A study on the dependence of the micro-pore configurations on the volatilization and the burn processes of the organic compounds in the matrix of molten carbonate fuel cells

The micro-pore configurations on the matrix surface were studied by SEM. The matrix of molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) performance was also improved by the better coordination between the reasonable radius of the micro-pores and the higher porosity of the cell matrix. The many and complicated micro-pore configurations in the cell matrix promoted the volatilization of the organic additives and the burn of polyvinyl butyral (PVB). The smooth volatilization of the organic additives and the complete burn of PVB were the significant factors for the improved MCFC performance. Oxygen diffusion controlled-burn mechanism of PVB in the cell matrix was proposed. (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.

Two Bifurcation Transition Processes in Floating Half Zone Convection of Larger Prandtl Number Fluid

Processes of the onset oscillation in the thermocapillaxy convection under the Earth's gravity are investigated by the numerical simulation and experiments in a floating half zone of large Prandtl number with different volume ratio. Both computational and experimental results show that the steady and axisymmetric convection turns to the oscillatory convection of m=1 for the slender liquid bridge, and to the oscillatory convection before a steady and 3D asymmetric state for the case of a fat liquid bridge. It implies that, there are two critical Marangoni numbers related, respectively, to these two bifurcation transitions for the fat liquid bridge. The computational results agree with the results of ground-based experiments.

The effect of thermal-activation on dislocation processes at an atomistic crack-tip

The effects of thermal activation on the dislocation emission from an atomistic crack tip are discussed, Molecular dynamics simulations at different constant temperatures are carried out to investigate the thermal effects. The simulated results show that the processes of the partial dislocation generation and emission are temperature dependent. As the temperature increases, the incipient duration of the partial dislocation nucleation becomes longer, the critical stress intensity factor for partial dislocation emission is reduced and, at the same loading level, more dislocations are emitted. The dislocation velocity moving away from the crack tip and the separations of partial dislocations are apparently not temperature dependent. The simulated results also show that, as the temperature increases, the stress distribution along the crack increases slightly. Therefore stress softening at the crack tip induced by thermal activation does not exist in the present simulation. A simple model is proposed to evaluate the relation of the critical stress intensity factor versus temperature. The obtained relation is in good agreement with our molecular dynamics results.

Proteomic Analysis of Proteins Involved in Spermiogenesis in Mouse

Spermiogenesis is a unique process in mammals during which haploid round spermatids mature into spermatozoa in the testis. Its successful completion is necessary for fertilization and its malfunction is an important cause of male infertility. Here, we report the high-confidence identification of 2116 proteins in mouse haploid germ cells undergoing spermiogenesis: 299 of these were testis-specific and 155 were novel. Analysis of these proteins showed many proteins possibly functioning in unique processes of spermiogenesis. Of the 84 proteins annotated to be involved in vesicle-related events, VAMP4 was shown to be important for acrosome biogenesis by in vivo knockdown experiments. Knockdown of VAMP4 caused defects of acrosomal vesicle fusion and significantly increased head abnormalities in spermatids from testis and sperm from the cauda epididymis. Analysis of chromosomal distribution of the haploid genes showed underrepresentation on the X chromosome and overrepresentation on chromosome 11, which were due to meiotic sex chromosome inactivation and expansion of testis-expressed gene families, respectively. Comparison with transcriptional data showed translational regulation during spermiogenesis. This characterization of proteins involved in spermiogenesis provides an inventory of proteins useful for understanding the mechanisms of male infertility and may provide candidates for drug targets for male contraception and male infertility.

Excitation and dissociation of tungsten hexacarbonyl W(CO)(6): Statistical and nonstatistical dissociation processes

We have studied the excitation and dissociation processes of the molecule W(CO)(6) in collisions with low kinetic energy (3 keV) protons, monocharged fluorine, and chlorine ions using double charge transfer spectroscopy. By analyzing the kinetic energy loss of the projectile anions, we measured the excitation energy distribution of the produced transient dications W(CO)(6)(2+). By coincidence measurements between the anions and the stable or fragments of W(CO)(6)(2+), we determined the energy distribution for each dissociation channel. Based on the experimental data, the emission of the first CO was tentatively attributed to a nonstatistical direct dissociation process and the emission of the second or more CO ligands was attributed to the statistical dissociation processes. The dissociation energies for the successive breaking of the W-CO bond were estimated using a cascade model. The ratio between charge separation and evaporation (by the loss of CO+ and CO, respectively) channels was estimated to be 6% in the case of Cl+ impact. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3523347]

