Search Results (13)

Microbial dolostones of the Sinian Qigebulake Formation in the Kepin area, northwestern Tarim Basin, represent an important target for deep to ultra-deep hydrocarbon exploration. Based on integrated analyses of outcrop sections, drilling cores, thin sections, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and petrophysical data, this study systematically investigates the lithofacies characteristics, reservoir space types, and controlling factors of microbial dolostone reservoirs. (1) Five major lithofacies types were identified, including stromatolitic dolostone, clotted dolostone, foamy laminated dolostone, granular dolostone, and crystalline dolostone. These lithofacies mainly developed in an inner-ramp depositional setting and vertically formed a shallowing-upward sedimentary succession from tidal flat to microbial mound and shoal facies. Reservoir spaces are dominated by secondary dissolution pores, including framework dissolution pores, intergranular and intragranular dissolution pores, vugs, fractures, and karst cavities. The reservoirs are characterized by medium porosity, low permeability, and strong heterogeneity. (2) Sedimentary facies, microbial dolomitization, and karstification jointly controlled the development of relatively favorable reservoir intervals. Early microbial-induced dolomitization enhanced the rigidity of microbial frameworks and facilitated the preservation of primary pores, whereas meteoric karstification associated with the terminal Sinian Keping Movement significantly improved reservoir quality through large-scale dissolution enlargement and fracture-cavity development. SEM observations reveal abundant microbial mineralization textures, including cauliflower-shaped, dumbbell-shaped, and spheroidal dolomite morphologies associated with EPS remnants, providing direct evidence for microbial mediation during dolomite precipitation. (3) Reservoir intervals with relatively favorable physical properties are mainly distributed in the middle-upper microbial mound intervals and upper karst-modified zones of the Qigebulake Formation, forming a favorable source–reservoir–seal assemblage with the overlying Yuertusi Formation black shales. This study provides new insights into the formation and preservation mechanisms of deep microbial dolostone reservoirs and offers important implications for ultra-deep hydrocarbon exploration in the Tarim Basin. Full article

A numerical study of supersonic cavity flows is conducted with different turbulent models, including RANS, LES, DES, DDES, and IDDES. Firstly, a supersonic cavity-ramp flow with Ma_∞ = 2.92 is simulated numerically. It shows that the results of DDES and IDDES are nearly equivalent. The wall skin-friction coefficients obtained by these two models are in better agreement with the experimental measurement than those of DES. The reason is that the RANS region of DDES and IDDES is larger than that of DES, so it produces more turbulence in the near-wall region. In comparison, RANS cannot accurately predict large separation flows. The shear layer’s reattachment point on the ramp predicted by RANS is biased downstream compared to the experimental measurement, making its overall prediction accuracy worse than other models. The results obtained by LES are comparable to those obtained by DDES and IDDES except for the wall skin-friction coefficient, which is much smaller because the grid resolution is not high enough to accurately resolve the near-wall turbulent flow. Secondly, the effect of different aft-wall angles (θ) on the flow characteristics of the supersonic cavity is investigated numerically with IDDES. We find that as θ decreases, the oscillation intensity of the cavity flow continuously decreases. However, the change in cavity drag with θ is non-monotonic, which means that there might be a critical θ at which the drag penalties of a cavity are minimal. Therefore, an optimal design should be achieved when changing θ to control the oscillation intensity of supersonic cavity flows. Full article

This paper introduces a new mathematical modeling of a thermoelastic and electromagnetic infinite body with a cylindrical cavity in the context of four different thermoelastic theorems; Green–Naghdi type-I, type-III, Lord–Shulman, and Moore–Gibson–Thompson. Due to the convergence of the four theories under study and the simplicity of putting them in a unified equation that includes these theories, the theories were studied together. The bunding plane of the cavity surface is subjected to ramp-type heat and is connected to a rigid foundation to stop the displacement. The novelty of this work is considering Maxwell’s time-fractional equations under the Caputo fractional derivative definition. Laplace transform techniques were utilized to obtain solutions by using a direct approach. The Laplace transform’s inversions were calculated using Tzou’s iteration method. The temperature increment, strain, displacement, stress, induced electric field, and induced magnetic field distributions were obtained numerically and represented in figures. The time-fractional parameter of Maxwell’s equations has a significant impact on all the mechanical studied functions and does not affect the thermal function. The time-fractional parameter of Maxwell’s equations works as a resistance to deformation, displacement, stress, and induced magnetic field distributions, while it acts as a catalyst to the induced electric field through the material. Full article

