Generation of weather data for the assessment of building performances under future heatwave conditions
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Plastic waste can be recycled into resins with near-virgin properties by solution-based purification processes that selectively dissolve polymers, remove contaminants, or detach printing residues. Here, in this review, we examine computational methods for predicting the behavior governing solution-based plastic purification, motivated by the vast polymer–solvent–contaminant compositional space. We discuss thermodynamic and machine learning methods for predicting polymer–solvent and polymer–contaminant interaction and review physics-based molecular dynamics simulations that resolve molecular-scale phenomena within polymer matrices inaccessible to screening methods. We highlight how these methods have informed experimental design for dissolution-based recycling and solvent-based contaminant removal. Finally, we discuss the prospective role of agentic AI in integrating these computational tools with real-time sorting data to adapt purification conditions to the compositional variability of real post-consumer feedstocks. This review charts a path toward computationally guided solution-based purification workflows that can respond to the complexity inherent in plastic waste streams.
The fatigue strength of additively manufactured metallic parts in their as-built surface condition is mainly dominated by the surface roughness. Post-processing is often inevitable to reduce surface roughness effects even though post-processing diminishes the main advantage of additive manufacturing, which is net-shaped direct-to-service production. This work investigates the underlying mechanisms responsible for fatigue failure of additively manufactured 304L stainless steel parts in as-built and machined/polished surface conditions. Both strain- and force-controlled, fully reversed fatigue tests were conducted to gain a comprehensive understanding of surface roughness effects on fatigue behavior. The sensitivity to surface roughness is shown to be dependent on the control mode, with stress-based fatigue tests showing greater sensitivity than strain-based fatigue tests. Moreover, the fatigue life estimation for as-built specimens was performed based on surface roughness parameters as well as the fatigue properties of the specimens in machined/polished surface condition of the material without using any fatigue data of specimens in as-built surface condition. Accordingly, the effect of surface roughness on the fatigue behavior could be estimated reasonably well in both strain-life and stress-life approaches.
With the HL-LHC upgrade of the LHC machine, an increase of the instantaneous luminosity by a factor of five is expected and the current detection systems need to be validated for such working conditions to ensure stable data taking. At the CERN Gamma Irradiation Facility (GIF++) many muon detectors undergo such studies, but the high gamma background can pose a challenge to the muon trigger system which is exposed to many fake hits from the gamma background. A tracking system using RPCs is implemented to clean the fake hits, taking profit of the high muon efficiency of these chambers. This work will present the tracking system configuration, used detector analysis algorithm and results.
Dynamic analyses have been applied to the temporal signals from an Electro Capacitance Volume Tomography instrument located near mid-height on the riser of an industrial-scale cold-flow circulating fluidized bed to characterize gas-solids flow behavior in the riser. Twelve capacitance electrodes surround the cylindrical riser over a height of 1.3 m. The instrument used a neural network deconvolution algorithm to determine the spatially resolved solids fraction recorded at 52 Hz. Experiments were carried out over a range of gas and solids flows in the transport regime using a Geldart Group B bed material, high density polyethylene with mean particle size of 880 μm. The radial solids distribution was found to vary from one-time step to the next between profiles typical of laminar and turbulent flow. The duration of time spent in each of these flow profiles depended upon the operating regime – dilute, core-annular, or fast fluidized bed. The chaotic structure of the temporal data was characterized using the three conventional approaches: the first 4 moments from the distribution of signal in time, system memory parameters from the autocorrelation function and the Hurst exponent, and analysis of the correlationentropy and correlation dimension of the attractor. These signal analysis techniques were used to clearly distinguish differences between different transport operating regimes. Specifically, it was experimentally observed that a riser transitions from core annular flow profile to dilute and dense regimes via increasing the frequency of short term transients to either dilute or dense flow profiles, respectively. A regime map was generated based upon these dynamics using solids flux and gas velocity axes. Fast fluidized, core annular, and dilute each exhibited different degree of dynamic characteristics typical of fluid dominated or particle compromising behavior. It should be noted that the magnitude for the different statistics was in the same range regardless of the regime, it was the radial profile for the statistic that changed and subsequently identified that there was a change in the regime. Finally, a reduced regime map was developed consisting of plotting the gas velocity normalized by the upper transport velocity versus the solids flux normalized by the saturation carrying capacity. The use of this reduced plot allowed the data from widely different conditions to be plotted and compared on the same<p>graph. Note that in many instances, some of the statistics identified the operating point as being in one regime while others indicated that it was in another indicating a transition region between dilute or core annular regimes and between the core annular and fast fluidization regimes. This now provides a tool that can be used to optimize process performance, identify changes in operating states, or replicate process dynamics during process scaling or changing operating parameters. </p>
Scaling circulating fluidized bed risers has been a point of contention for nearly a century. There have been numerous attempts to define various methodologies. These have all fallen short of providing a robust approach, primarily due to a lack of maintaining microstructure dynamics – a key factor in maintaining interphase heat and mass transfer. Recent work by the author put forward an approach based upon preserving dynamic similarity at different scales by ensuring that the microstructure remained similar by maintaining statistical and chaotic parameters across the scale. That work relied on a dimensionless regime map in which the x-axis was defined by the ratio of the solids flux to the saturation carrying capacity. This latter property was only good within the range of the data, and it became evident that extrapolation beyond the limits of the data could induce unrealistic conditions. Therefore, literature was reviewed to develop a better correlation for the saturation carrying capacity. In doing so, a critical riser diameter concept was developed and applied to the correlations for both Geldart Group A and B materials. The critical diameter for Geldart Group A and B materials is 0.2 m and 0.3 m, respectively. Here the paper then gives three examples on how to use the scaling approach to maintain dynamic similarity across the scales.
