Investigation of Slagging Condition in a Zhundong Coal-Fired Boiler via In Situ Optical Measurement of Gaseous Sodium.

In this study, a portable spectral analysis instrument based on spontaneous emission spectroscopy (SES) was developed for the in situ, non-intrusive, and quantitative measurement of gaseous Na inside ZD coal-fired boilers, which is mainly applied for predicting slagging in furnaces. This technology is needed urgently because the problem of fouling and slagging caused by high alkali metals in ZD coal restricts the rational utilization of this coal. The relative extended uncertainty for the measurement of gaseous Na concentration is = 10%, = 2, which indicates that measurement data are reliable under working conditions.

Thermodynamic Irreversibility Analysis of Thermal Radiation in Coal-Fired Furnace: Effect of Coal Ash Deposits.

In this paper, a three-dimensional (3-D) high-temperature furnace filled with a gas-solid medium was investigated, and the radiative transfer equation and the radiative entropy transfer equation in the chamber were applied in order to analyze the effect of coal deposits on thermal radiation. The heat flux on the walls of the furnace and the entropy generation rate were determined due to the irreversibility of the radiative heat transfer process in the furnace. Furthermore, the effect of ash deposits on the wall surface on the irreversibility of the radiation heat transfer process was investigated.

Numerical Investigation of Exergy Loss of Ammonia Addition in Hydrocarbon Diffusion Flames.

In this paper, a theoretical numerical analysis of the thermodynamics second law in ammonia/ethylene counter-flow diffusion flames is carried out. The combustion process, which includes heat and mass transfer, as well as a chemical reaction, is simulated based on a detailed chemical reaction model. Entropy generation and exergy loss due to various reasons in ammonia/ethylene and argon/ethylene flames are calculated.

Thermodynamics Irreversibilities Analysis of Oxy-Fuel Diffusion Flames: The Effect of Oxygen Concentration.

In studies on the combustion process, thermodynamic analysis can be used to evaluate the irreversibility of the combustion process and improve energy utilization efficiency. In this paper, the combustion process of a laminar oxy-fuel diffusion flame was simulated, and the entropy generation due to the irreversibilities of the radiation process, the heat conduction and heat convection process, the mass diffusion process, and the chemical reaction process was calculated. The effect of the oxygen concentration in the oxidizer on the entropy generation was analyzed.

Visualization of Combustion Phases of Biomass Particles: Effects of Fuel Properties.

This work established a high-speed camera-assisted visualization system that investigated the effect of volatile matter and fixed carbon content in biomass particles on single-particle combustion phases and their luminous properties. Three types of biomass particles, namely, sawdust (a mixture of pine and willow), corncob, and rice husk, were examined on a Hencken flat-flame burner. The luminous region and intensity of single biomass particles were closely related to the flammability and calorific value of biomass fuel and derived by analyzing a sequence of images captured using a high-speed camera.

Effects of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin on the combustion behaviours of biomass under various oxygen concentrations.

The combustion behaviours of three components, namely hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin, and four types of biomass, namely rice straw, bamboo, peanut shell, and chestnut shell, were examined in a drop tube furnace set at 1273 K, in O/N atmospheres containing 21-100% O. Radiant energy analysis technology was employed to infer the temperatures of the samples. The results show that the ignition mechanisms of cellulose and hemicellulose change at 30% and 70% O, respectively, and the lignin particle ignites homogeneously at 20-30% O, heterogeneously at 50% O, and hetero-homogeneously at 70-100% O, respectively.

Effects of hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin on the ignition behaviors of biomass in a drop tube furnace.

The aim of this work was to investigate the effects of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin on the ignition behaviors of biomass. The ignition events of three components and five types of single biomass particles were captured by a high-speed camera in a drop tube furnace with a temperature of 1273 K, and the combustion temperatures for the single biomass particles were measured by radiant energy analysis technology. The comparison of the flame images and the temperature evolution of five types of biomass with three components shows that the lignin content in the biomass particle strongly influences the ignition behaviors.

In-situ measurement of temperature and alkali metal concentration in municipal solid waste incinerators using flame emission spectroscopy.

In order to address slagging, fouling and high-temperature corrosion problems caused by alkali metals in Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), in-situ measurement of alkali metal in MSW incinerators is needed. The paper presents experimental measurements of temperatures and alkali metal concentrations in two MSW incinerators based on Flame Emission Spectroscopy (FES). Through the analysis of spontaneous emission spectra and a calibration procedure, the concentration of gas phase sodium (Na) and potassium (K), temperature and thermal radiation in the incinerator were in-situ measured by a portable spectral system simultaneously.

FSTL1 enhances chemoresistance and maintains stemness in breast cancer cells via integrin β3/Wnt signaling under miR-137 regulation.

FSTL1 is a protein coding gene associated with cell signaling pathway regulation and the progression of a variety of disorders. In this study, we hypothesized that FSTL1 increases oncogenesis in breast cancer by enhancing stemness and chemoresistance. RT-PCR and IHC revealed significantly higher FSTL1 mRNA and protein levels in TNBC than in non-TNBC specimens and in breast cancer cell lines.

Spatial and temporal film thickness measurement of a soap bubble based on large lateral shearing displacement interferometry.

The film thickness of a hanging soap bubble has been studied along its gravitational orientation after its birth and before its bursting using large lateral shearing displacement interferometry, with a theoretical error of less than 0.325λ. The results show that the spatial distribution of the film thickness could be approximated with an exponential model in all captured frames, especially in the lower half of the soap bubble.

ING4 is negatively correlated with microvessel density in colon cancer.

ING4 is a novel tumor suppressor which is downregulated in a number of cancers. In this study, we investigated the role of ING4 in tumor angiogenesis in colorectal carcinoma (CRC) patients. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR, western blots, and immunohistochemistry were used to determine ING4 mRNA and protein expression in CRC and normal tissue from 60 CRC specimens and 30 colonic adenoma specimens.

LAPTM4B overexpression is a novel independent prognostic marker for metastatic ovarian tumors.

Objective: Metastatic ovarian tumors are a series of lethal carcinomas that almost always have bad prognosis. Their prognoses, however, vary depending on the primary tumor malignancies of each. It has been reported that LAPTM4B, a novel tumor-associated gene, might indicate a worse prognosis when it was overexpressed in other carcinomas.

Enantioselective separation and zebrafish embryo toxicity of insecticide beta-cypermethrin.

Enantioselectivity of chiral pollutants is receiving growing concern due to the difference in toxicology and environment fate between enantiomers. In this study, enantiomers of insecticide beta-cypermethrin (beta-CP) were separated on selected chiral column by HPLC, and the toxicity of enantiomers was evaluated using the zebrafish embryo-larval assays. The enantiomers of beta-CP were baseline separated on Chiralcel OD and Chiralpak AD columns and detected by circular dichroism (CD) at 236 nm.