Design Of Apparatus Research Articles

RSM Hybrid Modeling of a BSFC for a Single Cylinder Four Stroke CI Engine Fueled with Nano-additives Added to Diesel-biodiesel Fuel Blends

Introduction: The expanding need for fossil fuels emphasizes the necessity to comprehend renewable energy sources. Methods: This study examined the performance of a single-cylinder diesel engine using Jatropha biodiesel and aluminum dioxide—the research aimed to evaluate engine reactivity to compression ratio and load variations. The experiment employed with varitaion compression ratios. Results: This study used the Response Surface Methodology to find the best Brake Specific Fuel Consumption performance indicator location. The researchers used a Central Composite Design setup for analysis. A regression model employing the response surface approach was then created to predict fuel phase-out likelihood. Conclusion: This study examines multiple factors' effects. According to studies, Jatropha biodiesel and its blends may improve engine efficiency and lower brake-specific fuel consumption compared to diesel fuel. Minor input parameter modifications are needed to gain these benefits.

Early Analysis of Endothelial Markers to predict Sepsis in the Emergency Department.

Acute infections and sepsis are a leading cause of death. These patients are primarily encountered at the emergency department (ED), where early assessment for sepsis is necessary to improve outcome. In sepsis, the inflammatory response causes several characteristic pathophysiological changes, including a dysregulated and generalized activation of the endothelium. This study aimed to analyse endothelial markers released to the blood as diagnostic biomarkers for acute infection and sepsis in the ED, as smaller studies have previously shown promising results in other settings. Serum samples from n = 312 adult patients with suspected acute infections at presentation to the ED were utilized. Patients' courses of disease and outcomes were assessed by clinical adjudication. E-Selectin, P-Selectin, ICAM-1, and VCAM-1 were measured by ELISAs. The accuracy of each marker for predicting bacterial infection, sepsis, and in-hospital mortality, was evaluated. For sepsis, E-Selectin and ICAM-1 both showed an AUROC of 0.62, lower than procalcitonin with 0.77 (both p < 0.01) and lactate with 0.73 (p = 0.030 and 0.046, respectively), but similar to CRP with 0.60 (p = 0.758 and 0.876, respectively). For 28-day in-hospital mortality among patients with infection, ICAM-1 performed best with an AUROC of 0.75. Despite promising results in small studies and specific cohorts, particularly in intensive care units, this large-scale evaluation of four endothelial biomarkers highlights their limited diagnostic utility in a broader inclusion set-up design at the earliest possible time-point of evaluation.

Fostering prospective teacher-students to contextualize blackbody radiation in astrophysics

Abstract In astrophysical concepts, a star can be treated as a blackbody. However, teaching blackbody radiation in physics classrooms is not often relevant to astrophysical contexts. Therefore, prospective teacher-students need to have experiences contextualizing blackbody radiation in astrophysics. This study aimed to investigate how the inquiry lesson activities for teaching blackbody radiation in an astrophysics context, including the design of a simple experimental setup and the worksheets. The experimental setup was designed using affordable equipment like a tungsten bulb, a basic meter, a small piece of compact disk, and a smartphone application called lux meter. By manipulating the voltage across the tungsten filament and measuring the current and intensity using a lux meter, students can calculate its temperature, analyze the spectrum through PHET simulation, and construct a graph of wavelength vs intensity. The method of this study combines a qualitative analysis to describe the resulted spectral by the apparatus, lesson design, and description of the implementation. In addition, quantitative analysis using a quasi-experimental one-group pre-test and post-test design was conducted with prospective teacher-student participants who had taken the astronomy course and are still taking the modern physics course. The results show that inquiry lesson using simple apparatus model and materials positively fosters prospective teacher-students understanding of how to contextualize the blackbody radiation concept in astrophysics.

