High Hydrostatic Pressure Exacerbates Bladder Fibrosis through Activating Piezo1

Objective Bladder outlet obstruction(BOO)results in significant fibrosis in the chronic stage and elevated bladder pressure.Piezo1 is a type of mechanosensitive(MS)channel that directly responds to mechanical stimuli.To identify new targets for intervention in the treatment of BOO-induced fibrosis,this study investigated the impact of high hydrostatic pressure(HHP)on Piezo1 activity and the progression of bladder fibrosis.Methods Immunofluorescence staining was conducted to assess the protein abundance of Piezo1 in fibroblasts from obstructed rat bladders.Bladder fibroblasts were cultured under normal atmospheric conditions(0 cmH_(2)O)or exposed to HHP(50 cmH_(2)O or 100 cmH_(2)O).Agonists or inhibitors of Piezo1,YAP1,and ROCK1 were used to determine the underlying mechanism.Results The Piezo1 protein levels in fibroblasts from the obstructed bladder exhibited an elevation compared to the control group.HHP significantly promoted the expression of various pro-fibrotic factors and induced proliferation of fibroblasts.Additionally,the protein expression levels of Piezo1,YAP1,ROCK1 were elevated,and calcium influx was increased as the pressure increased.These effects were attenuated by the Piezo1 inhibitor Dooku1.The Piezo1 activator Yoda1 induced the expression of pro-fibrotic factors and the proliferation of fibroblasts,and elevated the protein levels of YAP1 and ROCK1 under normal atmospheric conditions in vitro.However,these effects could be partially inhibited by YAP1 or ROCK inhibitors.

Back Pressure Characteristics for Turbine Channel of External-Parallel TBCC Inlet

For investigating the back pressure characteristics of turbine channel of an external-parallel turbine-based combined cycle(TBCC)inlet during the mode transition with the freestream air Mach number of 1.8,wind tunnel tests and numerical simulations are carried out.The results show that the critical back pressure of the turbine channel decreases linearly with the decrease of the open degree of splitter plate.The turbine channel has self-starting capacity when the open degree of the turbine channel is 100%.The total pressure recovery coefficient increases with the increase of back pressure when turbine channel is at supercritical and critical state.The mass capture ratio,total pressure recovery coefficient and outlet pressure ratio decrease obviously when turbine channel is at subcritical state.Results of the research would provide scheme reference and technology storage for TBCC propulsion evolution.

Flow patterns and boundary conditions for inlet and outlet conduits of large pump system with low head

The flow patterns in the inlet and outlet conduits have a decisive effect on the safe, stable, and highly efficient operation of the pump in a large pumping station with low head. The numerical simulation of three-dimensional （3D） turbulence flow in conduits is an important method to study the hydraulic performance and conduct an optimum hydraulic design for the conduits. With the analyses of the flow patterns in the inlet and outlet conduits, the boundary conditions of the numerical simulation for them can be determined. The main obtained conclusions are as follows： （i） Under normal operation conditions, there is essentially no pre-swirl flow at the impeller chamber inlet of an axial-flow pump system, based on which the boundary condition at the inlet conduit may be defined. （ii） The circulation at the guide vane outlet of an axial-flow pump system has a great effect on the hydraulic performance of the outlet conduit, and there is optimum circulation for the performance. Therefore, it is strongly suggested to design the guide vane according to the optimum circulation. （iii） The residual circulation at the guide vane outlet needs to be considered for the inlet boundary condition of the outlet conduit, and the value of the circulation may be measured in a specially designed test model.

Numerical Investigation of the Aerodynamic Performance Affected by Spiral Inlet and Outlet in a Positive Displacement Blower

The flow in the positive displacement blower is very complex.The existing two-dimensional numerical simulation cannot provide the detailed flow information,especially flow characteristics along the axial direction,which is unfavorable to improve the performance of positive displacement blower.To investigate the effects of spiral inlet and outlet on the aerodynamic performance of positive displacement blower,three-dimensional unsteady flow characteristics in a three-lobe positive displacement blower with and without the spiral inlet and outlet are simulated by solving Navier-Stokes equations coupled with RNG k-ε turbulent model.In the numerical simulation,the dynamic mesh technique and overset mesh updating method are used.The computational results are compared with the experimental measurements on the variation of flow rate with the outlet pressure to verify the validity of the numerical method presented.The results show that the mass flow rate with the change of pressure is slightly affected by the application of spiral inlet and outlet,but the internal flow state is largely affected.In the exhaust region,the fluctuations of pressure,velocity and temperature as well as the average values of velocity are significantly reduced.This illustrates that the spiral outlet can effectively suppress the fluctuations of pressure,thus reducing reflux shock and energy dissipation.In the intake area,the average value of pressure,velocity and temperature are slightly declined,but the fluctuations of them are significantly reduced,indicating that the spiral inlet plays the role in making the flow more stable.The numerical results obtained reveal the three-dimensional flow characteristics of the positive displacement blower with spiral inlet and outlet,and provide useful reference to improve performance and empirical correction in the noise-reduction design of the positive displacement blowers.

