Droplet breakup in the square microchannel with a short square constriction to generate slug flow

Droplet breakup in micro-constrictions is an important phenomenon in industrial applications. This work aimed to investigate the droplet breakup in the square microchannel with a short square constriction to generate the slug flow, which drew little attention before. Mechanism analysis indicated that this breakup process included the shear-force-dominated, squeezing-force-dominated, and pinch-off stages. Non-uniform daughter droplets were generated in the constriction with their interface restricted in the horizontal and perpendicular directions by the microchannel walls. The average relative deviation of the daughter droplet size was < 30%, much lower than that for the breakup with the daughter droplet restricted only in one direction. An empirical equation with a deviation of < 20% was provided to show the dependence of the daughter droplet size on the operation conditions. The comparison results suggested that the different restriction effects of microchannel wall on daughter droplets led to the different breakup mechanisms in different constrictions.

Comprehensive Studies of the Processes of the Molecular Transfer of the Momentum, Thermal Energy and Mass in the Nutrient Media of Biotechnological Industries

This article puts forward arguments in favor of the necessity of conducting complex measurements of molecular transport coefficients that quantitatively determine the coefficients of dynamic viscosity, thermal diffusivity and molecular diffusion. The rheological studies have been carried out on the viscometers of two types: those with a rolling ball (HÖPPLER® KF 3.2.), and those with a rotary one (Rheotest RN 4.1.). The thermophysical studies have been performed using the analyzer Hot Disk TPS 2500S. The measurements have been taken in the temperature range of 283 to 363 K. The concentration of dry substances has varied from 16.2 to 77.7% dry wt. An empirical equation for calculating the density of aqueous solutions of beet molasses has been obtained. The diagrams of the dependence of the dynamic viscosity on the shear rate in the range of 1 s−1 to 500 s−1 at different temperatures have been provided. The diagrams of the dependence of the coefficients of thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity on the temperature and the concentration of dry substances have been presented, and empirical equations for their calculation have been obtained. The findings can be used for engineering calculations of hydrodynamic and heat-exchange processes in biotechnological equipment.

Quantifying the optimal thickness in polymer:fullerene solar cells from the analysis of charge transport dynamics and photoabsorption

We provide a semi-empirical equation that quantifies the optimal layer thickness in bulk heterojunction organic solar cells, which is based on time-of-flight and time-resolved microwave conductivity measurements and photoabsorption of a film.

Punching Shear Failure Regulation of Reinforced Concrete Beams Subjected to Close-in Explosion

Aiming at the damage effect of reinforced concrete beams subjected to close-in explosion, numerical simulation and dimensional analysis are carried out to study the damage of beams under close-in explosion with spherical charge. The damage characteristics of beams were obtained by the methods of AUTODYN and DYNA. Using dimensional analysis, the relationship between the damage characteristics of reinforced concrete beams and the stand-off distance is deduced. The empirical equation of the beam punching shear failure characteristics is fitted on the basis of numerical simulation. The results show that the simulation method is more efficient than the fluid-solid coupling calculation; the proposed empirical equation is in good agreement with the experimental results. The relationship between failure width and the stand-off distance obtained by the fitting and the modelling method have reference value for the research on the damage effect of reinforced concrete beams.

Exploring the Relation between Seismic Coefficient and Rock Properties Through Field Measurements and Empirical Model for Evaluating the Effect of Blast-Induced Ground Vibration in Open- Pit Mines: A Case Study at the Thuong Tan III Quarry (Vietnam)

