This work was supported by the NSFC-Zhejiang Joint Fund for the Integration of Industrialization and Informatization (grant number U1609205) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant number 51605443), the Key Research and Development Project of Zhejiang Province (grant number 2018C01027), the 521 Talent Project of Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, and the Young Researchers Foundation of Zhejiang Provincial Top Key Academic Discipline of Mechanical Engineering of Zhejiang Sci-tech University (grant number ZSTUME02B13).

1. Experimental rig set-up
NOTE: See Figure 1.
<ol>
	<li>Hot air blower unit
	<ol>
		<li>Ensure that the hot air blower is connected to the air nozzle through a high temperature resistant silicone pipeline that is heat-insulated with asbestos material. Gradually adjust the air nozzle to the desirable incline angle to control the air flow direction. For this work, the incline angle, &#945;, varied between 60&#176; and 90&#176;.</li>
		<li>Switch on the air blower fan and the resistance wire. 
		NOTE: The order in which the fan and resistance wire are turned on cannot be reversed.</li>
		<li>Set the outlet temperature of the hot air blower by gradually adjusting the current through the resistance wire with the controller of the air blower, and measure the air flow temperature using the digital temperature sensor. For this work, the hot air temperature, T, varied between 70 &#176;C and 130 &#176;C.</li>
		<li>Measure the air flow velocity at the outlet of the air nozzle using the handheld multifunctional anemometer at room temperature (RT). For this work, the hot air velocity, Va, varied between 8-20 m/s. For accurate measurement of the air velocity, the probe should be perpendicular to the direction of the airflow.</li>
		<li>Gradually adjust the rotation speed of the air blower fan with the frequency converter to obtain the desired air flow velocity. Cover the air nozzle with a high thermal resistance board to disperse the heat flow to avoid thermal damage to people or devices.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Infrared thermograph unit
	<ol>
		<li>Fix the infrared thermograph onto the support frame directly above the air nozzle with about a 1 m distance. Connect the infrared thermograph with the computer using the net cable. Power on the infrared thermograph and open the operation software of the infrared thermograph on the computer. Select the connection mode as Ethernet so an IP address is assigned automatically to the infrared thermograph by the computer, and the object temperature can be read in real-time with the infrared thermograph.</li>
		<li>Fix a piece of standard fabric sample over the air nozzle with the needle plate fixture and adjust the distance between the air nozzle and sample to the desired value. In this work, 30 mm is used, which is 3x the diameter of the nozzle.</li>
		<li>Adjust the focus of the camera and set basic parameters via the computer. Open the &#34;parameters&#34; dialog box, set the temperature unit to &#176;C, set the thermal radiance to 0.95, set the ambient relative humidity to 50%, set the ambient temperature to 25 &#176;C, and set the distance between the measured object and camera to 1.5 m. This will ensure that the measured temperature is correct.</li>
		<li>As the tested fabric sample is prepared, fix it at the same location as the standard fabric sample, then record the temperature of the fabric with the computer as a video.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Uniform padder system
	<ol>
		<li>Make sure the uniform padder is connected to the air compressor through the pipeline. Power on the air compressor and set its maximum output pressure to 0.8 MPa.</li>
		<li>Manually adjust the pressure regulators to control the air pressure to the couple of the clamp cylinders, which are connected to the upper roller of the padder, so that residual moisture in the fabric can be controlled. Ensure that the pressure on both sides of the roller are equal so that the moisture content of the fabric distributed over each area is even.</li>
		<li>Power on the padder, make sure the roller can rotation freely, then put the saturated fabric sample with sufficient moisture absorption onto the upper roller of the uniform padder, so that the tested fabric can be squeezed through the roller couple and moisture distribution inside the fabric can be controlled to be uniform.</li>
		<li>Power off the padder.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Weight and thickness measuring unit
	<ol>
		<li>Place an electronic scale on a horizontal platform and tare it. Place standard weights on the balance for calibration so that the specimen can be accurately weighted.</li>
