuclides) to the ground water at the Hanford site

Use of Textured Surfaces to Mitigate Sliding Friction and Wear of Lubricated and Non-Lubricated Contacts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blau, Peter Julian [ORNL

2012-03-01

If properly employed, the placement of three-dimensional feature patterns, also referred to as textures, on relatively-moving, load-bearing surfaces can be beneficial to their friction and wear characteristics. For example, geometric patterns can function as lubricant supply channels or depressions in which to trap debris. They can also alter lubricant flow in a manner that produces thicker load-bearing films locally. Considering the area occupied by solid areas and spaces, textures also change the load distribution on surfaces. At least ten different attributes of textures can be specified, and their combinations offer wide latitude in surface engineering. By employing directional machining and grinding procedures, texturing has been used on bearings and seals for well over a half century, and the size scales of texturing vary widely. This report summarizes past work on the texturing of load-bearing surfaces, including past research on laser surface dimpling of ceramics done at ORNL. Textured surfaces generally show most pronounced effects when they are used in conformal or nearly conformal contacts, like that in face seals. Combining textures with other forms of surface modification and lubrication methods can offer additional benefits in surface engineering for tribology. As the literature and past work at ORNL shows, texturing does not always provide benefits. Rather, the selected pattern and arrangement of features must be matched to characteristics of the proposed application, bearing materials, and lubricants.

Topographic Controls on Spatial Patterns of Soil Texture and Moisture in a Semi-arid Montane Catchment with Aspect-Dependent Vegetation

Science.gov (United States)

Lehman, B. M.; Niemann, J. D.

2008-12-01

Soil moisture exerts significant control over the partitioning of latent and sensible energy fluxes, the magnitude of both vertical and lateral water fluxes, the physiological and water-use characteristics of vegetation, and nutrient cycling. Considerable progress has been made in determining how soil characteristics, topography, and vegetation influence spatial patterns of soil moisture in humid environments at the catchment, hillslope, and plant scales. However, understanding of the controls on soil moisture patterns beyond the plant scale in semi-arid environments remains more limited. This study examines the relationships between the spatial patterns of near surface soil moisture (upper 5 cm), terrain indices, and soil properties in a small, semi-arid, montane catchment. The 8 ha catchment, located in the Cache La Poudre River Canyon in north-central Colorado, has a total relief of 115 m and an average elevation of 2193 m. It is characterized by steep slopes and shallow, gravelly/sandy soils with scattered granite outcroppings. Depth to bedrock ranges from 0 m to greater than 1 m. Vegetation in the catchment is highly correlated with topographic aspect. In particular, north-facing hillslopes are predominately vegetated by ponderosa pines, while south-facing slopes are mostly vegetated by several shrub species. Soil samples were collected at a 30 m resolution to characterize soil texture and bulk density, and several datasets consisting of more than 300 point measurements of soil moisture were collected using time domain reflectometry (TDR) between Fall 2007 and Summer 2008 at a 15 m resolution. Results from soil textural analysis performed with sieving and the ASTM standard hydrometer method show that soil texture is finer on the north-facing hillslope than on the south-facing hillslope. Cos(aspect) is the best univariate predictor of silts, while slope is the best predictor of coarser fractions up to fine gravel. Bulk density increases with depth but shows no

Growth rate of bacteria is affected by soil texture and extraction procedure

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Uhlířová, Eva; Šantrůčková, Hana

2003-01-01

Roč. 35, - (2003), s. 217-224 ISSN 0038-0717 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z6066911 Keywords : soil texture * extraction of bacteria * biosynthetic activity of bacteria Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour Impact factor: 1.915, year: 2003

Research on the Influence of Soil Structure and Amendments on Surface Water Quality from Cervenia Village, Teleorman County

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dana Popa

2011-10-01

Full Text Available This study is part of a research project on the influence of agro-livestock activities on surface water quality inTeleorman County. The paper presents structure, quality and measures to prevent and combat soil erosion in relationto agro-livestock activities in this area. The research has been done in the whole locality, and took soil samples todetermine the type and soil texture and soil supply status with major nutrients (N, P, K. Based on these results andknowing the soil amendaments at Cervenia village level, recommendations were made about avoiding the risks ofpollution of surface water by nitrates from agricultural and livestock activities.

Angle-dependent lubricated tribological properties of stainless steel by femtosecond laser surface texturing

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhuo; Li, Yang-Bo; Bai, Feng; Wang, Cheng-Wei; Zhao, Quan-Zhong

2016-07-01

Lubricated tribological properties of stainless steel were investigated by femtosecond laser surface texturing. Regular-arranged micro-grooved textures with different spacing and micro-groove inclination angles (between micro-groove path and sliding direction) were produced on AISI 304L steel surfaces by an 800 nm femtosecond laser. The spacing of micro-groove was varied from 25 to 300 μm, and the inclination angles of micro-groove were measured as 90° and 45°. The tribological properties of the smooth and textured surfaces with micro-grooves were investigated by reciprocating ball-on-flat tests against Al2O3 ceramic balls under starved oil lubricated conditions. Results showed that the spacing of micro-grooves significantly affected the tribological property. With the increase of micro-groove spacing, the average friction coefficients and wear rates of textured surfaces initially decreased then increased. The tribological performance also depended on the inclination angles of micro-grooves. Among the investigated patterns, the micro-grooves perpendicular to the sliding direction exhibited the lowest average friction coefficient and wear rate to a certain extent. Femtosecond laser-induced surface texturing may remarkably improve friction and wear properties if the micro-grooves were properly distributed.

DNS of flows over superhydrophobic surfaces with small texture

Science.gov (United States)

Fairhall, Chris; Garcia-Mayoral, Ricardo

2015-11-01

We present results from direct numerical simulations of turbulent flows over superhydrophobic surfaces with small texture sizes, comparable to those of practical application. Textures studied with DNS are usually much larger, as the cost of the simulations would otherwise be prohibitive. For this reason, a multi-block code that allows for finer resolution near the walls has been developed. We focus particularly on the pressure distribution at the wall. This distribution can cause the deformation of the gas pockets, which can ultimately lead to their loss and that of the drag reduction effect. The layout of the texture causes stagnation pressures which can contribute substantially to the wall pressure signal (Seo et al. JFM, under review). We study a range of different textures and their influence on these pressures.

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

Improved Main Shaft Seal Life in Gas Turbines Using Laser Surface Texturing

Science.gov (United States)

McNickle, Alan D.; Etsion, Izhak

2002-10-01

This paper presents a general overview of the improved main shaft seal life in gas turbines using laser surface texturing (LST). The contents include: 1) Laser Surface Texturing System; 2) Seal Schematic with LST applied; 3) Dynamic Rig Tests; 4) Surface Finish Definitions; 5) Wear Test Rig; 6) Dynamic Test Rig; 7) Seal Cross Section-Rig Test; and 8) Typical Test Results. This paper is in viewgraph form.

Surface Texture-Based Surface Treatments on Ti6Al4V Titanium Alloys for Tribological and Biological Applications: A Mini Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naiming Lin

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Surface texture (ST has been confirmed as an effective and economical surface treatment technique that can be applied to a great range of materials and presents growing interests in various engineering fields. Ti6Al4V which is the most frequently and successfully used titanium alloy has long been restricted in tribological-related operations due to the shortcomings of low surface hardness, high friction coefficient, and poor abrasive wear resistance. Ti6Al4V has benefited from surface texture-based surface treatments over the last decade. This review begins with a brief introduction, analysis approaches, and processing methods of surface texture. The specific applications of the surface texture-based surface treatments for improving surface performance of Ti6Al4V are thoroughly reviewed from the point of view of tribology and biology.

Controlling the stainless steel surface wettability by nanosecond direct laser texturing at high fluences

Science.gov (United States)

Gregorčič, P.; Šetina-Batič, B.; Hočevar, M.

2017-12-01

This work investigates the influence of the direct laser texturing at high fluences (DLT-HF) on surface morphology, chemistry, and wettability. We use a Nd:YAG laser ( λ = 1064 nm) with pulse duration of 95 ns to process stainless steel surface. The surface morphology and chemistry after the texturing is examined by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), while the surface wettability is evaluated by measuring the static contact angle. Immediately after the texturing, the surface is superhydrophilic in a saturated Wenzel regime. However, this state is not stable and the superhydrophilic-to-superhydrophobic transition happens if the sample is kept in atmospheric air for 30 days. After this period, the laser-textured stainless steel surface expresses lotus-leaf-like behavior. By using a high-speed camera at 10,000 fps, we measured that the water droplet completely rebound from this superhydrophobic surface after the contact time of 12 ms.

Effects of Land Cover / Land Use, Soil Texture, and Vegetation on the Water Balance of Lake Chad Basin

Science.gov (United States)

Babamaaji, R. A.; Lee, J.

2013-12-01

Lake Chad Basin (LCB) has experienced drastic changes of land cover and poor water management practices during the last 50 years. The successive droughts in the 1970s and 1980s resulted in the shortage of surface water and groundwater resources. This problem of drought has a devastating implication on the natural resources of the Basin with great consequence on food security, poverty reduction and quality of life of the inhabitants in the LCB. Therefore, understanding the effects of land use / land cover must be a first step to find how they disturb cycle especially the groundwater in the LCB. The abundance of groundwater is affected by the climate change through the interaction with surface water, such as lakes and rivers, and disuse recharge through an infiltration process. Quantifying the impact of climate change on the groundwater resource requires reliable forecasting of changes in the major climatic variables and other spatial variations including the land use/land cover, soil texture, topographic slope, and vegetation. In this study, we employed a spatially distributed water balance model WetSpass to simulate a long-term average change of groundwater recharge in the LCB of Africa. WetSpass is a water balance-based model to estimate seasonal and spatial distribution of surface runoff, interception, evapotranspiration, and groundwater recharge. The model is especially suitable for studying the effect of land use/land cover change on the water regime in the LCB. The present study describes the concept of the model and its application to the development of recharge map of the LCB. The study shows that major role in the water balance of LCB. The mean yearly actual evapotranspiration (ET) from the basin range from 60mm - 400 mm, which is 90 % (69mm - 430) of the annual precipitation from 2003 - 2010. It is striking that about 50 - 60 % of the total runoff is produced on build-up (impervious surfaces), while much smaller contributions are obtained from vegetated

Effect of strontium tantalate surface texture on nickel nanoparticle dispersion by electroless deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Compean-González, C.L. [Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Facultad de Ingeniería Civil, Departamento de Ecomateriales y Energía, Av. Universidad s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León C.P. 66451 (Mexico); Arredondo-Torres, V.M. [Facultad de Químico Farmacobiología, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Tzintzuntzan #173, Col. Matamoros, Morelia, Michoacán C.P. 58240 (Mexico); Zarazúa-Morin, M.E. [Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Facultad de Ingeniería Civil, Departamento de Ecomateriales y Energía, Av. Universidad s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León C.P. 66451 (Mexico); Figueroa-Torres, M.Z., E-mail: m.zyzlila@gmail.com [Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Facultad de Ingeniería Civil, Departamento de Ecomateriales y Energía, Av. Universidad s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León C.P. 66451 (Mexico)

2015-09-15

Highlights: • Efficient short-time procedure for nickel nanoparticles dispersion by electroless. • Nanoparticles are spherical in shape with an average size of 15 nm. • Influence of surface texture on deposition temperature and time was observed. • Nickel deposition can be done below 50 °C. - Abstract: The present work studies the effect of smooth and porous texture of Sr{sub 2}Ta{sub 2}O{sub 7} on its surface modification with nickel nanoparticles through electroless deposition technique. The influence of temperature to control Ni nanoparticles loading amount and dispersion were analyzed. Nitrogen adsorption isotherms were used to examine surface texture characteristics. The morphology was observed by scanning electron microscopy (MEB) equipped with an energy dispersive spectrometry system (EDS), which was used to determine the amount of deposited Ni. The material with smooth texture (SMT) consists of big agglomerates of semispherical shape particles of 400 nm. Whilst the porous texture (PRT) exhibit a pore-wall formed of needles shape particles of around 200 nm in size. Results indicated that texture characteristics strongly influence the deposition reaction rate; for PRT oxide, Ni deposition can be done from 20 °C while for SMT oxide deposition begins at 40 °C. Analysis of Sr{sub 2}Ta{sub 2}O{sub 7} surface indicated that in both textures, Ni nanoparticles with spherical shape in the range of 10–20 nm were obtained.

Ion beam texturing

Science.gov (United States)

Hudson, W. R.

1977-01-01

A microscopic surface texture was created by sputter-etching a surface while simultaneously sputter-depositing a lower sputter yield material onto the surface. A xenon ion-beam source was used to perform the texturing process on samples as large as 3-cm diameter. Textured surfaces have been characterized with SEM photomicrographs for a large number of materials including Cu, Al, Si, Ti, Ni, Fe, stainless steel, Au, and Ag. A number of texturing parameters are studied including the variation of texture with ion-beam powder, surface temperature, and the rate of texture growth with sputter etching time.

Effect of Q-switched Laser Surface Texturing of Titanium on Osteoblast Cell Response

Science.gov (United States)

Voisey, K. T.; Scotchford, C. A.; Martin, L.; Gill, H. S.

Titanium and its alloys are important biomedical materials. It is known that the surface texture of implanted medical devices affects cell response. Control of cell response has the potential to enhance fixation of implants into bone and, in other applications, to prevent undesired cell adhesion. The potential use of a 100W Q-switched YAG laser miller (DMG Lasertec 60 HSC) for texturing titanium is investigated. A series of regular features with dimensions of the order of tens of micrometers are generated in the surface of titanium samples and the cell response to these features is determined. Characterisation of the laser milled features reveals features with a lengthscale of a few microns superposed on the larger scale structures, this is attributed to resolidification of molten droplets generated and propelled over the surface by individual laser pulses. The laser textured samples are exposed to osteoblast cells and it is seen that cells do respond to the features in the laser textured surfaces.

Rice straw biochar affects water retention and air movement in a sand-textured tropical soil

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arthur, Emmanuel; Ahmed, Fauziatu

2017-01-01

Despite the current global attention on biochar (BC) as a soil amendment, knowledge is limited on how BC impacts the physical properties of coarse-textured soils (sand > 95%), particularly in tropical regions. A two-season field-study was conducted to investigate the effect of rice straw BC (3% w...

Forward impact extrusion of surface textured steel blanks using coated tooling

Science.gov (United States)

Hild, Rafael; Feuerhack, Andreas; Trauth, Daniel; Arghavani, Mostafa; Kruppe, Nathan C.; Brögelmann, Tobias; Bobzin, Kirsten; Klocke, Fritz

2017-10-01

A method to enable dry metal forming by the means of a self-lubricating coating and surface textures was researched using an innovative Pin-On-Cylinder-Tribometer. The experimental analysis was complemented by a numerical model of the complex contact conditions between coated tools and the surface textured specimen at the micro-level. Based on the results, the explanation of the tribological interactions between surface textured specimens and the tool in dry full forward extrusion is the objective of this work. Therefore, experimental dry extrusion tests were performed using a tool system. The extruded specimens were evaluated regarding their geometry as well as by the required punch force. Thereby, the effectiveness and the feasibility of dry metal forming on the example of full forward extrusion was evaluated. Thus, one more step towards the technical realization of dry metal forming of low alloy steels under industrial conditions was realized.

Effects of near surface soil moisture profiles during evaporation on far-field ground-penetrating radar data: A numerical study

KAUST Repository

Moghadas, Davood

2013-01-01

We theoretically investigated the effect of vapor flow on the drying front that develops in soils when water evaporates from the soil surface and on GPR data. The results suggest the integration of the full-wave GPR model with a coupled water, vapor, and heat flow model to accurately estimate the soil hydraulic properties. We investigated the Effects of a drying front that emerges below an evaporating soil surface on the far-field ground-penetrating radar (GPR) data. First, we performed an analysis of the width of the drying front in soils with 12 different textures by using an analytical model. Then, we numerically simulated vertical soil moisture profiles that develop during evaporation for the soil textures. We performed the simulations using a Richards flow model that considers only liquid water flow and a model that considers coupled water, vapor, and heat flows. The GPR signals were then generated from the simulated soil water content profiles taking into account the frequency dependency of apparent electrical conductivity and dielectric permittivity. The analytical approach indicated that the width of the drying front at the end of Stage I of the evaporation was larger in silty soils than in other soil textures and smaller in sandy soils. We also demonstrated that the analytical estimate of the width of the drying front can be considered as a proxy for the impact that a drying front could have on far-field GPR data. The numerical simulations led to the conclusion that vapor transport in soil resulted in S-shaped soil moisture profiles, which clearly influenced the GPR data. As a result, vapor flow needs to be considered when GPR data are interpreted in a coupled inversion approach. Moreover, the impact of vapor flow on the GPR data was larger for silty than for sandy soils. These Effects on the GPR data provide promising perspectives regarding the use of radars for evaporation monitoring. © Soil Science Society of America 5585 Guilford Rd., Madison, WI

Comparing predictive ability of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy to Near Infrared Spectroscopy for soil texture and organic carbon determination

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knadel, Maria; Peng, Yi; Gislum, René

Soil organic carbon (SOC) and texture have a practical value for agronomy and the environment. Thus, alternative techniques to supplement or substitute for the expensive conventional analysis of soil are developed. Here the feasibility of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to determine SOC...... and texture was tested and compared with near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) technique and traditional laboratory analysis. Calibration models were developed on 50 topsoil samples. For all properties except silt, higher predictive ability of LIBS than NIRS models was obtained. Successful calibrations indicate...... that LIBS can be used as a fast and reliable method for SOC and texture estimation....

Characteristics of laser textured silicon surface and effect of mud adhesion on hydrophobicity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yilbas, B.S., E-mail: bsyilbas@kfupm.edu.sa [ME Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Kfupm box 1913, Dhahran 31261 (Saudi Arabia); Ali, H. [ME Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Kfupm box 1913, Dhahran 31261 (Saudi Arabia); Khaled, M. [CHEM Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran (Saudi Arabia); Al-Aqeeli, N.; Abu-Dheir, N. [ME Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Kfupm box 1913, Dhahran 31261 (Saudi Arabia); Varanasi, K.K. [Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, MA (United States)

2015-10-01

Highlights: • Laser treatment increases surface microhardness and slightly lowers surface fracture toughness. • Residual stress formed is compressive and self-annealing effect of laser tracks lowers residual stress. • Nitride species lowers surface energy and adhesion work required to remove dust. • Mud residues do not have notable effect on fracture toughness and microhardness of treated surface. • Mud residues lower surface hydrophobicity. - Abstract: Laser gas assisted texturing of silicon wafer surface is carried out. Morphological and metallurgical changes in the treated layer are examined using the analytical tools. Microhardness and fracture toughness of the laser treated surface are measured using the indentation technique while residual stress formed is determined from the X-ray diffraction data. The hydrophobicity of the textured surfaces are assessed incorporating the contact angle data and compared with those of as received workpiece surfaces. Environmental dust accumulation and mud formation, due to air humidity, at the laser treated and as received workpiece surfaces are simulated and the effect of the mud residues on the properties of the laser treated surface are studied. The adhesion work due to the presence of the mud on the laser treated surface is also measured. It is found that laser textured surface composes of micro/nano poles and fibers, which in turn improves the surface hydrophobicity significantly. In addition, formation of nitride species contributes to microhardness increase and enhancement of surface hydrophobicity due to their low surface energy. The mud residues do not influence the fracture toughness and microhardness of the laser textured surface; however, they reduced the surface hydrophobicity significantly.

Inline inspection of textured plastics surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Michaeli, Walter; Berdel, Klaus

2011-02-01

This article focuses on the inspection of plastics web materials exhibiting irregular textures such as imitation wood or leather. They are produced in a continuous process at high speed. In this process, various defects occur sporadically. However, current inspection systems for plastics surfaces are able to inspect unstructured products or products with regular, i.e., highly periodic, textures, only. The proposed inspection algorithm uses the local binary pattern operator for texture feature extraction. For classification, semisupervised as well as supervised approaches are used. A simple concept for semisupervised classification is presented and applied for defect detection. The resulting defect-maps are presented to the operator. He assigns class labels that are used to train the supervised classifier in order to distinguish between different defect types. A concept for parallelization is presented allowing the efficient use of standard multicore processor PC hardware. Experiments with images of a typical product acquired in an industrial setting show a detection rate of 97% while achieving a false alarm rate below 1%. Real-time tests show that defects can be reliably detected even at haul-off speeds of 30 m/min. Further applications of the presented concept can be found in the inspection of other materials.

Conical surface textures formed by ion bombarding 2% Be-Cu alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Panitz, J.K.G.

1991-01-01

A homogeneous, micrometer-sized conical surface texture forms on 2% Be-Cu alloy which is bombarded with an argon beam produced by a Kaufman ion source. The dimensions of the features that form depend strongly on argon energy (from 250 to 1500 eV); argon fluence (10 19 to 10 20 ions cm -2 ); and argon flux (0.1 to 1 mA cm -2 ). The texture morphology depends less strongly on the background ambient (Mo versus graphite), earlier alloy heat treatments and the temperature during bombardment (100 o C and 450 o C). As the texture matures with increasing fluence, the number of large features increases at the expense of the number of small features. The observed relationship between texture formation and ion flux suggests that the evolution of these features is not adequately described by theories predicting that the mature conical side-wall angle is related to the angle of the maximum sputtering yield. These textured surfaces can be coated with other metals for a variety of possible applications including pulsed power Li + beam anodes; cold cathode field emission devices; optical absorbers and catalysis supports. (author)

Conical surface textures formed by ion bombarding 2% Be Cu alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Panitz, J.K.G.

1990-01-01

A homogeneous, micrometer-sized conical surface texture forms on 2% Be-Cu alloy which is bombarded with an argon beam produced by a Kaufman ion source. The dimensions of the features that form strongly depend on: (1) argon energy (from 250 to 1500 eV), (2) fluence (10 19 to 10 20 ions/cm 2 ), and (3) flux (0.1 to 1 mA/cm 2 ). The texture morphology depends less strongly on the background ambient (Mo vs graphite), earlier alloy heat treatments and the temperature during bombardment (100 degree C and 450 degree C). As the texture matures with increasing fluence, the number of large features increases at the expense of the number of small features. The observed relationship between texture formation and ion flux suggests that the evolution of these features is not adequately described by theories predicting that the mature conical sidewall angle is related to the angle of the maximum sputtering yield. These textured surfaces can be coated with other metals for a variety of possible applications including: (1) pulsed power Li+ beam anodes, (2) cold cathode field emission devices, (3) optical absorbers and (4) catalysis supports. 18 refs., 5 figs

Ecological risk assessment: influence of texture on background concentration of microelements in soils of Russia.

Science.gov (United States)

Beketskaya, Olga

2010-05-01

In Russia quality standards of contaminated substances values in environment consist of ecological and sanitary rate-setting. The sanitary risk assessment base on potential risk that contaminants pose to protect human beings. The main purpose of the ecological risk assessment is to protect ecosystem. To determine negative influence on living organisms in the sanitary risk assessment in Russia we use MPC. This value of contaminants show how substances affected on different part of environment, biological activity and soil processes. The ecological risk assessment based on comparison compounds concentration with background concentration for definite territories. Taking into account high interval of microelements value in soils, we suggest using statistic method for determination of concentration levels of chemical elements concentration in soils of Russia. This method is based on determination middle levels of elements content in natural condition. The top limit of middle chemical elements concentration in soils is value, which exceed middle regional background level in three times standard deviation. The top limit of natural concentration excess we can explain as anthropogenic impact. At first we study changing in the middle content value of microelements in soils of geographic regions in European part of Russia on the basis of cartographical analysis. Cartographical analysis showed that the soil of mountainous and mountain surrounding regions is enriched with microelements. On the plain territory of European part of Russia for most of microelements was noticed general direction of increasing their concentration in soils from north to south, also in the same direction soil clay content rise for majority of soils. For all other territories a clear connection has been noticed between the distribution of sand sediment. By our own investigation and data from scientific literature data base was created. This data base consist of following soil properties: texture

Textured surface structures formed using new techniques on transparent conducting Al-doped zinc oxide films prepared by magnetron sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Minami, Tadatsugu; Miyata, Toshihiro; Uozaki, Ryousuke; Sai, Hitoshi; Koida, Takashi

2016-01-01

Surface-textured Al-doped ZnO (AZO) films formed using two new techniques based on magnetron sputtering deposition were developed by optimizing the light scattering properties to be suitable for transparent electrode applications in thin-film silicon solar cells. Scrambled egg-like surface-textured AZO films were prepared using a new texture formation technique that post-etched pyramidal surface-textured AZO films prepared under deposition conditions suppressing c-axis orientation. In addition, double surface-textured AZO films were prepared using another new texture formation technique that completely removed, by post-etching, the pyramidal surface-textured AZO films previously prepared onto the initially deposited low resistivity AZO films; simultaneously, the surface of the low resistivity films was slightly etched. However, the obtained very high haze value in the range from the near ultraviolet to visible light in the scrambled egg-like surface-textured AZO films did not contribute significantly to the obtainable photovoltaic properties in the solar cells fabricated using the films. Significant light scattering properties as well as a low sheet resistance could be achieved in the double surface-textured AZO films. In addition, a significant improvement of external quantum efficiency in the range from the near ultraviolet to visible light was achieved in superstrate-type n-i-p μc-Si:H solar cells fabricated using a double surface-textured AZO film prepared under optimized conditions as the transparent electrode. - Highlights: • Double surface-textured AZO films prepared using a new texture formation technique • Extensive light scattering properties with low sheet resistance achieved in the double surface-textured AZO films • Improved external quantum efficiency of μc-Si:H solar cells using a double surface-textured AZO film

Textured surface structures formed using new techniques on transparent conducting Al-doped zinc oxide films prepared by magnetron sputtering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Minami, Tadatsugu [Optoelectronic Device System R& D Center, Kanazawa Institute of Technology, Nonoichi, Ishikawa 921-8501 (Japan); Miyata, Toshihiro, E-mail: tmiyata@neptune.kanazawa-it.ac.jp [Optoelectronic Device System R& D Center, Kanazawa Institute of Technology, Nonoichi, Ishikawa 921-8501 (Japan); Uozaki, Ryousuke [Optoelectronic Device System R& D Center, Kanazawa Institute of Technology, Nonoichi, Ishikawa 921-8501 (Japan); Sai, Hitoshi; Koida, Takashi [Research Center for Photovoltaics, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568 (Japan)

2016-09-01

Surface-textured Al-doped ZnO (AZO) films formed using two new techniques based on magnetron sputtering deposition were developed by optimizing the light scattering properties to be suitable for transparent electrode applications in thin-film silicon solar cells. Scrambled egg-like surface-textured AZO films were prepared using a new texture formation technique that post-etched pyramidal surface-textured AZO films prepared under deposition conditions suppressing c-axis orientation. In addition, double surface-textured AZO films were prepared using another new texture formation technique that completely removed, by post-etching, the pyramidal surface-textured AZO films previously prepared onto the initially deposited low resistivity AZO films; simultaneously, the surface of the low resistivity films was slightly etched. However, the obtained very high haze value in the range from the near ultraviolet to visible light in the scrambled egg-like surface-textured AZO films did not contribute significantly to the obtainable photovoltaic properties in the solar cells fabricated using the films. Significant light scattering properties as well as a low sheet resistance could be achieved in the double surface-textured AZO films. In addition, a significant improvement of external quantum efficiency in the range from the near ultraviolet to visible light was achieved in superstrate-type n-i-p μc-Si:H solar cells fabricated using a double surface-textured AZO film prepared under optimized conditions as the transparent electrode. - Highlights: • Double surface-textured AZO films prepared using a new texture formation technique • Extensive light scattering properties with low sheet resistance achieved in the double surface-textured AZO films • Improved external quantum efficiency of μc-Si:H solar cells using a double surface-textured AZO film.

Biochar-Induced Changes in Soil Resilience: Effects of Soil Texture and Biochar Dosage

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Ayodele Ebenezer AJAYI; Rainer HORN

2017-01-01

Biochars are,amongst other available amendment materials,considered as an attractive tool in agriculture for carbon sequestration and improvement of soil functions.The latter is widely discussed as a consequence of improved physical quality of the amended soil.However,the mechanisms for this improvement are still poorly understood.This study investigated the effect of woodchip biochar amendment on micro-structural development,micro-and macro-structural stability,and resilience of two differently textured soils,fine sand (FS) and sandy loam (SL).Test substrates were prepared by adding 50 or 100 g kg-1 biochar to FS or SL.Total porosity and plant available water were significantly increased in both soils.Moreover,compressive strength of the aggregates was significantly decreased when biochar amount was doubled.Mechanical resilience of the aggregates at both micro-and macro-scale was improved in the biochar-amended soils,impacting the cohesion and compressive behavior.A combination of these effects will result in an improved pore structure and aeration.Consequently,the physicochemical environment for plants and microbes is improved.Furthermore,the improved stability properties will result in better capacity of the biochar-amended soil to recover from the myriad of mechanical stresses imposed under arable systems,including vehicle traffic,to the weight of overburden soil.However,it was noted that doubling the amendment rate did not in any case offer any remarkable additional improvement in these properties,suggesting a further need to investigate the optimal amendment rate.

Dynamics And Remediation Of Fine Textured Soils And Ground Water Contaminated With Salts And Chlorinated Organic Compounds

Science.gov (United States)

Murata, Alison; Naeth, M. Anne

2017-04-01

Soil and ground water are frequently contaminated by industrial activities, posing a potential risk to human and environmental health and limiting land use. Proper site management and remediation treatments can return contaminated areas to safe and useful states. Most remediation research focuses on single contaminants in coarse and medium textured soils. Contaminant mixtures are common and make remediation efforts complex due to differing chemical properties. Remediation in fine textured soils is difficult since their low hydraulic conductivities hinder addition of amendments into and removal of contaminated media out of the impacted zone. The objective of this research is to assess contaminant dynamics and potential remediation techniques for fine textured soil and ground water impacted by multiple contaminants in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The University of Alberta's Ellerslie Waste Management Facility was used to process liquid laboratory waste from 1972 to 2007. A waste water pond leak prior to 1984 resulted in salt and chlorinated organic compound contamination. An extensive annual ground water monitoring data set for the site is available since 1988. Analytical parameters include pH, electrical conductivity, major ions, volatile organic compounds, and metals. Data have been compared to Alberta Tier 1 Soil and Groundwater Remediation Guidelines to identify exceedances. The parameters of greatest concern, based on magnitude and frequency of detection, are electrical conductivity, sodium, chloride, chloroform, and dichloromethane. Spatial analyses of the data show that the contamination is focused in and down gradient of the former waste water pond. Temporal analyses show different trends depending on monitoring well location. Laboratory column experiments were used to assess leaching as a potential treatment for salt contamination in fine textured soils. Saturated hydraulic conductivity was measured for seven soils from two depth intervals with or without

Modulated surface textures for enhanced scattering in thin-film silicon solar cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Isabella, O.; Battaglia, C.; Ballif, C.; Zeman, M.

2012-01-01

Nano-scale randomly textured front transparent oxides are superposed on micro-scale etched glass substrates to form modulated surface textures. The resulting enhanced light scattering is implemented in single and double junction thin-film silicon solar cells.

Water repellency of two forest soils after biochar addition

Science.gov (United States)

D. S. Page-Dumroese; P. R. Robichaud; R. E. Brown; J. M. Tirocke

2015-01-01

Practical application of black carbon (biochar) to improve forest soil may be limited because biochar is hydrophobic. In a laboratory, we tested the water repellency of biochar application (mixed or surface applied) to two forest soils of varying texture (a granitic coarse-textured Inceptisol and an ash cap fine-textured Andisol) at four different application rates (0...

Light Gray Surface-Gleyed Loamy Sandy Soils of the Northern Part of Tambov Plain: Agroecology, Properties, and Diagnostics

Science.gov (United States)

Zaidel'man, F. R.; Stepantsova, L. V.; Nikiforova, A. S.; Krasin, V. N.; Dautokov, I. M.; Krasina, T. V.

