Operating Conditions Research Articles

Towards automatic identification of ship-ice contact using acceleration measurement

When a ship navigates in ice-covered areas, its hull experiences motion and vibration responses due to ship-ice contact. The magnitude of such responses can be represented well by acceleration, which is easy to measure onboard ice-going ships. The level of acceleration is determined by the environmental and operational conditions through excitation via the ship-ice contact. Conversely, it is possible to infer excitation and environmental conditions using acceleration measurements via appropriate methods. Accelerations associated with such responses can also affect the functionality of the onboard equipment and therefore, should be quantified. Nevertheless, studies on shipborne acceleration measurements in ice fields and their links to prevailing excitations and environmental conditions are rare. This study explores the feasibility of using shipborne acceleration measurements to infer the corresponding excitations (i.e., ship-ice contacts) as a first step towards the inference of ice conditions via acceleration measurements. An automatic identification method for ship-ice contact is proposed that can effectively separate ship-ice contact events from acceleration measurement signals. The acceleration signals are decomposed in the time-frequency map obtained through a short-time Fourier transformation (STFT). An improved detection transformer (DETR) model was used to automatically identify ship-ice contact events and achieved good accuracy in the validation set. This model was then applied to automatically identify ship-ice contacts using acceleration signals under various environmental and operational conditions. The frequency of the identified ship-ice contact reasonably reflects its dependence on prevailing environmental and operational conditions, which confirms the validity of the proposed methodology.

An efficient data-driven approach for modeling and optimization of reactivity-controlled compression ignition engine fueled with polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers and hydrogen

This paper presents an efficient data-driven approach for optimizing the utilization of PODEn and hydrogen in reactivity-controlled compression ignition (RCCI) engines. A novel high dimensional model representation (HDMR) technique is adopted to construct a highly accurate surrogate model for the RCCI engine based on the dataset generated by a detailed CFD model that has been calibrated against experimental data. The HDMR model is then coupled with Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm III (NSGA III), a multi-objective genetic algorithm, to search for the optimal operating conditions where the RCCI engine fueled by PODEn and H2 achieves the highest combustion performance. Results suggest that the constructed HDMR model is highly accurate, being able to predict the engine performance within milliseconds. The coupled HDMR-NSGA III approach successfully identifies the optimal engine operating condition, which significantly improves the combustion performance and reduces pollutant emissions compared with the base condition.

Design of a perturb and observe and neural network algorithms-based maximum power point tracking for a grid-connected photovoltaic system

Integrating photovoltaic systems (PV) into the grid has garnered significant attention due to increasing interest in renewable energy sources. Maximizing the PV systems output power is crucial for improving energy efficiency and reducing operating costs. This paper presents a comparative analysis of two different techniques of maximum power point tracking (MPPT): perturb and observe (P&O) and artificial neural network (ANN) MPPT, focusing on their application in grid-connected PV systems. The paper evaluates their performance under various operating conditions, including changes in irradiance and temperature, that are discussed in three cases. The comparative analysis includes metrics such as voltage regulation and powerloss. MATLAB Simulink is utilized to implement P&O and ANN MPPT methods, which include a PV cell connected to an MPPT-controlled boost converter. The simulation demonstrates the power loss of the PV model as well as the voltage regulation in the three cases for the two methods. The results obtained in simulation and implementations show that the ANN method outperforms the P&O in the three cases discussed in terms of powerloss, voltage regulation, and efficiency. The results also show that the change in output power from PV is noticeable when compared to changes in radiation, while the change is slight when temperatures change.