		<li>Cut out a rectangular fabric sample with a width and length of 10 cm and 31 cm, respectively. Power on the thickness testing instrument (see Table of Materials) and connect it to the computer. Place these fabric samples on the test platform of the FTT. Open the operation software of the FTT, click &#34;start&#34; on the operation interface, then automatically test the thickness of the fabric by the FTT and record it on the operation interface.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Drying stove unit
	<ol>
		<li>Power on the drying stove and make sure no samples are in the drying room. Set the drying stove to a high temperature (120 &#176;C is used in this work) for 30 min to evaporate the moisture absorbed by the inner wall of the stove.</li>
		<li>Preheat the drying stove to the desired temperature (45 &#176;C is used in this work) so that the stove can be used directly for drying fabric samples.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
2. Testing specimen and the manufacturing process
<ol>
	<li>Cut out square fabrics of 250 mm x 250 mm from the same fabric used for the rectangular fabric sample with scissors and a triangle ruler for the manufacturing of test specimens (area of the fabric = 6.25 &#215; 104 mm2). Put the fabric specimens into the drying stove to evaporate the resident moisture absorbed from environment so that their net weight can be obtained.</li>
	<li>Take out one piece of fabric specimen from the drying stove, then measure the initial weight, W0, of the sample with the electronic balance.</li>
	<li>Immerse the fabric sample in water for 5 min to ensure that the fabric absorbs the moisture until saturation. Tile the saturated fabric sample onto the upper roller of the uniform padder to obtain the desired even initial moisture content.</li>
	<li>Power on the padder and set an initial pressure with the pressure regulators. As the tiled sample passes through the roller couple, power off the padder and remove the sample from the padder.</li>
	<li>Measure the weight of the wet fabric sample, W1, of the sample with the electronic balance. The residual moisture of the fabric can be calculated as C = (W1-W0)/W0, and the area average moisture content in the fabric can be calculated as Wa = (W1-W0)/A.</li>
	<li>If the desired moisture content, Cd, is not obtained, dry the rollers with a towel or paper towel first, and then repeat steps 2.4-2.5 until Cd is set.</li>
	<li>If necessary, cut out a sample strip from the same fabric used for preparing the testing specimen, then measure and record its thickness.</li>
</ol>
3. Data acquisition, post-processing, and analysis
<ol>
	<li>As done in step 1.1, set the outlet temperature and velocity of the air blower to the desired values and cover the nozzle with the high thermal resistance board. Once the tested fabric sample is prepared (section 2), fix it with the needle plate fixture for sequence testing and power on the infrared thermograph. Start to record the sample temperature.</li>
	<li>Remove the covered board that the hot air can impinge on the lower surface of tested sample directly. Observe changes in the drying temperature of the fabric on the computer during the drying process. When the drying temperature increases to a steady value and lasts for approximately 30 s, which means the sampled fabric is dry to the target status, stop recording. Take the sample away from the fixture and cover up the nozzle with the high thermal resistance board again.</li>
	<li>If necessary, set the target analysis area with a supporting post-processing tool for the infrared thermograph (for data plotting, saving, etc.) so that the drying features (normally how the temperature varies with time) of that point of the tested fabric can be obtained.</li>
	<li>If necessary, navigate the video to the portion of different drying stages and save the video frame as a colorful image. Then, the area of the region dried by hot air can be calculated by the image processing method according to the following steps14. First, gray the colorful image with the weighted average method to grayscale the image, then binarize the obtained grayscale image with the OSTU method by setting the threshold to the grayscale value in which the temperature in the image is close to the hot air temperature. Thus, the area of the dried region can be calculated on the binarization image.</li>
	<li>Repeat steps 3.1-3.4 and record the drying characteristics of each fabric sample by adjusting the air flow velocity, temperature, direction, as well as fabric material, physical parameters, etc.</li>
	<li>Observe all differences under varying air temperature, air velocity, airflow direction, and fabric thickness.</li>
</ol>

