High Flux Research Articles

Quantum enhanced mechanical rotation sensing using wavefront photonic gears

Quantum metrology leverages quantum correlations for enhanced parameter estimation. Recently, structured light enabled increased resolution and sensitivity in quantum metrology systems. However, lossy and complex setups impacting photon flux hinder true quantum advantage while using high dimensional structured light. We introduce a straightforward mechanical rotation quantum sensing mechanism, employing high-dimensional structured light and use it with a high-flux (45 000 coincidence counts per second) N00N state source with N = 2. The system utilizes two opposite spiral phase plates with topological charge of up to ℓ = 16 that converts mechanical rotation into wavefront phase shifts and exhibit a 16-fold enhanced super-resolution and 25-fold enhanced sensitivity between different topological charges, while retaining the acquisition times, and with negligible change in coincidence count. Furthermore, the high efficiency together with the high photon flux enables detection of mechanical angular acceleration in real-time. Our approach paves the way for highly sensitive quantum measurements, applicable to various interferometric schemes.

Highly Anion-Conductive Viologen-Based Two-Dimensional Polymer Membranes as Nanopower Generators.

Two-dimensional polymers (2DPs) and their layer-stacked 2D covalent organic frameworks (2D COFs) membranes hold great potential for harvesting sustainable osmotic energy. The nascent research has yet to simultaneously achieve high ionic flux and selectivity, primarily due to inefficient ion transport dynamics. This is directly related to ultrasmall pore size (<3 nm), much smaller than the duple Debye length in the diluted electrolyte (6-20 nm), as well as low charge density (<4.5 mC m-2). Here, we introduce a π-conjugated viologen-based 2DP (V2DP) membrane possessing a large pore size of 4.5 nm, strategically enhancing the overlapping of the electric double layer, coupled with an exceptional positive surface charge density (~6 mC m-2). These characteristics enable the membrane to facilitate high anion flux while maintaining ideal selectivity. Notably, V2DP membranes realize an impressive current density of 5.5×103 A m-2, surpassing benchmarks set by previously reported nanofluidic membranes. In the practical application scenario involving the mixing of artificial seawater and river water, the V2DP membranes exhibit a considerable ion transference number of 0.70 towards Cl-, contributing to an outstanding power density of ~55 W m-2. Theoretical calculations reveal the important role of the large quantity of anion transport sites, which act as binding sites evenly located in the positively charged N-containing pyridine rings. These binding sites enable kinematic coupling and decoupling between anions and the V2DP skeleton, establishing a continuous Cl- ion transport pathway. This work demonstrates the great promise of large-area ultrathin 2DP membranes featuring highly organized charged ion transport networks when applied for osmotic energy conversion.

Siphon-based scalable and salt-resistant multistage thermal desalination system

Recent advances in thermal localization-based passive solar desalination provide a great opportunity for the economical generation of freshwater, particularly in regions with insufficient energy and water infrastructure. Yet, the capillary-assisted passive desalination systems with a high-water productivity flux (measured in Lm−2 h−1) suffer from the issue of performance degradation due to salt accumulation and the inability to be scaled up. In this work, we propose siphon-based supply of saline water over the evaporator that enables scale up of the desalination system to a size significantly higher than the capillary rise height of the hydrophilic evaporator while preventing salt accumulation on the evaporator. The composite siphon comprises insulating fabric wick and a metallic grooved surface for localizing heat to evaporate a thin layer of saline liquid over the evaporator. We perform heat and mass transfer analysis to show that the thermal-to-vapor efficiency depends on the inlet mass flow rate and air gap between the evaporator and the condenser. We propose a methodology to passively control the mass flow rate to maximize the thermal to vapor efficiency at different input heat flux and initial concentration of the brine. A grooved condenser avoids mixing of brine and the freshwater, even at air gaps as low as 2 mm. A siphon-assisted 10-stage desalination system with a footprint area 15 cm × 15 cm and an air gap of 2 mm is shown to have a high water productivity flux of ~5.73 Lm−2 h−1 from 3.5 wt% saline water at an applied heat flux 1000 W/m2, which increases to a record high distillate flux of ~6.23 Lm−2 h−1 and thermal to water collection efficiency of ~423 % for a 15-stage system. The ability of the desalination system to maintain a high-water productivity flux even when the evaporator area is increased by 4 times demonstrates its scalability to achieve higher desalinated water productivity rate.

