Dynamic Analysis for the Global Performance of An SPM-Feeder-Cage System Under Waves and Currents

In the present study, the dynamic response of a coupled SPM-feeder-cage system under irregular waves and shear currents is analyzed. A numerical model is developed by using the commercial software Orca Flex. Hydrodynamics coefficients of the vessel are calculated by using a 3D diffraction/radiation panel program. First- and second-order wave forces are included in the calculations. Morison equation is used to compute the drag force on line elements representing the net. Drag coefficients are determined at every time step in the simulation considering the relative normal velocity between the structural elements and the fluid flow. The dynamic response of the coupled system is analyzed for various environments and net materials. The results of the study show the effects of solidity ratio of the net and vertical positions of the cage on the overall dynamic response of the system, confirming the viability of this type of configuration for future development of offshore aquaculture in deep waters.

Decomposition of ammonium sulfate residue in a high solid/gas ratio suspension state with an industrial-scale reactor system(production line)

Ammonium sulfate residue is a particulate solid and is produced during the manufacture of ammonium sulfate fertilizer. The residue used in this study contained a large portion of calcium carbonate, from which active lime （CaO） was recovered via thermal decomposition. We used a purpose-built device to decom- pose the residue in a semi-suspension state. We found that CaO had the highest activity when residue was decomposed at 850-900 ~C. Our experiments indicated that ammonium sulfate residue should be decom- posed in a suspension state to produce active CaO. Based on our laboratory test findings, an industrial-scale production line with a high solid/gas ratio in a suspension state was devised. The optimal operating con- ditions for the decomposition of the ammonium sulfate residue to produce high quality CaO were also investigated.We found that the CaCO3 decomposition rate was high and the CaO product was highly active, averaging 170 s by the citric acid method. Morphology measurements showed that the CaO product had a porous structure and a large specific surface ensuring high activity.

Optimizing soil dissolved organic matter extraction by grey relational analysis

Dissolved organic matter(DOM)in soil plays an important role in the fate and transport o f contaminants.It is typically composed of many compounds,but the effect of different extraction factors on the abundance of different DOM components is unknown.In this study,DOM was extracted from three soils(paddy field,vegetable field and forest soils)with various extraction time,liquid to solid ratios(LSRs).extractant types,and extractant concentrations.The LSR had a significant effect on DOM content,which increased by 0.5-4.0 times among the three soils when LSR increased from 2:1 to 10:1(P<0.05).Dissolved organic matter content increased by 4%-53%when extraction time increased from 10 to 300 min(P<0.05).Extractant concentration had different effects on DOM content depending on the extractant.Higher concentrations of KC1 promoted DOM extraction,while higher concentrations o f KH2PO4 inhibited DOM extraction.Therefore,grey relational analysis was used to further quantitatively evaluate the effect of extraction time,LSR,and extractant concentration on DOM,using KC1 as an extractant.For the paddy field and forest soils,the impact of these three factors on DOM extraction efficiency was in the following order:KC1 concentration>LSR>extraction time.However,the effect was different for the vegetable field soil:LSR>extraction time>KCI concentration.Taking all these factors into account,1.50 mol L^-1 KC1 and an LSR of 10:1 with a shaking time of 300 min was recommended as the most appropriate method for soil DOM extraction.

Experimental investigation into transient pressure pulses during pneumatic conveying of fine powders using Shannon entropy

This paper presents the results of an ongoing investigation into transient pressure pulses using Shan- non entropy. Pressure fluctuations （produced by gas-solid two-phase flow during fluidized dense-phase conveying） are recorded by pressure transducers installed at strategic locations along a pipeline. This work validates previous work on identifying the flow mode from pressure signals （Mittal, Mallick, ＆ Wypych, 2014）. Two different powders, namely fly ash （median particle diameter 45 μm, particle den- sity 1950 kg/m3. loosely poured bulk density 950 kg/m3） and cement （median particle diameter 15 p,m, particle density 3060 kg/m3, loosely poured bulk density 1070 kg/m3）, are conveyed through different pipelines （51 mm I.D. × 70 m length and 63 mm I.D. × 24 m length）. The transient nature of pressure fluc- tuations （instead of steady-state behavior） is considered in investigating flow characteristics. Shannon entropy is found to increase along straight pipe sections for both solids and both pipelines. However, Shannon entropy decreases after a bend. A comparison of Shannon entropy among different ranges of superficial air velocity reveals that high Shannon entropy corresponds to very low velocities （i.e. 3-5 m/s） and very high velocities （i.e. 11-14 m/s） while low Shannon entropy corresponds to mid-range velocities （i.e. 6-8 m/s）.

