Large Number Of Particles Research Articles

Recent Patents on Particle Wettability Measurement and Improvement

Background: As the coal mining industry becomes more mechanized, it leads to a large number of coal dust particles suspended in the air, polluting the surrounding environment, accompanied by an increase in fine-grained low-rank coal particles and a low recovery rate of a large amount of organic matter in the particles, wasting resources. Objective: The study of particle wettability can have an impact on spray dust reduction and particle flotation efficiency. By adjusting the hydrophilicity of coal powder particles, the generation of suspended coal dust can be effectively suppressed. By adding surfactants, the flotation separation efficiency of coal particles can be improved. Method: This article introduces the measurement method of particle wetting properties and methods to improve the wetting properties of particles, providing a reference for studying the wetting properties of particles Results: The measurement of particle wetting properties is more accurate, simple, and convenient. Improving the wetting properties of particles by adding additives has significant implications for later dust reduction and particle flotation. Conclusion: This thesis provides an important basis for studying the wettability of particles, modifying the wettability and hydrophilicity of particles, providing specific guidance for improving the wettability of particles for spray dust reduction and particle flotation, and greatly improving industrial production efficiency.

Josephson current through the SYK model

We calculate the equilibrium Josephson current through a disordered interacting quantum dot described by a Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev model fully contacted by two BCS superconductors, such that all modes of the dot contribute to the coupling, which encodes hopping and spin-flip processes. We show that, at zero temperature and at the conformal limit, i.e. in the strong interacting limit, the Josephson current is suppressed by UU, the strength of the interaction, as ln(U)/U and becomes universal, namely it gets independent on the superconducting gap. At finite temperature, instead, it depends on the ratio between the gap and the temperature. A proximity effect exists but the self-energy corrections induced by the coupling with the superconducting leads seem subleading as compared to the interaction self-energy and the tunneling matrix for large number of particles. Finally we compare the results of the original four-fermion model with those obtained considering zero interaction, two-fermions and a generalized qq-fermion model.

Modeling and Simulation of Sand Particle Trajectories and Erosion in a Transonic Fan Stage

Abstract In desert regions, the high concentrations of dust and sand particles carried by storms are sucked into aircraft engines, leading to severe erosion. This numerical study analyses the movement of sand particles and the erosion process in the front components of a high-bypass turbofan engine (HBTFE). The components include the Pitot intake, spinner, fan, core flow inlet guide vanes (IGVs), and secondary flow outlet guide vanes (OGVs). The study focuses on the engine operating conditions during takeoff from a Saharan airfield. The flow field data is obtained separately, and exported to an in-house particle tracking code based on the Lagrangian approach. The finite element method (FEM) is used to track the particles as they move through the mesh cells and determine the precise impacts and conditions to calculate the local erosion rates and material removal. Obtained results indicate large numbers of sand particles impacting the fan blade at high frequency from the hub up to approximately 80% of the span, due to their deflection by the Pitot intake lip and outer contour. The pressure side (PS) of the fan blade experiences extreme erosion rates, while the highest erosion rates occur at the leading edge (LE) and towards the trailing edge (TE). At the exit of the fan blade, a significant amount of particles pass through the OGVs and typically erode its PS, while fewer particles from the lower sections of the fan pass through the IGVs. These findings reveal the erosion-prone areas that need special coating protection.

Learning quantum properties from short-range correlations using multi-task networks

Characterizing multipartite quantum systems is crucial for quantum computing and many-body physics. The problem, however, becomes challenging when the system size is large and the properties of interest involve correlations among a large number of particles. Here we introduce a neural network model that can predict various quantum properties of many-body quantum states with constant correlation length, using only measurement data from a small number of neighboring sites. The model is based on the technique of multi-task learning, which we show to offer several advantages over traditional single-task approaches. Through numerical experiments, we show that multi-task learning can be applied to sufficiently regular states to predict global properties, like string order parameters, from the observation of short-range correlations, and to distinguish between quantum phases that cannot be distinguished by single-task networks. Remarkably, our model appears to be able to transfer information learnt from lower dimensional quantum systems to higher dimensional ones, and to make accurate predictions for Hamiltonians that were not seen in the training.