Cosolvents effect on supercritical CO2 microemulsion containing ionic Liquid: Experiment and simulation

Supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) microemulsion containing ionic liquids (ILs) 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([Emim]Ac) were prepared under mild operating conditions with the help of surfactant branched secondary alcohol ethoxylates (TMN-6) and cosolvents (water and ethanol). Phase equilibrium experiments and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were conducted from gas-phase system, two-phase system to supercritical system. The conditions of constructing supercritical microemulsion were studied by using self-made phase equilibrium device. The effects of temperature, surfactant concentration, and cosolvent concentration on cloud point pressure (CPP) were studied. The results showed that the transparent and uniform microemulsion could not be formed in gas-phase and two-phase systems. In supercritical system, the proper addition of cosolvent water and ethanol contributed to the formation of microemulsion and the dissolution of ILs. However, the reduction effect of CPP was not obvious or even increased when only water was added. After added water and ethanol simultaneously, not only did the maximum WIL increase to 0.26, but CPP also significantly decreased. MD simulation was conducted to characterize the microstructure of three systems. Furthermore, the gyration radius, radial distribution function (RDF), and hydrogen bond dynamics were calculated to analyze the strengthening mechanism of cosolvents on self-assembly. The simulation results revealed that, water promoted the interaction between hydrophilic groups of surfactants and ionic liquids, while ethanol constructed a hydrogen bonding network between continuous and dispersed phases. Water and ethanol have synergistic effect on the preparation of supercritical microemulsion, which has a good effect on improving the self-assembly rate and aggregate stability.

A full operating conditions ejector model for refrigeration systems driven by low-grade heat sources

The ejector refrigeration technology driven by low-grade heat sources constitutes as one of the crucial means to solve the energy shortage in present-day society and to reduce the global environmental pollution. Thermodynamics ejector models are the basis of performance prediction, system control and structural design in ejector refrigeration systems driven by low-grade heat sources. However, the majority of present ejector models are unable to simultaneously meet the general feasibility of full operating conditions and the level of prediction accuracy for improving the energy efficiency of the refrigeration system. In this study, a novel theoretical model of ejectors is successfully derived based on the foundation of compound-choking theory and gas dynamic relations, which easily predicts the entrainment performance under the on-design and off-design conditions in ejector refrigeration systems. Indeed, a direct solution algorithm is presented to quickly and accurately solve this model and a linear correlation is employed between the mixing loss coefficient and the back pressure at the subcritical mode. The developed model is verified with experimental results in R245fa, R134a and R600a ejector refrigeration system. The results show that the model provides a precise estimation of the entrainment performance with the mean relative errors of 2.45%, 5.49% and 3.67% for R245fa, R134a and R600a refrigerants at full working conditions, while the prediction of critical condensing temperatures is considerably approximated by the experimental measurements. In the comparative analysis with the previous model, this model demonstrates a superior prediction performance, especially in the subcritical mode using the linear function mixing loss coefficient. This study will be a valuable aid in the improvement of energy efficiency in ejector refrigeration systems.

Kinetics and mechanisms of high-temperature oxidation in BCC and FCC high-alloy Fe-based alloys with high volume fraction of carbides

This study conducts a detailed analysis of high-temperature oxidation and microstructural evolution in two high-alloy Fe-based alloys, each characterized by a high-volume fraction of carbides but differentiated by their matrices − body-centered cubic (BCC) and face-centered cubic (FCC), which was achieved by the addition of nickel. By investigating the intricate interplay of factors such as phase composition, nickel content, and the presence of carbides, this research aims to elucidate the diverse oxidation kinetics and underlying mechanisms specific to each alloy type. Results show that the BCC alloy exhibits slower oxidation kinetics compared to its FCC counterpart, suggesting better performance in high-temperature environments. Moreover, while both alloys develop strong adhesive oxide scales primarily composed of Cr2O3, the FCC alloy experiences more pronounced scale spallation and cracking. A faster progression of decarburization was observed in the BCC alloy. This comprehensive comparison highlights how variations in matrix structure, along with nickel content and carbide behavior, critically influence oxidation kinetics, scale adhesion, and the overall integrity of oxide scales. Understanding these nuanced interactions is crucial for designing high-performance alloys tailored for extreme operating conditions.