Laboratory x-ray nano-computed tomography for biomedical research

High-resolution x-ray tomography is a common technique for biomedical research using synchrotron sources. With advancements in laboratory x-ray sources, an increasing number of experiments can be performed in the lab. In this paper, the design, implementation, and verification of a laboratory setup for x-ray nano-computed tomography is presented using a nano-focus x-ray source and high geometric magnification not requiring any optical elements. Comparing a scintillator-based detector to a photon counting detector shows a clear benefit of using photon counting detectors for these applications, where the flux of the x-ray source is limited and samples have low contrast. Sample contrast is enhanced using propagation-based phase contrast. The resolution of the system is verified using 2D resolution charts and using Fourier Ring Correlation on reconstructed CT slices. Evaluating noise and contrast highlights the benefits of photon counting detectors and the contrast improvement through phase contrast. The implemented setup is capable of reaching sub-micron resolution and satisfying contrast in biological samples, like paraffin embedded tissue.

Design of a Contactless Inductive Flow Tomography system for a large Rayleigh-Bénard convection cell with aspect ratio [formula omitted]

Contactless inductive flow tomography (CIFT) is a flow measurement technique that is able to reconstruct the time-dependent three-dimensional velocity field in electrically conducting fluids, e.g., liquid metals, from magnetic field measurements. The paper describes the design of a specific CIFT measurement set-up for flow studies in liquid metal Rayleigh-Bénard convection (RBC) in a large cylinder of aspect ratio (diameter/height) of Γ=0.5 filled with the ternary alloy GaInSn as model fluid. An optimized configuration for the CIFT excitation system and magnetic field sensor layout under consideration of the specific requirements for the application in turbulent RBC is determined by numerical simulations. The new experimental CIFT-RBC system resulting from the design process is constructed and a preliminary experiment at a Rayleigh number of Ra=2.13×107 and a Prandtl number of Pr=0.03 is performed and evaluated.

Motor imagery with cues in virtual reality, audio and screen

Training plays a significant role in motor imagery (MI), particularly in applications such as Motor Imagery-based Brain-Computer Interface (MIBCI) systems and rehabilitation systems. Previous studies have investigated the intricate relationship between cues and MI signals. However, the medium of presentation still remains an emerging area to be explored, as possible factors to enhance Motor Imagery signals..&#xD;Approach: We hypothesise that the medium used for cue presentation can significantly influence both performance and training outcomes in MI tasks. To test this hypothesis, we designed and executed an experiment implementing no- feedback MI. Our investigation focused on three distinct cue presentation mediums -audio, screen, and virtual reality(VR) headsets-all of which have potential implications for BCI use in the Activities of Daily Lives.&#xD;Main Results: The results of our study uncovered notable variations in MI signals depending on the medium of cue presentation, where the analysis is based on 3 EEG channels. To substantiate our findings, we employed a comprehensive approach, utilizing various evaluation metrics including Event- Related Synchronisation(ERS)/Desynchronisation(ERD), Feature Extraction (using Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE)), Machine Learning methodologies (using Ensemble Learning), and participant Questionnaires. All the approaches signify that Motor Imagery signals are enhanced when presented in VR, followed by audio, and lastly screen. Applying a Machine Learning approach across all subjects, the mean cross-validation accuracy (Mean ± Std. Error) was 69.24 ± 3.12, 68.69 ± 3.3 and 66.1±2.59 when for the VR, audio-based, and screen-based instructions respectively.&#xD;Significance: This multi-faceted exploration provides evidence to inform MI- based BCI design and advocates the incorporation of different mediums into the design of MIBCI systems, experimental setups, and user studies. The influence of the medium used for cue presentation may be applied to develop more effective and inclusive MI applications in the realm of human-computer interaction and rehabilitation.

CFD-DEM modeling for optimized liquid distribution in fluidized bed spray granulation

In this work, CFD-DEM simulations of two different fluidized bed granulator geometries were performed, aiming to provide an insight into how the injected liquid behaves within the particle bed and thus an overall better understanding of the granulation process itself. Simulation results were evaluated regarding the fate of sprayed droplets, e.g. deposition on a particle, elutriation from fluidized bed, or collision with apparatus walls. For the deposited droplets, the particle–droplet collisions were tracked in order to obtain a locally resolved deposition rate. Spray parameters as well as geometric specifications of the nozzle setup were varied, investigating a broad range of different process conditions. By optimizing apparatus design, especially the air inlet, an even distribution of the liquid droplets within the fluidized bed and overall higher deposition rate can be achieved and a stable steady state with a well-defined spray zone is reached within a broad range of varied spray parameters.