Calculation of in-situ steady-state heat flux on EAST lower divertor

Heat flux is a key issue in tokamak devices. The non-uniform high heat flux on Plasma-Facing Components (PFCs) has led to local severe damage, including cracks and melting, in current tokamaks such as EAST and WEST. To characterize the non-uniform heat flux loading on the divertor surfaces, the parallel incident heat flux q‖, the decay length λq along the radial direction and the Gaussian spreading width S are used. The q‖ can lead to a very high peak heat flux loading on the divertor surfaces, which may cause critical heat flux problems. Additionally, the decay length is a key consideration for future tokamak designs like ITER. Every effort on the present tokamak devices contributes to updating the scaling of the heat flux. In EAST, a calculation method based on a high spatial resolution IR camera is employed to obtain the heat flux and decay length. The main process involves comparing the surface temperature distribution calculated by Fluent simulation with that measured by an infrared camera. Taking a high heating source discharge (#123059 ∼ 10 MW heating source) as an example, the heat flux is as follows: q‖=216-14+19 MW/m2, with λq=6.2-1.1+1 mm, and S=1.2±0.4 mm; it is in line with Langmuir probe data. The infrared-based heat flux calculation method can calculate the peak incident heat flux and the decay length simultaneously, its result can help to update the scaling model of heat flux, thus not only helping to improve the present device but also offering important reference for future tokamaks

Experimental study on the thermal performance of a novel vapor chamber manufactured by 3D-printing technology

Vapor chamber holds great application potential in the field of heat dissipation for high-power electronic devices. This study developed a novel vapor chamber using 3D-printing technology to enhance heat dissipation for compact electronic devices. The vapor chamber was constructed from aluminum alloy with a structural dimension of 60×60×30mm3. In this work, the extended condensation structure of the vapor chamber was combined with an external cooling structure, resulting in a 729 % increase in the external heat dissipation area compared to the evaporation area in a limited space. Extensive experiments were conducted using deionized water as the working fluid under various cooling conditions and heat loads. The results showed that the vapor chamber was capable of maintaining a low thermal resistance at high power and high heat flux conditions, with a minimum thermal resistance of 0.087 °C/W when the heat load was 1000 W. At a cooling water flow rate of 0.1 L/s, the vapor chamber demonstrated the capacity to withstand a critical heat load of up to 1600 W, with the heat flux of 326 W/cm2. Compared to conventional vapor chambers, this novel vapor chamber is better able to achieve stable and efficient heat dissipation under high power and high heat flux conditions, especially in a limited space.

Ultra-stable counter flow diverging minichannel heat sink with integrated microstructures for superior cooling performance

Efficient thermal management of miniaturized electronic devices is quite challenging nowadays. It requires dissipation of very high heat flux without considerable elevation of surface temperature. To address this issue, this study proposes the counter flow diverging minichannel heat sink in a compact size of 3 cm2. Additionally, two innovative microstructures have been developed and integrated into the bottom surface of the proposed minichannel heat sink: one with gradient micro pin-fins and another combining gradient microcavities with micro pin-fins. Comprehensive flow boiling experiments are conducted under various operating conditions to identify the best configuration with the most appropriate operating condition to dissipate the highest heat flux with minimal pressure drop and stable two-phase flow patterns. The current study reveals that the synergistic effects of gradient micro pin-fins and optimized gradient microcavities achieve a very high heat flux of 746.14 W/cm2 and a two-phase heat transfer coefficient of 28.18 W/cm2K under the limitation of wall temperature lower than 132 °C. Additionally, it maintains an exceptionally low pressure drop of 2.35 kPa with stable two-phase flow patterns under a mass flux of 600 kg/m2s and a degree of subcooling of 40 °C. Compared to the bare surface, counter flow diverging minichannels with gradient micro pin-fins and optimized gradient microcavities show excellent enhancements of 201.12 % in the effective heat flux and 124 % in the two-phase heat transfer coefficient, suggesting it is the best design in the present study for advanced cooling applications.

