This paper presents the use of a high performance dual-plane electrical resistance tomography (ERT) system and a local dual-sensor conductance probe to measure the vertical upward oil-in-water pipe flows in which the ...This paper presents the use of a high performance dual-plane electrical resistance tomography (ERT) system and a local dual-sensor conductance probe to measure the vertical upward oil-in-water pipe flows in which the mean oil volume fraction is up to 23.1%. A sensitivity coefficient back-projection (SBP) algorithm was adopted to reconstruct the flow distributions and a cross correlation method was applied to obtain the oil velocity distributions. The oil volume fraction and velocity distributions obtained from both measurement techniques were compared and good agreement was found, which indicates that the ERT tech- nique can be used to measure the low fraction oil-water flows. Finally, the factors affecting measurement precision were discussed.展开更多
Dissolution kinetics of sodium carbonate is investigated with the image analysis method at the approach of single particle.The dissolution experiments are carried out in an aqueous solution under a series of controlle...Dissolution kinetics of sodium carbonate is investigated with the image analysis method at the approach of single particle.The dissolution experiments are carried out in an aqueous solution under a series of controlled temperature and p H.The selected sodium carbonate particles are all spherical with the same mass and diameter.The dissolution process is quantified with the measurement of particle diameter from dissolution images.The concentration of dissolved sodium carbonate in solvent is calculated with the measured diameter of particle.Both surface reaction model and mass transport model are implemented to determine the dissolution mechanism and quantify the dissolution rate constant at each experimental condition.According to the fitting results with both two models,it is clarified that the dissolution process at the increasing temperature is controlled by the mass transport of dissolved sodium carbonate travelling from particle surface into solvent.The dissolution process at the increasing pH is controlled by the chemical reaction on particle surface.Furthermore,the dissolution rate constant for each single spherical sodium carbonate particle is quantified and the results show that the dissolution rate constant of single spherical sodium carbonate increases significantly with the rising of temperature,but decreases with the increasing of pH conversely.展开更多
A novel crystal characterization instrument has been built up in which a combination of X-ray multiple diffraction and X-ray topography is applied to enabling the cross-correlation between micro-crystallographic symme...A novel crystal characterization instrument has been built up in which a combination of X-ray multiple diffraction and X-ray topography is applied to enabling the cross-correlation between micro-crystallographic symmetry and its spatial dependence in relation to lattice defects. This facility is used to examine, in a self-consistent manner, growth sector-dependant changes to both the crystallographic structure and the lattice defects associated with the action of habit-modifying additives in a number of representative crystal growth systems. In addition, the new instrument can be used to probe micro-crystallographic aspects(such as distortion to crystal symmetry) and relate these in a spatially resolved manner to the crystal defect structure in crystals doped with known habit modifiers.展开更多
Selected milestones in the development and use of electrical tomography in powder conveying, slurry processing and multi-phase flow are highlighted. The ability to map concentration in opaque mixtures under process-re...Selected milestones in the development and use of electrical tomography in powder conveying, slurry processing and multi-phase flow are highlighted. The ability to map concentration in opaque mixtures under process-realistic conditions was a major innovation for the method and has had far reaching implications. Subsequent developments have enabled velocity information to be abstracted resulting in the ability to measure component flux and motion.展开更多
Sodium carbonate and carboxymethyl cellulose powders are compressed into two-component tablets with three mass ratios,97%:3%,95%:5% and 93%:7%.The dissolution tests for two-component tablets and reference pure sodium ...Sodium carbonate and carboxymethyl cellulose powders are compressed into two-component tablets with three mass ratios,97%:3%,95%:5% and 93%:7%.The dissolution tests for two-component tablets and reference pure sodium carbonate tablets are carried out at various temperatures.The dissolution process of each tablet is measured by electrical conductivity tracking method and the concentration of dissolved sodium carbonate is quanti fied with calibrated conductivity-concentration converting equation of sodium carbonate.The quanti fied dissolution data is fitted with both surface reaction model and diffusion layer model and the results clearly show that surface reaction model is suggested as the appropriate dissolution model for all measured tablets.Therefore,it is determined that carboxymethyl cellulose is a stable element to remain the dissolution mechanism of tablet unchanged.The dissolution rate constant quanti fied with surface reaction model presents that carboxymethyl cellulose-sodium carbonate two-component tablets obtain signi ficant higher dissolution rate constant than pure sodium carbonate tablet and higher proportion of carboxymethyl cellulose leads to apparent higher dissolution rate constant.The results prove for the usage of carboxymethyl cellulose in most practical applications at a relative low-level,the effect of carboxymethyl cellulose is effective and positive for two-component tablet to enhance the dissolution process and improve dissolution rate constant and this effect is speculated coming from its dynamic physical transforming process in water including dilation and conglutination.展开更多