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	<li>Wang, G., Deng, Y., Xu, X. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Optimization+of+air+jet+impingement+drying+of+okara+using+response+surface+methodology.">Optimization of air jet impingement drying of okara using response surface methodology.</a> Food Control. 59, 743-749 (2016).</li><li>Etemoglu, A. B., Ulcay, Y., Can, M., Avci, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Mathematical+modelling+of+combined+diffusion+of+heat+and+mass+transfer+through+fabrics.">Mathematical modelling of combined diffusion of heat and mass transfer through fabrics.</a> Fibers and Polymers. 10 (2), 252-259 (2009).</li><li>Di, M. 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W., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Drying+kinetics+and+quality+of+Monukka+seedless+grapes+dried+in+an+air-impingement+jet+dryer.">Drying kinetics and quality of Monukka seedless grapes dried in an air-impingement jet dryer.</a> Biosystems Engineering. 105 (2), 233-240 (2010).</li><li>Gu, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Study+on+optimum+temperature+value+setting+for+the+heat-setting+process+based+on+PSO.">Study on optimum temperature value setting for the heat-setting process based on PSO.</a> 3rd International Conference on Advances in Energy, Environment and Chemical Engineering. 69, (2017).</li><li>Aihua, M., Yi, L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Numerical+heat+transfer+coupled+with+multidimensional+liquid+moisture+diffusion+in+porous+textiles+with+a+measurable-parameterized+model.">Numerical heat transfer coupled with multidimensional liquid moisture diffusion in porous textiles with a measurable-parameterized model.</a> Numerical Heat Transfer Part A - Applications. 56 (3), 246-268 (2009).</li><li>Angelova, R. 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The authors have nothing to disclose.

This section provides a few tips necessary to ensure reliable quantitative results. First, the fabric specimens must be kept completely dry to ensure the initial weights are correct. This is achievable through the drying process (i.e., using a suitable drying stove). If possible, an environment humidity that is kept constant benefits the experiment.
Secondly, the fabric specimens must be well-processed to ensure that the moisture at each region of the fabric is uniform. This can be done by man...

Impinging drying is a very effective drying method due to its high heat, mass transfer coefficient, and short drying time. It has attracted extensive attention due to its numerous applications including chemical industry, food1, textile, dyeing2, paper making3,4, etc. Now, impinging drying is widely used for its enhanced transport characteristics, especially for the drying of textiles in the heat setting process5.
Fabric is impinging dried by the nozzle array for the heat setting. Nozzle layout affects the uniformity of drying temperature, which has a significant influence on the fabric properties, drying efficiency, and on the fabric surface directly. Thus, it is necessary to understand temperature distribution on the textile surface to design a better nozzle array. There has been little investigation in this field at the present, though there has been plenty of research on heat and moisture transfer performance of the fabric drying process so far. Some research has mainly focused on the natural evaporation of a textile under a specified heat source, in which the impinging drying process was not involved in these studies6,7. Some have focused on heat and moisture transfer of the textile with hot air drying, but the textile moisture and temperature were assumed to be uniform in these studies8,9,10,11. Furthermore, a few of these studies attempted to obtain the temperature distribution variation with time for studying the heat and moisture transfer of the textile under impinging drying.
Etemoglu et al.2 developed an experimental set-up for obtaining temperature variation with the time of the fabric and total drying time, but this set-up is limited to single-point temperature measurements. The initial moisture content distribution in the fabric is also neglected in this type of research. Wang et al.12 intended to obtain temperature distribution on the fabric by pasting thermocouples on the textile surface at various points, but surface temperature distribution was not able to be accurately obtained with their method. Obtaining temperature distribution at the air impingement area on a fabric with even humidity distribution is important for industrial printing and dyeing production, and it will provide better guidance on the distribution and arrangement strategy for object drying with a multi-nozzle13. The following procedure provides details to study the heat and moisture transfer of a fabric during the impinging drying process. The initial moisture content is well-controlled to be evenly distributed, while the surface temperature at every point of the fabric is obtained via the experimental set-up.
The experimental set-up consists of a hot air blower unit, infrared thermograph unit, uniform padder system, and other auxiliary devices. The hot air blower unit supplies the hot air with a specified temperature and velocity in an adjustable direction according to the experimental requirements. The infrared thermograph unit records the temperature history of each impinging drying process; thus, the temperature at each pixel point of the recorded video can be extracted with a supporting post-processing tool. The uniform padder system controls the even distribution of moisture content at every point of the fabric. Finally, the influence of air impingement parameters on fabric drying characteristic with fabric moisture uniform control method are investigated. The process can be carried out in a reproducible fashion following the standard protocol described below.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Air Blower</td>
			<td>Zhejiang jiaxing hanglin electromechanical equipment co., Ltd.</td>
			<td>HLJT-3380-TX10A-0.55</td>
			<td>Air Volume: 900 m3/s;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Anemometer</td>
			<td>KIMO</td>
			<td>MP210</td>
			<td>Measurement range: 0-40 m/s; Accuracy: &#177;0.1 m/s</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Drying stove</td>
			<td>Shanghai Shangyi Instrument Equipment Co., Ltd.</td>
			<td>DHG 101-0A</td>
			<td>precision: 1 &#176;C; Temperature control range:10-300 &#176;C</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Electronic Balance</td>
			<td>Hangzhou Wante Weighing Instrument Co., Ltd.</td>
			<td>WT1002</td>
			<td>Precision: 1 &#176;C; Range: 100 g</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fabric Style Measuring Instrument</td>
			<td>SDL Atlas</td>
			<td>M293</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fabric Touch Tester</td>
			<td>SDLATLAS Ltd</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Fabric thickness tester</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>High thermal resistance board</td>
			<td>Baiqiang</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Flame resistance, Heat resistance is greater than 200 &#176;C</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>High-temperature resistant silicon pipeline</td>
			<td>Kamoer</td>
			<td>18#</td>
			<td>Temperature range: -60-200 &#176;C</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Infrared Thermogragh</td>
			<td>Hangzhou Meisheng Infrared 
			Optoelectronic Technology Co., Ltd.</td>
			<td>R60-1009</td>
			<td>Temperature measuring range: -20-410 &#176;C; Maximum measuring error: &#177;2 &#176;C</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Padder</td>
			<td>Yabo textile machinery co., Ltd.</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Roller pressure: 0.03-0.8 MPa; Stable pressure; Easy adjustment</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Personal Computer</td>
			<td>Lenovo Group.</td>
			<td>L460</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Temperature Sensor</td>
			<td>Taiwan TES electronic industry co., Ltd.</td>
			<td>1311A</td>
			<td>resolution: 1 &#176;C; Temperature measuring range: -50-1350 &#176;C</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

