The adsorption of polymer microspheres in a stratum can directly affect its action mode and performance in the actual application process. Understanding the adsorption pattern of polymer microspheres and their adsorption mechanism can facilitate optimization of the application mode and enhance the use efficiency. Ultraviolet spectrophotometry was employed to measure the static adsorption characteristics of polymer microspheres (PMS) on the surface of quartz sand. The PMS adsorption capacity on the surface of quartz sand increased with increasing concentration. When the concentration was 1000 mg/L, the static equilibrium adsorption capacity was 402 μg/g, and monolayer adsorption was dominant. The effect of the contact time on the adsorption was investigated, and the fitting was performed using the isothermal adsorption thermodynamic equilibrium model and the adsorption kinetic model. The adsorption of 800 mg/L PMS tended to equilibrate after 0.8 h of adsorption on the surface of quartz... [more]

The study addresses the growth of the new wild-type strain Cupriavidus necator IBP/SFU-1 and the synthesis of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) (P(3HB-co-4HB) on media containing fructose and three different precursors of 4HB (ε-caprolactone 1,4-butanediol and 1,6-hexanediol). It was found that ε-caprolactone is the best precursor for the synthesis of P(3HB-co-4HB) copolymers. By varying the concentration and number of doses of ε-caprolactone added into the bacterial culture, it was possible to find conditions that ensured the synthesis of P(3HB-co-4HB) copolymers with different contents of 4HB (from 3−5 to 22.4 mol.%). The physicochemical properties of the copolymers were investigated depending on the proportions of 4HB monomers. The effect of 4HB monomers was manifested in a certain decrease in the weight-average molecular weight (Mw) (272−353 kDa), number-average molecular weight (Mn) (47−67 kDa) of the samples, and an increase in polydispersity (5.09−6.71) compared with... [more]

To study the microscopic pore characteristics of marine−continental transitional shale, we studied the Daning−Jixian block of the Shanxi Formation using low-pressure CO2 adsorption (LP-CO2A) and low-temperature N2 adsorption (LT-N2A) methods in conjunction with field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), geochemistry, and mineral composition analysis in order to obtain pore structure characteristic parameters. The fractal dimension of the pores was calculated using the Frankel−Halsey−Hill (FHH) model, and the study also discusses the factors that influence the pore structure. The study found that the marine−continental transitional phase shale of the Shanxi Formation has clay mineral contents ranging from 36.24% to 65.21%. The total organic carbon (TOC) contents range from 0.64% to 9.70%. Additionally, the organic matter maturity is high. The FE-SEM and gas adsorption experiments revealed that the transitional shale of the Shanxi Formation possesses a diverse range of pore ty... [more]

MANET (Mobile Ad hoc Networks) functionality is determined by routing protocols’ ability to adjust to atypical changes in information and communication technologies, topological systems, and connection status. Due to interference, node migration, the growth of several pathways, security, and propagation loss, MANET network configurations are dynamic. The proactive routing protocol enhances the message flow utilized in the neighborhood discovery process by using the multipoint relays (MPR) approach. In order to increase the protocol’s effectiveness and efficiency while maintaining the OLSR protocol’s reliability, the research presented in this paper proposed an improved OCI-OLSR (Optimized Control Interval-Optimized Link State Routing) that focuses on better control interval management, an advanced MPR selection process, reducing neighbor hold time as well as decreasing flooding. The suggested proposed protocol was examined using the NS3 simulator, and it was compared to the standard OL... [more]

One of the problems with the doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG) is its high vulnerability to network perturbations, notably voltage dips, because of its stator windings being coupled directly to the network. As the DFIG’s stator and rotor are electromagnetically mated, the stator current peak occurs during a voltage dip causing an inrush current to the critical converter back-to-back and an overload of the DC-link capacitor. For this purpose, a series of researchers have achieved a linear and non-linear controller with a crowbar-based protection scheme. With this type of protection, the Rotor Side Converter (RSC) is disconnected momentarily, and consequently, its control of both the active and reactive output power of the stator is totally lost, leading to incorrect power quality at the point of common coupling (PCC). In this document, a robust nonlinear controller by Advanced Backstepping with Integral Action Control (ABIAC) is initially employed to monitor the rotor and the networ... [more]