We perform the experiments to investigate in-situ phase fraction in a jet pump using the electrical resistance tomography （ERT） technique. A new jet pump with ERT sensors is designed to measure in-situ phase fractio...We perform the experiments to investigate in-situ phase fraction in a jet pump using the electrical resistance tomography （ERT） technique. A new jet pump with ERT sensors is designed to measure in-situ phase fraction and flow regime. The study is based on laboratory experiments that are carried out on a 50-mm vertical flow rig for various gas and liquid phase superficial velocities. The different flow patterns of gas liquid in the jet pump and vertical pipe are studied using the ERT technique. The results suggest that the ERT system can be used to successfully produce images of gas-liquid flow patterns with frames rates of 58 fps and the in-situ phase fraction with frame rates of 5 fps can be obtained. The visualizations of a rapid mixing process in the throat of a jet pump obtained in this work provide a reliable basis for theoretical study and optimal design of jet pumps.展开更多
Computer simulations based on Discrete Element Method have been performed in order to investigate the influence of interparticle interactions on the kinetics of self-assembly and the mechanical strength of nanoparticl...Computer simulations based on Discrete Element Method have been performed in order to investigate the influence of interparticle interactions on the kinetics of self-assembly and the mechanical strength of nanoparticle aggregates. Three different systems have been considered. In the first system the interaction between particles has been simulated using the JKR （Johnson, Kendall and Roberts） contact theory, while in the second and third systems the interaction between particles has been simulated using van der Waals and electrostatic forces respectively. In order to compare the mechanical behaviour of the three systems, the magnitude of the maximum attractive force between particles has been kept the same in all cases. However, the relationship between force and separation distance differs from case to case and thus, the range of the interparticle force. The results clearly indicate that as the range of the interparticle force increases, the self-assembly process is faster and the work required to produce the mechanical failure of the assemblies increases by more than one order of magnitude.展开更多
Magnetic polymer particles have found applications in diverse areas such as biomedical treatments, diagnosis and separation technology. These applications require the particles to have controlled sizes and narrow size...Magnetic polymer particles have found applications in diverse areas such as biomedical treatments, diagnosis and separation technology. These applications require the particles to have controlled sizes and narrow size distributions to gain better control and reproducibility in use. This paper reviews recent developments in the preparation of magnetic polymer particles at nano- and micro-scales by encapsulating magnetic components with dissolved or in situ formed polymers. Particle manufacture using emulsification and embedment methods produces magnetic polymer particles at micro-scale dimensions. However, the production of particles in this range using conventional emulsification methods affords very limited control over particle sizes and polydispersity. We report on alternative routes using membrane and microfluidics emulsification techniques, which have a capability to produce monodisperse emulsions and polymer microspheres （with coefficients of variation of less than 10%） in the range from submicrometer to a few 100 μm. The performance of these manufacturing methods is assessed with a view to future applications.展开更多
It is known that size alone, which is often defined as the volume-equivalent diameter, is not sufficient to characterize many particulate products. The shape of crystalline products can be as important as size in many...It is known that size alone, which is often defined as the volume-equivalent diameter, is not sufficient to characterize many particulate products. The shape of crystalline products can be as important as size in many applications, Traditionally, particulate shape is often defined by several simple descriptors such as the maximum length and the aspect ratio. Although these descriptors are intuitive, they result in a loss of information about the original shape. This paper presents a method to use principal component analysis to derive simple latent shape descriptors from microscope images of particulate products made in batch processes, and the use of these descriptors to identify batch-to-batch variations. Data from batch runs of both a laboratory crystalliser and an industrial crystallisation reactor are analysed using the described approach. Qualitative and quantitative comparisons with the use of traditional shape descriptors that have nhwical meanings and Fourier shape descriptors are also made.展开更多
The latent heat of the microencapsulated phase change material(MPCM)increases the effective ther-mal capacity of latent functionally thermal fluid.However,researchers found that the heat transfer performance of such f...The latent heat of the microencapsulated phase change material(MPCM)increases the effective ther-mal capacity of latent functionally thermal fluid.However,researchers found that the heat transfer performance of such fluids was diminished due to the reduction of the low thermal conductivity of MPCM.For this reason,the nanoparticle enhanced latent functionally thermal fluids were formulated and the heat transfer behaviors of these fluids in a vertical circular tube at the laminar regime were conducted.The result showed that slurries containing 0.5% TiO2 nanoparticles by mass and 5%―20% MPCM by mass exhibited improved heat transfer rates in comparison with the conventional latent functionally thermal fluid and that the enhancement increased with the increasing MPCM concentration and up to 18.9% of the dimensionless wall temperature was reduced.展开更多
