Coupled effects of particle overall regularity and sliding friction on the shear behavior of uniformly graded dense sands

Particle morphology has been regarded as an important factor affecting shear behaviors of sands,and covers three important aspects,i.e.global form(overall shape),local roundness(large-scale smoothness),and surface texture(roughness)in terms of different observation scales.Shape features of different aspects can be independent of each other but might have coupled effects on the bulk behavior of sands,which has been not explored thoroughly yet.This paper presents a systematic investigation of the coupled effects of the particle overall regularity(OR)and sliding friction on the shear behavior of dense sands using three-dimensional(3D)discrete element method(DEM).The representative volume elements consisting of ideal spheres and irregular clumps of different mass proportions are prepared to conduct drained triaxial compression simulations.A well-defined shape descriptor named OR is adopted to quantify particle shape differences of numerical samples at both form and roundness aspects,and the particle sliding friction coefficient varies from 0.001 to 1 to consider the surface roughness effect equivalently in DEM.The stress-strain relationships as well as peak and critical friction angles of these assemblies are examined systematically.Moreover,contact network and anisotropic fabric characteristics within different granular assemblies are analyzed to explore the microscopic origins of the multi-scale shape-dependent shear strength.This study helps to improve the current understanding with respect to the influence of the particle shape on the shear behavior of sands from different shape aspects.

Impact of Pollutant Concentration and Particle Deposition on the Radiative Flow of Casson-Micropolar Fluid between Parallel Plates

Assessing the behaviour and concentration of waste pollutants deposited between two parallel plates is essential for effective environmental management.Determining the effectiveness of treatment methods in reducing pollution scales is made easier by analysing waste discharge concentrations.The waste discharge concentration analysis is useful for assessing how effectively wastewater treatment techniques reduce pollution levels.This study aims to explore the Casson micropolar fluid flow through two parallel plates with the influence of pollutant concentration and thermophoretic particle deposition.To explore the mass and heat transport features,thermophoretic particle deposition and thermal radiation are considered.The governing equations are transformed into ordinary differential equations with the help of suitable similarity transformations.The Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg’s fourthfifth order technique and shooting procedure are used to solve the reduced set of equations and boundary conditions.The integration of a neural network model based on the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm serves to improve the accuracy of predictions and optimize the analysis of parameters.Graphical outcomes are displayed to analyze the characteristics of the relevant dimensionless parameters in the current problem.Results reveal that concentration upsurges as the micropolar parameter increases.The concentration reduces with an upsurge in the thermophoretic parameter.An upsurge in the external pollutant source variation and the local pollutant external source parameters enhances mass transport.The surface drag force declines for improved values of porosity and micropolar parameters.

Quickly obtaining densely dispersed coherent particles in steel matrix and its related mechanical property

Densely distributed coherent nanoparticles(DCN)in steel matrix can enhance the work-hardening ability and ductility of steel simultaneously.All the routes to this end can be generally classified into the liquid-solid route and the solid-solid route.However,the formation of DCN structures in steel requires long processes and complex steps.So far,obtaining steel with coherent particle enhancement in a short time remains a bottleneck,and some necessary steps remain unavoidable.Here,we show a high-efficiency liquid-phase refining process reinforced by a dynamic magnetic field.Ti-Y-Mn-O particles had an average size of around(3.53±1.21)nm and can be obtained in just around 180 s.These small nanoparticles were coherent with the matrix,implying no accumulated dislocations between the particles and the steel matrix.Our findings have a potential application for improving material machining capacity,creep resistance,and radiation resistance.

