Flux Rates Research Articles

Sexual Dimorphism in Substrate Metabolism During Exercise.

During aerobic exercise, women oxidize significantly more lipids and less carbohydrates than men. This sexual dimorphism in substrate metabolism has been attributed, in part, to the observed differences in epinephrine and glucagon levels between men and women during exercise. To identify the underpinning candidate physiological mechanisms for these sex differences, we developed a sex-specific multi-scale mathematical model that relates cellular metabolism in the organs to whole-body responses during exercise. We conducted simulations to test the hypothesis that sex differences in the exercise-induced changes to epinephrine and glucagon would result in the sexual dimorphism of hepatic metabolic flux rates via the glucagon-to-insulin ratio (GIR). Indeed, model simulations indicate that the shift towards lipid metabolism in the female model is primarily driven by the liver. The female model liver exhibits resistance to GIR-mediated glycogenolysis, which helps maintain hepatic glycogen levels. This decreases arterial glucose levels and promotes the oxidation of free fatty acids. Furthermore, in the female model, skeletal muscle relies on plasma free fatty acids as the primary fuel source, rather than intramyocellular lipids, whereas the opposite holds true for the male model.

Steady-state analysis of the 1970 Windscale nuclear criticality incident

This paper presents several steady-state neutron transport models which are used to determine the behaviour of the nuclear criticality incident that occurred at the Windscale Works in 1970. The transfer vessel involved in this incident contained two immiscible fissile liquids (an aqueous phase and an organic phase) which had been disturbed such that an emulsion layer formed between them. Infinite domains of the aqueous, organic, and emulsion phases were modelled to enable the understanding of the effects of nuclear data library, neutron transport code and material on the calculated kinetics data, effective multiplication factor and macroscopic neutron cross sections. Six possible configurations of the 1970 Windscale criticality incident were simulated using three-dimensional models in MCNP, two-dimensional models in academic research code EVENT, and one-dimensional models in a collision probability (CP) code. Quantities of interest, such as reactivity, scalar neutron flux, neutron absorption and production rates, and kinetics data are presented. System reactivity, mean neutron generation time and neutron absorption and production rates are shown to increase with increasing emulsion thickness, whereas the total scalar neutron flux is shown to decrease. It is determined that the volume of organic phase present during the transient was likely to be around 39.0 L, as the emulsion thickness required to reach criticality (6.5 cm) was within the range cited in the literature. EVENT and the CP code showed deficiencies when calculating the scalar neutron flux through the plenum gas at the top of the transfer vessel, with the CP code overestimating the total scalar neutron flux in the system by as much as 19 %. The intrinsic neutron source, subcritical multiplication and subcritical power of the system were computed using Monte Carlo simulations. It was shown, by use of the Hansen criteria, that the subcritical system was likely to be in a strong neutron source regime (such that stochastic variations in neutron population are negligible when regarding nuclear criticality transients). In addition, it was computed that a vessel containing 39.0 L of organic solvent had a subcritical power of 10.81 ±0.03μW.

Development of an antimicrobial and antifouling PES membrane with ZnO/poly(hexamethylene biguanide) nanocomposites incorporation

Although polyethersulfone (PES) membranes are extensively utilized in water and wastewater treatment, they typically encounter serious bio/organic fouling problems. In this work, an antimicrobial and antifouling PES membrane was developed through incorporating novel ZnO/PHMB (zinc oxide/ polyhexamethylene biguanide hydrochloride) nanocomposites on the surface of a commercial PES membrane, with PDA (polydopamine) serving as an intermediate connection layer. XPS, along with synchrotron-based XRF and ATR-FTIR results confirmed the successful synthesis of the ZnO/PHMB nanocomposites and ZnO/PHMB membranes. The ZnO/PHMB nanocomposites exhibited an impressive antimicrobial rate of 99.99 % with a minimal amount of PHMB addition (wtZnO:wtPHMB = 1:0.01). The concentration of the ZnO/PHMB nanocomposites had the most significant impact on the antimicrobial performance of the ZnO/PHMB membrane. The 600ZP membrane (i.e., the PES membrane modified with 600 mg/L ZnO/PHMB nanocomposites) emerged as the optimal choice, as evidenced by its commendable antimicrobial performance (92.80 %), water flux (249.02 LMH), RB (Rose Bengal sodium salt) rejection (93.96 %), and cost-benefit considerations. Compared to the pristine PES membrane, the 600ZP membrane showed 5.32 %, 15.76 %, and 7.62 % increased hydrophilicity, water flux, and RB rejection rate, respectively. Additionally, the 600ZP membrane possessed a bactericidal rate of 92.80 % and a flux recovery rate of 89.24 % after three cycles of SA (sodium alginate) filtration, indicating enhanced antimicrobial and antifouling capacities. The 600ZP membrane exhibited a remarkable 91.05 % higher water flux following prolonged (72 h) treatment of secondary effluent, compared to the PES membrane. Attribute to the increased hydrophilicity, outstanding antimicrobial activity, as well as excellent stability and durability, the as-prepared ZnO/PHMB membrane shows great potential for wastewater treatment.

