Ignition processes and characteristics of charring conductive polymers with a cavity geometry in precombustion chamber for applications in micro/nano satellite hybrid rocket motors

The arc ignition system based on charring polymers has advantages of simple structure,low ignition power consumption and multiple ignitions,which bringing it broadly application prospect in hybrid propulsion system of micro/nano satellite.However,charring polymers alone need a relatively high input voltage to achieve pyrolysis and ignition,which increases the burden and cost of the power system of micro/nano satellite in practical application.Adding conductive substance into charring polymers can effectively decrease the conducting voltage which can realize low voltage and low power consumption repeated ignition of arc ignition system.In this paper,a charring conductive polymer ignition grain with a cavity geometry in precombustion chamber,which is composed of PLA and multiwall carbon nanotubes(MWCNT)was proposed.The detailed ignition processes were analyzed and two different ignition mechanisms in the cavity of charring conductive polymers were revealed.The ignition characteristics of charring conductive polymers were also investigated at different input voltages,ignition grain structures,ignition locations and injection schemes in a visual ignition combustor.The results demonstrated that the ignition delay and external energy required for ignition were inversely correlated with the voltages applied to ignition grain.Moreover,the incremental depth of cavity shortened the ignition delay and external energy required for ignition while accelerated the propagation of flame.As the depth of cavity increased from 2 to 6 mm(at 50 V),the time of flame propagating out of ignition grain changed from 235.6 to 108 ms,and values of mean ignition delay time and mean external energy required for ignition decreased from 462.8 to 320 ms and 16.2 to 10.75 J,respectively.The rear side of the cavity was the ideal ignition position which had a shorter ignition delay and a faster flame propagation speed in comparison to other ignition positions.Compared to direct injection scheme,swirling injection provided a more favorable flow field environment in the cavity,which was beneficial to ignition and initial flame propagation,but the ignition position needed to be away from the outlet of swirling injector.At last,the repeated ignition characteristic of charring conductive polymers was also investigated.The ignition delay time and external energy required for ignition decreased with repeated ignition times but the variation was decreasing gradually.

On-Chip Micro Temperature Controllers Based on Freestanding Thermoelectric Nano Films for Low-Power Electronics

Multidimensional integration and multifunctional com-ponent assembly have been greatly explored in recent years to extend Moore’s Law of modern microelectronics.However,this inevitably exac-erbates the inhomogeneity of temperature distribution in microsystems,making precise temperature control for electronic components extremely challenging.Herein,we report an on-chip micro temperature controller including a pair of thermoelectric legs with a total area of 50×50μm^(2),which are fabricated from dense and flat freestanding Bi2Te3-based ther-moelectric nano films deposited on a newly developed nano graphene oxide membrane substrate.Its tunable equivalent thermal resistance is controlled by electrical currents to achieve energy-efficient temperature control for low-power electronics.A large cooling temperature difference of 44.5 K at 380 K is achieved with a power consumption of only 445μW,resulting in an ultrahigh temperature control capability over 100 K mW^(-1).Moreover,an ultra-fast cooling rate exceeding 2000 K s^(-1) and excellent reliability of up to 1 million cycles are observed.Our proposed on-chip temperature controller is expected to enable further miniaturization and multifunctional integration on a single chip for microelectronics.

Active Micro-Nano-Collaborative Bioelectronic Device for Advanced Electrophysiological Recording

The development of precise and sensitive electrophysiological recording platforms holds the utmost importance for research in the fields of cardiology and neuroscience.In recent years,active micro/nano-bioelectronic devices have undergone significant advancements,thereby facilitating the study of electrophysiology.The distinctive configuration and exceptional functionality of these active micro-nano-collaborative bioelectronic devices offer the potential for the recording of high-fidelity action potential signals on a large scale.In this paper,we review three-dimensional active nano-transistors and planar active micro-transistors in terms of their applications in electroexcitable cells,focusing on the evaluation of the effects of active micro/nano-bioelectronic devices on electrophysiological signals.Looking forward to the possibilities,challenges,and wide prospects of active micro-nano-devices,we expect to advance their progress to satisfy the demands of theoretical investigations and medical implementations within the domains of cardiology and neuroscience research.

Micro/Nano-Satellites: Opportunities and Challenges

At an accelerating development pace, Micro-Nano Satellite technology has become one of the most active research topics in the current aerospace field. Its applications have been extended from engineering education and technology demonstration into various other fields, such as communication, remote sensing, navigation and scientific experiments just to name a few. In this paper issues raised on Micro/Nano-Satellites in recent news are reviewed and the opportunities and challenges confronting Micro/Nano-Satellites are analyzed. Then the Micro/nano-Satellites of National University of Defense Technology(NUDT) are briefly introduced. Finally, some suggestions on the development of Micro/Nano-Satellites in the future are proposed.