Blasting is one of the most effective methods for fragmenting rock in quarries. Nevertheless, itsadverse effects are significant, especially blast-induced ground vibration. Field measurement andempirical equations are simple methods to determine and estimate the intensity of blast-induced groundvibration. However, we cannot evaluate the effects of blast-induced ground vibration on the surroundingenvironment based on these outcomes. Therefore, this study explores the relation between seismiccoefficient and rock properties through field measurements and an empirical model for evaluating theeffect of blast-induced ground vibration in open-pit mines. Accordingly, the seismic coefficient (K) isconsidered the main objective in this study. Firstly, it was determined based on the rock properties.Subsequently, an empirical model for estimating blast-induced ground vibration was developed based onfield measurements. This empirical equation was then expanded to determine K to check whether itmatches the determined K by the rock properties. Finally, it was used as the threshold to determine themaximum explosive charged per delay to ensure the safety of the surrounding environment from blastinducedground vibration. For this aim, the Thuong Tan III quarry (in Binh Duong province, Vietnam)was selected as a case study. Fifth-teen blasting events with a total of 75 blast-induced ground vibrationvalues were recorded and collected. An empirical equation for estimating blast-induced ground vibrationwas then developed based on the collected dataset, and K was determined in the range of 539 to 713 forthe Thuong Tan III quarry. Based on the measured blast-induced ground vibrations, developed empiricalmodel, and K values, the Phase 2 software was applied to simulate the effects of blast-induced groundvibration on the stability of slopes as one of the impacts on the surrounding environment. From thesimulation results, we can determine the maximum explosive charged per delay for each type of rock toensure the stability of the slope.

Enhanced Properties of Extended Wavelength InGaAs on Compositionally Undulating Step-Graded InAsP Buffers Grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy

The extended wavelength InGaAs material (2.3 μm) was prepared by introducing compositionally undulating step-graded InAsyP1−y buffers with unequal layer thickness grown by solid-source molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The properties of the extended wavelength InGaAs layer were investigated. The surface showed ordered crosshatch morphology and a low roughness of 1.38 nm. Full relaxation, steep interface and less than one threading dislocation in the InGaAs layer were demonstrated by taking advantage of the strain compensation mechanism. Room temperature photoluminescence (PL) exhibited remarkable intensity attributed to the lower density of deep non-radiative centers. The emission peak energy with varied temperatures was in good agreement with Varshni’s empirical equation, implying high crystal quality without inhomogeneity-induced localized states. Therefore, our work shows that compositionally undulating step-graded InAsP buffers with a thinner bottom modulation layer, grown by molecular beam epitaxy, is an effective approach to prepare InGaAs materials with wavelengths longer than 2.0 μm and to break the lattice limitation on the materials with even larger mismatch.

Sand–Tire Shred Mixture Performance in Controlling Surface Explosion Hazards That Affect Underground Structures

Blasting is an unavoidable activity in geotechnical engineering, road and tunnel construction, and mining and quarrying. However, this activity can expose the environment to various hazards that are challenging to control and, at the same time, critical for the safety of site workers, equipment, and surrounding structures. This research aims to evaluate the ability of sand–tire shred mixtures to reduce peak blast pressure, which is the leading cause of damage to underground structures under surface explosion. ABAQUS software is used to model the material behavior under explosion and is validated using the results of previous studies and an empirical equation. Different scenarios are created by using mixture layers with different thicknesses (2, 4, and 6 m) and tire shred contents (10%, 20%, and 30%) that are subjected to various surface explosion charges (100, 500, 1000, and 5000 kg). The thickness of the mixture layer is found to be directly related to the dissipation of explosion energy. However, the percentage of the rubber content in the mixture is only significant in reducing peak blast pressure when a thick enough mixture layer is used. The results confirm the adequate performance of the correctly chosen sand–tire shred mixtures in reducing peak blast pressure and protecting the underground structure from surface explosion hazards.