Benchmarking deep learning-based low-dose CT image denoising algorithms.

Long-lasting efforts have been made to reduce radiation dose and thus the potential radiation risk to the patient for computed tomography (CT) acquisitions without severe deterioration of image quality. To this end, various techniques have been employed over the years including iterative reconstruction methods and noise reductionalgorithms. Recently, deep learning-based methods for noise reduction became increasingly popular and a multitude of papers claim ever improving performance both quantitatively and qualitatively. However, the lack of a standardized benchmark setup and inconsistencies in experimental design across studies hinder the verifiability and reproducibility of reportedresults. In this study, we propose a benchmark setup to overcome those flaws and improve reproducibility and verifiability of experimental results in the field. We perform a comprehensive and fair evaluation of several state-of-the-art methods using this standardizedsetup. Our evaluation reveals that most deep learning-based methods show statistically similar performance, and improvements over the past years have been marginal atbest. This study highlights the need for a more rigorous and fair evaluation of novel deep learning-based methods for low-dose CT image denoising. Our benchmark setup is a first and important step towards this direction and can be used by future researchers to evaluate theiralgorithms.

Design Optimization and Experimentation of Triple-Head Gradually Reducing Spiral Precision Fertilizer Apparatus

In order to solve the problems of existing spiral fertilizer apparatuses, such as the variation in cavity filling rate with rotational speed, fluctuation of fertilizer discharge flow, and inability to discharge fertilizer precisely, a triple-head gradually reducing spiral fertilizer apparatus is designed, which gradually compresses fertilizer particles through the triple-head reducing fertilizer spiral structure to achieve complete cavity filling and uniform fertilizer discharge. The main factors that affect the particle motion state and the structural size of the spiral fertilizer through theoretical analysis are determined, and its theoretical fertilizer discharge amount and rotational speed are calculated. Using EDEM (Discrete Element Method Software 2022) to establish a simulation model of a single-head gradually reducing fertilizer apparatus, the spiral lead reduction percentage x1, spiral diameter reduction percentage x2, and rotational speed x3 are determined as experimental factors, and the filling rate μ and spiral torque Yaverage are used as experimental indicators to conduct a simulation study on the secondary universal rotation combination design experiment. The results show that when the rotational speed is 95 r/min, the spiral lead reduction percentage is 60.00~73.21%, the spiral diameter reduction percentage is 86.55~97.05%, the filling rate μ is greater than 95%, and the spiral torque Yaverage is less than 16 N·m. In order to further improve the uniformity of fertilizer discharge and ensure the controllable accuracy of fertilizer discharge, comparative verification experiments are conducted on single-, double-, and triple-head gradually reducing spiral fertilizer discharge devices and ordinary spiral fertilizer discharge devices. The results show that the precision of the gradually reducing spiral fertilizer apparatus is better than that of the ordinary spiral fertilizer apparatus. Moreover, it is determined that the three-head style performed best. The triple-head gradually reducing spiral fertilizer apparatus is also validated by randomly adjusting six rotational speeds. The experiment results show that the average deviation of the fertilizer discharge flow rate of the fertilizer apparatus from the preset value is 3.16%. The two have a minor deviation, and the fertilizer precision is high. Precise control of the amount of fertilizer discharged can be achieved by adjusting the rotational speed, and the research can provide a specific reference for the improved design and precise control of the spiral fertilizer apparatus.

The effect of Al and Zr content on corrosion of AlNiCoCuZr high-entropy alloys in a 5 wt% NaCl solution

High-entropy alloys are attractive structural materials for the design of apparatus for various chemical technologies due to their relative ease of production, corrosion resistance and high values of mechanical properties (hardness, strength). In the present work, the influence of aluminum and zirconium content on the corrosion resistance of Al(20−35)-Ni(5−15)-Co(15−30)-Cu(20−35)-Zr(5−40) high-entropy alloys was studied experimentally for the first time. Corrosion tests were performed in a 5 wt% NaCl aqueous solution during 1500 h at 298 K. It is established that the electronegative metals included in the alloy - Al and Zr are passivation components and with increasing their content in AlNiCoCuZr composition the corrosion rate in the studied conditions is decreased. It is shown that degradation of alloys occurs mainly as a result of nickel and cobalt hydroxide formation, the solubility of which is several orders of magnitude higher than that of aluminum hydroxide and zirconium hydroxide.

