Statistical Simulation of Rarefied Gas Flows in Micro-Channels

Rarefied gas flows through micro-channels are simulated using particle approaches, named as the information preservation (IP) method and the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method. In simulating the low speed flows in long micro-channels the DSMC method encounters the problem of large sample size demand and the difficulty of regulating boundary conditions at the inlet and outlet. Some important computational issues in the calculation of long micro-channel flows by using the IP method, such as the use the conservative form of the mass conservation equation to guarantee the adjustment of the inlet and outlet boundary conditions and the super-relaxation scheme to accelerate the convergence process, are addressed. Stream-wise pressure distributions and mass fluxes through micro-channels given by the IP method agree well with experimental data measured in long micro-channels by Pong et al. (with a height to length ratio of 1.2:3000), Shih et al. (l.2:4800), Arkilic et al. and Arkilic (l.3:7500), respectively. The famous Knudsen minimum of normalized mass flux is observed in IP and DSMC calculations of a short micro-channel over the entire flow regime from continuum to free molecular, whereas the slip Navier-Stokes solution fails to predict it.

Tolerancia del híbrido de sorgo (Sorghum bicolor (L) Moench) H 89-96 a diferentes niveles de daños causados por enfermedades foliares durante la etapa vegetativa, postrera 2006

Con el objetivo de evaluar diferentes niveles de daños causados por enfermedades foliares en la etapa vegetativa de sorgo hibrido H 89-96 y su efecto en el rendimiento durante la época de postrera, se estableció este experimento en tierras que fueron alquiladas por el productor Agapito Ñurinda ubicada en el km 43 carretera Tipitapa Masaya, del departamento de Managua a 12° 08'36"de latitud norte y 86° 09' 49"de longitud oeste, Se utilizó un diseño con bloques completos al azar (BCA), Los tratamientos consistieron en aplicaciones de Benomyl con tres niveles de severidad de enfermedades; siendo el tratamiento uno con 3%, tratamiento dos con 7% tratamiento tres con 20% de severidad. El tratamiento T4 es el testigo al cual no se hizo aplicación alguna. Se realizaron aplicaciones calendarizadas para cogollero con Cypermetrina cada ocho días durante la etapa vegetativa y protección a la panoja con Cypermetrina y Benomyl al inicio de la floración para todos los tratamientos. La toma de datos para la severidad de enfermedades foliares fue basada en la escala de Takhur, utilizando cinco sitios al azar y registrando 10 plantas consecutivas por sitio. Los datos se procesaron mediante el análisis de varianza, para todas las variables evaluadas. No se presentaron condiciones climáticas favorables, para el desarrollo de las enfermedades que comúnmente afectan al cultivo del sorgo, no obstante la antracnosis (Colletotrichum graminicola (ces) G.W.Wison), se presentó en el híbrido de sorgo no alcanzado el 20 % de nivel de daño en estudio. El efecto de la aplicación de fungicida para antracnosis no mostró diferencia estadística entre tratamientos. La enfermedad no superó el 7% de severidad, durante la etapa vegetativa. Durante la etapa reproductiva, las condiciones ambientales favorecieron la incidencia de mohos en un período corto no mostrando diferencias estadísticas significativas. El acame se presentó hasta el momento de cosecha no llegando a tener significancia estadísticas en los tratamientos. Para la variable rendimiento el análisis de varianza no mostró diferencias significativas, sin embargo, los mayores rendimientos se obtuvieron en el T1 (3 % severidad) y T3 con 6 149, 01kg ha¹ y 5 389, 80kg ha¹ respectivamente. El análisis económico indicó que el T1 presentó mayor rentabilidad con un 0.55 %.

A Constrained Particle Dynamics for Continuum-Particle Hybrid Method in Micro- and Nano-Fluidics

A hybrid method of continuum and particle dynamics is developed for micro- and nano-fluidics, where fluids are described by a molecular dynamics (MD) in one domain and by the Navier-Stokes (NS) equations in another domain. In order to ensure the continuity of momentum flux, the continuum and molecular dynamics in the overlap domain are coupled through a constrained particle dynamics. The constrained particle dynamics is constructed with a virtual damping force and a virtual added mass force. The sudden-start Couette flows with either non-slip or slip boundary condition are used to test the hybrid method. It is shown that the results obtained are quantitatively in agreement with the analytical solutions under the non-slip boundary conditions and the full MD simulations under the slip boundary conditions.

Micro-scale Mechanics of the Surface-Nanocrystalline Al-Alloy Material

Based on the microscopic observations and measurements, the mechanical behavior of the surface-nanocrystallized Al-alloy material at microscale is investigated experimentally and theoretically. In the experimental research, the compressive stress-strain curves and the hardness depth curves are measured. In the theoretical simulation, based on the material microstructure characteristics and the experimental features of the compression and indentation, the microstructure cell models are developed and the strain gradient plasticity theory is adopted. The material compressive stress-strain curves and the hardness depth curves-are predicted and simulated. Through comparison of the experimental results with the simulation results, the material and model parameters are determined.