A universal and constant rate of gene content change traces pangenome flux to LUCA.

Prokaryotic genomes constantly undergo gene flux via lateral gene transfer, generating a pangenome structure consisting of a conserved core genome surrounded by a more variable accessory genome shell. Over time, flux generates change in genome content. Here, we measure and compare the rate of genome flux for 5655 prokaryotic genomes as a function of amino acid sequence divergence in 36 universally distributed proteins of the informational core (IC). We find a clock of gene content change. The long-term average rate of gene content flux is remarkably constant across all higher prokaryotic taxa sampled, whereby the size of the accessory genome-the proportion of the genome harboring gene content difference for genome pairs-varies across taxa. The proportion of species-level accessory genes per genome, varies from 0% (Chlamydia) to 30%-33% (Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, and Clostridia). A clock-like rate of gene content change across all prokaryotic taxa sampled suggest that pangenome structure is a general feature of prokaryotic genomes and that it has been in existence since the divergence of bacteria and archaea.

A novel optical emission spectroscopy method for diagnostics of contribution of different ionization mechanisms and flux of ions in different valences in discharge channel of a Hall thruster

The mass application of Hall thrusters poses the need for a diagnostic method of ionization mechanism in the discharge channel to boost the iteration and optimization of thruster design. This work presents an Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES) method for diagnostics of the contribution of different ionization mechanisms and the flux of ions in different valences in the discharge channel of a Hall thruster. The emission spectra in the discharge channel are analyzed by jointly utilizing a collisional-radiative model, an ionization-excitation model, and a flux-conservation model. It is found that the intensities of some spectral lines can be converted into the reaction rates of collision processes, e.g., electron-induced excitation and ionization processes. The latter can further be used to determine the evolutions of particle fluxes by utilizing the conservation law of matter. The novel method is demonstrated on a kilo-watt Hall thruster. The evolutions of several parameters are determined using this method along the discharge channel, including the ionization rates of different mechanisms, particle fluxes, particle densities, and particle velocities. This novel method can be further developed by being jointly utilized with spectral imaging and tomography techniques, enabling diagnostics of multi-dimensional distributions of the above-mentioned parameters in the discharge channel and near-field plume.

The impact of equivalence ratio on the fire characteristics of Kerosene/air flame produced by NexGen burner for aeronautic application

This paper provides an experimental investigation of a Kerosene/air flame (produced by the NexGen burner designed by the FAA, and here calibrated for ISO 2685/AC20-135 standards fire tests conditions), which is used to generate flame/burnt gases impinging on material samples in the field of fire safety. The purpose of this study is to characterize this burner, and experimental means are implemented to better understand the effects of the equivalence ratio on the spatial distribution of the gas temperature (thermocouples) and the heat flux (heat flux gauge). A parametric study was carried out by varying the global equivalence ratio (ER); highlighting a flickering phenomenon, a relation between the ER and the heat flux, and determining empirical correlations. Hence, the measured flame temperature, heat flux, and heat release rate increase up to a critical value of equivalence ratio equal to 1.03 (flame temperature (1101.5 °C) and heat flux (140 kW/m2).

