Non-Fourier based thermal-mechanical tissue damage prediction for thermal ablation.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xin; Zhong, Yongmin; Smith, Julian; Gu, Chengfan

2017-01-02

Prediction of tissue damage under thermal loads plays important role for thermal ablation planning. A new methodology is presented in this paper by combing non-Fourier bio-heat transfer, constitutive elastic mechanics as well as non-rigid motion of dynamics to predict and analyze thermal distribution, thermal-induced mechanical deformation and thermal-mechanical damage of soft tissues under thermal loads. Simulations and comparison analysis demonstrate that the proposed methodology based on the non-Fourier bio-heat transfer can account for the thermal-induced mechanical behaviors of soft tissues and predict tissue thermal damage more accurately than classical Fourier bio-heat transfer based model.

The future of oil: unconventional fossil fuels.

Science.gov (United States)

Chew, Kenneth J

2014-01-13

Unconventional fossil hydrocarbons fall into two categories: resource plays and conversion-sourced hydrocarbons. Resource plays involve the production of accumulations of solid, liquid or gaseous hydro-carbons that have been generated over geological time from organic matter in source rocks. The character of these hydrocarbons may have been modified subsequently, especially in the case of solids and extra-heavy liquids. These unconventional hydrocarbons therefore comprise accumulations of hydrocarbons that are trapped in an unconventional manner and/or whose economic exploitation requires complex and technically advanced production methods. This review focuses primarily on unconventional liquid hydro-carbons. The future potential of unconventional gas, especially shale gas, is also discussed, as it is revolutionizing the energy outlook in North America and elsewhere.

Unconventional uranium transactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, S.C.

1981-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to describe some representative unconventional transactions which have been observed in the uranium market; to explain the circumstances giving rise to these transactions; and to describe the benefits resulting from these transactions. Unconventional transactions are usually quite specialized, since they are tailored to meet the particular needs of specific market participants. Nevertheless, most of these transactions fall into the following basic categories: multi-party (back-to-back; bridge); swap (deconversion; nationality); barter; inventory financing (leasing with repurchase obligation; sale with repurchase option). These transactions are explained and discussed. (U.K.)

Unconventional Quantum Critical Points

OpenAIRE

Xu, Cenke

2012-01-01

In this paper we review the theory of unconventional quantum critical points that are beyond the Landau's paradigm. Three types of unconventional quantum critical points will be discussed: (1). The transition between topological order and semiclassical spin ordered phase; (2). The transition between topological order and valence bond solid phase; (3). The direct second order transition between different competing orders. We focus on the field theory and universality class of these unconventio...

Unconventional barometry and rheometry: new quantification approaches for mechanically-controlled microstructures

Science.gov (United States)

Tajcmanova, L.; Moulas, E.; Vrijmoed, J.; Podladchikov, Y.

2016-12-01

Estimation of pressure-temperature (P-T) from petrographic observations in metamorphic rocks has become a common practice in petrology studies during the last 50 years. This data often serves as a key input in geodynamic reconstructions and thus directly influences our understanding of lithospheric processes. Such an approach might have led the metamorphic geology field to a certain level of quiescence. In the classical view of metamorphic quantification approaches, fast viscous relaxation (and therefore constant pressure across the rock microstructure) is assumed, with chemical diffusion being the limiting factor in equilibration. Recently, we have focused on the other possible scenario - fast chemical diffusion and slow viscous relaxation - and brings an alternative interpretation of chemical zoning found in high-grade rocks. The aim has been to provide insight into the role of mechanically maintained pressure variations on multi-component chemical zoning in minerals. Furthermore, we used the pressure information from the mechanically-controlled microstructure for rheological constrains. We show an unconventional way of relating the direct microstructural observations in rocks to the nonlinearity of rheology at time scales unattainable by laboratory measurements. Our analysis documents that mechanically controlled microstructures that have been preserved over geological times can be used to deduce flow-law parameters and in turn estimate stress levels of minerals in their natural environment. The development of the new quantification approaches has opened new horizons in understanding the phase transformations in the Earth's lithosphere. Furthermore, the new data generated can serve as a food for thought for the next generation of fully coupled numerical codes that involve reacting materials while respecting conservation of mass, momentum and energy.

Dynamical properties of unconventional magnetic systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Helgesen, G.

1997-05-01

The Advanced Study Institute addressed the current experimental and theoretical knowledge of the dynamical properties of unconventional magnetic systems including low-dimensional and mesoscopic magnetism, unconventional ground state, quantum magnets and soft matter. The main approach in this Advanced Study Institute was to obtain basic understanding of co-operative phenomena, fluctuations and excitations in the wide range unconventional magnetic systems now being fabricated or envisioned. The report contains abstracts for lectures, invited seminars and posters, together with a list of the 95 participants from 24 countries with e-mail addresses

Unconventional Protein Secretion in Animal Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Ng, Fanny; Tang, Bor Luen

2016-01-01

All eukaryotic cells secrete a range of proteins in a constitutive or regulated manner through the conventional or canonical exocytic/secretory pathway characterized by vesicular traffic from the endoplasmic reticulum, through the Golgi apparatus, and towards the plasma membrane. However, a number of proteins are secreted in an unconventional manner, which are insensitive to inhibitors of conventional exocytosis and use a route that bypasses the Golgi apparatus. These include cytosolic proteins such as fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and membrane proteins that are known to also traverse to the plasma membrane by a conventional process of exocytosis, such as α integrin and the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductor (CFTR). Mechanisms underlying unconventional protein secretion (UPS) are actively being analyzed and deciphered, and these range from an unusual form of plasma membrane translocation to vesicular processes involving the generation of exosomes and other extracellular microvesicles. In this chapter, we provide an overview on what is currently known about UPS in animal cells.

An unconventional colour superconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang Mei

2007-01-01

Superfluidity, or superconductivity with mismatched Fermi momenta, appears in many systems such as charge-neutral dense quark matter, asymmetric nuclear matter, and in imbalanced cold atomic gases. The mismatch plays the role of breaking the Cooper pairing, and the pair-breaking state cannot be properly described in the framework of standard BCS theory. I give a brief review on recent theoretical developments in understanding unconventional colour superconductivity, including a gapless colour superconductor, chromomagnetic instabilities and the Higgs instability in the gapless phase. I also introduce a possible new framework for describing an unconventional colour superconductor

Unconventional superconductivity in heavy-fermion compounds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

White, B.D. [Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 (United States); Center for Advanced Nanoscience, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 (United States); Thompson, J.D. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Maple, M.B., E-mail: mbmaple@ucsd.edu [Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 (United States); Center for Advanced Nanoscience, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 (United States)

2015-07-15

Highlights: • Quasiparticles in heavy-fermion compounds are much heavier than free electrons. • Superconductivity involves pairing of these massive quasiparticles. • Quasiparticle pairing mediated by magnetic or quadrupolar fluctuations. • We review the properties of superconductivity in heavy-fermion compounds. - Abstract: Over the past 35 years, research on unconventional superconductivity in heavy-fermion systems has evolved from the surprising observations of unprecedented superconducting properties in compounds that convention dictated should not superconduct at all to performing explorations of rich phase spaces in which the delicate interplay between competing ground states appears to support emergent superconducting states. In this article, we review the current understanding of superconductivity in heavy-fermion compounds and identify a set of characteristics that is common to their unconventional superconducting states. These core properties are compared with those of other classes of unconventional superconductors such as the cuprates and iron-based superconductors. We conclude by speculating on the prospects for future research in this field and how new advances might contribute towards resolving the long-standing mystery of how unconventional superconductivity works.

STUDY OF UNCONVENTIONAL TEXTILES USED AS INSERTION FOR CLOTHES IN TERMS OF ITS DYNAMIC TENSILE STREGHT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

OANA Dorina

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Unconventional textiles are manufactured different from those obtained by the classic spinning weaving and knitting. They are obtained by mechanical or chemical consolidation of a textile backing up of fibrous layers or combinations of layers of fiber and yarn, fabrics and yarns, fabrics or knitted fabrics and fibers. For the apparel industry has expanded the use of unconventional fabrics especially in auxiliary materials they replace traditional materials such as woven tassel and buckram. Application of reinforcement layers have very important role in increasing the stability of form and material exploitation basic characteristics. Using unconventional fabrics used as insertions for clothing presents a desosibit advantage in terms of possible replacement joints bonded by heat sealed seam, thus saving time and using technology more accessible. For unconventional fabrics used as auxiliaries in the apparel industry is usually determined flexural stiffness, tensile strength, resistance to repeated stretches but more efficient in terms of proximity to the real conditions of the clothing is dynamic tensile resistance. Unconventional textile materials have a certain anisotropy in terms of the performed measurements. So, we followed the conducted research to highlight the anisotropy of several samples and characterization of best of unconventional materials in this regard, to be used under conditions effective as clothing industry.

Applying Unconventional Secretion in Ustilago maydis for the Export of Functional Nanobodies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marius Terfrüchte

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Exploiting secretory pathways for production of heterologous proteins is highly advantageous with respect to efficient downstream processing. In eukaryotic systems the vast majority of heterologous proteins for biotechnological application is exported via the canonical endoplasmic reticulum–Golgi pathway. In the endomembrane system target proteins are often glycosylated and may thus be modified with foreign glycan patterns. This can be destructive for their activity or cause immune reactions against therapeutic proteins. Hence, using unconventional secretion for protein expression is an attractive alternative. In the fungal model Ustilago maydis, chitinase Cts1 is secreted via an unconventional pathway connected to cell separation which can be used to co-export heterologous proteins. Here, we apply this mechanism for the production of nanobodies. First, we achieved expression and unconventional secretion of a functional nanobody directed against green fluorescent protein (Gfp. Second, we found that Cts1 binds to chitin and that this feature can be applied to generate a Gfp-trap. Thus, we demonstrated the dual use of Cts1 serving both as export vehicle and as purification tag. Finally, we established and optimized the production of a nanobody against botulinum toxin A and hence describe the first pharmaceutically relevant target exported by Cts1-mediated unconventional secretion.

Coalbed methane and tight gas no longer unconventional resources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gatens, M.

2006-01-01

Unconventional gas refers to natural gas contained in difficult-to-produce formations that require special drilling and completion techniques to achieve commercial production. It includes tight gas, coal seams, organic shales, and gas hydrates. Canada's vast unconventional gas resource is becoming an increasingly important part of the country's gas supply. The emergence of unconventional gas production in Canada over the past several years has made the unconventional increasingly conventional in terms of industry activity. It was suggested that in order to realize the potential for unconventional gas in Canada, all stakeholders should engage to ensure the development is environmentally responsible. Unconventional gas accounts for nearly one third of U.S. gas production. It also accounts for nearly 5 Bcf per day and growing. The impetus to this sudden growth has been the gradual and increasing contribution of tight sands and limes to Canadian production, which accounts for more than 4 Bcf per day. Coalbed methane (CBM) is at 0.5 Bcf per day and growing. In response to expectations that CBM will reach 2 to 3 Bcf per day over the next 2 decades, Canadian producers are placing more emphasis on unconventional resource plays, including organic shales and gas hydrates. As such, significant growth of unconventional gas is anticipated. This growth will be facilitated by the adoption of U.S..-developed technologies and new Canadian technologies. It was suggested that research and development will be key to unlocking the unconventional gas potential. It was also suggested that the already existing, strong regulatory structure should continue in order to accommodate this growth in a sustainable manner. figs

An unconventional mechanism of lift production during the downstroke in a hovering bird ( Zosterops japonicus)

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Yu-Hung; Ting, Shang-Chieh; Liu, Chieh-Cheng; Yang, Jing-Tang; Soong, Chyi-Yeou

2011-11-01

An unconventional mechanism of ventral clap is exploited by hovering passerines to produce lift. Quantitative visualization of the wake flow, analysis of kinematics and evaluation of the transient lift force was conducted to dissect the biomechanical role of the ventral clap in the asymmetrical hovering flight of passerines. The ventral clap can first abate and then augment lift production during the downstroke; the net effect of the ventral clap on lift production is, however, positive because the extent of lift augmentation is greater than the extent of lift abatement. Moreover, the ventral clap is inferred to compensate for the zero lift production of the upstroke because the clapping wings induce a substantial elevation of the lift force at the end of the downstroke. Overall, our observations shed light on the aerodynamic function of the ventral clap and offer biomechanical insight into how a bird hovers without kinematically mimicking hovering hummingbirds.

Smart unconventional monetary (SUMO) policies: giving impetus to green investment. Climate Report no. 46

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferron, Camille; Morel, Romain

2014-07-01

Today, given the amount of investment needed to reach a 2-degree emissions reduction target and the tight budgetary constraints of governments worldwide, public spending alone will not be sufficient alone. Therefore, there is a double need to not only shift private financial flows from 'brown' sectors to 'green' sectors, but also to leverage new sources of financing. Addressing the second challenge, this study reviews three families of proposed funding mechanisms based on unconventional monetary policies targeting 'green' or 'climate' investments. These 'Smart Unconventional Monetary' (or SUMO) policies include: (i) the use of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) issued by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), (ii) green quantitative easing and (iii) the issuance of Carbon Certificates. Proponents of these mechanisms assert that they have a strong potential to provide substantial low-cost financing for green projects and reduce the risks linked to green investments for private investors. Furthermore, they could have further macro-economic co-benefits in specific circumstances. For example, implemented jointly with appropriate 'demand-side' mechanisms, a SUMO policy mechanism, even if short-term, could help trigger investment, bank lending and growth in Europe and pave the way for a longer-term green policies' framework. Nevertheless, this analysis has identified that the implementation of such mechanisms has a number of challenges to overcome. The first challenge is to convince policy makers that these mechanisms, even if they resort to unconventional monetary policies, will not lead to inflation. The second challenge is the difficulty to reach multilateral agreements in the short run, because of geopolitical and institutional barriers. The third challenge is the necessity to involve the private sector. Furthermore, to facilitate their contribution to low-carbon investment, this analysis suggests that

Advances in unconventional computing

CERN Document Server

2017-01-01

The unconventional computing is a niche for interdisciplinary science, cross-bred of computer science, physics, mathematics, chemistry, electronic engineering, biology, material science and nanotechnology. The aims of this book are to uncover and exploit principles and mechanisms of information processing in and functional properties of physical, chemical and living systems to develop efficient algorithms, design optimal architectures and manufacture working prototypes of future and emergent computing devices. This first volume presents theoretical foundations of the future and emergent computing paradigms and architectures. The topics covered are computability, (non-)universality and complexity of computation; physics of computation, analog and quantum computing; reversible and asynchronous devices; cellular automata and other mathematical machines; P-systems and cellular computing; infinity and spatial computation; chemical and reservoir computing. The book is the encyclopedia, the first ever complete autho...

Soft Thermal Sensor with Mechanical Adaptability.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Hui; Qi, Dianpeng; Liu, Zhiyuan; Chandran, Bevita K; Wang, Ting; Yu, Jiancan; Chen, Xiaodong

2016-11-01

A soft thermal sensor with mechanical adaptability is fabricated by the combination of single-wall carbon nanotubes with carboxyl groups and self-healing polymers. This study demonstrates that this soft sensor has excellent thermal response and mechanical adaptability. It shows tremendous promise for improving the service life of soft artificial-intelligence robots and protecting thermally sensitive electronics from the risk of damage by high temperature. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Programming Unconventional Computers: Dynamics, Development, Self-Reference

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susan Stepney

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Classical computing has well-established formalisms for specifying, refining, composing, proving, and otherwise reasoning about computations. These formalisms have matured over the past 70 years or so. Unconventional Computing includes the use of novel kinds of substrates–from black holes and quantum effects, through to chemicals, biomolecules, even slime moulds–to perform computations that do not conform to the classical model. Although many of these unconventional substrates can be coerced into performing classical computation, this is not how they “naturally” compute. Our ability to exploit unconventional computing is partly hampered by a lack of corresponding programming formalisms: we need models for building, composing, and reasoning about programs that execute in these substrates. What might, say, a slime mould programming language look like? Here I outline some of the issues and properties of these unconventional substrates that need to be addressed to find “natural” approaches to programming them. Important concepts include embodied real values, processes and dynamical systems, generative systems and their meta-dynamics, and embodied self-reference.

Conventional and unconventional political participation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Opp, K.D.

1985-01-01

A non-recursive model is proposed and empirically tested with data of opponents of nuclear power. In explaining conventional and unconventional participation the theory of collective action is applied and modified in two respects: the perceived influence on the elimination of collective evils are taken into account; the selective incentives considered are non-material ones. These modifications proved to be valid: the collective good variables and non-material incentives were important determinants for the two forms of participation. Another result was that there is a reciprocal causal relationship between conventional and unconventional participation. (orig./PW) [de

The International Impact of US Unconventional Monetary Policy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lutz, Chandler

2015-01-01

Using a structural factor-augmented vector autoregression model and a large data set of daily time series, we study the impact of US unconventional monetary policy on British and German financial markets. Our findings indicate that a surprise US unconventional monetary policy easing leads...

Failure mechanism for thermal fatigue of thermal barrier coating systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Giolli, C.; Scrivani, A.; Rizzi, G. [Turbocoating S.p.A., Rubbiano di Solignano (Italy); Borgioli, F. [Firenze Univ., Sesto Fiorentino (Italy); Bolelli, G.; Lusvarghi, L. [Univ. di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Modena (Italy)

2008-07-01

High temperature thermal fatigue causes the failure of Thermal Barrier Coating (TBC) systems. Due to the difference in thickness and microstructure between thick TBCs and traditional thin TBCs, they cannot be assumed a-priori to possess the same failure mechanisms. Thick TBCs, consisting of a CoNiCrAlY bond coat and Yttria Partially Stabilised Zirconia top coat with different values of porosity, were produced by Air Plasma Spray. Thermal fatigue resistance limit of TBCs was tested by Furnace Cycling Tests (FCT) according to the specifications of an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). TBC systems were analyzed before and after FCT. The morphological and chemical evolution of CoNiCrAlY/TGO microstructure was studied. Sintering effect, residual stress, phase transformation and fracture toughness were evaluated in the ceramic Top Coat. All the tested samples passed FCT according to the specification of an important OEM. Thermal fatigue resistance increases with the amount of porosity in the top coat. The compressive in-plane stresses increase in the TBC systems after thermal cycling, nevertheless the increasing rate has a trend contrary to the porosity level of top coat. The data suggest that the spallation happens at the TGO/Top Coat interface. The failure mechanism of thick TBCs subjected to thermal fatigue was eventually found to be similar to the failure mechanism of thin TBC systems made by APS. (orig.)

Statistical mechanics of microscopically thin thermalized shells

Science.gov (United States)

Kosmrlj, Andrej

Recent explosion in fabrication of microscopically thin free standing structures made from graphene and other two-dimensional materials has led to a renewed interest in the mechanics of such structures in presence of thermal fluctuations. Since late 1980s it has been known that for flat solid sheets thermal fluctuations effectively increase the bending rigidity and reduce the bulk and shear moduli in a scale-dependent fashion. However, much is still unknown about the mechanics of thermalized flat sheets of complex geometries and about the mechanics of thermalized shells with non-zero background curvature. In this talk I will present recent development in the mechanics of thermalized ribbons, spherical shells and cylindrical tubes. Long ribbons are found to behave like hybrids between flat sheets with renormalized elastic constants and semi-flexible polymers, and these results can be used to predict the mechanics of graphene kirigami structures. Contrary to the anticipated behavior for ribbons, the non-zero background curvature of shells leads to remarkable novel phenomena. In shells, thermal fluctuations effectively generate negative surface tension, which can significantly reduce the critical buckling pressure for spherical shells and the critical axial load for cylindrical tubes. For large shells this thermally generated load becomes big enough to spontaneously crush spherical shells and cylindrical tubes even in the absence of external loads. I will comment on the relevance for crushing of microscopic shells (viral capsids, bacteria, microcapsules) due to osmotic shocks and for crushing of nanotubes.

A search for unconventional mesons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turnau, J.

1984-01-01

Selected problems of the fixed target meson spectroscopy connected with the issue of unconventional states glueballs, hybrides and four-quarks are discussed. The experimental basis of the dissertation consists of some results of the WA3 experiment performed by ACCMOR collaboration (Π - p→(3Π) - p, K - p→K - Π + Π - p, Π - p→K s o K s o n) and of the S136 experiment performed by CCM collaborations (Π - p↑→Π + Π - n, Π - p↑→K + K - n). Mesons with spin parities J PC = 0 -+ , 0 ++ , 1 ++ and 2 ++ are discussed from the point of view of the phenomenology of unconventional states. (author)

Unconventional supercapacitors from nanocarbon-based electrode materials to device configurations.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Lili; Niu, Zhiqiang; Chen, Jun

2016-07-25

As energy storage devices, supercapacitors that are also called electrochemical capacitors possess high power density, excellent reversibility and long cycle life. The recent boom in electronic devices with different functions in transparent LED displays, stretchable electronic systems and artificial skin has increased the demand for supercapacitors to move towards light, thin, integrated macro- and micro-devices with transparent, flexible, stretchable, compressible and/or wearable abilities. The successful fabrication of such supercapacitors depends mainly on the preparation of innovative electrode materials and the design of unconventional supercapacitor configurations. Tremendous research efforts have been recently made to design and construct innovative nanocarbon-based electrode materials and supercapacitors with unconventional configurations. We review here recent developments in supercapacitors from nanocarbon-based electrode materials to device configurations. The advances in nanocarbon-based electrode materials mainly include the assembly technologies of macroscopic nanostructured electrodes with different dimensions of carbon nanotubes/nanofibers, graphene, mesoporous carbon, activated carbon, and their composites. The electrodes with macroscopic nanostructured carbon-based materials overcome the issues of low conductivity, poor mechanical properties, and limited dimensions that are faced by conventional methods. The configurational design of advanced supercapacitor devices is presented with six types of unconventional supercapacitor devices: flexible, micro-, stretchable, compressible, transparent and fiber supercapacitors. Such supercapacitors display unique configurations and excellent electrochemical performance at different states such as bending, stretching, compressing and/or folding. For example, all-solid-state simplified supercapacitors that are based on nanostructured graphene composite paper are able to maintain 95% of the original capacity at

Processing of unconventional stimuli requires the recruitment of the non-specialized hemisphere

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoed Nissan Kenett

2015-02-01

Full Text Available In the present study we investigate hemispheric processing of conventional and unconventional visual stimuli in the context of visual and verbal creative ability. In Experiment 1, we studied two unconventional visual recognition tasks – Mooney face and objects' silhouette recognition – and found a significant relationship between measures of verbal creativity and unconventional face recognition. In Experiment 2 we used the split visual field paradigm to investigate hemispheric processing of conventional and unconventional faces and its relation to verbal and visual characteristics of creativity. Results showed that while conventional faces were better processed by the specialized right hemisphere, unconventional faces were better processed by the non-specialized left hemisphere. In addition, only unconventional face processing by the non-specialized left hemisphere was related to verbal and visual measures of creative ability. Our findings demonstrate the role of the non-specialized hemisphere in processing unconventional stimuli and how it relates to creativity.

H2S and polysulfide metabolism: Conventional and unconventional pathways.

Science.gov (United States)

Olson, Kenneth R

2018-03-01

It is now well established that hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) is an effector of a wide variety of physiological processes. It is also clear that many of the effects of H 2 S are mediated through reactions with cysteine sulfur on regulatory proteins and most of these are not mediated directly by H 2 S but require prior oxidation of H 2 S and the formation of per- and polysulfides (H 2 S n , n = 2-8). Attendant with understanding the regulatory functions of H 2 S and H 2 S n is an appreciation of the mechanisms that control, i.e., both increase and decrease, their production and catabolism. Although a number of standard "conventional" pathways have been described and well characterized, novel "unconventional" pathways are continuously being identified. This review summarizes our current knowledge of both the conventional and unconventional. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Plan of promotion and development of unconventional renewable sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rojas M, Jose Rodrigo

2016-01-01

The plan for the promotion and development of unconventional sources renewable energies developed by the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad is explained. The percentage data from the use of unconventional renewable sources for power generation in Costa Rica is presented [es

Unconventional ballooning structures for toroidal drift waves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie, Hua-sheng; Xiao, Yong

2015-01-01

With strong gradients in the pedestal of high confinement mode (H-mode) fusion plasmas, gyrokinetic simulations are carried out for the trapped electron and ion temperature gradient modes. A broad class of unconventional mode structures is found to localize at arbitrary poloidal positions or with multiple peaks. It is found that these unconventional ballooning structures are associated with different eigen states for the most unstable mode. At weak gradient (low confinement mode or L-mode), the most unstable mode is usually in the ground eigen state, which corresponds to a conventional ballooning mode structure peaking in the outboard mid-plane of tokamaks. However, at strong gradient (H-mode), the most unstable mode is usually not the ground eigen state and the ballooning mode structure becomes unconventional. This result implies that the pedestal of H-mode could have better confinement than L-mode

Unconventional Algorithms: Complementarity of Axiomatics and Construction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gordana Dodig Crnkovic

2012-10-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we analyze axiomatic and constructive issues of unconventional computations from a methodological and philosophical point of view. We explain how the new models of algorithms and unconventional computations change the algorithmic universe, making it open and allowing increased flexibility and expressive power that augment creativity. At the same time, the greater power of new types of algorithms also results in the greater complexity of the algorithmic universe, transforming it into the algorithmic multiverse and demanding new tools for its study. That is why we analyze new powerful tools brought forth by local mathematics, local logics, logical varieties and the axiomatic theory of algorithms, automata and computation. We demonstrate how these new tools allow efficient navigation in the algorithmic multiverse. Further work includes study of natural computation by unconventional algorithms and constructive approaches.

Unconventional Leadership

OpenAIRE

Paul Marinescu; Sorin-George Toma

2015-01-01

From the perspective of leadership change symbolizes the existence of the organization.Most assuredly, this is not a matter of change at all costs, but rather of increasing organizational performance and training people. As leadership is a creative activity, in this paper, we aim to show that the unconventional is closely connected to creativity. From the perspective of interpersonal relationships the leader has to continually create contexts in which people can express themselves. On the one...

Unconventional politics of unconventional gas: Environmental reframing and policy change

Science.gov (United States)

Kear, Andrew Robert

The present Rocky Mountain West natural gas boom, enabled by historic pro-resource-development political, institutional, economic, and cultural structures, is a politically contested battle over values. Volatile political action, unconventional coalitions, and unconventional politics engulf this unconventional gas boom -- especially at the state level. In this comparative case study of natural gas policy in Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico, I measure and compare these values, expressed as frames, through textual analysis of interest group public documents and state legislative bills and statutes from 1999-2008. By developing a new measure of state legislative framing, I test the relationship between interest group and institutional framing and also provide a viable measure of policy change useful to Narrative Policy Analysis theory. Results show that competing interest group and state legislative framing efforts are dynamic, measurably different, and periodically correlative. Competing interest groups rarely engage each other, except as the conflict matures when status-quo-supporters break their silence and engage the challengers' frames that have gained legislative traction. Environmental and land-use counter-framing ensues, but status-quo-supporters remain vigilant in their economic framing. Economic frames retain their institutional privilege within Wyoming and New Mexico, but natural gas policy undergoes a complete environmental reframe in the Colorado state legislature. Although the historically dominant economy frame based on "Old West" values remains largely intact, the respective state legislatures partially reframe policy (within 4 years) using environment, alternative land-uses, and democracy frames based on "New West" and long-extant but previously marginalized status-quo-challenger definitions. This reframing is not a strictly partisan issue, but rather it is influenced by political context, policy diffusion, and long-term interest group advocacy and

The greenhouse impact of unconventional gas for electricity generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hultman, Nathan; Ramig, Christopher; Rebois, Dylan; Scholten, Michael

2011-01-01

New techniques to extract natural gas from unconventional resources have become economically competitive over the past several years, leading to a rapid and largely unanticipated expansion in natural gas production. The US Energy Information Administration projects that unconventional gas will supply nearly half of US gas production by 2035. In addition, by significantly expanding and diversifying the gas supply internationally, the exploitation of new unconventional gas resources has the potential to reshape energy policy at national and international levels—altering geopolitics and energy security, recasting the economics of energy technology investment decisions, and shifting trends in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In anticipation of this expansion, one of the perceived core advantages of unconventional gas—its relatively moderate GHG impact compared to coal—has recently come under scrutiny. In this paper, we compare the GHG footprints of conventional natural gas, unconventional natural gas (i.e. shale gas that has been produced using the process of hydraulic fracturing, or 'fracking'), and coal in a transparent and consistent way, focusing primarily on the electricity generation sector. We show that for electricity generation the GHG impacts of shale gas are 11% higher than those of conventional gas, and only 56% that of coal for standard assumptions.

The greenhouse impact of unconventional gas for electricity generation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hultman, Nathan; Ramig, Christopher [School of Public Policy, University of Maryland, 2101 Van Munching Hall, College Park, MD 20742 (United States); Rebois, Dylan [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maryland, 2181 Glenn L Martin Hall, Building 088, College Park, MD 20742 (United States); Scholten, Michael [Joint Quantum Institute, University of Maryland, 2207 Computer and Space Sciences Building, College Park, MD 20742 (United States)

2011-10-15

New techniques to extract natural gas from unconventional resources have become economically competitive over the past several years, leading to a rapid and largely unanticipated expansion in natural gas production. The US Energy Information Administration projects that unconventional gas will supply nearly half of US gas production by 2035. In addition, by significantly expanding and diversifying the gas supply internationally, the exploitation of new unconventional gas resources has the potential to reshape energy policy at national and international levels-altering geopolitics and energy security, recasting the economics of energy technology investment decisions, and shifting trends in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In anticipation of this expansion, one of the perceived core advantages of unconventional gas-its relatively moderate GHG impact compared to coal-has recently come under scrutiny. In this paper, we compare the GHG footprints of conventional natural gas, unconventional natural gas (i.e. shale gas that has been produced using the process of hydraulic fracturing, or 'fracking'), and coal in a transparent and consistent way, focusing primarily on the electricity generation sector. We show that for electricity generation the GHG impacts of shale gas are 11% higher than those of conventional gas, and only 56% that of coal for standard assumptions.

Response of mechanical properties of glasses to their chemical, thermal and mechanical histories

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yue, Yuanzheng

, surface, thermal history or excess entropy of the final glass state. Here I review recent progresses in understanding of the responses of mechanical properties of oxide glasses to the compositional variation, thermal history and mechanical deformation. The tensile strength, elastic modulus and hardness...... of glass fibers are dependent on the thermal history (measured as fictive temperature), tension, chemical composition and redox state. However, the fictive temperature affects the hardness of bulk glass in a complicated manner, i.e., the effect does not exhibit a clear regularity in the range...... and micro-cracks occurring during indentation of a glass is discussed briefly. Finally I describe the future perspectives and challenges in understanding responses of mechanical properties of oxide glasses to compositional variation, thermal history and mechanical deformation....

unconventional natural gas reservoirs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Correa G, Tomas F; Osorio, Nelson; Restrepo R, Dora P

2009-01-01

This work is an exploration about different unconventional gas reservoirs worldwide: coal bed methane, tight gas, shale gas and gas hydrate? describing aspects such as definition, reserves, production methods, environmental issues and economics. The overview also mentioned preliminary studies about these sources in Colombia.

Unconventional, High-Efficiency Propulsors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Poul

1996-01-01

The development of ship propellers has generally been characterized by search for propellers with as high efficiency as possible and at the same time low noise and vibration levels and little or no cavitation. This search has lead to unconventional propulsors, like vane-wheel propulsors, contra-r...

Unconventional transport routes of soluble and membrane proteins and their role in developmental biology

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Pompa, A.; De Marchis, F.; Pallotta, M. T.; Benitez-Alfonso, Y.; Jones, A.; Schipper, K.; Moreau, K.; Žárský, Viktor; Di Sansebastiano, G. P.; Bellucci, M.

2017-01-01

Roč. 18, č. 4 (2017), č. článku 703. E-ISSN 1422-0067 Institutional support: RVO:61389030 Keywords : Autophagy * Exosomes * Intercellular channels * Leaderless proteins * Protein secretion * Trafficking mechanisms * Unconventional secretion Subject RIV: EA - Cell Biology OBOR OECD: Developmental biology Impact factor: 3.226, year: 2016

Unconventional Counter-Insurgency in Afghanistan

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Dyke, John R; Crisafulli, John R

2006-01-01

...) invaded the Al Qaeda safe haven of Afghanistan. USSF A-teams, operating with almost total independence, conducted highly successful Unconventional Warfare "through, with, and by" the indigenous Afghan militias of the Northern Alliance...

The thermal and mechanical properties of electron beam-irradiated polylactide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuk, In Seol; Jung, Chan Hee; Hwang, In Tae; Choi, Jae Hak; Nho, Young Chang

2010-01-01

The effect of electron beam irradiation on the thermal and mechanical properties of polylactide (PLA) was investigated in this research. PLA films were irradiated by electron beams at different absorption doses ranging from 20 to 200 kGy. The thermal and mechanical properties of the irradiated PLA films were investigated by means of differential scanning calorimeter, thermogravimetric analyzer, universal testing machine, dynamic mechanical analyzer, and thermal mechanical analyzer. The results revealed that the chain scission of the PLA predominated over the crosslinking during the irradiation, which considerably deteriorated the thermal and mechanical properties of the PLA

Unconventional wind machine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sheff, J.R.

1979-01-01

It is the purpose of this paper to introduce an unconventional wind machine which has economics comparable with nuclear power and is already available in the public market place. Specifically, up to about 17 MWE could be saved for other uses such as sale in most 1000 MWE plants of any type - nuclear, oil, gas, peat, or wood - which use conventional electrically driven fans in their cooling towers. 10 refs

Unconventional gas development facilitates plant invasions.

Science.gov (United States)

Barlow, Kathryn M; Mortensen, David A; Drohan, Patrick J; Averill, Kristine M

2017-11-01

Vegetation removal and soil disturbance from natural resource development, combined with invasive plant propagule pressure, can increase vulnerability to plant invasions. Unconventional oil and gas development produces surface disturbance by way of well pad, road, and pipeline construction, and increased traffic. Little is known about the resulting impacts on plant community assembly, including the spread of invasive plants. Our work was conducted in Pennsylvania forests that overlay the Marcellus and Utica shale formations to determine if invasive plants have spread to edge habitat created by unconventional gas development and to investigate factors associated with their presence. A piecewise structural equation model was used to determine the direct and indirect factors associated with invasive plant establishment on well pads. The model included the following measured or calculated variables: current propagule pressure on local access roads, the spatial extent of the pre-development road network (potential source of invasive propagules), the number of wells per pad (indicator of traffic density), and pad age. Sixty-one percent of the 127 well pads surveyed had at least one invasive plant species present. Invasive plant presence on well pads was positively correlated with local propagule pressure on access roads and indirectly with road density pre-development, the number of wells, and age of the well pad. The vast reserves of unconventional oil and gas are in the early stages of development in the US. Continued development of this underground resource must be paired with careful monitoring and management of surface ecological impacts, including the spread of invasive plants. Prioritizing invasive plant monitoring in unconventional oil and gas development areas with existing roads and multi-well pads could improve early detection and control of invasive plants. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transient thermal-mechanical coupling behavior analysis of mechanical seals during start-up operation

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, B. C.; Meng, X. K.; Shen, M. X.; Peng, X. D.

2016-05-01

A transient thermal-mechanical coupling model for a contacting mechanical seal during start-up has been developed. It takes into consideration the coupling relationship among thermal-mechanical deformation, film thickness, temperature and heat generation. The finite element method and multi-iteration technology are applied to solve the temperature distribution and thermal-mechanical deformation as well as their evolution behavior. Results show that the seal gap transforms from negative coning to positive coning and the contact area of the mechanical seal gradually decreases during start-up. The location of the maximum temperature and maximum contact pressure move from the outer diameter to inside diameter. The heat generation and the friction torque increase sharply at first and then decrease. Meanwhile, the contact force decreases and the fluid film force and leakage rate increase.

Insights into contaminant transport from unconventional oil and gas developments from analog system analysis of methane-bearing thermal springs in the northern Canadian Rocky Mountains

Science.gov (United States)

Ferguson, Grant; Grasby, Stephen E.

2018-03-01

Natural gas is currently being produced from shales of the Montney and Liard basins in western Canada. Production requires hydraulic fracturing due to the low permeability of the shales in the basins. Stratigraphically equivalent shales are present in the northern Canadian Rocky Mountains. Thermal springs with notable hydrocarbon concentrations occur where large-scale faults intersect the same shale units that are the focus of gas development, indicating that under certain circumstances, connection of deep fractured shales to the land surface is possible. To constrain these conditions, simulations were conducted for the spring with the highest hydrocarbon flux (Toad River Spring), results of which indicate that in order to supply sufficient water to a fault to support measurable advection, the effective permeability of the shales in these structurally deformed areas must be one to four orders of magnitude higher than in areas of active gas production to the east. The spatial scale of enhanced permeability is much greater than that which is achieved by hydraulic fracturing and the mechanism of maintaining high pressures at depth is more persistent in time. Examination of groundwater velocities suggests that upward migration of solutes from hydraulic fracturing may take decades to centuries. Results also indicate that any temperature anomaly will be associated with transport along a fault at such velocities. No such temperature anomaly has been documented in regions with unconventional oil and gas development to date. Such an anomaly would be diagnostic of a deep solute source.

Thermal integrity in mechanics and engineering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shorr, Boris F.

2015-01-01

The book is targeted at engineers, university lecturers, postgraduates, and final year undergraduate students involved in computational modelling and experimental and theoretical analysis of the high-temperature behavior of engineering structures. It will also be of interest to researchers developing the thermal strength theory as a branch of continuum mechanics. Thermal integrity is a multidisciplinary field combining the expertise of mechanical engineers, material scientists and applied mathematicians, each approaching the problem from their specific viewpoint. This monograph draws on the research of a broad scientific community including the author's contribution. The scope of thermal strength analysis was considerably extended thanks to modern computers and the implementation of FEM codes. However, the author believes that some material models adopted in the advanced high-performance software, are not sufficiently justificated due to lack of easy-to-follow books on the theoretical and experimental aspects of thermal integrity. The author endeavors to provide a thorough yet sufficiently simple presentation of the underlying concepts, making the book compelling to a wide audience.

Thermal integrity in mechanics and engineering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shorr, Boris F. [Central Institute of Aviation Motors (CIAM), Moscow (Russian Federation)

2015-07-01

The book is targeted at engineers, university lecturers, postgraduates, and final year undergraduate students involved in computational modelling and experimental and theoretical analysis of the high-temperature behavior of engineering structures. It will also be of interest to researchers developing the thermal strength theory as a branch of continuum mechanics. Thermal integrity is a multidisciplinary field combining the expertise of mechanical engineers, material scientists and applied mathematicians, each approaching the problem from their specific viewpoint. This monograph draws on the research of a broad scientific community including the author's contribution. The scope of thermal strength analysis was considerably extended thanks to modern computers and the implementation of FEM codes. However, the author believes that some material models adopted in the advanced high-performance software, are not sufficiently justificated due to lack of easy-to-follow books on the theoretical and experimental aspects of thermal integrity. The author endeavors to provide a thorough yet sufficiently simple presentation of the underlying concepts, making the book compelling to a wide audience.

Thermal integrity in mechanics and engineering

CERN Document Server

Shorr, Boris F

2015-01-01

The book is targeted at engineers, university lecturers, postgraduates, and final year undergraduate students involved in computational modelling and experimental and theoretical analysis of the high-temperature behavior of engineering structures. It will also be of interest to researchers developing the thermal strength theory as a branch of continuum mechanics. Thermal integrity is a multidisciplinary field combining the expertise of mechanical engineers, material scientists and applied mathematicians, each approaching the problem from their specific viewpoint. This monograph draws on the research of a broad scientific community including the author’s contribution. The scope of thermal strength analysis was considerably extended thanks to modern computers and the implementation of FEM codes. However, the author believes that some material models adopted in the advanced high-performance software, are not sufficiently justificated due to lack of easy-to-follow books on the theoretical and experimental aspec...

Waste energy harvesting mechanical and thermal energies

CERN Document Server

Ling Bing, Kong; Hng, Huey Hoon; Boey, Freddy; Zhang, Tianshu

2014-01-01

Waste Energy Harvesting overviews the latest progress in waste energy harvesting technologies, with specific focusing on waste thermal mechanical energies. Thermal energy harvesting technologies include thermoelectric effect, storage through phase change materials and pyroelectric effect. Waste mechanical energy harvesting technologies include piezoelectric (ferroelectric) effect with ferroelectric materials and nanogenerators. The book aims to strengthen the syllabus in energy, materials and physics and is well suitable for students and professionals in the fields.

Ironing Out the Unconventional Mechanisms of Iron Acquisition and Gene Regulation in Chlamydia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nick D. Pokorzynski

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The obligate intracellular pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis, along with its close species relatives, is known to be strictly dependent upon the availability of iron. Deprivation of iron in vitro induces an aberrant morphological phenotype termed “persistence.” This persistent phenotype develops in response to various immunological and nutritional insults and may contribute to the development of sub-acute Chlamydia-associated chronic diseases in susceptible populations. Given the importance of iron to Chlamydia, relatively little is understood about its acquisition and its role in gene regulation in comparison to other iron-dependent bacteria. Analysis of the genome sequences of a variety of chlamydial species hinted at the involvement of unconventional mechanisms, being that Chlamydia lack many conventional systems of iron homeostasis that are highly conserved in other bacteria. Herein we detail past and current research regarding chlamydial iron biology in an attempt to provide context to the rapid progress of the field in recent years. We aim to highlight recent discoveries and innovations that illuminate the strategies involved in chlamydial iron homeostasis, including the vesicular mode of acquiring iron from the intracellular environment, and the identification of a putative iron-dependent transcriptional regulator that is synthesized as a fusion with a ABC-type transporter subunit. These recent findings, along with the noted absence of iron-related homologs, indicate that Chlamydia have evolved atypical approaches to the problem of iron homeostasis, reinvigorating research into the iron biology of this pathogen.

Unconventional Natural Gas Development and Birth Outcomes in Pennsylvania, USA.

Science.gov (United States)

Casey, Joan A; Savitz, David A; Rasmussen, Sara G; Ogburn, Elizabeth L; Pollak, Jonathan; Mercer, Dione G; Schwartz, Brian S

2016-03-01

Unconventional natural gas development has expanded rapidly. In Pennsylvania, the number of producing wells increased from 0 in 2005 to 3,689 in 2013. Few publications have focused on unconventional natural gas development and birth outcomes. We performed a retrospective cohort study using electronic health record data on 9,384 mothers linked to 10,946 neonates in the Geisinger Health System from January 2009 to January 2013. We estimated cumulative exposure to unconventional natural gas development activity with an inverse-distance squared model that incorporated distance to the mother's home; dates and durations of well pad development, drilling, and hydraulic fracturing; and production volume during the pregnancy. We used multilevel linear and logistic regression models to examine associations between activity index quartile and term birth weight, preterm birth, low 5-minute Apgar score and small size for gestational age birth, while controlling for potential confounding variables. In adjusted models, there was an association between unconventional natural gas development activity and preterm birth that increased across quartiles, with a fourth quartile odds ratio of 1.4 (95% confidence interval = 1.0, 1.9). There were no associations of activity with Apgar score, small for gestational age birth, or term birth weight (after adjustment for year). In a posthoc analysis, there was an association with physician-recorded high-risk pregnancy identified from the problem list (fourth vs. first quartile, 1.3 [95% confidence interval = 1.1, 1.7]). Prenatal residential exposure to unconventional natural gas development activity was associated with two pregnancy outcomes, adding to evidence that unconventional natural gas development may impact health.See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/EDE/B14.

The thermal and mechanical deformation study of up-stream pumping mechanical seal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, H L; Xu, C; Zuo, M Z; Wu, Q B

2015-01-01

Taking the viscosity-temperature relationship of the fluid film into consideration, a 3-D numerical model was established by ANSYS software which can simulate the heat transfer between the upstream pumping mechanical seal stationary and rotational rings and the fluid film between them as well as simulate the thermal deformation, structure deformation and the coupling deformation of them. According to the calculation result, thermal deformation causes the seal face expansion and the maximum thermal deformation appears at the inside of the seal ring. Pressure results in a mechanical deformation, the maximum deformation occurs at the top of the spiral groove and the overall trend is inward the mating face, opposite to the thermal deformation. The coupling deformation indicate that the thermal deformation can be partly counteracted by pressure deformation. Using this model, the relationship between deformation and shaft speed and the sealing liquid pressure was studied. It's found that the shaft speed will both enhance the thermal and structure deformation and the fluid pressure will enhance the structure deformation but has little to do with the thermal deformation. By changing the sealing material, it's found that material with low thermal expansion coefficient and low elastic modulus will suffer less thermal-pressure deformation

The thermal and mechanical deformation study of up-stream pumping mechanical seal

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, H. L.; Xu, C.; Zuo, M. Z.; Wu, Q. B.

2015-01-01

Taking the viscosity-temperature relationship of the fluid film into consideration, a 3-D numerical model was established by ANSYS software which can simulate the heat transfer between the upstream pumping mechanical seal stationary and rotational rings and the fluid film between them as well as simulate the thermal deformation, structure deformation and the coupling deformation of them. According to the calculation result, thermal deformation causes the seal face expansion and the maximum thermal deformation appears at the inside of the seal ring. Pressure results in a mechanical deformation, the maximum deformation occurs at the top of the spiral groove and the overall trend is inward the mating face, opposite to the thermal deformation. The coupling deformation indicate that the thermal deformation can be partly counteracted by pressure deformation. Using this model, the relationship between deformation and shaft speed and the sealing liquid pressure was studied. It's found that the shaft speed will both enhance the thermal and structure deformation and the fluid pressure will enhance the structure deformation but has little to do with the thermal deformation. By changing the sealing material, it's found that material with low thermal expansion coefficient and low elastic modulus will suffer less thermal-pressure deformation.

'Beautiful' unconventional synthesis and processing technologies of superconductors and some other materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petre Badica, Adrian Crisan, Gheorghe Aldica, Kazuhiro Endo, Hanna Borodianska, Kazumasa Togano, Satoshi Awaji, Kazuo Watanabe, Yoshio Sakka and Oleg Vasylkiv

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Superconducting materials have contributed significantly to the development of modern materials science and engineering. Specific technological solutions for their synthesis and processing helped in understanding the principles and approaches to the design, fabrication and application of many other materials. In this review, we explore the bidirectional relationship between the general and particular synthesis concepts. The analysis is mostly based on our studies where some unconventional technologies were applied to different superconductors and some other materials. These technologies include spray-frozen freeze-drying, fast pyrolysis, field-assisted sintering (or spark plasma sintering, nanoblasting, processing in high magnetic fields, methods of control of supersaturation and migration during film growth, and mechanical treatments of composite wires. The analysis provides future research directions and some key elements to define the concept of 'beautiful' technology in materials science. It also reconfirms the key position and importance of superconductors in the development of new materials and unconventional synthesis approaches.

Theory of thermal and charge transport in diffusive normal metal / superconductor junctions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yokoyama, T.; Tanaka, Y.; Golubov, Alexandre Avraamovitch; Asano, Y.

2005-01-01

Thermal and charge transport in diffusive normal metal (DN)/insulator/s-, d-, and p-wave superconductor junctions are studied based on the Usadel equation with the Nazarov's generalized boundary condition. We derive a general expression of the thermal conductance in unconventional superconducting

A Low Carbon EU Energy System and Unconventional Sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gracceva, F.; Kanudia, A.; Tosato, GC.

2013-01-01

The paper investigates the potential role of unconventional fossil fuels in a global low carbon energy system. Making use of a systemic approach, the paper presents an original application of a global partial equilibrium energy system model (TIAM-JET). In order to give a worldwide perspective with higher detail on European energy systems, the model links a set of extra-European macro-regions to the 30 European countries. First, a review of the most recent estimates of the available stocks of unconventional hydrocarbon resources is used to build the set of assumption for the scenario analysis. Secondly, a set of scenarios assuming different availability and cost of unconventional fuels are added to both a Current Trend scenario and a Carbon Constrained (CC) scenario, to explore the perspectives of unconventional gas and oil in a scenario halving CO 2 emissions by 2050, which is consistent with a 2 degree temperature increase. The results show if/how unconventional sources can contribute to the robustness of the European energy system with respect to the stress of a strong carbon constraint. We define this robustness as the capacity of the energy system to adapt its evolution to long-term constraints and keep delivering energy services to end users. In our approach robustness represents the long-term dimension of energy security. Assessing this ''system property'' requires analysing the wide range of factors that can exercise a stabilizing influence on the energy services delivery system, together with their relations, actual interactions and synergies. The energy system approach used for the analysis seeks to take into account as much of this complexity as possible. We assess the robustness of the EU system to the carbon constraint by looking at how the CC scenario affects energy system costs and energy prices under scenarios with different deployment of unconventional sources. This provides insights on the synergies and/or trade-offs between energy security and

Crack assessment of pipe under combined thermal and mechanical load

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, Tae Kwang; Kim, Yun Jae

2009-01-01

In this paper, J-integral and transient C(t)-integral, which were key parameters in low temperature and high temperature fracture mechanics, under combined thermal and mechanical load were estimated via 3-dimensional finite element analyses. Various type of thermal and mechanical load, material hardening were considered to decrease conservatism in existing solutions. As a results, V-factor and redistribution time for combined thermal and mechanical load were proposed to calculate J-integral and C(t)-integral, respectively.

The Impact of Conventional and Unconventional Monetary Policy on Investor Sentiment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lutz, Chandler

2015-01-01

This paper examines the relationship between monetary policy and investor sentiment across conventional and unconventional monetary policy regimes. During conventional times, we find that a surprise decrease in the fed funds rate leads to a large increase in investor sentiment. Similarly, when...... the fed funds rate is at its zero lower bound, research results indicate that expansionary unconventional monetary policy shocks also have a large and positive impact on investor mood. Together, our findings highlight the importance of both conventional and unconventional monetary policy...... in the determination of investor sentiment....

Integrating Thermal Tools Into the Mechanical Design Process

Science.gov (United States)

Tsuyuki, Glenn T.; Siebes, Georg; Novak, Keith S.; Kinsella, Gary M.

1999-01-01

The intent of mechanical design is to deliver a hardware product that meets or exceeds customer expectations, while reducing cycle time and cost. To this end, an integrated mechanical design process enables the idea of parallel development (concurrent engineering). This represents a shift from the traditional mechanical design process. With such a concurrent process, there are significant issues that have to be identified and addressed before re-engineering the mechanical design process to facilitate concurrent engineering. These issues also assist in the integration and re-engineering of the thermal design sub-process since it resides within the entire mechanical design process. With these issues in mind, a thermal design sub-process can be re-defined in a manner that has a higher probability of acceptance, thus enabling an integrated mechanical design process. However, the actual implementation is not always problem-free. Experience in applying the thermal design sub-process to actual situations provides the evidence for improvement, but more importantly, for judging the viability and feasibility of the sub-process.

Geology and assessment of unconventional resources of Phitsanulok Basin, Thailand

Science.gov (United States)

,

2014-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) quantitatively assessed the potential for unconventional oil and gas resources within the Phitsanulok Basin of Thailand. Unconventional resources for the USGS include shale gas, shale oil, tight gas, tight oil, and coalbed gas. In the Phitsanulok Basin, only potential shale-oil and shale-gas resources were quantitatively assessed.

How unconventional gas prospers without tax incentives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuuskraa, V.A.; Stevens, S.H.

1995-01-01

It was widely believed that the development of unconventional natural gas (coalbed methane, gas shales, and tight gas) would die once US Sec. 29 credits stopped. Quieter voices countered, and hoped, that technology advances would keep these large but difficult to produce gas resources alive and maybe even healthy. Sec. 29 tax credits for new unconventional gas development stopped at the end of 1992. Now, nearly three years later, who was right and what has happened? There is no doubt that Sec. 29 tax credits stimulated the development of coalbed methane, gas shales, and tight gas. What is less known is that the tax credits helped spawn and push into use an entire new set of exploration, completion, and production technologies founded on improved understanding of unconventional gas reservoirs. As set forth below, while the incentives inherent in Sec. 29 provided the spark, it has been the base of science and technology that has maintained the vitality of these gas sources. The paper discusses the current status; resource development; technology; unusual production, proven reserves, and well completions if coalbed methane, gas shales, and tight gas; and international aspects

Unconventional superfluids of fermionic polar molecules in a bilayer system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boudjemâa, Abdelâali, E-mail: a.boudjemaa@univhb-chlef.dz

2017-05-25

We study unconventional superfluids of fermionic polar molecules in a two-dimensional bilayer system with dipoles are head-to-tail across the layers. We analyze the critical temperature of several unconventional pairings as a function of different system parameters. The peculiar competition between the d- and the s-wave pairings is discussed. We show that the experimental observation of such unconventional superfluids requires ultralow temperatures, which opens up new possibilities to realize several topological phases. - Highlights: • Investigation of novel superfluids of fermionic polar molecules in a bilayer geometry. • Solving the gap equation and the l-wave interlayer scattering problem. • Calculation of the critical temperature of several competing pairings using the BCS approach.

Characterization of unconventional gas play in the lower Beluga

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gorney, David [Marathon Oil Company (United States); Jetubu, Segun; Li, Weidong; Del Cairo, Rolando; Woods, James; Manuel, Ela [Baker Hughes (United States)

2011-07-01

Since the 1950's, the Cook Inlet basin, situated in Alaska, has been an important oil and gas provider to the state; the Beluga formation, located within the Cook Inlet basin, is an unconventional gas play. NMR measurements have been conducted in the Beluga formation and results were found to differ from the conventional predicted pressure and temperature model. The aim of this paper is to provide insights and results on the use of NMR in unconventional low pressure hydrocarbon formations. Experiments were carried out in the reservoir sands of Ninilchik at depths of 1500 to 3200 feet. Results showed that there is a need for combined petrophysics and petrofacies interpretation and that uncertainty can be lowered using MagTrak NMR data. This paper provided useful information on the use of NMR in unconventional low pressure hydrocarbon formations.

Electro-Thermal-Mechanical Simulation Capability Final Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

White, D

2008-01-01

This is the Final Report for LDRD 04-ERD-086, 'Electro-Thermal-Mechanical Simulation Capability'. The accomplishments are well documented in five peer-reviewed publications and six conference presentations and hence will not be detailed here. The purpose of this LDRD was to research and develop numerical algorithms for three-dimensional (3D) Electro-Thermal-Mechanical simulations. LLNL has long been a world leader in the area of computational mechanics, and recently several mechanics codes have become 'multiphysics' codes with the addition of fluid dynamics, heat transfer, and chemistry. However, these multiphysics codes do not incorporate the electromagnetics that is required for a coupled Electro-Thermal-Mechanical (ETM) simulation. There are numerous applications for an ETM simulation capability, such as explosively-driven magnetic flux compressors, electromagnetic launchers, inductive heating and mixing of metals, and MEMS. A robust ETM simulation capability will enable LLNL physicists and engineers to better support current DOE programs, and will prepare LLNL for some very exciting long-term DoD opportunities. We define a coupled Electro-Thermal-Mechanical (ETM) simulation as a simulation that solves, in a self-consistent manner, the equations of electromagnetics (primarily statics and diffusion), heat transfer (primarily conduction), and non-linear mechanics (elastic-plastic deformation, and contact with friction). There is no existing parallel 3D code for simulating ETM systems at LLNL or elsewhere. While there are numerous magnetohydrodynamic codes, these codes are designed for astrophysics, magnetic fusion energy, laser-plasma interaction, etc. and do not attempt to accurately model electromagnetically driven solid mechanics. This project responds to the Engineering R and D Focus Areas of Simulation and Energy Manipulation, and addresses the specific problem of Electro-Thermal-Mechanical simulation for design and analysis of energy manipulation systems

Unconventional liquid metal cooled fast reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spinrad, B.I.; Rohach, A.F.; Razzaque, M.M.

1989-06-01

This report describes the rationale for, design of and analytical studies on an unconventional sodium-cooled power reactor, called the Trench Reactor. It derives its name from the long, narrow sodium pool in which the reactor is placed. Unconventional features include: pool shape; reactor shape (also long and narrow); reflector control; low power density; hot-leg primary pumping; absence of a cold sodium pool; large core boxes rather than a large number of subassemblies; large diameter metal fuel; vessel suspension from cables; and vessel cooling by natural circulation of building atmosphere (nitrogen) at all times. These features all seem feasible. They result in a system that is capable of at least a ten year reload interval and shows good safety through direct physical response to loss-of-heat-sink, loss-of-flow and limited-reactivity nuclear transients. 43 figs., 43 tabs

The health implications of unconventional natural gas development in Pennsylvania.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Lizhong; Meyerhoefer, Chad; Chou, Shin-Yi

2018-06-01

We investigate the health impacts of unconventional natural gas development of Marcellus shale in Pennsylvania between 2001 and 2013 by merging well permit data from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection with a database of all inpatient hospital admissions. After comparing changes in hospitalization rates over time for air pollution-sensitive diseases in counties with unconventional gas wells to changes in hospitalization rates in nonwell counties, we find a significant association between shale gas development and hospitalizations for pneumonia among the elderly, which is consistent with higher levels of air pollution resulting from unconventional natural gas development. We note that the lack of any detectable impact of shale gas development on younger populations may be due to unobserved factors contemporaneous with drilling, such as migration. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Thermal mixtures in stochastic mechanics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guerra, F [Rome Univ. (Italy). Ist. di Matematica; Loffredo, M I [Salerno Univ. (Italy). Ist. di Fisica

1981-01-17

Stochastic mechanics is extended to systems in thermal equilibrium. The resulting stochastic processes are mixtures of Nelson processes. Their Markov property is investigated in some simple cases. It is found that in order to inforce Markov property the algebra of observable associated to the present must be suitably enlarged.

