Modeling re-ignition and chuffing in solid rocket motors

A nonlinear model is developed to numerically simulate dynamic combustion inside a solid rocket motor chamber. Using this model, the phenomena of re-ignition and chuffing are investigated under low-L* conditions. The model consists of two separate submodels (coupled to each other), one for unsteady burning of propellant and the other for unsteady conservation of mass and energy within the chamber. The latter yields instantaneous pressure and temperature within the chamber. The instantaneous burning rate is calculated using a one-dimensional, nonlinear, transient gas-phase model previously developed by the authors. The results presented in this paper show that the model predicts not only the critical L*, but also the various regimes of L*-instabihty. Specifically, the results exhibit (1) amplifying pressure oscillations leading to extinction, and (2) re-ignition after a dormant period following extinction. The re-ignition could be observed only when a radiation heat flux (from the combustion chamber to the propellant surface) was included. Certain high-frequency oscillations, possibly due to intrinsic instability, are observed when the pressure overshoots during re-ignition. At very low values of initial L*, successive cycles of extinction/reignition displaying typical characteristics of chuffing are predicted. Variations of the chuffing frequency and the thickness of propellant burned off during a chuff with L* are found to be qualitatively the same as that reported from experimental observations.

Re-entrant behavior in dynamics of binary mixtures of soft hybrid nanocolloids and homopolymers

We present results of measurements of temperature and wavevector dependent dynamics in binary mixtures of soft polymer grafted nanoparticles and linear homopolymers. We find evidence of melting of the dynamically arrested state of the soft nanocolloids with addition of linear polymers followed by a re-entrant slowing down of the dynamics with further increase in polymer density, depending on the size ratio, delta, of the polymers and the nanocolloids. For higher delta the re-entrant behavior is not observed, even for the highest added polymer density, explored here. Possible explanation of the observed dynamics in terms of the presence of a double - glass phase is provided. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3644930]

Thermodynamic properties of oxygen in RE-O (RE = Gd, Tb, Dy, Er) solid solutions

The oxygen potentials of four rare-earth metal – oxygen (RE–O: RE=Gd, Dy, Tb, Er) solid solutions have been measured by equilibration with yttrium – oxygen (Y–O) and titanium – oxygen (Ti–O) solid solutions. Rare-earth metal, yttrium and titanium samples were immersed in calcium-saturated CaCl2 melt at temperatures between 1093 and 1233 K. Homogeneous oxygen potential was established in the metallic samples through the fused salt, which contains some dissolved CaO. The metallic samples were analyzed for oxygen after quenching. The oxygen potentials of RE–O solid solutions were determined using either Y–O or Ti–O solid solution as the reference. This method enabled reliable measurement of extremely low oxygen potentials at high temperature (circa pO2=10−48 atm at 1173 K). It was found that the oxygen affinity of the metals decreases in the order: Y>Er>Dy>Tb>Gd>Ti. Values for the standard Gibbs energy of solution of oxygen in RE metals obtained in this study, permit assessment of the extent of deoxidation that can be achieved with various purification techniques. It may be possible to achieve an oxygen level of 10 mass ppm using an electrochemical deoxidation method.

Electrochemical deoxidation of RE–O (RE=Gd, Tb, Dy, Er) solid solutions

The removal of oxygen from rare-earth metals (RE, RE=Gd, Tb, Dy, Er) by an electrochemical deoxidation method was investigated. A titanium basket containing the rare-earth metal sample, submerged in molten CaCl2 electrolyte, formed the cathode of an electrolysis cell. A high-purity graphite anode was used. The calcium metal produced at the cathode effectively deoxidized the rare-earth metal. Carbon monoxide and dioxide were generated at the graphite anode. Rare-earth metals containing more than 2000 mass ppm oxygen were deoxidized to 10–50 mass ppm level by electrolysis at 1189 K for 36 ks (10 h). Cyclic voltammetry was used to characterize the molten salt at different stages of the process. The effectiveness of the process is discussed with the aid of a chemical potential diagram for RE–O solid solutions. The new electrochemical technique is compared with the conventional deoxidation methods reported in the literature. The possibility of nitrogen removal from the rare-earth metals by the electrochemical method is outlined.

Electrochemical detection and removal of lead in water using poly(propylene imine) modified re-compressed exfoliated graphite electrodes

Modification of exfoliated graphite (EG) electrode with generation 2 poly(propylene imine) dendrimer by electrodeposition resulted in an electrochemical sensor which was used to detect lead ions in water to a limit of 1 ppb and a linear response between 2.5 and 40 ppb using square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SW-ASV). Pb(II) was also removed from spiked water sample using a 40-mm diameter unmodified EG electrode with an applied potential of -1,000 mV for 180 min. A removal efficiency of 99% was calculated from a 150 mL sample. The results obtained in both cases using SW-ASV, correlated with atomic absorption spectroscopy.

