High-pressure Nitrogen Research Articles

High-Pressure nitrogen assisted synthesis of Small-Sized, Carbon-Encapsulated PtCo alloy nanoparticles as highly stable oxygen reduction catalysts

The development of small-sized platinum-based alloy catalysts with exceptional stability is crucial for the advancement of oxygen reduction reactions in fuel cells. Herein, we present a synthesis approach for fabricating small-sized carbon-encapsulated PtCo/C catalysts facilitated by high-pressure nitrogen during annealing. Remarkably, the resulting PtCo/C catalyst exhibits outstanding performance, showcasing minimal degradation (4.7%) in mass activity after enduring 30,000 cycles owing to its robust carbon-coating architecture.

Societal impacts of marine nitrogen pollution: rapid evidence assessment and future research

Nitrogen pollution is a global problem and to effectively mitigate the effects we need to understand both the ecological and societal impacts. Coral reefs are of particular concern, as they are a critical source of livelihoods, culture, and wellbeing for hundreds of millions of people. Yet they are rapidly declining due to numerous pressures, with nitrogen pollution identified as a top-ranked non-climatic pressure. A Rapid Evidence Assessment was carried out to understand the societal impacts derived from marine nitrogen pollution on coral reefs. The results highlight key research evidence gaps, such as unclear reporting of nitrogen pollution, not distinguishing impacts from nitrogen and other stressors, non-quantification of nitrogen-specific marine and societal impacts, unstudied global regions with high nitrogen pressure, and the need for greater awareness on marine nitrogen pollution. Future research questions are proposed to allow better understanding on how tropical coastal societies are being impacted by marine nitrogen pollution.

Isothermal aging treatment and its effect on the mechanical properties of Fe-Cr-Mn high-nitrogen austenitic steel

The high-temperature solution nitriding process is a suitable treatment for producing high-nitrogen steels by the diffusion of nitrogen from the surface to the center of steels under high nitrogen pressure at high temperatures. On the other hand, long-term solution nitriding at high temperatures can cause the formation of coarse-grained austenite. This study focused on the grain size, strength, and elongation properties of Fe-Cr-Mn high-nitrogen austenitic steels by isothermal aging. For this purpose, we produced high-nitrogen steels by three-step phase transformations: (i) high-temperature solution nitriding, (ii) isothermal aging, and (iii) reaustenitization. After solution nitriding, high-nitrogen austenitic steel was treated with isothermal aging to induce austenite decomposition. Supersaturated austenite (ϒ) transformed to less nitrogen-saturated austenite (ϒ′) and discontinuous cellular precipitation (DCP) during the isothermal aging treatment. Subsequently, the decomposed structure was reversed into austenite through reaustenitization. The results suggested that austenite grain refinement and increasing hardness were achieved by nucleating reversed austenite grains after reaustenitization treatment. On the other hand, a noticeable increase in elongation appeared after reaustenitization treatment for 30 min.

Low energy femtosecond pulsed laser ablation of Nd:YAG laser crystal in high-pressure oxygen and nitrogen background gas

A low-energy femtosecond (fs) pulsed laser was utilized to ablate the Nd:YAG laser crystal target in high-pressure oxygen (O2) and nitrogen (N2) background gases. Only minute amounts of neodymium (Nd), yttrium (Y), and aluminum (Al) were detected in the deposited material due to the thermalization resulting from low laser pulse energy and significant scattering caused by the high background gas pressure. We used a collision-based model and peak-fitting method of the angular distribution of the plume to explain the result. The collision-based model was used to explain and determine the probability distribution of the elements arriving from the target to the substrate. The magnitude of the probability distribution obtained with O2 background gas is higher as compared to N2 background gas owing to the former’s higher collision frequency. The peak-fitting method of the angular distribution of Nd, Y, and Al provided better approximations of the ratio of atoms arriving after ablation as compared to the collision-based model. Further improvements can be carried out to better predict the deposited material ratio.