Numerical investigation of heat transfer characteristics of supercritical CO2 and water flow in 2D self-affine rough fractures

In recent years, efforts to maximize natural energy utilization have focused on harnessing energy from hot dry rocks (HDR) using supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO2) or water as the heat transfer fluid. This study aims to enhance comprehension and evaluate the heat extraction performance of enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) by exploring the influence of various inlet velocities and fracture widths on the flow and heat transfer of SCCO2 and water within a rough single fracture in granite. This study utilized a 2D self-affine fractal function to create a rough-fractured rock with fractal properties in a φ50 × 100 mm granite sample. Investigating under 8 MPa conditions, we employed the thermophysical properties of SCCO2 and water to analyze the flow and heat transfer characteristics within the rough rock fractures. The results indicate the following: (1) Higher inlet velocities and wider fracture widths result in a broader temperature reduction range within the surrounding rock matrix for both SCCO2 and water. (2) Increasing the inlet flow velocity of SCCO2 and water leads to wider fracture widths, resulting in lower temperatures at the outlet end of the fracture. As the inlet flow velocity increases from 0.01 m/s to 0.04 m/s, the rate of temperature increase at the outlet can reach up to 19.8 % compared to water. (3) SCCO2, unlike water, exhibits significant reverse vortices at locations where the fracture surface morphology experiences substantial fluctuations. This behavior may be an indirect consequence of SCCO2’s higher velocity, with the direct cause being SCCO2’s lower viscosity and density than water. (4) Among the four conventional fluid thermodynamic parameters, specific heat capacity has the most significant impact on total energy flux rate (TEFR).

Radiation-induced changes in energy metabolism result in mitochondrial dysfunction in salivary glands

Salivary glands are indirectly damaged during radiotherapy for head and neck cancer, resulting in acute and chronic hyposalivation. Current treatments for radiation-induced hyposalivation do not permanently restore function to the gland; therefore, more mechanistic understanding of the damage response is needed to identify therapeutic targets for lasting restoration. Energy metabolism reprogramming has been observed in cancer and wound healing models to provide necessary fuel for cell proliferation; however, there is limited understanding of alterations in energy metabolism reprogramming in tissues that fail to heal. We measured extracellular acidification and oxygen consumption rates, assessed mitochondrial DNA copy number, and tested fuel dependency of irradiated primary salivary acinar cells. Radiation treatment leads to increases in glycolytic flux, oxidative phosphorylation, and ATP production rate at acute and intermediate time points. In contrast, at chronic radiation time points there is a significant decrease in glycolytic flux, oxidative phosphorylation, and ATP production rate. Irradiated salivary glands exhibit significant decreases in spare respiratory capacity and increases in mitochondrial DNA copy number at days 5 and 30 post-treatment, suggesting a mitochondrial dysfunction phenotype. These results elucidate kinetic changes in energy metabolism reprogramming of irradiated salivary glands that may underscore the chronic loss of function phenotype.

A biostimulant prepared from red seaweed Kappaphycus alvarezii induces flowering and improves the growth of Pisum sativum grown under optimum and nitrogen-limited conditions.

Nitrogen (N) is one of the critical elements required by plants and is therefore one of the important limiting factors for growth and yield. To increase agricultural productivity, farmers are using excessive N fertilizers to the soil, which poses a threat to the ecosystem, as most of the applied nitrogen fertilizer is not taken up by crops, and runoff to aquatic bodies and the environment causes eutrophication, pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. In this study, we used LBS6, a Kappaphycus alvarezii-based biostimulant as a sustainable alternative to improve the growth of plants under different NO3 - fertigation. A root drench treatment of 1 ml/L LBS6 significantly improved the growth of Pisum sativum plants grown under optimum and deficient N conditions. No significant difference was observed in the growth of LBS6-treated plants grown with excessive N. The application of LBS6 induced flowering under optimum and deficient N conditions. The total nitrogen, nitrate and ammonia contents of tissues were found to be higher in treated plants grown under N deficient conditions. The LBS6 treatments had significantly higher chlorophyll content in those plants grown under N-deficient conditions. The root drench application of LBS6 also regulated photosynthetic efficiency by modulating electron and proton transport-related processes of leaves in the light-adapted state. The rate of linear electron flux, proton conductivity and steady-state proton flux across the thylakoid membrane were found to be higher in LBS6-treated plants. Additionally, LBS6 also reduced nitrogen starvation-induced, reactive oxygen species accumulation by reduction in lipid peroxidation in treated plants. Gene expression analysis showed differential regulation of expression of those genes involved in N uptake, transport, assimilation, and remobilization in LBS6-treated plants. Taken together, LBS6 improved growth of those treated plants under optimum and nitrogen-limited condition by positively modulating their biochemical, molecular, and physiological processes.

