Recent progresses in the development of tubular segmented-in-series solid oxide fuel cells:Experimental and numerical study

Solid oxide fuel cells(SOFCs)have attracted a great deal of interest because they have the highest efficiency without using any noble metal as catalysts among all the fuel cell technologies.However,traditional SOFCs suffer from having a higher volume,current leakage,complex connections,and difficulty in gas sealing.To solve these problems,Rolls-Royce has fabricated a simple design by stacking cells in series on an insulating porous support,resulting in the tubular segmented-in-series solid oxide fuel cells(SIS-SOFCs),which achieved higher output voltage.This work systematically reviews recent advances in the structures,preparation methods,perform-ances,and stability of tubular SIS-SOFCs in experimental and numerical studies.Finally,the challenges and future development of tubular SIS-SOFCs are also discussed.The findings of this work can help guide the direction and inspire innovation of future development in this field.

Experimental Study on the Treatment of Tertiary Oil Recovery Wastewater via a Novel Electro-Coagulation Method

At present,methods for treating tertiary oil recovery wastewater via electro-coagulation are still in their early stage of development.In this study,a device for electro-coagulation wastewater treatment was built and tested in an oil field.The effects that the initial pH value,electrode type,and connection mode have on the coagulation and separation effect were assessed by measuring the mass fraction and turbidity of oil.The results have shown that when the electro-coagulation method is used,the effectiveness of the treatment can be significantly increased in neutral pH conditions(pH=7),in acidic conditions,and in alkaline conditions.Compared to an Al electrode,the floc that is produced by an Fe electrode is smaller;thus,it does not easily coagulate and settle in a short time.Using the oil removal rate,turbidity removal rate and energy consumption as a basis to assess the performances,the results have demonstrated that the combined aluminum alloy iron composite electrode should be used as electrolytic electrode.

Experimental study of the temporary plugging capability of diverters to block hydraulic fractures in high-temperature geothermal reservoirs

The effective plugging of artificial fractures is key to the success of temporary plugging and diverting fracturing technology,which is one of the most promising ways to improve the heat recovery efficiency of hot dry rock.At present,how temporary plugging agents plug artificial fractures under high temperature remains unclear.In this paper,by establishing an improved experimental system for the evaluation of temporary plugging performance at high temperature,we clarified the effects of high temperature,injection rate,and fracture width on the pressure response and plugging efficiency of the fracture.The results revealed that the temporary plugging process of artificial fractures in hot dry rock can be divided into four main stages:the initial stage of temporary plugging,the bridging stage of the particles,the plugging formation stage,and the high-pressure dense plugging stage.As the temperature increases,the distribution distance of the temporary plugging agent,the number of pressure fluctuations,and the time required for crack plugging increases.Particularly,when the temperature increases by 100℃,the complete plugging time increases by 90.7%.

Experimental study on the mechanism of flow blockage formation in fast reactor

Various sources of solid particles might exist in the coolant flow of a liquid metal cooled fast reactor(e.g.,through chemical interaction between the coolant and impurities,air,or water,through corrosion of structural materials,or from damaged/molten fuel).Such particles may cause flow blockage accidents in a fuel assembly,resulting in a reduction in coolant flow,which potentially causes a local temperature rise in the fuel cladding,cladding failure,and fuel melt.To understand the blockage formation mechanism,in this study,a series of simulated experiments was conducted by releasing different solid particles from a release device into a reducer pipe using gravity.Through detailed analyses,the influence of various experimental parameters(e.g.,particle diameter,capacity,shape,and static friction coefficient,and the diameter and height of the particle release nozzle)on the blockage characteristics(i.e.,blockage probability and position)was examined.Under the current range of experimental conditions,the blockage was significantly influenced by the aforementioned parameters.The ratio between the particle diameter and outlet size of the reducer pipe might be one of the determining factors governing the occurrence of blockage.Specifically,increasing the ratio enhanced blockage(i.e.,larger probability and higher position within the reducer pipe).Increasing the particle size,particle capacity,particle static friction coefficient,and particle release nozzle diameter led to a rise in the blockage probability;however,increasing the particle release nozzle height had a downward influence on the blockage probability.Finally,blockage was more likely to occur in non-spherical particles case than that of spherical particles.This study provides a large experimental database to promote an understanding of the flow blockage mechanism and improve the validation process of fast reactor safety analysis codes.