Diethoxymethane ((CH 3 CH 2 O) 2 CH 2 , DEM) is a promising carbon-neutral fuel. DEM is a diether or acetal with a molecular structure similar to oxymethylene ethers (CH 3 O–(CH 2 O)n–CH 3 , OME n ). Thus, DEM can be expected to have a similar combustion behavior to OMEs, reducing harmful emissions such as NO x and particulate matter (PM) in internal combustion engines. From both experimental and kinetic modeling, fundamental studies on DEM are scarce in the literature. More studies are required to gain a detailed insight into the oxidation kinetics of DEM. Laminar burning velocity (LBV) is a critical property that allows a detailed assessment of the potential application of DEM in combustion devices. Unfortunately, the literature on the LBV of DEM is limited. Therefore, in this study we have investigated the LBV of DEM using two reactors for the first time, namely a heat flux burner and a combustion chamber. The experimental data is reported for equivalence ratio between 0.7 and 1.7, initial temperatures of 368–423 K, and initial pressure of 1–5 bar. In addition, we developed a detailed kinetic model extending our recent work of Shrestha et al. (Combust. Flame. 246 (2022) 112,426) to characterize the combustion behavior of DEM utilizing the new experimental data from this work and the literature data. Our model performs remarkably well in capturing the newly measured LBV experimental data over various experimental conditions. We found that DEM and dimethoxy methane (DMM) have similar values of LBVs (within ±1.5 cm/s) for a given condition, which indicates that intermediate chemistry governs the flame chemistry. Despite DEM being a larger molecule that is expected to have slightly lower LBVs than DMM, its effect on the measured values of LBVs is negligible. Finally, we experimentally measured NO x formation in DEM flame for the first time. The stochiometric flame has the highest NO x formation. The proposed model predicted the equivalence ratio dependence of NO x nicely. However, it overestimates the NO x formation for stoichiometric DEM/air mixtures by ~30 %. The model suggests that the thermal NO formation route is favored at lean and stochiometric conditions. In contrast, the prompt NO formation route is enhanced for rich mixtures.
Wave-powered upwelling can increase the productivity and survivability of several aquaculture species. This enhancement is due to transporting cold, nutrient-rich ocean water, typically found lower in the water column, to the surface. Macroalgaes, like kelp, exhibit increased growth from these altered conditions. The University of New Hampshire’s (UNH) wave-powered water pump (wave pump) is a point absorber wave energy converter (WEC) that uses ocean waves to create relative motion between a spar buoy and a concentric float which drives an internal pump. A numerical model of the wave pump was developed using WEC-Sim to predict device performance in the ocean. Wave pump performance was evaluated during a five day ocean test near Appledore Island in Maine in March 2023, where volumetric flow rate, relative distance between spar and float, and wave conditions were measured. These data were then used for numerical model validation. The ocean deployment recorded the device’s performance in a variety of sea states, with average significant wave heights up to 0.7 m. The ocean test data were compared to the WEC-Sim numerical model of the device with favorable results. Average values of device stroke period, stroke height, and flow rate agreed between the ocean test and model data to within approximately 16 to 22%. Furthermore, the validated numerical model provides a valuable tool for improving the design and developing a commercial-scale, wave-powered water pump for use in aquaculture.
