Simulation of gas-solid adsorption process considering particle-size distribution

The particle-size distribution of adsorbents usually plays an important role on the adsorption performance. In this study, population balance equation(PBE) is utilized in the simulation of an adsorption process to model the time-dependent adsorption amount distribution on adsorbent particles of a certain size distribution. Different adsorption kinetics model can be used to build the adsorption rate function in PBE according to specific adsorption processes. Two adsorption processes, including formaldehyde on activated carbon and CO_(2)/N_(2)/CH_(4) mixture on 4A zeolite are simulated as case studies, and the effect of particle-size distribution of adsorbent is analyzed. The simulation results proved that the influence of particle-size distribution is significant. The proposed model can help consider the influence of particlesize distribution of adsorbents on adsorption processes to improve the prediction accuracy of the performance of adsorbents.

Applicability of Fractal Models in Estimating Soil Water Retention Characteristics from Particle-Size Distribution Data

Soil water retention characteristics are the key information required in hydrological modeling. Frac-tal models provide a practical alternative for indirectly estimating soil water retention characteristics fromparticle-size distribution data. Predictive capabilities of three fractal models, i.e, Tyler-Wheatcraft model,Rieu-Sposito model, and Brooks-Corey model, were fully evaluated in this work using experimental datafrom an international database and literature. Particle-size distribution data were firstly interpolated into20 classes using a van Genuchten-type equation. Fractal dimensions of the tortuous pore wall and the poresurface were then calculated from the detailed particle-size distribution and incorporated as a parameter infractal water retention models. Comparisons between measured and model-estimated water retention cha-racteristics indicated that these three models were applicable to relatively different soil textures and pressurehead ranges. Tyler-Wheatcraft and Brooks-Corey models led to reasonable agreements for both coarse- andmedium-textured soils, while the latter showed applicability to a broader texture range. In contrast, Rieu-Sposito model was more suitable for fine-textured soils. Fractal models produced a better estimation of watercontents at low pressure heads than at high pressure heads.

Sorption of pyrene on two paddy soils and their particle-size fractions

In the present study, the sorption of pyrene on two kinds of bulk paddy soils, Gleyic Stagnic Anthrosols, and Ferric accumulic Stagnic Anthrosols as well as their particle-size fractions was investigated. The sorption isotherms fitted well with Freundlich equation. For both soils, the clay fraction（ 〈 2μm） and coarse sand fraction（2000-250μm） had higher sorption capacity than fine sand fraction（250-20 μm） and silt fraction（20-2 μm）. The IogKoc values obtained of each soil and its particle-size fractions were similar, proving that SOM content was a key factor affecting pyrene sorption. The Kd values showed a significant correlation with contents of dithionite-extractable Fe in both paddy soils and a good relationship with CEC in Gleyic Stagnic Anthrosols, indicating possible effects of surface properties of particle-size fractions on the sorption of pyrene.

A computational particle fluid-dynamics simulation of hydrodynamics in a three-dimensional full-loop circulating fluidized bed: Effects of particle-size distribution

A computational particle fluid-dynamics model coupled with an energy-minimization multi-scale(EMMS)drag model was applied to investigate the influence of particle-size distribution on the hydrodynamics of a three-dimensional full-loop circulating fluidized bed.Different particle systems,including one monodisperse and two polydisperse cases,were investigated.The numerical model was validated by comparing its results with the experimental axial voidage distribution and solid mass flux.The EMMS drag model had a high accuracy in the computational particle fluid-dynamics simulation of the three-dimensional full-loop circulating fluidized bed.The total number of parcels in the system(Np)influenced the axial voidage distribution in the riser,especially at the lower part of the riser.Additional numerical simulation results showed that axial segregation by size was predicted in the two polydisperse cases and the segregation size increased with an increase in the number of size classes.The axial voidage distribution at the lower portion of the riser was significantly influenced by particle-size distribution.However,radial segregation could only be correctly predicted in the upper region of the riser in the polydisperse case of three solid species.

The Correlation Between Particle-Size Dispersity and Percolation Threshold of Brittle-Ductile Transition in Polymer Blends

Percolation threshold of Brittle-Ductile (B-D) transition and its relation with the affecting varibles (such as particle-size dispersity, interphase adhesion)in polymer blends are studied.Percolation Threshold (Φ_(sc)) which is equivalent to that of B-D transition and critical matrix ligament thickness (T_c) are first independently calculated and the correlated equation between Φ_(sc) and σ_g is also given.In addition, a new type of master curve of S_1(G_0,toughness) with Φ_s (stress volume fraction) for polymer blends is proposed and the new parameter Φ_(so) (up-limited stress volume fraction) is also discussed. The results confirm that Φ_(sc) is not only related with σ_g,but also tightly related with the interphase adhesion.

