Influence of surface area to volume ratio of fuel particles on gasification process in a fixed bed

The paper addresses the effect of particle size on tar generation in a fixed bed gasification system. Pyrolysis, a diffusion limited process, depends on the heating rate and the surface area of the particle influencing the release of the volatile fraction leaving behind residual char. The flaming time has been estimated for different biomass samples. It is found that the flaming time for wood flakes is almost one fourth than that of coconut shells for same equivalent diameter fuel samples. The particle density of the coconut shell is more than twice that of wood spheres, and almost four times compared with wood flakes; having a significant influence on the flaming time. The ratio of the particle surface area to that of an equivalent diameter is nearly two times higher for flakes compared with wood pieces. Accounting for the density effect, on normalizing with density of the particle, the flaming rate is double in the case of wood flakes or coconut shells compared with the wood sphere for an equivalent diameter. This is due to increased surface area per unit volume of the particle. Experiments are conducted on estimation of tar content in the raw gas for wood flakes and standard wood pieces. It is observed that the tar level in the raw gas is about 80% higher in the case of wood flakes compared with wood pieces. The analysis suggests that the time for pyrolysis is lower with a higher surface area particle and is subjected to fast pyrolysis process resulting in higher tar fraction with low char yield. Increased residence time with staged air flow has a better control on residence time and lower tar in the raw gas. (C) 2014 International Energy Initiative. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Studies on a frustrated Heisenberg spin chain with alternating ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic exchanges

We study Heisenberg spin-1/2 and spin-1 chains with alternating ferromagnetic (J(1)(F)) and antiferromagnetic (J(1)(A)) nearest-neighbor interactions and a ferromagnetic next-nearest-neighbor interaction (J(2)(F)). In this model frustration is present due to the non-zero J(2)(F). The model with site spin s behaves like a Haldane spin chain, with site spin 2s in the limit of vanishing J(2)(F) and large J(1)(F)/J(1)(A). We show that the exact ground state of the model can be found along a line in the parameter space. For fixed J(1)(F), the phase diagram in the space of J(1)(A)-J(2)(F) is determined using numerical techniques complemented by analytical calculations. A number of quantities, including the structure factor, energy gap, entanglement entropy and zero temperature magnetization, are studied to understand the complete phase diagram. An interesting and potentially important feature of this model is that it can exhibit a macroscopic magnetization jump in the presence of a magnetic field; we study this using an effective Hamiltonian.

Hot deformation behavior of Ni-Fe-Ga-based ferromagnetic shape memory alloy - A study using processing map

Ni-Fe-Ga-based alloys form a new class of ferromagnetic shape memory alloys (FSMAs) that show considerable formability because of the presence of a disordered fcc gamma-phase. The current study explores the deformation processing of this alloy using an off-stoichiometric Ni55Fe59Ga26 alloy that contains the ductile gamma-phase. The hot deformation behavior of this alloy has been characterized on the basis of its flow stress variation obtained by isothermal constant true strain rate compression tests in the 1123-1323 K temperature range and strain rate range of 10(-3)-10 s(-1) and using a combination of constitutive modeling and processing map. The dynamic recrystallization (DRX) regime for thermomechanical processing has been identified for this Heusler alloy on the basis of the processing maps and the deformed microstructures. This alloy also shows evidence of dynamic strain-aging (DSA) effect which has not been reported so far for any Heusler FSMAs. Similar effect is also noticed in a Ni-Mn-Ga-based Heusler alloy which is devoid of any gamma-phase. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Raman Evidence for Coupling of Superconducting Quasi-Particles with a Phonon and Crystal Field Excitation in Superconductor Ce0.6Y0.4FeAsO0.8F0.2

We report inelastic light scattering experiments on superconductor Ce0.6Y0.4FeAsO0.8F0.2 from 4K to 300K covering the superconducting transition temperature T-c similar to 48.6K. A strong evidence of the superconductivity induced phonon renormalization for the A(1g) phonon mode near 150cm(-1) associated with the Ce/Y vibrations is observed as reflected in the anomalous red-shift and decrease in the linewidth below T-c. Invoking the coupling of this mode with the superconducting gap, the superconducting gap (2 Delta) at zero temperature is estimated to be similar to 20meV i.e the ratio 2 Delta(0)/k(B)T(c) is similar to 5, suggesting Ce0.6Y0.4FeAsO0.8F0.2 to belong to the class of strong coupling superconductors. In addition, the mode near 430cm(-1) associated with Ce3+ crystal field excitation also shows anomalous increase in its linewidth below T-c suggesting strong coupling between crystal field excitation and the superconducting quasi-particles.

Pyridylenevinylene based Cu2+-specific, injectable metallo(hydro) gel: thixotropy and nanoscale metal-organic particles

A Cu2+-selective metallo(hydro) gelation of a p-pyridyl ended oligophenylenevinylene system is reported over its respective meta- and ortho-regioisomers. The metallogel formed via the self-assembly of the nanoscale-metal-organic particles is injectable and also shows multi-stimuli responsiveness, including thixotropy.