A novel fabrication strategy of single-phase and dense CrN ceramics and its tribological behavior

Chromium nitride (CrN) is a promising structural and protective material with excellent mechanical properties and good wear and corrosion resistance. However, CrN tends to decompose into Cr2N at high temperatures, which makes the fabrication of single-phase and dense bulk CrN ceramics extremely challenging. In this work, a novel routine, ammonolysis followed by plasma activated sintering (PAS), has been proposed to fabricate single-phase and dense CrN ceramics. Single-phase CrN ceramics with a relative density of 98.2 %, higher than those in previous work, were successfully fabricated at the sintering temperature of 1200 °C. Its hardness and fracture toughness reach 11.9 GPa and 3.98 MPa m1/2, respectively, better than other CrN ceramics in literature. It exhibits friction coefficients of 0.75 to 0.45 and wear rates of 2.31 × 10−6 to 3.06 × 10−5 mm3 N−1 m−1 at the friction loads of 5–20 N. The successful fabrication of single-phase CrN ceramics can be attributed to the combined effect of the sintering atmosphere of extra N2 and rapid densification. During densification, N2 injected into the furnace will be encapsulated rapidly, creating a localized high nitrogen pressure that suppresses CrN decomposition and ultimately results in single-phase and dense CrN ceramic bulk.

CFD Investigation of a Co-Flow Nozzle for Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing Applications

This current work evaluates the efficacy of a co-flow nozzle for cold spray applications with the aim of mitigating nozzle clogging issues, which can occur during long-duration operations, by replacing the solid wall of a divergent nozzle section with an annular co-flow fluid boundary. Simulations were conducted on high-pressure nitrogen flowing through convergent–divergent (C–D) axisymmetric nozzles, with a stagnation pressure of 6 MPa and a stagnation temperature of 1273 K. In these simulations, Inconel 718 particles of varying sizes (15 µm to 35 µm) were modeled using a 2-way Lagrangian technique, and the model’s accuracy was confirmed through validation against experimental results. An annular co-flow nozzle with a circular cross section and straight passage covering the primary C–D nozzle has been designed and modeled for cold spray application. Co-flow was introduced to the reduced nozzle length to compensate for particle velocity loss at higher operating conditions. It was found that co-flow facilitates momentum preservation for primary flow by providing an annular gas boundary, resulting in increased particle speed for a longer axial distance beyond the nozzle exit of the reduced divergent length nozzle. The particle acceleration performance of the reduced divergent section nozzle, when combined with co-flow, is comparable to the original length nozzle.

Experimental Study on Permeability Enhancement of Anthracite by High Pressure Nitrogen Injection and Soaking

Experimental Study on Permeability Enhancement of Anthracite by High Pressure Nitrogen Injection and Soaking

Characterizing and visualizing the direct injection of hydrogen into high-pressure argon and nitrogen environments

Using argon as the working fluid in an internal combustion engine holds the potential of substantially enhancing thermal efficiency because of its high specific heat ratio. Burning hydrogen, not with air but with pure oxygen, in a closed-loop argon power cycle would lead to an emission-free exhaust composition, effectively containing only water and argon, which can be separated by condensation. One of the current challenges is the high-pressure direct injection of both fuel and oxidizer, which directly controls the combustion process. To support the development of such an injection strategy, high-pressure injections of hydrogen into pressurized argon and nitrogen are investigated using high-speed Schlieren and pressure transducers in a non-heated constant-volume chamber at varying conditions. In this work it is shown that hydrogen mass flow increases linearly with injection pressure and that it is unaffected by chamber pressure as expected based on choked flow theory, while jet penetration and cone angle are determined by the pressure ratio between the fuel line and the ambient. A correlation is presented between jet penetration and pressure ratio for argon or nitrogen environments at room temperature.