Theoretical analysis of neutron spectra measurement with SiC detectors using a machine learning technique

Detecting neutrons is crucial for various nuclear applications. Currently, there exists a technology gap in detecting fast neutrons under high-flux conditions, primarily due to some limitations solid detectors face in supporting high flux. Addressing these challenges requires a balanced approach that combines a detector capable of providing exploitable signals with an effective method for reconstructing the neutron spectrum. This work explores the potential of utilizing machine learning techniques to address this gap by determining neutron spectra using SiC detectors. The machine learning algorithm described in this paper has been tested on measured spectra stored in the IAEA Compendium database. The outcomes of this theoretical study demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach in determining neutron spectra from various neutron sources. However, experimental validation is necessary to fully validate the methodology and ensure its applicability in practical settings.

Experimental setup for comprehensive study of non-stationary heat transfer in complex liquid media.

This paper presents a setup for studying non-stationary heat exchange in liquid media on a scale of small times and sizes at high heat flux densities created using a high-speed precision power controller. A platinum wire with a diameter of 20μm and a length from 0.5 to 1cm is used as a probe. The heating time ranged from 1 to 300ms, and the heat flux densities from 1 to 20 MW/m2 were achieved in the experiments. Strictly specified conditions for heat release in the probe are confirmed by maintaining a constant power in a series of pulses with an accuracy of 0.05%. Acquiring a primary electrical signal of thermograms is synchronized with high-speed video recording, allowing an accurate relationship between the applied thermal load and the mechanics of processes in the studied liquid. The setup capabilities were shown by comparing the boiling patterns of a simple substance, such as ethanol, and a solution with a lower critical solution temperature, a 30 vol.% solution of polypropylene glycol-425 in water, which have similar thermograms. As a result, a qualitative difference between the heating and boiling patterns observed using high-speed video and the presented setup fitting its purpose has been shown.

Facile synthesis of multifunctional zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 coatings on diverse bare substrates using a one-step strategy

Rational growth of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with controllable morphology and surface properties has been challenging. In this study, facile synthesis of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) in solutions as well as direct in-situ growth of ZIF-8 on various untreated substrates was studied systematically. ZIF crystals with controllable morphology and size were prepared by simply adjusting the ethanol content in the co-solvent system, achieving a rational synthesis of ZIFs in controlled environments. More importantly, co-solvent content was proved to be crucial in the inter-dimensional topotactic phase transformation from a 2-dimensional ZIF-L to a three-dimensional ZIF-8. Then, the facile in-situ crystallization of ZIF-8 on a variety of untreated substrates was studied. With the use of co-solvents, ZIF-8 crystals were formed uniformly and continuously on all substrates regardless of the nature of the support material, including organic supports such as nylon membranes, 3D printed meshes, melamine sponges, mask filter layers, fabric, metallic support stainless-steel meshes, and ceramic pellet. This facile coating strategy provided controllable crystal coating morphology, size, and coating density, without surface modification/pre-treatment steps which are commonly used in the synthesis of high-quality ZIF coatings/membranes. The ZIF-8 coated substrates prepared in a co-solvent system displayed superior performance in some environmental remediation and biomedical applications. For example, the ZIF-8-coated nylon membrane achieved an impressive 96 ∼ 98 % small oil droplet removal from emulsions while maintaining a high water flux of ∼ 1200 L m−2h−1 bar−1. The superhydrophobic ZIF-8-coated melamine sponges were effective for fast oil adsorption. Last but not least, the ZIF-8-coated masks demonstrated greatly improved antibacterial activities. Overall, the co-solvent synthesis method reported in this work has enabled a one-step universal strategy for the direct growth of zeolitic imidazolate framework coating on diverse bare substrates with controlled surface properties and thus showed significant commercial potential in environmental and biological applications.

