Low Temperature Region Research Articles

Bimolecular kinetics of Criegee intermediate (CH2OO) with 2-pentanone: experimental and theoretical analysis in atmospheric conditions.

Temperature-dependent kinetics of Criegee intermediate (CH2OO) with 2-pentanone were performed at 258-318 K and 50 Torr using pulsed laser photolysis-cavity ring-down spectroscopy (PLP-CRDS) technique. The measured room temperature rate coefficient was (3.84 ± 0.24) × 10-13 cm3 molecule-1 s-1. The reaction follows a negative temperature dependency, and the corresponding Arrhenius equation is k4 = (1.76 ± 0.36) × 10-15exp{(3.18 ± 0.11) kcal mol-1/RT}. The high-P limit rate coefficients obtained using CVT/SCT at CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ//B3LYP/6-311 + G(2df,2p) level of theory deviate from the experimental results, especially in the low-temperature region. At 258 K, the computed high-P limit rate coefficient exceeded the experimental value by more than a factor of four. Comparing all the reaction pathways, HCOOH was the major product formed in the title reaction. The atmospheric lifetime of 2-pentanone due to its reaction with CH2OO was calculated to be ~ 3000 days, rendering the reaction insignificant for inclusion in models of atmospheric 2-pentanone.

Research on the Geosynthetic-Encased Gravel Pile Composite Highway Foundation in Low-Temperature Stable Permafrost Regions

In low-temperature stable permafrost regions, both active and passive cooling measures are commonly employed to ensure the long-term stability of highway structures. However, despite adopting these measures, various types of structural issues caused by permafrost degradation remain prevalent in high-grade highways. This indicates that in addition to preventing permafrost melting, structural reinforcement of the foundation is still necessary. Based on the analysis of the long-term foundation temperature field and settlement using the finite element method, which was validated through an indoor top-down freeze–thaw cycle test, this paper explores, for the first time, the feasibility of applying geosynthetic-encased gravel pile composite highway foundations—previously commonly used for permafrost destruction—in low-temperature stable permafrost areas where permafrost protection is the primary principle. By analyzing the long-term temperature field, settlement behavior, and pile–soil stress ratios of permafrost foundations influenced by both the highway structure and composite foundation, it was found that when the pile diameter is 0.5 m, pile spacing is 2 m, and pile length is 11 m, the mean monthly ground temperature of the permafrost foundation will not be significantly affected. Therefore, the properly designed geosynthetic-encased gravel pile composite highway foundation can be adopted in low-temperature stable permafrost regions where permafrost protection, rather than destruction, is required.

Role of divalent doping at A-sites (A=Ca2+, Sr2+, Ba2+ & Pb2+) on thermoelectric and magnetoresistive properties in La0.67(Bi0.0835Na0.0835) A0.165MnO3

The present work reports on the effect of divalent ion doping (Ca2+, Sr2+, Pb2+ & Ba2+) ions at A-site in the compound with compositional formula La0.67(Bi0.0835Na0.0835)A0.165MnO3 on structural, magnetic, magneto-transport and thermoelectric properties. X-ray diffraction reveals orthorhombic structure for calcium and barium doped with no peak splitting observed at ~ 32o whereas rhombohedral structure for strontium and lead dopants with a peak splitting in the main intensity. Doping with divalent ions at A-site in La0.67(Bi0.0835Na0.0835)A0.165MnO3 manganites has introduced Mn2+ ions, changing the ratio of Mn3+/Mn4+ in octahedral site and this has been confirmed from X-ray photospectroscopy studies. The field emission scanning electron microscope images confirm different grain sizes and morphologies for different doping elements and distinguished variation is noticed for strontium doped manganites with a grain size of 1.08µm. Room temperature ferromagnetic behavior was observed in the samples at room temperature except for calcium doped sample and magnetic behavior has been discussed on the basis of the various interactions between mixed valence manganese ions and Mn3+/Mn4+ ratio. Electrical resistivity (ρ) as a function of temperature (T) without magnetic field indicates the double peak behavior and with the application of external magnetic fields, the double peak disappears, in all the investigated samples. Highest MR% at their respective transition temperatures (TP1) has been obtained for lead doped samples when compared to barium, strontium and calcium samples. Activation energies (EP) estimated decreases initially for calcium and strontium whereas it increases for lead and barium dopants i.e. for further increases in ionic radii. The change of sign from positive to negative in Seebeck coefficient (S) was noticed with increasing ionic radii suggesting the variation in the nature of charge carriers. The electron-electron, electron-magnon, magnon-magnon scattering mechanism contributes to the temperature dependent resistivity and thermopower in the low temperature region while in the paramagnetic insulating region is governed by a small polaron hopping mechanism.

