Feasibility Experiments Research Articles

Feasibility investigations on a novel micro-manufacturing process for fabrication of fuel cell bipolar plates: Internal pressure-assisted embossing of micro-channels with in-die mechanical bonding

In this paper, we present the results of our studies on conceptual design and feasibility experiments towards development of a novel hybrid manufacturing process to fabricate fuel cell bipolar plates that consists of multi-array micro-channels on a large surface area. The premises of this hybrid micro-manufacturing process stem from the use of an internal pressure-assisted embossing process (cold or warm) combined with mechanical bonding of double bipolar plates in a single-die and single-step operation. Such combined use of hydraulic and mechanical forming forces and in-process bonding will (a) enable integrated forming of micro-channels on both surfaces (as anode and cathode flow fields) and at the middle (as cooling channels), (b) reduce the process steps, (c) reduce variation in dimensional tolerances and surface finish, (d) increase the product quality, (e) increase the performance of fuel cell by optimizing flow-field designs and ensuring consistent contact resistance, and (f) reduce the overall stack cost. This paper explains two experimental investigations that were performed to characterize and evaluate the feasibility of the conceptualized manufacturing process. The first investigation involved hydroforming of micro-channels using thin sheet metals of SS304 with a thickness of 51 μm. The width of the channels ranged from 0.46 to 1.33 mm and the height range was between 0.15 and 0.98 mm. Our feasibility experiments resulted in that different aspect ratios of micro-channels could be fabricated using internal pressure in a controllable manner although there is a limit to very sharp channel shapes (i.e., high aspect ratios with narrow channels). The second investigation was on the feasibility of mechanical bonding of thin sheet metal blanks. The effects of different process and material variables on the bond quality were studied. Successful bonding of various metal blanks (Ni201, Al3003, and SS304) was obtained. The experimental results from both investigations demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed manufacturing technique for making of the fuel cell bipolar plates.

Overview of key experiments on repository characterization in the Mont Terri Rock Laboratory

Abstract Repositories for radioactive waste are designed as disposal systems that perform a number of functions relevant to long-term safety and security, including (1) isolation of waste from the human environment, (2) long-term confinement and radioactive decay within the disposal system and (3) attenuation of radionuclide releases to the environment. The generic rock laboratory at Mont Terri plays an important role in the characterization of such repositories. The experimental results gained in this underground facility are used, together with information from natural analogues, deep drilling programmes and modelling, to assess the evolution and performance of a repository. A time scale for processes affecting repository performance is outlined. A transient phase in the first 10–20 ka is followed by an equilibrium phase. Key experiments cover processes observed over relevant time scales, feasibility experiments and experiments focusing on long-term process understanding. The last can only be partly investigated over realistic time scales in direct experiments because of the long time frame required. Key experiments are briefly outlined and key references are provided.

Phase I/II feasibility study evaluating the generation of leukemia-reactive cytotoxic T lymphocyte lines for treatment of patients with relapsed leukemia after allogeneic stem cell transplantation

Graft-versus-host-disease may be avoided and the likelihood of a graft-versus-leukemia reaction increased by infusion of in vitro generated, leukemia-reactive, cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) lines as treatment for patients with relapsed leukemia after allogeneic stem cell transplantation, instead of donor lymphocyte infusion. The aim of this study phase I/II study was to assess the feasibility of large-scale in vitro generation of leukemia-reactive CTL for clinical use. Using a modified limiting dilution culture system donor T cells were stimulated with HLA-identical leukemic antigen presenting cells. Feasibility experiments demonstrated that in 16 of 27 donor-recipient pairs tested a CTL line could be generated. Twelve of these 16 patients developed a relapse and for 11 of these 12 patients a CTL line was generated under Good Manufacturing Practice conditions. The CTL lines showed moderate to high cytotoxic activity against original recipient leukemic cells in vitro. Eight patients with a relapse received from one to seven CTL lines. One patient entered a complete remission after CTL infusion only, one entered a complete remission after combined CTL infusion and donor lymphocyte infusion, two patients had temporarily stable disease, and in four patients no response was observed. Although the current procedure to generate these CTL lines is feasible, the strategy is logistically complex and time-consuming, and needs further improvement. Key words: cellular immunotherapy, CTL, leukemia, allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