Real-Time Fracture Aperture Identification Using Mud Loss Data and Solution for LCM Combination

Managing server lost circulation is a major challenge of drilling operation in naturally fractured formations and it causes much nonproductive rig time. When encountered with loss, the fracture aperture intersecting the wellbore is not well-identified in time, which has a significant impact on the decision of drilling operation and the undesired result of loss curing. Therefore, the onset of fracture is identified in a timely manner and evaluated comprehensively to formulate an appropriate strategy over time. However, the mud loss date, which is the primary source of information retrieved from the drilling process, was not properly used in real-time prediction of fracture aperture. This article provides a detailed mathematical study to discuss the mechanism of mud invasion in the near-wellbore region and prediction of fracture aperture. The fracture aperture can be calculated from mud-loss data by solving a cubic equation with input parameters given by the well radius, the overpressure ratio, and the maximum mud-loss volume. It permits the proper selection of loss-circulation material (LCM) with respect to particle size distribution and fiber usage. The case study illustrates the applicability of this methodology with a discussion on LCM particle distribution in different scenarios and the result demonstrates the outcome of inappropriate LCM usage and the advantages of the novel fiber-based LCM treatment.

Interactions between wind and water erosion change sediment yield and particle distribution under simulated conditions

Wind and water erosion are among the most important causes of soil loss, and understanding their interactions is important for estimating soil quality and environmental impacts in regions where both types of erosion occur. We used a wind tunnel and simulated rainfall to study sediment yield, particle-size distribution and the fractal dimension of the sediment particles under wind and water erosion. The experiment was conducted with wind ero- sion firstly and water erosion thereafter, under three wind speeds （0, 11 and 14 m/s） and three rainfall intensities （60, 80 and 100 ram/h）. The results showed that the sediment yield was positively correlated with wind speed and rain- fall intensity （P〈0.01）. Wind erosion exacerbated water erosion and increased sediment yield by 7.25%-38.97% relative to the absence of wind erosion. Wind erosion changed the sediment particle distribution by influencing the micro-topography of the sloping land surface. The clay, silt and sand contents of eroded sediment were also posi- tively correlated with wind speed and rainfall intensity （P〈0.01）. Wind erosion increased clay and silt contents by 0.35%-19.60% and 5.80%-21.10%, respectively, and decreased sand content by 2.40%-8.33%, relative to the absence of wind erosion. The effect of wind erosion on sediment particles became weaker with increasing rainfall intensities, which was consistent with the variation in sediment yield. However, particle-size distribution was not closely correlated with sediment yield （P〉0.05）. The fractal dimension of the sediment particles was significantly different under different intensities of water erosion （P〈0.05）, but no significant difference was found under wind and water erosion. The findings reported in this study implicated that both water and wind erosion should be controlled to reduce their intensifying effects, and the controlling of wind erosion could significantly reduce water erosion in this wind-water erosion crisscross region.

Quantitative relationship between flagellate abundance and suspended particle density in Huanghai Sea and East China Sea in summer

An investigation was carried out in the Huanghai Sea and the East China Sea to study the quantitative relationship between the abundance of flagellates and the density of suspended particles in the summer of 2001. The results show that the abundance of flagellates varies from 44-12 600 cell/cm^3, and flagellates sometimes constitutes a significant part of suspended particles. The size-spectra of suspended particles can be divided into four categories： flat spectrum, humped spectrum, plankton spectrum and mixed spectrum. In general, the abundance of flagellates varies in proportion to the density of suspended particles. However, their quantitative relations reveal different characteristics in the seawater samples of different types of particle-size spectrum. This is only a preliminary study of the quantitative relationship between flagellates and suspended particles, which might lead to a potential convenient approach to the estimation of flagellate abundance in the sea.

Characterizations of PSD Fractal of Porous Medium

A volume-based method for measuring particle-size distribution (PSD) fractal dimensions of porous mediums was developed by employing laser size-analyzing technology. Compared with conventional approaches of using hydrometer or screen to determine PSD, this method can avoid calculation errors and measure smaller size-scale porous medium. In this paper the experimental porous mediums were brown soil, kaolin and sand soil. A micro-order of magnitude (10 -5 m) in particle-size interval could be shown in PSD results of brown soil and kaolin. The experiments indicated that brown soil had a nearly mono-fractal PSD character, while kaolin and sand soil showed multi-fractal PSD characters. By the adsorption isotherm experiments, the PSD fractal dimensions of the sand soil were also found to keep a linearly increasing relation with the linear adsorptive parameters of the soils in different intervals to adsorb benzene from aqueous solution.