Room temperature ferromagnetic and ferroelectric properties of Bi1-xCaxMnO3 thin films

Bi1-xCaxMnO3 (BCMO) thin films with x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4 are successfully deposited on the n-type Si (100) substrate at two different temperatures of 400 degrees C and 800 degrees C using RF magnetron sputtering. The stoichiometry of the films and oxidation state of the elements have been described by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. Dielectric measurement depicts the insulating property of BCMO films. Magnetic and ferroelectric studies confirm the significant enhancement in spin orientation as well as electric polarization at room temperature due to incorporation of Ca2+ ions into BiMnO3 films. The BCMO (x = 0.2) film grown at 400 degrees C shows better magnetization (M-sat) and polarization (P-s) with the measured values of 869 emu / cc and 6.6 mu(C)/cm(2) respectively than the values of the other prepared films. Thus the realization of room temperature ferromagnetic and ferroelectric ordering in Ca2+ ions substituted BMO films makes potentially interesting for spintronic device applications. (C) 2014 Author(s).

Synergetic effect of size and morphology of cobalt ferrite nanoparticles on proton relaxivity

Cobalt ferrite nanoparticles with average sizes of 14, 9 and 6 nm were synthesised by the chemical co-precipitation technique. Average particle sizes were varied by changing the chitosan surfactant to precursor molar ratio in the reaction mixture. Transmission electron microscopy images revealed a faceted and irregular morphology for the as-synthesised nanoparticles. Magnetic measurements revealed a ferromagnetic nature for the 14 and 9 nm particles and a superparamagnetic nature for the 6 nm particles. An increase in saturation magnetisation with increasing particle size was noted. Relaxivity measurements were carried out to determine T-2 value as a function of particle size using nuclear magnetic resonance measurements. The relaxivity coefficient increased with decrease in particle size and decrease in the saturation magnetisation value. The observed trend in the change of relaxivity value with particle size was attributed to the faceted nature of as-synthesised nanoparticles. Faceted morphology results in the creation of high gradient of magnetic field in the regions adjacent to the facet edges increasing the relaxivity value. The effect of edges in increasing the relaxivity value increases with decrease in the particle size because of an increase in the total number of edges per particle dispersion.

Poly(vinylidene fluoride)-Based Flexible and Lightweight Materials for Attenuating Microwave Radiations

Two unique materials were developed, like graphene oxide (GO) sheets covalently grafted on to barium titanate (BT) nanoparticles and cobalt nanowires (Co-NWs), to attenuate the electromagnetic (EM) radiations in poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)-based composites. The rationale behind using either a ferroelectric or a ferromagnetic material in combination with intrinsically conducting nanoparticles (multiwall carbon nanotubes, CNTs), is to induce both electrical and magnetic dipoles in the system. Two key properties, namely, enhanced dielectric constant and magnetic permeability, were determined. PVDF/BT-GO composites exhibited higher dielectric constant compared to PVDF/BT and PVDF/GO composites. Co-NWs, which were synthesized by electrodeposition, exhibited saturation magnetization (M-s) of 40 emu/g and coercivity (Hc) of 300 G. Three phase hybrid composites were prepared by mixing CNTs with either BT-GO or Co-NWs in PVDF by solution blending. These nanoparticles showed high electrical conductivity and significant attenuation of EM radiations both in the X-band and in the Ku-band frequency. In addition, BT-GO/CNT and Co-NWs/CNT particles also enhanced the thermal conductivity of PVDF by ca. 8.7- and 9.3-fold in striking contrast to neat PVDF. This study open new avenues to design flexible and lightweight electromagnetic interference shielding materials by careful selection of functional nanoparticles

Stress states in individual Si particles of a cast Al-Si alloy: Micro-Raman analysis and microstructure based modeling

The stress states in Si particles of cast Al-Si based alloys depend on its morphology and the heat treatment given to the alloy. The Si particles fracture less on modification and fracture more in the heat treated condition. An attempt has been made in this work to study the effect of heat treatment and Si modification on the stress states of the particles. Such understanding will be valuable for predicting the ductility of the alloy. The stress states of Si particles are estimated by Raman technique and compared with the microstructure-based FEM simulations. Combination of Electron Back-Scattered Diffraction (EBSD) and frequency shift, polarized micro-Raman technique is applied to determine the stress states in Si particles with (111) orientations. Stress states are measured in the as-received state and under uniaxial compression. The residual stress, the stress in the elastic-plastic regime and the stress which causes fracture of the particles is estimated by Raman technique. FEM study demonstrates that the stress distribution is uniform in modified Si, whereas the unmodified Si shows higher and more complex stress states. The onset of plastic flow is observed at sharp corners of the particles and is followed by localization of strain between particles. Clustering of particles generates more inhomogeneous plastic strain in the matrix. Particle stress estimated by Raman technique is in agreement with FEM calculations. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Life of flame particles embedded in premixed flames interacting with near isotropic turbulence