Investigation on spray and flame stabilization of a LOX/methane swirl coaxial injector

Variable-thrust cryogenic propellant rocket engines are gaining significant research interest in space exploration. However, low-frequency unstable combustion is still a challenging scenario, especially in fuel-rich preburner and low-thrust operating conditions of deep variable thrust. To deeply understand the mechanism of low-frequency unstable combustion, chemiluminescence images of CH* and background light images of the spray were obtained synchronously by chemiluminescence imaging and laser background light imaging, respectively. Both the spray and flame stabilization of liquid oxygen/methane swirl coaxial injector were studied through the continuous regulation of liquid oxygen mass flow rate. The results showed that low-frequency unstable combustion occur in both the start-up stage and the throttled stage under the fuel-rich condition at a frequency of 39.1∼48.1 Hz and an amplitude of 30% of the average combustor pressure. It is found that the two-phase flow instability of liquid oxygen is likely to induce spray and flame instability, resulting in low-frequency unstable combustion. The dimension subcooling degree of liquid oxygen is an important factor affecting unstable combustion. When the dimensionless subcooling degree is larger than 0.7, the low-frequency unstable combustion is suppressed. On the other hand, as the mixing ratio decreases, the flame oscillation mode gradually transforms from the longitudinal oscillation mode to contraction/expansion mode. Flame filling up and flashback processes can be observed in both flame oscillation modes, and the entropy coupling mechanism of the oscillation mode is explained in detail. Furthermore, an oscillation period is determined to include four processes: propellants filling up and flame liftoff; heat release of the combustion products and entropy disturbance; acceleration of the entropy wave through the nozzle creating an acoustic disturbance; and flame flashback, in which the heat release time of combustion products and entropy disturbance is the longest.

Stability analysis of power system under n-1 contingency condition

Several voltage stability indices (VSIs) have been developed to assess the potential for voltage collapse. However, certain indexes are computationally costly. Meanwhile, some have been noted to underperform across various conditions. This work proposes a novel line index called the super voltage stability index (SVSI) to calculate the system's voltage stability margin (VSM). The suggested approach is based on the transmission system's two bus systems. The reactive power loss and N-1 contingency conditions to voltage sensitivity is a unique calculation approach used in this study to identify voltage instability. Day to day, the demand for electric power is being increased due to incessant increments in technology and population growth. Therefore, the power system networks are under pressure. The operational conditions of transmission system networks are affected at this point, which may result in voltage collapse. Regular monitoring of power supply is essential to avert voltage collapse. The effectiveness of the suggested index has been assessed using the IEEE 5 and 30-bus systems across diverse operating scenarios, including variations in active and reactive power loading as well as single line losses. The findings indicate that SVSI provides a more reliable indication of the proximity to voltage collapse when compared to conventional line VSIs.

Delay of reinforcement switches attention between elements of a compound stimulus in humans, Reynolds (1961) revisited

One experiment in instrumental conditioning studied the effect of delayed reinforcement on attention, considered as the stimulus control produced by each element of a compound sample stimulus (CSS). A two-element (shape and color) CSS indicated the response to be reinforced between three comparison stimuli in an online matching-to-sample task with human participants. Forty-eight university students were assigned to three groups with different reinforcement delays: 0 s, 8 s, and 16 s (D0, D8, and D16). After learning the task, a separate test took place, with the elements of the CSS presented separately. Group D0 responded more to the shape. The D8 group responded to both elements, while the D16 group responded more to the color. Results showed that attention to each element of the CSS changes as reinforcement delay increases. These findings are similar to those of Urcelay and Miller (2009) on Pavlovian conditioning, pointing out similarities between Reynolds’ findings and Pavlovian overshadowing.