Fertile island effect in the sedimentary process of Tetraena mongolica Maxim nebkhas in steppe–desert ecotones on the Inner Mongolia Plateau,China

Phytogenic mounds(nebkhas)formed by shrubs are a common phenomenon in arid and semiarid areas.The formation of nebkhas is accompanied by the appearance of the fertile island effect.Quantitative evaluation of the shrub sand compost island effect is a key link in preventing soil erosion and nutrient loss.This study took the typical shrub Tetraena mongolica in desert areas as the research object and quantified the sand-trapping capacity of the shrub.We revealed the influence of sediment texture and volumetric soil water content on fertile islands during the development of T.mongolica nebkhas.The results showed that(1)the single shrub intercepted large amounts of sediments due to the high density of branches of T.mongolica,forming nebkhas that were positively correlated with the shrub size.(2)The overall soil nutrient content below the shrub was greater than the soil nutrient content outside the shrub,forming a typical fertile island effect.The soil organic carbon(SOC),alkaline hydrolytic nitrogen(AHN),available phosphorus(AP),and available K(AK)content all increased gradually with increasing nebkha volume.Compared with the deep soil of nebkhas,the nutrient content of the surface soil was generally higher.(3)There was a positive correlation between the volumetric water content and nutrient content in nebkhas.(4)The semi-ellipsoid shape of T.mongolica enabled it to intercept large amounts of coarse-grained material.Fine sand(100–250μm)was the main particle size in the sediment aggregates inside the nebkhas.The fine sand content generally increased with increasing shrub size.Redundancy analysis(RDA)revealed that the fine sand content of the nebkha sediments had a strong positive correlation with the soil nutrient content.This paper provides an example for evaluating the fertile island effect during the deposition process of nebkhas in the desert transition zone.

The Solids Conveying Mechanism for Helically Grooved Single-screw Extruders

A novel particle-size conveying model was established to examine the effects of the dimension relationships of the groove depth and particle size on the solids conveying mechanism of the helically grooved feed section. In the model, one or two shear interfaces were proposed based on the dimension relationships of the groove depth and particle size, and the solid-plug embedded in the groove and screw channel were divided into two or three layers by the shear interfaces to consider the solids conveying mechanism of each layer by the boundary condition equation for positive conveying. By the particle-size model, the effects of different dimension relationships on the transformation of solids conveying mechanisms between the friction-drag conveying and the positive conveying were discussed and compared with the on-line measuring experimental data. The results showed that the shear interfaces among the solids existed indeed and the dimension relationships determined the conveying mechanism and the throughput of helically grooved extruders, which was well confirmed by the excellent consistence between the predicted and measured data.

Novel Approach for Automatic Region of Interest and Seed Point Detection in CT Images Based on Temporal and Spatial Data

Accurately finding the region of interest is a very vital step for segmenting organs in medical image processing.We propose a novel approach of automatically identifying region of interest in Computed Tomography Image(CT)images based on temporal and spatial data.Our method is a 3 stages approach,1)We extract organ features from the CT images by adopting the Hounsfield filter.2)We use these filtered features and introduce our novel approach of selecting observable feature candidates by calculating contours’area and automatically detect a seed point.3)We use a novel approach to track the growing region changes across the CT image sequence in detecting region of interest,given a seed point as our input.We used quantitative and qualitative analysis to measure the accuracy against the given ground truth and our results presented a better performance than other generic approaches for automatic region of interest detection of organs in abdominal CT images.With the results presented in this research work,our proposed novel sequence approach method has been proven to be superior in terms of accuracy,automation and robustness.

DESCRIPTION OF G-S PARTICLE SIZE DISTRIBUTION OF ROCK COMMINUTION WITH FRACTAL GEOMETRY

The fractal model of rock comminution is presented with Mandelbrot's fractal geometry.The results show that it is difficult for those with only a linear similarity ratio to fit practical situations.The comminution prob ability of the central part should be considered so the geometric meaning of the constant in Gaudin-Schuhmann's distribution function can be explained more clearly.

