Stable Process Research Articles

Exploring the maximum nitrite production rate through the granular sludge-type reactor to match the needs of anammox process realizing efficient nitrogen removal

The reliable and efficient nitrite production rate (NPR) through nitritation process is the prerequisite for the efficient running of subsequent processes, like the anammox process and the nitrite shunt. However, there has been scant research on stable and productive nitritation process in recent years. In this study, at a stable hydraulic retention time of 12.0 h and with precise and strict DO control, the upper limit of the NPR was initially investigated using a continuous-flow granular sludge reactor. The NPR of 1.69 kg/m3/d with a nitrite production efficiency of 81.97% was finally achieved, which set a record until now in similar research. The median sludge particle size of 270.0 μm confirmed the development of clearly defined granular sludge. The genus Nitrosomonas was the major ammonium oxidizing bacteria. In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights for the practical application of the effective nitritation process driving subsequent nitrogen removal processes.

Electrochemical study and structural comparison of Ni electrodepositions on W/Si and Cr/C multilayered structure films

Abstract The Ni electrodeposition combined with multilayered structure film is a promising strategy in modern optical manufacturing, while less effort has been devoted to comprehending the electrochemical reaction process, which is essential for their practical applications. In view of this, the initial reduction dynamics and nucleation mechanisms of Ni electrodepositions on multilayer W/Si and Cr/C films were analyzed in this work, and the morphological, crystal, and mechanical characteristics of produced Ni electrodeposits were further determined and compared. The results show that the considerably irregular crystals accompanied by high tensile stress of 119.5 MPa were formed for the Ni electrodeposit on W/Si film, which were mainly attributed to the progressive nucleation process with more severe side reaction of hydrogen evolution. By contrast, the instantaneous nucleation mode with lower reduction resistance were revealed for the Ni electrodeposition on Cr/C film, which presented a comparatively fine–grained texture, less roughness, and smaller stress structure. To summarize, the more stable electrochemical reaction process and improved structure uniformity are obtained for the Ni electrodeposition on metal/C–based film, which offers a theoretical guidance for optimized fabrication of multilayer optical devices in extreme ultraviolet, X–ray, and neutron focusing fields.

Role of Longitudinal Temperature Gradients in Eliminating Interleaving Inclusions in Casting of Monocrystalline Silicon Ingots

Infrared analysis reveals the presence of interwoven inclusions, primarily comprised of silicon nitride and silicon carbide, in the casting process of monocrystalline silicon ingots. This study investigates how the longitudinal temperature gradient affects the removal of inclusions during the casting of monocrystalline silicon ingots through simulations and comparative experiments. Two monocrystalline silicon ingots were cast, each using different longitudinal temperature gradients: one employing smaller gradients and the other conventional gradients. CGSim (Version Basic CGSim 23.1) simulation software was utilized to analyze the melt flow and temperature distribution during the growth process of quasi–monocrystalline silicon ingots. The findings indicate that smaller longitudinal temperature gradients lead to a more robust upward flow of molten silicon at the solid–liquid interface, effectively carrying impurities away from this interface and preventing their inclusion formation. Analysis of experimental photoluminescence and IR results reveals that although inclusions may not be observed, impurities persist but are gradually displaced to the top of the silicon melt through a stable growth process.

Regulating the Ion Transport in the Layered V2O5 Electrochromic Films with Tunable Interlayer Spacing

AbstractUnveiling the ion transport mechanism to design and explore efficient and stable ion transport pathways for high‐performance transition metal oxide (TMO)−based electrochromic materials is highly desired yet challenging. Herein, this study has demonstrated that the interlayer spacing of layered vanadium penoxide (V2O5) films can be tuned by inserting different amounts of lithium−ion (Li+) within host V2O5 material, as well as adjusting ion transport behavior and electrochromic performance. These results show that V2O5 with a small amount of ion insertion delivers a stable ion transport process and electrochromic properties. Increasing the amount of inserted Li+ will enlarge the interlayer spacing, which provides abundant active sites and efficient ion transport channels, and thus reversible and rich color variation of yellow−green−blue−olive green−orange is realized. Nevertheless, an excess of ion insertion results in the crystal structure collapse and cyclic stability degradation. These findings give a rationale for the evolution of electrochromic properties during different electrochemical reaction stages. This work provides considerable insight into the ion transport behavior within the layered V2O5 films, which gives fundamental theoretical guidance for developing and designing superior layered TMO electrochromic materials.