Spontaneous instrumental approach-avoidance learning in social contexts in autism

BackgroundIndividuals with Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) are characterized by atypicalities in social interactions, compared to Typically Developing individuals (TD). The social motivation theory posits that these difficulties stem from diminished anticipation, reception, and/or learning from social rewards. Although learning from socioemotional outcomes is core to the theory, studies to date have been sparse and inconsistent. This possibly arises from a combination of theoretical, methodological and sample-related issues. Here, we assessed participants’ ability to develop a spontaneous preference for actions that lead to desirable socioemotional outcomes (approaching/avoiding of happy/angry individuals, respectively), in an ecologically valid social scenario. We expected that learning abilities would be impaired in ASC individuals, particularly in response to affiliative social feedback.MethodWe ran an online social reinforcement learning task, on two large online cohorts with (n = 274) and without (n = 290) ASC, matched for gender, age and education. Participants had to indicate where they would sit in a waiting room. Each seat was associated with different probabilities of approaching/avoiding emotional individuals. Importantly, the task was implicit, as participants were not instructed to learn, and emotional expressions were never mentioned. We applied both categorical analyses contrasting the ASC and TD groups and dimensional factor analysis on affective questionnaires.ResultsContrary to our hypothesis, participants showed spontaneous learning from socioemotional outcomes, regardless of their diagnostic group. Yet, when accounting for dimensional variations in autistic traits, as well as depression and anxiety, two main findings emerged among females who failed to develop explicit learning strategies: (1) autism severity in ASC correlated with reduced learning to approach happy individuals; (2) anxiety-depression severity across both ASC and TD participants correlated with reduced learning to approach/avoid happy/angry individuals, respectively.ConclusionsImplicit spontaneous learning from socioemotional outcomes is not generally impaired in autism but may be specifically associated with autism severity in females with ASC, when they do not have an explicit strategy for adapting to their social environment. Clinical diagnosis and intervention ought to take into account individual differences in their full complexity, including the presence of co-morbid anxiety and depression, when dealing with social atypicalities in autism.

Investigation of a new method for direct chemistry integration in Conditional Source-term Estimation

This paper examines a new Conditional Source-term Estimation (CSE) implementation in which an integral inversion is performed for species mass fractions without any chemistry tabulation. To tackle the numerical stiffness due to chemistry, a constant-pressure chemical reactor is considered in conditional space. The objective of this work is to investigate this new method in CSE by comparing its numerical performance (accuracy of predictions and computational efficiency) with previous CSE implementations using tabulated chemistry. For the first time, the constraints for mass and mixture fraction conservation in conditional space are included in the inversion process. The investigation is performed in a Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) framework using a well-documented turbulent flame with detailed measurements in conditional and physical spaces for many reacting scalars. A chemical mechanism including 16 species and 35 reactions is incorporated. CSE predictions of conditional and Favre averaged temperature and different species mass fractions are analysed. CSE with full chemistry performs as well as CSE with tabulated chemistry, if not slightly better. Numerical errors are discussed. The new CSE implementation is made possible by the proposed numerical treatment of stiffness due to chemistry and first-order Tikhonov regularisation technique with additional physical constraints. The new approach is found to be more CPU intensive than CSE with a pre-tabulation technique, but as a preliminary analysis, the computational cost of CSE with direct integration of a chemical mechanism appears to be much smaller than the run time associated with CMC for a similar set-up. Further investigation is required to refine this initial conclusion. These results open new opportunities towards CSE simulations that involve fuel blends and more complex operating conditions for example with spray and multi-stream inlets with non-uniform compositions for which accurate chemistry tabulations are difficult to generate.

Comprehensive Performance Analysis of Hybrid Solar Water Heating Systems: Synergizing Photovoltaic and Thermal Technologies

