Dusty Gas Research Articles

Lie symmetry method to discuss the optimal system of Lie subalgebras and similarity solutions for shock propagation in a perfectly conducting dusty gas with magnetic field in rotating medium.

Lie symmetry method to discuss the optimal system of Lie subalgebras and similarity solutions for shock propagation in a perfectly conducting dusty gas with magnetic field in rotating medium.

Noncontact Fiber-Optic Cantilever-Enhanced Photoacoustic Spectroscopy.

Conventional cantilever-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (CEPAS) usually requires the cantilever to be in contact with the gas, which limits its application in dusty and corrosive gas sensing. To overcome this challenge, this paper proposes noncontact fiber-optic cantilever-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (NCFO-CEPAS) for high-sensitivity trace gas analysis. A polyethylene film with corrosion-resistant properties is affixed to the end of the cantilever acoustic sensor, and the effect of the distance between the polyethylene film and the cantilever acoustic sensor on the sensitivity of the system is analyzed by finite element analysis. Compared to the conventional CEPAS, NCFO-CEPAS has a lower background noise deviation. Besides, the potential damage to the silicon cantilever beam by corrosive gases can be avoided as the gas to be measured is not in contact with the silicon cantilever beam, and the gap of the cantilever beam will not be blocked in a high dust environment. Experimental results show that the detection limit of C2H2 gas is 0.5 ppm, and the normalized noise equivalent absorption coefficient reaches 5.93 × 10-9 cm-1 W Hz-1/2. The NCFO-CEPAS technique has the advantages of noncontact remote gas monitoring, not being corroded by gases, and high resistance to electromagnetic interference.

Experimental and CFD studies on collection efficiency of separator with arc settlers of fluidized bed catalytic reactor

Separation of catalyst dust from gas in a fluidized bed reactor is an important process. A new solid-gas separator with arc settlers was developed, in which a stable wave flow pattern of the dusty gas flow is formed. The model was based on the RANS approach using the Reynolds Stress Model for the turbulence closure and the Discrete Phase Model. Validating the simulation results with the test data showed good convergence, no more than 6% in the pressure drop and less than 15.5% in collection efficiency at different inlet gas velocities. The CFD study revealed that with a dusty gas inlet velocity of no more than 1 m/s and a catalyst particle larger than 20 μm, efficiency close to 100% is achieved with a pressure drop of less than 60 Pa. Maximum efficiency is achieved when the number of rows of the arc settlers with 40 mm diameter is 8.

X-Ray Winds in Nearby-to-distant Galaxies (X-WING). I. Legacy Surveys of Galaxies with Ultrafast Outflows and Warm Absorbers in z ∼ 0–4

As an inaugural investigation under the X-ray Winds In Nearby-to-distant Galaxies (X-WING) program, we assembled a data set comprising 132 active galactic nuclei (AGNs) spanning redshifts z ∼ 0–4 characterized by blueshifted absorption lines indicative of X-ray winds. Through an exhaustive review of previous research, we compiled the outflow parameters for 583 X-ray winds, encompassing key attributes such as outflow velocities (V out), ionization parameters (ξ), and hydrogen column densities. By leveraging the parameters V out and ξ, we systematically categorized the winds into three distinct groups: ultrafast outflows (UFOs), low-ionization parameter (low-IP) UFOs, and warm absorbers (WAs). Strikingly, a discernible absence of linear correlations in the outflow parameters, coupled with distributions approaching instrumental detection limits, was observed. Another notable finding was the identification of a velocity gap around V out ∼ 10,000 km s−1. This gap was particularly evident in the winds detected via absorption lines within the ≲2 keV band, indicating disparate origins for low-IP UFOs and WAs. In cases involving Fe xxv/Fe xxvi lines, where the gap might be attributed to potential confusion between emission/absorption lines and the Fe K-edge, the possibility of UFOs and galactic-scale WAs being disconnected is considered. An examination of the outflow and dust sublimation radii revealed a distinction: UFOs appear to consist of dust-free material, whereas WAs likely comprise dusty gas. From 2024, the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission is poised to alleviate observational biases, providing insights into the authenticity of the identified gap, a pivotal question in comprehending AGN feedback from UFOs.