A micromachined Joule-Thomson cryocooler for ice lithography

A micromachined Joule-Thomson cryocooler has been designed as a cryostage for ice lithography, which allows high-pressure nitrogen throttling to liquefy and fast cool samples with low vibration. The sample can be cooled down to 99.5 K in 30 min and then heated up to room temperature in 10 min. Compared with previous cooling systems based on liquid nitrogen, the Joule-Thomson cryostage has resulted in a significant 90% reduction in cooling time and a decrease in operating temperature by 30 K. Besides, the nitrogen mass-flow rate beneath the sample remains <20 mg/s to minimize vibration. The measured peak-to-peak amplitude at the minimum temperature is about 5.6 nm. As the first cooler integration within an ice lithography system, this Joule-Thomson cryostage not only enables the exploration of a wider range of ice resists, but also can be applied in kinds of microscopes for helping characterize materials at cryogenic temperatures.

The Wetting Characteristics and Microscopic Wetting Mechanism of Coal under High-Pressure Nitrogen Environment

The wettability of coal is an important factor influencing hydraulic stimulation. Field-trial data has proven that high-pressure N2 injection plays a positive role in increasing the coalbed methane (CBM) production rate. For the purpose of investigating the mechanism by which N2 promotes the gas rate, multiple experiments were conducted sequentially on the wettability of anthracite under different N2 pressures. Testing of the coal surface contact angle was conducted under 0.1–8 MPa nitrogen pressure using a newly built contact angle measuring device. The coal samples were collected from the Xinjing Coal Mine in the Qinshui Basin, China. The test results revealed that the contact angle increased with increasing N2 pressure. That is, the contact angle was 77.9° at an N2 pressure of 0.1 MPa and gradually increased to 101.4° at an infinite N2 pressure. In contrast, the capillary pressure decreased with an increasing N2 pressure, from 0.298 MPa to −0.281 MPa. The relationship between contact angle and N2 pressure indicated that the wettability was reversed at a N2 pressure of 5.26 MPa, with a contact angle of 90° and a capillary pressure of 0 MPa. The capillary pressure reversed to a negative value as the N2 pressure increased. At the microlevel, a high N2 pressure increases the surface roughness of coal, which improves the ability of the coal matrix to adsorb N2, forming the gas barrier that hinders the intrusion of water into the pores of the coal matrix. The results of this study provide laboratory evidence that high-pressure N2 injection can prevent water contamination and reduce the capillary pressure, thus benefiting coalbed methane production.

Investigation on the pressure drop characteristics of ITER thermal shield cooling pipes

This paper presents the experimental results of the pressure drop through the cooling pipes of the ITER Thermal Shield (TS) panels. High pressure and room temperature nitrogen gas is selected for the experiment, which is equivalent operating condition with the 80 K helium gas from fluid mechanics point of view. Flow rate is set by a mass flow controller and pressure difference between the inlet and the outlet of the cooling pipe is measured by a differential pressure gauge. The experimental set-up is open loop type, which is connected to high pressure gas bottle. Flexible corrugated pipes are used to connect the TS cooling pipes with the measurement system line. The effect of the corrugated pipe is evaluated separately and excluded from the measurement results of the TS pipes. Test results of several TS panels are shown in this paper and are compared with the calculation using existing friction factor correlation and local loss coefficient of the pipe bends. The limitation of the calculation is discussed considering the hydrodynamic developing flow in the pipe routing.

The Origin of the Yellow Luminescence Band in Be-Doped Bulk GaN

Photoluminescence (PL) from Be-doped bulk GaN crystals grown by the High Nitrogen Pressure Solution method was studied and compared with PL from GaN:Be layers on sapphire grown by molecular beam epitaxy and metalorganic chemical vapor deposition techniques. The yellow luminescence band in the latter is caused by the isolated BeGa acceptor (the YLBe band), while the broad yellow band in bulk GaN:Be crystals is a superposition of the YLBe band and another band, most likely the CN-related YL1 band. The attribution of the yellow band in bulk GaN:Be crystals to the BeGaON complex (a deep donor) is questioned.