Long-lived superhydrophobic micro/nano-locked fiber membranes for long-lasting oil-water separation effectiveness

Superhydrophobic/superoleophilic oil-water separation membranes have great potential for treating industrial, domestic, and marine oily wastewater. However, the robustness of these membranes remains a challenge that restricts their ability to maintain long-lasting oil-water separation effectiveness. Inspired by the adhesion mechanisms of snail and tree frog, exploiting the synergistic effects of interfacial hydrogen bonding and mechanical interlocking, we herein achieved strong adhesion between hydrophobicized in-situ nanoparticles and textile fibers to fabricate a long-lived superhydrophobic micro/nano-locked fiber membrane (LSMFM). LSMFM maintains excellent superhydrophobicity even when exposed to mechanical and chemical damage, such as continuous sandpaper abrasion, tape-peeling, weight impact, water jet, and acid/alkali/salt erosion. Additionally, LSMFM efficiently separates various light/heavy oil-water mixtures, achieving a remarkable separation flux of >10,000 L·m−2·h−1 and an efficiency >98 %, even after 200 cycles with n-hexane. Importantly, such membranes still maintain a high separation flux >19,000 L·m−2·h−1 and efficiency >97 % after sequentially being subjected to acids, alkalis, freezing, and high temperatures, and even the adsorption bag formed by wrapping LSMFM with superhydrophilic wood pulp cotton can adsorb oil at fixed-point and continuously recover pure oil from oily wastewater. This study paves a new way for the sustainable purification of oily wastewater in extreme environments.

Tubular nanofiber membranes combined with Z-scheme CuS@Co3S4 heterojunction catalyst for high-efficient removal of polyvinyl alcohol from waste water with high COD

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), a typical water-soluble polymer with huge global production, is becoming one of the most ubiquitous pollutants and indeed the villain of the piece contributing high chemical oxygen demand (COD) in wastewater. Membrane technology is an effective method for wastewater purification, in particular, with the combination of peroxymonosulfate (PMS)-assisted advanced oxidation or photocatalytic process, is capable of maintaining high water flux and anti-fouling. Herein, a ZIF-67 derived Z-scheme CuS@Co3S4 heterojunction catalyst immobilized by poly (m-phenylene isophthalamide) (PMIA) tubular nanofiber membrane (CuS@Co3S4/PMIA-TNM) is designed using a polyester braided tube as interior reinforcement. The resultant membrane features with outstanding superhydrophilicity and commendable porosity (82.1%), leading to a significantly enhanced permeability (water flux > 82.3L·m-2·h-1). Meanwhile, the membrane shows promising PVA removal efficiency (> 99.9%) with a high COD removal efficiency (~ 83.4%) and enhanced antifouling capacity (flux recovery ratio > 99.7%) with the assistance of PMS driven by an ultra low-power LED lamp. The universal applicability and environmental adaptability are also verified in various reaction conditions. In terms of ecotoxicological impacts of the PVA wastewater before and after treatment on aquatic organisms, Zebrafish embryonic development dynamically demonstrated that the treated PVA waste water by the developed hybrid membrane is healthy for fish to grow. Our study definitely opens up a new avenue to develop high-performance catalytic membranes for PVA-based wastewater treatment.

Challenges of forward osmosis desalination processes using hydrogels as draw agents

The present study aims to investigate the properties, identification, and comprehension of the obstacles encountered in the forward osmosis process when utilizing a hydrogel drawing agent (FO-HG). Furthermore, a comparison is made between the FO-HG system and conventional forward osmosis systems employing a salt solution drawing agent. The comparison and evaluation of the swelling process of hydrogel and the kinetics of water penetration are conducted in both un-constrained and constrained states. Furthermore, the investigation and analysis are carried out to determine the presence or absence of internal concentration polarization (ICP) and external concentration polarization (ECP) phenomena. These phenomena are studied in situations with and without mixing, as well as in different orientations of the membrane (FO-mode and PRO-mode). The impact of these phenomena on the water flux of the systems FO-HG and FO-NaCl is also examined. An evaluation is conducted to determine the influence of the amount and size of hydrogel used as a draw agent in the FO-HG system on the water flux. The results of the study reveal that smaller hydrogel particles in the FO-HG system exhibit a higher flux compared to larger particles. Additionally, it is observed that the water flux in PRO-mode is unexpectedly higher when salt water is used as feed solution. This phenomenon can be ascribed to a counter-osmotic effect, originating from the FO state. Despite the high water absorption capacity of hydrogel and its potential as an ideal drawing agent in the forward osmosis process, the results demonstrate that the flux of the FO-HG system is inferior to that of the FO-NaCl system. Finally, the focus is on resolving the low flux issue by suggesting a process involving multiple cycles throughout day and night. We investigate the influence of hydrogel particle size, membrane surface, hydrogel layer thickness, as well as swelling and deswelling time in one cycle. The swelling time displays a peak at an optimal absorption duration, while the deswelling time does not show a similar optimal point, highlighting the difference between swelling and deswelling phenomena. Therefore, the hydrogels' high absorption capacity alone is insufficient for achieving desalination success. The research findings emphasize the high importance of synthesis of a membrane with minimal resistance, enabling a high water flux and suitable selectivity.