Attenuation from the optical to the extreme ultraviolet by dust associated with broad absorption line quasars: The driving force for outflows

Abstract We derive a mean attenuation curve out to the rest-frame extreme ultraviolet (EUV) for ‘BAL dust’ - the dust causing the additional extinction of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with broad absorption lines (BALQSOs). In contrast to the normal, relatively-flat, mean AGN attenuation curve, BAL dust is well fit by a steeply-rising, SMC-like curve. We confirm the shape of the theoretical Weingartner & Draine SMC curve out to 700 Angstroms but the drop in attenuation at still shorter wavelengths is less than predicted. The similar SMC-like attenuation curve for low-ionization BALQSOs (LoBALs) does not support the idea that they are an early phase in the life of an AGN when it is breaking out of a cocoon of star-forming dust. Although the attenuation is only E(B − V) ∼ 0.03–0.05 in the optical, it rises to one magnitude in the EUV, which is an optimum value for radiative acceleration of dusty gas. Because the spectral energy distribution of AGNs peaks in the EUV, the force on the dust dominates the acceleration of BAL gas. Although the shape of the attenuation curve for LoBALs is similar to the shape for HiBALs, the LoBALs on average show negative attenuation in the optical. This is naturally explained if there is more light scattered into our line of sight in LoBALs compared with non-BALQSOs. We suggest that this and partial covering are causes when attenuation curves appear to be steeper in the UV than an SMC curve.

Concentration and cavitation in the Riemann solution for the relativistic Euler equations with non-ideal isothermal dusty gas

The phenomena of concentration and cavitation in the Riemann solutions of the relativistic Euler equations with non-ideal isothermal dusty gas are considered. The Riemann problem is solved first, and the solutions consisting of rarefaction waves and shock waves are obtained. Then, by the vanishing pressure approach, we investigate the limiting behaviors of Riemann solutions and observe the concentration and cavitation phenomena. It is rigorously proved that as the dusty gas pressure vanishes with double parameters, the solution containing two shock waves and two rarefaction waves respectively converges to the delta-shock wave and vacuum state of the pressureless relativistic Euler equations.

Updated picture of the active galactic nuclei with dusty/dust-free gas structures and effects of the radiation pressure

ABSTRACT This study investigates the properties of two gas structures of X-ray selected active galactic nuclei (AGNs), that is, dusty and dust-free gas components, by separating them with the line-of-sight dust extinction ($A_V$) and the neutral gas column density ($N_{\mathrm{H}}$). The typical column density of the dusty and dust-free gas differs depending on the Seyfert type, indicating that both structures have anisotropic column density distributions. The number of targets with the dusty gas column density ($N_{\mathrm{H,d}}$) of $\log N_{\mathrm{H,d}}\ [\mathrm{cm^{-2}}]\gt 23$ is much smaller than that with the same column density of the dust-free gas. This result indicates that the optically thick part of the dusty gas structure is very thin. There are very few targets with a larger Eddington ratio ($f_{\mathrm{Edd}}$) than the effective Eddington limit of the dusty gas and the covering factor of the dusty gas with $22\le \log N_{\mathrm{H,d}}\ [\mathrm{cm^{-2}}]\lt 24$ exhibits a clear drop at the effective Eddington limit. These results support the scenario wherein the covering factor of the dusty torus decreases in a high Eddington ratio owing to the radiation-driven dusty gas outflow. The covering factor of the dust-free gas with the column density ($N_{\mathrm{H,df}}$) of $22\le \log N_{\mathrm{H,df}}\ [\mathrm{cm^{-2}}]\lt 24$ similarly exhibits the decrease in high Eddington ratio, although it may be owing to the dust-free gas outflow driven by certain other mechanisms than the radiation pressure. Finally, we propose an updated picture of the AGN gas structure based on our results and the literature.

