Control of peak pressures of an HCCI engine under varying swirl and operating parameters

The major advantages of homogeneous charge compression ignition （HCCI） are high efficiency in combination with low NOx-emissions. However, one of the major challenges with HCCI is the control of higher peak pressures which may damage the engine, limiting the HCCI engine life period. In this paper, an attempt is made to analyze computationally the effect of induction swirl in controlling the peak pressures of an HCCI engine under various operating parameters. A single cylinder 1.6 L reentrant piston bowl diesel engine is chosen. For computational analysis, the ECFM-3Z model of STAR - CD is considered because it is suitable for analyzing the combustion processes in SI and CI engines. As an HCCI engine is a hybrid version of SI and CI engines, the ECFM- 3Z model with necessary modifications is used to analyze the peak pressures inside the combustion chamber. The ECFM-3Z model for HCCI mode of combustion is validated with the existing literature to make sure that the results obtained are accurate. Numerical experiments are performed to study the effect of varying properties like speed of the engine, piston bowl geometry, exhaust gas recirculation （EGR） and equivalence ratio under different swirl ratios in controlling the peak pressures inside the combustion chamber. The results show that the swirl ratio has a considerable impact on controlling the peak pressures of HCCI engine. A reduction in peak pressures are observed with a swirl ratio of 4 because of reduced in cylinder temperatures. The combined effect of four operating parameters, i.e., the speed of the engine, piston bowl geometry, EGR, and equivalence ratio with swirl ratios suggest that lower intake temperatures, reentrant piston bowl, higher engine speeds and higher swirl ratios are favorable in controlling the peak pressures.

Comparison of intraocular pressure peak and fluctuations among Filipino patients with non-glaucomatous eyes and glaucoma suspects using water drinking test and diurnal intraocular pressure

AIM:To compare the intraocular pressure(IOP)peaks and fluctuations using water drinking tests(WDTs)and mean diurnal IOP among Filipino patients with normal eyes and glaucoma suspectsMETHODS:This prospective study included normal and glaucoma suspect patients.Each patient underwent both WDT and mean diurnal examination on separate visits.For mean diurnal examination,IOP was recorded every 2 h for 8 h while in WDT,IOP was recorded prior to WDT,and postWDT at 5,15,30,45,and 60 min.IOP peak was recorded as the highest IOP for both methods,and IOP fluctuation was recorded as highest IOP minus lowest IOP.RESULTS:With the comparison of diagnostic tests,both normal eyes and glaucoma suspect groups,the peak IOP was caught at 15 min.Comparative analysis of both groups also showed that the peak IOP measurements were statistically higher for the WDT compared to mean diurnal IOP(P=0.039,P=0.048 under normal group and P=0.032 and P=0.031 under glaucoma suspect group).Similarly,the WDT had a statistically higher mean IOP fluctuation score than the mean diurnal IOP method in both groups(P=0.003,P=0.011 under normal group;P=0.002 and P=0.005 under glaucoma suspect group).CONCLUSION:This study shows that WDT is a comparable diagnostic exam in predicting IOP fluctuations than mean diurnal measurement.WDT is a promising diagnostic procedure for risk assessment in glaucoma.

Large isolated fibrous tumors in the upper esophagus: A case report

BACKGROUND Solitary fibrous tumors(SFT)are rare spindle cell tumors that are usually benign.A total of 10 cases of SFTs in the upper esophagus have ever been reported.Here,we report the anesthetic management of a patient with a large isolated fibrous tumor of the upper esophagus compressing the tracheal membrane.We also provide a literature review of the current research.CASE SUMMARY We report the case of a 49 year old male with“cough aggravation and wheezing after exercise”,who underwent esophagectomy for a large isolated fibrous tumor compressing the tracheal membrane in the upper esophagus.We advise the use of a single-lumen tube with a blocker in patients with difficult airways to reduce the incidence of airway injury and fibrinoscopy at all stages of the perioperative period to guide airway management.This case study is the first report of the anesthetic management of a large,isolated fibrous tumor compressing the tracheal membrane in the upper esophagus.CONCLUSION This rare case emphasizes the importance of perioperative management of anesthesia in patients with large isolated fibrous tumors of the upper esophagus that compress the tracheal membrane.The use of blocker reduce the incidence of airway injury and fibrinoscopy at the perioperative period to guide airway mana-gement.