Crystal structure, magnetic property and cryogenic magnetocaloric effect of Gd4Al2O9 aluminate

Developing magnetic materials with excellent magnetocaloric effect (MCE) is a vital prerequisite for practical magnetic refrigeration (MR) applications. Herein, a single-phased polycrystalline Gd4Al2O9 compound was fabricated using the co-precipitation method, and its structure, magnetic property together with magnetocaloric performance were investigated. The Gd4Al2O9 compound was found to crystallize in the monoclinic structure space group P21/c with lattice parameters a = 7.4852 Å, b = 10.5561 Å, c = 11.1774 Å, β = 108.95° and V=835.3107 Å3, and the constituent elementals had valence states of Gd3+, Al3+ and O2−. Excellent comprehensive MCE performance was observed for the Gd4Al2O9 compound in low-temperature regions. The obtained values of maximal magnetic entropy change, temperature-averaged entropy change (3 K) and relative cooling power under the magnetic flux density change of 0–7 T are 26.31 J/kg·K, 25.09 J/kg·K and 317.05 J/kg. The Gd4Al2O9 compound shows impressive comprehensive MCE performances compared with some recently reported rare earth-based MR materials with prominent performances, meaning that it is a suitable candidate material for low-temperature MR applications.

Size Effects on the Magnetic Properties of a System of ε-Fe2O3 Nanoparticles Embedded in a SiO2 Xerogel Matrix

A representative series of samples consisting of fine ε-Fe2O3 nanoparticles uniformly distributed over the SiO2 xerogel matrix with an iron oxide content of 5‒33 wt % has been synthesized and studied by mutually complementary physical methods. It has been shown by the X-ray diffractometry and high-resolution electron microscopy examination that, with increasing iron oxide concentration, the average particle size <d> increases from 4 to 11 nm. According to the X-ray diffractometry and Mӧssbauer spectroscopy data, the samples with an iron oxide content of 5–20 wt % are single-phase, while at the highest Fe2O3 concentration (33 wt %), the β-Fe2O3 and α-Fe2O3 phases arise. As the average particle size <d> increases, a monotonic increase in coercivity HC and remanent magnetization MR of the synthesized systems at room temperature is observed, which is indicative of their magnetic hysteresis. The magnetic transition known to occur in the ε–Fe2O3 oxide manifests itself in all the investigated samples as a drastic change in the HC and MR values at 150–75 K. At the same time, a thorough analysis of the temperature dependence of the real part of the ac magnetic susceptibility χ′ has shown that the particles with a size smaller than a critical value of dC ∼ 6.5 nm do not undergo the magnetic transition and have a much lower magnetic anisotropy constant as compared with coarser particles (d >dC). It has been found that, in the low-temperature region, the magnetic moments of these fine particles experience superparamagnetic blocking. It has been established that the size effects that arise in ultra-fine ε–Fe2O3 particles has a serious impact on the macroscopic magnetic properties of the highly dispersed systems based on them.