Magnetic vectoring of magnetically responsive nanoparticles within the murine peritoneum

Magnetically responsive nanoparticles (MNPs) might be candidates for pro-drug formulations for intraperitoneal (i.p.) treatment of ovarian cancer. We conducted feasibility experiments in an i.p. human ovarian carcinoma xenograft model to determine whether MNPs can be effectively vectored within this environment. Our initial results based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indicate that i.p.-injected ∼15 nm magnetite-based MNPs can in fact migrate toward NdFeB magnets externally juxtaposed to the peritoneal cavity above the xenografts growing in the anterior abdominal wall. MNP localization to the tumor/peri-tumoral environment occurs. Further development of this MNP pro-drug strategy is underway.

Design and feasibility tests of a flexible gripper based on inflatable rubber pockets

In this paper, we present feasibility test results of a flexible gripper design following a literature survey on various types, design and control strategies of the existing grippers. A flexible gripper based on the use of compliant materials (i.e., rubber) with pneumatic inflation was designed, analyzed, built and tested. Parametric FE analyses were conducted to investigate the effects of process and design parameters, such as rubber material, pressure, initial jaw displacement and friction. Based on the FEA results, a simple, single rubber-pocketed flexible gripper was designed and built. Feasibility experiments were performed to demonstrate and obtain an overall understanding about the capability and limitations of the gripper. It was found that objects with different shapes (cylindrical, prismatic and complex), weight (50 g–20 kg.), and types (egg, steel hemi-spheres, wax cylinders, etc.) could be picked and placed without any loss of control of the object. The range of positioning error for two different part shapes (i.e., prismatic or cylindrical) was found to be 20–90 μm (translational) and 0.03–0.9° (rotational).

An Internet-Based Cycle Ergometer Health Promotion System for Providing Personally Fitted Exercise

General exercise approaches are not convenient for some people in undertaking appropriate exercise due to the limited variety of present programs at existing exercise machines. Moreover, continuous support by one sports doctor is only available for a limited number of users. In this paper, therefore, we propose an Internet-based technical framework, which is designed on multi-tiered client/server architecture, for integrating and easily upgrading exercise programs. By applying the technical framework, a cycle ergometer health promotion system was developed for providing personally fitted. We also presented some facilities to assist sports doctors in quickly designing and remotely improving individual exercise protocols against cycle ergometer exercise based on a history database. Then we evaluated the Internet-based cycle ergometer system during two months of feasibility experiments for six elderly persons in terms of usability. As a result, the Internet-based cycle ergometer system was effective for continuously supporting the personal fitting procedure.

Feasibility of assessment of regulatory lipids in breath condensate as potential presymptomatic harbingers of pulmonary pathobiology