fabric moisture uniform control to study the influence of air impingement parameters on fabric drying characteristics

Impinging dryness is now a widely used and effective way for fabric drying due to its high heat and mass transfer coefficient. Previous studies on fabric drying have neglected the contributions of moisture uniformity and diffusion coefficient to the drying process; though, they have recently been shown to have a significant influence on drying characteristics. This report outlines a step-by-step procedure to investigate the effects of air impingement parameters on a fabric&#39;s drying characteristics by controlling the uniformity of its area moisture distribution. A hot air blower unit equipped with an angle adjustable nozzle is used to generate air flow with different velocities and temperatures while the drying process is recorded and analyzed using an infrared thermograph. In addition, a uniform padder is adapted to ensure the fabric&#39;s moisture uniformity. Impinging drying is studied under different initial conditions by changing the air flow temperature, velocity, and direction, then the applicability and suitability of the protocol are evaluated.

The data presented in Figure 2 are typical temperature contours for cotton fabric at different drying stages under the condition that air velocity and temperature at the nozzle outlet are 20.0 m/s and 120 &#176;C, respectively. It can be figured from Figure 2A,B,C,D that under the air impingement drying, temperature decays from the center to the periphery and forms sets of concentric circles. Meanwhile, temperatu...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Fabric Moisture Uniform Control to Study the Influence of Air Impingement Parameters on Fabric Drying Characteristics at JoVE.com

Fabric Moisture Uniform Control to Study the Influence of Air Impingement Parameters on Fabric Drying Characteristics

Presented here is a protocol that guarantees uniform distribution of initial moisture inside of a fabric and investigates the effects of hot-air thermodynamic parameters (velocity, temperature, and direction) and thickness on the fabric&#39;s drying characteristics (e.g., temperature variation) under the condition of air impingement.

Impinging dryness is now a widely used and effective way for fabric drying due to its high heat and mass transfer coefficient. Previous studies on fabric ...