Green synthesis and antimicrobial study on the catechin-functionalized Fe3O4-Ag magnetic nanocomposites

In this study, catechin-functionalized Fe3O4-Ag nanocomposites were synthesized by a hydrothermal method. The motivation for this study was to develop a novel antibacterial agent with enhanced stability and biocompatibility. The objective was to create a nanocomposite combining the antimicrobial properties of silver with the antioxidant and bioactive characteristics of catechin. We hypothesized that the synergistic effect of catechin and Fe3O4-Ag would yield a highly effective antibacterial material against common pathogens. The obtained nanocomposites were characterized by TEM, SEM, AFM, XPS, XRD, FTIR and physical property measurement system (PPMS). TEM images indicated that catechin-functionalized Fe3O4-Ag nanocomposites have a spherical morphology with an average size of 25.7 nm. The SEM and AFM imaging revealed that the nanocomposites appear as a number of large particles with average diameter of 581 nm. XPS and XRD and FTIR measurement confirmed the presence of catechin components, Fe3O4 and Ag in the nanocomposites. Taken together, we conclude that the catechin-Fe3O4-Ag nanocomposites in this study have a jujube cake structure in which the Fe3O4-Ag alloy nanoparticles serve as the jujube and the condensed catechin form into the cake substrate. The antimicrobial test indicated the catechin-functionalized Fe3O4-Ag nanocomposites have obvious inhibitory effects on E.coli, S.aureus, and C.albicans.

Mean field limit for congestion dynamics

This paper addresses congested transport, which can be described, at macroscopic scales, by a continuity equation with a pressure variable generated from the hard-congestion constraint (maximum value of the density). The main goal of the paper is to show that, in one spatial dimension, this continuum PDE can be derived as the mean-field limit of a system of ordinary differential equations that describes the motion of a large number of particles constrained to stay at some finite distance from each others. To show that these two models describe the same dynamics at different scale, we will rely on both the Eulerian and Lagrangian points of view and use two different approximations for the density and pressure variables in the continuum limit.

Ameliorating the microstructure and properties of a Cu[sbnd]Cr alloy by introducing a high-temperature short-time treatment into the thermo-mechanical process

The optimization of process is essential for improving the overall properties of high-strength and high-conductivity Cu alloys. This study introduces a high-temperature short-time treatment (HTSTT, 850 °C/5 min) into the thermo-mechanical process of a CuCr alloy. Following the process of “solid solution - cold rolling - HTSTT - cold rolling - aging”, the tensile strength of the alloy increases from 450 MPa to 508 MPa, with the electrical conductivity increasing from 82.2 %IACS to 86.4 %IACS when compared to the conventional process of “solid solution - cold rolling - aging” under the same total deformation condition. The reasons for the improvement in the comprehensive properties of the alloy after introducing HTSTT are analyzed through microstructural characterization. The results indicate that the HTSTT promotes the occurrence of recrystallization, leading to grain refinement, which results in smaller grain sizes during subsequent processing. Additionally, the introduction of HTSTT changes the main texture of the alloy from 〈100〉//X to 〈111〉//X during the process, which is beneficial to enhancing the alloy's strength and electrical conductivity. More importantly, the HTSTT facilitates the precipitation of solute Cr atoms, leading to the formation of a significant quantity of nanoscale Cr particles, most of which are spherical with an average size of 27 nm. During the subsequent cold rolling process, these Cr particles effectively pin dislocations and promote their proliferation, leading to the precipitation of a large number of smaller Cr particles during the aging process, with an average size of 4.8 nm. These finer Cr particles are crucial for precipitation strengthening. This paper offers valuable insights into the microstructural optimization and performance enhancement of high-strength and high-conductivity Cu alloys.