Unveiling the influence of MTMS:TEOS ratios in silica layer membranes enhanced by cetyltrimethylammonium bromide

Silica-based thin-layer membranes, meticulously coated on alumina tubes, were synthesized from methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) and tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS), which were further modified with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and subsequently deployed for the brine desalination. Comprehensive characterization of the membrane materials was conducted employing Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrophotometry, Gas Sorption Analysis (GSA), Thermogravimetric Analysis combined with Differential Scanning Calorimetry (TGA-DSC), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and an optical tensiometer. A detailed investigation was executed on the effects of varying MTMS:TEOS mole ratios, 10:90 (STL-1), 25:75 (STL-2), 50:50 (STL-3), 75:25 (STL-4), and 90:10 (STL-5), elucidating their impact on the structural attributes and functionalities of silica. These parameters were subsequently correlated with their respective desalination efficacies. The FTIR analysis underscored an evident association between the escalation in cyclic siloxane and methyl groups vis-à-vis increasing MTMS concentrations. An elevated MTMS content conferred the silica matrix with diminished porosity, augmented thermal resilience, a more refined surface, and pronounced hydrophobicity, albeit at the cost of reduced surface area and pore volume. Remarkably, the STL-5 silica membrane manifested optimum desalination metrics, boasting a salt rejection percentage of 99.99 % and a water flux rate of 5.61 kg m−2 h−1, thereby accentuating the intrinsic trade-off existing between salt rejection and water flux.

Superelastic and superflexible cellulose aerogels for thermal insulation and oil/water separation

Aerogels with low thermal conductivity and high adsorption capacity present a promising solution to curb water pollution caused by organic reagents as well as mitigate heat loss. Although aerogels exhibiting good adsorption capacity and thermal insulation have been reported, materials with mechanical integrity, high flexibility and shear resistance still pose a formidable task. Here, we produced bacterial cellulose-based ultralight multifunctional hybrid aerogels by using freeze-drying followed by chemical vapor deposition silylation method. The hybrid aerogels displayed a low density of 10–15 mg/cm3, high porosity exceeding 99.1 %, low thermal conductivity (27.3–29.2 mW/m.K) and superior hydrophobicity (water contact angle>120o). They also exhibited excellent mechanical properties including superelasticity, high flexibility and shear resistance. The hybrid aerogels demonstrated high heat shielding efficiency when used as an insulating material. As a selective oil absorbent, the hybrid aerogels exhibit a maximum adsorption capacity of up to approximately 156 times its own weight and excellent recoverability. Especially, the aerogel's highly accessible porous microstructure results in an impressive flux rate of up to 162 L/h.g when used as a filter in a continuous oil-water separator to isolate n-hexane-water mixtures. This work presents a novel endeavor to create high-performance, sustainable, reusable, and adaptable multifunctional aerogels.

Methane flux from transplanted soil monoliths depends on moisture, but not origin

Soils both produce and consume methane (CH4), a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. In coastal forests, upland soils are shifting from being CH4 sinks to sources as sea levels rise, increasingly flooding soils with little prior inundation history. Ecosystem CH4 budgets are highly uncertain due in part to the difficulty in separating fluxes measured at the soil surface into individual production and consumption processes which are likely to have different responses to future environmental conditions. We measured growing season CH4 fluxes from soil monoliths transplanted four years prior along an inundation and salinity gradient to determine how changes in abiotic conditions control CH4 flux rates. To parse net fluxes measured at the soil surface into their component gross rates, we paired field measurements with a stable isotope pool dilution incubation of surface soils. Throughout the growing season, net soil surface CH4 flux was positively correlated with soil moisture (p < 0.01), with lowland-located soils tending towards CH4 sources (mean 0.349 ± 1.11 mg CH4–C m−2 h−1, error is standard deviation) and upland-located soils tending towards CH4 sinks (−0.003 ± 0.003 mg CH4–C m−2 h−1). Transplanted soils’ fluxes were statistically identical to their native neighbors once microtopography-driven differences in soil moisture were controlled for. The pool dilution experiment revealed that production and consumption rates were similar in upland and lowland surface soils (2.82 ± 3.29 μmol CH4 g−1 dry soil d−1 production, 3.47 ± 2.03 μmol CH4 g−1 dry soil d−1 consumption), indicating the majority of production likely occurs at depth in lowland soils. Both gross and net fluxes from transplanted soils showed no effect of soil origin after four years, suggesting low resistance of CH4 cycling to global change drivers. Our results indicate the strength of the coastal forest CH4 sink is likely to decrease in proportion to sea-level rise.