A study of soil dispersivity in Qian'an, western Jilin Province of China

Saline soil is vulnerable to water erosion because of its dispersivity. This characteristic has a great influence on dam and slope engineering. There is a large area of saline soil in western Jilin Province, the seasonal frost zone, and this soil is highly dispersive. We studied the properties of soil samples collected from vertical holes near Qian＇an Dabusu Lake, as- sessing the particle size distribution and the chemical components. We also comprehensively identified the level of soil dispersivity by three standard methods, the pinhole test, the crumb test, and the double-hydrometer test. The soil compo- sition and basic physicochemical properties are proved to be the most important factors which determine the dispersion degree of the saline soil. Our results showed that, within depth ranges from 0 to 1 m, silt particles highly influenced the soil dispersivity, and the total soluble salt accounted for ≥0.3%. At the first sampling point, in a tall soil column, the dispersion degree decreased with increasing depth, but this was not as obvious at the second sampling point, which was in a flat area. Nevertheless, the superficial soils of these two sampling sites were strongly dispersive, which must be taken into consid- eration for soil engineering in this region.

Preservation of organic matter in soils of a climobiosequence in the Main Range of Peninsular Malaysia

Limited information is available about factors of soil organic carbon(SOC) preservation in soils along a climo-biosequence. The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of soil texture and mineralogy on preservation of SOC in the topsoil and subsoil along a climo-biosequence in the Main Range of Peninsular Malaysia. Soil samples from the A and B-horizons of four representative soil profiles were subjected to particle-size fractionation and mineralogical analyses including X-ray diffraction and selective dissolution. The proportion of SOC in the 250-2000 μm fraction(SOC associated with coarse sand) decreased while the proportion of SOC in the <53 μm fraction(SOC associated with clay and silt)increased with depth. This reflected the importance of the fine mineral fractions of the soil matrix for SOC storage in the subsoil. Close relationships between the content of SOC in the <53 μm fraction and the content of poorly crystalline Fe oxides [oxalate-extractable Fe(Fe_o) – pyrophosphate-extractable Fe(Fe_p)] and poorly crystalline inorganic forms of Al [oxalateextractable Al(Al_o) – pyrophosphate-extractable Al(Al_p)] in the B-horizon indicated the importance of poorly crystalline Fe oxides and poorly crystalline aluminosilicates for the preservation of SOC in the Bhorizon. The increasing trend of Fe_o-Fe_p and Al_o-Al_p over elevation suggest that the importance of poorly crystalline Fe oxides and poorly crystalline aluminosilicates for the preservation of SOC in the Bhorizon increased with increasing elevation. This study demonstrates that regardless of differences in climate and vegetation along the studied climobiosequence, preservation of SOC in the subsoil depends on clay mineralogy.

Particle size regression correction for NIR spectrum based on the relationship between absorbance and particle size

Based on the effect of sample size on the near- infrared （NIR） spectrum, the absorbance （log（R）） in any wavelength is divided into two parts, and one of them is defined as non-particle-size-related spectrometry （nPRS） because it is not influenced by particle size. To study the relationship between the absorbance and l^article size, the experiment material including nine samples with different particle size was used. According to the regression analysis, the relationship was studied as the reciprocal regression model, y = a ~ bx ＋ c/x. Meanwhile, the model divides absorbance into two parts, one of them forms nPRS. According to the nPRS, a new correction method, particle size regression correction （PRC） was introduced. In discriminate analysis, the spectra from three different samples （rice, glutinous rice and sago）, pretreated by PRC, could be directly and accurately distinguished by principal component analysis （PCA）, while by the traditional correction method, such as multiplicative signal correction （MSC） and standard normal variate （SNV）, could not do that.

Effects of Vegetation Cover and Rainfall Intensity on Sediment-Bound Nutrient Loss,Size Composition and Volume Fractal Dimension of Sediment Particles

Vegetation and rainfall are two important factors affecting soil erosion and thus resulting in nutrient loss in the Chinese Loess Plateau.A field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of rainfall intensities(60,100 and 140 mm h-1) and vegetation(Caragana korshinskii) coverages(0%,30% and 80%) on soil loss,nutrient loss,and the composition and volume fractal dimension of eroded sediment particles under simulated rainfall conditions.The results showed that vegetation cover,rainfall intensity and their interaction all had significant effects on sediment transport and the sedimentbound nutrient loss.Higher rainfall intensity and lower coverage led to higher sediment and nutrient losses.Positive linear relationships were observed between soil loss and nutrient loss.The treatments showed more significant effects on the enrichment ratio(ER) of nitrogen(ERN) than organic matter(EROM) and phosphorus(ERP).Compared with the original surface soil,the eroded sediment contained more fine particles.Under the same coverage,the clay content significantly decreased with increasing rainfall intensity.The ER of sediment-bound nutrients was positively correlated with that of clay,suggesting that the clay fraction was preferentially eroded and soil nutrients were mainly adsorbed onto or contained within this fraction.There were increments in the fractal dimension of the sediment particles compared to that of the original surface soil.Moreover,the fractal dimension was positively correlated with clay,silt,and sediment-bound OM,N,and P contents,whereas it was negatively correlated with sand content.This study demonstrated that fractal dimension analysis can be used to characterize differences in particle-size distribution and nutrient loss associated with soil erosion.

