Slurry flow in mills: grate-only discharge mechanism (Part-1)

Discharge grates play an important role in determining the performance of autogenous, semi-autogenous and grate discharge ball mills. The flow capacity (grinding capacity) of these mills is strongly influenced by the discharge grate design-open area and position of apertures, as well as the performance of the pulp lifters. As mill sizes have progressively increased and closed-circuiting has become more popular the importance of grate and pulp lifter design has grown. Unfortunately very few studies have concentrated on this aspect of mill performance. To remedy this a series of laboratory and pilot-scale tests were undertaken to study both the performance of grates on their own and in conjunction with pulp lifters. In this first paper of a two-part series the results from the grate-only experiments are presented and discussed, whilst the performance of the grate-pulp-lifter system is covered in the second paper. The results from the grate-only experiments have shown that the build-up of slurry (hold-up) inside the mill starts from the shoulder of the charge, while the toe position of the slurry progressively moves towards the toe of the charge with increasing flowrate. Besides grate design (open area and position of apertures), charge volume and mill speed were also found to have a strong influence on mill hold-up and interact with grate design variables. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Perpetual motion; comprising a history of the efforts to attain self-motive mechanism, with a classified, illustrated, collection and explanation of the devices whereby it has been sought and why they failed, and comprising also a revision and re-arrangement of the information afforded by "Search for self-motive power during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries," London, 1861, and "A history of the search for self-motive power from the 13th to the 19th century," London, 1870, by Henry Dircks ...

Mode of access: Internet.

Étude sur les propriétés physicochimiques et électrochimiques des liquides ioniques redox et leur application en tant qu’électrolyte dans les supercapaciteurs

Ce mémoire porte sur les recherches et les développements dans le domaine des électrolytes à base de liquide ionique redox. Une nouvelle famille de liquide ionique redox basée sur le ferrocenylsulfonyl(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) (FcNTf) a été développée et étudiée pour la première fois afin de démontrer le potentiel de ces liquides ioniques dans les dispositifs de stockage d’énergie. En premier lieu, les liquides ioniques redox (RILs) composés de l’anion électroactif et du cation d’alkylimidazolium sont synthétisés et caractérisés. L’impact de la variation des chaînes alkyles du cation sur les propriétés physicochimiques et électrochimiques du RIL a été étudié. À une faible concentration en solution, l’impact du cation a peu d’influence sur l’ensemble des propriétés. Cependant, à haute concentration (>50 % massique) et sans électrolyte de support, la formation de films en oxydation a été observée à l'électrode positive. Ce point est intéressant pour les futures recherches et développements dans le domaine, puisque la variation des chaînes alkyles du cation des liquides ioniques redox et la formation de films lors de l’oxydation du FcNTf est peu connue et comprise en littérature. De plus, l’optimisation des conditions de solution d'électrolyte RIL dans les supercapaciteurs est aussi présentée. En deuxième lieu, la mise en application des RILs dans les supercapaciteurs a été testée. La performance énergétique et le mécanisme d’autodécharge ont été ciblés dans cette étude. En présence de l’électrolyte redox, la contribution des réactions faradaiques permet d'accomplir un gain énergique de 287 % versus les systèmes purement capacitifs. À cause de la formation de film à l’électrode, l’électrolyte redox FcNTf joue un rôle primordial dans la prévention de l’autodécharge versus les liquides ioniques qui étaient connus jusqu’à présent. Finalement, ce mémoire a permis de mieux comprendre les effets structure-propriétés relative aux modifications du cation chez les liquides ioniques redox.

Étude sur les propriétés physicochimiques et électrochimiques des liquides ioniques redox et leur application en tant qu’électrolyte dans les supercapaciteurs