Hot water savings from water-efficient lavatory fittings lead to reductions in water heating energy consumption, and ultimately to decreases in carbon emissions. This paper characterizes existing and proposed approaches used to estimate hot water savings and carbon emissions reductions stemming from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's WaterSense program. Also described are refinements that improve the accuracy of residential hot water use percentage estimates of lavatory fittings. The authors conclude that (1) hot water percentages for showers and faucets calculated using up-to-date, publicly available national data are consistent with those found by regional studies and household-level models of water use; (2) the accuracy of heating energy savings estimates attributable to WaterSense-labeled lavatory products, as well as associated emissions reductions, can be refined by modifying the existing energy factor/uniform energy factor (EF/UEF)-based estimation approach with available data. The refined approach accounts for more nuanced conditions than the EF/UED-based approach but depends on data not always available; and (3) the approaches described and intermediate outputs can be generalized for other water conservation programs or estimating purposes.
The bimolecular gas-phase reaction of the methylidyne radical (CH; X 2 Π) with 1,2-butadiene (CH 2 CCHCH 3 ; X 1 A’) was investigated at a collision energy of 20.6 kJ mol -1 under single collision conditions. Combining our laboratory data with high-level electronic structure calculations, we reveal that this bimolecular reaction proceeds through the barrierless addition of the methylidyne radical to the carbon-carbon double bonds of 1,2-butadiene leading to doublet C 5 H 7 intermediates. These collision adducts undergo a non-statistical unimolecular decomposition through atomic hydrogen elimination to at least the cyclic 1-vinyl-cyclopropene (p5/p26), 1-methyl-3-methylenecyclopropene (p28), and 1,2-bis(me-thylene)cyclopropane (p29) in overall exoergic reactions. Lastly, the barrierless nature of this bimolecular reaction suggests that these cyclic C 5 H 6 isomers might be viable targets to be searched in cold molecular clouds like TMC-1.
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The spatial scales of land-atmosphere interactions over heterogeneous, realistic soil moisture patterns are critical to improve our understanding of land-atmosphere interactions. However, these scales are poorly quantified. We use high-resolution numerical experiments to quantify the spatial scales for a selected day during the Holistic Interactions of Shallow Clouds, Aerosols, and Land-Ecosystems (HI-SCALE) campaign in Oklahoma. A semi-idealized approach (removing background winds and surface topography while retaining the real-world data for other boundary conditions) enables examination of the local influence from the surface. Simulations that apply uniform surface, variable land cover with uniform soil moisture, and variable land cover with variable soil moisture are then compared. Land cover variations, especially water and urban surfaces, create two variance peaks in the surface sensible heat flux in the scales >10 km (meso-β) and <6 km (meso-γ). Both peaks are enhanced by the observation-based soil moisture distribution that has most of its variance in the meso-β scale. Atmospheric response in the meso-β scale is hydrostatic with weak vertical motion. The land cover variations induce secondary circulations in the scales of 2.5–6 km. The additional soil moisture variability intensifies extreme circulations over dry soil patches and sharp sensible heat flux gradients, slightly extending the characteristic scales to 2.5–9 km. While their areal coverage is small, soil moisture variations on such “hotspots” lead to substantially larger convective cloud structure and domain-mean rainfall, calling for a consideration of their non-linear effect in large-scale models.
Fractures evolve in time through thermal‐hydraulic‐mechanical‐chemical (THMC) processes that alter their long‐range hydraulic transport properties and modify subsurface behavior and activities. The location of subsurface fractures makes it necessary to use remote sensing techniques such as passive or active seismic monitoring for fracture characterization. In this paper, we develop a machine learning approach to monitor the evolution of fracture properties using passive seismic sources in a laboratory setting and using active seismic monitoring from the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota, at a depth of 1.25 km in amphibolite rock during stimulation of natural fractures as well as during induced fracturing. The unsupervised metric learning technique applies tandem neural networks (twin (Siamese) or triplet) with contrastive loss and adaptive margins to track slowly varying systems for which class or similarity labels are not available. The approach adopts locality‐sensitive hashing to divide time‐ordered contiguous data into an arbitrary number of pseudo‐classes. Contrastive‐loss training with many hash bins generates an evolving latent‐space trajectory. This approach enables unsupervised metric learning for seismic data stacks under the condition of contiguous state sampling and slowly varying fracture properties. The displacement discontinuity theory provides a mechanistic foundation for the fracture‐dependent trajectories that are related to relaxation of fractures with time‐dependent specific stiffness responding to changes in stress or fluid saturation.