A dynamic managed pressure well-control method for rapid treatment of gas kick in deepwater managed pressure drilling

During deepwater managed pressure drilling(MPD),the gas kick may occur in abnormally high-pressure formations.If the traditional well control method is adopted,the treatment time is long and the advantage of early gas kick detection of MPD is lost.The dynamic managed pressure well-control(MPWC)method can be used to rapidly treat gas kick in deepwater MPD.In this paper,considering the effect of large-variable-diameter annulus and complex wellbore temperature in deepwater drilling,a simplified model of non-isothermal gas-liquid two-phase flow was established for dynamic deepwater MPWC simulation.Using this model,the response characteristics of outlet flow and wellhead backpressure were investigated.The results indicated that the gas fraction,outlet liquid flow rate,pit gain and wellhead backpressure presented complex alternating characteristics when gas moved upwards in the wellbore due to the large-variable-diameter annulus.The outlet liquid flow rate would be lower than the inlet flow rate and the pit gain would decrease before the gas moved to the wellhead.The variation trend of the wellhead backpressure was consistent with that of the pit gain.When the gas-liquid mixture passed through the choke,the expansion or compression of the gas caused part of the choke pressure drop to be supplemented or unloaded,delaying the response rate of the wellhead backpressure.The wellbore temperature,borehole diameter and seawater depth had different effects on outlet flow rate,pit gain and wellhead backpressure.This research could provide a new idea for well control methods in deepwater managed pressure drilling.

Pressure-flow studies in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia:a study comparing suprapubic and transurethral methods

Aim： To compare the use of the suprapubic puncture method versus the transurethral method in pressure-flow studies in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia. Methods： Twenty-three men with benign prostatic hyperplasia underwent both suprapubic and transurethral pressure-flow studies during a single session. Standard pressure-flow variables were recorded in all patients with both methods, enabling calculation of obstruction using commonly used grading systems, such as the urethral resistance algorithm, the Abrams-Griffith （AG） number and the Schaefer linear nomogram. Results： There were statistically significant differences between the methods in the mean values of maximum flow rate （P 〈 0.05）, detrusor pressure at the maximum flow （P 〈 0.01）, urethral resistance algorithm （P 〈 0.01）, AG number （P 〈 0.01） and maximum cystic capacity （P 〈 0.01）. Of the men in the study, 10 （43.5%） remained in the same Schaefer class with both methods and 18 （78.3%） in the same AG number area. Using the transurethral method, 12 （52.2%） men increased their Schaefer class by one and 1 （4.3%） by two. There were also differences between the suprapubic and transurethral methods using the AG number： 4 （17.4%） men moved from a classification of equivocal to obstructed and 1 （4.3%） from unobstructed to equivocal. Conclusion： The differences between the techniques for measuring intravesical pressure alter the grading of obstruction determined by several of the commonly used classifications. An 8 F transurethral catheter significantly increases the likelihood of a diagnosis of bladder outlet obstruction when compared with the suprapubic method.

Diagnosis of voiding dysfunction by pressure-flow study in women

Pressure-flow study(PFS) of micturition is the best method to quantitatively analyse voiding function. It allows us to distinguish voiding lower urinary tract symptoms and low urine flow rate caused by bladder outlet obstruction(BOO) from those caused by detrusor underactivity(DU). Voiding dynamics are significantly different in men and women and the established criteria for urodynamic diagnosis in men do not apply to women. Basic principles of voiding mechanics and voiding patterns in asymptomatic women are analyzed. Although attempts have been made to establish a consensus for diagnosis of BOO in women with pressure-flow cutoff, video-urodynamics criteria and nomograms, currently there is no consensus. There is no standard urodynamic test to diagnose and quantify DU in women for which further investigations are needed. Modified projected isovolumetric pressure(to assess detrusor contraction strength) and pressure-flow cutoff criteria have been used. The diagnosis of voiding dysfunction in women is challenging, requiring PFS with very good quality control and often involves integrating clinical and radiographic data to make the final assessment.