The accurate prediction of supersonic turbulent separated flows involved in aerospace vehicles is a great challenge for current numerical simulations. Based on the k–ω equations, several different compressibility corrections are incorporated in turbulence models to improve their prediction capabilities. Two benchmark test cases, namely the ramped cavity and the compression corner, are adopted for the numerical validation. Detailed comparisons between simulations and experiments are conducted to evaluate the effect of compressibility corrections on turbulence models. The computed results indicate that compressibility corrections have a significant impact on turbulence model performance. The compressibility correction, considering the effects of both dilatation dissipation and pressure dilatation, is suitable for the prediction of compressible free shear layers, but it may have a negative impact on the prediction of low-speed flows in the near-wall region due to the severe underprediction of the wall skin friction coefficient. In comparison, the compressibility correction only considering the effects of dilatation dissipation is conservative, with decreased predictability of free shear layers in supersonic flows, although it improves the predictions of the original models without corrections. Full article

The high-pressure capillary rheometer (HPCR) represents a state-of-the-art instrument for the determination of rheological properties for plastics and rubber compounds. Rubber compounds have an increased tendency to exhibit flow anomalies depending on the compound ingredients and the processing parameters. Combined with non-isothermal effects due to dissipative material heating, this causes rheological material measurements and the resulting material parameters derived from them to be affected by errors, since the fundamental analytical and numerical calculation approaches assume isothermal flow and wall adhesion. In this paper, the applicability of the empirical rheological transfer function of the Cox–Merz rule, which establishes a relationship between shear viscosity measured with a HPCR and complex viscosity measured with a closed cavity rheometer (CCR), is investigated. The Cox–Merz relation could not be verified for an unfilled EPDM raw polymer or for filled, practical rubber compounds. Using a closed cavity rheometer, a methodology based on ramp tests is then introduced to collect wall slip-free steady-state shear viscosity data under isothermal conditions. The generated data show high agreement with corrected viscosity data generated using the HPCR, while requiring less measurement effort. Full article

The pollution of water bodies due to the discharge of effluents without treatment is a global problem. Therefore, different technologies have been implemented for the removal of contaminants from wastewater before the final disposition. Among them, adsorption processes using residual biomasses are becoming very popular due to the low cost and high availability of adsorbents. Thus, in the present work, the synthesis of modified biochar from agro-industrial residues derived from the wheat-processing industry, as a valorization alternative of these residues, for its use in the removal of Cr (VI) and methylene blue (MB) has been analyzed. The biochar was prepared using a ramp function of 5 °C/min until 250 °C for 30 min. The adsorption tests were developed in a batch system, using 30 mg of adsorbent in 10 mL of solution. From SEM analysis, the formation of tubular cavities and porous structure was seen, caused by the basic hydrolysis with KOH. From adsorption tests, an adsorption capacity of 12.98 mg/g and 97.38% of efficiency for MB at pH 10 was noted, while for Cr (VI), it was 11.35 mg/g and 85.15% at pH 2. Freundlich’s model adjusted the adsorption equilibrium data with R² > 0.9. The maximum adsorption capacities in the monolayer were 186,375 mg/g and 90.723 mg/g for Cr (VI) and MB, according to Langmuir’s model. From a kinetic study, it can be said that the process occurs by chemisorption through electrostatic interaction and ionic interchange between adsorbate and adsorbent. Full article

The very large eddy simulation (VLES) method was investigated for supersonic reacting flows in the present work. The advantages and characteristics of the VLES model and the widely used improved delayed detached eddy simulation (IDDES) method were revealed through a supersonic ramped-cavity cold flow. Compared to the IDDES model, the VLES model transformed from RANS mode to LES mode faster, resulting in a smaller gray region caused by the mode transition. However, the original volume-averaging truncation length scale could lead to poor predictions of the velocity profiles and wall pressure distribution. By introducing a hybrid truncation length scale combining the maximum grid length and the shear layer adaptive (SLA) length with different coefficients, the accuracy of the VLES method was significantly improved, and the issue of the low shear layer position was solved. Moreover, owing to the resolution control function, the VLES method could adaptively model more turbulent kinetic energy and maintain a good accuracy in a coarser mesh. Finally, the modified VLES method was applied in conjunction with a hybrid combustion model constructed by the partially stirred reactor (PaSR) model and the Ingenito supersonic combustion model (ISCM) in simulations of the supersonic flame in the DLR scramjet combustor. After introducing the correction of the molecular collision frequency by the ISCM, the results obtained by the hybrid combustion model were more consistent with the experimental results, especially for the time-averaging temperature profile in the ignition zone. Full article