Analysis and Experimental Study on the Friction Force at the Binding Point of Flexible Cable on Satellite

Mainly for the problem that the friction force generated by the existing process of bind-ing,fixing and fastening the flexible cable on the satellite is unknown,the friction force analysis and experimental research on the binding point of the flexible cable are carried out.The equivalent model of the cable bundle bound by nylon cable ties is established,the force on the binding point is analyzed,and the empirical formula for calculating the friction force at the binding point is estab-lished.The formula shows that the friction force is related to the cable bundle diameter,the number of winding cycles of silicone rubber tape,the width of nylon cable ties,and the binding force.The friction force tests of the cable diameter of 5.06 mm,8.02 mm,24.02 mm,38.04 mm under different winding turns of tape were carried out,which was compared with the theoretical calculation value.It is concluded that the calculation accuracy of the theoretical model is more than 95%,which can estimate the actual friction force value accurately.This provides a reference and basis for the theoretical and experimental research on the friction force of the flexible cable binding point on satellite.

Experimental study on strain field evolution around a simulated thrust fault

Earthquakes result from continuous geodynamic processes.A topic of significant interest for the scientific community is to elaborate on the phenomena governing the faulting and fracturing of crustal rocks.Therefore,in this study,uniaxial compressive shear failure experiments were conducted on Fangshan marble rock samples with a prefabricated slot to simulate thrust faulting.The center of each marble plate(105 mm × 80 mm × 5 mm) was engraved with a 30-mm long double-sided nonpenetrating slot(depth:2 mm,width:0.5 mm).The deformation and destruction processes of the rock surface were recorded using a high-speed camera.The digital image correlation method was used to calculate the displacement and strain distribution and variation at different loading stages.The accumulative and incremental displacement fields u and v,strain field exand e_(y),and shear strain e_(xy) were analyzed.When the loading level reached its ultimate value,the strain field was concentrated around the prefabricated slot.The concentration reached a maximum at the ends of the prefabricated slot.The magnitude of shear strain reached 0.1.This experiment contributes to our understanding of the dynamic process of active faulting.

Experimental Analysis of Radial Centrifugal Pump Shutdown

Centrifugal pumps are widely used in the metallurgy,coal,and building sectors.In order to study the hydraulic characteristics of a closed impeller centrifugal pump during its shutdown in the so-called power frequency and frequency conversion modes,experiments were carried to determine the characteristic evolution of parameters such as speed,inlet and outlet pressure,head,flow rate and shaft power.A quasi-steady-state method was also used to further investigate these transient behaviors.The results show that,compared to the power frequency input,the performance parameter curves for the frequency conversion input are less volatile and smoother.The characteristic time is longer and the response to shutdown is slower.The quasi-steady-state theoretical head-flow curves match the experimental head-flow curves more closely at low flow rates when the frequency conversion input is considered.Moreover,in this case,the similarity law predicts the hydraulic performance more accurately.