A mathematical model has been formulated based on the combined continuous and discrete particle method for investigating the sedimentation behaviour of microparticles in aqueous suspensions, by treating the fluid phas...A mathematical model has been formulated based on the combined continuous and discrete particle method for investigating the sedimentation behaviour of microparticles in aqueous suspensions, by treating the fluid phase as continuous and the particles phase as discrete, thus allowing the behaviour of individual particles to be followed and the evolution of the structure of the particle phase to be investigated as a function of time. The model takes into account most of the prevailing forces acting on individual particles including van der Waals attractive, electrostatic repulsive, gravitational, Brownian, depletion, steric, contact and drag forces. A code has also been developed based on the model. This paper reports some preliminary modelling results of mono-dispersed microparticles settling in aqueous suspensions under various conditions. The results show the short time dynamics of the fluid phase, which has a similar order of magnitude to the particle phase. Such short time dynamics could bear significance to processes such as particle aggregation when their size becomes very small. Preliminary analyses of the results have also been carried out on the evolution of particle settling based on a newly proposed parameter, local normalised volume fraction （LNVF）.展开更多
The use of X-ray microtomographic （XMT） methods in analysing particulate systems has expanded rapidly in recent years with the availability of affordable desk-top apparatus. This review presents a summary of the maj...The use of X-ray microtomographic （XMT） methods in analysing particulate systems has expanded rapidly in recent years with the availability of affordable desk-top apparatus. This review presents a summary of the major applications in which computer simulations are explicitly coupled with XMT in the area of granular and porous materials. We envisage two main ways of establishing the coupling between both techniques, based on the transference or exchange of information by using physical or geometrical parameters （i.e. a parametric link through fitting to a process model） or through the direct use of3D XMT digital images （i.e. comparing image pixels and features directly）. Examples of coupled applications are shown for the study of transport properties of rocks, particle packing, mechanical loading and sintering. Often, the link between XMT and computer simulations is based on visual comparisons and we conclude that the use of quantitative parameters such as the number of interparticle contacts, force networks or granule shape to link both techniques is still underrepresented in the literature. Strategies to provide a more robust and quantitative approach to optimise the information obtained from such tomography analyses are proposed. 2010 Chinese Society of Particuology and Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.展开更多
Near infrared spectroscopy （NIR） is now probably the most popular process analytical technology （PAT） for pharmaceutical and some other industries. However, unlike mid-IR, NIR is known to have difficulties in moni...Near infrared spectroscopy （NIR） is now probably the most popular process analytical technology （PAT） for pharmaceutical and some other industries. However, unlike mid-IR, NIR is known to have difficulties in monitoring crystallization or precipitation processes because the existence of solids could cause distortion of the spectra. This phenomenon, seen as unfavorable previously, is however an indication that NIR spectra contain rich information about both solids and liquids, giving the possibility of using the same instrument for multiple property characterization. In this study, transflectance NIR calibration data was obtained using solutions and slurries of varied solution concentration, particle size, solid concentration and temperature. The data was used to build calibration models for prediction of the multiple properties of both phases. Predictive models were developed for this challenging application using an approach that combines genetic algorithm （GA） and support vector machine （SVM）. GA is used for wavelength selection and SVM for mode building. The new GA-SVM approach is shown to outperform other methods including GA-PLS （partial least squares） and traditional SVM. NIR is thus successfully applied to monitoring seeded and unseeded cooling crystallization processes of L-glutamic acid.展开更多
This paper addresses the use of different slotted pores in rotating membrane emulsification technology. Pores of square and rectangular shapes were studied to understand the effect of aspect ratio （1-3.5） and their ...This paper addresses the use of different slotted pores in rotating membrane emulsification technology. Pores of square and rectangular shapes were studied to understand the effect of aspect ratio （1-3.5） and their orientation on oil droplet formation. Increasing the membrane rotation speed decreased the droplet size, and the oil droplets produced were more uniform using slotted pores as compared to circular geometry. At a given rotation speed, the droplet size was mainly determined by the pore size and the fluid velocity of oil through the pore （pore fluid velocity）. The ratio of droplet diameter to the equivalent diameter of the slotted pore increased with the pore fluid velocity. At a given pore fluid velocity and rotation speed, pore orientation significantly influences the droplet formation rate： horizontally disposed pores （with their longer side perpendicular to the membrane axis） generate droplets at double the rate of vertically disposed pores. This work indicates practical benefits in the use of slotted membranes over conventional methods.展开更多
