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At least 253 records · Page 14

Wickability-optimized textured liquid-desiccant air dehumidifiers for independent moisture management in energy-efficient buildings

Liquid-desiccant-based air conditioning systems are envisioned to enable independent humidity management, thereby improving the energy efficiency of future buildings. Existing liquid-desiccant-based air conditioning concepts, however, suffer from a poor liquid flow distribution deteriorating moisture removal rate. They are consequently flooded with the liquid-desiccant solution, which significantly degrades the energy efficiency of the dehumidification process. Here, in this work, the capillary forces and wickability effect of textured air dehumidifier surfaces are altered to minimize the liquid-desiccant flow rate of the fully wetted state, thereby transforming the physics of interfacial desiccant flow distribution. Consequently, the wickability-optimized air dehumidifier surface maximizes both moisture removal rate and dehumidification energy efficiency. It was interestingly found that the length scale of a textured air dehumidifier surface concept is optimized at an intermediate pattern density. Dry solid-air menisci appear at length scales exceeding the optimum pattern distance while the effective liquid–air interfacial area is reduced at smaller length scales, both of which degrade the moisture removal rate. At the optimum pattern density, the effective liquid–air interfacial area increases with the solution flow rate, thereby increasing the dehumidification rate. At a water vapor pressure potential of 3 kPa and a solution flow rate of 2.8 g/s, experimental results indicated a moisture removal rate of 0.16 g/m2-s for a textured surface concept with a capillary length scale of 3 mm, a 28% improvement compared with that of smooth-plate dehumidifier surfaces. A high moisture removal rate of the textured surface at a low desiccant flow rate led to a high thermal efficiency of 0.75 at a water vapor pressure potential of 5.6 kPa and a LiBr flow rate of 2.8 g/s. The insights gained from the present study accelerate the development of advanced textured surface concepts for next-generation liquid-desiccant-based air dehumidification systems offering independent humidity management for future energy-efficient buildings.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Modeling Solution Drying by Moving a Liquid-Vapor Interface: Method and Applications

A method of simulating the drying process of a soft matter solution with an implicit solvent model by moving the liquid-vapor interface is applied to various solution films and droplets. For a solution of a polymer and nanoparticles, we observe “polymer-on-top” stratification, similar to that found previously with an explicit solvent model. Furthermore, “polymer-on-top” is found even when the nanoparticle size is smaller than the radius of gyration of the polymer chains. For a suspension droplet of a bidisperse mixture of nanoparticles, we show that core-shell clusters of nanoparticles can be obtained via the “small-on-outside” stratification mechanism at fast evaporation rates. “Large-on-outside” stratification and uniform particle distribution are also observed when the evaporation rate is reduced. Polymeric particles with various morphologies, including Janus spheres, core-shell particles, and patchy particles, are produced from drying droplets of polymer solutions by combining fast evaporation with a controlled interaction between the polymers and the liquid-vapor interface. Our results validate the applicability of the moving interface method to a wide range of drying systems. The limitations of the method are pointed out and cautions are provided to potential practitioners on cases where the method might fail.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Evidence for the Widespread Presence of Liquid-Phase Particles During the 1999-2000 Arctic Winter

In-situ Multi-Angle Spectrometer Probe (MASP) particle measurements have been analyzed to determine the typical behaviour of sulphate particles during the SOLVE campaign. The analysis has focussed on variations in the total particle concentration measured by MASP, which is a diagnostic that is primarily sensitive to the growth of small particles (those which are initially smaller than 0.2 micrometers in radius). At all levels of the stratosphere, the total MASP concentration varies continuously with temperature. This behaviour is well-reproduced by assuming that the sulphate aerosols are liquid ternary solutions, but cannot be reproduced if the aerosol is assumed to be frozen. This liquid-like behaviour is apparent for all measurements made during SOLVE, both inside and outside the vortex, and even at the coldest temperatures sampled during the campaign. The only anomalous measurements were made during the flight of January 14th, 2001; however, this midlatitude flight is very unlikely to contain SAT particles based on the recent warm temperatures experienced by the air. At the levels with the coldest measured temperatures, at least 90% of the particles grow as liquids. Therefore, the freezing that occurred during the 1999-2000 Arctic winter was selective, causing most of the particles to remain liquid even in the presence of a small number of frozen particles.

