CoNi nanoparticles anchored inside carbon nanotube networks by transient heating:Low loading and high activity for oxygen reduction and evolution

Transitional metal alloy and compounds have been developed as the low cost and efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)and oxygen evolution reaction(OER).However,a high mass loading of these catalysts is commonly needed to achieve acceptable catalytic performance,which could cause such problems as battery weight gain,mass transport blocking,and catalyst loss.We report herein the preparation of fine CoNi nanoparticles(5-6 nm)anchored inside a nitrogendoped defective carbon nanotube network(CoNi@N-DCNT)by a transient Joule heating method.When utilized as an electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction and evolution in alkaline media,the CoNi@N-DCNT film catalyst with a very low mass loading of 0.06 mg cm^(-2) showed excellent bifunctional catalytic performance.For ORR,the onset potential(Eonset)and the half-wave potential(E_(1/2))were 0.92 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode(vs.RHE)and 0.83 V(vs.RHE),respectively.For OER,the potential at the current density(J)of 10 mA cm^(-2)(E_(10))was 1.53 V,resulting in an overpotential of 300 mV much lower than that of the commercial RuO_(2) catalyst(320 mV).The potential gap between E_(1/2) and E_(10) was as small as 0.7 V.Considering the low mass loading,the mass activity at E_(10) reached at 123.2 A g^(-1),much larger than that of the RuO_(2) catalyst and literature results of transitional metal-based bifunctional catalysts.Moreover,the CoNi@N-DCNT film catalyst showed very good long-term stability during the ORR and OER test.The excellent bifunctional catalytic performance could be attributed to the synergistic effect of the bimetal alloy.

High microwave absorption performances for single-walled carbon nanotube–epoxy composites with ultra-low loadings

Microwave-absorbing polymeric composites based on single-walled carbon nanotubes （SWNTs） are fabricated via a simple yet versatile method, and these SWNT-epoxy composites exhibit very impressive microwave absorption perfor- mances in a range of 2 GHz-18 GHz. For instance, a maximum absorbing value as high as 28 dB can be achieved for each of these SWNT-epoxy composites （1.3-mm thickness） with only 1 wt% loading of SWNTs, and about 4.8 GHz bandwidth, corresponding to a microwave absorption performance higher than 10 dB, is obtained. Furthermore, such low and appro- priate loadings of SWNTs also enhance the mechanical strength of the composite. It is suggested that these remarkable results are mainly attributable to the excellent intrinsic properties of SWNTs and their homogeneous dispersion state in the polymer matrix.

Process Adaption of a Small WWTP Operated at Low Loading Conditions for Substantial Energy Savings

The very long tradition of the activated sludge treatment model within the water industry has demonstrated very versatile possibilities to adopt the operation mode for different enhancements. By looking into other treatment models within the activated sludge family it is possible to find alternatives for the operation. This paper concentrates on the possibilities to improve even small WWTP with respect to energy savings. The small plant in Northern Sweden, called Rosvik WWTP, is given as an example. Some important findings related to the intermittent aeration mode may be summarized as follows: 1) An energy savings for the operation of the small WWTP with respect to aeration needs that resulted in a decrease of the energy power supply by more than 35%, as compared with the previous operation based on continuous aeration;2) The up to date effluent levels with respect to the main pollutants have remained at very good levels in 2020, P-level averages 0.16 mg P/l versus consent level < 0.5 mg P/l;COD-level 40 versus < 70 mg/l and BOD7 9 versus < 15 mg/l;3) Sometimes, also improved sludge settling characteristics have been observed, thus providing improved discharge figures;4) The potential to develop an enhanced biological phosphorus removal. There are however some needed conditions to accomplish these improvements: 1) Reliable on-line probes for both oxygen control, SS-concentration control and optionally also for nitrogen control;2) A flexible automation system that allows the needed process modifications to take place;3) And finally, very important dedicated and competent plant operators, with the needed curiosity for operation improvements.