This paper presents different views on electrode modelling, which include electrode electrochemistry models for modelling the effects of electrode-electrolyte interface, electric field electrode models for modelling e...This paper presents different views on electrode modelling, which include electrode electrochemistry models for modelling the effects of electrode-electrolyte interface, electric field electrode models for modelling electrode geometry, and electrode models for modelling the effects of electrode common mode voltage and double layer capacitance. Taking the full electrode models into consideration in electrical impedance tomography (EIT) will greatly help the optimised approach to a good solution and further understanding of the measurement principle.展开更多
The temporal and spatial growth behaviour of protein crystals, subject to different cooling strategies in protein crystallisation was investigated. Although the impact of temperature and cooling rate on crystal growth...The temporal and spatial growth behaviour of protein crystals, subject to different cooling strategies in protein crystallisation was investigated. Although the impact of temperature and cooling rate on crystal growth of small molecules was well documented, much less has been reported on their impact on the crystallisation of proteins. In this paper, an experimental set-up is configured to carry out such a study which involves an automatic temperature controlled hot-stage crystalliser fitted with a real-time imaging system. Linbro parallel crystallisation experiments(24-well plate) were also conducted to find the suitable initial conditions to be used in the hot-stage crystallisation experiments, including the initial concentration of HEW lysozyme solutions, precipitate concentration and pH value. It was observed that fast cooling rates at the early stage led to precipitates while slow cooling rates produced crystal nuclei, and very slow cooling rates, much smaller than for small molecules are critical to the growth of the nuclei and the crystals to a desired shape. The interesting results provide valuable insight as well as experimental proof of the feasibility and effectiveness of cooling as a means for achieving controlled protein crystallisation, compared with the evaporation approach which was widely used to grow single large crystals for X-ray diffraction study. Since cooling rate control can be easily achieved and has good repeatability, it suggests that large-scale production of protein crystals can be effectively achieved by manipulating cooling rates.展开更多
Crystal morphology is known to be of great importance to the end-use properties of crystal products, and to affect down-stream processing such as filtration and drying. However, it has been previously regarded as too ...Crystal morphology is known to be of great importance to the end-use properties of crystal products, and to affect down-stream processing such as filtration and drying. However, it has been previously regarded as too challenging to achieve automatic closed-loop control. Previous work has focused on controlling the crystal size distribution, where the size of a crystal is often defined as the diameter of a sphere that has the same volume as the crystal. This paper reviews the new advances in morphological population balance models for modelling and simulating the crystal shape distribution （CShD）, measuring and estimating crystal facet growth kinetics, and two- and three-dimensional imaging for on-line characterisation of the crystal morphology and CShD. A framework is presented that integrates the various components to achieve the ultimate objective of model-based closed-loop control of the CShD. The knowledge gaps and challenges that require further research are also identified.展开更多
Seemingly contradictory findings between studies are a major issue in nanoecotoxicological research and have been explained as a result of the lack of comparability between assay methods, with dispersion of nanomateri...Seemingly contradictory findings between studies are a major issue in nanoecotoxicological research and have been explained as a result of the lack of comparability between assay methods, with dispersion of nanomaterials being identified as a key factor. Here we show the use of a multivariate method, principal component analysis （PCA）, as a tool in protocol development and categorization of dispersion quality. Results show the significance of particle concentration within a protocol, and its effect on repeatability. Our results suggest that future studies should involve the use of PCA as a powerful data exploration tool to facilitate method development, comparability and integration of data across different laboratories.展开更多
基金Project (No. 15933) supported by the Royal Society-Chinese Acad-emy of Sciences Joint Project
文摘This paper presents the use of a high performance dual-plane electrical resistance tomography (ERT) system and a local dual-sensor conductance probe to measure the vertical upward oil-in-water pipe flows in which the mean oil volume fraction is up to 23.1%. A sensitivity coefficient back-projection (SBP) algorithm was adopted to reconstruct the flow distributions and a cross correlation method was applied to obtain the oil velocity distributions. The oil volume fraction and velocity distributions obtained from both measurement techniques were compared and good agreement was found, which indicates that the ERT tech- nique can be used to measure the low fraction oil-water flows. Finally, the factors affecting measurement precision were discussed.