Occurrence, abundance, and formation of atmospheric tarballs from a wide range of wildfires in the western US

Abstract. Biomass burning emits large numbers of organic aerosol particles, a subset of which are called tarballs (TBs). TBs possess a spherical morphology and unique physical, chemical, and optical properties. They are recognized as brown-carbon aerosol particles, influencing the climate through the absorption of solar radiation. Aerosol particles were collected from wildfire and agricultural-fire smoke sampled by NASA's DC-8 aircraft during the Fire Influence on Regional to Global Environments and Air Quality (FIREX-AQ) campaign in the western US from July to September 2019. This study developed an image analysis method using deep learning to distinguish TBs from other round particles that deformed on the substrate, based on the particles' morphological characteristics in transmission electron microscopy images. This study detected 4567 TBs, with most occurring < 10 h downwind of the emissions, and measured their compositions, abundance, sizes, and mixing states. The number fraction, mass fraction, and concentration of TBs in wildfire smoke corresponded to 10 ± 1 %, 10 ± 2 %, and 10.1 ± 4.6 µg m−3, respectively. As the smoke aged for up to 5 h after emission, the TB number fractions roughly increased from 5 % to 15 %, indicating that TBs are processed primary particles. We also observed TBs associated with pyrocumulonimbus (pyroCb) activity and various TB mixing states. This study reveals the abundance, as well as the physical and chemical properties, of a wide range of TBs from various biomass-burning events and enhances our knowledge of TB emissions, contributing to the evaluation of the climate impact of TBs.

基于 CFD 数值模拟的联合沙障间距优化与风沙流特征研究

Strong wind and sand activities will seriously damage the ecological restoration and agricultural safety production on the edge of desert areas, resulting in irreversible economic losses. In order to prevent and protect the agro-ecological environment in the wind-blown sand area, this paper constructs a combination of double-row vertical nylon net sand barrier and grass grid sand barrier. Through numerical simulation and wind tunnel experiment, the protection benefits of double-row vertical nylon net sand barrier and grass grid under different spacing conditions are analyzed, and the layout conditions with optimal spacing are obtained. The results show that when the spacing between double-row vertical sand barrier and grass grid is 5H-10H, the airflow velocity behind the double-row vertical sand barrier cannot be fully developed, the increase of airflow velocity is small, and the average wind prevention efficiency is above 85%. The effective protection distance com-pletely covers the entire combined sand barrier area, and a large number of sand particles near the surface are fixed to the grass grid, so the sand resistance rate is over 77%. The combined sand barrier has a good cooperative protection effect and achieves efficient wind prevention and sand fixation. The wind tunnel experiment verifies the reliability of the results. It also realizes efficient wind prevention and sand fixation under extreme wind and sand weather, and avoids sand burial on farmland and ecological restoration areas caused by extreme wind and sand weather.

Isolation, Identification and Genomic Analysis of Orange-Spotted Grouper Iridovirus Hainan Strain in China.

The orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides) is an important mariculture fish in China. However, in recent years, with the rapid development of aquaculture activities, outbreaks of viral diseases have affected the grouper aquaculture industry, causing severe economic losses. In the present study, we isolated and identified a virus from diseased, orange-spotted groupers from an aquaculture farm in Hainan Province, China. The isolated virus was identified as orange-spotted grouper iridovirus, hence named the orange-spotted grouper iridovirus Hainan strain (OSGIV-HN-2018-001). OSGIV-HN-2018-001 induces a cytopathic effect after the infection of mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi) brain clonal passage (SBC) cells. In addition, the cytoplasm of the OSGIV-HN-2018-001-infected SBC cells was found to contain a large number of hexagonal virus particles with a diameter of approximately 134 nm. Using the Illumina NovaSeq system, we assembled the sequence data and annotated the complete genome of OSGIV-HN-2018-001 (GenBank accession number: PP974677), which consisted of 110,699 bp and contained 122 open reading frames (ORFs). Phylogenetic tree analysis showed that OSGIV-HN-2018-001 was most closely related to ISKNV-ASB-23. The cumulative mortality rate of groupers infected with OSGIV-HN-2018-001 reached 100% on day 8. The spleens were enlarged and blackened after the dissection of the dying groupers. These results contribute to the understanding of the molecular regulatory mechanism of the iridovirus infection and provide a basis for iridovirus prevention.