Abstract: Solar water heaters are an efficient and sustainable technology for meeting the growing demand for hot water in residential and commercial applications. This abstract presents a comprehensive overview of the performance evaluation of solar water heater systems through an extensive experimental study. The study aims to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of different solar water heater configurations under varying operating conditions. The experimental investigation involved the measurement and analysis of key performance parameters such as solar collector efficiency, heat transfer efficiency, thermal storage capacity, and overall system efficiency. A range of factors including solar radiation intensity, ambient temperature, water flow rate, and collector tilt angle were systematically varied to examine their impact on system performance. The results of the experimental study demonstrated the significant potential of solar water heaters in providing cost-effective and environmentally friendly hot water solutions. The solar collector efficiency was found to be highly influenced by the solar radiation intensity, with higher levels of solar irradiation leading to increased thermal energy generation. The heat transfer efficiency was optimized by adjusting the water flow rate and collector tilt angle, ensuring efficient transfer of heat from the collector to the water. Furthermore, the thermal storage capacity of the system played a crucial role in maintaining a consistent supply of hot water during periods of low solar radiation or high demand. Overall system efficiency was found to be strongly dependent on the integration of efficient heat exchangers and insulation materials. Based on the experimental findings, recommendations for system design and optimization were formulated, highlighting the importance of proper sizing, selection of suitable materials, and appropriate control strategies. The results also identified areas for future research, such as the integration of advanced heat transfer enhancement techniques and the utilization of hybrid solar water heater systems

Comprehensive Performance Analysis of Hybrid Solar Water Heating Systems: Synergizing Photovoltaic and Thermal Technologies

Abstract: Solar water heaters are an efficient and sustainable technology for meeting the growing demand for hot water in residential and commercial applications. This abstract presents a comprehensive overview of the performance evaluation of solar water heater systems through an extensive experimental study. The study aims to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of different solar water heater configurations under varying operating conditions. The experimental investigation involved the measurement and analysis of key performance parameters such as solar collector efficiency, heat transfer efficiency, thermal storage capacity, and overall system efficiency. A range of factors including solar radiation intensity, ambient temperature, water flow rate, and collector tilt angle were systematically varied to examine their impact on system performance. The results of the experimental study demonstrated the significant potential of solar water heaters in providing cost-effective and environmentally friendly hot water solutions. The solar collector efficiency was found to be highly influenced by the solar radiation intensity, with higher levels of solar irradiation leading to increased thermal energy generation. The heat transfer efficiency was optimized by adjusting the water flow rate and collector tilt angle, ensuring efficient transfer of heat from the collector to the water. Furthermore, the thermal storage capacity of the system played a crucial role in maintaining a consistent supply of hot water during periods of low solar radiation or high demand. Overall system efficiency was found to be strongly dependent on the integration of efficient heat exchangers and insulation materials. Based on the experimental findings, recommendations for system design and optimization were formulated, highlighting the importance of proper sizing, selection of suitable materials, and appropriate control strategies. The results also identified areas for future research, such as the integration of advanced heat transfer enhancement techniques and the utilization of hybrid solar water heater systems

Investigations on the Structure, Mechanical Property, Wear and Oxidation Resistances of TiAlSiN Coatings by Tailoring Al/(Al + Ti) Ratios

Previous studies have broadly dealt with TiAlSiN coatings that exhibit promising characteristics as surface protective layers for antiwear and antioxidation applications. In this regard, revealing the correlations among coating composition, structure, and properties is vitally important for developing advanced TiAlSiN coatings. The present work addresses the issue by studying the structure and properties of TiAlSiN coatings by tailoring Al/(Al + Ti) ratios. To this end, TiAlSiN coatings are produced by arc deposition with the Al/(Al + Ti) ratios of 0.31, 0.42, 0.51, and 0.62, respectively. The results show that, when the Al/(Al + Ti) ratio ranges from 0.31 to 0.51, the phase structure is mainly TiN phase, and the hardness, wear resistance and oxidation resistance of the films are increased with the rise in the Al/(Al + Ti) ratio. When the Al/(Al + Ti) ratio reaches 0.62, the oxidation resistance of the coating does not improve significantly, while the mechanical and wear properties of the coating are deceased due to the formation of w‐AlN phase. Therefore, the appropriate Al/(Al + Ti) ratio at 0.51 provides overall improvements including mechanical properties, and wear and oxidation resistances under operation conditions. These findings show that optimizing the Al/(Al + Ti) ratio is a promising way to develop TiAlSiN coatings with advanced structure and properties.