2018-04-01

Light gray soils of Tambov oblast mainly develop from sandy and loamy sandy parent materials; these are the least studied soils in this region. Despite their coarse texture, these soils are subjected to surface waterlogging. They are stronger affected by the agrogenic degradation in comparison with chernozems and dark gray soils. Morphology, major elements of water regime, physical properties, and productivity of loamy sandy light gray soils with different degrees of gleyzation have been studied in the northern part of Tambov Plain in order to substantiate the appropriate methods of their management. The texture of these soils changes at the depth of 70-100 cm. The upper part is enriched in silt particles (16-30%); in the lower part, the sand content reaches 80-85%. In the nongleyed variants, middle-profile horizons contain thin iron-cemented lamellae (pseudofibers); in surface-gleyed variants, iron nodules are present in the humus horizon. The removal of clay from the humus horizon and its accumulation at the lithological contact and in pseudofibers promote surface subsidence and formation of microlows in the years with moderate and intense winter precipitation. The low range of active moisture favors desiccation of the upper horizons to the wilting point in dry years. The yield of cereal crops reaches 3.5-4.5 t/ha in the years with high and moderate summer precipitation on nongleyed and slightly gleyed light gray soils and decreases by 20-50% on strongly gleyed light gray soils. On light gray soils without irrigation, crop yields are unstable, and productivity of pastures is low. High yields of cereals and vegetables can be obtained on irrigated soils. In this case, local drainage measures should be applied to microlows; liming can be recommended to improve soil productivity.

Effects of surface treatments on the translucency, opalescence, and surface texture of dental monolithic zirconia ceramics.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hee-Kyung; Kim, Sung-Hun; Lee, Jai-Bong; Ha, Seung-Ryong

2016-06-01

Surface polishing or glazing may increase the appearance of depth of monolithic zirconia restorations. The purpose of this in vitro study was to investigate the effects of surface treatments on the translucency, opalescence, and surface texture of dental monolithic zirconia ceramics. Forty-five monolithic zirconia specimens (16.3×16.4×2.0 mm) were divided into groups I to V, according to the number of colorings each received. Each group was then divided into 3 subgroups (n=3) according to the surface treatment: N=no treatment; P=polished; and G=glazed. CIElab color coordinates were obtained relative to D65 on a reflection spectrophotometer. The translucency parameter (TP) and opalescence parameter (OP) were calculated. One specimen per subgroups I and V was selected for evaluation of surface roughness (Ra) and was examined with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Data were analyzed with 2-way ANOVA and pairwise comparisons (α=.05). Statistical powers were verified to evaluate results (α=.05). The interaction effects of surface treatments combined with the number of colorings were significant for TP, OP, and Ra (P.05), whereas glazing significantly decreased OP and Ra in most groups. SEM images demonstrated that surface treatments affected the surface texture of monolithic zirconia ceramics. Surface treatments combined with coloring strongly affect the surface texture of dental monolithic zirconia ceramics. Copyright © 2016 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Picosecond laser micro/nano surface texturing of nickel for superhydrophobicity

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, X. C.; Wang, B.; Xie, H.; Zheng, H. Y.; Lam, Y. C.

2018-03-01

A single step direct picosecond laser texturing process was demonstrated to be able to obtain a superhydrophobic surface on a nickel substrate, a key material for mold fabrication in the manufacture of various devices, including polymeric microfluidic devices. A two-scale hierarchical surface structure of regular 2D array micro-bumps with nano-ripples was produced on a nickel surface. The laser textured surface initially showed superhydrophilicity with almost complete wetting of the structured surface just after laser treatment, then quickly changed to nearly superhydrophobic with a water contact angle (WCA) of 140° in less than 1 d, and finally became superhydrophobic with a WCA of more than 150° and a contact angle hysteresis (CAH) of less than 5°. The mechanism involved in the process is discussed in terms of surface morphology and surface chemistry. The ultra-fast laser induced NiO catalytic effect was thought to play a key role in modifying the surface chemistry so as to lower the surface energy. The developed process has the potential to improve the performance of nickel mold in the fabrication of microfluidic devices.

Textural Analysis of Fatique Crack Surfaces: Image Pre-processing

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H. Lauschmann

2000-01-01

Full Text Available For the fatique crack history reconstitution, new methods of quantitative microfractography are beeing developed based on the image processing and textural analysis. SEM magnifications between micro- and macrofractography are used. Two image pre-processing operatins were suggested and proved to prepare the crack surface images for analytical treatment: 1. Normalization is used to transform the image to a stationary form. Compared to the generally used equalization, it conserves the shape of brightness distribution and saves the character of the texture. 2. Binarization is used to transform the grayscale image to a system of thick fibres. An objective criterion for the threshold brightness value was found as that resulting into the maximum number of objects. Both methods were succesfully applied together with the following textural analysis.

Effect of Groove Surface Texture on Tribological Characteristics and Energy Consumption under High Temperature Friction.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Wei; Chen, Guiming; Fan, Boxuan; Liu, Jianyou

2016-01-01

Energy consumption and tribological properties could be improved by proper design of surface texture in friction. However, some literature focused on investigating their performance under high temperature. In the study, different groove surface textures were fabricated on steels by a laser machine, and their tribological behaviors were experimentally studied with the employment of the friction and wear tester under distinct high temperature and other working conditions. The friction coefficient was recorded, and wear performance were characterized by double light interference microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and x-ray energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS). Then, the performances of energy consumptions were carefully estimated. Results showed that friction coefficient, wear, and energy consumption could almost all be reduced by most textures under high temperature conditions, but to a different extent which depends on the experimental conditions and texture parameters. The main improvement mechanisms were analyzed, such as the hardness change, wear debris storage, thermal stress release and friction induced temperature reduction by the textures. Finally, a scattergram of the relatively reduced ratio of the energy consumption was drawn for different surface textures under four distinctive experimental conditions to illustrate the comprehensive energy consumption improving ability of textures, which was of benefit for the application of texture design.

Surface inspection of flat products by means of texture analysis: on-line implementation using neural networks

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandez, Carlos; Platero, Carlos; Campoy, Pascual; Aracil, Rafael

1994-11-01

This paper describes some texture-based techniques that can be applied to quality assessment of flat products continuously produced (metal strips, wooden surfaces, cork, textile products, ...). Since the most difficult task is that of inspecting for product appearance, human-like inspection ability is required. A common feature to all these products is the presence of non- deterministic texture on their surfaces. Two main subjects are discussed: statistical techniques for both surface finishing determination and surface defect analysis as well as real-time implementation for on-line inspection in high-speed applications. For surface finishing determination a Gray Level Difference technique is presented to perform over low resolution images, that is, no-zoomed images. Defect analysis is performed by means of statistical texture analysis over defective portions of the surface. On-line implementation is accomplished by means of neural networks. When a defect arises, textural analysis is applied which result in a data-vector, acting as input of a neural net, previously trained in a supervised way. This approach tries to reach on-line performance in automated visual inspection applications when texture is presented in flat product surfaces.

Soil Texture and Cultivar Effects on Rice (Oryza sativa, L. Grain Yield, Yield Components and Water Productivity in Three Water Regimes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fugen Dou

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to determine the effects of water regime/soil condition (continuous flooding, saturated, and aerobic, cultivar ('Cocodrie' and 'Rondo', and soil texture (clay and sandy loam on rice grain yield, yield components and water productivity using a greenhouse trial. Rice grain yield was significantly affected by soil texture and the interaction between water regime and cultivar. Significantly higher yield was obtained in continuous flooding than in aerobic and saturated soil conditions but the latter treatments were comparable to each other. For Rondo, its grain yield has decreased with soil water regimes in the order of continuous flooding, saturated and aerobic treatments. The rice grain yield in clay soil was 46% higher than in sandy loam soil averaged across cultivar and water regime. Compared to aerobic condition, saturated and continuous flooding treatments had greater panicle numbers. In addition, panicle number in clay soil was 25% higher than in sandy loam soil. The spikelet number of Cocodrie was 29% greater than that of Rondo, indicating that rice cultivar had greater effect on spikelet number than soil type and water management. Water productivity was significantly affected by the interaction of water regime and cultivar. Compared to sandy loam soil, clay soil was 25% higher in water productivity. Our results indicated that cultivar selection and soil texture are important factors in deciding what water management option to practice.

Texture-contrast profile development across the prairie-forest ecotone in northern Minnesota, USA, and its relation to soil aggregation and clay dispersion.

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Kasmerchak, C. S.; Mason, J. A.

2016-12-01

Along the prairie-forest ecotone, Alfisols with distinct clay-enriched B horizons are found under forest, established only within the past 4 ka, including outlying patches of prairie groves surrounded by prairie. Grassland soils only 5-10 km away from the vegetation boundary show much weaker texture-contrast. In order for clay to be dispersed it must first be released from aggregates upper horizons, which occurs when exposed top soil undergoes wetting and mechanical stress. The relationship between physiochemical soil characteristics and soil aggregation/clay dispersion is of particular interest in explaining texture-contrast development under forest. Soil samples were collected along a transect in northern Minnesota on gentle slopes in similar glacial sediment. Aggregate stability experiments show Mollisol A and B horizons have the most stable aggregates, while Alfisol E horizons have the weakest aggregates and disintegrate rapidly. This demonstrates the strong influence of OM and exchange chemistry on aggregation. Analysis of other physiochemical soil characteristics such as base saturation and pH follow a gradual decreasing eastward trend across the study sites, and do not abruptly change at the prairie-forest boundary like soil morphology does. Linear models show the strongest relationship between rapid aggregate disintegration and ECEC, although they only explain 47-50% of the variance. Higher surface charge enhances aggregation by allowing for greater potential of cation bridging between OM and clay particles. ECEC also represents multiple soil characteristics such as OC, clay, mineralogy, and carbonate presence, suggesting the relationship between aggregation stability and soil characteristics is not simple. Given the parent material consists of calcareous glacial sediment, abundant Ca2+ and Mg2+ from carbonates weathering also contributes to enhanced aggregation in upper horizons. Differences in the rates of bioturbation, most likely also contribute

UV laser-ablated surface textures as potential regulator of cellular response.

Science.gov (United States)

Chandra, Prafulla; Lai, Karen; Sung, Hak-Joon; Murthy, N Sanjeeva; Kohn, Joachim

2010-06-01

Textured surfaces obtained by UV laser ablation of poly(ethylene terephthalate) films were used to study the effect of shape and spacing of surface features on cellular response. Two distinct patterns, cones and ripples with spacing from 2 to 25 μm, were produced. Surface features with different shapes and spacings were produced by varying pulse repetition rate, laser fluence, and exposure time. The effects of the surface texture parameters, i.e., shape and spacing, on cell attachment, proliferation, and morphology of neonatal human dermal fibroblasts and mouse fibroblasts were studied. Cell attachment was the highest in the regions with cones at ∼4 μm spacing. As feature spacing increased, cell spreading decreased, and the fibroblasts became more circular, indicating a stress-mediated cell shrinkage. This study shows that UV laser ablation is a useful alternative to lithographic techniques to produce surface patterns for controlling cell attachment and growth on biomaterial surfaces.

Interaction of different irrigation strategies and soil textures on the nitrogen uptake of field grown potatoes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ahmadi, S.H.; Andersen, M.N.; Lærke, P.E.

2011-01-01

received 65% of FI after tuber bulking and lasted for six weeks until final harvest. Results showed that the irrigation treatments were not significantly different in terms of N uptake in the tubers, shoot, and whole crop. However, there was a statistical difference between the soil textures where plants...... in the loamy sand had the highest amount of N uptake. The interaction between irrigation treatments and soil textures was significant, and implied that under non-limiting water conditions, loamy sand is the suitable soil for potato production because plants can take up sufficient amounts of N and it could...... potentially lead to higher yield. However, under limited water conditions and applying water-saving irrigation strategies, sandy loam and coarse sand are better growth media because N is more available for the potatoes. The simple yield prediction model was developed that could explains ca. 96...

The texture, structure and nutrient availability of artificial soil on cut slopes restored with OSSS - Influence of restoration time.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Zhiyu; Chen, Jiao; Ai, Xiaoyan; Li, Ruirui; Ai, Yingwei; Li, Wei

2017-09-15

Outside soil spray seeding (OSSS) is widely used to restore cut slopes in southwest of China, and artificial soil is often sprayed onto cut slopes to establish a soil layer for revegetation. The stability of artificial soil layer and its supply of water and nutrients for plants is crucial for successful restoration. To evaluate the long-term effectiveness of OSSS, the texture, structure and nutrient availability of artificial soil were studied, various soil samples were obtained from three cut slopes with different restoration time (restored with OSSS in 1996, 2003 and 2007 respectively) and one natural developed slope (NS). The properties measured including soil particle size distribution (PSD), texture, fractal dimension of PSD (D m ), the bias (C S ) and peak convex (C E ) coefficients of aggregate size distribution, structure failure rate, bulk density, moisture, pH, soil organic carbon (SOC), calcium carbonate content, Available nitrogen (N A ), Available phosphorus (P A ), and Available potassium (K A ). The results showed that different restoration time resulted in significant differences in soil PSD, D m , C S , C E , structure failure rate, bulk density, moisture, pH, N A , and K A . And these properties improved with increasing restoration age. However, there is still a huge disparity in soil texture, structure, and the availability of nutrients and moisture between the cut slopes and NS over a restoration period of up to 17 years, and this is caused by the little fine particles and the lack of slow release fertilizers and organic fertilizers in the artificial soil, resulting in poorer soil structure stability, retention and availability of moisture and nutrients on the cut slopes. Overall, the OSSS technique shows a long-term effectiveness in southwest of China, but there is still room for improvement. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spin texture of the surface state of three-dimensional Dirac material Ca3PbO

Science.gov (United States)

Kariyado, Toshikaze

2015-04-01

The bulk and surface electronic structures of a candidate three-dimensional Dirac material Ca3PbO and its family are discussed especially focusing on the spin texture on the surface states. We first explain the basic features of the bulk band structure of Ca3PbO, such as emergence of Dirac fermions near the Fermi energy, and compare it with the other known three-dimensional Dirac semimetals. Then, the surface bands and spin-texture on them are investigated in detail. It is shown that the surface bands exhibit strong momentum-spin locking, which may be useful in some application for spin manipulation, induced by a combination of the inversion symmetry breaking at the surface and the strong spin-orbit coupling of Pb atoms. The surface band structure and the spin-textures are sensitive to the surface types.

Spin texture of the surface state of three-dimensional Dirac material Ca3PbO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kariyado, Toshikaze

2015-01-01

The bulk and surface electronic structures of a candidate three-dimensional Dirac material Ca 3 PbO and its family are discussed especially focusing on the spin texture on the surface states. We first explain the basic features of the bulk band structure of Ca 3 PbO, such as emergence of Dirac fermions near the Fermi energy, and compare it with the other known three-dimensional Dirac semimetals. Then, the surface bands and spin-texture on them are investigated in detail. It is shown that the surface bands exhibit strong momentum-spin locking, which may be useful in some application for spin manipulation, induced by a combination of the inversion symmetry breaking at the surface and the strong spin-orbit coupling of Pb atoms. The surface band structure and the spin-textures are sensitive to the surface types. (paper)

Influence of citric acid on the surface texture of glass ionomer restorative materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Reddy, Dappili Swami Ranga; Kumar, Ramachandran Anil; Venkatesan, Sokkalingam Mothilal; Narayan, Gopal Shankar; Duraivel, Dasarathan; Indra, Rajamani

2014-09-01

This study determined the effectiveness of G-coat plus surface protective agent over petroleum jelly on the surface texture of conventional Glass ionomer restorative materials. Three chemically cured conventional glass ionomer restorative materials type II, type IX and ketac molar were evaluated in this study. Sixty specimens were made for each restorative material. They were divided into two groups of thirty specimens each. Of the sixty specimens, thirty were coated with G-coat plus (a nano-filler coating) and the rest with petroleum jelly. Thirty samples of both protective coating agents were randomly divided into six groups of five specimens and conditioned in citric acid solutions of differing pH (pH 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7). Each specimen was kept in citric acid for three hours a day, and the rest of time stored in salivary substitute. This procedure was repeated for 8 days. After conditioning, the surface roughness (Ra, μm) of each specimen was measured using a surface profilometer (Taylor & Habson, UK). Data was analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's HSD test at a significance level of 0.05. The surface textures of all the tested glass ionomer restorative materials protected with G-coat plus were not significantly affected by acids at low pH. The surface textures of all the tested glass ionomer restorative materials protected with petroleum jelly coating were significantly affected by acids at low pH. The effects of pH on the surface texture of glass ionomer restoratives are material dependent. Among all the materials tested the surface texture of Type II GIC (Group I) revealed marked deterioration when conditioned in solutions of low pH and was statistically significant. Hence, a protective coating either with G-coat plus or with light polymerized low viscosity unfilled resin adhesives is mandatory for all the glass ionomer restorations to increase the wear resistance of the restorative materials.

The effect of texture on the shaft surface on the sealing performance of radial lip seals

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Fei; Jia, XiaoHong; Gao, Zhi; Wang, YuMing

2014-07-01

On the basis of elastohydrodynamic model, the present study numerically analyzes the effect of various microdimple texture shapes, namely, circular, square, oriented isosceles triangular, on the pumping rate and the friction torque of radial lip seals, and determines the microdimple texture shape that can produce positive pumping rate. The area ratio, depth and shape dimension of a single texture are the most important geometric parameters which influence the tribological performance. According to the selected texture shape, parameter analysis is conducted to determine the optimal combination for the above three parameters. Simultaneously, the simulated performances of radial lip seal with texture on the shaft surface are compared with those of the conventional lip seal without any texture on the shaft surface.

Tribological analysis of the ventral scale structure in a Python regius in relation to laser textured surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdel-Aal, H A; El Mansori, M

2013-01-01

Laser texturing is one of the leading technologies applied to modify surface topography. To date, however, a standardized procedure to generate deterministic textures is virtually non-existent. In nature, especially in squamata, there are many examples of deterministic structured textures that allow species to control friction and condition their tribological response for efficient function. In this work, we draw a comparison between industrial surfaces and reptilian surfaces. We chose the Python regius species as a bio-analogue with a deterministic surface. We first study the structural make up of the ventral scales of the snake (both construction and metrology). We further compare the metrological features of the ventral scales to experimentally recommended performance indicators of industrial surfaces extracted from open literature. The results indicate the feasibility of engineering a laser textured surface based on the reptilian ornamentation constructs. It is shown that the metrological features, key to efficient function of a rubbing deterministic surface, are already optimized in the reptile. We further show that optimization in reptilian surfaces is based on synchronizing surface form, textures and aspects to condition the frictional response. Mimicking reptilian surfaces, we argue, may form a design methodology potentially capable of generating advanced deterministic surface constructs capable of efficient tribological function. (paper)

Cesium-137 in soil texture fractions and its impact on Cesium-137 soil-to-plant transfer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerzabek, M.H.; Mohamad, S.A.; Mueck, K.

1992-06-01

Field studies at two sites contaminated by the Chernobyl fallout showed 137 Cesium (Cs) soil-to-plant transfer factors in wheat, rye and potato. Transfer values ranged from 0.0017 (potato tuber) to 0.07 (wheat straw). Generally transfer coefficients in cereal grains and potato tubers were significantly below the values of the shoots. A comparison of the two sites led to the conclusion that for all plants investigated 137 Cs transfer factors were higher in Lower Austria (Calcic Chernozem) than in Upper Austria (Eutric Cambisol). The specific activities of the texture fractions of the two soil types increased from sand to silt and clay. In the Calcic Chernozem the ratio of the 137 Cs activity in the silt fraction to the total activity in the soil was considerably higher than in the Eutric Cambisol. At the same time extractability of 137 Cs from the silt fraction of the latter soil was clearly lower. Both results mainly were attributed to the differences between the soils according to the organic matter content of the silt fractions, the Calcic Chernozem being seven times higher. Therefore, the differences in the 137 Cs-soil-to-plant transfer can be attributed partly to these soil characteristics. (authors)

Effect of texture randomization on the slip and interfacial robustness in turbulent flows over superhydrophobic surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Seo, Jongmin; Mani, Ali

2018-04-01

Superhydrophobic surfaces demonstrate promising potential for skin friction reduction in naval and hydrodynamic applications. Recent developments of superhydrophobic surfaces aiming for scalable applications use random distribution of roughness, such as spray coating and etched process. However, most previous analyses of the interaction between flows and superhydrophobic surfaces studied periodic geometries that are economically feasible only in laboratory-scale experiments. In order to assess the drag reduction effectiveness as well as interfacial robustness of superhydrophobic surfaces with randomly distributed textures, we conduct direct numerical simulations of turbulent flows over randomly patterned interfaces considering a range of texture widths w+≈4 -26 , and solid fractions ϕs=11 %-25 % . Slip and no-slip boundary conditions are implemented in a pattern, modeling the presence of gas-liquid interfaces and solid elements. Our results indicate that slip of randomly distributed textures under turbulent flows is about 30 % less than those of surfaces with aligned features of the same size. In the small texture size limit w+≈4 , the slip length of the randomly distributed textures in turbulent flows is well described by a previously introduced Stokes flow solution of randomly distributed shear-free holes. By comparing DNS results for patterned slip and no-slip boundary against the corresponding homogenized slip length boundary conditions, we show that turbulent flows over randomly distributed posts can be represented by an isotropic slip length in streamwise and spanwise direction. The average pressure fluctuation on a gas pocket is similar to that of the aligned features with the same texture size and gas fraction, but the maximum interface deformation at the leading edge of the roughness element is about twice as large when the textures are randomly distributed. The presented analyses provide insights on implications of texture randomness on drag

Nanoscale silver-assisted wet etching of crystalline silicon for anti-reflection surface textures.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Rui; Wang, Shuling; Chuwongin, Santhad; Zhou, Weidong

2013-01-01

We report here an electro-less metal-assisted chemical etching (MacEtch) process as light management surface-texturing technique for single crystalline Si photovoltaics. Random Silver nanostructures were formed on top of the Si surface based on the thin film evaporation and annealing process. Significant reflection reduction was obtained from the fabricated Si sample, with approximately 2% reflection over a wide spectra range (300 to 1050 nm). The work demonstrates the potential of MacEtch process for anti-reflection surface texture fabrication of large area, high efficiency, and low cost thin film solar cell.

Investigations on femtosecond laser modified micro-textured surface with anti-friction property on bearing steel GCr15

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Lijun; Ding, Ye; Cheng, Bai; He, Jiangtao; Wang, Genwang; Wang, Yang

2018-03-01

This work puts forward femtosecond laser modification of micro-textured surface on bearing steel GCr15 in order to reduce frictional wear and enhance load capacity during its application. Multi pulses femtosecond laser ablation experiments are established for the confirmation of laser spot radius as well as single pulse threshold fluence and pulse incubation coefficient of bulk material. Analytical models are set up in combination with hydrodynamics lubrication theory. Corresponding simulations are carried out on to explore influences of surface and cross sectional morphology of textures on hydrodynamics lubrication effect based on Navier-Stokes (N-S) equation. Technological experiments focus on the impacts of femtosecond laser machining variables, like scanning times, scanning velocity, pulse frequency and scanning gap on morphology of grooves as well as realization of optimized textures proposed by simulations, mechanisms of which are analyzed from multiple perspectives. Results of unidirectional rotating friction tests suggest that spherical texture with depth-to-width ratio of 0.2 can significantly improve tribological properties at low loading and velocity condition comparing with un-textured and other textured surfaces, which also verifies the accuracy of simulations and feasibility of femtosecond laser in modification of micro-textured surface.

Cyanobacteria Inoculation Improves Soil Stability and Fertility on Different Textured Soils: Gaining Insights for Applicability in Soil Restoration

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Sonia Chamizo

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Cyanobacteria are ubiquitous components of biocrust communities and the first colonizers of terrestrial ecosystems. They play multiple roles in the soil by fixing C and N and synthesizing exopolysaccharides, which increase soil fertility and water retention and improve soil structure and stability. Application of cyanobacteria as inoculants to promote biocrust development has been proposed as a novel biotechnological technique for restoring barren degraded areas and combating desertification processes in arid lands. However, previous to their widespread application under field conditions, research is needed to ensure the selection of the most suitable species. In this study, we inoculated two cyanobacterial species, Phormidium ambiguum (non N-fixing and Scytonema javanicum (N-fixing, on different textured soils (from silt loam to sandy, and analyzed cyanobacteria biocrust development and evolution of physicochemical soil properties for 3 months under laboratory conditions. Cyanobacteria inoculation led to biocrust formation in all soil types. Scanning electron microscope (SEM images showed contrasting structure of the biocrust induced by the two cyanobacteria. The one from P. ambiguum was characterized by thin filaments that enveloped soil particles and created a dense, entangled network, while the one from S. javanicum consisted of thicker filaments that grouped as bunches in between soil particles. Biocrust development, assessed by chlorophyll a content and crust spectral properties, was higher in S. javanicum-inoculated soils compared to P. ambiguum-inoculated soils. Either cyanobacteria inoculation did not increase soil hydrophobicity. S. javanicum promoted a higher increase in total organic C and total N content, while P. ambiguum was more effective in increasing total exopolysaccharide (EPS content and soil penetration resistance. The effects of cyanobacteria inoculation also differed among soil types and the highest improvement in soil

Surface passivation of nano-textured fluorescent SiC by atomic layer deposited TiO2

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lu, Weifang; Ou, Yiyu; Jokubavicius, Valdas

2016-01-01

Nano-textured surfaces have played a key role in optoelectronic materials to enhance the light extraction efficiency. In this work, morphology and optical properties of nano-textured SiC covered with atomic layer deposited (ALD) TiO2 were investigated. In order to obtain a high quality surface fo...

Surface Textural Analysis of Quartz Grains from Modern Point Bar Deposits in Lower Reaches of the Yellow River

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Yong; Liu, Cong; Lu, Ping; Zhang, Yu; Nie, Qi; Wen, Yiming

2018-01-01

The surfaces of quartz grains contain characteristic textures formed during the process of transport, due to their stable physical and chemical properties. The surface textures include the information about source area, transporting force, sedimentary environment and evolution history of sediment. Surface textures of quartz grains from modern point bar deposits in the lower reaches of the Yellow River are observed and studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results indicate that there are 22 kinds of surface textures. The overall surface morphology of quartz grains shows short transporting time and distance and weak abrasive action of the river water. The combined surface textures caused by mechanical action indicate that quartz grains are transporting in a high-energy hydrodynamic condition and suffer a strong mechanical impact and abrasion. The common solution pits prove that the chemical property of transportation medium is very active and quartz grains receive an obvious chemical action. The combination of these surface textures can be an identification mark of fluvial environment, and that is: quartz grains are main subangular outline, whose roundness is higher with the farther motion distance; Surface fluctuation degree of quartz grains is relatively high, and gives priority to high and medium relief; V-shaped percussion marks are very abundant caused by mechanical action; The conchoidal of different sizes and steps are common-developed with paragenesis relationship; Solution pits are common-developed as well. The study makes up for the blank of surface textures analysis of quartz grains from modern fluvial deposits in China. It provides new ideas and evidence for studies of the sedimentary process and environmental significance, although the deep meanings of these micro textures remain to be further researched.

Root uptake of 137Cs by natural and semi-natural grasses as a function of texture and moisture of soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grytsyuk, N.; Arapis, G.; Davydchuk, V.

2006-01-01

This work studies the dependence of 137 Cs root uptake on the structure of landscape, especially on texture and moisture of soils, under natural conditions, on abandoned radiopolluted lands in Northern Ukraine. Researches were carried out on a wide range of landscape conditions, at various levels of 137 Cs contamination (from 20 up to 5000 kBq m -2 ), with different types of soils (approx. 20 soil varieties), which differ in texture, granulometric composition, degrees of gleyization and water regime, and anthropogenic transformation. The results showed that transfer factor (TF) values of 137 Cs differ 50 times for the natural grassy coenoses and 8 times for the semi-natural ones. The lowest 137 Cs TF values were measured in the herbages of dry meadows at automorphous loamy soils, while the highest were observed in wetland meadows at organic soils. Finally, the correlation between 137 Cs TF values and granulometric composition of soil was determined for both automorphic and hydromorphic mineral soils

Broadband absorption enhancement in amorphous Si solar cells using metal gratings and surface texturing

Science.gov (United States)

Magdi, Sara; Swillam, Mohamed A.

2017-02-01

The efficiencies of thin film amorphous silicon (a-Si) solar cells are restricted by the small thickness required for efficient carrier collection. This thickness limitations result in poor light absorption. In this work, broadband absorption enhancement is theoretically achieved in a-Si solar cells by using nanostructured back electrode along with surface texturing. The back electrode is formed of Au nanogratings and the surface texturing consists of Si nanocones. The results were then compared to random texturing surfaces. Three dimensional finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulations are used to design and optimize the structure. The Au nanogratings achieved absorption enhancement in the long wavelengths due to sunlight coupling to surface plasmon polaritons (SPP) modes. High absorption enhancement was achieved at short wavelengths due to the decreased reflection and enhanced scattering inside the a-Si absorbing layer. Optimizations have been performed to obtain the optimal geometrical parameters for both the nanogratings and the periodic texturing. In addition, an enhancement factor (i.e. absorbed power in nanostructured device/absorbed power in reference device) was calculated to evaluate the enhancement obtained due to the incorporation of each nanostructure.

Effect of buffer strips and soil texture on runoff losses of flufenacet and isoxaflutole from maize fields.

Science.gov (United States)

Milan, Marco; Ferrero, Aldo; Letey, Marilisa; De Palo, Fernando; Vidotto, Francesco

2013-01-01

The influence of buffer strips and soil texture on runoff of flufenacet and isoxaflutole was studied for two years in Northern Italy. The efficacy of buffer strips was evaluated on six plots characterized by different soil textures; two plots had Riva soil (18.6% sand, 63.1% silt, 18.3% clay) while the remaining four plots had Tetto Frati (TF) soil (37.1% sand, 57% silt, 5.9% clay). Additionally, the width of the buffer strips, constituted of spontaneous vegetation grown after crop sowing, was also compared for their ability to abate runoff waters. Chemical residues in water following runoff events were investigated, as well as their dissipation in the soil. After the first runoff events, concentrations of herbicides in water samples collected from Riva plots were as much as four times lower in waters from TF plots. On average of two growing seasons, the field half-life of flufenacet in the upper soil layer (5 cm) ranged between 8.1 and 12.8 days in Riva soil, 8.5 and 9.3 days in TF soil. Isoxaflutole field half-life was less than 1 day. The buffer strip was very affective by the uniformity of the vegetative cover, particularly, at the beginning of the season. In TF plots, concentration differences were generally due to the presence or absence of the buffer strip, regardless of its width.

Surface fractal dimensions and textural properties of mesoporous alkaline-earth hydroxyapatites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vilchis-Granados, J.; Granados-Correa, F.; Barrera-Díaz, C.E.

2013-01-01

This work examines the surface fractal dimensions (D f ) and textural properties of three different alkaline-earth hydroxyapatites. Calcium, strontium and barium hydroxyapatite compounds were successfully synthesized via chemical precipitation method and characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and N 2 -physisorption measurements. Surface fractal dimensions were determined using single N 2 -adsorption/desorption isotherms method to quantify the irregular surface of as-prepared compounds. The obtained materials were also characterized through their surface hydroxyl group content, determined by the mass titration method. It was found that the D f values for the three materials covered the range of 0.77 ± 0.04–2.33 ± 0.11; these results indicated that the materials tend to have smooth surfaces, except the irregular surface of barium hydroxyapatite. Moreover, regarding the synthesized calcium hydroxyapatite exhibited better textural properties compared with the synthesized strontium and barium hydroxyapatites for adsorbent purposes. However, barium hydroxyapatite shows irregular surface, indicating a high population of active sites across the surface, in comparison with the others studied hydroxyapatites. Finally, the results showed a linear correlation between the surface hydroxyl group content at the external surface of materials and their surface fractal dimensions.

How do earthworms, soil texture and plant composition affect infiltration along an experimental plant diversity gradient in grassland?

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, Christine; Roscher, Christiane; Jensen, Britta; Eisenhauer, Nico; Baade, Jussi; Attinger, Sabine; Scheu, Stefan; Weisser, Wolfgang W; Schumacher, Jens; Hildebrandt, Anke

2014-01-01

Infiltration is a key process in determining the water balance, but so far effects of earthworms, soil texture, plant species diversity and their interaction on infiltration capacity have not been studied. We measured infiltration capacity in subplots with ambient and reduced earthworm density nested in plots of different plant species (1, 4, and 16 species) and plant functional group richness and composition (1 to 4 groups; legumes, grasses, small herbs, tall herbs). In summer, earthworm presence significantly increased infiltration, whereas in fall effects of grasses and legumes on infiltration were due to plant-mediated changes in earthworm biomass. Effects of grasses and legumes on infiltration even reversed effects of texture. We propose two pathways: (i) direct, probably by modifying the pore spectrum and (ii) indirect, by enhancing or suppressing earthworm biomass, which in turn influenced infiltration capacity due to change in burrowing activity of earthworms. Overall, the results suggest that spatial and temporal variations in soil hydraulic properties can be explained by biotic processes, especially the presence of certain plant functional groups affecting earthworm biomass, while soil texture had no significant effect. Therefore biotic parameters should be taken into account in hydrological applications.