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5.1K Views.  Zhejiang Sci-Tech University. Presented here is a protocol that guarantees uniform distribution of initial moisture inside of a fabric and investigates the effects of hot-air thermodynamic parameters (velocity, temperature, and direction) and thickness on the fabric's drying characteristics (e.g., temperature variation) under the condition of air impingement.

Video: Fabric Moisture Uniform Control to Study the Influence of Air Impingement Parameters on Fabric Drying Characteristics

Encapsulation and Permeability Characteristics of Plasma Polymerized Hollow Particles

In this protocol, core-shell nanostructures are synthesized by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. We produce an amorphous barrier by plasma polymerization of isopropanol on various solid substrates, including silica and potassium chloride. This versatile technique is used to treat nanoparticles and nanopowders with sizes ranging from 37 nm to 1 micron, by depositing films whose thickness can be anywhere from 1 nm to upwards of 100 nm. Dissolution of the core allows us to study the rate of permeation through the film. In these experiments, we determine the diffusion coefficient of KCl through the barrier film by coating KCL nanocrystals and subsequently monitoring the ionic conductivity of the coated particles suspended in water. The primary interest in this process is the encapsulation and delayed release of solutes. The thickness of the shell is one of the independent variables by which we control the rate of release. It has a strong effect on the rate of release, which increases from a six-hour release (shell thickness is 20 nm) to a long-term release over 30 days (shell thickness is 95 nm). The release profile shows a characteristic behavior: a fast release (35% of the final materials) during the first five minutes after the beginning of the dissolution, and a slower release till all of the core materials come out.

We have used plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition to deposit thin films ranging from a few nm to several 100 nm on nano-sized particles of various materials. We subsequently etch the core material to produce hollow nanoshells whose permeability is controlled by the thickness of the shell. We characterize the permeability of these coatings to small solutes and demonstrate that these barriers can provide sustained release of the core material over several days.

In this protocol, core-shell nanostructures are synthesized by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. We produce an amorphous barrier by plasma ...

Fabrication of VB2/Air Cells for Electrochemical Testing

A technique to investigate the properties and performance of new multi-electron metal/air battery systems is proposed and presented. A method for synthesizing nanoscopic VB2 is presented as well as step-by-step procedure for applying a zirconium oxide coating to the VB2 particles for stabilization upon discharge. The process for disassembling existing zinc/air cells is shown, in addition construction of the new working electrode to replace the conventional zinc/air cell anode with a the nanoscopic VB2 anode. Finally, discharge of the completed VB2/air battery is reported. We show that using the zinc/air cell as a test bed is useful to provide a consistent configuration to study the performance of the high-energy high capacity nanoscopic VB2 anode.

Fabrication of VB2/Air Cells for Electrochemical Testing

A protocol is presented to study multi-electron metal/air battery systems by using previous technology developed for the zinc/air cell. Electrochemical testing is then performed on fabricated batteries to evaluate performance.

A technique to investigate the properties and performance of new multi-electron metal/air battery systems is proposed and presented. A method for ...

Fabrication of Uniform Nanoscale Cavities via Silicon Direct Wafer Bonding

Measurements of the heat capacity and superfluid fraction of confined 4He have been performed near the lambda transition using lithographically patterned and bonded silicon wafers. Unlike confinements in porous materials often used for these types of experiments3, bonded wafers provide predesigned uniform spaces for confinement. The geometry of each cell is well known, which removes a large source of ambiguity in the interpretation of data.
Exceptionally flat, 5 cm diameter, 375 &#181;m thick Si wafers with about 1 &#181;m variation over the entire wafer can be obtained commercially (from Semiconductor Processing Company, for example). Thermal oxide is grown on the wafers to define the confinement dimension in the z-direction. A pattern is then etched in the oxide using lithographic techniques so as to create a desired enclosure upon bonding. A hole is drilled in one of the wafers (the top) to allow for the introduction of the liquid to be measured. The wafers are cleaned2 in RCA solutions and then put in a microclean chamber where they are rinsed with deionized water4. The wafers are bonded at RT and then annealed at ~1,100 &#176;C. This forms a strong and permanent bond. This process can be used to make uniform enclosures for measuring thermal and hydrodynamic properties of confined liquids from the nanometer to the micrometer scale.