IMPACT OF UNCONVENTIONAL ADVERTISING ON PERFORMANCE OF CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS IN CITY OF OSIJEK

OpenAIRE

Iva Buljabasic

2015-01-01

In time of crises, some cultural institutions in city of Osijek are having difficulties with attracting the audience, so they decided to go along with unconventional advertising methods. Cultural institutions and unconventional advertising are compound of old and new ways of acting. The main goal of this paper is to explain how unconventional advertising impacts on performance of cultural institutions in city of Osijek. The question is can cultural institutions in city of Osijek that for year...

Simultaneously Coupled Mechanical-Electrochemical-Thermal Simulation of Lithium-Ion Cells: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Chao; Santhanagopalan, Shriram; Sprague, Michael A.; Pesaran, Ahmad A.

2016-08-01

Understanding the combined electrochemical-thermal and mechanical response of a system has a variety of applications, for example, structural failure from electrochemical fatigue and the potential induced changes of material properties. For lithium-ion batteries, there is an added concern over the safety of the system in the event of mechanical failure of the cell components. In this work, we present a generic multi-scale simultaneously coupled mechanical-electrochemical-thermal model to examine the interaction between mechanical failure and electrochemical-thermal responses. We treat the battery cell as a homogeneous material while locally we explicitly solve for the mechanical response of individual components using a homogenization model and the electrochemical-thermal responses using an electrochemical model for the battery. A benchmark problem is established to demonstrate the proposed modeling framework. The model shows the capability to capture the gradual evolution of cell electrochemical-thermal responses, and predicts the variation of those responses under different short-circuit conditions.

Mechanical properties and thermal behaviour of LLDPE/MWNTs nanocomposites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tai Jin-hua

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs were incorporated into a linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE matrix through using screw extrusion and injection technique. The effect of different weight percent loadings of MWNTs on the morphology, mechanical, and thermal of LLDPE/MWNTs nanocomposite had been investigated. It was found that, at low concentration of MWNTs, it could uniformly disperse into a linear low-density polyethylene matrix and provide LLDPE/MWNTs nanocomposites much improved mechanical properties. Thermal analysis showed that a clear improvement of thermal stability for LLDPE/MWNTs nanocomposites increased with increasing MWNTs content.

Unconventional power - a factor of reducing the pollution in Romania

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Terzi, P.

1996-01-01

The unconventional power generation includes all the activities related to the utilization and management of energy sources, facilities and equipment used to produce and distribute the power obtained through systems other than those based on burning of classical fissile fuels. By its very nature it is not pollutant. The renewable energies as the solar, wind, geothermal, tidal energies, etc, enter this category. As in the same category it is included the energy recovered from different industrial processes, usually associated with the treatment of organic residues or of refuse waters, the unconventional power generation is an important factor in ecological and environmental policy. The paper stresses also the beneficial accompanying actions which are associated with exploiting other unconventional energy sources. For instance, the tidal power exploitation implies also measures of protection of see shore regions from erosion and other forms of decay

Unconventional Military Advising Mission Conducted by Conventional US Military Forces

OpenAIRE

Hajjar, Remi M.

2016-01-01

This article examines how and why many contemporary US mainstream military advisors—as compared to Special Forces advisors—often work from a position of disadvantage when conducting unconventional advising missions. Post-9/11 deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan have caused the US military to adapt to myriad complexities, including a renewed need for the widespread execution of the unconventional military advising mission by the Special Forces and conventional units. Although Special Forces ty...

Regulatory requirements to the thermal-hydraulic and thermal-mechanical computer codes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vitkova, M.; Kalchev, B.; Stefanova, S.

2006-01-01

The paper presents an overview of the regulatory requirements to the thermal-hydraulic and thermal-mechanical computer codes, which are used for safety assessment of the fuel design and the fuel utilization. Some requirements to the model development, verification and validation of the codes and analysis of code uncertainties are also define. Questions concerning Quality Assurance during development and implementation of the codes as well as preparation of a detailed verification and validation plan are briefly discussed

CONTRIBUTIONS ON THE DESIGN OF UNCONVENTIONAL CORRUGATED BOARD STRUCTURES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

NEIDONI Nadina

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The paper depicts a few contributions on the design of several unconventional corrugated board structures. In general, cardboard and corrugated cardboard is strongly linked to packaging. However, limiting these materials to their primary use does nothing else but to restrict the possibilities of using them in other interesting areas. Consequently, new structures built from cardboard have been imagined and in the paper there are presented a few unconventional uses of the corrugated fiberboard, namely as furniture elements, along with the technology used in the design and the manufacturing process.

Proceedings of the World Heavy Oil Congress : unconventional oil challenging conventional expectations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

This international technical and business conference provided a forum to promote heavy oil technology and foster relationships between supply and demand countries. The interactive forum between global industry professionals addressed technological, strategic and environmental challenges facing the unconventional oil industry, including seeking innovative, low cost technologies, driving high costs down; educating and leading the workforce to maintain high standards of production; and ensuring that the footprint on the land is as light as possible. It emphasized that as demand for the uses of heavy oil grows, so does the responsibility of managing sustainability not just from an environmental and social perspective, but also with respect to supply, including manpower and infrastructure. The technical conference featured sessions on advanced and enhanced processes; combustion processes; drilling and completions; geology and reservoir; heavy oil exploitation and development; mining, extraction and transportation; non thermal processes; production and operations; reservoir monitoring; SAGD processes; sustainable development; thermal processes; and, upgrading technology. All 124 presentations from the technical conference were catalogued separately for inclusion in this database. refs., tabs., figs

A review on hydraulic fracturing of unconventional reservoir

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Quanshu Li

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Hydraulic fracturing is widely accepted and applied to improve the gas recovery in unconventional reservoirs. Unconventional reservoirs to be addressed here are with very low permeability, complicated geological settings and in-situ stress field etc. All of these make the hydraulic fracturing process a challenging task. In order to effectively and economically recover gas from such reservoirs, the initiation and propagation of hydraulic fracturing in the heterogeneous fractured/porous media under such complicated conditions should be mastered. In this paper, some issues related to hydraulic fracturing have been reviewed, including the experimental study, field study and numerical simulation. Finally the existing problems that need to be solved on the subject of hydraulic fracturing have been proposed.

Effect of Thermal Environment on the Mechanical Behaviors of Building Marble

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haijian Su

2018-01-01

Full Text Available High temperature and thermal environment can influence the mechanical properties of building materials worked in the civil engineering, for example, concrete, building rock, and steel. This paper examines standard cylindrical building marble specimens (Φ50 × 100 mm that were treated with high temperatures in two different thermal environments: vacuum (VE and airiness (AE. Uniaxial compression tests were also carried out on those specimens after heat treatment to study the effect that the thermal environment has on mechanical behaviors. With an increase in temperature, the mechanical behavior of marble in this study indicates a critical temperature of 600°C. Both the peak stress and elasticity modulus were larger for the VE than they were for the AE. The thermal environment has an obvious influence on the mechanical properties, especially at temperatures of 450∼750°C. The failure mode of marble specimens under uniaxial compression is mainly affected by the thermal environment at 600°C.

Mechanical and Thermal Characterization of Silica Nanocomposites

Science.gov (United States)

Cunningham, Anthony Lamar

Polymer nanocomposites are a class of materials containing nanoparticles with a large interfacial surface area. Only a small quantity of nanoparticles are needed to provide superior multifunctional properties; such as mechanical, thermal, electrical, and moisture absorption properties in polymers. Nanoparticles tend to agglomerate, so special techniques are required for homogeneous distribution. Nanosilica is now readily available as colloidal sols, for example; Nanopox RTM F400 (supplied by Evonik Nanoresins AG, Germany). The nanoparticles are first synthesized from aqueous sodium silicate solution, and then undergo a surface modification process with organosilane and matrix exchange. F400 contains 40%wt silica nanoparticles colloidally dispersed in a DGEBA epoxy resin. The mean particle diameter is about 20 nm with a narrow distribution range of about 5 to 35 nm. The objectives of this study are to develop a reproducible processing method for nanosilica enhanced resin systems used in the manufacturing of fiber reinforced composites that will be characterized for mechanical and thermal properties. Research has concluded that shows improvements in the properties of the matrix material when processed in loading variations of 0 to 25%wt silica nanoparticles. The loadings were also used to manufacture fiberglass reinforced nanocomposite laminates and also tested for mechanical and thermal properties.

Quantitative mass spectrometry of unconventional human biological matrices

Science.gov (United States)

Dutkiewicz, Ewelina P.; Urban, Pawel L.

2016-10-01

The development of sensitive and versatile mass spectrometric methodology has fuelled interest in the analysis of metabolites and drugs in unconventional biological specimens. Here, we discuss the analysis of eight human matrices-hair, nail, breath, saliva, tears, meibum, nasal mucus and skin excretions (including sweat)-by mass spectrometry (MS). The use of such specimens brings a number of advantages, the most important being non-invasive sampling, the limited risk of adulteration and the ability to obtain information that complements blood and urine tests. The most often studied matrices are hair, breath and saliva. This review primarily focuses on endogenous (e.g. potential biomarkers, hormones) and exogenous (e.g. drugs, environmental contaminants) small molecules. The majority of analytical methods used chromatographic separation prior to MS; however, such a hyphenated methodology greatly limits analytical throughput. On the other hand, the mass spectrometric methods that exclude chromatographic separation are fast but suffer from matrix interferences. To enable development of quantitative assays for unconventional matrices, it is desirable to standardize the protocols for the analysis of each specimen and create appropriate certified reference materials. Overcoming these challenges will make analysis of unconventional human biological matrices more common in a clinical setting. This article is part of the themed issue 'Quantitative mass spectrometry'.

Unconventional secretion of tissue transglutaminase involves phospholipid-dependent delivery into recycling endosomes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Evgeny A Zemskov

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Although endosomal compartments have been suggested to play a role in unconventional protein secretion, there is scarce experimental evidence for such involvement. Here we report that recycling endosomes are essential for externalization of cytoplasmic secretory protein tissue transglutaminase (tTG. The de novo synthesized cytoplasmic tTG does not follow the classical ER/Golgi-dependent secretion pathway, but is targeted to perinuclear recycling endosomes, and is delivered inside these vesicles prior to externalization. On its route to the cell surface tTG interacts with internalized β1 integrins inside the recycling endosomes and is secreted as a complex with recycled β1 integrins. Inactivation of recycling endosomes, blocking endosome fusion with the plasma membrane, or downregulation of Rab11 GTPase that controls outbound trafficking of perinuclear recycling endosomes, all abrogate tTG secretion. The initial recruitment of cytoplasmic tTG to recycling endosomes and subsequent externalization depend on its binding to phosphoinositides on endosomal membranes. These findings begin to unravel the unconventional mechanism of tTG secretion which utilizes the long loop of endosomal recycling pathway and indicate involvement of endosomal trafficking in non-classical protein secretion.

Small multiplicity events in e+ + e- → Z0 and unconventional phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perl, M.L.

1986-12-01

Events with two-, four- or six-charged particles and no photons produced through the process e + + e - → Z 0 provide an opportunity to search for unconventional phenomena at the SLC and LEP electron-positron colliders. Examples of unconventional processes are compared with the expected background from electromagnetic processes and from charged lepton pair production

Mechanism of crack initiation and crack growth under thermal and mechanical fatigue loading

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Utz, S.; Soppa, E.; Silcher, H.; Kohler, C. [Stuttgart Univ. (Germany). Materials Testing Inst.

2013-07-01

The present contribution is focused on the experimental investigations and numerical simulations of the deformation behaviour and crack development in the austenitic stainless steel X6CrNiNb18-10 under thermal and mechanical cyclic loading in HCF and LCF regimes. The main objective of this research is the understanding of the basic mechanisms of fatigue damage and the development of simulation methods, which can be applied further in safety evaluations of nuclear power plant components. In this context the modelling of crack initiation and crack growth inside the material structure induced by varying thermal or mechanical loads are of particular interest. The mechanisms of crack initiation depend among other things on the type of loading, microstructure, material properties and temperature. The Nb-stabilized austenitic stainless steel in the solution-annealed condition was chosen for the investigations. Experiments with two kinds of cyclic loading - pure thermal and pure mechanical - were carried out and simulated. The fatigue behaviour of the steel X6CrNiNb18-10 under thermal loading was studied within the framework of the joint research project [4]. Interrupted thermal cyclic tests in the temperature range of 150 C to 300 C combined with non-destructive residual stress measurements (XRD) and various microscopic investigations, e.g. in SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope), were used to study the effects of thermal cyclic loading on the material. This thermal cyclic loading leads to thermal induced stresses and strains. As a result intrusions and extrusions appear inside the grains (at the surface), at which microcracks arise and evolve to a dominant crack. Finally, these microcracks cause a continuous and significant decrease of residual stresses. The fatigue behaviour of the steel X6CrNiNb18-10 under mechanical loading at room temperature was studied within the framework of the research project [5], [8]. With a combination of interrupted LCF tests and EBSD

Mechanism of crack initiation and crack growth under thermal and mechanical fatigue loading

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Utz, S.; Soppa, E.; Silcher, H.; Kohler, C.

2013-01-01

The present contribution is focused on the experimental investigations and numerical simulations of the deformation behaviour and crack development in the austenitic stainless steel X6CrNiNb18-10 under thermal and mechanical cyclic loading in HCF and LCF regimes. The main objective of this research is the understanding of the basic mechanisms of fatigue damage and the development of simulation methods, which can be applied further in safety evaluations of nuclear power plant components. In this context the modelling of crack initiation and crack growth inside the material structure induced by varying thermal or mechanical loads are of particular interest. The mechanisms of crack initiation depend among other things on the type of loading, microstructure, material properties and temperature. The Nb-stabilized austenitic stainless steel in the solution-annealed condition was chosen for the investigations. Experiments with two kinds of cyclic loading - pure thermal and pure mechanical - were carried out and simulated. The fatigue behaviour of the steel X6CrNiNb18-10 under thermal loading was studied within the framework of the joint research project [4]. Interrupted thermal cyclic tests in the temperature range of 150 C to 300 C combined with non-destructive residual stress measurements (XRD) and various microscopic investigations, e.g. in SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope), were used to study the effects of thermal cyclic loading on the material. This thermal cyclic loading leads to thermal induced stresses and strains. As a result intrusions and extrusions appear inside the grains (at the surface), at which microcracks arise and evolve to a dominant crack. Finally, these microcracks cause a continuous and significant decrease of residual stresses. The fatigue behaviour of the steel X6CrNiNb18-10 under mechanical loading at room temperature was studied within the framework of the research project [5], [8]. With a combination of interrupted LCF tests and EBSD

Unconventional aspects of electronic transport in delafossite oxides

Science.gov (United States)

Daou, Ramzy; Frésard, Raymond; Eyert, Volker; Hébert, Sylvie; Maignan, Antoine

2017-12-01

The electronic transport properties of the delafossite oxides ? are usually understood in terms of two well-separated entities, namely the triangular ? and (? layers. Here, we review several cases among this extensive family of materials where the transport depends on the interlayer coupling and displays unconventional properties. We review the doped thermoelectrics based on ? and ?, which show a high-temperature recovery of Fermi-liquid transport exponents, as well as the highly anisotropic metals ?, ?, and ?, where the sheer simplicity of the Fermi surface leads to unconventional transport. We present some of the theoretical tools that have been used to investigate these transport properties and review what can and cannot be learned from the extensive set of electronic structure calculations that have been performed.

Multispectral linear array (MLA) focal plane mechanical and thermal design

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, A. S.; Kaminski, E. F.

1982-01-01

The mechanical and thermal design of an integrated focal plane subsystem of a Multispectral Linear Array (MLA) instrument is discussed in terms of focal-plane alignment, thermoelastic performance, and thermal requirements. The modular construction and thermal control of the focal plane array are discussed.

Parameters affecting mechanical and thermal responses in bone drilling: A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, JuEun; Chavez, Craig L; Park, Joorok

2018-04-11

Surgical bone drilling is performed variously to correct bone fractures, install prosthetics, or for therapeutic treatment. The primary concern in bone drilling is to extract donor bone sections and create receiving holes without damaging the bone tissue either mechanically or thermally. We review current results from experimental and theoretical studies to investigate the parameters related to such effects. This leads to a comprehensive understanding of the mechanical and thermal aspects of bone drilling to reduce their unwanted complications. This review examines the important bone-drilling parameters of bone structure, drill-bit geometry, operating conditions, and material evacuation, and considers the current techniques used in bone drilling. We then analyze the associated mechanical and thermal effects and their contributions to bone-drilling performance. In this review, we identify a favorable range for each parameter to reduce unwanted complications due to mechanical or thermal effects. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterization of Unconventional Reservoirs: CO2 Induced Petrophysics

Science.gov (United States)

Verba, C.; Goral, J.; Washburn, A.; Crandall, D.; Moore, J.

2017-12-01

As concerns about human-driven CO2 emissions grow, it is critical to develop economically and environmentally effective strategies to mitigate impacts associated with fossil energy. Geologic carbon storage (GCS) is a potentially promising technique which involves the injection of captured CO2 into subsurface formations. Unconventional shale formations are attractive targets for GCS while concurrently improving gas recovery. However, shales are inherently heterogeneous, and minor differences can impact the ability of the shale to effectively adsorb and store CO2. Understanding GCS capacity from such endemic heterogeneities is further complicated by the complex geochemical processes which can dynamically alter shale petrophysics. We investigated the size distribution, connectivity, and type (intraparticle, interparticle, and organic) of pores in shale; the mineralogy of cores from unconventional shale (e.g. Bakken); and the changes to these properties under simulated GCS conditions. Electron microscopy and dual beam focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy were used to reconstruct 2D/3D digital matrix and pore structures. Comparison of pre and post-reacted samples gives insights into CO2-shale interactions - such as the mechanism of CO2 sorption in shales- intended for enhanced oil recovery and GCS initiatives. These comparisons also show how geochemical processes proceed differently across shales based on their initial diagenesis. Results show that most shale pore sizes fall within meso-macro pore classification (> 2 nm), but have variable porosity and organic content. The formation of secondary minerals (calcite, gypsum, and halite) may play a role in the infilling of fractures and pore spaces in the shale, which may reduce permeability and inhibit the flow of fluids.

Thermal and mechanical cutting of concrete and steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kloj, G.; Tittel, G.

1984-01-01

Various thermal and mechanical processes for dismantling radioactive large components and concrete structures were investigated in order to determine the optimal handling conditions and their respective efficiency. For the thermal processes, the separation of heavy concrete and steel components by means of oxygen lances, powder cutting, ocyacetylene cutting, and plasma cutting processes were tested. In order to gain the necessary data for designing filtering equipment with regard to use in nuclear power stations, the amount of dust deposition and particle size distribution for these thermal processes were measured. The largest particle size proportion occurs for a particle size of ca. 0.3 μm. For the mechanical processes, stationary saws were used. Due to the large dimensions of the components which are to be found in a nuclear installation, it is not possible to use such saws for the initial dismantling. These saws can be used for both low-alloy and austenitic types of steel, and for separating materials not containing iron. In order to compare the efficiency of the saws with that of the thermal processes, to some extent the same test pieces were used that were used for the thermal tests. The advantage of the saw technique in comparison to the thermal separation processes lies in that next to no gas or dust contamination can become released. Also, the amount of shavings produced (secondary waste) is low. Furthermore, some of the saws can be used under remote control

Neutron and thermal dynamics of a gaseous core fission reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

van Dam, H.; Kuijper, J.C.; Stekelenburg, A.J.C.; Hoogenboom, J.E.; Boersma-Klein, W.; Kistemaker, J.

1989-01-01

In this paper neutron kinetics and thermal dynamics of a Gaseous Core Fission Reactor with magnetical pumping are shown to have many unconventional aspects. Attention is focused on the properties of the fuel gas, the non-linear neutron kinetics and the energy balance in thermodynamical cycles

Development of an Improved Methodology to Assess Potential Unconventional Gas Resources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salazar, Jesus; McVay, Duane A.; Lee, W. John

2010-01-01

Considering the important role played today by unconventional gas resources in North America and their enormous potential for the future around the world, it is vital to both policy makers and industry that the volumes of these resources and the impact of technology on these resources be assessed. To provide for optimal decision making regarding energy policy, research funding, and resource development, it is necessary to reliably quantify the uncertainty in these resource assessments. Since the 1970s, studies to assess potential unconventional gas resources have been conducted by various private and governmental agencies, the most rigorous of which was by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The USGS employed a cell-based, probabilistic methodology which used analytical equations to calculate distributions of the resources assessed. USGS assessments have generally produced distributions for potential unconventional gas resources that, in our judgment, are unrealistically narrow for what are essentially undiscovered, untested resources. In this article, we present an improved methodology to assess potential unconventional gas resources. Our methodology is a stochastic approach that includes Monte Carlo simulation and correlation between input variables. Application of the improved methodology to the Uinta-Piceance province of Utah and Colorado with USGS data validates the means and standard deviations of resource distributions produced by the USGS methodology, but reveals that these distributions are not right skewed, as expected for a natural resource. Our investigation indicates that the unrealistic shape and width of the gas resource distributions are caused by the use of narrow triangular input parameter distributions. The stochastic methodology proposed here is more versatile and robust than the USGS analytic methodology. Adoption of the methodology, along with a careful examination and revision of input distributions, should allow a more realistic

Mechanics and thermal management of stretchable inorganic electronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Jizhou; Feng, Xue; Huang, Yonggang

2016-03-01

Stretchable electronics enables lots of novel applications ranging from wearable electronics, curvilinear electronics to bio-integrated therapeutic devices that are not possible through conventional electronics that is rigid and flat in nature. One effective strategy to realize stretchable electronics exploits the design of inorganic semiconductor material in a stretchable format on an elastomeric substrate. In this review, we summarize the advances in mechanics and thermal management of stretchable electronics based on inorganic semiconductor materials. The mechanics and thermal models are very helpful in understanding the underlying physics associated with these systems, and they also provide design guidelines for the development of stretchable inorganic electronics.

Mechanics and thermal management of stretchable inorganic electronics

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Jizhou; Feng, Xue; Huang, Yonggang

2016-01-01

Stretchable electronics enables lots of novel applications ranging from wearable electronics, curvilinear electronics to bio-integrated therapeutic devices that are not possible through conventional electronics that is rigid and flat in nature. One effective strategy to realize stretchable electronics exploits the design of inorganic semiconductor material in a stretchable format on an elastomeric substrate. In this review, we summarize the advances in mechanics and thermal management of stretchable electronics based on inorganic semiconductor materials. The mechanics and thermal models are very helpful in understanding the underlying physics associated with these systems, and they also provide design guidelines for the development of stretchable inorganic electronics. PMID:27547485

Acute Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Independent Unconventional Splicing of XBP1 mRNA in the Nucleus of Mammalian Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuanyuan Wang

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The regulation of expression of X-box-binding protein-1 (XBP1, a transcriptional factor, involves an unconventional mRNA splicing that removes the 26 nucleotides intron. In contrast to the conventional splicing that exclusively takes place in the nucleus, determining the location of unconventional splicing still remains controversial. This study was designed to examine whether the unconventional spicing of XBP1 mRNA could occur in the nucleus and its possible biological relevance. We use RT-PCR reverse transcription system and the expand high fidelity PCR system to detect spliced XBP1 mRNA, and fraction cells to determine the location of the unconventional splicing of XBP1 mRNA. We employ reporter constructs to show the presence of unconventional splicing machinery in mammal cells independently of acute endoplasmic reticulum (ER stress. Our results reveal the presence of basal unconventional splicing of XBP1 mRNA in the nucleus that also requires inositol-requiring transmembrane kinase and endonuclease 1α (IRE1α and can occur independently of acute ER stress. Furthermore, we confirm that acute ER stress induces the splicing of XBP1 mRNA predominantly occurring in the cytoplasm, but it also promotes the splicing in the nucleus. The deletion of 5′-nucleotides in XBP1 mRNA significantly increases its basal unconventional splicing, suggesting that the secondary structure of XBP1 mRNA may determine the location of unconventional splicing. These results suggest that the unconventional splicing of XBP1 mRNA can take place in the nucleus and/or cytoplasm, which possibly depends on the elaborate regulation. The acute ER stress-independent unconventional splicing in the nucleus is most likely required for the maintaining of day-to-day folding protein homeostasis.

Analysis of resource potential for China’s unconventional gas and forecast for its long-term production growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Jianliang; Mohr, Steve; Feng, Lianyong; Liu, Huihui; Tverberg, Gail E.

2016-01-01

China is vigorously promoting the development of its unconventional gas resources because natural gas is viewed as a lower-carbon energy source and because China has relatively little conventional natural gas supply. In this paper, we first evaluate how much unconventional gas might be available based on an analysis of technically recoverable resources for three types of unconventional gas resources: shale gas, coalbed methane and tight gas. We then develop three alternative scenarios of how this extraction might proceed, using the Geologic Resources Supply Demand Model. Based on our analysis, the medium scenario, which we would consider to be our best estimate, shows a resource peak of 176.1 billion cubic meters (bcm) in 2068. Depending on economic conditions and advance in extraction techniques, production could vary greatly from this. If economic conditions are adverse, unconventional natural gas production could perhaps be as low as 70.1 bcm, peaking in 2021. Under the extremely optimistic assumption that all of the resources that appear to be technologically available can actually be recovered, unconventional production could amount to as much as 469.7 bcm, with peak production in 2069. Even if this high scenario is achieved, China’s total gas production will only be sufficient to meet China’s lowest demand forecast. If production instead matches our best estimate, significant amounts of natural gas imports are likely to be needed. - Highlights: • A comprehensive investigation on China’s unconventional gas resources is presented. • China’s unconventional gas production is forecast under different scenarios. • Unconventional gas production will increase rapidly in high scenario. • Achieving the projected production in high scenario faces many challenges. • The increase of China’s unconventional gas production cannot solve its gas shortage.

Minimizing the water and air impacts of unconventional energy extraction

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, R. B.

2014-12-01

Unconventional energy generates income and, done well, can reduce air pollution compared to other fossil fuels and even water use compared to fossil fuels and nuclear energy. Alternatively, it could slow the adoption of renewables and, done poorly, release toxic chemicals into water and air. Based on research to date, some primary threats to water resources come from surface spills, wastewater disposal, and drinking-water contamination through poor well integrity. For air resources, an increase in volatile organic compounds and air toxics locally is a potential health threat, but the switch from coal to natural gas for electricity generation will reduce sulfur, nitrogen, mercury, and particulate pollution regionally. Critical needs for future research include data for 1) estimated ultimate recovery (EUR) of unconventional hydrocarbons; 2) the potential for further reductions of water requirements and chemical toxicity; 3) whether unconventional resource development alters the frequency of well-integrity failures; 4) potential contamination of surface and ground waters from drilling and spills; and 5) the consequences of greenhouse gases and air pollution on ecosystems and human health.

Point source attribution of ambient contamination events near unconventional oil and gas development.

Science.gov (United States)

Hildenbrand, Zacariah L; Mach, Phillip M; McBride, Ethan M; Dorreyatim, M Navid; Taylor, Josh T; Carlton, Doug D; Meik, Jesse M; Fontenot, Brian E; Wright, Kenneth C; Schug, Kevin A; Verbeck, Guido F

2016-12-15

We present an analysis of ambient benzene, toluene, and xylene isomers in the Eagle Ford shale region of southern Texas. In situ air quality measurements using membrane inlet mobile mass spectrometry revealed ambient benzene and toluene concentrations as high as 1000 and 5000 parts-per-billion, respectively, originating from specific sub-processes on unconventional oil and gas well pad sites. The detection of highly variant contamination events attributable to natural gas flaring units, condensate tanks, compressor units, and hydrogen sulfide scavengers indicates that mechanical inefficiencies, and not necessarily the inherent nature of the extraction process as a whole, result in the release of these compounds into the environment. This awareness of ongoing contamination events contributes to an enhanced knowledge of ambient volatile organic compounds on a regional scale. While these reconnaissance measurements on their own do not fully characterize the fluctuations of ambient BTEX concentrations that likely exist in the atmosphere of the Eagle Ford Shale region, they do suggest that contamination events from unconventional oil and gas development can be monitored, controlled, and reduced. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Experts discuss unconventional conflicts in the Americas | IDRC ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

2015-07-10

Jul 10, 2015 ... Experts discuss unconventional conflicts in the Americas ... in illicit activities — like drug smuggling and illegal mining — that destabilize societies and ruin lives. ... Social exclusion and "violences" in Central American cities.

Mechanical, thermal, and barrier properties of methylcellulose/cellulose nanocrystals nanocomposites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hudson Alves Silvério

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In this work, the effects of incorporating cellulose nanocrystals from soy hulls (WSH30 on the mechanical, thermal, and barrier properties of methylcellulose (MC nanocomposites were evaluated. MC/WSH30 nanocomposite films with different filler levels (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10% were prepared by casting. Compared to neat MC film, improvements in the mechanical and barrier properties were observed, while thermal stability was retained. The improved mechanical properties of nanocomposites prepared may be attributed to mechanical percolation of WSH30, formation of a continuous network of WSH30 linked by hydrogen interactions and a close association between filler and matrix.

Mechanical, thermal, and barrier properties of methylcellulose/cellulose nanocrystals nanocomposites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silverio, Hudson Alves; Flauzino Neto, Wilson Pires; Silva, Ingrid Souza Vieira da; Rosa, Joyce Rover; Pasquini, Daniel, E-mail: pasquini@iqufu.ufu.br, E-mail: danielpasquini2005@yahoo.com.br [Universidade de Uberlandia (USU), MG (Brazil). Instituto de Quimica; Assuncao, Rosana Maria Nascimento de [Universidade de Uberlandia (USU), Ituiutaba, MG (brazil). Fac. de Ciencias Integradas do Pontal; Barud, Hernane da Silva; Ribeiro, Sidney Jose Lima [Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho (UNESP), Araraquara, SP (Brazil). Instituto de Quimica

2014-11-15

In this work, the effects of incorporating cellulose nanocrystals from soy hulls (WSH{sub 30}) on the mechanical, thermal, and barrier properties of methylcellulose (MC) nanocomposites were evaluated. MC/WSH{sub 30} nanocomposite films with different filler levels (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10%) were prepared by casting. Compared to neat MC film, improvements in the mechanical and barrier properties were observed, while thermal stability was retained. The improved mechanical properties of nanocomposites prepared may be attributed to mechanical percolation of WSH{sub 30}, formation of a continuous network of WSH{sub 30} linked by hydrogen interactions and a close association between filler and matrix. (author)

Quantum chemical aided prediction of the thermal decomposition mechanisms and temperatures of ionic liquids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kroon, Maaike C.; Buijs, Wim; Peters, Cor J.; Witkamp, Geert-Jan

2007-01-01

The long-term thermal stability of ionic liquids is of utmost importance for their industrial application. Although the thermal decomposition temperatures of various ionic liquids have been measured previously, experimental data on the thermal decomposition mechanisms and kinetics are scarce. It is desirable to develop quantitative chemical tools that can predict thermal decomposition mechanisms and temperatures (kinetics) of ionic liquids. In this work ab initio quantum chemical calculations (DFT-B3LYP) have been used to predict thermal decomposition mechanisms, temperatures and the activation energies of the thermal breakdown reactions. These quantum chemical calculations proved to be an excellent method to predict the thermal stability of various ionic liquids

Integrated Approach to Drilling Project in Unconventional Reservoir Using Reservoir Simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Stopa, Jerzy; Wiśniowski, Rafał; Wojnarowski, Paweł; Janiga, Damian; Skrzypaszek, Krzysztof

2018-03-01

Accumulation and flow mechanisms in unconventional reservoir are different compared to conventional. This requires a special approach of field management with drilling and stimulation treatments as major factor for further production. Integrated approach of unconventional reservoir production optimization assumes coupling drilling project with full scale reservoir simulation for determine best well placement, well length, fracturing treatment design and mid-length distance between wells. Full scale reservoir simulation model emulate a part of polish shale - gas field. The aim of this paper is to establish influence of technical factor for gas production from shale gas field. Due to low reservoir permeability, stimulation treatment should be direct towards maximizing the hydraulic contact. On the basis of production scenarios, 15 stages hydraulic fracturing allows boost gas production over 1.5 times compared to 8 stages. Due to the possible interference of the wells, it is necessary to determine the distance between the horizontal parts of the wells trajectories. In order to determine the distance between the wells allowing to maximize recovery factor of resources in the stimulated zone, a numerical algorithm based on a dynamic model was developed and implemented. Numerical testing and comparative study show that the most favourable arrangement assumes a minimum allowable distance between the wells. This is related to the volume ratio of the drainage zone to the total volume of the stimulated zone.

The framing of unconventional natural gas resources in the foreign energy policy discourse of the Russian Federation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ocelík, Petr; Osička, Jan

2014-01-01

The advent of unconventional resources of natural gas has altered the order on global as well as continental gas markets. With rising liquidity, the position of established dominant suppliers is eroding. We focus on the initial response of Russia, the leading supplier of natural gas to Europe, to the new situation, building the research on unit-level constructivism and discourse analysis. We use frame analysis to reveal what image of unconventional resources was constructed in Russian foreign energy policy discourse (FEPD) in the period between 2009 and 2011, when the “unconventional revolution” did not yet have any sharp contours. We conclude that in Russian FEPD the unconventionals are considered as a distinctive and inferior source of energy compared to conventional natural gas. Emphasis is put on their economic irrationality and environmental hazards. The bottom line of the discourse is the idea that there is a choice between conventional and unconventional sources, with this choice being framed as one between good and bad, or right and wrong. - Highlights: • We examine the image of “unconventional gas” in Russian foreign energy policy discourse. • Two main frames (reliable supplier and triumphant natural gas) were identified. • Two main argumentation schemes (economic and environmental) were identified. • The “unconventional gas” is defined as a mistaken and inferior source of energy

Mechanical, Hygric and Thermal Properties of Flue Gas Desulfurization Gypsum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Tesárek

2004-01-01

Full Text Available The reference measurements of basic mechanical, thermal and hygric parameters of hardened flue gas desulfurization gypsum are carried out. Moisture diffusivity, water vapor diffusion coefficient, thermal conductivity, volumetric heat capacity and linear thermal expansion coefficient are determined with the primary aim of comparison with data obtained for various types of modified gypsum in the future. 

Water Use for Unconventional Energy Development: How Much, What Kind, and to What Reaction?

Science.gov (United States)

Grubert, E.

2017-12-01

Water resources—access to water, protection of water, and allocation of water in particular—are a major priority for Americans, but water use for the energy sector has not previously been well characterized. Water use and management associated with unconventional energy development is of special interest, in part because it is often new to the locations and contexts where it occurs. This presentation focuses on three major questions about water use for unconventional energy development, drawing on both engineering and anthropological research. First, using results from a recent study of water use for energy in the entire United States, how much water does the US use for unconventional energy resources, and how does that compare with water use for more mature fuel cycles? Second, based on that same study, what kind of water is used for these unconventional energy resource fuel cycles? Specifically, where does the water come from, and what is its quality? Finally, drawing on recent case studies in the US and elsewhere, what has the reaction been to these water uses, and why does that matter? Case studies focused on oil and natural gas resources illustrate societal reactions to issues of both water management, particularly related to induced seismicity associated with produced water injection, and water allocation, particularly related to hydraulic fracturing. Overall, recent work finds that public concern about water used for unconventional energy resources is often better explained by observed or anticipated local impacts and the uncertainty surrounding these impacts than by specifics about quantities, allocation, and management techniques. This work provides both quantitative and qualitative characterization of water management and allocation for unconventional energy development.

Timely activation of budding yeast APCCdh1 involves degradation of its inhibitor, Acm1, by an unconventional proteolytic mechanism.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Melesse

Full Text Available Regulated proteolysis mediated by the ubiquitin proteasome system is a fundamental and essential feature of the eukaryotic cell division cycle. Most proteins with cell cycle-regulated stability are targeted for degradation by one of two related ubiquitin ligases, the Skp1-cullin-F box protein (SCF complex or the anaphase-promoting complex (APC. Here we describe an unconventional cell cycle-regulated proteolytic mechanism that acts on the Acm1 protein, an inhibitor of the APC activator Cdh1 in budding yeast. Although Acm1 can be recognized as a substrate by the Cdc20-activated APC (APCCdc20 in anaphase, APCCdc20 is neither necessary nor sufficient for complete Acm1 degradation at the end of mitosis. An APC-independent, but 26S proteasome-dependent, mechanism is sufficient for complete Acm1 clearance from late mitotic and G1 cells. Surprisingly, this mechanism appears distinct from the canonical ubiquitin targeting pathway, exhibiting several features of ubiquitin-independent proteasomal degradation. For example, Acm1 degradation in G1 requires neither lysine residues in Acm1 nor assembly of polyubiquitin chains. Acm1 was stabilized though by conditional inactivation of the ubiquitin activating enzyme Uba1, implying some requirement for the ubiquitin pathway, either direct or indirect. We identified an amino terminal predicted disordered region in Acm1 that contributes to its proteolysis in G1. Although ubiquitin-independent proteasome substrates have been described, Acm1 appears unique in that its sensitivity to this mechanism is strictly cell cycle-regulated via cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk phosphorylation. As a result, Acm1 expression is limited to the cell cycle window in which Cdk is active. We provide evidence that failure to eliminate Acm1 impairs activation of APCCdh1 at mitotic exit, justifying its strict regulation by cell cycle-dependent transcription and proteolytic mechanisms. Importantly, our results reveal that strict cell

Timely Activation of Budding Yeast APCCdh1 Involves Degradation of Its Inhibitor, Acm1, by an Unconventional Proteolytic Mechanism

Science.gov (United States)

Melesse, Michael; Choi, Eunyoung; Hall, Hana; Walsh, Michael J.; Geer, M. Ariel; Hall, Mark C.

2014-01-01

Regulated proteolysis mediated by the ubiquitin proteasome system is a fundamental and essential feature of the eukaryotic cell division cycle. Most proteins with cell cycle-regulated stability are targeted for degradation by one of two related ubiquitin ligases, the Skp1-cullin-F box protein (SCF) complex or the anaphase-promoting complex (APC). Here we describe an unconventional cell cycle-regulated proteolytic mechanism that acts on the Acm1 protein, an inhibitor of the APC activator Cdh1 in budding yeast. Although Acm1 can be recognized as a substrate by the Cdc20-activated APC (APCCdc20) in anaphase, APCCdc20 is neither necessary nor sufficient for complete Acm1 degradation at the end of mitosis. An APC-independent, but 26S proteasome-dependent, mechanism is sufficient for complete Acm1 clearance from late mitotic and G1 cells. Surprisingly, this mechanism appears distinct from the canonical ubiquitin targeting pathway, exhibiting several features of ubiquitin-independent proteasomal degradation. For example, Acm1 degradation in G1 requires neither lysine residues in Acm1 nor assembly of polyubiquitin chains. Acm1 was stabilized though by conditional inactivation of the ubiquitin activating enzyme Uba1, implying some requirement for the ubiquitin pathway, either direct or indirect. We identified an amino terminal predicted disordered region in Acm1 that contributes to its proteolysis in G1. Although ubiquitin-independent proteasome substrates have been described, Acm1 appears unique in that its sensitivity to this mechanism is strictly cell cycle-regulated via cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) phosphorylation. As a result, Acm1 expression is limited to the cell cycle window in which Cdk is active. We provide evidence that failure to eliminate Acm1 impairs activation of APCCdh1 at mitotic exit, justifying its strict regulation by cell cycle-dependent transcription and proteolytic mechanisms. Importantly, our results reveal that strict cell-cycle expression profiles

Unconventional Treatments for Vitiligo: Are They (Un) Satisfactory?

Science.gov (United States)

Gianfaldoni, Serena; Tchernev, Georgi; Lotti, Jacopo; Wollina, Uwe; Satolli, Francesca; Rovesti, Miriam; França, Katlein; Lotti, Torello

2018-01-25

The authors show a brief overview of the vitiligo's unconventional therapies. A part for well-documented effectiveness of L-phenylalanine, PGE2 and antioxidant agents in the treatment of vitiligo, for the other therapeutical approaches more investigations are needed.

Combating Daesh: A Socially Unconventional Strategy

Science.gov (United States)

2015-06-01

to those that pledge political support.49 Auyero et al . outline four scenarios where clientelism may spur collective action.50 The first is...to al -Baghdadi Abu Ahmad al -Alwani Direct tie to al -Baghdadi Adnan Latif Hamid al -Sweidawi Wilaya Anbar Governor Fadel Ahmad Abdullah al -Hiyali...Exploitation, SME, Unconventional Warfare, UW, Irregular Warfare, IW, Abu Badr al -Baghdadi, Army Operating Concept, AOC, Human Domain Mapping

Thermal assault and polyurethane foam-evaluating protective mechanisms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williamson, C.L.; Iams, Z.L.

2004-01-01

Rigid polyurethane foam utilizes a variety of mechanisms to mitigate the thermal assault of a ''regulatory burn''. Polymer specific heat and foam k-factor are of limited usefulness in predicting payload protection. Properly formulated rigid polyurethane foam provides additional safeguards by employing ablative mechanisms which are effective even when the foam has been crushed or fractured as a result of trauma. The dissociative transitions from polymer to gas and char, and the gas transport of heat from inside the package out into the environment are also thermal mitigators. Additionally, the in-situ production of an intumescent, insulative, carbonaceous char, confers thermal protection even when a package's outer steel skin has been breached. In this test program, 19 liter, ''Five gallon'' steel pails are exposed on one end to the flame of an ''Oil Burner'' as described in the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ''Aircraft Materials Fire Test Handbook''. When burning 2 diesel at a nominal rate of 8.39 kg (18.5 pounds)/hr, the burner generates a high emissivity flame that impinges on the pail face with the thermal intensity of a full scale pool-fire environment. Results of these tests, TGA and MDSC analysis on the subject foams are reported, and their relevance to full size packages and pool fires are discussed

Thermal depolymerization mechanisms of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate)

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Hengxue Xiang; Xiaoshuang Wen; Xiaohui Miu; Yan Li; Zhe Zhou; Meifang Zhu

2016-01-01

Thermal degradation processes and decomposition mechanisms of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) were investigated by using thermal gravity analysis(TGA), Gel permeation chromatography (GPC), elemental analyzer, pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (PyGC-MS) and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR). The degradation activation energy was calculated via the dependence of residual mass on isothermal temperature. 1H NMR and PyGC-MS were used to investigate the chemical structure and component proportion of volatile gases and degradation residues which were produced by thermal decomposition, and to infer the process of macromolecular chain scission. Besides, the influence of the factors, such as outfield atmosphere, residual metal ions, on the degradation behaviors of PHBV was also studied. Finally, the PHBV thermal decomposition mechanisms were speculated on the basis of the degradation behaviors of molecular and chemical structure.

THE FORMS OF UNCONVENTIONAL ADVERTISING – A THEORETICAL APPROACH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Alina JURCA

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The large number of advertisements that the consumers are bombarded with every day has made them virtually immune to commercial messages. This is why advertisers are trying to find new, alternative ways to reach the customers, which are comprised by economic literature in the concept of unconventional advertising. Based on a thorough documentary research, this study identifies the existing forms of unconventional advertising by presenting them in the order of their frequency of use and it tries to group the ones with similar characteristics into somewhat larger categories. A better understanding and knowledge of these new forms of advertising can provide marketing and advertising specialists with new strategies to convey the brand message that can grab the attention of any prospect customer.

Unconventional superconductivity in cuprates, cobaltates and graphene. What is universal and what is material-dependent in strongly versus weakly correlated materials?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiesel, Maximilian Ludwig

2013-01-01

A general theory for all classes of unconventional superconductors is still one of the unsolved key issues in condensed-matter physics. Actually, it is not yet fully settled if there is a common underlying pairing mechanism. Instead, it might be possible that several distinct sources for unconventional (not phonon-mediated) superconductivity have to be considered, or an electron-phonon interaction is not negligible. The focus of this thesis is on the most probable mechanism for the formation of Cooper pairs in unconventional superconductors, namely a strictly electronic one where spin fluctuations are the mediators. Studying different superconductors in this thesis, the emphasis is put on material-independent features of the pairing mechanism. In addition, the investigation of the phase diagrams enables a view on the vicinity of superconductivity. Thus, it is possible to clarify which competing quantum fluctuations enhance or weaken the propensity for a superconducting state. The broad range of superconducting materials requires the use of more than one numerical technique to study an appropriate microscopic description. This is not a problem but a big advantage because this facilitates the approach-independent description of common underlying physics. For this evaluation, the strongly correlated cuprates are simulated with the variational cluster approach. Especially the question of a pairing glue is taken into consideration. Furthermore, it is possible to distinguish between retarded and non-retarded contributions to the gap function. The cuprates are confronted with the cobaltate Na x CoO 2 and graphene. These weakly correlated materials are investigated with the functional renormalization group (fRG) and reveal a comprehensive phase diagram, including a d+id-wave superconductivity, which breaks time-reversal symmetry. The corresponding gap function is nodeless, but for NaCoO, it features a doping-dependent anisotropy. In addition, some general considerations on

Unconventional superconductivity in cuprates, cobaltates and graphene. What is universal and what is material-dependent in strongly versus weakly correlated materials?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kiesel, Maximilian Ludwig

2013-02-08

A general theory for all classes of unconventional superconductors is still one of the unsolved key issues in condensed-matter physics. Actually, it is not yet fully settled if there is a common underlying pairing mechanism. Instead, it might be possible that several distinct sources for unconventional (not phonon-mediated) superconductivity have to be considered, or an electron-phonon interaction is not negligible. The focus of this thesis is on the most probable mechanism for the formation of Cooper pairs in unconventional superconductors, namely a strictly electronic one where spin fluctuations are the mediators. Studying different superconductors in this thesis, the emphasis is put on material-independent features of the pairing mechanism. In addition, the investigation of the phase diagrams enables a view on the vicinity of superconductivity. Thus, it is possible to clarify which competing quantum fluctuations enhance or weaken the propensity for a superconducting state. The broad range of superconducting materials requires the use of more than one numerical technique to study an appropriate microscopic description. This is not a problem but a big advantage because this facilitates the approach-independent description of common underlying physics. For this evaluation, the strongly correlated cuprates are simulated with the variational cluster approach. Especially the question of a pairing glue is taken into consideration. Furthermore, it is possible to distinguish between retarded and non-retarded contributions to the gap function. The cuprates are confronted with the cobaltate Na{sub x}CoO{sub 2} and graphene. These weakly correlated materials are investigated with the functional renormalization group (fRG) and reveal a comprehensive phase diagram, including a d+id-wave superconductivity, which breaks time-reversal symmetry. The corresponding gap function is nodeless, but for NaCoO, it features a doping-dependent anisotropy. In addition, some general

Characterization of Thermal and Mechanical Impact on Aluminum Honeycomb Structures

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Christen M.

2013-01-01

This study supports NASA Kennedy Space Center's research in the area of intelligent thermal management systems and multifunctional thermal systems. This project addresses the evaluation of the mechanical and thermal properties of metallic cellular solid (MCS) materials; those that are lightweight; high strength, tunable, multifunctional and affordable. A portion of the work includes understanding the mechanical properties of honeycomb structured cellular solids upon impact testing under ambient, water-immersed, liquid nitrogen-cooled, and liquid nitrogen-immersed conditions. Additionally, this study will address characterization techniques of the aluminum honeycomb's ability to resist multiple high-rate loadings or impacts in varying environmental conditions, using various techniques for the quantitative and qualitative determination for commercial applicability.

Thermal hydraulics and mechanics core design programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heinecke, J.

1992-10-01

The report documents the work performed within the Research and Development Task T hermal hydraulics and mechanics core design programs , funded by the German government. It contains the development of new codes, the extension of existing codes, the qualification and verification of codes and the development of a code library. The overall goal of this work was to adapt the system of thermal hydraulics and mechanics codes to the permanently growing requirements of the status of science and technology

Just fracking: a distributive environmental justice analysis of unconventional gas development in Pennsylvania, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Clough, Emily; Bell, Derek

2016-02-01

This letter presents a distributive environmental justice analysis of unconventional gas development in the area of Pennsylvania lying over the Marcellus Shale, the largest shale gas formation in play in the United States. The extraction of shale gas using unconventional wells, which are hydraulically fractured (fracking), has increased dramatically since 2005. As the number of wells has grown, so have concerns about the potential public health effects on nearby communities. These concerns make shale gas development an environmental justice issue. This letter examines whether the hazards associated with proximity to wells and the economic benefits of shale gas production are fairly distributed. We distinguish two types of distributive environmental justice: traditional and benefit sharing. We ask the traditional question: are there a disproportionate number of minority or low-income residents in areas near to unconventional wells in Pennsylvania? However, we extend this analysis in two ways: we examine income distribution and level of education; and we compare before and after shale gas development. This contributes to discussions of benefit sharing by showing how the income distribution of the population has changed. We use a binary dasymetric technique to remap the data from the 2000 US Census and the 2009-2013 American Communities Survey and combine that data with a buffer containment analysis of unconventional wells to compare the characteristics of the population living nearer to unconventional wells with those further away before and after shale gas development. Our analysis indicates that there is no evidence of traditional distributive environmental injustice: there is not a disproportionate number of minority or low-income residents in areas near to unconventional wells. However, our analysis is consistent with the claim that there is benefit sharing distributive environmental injustice: the income distribution of the population nearer to shale gas wells

Effect of thermal-treatment sequence on sound absorbing and mechanical properties of porous sound-absorbing/thermal-insulating composites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huang Chen-Hung

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Due to recent rapid commercial and industrial development, mechanical equipment is supplemented massively in the factory and thus mechanical operation causes noise which distresses living at home. In livelihood, neighborhood, transportation equipment, jobsite construction noises impact on quality of life not only factory noise. This study aims to preparation technique and property evaluation of porous sound-absorbing/thermal-insulating composites. Hollow three-dimensional crimp PET fibers blended with low-melting PET fibers were fabricated into hollow PET/low-melting PET nonwoven after opening, blending, carding, lapping and needle-bonding process. Then, hollow PET/low-melting PET nonwovens were laminated into sound-absorbing/thermal-insulating composites by changing sequence of needle-bonding and thermal-treatment. The optimal thermal-treated sequence was found by tensile strength, tearing strength, sound-absorbing coefficient and thermal conductivity coefficient tests of porous composites.

The effects of MWNT on thermal conductivity and thermal mechanical properties of epoxy

Science.gov (United States)

Ismadi, A. I.; Othman, R. N.

2017-12-01

Multiwall nanotube (MWNT) was used as filler in various studies to improve thermal conductivity and mechanical properties of epoxy. Present study varied different weight loading (0, 0.1 %, 0.5 %, 1 %, 1.5 %, 3 % and 5 %) of MWNT in order to observe the effects on the epoxy. Nanocomposite was analyzed by dynamic-mechanical thermal analyser (DMTA) and KD2 pro analyzer. DMTA measured storage modulus (E') and glass transition temperature (Tg) of the nanocomposite. Result showed that Tg value of neat epoxy is higher than all MWNT epoxy nanocomposite. Tg values drop from 81.55 °C (neat epoxy) to 65.03 °C (at 0.1 wt%). This may happen due to the agglomeration of MWNT in the epoxy. However, Tg values increases with the increase of MWNT wt%. Tg values increased from 65.03 °C to 78.53 °C at 1 wt%. Increment of storage modulus (E') at 3 °C (glassy region) was observed as the MWNT loading increases. Maximum value of E' during glassy region was observed to be at 5 wt% with (7.26±0.7) E+08 Pa compared to neat epoxy. On the contrary, there is slight increased and slight decreased with E' values at 100 °C (rubbery region) for all nanocomposite. Since epoxy exhibits low thermal conductivity properties, addition of MWNT has enhanced the properties. Optimum value of thermal conductivity was observed at 3 wt%. The values increased up to 9.03 % compared to neat epoxy. As expected, the result showed decrease value in thermal conductivity at 5 wt% as a result of agglomeration of MWNT in the epoxy.

Making sense of "alternative", "complementary", "unconventional" and "integrative" medicine: exploring the terms and meanings through a textual analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ng, Jeremy Y; Boon, Heather S; Thompson, Alison K; Whitehead, Cynthia R

2016-05-20

Medical pluralism has flourished throughout the Western world in spite of efforts to legitimize Western biomedical healthcare as "conventional medicine" and thereby relegate all non-physician-related forms of healthcare to an "other" category. These "other" practitioners have been referred to as "unconventional", "alternative" and "complementary", among other terms throughout the past half century. This study investigates the discourses surrounding the changes in the terms, and their meanings, used to describe unconventional medicine in North America. Terms identified by the literature as synonymous to unconventional medicine were searched using the Scopus database. A textual analysis following the method described by Kripendorff 2013 was subsequently performed on the five most highly-cited unconventional medicine-related peer-reviewed literature published between 1970 and 2013. Five commonly-used, unconventional medicine-related terms were identified. Authors using "complementary and alternative", "complementary", "alternative", or "unconventional" tended to define them by what they are not (e.g., therapies not taught/used in conventional medicine, therapy demands not met by conventional medicine, and therapies that lack research on safety, efficacy and effectiveness). Authors defined "integrated/integrative" medicine by what it is (e.g., a new model of healthcare, the combining of both conventional and unconventional therapies, accounting for the whole person, and preventative maintenance of health). Authors who defined terms by "what is not" stressed that the purpose of conducting research in this area was solely to create knowledge. Comparatively, authors who defined terms by "what is" sought to advocate for the evidence-based combination of unconventional and conventional medicines. Both author groups used scientific rhetoric to define unconventional medical practices. This emergence of two groups of authors who used two different sets of terms to refer to the

Computationally efficient thermal-mechanical modelling of selective laser melting

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yabin; Ayas, Can

2017-10-01

The Selective laser melting (SLM) is a powder based additive manufacturing (AM) method to produce high density metal parts with complex topology. However, part distortions and accompanying residual stresses deteriorates the mechanical reliability of SLM products. Modelling of the SLM process is anticipated to be instrumental for understanding and predicting the development of residual stress field during the build process. However, SLM process modelling requires determination of the heat transients within the part being built which is coupled to a mechanical boundary value problem to calculate displacement and residual stress fields. Thermal models associated with SLM are typically complex and computationally demanding. In this paper, we present a simple semi-analytical thermal-mechanical model, developed for SLM that represents the effect of laser scanning vectors with line heat sources. The temperature field within the part being build is attained by superposition of temperature field associated with line heat sources in a semi-infinite medium and a complimentary temperature field which accounts for the actual boundary conditions. An analytical solution of a line heat source in a semi-infinite medium is first described followed by the numerical procedure used for finding the complimentary temperature field. This analytical description of the line heat sources is able to capture the steep temperature gradients in the vicinity of the laser spot which is typically tens of micrometers. In turn, semi-analytical thermal model allows for having a relatively coarse discretisation of the complimentary temperature field. The temperature history determined is used to calculate the thermal strain induced on the SLM part. Finally, a mechanical model governed by elastic-plastic constitutive rule having isotropic hardening is used to predict the residual stresses.

Unconventional Participation in Time of Crisis: How Ideology Shapes Citizens’ Political Actions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vincenzo Memoli

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Since democracy requires the involvement of citizens, the topic of political participation has attracted great attention from both practitioners and scholars. During the current financial and economic crisis, there have been various protest movements in many European countries. In this paper, which employs data from the European Social Survey and analyzes some European countries using a longitudinal study (2002-2012, I measure unconventional political participation considering three types of action - signed a petition, participated in a lawful demonstration and joined a boycott. By linking citizens to government ideology and vote for party government to political action through a multilevel model, this paper argues that both ideology and citizens’ electoral choices have a bearing on unconventional political participation. In times of crisis, government choices do not feed the level of unconventional political participation. However, differences emerge in terms of political behavior when I consider citizens’ ideology, loser status and government ideology.

Unconventional Consumption Methods and Enjoying Things Consumed: Recapturing the "First-Time" Experience.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Brien, Ed; Smith, Robert W

2018-06-01

People commonly lament the inability to re-experience familiar things as they were first experienced. Four experiments suggest that consuming familiar things in new ways can disrupt adaptation and revitalize enjoyment. Participants better enjoyed the same familiar food (Experiment 1), drink (Experiment 2), and video (Experiments 3a-3b) simply when re-experiencing the entity via unusual means (e.g., eating popcorn using chopsticks vs. hands). This occurs because unconventional methods invite an immersive "first-time" perspective on the consumption object: boosts in enjoyment were mediated by revitalized immersion into the consumption experience and were moderated by time such that they were strongest when using unconventional methods for the first time (Experiments 1-2); likewise, unconventional methods that actively disrupted immersion did not elicit the boost, despite being novel (Experiments 3a-3b). Before abandoning once-enjoyable entities, knowing to consume old things in new ways (vs. attaining new things altogether) might temporarily restore enjoyment and postpone wasteful replacement.