LES Modeling of High-Pressure Nitrogen Cross-Flow Jet Impact on Hydrogen-Air Deflagration

The Dynamic Thickened Flame (DTF) model has been widely used for Large Eddy Simulations (LES) of reacting flows over the past decades. This numerical approach was developed for simple flammable mixtures, assuming a constant amount of inert gas, if present. As a result, it is not possible to accurately compute premixed flames with local variations of inert species mass fraction using the standard DTF-LES model. The present paper addresses this limitation, and its purpose is twofold: (1) to propose and validate the extension of the DTF-LES model on a 3D LES deflagration of a hydrogen/air mixture at sub-atmospheric pressure, with a pressurized transverse injection of N2 (Pjet/P0=20) and, (2) to provide a comprehensive analysis of the key physical mechanisms responsible for the strong Flame Acceleration (FA). First, LES adequately replicates the experiment used as reference and shows that the extension of the DTF-LES model introduced in this work is necessary for such scenarios. Then, three mechanisms are identified as the main contributors to FA. At initial instants, the flame is sufficiently far from the jet exit to propagate unperturbed and, thus, it follows the laminar finger flame theory. Then, the flame-induced piston effect pushes fresh gases, as well as dilution gases, resulting in a delayed effect of the supersonic jet on the FA. This is further illustrated by simulating a premixed jet instead of N2, showing no differences in absolute flame speed during this phase. In the next phase, hydrodynamically-induced flow contraction in the jet impingement zone is responsible for the sudden FA observed in the simulation. Finally, flame-turbulence interaction leads to a sudden rise in flame surface area, revealing a transition towards the turbulent combustion regime and, only then, dilution effects start to lower the flame propagation speed when compared to a fully premixed jet.

(Invited) Towards GaN-on-GaN High-Power Electronic Devices

Application of gallium nitride (GaN) substrates in electronic and optoelectronic industries is constantly increasing. In order to fabricate wafers, GaN crystals of the highest structural quality and desired electrical (and sometimes optical) properties must be grown. Today, there are three main GaN crystallization methods: i/ halide vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) with its derivatives: halide-free VPE and oxide VPE; ii/ sodium-flux; and iii/ ammonothermal. The last approach can be basic or acidic depending on what mineralizer is used to increase the solubility of GaN in the feedstock zone. In this paper we will focus on HVPE and basic ammonothermal growth of GaN [1]. Not only bulk growth will be presented. The HVPE method will also be discussed as the best method to crystallize the drift layers necessary for high-power vertical electronic devices (FET transistors, Schottky diodes).One of the best methods for introducing dopants into semiconductors is ion implantation. The introduced structural damage can be removed by a proper annealing process. The high-temperature treatment enables also electrical and/or optical activation of the implanted dopants. In the case of GaN, annealing at high temperature (~1300°C - 1400°C) seems difficult. This compound loses its thermodynamic stability slightly above 800°C at atmospheric pressure. At higher temperature the crystal will decompose. One of the solutions is to anneal GaN at high nitrogen (N2) pressure. Such technology is called ultra-high-pressure annealing (UHPA) [2]. In this paper, application of UHPA for GaN crystals and layers implanted by different ions (acceptors and donors) will be presented. The latest results of the implantation with magnesium (Mg), beryllium (Be), zinc (Zn), and calcium (Ca) ions into GaN in order to obtain p-type conductivity will be discussed [3,4]. Silicon (Si) implantation into GaN for n-type doping will also be analyzed. Structural, electrical and optical properties of implanted GaN after UHPA will be discussed in terms of application for GaN-based devices.A kV class, low ON-resistance, vertical GaN junction barrier Schottky (JBS) diode with selective-area p-regions formed via Mg implantation followed by high-temperature, ultra-high pressure post-implantation activation anneal without a capping layer was already demonstrated [5]. The forward characteristics of the JBS diode showed ideality factor (n) 1.03, turn-on voltage (VON) 0.75 V, current ON/OFF ratio (at ±3 V) ~1011, and specific differential ON-resistance (RON) 0.6 mΩ·cm2. The breakdown voltage of the JBS diode was 915 V.