An Experimental and Numerical Study on the Cleaning of Pleated Bag Filters Using Low-Pressure Pulsed-Jets

Pulsed-jet cleaning is recognized as the most efficient method to regenerate bag dust collectors traditionally used in industrial processes to control the emission of particulates.In this study,non-woven needle felt filter bags with and without a film coating material have been analyzed considering different geometries(different number N of pairs of pleated filter bag sides)in the frame of dedicated low-pressure pulsed-jet cleaning experiments.The flow structure inside the bag and the response characteristics of its wall have also been analyzed numerically through a computational fluid-dynamics/structural-dynamics(CFD-CSD)unidirectional fluid-solid coupling method.As shown by the experiments,the peak pressure(P_(0))on the wall of the filter bag with N=8 and 12 is higher,which indicates dust can be removed more effectively in these cases.The peak pressure on the wall increases first and then decreases along the direction of the bag length,while the peak pressure of the pleated filter bag with nonwoven needled felt film coating is greater than that without film coating.A comprehensive analysis of the time variation of acceleration,deformation,strain,stress and other factors,has led to the conclusion that the pleated filter bag with N=12 would be the optimal choice.

Exercise Blood Pressure Response and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Middle Aged Women: A MONET Group Study

Objective: To investigate if an exaggerated peak exercise systolic blood pressure (peak ESBP) is associated with alteration of cardiometabolic risk factors and predict future resting hypertension in middle aged women. Methods: Data analysis was performed in 95 healthy normotensive premeno-pausal women at baseline and 84 after 5-year follow-up (age, 49.9 ± 1.9 years;BMI, 23.3 ± 2.2 kg/m2;resting BP, 117/73 ± 11.8/7.6 mmHg). Blood pressure was measured at rest and during a progressive exercise test on treadmill. Women were divided into two groups according to their peak ESBP <190 mmHg vs. ≥190 mmHg. Other outcome measures were: cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2 peak), body composition, body fat distribution and fasting plasma lipids, glucose and insulin levels. Results: 15% and 27% of women presented an exaggerated peak ESBP response (≥190 mmHg) at baseline and year 5 respectively. Linear mixed model repeated measures analysis revealed higher values of fasting glucose, resting systolic and diastolic BP in women with an exaggerated peak ESBP (≥190 mmHg) compared to women with a peak ESBP (<190 mmHg). No significant difference was observed between the two groups for VO2 peak, body composition and body fat distribution indices and other cardiometabolic risk factors. Finally, baseline peak ESBP was not a significant risk factor for future resting hypertension (OR: 2.96, 95%CI [0.48 - 18.12];P = 0.24). Conclusion: Our results, despite being non significant, are of great interest because in healthy and active premenopausal women, exaggerated peak ESBP is not predictive of future hypertension after 5-year follow-up throughout menopause transition.

Smart passive gait retraining intervention via pebbles for reducing peakplantar pressure: Short-term results

Recently, there has been a growing interest in gait retraining to alter the gait parameters of different populations.In these gait retraining, peak plantar pressure (PPP) was considered as an important parameter of the footbiomechanics. It has been found that high PPP correlates to the common foot deformities including pes planus/cavus. However, previous studies utilized excessive electronics in gait retraining, which is challenging toimplement daily especially when device cleaning, flexibility and portability are considered. Therefore, this studyinvestigated feasibility of a novel unpowered gait retraining for reducing high PPP. Twelve potential participantsidentified for investigation through a baseline PPP evaluation with Novel Pedar-x system. Participants received asingle session for the gait retraining with pebbles in the form of rigid spherical inserts (RSI) placed in locations ofhigh PPP inside the deformable insole. This provides tactile cues alerting the participants to alter their gait toreduce excess PPP. The PPP values were tracked in weekly follow-up sessions for 6 weeks. The results demonstrated that participants responded to RSI altering their gait to reduce PPP and maximum force by 14% and 10.5%after six weeks respectively. This study is valuable for physicians in reducing PPP when non-electronics arerequired.

Erroneous presentation of respiratory-hemodynamic disturbances and postsurgical inflammatory responses in patients having undergone abdominal cavity cancer surgery

In this letter to the editor,the authors discuss the findings and shortcomings of a published retrospective study,including 120 patients undergoing surgery for gastric or colon cancer under general anesthesia.The study focused on perioperative dynamic respiratory and hemodynamic disturbances and early postsurgical inflammatory responses.

