Liquid Pump Research Articles

Recovering electrical energy from forward osmosis process through amorphous silicon oxide crosslinked vanadium pentoxide-reduced graphene oxide membrane

Forward osmosis (FO) is a promising technology for energy-efficient water treatment but suffers from the drawback of reverse solute flux which often results in energy loss. Recent research has been directed toward reducing energy consumption and improving efficiency in the FO process. However, there remains a significant gap in utilization the inevitable reverse solute flux. Our study introduces an innovative approach to minimize energy consumption by transforming this reverse solute flux into sustainable electricity. Here, we fabricated membranes using two-dimensional flakes of vanadium pentoxide (VO) and reduced graphene oxide (r-GO) and cross-linked with amorphous silicon oxide (aSiO). The optimized VO-aSiO-rGO membrane showcases a remarkable ability to recover nearly 26% of the power applied for liquid pumping, exhibiting a significant advancement in the FO process. The membrane also outperforms commercial CTA-based FO membranes by achieving superior water fluxes (∼45 L/m2.h) and low specific reverse salt fluxes (SRSF) (∼0.13 g/L), indicating its superior separation efficiency for concentration applications. Moreover, the VO-aSiO-rGO membrane demonstrated stable performance with a water flux of 28.5 L/m2.h over 40 h of continuous operation. Additionally, it successfully generated output voltage and current values up to 293 mV and 32.2 µA, respectively, with a 106 fold salinity gradient, leading to a power density of ∼ 4.72 W.m−2. The study also explored energy-recovering possibilities and crystal production in realistic scenarios using different concentrations of tea as the feed solutions. The results of this work not only address the critical gap in the efficient use of energy in the FO process but also provide a significant breakthrough towards sustainable and efficient water treatment technologies with integrated energy recovery systems.

Electrothermoplasmonic flow in gold nanoparticles suspensions: Nonlinear dependence of flow velocity on aggregate concentration

Efficient mixing and pumping of liquids at the microscale is a technology that is still to be optimized. The combination of an AC electric field with a small temperature gradient leads to a strong electrothermal flow that can be used for multiple purposes. Combining simulations and experiments, an analysis of the performance of electrothermal flow is provided when the temperature gradient is generated by illuminating plasmonic nanoparticles in suspension with a near-resonance laser. Fluid flow is measured by tracking the velocity of fluorescent tracer microparticles in suspension as a function of the electric field, laser power, and concentration of plasmonic particles. Among other results, a non-linear relationship is found between the velocity of the fluid and particle concentration, which is justified in terms of multiple scattering-absorption events, involving aggregates of nanoparticles, that lead to enhanced absorption when the concentration is raised. Simulations provide a description of the phenomenon that is compatible with experiments and constitute a way to understand and estimate the absorption and scattering cross-sections of both dispersed particles and/or aggregates. A comparison of experiments and simulations suggests that there is some aggregation of the gold nanoparticles by forming clusters of about 2–7 particles, but no information about their structure can be obtained without further theoretical and experimental developments. This nonlinear behavior could be useful to get very high ETP velocities by inducing some controlled aggregation of the particles.

Scalable Core–Sheath Yarn for Boosting Solar Interfacial Desalination Through Engineering Controllable Water Supply

Tailoring water supply to achieve confined heating has proven to be an effective strategy for boosting solar interfacial evaporation rates. However, because of salt clogging during desalination, a critical point of constriction occurs when controlling the water rate for confined heating. In this study, we demonstrate a facile and scalable weaving technique for fabricating core–sheath photothermal yarns that facilitate controlled water supply for stable and efficient interfacial solar desalination. The core–sheath yarn comprises modal fibers as the core and carbon fibers as the sheaths. Because of the core–sheath design, remarkable liquid pumping can be enabled in the carbon fiber bundle of the dispersed super-hydrophilic modal fibers. Our woven fabrics absorb a high proportion (92%) of the electromagnetic radiation in the solar spectrum because of the weaving structure and the carbon fiber sheath. Under one-sun (1 kW·m−2) illumination, our woven fabric device can achieve the highest evaporation rate (of 2.12 kg·m−2·h−1 with energy conversion efficiency: 93.7%) by regulating the number of core–sheath yarns. Practical application tests demonstrate that our device can maintain high and stable desalination performance in a 5 wt% NaCl solution.

