Synergistic use of thermogravimetric and electrochemical techniques for thermodynamic study of TiOx (1.67 <= x <= 2.0) at 1573 K

A thermodynamic study of the Ti-O system at 1573 K has been conducted using a combination of thermogravimetric and emf techniques. The results indicate that the variation of oxygen potential with the nonstoichiometric parameter delta in stability domain of TiO2-delta with rutile structure can be represented by the relation, Delta mu o(2) = -6RT In delta - 711970(+/-1600) J/mol. The corresponding relation between non-stoichiometric parameter delta and partial pressure of oxygen across the whole stability range of TiO2-delta at 1573 K is delta proportional to P-O2(-1/6). It is therefore evident that the oxygen deficient behavior of nonstoichiometric TiO2-delta is dominated by the presence of doubly charged oxygen vacancies and free electrons. The high-precision measurements enabled the resolution of oxygen potential steps corresponding to the different Magneli phases (Ti-n O2n-1) up to n = 15. Beyond this value of n, the oxygen potential steps were too small to be resolved. Based on composition of the Magneli phase in equilibrium with TiO2-delta, the maximum value of n is estimated to be 28. The chemical potential of titanium was derived as a function of composition using the Gibbs-Duhem relation. Gibbs energies of formation of the Magneli phases were derived from the chemical potentials of oxygen and titanium. The values of -2441.8(+/-5.8) kJ/mol for Ti4O7 and -1775.4(+/-4.3) kJ/mol for Ti3O5 Obtained in this study refine values of -2436.2(+/-26.1) kJ/mol and-1771.3(+/-6.9) kJ/mol, respectively, given in the JANAF thermochemical tables.

Performance Optimization of Induction Motor-Pump System Using Photovoltaic Energy Source

The optimization of a photovoltaic pumping system based on an induction motor driven pump that is powered by a solar array is presented in this paper. The motor-pump subsystem is analyzed from the point of view of optimizing the power requirement of the induction motor, which has led to an optimum u-f relationship useful in controlling the motor. The complete pumping system is implemented using a dc-dc converter, a three-phase inverter, and an induction motor-pump set. The dc-dc converter is used as a power conditioner and its duty cycle is controlled so as to match the load to the array. A microprocessor-based controller is used to carry out the load-matching.

Optimization of ion energy spread in inductively coupled plasma source designed for focused ion beam applications

The ion energy distribution of inductively coupled plasma ion source for focused ion beam application is measured using a four grid retarding field energy analyzer. Without using any Faraday shield, ion energy spread is found to be 50 eV or more. Moreover, the ion energy distribution is found to have double peaks showing that the power coupling to the plasma is not purely inductive, but a strong parasitic capacitive coupling is also present. By optimizing the various source parameters and Faraday shield, ion energy distribution having a single peak, well separated from zero energy and with ion energy spread of 4 eV is achieved. A novel plasma chamber, with proper Faraday shield is designed to ignite the plasma at low RF powers which otherwise would require 300-400 W of RF power. Optimization of various parameters of the ion source to achieve ions with very low energy spread and the experimental results are presented in this article. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Miniature Compliant Grippers With Vision-Based Force Sensing

This paper is concerned with grasping biological cells in aqueous medium with miniature grippers that can also help estimate forces using vision-based displacement measurement and computation. We present the design, fabrication, and testing of three single-piece, compliant miniature grippers with parallel and angular jaw motions. Two grippers were designed using experience and intuition, while the third one was designed using topology optimization with implicit manufacturing constraints. These grippers were fabricated using different manufacturing techniques using spring steel and polydimethylsiloxane ( PDMS). The grippers also serve the purpose of a force sensor. Toward this, we present a vision-based force-sensing technique by solving Cauchy's problem in elasticity using an improved algorithm. We validated this technique at the macroscale, where there was an independent method to estimate the force. In this study, the gripper was used to hold a yeast ball and a zebrafish egg cell of less than 1 mm in diameter. The forces involved were estimated to be about 30 and 10 mN for the yeast ball and the zebrafish egg cell, respectively.

Optimization and design of energy transport system for solar cooking application

This paper proposes a hybrid solar cooking system where the solar energy is transported to the kitchen. The thermal energy source is used to supplement the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) that is in common use in kitchens. Solar energy is transferred to the kitchen by means of a circulating fluid. Energy collected from sun is maximized by changing the flow rate dynamically. This paper proposes a concept of maximum power point tracking (MPPT) for the solar thermal collector. The diameter of the pipe is selected to optimize the overall energy transfer. Design and sizing of different components of the system are explained. Concept of MPPT is validated with simulation and experimental results. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Theoretical gain‐optimization studies in CO2–N2 gasdynamic lasers. II. Results of parametric study

Based on a method presented in detail in a previous work by the authors, similar solutions have been obtained for the steady inviscid quasi‐one‐dimensional nonreacting flow in the supersonic nozzle of a CO2–N2 gasdynamic laser system, with either H2O or He as the catalyst. It has been demonstrated how these solutions could be used to optimize the small‐signal gain coefficient on a specified vibrational‐rotational transition. Results presented for a wide range of mixture compositions include optimum values for the small‐signal gain, area ratio, reservoir temperature, and a binary scaling parameter, which is the product of reservoir pressure and nozzle shape factor.

Theoretical gain‐optimization studies in CO2–N2 gasdynamic lasers. I. Theory

Based on a method proposed by Reddy and Daum, the equations governing the steady inviscid nonreacting gasdynamic laser (GDL) flow in a supersonic nozzle are reduced to a universal form so that the solutions depend on a single parameter which combines all the other parameters of the problem. Solutions are obtained for a sample case of available data and compared with existing results to validate the present approach. Also, similar solutions for a sample case are presented.