Regulatory lipids from the airway surface readily form aerosols that can be recovered non-invasively by cooling expired breath to form breath condensate (BC). Regulatory lipids have been detected previously utilizing enzyme-linked-immunosorbent serologic assay (ELISA). Here we test the feasibility of assessment of regulatory lipids in BC by mass spectrometry so presently unknown lipid regulatory components can be detected without addition of specific antibodies as in the ELISA procedure. Baseline regulatory lipids were detected in > pg/mL BC in control animals or human lung tissue culture cells. In nearly every case animals exposed to toxins or infectious bacteria showed increases in the BC regulatory components. Lipids were recovered from BC by solid phase extraction. Phosphatidylcholine (PC) based lipids were detected as the progenitor (parent) ions of isomers that fragmented in producing product positive ions at m/ z 184 (of phosphocholine) in tandem MS using capillary HPLC and electrospray ionization. BC eicosanoids such as prostaglandins, thromboxane, and isoprostanes require capillary gas chromatography for separation and detection that necessitates methoximation, pentafluorobenzyl (PFB) ester formation, and trimethyl silylation of hydroxyls prior to gas chromatography/ion trap tandem mass spectrometry of negative ions after chemical ionization (NICI). Tetradeuterated internal standards were utilized for quantitation with the GC/NICI/MS. Changes in concentrations of lipids and eicosanoids were observed in piglets, and rats exposed to aerosolized 100 μg/kg lipopolysaccharide (LPS), or 50 μg/kg and 150 μg/kg aerosolized Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) in BC as well as in human THP-1 cell culture cell supernatants and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples in rats. Responses of the molecular species of phosphatidylcholines (PCs), platelet activating factors (PAFs) and specific eicosanoids correlated to the toxin and bacterial infections suggesting that patterns of differential responses could be detected with further experimentation. Initial targets included prostaglandins (PGE 2, PGF 2α), thromboxane (TXB 2), and prostacyclin (as 6-Keto PGF 1α) that show differential responses to inflammation, the leukotriene (LTB 4) and PGD 2 for allergic responses, isoprostanes (8- iso-PGF 2α) for free radical oxidative stress responses, and HETEs for differential lipoxygenase activities. PAFs and lysoPAFs have been shown to increase with inflammation and in the feasibility experiments reported here. Preliminary studies show pulmonary responses of piglets to intrathecal exposure of toxicants (LPS and SEB) or infections with Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae induce increased levels of lipids and two eicosanoids with the suggestion that differential patterns might be detected with expanded testing. Preliminary experience indicates numerous other eicosanoids were available for assay in BC. This suggests an important potential application of BC to observe a wide array of factors to establish comprehensive profiles for physiological and pathophysiological states. Ultimately this technique could be used as a non-invasive possibly presymptomatic assessment of pulmonary pathobiology.

This Month in Anesthesiology

This Month in Anesthesiology

Bottlenecks and roadblocks in high-throughput XAS for structural genomics

Structural and functional characterization of the entire protein complement (the proteome) of an organism can provide an infrastructure upon which questions about biological pathways and systems biology can be framed. The technology necessary to perform this proteome-level structural and functional characterization is under development in numerous structural genomics and functional genomics initiatives. Given the ubiquity of metal active sites in a proteome, it seems appropriate to ask whether comprehensive local structural characterization of metal sites within a proteome (metalloproteomics) is either a valid or obtainable goal. With a proteome-wide knowledge of the active-site structures of all metalloproteins, one could start to ask how metal insertion, cluster assembly and metalloprotein expression are affected by growth conditions or developmental status etc. High-throughput X-ray absorption spectroscopy (HTXAS) is being developed as a technology for investigating the metalloproteome. In creating a pipeline from genome to metalloproteome, several bottlenecks to high-throughput determination of metal-site structures must be overcome. For example, automation of arraying small samples for XAS examination must be invented, automation of rapid data collection of multiple low-volume low-concentration samples must be developed, automation of data reduction and analysis must be perfected. Discussed here are the promises and the pitfalls of HTXAS development, including the results of initial feasibility experiments.

Spatial and temporal variation of benthic Cladocera (Crustacea) studied with activity traps in Lake Myvatn, Iceland

Benthic Cladocera were studied with a modified type of an activity trap in Lake Myvatn in 1990–1992. After feasibility experiments, the operation time and the distance of the traps from the benthic substrate were adjusted in order to minimize the effects of diurnal variation and the trapping of planktonic organisms. The trap catches of Eurycercus lamellatus were positively correlated with their abundance at the bottom as estimated by grab sampling (r = 0.910, P < 0.001). The usefulness of the activity trap was demonstrated by: (1) a lake-wide survey of the benthic Cladocera; (2) a study of the seasonal variation in the size distribution, abundance and sex ratio of E. lamellatus; and (3) a study of the seasonal succession of Chydorus sphaericus and Alona affinis. The variation of benthic Cladocera among 21 trap sites distributed on a 1–2-km scale across the lake exceeded the within-site variation. The sampling sites could be divided into five main groups based on cluster analysis. Eurycercus lamellatus was the most common species in the mat of filamentous green algae (Cladophorales). Alonella nana dominated the area of spring water inflow in the north basin and Macrothrix hirsuticornis the area of spring water inflow in the southeastern part of the lake. In other parts of the lake either Chydorus sphaericus or Alona quadrangularis tended to dominate. The size distribution and sex ratio of E. lamellatus was followed at two sites through one summer. In early summer most individuals were females less than 1.45 mm long. Around mid-summer they had grown to 0.69–3.1 mm. By the end of August the size distribution had become bimodal, with a large number of small males and a smaller number of much larger females. The seasonal succession in the abundance of E. lamellatus, A. affinis and C. sphaericus was followed at four sites over two seasons. With some exceptions the abundance of a species followed a similar seasonal trajectory on the different stations in any one year. There was, however, a marked difference between the two years (1991 and 1992), probably related to different temperatures.