Process Adaption and Modifications of a Nutrient Removing Wastewater Treatment Plant in Sri Lanka Operated at Low Loading Conditions

The Sri Lankan national water authority, that is The National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWS&DB) has taken a new wastewater treatment plant into operation at Ja Ela, North of Colombo. The plant has been in operation since September 2011. In April 2012, it was concluded how a test of the aeration efficiency and a performance test should be carried out. The tests have been based on the actual loading of the plant and the analysis results from the daily process control. The evaluation of the aeration efficiency is not reported in this paper. The paper presents the overall performance of the water treatment part of the plant during start-up conditions, from fall 2011 through the first five months of 2012. The results from the operation are found in Table 1. An important circumstance at the plant is the current very low loading in comparison with the design load. This fact has resulted in an introduction of an intermittent mode of the aeration (nitrification) reactor. Based on operation figures, during more than a month (May 2012), it has been possible to give a realistic assessment of the overall performance. The most striking results are summarized as follows: 1) The intermittent operation has enabled an energy efficient operation of the plant. By the introduction of the intermittent aeration, the energy consumption has been reduced by around 75%, compared with the continuous operation mode;2) The plant performance during the intermittent operation has been improved with respect to virtually all important pollution variables. The most striking improvement is the discharge total P level, reflecting that a substantial enhanced biological phosphorus removal takes. The typical discharge levels found during May 2012, were compared with the earlier obtained values. It is important to underline that the loading on the plant has slightly increased during May as compared with the previous operation period.

Hydroarylation of terminal alkynes with arylboronic acids catalyzed by low loadings of palladium

The hydroarylation reaction of terminal alkynes with arylboronic acids catalyzed by low(400 ppm) loadings of palladium has been developed. The reaction is broad in scope and high-yielding, even on multigram scale. It is suitable for the synthesis of alkenes labeled with deuterium, and for the late-stage modification of bioactive molecules.

Influence of Low Load Truncation Level on Crack Growth for Al 2324-T39 and Al 7050-T7451

Tests with middle-crack tension （M（T）） specimens made of Al 2324-T39 and Al 7050-T7451 are conducted to investigate the influence of low load truncation level on fatigue crack growth. The six different truncated spectra are obtained by removing the small cycles of which amplitudes are less than the specified percentages of the maximum amplitude in the basic flight-by-flight loading spectrum and the remainder of the spectrum is untouched. The tests indicate that the mean level of fatigue crack growth life （FCGL） increases as the load truncation level is enhanced. Considering both the time saving and the influence on FCGL, there is an applicable choice （i.e. spectrum S2 or spectrum S3 in this investigation） for full scale fatigue test. The scatter of FCGL becomes much larger than that under the basic spectrum when the load truncation level is increased to a specified high level, mainly due to the occurrence of crack slanting and branching under the high level truncated loading spectra.

Lightweight Design of Automobile Drive Shaft Based on the Characteristics of Low Amplitude Load Strengthening

There are two kinds of internationally recognized approaches in terms of lightweight design.One is based on fatigue accumulated damage theory to achieve better reliability by optimal structural design; another is to use high performance lightweight materials.The former method takes very few considerations on the structural strengthening effects caused by the massive small loads in service.In order to ensure safety,the design is usually conservative,but the strength potential of the component is not fully exerted.In the latter method,cost is the biggest obstacle to lightweight materials in automotive applications.For the purpose of light weighting design on a fuel cell vehicle,the new design method is applied on drive shafts.The method is based on the low amplitude load strengthening characteristics of the material,and allows the stress,corresponding to test load,to enter into the strengthened range of the material.Under this condition,the light weighting design should assure that the reliability of the shaft is not impaired,even maximizes the strength potential of machine part in order to achieve the weight reduction and eventually to reduce the cost.At last,the feasibility of the design is verified by means of strength analysis and modal analysis based on the CAD model of light weighted shaft.The design applies to the load case of half shaft in independent axle,also provides technological reference for the structural lightweight design of vehicles and other machineries.

Dynamic performance of angle-steel concrete columns under low cyclic loading-II:parametric study

Tests of nine angle-steel concrete column （ASCC） specimens under low cyclic loading are described in a companion paper （Zheng and Ji, 2008）. In this paper, the skeleton curves from the numerical simulation are presented, and show good agreement with the test results. Furthermore, parametric studies are conducted to explore the influence of factors such as the axial compression ratio, shear steel plate ratio, steel ratio, prismatic concrete compression strength, yield strength of angle steel and shear span ratio, etc., on the monotonic load-displacement curves of the ASCCs. Based on a statistical analysis of the calculated results, hysteretic models for load-displacement and moment-curvature are proposed, which agree well with the test results. Finally, some suggestions concerning the conformation of ASCCs are proposed, which could be useful in engineering practice.