A Status Graph Based Control Allocation Algorithm of Digital Micro-Thruster Array for Micro/Nano-Satellites Orbit Control Application

Digital micro-thruster arrays can be used for special missions of micro/nano-satellites with the requirements of high precision and small impulse.This paper presents a novel control allocation algorithm for the digital micro-thruster array,namely status graph based control allocation(SGBCA)algorithm,which aims at finding the optimal micro thrusters combination scheme to realize the sequential control synthesis for micro/nano-satellite during real-time orbit control tasks.A mathematical model is set up for the control allocation of this multivariate over-actuated system.Through dividing thrusters into disjoint segments by offline calculation and combining segments dynamically online to provide a sequence of the required impulse for the micro/nano-satellite,the time complexity of the control allocation algorithm decreases significantly.All levels of impulse can be generated by the digital micro thruster arrays and the service life of the arrays can be extended using the segment converting strategy proposed in this paper.The simulation indicates that the algorithm can satisfy the requirements of real-time orbit control for micro/nano-satellites.

“Smart”micro/nano container-based self-healing coatings on magnesium alloys:A review

Coating technologies are a commonly used way to protect metals against corrosion.However,with more and more severe service environments of materials,many protective coating systems often are not environmentally friendly or toxic as in the case of chromates.Based on the world’s abundant ideal magnesium(Mg)and its alloy,the smart self-healing anticorrosive coating can autonomously restore the damaged part of the coating according to the environmental changes,strengthen the corrosion protection ability,and prolong its service life.This paper reviews the research progress of smart self-healing coatings on Mg alloys.These coatings mostly contain suitable corrosion inhibitors encapsulated into micro/nano containers.Moreover,the different self-healing mechanisms and functionalities of micro/nano containers are discussed.The micro/nano containers range from inorganic nanocontainers such as mesoporous nanoparticles(silica(SiO_(2)),titanium dioxide(TiO_(2)),etc.),over inorganic clays(halloysite,hydrotalcite-like,zeolite),to organic nanocontainers such as polymer microcapsules,nanofibers,chitosan(CS)and cyclodextrin(CD),as well as,carbon materials such as graphene and carbon nanotubes and hybrids such as metal organic frameworks.The functioning of micro/nano containers can be divided in two principal groups:autonomous(based on defect filling and corrosion inhibition)and non-autonomous(based on dynamic bonds and shape memory polymers).Moreover,multi functionalities and composite applications of various micro/nano containers are summarized.At present,significant progress has been made in the preparation methods and technologies of micro/nano containers.Achieving long-term self-healing properties of coatings sensing of coating failure and early warning after self-healing function failure can be expected as the main development direction of self-healing corrosion protection coatings in the future.

Research on Infrared Emissivity and Laser Reflectivity of Sn_(1−x)Er_(x)O_(2)Micro/Nanofibers Based on First-Principles

Sn_(1−x)Er_(x)O_(2)(x=0%,8%,16%,24%)micro/nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning combined with heat treatment using erbium nitrate,stannous chloride and polyvinylpyrrolidone(PVP)as raw materials.The target products were characterized by thermogravimetric analyzer,X-ray diffrotometer,fourier transform infrared spectrometer,scanning electron microscope,spectrophotometer and infrared emissivity tester,and the effects of Er^(3+)doping on its infrared and laser emissivity were studied.At the same time,the Sn_(1−x)Er_(x)O_(2)(x=0%,16%)doping models were constructed based on the first principles of density functional theory,and the related optoelectronic properties such as their energy band structure,density of states,reflectivity and dielectric constant were analyzed,and further explained the mechanism of Er^(3+)doping on SnO_(2)infrared emissivity and laser absorption from the point of electronic structure.The results showed that after calcination at 600℃,single rutile type SnO_(2)was formed,and the crystal structure was not changed by doping Er^(3+).The calcined products showed good fiber morphology,and the average fiber diameter was 402 nm.The infrared emissivity and resistivity of the samples both decreased first and then increased with the increase of Er^(3+)doping amount.When x=16%,the infrared emis-sivity of the sample was at least 0.71;and Er^(3+)doping can effectively reduce the reflectivity of SnO_(2)at 1.06μm and 1.55μm,when x=16%,its reflectivity at 1.06μm and 1.55μm are 50.5%and 40%,respectively,when x=24%,the reflectivity at 1.06μm and 1.55μm wavelengths are 47.3%and 42.1%,respectively.At the same time,the change of carrier concentration and electron transition before and after Er^(3+)doping were described by first-principle calculation,and the regulation mechanism of infrared emissivity and laser reflectivity was explained.This study provides a certain experimental and theoretical basis for the development of a single-type,light-weight and easily prepared infrared and laser compatible-stealth material.