Parametric study on contact sensors for MASW measurement-based interfacial debonding detection for SCCS

Steel-concrete composite structures(SCCS)have been widely used as primary load-bearing components in large-scale civil infrastructures.As the basis of the co-working ability of steel plate and concrete,the bonding status plays an essential role in guaranteeing the structural performance of SCCS.Accordingly,efficient non-destructive testing(NDT)on interfacial debondings in SCCS has become a prominent research area.Multi-channel analysis of surface waves(MASW)has been validated as an effective NDT technique for interfacial debonding detection for SCCS.However,the feasibility of MASW must be validated using experimental measurements.This study establishes a high-frequency data synchronous acquisition system with 32 channels to perform comparative verification experiments in depth.First,the current sensing approaches for high-frequency vibration and stress waves are summarized.Secondly,three types of contact sensors,namely,piezoelectric lead-zirconate-titanate(PZT)patches,accelerometers,and ultrasonic transducers,are selected for MASW measurement.Then,the selection and optimization of the force hammer head are performed.Comparative experiments are carried out for the optimal selection of ultrasonic transducers,PZT patches,and accelerometers for MASW measurement.In addition,the influence of different pasting methods on the output signal of the sensor array is discussed.Experimental results indicate that optimized PZT patches,acceleration sensors,and ultrasonic transducers can provide efficient data acquisition for MASW-based non-destructive experiments.The research findings in this study lay a solid foundation for analyzing the recognition accuracy of contact MASW measurement using different sensor arrays.

Knowledge and Perceptions of Hospital Care Staff towards Medical Internet of Things and the Role of Awareness Videos: A Quasi Experimental Study

Introduction: The healthcare industry continues to adopt and integrate smart technology into its operations. However, the adoption of the eHealth solutions has not been smooth in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) due to negative beliefs about the technology, lack of awareness and motivation and resistance to change. Thus, this study was developed to investigate the knowledge and perceptions of hospital care staff towards the Medical Internet of Things and to explore the role of awareness videos in changing negative perceptions. Methods: One group pre-test post-test quasi-experimental study design was incorporated, and 116 participants from Ministry of Health hospitals in Riyadh, KSA, were included. A series of four videos were developed to observe their influence on the knowledge and perceptions of mIoT. Results: The findings showed that participants had more knowledge about the individual components of mIoT (particularly wearable devices) compared to the processes or functions of mIoT. Similarly, just over half (56.0%) of the individuals think that the current systems in the hospital are enough to deliver mIoT. However, 90% think mIoT is the future of digital health. Similarly, PE, SI, BI, EE and CESE were considered facilitators and PTA and CC were considered grave barriers to mIoT adoption. The awareness videos positively influenced knowledge and perceptions of PE, EE, CESE and SI. Conclusion: The study concludes that hospital staff in Riyadh (excluding doctors) possess basic mIoT knowledge, consider various adoption factors as enablers, and awareness video can play a critical role in effectively introducing the technology to the hospital care staff.

Experimental Study of Primary School Students’Independent Reading Based on the Network Teaching Platform

The development of information technology, especially the rise of online teaching platforms, has changed the way people read and the methods they use. Under this influence, primary school students’ independent reading has also been changed. However, due to limited self-control and understanding, primary school students face certain difficulties when using online teaching platforms for independent reading. Advantages and disadvantages of distance learning based on the network teaching platform were summarized in this paper. A one-year experiment study was carried out on our school fifth-grade students in independent reading using WeChat campus platform considering their current situation and existing problems of independent reading. In experiment study an independent reading mode was introduced. The results show that this reading mode can significantly improve students’ independent reading ability.

EXPERIMENT STUDY ON THE EFFECT OF SHENG-MAI INJECTION ON THE CONTRACTIVITY OF DIAPHRAGM AND ITS MECHANISM

In this study the effect of Sheng-ai Injection i.e. Red Ginseng-Ophiopogon Root Injection (one kind of traditional Chinese medicines) on the contractivity of diaphragm was observed. The results confirmed that Sheng-ai Injection increased Pdi of the fatigued diaphragm in rabbits and reduced the time needed for the recovery of Pdi of fatigued diaphragm to the normal value. These results suggest that Sheng-Mai Injection can increase the contractive force and promote the recovery of the fatigued diaphragm. The effect of Sheng-ai Injection on the contractivity of the isolated diaphragmatic bundle of rats was also observed and the results confirmed that Sheng-ai Injection increased the diaphragmatic contractive force directly. This effect of increasing the contractive force of diaphragm was attenuated by adding calcium channel blocker isoptin and disappeared when there was no calcium in the extracellular fluid. It is deduced, therefore, that the mechanism of the effect of Sheng-mai Injection is related to the increased influx of calcium from extracellular fluid into the cells.