Four-week pegylated interferon a-2a monotherapy for chronic hepatitis C with genotype 2 and low viral load:A pilot,randomized study

AIM:To assess the efficacy and advantages of 4-wk pegylated interferon a-2a(peg-IFN-a2a) monotherapy for chronic hepatitis C patients with strong predictors of sustained virologic response(SVR).METHODS:Patients(n = 33) with genotype 2 and low viral load(< 100 KIU/mL),who became HCV RNA negative after 1 wk of IFN treatment,were randomly allocated to receive a 4-or 12-wk treatment course at a ratio of 2:1,respectively,with a subsequent 24-wk follow-up period.Peg-IFN-a2a was administered subcutaneously at a dose of 180 μg or 90 μg once weekly.SVR was defined as absence of serum HCV RNA at the end of the follow-up period.RESULTS:All patients completed the treatment schedule,and more than half were symptom-free during the treatment.In the 4-wk treatment group,20 of 22(91%) patients achieved SVR.Two patients relapsed,but achieved SVR following re-treatment with peg-IFN-a2a alone.In the 12-wk treatment group,11 of 11(100%) patients attained SVR.CONCLUSION:Our results show that a 4-wk course of peg-IFN-a2a monotherapy can achieve a high SVR rate in "IFN-sensitive" patients,without negatively affecting outcome.

Deformation properties of chloride saline soil under action of a low-temperature environment and different loads

To find the deformation properties of chloride saline soil under the influence of a low temperature environment and different loads,two types of chloride saline soil were selected and their deformation process was tested in the laboratory and analyzed during the cooling process in the sensitive cryogenic temperature range.The research results show that high-chloride-salt saline soil underwent little volume change under the no-load condition during the cooling process.Under staticload and dynamic-load conditions,different degrees of settlement deformation occurred;throughout the entire cooling process,another chloride saline soil with a high proportion of sulfate salt underwent volume expansion under no-load and static-load conditions.Under the no-load condition,a certain degree of settlement deformation occurred.Deformation properties were evaluated at different time points during the cooling process for two kinds of chloride saline soil.Finally,deformation characteristics of chloride saline soil were analyzed from the perspective of salt type and crystallization variation under the action of a low-temperature environment and different loads.

Platinum nanoparticles coated by graphene layers: A low-metal loading catalyst for methanol oxidation in alkaline media

Platinum catalysts play a major role in the large scale commercialization of direct methanol fuel cells(DMFC).Here,we present a procedure to create a nanostructural graphene-platinum(Gr Pt)composite containing a small amount(5.3 wt%)of platinum nanoparticles coated with at least four layers of graphene.The composite,as Gr Pt ink,was deposited on a glassy carbon electrode and its electrocatalytic activity in a methanol oxidation reaction(MOR)was evaluated in a 1 M CH3OH/1 M NaOH solution.The results indicated an enhanced catalytic performance of GrPt towards MOR in alkaline media compared with the Pt/C material.Electron energy-loss spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(recorded before and after the electrochemical assays)were employed to analyze the changes in the chemical composition of the nanomaterial and to explain the transformations that took place at the electrode surface.Our findings suggest that growing of graphene on platinum nanoparticles improve the catalytic performance of platinum-graphene composites towards MOR in alkaline media.

Ballistic Properties of Some Low Solid Loading Butalites Formulations

The ballistic properties of a low solid loading composite solid propellant family （Butalites） was studied experimentally by using propellant formulations based on hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene pre-polymer （HTPB） as fuel binder main backbone, mono and bi-modal system ammonium perchlorate oxidizer （AP）, copper chromite （CC） as burning rate accelerator and aluminum powder （A1） as metallic fuel. Higher pressures and AP contents as well as smaller AP particle size were found to increase burning rate. The same behavior verified with AI and CC addition. A significant increase of burning rate was recorded when CC added to the aluminized formulations compared with the non-aluminized of the same oxidizer solid loading and particle size.