CHARACTERISTICS OF FLOW IN A PARTIALLY DYNAMIC HELICOPTER INLET

An experimental study of the flow in a helicopter inlet with front output shaft and partial flow dynamic head is conducted in low speed wind tunnel. The flow characters of the inlet in the range of the yaw angle from 0~135°are presented in this paper. The static pressure distributions along the duct, distortions of the flow field at the outlet section and total pressure recovery coefficients are measured and analyzed. The results show that this type of inlet has high total pressure recovery coefficients at a wide range of yaw angle. The regions of local flow separation and distortion are closely related to the yaw angle. It′s also found that the outlet section has the best characteristics at sideslip, and sharply deteriorated characteristics at the yawed flight with a yaw angle of more than 90°

Serpentine Inlet Performance Enhancement Using Vortex Generator Based Flow Control

In order to provide the line-of-sight blockage of the engine face for an advanced Uninhabited Combat Air Vehicle（UCAV）, a highly curved serpentine inlet is proposed and experimentally studied. Based on the static pressure distribution measurement along the wall, the flow separation is found at the top wall of the second S duct for the baseline inlet design, which yields a high flow distortion at the exit plane. To improve the flow uniformity, a single array of vortex generators （VGs） is employed within the inlet. In this experimental study, the effects of mass flow ratio, free stream Mach number, angle of attack and yaw on the performance of a serpentine inlet instrumented with VGs are obtained. Results indicate： （1） Compared with the baseline serpentine design without flow control, the application of the VGs promotes the mixing of core flow and the low momentum flow in the boundary layer and thus prevents the flow separation. Under the design condition, the exit flow distortion （-↑△σ0） decreases from 11.7% to 2.3% by using the VGs. （2） With the descent of the free stream Mach number the total pressure loss decreases. However, the circular total pressure distortion increases. When the angle of attack rises from - 4° to 8°, the total pressure recovery and the circular total pressure distortion both go down. In addition, with the increase of yaw the total pressure recovery is fairly constant, while the circular total pressure distortion ascends gradually. （3） When Mao = 0.6-0.8, a = -4°-8° and β = 0°-6°, the total pressure recovery varies between 0.936 and 0. 961, the circular total pressure distortion coefficient varies between 1.4 % and 5.4 % and the synthesis distortion coefficient has a ranges from 3.8 % to 7.0 %. The experimental results confirm the excellent performance of the newly designed serpentine inlet incorporating VGs.

Numerical Analysis and Experimental Validation of a Submerged Inlet on the Plane Surface

In order to get a deep insight of a submerged inlet on the plane surface, the integrated flow field of the inlet and fuselage has been numerically studied. The investigation is mainly focused on the formation of the total pressure distribution at the exit of the inlet, the structure of the inner flow and the effects of the boundary layer along the fuselage on the performance of the inlet. Moreover, in comparison with the experimental data at different angles of attack, yaws and mass flow ratios, the reliabilities of the computational fluid dynamics（CFD） studied are verified. Results indicate： （1） the CFD results agree well with the experiment results and the relative errors of the total pressure coefficient is less than 1% ; （2） at the inlet＇s exit, the contour of total pressure obtained by CFD is similar to the experiment result except the contour in the low total pressure zone in CFD is slightly larger; （3） the secondary flow at the cross section behave as two counter-rotating vortices. Along the flow direction, the fields influenced by the vortex pair transport downstream and expand to the whole section at the exit; （4） the total pressure loss at the exit of the submerged inlet can be divided into external loss and internal loss. Usually, the external loss is greater than the internal loss, and both decrease with the augment of the Mach number at the exit. In addition, when the angle of attack ranges from -2° to 8°, the total pressure coefficient ascends gradually, due to the reduction of the external loss caused by the less boundary layer flow captured and the invisible change of the internal loss.

Study of Structural Parameters of the Inlet of Downhole Hydrocyclones

Three different inlets of hydrocyclone are studied in combination with the construction of a dowrahole system and hydrocyclone. By comparing the relationship between the inlet structure ＆ dimensional parameter of hydrocyclone and separation efficiency ＆ pressure loss, the highest efficiency is obtained from the inlet of an involute curve with increasing depth-width ratio from the three types, in which the separation efficiency and pressure loss all drops slowly, for the length of the channel decreases, while it drops rapidly in the other two. The flow guiding ability of the inlet affects the separation efficiency greatly, so the corresponding involute type of inlet of hydrocyclone fits for downhole oil-water separation is optimized, which serves as a basis for the structural design of downhole hydrocyclone.