基金the Institute of Particle and Science Engineering,University of Leeds and Procter&Gamble Newcastle Innovation Centre(UK)for partially funding the project
文摘Dissolution kinetics of sodium carbonate is investigated with the image analysis method at the approach of single particle.The dissolution experiments are carried out in an aqueous solution under a series of controlled temperature and p H.The selected sodium carbonate particles are all spherical with the same mass and diameter.The dissolution process is quantified with the measurement of particle diameter from dissolution images.The concentration of dissolved sodium carbonate in solvent is calculated with the measured diameter of particle.Both surface reaction model and mass transport model are implemented to determine the dissolution mechanism and quantify the dissolution rate constant at each experimental condition.According to the fitting results with both two models,it is clarified that the dissolution process at the increasing temperature is controlled by the mass transport of dissolved sodium carbonate travelling from particle surface into solvent.The dissolution process at the increasing pH is controlled by the chemical reaction on particle surface.Furthermore,the dissolution rate constant for each single spherical sodium carbonate particle is quantified and the results show that the dissolution rate constant of single spherical sodium carbonate increases significantly with the rising of temperature,but decreases with the increasing of pH conversely.
基金Supported by EPSRC,the UK Research Council(No. GRIR 6 5 787)
文摘A novel crystal characterization instrument has been built up in which a combination of X-ray multiple diffraction and X-ray topography is applied to enabling the cross-correlation between micro-crystallographic symmetry and its spatial dependence in relation to lattice defects. This facility is used to examine, in a self-consistent manner, growth sector-dependant changes to both the crystallographic structure and the lattice defects associated with the action of habit-modifying additives in a number of representative crystal growth systems. In addition, the new instrument can be used to probe micro-crystallographic aspects(such as distortion to crystal symmetry) and relate these in a spatially resolved manner to the crystal defect structure in crystals doped with known habit modifiers.
基金support of co-workers in the tomography groups at University of Leeds and the University of Manchester with funding to enable us to develop the frontiers of tomography provided by EPSRC (EP/D031257/1)
文摘Selected milestones in the development and use of electrical tomography in powder conveying, slurry processing and multi-phase flow are highlighted. The ability to map concentration in opaque mixtures under process-realistic conditions was a major innovation for the method and has had far reaching implications. Subsequent developments have enabled velocity information to be abstracted resulting in the ability to measure component flux and motion.