Minimum entropy generation paths for generalized radiative heat transfer processes with heat leakage

Heat transfer processes (HTPes) with generalized radiative heat transfer law (HTL) [q∝Δ(Tn)] and heat leakage (HL) are optimized. With net amount of heat transferred (NAHT) of working fluid at low-temperature side and given process period, optimal path, that is, optimal temperature configuration of reservoir (TCR), for entropy generation minimization (EGM) of HTP is derived. Universal result for optimal path is provided, and results for four special HTLs, that is, Newtonian, radiative, linear phenomenological, and mixed HTLs, are further provided. Optimal path with EGM is compared with traditional ones of constant heat flux rate (CHFR) and constant reservoir temperature (CRT). Effects of HL and NAHT on optimal results are analyzed. Results show that ratio of heat flux rates between reservoir and working fluid to (n1+1)/2 power of reservoir temperature for EGM of HTPes without HL is a constant, but the optimal relationship between temperatures of working fluid and reservoir with HL is significant different. The differences among TCRs with different heat transfer paths increase with increases of HL and NAHT. The path of CHFR is very close to that of EGM, and the two paths are superior to that of CRT.

Management of biofilm by an innovative layer-structured membrane for membrane biofilm reactor (MBfR) to efficient methane oxidation coupled to denitrification (AME-D)

Aerobic methane oxidation coupled with denitrification (AME-D) has garnered significant attention as a promising technology for nitrogen removal from water. Effective biofilm management on the membrane surface is essential to enhance the efficiency of nitrate removal in AME-D systems. In this study, we introduce a novel and scalable layer-structured membrane (LSM) developed using a meticulously designed polyurethane sponge. The application of the LSM in advanced biofilm management for AME-D resulted in a substantial enhancement of denitrification performance. Our experimental results demonstrated remarkable improvements in nitrate-removal flux (92.8 mmol-N m−2 d−1) and methane-oxidation rate (325.6 mmol m−2 d−1) when using an LSM in a membrane biofilm reactor (L-MBfR) compared with a conventional membrane reactor (C-MBfR). The l-MBfR exhibited 12.4-, 6.8- and 3.4-fold increases in nitrate-removal rate, biomass-retention capacity, and methane-oxidation rate, respectively, relative to the control C-MBfR. Notably, the l-MBfR demonstrated a 3.5-fold higher abundance of denitrifying bacteria, including Xanthomonadaceae, Rhodocyclaceae, and Methylophilaceae. In addition, the denitrification-related enzyme activity was twice as high in the l-MBfR than in the C-MBfR. These findings underscore the LSM's ability to create anoxic/anaerobic microenvironments conducive to biofilm formation and denitrification. Furthermore, the LSM exhibited a unique advantage in shaping microbial community structures and facilitating cross-feeding interactions between denitrifying bacteria and aerobic methanotrophs. The results of this study hold great promise for advancing the application of MBfRs in achieving efficient and reliable nitrate removal through the AME-D pathway, facilitated by effective biofilm management.

A novel Polyethersulfone/Chamomile (PES/Chm) mixed matrix membranes for wastewater treatment applications

In order to address the limitation of low flux in ultrafiltration (UF), a suitable additive is introduced into the base polymer to modify the membrane morphology, thereby enhancing flux rates. In this study, chamomile leaf nanoparticles (Chm NPs) were investigated as a novel green material for utilizing in UF membrane synthesizes. To enhance comprehension of the influence of Chm on the synthesis of PES UF membranes, a series of membranes were fabricated by including different quantities of Chm into the casting solution; (0, 0.5, 1.5, and 2 wt. %.). The synthesized membranes were fully characterized, through the porosity, pore size, hydrophilicity, membrane morphology, and UF efficiency. Manufactured PES/Chm membranes demonstrated significantly increased permeate water flux (PWF) (up to 498 kg/m2 h), which was four times that of the pristine PES membrane (116 kg/m2 h), besides that the bovine serum albumin (BSA) and Congo red dye (CR) rejection of PES/Chm membranes was still kept high. The enhanced PWF was mostly due to the more porous membrane structure and increased hydrophilicity. Meanwhile, the higher surface hydrophilicity of the PES/Chm membranes resulted in greater antifouling performance and the high flux recovery ratio (FRR) of 93 %. Based on the results of this research, the Chm may be used as a novel green additive with substantial application potential in the fabrication of UF membranes wastewater treatment.

