Ab Initio Study Of Zno-Based Gas-Sensing Mechanisms: Surface Reconstruction And Charge Transfer

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were employed to explore the gas-sensing mechanisms of zinc oxide (ZnO) with surface reconstruction taken into consideration. Mix-terminated (10 (1) over bar0) ZnO surfaces were examined. By simulating the adsorption process of various gases, i.e., H-2, NH3, CO, and ethanol (C2H5OH) gases, on the ZnO (10 (1) over bar0) surface, the changes of configuration and electronic structure were compared. Based on these calculations, two gas-sensing mechanisms were proposed and revealed that both surface reconstruction and charge transfer result in a change of electronic conductance of ZnO. Also, the calculations were compared with existing experiments.

Experimental Study Of Multi-Hole Cooling For Integrally-Woven, Ceramic Matrix Composite Walls For Gas Turbine Applications

In this paper, multi-hole cooling is studied for an oxide/oxide ceramic specimen with normal injection holes and for a SiC/SiC ceramic specimen with oblique injection holes. A special purpose heat transfer tunnel was designed and built, which can provide a wide range of Reynolds numbers (10(5)similar to 10(7)) and a large temperature ratio of the primary flow to the coolant (up to 2.5). Cooling effectiveness determined by the measured surface temperature for the two types of ceramic specimens is investigated. It is found that the multi-hole cooling system for both specimens has a high cooling efficiency and it is higher for the SiC/SiC specimen than for the oxide/oxide specimen. Effects on the cooling effectiveness of parameters including blowing ratio, Reynolds number and temperature ratio, are studied. In addition, profiles of the mean velocity and temperature above the cooling surface are measured to provide further understanding of the cooling process. Duplication of the key parameters for multi-hole cooling, for a representative combustor flow condition (without radiation effects), is achieved with parameter scaling and the results show the high efficiency of multi-hole cooling for the oblique hole, SiC/SiC specimen. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Economic analysis of utilizing Kainji gas kiln for fish smoking in the Kainji Lake Basin of Nigeria

Marketing of smoked fish in the Kainji Lake Basin (Nigeria) has been found to be complex, traditional and inefficient. It is also said to be limited in scope due to poor handling and processing techniques, lack of storage facilities and inadequate marketing informations. The invention of Kainji gas kiln has been found suitable to overcoming poor handling and processing techniques. This paper discusses the feasibility of operating Kainji gas kiln commercially supported with adequate storage facilities and competent management hands. The financial indicators of net present value (NPV), 47,481.11, Internal rate of return (IRR) 24% and payback period of 2.3 years that are calculated confirmed that the commercial use of Kainji gas kiln is indeed profitably feasible

Kinetic studies of gas flows

Our recent studies on kinetic behaviors of gas flows are reviewed in this paper. These flows have a wide range of background, but share a common feature that the flow Knudsen number is larger than 0.01. Thus kinetic approaches such as the direct simulation Monte Carlo method are required for their description. In the past few years, we studied several micro/nano-scale flows by developing novel particle simulation approach, and investigated the flows in low-pressure chambers and at high altitude. In addition, the microscopic behaviors of a couple of classical flow problems were analyzed, which shows the potential for kinetic approaches to reveal the microscopic mechanism of gas flows.

Exact solutions to collisionless external gas flows

This paper presents exact density, velocity and temperature solutions for two problems of collisionless gas flows around a flat plate or a spherical object. At any point off the object, the local velocity distribution function consists of two pieces of Maxwellian distributions: one for the free stream which is characterized by free stream density, temperature and average velocity, n0, T0, U0; and the other is for the wall and it is characterized by density at wall and wall temperature, nw,Tw. Directly integrating the distribution functions leads to complex but exact flowfield solutions. To validate these solutions, we perform numerical simulations with the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method. In general, the analytical and numerical results are virtually identical. The evaluation of these analytical solutions only requires less than one minute while the DSMC simulations require several days.

Simulation of gas flow over a micro cylinder

Gas flow over a micro cylinder is simulated using both a compressible Navier-Stokes solver and a hybrid continuum /particle approach. The micro cylinder flow has low Reynolds number because of the small length scale and the low speed, which also indicates that the rarefied gas effect exists in the flow. A cylinder having a diameter of 20 microns is simulated under several flow conditions where the Reynolds number ranges from 2 to 50 and the Mach number varies from 0.1 to 0.8. It is found that the low Reynolds number flow can be compressible even when the Mach number is less than 0.3, and the drag coefficient of the cylinder increases when the Reynolds number decreases. The compressible effect will increase the pressure drag coefficient although the friction coefficient remains nearly unchanged. The rarefied gas effect will reduce both the friction and pressure drag coefficients, and the vortex in the flow may be shrunk or even disappear.

Development of an efficient particle approach for micro-scale gas flow simulations

The micro-scale gas flows are usually low-speed flows and exhibit rarefied gas effects. It is challenging to simulate these flows because traditional CFD method is unable to capture the rarefied gas effects and the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method is very inefficient for low-speed flows. In this study we combine two techniques to improve the efficiency of the DSMC method. The information preservation technique is used to reduce the statistical noise and the cell-size relaxed technique is employed to increase the effective cell size. The new cell-size relaxed IP method is found capable of simulating micro-scale gas flows as shown by the 2D lid-driven cavity flows.

Ballistic Electron Transport In Hybrid Ferromagnet/Two-Dimensional Electron Gas Sandwich Nanostructure: Spin Polarization And Magnetoresistance Effect

We have theoretically investigated ballistic electron transport through a combination of magnetic-electric barrier based on a vertical ferromagnet/two-dimensional electron gas/ferromagnet sandwich structure, which can be experimentally realized by depositing asymmetric metallic magnetic stripes both on top and bottom of modulation-doped semiconductor heterostructures. Our numerical results have confirmed the existence of finite spin polarization even though only antisymmetric stray field B-z is considered. By switching the relative magnetization of ferromagnetic layers, the device in discussion shows evident magnetoconductance. In particular, both spin polarization and magnetoconductance can be efficiently enhanced by proper electrostatic barrier up to the optimal value relying on the specific magnetic-electric modulation. (C) 2009 American Institute of Physics. [DOI: 10.1063/1.3041477]

Study on the Capacity Degradation of Bucket Foundation in Liquefied Sand Layer under Cyclic Loads

The capacity degradation of bucket foundation in liquefied sand layer under cyclic loads such as equivalent dynamic ice-induced loads is studied. A simplified numerical model of liquefied sand layer has been presented based on the dynamic centrifuge experiment results. The ice-induced dynamic loads are modeled as equivalent sine cyclic loads, the liquefaction degree in different position of sand layer and effects of main factors are investigated. Subsequently, the sand resistance is represented by uncoupled, non-linear sand springs which describe the sub-failure behavior of the local sand resistance as well as the peak capacity of bucket foundation under some failure criterion. The capacity of bucket foundation is determined in liquefied sand layer and the rule of capacity degradation is analyzed. The capacity degradation in liquefied sand layer is analyzed comparing with that in non-liquefied sand layer. The results show that the liquefaction degree is 0.9 at the top and is only 0.06 at the bottom of liquefied sand layer. The numerical results are agreement well with the centrifugal experimental results. The value of the degradation of bucket capacity is 12% in numerical simulating whereas it is 17% in centrifugal experiments.