Effect of an abrupt change in pulling rate on microstructures of directionally solidified Al2O3-Er3Al5O12 eutectic and off-eutectic composite ceramics

Directionally solidified microstructures of Al₂O₃-Er₃Al₅O₁₂ eutectic and off-eutectic in situ composite ceramics were explored under abrupt-change pulling rate conditions. Corresponding temperature distributions and interface locations were studied. In eutectic composition, fluctuation of eutectic spacing occurred when the pulling rate increased abruptly. A gradually increase or abrupt increase in eutectic spacing was observed when the pulling rate decreased abruptly. In hypoeutectic and hypereutectic compositions, formation of the primary phases were suppressed when the pulling rate increased abruptly from 10?µm/s to 100?µm/s, while primary phases precipitated when the pulling rate decreased abruptly from 100?µm/s to 10?µm/s. The interface altitude decreased after the pulling rate increased abruptly, but increased after the pulling rate decreased abruptly. The liquid composition restriction (around the eutectic composition) at the eutectic interface plays an important role in the suppression of the primary dendrite and coupled eutectic oxides can be obtained in off-eutectic compositions even under higher solidification rate conditions.     

Study of MW-scale biogas-fed SOFC-WGS-TSA-PEMFC hybrid power technology as distributed energy system: Thermodynamic,exergetic and thermo-economic evaluation

Advanced biogas power generation technology has been attracting attentions, which contributes to the waste disposal and the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions. This work proposes and models a novel biogas-fed hybrid power generation system consisting of solid oxide fuel cell, water gas shift reaction, thermal swing adsorption and proton exchange membrane fuel cell (SOFC-WGS-TSA-PEMFC). The thermodynamic, exergetic, and thermo-economic analyses of this hybrid system for power generation were conducted to comprehensively evaluate its performance. It was found that the novel biogas-fed hybrid system has a gross energy conversion efficiency of 68.63% and exergy efficiency of 65.36%, indicating high efficiency for this kind of hybrid power technology. The market sensitivity analysis showed that the hybrid system also has a low sensitivity to market price fluctuation. Under the current subsidy level for the distributed biogas power plant, the levelized cost of energy can be lowered to 0.02942 $/kWh for a 1 MW scale system. Accordingly, the payback period and annual return on investment can reach 1.4 year and about 20%, respectively. These results reveal that the proposed hybrid system is promising and economically feasible as a distributed power plant, especially for the small power scale (no more than 2 MW).     

Experimental and numerical study on compressive performance of perforated brick masonry after fire exposure

This paper discusses the compressive performance of perforated brick masonry after fire exposure. Compressive strength tests of the mortar, clay perforated brick, and perforated brick masonry specimens were performed in accordance with ISO834 fire tests of different durations. The temperature distribution of the masonry materials and specimens was simulated using the finite element software ABAQUS, with the thermal parameters of masonry materials recommended by European standard Eurocode 6 and related literature. The compressive strength reduction factors of mortar and clay perforated brick exposed to different fire durations were calculated via the layered method suggested by European standard Eurocode 1. In addition, the compressive strength reduction factors after cooldown were obtained from the experimental data of the masonry materials, and by considering further reductions in the compressive strength after cooling from high temperatures. Experimental data of the masonry specimens were compared with the numerical results obtained using the reduction factors proposed in this work. The comparison revealed an overall acceptable approximation. Thus, the method presented in this paper can be used to evaluate the residual capacity of masonry structures after fire.     

Construction of Programmed Motions of Constrained Mechanical Systems Using Third-Order Polynomials

Journal of Computer and Systems Sciences International - A problem of the synthesis of programmed motions of mechanical systems based on the use of time polynomials is considered. The programmed...     

The influence of processing conditions on the mechanical properties of poly(aryl-ether-ketone)/polybenzimidazole blends

Interest in developing high-performance blends for niche applications has grown significantly in efforts to meet ever-increasing harsh environment demands. In this work, four model poly(aryl-ether-ketone)/polybenzimidazole (PAEK/PBI) blends were chosen to study the influence of premixing methods, processing, and matrix polymers, on their mechanical properties. Among the model poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) and PBI blends, mechanical properties are greatly enhanced by melt premixing. The molding process mainly affects the matrix crystallinity, which in turn greatly influences fracture toughness of the blend. Poly(ether ketone ketone) (PEKK) and PBI blend exhibits a slightly lower tensile strength and fracture toughness than PEEK/PBI due to the differences in inherent properties of PEEK and PEKK matrices and their interfacial interaction with PBI. The processing−structure–property relationship of PAEK/PBI blends is established to help guide optimal design of high-performance polymer blends for structural applications. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48966.