Magnetic Field Effect and Heat Transfer of Nanofluids within Waveform Microchannel

In this research,a numerical study of mixed convection of non-Newtonian fluid and magnetic field effect along a vertical wavy surface was investigated.A simple coordinate transformation to transform wavy surface to a flat surface is employed.A cubic spline collocation numerical method is employed to analyze transformed equations.The effect of various parameters such as Reynolds number,volume fraction 0-,Hartmann number,and amplitude of wave length was evaluated in improving the performance of a wavy microchannel.According to the presented results,the sinusoidal shape of the microchannel has a direct impact on heat transfer.By increasing the microchannel wave amplitude,the Nusselt number has risen.On the other hand,increasing the heat transfer in the higher wavelength ratio corrugated channel is seen as an effective method of increasing the heat transfer,especially at higher Reynolds numbers.The results showed that with increasing Hartmann numbers,the flow line near thewall becomesmore regular and,according to the temperature gradient created,theNusselt number growth.

Micro–Nano Water Film Enabled High‑Performance Interfacial Solar Evaporation

Interfacial solar evaporation holds great promise to address the freshwater shortage.However,most interfacial solar evaporators are always filled with water throughout the evaporation process,thus bringing unavoidable heat loss.Herein,we propose a novel interfacial evaporation structure based on the micro–nano water film,which demonstrates significantly improved evaporation performance,as experimentally verified by polypyrrole-and polydopamine-coated polydimethylsiloxane sponge.The 2D evaporator based on the as-prepared sponge realizes an enhanced evaporation rate of 2.18 kg m^(−2)h^(−1)under 1 sun by fine-tuning the interfacial micro–nano water film.Then,a homemade device with an enhanced condensation function is engineered for outdoor clean water production.Throughout a continuous test for 40 days,this device demonstrates a high water production rate(WPR)of 15.9–19.4 kg kW^(−1)h^(−1)m^(−2).Based on the outdoor outcomes,we further establish a multi-objective model to assess the global WPR.It is predicted that a 1 m^(2)device can produce at most 7.8 kg of clean water per day,which could meet the daily drinking water needs of 3 people.Finally,this technology could greatly alleviate the current water and energy crisis through further large-scale applications.

Approach to inter-satellite time synchronization for micro-satellite cluster

Micro-satellite cluster enables a whole new class of missions for communications, remote sensing, and scientific research for both civilian and military purposes. Synchronizing the time of the satellites in a cluster is important for both cluster sensing capabilities and its autonomous operating. However, the existing time synchronization methods are not suitable for microsatellite cluster, because it requires too many human interventions and occupies too much ground control resource. Although, data post-process may realize the equivalent time synchronization, it requires processing time and powerful computing ability on the ground, which cannot be implemented by cluster itself. In order to autonomously establish and maintain the time benchmark in a cluster, we propose a compact time difference compensation system（TDCS）, which is a kind of time control loop that dynamically adjusts the satellite reference frequency according to the time difference. Consequently, the time synchronization in the cluster can be autonomously achieved on-orbit by synchronizing the clock of other satellites to a chosen one＇s. The experimental result shows that the standard deviation of time synchronization is about 102 ps when the carrier to noise ratio（CNR） is 95 d BHz, and the standard deviation of corresponding frequency difference is approximately0.36 Hz.

Approach to MAI cancellation for micro-satellite clusters

With the development of micro-satellite technology,traditional monolithic satellites can be replaced by micro-satellite clusters to achieve high flexibility and dynamic reconfiguration capability.For satellite clusters based on the frequency division-code division multiple access(FD-CDMA)communication system,the inter-satellite ranging precision is usually constrained due to the influence ofmulti-address interference(MAI).Themulti-user detection(MUD)is a solution to MAI,which can be divided into two categories:the linear detector(LD)and the non-linear detector(NLD).The general idea of the LD is aiming to make a better decision during the symbol decision process by using the information of all channels.However,it is not beneficial for the signal phase tracking precision.Instead,the principle of the NLD is to rebuild the interference signal and cancel it from the original one,which can improve the ranging performance at the expense of considerable delays.In order to enable simultaneous ranging and communication and reduce multi-node ranging performance degradation,this paper proposes an NLD scheme based on a delay locked loop(DLL),which simplifies the receiver structure and introduces no delay in the decision process.This scheme utilizes the information obtained from the interference channel to reconstruct the interference signal and then cancels it from the original delayed signal.Therefore,the DLL input signal-to-interference ratio(SIR)of the desired channel can be significantly improved.The experimental results show that with the proposed scheme,the standard deviation of the tracking steady error is decreased from 5.59 cm to 3.97 cm for SIR=5 dB,and 13.53 cm to 5.77 cm for SIR=-5 dB,respectively.