Drdla, K↗

Photoelectron spectroscopy of aqueous solutions: Streaming potentials of NaX (X = Cl, Br, and I) solutions and electron binding energies of liquid water and X{sup −}

The streaming potentials of liquid beams of aqueous NaCl, NaBr, and NaI solutions are measured using soft X-ray, He(I), and laser multiphoton ionization photoelectron spectroscopy. Gaseous molecules are ionized in the vicinity of liquid beams and the photoelectron energy shifts are measured as a function of the distance between the ionization point and the liquid beam. The streaming potentials change their polarity with concentration of electrolytes, from which the singular points of concentration eliminating the streaming potentials are determined. The streaming currents measured in air also vanish at these concentrations. The electron binding energies of liquid water and I{sup −}, Br{sup −}, and Cl{sup −} anions are revisited and determined more accurately than in previous studies.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Solvation Thermodynamics of Solutes in Water and Ionic Liquids Using the Multiscale Solvation-Layer Interface Condition Continuum Model

We report molecular assembly processes are generally driven by thermodynamic properties in solutions. Atomistic modeling can be very helpful in designing and understanding complex systems, except that bulk solvent is very inefficient to treat explicitly as discrete molecules. The SLIC/CDC multiscale model combines continuum solvent electrostatics based on the solvent layer interface condition (SLIC) with statistical thermodynamic models for hydrogen bonding and nonpolar modes: cavity formation, dispersion interactions, combinatorial mixing (CDC). The SLIC/CDC model predicts Gibbs energies of solvation for a database of 500 solutes in water with average accuracy better than 1 kcal/mol both for experimental measurements and for explicit-solvent molecular dynamics simulations. The separate SLIC/CDC energy mode values agree quantitatively with those computed from explicit-solvent molecular dynamics. The SLIC/SASA multiscale model combines the SLIC continuum electrostatic model with the solvent accessible surface area (SASA) nonpolar energy mode. The SLIC/SASA model predicts Gibbs energies of solvation with better than 1.4 kcal/mol average accuracy in aqueous systems and better than 1.6 kcal/mol average accuracy in ionic liquids. Both models predict solvation entropies, and are the first implicit-solvation models capable of predicting solvation heat capacities.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Interfacial Assembly and Jamming of Polyelectrolyte Surfactants: A Simple Route To Print Liquids in Low-Viscosity Solution

Nanoparticle surfactants (NPSs) assembled at the oil-water interface can significantly lower the interfacial tension and be used to structure liquids. However, to realize the three-dimensional printing of one liquid in another, high-viscosity liquids, for example, silicone oil, have been generally used. In this work, we present a simple, low-cost approach to print water in low-viscosity toluene by using a new type of polyelectrolyte surfactant, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose surfactant (CMCS), that forms and assembles at the oil-water interface. The interfacial activity of CMCSs can be enhanced by tuning parameters, such as pH and concentration, and the incorporation of a rigid ligand affords excellent mechanical strength to the resultant assemblies. With CMCS jammed at the interface, liquids can be easily printed or molded to the desired shapes, with biocompatible walls that can be used to encapsulate and adsorb active materials. This study opens a new pathway to generate complex, all-liquid devices with a myriad of potential applications in biology, catalysis, and chemical separation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Experimental Investigation of the Natural Frequencies of Liquids in Toroidal Tanks

Several toroidal configurations applicable to missile and space-vehicle liquid storage systems were oscillated to study the natural frequencies of the antisymmetric modes of contained liquids over a range of liquid depths and tank sizes. Natural frequencies for tank oscillations parallel to the free surface of both vertical and horizontal tank orientations. Natural frequencies were obtained. The data are presented in terms of dimensionless parameters which are obtained by relating experimentally determined natural liquid frequencies to analytical expressions developed through consideration of the physics of the problem and from existing solutions for liquids in tanks having similar boundaries at the liquid surface. The experimental results obtained for the toroids indicate that these parameters are applicable to the prediction of the natural frequencies of fluids in toroids of general geometry and size.