Effect of non-equilibrium phase transition on the aero-thermodynamic performance of supercritical carbon dioxide compressors

Phase transition is a prominent issue for the supercritical CO2 compressors operating near the critical region. The non-equilibrium behavior of phase transition makes it difficult to accurately predict performance under these conditions. A non-equilibrium phase transition model is proposed to analyze the aero-thermodynamic performance of supercritical CO2 centrifugal compressors with different inlet conditions. The model examines phase change characteristics and compressor performance under variable operating conditions. The results indicate that this model can effectively predict the aero-thermodynamic performance of compressor near critical conditions, with an average error of less than 2% in the performance curves. The inconsistency between low-temperature and low-pressure regions, along with the increase in liquid phase volume, are typical characteristics of non-equilibrium phase transition in supercritical CO2 compressors. The non-equilibrium effect of phase transition can reduce the leakage loss at high flow rates, but also increases the likelihood of stall at low flow rates. Furthermore, the concept of “non-equilibrium degree” (NED) is introduced to quantify these effects. When NED exceeds 0.2, the isentropic efficiency of the compressor decreases by 15.1% compared to its maximum efficiency. Designing inlet conditions for supercritical CO2 compressors with NED below 0.1 is more suitable because it has a larger inlet flowrate and higher efficiency.

Ferroelectric Smectic C Liquid Crystal Phase with Spontaneous Polarization in the Direction of the Director.

In the previous study, the existence of an unidentified ferroelectric smectic phase is demonstrated in the low-temperature region of the ferroelectric smectic A phase, where the layer spacing decreases with decreasing temperature. In the present study, the phase is identified by taking 2D X-ray diffraction images of a magnetically oriented sample while allowing it to rotate and constructed a 3D reciprocal space with the sample rotation angle as the third axis for the whole picture of the reciprocal lattice vectors originating from the smectic structure. Consequently, circular diffraction images are obtained when the reciprocal lattice vectors are evenly distributed on the conical surface at a certain inclination angle in the reciprocal space. This result provides clear evidence that the phase in question is smectic C. The polarization properties also showed that the observed smectic C phase has spontaneous polarization in the direction parallel to the director and is identified as ferroelectric smectic C. These results provide a new type of classification for liquid crystalline phases that has been established over many years and is a significant contribution to the basic science of soft matter research.

Heat and mass transfer and deformation during chiffon cake baking

The structural transformation from a foam liquid to a porous solid during cake baking involves pore development and solidification, resulting in complex coupled heat transfer, mass transfer, and deformation processes. Studying the mechanisms can provide important references for understanding the physical processes of numerous foods containing gas pores. We constructed a multiphase flow-deformation model for chiffon cake baking, and validated its accuracy by comparing the experimental results of temperature and height. Based on the model, the heat transfer, mass transfer, and deformation characteristics were investigated. In the pore-closed region, the evaporation-diffusion-condensation process of water vapor enhances heat transfer, and its contribution to heat transfer has an equivalent thermal conductivity of up to 0.64 W/(m·K), which increases the heating rate. In the pore-opening region, the water vapor evaporates from the high-temperature, high-water activity region and is transported towards the lower-temperature region and external environment. This process enhances heat transfer and induces an evaporative cooling effect, resulting in a uniform temperature distribution that remains below 100 °C across the majority of the region. Cake expansion occurs in the low-viscosity, pore-closed region, and the water vapor generated at high temperatures serves as the primary driving force source, contributing up to 84.6%.

Thermodynamic Justification for the Effectiveness of the Oxidation—Soda Conversion of Ilmenite Concentrates

This article presents the results of a thermodynamic analysis of the oxidation soda conversion reactions of minerals in ilmenite concentrates in the temperature range of 373–2273 K. The thermodynamic parameters of pseudorutile, pseudobrukite, and the new minerals, zhikinite and spessartine, were calculated for the first time. It has been established that the most important criterion relating to the stability of titanium minerals and related elements, as well as the reaction properties of the structural oxides of metals and silicon, is their degree of oxidation. Oxides of silicon (IV) and manganese have the best reactivity in solid-phase oxidizing alkaline environments (VI). Modeling this process scientifically substantiates the mechanism involved in the destruction of minerals in ilmenite concentrates in the low-temperature region in the presence of atmospheric oxygen and sodium oxide of soda ash, which are decomposed through the absorption of heat and the evaporation of moisture during the dehydration of hydrated minerals of iron and manganese and the dehydration of the soda–ilmenite batch. Tests conducted during pilot metallurgical production at the Institute of Metallurgy and Enrichment (PMP of JSC) confirmed the feasibility of processing high-chromium and siliceous rutile leucoxene ilmenite concentrates, which are unsuitable for traditional pyro- and hydro-metallurgical enrichment methods, through single-stage oxidation soda roasting, followed by the leaching of easily soluble sodium salts of iron and associated impurities with water and a dilute hydrochloric acid solution. The proposed energy-saving method ensures the production of high-purity (&gt;98%) synthetic rutile while eliminating the formation of strong deposits on the lining of roasting units.