Experimental study on seismic behavior of semi-rigid connection between steel beam and concrete wall

Beam-column or beam-wall connections are an important problem in high-rise buildings. In this study, based on the analysis of an example structure, an analytical model for design of the semi-rigid connections between steel beams and RC walls in high-rise hybrid buildings is proposed. Also, the mechanical characteristics of these connections subjected to low-reversed cyclic loading are investigated through comparison of experimental results from three semi-rigid connections and two rigid connections. Moreover, some latent problems for design of these connections as well as the corresponding solutions are discussed. The results from the experiments and analyses indicate that semi-rigid connections exhibit satisfactory capacity and seismic performance, and the proposed design can be used in practice.

Experimental study on full-scale steel beam-to-column moment connections

Ten full-scale steel beam-to-column moment connections used in moment-resisting frames （MRFs） were tested to study the failure process, failure mode, strength and plastic rotation capacity. The specimens include one traditional welded flange-bolted web connection, one traditional fully welded connection, four beam flange strengthened connections, three beam flange weakened connections, and one through-diaphragm connection. The test results show that the connections with flange cover plates or with partly cut beam flanges satisfy the beam plastic rotation demand for ductile MRFs. From the measured stress profiles along the beam flange and beam web depth, the mechanics of brittle fracture at the end of the beam is discussed. Design recommendations for steel beam-to-column moment connections are proposed.

An experimental study on temperature increasing mechanism of satellitic thermo-infrared

Mixed gases (CO 2 and CH 4 etc .) in different ratio under the action of transient electric field may cause temperature to increase about 6℃, while under that of solar irradiation may lead temperature to rise around 3℃. The temperature increasing mechanism of satellitic thermo infrared of lower air is explained here based on an experimental study: thermo infrared temperature increasing of lower atmosphere may be caused by paroxysmal releasing of crustal gas and sudden changing of lower atmosphere electrostatic field. Therefore, appearance of the anomaly of thermo infrared temperature increasing prior to a moderate strong earthquake requires the concurrence of gas paroxysmal releasing and electrostatic field sudden changing at the same time.

Experimental and Numerical Study of Wave-Induced Long-Shore Currents on A Mild Slope Beach

The long-shore current distribution on a mild slope beach is studied by combining the numerical model and the physical experiment. The experiments of long-shore currents under the action of regular and irregular waves are conducted on mild beaches with different slopes in a wave basin. A numerical model is established, which includes a wave propagation model, a wave breaking model and a long-shore current model. The validity of the numerical model is proved by the comparison of its results with the results of the experimental model. It is concluded that the wave-ioduced long-shore current is influenced significantly by the incident wave height, the wave angle and the beach slope. Its application to the Bohai Bay indicates that the wave-induced currents have the same order of magnitude as the tide currents in the near-shore zone of mill slope beach. In the design of wastewater ouffall locations on a mild-slope beach with shallow water of the Bohai Bay, the position of the outfall should be 10 km away from the shoreline, which is outside of the surf-zone.

Effects of Perforated Baffle on Reducing Sloshing in Rectangular Tank:Experimental and Numerical Study

A liquid sloshing experimental rig driven by a wave-maker is designed and built to study liquid sloshing problems in a rectangular liquid tank with perforated baffle. A series of experiments are conducted in this experimental rig to estimate the free surface fluctuation and pressure distribution by changing external excitation frequency of the shaking table. An in-house CFD code is also used in this study to simulate the liquid sloshing in three-dimensional （3D） rectangular tank with perforated baffle. Good agreements of free surface elevation and pressure between the numerical results and the experimental data are obtained and presented. Spectral analysis of the time history of free surface elevation is conducted by using the fast Fourier transformation.

