Influence of liquid bridge volume on the onset of oscillation in floating-zone convection III. Three-dimensional model

An unsteady and three-dimensional model of the floating-half-zone convection on the ground is studied by the direct numerical simulation for the medium of 10 cSt silicon oil, and the influence of the liquid bridge volume on the critical applied temperature difference is especially discussed. The marginal curves for the onset of oscillation are separated into two branches related, respectively, to the slender liquid bridge and the fat liquid bridge. The oscillatory features of the floating-half-zone convection are also discussed.

A Label-Free Protein Microfluidic Array for Parallel Immunoassays

A label-free protein microfluidic array for immunoassays based on the combination of imaging ellipsometry and an integrated microfluidic system is presented. Proteins can be patterned homogeneously on substrate in array format by the microfluidic system simultaneously. After preparation, the protein array can be packed in the microfluidic system which is full of buffer so that proteins are not exposed to denaturing conditions. With simple microfluidic channel junction, the protein microfluidic array can be used in serial or parallel format to analyze single or multiple samples simultaneously. Imaging ellipsometry is used for the protein array reading with a label-free format. The biological and medical applications of the label-free protein microfluidic array are demonstrated by screening for antibody–antigen interactions, measuring the concentration of the protein solution and detecting five markers of hepatitis B.

Influence of Liquid Bridge Volume on the Floating Zone Convection

The liquid bridge volume is a critical geometrical parameter in addition to the aspect ratio for onset of oscillation in the floating zone convection. The oscillatory features are generally divided into two characteristic regions: slender liquid bridge region and fat liquid bridge region. The oscillatory modes in two regions are discussed in the present paper.

Influence Of Rayleigh Effect Combined With Marangoni Effect On The Onset Of Convection In A Liquid Layer Overlying A Porous Layer

The coupling mechanism of Rayleigh effect and Marangoni effect in a liquid-porous system is investigated using a linear stability analysis. The eigenvalue problem is solved by means of a Chebyshev tau method. Results indicate that there are three coupling modes between the Rayleigh effect and the Marangoni effect for different depth ratios. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Experimental Investigation Of Thermocapillary Convection In A Liquid Layer With Evaporating Interface

Thermocapillary convection coupling with the evaporation effect of evaporating liquids is studied experimentally. This study focused on an evaporation liquid layer in a rectangular cavity subjected to a horizontal temperature gradient when the top evaporating surface is open to air, while most previous works only studied pure thermocapillary convection without evaporation. Two liquids with different evaporating rates are used to study the coupling of evaporation and thermocapillary convection, and the interfacial temperature profiles for different temperature gradients are measured. The experimental results indicate evidently the influence of evaporation effect on the thermocapillary convection and interfacial temperature profiles. The steady multicellular flow and the oscillatory multicellular flow in the evaporation liquid layer are observed by using the particle-image-velocimetry method.

Receptivity To Free-Stream Disturbance Waves For Hypersonic Flow Over A Blunt Cone

A high-order shock-fitting finite difference scheme is studied and used to do direction numerical simulation (DNS) of hypersonic unsteady flow over a blunt cone with fast acoustic waves in the free stream, and the receptivity problem in the blunt cone hypersonic boundary layers is studied. The results show that the acoustic waves are the strongest disturbance in the blunt cone hypersonic boundary layers. The wave modes of disturbance in the blunt cone boundary layers are first, second, and third modes which are generated and propagated downstream along the wall. The results also show that as the frequency decreases, the amplitudes of wave modes of disturbance increase, but there is a critical value. When frequency is over the critial value, the amplitudes decrease. Because of the discontinuity of curvature along the blunt cone body, the maximum amplitudes as a function of frequencies are not monotone.

The Fluid Phenomena In the Crystallization Of the Protein Crystal

This paper reports that an optical diagnostic system consisting of Mach-Zehnder interferometer with a phase shift device and image processor has been used for study of the kinetics of protein crystal growing process. The crystallization process of protein crystal by vapour diffusion is investigated. The interference fringes are observed in real time. The present experiment demonstrates that the diffusion and the sedimentation influence the crystallization of protein crystal which grows in solution, and the concentration capillary convection associated with surface tension occurs at the vicinity of free surface of the protein mother liquor, and directly affects on the outcome of protein crystallization. So far the detailed analysis and the important role of the fluid phenomena in protein crystallization have been discussed a little in both space- and ground-based crystal growth experiments. It is also found that these fluid phenomena affect the outcome of protein crystallization, regular growth, and crystal quality. This may explain the fact that many results of space-based investigation do not show overall improvement.