Design and implementation of a new apparatus for astrochemistry: Kinetic measurements of the CH + OCS reaction and frequency comb spectroscopy in a cold uniform supersonic flow.

We present the development of a new astrochemical research tool, HILTRAC, the Highly Instrumented Low Temperature ReAction Chamber. The instrument is based on a pulsed form of the CRESU (Cinétique de Réaction en Écoulement Supersonique Uniforme, meaning reaction kinetics in a uniform supersonic flow) apparatus, with the aim of collecting kinetics and spectroscopic information on gas phase chemical reactions important in interstellar space or planetary atmospheres. We discuss the apparatus design and its flexibility, the implementation of pulsed laser photolysis followed by laser induced fluorescence, and the first implementation of direct infrared frequency comb spectroscopy (DFCS) coupled to the uniform supersonic flow. Achievable flow temperatures range from 32(3) to 111(9) K, characterizing a total of five Laval nozzles for use with N2 and Ar buffer gases by impact pressure measurements. These results were further validated using LIF and direct frequency comb spectroscopy measurements of the CH radical and OCS, respectively. Spectroscopic constants and linelists for OCS are reported for the 1001 band near 2890-2940cm-1 for both OC32S and OC34S, measured using DFCS. Additional peaks in the spectrum are tentatively assigned to the OCS-Ar complex. The first reaction rate coefficients for the CH + OCS reaction measured between 32(3) and 58(5) K are reported. The reaction rate coefficient at 32(3) K was measured to be 3.9(4) × 10-10cm3molecule-1s-1 and the reaction was found to exhibit no observable temperature dependence over this low temperature range.

Grouting characteristic in rock fractures with different structural properties: Apparatus design and experimental study

Rock fracture surfaces are normally rough, with upper and lower surfaces presenting obvious structural properties (i.e., matching or mismatching). In this paper, rock fracture was divided into shear and tensile fractures based on its mechanical origin. A test simulation system for grouting in rough fracture (tensile and shear fractures) with continuous pressure field monitoring was proposed. A series of grouting simulation tests were employed to evaluate the effect of fracture structural property, fracture surface roughness, and aperture on the characteristics of grout flow in the rough fracture. The results show that grouting pressure exhibited a trend of rapid increase followed by a slow increase with time during the grouting in the tensile and shear fractures. Grouting pressure increases with time in a smooth relationship for tensile fracture and a fluctuating upward relationship for shear fracture. The slurry pressure distribution along the penetration length exhibited a nonlinear attenuation trend. The attenuation degree of the slurry pressure was positively related to the fracture roughness and the roughness difference in the upper–lower fracture surface and negative with the fracture aperture. The potential filtration effect during the grouting process is an important factor affecting the grouting behavior in the rough fracture.

Design and development of a low-cost hyperspectral imaging setup via a machine-learningbased approach

This article presents a potential solution for developing a low-cost hyperspectral imaging (HSI) setup by preserving pertinent information acquired from a conventional hyperspectral imaging setup. Conventional hyperspectral images (HSI) of three different types of leaves, gongura (Hibiscus sabdariffa), amaranthus (Amaranthus viridis), and banana (Musa acuminata) were acquired with 204 wavelengths/bands. The spectra are processed using linear discriminant analysis (LDA) to find a set of signature wavelengths for leaf classification. Afterwards, 20 visible range wavelengths (440 to 700 nm) were found to be incorporated into a low-cost setup involving a monochromator, beam steering elements, and a smartphone camera with associated machine learning (ML) classifiers. For building the datasets, we extracted 90 spectra from the images captured using the conventional HSI setup under the full spectra range (397 nm to 1003 nm). Similarly, 90 spectra were extracted from the images captured from the low-cost setup under the 20 signature wavelengths. For further experimentation, we split the datasets into Dataset-A, containing 70% of the total spectra, and the remaining 30% in Dataset-B for HSI as well as low-cost setup. Dataset- B was reserved to evaluate the robustness of the classifiers on an unseen dataset. LDA surpasses the other classifiers in leaves classification for HSI as well as low-cost setup. For the HSI setup, LDA achieved a 100% average score for performance matrices (classification accuracy, precision, Recall, and F1-score) on dataset A as well as on dataset B. Moreover, for the low-cost setup, LDA achieved 98.33% ± 4.99% classification accuracy, 98.89% ± 3.33% precision, 98.33% ± 4.99% recall, and 98.22% ± 5.33% F1-score on dataset A. Additionally, LDA achieved 96.29% classification accuracy, 96.67% precision, 96.29% recall, and 96.28% F1-score for dataset B. The promising results indicated that the low-cost set-up closely emulates the HSI system’s performance in terms of performance metrics, delivering a low-cost HSI system for various applications in the future.