With the development of the electric vehicle industry, electric vehicles have provided more choices for people. However, the performance of electric vehicles needs improvement, which makes most consumers take a wait-and-see attitude. Therefore, finding a method that can effectively improve the performance of electric vehicles is of great significance. To improve the current performance of electric vehicles, a convex optimization algorithm is proposed to optimize the motor model and power battery parameters of electric vehicles, improving the overall performance of electric vehicles. The performance of the proposed convex optimization algorithm, dual loop DP optimization algorithm, and nonlinear optimization algorithm is compared. The results show that the hydrogen consumption of electric vehicles optimized by the convex optimization algorithm is 95.364 g. This consumption is lower than 98.165 g of the DCDP optimization algorithm and 105.236 g of the nonlinear optimization algorithm bef... [more]

Research on the boiling vaporization process of liquid hydrogen spilled on solid ground is very important for the safety risk assessment of liquid hydrogen. Since the main source of the heat flux in the vaporization process comes from the ground, the heat flux from the ground into the liquid pool should be studied in-depth. In this paper, the boiling vaporization process of liquid hydrogen on the surface of concrete is studied. The analysis of the boiling process of a liquid pool is conducted by utilizing the boiling curve and historical temperature data collected in close proximity to the surface of the concrete. It was found that the boiling regime of a liquid hydrogen pool on the concrete surface presents non-uniformity, and the film boiling of liquid hydrogen on the concrete surface ended earlier than the results calculated by boiling regime correlations. When the measured temperature in the experiment indicates a transition from film boiling to the transition boiling, the temperat... [more]

Transportation of waxy crude oil in a production pipeline often encountered flow assurance issues, such as wax deposition. In a case where pipeline shutdown is needed, wax deposit is likely to form within the pipelines, which leads to operational complexity during the restart phase. Commonly, crude oil restarts to flow after a significantly high restart pressure is pumped longer than is necessary. This is due to the physical hindrance caused by the solid wax, which requires additional pressure to disintegrate it before achieving a steady crude oil flow. This study aims to investigate the effect of crude oil and nitrogen gas flow rates on the time taken for crude oil flow initiation using a flow loop rig, which is connected to a nitrogen gas injection system. The nitrogen gas was injected into the test section pipeline at predetermined flow rates within specified periods. After 45 min of static cooling, the crude oil gear pump is switched on to build sufficient pressure to initiate the... [more]

Governments have been introducing strategies to reduce plastic waste. The reduction in plastic waste can be possible through single-use plastic avoidance. However, this is only possible with the proper understanding of the behavioral factors of single-use plastic avoidance behavior (SPAB). This study explores the factors that influence the decision-making process regarding SPAB in China, a major environmental problem, climate change, and global warming. The authors used a questionnaire survey to collect data from 421 respondents and analyze it using structural equation modeling (SEM). The study examines the effects of attitude, subjective norms (SNs), perceived behavior control (PBC), and policy intervention (PI) on single-use plastic avoidance behavior (SPAB) mediated by plastic avoidance behavioral intentions (PABI) and plastic-related environmental concerns (PREC). The analysis reveals that attitude, PBC, and PI significantly affect PABI, which affects SPAB. Moreover, PREC influence... [more]

MXenes (Ti3C2Tx) have gotten a lot of interest since their discovery in 2011 because of their distinctive two-dimensional layered structure, high conductivity, and rich surface functional groups. According to the findings, MXenes (Ti3C2Tx) may block photogenerated electron-hole recombination in the photocatalytic system and offer many activation reaction sites, enhancing the photocatalytic performance and demonstrating tremendous promise in the field of photocatalysis. This review discusses current Ti3C2Tx-based photocatalyst preparation techniques, such as ultrasonic mixing, electrostatic self-assembly, hydrothermal preparation, and calcination techniques. We also summarised the advancements in photocatalytic CO2 reduction, photocatalytic nitrogen fixation, photocatalytic hydrogen evolution, and Ti3C2Tx-based photocatalysts in photocatalytic degradation of pollutants. Lastly, the challenges and prospects of Ti3C2Tx in photocatalysis are discussed based on the practical application of... [more]