Foodborne diseases are common in Cambodia and developing good food hygiene practices is a mandatory goal. Moreover, developing a low-carbon strategy and energy efficiency is also a priority. This study focuses on pâté cooking, a very common food product in Cambodia. In this paper, the authors chose to develop a digital twin dedicated to perfectly predict the temperature for cooking in a 915 MHz single-mode cavity, instead of using a classical and energy-consuming steaming method. The heating strategy is based on a ramp-up heating and a temperature-holding technique (with Tylose^® as the model food and Cambodian pâté). The model developed with COMSOL^® Multiphysics software can accurately predict both local temperatures and global moisture losses within the pâté sample (RMSE values of 2.83 and 0.58, respectively). The moisture losses of Cambodian pâté at the end of the process was 28.5% d.b (dry basis) after a ramp-up heating activity ranging from 4 to 80 °C for 1880 s and a temperature-holding phase at 80 °C for 30 min. Overall, the accurate prediction of local temperatures within Cambodian pâté is mainly dependent on the external heat-transfer coefficient during the temperature-holding phase, and is specifically discussed in this study. A 3D model can be used, at present, as a digital twin to improve the temperature homogeneity of modulated microwave power inputs in the future. Full article

In the present world, passive control finds application in various areas like flow over blunt projectiles, missiles, supersonic parallel diffusers (for cruise correction), the engine of jets, static testbeds of rockets, the ports of internal combustion engines, vernier rockets, and single expansion ramp nozzle (SERN) rockets. In this review, various passive control techniques to control the base pressure and regulate the drag force are discussed. In the study, papers ranging from subsonic, sonic, and supersonic flow are discussed. Different types of passive control management techniques like cavity, ribs, dimple, static cylinder, spikes, etc., are discussed in this review article. This study found that the passive control device can control the base pressure, resulting in an enhancement in the base pressure and reducing the base drag. Also, passive control is very efficient whenever there is a favorable pressure gradient at the nozzle exit. Full article

In order to achieve proficient combustion with the present technologies, the flow through an aircraft intake operating at supersonic and hypersonic Mach numbers must be decelerated to a low-subsonic level before entering the combustion chamber. High-speed intakes are generally designed to act as a flow compressor even in the absence of mechanical compressors. The reduction in flow velocity is essentially achieved by generating a series of oblique as well as normal shock waves in the external ramp region and also in the internal isolator region of the intake. Thus, these intakes are also referred to as mixed-compression intakes. Nevertheless, the benefits of shock-generated compression do not arise independently but with enormous losses because of the shockwave and boundary layer interactions (SBLIs). These interactions should be manipulated to minimize or alleviate the losses. In the present investigation a wall ventilation using a new cavity configuration (having a cross-section similar to a truncated rectangle with the top wall covered by a thin perforated surface is deployed underneath the cowl-shock impinging point of the Mach 2.2 mixed-compression intake. The intake is tested for four different contraction ratios of 1.16, 1.19, 1.22, and 1.25, with emphasis on the effect of porosity, which is varied at 10.6%, 15.7%, 18.8%, and 22.5%. The introduction of porosity on the surface covering the cavity has been proved to be beneficial in decreasing the wall static pressure substantially as compared to the plain intake. A maximum of approximately 24.2% in the reduction in pressure at the upstream proximal location of 0.48 L is achieved in the case of the wall-ventilated intake with 18.8% porosity, at the contraction ratio of 1.19. The Schlieren density field images confirm the efficacy of the 18.8% ventilation in stretching the shock trains and in decreasing the separation length. At the contraction ratios of 1.19, 1.22, and 1.25 (‘dual-mode’ contraction ratios), the controlled intakes with higher porosity reduce the pressure gradients across the shockwaves and thereby yields an ‘intake-start’ condition. However, for the uncontrolled intake, the ‘unstart’ condition emerges due to the formation of a normal shock at the cowl lip. Additionally, the cowl shock in the ‘unstart’ intake is shifted upstream because of higher downstream pressure. Full article

