Mechanism initiated by nanoabsorber for UV nanosecond-pulse-driven damage of dielectric coatings

A model of plasma formation induced by UV nanosecond pulselaser interaction with SiO2 thin film based on nanoabsorber is proposed. The model considers the temperature dependence of band gap. The numerical results show that during the process of nanosecond pulsed-laser interaction with SiO2 thin film, foreign inclusion which absorbs a fraction of incident radiation heats the surrounding host material through heat conduction causing the decrease of the band gap and consequently, the transformation of the initial transparent matrix into an absorptive medium around the inclusion, thus facilitates optical damage. Qualitative comparison with experiments is also provided. (C) 2008 Optical Society of America.

Optical image processing using the photoinduced anisotropy of pyrrylfulgide

A synthesized photochromic compound-pyrrylfulgide-is prepared as a thin film doped in a polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) matrix. Under irradiation by UV light, the film converts from the bleached state into a colored state that has a maximum absorption at 635 nm and is thermally stable at room temperature. When the colored state is irradiated by a linearly polarized 650 nm laser, the film returns to the bleached state; photoinduced anisotropy is produced during this process. Application of optical image processing methods using the photoinduced anisotropy of the pyrrylfulgide/PMMA film is described. Examples in non-Fourier optical image processing, such as contrast reversal and image subtraction and summation, as well as in Fourier optical image processing, such as low-pass filtering and edge enhancement, are presented. (c) 2006 Optical Society of America.

An eigenfunction expansion-variational method in prediction of the transverse thermal conductivity of fiber reinforced composites considering interfacial characteristics

An eigenfunction expansion-variational method based on a unit cell is developed to deal with the steady-state heat conduction problem of doubly-periodic fiber reinforced composites with interfacial thermal contact resistance or coating. The numerical results show a rapid convergence of the present method. The present solution provides a unified first-order approximation formula of the effective thermal conductivity for different interfacial characteristics and fiber distributions. A comparison with the present high-order results, available experimental data and micromechanical estimations demonstrates that the first-order approximation formula is a good engineering closed-form formula. An engineering equivalent parameter reflecting the overall influence of the thermal conductivities of the matrix and fibers and the interfacial characteristic on the effective thermal conductivity, is found. The equivalent parameter can greatly simplify the complicated relation of the effective thermal conductivity to the internal structure of a composite. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Critical Biot's number for Determination of the Sensitivity of Spherical Ceramics to Thermal Shock

A critical Biot number, which determines both the sensitivity of spherical ceramics to quenching and the durations of the temperature-wave propagation and the thermal stresses in the ceramics subjected to thermal shock, is theoretically obtained. The results prove that once the Biot number of a ceramic sphere is greater than the critical number, its thermal shock failure will be such a rapid process that the failure only occurs in the initial regime of heat conduction, whereas the thermal shock failure of the ceramic sphere is uncertain in the course of heat conduction. The presented results provide a guide to the selection of the ceramics applied in the thermostructural engineering with thermal shock.

Universal Biot number determining stress duration and susceptibility of ceramic cylinders to quenching

A universal Biot number, which not only describes the susceptibility of ceramic cylinders to quenching but also determines the duration that ceramic cylinders are subjected to thermal stress during thermal shock, is theoretically obtained. The analysis proves that thermal shock failure of ceramic cylinders with a Biot number greater than the critical value is a rapid process, which only occurs in the initial heat conduction regime. The results provide a guide to the selection of ceramic materials for thermostructural engineering, with particular reference to thermal shock.

Estimation of Transverse Thermal Conductivity of Doubly-periodic Fiber Reinforced Composites

For steady-state heat conduction a new variational functional for a unit cell of composites with periodic microstructures is constructed by considering the quasi-periodicity of the temperature field and in the periodicity of the heat flux fields. Then by combining with the eigenfunction expansion of complex potential which satisfies the fiber-matrix interface conditions, an eigenfunction expansion-variational method (EEVM) based on a unit cell is developed. The effective transverse thermal conductivities of doubly-periodic fiber reinforced composites are calculated, and the first-order approximation formula for the square and hexagonal arrays is presented,which is convenient for engineering application. The numerical results show a good convergency of the presented method, even through the fiber volume fraction is relatively high. Comparisons with the existing analytical and experimental results are made to demonstrate the accuracy and validity of the first-order approximation formula for the hexagonal array.

Scaling and the thermal conductivity of the Frenkel-Kontorova model

We have studied the dependence of the thermal conductivity kappa on the strength of the interparticle potential lambda and the strength of the external potential beta in the Frenkel-Kontorova model. We found that the functional relation can be expressed in a scaling form, kappa(proportional to) lambda 3/2/beta(2 center dot). This result is first obtained by nonequilibrium molecular dynamics. It is then confirmed by two analytical methods, the self-consistent phonon theory and the self-consistent stochastic reservoirs method. The thermal conductivity kappa is therefore a decreasing functon of beta and an increasing function of lambda.

Thermal rectifying effect in macroscopic size

We address the problem of the rectifying effect of heat conduction at macroscopic size. A design for a macroscopic thermal rectifier based on the macroscopic thermal conductivity of materials is introduced, and then realizations of the design are shown by numerical simulations and phenomenological estimations.