Modified particle swarm optimization-based antenna tilt angle adjusting scheme for LTE coverage optimization

In order to solve the challenging coverage problem that the long term evolution（ LTE） networks are facing, a coverage optimization scheme by adjusting the antenna tilt angle（ ATA） of evolved Node B（ e NB） is proposed based on the modified particle swarm optimization（ MPSO） algorithm.The number of mobile stations（ MSs） served by e NBs, which is obtained based on the reference signal received power（RSRP） measured from the MS, is used as the metric for coverage optimization, and the coverage problem is optimized by maximizing the number of served MSs. In the MPSO algorithm, a swarm of particles known as the set of ATAs is available; the fitness function is defined as the total number of the served MSs; and the evolution velocity corresponds to the ATAs adjustment scale for each iteration cycle. Simulation results showthat compared with the fixed ATA, the number of served MSs by e NBs is significantly increased by 7. 2%, the quality of the received signal is considerably improved by 20 d Bm, and, particularly, the system throughput is also effectively increased by 55 Mbit / s.

Effect of In_(2)O_(3)particle size on CO_(2) hydrogenation to lower olefins over bifunctional catalysts

A reaction-coupling strategy is often employed for CO_(2)hydrogenation to produce fuels and chemicals using oxide/zeolite bifunctional catalysts.Because the oxide components are responsible for CO_(2)activation,understanding the structural effects of these oxides is crucial,however,these effects still remain unclear.In this study,we combined In_(2)O_(3),with varying particle sizes,and SAPO‐34 as bifunctional catalysts for CO_(2)hydrogenation.The CO_(2)conversion and selectivity of the lower olefins increased as the average In_(2)O_(3)crystallite size decreased from 29 to 19 nm;this trend mainly due to the increasing number of oxygen vacancies responsible for CO_(2) and H_(2) activation.However,In_(2)O_(3)particles smaller than 19 nm are more prone to sintering than those with other sizes.The results suggest that 19 nm is the optimal size of In_(2)O_(3)for CO_(2)hydrogenation to lower olefins and that the oxide particle size is crucial for designing catalysts with high activity,high selectivity,and high stability.

Fused-core particle technology in high-performance liquid chromatography: An overview

The advent of superficially porous particles （SPPs） for packed HPLC columns has changed the way that many practitioners have approached the problem of developing needed separations. The very high efficiency of such columns, combined with convenient operating conditions, modest back pressures and the ability to use conventional HPLC instruments has resulted in intense basic studies of SPP technology, and widespread applications in many sciences. This report contains an overview of the SPP technology first developed in 2006 by Advanced Materials Technology, Inc., for sub-3-11m particles, then expanded into a family of SPP products with different particle sizes, pore sizes and other physical parameters. This approach was designed so that each particle of the family could be optimized for separating a particular group of compounds, usually based on solute size.

Effects of Ni particle size on amination of monoethanolamine over Ni-Re/SiO_2 catalysts

Ni-Re/SiO2 catalysts with controllable Ni particle sizes(4.5–18.0 nm)were synthesized to investigate the effects of the particle size on the amination of monoethanolamine(MEA).The catalysts were characterized by various techniques and evaluated for the amination reaction in a trickle bed reactor at 170℃,8.0 MPa,and 0.5 h^-1 liquid hourly space velocity of MEA(LHSVMEA)in NH3/H2 atmosphere.The Ni-Re/SiO2 catalyst with the lowest Ni particle size(4.5 nm)exhibited the highest yield(66.4%)of the desired amines(ethylenediamine(EDA)and piperazine(PIP)).The results of the analysis show that the turnover frequency of MEA increased slightly(from 193 to 253 h^-1)as the Ni particle sizes of the Ni-Re/SiO2 catalysts increased from 4.5 to 18.0 nm.Moreover,the product distribution could be adjusted by varying the Ni particle size.The ratio of primary to secondary amines increased from 1.0 to 2.0 upon increasing the Ni particle size from 4.5 to 18.0 nm.Further analyses reveal that the Ni particle size influenced the electronic properties of surface Ni,which in turn affected the adsorption of MEA and the reaction pathway of MEA amination.Compared to those of small Ni particles,large particles possessed a higher proportion of high-coordinated terrace Ni sites and a higher surface electron density,which favored the amination of MEA and NH3 to form EDA.