基金the Institute of Particle and Science Engineering,University of Leeds and Procter & Gamble Newcastle Innovation Centre(UK) for partially funding the project
文摘Sodium carbonate and carboxymethyl cellulose powders are compressed into two-component tablets with three mass ratios,97%:3%,95%:5% and 93%:7%.The dissolution tests for two-component tablets and reference pure sodium carbonate tablets are carried out at various temperatures.The dissolution process of each tablet is measured by electrical conductivity tracking method and the concentration of dissolved sodium carbonate is quanti fied with calibrated conductivity-concentration converting equation of sodium carbonate.The quanti fied dissolution data is fitted with both surface reaction model and diffusion layer model and the results clearly show that surface reaction model is suggested as the appropriate dissolution model for all measured tablets.Therefore,it is determined that carboxymethyl cellulose is a stable element to remain the dissolution mechanism of tablet unchanged.The dissolution rate constant quanti fied with surface reaction model presents that carboxymethyl cellulose-sodium carbonate two-component tablets obtain signi ficant higher dissolution rate constant than pure sodium carbonate tablet and higher proportion of carboxymethyl cellulose leads to apparent higher dissolution rate constant.The results prove for the usage of carboxymethyl cellulose in most practical applications at a relative low-level,the effect of carboxymethyl cellulose is effective and positive for two-component tablet to enhance the dissolution process and improve dissolution rate constant and this effect is speculated coming from its dynamic physical transforming process in water including dilation and conglutination.
文摘We perform the experiments to investigate in-situ phase fraction in a jet pump using the electrical resistance tomography （ERT） technique. A new jet pump with ERT sensors is designed to measure in-situ phase fraction and flow regime. The study is based on laboratory experiments that are carried out on a 50-mm vertical flow rig for various gas and liquid phase superficial velocities. The different flow patterns of gas liquid in the jet pump and vertical pipe are studied using the ERT technique. The results suggest that the ERT system can be used to successfully produce images of gas-liquid flow patterns with frames rates of 58 fps and the in-situ phase fraction with frame rates of 5 fps can be obtained. The visualizations of a rapid mixing process in the throat of a jet pump obtained in this work provide a reliable basis for theoretical study and optimal design of jet pumps.
基金EPSRC(EP/D027411/1:Fabrication of reusable materials based on mineral particulates) and MiMeMiP,UK for their support to this work
文摘Computer simulations based on Discrete Element Method have been performed in order to investigate the influence of interparticle interactions on the kinetics of self-assembly and the mechanical strength of nanoparticle aggregates. Three different systems have been considered. In the first system the interaction between particles has been simulated using the JKR （Johnson, Kendall and Roberts） contact theory, while in the second and third systems the interaction between particles has been simulated using van der Waals and electrostatic forces respectively. In order to compare the mechanical behaviour of the three systems, the magnitude of the maximum attractive force between particles has been kept the same in all cases. However, the relationship between force and separation distance differs from case to case and thus, the range of the interparticle force. The results clearly indicate that as the range of the interparticle force increases, the self-assembly process is faster and the work required to produce the mechanical failure of the assemblies increases by more than one order of magnitude.
文摘Magnetic polymer particles have found applications in diverse areas such as biomedical treatments, diagnosis and separation technology. These applications require the particles to have controlled sizes and narrow size distributions to gain better control and reproducibility in use. This paper reviews recent developments in the preparation of magnetic polymer particles at nano- and micro-scales by encapsulating magnetic components with dissolved or in situ formed polymers. Particle manufacture using emulsification and embedment methods produces magnetic polymer particles at micro-scale dimensions. However, the production of particles in this range using conventional emulsification methods affords very limited control over particle sizes and polydispersity. We report on alternative routes using membrane and microfluidics emulsification techniques, which have a capability to produce monodisperse emulsions and polymer microspheres （with coefficients of variation of less than 10%） in the range from submicrometer to a few 100 μm. The performance of these manufacturing methods is assessed with a view to future applications.
文摘It is known that size alone, which is often defined as the volume-equivalent diameter, is not sufficient to characterize many particulate products. The shape of crystalline products can be as important as size in many applications, Traditionally, particulate shape is often defined by several simple descriptors such as the maximum length and the aspect ratio. Although these descriptors are intuitive, they result in a loss of information about the original shape. This paper presents a method to use principal component analysis to derive simple latent shape descriptors from microscope images of particulate products made in batch processes, and the use of these descriptors to identify batch-to-batch variations. Data from batch runs of both a laboratory crystalliser and an industrial crystallisation reactor are analysed using the described approach. Qualitative and quantitative comparisons with the use of traditional shape descriptors that have nhwical meanings and Fourier shape descriptors are also made.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No. 50076020)
文摘The latent heat of the microencapsulated phase change material(MPCM)increases the effective ther-mal capacity of latent functionally thermal fluid.However,researchers found that the heat transfer performance of such fluids was diminished due to the reduction of the low thermal conductivity of MPCM.For this reason,the nanoparticle enhanced latent functionally thermal fluids were formulated and the heat transfer behaviors of these fluids in a vertical circular tube at the laminar regime were conducted.The result showed that slurries containing 0.5% TiO2 nanoparticles by mass and 5%―20% MPCM by mass exhibited improved heat transfer rates in comparison with the conventional latent functionally thermal fluid and that the enhancement increased with the increasing MPCM concentration and up to 18.9% of the dimensionless wall temperature was reduced.