Flame particles are surface points that always remain embedded on, by comoving with a given iso-scalar surface within a flame. Tracking flame particles allow us to study the fate of propagating surface locations uniquely identified throughout their evolution with time. In this work, using Direct Numerical Simulations we study the finite lifetime of such flame particles residing on iso-temperature surfaces of statistically planar H-2-air flames interacting with near-isotropic turbulence. We find that individual flame particles as well as their ensemble, experience progressively increasing tangential straining rate (K-t) and increasing negative curvature (kappa) near the end of their lifetime to finally get annihilated. By studying two different turbulent flow conditions, flame particle tracking shows that such tendency of local flame surfaces to be strained and cusped towards pinch-off from the main surface is a rather generic feature, independent of initial conditions, locations and ambient turbulence intensity levels. The evolution of the alignments between the flame surface normals and the principal components of the local straining rates are also tracked. We find that the surface normals initially aligned with the most extensive principal strain rate components, rotate near the end of flame particles' lifetime to enable preferential alignment between the surface tangent and the most extensive principal strain rate component. This could explain the persistently increasing tangential strain rate, sharp negative curvature formation and eventual detachment. (C) 2014 The Combustion Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

SIMULATION STUDY OF THE ADSORPTION DYNAMICS OF CYLINDRICAL SILICA GEL PARTICLES

The paper presents a simulation study of loose cylindrically shaped particles packed within a copper plate and aluminum fins. The model presented solves coupled heat and mass transfer equations using the finite volume method based on ANSY S FLUENT medium. Three different arrangements of cylindrical particles are considered. The model is validated with experimental data. It is found that the arrangements which represented monolayer configurations are only marginally better in heat transfer and uptake efficiency than the tri-layer configuration in the presence of fins. However, there is an appreciable difference in the uptake curve between monoand tri-layer configurations in the absence of fins. Finally, it is found that the fin pitch also plays an important role in determining the time constant for the adsorber design.

Nanocomposite Made of an Oligo(p-phenylenevinylene)-Based Trihybrid Thixotropic Metallo(organo)gel Comprising Nanoscale Metal-Organic Particles, Carbon Nanohorns, and Silver Nanoparticles

A silver ion (Ag+)-triggered thixotropic metallo(organo)gel of p-pyridyl-appended oligo(p-phenylenevinylene) derivatives (OPVs) is reported for the first time. Solubilization of single-walled carbon nanohorns (SWCNHs) in solutions of the pure OPVs as well as in the metallogels mediated by pi-pi interactions has also been achieved. In situ fabrication of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in the SWCNH-doped dihybrid gel leads to the formation of a trihybrid metallogel. The mechanical strength of the metallogels could be increased step- wise in the order: freshly prepared gel particles (NMOPs), flowerlike aggregates of SWCNHs and AgNPs, and also their integration with each other. Detailed studies suggest lamellar organizations of the linear metal ligand complexes in the NMOPs, which upon association create a three-dimensional network that eventually immobilizes the solvent molecules.

Phase stability of silver particles embedded calcium phosphate bioceramics

In this paper, we report the compositional variation-dependent phase stability of hydroxyapatite (Ca-10(PO4)(6)(OH)(2)) on doping with silver. The transformation of hydroxyapatite to (beta/alpha) tricalcium phosphate phases during sintering has been explored using Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques. The optical absorption spectroscopy analysis reveals the presence of Ag+ ions at low doping levels. As the doping increases, abundance of Ag particles is enhanced.

Comparative study of magnetic ordering in bulk and nanoparticles of Sm0.65Ca0.35MnO3: Magnetization and electron magnetic resonance measurements

To explore the effect of size reduction to nanoscale on the hole doped Sm0.65Ca0.35MnO3 compound, dc magnetic measurements and electron magnetic resonance (EMR) were done on bulk and nanoparticle samples in the temperature range 10 <= T <= 300 K. Magnetization measurement showed that the bulk sample undergoes a charge ordering transition at 240K and shows a mixed magnetic phase at low temperature. However, the nanosample underwent a ferromagnetic transition at 75 K, and the charge ordered state was destabilized on size reduction down to nanoscale. The low-temperature ferromagnetic component is found to be enhanced in nanoparticles as compared to their bulk counterpart. Interestingly around room temperature, bulk particles show higher magnetization where as at low temperature nanoparticles show higher magnetization. Ferromagnetism in the bulk is due to super exchange where as ferromagnetism in nanoparticles is due to uncompensated spins of the surface layer. Temperature variation of EMR parameters correlates well with the results of magnetic measurements. The magnetic behaviour of the nanoparticles is understood in terms of the core shell scenario. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.