Study on Size Distributions of Airborne Particles by Aircraft Observation in Spring over Eastern Coastal Areas of China

The authors studied the size distributions of particles at an altitude of 2000 m by aircraft observation over eastern costal areas of China from Zhuhai, Guangdong to Dalian, Liaoning (0.47-30 μm, 57 channels, including number concentration distribution, surface area concentration distribution and mass concentration distribution). In these cities, the average daily concentrations of PM10 are very high. They are among the most heavily polluted cities in China. The main pollution sources are anthropogenic activities such as wood, coal and oil burning. The observed size distributions show a broad spectrum and unique multi-peak characteristics, indicating no significant impacts of individual sources from urban areas. These results are far different from the distribution type at ground level. It may reflect the comprehensive effect of the regional pollution characteristics. Monitoring results over big cities could to some extent reflect their pollution characteristics.

Analysis of a landfill cover without geomembrane using varied particle sizes of recycled concrete

Previous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of a novel three-layer landfill cover system constructed with recycled concrete aggregates(RCAs)without geomembrane in both laboratory and field.However,no systematic investigation has been carried out to optimize the combination of the particle sizes for fine-grained RCAs(FRC)and coarse-grained RCAs(CRC)that can be used for the three-layer landfill cover system.The aim of this paper is to assist engineers in designing the three-layer landfill cover system under a rainfall of 100-year return period in humid climate conditions using an easily controlled soil parameter D10 of RCAs.The numerical study reveals that when D10 of FRC increases from 0.05 mm to 0.16 mm,its saturated permeability increases by 10 times.As a result,a larger amount of rainwater infiltrates into the cover system,causing a higher lateral diversion in both the top FRC and middle CRC layers.No further changes in the lateral diversion are observed when the D10 value of FRC is larger than 0.16 mm.Both the particle sizes of FRC and CRC layers are shown to have a minor influence on the percolation under the extreme rainfall event.This implies that the selection of particle sizes for the FRC and CRC layers can be based on the availability of materials.Although it is well known that the bottom layer of the cover system should be constructed with very fine-grained soils if possible,this study provides an upper limit to the particle size that can be used in the bottom layer(D10 not larger than 0.02 mm).With this limit,the three-layer system can still minimize the water percolation to meet the design criterion(30 mm/yr)even under a 100-year return period of rainfall in humid climates.

Effect of Ni particle size on the production of renewable methane from CO_(2) over Ni/CeO_(2) catalyst

Production of’renewable Methane’has attracted renewed research interest as a fundamental probe reaction and process for CO_(2)utilization through potential use in Cl fuel production and even for future space exploration technologies.CO_(2)methanation is a structure sensitive reaction on Ni/CeO_(2)catalysts.To precisely elucidate the size effect of the Ni metal center on the CO_(2)methanation performance,we prepared2%Ni/CeO_(2)catalysts with pre-synthesized uniform Ni particles(2,4 and 8 nm)on a high surface area CeO_(2)support.Transmission electron microscopy(TEM)and ambient pressure X-ray photo spectroscopy(AP-XPS)characterization have confirmed that the catalyst structure and chemical state was uniform and stable under reaction conditions.The 8 nm sized catalyst showed superior methanation selectivity over the 4 and 2 nm counterparts,and the methanation activity in term of TOF is 10 times and 70 times higher than for the 4 and 2 nm counterparts,respectively.The DRIFTS studies revealed that the larger Ni(8 nm particles)over CeO_(2)efficiently facilitated the hydrogenation of the surface formate intermediates,which is proposed as the rate determining step accounting for the excellent CO_(2)methanation performance.