Dependence of Glass Mechanical Properties on Thermal and Pressure History

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Smedskjær, Morten Mattrup; Bauchy, Mathieu

Predicting the properties of new glasses prior to manufacturing is a topic attracting great industrial and scientific interest. Mechanical properties are currently of particular interest given the increasing demand for stronger, thinner, and more flexible glasses in recent years. However, as a non......-equilibrium material, the structure and properties of glass depend not only on its composition, but also on its thermal and pressure histories. Here we review our recent findings regarding the thermal and pressure history dependence of indentation-derived mechanical properties of oxide glasses....

Microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of Inconel 718 after thermal exposure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu, Z.S., E-mail: yuzaisong@tpri.com.cn [State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi’an Jiaotong University, No. 28, Xianning West Road, Xi’an 710049 (China); Xi' an Thermal Power Research Institute Co. Ltd., No. 136, Xingqing Road, Xi’an 710032 (China); Zhang, J.X. [State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi’an Jiaotong University, No. 28, Xianning West Road, Xi’an 710049 (China); Yuan, Y.; Zhou, R.C.; Zhang, H.J.; Wang, H.Z. [Xi' an Thermal Power Research Institute Co. Ltd., No. 136, Xingqing Road, Xi’an 710032 (China)

2015-05-14

Inconel 718 was subjected to various heat treatments, i.e., solution heat treatment, standard ageing treatment and standard ageing plus 700 °C thermal exposure. The mechanical properties of the alloys were determined using tensile tests and Charpy pendulum impact tests at 650 °C and room temperature, respectively. The highest yield strength of 988 MPa was attained in the standard aged specimen, whereas a maximum impact toughness of 217 J cm{sup −2} was attained in the solution-treated specimen. After thermal exposure, the mechanical properties of the specimens degrade. Both the yield strength and impact toughness decreased monotonically with increasing thermal exposure time. Subjected to a 10000-h long-term thermal exposure, the yield strength dramatically decreased to 475 MPa (almost 50% of the maximum strength), and the impact toughness reduced to only 18 J cm{sup −2}. The microstructures of the specimens were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Coarsening of γ′ and γ″ and the transformation of γ″ to δ-Ni{sub 3}Nb was observed after thermal exposure. However, a complete transformation from metastable γ″ to δ-Ni{sub 3}Nb was never accomplished, even after the 10000-h long-term thermal exposure. Based on the obtained experimental results, the effects of the microstructural evolution on the mechanical properties are discussed.

Effect of Isomorphous Substitution on the Thermal Decomposition Mechanism of Hydrotalcites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergio Crosby

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Hydrotalcites have many important applications in catalysis, wastewater treatment, gene delivery and polymer stabilization, all depending on preparation history and treatment scenarios. In catalysis and polymer stabilization, thermal decomposition is of great importance. Hydrotalcites form easily with atmospheric carbon dioxide and often interfere with the study of other anion containing systems, particularly if formed at room temperature. The dehydroxylation and decomposition of carbonate occurs simultaneously, making it difficult to distinguish the dehydroxylation mechanisms directly. To date, the majority of work on understanding the decomposition mechanism has utilized hydrotalcite precipitated at room temperature. In this study, evolved gas analysis combined with thermal analysis has been used to show that CO2 contamination is problematic in materials being formed at RT that are poorly crystalline. This has led to some dispute as to the nature of the dehydroxylation mechanism. In this paper, data for the thermal decomposition of the chloride form of hydrotalcite are reported. In addition, carbonate-free hydrotalcites have been synthesized with different charge densities and at different growth temperatures. This combination of parameters has allowed a better understanding of the mechanism of dehydroxylation and the role that isomorphous substitution plays in these mechanisms to be delineated. In addition, the effect of anion type on thermal stability is also reported. A stepwise dehydroxylation model is proposed that is mediated by the level of aluminum substitution.

A Study on the Interaction Mechanism between Thermal Radiation and Materials

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Dehong XIA; Tao YU; Chuangu WU; Qingqing CHANG; Honglei JIAO

2005-01-01

From the viewpoint of field synergy principle and dipole radiation theory, the interaction between the incident thermal radiation wave and materials is analyzed to reveal the mechanism of selective absorption of incident thermal radiation. It is shown that the frequency of the incident thermal radiation and the damping constant of damping oscillators in materials are of vital importance for the thermal radiation properties (reflectivity, absorptivity, transmissivity, etc.) of materials.

Magnetic flux periodicities and finite momentum pairing in unconventional superconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Loder, Florian

2009-12-22

This work contains a thorough study of the magnetic flux periodicity of loops of conventional and unconventional, especially d-wave, superconductors. Although already in 1961, several independent works showed that the flux period of a conventional superconducting loop is the superconducting flux quantum hc/2e, this question has never been investigated deeply for unconventional superconductors. And indeed, we show here that d-wave superconducting loops show a basic flux period of the normal flux quantum hc/e, a property originating from the nodal quasi-particle states. This doubling of the flux periodicity is best visible in the persistent current circulating in the loop, and it affects other properties of the superconductor such as the periodicity of d-wave Josephson junctions. In the second part of this work, the theory of electron pairing with finite center-of-mass momentum, necessary for the description of superconducting loops, is extended to systems in zero magnetic field. We show that even in the field free case, an unconventional pairing symmetry can lead to a superconducting ground state with finite-momentum electron pairs. Such a state has an inhomogeneous charge density and therefore is a basis for the description of coexistence of superconductivity and stripe order. (orig.)

D-strings in unconventional type I vacuum configurations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bianchi, M.; Gava, E.; Morales, F.; Narain, K.S.

1998-11-01

We determine the spectrum of D-string bound states in various classes of generalized type I vacuum configurations with sixteen and eight supercharges. The precise matching of the BPS spectra confirms the duality between unconventional type IIB orientfolds with quantized NS-NS antisymmetric tensor and heterotic CHL models in D=8. A similar analysis puts the duality between type II (4,0) models and type I strings without open strings on a firmer ground. The analysis can be extended to type II (2,0) asymmetric orbifolds and their type I duals that correspond to unconventional K3 compactifications. Finally we discuss BPS-saturated threshold corrections to the corresponding low-energy effective lagrangians. In particular we show how the exact moduli dependence of some F 4 terms in the eight-dimensional type II (4,0) orbifold is reproduced by the infinite sum of D-instanton contributions in the dual type I theory. (author)

Unconventional oil and gas extraction and animal health.

Science.gov (United States)

Bamberger, M; Oswald, R E

2014-08-01

The extraction of hydrocarbons from shale formations using horizontal drilling with high volume hydraulic fracturing (unconventional shale gas and tight oil extraction), while derived from methods that have been used for decades, is a relatively new innovation that was introduced first in the United States and has more recently spread worldwide. Although this has led to the availability of new sources of fossil fuels for domestic consumption and export, important issues have been raised concerning the safety of the process relative to public health, animal health, and our food supply. Because of the multiple toxicants used and generated, and because of the complexity of the drilling, hydraulic fracturing, and completion processes including associated infrastructure such as pipelines, compressor stations and processing plants, impacts on the health of humans and animals are difficult to assess definitively. We discuss here findings concerning the safety of unconventional oil and gas extraction from the perspectives of public health, veterinary medicine, and food safety.

Economic benefits, external costs and the regulation of unconventional gas in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cronshaw, Ian; Grafton, R. Quentin

2016-01-01

We review the economic benefits and external costs of unconventional gas production (UCG) in the United States from a policy perspective. Based on an overview of state regulation in Pennsylvania, a state that has witnessed very rapid growth of gas production over the past 5 years, and global experiences we present 10 key principles that are proposed to reduce the risks and to increase the net rewards of UCG. Application of these principles has the potential to reduce the risks of UCG, especially at a local level, while maximizing the benefits of gas developments. - Highlights: • SWOT summary of unconventional gas developments. • Risks and returns of unconventional gas highlighted. • 10 principles given to reduce risks and increase rewards of gas extraction.

Unconventional Use of Intense Pulsed Light

OpenAIRE

Piccolo, D.; Di Marcantonio, D.; Crisman, G.; Cannarozzo, G.; Sannino, M.; Chiricozzi, A.; Chimenti, S.

2014-01-01

According to the literature, intense pulsed light (IPL) represents a versatile tool in the treatment of some dermatological conditions (i.e., pigmentation disorders, hair removal, and acne), due to its wide range of wavelengths. The authors herein report on 58 unconventional but effective uses of IPL in several cutaneous diseases, such as rosacea (10 cases), port-wine stain (PWS) (10 cases), disseminated porokeratosis (10 cases), pilonidal cyst (3 cases), seborrheic keratosis (10 cases), hype...

Effect of mechanical activation on structure and thermal decomposition of aluminum sulfate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghasri-Khouzani, M.; Meratian, M.; Panjepour, M.

2009-01-01

The thermal decompositions of both non-activated and mechanically activated aluminum sulfates were studied by thermogravimetry (TG). The structural disorder, the specific surface area (SSA) and the morphology of mechanically activated aluminum sulfates were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), laser particle-size analyzer, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. Thermal analyses results indicated that the initial temperature of thermal decomposition (T i ) in TG curves for mechanically activated aluminum sulfates decreased gradually with increasing the milling time. It was also found that the SSA of mechanically activated aluminum sulfates remained almost constant after a certain milling time, and lattice strains (ε) rose but the crystallite sizes (D) decreased with increasing the milling time. These results showed that the decrease of T i in TG curves of mechanically activated aluminum sulfates was mainly caused by the increase of lattice distortions and decrease of the crystallite sizes with increasing the milling time

Thermal behaviors of mechanically activated pyrites by thermogravimetry (TG)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu Huiping; Chen Qiyuan; Yin Zhoulan; Zhang Pingmin

2003-01-01

The thermal decompositions of mechanically activated and non-activated pyrites were studied by thermogravimetry (TG) at the heating rate of 10 K min -1 in argon. Results indicate that the initial temperature of thermal decomposition (T di ) in TG curves for mechanically activated pyrites decreases gradually with increasing the grinding time. The specific granulometric surface area (S G ), the structural disorder of mechanically activated pyrites were analyzed by X-ray diffraction laser particle size analyzer, and X-ray powder diffraction analysis (XRD), respectively. The results show that the S G of mechanically activated pyrites remains almost constant after a certain grinding time, and lattice distortions (ε) rise but the crystallite sizes (D) decrease with increasing the grinding time. All these results imply that the decrease of T di in TG curves of mechanically activated pyrites is mainly caused by the increase of lattice distortions ε and the decrease of the crystallite sizes D of mechanically activated pyrite with increasing the grinding time. The differences in the reactivity between non-activated and mechanically activated pyrites were observed using characterization of the products obtained from 1 h treatment of non-activated and mechanically activated pyrites at 713 K under inert atmosphere and characterization of non-activated and mechanically activated pyrites exposed to ambient air for a certain period

Noble gas and hydrocarbon tracers in multiphase unconventional hydrocarbon systems: Toward integrated advanced reservoir simulators

Science.gov (United States)

Darrah, T.; Moortgat, J.; Poreda, R. J.; Muehlenbachs, K.; Whyte, C. J.

2015-12-01

Although hydrocarbon production from unconventional energy resources has increased dramatically in the last decade, total unconventional oil and gas recovery from black shales is still less than 25% and 9% of the totals in place, respectively. Further, the majority of increased hydrocarbon production results from increasing the lengths of laterals, the number of hydraulic fracturing stages, and the volume of consumptive water usage. These strategies all reduce the economic efficiency of hydrocarbon extraction. The poor recovery statistics result from an insufficient understanding of some of the key physical processes in complex, organic-rich, low porosity formations (e.g., phase behavior, fluid-rock interactions, and flow mechanisms at nano-scale confinement and the role of natural fractures and faults as conduits for flow). Noble gases and other hydrocarbon tracers are capably of recording subsurface fluid-rock interactions on a variety of geological scales (micro-, meso-, to macro-scale) and provide analogs for the movement of hydrocarbons in the subsurface. As such geochemical data enrich the input for the numerical modeling of multi-phase (e.g., oil, gas, and brine) fluid flow in highly heterogeneous, low permeability formations Herein we will present a combination of noble gas (He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe abundances and isotope ratios) and molecular and isotopic hydrocarbon data from a geographically and geologically diverse set of unconventional hydrocarbon reservoirs in North America. Specifically, we will include data from the Marcellus, Utica, Barnett, Eagle Ford, formations and the Illinois basin. Our presentation will include geochemical and geological interpretation and our perspective on the first steps toward building an advanced reservoir simulator for tracer transport in multicomponent multiphase compositional flow (presented separately, in Moortgat et al., 2015).

76 FR 77990 - Unconventional Resources Technology Advisory Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-15

..., and reasonable provisions will be made to include all who wish to speak. Public comment will follow... (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal..., Welcome, Introductions, Opening Remarks, Overview of the Section 999 Research Portfolio (Unconventional...

Intergas `95: International unconventional gas symposium. Proceedings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-07-01

The International Unconventional Gas Symposium was held on May 14--20, 1995 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama where 52 reports were presented. These reports are grouped in this proceedings under: geology and resources; mine degasification and safety; international developments; reservoir characterization/coal science; and environmental/legal and regulatory. Each report has been processed separately for inclusion in the Energy Science and Technology Database.

Unconventional actin conformations localize on intermediate filaments in mitosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hubert, Thomas; Vandekerckhove, Joel; Gettemans, Jan

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → Unconventional actin conformations colocalize with vimentin on a cage-like structure in metaphase HEK 293T cells. → These conformations are detected with the anti-actin antibodies 1C7 ('lower dimer') and 2G2 ('nuclear actin'), but not C4 (monomeric actin). → Mitotic unconventional actin cables are independent of filamentous actin or microtubules. → Unconventional actin colocalizes with vimentin on a nocodazole-induced perinuclear dense mass of cables. -- Abstract: Different structural conformations of actin have been identified in cells and shown to reside in distinct subcellular locations of cells. In this report, we describe the localization of actin on a cage-like structure in metaphase HEK 293T cells. Actin was detected with the anti-actin antibodies 1C7 and 2G2, but not with the anti-actin antibody C4. Actin contained in this structure is independent of microtubules and actin filaments, and colocalizes with vimentin. Taking advantage of intermediate filament collapse into a perinuclear dense mass of cables when microtubules are depolymerized, we were able to relocalize actin to such structures. We hypothesize that phosphorylation of intermediate filaments at mitosis entry triggers the recruitment of different actin conformations to mitotic intermediate filaments. Storage and partition of the nuclear actin and antiparallel 'lower dimer' actin conformations between daughter cells possibly contribute to gene transcription and transient actin filament dynamics at G1 entry.

Densely crosslinked polycarbosiloxanes .2. Thermal and mechanical properties

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Flipsen, T.A C; Derks, R.; van der Vegt, H.A.; Stenekes, R.; Pennings, A.J; Hadziioannou, G

1997-01-01

The thermal and mechanical properties of two densely crosslinked polycarbosiloxane systems were investigated in relation to the molecular structure. The networks were prepared from functional branched prepolymers and crosslinked via a hydrosilylation curing reaction. The prepolymers having only

Lamb Wave Stiffness Characterization of Composites Undergoing Thermal-Mechanical Aging

Science.gov (United States)

Seale, Michael D.; Madaras, Eric I.

2004-01-01

The introduction of new, advanced composite materials into aviation systems requires a thorough understanding of the long term effects of combined thermal and mechanical loading upon those materials. Analytical methods investigating the effects of intense thermal heating combined with mechanical loading have been investigated. The damage mechanisms and fatigue lives were dependent on test parameters as well as stress levels. Castelli, et al. identified matrix dominated failure modes for out-of-phase cycling and fiber dominated damage modes for in-phase cycling. In recent years, ultrasonic methods have been developed that can measure the mechanical stiffness of composites. To help evaluate the effect of aging, a suitably designed Lamb wave measurement system is being used to obtain bending and out-of-plane stiffness coefficients of composite laminates undergoing thermal-mechanical loading. The system works by exciting an antisymmetric Lamb wave and calculating the velocity at each frequency from the known transducer separation and the measured time-of-flight. The same peak in the waveforms received at various distances is used to measure the time difference between the signals. The velocity measurements are accurate and repeatable to within 1% resulting in reconstructed stiffness values repeatable to within 4%. Given the material density and plate thickness, the bending and out-of-plane shear stiffnesses are calculated from a reconstruction of the dispersion curve. A mechanical scanner is used to move the sensors over the surface to map the time-of-flight, velocity, or stiffnesses of the entire specimen. Access to only one side of the material is required and no immersion or couplants are required because the sensors are dry coupled to the surface of the plate. In this study, the elastic stiffnesses D(sub 11), D(sub 22), A(sub 44), and A(sub 55) as well as time-of-flight measurements for composite samples that have undergone combined thermal and mechanical aging for

Implementation of heaters on thermally actuated spacecraft mechanisms

Science.gov (United States)

Busch, John D.; Bokaie, Michael D.

1994-01-01

This paper presents general insight into the design and implementation of heaters as used in actuating mechanisms for spacecraft. Problems and considerations that were encountered during development of the Deep Space Probe and Science Experiment (DSPSE) solar array release mechanism are discussed. Obstacles included large expected fluctuations in ambient temperature, variations in voltage supply levels outgassing concerns, heater circuit design, materials selection, and power control options. Successful resolution of these issues helped to establish a methodology which can be applied to many of the heater design challenges found in thermally actuated mechanisms.

Thermal and mechanical modelling of a mig-type electron gun

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patire Junior, H.; Castro, J.J.B. de

1995-01-01

A thermal and mechanical modelling of a magnetron injection electron gun has been made to minimize the temperature distribution in the gun elements while keeping the required operating temperature at 1000 0 C of the emitter. Appropriate materials were selected to reduce thermal losses and to improve the gun design from a constructional point of view aiming at extending the capabilities of the gun. A software has been used to simulate a thermal model considering the three processes of thermal transfer and the influence of the physical properties of the materials used. (author). 8 refs., 2 figs, 2 tabs

Mechanical spectroscopy of thermal stress relaxation in aluminium alloys reinforced with short alumina fibres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carreno-Morelli, E.; Schaller, R. [Ecole Polytechnique Federale, Lausanne (Switzerland). Inst. de Genie Atomique; Urreta, S.E.

1998-05-01

The mechanical behaviour under low temperature thermal cycling of aluminium-based composites reinforced with short Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} SAFFIL fibres has been investigated by mechanical spectroscopy (mechanical loss and elastic shear modulus measurements). A mechanical loss maximum has been observed during cooling which originates in the relaxation of thermal stresses at the interfaces due to the differential thermal expansion between matrix and reinforcement. The maximum height increases with the volumetric fibre content. In addition, if the matrix strength is increased by the appropriated choice of alloy and thermal treatment, the maximum diminishes and shifts to lower temperatures. No damage accumulation at the interfaces has been detected during long period thermal cycling in the range 100 to 500 K. A description of the damping behaviour is made in terms of the development of microplastic zones which surround the fibres. (orig.) 9 refs.

78 FR 53741 - Unconventional Resources Technology Advisory Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2013-08-30

... be made to include all who wish to speak. Public comment will follow the three-minute rule. Minutes... (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal..., Welcome, Introductions, Opening Remarks, Overview of the Oil and Gas Unconventional Research Portfolio...

Modeling electron fractionalization with unconventional Fock spaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Cobanera, Emilio

2017-08-02

It is shown that certain fractionally-charged quasiparticles can be modeled on D-dimensional lattices in terms of unconventional yet simple Fock algebras of creation and annihilation operators. These unconventional Fock algebras are derived from the usual fermionic algebra by taking roots (the square root, cubic root, etc) of the usual fermionic creation and annihilation operators. If the fermions carry non-Abelian charges, then this approach fractionalizes the Abelian charges only. In particular, the mth-root of a spinful fermion carries charge e/m and spin 1/2. Just like taking a root of a complex number, taking a root of a fermion yields a mildly non-unique result. As a consequence, there are several possible choices of quantum exchange statistics for fermion-root quasiparticles. These choices are tied to the dimensionality [Formula: see text] of the lattice by basic physical considerations. One particular family of fermion-root quasiparticles is directly connected to the parafermion zero-energy modes expected to emerge in certain mesoscopic devices involving fractional quantum Hall states. Hence, as an application of potential mesoscopic interest, I investigate numerically the hybridization of Majorana and parafermion zero-energy edge modes caused by fractionalizing but charge-conserving tunneling.

3D Thermal and Mechanical Analysis of a Single Event Burnout

Science.gov (United States)

Peretti, Gabriela; Demarco, Gustavo; Romero, Eduardo; Tais, Carlos

2015-08-01

This paper presents a study related to thermal and mechanical behavior of power DMOS transistors during a Single Event Burnout (SEB) process. We use a cylindrical heat generation region for emulating the thermal and mechanical phenomena related to the SEB. In this way, it is avoided the complexity of the mathematical treatment of the ion-device interaction. This work considers locating the heat generation region in positions that are more realistic than the ones used in previous work. For performing the study, we formulate and validate a new 3D model for the transistor that maintains the computational cost at reasonable level. The resulting mathematical models are solved by means of the Finite Element Method. The simulations results show that the failure dynamics is dominated by the mechanical stress in the metal layer. Additionally, the time to failure depends on the heat source position, for a given power and dimension of the generation region. The results suggest that 3D modeling should be considered for a detailed study of thermal and mechanical effects induced by SEBs.

First wall thermal--mechanical analyses of the reference theta-pinch reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krakowski, R.A.; Hagenson, R.L.; Cort, G.E.

1977-01-01

The thermal-mechanical response of the Reference Theta-Pinch Reactor (RTPR) first wall was analyzed. The first wall problems anticipated for a pulsed, high-β fusion power plant can be ameliorated by either alterations in the physics operating point, materials reengineering, or blanket/first wall reconfiguration. Within the latter ''configuration'' scenario, a two-fold approach has been adopted for the thermal-mechanical portion of the RTPR first wall technology assessment. First, a number of new first wall configurations (bonded or unbonded laminated composites, all-ceramic structures, protective and/or sacrificial ''bumpers'') were considered. Second, a more quantitative failure criterion, based on the developing theories of fracture mechanics, was identified. For each first wall configuration, transient heat transfer and thermoelastic stress calculations have been made. Two-dimensional finite element structural analyses have been made for a variety of mechanical boundary conditions. Only the Al 2 O 3 /Nb - 1 Zr system has been considered. The results of this study indicated a wide range of design solutions to the pulsed thermal stress problem anticipated for the RTPR

Thermal runaway reaction hazards and mechanisms of hydroxylamine with acid/base contaminants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei Chunyang; Saraf, Sanjeev R.; Rogers, William J.; Sam Mannan, M.

2004-01-01

Hydroxylamine (HA) has been involved in two incidents since 1999 because of its thermal instability and incompatibility. In this study, thermal runaway reactions of hydroxylamine with various concentrations of KOH and HCl were studied using the reactive system screening tool (RSST) and automatic pressure tracking adiabatic calorimeter (APTAC). The thermokinetic data, such as onset temperature, heat of reaction, maximum self-heat rate, maximum pressure rate, and non-condensable gas pressure, were compared with those of hydroxylamine solution without added impurity. Our study shows that the thermal decomposition behavior of hydroxylamine is affected by the presence of acid/base, and mixing of hydroxylamine with acid/base may cause thermal decomposition at lower temperatures. Different decomposition pathways can be initiated by hydrogen ion and hydroxide ion. The decomposition mechanisms of hydroxylamine in alkaline and acidic solutions are proposed based on the products, information from the literature, and quantum mechanical calculations. The experimental results are discussed in terms of the proposed reaction mechanisms

Special Forces and the Art of Influence: A Grassroots Approach to Psychological Operations in an Unconventional Warfare Environment

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Thomas, II, Joel W

2006-01-01

This thesis researches the intricacies of the art of influence in an unconventional warfare environment to develop a model of influence that can be utilized by Special Forces conducting unconventional warfare...

Unconventional device concepts for polymer solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Veenstra, S.C.; Slooff, L.H.; Verhees, W.J.H.; Cobussen-Pool, E.M.; Lenzmann, F.O.; Kroon, J.M. [ECN Solar Energy, Petten (Netherlands); Sessolo, M.; Bolink, H.J. [Instituto de Ciencia Molecular, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia (Spain)

2009-09-15

The inclusion of metal-oxide layers in polymer solar cells enables the fabrication of a series of unconventional device architectures. These devices include: semi-transparent polymer solar cells, devices with inverted polarity, as well as devices with air stable electrodes. A proof-of-principle of these devices is presented. The anticipated benefits of these novel device structures over conventional polymer solar cells are discussed.

Multiscale properties of unconventional reservoir rocks

Science.gov (United States)

Woodruff, W. F.

A multidisciplinary study of unconventional reservoir rocks is presented, providing the theory, forward modeling and Bayesian inverse modeling approaches, and laboratory protocols to characterize clay-rich, low porosity and permeability shales and mudstones within an anisotropic framework. Several physical models characterizing oil and gas shales are developed across multiple length scales, ranging from microscale phenomena, e.g. the effect of the cation exchange capacity of reactive clay mineral surfaces on water adsorption isotherms, and the effects of infinitesimal porosity compaction on elastic and electrical properties, to meso-scale phenomena, e.g. the role of mineral foliations, tortuosity of conduction pathways and the effects of organic matter (kerogen and hydrocarbon fractions) on complex conductivity and their connections to intrinsic electrical anisotropy, as well as the macro-scale electrical and elastic properties including formulations for the complex conductivity tensor and undrained stiffness tensor within the context of effective stress and poroelasticity. Detailed laboratory protocols are described for sample preparation and measurement of these properties using spectral induced polarization (SIP) and ultrasonics for the anisotropic characterization of shales for both unjacketed samples under benchtop conditions and jacketed samples under differential loading. An ongoing study of the effects of kerogen maturation through hydrous pyrolysis on the complex conductivity is also provided in review. Experimental results are catalogued and presented for various unconventional formations in North America including the Haynesville, Bakken, and Woodford shales.

Mechanical properties of clayey soils and thermal solicitations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boisson, J.Y.

1992-01-01

Changes in permeability and mechanical properties of three clayey soils with temperature have been studied by using a special oedometric cell. The action of a thermal solicitation on the fabric and the behavior of the samples is highlighted. 3 figs., 1 tab

The insurance industry and unconventional gas development: Gaps and recommendations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wetherell, Daniel; Evensen, Darrick

2016-01-01

The increasingly growing and controversial practice of natural gas development by horizontal drilling and high volume hydraulic fracturing (‘fracking’) faces a severe environmental insurance deficit at the industry level. Part of this deficit is arguably inherent to the process, whereas another part is caused by current risk information shortfalls on the processes and impacts associated with development. In the short and long terms, there are several conventional and unconventional methods by which industry-level and governmental-level policy can insure against these risks. Whilst academic attention has been afforded to the potential risks associated with unconventional natural gas development, little consideration has been given to the lack of insurance opportunities against these risks or to the additional risks promulgated by the dearth of insurance options. We chronicle the ways in which insurance options are limited due to unconventional gas development, the problems caused by lack of insurance offerings, and we highlight potential policy remedies for addressing these gaps, including a range of government- and industry-specific approaches. - Highlights: •A gap exists in provision of liability insurance for ‘fracking’-related risks. •The market gap is due primarily to uncertainties about probabilistic risk. •Insurance for risks similar to ‘fracking’ highlight potential policy options. •Government regulation and/or industry agreements can effectively fill the gap. •Policies on insurance and liability coverage necessitate ethical considerations.

Thermal studies on a mechanical prototype of A BIS MDT chamber

CERN Document Server

Petridou, C; Wotschack, J; Zisis, A

1998-01-01

The deformations of a BIS MDT chamber owing to temperature gradients between the two multilayers and between the two Faraday cages were studied on a mechanical prototype. The influence of thermal insulation on the thermal behaviour of the chamber is also reported.

A study on the future of unconventional oil development under different oil price scenarios: A system dynamics approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hosseini, Seyed Hossein; Shakouri, Hamed G.

2016-01-01

Fluctuations in the oil global market has been a critical topic for the world economy so that analyzing and forecasting the conventional oil production rate has been examined by many researchers thoroughly. However, the dynamics of the market has not been studied systematically with regard to the new emerging competitors, namely unconventional oil. In this paper, the future trend of conventional and unconventional oil production and capacity expansion rates are analyzed using system dynamics approach. To do so, a supply-side modeling approach is utilized while main effective loops are modeled mathematically as follows: technological learning and progress, long and short-term profitability of oil capacity expansion and production, and oil proved reserve limitations. The proposed model is used to analyze conventional and unconventional oil production shares, up to 2025, under different oil price scenarios. The results show that conventional oil production rate ranges from 79.995 to 87.044 MB/day, which is 75–80 percent of total oil production rate, while unconventional oil production rate ranges from 19.615 to 28.584 MB/day. Simulation results reveal that unconventional oil can gain a considerable market share in the short run, although conventional oil will remain as the major source for the market in the long run. - Highlights: • Variables and loops affecting oil production are formulated mathematically. • Shares of conventional and unconventional oil in the global oil market is analyzed. • Oil production rate under different oil price scenarios up to 2025 is simulated. • Unconventional oil would obtain a considerable share in market in the short-term. • A late peak for the conventional oil resources would occur.

Health concerns associated with unconventional gas mining in rural Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Haswell, Melissa R; Bethmont, Anna

2016-01-01

Many governments globally are investigating the benefits and risks associated with unconventional gas mining for shale, tight and coal seam gas (coalbed methane) to determine whether the industry should proceed in their jurisdiction. Most locations likely to be developed are in rural areas, with potential impact on farmers and small communities. Despite significant health concerns, public health knowledge and growing evidence are often overlooked in decision-making. It is difficult to gain a broad but accurate understanding of the health concerns for rural communities because the evidence has grown very recently and rapidly, is complex and largely based in the USA, where the industry is advanced. In 2016, a concerned South Australian beef and lamb farmer in an area targeted for potential unconventional gas development organised visits to homes in developed unconventional gas areas of Pennsylvania and forums with leading researchers and lawyers in Pennsylvania and New York. Guided by priorities identified during this trip, this communication concisely distils the research evidence on these key concerns, highlighting the Australian situation where evidence exists. It summarises key information of particular concern to rural regions, using Australia as an example, to assist rural health professionals to be better prepared to engage in decision-making and address the challenges associated with this new industry. Discussions with communities and experts, supported by the expanding research from the USA and Australia, revealed increasing health concerns in six key areas. These are absence of a safe solution to the toxic wastewater management problems, air pollution, land and water competition, mental health and psychosocial wellbeing risks, fugitive methane emissions and lack of proven regulatory regimes. Emerging epidemiological studies suggesting interference with foetal development and birth outcomes, and exacerbation of asthma conditions, are particularly concerning

Local thermal property analysis by scanning thermal microscopy of an ultrafine-grained copper surface layer produced by surface mechanical attrition treatment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guo, F.A. [Suzhou Institute for Nonferrous Metals Processing Technology, No. 200 Shenxu Road, Suzhou Industrial Park, Suzhou 215021 (China) and Unite de Thermique et d' Analyse Physique, Laboratoire d' Energetique et d' Optique, Universite de Reims, BP 1039, 51687 Reims Cedex 2 (France)]. E-mail: guofuan@yahoo.com; JI, Y.L. [Suzhou Institute for Nonferrous Metals Processing Technology, No. 200 Shenxu Road, Suzhou Industrial Park, Suzhou 215021 (China); Trannoy, N. [Unite de Thermique et d' Analyse Physique, Laboratoire d' Energetique et d' Optique, Universite de Reims, BP 1039, 51687 Reims Cedex 2 (France); Lu, J. [LASMIS, Universite de Technologie de Troyes, 12 Rue Marie Curie, Troyes 10010 (France)

2006-06-15

Scanning thermal microscopy (SThM) was used to map thermal conductivity images in an ultrafine-grained copper surface layer produced by surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT). It is found that the deformed surface layer shows different thermal conductivities that strongly depend on the grain size of the microstructure: the thermal conductivity of the nanostructured surface layer decreases obviously when compared with that of the coarse-grained matrix of the sample. The role of the grain boundaries in thermal conduction is analyzed in correlation with the heat conduction mechanism in pure metal. A theoretical approach, based on this investigation, was used to calculate the heat flow from the probe tip to the sample and then estimate the thermal conductivities at different scanning positions. Experimental results and theoretical calculation demonstrate that SThM can be used as a tool for the thermal property and microstructural analysis of ultrafine-grained microstructures.

Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) seeds as unconventional nutritional ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

mohamhed

2012-05-22

May 22, 2012 ... The composition of roselle seed from oil, protein, ash, fiber, fatty acids and amino acids was determined and compared in three cultivars in order to use it as an unconventional nutritional source. Aswan cv. occupies the highest significant rank in protein (31.51), oil (23.70) and fiber (4.87%) contents.

Roselle ( Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) seeds as unconventional nutritional ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The composition of roselle seed from oil, protein, ash, fiber, fatty acids and amino acids was determined and compared in three cultivars in order to use it as an unconventional nutritional source. Aswan cv. occupies the highest significant rank in protein (31.51), oil (23.70) and fiber (4.87%) contents. Aswan and Sewa cvs.

Elastic-plastic fracture mechanics study of thermal shock cracking

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirano, K.; Kobayashi, H.; Nakazawa, H.

1980-01-01

This paper describes thermal shock experiments conducted on a nuclear pressure vessel steel (A533 Grade B Class 1), an AISI304 steel and a tool steel (JIS SKD62) using both a new thermal shock test facility and method. Analysis of their quasi-static thermal stress intensity factors is performed on the basis of linear-elastic fracture mechanics; and a thermal shock fracture toughness value, Ksub(tsc) is evaluated. Then elastic-plastic fracture toughness tests are carried out in the same high temperature range of the thermal shock experiment, and a relation between the stretched zone width, SZW, formed as a result of the fatigue precrack tip plastic blunting and the J-integral is clarified. An elastic-plastic thermal shock fracture toughness value, Jsub(tsc), is evaluated from a critical value of the stretched zone width, SZWsub(tsc), at the initiation of the thermal shock cracking by using the relation between SZW and J. The Jsub(tsc) value is compared with an elastic-plastic fracture toughness value, Jsub(Ic), and the difference between these Jsub(tsc) and Jsub(Ic) values is discussed on the basis of fractography. (author)

Modelling of thermal and mechanical behaviour of pebble beds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boccaccini, L.V.; Buehler, L.; Hermsmeyer, S.; Wolf, F.

2001-01-01

FZK (Forshungzentrum Karlsruhe) is developing a Helium Cooled Pebble Bed (HCPB) Blanket Concept for fusion power reactors based on the use of ceramic breeder materials and beryllium multiplier in the form of pebble beds. The design of such a blanket requires models and computer codes describing the thermal-mechanical behavior of pebble beds to evaluate the temperatures, stresses, deformations and mechanical interactions between pebble beds and the structure with required accuracy and reliability. The objective to describe the beginning of life condition for the HCPB blanket seems near to be reached. Mechanical models that describe the thermo-mechanical behavior of granular materials used in form of pebble beds are implemented in a commercial structure code. These models have been calibrated using the results of a large series of dedicated experiments. The modeling work is practically concluded for ceramic breeder; it will be carried on in the next year for beryllium to obtain the required correlations for creep and the thermal conductivity. The difficulties for application in large components (such as the HCPB blanket) are the limitations of the present commercial codes to manage such a set of constitutive equations under complex load conditions and large mesh number. The further objective is to model the thermal cycles during operation; the present correlations have to be adapted for the release phase. A complete description of the blanket behavior during irradiation is at the present out of our capability; this objective requires an extensive R and D program that at the present is only at the beginning. (Y.Tanaka)

USE OF POLYMERS TO RECOVER VISCOUS OIL FROM UNCONVENTIONAL RESERVOIRS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Randall Seright

2011-09-30

This final technical progress report summarizes work performed the project, 'Use of Polymers to Recover Viscous Oil from Unconventional Reservoirs.' The objective of this three-year research project was to develop methods using water soluble polymers to recover viscous oil from unconventional reservoirs (i.e., on Alaska's North Slope). The project had three technical tasks. First, limits were re-examined and redefined for where polymer flooding technology can be applied with respect to unfavorable displacements. Second, we tested existing and new polymers for effective polymer flooding of viscous oil, and we tested newly proposed mechanisms for oil displacement by polymer solutions. Third, we examined novel methods of using polymer gels to improve sweep efficiency during recovery of unconventional viscous oil. This report details work performed during the project. First, using fractional flow calculations, we examined the potential of polymer flooding for recovering viscous oils when the polymer is able to reduce the residual oil saturation to a value less than that of a waterflood. Second, we extensively investigated the rheology in porous media for a new hydrophobic associative polymer. Third, using simulation and analytical studies, we compared oil recovery efficiency for polymer flooding versus in-depth profile modification (i.e., 'Bright Water') as a function of (1) permeability contrast, (2) relative zone thickness, (3) oil viscosity, (4) polymer solution viscosity, (5) polymer or blocking-agent bank size, and (6) relative costs for polymer versus blocking agent. Fourth, we experimentally established how much polymer flooding can reduce the residual oil saturation in an oil-wet core that is saturated with viscous North Slope crude. Finally, an experimental study compared mechanical degradation of an associative polymer with that of a partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide. Detailed results from the first two years of the project may be

Numerical Study on the Thermal Stress and its Formation Mechanism of a Thermoelectric Device

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Tao; Gong, Tingrui; Yang, Wei; Wu, Yongjia

2018-06-01

The strong thermo-mechanical stress is one of the most critical failure mechanisms that affect the durability of thermoelectric devices. In this study, numerical simulations on the formation mechanism of the maximum thermal stress inside the thermoelectric device have been performed by using finite element method. The influences of the material properties and the thermal radiation on the thermal stress have been examined. The results indicate that the maximum thermal stress was located at the contact position between the two materials and occurred due to differential thermal expansions and displacement constraints of the materials. The difference in the calculated thermal stress value between the constant and the variable material properties was between 3% and 4%. At a heat flux of 1 W·cm-2 and an emissivity of 0.5, the influence of the radiation heat transfer on the thermal stress was only about 5%; however, when the heat flux was 20 W·cm-2 and the emissivity was 0.7, the influence of the radiation heat transfer was more than 30%.

Thermal and mechanical modelling of convergent plate margins

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Beukel, P.J.

1990-01-01

In this thesis, the thermal and mechanical structure of convergent plate margins will be investigated by means of numerical modelling. In addition, we will discuss the implications of modelling results for geological processes such as metamorphism or the break-up of a plate at a convergent plate

Thermal and mechanical properties of fatty acid starch esters.

Science.gov (United States)

Winkler, H; Vorwerg, W; Rihm, R

2014-02-15

The current study examined thermal and mechanical properties of fatty acid starch esters (FASEs). All highly soluble esters were obtained by the sustainable, homogeneous transesterification of fatty acid vinyl esters in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). Casted films of products with a degree of substitution (DS) of 1.40-1.73 were compared with highly substituted ones (DS 2.20-2.63). All films were free of any plasticizer additives. Hydrophobic surfaces were characterized by contact angle measurements. Dynamic scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) revealed thermal transitions (T(g), T(m)) which were influenced by the internal plasticizing effect of the ester groups. Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) measurements showed the increased thermal stability toward native starch. Tensile tests revealed the decreasing strength and stiffness of the products with increasing ester-group chain length while the elongation increased up to the ester group laurate and after that decreased. Esters of the longest fatty acids, palmitate and stearate turned out to be brittle materials due to super molecular structures of the ester chains such as confirmed by X-ray. Summarized products with a DS 1.40-1.73 featured more "starch-like" properties with tensile strength up to outstanding 43 MPa, while products with a DS >2 behaved more "oil-like". Both classes of esters should be tested as a serious alternative to commercial starch blends and petrol-based plastics. The term Cnumber is attributed to the number of total C-Atoms of the fatty acid (e.g. C6=Hexanoate). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Thermal and mechanical stresses in a functionally graded thick sphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eslami, M.R.; Babaei, M.H.; Poultangari, R.

2005-01-01

In this paper, a general solution for the one-dimensional steady-state thermal and mechanical stresses in a hollow thick sphere made of functionally graded material is presented. The temperature distribution is assumed to be a function of radius, with general thermal and mechanical boundary conditions on the inside and outside surfaces of the sphere. The material properties, except Poisson's ratio, are assumed to vary along the radius r according to a power law function. The analytical solution of the heat conduction equation and the Navier equation lead to the temperature profile, radial displacement, radial stress, and hoop stress as a function of radial direction

Panorama 2011: Unconventional gas and water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vially, R.

2011-01-01

For a number of years now, the rapid development of unconventional gas use in North America has been revolutionising the natural gas market. This generic term refers to several production types, such as tight gas, shale gas and coal bed methane. What they have in common is that the rock needs to be 'stimulated' in order to extract gas from it that can be commercially produced. These methods (horizontal drilling, hydraulic fracturing) all involve sensible management of the water needed for gas production. (author)

Exploitation of unconventional protein sources in the feed of weaner ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Exploitation of unconventional protein sources in the feed of weaner rabbits ... as protein sources for feeding ruminants but rarely considered as feed for micro ... 26.88 g/100g DM in Centrosema pubescens and Moringa oleifera, respectively.

Cu-based shape memory alloys with enhanced thermal stability and mechanical properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, C.Y.; Lam, C.W.H.

1999-01-01

Cu-based shape memory alloys were developed in the 1960s. They show excellent thermoelastic martensitic transformation. However the problems in mechanical properties and thermal instability have inhibited them from becoming promising engineering alloys. A new Cu-Zn-Al-Mn-Zr Cu-based shape memory alloy has been developed. With the addition of Mn and Zr, the martensitic transformation behaviour and the grain size ca be better controlled. The new alloys demonstrates good mechanical properties with ultimate tensile strenght and ductility, being 460 MPa and 9%, respectively. Experimental results revealed that the alloy has better thermal stability, i.e. martensite stabilisation is less serious. In ordinary Cu-Zn-Al alloys, martensite stabilisation usually occurs at room temperature. The new alloy shows better thermal stability even at elevated temperature (∝150 C, >A f =80 C). A limited small amount of martensite stabilisation was observed upon ageing of the direct quenched samples as well as the step quenched samples. This implies that the thermal stability of the new alloy is less dependent on the quenching procedure. Furthermore, such minor martensite stabilisation can be removed by subsequent suitable parent phase ageing. The new alloy is ideal for engineering applications because of its better thermal stability and better mechanical properties. (orig.)

Structure and Mechanical Properties of Al-Cu-Fe-X Alloys with Excellent Thermal Stability.

Science.gov (United States)

Školáková, Andrea; Novák, Pavel; Mejzlíková, Lucie; Průša, Filip; Salvetr, Pavel; Vojtěch, Dalibor

2017-11-05

In this work, the structure and mechanical properties of innovative Al-Cu-Fe based alloys were studied. We focused on preparation and characterization of rapidly solidified and hot extruded Al-Cu-Fe, Al-Cu-Fe-Ni and Al-Cu-Fe-Cr alloys. The content of transition metals affects mechanical properties and structure. For this reason, microstructure, phase composition, hardness and thermal stability have been investigated in this study. The results showed exceptional thermal stability of these alloys and very good values of mechanical properties. Alloying by chromium ensured the highest thermal stability, while nickel addition refined the structure of the consolidated alloy. High thermal stability of all tested alloys was described in context with the transformation of the quasicrystalline phases to other types of intermetallics.

Thermal and Mechanical Properties of UO2 and PuO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kato, M.; Matsumoto, T.

2015-01-01

It is important to evaluate basic properties of UO 2 and PuO 2 as fundamental aspects of MA-bearing MOX fuel development. In this work, mechanical properties of UO 2 and PuO 2 were investigated by an ultrasound pulse-echo method. Longitudinal and transversal wave velocities were measured in UO 2 and PuO 2 pellets, and Young's modulus and shear modulus were evaluated, which were 219 MPa and 89 MPa for PuO 2 , and 249 MPa and 95 MPa for UO 2 , respectively. Poisson's ratio was 0.32 in both materials. The relationship between mechanical and thermal properties was described by using thermal expansion data which had been reported previously, and the heat capacity and thermal conductivity were analysed. (authors)

Unconventional Cooper pairing results in a pseudogap-like phase in s-wave superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Springer, Daniel; Cheong, Siew Ann

2015-01-01

The impact of disorder on the superconducting (SC) pairing mechanism is the centre of much debate. Some evidence suggests a loss of phase coherence of pairs while others point towards the formation of a competing phase. In our work we show that the two perspectives may be different sides of the same coin. Using an extension of the perturbative renormalization group approach we compare the impact of different disorder-induced interactions on a SC ground state. We find that in the strongly disordered regime an interaction between paired fermions and their respective disordered environment replaces conventional Cooper pairing. For these unconventional Cooper pairs the phase coherence condition, required for the formation of a SC condensate, is not satisfied. (paper)

Amplification Effects and Unconventional Monetary Policies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cécile BASTIDON GILLES

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Global financial crises trigger off amplification effects, which allow relatively small shocks to propagate through the whole financial system. For this reason, the range of Central banks policies is now widening beyond conventional monetary policies and lending of last resort. The aim of this paper is to establish a rule for this practice. The model is based on the formalization of funding conditions in various types of markets. We conduct a comprehensive analysis of the “unconventional monetary policies”, and especially quantify government bonds purchases by the Central bank.

Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Poly(butylene succinate Films Reinforced with Silica

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sangviroon Nanthaporn

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In recent year, bioplastics have become more popular resulting from the growing concerns on environmental issues and the rising fossil fuel price. However, their applications were limited by its mechanical and thermal properties. The aim of this research is thus to improve mechanical and thermal properties of PBS bioplastic films by reinforcing with silica. Due to the poor interfacial interaction between the PBS matrix and silica, glycidyl methacrylate grafted poly(butylene succinate (PBS-g-GMA was used as a compatibilizer in order to improve the interaction between bioplastic films and filler. PBS-g-GMA was prepared in a twin-screw extruder and analyzed by the FTIR spectrometer. PBS and silica were then mixed in a twin-screw extruder and processed into films by a chill-roll cast extruder. The effects of silica loading on thermal and mechanical properties of the prepared bioplastic films were investigated. It was found that the mechanical properties of PBS/silica composite films were improved when 1%wt of silica was added. However, the mechanical properties decreased with increasing silica loading due to the agglomeration of silica particles. The results also show that the silica/PBS films with PBS-g-GMA possessed improved mechanical properties over the films without the compatibilizer.

Assessment of Methane Emissions – Impact of Using Natural Gas Engines in Unconventional Resource Development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nix, Andrew [West Virginia Univ., Morgantown, WV (United States); Johnson, Derek [West Virginia Univ., Morgantown, WV (United States); Heltzel, Robert [West Virginia Univ., Morgantown, WV (United States); Oliver, Dakota [West Virginia Univ., Morgantown, WV (United States)

2018-04-08

Researchers at the Center for Alternative Fuels, Engines, and Emissions (CAFEE) completed a multi-year program under DE-FE0013689 entitled, “Assessing Fugitive Methane Emissions Impact Using Natural Gas Engines in Unconventional Resource Development.” When drilling activity was high and industry sought to lower operating costs and reduce emissions they began investing in dual fuel and dedicated natural gas engines to power unconventional well equipment. From a review of literature we determined that the prime-movers (or major fuel consumers) of unconventional well development were the service trucks (trucking), horizontal drilling rig (drilling) engines, and hydraulic stimulation pump (fracturing) engines. Based on early findings from on-road studies we assessed that conversion of prime movers to operate on natural gas could contribute to methane emissions associated with unconventional wells. As such, we collected significant in-use activity data from service trucks and in-use activity, fuel consumption, and gaseous emissions data from drilling and fracturing engines. Our findings confirmed that conversion of the prime movers to operate as dual fuel or dedicated natural gas – created an additional source of methane emissions. While some gaseous emissions were decreased from implementation of these technologies – methane and CO2 equivalent emissions tended to increase, especially for non-road engines. The increases were highest for dual fuel engines due to methane slip from the exhaust and engine crankcase. Dedicated natural gas engines tended to have lower exhaust methane emissions but higher CO2 emissions due to lower efficiency. Therefore, investing in currently available natural gas technologies for prime movers will increase the greenhouse gas footprint of the unconventional well development industry.

Structure and Mechanical Properties of Al-Cu-Fe-X Alloys with Excellent Thermal Stability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea Školáková

2017-11-01

Full Text Available In this work, the structure and mechanical properties of innovative Al-Cu-Fe based alloys were studied. We focused on preparation and characterization of rapidly solidified and hot extruded Al-Cu-Fe, Al-Cu-Fe-Ni and Al-Cu-Fe-Cr alloys. The content of transition metals affects mechanical properties and structure. For this reason, microstructure, phase composition, hardness and thermal stability have been investigated in this study. The results showed exceptional thermal stability of these alloys and very good values of mechanical properties. Alloying by chromium ensured the highest thermal stability, while nickel addition refined the structure of the consolidated alloy. High thermal stability of all tested alloys was described in context with the transformation of the quasicrystalline phases to other types of intermetallics.

Thermal and mechanical properties of polypropylene/titanium dioxide nanocomposite fibers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Esthappan, Saisy Kudilil; Kuttappan, Suma Kumbamala; Joseph, Rani

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Wet synthesis method was used for the synthesis of TiO 2 nano particles. ► Mechanical properties of polypropylene fibers were increased by the addition of TiO 2 nanoparticles. ► Thermal stability of polypropylene fiber was improved significantly by the addition of TiO 2 nano particles. ► TiO 2 nanoparticles dispersed well in polypropylene fibers. -- Abstract: Titanium dioxide nanoparticles were prepared by wet synthesis method and characterized by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction studies. The nanotitanium dioxide then used to prepare polypropylene/titanium dioxide composites by melt mixing method. It was then made into fibers by melt spinning and subsequent drawing. Mechanical properties of the fibers were studied using Favimat tensile testing machine with a load cell of 1200 cN capacity. Thermal behavior of the fibers was studied using differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. Scanning electron microscope studies were used to investigate the titanium dioxide surface morphology and crosssection of the fiber. Mechanical properties of the polypropylene fiber was improved by the addition of titanium dioxide nanoparticles. Incorporation of nanoparticles improves the thermal stability of polypropylene. Differential scanning calorimetric studies revealed an improvement in crystallinity was observed by the addition of titanium dioxide nanoparticles.

Fatigue behaviour of the austenitic steel 1.4550 under mechanical and thermal cyclic loading

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Siegele, D.; Fingerhuth, J.; Varfolomeev, I.; Moroz, S. [Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials (IWM), Freiburg (Germany)

2014-07-01

Fatigue behaviour of the austenitic steel 1.4550 (X6CrNiNb18-10) under low-cycle fatigue and high-cycle thermal fatigue was investigated with in two research projects supported by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy and the Ministry of Education and Research. The objectives of the projects were the gain of deep understanding of the damage mechanisms under mechanical and thermal cyclic loading and the development of material models and simulation procedures for an improved lifetime assessment. In comparison to the advanced mechanism based material models engineering computational procedures were proven with respect to their applicability and conservatisms. For thermal cyclic loading, test equipment and technique were developed which allow for cyclic thermal loading with temperature ranges between 1 00 C and 300 C and frequencies between 0.1 and 1 Hz. As a result, tests with a temperature range of 150 C and lower showed no crack formation up to 300,000 cycles. For temperature ranges of 200 C and higher multiple crack patterns were observed with the deepest crack of about 1.3 mm after 1,000,000 cycles, whereas the difference in crack depth between 300,000 and 1,000,000 cycles was negligibly small. To model the fatigue lifetime, the D{sub TMF} damage parameter was applied to the low-cycle fatigue and the thermal, high frequent fatigue tests. For thermal fatigue, the analyses predicted in agreement with the tests crack initiation followed by crack propagation, subsequent retardation and arrest. This behaviour can be explained qualitatively and quantitatively using the methods of linear-elastic fracture mechanics, whereas the consideration of the interaction of multiple cracks is essential to describe the experimentally observed crack retardation. The results for thermal fatigue are in the scatterband of the mechanical p and thermo-mechanical fatigue results and the cycles to failure are 10 times higher than those estimated according to the KTA fatigue

Assessment of structural, thermal, and mechanical properties of portlandite through molecular dynamics simulations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hajilar, Shahin, E-mail: shajilar@iastate.edu [Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-1066 (United States); Shafei, Behrouz, E-mail: shafei@iastate.edu [Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-1066 (United States)

2016-12-15

The structural, thermal, and mechanical properties of portlandite, the primary solid phase of ordinary hydrated cement paste, are investigated using the molecular dynamics method. To understand the effects of temperature on the structural properties of portlandite, the coefficients of thermal expansion of portlandite are determined in the current study and validated with what reported from the experimental tests. The atomic structure of portlandite equilibrated at various temperatures is then subjected to uniaxial tensile strains in the three orthogonal directions and the stress-strain curves are developed. Based on the obtained results, the effect of the direction of straining on the mechanical properties of portlandite is investigated in detail. Structural damage analysis is performed to reveal the failure mechanisms in different directions. The energies of the fractured surfaces are calculated in different directions and compared to those of the ideal surfaces available in the literature. The key mechanical properties, including tensile strength, Young's modulus, and fracture strain, are extracted from the stress-strain curves. The sensitivity of the obtained mechanical properties to temperature and strain rate is then explored in a systematic way. This leads to valuable information on how the structural and mechanical properties of portlandite are affected under various exposure conditions and loading rates. - Graphical abstract: Fracture mechanism of portlandite under uniaxial strain in the z-direction. - Highlights: • The structural, thermal, and mechanical properties of portlandite are investigated. • The coefficients of thermal expansion are determined. • The stress-strain relationships are studied in three orthogonal directions. • The effects of temperature and strain rate on mechanical properties are examined. • The plastic energy required for fracture in the crystalline structure is reported.

Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Bamboo Pulp Fiber Reinforced Polyethylene Composites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenhan Ren

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanical and thermal properties of high-density polyethylene (HDPE composites reinforced by bamboo pulp fibers (BPF. Using a twin-screw extruder, polymer composites were fabricated using BPF and bamboo flour (BF as the reinforcement and HDPE as the matrix. Tensile and flexural tests of the HDPE composites were performed to determine the mechanical properties under different conditions. The thermal properties of HDPE composites were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA. The results showed that BPF improved the mechanical and thermal properties of the polymer composites more than did BF. The tensile and flexural strength of composites with 30 wt% BPF were increased by 61.46% and 22.94%, respectively, while the tensile and flexural modulus were increased by 84.52% and 27.30%, respectively. Compared to composites with 50 wt% BF, the T5% of composites with 50 wt% BPF increased by 20.18 °C. As the BPF content increased, the storage modulus (E’ and loss modulus (E” initially increased, followed by a decrease. Compared to the BF/HDPE composites, BPF/HDPE composites reinforced at 30 wt% had a higher storage modulus (E’ and loss modulus (E” and lower damping parameter (tanδ.

Ethylene–propylene–diene terpolymer/hexa fluoropropylene–vinylidinefluoride dipolymer rubber blends: Thermal and mechanical properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balachandran Nair, Ajalesh; Kurian, Philip; Joseph, Rani

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► The EPDM/MA-g-EPDM/FKM blends show good mechanical properties. ► In compatibilized blends, better thermal and swelling resistance was obtained. ► Random nucleation mechanism is the rate controlling process in degradation. ► Good phase morphology is obtained in the case of compatibilized blends. -- Abstract: Hexa fluoropropylene–vinylidinefluoride dipolymer, fluoroelastomer (FKM) and ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM) blends with and without compatibilizer (MA-g-EPDM) were prepared by two-roll mill mixing. The effects of blend ratio and amount of compatibilizer on mechanical properties and thermal stability were investigated. The cure characteristics and mechanical properties of EPDM, FKM and their blends of varying compositions were studied for unaged and aged samples. The 50:50 (w/w) FKM/EPDM showed highest mechanical properties. The tensile properties of all the composites, especially those with higher proportion of FKM increased with aging. Swelling of the blends was reduced after aging. The thermal stability of FKM/EPDM rubber blends was studied using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The incorporation of FKM rubber improved the thermal stability of EPDM rubber. The apparent degradation activation energy (E) of EPDM/FKM reactive blends was calculated by the Coats–Redfern method. The results showed that the EPDM/FKM reactive blends had higher thermal stability but lower E than FKM. The thermal degradation process of both EPDM/FKM reactive blends and FKM were determined by nucleation and growth mechanism. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results suggest that glass transition temperature (T g ) peak for EPDM region is shifted to FKM phase, due to improved compatibility on addition of compatibilizer. The morphology of blends was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Mechanical and thermal properties of phthalonitrile resin reinforced with silicon carbide particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Derradji, Mehdi; Ramdani, Noureddine; Zhang, Tong; Wang, Jun; Feng, Tian-tian; Wang, Hui; Liu, Wen-bin

2015-01-01

Highlights: • SiC microparticles improve the mechanical properties of phthalonitrile resin. • Excellent thermal stability achieved by adding SiC particles in phthalonitrile resin. • Adding 20 wt.% of SiC microparticles increases the T g by 38 °C. • Silane coupling agent can enhance the adhesion and dispersion of particles/matrix. - Abstract: A new type of composite based on phthalonitrile resin reinforced with silicon carbide (SiC) microparticles was prepared. For various weight ratios ranging between 0% and 20%, the effect of the micro-SiC particles on the mechanical and thermal properties has been studied. Results from thermal analysis revealed that the starting decomposition temperature and the residual weight were significantly improved upon adding the reinforcing phase. At the maximum micro-SiC loading, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) showed an important enhancement in both the storage modulus and glass transition temperature (T g ), reaching 3.1 GPa and 338 °C, respectively. The flexural strength and modulus as well as the microhardness were significantly enhanced by adding the microfillers. Tensile test revealed enhancements in the composites toughness upon adding the microparticles. Polarization optical microscope (POM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis confirmed that mechanical and thermal properties improvements are essentially attributed to the good dispersion and adhesion between the particles and the resin

Coupled Mechanical-Electrochemical-Thermal Analysis of Failure Propagation in Lithium-ion Batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Chao; Santhanagopalan, Shriram; Pesaran, Ahmad

2016-07-28

This is a presentation given at the 12th World Congress for Computational Mechanics on coupled mechanical-electrochemical-thermal analysis of failure propagation in lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles.