Simulation of Flat-Bottom Structure Slamming

A study is performed about the water entry of a flat-bottom structure by use of the FE software MSC Dytran. The aim of the study is to find out the effect of the air cushion and structural mass on the impact peak pressure and the role of splash in the course of water entry. Some FE models are built up and some cases including the flat-bottom structure with different masses impacting water at some constant or initial velocities are calculated. The calculation shows that air plays an important role in the course of water entry of a flat-bottom structure and the compression of the air captured by the flat- bottom structure produces the first peak pressure. And the mass of the structure has a great effect on the peak value of impact pressure. The structure with different masses will produce different impact pressures even at the same impact velocity. Splash will occur a long time after the impact pressure reaches the peak value. A formula is given for the calculation of the peak value of impact pressure in this paper.

Response of masonry systems against blast loading

In this paper eight successive experimental blast tests with an increasing TNT equivalent charge weights ranging from 0.56 kg to 17.78 kg were conducted on unreinforced,ferrocemented overlay masonry and confined masonry walls.The pressure-time history caused by the blast was recorded by pressure sensors installed on the test specimen.The resulting damage pattern was observed during each test.Weak zones in the three systems of masonry were identified.Scaled distances for different damage levels in the three masonry systems were experimentally obtained.The results provide a basis for determining the response of each masonry system against blast loading.Consequently,efficiency of ferrocemented overlay masonry and confined masonry was found established in mitigation against blast loads.

Stability of rat models of fluid percussion-induced traumatic brain injury: comparison of three different impact forces

Fluid percussion-induced traumatic brain injury models have been widely used in experimental research for years. In an experiment, the stability of impaction is inevitably affected by factors such as the appearance of liquid spikes. Management of impact pressure is a crucial factor that determines the stability of these models, and direction of impact control is another basic element. To improve experimental stability, we calculated a pressure curve by generating repeated impacts using a fluid percussion device at different pendulum angles. A stereotactic frame was used to control the direction of impact. We produced stable and reproducible models, including mild, moderate, and severe traumatic brain injury, using the MODEL01-B device at pendulum angles of 6°, 11° and 13°, with corresponding impact force values of 1.0 ± 0.11 atm（101.32 ± 11.16 k Pa）, 2.6 ± 0.16 atm（263.44 ± 16.21 k Pa）, and 3.6 ± 0.16 atm（364.77 ± 16.21 k Pa）, respectively. Behavioral tests, hematoxylin-eosin staining, and magnetic resonance imaging revealed that models for different degrees of injury were consistent with the clinical properties of mild, moderate, and severe craniocerebral injuries. Using this method, we established fluid percussion models for different degrees of injury and stabilized pathological features based on precise power and direction control.

Dynamic characteristics of bubbling fluidization through recurrence rate analysis of pressure fluctuations

Pressure fluctuations signals of a lab-scale fiuidized bed （15 cm inner diameter and 2 m height） at different superficial gas velocities were measured. Recurrence plot （RP） and recurrence rate （RR）, and the simplest variable of recurrence quantification analysis （RQA） were used to analyze the pressure signals. Different patterns observed in RP reflect different dynamic behavior of the system under study. It was also found that the variance of RR （a2R） Could reveal the peak dominant frequencies （PDF） of different dynamic systems： completely periodic, completely stochastic, Lorenz system, and fluidized bed. The results were compared with power spectral density. Additionally, the diagram of σ^2RR provides a new technique for prediction of transition velocity from bubbling to turbulent fluidization regime.

Smart computing approach for design and scale-up of conical spouted beds with open-sided draft tubes

Open-sided draft tubes provide an optimal gas distribution through a cross flow pattern between the spout and the annulus in conical spouted beds.The design,optimization,control,and scale-up of the spouted beds require precise information on operating and peak pressure drops.In this study,a multi-layer perceptron(MLP)neural network was employed for accurate prediction of these hydrodynamic characteristics.A relatively huge number of experiments were accomplished and the most influential dimensionless groups were extracted using the Buckingham-pi theorem.Then,the dimensionless groups were used for developing the MLP model for simultaneous estimation of operating and peak pressure drops.The iterative constructive technique confirmed that 4-14-2 is the best structure for the MLP model in terms of absolute average relative deviation(AARD%),mean square error(MSE),and regression coefficient(R^(2)).The developed MLP approach has an excellent capacity to predict the transformed operating(MSE=0.00039,AARD%=1.30,and R^(2)=0.76099)and peak(MSE=0.22933,AARD%=11.88,and R2=0.89867)pressure drops.