Trans-Scale Mechanics: Looking For The Missing Links Between Continuum And Micro/Nanoscopic Reality

Problems involving coupled multiple space and time scales offer a real challenge for conventional frameworks of either particle or continuum mechanics. In this paper, four cases studies (shear band formation in bulk metallic glasses, spallation resulting from stress wave, interaction between a probe tip and sample, the simulation of nanoindentation with molecular statistical thermodynamics) are provided to illustrate the three levels of trans-scale problems (problems due to various physical mechanisms at macro-level, problems due to micro-structural evolution at macro/micro-level, problems due to the coupling of atoms/molecules and a finite size body at micro/nano-level) and their formulations. Accordingly, non-equilibrium statistical mechanics, coupled trans-scale equations and simultaneous solutions, and trans-scale algorithms based on atomic/molecular interaction are suggested as the three possible modes of trans-scale mechanics.

Tensile Tests Of Micro Anchors Anodically Bonded Between Pyrex Glass And Aluminum Thin Film Coated On Silicon Wafer

Micro anchor is a kind of typical structures in micro/nano electromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS), and it can be made by anodic bonding process, with thin films of metal or alloy as an intermediate layer. At the relative low temperature and voltage, specimens with actually sized micro anchor structures were anodically bonded using Pyrex 7740 glass and patterned crystalline silicon chips coated with aluminum thin film with a thickness comprised between 50 nm and 230 nm. To evaluate the bonding quality, tensile pulling tests have been finished with newly designed flexible fixtures for these specimens. The experimental results exhibit that the bonding tensile strength increases with the bonding temperature and voltage, but it decreases with the increase of the thickness of Al intermediate layer. This kind of thickness effect of the intermediate layer was not mentioned in the literature on anodic bonding. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pull-In Instability Of Micro-Switch Actuators: Model Review

The existing three widely used pull-in theoretical models (i.e., one-dimensional lumped model, linear supposition model and planar model) are compared with the nonlinear beam mode in this paper by considering both cantilever and fixed-fixed type micro and nano-switches. It is found that the error of the pull-in parameters between one-dimensional lumped model and the nonlinear beam model is large because the denominator of the electrostatic force is minimal when the electrostatic force is computed at the maximum deflection along the beam. Since both the linear superposition model and the slender planar model consider the variation of electrostatic force with the beam's deflection, these two models not only are of the same type but also own little error of the pull-in parameters with the nonlinear beam model, the error brought by these two models attributes to that the boundary conditions are not completely satisfied when computing the numerical integration of the deflection.

The Capillary Force In Micro- And Nano-Indentation With Different Indenter Shapes

The influence of the indenter shapes and various parameters on the magnitude of the capillary force is studied on the basis of models describing the wet adhesion of indenters and substrates joined by liquid bridges. In the former, we consider several shapes, such as conical, spherical and truncated conical one with a spherical end. In the latter, the effects of the contact angle, the radius of the wetting circle, the volume of the liquid bridge, the environmental humidity, the gap between the indenter and the substrate, the conical angle, the radius of the spherical indenter, the opening angle of the spherical end in the truncated conical indenter are included. The meniscus of the bridge is described using a circular approximation, which is reasonable under some conditions. Different dependences of the capillary force on the indenter shapes and the geometric parameters are observed. The results can be applicable to the micro- and nano-indentation experiments. It shows that the measured hardness is underestimated due to the effect of the capillary force. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Two-Dimensional Kinetics Of Beta(2)-Integrin And Icam-1 Bindings Between Neutrophils And Melanoma Cells In A Shear Flow

Cell adhesion, mediated by specific receptor-ligand interactions, plays an important role in biological processes such as tumor metastasis and inflammatory cascade. For example, interactions between beta(2)-integrin ( lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 and/or Mac-1) on polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) and ICAM-1 on melanoma cells initiate the bindings of melanoma cells to PMNs within the tumor microenvironment in blood flow, which in turn activate PMN-melanoma cell aggregation in a near-wall region of the vascular endothelium, therefore enhancing subsequent extravasation of melanoma cells in the microcirculations. Kinetics of integrin-ligand bindings in a shear flow is the determinant of such a process, which has not been well understood. In the present study, interactions of PMNs with WM9 melanoma cells were investigated to quantify the kinetics of beta(2)-integrin and ICAM-1 bindings using a cone-plate viscometer that generates a linear shear flow combined with a two-color flow cytometry technique. Aggregation fractions exhibited a transition phase where it first increased before 60 s and then decreased with shear durations. Melanoma-PMN aggregation was also found to be inversely correlated with the shear rate. A previously developed probabilistic model was modified to predict the time dependence of aggregation fractions at different shear rates and medium viscosities. Kinetic parameters of beta(2)-integrin and ICAM-1 bindings were obtained by individual or global fittings, which were comparable to respectively published values. These findings provide new quantitative understanding of the biophysical basis of leukocyte-tumor cell interactions mediated by specific receptor-ligand interactions under shear flow conditions.