Mechanical and thermal properties of bulk ZrB{sub 2}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakamori, Fumihiro [Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University (Japan); Ohishi, Yuji, E-mail: ohishi@ms.see.eng.osaka-u.ac.jp [Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University (Japan); Muta, Hiroaki; Kurosaki, Ken [Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University (Japan); Fukumoto, Ken-ichi [Research Institute of Nuclear Engineering, University of Fukui (Japan); Yamanaka, Shinsuke [Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University (Japan); Research Institute of Nuclear Engineering, University of Fukui (Japan)

2015-12-15

ZrB{sub 2} appears to have formed in the fuel debris at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster site, through the reaction between Zircaloy cladding materials and the control rod material B{sub 4}C. Since ZrB{sub 2} has a high melting point of 3518 K, the ceramic has been widely studied as a heat-resistant material. Although various studies on the thermochemical and thermophysical properties have been performed for ZrB{sub 2}, significant differences exist in the data, possibly due to impurities or the porosity within the studied samples. In the present study, we have prepared a ZrB{sub 2} bulk sample with 93.1% theoretical density by sintering ZrB{sub 2} powder. On this sample, we have comprehensively examined the thermal and mechanical properties of ZrB{sub 2} by the measurement of specific heat, ultrasonic sound velocities, thermal diffusivity, and thermal expansion. Vickers hardness and fracture toughness were also measured and found to be 13–23 GPa and 1.8–2.8 MPa m{sup 0.5}, respectively. The relationships between these properties were carefully examined in the present study. - Highlights: • A ZrB{sub 2} bulk sample with 93.1% theoretical density was prepared by sintering ZrB{sub 2} powder. • We have evaluated mechanical and thermal properties such as Vickers hardness, fracture toughness and thermal conductivity. • The relationships between these properties were carefully examined.

CONCEPT OF THE MINIMUM ENERGY PASSENGER CAR WITH USE OF UNCONVENTIONAL ENERGY SOURCES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. A. Gabrinets

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose. The paper is aimed to consider the concept of creation of the minimum energy passenger car with use of nonconventional energy sources and the walls that have enhanced thermal insulation properties. Мethodology. The types of heat losses, as well as their value were analyzed. The alternative sources of energy are considered for heating. Their potential contribution to the overall energy balance of the passenger car is analyzed. Impact on the car design of the enhanced wall thermal insulation, solar energy inflow through the transparent windows and energy release of passengers are quantitatively evaluated. Findings. With the maximum possible use of all unconventional energy sources and the rational scheme solutions of conditioning and heating systems energy the costs for these needs for a passenger car can be reduced by 40-50%. Originality. New types of energy to maintain the heat balance of the car in the winter period is proposed to use firstly. New schematics solutions for environmental control system of the car both in winter and in summer periods were offered. Practical value. Introduction of the proposed scheme solutions and approaches to ensure the comfortable conditions for passengers may be implemented on an existing park of passenger cars and do not require a major re-equipment of systems that have already been installed.

Basic thermal-mechanical properties and thermal shock, fatigue resistance of swaged + rolled potassium doped tungsten

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiaoxin; Yan, Qingzhi; Lang, Shaoting; Xia, Min; Ge, Changchun

2014-09-01

The potassium doped tungsten (W-K) grade was achieved via swaging + rolling process. The swaged + rolled W-K alloy exhibited acceptable thermal conductivity of 159.1 W/m K and ductile-to-brittle transition temperature of about 873 K while inferior mechanical properties attributed to the coarse pores and small deformation degree. Then the thermal shock, fatigue resistance of the W-K grade were characterized by an electron beam facility. Thermal shock tests were conducted at absorbed power densities varied from 0.22 to 1.1 GW/m2 in a step of 0.22 GW/m2. The cracking threshold was in the range of 0.44-0.66 GW/m2. Furthermore, recrystallization occurred in the subsurface of the specimens tested at 0.66-1.1 GW/m2 basing on the analysis of microhardness and microstructure. Thermal fatigue tests were performed at 0.44 GW/m2 up to 1000 cycles and no cracks emerged throughout the tests. Moreover, recrystallization occurred after 1000 cycles.

Mechanical and thermal design of the Cascade reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pitts, J.H.

1983-01-01

We present an improved Cascade fusion reaction chamber that is optimized with respect to chamber radius, wall thickness, and pebble blanket outlet temperature. We show results of a parameter study where we varied chamber radius from 3 to 6 m, wall thickness from 15 to 80 mm, and blanket outlet temperature from 900 to 1400 K. Based on these studies, we achieved an optimized chamber with 50% the volume of the original design and 60% of its blanket. Chamber radius is only 4.4 m and its half length is only 5.9 m, decreased from the original 5-m radius and 8-m half-length. In our optimization method, we calculate both thermal and mechanical stresses resulting from x-ray, fusion-pellet-debris, and neutron-generated momentum, pressure from ablated material, centrifugal action, vacuum inside the chamber, and gravity. We add the mechanical stresses to thermal stresses and keep the total less than the yield stress. Further, we require that fluctuations in these stresses be less than that which would produce creep-fatigue failure within the chamber 30-year lifetime

Thermal stability of nafion membranes under mechanical stress

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Quintilii, M; Struis, R [Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland)

1997-06-01

The feasibility of adequately modified fluoro-ionomer membranes (NAFION{sup R}) is demonstrated for the selective separation of methanol synthesis products from the raw reactor gas at temperatures around 200{sup o}C. For an economically relevant application of this concept on a technical scale the Nafion membranes should be thin ({approx_equal}10 {mu}m) and thermally stable over a long period of time (1-2 years). In cooperation with industry (Methanol Casale SA, Lugano (CH)), we test the thermal stability of Nafion hollow fibers and supported Nafion thin sheet membranes at temperatures between 160 and 200{sup o}C under mechanical stress by applying a gas pressure difference over the membrane surface ({Delta}P{<=} 40 bar). Tests with the hollow fibers revealed that Nafion has visco-elastic properties. Tests with 50 {mu}m thin Nafion sheets supported by a porous metal carrier at 200{sup o}C and {Delta}P=39 bar showed no mechanical defects over a period of 92 days. (author) 5 figs., 4 refs.

Thermal-hydraulic and thermo-mechanical design of plasma facing components for SST-1 tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaudhuri, Paritosh; Santra, P.; Chenna Reddy, D.; Parashar, S.K.S.

2014-01-01

The Plasma Facing Components (PFCs) are one of the major sub-systems of ssT-1 tokamak. PFC of ssT-1 consisting of divertors, passive stabilizers, baffles and limiters are designed to be compatible for steady state operation. The main consideration in the design of the PFC cooling is the steady state heat removal of up to 1 MW/m 2 . The PFC has been designed to withstand the peak heat fluxes and also without significant erosion such that frequent replacement of the armor is not necessary. Design considerations included 2-D steady state and transient tile temperature distribution and resulting thermal loads in PFC during baking, and cooling, coolant parameters necessary to maintain optimum thermal-hydraulic design, and tile fitting mechanism. Finite Element (FE) models using ANSYS have been developed to carry out the heat transfer and stress analyses of the PFC to understand its thermal and mechanical behaviors. The results of the calculation led to a good understanding of the coolant flow behavior and the temperature distribution in the tube wall and the different parts of the PFC. Thermal analysis of the PFC is carried out with the purpose of evaluating the thermal mechanical behavior of PFCs. The detailed thermal-hydraulic and thermo-mechanical designs of PFCs of ssT-1 are discussed in this paper. (authors)

Thermal and mechanical effect during rapid heating of astroloy for improving structural integrity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Popoolaa, A.P.I.; Oluwasegun, K.M.; Olorunniwo, O.E.; Atanda, P.O.; Aigbodion, V.S.

2016-01-01

The behaviour of γ′ phase to thermal and mechanical effects during rapid heating of Astroloy(Turbine Disc alloy) a Powder metallurgy (PM) nickel base superalloy has been investigated. The thermo-mechanical affected zone (TMAZ) and heat affected zone (HAZ) microstructure of an inertia friction welded Astroloy were simulated using a Gleeble thermo-mechanical simulation system. Detailed microstructural examination of the simulated TMAZ and HAZ and those present in actual inertial friction welded specimens showed that γ′ particles persisted during rapid heating up to a temperature where the formation of liquid is thermodynamically favoured, and subsequently re-solidified eutectically. The result obtained showed that forging during the thermo-mechanical simulation significantly enhanced resistance to weld liquation cracking of the alloy. This is attributable to strain-induced rapid isothermal dissolution of the constitutional liquation products within 150 μm from the centre of the forged sample. This was not observed in purely thermally simulated samples. The microstructure within the TMAZ of the as-welded alloy is similar to the microstructure in the forged Gleeble specimens. - Highlights: • The behaviour of γ′ phase to thermal and mechanical effects during rapid heating of Astrology • The thermo-mechanical affected zone (TMAZ) and heat affected zone (HAZ). • significantly enhanced resistance to weld liquation cracking of the alloy. • This was not observed in purely thermally simulated samples. • The microstructure within the TMAZ of the as-welded alloy is similar to the microstructure in the forged Gleeble specimens.

Thermal and mechanical effect during rapid heating of astroloy for improving structural integrity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Popoolaa, A.P.I., E-mail: popoolaapi@tut.ac.za [Department of Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria (South Africa); Oluwasegun, K.M. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Obafemi Awolowo University (Nigeria); Olorunniwo, O.E., E-mail: segun_nniwo@yahoo.com [Department of Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria (South Africa); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Obafemi Awolowo University (Nigeria); Atanda, P.O. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Obafemi Awolowo University (Nigeria); Aigbodion, V.S. [Department of Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria (South Africa); Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (Nigeria)

2016-05-05

The behaviour of γ′ phase to thermal and mechanical effects during rapid heating of Astroloy(Turbine Disc alloy) a Powder metallurgy (PM) nickel base superalloy has been investigated. The thermo-mechanical affected zone (TMAZ) and heat affected zone (HAZ) microstructure of an inertia friction welded Astroloy were simulated using a Gleeble thermo-mechanical simulation system. Detailed microstructural examination of the simulated TMAZ and HAZ and those present in actual inertial friction welded specimens showed that γ′ particles persisted during rapid heating up to a temperature where the formation of liquid is thermodynamically favoured, and subsequently re-solidified eutectically. The result obtained showed that forging during the thermo-mechanical simulation significantly enhanced resistance to weld liquation cracking of the alloy. This is attributable to strain-induced rapid isothermal dissolution of the constitutional liquation products within 150 μm from the centre of the forged sample. This was not observed in purely thermally simulated samples. The microstructure within the TMAZ of the as-welded alloy is similar to the microstructure in the forged Gleeble specimens. - Highlights: • The behaviour of γ′ phase to thermal and mechanical effects during rapid heating of Astrology • The thermo-mechanical affected zone (TMAZ) and heat affected zone (HAZ). • significantly enhanced resistance to weld liquation cracking of the alloy. • This was not observed in purely thermally simulated samples. • The microstructure within the TMAZ of the as-welded alloy is similar to the microstructure in the forged Gleeble specimens.

Transient thermal-mechanical behavior of cracked glass-cloth-reinforced epoxy laminates at low temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shindo, Y.; Ueda, S.

1997-01-01

We consider the transient thermal-mechanical response of cracked G-10CR glass-cloth-reinforced epoxy laminates with temperature-dependent properties. The glass-cloth-reinforced epoxy laminates are suddenly cooled on the surfaces. A generalized plane strain finite element model is used to study the influence of warp angle and crack formation on the thermal shock behavior of two-layer woven laminates at low temperatures. Numerical calculations are carried out, and the transient temperature distribution and the thermal-mechanical stresses are shown graphically

Degradation mechanism and thermal stability of urea nitrate below the melting point

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Desilets, Sylvain; Brousseau, Patrick; Chamberland, Daniel; Singh, Shanti; Feng, Hongtu; Turcotte, Richard; Anderson, John

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Decomposition mechanism of urea nitrate. → Spectral characterization of the decomposition mechanism. → Thermal stability of urea nitrate at 50, 70 and 100 o C. → Chemical balance of decomposed products released. - Abstract: Aging and degradation of urea nitrate below the melting point, at 100 o C, was studied by using thermal analysis and spectroscopic methods including IR, Raman, 1 H and 13 C NMR techniques. It was found that urea nitrate was completely degraded after 72 h at 100 o C into a mixture of solids (69%) and released gaseous species (31%). The degradation mechanism below the melting point was clearly identified. The remaining solid mixture was composed of ammonium nitrate, urea and biuret while unreacted residual nitric and isocyanic acids as well as traces of ammonia were released as gaseous species at 100 o C. The thermal stability of urea nitrate, under extreme storage conditions (50 o C), was also examined by isothermal nano-calorimetry.

Monitoring radionuclides in subsurface drinking water sources near unconventional drilling operations: a pilot study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nelson, Andrew W.; Knight, Andrew W.; Eitrheim, Eric S.; Schultz, Michael K.

2015-01-01

Unconventional drilling (the combination of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling) to extract oil and natural gas is expanding rapidly around the world. The rate of expansion challenges scientists and regulators to assess the risks of the new technologies on drinking water resources. One concern is the potential for subsurface drinking water resource contamination by naturally occurring radioactive materials co-extracted during unconventional drilling activities. Given the rate of expansion, opportunities to test drinking water resources in the pre- and post-fracturing setting are rare. This pilot study investigated the levels of natural uranium, lead-210, and polonium-210 in private drinking wells within 2000 m of a large-volume hydraulic fracturing operation – before and approximately one-year following the fracturing activities. Observed radionuclide concentrations in well waters tested did not exceed maximum contaminant levels recommended by state and federal agencies. No statistically-significant differences in radionuclide concentrations were observed in well-water samples collected before and after the hydraulic fracturing activities. Expanded monitoring of private drinking wells before and after hydraulic fracturing activities is needed to develop understanding of the potential for drinking water resource contamination from unconventional drilling and gas extraction activities. - Highlights: • Natural radionuclides in ground water near unconventional drilling operations were investigated. • Natural uranium ( nat U), lead-210 ( 210 Pb), and polonium-210 ( 210 Po) levels are described. • No statistically significant increases in natural radioactivity post-drilling were observed

Ending the Debate: Unconventional Warfare, Foreign Internal Defense, and Why Words Matter

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Jones, D

2006-01-01

There is an ongoing debate within the Special Forces community whether unconventional warfare and foreign internal defense are applicable in the contemporary and future Special Operations environments...

Nanobioceramic Composites: A Study of Mechanical, Morphological, and Thermal Properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sivabalan Sasthiryar

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to explore the incorporation of biomass carbon nanofillers (CNF into advanced ceramic. Biomass from bamboo, bagasse (remains of sugarcane after pressing, and oil palm ash was used as the predecessor for producing carbon black nanofillers. Furnace pyrolysis was carried out at 1000 °C and was followed by ball-mill processing to obtain carbon nanofillers in the range of 50 nm to 100 nm. CNFs were added to alumina in varying weight fractions and the resulting mixture was subjected to vacuum sintering at 1400 °C to produce nanobioceramic composites. The ceramic composites were characterized for mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties. A high-resolution Charge-coupled device (CCD camera was used to study the fracture impact and the failure mechanism. An increase in the loading percentage of CNFs in the alumna decreased the specific gravity, vickers hardness (HV, and fracture toughness values of the composite materials. Furthermore, the thermal conductivity and the thermal stability of the ceramic composite increased as compared to the pristine alumina.

UNCONVENTIONAL MONETARY POLICY: CHANGING EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK’S PERSPECTIVE ON FINANCIAL GOVERNANCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bogdan Munteanu

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The paper aims to look at the European Central Bank governance in terms of decisions taken to deploy a new kit of unconventional monetary policy measures, in order to respond to a new economic paradigm characterized by dynamic change in evolution, high volatility and enhanced financial risks. As an institution, the European Central Bank is led by the Governing Council and the decisions taken on how to use monetary policy impact an entire financial system. European Central Banking governance is about safeguarding the common currency and ensuring a future for the economic and monetary area to emerge stronger. For this purpose, when conventional monetary policies reach limits in their effects, it is time for the European Central Bank governance to analyse and assume the decision to deploy the arsenal of unconventional monetary policies. The experience of recent years showed a positive effect of the European Central Bank’s unconventional monetary measures, but costs could rise in case of extensive use of such measures. When these measures are used in combination, the effect is amplified and the European Central Bank needs to assess when it is time to withdraw the support, how to communicate and what exit strategy should use, what the costs are and impact can expect.

Characterization and modeling of the thermal mechanics of lithium-ion battery cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, Ki-Yong; Epureanu, Bogdan I.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Thermal swelling shape is different than Li-ion intercalation swelling shape. • Nonuniform temperature and gap creation leads to a convex shape at free conditions. • Important parameters of thermal mechanics are estimated through experiments. • A coupled thermal-structural analysis accurately predicts thermal swelling shape. • Nonuniform temperature still plays a critical role at pack conditions. - Abstract: The thermal mechanics of Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries is explored with a focus on thermal swelling. Experiments show for the first time that the swelling shape of prismatic battery cells due to temperature variations is significantly different from that due to Li-ion intercalation in unconstrained conditions. In contrast to uniform and orthotropic Li-ion intercalation swelling in a direction perpendicular to electrodes, the nonuniform temperature distribution in the jellyroll and the gaps/voids between electrodes result in distinguishable different swelling shapes. A unique coupled thermal-structural analysis with a simple, but efficient 3-D finite numerical model is proposed to investigate the impact of temperature variations on the thermal behaviors of battery cells. Anisotropic heat conduction and temperature dependency of the coefficient of thermal expansion are taken into account and found to have an impact on temperature distribution and thermal expansion. Experimental validation of the proposed model clearly demonstrates that the coupled thermal-structural analysis with the proposed model can predict accurately the thermal swelling at unconstrained conditions. The solution at pack (constrained) conditions shows that the nonuniform temperature distribution of the jellyroll still plays a critical role for the thermal swelling shape, although the gaps/voids do not occur because of the constraints from spacers in the pack, suggesting that the estimation of core temperature is important. Such an accurate model, able to estimate cell

Influence of ammonium nitrate on kinetics and mechanism of thermal decomposition of ammonium polyuranates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karelin, A.I.; Lobas, O.P.; Zhiganov, A.N.; Vasil'ev, K.F.; Zhiganova, A.A.

1988-01-01

The influence of ammonium nitrate on the mechanism and kinetics of dehydration and thermal decomposition of ammonium polyuranates was studied. An appreciable influence of the nitrate ion content in the samples of ammonium polyuranates on the development of thermal stability has been noted. The kinetic parameters of the thermal decomposition of ammonium polyuranates have been evaluated. A mechanism of the dehydration and thermal decomposition of ammonium polyuranates in the presence of ammonium nitrate has been proposed. It was shown that increase in the content of ammonium nitrate in the precipitate of ammonium polyuranates leads to a decrease in the specific surface of uranoso-uranic oxide

Nuclear thermal rocket nozzle testing and evaluation program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davidian, K.O.; Kacynski, K.J.

1993-01-01

Performance characteristics of the Nuclear Thermal Rocket can be enhanced through the use of unconventional nozzles as part of the propulsion system. In this report, the Nuclear Thermal Rocket nozzle testing and evaluation program being conducted at the NASA Lewis Research Center is outlined and the advantages of a plug nozzle are described. A facility description, experimental designs and schematics are given. Results of pretest performance analyses show that high nozzle performance can be attained despite substantial nozzle length reduction through the use of plug nozzles as compared to a convergent-divergent nozzle. Pretest measurement uncertainty analyses indicate that specific impulse values are expected to be within plus or minus 1.17%

The Effect of Mechanical Load on the Thermal Conductivity of Building Materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Toman

2000-01-01

Full Text Available The effect of mechanical load on the thermal conductivity of building materials in the design of envelope parts of building structures is studied. A typical building material is chosen in the practical investigation of this effect, namely the cement mortar. It is concluded that in the range of hygroscopic moisture content, lower levels of mechanical load, typically up to 90 % of compressive strength (CS, are not dangerous from the point of view of worsening the designed thermal properties, but in the overhygroscopic region, the load as low as 57 % of CS may be dangerous. The higher levels of loading are found to be always significant because they lead to marked increase of thermal conductivity which is always a negative information for a building designer.

Evaluation of Thermal and Thermo-mechanical Behavior of Full-scale Energy Foundations

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Kyle D.

This study focuses on the thermo-mechanical and thermal behavior of full-scale energy foundations installed as part of two buildings recently constructed in Colorado. The soil stratigraphy at each of the sites differed, but both foundations were expected to function as primarily end-bearing elements with a tip socketed into rock. The heat exchanger configurations were also different amongst the foundations at both sites, permitting evaluation of the role of heat exchange. A common thread for both energy foundation case histories was the monitoring of the temperature and axial strain within the foundations during heat exchange operations. The first case study involves an evaluation of the long-term thermo-mechanical response of two full-scale energy foundations installed at the new Denver Housing Authority (DHA) Senior Living Facility at 1099 Osage St. in Denver, Colorado. Due to the construction schedule for this project, the thermal properties of the foundations and surrounding subsurface could not be assessed using thermal response tests. However, instrumentation was incorporated into the foundations to assess their long-term heat exchange response as well as the thermo-mechanical strains, stresses, and displacements that occurred during construction and operation of the ground-source heat pump system. The temperature changes within the foundations during heating and cooling operations over a period of approximately 600 days ranged from 9 to 32 °C, respectively. The thermal axial stresses in the foundations were calculated from the measured strains, and ranged from 3.1 MPa during heating to --1.0 MPa during cooling. These values are within reasonable limits for reinforced concrete structures. The maximum thermal axial stress was observed near the toe of both foundations, which is consistent with trends expected for end-bearing toe boundary conditions. The greatest thermal axial strains were observed near the top of the foundations (upward expansion during

The Effect of Thermal Cycling Treatments on the Thermal Stability and Mechanical Properties of a Ti-Based Bulk Metallic Glass Composite

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fan Bu

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The effect of thermal cycling treatments on the thermal stability and mechanical properties of a Ti48Zr20Nb12Cu5Be15 bulk metallic glass composite (BMGC has been investigated. Results show that moderate thermal cycles in a temperature range of −196 °C (cryogenic temperature, CT to 25 °C (room temperature, RT or annealing time at CT has not induced obvious changes of thermal stability and then it decreases slightly over critical thermal parameters. In addition, the dendritic second phases with a bcc structure are homogeneously embedded in the amorphous matrix; no visible changes are detected, which shows structural stability. Excellent mechanical properties as high as 1599 MPa yield strength and 34% plastic strain are obtained, and the yield strength and elastic modulus also increase gradually. The effect on the stability is analyzed quantitatively by crystallization kinetics and plastic-flow models, and indicates that the reduction of structural relaxation enthalpy, which is related to the degradation of spatial heterogeneity, reduces thermal stability but does not imperatively deteriorate the plasticity.

Investigation of ammonium nitrate effect on kinetics and mechanism of thermal decomposition of ammonium polyuranates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karelin, A.I.; Lobas, O.P.; Zhiganov, A.N.; Vasil'ev, K.F.; Zhiganova, A.A.

1987-01-01

A study was made on ammonium nitrate effect on the mechanism and kinetics of dehydration and thermal decomposition of ammonium polyuranates. Sufficient effect of nitrate ion content in ammonium polyuranate samples on their thermal stability was noted. Kinetic parameters of thermal decomposition of ammonium polyuranates were evaluated. Mechanism of dehydration and thermal decomposition of ammonium polyuranates in the presence of ammonium nitrate was suggested. It was shown that increase of ammonium nitrate content in ammonium polyuranate precipitate resulted to reduction of the specific surface of prepared uranium mixed oxide

Mechanical and Thermal Properties of the AH of FRW Universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yi-Huan, Wei

2010-01-01

We calculate the work made out by the apparent horizon (AH) of the Friedmann–Robertson–Walker (FRW) universe and the heat flux through the AH from the first law of thermodynamics. We discuss the mechanical properties of the AH and analyze the universe model for which the mechanical properties can change. Finally, the thermal properties of the AH of FRW universe are discussed

Effect of acoustic softening on the thermal-mechanical process of ultrasonic welding.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Kunkun; Zhang, Yansong; Wang, Hongze

2017-03-01

Application of ultrasonic energy can reduce the static stress necessary for plastic deformation of metallic materials to reduce forming load and energy, namely acoustic softening effect (ASE). Ultrasonic welding (USW) is a rapid joining process utilizing ultrasonic energy to form a solid state joint between two or more pieces of metals. Quantitative characterization of ASE and its influence on specimen deformation and heat generation is essential to clarify the thermal-mechanical process of ultrasonic welding. In the present work, experiments were set up to found out mechanical behavior of copper and aluminum under combined effect of compression force and ultrasonic energy. Constitutive model was proposed and numerical implemented in finite element model of ultrasonic welding. Thermal-mechanical analysis was put forward to explore the effect of ultrasonic energy on the welding process quantitatively. Conclusions can be drawn that ASE increases structural deformation significantly, which is beneficial for joint formation. Meanwhile, heat generation from both frictional work and plastic deformation is slightly influenced by ASE. Based on the proposed model, relationship between ultrasonic energy and thermal-mechanical behavior of structure during ultrasonic welding was constructed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modeling of two-phase flow with thermal and mechanical non-equilibrium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Houdayer, G.; Pinet, B.; Le Coq, G.; Reocreux, M.; Rousseau, J.C.

1977-01-01

To improve two-phase flow modeling by taking into account thermal and mechanical non-equilibrium a joint effort on analytical experiment and physical modeling has been undertaken. A model describing thermal non-equilibrium effects is first presented. A correlation of mass transfer has been developed using steam water critical flow tests. This model has been used to predict in a satisfactory manner blowdown tests. It has been incorporated in CLYSTERE system code. To take into account mechanical non-equilibrium, a six equations model is written. To get information on the momentum transfers special nitrogen-water tests have been undertaken. The first results of these studies are presented

Thermal capacitator design rationale. Part 1: Thermal and mechanical property data for selected materials potentially useful in thermal capacitor design and construction

Science.gov (United States)

Bailey, J. A.; Liao, C. K.

1975-01-01

The thermal properties of paraffin hydrocarbons and hydrocarbon mixtures which may be used as the phase change material (PCM) in thermal capacitors are discussed. The paraffin hydrocarbons selected for consideration are those in the range from C11H24 (n-Undecane) to C20H42 (n-Eicosane). A limited amount of data is included concerning other properties of paraffin hydrocarbons and the thermal and mechanical properties of several aluminum alloys which may find application as constructional materials. Data concerning the melting temperature, transition temperature, latent heat of fusion, heat of transition, specific heat, and thermal conductivity of pure and commercial grades of paraffin hydrocarbons are given. An index of companies capable of producing paraffin hydrocarbons and information concerning the availability of various grades (purity levels) is provided.

Preparation of environmental analyses for synfuel and unconventional gas technologies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reed, R.M. (ed.)

1982-09-01

Government agencies that offer financial incentives to stimulate the commercialization of synfuel and unconventional gas technologies usually require an analysis of environmental impacts resulting from proposed projects. This report reviews potentially significant environmental issues associated with a selection of these technologies and presents guidance for developing information and preparing analyses to address these issues. The technologies considered are western oil shale, tar sand, coal liquefaction and gasification, peat, unconventional gas (western tight gas sands, eastern Devonian gas shales, methane from coal seams, and methane from geopressured aquifers), and fuel ethanol. Potentially significant issues are discussed under the general categories of land use, air quality, water use, water quality, biota, solid waste disposal, socioeconomics, and health and safety. The guidance provided in this report can be applied to preparation and/or review of proposals, environmental reports, environmental assessments, environmental impact statements, and other types of environmental analyses. The amount of detail required for any issue discussed must, by necessity, be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Mechanism of antioxidant interaction on polymer oxidation by thermal and radiation ageing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seguchi, Tadao; Tamura, Kiyotoshi; Shimada, Akihiko; Sugimoto, Masaki; Kudoh, Hisaaki

2012-01-01

The mechanism of polymer oxidation by radiation and thermal ageing was investigated for the life evaluation of cables installed in radiation environments. The antioxidant as a stabilizer was very effective for thermal oxidation with a small content in polymers, but was not effective for radiation oxidation. The ionizing radiation induced the oxidation to result in chain scission even at low temperature, because the free radicals were produced and the antioxidant could not stop the oxidation of radicals with the chain scission. A new mechanism of antioxidant effect for polymer oxidation was proposed. The effect of antioxidant was not the termination of free radicals in polymer chains such as peroxy radicals, but was the depression of initial radical formation in polymer chains by thermal activation. The antioxidant molecule was assumed to delocalize the activated energy in polymer chains by the Boltzmann statics (distribution) to result in decrease in the probability of radical formation at a given temperature. The interaction distance (delocalization volume) by one antioxidant molecule was estimated to be 5–10 nm by the radius of sphere in polymer matrix, though the value would depend on the chemical structure of antioxidant. - Highlights: ► Interaction of antioxidant on polymer oxidation is discussed for thermal and radiation ageings. ► Antioxidant is very effective for thermal oxidation, but not for radiation induced oxidation. ► Interaction of antioxidant is not the termination reaction of radicals on polymers. ► Antioxidant is supposed to reduce the provability of polymer radical formation by thermal activation. ► Mechanism of polymer oxidation may not be chain reaction via peroxy radical and hydro-peroxide.

Thermal conduction mechanisms in isotope-disordered boron nitride and carbon nanotubes

Science.gov (United States)

Savic, Ivana; Mingo, Natalio; Stewart, Derek

2009-03-01

We present first principles studies which determine dominant effects limiting the heat conduction in isotope-disordered boron nitride and carbon nanotubes [1]. Using an ab initio atomistic Green's function approach, we demonstrate that localization cannot be observed in the thermal conductivity measurements [1], and that diffusive scattering is the dominant mechanism which reduces the thermal conductivity [2]. We also give concrete predictions of the magnitude of the isotope effect on the thermal conductivities of carbon and boron nitride single-walled nanotubes [2]. We furthermore show that intershell scattering is not the main limiting mechanism for the heat flow through multi-walled boron nitride nanotubes [1], and that heat conduction restricted to a few shells leads to the low thermal conductivities experimentally measured [1]. We consequently successfully compare the results of our calculations [3] with the experimental measurements [1]. [1] C. W. Chang, A. M. Fennimore, A. Afanasiev, D. Okawa, T. Ikuno, H. Garcia, D. Li, A. Majumdar, A. Zettl, Phys. Rev. Lett. 2006, 97, 085901. [2] I. Savic, N. Mingo, D. A. Stewart, Phys. Rev. Lett. 2008, 101, 165502. [3] I. Savic, D. A. Stewart, N. Mingo, to be published.

Variable-Fidelity Conceptual Design System for Advanced Unconventional Air Vehicles, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Ongoing work in unconventional air-vehicles, i.e. deformable mold-lines and bio-mimetics, is beginning to provide the insight necessary to exploit performance...

Equations for collective modes spectrum in a mixed d-wave state of unconventional superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, C.Y.

2004-01-01

Direct observation of the collective modes in unconventional superconductors (USC) by microwave impedance technique experiments has made the very important study of the collective excitations in these systems. One of the problem is still the exact form of the order parameter of unconventional superconductors. Among the possibilities there are extended s-wave pairing, mixture of s- and d-states, as well as of different d-wave states. I consider the mixed (1-γ)d x 2 -y 2 +iγd xy state in high temperature superconductors (HTSC) and derive for the first time a full set of equations for collective modes spectrum in mixed d-wave state with arbitrary admixture of d xy state. Obtained results allow to calculate the whole collective mode spectrum, which could be used for interpretation of the sound attenuation and microwave absorption data as well as for identification of the type of pairing and order parameter in unconventional superconductors. In particular, they allow to estimate the extent of admixture of d xy state in a possible mixed state

Nociceptive responses to thermal and mechanical stimulations in awake pigs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

di Giminiani, Pierpaolo; Petersen, Lars Jelstrup; Herskin, Mette S.

2013-01-01

body sizes (30 and 60 kg) were exposed to thermal (CO(2) laser) and mechanical (pressure application measurement device) stimulations to the flank and the hind legs in a balanced order. The median response latency and the type of behavioural response were recorded. RESULTS: Small pigs exhibited...... animal studies in a large species require further examination. This manuscript describes the initial development of a porcine model of cutaneous nociception and focuses on interactions between the sensory modality, body size and the anatomical location of the stimulation site. METHODS: Pigs of different...... significantly lower pain thresholds (shorter latency to response) than large pigs to thermal and mechanical stimulations. Stimulations at the two anatomical locations elicited very distinct sets of behavioural responses, with different levels of sensitivity between the flank and the hind legs. Furthermore...

Thermal and mechanical stability of zeolitic imidazolate frameworks polymorphs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lila Bouëssel du Bourg

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Theoretical studies on the experimental feasibility of hypothetical Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks (ZIFs have focused so far on relative energy of various polymorphs by energy minimization at the quantum chemical level. We present here a systematic study of stability of 18 ZIFs as a function of temperature and pressure by molecular dynamics simulations. This approach allows us to better understand the limited stability of some experimental structures upon solvent or guest removal. We also find that many of the hypothetical ZIFs proposed in the literature are not stable at room temperature. Mechanical and thermal stability criteria thus need to be considered for the prediction of new MOF structures. Finally, we predict a variety of thermal expansion behavior for ZIFs as a function of framework topology, with some materials showing large negative volume thermal expansion.

Thermal and mechanical analysis of the Faraday shield for the Compact Ignition Tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vesey, R.A.

1988-02-01

The antenna for the ion cyclotron resonance heating (ICRH) system of the Compact Ignition Tokamak (CIT) is protected from the plasma environment by a Faraday shield, an array of gas-cooled metallic tubes. The plasma side of the tubes is armored with graphite tiles, which can be either brazed or mechanically attached to the tube. The Faraday shield has been analyzed using finite element codes to model thermal and mechanical responses to typical CIT heating and disruption loads. Four representative materials (Inconel 718, tantalum-10 tungsten, copper alloy C17510, and molybdenum alloy TZM) and several combinations of tube and armor thicknesses were used in the thermal analysis, which revealed that maximum allowable temperatures were not exceeded for any of the four materials considered. The two-dimensional thermal stress analysis indicated Von Mises stresses greater than twice the yield stress for a tube constructed of Inconel 718 (the original design material) for the brazed-graphite design. Analysis of stresses caused by plasma disruption (/rvec J/ /times/ /rvec B/) loads eliminated the copper and molybdenum alloys as candidate tube materials. Of the four materials considered, tantalum-10 tungsten performed the best for a brazed graphite design, showing acceptable thermal stresses (69% of yield) and disruption stresses (42% of yield). A preliminary thermal analysis of the mechanically attached graphite scheme predicts minimal thermal stresses in the tube. The survivability of the graphite tubes in this scheme is yet to be analyzed. 8 refs., 19 figs., 2 tabs

Effect of electron beam irradiation on thermal and mechanical properties of aluminum based epoxy composites

Science.gov (United States)

Visakh, P. M.; Nazarenko, O. B.; Sarath Chandran, C.; Melnikova, T. V.; Nazarenko, S. Yu.; Kim, J.-C.

2017-07-01

The epoxy resins are widely used in nuclear and aerospace industries. The certain properties of epoxy resins as well as the resistance to radiation can be improved by the incorporation of different fillers. This study examines the effect of electron beam irradiation on the thermal and mechanical properties of the epoxy composites filled with aluminum nanoparticles at percentage of 0.35 wt%. The epoxy composites were exposed to the irradiation doses of 30, 100 and 300 kGy using electron beam generated by the linear electron accelerator ELU-4. The effects of the doses on thermal and mechanical properties of the aluminum based epoxy composites were investigated by the methods of thermal gravimetric analysis, tensile test, and dynamic mechanical analysis. The results revealed that the studied epoxy composites showed good radiation resistance. The thermal and mechanical properties of the aluminum based epoxy composites increased with increasing the irradiation dose up to 100 kGy and decreased with further increasing the dose.

Effect of thermal ageing on mechanical properties of a high-strength ODS alloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hong, Sung Hoon; Kim, Sung Hwan; Jang, Chang Heui [Dept. of Nuclear and Quantum Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Tae Kyu [Nuclear Materials DivisionKorea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

A new high-strength ODS alloy, ARROS, was recently developed for the application as the cladding material of a Sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR). To assess the long-term integrity under thermal ageing, ARROS was thermally aged in air at 650°C for 1000 h. The degree of thermal ageing was assessed by mechanical tests such as uniaxial tensile, hardness, and small punch tests at from room temperature to 650°C. Tensile strength was slightly decreased but elongation, hardness, and small punch energy were hardly changed at all test temperatures for the specimen aged at 650°C for 1000 h. However, the variation in mechanical properties such as hardness and small punch energy increased after thermal ageing. Using the test results, the correlation between tensile strength and maximum small punch load was established.

Upgrading Unconventional Oil Resources with the EST Process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Delbianco, Alberto; Meli, Salvatori; Panariti, Nicolleta; Rispoli, Giacomo

2007-07-01

We strongly believe that unconventional oils will play a much larger role in the growth of supply than is currently recognized. As a matter of fact, whereas the earth's conventional proven world oil reserves are 1.3 trillion barrels, extra-heavy plus bitumen resources amount to about 4 trillion barrels. The unconventional oils are characterized by low API gravity (<10), high viscosity and high concentration of poisons such as sulphur, nitrogen, metals, and asphaltenes. For this reason, a key role for the full exploitation of these hydrocarbon resources is played by the downstream processes that are required to upgrade and convert them into valuable products. In this scenario, Eni has developed a novel hydrocracking process (EST: Eni Slurry Technology) which is particularly well-suited for the conversion and upgrading of heavy feedstocks (conventional vacuum residues, extra-heavy oils and bitumen). EST employs nano-sized hydrogenation catalysts and an original process scheme that allow complete feedstock conversion to an upgraded synthetic crude oil (SCO) with an API gravity gain greater than 20 and avoid the production of residual by-products, such as pet-coke or heavy fuel oil. A Commercial Demonstration Unit (CDP) of 1200 bbl/d capacity is successfully operating in the Eni's Taranto refinery since November 2005. (auth)

Ecological aspects to the use of pretreated waste in thermal plants; Oekologische Aspekte beim Einsatz aufbereiteter Abfaelle in thermischen Anlagen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Friedel, M.; Urban, A.I. [Kassel Univ. (Gesamthochschule) (Germany). Fachgebiet Abfalltechnik

1998-09-01

The present contribution focuses on the input side of individual process techniques. It shows on the basis of example calculations how two parameters describing the incinerable (residual) waste that are of particular importance for unconventional thermal treatment methods, namely ``pollutant load`` and ``calorific value``, can be influenced by a recycling stage and then further by mechanical-biological pretreatment. [Deutsch] Im folgenden soll das Hauptaugenmerk auf die Inputseite zu den einzelnen thermischen Verfahren gelegt werden und anhand einer Beispielrechnung aufgezeigt werden, wie sich die fuer einen Einsatz in nichtkonventionellen thermischen Verfahren besonders wichtigen Parameter des aufbereiteten (Rest)Abfalls `Schadstoffbelastung` und `Heizwert` zunaechst durch eine Verwertung und weiter durch eine mechanisch-biologische Vorbehandlung veraendern. (orig./SR)

New WC-Cu thermal barriers for fusion applications: High temperature mechanical behaviour

Science.gov (United States)

Tejado, E.; Dias, M.; Correia, J. B.; Palacios, T.; Carvalho, P. A.; Alves, E.; Pastor, J. Y.

2018-01-01

The combination of tungsten carbide and copper as a thermal barrier could effectively reduce the thermal mismatch between tungsten and copper alloy, which are proposed as base armour and heat sink, respectively, in the divertor of future fusion reactors. Furthermore, since the optimum operating temperature windows for these divertor materials do not overlap, a compatible thermal barrier interlayer between them is required to guarantee a smooth thermal transition, which in addition may mitigate radiation damage. The aim of this work is to study the thermo-mechanical properties of WC-Cu cermets fabricated by hot pressing. Focus is placed on the temperature effect and composition dependence, as the volume fraction of copper varies from 25 to 50 and 75 vol%. To explore this behaviour, fracture experiments are performed within a temperature range from room temperature to 800 °C under vacuum. In addition, elastic modulus and thermal expansion coefficient are estimated from these tests. Results reveal a strong dependence of the performance on temperature and on the volume fraction of copper and, surprisingly, a slight percent of Cu (25 vol%) can effectively reduce the large difference in thermal expansion between tungsten and copper alloy, which is a critical point for in service applications. The thermal performance of these materials, together with their mechanical properties could indeed reduce the heat transfer from the PFM to the underlying element while supporting the high thermal stresses of the joint. Thus, the presence of these cermets could allow the reactor to operate above the ductile to brittle transition temperature of tungsten, without compromising the underlying materials.

In situ tests for investigating thermal and mechanical rock behaviors at an underground research tunnel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwon, Sangki; Cho, Won-Jin

2013-01-01

The understanding of the thermal and mechanical behaviors expected to be happened around an underground high-level radioactive waste (HLW) repository is important for a successful site selection, construction, operation, and closure of the repository. In this study, the thermal and mechanical behaviors of rock and rock mass were investigated from in situ borehole heater test and the studies for characterizing an excavation damaged zone (EDZ), which had been carried out at an underground research tunnel, KURT, constructed in granite for the validation of a HLW disposal concept. Thermal, mechanical, and hydraulic properties in EDZ could be predicted from various in situ and laboratory tests as well as numerical simulations. The complex thermo-mechanical coupling behavior of rock could be modeled using the rock properties. (author)

Effect of Surfactants on Mechanical, Thermal, and Photostability of a Monoclonal Antibody.

Science.gov (United States)

Agarkhed, Meera; O'Dell, Courtney; Hsieh, Ming-Ching; Zhang, Jingming; Goldstein, Joel; Srivastava, Arvind

2018-01-01

The purpose of this work was to evaluate the effect of commonly used surfactants (at 0.01% w/v concentration) on mechanical, thermal, and photostability of a monoclonal antibody (MAb1) of IgG1 sub-class and to evaluate the minimum concentration of surfactant (Polysorbate 80) required in protecting MAb1 from mechanical stress. Surfactants evaluated were non-ionic surfactants, Polysorbate 80, Polysorbate 20, Pluronic F-68 (polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene block polymer), Brij 35 (polyoxyethylene lauryl ether), Triton X-100, and an anionic surfactant, Caprylic acid (1-Heptanecarboxylic acid). After evaluating effect of surfactants and determining stabilizing effect of Polysorbate 80 against mechanical stress without compromising thermal and photostability of MAb1, the minimum concentration of Polysorbate 80 required for mechanical stability was further examined. Polysorbate 80 concentration was varied from 0 to 0.02%. Mechanical stability was evaluated by agitation of MAb1 at 300 rotations per minute at room temperature for 72 h. Samples were analyzed for purity by SEC-HPLC, turbidity by absorbance at 350 nm, visible particles by visual inspection, and sub-visible particles by light obscuration technique on a particle analyzer. All non-ionic surfactants tested showed a similar effect in protecting against mechanical stress and did not exhibit any significant negative effect on thermal and photostability. However, Caprylic acid had a slightly negative effect on mechanical and photostability when compared to the non-ionic surfactants or sample without surfactant. This work demonstrated that polysorbate 80 is better than other surfactants tested and that a concentration of at least 0.005% (w/v) Polysorbate 80 is needed to protect MAb1 against mechanical stress.

Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Epoxy Composites Containing Zirconia-Impregnated Halloysite Nanotubes with Different Loadings.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Suhyun; Kim, Moon Il; Shon, Minyoung; Seo, Bongkuk; Lim, Choongsun

2018-09-01

Epoxy resins are widely used in various industrial fields due to their low cost, good workability, heat resistance, and good mechanical strength. However, they suffer from brittleness, an issue that must be addressed for further applications. To solve this problem, additional fillers are needed to improve the mechanical and thermal properties of the resins; zirconia is one such filler. However, it has been reported that aggregation may occur in the epoxy composites as the amount of zirconia increases, preventing enhancement of the mechanical strength of the epoxy composites. Herein, to reduce the aggregation, zirconia was well dispersed on halloysite nanotubes (HNTs), which have high thermal and mechanical strength, by a conventional wet impregnation method. The HNTs were impregnated with zirconia at different loadings using zirconyl chloride octahydrate as a precursor. The mechanical and thermal strengths of the epoxy composites with these fillers were investigated. The zirconia-impregnated HNTs (Zr/HNT) were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and tunneling electron microscopy (TEM). The hardening conditions of the epoxy composites were analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The thermal strength of the epoxy composites was studied by thermomechanical analysis (TMA) and micro-calorimetry and the mechanical strength of the epoxy composites (flexural strength and tensile strength) was studied by using a universal testing machine (UTM). The mechanical and thermal strengths of the epoxy composites with Zr/HNT were improved compared to those of the epoxy composite with HNT, and also increased as the zirconia loading on HNT increased.

Effects of electron irradiation in space environment on thermal and mechanical properties of carbon fiber/bismaleimide composite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, Qi; Chen, Ping; Gao, Yu; Ma, Keming; Lu, Chun; Xiong, Xuhai

2014-01-01

Highlights: •Electron irradiation decreased the storage modulus finally. •T g decreased first and then increased and finally decreased. •The thermal stability was reduced and then improved and finally decreased. •The changing trend of flexural strength and ILSS are consistent. -- Abstract: The effects of electron irradiation in simulated space environment on thermal and mechanical properties of high performance carbon fiber/bismaleimide composites were investigated. The dynamic mechanical properties of the composites exposed to different fluences of electron irradiation were evaluated by Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Thermogravimetric analysis was applied to investigate the changes in thermal stability of the resin matrix after exposure to electron irradiation. The changes in mechanical properties of the composites were evaluated by flexural strength and interlaminar shear strength (ILSS). The results indicated that electron irradiation in high vacuum had an impact on thermal and mechanical properties of CF/BMI composites, which depends on irradiation fluence. At lower irradiation fluences less than 5 × 10 15 cm −2 , the dynamic storage modulus, cross-linking degree, thermal stability and mechanical properties that were determined by a competing effect between chain scission and cross-linking process, decreased firstly and then increased. While at higher fluences beyond 5 × 10 15 cm −2 , the chain scission process was dominant and thus led to the degradation in thermal and mechanical properties of the composites

Effect of thermal stresses on the mechanism of tooth pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Oskui, Iman Z; Ashtiani, Mohammed N; Hashemi, Ata; Jafarzadeh, Hamid

2014-11-01

Daily hot and cold thermal loadings on teeth may result in structural deformation, mechanical stress, and pain signaling. The aim of this study was to compare the adverse effects of hot and cold beverages on an intact tooth and, then, to provide physical evidence to support the hydrodynamic theory of tooth pain sensation mechanism. Three-dimensional finite element analysis was performed on a premolar model subjected to hot and cold thermal loadings. Elapsed times for heat diffusion and stress detection at the pulp-dentin junction were calculated as measures of the pain sensation. Extreme tensile stress within the enamel resulted in damage in cold loadings. Also, extreme values of stress at the pulpal wall occurred 21.6 seconds earlier than extreme temperatures in hot and cold loadings. The intact tooth was remarkably vulnerable to cold loading. Earlier changes in mechanical stress rather than temperature at the pulp-dentin junction indicate that the dental pain caused by hot or cold beverages may be based on the hydrodynamic theory. Copyright © 2014 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

MECHANICAL AND THERMAL PROPERTIES OF COMPOSITES FROM UNSATURATED POLYESTER FILLED WITH OIL PALM ASH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.S. Ibrahim

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Oil palm ash (OPA is available in abundance, is renewable, can be obtained at no cost and shows good performance at high thermal conditions. Combinations of the unsaturated polyester with natural fillers have been reported to improve the mechanical and thermal properties of composites. Utilisation of oil palm ash as a filler in the manufacture of polymer composites can significantly reduce the requirement for other binders or matrixes of composite materials. This research uses oil palm ash as a filler to form composites through the investigation of the effect of different contents of filler on the properties of OPA-filled unsaturated polyester (UP/OPA composites. The effect of different volume fractions, i.e., 0, 10, 20 and 30 vol.% of oil palm ash introduced into 100, 90, 80 and 70 vol.% of an unsaturated polyester matrix on the composite mechanical properties, i.e., tensile and flexural, has been studied, together with thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA and differential scanning calorimetric (DSC. Specimens were prepared using compression moulding techniques based on the ASTM D790 and D5083 standards for flexural and tensile tests, respectively. The tensile and flexural mechanical properties of UP/OPA composites were improved in modulus by increasing the filler content. Thermal stability of the composites increased as the OPA filler content was increased, which was a logical consequence because of the high thermal stability of the silica compound of the OPA filler compared with that of the UP matrix. The results from the surface electron microscope (SEM analysis were the extension of mechanical and thermal tests.

Relationship between mechanical characteristics and thermal shock stability of refractories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Volkov-Husovic, T.; Raic, K.

2003-01-01

Thermal stability of the refractory material with the content of 60 % Al 2 O 3 was investigated. Water quench test (JUS.B.D8.319) was applied as experimental method for thermal stability testing. Damage of porous materials is commonly related to a modification of strength that is mostly a reduction. This is linked with characteristics related to pore space. Mechanical characteristics are considered such as compressive strength, dynamic modulus of elasticity and resistance parameters resulting from resonance frequency measurements, as well as ultrasonic velocity. (Original)

Experimental study on the thermal and mechanical properties of MWCNT/polymer and Cu/polymer composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Hyeon Jeong; Badakhsh, Arash; Im, Ik Tae; Kim, Min-Soo; Park, Chan Woo

2016-01-01

Highlights: • MWCNTs and Cu were ball milled with a variation of milling times. • Thermal conductivity and tensile strength of the PMCs were measured. • Cu reinforced HDPE showed thermal conductivity improvement ratios of up to 2.7. • MWCNT/HDPE showed higher thermal conductivity than MWCNT/PP. • MWCNT/HDPE was found to be mechanically stronger than Cu/HDPE. - Abstract: In this study, the influence of the different conditions of powder treatment on the thermal conductivity of nanocomposites was investigated. Carbon and metal-based polymer composite materials were produced and their thermal and mechanical characteristics were studied. For the fabrication of the composites, the study has explored and proposed the use of MWCNT and Cu as fillers in a polymer matrix. The polymer matrices were thermoplastic resins-polypropylene (PP) and high density polyethylene (HDPE). Ball milling was used as the mechanical method in order to enhance the dispersion of MWCNT and the transformation of the Cu particles. The ball milled MWCNT and Cu powder were examined by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The thermal conductivity values of the resultant nanocomposites were determined by laser flash method (LFM), indicating the highest thermal conductivity is possessed by the polymer composite reinforced by the highest amount of 60 min-treated powder in every case studied. Comparing the obtained values for thermal conductivity with that of pure polymer the maximum improvements were found to be 105.1%, 79% and 271.5% for MWCNT/PP, MWCNT/HDPE and Cu/HDPE, respectively. Furthermore, experimental results were validated using the Agari-Uno and Nielsen-Lewis thermal conductivity models considering the shape of the filler. The results of deviation were found to be within the maximum 5% of the exact value implying a fine agreement between experimental and modeling data. Also, the tensile strength test was performed to evaluate the tensile strength of thermally

Thermal behavior and mechanical properties of physically crosslinked PVA/Gelatin hydrogels.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yurong; Geever, Luke M; Kennedy, James E; Higginbotham, Clement L; Cahill, Paul A; McGuinness, Garrett B

2010-02-01

Poly (vinyl alcohol)/Gelatin hydrogels are under active investigation as potential vascular cell culture biomaterials, tissue models and vascular implants. The PVA/Gelatin hydrogels are physically crosslinked by the freeze-thaw technique, which is followed by a coagulation bath treatment. In this study, the thermal behavior of the gels was examined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). Rheological measurement and uniaxial tensile tests revealed key mechanical properties. The role of polymer fraction in relation to these mechanical properties is explored. Gelatin has no significant effect on the thermal behavior of PVA, which indicates that no substantial change occurs in the PVA crystallite due to the presence of gelatin. The glass transition temperature, melting temperature, degree of crystallinity, polymer fraction, storage modulus (G') and ultimate strength of one freeze-thaw cycle (1FT) hydrogels are inferior to those of 3FT hydrogels. With coagulation, both 1FT and 3FT hydrogels shifted to a lower value of T(g), melting temperature and polymer fraction are further increased and the degree of crystallinity is depressed. The mechanical properties of 1FT, but not 3FT, were strengthened with coagulation treatment. This study gives a detailed investigation of the microstructure formation of PVA/Gelatin hydrogel in each stage of physical treatments which helps us to explain the role of physical treatments in tuning their physical properties for biomechanical applications. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Numerical analysis of thermal impact on hydro-mechanical properties of clay

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xuerui Wang

2014-10-01

Full Text Available As is known, high-level radioactive waste (HLW is commonly heat-emitting. Heat output from HLW will dissipate through the surrounding rocks and induce complex thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC processes. In highly consolidated clayey rocks, thermal effects are particularly significant because of their very low permeability and water-saturated state. Thermal impact on the integrity of the geological barriers is of most importance with regard to the long-term safety of repositories. This study focuses on numerical analysis of thermal effects on hydro-mechanical properties of clayey rock using a coupled thermo-mechanical multiphase flow (TH2M model which is implemented in the finite element programme OpenGeoSys (OGS. The material properties of the numerical model are characterised by a transversal isotropic elastic model based on Hooke's law, a non-isothermal multiphase flow model based on van Genuchten function and Darcy's law, and a transversal isotropic heat transport model based on Fourier's law. In the numerical approaches, special attention has been paid to the thermal expansion of three different phases: gas, fluid and solid, which could induce changes in pore pressure and porosity. Furthermore, the strong swelling and shrinkage behaviours of clayey material are also considered in the present model. The model has been applied to simulate a laboratory heating experiment on claystone. The numerical model gives a satisfactory representation of the observed material behaviour in the laboratory experiment. The comparison of the calculated results with the laboratory findings verifies that the simulation with the present numerical model could provide a deeper understanding of the observed effects.

Mechanical properties and microstructure of long term thermal aged WWER 440 RPV steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kolluri, M., E-mail: kolluri@nrg.eu [Nuclear Research & Consultancy Group (NRG), P.O. Box 25, 1755 ZG Petten (Netherlands); Kryukov, A. [Scientific and Engineering Centre for Nuclear and Radiation Safety, 107140 Moscow (Russian Federation); Magielsen, A.J. [Nuclear Research & Consultancy Group (NRG), P.O. Box 25, 1755 ZG Petten (Netherlands); Hähner, P. [European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Directorate G – Nuclear Safety and Security, P.O. Box 2, 1755 ZG Petten (Netherlands); Petrosyan, V. [Armenian Scientific Research Institute for Nuclear Plant Operation (ARMATOM), 0027 Yerevan (Armenia); Sevikyan, G. [Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (ANPP), 0911, Metsamor, Armavir Marz (Armenia); Szaraz, Z. [European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Directorate G – Nuclear Safety and Security, P.O. Box 2, 1755 ZG Petten (Netherlands)

2017-04-01

The integrity assessment of the Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) is essential for the safe and Long Term Operation (LTO) of a Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). Hardening and embrittlement of RPV caused by neutron irradiation and thermal ageing are main reasons for mechanical properties degradation during the operation of an NPP. The thermal ageing-induced degradation of RPV steels becomes more significant with extended operational lives of NPPs. Consequently, the evaluation of thermal ageing effects is important for the structural integrity assessments required for the lifetime extension of NPPs. As a part of NRG's research programme on Structural Materials for safe-LTO of Light Water Reactor (LWR) RPVs, WWER-440 surveillance specimens, which have been thermal aged for 27 years (∼200,000 h) at 290 °C in a surveillance channel of Armenian-NPP, are investigated. Results from the mechanical and microstructural examination of these thermal aged specimens are presented in this article. The results indicate the absence of significant long term thermal ageing effect of 15Cr2MoV-A steel. No age hardening was detected in aged tensile specimens compared with the as-received condition. There is no difference between the impact properties of as-received and thermal aged weld metals. The upper shelf energy of the aged steel remains the same as for the as-received material at a rather high level of about 120 J. The T{sub 41} value did not change and was found to be about 10 °C. The microstructure of thermal aged weld, consisting carbides, carbonitrides and manganese-silicon inclusions, did not change significantly compared to as-received state. Grain-boundary segregation of phosphorus in long term aged weld is not significant either which has been confirmed by the absence of intergranular fracture increase in the weld. Negligible hardening and embrittlement observed after such long term thermal ageing is attributed to the optimum chemical composition of 15Cr2MoV-A for high

Material recognition based on thermal cues: Mechanisms and applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Hsin-Ni

2018-01-01

Some materials feel colder to the touch than others, and we can use this difference in perceived coldness for material recognition. This review focuses on the mechanisms underlying material recognition based on thermal cues. It provides an overview of the physical, perceptual, and cognitive processes involved in material recognition. It also describes engineering domains in which material recognition based on thermal cues have been applied. This includes haptic interfaces that seek to reproduce the sensations associated with contact in virtual environments and tactile sensors aim for automatic material recognition. The review concludes by considering the contributions of this line of research in both science and engineering.