Study on relationship between polymorphism of hAR gene (CAG)n micro-satellite and prostate cancer

Objective: To study the relationship between the polymorphic (CAG)n micro-satellite of human androgen receptor (bAR) gene and prostate cancer (Pca). Methods: The number of (CAG)n repeats in 107 normal males were measured by a two-step [α-32P]-dCTP incorporated asymmetric polymeric chain reaction (PCR), and the (CAG)n repeats of both malignant and nonmalignant prostate cells in fixed paraffin-embedded tissue (PET) specimen from 36 case of Pca were determined by sequence analysis. Results: The repeats of polymorphic (CAG) n among normal men ranged from 11 to 29, and the most frequent repeat was 22(18. 69%), with 23(14. 02%), 24(10. 28%) and 21(10. 28%) being less frequent. The (CAG)n repeats of malignant prostate cells equaled to that of nonmalignant adjacent prostate tissue cells from the same PET specimen in all 36 Pca, and the (CAG)n repeats in 36 Pca which ranged from 16 to 22 were shorter than that in normal males significantly (P＜0. 05), while no significant difference in (CAG)n repeats among various grade of tumor's differentiation(well-differentiated, intermediate-differentiated and poor-differentiated) was found (P＞ 0. 05). Conclusion: The present study suggest that short hAR gene (CAG)n micro-satellite might be associated with the occurrence of Pca, but not with the differentiation of Pca.

Proposal of Functional Thermal Control Systems for High-Power Micro-Satellite and Its Demonstration under Thermal Vacuum Condition

In previous years, several high-power micro-satellites below ~100 kg have been developed for high-functional spacecraft. This paper proposes a functional and high-power thermal control system with no power supply and a simple configuration for micro-satellite: 100 W, 3 U. The proposed system consists of a heat storage panel (HSP) with pitch type CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer), a micro loop heat pipe (m-LHP) and a flexible re-deployable radiator (FRDR) as an active thermal control system. The aim of this research is to try not only to verify the thermal control devices, but also to perform a water phase change experiment as a payload using an electric power generation of 100 W in space environment. In this paper, the basic design of the satellite, the analysis of the feasibility by the thermal mathematical model, and the fabrication of thermal test model including water phase chamber are reported. The main results of thermal analysis as feasibility verification showed that the paddles could absorb the thermal energy up to 97 W at the solar input of 180 W, and the operating temperature of bus equipment became within the allowable temperature range (0°C - 40°C). At thermal vacuum test, the difference between the analysis and the experiment for the temperature history of water due to the discordance for the value of thermal conductance was discussed.

Modification of Nano-α-Al2O3 and Its Influence on the Surface Properties of Waterborne Polyurethane Resin Composite Passivation Films

Silane coupling agent KH560 was used to modify the surface of nano-α-Al2O3 in ethanol-aqueous solution with different proportions. The particle size of nano-α-Al2O3 was determined by nano-particle size analyzer, and the effects of nano-α-Al2O3 content, ethanol-aqueous solution ratio and KH560 dosage on the dispersion and particle size of nano-α-Al2O3 were investigated. The material structure before and after modification was determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Aqueous polyurethane resin and inorganic components are combined with modified nano-α-Al2O3 dispersion to form chromium-free passivation solution. The solution is coated on the galvanized sheet, the adhesion and surface hardness are tested, the bonding strength of the coating and the surface hardness of the substrate are discussed. The corrosion resistance and surface morphology of the matrix were investigated by electrochemical test, neutral salt spray test and scanning electron microscope test. The chromium-free passivation film formed after the modification of nano-α-Al2O3 increases the surface hardness of galvanized sheet by about 85%. The corrosion resistance of the film is better than that of a single polyurethane film. The results show that the surface hardness and corrosion resistance of polyurethane resin composite passivation film are significantly improved by the introduction of nano-α-Al2O3.