The survival and entrainment of molecules and dust in galactic winds

ABSTRACT Recent years have seen excellent progress in modelling the entrainment of T ∼ 104 K atomic gas in galactic winds. However, the entrainment of cool, dusty T ∼ 10–100 K molecular gas, which is also observed outflowing at high velocity, is much less understood. Such gas, which can be 105 times denser than the hot wind, appears extremely difficult to entrain. We run 3D wind-tunnel simulations with photoionization self-shielding and evolve thermal dust sputtering and growth. Unlike almost all such simulations to date, we do not enforce any artificial temperature floor. We find efficient molecular gas formation and entrainment, as well as dust survival and growth through accretion. Key to this success is the formation of large amounts of 104 K atomic gas via mixing, which acts as a protective ‘bubble wrap’ and reduces the cloud overdensity to χ ∼ 100. This can be understood from the ratio of the mixing to cooling time. Before entrainment, when shear is large, tmix/tcool ≲ 1, and gas cannot cool below the ‘cooling bottleneck’ at 5000 K. Thus, the cloud survival criterion is identical to the well-studied purely atomic case. After entrainment, when shear falls, tmix/tcool > 1, and the cloud becomes multiphase, with comparable molecular and atomic masses. The broad temperature PDF, with abundant gas in the formally unstable $50 \, {\rm K} \lt T \lt 5000 \, {\rm K}$ range, agrees with previous ISM simulations with driven turbulence and radiative cooling. Our findings have implications for dusty molecular gas in stellar and active galactic nuclei outflows, cluster filaments, ‘jellyfish’ galaxies, and asymptomatic giant branch winds.

Mass Transfer Mechanism Within Commercial PTFE Membranes In Spacer-Filled Direct Contact Membrane Distillation

The mass transfer mechanism within commercial PTFE membrane with various nominal pore sizes in spacer-filled direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) was determined. Mass fluxes and membrane permeability (MP) values for each commercial PTFE membrane were experimentally measured. The MP values increased insignificantly with 2.3% and 4% when the inlet temperature at feed side rose from 400C to 500C in different membrane pore sizes. All investigated mass transfer models except from Dusty Gas model were good enough to simulate the mass transfer inside smaller membrane pore sizes (0.22 µm, and 0.45 µm). Compared to combined diffusion model, the predicted mass fluxes using the overall mass transfer model including the contribution of Poiseuille flow obtained better agreement with experimental results for larger membrane pore size (1 µm). The mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) values for combined diffusion model were up to 16.5% compared with the Ding et al. model or Schofield et al. model (under 3%). Regarding the root mean square error (RMSE), the combined diffusion model obtains larger values than the mass transfer model considering the Poiseuille flow contribution. Consequently, the contribution of Poiseuille flow in mass transfer mechanism within smaller PTFE membrane pores (0.22 µm, and 0.45 µm) could be ignored, however, the contribution of Poiseuille flow to the overall mass transfer should be included in case of larger membrane pores (1 µm), or the case of applied transmembrane hydrostatic pressure.

Multi-layered composite coatings with enhanced corrosion and abrasion resistance for industrial flue gas waste heat recovery

The corrosion and abrasion performance of flue gas heat exchangers is a prominent research focus in the field of industrial flue gas waste heat recovery. In this study, we have developed a multi-layered composite coating containing fluorographene and carborundum fillers, which exhibits excellent anti-corrosion and wear-resistant properties. Electrochemical and abrasion experiments demonstrate that the multi-layered composite coating effectively improves both the corrosion resistance and the mechanical properties of the material. The structure and preparation of this multi-layered composite coating provide a novel approach for design and application of advanced coatings for highly corrosive and dusty flue gas waste heat recovery.

