Pyroelectric Nanogenerator Based on an SbSI–TiO2 Nanocomposite

For the first time, a composite of ferroelectric antimony sulfoiodide (SbSI) nanowires and non-ferroelectric titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles was applied as a pyroelectric nanogenerator. SbSI nanowires were fabricated under ultrasonic treatment. Sonochemical synthesis was performed in the presence of TiO2 nanoparticles. The mean lateral dimension da = 68(2) nm and the length La = 2.52(7) µm of the SbSI nanowires were determined. TiO2 nanoparticles served as binders in the synthesized nanocomposite, which allowed for the preparation of dense films via the simple drop-casting method. The SbSI–TiO2 nanocomposite film was sandwiched between gold and indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes. The Curie temperature of TC = 294(2) K was evaluated and confirmed to be consistent with the data reported in the literature for ferroelectric SbSI. The SbSI–TiO2 device was subjected to periodic thermal fluctuations. The measured pyroelectric signals were highly correlated with the temperature change waveforms. The magnitude of the pyroelectric current was found to be a linear function of the temperature change rate. The high value of the pyroelectric coefficient p = 264(7) nC/(cm2·K) was determined for the SbSI–TiO2 nanocomposite. When the rate of temperature change was equal dT/dt = 62.5 mK/s, the maximum and average surface power densities of the SbSI–TiO2 nanogenerator reached 8.39(2) and 2.57(2) µW/m2, respectively.

An Effective Simulation Scheme for Predicting the Aerodynamic Heat of a Scramjet-Propelled Vehicle

Currently, aerothermal research into scramjet-propelled vehicles characterized by a wedge-shaped section is relatively sparse. Based on the Mach number, grid strategy, and numerical method, an effective simulation scheme for predicting the aerodynamic heat of a scramjet-propelled vehicle during flight is proposed in this paper. At different Mach numbers, the appropriate grid strategy and numerical method were determined by validation tests. Two-dimensional external flow field models based on wedge sections were established and, unlike in blunt bodies, the tests showed that at the high supersonic stage, the ideal cell Reynolds number should be no larger than 16. At the hypersonic stage, the ideal cell Reynolds number and aspect ratio of wall cells near the shock should be no larger than 40, and the AUSM+ flux type performs better than Roe’s FDS flux type at the above stages. The aerothermal prediction indicates that during a flight time of about 34 s, the temperature change reaches about 1913.35 °C, and the maximum average temperature change rate reaches 115 °C/s.

Operational algorithm for a heat detector used in motor vehicles

In most cases, fixed temperature heat detectors are used to detect fire in vehicles. The response parameter of such detectors is constant. The time of fire detection by a fire detector, as well as the probability of its false operation, are affected by heat flux from an internal combustion engine. This paper reports the development and investigation of an operational algorithm of the fixed-dynamic heat detectors with variable response parameters. Depending on the temperature influence exerted by engine operation modes, a given algorithm automatically changes a value of the minimal static response temperature of a detector, as well as value of the rate of rise in the temperature of its response. The experimental results showed that in the initial period of engine operation, the temperature change rate in the engine compartment fluctuates and is the largest. It can exceed 290 °С/min. However, regardless of the type of vehicle and the type of engine, when the temperature reaches technological, the temperature change rate would vary within small limits, approximately 30÷50 °С/min. The study results from the Simulink software package (USA) in the MATLAB programming environment (USA) confirm the effectiveness of the programmed operational algorithm of a thermal fire detector. The developed algorithm of a fire detector's operation makes it possible to detect the fire at an early stage and reduce the cases of the device's false response. The fire detector responded to both the maximal and dynamic components. As regards the maximal component, the proposed detector is triggered about 2.3 times faster than the classic maximal thermal fire detector. Detection of fire at an early stage makes it possible to quickly use the fire extinguishing system

Numerical simulation of thermoacoustic instability in Rijke tube

The influence of three different states on the thermoacoustic instability characteristics of Rijke tube was compared in order to reseach the influencing factors of thermoacoustic oscillation by using the Rijke tube model with stack as the heat source. The thermoacoustic oscillations are numerically simulated from the start-up to the saturation state, and the effects of the temperature on the dynamic viscosity and the thermal conductivity are compared. The results show gravity has a greater influence than the thermoacoustic oscillation caused by thermal buoyancy, and it is related to the inner balance of the tube after the gravity and the temperature gradient caused by the protrusion and the temperature gradient caused by the reduction of the amplitude dissipation. For the comprehensive comparison of the two variable parameters, it is found that when the viscosity coefficient changes with temperature and the thermal conductivity is a fixed value, both of them decrease by 49.5% with the temperature change rate. This result far exceeds the viscosity coefficient itself influences.