Model-Based input energy control for reproducible AISI 316L laser deposited tracks

In the Directed Energy Deposition (DED) process, when the mass flow of metal particles is relatively high, the thickness of the layers increases, leading to a more productive process. The higher the mass flow is, the more difficult it becomes to get a stable melt pool. The accumulation of residual heat in the previously consolidated material constitutes a thermal input affecting the balance at the laser-material interaction zone. An accurate control of the temperature of the laser-material interaction zone is critical to maintain the dynamic viscosity of the liquid metal within the narrow margin in which it can be managed in a stable way. The present work introduces a thermal model in which domains with tunable properties are considered to reproduce the growing of the manufactured sample. Concurrently, a virtual closed-loop PID regulator has been implemented in order to calculate suitable values of laser power to compensate the heat accumulated in the material, offering the results from the model as input process parameters to be directly applied in the real process. The levels of laser power proposed by the model have been experimentally applied, leading to a stable process capable of carrying out in reality the desired component.

Cell deformability drives fluid-to-fluid phase transition in active cell monolayers.

Cell deformability is an essential determinant for tissue-scale mechanical nature, such as fluidity and rigidity, and is thus crucial for tissue homeostasis and stable developmental processes. However, large-scale simulations of deformable cells have been restricted to those of polygonal-shaped cells, limiting our understanding of populations of arbitrarily deformable cells, such as mesenchymal, amoeboid cells, and nonconfluent epithelial cells. Here, we present an efficient approach for simulating large populations of nonpolygonally deformable cells with considerably higher computational efficiency than existing methods. Using the method, we demonstrate that the densely packed active cell population interacting via excluded volume interactions exhibits a fluid-to-fluid transition. An experimentally measurable index of topological defects, defined using the number of neighboring cells, is also proposed to characterize this transition. This study provides a flexible approach to tissue-scale cell population and a broader perspective on the biological fluid phases.

Asymptotic theory for quadratic variation of harmonizable fractional stable processes

In this paper we study the asymptotic theory for quadratic variation of a harmonizable fractional α \alpha -stable process. We show a law of large numbers with a non-ergodic limit and obtain weak convergence towards a Lévy-driven Rosenblatt random variable when the Hurst parameter satisfies H ∈ ( 1 / 2 , 1 ) H\in (1/2,1) and α ( 1 − H ) > 1 / 2 \alpha (1-H)>1/2 . This result complements the asymptotic theory for fractional stable processes.

Design and Experimentation of Tensegrity Jumping Robots

Jumping robots possess the capability to surmount formidable obstacles and are well-suited for navigating through complex terrain environments. However, most of the existing jumping robots face challenges in achieving stable jumping and they also have low energy utilization efficiency, which limits their practical applications. In this work, a two-module jumping robot based on tensegrity structure is put forward. Firstly, the structural design and jumping mechanism of the robot are elaborated in the article. Then, dynamic models, including the two modules’ simultaneous jumping and step-up jumping process of the robot, are established utilizing the Lagrange dynamic modeling method. On this basis, the effects of parameters, including the stiffness of elastic cables and the initial tilt angle of the robot, on the jumping performance of the robot can be obtained. Finally, simulations are carried out and a prototype is developed to verify the rationality of the tensegrity-based jumping robot proposed in this work. The experiment results show that our jumping robot can achieve a stable jumping process and the step-up jumping of each module of the prototype can have higher energy efficiency than that of simultaneous jumping of each module, which enables the robot a better jumping performance. This research serves as a valuable reference for the design and analysis of jumping robots.