Supersonic combustion experiments were performed using three different hydrogen fuel-injection configurations in a cavity-based model scramjet combustor with various global fuel–air equivalence ratios. The configurations tested were angled injection at 15° to the flow direction upstream of the cavity, parallel injection from the front step, and upstream injection from the rear ramp. Planar laser-induced fluorescence of the hydroxyl radical and time-resolved pressure measurements were used to investigate the flow characteristics. Angled injection generated a weak bow shock in front of the injector and recirculation zone to maintain the combustion as the equivalence ratio increased. Parallel and upstream injections both showed similar flame structure over the cavity at low equivalence ratio. Upstream injection enhanced the fuel diffusion and enabled ignition with a shorter delay length than with parallel injection. The presence of a flame near the cavity was determined while varying the fuel injection location, the equivalence ratio, and total enthalpy of the air flow. The flame characteristics agreed with the correlation plot for the stable flame limit of non-premixed conditions. The pressure increase in the cavity for reacting flow compared to non-reacting flow was almost identical for all three configurations. More than 300 mm downstream of the duct entrance, averaged pressure ratios at low global equivalence ratio were similar for all three injection configurations. Full article

The intent of shielding functions in delayed detached-eddy simulation methods (DDES) is to preserve the wall boundary layers as Reynolds-averaged Navier–Strokes (RANS) mode, avoiding possible modeled stress depletion (MSD) or even unphysical separation due to grid refinement. An entropy function f_s is introduced to construct a DDES formulation for the k-ω shear stress transport (SST) model, whose performance is extensively examined on a range of attached and separated flows (flat-plate flow, circular cylinder flow, and supersonic cavity-ramp flow). Two more forms of shielding functions are also included for comparison: one that uses the blending function F₂ of SST, the other which adopts the recalibrated shielding function f_{d_cor} of the DDES version based on the Spalart-Allmaras (SA) model. In general, all of the shielding functions do not impair the vortex in fully separated flows. However, for flows including attached boundary layer, both F₂ and the recalibrated f_{d_cor} are found to be too conservative to resolve the unsteady flow content. On the other side, f_s is proposed on the theory of energy dissipation and independent on from any particular turbulence model, showing the generic priority by properly balancing the need of reserving the RANS modeled regions for wall boundary layers and generating the unsteady turbulent structures in detached areas. Full article

Millions of years of evolution have fine-tuned the ability of venom peptides to rapidly incapacitate both prey and potential predators. Toxicofera reptiles are characterized by serous-secreting mandibular or maxillary glands with heightened levels of protein expression. These glands are the core anatomical components of the toxicoferan venom system, which exists in myriad points along an evolutionary continuum. Neofunctionalisation of toxins is facilitated by positive selection at functional hotspots on the ancestral protein and venom proteins have undergone dynamic diversification in helodermatid and varanid lizards as well as advanced snakes. A spectacular point on the venom system continuum is the long-glanded blue coral snake (Calliophis bivirgatus), a specialist feeder that preys on fast moving, venomous snakes which have both a high likelihood of prey escape but also represent significant danger to the predator itself. The maxillary venom glands of C. bivirgatus extend one quarter of the snake’s body length and nestle within the rib cavity. Despite the snake’s notoriety its venom has remained largely unstudied. Here we show that the venom uniquely produces spastic paralysis, in contrast to the flaccid paralysis typically produced by neurotoxic snake venoms. The toxin responsible, which we have called calliotoxin (δ-elapitoxin-Cb1a), is a three-finger toxin (3FTx). Calliotoxin shifts the voltage-dependence of Na_V1.4 activation to more hyperpolarised potentials, inhibits inactivation, and produces large ramp currents, consistent with its profound effects on contractile force in an isolated skeletal muscle preparation. Voltage-gated sodium channels (Na_V) are a particularly attractive pharmacological target as they are involved in almost all physiological processes including action potential generation and conduction. Accordingly, venom peptides that interfere with Na_V function provide a key defensive and predatory advantage to a range of invertebrate venomous species including cone snails, scorpions, spiders, and anemones. Enhanced activation or delayed inactivation of sodium channels by toxins is associated with the extremely rapid onset of tetanic/excitatory paralysis in envenomed prey animals. A strong selection pressure exists for the evolution of such toxins where there is a high chance of prey escape. However, despite their prevalence in other venomous species, toxins causing delay of sodium channel inhibition have never previously been described in vertebrate venoms. Here we show that Na_V modulators, convergent with those of invertebrates, have evolved in the venom of the long-glanded coral snake. Calliotoxin represents a functionally novel class of 3FTx and a structurally novel class of Na_V toxins that will provide significant insights into the pharmacology and physiology of Na_V. The toxin represents a remarkable case of functional convergence between invertebrate and vertebrate venom systems in response to similar selection pressures. These results underscore the dynamic evolution of the Toxicofera reptile system and reinforces the value of using evolution as a roadmap for biodiscovery. Full article