Quantification of liquid nitrogen injection efficiency and phase change expansion boost laws in coal seam borehole

The implementation of liquid nitrogen injection into coal seam boreholes is a prerequisite for its application to increase coal seam permeation. Exploring the efficiency of liquid nitrogen injection is of great significance in optimizing the settings of key injection parameters, thereby reducing costs. By using high-pressure liquid nitrogen tank, flowmeter, endoscope, thermocouple and mass balance, experiments of different liquid nitrogen injection rates were carried out in 1 m long coal seam borehole. The rules for changing the liquid nitrogen net level in the borehole at different injection rates were obtained: slow growth-linearly growth-slowly growth to stability, and the maximum net liquid level could reach 60 cm. The effective convection coefficient and radiation coefficient during the transient film boiling at the early stages of liquid nitrogen injection were calculated, and it was found that convective heat transfer dominated this stage. The liquid nitrogen injection efficiency at different injection rates was quantitatively investigated, and the maximum efficiency was 8.75 %, and the injection efficiency increases with the increase of injection rate. After stopping the injection, the net liquid nitrogen level in the borehole was analyzed, and they all decreased exponentially. A liquid nitrogen phase change expansion boost model was established and experimental verification passed. Further, it was calculated that the maximum value of liquid nitrogen phase change expansion pressure in a closed borehole of 1 m long coal seam was 45.8 MPa. The expansion pressure can play a dominant role in fracture propagation during the fracturing process, and combined with the damaging effects of liquid nitrogen cold shock on coal, it has a great development prospect in the field of coal seam permeability enhancement.

Experimental and numerical study on the process of removing kerosene residues in rocket engine chamber

This article conducts experimental and numerical research on the process of removing residual kerosene from the wall of the rocket engine chamber after test run, and proposes a cleaning method of high-pressure nitrogen blowing and low-pressure suction intermittent cycle. The research idea is to simulate the concentration changes of residual kerosene liquid and steam during the removal process using CFD method to analyze the mass transfer mechanism during the process, and to verify the accuracy of the numerical model through experiments. It can be concluded that the intermittent cycle cleaning method proposed in this article can efficiently remove residual kerosene from the wall of the rocket engine chamber. By using this cleaning method for 120 min, the maximum cleaning efficiency reaches 97.86%. At the same time, it was found that the high-pressure nitrogen blowing effect was the most obvious during the cleaning process, and switching between high and low pressure during the circulation process was beneficial for the removal of residual kerosene.

Classification and Quantitative Characterization of Archean Metamorphic Buried Hill Reservoirs in the Bohai Sea.

Based on productivity test data and physical property test results from multiple wells, a classification scheme of Archean metamorphic buried hill reservoirs in the Bohai Sea is established by means of mathematical function fitting. By combining data from cores, casting thin sections, scanning electron microscopy, imaging logging, and high-pressure mercury injection and nitrogen adsorption tests, we clarified the reservoir composition and pore structure characteristics of different types of reservoirs are clarified. Furthermore, taking the BZ19-6 and 13-2 wells in the Archean metamorphic buried hills as an example, the development sites of different types of reservoirs are analyzed and the reservoir development model is established. The results show that the Archean metamorphic buried hill reservoirs in the Bohai Sea can be divided into three categories and six subcategories, including type I reservoirs with porosities greater than 8% or permeabilities greater than 1 × 10-3 μm2 and type II reservoirs with porosities of 5-8% or permeabilities in the range of 0.1-1 × 10-3 μm2. Reservoirs with porosities of 2-5% and permeabilities of 0.01-0.1 × 10-3 μm2 are type III reservoirs. Each type of reservoir can be further divided into a fracture-pore type and a fracture type according to the relative contribution of the porosity and permeability to the reservoir. From type I to type III, the dissolution degree and fracture development gradually weaken, the pore size gradually decreases, and the pore volume gradually decreases. The distribution of favorable reservoirs is comprehensively controlled by weathering and tectonic transformation. The presence of a weathered glutenite zone, weathered leaching zone, or weathered disintegration zone is favorable for the development of type I reservoirs in the weathering crust. In the inner part of the buried hill, the presence of a fracture zone with a thickness of more than 10 m or a dense fracture zone with a thickness of more than 40 m is favorable for the formation of type I reservoirs.

