Single Particle Hopping as an Indicator for Evaluating Electrocatalysts

Design and screening electrocatalysts for gas evolution reactions suffer from scanty understanding of multi-phase processes at the electrode-electrolyte interface. Due to the complexity of multi-phase interface, it is still a great challenge to capture gas evolution dynamics under operando condition to precisely portray the intrinsic catalytic performance of interface. Here, we establish a single particle imaging method to real time monitor a potential-dependent vertical motion or hopping of electrocatalysts induced by electrogenerated gas nanobubbles. The hopping feature of single particle is closely correlated with intrinsic activities of electrocatalysts, thus is developed to be an indicator to evaluate gas evolution performance of various electrocatalysts. This optical indicator diminishes interferences from heterogeneous morphologies, non-Faradaic processes and parasitic side reactions that are unavoidable in conventional electrochemical measurements, therefore enables precise evaluation and high-throughput screening of catalysts for gas evolution systems.

A study of large-scale vertical motion over West Africa

Three separately recorded cases of thundery weather over West Africa that occurred during the conduct of the West African Monsoon Experiment (WAMEX) of 1979, are investigated with the kinematic vertical p-velocity field. The scheme employed here is based on a least-squares-plane technique which has been desribed in Jegede and Balogun (1991), as a variant to the similar methods used by Kung (1972, 1973), and Pedder (1981). The aim in this study is to demonstrate the practicability of the kinematic method for interpreting observed surface weather. In all the three cast-s, there was some consistency noted between the precipitation patterns and the computed vertical velocity fields within the sub-region.

Defining the Main Parameters and Performances of the Elevator Motor

Contemporary tendencies relentlessly dictate the conditions for the appearance of a more qualitative, reliable and comfortable elevator chain for the rolling stock of a vertical motion. At the same time, the issues of energy saving and cost-effective use of resources gain currency against the background of rising prices for energy carriers and market prices for various elements that play an essential role in the availability of many electromechanical systems. Unfortunately, attention was paid to the availability of above problems in the elevator sector when the majority of the elevators (about 60% of them) outlived their technical service life that ensured the reliable operation. As a matter of fact, an amazingly important issue is relating to the embedment of reliable, durable and economically substantiated components of electromechanical systems into contemporary Ukrainian elevators. The purpose of the research done was to define the main parameters and performances of the asynchronous elevator motor of an ADB180M6 type. The motor is powered from the industrial network of 50 Hz and the frequency converter with the frequency of 50Hz and 16.6 Hz. This scientific paper uses the methods of physical investigations. The elevator motor test data satisfy the reliability parameters that make any elevator user feel comfortable. The main measurement data obtained for the engine No43886 of an ADB180M6 type powered from the frequency converter “Altivar” of 22kW with the motor speed of 910 rpm and 289 rpm satisfy the requirements of the regulatory documentation. The noise level is within satisfactory margins.

The Anatomy of a Series of Cloud Bursts that Eclipsed the US Rainfall Record

A series of extreme cloudbursts occurred on 14 April 2018 over the northern slopes of the island of Kaua‘i. The storm inundated some areas with 1262 mm (∼50”) of rainfall in a 24-hr period, eclipsing the previous 24-hr US rainfall record of 1100 mm (42”) set in Texas in 1979. Three periods of intense rainfall are diagnosed through detailed analysis of National Weather Service operational and special data sets. On the synoptic scale, a slowly southeastward propagating trough aloft over a deep layer of low level moisture (>40 mm of total precipitable water) produced prolonged instability over Kaua‘i. Enhanced NE to E low level flow impacted Kaua‘i’s complex terrain, which includes steep north and eastward facing slopes and cirques. The resulting orographic lift initiated deep convection. The wind profile exhibited significant shear in the troposphere and streamwise vorticity within the convective storm inflow. Evidence suggests that large directional shear in the boundary layer, paired with enhanced orographic vertical motion, produced rotating updrafts within the convective storms. Mesoscale rotation is manifest in the radar data during the latter two periods and reflectivity cores are observed to propagate both to the left and to the right of the mean shear, which is characteristic of supercells. The observations suggest that the terrain configuration in combination with the windshear separates the area of updrafts from the downdraft section of the storm, resulting in almost continuous heavy rainfall over Waipā Garden.

Electromechanics of lipid-modulated gating of potassium channels

Experimental studies reveal that the anionic lipid phosphatidic acid (POPA), non-phospholipid cholesterol, and cationic lipid DOTAP inhibit the gating of voltage-sensitive potassium (Kv) channels. Here, we develop a continuum electromechanical model to investigate the interaction of these lipids with the ion channel. Our model suggests that: (i) POPA lipids may restrict the vertical motion of the voltage-sensor domain through direct electrostatic interactions; (ii) cholesterol may oppose the radial motion of the pore domain of the channel by increasing the mechanical rigidity of the membrane; and (iii) DOTAP can reduce the effect of electrostatic forces by regulating the dielectric constant at the channel–lipid interface. The electromechanical model predictions for the three lipid types match well with the experimental observations and provide mechanistic insights into lipid-dependent gating of Kv channels.

How white is the sky?