Comprehensive study of epitaxial (Nd,Eu,Gd)Ba2Cu3O7−δ films grown on textured templates

We report the successful epitaxial growth and comprehensive study of structural and superconducting properties of (Nd,Eu,Gd)Ba2Cu3O7−δ films with a thickness of up to 1.2 μm prepared by on-axis pulsed laser deposition on SrTiO3 (STO) single crystals as well as on ion-beam-assisted deposition (IBAD) and rolling-assisted biaxially textured substrate (RABiTS)-based metal templates. X-ray diffraction demonstrates the epitaxial quality of the grown films on both single crystalline substrates and metal-based templates. In addition, no significant changes in surface morphology were found with increasing thickness for films on all types of substrates. On all substrates, a T c value of about 89 K was observed, however, significant inhomogeneities indicating small superconducting volume were found for all films on STO. In general, the best transport characteristics over a wide range of magnetic fields and temperatures were observed for thicker films on IBAD-MgO and RABiTS templates, respectively. The J c values at 77 K for the films on IBAD-MgO templates are comparable to YBCO films, but inferior in the low temperature region and high magnetic fields, whereas the films on RABiTS and especially on STO showed much lower J c over the entire temperature and magnetic field range. A maximum pinning force of about 7 GN·m−3 at 65 K was found for the 900 nm thick films on IBAD-MgO template. In addition, the pinning mechanism seems to depend on both temperature and type of substrate. In general, no correlation between local microstructure and transport characteristics was revealed for NEG films on both metal templates.

Analysis of the Meteorological Conditions and Atmospheric Numerical Simulation of an Aircraft Icing Accident

With the rapid development of the general aviation industry in China, the influence of high-impact aeronautical weather events, such as aircraft icing, on flight safety has become more and more prominent. On 1 March 2021, an aircraft conducting weather modification operations crashed over Ji’an City, due to severe icing. Using multi-source meteorological observations and atmospheric numerical simulations, we analyzed the meteorological causes of this icing accident. The results indicate that a cold front formed in northwestern China and then moved southward, which is the main weather system in the icing area. Based on the icing index, we conducted an analysis of the temperature, relative humidity, cloud liquid water path, effective particle radius, and vertical flow field, it was found that aircraft icing occurred behind the ground front, where warm-moist airflows rose along the front to result in a rapid increase of water vapor in 600–500 hPa. The increase of water vapor, in conjunction with low temperature, led to the formation of a cold stratiform cloud system. In this cloud system, there were a large number of large cloud droplets. In addition, the frontal inversion increased the atmospheric stability, allowing cloud droplets to accumulate in the low-temperature region and forming meteorological conditions conducive to icing. The Weather Research and Forecasting model was employed to provide a detailed description of the formation process of the atmospheric conditions conducive to icing, such as the uplifting motion along the front and supercooled water. Based on a real case, we investigated the formation process of icing-inducing meteorological conditions under the influence of a front in detail in this study and verified the capability of a numerical model to simulate the meteorological environment of frontal icing, in order to provide a valuable reference for meteorological early warnings and forecasts for general aviation.

Phase Behavior of System Carbon Dioxide + Hydrogen Sulfide

The global phase equilibrium behavior of the CO2+H2S system is discussed in this work for temperatures ranging from 160 K up to the critical region. Solid phases of CO2 and H2S and corresponding equilibria have been modeled by considering either a 4th-order equation of state (also used for the fluid phases) or a solid fugacity model for the pure components combined with an activity coefficient model (both coupled with a reference equation of state for the fluid phases).Phase equilibrium calculations have been performed by the minimization of the Gibbs Free Energy of mixing and compared to existing literature data.The types of pressure-mole fraction phase diagrams that can be encountered in the low-temperature thermodynamic region have been described. The temperature and pressure ranges where the phase behavior of the system changes have been identified and a representative phase diagram is presented for each range.

