In order to explore the indoor air quality during different cooking procedures, a very common kitchen in China is selected for experimental research. An indoor air quality meter is used to measure the temperature, relative humidity, and CO and CO2 concentrations of the indoor air above the stove when people cook four different dishes under different ventilation patterns in the kitchen. The results indicate that the heat and gas consumed during cooking are closely related to the temperature and concentrations of CO and CO2. Some cooking procedures such as boiling water are related to the indoor air temperature and relative humidity in the kitchen. In addition, in kitchens without mechanical ventilation, natural ventilation shows a more significant positive effect on controlling temperature, relative humidity, and concentrations of CO and CO2 during cooking procedures.

Given the urgency to combat climate change and ensure environmental sustainability, this review examines the transition to net-zero emissions in chemical and process industries. It addresses the core areas of carbon emissions reduction, efficient energy use, and sustainable practices. What is new, however, is that it focuses on cutting-edge technologies such as biomass utilization, biotechnology applications, and waste management strategies that are key drivers of this transition. In particular, the study addresses the unique challenges faced by industries such as cement manufacturing and highlights the need for innovative solutions to effectively reduce their carbon footprint. In particular, the role of hydrogen as a clean fuel is at the heart of revolutionizing the chemical and process sectors, pointing the way to cleaner and greener operations. In addition, the manuscript explores the immense importance of the European Green Deal and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the... [more]

In many flexible job shop scheduling problems, transportation scheduling problems are involved, increasing the difficulty in problem-solving. Here, a novel artificial Physarum polycephalum colony algorithm is proposed to help us address this problem. First, the flexible job shop scheduling problem with transportation constraints is modeled as a state transition diagram and a multi-objective function, where there are ten states in total for state transition, and the multi-objective function considers the makespan, average processing waiting time, and average transportation waiting time. Second, a novel artificial Physarum polycephalum colony algorithm is designed herein with two main operations: expansion and contraction. In the expansion operation, each mycelium can cross with any other mycelia and generate more offspring mycelia, of which each includes multiple pieces of parental information, so the population expands to more than twice its original size. In the contraction operation,... [more]

Gas saturation prediction is a crucial area of research regarding shale gas reservoirs, as it plays a vital role in optimizing development strategies and improving the efficiency of exploration efforts. Despite the advancements in deep learning techniques, accurately modeling the complex nonlinear relationships involved in gas saturation prediction remains a challenge. To address this issue, we propose a novel cascaded model, CLAP, combining convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) with an attention mechanism. It effectively captures and visualizes the intricate nonlinear relationships, enabling accurate gas saturation prediction in shale gas reservoirs. In this study, nine logging curves from 27 shale gas wells in the Changning area of the Sichuan Basin were used to train the CLAP model for predicting the gas saturation of the Wufeng-Longmaxi Formation shale. Compared to the Archie and random forest models, the CLAP model exhibited enhanced accuracy in pr... [more]

Protein crystallization is a widely employed technique for purifying protein drugs, offering notable benefits such as cost-effectiveness and high purity. However, the success of this method is influenced by factors such as the molecular weight and spatial structure of proteins. The challenges associated with achieving crystallization and the prolonged duration required for crystallization induction pose limitations on its widespread industrial implementation. In this study, we employed lysozyme derived from egg white as a representative protein to investigate the polymer-assisted self-assembly of magnetic lysozyme. Through the optimization of the initial interstitial crystallization process of magnetic lysozyme, we manipulated the supersaturation level of lysozyme and applied magnetic nanoparticle treatment. As a result, we successfully reduced the crystallization time from 24 h to 60 min. Subsequently, the findings derived from the analysis of data pertaining to the interstitial cryst... [more]

Gravity flow deposits are important hydrocarbon reservoirs in deep lacustrine deposits. Previous studies have paid much attention to the hydrocarbon reservoirs in those intrabasinal classic turbidite deposits. However, relatively little is known about the distribution of oil reservoirs in those extrabasinal hyperpycnal flow deposits. With the help of cores and wireline logging data, the present study undertakes a description and interpretation of subsurface shale oil reservoirs in the deep lake deposits in Chang 7 member, Yanchang Formation, Ordos Basin. Parallel bedded fine sandstone (Sh), massive bedded fine sandstone (Sm), massive bedded fine sandstone with mud clasts (Smg), deformed bedded siltstone (Fd), wave-lenticular bedded siltstone (Fh) and black shale (M) were found and interpreted in those deep lake deposits. The deposits were interpreted as hyperpycnal flow deposits which developed in channel, levee and deep lacustrine facies. The development of the Chang 7 sand body incre... [more]