Comparison of Skin Effects in Ferromagnetic and Nonferromagnetic Metals in Eddy Current Testing

ABSTRACT In eddy current (EC) testing, skin effect is a constraint factor of detecting subsurface defects and skin depth is an important parameter for probe design and frequency setup. This paper compares the skin effects in ferromagnetic and nonferromagnetic metals. It is well known that the high permeability of ferromagnetic metal makes the attenuation of EC faster due to the greater EC loss. In this paper, the other role of the high permeability of ferromagnetic metal on the skin effect is reported. The EC distributions in both the radial and depth directions in the two types of materials excited by pancake coils are computed. It shows that the EC is more dispersed in the radial direction in high-permeability material. More importantly, the high permeability of ferromagnetic metal makes the skin depth of EC under the excitation of pancake coil close to the standard skin depth of EC under the excitation of uniform magnetic field, whereas there is a big discrepancy in the skin depths of ECs under the two types of excitations. This difference is explained by the radial dispersion of EC based on the EC diffusion-cancellation theory. Finally, the EC distributions in ferromagnetic Q235 steel and nonferromagnetic brass are compared, and the simulation results are qualitatively verified by experiments.

Optimization Design of a Multi-String Standing Wave Electrospinning Apparatus Based on Electric Field Simulations.

The mass production of uniform, high-quality polymer nanofibers remains a challenge. To enhance spinning yield, a multi-string standing wave electrospinning apparatus was developed by incorporating a string array into a standing wave electrospinning device. The process parameters such as string spacing, quantity, and phase difference were optimized, and their effects on the electric field distribution within the spinning area were analyzed using electric field simulations. When the string spacing was less than 40 mm or the number of strings exceeded two, the electric field strength significantly decreased due to electric field interference. However, this interference could be effectively mitigated by setting the string standing wave phase difference to half a period. The optimal string array parameters were identified as string spacing of 40 mm, two strings, and a phase difference of half a period. Multi-string standing wave electrospinning produced fibers with diameters similar to those obtained with single-string standing wave electrospinning (178 ± 72 nm vs. 173 ± 48 nm), but the yield increased by 88.7%, reaching 2.17 g/h, thereby demonstrating the potential for the large-scale production of nanofibers. This work further refined the standing wave electrospinning process and provided valuable insights for optimizing wire-type electrospinning processes.

Coalescence investigations in a small‐scale continuously operated setup for bubble column design

AbstractA novel micro‐channel technique for analyzing the coalescence of bubbles and obtaining relevant information for the creation of a coalescence database is presented. The micro‐channel improves the coalescence investigations by a continuously operated setup, reduces the accumulation of impurities and increases the amount of recorded data. To introduce the new setup, studies with alcoholic, electrolytic aqueous systems and liquid silicone oil as a second liquid are presented, showing the influence of different concentrations. Artificial intelligence has been successfully developed to automate data generation. This approach improves the understanding of bubble coalescence by introducing a reproducible setup. Furthermore, it facilitates the transition to a predictive column design through data‐based decisions and modelling.