CO Oxidation at Low Temperatures over the Au Cluster Supported on Crystalline Silicotitanate.

Crystalline silicotitanate (CST) with a sitinakite structure has attracted considerable attention as an ion exchanger because of its anionic surface owing to SiO4 tetrahedral and TiO6 octahedral linked structures. In particular, the anionic surface of CST is advantageous in immobilizing single Au atoms derived from a cationic precursor such as Au(en)2Cl3 (en = ethylenediamine). In this study, a Au/CST catalyst was prepared and evaluated for CO oxidation. The transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results suggest that Au single atoms and clusters (Auδ+, 0 < δ < 1) were supported on Na+-CST particles. The 1.0 wt % Au/CST catalyst yielded high catalytic activity for CO oxidation, where 50% CO oxidation was achieved at a low temperature of -13 °C. In the low-temperature region (from -84 to 20 °C), CO oxidation over Au/CST may progress through the well-known Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism. Conversely, the experimental results of CO oxidation without O2 confirmed that the reaction proceeded according to the Au-assisted Mars-van Krevelen mechanism using the lattice oxygens of the CST particles at temperatures above 20 °C. Therefore, this work contributes to the design of highly dispersed single-atom or cluster catalysts using the anionic surface of the microporous CST.

Effects of Carbon Deposition on Deuterium Plasma-Driven Permeation Through Tungsten-Coated RAFM Steel

In steady-state operation of fusion reactors, eroded materials and contaminations, especially carbon (C), may deposit on the surface of plasma-facing components. In this work, the effects of C deposition on hydrogen isotope permeation behavior through tungsten (W)–coated reduced activation ferritic/martensitic (RAFM) steel were systematically investigated by plasma-driven permeation (PDP) measurements in the temperature range of 633 to 893 K. A C deposition layer with thickness of ~200 nm was prepared by magnetron sputtering to simulate the formation of C impurities in the first-wall area of tokamaks. The implantation depth of incident deuterium (D) ions was estimated to be <10 nm at incident energy of 114 eV. Deuterium effective diffusion coefficients (Deff’s) for W-coated RAFM steel with/without a C layer were obtained. It was found that the C layer tended to increase Deff in the low-temperature region of ~675 to 820 K. At high temperature, however, Deff was measured be lower than that without a C layer. Nevertheless, the addition of a C layer had no significant effect on Deff compared to the W coating alone with respect to bare RAFM steels. For steady-state D-PDP flux, it was found that the C layer significantly decreased D permeation flux at low temperature. But, the permeation flux difference between the samples with/without a C layer became smaller with increasing temperature, indicating that the influence of C deposition on D permeation was negligible at high temperature. Similar D-PDP behavior was detected as increasing the incident ion flux by means of increasing plasma discharge power. Surface reemission of absorbed D as well as the D concentration gradient throughout the sample was found to be influenced by C deposition; therefore, D permeation flux changed correspondingly.

Pore-scale flame oscillations and patterns of upstream combustion wave propagation in a one-layer porous burner