Experimental investigation of earth-air heat exchanger using porous clay vessels for eco-friendly buildings

This study introduces an experimental investigation of a novel direct trend evaporative cooler based on a ground-air heat exchanger (GAHE) using porous clay vessels as an evaporation media under a variety of operational conditions, including air flow rate, inlet air temperature, temperature of inlet water, and in air humidity. The evaluation of the GAHE performance was based on the air-cooling effect, wet-bulb and dew-point efficiencies, energy efficiency ratio, water evaporation rate, specific water evaporation, specific cooling capacity, specific total cost, and CO2 emission rate. The influences of dry-bulb temperature, the incoming air's relative humidity (RH), and six air flow rates ranging from 11 to 25 L/s on the performance are investigated and discussed. Results indicated that increasing the air flow rate leads to an increase in the cooling capacity. Energy efficiency ratio (EER) reaches the highest value of about 25.5 recorded at 3:00 PM with air flow rate = 11 L/s. The lowest EER value is approximately 7.2 when the measured inlet and outlet temperatures are the closest at 7:00 PM, with a flow rate of 25 L/s. Increasing the air flow rate from 11 to 17 L/s increased the wet bulb efficiency, and the airflow rate was inversely proportional to wet-bulb efficiency. The maximum and minimum average dew-point efficiencies are 64% and 58% at 17 L/s and 22 L/s respectively. The water evaporation rate increases by 182.1%, increasing the air flow rate from 11 to 25 L/s.

Numerical investigation to predict the impact of pre-heated air on the tar formation of cocoa pod husk gasification in a fixed bed downdraft gasifier

Tar production is a critical aspect of gasification thermochemistry, and it hinders the widening of biofuel utilisation in several applications. Both the gasifier configuration and the operating conditions influence the quantity of tar in PG. Since temperature plays a major role, this study examines the performance parameters of a gasifier across a spectrum of input air temperatures, from 27 to 627 °C, utilising computational fluid dynamics with species transport and porous media models. Since the deviation of numerical predictions from experimental results is within 10 %, the model's validity is confirmed. CO and H2 gas production increased from 19.23 % to 27.12 % and 9.23 %–16.2 %, respectively, over the tested air temperature range; however, the variation in methane content was not significant. Furthermore, the higher heating values of PG and cold gas efficiency were found to be 5–6.8 MJ/Nm3 and 65–69 %, respectively. The study also investigates reaction rates for gasification, combustion, and volatiles' breakdown under various operating conditions. Among the tar species studied, benzene is the most concentrated at 1.6 g/Nm3, followed by toluene at 0.9 g/Nm3, with naphthalene and phenol present in comparatively smaller amounts. Furthermore, the research indicates that an appropriate temperature of gasifying medium can control tar in PG.

A Method to Obtain Frequency Response Functions of Operating Mechanical Systems Based on Experimental Modal Analysis and Operational Modal Analysis

The characteristics of a mechanical structure under operating conditions may differ from those in a static state. It is often more desirable to obtain the frequency response function (FRF) of the operating structure in engineering applications. While operational modal analysis (OMA) can estimate modal parameters during operation, it fails to provide mass-normalized mode shapes for FRF synthesis. This paper presents a new method using experimental modal analysis (EMA) to compensate for the absent information in OMA. It categorizes operational mode shapes into changed ones and those that remain the same compared to the static state, applying different scaling techniques accordingly. This method adapts to changes in dynamic characteristics without altering the operating conditions. Stability is emphasized throughout the process. Two examples are provided to verify the method, considering noise and incompleteness in measurement, and disturbances in dynamic properties. The proposed method is proven to be feasible and reliable to capture the changes in operational FRFs.