A method for permanently bonding two silicon wafers so as to realize a uniform enclosure is described. This includes wafer preparation, cleaning, RT bonding, and annealing processes. The resulting bonded wafers (cells) have uniformity of enclosure ~1%1,2. The resulting geometry allows for measurements of confined liquids and gasses.

Measurements of the heat capacity and superfluid fraction of confined 4He have been performed near the lambda transition using lithographically patterned ...

Fast Imaging Technique to Study Drop Impact Dynamics of Non-Newtonian Fluids

In the field of fluid mechanics, many dynamical processes not only occur over a very short time interval but also require high spatial resolution for detailed observation, scenarios that make it challenging to observe with conventional imaging systems. One of these is the drop impact of liquids, which usually happens within one tenth of millisecond. To tackle this challenge, a fast imaging technique is introduced that combines a high-speed camera (capable of up to one million frames per second) with a macro lens with long working distance to bring the spatial resolution of the image down to 10 &#181;m/pixel. The imaging technique enables precise measurement of relevant fluid dynamic quantities, such as the flow field, the spreading distance and the splashing speed, from analysis of the recorded video. To demonstrate the capabilities of this visualization system, the impact dynamics when droplets of non-Newtonian fluids impinge on a flat hard surface are characterized. Two situations are considered: for oxidized liquid metal droplets we focus on the spreading behavior, and for densely packed suspensions we determine the onset of splashing. More generally, the combination of high temporal and spatial imaging resolution introduced here offers advantages for studying fast dynamics across a wide range of microscale phenomena.

Drop impact of non-Newtonian fluids is a complex process since different physical parameters influence the dynamics over a very short time (less than one tenth of a millisecond). A fast imaging technique is introduced in order to characterize the impact behaviors of different non-Newtonian fluids.

In the field of fluid mechanics, many dynamical processes not only occur over a very short time interval but also require high spatial resolution for ...

Effect of Bending on the Electrical Characteristics of Flexible Organic Single Crystal-based Field-effect Transistors

The charge transport in an organic semiconductor depends highly on the molecular packing in the crystal, which influences the electronic coupling immensely. However, in soft electronics, in which organic semiconductors play a critical role, the devices will be bent or folded repeatedly. The effect of bending on the crystal packing and thus the charge transport is crucial to the performance of the device. In this manuscript, we describe the protocol to bend a single crystal of 5,7,12,16-tetrachloro-6,13-diazapentacene (TCDAP) in the field-effect transistor configuration and to obtain reproducible I-V characteristics upon bending the crystal. The results show that bending a field-effect transistor prepared on a flexible substrate results in nearly reversible yet opposite trends in charge mobility, depending on the bending direction. The mobility increases when the device is bent toward the top gate/dielectric layer (upward, compressive state) and decreases when bent toward the crystal/substrate side (downward, tensile state). The effect of bending curvature was also observed, with greater mobility change resulting from higher bending curvature. It is suggested that the intermolecular &#960;-&#960; distance changes upon bending, thereby influencing the electronic coupling and the subsequent carrier transport ability.

This manuscript describes the bending process of an organic single crystal-based field-effect transistor to maintain a functioning device for electronic property measurement. The results suggest that bending causes changes in the molecular spacing in the crystal and thus in the charge hopping rate, which is important in flexible electronics.

The charge transport in an organic semiconductor depends highly on the molecular packing in the crystal, which influences the electronic coupling ...