Numerical investigation on the erosion behavior of the honeycomb H-type finned tube heat exchanger via the discrete particle method

Serious erosion problem of the heat exchanger directly affects the safe and steady operation of waste heat utilization systems. Herein, a honeycomb H-type finned tube heat exchanger for waste heat utilization of dusty flue gas was proposed, and the collision and erosion behaviors of fly ash particles were numerically predicted via the discrete particle method (DPM). Firstly, the single factor analysis was used to investigate the effects of each structural parameter on the erosion rate. Then, the range analysis of different levels of different structural parameters was carried out via orthogonal test method. Finally, the prediction correlations of erosion rates were obtained based on multiple regression method. The results shows that the oblique tube pitch and fin pitch are negatively correlated with the erosion rate, while the slit width, fin height and fin thickness are positively correlated with the erosion rate. Among them, the fin pitch has the most significant impact on the erosion rate, while the effect of oblique tube pitch is the least. The optimized case (A4B2C3D1E4) was obtained by orthogonal experimental design. Compared with the baseline case, the maximum erosion rate of the five observation points in the optimized case decreases by the average of 33.74% with the maximum reduction of 36.32%, while the average erosion rate is reduced by the average of 37.57% and the maximum of 40.58%. The above results are contributed to the optimization of anti-erosion performance of high dust-containing flue gas waste heat utilization system and the development of efficient heat exchangers.

Evolution of shock waves in dusty nonideal gas flow with magnetic field

Abstract This paper deals with the study of propagation of shock waves in 2-D steady supersonic magnetogasdynamics flow of nonideal dusty gas using wavefront analysis method. We derived the transport equation, which determines the condition for the shock formation. Our aim is to analyze the effect of interaction of dust particles with magnetic field in nonideal gas on the evolution of shock formation and to examine how the flow patterns of the disturbance vary with respect to the variations in the physical parameters of the medium. It is found that the presence of magnetic field plays an essential role in the wave propagation phenomena. The nature of the solution with respect to the Mach number is analyzed, and it is examined how the shock formation distance changes with an increase or decrease in the value of Mach number. Also, the combined effect of nonidealness, magnetic field, and dust particles on the shock formation distance is elucidated and examined how the formation of shocks is affected by the increase in the value of corresponding physical parameters.

Coupling of multicomponent transport models in particle-resolved fluid-solid simulations

An accurate and self-consistent methodology for mass transport of multi-component mixtures in multi phase media is a necessity for a proper description of complex physical and chemical processes in reactors such as catalytic packed beds. In this regard, a novel methodology has been developed to describe and couple underlying transport phenomena in fluid and porous media as well as at the solid-fluid interface. The methodology is symmetric as it treats all components in a mixture equally. The Maxwell-Stefan equations are symmetrically formulated, discretized conservatively and coupled with a compressible flow solver for the fluid part. The Dusty Gas Model is applied inside porous media by developing a self-consistent and robust numerical formulation. A ghost-cell Immersed Boundary Method is used to capture the physics at the solid-fluid interface with the implementation of a novel symmetric non-singular mass flux formulation. Several test cases are established to demonstrate the accuracy and robustness of the newly developed symmetric methodology in this paper. These test cases can be used as benchmark for the future development of symmetric methodologies for multicomponent systems in multi phase media.