Micro/nano Indentation and Single Grit Diamond Grinding Mechanism on Ultra Pure Fused Silica

The existing research about ductile grinding of fused silica glass was mainly focused on how to carry out ductile regime material removal for generating very ＂smoothed＂ surface and investigate the machining-induced damage in the grinding in order to reduce or eliminate the subsurface damage.The brittle/ductile transition behavior of optical glass materials and the wear of diamond wheel are the most important factors for ductile grinding of optical glass.In this paper,the critical brittle/ductile depth,the influence factors on brittle/ductile transition behavior,the wear of diamond grits in diamond grinding of ultra pure fused silica（UPFS） are investigated by means of micro/nano indentation technique,as well as single grit diamond grinding on an ultra-stiff machine tool,Tetraform ＂C＂.The single grit grinding processes are in-process monitored using acoustic emission（AE） and force dynamometer simultaneously.The wear of diamond grits,morphology and subsurface integrity of the machined groves are examined with atomic force microscope（AFM） and scanning electron microscope（SEM）.The critical brittle/ductile depth of more than 0.5 μm is achieved.When compared to the using roof-like grits,by using pyramidal diamonds leads to higher critical depths of scratch with identical grinding parameters.However,the influence of grit shapes on the critical depth is not significant as supposed.The grinding force increased linearly with depth of cut in the ductile removal regime,but in brittle removal regime,there are large fluctuations instead of forces increase.The SEM photographs of the cross-section profile show that the median cracks dominate the crack patterns beneath the single grooves.Furthermore,The SEM photographs show multi worn patterns of diamond grits,indicating an inhomogeneous wear mechanism of diamond grits in grinding of fused silica with diamond grinding wheels.The proposed research provides the basal technical theory for improving the ultra-precision grinding of UPFS.

Synthesis of hierarchical dendritic micro–nano structure ZnFe_2O_4 and photocatalytic activities for water splitting

Hierarchical dendritic micro–nano structure Zn Fe_2O_4 have been prepared by electrochemical reduction and thermal oxidation method in this work. X-ray diffractometry, Raman spectra and field-emission scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize the crystal structure, size and morphology. The results show that the sample(S-2) is composed of pure ZnFe_2O_4 when the molar ratio of Zn^(2+)/Fe^(2+)in the electrolyte is 0.35. Decreasing the molar ratio of Zn^(2+)/Fe^(2+), the sample(S-1) is composed of ZnFe_2O_4 and α-Fe_2O_3, whereas increasing the molar ratio of Zn^(2+)/Fe^(2+), the sample(S-3) is composed of ZnFe_2O_4 and Zn O. The lattice parameters of ZnFe_2O_4 are influenced by the molar ratio of Zn^(2+)/Fe: Zn at excess decreases the cell volume whereas Fe at excess increases the cell volume of Zn Fe_2O_4. All the samples have the dendritic structure, of which S-2 has micron-sized lush branches with nano-sized leaves. UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectra were acquired by a spectrophotometer. The absorption edges gradually blue shift with the increase of the molar ratio of Zn^(2+)/Fe^(2+). Photocatalytic activities for water splitting were investigated under Xe light irradiation in an aqueous olution containing 0.1 mol·L^(-1)Na_2S/0.02 mol·L^(-1)Na_2SO_3 in a glass reactor. The relatively highest photocatalytic activity with 1.41 μmol·h-1· 0.02 g^(-1)was achieved by pure ZnFe_2O_4sample(S-2). The photocatalytic activity of the mixture phase of Zn Fe_2O_4 and α-Fe_2O_3(S-1) is better than ZnF e_2O_4 and ZnO(S-3).

The output torque estimation of MCMG for agile satellites

Studied in this paper are the attitude control law design and the output torque estimation problem of micro control moment gyros （MCMGs） for the agile satellites executing rapid attitude maneuver mission. An algorithm is proposed for estimating the output torques and the gimbal angular rates of MCMGs, which can help engineers to choose reasonable size for actuators so that the cost of satellite can be decreased. According to some special maneuver missions, a numerical example of attitude control system for a small satellite with MCMGs in pyramid configuration is studied, and the simulation results validate the proposed estimation algorithm.

Attitude control for part actuator failure of agile small satellite

The stability and singularity problem of agile small satellite （ASS） with actuator failure is discussed in this paper. Firstly, the three-axis stabilized controller of an ASS is designed, where micro control moment gyros （MCMG＇s） in pyramid configuration （PC） is used as the actuator. By using the same controller and steering law, the control results before and after one gyro fails are compared by simulation. The variation of singular momentum envelope before and after one gyro fails is also compared. The simulation results show that the failure intensively decreases the capacity of output torque, which leads to the emergence of more singular points and the rapid saturation of MCMG＇s. Finally, the parameters of system controller are changed to compare the control effect.