Polymers can increase the viscosity of water, reduce the relative permeability of the water phase, and enhance the flowability of the oil phase; surfactants can form molecular films at the oil−water interface boundaries, thereby reducing interfacial tension. Surfactant/polymer (S/P) flooding technology for enhancing oil recovery has become a major way to increase crude oil production. This study used dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) technology to simulate the emulsification process of a four-component composite system consisting of oil, water, sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS), and partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM). By changing the concentration of the S/P system, the effect on emulsification behavior was analyzed. Combined with particle distribution diagrams and interfacial tension parameters, the effect of the emulsification behavior on the performance of the S/P binary system was analyzed. On this basis, the effect of different emulsion performances on the recovery... [more]

In this experiment, chrysophanol analysis in Senna occidentalis (aerial parts) extract obtained by optimizing ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) variables (temperature, time, and liquid-to-solid ratio) using response surface methodology (RSM) was performed by employing the HPLC-UV method. For UAE process optimization, a highly significant quadratic model (p < 0.001) was projected to attain maximum chrysophanol yield. The extraction temperature, time, and liquid-to-solid ratio for the best UAE method were determined to be 49.3 °C, 57.7 min, and 18.7 mL/g, respectively. The optimized extract was subjected to a chrysophanol analysis utilizing HPLC-UV (fitted with a Pinnacle C18 column), and a gradient mobile phase composed of 0.5% formic acid (solvent A), acetonitrile (solvent B), methanol (solvent C), at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min, and an optimum wavelength of 279 nm, respectively. It furnished a compact and intense peak of chrysophanol at Rt = 23.809 min. The experimental value (20.... [more]

In the position control of the mechanical arm of an iron roughneck (MAIR), a controller with high responsiveness, high accuracy, and high anti-interference capability is necessary. An MAIR consists of two proportional-valve-controlled single-extension (PVCSE) hydraulic cylinders, and a traditional proportional−integral−derivative (PID) controller cannot easily achieve the accuracy and robustness requirements of the hydraulic cylinders. In this paper, a three-dimensional fuzzy active disturbance rejection controller (TF-ADRC) is proposed for an MAIR, which adds a three-dimensional fuzzy module to a classical active disturbance rejection controller (ADRC) to adjust the controller output according to the tracking of differential deviation, deviation change rate, and deviation change acceleration rate. Firstly, the trajectory planning of the MAIR was carried out using the quintic polynomial interpolation method to improve the smoothness of the target trajectory. Then, the reliability of th... [more]

To investigate gas flow characteristics in coal seams with strong anisotropy, a coupled anisotropic dual-porosity model was established. Effects of permeability anisotropy on variations in gas pressure, gas extraction volume and effective extraction areas were analyzed. Furthermore, mechanisms of crustal stress, initial gas pressure, ultimate adsorption strain and Langmuir volume constant on permeability anisotropy and extraction amount were studied. Results show that permeability anisotropy could result in an elliptical pressure drop zone around production boreholes. Changes in effective gas extraction areas are divided into three stages: slow growth in an elliptical shape, rapid growth with a superposition effect and steady growth in a funnel shape. Permeability isotropy enables faster reaching of stage III than the anisotropy case. As the vertical stress increases, gas pressure distribution around boreholes gradually changes from an ellipse with horizontal direction as long axis to... [more]

Numerical testing is an ideal testing method in the research on the mechanical behaviors of jointed rock. However, there are few systematic studies focused on the comparison between the two-dimensional (2D) and the three-dimensional (3D) simulation effects on rock mechanical behaviors, particularly those of jointed rock. In this paper, a particle flow model was established by utilizing PFC2D and PFC3D to represent the rock materials, and the rock (especially jointed rock) mechanical behaviors (uniaxial compressive strength UCS, tensile strength TS, crack initiation stress level Kσ, and the pattern of crack initiation) between 2D and 3D models were compared and analyzed. As expected, the result shows that the UCS and TS showed an increasing tendency with the increase in the joint angle (β) for both the 2D and the 3D models, and the strength of the 3D model was less than that of the 2D model under uniaxial compression but was greater than that of the 2D model under uniaxial tension. The... [more]