Effects of Temperature on Solute Transport Parameters in Differently-Textured Soils at Saturated Condition

Science.gov (United States)

Hamamoto, S.; Arihara, M.; Kawamoto, K.; Nishimura, T.; Komatsu, T.; Moldrup, P.

2014-12-01

Subsurface warming driven by global warming, urban heat islands, and increasing use of shallow geothermal heating and cooling systems such as the ground source heat pump, potentially causes changes in subsurface mass transport. Therefore, understanding temperature dependency of the solute transport characteristics is essential to accurately assess environmental risks due to increased subsurface temperature. In this study, one-dimensional solute transport experiments were conducted in soil columns under temperature control to investigate effects of temperature on solute transport parameters, such as solute dispersion and diffusion coefficients, hydraulic conductivity, and retardation factor. Toyoura sand, Kaolin clay, and intact loamy soils were used in the experiments. Intact loamy soils were taken during a deep well boring at the Arakawa Lowland in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. In the transport experiments, the core sample with 5-cm diameter and 4-cm height was first isotropically consolidated, whereafter 0.01M KCl solution was injected to the sample from the bottom. The concentrations of K+ and Cl- in the effluents were analyzed by an ion chromatograph to obtain solute breakthrough curves. The solute transport parameters were calculated from the breakthrough curves. The experiments were conducted under different temperature conditions (15, 25, and 40 oC). The retardation factor for the intact loamy soils decreased with increasing temperature, while water permeability increased due to reduced viscosity of water at higher temperature. Opposite, the effect of temperature on solute dispersivity for the intact loamy soils was insignificant. The effects of soil texture on the temperature dependency of the solute transport characteristics will be further investigated from comparison of results from differently-textured samples.

Ultra short pulse laser generated surface textures for anti-ice applications in aviation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Römer, G.W.; Del Cerro, D.A.; Sipkema, R.C.J.; Groenendijk, M.N.W.; Huis in 't Veld, A.J.

2009-01-01

By laser ablation with ultra short laser pulses in the pico- and femto-second range, well controlled dual scaled micro- and nano-scaled surface textures can be obtained. The micro-scale of the texture is mainly determined by the dimensions of the laser spot, whereas the superimposed nano-structure

Analysis of surface soil moisture patterns in agricultural landscapes using Empirical Orthogonal Functions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W. Korres

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Soil moisture is one of the fundamental variables in hydrology, meteorology and agriculture. Nevertheless, its spatio-temporal patterns in agriculturally used landscapes that are affected by multiple natural (rainfall, soil, topography etc. and agronomic (fertilisation, soil management etc. factors are often not well known. The aim of this study is to determine the dominant factors governing the spatio-temporal patterns of surface soil moisture in a grassland and an arable test site that are located within the Rur catchment in Western Germany. Surface soil moisture (0–6 cm was measured in an approx. 50×50 m grid during 14 and 17 measurement campaigns (May 2007 to November 2008 in both test sites. To analyse the spatio-temporal patterns of surface soil moisture, an Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF analysis was applied and the results were correlated with parameters derived from topography, soil, vegetation and land management to link the patterns to related factors and processes. For the grassland test site, the analysis resulted in one significant spatial structure (first EOF, which explained 57.5% of the spatial variability connected to soil properties and topography. The statistical weight of the first spatial EOF is stronger on wet days. The highest temporal variability can be found in locations with a high percentage of soil organic carbon (SOC. For the arable test site, the analysis resulted in two significant spatial structures, the first EOF, which explained 38.4% of the spatial variability, and showed a highly significant correlation to soil properties, namely soil texture and soil stone content. The second EOF, which explained 28.3% of the spatial variability, is linked to differences in land management. The soil moisture in the arable test site varied more strongly during dry and wet periods at locations with low porosity. The method applied is capable of identifying the dominant parameters controlling spatio-temporal patterns of

Superhydrophylic textures fabricated by femtosecond laser pulses on sub-micro- and nano-crystalline titanium surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolobov, Yury R; Smolyakova, Marina Yu; Kolobova, Anastasia Yu; Ionin, Andrey A; Kudryashov, Sergey I; Makarov, Sergey V; Saltuganov, Pavel N; Zayarny, Dmitry A; Ligachev, Alexander E

2014-01-01

Sub-micron quasi-regular surface textures were fabricated on surfaces of pure titanium (VT1-0) with micro- and ultrafine-grained bulk structures by multiple femtosecond laser pulses in the scanning mode and characterized by scanning electron and atomic force microscopy. Their wetting characteristics acquired for the initial non-textured and as-textured samples, as well as upon ultrasonic and plasma cleaning, demonstrate corresponding drastic changes of the wetting angles from 87° to ≤ 10°, with much more pronounced contamination, cleaning and wetting effects for the ultrafine-grained titanium. (letter)

A New Rig for Testing Textured Surfaces in Pure Sliding Conditions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Godi, Alessandro; Grønbæk, J.; Mohaghegh, Kamran

2013-01-01

machineries are necessary: a press to provide the normal pressure and a tensile machine to perform the axial movements. The test is calibrated so that the correspondence between the normal pressure and the container advancement is found. Preliminary tests are carried out involving a multifunctional and a fine......Throughout the years, it has become more and more important to find new methods for reducing friction and wear occurrence in machine elements. A possible solution is found in texturing the surfaces under tribological contact, as demonstrated by the development and spread of plateau-honed surface...... for cylinder liners. To prove the efficacy of a particular textured surface, it is paramount to perform experimental tests under controlled laboratory conditions. In this paper, a new test rig simulating pure sliding conditions is presented, dubbed axial sliding test. It presents four major components: a rod...

Ion-beam texturing of uniaxially textured Ni films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, S.J.; Norton, D.P.; Selvamanickam, Venkat

2005-01-01

The formation of biaxial texture in uniaxially textured Ni thin films via Ar-ion irradiation is reported. The ion-beam irradiation was not simultaneous with deposition. Instead, the ion beam irradiates the uniaxially textured film surface with no impinging deposition flux, which differs from conventional ion-beam-assisted deposition. The uniaxial texture is established via a nonion beam process, with the in-plane texture imposed on the uniaxial film via ion beam bombardment. Within this sequential ion beam texturing method, grain alignment is driven by selective etching and grain overgrowth

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)

Emergent Momentum-Space Skyrmion Texture on the Surface of Topological Insulators

Science.gov (United States)

Mohanta, Narayan; Kampf, Arno P.; Kopp, Thilo

The quantum anomalous Hall effect has been theoretically predicted and experimentally verified in magnetic topological insulators. In addition, the surface states of these materials exhibit a hedgehog-like ``spin'' texture in momentum space. Here, we apply the previously formulated low-energy model for Bi2Se3, a parent compound for magnetic topological insulators, to a slab geometry in which an exchange field acts only within one of the surface layers. In this sample set up, the hedgehog transforms into a skyrmion texture beyond a critical exchange field. This critical field marks a transition between two topologically distinct phases. The topological phase transition takes place without energy gap closing at the Fermi level and leaves the transverse Hall conductance unchanged and quantized to e2 / 2 h . The momentum-space skyrmion texture persists in a finite field range. It may find its realization in hybrid heterostructures with an interface between a three-dimensional topological insulator and a ferromagnetic insulator. The work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft through TRR 80.

Evaporation dynamics of completely wetting drops on geometrically textured surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Mekhitarian, Loucine; Sobac, Benjamin; Dehaeck, Sam; Haut, Benoît; Colinet, Pierre

2017-10-01

This study deals with the evaporation dynamics of completely wetting and highly volatile drops deposited on geometrically textured but chemically homogeneous surfaces. The texturation consists in a cylindrical pillars array with a square pitch. The triple line dynamics and the drop shape are characterized by an interferometric method. A parametric study is realized by varying the radius and the height of the pillars (at fixed interpillar distance), allowing to distinguish three types of dynamics: i) an evaporation-dominated regime with a receding triple line; ii) a spreading-dominated regime with an initially advancing triple line; iii) a cross-over region with strong pinning effects. The overall picture is in qualitative agreement with a mathematical model showing that the selected regime mostly depends on the value of a dimensionless parameter comparing the time scales for evaporation and spreading into the substrate texture.

Fabrication of friction-reducing texture surface by selective laser melting of ink-printed (SLM-IP) copper (Cu) nanoparticles(NPs)

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xinjian; Liu, Junyan; Wang, Yang; Fu, Yanan

2017-02-01

This paper reports a process of selective laser melting of ink-printed (SLM-IP) copper (Cu) nanoparticles(NPs) for the fabrication of full dense Cu friction-reducing texture on the metallic surface in ambient condition. This technique synthesizes pure Cu by chemical reduction route using an organic solvent during laser melting in the atmosphere environment, and provides a flexible additive manufacture approach to form complex friction-reduction texture on the metallic surface. Microtextures of ring and disc arrays have been fabricated on the stainless steel surface by SLM-IP Cu NPs. The friction coefficient has been measured under the lubricating condition of the oil. Disc texture surface (DTS) has a relatively low friction coefficient compared with ring texture surface (RTS), Cu film surface (Cu-FS) and the untreated substrate. The study suggests a further research on SLM-IP approach for complex microstructure or texture manufacturing, possibly realizing its advantage of flexibility.

Dynamic Leidenfrost temperature on micro-textured surfaces: Acoustic wave absorption into thin vapor layer

Science.gov (United States)

Jerng, Dong Wook; Kim, Dong Eok

2018-01-01

The dynamic Leidenfrost phenomenon is governed by three types of pressure potentials induced via vapor hydrodynamics, liquid dynamic pressure, and the water hammer effect resulting from the generation of acoustic waves at the liquid-vapor interface. The prediction of the Leidenfrost temperature for a dynamic droplet needs quantitative evaluation and definition for each of the pressure fields. In particular, the textures on a heated surface can significantly affect the vapor hydrodynamics and the water hammer pressure. We present a quantitative model for evaluating the water hammer pressure on micro-textured surfaces taking into account the absorption of acoustic waves into the thin vapor layer. The model demonstrates that the strength of the acoustic flow into the liquid droplet, which directly contributes to the water hammer pressure, depends on the magnitude of the acoustic resistance (impedance) in the droplet and the vapor region. In consequence, the micro-textures of the surface and the increased spacing between them reduce the water hammer coefficient ( kh ) defined as the ratio of the acoustic flow into the droplet to total generated flow. Aided by numerical calculations that solve the laminar Navier-Stokes equation for the vapor flow, we also predict the dynamic Leidenfrost temperature on a micro-textured surface with reliable accuracy consistent with the experimental data.

Surface Texturing-Plasma Nitriding Duplex Treatment for Improving Tribological Performance of AISI 316 Stainless Steel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naiming Lin

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Surface texturing-plasma nitriding duplex treatment was conducted on AISI 316 stainless steel to improve its tribological performance. Tribological behaviors of ground 316 substrates, plasma-nitrided 316 (PN-316, surface-textured 316 (ST-316, and duplex-treated 316 (DT-316 in air and under grease lubrication were investigated using a pin-on-disc rotary tribometer against counterparts of high carbon chromium bearing steel GCr15 and silicon nitride Si3N4 balls. The variations in friction coefficient, mass loss, and worn trace morphology of the tested samples were systemically investigated and analyzed. The results showed that a textured surface was formed on 316 after electrochemical processing in a 15 wt % NaCl solution. Grooves and dimples were found on the textured surface. As plasma nitriding was conducted on a 316 substrate and ST-316, continuous and uniform nitriding layers were successfully fabricated on the surfaces of the 316 substrate and ST-316. Both of the obtained nitriding layers presented thickness values of more than 30 μm. The nitriding layers were composed of iron nitrides and chromium nitride. The 316 substrate and ST-316 received improved surface hardness after plasma nitriding. When the tribological tests were carried out under dry sliding and grease lubrication conditions, the tested samples showed different tribological behaviors. As expected, the DT-316 samples revealed the most promising tribological properties, reflected by the lowest mass loss and worn morphologies. The DT-316 received the slightest damage, and its excellent tribological performance was attributed to the following aspects: firstly, the nitriding layer had high surface hardness; secondly, the surface texture was able to capture wear debris, store up grease, and then provide continuous lubrication.

Effects of Plant Residues in Two Types of Soil Texture on Soil characteristics and corn (Zea mays L. NS640 Yield in a Reduced -Tillage cropping System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E Hesami

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Introduction The impact of agronomy on the subsequent product in rotational cropping systems depends on factors such as plant type, duration of crop growth, soil moisture content, tillage type, irrigation method, the amount of nitrogen fertilizer, quantity and quality of returned crop residues to the soil. Prior cultivated crops improve the next crop yield by causing different conditions (nitrogen availability, organic matter and volume of available water in soil. This study was conducted due to importance of corn cultivation in Khuzestan and necessity of increasing the soil organic matter, moisture conservation and in the other hand the lack of sufficient information about the relationship between soil texture, type of preparatory crop in low-tillage condition and some soil characteristics and corn growth habits. The purpose of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of residue of preparatory crops in low plowing condition in two soil types on corn yield and some soil characteristics. Materials and Methods This experiment was carried out at Shooshtar city located in Khuzestan province. An experiment was performed by combined analysis in randomized complete block design in two fields and in two consecutive years with four replications. Two kinds of soil texture including: clay loam and clay sand. Five preparatory crops including: broad bean, wheat, canola, cabbage and fallow as control assigned as sub plots. SAS Ver. 9.1 statistical software was used for analysis of variance and comparison of means. Graphs were drawn using MS Excel software. All means were compared by Duncan test at 5% probability level. Results and Discussion The soil texture and the type of preparatory crop influenced the characteristics of the soil and corn grain yield. Returning the broad bean residue into two types of soil caused the highest grain yield of corn 10128.6 and 9547.9 kgha-1, respectively. The control treatment in sandy loam texture had the lowest corn seed

All Organic Polymers Based Morphing Skin with Controllable Surface Texture

KAUST Repository

Favero Bolson, Natanael

2018-05-01

Smart skins are integrating an increasing number of functionalities in order to improve the interaction between the systems they equip and their ambient environment. Here we have developed an electromechanical soft actuator with controlled surface texture due to applied thermal gradient via electrical voltage. The device was fabricated and integrated with optimized process parameters for a prepared heater element [doped PEDOT: PSS (poly-(3, 4 ethylenedioxythiophene): poly (styrene sulfonic acid))], a soft actuator (Ecoflex 00-50/ethanol) and overall packaging case [PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane)]. To study a potential application of the proposed smart skin, we analyze the fluid drag reduction in a texture controlled water flow unit. As a result, we obtained a reduction of approximately 14% in the skin drag friction coefficient during the actuation. We conclude that the proposed soft actuator device is a preferred option for a texture-controlled skin that reduces the skin drag friction coefficient.

Anti-reflection textured structures by wet etching and island lithography for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chao, Bo-Kai [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Cheng, Hsin-Hung [Department of Marine Engineering, Taipei College of Maritime Technology, Taipei 11174, Taiwan (China); Nien, Li-Wei; Chen, Miin-Jang [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Nagao, Tadaaki [Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044 (Japan); Li, Jia-Han [Department of Engineering Science and Ocean Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Hsueh, Chun-Hway, E-mail: hsuehc@ntu.edu.tw [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China)

2015-12-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • We fabricated textured SERS substrate with a high surface area and low reflectance. • Large surface area of substrate contains more gold nanodroplets to absorb analytes. • Low reflectance of textured SERS substrate enabled multiple reflections of incident laser light. • We obtained strong SERS enhancement from nanopillar-on-pyramid SERS substrate. - Abstract: A high surface area and low reflection textured surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate with plasmonic gold nanodroplets fabricated by wet etching and island lithography was reported in the present study. Specifically, four textured substrates, planar, pyramid, nanopillar, and nanopillar-on-pyramid, were fabricated. The fabricated structures were simulated using the finite-difference time-domain method and the results agreed with the reflection and dark-field scattering measurements. Although the SERS signals varied in different measured regions because of the random nanostructure, the SERS substrates with nanopillar-on-pyramid structure always have the stronger enhancement factor than the SERS substrates with only pyramids or nanopillars. Based on the atomic force microscope and reflection measurements, the nanopillar-on-pyramid structure provided a large surface area and multiple reflections for SERS enhancement, which was about 3 orders of magnitude larger than that of the planar substrate. Our results can be applied to fabricate the inexpensive, large surface area, and high SERS enhancement substrates.

How do earthworms, soil texture and plant composition affect infiltration along an experimental plant diversity gradient in grassland?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christine Fischer

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Infiltration is a key process in determining the water balance, but so far effects of earthworms, soil texture, plant species diversity and their interaction on infiltration capacity have not been studied. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We measured infiltration capacity in subplots with ambient and reduced earthworm density nested in plots of different plant species (1, 4, and 16 species and plant functional group richness and composition (1 to 4 groups; legumes, grasses, small herbs, tall herbs. In summer, earthworm presence significantly increased infiltration, whereas in fall effects of grasses and legumes on infiltration were due to plant-mediated changes in earthworm biomass. Effects of grasses and legumes on infiltration even reversed effects of texture. We propose two pathways: (i direct, probably by modifying the pore spectrum and (ii indirect, by enhancing or suppressing earthworm biomass, which in turn influenced infiltration capacity due to change in burrowing activity of earthworms. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Overall, the results suggest that spatial and temporal variations in soil hydraulic properties can be explained by biotic processes, especially the presence of certain plant functional groups affecting earthworm biomass, while soil texture had no significant effect. Therefore biotic parameters should be taken into account in hydrological applications.

Soil type and texture impacts on soil organic carbon accumulation in a sub-tropical agro-ecosystem

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gonçalves, Daniel Ruiz Potma; Sa, Joao Carlos de Moraes; Mishra, Umakant; Cerri, Carlos Eduardo Pellegrino; Ferreira, Lucimara Aparecida; Furlan, Flavia Juliana Ferreira

2016-11-02

Soil organic carbon (C) plays a fundamental role in tropical and subtropical soil fertility, agronomic productivity, and soil health. As a tool for understand ecosystems dynamics, mathematical models such as Century have been used to assess soil's capacity to store C in different environments. However, as Century was initially developed for temperate ecosystems, several authors have hypothesized that C storage may be underestimated by Century in Oxisols. We tested the hypothesis that Century model can be parameterized for tropical soils and used to reliably estimate soil organic carbon (SOC) storage. The aim of this study was to investigate SOC storage under two soil types and three textural classes and quantify the sources and magnitude of uncertainty using the Century model. The simulation for SOC storage was efficient and the mean residue was 10 Mg C ha^-1 (13%) for n = 91. However, a different simulation bias was observed for soil with <600 g kg^-1 of clay was 16.3 Mg C ha^-1 (18%) for n = 30, and at >600 g kg^-1 of clay, was 4 Mg C ha^-1 (5%) for n = 50, respectively. The results suggest a non-linear effect of clay and silt contents on C storage in Oxisols. All types of soil contain nearly 70% of Fe and Al oxides in the clay fraction and a regression analysis showed an increase in model bias with increase in oxides content. Consequently, inclusion of mineralogical control of SOC stabilization by Fe and Al (hydro) oxides may improve results of Century model simulations in soils with high oxides contents

Stretchable surfaces with programmable 3D texture morphing for synthetic camouflaging skins

Science.gov (United States)

Pikul, J. H.; Li, S.; Bai, H.; Hanlon, R. T.; Cohen, I.; Shepherd, R. F.

2017-10-01

Technologies that use stretchable materials are increasingly important, yet we are unable to control how they stretch with much more sophistication than inflating balloons. Nature, however, demonstrates remarkable control of stretchable surfaces; for example, cephalopods can project hierarchical structures from their skin in milliseconds for a wide range of textural camouflage. Inspired by cephalopod muscular morphology, we developed synthetic tissue groupings that allowed programmable transformation of two-dimensional (2D) stretchable surfaces into target 3D shapes. The synthetic tissue groupings consisted of elastomeric membranes embedded with inextensible textile mesh that inflated to within 10% of their target shapes by using a simple fabrication method and modeling approach. These stretchable surfaces transform from flat sheets to 3D textures that imitate natural stone and plant shapes and camouflage into their background environments.

Influence of soil texture on the distribution and availability of 238U, 230Th, and 226Ra in soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blanco Rodriguez, P.; Vera Tome, F.; Lozano, J.C.; Perez-Fernandez, M.A.

2008-01-01

The influence of soil texture on the distribution and availability of 238 U, 230 Th, and 226 Ra in soils was studied in soil samples collected at a rehabilitated uranium mine located in the Extremadura region in south-west Spain. The activity concentration (Bq kg -1 ) in the soils ranged from 60 to 750 for 238 U, from 60 to 260 for 230 Th, and from 70 to 330 for 226 Ra. The radionuclide distribution was determined in three soil fractions: coarse sand (0.5-2 mm), medium-fine sand (0.067-0.5 mm), and silt and clay ( 238 U, 230 Th, and 226 Ra between the activity concentration per fraction and the total activity concentration in the bulk soil. Thus, from the determination of the activity concentration in the bulk soil, one could estimate the activity concentration in each fraction. Correlations were also found for 238 U and 226 Ra between the labile activity concentration in each fraction and the total activity concentration in bulk soil. Assuming that there is some particle-size fraction that predominates in the process of soil-to-plant transfer, the parameters obtained in this study should be used as correction factors for the transfer factors determined from the bulk soil in previous studies

Estimativa da erodibilidade pela desagregação por ultra-som e atributos de solos com horizonte B textural Estimating soil erodibility from sonication indexes and other attributes of textural B horizon soils

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcos Aurélio Carolino de Sá

2004-07-01

Full Text Available A erodibilidade de solos é um fator importante na estimativa das perdas por erosão. Este fator é uma expressão da combinação de atributos do solo, os quais possibilitam sua estimativa por meio de equações. O objetivo deste trabalho foi medir atributos químicos e mineralógicos que, combinados com índices de estabilidade de agregados determinados por ultra-som, pudessem ser utilizados como variáveis em modelos na estimativa da erodibilidade de solos com horizonte B textural do Brasil. Estes atributos foram determinados em 22 solos de erodibilidade conhecida, medida diretamente em parcelas no campo. Atributos de 21 dos solos foram utilizados no ajuste dos modelos. Um dos solos (Argissolo Vermelho-Amarelo foi escolhido ao acaso para teste. De 96 variáveis, 15 foram incluídas nos modelos de estimativa da erodibilidade. A maioria delas é representada por índices de desagregação por sonificação de amostras do horizonte A. Foram obtidos quatro modelos para estimar a erodibilidade, com R² variando entre 0,83** e 0,91**. A erodibilidade pode ser estimada com base na estabilidade de agregados por ultra-som.Soil erodibility is an important factor for estimating soil erosion losses. This factor is an expression of combined soil attributes, which make possible its estimation by equations. The objective of this study was to measure some chemical and mineralogical attributes, and to combine them with aggregate stability indexes from sonication analysis, in equations in order to estimate soil erodibility of textural B horizon soils from Brazil. These attributes were measured for 22 soils that had their erodibility measured from field plots. Attributes of 21 soils were used to adjust the equations. One of the soils (Red-Yellow Argisol was used to test the equations. From 96 variables, 15 were significantly correlated to soil erodibility. Most of them are represented by the disruption indexes from sonication analysis of A horizon samples. This

Influence of soil texture on hydraulic properties and water relations of a dominant warm-desert phreatophyte.

Science.gov (United States)

Hultine, K R; Koepke, D F; Pockman, W T; Fravolini, A; Sperry, J S; Williams, D G

2006-03-01

We investigated hydraulic constraints on water uptake by velvet mesquite (Prosopis velutina Woot.) at a site with sandy-loam soil and at a site with loamy-clay soil in southeastern Arizona, USA. We predicted that trees on sandy-loam soil have less negative xylem and soil water potentials during drought and a lower resistance to xylem cavitation, and reach E(crit) (the maximum steady-state transpiration rate without hydraulic failure) at higher soil water potentials than trees on loamy-clay soil. However, minimum predawn leaf xylem water potentials measured during the height of summer drought were significantly lower at the sandy-loam site (-3.5 +/- 0.1 MPa; all errors are 95% confidence limits) than at the loamy-clay site (-2.9 +/- 0.1 MPa). Minimum midday xylem water potentials also were lower at the sandy-loam site (-4.5 +/- 0.1 MPa) than at the loamy-clay site (-4.0 +/- 0.1 MPa). Despite the differences in leaf water potentials, there were no significant differences in either root or stem xylem embolism, mean cavitation pressure or Psi(95) (xylem water potential causing 95% cavitation) between trees at the two sites. A soil-plant hydraulic model parameterized with the field data predicted that E(crit) approaches zero at a substantially higher bulk soil water potential (Psi(s)) on sandy-loam soil than on loamy-clay soil, because of limiting rhizosphere conductance. The model predicted that transpiration at the sandy-loam site is limited by E(crit) and is tightly coupled to Psi(s) over much of the growing season, suggesting that seasonal transpiration fluxes at the sandy-loam site are strongly linked to intra-annual precipitation pulses. Conversely, the model predicted that trees on loamy-clay soil operate below E(crit) throughout the growing season, suggesting that fluxes on fine-textured soils are closely coupled to inter-annual changes in precipitation. Information on the combined importance of xylem and rhizosphere constraints to leaf water supply across soil

Sensitivity of the biosphere-atmosphere transfer scheme (BATS) to the inclusion of variable soil characteristics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wilson, M.F.; Henderson-Sellers, A.; Dickinson, R.E.; Kennedy, P.J.

1987-03-01

The soils data of Wilson and Henderson-Sellers have been incorporated into the land-surface parameterization scheme of the NCAR Community Climate Model after Dickinson. A stand-alone version of this land-surface scheme, termed the Biosphere-Atmosphere Transfer Scheme (BATS), has been tested in a series of sensitivity experiments designed to assess the sensitivity of the scheme to the inclusion of variable soil characteristics. The cases investigated were for conditions designed to represent a low-latitude, evergreen forest; a low-latitude sand desert; a high-latitude coniferous forest; high-latitude tundra; and prairie grasslands, each for a specified time of year. The tundra included spring snowmelt and the grassland incorporated snow accumulation. The sensitivity experiments included varying the soil texture from a coarse texture typical of sand through a medium texture typical of loam to a fine texture typical of clay. The sensitivity of the formation to the specified total and upper soil column depth and the response to altering the parameterization of the soil albedo dependence upon soil wetness and snow-cover were also examined. The biosphere-atmosphere transfer scheme showed the greatest sensitivity to the soil texture variation, particularly to the associated variation in the hydraulic conductivity and diffusivity parameters. There was only a very small response to the change in the soil albedo dependence on wetness and, although the sensitivity to the snow-covered soil albedo via the response to roughness length/snowmasking depth was significant, the results were predictable. Soil moisture responses can also be initiated by changes in vegetation characteristics such as the stomatal resistance through changed canopy interaction which modify the radiation and water budgets of the soil surface.

COMPUTER GRAPHICS MEETS IMAGE FUSION: THE POWER OF TEXTURE BAKING TO SIMULTANEOUSLY VISUALISE 3D SURFACE FEATURES AND COLOUR

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G. J. Verhoeven

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Since a few years, structure-from-motion and multi-view stereo pipelines have become omnipresent in the cultural heritage domain. The fact that such Image-Based Modelling (IBM approaches are capable of providing a photo-realistic texture along the threedimensional (3D digital surface geometry is often considered a unique selling point, certainly for those cases that aim for a visually pleasing result. However, this texture can very often also obscure the underlying geometrical details of the surface, making it very hard to assess the morphological features of the digitised artefact or scene. Instead of constantly switching between the textured and untextured version of the 3D surface model, this paper presents a new method to generate a morphology-enhanced colour texture for the 3D polymesh. The presented approach tries to overcome this switching between objects visualisations by fusing the original colour texture data with a specific depiction of the surface normals. Whether applied to the original 3D surface model or a lowresolution derivative, this newly generated texture does not solely convey the colours in a proper way but also enhances the smalland large-scale spatial and morphological features that are hard or impossible to perceive in the original textured model. In addition, the technique is very useful for low-end 3D viewers, since no additional memory and computing capacity are needed to convey relief details properly. Apart from simple visualisation purposes, the textured 3D models are now also better suited for on-surface interpretative mapping and the generation of line drawings.

Computer Graphics Meets Image Fusion: the Power of Texture Baking to Simultaneously Visualise 3d Surface Features and Colour

Science.gov (United States)

Verhoeven, G. J.

2017-08-01

Since a few years, structure-from-motion and multi-view stereo pipelines have become omnipresent in the cultural heritage domain. The fact that such Image-Based Modelling (IBM) approaches are capable of providing a photo-realistic texture along the threedimensional (3D) digital surface geometry is often considered a unique selling point, certainly for those cases that aim for a visually pleasing result. However, this texture can very often also obscure the underlying geometrical details of the surface, making it very hard to assess the morphological features of the digitised artefact or scene. Instead of constantly switching between the textured and untextured version of the 3D surface model, this paper presents a new method to generate a morphology-enhanced colour texture for the 3D polymesh. The presented approach tries to overcome this switching between objects visualisations by fusing the original colour texture data with a specific depiction of the surface normals. Whether applied to the original 3D surface model or a lowresolution derivative, this newly generated texture does not solely convey the colours in a proper way but also enhances the smalland large-scale spatial and morphological features that are hard or impossible to perceive in the original textured model. In addition, the technique is very useful for low-end 3D viewers, since no additional memory and computing capacity are needed to convey relief details properly. Apart from simple visualisation purposes, the textured 3D models are now also better suited for on-surface interpretative mapping and the generation of line drawings.

Juvenile Southern Pine Response to Fertilization Is Influenced by Soil Drainage and Texture

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Timothy J. Albaugh

2015-08-01

Full Text Available We examined three hypotheses in a nutrient dose and application frequency study installed in juvenile (aged 2–6 years old Pinus stands at 22 sites in the southeastern United States. At each site, eight or nine treatments were installed where nitrogen was applied at different rates (0, 67, 134, 268 kg ha−1 and frequencies (0, 1, 2, 4 and 6 years in two or four replications. Phosphorus was applied at 0.1 times the nitrogen rate and other elements were added as needed based on foliar nutrient analysis to insure that nutrient imbalances were not induced with treatment. Eight years after treatment initiation, the site responses were grouped based on texture and drainage characteristics: soil group 1 consisted of poorly drained soils with a clayey subsoil, group 2 consisted of poorly to excessively drained spodic soils or soils without a clay subsoil, and group 3 consisted of well-drained soils with a clayey subsoil. We accepted the first hypothesis that site would be a significant factor explaining growth responses. Soil group was also a significant factor explaining growth response. We accepted our second hypothesis that the volume growth-cumulative dose response function was not linear. Volume growth reached an asymptote in soil groups 1 and 3 between cumulative nitrogen doses of 300–400 kg ha−1. Volume growth responses continued to increase up to 800 kg ha−1 of cumulatively applied nitrogen for soil group 2. We accepted our third hypothesis that application rate and frequency did not influence the growth response when the cumulative nitrogen dose was equivalent. There was no difference in the growth response for comparisons where a cumulative nitrogen dose of 568 kg ha−1 was applied as 134 kg ha−1 every two years or as 269 kg ha−1 every four years, or where 269 kg ha−1 of nitrogen was applied as four applications of 67 kg ha−1 every two years or as two applications of 134 kg ha−1 every four years. Clearly, the sites examined

Effect of surface shear on cube texture formation in heavy cold-rolled Cu-45 at%Ni alloy substrates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tian, Hui; Suo, Hongli; Liang, Yaru

2015-01-01

Two types of Cu-45 at%Ni alloy thin tapes with and without surface shear were obtained by different heavy cold rolling processes. The deformation and recrystallization textures of the two tapes were thoroughly investigated by electron back scattering diffraction technique. The results showed...... that a shear texture mainly covered the surface of the heavy deformed tapes because of the fraction between the surface of rolling mills and the thin tapes when the rolling force strongly reduced at high strain, which significantly reduced the fraction of rolling texture on the surface of the Cu-45at %Ni alloy...