Flue Gas Desulfurization by Mechanically and Thermally Activated Sodium Bicarbonate

OpenAIRE

Walawska Barbara; Szymanek Arkadiusz; Pajdak Anna; Nowak Marzena

2014-01-01

This paper presents the results of study on structural parameters (particle size, surface area, pore volume) and the sorption ability of mechanically and thermally activated sodium bicarbonate. The sorption ability of the modified sorbent was evaluated by: partial and overall SO2 removal efficiency, conversion rate, normalized stoichiometric ratio (NSR). Sodium bicarbonate was mechanically activated by various grinding techniques, using three types of mills: fluid bed opposed jet mill, fine i...

Evaluation of the basic mechanical and thermal properties of deep crystalline rocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Byoung Yoon; Bae, Dae Seok; Kim, Chun Soo; Kim, Kyung Su; Koh, Young Kwon; Jeon, Seok Won

2001-04-01

This report provides the mechanical and thermal properties of granitic intact rocks obtained from Deep Core Drilling Program which is carried out as part of the assessment of deep geological environmental condition. These data are the basic material properties of the core samples from the boreholes drilled up to 500 m depth at the Yusung and Kosung sites. These sites were selected based on the result of preliminary site evaluation study. In this study, the mechanical properties include density, porosity, P-wave velocity, S-wave velocity, uniaxial compressive strength, Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, tensile strength, and shear strength of fractures, and the thermal properties are heat conductivity, thermal expansion coefficient, specific heat and so on. Those properties were measured through laboratory tests and these data are compared with the existing test results of several domestic rocks

Evaluation of the basic mechanical and thermal properties of deep crystalline rocks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Byoung Yoon; Bae, Dae Seok; Kim, Chun Soo; Kim, Kyung Su; Koh, Young Kwon; Jeon, Seok Won

2001-04-01

This report provides the mechanical and thermal properties of granitic intact rocks obtained from Deep Core Drilling Program which is carried out as part of the assessment of deep geological environmental condition. These data are the basic material properties of the core samples from the boreholes drilled up to 500 m depth at the Yusung and Kosung sites. These sites were selected based on the result of preliminary site evaluation study. In this study, the mechanical properties include density, porosity, P-wave velocity, S-wave velocity, uniaxial compressive strength, Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, tensile strength, and shear strength of fractures, and the thermal properties are heat conductivity, thermal expansion coefficient, specific heat and so on. Those properties were measured through laboratory tests and these data are compared with the existing test results of several domestic rocks.

Improvement and evaluation of thermal, electrical, sealing and mechanical contacts, and their interface materials

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Xiangcheng

Material contacts, including thermal, electrical, seating (fluid sealing and electromagnetic sealing) and mechanical (pressure) contacts, together with their interface materials, were, evaluated, and in some cases, improved beyond the state of the art. The evaluation involved the use of thermal, electrical and mechanical methods. For thermal contacts, this work evaluated and improved the heat transfer efficiency between two contacting components by developing various thermal interface pastes. Sodium silicate based thermal pastes (with boron nitride particles as the thermally conductive filler) as well as polyethylene glycol (PEG) based thermal pastes were developed and evaluated. The optimum volume fractions of BN in sodium silicate based pastes and PEG based pastes were 16% and 18% respectively. The contribution of Li+ ions to the thermal contact conductance in the PEG-based paste was confirmed. For electrical contacts, the relationship between the mechanical reliability and electrical reliability of solder/copper and silver-epoxy/copper joints was addressed. Mechanical pull-out testing was conducted on solder/copper and silver-epoxy/copper joints, while the contact electrical resistivity was measured. Cleansing of the copper surface was more effective for the reliability of silver-epoxy/copper joint than that of solder/copper joint. For sealing contacts, this work evaluated flexible graphite as an electromagnetic shielding gasket material. Flexible graphite was found to be at least comparable to conductive filled silicone (the state of the art) in terms of the shielding effectiveness. The conformability of flexible graphite with its mating metal surface under repeated compression was characterized by monitoring the contact electrical resistance, as the conformability is important to both electromagnetic scaling and fluid waling using flexible graphite. For mechanical contacts, this work focused on the correlation of the interface structure (such as elastic

TRUCE: A Coordination Action for Unconventional Computation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Amos, M.; Stepney, S.; Doursat, R.

2012-01-01

Unconventional computation (UCOMP) is an important and emerging area of scientific research, which explores new ways of computing that go beyond the traditional model, as well as quantum- and brain inspired computing. Such alternatives may encompass novel substrates (e.g., DNA, living cells...... quickly, and has the potential to revolutionize not only our fundamental understanding of the nature of computing, but the way in which we solve problems, design networks, do industrial fabrication, make drugs or construct buildings. The problems we already face in the 21 st century will require new...

Tapping methane hydrates for unconventional natural gas

Science.gov (United States)

Ruppel, Carolyn

2007-01-01

Methane hydrate is an icelike form of concentrated methane and water found in the sediments of permafrost regions and marine continental margins at depths far shallower than conventional oil and gas. Despite their relative accessibility and widespread occurrence, methane hydrates have never been tapped to meet increasing global energy demands. With rising natural gas prices, production from these unconventional gas deposits is becoming economically viable, particularly in permafrost areas already being exploited for conventional oil and gas. This article provides an overview of gas hydrate occurrence, resource assessment, exploration, production technologies, renewability, and future challenges.

Collective excitations in unconventional superconductors and superfluids

CERN Document Server

Brusov, Peter

2009-01-01

This is the first monograph that strives to give a complete and detailed description of the collective modes (CMs) in unconventional superfluids and superconductors (UCSF&SC). Using the most powerful method of modern theoretical physics - the path (functional) integral technique - authors build the three- and two-dimensional models for s -, p - and d -wave pairing in neutral as well as in charged Fermi-systems, models of superfluid Bose-systems and Fermi-Bose-mixtures. Within these models they study the collective properties of such systems as superfluid 3 He, superfluid 4 He, superfluid 3 He-

Unconventional applications of conventional intrusion detection sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, J.D.; Matter, J.C.

1983-01-01

A number of conventional intrusion detection sensors exists for the detection of persons entering buildings, moving within a given volume, and crossing a perimeter isolation zone. Unconventional applications of some of these sensors have recently been investigated. Some of the applications which are discussed include detection on the edges and tops of buildings, detection in storm sewers, detection on steam and other types of large pipes, and detection of unauthorized movement within secure enclosures. The enclosures can be used around complicated control valves, electrical control panels, emergency generators, etc

Mechanical Reinforcement, Shapestabilization and Thermal Improvement of Phase-Change Energy Storage Materials Using Graphene Oxide Aerogel

Science.gov (United States)

Schuman, Yue Xu

Paraffin is known as a good energy storage phase change material (PCM) because of its high energy storage capacity and low cost. However, the leakage of liquid paraffin beyond its melting point and its low thermal conductivity hinder applications of paraffin in energy storage systems. Recently, nanomaterials have been used to create PCM composites in order to enhance their thermal properties while shape stabilizing the PCMs. However, fundamental studies on the material structures and mechanical behavior of the thermally enhanced PCM composites are limited especially at the nanoscale. In this study, we developed a PCM composite using graphene oxide aerogel (GOxA) as the reinforcing 3D network. The GOxA functions thermally as a heat transfer path and mechanically as a nanofiller to reinforce the PCM matrix. We characterized the morphology, the crystal and molecular structures as well as the multiscale mechanical and thermal behavior of the GOxA-PCM composite to evaluate the role of GOxA in the PCM composite. The molecular and diffraction characterizations imply that the GOxA network may affect the paraffin's crystallization, potentially forming an interfacial phase at the surfaces of GOxA. Furthermore, the mechanical properties were studied using nanoindentation at the nano/microscale and a digital durometer at the macroscale from 25degree C to 80 degree C. The mechanical characterizations show that the GOxA-PCM composite is 3 7x harder than pure paraffin and maintains significant strength even above paraffin's melting point due to the support from the GoxA. Moreover, the composite is much less strain-rate sensitive than paraffin. The reinforcement via GOxA is much beyond the prediction by the rule of mixture, implying a strong GOxA-paraffin interfacial bonding. Finally, a thermal scanning microscopy (SThM) along with AFM was used to study the thermal properties at microscale. AFM and thermal images indicate that GOxA-PCM has a better thermal conductivity. The latent

Research on Non-Similarity about Thermal Deformation Error of Mechanical Parts in High-accuracy Measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo, Z; Fei, Y T

2006-01-01

Expanding with heat and contracting with cold are common physical phenomenon in the nature. The conventional theories and calculations of thermal deformation are approximate and linear, can only be applied in normal or low precision field. The thermal deformation error of mechanical parts doesn't follow the conventional linear formula, it relates to all physical dimension of the mechanical part, and the deformation can be indicated by a nonlinear formula of physical dimensions. A theory on non-similarity about thermal deformation error of mechanical parts is presented. Studies on some common mechanical parts in precision technology have went on and the mathematical models have been set up, hollow piece, gear and cube are included. The experimental results also make it clear that these models are more logical than traditional models

Effect of high thermal expansion glass infiltration on mechanical ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

This work studies the effect on the mechanical properties of alumina-10 wt% zirconia (3 mol% yttria stabilized) composite by infiltrating glass of a higher thermal expansion (soda lime glass) on the surface at high temperature. The glass improved the strength of composite at room temperature as well as at high temperature.

Risks Associated with Unconventional Gas Extraction Projects. Induced Seismicity, NORM and Ecological Risks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodrigo-Naharro, J.; Hurtado, A.; Eguilior, S.; Recreo, F.

2015-01-01

The latest technological advances in hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and horizontal drilling are globally driving the commercial extraction of unconventional resources. Although there is still no commercial exploitation of these resources within the EU, the fact that there are potential reserves in some countries, such as Spain, stimulates the need of performing preliminary studies to define the characteristics that an unconventional gas extraction project should consider. The object of these features are the safety of the project, thus minimizing the probabilities of negative environmental impacts, and especially since there is not any EU Framework Directive focusing on the regulation of the operation of such fossil fuels. A project of this nature, involving natural systems, must start from the knowledge of these systems and from an assessment of its features in order to reach the environmental safety of the operations. Moreover, the implementation of risk management systems, along with the existence of an appropriate legislation and supervision are key elements in the development of unconventional gas extraction projects that are environmentally friendly. The present report includes, among the overall risks associated with such projects, those related to: i) the induced seismicity; ii) the Naturally-Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM); and iii) the ecology.

Electrical and Thermal Conductivity and Conduction Mechanism of Ge2Sb2Te5 Alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Lan, Rui; Endo, Rie; Kuwahara, Masashi; Kobayashi, Yoshinao; Susa, Masahiro

2018-06-01

Ge2Sb2Te5 alloy has drawn much attention due to its application in phase-change random-access memory and potential as a thermoelectric material. Electrical and thermal conductivity are important material properties in both applications. The aim of this work is to investigate the temperature dependence of the electrical and thermal conductivity of Ge2Sb2Te5 alloy and discuss the thermal conduction mechanism. The electrical resistivity and thermal conductivity of Ge2Sb2Te5 alloy were measured from room temperature to 823 K by four-terminal and hot-strip method, respectively. With increasing temperature, the electrical resistivity increased while the thermal conductivity first decreased up to about 600 K then increased. The electronic component of the thermal conductivity was calculated from the Wiedemann-Franz law using the resistivity results. At room temperature, Ge2Sb2Te5 alloy has large electronic thermal conductivity and low lattice thermal conductivity. Bipolar diffusion contributes more to the thermal conductivity with increasing temperature. The special crystallographic structure of Ge2Sb2Te5 alloy accounts for the thermal conduction mechanism.

Electrical and Thermal Conductivity and Conduction Mechanism of Ge2Sb2Te5 Alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Lan, Rui; Endo, Rie; Kuwahara, Masashi; Kobayashi, Yoshinao; Susa, Masahiro

2017-11-01

Ge2Sb2Te5 alloy has drawn much attention due to its application in phase-change random-access memory and potential as a thermoelectric material. Electrical and thermal conductivity are important material properties in both applications. The aim of this work is to investigate the temperature dependence of the electrical and thermal conductivity of Ge2Sb2Te5 alloy and discuss the thermal conduction mechanism. The electrical resistivity and thermal conductivity of Ge2Sb2Te5 alloy were measured from room temperature to 823 K by four-terminal and hot-strip method, respectively. With increasing temperature, the electrical resistivity increased while the thermal conductivity first decreased up to about 600 K then increased. The electronic component of the thermal conductivity was calculated from the Wiedemann-Franz law using the resistivity results. At room temperature, Ge2Sb2Te5 alloy has large electronic thermal conductivity and low lattice thermal conductivity. Bipolar diffusion contributes more to the thermal conductivity with increasing temperature. The special crystallographic structure of Ge2Sb2Te5 alloy accounts for the thermal conduction mechanism.

Thermal and mechanical properties of bio-based plasticizers mixtures on poly (vinyl chloride

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Boussaha Bouchoul

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract The use of mixtures of nontoxic and biodegradable plasticizers coming from natural resources is a good way to replace conventional phthalates plasticizers. In this study, two secondary plasticizers of epoxidized sunflower oil (ESO and epoxidized sunflower oil methyl ester (ESOME were synthesized and have been used with two commercially available biobased plasticizers; isosorbide diesters (ISB and acetyl tributyl citrate (ATBC in order to produce flexible PVC. Different mixtures of these plasticizers have been introduced in PVC formulations. Thermal, mechanical and morphological properties have been studied by using discoloration, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA, tensile - strain and scanning electron microscopy (SEM. Studies have shown that PVC plasticization and stabilization were improved by addition of plasticizers blends containing ISB, ATBC, ESO and ESOME. An increase in the content of ESO or ESOME improved thermal and mechanical properties, whereas ESOME/ATBC formulations exhibited the best properties.

A feasibility study of unconventional planar ligand spacers in chalcogenide nanocrystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Lukose, Binit; Clancy, Paulette

2016-05-18

The solar cell efficiency of chalcogenide nanocrystals (quantum dots) has been limited in the past by the insulation between neighboring quantum dots caused by intervening, often long-chain, aliphatic ligands. We have conducted a computationally based feasibility study to investigate the use of ultra-thin, planar, charge-conducting ligands as an alternative to traditional long passive ligands. Not only might these radically unconventional ligands decrease the mean distance between adjacent quantum dots, but, since they are charge-conducting, they have the potential to actively enhance charge migration. Our ab initio studies compare the binding energies, electronic energy gaps, and absorption characteristics for both conventional and unconventional ligands, such as phthalocyanines, porphyrins and coronene. This comparison identified these unconventional ligands with the exception of titanyl phthalocyanine, that bind to themselves more strongly than to the surface of the quantum dot, which is likely to be less desirable for enhancing charge transport. The distribution of finite energy levels of the bound system is sensitive to the ligand's binding site and the levels correspond to delocalized states. We also observed a trap state localized on a single Pb atom when a sulfur-containing phenyldithiocarbamate (PTC) ligand is attached to a slightly off-stoichiometric dot in a manner that the sulfur of the ligand completes stoichiometry of the bound system. Hence, this is indicative of the source of trap state when thio-based ligands are bound to chalcogenide nanocrystals. We also predict that titanyl phthalocyanine in a mix with chalcogenide dots of diameter ∼1.5 Å can form a donor-acceptor system.

Improving the Mechanical Performance and Thermal Stability of a PVA-Clay Nanocomposite by Electron Beam Irradiation

Science.gov (United States)

Shokuhi Rad, A.; Ebrahimi, D.

2017-07-01

The effects of electron beam irradiation and presence of clay on the mechanical properties and thermal stability of montmorillonite clay-modified polyvinyl alcohol nanocomposites were studied. By using the X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the microstructure of the nanocomposites was investigated. The results obtained from TEM and XRD tests showed that montmorillonite clay nanoparticles were located in the polyvinyl alcohol phase. The XRD analysis confirmed the formation of an exfoliated structure in nanocomposites samples. Increasing the amount of clay to 20 wt.% increased the tensile strength and modulus of the nanocomposite. Irradiation up to an absorbed dose of 100 kGy increased its mechanical properties and thermal stability, but at higher irradiation levels, the mechanical strength and thermal stability declined. The sample with 20 wt.% of the nanofiller, exposed to 100 kGy, showed the highest mechanical strength and thermal stability.

Mechanism of the thermal conductivity of type-I clathrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ikeda, M. S.

2015-01-01

Due to their intrinsically low thermal conductivity, intermetallic type-I clathrates are promising candidates for thermoelectric energy conversion, most notably for waste-heat recovery above room temperature. Combining their low thermal conductivity with the enhanced electrical power factor of strongly correlated materials can be considered as one of the most promising routes to a next generation thermoelectric material. However, although much investigated, the physical origin of the low thermal conductivity of type-I clathrates is still debated. Therefore, the main goal of this thesis was to gain deeper insight into the mechanism of the low thermal conductivity of type-I clathrates. On the basis of recent inelastic neutron and X-ray scattering studies on type-I clathrates and skutterudites, an analytical model for describing the phonon thermal conductivity of such filled cage compounds was developed within this thesis. This model is based on the phononic filter effect and on strongly enhanced Umklapp scattering. Data on several Ge-based single crystalline type-I clathrates are discussed in the context of this model, revealing the influence of host framework vacancies, charge carriers, and large defects such as grain boundaries on the low-temperature thermal conductivity of type-I clathrates. Since for waste heat recovery the thermal conductivity at elevated temperatures is of interest, a sophisticated 3w-experiment for accurate measurements of bulk and thin film materials at elevated temperatures was developed. With the help of this experiment, a universal dependence of the intrinsic phonon thermal conductivity of type-I clathrates on the sound velocity and the lowest-lying guest Einstein mode was demonstrated for the first time. Further investigations on thermoelectric materials including the first Ce-containing type-I clathrate, skutterudites, and thin films complete this doctoral work. (author)

Can Unconventional Exercise be Helpful in the Treatment, Management and Prevention of Osteosarcopenic Obesity?

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, Owen J; Gilman, Jennifer C

2017-01-01

Body composition changes occur with aging; bone and muscle mass decrease while fat mass increases. The collective term for these changes is osteosarcopenic obesity. It is known that conventional resistance exercise programs build/maintain lean mass and reduce fat mass. However, unconventional (to Western society/medicine) forms of exercise may be viable for the treatment/prevention of osteosarcopenic obesity. The purpose of this review is to assess relatively unconventional exercises for their efficacy in maintaining/improving bone and muscle mass and reducing fat mass. A literature search for unconventional exercise showed Tai Chi, yoga, Pilates, whole body vibration, electrical stimulation of muscle, and the Alexander Technique were considered alternative/ unconventional. A PubMed and Medline search for human data using combinations and synonyms of osteoporosis, sarcopenia and obesity, and each exercise was then conducted. Tai Chi, yoga, and Pilates, in addition to whole body vibration, electrical stimulation of muscle, and the Alexander Technique are all considered low impact. Tai Chi, yoga, and Pilates not only physically support the body, but also increase balance and quality of life. The devices showed promise in reducing or preventing muscle atrophy in older people that are unable to perform conventional exercises. Any exercise, conventional or otherwise, especially in sedentary older people, at risk of, or diagnosed with osteosarcopenic obesity may be better than none. Exercise prescriptions should suit the patient and the desired outcomes; the patient should not be forced to fit an exercise prescription, so all potential forms of exercise should be considered. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Thermal and mechanical properties of TPU/PBT reinforced by carbon fiber

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Jintao; Liu, Huanyu; Lu, Xiang; Qu, Jinping, E-mail: jpqu@scut.edu.cn [National Engineering Research Center of Novel Equipment for Polymer Processing, The Key Laboratory of Polymer Processing Engineering of the Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, Guangdong (China)

2016-03-09

In this study, thermal, mechanical properties and processability were performed on a series of carbon fiber (CF) filled thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)/poly (butylene terephthalate) (PBT) composites to identify the effect of CF weight fraction on the properties of TPU/PBT. Scanning Electronic Microscope (SEM) show that CFs are uniformly dispersed in TPU/PBT matrix and there are no agglomerations. Melt flow index (MFI) show that the melt viscosity increased with the CF loading. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed that the introduction of CF into organic materials tend to improve their thermal stability. The mechanical properties indicated that tensile strength and modulus, flexural strength and modulus, improved with an increase in CF loading, but the impact strength decreased by the loading of CF.

A New Model for Optimal Mechanical and Thermal Performance of Cement-Based Partition Wall.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Shiping; Hu, Mengyu; Huang, Yonghui; Cui, Nannan; Wang, Weifeng

2018-04-17

The prefabricated cement-based partition wall has been widely used in assembled buildings because of its high manufacturing efficiency, high-quality surface, and simple and convenient construction process. In this paper, a general porous partition wall that is made from cement-based materials was proposed to meet the optimal mechanical and thermal performance during transportation, construction and its service life. The porosity of the proposed partition wall is formed by elliptic-cylinder-type cavities. The finite element method was used to investigate the mechanical and thermal behaviour, which shows that the proposed model has distinct advantages over the current partition wall that is used in the building industry. It is found that, by controlling the eccentricity of the elliptic-cylinder cavities, the proposed wall stiffness can be adjusted to respond to the imposed loads and to improve the thermal performance, which can be used for the optimum design. Finally, design guidance is provided to obtain the optimal mechanical and thermal performance. The proposed model could be used as a promising candidate for partition wall in the building industry.

A New Model for Optimal Mechanical and Thermal Performance of Cement-Based Partition Wall

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shiping Huang

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The prefabricated cement-based partition wall has been widely used in assembled buildings because of its high manufacturing efficiency, high-quality surface, and simple and convenient construction process. In this paper, a general porous partition wall that is made from cement-based materials was proposed to meet the optimal mechanical and thermal performance during transportation, construction and its service life. The porosity of the proposed partition wall is formed by elliptic-cylinder-type cavities. The finite element method was used to investigate the mechanical and thermal behaviour, which shows that the proposed model has distinct advantages over the current partition wall that is used in the building industry. It is found that, by controlling the eccentricity of the elliptic-cylinder cavities, the proposed wall stiffness can be adjusted to respond to the imposed loads and to improve the thermal performance, which can be used for the optimum design. Finally, design guidance is provided to obtain the optimal mechanical and thermal performance. The proposed model could be used as a promising candidate for partition wall in the building industry.

Thermal and mechanical properties of polyamide 6/compatibilizer/clay nano composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agrawal, P.; Brito, G.F.; Cunha, C.T.C.; Araujo, E.M.; Melo, T.J.A.

2010-01-01

In this work, the thermal and mechanical properties of Polyamide 6 (PA6)/compatibilizer/clay (CL20A) nanocomposites were investigated. The nanocomposites were prepared in a counter-rotating twin screw extruder at 240 deg C and 50 rpm, and characterized by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetry (TG) and mechanical properties. XRD results showed that when the clay is mixed with PA6, the clay peak is shifted to lower 2θ angles, indicating that PA6 was intercalated between the clay platelets. For PA6/compatibilizer/clay system, the results indicated that a nanocomposite with exfoliated structure was formed. TG results showed that the thermal stability of PA6/CL20A and PA6/compatibilizer/CL20A was higher than that of neat PA6. The mechanical properties results showed that the addition of the compatibilizer to PA6/CL20A substantially increased the impact strength and decreased the stiffness. (author)

Carbon dioxide storage in unconventional reservoirs workshop: summary of recommendations

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Kevin B.; Blondes, Madalyn S.

2015-01-01

“Unconventional reservoirs” for carbon dioxide (CO2) storage—that is, geologic reservoirs in which changes to the rock trap CO2 and therefore contribute to CO2 storage—including coal, shale, basalt, and ultramafic rocks, were the focus of a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) workshop held March 28 and 29, 2012, at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. The goals of the workshop were to determine whether a detailed assessment of CO2 storage capacity in unconventional reservoirs is warranted, and if so, to build a set of recommendations that could be used to develop a methodology to assess this storage capacity. Such an assessment would address only the technically available resource, independent of economic or policy factors. At the end of the workshop, participants agreed that sufficient knowledge exists to allow an assessment of the potential CO2 storage resource in coals, organic-rich shales, and basalts. More work remains to be done before the storage resource in ultramafic rocks can be meaningfully assessed.

Associations Between Positive Body Image, Sexual Liberalism, and Unconventional Sexual Practices in U.S. Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Swami, Viren; Weis, Laura; Barron, David; Furnham, Adrian

2017-11-01

While studies have documented robust relationships between body image and sexual health outcomes, few studies have looked beyond sexual functioning in women. Here, we hypothesized that more positive body image would be associated with greater sexual liberalism and more positive attitudes toward unconventional sexual practices. An online sample of 151 women and 164 men from the U.S. completed measures of sexual liberalism, attitudes toward unconventional sexual practices, and indices of positive body image (i.e., body appreciation, body acceptance by others, body image flexibility, and body pride), and provided their demographic details. Regression analyses indicated that, once the effects of sexual orientation, relationship status, age, and body mass index had been accounted for, higher body appreciation was significantly associated with greater sexual liberalism in women and men. Furthermore, higher body appreciation and body image flexibility were significantly associated with more positive attitudes toward unconventional sexual practices in women and men. These results may have implications for scholars working from a sex-positive perspective, particularly in terms of understanding the role body image plays in sexual attitudes and behaviors.

Final Report: Improving the understanding of the coupled thermal-mechanical-hydrologic behavior of consolidating granular salt

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stormont, John [Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States); Lampe, Brandon [Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States); Mills, Melissa [Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States); Paneru, Laxmi [Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States); Lynn, Timothy [Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States); Piya, Aayush [Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2017-09-09

The goal of this project is to improve the understanding of key aspects of the coupled thermal-mechanical-hydrologic response of granular (or crushed) salt used as a seal material for shafts, drifts, and boreholes in mined repositories in salt. The project is organized into three tasks to accomplish this goal: laboratory measurements of granular salt consolidation (Task 1), microstructural observations on consolidated samples (Task 2), and constitutive model development and evaluation (Task 3). Task 1 involves laboratory measurements of salt consolidation along with thermal properties and permeability measurements conducted under a range of temperatures and stresses expected for potential mined repositories in salt. Testing focused on the role of moisture, temperature and stress state on the hydrologic (permeability) and thermal properties of consolidating granular salt at high fractional densities. Task 2 consists of microstructural observations made on samples after they have been consolidated to interpret deformation mechanisms and evaluate the ability of the constitutive model to predict operative mechanisms under different conditions. Task 3 concerns the development of the coupled thermal-mechanical-hydrologic constitutive model for granular salt consolidation. The measurements and observations in Tasks 1 and 2 were used to develop a thermal-mechanical constitutive model. Accomplishments and status from each of these efforts is reported in subsequent sections of this report

Bio-composites based on polypropylene reinforced with Almond Shells particles: Mechanical and thermal properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Essabir, H.; Nekhlaoui, S.; Malha, M.; Bensalah, M.O.; Arrakhiz, F.Z.; Qaiss, A.; Bouhfid, R.

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Almond Shells (ASs) particles have been used as reinforcement in polypropylene matrix. • The SEBS-g-MA has been used to improve the adhesion between matrix and particles. • The mechanical and thermal properties of the composite have been improved by the AS. - Abstract: In this work, Almond Shells (ASs) particles are used as reinforcement in a thermoplastic matrix as polypropylene (PP). Composites containing Almond Shells (ASs) particles with and without compatibilizer (maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene; SEBS-g-MA) for various particle content (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 wt.%) was investigated by means of studying their mechanical, thermal and rheological properties. The composites were prepared in a twin-screw extruder and assessed by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), tensile testing and Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA). Results show a clear improvement in mechanical and rheological properties from the use of Almond Shells particles in the matrix without and with maleic anhydride compatibilizer, corresponding to a gain in Young’s modulus of 56.2% and 35% respectively, at 30 wt.% particle loading. Thermal analysis revealed that incorporation of particle in the composites resulted in increase in the initial thermal decomposition temperatures

A comparative study of the mechanical behaviour of thermally oxidised commercially pure titanium and zirconium.

Science.gov (United States)

Alansari, A; Sun, Y

2017-10-01

The objective of this study is to compare the mechanical behaviour of thermally oxidised commercially pure titanium (CP-Ti) and commercially pure zirconium (CP-Zr). For this purpose, these two bio-metals were thermally oxidised under the same condition (650°C for 6h) and the oxidised specimens were characterised using various analytical and experimental techniques, including oxygen uptake analysis, layer thickness and hardness measurements, scratch tests, dry sliding friction and wear tests and tribocorrosion tests in Ringer's solution. The results show that under the present thermal oxidation condition, 4 times more oxygen is introduced into CP-Zr than into CP-Ti and the oxide layer produced on CP-Zr is nearly 6 times thicker than that on CP-Ti. Thermally oxidised CP-Zr possesses a higher hardness, a deeper hardening depth and better scratch resistance than thermally oxidised CP-Ti. Under dry sliding and tribocorrosion conditions, thermally oxidised CP-Zr also possesses much better resistance to material removal and a higher load bearing capacity than thermally oxidised CP-Ti. Thus, thermally oxidised Zr possesses much better mechanical behaviour than thermally oxidised Ti. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

COMTA - a computer code for fuel mechanical and thermal analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basu, S.; Sawhney, S.S.; Anand, A.K.; Anantharaman, K.; Mehta, S.K.

1979-01-01

COMTA is a generalized computer code for integrity analysis of the free standing fuel cladding, with natural UO 2 or mixed oxide fuel pellets. Thermal and Mechanical analysis is done simultaneously for any power history of the fuel pin. For analysis, the fuel cladding is assumed to be axisymmetric and is subjected to axisymmetric load due to contact pressure, gas pressure, coolant pressure and thermal loads. Axial variation of load is neglected and creep and plasticity are assumed to occur at constant volume. The pellet is assumed to be made of concentric annuli. The fission gas release integral is dependent on the temperature and the power produced in each annulus. To calculate the temperature distribution in the fuel pin, the variation of bulk coolant temperature is given as an input to the code. Gap conductance is calculated at every time step, considering fuel densification, fuel relocation and gap closure, filler gas dilution by released fission gas, gap closure by expansion and irradiation swelling. Overall gap conductance is contributed by heat transfer due to the three modes; conduction convection and radiation as per modified Ross and Stoute model. Equilibrium equations, compatibility equations, stress strain relationships (including thermal strains and permanent strains due to creep and plasticity) are used to obtain triaxial stresses and strains. Thermal strain is assumed to be zero at hot zero power conditions. The boundary conditions are obtained for radial stresses at outside and inside surfaces by making these equal to coolant pressure and internal pressure respectively. A multi-mechanism creep model which accounts for thermal and irradiation creep is used to calculate the overall creep rate. Effective plastic strain is a function of effective stress and material constants. (orig.)

Thermal conductivity in Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3+x and the role of dense dislocation arrays at grain boundaries.

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Rigui; Su, Xianli; Zheng, Zheng; Liu, Wei; Yan, Yonggao; Zhang, Qingjie; Dravid, Vinayak P; Uher, Ctirad; Kanatzidis, Mercouri G; Tang, Xinfeng

2018-06-01

Several prominent mechanisms for reduction in thermal conductivity have been shown in recent years to improve the figure of merit for thermoelectric materials. Such a mechanism is a hierarchical all-length-scale architecturing that recognizes the role of all microstructure elements, from atomic to nano to microscales, in reducing (lattice) thermal conductivity. In this context, there have been recent claims of remarkably low (lattice) thermal conductivity in Bi 0.5 Sb 1.5 Te 3 that are attributed to seemingly ordinary grain boundary dislocation networks. These high densities of dislocation networks in Bi 0.5 Sb 1.5 Te 3 were generated via unconventional materials processing with excess Te (which formed liquid phase, thereby facilitating sintering), followed by spark plasma sintering under pressure to squeeze out the liquid. We reproduced a practically identical microstructure, following practically identical processing strategies, but with noticeably different (higher) thermal conductivity than that claimed before. We show that the resultant microstructure is anisotropic, with notable difference of thermal and charge transport properties across and along two orthonormal directions, analogous to anisotropic crystals. Thus, we believe that grain boundary dislocation networks are not the primary cause of enhanced ZT through reduction in thermal conductivity. Instead, we can reproduce the purported high ZT through a favorable but impractical and incorrect combination of thermal conductivity measured along the pressing direction of anisotropy while charge transport measured in the direction perpendicular to the anisotropic direction. We believe that our work underscores the need for consistency in charge and thermal transport measurements for unified and verifiable measurements of thermoelectric (and related) properties and phenomena.

A Conceptual Design and Analysis Method for Conventional and Unconventional Airplanes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Elmendorp, R.J.M.; Vos, R.; La Rocca, G.

2014-01-01

A design method is presented that has been implemented in a software program to investigate the merits of conventional and unconventional transport airplanes. Design and analysis methods are implemented in a design tool capable of creating a conceptual design based on a set of toplevel requirements.

Mechanical behavior of mullite green disks prepared by thermal consolidation with different starches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Talou, M.H.; Tomba Martinez, A.G.; Camerucci, M.A.

2011-01-01

Mechanical behavior of porous green disks obtained by thermal consolidation of mullite suspensions with cassava and potato starches was studied by diametral compression testing. Disks (thickness/diameter ≤ 0.25) were prepared by thermal treatment (70-80 °C, 2h) of mullite (75 vol%)/starch (25 vol%) of suspensions (40 vol%) pre-gelled at 55-60 °C, and dried (40 °C, 24 h). Samples were characterized by porosity measurements (50-55%) and microstructural analysis (SEM). Several mechanical parameters were determined: mechanical strength, Young's modulus, strain to fracture and yield stress. Typical crack patterns were analyzed and the fractographic analysis was performed by SEM. Mechanical results were related to the developed microstructures, the behavior of the starches in aqueous suspension, and the properties of the formed gels. For comparative purposes, mullite green disks obtained by burning out the starch (650 °C, 2h) were also mechanically evaluated. (author)

Thermal and thermo-mechanical behavior of butyl based rubber exposed to silicon oil at elevated temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ali, S.; Ramzan, S.; Raza, R.; Ahmed, F.; Hussain, R.; Ullah, S.; Ali, S.

2013-01-01

Silica reinforced rubbers are used as chemical resistant seals at high temperature. In this study the effect of alkali and silicon oil on the thermal and thermo-mechanical properties of the silica reinforced butyl rubber exposed as an interface between two liquid media at elevated temperature is investigated. Rubber bladder containing alkaline solution was immersed in silicon oil at 195+-5 degree C for multiple cycles and loss in its thermal, thermo-mechanical and mechanical properties were studied by TGA, DMA and Tinius Olsen Testing Machine supported by FTIR and Optical microscopy. It was observed that the thermal and thermo-mechanical properties of butyl rubber were negatively affected due to leaching out of silica filler embedded in an organic matrix at elevated temperature. The thermal stability of exposed rubber was decreased around 200 degree C and the loss of storage modulus was observed up to 99.5% at -59 degree C. (author)

Unconventional low-field magnetic response of a diffusive ring with spin–orbit coupling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patra, Moumita; Maiti, Santanu K.

2017-01-01

We report an unconventional behavior of electron transport in the limit of zero magnetic flux in a one-dimensional disordered ring, be it completely random or any correlated one, subjected to Rashba spin–orbit (SO) coupling. It exhibits much higher circulating current compared to a fully perfect ring for a wide range of SO coupling yielding larger electrical conductivity which is clearly verified from our Drude weight analysis. - Highlights: • Unconventional behavior of electron transport in a 1D disordered ring is reported. • Interplay between Rashba So interaction and disorder is discussed. • Disordered ring provides much higher current compared to a perfect one. • Results are independent with disorderness, be it correlated or random. • MI transition and selective switching effects are discussed.

Unconventional low-field magnetic response of a diffusive ring with spin–orbit coupling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patra, Moumita; Maiti, Santanu K., E-mail: santanu.maiti@isical.ac.in

2017-01-30

We report an unconventional behavior of electron transport in the limit of zero magnetic flux in a one-dimensional disordered ring, be it completely random or any correlated one, subjected to Rashba spin–orbit (SO) coupling. It exhibits much higher circulating current compared to a fully perfect ring for a wide range of SO coupling yielding larger electrical conductivity which is clearly verified from our Drude weight analysis. - Highlights: • Unconventional behavior of electron transport in a 1D disordered ring is reported. • Interplay between Rashba So interaction and disorder is discussed. • Disordered ring provides much higher current compared to a perfect one. • Results are independent with disorderness, be it correlated or random. • MI transition and selective switching effects are discussed.

A study on thermal and mechanical properties of mechanically milled HDPE and PP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Can, S.; Tan, S.

2003-01-01

In this study, mechanical mixing of HDPE and PP was performed via ball milling. Prepared compositions were 75/25 , 50/50 , 25/75 w/w HDPE/PP. Milling time and ball to powder ratio (B/P) were kept constant and system was cooled by adding solid CO 2 to improve the milling efficiency. To compare these systems with traditional methods, mixtures were also melt mixed by Brabender Plasti-Corder. Both milled and melt mixed systems were examined with DSC for thermal properties and tensile testing for mechanical properties Results are discussed by comparing milled , melt mixed and as-received polymers. It is observed that, unlike ball milled systems' in melt mixed systems mechanical properties are composition dependent. In addition , ball milling results in amorphization of both polymers and very high amounts of PP (75wt %) creates very amorphous HDPE structure. (Original)

Unconventional shale gas extraction: present and future affects

OpenAIRE

Mohajan, Haradhan

2012-01-01

In the 1990s the extraction of unconventional shale gas extraction increases in the USA due to national and global demand of energy. The expansion of shale gas production will provide low carbon economy, therefore it is a positive side of low greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere and considering the benefit sides it has been referred to as a bridging fuel. Horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing are the two technologies by the combination with one another; provide the potential to ...

Thermal and mechanical pain sensitization in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.

Science.gov (United States)

Bevilaqua-Grossi, Debora; Zanin, Marilia; Benedetti, Camila; Florencio, Lidiane; Oliveira, Anamaria

2018-02-26

The aim was to assess sensitization using quantitative sensory testing in mechanical and thermal modes in individuals with and without osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. Pain thresholds were correlated with functionality, symptoms of depression and intensity of pain. Thirty control volunteers and 30 patients with OA of the knee were assessed. Punctate pain thresholds using Von Frey filaments and thermal pain thresholds using a Thermal Sensory Analyzer were evaluated in the periarticular region of the knee and forearm. Using a digital pressure algometer, pressure pain thresholds were assessed in the periarticular region of the knee and on the root exit zone on the lumbar and sacral spine. Punctate, pressure, and thermal pain thresholds differed significantly between participants with and without OA (p pain sensitization. Pressure pain thresholds also showed moderate and negative correlations with data on functionality, symptoms of depression and intensity of pain (-0.36  -0.56), contributing up to 30% of their variability. Allodynia and hyperalgesia were demonstrated in the OA group, suggesting central sensitization in patients with mild to moderate severity of joint damage. Correlation between mechanical hypersensitivity and psychosocial factors seems to be small, despite of its significance.

Aspects of unconventional cores for large sodium cooled power reactors; evaluation of a literature survey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiefhaber, E.

1978-10-01

The report gives an overview of a literature study on the application of unconventional cores for sodium cooled fast reactors. Different types of unconventional cores (heterogeneous cores, pancake cores, moderated cores and others) are compared with conventional cores, which are characterized by a cylindrical geometry with two or three fissile zones surrounded by an axial and a radial blanket. The main parameters of interest in this comparison are the neutronic parameters sodium void and Doppler effect, the breeding properties and the steel damage. Consequences for the core safety and the overall plant design are also mentioned

Application of Reservoir Flow Simulation Integrated with Geomechanics in Unconventional Tight Play

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Menglu; Chen, Shengnan; Mbia, Ernest; Chen, Zhangxing

2018-01-01

Multistage hydraulic fracturing techniques, combined with horizontal drilling, have enabled commercial production from the vast reserves of unconventional tight formations. During hydraulic fracturing, fracturing fluid and proppants are pumped into the reservoir matrix to create the hydraulic fractures. Understanding the propagation mechanism of hydraulic fractures is essential to estimate their properties, such as half-length. In addition, natural fractures are often present in tight formations, which might be activated during the fracturing process and contribute to the post-stimulation well production rates. In this study, reservoir simulation is integrated with rock geomechanics to predict the well post-stimulation productivities. Firstly, a reservoir geological model is built based on the field data collected from the Montney formation in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. The hydraulic fracturing process is then simulated through an integrated approach of fracturing fluid injection, rock geomechanics, and tensile failure criteria. In such a process, the reservoir pore pressure increases with a continuous injection of the fracturing fluid and proppants, decreasing the effective stress exerted on the rock matrix accordingly as the overburden pressure remains constant. Once the effective stress drops to a threshold value, tensile failure of the reservoir rock occurs, creating hydraulic fractures in the formation. The early production history of the stimulated well is history-matched to validate the predicted fracture geometries (e.g., half-length) generated from the fracturing simulation process. The effects of the natural fracture properties and well bottom-hole pressures on well productivity are also studied. It has been found that nearly 40% of hydraulic fractures propagate in the beginning stage (the pad step) of the fracturing schedule. In addition, well post-stimulation productivity will increase significantly if the natural fractures are propped or

Nanoscale thermal-mechanical probe determination of 'softening transitions' in thin polymer films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Jing; Berry, Brian; Douglas, Jack F; Karim, Alamgir; Snyder, Chad R; Soles, Christopher

2008-01-01

We report a quantitative study of the softening behavior of glassy polystyrene (PS) films at length scales on the order of 100 nm using nano-thermomechanometry (nano-TM), an emerging scanning probe technique in which a highly doped silicon atomic force microscopy (AFM) tip is resistively heated on the surface of a polymer film. The apparent 'softening temperature' T s of the film is found to depend on the logarithm of the square root of the thermal ramping rate R. This relation allows us to estimate a quasi-equilibrium (or zero rate) softening transition temperature T s0 by extrapolation. We observe marked shifts of T s0 with decreasing film thickness, but the nature of these shifts, and even their sign, depend strongly on both the thermal and mechanical properties of the supporting substrate. Finite element simulations suggest that thin PS films on rigid substrates with large thermal conductivities lead to increasing T s0 with decreasing film thickness, whereas softer, less thermally conductive substrates promote reductions in T s0 . Experimental observations on a range of substrates confirm this behavior and indicate a complicated interplay between the thermal and mechanical properties of the thin PS film and the substrate. This study directly points to relevant factors for quantitative measurements of thermophysical properties of materials at the nanoscale using this nano-TM based method.

Modification of Akhieser mechanism in Si nanomembranes and thermal conductivity dependence of the Q-factor of high frequency nanoresonators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chávez-Ángel, E; Gomis-Bresco, J; Alzina, F; Sotomayor Torres, C M; Zarate, R A

2014-01-01

We present and validate a reformulated Akhieser model that takes into account the reduction of thermal conductivity due to the impact of boundary scattering on the thermal phonons’ lifetime. We consider silicon nanomembranes with mechanical mode frequencies in the GHz range as textbook examples of nanoresonators. The model successfully accounts for the measured shortening of the mechanical mode lifetime. Moreover, the thermal conductivity is extracted from the measured lifetime of the mechanical modes in the high-frequency regime, thereby demonstrating that the Q-factor can be used as an indication of the thermal conductivity and/or diffusivity of a mechanical resonator. (invited article)

Mechanical and Thermal Characterisation of a TT Half-Module Prototype

CERN Document Server

Lehner, F; Pangilinan, M; Siegler, M

2005-01-01

This note describes the mechanical effects of thermal cycles on a TT half-module, to demonstrate that the detectors can withstand the expected thermal gradients without damage. The stress transferred by the carbon fiber rails and the ceramic to the silicon sensors was investigated, and the deformation that occurred during these tests was measured by strain gauges that were attached to sensors on a test half-module. In addition, heat transfer through the carbon fiber rails was studied. Furthermore, we present a comparison of different materials proposed to build the carbon fiber rails of the modules.

Thermal and mechanical behavior of metal matrix and ceramic matrix composites

Science.gov (United States)

Kennedy, John M. (Editor); Moeller, Helen H. (Editor); Johnson, W. S. (Editor)

1990-01-01

The present conference discusses local stresses in metal-matrix composites (MMCs) subjected to thermal and mechanical loads, the computational simulation of high-temperature MMCs' cyclic behavior, an analysis of a ceramic-matrix composite (CMC) flexure specimen, and a plasticity analysis of fibrous composite laminates under thermomechanical loads. Also discussed are a comparison of methods for determining the fiber-matrix interface frictional stresses of CMCs, the monotonic and cyclic behavior of an SiC/calcium aluminosilicate CMC, the mechanical and thermal properties of an SiC particle-reinforced Al alloy MMC, the temperature-dependent tensile and shear response of a graphite-reinforced 6061 Al-alloy MMC, the fiber/matrix interface bonding strength of MMCs, and fatigue crack growth in an Al2O3 short fiber-reinforced Al-2Mg matrix MMC.

Structure and Mechanical Properties of Al-Cu-Fe-X Alloys with Excellent Thermal Stability

OpenAIRE

Školáková, Andrea; Novák, Pavel; Mejzlíková, Lucie; Průša, Filip; Salvetr, Pavel; Vojtěch, Dalibor

2017-01-01

In this work, the structure and mechanical properties of innovative Al-Cu-Fe based alloys were studied. We focused on preparation and characterization of rapidly solidified and hot extruded Al-Cu-Fe, Al-Cu-Fe-Ni and Al-Cu-Fe-Cr alloys. The content of transition metals affects mechanical properties and structure. For this reason, microstructure, phase composition, hardness and thermal stability have been investigated in this study. The results showed exceptional thermal stability of these allo...

Analysis of thermal-hydrologic-mechanical behavior near an emplacement drift at Yucca Mountain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rutqvist, Jonny; Tsang, Chin-Fu

2002-01-01

A coupled thermal, hydrologic and mechanical (THM) analysis is conducted to evaluate the impact of coupled THM processes on the performance of a potential nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The analysis considers changes in rock mass porosity, permeability, and capillary pressure caused by rock deformations during drift excavation, as well as those caused by thermo-mechanically induced rock deformations after emplacement of the heat-generating waste. The analysis consists of a detailed calibration of coupled hydraulic-mechanical rock mass properties against field experiments, followed by a prediction of the coupled thermal, hydrologic, and mechanical behavior around a potential repository drift. For the particular problem studied and parameters used, the analysis indicates that the stress-induced permeability changes will be within one order of magnitude and that these permeability changes do not significantly impact the overall flow pattern around the repository drift

Radiation Improved Mechanical and Thermal Property of PP/HDPE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaisupaditsin, M.; Thammit, C.; Techakiatkul, C.

1998-01-01

The mechanical properties, thermal properties and gel contents of PP-irradiated HDPE blends were studied. HDPE was gamma irradiated in the dose range of 10-30 kGy. The ratios of polymer blends of 30PP:70HDPE was mixed by a twin screw extruder at speed of 50 rpm. Irradiated HDPE with 30 kGy showed the highest gel contents. The blends ratio of 30PP:70HDPE (30 kGy) shows better heat resistance than the blends with non-irradiated HDPE. With increasing the radiation doses, the mechanical properties of the blends were improved

Flue Gas Desulfurization by Mechanically and Thermally Activated Sodium Bicarbonate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Walawska Barbara

2014-09-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the results of study on structural parameters (particle size, surface area, pore volume and the sorption ability of mechanically and thermally activated sodium bicarbonate. The sorption ability of the modified sorbent was evaluated by: partial and overall SO2 removal efficiency, conversion rate, normalized stoichiometric ratio (NSR. Sodium bicarbonate was mechanically activated by various grinding techniques, using three types of mills: fluid bed opposed jet mill, fine impact mill and electromagnetic mill, differing in grinding technology. Grounded sorbent was thermally activated, what caused a significant development of surface area. During the studies of SO2 sorption, a model gas with a temperature of 300°C, of composition: sulfur dioxide at a concentration of 6292 mg/mn3, oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen as a carrier gas, was used. The best development of surface area and the highest SO2 removal efficiency was obtained for the sorbent treated by electromagnetic grinding, with simultaneous high conversion rate.

Thermal stresses in hexagonal materials - heat treatment influence on their mechanical behaviour

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gloaguen, D.; Freour, S.; Guillen, R.; Royer, J.; Francois, M.

2004-01-01

Internal stresses due to anisotropic thermal and plastic properties were investigated in rolled zirconium and titanium. The thermal stresses induced by a cooling process were predicted using a self-consistent model and compared with experimental results obtained by X-ray diffraction. The study of the elastoplastic response during uniaxial loading was performed along the rolling and the transverse direction of the sheet, considering the influence of the texture and the thermal stresses on the mechanical behaviour. An approach in order to determine the thermal behaviour of phases embedded in two-phase materials is also presented. For zirconium, the residual stresses due to thermal anisotropy are rather important (equivalent to 35% of the yield stress) and consequently they play an important role on the elastoplastic transition contrary to titanium. The study of two-phase material shows the influence and the interaction of the second phase on the thermal behaviour in the studied phase

Biodegradable compounds: Rheological, mechanical and thermal properties

Science.gov (United States)

Nobile, Maria Rossella; Lucia, G.; Santella, M.; Malinconico, M.; Cerruti, P.; Pantani, R.

2015-12-01

Recently great attention from industry has been focused on biodegradable polyesters derived from renewable resources. In particular, PLA has attracted great interest due to its high strength and high modulus and a good biocompatibility, however its brittleness and low heat distortion temperature (HDT) restrict its wide application. On the other hand, Poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) is a biodegradable polymer with a low tensile modulus but characterized by a high flexibility, excellent impact strength, good thermal and chemical resistance. In this work the two aliphatic biodegradable polyesters PBS and PLA were selected with the aim to obtain a biodegradable material for the industry of plastic cups and plates. PBS was also blended with a thermoplastic starch. Talc was also added to the compounds because of its low cost and its effectiveness in increasing the modulus and the HDT of polymers. The compounds were obtained by melt compounding in a single screw extruder and the rheological, mechanical and thermal properties were investigated. The properties of the two compounds were compared and it was found that the values of the tensile modulus and elongation at break measured for the PBS/PLA/Talc compound make it interesting for the production of disposable plates and cups. In terms of thermal resistance the compounds have HDTs high enough to contain hot food or beverages. The PLA/PBS/Talc compound can be, then, considered as biodegradable substitute for polystyrene for the production of disposable plates and cups for hot food and beverages.

Conversion of thermall energy to mechanical work in the oscillations with steam condensation in pool water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aya, Izuo; Nariai, Hideki.

1988-01-01

Pressure and fluid oscillations with steam injection into pool water were discussed from the view point of the conversion of thermal energy into mechanical work. When the change of fluid state moves clockwise in the p-V diagram, the oscillation sustains since the thermal energy changes into positive work. The equations difining the mechanical work at the condensation oscillations were presented. The oscillation threshold determined by the condition that mechanical work became zero, coincided with the values derived by the linear oscillation theory. The changes of pressure and specific volume during chugging were also shown with one dimensional simulation analysis. The p-V diagrams at various chugging modes were presented with the movement of steam water interface, and the conversion efficiency of thermal energy to mechanical work was also discussed. (author)

Mechanical and thermal properties of environmentally friendly composites derived from sugar palm tree

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sahari, J.; Sapuan, S.M.; Zainudin, E.S.; Maleque, M.A.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► We successfully developed biocomposites derived from sugar palm tree. ► The addition of SPF improve the mechanical properties of biocomposites. ► The thermal stability of biocomposites increase with increasing of SPF. ► The water absorption of biocomposites decrease with increasing of SPF. ► We investigate the morphological fracture through scanning electron microscopy. - Abstract: The aim of this paper is to study the effect of fibre content on mechanical properties, water absorption behaviour and thermal properties of sugar palm fibre (SPF) reinforced plasticized sugar palm starch (SPF/SPS) biocomposites. The biocomposites were prepared with different amounts of fibres (i.e. 10%, 20% and 30% by weight percent) by using glycerol as plasticizer for the starch. The mechanical properties of plasticized SPS improved with the incorporation of fibres. Fibre loading also increased the thermal stability of the biocomposite in this investigation. Water uptake and moisture content of SPF/SPS biocomposites decreased with the incorporation of fibres, which is due to better interfacial bonding between the matrix and fibres as well as the hindrance to absorption caused by the fibres. Fractographic studies through scanning electron microscopy showed homogeneous distribution of fibres and matrix with good adhesion which play an important role in improving the mechanical properties of biocomposites

Mechanical and thermal design of hybrid blankets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schultz, K.R.

1978-01-01

The thermal and mechanical aspects of hybrid reactor blanket design considerations are discussed. This paper is intended as a companion to that of J. D. Lee of Lawrence Livermore Laboratory on the nuclear aspects of hybrid reactor blanket design. The major design characteristics of hybrid reactor blankets are discussed with emphasis on the areas of difference between hybrid reactors and standard fusion or fission reactors. Specific examples are used to illustrate the design tradeoffs and choices that must be made in hybrid reactor design. These examples are drawn from the work on the Mirror Hybrid Reactor

Physical, mechanical and thermal properties of Crushed Sand Concrete containing Rubber Waste

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamed Guendouz

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Over the past twenty years, the rubber wastes are an important part of municipal solid waste. This work focuses on the recycling of rubber waste, specifically rubber waste of used shoes discharged into the nature and added in the mass of crushed sand concrete with percentage (10%, 20%, 30% and 40%. The physical (workability, fresh density, mechanical (compressive and flexural strength and thermal (thermal conductivity of different crushed sand concrete made are analyzed and compared to the respective controls. The use of rubber waste in crushed sand concrete contributes to reduce the bulk density and performance of sand concrete. Nevertheless, the use of rubber aggregate leads to a significant reduction in thermal conductivity, which improves the thermal insulation of crushed sand concrete.

Thin circular cylinder under axisymmetrical thermal and mechanical loading

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arnaudeau, F.; Zarka, J.; Gerij, J.

1977-01-01

To assess structural integrity of components subjected to cyclic thermal loadings one must look at thermal ratchetting as a possible failure mode. Considering a thin circular cylinder subjected to constant internal pressure and cyclically varying thermal gradient through the thickness Bree, J. Strain Analysis 2 (1967) No.3, obtained a diagram that serves as a foundation for many design rules (e.g.: ASME code). The upper part of the french LMFBR main vessel is subjected to an axisymmetrical axial thermal loading and an axial load (own weight). Operation of the reactor leads to cyclic variations of the axial thermal loading. The question that arises is whether or not the Bree diagram is realistic for such loading conditions. A special purpose computer code (Ratch) was developed to analyse a thin circular cylinder subjected to axisymmetrical mechanical and thermal loadings. The Mendelson's approach of this problem is followed. Classical Kirchoff-Love hypothesis of thin shells is used and a state of plane stress is assumed. Space integrations are performed by Gaussian quadrature in the axial direction and by Simpson's one third rule throughout the thickness. Thermoelastic-plastic constitutive equations are solved with an implicit scheme (Nguyen). Thermovisco-plastic constitutive equations are solved with an explicit time integration scheme (Treanor's algorithm especially fitted). A Bree type diagram is obtained for an axial step of temperature which varies cyclically and a sustained constant axial load. The material behavior is assumed perfectly plastic and creep effect is not considered. Results show that the domain where no ratchetting occurs is reduced when compared with the domain predicted by the Bree diagram

Thermal mechanism of prepeak formation in Pulsed Glow Discharge

Science.gov (United States)

Voronov, Maxim; Hoffmann, Volker; Steingrobe, Tobias; Buscher, Wolfgang; Engelhard, Carsten; Storey, Andrew; Ray, Steven; Hieftje, Gary

2012-10-01

A microsecond Pulsed Glow Discharge (μs PGD) in a Grimm-type source is characterized by the so-called ``prepeak,'' which is a spike in both electrical current and emission intensity at the leading edge of the discharge pulse. The prepeak is followed by synchronized vibrations of the current and the emission. To understand the nature of these phenomena, a microphone was inserted into the discharge chamber. Acoustical waves were detected and found to be in correlation with the measured vibrations. This points to a thermal mechanism for prepeak formation: the gas is heated in the leading edge of the discharge pulse and then expanded. To prove this suggestion, a Monte-Carlo based model was developed to simulate the evolution of Ar concentration, temperature, and flow in time and space. Potentially, the model could be used for gas simulations in a wide range of different applications. Here, the model is incorporated into an existing but modified model of the μs PGD in a Grimm-type plasma excitation source. Results of the simulations confirm that the thermal mechanism is responsible for the formation of the electrical prepeak and the pressure waves.