Carbon and Nitrogen Storage in Inner Mongolian Grasslands: Relationships with Climate and Soil Texture

Understanding the spatial variability of soil carbon （C） storage and its relationship with climate and soil texture is critical for developing regional C models and for predicting the potential impact of climate change on soil C storage. On the basis of soil data from a transect across the Inner Mongolian grasslands, we determined the quantitative relationships of C and nitrogen （N） in bulk soil and particle-size fractions （sand, silt, and clay） with climate and soil texture to evaluate the major factors controlling soil C and N storage and to predict the effect of climate changes on soil C and N storage. The contents of C and N in the bulk soil and the different fractions in the 0 20 and 20 40 cm soil layers were positively correlated with the mean annum precipitation （MAP） and negatively correlated with the mean annual temperature （MAT）. The responses of C storage in the soil and particle-size fractions to MAP and MAT were more sensitive in the 0-20 cm than in the 2（~40 cm soil layer. Although MAP and MAT were both important factors influencing soil C storage, the models that include only MAP could well explain the variation in soil C storage in the Inner Mongolian grasslands. Because of the high correlation between MAP and MAT in the region, the models including MAT did not significantly enhance the model precision. Moreover, the contribution of the fine fraction （silt and clay） to the variation in soil C storage was rather small because of the very low fine fraction content in the Inner Mongolian grasslands.

Mapping Soil Texture Based on Field Soil Moisture Observations at a High Temporal Resolution in an Oasis Agricultural Area

Due to the almost homogeneous topography in low relief areas, it is usually difficult to make accurate predictions of soil properties using topographic covariates. In this study, we examined how time series of field soil moisture observations can be used to estimate soil texture in an oasis agricultural area with low relief in the semi-arid region of northwest China. Time series of field-observed soil moisture variations were recorded for 132 h beginning at the end of an irrigation event during which the surface soil was saturated.Spatial correlation between two time-adjacent soil moisture conditions was used to select the factors for fuzzy c-means clustering. In each of the ten generated clusters, soil texture of the soil sample with the maximum fuzzy membership value was taken as the cluster centroid. Finally, a linearly weighted average was used to predict soil texture from the centroids. The results showed that soil moisture increased with the increase of clay and silt contents, but decreased with the increase of sand content. The spatial patterns of soil moisture changed during the entire soil drying phase. We assumed that these changes were mainly caused by spatial heterogeneity of soil texture. A total of 64 independent samples were used to evaluate the prediction accuracy. The root mean square error(RMSE)values of clay, silt and sand were 1.63, 2.81 and 3.71, respectively. The mean relative error(RE) values were 9.57% for clay, 3.77% for silt and 12.83% for sand. It could be concluded that the method used in this study was effective for soil texture mapping in the low-relief oasis agricultural area and could be applicable in other similar irrigation agricultural areas.

Seasonal Variability of Soil Organic Carbon Fractions Under Arable Land

Carbon fractions in soils apparently vary not only in space, but also over time. A lack of knowledge on the seasonal variability of labile carbon fractions under arable land hampers the reliability and comparability of soil organic carbon(SOC) surveys from different studies. Therefore, we studied the seasonal variability of two SOC fractions, particulate organic matter(POM) and dissolved organic carbon(DOC), under maize cropping: POM was determined as the SOC content in particle-size fractions, and DOC was measured as the water-extractable SOC(WESOC) of air-dried soil. Ammonium, nitrate, and water-extractable nitrogen were measured as potential regulating factors of WESOC formation because carbon and nitrogen cycles in soils are strongly connected. There was a significant annual variation of WESOC(coefficient of variation(CV) = 30%). Temporal variations of SOC in particle-size fractions were smaller than those of WESOC. The stocks of SOC in particle-size fractions decreased with decreasing particle sizes, exhibiting a CV of 20%for the coarse sand-size fraction(250–2 000 μm), of 9% for the fine sand-size fraction(50–250 μm), and of 5% for the silt-size fraction(20–50 μm). The WESOC and SOC in particle-size fractions both peaked in March and reached the minimum in May/June and August, respectively. These results indicate the importance of the time of soil sampling during the course of a year, especially when investigating WESOC.