McCarty, John Locke↗

Methods of producing cesium-131

Methods of producing cesium-131. The method comprises dissolving at least one non-irradiated barium source in water or a nitric acid solution to produce a barium target solution. The barium target solution is irradiated with neutron radiation to produce cesium-131, which is removed from the barium target solution. The cesium-131 is complexed with a calixarene compound to separate the cesium-131 from the barium target solution. A liquid:liquid extraction device or extraction column is used to separate the cesium-131 from the barium target solution.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Controlling the Mobility of the Fluid Interface of Moving Gas Bubbles or Liquid Drops by Using Micellar Solutions of Surfactants

Microgravity processes must rely on mechanisms other than buoyancy to move bubbles or droplets from one region to another in a continuous liquid phase. One suggested method is thermocapillary migration in which a temperature gradient is applied to the continuous phase. A significant and as yet unresolved impediment to the use of thermocapillary migration to direct bubble or drop motion is that these migrations can be significantly retarded by the adsorption onto the fluid particle surface of surface active impurities unavoidably present in the continuous or (if the particle is a liquid) droplet phases. The focus of our research was to develop a theory for remobilizing fluid particle interfaces retarded by a surfactant impurity in an effort to make more viable the use of thermocapillary migrations for the management of bubbles and drops in microgravity. We postulated that a surfactant at high bulk concentration which kinetically exchanges rapidly with the surface can restore interface mobility. The scaling arguments along with a discussion of the previous literature is reviewed in the context of the scaling framework. The specific objectives of the research were twofold. The first was to prove the remobilization theory by studying a model problem. As the mechanism for remobilization is independent of the force which drives the particle, the fluid particle shape and the presence of fluid inertia, we chose the simplest model consisting of a spherical bubble rising steadily by buoyancy in creeping flow. We solved the hydrodynamic and surfactant transport equations for rapid kinetic exchange to demonstrate that as the concentration increases, the Marangoni retardation at first increases (the low k behavior) and then decreases (the high k behavior). The second objective was to develop a method to determine the kinetic rate constants of a surfactant molecule, since this information is necessary to select surfactants which will exchange rapidly enough relative to the convective rate in the thermocapillary process of interest. To measure the kinetic rate, we measure the dynamic tension change accompanying adsorption onto an initially clean interface, or the re-equilibration in tension when an equilibrium interface is compressed. The dynamic tension measurements are made by a pendant bubble method, in which surfactant adsorbs onto a pendant bubble, and the tension is measured by analyzing the shape change in the bubble. We conclude this report by detailing the publications, presentations and doctoral thesis completed under the auspices of this grant.

Maldarelli, Charles↗

Frontal polymerization of thermosets to enable vacuum-formed structural electronics

Material design and accessible manufacturing are often at odds with each other, calling for creative solutions to adapt high-performance materials to available processes. This challenge is represented well by in-mold electronics, an innovative approach to the manufacture of 3D circuitry and electronic components that offers game-changing advantages. In-mold electronics relies on vacuum forming processes, which are historically limited to thermoplastics. Extending these methods to include thermosets would enable manufacturing of robust components with desirable properties. Here, we provide a solution to make thermoset materials amenable to vacuum forming. Specifically, an ambient polymerization is used to transition a liquid monomeric solution to an elastomeric gel. These free-standing gels can then be vacuum formed, and the reaction can be completed via frontal polymerization. Thermoset materials produced with this method have properties that provide benefits over traditionally employed thermoplastic substrates and enable 3D device integration into environmentally demanding architectural, automotive, and extraterrestrial structures.

Fowler, Hayden Elise [Sandia National Laboratories↗

An alternative model for estimating liquid diffusion coefficients requiring no viscosity data

An equation, based on the free volume of a liquid solvent, was derived via dimensional analysis, to predict binary diffusion coefficients. The equation assumed that interaction between the solute and liquid solvent molecules followed a Lennard-Jones potential. The equation was compared to other diffusivity equations and was found to give good results over the temperature range examined.