Thermal-mechanical properties of a graphitic-nanofibers reinforced epoxy.

Science.gov (United States)

Salehi-Khojin, Amin; Jana, Soumen; Zhong, Wei-Hong

2007-03-01

We previously developed a series of reactive graphitic nanofibers (r-GNFs) reinforced epoxy (nano-epoxy) as composite matrices, which have shown good wetting and adhesion properties with continuous fiber. In this work, the thermal-mechanical properties of the nano-epoxy system containing EponTM Resin 828 and Epi-cure Curing Agent W were characterized. Results from three-point bending tests showed that the flexural strength and flexural modulus of this system with 0.30 wt% of reactive nanofibers were increased by 16%, and 21% respectively, over pure epoxy. Fracture toughness increased by ca. 40% for specimens with 0.50 wt% of r-GNFs. By dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) test, specimens with 0.30 wt% of r-GNFs showed a significant increase in storage modulus E' (by ca. 122%) and loss modulus E" (by ca. 111%) with respect to that of pure epoxy. Also thermo-dilatometry analysis (TDA) was used to measure dimensional change of specimens as a function of temperature, and then, coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) before and after glass transition temperature (Tg) were obtained. Results implied that nano-epoxy materials had good dimensional stability and reduced CTE values when compared to those of pure epoxy.

Mechanical, thermal and swelling properties of phosphorylated nanocellulose fibrils/PVA nanocomposite membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Niazi, Muhammad Bilal Khan; Jahan, Zaib; Berg, Sigrun Sofie; Gregersen, Øyvind Weiby

2017-12-01

Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) have strong reinforcing properties when incorporated in a compatible polymer matrix. This work reports the effect of the addition of phosphorylated nanocellulose (PCNF) on the mechanical, thermal and swelling properties of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanocomposite membranes. The incorporation of nanocellulose in PVA reduced the crystallinity at 0%RH. However, when the films were exposed to higher humidities the crystallinity increased. No apparent trend is observed for mechanical properties for dry membranes (0% RH). However, at 93% RH the elastic modulus increased strongly from 0.12MPa to 0.82MPa when adding 6% PCNF. At higher humidities, the moisture uptake has large influence on storage modulus, tan δ and tensile properties. Membranes containing 1% PCNF absorbed most moisture. Swelling, thermal and mechanical properties indicate a good potential for applying of PVA/phosphorylated nanocellulose composite membranes for CO 2 separation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of alkali treatment on the mechanical and thermal properties of Sansevieria trifasciata fiber

Science.gov (United States)

Mardiyati, Steven, Rizkiansyah, Raden Reza; Senoaji, A.; Suratman, R.

2016-04-01

In this study, Sansevieria trifasciata fibers were treated by NaOH with concentration 1%,3%, and 5wt% at 100°C for 2 hours. Chesson-Datta methods was used to determine the lignocellulose content of raw sansevieria fibers and to investigate effect of alkali treatment on lignin content of the fiber. Mechanical properties and thermal properties of treated and untreated fibers were measured by means of tensile testing machine and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).The cellulose and lignin contents of raw sansevieria fiber obtained from Chesson-Datta method were 56% and 6% respectively. Mechanical testing of fibers showed the increase of tensile strength from 647 MPa for raw fibers to 902 MPa for 5wt% NaOH treated fibers. TGA result showed the alkali treatment increase the thermal resistance of fibers from 288°C for raw fibers to 307°C for 5% NaOH treated fiber. It was found that alkali treatment affect the mechanical properties and thermal properties of sansevieria fibers.

Thermal-mechanical aspects for radioactive waste storage into underground caverns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vieira, Alvaro.

1985-12-01

The thermal and mechanical behaviors of rock mass by analytical models, considering transient effects of the heat generation from radioactive wastes, are analysed. The models were applied to Brazilian gneissic type of rock, considering the usual design of vitrified waste cylinders individually installed into conveniently spaced holes. (M.C.K.) [pt

Unconventional superconductors. Anisotropy and multiband effects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Askerzade, Iman [Ankara Univ. (Turkey). Center of Excellence of Superconductivity Research of Turkey; Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (Azerbaijan). Inst. of Physics

2012-07-01

This book deals with the new class of materials unconventional superconductors, cuprate compounds, borocarbides, magnesium-diboride and oxypnictides. It gives a systematical review of physical properties of novel superconductors. There is an increasing number of fundamental properties of these compounds which are relevant to future applications, opening new possibilities. The theoretical explanation is presented as generalization of Ginzburg-Landau phenomenology and microscopical Eliashberg theory for multiband and anisotropic superconductors. Various applications of this approaches and time dependent version of two-band Ginzburg-Landau theory are considered. An important topic are fluctuations in two-band and anisotropic superconductors. Significant new results on current problems are presented to stimulate further research. Numerous illustrations, diagrams and tables make this book useful as a reference for students and researchers. (orig.)

Unconventional superconductors anisotropy and multiband effects

CERN Document Server

Askerzade, Iman

2012-01-01

This book deals with the new class of materials unconventional superconductors, cuprate compounds, borocarbides, magnesium-diboride and oxypnictides. It gives a systematical review of physical properties of novel  superconductors. There is an increasing number of fundamental properties of these compounds which are relevant to future applications, opening new possibilities. The theoretical explanation is presented as generalization of Ginzburg-Landau phenomenology and microscopical Eliashberg theory for multiband and anisotropic superconductors. Various applications of this approachs and time dependent version of two-band Ginzburg-Landau theory are considered. An important topic are fluctuations in two-band and anisotropic superconductors. Significant  new results on current problems are presented to stimulate further research. Numerous illustrations, diagrams and tables make this book useful as a reference for students and researchers.

Mechanical and thermal stability of graphene and graphene-based materials

Science.gov (United States)

Galashev, A. E.; Rakhmanova, O. R.

2014-10-01

Graphene has rapidly become one of the most popular materials for technological applications and a test material for new condensed matter ideas. This paper reviews the mechanical properties of graphene and effects related to them that have recently been discovered experimentally or predicted theoretically or by simulation. The topics discussed are of key importance for graphene's use in integrated electronics, thermal materials, and electromechanical devices and include the following: graphene transformation into other sp^2 hybridization forms; stability to stretching and compression; ion-beam-induced structural modifications; how defects and graphene edges affect the electronic properties and thermal stability of graphene and related composites.

Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Praseodymium Monopnictides: AN Ultrasonic Study

Science.gov (United States)

Bhalla, Vyoma; Kumar, Raj; Tripathy, Chinmayee; Singh, Devraj

2013-09-01

We have computed ultrasonic attenuation, acoustic coupling constants and ultrasonic velocities of praseodymium monopnictides PrX(X: N, P, As, Sb and Bi) along the , , in the temperature range 100-500 K using higher order elastic constants. The higher order elastic constants are evaluated using Coulomb and Born-Mayer potential with two basic parameters viz. nearest-neighbor distance and hardness parameter in the temperature range of 0-500 K. Several other mechanical and thermal parameters like bulk modulus, shear modulus, Young's modulus, Poisson ratio, anisotropic ratio, tetragonal moduli, Breazeale's nonlinearity parameter and Debye temperature are also calculated. In the present study, the fracture/toughness (B/G) ratio is less than 1.75 which implies that PrX compounds are brittle in nature at room temperature. The chosen material fulfilled Born criterion of mechanical stability. We also found the deviation of Cauchy's relation at higher temperatures. PrN is most stable material as it has highest valued higher order elastic constants as well as the ultrasonic velocity. Further, the lattice thermal conductivity using modified approach of Slack and Berman is determined at room temperature. The ultrasonic attenuation due to phonon-phonon interaction and thermoelastic relaxation mechanisms have been computed using modified Mason's approach. The results with other well-known physical properties are useful for industrial applications.

Change Spectroscopic, thermal and mechanical studies of PU/PVC blends

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hezma, A.M. [Spectroscopy Department, Physics Division, National Research Center, Giza (Egypt); Elashmawi, I.S. [Spectroscopy Department, Physics Division, National Research Center, Giza (Egypt); Physic Department, Faculty of Science, Taibah University, Al-Ula (Saudi Arabia); Rajeh, A., E-mail: a.rajeh88@yahoo.com [Physic Department, Faculty of Science, Amran University, Sa' dah (Yemen); Physics Department, Faculty of science, Mansoura University, Mansoura (Egypt); Kamal, Mustafa [Physics Department, Faculty of science, Mansoura University, Mansoura (Egypt)

2016-08-15

Blends of polyurethane (PU) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) with different concentrations were prepared by casting method. The effects of PU on PVC blends was examined by Fourier transform-infrared (FTIR), Ultra-violet visible studies (UV/VIS.), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric (TGA), Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and mechanical properties (stress–strain curve). The interaction between PU and PVC was examined by FT-IR through the absorbance of the N–H groups and was correlated to mechanical/thermal properties. Ultra-violet visible said that optical energy gap decrease with increasing concentration of PU. Differential scanning calorimetry results was observed a single glass transition temperature (T{sub g}) for blends this confirming existence miscibility within the blends. The causes for best thermal stability of some blends may be described by measurements of interactions between C=O groups of PU and the α-hydrogen of PVC or a dipole–dipole –C=O..Cl–C– interactions. Significant alterations in FTIR, X-ray and DSC examination shows an interactions between blends had good miscibility. X-ray shows some alterations in the intensity with additional PU. PU change the mechanical behavior of PVC through of the blends. When polyurethane content increase causes polyvinyl chloride tensile strength decreases and elongation at break increase.

Si Thermoelectric Power Generator with an Unconventional Structure

Science.gov (United States)

Sakamoto, Tatsuya; Iida, Tsutomu; Ohno, Yota; Ishikawa, Masashi; Kogo, Yasuo; Hirayama, Naomi; Arai, Koya; Nakamura, Takashi; Nishio, Keishi; Takanashi, Yoshifumi

2014-06-01

We examine the mechanical stability of an unconventional Mg2Si thermoelectric generator (TEG) structure. In this structure, the angle θ between the thermoelectric (TE) chips and the heat sink is less than 90°. We examined the tolerance to an external force of various Mg2Si TEG structures using a finite-element method (FEM) with the ANSYS code. The output power of the TEGs was also measured. First, for the FEM analysis, the mechanical properties of sintered Mg2Si TE chips, such as the bending strength and Young's modulus, were measured. Then, two-dimensional (2D) TEG models with various values of θ (90°, 75°, 60°, 45°, 30°, 15°, and 0°) were constructed in ANSYS. The x and y axes were defined as being in the horizontal and vertical directions of the substrate, respectively. In the analysis, the maximum tensile stress in the chip when a constant load was applied to the TEG model in the x direction was determined. Based on the analytical results, an appropriate structure was selected and a module fabricated. For the TEG fabrication, eight TE chips, each with dimensions of 3 mm × 3 mm × 10 mm and consisting of Sb-doped n-Mg2Si prepared by a plasma-activated sintering process, were assembled such that two chips were connected in parallel, and four pairs of these were connected in series on a footprint of 46 mm × 12 mm. The measured power generation characteristics and temperature distribution with temperature differences between 873 K and 373 K are discussed.

Use of Guided Acoustic Waves to Assess the Effects of Thermal-Mechanical Cycling on Composite Stiffness

Science.gov (United States)

Seale, Michael D.; Madaras, Eric I.

2000-01-01

The introduction of new, advanced composite materials into aviation systems requires it thorough understanding of the long-term effects of combined thermal and mechanical loading. As part of a study to evaluate the effects of thermal-mechanical cycling, it guided acoustic (Lamb) wave measurement system was used to measure the bending and out-of-plane stiffness coefficients of composite laminates undergoing thermal-mechanical loading. The system uses a pulse/receive technique that excites an antisymmetric Lamb mode and measures the time-of-flight over a wide frequency range. Given the material density and plate thickness, the bending and out-of-plane shear stiffnesses are calculated from a reconstruction of the velocity dispersion curve. A series of 16 and 32-ply composite laminates were subjected to it thermal-mechanical loading profile in load frames equipped with special environmental chambers. The composite systems studied were it graphite fiber reinforced amorphous thermoplastic polyimide and it graphite fiber reinforced bismaleimide thermoset. The samples were exposed to both high and low temperature extremes its well as high and low strain profiles. The bending and out-of-plane stiffnesses for composite sample that have undergone over 6,000 cycles of thermal-mechanical loading are reported. The Lamb wave generated elastic stiffness results have shown decreases of up to 20% at 4,936 loading cycles for the graphite/thermoplastic samples and up to 64% at 4,706 loading cycles for the graphite/thermoset samples.

Vulcanization Kinetics and Mechanical Properties of Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer Thermal Insulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamad Irfan Fathurrohman

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The vulcanization kinetics of Ethylene-propylene diene monomer (EPDM rubber thermal insulation was studied by using rheometer under isothermal condition at different temperatures. The rheometry analysis was used to determining the cure kinetic parameters and predicting the cure time of EPDM thermal insulation. The experimental results revealed that the curing curves of EPDM thermal insulation were marching and the optimum curing time decreased with increasing the temperature. The kinetic parameters were determined from the autocatalytic model showed close fitting with the experimental results, indicating suitability of autocatalytic model in characterizing the cure kinetics. The activation energy was determined from the autocatalytic model is 46.3661 kJ mol-1. The cure time were predicted from autocatalytic model and the obtained kinetic parameter by using the relationship among degree of conversion, cure temperature, and cure time. The predictions of cure time provide information for the actual curing characteristic of EPDM thermal insulation. The mechanical properties of EPDM thermal insulation with different vulcanization temperatures showed the same hardness, tensile strength and modulus at 300%, except at temperature 70 °C, while the elongation at breaking point decreased with increasing temperature of vulcanization. © 2015 BCREC UNDIP. All rights reservedReceived: 8th April 2014; Revised: 7th January 2015; Accepted: 16th January 2015How to Cite: Fathurrohman, M.I., Maspanger, D.R., Sutrisno, S. (2015. Vulcanization Kinetics and Mechanical Properties of Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer Thermal Insulation. Bulletin of Chemi-cal Reaction Engineering & Catalysis, 10 (2, 104-110. (doi:10.9767/bcrec.10.2.6682.104-110Permalink/DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.9767/bcrec.10.2.6682.104-110 

Coupling of Mechanical Behavior of Lithium Ion Cells to Electrochemical-Thermal (ECT) Models for Battery Crush

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Chao; Santhanagopalan, Shriram; Pesaran, Ahmad; Sahraei, Elham; Wierzbicki, Tom

2016-06-14

Vehicle crashes can lead to crushing of the battery, damaging lithium ion battery cells and causing local shorts, heat generation, and thermal runaway. Simulating all the physics and geometries at the same time is challenging and takes a lot of effort; thus, simplifications are needed. We developed a material model for simultaneously modeling the mechanical-electrochemical-thermal behavior, which predicted the electrical short, voltage drop, and thermal runaway behaviors followed by a mechanical abuse-induced short. The effect of short resistance on the battery cell performance was studied.

Ab Initio Study of Electronic, Structural, Thermal and Mechanical Characterization of Cadmium Chalcogenides

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Devi Prasadh P.S.

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Based on Density Functional Theory, we have applied Full Potential Augmented Plane Wave plus local orbital method (FAPW+loto study the electronic, structural, optical, thermal and mechanical properties of some semiconducting materials. In this paper we discuss the Zinc blende, CdX (X = S, Se and Te compounds with the full-potential linear-augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW method within the framework of the density functional theory (DFT for electronic, structural, thermal and mechanical properties using the WIEN2k code. For the purpose of exchange-correlation energy (Exc determination in Kohn–Sham calculation, the standard local density approximation (LDA formalism is utilized. Murnaghan’s equation of state (EOS is used for volume optimization by minimizing the total energy with respect to the unit cell volume. The calculated lattice parameters and thermal parameters are in good agreement with other theoretical calculations as well as available experimental data.

Making ''unconventional'' energy resources conventional

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beattie, D A; Bresee, J C; Cooper, M J; Herwig, L O; Kintner, E E

1977-01-01

Three ''unconventional'' energy technologies - geothermal, solar and fusion - looked upon in the United States as possessing significant potential for the large scale production of energy. Both fusion and solar energy promise virtually inexhaustible supplies in the long term while geothermal resources offer a relatively near term prospect for more modest, but still significant, energy contributions. Realizing energy production from any of these technologies will require: (1) a great deal of scientific information and/or engineering development; (2) a significant effort to achieve and insure attractive economics; and (3) the development of adequate industrial capacity and technological infrastructure. Here the status of the United States Energy Research and Development Administration's technology development programs in geothermal, solar and fusion energy systems is reviewed. Recent advances in overcoming significant technological barriers are discussed and future directions are described. Special needs and unique opportunities for contributions to each technology are also set forth.

Unconventional neurotransmitters, neurodegeneration and neuroprotection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Leonelli

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Neurotransmitters are also involved in functions other than conventional signal transfer between nerve cells, such as development, plasticity, neurodegeneration, and neuroprotection. For example, there is a considerable amount of data indicating developmental roles for the glutamatergic, cholinergic, dopaminergic, GABA-ergic, and ATP/adenosine systems. In this review, we discuss the existing literature on these "new" functions of neurotransmitters in relation to some unconventional neurotransmitters, such as the endocannabinoids and nitric oxide. Data indicating both transcriptional and post-transcriptional modulation of endocannabinoid and nitrinergic systems after neural lesions are discussed in relation to the non-conventional roles of these neurotransmitters. Knowledge of the roles of neurotransmitters in brain functions other than information transfer is critical for a more complete understanding of the functional organization of the brain and to provide more opportunities for the development of therapeutical tools aimed at minimizing neuronal death.

Thermal and Mechanical Buckling and Postbuckling Responses of Selected Curved Composite Panels

Science.gov (United States)

Breivik, Nicole L.; Hyer, Michael W.; Starnes, James H., Jr.

1998-01-01

The results of an experimental and numerical study of the buckling and postbuckling responses of selected unstiffened curved composite panels subjected to mechanical end shortening and a uniform temperature increase are presented. The uniform temperature increase induces thermal stresses in the panel when the axial displacement is constrained. An apparatus for testing curved panels at elevated temperature is described, numerical results generated by using a geometrically nonlinear finite element analysis code are presented. Several analytical modeling refinements that provide more accurate representation of the actual experimental conditions, and the relative contribution of each refinement, are discussed. Experimental results and numerical predictions are presented and compared for three loading conditions including mechanical end shortening alone, heating the panels to 250 F followed by mechanical end shortening, and heating the panels to 400 F. Changes in the coefficients of thermal expansion were observed as temperature was increased above 330 F. The effects of these changes on the experimental results are discussed for temperatures up to 400 F.

USU Alternative and Unconventional Energy Research and Development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Behunin, Robert [Utah State Univ., Logan, UT (United States); Wood, Byard [Utah State Univ., Logan, UT (United States); Heaslip, Kevin [Utah State Univ., Logan, UT (United States); Zane, Regan [Utah State Univ., Logan, UT (United States); Lyman, Seth [Utah State Univ., Logan, UT (United States); Simmons, Randy [Utah State Univ., Logan, UT (United States); Christensen, David [Utah State Univ., Logan, UT (United States)

2014-01-29

The purpose and rationale of this project has been to develop enduring research capabilities at Utah State University (USU) and the Utah State University Research Foundation (USURF) in a number of energy efficient and renewable energy areas including primarily a) algae energy systems, b) solar lighting, c) intuitive buildings, d) electric transportation, 3) unconventional energy environmental monitoring and beneficial reuse technologies (water and CO₂), f) wind energy profiling, and g) land use impacts. The long-term goal of this initiative has been to create high-wage jobs in Utah and a platform for sustained faculty and student engagement in energy research. The program’s objective has been to provide a balanced portfolio of R&D conducted by faculty, students, and permanent staff. This objective has been met. While some of the project’s tasks met with more success than others, as with any research project of this scope, overall the research has contributed valuable technical insight and broader understanding in key energy related areas. The algae energy systems research resulted in a highly productive workforce development enterprise as it graduated a large number of well prepared students entering alternative energy development fields and scholarship. Moreover, research in this area has demonstrated both the technological and economic limitations and tremendous potential of algae feedstock-based energy and co-products. Research conducted in electric transportation, specifically in both stationary and dynamic wireless inductive coupling charging technologies, has resulted in impactful advances. The project initiated the annual Conference on Electric Roads and Vehicles (http://www.cervconference.org/), which is growing and attracts more than 100 industry experts and scholars. As a direct result of the research, the USU/USURF spin-out startup, WAVE (Wireless Advanced Vehicle Electrification), continues work in wirelessly charged bus transit systems

ACCESS: Thermal Mechanical Design, Performance, and Status

Science.gov (United States)

Kaiser, Mary Elizabeth; Morris, M. J.; McCandliss, S. R.; Rauscher, B. J.; Kimble, R. A.; Kruk, J. W.; Wright, E. L.; Bohlin, R.; Kurucz, R. L.; Riess, A. G.; Pelton, R.; Deustua, S. E.; Dixon, W. V.; Sahnow, D. J.; Benford, D. J.; Gardner, J. P.; Feldman, P. D.; Moos, H. W.; Lampton, M.; Perlmutter, S.; Woodgate, B. E.

2014-01-01

Systematic errors associated with astrophysical data used to probe fundamental astrophysical questions, such as SNeIa observations used to constrain dark energy theories, are now rivaling and exceeding the statistical errors associated with these measurements. ACCESS: Absolute Color Calibration Experiment for Standard Stars is a series of rocket-borne sub-orbital missions and ground-based experiments designed to enable improvements in the precision of the astrophysical flux scale through the transfer of absolute laboratory detector standards from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to a network of stellar standards with a calibration accuracy of 1% and a spectral resolving power of 500 across the 0.35 - 1.7μm bandpass. Achieving this level of accuracy requires characterization and stability of the instrument and detector including a thermal background that contributes less than 1% to the flux per resolution element in the NIR. We will present the instrument and calibration status with a focus on the thermal mechanical design and associated performance data. The detector control and performance will be presented in a companion poster (Morris, et al). NASA APRA sounding rocket grant NNX08AI65G supports this work.

Crack formation and crack propagation under multiaxial mechanical and thermal stresses. Proceedings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

The 25th meeting of the DV Fracture Group was held on 16/17 February 1993 at Karlsruhe Technical University. The main topic, ''Crack formation and crack propagation under multiaxial mechanical and thermal stresses'', was discussed by five invited papers (by K.J. Miller, D. Loehe, H.A. Richard, W. Brocks, A. Brueckner-Foit) and 23 short papers. The other 21 papers were devoted to various domains of fracture mechanics, with emphasis on elastoplastic fracture mechanics. (orig./MM) [de

Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Styrene Butadiene Rubber - Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes Nanocomposites

KAUST Repository

Laoui, Tahar

2013-01-01

The effect of reinforcing styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) with functionalized carbon nanotubes on the mechanical and thermal properties of the nanocomposite was investigated. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were functionalized with phenol

Carbon Disulfide (CS2) Interference in Glucose Metabolism from Unconventional Oil and Gas Extraction and Processing Emissions.

Science.gov (United States)

Rich, Alisa L; Patel, Jay T; Al-Angari, Samiah S

2016-01-01

Carbon disulfide (CS2) has been historically associated with the manufacturing of rayon, cellophane, and carbon tetrachloride production. This study is one of the first to identify elevated atmospheric levels of CS2 above national background levels and its mechanisms to dysregulate normal glucose metabolism. Interference in glucose metabolism can indirectly cause other complications (diabetes, neurodegenerative disease, and retinopathy), which may be preventable if proper precautions are taken. Rich et al found CS2 and 12 associated sulfide compounds present in the atmosphere in residential areas where unconventional shale oil and gas extraction and processing operations were occurring. Ambient atmospheric concentrations of CS2 ranged from 0.7 parts per billion by volume (ppbv) to 103 ppbv over a continuous 24-hour monitoring period. One-hour ambient atmospheric concentrations ranged from 3.4 ppbv to 504.6 ppbv. Using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Urban Air Toxic Monitoring Program study as a baseline comparison for atmospheric CS2 concentrations found in this study, it was determined that CS2 atmospheric levels were consistently elevated in areas where unconventional oil and gas extraction and processing occurred. The mechanisms by which CS2 interferes in normal glucose metabolism by dysregulation of the tryptophan metabolism pathway are presented in this study. The literature review found an increased potential for alteration of normal glucose metabolism in viscose rayon occupational workers exposed to CS2. Occupational workers in the energy extraction industry exposed to CS2 and other sulfide compounds may have an increased potential for glucose metabolism interference, which has been an indicator for diabetogenic effect and other related health impacts. The recommendation of this study is for implementation of regular monitoring of blood glucose levels in CS2-exposed populations as a preventative health measure.

Mechanism for thermal relic dark matter of strongly interacting massive particles.

Science.gov (United States)

Hochberg, Yonit; Kuflik, Eric; Volansky, Tomer; Wacker, Jay G

2014-10-24

We present a new paradigm for achieving thermal relic dark matter. The mechanism arises when a nearly secluded dark sector is thermalized with the standard model after reheating. The freeze-out process is a number-changing 3→2 annihilation of strongly interacting massive particles (SIMPs) in the dark sector, and points to sub-GeV dark matter. The couplings to the visible sector, necessary for maintaining thermal equilibrium with the standard model, imply measurable signals that will allow coverage of a significant part of the parameter space with future indirect- and direct-detection experiments and via direct production of dark matter at colliders. Moreover, 3→2 annihilations typically predict sizable 2→2 self-interactions which naturally address the "core versus cusp" and "too-big-to-fail" small-scale structure formation problems.

Thermal mechanical analysis of a solid breeding blanket

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aquaro, Donato

2003-01-01

This paper deals with a theoretical model of thermal mechanical behaviour of pebble beds, used as neutron multiplier or tritium breeder in the breeding blanket of a fusion nuclear reactor. The model tries to sum up the advantages of the two approaches ('discrete' method and macroscopic method), presently used for analysing the pebble bed behaviour, without their intrinsic disadvantages. The developed method has the capability to describe the microscopic behaviour of the single sphere (as the discrete approach does), and the capability to model complex structures under variable loads, typical of the macroscopic approach, without doing the unrealistic assumption of continuum homogeneous and isotropic material. The model describes the thermal mechanical behaviour of a single sphere compressed in elastic plastic conditions. The obtained relations have been extrapolated to regular lattices of spheres and subsequently to pebble beds (characterised by a macroscopic parameter called 'packing factor') of simple geometric shapes using statistical considerations. The results of the model have been assessed by comparison with results obtained by means of numerical simulations and experimental tests. The ongoing activity is the implementation in a FEM code of a new finite element, which represents one or several regular lattices of spheres, the non linear stiffness of which is obtained from the mono dimensional compression model of one sphere. The results of the numerical simulation permits to construct and display the strain and stress distribution of the single spheres by means of an implemented graphical interface

Mechanical and thermal properties of irradiated films based on Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) proteins

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sabato, S.F. [Radiation Technology Center, IPEN-CNEN/SP, Av. Lineu Prestes 2242, 05508 900 Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)], E-mail: sfsabato@ipen.br; Nakamurakare, N.; Sobral, P.J.A. [Food Engineering Department, ZEA/FZEA/USP, Av. Duque de Caxias Norte 225, 13635 900 Pirassununga, SP (Brazil)

2007-11-15

Proteins are considered potential material in natural films as alternative to traditional packaging. When gamma radiation is applied to protein film forming solution it resulted in an improvement in mechanical properties of whey protein films. The objective of this work was the characterization of mechanical and thermal properties of irradiated films based on muscle proteins from Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). The films were prepared according to a casting technique with two levels of plasticizer: 25% and 45% glycerol and irradiated in electron accelerator type Radiation Dynamics, 0.550 MeV at dose range from 0 to 200 kGy. Thermal properties and mechanical properties were determined using a differential scanning calorimeter and a texture analyzer, respectively. Radiation from electron beam caused a slightly increase on its tensile strength characteristic at 100 kGy, while elongation value at this dose had no reduction.

Mechanical and thermal properties of irradiated films based on Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) proteins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sabato, S.F.; Nakamurakare, N.; Sobral, P.J.A.

2007-01-01

Proteins are considered potential material in natural films as alternative to traditional packaging. When gamma radiation is applied to protein film forming solution it resulted in an improvement in mechanical properties of whey protein films. The objective of this work was the characterization of mechanical and thermal properties of irradiated films based on muscle proteins from Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). The films were prepared according to a casting technique with two levels of plasticizer: 25% and 45% glycerol and irradiated in electron accelerator type Radiation Dynamics, 0.550 MeV at dose range from 0 to 200 kGy. Thermal properties and mechanical properties were determined using a differential scanning calorimeter and a texture analyzer, respectively. Radiation from electron beam caused a slightly increase on its tensile strength characteristic at 100 kGy, while elongation value at this dose had no reduction

Thermal loads and their effect on integrity of mechanical systems and components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koenig, G.; Schoeckle, F.

2010-01-01

The initial step to establish a required quality status of systems and components is performed during the state of design. Main goal of the design is to consider every possible damage mechanism of the future operation (by specification of loads, medium and environment and the selection of the materials). The knowledge during the state of design determines the reliability of the component. Regarding the thermal loads, especially, only global parameters are specified usually (transients of flow and temperature connected to specified operation). These global transients are analyzed according to the standards. In operation, the safety (integrity) resp. remaining life of a component is determined by the real operation history. As experience showed, failures, defects and not specified (new) loads were discovered during operation, e.g. stratification effects in feedwater pipes and in surge lines or thermal effects in the region of valves due to switching or internal leakage. Standard surveillance in operation is performed using plant transducers that can only monitor global loads. However, problems usually are of local nature. Thermal loads like - turbulent temperatures due to mixing of media with different temperatures - temperature differences across shells or in regions of nozzles/thermal sleeves - temperature differences in piping cross sections (local and global stratification effects) - temperature differences along sections of piping systems have to be monitored by use of local instrumentation. During analysis, both the local loads and construction details have to be considered, in detail, using appropriate calculation / analysis tools. The complexity of the loads requires a comprehensive procedure: - determine the types of loads resulting from measured temperature transients - perform sensitivity studies to identify the load type that results in relevant stresses - evaluate the stresses of the significant loads - assess these stresses according to component

Understanding the thermal, mechanical and electrical properties of epoxy nanocomposites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarathi, R.; Sahu, R.K.; Rajeshkumar, P.

2007-01-01

In the present work, the electrical, mechanical and thermal properties of epoxy nanocomposite materials were studied. The electrical insulation characteristics were analyzed through short time breakdown voltage test, accelerated electrical ageing test, and by tracking test. The breakdown voltage increases with increase in nano-clay content up to 5 wt%, under AC and DC voltages. The volume resistivity, permittivity and tan(δ) of the epoxy nanocomposites were measured. The Weibull studies indicate that addition of nanoclay upto 5 wt% enhances the characteristic life of epoxy nanocomposite insulation material. The tracking test results indicate that the tracking time is high with epoxy nanocomposites as compared to pure epoxy. Ageing studies were carried out to understand the surface characteristic variation through contact angle measurement. The hydrophobicity of the insulating material was analysed through contact angle measurement. The diffusion coefficients of the material with different percentage of clay in epoxy nanocomposites were calculated. The exfoliation characteristics in epoxy nanocomposites were analyzed through wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) studies. The thermal behaviour of the epoxy nanocomposites was analyzed by carrying out thermo gravimetric-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA) studies. Heat deflection temperature of the material was measured to understand the stability of the material for intermittent temperature variation. The dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) results indicated that storage modulus of the material increases with small amount of clay in epoxy resin. The activation energy of the material was calculated from the DMA results

Systematic comparison of mechanical and thermal sludge disintegration technologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Wett, B; Phothilangka, P; Eladawy, A

2010-06-01

This study presents a systematic comparison and evaluation of sewage sludge pre-treatment by mechanical and thermal techniques. Waste activated sludge (WAS) was pre-treated by separate full scale Thermo-Pressure-Hydrolysis (TDH) and ball milling facilities. Then the sludge was processed in pilot-scale digestion experiments. The results indicated that a significant increase in soluble organic matter could be achieved. TDH and ball milling pre-treatment could offer a feasible treatment method to efficiently disintegrate sludge and enhance biogas yield of digestion. The TDH increased biogas production by ca. 75% whereas ball milling allowed for an approximately 41% increase. The mechanisms of pre-treatment were investigated by numerical modeling based on Anaerobic Digestion Model No. 1 (ADM1) in the MatLab/SIMBA environment. TDH process induced advanced COD-solubilisation (COD(soluble)/COD(total)=43%) and specifically complete destruction of cell mass which is hardly degradable in conventional digestion. While the ball mill technique achieved a lower solubilisation rate (COD(soluble)/COD(total)=28%) and only a partial destruction of microbial decay products. From a whole-plant prospective relevant release of ammonia and formation of soluble inerts have been observed especially from thermal hydrolysis. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Choking flow modeling with mechanical and thermal non-equilibrium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoon, H.J.; Ishii, M.; Revankar, S.T. [School of Nuclear Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 (United States)

2006-01-15

The mechanistic model, which considers the mechanical and thermal non-equilibrium, is described for two-phase choking flow. The choking mass flux is obtained from the momentum equation with the definition of choking. The key parameter for the mechanical non-equilibrium is a slip ratio. The dependent parameters for the slip ratio are identified. In this research, the slip ratio which is defined in the drift flux model is used to identify the impact parameters on the slip ratio. Because the slip ratio in the drift flux model is related to the distribution parameter and drift velocity, the adequate correlations depending on the flow regime are introduced in this study. For the thermal non-equilibrium, the model is developed with bubble conduction time and Bernoulli choking model. In case of highly subcooled water compared to the inlet pressure, the Bernoulli choking model using the pressure undershoot is used because there is no bubble generation in the test section. When the phase change happens inside the test section, two-phase choking model with relaxation time calculates the choking mass flux. According to the comparison of model prediction with experimental data shows good agreement. The developed model shows good prediction in both low and high pressure ranges. (author)

Effect of Mo content on thermal and mechanical properties of Mo–Ru–Rh–Pd alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Masahira, Yusuke; Ohishi, Yuji; Kurosaki, Ken; Muta, Hiroaki; Yamanaka, Shinsuke; Komamine, Satoshi; Fukui, Toshiki; Ochi, Eiji

2015-01-01

Metallic inclusions are precipitated in irradiated oxide fuels. The composition of the phases varies with the burnup and the conditions such as temperature gradients and oxygen potential of the fuel. In the present work, Mo x/(0.7+x) (Ru 0.5 Rh 0.1 Pd 0.1 ) (0.7)/(0.7+x) (x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, and 0.25) alloys were prepared by arc melting, followed by annealing in a high vacuum. The thermal and mechanical properties of the alloys such as elastic moduli, Debye temperature, micro-Vickers hardness, electrical resistivity, and thermal conductivity have been evaluated to elucidate the effect of Mo content on these physical properties of the alloys. The alloys with lower Mo contents show higher thermal conductivity. The thermal conductivity of the alloy with x = 0 is almost twice of that of the alloy with x = 0.25. The thermal conductivities of the alloys are dominated by electronic contribution, which has been evaluated using the Wiedemann–Franz–Lorenz relation from the electrical resistivity data. It is confirmed that the variation of the Mo contents of the alloys considerably affects the mechanical and thermal properties of the alloys

Study on thermal and mechanical properties of U-tube materials for steam generator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rheu, Woo Suk; Kang, Young Hwan; Park, Jong Man; Joo, Ki Nam; Kim, Sung Soo; Maeng, Wan Young; Park, Se Jin

1993-01-01

Most of domestic nuclear plants have used I600 TT material for steam generator U-tube, and piled up the field experience. I600 HTMA and I690 TT, however, are recommended for an alternative of U-tube by ABB-CE since YK-3 and 4. Field experience of I600 HTMA and I690 TT have not compiled in the country, so it is concerned to select the future materials for U-tube. Thus, database on the thermal and mechanical properties of U-tube materials is very necessary for design documentations. In this study, the thermal, mechanical and metallugical properties were tested and evaluated to establish the database for steam generator U-tube. In addition, thermal conductivity of I600 and I690 was measured and compared statistically, providing a basic document for applying I690 to U-tube. The results will be used to improve the manufacturing process in order to increase the integrity of U-tube. (Author)

Mechanisms of thermally induced threshold voltage instability in GaN-based heterojunction transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Shu; Liu, Shenghou; Liu, Cheng; Lu, Yunyou; Chen, Kevin J.

2014-01-01

In this work, we attempt to reveal the underlying mechanisms of divergent V TH -thermal-stabilities in III-nitride metal-insulator-semiconductor high-electron-mobility transistor (MIS-HEMT) and MOS-Channel-HEMT (MOSC-HEMT). In marked contrast to MOSC-HEMT featuring temperature-independent V TH , MIS-HEMT with the same high-quality gate-dielectric/III-nitride interface and similar interface trap distribution exhibits manifest thermally induced V TH shift. The temperature-dependent V TH of MIS-HEMT is attributed to the polarized III-nitride barrier layer, which spatially separates the critical gate-dielectric/III-nitride interface from the channel and allows “deeper” interface trap levels emerging above the Fermi level at pinch-off. This model is further experimentally validated by distinct V G -driven Fermi level movements at the critical interfaces in MIS-HEMT and MOSC-HEMT. The mechanisms of polarized III-nitride barrier layer in influencing V TH -thermal-stability provide guidelines for the optimization of insulated-gate III-nitride power switching devices

Mechanical and thermal properties of HSC with fine natural pozzolana as SCM

Science.gov (United States)

KoÅ¥átková, Jaroslava; Čáchová, Monika; KoÅáková, Dana; Vejmelková, Eva; Reiterman, Pavel

2017-07-01

The paper is dealing with an influence of fine pozzolanic admixture supplementing a part of cement on various properties of high-strength concrete. The measured characteristics were basic physical properties, compressive strength and thermal properties (thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity). Replacing the cement by the natural pozzolana in higher dosages leads to the higher porosity and thus to the lower compressive strength of the developed material. Conversely, in case of lower amounts of pozzolana (up to 10% of weight) such replacement has an opposite consequence, the open porosity decreases which results in the higher compressive strength. Taking into account thermal properties which are enhanced by an increase of amount of pores, it is evident that it is necessary to optimize the amount of pozzolana (pozzolanic) admixture in order to obtain reasonable mechanical and thermal properties.

Inorganic Contaminants Associated with the Extraction of Unconventional Gas.Initial Analysis and Risk Assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, L.; Hurtado, A.; Recreo, F.; Eguilior, S.

2015-01-01

The latest technological developments in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing are driving a commercial scale extraction of unconventional fossil fuels in various regions of the world. Europe's position in relation to the exploitation of unconventional fossil fuels is this has to be made under a paradigm of coherence between the technical and economic-financial aspects and environments and public trust, which are essential and which will eventually would enable the viability of exploiting these resources.This requires, by those decision makers, both industry and regulators, a comprehensive management of the risks associated with these exploitations, which implies the need to develop tools of analysis and assessment to environmental impact and risk. The exploitation of unconventional hydrocarbons in formations of shale requires the creation of a network of artificial fractures to connect with production well Horizontal wells are drilled for this purpose and go on for several km into the shale formation. During drilling, a mixture of oil, gas and formation water is pumped to the surface. The water is separated from oil and gas in tanks or pools. The flowback and produced water contains different kinds of chemicals in varying concentrations: salt, oil and other organic compounds, suspended solids, bacteria, naturally occurring radioactive elements (NORM), and any element injected with the fracturing fluid. The concentration of these elements in the water may be increased due to the treatments suffered by flowback and produced water for disposal. Due to the large variability of contaminants in the flowback and produced water and the potentially large volumes involved, the determination of the its composition is essential for proper management of them and to prevent health, safety and environmental risks. This report covers the risk analysis of an unconventional gas extraction project, the initial assessment of the risks associated with the use and management of

Flexible hybrid energy cell for simultaneously harvesting thermal, mechanical, and solar energies.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Ya; Zhang, Hulin; Zhu, Guang; Lee, Sangmin; Lin, Zong-Hong; Wang, Zhong Lin

2013-01-22

We report the first flexible hybrid energy cell that is capable of simultaneously or individually harvesting thermal, mechanical, and solar energies to power some electronic devices. For having both the pyroelectric and piezoelectric properties, a polarized poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) film-based nanogenerator (NG) was used to harvest thermal and mechanical energies. Using aligned ZnO nanowire arrays grown on the flexible polyester (PET) substrate, a ZnO-poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) heterojunction solar cell was designed for harvesting solar energy. By integrating the NGs and the solar cells, a hybrid energy cell was fabricated to simultaneously harvest three different types of energies. With the use of a Li-ion battery as the energy storage, the harvested energy can drive four red light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

Evaluation of ethanol aged PVDF: diffusion, crystallinity and dynamic mechanical thermal properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, Agmar J.J.; Costa, Marysilvia F.

2015-01-01

This work discuss firstly the effect of the ethanol fuel absorption by PVDF at 60°C through mass variation tests. A Fickian character was observed for the ethanol absorption kinetics of the aged PVDF at 60°C. In the second step, the dynamic mechanical thermal properties (E’, E’, E” and tan δ) of the PVDF were evaluated through dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). The chemical structure of the materials was analyzed by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), and significant changes in the degree of crystallinity were verified after the aging. However, DMTA results showed a reduction in the storage modulus (E') of the aged PVDF, which was associated to diffusion of ethanol and swelling of the PVDF, which generated a prevailing plasticizing effect and led to reduction of its structural stiffness. (author)

Effects of vacuum thermal cycling on mechanical and physical properties of high performance carbon/bismaleimide composite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu Qi; Chen Ping; Gao Yu; Mu Jujie; Chen Yongwu; Lu Chun; Liu Dong

2011-01-01

Highlights: → The level of cross-links was improved to a certain extent. → The thermal stability was firstly improved and then decreased. → The transverse and longitudinal CTE were both determined by the degree of interfacial debonding. → The mass loss ratio increases firstly and then reaches a plateau value. → The surface morphology was altered and the surface roughness increased firstly and then decreased. → The transverse tensile strength was reduced. → The flexural strength increased firstly and then decreased to a plateau value. → The ILSS increased firstly and then decreased to a plateau value. - Abstract: The aim of this article was to investigate the effects of vacuum thermal cycling on mechanical and physical properties of high performance carbon/bismaleimide (BMI) composites used in aerospace. The changes in dynamic mechanical properties and thermal stability were characterized by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), respectively. The changes in linear coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) were measured in directions perpendicular and parallel to the fiber direction, respectively. The outgassing behavior of the composites were examined. The evolution of surface morphology and surface roughness were observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Changes in mechanical properties including transverse tensile strength, flexural strength and interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) were measured. The results indicated that the vacuum thermal cycling could improve the crosslinking degree and the thermal stability of resin matrix to a certain extent, and induce matrix outgassing and thermal stress, thereby leading to the mass loss and the interfacial debonding of the composite. The degradation in transverse tensile strength was caused by joint effects of the matrix outgassing and the interfacial debonding, while the changes in flexural strength and ILSS were affected by a competing effect between the crosslinking degree

Three-dimensional FE analysis of the thermal-mechanical behaviors in the nuclear fuel rods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang Yijie; Cui Yi; Huo Yongzhong; Ding Shurong

2011-01-01

Highlights: → We establish three-dimensional finite element models for nuclear fuel rods. → The thermal-mechanical behaviors at the initial stage of burnup are obtained. → Several parameters on the in-pile performances are investigated. → The parameters have remarkable effects on the in-pile behaviors. → This study lays a foundation for optimal design and irradiation safety. - Abstract: In order to implement numerical simulation of the thermal-mechanical behaviors in the nuclear fuel rods, a three-dimensional finite element model is established. The thermal-mechanical behaviors at the initial stage of burnup in both the pellet and the cladding are obtained. Comparison of the obtained numerical results with those from experiments validates the developed finite element model. The effects of the constraint conditions, several operation and structural parameters on the thermal-mechanical performances of the fuel rod are investigated. The research results indicate that: (1) with increasing the heat generation rates from 0.15 to 0.6 W/mm 3 , the maximum temperature within the pellet increases by 99.3% and the maximum radial displacement at the outer surface of the pellet increases by 94.3%. And the maximum Mises stresses in the cladding all increase; while the maximum values of the first principal stresses within the pellet decrease as a whole; (2) with increasing the heat transfer coefficients between the cladding and the coolant, the internal temperatures reduce and the temperature gradient remains similar; when the heat transfer coefficient is lower than a critical value, the temperature change is sensitive to the heat transfer coefficient. The maximum temperature increases only 7.13% when h changes from 0.5 W/mm 2 K to 0.01 W/mm 2 K, while increases up to 54.7% when h decreases from 0.01 W/mm 2 K to 0.005 W/mm 2 K; (3) the initial gap sizes between the pellet and the cladding significantly affect the thermal-mechanical behaviors in the fuel rod; when the

Philippines targeting unconventional sources for uranium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reyes, R.

2014-01-01

The quest for uranium in the Philippines dates back in the mid–1950s and to date about 70% of the country has been systematically explored, from reconnaissance to some detailed level using the combined radiometric and geochemical survey methods. However, no major uranium deposit has been discovered so far, only some minor mineralization. Also, there is a general view that the geological environment of the Philippines is unfavourable for uranium based on the lack of similarity between the geological features of known uranium–producing districts around the world and that of the country. It is in this light that the search for uranium in the country shifted to unconventional sources. The first unconventional source of uranium (U) that is being looked into is from rare earth elements (REE)–thorium (Th) minerals. Radiometric measurements along the beaches in northern Palawan identified major REE–Th and minor U potential areas. Heavy beach and stream panned concentrate gave high values of REE and Th, including U within the Ombo and Erawan coastal areas. Preliminary evaluation conducted in these two prospective areas indicated; 1) in the Ombo area, an estimated reserve of 750 t of Th, 30,450 t of REE and 80 t of U contained in about 540,000 t of beach sand with a respective average grade of 0.14% Th, 5.64% REE and 0.015% U, and 2) in the Erawan area, an estimated total reserve of 2,200 t of Th, 113,430 t of REE and 150 t U contained in 2,450,00 t of beach sand with an average grade of 0.09% Th, 4.63% REE and 0.006% U, respectively. Major allanite and minor monazite are the minerals identified and the source of these heavy minerals is the Tertiary Kapoas granitic intrusive rocks. Another unconventional source is a base metal zone with numerous occurrences containing complex assemblages of Cu–Mo–U within the Larap–Paracale mineralized district in Camarines Norte province, in which uranium may be produced as a by–product. A private mining company conducted

The fuel and channel thermal/mechanical behaviour code FACTAR 2.0 (LOCA)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Westbye, C.J.; Mackinnon, J.C.; Gu, B.W.

1996-01-01

The computer code FACTAR 2.0 (LOCA) models the thermal and mechanical response of components within a single CANDU fuel channel under loss-of-coolant accident conditions. This code version is the successor to the FACTAR 1.x code series, and features many modelling enhancements over its predecessor. In particular, the thermal hydraulic treatment has been extended to model reverse and bi-directional coolant flow, and the axial variation in coolant flow rate. Thermal radiation is calculated by a detailed surface-to-surface model, and the ability to represent a greater range of geometries (including experimental configurations employed in code validation) has been implemented. Details of these new code treatments are described in this paper. (author)

Prelysosomal Compartments in the Unconventional Secretion of Amyloidogenic Seeds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Helena Borland

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A mechanistic link between neuron-to-neuron transmission of secreted amyloid and propagation of protein malconformation cytopathology and disease has recently been uncovered in animal models. An enormous interest in the unconventional secretion of amyloids from neurons has followed. Amphisomes and late endosomes are the penultimate maturation products of the autophagosomal and endosomal pathways, respectively, and normally fuse with lysosomes for degradation. However, under conditions of perturbed membrane trafficking and/or lysosomal deficiency, prelysosomal compartments may instead fuse with the plasma membrane to release any contained amyloid. After a brief introduction to the endosomal and autophagosomal pathways, we discuss the evidence for autophagosomal secretion (exophagy of amyloids, with a comparative emphasis on Aβ1–42 and α-synuclein, as luminal and cytosolic amyloids, respectively. The ESCRT-mediated import of cytosolic amyloid into late endosomal exosomes, a known vehicle of transmission of macromolecules between cells, is also reviewed. Finally, mechanisms of lysosomal dysfunction, deficiency, and exocytosis are exemplified in the context of genetically identified risk factors, mainly for Parkinson’s disease. Exocytosis of prelysosomal or lysosomal organelles is a last resort for clearance of cytotoxic material and alleviates cytopathy. However, they also represent a vehicle for the concentration, posttranslational modification, and secretion of amyloid seeds.

Unconventional superconductivity in magic-angle graphene superlattices

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Yuan; Fatemi, Valla; Fang, Shiang; Watanabe, Kenji; Taniguchi, Takashi; Kaxiras, Efthimios; Jarillo-Herrero, Pablo

2018-04-01

The behaviour of strongly correlated materials, and in particular unconventional superconductors, has been studied extensively for decades, but is still not well understood. This lack of theoretical understanding has motivated the development of experimental techniques for studying such behaviour, such as using ultracold atom lattices to simulate quantum materials. Here we report the realization of intrinsic unconventional superconductivity—which cannot be explained by weak electron–phonon interactions—in a two-dimensional superlattice created by stacking two sheets of graphene that are twisted relative to each other by a small angle. For twist angles of about 1.1°—the first ‘magic’ angle—the electronic band structure of this ‘twisted bilayer graphene’ exhibits flat bands near zero Fermi energy, resulting in correlated insulating states at half-filling. Upon electrostatic doping of the material away from these correlated insulating states, we observe tunable zero-resistance states with a critical temperature of up to 1.7 kelvin. The temperature–carrier-density phase diagram of twisted bilayer graphene is similar to that of copper oxides (or cuprates), and includes dome-shaped regions that correspond to superconductivity. Moreover, quantum oscillations in the longitudinal resistance of the material indicate the presence of small Fermi surfaces near the correlated insulating states, in analogy with underdoped cuprates. The relatively high superconducting critical temperature of twisted bilayer graphene, given such a small Fermi surface (which corresponds to a carrier density of about 1011 per square centimetre), puts it among the superconductors with the strongest pairing strength between electrons. Twisted bilayer graphene is a precisely tunable, purely carbon-based, two-dimensional superconductor. It is therefore an ideal material for investigations of strongly correlated phenomena, which could lead to insights into the physics of high

Thermal creep effects on 20% cold worked AISI 316 mechanical properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duncan, D.R.

1980-09-01

The effects of thermal creep on subsequent mechanical properties of 20% cold worked AISI 316 pressurized tubes were investigated. Specimens were subjected to temperatures of 811 to 977 0 K and stresses of 86 MPa to 276 MPa. This resulted in strains up to 1.3%. Subsequent mechanical property tests included load change stress rupture tests (original test pressure increased or decreased), uniaxial tensile tests, and temperature ramp burst tests. Load change stress rupture tests were consistent with predictions from isobaric tests, and thus, consistent with the linear life fraction rule. Tests with large stress increases and tests at 866 0 K displayed a tendency for earlier than predicted failure. Tensile and temperature ramp burst tests had only slight effects on material properties (property changes were attributed to thermal recovery). The test results showed that, under the conditions of investigation, dislocation structure recovery was the most significant effect of creep. 9 figures, 5 tables

Two-particle self-consistent approach to unconventional superconductivity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Otsuki, Junya [Department of Physics, Tohoku University, Sendai (Japan); Theoretische Physik III, Zentrum fuer Elektronische Korrelationen und Magnetismus, Universitaet Augsburg (Germany)

2013-07-01

A non-perturbative approach to unconventional superconductivity is developed based on the idea of the two-particle self-consistent (TPSC) theory. An exact sum-rule which the momentum-dependent pairing susceptibility satisfies is derived. Effective pairing interactions between quasiparticles are determined so that an approximate susceptibility should fulfill this sum-rule, in which fluctuations belonging to different symmetries mix at finite momentum. The mixing leads to a suppression of the d{sub x{sup 2}-y{sup 2}} pairing close to the half-filling, resulting in a maximum of T{sub c} away from half-filling.

An Unconventional Inchworm Actuator Based on PZT/ERFs Control Technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Guojun; Zhang, Yanyan; Liu, Jianfang; Li, Jianqiao; Tang, Chunxiu; Wang, Tengfei; Yang, Xuhao

2016-01-01

An unconventional inchworm actuator for precision positioning based on piezoelectric (PZT) actuation and electrorheological fluids (ERFs) control technology is presented. The actuator consists of actuation unit (PZT stack pump), fluid control unit (ERFs valve), and execution unit (hydraulic actuator). In view of smaller deformation of PZT stack, a new structure is designed for actuation unit, which integrates the advantages of two modes (namely, diaphragm type and piston type) of the volume changing of pump chamber. In order to improve the static shear yield strength of ERFs, a composite ERFs valve is designed, which adopts the series-parallel plate compound structure. The prototype of the inchworm actuator has been designed and manufactured in the lab. Systematic test results indicate that the displacement resolution of the unconventional inchworm actuator reaches 0.038 μm, and the maximum driving force and velocity are 42 N, 14.8 mm/s, respectively. The optimal working frequency for the maximum driving velocity is 120 Hz. The complete research and development processes further confirm the feasibility of developing a new type of inchworm actuator with high performance based on PZT actuation and ERFs control technology, which provides a reference for the future development of a new type of actuator.

An Unconventional Inchworm Actuator Based on PZT/ERFs Control Technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guojun Liu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available An unconventional inchworm actuator for precision positioning based on piezoelectric (PZT actuation and electrorheological fluids (ERFs control technology is presented. The actuator consists of actuation unit (PZT stack pump, fluid control unit (ERFs valve, and execution unit (hydraulic actuator. In view of smaller deformation of PZT stack, a new structure is designed for actuation unit, which integrates the advantages of two modes (namely, diaphragm type and piston type of the volume changing of pump chamber. In order to improve the static shear yield strength of ERFs, a composite ERFs valve is designed, which adopts the series-parallel plate compound structure. The prototype of the inchworm actuator has been designed and manufactured in the lab. Systematic test results indicate that the displacement resolution of the unconventional inchworm actuator reaches 0.038 μm, and the maximum driving force and velocity are 42 N, 14.8 mm/s, respectively. The optimal working frequency for the maximum driving velocity is 120 Hz. The complete research and development processes further confirm the feasibility of developing a new type of inchworm actuator with high performance based on PZT actuation and ERFs control technology, which provides a reference for the future development of a new type of actuator.

Geologic, stratigraphic, thermal, and mechanical factors which influence repository design in the bedded salt environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ashby, J.P.; Nair, O.; Ortman, D.; Rowe, J.

1979-12-01

This report describes the geologic, stratigraphic, thermal, and mechanical considerations applicable to repository design. The topics discussed in the report include: tectonic activity; geologic structure; stratigraphy; rock mechanical properties; and hydrologic properties

Thermal mechanical analysis of applications with internal heat generation

Science.gov (United States)

Govindarajan, Srisharan Garg

control blade, spatial variations in temperature within the control blade occur from the non-uniform heat generation within the BORAL as a result of the non-uniform thermal neutron flux along the longitudinal direction when the control blade is partially withdrawn. There is also variation in the heating profile through the thickness and about the circumferential width of the control blade. Mathematical curve-fits are generated for the non-uniform volumetric heat generation profile caused by the thermal neutron absorption and the functions are applied as heating conditions within a finite element model of the control blade built using the commercial finite element code Abaqus FEA. The finite element model is solved as a fully coupled thermal mechanical problem as in the case of the annular target. The resulting deflection is compared with the channel gap to determine if there is a significant risk of the control blade binding during reactor operation. Hence, this dissertation will consist of two sections. The first section will seek to present the thermal and structural safety analyses of the annular targets for the production of molybdenum-99. Since there hasn't been any detailed, documented, study on these annular targets in the past, the work complied in this dissertation will help to understand the thermal-mechanical behavior and failure margins of the target during in-vessel irradiation. As the work presented in this dissertation provides a general performance analysis envelope for the annular target, the tools developed in the process can also be used as useful references for future analyses that are specific to any reactor. The numerical analysis approach adopted and the analytical models developed, can also be applied to other applications, outside the Mo-99 project domain, where internal heat generation exists such as in electronic components and nuclear reactor control blades. The second section will focus on estimating the thermally induced deflection and hence

Unconventional oil and gas spills: Materials, volumes, and risks to surface waters in four states of the U.S.