Impacts of Different Soil Texture and Organic Content on Hydrological Performance of Bioretention

Science.gov (United States)

Gülbaz, Sezar; Melek Kazezyilmaz Alhan, Cevza

2015-04-01

The land development and increase in urbanization in a watershed has adverse effects such as flooding and water pollution on both surface water and groundwater resources. Low Impact Development (LID) Best Management Practices (BMPs) such as bioretentions, vegetated rooftops, rain barrels, vegetative swales and permeable pavements have been implemented in order to diminish adverse effects of urbanization. LID-BMP is a land planning method which is used to manage storm water runoff by reducing peak flows as well as simultaneously improving water quality. The aim of this study is developing a functional experimental setup called as Rainfall-Watershed-Bioretention (RWB) System in order to investigate and quantify the hydrological performance of bioretention. RWB System is constructed on the Istanbul University Campus and includes an artificial rainfall system, which allows for variable rainfall intensity, drainage area, which has controllable size and slope, and bioretention columns with different soil ratios. Four bioretention columns with different soil textures and organic content are constructed in order to investigate their effects on water quantity. Using RWB System, the runoff volume, hydrograph, peak flow rate and delay in peak time at the exit of bioretention columns may be quantified under various rainfalls in order to understand the role of soil types used in bioretention columns and rainfall intensities. The data obtained from several experiments conducted in RWB System are employed in establishing a relation among rainfall, surface runoff and flow reduction after bioretention. Moreover, the results are supported by mathematical models in order to explain the physical mechanism of bioretention. Following conclusions are reached based on the analyses carried out in this study: i) Results show that different local soil types in bioretention implementation affect surface runoff and peak flow considerably. ii) Rainfall intensity and duration affect peak flow

Touching Textured Surfaces: Cells in Somatosensory Cortex Respond Both to Finger Movement and to Surface Features

Science.gov (United States)

Darian-Smith, Ian; Sugitani, Michio; Heywood, John; Karita, Keishiro; Goodwin, Antony

1982-11-01

Single neurons in Brodmann's areas 3b and 1 of the macaque postcentral gyrus discharge when the monkey rubs the contralateral finger pads across a textured surface. Both the finger movement and the spatial pattern of the surface determine this discharge in each cell. The spatial features of the surface are represented unambiguously only in the responses of populations of these neurons, and not in the responses of the constituent cells.

Production of stable superhydrophilic surfaces on 316L steel by simultaneous laser texturing and SiO2 deposition

Science.gov (United States)

Rajab, Fatema H.; Liu, Zhu; Li, Lin

2018-01-01

Superhydrophilic surfaces with liquid contact angles of less than 5 ° have attracted much interest in practical applications including self-cleaning, cell manipulation, adhesion enhancement, anti-fogging, fluid flow control and evaporative cooling. Standard laser metal texturing method often result in unstable wetting characteristics, i.e. changing from super hydrophilic to hydrophobic in a few days or weeks. In this paper, a simple one step method is reported for fabricating a stable superhydrophilic metallic surface that lasted for at least 6 months. Here, 316L stainless steel substrates were textured using a nanosecond laser with in-situ SiO2 deposition. Morphology and chemistry of laser-textured surfaces were characterised using SEM, XRD, XPS and an optical 3D profiler. Static wettability analysis was carried out over a period of 6 months after the laser treatment. The effect of surface roughness on wettability was also studied. Results showed that the wettability of the textured surfaces could be controlled by changing the scanning speed of laser beam and number of passes. The main reason for the realisation of the stable superhydrophilic surface is the combination of the melted glass particles mainly Si and O with that of stainless steel in the micro-textured patterns. This study presents a useful method

Predicting the effect of surface texture on the qualitative form of prehension.

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Ian John Flatters

Full Text Available Reach-to-grasp movements change quantitatively in a lawful (i.e. predictable manner with changes in object properties. We explored whether altering object texture would produce qualitative changes in the form of the precontact movement patterns. Twelve participants reached to lift objects from a tabletop. Nine objects were produced, each with one of three grip surface textures (high-friction, medium-friction and low-friction and one of three widths (50 mm, 70 mm and 90 mm. Each object was placed at three distances (100 mm, 300 mm and 500 mm, representing a total of 27 trial conditions. We observed two distinct movement patterns across all trials--participants either: (i brought their arm to a stop, secured the object and lifted it from the tabletop; or (ii grasped the object 'on-the-fly', so it was secured in the hand while the arm was moving. A majority of grasps were on-the-fly when the texture was high-friction and none when the object was low-friction, with medium-friction producing an intermediate proportion. Previous research has shown that the probability of on-the-fly behaviour is a function of grasp surface accuracy constraints. A finger friction rig was used to calculate the coefficients of friction for the objects and these calculations showed that the area available for a stable grasp (the 'functional grasp surface size' increased with surface friction coefficient. Thus, knowledge of functional grasp surface size is required to predict the probability of observing a given qualitative form of grasping in human prehensile behaviour.

Development of measurement standards for verifying functional performance of surface texture measuring instruments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fujii, A [Life and Industrial Product Development Department Olympus Corporation, 2951 Ishikawa-machi, Hachiouji-shi, Tokyo (Japan); Suzuki, H [Industrial Marketing and Planning Department Olympus Corporation, Shinjyuku Monolith, 3-1 Nishi-Shinjyuku 2-chome, Tokyo (Japan); Yanagi, K, E-mail: a_fujii@ot.olympus.co.jp [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, 1603-1 Kamitomioka-machi, Nagaoka-shi, Niigata (Japan)

2011-08-19

A new measurement standard is proposed for verifying overall functional performance of surface texture measuring instruments. Its surface is composed of sinusoidal surface waveforms of chirp signals along horizontal cross sections of the material measure. One of the notable features is that the amplitude of each cycle in the chirp signal form is geometrically modulated so that the maximum slope is kept constant. The maximum slope of the chirp-like signal is gradually decreased according to movement in the lateral direction. We fabricated the measurement standard by FIB processing, and it was calibrated by AFM. We tried to evaluate the functional performance of Laser Scanning Microscope by this standard in terms of amplitude response with varying slope angles. As a result, it was concluded that the proposed standard can easily evaluate the performance of surface texture measuring instruments.

Soil and soil cover changes in spruce forests after final logging

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E. M. Lapteva

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Soil cover transformation and changes of morphological and chemical properties of Albeluvisols in clear-cuttings of middle taiga spruce forests were studied. The observed changes in structure and properties of podzolic texturally-differentiated soils at cuttings of spruce forests in the middle taiga subzone do not cause their transition to any other soil type. Soil cover of secondary deciduous-coniferous forests which replace cut forests are characterized with a varied soil contour and a combination of the main type of podzolic soils under undisturbed spruce forests. The increased surface hydromorphism in cut areas causes formation of complicated sub-types of podzolic texturally differentiated soils (podzolic surface-gley soils with microprofile of podzol and enlarges their ratio (up to 35–38 % in soil cover structure. Temporary soil over-wetting at the initial (5–10 years stage of after-cutting self-restoring vegetation succession provides for soil gleyzation, improves yield and segregation of iron compounds, increases the migratory activity of humic substances. Low content and resources of total nitrogen in forest litters mark anthropogenic transformation processes of podzolic soils at this stage. Later (in 30–40 years after logging, soils in cut areas still retain signs of hydromorphism. Forest litters are denser, less acidic and thick with a low weight ratio of organic carbon as compared with Albeluvisols of undisturbed spruce forest. The upper mineral soil horizons under secondary deciduous-coniferous forests contain larger amounts of total iron, its mobile (oxalate-dissolvable components, and Fe-Mn-concretions.

Soil surface roughness: comparing old and new measuring methods and application in a soil erosion model

Science.gov (United States)

Thomsen, L. M.; Baartman, J. E. M.; Barneveld, R. J.; Starkloff, T.; Stolte, J.

2015-04-01

Quantification of soil roughness, i.e. the irregularities of the soil surface due to soil texture, aggregates, rock fragments and land management, is important as it affects surface storage, infiltration, overland flow, and ultimately sediment detachment and erosion. Roughness has been measured in the field using both contact methods (such as roller chain and pinboard) and sensor methods (such as stereophotogrammetry and terrestrial laser scanning (TLS)). A novel depth-sensing technique, originating in the gaming industry, has recently become available for earth sciences: the Xtion Pro method. Roughness data obtained using various methods are assumed to be similar; this assumption is tested in this study by comparing five different methods to measure roughness in the field on 1 m2 agricultural plots with different management (ploughing, harrowing, forest and direct seeding on stubble) in southern Norway. Subsequently, the values were used as input for the LISEM soil erosion model to test their effect on the simulated hydrograph at catchment scale. Results show that statistically significant differences between the methods were obtained only for the fields with direct seeding on stubble; for the other land management types the methods were in agreement. The spatial resolution of the contact methods was much lower than for the sensor methods (10 000 versus at least 57 000 points per square metre). In terms of costs and ease of use in the field, the Xtion Pro method is promising. Results from the LISEM model indicate that especially the roller chain overestimated the random roughness (RR) values and the model subsequently calculated less surface runoff than measured. In conclusion, the choice of measurement method for roughness data matters and depends on the required accuracy, resolution, mobility in the field and available budget. It is recommended to use only one method within one study.

Optical and electrical properties of porous silicon layer formed on the textured surface by electrochemical etching

Science.gov (United States)

Weiying, Ou; Lei, Zhao; Hongwei, Diao; Jun, Zhang; Wenjing, Wang

2011-05-01

Porous silicon (PS) layers were formed on textured crystalline silicon by electrochemical etching in HF-based electrolyte. Optical and electrical properties of the TMAH textured surfaces with PS formation are studied. Moreover, the influences of the initial structures and the anodizing time on the optical and electrical properties of the surfaces after PS formation are investigated. The results show that the TMAH textured surfaces with PS formation present a dramatic decrease in reflectance. The longer the anodizing time is, the lower the reflectance. Moreover, an initial surface with bigger pyramids achieved lower reflectance in a short wavelength range. A minimum reflectance of 3.86% at 460 nm is achieved for a short anodizing time of 2 min. Furthermore, the reflectance spectrum of the sample, which was etched in 3 vol.% TMAH for 25 min and then anodized for 20 min, is extremely flat and lies between 3.67% and 6.15% in the wavelength range from 400 to 1040 nm. In addition, for a short anodizing time, a slight increase in the effective carrier lifetime is observed. Our results indicate that PS layers formed on a TMAH textured surface for a short anodization treatment can be used as both broadband antireflection coatings and passivation layers for the application in solar cells.

Optical and electrical properties of porous silicon layer formed on the textured surface by electrochemical etching

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ou Weiying; Zhao Lei; Diao Hongwei; Zhang Jun; Wang Wenjing, E-mail: wjwangwj@126.com [Key Laboratory of Solar Thermal Energy and Photovoltaic System, Institute of Electrical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China)

2011-05-15

Porous silicon (PS) layers were formed on textured crystalline silicon by electrochemical etching in HF-based electrolyte. Optical and electrical properties of the TMAH textured surfaces with PS formation are studied. Moreover, the influences of the initial structures and the anodizing time on the optical and electrical properties of the surfaces after PS formation are investigated. The results show that the TMAH textured surfaces with PS formation present a dramatic decrease in reflectance. The longer the anodizing time is, the lower the reflectance. Moreover, an initial surface with bigger pyramids achieved lower reflectance in a short wavelength range. A minimum reflectance of 3.86% at 460 nm is achieved for a short anodizing time of 2 min. Furthermore, the reflectance spectrum of the sample, which was etched in 3 vol.% TMAH for 25 min and then anodized for 20 min, is extremely flat and lies between 3.67% and 6.15% in the wavelength range from 400 to 1040 nm. In addition, for a short anodizing time, a slight increase in the effective carrier lifetime is observed. Our results indicate that PS layers formed on a TMAH textured surface for a short anodization treatment can be used as both broadband antireflection coatings and passivation layers for the application in solar cells. (semiconductor technology)

Effect of machining parameters on surface textures in EDM of Fe-Mn-Al alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guu, Y.H.; Hou, Max Ti-Kuang

2007-01-01

In this work, the surface characteristics caused by EDM were analyzed by means of the atomic force microscopy (AFM) technique. An empirical model of Fe-Mn-Al alloy was proposed based on the experimental data. A qualitative energy dispersive spectroscopic analyzer was used to measure the chemical composition of the specimen. Surface hardness was determined with a microhardness tester. Experimental results indicate that the EDM process causes a ridged surface and induces machining damage in the surface layer, and increases the surface roughness. The depth of micro-cracks, micro-voids and machined damage increase with an increase in the amount of pulsed current and pulse-on duration. The effect of the magnitude of the pulse-on duration on the surface texture of the specimen is more significant than the pulsed current. Furthermore, the AFM method reveals the 3D surface textures of the EDM specimen with a nanometer scale

Influence of Femtosecond Laser Parameters and Environment on Surface Texture Characteristics of Metals and Non-Metals - State of the Art

Science.gov (United States)

Bharatish, A.; Soundarapandian, S.

2018-04-01

Enhancing the surface functionality by ultrashort pulsed laser texturing has received the considerable attention from researchers in the past few decades. Femtosecond lasers are widely adopted since it provides high repeatability and reproducibility by minimizing the heat affected zone (HAZ) and other collateral damages to a great extent. The present paper reports some recent studies being made worldwide on femtosecond laser surface texturing of metals, ceramics, polymers, semiconductors, thinfilms and advanced nanocomposites. It presents the state of the art knowledge in femtosecond laser surface texturing and the potential of this technology to improve properties in terms of biological, tribological and wetting performance. Since the texture quality and functionality are enhanced by the proper selection of appropriate laser parameters and ambient conditions for individual application, reporting the influence of laser parameters on surface texture characteristics assume utmost importance.

HOS cell adhesion on Ti6Al4V surfaces texturized by laser engraving

Science.gov (United States)

Sandoval Amador, A.; Carreño Garcia, H.; Escobar Rivero, P.; Peña Ballesteros, D. Y.; Estupiñán Duran, H. A.

2016-02-01

The cell adhesion of the implant is determinate by the chemical composition, topography, wettability, surface energy and biocompatibility of the biomaterial. In this work the interaction between human osteosarcoma HOS cells and textured Ti6Al4V surfaces were evaluated. Ti6Al4V surfaces were textured using a CO2 laser in order to obtain circular spots on the surfaces. Test surfaces were uncoated (C1) used as a control surface, and surfaces with points obtained by laser engraving, with 1mm spacing (C2) and 0.5mm (C3). The HOS cells were cultured in RPMI-1640 medium with 10% fetal bovine serum and 1% antibiotics. No cells toxicity after one month incubation time occurred. The increased cell adhesion and cell spreading was observed after 1, 3 and 5 days without significant differences between the sample surfaces (C2 and C3) and control (uncoated) at the end of the experiment.

HOS cell adhesion on Ti6Al4V surfaces texturized by laser engraving

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sandoval Amador, A; Carreño Garcia, H; Escobar Rivero, P; Peña Ballesteros, D Y; Estupiñán Duran, H A

2016-01-01

The cell adhesion of the implant is determinate by the chemical composition, topography, wettability, surface energy and biocompatibility of the biomaterial. In this work the interaction between human osteosarcoma HOS cells and textured Ti 6 Al 4 V surfaces were evaluated. Ti 6 Al 4 V surfaces were textured using a CO 2 laser in order to obtain circular spots on the surfaces. Test surfaces were uncoated (C1) used as a control surface, and surfaces with points obtained by laser engraving, with 1mm spacing (C2) and 0.5mm (C3). The HOS cells were cultured in RPMI-1640 medium with 10% fetal bovine serum and 1% antibiotics. No cells toxicity after one month incubation time occurred. The increased cell adhesion and cell spreading was observed after 1, 3 and 5 days without significant differences between the sample surfaces (C2 and C3) and control (uncoated) at the end of the experiment. (paper)

Movement of Irrigation Water in Soil from a Surface Emitter

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Ibrahim Abbas Dawood

2016-09-01

Full Text Available rickle irrigation is one of the most conservative irrigation techniques since it implies supplying water directly on the soil through emitters. Emitters dissipate energy of water at the end of the trickle irrigation system and provide water at emission points. The area wetted by an emitter depends upon the discharge of emitter, soil texture, initial soil water content, and soil permeability. The objectives of this research were to predict water distribution profiles through different soils for different conditions and quantify the distribution profiles in terms of main characteristics of soil and emitter. The wetting patterns were simulated at the end of each hour for a total time of application of 12 hrs, emitter discharges of 0.5, 0.75, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 lph, and five initial volumetric soil water contents. Simulation of water flow from a single surface emitter was carried out by using the numerically-based software Hydrus-2D/3D, Version 2.04. Two approaches were used in developing formulas to predict the domains of the wetted pattern. In order to verify the results obtained by implementing the software Hydrus-2D/3D a field experiment was conducted to measure the wetted diameter and compare measured values with simulated ones. The results of the research showed that the developed formulas to express the wetted diameter and depth in terms of emitter discharge, time of application, and initial soil water content are very general and can be used with very good accuracy.

Tribological Behavior of Oil-Lubricated Laser Textured Steel Surfaces in Conformal Flat and Non-Conformal Contacts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kovalchenko, A. M. [Inst. for Problems of Materials Science, Dept. 7, 3 Krzhizhanovsky Street, Kyiv 03142, UA (Corresponding author), e-mail: andrii.kovalchenko@gatech.edu; Erdemir, A. [Argonne National Lab., Energy Systems Division, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439 US; Ajayi, O. O. [Argonne National Lab., Energy Systems Division, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439 US; Etsion, I. [Technion-Israel Inst. of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Haifa 32000, IL

2017-01-30

Changing the surface texture of sliding surfaces is an effective way to manipulate friction and wear of lubricated surfaces. Having realized its potential, we have done very extensive studies on the effects of laser surface texturing (LST, which involves the creation of an array of microdimples on a surface) on friction and wear behavior of oil-lubricated steel surfaces in the early 2000s. In this paper, we reviewed some of our research accomplishments and assessed future directions of the laser texturing field in many diverse industrial applications. Our studies specifically addressed the impact of laser texturing on friction and wear of both the flat conformal and initial non-conformal point contact configurations using a pin-on-disk test rig under fully-flooded synthetic oil lubricants with different viscosities. Electrical resistance measurement between pin and LST disks was also used to determine the operating lubrication regimes in relation to friction. In conformal contact, we confirmed that LST could significantly expand the operating conditions for hydrodynamic lubrication to significantly much higher loads and slower speeds. In particular, with LST and higher viscosity oils, the low-friction full hydrodynamic regime was shifted to the far left in the Stribeck diagram. Overall, the beneficial effects of laser surface texturing were more pronounced at higher speeds and loads and with higher viscosity oil. LST was also observed to reduce the magnitude of friction coefficients in the boundary regime. For the non-conformal contact configuration, we determined that LST would produce more abrasive wear on the rubbing counterface compared to the untreated surfaces due to a reduction in lubricant fluid film thickness, as well as the highly uneven and rough nature of the textured surfaces. However, this higher initial wear rate has led to faster generation of a conformal contact, and thus transition from the high-friction boundary to lower friction mixed

Analysis of soil hydraulic and thermal properties for land surface modeling over the Tibetan Plateau

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Hong; Zeng, Yijian; Lv, Shaoning; Su, Zhongbo

2018-06-01

Soil information (e.g., soil texture and porosity) from existing soil datasets over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) is claimed to be inadequate and even inaccurate for determining soil hydraulic properties (SHP) and soil thermal properties (STP), hampering the understanding of the land surface process over TP. As the soil varies across three dominant climate zones (i.e., arid, semi-arid and subhumid) over the TP, the associated SHP and STP are expected to vary correspondingly. To obtain an explicit insight into the soil hydrothermal properties over the TP, in situ and laboratory measurements of over 30 soil property profiles were obtained across the climate zones. Results show that porosity and SHP and STP differ across the climate zones and strongly depend on soil texture. In particular, it is proposed that gravel impact on porosity and SHP and STP are both considered in the arid zone and in deep layers of the semi-arid zone. Parameterization schemes for porosity, SHP and STP are investigated and compared with measurements taken. To determine the SHP, including soil water retention curves (SWRCs) and hydraulic conductivities, the pedotransfer functions (PTFs) developed by Cosby et al. (1984) (for the Clapp-Hornberger model) and the continuous PTFs given by Wösten et al. (1999) (for the Van Genuchten-Mualem model) are recommended. The STP parameterization scheme proposed by Farouki (1981) based on the model of De Vries (1963) performed better across the TP than other schemes. Using the parameterization schemes mentioned above, the uncertainties of five existing regional and global soil datasets and their derived SHP and STP over the TP are quantified through comparison with in situ and laboratory measurements. The measured soil physical properties dataset is available at https://data.4tu.nl/repository/uuid:c712717c-6ac0-47ff-9d58-97f88082ddc0" target="_blank">https://data.4tu.nl/repository/uuid:c712717c-6ac0-47ff-9d58-97f88082ddc0.

Soil Quality Evaluation Using the Soil Management Assessment Framework (SMAF in Brazilian Oxisols with Contrasting Texture

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Maurício Roberto Cherubin

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The Soil Management Assessment Framework (SMAF was developed in the U.S.A. and has been used as a tool for assessing and quantifying changes in soil quality/health (SQ induced by land uses and agricultural practices in that region and elsewhere throughout the world. An initial study using SMAF in Brazil was recently published, but additional research for a variety of soils and management systems is still needed. Our objective was to use data from five studies in southern Brazil to evaluate the potential of SMAF for assessing diverse land-use and management practices on SQ. The studies examined were: (i horizontal and vertical distribution of soil properties in a long-term orange orchard; (ii impacts of long-term land-use change from native vegetation to agricultural crops on soil properties; (iii effects of short-term tillage on soil properties in a cassava production area; (iv changes in soil properties due to mineral fertilizer and pig slurry application coupled with soil tillage practices; and (v row and inter-row sowing effects on soil properties in a long-term no-tillage area. The soils were classified as Oxisols, with clay content ranging from 180 to 800 g kg-1. Six SQ indicators [pH(H2O, P, K, bulk density, organic C, and microbial biomass] were individually scored using SMAF curves and integrated into an overall Soil Quality Index (SQI focusing on chemical, physical, and biological sectors. The SMAF was sensitive for detecting SQ changes induced by different land uses and management practices within this wide textural range of Brazilian Oxisols. The SMAF scoring curve algorithms properly transformed the indicator values expressed in different units into unitless scores ranging from 0-1, thus enabling the individual indicators to be combined into an overall index for evaluating land-use and management effects on soil functions. Soil sector scores (i.e., chemical, physical, and biological identify the principal soil limitations

Nanocrystalline nickel films with lotus leaf texture for superhydrophobic and low friction surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Shafiei, Mehdi; Alpas, Ahmet T.

2009-11-01

Nanostructured Ni films with high hardness, high hydrophobicity and low coefficient of friction (COF) were fabricated. The surface texture of lotus leaf was replicated using a cellulose acetate film, on which a nanocrystalline (NC) Ni coating with a grain size of 30 ± 4 nm was electrodeposited to obtain a self-sustaining film with a hardness of 4.42 GPa. The surface texture of the NC Ni obtained in this way featured a high density (4 × 10 3 mm -2) of conical protuberances with an average height of 10.0 ± 2.0 μm and a tip radius of 2.5 ± 0.5 μm. This structure increased the water repellency and reduced the COF, compared to smooth NC Ni surfaces. The application of a short-duration (120 s) electrodeposition process that deposited "Ni crowns" with a larger radius of 6.0 ± 0.5 μm on the protuberances, followed by a perfluoropolyether (PFPE) solution treatment succeeded in producing a surface texture consisting of nanotextured protuberances that resulted in a very high water contact angle of 156°, comparable to that of the superhydrophobic lotus leaf. Additionally, the microscale protuberances eliminated the initial high COF peaks observed when smooth NC Ni films were tested, and the PFPE treatment resulted in a 60% reduction in the steady-state COFs.

Wetting and other physical characteristics of polycarbonate surface textured using laser ablation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yilbas, B.S., E-mail: bsyilbas@kfupm.edu.sa [ME Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran (Saudi Arabia); Khaled, M. [CHEM Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran (Saudi Arabia); Abu-Dheir, N.; Al-Aqeeli, N.; Said, S.A.M. [ME Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran (Saudi Arabia); Ahmed, A.O.M. [CHEM Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran (Saudi Arabia); Varanasi, K.K.; Toumi, Y.K. [Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston (United States)

2014-11-30

Highlights: • Laser causes micro/nano size pores and shallow fine-size cavities. • Crystallinity at surface is 18% after laser treatment increasing hydrophobicity. • Surface hydrophobicity improves after laser treatment. • Microhardness increases twofold after laser treatment process. • Residual stress is compressive and scratch hardness is 110 ± 11 MPa. • Optical transmittance reduces by 15% after laser treatment. - Abstract: Surface texturing of polycarbonate glass is carried out for improved hydrophobicity via controlled laser ablation at the surface. Optical and physical characteristics of the laser treated layer are examined using analytical tools including optical, atomic force, and scanning electron microscopes, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Contact angle measurements are carried out to assess the hydrophobicity of the laser treated surface. Residual stress in the laser ablated layer is determined using the curvature method, and microhardnes and scratch resistance are analyzed using a micro-tribometer. Findings reveal that textured surfaces compose of micro/nano pores with fine cavities and increase the contact angle to hydrophobicity such a way that contact angles in the range of 120° are resulted. Crystallization of the laser treated surface reduces the optical transmittance by 15%, contributes to residual stress formation, and enhances the microhardness by twice the value of untreated polycarbonate surface. In addition, laser treatment improves surface scratch resistance by 40%.

Femtosecond laser surface texturing of titanium as a method to reduce the adhesion of Staphylococcus aureus and biofilm formation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cunha, Alexandre [Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais 1, 1049-001 Lisboa (Portugal); Bordeaux University, Institute of Chemistry & Biology of Membranes & Nanoobjects (CBMN UMR 5248, CNRS), European Institute of Chemistry and Biology, 2 Rue Robert Escarpit, 33607 Pessac (France); Elie, Anne-Marie [Bordeaux University, CBMN UMR 5248, CNRS, Bordeaux Science Agro, 1 Rue du G. de Gaulle, 33170 Gradignan (France); Plawinski, Laurent [Bordeaux University, Institute of Chemistry & Biology of Membranes & Nanoobjects (CBMN UMR 5248, CNRS), European Institute of Chemistry and Biology, 2 Rue Robert Escarpit, 33607 Pessac (France); Serro, Ana Paula [Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, CQE-Centro de Química Estrutural, Av. Rovisco Pais 1, 1049-001 Lisbon (Portugal); Botelho do Rego, Ana Maria [Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, CQFM-Centro de Química-Física Molecular and Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology - IN, Av. Rovisco Pais 1, 1049-001 Lisbon (Portugal); Almeida, Amélia [Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais 1, 1049-001 Lisboa (Portugal); Urdaci, Maria C. [Bordeaux University, CBMN UMR 5248, CNRS, Bordeaux Science Agro, 1 Rue du G. de Gaulle, 33170 Gradignan (France); Durrieu, Marie-Christine [Bordeaux University, Institute of Chemistry & Biology of Membranes & Nanoobjects (CBMN UMR 5248, CNRS), European Institute of Chemistry and Biology, 2 Rue Robert Escarpit, 33607 Pessac (France); Vilar, Rui, E-mail: rui.vilar@tecnico.ulisboa.pt [Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais 1, 1049-001 Lisboa (Portugal)

2016-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • The short-term adhesion of Staphylococcus aureus onto femtosecond laser textured surfaces of titanium was investigated. • The laser textured surfaces consist of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) and nanopillars. • The laser treatment enhances the hydrophilicity and the surface free energy of the material. • The laser treatment reduces significantly the adhesion of S. aureus and biofilm formation. • Femtosecond laser surface texturing of titanium is a simple and promising method for endowing dental and orthopedic implants with antibacterial properties. - Abstract: The aim of the present work was to investigate the possibility of using femtosecond laser surface texturing as a method to reduce the colonization of Grade 2 Titanium alloy surfaces by Staphylococcus aureus and the subsequent formation of biofilm. The laser treatments were carried out with a Yb:KYW chirped-pulse-regenerative amplification laser system with a central wavelength of 1030 nm and a pulse duration of 500 fs. Two types of surface textures, consisting of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) and nanopillars, were produced. The topography, chemical composition and phase constitution of these surfaces were investigated by atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, micro-Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Surface wettability was assessed by the sessile drop method using water and diiodomethane as testing liquids. The response of S. aureus put into contact with the laser treated surfaces in controlled conditions was investigated by epifluorescence microscopy and scanning electron microscopy 48 h after cell seeding. The results achieved show that the laser treatment reduces significantly the bacterial adhesion to the surface as well as biofilm formation as compared to a reference polished surfaces and suggest that femtosecond laser texturing is a simple and promising method

The effect of texture unit shape on silicon surface on the absorption properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hua, Xiao-She; Zhang, Yi-Jie; Wang, Hao-Wei [Institute of Ecological and Environmental Materials, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China)

2010-02-15

Improving the utilization ratio of sunlight is a key factor for the development of solar cell. In this work, different structures including triangular pyramid, rectangular pyramid, hexangular pyramid and cone structure are established to investigate the influences of many factors, like geometrical shape, density and the top angle of the texture unit on silicon front surface to sunlight absorption. Ray-tracing technology is used for simulation. The simulation results indicate that the triangular pyramid texture on silicon front surface performs the best, and its total absorption rate is more than 90% for the light with wavelength between 640 and 1080 nm when the top angle of pyramid is less than 100 . (author)

Non-Uniform Laser Surface Texturing of an Un-Tapered Square Pad for Tribological Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio Ancona

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Femtosecond laser surface micro-texturing has emerged as a promising technology to enhance the tribological properties of different kinds of electromechanical devices. In this research paper, we have exploited the intrinsic flexibility and micrometric accuracy of femtosecond laser ablation to realize complex micro-structural modifications on the surface of a laboratory prototype of a steel thrust bearing (un-tapered pad. The Bruggeman Texture Hydrodynamics theory (BTH is employed for the design of the anisotropic and non-uniform texture maximizing the thrust load of the pad prototype. The preliminary experimental results, reported in this work, show that the non-uniform micro-texture largely affects the friction characteristics of the contact. In particular, in agreement with the BTH predictions, the tribo-system shows friction properties that are strongly sensitive to the direction of the sliding speed, as a consequence of the micro-fluid dynamics which are designed to occur only in a specific sliding direction. We suggest that the joint action of virtual prototyping (BTH lubrication theory and ultrafast laser micro-prototyping can lead to unconventional and impressive results in terms of enhanced or tailored contact mechanics properties of the generic lubricated tribopair.

Advanced measurement and analysis of surface textures produced by micro-machining processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bordatchev, Evgueni V; Hafiz, Abdullah M K

2014-01-01

Surface texture of a part or a product has significant effects on its functionality, physical-mechanical properties and visual appearance. In particular for miniature products, the implication of surface quality becomes critical owing to the presence of geometrical features with micro/nano-scale dimensions. Qualitative and quantitative assessments of surface texture are carried out predominantly by profile parameters, which are often insufficient to address the contribution of constituent spatial components with varied amplitudes and wavelengths. In this context, this article presents a novel approach for advanced measurement and analysis of profile average roughness (R a ) and its spatial distribution at different wavelength intervals. The applicability of the proposed approach was verified for three different surface topographies prepared by grinding, laser micro-polishing and micro-milling processes. From the measurement and analysis results, R a (λ) spatial distribution was found to be an effective measure of revealing the contributions of various spatial components within specific wavelength intervals towards formation of the entire surface profile. In addition, the approach was extended to the measurement and analysis of areal average roughness S a (λ) spatial distribution within different wavelength intervals. Besides, the proposed method was demonstrated to be a useful technique in developing a functional correlation between a manufacturing process and its corresponding surface profile. (paper)

An international comparison of surface texture parameters quantification on polymer artefacts using optical instruments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tosello, Guido; Haitjema, H.; Leach, R.K.

2016-01-01

An international comparison of optical instruments measuring polymer surfaces with arithmetic mean height values in the sub-micrometre range has been carried out. The comparison involved sixteen optical surface texture instruments (focus variation instruments, confocal microscopes and coherent...

Cold Gas-Sprayed Deposition of Metallic Coatings onto Ceramic Substrates Using Laser Surface Texturing Pre-treatment

Science.gov (United States)

Kromer, R.; Danlos, Y.; Costil, S.

2018-04-01

Cold spraying enables a variety of metals dense coatings onto metal surfaces. Supersonic gas jet accelerates particles which undergo with the substrate plastic deformation. Different bonding mechanisms can be created depending on the materials. The particle-substrate contact time, contact temperature and contact area upon impact are the parameters influencing physicochemical and mechanical bonds. The resultant bonding arose from plastic deformation of the particle and substrate and temperature increasing at the interface. The objective was to create specific topography to enable metallic particle adhesion onto ceramic substrates. Ceramic did not demonstrate deformation during the impact which minimized the intimate bonds. Laser surface texturing was hence used as prior surface treatment to create specific topography and to enable mechanical anchoring. Particle compressive states were necessary to build up coating. The coating deposition efficiency and adhesion strength were evaluated. Textured surface is required to obtain strong adhesion of metallic coatings onto ceramic substrates. Consequently, cold spray coating parameters depend on the target material and a methodology was established with particle parameters (diameters, velocities, temperatures) and particle/substrate properties to adapt the surface topography. Laser surface texturing is a promising tool to increase the cold spraying applications.