<p>The energy spectrum of atmospheric horizontal motions has been extensively studied in observations and numerical simulations. Its canonical shape includes a transition from the -3 power law at synoptic scale to -5/3 power law at mesoscale. The transition is taking place at scales around 500 km that can be seen as the scale where energy associated with quasi-linear inertia-gravity waves exceeds the balanced (or Rossby wave) energy. In contrast to the horizontal spectrum, the spectrum of kinetic energy of vertical motions is poorly known since the vertical motion is not an observed quantity of the global observing system and vertical kinetic energy spectra from non-hydrostatic models are difficult to validate.</p> <p>Traditionally, vertical velocities associated with the Rossby and gravity waves have been treated separately using the quasi-geostrophic omega equations and polarization relations for the stratified Boussinesq fluid in the (x,z) plane, respectively. In the tropics, the Rossby and gravity  wave regimes are difficult to separate and their frequency gap, present in the extra-tropics, is filled with the Kelvin and mixed Rossby-gravity waves. A separate treatment of the Rossby and gravity wave regimes makes it challenging to quantify energies of their vertical motions and vertical momentum fluxes. A unified treatment and wave interactions is performed by high-resolution non-hydrostatic models but their understanding requires the toolkit of theory. </p> <p>This contribution presents a unified framework for the derivation of vertical velocities of the Rossby and inertia-gravity waves and associated kinetic energy spectra. Expressions for the Rossby and gravity wave vertical velocities are derived using the normal-mode framework in the hydrostatic atmosphere that can be considered applicable up to the scale around 10 km. The derivation involves the analytical evaluation of divergence of the horizontal wind associated with the Rossby and inertia-gravity eigensolutions of the linearized primitive equations. The new framework is applied to the global analysis data of the ECMWF system. Results confirm that the tropical vertical kinetic energy spectra associated with inertia-gravity waves are on average indeed white. Deviations from the white spectrum are discussed for latitude and altitude bands.</p>

Some dynamical aspects of meso-scale rainfall events as revealed by physical initialization

In recent years, physical initialization has emerged as a powerful tool to improve initial state of dynamical model during assimilation phase. This improved initial state at high resolution global spectral model is able to provide a tropical meso-scale coverage. In this paper, model out-put is used to study some dynamical aspects of meso-scale rainfall events. Major findings of this study are : (i) Meso-scale rainfall event carries a distinct dynamic structure in vertical profiles of divergence and vertical upward motion, (ii) Meso-scale event exhibits a large diurnal variation in these vertical profiles and (iii) Vertical motion field of meso-scale organisation appears to play a significant role in tropical storm formation.

Impact of parameterized convection on a numerically simulated tropical Cyclone structure

ABSTRACT. Condensational heating is a primary source of energy for disturbances like a tropical storm. The resolvable scale condensation and the parameterized convection, in many fine mesh numerical models, are evaluated at intervals greater than the time step, order of a minute, used for computing dynamical processes. The latent heating may depend on the model resolution and the interval at which the precipitation physics is evaluated. Numerical results from a series of short range forecasts are compared to study the impact of varying the horizontal resolution and the interval for evaluating condensation physics, and of excluding the parameterized convective heating. A horizontal grid spacing of 40 km (coarse mesh) or 20 km (fine mesh) in National Centers for Environmental Prediction's Quasi-Lagrangian Model (QLM), and the initial data for a tropical storm case, are utilized. Resolvable scale condensation is invoked only at supersaturated grid points, and a Kuo-type convective parameterization procedure is employed. Significant structural differences are produced when the interval for computing both parameterized convection and resolvable scale heating is changed, and these differences broaden when the horizontal resolution is increased. The central warm cote structure and storm intensity are simulated better when both condensational processes are evaluated at an interval of twelve time steps than at each time step. Vertical columns in central storm area rapidly become convectively stable, and the maximum in vertical motion and strongest horizontal winds shift in the outer storm area, when both condensational processes are invoked at each time step. The central storm area remains conditionally unstable, and strongest winds develop close to the center, when both condensational processes are evaluated at intervals of twelve time steps. The central storm area remains conditionally unstable also in the fine mesh experiment in which the parameterized convective heating is excluded and the resolvable scale heating is evaluated at each time step. Intense vertical motion and vigorous heating develop in deep vertical columns, indicating that the heating on the convective scale is simulated as the resolvable scale heating. The vertical distribution of heating and the storm structure, during the first six hours in this case, are similar to those in the fine mesh run in which both condensational processes are evaluated at intervals of twelve time steps. However, the storm intensifies more rapidly after 6 h in the former than in the later case. Numerical results from additional experiments are presented to show that predicted storm structure is modified with a change in interval for invoking either or both condensational processes, and these circulation differences are not due to the initial spin up. Transfer of moisture and heat from low levels into the higher troposphere in cumulonimbus clouds takes place in several minutes. Above cited and other predictions from the QLM suggest that storm structure. intensity and motion in a mesoscale model are likely to, be improved when parameterized convective heating is included; however, a parameterization scheme that concurrently produces alterations in the entire model cloud depth should be invoked at intervals of several minutes.

Three-Dimensional Modeling and Control of a Tethered UAV-Buoy System

This work presents the nonlinear dynamical model and motion controller of a system consisting of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that is tethered to a floating buoy in the three-dimensional (3D) space. Detailed models of the UAV, buoy, and the coupled tethered system dynamics are presented in a marine environment that includes surface-water currents and oscillating gravity waves, in addition to wind gusts. This work extends the previously modeled planar (vertical) motion of this novel robotic system to allow its free motion in all three dimensions. Furthermore, a Directional Surge Velocity Control System (DSVCS) is hereby proposed to allow both the free movement of the UAV around the buoy when the cable is slack, and the manipulation of the buoy’s surge velocity when the cable is taut. Using a spherical coordinate system centered at the buoy, the control system commands the UAV to apply forces on the buoy at specific azimuth and elevation angles via the tether, which yields a more appropriate realization of the control problem as compared to the Cartesian coordinates where the traditional x- , y- , and z -coordinates do not intuitively describe the tether’s tension and orientation. The proposed robotic system and controller offer a new method of interaction and collaboration between UAVs and marine systems from a locomotion perspective. The system is validated in a virtual high-fidelity simulation environment, which was specifically developed for this purpose, while considering various settings and wave scenarios.