pH-dependent conformational changes of ferricytochrome c induced by electrode surface microstructure

pH-dependent processes of bovine heart ferricytochrome c have been investigated by electronic absorption and circular dichroism (CD) spectra at functionalized single-wall carbon 'nanotubes (SWNTs) modified glass carbon electrode (SWNTs/ GCE) using a long optical path thin layer cell. These methods enabled the pH-dependent conformational changes arising from the heme structure change to be monitored. The spectra obtained at functionalized SWNTs/GCE reflect electrode surface microstructure-dependent changes for pH-induced protein conformation, pK(a) of alkaline transition and structural microenvironment of the ferricytochrome c heme. pH-dependent conformational distribution curves of ferricytochrome c obtained by analysis of in situ CD spectra using singular value decomposition least square (SVDLS) method show that the functionalized SWNTs can retain native conformational stability of ferricytochrome c during alkaline transition.

ELECTROCHEMICAL AND IN-SITU SPECTROELECTROCHEMICAL STUDY OF (TETRAPHENYLPORPHINATO)MANGANESE(III) PERCHLORATE IN THE PRESENCE OF CHLORIDE ANIONS .2. OXIDATION PROCESSES

An investigation of electrode oxidation processes of (tetra-phenylporphinato) manganese (III) Perchlorate, (TPS)Mn(III)ClO4, was carried out during the titration of chloride anions by conventional cyclic voltammetry, thin-layer cyclic voltammetry and spectroelectrochemistry. It was demonstrated that in the presence of one equivalent amount of Cl-, the first one electron oxidation reaction corresponds to the Mn(III)I cation radical oxidation, and the second one electron oxidation corresponds to the cation radical/dication generation followed by an iso-porphyrin formation reaction, however in the presence of two equivalent amount of Cl-, the first one electron oxidation of Mn(III) gives Mn(IV) porphyrin and the second one electron oxidation generates cation radicals of Mn(IV) followed by an iso-porphyrin formation reactions. Mechanisms of these redox processes are postulated.

The Mach reflection of a detonation based on soot track measurements

This paper presents a series of soot tracks formed by gaseous detonation waves diffracting around wedges with different wedge angles. These cellular structure patterns describe the Mach-reflection processes of a detonation and reveal some unique characteristics. They can be used to analyze the relationship between the trajectory angle of the triple point, wedge angle, and initial pressure in Mach reflection. Compared to the Mach-reflected one-dimensional shock wave in nonreactive air, all these unique characteristics for a Mach-reflected detonation should be attributed to the transverse-wave structure of the detonation front; meanwhile, the precursor shock wave and transverse wave influence the Mach-reflected detonation, respectively. The experimental results support the recently published numerical simulation of this complex phenomenon.

Structure of Vortex Dislocations in a Wake-type Flow

Structure and dynamical processes of vortex dislocations in a kind of wake-type flow are described clearly by vortex lines, which are directly constructed from data of three-dimensional direct numerical simulations of the flow evolution.

Modeling and Simulation of Liquid Pulsed Particulate Fluidized Beds

Pulsed fluidization is of considerable interest in process engineering for improving fluidization quality. Quantitative understanding of the pulsed two-phase flow behaviors is very important for proper design and optimum operation of such contactors. The

Molecular dynamics simulation of interaction of a dislocation array from a crack tip with grain boundaries

The interaction of a dislocation array emitted from a crack tip under mode II loading with asymmetric tilt grain boundaries (GBs) is analysed by the molecular dynamics method. The GBs can generally be described by planar and linear matching zones and unmatching zones. All GBs are observed to emit dislocations. The GBs migrated easily due to their planar and linear matching structure and asymmetrical type. The diffusion induced by stress concentration is found to promote the GB migration. The transmissions of dislocations are either along the matched plane or along another plane depending on tilt angle theta. Alternate processes of stress concentration and stress relaxation take place ahead of the pileup. The stress concentration can be released either by transmission of dislocations, by atom diffusion along GBs, or by migration of GBs by formation of twinning bands. The simulated results also unequivocally demonstrate two processes, i.e. asymmetrical GBs evolving into symmetrical ones and unmatching zones evolving into matching ones during the loading process.