Previously conducted studies have established the conversion relationship between incident energy, reflected energy, transmitted energy and absorbed energy of rocks under dynamic load. In this paper, the combined dynamic and static loading tests of sandstone under different prestress and different bedding angles are carried out to explore the law of the influence of prestress and bedding angles on energy evolution and damage evolution. The purpose is to provide some reference for deep mining, rock engineering design and geological hazard assessment. The energy conversion and damage characteristics of sandstone in the whole process of deformation are studied, and the internal energy conversion mechanism of sandstone under dynamic load is proposed. It is found that the increase in prestress will lead to the increase in the initial energy value of sandstone and further affect the shape of the energy evolution curve. In addition, the relationship between strain and energy transformation is... [more]

The absorption of triclosan on the surface of four different carbon adsorbents, obtained on the base of plant and household waste (RDF), provided by Sofia Waste Plant, was investigated. The obtained results indicate that the most important parameters, which determine the process of triclosan adsorption by adsorbent surface are pore texture, the size of the accessible surface for the molecules of triclosan, and the chemical nature of the adsorbent surface. It was found that the obtained adsorbents can be successfully applied for the extraction of triclosan from waste and drinking water. The possibilities for solid products, obtained by thermal treatment of household and vegetable waste, to be applied successfully in a water purification technique are discussed.

Lacustrine shale has garnered significant attention due to its significant resource potential. The Jurassic shale in the Sichuan Basin is an important target for lacustrine shale exploration in China. However, previous studies have predominantly focused on the Da’anzhai member of the Ziliujing Formation, and little attention has been paid to the shale of other strata. This paper aims to address this gap by investigating the Jurassic Dongyuemiao member in the Sichuan Basin. The study systematically characterizes the geological properties of the Dongyuemiao shale system, reconstructs the paleosedimentary environment, identifies the key factors influencing organic matter (OM) enrichment and physical properties, and assesses its resource potential through comparative analysis. Our results show that the Dongyuemiao shale was deposited in an oxic and semi-humid sedimentary environment characterized by intense weathering conditions. The enrichment of OM in the shale is primarily controlled by... [more]

Solid beverages of effervescent tablets have good taste and portable features and are favored by consumers, but product quality and nutrition cannot meet the need of increasing nutritional requirements. Sea buckthorn fruit has a special flavor and nutrient-rich characteristics, but the related products of effervescent tablets have not been developed. In this paper, different additive contents (sea buckthorn fruit powder, erythritol, disintegrant, maltodextrin, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)) were optimized using the random centroid method; the obtained effervescent effect sensory evaluation characteristics (appearance, beverage, appearance, taste, solubility) were used to establish a fuzzy mathematic model for sensory evaluation method of process optimizing; and the nutritional components and characteristics of optimized sea buckthorn powder effervescent tablets were compared to the ones of the commercial product. The results show that the optimal process conditions (47.7% sea buckthorn fr... [more]

It is very important to understand the damage mechanisms as well as the mechanical response of T-joints involving different materials on the base plate. For this purpose, two configurations were studied. In one, the joint is composed of a base plate and a T-element, both in Al 6063-T5, while in the other one, the aluminum base plate was replaced by a glass fiber composite. Finally, each configuration was divided into two batches, where in one, the elements were bonded with a stiff adhesive (Araldite® AV 4076-1/HY 4076) while in the other, a more ductile adhesive (Araldite® AW 106/HV 953 U) was used. The static and fatigue strength of all configurations was evaluated in bending. In all cases, the damage occurred at the end of the T-element, where a crack appeared and propagated toward the interior of the T-joint. The bending strength is highest for joints involving aluminum and the ductile adhesive, which is 2.8 times higher than the same configuration involving composite base plates an... [more]

The rising trend towards continuous production in the field of small-scale crystallization has generated many creative concepts for apparatuses for the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients. One of these promising apparatuses is the Slug Flow Crystallizer (SFC), which enables the adjustment of the particle size distribution and the achievement of high yields through its alternating slug flow. To realize and understand the crystallization inside the SFC, high experimental effort has been necessary until now. Therefore, a mechanistic model considering the hydrodynamics of slug flow, the energy and mass balances, and the crystallization phenomena of growth and agglomeration inside the apparatus was developed. Its purpose is to improve the understanding of the process, estimate the effects of operating parameters on target properties, and predict crystallization behavior for different substance systems with minimal experimental effort. Successful modeling was validated with exper... [more]

Tight-sandstone oil and gas resources are the key areas of unconventional oil and gas resources exploration and development. Because tight-sandstone reservoirs usually have the characteristics of a low porosity and ultralow permeability, large-scale hydraulic fracturing is often required to form artificial fractures with a high conductivity to achieve efficient development. The brittleness of rock is the key mechanical factor for whether fracturing can form a complex fracture network. Previous scholars have carried out a lot of research on the brittleness characteristics of conglomerate and shale reservoirs, but there are few studies on the brittleness characteristics of sandstone with different types and different coring angles in tight-sandstone reservoirs and the fracture propagation law of sandstone with different brittleness characteristics. Based on this, this paper carried out a systematic triaxial compression and hydraulic fracturing experiment on the tight sandstone of Shan 1... [more]