Oral facial cleft (OFC) comprises cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P) or cleft palate only. Genome wide association studies (GWAS) of isolated OFC have identified common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in many genomic loci where the presumed effector gene (for example, IRF6 in the 1q32 locus) is expressed in embryonic oral epithelium. To identify candidates for functional SNPs at eight such loci we conduct a massively parallel reporter assay in a fetal oral epithelial cell line, revealing SNPs with allele-specific effects on enhancer activity. We filter these SNPs against chromatin-mark evidence of enhancers and test a subset in traditional reporter assays, which support the candidacy of SNPs at loci containing FOXE1, IRF6, MAFB, TFAP2A, and TP63. For two SNPs near IRF6 and one near FOXE1, we engineer the genome of induced pluripotent stem cells, differentiate the cells into embryonic oral epithelium, and discover allele-specific effects on the levels of effector gene expression, and, in two cases, the binding affinity of transcription factors FOXE1 or ETS2. Conditional analyses of GWAS data suggest the two functional SNPs near IRF6 account for the majority of risk for CL/P at this locus. This study connects genetic variation associated with OFC to mechanisms of pathogenesis.
Abstract The rise of automation and machine learning (ML) in electron microscopy has the potential to revolutionize materials research through autonomous data collection and processing. A significant challenge lies in developing ML models that rapidly generalize to large data sets under varying experimental conditions. We address this by employing a cycle generative adversarial network (CycleGAN) with a reciprocal space discriminator, which augments simulated data with realistic spatial frequency information. This allows the CycleGAN to generate images nearly indistinguishable from real data and provide labels for ML applications. We showcase our approach by training a fully convolutional network (FCN) to identify single atom defects in a 4.5 million atom data set, collected using automated acquisition in an aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM). Our method produces adaptable FCNs that can adjust to dynamically changing experimental variables with minimal intervention, marking a crucial step towards fully autonomous harnessing of microscopy big data.
Cervical lymph node metastasis is the leading cause of poor prognosis in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma and also occurs in the early stages. The current clinical diagnosis depends on a physical examination that is not enough to determine whether micrometastasis remains. The transcriptome profiling technique has shown great potential for predicting micrometastasis by capturing the dynamic activation state of genes. However, there are several technical challenges in using transcriptome data to model patient conditions: (1) An Insufficient number of samples compared to the number of genes, (2) Complex dependence between genes that govern the cancer phenotype, and (3) Heterogeneity between patients between cohorts that differ geographically and racially. We developed a computational framework to learn the subnetwork representation of the transcriptome to discover network biomarkers and determine the potential of metastasis in early oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma. Our method achieved high accuracy in predicting the potential of metastasis in two geographically and racially different groups of patients. The robustness of the model and the reproducibility of the discovered network biomarkers show great potential as a tool to diagnose lymph node metastasis in early oral cancer.
The high-pressure phases of oxyhydroxides (δ-AlOOH, ε-FeOOH, and their solid solution), candidate components of subducted slabs, have wide stability fields, thus potentially influencing volatile circulation and dynamics in the Earth’s lower mantle. Here, we report the elastic wave velocities of δ-(Al,Fe)OOH (Fe/(Al + Fe) = 0.13, δ-Fe13) to 79 GPa, determined by nuclear resonant inelastic X-ray scattering. At pressures below 20 GPa, a softening of the phonon spectra is observed. With increasing pressure up to the Fe 3+ spin crossover (~ 45 GPa), the Debye sound velocity (vD) increases. At higher pressures, the low spin δ-Fe 13 is characterized by a pressure-invariant vD. Using the equation of state for the same sample, the shear-, compressional-, and bulk-velocities (v S , v P , and v Φ ) are calculated and extrapolated to deep mantle conditions. The obtained velocity data show that δ-(Al,Fe)OOH may cause low-v Φ and low-v P anomalies in the shallow lower mantle. At deeper depths, we find that this hydrous phase reproduces the anti-correlation between v S and v Φ reported for the large low seismic velocity provinces, thus serving as a potential seismic signature of hydrous circulation in the lower mantle.
Co-electrolysis of carbon oxides and nitrogen oxides promise to simultaneously help restore the balance of the C and N cycles while producing valuable chemicals such as urea. However, co-electrolysis processes are still largely inefficient and numerous knowledge voids persist. Here, we provide a solid thermodynamic basis for modelling urea production via co-electrolysis. First, we determine the energetics of aqueous urea produced under electrochemical conditions based on experimental data, which enables an accurate assessment of equilibrium potentials and overpotentials. Next, we use density functional theory (DFT) calculations to model various co-electrolysis reactions producing urea. The calculated reaction free energies deviate significantly from experimental values for well-known GGA, meta-GGA and hybrid functionals. These deviations stem from errors in the DFT-calculated energies of molecular reactants and products. In particular, the error for urea is approximately -0.25 ± 0.10 eV. Finally, we show that all these errors introduce large inconsistencies in the calculated free-energy diagrams of urea production via co-electrolysis, such that gas-phase corrections are strongly advised.