Novel Aspects of Cilia-Driven Flow of Viscoelastic Fluid through a Non-Darcy Medium under the Influence of an Induced Magnetic Field and Heat Transfer

The spontaneous movement of natural motile cilia in the form of metachronal waves is responsible for fluid transport. These cilia, in particular, play important roles in locomotion, feeding, liquid pumping, and cell delivery. On the other hand, artificial cilia can be useful in lab-on-a-chip devices for manipulation processes. In this study, a novel model for the ciliated tapered channel in Sutterby fluid flow under the impact of an induced magnetic field and heat transport is proposed. The Darcy–Brinkman–Forchheimer law for porous media with a viscous dissipation function is considered. With the help of lubrication theory, the simplified non-linear form of the leading equation with cilia-oriented boundary conditions is achieved. The analytical results of differential equations are based on the topological perturbation approach. The numerical simulation is performed to elaborate on the physical interpretations of emerging parameters through computer software.

The effect of secondary passages on cavitation and radial forces in a liquid propellant turbopump

Numerical studies on rocket pumps are computationally expensive and hence the secondary passages such as sidewall clearance gaps, wear ring gaps, axial balancing mechanism, coolant/lubricant paths, etc. in the pump are usually not considered. In this study, a liquid propellant pump with and without secondary passages are modelled and flow simulation results are compared to analyse the differences in cavitation, vortices and radial force predictions arising due to the presence/absence of the secondary flow passages. Single-phase and multiphase simulations are conducted for the design and two off-design points. It is predicted that the presence of secondary passages has a significant effect on the type of cavitation instability predicted and on the volume of cavity generated in the inducer due to which the radial forces generated also differ significantly. The presence of secondary passages predicted large fluctuations from the average radial forces generated by the inducer. These are not obtained if the leakages are not considered. This type of underprediction during the design phase might cause severe wear and tear in the bearings during actual operation. Thus, this study stresses the need for incorporating the secondary passages even at the design stages. This study also highlights the possibility of cavitation instability type manipulation using some means in the inducer which would be significant for cavitation control research in rocket pumps.

Numerical study on unsteady heat transfer and fluid flow in a closed cylinder of reciprocating liquid hydrogen pumps

Modeling and optimization of liquid hydrogen (LH2) pumps require accurate in-cylinder heat transfer correlations. However, the applicability of existing correlations based on gas mediums to LH2 remains to be verified. In this paper, the unsteady heat transfer and fluid flow in a closed LH2 pump cylinder are numerically studied by adopting the gas spring model. The phase shifts and temperature distribution in the closed pump cylinder are investigated. LH2 is less affected by in-cylinder heat transfer and has a more uniform temperature distribution compared to nitrogen gas, while a low-temperature zone appears near the piston face at 120 rpm. Finally, the validity of Lekic's correlation in predicting the heat flux of the LH2 compression process in the closed pump cylinder is verified, and the efficiency decrement versus rotational speed is analyzed based on the correlation. This work would be useful for selecting a proper in-cylinder heat transfer model for predicting the thermodynamic process in reciprocating LH2 pumps.

Study of Liquid Ring Vacuum Pump's Capacity to Reduce Motive Steam Consumption of Gas Removal System in Indonesia's Geothermal Power Plant 117 MW

Study of Liquid Ring Vacuum Pump's Capacity to Reduce Motive Steam Consumption of Gas Removal System in Indonesia's Geothermal Power Plant 117 MW

Ternary deep eutectic solvents: Evaluations based on how their physical properties affect energy consumption during post-combustion CO2 capture