Microstructure and properties of flame sprayed tungsten carbide coatings

This article reports on feasibility experiments carried out with oxy-acetylene spray system with various oxygen to fuel ratios using two different tungsten carbide powders and powder feeding methods, to evaluate the newly developed fused WC, synthesised by transferred arc thermal plasma method. Transferred arc thermal plasma method is more economical and less energy intensive than the conventional arc method and results in a fused carbide powder with higher hardness. The microstructure and phase composition of powders and coatings were analysed by optical and scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. Carbon content of the powders and coatings were determined to study the decarburisation of the material during spraying process. Coatings were also characterised by their hardness and abrasive wear. The effects of metallurgical transformation and phase content are related to wear performance. The results demonstrate that the powders exhibit various degree of phase transformation during the spray process depending on the type of powder, powder feeding and spray parameters. The carbon loss during the spray process in excess of 45% resulted in reduced hardness and wear resistance of the coatings. Coatings with high amount of WC and W 2C along with FeW 3C showed higher wear resistance. Thus, coatings of high wear resistance can be produced using fused tungsten carbide powder with WC and W 2C phases, which can be economically synthesised by thermal plasma transferred arc method.

Quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy

A new approach to detecting a weak photoacoustic signal in a gas medium is described. Instead of a gas-filled resonant acoustic cavity, the sound energy is accumulated in a high- Q crystal element. Feasibility experiments utilizing a quartz-watch tuning fork demonstrate a sensitivity of 1.2x10(-7) cm(-1) W/ radicalHz . Potential further developments and applications of this technique are discussed.

Removal of mercury(II) from aqueous solutions and chlor-alkali industry effluent by steam activated and sulphurised activated carbons prepared from bagasse pith: kinetics and equilibrium studies

The adsorption of mercury from aqueous solutions and chlor-alkali industry effluent on steam activated and sulphurised steam activated carbons prepared from bagasse pith have been studied comparatively. The uptake of mercury(II) (Hg(II)) was maximum by steam activated carbon in presence of SO 2 and H 2S (SA–SO 2–H 2S–C) followed by steam activated carbon in presence of SO 2 (SA–SO 2–C), steam activated carbon in presence of H 2S (SA–H 2S–C) and steam activated carbon (SA–C) at the same concentration, pH and temperature of the solution. Adsorption experiments demonstrate that the adsorption process corresponds to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and equilibrium results correspond to the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. Kinetic parameters as a function of initial concentration, for all adsorbents were calculated. Batch studies indicated that the optimum pH range for the adsorption of Hg(II) on sulphurised carbons was between 4 and 9 and for sulphur free carbon was between 6 and 9 at 30 °C. The adsorptive behaviour of the activated carbons is explained on the basis of their chemical nature and porous texture. Decrease in ionic strength and increase in temperature of the solution has been found to improve the uptake of Hg(II). Synthetic and chlor-alkali industrial wastewaters were also treated by sulphurised activated carbons to demonstrate their efficiencies in removing Hg(II) from wastewaters. Some feasibility experiments have been carried out with a view to recover the adsorbed Hg(II) and regenerate the spent activated carbons using 0.2 M HCl solution. The data obtained point towards viable adsorbents, which are both effective as well as economically attractive for Hg(II) removal from wastewaters.