Comparison Of Shear Banding In Bmgs Due To Thermal-Softening And Free Volume Creation

This paper reports a comparative study of shear banding in BMGs resulting from thermal softening and free volume creation. Firstly, the effects of thermal softening and free volume creation on shear instability are discussed. It is known that thermal softening governs thermal shear banding, hence it is essentially energy related. However, compound free volume creation is the key factor to the other instability, though void-induced softening seems to be the counterpart of thermal softening. So, the driving force for shear instability owing to free volume creation is very different from the thermally assisted one. In particular, long wave perturbations are always unstable owing to compound free volume creation. Therefore, the shear instability resulting from coupled compound free volume creation and thermal softening may start more like that due to free volume creation. Also, the compound free volume creation implies a specific and intrinsic characteristic growth time of shear instability. Finally, the mature shear band width is governed by the corresponding diffusions (thermal or void diffusion) within the band. As a rough guide, the dimensionless numbers: Thermal softening related number B, Deborah number (denoting the relation of instability growth rate owing to compound free volume and loading time) and Lewis number (denoting the competition of different diffusions) show us their relative importance of thermal softening and free volume creation in shear banding. All these results are of particular significance in understanding the mechanism of shear banding in bulk metallic glasses (BMGs).

Comparative Study Of The Influence Of Natural Convection On Directional Solidification Of Al-3.5 Wt% Ni And Al-7 Wt% Si Alloys

We present numerical simulations of thermosolutal convection for directional solidification of Al-3.5 wt% Ni and Al-7 wt% Si. Numerical results predict that fragmentation of dendrite arms resulting from dissolution could be favored in Al-7 wt% Si, but not in Al-3.5 wt% Ni. Corresponding experiments are in qualitative agreement with the numerical predictions. Distinguishing the two fragmentation mechanisms, namely dissolution and remelting, is critical during experiments on earth, when fluid flow is dominant. (C) 2007 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Thermovibrational Instability Of Rayleigh-Marangoni-Benard Convection In Two-Layer Fluid Systems

The thermovibrational instability of Rayleigh-Marangoni-Benard convection in a two-layer system under the high-frequency vibration has been investigated by linear instability analysis in the present paper. General equations for the description of the convective flow and within this framework, the generalized Boussinesq approximation are formulated. These equations are dealt with using the averaging method. The theoretical analysis results show that the high-frequency thermovibrations can change the Marangoni-Benard convection instabilities as well as the oscillatory gaps of the Rayleigh-Marangoni-Benard convection in two-layer liquid systems. It is found that vertical high-frequency vibrations can delay convective instability of this system, and damp the convective flow down. (C) 2007 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Experimental Investigation Of Influence Of Interfacial Tension On Convection Of Two-Layer Immiscible Liquid

Benard-Marangoni convections of two-layer fluids heated from the bottom are investigated experimentally with a particle imagine velocimetry. The flows are visualized from the side, and various velocity fields near the onset of convection, such as three-layer vortex convective patterns, are observed when the depth ratio varies in a wide range. A new classification of the convective patterns is proposed with more detail than in previous studies. The analysis of the results indicates that the interface tension greatly influences the motion intensities of the bottom and top layers. The dimensionless wave number increases with the Bond number when the motion in the top layer is not more intense than that in the bottom layer, which agrees with the theoretical prediction.

Role Of Convection Flow On The Pattern Formation In The Drying Process Of Colloidal Suspension

We study the macroscopic drying patterns of aqueous suspensions of colloidal silica spheres. It was found that convection strength can influence pattern formation. Uniformed films are obtained at weaker convection strength. In addition, we make clear that it is not reasonable to discuss individually the effect of temperature and humidity on the colloid self-assembly. The physical mechanism is that these factors have relationship with the evaporation rate, which can affect the convection strength.

A Modified Free Volume Model For Characterizing Of Rate Effect In Bulk Metallic Glasses

We investigate the plastic deformation and constitutive behaviour of bulk metallic glasses (BMGs). A dimensionless Deborah number De(ID) = t(r)/t(i) is proposed to characterize the rate effect in BMGs, where t(r) is the structural relaxing characteristic time of BMGs under shear load, t(i) is the macroscopic imposed characteristic time of applied stress or the characteristic time of macroscopic deformation. The results demonstrate that the modified free volume model can characterize the strain rate effect in BMGs effectively.

Thermocapillary Convection In An Inhomogeneous Porous Layer

A new model consisting of an inhomogeneous porous medium saturated by incompressible fluid is investigated. We focus on the effects of inhomogeneity for the streamline patterns and instabilities of the system. Influences of the 'mean porosity' and gradient of distributions of porosity are also emphasized. The results cannot be obtained by studying the media with constant porosity as carried out by other researchers, and have not been discussed before.

Space experiments of thermocapillary convection in two-liquid layers

In 1999, the space experiments on the Marangoni convection and thermocapillary convection in a system of two immiscible liquid layers in microgravity environment were conducted on board the Chinese scientific satellite SJ-5. A new system of two-layer liquids such as FC-70 liquid and paraffin was used successfully, with the paraffin melted in the space. Two different test-cells are subjected to a temperature gradient perpendicular or parallel to the interface to study the Marangoni convection and thermocapillary convection, respectively. The experimental data obtained in the first Chinese space experiment of fluid are presented. Two-dimensional numerical simulations of thermocapillary convections are carried out using SIMPLEC method A reasonable agreement between the experimental investigation and the numerical results is obtained.