AlON transparent ceramics from powders synthesized by improved direct nitridation

Single-phase aluminum oxynitride (AlON) powders were synthesized by improved direct nitridation (DN). The improved DN method is to obtain high quality powder by adding high nitrogen pressure on the basis of ordinary DN method. Compared with the ordinary DN method, the average particle size of the synthesized powder is reduced by about 20 μm, the morphology tends to be spherical and the sintering activity is higher. Using different particle size α-Al2O3 precursor, a modified DN method was adopted to synthesize spherical, good dispersibility and fine AlON powders. The influence of particle size of raw material α-Al2O3 on sintering properties was investigated. Transparent AlON ceramics with dimensions of φ 103mm × 3 mm with in-line transmittance greater than 80%were fabricated by pressureless sintering from above AlON powders. In addition, the effects of different nitrogen pressure on the morphology, particle size distribution and average particle size of synthetic powder were investigated. On this basis, the differences between DN method and improved DN method on synthetic powder and the possible synthesis mechanism were proposed.

Release performance and kinetic behavior of volatile products from controlled pressure pyrolysis of oil shale in nitrogen atmosphere

The gas injection parameters such as temperature, pressure and duration during the in-situ pyrolysis of oil shale are important factors that affect the pore evolution and product release characteristics of oil shale. This paper takes Huadian oil shale as a sample, uses pressurized thermogravimetry and pressurized fluidized bed experimental device to explore the influence of temperature, pressure and time on the evolution of pore structure under high-pressure nitrogen injection conditions, and analyzes the influence mechanism of pore structure evolution on the release and kinetic behavior of volatile products. The results show that in the range of 623–673 K, the effective oil recovery of oil shale pyrolysis under high pressure increases from 30.5 to 96.0% with the extension of temperature and pyrolysis time, and the average activation energy is 346.8 kJ/mol, which is higher than the activation energy of 306.6 kJ/mol under normal pressure pyrolysis. Under high pressure, the release process of volatile products is inhibited, resulting in the intensification of the secondary reaction of products and the reduction of olefin content. In addition, the primary pores of kerogen are prone to coking reaction and collapse of plastic structure, so that some large pores become microporous structure, and the average pore size and specific surface area are reduced.

Study of polymerization of high-pressure nitrogen by abinitio molecular dynamics.

We study properties of nitrogen at high pressure and temperature (100-120GPa, 2000-3000K) where molecular and polymeric phases compete both in solid and liquid phase. We employ abinitio MD simulations with the SCAN functional and study the pressure-induced polymerization in liquid nitrogen for system sizes up to 288 atoms in order to reduce finite-size effects. The transition is studied upon both compression and decompression, and at 3000K, it is found to take place between 110 and 115GPa, coming close to experimental data. We also simulate the molecular crystalline phase close to the melting line and analyze its structure. We show that the molecular crystal in this regime is highly disordered, in particular, due to pronounced orientational and also translational disorder of the molecules. Its short-range order and vibrational density of states are very close to those of the molecular liquid revealing that the system likely represents a plastic crystal with high entropy.