Fuel Performance Comparison of Uranium Nitride and Uranium Carbide in VVER-1200 using OpenMC

Nuclear power is a reliable and large-scale source of GHG-free electricity. This study asses the viability of ATF fuel of uranium nitride (UN) and uranium carbide (UC) as fuel for the VVER-1200 reactor. A comprehensive overview of the VVER-1200 and Accident Tolerant fuels is conducted. A review of the development of ATFs identified UN and UC as viable fuels for the VVER reactor. The study utilizes OpenMC to model the VVER-1200 core and compares the behaviour of ATF with conventional fuel. Key findings include comparable k-eff values implying similar neutronic behaviour. UO2 and UC showed similar fission rates across the core while UN showed higher neutron flux and fission rate in the outer part of the core. The base Z44B2 showed increased flux and fission rate with UN as the fuel. ATF behaviour showed to be comparable to the UO2 and thus is a potential alternative to conventional fuels. ATFs provide an additional level of safety because of higher melting points and higher thermal conductivity. This study can be further improved to investigate the depletion of ATFs so that the behaviours of the core over large periods of time, fission products and operator safety can be assessed. Base case k-eff value of 1.24795 are comparable to k-eff values generated by UN and UC.

Heat and Mass Transfer of Boundary Layer Jeffrey Ternary Hybrid Nanofluid Flow Over Porous Wedge With Surface‐Catalysed Chemical Reactions: An ANFIS Model

The current study employs machine learning (ML) techniques to investigate the heat and mass transport of Jeffrey ternary hybrid nanofluid (THNF). Various influential factors, including magnetic field, thermal radiation, viscous dissipation, activation energy, thermophoresis, Brownian motion and surface‐catalysed chemical reactions, are considered in the analysis. The porous moving wedge supports and influences the flow pattern. For thermal enhancement, three different nanoparticles, namely, Ag (silver), CuO (copper oxide) and SWCNT (single − walled carbon nanotubes), diluted in the regular fluid (blood). Initially, the mathematically modelled partial differential equations (PDEs) are solved numerically by the help of the shooting method. The suitable nondimensional similarity transformations are implied to convert the dimensional PDEs to nondimensional ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The reduced dimensionless nonlinear coupled ODEs are solved using ode‐45 in MATLAB. The impact of φAg, φCuO, φSWCNT in Cfx, Nux, Shx, is displayed in cone plots. It is found that, on increasing φAg, φCuO, φSWCNT, the heat transfer and mass transfer rate gets enhanced in THNF than the hybrid nanofluid (HNF) and nanofluid (NF). The influence of nondimensional parameters over f″(0), θ′(0), ϕ′(0), G′(0) and H′(0) is displayed in 3D contour plots for THNF and HNF. The radiation parameter (R), Brownian motion parameter (Nb), thermophoresis parameter (Nt) and volume fraction parameters φAg, φCuO, φSWCNT boost the energy transfer rate. Finally, the obtained numerical results are split into training and validation datasets that are used in designing the adaptive neuro‐fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) ML model. Five different ANFIS models are developed with the help of nondimensional parameters affecting f″(0), θ′(0), ϕ′(0), G′(0) and H′(0) to predict the physical quantities of dragging force (Cfx), energy transfer rate (Nux), the rate of mass transport (Shx) and mass fluxes for chemical species and , respectively. The training and checking errors attained the convergence less than 2 × 10−4 and 0.2, respectively, for all the five factors. The present ANFIS models have good balance between fitting the training data and generalising to new data, which can make accurate predictions irrespective of variations. The numerical and predicted ANFIS f″(0), θ′(0), ϕ′(0), G′(0) and H′(0) for training data, checking data and results are demonstrated in regression plots. From regression plots, we can observe that the Pearson correlation coefficient attains the positive correlation with R value closer to one. Hence, the developed ANFIS model shows the minimal error in predictions with high degree of accuracy of forecast in THNF flow.