Submicroscopic magnetite may be ubiquitous in the lunar regolith of the high-Ti region

Magnetite is rare on the Moon. The ubiquitous presence of magnetite in lunar soil has been hypothesized in previous Apollo Mössbauer spectroscopy and electron spin resonance studies, but there is currently no mineralogical evidence to prove it. Here, we report a large number of submicroscopic magnetite particles embedded within iron-sulfide on the surface of Chang’e-5 glass, with a close positive correlation between magnetite content and the TiO 2 content of the surrounding glass. The morphology and mineralogy of the iron-sulfide grains suggest that these magnetite particles formed via an impact process between iron-sulfide droplets and silicate glass melt, and ilmenite is necessary for magnetite formation. Magnetite in lunar glass is a potential candidate for the “magnetite-like” phase detected in the Apollo era and suggests that impact-induced submicroscopic magnetite may be ubiquitous in high-Ti regions of the Moon. Moreover, these impact-induced magnetite particles may be crucial for understanding the lunar magnetic anomalies and mineral components of the deep Moon.

Risk Assessment and Motion Planning for MAVs in Dynamic Uncertain Environments

Risk assessment to quantify the danger associated with a planned trajectory is critical for micro aerial vehicles (MAVs) navigating in dynamic uncertain environments. Existing works usually perform risk assessment by reasoning the occupancy status of the MAV’s surrounding space which only incorporates the position information of the MAV and the obstacles in the environment. In this paper, we further consider the MAV’s motion direction in risk assessment to reflect the fact that the obstacles in front of the MAV pose a higher risk while those behind pose a lower risk. In particular, we rely on a particle-based dynamic map which consists of a large number of particles to represent the local environment. The risk is defined to evaluate the safety level of a subspace in the map during some time interval and assessed by reasoning the occurrence of particles in the subspace. Those particles around the MAV are assigned different weights taking into account their relative positions to the MAV and its motion direction. We then incorporate the proposed risk assessment method into MAV motion planning by minimizing both the path length and the associated risk to achieve safer navigation. We compared our method with several state-of-the-art approaches in PX4+Gazebo simulations and real-world experiments. The results show that our method can achieve a 15% higher collision avoidance rate and a 20% lower flight risk in various environments with static and dynamic obstacles.

Lignin dispersion in polybutadiene rubber (BR) with different mixing parameters

There is a strong need to replace carbon black and silica as a reinforcing filler in rubber industry. Lignin is a promising option as a replacement, because of its wide availability, complex chemistry and sustainable source. Typically, the reinforcing effect of lignin is weak and one major cause is the poor dispersion of filler. In this study, typical dispersion parameters in mixing are tested in a systematic way to validate their effect on kraft lignin dispersion in polybutadiene rubber. Tested mixing variables are temperature, rotor speed, mixing time, fill ratio and shear forces. The effect of variables to dispersion are analyzed from electron microscopy images with an image analysis software. With this novel method exact number of particles and their properties could be calculated. Unlike for conventional fillers (carbon black and silica), the results show clearly that only the mixing temperature has an effect on lignin dispersion in rubber. With high mixing temperatures, dispersion and hence mechanical properties improved. The better dispersion is especially seen as decreasing number of large (>Ø 5 μm) particles. Other mixing variables did not have significant effect on dispersion and the number of large particles.

Influence of oxygen content on fatigue crack growth behavior of FGH96 superalloys

The fatigue crack growth (FCG) mechanism of FGH96 superalloys influenced by oxygen (O) was investigated in terms of grain structure and phase composition. The results reveal that the thinner powder oxide film process facilitates easier dissolution, and thus the fewer undissolved oxides as well as the movement of high-angle grain boundaries promote the generation of a uniform distributed small grains (SGs) within both the prior particle boundaries (PPB) interface and powder interior in the alloy with O content of 140 ppm. In contrast, the large number of undissolved oxide particles provides more recrystallization sites and thus the SGs clusters aggregate at the PPB interface in the alloy with O content of 340 ppm during sintering. A homogeneous distribution of SGs induces the uniform deformation of the alloy and thus stimulates the transgranular fracture of the coarse grains in alloy with O content of 140 ppm, in favor of a higher fatigue life. On the contrary, in the alloy with O content of 340 ppm, the SGs clusters forming on PPB interface results to the strain concentration at PPB, leading to the PPB fractured morphology and a serious reduction of the fatigue life. This study reveals that the generation of SGs is responsible for the FCG behavior and failure mechanism of the alloys, and suggests that regulating the uniform distribution of SGs or reducing the number of SGs during sintering plays an important role in improving the fatigue properties of powder metallurgy superalloys.