Flue gas is composed of N2 and CO2, and is often used as an auxiliary agent for oil displacement, with good results and very promising development prospects for co-injection with steam to develop heavy oil. Although research on the oil displacement mechanism of flue gas has been carried out for many years, the flow characteristics of steam under the action of flue gas have rarely been discussed. In this paper, the flow resistance and heat transfer effect of flue gas/flue gas + steam were evaluated by using a one-dimensional sandpack, a flue gas-assisted steam flooding experiment was carried out using a specially customized microscopic visualization model, and the microscopic flow characteristics in the process of the co-injection of flue gas and steam were observed and analyzed. The results showed that flue gas could improve the heat transfer effect of steam whilst accelerating the flow of steam in porous media and reducing the flow resistance of steam. Compared with pure steam, when t... [more]

The comprehensive topological isomorphism of liquid−vapor, fusibility, and solubility diagrams in the proper sets of variables is proven with the aid of van der Waals equations of the shift in phase equilibrium. Analogues of Gibbs−Konovalov and Gibbs−Roozeboom laws are demonstrated in solubility diagrams of ternary and quaternary systems under crystallization of different types of solid solutions. For the demonstration, the quaternary reciprocal system K+,NH4+||Cl−,Br−−H2O and its ternary subsystems with modeling of the liquid phase within the framework of the classical Pitzer formalism are mainly used. An algorithm for calculating solubility equilibria in these systems is given.

Lyophilization is a widely used preservation method for thermosensitive products. It consists of three process steps: freezing, primary and secondary drying. One of the major drawbacks is the long processing time. The main optimization effort was put into the primary drying phase since it is usually the longest phase. However, the freezing step is of immense importance for process efficiency and product quality. The lack of control during freezing comprises a challenge for process design and tech transfer. In this study, four different freezing steps (shelf-ramped freezing with and without holding step, precooled shelves and an ice fog method for controlled nucleation) are used and their impact on primary drying experiments and simulations is shown. Only the ice fog method is able to control the nucleation temperature leading to low dry layer resistances with low deviations. During the primary drying simulations, the control of the nucleation temperature drastically increases the preci... [more]

Saffron spices are composed of dehydrated stigmas of Crocus sativus L. A large amount of bio-residues (stamens, tepals, and stigmas) is generated during the production of this spice (~92 g of bio-residues per 100 g of flowers). These bio-residues are usually discarded losing the chance to obtain interesting bioactive compounds from them. In this work, we use the saffron bio-residues as possible source of natural bioactive compounds. Different extraction conditions were applied obtaining hydrophilic and lipophilic components. The antioxidant activity of the bioactive compounds in the different conditions were analysed using the ABTS method developed by our team. Furthermore, the total content of phenolic compounds and flavonoids present in the bio-residues were estimated. We demonstrated that bio-residues contain a high amount of both phenolic and flavonoid compounds with a strong antioxidant potential effect. Moreover, we compared the antioxidant activities of saffron bio-residues (obt... [more]

Environmental protection laws require effective and green solutions to tackle water and air pollution issues. For this purpose, perovskite photocatalytic materials have proven to be a promising solution. In this study, CsSnBr3 perovskite, coupled with ZIF-67 and decorated with noble metal Au, was shown to effectively enhance the charge separation and increase the light-absorbing capacity, and thus make the photocatalytic reaction more efficient by surface plasmon resonance. Characterization results from XRD, FTIR, and UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy indicated that a mixture of cubic and tetragonal crystalline phases was found in the prepared catalyst material. XPS also revealed that in the presence of two oxidation states for tin (Sn), the Au 4f XPS peaks of Au NPs coincided with those retained in colloidal Au particles. Using malachite green as a model compound, organic pollutant photocatalytic degradation tests proved that CsSnBr3 generated good photocatalytic activity fo... [more]