Upstream propagation of filtration combustion wave in a one-layer porous burner is studied experimentally using thermal imaging and high-speed filming. The burner is the one-layer packed bed of spheres modeling porous media and providing optical access to the flame. This design allowed us to study macroscopic propagation of the combustion wave as well as non-stationary flame behavior at the pore scale. Experimental results demonstrate that upstream propagating combustion wave forms non-uniform porous medium temperature distribution in transverse direction which consists of hot areas separated by low-temperature regions. Macroscopic flame propagation can be accompanied by oscillations of some flame fragments at the pore scale. The mechanism of these pulsations is identical to the flames with repetitive extinction and ignition in narrow channels with external heating. Experimental results suggest that large scale evolution of the thermal wave affects the non-stationary behavior of the flame fragments at the pore scale and vice versa. The interplay between pore-scale and macro-scale processes manifests itself in the multiple repetitions of some patterns of the combustion wave propagation. Two most typical and common patterns are described and discussed. These patterns are step-wise transition of the flame fragment into the upstream pore and transition through the series of flame oscillations with repetitive extinction and ignition. It is shown that highly simplified one-dimensional model describes flame propagation in externally heated variable cross-section channel with heat conducting walls is capable to describe main features of these two patterns. Parametric study allows to predict the effect of problem parameters on the regions of existing of one or another pattern of upstream flame propagation.Novelty and Significance StatementThis paper presents new experimental data on temperature characteristics of upstream propagating filtration combustion wave in a one-layer porous burner. For the first time the patterns of combustion wave propagation uniting macro-scale processes of the thermal wave propagation and oscillations of the flame fragments at the pore scale are described on the basis of experimental data and numerical modeling. Results obtained for the one-layer burner can apparently be generalized to the case of combustion in three-dimensional porous media and packed beds. These results are significant because extend fundamental knowledge on porous media combustion by information on pore- and macro- scale flame dynamics as well as on the interplay of these scales. Experimental results can also be useful for validation of pore-resolved numerical simulations actively developed in the last decade.

Manipulation of Mn/Ce ratio for deep chlorobenzene oxidation: Catalytic mechanisms and byproducts analysis

In this research, a sequence of spatial porous MnCeOx catalysts with varying Mn/Ce from 3:1 to 1:7 were synthesized using the sol–gel method for chlorobenzene (CB) oxidation. Mn1Ce1 exhibited the best performance due to its high lattice oxygen content and the strong interaction between Ce and Mn. The increase in Mn content in CeO2 catalysts resulted in enhanced redox properties and acidity, which was beneficial for the adsorption and activation of CB, thus enhancing the selectivity and the desorption of HCl on the catalyst surface. Carbon deposition and the formation of metal chloride were the main reasons for catalyst deactivation. At low temperature regions (150 ∼ 300 °C), insufficient oxidation capability and the chlorine deposition on the catalyst surface resulted in the formation of various chlorinated compounds. As the temperature increases (300 ∼ 450 °C), the release of HCl and more reactive oxygen species is available on the catalytic interface, generating various oxygen-containing degradation intermediates. This work proposed a fine-designed, low-cost mixed metal oxide catalysts for low temperature CB oxidation, and provided novel in-depth understandings of degradation intermediate formation thermodynamics. Our findings would be helpful for deep purification of chlorinated VOCs polluted industrial tail gas.

Photothermal-enhanced ion transport for efficient electrochemical lithium extraction at low temperatures

The demand for lithium (Li) resources is booming due to the widespread applications of Li-ion batteries recently. Electrochemically extracting lithium from brines is a promising approach to address the shortage of Li resources. However, when working at low temperatures, which are inevitable in frigid salt lakes, the performance is severely deteriorated due to depressed transport kinetics. Herein, we addressed this issue by constructing a new electrochemical lithium extraction system using polypyrrole-coated FePO4 as the electrode material, which exhibits superior performance at low temperatures due to photothermal effect of polypyrrole. At an ambient temperature of 5 °C and irradiated with sunlight, this system achieved a lithium intercalation capacity of 5.84 mmol g−1 (2.72 times higher than that without solar irradiation) at an extraction rate of 5.92 mmol g−1 h−1 from a 15 mM LiCl solution, and a selectivity of 124 towards Li over Mg. After 5000 cycles of continuous operation, the system still retained 81 % of its initial capacity at a current density of 50 A m−2. The proposed photothermal-enhanced electrochemical lithium extraction system has great application potential for lithium extraction from brine at low-temperature regions.