Estimation of Partial Pressure of CO2 (pCO2) Around Mount Krakatau waters, Sunda Straits, Indonesia

The study aimed to develop the formula and validation the value of oceanic carbon dioxide partial pressure (pCO2sea) around Krakatau Waters in the Sunda Strait using parameters such as sea surface temperature (SST), sea surface salinity (SSS), and chlorophyll-a (Chl). Using observation data from different seasons (September 2017 and April 2018) The formulation of the empirical equation by using a multivariate polynomial regression method. The results of the study show that the empirical equation for estimating the pCO2 sea is as follows: : pCO2= -472.069+1044.043x log(SST) -435.897xlog(SSS) -5.03xlog (Chl).This formula can be applied for both seasons. The results of the analysis of the T-student test and p-value showed a strong relationship between the SST parameters and pCO2 with a correlation of 0.91 then followed by salinity with a correlation of -0.82. Whereas chlorophyll-a holds a weak proportion with a correlation of 0.32. The increase in SST accelerates the solubility of CO2 from atmosphere to the sea thereby increasing CO2 sea concentration and increasing pCO2 sea. While the increase in salinity and chlorophyll-a only gives a weak effect

Improving the Hydraulic Effects Resulting from the Use of a Submerged Biofiter to Enhance Water Quality in Polluted Streams

Water scarcity is one of the most serious problems facing many countries. In addition, water pollution could lose more water. A submerged biofilter (SB) is used to enhance the self-purification process in polluted streams. However, most previous studies have focused on the efficiency of SB to remove pollutants and there is a lack of studies investigating the hydraulic changes in streams. The current paper aimed to study the hydraulic effects of SB on the flow behavior in streams and how to improve it. An empirical equation for determining the flow rate through SB was developed. Different cases were studied to improve the hydraulic effects resulting from the use of SB. The effect of increasing SB length was tested using different SB lengths. The results showed that increasing the length increased the upstream water depth (h1) and relative heading up (h1/h2). In the second case, comparison between continuous and fragmented SB was tested. The results showed that a fragmented biofilter increased the upstream water depth and the relative heading up. Case three tested the effect of SB height. Different SB heights were tested with a fixed length and constant flow rate. The results revealed that the upstream water depth and relative heading up decreased when the biofilter height decreased. Case four tested the effect of SB with a fixed volume and constant flow rate. In this case, the length and height of SB were changed where the volume was fixed. The results showed that the relative heading up decreased when the SB height decreased and the length increased, which revealed that the SB height can improve the hydraulic impacts. Finally, the use of SB to improve the water quality in polluted streams led to an increase of the relative heading up, which can be reduced by decreasing the height of SB.

A simple and robust method for calculating temperatures of granitoid magmas

Calculating the temperatures of magmas from which granitoid rocks solidify is a key task of studying their petrogenesis, but few geothermometers are satisfactory. Zircon saturation thermometry has been the most widely used because it is conceptually simple and practically convenient, and because it is based on experimental calibrations with significant correlation of the calculated zircon saturation temperature (TZr) with zirconium (Zr) content in the granitic melt (i.e., TZr ∝ ZrMELT). However, application of this thermometry to natural rocks can be misleading, resulting in the calculated TZr having no geological significance. This thermometry requires Zr content and a compound bulk compositional parameter M of the melt as input variables. As the Zr and M information of the melt is not available, petrologists simply use bulk-rock Zr content (ZrBULK-ROCK) and M to calculate TZr. In the experimental calibration, TZr shows no correlation with M, thus the calculated TZr is only a function of ZrMELT. Because granitoid rocks represent cumulates or mixtures of melt with crystals before magma solidification and because significant amount Zr in the bulk-rock sample reside in zircon crystals of varying origin (liquidus, captured or inherited crystals) with unknown modal abundance, ZrBULK-ROCK cannot be equated with ZrMELT that is unknown. Hence, the calculated magma temperatures TZr using ZrBULK-ROCK have no significance in both theory and practice. As an alternative, we propose to use the empirical equation $$T_{SiO_{2}}$$ T S i O 2 (°C) = -14.16 × SiO2 + 1723 for granitoid studies, not to rely on exact values for individual samples but focus on the similarities and differences between samples and sample suites for comparison. This simple and robust thermometry is based on experimentally determined phase equilibria with T ∝ 1/SiO2.