The demand for ever-lighter structures raises the interest in bonding as a joining method, especially for materials that are difficult to join with traditional welding and bolting techniques. Structural adhesives, however, are susceptible to defects, but can be toughened in several ways: by changing their chemical composition or by adding fillers, even of nanometric size. Nanomaterials have a high surface area and limited structural defects, which can enhance the mechanical properties of adhesives depending on their nature, quantity, size, and interfacial adhesion. This work analyzes the Mode I fracture toughness of joints bonded with METLBOND® 1515-4M epoxy film and XantuLayr electrospun XD 10 polyamide nanofibers. Two joint configurations were studied, which differed according to the position of the nanomat within the adhesive layer: one had the nanofibers at the substrate/adhesive interfaces, and the other had the nanofibers in the center of the adhesive layer. Double cantilever bea... [more]

In the current investigation, elements extracted from Saccharum officinarum were identified as exporters of Fenton catalysts. Saccharum officinarum was soaked in an alkali prior to acidic treatment and then subjected to pyrolysis for elemental recovery. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) augmented with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) were used to identify the prepared catalyst. The material was combined with hydrogen peroxide, which led to Fenton’s reaction. Then, the modified Fenton system was applied to eliminate the textile dye, named Bismarck Brown Azo dye, contaminating the aqueous effluent. Response surface methodological model (RSM) analysis was used to identify the most effective operational parameters, and the model set the optimized values as 39 and 401 mg/L for Saccharum officinarum and H2O2 doses, respectively, at pH 2.9. The maximum Bismarck Brown Azo dye removal achieved was 85%. Increasing the temperature to 60 °C improved the dye o... [more]

As an exogenous substance, bulking agent plays a considerable role in dewatered sludge (DS) biodrying by affecting the organics degradation and water migration. Meanwhile, biodried product needs to be further dried because its final moisture content (MC) is usually too high for direct incineration. In this study, the influence of adding different bulking agents on organics decomposition and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) release during DS biodrying, and thermal drying characteristics of the biodrying mixtures was investigated. Results showed that spent coffee ground (SCG), corncob (CC) and wheat husk (WH) improved water removal ratios of DS biodrying. SCG contributed various types of organic matter to the biodrying matrix, thus attaining the longest high-temperature period (4.5 days). Meanwhile, SCG contributed lipids, which have high calorific value, to the biodrying pile, leading to the highest biodrying index (3.70) among all treatments. SCG, CC and WH also accelerated EPS... [more]

Japanese knotweed is an invasive alien plant species with characteristic rapid expansion in Europe and North America and resistance to extermination. It displaces autochthonous biodiversity and causes major damage to infrastructure, thus causing global ecological and economic damage. The Japanese knotweed plant is usually eradicated using various chemical, biological, or mechanical techniques, which at a large scale include heavy equipment, usually followed by incineration. Therefore, excavation is preferred to eradication techniques, and as a biomass waste recovery method due to the extraction of high-value biocompounds. This is supported by the fact that the Japanese knotweed possesses various bioactive compounds with beneficial effects on human health. Its rhizome bark extract produces strong and stable antioxidant activity over time, as well as apoptotic, antibacterial, and other beneficial activities. In this work, an environmental impact assessment, including greenhouse gas footp... [more]

Wellbore leakage mostly occurs in structurally developed fractured formations. Analyzing the real-time leakage rate during the drilling process plays an important role in identifying the leakage mechanism and its rules on-site. Based on the principles of fluid mechanics and using Herschel-Bulkley (H-B) drilling fluid, by reasonably simplifying the drilling fluid performance parameters, fracture roughness characteristic parameters, pressure difference between the wellbore and formation, and the radial extension length of drilling fluid, the radial leakage model is improved to improve the calculation accuracy. Using the Euler format in numerical analysis to solve the model and with the help of numerical analysis software, the radial leakage law of this flow pattern in the fractures is obtained. The results show that the deformation coefficient of the fracture index, fracture aperture, pressure difference, leakage rate, and cumulative leakage rate are positively correlated. The larger the... [more]