Mechanism of stable autotrophic nitrogen removal and NOB inhibition in low-sludge PN-Anammox system under non-temperature control and low ammonia environment

PN/Anammox, as an economical and effective nitrogen removal process, is of great significance for reducing carbon emission in municipal wastewater treatment. However, municipal wastewater has mainstream characterized of low temperature and low NH4+-N concentration, and NOB activity is difficult to inhibit, so achieving a stable PN process is the biggest challenge in the application of PN/Anammox to mainstream wastewater. This study developed a method for stable and efficient PN/Anammox based on very low sludge volume (MLVSS = 65 mg/L). Even when the temperature dropped to 15℃ or there was exogenous nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) interference, the system still had good inhibition of NOB activity. The total stable operation time was 386 days, and the NO2–-N accumulation efficiency could reach more than 90 %. Ellin6067, Nitrosomonas and Candidatus_Brocadia were the dominant functional microorganisms in the system. Nitrospira was the dominant genera of NOB with very low relative abundance (<0.04 %). The mechanism of the long-term stable mainstream PN/Anammox system showed that low sludge content was beneficial to light irradiation on microorganisms in the reactor, while nxrA, the functional gene of NOB, had weak light resistance and oxidation resistance, which makes the system had strong inhibition effect on NOB. The construction of this new system which does not depend on activated sludge volume and complex NOB activity inhibition strategy can better promote the practical application of PN/Anammox under mainstream conditions.

Religious Moderation Realizes Harmonization of The Malay Islamic Community in South Sumatra

This study aims to examine the perspective of the Malay Islamic community on religious moderation in South Sumatra. In the context of increasing globalization, religious moderation is becoming an important and relevant issue, especially in the South Sumatra region which has a significant Malay Islamic population. This research uses quantitative methods with survey methods with stakeholders from various walks of life, including religious leaders, youth, and Malay communities. The results of the study show First, that there is general agreement that religious moderation in South Sumatra is expected to increase tolerance and unity among religious communities. However, there are also different perceptions, where some feel that religious moderation can threaten their traditional values and cultural identity. Second, the results of this study also found that the understanding of religious moderation in South Sumatra is strongly influenced by the local social, economic, and political context. The contribution of this research lies in a deeper understanding of the Malay Islamic community's perspective on religious moderation in South Sumatra. Third, the results of this study show the importance of strengthening strong local identities to support community participation in stable democratic processes and efforts to create a harmonious and inclusive environment in the region. Fourth, the results of this study also show that dialogue between religious communities and religious groups, can build better understanding between each other, reduce tensions, and create more solid conditions for democratic stability.

Impact of processing gas composition on process stability and properties of PBF-LB/M processed alloy 718

The almost unlimited design freedom of the laser-based powder bed fusion of metals (PBF-LB/M) makes this technology very attractive for industry. However, as a developing technology, it still faces some challenges when it comes to productivity and robustness, to name some. Whereas numerous studies covered the impact of laser-based parameters on material properties and robustness, the effect of the processing gas received limited attention. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of processing gas composition, containing helium (He) and hydrogen (H2), compared to conventionally used argon (Ar), during PBF-LB/M processing of virgin alloy 718 powder, on printing behavior and part properties. The four gases studied were Ar, Ar +30%He, Ar +30%He +2%H2, and Ar +70%He. Optical Tomography (OT) was used to monitor process stability, which unveiled a significant decrease in process-by products (spatters) between 51 % and 89 % using He and H2-containing gases. It was also found that the process gas decreased the bulk porosity from an average value of 0.08 % when processed with Ar to 0.04 % when using Ar + 70%He. The oxygen pickup by the spatter particles was reduced from 630 ppm (Ar) to 331 ppm (Ar +70%He). EBSD analysis revealed that there were no evident changes in microstructure with the processing gas. The samples processed also had similar tensile properties with yield and ultimate tensile strength of 1180 MPa and 1395 MPa, respectively. However, there was a slight increase in ductility from 16.5 % to 17.2 %, when processed with pure Ar and Ar + 70%He, respectively. This study shows that utilizing standard Ar processing atmosphere with He addition leads to a more stable process with reduced spatter, porosity and a marginal increase in ductility for Alloy 718.