In this study, based on existing heavy oil extraction technology, combined with the mineral composition in a reservoir, the synergistic catalytic effect of reservoir minerals and exogenous catalysts under the reaction system of a hydrogen-rich environment not only reduces the viscosity of thick oil but also reduces the extraction cost and further improves the recovery rate of heavy oil. In this study, the impacts of different reservoir minerals and exogenous catalysts on the aquathermolysis of heavy oil were investigated. The research results showed that the sodium montmorillonite within the reservoir minerals exhibited an optimal catalytic effect, and the synergistic catalytic effect of sodium montmorillonite and catalyst C-Fe (catechol iron) resulted in a viscosity reduction rate of 60.47%. Furthermore, the efficiency of different alcohols as hydrogen donors was screened, among which ethanol had the best catalytic effect. Under the optimal reaction conditions, the viscosity reduction... [more]

High-voltage flexible power systems, with their intrinsic characteristics, play an increasingly important role in electronic power systems. Synchronization between the inverter and the grid needs to be achieved by a phase-locked loop (PLL), the performance of which determines the quality of power transmission. This paper proposes a PLL adapted to extremely harsh grid conditions. Firstly, the traditional synchronous reference frame PLL and the dual second-order generalized integrator (DSOGI-PLL) are analyzed, and the errors in phase-locking and the shortcomings of these two methods in the presence of DC components in the grid are pointed out. Secondly, based on the harmonic grid voltage, a repetitive control internal model is introduced by DSOGI to realize the real-time tracking and regulation of the harmonic signals in order to suppress the harmonic voltage disturbance. In addition, a DC bias elimination and frequency adaptive method is proposed to solve the problems of DC bias and gri... [more]

In view of the high impact of extreme disasters, this paper comprehensively evaluates power grid performance from a new low-carbon toughness perspective. First, considering the increase in carbon emissions and the recovery time of carbon emissions, low-carbon resilience indicators are proposed. At the same time, considering the power-regulation effect of the phase-shifter transformer, the fault and response model of a power grid under an ice disaster is established, and then, a comprehensive evaluation index system of low-carbon toughness of the power grid is constructed. The weight determination is carried out using the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process-entropy-based weight method, while the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation center of gravity method is used to evaluate the power grid comprehensively. Finally, examples are presented to verify the feasibility of the proposed method, emphasizing its potential for evaluating the comprehensive performance of low-carbon and toughness of the pow... [more]

Most energy-saving testing methods for plunger pumps use hydraulic motors. The loading test of coal mine emulsion pumps generally uses an overflow valve as the loading unit, which is characterized by high energy consumption. The coal mine emulsion pump uses emulsion as the transmission medium, and the viscosity and lubricity of the emulsion are much lower than those of hydraulic oil, which creates great difficulties in the development of high water-based hydraulic products. The nominal flow rate of the emulsion motor is much smaller than that of the emulsion pump, and there is no mature and reliable water-based flow control valve. Based on the above reasons, traditional energy-saving testing methods cannot be utilized for the testing process of emulsion pumps. The loading test of emulsion pumps generally uses an overflow valve as the loading unit, and during the testing process, all electrical energy is converted into internal energy, resulting in very high energy consumption. This art... [more]

TiO2 photoelectrode has become an attractive platform due to its excellent photoelectric performance and has been widely used in battery, photocatalysis, and other photoelectric fields. However, when the TiO2 photoelectrode is used in solar flow batteries, the small photo-charging current is a potential problem, which will extend the charging process and lower the battery utilization efficiency. To address this issue, Cu2O is introduced to the surface of the TiO2 photoelectrode, and Cu2O-TiO2 forms a heterojunction to improve battery performance in this work. The formation mechanism of Cu2O-TiO2 is revealed and utilized to deposit Cu2O on pre-treated FTO glass covered with TiO2 films using electrochemical deposition (ECD). The photoelectrochemical properties of Cu2O-TiO2 photoelectrodes are characterized using XRD, UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, XPS, and electrochemical characterizations. The successful deposition of Cu2O on the surface of TiO2 photoelectrode is confirmed, an... [more]

The winding process is one of the essential processes in the manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Current collector failure frequently occurs in the winding process, which severely increases the production cost and reduces production efficiency. In order to solve this problem, we first analyze the relationship between different process parameters and the failure of the current collector, and put forward the standard to determine the failure of the current collector. Moreover, we conducted tensile experiments to validate the differences in the mechanical performance of the current collector under different thicknesses. Finally, the circumferential stress and strain of the current collector winding were calculated using finite element analysis. The accuracy of the proposed criterion for determining current collector failure was verified through experimental measurements of stress and strain. The results demonstrate that the criterion proposed in this study can accurately calcul... [more]