An improved finite set model predictive control of SRM drive based on a voltage vectors strategy for low torque ripple

The robust rotor structure and fault-tolerance characteristics of the Switched Reluctance Motors (SRMs) are the best choice for next-generation Electric Vehicle (EV) applications. This machine has few restraints like high torque and flux ripples. However, the existing Model Predictive Control (MPC) using multiple control objectives and maximum sectors in the switching table results in high torque ripples due to the improper sector partition, Voltage Vectors (VVs) and weight factor (K1) selection. This paper proposes a Finite Set-Model Predictive Control (FS-MPC) for an analytical model of a non-linearity SRM machine to analyze the torque ripple performance. The proposed VVs are derived using sector partition based on the rotor position. The control is designed as a single cost function with the weighting factor contributing to smooth torque by selecting optimal control signals. Simulation studies and experiments with a four-phase 8/6 SRM drive verifies the enhanced FS-MPC for real-time implementation. The dynamic speed and ripple values of SRM Drives are measured using a mixed signal oscilloscope and the sensor probes. The laboratory outcomes calculate the analytical equations to validate the findings. The calculated value of torque ripple is 9 % through this FS-MPC. The study reveals that the proposed method is well suited for torque ripple reduction than flux ripples.

Basin inversion, drifting and hyper-extension in the Central Atlantic Ocean and Maghrebian Tethys as fluid driving mechanisms for the superimposed base metal mineralization events in the Jbel Bou Dahar carbonate-hosted Pb-Zn-Ba deposits (High Atlas, Morocco)

The Early Jurassic Jbel Bou Dahar reef-bearing carbonate platform in the eastern High Atlas, Morocco, contains numerous carbonate-hosted and fault-controlled Pb-Zn-Ba deposits, prospects, and showings. Combined field, petrographic and geochemical data, including REE + Y analyses, stable (C-O-S), radiogenic (SrPb) and noble gas (He, Ne, Ar) isotopic compositions, record two temporally distinct metallogenic events. Both events are related to post-rifting and inversion of the inherited Mesozoic Atlas paleorift. The ore deposits are thought to have been formed during large-scale episodes of transtensional basin evolution, which developed as a far-field effect of the drifting of the Central Atlantic Ocean and Maghrebian Tethys while the basin continued to invert in response to the ongoing convergence between the African and the Eurasian plates. The paragenetically earliest Zn-rich ore was generated in a transtensional setting coincident with the hyper-extension of Maghrebian Tethys and the initial stages of drifting and formation of the Central Atlantic passive margin. Crustal extension and high heat fluxes provided by the hot upwelling mantle would have triggered buoyancy-driven convection of deeply sourced fluids and maturation of organic matter dispersed within the host carbonates to produce hydrocarbons within an extensional basin setting. These relatively reduced Zn-rich ore-forming fluids acquired metals mainly through protracted interaction with the country rocks including the underlying Triassic siliciclastic series and the granitic basement rocks. Regional ENE- to E-W-trending major faults would have acted as conduits for upward fluid flow and traps for Zn-Pb-Ba mineralization. Conversely, the late Pb-rich mineralization stage II is broadly constrained to have occurred between ca. 70 Ma and 10 Ma and is thought to be related to the transition from orogenic shortening (late Eocene) to post-orogenic crustal extension and exhumation (early Miocene) following Alpine orogenic collapse. Mixing of down-ward percolating meteoric fluids and ascending rock-buffered hydrothermal brines that had previously equilibrated with the radiogenic basement rocks along with thermochemical sulfate reduction of transported sulfate and/or thermal cracking, would have been the main ore-forming processes that controlled ore deposition. Given these fluid characteristics and geodynamic settings, the Jbel Bou Dahar ore field is classified as a hybrid carbonate-hosted Pb-Zn-Ba district formed by the juxtaposition of two deposit types rather than one progressively evolving mineralizing system. From an exploration standpoint, new delineation here of the two metallogenic events provides valuable exploration tools for further targeting PbZn and barite resources in the Atlas system of North Africa and other areas where similar orogenic belts experienced post-rift subsidence and basin inversion.