Electromechanical performance of an ionic polymer–metal composite actuator with hierarchical surface texture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He, Qingsong; Yu, Min; Zhang, Xiaoqing; Dai, Zhendong

2013-01-01

Two stainless steel templates were fabricated using electric-spark machining, and a hierarchical surface texture of ionic polymer was produced using both polishing and replication methods, which produced microscale and nanoscale groove-shaped microstructures at the surface of the polymer. The surface morphology of the Nafion membrane and metal electrode were observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). SEM and EDS line-scan analysis indicated that the interfacial surface area was considerably increased and an excellent metal electrode was obtained with the production of a hierarchical surface texture. The displacement, blocking force, and electric current were measured using home-built apparatus. The results revealed that the combined polishing and replication method significantly improved the electromechanical performance of the ionic polymer–metal composite (IPMC). Compared with sandblasted Nafion-based IPMC, the blocking force, displacement, and electric current of the replicated Nafion-based IPMC were 4.39, 2.35, and 1.87 times higher, respectively. The IPMC fabricated in this work exhibited a competitive blocking force compared with recently reported actuators. (paper)

Effect of Irrigation Water Type on Infiltration Rates of Sandy Soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Omran, A.M.; Al-Matrood, S.M.; Choudhary, M.I.

2004-01-01

A laboratory experiment was conducted to test the effect of three water types (tap water, well water and sewage water) on the infiltration rate of three soils varying in texture (sand. loamy sand and sandy loam). A stationary rainfall simulator dispensing water at a rate of 45 mm h-1, connected to the different sources of water, was used to measure the infiltration rates. A total of 5 runs were carried out using each water quality. The volume of runoff against the time was recorded at each 5 minute interval. The infiltration rate was calculated as the difference between the water applied and the excesses water measured as surface runoff. Infiltration rate at first run were rapid in all the three soils and then progressively declined as the number of runs increased. The same trend was observed for each water quality tested. The reduction in infiltration rate with increasing number of runs for prewetted surface than for the initial dry surface was attributed to break down and settling of fine particles that took place earlier during prewetting. The infiltration curves for all the three soils when irrigared with different qualities of water was not distinguishable. The relationship between infiltration rate as function of time for the treatments applied were tested using Kostiakov equation I=bt-n. The infiltration data gave a coefficient of determination R2 >0.90 for all the treatments. The infiltration parameters B, and n varied strongly with respect to soil texture. Values of B decreased with changing soil textures, being highest for the sandy soil, and lowest for the sandy loamy soil, whereas n values showed the opposite trend. It was concluded that effect of soil texture on the infiltration rate was very pronounced while water qualities showed a little effect. (author)

Cloud and surface textural features in polar regions

Science.gov (United States)

Welch, Ronald M.; Kuo, Kwo-Sen; Sengupta, Sailes K.

1990-01-01

The study examines the textural signatures of clouds, ice-covered mountains, solid and broken sea ice and floes, and open water. The textural features are computed from sum and difference histogram and gray-level difference vector statistics defined at various pixel displacement distances derived from Landsat multispectral scanner data. Polar cloudiness, snow-covered mountainous regions, solid sea ice, glaciers, and open water have distinguishable texture features. This suggests that textural measures can be successfully applied to the detection of clouds over snow-covered mountains, an ability of considerable importance for the modeling of snow-melt runoff. However, broken stratocumulus cloud decks and thin cirrus over broken sea ice remain difficult to distinguish texturally. It is concluded that even with high spatial resolution imagery, it may not be possible to distinguish broken stratocumulus and thin clouds from sea ice in the marginal ice zone using the visible channel textural features alone.

Study on cavitation effect of mechanical seals with laser-textured porous surface

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, T.; Chen, H. l.; Liu, Y. H.; Wang, Q.; Liu, Z. B.; Hou, D. H.

2012-11-01

Study on the mechanisms underlying generation of hydrodynamic pressure effect associated with laser-textured porous surface on mechanical seal, is the key to seal and lubricant properties. The theory model of mechanical seals with laser-textured porous surface (LES-MS) based on cavitation model was established. The LST-MS was calculated and analyzed by using Fluent software with full cavitation model and non-cavitation model and film thickness was predicted by the dynamic mesh technique. The results indicate that the effect of hydrodynamic pressure and cavitation are the important reasons to generate liquid film opening force on LST-MS; Cavitation effect can enhance hydrodynamic pressure effect of LST-MS; The thickness of liquid film could be well predicted with the method of dynamic mesh technique on Fluent and it becomes larger as the increasing of shaft speed and the decreasing of pressure.

Study on cavitation effect of mechanical seals with laser-textured porous surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, T; Chen, H l; Liu, Y H; Wang, Q; Liu, Z B; Hou, D H

2012-01-01

Study on the mechanisms underlying generation of hydrodynamic pressure effect associated with laser-textured porous surface on mechanical seal, is the key to seal and lubricant properties. The theory model of mechanical seals with laser-textured porous surface (LES-MS) based on cavitation model was established. The LST-MS was calculated and analyzed by using Fluent software with full cavitation model and non-cavitation model and film thickness was predicted by the dynamic mesh technique. The results indicate that the effect of hydrodynamic pressure and cavitation are the important reasons to generate liquid film opening force on LST-MS; Cavitation effect can enhance hydrodynamic pressure effect of LST-MS; The thickness of liquid film could be well predicted with the method of dynamic mesh technique on Fluent and it becomes larger as the increasing of shaft speed and the decreasing of pressure.

Effects of Two-stage Heat Treatment on Delayed Coke and Study of Their Surface Texture Characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Im, Ui-Su; Kim, Jiyoung; Lee, Seon Ho; Lee, Byung-Rok; Peck, Dong-Hyun; Jung, Doo-Hwan

2017-12-01

In the present study, surface texture features and chemical properties of two types of cokes, made from coal tar by either 1-stage heat treatment or 2-stage heat treatment, were researched. The relationship between surface texture characteristics and the chemical properties was identified through molecular weight distribution, insolubility of coal tar, weight loss with temperature increase, coking yield, and polarized light microscope analysis. Rapidly cleared anisotropy texture in cokes was observed in accordance with the coking temperature rise. Quinoline insolubility and toluene insolubility of coal tar increased with a corresponding increases in coking temperature. In particular, the cokes produced by the 2-stage heat treatment (2S-C) showed surface structure of needle cokes at a temperature approximately 50°C lower than the 1-stage heat treatment (1S-C). Additionally, the coking yield of 2S-C increased by approximately 14% in comparison with 1S-C.

Nd:YOV4 laser surface texturing on DLC coating: Effect on morphology, adhesion, and dry wear behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Surfaro, Maria; Giorleo, Luca; Montesano, Lorenzo; Allegri, Gabriele; Ceretti, Elisabetta; La Vecchia, Giovina Marina

2018-05-01

The surface of structural components is usually subjected to higher stresses, greater wear or fatigue damage, and more direct environmental exposure than the inner parts. For this reason, the interest to improve superficial properties of items is constantly increasing in different fields as automotive, electronic, biomedical, etc. Different approaches can be used to achieve this goal: case hardening by means of superficial heat treatments like carburizing or nitriding, deposition of thin or thick coatings, roughness modification, etc. Between the available technologies to modify components surface, Laser Surface Texturing (LST) has already been recognized in the last decade as a process, which improves the tribological properties of various parts. Based on these considerations the aim of the present research work was to realize a controlled laser texture on a Diamond-like Carbon (DLC) thin coating (about 3 µm thick) without damaging both the coating itself and the substrate. In particular, the effect of laser process parameters as marking speed and loop cycle were investigated in terms of texture features modifications. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses of the texture were executed by using a scanning electron microscope and a laser probe system to select the proper laser parameters. Moreover, the effect of the selected texture on the DLC nanohardness, adhesion and wear behavior was pointed out.

ASPECTS REGARDING LEGAL PROTECTION OF SOIL RESOURCES

OpenAIRE

Cristian Popescu

2012-01-01

Along with specialty items used for the development and implementation of sustainable development, protection and conservation of the environment, legal protection component of soil resources play an essential role. Legal and institutional framework provides a much protection of soil resources. Soil is the thin layer of organic and inorganic materials that covers the Earth's rocky surface. A soil pollutant is any factor which deteriorates the quality, texture and mineral content of the soil ...

Simulating the Effect of Modulated Tool-Path Chip Breaking On Surface Texture and Chip Length

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, K.S.; McFarland, J.T.; Tursky, D. A.; Assaid, T. S.; Barkman, W. E.; Babelay, Jr., E. F.

2010-04-30

One method for creating broken chips in turning processes involves oscillating the cutting tool in the feed direction utilizing the CNC machine axes. The University of North Carolina at Charlotte and the Y-12 National Security Complex have developed and are refining a method to reliably control surface finish and chip length based on a particular machine's dynamic performance. Using computer simulations it is possible to combine the motion of the machine axes with the geometry of the cutting tool to predict the surface characteristics and map the surface texture for a wide range of oscillation parameters. These data allow the selection of oscillation parameters to simultaneously ensure broken chips and acceptable surface characteristics. This paper describes the machine dynamic testing and characterization activities as well as the computational method used for evaluating and predicting chip length and surface texture.

Wind sorting affects differently the organo-mineral composition of saltating and particulate materials in contrasting texture agricultural soils

Science.gov (United States)

Iturri, Laura Antonela; Funk, Roger; Leue, Martin; Sommer, Michael; Buschiazzo, Daniel Eduardo

2017-10-01

There is little information about the mineral and organic composition of sediments eroded by wind at different heights. Because of that, wind tunnel simulations were performed on four agricultural loess soils of different granulometry and their saltating materials collected at different heights. The particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter mainly smaller than 10 μm (PM10) of these soils was obtained separately by a laboratory method. Results indicated that the granulometric composition of sediments collected at different heights was more homogeneous in fine- than in sandy-textured soils, which were more affected by sorting effects during wind erosion. This agrees with the preferential transport of quartz at low heights and of clay minerals at greater heights. SOC contents increased with height, but the composition of the organic materials was different: stable carboxylic acids, aldehydes, amides and aromatics were preferentially transported close to the ground because their were found in larger aggregates, while plant debris and polysaccharides, carbohydrates and derivatives of microbial origin from organic matter dominated at greater heights for all soil types. The amount of SOC in the PM10 fraction was higher when it was emitted from sandy than from fine textured soils. Because of the sorting process produced by wind erosion, the stable organic matter compounds will be transported at low heights and local scales, modifying soil fertility due to nutrient exportation, while less stable organic compounds will be part of the suspension losses, which are known to affect some processes at regional- or global scale.

Numerical modelling of microdroplet self-propelled jumping on micro-textured surface

Science.gov (United States)

Attarzadeh, S. M. Reza; Dolatabadi, Ali; Chun Kim, Kyung

2015-11-01

Understanding various stages of single and multiple droplet impact on a super-hydrophobic surface is of interest for many industrial applications such as aerospace industry. In this study, the phenomenon of coalescence induced droplets self-propelled jumping on a micro-textured super-hydrophobic surface is numerically simulated using Volume of Fluid (VOF) method. This model mimics the scenario of coalescing cloud-sized particles over the surface structure of an aircraft. The VOF coupled with a dynamic contact angle model is used to simulate the coalescence of two equal size droplets, that are initially placed very closed to each other with their interface overlapping with each other's which triggers the incipience of their coalescence. The textured surface is modeled as a series of equally spaced squared pillars, with 111° as the intrinsic contact angle all over the solid contact area. It is shown that the radial velocity of coalescing liquid bridge is reverted to upward direction due to the counter action of the surface to the basal area of droplet in contact. The presence of air beneath the droplet inside micro grooves which aimed at repelling water droplet is also captured in this model. The simulated results are found in good agreement with experimental observations. The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Consortium de Recherche et d'innovation en Aerospatiale au Quebec (CRIAQ), Bombardier Aerospace, Pratt Whitney Canada.

Memory color of natural familiar objects: effects of surface texture and 3-D shape.

Science.gov (United States)

Vurro, Milena; Ling, Yazhu; Hurlbert, Anya C

2013-06-28

Natural objects typically possess characteristic contours, chromatic surface textures, and three-dimensional shapes. These diagnostic features aid object recognition, as does memory color, the color most associated in memory with a particular object. Here we aim to determine whether polychromatic surface texture, 3-D shape, and contour diagnosticity improve memory color for familiar objects, separately and in combination. We use solid three-dimensional familiar objects rendered with their natural texture, which participants adjust in real time to match their memory color for the object. We analyze mean, accuracy, and precision of the memory color settings relative to the natural color of the objects under the same conditions. We find that in all conditions, memory colors deviate slightly but significantly in the same direction from the natural color. Surface polychromaticity, shape diagnosticity, and three dimensionality each improve memory color accuracy, relative to uniformly colored, generic, or two-dimensional shapes, respectively. Shape diagnosticity improves the precision of memory color also, and there is a trend for polychromaticity to do so as well. Differently from other studies, we find that the object contour alone also improves memory color. Thus, enhancing the naturalness of the stimulus, in terms of either surface or shape properties, enhances the accuracy and precision of memory color. The results support the hypothesis that memory color representations are polychromatic and are synergistically linked with diagnostic shape representations.

Microwave remote sensing of temporal variations of brightness temperature and near-surface soil water content during a watershed-scale field experiment, and its application to the estimation of soil physical properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mattikalli, N.M.; Engman, E.T.; Jackson, T.J.; Ahuja, L.R.

1998-01-01

Passive microwave airborne remote sensing was employed to collect daily brightness temperature (T(B)) and near-surface (0-5 cm depth) soil water content (referred to as 'soil water content') data during June 10-18, 1992, in the Little Washita watershed, Oklahoma. A comparison of multitemporal data with the soils data revealed a direct correlation between changes in T(B) and soil water content, and soil texture. Regression relationships were developed for the ratio of percent sand to percent clay (RSC) and effective saturated hydraulic conductivity (K(sat)) in terms of T(B) and soil water content change. Validation of results indicated that both RSC and K(sat) can be estimated with adequate accuracy. The relationships are valid for the region with small variation of soil organic matter content, soils with fewer macropores, and limiting experimental conditions. However, the findings have potential to employ microwave remote sensing for obtaining quick estimates of soil properties over large areas

Bilinear magnetoelectric resistance as a probe of three-dimensional spin texture in topological surface states

Science.gov (United States)

He, Pan; Zhang, Steven S.-L.; Zhu, Dapeng; Liu, Yang; Wang, Yi; Yu, Jiawei; Vignale, Giovanni; Yang, Hyunsoo

2018-05-01

Surface states of three-dimensional topological insulators exhibit the phenomenon of spin-momentum locking, whereby the orientation of an electron spin is determined by its momentum. Probing the spin texture of these states is of critical importance for the realization of topological insulator devices, but the main technique currently available is spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Here we reveal a close link between the spin texture and a new kind of magnetoresistance, which depends on the relative orientation of the current with respect to the magnetic field as well as the crystallographic axes, and scales linearly with both the applied electric and magnetic fields. This bilinear magnetoelectric resistance can be used to map the spin texture of topological surface states by simple transport measurements. For a prototypical Bi2Se3 single layer, we can map both the in-plane and out-of-plane components of the spin texture (the latter arising from hexagonal warping). Theoretical calculations suggest that the bilinear magnetoelectric resistance originates from conversion of a non-equilibrium spin current into a charge current under application of the external magnetic field.

Design and characterization of textured surfaces for applications in the food industry

Science.gov (United States)

Lazzini, G.; Romoli, L.; Blunt, L.; Gemini, L.

2017-12-01

The aim of this work is to design, manufacture and characterize surface morphologies on AISI 316L stainless steel produced by a custom designed laser-texturing strategy. Surface textures were characterized at a micrometric dimension in terms of areal parameters compliant with ISO 25178, and correlations between these parameters and processing parameters (e.g. laser energy dose supplied to the material, repetition rate of the laser pulses and scanning velocity) were investigated. Preliminary efforts were devoted to the research of special requirements for surface morphology that, according to the commonly accepted research on the influence of surface roughness on cellular adhesion on surfaces, should discourage the formation of biofilms. The topographical characterization of the surfaces was performed with a coherence scanning interferometer. This approach showed that increasing doses of energy to the surfaces increased the global level of roughness as well as the surface complexity. Moreover, the behavior of the parameters S pk, S vk also indicates that, due to the ablation process, an increase in the energy dose causes an average increase in the height of the highest peaks and in the depth of the deepest dales. The study of the density of peaks S pd showed that none of the surfaces analyzed here seem to perfectly match the conditions dictated by the theories on cellular adhesion to confer anti-biofouling properties. However, this result seems to be mainly due to the limits of the resolving power of coherence scanning interferometry, which does not allow the resolution of sub-micrometric features which could be crucial in the prevention of cellular attachment.

Differences in the surface texture of aggregate particles determined by 3D model derived from optic microscope measurements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jozef Komačka

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The surface texture of aggregate particles was investigated based on the 3D model of surface generated from the measurements by optic microscope. New software MicroSYS was developed to determine the wrapping plane of 3D model of aggregate using the function called “Thin plate spline“. New parameter for evaluation of surface texture of aggregate particle was proposed as the volumetric difference between two planes (wrapping plane and aggregate surface. Applicability of this parameters was tested on two aggregate fractions (4/8 and 8/11 coming form 11 quarries in Slovakia. The tested aggregates differed from petrography point of view and ranged from soft to hard. The difference among the quarries and also between fractions of aggregate was found out. The better surface texture was observed for the finner fraction of aggregate. Simultaneously, the better results were determined in the case of aggregate produced from the ingeous intrusive or extrusive rocks comparing to the sedimentary carbonate rocks aggregate.

Laser surface texturing of polymers for biomedical applications

Science.gov (United States)

Riveiro, Antonio; Maçon, Anthony L. B.; del Val, Jesus; Comesaña, Rafael; Pou, Juan

2018-02-01

Polymers are materials widely used in biomedical science because of their biocompatibility, and good mechanical properties (which, in some cases, are similar to those of human tissues); however, these materials are, in general, chemically and biologically inert. Surface characteristics, such as topography (at the macro-, micro, and nanoscale), surface chemistry, surface energy, charge or wettability are interrelated properties, and they cooperatively influence the biological performance of materials when used for biomedical applications. They regulate the biological response at the implant/tissue interface (e.g., influencing the cell adhesion, cell orientation, cell motility, etc.). Several surface processing techniques have been explored to modulate these properties for biomedical applications. Despite their potentials, these methods have limitations that prevent their applicability. In this regard, laser-based methods, in particular laser surface texturing (LST), can be an interesting alternative. Different works have showed the potentiality of this technique to control the surface properties of biomedical polymers and enhance their biological performance; however, more research is needed to obtain the desired biological response. This work provides a general overview of the basics and applications of LST for the surface modification of polymers currently used in the clinical practice (e.g. PEEK, UHMWPE, PP, etc.). The modification of roughness, wettability, and their impact on the biological response is addressed to offer new insights on the surface modification of biomedical polymers.

Synthesis of nano-textured biocompatible scaffolds from chicken eggshells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asghar, Waseem; Ilyas, Azhar; Sankaran, Jeyantt; Wan Yuan; Iqbal, Samir M; Kim, Young-Tae

2012-01-01

Cell adhesion, morphology and growth are influenced by surface topography at nano and micrometer scales. Nano-textured surfaces are prepared using photolithography, plasma etching and long polymer chemical etching which are cost prohibitive and require specialized equipment. This article demonstrates a simple approach to synthesize nano-textured scaffolds from chicken eggshells. Varieties of pattern are made on the eggshells like micro-needle forests and nanopores, giving very uniform nano-textures to the surfaces. The surfaces are characterized for chemical composition and crystal phase. The novel patterns are transferred to PDMS surfaces and the nano-textured PDMS surfaces are used to study the effect of texturing on human fibroblast cell growth and attachment. The effects of surface topographies, along with laminin coating on cell cultures, are also studied. We find an exciting phenomenon that the initial seeding density of the fibroblast cells affects the influence of the nano-texturing on cell growth. These nano-textured surfaces give 16 times more fibroblast growth when compared to flat PDMS surfaces. The novel nano-textured patterns also double the laminin adsorption on PDMS. (paper)

Arc-textured metal surfaces for high thermal emittance space radiators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banks, B.A.; Rutledge, S.K.; Mirtich, M.J.; Behrend, T.; Hotes, D.; Kussmaul, M.; Barry, J.; Stidham, C.; Stueber, T.; DiFilippo, F.

1994-01-01

Carbon arc electrical discharges struck across the surfaces of metals such as Nb-1% Zr, alter the morphology to produce a high thermal emittance surface. Metal from the surface and carbon from the arc electrode vaporize during arcing, and then condense on the metal surface to produce a microscopically rough surface having a high thermal emittance. Quantitative spectral reflectance measurements from 0.33 to 15 μm were made on metal surfaces which were carbon arc treated in an inert gas environment. The resulting spectral reflectance data were then used to calculate thermal emittance as a function of temperature for various methods of arc treatment. The results of arc treatment on various metals are presented for both ac and dc arcs. Surface characterization data, including thermal emittance as a function of temperature, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic oxygen durability, are also presented. Ac arc texturing was found to increase the thermal emittance at 800 K from 0.05. to 0.70

Texture-based segmentation with Gabor filters, wavelet and pyramid decompositions for extracting individual surface features from areal surface topography maps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Senin, Nicola; Leach, Richard K; Pini, Stefano; Blunt, Liam A

2015-01-01

Areal topography segmentation plays a fundamental role in those surface metrology applications concerned with the characterisation of individual topography features. Typical scenarios include the dimensional inspection and verification of micro-structured surface features, and the identification and characterisation of localised defects and other random singularities. While morphological segmentation into hills or dales is the only partitioning operation currently endorsed by the ISO specification standards on surface texture metrology, many other approaches are possible, in particular adapted from the literature on digital image segmentation. In this work an original segmentation approach is introduced and discussed, where topography partitioning is driven by information collected through the application of texture characterisation transforms popular in digital image processing. Gabor filters, wavelets and pyramid decompositions are investigated and applied to a selected set of test cases. The behaviour, performance and limitations of the proposed approach are discussed from the viewpoint of the identification and extraction of individual surface topography features. (paper)

Texture and wettability of metallic lotus leaves

Science.gov (United States)

Frankiewicz, C.; Attinger, D.

2016-02-01

Superhydrophobic surfaces with the self-cleaning behavior of lotus leaves are sought for drag reduction and phase change heat transfer applications. These superrepellent surfaces have traditionally been fabricated by random or deterministic texturing of a hydrophobic material. Recently, superrepellent surfaces have also been made from hydrophilic materials, by deterministic texturing using photolithography, without low-surface energy coating. Here, we show that hydrophilic materials can also be made superrepellent to water by chemical texturing, a stochastic rather than deterministic process. These metallic surfaces are the first analog of lotus leaves, in terms of wettability, texture and repellency. A mechanistic model is also proposed to describe the influence of multiple tiers of roughness on wettability and repellency. This demonstrated ability to make hydrophilic materials superrepellent without deterministic structuring or additional coatings opens the way to large scale and robust manufacturing of superrepellent surfaces.Superhydrophobic surfaces with the self-cleaning behavior of lotus leaves are sought for drag reduction and phase change heat transfer applications. These superrepellent surfaces have traditionally been fabricated by random or deterministic texturing of a hydrophobic material. Recently, superrepellent surfaces have also been made from hydrophilic materials, by deterministic texturing using photolithography, without low-surface energy coating. Here, we show that hydrophilic materials can also be made superrepellent to water by chemical texturing, a stochastic rather than deterministic process. These metallic surfaces are the first analog of lotus leaves, in terms of wettability, texture and repellency. A mechanistic model is also proposed to describe the influence of multiple tiers of roughness on wettability and repellency. This demonstrated ability to make hydrophilic materials superrepellent without deterministic structuring or additional

Nitrogen isotope ratios in surface and sub-surface soil horizons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rennie, D.A.; Paul, E.A.

1975-01-01

Nitrogen isotope analysis of surface soils and soil-derived nitrate for selected chernozemic and luvisolic soils showed mean delta 15 N values of 11.7 and 11.3, respectively. Isotope enrichment of the total N reached a maximum in the lower B horizon. Sub-soil parent material samples from the one deep profile included in the study indicated a delta 15 N value (NO 3 -N) of 1/3 that of the Ap horizon, at a depth of 180 cm. The delta 15 N of sub-surface soil horizons containing residual fertilizer N were low (-2.2) compared to the surface horizon (9.9). The data reported from this preliminary survey suggest that the natural variations in 15 N abundance between different soils and horizons of the same soil reflect the cumulative effects of soil genesis and soil management. More detailed knowledge and understanding of biological and other processes which control N isotope concentrations in these soils must be obtained before the data reported can be interpreted. (author)

Fast Characterization of Moving Samples with Nano-Textured Surfaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Morten Hannibal; Hansen, Poul-Erik; Zalkovskij, Maksim

2015-01-01

Characterization of structures using conventional optical microscopy is restricted by the diffraction limit. Techniques like atomic force and scanning electron microscopy can investigate smaller structures but are very time consuming. We show that using scatterometry, a technique based on optical...... diffraction, integrated into a commercial light microscope we can characterize nano-textured surfaces in a few milliseconds. The adapted microscope has two detectors, a CCD camera used to easily find an area of interest and a spectrometer for the measurements. We demonstrate that the microscope has...

Modeling of liquid–gas meniscus for textured surfaces: effects of curvature and local slip length

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaddam, Anvesh; Garg, Mayank; Agrawal, Amit; Joshi, Suhas S

2015-01-01

Surface texturing at the micro/nanolevel allows air to be trapped in sufficiently small cavities, thereby reducing the flow resistance over the surface in the laminar regime. The nature of the liquid–gas meniscus plays an important role in defining the boundary condition and it depends on the flow conditions and geometrical properties of textures. In the present work, we employ the unsteady volume of fluid model to investigate the behavior of the liquid–gas meniscus for ridges arranged normal to the flow direction to substantiate the frictional resistance of flow in a microchannel. It is found that the assumption of ‘zero shear stress’ at the liquid–gas interface grossly overpredicts the effective slip length with meniscus curvature and local partial slip length playing the dominant role. Numerical simulations performed in the laminar regime (20  <  Re  <  120) over single layered ridges normal to the flow direction revealed the effect of texture geometry on the reduction in pressure drop. In single layered structures, lotus-like geometries exhibited a greater reduction in drag (more than 30%) when compared to all other texture geometries. It is recognized that the flow experiences expansion and contraction cycles as it flows over the transverse ridges increasing the frictional resistance. Our findings will help to modify the boundary condition at the liquid–gas meniscus for accurate modeling in the laminar regime and to optimize the texture geometry to improve drag reduction. (paper)

Altering textural properties of fermented milk by using surface-engineered Lactococcus lactis.

Science.gov (United States)

Tarazanova, Mariya; Huppertz, Thom; Kok, Jan; Bachmann, Herwig

2018-05-09

Lactic acid bacteria are widely used for the fermentation of dairy products. While bacterial acidification rates, proteolytic activity and the production of exopolysaccharides are known to influence textural properties of fermented milk products, little is known about the role of the microbial surface on microbe-matrix interactions in dairy products. To investigate how alterations of the bacterial cell surface affect fermented milk properties, 25 isogenic Lactococcus lactis strains that differed with respect to surface charge, hydrophobicity, cell chaining, cell-clumping, attachment to milk proteins, pili expression and EPS production were used to produce fermented milk. We show that overexpression of pili increases surface hydrophobicity of various strains from 3-19% to 94-99%. A profound effect of different cell surface properties was an altered spatial distribution of the cells in the fermented product. Aggregated cells tightly fill the cavities of the protein matrix, while chaining cells seem to be localized randomly. A positive correlation was found between pili overexpression and viscosity and gel hardness of fermented milk. Gel hardness also positively correlated with clumping of cells in the fermented milk. Viscosity of fermented milk was also higher when it was produced with cells with a chaining phenotype or with cells that overexpress exopolysaccharides. Our results show that alteration of cell surface morphology affects textural parameters of fermented milk and cell localization in the product. This is indicative of a cell surface-dependent potential of bacterial cells as structure elements in fermented foods. © 2018 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

A trench study to assess transfer of pesticides in subsurface lateral flow for a soil with contrasting texture on a sloping vineyard in Beaujolais.

Science.gov (United States)

Peyrard, X; Liger, L; Guillemain, C; Gouy, V

2016-01-01

Subsurface lateral flow in both texture-contrast soils and catchments with shallow bedrock is suspected to be a non-point source of contamination of watercourses by pesticides used in agriculture. As a case study, the north of the Beaujolais region (eastern France) provides a favorable environment for such contamination due to its agro-pedo-climatic conditions. Environments seen in the Beaujolais region include intense viticulture, permeable and shallow soils, steep hillslopes, and storms that occur during the periods of pesticide application. Watercourse contamination by pesticides has been widely observed in this region, and offsite pesticide transport by subsurface lateral flow is suspected to be involved in diffuse and chronic presence of pesticides in surface water. In order to confirm and quantify the potential role of such processes in pesticide transfer, an automated trench system has been designed. The trench was set up on a steep farmed hillslope in a texture-contrast soil. It was equipped with a tipping bucket flow meter and an automatic sampler to monitor pesticide concentrations in lateral flow at fine resolution, by means of a flow-dependent sampling strategy. Four pesticides currently used in vine growing were studied to provide a range of mobility properties: one insecticide (chlorpyrifos-methyl) and three fungicides (spiroxamine, tebuconazole, and dimethomorph). With this system, it was possible to study pesticide concentration dynamics in the subsurface lateral flow, generated by substantial rainfall events following pesticide applications. The experimental design ascertained to be a suitable method in which to monitor subsurface lateral flow and related transfer of pesticides.

Plant absorption of trace elements in sludge amended soils and correlation with soil chemical speciation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Torri, Silvana, E-mail: torri@agro.uba.ar [Catedra de Fertilidad y Fertilizantes, Facultad de Agronomia, UBA, Avda San Martin 4453, Buenos Aires (C1417 DSE) (Argentina); Lavado, Raul [Catedra de Fertilidad y Fertilizantes, Facultad de Agronomia, UBA, Avda San Martin 4453, Buenos Aires (C1417 DSE) (Argentina)

2009-07-30

The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between Lolium perenne L. uptake of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn in sludge amended soils and soil availability of these elements assessed by soil sequential extraction. A greenhouse experiment was set with three representative soils of the Pampas Region, Argentina, amended with sewage sludge and sewage sludge enriched with its own incinerated ash. After the stabilization period of 60 days, half of the pots were sampled for soil analysis; the rest of the pots were sown with L. perenne and harvested 8, 12, 16 and 20 weeks after sowing, by cutting just above the soil surface. Cadmium and Pb concentrations in aerial tissues of L. perenne were below detection limits, in good agreement with the soil fractionation study. Copper and Zn concentration in the first harvest were significantly higher in the coarse textured soil compared to the fine textured soil, in contrast with soil chemical speciation. In the third harvest, there was a positive correlation between Cu and Zn concentration in aerial biomass and soil fractions usually considered of low availability. We conclude that the most available fractions obtained by soil sequential extraction did not provide the best indicator of Cu and Zn availability to L. perenne.

Plant absorption of trace elements in sludge amended soils and correlation with soil chemical speciation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torri, Silvana; Lavado, Raul

2009-01-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between Lolium perenne L. uptake of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn in sludge amended soils and soil availability of these elements assessed by soil sequential extraction. A greenhouse experiment was set with three representative soils of the Pampas Region, Argentina, amended with sewage sludge and sewage sludge enriched with its own incinerated ash. After the stabilization period of 60 days, half of the pots were sampled for soil analysis; the rest of the pots were sown with L. perenne and harvested 8, 12, 16 and 20 weeks after sowing, by cutting just above the soil surface. Cadmium and Pb concentrations in aerial tissues of L. perenne were below detection limits, in good agreement with the soil fractionation study. Copper and Zn concentration in the first harvest were significantly higher in the coarse textured soil compared to the fine textured soil, in contrast with soil chemical speciation. In the third harvest, there was a positive correlation between Cu and Zn concentration in aerial biomass and soil fractions usually considered of low availability. We conclude that the most available fractions obtained by soil sequential extraction did not provide the best indicator of Cu and Zn availability to L. perenne.