文摘A mathematical model has been formulated based on the combined continuous and discrete particle method for investigating the sedimentation behaviour of microparticles in aqueous suspensions, by treating the fluid phase as continuous and the particles phase as discrete, thus allowing the behaviour of individual particles to be followed and the evolution of the structure of the particle phase to be investigated as a function of time. The model takes into account most of the prevailing forces acting on individual particles including van der Waals attractive, electrostatic repulsive, gravitational, Brownian, depletion, steric, contact and drag forces. A code has also been developed based on the model. This paper reports some preliminary modelling results of mono-dispersed microparticles settling in aqueous suspensions under various conditions. The results show the short time dynamics of the fluid phase, which has a similar order of magnitude to the particle phase. Such short time dynamics could bear significance to processes such as particle aggregation when their size becomes very small. Preliminary analyses of the results have also been carried out on the evolution of particle settling based on a newly proposed parameter, local normalised volume fraction （LNVF）.
基金support of this work (Grant EP/D031257/1)and the contribution of illustrations from Prof. U. Tuzun (University of Surrey), Prof. C. Lin(University of Utah) and Dr C. Selomulya (Monash University)
文摘The use of X-ray microtomographic （XMT） methods in analysing particulate systems has expanded rapidly in recent years with the availability of affordable desk-top apparatus. This review presents a summary of the major applications in which computer simulations are explicitly coupled with XMT in the area of granular and porous materials. We envisage two main ways of establishing the coupling between both techniques, based on the transference or exchange of information by using physical or geometrical parameters （i.e. a parametric link through fitting to a process model） or through the direct use of3D XMT digital images （i.e. comparing image pixels and features directly）. Examples of coupled applications are shown for the study of transport properties of rocks, particle packing, mechanical loading and sintering. Often, the link between XMT and computer simulations is based on visual comparisons and we conclude that the use of quantitative parameters such as the number of interparticle contacts, force networks or granule shape to link both techniques is still underrepresented in the literature. Strategies to provide a more robust and quantitative approach to optimise the information obtained from such tomography analyses are proposed. 2010 Chinese Society of Particuology and Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
基金UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council for funding the research (EPSRCGrant Reference: EP/C001788/1)
文摘Near infrared spectroscopy （NIR） is now probably the most popular process analytical technology （PAT） for pharmaceutical and some other industries. However, unlike mid-IR, NIR is known to have difficulties in monitoring crystallization or precipitation processes because the existence of solids could cause distortion of the spectra. This phenomenon, seen as unfavorable previously, is however an indication that NIR spectra contain rich information about both solids and liquids, giving the possibility of using the same instrument for multiple property characterization. In this study, transflectance NIR calibration data was obtained using solutions and slurries of varied solution concentration, particle size, solid concentration and temperature. The data was used to build calibration models for prediction of the multiple properties of both phases. Predictive models were developed for this challenging application using an approach that combines genetic algorithm （GA） and support vector machine （SVM）. GA is used for wavelength selection and SVM for mode building. The new GA-SVM approach is shown to outperform other methods including GA-PLS （partial least squares） and traditional SVM. NIR is thus successfully applied to monitoring seeded and unseeded cooling crystallization processes of L-glutamic acid.
文摘This paper addresses the use of different slotted pores in rotating membrane emulsification technology. Pores of square and rectangular shapes were studied to understand the effect of aspect ratio （1-3.5） and their orientation on oil droplet formation. Increasing the membrane rotation speed decreased the droplet size, and the oil droplets produced were more uniform using slotted pores as compared to circular geometry. At a given rotation speed, the droplet size was mainly determined by the pore size and the fluid velocity of oil through the pore （pore fluid velocity）. The ratio of droplet diameter to the equivalent diameter of the slotted pore increased with the pore fluid velocity. At a given pore fluid velocity and rotation speed, pore orientation significantly influences the droplet formation rate： horizontally disposed pores （with their longer side perpendicular to the membrane axis） generate droplets at double the rate of vertically disposed pores. This work indicates practical benefits in the use of slotted membranes over conventional methods.