In this work, an inverse design method for absorbent development was proposed to reduce the energy requirement of post-combustion CO2 capture (PCC) with 4 steps. 1. Four physical solvents were modeled for PCC and the artificial neural network (ANN)-simulated annealing (SA) models were developed for fast and accurate multi-objective optimization. 2. The optimization results shows that the physical properties of absorbents are important for energy savings. Further analysis on liquid pump energy demand and optimal operating parameters of each absorbent identified absorbents with low viscosity, small average molecular weight, and high CO2 capture ability from flue gas are desirable for PCC. 3. A new strategy was proposed to adjust the physical properties of deep eutectic solvents (DESs) and overcome the disadvantages of aqueous DESs—low thermal stability—by using two ingredients as hydrogen bond donors. 4. Through experimental tests and computer modeling, a DES (TEAC/2Gly/PDO) consisting of tetraethylammonium chloride, glycerol, and 1,3-propanediol in a mole ratio of 1:2:1 was identified as a promising CO2 absorbent with energy demand of 1.06 MJ/kg CO2.

INVESTIGATION OF THE ENERGY CHARACTERISTICS OF CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS

A hydraulic device that is used to suck up liquid, move it under pressure or pump it, is called a pump. As a rule, any movement of a liquid by similar aggregates is carried out due to the transfer of potential or kinetic energy to it. Depending on the technical indicators, different types of pumps are used. At the same time, they differ in efficiency, power, volumes of fluid pumped per unit time, maximum head and resulting pressure. The most used group of pumps are vane pumps. Their distinctive feature is the impeller rotating in a fixed housing, equipped with blades. Depending on the warehouse of the impeller and the conditions for moving fluid through it, vane pumps are divided into centrifugal and vortex. With a centrifugal pump, liquid is supplied due to the centrifugal force that appears when the impeller rotates. She is carried away by the blades and, under the action of centrifugal force, moves from the middle of the wheel to the edges along the blades. The blades of the impellers are bent in the direction of rotation backwards. The number of blades is usually from 6 to 8 pieces. But special pumps for impure liquids, in order to increase the cross section of the channels in the wheel, are installed with a smaller number of blades from 2 to 4 pieces. Centrifugal pumps are usually installed above the liquid level in the receiving tank, so they must be filled before use. The pump is filled with a check valve on the suction line through the filling funnel until the gas is completely expelled from the suction pipeline and the pump housing. In the absence of a check valve, for filling, air is forced out of the pump housing with the valve closed by a special vacuum pump. The same is done when filling large pumps. Centrifugal pumps are characterized by a rather high efficiency, compactness and durability of use. Based on the numerical modeling of hydrodynamic processes, a substantiation of adjustment of the design of the working wheels of centrifugal pumps is given. Mathematical modeling of the fluid flow in the running part of the centrifugal pump is performed. The results of the CFD calculation are analyzed, after which an experimental work wheel is created, and its tests are carried out. There is a process of comparing a serial and experimental pump. Keywords: Centrifugal pumps, numerical modeling, mathematical model, energy characteristics, hydrodynamic processes, dynamic characteristics, power engineering, working wheel, working fluid, working wheel vanes.