Influence of Mini Warm Pool Extent on Phytoplankton Productivity and Export in the Arabian Sea

The Arabian Sea is a highly productive tropical ecosystem of the Indian Ocean that supports high fluxes of particulate organic carbon to the mesopelagic zone from two distinct periods of elevated biological productivity associated with the semiannual reversals of the monsoonal wind system. There are now strong indications that the Arabian Sea’s monsoonal wind patterns and hydrographic conditions are being impacted by long-term temperature increases, but the consequences of these changes on primary production and carbon export to the mesopelagic zone are unknown. This is especially true for the summer monsoon period when cloud cover obscures much of the Arabian Sea basin and therefore precludes remotely sensed ocean color measurements for estimating phytoplankton biomass and productivity. Here we overcome this limitation by using a database of bio-optical profiles from Biogeochemical Argo floats collected over the last decade to evaluate the impact of interannual temperature increases on Arabian Sea primary production and carbon export. We classify individual years of float observations based on the spatial extent of the Arabian Sea Mini Warm Pool that appears in the southeast Arabian Sea before the onset of the summer monsoon. This mini warm pool, which begins to build in winter and collapses with the onset of the summer monsoon in late spring, has gained considerable interest on account of its influence on the timing of the onset of the summer monsoon. We observed a 35 percent decrease in primary production during the summer monsoon phytoplankton bloom in strong warm pool years, and a 13 percent decrease in particle stocks in the upper mesopelagic zone following the peak of the bloom. Decreases in production and export were additionally accompanied by a decrease in average particle size, indicating a shift from larger cells like diatoms that appear from fertilization of the oligotrophic waters to smaller phytoplankton size classes in response to a deepening of the thermocline and increased stratification of the water column. These results suggest changes in phytoplankton community structure and further decreases in primary production and carbon export in the Arabian Sea in response to future warming.

Overview of the neutron diagnostic systems for the SPARC tokamak.

Neutron measurement is the primary tool in the SPARC tokamak for fusion power (Pfus) monitoring, research on the physics of burning plasmas, validation of the neutronics simulation workflows, and providing feedback for machine protection. A demanding target uncertainty (10% for Pfus) and coverage of a wide dynamic range (>8 orders of magnitude going up to 5 × 1019 n/s), coupled with a fast-track timeline for design and deployment, make the development of the SPARC neutron diagnostics challenging. Four subsystems are under design that exploit the high flux of direct DT and DD plasma neutrons emanating from a shielded opening in a midplane diagnostic port. The systems comprise a set of ∼15 flux monitors, mainly ionization chambers and proportional counters for measurement of the neutron yield rate, two independent foil activation systems for measurement of the neutron fluence, a spectrometric radial neutron camera for poloidal profiling of the plasma emissivity, and a high-resolution magnetic proton recoil spectrometer for measurement of the core neutron spectrum. Together, the four systems ensure redundancy of sensors and methods and aim to provide high resolutions of time (10ms), space (∼7cm), and energy (<2% at 14MeV). This paper presents the broader objectives behind the preliminary design of the SPARC neutron diagnostics and discusses the ongoing studies on neutronics, detector comparisons, prototyping, and integration with the unique infrastructure of SPARC. Engineering details of the four subsystems and the concepts for in situ neutron calibration are also highlighted.