Science.gov (United States)

Maloney, Kelly O; Baruch-Mordo, Sharon; Patterson, Lauren A; Nicot, Jean-Philippe; Entrekin, Sally A; Fargione, Joseph E; Kiesecker, Joseph M; Konschnik, Kate E; Ryan, Joseph N; Trainor, Anne M; Saiers, James E; Wiseman, Hannah J

2017-03-01

Extraction of oil and gas from unconventional sources, such as shale, has dramatically increased over the past ten years, raising the potential for spills or releases of chemicals, waste materials, and oil and gas. We analyzed spill data associated with unconventional wells from Colorado, New Mexico, North Dakota and Pennsylvania from 2005 to 2014, where we defined unconventional wells as horizontally drilled into an unconventional formation. We identified materials spilled by state and for each material we summarized frequency, volumes and spill rates. We evaluated the environmental risk of spills by calculating distance to the nearest stream and compared these distances to existing setback regulations. Finally, we summarized relative importance to drinking water in watersheds where spills occurred. Across all four states, we identified 21,300 unconventional wells and 6622 reported spills. The number of horizontal well bores increased sharply beginning in the late 2000s; spill rates also increased for all states except PA where the rate initially increased, reached a maximum in 2009 and then decreased. Wastewater, crude oil, drilling waste, and hydraulic fracturing fluid were the materials most often spilled; spilled volumes of these materials largely ranged from 100 to 10,000L. Across all states, the average distance of spills to a stream was highest in New Mexico (1379m), followed by Colorado (747m), North Dakota (598m) and then Pennsylvania (268m), and 7.0, 13.3, and 20.4% of spills occurred within existing surface water setback regulations of 30.5, 61.0, and 91.4m, respectively. Pennsylvania spills occurred in watersheds with a higher relative importance to drinking water than the other three states. Results from this study can inform risk assessments by providing improved input parameters on volume and rates of materials spilled, and guide regulations and the management policy of spills. Published by Elsevier B.V.

STATIC TESTS OF UNCONVENTIONAL PROPULSION UNITS FOR ULTRALIGHT AIRPLANES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Helmich

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This paper presents static tests of a new unconventional propulsion unit for small aviation airplanes. Our laboratory stand – a fan drive demonstrator – enables us to compare various design options. We performed experiments to verify the propulsion functionality and a measurement procedure to determine the available thrust of the propulsion unit and its dependence on engine speed. The results used for subsequent optimization include the operating parameters of the propulsion unit, and the temperature and velocity fields in parts of the air duct.

Mechanical Testing of Carbon Based Woven Thermal Protection Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Pham, John; Agrawal, Parul; Arnold, James O.; Peterson, Keith; Venkatapathy, Ethiraj

2013-01-01

Three Dimensional Woven thermal protection system (TPS) materials are one of the enabling technologies for mechanically deployable hypersonic decelerator systems. These materials have been shown capable of serving a dual purpose as TPS and as structural load bearing members during entry and descent operations. In order to ensure successful structural performance, it is important to characterize the mechanical properties of these materials prior to and post exposure to entry-like heating conditions. This research focuses on the changes in load bearing capacity of woven TPS materials after being subjected to arcjet simulations of entry heating. Preliminary testing of arcjet tested materials [1] has shown a mechanical degradation. However, their residual strength is significantly more than the requirements for a mission to Venus [2]. A systematic investigation at the macro and microstructural scales is reported here to explore the potential causes of this degradation. The effects of heating on the sizing (an epoxy resin coating used to reduce friction and wear during fiber handling) are discussed as one of the possible causes for the decrease in mechanical properties. This investigation also provides valuable guidelines for margin policies for future mechanically deployable entry systems.

Mechanical, thermal and microstructural characteristics of cellulose fibre reinforced epoxy/organoclay nanocomposites

KAUST Repository

Alamri, H.

2012-10-01

Epoxy nanocomposites reinforced with recycled cellulose fibres (RCFs) and organoclay platelets (30B) have been fabricated and investigated in terms of WAXS, TEM, mechanical properties and TGA. Results indicated that mechanical properties generally increased as a result of the addition of nanoclay into the epoxy matrix. The presence of RCF significantly enhanced flexural strength, fracture toughness, impact strength and impact toughness of the composites. However, the inclusion of 1 wt.% clay into RCF/epoxy composites considerably increased the impact strength and toughness. The presence of either nanoclay or RCF accelerated the thermal degradation of neat epoxy, but at high temperature, thermal stability was enhanced with increased char residue over neat resin. The failure micromechanisms and energy dissipative processes in these nanocomposites were discussed in terms of microstructural observations. © 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comprehensive thermal-hydraulic and thermal-mechanical analysis of core and fuel rods for the safety validation of real refueling at the Kozloduy WWER-440

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stefanova, S; Panajotov, D; Ilieva, B; Vitkova, M; Simeonova, V; Passage, G; Manolova, M [Bylgarska Akademiya na Naukite, Sofia (Bulgaria). Inst. za Yadrena Izsledvaniya i Yadrena Energetika

1996-12-31

Safety analysis aimed at determination of thermal-hydraulic and thermal-mechanical margins of core and fuel rods has been carried out using computer codes COBSOFM and PIN-micro. Thermal-hydraulic calculations for the part of the core with maximum heat flux during steady-state regime show that the coolant, cladding and fuel temperatures are within the design limits. A severe accident with reactor blackout has been simulated. It is found that at 95% probability level there is no boiling crisis anywhere in the core. The thermal-mechanical parameters of working assembly fuel rod with maximum load have been calculated. The assembly linear power reached a maximum of 25 kW/m during the second fuel cycle, the fuel temperature remaining well below 1000{sup o} C. As the fuel assembly with typical power history has enough safety margins, it was proposed to use it for one more cycle. 4 refs., 12 figs.

Topological Magnon Bands and Unconventional Superconductivity in Pyrochlore Iridate Thin Films

Science.gov (United States)

Laurell, Pontus; Fiete, Gregory A.

2017-04-01

We theoretically study the magnetic properties of pyrochlore iridate bilayer and trilayer thin films grown along the [111] direction using a strong coupling approach. We find the ground state magnetic configurations on a mean field level and carry out a spin-wave analysis about them. In the trilayer case the ground state is found to be the all-in-all-out (AIAO) state, whereas the bilayer has a deformed AIAO state. For all parameters of the spin-orbit coupled Hamiltonian we study, the lowest magnon band in the trilayer case has a nonzero Chern number. In the bilayer case we also find a parameter range with nonzero Chern numbers. We calculate the magnon Hall response for both geometries, finding a striking sign change as a function of temperature. Using a slave-boson mean-field theory we study the doping of the trilayer system and discover an unconventional time-reversal symmetry broken d +i d superconducting state. Our study complements prior work in the weak coupling limit and suggests that the [111] grown thin film pyrochlore iridates are a promising candidate for topological properties and unconventional orders.

Service with a smile : service companies are enjoying unconventional gas boom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lunan, D.

2005-01-01

This article presented financial information from Calgary Brokerage House Peters and Co. Ltd. relating to the growth of unconventional gas production in Canada. The long-lived, stable and low-decline resource is expected to offset some of the rapid reservoir decline many producers are experiencing in conventional operations. However, it is anticipated that service companies involved in well drilling, well stimulation and infrastructure needs of the unconventional gas sector will become more profitable than the operations. In an expansive research paper published late last year, the brokerage house also noted that 2004 marked the transition year for coalbed methane (CBM), as the concept moved from experimental to an increasingly important source of natural gas production. It was suggested that CBM activity could represent the biggest growth opportunity for the Canadian oil-field service sector. Companies using newer generations of coiled tubing drilling units were expected to have the greatest success, as the units are extremely agile and can often drill more than one well a day. A review of service companies was presented, with details of financial activities, including revenues, stock market information and economic forecasts. 4 figs

Topological Magnon Bands and Unconventional Superconductivity in Pyrochlore Iridate Thin Films.

Science.gov (United States)

Laurell, Pontus; Fiete, Gregory A

2017-04-28

We theoretically study the magnetic properties of pyrochlore iridate bilayer and trilayer thin films grown along the [111] direction using a strong coupling approach. We find the ground state magnetic configurations on a mean field level and carry out a spin-wave analysis about them. In the trilayer case the ground state is found to be the all-in-all-out (AIAO) state, whereas the bilayer has a deformed AIAO state. For all parameters of the spin-orbit coupled Hamiltonian we study, the lowest magnon band in the trilayer case has a nonzero Chern number. In the bilayer case we also find a parameter range with nonzero Chern numbers. We calculate the magnon Hall response for both geometries, finding a striking sign change as a function of temperature. Using a slave-boson mean-field theory we study the doping of the trilayer system and discover an unconventional time-reversal symmetry broken d+id superconducting state. Our study complements prior work in the weak coupling limit and suggests that the [111] grown thin film pyrochlore iridates are a promising candidate for topological properties and unconventional orders.

Application of a thermally assisted mechanical dewatering process to biomass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mahmoud, A.; Arlabosse, P. [Universite de Toulouse, Mines Albi, CNRS, Campus Jarlard, F-81013 Albi cedex 09 (France); Ecole des Mines Albi, Centre RAPSODEE, Campus Jarlard, F-81013 Albi (France); Fernandez, A. [Universite de Toulouse, INSA, UPS, INP, LISBP, 135 Avenue de Rangueil, F-31400 Toulouse (France); INRA, UMR792 Ingenierie des Systemes Biologiques et des Procedes, CNRS, UMR5504, F-31400 Toulouse (France)

2011-01-15

Thermally assisted mechanical dewatering (TAMD) is a new process for energy-efficient liquid/solids separation which enhances conventional-device efficiency. The main idea of this process is to supply a flow of heat in mechanical dewatering processes to favour the reduction of the liquid content. This is not a new idea but the proposed combination, especially the chosen operating conditions (T < 100 C and P < 3000 kPa) constitutes an original approach and a significant energy saving since the liquid is kept in liquid state. Response surface methodology was used to evaluate the effects of the processing parameters of TAMD on the final dry solids content, which is a fundamental dewatering parameter and an excellent indicator of the extent of TAMD. In this study, a two-factor central composite design was used to establish the optimum conditions for the TAMD of alfalfa biomass. Experiments were carried out on a laboratory compression cell. Experiments showed that the dewatering enhancement results only from thermal effects. With a moderate heat supply (T{sub piston} = 80 C), the dry solid content of the press cake can reach 66%, compared to 36% at ambient temperature. A significant regression model, describing changes on final dry solids content with respect to independent variables, was established with determination coefficient, R{sup 2}, greater than 88%. With an energy consumption of less than 150 kWh/m{sup 3}, the use of the TAMD process before a thermal drying process leads to an energy saving of at least 30% on the overall separation chain. (author)

Thermal stress analysis and thermo-mechanical fatigue for gas turbine blade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hyun, J. S.; Kim, B. S.; Kang, M. S.; Ha, J. S.; Lee, Y. S.

2002-01-01

The numerical analysis for gas turbine blades were carried out under several conditions by compounding temperature field, velocity field, thermal conduction of blade, and cooling heat transfer. The three types of 1,100 deg. C class 1st-stage gas turbine blades were analyzed. The analysis results are applied to the study on evaluating the remaining life for thermo-mechanical fatigue life. The thermo-mechanical fatigue experiments under out-of-phase and in-phase have been performed. The physical-based life prediction models which considered the contribution of different damage mechanisms have been applied. These models were applied to the temperature and strain rate dependences of isothermal cycling fatigue lives, and the strain-temperature history effect on the thermo-mechanical fatigue lives

Thermal fluid-solid interaction model and experimental validation for hydrostatic mechanical face seals

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Weifeng; Liao, Chuanjun; Liu, Xiangfeng; Suo, Shuangfu; Liu, Ying; Wang, Yuming

2014-09-01

Hydrostatic mechanical face seals for reactor coolant pumps are very important for the safety and reliability of pressurized-water reactor power plants. More accurate models on the operating mechanism of the seals are needed to help improve their performance. The thermal fluid-solid interaction (TFSI) mechanism of the hydrostatic seal is investigated in this study. Numerical models of the flow field and seal assembly are developed. Based on the mechanism for the continuity condition of the physical quantities at the fluid-solid interface, an on-line numerical TFSI model for the hydrostatic mechanical seal is proposed using an iterative coupling method. Dynamic mesh technology is adopted to adapt to the changing boundary shape. Experiments were performed on a test rig using a full-size test seal to obtain the leakage rate as a function of the differential pressure. The effectiveness and accuracy of the TFSI model were verified by comparing the simulation results and experimental data. Using the TFSI model, the behavior of the seal is presented, including mechanical and thermal deformation, and the temperature field. The influences of the rotating speed and differential pressure of the sealing device on the temperature field, which occur widely in the actual use of the seal, are studied. This research proposes an on-line and assembly-based TFSI model for hydrostatic mechanical face seals, and the model is validated by full-sized experiments.

The testing of thermal-mechanical-hydrological-chemical processes using a large block

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, W.; Wilder, D.G.; Blink, J.A.; Blair, S.C.; Buscheck, T.A.; Chesnut, D.A.; Glassley, W.E.; Lee, K.; Roberts, J.J.

1994-01-01

The radioactive decay heat from nuclear waste packages may, depending on the thermal load, create coupled thermal-mechanical-hydrological-chemical (TMHC) processes in the near-field environment of a repository. A group of tests on a large block (LBT) are planned to provide a timely opportunity to test and calibrate some of the TMHC model concepts. The LBT is advantageous for testing and verifying model concepts because the boundary conditions are controlled, and the block can be characterized before and after the experiment. A block of Topopah Spring tuff of about 3 x 3 x 4.5 m will be sawed and isolated at Fran Ridge, Nevada Test Site. Small blocks of the rock adjacent to the large block will be collected for laboratory testing of some individual thermal-mechanical, hydrological, and chemical processes. A constant load of about 4 MPa will be applied to the top and sides of the large block. The sides will be sealed with moisture and thermal barriers. The large block will be heated with one heater in each borehole and guard heaters on the sides so that a dry-out zone and a condensate zone will exist simultaneously. Temperature, moisture content, pore pressure, chemical composition, stress and displacement will be measured throughout the block during the heating and cool-down phases. The results from the experiments on small blocks and the tests on the large block will provide a better understanding of some concepts of the coupled TMHC processes

The aspects regarding plugging the defective tubes of the steam generator using plastic deformation of the plug wall by conventional or unconventional techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gyongyosi, Tiberiu

2006-01-01

After a brief introduction the advantages and disadvantages of two plugging methods of the defective tubes from steam generator by plastic deformation of the wall of the plug, deformation performed by mechanical rolling (conventional technique) and by electrohydraulic shock (unconventional technique), respectively, are showed. The paper gives the results of the experimental tests to install the plugs at the end of the tube having the same geometry with those of the steam generator, the performance reached in this stage and some conclusions in the end

Effects of carbon content on high-temperature mechanical and thermal fatigue properties of high-boron austenitic steels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiang Chen

2016-01-01

Full Text Available High-temperature mechanical properties of high-boron austenitic steels (HBASs were studied at 850 °C using a dynamic thermal-mechanical simulation testing machine. In addition, the thermal fatigue properties of the alloys were investigated using the self-restraint Uddeholm thermal fatigue test, during which the alloy specimens were cycled between room temperature and 800°C. Stereomicroscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to study the surface cracks and cross-sectional microstructure of the alloy specimens after the thermal fatigue tests. The effects of carbon content on the mechanical properties at room temperature and high-temperature as well as thermal fatigue properties of the HBASs were also studied. The experimental results show that increasing carbon content induces changes in the microstructure and mechanical properties of the HBASs. The boride phase within the HBAS matrix exhibits a round and smooth morphology, and they are distributed in a discrete manner. The hardness of the alloys increases from 239 (0.19wt.% C to 302 (0.29wt.% C and 312 HV (0.37wt.% C; the tensile yield strength at 850 °C increases from 165.1 to 190.3 and 197.1 MPa; and the compressive yield strength increases from 166.1 to 167.9 and 184.4 MPa. The results of the thermal fatigue tests (performed for 300 cycles from room temperature to 800 °C indicate that the degree of thermal fatigue of the HBAS with 0.29wt.% C (rating of 2–3 is superior to those of the alloys with 0.19wt.% (rating of 4–5 and 0.37wt.% (rating of 3–4 carbon. The main cause of this difference is the ready precipitation of M23(C,B6-type borocarbides in the alloys with high carbon content during thermal fatigue testing. The precipitation and aggregation of borocarbide particles at the grain boundaries result in the deterioration of the thermal fatigue properties of the alloys.

Mechanical and thermal properties of castor oil polyurethane bone cement after gamma irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Azevedo, E.C.; Chierice, G.O.; Claro Neto, S.; Lepiesnki, C.M.; Nascimento, E.M.

2009-01-01

Polyurethanes from castor oil are being employed as bone cement in medical applications. In this work the thermal and mechanical properties of gamma irradiated polyurethanes derivative from castor oil were investigated by instrumented indentation, thermogravimetry and scanning electron microscopy. A slightly increase in hardness is observed only for doses as high as 100 kGy. Thermal analysis indicates stability at human body temperature. The glass transition temperature has small changes after gamma irradiation. (author)

Mechanical and thermal properties of polypropylene composites with curaua fibre irradiated with gamma radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Egute, Nayara S.; Forster, Pedro L.; Parra, Duclerc F.; Fermino, Danilo M.; Santana, Sebastiao; Lugao, Ademar B.

2009-01-01

Thermal and mechanical behavior of polypropylene with curaua fibre composites were investigated. The treatment of the curaua fibres was processed in alkaline solution (10% wt NaOH). A coupling agent was used (maleic anhydride) to increase the adhesion of the fibre/matrix interface. This composite was irradiated with gamma source in the doses of 5, 15 and 30 kGy and the adhesion between the fibres and the polymeric matrix was monitored to observe probable changes. The thermal behavior was evaluated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Thermogravimetry (TGA). The mechanical behavior was evaluated using tensile strength in comparison with non-reinforced polypropylene resin. The morphology of the composite fracture surface was observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). There were no significant changes in the thermal properties neither in the adhesion of irradiated fibres at doses of 5, 15 and 30 kGy of gamma radiation. (author)

Thermal and mechanical improvement of aluminum open-cells foams through electrodeposition of copper and graphene

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simoncini Alessandro

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Thanks to its planar structure, graphene is characterized by unique properties, such as excellent chemical inactivity, high electrical and thermal conductivity, high optical transparency, extraordinary flexibility and high mechanical resistance, which make it suitable in a very wide range of applications. This paper details the state of the art in graphene coating applied to aluminum open-cells foams for the improvement of their mechanical and thermal behavior. Metallic foams are highly porous materials with extremely high convective heat transfer coefficients, thanks to their complex structure of three-dimensional open-cells. Graphene nanoplatelets have been used to improve thermal conductivity of aluminum foams, to make them better suitable during heat transfer in transient state. Also, an improvement of mechanical resistance has been observed. Before electrodeposition, all the samples have been subjected to sandblasting process, to eliminate the oxide layer on the surface, enabling a better adhesion of the coating. Different nanoparticles of graphene have been used. The experimental findings revealed a higher thermal conductivity for aluminum open cells foams electroplated with graphene. Considered the relatively low process costs and the improvements obtainable, these materials are very promising in many technological fields. The topics covered include surface modification, electrochemical plating, thermo-graphic analysis.

Potential for unconventional energy sources for the United Kingdom

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leighton, L H; Wright, J K; Syrett, J J

1977-01-01

The unconventional sources considered are solar energy, wind power, wave and tidal power, and geothermal heat. Their potential contribution to energy supply in the UK is being assessed as part of a wider exercise aimed at formulating a national energy R and D strategy sufficiently robust to be valid for a wide range of possible future conditions. For each of the sources considered, the present state of knowledge of the magnitude of the potential resource base is outlined and the inherent characteristics of each are discussed in terms of environmental impact and of estimated cost relative to conventional technology. With respect to the latter, attention is drawn to the inherent variability of most of the sources, which imposes upon them a cost penalty for back-up plant and/or large scale storage is firm power is to be assured. The progress that has been made in drawing up, for each of the sources, a national R and D program compatible with the assessment of development potential is outlined, and a tentative estimate is made of the maximum credible contribution the sources could make to energy supply in the UK by the end of the century. The concluding paragraphs deal with the prospects for the next century and indicate that the long-term uncertainties on energy supply justify a determined effort to convert the most promising of the unconventional sources into the well-researched technological options that may be needed.

[Unconventional disease agents--a danger for humans and animals?].

Science.gov (United States)

Kaaden, O R

1994-02-01

The occurrence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Great Britain in 1985/86, has focused again the public concern as well as scientific interest to the Scrapie disease of sheep and goat known more than 150 years. The agents of scrapie and BSE are characterized by unusual biological and physical-chemical properties, especially their high tenacity. Therefore, they are also designated "unconventional agents of viruses". Different theories have been proposed about their infectious characteristics--especially because of the apparent or real missing of an agent-specific nucleic acid--which are named Virinos, Prions or Nemavirus. The broad host range of Scrapie respective BSE, which includes domestic and wild ruminants, Suidae, Felidae, Mustelidae, small rodents, birds and non-primates, has created some concern since there might be an aetiological correlation between the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies of man (Creutzfeld-Jakob- and Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker-Disease) and that of animals. Although at present neither epidemiological nor molecular biological evidence whatsoever was proved, the hypothesis cannot be completely disproved. The probability of infection through digestive tract seems to be rather unlikely but special precautions should be taken as far as production, investigation and application of human medicine drugs of animal origin. Furthermore, research about the aetiology of "unconventional agents" and pathogenesis of resulting diseases is necessary and should be intensified in Germany. Finally, only an early intra vitam-Diagnose and in vitro detection can avoid an further spread of this new category of diseases.

U.S. Joint Special Operations Forces: Two Few, Overworked, Young, Homogenous & Macho to Fulfill the Unconventional Demands of the Long War?

Science.gov (United States)

2008-05-28

OVERWORKED , YOUNG, HOMOGENOUS, & MACHO TO FULFILL THE UNCONVENTIONAL DEMANDS OF THE LONG WAR? SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR...U.S. Joint Special Operations Forces: Two Few, Overworked , Young, Homogenous & Macho to Fulfill the Unconventional Demands of the Long War? 5a...to be the targets of nearly daily mortar, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and occasional suicide vehicle-borne IED (SVBIED) attacks. It

Critical Minerals and Energy–Impacts and Limitations of Moving to Unconventional Resources

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benjamin C. McLellan

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The nexus of minerals and energy becomes ever more important as the economic growth and development of countries in the global South accelerates and the needs of new energy technologies expand, while at the same time various important minerals are declining in grade and available reserves from conventional mining. Unconventional resources in the form of deep ocean deposits and urban ores are being widely examined, although exploitation is still limited. This paper examines some of the implications of the transition towards cleaner energy futures in parallel with the shifts through conventional ore decline and the uptake of unconventional mineral resources. Three energy scenarios, each with three levels of uptake of renewable energy, are assessed for the potential of critical minerals to restrict growth under 12 alternative mineral supply patterns. Under steady material intensities per unit of capacity, the study indicates that selenium, indium and tellurium could be barriers in the expansion of thin-film photovoltaics, while neodymium and dysprosium may delay the propagation of wind power. For fuel cells, no restrictions are observed.

Effects of Inorganic Fillers on the Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Poly(lactic acid).

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xingxun; Wang, Tongxin; Chow, Laurence C; Yang, Mingshu; Mitchell, James W

Addition of filler to polylactic acid (PLA) may affect its crystallization behavior and mechanical properties. The effects of talc and hydroxyapatite (HA) on the thermal and mechanical properties of two types of PLA (one amorphous and one semicrystalline) have been investigated. The composites were prepared by melt blending followed by injection molding. The molecular weight, morphology, mechanical properties, and thermal properties have been characterized by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), scanning electron microscope (SEM), instron tensile tester, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). It was found that the melting blending led to homogeneous distribution of the inorganic filler within the PLA matrix but decreased the molecular weight of PLA. Regarding the filler, addition of talc increased the crystallinity of PLA, but HA decreased the crystallinity of PLA. The tensile strength of the composites depended on the crystallinity of PLA and the interfacial properties between PLA and the filler, but both talc and HA filler increased the toughness of PLA.

Effects of Inorganic Fillers on the Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Poly(lactic acid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xingxun Liu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Addition of filler to polylactic acid (PLA may affect its crystallization behavior and mechanical properties. The effects of talc and hydroxyapatite (HA on the thermal and mechanical properties of two types of PLA (one amorphous and one semicrystalline have been investigated. The composites were prepared by melt blending followed by injection molding. The molecular weight, morphology, mechanical properties, and thermal properties have been characterized by gel permeation chromatography (GPC, scanning electron microscope (SEM, instron tensile tester, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC, and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA. It was found that the melting blending led to homogeneous distribution of the inorganic filler within the PLA matrix but decreased the molecular weight of PLA. Regarding the filler, addition of talc increased the crystallinity of PLA, but HA decreased the crystallinity of PLA. The tensile strength of the composites depended on the crystallinity of PLA and the interfacial properties between PLA and the filler, but both talc and HA filler increased the toughness of PLA.

Experimental analysis on physical and mechanical properties of thermal shock damage of granite

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

He Xiao

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to explore the changes of mechanical and physical properties of granite under different thermal loading effects. Uniaxial compression experiments studying the rules of the influence of temperature load on mechanical properties of granite were carried out. After high-temperature heating at above 600 °C, granite tended to have stronger ductility and plasticity as well as declined peak stress and compressive strength. Thermogravimetry - differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC analysis results showed that, thermal load at different temperatures induced reactions such as water loss, oxidation and crystallization in the microstructure of granite, which led to physical changes of granite. Hence it is concluded that, heating can significantly weaken the mechanical performance of granite, which provides an important support for the optimization of heating assisted processing of granite. It also reveals that, heating assisted cutting technique can effectively lower energy consumption and improve processing efficiency.

Mechanical properties and shape memory effect of thermal-responsive polymer based on PVA

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Liulan; Zhang, Lingfeng; Guo, Yanwei

2018-01-01

In this study, the effect of content of glutaraldehyde (GA) on the shape memory behavior of a shape memory polymer based on polyvinyl alcohol chemically cross-linked with GA was investigated. Thermal-responsive shape memory composites with three different GA levels, GA-PVA (3 wt%, 5 wt%, 7 wt%), were prepared by particle melting, mold forming and freeze-drying technique. The mechanical properties, thermal properties and shape memory behavior were measured by differential scanning calorimeter, physical bending test and cyclic thermo-mechanical test. The addition of GA to PVA led to a steady shape memory transition temperature and an improved mechanical compressive strength. The composite with 5 wt% of GA exhibited the best shape recoverability. Further increase in the crosslinking agent content of GA would reduce the recovery force and prolong the recovery time due to restriction in the movement of the soft PVA chain segments. These results provide important information for the study on materials in 4D printing.

Enhanced thermal and mechanical properties of PVA composites formed with filamentous nanocellulose fibrils.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wei; Wu, Qiong; Zhao, Xin; Huang, Zhanhua; Cao, Jun; Li, Jian; Liu, Shouxin

2014-11-26

Long filamentous nanocellulose fibrils (NCFs) were prepared from chemical-thermomechanical pulps (CTMP) using ultrasonication. Their contribution to enhancements in thermal stability and mechanical properties of poly(vinyl alcohol) films were investigated. The unique chemical pretreatment and mechanical effects of CTMP loosen and unfold fibers during the pulping process, which enables further chemical purification and subsequent ultrasound treatment for formation of NCFs. The NCFs exhibited higher crystallinity (72.9%) compared with that of CTMP (61.5%), and had diameters ranging from 50 to 120 nm. A NCF content of 6 wt% was found to yield the best thermal stability, light transmittance, and mechanical properties in the PVA/NCF composites. The composites also exhibited a visible light transmittance of 73.7%, and the tensile strength and Young's modulus were significantly improved, with values 2.8 and 2.4 times larger, respectively, than that of neat PVA. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mechanisms of thermally induced threshold voltage instability in GaN-based heterojunction transistors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Shu; Liu, Shenghou; Liu, Cheng; Lu, Yunyou; Chen, Kevin J., E-mail: eekjchen@ust.hk [Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon (Hong Kong)

2014-12-01

In this work, we attempt to reveal the underlying mechanisms of divergent V{sub TH}-thermal-stabilities in III-nitride metal-insulator-semiconductor high-electron-mobility transistor (MIS-HEMT) and MOS-Channel-HEMT (MOSC-HEMT). In marked contrast to MOSC-HEMT featuring temperature-independent V{sub TH}, MIS-HEMT with the same high-quality gate-dielectric/III-nitride interface and similar interface trap distribution exhibits manifest thermally induced V{sub TH} shift. The temperature-dependent V{sub TH} of MIS-HEMT is attributed to the polarized III-nitride barrier layer, which spatially separates the critical gate-dielectric/III-nitride interface from the channel and allows “deeper” interface trap levels emerging above the Fermi level at pinch-off. This model is further experimentally validated by distinct V{sub G}-driven Fermi level movements at the critical interfaces in MIS-HEMT and MOSC-HEMT. The mechanisms of polarized III-nitride barrier layer in influencing V{sub TH}-thermal-stability provide guidelines for the optimization of insulated-gate III-nitride power switching devices.

Numerical modelling of levee stability based on coupled mechanical, thermal and hydrogeological processes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dwornik Maciej

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The numerical modelling of coupled mechanical, thermal and hydrogeological processes for a soil levee is presented in the paper. The modelling was performed for a real levee that was built in Poland as a part of the ISMOP project. Only four parameters were changed to build different flood waves: the water level, period of water increase, period of water decrease, and period of low water level after the experiment. Results of numerical modelling shows that it is possible and advisable to calculate simultaneously changes of thermal and hydro-mechanical fields. The presented results show that it is also possible to use thermal sensors in place of more expensive pore pressure sensors, with some limitations. The results of stability analysis show that the levee is less stable when the water level decreases, after which factor of safety decreases significantly. For all flooding wave parameters described in the paper, the levee is very stable and factor of safety variations for any particular stage were not very large.

Microcracking in composite laminates under thermal and mechanical loading. Thesis

Science.gov (United States)

Maddocks, Jason R.

1995-01-01

Composites used in space structures are exposed to both extremes in temperature and applied mechanical loads. Cracks in the matrix form, changing the laminate thermoelastic properties. The goal of the present investigation is to develop a predictive methodology to quantify microcracking in general composite laminates under both thermal and mechanical loading. This objective is successfully met through a combination of analytical modeling and experimental investigation. In the analysis, the stress and displacement distributions in the vicinity of a crack are determined using a shear lag model. These are incorporated into an energy based cracking criterion to determine the favorability of crack formation. A progressive damage algorithm allows the inclusion of material softening effects and temperature-dependent material properties. The analysis is implemented by a computer code which gives predicted crack density and degraded laminate properties as functions of any thermomechanical load history. Extensive experimentation provides verification of the analysis. AS4/3501-6 graphite/epoxy laminates are manufactured with three different layups to investigate ply thickness and orientation effects. Thermal specimens are cooled to progressively lower temperatures down to -184 C. After conditioning the specimens to each temperature, cracks are counted on their edges using optical microscopy and in their interiors by sanding to incremental depths. Tensile coupons are loaded monotonically to progressively higher loads until failure. Cracks are counted on the coupon edges after each loading. A data fit to all available results provides input parameters for the analysis and shows them to be material properties, independent of geometry and loading. Correlation between experiment and analysis is generally very good under both thermal and mechanical loading, showing the methodology to be a powerful, unified tool. Delayed crack initiation observed in a few cases is attributed to a

Thermal Degradation Mechanism of a Thermostable Polyester Stabilized with an Open-Cage Oligomeric Silsesquioxane

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yolanda Bautista

2017-12-01

Full Text Available A polyester composite was prepared through the polymerization of an unsaturated ester resin with styrene and an open-cage oligomeric silsesquioxane with methacrylate groups. The effect of the open-cage oligomeric silsesquioxane on the thermal stability of the thermostable polyester was studied using both thermogravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis. The results showed that the methacryl oligomeric silsesquioxane improved the thermal stability of the polyester. The decomposition mechanism of the polyester/oligomer silsesquioxane composite was proposed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR analysis of the volatiles.

Quantum Corrected Non-Thermal Radiation Spectrum from the Tunnelling Mechanism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Subenoy Chakraborty

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The tunnelling mechanism is today considered a popular and widely used method in describing Hawking radiation. However, in relation to black hole (BH emission, this mechanism is mostly used to obtain the Hawking temperature by comparing the probability of emission of an outgoing particle with the Boltzmann factor. On the other hand, Banerjee and Majhi reformulated the tunnelling framework deriving a black body spectrum through the density matrix for the outgoing modes for both the Bose-Einstein distribution and the Fermi-Dirac distribution. In contrast, Parikh and Wilczek introduced a correction term performing an exact calculation of the action for a tunnelling spherically symmetric particle and, as a result, the probability of emission of an outgoing particle corresponds to a non-strictly thermal radiation spectrum. Recently, one of us (C. Corda introduced a BH effective state and was able to obtain a non-strictly black body spectrum from the tunnelling mechanism corresponding to the probability of emission of an outgoing particle found by Parikh and Wilczek. The present work introduces the quantum corrected effective temperature and the corresponding quantum corrected effective metric is written using Hawking’s periodicity arguments. Thus, we obtain further corrections to the non-strictly thermal BH radiation spectrum as the final distributions take into account both the BH dynamical geometry during the emission of the particle and the quantum corrections to the semiclassical Hawking temperature.

Interpretation of Simultaneous Mechanical-Electrical-Thermal Failure in a Lithium-Ion Battery Module: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Chao; Santhanagopalan, Shriram; Stock, Mark J.; Brunhart-Lupo, Nicholas; Gruchalla, Kenny

2016-12-01

Lithium-ion batteries are currently the state-of- the-art power sources for electric vehicles, and their safety behavior when subjected to abuse, such as a mechanical impact, is of critical concern. A coupled mechanical-electrical-thermal model for simulating the behavior of a lithium-ion battery under a mechanical crush has been developed. We present a series of production-quality visualizations to illustrate the complex mechanical and electrical interactions in this model.

The effect of mechanical cleaning and thermal disinfection on light intensity provided by fibrelight Macintosh laryngoscopes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bucx, M. J. L.; de Gast, H. M.; Veldhuis, J.; Hassing, L. H.; Meulemans, A.; Kammeyer, A.

2003-01-01

The increased use of thermal decontamination procedures for fibrelight laryngoscope blades, to comply with international guidelines, will have considerable economical effects. We evaluated the effect of mechanical cleaning plus thermal disinfection at 90degreesC, with or without subsequent steam

Thermal Stability, Combustion Behavior, and Mechanical Property in a Flame-Retardant Polypropylene System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lili Wang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In order to comprehensively improve the strength, toughness, flame retardancy, smoke suppression, and thermal stability of polypropylene (PP, layered double hydroxide (LDH Ni0.2Mg2.8Al–LDH was synthesized by a coprecipitation method coupled with the microwave-hydrothermal treatment. The X-ray diffraction (XRD, morphology, mechanical, thermal, and fire properties for PP composites containing 1 wt %–20 wt % Ni0.2Mg2.8Al–LDH were investigated. The cone calorimeter tests confirm that the peak heat release rate (pk–HRR of PP–20%LDH was decreased to 500 kW/m2 from the 1057 kW/m2 of PP. The pk–HRR, average mass loss rate (AMLR and effective heat of combustion (EHC analysis indicates that the condensed phase fire retardant mechanism of Ni0.2Mg2.8Al–LDH in the composites. The production rate and mean release yield of CO for composites gradually decrease as Ni0.2Mg2.8Al–LDH increases in the PP matrix. Thermal analysis indicates that the decomposition temperature for PP–5%LDH and PP–10%LDH is 34 °C higher than that of the pure PP. The mechanical tests reveal that the tensile strength of PP–1%LDH is 7.9 MPa higher than that of the pure PP. Furthermore, the elongation at break of PP–10%LDH is 361% higher than PP. In this work, the synthetic LDH Ni0.2Mg2.8Al–LDH can be used as a flame retardant, smoke suppressant, thermal stabilizer, reinforcing, and toughening agent of PP products.

Thermal, dielectric characteristics and conduction mechanism of azodyes derived from quinoline and their copper complexes.

Science.gov (United States)

El-Ghamaz, N A; Diab, M A; El-Bindary, A A; El-Sonbati, A Z; Nozha, S G

2015-05-15

A novel series of (5-(4'-derivatives phenyl azo)-8-hydroxy-7-quinolinecarboxaldehyde) (AQLn) (n=1, p-OCH3; n=2, R=H; and n=3; p-NO2) and their complexes [Cu(AQLn)2]·5H2O are synthesized and investigated. The optimized bond lengths, bond angles and the calculated quantum chemical parameters for AQLn are investigated. HOMO-LUMO energy gap, absolute electronegativities, chemical potentials, and absolute hardness are also calculated. The thermal properties, dielectric properties, alternating current conductivity (σac) and conduction mechanism are investigated in the frequency range 0.1-100kHz and temperature range 293-568K for AQL1-3 and 318-693K for [Cu(AQL1-3)2]·5H2O complexes. The thermal properties are of ligands (AQLn) and their Cu(II) complexes investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The temperature and frequency dependence of the real and the imaginary part of the dielectric constant are studied. The values of the thermal activation energy of conduction mechanism for AQLn and their complexes [Cu(AQLn)2]·5H2O under investigation are calculated at different test frequencies. The values of thermal activation energies ΔE1 and ΔE2 for AQLn and [Cu(AQLn)2]·5H2O decrease with increasing the values of frequency. The ac conductivity is found to be depending on the chemical structure of the compounds. Different conduction mechanisms have been proposed to explain the obtained experimental data. The small polaron tunneling (SPT) is the dominant conduction mechanism for AQL1 and its complex [Cu(AQL1)2]·5H2O. The quantum mechanical tunneling (QMT) is the dominant conduction mechanism for AQL2 and its complex [Cu(AQL2)2]·5H2O. The correlated barrier hopping (CBH) is the dominant conduction mechanism for AQL3 and its complex [Cu(AQL3)2]·5H2O, and the values of the maximum barrier height (Wm) are calculated. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optical and mechanical tolerances in hybrid concentrated thermal-PV solar trough.

Science.gov (United States)

Diaz, Liliana Ruiz; Cocilovo, Byron; Miles, Alexander; Pan, Wei; Blanche, Pierre-Alexandre; Norwood, Robert A

2018-05-14

Hybrid thermal-PV solar trough collectors combine concentrated photovoltaics and concentrated solar power technology to harvest and store solar energy. In this work, the optical and mechanical requirements for optimal efficiency are analyzed using non-sequential ray tracing techniques. The results are used to generate opto-mechanical tolerances that can be compared to those of traditional solar collectors. We also explore ideas on how to relieve tracking tolerances for single-axis solar collectors. The objective is to establish a basis for tolerances required for the fabrication and manufacturing of hybrid solar trough collectors.

Analysis of an acyl-CoA binding protein in Aspergillus oryzae that undergoes unconventional secretion.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Hee Su; Kawaguchi, Kouhei; Kikuma, Takashi; Takegawa, Kaoru; Kitamoto, Katsuhiko; Higuchi, Yujiro

2017-11-04

Acyl-CoA binding protein (ACBP) plays important roles in the metabolism of lipids in eukaryotic cells. In the industrially important filamentous fungus Aspergillus oryzae, although we have previously demonstrated that the A. oryzae ACBP (AoACBP) localizes to punctate structures and exhibits long-range motility, which is dependent on autophagy-related proteins, the physiological role of AoACBP remains elusive. Here, we describe identification and characterization of another ACBP from A. oryzae; we named this ACBP as AoAcb2 and accordingly renamed AoACBP as AoAcb1. The deduced amino acid sequence of AoAcb2 lacked a signal peptide. Phylogenetic analysis classified AoAcb2 into a clade that was same as the ACBP Acb1 of the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but was different from that of AoAcb1. In contrast to punctate localization of AoAcb1, AoAcb2 was found to be dispersedly distributed in the cytoplasm, as was previously observed for the S. cerevisiae Acb1. Since we could not generate an Aoacb2 disruptant, we created an Aoacb2 conditional mutant that exhibited less growth under Aoacb2-repressed condition, suggesting that Aoacb2 is an essential gene for growth. Moreover, we observed that A. oryzae AoAcb2, but not A. oryzae AoAcb1, was secreted under carbon-starved condition, suggesting that AoAcb2 might be secreted via the unconventional protein secretion (UPS) pathway, just like S. cerevisiae Acb1. We also demonstrated that the unconventional secretion of AoAcb2 was dependent on the t-SNARE AoSso1, but was independent of the autophagy-related protein AoAtg1, suggesting that the unconventional secretion of AoAcb2, unlike that of S. cerevisiae Acb1, via the UPS pathway, is not regulated by the autophagy machinery. Thus, the filamentous fungus A. oryzae harbors two types of ACBPs, one of which appears to be essential for growth and undergoes unconventional secretion. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Microstructural, mechanical, and thermal characteristics of recycled cellulose fiber-halloysite-epoxy hybrid nanocomposites

KAUST Repository

Alamri, H.

2012-02-26

Epoxy hybrid-nanocomposites reinforced with recycled cellulose fibers (RCF) and halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) have been fabricated and investigated. The dispersion of HNTs was studied by synchrotron radiation diffraction (SRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The influences of RCF/HNTs dispersion on the mechanical properties and thermal properties of these composites have been characterized in terms of flexural strength, flexural modulus, fracture toughness, impact toughness, impact strength, and thermogravimetric analysis. The fracture surface morphology and toughness mechanisms were investigated by SEM. Results indicated that mechanical properties increased because of the addition of HNTs into the epoxy matrix. Flexural strength, flexural modulus, fracture toughness, and impact toughness increased by 20.8, 72.8, 56.5, and 25.0%, respectively, at 1 wt% HNTs load. The presence of RCF dramatically enhanced flexural strength, fracture toughness, impact strength, and impact toughness of the composites by 160%, 350%, 444%, and 263%, respectively. However, adding HNTs to RCF/epoxy showed only slight enhancements in flexural strength and fracture toughness. The inclusion of 5 wt% HNTs into RCF/epoxy ecocomposites increased the impact toughness by 27.6%. The presence of either HNTs or RCF accelerated the thermal degradation of neat epoxy. However, at high temperature, samples reinforced with RCF and HNTs displayed better thermal stability with increased char residue than neat resin. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers.

Epitaxial Growth and Cracking Mechanisms of Thermally Sprayed Ceramic Splats

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Lin; Yang, Guan-jun

2018-02-01

In the present study, the epitaxial growth and cracking mechanisms of thermally sprayed ceramic splats were explored. We report, for the first time, the epitaxial growth of various splat/substrate combinations at low substrate temperatures (100 °C) and large lattice mismatch (- 11.26%). Our results suggest that thermal spray deposition was essentially a liquid-phase epitaxy, readily forming chemical bonding. The interface temperature was also estimated. The results convincingly demonstrated that atoms only need to diffuse and rearrange over a sufficiently short range during extremely rapid solidification. Concurrently, severe cracking occurred in the epitaxial splat/substrate systems, which indicated high tensile stress was produced during splat deposition. The origin of the tensile stress was attributed to the strong constraint of the locally heated substrate by its cold surroundings.

Mechanical, Thermal and Functional Properties of Green Lightweight Foamcrete

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Md Azree Othuman Mydin

2012-09-01

Full Text Available In recent times, the construction industry has revealed noteworthy attention in the use of lightweight foamcrete as a building material due to its many favourable characteristics such as lighter weight, easy to fabricate, durable and cost effective. Foamcrete is a material consisting of Portland cement paste or cement filler matrix (mortar with a homogeneous pore structure created by introducing air in the form of small bubbles. With a proper control in dosage of foam and methods of production, a wide range of densities (400 – 1600 kg/m 3 of foamcrete can be produced thus providing flexibility for application such as structural elements, partition, insulating materials and filling grades. Foamcrete has so far been applied primarily as a filler material in civil engineering works. However, its good thermal and acoustic performance indicates its strong potential as a material in building construction. The focus of this paper is to classify literature on foamcrete in terms of its mechanical, thermal and functional properties.

Carbon Disulfide (CS2) Mechanisms in Formation of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Formation from Unconventional Shale Gas Extraction and Processing Operations and Global Climate Change.

Science.gov (United States)

Rich, Alisa L; Patel, Jay T

2015-01-01

Carbon disulfide (CS2) has been historically associated with the production of rayon, cellophane, and carbon tetrachloride. This study identifies multiple mechanisms by which CS2 contributes to the formation of CO2 in the atmosphere. CS2 and other associated sulfide compounds were found by this study to be present in emissions from unconventional shale gas extraction and processing (E&P) operations. The breakdown products of CS2; carbonyl sulfide (COS), carbon monoxide (CO), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) are indirect greenhouse gases (GHGs) that contribute to CO2 levels in the atmosphere. The heat-trapping nature of CO2 has been found to increase the surface temperature, resulting in regional and global climate change. The purpose of this study is to identify five mechanisms by which CS2 and the breakdown products of CS2 contribute to atmospheric concentrations of CO2. The five mechanisms of CO2 formation are as follows: Chemical Interaction of CS2 and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) present in natural gas at high temperatures, resulting in CO2 formation;Combustion of CS2 in the presence of oxygen producing SO2 and CO2;Photolysis of CS2 leading to the formation of COS, CO, and SO2, which are indirect contributors to CO2 formation;One-step hydrolysis of CS2, producing reactive intermediates and ultimately forming H2S and CO2;Two-step hydrolysis of CS2 forming the reactive COS intermediate that reacts with an additional water molecule, ultimately forming H2S and CO2. CS2 and COS additionally are implicated in the formation of SO2 in the stratosphere and/or troposphere. SO2 is an indirect contributor to CO2 formation and is implicated in global climate change.

Evaluation of mechanical and thermal properties of insulation materials for HTS power devices at liquid nitrogen temperature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shin, Hyung Seop; Diaz, Mark Angelo [Dept. of Mechanical Design Engineering, Andong National University, Andong (Korea, Republic of)

2017-06-15

In superconducting power devices including power cables in which high temperature superconducting (HTS) tapes are utilized, a reliable electrical insulation should be achieved for its maximum performance. For an efficient design of HTS superconducting devices, a comparative evaluation of the mechanical and thermal propperties for various insulation materials at cryogenic temperatures is required. Especially, in the process of the property evaluation of the sheet-shaped insulation materials, anisotropy according to the machining direction should be considered because the mechanical and thermal properties are significantly influenced by the sample orientation. In this study, the cryogenic thermal and mechanical properties of various insulation material sheets such as PPLP, Cryoflex, Teflon, and Kapton were determined considering sample orientation. All samples tested at cryogenic temperature showed significantly higher tensile strength as compared with that of room temperature. The ultimate tensile strength at both temperature conditions significantly depended upon the sample orientation. The thermal properties of the insulation materials exhibited a slight difference among samples depending on the orientation: for the PPLP and Cryoflex, the CD orientation showed larger thermal contraction up to 77 K as compared to the MD one. MD samples in PPLP and Cryoflex showed a lower CTE and thermal contraction which made it more promising as an insulation material due to its comparable CTE with HTS CC tapes.

Mechanical Behaviour of Stainless Steels under Dynamic Loading: An Investigation with Thermal Methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rosa De Finis

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Stainless steels are the most exploited materials due to their high mechanical strength and versatility in producing different alloys. Although there is great interest in these materials, mechanical characterisation, in particular fatigue characterisation, requires the application of several standardised procedures involving expensive and time-consuming experimental campaigns. As a matter of fact, the use of Standard Test Methods does not rely on a physical approach, since they are based on a statistical evaluation of the fatigue limit with a fixed probabilistic confidence. In this regard, Infra-Red thermography, the well-known, non-destructive technique, allows for the development of an approach based on evaluation of dissipative sources. In this work, an approach based on a simple analysis of a single thermographic sequence has been presented, which is capable of providing two indices of the damage processes occurring in material: the phase shift of thermoelastic signal φ and the amplitude of thermal signal at twice the loading frequency, S2. These thermal indices can provide synergetic information about the mechanical (fatigue and fracture behaviour of austenitic AISI 316L and martensitic X4 Cr Ni Mo 16-5-1; since they are related to different thermal effects that produce damage phenomena. In particular, the use of φ and S2 allows for estimation of the fatigue limit of stainless steels at loading ratio R = 0.5 in agreement with the applied Standard methods. Within Fracture Mechanics tests, both indices demonstrate the capacity to localize the plastic zone and determine the position of the crack tip. Finally, it will be shown that the value of the thermoelastic phase signal can be correlated with the mechanical behaviour of the specific material (austenitic or martensitic.

Flexural resonance mechanism of thermal transport across graphene-SiO2 interfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Ong, Zhun-Yong; Qiu, Bo; Xu, Shanglong; Ruan, Xiulin; Pop, Eric

2018-03-01

Understanding the microscopic mechanism of heat dissipation at the dimensionally mismatched interface between a two-dimensional (2D) crystal and its substrate is crucial for the thermal management of devices based on 2D materials. Here, we study the lattice contribution to thermal (Kapitza) transport at graphene-SiO2 interfaces using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and non-equilibrium Green's functions (NEGF). We find that 78 percent of the Kapitza conductance is due to sub-20 THz flexural acoustic modes, and that a resonance mechanism dominates the interfacial phonon transport. MD and NEGF estimate the classical Kapitza conductance to be hK ≈ 10 to 16 MW K-1 m-2 at 300 K, respectively, consistent with existing experimental observations. Taking into account quantum mechanical corrections, this value is approximately 28% lower at 300 K. Our calculations also suggest that hK scales as T2 at low temperatures (T < 100 K) due to the linear frequency dependence of phonon transmission across the graphene-SiO2 interface at low frequencies. Our study sheds light on the role of flexural acoustic phonons in heat dissipation from graphene to its substrate.

CW 316 mechanical properties during thermal transients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cauvin, R.; Boutard, J.L.; Allegraud, G.

1984-06-01

During in pile incidents, the cladding can experience higher temperatures than the nominal one; it is necessary to know the mechanical properties of the cladding material during such thermal transients to predict the time and location of rupture. Two types of tests have been developed: first tensile (constant strain rate) tests after a heating at a constant rate and secondly constant load tests where heating is performed until rupture occurs. The tensile tests clearly show the role of the heating rate: the higher is the heating rate, the lower is the cold work recovery. Constant load tests were conducted with either uniaxial or biaxial (burst tests) loading. The same stress/failure temperature relation is found in both types of loading using the Von Mises equivalent stress. To predict failure, the Larson Miller parameter is not adequate, as well as all parameters based on a time/temperature equivalence. The yield stress measured in the two types of tests are very different probably due to a strain rate effect. Indeed the tensile tests are dynamic ones to avoid thermal recovery during the test duration, while the strain rate measured in constant load tests ranges only from 10 -5 s -1 to 10 -3 s -1 , being an increasing function of heating rate (ranging from 1 0 c/s to 100 0 c/s)

Probing the unconventional superconducting state of LiFeAs by quasiparticle interference.

Science.gov (United States)

Hänke, Torben; Sykora, Steffen; Schlegel, Ronny; Baumann, Danny; Harnagea, Luminita; Wurmehl, Sabine; Daghofer, Maria; Büchner, Bernd; van den Brink, Jeroen; Hess, Christian

2012-03-23

A crucial step in revealing the nature of unconventional superconductivity is to investigate the symmetry of the superconducting order parameter. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy has proven a powerful technique to probe this symmetry by measuring the quasiparticle interference (QPI) which sensitively depends on the superconducting pairing mechanism. A particularly well-suited material to apply this technique is the stoichiometric superconductor LiFeAs as it features clean, charge neutral cleaved surfaces without surface states and a relatively high T(c)∼18  K. Our data reveal that in LiFeAs the quasiparticle scattering is governed by a van Hove singularity at the center of the Brillouin zone which is in stark contrast to other pnictide superconductors where nesting is crucial for both scattering and s(±) superconductivity. Indeed, within a minimal model and using the most elementary order parameters, calculations of the QPI suggest a dominating role of the holelike bands for the quasiparticle scattering. Our theoretical findings do not support the elementary singlet pairing symmetries s(++), s(±), and d wave. This brings to mind that the superconducting pairing mechanism in LiFeAs is based on an unusual pairing symmetry such as an elementary p wave (which provides optimal agreement between the experimental data and QPI simulations) or a more complex order parameter (e.g., s+id wave symmetry).

Design and Development of a Solar Thermal Collector with Single Axis Solar Tracking Mechanism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Theebhan Mogana

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The solar energy is a source of energy that is abundant in Malaysia and can be easily harvested. However, because of the rotation of the Earth about its axis, it is impossible to harvest the solar energy to the maximum capacity if the solar thermal collector is placed fix to a certain angle. In this research, a solar thermal dish with single axis solar tracking mechanism that will rotate the dish according to the position of the sun in the sky is designed and developed, so that more solar rays can be reflected to a focal point and solar thermal energy can be harvested from the focal point. Data were collected for different weather conditions and performance of the solar thermal collector with a solar tracker were studied and compared with stationary solar thermal collector.

Results From an International Simulation Study on Coupled Thermal, Hydrological, and Mechanical (THM) Processes Near Geological Nuclear Waste Repositories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

J. Rutqvist; D. Barr; J.T. Birkholzer; M. Chijimatsu; O. Kolditz; Q. Liu; Y. Oda; W. Wang; C. Zhang

2006-01-01

As part of the ongoing international DECOVALEX project, four research teams used five different models to simulate coupled thermal, hydrological, and mechanical (THM) processes near waste emplacement drifts of geological nuclear waste repositories. The simulations were conducted for two generic repository types, one with open and the other with back-filled repository drifts, under higher and lower postclosure temperatures, respectively. In the completed first model inception phase of the project, a good agreement was achieved between the research teams in calculating THM responses for both repository types, although some disagreement in hydrological responses is currently being resolved. In particular, good agreement in the basic thermal-mechanical responses was achieved for both repository types, even though some teams used relatively simplified thermal-elastic heat-conduction models that neglected complex near-field thermal-hydrological processes. The good agreement between the complex and simplified process models indicates that the basic thermal-mechanical responses can be predicted with a relatively high confidence level

Mechanical, thermal, rheological and morphological behaviour of irradiated PP/HA composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramirez, C.; Albano, C.; Karam, A.; Dominguez, N.; Sanchez, Y.; Gonzalez, G.

2005-01-01

Hydroxyapatite (HA) reinforced polypropylene (PP) composites are being developed as bone graft materials. In this research, the effect of γ irradiation on mechanical, rheological, thermal and morphological behaviour of PP-HA composites was studied. The melt flow index of polymer increased markedly when it was exposed to radiation. This is indicative of chain scission reaction as the predominant process. During the tensile testing, the composites exhibited brittle behaviour, showing no fluency point. Elongation at break showed a tendency to decrease with the increase in radiation dose while stress at break did not show significant variation with radiation dose. High HA content (>20%) and radiation dose (25 kGy) had significant influence on thermal stability

Enhancement the Thermal Stability and the Mechanical Properties of Acrylonitrile-Butadiene Copolymer by Grafting Antioxidant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdulaziz Ibrahim Al-Ghonamy

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Monomeric antioxidants are widely used as effective antioxidants to protect polymers against thermal oxidation. Low molecular weight antioxidants are easily lost from polymer through migration, evaporation, and extraction. Physical loss of antioxidants is considered to be major concern in the environmental issues and safety regulation as well as long life time of polymers. The grafting copolymerization of natural rubber and o-aminophenol was carried out by using two-roll mill machine. The prepared natural rubber-graft-o-Aminophenol, NR-graft-o-AP, was analysed by using Infrared and 1H-NMR Spectroscopy techniques. The thermal stability, mechanical properties, and ultrasonic attenuation coefficient were evaluated for NBR vulcanizates containing the commercial antioxidant, N-phenyl--naphthylamine (PBN, the prepared grafted antioxidant, NR-graft-o-AP, and the control vulcanizate. Results of the thermal stability showed that the prepared NR-graft-o-AP can protect NBR vulcanizate against thermal treatment much better than the commercial antioxidant, PBN, and control mix, respectively. The prepared grafted antioxidant improves the mechanical properties of NBR vulcanizate.

Enhancement the Thermal Stability and the Mechanical Properties of Acrylonitrile-Butadiene Copolymer by Grafting Antioxidant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Ghonamy, A.I.; El-Wakil, A.A.; Ramadan, M.; El-Wakil, A.A.; Ramadan, M.

2010-01-01

Monomeric antioxidants are widely used as effective antioxidants to protect polymers against thermal oxidation. Low molecular weight antioxidants are easily lost from polymer through migration, evaporation, and extraction. Physical loss of antioxidants is considered to be major concern in the environmental issues and safety regulation as well as long life time of polymers. The grafting copolymerization of natural rubber and o-aminophenol was carried out by using two-roll mill machine. The prepared natural rubber-graft-o-Aminophenol, NR-graft-o-AP, was analysed by using Infrared and 1H-NMR Spectroscopy techniques. The thermal stability, mechanical properties, and ultrasonic attenuation coefficient were evaluated for NBR vulcanizations containing the commercial antioxidant, N-phenyl-β-naphthylamine (PBN), the prepared grafted antioxidant, NR-graft-o-AP, and the control vulcanization. Results of the thermal stability showed that the prepared NR-graft-o-AP can protect NBR vulcanization against thermal treatment much better than the commercial antioxidant, PBN, and control mix, respectively. The prepared grafted antioxidant improves the mechanical properties of NBR vulcanization.

Influence Of Gamma Irradiation On Mechanical And Thermal Properties Of Waste Polyethylene / Nitrile Butadiene Rubber Blend

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aly, R.O.