Combustion and heat release characteristics of micron aluminum with extremely large specific surface area obtained by L-malic acid surface corrosion

Aluminum (Al) particles are widely used in propellants, thermite and pyrotechnics. However, commonly used micro Al has drawbacks such as agglomeration, high ignition temperature and slow burning rate, making its energy potential not fully exploited in applications. Therefore, exploring pathways to enhance the combustion of Al particles has become the focus at present. Herein, L-malic acid (LMA) was used to corrode the surface of Al particles to obtain a sample (named LMAl) with an average specific surface area of 11.456 m2/g (corresponding to Al particles with a diameter of 194 nm). The particle size distribution of LMAl did not change significantly compared to pristine Al. The XPS results showed that a small amount of LMA and corrosion products remained on the surface of the LMAl particles. Thermal analysis tests showed that the thermal oxidation rate and efficiency of LMAl was dramatically higher than that of pristine Al. Compared with the pristine Al, the combustion characterization parameters of LMAl such as combustion intensity, ignition delay time, maximum combustion temperature, mass burning rate and combustion efficiency were all improved. This trend was maintained after blending the ammonium perchlorate (AP). The condensed combustion products (CCPs) of Al revealed a large number of agglomerates and unburned Al particles. While many broken particles and tentacle-like structures were found in the CCPs of LMAl. Overall, compared to Al, the combustion of LMAl is significantly enhanced. The thermal reaction and combustion behaviors of the two are quite different. This study provides new insights into improving the ignition and combustion of Al.

Heterarchical modelling of comminution for rotary mills: part I—particle crushing along streamlines

Rotary mills aim to effectively reduce the size of particles through a process called comminution. Modelling comminution in rotary mills is a challenging task due to substantial material deformation and the intricate interplay of particle kinematics of segregation, mixing, crushing, and abrasion. Existing particle-based simulations tend to provide predictions that cannot cope with the large number of particles within rotary mills, their wide range of sizes, and the physics dictating the crushing of individual particles. Similarly, there is currently no deterministic modelling means to determine the evolving population of particle sizes at any point in time and space within the mill. The aim of this two-part contribution is to address these gaps by advancing a framework for a novel stochastic comminution model for rotary mills, which has a well-defined deterministic continuum limit and can cope with arbitrarily large numbers of particles. This work describes the basic physics and structure of the new model within a heterarchical framework for ball and autogenous grinding mills. The primary focus of this Part I paper is to develop a computational model for the integration of motion of material along streamlines inside a mill. Coupled to this process is the kinetic physics dictating particle crushing. In a subsequent work, Part II, segregation and mixing will be added to this model such that realistic behaviour from the mill can be observed.Graphical

Selective capture of PM2.5 by urban trees: The role of leaf wax composition and physiological traits in air quality enhancement

Human health risks from particles with a diameter of less than 2.5 µm (PM2.5) highlight the role of urban trees as bio-filters in air pollution control. However, whether the size and composition of particles captured by various tree species differ or not remain unclear. This study investigates how leaf attributes affect the capture of PM2.5, which can penetrate deep into the lungs and pose significant health risks. Using a self-developed particulate matter (PM) resuspension chamber and single-particle aerosol mass spectrometer, we measured the size distribution and mass spectra of particles captured by ten tree species. Notably, Cinnamomum camphora (L.) J.Presl and Osmanthus fragrans Lour. are more effective at capturing particles under 1 µm, which are most harmful because they can reach the alveoli, whereas Ginkgo biloba L. and Platanus × acerifolia (Aiton) Willd. tend to capture larger particles, up to 1.6 µm, which are prone to being trapped in the upper respiratory tract. Leaf physiological traits such as stomatal conductance and water potential significantly enhance the capture of larger particles. The Adaptive Resonance Theory neural network (ART-2a) algorithm classified a large number of single particles to determine their composition. Results indicate distinct inter-species variations in chemical composition of particles captured by leaves. Moreover, we identified how specific leaf wax compositions—beyond the known sticky nature of hydrophobic waxes—contribute to particle adhesion, particularly highlighting the roles of fatty acids and alkanes in adhering particles rich in organic carbon and heavy metals, respectively. This research advances our understanding by linking leaf physiological and wax characteristics to the selective capture of PM2.5, providing actionable insights for urban forestry management. The detailed exploration of particle size and composition, tied to specific tree species, enriches the current literature by quantifying how and why different species contribute variably to air quality improvement. This adds a crucial layer of specificity to the general knowledge that trees serve as bio-filters, offering a refined strategy for planting urban trees based on their particulate capture profiles.