Friction mechanisms of Ni-based and Zr-based bulk metallic glasses under different contact pressures

Pin-on-plane dry friction tests of Ni-based and Zr-based bulk metallic glasses were performed at ambient temperature under reciprocating sliding condition at 4mm/s, under 160MPa and 290MPa. Domed 100Cr6 steel pins were used as counterface material. The friction performance of Ni-based glass is worse than the Zr-based glass but the former has a relatively more stable feature. For all metallic glasses, lower friction and more stable process can be observed upon higher contact pressure. Transfer of material from metallic glass samples onto steel pin surfaces is analyzed in details at the micrometer scale, showing that tribological properties of metallic glasses at high pressure could be related to the volume hardness of materials, together with the glass transition temperature.Keyworks:Metallic glasses, Third body flow, Wear, Friction performance

Influence of argon, helium, and their mixtures on the powder bed fusion of an Al-Cu-Li-Ti alloy using a laser beam: evaporation, microstructure, and mechanical properties

The role of the inert processing gas during the powder bed fusion of metals using a laser beam (PBF-LB/M) is to prevent oxidation and remove process by-products, such as metal vapor and spatter particles. The present study aims to unveil additional impacts of using argon (Ar), helium (He), and two mixtures thereof as the processing gas on the material properties of a high-strength Al-Cu-Li-Ti alloy fabricated by PBF-LB/M. The part density, microstructure, static tensile properties, and volatile element evaporation were characterized as functions of the processing gas. Decreased porosity levels and increased melt penetration depths were found across a range of processing parameters when increasing the fraction of He in Ar indicating a more stable process and melt pool dynamics. A trend towards increasing yield and ultimate tensile strength was also observed and was attributed to a slightly refined grain size when processing under He-containing gases. The process gas had no significant influence on the evaporation of alloying constituents in the material. Overall, several advantages of using He-containing process gases over pure Ar in PBF-LB/M are demonstrated and discussed.© 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Highly efficient electric-thermal conversion of Silver/PVP composites for micro initiators by direct ink writing

Traditional film initiator fabrication techniques were limited by material and process constraints, resulting in restricted ignition capability, durability issues, and complexity in manufacturing. In this study, Metal/polymer composite materials were applied in film initiators in order to enhance the mechanical properties, longevity, and thermal attributes. Silver/polyvinylpyrrolidone composite film bridge (SPB) initiators were fabricated by direct ink writing (DIW). By adjusting the silver loading level and sintering temperature in the Ag nanoparticles/polyvinylpyrrolidone (Ag NPs/PVP) ink formulation, precise control over the structure and resistivity of the SPB was achieved. Compared to single silver film bridge (SFB) initiators prepared by magnetron sputtering (MS), SPBs demonstrated superior heating performance, higher current carrying capacity, and energy utilization under constant current excitation. In capacitor discharge tests, SPBs exhibited superior electric explosion characteristics and plasma properties, with a 25.53% higher energy utilization efficiency compared to SFBs. The peak plasma electron temperature of SPBs reached 7610K, which was 1065K higher than that of SFBs. This makes Silver/polyvinylpyrrolidone composite highly promising practical alternatives for high-efficiency, stable, and reliable ignition processes, with potential widespread applications in the aerospace field.

The Stable Point Process and Its Applications to Wireless Networks

The Stable Point Process and Its Applications to Wireless Networks

All-hydrocarbon benzocyclobutene resin with low Dk and high-resolution photo-imageable dielectric performance

Low dielectric photoinduced patterned materials have attracted extensive attention owing to their potential applications in integrated circuits and semiconductor devices. In this work, we synthesized a low dielectric polymer that can be used for photolithography. The monomer, 1-(4-vinylphenyl)-2-(4-benzocyclobutenyl)ethene (DVB-S-BCB), was synthesized from divinylbenzene (DVB) and 4-bromobenzocyclobutene (4-BrBCB) using the Heck reaction. Subsequently, Poly-2(P-DVB) based on DVB-S-BCB was prepared by anionic polymerization. As the structure comprised thermally curable benzocyclobutene (BCB) groups and photocurable vinyl groups (UV/Thermal dual curing structure), P-DVB has been used for high-performance negative photosensitive resin with 2,6-bis(4-azidobenzylidene) cyclohexanone (BAC) as a photoinitiator. Photolithography was carried out using a 365-nm UV light source to obtain various patterns, and the research results indicate that photosensitive resins exhibit stable patterning processes at different curing stages. Besides, the cured P-DVB exhibited high thermal stability (T5% above 420 °C in N2), low dielectric constant (2.55 at 10 MHz), low dielectric loss (1.56 × 10−3 at 10 MHz), and excellent mechanical performance. These properties make P-DVB a potential photoresist that can be widely used as interconnected dielectrics.

Materials and Structural Designs toward Motion Artifact-Free Bioelectronics.