Ce mémoire porte sur les recherches et les développements dans le domaine des électrolytes à base de liquide ionique redox. Une nouvelle famille de liquide ionique redox basée sur le ferrocenylsulfonyl(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) (FcNTf) a été développée et étudiée pour la première fois afin de démontrer le potentiel de ces liquides ioniques dans les dispositifs de stockage d’énergie. En premier lieu, les liquides ioniques redox (RILs) composés de l’anion électroactif et du cation d’alkylimidazolium sont synthétisés et caractérisés. L’impact de la variation des chaînes alkyles du cation sur les propriétés physicochimiques et électrochimiques du RIL a été étudié. À une faible concentration en solution, l’impact du cation a peu d’influence sur l’ensemble des propriétés. Cependant, à haute concentration (>50 % massique) et sans électrolyte de support, la formation de films en oxydation a été observée à l'électrode positive. Ce point est intéressant pour les futures recherches et développements dans le domaine, puisque la variation des chaînes alkyles du cation des liquides ioniques redox et la formation de films lors de l’oxydation du FcNTf est peu connue et comprise en littérature. De plus, l’optimisation des conditions de solution d'électrolyte RIL dans les supercapaciteurs est aussi présentée. En deuxième lieu, la mise en application des RILs dans les supercapaciteurs a été testée. La performance énergétique et le mécanisme d’autodécharge ont été ciblés dans cette étude. En présence de l’électrolyte redox, la contribution des réactions faradaiques permet d'accomplir un gain énergique de 287 % versus les systèmes purement capacitifs. À cause de la formation de film à l’électrode, l’électrolyte redox FcNTf joue un rôle primordial dans la prévention de l’autodécharge versus les liquides ioniques qui étaient connus jusqu’à présent. Finalement, ce mémoire a permis de mieux comprendre les effets structure-propriétés relative aux modifications du cation chez les liquides ioniques redox.

Self-optimization for dynamic scheduling in manufacturing systems

Scheduling is a critical function that is present throughout many industries and applications. A great need exists for developing scheduling approaches that can be applied to a number of different scheduling problems with significant impact on performance of business organizations. A challenge is emerging in the design of scheduling support systems for manufacturing environments where dynamic adaptation and optimization become increasingly important. In this paper, we describe a Self-Optimizing Mechanism for Scheduling System through Nature Inspired Optimization Techniques (NIT).

Performance evaluation of a novel asymmetric capacitor using a light-weight, carbon foam supported nickel electrode

Electrochemical capacitors have been an important development in recent years in the field of energy storage. Capacitors can be developed by utilizing either double layer capacitance at the electrode/solution interfaces alone or in combination with a battery electrode associated with a faradic redox process in one electrode. An asymmetric capacitor consisting of electrochemically deposited nickel hydroxide, supported on carbon foam as a positive electrode and carbon sheet as a negative electrode has been successfully assembled and cycled. One objective of this study has been to demonstrate the viability of the nickel carbon foam positive electrode, especially in terms of cycle life. Electrochemical characterization shows stable, high cycle performance in 26 wt. % KOH electrolyte with a maximum energy density of 4.1 Wh/Kg and a relaxation time constant of 6.24 s. This cell has demonstrated high cycle life, 14,500 cycles, with efficiency better than 98%. In addition, the cell failure mechanism and self-discharge behavior of the aforesaid capacitor are analyzed.

Microfluidic hydrogen generator : featuring passive on-demand gas generation and self-circulated reactant for integration with micro fuel cell

A microfluidic hydrogen generator is presented in this work. Its fabrication, characterization, and integration with a micro proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell are described. Hydrogen gas is generated by the hydrolysis of aqueous ammonia borane. Gas generation, as well as the circulation of ammonia borane from a rechargeable fuel reservoir, is performed without any power consumption. To achieve this, directional growth and selective venting of hydrogen gas is maintained in the microchannels, which results in the circulation of fresh reactant from the fuel reservoir. In addition to this self-circulation mechanism, the hydrogen generator has been demonstrated to self-regulate gas generation to meet demands of a connected micro fuel cell. All of this is done without parasitic power consumption from the fuel cell. Results show its feasibility in applications of high-impedance systems. Lastly, recommendations for improvements and suggestions for future work are described

Lateral prefrontal cortex and self-control in intertemporal choice.

Disruption of function of left, but not right, lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) with low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) increased choices of immediate rewards over larger delayed rewards. rTMS did not change choices involving only delayed rewards or valuation judgments of immediate and delayed rewards, providing causal evidence for a neural lateral-prefrontal cortex-based self-control mechanism in intertemporal choice.

Capital Accumulation in the Presence of Informal Credit Contracts: Does the Incentive Mechanism Work Better than Credit Rationing Under Asymmetric Information?

Credit markets with asymmetric information often prefer credit rationing as a profit maximizing device. This paper asks whether the presence of informal credit markets reduces the cost of credit rationing, that is, whether it can alleviate the impact of asymmetric information based on the available information. We used a dynamic general equilibrium model with heterogenous agents to assess this. Using Indian credit market data our study shows that the presence of informal credit market can reduce the cost of credit rationing by separating high risk firms from the low risk firms in the informal market. But even after this improvement, the steady state capital accumulation is still much lower as compared to incentive based market clearing rates. Through self revelation of each firm's type, based on the incentive mechanism, banks can diversify their risk by achieving a separating equilibrium in the loan market. The incentive mechanism helps banks to increase capital accumulation in the long run by charging lower rates and lending relatively higher amount to the less risky firms. Another important finding of this study is that self-revelation leads to very significant welfare improvement, as measured by consumptiuon equivalence.