Coaxial air blast atomization of a particulate gel suspension jet

The objective of this study is to experimentally and theoretically explore the impact of particle volume fractions and nozzle thread structure on the coaxial air blast atomization of particulate gel suspension jets through the high-speed flow visualization technology. The four breakup modes of particulate gel suspension jets are confirmed, namely oscillation mode, membrane-type breakup, fiber-type breakup, and superpulsating submode. However, the fiber-type breakup of jets disappears as the particle concentration reaches 40%, primarily attributed to the numerous particles sharply promoting the instability on the free jet surface. The experimental statistical results demonstrate that an increase in particle concentration and the adoption of the threaded nozzle both result in an expansion of the jet spray angle. The breakup length exhibits a reduction trend with the increase of particle concentration. However, it remains nearly the same value as that in the case of volume fraction 20% when the particle concentration continues to increase, contributed by the surge of viscous dissipation counteracting the enhanced instability on the jet interface caused by a large number of particles. The breakup length of a pure gel jet is predicted through the linear instability analysis, which is further modified by the viscosity model of particle suspensions to derive the breakup lengths of particulate gel suspension jets with different concentrations. The theoretical predictions align well with the statistical results in the experiment. The research is poised to have potential implications for numerous industrial processes and engineering applications including gel propellants.

Robust control of charged particles position in a homogeneous isotropic turbulence using an electric field

This research investigates the position control of spherical charged particles suspended in a directly simulated homogeneous isotropic turbulence, which has the potential to improve the efficiency of the electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) in removing gaseous pollutants. To do this, the electric field used in ESPs is controlled by the sliding mode control method to steer the particles toward their desired positions. The particles are charged using the field charging method, which leads to electrical interactions between them. Employing the linked-list method reduces the computational cost related to these interaction forces. The dynamics of particles is simulated using the Maxey–Riley equation including the control force. Coupling the direct numerical simulation solver with the proposed control method and the linked-list scheme, along with solving the particle dynamics, complicates the problem from a control theory point of view. The robustness of the proposed model-free control method leads to overcoming disturbances and uncertainties in the simulation due to turbulence and repulsive electric forces. Hence, steering a large number of charged particles to places with more pollution concentration or increasing the duration of exposure of the particles to gaseous pollutants becomes possible. The findings of the present research are pertinent to improving the performance of air purification equipment.

Stability of plane parallel flow revisited for particle-fluid suspensions

Abstract An alternative model is proposed for hydrodynamic stability of plane parallel flow of an incompressible Newtonian fluids with suspended solid particles. For heavy particle-laden dusty gases with negligible particle volume fraction, the effective complex-form mean velocity in the modified Orr-Sommerfeld equation derived by the present model is showed to be essentially identical to the well-known Saffman's classical results. In the limit cases of small or large Stokes number of particles, simple formulas are derived for the effective Reynolds number ratio of the particle-laden suspension to the clear fluid without particles under otherwise identical conditions. The derived formula for particles of finite particle-to-fluid density ratio and small Stokes number is verified by comparing predicted results with known data, although a comparison of the derived formula with known results for particles of finite density ratio and large Stokes number cannot be made here due to the lack of available data. It is hoped that the present work could offer a conceptually novel and relatively simplified model for hydrodynamics of solid particle-fluid suspensions.