On the application of a discharge with liquid electrodes for polishing metal surfaces

The work investigates the electrical parameters of the discharge plasma with a liquid cathode and a combined porous anode. The discharge is carried out in the vertical position of the plasma column, has a volumetric multichannel structure with a pronounced diffuse structure of the electrode spots. The influence of the porous element on the stabilization of the discharge characteristics is revealed. Discharges with a liquid electrolyte cathode continue to be of great interest from the point of view of practical application and are studied in a wide range of changes in physical and geometric characteristics [1 - 4]. Discharge plasma with a liquid cathode can be most effectively used for cleaning, polishing, with simultaneous removal of fractured and relief layers, hardening, gas saturation, surface activation, improvement of mechanical and other characteristics of agricultural machinery parts. In this work, for plasma polishing, parts of the bearing assemblies of disc harrows were selected.

Mathematical Simulation of Drying Process of Fibrous Material

The article describes mathematical simulation of flowing air through porous zone and water vaporisation from mentioned porous area which actually represents dried fibrous material - cotton towel. Simulation is based on finite volume method. Wet towel is placed in pipe and hot air flow through the towel. Water from towel is evaporated. Simulation of airflow through porous element is described first. Eulerian multiphase model is then used for simulation of water vaporisation from porous medium. Results of simulation are compared with experiment. Ansys Fluent 13.0 was used for calculation.

Modeling interactions between fire and atmosphere in discrete element fuel beds

In this text we describe an initial attempt to incorporate discrete porous element fuel beds into the coupled atmosphere–wildfire behavior model HIGRAD/FIRETEC. First we develop conceptual models for use in translating measured tree data (in this case a ponderosa pine forest) into discrete fuel elements. Then data collected at experimental sites near Flagstaff, Arizona are used to create a discontinuous canopy fuel representation in HIGRAD/FIRETEC. Four simulations are presented with different canopy and understory configurations as described in the text. The results are discussed in terms of the same two discrete locations within the canopy for each simulation. The canopy structure had significant effects on the balance between radiative and convective heating in driving the fire and indeed sometimes determined whether a specific tree burned or not. In our simulations the ground fuel density was the determining factor in the overall spread rate of the fire, even when the overstory was involved in the fire. This behavior is well known in the fire meteorology community. In the future, simulations of this type could help land managers to better understand the role of canopy and understory structure in determining fire behavior, and thus help them decide between the different thinning and fuel treatment strategies available to them.

Radiation and Convection Heat Flux Sensor for High Temperature Gas Environment

The heat flux measurement is one of the essential parameter for the diagnostic of thermal systems. In the high temperature environment there are difficulties in differentiating between the convective and radiation component of heat flux on the heat transfer surface. A new method for heat flux measurement is being developed using a porous sensing element. The gas stream flowing through the porous element is used to measure the heat received by the sensor surface exposed to the hot gas environment and to control whether or not the sensing element receives the convection component of the total heat flux. It is possible to define a critical mass flow rate corresponding to the destruction of the boundary layer over the sensing element. With subcritical mass flow rate the porous sensing element will receive both the convective and radiative heat fluxes. A supercritical mass flow rate will eliminate the convective component of the total heat flux. Two consecutive measurements considering respectively a critical and a sub-critical mass flow rate can be used to determine separately the convection and radiation heat fluxes. A numerical model of sensor with appropriate boundary condition has been developed in order to perform analysis of possible options in the design of the sensor. The analysis includes: geometry of element, physical parameters of gas and solid and gas flow rate through the porous element. For the optimal selection of the relevant parameters an experimental set-up was designed, including the sensor element with corresponding cooling and monitoring system and high temperature radiation source. Applying the respective measuring procedure the calibration curve of the sensor was obtained. The linear dependency of the heat flux and respective temperature difference of the gas was verified. The accuracy analysis of the sensor reading has proved high linearity of the calibration curve and accuracy of ± 5%.