Radio Jet Feedback on the Inner Disk of Virgo Spiral Galaxy Messier 58

Spitzer spectral maps reveal a disk of highly luminous, warm (>150 K) H2 in the center of the massive spiral galaxy Messier 58, which hosts a radio-loud active galactic nucleus (AGN). The inner 2.6 kpc of the galaxy appears to be overrun by shocks from the radio jet cocoon. Gemini NIRI imaging of the H2 1–0 S(1) emission line, Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array CO 2–1, and Hubble Space Telescope multiband imagery indicate that much of the molecular gas is shocked in situ, corresponding to lanes of dusty molecular gas that spiral toward the galactic nucleus. The CO 2–1 and ionized gas kinematics are highly disturbed, with velocity dispersion up to 300 km s−1. Dissipation of the associated kinetic energy and turbulence, likely injected into the interstellar medium by radio-jet-driven outflows, may power the observed molecular and ionized gas emission from the inner disk. The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) fraction and composition in the inner disk appear to be normal, in spite of the jet and AGN activity. The PAH ratios are consistent with excitation by the interstellar radiation field from old stars in the bulge, with no contribution from star formation. The phenomenon of jet-shocked H2 may substantially reduce star formation and help to regulate the stellar mass of the inner disk and supermassive black hole in this otherwise normal spiral galaxy. Similarly strong H2 emission is found at the centers of several nearby spiral and lenticular galaxies with massive bulges and radio-loud AGNs.

Pore-scale prediction of the effective mass diffusivity and apparent permeability of carbon gels with adjustable nanoporous characteristics

To explore the structural effects on transport properties in carbon gels, an improved method has been introduced to regenerate their nanostructure and numerically illustrate the adjustability of their porous characteristics with the variation of synthesis parameters. Two lattice Boltzmann equations are applied to investigate the permeation and diffusion in the gel structures at the pore scale, and the apparent permeability is formulated to describe the total mass flux using the dusty gas model. The structural properties of the reconstructed models and calculated apparent permeabilities have been fully validated by various experiments. A decoupled analysis of the impact of structural parameters on transport properties demonstrates that increasing porosity and pore size, while decreasing geometric tortuosity, leads to more pronounced changes in intrinsic permeability compared to gas diffusivity. By utilizing a database that encompasses 240 reconstructed gels, a structural–functional relationship for transport properties in carbon gels could be proposed. Concerning the intrinsic permeability, a near quadratic relationship with the porosity and mean pore size, independent of particle size, could be concluded. For the nondimensional effective diffusivity, a power exponent of 1.85 associated with porosity is proposed, and its independence of pore size could be revealed. In addition, for gels with porosities under 0.65 and mean pore sizes less than 133 nm, diffusion supersedes permeation as the dominant term in total mass transfer, indicating that particle sizes have a more pronounced influence on the apparent permeability. The predictive model offers guidance for tailoring the transfer properties of carbon gels at the stage of preparation.

Three-dimensional radiation hydrodynamics simulations of wandering intermediate-mass black holes considering the anisotropic radiation and dust sublimation

ABSTRACT By performing three-dimensional radiation hydrodynamics simulations, we study Bondi–Hoyle–Lyttleton accretion on to intermediate-mass black holes (BHs) wandering in the dusty gas. Here, we take into account the anisotropic radiation feedback and the sublimation of dust grains. Our simulations show that when the relative velocity between the BH and the gas is small ($\sim 20\rm\, km~s^{-1}$) and gas density is $\sim 10^4 \rm cm^{-3}$, the gas mainly accretes from near the equatorial plane of the accretion disc at a time-averaged rate of 0.6 per cent of the Bondi–Hoyle–Lyttleton rate. An ionized region like two spheres glued together at the equatorial plane is formed, and the dense shock shell appears near the ionization front. The BH is accelerated at $\sim 10^{-8}\, \rm cm~s^{-2}$ due to the gravity of the shell. For denser gas ($\sim 10^6 \rm cm^{-3}$), the time-averaged accretion rate is also 0.6 per cent of the Bondi–Hoyle–Lyttleton rate. However, the BH is decelerated at $\sim 10^{-7}\, \rm cm~s^{-2}$ due to gravity of the dense downstream gas although the dense shock shell appears upstream. Our simulations imply that intermediate-mass BHs in the early universe keep floating at $\gtrsim {\rm several}\, 10\, \rm km~s^{-1}$ without increasing mass in interstellar gas with density of $\sim 10^4\, \rm cm^{-3}$, and slow down and grow into supermassive BHs in galaxies with the density of $\sim 10^6\, \rm cm^{-3}$.