Hypersonic wave drag reduction in re-entry capsules using concentrated energy deposition

Experiments are carried out in a shock tunnel at a nominal Mach number of 5.75 in order to study the effect of concentrated energy deposition on the drag force experienced by a 120° blunt cone. Electrical energy was deposited along the stagnation streamline of the model using a high voltage DC discharge circuit (1.5 – 3.5KW) and the drag force was measured by a single component accelerometer balance. Numerical simulations were also carried complimenting the experiments. These simulations showed a substantial drag reduction (20% ~ 65%) whereas the experiments show no appreciable reduction in drag

Strong electron correlation of Re 5d electrons in Ca2FeReO6

We have investigated the electronic structure of a double perovskite Ca2FeReO6 using photoemission spectroscopy and LDA+U bandstructure calculations. Small spectral weight at the Fermi level observed above the metal–insulator transition temperature, gradually disappears with decreasing T, forming a small (≤50 meV) energy gap. To reproduce this small energy gap, we require a very large effective U (Ueff) for Re (4 eV) in addition to Ueff of 4 eV for Fe. From simple calculations in terms of the ionic radii, we demonstrate that the Fe–Re bandwidth is smaller than that of Fe–Mo in Ca2FeMoO6, which should yield a strong electron correlation in the Re 5d bands.

Reinforcement learning controllers for automatic generation control in power systems having re-heat units with GRC and dead-band

A new automatic generation controller (AGC) design approach, adopting reinforcement learning (RL) techniques, was recently pro- posed [1]. In this paper we demonstrate the design and performance of controllers based on this RL approach for automatic generation control of systems consisting of units having complex dynamics—the reheat type of thermal units. For such systems, we also assess the capabilities of RL approach in handling realistic system features such as network changes, parameter variations, generation rate constraint (GRC), and governor deadband.

Spin-Electron-Phonon Excitation in Re-based Half-Metallic Double Perovskites

A remarkable hardening (similar to 30 cm(-1)) of the normal mode of vibration associated with the symmetric stretching of the oxygen octahedra for the Ba2FeReO6 and Sr2CrReO6 double perovskites is observed below the corresponding magnetic ordering temperatures. The very large magnitude of this effect and its absence for the antisymmetric stretching mode provide evidence against a conventional spin-phonon coupling mechanism. Our observations are consistent with a collective excitation formed by the combination of the vibrational mode with oscillations of Fe or Cr 3d and Re 5d occupations and spin magnitudes.

Computational Study of the Migration of Rhenium from One Enantioface of an Olefin to the Other Facilitated by (C-H)center dot center dot center dot Re Interactions

The migration of a metal atom in a metal olefin complex from one pi face of the olefin to the opposite pi face has been rarely documented. Gladysz and co-workers showed that such a movement is indeed possible in monosubstituted chiral Re olefin complexes, resulting in diastereomerization. Interestingly, this isomerization occurred without dissociation, and on the basis of kinetic isotope effects, the involvement of a trans C-H bond was indicated. Either oxidative addition or an agostic interaction of the vinylic C-H(D) bond with the metal could account for the experimentally observed kinetic isotope effect. In this study we compute the free energy of activation for the migration of Re from one enantioface of the olefin to the other through various pathways. On the basis of DFT calculations at the B3LYP level we show that a trans (C-H)center dot center dot center dot Re interaction and trans C-H oxidative addition provide a nondissociative path for the diastereomerization. The trans (C-H)center dot center dot center dot Re interaction path is computed to be more favorable by 2.3 kcal mol(-1) than the oxidative addition path. While direct experimental evidence was not able to discount the migration of the metal through the formation of a eta(2)-arene complex (conducted tour mechanism), computational results at the B3LYP level show that it is energetically more expensive. Surprisingly, a similar analysis carried out at the M06 level computes a lower energy path for the conducted tour mechanism and is not consistent with the experimental isotope effects observed. Metal-(C-H) interactions and oxidative additions of the metal into C-H bonds are closely separated in energy and might contribute to unusual fluxional processes such as this diastereomerization.

A composition-dependent ``re-entrant'' crystallographic phase transition in the substitutional metal acetylacetonate complex (Cr1-xGax)(acac)(3)

The formation of a complete solid solution between acetylacetonate (acac) complexes of chromium and gallium, (Cr1-x,Ga-x)(acac)(3) for 0.1

Beyond the ``Coffee Ring'': Re-entrant Ordering in an Evaporation-Driven Self-Assembly in a Colloidal Suspension on a Substrate

We study the phenomenon of evaporation-driven self-assembly of a colloid suspension of silica microspheres in the interior region and away from the rim of the droplet on a glass plate. In view of the importance of achieving a large-area, monolayer assembly, we first realize a suitable choice of experimental conditions, minimizing the influence of many other competing phenomena that usually complicate the understanding of fundamental concepts of such self-assembly processes in the interior region of a drying droplet. Under these simplifying conditions to bring out essential aspects, our experiments unveil an interesting competition between ordering and compaction in such drying systems in analogy to an impending glass transition. We establish a re-entrant behavior in the order disorder phase diagram as a function of the particle density, such that there is an optimal range of the particle density to realize the long-range ordering. The results are explained with the help of simulations and phenomenological theory.