Coherence properties of high harmonics and their applications

We recall the main characteristics of high harmonic generation (HHG) by intense laser pulses in gas, which proceed from the fact that HHG is a laser-driven non linear process. We particularly outline the properties of intrinsic, spatial and temporal coherence which are investigated experimentally. We show that they can be controlled through various phase-matching parameters, on account of the particular form of the atomic dipole phase involved in HHG. Finally, we present two feasibility experiments demonstrating that this XUV source can be effectively used in time-resolved interferometry measurements, in particular in the diagnostic of laser-produced ultra-short dense plasmas.

Non-destructive automated sampling of mycotoxins in bulk food and feed — A new tool for required harmonization

Mycotoxins contamination is highly non-uniformly distributed as is well recog-nized by the EC, by not only setting legal limits in a series of commodities, but also schedule a sampling plan that takes this heterogeneity into account. In practice however, it turns out that it is very difficult to carry out this sampling plan in a harmonised way. Applying the sampling plan to a container filled with pallets of bags (i.e. with nuts or coffee beans) varies from very laborious to almost impossible. The presented non-destructive automated method to sample bulk food could help to overcome these practical problems and to enforcing of EC directives. It is derived from a tested and approved technology for detection of illicit substances in security applications. It has capability to collect and iden-tify ultra trace contaminants, i.e. from a fingerprint of chemical substance in a bulk of goods, a cargo pallet load (~ 1000 kg) with boxes and commodities.The technology, patented for explosives detection, uses physical and chemistry processes for excitation and remote rapid enhanced release of contaminant residues, vapours and particulate, of the inner/outer surfaces of inspected bulk and collect them on selective probes. The process is automated, takes only 10 minutes, is non-destructive and the bulk itself remains unharmed. The system design is based on applicable international regulations for shipped cargo hand-ling and transportation by road, sea and air. After this process the pallet can be loaded on a truck, ship or plane. Analysis can be carried out before the cargo leaves the place of shipping. The potent application of this technology for myco-toxins detection, has been demonstrated by preliminary feasibility experiments. Aflatoxins were detected in pistachios and ochratoxin A in green coffee beans bulk. Both commodities were naturally contaminated, priory found and confirm-ed by common methods as used at routine inspections. Once the contaminants are extracted from a bulk shipment, an appropriate existing analytical method, i.e. a CEN method, can be used to measure the mycotoxins.The system, routinely in use for explosives detection, was able to screen bulk food and feed for mycotoxins, through non-destructive automated sampling of a whole batch/lot/sublot of commodities. The opportunity to sample a whole bulk would provide more effective tools for inspection at seaports, production facili-ties and distri-bution points. It will advance the current process of myco-toxins check because: (i) Checks will be automated and harmonized, (ii) Checks will be non-destructive, (iii) Checks will be faster and allow a greater amount of bulk commodities to be inspected and (iv) The ability to check, with automated equipment, larger portions of lots of a shipment will increase the probability to detect the heterogeneous mycotoxins contamination in bulk foods. The poster provides some results of feasibility experiments indicating the capability of this technology for inspection of commodities bulks for the detection of mycotoxins, at legal limits, in naturally contaminated food.

XUV interferometry using high-order harmonics: Application to plasma diagnostics

In this paper, we present and compare the two different XUV interferometric techniques using high-order harmonics that have been developed so far. The first scheme is based on the interference between two spatially separated phase-locked harmonic sources while the second uses two temporally separated harmonic sources. These techniques have been applied to plasma diagnostics in feasibility experiments where electron densities up to a few 1020 e−/cm3 have been measured with a temporal resolution of 200 fs. We present the main characteristics of each technique and discuss their respective potentials and limitations.