Sources,characteristics,toxicity,and control of ultrafine particles:An overview

Air pollution by particulate matter(PM)is one of the main threats to human health,particularly in large cities where pollution levels are continually exceeded.According to their source of emission,geography,and local meteorology,the pollutant particles vary in size and composition.These particles are conditioned to the aerodynamic diameter and thus classified as coarse(2.5–10μm),fine(0.1–2.5μm),and ultrafine(<0.1μm),where the degree of toxicity becomes greater for smaller particles.These particles can get into the lungs and translocate into vital organs due to their size,causing significant human health consequences.Besides,PM pollutants have been linked to respiratory conditions,genotoxic,mutagenic,and carcinogenic activity in human beings.This paper presents an overview of emission sources,physicochemical characteristics,collection and measurement methodologies,toxicity,and existing control mechanisms for ultrafine particles(UFPs)in the last fifteen years.

Creep-Recovery and Relaxation Behavior of High Density Polyethylene/Hydroxyapatite Nano Particles for Bone Substitutes: Effects of Gamma Radiation

The following article has been retracted due to the fact that it cannot be accepted by the author as a journal publication. The Editorial Board takes a very strong respect to the author’s situation on this matter. This paper published in Journal of Biosciences and Medicines Vol.2 No.2, April 2014, has been removed from this site.

A novel non-overlapping approach to accurately represent 2D arbitrary particles for DEM modelling

Mechanical behaviors of granular materials are complicated and greatly influenced by the particle shape.Current,some composite approaches have been proposed for realistic particle shape modelling within discrete element method(DEM),while they cannot give a good representation to the shape and mass properties of a real particle.In this work,a novel algorithm is developed to model an arbitrary particle using a cluster of non-overlapping disks.The algorithm mainly consists of two components:boundary filling and domain filling.In the boundary filling,some disks are placed along the boundary for a precise representation of the particle shape,and some more disks are placed in the domain to give an approximation to the mass properties of the particle in the domain filling.Besides,a simple method is proposed to correct the mass properties of a cluster after domain filling and reduce the number of the disks in a cluster for lower computational load.Moreover,it is another great merit of the algorithm that a cluster generated by the algorithm can be used to simulate the particle breakage because of no overlaps between the disks in a cluster.Finally,several examples are used to show the robust performance of the algorithm.A current FORTRAN version of the algorithm is available by contacting the author.

Simulation and experimental study on the surface morphology and energy lost of the target material under non-overlapping impact of angular particles

In order to further understand the effect of solid impurities on pipeline wall during erosion,the particle impact process without fluid was extracted for specific study.The effect of multi-impact particles on the wall of pipeline was studied experimentally and simulated.In this experiment,an improved ejection apparatus was implemented to carry out multi-impacts non-overlapping impingement by rhombic particles made of high speed steel(W18Cr4V)on the AA6061 aluminum alloy plate through changing particle angle,incident angle,orientation angle and impact velocity.As a result,each particle's penetration depth was investigated and particles' rebound trajectory can be described through this experiment as well as surface morphology of the target material after impingement.The ductile damage criterion,shear damage criterion and MSFLD damage criterion were jointly implemented in ABAQUS/CAE software to simulate the whole process of collision which proved to be effective by getting consistent result compared with experimental data.It is found that under the condition of continuous non-overlapping impact,the target material produces a small work hardening effect in the impact area by converting kinetic energy of moving particles into internal energy of plate so as to reduce the penetration depth of each impact particle.

The Significant Contribution of Small-Sized and Spherical Aerosol Particles to the Decreasing Trend in Total Aerosol Optical Depth over Land from 2003 to 2018