Experimental study of superheating of tin powders

An unstable energy-unbalanced state such as superheating or supercooling is often unexpectedly observed because a factor of energy depends not only on the temperature but is a product of temperature (T) and entropy (S). Thus, at the same temperature, if the entropy is different, the total energy of the system can be different. In such cases, the temperature-change-rate cannot match the entropy-change-rate, which results in a hysteresis curve for the temperature/entropy relationship. Due to the difference between the temperature- and entropy-change-rates, properties of a material, such as the boiling and freezing points, can be extended from point to area. This study confirmed that depending on the heating rate, tin powders exhibit different melting points. Given the contemporary reinterpretation of many energy-non-equilibrium phenomena that have only been discussed on the basis of temperature, this study is expected to contribute to the actual expansion of scientific/engineering applications.

Model Experimental Study of Carbon Fiber Heating Wire for Deicing and Snow Melting on a Bridge Deck

In order to use the carbon fiber heating wire more efficiently and safely, the influence of the built-in carbon fiber heating wires (CFHWs) on the temperature changes of the bridge deck is studied in this paper. The model experiments of the temperature rise and ice melting are carried out in a room with low temperature cold storage environment, and the temperature variation of the specimens under different ambient temperatures, namely, −2, −4, and −8°C, was measured. The results show that, in the temperature rise experiment, the temperature change rate of the measuring points of the surface layer in the central part above CFHW is the most obvious, with the temperature change rate of 2.123°C/h; owing to the limited radiation range of CFHW, the temperature change rate of the measuring points between the CFHW and the CFHW of the surface layer decreases significantly, with a value of 0.703°C/h, and the temperature of the measuring points of the heating layer where CFHW is located shows a nearly linear increase, with a temperature change rate of 1.313°C/h. The temperature of the bridge deck is basically above 0°C as most of the heat generated by CFHW is transferred to the bridge deck after heating, which can effectively prevent the bridge deck from freezing. In the ice melting experiment, the temperature change rate of the measuring points of the surface layer in the central part above the CFHW is 1.406°C/h, and the maximum temperature change rate of the measuring points between the CFHW and CFHW of the surface layer is 0.408°C/h. The overall ice melting condition on the specimen surface is appreciable. When the heating power is set to 190 W/m2, the influence of the ambient temperature on the measuring points of the surface layer is negligible, but the influence of the ice melting rate at different positions from the heating wire is obvious. Therefore, it can be seen that optimizing the layout of the CFHW can effectively improve the whole uniformity and efficiency of ice melting of the bridge deck. The results from relevant research can provide a reference for the design and operation of deicing and snow melting applications on a bridge deck.

Temperature influence on the diethylamine sensing abilities of CuO nanoparticles deposited by atmospheric pressure plasma

In this work we present a copper oxide nanostructured analysed as a gas sensor but the focus of the paper is on the temperature dependance of the sensor sensing properties. As a case study temperature dependent diethylamine sensing is presented.The CuO nano flakes were deposited and evenly distributed on intercalated electrodes by an atmospheric pressure plasma source. The sensor was electrically connected to ohmmetre and inserted in an oven chamber where it was isolated from atmosphere and heated to desired tempearuteres. The intrinsic resistnace of the sensor was measured in dependence of the temperature and the temperature change rate. Then the possibility to detect diethylamine was investigated and the sensor response studied. Finally, the temperature dependence of the detection of the amine was explored. It was possible to demonstrate reliable sensing of the amine down to temperatures of 100 °C and below.