Sliding behavior of oil droplets on nanosphere stacking layers with different surface textures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hsieh, Chien-Te; Wu, Fang-Lin; Chen, Wei-Yu

2010-01-01

Two facile coating techniques, gravitational sediment and spin coating, were applied for the creation of silica sphere stacking layers with different textures onto glass substrates that display various sliding abilities toward liquid drops with different surface tensions, ranged from 25.6 to 72.3 mN/m. The resulting silica surface exhibits oil repellency, long-period durability > 30 days, and oil sliding capability. The two-tier texture offers a better roll-off ability toward liquid drops with a wide range of γ L , ranged from 30.2 to 72.3 mN/m, i.e., when the sliding angle (SA) ad ) appears to describe the sliding behavior within the W ad region: 2.20-3.03 mN/m. The smaller W ad , the easier drop sliding (i.e., the smaller SA value) takes place on the surfaces. The W ad value ∼3.03 mN/m shows a critical kinetic barrier for drop sliding on the silica surfaces from stationary to movement states. This work proposes a mathematical model to simulate the sliding behavior of oil drops on a nanosphere stacking layer, confirming the anti-oil contamination capability.

Grazing moderates increases in C3 grass abundance over seven decades across a soil texture gradient in shortgrass steppe

Science.gov (United States)

Questions: How does long-term grazing exclusion influence plant community composition in a semiarid grassland? Can spatial variation in the effects of grazing exclusion be explained by variation in soil texture? Location: The shortgrass steppe of northeastern Colorado, USA, located in the North Amer...

Assessing Asphalt and Concrete Pavement Surface Texture in the Field

OpenAIRE

Saad I. Sarsam; Huda N. Al Shareef

2016-01-01

The incorporation of safety characteristics into the traditional pavement structural design or in the functional evaluation of pavement condition has not been established yet. The design has focused on the structural capacity of the roadway so that the pavement can withstand specific level of repetitive loading over the design life. On the other hand, the surface texture condition was neither included in the AASHTO design procedure nor in the present serviceability index measurements. The ...

Effects of textural and surface characteristics of microporous activated carbons on the methane adsorption capacity at high pressures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bastos-Neto, M.; Canabrava, D.V.; Torres, A.E.B.; Rodriguez-Castellon, E.; Jimenez-Lopez, A.; Azevedo, D.C.S.; Cavalcante, C.L.

2007-01-01

The objective of this study is to relate textural and surface characteristics of selected microporous activated carbons to their methane storage capacity. In this work, a magnetic suspension balance (Rubotherm, Germany) was used to measure methane adsorption isotherms of several activated carbon samples. Textural characteristics were assessed by nitrogen adsorption on a regular surface area analyzer (Autosorb-MP, by Quantachrome, USA). N 2 adsorption was analysed by conventional models (BET, DR, HK) and by Monte Carlo molecular simulations. Elemental and surface analyses were performed by X-ray photoelectronic spectroscopy (XPS) for the selected samples. A comparative analysis was then carried out with the purpose of defining some correlation among the variables under study. For the system under study, pore size distribution and micropore volume seem to be a determining factor as long as the solid surface is perfectly hydrophobic. It was concluded that the textural parameters per se do not unequivocally determine natural gas storage capacities. Surface chemistry and methane adsorption equilibria must be taken into account in the decision-making process of choosing an adsorbent for gas storage

Development of a surface topography instrument for automotive textured steel plate

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhen; Wang, Shenghuai; Chen, Yurong; Xie, Tiebang

2010-08-01

The surface topography of automotive steel plate is decisive to its stamping, painting and image clarity performances. For measuring this kind of surface topography, an instrument has been developed based on the principle of vertical scanning white light microscopy interference principle. The microscopy interference system of this instrument is designed based on the structure of Linnik interference microscopy. The 1D worktable of Z direction is designed and introduced in details. The work principle of this instrument is analyzed. In measuring process, the interference microscopy is derived as a whole and the measured surface is scanned in vertical direction. The measurement accuracy and validity is verified by templates. Surface topography of textured steel plate is also measured by this instrument.

X-Ray Computed Tomography Reveals the Response of Root System Architecture to Soil Texture1[OPEN

Science.gov (United States)

Rogers, Eric D.; Monaenkova, Daria; Mijar, Medhavinee; Goldman, Daniel I.

2016-01-01

Root system architecture (RSA) impacts plant fitness and crop yield by facilitating efficient nutrient and water uptake from the soil. A better understanding of the effects of soil on RSA could improve crop productivity by matching roots to their soil environment. We used x-ray computed tomography to perform a detailed three-dimensional quantification of changes in rice (Oryza sativa) RSA in response to the physical properties of a granular substrate. We characterized the RSA of eight rice cultivars in five different growth substrates and determined that RSA is the result of interactions between genotype and growth environment. We identified cultivar-specific changes in RSA in response to changing growth substrate texture. The cultivar Azucena exhibited low RSA plasticity in all growth substrates, whereas cultivar Bala root depth was a function of soil hardness. Our imaging techniques provide a framework to study RSA in different growth environments, the results of which can be used to improve root traits with agronomic potential. PMID:27208237

Orbital selective spin-texture in a topological insulator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singh, Bahadur, E-mail: bahadursingh24@gmail.com; Prasad, R. [Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur 208016 (India)

2015-05-15

Three-dimensional topological insulators support a metallic non-trivial surface state with unique spin texture, where spin and momentum are locked perpendicular to each other. In this work, we investigate the orbital selective spin-texture associated with the topological surface states in Sb2Te{sub 3}, using the first principles calculations. Sb2Te{sub 3} is a strong topological insulator with a p-p type bulk band inversion at the Γ-point and supports a single topological metallic surface state with upper (lower) Dirac-cone has left (right) handed spin-texture. Here, we show that the topological surface state has an additional locking between the spin and orbitals, leading to an orbital selective spin-texture. The out-of-plane orbitals (p{sub z} orbitals) have an isotropic orbital texture for both the Dirac cones with an associated left and right handed spin-texture for the upper and lower Dirac cones, respectively. In contrast, the in-planar orbital texture (p{sub x} and p{sub y} projections) is tangential for the upper Dirac-cone and is radial for the lower Dirac-cone surface state. The dominant in-planar orbital texture in both the Dirac cones lead to a right handed orbital-selective spin-texture.

Performance of two-lobe hole-entry hybrid journal bearing system under the combined influence of textured surface and couple stress lubricant

Science.gov (United States)

Khatri, Chandra B.; Sharma, Satish C.

2018-02-01

Textured surface in journal bearings is becoming an important area of investigation during the last few years. Surface textures have the shapes of micro-dimple with a small diameter and depth having order of magnitude of bearing clearance. This paper presents the influence of couple stress lubricant on the circular and non-circular hole-entry hybrid journal bearing system and reports the comparative study between the textured and non-textured circular/non-circular hybrid journal bearing system. The governing Reynolds equation has been modified for the couple stress lubricant flow in the clearance of bearing and journal. The FEM technique has been applied to solve the modified Reynolds equation together with restrictor flow equation. The numerically simulated results indicate that the influence of couple stress lubricant is significantly more in textured journal bearing than that of non-textured journal bearing. Further, it has been observed that the textured two-lobe (δ = 1.1) hybrid journal bearing lubricated with couple stress lubricant provides larger values of fluid film stiffness coefficients and stability threshold speed against other bearings studied in the present paper.

TEXTURAL FRACTOGRAPHY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hynek Lauschmann

2011-05-01

Full Text Available The reconstitution of the history of a fatigue process is based on the knowledge of any correspondences between the morphology of the crack surface and the velocity of the crack growth (crack growth rate - CGR. The textural fractography is oriented to mezoscopic SEM magnifications (30 to 500x. Images contain complicated textures without distinct borders. The aim is to find any characteristics of this texture, which correlate with CGR. Pre-processing of images is necessary to obtain a homogeneous texture. Three methods of textural analysis have been developed and realized as computational programs: the method based on the spectral structure of the image, the method based on a Gibbs random field (GRF model, and the method based on the idealization of light objects into a fibre process. In order to extract and analyze the fibre process, special methods - tracing fibres and a database-oriented analysis of a fibre process - have been developed.

Changes in physical conditions of a coarse textured soil by addition of organic wastes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melis Cercioglu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Effects of composted tobacco waste, chicken manure and bio-humus applied during a period of three years on a coarse textured soil (Typic Xerofluvent at Agriculture Faculty’s Research and Practise Farmyard of Ege University located on Menemen plain (Izmir, Turkey on soil physical properties were studied. The experiment was arranged in a randomized block design on 16 plots with four replications. Each plot size was 5x3 m2. Composted tobacco waste (CTW from cigarette industry and chicken manure (CM and bio-humus (BH from plant residuals were applied at rates of 50 t ha-1, 4 t ha-1, 10 t ha-1,respectively. Inorganic fertilizers (N-P-K are also added with chicken manure and bio-humus plots. Tobacco wastes obtained from cigarette industry were used after composting. The addition of organic wastes resulted in a significant (p≤0.05 decrease in bulk density (BD; increase in porosity (PO, field capacity (FC, wilting point (WP, available water content (AWC and structure stability index (SSI of soil samples when compared to the control.

Frictional Performance Assessment of Cemented Carbide Surfaces Textured by Laser

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, S.; Llanes, L.; Klein, S.; Gachot, C.; Rosenkranz, A.; Bähre, D.; Mücklich, F.

2017-10-01

Cemented carbides are advanced engineering materials often used in industry for manufacturing cutting tools or supporting parts in tribological system. In order to improve service life, special attention has been paid to change surface conditions by means of different methods, since surface modification can be beneficial to reduce the friction between the contact surfaces as well as to avoid unintended damage. Laser surface texturing is one of the newly developed surface modification methods. It has been successfully introduced to fabricate some basic patterns on cemented carbide surfaces. In this work, Direct Laser Interference Patterning Technique (DLIP) is implemented to produce special line-like patterns on a cobalt (Co) and nickel (Ni) based cemented tungsten carbide grade. It is proven that the laser-produced patterns have high geometrical precision and quality stability. Furthermore, tribology testing using a nano-tribometer unit shows that friction is reduced by the line-like patterns, as compared to the polished one, under both lubricated and dry testing regimes, and the reduction is more pronounced in the latter case.

Microstructure and Texture in Surface Deformation Layer of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu Alloy Processed by Milling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

CHEN Yanxia

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The microstructural and crystallographic features of the surface deformation layer in Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy induced by milling were investigated by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM and precession electron diffraction (PED assisted nanoscale orientation mapping. The result shows that the surface deformation layer is composed by the top surface of equiaxed nanograins/ultrafine grains and the subsurface of lamellar nanograins/ultrafine grains surrounded by coarse grain boundary precipitates (GBPs. The recrystallized nanograins/ultrafine grains in the deformation layer show direct evidence that dynamic recrystallization plays an important role in grain refining process. The GBPs and grain interior precipitates (GIPs show a great difference in size and density with the matrix due to the thermally and mechanically induced precipitate redistribution. The crystallographic texture of the surface deformation layer is proved to be a mixture of approximate copper{112}, rotated cube{001} and F {111}. The severe shear deformation of the surface induced by milling is responsible for the texture evolution.

Inclusion of Solar Elevation Angle in Land Surface Albedo Parameterization Over Bare Soil Surface.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Zhiyuan; Wei, Zhigang; Wen, Zhiping; Dong, Wenjie; Li, Zhenchao; Wen, Xiaohang; Zhu, Xian; Ji, Dong; Chen, Chen; Yan, Dongdong

2017-12-01

Land surface albedo is a significant parameter for maintaining a balance in surface energy. It is also an important parameter of bare soil surface albedo for developing land surface process models that accurately reflect diurnal variation characteristics and the mechanism behind the solar spectral radiation albedo on bare soil surfaces and for understanding the relationships between climate factors and spectral radiation albedo. Using a data set of field observations, we conducted experiments to analyze the variation characteristics of land surface solar spectral radiation and the corresponding albedo over a typical Gobi bare soil underlying surface and to investigate the relationships between the land surface solar spectral radiation albedo, solar elevation angle, and soil moisture. Based on both solar elevation angle and soil moisture measurements simultaneously, we propose a new two-factor parameterization scheme for spectral radiation albedo over bare soil underlying surfaces. The results of numerical simulation experiments show that the new parameterization scheme can more accurately depict the diurnal variation characteristics of bare soil surface albedo than the previous schemes. Solar elevation angle is one of the most important factors for parameterizing bare soil surface albedo and must be considered in the parameterization scheme, especially in arid and semiarid areas with low soil moisture content. This study reveals the characteristics and mechanism of the diurnal variation of bare soil surface solar spectral radiation albedo and is helpful in developing land surface process models, weather models, and climate models.

Fusion of geometric and texture features for finger knuckle surface recognition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Usha

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Hand-based biometrics plays a significant role in establishing security for real-time environments involving human interaction and is found to be more successful in terms of high speed and accuracy. This paper investigates on an integrated approach for personal authentication using Finger Back Knuckle Surface (FBKS based on two methodologies viz., Angular Geometric Analysis based Feature Extraction Method (AGFEM and Contourlet Transform based Feature Extraction Method (CTFEM. Based on these methods, this personal authentication system simultaneously extracts shape oriented feature information and textural pattern information of FBKS for authenticating an individual. Furthermore, the proposed geometric and textural analysis methods extract feature information from both proximal phalanx and distal phalanx knuckle regions (FBKS, while the existing works of the literature concentrate only on the features of proximal phalanx knuckle region. The finger joint region found nearer to the tip of the finger is called distal phalanx region of FBKS, which is a unique feature and has greater potentiality toward identification. Extensive experiments conducted using newly created database with 5400 FBKS images and the obtained results infer that the integration of shape oriented features with texture feature information yields excellent accuracy rate of 99.12% with lowest equal error rate of 1.04%.

Bio-inspired design of ice-retardant devices based on benthic marine invertebrates: the effect of surface texture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Homayun Mehrabani

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Growth of ice on surfaces poses a challenge for both organisms and for devices that come into contact with liquids below the freezing point. Resistance of some organisms to ice formation and growth, either in subtidal environments (e.g., Antarctic anchor ice, or in environments with moisture and cold air (e.g., plants, intertidal begs examination of how this is accomplished. Several factors may be important in promoting or mitigating ice formation. As a start, here we examine the effect of surface texture alone. We tested four candidate surfaces, inspired by hard-shelled marine invertebrates and constructed using a three-dimensional printing process. We examined sub-polar marine organisms to develop sample textures and screened them for ice formation and accretion in submerged conditions using previous methods for comparison to data for Antarctic organisms. The sub-polar organisms tested were all found to form ice readily. We also screened artificial 3-D printed samples using the same previous methods, and developed a new test to examine ice formation from surface droplets as might be encountered in environments with moist, cold air. Despite limitations inherent to our techniques, it appears surface texture plays only a small role in delaying the onset of ice formation: a stripe feature (corresponding to patterning found on valves of blue mussels, Mytilus edulis, or on the spines of the Antarctic sea urchin Sterechinus neumayeri slowed ice formation an average of 25% compared to a grid feature (corresponding to patterning found on sub-polar butterclams, Saxidomas nuttalli. The geometric dimensions of the features have only a small (∼6% effect on ice formation. Surface texture affects ice formation, but does not explain by itself the large variation in ice formation and species-specific ice resistance observed in other work. This suggests future examination of other factors, such as material elastic properties and surface coatings, and their

A plateau–valley separation method for textured surfaces with a deterministic pattern

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Godi, Alessandro; Kühle, Anders; De Chiffre, Leonardo

2014-01-01

The effective characterization of textured surfaces presenting a deterministic pattern of lubricant reservoirs is an issue with which many researchers are nowadays struggling. Existing standards are not suitable for the characterization of such surfaces, providing at times values without physical...... meaning. A new method based on the separation between the plateau and valley regions is hereby presented allowing independent functional analyses of the detected features. The determination of a proper threshold between plateaus and valleys is the first step of a procedure resulting in an efficient...

Optimization of surface morphology and scattering properties of TCO/AIT textured glass front electrode for thin film solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Addonizio, M.L., E-mail: marialuisa.addonizio@enea.it; Fusco, L.; Antonaia, A.; Cominale, F.; Usatii, I.

2015-12-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Aluminium induced texture (AIT) method has been used for obtaining highly textured glass substrates. • The effect of wet etch step on morphological and optical properties has been analyzed. • The morphology features have been optimized in order to obtain the best scattering properties. • Different ZnO surface textures, depending on the underlying glass substrate structures, are obtained. • The effect of different glass texture on optical confinement has been tested in a-Si:H devices. - Abstract: Aluminium induced texture (AIT) method has been used for obtaining highly textured glass substrate suitable for silicon based thin film solar cell technology. Wet etch step parameters of AIT process have been varied and effect of different etchants and different etching times on morphological and optical properties has been analyzed. The resulting morphology features (shape, size distribution, inclination angle) have been optimized in order to obtain the best scattering properties. ZnO:Ga (GZO) films have been deposited by sputtering technique on AIT-processed glass. Two different ZnO surface morphologies have been obtained, strongly depending on the underlying glass substrate morphology induced by different etching times. Very rough and porous texture (σ{sub rms} ∼ 150 nm) was obtained on glass etched 2 min showing cauliflower-like structure, whereas a softer texture (σ{sub rms} ∼ 78 nm) was obtained on glass etched 7 min giving wider and smoother U-shaped craters. The effect of different glass textures on optical confinement has been tested in amorphous silicon based p-i-n devices. Devices fabricated on GZO/high textured glass showed a quantum efficiency enhancement due to both an effective light trapping phenomenon and an effective anti-reflective optical behaviour. Short etching time produce smaller cavities (<1 μm) with deep U-shape characterized by high roughness, high inclination angle and low autocorrelation

Multi-Scale Texturing of Metallic Surfaces for High Performance Military Systems

Science.gov (United States)

2015-08-17

AISI 440C stainless steel balls of 3 mm radius and 690 HV hardness. The sliding time (20 min), amplitude (10.5 mm), frequency (1.5 Hz) and normal...texture form (e. g., micro-scale topography) on surface integrity measures and tribological wear performance were quantified. The ensuing results are... Tribological Applications, Submitted for publication (08 2015) TOTAL: 2 Books Number of Manuscripts: Patents Submitted Patents Awarded Awards Graduate Students

Visual soil evaluation - future research requirements

Science.gov (United States)

Emmet-Booth, Jeremy; Forristal, Dermot; Fenton, Owen; Ball, Bruce; Holden, Nick

2017-04-01

A review of Visual Soil Evaluation (VSE) techniques (Emmet-Booth et al., 2016) highlighted their established utility for soil quality assessment, though some limitations were identified; (1) The examination of aggregate size, visible intra-porosity and shape forms a key assessment criterion in almost all methods, thus limiting evaluation to structural form. The addition of criteria that holistically examine structure may be desirable. For example, structural stability can be indicated using dispersion tests or examining soil surface crusting, while the assessment of soil colour may indirectly indicate soil organic matter content, a contributor to stability. Organic matter assessment may also indicate structural resilience, along with rooting, earthworm numbers or shrinkage cracking. (2) Soil texture may influence results or impeded method deployment. Modification of procedures to account for extreme texture variation is desirable. For example, evidence of compaction in sandy or single grain soils greatly differs to that in clayey soils. Some procedures incorporate separate classification systems or adjust deployment based on texture. (3) Research into impacts of soil moisture content on VSE evaluation criteria is required. Criteria such as rupture resistance and shape may be affected by moisture content. It is generally recommended that methods are deployed on moist soils and quantification of influences of moisture variation on results is necessary. (4) Robust sampling strategies for method deployment are required. Dealing with spatial variation differs between methods, but where methods can be deployed over large areas, clear instruction on sampling is required. Additionally, as emphasis has been placed on the agricultural production of soil, so the ability of VSE for exploring structural quality in terms of carbon storage, water purification and biodiversity support also requires research. References Emmet-Booth, J.P., Forristal. P.D., Fenton, O., Ball, B

Influence of citric acid on the surface texture of glass ionomer restorative materials

OpenAIRE

Reddy, Dappili Swami Ranga; Kumar, Ramachandran Anil; Venkatesan, Sokkalingam Mothilal; Narayan, Gopal Shankar; Duraivel, Dasarathan; Indra, Rajamani

2014-01-01

Aim: This study determined the effectiveness of G-coat plus surface protective agent over petroleum jelly on the surface texture of conventional Glass ionomer restorative materials. Materials and Methods: Three chemically cured conventional glass ionomer restorative materials type II, type IX and ketac molar were evaluated in this study. Sixty specimens were made for each restorative material. They were divided into two groups of thirty specimens each. Of the sixty specimens, thirty were...

Light scattering effect of ITO:Zr/AZO films deposited on periodic textured glass surface morphologies for silicon thin film solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hussain, Shahzada Qamar [Sungkyunkwan University, Department of Energy Science, Suwon (Korea, Republic of); COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Department of Physics, Lahore (Pakistan); Kwon, Gi Duk; Kim, Sunbo; Balaji, Nagarajan; Shin, Chonghoon; Kim, Sangho; Khan, Shahbaz; Pribat, Didier [Sungkyunkwan University, Department of Energy Science, Suwon (Korea, Republic of); Ahn, Shihyun; Le, Anh Huy Tuan; Park, Hyeongsik; Raja, Jayapal; Lee, Youn-Jung [Sungkyunkwan University, College of Information and Communication Engineering, Suwon (Korea, Republic of); Razaq, Aamir [COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Department of Physics, Lahore (Pakistan); Velumani, S. [Sungkyunkwan University, College of Information and Communication Engineering, Suwon (Korea, Republic of); Department of Electrical Engineering (SEES), Mexico City (Mexico); Yi, Junsin [Sungkyunkwan University, Department of Energy Science, Suwon (Korea, Republic of); Sungkyunkwan University, College of Information and Communication Engineering, Suwon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-09-15

Various SF{sub 6}/Ar plasma-textured periodic glass surface morphologies for high transmittance, haze ratio and low sheet resistance of ITO:Zr films are reported. The SF{sub 6}/Ar plasma-textured glass surface morphologies were changed from low aspect ratio to high aspect ratio with the increase in RF power from 500 to 600 W. The micro- and nano-size features of textured glass surface morphologies enhanced the haze ratio in visible as well as NIR wavelength region. Micro-size textured features also influenced the sheet resistance and electrical characteristics of ITO:Zr films due to step coverage. The ITO:Zr/AZO bilayer was used as front TCO electrode for p-i-n amorphous silicon thin film solar cells with current density-voltage characteristics as: V{sub oc} = 875 mV, FF = 70.90 %, J{sub sc} = 11.31 mA/cm{sup 2}, η = 7.02 %. (orig.)

Basic exchangeable cations in Finnish mineral soils

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Armi Kaila

1972-09-01

Full Text Available The content of exchangeable Ca, Mg, K and Na replaced by neutral ammonium acetate was determined in 470 samples of mineral soils from various parts of Finland, except from Lapland. The amount of all these cations tended to increase with an increase in the clay content, but variation within each textural class was large, and the ranges usually overlapped those of the other classes. The higher acidity of virgin surface soils was connected with a lower average degree of saturation by Ca as compared with the corresponding textural classes of cultivated soils. No significant difference in the respective contents of other cations was detected. The samples of various textural groups from deeper layers were usually poorer in exchangeable Ca and K than the corresponding groups of plough layer. The mean content of exchangeable Mg was equal or even higher in the samples from deeper layers than in the samples from plough layer, except in the group of sand soils. The percentage of Mg of the effective CEC increased, as an average, from 9 in the sand and fine sand soils of plough layer to 30 in the heavy clay soils; in the heavy clay soils from deeper layers its mean value was 38 ± 4 %. In the samples of plough layer, the mean ratio of Ca to Mg in sand and fine sand soils was about 9, in silt and loam soils about 6, in the coarser clay soils about 4, and in heavy clay about 2.

High-resolution imaging of cellular processes across textured surfaces using an indexed-matched elastomer.

Science.gov (United States)

Ravasio, Andrea; Vaishnavi, Sree; Ladoux, Benoit; Viasnoff, Virgile

2015-03-01

Understanding and controlling how cells interact with the microenvironment has emerged as a prominent field in bioengineering, stem cell research and in the development of the next generation of in vitro assays as well as organs on a chip. Changing the local rheology or the nanotextured surface of substrates has proved an efficient approach to improve cell lineage differentiation, to control cell migration properties and to understand environmental sensing processes. However, introducing substrate surface textures often alters the ability to image cells with high precision, compromising our understanding of molecular mechanisms at stake in environmental sensing. In this paper, we demonstrate how nano/microstructured surfaces can be molded from an elastomeric material with a refractive index matched to the cell culture medium. Once made biocompatible, contrast imaging (differential interference contrast, phase contrast) and high-resolution fluorescence imaging of subcellular structures can be implemented through the textured surface using an inverted microscope. Simultaneous traction force measurements by micropost deflection were also performed, demonstrating the potential of our approach to study cell-environment interactions, sensing processes and cellular force generation with unprecedented resolution. Copyright © 2014 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Wafer Surface Charge Reversal as a Method of Simplifying Nanosphere Lithography for Reactive Ion Etch Texturing of Solar Cells

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Daniel Inns

2007-01-01

Full Text Available A simplified nanosphere lithography process has been developed which allows fast and low-waste maskings of Si surfaces for subsequent reactive ion etching (RIE texturing. Initially, a positive surface charge is applied to a wafer surface by dipping in a solution of aluminum nitrate. Dipping the positive-coated wafer into a solution of negatively charged silica beads (nanospheres results in the spheres becoming electrostatically attracted to the wafer surface. These nanospheres form an etch mask for RIE. After RIE texturing, the reflection of the surface is reduced as effectively as any other nanosphere lithography method, while this batch process used for masking is much faster, making it more industrially relevant.

Effect of Different Levels of Irrigation Water Salinity and Soil Texture on Growth and N Use Efficiency of Tomato and Melochia Grown in Rotation using 15N

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Darwish, T.M.; El Moujabber, M.; Atallah, T.; El Chami, D.

2008-01-01

Increasing water demands and water scarcity imply large farmer's reliance on groundwater on the coastal area leading to water salinization by seawater intrusion. Irrigation using saline water accumulates salts in the soil notably under protected agriculture leading to negative impact on yields. Consequently salt removal by leaching is required. Bioremediation of salt affected soils through a rotation acquires economic and environmental importance. Pot experiments were conducted under plastic house conditions on sandy soil (T1) and clay soil (T2). Three saline water treatments were used: low (S1=1.0 dS.m-1), moderate (S2=2.5 dS.m-1) and high (S3=5.0 dS.m-1). Tomato cv Tyrade (S and G seeds) was planted first, followed by Melochia or Jew's mallow (Corchorus olitorius) for remediation purposes. Each soil was placed in 24 pots and treatments were distributed randomly. Fertigation was done using drip method. Labeled nitrogen 15 N was used to trace the direct and residual effect of nitrogen under different saline conditions. Tomato yield, for the sandy soil, was negatively affected by the higher level of salinity. This effect could be attributed to the smaller buffering capacity of the sand soil. As a result of salinity, there was a remarkable increase in dry matter contents of fruits in the sandy soil only. Texture had a major effect on leaf area index (LAI) with better development in clay soil. Water consumption in the first 200 days of growth period did not show any significant difference among treatments with around 350-375 mm consumed. Nitrogen derived from fertilizers (% Ndff) was not affected by the soil texture or by the salinity. N yield and use efficiency were higher in the clay soil texture. Moreover, yield and Ndff in Melochia plants were negatively affected due to salt accumulation in the soil. Counting for all recovered N in the tomato-Melochia rotation, N use efficiency was higher in plants grown on clay soil (47%) compared to sandy soil (37.5%). (author)

High Performance of PEDOT:PSS/n-Si Solar Cells Based on Textured Surface with AgNWs Electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Xiangyu; Zhang, Pengbo; Zhang, Juan; Wang, Jilei; Li, Gaofei; Fang, Xiaohong; Yang, Liyou; Chen, Xiaoyuan

2018-02-01

Hybrid heterojunction solar cells (HHSCs) have gained extensive research and attention due to simple device structure and low-cost technological processes. Here, HHSCs are presented based on a highly transparent conductive polymer poly(3,4ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate)(PEDOT:PSS) directly spin-coated on an n-type crystalline silicon with microscale surface textures, which are prepared by traditional chemical etching. We have studied interface properties between PEDOT:PSS and textured n-Si by varying coating conditions. Final power conversion efficiency (PCE) could arrive at 8.54% by these simple solution-based fabrication processes. The high conversion efficiency is attributed to the fully conformal contact between PEDOT:PSS film and textured silicon. Furthermore, the reflectance of the PEDOT:PSS layer on textured surface is analyzed by changing film thickness. In order to improve the performance of the device, silver nanowires were employed as electrodes because of its better optical transmittance and electrical conductivity. The highest PCE of 11.07% was achieved which displayed a 29.6% enhancement compared with traditional silver electrodes. These findings imply that the combination of PEDOT:PSS film and silver nanowire transparent electrodes pave a promising way for realizing high-efficiency and low-cost solar cells.

Tribological Behavior of Laser Textured Hot Stamping Dies

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Andre Shihomatsu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Hot stamping of high strength steels has been continuously developed in the automotive industry to improve mechanical properties and surface quality of stamped components. One of the main challenges faced by researchers and technicians is to improve stamping dies lifetime by reducing the wear caused by high pressures and temperatures present during the process. This paper analyzes the laser texturing of hot stamping dies and discusses how different surfaces textures influence the lubrication and wear mechanisms. To this purpose, experimental tests and numerical simulation were carried out to define the die region to be texturized and to characterize the textured surface topography before and after hot stamping tests with a 3D surface profilometer and scanning electron microscopy. Results showed that laser texturing influences the lubrication at the interface die-hot sheet and improves die lifetime. In this work, the best texture presented dimples with the highest diameter, depth, and spacing, with the surface topography and dimples morphology practically preserved after the hot stamping tests.

Automatic inspection of textured surfaces by support vector machines

Science.gov (United States)

Jahanbin, Sina; Bovik, Alan C.; Pérez, Eduardo; Nair, Dinesh

2009-08-01

Automatic inspection of manufactured products with natural looking textures is a challenging task. Products such as tiles, textile, leather, and lumber project image textures that cannot be modeled as periodic or otherwise regular; therefore, a stochastic modeling of local intensity distribution is required. An inspection system to replace human inspectors should be flexible in detecting flaws such as scratches, cracks, and stains occurring in various shapes and sizes that have never been seen before. A computer vision algorithm is proposed in this paper that extracts local statistical features from grey-level texture images decomposed with wavelet frames into subbands of various orientations and scales. The local features extracted are second order statistics derived from grey-level co-occurrence matrices. Subsequently, a support vector machine (SVM) classifier is trained to learn a general description of normal texture from defect-free samples. This algorithm is implemented in LabVIEW and is capable of processing natural texture images in real-time.

Femtosecond laser surface texturing of titanium as a method to reduce the adhesion of Staphylococcus aureus and biofilm formation

Science.gov (United States)

Cunha, Alexandre; Elie, Anne-Marie; Plawinski, Laurent; Serro, Ana Paula; Botelho do Rego, Ana Maria; Almeida, Amélia; Urdaci, Maria C.; Durrieu, Marie-Christine; Vilar, Rui

2016-01-01

The aim of the present work was to investigate the possibility of using femtosecond laser surface texturing as a method to reduce the colonization of Grade 2 Titanium alloy surfaces by Staphylococcus aureus and the subsequent formation of biofilm. The laser treatments were carried out with a Yb:KYW chirped-pulse-regenerative amplification laser system with a central wavelength of 1030 nm and a pulse duration of 500 fs. Two types of surface textures, consisting of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) and nanopillars, were produced. The topography, chemical composition and phase constitution of these surfaces were investigated by atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, micro-Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Surface wettability was assessed by the sessile drop method using water and diiodomethane as testing liquids. The response of S. aureus put into contact with the laser treated surfaces in controlled conditions was investigated by epifluorescence microscopy and scanning electron microscopy 48 h after cell seeding. The results achieved show that the laser treatment reduces significantly the bacterial adhesion to the surface as well as biofilm formation as compared to a reference polished surfaces and suggest that femtosecond laser texturing is a simple and promising method for endowing dental and orthopedic titanium implants with antibacterial properties, reducing the risk of implant-associated infections without requiring immobilized antibacterial substances, nanoparticles or coatings.