Bioelectronics encompassing electronic components and circuits for accessing human information play a vital role in real-time and continuous monitoring of biophysiological signals of electrophysiology, mechanical physiology, and electrochemical physiology. However, mechanical noise, particularly motion artifacts, poses a significant challenge in accurately detecting and analyzing target signals. While software-based "postprocessing" methods and signal filtering techniques have been widely employed, challenges such as signal distortion, major requirement of accurate models for classification, power consumption, and data delay inevitably persist. This review presents an overview of noise reduction strategies in bioelectronics, focusing on reducing motion artifacts and improving the signal-to-noise ratio through hardware-based approaches such as "preprocessing". One of the main stress-avoiding strategies is reducing elastic mechanical energies applied to bioelectronics to prevent stress-induced motion artifacts. Various approaches including strain-compliance, strain-resistance, and stress-damping techniques using unique materials and structures have been explored. Future research should optimize materials and structure designs, establish stable processes and measurement methods, and develop techniques for selectively separating and processing overlapping noises. Ultimately, these advancements will contribute to the development of more reliable and effective bioelectronics for healthcare monitoring and diagnostics.

RGBD Synergetic Model for Image Enhancement in Animation Advertisements

This paper proposes a depth image symbiosis model to solve the problem of insufficient depth image quality in animated advertising. The model uses image surface information and image edge cues as the main guidance information to obtain image symbiosis information. Research data show that the model designed in this paper performs well in convergence, and enters a stable convergence process when the number of iterations is less than 5. Its PSNR data curve has the highest position and best performance, while a composite model structure has been adopted. Compared with the unitary model, the PSNR of this model reaches 41 dB when the number of iterations reaches 5, and the convergence effect of the three-step training is also better. Finally, in practical applications, the average PSNR value of the model mentioned in this article is the highest, 37.1 dB. From this comprehensive perspective, the depth image enhancement model in this study has better comprehensive performance and can provide better image enhancement effects for animation advertising depth images.

Tandem photocatalysis of nitrate to nitrogen on Cu@CN/TiOx S-scheme heterojunction

The persistent challenge of nitrate (NO3–) pollution in water systems, profoundly impacting ecosystems and human health, demands effective remediation strategies. Here, we present an innovative S-scheme Cu@CN/TiOx heterojunction for high-efficiency photocatalytic denitrification (PCDN). Evaluation of its performance demonstrates exceptional NO3– removal efficiency (99.5%) and remarkable N2 selectivity (95.5%), with 13.7 and 4.1 times higher rate constants of NO3– removal than the individual Cu@CN and TiOx components. Notably, this catalyst exhibits impressive stability across multiple cycles, maintaining consistent high conversion rates and selectivity. Mechanistic insights unveiled a tandem reaction pathway where Cu@CN selectively reduced NO3– to NO2–, followed by the TiOx-mediated CO2•– generation, enabling highly selective NO2– to N2 conversion. This unique catalytic system, featuring spatially separated redox-active sites, presents a promising avenue for efficient, selective, and stable denitrification processes, offering significant potential in addressing water pollution challenges and advancing tandem catalytic systems.

Збурення ізотропного $\alpha$-стійкого випадкового процесу псевдоградієнтом з узагальненим коефіцієнтом

The article is devoted to the perturbation of an isotropic $\alpha$-stable stochastic process in a finite-dimensional Euclidean space by a pseudo-gradient operator multiplied by a delta-function on a hypersurface. This is analogous to the construction of some membrane in the phase space. Semigroup of operators on the space of continuous bounded functions is constructed. It has the infinitesimal generator (in some generalized sense) $c\Delta_\alpha+(q\delta_S\nu,\nabla_\beta)$, where $c$ is some positive constant, $\Delta_\alpha$ is the fractional Laplacian of the order $\alpha$, $\delta_S$ is the delta-function on the hypersurface $S$, which has a normal vector $\nu$, $q$ is some continuous bounded function, $\nabla_\beta$ is a fractional gradient (pseudo-gradient), that is the pseudo-differentional operator defined by the symbol $i\lambda|\lambda|^{\beta-1}$. The order of the pseudo-gradient is less than $\alpha-1$. Some properties of the obtained semigroup are investigated. This semigroup defines a pseudo-process.