Focus on software, data acquisition, and instrumentation

Focus on software, data acquisition, and instrumentation

The Use of Disk-Shaped Diaphragm of Vehicles in Double-Circuit Diaphragm Pumps

Introduction. The article concentrates on improving the efficiency of double-circuit diaphragm pumps, which can be successfully used in heat and water supply systems of industrial and agricultural facilities where there is excess head. It is advisable to equip double-circuit diaphragm pumps with disc-shaped diaphragms interconnected by a rod, for example, from motor vehicles, and to drive them from the available head of the hydraulic network. In order to increase the efficiency of their work and further use, it is necessary to predict the hydraulic characteristics according to the geometric parameters of the membranes and the cycle of their operation in dynamics. Aim of the Article. The article aims at obtaining adequate calculated dependencies of pumped liquid flow rate on speed of double-circuit diaphragm pumps. Materials and Methods. There were used the idealization method from differential geometry, physical experiment, and mathematical statistics to solve the tasks for identifying the relationship between the rod motion and the liquid flow rate for a poppet diaphragm with different geometric surfaces in dynamics. There have been obtained the dependences of pumped liquid volume on the movement of the point of attachment by the poppet diaphragm and the volume flow rate on the movement speed of the point of attachment by the poppet diaphragm with specific geometric parameters for the parabolic and chain line. An experimental testing of the dependence of displaced pumped liquid flow rate on the movement of the attachment point to the stem for the diaphragm type 30 was carried out. Results. Based on the obtained dependences of the volume flow rate on the speed of movement of the point of attachment by a poppet diaphragm with specific geometric parameters for a parabolic and chain line, there were constructed the graphs of dependences of the volume flow rate on the frequency of the working cycle. For practical implementation, there are proposed the dependencies for constructing the hydraulic characteristics of a two-circuit membrane (the dependence of the volume flow rate on the frequency of the working cycle) obtained on the basis of a parabolic interpretation. Discussion and Conclusion. The hydraulic characteristics of a two-circuit membrane pump are close to the equation of a straight line and are consistent with experimental dependencies within 4%.

Designing the technology and composition of plant extracts using reduced atmospheric pressure

The study aims to establish the regimes and parameters of extraction of bioactive substances from raw plant materials by means of extraction with reduced atmospheric pressure for the purpose of manufacturing non-alcoholic functional syrups. The work is performed by leading specialists of the Kemerovo State University using conventional methods. Preparation of the extracts involves aqueous alcoholic treatment of the crushed mass of raw plant materials selected according to the functional parameters. Extraction is performed in a Soxhlet extractor with an advanced liquid ring vacuum pump. The extraction process is monitored by changes in the content of terpenoids in the extract obtained and the mass fraction of dry matter. As a result, the study establishes the parameters and regimes for carrying out and intensifying the extraction of terpenoids and dry matter from fennel, anise, caraway, and dill: pressure – 0.2 MPa, extraction temperature – 50°С, duration of the process – 45 min, solvent – 40 % aqueous alcoholic solution, raw material particle size – 2-3 mm. These process conditions guarantee the highest degree of extraction of terpenoids and dry matter from raw materials, as well as reduce the time and economic costs.

Study on Optimization of Chilldown Process for A New Generation Launch Vehicle

Focused on chilldown procedure of liquid oxygen filling for second stage of a new generation launch vehicle, the method of chilldown through liquid oxygen pump has been put forward and compared with traditional method that of gas pressurization. The results showed that it could reduce total time, lower system state changes, and improve efficiency and reliability of liquid oxygen loading operations. Aimed at liquid oxygen flow of chilldown through the pump, the model of liquid oxygen pump operating has been established by considering variable frequency, regulating valve opening and liquid level of vehicle tank. It can provide scientific guidance and basis for flow control of chilldown through the pump and liquid oxygen tests.

Analysis of Von Kármán Swirling Flows Due to a Porous Rotating Disk Electrode

The study of Von Kármán swirling flow is a subject of active interest due to its applications in a wide range of fields, including biofuel manufacturing, rotating heat exchangers, rotating disc reactors, liquid metal pumping engines, food processing, electric power generating systems, designs of multi-pore distributors, and many others. This paper focusses on investigating Von Kármán swirling flows of viscous incompressible fluid due to a rotating disk electrode. The model is based on a system of four coupled second-order non-linear differential equations. The purpose of the present communication is to derive analytical expressions of velocity components by solving the non-linear equations using the homotopy analysis method. Combined effects of the slip λ and porosity γ parameters are studied in detail. If either parameter is increased, all velocity components are reduced, as both have the same effect on the mean velocity profiles. The porosity parameter γ increases the moment coefficient at the disk surface, which monotonically decreases with the slip parameter λ. The analytical results are also compared with numerical solutions, which are in satisfactory agreement. Furthermore, the effects of porosity and slip parameters on velocity profiles are discussed.