Software measurement standards for areal surface texture parameters: part 2—comparison of software

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harris, P M; Smith, I M; Giusca, C; Leach, R K; Wang, C

2012-01-01

A companion paper in this issue describes reference software for the evaluation of areal surface texture parameters, focusing on the definitions of the parameters and giving details of the numerical algorithms employed in the software to implement those definitions. The reference software is used as a benchmark against which software in a measuring instrument can be compared. A data set is used as input to both the software under test and the reference software, and the results delivered by the software under test are compared with those provided by the reference software. This paper presents a comparison of the results returned by the reference software with those reported by proprietary software for surface texture measurement. Differences between the results can be used to identify where algorithms and software for evaluating the parameters differ. They might also be helpful in identifying where parameters are not sufficiently well-defined in standards. (paper)

Texturing in titanium grade 2 surface irradiate with ultrashort pulse laser; Texturizacao em superficies de titanio grau 2 irradiadas com laser com pulsos ultracurtos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nogueira, Alessandro Francelino

2015-07-01

The texturing laser micromachining is an important alternative to improve the bonding adhesion between composites and titanium, which are applied to structural components in the aerospace industry. The texturing running on titanium plates is due to the fact that the preferred joining technique for many composite materials is the adhesive bonding. In this work, titanium plates were texturized using laser ultrashort pulses temporal widths of femtoseconds. This process resulted in minimal heat transfer to the material, avoiding deformation of the titanium plate surface as well as the formation of resolidified material in the ablated region. These drawbacks have occurred with the use of nanoseconds pulses. Were performed three types of texturing using laser with femtosecond pulses, with variations in the distances between the machined lines. The analysis of the obtained surfaces found that the wettability increases when there is the increased distance between the texturing lines. Advancing in the analysis by optical profilometry of textured surfaces was observed that there is substantial increase in the volume available for penetration of structural adhesive when the distances between the textured lines are diminished. In tensile tests conducted it was observed that there is an increase in shear strength of the adhesive joint by reducing the distance between the textured lines. (author)

Neutron probe measurement of soil water content close to soil surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faleiros, M.C.; Ravelo S, A.; Souza, M.D. de

1993-01-01

The problem of neutron probe soil water content measurements close to soil surface is analysed from the spatial variability and also from the slow neutron loss to the atmosphere points of view. Results obtained on a dark red latosol of the county of Piracicaba, SP, indicate the possibility of precisely measuring the neutron sphere of influence when different media are used on soil surface. (author). 7 refs, 5 figs, 1 tab

Phosphorous gettering in acidic textured multicrystalline solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Montesdeoca-Santana, A. [Departamento de Fisica Basica, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofisico Francisco Sanchez 2, 38206 La Laguna, S/C de Tenerife (Spain); Fraunhofer Institut fuer Solare Energiesysteme ISE, Laboratory and Servicecenter Gelsenkirchen, Auf der Reihe 2, 45884 Gelsenkirchen (Germany); Jimenez-Rodriguez, E.; Diaz-Herrera, B.; Hernandez-Rodriguez, C. [Departamento de Fisica Basica, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofisico Francisco Sanchez 2, 38206 La Laguna, S/C de Tenerife (Spain); Gonzalez-Diaz, B. [Departamento de Fisica Basica, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofisico Francisco Sanchez 2, 38206 La Laguna, S/C de Tenerife (Spain); Departamento de Energia Fotovoltaica, Instituto Tecnologico y de Energias Renovables. Poligono Industrial de Granadilla s/n, 38600 San Isidro-Granadilla de Abona, S/C de Tenerife (Spain); Rinio, M.; Borchert, D. [Fraunhofer Institut fuer Solare Energiesysteme ISE, Laboratory and Servicecenter Gelsenkirchen, Auf der Reihe 2, 45884 Gelsenkirchen (Germany); Guerrero-Lemus, R. [Departamento de Fisica Basica, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofisico Francisco Sanchez 2, 38206 La Laguna, S/C de Tenerife (Spain); Fundacion de Estudios de Economia Aplicada, Catedra Focus-Abengoa, Jorge Juan 46, 28001 Madrid (Spain)

2011-03-15

The influence of phosphorus gettering is studied in this work applied to an acidic textured multicrystalline silicon substrate. The texturization was achieved with an HF/HNO{sub 3} solution leading to nanostructures on the silicon surface. It has been demonstrated in previous works that this textured surface decreases the reflectance on the solar cell and increases the surface area improving the photon collection and enhancing the short circuit current. The present study investigates the effect on the minority carrier lifetime of the phosphorous diffusion when it is carried out on this textured surface. The lifetime is measured by means microwave photoconductance decay and quasi steady state phototoconductance devices. The diffused textured wafers are used to fabricate solar cells and their electrical parameters are analyzed. (copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Visualization of soil structure and pore structure modifications by pioneering ground beetles (Cicindelidae) in surface sediments of an artificial catchment

Science.gov (United States)

Badorreck, Annika; Gerke, Horst H.; Weller, Ulrich; Vontobel, Peter

2010-05-01

An artificial catchment was constructed to study initial soil and ecosystem development. As a key process, the pore structure dynamics in the soil at the surface strongly influences erosion, infiltration, matter dynamics, and vegetation establishment. Little is known, however, about the first macropore formation in the very early stage. This presentation focuses on observations of soil pore geometry and its effect on water flow at the surface comparing samples from three sites in the catchment and in an adjacent "younger" site composed of comparable sediments. The surface soil was sampled in cylindrical plastic rings (10 cm³) down to 2 cm depth in three replicates each site and six where caves from pioneering ground-dwelling beetles Cicindelidae were found. The samples were scanned with micro-X-ray computed tomography (at UFZ-Halle, Germany) with a resolution of 0.084 mm. The infiltration dynamics were visualized with neutronradiography (at Paul-Scherer-Institute, Switzerland) on slab-type soil samples in 2D. The micro-tomographies exhibit formation of surface sealing whose thickness and intensity vary with silt and clay content. The CT images show several coarser- and finer-textured micro-layers at the sample surfaces that were formed as a consequence of repeated washing in of finer particles in underlying coarser sediment. In micro-depressions, the uppermost layers consist of sorted fine sand and silt due to wind erosion. Similar as for desert pavements, a vesicular pore structure developed in these sediments on top, but also scattered in fine sand- and silt-enriched micro-layers. The ground-dwelling activity of Cicindelidae beetles greatly modifies the soil structure through forming caves in the first centimetres of the soil. Older collapsed caves, which form isolated pores within mixed zones, were also found. The infiltration rates were severely affected both, by surface crusts and activity of ground-dwelling beetles. The observations demonstrate relatively

TEXTURAL DESCRIPTORS FOR MULTIPHASIC ORE PARTICLES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura Pérez-Barnuevo

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Monitoring of mineral processing circuits by means of particle liberation analysis through quantitative image analysis has become a routine technique within the last decades. Usually, liberation indices are computed as weight proportions, which is not informative enough when complex texture ores are treated by flotation. In these cases, liberation has to be computed as phase surface exposed to reactants, and textural relationships between minerals have to be characterized to determine the possibility of increasing exposure. In this paper, some indices to achieve a complete texture characterization have been developed in terms of 2D phase contact and mineral surfaces exposure. Indices suggested by other authors are also compared. The response of this set of parameters against textural changes has been explored on simple synthetic textures ranging from single to multiple inclusions and single to multiple veins and their ability to discriminate between different textural features is analyzed over real mineral particles with known internal structure.

Efficient rolling texture predictions and texture-sensitive thermomechanical properties of α-uranium foils

Science.gov (United States)

Steiner, Matthew A.; Klein, Robert W.; Calhoun, Christopher A.; Knezevic, Marko; Garlea, Elena; Agnew, Sean R.

2017-11-01

Finite element (FE) analysis was used to simulate the strain history of an α-uranium foil during cold straight-rolling, with the sheet modeled as an isotropic elastoplastic continuum. The resulting strain history was then used as input for a viscoplastic self-consistent (VPSC) polycrystal plasticity model to simulate crystallographic texture evolution. Mid-plane textures predicted via the combined FE→VPSC approach show alignment of the (010) poles along the rolling direction (RD), and the (001) poles along the normal direction (ND) with a symmetric splitting along RD. The surface texture is similar to that of the mid-plane, but with a shear-induced asymmetry that favors one of the RD split features of the (001) pole figure. Both the mid-plane and surface textures predicted by the FE→VPSC approach agree with published experimental results for cold straight-rolled α-uranium plates, as well as predictions made by a more computationally intensive full-field crystal plasticity based finite element model. α-uranium foils produced by cold-rolling must typically undergo a recrystallization anneal to restore ductility prior to their final application, resulting in significant texture evolution from the cold-rolled plate deformation texture. Using the texture measured from a foil in the final recrystallized state, coefficients of thermal expansion and the elastic stiffness tensors were calculated using a thermo-elastic self-consistent model, and the anisotropic yield loci and flow curves along the RD, TD, and ND were predicted using the VPSC code.

Measurement uncertainty associated with chromatic confocal profilometry for 3D surface texture characterization of natural human enamel.

Science.gov (United States)

Mullan, F; Bartlett, D; Austin, R S

2017-06-01

To investigate the measurement performance of a chromatic confocal profilometer for quantification of surface texture of natural human enamel in vitro. Contributions to the measurement uncertainty from all potential sources of measurement error using a chromatic confocal profilometer and surface metrology software were quantified using a series of surface metrology calibration artifacts and pre-worn enamel samples. The 3D surface texture analysis protocol was optimized across 0.04mm 2 of natural and unpolished enamel undergoing dietary acid erosion (pH 3.2, titratable acidity 41.3mmolOH/L). Flatness deviations due to the x, y stage mechanical movement were the major contribution to the measurement uncertainty; with maximum Sz flatness errors of 0.49μm. Whereas measurement noise; non-linearity's in x, y, z and enamel sample dimensional instability contributed minimal errors. The measurement errors were propagated into an uncertainty budget following a Type B uncertainty evaluation in order to calculate the Standard Combined Uncertainty (u c ), which was ±0.28μm. Statistically significant increases in the median (IQR) roughness (Sa) of the polished samples occurred after 15 (+0.17 (0.13)μm), 30 (+0.12 (0.09)μm) and 45 (+0.18 (0.15)μm) min of erosion (Pchromatic confocal profilometry was from flatness deviations however by optimizing measurement protocols the profilometer successfully characterized surface texture changes in enamel from erosive wear in vitro. Copyright © 2017 The Academy of Dental Materials. All rights reserved.

Contact splitting and the effect of dimple depth on static friction of textured surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Greiner, Christian; Schäfer, Michael; Popp, Uwe; Gumbsch, Peter

2014-06-11

The morphological texturing of surfaces has demonstrated its high potential to maximize adhesion as well as to reduce friction and wear. A key to understanding such phenomena is a principle known as contact splitting. Here, we extend this concept to the static friction behavior of dimpled surfaces. Our results indicate that contact splitting does exist for such structures and that with certain dimple sizes and depths static friction values significantly exceeding those of untextured surfaces can be obtained. These results can be applied to all surfaces where friction forces are to be tuned, from nanoelectromechanical systems up to combustion engines.

The natural weathering of staurolite: crystal-surface textures, relative stability, and the rate-determining step

Science.gov (United States)

Michael A. Velbel; Charles L. Basso; Michael J. Zieg

1996-01-01

Mineral surface-textures on naturally weathered crystals of staurolite [monoclinic, pseudo-orthorhombic; Fe4Al18Si8O46(OH)2] indicate that staurolite weathering is generally interface-limited. Etch pits on naturally weathered staurolites are disk-shaped,...

Soil physico-chemical characterization in the different soil layers of National Maize Research Program, Rampur, Chitwan, Nepal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dinesh Khadka

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Soil pit digging and their precise study is a decision making tool to assess history and future of soil management of a particular area. Thus, the present study was carried out to differentiate soil physico-chemical properties in the different layers of excavated pit of the National Maize Research Program, Rampur, Chitwan, Nepal. Eight pits were dug randomly from three blocks at a depth of 0 to 100 cm. The soil parameters were determined in-situ, and in laboratory for texture, pH, OM, N, P (as P2O5, K (as K2O, Ca, Mg, S, B, Fe, Zn, Cu and Mn of collected soils samples of different layers following standard analytical methods at Soil Science Division, Khumaltar. The result revealed that soil structure was sub-angular in majority of the layers, whereas bottom layer was single grained. The value and chrome of colour was increasing in order from surface to bottom in the majority pits. Similarly, the texture was sandy loam in majority layers of the pits. Moreover, four types of consistence (loose to firm were observed. Furthermore, mottles and gravels were absent in the majority layers. Likewise, soil was very to moderately acidic in observed layers of majority pits, except bottom layer of agronomy block was slightly acidic. Regarding fertility parameters (OM, macro and micronutrients, some were increasing and vice-versa, while others were intermittent also. Therefore, a single layer is not dominant for particular soil physico-chemical parameters in the farm. In overall, surface layer is more fertile than rest of the layers in all the pits.

The global distribution and dynamics of surface soil moisture

Science.gov (United States)

McColl, Kaighin A.; Alemohammad, Seyed Hamed; Akbar, Ruzbeh; Konings, Alexandra G.; Yueh, Simon; Entekhabi, Dara

2017-01-01

Surface soil moisture has a direct impact on food security, human health and ecosystem function. It also plays a key role in the climate system, and the development and persistence of extreme weather events such as droughts, floods and heatwaves. However, sparse and uneven observations have made it difficult to quantify the global distribution and dynamics of surface soil moisture. Here we introduce a metric of soil moisture memory and use a full year of global observations from NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive mission to show that surface soil moisture--a storage believed to make up less than 0.001% of the global freshwater budget by volume, and equivalent to an, on average, 8-mm thin layer of water covering all land surfaces--plays a significant role in the water cycle. Specifically, we find that surface soil moisture retains a median 14% of precipitation falling on land after three days. Furthermore, the retained fraction of the surface soil moisture storage after three days is highest over arid regions, and in regions where drainage to groundwater storage is lowest. We conclude that lower groundwater storage in these regions is due not only to lower precipitation, but also to the complex partitioning of the water cycle by the surface soil moisture storage layer at the land surface.

A statistical-textural-features based approach for classification of solid drugs using surface microscopic images.

Science.gov (United States)

Tahir, Fahima; Fahiem, Muhammad Abuzar

2014-01-01

The quality of pharmaceutical products plays an important role in pharmaceutical industry as well as in our lives. Usage of defective tablets can be harmful for patients. In this research we proposed a nondestructive method to identify defective and nondefective tablets using their surface morphology. Three different environmental factors temperature, humidity and moisture are analyzed to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. Multiple textural features are extracted from the surface of the defective and nondefective tablets. These textural features are gray level cooccurrence matrix, run length matrix, histogram, autoregressive model and HAAR wavelet. Total textural features extracted from images are 281. We performed an analysis on all those 281, top 15, and top 2 features. Top 15 features are extracted using three different feature reduction techniques: chi-square, gain ratio and relief-F. In this research we have used three different classifiers: support vector machine, K-nearest neighbors and naïve Bayes to calculate the accuracies against proposed method using two experiments, that is, leave-one-out cross-validation technique and train test models. We tested each classifier against all selected features and then performed the comparison of their results. The experimental work resulted in that in most of the cases SVM performed better than the other two classifiers.

[A scanning electron microscopy study of the surface of porous-textured breast implants and their capsules. Description of the "velcro" effect of porous-textured breast prostheses].

Science.gov (United States)

Danino, A; Rocher, F; Blanchet-Bardon, C; Revol, M; Servant, J M

2001-02-01

The efficacy of breast prosthesis texturing in the prevention of capsular contracture has been established for about 20 years. This successful procedure has led to the development and marketing of a number of different models. In the present study, four porous-textured breast prostheses have been examined: the Arion monoblock implant, the CUI (McGahn), the Biocell (Mcgahn), and the Sebbin LS21. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) investigation of the implant surfaces of the different prostheses was carried out on new samples received from the manufacturers. During a prospective study on eight patients, capsule samples corresponding to the four above-mentioned prostheses were taken to determine whether a secondary intervention was necessary for correction of asymmetry or malpositioning. These samples were analyzed by SEM to investigate whether there could be a correlation between prosthesis texturing and the aspect of the corresponding capsules. Significant ultrastructural differences were found between the various prostheses examined: the results showed that only the CUI and Biocell prostheses presented a mirror image of the capsule texturing, with a correspondence between the depressions on the prosthesis and the contacts on the capsule. This finding seems to be linked to the existence of a critical size for the pores that constitute the implant surface. This observation led to the hypothesis of an adhesive "velcro" effect between the prosthesis and its capsule. Although the latter may not be directly linked to the prevention of capsular contracture it can, however, have a major effect on implant stabilization in cases of primary breast reconstruction and in possible secondary adjustments of asymmetry and malpositioning.

Effects of surface roughness, texture and polymer degradation on cathodic delamination of epoxy coated steel samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khun, N.W.; Frankel, G.S.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Cathodic delamination of epoxy coated steel samples was studied using SKP. ► Delamination of the coating decreased with increased substrate surface roughness. ► Delamination of the coating was faster on the substrate with parallel surface scratches. ► Delamination of the coating exposed to weathering conditions increased with prolonged exposure. - Abstract: The Scanning Kelvin Probe (SKP) technique was used to investigate the effects of surface roughness, texture and polymer degradation on cathodic delamination of epoxy coated steel. The cathodic delamination rate of the epoxy coatings dramatically decreased with increased surface roughness of the underlying steel substrate. The surface texture of the steel substrates also had a significant effect in that samples with parallel abrasion lines exhibiting faster cathodic delamination in the direction of the lines compared to the direction perpendicular to the lines. The cathodic delamination kinetics of epoxy coatings previously exposed to weathering conditions increased with prolonged exposure due to pronounced polymer degradation. SEM observation confirmed that the cyclic exposure to UV radiation and water condensation caused severe deterioration in the polymer structures with surface cracking and erosion. The SKP results clearly showed that the cathodic delamination of the epoxy coatings was significantly influenced by the surface features of the underlying steel substrates and the degradation of the coatings.

Deriving the suction stress of unsaturated soils from water retention curve, based on wetted surface area in pores

Science.gov (United States)

Greco, Roberto; Gargano, Rudy

2016-04-01

The evaluation of suction stress in unsaturated soils has important implications in several practical applications. Suction stress affects soil aggregate stability and soil erosion. Furthermore, the equilibrium of shallow unsaturated soil deposits along steep slopes is often possible only thanks to the contribution of suction to soil effective stress. Experimental evidence, as well as theoretical arguments, shows that suction stress is a nonlinear function of matric suction. The relationship expressing the dependence of suction stress on soil matric suction is usually indicated as Soil Stress Characteristic Curve (SSCC). In this study, a novel equation for the evaluation of the suction stress of an unsaturated soil is proposed, assuming that the exchange of stress between soil water and solid particles occurs only through the part of the surface of the solid particles which is in direct contact with water. The proposed equation, based only upon geometric considerations related to soil pore-size distribution, allows to easily derive the SSCC from the water retention curve (SWRC), with the assignment of two additional parameters. The first parameter, representing the projection of the external surface area of the soil over a generic plane surface, can be reasonably estimated from the residual water content of the soil. The second parameter, indicated as H0, is the water potential, below which adsorption significantly contributes to water retention. For the experimental verification of the proposed approach such a parameter is considered as a fitting parameter. The proposed equation is applied to the interpretation of suction stress experimental data, taken from the literature, spanning over a wide range of soil textures. The obtained results show that in all cases the proposed relationships closely reproduces the experimental data, performing better than other currently used expressions. The obtained results also show that the adopted values of the parameter H0

Surface texture of single-crystal silicon oxidized under a thin V{sub 2}O{sub 5} layer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nikitin, S. E., E-mail: nikitin@mail.ioffe.ru; Verbitskiy, V. N.; Nashchekin, A. V.; Trapeznikova, I. N.; Bobyl, A. V.; Terukova, E. E. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Ioffe Physical–Technical Institute (Russian Federation)

2017-01-15

The process of surface texturing of single-crystal silicon oxidized under a V{sub 2}O{sub 5} layer is studied. Intense silicon oxidation at the Si–V{sub 2}O{sub 5} interface begins at a temperature of 903 K which is 200 K below than upon silicon thermal oxidation in an oxygen atmosphere. A silicon dioxide layer 30–50 nm thick with SiO{sub 2} inclusions in silicon depth up to 400 nm is formed at the V{sub 2}O{sub 5}–Si interface. The diffusion coefficient of atomic oxygen through the silicon-dioxide layer at 903 K is determined (D ≥ 2 × 10{sup –15} cm{sup 2} s{sup –1}). A model of low-temperature silicon oxidation, based on atomic oxygen diffusion from V{sub 2}O{sub 5} through the SiO{sub 2} layer to silicon, and SiO{sub x} precipitate formation in silicon is proposed. After removing the V{sub 2}O{sub 5} and silicon-dioxide layers, texture is formed on the silicon surface, which intensely scatters light in the wavelength range of 300–550 nm and is important in the texturing of the front and rear surfaces of solar cells.

Electrochemically grown rough-textured nanowires

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tyagi, Pawan; Postetter, David; Saragnese, Daniel; Papadakis, Stergios J.; Gracias, David H.

2010-01-01

Nanowires with a rough surface texture show unusual electronic, optical, and chemical properties; however, there are only a few existing methods for producing these nanowires. Here, we describe two methods for growing both free standing and lithographically patterned gold (Au) nanowires with a rough surface texture. The first strategy is based on the deposition of nanowires from a silver (Ag)-Au plating solution mixture that precipitates an Ag-Au cyanide complex during electrodeposition at low current densities. This complex disperses in the plating solution, thereby altering the nanowire growth to yield a rough surface texture. These nanowires are mass produced in alumina membranes. The second strategy produces long and rough Au nanowires on lithographically patternable nickel edge templates with corrugations formed by partial etching. These rough nanowires can be easily arrayed and integrated with microscale devices.

Microstructure and mechanical characteristics of laser coating-texturing alloying dimples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wan Daping; Chen Bingkui; Shao Yimin; Wang Shilong; Hu Dejin

2008-01-01

A novel laser coating-texturing (LCT) technique was proposed to achieve appropriate surface topographies and frictional behaviour. The LCT process was realized by applying laser pulses at very high repetition rate to produce innumerable micro-craters with required shape profile on the surface of the workpiece. Moreover, surface alloying of the dimples was carried out by melting submicron WC-TiC-Co alloy powder on the substrates. Morphology and microstructures of the texturing layers were characterised using optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Mechanical properties of the textured samples were evaluated by abrasive resistance tests and microhardness measurement. Experimental results show that good fusion bonding between the texturing layers and the substrate has been formed, and the texturing layers are mainly composed of dense and hard fine-grained structures. The abrasive wear resistance of the laser coating-textured surface was 10 times higher than that of the substrates. The average surface microhardness values were as high as 830 HV.

Spatial Variability of Soil-Water Storage in the Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory: Measurement and Prediction

Science.gov (United States)

Oroza, C.; Bales, R. C.; Zheng, Z.; Glaser, S. D.

2017-12-01

Predicting the spatial distribution of soil moisture in mountain environments is confounded by multiple factors, including complex topography, spatial variably of soil texture, sub-surface flow paths, and snow-soil interactions. While remote-sensing tools such as passive-microwave monitoring can measure spatial variability of soil moisture, they only capture near-surface soil layers. Large-scale sensor networks are increasingly providing soil-moisture measurements at high temporal resolution across a broader range of depths than are accessible from remote sensing. It may be possible to combine these in-situ measurements with high-resolution LIDAR topography and canopy cover to estimate the spatial distribution of soil moisture at high spatial resolution at multiple depths. We study the feasibility of this approach using six years (2009-2014) of daily volumetric water content measurements at 10-, 30-, and 60-cm depths from the Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory. A non-parametric, multivariate regression algorithm, Random Forest, was used to predict the spatial distribution of depth-integrated soil-water storage, based on the in-situ measurements and a combination of node attributes (topographic wetness, northness, elevation, soil texture, and location with respect to canopy cover). We observe predictable patterns of predictor accuracy and independent variable ranking during the six-year study period. Predictor accuracy is highest during the snow-cover and early recession periods but declines during the dry period. Soil texture has consistently high feature importance. Other landscape attributes exhibit seasonal trends: northness peaks during the wet-up period, and elevation and topographic-wetness index peak during the recession and dry period, respectively.

Grass mulching effect on infiltration, surface runoff and soil loss of three agricultural soils in Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Adekalu, K O; Olorunfemi, I A; Osunbitan, J A

2007-03-01

Mulching the soil surface with a layer of plant residue is an effective method of conserving water and soil because it reduces surface runoff, increases infiltration of water into the soil and retard soil erosion. The effectiveness of using elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) as mulching material was evaluated in the laboratory using a rainfall simulator set at rainfall intensities typical of the tropics. Six soil samples, two from each of the three major soil series representing the main agricultural soils in South Western Nigeria were collected, placed on three different slopes, and mulched with different rates of the grass. The surface runoff, soil loss, and apparent cumulative infiltration were then measured under each condition. The results with elephant grass compared favorably with results from previous experiments using rice straw. Runoff and soil loss decreased with the amount of mulch used and increased with slope. Surface runoff, infiltration and soil loss had high correlations (R = 0.90, 0.89, and 0.86, respectively) with slope and mulch cover using surface response analysis. The mean surface runoff was correlated negatively with sand content, while mean soil loss was correlated positively with colloidal content (clay and organic matter) of the soil. Infiltration was increased and soil loss was reduced greatly with the highest cover. Mulching the soils with elephant grass residue may benefit late cropping (second cropping) by increasing stored soil water for use during dry weather and help to reduce erosion on sloping land.

The effects of preferential flow and soil texture on risk assessments of a NORM waste disposal site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pontedeiro, E.M.; Genuchten, M.Th. van; Cotta, R.M.; Simunek, J.

2010-01-01

This paper investigates the environmental fate of radionuclide decay chains (specially the 238 U and 232 Th series) being released from a conventional mining installation processing ore containing natural occurring radioactive materials (NORMs). Contaminated waste at the site is being disposed off in an industrial landfill on top of a base of earth material to ensure integrity of the deposit over relatively long geologic times (thousands of years). Brazilian regulations, like those of many other countries, require a performance assessment of the disposal facility using a leaching and off-site transport scenario. We used for this purpose the HYDRUS-1D software package to predict long-term radionuclide transport vertically through both the landfill and the underlying unsaturated zone, and then laterally in groundwater. We assumed that a downgradient well intercepting groundwater was the only source of water for a resident farmer, and that all contaminated water from the well was somehow used in the biosphere. The risk assessment was carried out for both a best-case scenario assuming equilibrium transport in a fine-textured (clay) subsurface, and a worst-case scenario involving preferential flow through a more coarse-textured subsurface. Results show that preferential flow and soil texture both can have a major effect on the results, depending upon the specific radionuclide involved.

Appalachian mine soil morphology and properties: Effects of weathering and mining method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haering, K.C.; Daniels, W.L.; Galbraith, J.M. [Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Blacksburg, VA (United States)

2004-08-01

Surface coal mining and reclamation methods in the Appalachians have changed dramatically since the passage of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) of 1977 and subsequent improvements in mining and reclamation technology. In this study, 30 pre-SMCRA mine soil profiles (4-20 yr old) were examined and sampled in 1980 and compared with 20 mine soil profiles (8-13 yr old) described in the same area in 2002 after it had been completely remined by modern deep cut methods. Mine soils in both sampling years had high rock fragment content (42-81%), relatively well-developed A horizons, and generally exhibited A-C or A-AC-C horizonation. Although six Bw horizons were described in 1980, only two met all requirements for cambic horizons. The 1980 mine soils developed in overburden dominated by oxidized, preweathered material due to relatively shallow mining cuts. The 1980 mine soils had lower rock fragment content, finer textures, lower pH, and tended to be more heterogeneous in horizonation, morphology, and texture than soils observed in 2002, which had formed primarily in unweathered overburden from deeper cuts. Half the pedons sampled in both years had densic materials within 70 cm of the surface. Four poorly to very poorly drained soil profiles were described in each sampling year containing distinct hydric soil indicators in surface horizons. While older pre-SMCRA mine soils do have many properties in common with newer mine soils, their properties are highly influenced by the fact that they generally have formed in more weathered overburden from higher in the geologic column. Overall, Appalachian mine soils are much more complex in subsoil morphology than commonly assumed, and differential compaction greatly complicates their internal drainage and limits their overall productivity potential.

The Relations Between Soil Water Retention Characteristics, Particle Size Distributions, Bulk Densities and Calcium Carbonate Contents for Danish Soils

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Niels H.; Balstrøm, Thomas; Breuning-Madsen, Henrik

2005-01-01

functions developed in HYPRES (Hydraulic Properties of European Soils). Introducing bulk density as a predictor improved the equation for pressure head –1 kPa but not for lower ones. The grouping of data sets in surface and subsurface horizons or in textural classes did not improve the equations. Based...

Development of natively textured surface hydrogenated Ga-doped ZnO-TCO thin films for solar cells via magnetron sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Fei; Chen, Xin-liang; Geng, Xin-hua; Zhang, De-kun; Wei, Chang-chun; Huang, Qian; Zhang, Xiao-dan; Zhao, Ying

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Natively textured surface hydrogenated gallium-doped zinc oxide (HGZO) thin films have been deposited via magnetron sputtering on glass substrates. ► The directly deposited HGZO thin films present rough crater-type surface morphology. ► Typical HGZO thin film exhibits a high electron mobility of 41.3 cm 2 /V s and a relative low sheet resistance of ∼7.0 Ω. ► These HGZO thin films have high optical transmittances in the visible and near infrared region (∼380–1100 nm). ► A gradient H 2 growth method for fabricating HGZO thin films has been proposed in magnetron sputtering process. - Abstract: The main purposes are to obtain high quality transparent conductive oxide (TCO) based on zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films with high optical transparency in the visible and near infrared spectral range, high electrical conductivity and good light-scattering capability to enhance the path of the light inside the Si-based thin film solar cells. Natively textured surface hydrogenated gallium-doped ZnO (HGZO) thin films have been deposited via pulsed direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering on glass substrates at a substrate temperature of 553 K. These natively textured HGZO thin films exhibit high optical transmittance (over 80%) in the visible and near infrared region (λ = 380–1100 nm) and excellent electrical properties. The optimized HGZO thin film with crater-type textured surface obtained at the hydrogen flow rate of ∼2.0 sccm exhibits a high electron mobility of 41.3 cm 2 /V s and a relatively low sheet resistance of ∼7.0 Ω. The influences of hydrogen flow rates on the surface morphology, electrical and optical properties of HGZO thin films were investigated in detail. In addition, we put forward a method of gradient H 2 growth technique for fabricating HGZO thin films so as to obtain rough surface structure with good light-scattering capability and high electrical conductivity. “Crater-like” surface feature size and optical transmittance

Using semi-variogram analysis for providing spatially distributed information on soil surface condition for land surface modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Croft, Holly; Anderson, Karen; Kuhn, Nikolaus J.

2010-05-01

The ability to quantitatively and spatially assess soil surface roughness is important in geomorphology and land degradation studies. Soils can experience rapid structural degradation in response to land cover changes, resulting in increased susceptibility to erosion and a loss of Soil Organic Matter (SOM). Changes in soil surface condition can also alter sediment detachment, transport and deposition processes, infiltration rates and surface runoff characteristics. Deriving spatially distributed quantitative information on soil surface condition for inclusion in hydrological and soil erosion models is therefore paramount. However, due to the time and resources involved in using traditional field sampling techniques, there is a lack of spatially distributed information on soil surface condition. Laser techniques can provide data for a rapid three dimensional representation of the soil surface at a fine spatial resolution. This provides the ability to capture changes at the soil surface associated with aggregate breakdown, flow routing, erosion and sediment re-distribution. Semi-variogram analysis of the laser data can be used to represent spatial dependence within the dataset; providing information about the spatial character of soil surface structure. This experiment details the ability of semi-variogram analysis to spatially describe changes in soil surface condition. Soil for three soil types (silt, silt loam and silty clay) was sieved to produce aggregates between 1 mm and 16 mm in size and placed evenly in sample trays (25 x 20 x 2 cm). Soil samples for each soil type were exposed to five different durations of artificial rainfall, to produce progressively structurally degraded soil states. A calibrated laser profiling instrument was used to measure surface roughness over a central 10 x 10 cm plot of each soil state, at 2 mm sample spacing. The laser data were analysed within a geostatistical framework, where semi-variogram analysis quantitatively represented

Spectral Assessment of Soil Properties: Standoff Quantification of Soil Organic Matter Content in Surface Mineral Soils and Alaskan Peat

Science.gov (United States)

2017-08-01

Soil Properties Standoff Quantification of Soil Organic Matter Content in Surface Mineral Soils and Alaskan Peat En gi ne er R es ea rc h an d D...ERDC 6.2 GRE ARTEMIS STO-R DRTSPORE ERDC TR-17-9 August 2017 Spectral Assessment of Soil Properties Standoff Quantification of Soil Organic...Matter Content in Surface Mineral Soils and Alaskan Peat Stacey L. Jarvis, Karen L. Foley, Robert M. Jones, Stephen D. Newman, and Robyn A. Barbato

Microwave remote sensing of soil moisture for estimation of profile soil property

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mattikalli, N.M.; Engman, E.T.; Ahuja, L.R.; Jackson, T.J.