Experimental Investigation of Boundary Layer Characteristics on Blade Surface under Different Inlet Flow Conditions

In this paper, an experimental study is conducted on cascade boundary layer under different inlet conditions. New method is used to measure the total pressure in blade surface boundary layer directly using total pressure probe. Total pressure in both suction and pressure surfaces are acquired at different inlet conditions by changing incidence angle and inlet Mach number. In addition, a series of parameters related to boundary layer characteristics are calculated. The objective of the experiment is to investigate the influence of inlet flow conditions on them. The results indicate that influence of incidence angle is significant when other conditions are the same. Displacement thickness, momentum thickness as well as other parameters display some disciplines for variation. In contrast, inlet Mach number has only a small influence in that boundary layer becomes a litter thinner with increasing Mach number. Comparisons of experimental results with theoretical expectations demonstrate that the method in this experiment is effective and reliable.

Numerical Study on Aerodynamic Performance of CK Drone Aircraft Air Inlet in Maneuvering Flight

In view of the engineering background that CK drone aircraft needs modification and upgrading to improve its maneuvering performance,numerical research and analysis of air inlet aerodynamic performance are carried out.Firstly,based on the introduction of the theoretical knowledge involved in aircraft maneuvering flight,parameters such as aircraft attitude and engine mass flow etc.required for the aerodynamic performance calculation of CK drone aircraft air inlet are determined.By analyzing the test data of WP6 engine inlet distortion simulation board,the typical indexes are extracted as the basis for evaluating the air inlet performance of CK drone aircraft.Then,the aerodynamic characteristics of the inlet of CK drone aircraft under different maneuvering conditions are numerically studied,and the total pressure recovery coefficient and pressure distortion index of the outlet section are obtained.Several conclusions and suggestions are formed after the study.When CK drone aircraft flies at positive angle of attack,the inlet has good aerodynamic characteristics,which can meet the requirements of engine intake during high maneuverable flight.In the flight of negative angle of attack,the total pressure loss and pressure distortion at the outlet section of air inlet increase sharply,which cannot guarantee the stable working of the engine.On the premise that the aircraft attitude is satisfied,CK drone aircraft can use three engine thrust states of"Rated","Modified rated"and"Maximum"for high maneuverable flight.

A Degassing Inlet Structure for Aquaculture Ponds

Structures separating fish hatchery ponds from open spring water sources must restrict fish movement from the pond to the spring, allow for constant water flow, and potentially reduce incoming spring water gas supersaturation. This article describes a novel inlet structure that fulfills those requirements. In addition, it requires minimal maintenance, and allows for the quick and easy removal of debris in the event of partial plugging. This simple aluminum structure consists of a mount for attachment to the inflow pipe and a terminal splash plate with aeration holes. The splash plate is perpendicular to the water flow during normal operations to both prevent fish from jumping into the pipe and aerate the incoming water. However, it can be easily swiveled upward for the efficient removal of debris. Use of the inlet structure consistently decreased gas supersaturation in the spring water as it entered the fish production pond. By decreasing gas levels and maintaining water flows, potentially hazardous fish health issues can be avoided by using this structure. In addition, this relatively inexpensive and simple device will greatly reduce the labor required for removing debris compared to traditional screens.

The Numerical Simulation of Gas Turbine Inlet-Volute Flow Field

The structural and aerodynamic performance of the air inlet volute has an important influence on the performance of the gas turbine. On one hand, it requires the airflow flowing through inlet volute as even as possible, in order to reduce the pressure loss, to avoid a decrease in the effective output power and an increase of the fuel consumption rate of the internal combustion engine which indicate the inefficiency of the entire power unit;On the other hand, it requires the size of the inlet volute to be as small as possible in order to save mounting space and production costs. The thesis builds the structure model and develops flow fields numerical simulation of several different sizes of the inlet volutes. Further, the unreasonable aerodynamic structure is improved according to the flow field characteristics and thereby, a better aerodynamic performance of the inlet volute is obtained.