Isentropic compression experiments on the Sandia Z accelerator

A long-standing goal of the equation of state (EOS) community has been the development of a loading capability for direct measurement of material properties along an isentrope. Previous efforts on smooth bore launchers have been somewhat successful, but quite difficult to accurately reproduce, had pressure limitations, or tended to be a series of small shocks as opposed to a smoothly increasing pressure load. A technique has recently been developed on the Sandia National Laboratories Z accelerator which makes use of the high current densities and magnetic fields available to produce nearly isentropic compression of samples that are approximately 1 mm in thickness over approximately 120 ns. Velocity interferometry is used to measure the rear surface motion of these samples. The resulting time resolved velocity profiles from multiple sample thicknesses provide information about mechanical response under isentropic loading conditions and phase transition kinetics. Feasibility experiments have been performed to pressures of approximately 130 kbar in copper and 300 kbar in iron with effects of the α–ε phase change kinetics in iron clearly observed. Work is in progress to achieve 1%–2% accuracy in P–v space along an isentrope, provide uniaxial strain, and to eliminate magnetic field and current diffusion within the sample of interest.

In-situ thin film growth/etch measurement and control by laser light reflectance analysis

In this article, I report in-situ thin film growth and etching measurement and control with ultra high precision. A stack of thin film layers of AlAs/Al 0.1Ga 0.9As to form Bragg reflector for the surface emitting semi-conductor laser was grown by gas source molecular beam epitaxy on a rotating wafer and the growth process was monitored with inclined incident polarized He–Ne laser light reflectance measurement. The multiple thin film layers were preferred to increase the visibility of the oscillating intensity variation signal for feasibility experiments. The inferred growth rate from the reflectance analysis was found to be 0.15 nm/s which remained in agreement with set growth parameters. The laser light reflectance analysis method was also employed for in-situ control and measurement of thin film etching process. The inferred etching rate was found to be 0.75 nm/s by the chemical etchant H 3PO 4:H 2O 2:H 2O::3:1:100. Calibrated optical reflectance signal for growth and etching process is proposed for measuring and control their respective thickness and depth with very high accuracy and precision.

Zero voltage soft-commutation PWM DC-DC converter with saturable reactor switch-cascaded diode rectifier

An improved single-ended push-pull (SEPP) half-bridge type zero-voltage soft-switching pulse width modulation (ZVS-PWM) DC-DC power converter is presented in this paper, which makes use of a saturable reactor-assisted lossless capacitor type zero voltage soft-switching method. The SEPP power converter with a high-frequency forward and flyback hybrid transformer link has some advantages such as lowered switching and conduction losses, soft-switching transition operation over a wide load range, constant frequency PWM regulation and minimized Electro Magnetic Interference (EMI) as well as Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) noises. Its operating principle is illustrated and its periodic steady-state circuit analysis is implemented. In order to demonstrate the remarkable effectiveness of this converter's characteristics, feasibility experiments are conducted with a 150 W/200 kHz prototype of a high-frequency link ZVS-PWM DC-DC converter using power MOSFETs with an ultrafast soft-recovery diode.

Possibilities of reduction of recipient loading of tannery wastewater in Slovenia

The leather industry is well known as a high consumer of water (30 to 80 m3 for 1 ton of processed raw skins). At the same time this industry is known for the high specific pollution of wastewater. The main characteristics of tannery wastewater are: high salinity, high organic loading (COD, BOD5), high content of ammonia and organic nitrogen, and presence of specific pollutants (sulphide, chromium). The largest Slovenian tannery (IUV Vrhnika) processing 40 to 50 t of pig skins daily has a good system of physico-chemical pre-treatment of their wastewater (coagulation and flocculation with Al-sulfate and anionic polyelectrolyte). In pre-treatment, about 60% of organic substances are removed (COD and BOD5) and above 95% of sulfide and chromium. Concerning Slovenian regulations and taking into consideration the fact that this tannery is located on the relatively small and slowly running river Ljubljanica such pre-treatment is not sufficient. The company would like to supplement pre-treatment with biological treatment. Laboratory and pilot scale feasibility experiments including conventional biological treatment with activated sludge and combined anaerobic-anoxic-aerobic treatment with fixed biomass using mechanical pretreated wastewater and pretreated wastewater with flotation were performed. It became clear that effective biological treatment requires long retention times (several days) for applicable effluent.