The optical and microphysical properties of aerosols remain one of the greatest uncertainties associated with evaluating the climate forcing attributed to aerosols.Although the trends in aerosol optical depth(AOD)at global and regional scales have been widely examined,little attention has been paid to the trends in type-dependent AODs related to aerosol particle properties.Here,using the aerosol optical component dataset from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer(MISR)instrument,we investigate decadal-scale trends in total aerosol loading as well as AODs for five aerosol components by particle size and morphology during 2003–2018 over land.Relationships between the total AOD(TAOD)trends and type-dependent AOD changes were examined,and the relative contribution of each type-dependent AOD to the overall TAOD trends was quantified.By dividing the TAOD values into four different aerosol pollution levels(APLs)with splits at 0.15,0.40,and 0.80,we further explored the relationships between TAOD changes and interannual variations in the frequency-of-occurrences(FoOs)of these APLs.Long-term trends in FoOs in the different APLs show that there was a significant improvement in air quality between 2003 and 2018 in most land areas,except South Asia,corresponding to a shift from lightly polluted to clean conditions.However,the effects of different APLs on TAOD changes are regionally dependent and their extent of correlation varied spatially.Moreover,we observed that the annual mean TAOD has decreased by 0.47%.a^(-1)over land since 2003(P<0.05).This significant reduction was mainly attributed to the continued reduction in small-sized(<0.7 mm diameter)AOD(SAOD)(-0.74%.a^(-1))and spherical AOD(SPAOD)(-0.46%.a^(-1)).Statistical analysis shows that SAOD and SPAOD respectively accounted for 57.5%and 89.6%of the TAOD,but contributed 82.6%and 90.4%of the trend in TAOD.Our study suggests that small-sized and spherical aerosols composed of sulfate,organic matter,and black carbon play a dominant role in determining interannual variability in land TAOD.

Continuum percolation of porous media via random packing of overlapping cube-like particles

The pore configuration in porous medium is assumed to be the randomly distributed cube-like particles which can overlap each other in the periodic cubic domain, and the impact of particle characteristics on the percolation property of these cube-like particle packing systems is analyzed.Firstly, by combining the percolation models and finite-size scaling analysis, three numerical parameters(i.e., percolation transition width △L, local percolation threshold ψ_c(L), and correlation length exponent v) for the cube-like particle systems with shape parameter s in[1.0, +∞] are derived successively. Then, based on the relation between the percolation thresholdψ_c in infinite space and the local percolation threshold ψ_c(L), the corresponding ψ_c with s in[1.0, +∞] are further determined. It is shown from the study that the characteristics of cube-like particles have significant influence on the global percolation threshold ψ_c of the particle packing systems. As the parameter s increases from 1.0 to +∞, the percolation threshold ψ_c will go down persistently. When the surface of cube-like particles is cubical and spherical, respectively, the minimum and maximum thresholds ψ_c,min and ψ_c,max are obtained.

Particle Based Simulation for Solitary Waves Passing over a Submerged Breakwater

This research develops a two-dimensional numerical model for the simulation of the flow due to a solitary wave passing over a trapezoidal submerged breakwater on the basis of generalized vortex methods. In this method, the irrotational flow field due to free surface waves is simulated by employing a vortex sheet distribution, and the vorticity field generated from the submerged object is discretized using vortex blobs. This method reduces the difficulty in capturing the nonlinear deformation of surface waves, and also concentrates the computational resources in the compact region with vorticity. This numerical model was validated by conducting a set of simulations for irrotational solitary waves and then compared with the results of a relevant research. The comparisons exhibit good agreement. The rotational flows induced by different incident wave height were simulated and analyzed to study the effect of vorticity on the deformation and the breaking of solitary waves.

Separation-and-Recovery Technology for Organic Waste Liquid with a High Concentration of Inorganic Particles