竖井式进出水口水力特性研究进展

竖井式进出水口是抽水蓄能电站水道系统两端控制水流的常用进出水口型式之一。竖井式进出水口双向过流,水流在短距离内经历两次90°流向转变(水平-竖直-水平),流向变化剧烈,水力条件复杂,深入研究竖井式进出水口水力特性,进而优化其体型结构,对抽水蓄能电站设计及施工具有重要意义。首先,介绍竖井式进出水口应用背景及体型特点,分析竖井式进出水口水力特性存在的问题;其次,对竖井式进出水口孔口流量分配、拦污栅断面流速分布、漩涡和水头损失等方面研究进展进行总结;最后,归纳了竖井式进出水口水力特性研究方法,探讨了今后研究应聚焦的主要方向。

侧式进/出水口各孔道流量分配差异及影响因素

对于抽水蓄能电站侧式进/出水口各孔道流量分配,现有设计规范规定进/出水口相邻中边孔道的流量不均匀程度不宜超过10%,但实际工程设计难以达到此要求.本文以某抽水蓄能电站侧式进/出水口为例,通过优化进/出水口各体型参数,利用数值模拟方法研究各孔道流量等水力参数,重点分析分流墩布置对各孔道流量分配的影响及其规律,试图使进流工况和出流工况相邻中边孔道的流量不均匀程度均最小.研究表明,改变扩散段分流墩布置能有效改善流量不均匀程度.对于3墩4孔侧式进/出水口,相邻中边孔道的流量不均匀程度在出流工况下随中边孔宽度比增大而增大,在进流工况下随中边孔宽度比增大而减小;当中边孔宽度比增大且中墩后移距离减小时,出流工况和进流工况下的流量不均匀程度均减小.对于2墩3孔侧式进/出水口,相邻中边孔道的流量不均匀程度不论在出流工况下还是在进流工况下,均随中边孔宽度比增大呈先减小后增大的规律.优化后的3墩4孔侧式进/出水口的中边孔宽度比取0.228∶0.272,中墩后移距离取0.36D(D为隧洞直径),其相邻中边孔道的流量不均匀程度均较优,在出流工况下为18.47%~19.43%,在进流工况下为19.82%~19.83%;优化后的2墩3孔侧式进/出水口的中边孔宽度比取0.310∶0.345,其相邻中边孔道的流量不均匀程度均较优,在出流工况下为19.47%~19.63%,在进流工况下为18.66%~18.67%.相邻中边孔道的流量不均匀程度较难满足不宜超过10%的设计规范要求.研究成果将有助于《抽水蓄能电站设计规范》中关于进/出水口水力指标要求的完善.

侧式进/出水口水头损失系数多元线性回归分析

进/出水口水头损失是抽水蓄能电站输水系统水头损失的重要组成部分,准确计算水头损失是评估电站运行经济效益的重要需求。本文通过数值模拟方法研究了14个实际侧式进/出水口的水头损失系数;利用多元线性回归方法,建立了基于侧式进/出水口体型参数计算水头损失系数的回归方程,分析了侧式进/出水口体型参数对其水头损失系数的影响规律。结果表明:侧式进/出水口体型参数对水头损失系数的影响程度,对出流工况较显著,而对进流工况不显著;出流工况,侧式进/出水口体型参数对水头损失系数的相关性,扩散段长度、扩散段分流墩中墩缩进距离、水平扩散角、垂向扩散角、分流墩墩头中边孔宽度比和反坡段坡比为正相关,调整段长度和防涡梁段长度为负相关;利用回归方程得到的水头损失系数与数值模拟方法的结果吻合较好。本文建立的回归方程为计算侧式进/出水口水头损失系数提供了新方法。

某300MW机组高压进汽结构气动优化

采用数值模拟的方法对某300MW汽轮机的高压进汽结构进行了气动优化,通过增大关键部位通流面积、增大过渡倒圆,降低了流速,总压损失由4.11%降低到0.045%,出口静压不均匀度由0.67降低到0.020。

循环流化床锅炉节能减碳运行调控及工程验证

构建基于烟气中氧气体积分数及炉膛出口压力的锅炉运行协同控制模型,可以实时、准确地预测烟气中氧气体积分数的变化趋势,提前给定锅炉二次风机和引风机控制指令,显著减小了不同负荷条件下锅炉烟气中氧气体积分数、负压等关键运行参数的波动.在300 t/h循环流化床锅炉上的工业验证结果表明:利用协同控制模型可以提高锅炉运行控制的品质,锅炉变负荷工况条件下烟气中氧气体积分数控制在目标值±0.25%范围内,炉膛出口压力控制在目标值±45 Pa范围内的统计概率为99%.运行一周的统计结果表明,相比于原有控制,协同控制模型投运后单位产汽量耗煤可以减小1.508%,单位产汽量风机耗电可以减少1.886%.