Approaching the Multiphase Interface of Ir-Based PEM Electrolyzers Using Operando ‘Tender’ X-Ray AP-XPS

Electrochemical water splitting is a promising pathway for the renewable production of hydrogen as an alternative fuel and chemical feedstock. Yet, the process is plagued by slow kinetics of the essential oxygen evolution reaction at the anode. Further, large-scale hydrogen production from such devices will require reduced platinum group metal (PGM) loadings (often iridium-based anodes) and/or new materials due to factors such as PGM scarcity, cost and loss during operation. In the hopes of enabling progress of rational design for OER catalysts, effective characterization of the electrode-liquid interface is crucial. Synchrotron-based X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) offers a versatile way to obtain surface chemical and elemental characterization of these materials. The use of X-rays in the ‘tender’ regime (~2-6 keV) allows for deeper probing than the conventional ‘soft’ x-ray (< 2000 eV) set up that is common at synchrotrons and lab-based sources. The photoelectrons generated from tender x-rays have enough energy to penetrate tens of nanometers through low density components such as a layer of liquid or polymeric electrolyte. This opens the door to access the chemistry at the interface of liquid and ionomer electrolyte-electrocatalyst materials. With the use of a fully operational two-electrode system, we are able to study these membrane electrode assemblies under active water splitting conditions.My talk will explain our specific approach, which is often crucial for successful collection of accurate data, highlighting elements of cell design and experimental setup that are helpful for this process. I will also show recent AP-XPS results on iridium-based polymer electrolyte membranes for water splitting. With application of elevated potential, we can correlate the iridium valency and surface species with the appearance of product traces in a mass spectrum. Figure 1

Investigation of the Relationship between Molten Fluoride Salt Structure and Fluoroacidity Using Chromium As a Probe Redox Ion

Molten fluoride salts have been studied for decades due to their applications in the production of aluminum as well as in the operation of advanced nuclear reactors. Advanced fission and fusion nuclear reactor designs may include molten fluoride salts as coolants, fuel carriers (fission), or fuel breeding blankets (fusion). Relevant to their nuclear applications are the thermophysical and thermochemical properties of the salt. These include viscosity and thermal conductivity, as well as density, vapor pressure, and heat capacity. Underlying these properties are the interactions of the ions constituting the liquid, characterized by their coordination number, correlation times, and the possible formation of polymeric networks in the melt. The composition and structure of a melt, that is, what ions are present and how they interact, dictates the macroscopic properties relevant to reactor operation. Fluoroacidity, or the activity of dissociated fluoride anions, is one metric that may be used to describe the relationship between salt chemistry and structure. Overall, understanding the relationship between molten fluoride salt chemistry and structure enables deeper understanding and, thus, prediction of property changes that may take place throughout a reactor’s lifetime.In this poster, we present cyclic and square wave voltammetry studies of chromium speciation and diffusivity in various molten fluoride salts, connecting results with current understanding of the structure of the melts. Chromium is a thermodynamically favored corrosion product in molten salt systems, and in this study, it serves as a probe ion in different fluoride melts. Chromium trifluoride is added to various fluoride solvents and the diffusion coefficients of its various oxidation states are calculated and interpreted in light of salt structure. Experimental apparatus design and know-how for high-temperature molten salt electrochemistry are also highlighted.

Design of a Weathering Chamber for UV Aging of Microplastics in the Mediterranean Region.

Microplastics are an ever-growing concern in the environment. Their degradation may lead to greater absorption of toxic pollutants, which may ultimately pose a threat to human health. In the pursuit of understanding microplastics' fate, behavior, and toxicity, there is a vital need to understand their aging and weathering. For this, multiple weathering setup designs were put forward. However, standardization of a weathering setup presents a significant challenge to the field due to apparatus costs, wide range of experimental parameters, or the lack of detailed reporting. This work seeks to make much-needed data gathering more accessible by constructing a low-cost weathering chamber that simulates Mediterranean shore conditions. The weathering chamber incorporates UV irradiation, mechanical abrasion, and elevated temperatures. After extensive preliminary testing, the chamber was able to achieve the desired outcome along with UV-A irradiance values, which were similar to those in the Mediterranean.

Design and Fabrication of Test Set-Up for Pcbs of Smart Energy Meters

Design and Fabrication of Test Set-Up for Pcbs of Smart Energy Meters