Nature of nitrogen adsorbed on transition metal surfaces as revealed by electron spectroscopy and cognate techniques

The nature of the chemisorbed states of nitrogen on various transition metal surfaces is discussed comprehensively on the basis of the results of electron spectroscopic investigations augmented by those from other techniques such as LEED and thermal desorption. A brief discussion of the photoemission spectra of free N2, a comparison of adsorbed N2 and CO as well as of physisorption of N2 on metal surfaces is also presented. We discuss the chemisorption of N2 on the surfaces of certain metals (e.g. Ni, Fe, Ru and W) in some detail, paying considerable attention to the effect of electropositive and electronegative surface modifiers. Features of the various chemisorbed states (one or more weakly chemisorbed gamma-states, strongly chemisorbed alpha-states with bond orders between 1 and 2. and dissociative chemisorbed beta-states) on different surfaces are described and relations between them indicated. While the gamma-state could be a precursor of the alpha-state, the alpha-state could be the precursor of the beta-state and this kind of information is of direct relevance to ammonia synthesis. The nature of adsorption of N2 on the surfaces of some metals (e.g. Cr, Co) deserves further study and such investigations might as well suggest alternative catalysts for ammonia synthesis.

Optimization of two-dimensional NMR by matched accumulation

It is well known that in the time-domain acquisition of NMR data, signal-to-noise (S/N) improves as the square root of the number of transients accumulated. However, the amplitude of the measured signal varies during the time of detection, having a functional form dependent on the coherence detected. Matching the time spent signal averaging to the expected amplitude of the signal observed should also improve the detected signal-to-noise. Following this reasoning, Barna et al. (J Magn. Reson.75, 384, 1987) demonstrated the utility of exponential sampling in one- and two-dimensional NMR, using maximum-entropy methods to analyze the data. It is proposed here that for two-dimensional experiments the exponential sampling be replaced by exponential averaging. The data thus collected can be analyzed by standard fast-Fourier-transform routines. We demonstrate the utility of exponential averaging in 2D NOESY spectra of the protein ubiquitin, in which an enhanced SIN is observed. It is also shown that the method acquires delayed double-quantum-filtered COSY without phase distortion.

Optimization of an ammonia reactor using regression analysis

This paper presents an optimization algorithm for an ammonia reactor based on a regression model relating the yield to several parameters, control inputs and disturbances. This model is derived from the data generated by hybrid simulation of the steady-state equations describing the reactor behaviour. The simplicity of the optimization program along with its ability to take into account constraints on flow variables make it best suited in supervisory control applications.

A Deterministic Optimization Approach to Protein Sequence Design Using Continuous Models

Determining the sequence of amino acid residues in a heteropolymer chain of a protein with a given conformation is a discrete combinatorial problem that is not generally amenable for gradient-based continuous optimization algorithms. In this paper we present a new approach to this problem using continuous models. In this modeling, continuous "state functions" are proposed to designate the type of each residue in the chain. Such a continuous model helps define a continuous sequence space in which a chosen criterion is optimized to find the most appropriate sequence. Searching a continuous sequence space using a deterministic optimization algorithm makes it possible to find the optimal sequences with much less computation than many other approaches. The computational efficiency of this method is further improved by combining it with a graph spectral method, which explicitly takes into account the topology of the desired conformation and also helps make the combined method more robust. The continuous modeling used here appears to have additional advantages in mimicking the folding pathways and in creating the energy landscapes that help find sequences with high stability and kinetic accessibility. To illustrate the new approach, a widely used simplifying assumption is made by considering only two types of residues: hydrophobic (H) and polar (P). Self-avoiding compact lattice models are used to validate the method with known results in the literature and data that can be practically obtained by exhaustive enumeration on a desktop computer. We also present examples of sequence design for the HP models of some real proteins, which are solved in less than five minutes on a single-processor desktop computer Some open issues and future extensions are noted.

Filter Optimization for Grid Interactive Voltage Source Inverters

Higher order LCL filters are essential in meeting the interconnection standard requirement for grid-connected voltage source converters. LCL filters offer better harmonic attenuation and better efficiency at a smaller size when compared to the traditional L filters. The focus of this paper is to analyze the LCL filter design procedure from the point of view of power loss and efficiency. The IEEE 1547-2008 specifications for high-frequency current ripple are used as a major constraint early in the design to ensure that all subsequent optimizations are still compliant with the standards. Power loss in each individual filter component is calculated on a per-phase basis. The total inductance per unit of the LCL filter is varied, and LCL parameter values which give the highest efficiency while simultaneously meeting the stringent standard requirements are identified. The power loss and harmonic output spectrum of the grid-connected LCL filter is experimentally verified, and measurements confirm the predicted trends.

Visualization of enantiomers and determination of homo- and hetero-nuclear residual dipolar and scalar couplings: The natural abundant C-13 edited J/D-resolved NMR techniques

The simple two dimensional C-13-satellite J/D-resolved experiments have been proposed for the visualization of enantiomers, extraction of homo- and hetero-nuclear residual dipolar couplings and also H-1 chemical shift differences between the enantiomers in the anisotropic medium. The significant advantages of the techniques are in the determination of scalar couplings of bigger organic molecules. The scalar couplings specific to a second abundant spin such as F-19 can be selectively extracted from the severely overlapped spectrum. The methodologies are demonstrated on a chiral molecule aligned in the chiral liquid crystal medium and two different organic molecules in the isotropic solutions. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.