Effect of Surface Condition of Electrode on the Surface Melting of Material by Laser-Guided Micro-Arc Discharge

This paper studies the surface melting in the atmosphere by YAG laser-guided micro-arc discharge. In three kinds of surface conditions (free, oiled, and polyethylene covered), we try to control the diameter and the power density of discharge pit. It is found that the power density of 3 x 10(6) W/cm(2) of discharge pit on the oiled surface is moderate to form the melted layer thicker than that of the others, adapting to strengthen the surface of material, and the power density of 1.07 x 10(7) W/cm(2) of discharge pit on the polyethylene-covered surface is highest to form the deepest discharge pit among them, adapting to remove the material.

A moving-coil designed micro-mechanics tester with application on MEMS

A moving-coil designed micro-mechanics tester, named as MicroUTM (universal testing machine), is in-house developed in this paper for micro-mechanics tests. The main component is a moving coil suspended in a uniform magnetic field through a set of springs. When a current passes through the coil, the electromagnetic force is proportional to the magnitude of the current, so the load can easily be measured by the current. The displacement is measured using a capacitive sensor. The load is calibrated using a Sartorius BP211D analytical balance, with a resolution/range of 0.01 mg/80 g or 0.1 mg/210 g. The displacement is calibrated using a HEIDENHAIN CT-6002 length gauge with an accuracy of +/- 0.1 mu m. The calibration results show that the load range is +/- 1 N and the displacement range is +/- 300 mu m. The noise levels of the load and displacement are 50 mu N and 150 nm, respectively. The nonlinearity of the load is only 0.2%. Several in-plane load tests of the MEMS micro-cantilever are performed using this tester. Experimental results, with excellent repeatability, demonstrate the reliability of the load measurement as well as the flexible function of this tester.

Comportamiento agro-industrial de siete variedades de caña de azúcar (Saccharum spp. híbrido), sobre un suelo rojo en caña planta

Se estudió el comportamiento agroindustrial de seis variedades de caña de azúcar en caña planta (CP.73-1547; Cp. 74-2005 Cp. 63-588; CP.72-1210) en comparación con la variedad L 72-3 utilizada como testigo: La plantación se realizó el 10 de diciembre de 1986, en terrenos de la Estación Experimental de caña de Azúcar. Sobre un suelo rojo (serie Chila matillo), bajo condiciones de riego; realizándose la cosecha a los 12 meses de edad , el 10 de diciembre de 1987: como criterios de evaluación se determinaron; brotacion; altura, población, floración, rendimiento agrícola, industrial y agro-industrial, utilizándose un diseño de bloques completos al azar y sometiendo los resultados análisis de varianza y prueba de Duncan al 5%: las variedades que obtuvieron el mejor comportamiento en el rendimiento agrícola fueron: CP. 63-538; Cp. 72-2036 y Cp. 74-303; Cp.72-2086; CP 73-1547 y Cp.63-583.

Validación de dos variedades y un híbrido de brócoli (Brassica oleracea vr. italica) en época de riego en la comunidad Almaciguera - Estelí

La agricultura en nuestro país presenta un bajo desarrollo, influenciado por diversas razones como: adaptabilidad de variedades, deficiente manejo agronómico, uso del monocultivo, utilización de misma fecha de siembra, conllevando a obtener bajos precios debido a que el mercado se encuentra saturado de un mismo producto. El presente estudio se realizó en la finca Las Nubes que tiene una altura de 1250-1450 m.s.n.m, ubicada en la comunidad La Almaciguera-Estelí, durante la época seca (Enero-Abril, 2003), con el propósito de validar dos variedades y un híbrido de brócoli (Brassica oleracea vr Italica) para utilizarlo como fuente alternativa de materiales para siembra, que presenten buena adaptación y rendimiento, con resistencia o tolerancia a plagas. El área experimental fue de 345m2 arreglado en un diseño BCA (Bloques completos al azar) con tres repeticiones, evaluándose tres tratamientos: Pirata (híbrido), Wattham 29, Green sprouting Calabrese, utilizando como testigo al híbrido. Se diseñaron hojas de recolección de datos para las variables evaluadas en cada etapa del cultivo, los datos obtenidos fueron sometidos a Andeva en el programa EXCEL (Microsoft Windows 98) realizando las separaciones de medias de forma manual, utilizando la tabla de Duncan (Pr < 0.05). De acuerdo a los resultados obtenidos, en etapa de semillero no hubo diferencias entre los tratamientos, mientras que en desarrollo vegetativo el tratamiento que sobresalió en las variables número, largo y ancho de hoja, además de grosor del tallo fue Pirata, presentando mejor apariencia en vigor y desarrollo del follaje, dicho híbrido fue el único del que se obtuvieron rendimientos ya que produjo cabezas compactas, en cambio las dos variedades presentaron cabezas en forma de racimos, las cuales no son utilizadas para la comercialización.