文摘This paper presents different views on electrode modelling, which include electrode electrochemistry models for modelling the effects of electrode-electrolyte interface, electric field electrode models for modelling electrode geometry, and electrode models for modelling the effects of electrode common mode voltage and double layer capacitance. Taking the full electrode models into consideration in electrical impedance tomography (EIT) will greatly help the optimised approach to a good solution and further understanding of the measurement principle.
基金Supported by the China One Thousand Talent Scheme,the National Natural Science Foundation of China under its Major Research Scheme of Meso-scale Mechanism and Control in Multi-phase Reaction Processes(91434126)the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province(2014A030313228)+1 种基金benefited from early work funded by UK Engineering and Physical Science Research Council(EP/H008012/1EP/H008853/1)
文摘The temporal and spatial growth behaviour of protein crystals, subject to different cooling strategies in protein crystallisation was investigated. Although the impact of temperature and cooling rate on crystal growth of small molecules was well documented, much less has been reported on their impact on the crystallisation of proteins. In this paper, an experimental set-up is configured to carry out such a study which involves an automatic temperature controlled hot-stage crystalliser fitted with a real-time imaging system. Linbro parallel crystallisation experiments(24-well plate) were also conducted to find the suitable initial conditions to be used in the hot-stage crystallisation experiments, including the initial concentration of HEW lysozyme solutions, precipitate concentration and pH value. It was observed that fast cooling rates at the early stage led to precipitates while slow cooling rates produced crystal nuclei, and very slow cooling rates, much smaller than for small molecules are critical to the growth of the nuclei and the crystals to a desired shape. The interesting results provide valuable insight as well as experimental proof of the feasibility and effectiveness of cooling as a means for achieving controlled protein crystallisation, compared with the evaporation approach which was widely used to grow single large crystals for X-ray diffraction study. Since cooling rate control can be easily achieved and has good repeatability, it suggests that large-scale production of protein crystals can be effectively achieved by manipulating cooling rates.
基金Financial support from the following projects and organisa- tions are acknowledged： the China One Thousand Talent Scheme, the National Natural Science Foundation of China （NNSFC） under its Major Research Scheme of Meso-scale Mechanism and Control in Multi-phase Reaction Processes （project reference： 91434126）, the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province （project reference： 2014A030313228）, the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council （EPSRC） for the projects of Shape （EP/C009541） and StereoVision （EP/E045707）, and the Technology Strategy Board （TSB） for the project of High Value Manufacturing CGM （TP/BD059E）.
文摘Crystal morphology is known to be of great importance to the end-use properties of crystal products, and to affect down-stream processing such as filtration and drying. However, it has been previously regarded as too challenging to achieve automatic closed-loop control. Previous work has focused on controlling the crystal size distribution, where the size of a crystal is often defined as the diameter of a sphere that has the same volume as the crystal. This paper reviews the new advances in morphological population balance models for modelling and simulating the crystal shape distribution （CShD）, measuring and estimating crystal facet growth kinetics, and two- and three-dimensional imaging for on-line characterisation of the crystal morphology and CShD. A framework is presented that integrates the various components to achieve the ultimate objective of model-based closed-loop control of the CShD. The knowledge gaps and challenges that require further research are also identified.
基金Framework 7 Projects(MARINA and NanoReg)DEFRA for providing funding for this study
文摘Seemingly contradictory findings between studies are a major issue in nanoecotoxicological research and have been explained as a result of the lack of comparability between assay methods, with dispersion of nanomaterials being identified as a key factor. Here we show the use of a multivariate method, principal component analysis （PCA）, as a tool in protocol development and categorization of dispersion quality. Results show the significance of particle concentration within a protocol, and its effect on repeatability. Our results suggest that future studies should involve the use of PCA as a powerful data exploration tool to facilitate method development, comparability and integration of data across different laboratories.