Simulation Analysis and Experimental Study of Defect Detection Underwater by ACFM Probe

This article studies the application of the alternating current field measurement （ACFM） method in defect detection for underwater structures. Numerical model of the ACFM system is built for structure surface defect detection in seawater environment. Finite element simulation is performed to investigate rules and characteristics of the electromagnetic signal distribution in the defected area. In respect of the simulation results, underwater artificial crack detection experiments are designed and conducted for the ACFM system. The experiment results show that the ACFM system can detect cracks in underwater structures and the detection accuracy is higher than 85%. This can meet the engineering requirement of underwater structure defect detection. The results in this article can be applied to establish technical foundation for the optimization and development of ACFM based underwater structure defects detection system.

A field experimental study of lignin sand stabilizing material(LSSM) extracted from spent-liquor of straw pulping paper mills

A new technique was introduced for sand stabilization and re-vegetation by use of lignin sand stabilizing material(LSSM). LSSM is a reconstructed organic compound with lignin as the most dominant component from the extracts of black-liquor issued by straw pulp paper mills. Unlike the polyvinyl acetate or foamed asphalt commonly used for dune stabilization, the new material is plant-friendly and can be used with virescence actions simultaneously. The field experimental study was conducted since 2001 in China's Northwest Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and has been proved that LSSM is effective in stabilizing the fugitive dunes, making the arenaceous plants survive and the bare dune vegetative. The advisable solution concentration is 2% and the optimal field spraying quantity is 2 5 L/m^2 The soil nutrients of the stabilized and greened dune, such as organic matter, available phosphorous and total nitrogen are all increased compared with the control treatment, which is certainly helpful to the growth of arenaceous plants. The technique is worthwhile to be popularized because it is provided not only a new method for desertification control but also an outlet for cleaning contaminants issued from the straw paper mills.

Experimental study ofcasing wear under impact-sliding conditions

Theoretical analysis and field monitoring show that lateral vibration has very important effect on casing wear in deep & ultra-deep well drilling. The wear mechanism of casing under impact-sliding work conditions has been investigated and many experiments have been completed with a newly developed full-scale casing wear test machine. Test results present that adhesion wear, contact fatigue, and grinding abrasion are the main wear mechanisms under impact-sliding test conditions. The friction coefficient and linear wear rate of the casing rise obviously with an increase in impact load. And the larger the impact load, the rougher the worn surface of the casing. The linear wear rate decreased slightly but the average friction coefficient increased slightly with an increase in impact frequency under an impact load of 2,500 N. Both the linear wear rate of the casing and the average friction coefficient increased substantially with an increase in impact frequency under an impact load of 4,000 N. Under lower impact load conditions, grinding abrasion and contact fatigue are the main mechanisms of casing wear; under higher impact load conditions, adhesion wear and contact fatigue are the main mechanisms of casing wear.

Experimental Study on Bubble Pulse Features Under the Combined Action of Horizontal and Vertical Walls

The pulse features of a bubble have a close connection with the boundary condition. When a bubble moves near a rigid wall, it will be attracted by the Bjerknes force of the wall, and a jet pointing at the wall will be generated. In real application, the bubble may move under the combined action of walls in different directions when it forms at the corner of a pipe or at the bottom of a dam. The motion of the bubble shows complex and nonlinear characteristics under these conditions. In order to investigate the bubble pulse features near complex walls, a horizontal wall and a vertical wall are put into the experimental water tank synchronously, and an electric circuit with 200 voltages is designed to generate discharge bubbles, and then experimental study on the bubble pulse features under the combined action of horizontal and vertical walls is carried out. The influences of the combined action of two walls on the bubble shape, pulse period, moving trace and inside jet are obtained by changing the distances from bubble center to the two walls. It aims at providing references for the relevant theoretical and numerical research.