2012-01-01

Gamma irradiation radical-radical interaction crosslinking of elastomers and thermoplastic is a special type of crosslinking technique that has gained importance over conventional chemical crosslinking method as process is fast, pollution free and simple. In this study, a blend polymer, based on waste polyethylene and nitrile butadiene rubber, has been irradiated with gamma rays then mechanically and thermally investigated at varying NBR content. FTIR and SEM techniques were used in addition to the swelling behaviour by toluene solvent to emphasize the blend formation. The mechanical properties like tensile strength, elongation at break and modulus at different elongations were studied and compared with those of non-irradiated ones. A relatively low radiation dose was found effective in improving the level of mechanical properties. Differential scanning calorimeter and thermogravimetric analysis were used to study the thermal characteristics of the irradiated polymer. Enhancement in thermal stability has been observed for higher NBR containing blends and via radiation-induced crosslinking up to ≅ 50 kGy

Influence of gamma irradiation on mechanical and thermal properties of waste polyethylene/nitrile butadiene rubber blend

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raouf O. Aly

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Gamma irradiation radical–radical interaction crosslinking of elastomers and thermoplastic is a special type of crosslinking technique that has gained importance over conventional chemical crosslinking method as process is fast, pollution free, and simple. In this work a blend polymer, based on waste polyethylene and nitrile butadiene rubber, has been irradiated with gamma-rays, mechanically and thermally investigated at varying NBR content. FTIR and SEM techniques were used in addition to the swelling behavior to emphasize the blend formation. Mechanical properties like tensile strength, elongation at break and modulus at different elongations were studied and compared with those of unirradiated ones. A relatively low-radiation dose was found effective in improving the level of mechanical properties. Differential scanning calorimeter and thermogravimetric analysis were used to study the thermal characteristics of the irradiated polymer. Enhancement in thermal stability has been observed for higher NBR containing blends and via radiation-induced crosslinking up to ≈50 kGy.

Mechanical, Thermal, and Electrical Energy Storage in a Single Working Body: Electrification and Thermal Effects upon Pressure-Induced Water Intrusion-Extrusion in Nanoporous Solids.

Science.gov (United States)

Grosu, Yaroslav; Mierzwa, Michał; Eroshenko, Valentine A; Pawlus, Sebastian; Chorażewski, Mirosław; Nedelec, Jean-Marie; Grolier, Jean-Pierre E

2017-03-01

This paper presents the first experimental evidence of pronounced electrification effects upon reversible cycle of forced water intrusion-extrusion in nanoporous hydrophobic materials. Recorded generation of electricity combined with high-pressure calorimetric measurements improves the energy balance of {nanoporous solid + nonwetting liquid} systems by compensating mechanical and thermal energy hysteresis in the cycle. Revealed phenomena provide a novel way of "mechanical to electrical" and/or "thermal to electrical" energy transformation with unprecedented efficiency and additionally open a perspective to increase the efficiency of numerous energy applications based on such systems taking advantage of electricity generation during operational cycle.

Searches for dark matter and new physics with unconventional signatures

Science.gov (United States)

Wulz, C.-E.; CMS Collaboration

2017-07-01

Selected results on searches for dark matter and unconventional signatures with the CMS detector are presented. Dark matter searches in channels with one or two jets, single photons, vector bosons, or top and bottom quarks combined with missing momentum in the final states are described. Unusual signatures such as displaced objects, disappearing or kinked tracks, delayed or stopped particles have also been explored. The analyses were performed with proton-proton data recorded at LHC centre-of-mass energies up to 13TeV.

Thermo-mechanical Fatigue Failure of Thermal Barrier Coated Superalloy Specimen

Science.gov (United States)

Subramanian, Rajivgandhi; Mori, Yuzuru; Yamagishi, Satoshi; Okazaki, Masakazu

2015-09-01

Failure behavior of thermal barrier coated (TBC) Ni-based superalloy specimens were studied from the aspect of the effect of bond coat material behavior on low cycle fatigue (LCF) and thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) at various temperatures and under various loading conditions. Initially, monotonic tensile tests were carried out on a MCrAlY alloy bond coat material in the temperature range of 298 K to 1273 K (25 °C to 1000 °C). Special attention was paid to understand the ductile to brittle transition temperature (DBTT). Next, LCF and TMF tests were carried out on the thermal barrier coated Ni-based alloy IN738 specimen. After these tests, the specimens were sectioned to understand their failure mechanisms on the basis of DBTT of the bond coat material. Experimental results demonstrated that the LCF and TMF lives of the TBC specimen were closely related to the DBTT of the bond coat material, and also the TMF lives were different from those of LCF tests. It has also been observed that the crack density in the bond coat in the TBC specimen was significantly dependent on the test conditions. More importantly, not only the number of cracks but also the crack penetration probability into substrate were shown to be sensitive to the DBTT.

Mechanical and thermal modeling of the SCALPEL mask

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, C. J.; Semke, W. H.; Dicks, G. A.; Engelstad, R. L.; Lovell, E. G.; Liddle, J. A.; Novembre, A. E.

1999-01-01

Scattering with angular limitation projection electron-beam lithography (SCALPEL) is being developed by Lucent Technologies for sub-130 nm lithography. The mask fabrication and exposure processes produce mask distortions that result in pattern placement errors. In order to understand these distortions, and determine how to reduce them to levels consistent with the error budget, structural and heat transfer finite element models have been generated to simulate the mechanical and thermal response of the mask. In addition, sensitivity studies of the distortions due to key design parameters that may be used to refine the SCALPEL mask configuration have been conducted. (c) 1999 American Vacuum Society

Thermal-hydraulic limitations on water-cooled fusion reactor components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cha, Y.S.; Misra, B.

1986-01-01

An assessment of the cooling requirements for fusion reactor components, such as the first wall and limiter/divertor, was carried out using pressurized water as the coolant. In order to establish the coolant operating conditions, a survey of the literature on departure from nucleate boiling, critical heat flux, asymmetrical heating and heat transfer augmentation techniques was carried out. The experimental data and the empirical correlations indicate that thermal protection for the fusion reactor components based on conventional design concepts can be provided with an adequate margin of safety without resorting to either high coolant velocities, excessive coolant pressures, or heat transfer augmentation techniques. If, however, the future designs require unconventional shapes or heat transfer enhancement techniques, experimental verification would be necessary since no data on heat transfer augmentation techniques exist for complex geometries, especially under asymmetrically heated conditions. Since the data presented herein are concerned primarily with thermal protection of the reactor components, the final design should consider other factors such as thermal stresses, temperature limits, and fatigue

Preparation and properties of mesoporous silica/bismaleimide/diallylbisphenol composites with improved thermal stability, mechanical and dielectric properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2011-06-01

Full Text Available New composites with improved thermal stability, mechanical and dielectric properties were developed, which consist of 2,2'-diallylbisphenol A (DBA/4,4'-bismaleimidodiphenylmethane (BDM resin and a new kind of organic/inorganic mesoporous silica (MPSA. Typical properties (curing behavior and mechanism, thermal stability, mechanical and dielectric properties of the composites were systematically investigated, and their origins were discussed. Results show that MPSA/DBA/BDM composites have similar curing temperature as DBA/BDM resin does; however, they have different curing mechanisms, and thus different crosslinked networks. The content of MPSA has close relation with the integrated performance of cured composites. Compared with cured DBA/BDM resin, composites with suitable content of MPSA show obviously improved flexural strength and modulus as well as impact strength; in addition, all composites not only have lower dielectric constant and similar frequency dependence, more interestingly, they also exhibit better stability of frequency on dielectric loss. For thermal stability, the addition of MPSA to DBA/BDM resin significantly decreases the coefficient of thermal expansion, and improves the char yield at high temperature with a slightly reduced glass transition temperature. All these differences in macro-properties are attributed to the different crosslinked networks between MPSA/DBA/BDM composites and DBA/BDM resin.

Development of Field Angle Resolved Specific Heat Measurement System for Unconventional Superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kitamura, Yasuhiro; Matsubara, Takeshi; Machida, Yo; Izawa, Koichi; Onuki, Yoshichika; Salce, Bernard; Flouquet, Jacques

2015-01-01

We developed a measurement system for field angle resolved specific heat under multiple extreme conditions at low temperature down to 50 mK, in magnetic field up to 7 T, and under high pressure up to 10 GPa. We demonstrated the performance of our developed system by measuring field angle dependence of specific heat of pressure induced unconventional superconductor CeIrSi 3

Effects of service condition on rolling contact fatigue failure mechanism and lifetime of thermal spray coatings—A review

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Huawei; Cui, Xiufang; Wang, Haidou; Xing, Zhiguo; Jin, Guo

2015-01-01

The service condition determines the Rolling Contact Fatigue(RCF) failure mechanism and lifetime under ascertain material structure integrity parameter of thermal spray coating. The available literature on the RCF testing of thermal spray coatings under various condition services is considerable; it is generally difficult to synthesize all of the result to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the parameters which has a great effect on a thermal spray coating's resistance of RCF. The effects of service conditions(lubrication states, contact stresses, revolve speed, and slip ratio) on the changing of thermal spray coatings' contact fatigue lifetime is introduced systematically. The effects of different service condition on RCF failure mechanism of thermal spray coating from the change of material structure integrity are also summarized. Moreover, In order to enhance the RCF performance, the parameter optimal design formula of service condition and material structure integrity is proposed based on the effect of service condition on thermal spray coatings' contact fatigue lifetime and RCF failure mechanism. The shortage of available literature and the forecast focus in future researches are discussed based on available research. The explicit result of RCF lifetime law and parameter optimal design formula in term of lubrication states, contact stresses, revolve speed, and slip ratio, is significant to improve the RCF performance on the engineering application.

Fracture mechanics evaluation for the cast duplex stainless steel after thermal aging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Urata, Shigeru [Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc., Osaka (Japan)

1998-12-31

For the primary coolant piping of PWRs in Japan, cast duplex stainless steel which is excellent in terms of strength, corrosion resistance, and weldability has conventionally been used. The cast duplex stainless steel contains the ferrite phase in the austenite matrix and thermal aging after long term service is known to change its material characteristics. It is considered appropriate to apply the methodology of elastic plastic fracture mechanics for an evaluation of the integrity of the primary coolant piping after thermal aging. Therefore, we evaluated the integrity of the primary coolant piping for an initial PWR plant in Japan by means of elastic plastic fracture mechanics. The evaluation results show that the crack will not grow into an unstable fracture and the integrity of the piping will be secured, even when such through wall crack length is assumed to equal the fatigue crack growth length for a service period of up to 60 years. (author)

JT-60 power tests from mechanical and thermal viewpoints of tokamak machine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takatsu, H.; Yamamoto, M.; Ohkubo, M.

1986-01-01

JT-60 power tests were carried out, to demonstrate, in advance of actual plasma operation, satisfactory performance of the tokamak machine, power suppliers and control system in combination. The tests began with low power ones of individual coil systems, progressed to full power ones and concluded successfully. The present paper describes the principal results of JT-60 power tests from mechanical and thermal viewpoints of tokamak machine. All of the coil systems were raised up to full power operation in combination and system performance was verified including thermal and mechanical integrity of tokamak machine. Measured strain and displacement showed good agreements with those predicted in the design, which was an evidence that electromagnetic loads were supported adequately as expected in the design. Vibration of the vacuum vessel was found to be large up to 48 m/s/sup 2/ and caused excessive vibration of the lateral port gate-valves. A few limitations to machine operation were also made clear quantatively

Thermal shock effect on Mechanical and Physical properties of pre-moisture treated GRE composite

Science.gov (United States)

Chakraverty, A. P.; Panda, A. B.; Mohanty, U. K.; Mishra, S. C.; Biswal, B. B.

2018-03-01

Many practical situations may be encountered under which a GFRP (Glass fibre reinforced polymer) composite, during its service life, is exposed to the severities of sudden temperature fluctuations. Moisture absorption of GRE (Glass fibre reinforced epoxy) composites followed by various gradients of temperature fluctuations may cause thermo- mechanical degradation. It is on this context, the hand layed GRE composite samples are exposed to up-thermal shock (-40°C to +50°C) and down-thermal shock (+50°C to -40°C) for various time interval after several periods of moisture (hydrothermal/hygrothermal) conditioning. The thermally shocked GRE specimens are put to 3-point bend test to divulge inter laminar shear strength (ILSS). Least ILSS values are recorded for the samples with maximum period of moisture treatments under with both up-thermal and down-thermal shock conditions. Lower glass transition temperature (Tg) values, as revealed through the low temperature DSC test, are exhibited at maximum durations of both up-thermal and down-thermal shock for the samples with higher periods of hygrothermal/hydrothermal treatments. SEM fractographs of representative GRE specimens after optimum period of moisture treatments and thermal shock show the various modes of failures.

Computational thermal, chemical, fluid, and solid mechanics for geosystems management.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Davison, Scott; Alger, Nicholas; Turner, Daniel Zack; Subia, Samuel Ramirez; Carnes, Brian; Martinez, Mario J.; Notz, Patrick K.; Klise, Katherine A.; Stone, Charles Michael; Field, Richard V., Jr.; Newell, Pania; Jove-Colon, Carlos F.; Red-Horse, John Robert; Bishop, Joseph E.; Dewers, Thomas A.; Hopkins, Polly L.; Mesh, Mikhail; Bean, James E.; Moffat, Harry K.; Yoon, Hongkyu

2011-09-01

This document summarizes research performed under the SNL LDRD entitled - Computational Mechanics for Geosystems Management to Support the Energy and Natural Resources Mission. The main accomplishment was development of a foundational SNL capability for computational thermal, chemical, fluid, and solid mechanics analysis of geosystems. The code was developed within the SNL Sierra software system. This report summarizes the capabilities of the simulation code and the supporting research and development conducted under this LDRD. The main goal of this project was the development of a foundational capability for coupled thermal, hydrological, mechanical, chemical (THMC) simulation of heterogeneous geosystems utilizing massively parallel processing. To solve these complex issues, this project integrated research in numerical mathematics and algorithms for chemically reactive multiphase systems with computer science research in adaptive coupled solution control and framework architecture. This report summarizes and demonstrates the capabilities that were developed together with the supporting research underlying the models. Key accomplishments are: (1) General capability for modeling nonisothermal, multiphase, multicomponent flow in heterogeneous porous geologic materials; (2) General capability to model multiphase reactive transport of species in heterogeneous porous media; (3) Constitutive models for describing real, general geomaterials under multiphase conditions utilizing laboratory data; (4) General capability to couple nonisothermal reactive flow with geomechanics (THMC); (5) Phase behavior thermodynamics for the CO2-H2O-NaCl system. General implementation enables modeling of other fluid mixtures. Adaptive look-up tables enable thermodynamic capability to other simulators; (6) Capability for statistical modeling of heterogeneity in geologic materials; and (7) Simulator utilizes unstructured grids on parallel processing computers.

Parametric Analysis to Study the Influence of Aerogel-Based Renders' Components on Thermal and Mechanical Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Ximenes, Sofia; Silva, Ana; Soares, António; Flores-Colen, Inês; de Brito, Jorge

2016-05-04

Statistical models using multiple linear regression are some of the most widely used methods to study the influence of independent variables in a given phenomenon. This study's objective is to understand the influence of the various components of aerogel-based renders on their thermal and mechanical performance, namely cement (three types), fly ash, aerial lime, silica sand, expanded clay, type of aerogel, expanded cork granules, expanded perlite, air entrainers, resins (two types), and rheological agent. The statistical analysis was performed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences), based on 85 mortar mixes produced in the laboratory and on their values of thermal conductivity and compressive strength obtained using tests in small-scale samples. The results showed that aerial lime assumes the main role in improving the thermal conductivity of the mortars. Aerogel type, fly ash, expanded perlite and air entrainers are also relevant components for a good thermal conductivity. Expanded clay can improve the mechanical behavior and aerogel has the opposite effect.

Parametric Analysis to Study the Influence of Aerogel-Based Renders’ Components on Thermal and Mechanical Performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sofia Ximenes

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Statistical models using multiple linear regression are some of the most widely used methods to study the influence of independent variables in a given phenomenon. This study’s objective is to understand the influence of the various components of aerogel-based renders on their thermal and mechanical performance, namely cement (three types, fly ash, aerial lime, silica sand, expanded clay, type of aerogel, expanded cork granules, expanded perlite, air entrainers, resins (two types, and rheological agent. The statistical analysis was performed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences, based on 85 mortar mixes produced in the laboratory and on their values of thermal conductivity and compressive strength obtained using tests in small-scale samples. The results showed that aerial lime assumes the main role in improving the thermal conductivity of the mortars. Aerogel type, fly ash, expanded perlite and air entrainers are also relevant components for a good thermal conductivity. Expanded clay can improve the mechanical behavior and aerogel has the opposite effect.

A study on the thermal and mechanical properties of inconel for steam generator U-tube

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryu, Woo Seong; Kang, Young Hwan; Park, Jong Man; Choo, Kee Nam; Kim, Sung Soo; Maeng, Wan Young; Park, Se Jin

1993-12-01

A series of laboratory tests was conducted to obtain the thermal and mechanical properties of Inconel 600 and 690 for the design document of steam generator U-tube. The following properties were measured as a function of temperature, and treated statistically to establish a database: 1) heat capacity, RT ∼ 500 deg C, 2) thermal expansion, RT ∼ 500 deg C, 3) thermal diffusivity, RT ∼ 500 deg C, 4) thermal conductivity, RT ∼ 500 deg C, 5) tensile property, RT ∼ 700 deg C 6) ductility, RT ∼ 700 deg C, 7) Elastic modulii and Poission's ratio, RT, 8) Microhardness, 9) Oxidation rate. (Author)

Thermal-mechanical analysis for a viscoelastoplastic model by finite element method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vaz, L.E.; Vaz, R.O.E.

1989-01-01

The aim of this work is to present a formulation and a computer program which permits the study of problems involving the influence of the temperature on the mechanical behavior of a viscoelastoplastic material. The thermo-mechanical analysis is carried out in two steps. The first step performs the transient thermal analysis. The second step uses the time-history of the temperature distribution that results on the first step, for the transient stress analysis. The program treat plane and axi-symmetrical problems. As an application of the formulation the quenching of a cylinder of metal is examined. (author)

Seismic reflection imaging with conventional and unconventional sources

Science.gov (United States)

Quiros Ugalde, Diego Alonso

This manuscript reports the results of research using both conventional and unconventional energy sources as well as conventional and unconventional analysis to image crustal structure using reflected seismic waves. The work presented here includes the use of explosions to investigate the Taiwanese lithosphere, the use of 'noise' from railroads to investigate the shallow subsurface of the Rio Grande rift, and the use of microearthquakes to image subsurface structure near an active fault zone within the Appalachian mountains. Chapter 1 uses recordings from the land refraction and wide-angle reflection component of the Taiwan Integrated Geodynamic Research (TAIGER) project. The most prominent reflection feature imaged by these surveys is an anomalously strong reflector found in northeastern Taiwan. The goal of this chapter is to analyze the TAIGER recordings and to place the reflector into a geologic framework that fits with the modern tectonic kinematics of the region. Chapter 2 uses railroad traffic as a source for reflection profiling within the Rio Grande rift. Here the railroad recordings are treated in an analogous way to Vibroseis recordings. These results suggest that railroad noise in general can be a valuable new tool in imaging and characterizing the shallow subsurface in environmental and geotechnical studies. In chapters 3 and 4, earthquakes serve as the seismic imaging source. In these studies the methodology of Vertical Seismic Profiling (VSP) is borrowed from the oil and gas industry to develop reflection images. In chapter 3, a single earthquake is used to probe a small area beneath Waterboro, Maine. In chapter 4, the same method is applied to multiple earthquakes to take advantage of the increased redundancy that results from multiple events illuminating the same structure. The latter study demonstrates how dense arrays can be a powerful new tool for delineating, and monitoring temporal changes of deep structure in areas characterized by significant

Thermal-mechanical-hydrological-chemical responses in the single heater test at the ESF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, W.; Blair, S.; Buettner, M

1997-01-01

The Single Heater Test (SHT) is conducted in the Exploratory Studies Facility (ESF) to study the thermal-mechanical responses of the rock mass. A set of boreholes were drilled in the test region for conducting a scoping test of the coupled thermal-mechanical- hydrological-chemical (TMHC) processes. The holes for the TMHC tests include electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), neutron logging/temperature, hydrological, and optical multiple point borehole extensometers. A 4-kW heater was installed in the heater hole, and was energized on August 26, 1996. Some observed movements of the water around the heater are associated with a possible dry-out region near the heater. The water that has been moved is more dilute than the in situ ground water, except for the concentration of Ca. This indicates that fractures are the major water pathways, and the displaced water may have reached an equilibrium with carbonate minerals on the fracture surfaces. No mechanical-hydrological coupling has been observed. The tests are on-going, and more data will be collected and analyzed

Unconventional resource's production under desorption-induced effects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Sina Hosseini Boosari

2016-06-01

We have developed a numerical model to study the effect of changes in porosity, permeability and compaction on four major U.S. shale formations considering their Langmuir isotherm desorption behavior. These resources include; Marcellus, New Albany, Barnett and Haynesville Shales. First, we introduced a model that is a physical transport of single-phase gas flow in shale porous rock. Later, the governing equations are implemented into a one-dimensional numerical model and solved using a fully implicit solution method. It is found that the natural gas production is substantially affected by desorption-induced porosity/permeability changes and geomechancis. This paper provides valuable insights into accurate modeling of unconventional reservoirs that is more significant when an even small correction to the future production prediction can enormously contribute to the U.S. economy.

Brave new world of unconventional density waves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maki, K.; Dora, B.; Korin-Hamzic, B.; Basletic, M.; Virosztek, A.; Kartsovnik, M.V.

2003-10-01

Recently many people have discussed unconventional density wave (i.e. UCDW and USDW). Unlike in conventional density waves, the quasiparticle excitations in these systems are gapless. The appearance of these systems suggests paradigm shift from quasi 1D system to quasi 2D and 3D systems. Here we limit ourselves to the angular dependent magnetoresistance (ADMR) observed in the low temperature phase (LTP) of α-(BEDT-TTF) 2 KHg(SCN) 4 . Here we show that UCDW describes successfully many features of ADMR as manifestation of the Landau quantization of the quasiparticle spectrum in magnetic field. Indeed ADMR will provide a unique window to access UDW like the AF phase in URu 2 Si 2 , the pseudogap phase in high T c cuprates and the glassy phase in organic superconductor k-(ET) 2 salts. (author)

Mechanical Properties and Thermal Shock Resistance Analysis of BNNT/Si3N4 Composites

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shouren; Wang, Gaoqi; Wen, Daosheng; Yang, Xuefeng; Yang, Liying; Guo, Peiquan

2018-04-01

BNNT/Si3N4 ceramic composites with different weight amount of BNNT fabricated by hot isostatic pressing were introduced. The mechanical properties and thermal shock resistance of the composites were investigated. The results showed that BNNT-added ceramic composites have a finer and more uniform microstructure than that of BNNT-free Si3N4 ceramic because of the retarding effect of BNNT on Si3N4 grain growth. The addition of 1.5 wt.% BNNT results in simultaneous increase in flexural strength, fracture toughness, and thermal shock resistance. The analysis of the results indicates that BNNT brings many thermal transport channels in the microstructure, increasing the efficiency of thermal transport, therefore results in increase of thermal shock resistance. In addition, BNNT improves the residual flexural strength of composites by crack deflection, bridging, branching and pinning, which increase the crack propagation resistance.

The validity of generic trends on multiple scales in rock-physical and rock-mechanical properties of the Whitby Mudstone, United Kingdom

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Douma, L.A.N.R.; Primarini, M.I.W.; Houben, M.E.; Barnhoorn, A.

Finding generic trends in mechanical and physical rock properties will help to make predictions of the rock-mechanical behaviour of shales. Understanding the rock-mechanical behaviour of shales is important for the successful development of unconventional hydrocarbon reservoirs. This paper presents

Studies on mechanical, thermal and dynamic mechanical properties of untreated (raw) and treated coconut sheath fiber reinforced epoxy composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suresh Kumar, S.M.; Duraibabu, D.; Subramanian, K.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • UTCSE and TCSE composites have been fabricated by compression molding technique. • The prepared specimens were characterized by FTIR, DMA, TGA and SEM techniques. • TCSE composite showed higher mechanical properties compared to UTCSE composite. • DMA showed that TCSE composite exhibited higher storage modulus than UTCSE composite. • TCSE composite showed higher thermal stability than UTCSE composite. - Abstract: The untreated (raw) coconut sheath fiber reinforced epoxy (UTCSE) composite and treated coconut sheath fiber reinforced epoxy (TCSE) composite have been fabricated using hand layup followed by compression molding technique. The prepared specimens were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. The prepared specimens are cut as per ASTM Standards to measure tensile, flexural and impact strengths by using universal testing machine and izod impact tester respectively. The treated coconut sheath fiber reinforced epoxy composite (TCSE) posses higher mechanical strength and thermal stability compared to untreated (raw) coconut sheath fiber reinforced epoxy composite (UTCSE). In the SEM fracture analysis, TCSE composite showed better fiber–matrix bonding and absence of voids compared to UTCSE composite

A Model to Couple Flow, Thermal and Reactive Chemical Transport, and Geo-mechanics in Variably Saturated Media

Science.gov (United States)

Yeh, G. T.; Tsai, C. H.

2015-12-01

This paper presents the development of a THMC (thermal-hydrology-mechanics-chemistry) process model in variably saturated media. The governing equations for variably saturated flow and reactive chemical transport are obtained based on the mass conservation principle of species transport supplemented with Darcy's law, constraint of species concentration, equation of states, and constitutive law of K-S-P (Conductivity-Degree of Saturation-Capillary Pressure). The thermal transport equation is obtained based on the conservation of energy. The geo-mechanic displacement is obtained based on the assumption of equilibrium. Conventionally, these equations have been implicitly coupled via the calculations of secondary variables based on primary variables. The mechanisms of coupling have not been obvious. In this paper, governing equations are explicitly coupled for all primary variables. The coupling is accomplished via the storage coefficients, transporting velocities, and conduction-dispersion-diffusion coefficient tensor; one set each for every primary variable. With this new system of equations, the coupling mechanisms become clear. Physical interpretations of every term in the coupled equations will be discussed. Examples will be employed to demonstrate the intuition and superiority of these explicit coupling approaches. Keywords: Variably Saturated Flow, Thermal Transport, Geo-mechanics, Reactive Transport.

An unconventional rate decline approach for tight and fracture-dominated gas wells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duong, A.N. [ConocoPhillips Canada Resources Corp., Calgary, AB (Canada)

2010-07-01

In both Canada and the United States, unconventional gas reservoirs, especially wet shale gas are being aggressively pursued for new development. Forecasting production and estimating reserves accurately for these resource plays has become increasingly important and necessary. This paper introduced an empirically derived decline model based on a long-term linear flow in a large number of wells in tight and shale gas reservoirs. A new methodology was developed for production analysis and forecasting of unconventional reservoirs based on this model. In order to represent any uncertainty in reserve estimation, this method also utilized probability distributions of reserves in forecasting resource plays. The paper discussed the methodology development including long-term linear flow and their associated equations, as well as several field examples including a gas retrograde case and individual well analysis. Result comparisons and a discussion of the results were also presented. It was concluded that pressure initialization used in numerical modeling based on fluid gradients may have been incorrect. Results from such numerical modeling may not be representative of the shale gas flow characteristics. 24 refs., 2 tabs., 15 figs., 1 appendix.

Organic Contaminants Associated with the Extraction of Unconventional Gas. Risk Analysis in the Initial Phases of the Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, L.; Hurtado, A.; Recreo, F.; Eguilior, S.

2015-01-01

The latest technological advances in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling are promoting a commercial scale extraction of unconventional fossil fuels in several regions of the world. Although there is still no commercial scale extraction in the Member States of the EU, potential stocks in some of them, as in the case of Spain, stimulate the need to carry out precautionary previous studies. These, based on the experience in the USA, will allow to define the characteristics that a priori should include a project of unconventional gas extraction, so that their safety is maximized by minimizing the likelihood of adverse effects on the environment. In unconventional gas production a fracturing fluid, typically water, with different types of additives is injected into the reservoir at very high pressure in order to create fractures to increase the porosity and permeability of the rock. In this scenario the flowback and produced water (water brought to the surface during the extraction of gas or oil) is usually a mixture of fluids injected and brines present in the repository. The quality of the flowback and produced water is variable. Its salinity varies from similar to drinking water to several times more saline than seawater. Furthermore, different compounds other than salt can be present in various amounts in the flowback and produced water: oil and other organic compounds, solids in suspension, bacteria, naturally occurring radioactive elements (NORM), and any of the elements injected with the hydraulic fracturing fluid. Due to the high variability of contaminants in the flowback and produced water as well as potentially large volumes involved, composition of flowback and produced water and the analysis of the risks associated with them is an important aspect to consider from the initial phases of project development of unconventional gas extraction. This report covers the risk analysis of an unconventional gas extraction project, the initial assessment of the

The endoplasmic reticulum is a hub to sort proteins toward unconventional traffic pathways and endosymbiotic organelles.

Science.gov (United States)

Bellucci, Michele; De Marchis, Francesca; Pompa, Andrea

2017-12-18

The discovery that much of the extracellular proteome in eukaryotic cells consists of proteins lacking a signal peptide, which cannot therefore enter the secretory pathway, has led to the identification of alternative protein secretion routes bypassing the Golgi apparatus. However, proteins harboring a signal peptide for translocation into the endoplasmic reticulum can also be transported along these alternative routes, which are still far from being well elucidated in terms of the molecular machineries and subcellular/intermediate compartments involved. In this review, we first try to provide a definition of all the unconventional protein secretion pathways in eukaryotic cells, as those pathways followed by proteins directed to an 'external space' bypassing the Golgi, where 'external space' refers to the extracellular space plus the lumen of the secretory route compartments and the inner space of mitochondria and plastids. Then, we discuss the role of the endoplasmic reticulum in sorting proteins toward unconventional traffic pathways in plants. In this regard, various unconventional pathways exporting proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum to the vacuole, plasma membrane, apoplast, mitochondria, and plastids are described, including the short routes followed by the proteins resident in the endoplasmic reticulum. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Determination of thermal and mechanical properties of HDPE-based polymer blends for use in traffic signs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benito A. Stradi-Granados

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Two recycled high-density polyethylene specimens and two recycled high-density polyethylene blends were characterized in terms of their thermal and mechanical properties with the purpose of assessing their suitability for the construction of traffic signs. Traffic signs constructed from recycled plastics provide an application for materials that otherwise with end up in landfills. The HDPE composite containing 25% LDPE and 5% ABS had the best mechanical and thermal performance. Of importance is the recycling of ABS that traditionally had not been recycled locally and found its final fate in landfills.

AN AIRPLANE WITH UNCONVENTIONALLY PLACED PROPELLER POWER UNIT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan Červinka

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The significance of the influence of operating propellers on the aircraft aerodynamic characteristics is well-known. Wind tunnel testing of an airplane model with operating propellers is a complex task regarding the required similarity of the full-scale and the model case. Matching sufficient similarity in axial and rotational velocities in the propeller slipstream is the primordial condition for the global aerodynamic similarity of the windtunnel testing. An example of the model power units with related devices is presented. Examples of the wind tunnel testing results illustrate the extent of the propeller influence on aerodynamic characteristics of an aircraft of unconventional configuration with power units positioned at the fuselage afterbody.

The mechanism of foaming and thermal conductivity of glasses foamed with MnO2

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Rasmus Rosenlund; König, Jakob; Yue, Yuanzheng

2015-01-01

bubbles and subsequent growth. We discuss evolution of pore morphology in terms of pore number density, pore size and closed porosity. The thermal conductivity of the foam glasses is linearly dependent on density. The heat transfer mechanism is revealed by comparing the experimental data with structural...... data and analytical models.We show that the effect of pore size, presence of crystal inclusions and degree of closed porosity do not affect the overall thermal conductivity....

On the interfacial degradation mechanisms of thermal barrier coating systems: Effects of bond coat composition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, R.T., E-mail: WU.Rudder@nims.go.jp [International Center for Young Scientists, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki (Japan); Wang, X.; Atkinson, A. [Department of Materials, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BP (United Kingdom)

2010-10-15

Thermal barrier coating (TBC) systems based on an electron beam physical vapour deposited, yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) top coat and a substrate material of CMSX-4 superalloy were identically prepared to systematically study the behaviour of different bond coats. The three bond coat systems investigated included two {beta}-structured Pt-Al types and a {gamma}-{gamma}' type produced by Pt diffusion without aluminizing. Progressive evolution of stress in the thermally grown aluminium oxide (TGO) upon thermal cycling, and its relief by plastic deformation and fracture, were studied using luminescence spectroscopy. The TBCs with the LT Pt-Al bond coat failed by a rumpling mechanism that generated isolated cracks at the interface between the TGO and the YSZ. This reduced adhesion at this interface and the TBC delaminated when it could no longer resist the release of the stored elastic energy of the YSZ, which stiffened with time due to sintering. In contrast, the TBCs with Pt diffusion bond coats did not rumple, and the adhesion of interfaces in the coating did not obviously degrade. It is shown that the different failure mechanisms are strongly associated with differences in the high-temperature mechanical properties of the bond coats.

Neutralization of Aerosolized Bio-Agents by Filled Nanocomposite Materials through Thermal and Chemical Inactivation Mechanisms

Science.gov (United States)

2016-06-01

Bio -agents by Filled Nanocomposite Materials through Thermal and Chemical Inactivation Mechanisms Distribution Statement A. Approved for public...of Cincinnati Project Title: Neutralization of Aerosolized Bio -agents by Filled Nanocomposite Materials through Thermal and Chemical Inactivation...fire ball, where they will not effectively interact with any viable bio -aerosol. 1.1.4. Conclusions Cryo-milling is necessary to achieve a

Computer simulations of the influence of geometry in the performance of conventional and unconventional lithium-ion batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miranda, D.; Costa, C.M.; Almeida, A.M.; Lanceros-Méndez, S.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • The influence of geometries in lithium-ion battery performance is analyzed. • Conventional and unconventional battery geometries are investigated. • Unconventional geometries include horseshoe, spiral, ring, antenna and gear batteries. • The best capacity value at 330 C is obtained for the interdigitated geometry. • The capacity value is dependent on thickness and collectors position. - Abstract: In order to optimize battery performance, different geometries have been evaluated taking into account their suitability for different applications. These different geometries include conventional, interdigitated batteries and unconventional geometries such as horseshoe, spiral, ring, antenna and gear batteries. The geometry optimization was performed by the finite element method, applying the Doyle/Fuller/Newman model. At 330 C, the capacity values for conventional, ring, spiral, horseshoe, gear and interdigitated geometries are 0.58 A h m"−"2, 149 A h m"−"2, 182 A h m"−"2, 216 A h m"−"2, 289 A h m"−"2 and 318 A h m"−"2, respectively. The delivered capacity depends on geometrical parameters such as maximum distance for the ions to move to the current collector, d-max, distance between of current collectors, d-cc, as well as the thickness of separator and electrodes, allowing to tailor battery performance and geometry for specific applications.

Nanocomposite of photocurable epoxy-acrylate resin and carbon nanotubes: dynamic-mechanical, thermal and tribological properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcos Nunes dos Santos

2013-04-01

Full Text Available In this study, the thermal, dynamic-mechanical and tribological behavior of nanocomposites of a photocurable epoxy-acrylate resin and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT are investigated. A route consisting of a combination of sonication, mechanical and magnetic stirring is used to disperse 0.25-0.75 wt. (% MWCNT into the resin. Two photocuring cycles using 12 hours and 24 hours of UV-A radiation are studied. The storage modulus, the loss modulus and the tan delta are obtained by dynamic mechanical analysis. Thermal stability is investigated by thermogravimetry, morphology by transmission electronic microscopy (TEM and tribological performance using a pin-on-disk apparatus. The results indicate an increase in stiffness and higher ability to dissipate energy, as well as a shift in the glass transition temperature for the nanocomposites. The addition of nanofillers also decreased friction coefficient and wear rate of the nanocomposites but did not change the observed wear mechanisms.

Nanocomposite of photocurable epoxy-acrylate resin and carbon nanotubes: dynamic-mechanical, thermal and tribological properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcos Nunes dos Santos

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In this study, the thermal, dynamic-mechanical and tribological behavior of nanocomposites of a photocurable epoxy-acrylate resin and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT are investigated. A route consisting of a combination of sonication, mechanical and magnetic stirring is used to disperse 0.25-0.75 wt. (% MWCNT into the resin. Two photocuring cycles using 12 hours and 24 hours of UV-A radiation are studied. The storage modulus, the loss modulus and the tan delta are obtained by dynamic mechanical analysis. Thermal stability is investigated by thermogravimetry, morphology by transmission electronic microscopy (TEM and tribological performance using a pin-on-disk apparatus. The results indicate an increase in stiffness and higher ability to dissipate energy, as well as a shift in the glass transition temperature for the nanocomposites. The addition of nanofillers also decreased friction coefficient and wear rate of the nanocomposites but did not change the observed wear mechanisms.

DACS II - A distributed thermal/mechanical loads data acquisition and control system

Science.gov (United States)

Zamanzadeh, Behzad; Trover, William F.; Anderson, Karl F.

1987-01-01

A distributed data acquisition and control system has been developed for the NASA Flight Loads Research Facility. The DACS II system is composed of seven computer systems and four array processors configured as a main computer system, three satellite computer systems, and 13 analog input/output systems interconnected through three independent data networks. Up to three independent heating and loading tests can be run concurrently on different test articles or the entire system can be used on a single large test such as a full scale hypersonic aircraft. Thermal tests can include up to 512 independent adaptive closed loop control channels. The control system can apply up to 20 MW of heating to a test specimen while simultaneously applying independent mechanical loads. Each thermal control loop is capable of heating a structure at rates of up to 150 F per second over a temperature range of -300 to +2500 F. Up to 64 independent mechanical load profiles can be commanded along with thermal control. Up to 1280 analog inputs monitor temperature, load, displacement and strain on the test specimens with real time data displayed on up to 15 terminals as color plots and tabular data displays. System setup and operation is accomplished with interactive menu-driver displays with extensive facilities to assist the users in all phases of system operation.

COMETHE III J a computer code for predicting mechanical and thermal behaviour of a fuel pin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verbeek, P.; Hoppe, N.

1976-01-01

The design of fuel pins for power reactors requires a realistic evaluation of their thermal and mechanical performances throughout their irradiation life. This evaluation involves the knowledge of a number of parameters, very intricate and interconnected, for example, the temperature, the restructuring and the swelling rates of the fuel pellets, the dimensions, the stresses and the strains in the clad, the composition and the properties of gases, the inner gas pressure etc. This complex problem can only be properly handled by a computer programme which analyses the fuel pin thermal and mechanical behaviour at successive steps of its irradiation life. This report presents an overall description of the COMETHE III-J computer programme, designed to calculate the integral performance of oxide fuel pins with cylindrical metallic cladding irradiated in thermal or fast flux. (author)

The mechanical and thermal characteristics of phenolic foam reinforced with kaolin powder and glass fiber fabric

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Wenya; Huang, Zhixiong; Ding, Jie

2017-12-01

In this work, kaolin powder and glass fiber fabric were added to PF in order to improve its thermal stability and mechanical property. Micro-structures of carbonized PF with kaolin powder were inspected by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to demonstrate the filler’s pinning effect. SEM results illustrated modified PF had well morphology after high-temperature heat treatment. The Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) test was carried out and found that kaolin powder only physically dispersed in PF. The compression test and thermal weight loss test were done on two groups of modified PF (Group A: add powder and fabric; Group B: add powder only). Results showed that all modified PF were better than pure PF, while foams with powder and fabric showed better mechanical characteristic and thermal stability compared with foams with powder only.

Effects of mechanical and thermal load cycling on micro tensile bond strength of clearfil SE bond to superficial dentin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Reza Daneshkazemi

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Certain studies have been conducted on the effects of mechanical and thermal load cycling on the microtensile bond strength (microTBS of composites to dentin, but the results were different. The authors therefore decided to evaluate these effects on the bonding of Clearfil SE bond to superficial dentin. Materials and Methods: Flat dentinal surface of 42 molar teeth were bonded to Filtek-Z250 resin composite by Clearfil SE bond. The teeth were randomly divided into 7 groups and exposed to different mechanical and thermal load cycling. Thermocycling was at 5-55°C and mechanical load cycling was created with a force of 125 N and 0.5 Hz. Then, the teeth were sectioned and shaped to hour glass form and subjected to microTBS testing at a speed of 0.5 mm/min. The results were statistically analyzed by computer with three-way analysis of variance and T-test at P < 0.05 significant. To evaluate the location and mode of failure, the specimens were observed under the stereomicroscope. Then, one of the specimens in each group was evaluated under Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM for mode of failure. Results: All of the study groups had a significantly lower microTBS as compared to the control group ( P < 0.001. There was no statistically significant difference between mechanical cycling with 50K (kilo = 1000 cycles, and 50K mechanical cycles plus 1K thermal cycles. Most of the fractures in the control group were of adhesive type and this type of fracture increased after exposure to mechanical and thermal load cycling. Conclusion: Thermal and mechanical load cycling had significant negative effects on microTBS and the significant effects of mechanical load cycling started to be significant at 100K cycles.

Improving methane production from digested manure biofibers by mechanical and thermal alkaline pretreatment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tsapekos, Panagiotis; Kougias, Panagiotis; Frison, A.

2016-01-01

the effluent stream of biogas reactors. Batch and continuous experiments were conducted to evaluate the efficiency of these pretreatments. In batch experiments, the mechanical pretreatment improved the degradability up to 45%. Even higher efficiency was shown by applying thermal alkaline pretreatments...

Simulation and experimental investigation of mechanical and thermal non-equilibrium effect on choking flow at low pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, H.J.; Ishii, M.; Revankar, S.T.

2004-01-01

The prediction of two-phase choking flow at low pressure (<1MPa) is much more difficult than at relatively higher pressure due to the large density ratio and relatively large thermal and mechanical non-equilibrium between the phases. At low pressure currently available choking flow models are not reliable and satisfactory. In view of this, separate effect tests were conducted to systematically investigate the effects of mechanical and thermal non-equilibrium on the two-phase choking flow in a pipe. The systematic studies is not available in literature, therefore no clear understanding of these effects has been attained until now. A scaled integral facility called PUMA was used for these tests with specific boundary condition with several unique in-;line instruments. The mechanical non-equilibrium effect was studied with air-water choking flow. Subcooled water two-phase choking flow was studied to identify the effects of mechanical and thermal non-equilibrium. A typical nozzle and orifice were used as the choking flow section to evaluate the degree of non-equilibrium due to geometry. The slip ratio, which is a key parameter to express the mechanical non-equilibrium, is obtained upstream of the choking section in the air-water test. The measured choking mass flux for the nozzle was higher than the orifice at low flow quality (<0.05) for the same upstream flow quality indicating that there is a strong mechanical non-equilibrium at the choking plane. The thermal non-equilibrium effect was very strong at low pressure, however, no major influence of the geometry on this effect was observed. Experimental data were compared with RELAP5/MOD3.2.1.2, MOD3.3 beta and TRAC-M code predictions. The code predictions in general were not in agreement with the air-water choking flow test data. This indicated that the mechanical non-equilibrium effects were not properly modeled in the codes. The test data for subcooled water showed moderate decrease of choking mass flux with decrease

Review on effect of chemical, thermal, additive treatment on mechanical properties of basalt fiber and their composites

Science.gov (United States)

Jain, Naman; Singh, Vinay Kumar; Chauhan, Sakshi

2017-12-01

Basalt fiber is emerging out the new reinforcing material for composites. To overcome some of the disadvantages of fibers such as poor bonding to polymers, low thermal stability and high moisture absorption fiber characteristics are modified with chemical, thermal and additive treatments. Chemical treatment corrosive resistance to alkali and acid were investigated which were used to clean and modify the surface of fiber for higher bonding with resins. To improve the thermal stability and reduce moisture uptake thermal treatment such as plasma and non thermal plasma were used which increased the surface roughness and change the chemical composition of surface of basalt fiber. Additive treatment is used to improve the mechanical properties of fibers, in basalt fiber additive treatment was done with SiO2 additive because of its chemical composition which contains major content of SiO2. In present investigation review on the effect of different treatment such as chemical, thermal and additive were studied. Effect of these treatment on chemical composition of the surface of basalt fiber and corrosion to acidic and alkali solution were studied with their effect on mechanical properties of basalt fiber and their composite.

Effect of nano-clay on mechanical and thermal properties of geopolymer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Assaedi

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The effect of nano-clay platelets (Cloisite 30B on the mechanical and thermal properties of fly ash geopolymer has been investigated in this paper. The nano-clay platelets are added to reinforce the geopolymer at loadings of 1.0%, 2.0%, and 3.0% by weight. The phase composition and microstructure of geopolymer nano-composites are also investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR and scanning electron microscope (SEM techniques. Results show that the mechanical properties of geopolymer nano-composites are improved due to addition of nano-clay. It is found that the addition of 2.0 wt% nano-clay decreases the porosity and increases the nano-composite's resistance to water absorption significantly. The optimum 2.0 wt% nano-clay addition exhibited the highest flexural and compressive strengths, flexural modulus and hardness. The microstructural analysis results indicate that the nano-clay behaves not only as a filler to improve the microstructure, but also as an activator to facilitate the geopolymeric reaction. The geopolymer nano-composite also exhibited better thermal stability than its counterpart pure geopolymer.

Role of electron correlation effects in δ-Pu and "115"-Pu-based unconventional superconductors

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Shick, Alexander; Kolorenč, Jindřich

2014-01-01

Roč. 15, č. 7 (2014), 640-647 ISSN 1631-0705 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP204/10/0330 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : electronic structure * strong electron correlations * photoemission * unconventional superconductivity Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 2.035, year: 2014

Electromagnetic and thermal analysis of electromagnet for SMART control element drive mechanism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huh, H.; Kim, J. H.; Park, J. S.; Kim, Y. W.; Kim, J. I.

1999-01-01

A numerical electromagnetic and thermal analysis was performed for the electromagnet which is installed in the control element drive mechanism(CEDM) of the integral reactor SMART. A model for the electromagnetic analysis of the electromagnet was developed and theoretical bases for the model were established. Design parameters related to thrust force were identified, and the optimum design point was determined by analyzing the trend of the magnetic saturation with finite element method. Also It is important that the temperature of the electomagnet windings be maintained within the allowable limit of the insulation, since the electromagnet of CEDM is always supplied with current during the reactor operation. So the thermal analysis of the winding insulation which is composed of polyimide and air were performed by finite element method. The electromagnetic and thermal properties obtained here will be used as input for the optimization analysis of the electromagnet

A novel phase-change cement composite for thermal energy storage: Fabrication, thermal and mechanical properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, He; Xing, Feng; Cui, Hong-Zhi; Chen, Da-Zhu; Ouyang, Xing; Xu, Su-Zhen; Wang, Jia-Xin; Huang, Yi-Tian; Zuo, Jian-Dong; Tang, Jiao-Ning

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A novel flaky graphite-doped phase-change microcapsule (FGD-MPCM) was prepared. • FGD-MPCM has substantial latent heat storage capacity (135.8 J/g). • FGD-MPCMs/cement composite is capable of reducing indoor temperature fluctuation. • Compressive strength of cement composite with 30% FGD-MPCMs can reach to 14.2 MPa. - Abstract: Facing upon the increasingly severe energy crisis, one of the key issues for reducing the building energy consumption is to pursue high-performance thermal energy storage technologies based on phase-change materials. In this study, a novel cement composite incorporated with flaky graphite-doped microencapsulated phase-change materials (FGD-MPCMs) was developed. Various techniques, such as field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), optical microscopy (OM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were used to analyse the composite structure and thermal performances. The results indicate that the spherical microcapsules are well dispersed in the cement matrix. When combined within the cement, the thermal stability of the microcapsules was highly improved, and the inclusion of greater amounts of FGD-MPCMs further increased the latent heat of the composite. The mechanical properties of the cement composites were affected with the increase of FGD-MPCMs dosage and the porosity of the composites. In spite of this, the compressive strength and flexural strength of the cement composite with 30% FGD-MPCM could still reach to as high as 14.2 MPa and 4.1 MPa, respectively. Results from the infrared thermography and the model room test suggested that the composite filled with FGD-MPCMs is capable of reducing indoor temperature fluctuation and exhibits good potential for application in buildings to enhance energy savings and thermal comfort.

Mechanical synthesis of copper-carbon nanocomposites: Structural changes, strengthening and thermal stabilization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nunes, D.; Livramento, V.; Mateus, R.; Correia, J.B.; Alves, L.C.; Vilarigues, M.; Carvalho, P.A.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → The study characterized Cu-nanodiamond (Cu-nD) and Cu-graphite (Cu-G) composites. → Preservation of nD crystalline structure during high-energy milling was demonstrated. → Higher refinement of matrix in Cu-nD comparing to Cu-G is due to a milling mechanism. → Remarkable thermal stability and microhardness have been achieved in Cu-nD and Cu-G. → Strengthening resulted mainly from grain refinement and second-phase reinforcement. - Abstract: Processing of copper-carbon nanocomposites by mechanical synthesis poses specific challenges as carbon phases are prone to amorphization and exhibit an intrinsically difficult bonding with copper. The present work investigates Cu-nanodiamond (Cu-nD) and Cu-graphite (Cu-G) composites produced by mechanical synthesis and subsequent heat treatments. Transmission electron microscopy observations showed homogeneous particle distributions and intimate bonding between the metallic matrix and the carbon phases. Ring diffraction patterns of chemically extracted carbon phases demonstrated that milled nanodiamond preserved crystallinity, while an essentially amorphous nature could be inferred for milled graphite. Raman spectra confirmed that nanodiamond particles remained essentially unaffected by the mechanical synthesis, whereas the bands of milled graphite were significantly changed into the typical amorphous carbon fingerprint. Particle-induced X-ray emission spectroscopy showed that the total contamination originating from the milling media remained below 0.7 wt.%. The Cu-nanodiamond composite exhibited remarkable microhardness and microstructural thermal stability when compared with pure nanostructured copper.

Mechanical synthesis of copper-carbon nanocomposites: Structural changes, strengthening and thermal stabilization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nunes, D., E-mail: daniela.nunes@ist.utl.pt [Associacao Euratom/IST, Instituto de Plasmas e Fusao Nuclear - Laboratorio Associado, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa (Portugal); LNEG, Estrada do Paco do Lumiar, 1649-038 Lisboa (Portugal); ICEMS, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa (Portugal); Livramento, V. [Associacao Euratom/IST, Instituto de Plasmas e Fusao Nuclear - Laboratorio Associado, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa (Portugal); LNEG, Estrada do Paco do Lumiar, 1649-038 Lisboa (Portugal); Mateus, R. [Associacao Euratom/IST, Instituto de Plasmas e Fusao Nuclear - Laboratorio Associado, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa (Portugal); Correia, J.B. [LNEG, Estrada do Paco do Lumiar, 1649-038 Lisboa (Portugal); Alves, L.C. [ITN, Instituto Tecnologico e Nuclear, Estrada Nacional 10, 2686-953 Sacavem (Portugal); Vilarigues, M. [Departamento de Conservacao e Restauro e R and D Unit Vidro e da Ceramica Para as Artes, FCT-UNL, Quinta da Torre, 2829-516 Caparica (Portugal); Carvalho, P.A. [ICEMS, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa (Portugal); Departamento de Bioengenharia, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa (Portugal)

2011-11-15

Highlights: {yields} The study characterized Cu-nanodiamond (Cu-nD) and Cu-graphite (Cu-G) composites. {yields} Preservation of nD crystalline structure during high-energy milling was demonstrated. {yields} Higher refinement of matrix in Cu-nD comparing to Cu-G is due to a milling mechanism. {yields} Remarkable thermal stability and microhardness have been achieved in Cu-nD and Cu-G. {yields} Strengthening resulted mainly from grain refinement and second-phase reinforcement. - Abstract: Processing of copper-carbon nanocomposites by mechanical synthesis poses specific challenges as carbon phases are prone to amorphization and exhibit an intrinsically difficult bonding with copper. The present work investigates Cu-nanodiamond (Cu-nD) and Cu-graphite (Cu-G) composites produced by mechanical synthesis and subsequent heat treatments. Transmission electron microscopy observations showed homogeneous particle distributions and intimate bonding between the metallic matrix and the carbon phases. Ring diffraction patterns of chemically extracted carbon phases demonstrated that milled nanodiamond preserved crystallinity, while an essentially amorphous nature could be inferred for milled graphite. Raman spectra confirmed that nanodiamond particles remained essentially unaffected by the mechanical synthesis, whereas the bands of milled graphite were significantly changed into the typical amorphous carbon fingerprint. Particle-induced X-ray emission spectroscopy showed that the total contamination originating from the milling media remained below 0.7 wt.%. The Cu-nanodiamond composite exhibited remarkable microhardness and microstructural thermal stability when compared with pure nanostructured copper.

Methodology for Structural Calculation of Gear Teeth with Unconventional Profile

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Radicella Andrea Chiaramonte

2016-01-01

Full Text Available After having made reference to the structural analysis used in the study of gear wheel teeth, we then move on to the state of the art on the topic. We proceed to identify the boundary conditions used in the structural analysis of unconventional teeth with sides having a profile of an involute of a circle but with different pressure angles in each of the two sides. A procedure for the discretization of traditional teeth and of innovative teeth is presented and compared with the discretization obtained using current software.

Knudsen torque: A rotational mechanism driven by thermal force

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Qi; Liang, Tengfei; Ye, Wenjing

2014-09-01

Thermally induced mechanical loading has been shown to have significant effects on micro- and nano-objects immersed in a gas with a nonuniform temperature field. While the majority of existing studies and related applications focus on forces, we investigate the torque, and thus the rotational motion, produced by such a mechanism. Our study has found that a torque can be induced if the configuration of the system is asymmetric. In addition, both the magnitude and the direction of the torque depend highly on the system configuration, indicating the possibility of manipulating the rotational motion via geometrical design. Based on this feature, two types of rotational micromotor that are of practical importance, namely pendulum motor and unidirectional motor, are designed. The magnitude of the torque at Kn =0.5 can reach to around 2nN×μm for a rectangular microbeam with a length of 100μm.

Influence of mechanical and thermal treatments on microstructure and mechanical properties of titanium stabilized austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sidhom, H.

1983-12-01

Thermal and mechanical treatments for microstructure optimization in titanium stabilized austenitic stainless steels used in nuclear industry are examined. The steels studied Z10CNDT15-15B and Z6CNDT17-13 are of the type 15-15 Ti and 316 Ti. These treatments allow the elimination of casting heterogeneity produced by dendritic solidification, improve mechanical properties particularly creep and the best compromise between grain size solid solution of metal additions is obtained. Secondary precipitation of (TiMo)C on dislocations is improved by a previous strain hardening. The precipitation reinforce the good effect of strain hardening by stabilization of the microstructure producing a better resistance to recrystallization [fr

Unconventional wisdom: an economic analysis of US shale gas and implications for the EU

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spencer, Thomas; Sartor, Oliver; Mathieu, Mathilde

2014-01-01

Despite very low and ultimately unsustainable short-term prices of natural gas, the unconventional oil and gas revolution has had a minimal impact on the US macro-economy. We provide an upper-optimistic-estimate of its long-term effect on the level of US GDP (not its long-term annual growth rate) at about 0.84% between 2012 and 2035. Compared to an annual growth rate of 1.4%, this long-term increase is small. And we estimate its short-term stimulus effects at 0.88% of GDP during the 2007/8 to 2012 downturn. The unconventional oil and gas revolution has also had a minimal impact on US manufacturing, confined to gas-intensive sectors, which we calculate as making up about 1.2% of US GDP. There is thus no evidence that shale gas is driving an overall manufacturing renaissance in the US. Absent further policies, the US shale revolution will not lead to a significant, sustained decarbonization of the US energy mix nor will it assure US energy security. A reference scenario based on current policies sees US emissions stagnant at current levels out to 2040, clearly insufficient for a reasonable US contribution to global climate change mitigation. Oil imports continue to rise in monetary terms. While it can promote some coal to gas switching in the short term if additional policies are enacted, there is also the risk that the unconventional oil and gas revolution further locks the US into an energy- and emissions-intensive capital stock. It is unlikely that the EU will repeat the US experience in terms of the scale of unconventional oil and gas production. Uncertainty exists around the exact size of exploitable EU shale gas reserves; a median scenario would see the EU producing about 3-10% of its gas demand from shale gas by 2030-2035. The EU's fossil fuel import dependency will therefore continue to increase and its fossil fuel prices will remain largely determined by international markets. Shale production would not have significant macro-economic or competitiveness

Characterisation of Ground Thermal and Thermo-Mechanical Behaviour for Shallow Geothermal Energy Applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vieira, Ana; Alberdi-Pagola, Maria; Christodoulides, Paul

2017-01-01

Increasing use of the ground as a thermal reservoir is expected in the near future. Shallow geothermal energy (SGE) systems have proved to be sustainable alternative solutions for buildings and infrastructure conditioning in many areas across the globe in the past decades. Recently novel solutions......-hydro-mechanical behaviour of soil is introduced and discussed. These coupled processes are important for confirming the structural integrity of energy geostructures, but routine methods for parameter determination are still lacking (Energies). Keywords: shallow geothermal systems; soil thermal behaviour; laboratory testing......, including energy geostructures, where SGE systems are coupled with foundation heat exchangers, have also been developed. The performance of these systems is dependent on a series of factors, among which the thermal properties of the soil play a major role. The purpose of this paper is to present...