Numerical Investigation of Flow Motion and Performance of A Horizontal Axis Tidal Turbine Subjected to A Steady Current

Horizontal axis tidal turbines have attracted more and more attentions nowadays, because of their convenience and low expense in construction and high efficiency in extracting tidal energy. The present study numerically investigates the flow motion and performance of a horizontal axis tidal turbine with a supporting vertical cylinder under steady current. In the numerical model, the continuous equation and incompressible Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations are solved, and the volume of fluid method is employed to track free surface motion. The RNG k-ε model is adopted to calculate turbulence transport while the fractional area/volume obstacle representation method is used to describe turbine characteristics and movement. The effects of installation elevation of tidal turbine and inlet velocity on the water elevation, and current velocity, rotating speed and resultant force on turbine are discussed. Based on the comparison of the numerical results, a better understanding of flow structure around horizontal axis tidal turbine and turbine performance is achieved.

Modelling dynamic pantograph loads with combined numerical analysis

Appropriate interaction between pantograph and catenary is imperative for smooth operation of electric trains.Changing heights of overhead lines to accommodate level crossings,overbridges,and tunnels pose significant challenges in maintaining consistent current collection performance as the pantograph aerodynamic profile,and thus aerodynamic load changes significantly with operational height.This research aims to analyse the global flow characteristics and aerodynamic forces acting on individual components of an HSX pantograph operating in different configurations and orientations,such that the results can be combined with multibody simulations to obtain accurate dynamic insight into contact forces.Specifically,computational fluid dynamics simulations are used to investigate the pantograph component loads in a representative setting,such as that of the recessed cavity on a Class 800 train.From an aerodynamic perspective,this study indicates that the total drag force acting on non-fixed components of the pantograph is larger for the knuckle-leading orientation rather than the knuckle-trailing,although the difference between the two is found to reduce with increasing pantograph extension.Combining the aerodynamic loads acting on individual components with multibody tools allows for realistic dynamic insight into the pantograph behaviour.The results obtained show how considering aerodynamic forces enhance the realism of the models,leading to behaviour of the pantograph-catenary contact forces closely matching that seen in experimental tests.

Boosting hydrogen and chemicals production through ethanol electro-reforming on Pt-transition metal anodes

The aim of this work is to boost the combined hydrogen and added-values compounds generation(acetaldehyde, acetic acid and ethyl acetate) through ethanol electrochemical reforming using bimetallic anodes. In particular, the influence of the secondary metal on the electrochemical performance as well as on the product distribution was studied. For that purpose, Pt X/C electrocatalysts(where X corresponds to Cu, Co, Ni and Ru) were synthesized by the modified polyol method and tested in both half-cell and proton exchange membrane(PEM) cell configurations. Characterization results showed that incorporation of Ni and Co into the Pt matrix enhances the morphological properties of the material, providing smaller crystallite sizes, higher active surface areas and hence, better dispersion when comparing to Ru and Cu-based electrocatalysts. Ethanol oxidation reaction(EOR) was evaluated by cyclic, linear voltammetry and chronopotentiometry assays. Pt Co/C and Pt Ni/C exhibited the highest electrocatalytic activity at high polarization levels, which translate into an improvement of more than 30%(up to 1050 m A cm^(-2)) in the hydrogen production and chemical yields. On the other hand, Pt Ru/C results more advantageous for a lower potential interval(<0.85 V) promoting the acetic acid production despite sacrificing ethanol conversion. Pt Cu/C presented the lowest results in both electrochemical performance and product distribution. Such differences in the electrochemical performance can be rationalized in terms of the synergistic effect between both metals(particle size distribution, grade of dispersion and hydrophilic behavior), which demonstrate that the incorporation of a different secondary metal plays an essential role in the EOR development.