ВАКУУМНЫЕ ТЕХНОЛОГИИ ПРОИЗВОДСТВА ПОРОШКОВ И ЭКСТРАКТОВ ИЗ ОВОЩЕЙ, ПЛОДОВ И ЯГОД ДЛЯ ФУНКЦИОНАЛЬНЫХ ПРОДУКТОВ ПИТАНИЯ

The development of technologies and equipment for obtaining food products with the addition of functional biologically active substances from vegetables, fruits, berries in the form of powders and extracts is promising. The technologies of vegetable processing of raw materials: cleaning, cutting, drying, grinding, extraction are analyzed. The scheme of the technological processing line for the production of plant powders and extracts is given, which provides for the use of production waste as animal feed. It was revealed that the finished product in the form of dried material (chips) can be obtained at the drying stage, and the remaining distillate is collected after extraction. As an example of the results obtained empirically, the drying curve of the cauliflower "Françoise" and the curves of the extraction of strawberries "Moroshko" are considered. Experimental studies of the drying process were carried out on the developed two-stage convective vacuum impulse drying plant, consisting of a convective fluidized bed dryer and a vacuum cabinet. The universal vacuum-pulse extraction-evaporator is designed for the study of extraction. A comparison of different extraction options was carried out: infusion, heating, heating with stirring and extraction using vacuum. It has been established that vacuum extraction gives the highest yield of dry soluble substances. The main element of the described installations is a liquid ring vacuum pump. Depending on the required vacuum value, it can be singlestage or two-stage. Its use provides sparing temperature conditions, excluding the loss of biologically active substances, and also helps to reduce the time spent on processes.

Effect of Magnetized Freezing Extender on Membrane Damages, Motility, and Fertility of Boar Sperm Following Cryopreservation.

Magnetized water is defined as the amount of water that has passed through a magnet. The magnetic field weakens the hydrogen bonds between the water molecules, leading to the magnetized liquid acquiring special characteristics such as easy supercooling and forming smaller ice crystals. We researched the influences of a magnetized freezing extender on cell membrane damage and in vitro fertilization of boar sperm during cryopreservation. The freezing extenders were passed through 0, 2000, 4000, and 6000 gausses (G) of magnetic devices using a liquid cycling pump system and then used for the sperm freezing process. The damage to plasma, acrosomal, and mitochondrial membranes in frozen-thawed spermatozoa was investigated by flow cytometry, and motility was assessed using the CASA system. The fertility of frozen-thawed sperm was estimated using in vitro fertilization. The damage to the membranes was significantly decreased in the magnetized freezing extender by the 6000 G magnetic field compared to that of the control in frozen-thawed sperm, and motility was increased in the 6000 G group. Although there were no significant differences in the cleavage rates of in vitro fertilized oocytes among the treatment groups, the ratio of blastocyst formation increased in the magnetized freezing extender groups compared with that in the control group. The number of blastocysts was significantly higher in the 4000 G group than in the 0 G group. In conclusion, these results suggest that a magnetized freezing extender could improve the freezability of sperm and the development of oocytes fertilized in vitro with frozen-thawed sperm.

Is Manila Clam Farming Environmentally Sustainable? A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Approach Applied to an Italian Ruditapes philippinarum Hatchery

Italy supplies approximately 96% of EU-farmed Manila clams. Following a reduction in wild seed availability, farmers started to depend on hatchery-produced seed, mainly imported from other countries. Indeed, only one hatchery is currently operating in Italy. This study quantifies the environmental impacts of seed production in this Italian hatchery facility to inform future planning for improving the sustainability of the supply chain. The environmental performance of the Manila clam hatchery was evaluated using the Life Cycle Assessment methodology. A cradle-to-gate analysis was performed, covering the following production phases: (1) microalgae production, (2) broodstock maintenance and conditioning, and (3) larval rearing until marketable size. The functional unit adopted was 1 kg of live clam seed. The main driver of the environmental impacts was electricity consumption, contributing over 80% for all impact categories. Other inputs showed minor contributions to different impact categories, including liquid oxygen, water pumps, and high-density polyethylene. This study highlights that the environmental burden associated with seed production could be reduced by switching to alternative technologies to meet energy needs, such as investments in photovoltaic and wind energy production systems.