The interest in buccal drug delivery is under consideration due to some distinct properties compared to the traditional pharmaceutical formulations for oral administration: significantly higher bioavailability, a faster absorption rate of the drug, and substantial compliance for special needs patients. Oral films are obtained through various technologies, from conventional tools to 3D and 4D printing approaches. This minireview aims to describe the current additive manufacturing technologies in oral film fabrication, display their advantages and limitations, and discuss various formulation strategies. It also provides advanced data regarding synthetic and natural polymers used in 3D printing technologies for oral films. Moreover, it shows the most recent studies with 3D-printed orodispersible films and mucoadhesive buccal films manufactured through previously analyzed methods. Finally, conclusions and future perspectives are also briefly summarized.

Employing multi-stage fracturing technology in horizontally accessed wells is a well-known way to successfully develop shale reservoirs. The interaction between natural fractures and hydraulic fractures has a significant impact on the fracturing effect. In this study, a coupled model of rock deformation and fluid flow was established using the cohesive zone method to simulate the propagation of hydraulic fractures under the synergistic effect of natural fractures and wellbore interference. The influence of in situ stress, fracture spacing, the number of fracture clusters, and the fracturing methods on the formation of fracture networks was analyzed. Studies on the fracture morphology and connectivity of fracture networks show that when the in situ stress difference is small, multiple fractures can easily form, and when the in situ stress difference is large, they can easily gather into a single fracture. An excessive reduction in fracture spacing may impede the optimal propagation and... [more]

This paper establishes a mathematical model of the high-pressure common rail injection system used in diesel engines according to the parameters of its key components, and AMESim 2020 software was used to establish a simulation model of the common rail injection system used in diesel engines. The simulation model mainly includes a high-pressure oil pump model, a common rail pipe model, and a model of four injectors. This paper also describes an experimental analysis of the accuracy of the established simulation model. Through a simulation analysis of the system rail’s pressure fluctuation and pressure characteristics, it was concluded that the length of the common rail pipe, the diameter of the common rail pipe, and the inner diameter of the high-pressure fuel pipes are important influencing parameters for the rail pressure characteristics of the system. In this study, according to the original common rail pipe and high-pressure fuel pipe model, a response surface methodology was used... [more]

This work primarily investigates the performance and structural integrity of the Wells turbines for power production in coastal locations and their associated unmanned vehicles. An innovative design procedure is imposed on the design stage of the Wells turbine and thus so seven different models are generated. In the first comprehensive investigation, these seven models underwent computational hydrodynamic analysis using ANSYS Fluent 17.2 for various coastal working environments such as hydro-fluid speeds of 0.34 m/s, 1.54 m/s, 12 m/s, and 23 m/s. After this primary investigation, the best-performing Wells turbine model has been imposed as the second comprehensive computational investigation for three unique design profiles. The imposed unique design profile is capable of enhancing the hydro-power by 15.19%. Two detailed, comprehensive investigations suggest the best Wells turbine for coastal location-based applications. Since the working environments are complicated, additional advance... [more]

Yb (III) shows complex behavior of coordination dissolution and precipitation in carbonate solutions, but the properties of CO32− coordination and hydration to Yb (III) in the solution have not been explicated. In this work, the dissolution rule of Yb (III) with CO32− concentration has been studied. The radial distribution function and the coordination number of CO32− and H2O to Yb (III) were calculated by molecular dynamics simulation, and the complex ion form of Yb was obtained. The ultraviolet−visible spectrum and the ionic structures of Yb (III) complex ions were geometrically optimized and calculated by using density functional theory. Then, the experimental ultraviolet−visible spectra and density functional theory results were combined to verify the molecular dynamics calculations. The results indicate that Yb (III) undergoes precipitation in low-concentration carbonate solution, but, in high-concentration carbonate solution, Yb (III)’s carbonates will undergo dissolution. The ma... [more]

The purpose of this study is to investigate the transfer behavior of oxygen during the submerged arc welding process using CaF2-SiO2-CaO fluxes. In contrast to previous research that only focused on the final oxygen content in the final weld metal, this study introduces two new parameters, ΔdO and ΔwO, to quantify the oxygen transfer in essential regions: the droplet and weld pool zones, respectively. The transfer behavior of oxygen is analyzed by using typical Multi-Zone and equilibrium models. The results indicate that the Multi-Zone model is capable of capturing the metallurgical processes of oxidation and subsequent reduction during the submerged arc welding process. Moreover, the Multi-Zone model demonstrates superior predictive accuracy in estimating oxygen content in the metal compared to the equilibrium model. Based on measured values and metallurgical data, this article analyzes the oxygen transfer mechanism and non-equilibrium state in the submerged arc welding process from b... [more]