IR radiation characteristics of rocket exhaust plumes under varying motor operating conditions

The infrared（IR） irradiance signature from rocket motor exhaust plumes is closely related to motor type,propellant composition,burn time,rocket geometry,chamber parameters and flight conditions.In this paper,an infrared signature analysis tool（IRSAT） was developed to understand the spectral characteristics of exhaust plumes in detail.Through a finite volume technique,flow field properties were obtained through the solution of axisymmetric Navier-Stokes equations with the Reynolds-averaged approach.A refined 13-species,30-reaction chemistry scheme was used for combustion effects and a k-e-Rtturbulence model for entrainment effects.Using flowfield properties as input data,the spectrum was integrated with a line of sight（LOS） method based on a single line group（SLG） model with Curtis-Godson approximation.The model correctly predicted spectral distribution in the wavelengths of 1.50–5.50 lm and had good agreement for its location with imaging spectrometer data.The IRSAT was then applied to discuss the effects of three operating conditions on IR signatures：（a） afterburning;（b） chamber pressure from ignition to cutoff;and（c） minor changes in the ratio of hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene（HTPB） binder to ammonium perchlorate（AP） oxidizer in propellant.Results show that afterburning effects can increase the size and shape of radiance images with enhancement of radiation intensity up to 40%.Also,the total IR irradiance in different bands can be characterized by a non-dimensional chamber pressure trace in which the maximum discrepancy is less than 13% during ignition and engine cutoff.An increase of chamber pressure can lead to more distinct diamonds,whose distance intervals are extended,and the position of the first diamond moving backwards.In addition,an increase in HTPB/AP causes a significant jump in spectral intensity.The incremental rates of radiance intensity integrated in each band are linear with the increase of HTPB,and the growth rates of radiance intensities in some bands reach up to 50% as HTPB weight increases by 3%.

Porous Si_3N_4 Ceramics Prepared by TBA-based Gel-casting

In this work, the effects of ratio of monomer to cross-linker(AM/MBAM) and solid loading on the microstructure and mechanical properties of porous Si3N4 ceramics prepared by tert-butyl alcohol(TBA)-based gel-casting process were investigated. It was found that, when the ratio of monomer to crosslinker was 8, and the solid loading was 50 wt%, the mechanical properties of sintered samples were the most excellent, which resulted from the uniform pore size distribution and well-grown rod-like bSi3N4 grains. In that case, the porosity and flexural strength of sintered samples were 50% and 125 MPa,respectively.

An experimental investigation into modeling solids friction for fluidized dense-phase pneumatic transport of powders

Results are presented of an ongoing investigation into modeling friction in fiuidized dense-phase pneumatic transport of bulk solids. Many popular modeling methods of the solids friction use the dimen- sionless solids loading ratio and Froude number. When evaluated under proper scale-up conditions of pipe diameter and length, many of these models have resulted in significant inaccuracy. A technique for modeling solids friction has been developed using a new combination of dimensionless numbers, volu- metric loading ratio and the ratio of particle free settling velocity to superficial conveying air velocity, to replace the solids loading ratio and Froude number. The models developed using the new formalism were evaluated for accuracy and stability under significant scale-up conditions for four different prod- ucts conveyed through four different test rigs （subject to diameter and length scale-up conditions）. The new model considerably improves predictions compared with those obtained using the existing model, especially in the dense-phase region. Whereas the latter yields absolute average relative errors varying between 10% and 86%, the former yielded results with errors from 4% to 20% for a wide range of scale-up conditions. This represents a more reliable and narrower range of prediction that is suitable for industrial scale-up requirements.