Novel efficient energy saving approach for liquid ring vacuum pump in coal mine gas drainage

Liquid ring vacuum (LRV) pumps used in the coal mine gas drainage system waste a considerable amount of electrical energy due to the extremely low efficiency, which has been a dramatic limitation over many decades not effectively solved using the conventional structural optimization method. Here a novel approach for drastic improvement of LRV pump efficiency, based on turbulent drag reduction theory, is proposed to reduce the useless energy consumption. Furthermore, a new kind of drag-reducing working fluid (DRWF) for the LRV pump and a supporting closed energy-efficiency system, are developed. Industrial-scale measurements are conducted on the LRV pumps with various models to evaluate the influence of the new DRWF on the overall pump performance. The experimental results show that the new approach can achieve approximately 10% pump efficiency improvement and maximally 21–24% energy-saving rate at an optimum concentration of xanthan gum of 4000 ppm in the DRWF. A cost-effectiveness analysis shows the economic viability of this approach. This technology has been commercially applied to reduce the electricity waste in coal mine gas drainage system, and the energy-saving rate reaches 15–22%, and the carbon emissions reduction for Gucheng mine in China can reach 987 tons per year, which is proved to be an effective approach to achieve China's carbon peak and neutrality goals.

Enhanced boiling heat transfer of HFE-7100 on copper foams under overflow conditions

Boiling of dielectric liquids on structured surfaces is a powerful option for thermal management of electronic devices, whose cooling performance depends strongly on liquid supply and vapor departure. Herein, saturation boiling of HFE-7100 on copper foams with a pore density of 30 pores per inch (PPI) under overflow conditions is proposed to enhance liquid supply and facilitate vapor departure. Liquid HFE-7100 is fed to the copper foam by a peristaltic pump and un-vaporized liquid is discharged by gravity. The higher flowrate leads to higher critical heat flux (CHF) and heat transfer coefficient (HTC) only if the copper foam is not flooded. Visual observations reveal evolution of vapor bubbles with heat flux on the copper foam under overflow conditions. Dependence of CHF and HTC on foam thickness is experimentally evaluated and an optimal thickness of 4.7 mm is derived from the experimental data. The optimal foam thickness is related to submergence level of bulk flow and capillary height. CHF and HTC are enhanced by the forced liquid supply in combination with the reduced hindrance of hydrostatic pressure to vapor departure, reaching 860 kW m−2 and 47.3 kW m−2 K−1, respectively. The overflow boiling offers an efficient way to improve heat transfer of boiling on porous medium for efficient thermal management.

Investigation on the two-phase loop cooling system composed of maglev compressor and liquid pump for data centers

• The cooling system composed of maglev compressor and liquid pump is proposed. • The two-phase loop cooling system is oil free and structurally reliable. • As pressure ratio varies from 2.64 to 1.13, system COP increases from 3.85 to 8.16. • The outdoor unit COP is 31∼40 and the system COP is above 12 in pump-driven mode. • The annual GCOP is above 6.5 and PUE is 1.2 or less in most climate zones of China. The increasing demand for data processing, storage and distribution is escalating the energy usage of data centers, in which cooling system energy consumption could take up 30%∼50% of the total energy consumption. In this regard, improving cooling system efficiency will contribute to the optimization of energy utilization. In this paper, a two-phase loop cooling system driven by maglev compressor and liquid pump, which is oil free and structurally reliable, is proposed and investigated experimentally. The system performance under three different operating modes is explored experimentally. The application effects of proposed system in typical climate zones of China are analyzed. The results show that the coefficient of performance (COP) of the system is about 12 and the COP of the outdoor unit is as high as 31∼40 in pump-driven mode. In integrated mode and vapor compression mode, the COP of system increases from 3.85 to 8.16 while pressure ratio varies from 2.64 to 1.13, which means that the maglev compressor and the liquid pump can cooperate well to achieve an expected performance. The annual COP of the integrated system applied in China is above 6.5 in most climate zones. The power usage effectiveness of data center can be as low as 1.2, under the assumption that the energy consumption of auxiliary system except the cooling system accounts for 5% of the information technology equipment energy consumption.