新型钢管混凝土梁柱节点力学性能试验研究

为研究内加强环式圆钢管混凝土柱与矩形钢管混凝土梁这种新型连接节点的力学性能,设计了缩尺钢管混凝土梁柱节点试件,开展了相同梁柱节点试件的静力加载试验和低周往复加载试验。通过研究该节点试件的破坏模式、荷载-位移曲线以及拟静力加载试验的骨架曲线、核心区剪切变形等,分析了节点试件的承载能力、延性和耗能能力,全面考察了同一梁柱节点在静力加载和低周往复加载两种工况下的受力性能和破坏模式。结果表明:钢管混凝土梁柱节点试件核心区强度较强,破坏模式主要为梁端破坏,低周往复加载试验时试件梁柱连接处附近的梁端钢板发生拉裂破坏和钢板鼓曲,静力加载试验时试件梁端焊缝发生拉裂破坏;试件延性较好,加载过程中经历了弹性、弹塑性和塑性发展阶段。最后提出了该类钢管混凝土梁柱节点核心区的抗剪强度计算公式。

Effect of Mild-calcined Coal Gangue Additionon Hot Strength and Refractoriness Under Loadof Ultra Low Cement Castablesin Al_2O_3-SiO_2 System

This work explored the way to improve hot modulus q/＇ rupture （HMOR） and refractoriness under load （RUL） by adding mild-calcined coal gangue （MCG） in Al2O3 -SiO2 ultra low cement （ULC） castables, making use of the in-situ effect of the MCG during heating-up. The influence of respective additions of 5%, 10% and 1.5% of the MCG powders calcined at 700℃ was investigated on HMOR at 1400 ℃ and RUL of the castables. With increased addition of the MCG, HMOR and RUL become significantly enhanced. At 10% of the MCG addition, HMOR reaches 3 MPa, as compared to 0. 3 MPa in the case of no MCG addition. RUL of the specimens dried at 110 ℃for 24 h can be increased by some 270 ℃ with 10% of the MCG addition. RUL 0.11 the specimens preheated at 1 500℃ for 3 h maintains the growth trend with the MCG addition increasing. The microstructure of the heated castable samples was investigated by means of SEM. The in-situ formed needle-like and interlaced mullite in the matrix is contributive to the tmprovement.

纤维织物增强高延性混凝土加固RC短柱抗剪性能试验研究

为研究纤维织物增强高延性混凝土(TR-HDC)加固钢筋混凝土短柱的抗剪性能,设计了6根钢筋混凝土柱,包括2个对比柱和4个TR-HDC加固柱.通过低周反复荷载试验,对比分析剪跨比、纤维织物层数对试件破坏形态、变形、承载力和耗能能力的影响.结果表明:采用TR-HDC加固钢筋混凝土短柱,可显著提高其抗剪承载力;TR-HDC与原混凝土柱协同工作性能良好,加固后的混凝土柱的变形、承载力和耗能能力明显提高;增加纤维织物的层数对钢筋混凝土短柱的抗剪承载力提高幅度较小,但可大幅增强柱的耗能和变形能力;剪跨比较大时,更有利于发挥TR-HDC加固材料的力学性能.基于桁架-拱模型,提出TR-HDC加固钢筋混凝土短柱的抗剪承载力计算方法,计算结果较准确.

基于DeST的超低能耗建筑负荷特性研究

为实现节能减排,进一步降低建筑的能耗,通过DeST软件对严寒地区SJZU超低能耗示范中心建筑的负荷进行模拟计算,对比超低能耗建筑和不同节能水平的建筑负荷特性,分析新风量和内扰对建筑负荷的影响规律,利用数学分析方法研究内扰因素对建筑负荷的显著性。结果表明:典型超低能耗建筑的全年最大热负荷为14.74 kW,全年最大冷负荷为13.23 kW;全年累计负荷较不同节能水平下的节能建筑显著降低;人均新风量增加5 m^(3)/(h·人),全年累计热负荷平均增幅为4.73%,而全年累计冷负荷几乎不变;超低能耗建筑全年累计负荷的影响最显著的内扰因素是人员密度。

Punching and Local Damages of Fiber and FRP Reinforced Concrete under Low-Velocity Impact Load