A PARAMETRIC STUDY ON THE THERMAL HOMOGENEITY OF VAPOR CHAMBER IN A BATTERY COOLING SYSTEM

For the battery cooling system, the large temperature difference of the coolant between the inlet and outlet leads to a decrease in the thermal homogeneity of batteries. To improve the thermal homogeneity, a designed composite liquid cooling system was analyzed combined with a grooved vapor chamber and a cooling plate. The parametric study on the thermal homogeneity was conducted including the height, width, length of grooved wick, filling ratio, flow rate of coolant, heat flux, and inclination angle. The results show that a preferable thermal homogeneity can be obtained at 20&amp;#37; filling ratio as the height and width of the channel increase, especially under the positive inclination angle of 20&amp;#176;. The heat source surface can be kept uniform within the temperature difference of 5&amp;#176;C in spite of the temperature rise of coolant up to 11.5&amp;#176;C under the flowing rate of 8.32 &amp;#215; 10&lt;sup&gt;-4&lt;/sup&gt; kg/s. An empirical correlation of the "suppression ratio," containing the structural and operating parameters, is summarized to evaluate the suppressing function of the vapor chamber on the temperature difference of coolant. This research is aimed to provide a scientific basis for predicting the thermal homogeneity of the vapor chamber in a battery liquid cooling system.

Concentration and desalting of Tetraselmis suecica crude extract by ultrafiltration

Downstream processing, encompassing molecule extraction and extract purification, is a critical step in microalgal biorefinery. This study focuses on the concentration and desalting of Tetraselmis suecica crude extract, which contains proteins, neutral carbohydrates, uronic acids, and pigments. The biomass was initially disrupted with a high-pressure homogenizer operating in moderate conditions (P = 300 bars and 2 passes). The liquid extract obtained was then desalted and concentrated by stirred-cell ultrafiltration. Two membranes, both made of polyethersulfone (PES) but with different molecular weight cut-offs (10 kDa and 30 kDa), were tested for this purpose. The filtration process lasted 3.15 ± 0.34 h, with the temperature maintained at 28 ± 3ºC. There was, therefore, a compelling need to reduce the ash content to facilitate valorization of the extracted proteins. Both membranes displayed time-dependent decreases in permeate flux, membrane permeability, and shear rate. The protein concentration of the permeate increased steadily over time, whereas the concentrations of ash and uronic acids remained constant during ultrafiltration. These results demonstrated the efficacy of both membranes for desalting the extract. After disruption, the ash content in the extract was initially high, at 35.5 ± 0.8% dry weight (DW), decreasing protein purity to 26.1 ± 0.3% DW. The 10 kDa membrane displayed superior molecule retention, resulting in an increase of protein concentration to 50 g.L-1 in the final retentate. The 10 kDa membrane eliminated 79.5 ± 0.5% of salts from the extract, potentially achieving the complete retention of proteins, pigments, and uronic acids; approximately 21.4 ± 3.6% of total carbohydrates were removed by this membrane.

Fabrication of a novel nanofiltration membrane using an Mg-Fe layered double hydroxide for dye/salt separation.

Mg-Fe layered hydroxide (LDH) was synthesized by the double titration method and added to trimesoyl chloride (TMC) to prepare an Mg-Fe LDH-modified polyamide nanofiltration (NF) membrane by interfacial polymerization (IP). Compared to the pure polyamide NF membrane, the Mg-Fe LDH-modified membrane presented a wrinkled structure and a comparatively smooth surface. Additionally, the permeation flux and rejection rate of the modified NF membrane for 1000 mg L-1 Na2SO4 solution were 61.7 L m-2 h-1 and 95.9%, respectively. When the Mg-Fe LDH modified NF membrane was used to separate dye/NaCl mixed solutions, the rejection of NaCl was less than 17% and the rejection rate of Coomassie Brilliant Blue (CBB) molecules was close to 100%. At the same time, the concentration of CBB increased from 500 mg L-1 to 1151 mg L-1 which means that the LDH modified NF membrane could separate CBB/NaCl effectively and could concentrate CBB at the same time.