Morales, Wilfredo↗

Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation in Supersaturated Lysozyme Solutions and Associated Precipitate Formation/Crystallization

Using cloud point determinations, the phase boundaries (binodals) for metastable liquid-liquid (L-L) separation in supersaturated hen egg white lysozyme solutions with 3%, 5%, and 7% (wlv) NaCl at pH= 4.5 and protein concentrations c between 40 and 400 mg/ml were determined. The critical temperature for the binodal increased approximately linearly with salt concentration. The coexisting liquid phases both remained supersaturated but differed widely in protein concentration. No salt repartitioning was observed between the initial and the two separated liquid phases. After the L-L separation, due to the presence of the high protein concentration phase, crystallization occurred much more rapidly than in the initial solution. At high initial protein concentrations, a metastable gel phase formed at temperatures above the liquid binodal. Both crystal nucleation and gel formation were accelerated in samples that had been cycled through the binodal. Solutions in the gel and L-L regions yielded various types of precipitates. Based on theoretical considerations, previous observations with other proteins, and our experimental results with lysozyme, a generic phase diagram for globular proteins is put forth. A limited region in the (T,c) plane favorable for the growth of protein single crystals is delineated.

Muschol, Martin↗

Qualitative Headspace GCMS Analysis of Lunar Regolith and Volatile Simulant Mixtures

Introduction: Future Artemis missions aim to return the volatile-bearing samples collected near lunar polar craters. We, as advanced curation scientists, are responsible for developing techniques and methodologies for preserving the integrity of returned samples and the science value those samples contain. The extent to which that preservation is possible, and the trade-offs preservation requires (e.g. monetary costs, sample volume limitations) all must be considered. Even less-than pristine volatile-bearing samples will be of tremendous value to the scientific community seeking to unravel the history of lunar surface volatiles and, more broadly, volatiles in the solar system. A sample collected on the lunar surface will experience at least five distinctive periods during which any changes here referred to as “alteration” will certainly occur at some scale: collection on the lunar surface; transportation back to Earth; long-term storage; curatorial processing; and allocation/distribution. The Planetary Exploration and Astromaterials Research Lab (PEARL) seeks to understand temperature and pressure effects on returned volatile samples by working with high-fidelity volatile-containing regolith simulants, setting the foundation for the future of cold curation. This abstract is focused on gas-surface interactions between LCROSS volatiles and readily available lunar regolith simulants. Experiments involved analyzing differences in headspace gas composition for various combinations of volatile and regolith simulants using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Experimental Procedure: The volatile simulants were chosen based on the molecules detected during the LCROSS mission.1 Stock solutions of condensed lunar volatile analytes were: methanol, 7 N ammonia in methanol, and 0.4% hydrogen sulfide in water. The regolith simulants used were primarily JSC-1A and NU-LHT-4M. Additional regolith simulant control studies were conducted with <150 μm sieved sand and KBr. A nested vial sample preparation approach separated the liquid stock solutions from the regolith, eliminating potential matrix effects between liquid and solid phases. Fifteen microliter aliquots of liquid volatile simulants were added to a 2 mL liquid GC vial and capped in atmosphere. An 18G needle punctured the 2 mL GC vial immediately before being transferred and sealed in a 20 mL GC vial containing 0-0.3 g of regolith simulant, see Figure 1. Separating the analytes ensures any changes observed in the total headspace gases is a result of gas-surface and/or gas-gas interactions. Equipment and Method: Initial GC/MS method development for the separation and identification of relevant headspace gases can be found in Amick, et al. 2023.2 The only hardware change is a different column: a TG-1701MS 30 m × 0.25 mm × 1.00 μm column. The vials were sampled at 10°C, room temperature (~25°C) and 50°C. Low temperature samples were kept in a chilled autosampler stage for at least 1 hour prior to sampling. High temperature samples were agitated at 50°C for 5 minutes immediately prior to injection onto the column. Headspace chromatograms were collected for each combination of temperature, regolith, and volatile simulant, including controls without one or both types of analytes, in triplicate. The chromatogram elution window for each analyte or significant atmospheric gas was identified using the peak mass spectrum cross-referenced with Figure 1.Picture of the nested vial set-up. a NIST MS library search. Each analyte peak was integrated after filtering the mass spectrum trace for the parent or most unique mass-to-charge ratio. For example, the mass-to-charge ratio used to identify, filter for, and integrate the carbon dioxide peak was centered around 44 m/z. Results: Figure 2 shows the integrated peak area for hydrogen sulfide in all combinations of regolith simulants, temperatures, and the addition of ammonia in methanol solution. Multiple repeat experiments with H2S and regolith simulants have confirmed hydrogen sulfide is removed from the headspace within 1 hour when exposed to JSC-1A, NU-LHT-4M and sand (not pictured). The consumption of H2S by lunar regolith simulants at different temperatures indicates surface chemistry will be an integral component in sample integrity and preservation. It is important to note that while the effect of surface chemistry on gaseous hydrogen sulfide is intriguing, further investigation into more chemically accurate regolith simulants is necessary and ongoing. The sulfur in hydrogen sulfide is in its most reduced state while off-the-shelf, terrestrially sourced JSC-1A and NU-LHT-4M are more oxidized than most lunar materials,3which likely leads to different oxidation-reduction reactions than would be expected in lunar regolith. Figure 3 shows the integrated peak area of carbon dioxide for each sample combination that contained ammonia in methanol solution. The addition of ammonia to the GC vials results in a consistent and reproducible decrease in carbon dioxide gas, even at 50°C. The effect became more pronounced when JSC-1A or NU-LHT-4M were present. This set of experiments demonstrated that the sample composition will affect the chemical and physical state of each component present. Future spectroscopic and microscopy experiments will be geared towards identifying the cause for the CO2(g) concentration decrease and the consumption of hydrogen sulfide. As cold and volatile curation scientists, this information provides necessary insight on how to appropriately handle and analyze volatile bearing returned samples, as well as predict the effect chemical composition has on the various sample phases we will analyze upon return to Earth. Unlike traditional curation of geologic materials, the molecules in a sample cannot be identified or processed using the naked eye or even an optical microscope. Volatile curation will require a combination of analytical techniques, including but not limited to highly sensitive gas and solid/condensed phase spectroscopy. This set of experiments has demonstrated the need for more detailed studies of volatile mixtures with mineralogically and geochemically analogous lunar regolith simulants to prepare for the curation of volatile-rich lunar samples from the south polar region of the Moon. References: [1] Colaprete, A., et al. (2010) Science, 330, (463-468). [2] Amick, C. L., et al.(2023) Houston, Texas, [3] Heiken, G. H., et al.(1991) (778-778)