Endogenous Growth in the Presence of Informal Credit Markets: A Comparative Analysis Between Credit Rationing and Self-Revelation Regimes

This paper examines whether the presence of informal credit markets reduces the cost of credit rationing in terms of growth. In a dynamic general equilibrium framework, we assume that firms are heterogenous with different degrees of risk and households invest in human capital development. With the help of Indian household level data we show that the informal market reduces the cost of rationing by increasing the growth rate by 0.7 percent. This higher growth rate, in the presence of an informal sector, is due to the ability of the informal market to separate the high risk from the low risk firms thanks to better information. But even after such improvement we do not get the optimum outcome. The findings, based on our second question, suggest that the revelation of firms' type, based on incentive compatible pricing, can lead to almost 2 percent higher growth rate as compared to the credit rationing regime with informal sector.

Self-organized defensive behavior in honeybees

We investigated the defensive behavior of honeybees under controlled experimental conditions. During an attack on two identical targets, the spatial distribution of stings varied as a function of the total number of stings, evincing the classic “pitchfork bifurcation” phenomenon of nonlinear dynamics. The experimental results support a model of defensive behavior based on a self-organizing mechanism. The model helps to explain several of the characteristic features of the honeybee defensive response: (i) the ability of the colony to localize and focus its attack, (ii) the strong variability between different hives in the intensity of attack, as well as (iii) the variability observed within the same hive, and (iv) the ability of the colony to amplify small differences between the targets.

Advancing atomic nanolithography: cold atomic Cs beam exposure of alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers

We report the results of a study into the quality of functionalized surfaces for nanolithographic imaging. Self-assembled monolayer (SAM) coverage, subsequent post-etch pattern definition and minimum feature size all depend on the quality of the Au substrate used in atomic nanolithographic experiments. We find sputtered Au substrates yield much smoother surfaces and a higher density of {111} oriented grains than evaporated Au surfaces. A detailed study of the self-assembly mechanism using molecular resolution AFM and STM has shown that the monolayer is composed of domains with sizes typically of 5-25 nm, and multiple molecular domains can exist within one Au grain. Exposure of the SAM to an optically-cooled atomic Cs beam traversing a two-dimensional array of submicron material masks ans also standing wave optical masks allowed determination of the minimum average Cs dose (2 Cs atoms per SAM molecule) and the realization of < 50 nm structures. The SAM monolayer contains many non-uniformities such as pin-holes, domain boundaries and monoatomic depressions which are present in the Au surface prior to SAM adsorption. These imperfections limit the use of alkanethiols as a resist in atomic nanolithography experiments. These studies have allowed us to realize an Atom Pencil suitable for deposition of precision quantities of material at the microand nanoscale to an active surface.

Spectral self-action of THz emission from ionizing two-color laser pulses in gases

The spectrum of terahertz (THz) emission in gases via ionizing two-color femtosecond pulses is analyzed by means of a semi-analytic model and numerical simulations in 1D, 2D and 3D geometries taking into account propagation effects of both pump and THz fields. We show that produced THz signals interact with free electron trajectories and thus significantly influence further THz generation upon propagation, i.e., make the process inherently nonlocal. This self-action contributes to the observed strong spectral broadening of the generated THz field. Weshow that diffraction of the generated THz radiation is the limiting factor for the co-propagating low frequency amplitudes and thus for the self-action mechanism in 2D and 3D geometries.

Spectral self-action of THz emission from ionizing two-color laser pulses in gases

The spectrum of terahertz (THz) emission in gases via ionizing two-color femtosecond pulses is analyzed by means of a semi-analytic model and numerical simulations in 1D, 2D and 3D geometries taking into account propagation effects of both pump and THz fields. We show that produced THz signals interact with free electron trajectories and thus significantly influence further THz generation upon propagation, i.e., make the process inherently nonlocal. This self-action contributes to the observed strong spectral broadening of the generated THz field. We show that diffraction of the generated THz radiation is the limiting factor for the co-propagating low frequency amplitudes and thus for the self-action mechanism in 2D and 3D geometries.