An experimental study of thermoacoustic instabilities in a RP-3 fueled multi-swirl stabilized lean direct injection combustor

An investigation of self-excited combustion instabilities in a RP-3 fueled, multi-swirl stabilized, lean direct injection (LDI) combustor was performed and investigated with different operating conditions (inlet Reynolds number and fuel–air ratio (FAR)). Pressure fluctuation and heat release data were simultaneously collected using a 3-channel synchronous acquisition system. The results show that as the FAR increases, combustion transitions from a low oscillation mode to a high oscillation mode. During the modal transition, the oscillating flame structure, formed by vortex shedding in the shear layer and the recirculation zone, is then transformed into contraction and expansion movements from the front of the central recirculation zone towards the downstream and radial directions of the combustor. When combustion is in a low oscillation mode, the driving capability of the flame is relatively low. Upon entering a high oscillation mode, the overall driving energy of the flame can maintain combustion in a limit cycle oscillation state.

Modeling the electro-chemo-mechanical failure at the lithium-solid electrolyte interface: Void evolution and lithium penetration

The solid-solid contact interface is crucial for the reliability of solid-state energy storage systems. The contact condition becomes more complicated when lithium (Li) metal is used as the anode. The contact between solid electrolyte (SE) and Li metal is inferior compared to the liquid/solid interface in conventional Li-ion batteries. Experimental evidence has shown that improper operating conditions of solid-state batteries can lead to electro-chemo-mechanical failures at the Li/SE interface, including the formation of voids and the penetration of Li. In this study, a unified phase-field model is developed to investigate these two mechanisms. The model considers the coupled electro-chemo-mechanical processes including void diffusion, lattice annihilation, stripping and plating reactions, and plastic deformation of Li metal. The study begins with a revisit of the deformation-mechanism map for Li metal under a wide range of temperatures, stress, and deformation rates. This map serves as the basis for the mechanical characterization in the phase-field model. The large inelastic deformation of Li is considered by introducing an advection term into the Allen-Cahn equation, which is used to describe the dynamic evolution of the Li and void phases. The effects of current density and stack pressure on void evolution and Li penetration are studied based on the model predictions. By combining the simulation results with the experimental data from publications, we obtain the stable operation zone of stack pressure and applied current density. In this zone, the Li/SE interface can enable stable stripping and plating of Li metal. The same phase-field modeling framework is transferred to investigate the Li-Mg alloy/SE interface considering Li-Mg alloy is also used as the anode. The fundamental difference between Li/SE and Li-Mg/SE is analyzed accordingly. This study provides a useful tool for the design, manufacturing, and management of next-generation batteries by providing important scientific insights into the electro-chemo-mechanical processes of different anode materials under various operational conditions.

Influence of Carbonated Pyrolysis Oil Recycled from Scrap Tires on Metallurgical Efficiency of Coal Flotation

This research assesses the effect of carbonated pyrolysis oil (CPO) derived from scrap car tires on the metallurgical efficiency of coal flotation as a flotation additive. Using a statistical experimental design, the influence of various operational variables, including solid percent of feed pulp and dosages of reagents, i.e., CPO as an additive, diesel oil as a collector, and pine oil as a frother, on the ash content and yield of the final concentrate were investigated. Experimental data vary significantly based on operational conditions, ranging from 6.6% ash content with a 15% yield to 19.1% ash content with a 76.8% yield. The composition of the pyrolysis oil was identified by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The analysis of variance (ANOVA) of experimental results demonstrated that almost all variables had a substantial effect on the flotation responses, positive or negative, depending on the variable or variable interaction. It was discovered that the usage of CPO intensified the total yield and ash content of concentrate in a nonlinear fashion in a range of 15% and 4%, respectively. The results revealed a non-selective interaction effect between CPO and pine oil, as well as competitive adsorption between diesel oil and CPO, which contributed to the curved behavior of flotation measurements. The detrimental effect of CPO on the flotation response of the studied coal sample was also related to the interaction of the hydrophilic groups in the CPO structure and the oxide groups of ash material in coal particles. This work shows the potential of carbonated pyrolysis oil to enhance coal flotation performance and sheds light on the underlying mechanisms.