In recent years, the development and application of high performance fiber reinforced concrete or cementitious composites are increasing due to their high ductility and energy absorption characteristics. However, it is difficult to obtain the required properties of the FRCC by simply adding fiber to the concrete matrix. Many researchers are paying attention to fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) for the reinforcement of construction structures because of their significant advantages over high strain rates. However, the actual FRP products are skill-dependent, and the quality may not be uniform. Therefore, in this study, two-way punching tests were carried out to evaluate the performances of FRP strengthened and steel and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber reinforced concrete specimens for impact and static loads. The FRP reinforced normal concrete (NC), steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC), and PVA FRCC specimens showed twice the amount of enhanced dissipated energy (total energy) under impact loadings than the non-retrofitted specimens. In the low-velocity impact test of the two-way NC specimens strengthened by FRPs, the total dissipated energy increased by 4 to 5 times greater than the plain NC series. For the two-way specimens, the total energy increased by 217% between the non-retrofitted SFRC and NC specimens. The total dissipated energy of the CFRP retrofitted SFRC was twice greater than that of the plain SFRC series. The PVA FRCC specimens showed 4 times greater dissipated energy than for the energy of the plain NC specimens. For the penetration of two-way specimens with fibers, the Hughes formula considering the tensile strength of concrete was a better predictor than other empirical formulae.

轻钢龙骨混凝土复合外挂墙板力学性能试验研究

复合墙板性能关系着结构的安全,在新设计建造的轻钢龙骨复合墙板投入使用前应进行力学性能试验,以评估其安全性能。为研究墙板的受力变形过程及破坏形态,对两片不同的轻钢龙骨混凝土复合外挂墙板分别进行四点弯曲试验和低周反复荷载试验。弯曲试验结果表明,弯曲过程中墙板出现裂缝时的计算等效均布荷载大于建筑风荷载标准值,抗弯性能满足受力要求。墙板经历了弹性阶段、弹塑性变形阶段和屈服破坏阶段,主要通过钢材屈服后的弹塑性变形和材料的破坏来实现耗能,屈服前耗能占总耗能的6.19%,屈服后累计耗能呈现二次抛物线增长,这一结果体现了墙板良好的抗震能力。研究结果可为实际应用提供依据。

水平双轴加载下带翼缘RC 剪力墙抗震性能试验研究

为了揭示双轴耦合效应对不同截面形式带翼缘RC剪力墙多维抗震性能的影响,对3个T形截面和2个L形截面RC剪力墙分别沿其主轴方向进行了低周往复加载试验,对比分析了水平单、双轴加载下带翼缘RC剪力墙的破坏特征、滞回特性、承载力、延性、极限位移角、耗能能力与钢筋应变。研究表明:T形墙和L形墙的破坏均呈现出明显的非对称性,即破坏集中于墙肢自由端,双轴加载加重了带翼缘RC剪力墙的开裂和损伤程度,且易引起剪力墙局部损伤集中;与单轴加载相比,双轴加载不仅削弱了带翼缘RC剪力墙各受力方向的承载力与变形能力、增大了腹板塑性铰区弯曲变形在总变形中的占比、加速了耗能进程、降低了单个方向的耗能能力,并且增大了腹板与翼缘竖向钢筋的应变以及翼缘的剪力滞后效应;双轴耦合效应对L形墙损伤的影响较T形墙更为显著,并导致双轴加载下L形墙各抗震性能指标的衰减程度大于T形墙。考虑双轴受力后,中国抗震规范关于RC剪力墙层间位移角的限值仍较为安全,但安全冗余度降低。

基于差分进化算法的减速器齿轮参数优化设计

根据上海道路循环工况,利用载荷的随机连续性和20CrMnMo材料的低载强化特性进行减速器齿轮有限寿命的轻量化设计。基于线性损伤理论,分别计算编制载荷谱和连续载荷谱在低载强化效应下的疲劳损伤,将疲劳损伤约束在一定范围内为选取条件,以齿轮体积最小为优化目标,建立了齿轮有限寿命的轻量化优化模型,通过差分进化算法求解得到优化后的齿轮参数。实验结果表明,设计的模型可快速准确优化齿轮参数,在采用连续载荷谱和考虑低载强化效应时,优化的齿轮参数最小。优化的模型可移植性好,可直接迁移到其他变速系统零件的轻量化设计。