Optimization of ray-tracing simulations to confirm performance of the GP-SANS instrument at the High-Flux Isotope Reactor

The CG-2 beamline at the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) exhibits a notable discrepancy between observed count rates and the count rates we would expect based on a Monte-Carlo neutron ray-trace simulation. These simulations consistently predict count rates approximately five times greater than those observed in four separate experimental runs involving different instrument configurations. This discrepancy suggests that certain factors are causing losses in measurements that are not adequately accounted for in the simulation, in particular guide reflectivity or misalignment.To investigate these discrepancies, a high-dimensional simulation parameter approach is applied in order to understand the losses. Region of Interest (ROI) groups along the instrument are assigned to different surfaces of the guide components within the simulation. This allows the parameters of those guide components to be varied as a group to minimize the complexity of the search space. The result is an optimization of simulation parameters using an iterative scheme that aims to minimize the difference between experimentally measured count rates and simulated count rates across all tested collimator combinations.This proposed methodology holds the potential to reveal previously unrecognized sources of intensity loss in the CG-2 beamline at HFIR and improve the accuracy of simulations, leading to enhanced understanding and performance of the beamline for various scientific applications.

Mixed matrix membranes by post-modified UiO-66-NH2 for efficient treatment of dyeing wastewater

The preparation of modified membranes utilizing the UiO-66 framework for wastewater filtration is regarded as one of the most promising approaches to wastewater treatment, owing to its high efficiency and cost-effectiveness. In this study, a post-modified MOF, UiO-66-RSA, was synthesized via the condensation reaction of UiO-66-NH2 and 2,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde. PVDF mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) were fabricated for the first time by mixing UiO-66-RSA into PVDF using the non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) method. Compared to pure PVDF membranes, the newly developed membrane, M4, demonstrated enhanced compatibility and superior mechanical strength. In dyeing wastewater treatment applications, M4 showed excellent separation efficiency for dye and heavy metal mixed wastewater, achieving rejection rates exceeding 90%. Additionally, it maintained a high flux recovery rate (FRR > 90%) and rejection rate (Rejection > 90%) after six filtration cycles of dye-containing wastewater, indicating strong recyclability. These findings suggest that MMMs embedded with UiO-66-RSA hold significant promise for dyeing wastewater treatment.

In situ microbubble-mediated strategy for highly efficient anti-crude oil-fouling membrane with parallel nanosheet structure

Membrane fouling caused by highly viscous oils severely hampers the long-term application of oil–water separation membranes. In situ aeration, achieved by applying a voltage to the membrane to produce bubbles, can effectively reduce the adhesion of oil contaminants. Herein, the parallel NiFe-layered double hydroxide arrays were successfully constructed on Ni foam using a hydrothermal method. Compared with NF@NFLDH having randomly aligned nanosheet arrays, NF@NFLDH-P can produce more numerous micro-size bubbles. A substantial number of the microbubbles spontaneously coalesced with oil droplets, and the synergy of buoyancy and kinetic energy significantly hindered oil fouling on the NF@NFLDH-P membrane. Specifically, this microbubble–mediated anti-oil-fouling strategy substantially reduced the flux attenuation and maintained a high flux recovery ratio during long-term crude oil–water separation, exhibiting a great operational life. This study suggests an innovative way to design future anti-fouling membranes with bubble-mediated capabilities.

Design and experimental study of solar-driven biomass gasification based on direct irradiation solar thermochemical reactor

Solar-driven biomass steam gasification is a promising technology to produce H2-rich syngas, meanwhile achieve flexible storage of renewable energy. However, the solar gasification application also faces numerous challenges, due to its involved complex chemical reaction characteristics and the inherent the multi-physics energy conversion processes. This work designs a novel direct irradiation solar gasification reactor, with the improved optical acceptance structure and reasonable test module, and the wheat straw particle is selected as experimental sample. Employing a 9 kWe high flux solar simulator, the maximum temperature of reaction bed in this prototype reactor reaches to 1260 °C, with the average solar flux of 1171.3 kW/m2. With adjustable radiation flux as experiment factor, under the highest total radiation of 3.35 kW, the molar fraction of H2 in the produced syngas is 47.1 % with the energy upgrade factor of 1.15, and the cellulose component completes decomposition. Increasing the mass flow rate of steam reduces the syngas output while raising the H2/CO ratio of the syngas. In addition, smaller biomass particle size facilitates the reaction, thereby improving the conversion efficiency of direct irradiation gasification. The investigation results provide a meaningful reference for the efficient utilization of abundant solar and biomass energy.