BASS. XLII. The Relation between the Covering Factor of Dusty Gas and the Eddington Ratio in Nearby Active Galactic Nuclei

Accreting supermassive black holes (SMBHs) located at the centers of galaxies are typically surrounded by large quantities of gas and dust. The structure and evolution of this circumnuclear material can be studied at different wavelengths, from the submillimeter to the X-ray. Recent X-ray studies have shown that the covering factor of the obscuring material tends to decrease with increasing Eddington ratio, likely due to radiative feedback on dusty gas. Here we study a sample of 549 nearby (z ≲ 0.1) hard X-ray (14–195 keV) selected nonblazar active galactic nuclei (AGN) and use the ratio between the AGN infrared and bolometric luminosity as a proxy of the covering factor. We find that, in agreement with what has been found by X-ray studies of the same sample, the covering factor decreases with increasing Eddington ratio. We also confirm previous findings that showed that obscured AGN typically have larger covering factors than unobscured sources. Finally, we find that the median covering factors of AGN located in different regions of the column density–Eddington ratio diagram are in good agreement with what would be expected from a radiation-regulated growth of SMBHs.

Combining wall interactions, fluid momentum balances and the Maxwell-Stefan equations for gas transport in porous media: An alternative approach

This paper presents a modelling framework for incorporating wall interactions into the Maxwell-Stefan equations for ideal gases in porous media. In contrast to already existing models in literature, such as the Dusty Gas, Binary Friction and Modified Binary Friction models, the framework makes use of N−1 (with N being the number of gas species) independent mass balances for the gas species in combination with a total fluid momentum balance. This approach has the advantage that already existing numerical schemes for fluid momentum balances, such as Darcy’s law or the Brinkman equations, can be used with only minor modifications. It also allows for separate initialisation of the velocity and pressure fields, something that is often beneficial when solving convection–diffusion equations numerically. The derived model is validated against both stationary and time-dependent experimental data from literature for binary Ar-He systems in porous media, using Knudsen diffusivities to define the wall friction terms.

Supersonic dusty gas flow past a cylinder in Eulerian–Lagrangian framework

The present study utilizes computational methods to analyze two-dimensional particle-laden flow over a circular cylinder. The effect of seeding of dust particles in the viscous flow of a compressible gas is analyzed. A new solver has been developed for the purpose of studying multi-phase flows in the supersonic regime. Most of the prior research has primarily focused on flows characterized by low Mach numbers and the absence of shock waves, and there have been very few studies dealing with supersonic dusty gas flows. This study considers a supersonic Mach number and investigates the effect of particle size and particle volume fraction on dusty-gas flow over a circular cylinder. The simulation results reveal that the seeding of particles in the flow creates perturbations. The present work also highlights the influence of particles on flow separation and the subsequent increase in the skin friction coefficient and coefficient of drag. The study shows that for supersonic flows, at the same volume fraction, larger particle size creates more instabilities in the flow, while smaller particles are responsible for increased drag on the cylinder, owing to a greater frequency of collisions.

The analytical solutions of the Riemann problem to 1-D non-ideal flow of dusty gas with external force

This work focuses on the analytical solution to the Riemann problem (RP) for a 1-D non-ideal flow of dusty gas with external force. Here it is presumed that external force is a continuous function of time. We explicitly obtain the elementary wave curves to 1-D non-ideal flow of dusty gas with external force and determine these wave curves in form of characteristics. Exhaustive calculations were performed for the elementary wave solutions, such as the rarefaction wave, shock wave, and contact discontinuity. We examine the influence of dust particles on density, velocity of flow, and shock speed and their implications on the solution of RP. Also, the implication of addition of external force is that all solutions are not self similar.