Study on the Heat of Hydration and Strength Development of Cast-In-Situ Foamed Concrete

This study aims to investigate the relationship between the heat of hydration and the strength development of cast-in-situ foamed concrete. First, indoor model tests are conducted to determine the effects of the casting density and the fly ash content on the hydration heat of foamed concrete in semiadiabatic conditions. Second, compression tests are carried out to evaluate the development of the compressive strength with the curing time under standard curing conditions and temperature matched curing conditions. Third, the hydration heat development of the foamed concrete is tested in four projects. The results showed that the peak temperature, the maximum temperature change rate, and the maximum temperature difference increased with the increase in the casting density at different positions in the foamed concrete. For the same casting density of the foamed concrete, the peak temperature, the maximum temperature change rate, and the maximum temperature difference decreased with the increase in the fly ash content. For the foamed concrete without the admixture, the early strength was significantly higher under temperature matched curing conditions than under standard curing conditions, but the temperature matched curing conditions had a clear inhibitory effect on the strength of the foamed concrete. The strengths during the early stage and the later stage were both improved under temperature matched curing conditions after adding the fly ash, and the greater the fly ash content, the larger the effect. The maximum temperature increments were higher in the indoor model test than in the field tests for the same casting density. Reasonable cooling measures and the addition of fly ash decreased the maximum temperature increments and increased the corresponding casting times.

Thermal Modeling and Calibration Method in Complex Temperature Field for Single-Axis Rotational Inertial Navigation System

Single-axis rotational inertial navigation systems (single-axis RINSs) are widely used in high-accuracy navigation because of their ability to restrain the horizontal axis errors of the inertial measurement unit (IMU). The IMU errors, especially the biases, should be constant during each rotation cycle that is to be modulated and restrained. However, the temperature field, consisting of the environment temperature and the power heating of single-axis RINS, affects the IMU performance and changes the biases over time. To improve the precision of single-axis RINS, the change of IMU biases caused by the temperature should be calibrated accurately. The traditional thermal calibration model consists of the temperature and temperature change rate, which does not reflect the complex temperature field of single-axis RINS. This paper proposed a multiple regression method with a temperature gradient in the model, and in order to describe the complex temperature field thoroughly, a BP neural network method is proposed with consideration of the coupled items of the temperature variables. Experiments show that the proposed methods outperform the traditional calibration method. The navigation accuracy of single-axis RINS can be improved by up to 47.41% in lab conditions and 65.11% in the moving vehicle experiment, respectively.

Outlooks for development of silicon nanoparticle memory cells

Phase change memory is based on changes in the optical, electrical or other properties of materials during phase transitions, e.g. an amorphous to crystalline transition. Currently existing and potential applications of this memory are primarily based on multicomponent alloys of metals and semiconductors. However single-component nanoparticles including Si ones are also of interest as promising nanosized memory cells. The potential for developing this type of memory cells is confirmed by the fact that the optical absorption index of bulk amorphous silicon is of the same order of magnitude as that of crystalline silicon. Certainly this phenomenon can hardly be implemented with a single nanoparticle the size of which is within light wavelength. Using molecular dynamics and the Stillinger-Weber potential we have studied the regularities of melting and the conditions of crystallization of silicon nanoparticles containing within 105 atoms. We have shown that cooling of nanosized silicon drops at a 0.2 TK/s rate or higher rates causes their amorphous transition whereas single-component nanosized metallic drops crystallize in molecular dynamics experiments even at a 1 TK/s rate. Further heating of amorphous silicon nanoparticles containing above 5 ∙ 104 atoms causes their crystallization in a specific temperature range from 1300 to 1400 K. We have concluded that there is a possibility of developing phase change memory cells on the basis of the above phase transitions. An amorphous transition of a nanoparticle can be achieved by its melting and further cooling to room temperature at a 0.2 TK/s rate whereas a crystalline transition, by its heating to 1300–1400 K at a 0.2 TK/s rate followed by cooling. Results of molecular dynamics experiments suggest there is a minimum silicon nanoparticle size for which the development of phase change memory cells becomes theoretically impossible at a given temperature change rate. For a 0.2 TK/s temperature change rate this minimum size is 12.4 nm (number of atoms approx. 5 ∙ 104).