Turbocharger Radial Turbine Response to Pulse Amplitude

Under on-engine operating conditions, a turbocharger turbine is subject to a pulsating flow and, consequently, experiences deviations from the performance measured in gas-stand flow conditions. Furthermore, due to the high exhaust gases temperatures, heat transfer further deteriorates the turbine performance. The complex interaction of the aerothermodynamic mechanisms occurring inside the hot-side, and consequently the turbine behavior, is largely affected by the shape of the pulse, which can be parameterized through three parameters: pulse amplitude, frequency, and temporal gradient. This paper investigates the hot-side system response to the pulse amplitude via Detached Eddy Simulations (DES) of a turbocharger radial turbine system including exhaust manifold. Firstly, the computational model is validated against experimental data obtained in gas-stand flow conditions. Then, two different mass flow pulses, characterized by a pulse amplitude difference of 5%, are compared. An exergy-based post-processing approach shows the beneficial effects of increasing the pulse amplitude. An improvement of the turbine power by 1.3%, despite the increment of the heat transfer and total internal irreversibilities by 5.8% and 3.4\%, respectively, is reported. As a result of the higher maximum speeds, internal losses by viscous friction are responsible for the growth of the total internal irreversibilities as pulse amplitude increases.

Influence of Pulse Characteristics On Turbocharger Radial Turbine

Due to the reciprocating engine, a pulsating flow occurs in the turbine turbocharger, which experiences conditions far from the continuous flow scenario. In this work, the effects of the characteristics of the mass flow pulse, parameterized through amplitude, frequency and temporal gradient, are decoupled and studied via unsteady Computational Fluid Dynamics calculations under on-engine operating conditions. Firstly, the model is validated based on comparisons with experimental data in steady flow conditions. Then, the effect of each parameter on exergy budget is assessed by considering a +/-10% variation with respect to a baseline pulse. The other factors defining the operating conditions (e.g. mass flow, shaft speed and inflow exergy) are kept the same as the baseline. The adopted approach enables to completely isolate the effects of each parameter in contrast with previous literature studies. Based on the results observed, pulse amplitude is identified as the primary parameter affecting the hot-side system response in terms of turbine performance, heat transfer and entropy generation, while frequency and temporal gradient show a smaller influence compared to it. As the pulse amplitude increases, the turbine work is reported to improve up to 9.4%. Smaller variations are observed for the frequency and temporal gradient analysis. With a 10% increase of the pulse frequency the turbine work is registered to improve by 5.0%, while the same percentage reduction of the temporal gradient leads to an increase of turbine work equal to 3.6%.

Dynamic Development of White Lupin Rootlets Along a Cluster Root

White lupin produces cluster roots in response to phosphorus deficiency. Along the cluster root, numerous short rootlets successively appear, creating a spatial and temporal gradient of developmental stages that constitutes a powerful biological model to study the dynamics of the structural and functional evolution of these organs. The present study proposes a fine histochemical, transcriptomic and functional analysis of the rootlet development from its emergence to its final length. Between these two stages, the tissue structures of the rootlets were observed, the course of transcript expressions for the genes differentially expressed was monitored and some physiological events linked to Pi nutrition were followed. A switch between (i) a growing phase, in which a normal apical meristem is present and (ii) a specialized phase for nutrition, in which the rootlet is completely differentiated, was highlighted. In the final stage of its determinate growth, the rootlet is an organ with a very active metabolism, especially for the solubilization and absorption of several nutrients. This work discusses how the transition between a growing to a determinate state in response to nutritional stresses is found in other species and underlines the fundamental dilemma of roots between soil exploration and soil exploitation.

Arbuscular mycorrhizae colonization dynamic in Iris pseudacorus L. during second year after inoculation and planting in field

In the last few years was observed an unprecedented market expansion of microbial inoculants for agriculture and environmental applications. Fungi from the phylum Glomeromycota can establish symbiosis with roots of more than 70% vascular plant species, ensuring enhanced nutrient uptake. Aim of this study was to assess functional integration of inoculated arbuscular mycorrhiza and implications for success of symbiose in field conditions and host fitness. Iris pseudacorus was used as perennial model plant for study of seasonal continuity and persisting effects in second year after inoculation. During 2019 was conducted Trouvelot microscopic evaluation for 1080 stained root samples and parameters were obtained using Mycocalc. Results showed that colonization was significantly influenced by phenophase. Inoculated plants presented values with 1.56-14.49% higher. Plant height correlated significantly positive with inoculation (r=0.336*). Results showed that colonization parameters are useful indicators in tracking symbiose across a temporal gradient.

A kinetic chemotaxis model with internal states and temporal sensing

<p style='text-indent:20px;'>By employing the Fourier transform to derive key <i>a priori</i> estimates for the temporal gradient of the chemical signal, we establish the existence of global solutions and hydrodynamic limit of a chemotactic kinetic model with internal states and temporal gradient in one dimension, which is a system of two transport equations coupled to a parabolic equation proposed in [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="b4">4</xref>].</p>

The human hippocampus plays a time-limited role in retrieving autobiographical memories

ABSTRACTThe necessity of the human hippocampus for remote autobiographical recall remains fiercely debated. The standard model of consolidation predicts a time-limited role for the hippocampus, but the competing multiple trace/trace transformation theories posit indefinite involvement. Lesion evidence remains inconclusive, and the inferences one can draw from fMRI have been limited by reliance on covert (silent) recall, which obscures dynamic, moment-to-moment content of retrieved memories. Here, we capitalized on advances in fMRI denoising to employ overtly spoken recall. Forty participants retrieved recent and remote memories, describing each for approximately two minutes. Details associated with each memory were identified and modeled in the fMRI timeseries data using a variant of the Autobiographical Interview procedure, and activity associated with the recall of recent and remote memories was then compared. Posterior hippocampal regions exhibited temporally-graded activity patterns (recent events > remote events), as did several regions of frontal and parietal cortex. Consistent with predictions of the standard model, recall-related hippocampal activity differed from a non-autobiographical control task only for recent, and not remote, events. Task-based connectivity between posterior hippocampal regions and others associated with mental scene construction also exhibited a temporal gradient, with greater connectivity accompanying the recall of recent events. These findings support predictions of the standard model of consolidation and demonstrate the potential benefits of overt recall in neuroimaging experiments.