Cecilia L Amick↗

The shape of a pendent liquid drop

Formal solutions of the static equilibrium equations for the form of the outer surface of a pendent liquid drop are studied. An approach is adopted in which only the one-parameter family determined by vertex height (u sub 0) need be described. Attention is restricted to rotationally symmetric configurations, and all symmetric solutions are characterized for the case where the Lagrange parameter lambda is equal to zero. It is shown that for any u sub 0 the function u(r; u sub 0) can be extended as a parametric solution of a system of equations for all arc lengths, yielding a curve without limit sets or double points, and that the resulting capillary rotation surface spreads out indefinitely away from the axis r = 0. The asymptotic form of the surface in the case of large absolute values of u sub 0 is characterized quantitatively, along with the global structure of all such surfaces.

Concus, P.↗

Numerical parametric studies of spray combustion instability

A coupled numerical algorithm has been developed for studies of combustion instabilities in spray-driven liquid rocket engines. The model couples gas and liquid phase physics using the method of fractional steps. Also introduced is a novel, efficient methodology for accounting for spray formation through direct solution of liquid phase equations. Preliminary parametric studies show marked sensitivity of spray penetration and geometry to droplet diameter, considerations of liquid core, and acoustic interactions. Less sensitivity was shown to the combustion model type although more rigorous (multi-step) formulations may be needed for the differences to become apparent.

Pindera, M. Z.↗