The environmentally friendly and resourceful utilization of organic waste liquid is one of the frontiers of environmental engineering. With the increasing demand for chemicals, the problem of organic waste liq- uid with a high concentration of inorganic pollutants in the processing of petroleum, coal, and natural gas is becoming more serious. In this study, the high-speed self-rotation and flipping of particles in a three- dimensional cyclonic turbulent field was examined using a synchronous high-speed camera technique; the self-rotation speed was found to reach 2000-6000 rad.s 1. Based on these findings, a cyclonic gas- stripping method for the removal of organic matter from the pores of particles was invented. A techno- logical process was developed to recover organic matter from waste liquid by cyclonic gas stripping and classifying inorganic particles by means of airflow acceleration classification. A demonstration device was built in Sinopec＇s first ebullated-bed hydro-treatment unit for residual oil. Compared with the T-STAR fixed-bed gas-stripping technology designed in the United States, the maximum liquid-removal effi- ciency of the catalyst particles in this new process is 44.9% greater at the same temperature, and the time required to realize 95% liquid-removal efficiency is decreased from 1956.5 to 8.4 s. In addition, we achieved the classification and reuse of the catalyst particles contained in waste liquid according to their activity. A proposal to use this new technology was put forward regarding the control of organic waste liquid and the classification recovery of inorganic particles in an ebullated-bed hydro-treatment process for residual oil with a processing capacity of 2×106 t.a^1. It is estimated that the use of this new tech- nology will lead to the recovery of 3100 t.a 1 of diesel fuel and 647 t.a^1 of high-activity catalyst; in addi- tion, it will reduce the consumption of fresh catalyst by 518 t.a^1. The direct economic benefits of this process will be as high as 37.28 million CNY per year.

Computer vision-aided DEM study on the compaction characteristics of graded subgrade filler considering realistic coarse particle shapes

The compaction quality of subgrade filler strongly affects subgrade settlement.The main objective of this research is to analyze the macro-and micro-mechanical compaction characteristics of subgrade filler based on the real shape of coarse particles.First,an improved Viola-Jones algorithm is employed to establish a digitalized 2D particle database for coarse particle shape evaluation and discrete modeling purposes of subgrade filler.Shape indexes of 2D subgrade filler are then computed and statistically analyzed.Finally,numerical simulations are performed to quantitatively investigate the effects of the aspect ratio(AR)and interparticle friction coefficient(μ)on the macro-and micro-mechanical compaction characteristics of subgrade filler based on the discrete element method(DEM).The results show that with the increasing AR,the coarse particles are narrower,leading to the increasing movement of fine particles during compaction,which indicates that it is difficult for slender coarse particles to inhibit the migration of fine particles.Moreover,the average displacement of particles is strongly influenced by the AR,indicating that their occlusion under power relies on particle shapes.The dis-placement and velocity of fine particles are much greater than those of the coarse particles,which shows that compaction is primarily a migration of fine particles.Under the cyclic load,the interparticle friction coefficientμhas little effect on the internal structure of the sample;under the quasi-static loads,however,the increase inμwill lead to a significant increase in the porosity of the sample.This study could not only provide a novel approach to investigate the compaction mechanism but also establish a new theoretical basis for the evaluation of intelligent subgrade compaction.

The research progress of an E//B neutral particle analyzer

An E//B neutral particle analyzer(NPA)has been designed and is under development at Sichuan University and Southwestern Institute of Physics.The main purpose of the E//B NPA is to measure the distribution function of fast ions in the HL-2A/3 tokamak.The E//B NPA contains three main units,i.e.the stripping unit,the analyzing unit and the detection unit.A gas stripping chamber was adopted as the stripping unit.The results of the simulations and beam tests for the stripping chamber are presented.Parallel electric and magnetic fields provided by a NdFeB permanent magnet and two parallel electric plates were designed and constructed for the analyzing unit.The calibration of the magnetic and electric fields was performed using a 50 kV electron cyclotron resonance ion source(ECRIS)platform.The detection unit consists of 32lutetium-yttrium oxyorthosilicate(LYSO)detector modules arranged in two rows.The response functions ofα,hydrogen ions(H^(+),H_(2)^(+)and H_(3)^(+))andγfor a detector module were measured with^(241)Am,^(137)Cs and^(152)Eu sources together with the 50 kV ECRIS platform.The overall results indicate that the designed E//B NPA device is capable of measuring the intensity of neutral hydrogen and deuteron atoms with energy higher than 20 keV.