1998-01-01

Multi-temporal microwave remotely-sensed soil moisture has been utilized for the estimation of profile soil property, viz. the soil hydraulic conductivity. Passive microwave remote sensing was employed to collect daily soil moisture data across the Little Washita watershed, Oklahoma, during 10-18 June 1992. The ESTAR (Electronically Steered Thin Array Radiometer) instrument operating at L -band was flown on a NASA C-130 aircraft. Brightness temperature (TB) data collected at a ground resolution of 200m were employed to derive spatial distribution of surface soil moisture. Analysis of spatial and temporal soil moisture information in conjunction with soils data revealed a direct relation between changes in soil moisture and soil texture. A geographical information system (GIS) based analysis suggested that 2-days initial drainage of soil, measured from remote sensing, was related to an important soil hydraulic property viz. the saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat). A hydrologic modelling methodology was developed for estimation of Ksat of surface and sub-surface soil layers. Specifically, soil hydraulic parameters were optimized to obtain a good match between model estimated and field measured soil moisture profiles. Relations between 2-days soil moisture change and Ksat of 0-5 cm, 0-30 cm and 0-60cm depths yielded correla tions of 0.78, 0.82 and 0.71, respectively. These results are comparable to the findings of previous studies involving laboratory-controlled experiments and numerical simulations, and support their extension to the field conditions of the Little Washita watershed. These findings have potential applications of microwave remote sensing to obtain 2-days of soil moisture and then to quickly estimate the spatial distribution of Ksat over large areas. (author)

Natively textured surface hydrogenated gallium-doped zinc oxide transparent conductive thin films with buffer layers for solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Xin-liang, E-mail: cxlruzhou@163.com; Wang, Fei; Geng, Xin-hua; Huang, Qian; Zhao, Ying; Zhang, Xiao-dan

2013-09-02

Natively textured surface hydrogenated gallium-doped zinc oxide (HGZO) thin films have been deposited via magnetron sputtering on glass substrates. These natively textured HGZO thin films exhibit rough pyramid-like textured surface, high optical transmittances in the visible and near infrared region and excellent electrical properties. The experiment results indicate that tungsten-doped indium oxide (In{sub 2}O{sub 3}:W, IWO) buffer layers can effectively improve the surface roughness and enhance the light scattering ability of HGZO thin films. The root-mean-square roughness of HGZO, IWO (10 nm)/HGZO and IWO (30 nm)/HGZO thin films are 28, 44 and 47 nm, respectively. The haze values at the wavelength of 550 nm increase from 7.0% of HGZO thin film without buffer layer to 18.37% of IWO (10 nm)/HGZO thin film. The optimized IWO (10 nm)/HGZO exhibits a high optical transmittance of 82.18% in the visible and near infrared region (λ ∼ 400–1100 nm) and excellent electrical properties with a relatively low sheet resistance of 3.6 Ω/□ and the resistivity of 6.21 × 10{sup −4} Ωcm. - Highlights: • Textured hydrogenated gallium-doped zinc oxide (HGZO) films were developed. • Tungsten-doped indium oxide (IWO) buffer layers were applied for the HGZO films. • Light-scattering ability of the HGZO films can be improved through buffer layers. • Low sheet resistance and high haze were obtained for the IWO(10 nm)/HGZO film. • The IWO/HGZO films are promising transparent conductive layers for solar cells.

Switchable Super-Hydrophilic/Hydrophobic Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) Film Surfaces on Reactive Ion Etching (RIE) Textured Si Wafer.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hwa-Min; Litao, Yao; Kim, Bonghwan

2015-11-01

We have developed a surface texturing process for pyramidal surface features along with an indium tin oxide (ITO) coating process to fabricate super-hydrophilic conductive surfaces. The contact angle of a water droplet was less than 5 degrees, which means that an extremely high wettability is achievable on super-hydrophilic surfaces. We have also fabricated a super-hydrophobic conductive surface using an additional coating of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) on the ITO layer coated on the textured Si surface; the ITO and PTFE films were deposited by using a conventional sputtering method. We found that a super-hydrophilic conductive surface is produced by ITO coated on the pyramidal Si surface (ITO/Si), with contact angles of approximately 0 degrees and a resistivity of 3 x 10(-4) Ω x cm. These values are highly dependent on the substrate temperature during the sputtering process. We also found that the super-hydrophobic conductive surface produced by the additional coating of PTFE on the pyramidal Si surface with an ITO layer (PTFE/ITO/Si) has a contact angle of almost 160 degrees and a resistivity of 3 x 10(-4) Ω x cm, with a reflectance lower than 9%. Therefore, these processes can be used to fabricate multifunctional features of ITO films for switchable super-hydrophilic and super-hydrophobic surfaces.

Soil surface roughness decay in contrasting climates, tillage types and management systems

Science.gov (United States)

Vidal Vázquez, Eva; Bertol, Ildegardis; Tondello Barbosa, Fabricio; Paz-Ferreiro, Jorge

2014-05-01

Soil surface roughness describes the variations in the elevation of the soil surface. Such variations define the soil surface microrelief, which is characterized by a high spatial variability. Soil surface roughness is a property affecting many processes such as depression storage, infiltration, sediment generation, storage and transport and runoff routing. Therefore the soil surface microrelief is a key element in hydrology and soil erosion processes at different spatial scales as for example at the plot, field or catchment scale. In agricultural land soil surface roughness is mainly created by tillage operations, which promote to different extent the formation of microdepressions and microelevations and increase infiltration and temporal retention of water. The decay of soil surface roughness has been demonstrated to be mainly driven by rain height and rain intensity, and to depend also on runoff, aggregate stability, soil reface porosity and soil surface density. Soil roughness formation and decay may be also influenced by antecedent soil moisture (either before tillage or rain), quantity and type of plant residues over the soil surface and soil composition. Characterization of the rate and intensity of soil surface roughness decay provides valuable information about the degradation of the upper most soil surface layer before soil erosion has been initiated or at the very beginning of soil runoff and erosion processes. We analyzed the rate of decay of soil surface roughness from several experiments conducted in two regions under temperate and subtropical climate and with contrasting land use systems. The data sets studied were obtained both under natural and simulated rainfall for various soil tillage and management types. Soil surface roughness decay was characterized bay several parameters, including classic and single parameters such as the random roughness or the tortuosity and parameters based on advanced geostatistical methods or on the fractal theory. Our

Fertilizer placement and tillage effects on phosphorus leaching in fine-textured soils

Science.gov (United States)

Adoption of no-tillage in agricultural watersheds has resulted in substantial reductions in sediment and particulate phosphorus (P) delivery to surface waters. No-tillage, however, may result in increased losses of dissolved P in tile-drained landscapes due to the accumulation of P in surface soil l...

A noncontact laser system for measuring soil surface topography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, C.; White, I.; Thwaite, E.G.; Bendeli, A.

1988-01-01

Soil surface topography profoundly influences runoff hydrodynamics, soil erosion, and surface retention of water. Here we describe an optical noncontact system for measuring soil surface topography. Soil elevation is measured by projecting a laser beam onto the surface and detecting the position of the interception point. The optical axis of the detection system is oriented at a small angle to the incident beam. A low-power HeNe (Helium-Neon) laser is used as the laser source, a photodiode array is used as the laser image detector and an ordinary 35-mm single lens reflex camera provides the optical system to focus the laser image onto the diode array. A wide spectrum of measurement ranges (R) and resolutions are selectable, from 1 mm to 1 m. These are determined by the laser-camera distance and angle, the focal length of the lens, and the sensing length of the diode array and the number of elements (N) contained in the array. The resolution of the system is approximately R/2N. We show for the system used here that this resolution is approximately 0.2%. In the configuration selected, elevation changes of 0.16 mm could be detected over a surface elevation range of 87 mm. The sampling rate of the system is 1000 Hz, which permits soil surfaces to be measured at speeds of up to 1 m s −1 with measurements taken at 1-mm spacing. Measurements of individual raindrop impacts on the soil and of soil surfaces before and after rain show the versatility of the laser surface profiler, which has applications in studies of erosion processes, surface storage and soil trafficability

Automatic Texture Optimization for 3D Urban Reconstruction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LI Ming

2017-03-01

Full Text Available In order to solve the problem of texture optimization in 3D city reconstruction by using multi-lens oblique images, the paper presents a method of seamless texture model reconstruction. At first, it corrects the radiation information of images by camera response functions and image dark channel. Then, according to the corresponding relevance between terrain triangular mesh surface model to image, implements occlusion detection by sparse triangulation method, and establishes the triangles' texture list of visible. Finally, combines with triangles' topology relationship in 3D triangular mesh surface model and means and variances of image, constructs a graph-cuts-based texture optimization algorithm under the framework of MRF(Markov random filed, to solve the discrete label problem of texture optimization selection and clustering, ensures the consistency of the adjacent triangles in texture mapping, achieves the seamless texture reconstruction of city. The experimental results verify the validity and superiority of our proposed method.

Evaluation of penicylinders used in disinfectant testing: bacterial attachment and surface texture.

Science.gov (United States)

Cole, E C; Rutala, W A; Carson, J L

1987-01-01

Two possible deficiencies in the AOAC use-dilution method for registration of chemical disinfectants by the Environmental Protection Agency are examined: (1) the physical disparities among brands of penicylinders and (2) the variability of bacterial numbers on penicylinders depending upon test strain and penicylinder surface texture. Textural differences of 2 brands of stainless steel penicylinders, one brand of porcelain, and one brand of glass were assessed by scanning electron microscopy. A considerable variation in smoothness of both inner and outer surfaces of stainless steel and porcelain penicylinders was observed. Glass penicylinders were very smooth. Numbers of bacteria attached to a penicylinder were assessed by vortexing the penicylinders 30 s at No. 4 after using the AOAC method of bacterial inoculation and drying 40 min at 37 degrees C. With this methodology, stainless steel carriers retained the 3 AOAC-recommended bacterial test strains differentially: ca 10(7) for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 5 X 10(6) for Staphylococcus aureus, and 10(6) for Salmonella choleraesuis; glass retained 10(6)-10(7) organisms of all 3 test strains; porcelain retained about that amount of S. aureus but 10(5)-10(6) P. aeruginosa and 10(3)-10(4) S. choleraesuis. These data suggest that disinfectants are not similarly challenged with the AOAC-recommended test bacteria and that an alternative method should be considered to ensure comparable numbers of bacteria on penicylinders.

Apparent soil electrical conductivity in two different soil types

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wilker Nunes Medeiros

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Mapping the apparent soil electrical conductivity (ECa has become important for the characterization of the soil variability in precision agriculture systems. Could the ECa be used to locate the soil sampling points for mapping the chemical and physical soil attributes? The objective of this work was to examine the relations between ECa and soil attributes in two fields presenting different soil textures. In each field, 50 sampling points were chosen using a path that presented a high variability of ECa obtained from a preliminary ECa map. At each sampling point, the ECa was measured in soil depths of 0-20, 0-40 and 0-60 cm. In addition, at each point, soil samples were collected for the determination of physical and chemical attributes in the laboratory. The ECa data obtained for different soil depths was very similar. A large number of significant correlations between ECa and the soil attributes were found. In the sandy clay loam texture field there was no correlation between ECa and organic matter or between ECa and soil clay and sand content. However, a significant positive correlation was shown for the remaining phosphorus. In the sandy loam texture field the ECa had a significant positive correlation with clay content and a significant negative correlation with sand content. The results suggest that the mapping of apparent soil electrical conductivity does not replace traditional soil sampling, however, it can be used as information to delimit regions in a field that have similar soil attributes.

Rapidly 3D Texture Reconstruction Based on Oblique Photography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ZHANG Chunsen

2015-07-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a city texture fast reconstruction method based on aerial tilt image for reconstruction of three-dimensional city model. Based on the photogrammetry and computer vision theory and using the city building digital surface model obtained by prior treatment, through collinear equation calculation geometric projection of object and image space, to obtain the three-dimensional information and texture information of the structure and through certain the optimal algorithm selecting the optimal texture on the surface of the object, realize automatic extraction of the building side texture and occlusion handling of the dense building texture. The real image texture reconstruction results show that: the method to the 3D city model texture reconstruction has the characteristics of high degree of automation, vivid effect and low cost and provides a means of effective implementation for rapid and widespread real texture rapid reconstruction of city 3D model.

Spin polarized electronic states and spin textures at the surface of oxygen-deficient SrTiO3

Science.gov (United States)

Jeschke, Harald O.; Altmeyer, Michaela; Rozenberg, Marcelo; Gabay, Marc; Valenti, Roser

We investigate the electronic structure and spin texture at the (001) surface of SrTiO3 in the presence of oxygen vacancies by means of ab initio density functional theory (DFT) calculations of slabs. Relativistic non-magnetic DFT calculations exhibit Rashba-like spin winding with a characteristic energy scale ~ 10 meV. However, when surface magnetism on the Ti ions is included, bands become spin-split with an energy difference ~ 100 meV at the Γ point. This energy scale is comparable to the observations in SARPES experiments performed on the two-dimensional electronic states confined near the (001) surface of SrTiO3. We find the spin polarized state to be the ground state of the system, and while magnetism tends to suppress the effects of the relativistic Rashba interaction, signatures of it are still clearly visible in terms of complex spin textures. We gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft through grants SFB/TR 49 and FOR 1346.

Atomically flat surface of (0 0 1) textured FePt thin films by residual stress control

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, S.H. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Feng Chia University, Taichung 407, Taiwan (China); Hsiao, S.N., E-mail: pmami.hsiao@gmail.com [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Feng Chia University, Taichung 407, Taiwan (China); Department of Power Mechanical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan (China); Chou, C.L.; Chen, S.K. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Feng Chia University, Taichung 407, Taiwan (China); Lee, H.Y. [National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan (China); Department of Applied Science, National Hsinchu University of Education, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan (China)

2015-11-01

Highlights: • We demonstrate crystallographic structure, (0 0 1) texture, surface roughness, and residual stress in the single-layered FePt thin films annealed at various heating rates (10–110 K/s). • Texture coefficient of (0 0 1)-plane of the samples increases with increasing heating rate from 10 to 40 K/s, which is correlated with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and in-plane tensile stress. • Dewetting phenomenon due to stress relaxation leads to the broadening of [0 0 1] easy axis and degradation of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. • A strong dependence of surface roughness on in-plane residual stress was revealed. • When the samples are RTA at 40 K/s, the enhanced perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and atomically surface roughness are achieved. - Abstract: Single-layered Fe{sub 52}Pt{sub 48} films with thickness of 10 nm were sputter-deposited on glass substrates. Rapid thermal annealing with different heating rates (10–110 K/s) was applied to transform as-deposited fcc phase into L1{sub 0} phase and meanwhile to align [0 0 1]-axis of L1{sub 0} crystal along plane normal direction. Based on X-ray diffractometry using synchrotron radiation source, the texture coefficient of (0 0 1)-plane increases with increasing heating rate from 10 to 40 K/s, which is correlated with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and in-plane tensile stress analyzed by asymmetric sin{sup 2} ψ method. Furthermore, it was revealed by atomic force microscopy that the dewetting process occurred as heating rate was raised up to 80 K/s and higher. The change in the microstructure due to stress relaxation leads to the degradation of (0 0 1) orientation and magnetic properties. Surface roughness is closely related to the in-plane tensile stress. Enhanced perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and atomically flat surface were achieved for the samples annealed at 40 K/s, which may be suitable for further practical applications. This work also suggests a feasible way for surface

Soil Carbon Dioxide Production and Surface Fluxes: Subsurface Physical Controls

Science.gov (United States)

Risk, D.; Kellman, L.; Beltrami, H.

Soil respiration is a critical determinant of landscape carbon balance. Variations in soil temperature and moisture patterns are important physical processes controlling soil respiration which need to be better understood. Relationships between soil respi- ration and physical controls are typically addressed using only surface flux data but other methods also exist which permit more rigorous interpretation of soil respira- tion processes. Here we use a combination of subsurface CO_{2} concentrations, surface CO_{2} fluxes and detailed physical monitoring of the subsurface envi- ronment to examine physical controls on soil CO_{2} production at four climate observatories in Eastern Canada. Results indicate that subsurface CO_{2} produc- tion is more strongly correlated to the subsurface thermal environment than the surface CO_{2} flux. Soil moisture was also found to have an important influence on sub- surface CO_{2} production, particularly in relation to the soil moisture - soil profile diffusivity relationship. Non-diffusive profile CO_{2} transport appears to be im- portant at these sites, resulting in a de-coupling of summertime surface fluxes from subsurface processes and violating assumptions that surface CO_{2} emissions are the result solely of diffusion. These results have implications for the study of soil respiration across a broad range of terrestrial environments.

Photometric properties of Mars soils analogs

Science.gov (United States)

Pommerol, A.; Thomas, N.; Jost, B.; Beck, P.; Okubo, C.; McEwen, A.S.

2013-01-01

We have measured the bidirectional reflectance of analogs of dry, wet, and frozen Martian soils over a wide range of phase angles in the visible spectral range. All samples were produced from two geologic samples: the standard JSC Mars-1 soil simulant and Hawaiian basaltic sand. In a first step, experiments were conducted with the dry samples to investigate the effects of surface texture. Comparisons with results independently obtained by different teams with similar samples showed a satisfying reproducibility of the photometric measurements as well as a noticeable influence of surface textures resulting from different sample preparation procedures. In a second step, water was introduced to produce wet and frozen samples and their photometry investigated. Optical microscope images of the samples provided information about their microtexture. Liquid water, even in relatively low amount, resulted in the disappearance of the backscattering peak and the appearance of a forward-scattering peak whose intensity increases with the amount of water. Specular reflections only appeared when water was present in an amount large enough to allow water to form a film at the surface of the sample. Icy samples showed a wide variability of photometric properties depending on the physical properties of the water ice. We discuss the implications of these measurements in terms of the expected photometric behavior of the Martian surface, from equatorial to circum-polar regions. In particular, we propose some simple photometric criteria to improve the identification of wet and/or icy soils from multiple observations under different geometries.

Soil hydraulic parameters and surface soil moisture of a tilled bare soil plot inversely derived from l-band brightness temperatures

KAUST Repository

Dimitrov, Marin

2014-01-01

We coupled a radiative transfer model and a soil hydrologic model (HYDRUS 1D) with an optimization routine to derive soil hydraulic parameters, surface roughness, and soil moisture of a tilled bare soil plot using measured brightness temperatures at 1.4 GHz (L-band), rainfall, and potential soil evaporation. The robustness of the approach was evaluated using five 28-d data sets representing different meteorological conditions. We considered two soil hydraulic property models: the unimodal Mualem-van Genuchten and the bimodal model of Durner. Microwave radiative transfer was modeled by three different approaches: the Fresnel equation with depth-averaged dielectric permittivity of either 2-or 5-cm-thick surface layers and a coherent radiative transfer model (CRTM) that accounts for vertical gradients in dielectric permittivity. Brightness temperatures simulated by the CRTM and the 2-cm-layer Fresnel model fitted well to the measured ones. L-band brightness temperatures are therefore related to the dielectric permittivity and soil moisture in a 2-cm-thick surface layer. The surface roughness parameter that was derived from brightness temperatures using inverse modeling was similar to direct estimates from laser profiler measurements. The laboratory-derived water retention curve was bimodal and could be retrieved consistently for the different periods from brightness temperatures using inverse modeling. A unimodal soil hydraulic property function underestimated the hydraulic conductivity near saturation. Surface soil moisture contents simulated using retrieved soil hydraulic parameters were compared with in situ measurements. Depth-specific calibration relations were essential to derive soil moisture from near-surface installed sensors. © Soil Science Society of America 5585 Guilford Rd., Madison, WI 53711 USA.

Soil-soil solution distribution coefficient of soil organic matter is a key factor for that of radioiodide in surface and subsurface soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Unno, Yusuke; Tsukada, Hirofumi; Takeda, Akira; Takaku, Yuichi; Hisamatsu, Shun'ichi

2017-04-01

We investigated the vertical distribution of the soil-soil-solution distribution coefficients (K d ) of 125 I, 137 Cs, and 85 Sr in organic-rich surface soil and organic-poor subsurface soil of a pasture and an urban forest near a spent-nuclear-fuel reprocessing plant in Rokkasho, Japan. K d of 137 Cs was highly correlated with water-extractable K + . K d of 85 Sr was highly correlated with water-extractable Ca 2+ and SOC. K d of 125 I - was low in organic-rich surface soil, high slightly below the surface, and lowest in the deepest soil. This kinked distribution pattern differed from the gradual decrease of the other radionuclides. The thickness of the high- 125 I - K d middle layer (i.e., with high radioiodide retention ability) differed between sites. K d of 125 I - was significantly correlated with K d of soil organic carbon. Our results also showed that the layer thickness is controlled by the ratio of K d -OC between surface and subsurface soils. This finding suggests that the addition of SOC might prevent further radioiodide migration down the soil profile. As far as we know, this is the first report to show a strong correlation of a soil characteristic with K d of 125 I - . Further study is needed to clarify how radioiodide is retained and migrates in soil. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Interaction of different irrigation strategies and soil textures on the nitrogen uptake of field grown potatoes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ahmadi, S.H.; Andersen, Mathias Neumann; Lærke, Poul Erik

2011-01-01

Nitrogen (N) uptake (kg ha-1) of field-grown potatoes was measured in 4.32 m2 lysimeters that were filled with coarse sand, loamy sand, and sandy loam and subjected to full (FI), deficit (DI), and partial root-zone drying (PRD) irrigation strategies. PRD and DI as water-saving irrigation treatments...... in the loamy sand had the highest amount of N uptake. The interaction between irrigation treatments and soil textures was significant, and implied that under non-limiting water conditions, loamy sand is the suitable soil for potato production because plants can take up sufficient amounts of N and it could...... potentially lead to higher yield. However, under limited water conditions and applying water-saving irrigation strategies, sandy loam and coarse sand are better growth media because N is more available for the potatoes. The simple yield prediction model was developed that could explains ca. 96...

Operational assimilation of ASCAT surface soil wetness at the Met Office

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. Dharssi

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Currently, no extensive, near real time, global soil moisture observation network exists. Therefore, the Met Office global soil moisture analysis scheme has instead used observations of screen temperature and humidity. A number of new space-borne remote sensing systems, operating at microwave frequencies, have been developed that provide a more direct retrieval of surface soil moisture. These systems are attractive since they provide global data coverage and the horizontal resolution is similar to weather forecasting models. Several studies show that measurements of normalised backscatter (surface soil wetness from the Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT on the meteorological operational (MetOp satellite contain good quality information about surface soil moisture. This study describes methods to convert ASCAT surface soil wetness measurements to volumetric surface soil moisture together with bias correction and quality control. A computationally efficient nudging scheme is used to assimilate the ASCAT volumetric surface soil moisture data into the Met Office global soil moisture analysis. This ASCAT nudging scheme works alongside a soil moisture nudging scheme that uses observations of screen temperature and humidity. Trials, using the Met Office global Unified Model, of the ASCAT nudging scheme show a positive impact on forecasts of screen temperature and humidity for the tropics, North America and Australia. A comparison with in-situ soil moisture measurements from the US also indicates that assimilation of ASCAT surface soil wetness improves the soil moisture analysis. Assimilation of ASCAT surface soil wetness measurements became operational during July 2010.

[Visual Texture Agnosia in Humans].

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, Kyoko

2015-06-01

Visual object recognition requires the processing of both geometric and surface properties. Patients with occipital lesions may have visual agnosia, which is impairment in the recognition and identification of visually presented objects primarily through their geometric features. An analogous condition involving the failure to recognize an object by its texture may exist, which can be called visual texture agnosia. Here we present two cases with visual texture agnosia. Case 1 had left homonymous hemianopia and right upper quadrantanopia, along with achromatopsia, prosopagnosia, and texture agnosia, because of damage to his left ventromedial occipitotemporal cortex and right lateral occipito-temporo-parietal cortex due to multiple cerebral embolisms. Although he showed difficulty matching and naming textures of real materials, he could readily name visually presented objects by their contours. Case 2 had right lower quadrantanopia, along with impairment in stereopsis and recognition of texture in 2D images, because of subcortical hemorrhage in the left occipitotemporal region. He failed to recognize shapes based on texture information, whereas shape recognition based on contours was well preserved. Our findings, along with those of three reported cases with texture agnosia, indicate that there are separate channels for processing texture, color, and geometric features, and that the regions around the left collateral sulcus are crucial for texture processing.

Quantifying the changes of soil surface microroughness due to rainfall impact on a smooth surface

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. K. B. Abban

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This study examines the rainfall-induced change in soil microroughness of a bare smooth soil surface in an agricultural field. The majority of soil microroughness studies have focused on surface roughness on the order of ∼ 5–50 mm and have reported a decay of soil surface roughness with rainfall. However, there is quantitative evidence from a few studies suggesting that surfaces with microroughness less than 5 mm may undergo an increase in roughness when subject to rainfall action. The focus herein is on initial microroughness length scales on the order of 2 mm, a low roughness condition observed seasonally in some landscapes under bare conditions and chosen to systematically examine the increasing roughness phenomenon. Three rainfall intensities of 30, 60, and 75 mm h−1 are applied to a smoothened bed surface in a field plot via a rainfall simulator. Soil surface microroughness is recorded via a surface-profile laser scanner. Several indices are utilized to quantify the soil surface microroughness, namely the random roughness (RR index, the crossover length, the variance scale from the Markov–Gaussian model, and the limiting difference. Findings show a consistent increase in roughness under the action of rainfall, with an overall agreement between all indices in terms of trend and magnitude. Although this study is limited to a narrow range of rainfall and soil conditions, the results suggest that the outcome of the interaction between rainfall and a soil surface can be different for smooth and rough surfaces and thus warrant the need for a better understanding of this interaction.

The Synergistic Effect of Leukocyte Platelet-Rich Fibrin and Micrometer/Nanometer Surface Texturing on Bone Healing around Immediately Placed Implants: An Experimental Study in Dogs

Science.gov (United States)

Neiva, Rodrigo F.; Gil, Luiz Fernando; Tovar, Nick; Janal, Malvin N.; Marao, Heloisa Fonseca; Pinto, Nelson; Coelho, Paulo G.

2016-01-01

Aims. This study evaluated the effects of L-PRF presence and implant surface texture on bone healing around immediately placed implants. Methods. The first mandibular molars of 8 beagle dogs were bilaterally extracted, and implants (Blossom™, Intra-Lock International, Boca Raton, FL) were placed in the mesial or distal extraction sockets in an interpolated fashion per animal. Two implant surfaces were distributed per sockets: (1) dual acid-etched (DAE, micrometer scale textured) and (2) micrometer/nanometer scale textured (Ossean™ surface). L-PRF (Intraspin system, Intra-Lock International) was placed in a split-mouth design to fill the macrogap between implant and socket walls on one side of the mandible. The contralateral side received implants without L-PRF. A mixed-model ANOVA (at α = 0.05) evaluated the effect of implant surface, presence of L-PRF, and socket position (mesial or distal), individually or in combination on bone area fraction occupancy (BAFO). Results. BAFO values were significantly higher for the Ossean relative to the DAE surface on the larger mesial socket. The presence of L-PRF resulted in higher BAFO. The Ossean surface and L-PRF presence resulted in significantly higher BAFO. Conclusion. L-PRF and the micro-/nanometer scale textured surface resulted in increased bone formation around immediately placed implants. PMID:28042577

The Synergistic Effect of Leukocyte Platelet-Rich Fibrin and Micrometer/Nanometer Surface Texturing on Bone Healing around Immediately Placed Implants: An Experimental Study in Dogs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodrigo F. Neiva

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Aims. This study evaluated the effects of L-PRF presence and implant surface texture on bone healing around immediately placed implants. Methods. The first mandibular molars of 8 beagle dogs were bilaterally extracted, and implants (Blossom™, Intra-Lock International, Boca Raton, FL were placed in the mesial or distal extraction sockets in an interpolated fashion per animal. Two implant surfaces were distributed per sockets: (1 dual acid-etched (DAE, micrometer scale textured and (2 micrometer/nanometer scale textured (Ossean™ surface. L-PRF (Intraspin system, Intra-Lock International was placed in a split-mouth design to fill the macrogap between implant and socket walls on one side of the mandible. The contralateral side received implants without L-PRF. A mixed-model ANOVA (at α=0.05 evaluated the effect of implant surface, presence of L-PRF, and socket position (mesial or distal, individually or in combination on bone area fraction occupancy (BAFO. Results. BAFO values were significantly higher for the Ossean relative to the DAE surface on the larger mesial socket. The presence of L-PRF resulted in higher BAFO. The Ossean surface and L-PRF presence resulted in significantly higher BAFO. Conclusion. L-PRF and the micro-/nanometer scale textured surface resulted in increased bone formation around immediately placed implants.

Divergent surface and total soil moisture projections under global warming

Science.gov (United States)

Berg, Alexis; Sheffield, Justin; Milly, Paul C.D.

2017-01-01

Land aridity has been projected to increase with global warming. Such projections are mostly based on off-line aridity and drought metrics applied to climate model outputs but also are supported by climate-model projections of decreased surface soil moisture. Here we comprehensively analyze soil moisture projections from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5, including surface, total, and layer-by-layer soil moisture. We identify a robust vertical gradient of projected mean soil moisture changes, with more negative changes near the surface. Some regions of the northern middle to high latitudes exhibit negative annual surface changes but positive total changes. We interpret this behavior in the context of seasonal changes in the surface water budget. This vertical pattern implies that the extensive drying predicted by off-line drought metrics, while consistent with the projected decline in surface soil moisture, will tend to overestimate (negatively) changes in total soil water availability.

Prediction of the soil water retention curve for structured soil from saturation to oven-dryness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Karup, Dan; Møldrup, Per; Tuller, Markus

2017-01-01

. Independently measured SWRCs for 171 undisturbed soil samples with organic matter contents that ranged from 3 to 14% were used for model validation. The results indicate that consideration of the silt and organic matter fractions, in addition to the clay fraction, improved predictions for the dry-end SWRC......The soil water retention curve (SWRC) is the most fundamental soil hydraulic function required for modelling soil–plant–atmospheric water flow and transport processes. The SWRC is intimately linked to the distribution of the size of pores, the composition of the solid phase and the soil specific...... surface area. Detailed measurement of the SWRC is impractical in many cases because of the excessively long equilibration times inherent to most standard methods, especially for fine textured soil. Consequently, it is more efficient to predict the SWRCbased on easy-to-measure basic soil properties...

Large area mapping of soil moisture using the ESTAR passive microwave radiometer in Washita'92

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jackson, T.J.; Le Vine, D.M.; Swift, C.T.; Schmugge, T.J.; Schiebe, F.R.

1995-01-01

Washita'92 was a large-scale study of remote sensing and hydrology conducted on the Little Washita watershed in southwest Oklahoma. Data collection during the experiment included passive microwave observations using an L-band electronically scanned thinned array radiometer (ESTAR) and surface soil moisture observations at sites distributed over the area. Data were collected on 8 days over a 9-day period in June 1992. The watershed was saturated with a great deal of standing water at the outset of the study. During the experiment there was no rainfall and surface soil moisture observations exhibited a drydown pattern over the period. Significant variations in the level and rate of change in surface soil moisture were noted over areas dominated by different soil textures. ESTAR data were processed to produce brightness temperature maps of a 740 sq. km. area on each of the 8 days. These data exhibited significant spatial and temporal patterns. Spatial patterns were clearly associated with soil textures and temporal patterns with drainage and evaporative processes. Relationships between the ground sampled soil moisture and the brightness temperatures were consistent with previous results. Spatial averaging of both variables was analyzed to study scaling of soil moisture over a mixed landscape. Results of these studies showed that a strong correlation is retained at these scales, suggesting that mapping surface moisture for large footprints may provide important information for regional studies. (author)

Texture design for light touch perception

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zhang, S.; Zeng, X.; Matthews, D.T.A.; Igartua, A.; Rodriguez Vidal, E.; Fortes, J. Contreras; Van Der Heide, E.

This study focused on active light touch with predefined textures specially-designed for tactile perception. The counter-body material is stainless steel sheet. Three geometric structures (grid, crater and groove) were fabricated by pulsed laser surface texturing. A total number of twenty volunteers