Preparing gradient microstructure to achieve enhanced performance in GH4586 superalloy: Experiments and models

In this present study, a combined method of controlling strain deformation (CSD) and gradient-temperature heat treatment (GTHT) was adopted to prepare gradient microstructure in GH4586 superalloy. Consequently, it brought enhanced tensile strength from 1313.1±18.7 MPa at intermediate transition (IT) region to 1506.3±15.7 MPa at high-strain and low-temperature (HS-LT) region, presenting an improvement of 11.6%. And it also enhanced fracture toughness from 77.7±0.3 MPa⋅m1/2 at IT region to 86.7±3.7 MPa⋅m1/2 at low-strain and high-temperature (LS-HT) region, presenting an improvement of 14.7%. The formation of gradient microstructure along the longitudinal direction of CSD+GTHT-treated sample was thoroughly investigated from perspectives of precipitates distribution, activated slip systems and dislocations evolution. During CSD, the size and volume fraction of γ′ precipitates decreased under the effect of strain-induced dissolution behavior. The activation of (1‾ 11)[101] and (11‾ 1)[011] slip systems dominated dislocation movement at each region and there retained increasing dislocation density due to more extensively activated slip systems at HS region. During GTHT, the high-density dislocations promoted recrystallization while the concentratedly distributed γ′ precipitates obstructed movement of recrystallized front, leading to formation of heterogeneous structure with high-density grain boundaries and dislocations at HS-LT region. Finally, a model reflecting the effect of grain boundary strengthening, precipitation strengthening and dislocation strengthening on mechanical property of gradient microstructure was established and successfully applied to property prediction of GH4586 superalloy.

Nanostructured thin film SrCo0.8Nb0.1Ta0.1O3-δ cathode for low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells

Nanostructured perovskite-type cathodes are considered essential for the realization of high-performance solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). However, perovskite-type cathode materials demonstrating high electrochemical performance in the low-temperature operating region below 600° are limited. SrCo0.8Nb0.1Ta0.1O3-δ (SCNT) has been identified as a material that exhibits exceptional performance even in the low-temperature region of 500 °C. This paper investigates the growth behavior and electrochemical properties of SCNT thin films for SOFC cathode applications. Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) was employed to fabricate SCNT films under varying chamber pressures: 5 mTorr, 75 mTorr, and 150 mTorr. Systematic analysis through X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicates that the structural factors of PLD perovskite oxide nanostructures, such as grain size, porosity, and in-plane connectivity, are intricately influenced by deposition pressure without affecting crystallinity and chemical composition. The findings demonstrate that achieving desired electrochemical properties of the nanostructured PLD perovskite oxide necessitates specific optimal deposition conditions for these structural parameters. Electrochemical assessments revealed an optimal nanostructure achieved with 1200 nm at 75mTorr, demonstrating enhanced power density due to increased active reaction surface area, which significantly reduced resistances in ohmic and polarization. Excessive thickness, however, led to performance decline due to film delamination. Integration of optimized SCNT films into an anodic aluminum oxide supported thin film SOFC exhibited 907 mW/cm2 of peak power density at 550 °C.

Thermal mixing and structure of the jet in swirling crossflow

The dilution zone in modern aero-engine combustors is characterized by a strong swirling mainstream with weak transverse jets. This characteristic brings new challenges in homogenizing the temperature distribution at the combustor exit. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the temperature penetration and mixing process of the jet in swirling crossflow (JISCF). This investigation provides new insight in the temperature mixing process for a JISCF in nozzle exit diameter (D) at 7.4, 10.7, and 14 mm and jet to mainstream velocity ratio (VR) from 2.0 to 6.6. The temperature mixing process was measured in a specially designed optical assessable three-dome model gas turbine combustor by planar 1-methylnaphthalene (1-MN) tracer laser-induced fluorescence thermometry. A detailed quantitative measurement of temperature distribution is achieved through the spectral red shift in the fluorescence of 1-MN as the temperature increase. This diagnostic was employed to provide the first two-dimensional temperature distribution for the JISCF. The results showed that the swirling crossflows induce strong spanwise thermal advection, forming secondary low-temperature regions downstream. Generally, the flow structure and mixing process are governed by the interaction of jet and swirling flow. The jet flow parameters, including velocity ratio and diameter, changed the flow structures by changing the interaction between jet and swirling flow. Statistical results and proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) analyses showed a strong anisotropic mixing process in the downstream of the jet.