Neodymium-cerium oxide as new thermal barrier coating material

Neodymium-cerium oxide (Nd2Ce2O7) was proposed as a new thermal barrier coating material in this work. Monolithic Nd2Ce2O7 powder was prepared by the solid-state reaction at 1400 degrees C. The phase composition, thermal stability and thermophysical properties of Nd2Ce2O7 were investigated. Nd2Ce2O7 with fluorite structure was thermally stable in the temperature range of interest for TBC applications. The results indicated that the thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) of Nd2Ce2O7 was higher than that of YSZ (6-8 Wt-% Y2O3 + ZrO2) and even more interesting was the TEC change as a function of temperature paralleling that of the superalloy bond coat. Moreover, the thermal conductivity of Nd2Ce2O7 is 30% lower than that of YSZ, which was discussed based on the theory of heat conduction. Thermal barrier coating of Nd2Ce2O7 was produced by atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) using the spray-dried powder. The thermal cycling was performed with a gas burner test facility to examine the thermal stability of the as-prepared coating.

Compact finite difference - Fourier spectral method for three-dimensional incompressible Navier-Stokes equations

A new compact finite difference-Fourier spectral hybrid method for solving the three dimensional incompressible Navier-Stokes equations is developed in the present paper. The fifth-order upwind compact finite difference schemes for the nonlinear convection terms in the physical space, and the sixth-order center compact schemes for the derivatives in spectral space are described, respectively. The fourth-order compact schemes in a single nine-point cell for solving the Helmholtz equations satisfied by the velocities and pressure in spectral space is derived and its preconditioned conjugate gradient iteration method is studied. The treatment of pressure boundary conditions and the three dimensional non-reflecting outflow boundary conditions are presented. Application to the vortex dislocation evolution in a three dimensional wake is also reported.

Modelling Study On The Plasma Flow and Heat Transfer In A Laminar Arc Plasma Torch Operating At Atmospheric and Reduced Pressure

A modelling study is performed to investigate the characteristics of both plasma flow and heat transfer of a laminar non-transferred arc argon plasma torch operated at atmospheric and reduced pressure. It is found that the calculated flow fields and temperature distributions are quite similar for both cases at a chamber pressure of 1.0 atm and 0.1 atm. A fully developed flow regime could be achieved in the arc constrictor-tube between the cathode and the anode of the plasma torch at 1.0 atm for all the flow rates covered in this study. However the flow field could not reach the fully developed regime at 0.1 atm with a higher flow rate. The arc-root is always attached to the torch anode surface near the upstream end of the anode, i.e. the abruptly expanded part of the torch channel, which is in consistence with experimental observation. The surrounding gas would be entrained from the torch exit into the torch interior due to a comparatively large inner diameter of the anode channel compared to that of the arc constrictor-tube.

Effect of coal-over-coal reburn on furnace temperature and heat flux distributions in 1 MW tangentially fired furnace

The furnace temperature and heat flux distributions of 1 MW tangentially fired furnace were studied during coal-over-coal reburn, and the influences of the position of reburn nozzle and reburn fuel fraction on furnace temperature and heat flux distributions were investigated. Compared with the baseline, the flue gas temperature is 70–90 C lower in primary combustion and 130–150 C higher at furnace exit, and the variations of the flue gas temperature distributions along furnace height are slower. The temperature distribution along the width of furnace wall decreases with the increase of the relative furnace height. In the primary combustion zone and the reburn zone, the temperature and heat flux distributions of furnace wall are much non-uniform and asymmetric along the width of furnace wall, those of furnace wall in the burnout zone are relatively uniform, and the temperature non-uniformity coefficients of the primary combustion zone, the reburn zone and the burnout zone are 0.290, 0.100 and 0.031, respectively.

Influence of heat treatment on spectroscopic properties of Er3+ in multicomponent ZrF4-ZnF2-AlF3-YF3-MF2 (M = Ca, Sr, Ba) based glass

Er3+ doped multicomponent fluoride based glass was prepared. These precursor fluoride glass samples were then heated using different schedules. Crystalline phase particles were successfully precipitated in the multicomponent fluoride glass samples after heat treatment. The influence of heat treatment on the spectroscopic properties of Er3+ in multicomponent fluoride based glass samples were discussed. Small changes of the Judd-Ofelt parameters Omega(i) (i = 2,4,6) were found in multicomponent fluoride glass samples before and after heat treatment compared to oxyfluoride telluride glass. Preparation conditions used to produce transparent multicomponent fluoride glass ceramics doped with rare-earth ions are discussed. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A complex Fourier transformation study of the contactless electroreflectance of an undoped-n(+) GaAs structure

Complex Fourier transformation (CFT) has been employed to analyse contactless electroreflectance (CER) spectra from an undoped-n(+) GaAs structure with various ac modulations and dc bias voltages. The CFT spectra of CER have been compared with those of photoreflectance (PR). It has been found that the CER non-flat modulation is between the built-in electric field and a larger electric field which increases with the modulation voltage. The result has been explained by the screening of the applied modulation electric field in one of the two half modulation cycles and the trapping of electrons in surface states in the other half modulation cycle. The dc bias does not change the CER spectra, hence their CFT spectra. This is because of the screening of the applied dc bias electric field.