A Robotic Platform to Study the Foreflipper of the California Sea Lion

The California sea lion (Zalophus californianus), is an agile and powerful swimmer. Unlike many successful swimmers (dolphins, tuna), they generate most of their thrust with their large foreflippers. This protocol describes a robotic platform designed to study the hydrodynamic performance of the swimming California sea lion (Zalophus californianus). The robot is a model of the animal&#39;s foreflipper that is actuated by motors to replicate the motion of its propulsive stroke (the &#39;clap&#39;). The kinematics of the sea lion&#39;s propulsive stroke are extracted from video data of unmarked, non-research sea lions at the Smithsonian Zoological Park (SNZ). Those data form the basis of the actuation motion of the robotic flipper presented here. The geometry of the robotic flipper is based a on high-resolution laser scan of a foreflipper of an adult female sea lion, scaled to about 60% of the full-scale flipper. The articulated model has three joints, mimicking the elbow, wrist and knuckle joint of the sea lion foreflipper. The robotic platform matches dynamics properties&#8212;Reynolds number and tip speed&#8212;of the animal when accelerating from rest. The robotic flipper can be used to determine the performance (forces and torques) and resulting flowfields.

A robotic platform is described that will be used to study the hydrodynamic performance&#8212;forces and flowfields&#8212;of the swimming California sea lion. The robot is a model of the animal&#39;s foreflipper that is actuated by motors to replicate the motion of its propulsive stroke (the &#39;clap&#39;).

The California sea lion (Zalophus californianus), is an agile and powerful swimmer. Unlike many successful swimmers (dolphins, tuna), they generate most ...

Study of Siphon Breaker Experiment and Simulation for a Research Reactor

Under the design conditions of a research reactor, the siphon phenomenon induced by pipe rupture can cause continuous outward flow of water. To prevent this outflow, a control device is required. A siphon breaker is a type of safety device that can be utilized to control the loss of coolant water effectively.
To analyze the characteristics of siphon breaking, a real-scale experiment was conducted. From the results of the experiment, it was found that there are several design factors that affect the siphon breaking phenomenon. Therefore, there is a need to develop a theoretical model capable of predicting and analyzing the siphon breaking phenomenon under various design conditions. Using the experimental data, it was possible to formulate a theoretical model that accurately predicts the progress and the result of the siphon breaking phenomenon. The established theoretical model is based on fluid mechanics and incorporates the Chisholm model to analyze two-phase flow. From Bernoulli&#39;s equation, the velocity, quantity, undershooting height, water level, pressure, friction coefficient, and factors related to the two-phase flow could be obtained or calculated. Moreover, to utilize the model established in this study, a siphon breaker analysis and design program was developed. The simulation program operates on the theoretical model basis and returns the result as a graph. The user can confirm the possibility of the siphon breaking by checking the shape of the graph. Furthermore, saving the entire simulation result is possible and it can be used as a resource for analyzing the real siphon breaking system.
In conclusion, the user can confirm the status of the siphon breaking and design the siphon breaker system using the program developed in this study.

The siphon breaking phenomenon was investigated experimentally and a theoretical model was proposed. A simulation program based on the theoretical model was developed and the results of the simulation program were compared with experimental results. It was concluded that the results of the simulation program matched the experimental results well.

Under the design conditions of a research reactor, the siphon phenomenon induced by pipe rupture can cause continuous outward flow of water. To prevent ...

The Modular Design and Production of an Intelligent Robot Based on a Closed-Loop Control Strategy

Intelligent robots are part of a new generation of robots that are able to sense the surrounding environment, plan their own actions and eventually reach their targets. In recent years, reliance upon robots in both daily life and industry has increased. The protocol proposed in this paper describes the design and production of a handling robot with an intelligent search algorithm and an autonomous identification function.
First, the various working modules are mechanically assembled to complete the construction of the work platform and the installation of the robotic manipulator. Then, we design a closed-loop control system and a four-quadrant motor control strategy, with the aid of debugging software, as well as set steering gear identity (ID), baud rate and other working parameters to ensure that the robot achieves the desired dynamic performance and low energy consumption. Next, we debug the sensor to achieve multi-sensor fusion to accurately acquire environmental information. Finally, we implement the relevant algorithm, which can recognize the success of the robot&#39;s function for a given application.
The advantage of this approach is its reliability and flexibility, as the users can develop a variety of hardware construction programs and utilize the comprehensive debugger to implement an intelligent control strategy. This allows users to set personalized requirements based on their needs with high efficiency and robustness.

We present a protocol on modular design and production of intelligent robots to help scientific and technical workers design intelligent robots with special production tasks based on personal needs and individualized design.

Intelligent robots are part of a new generation of robots that are able to sense the surrounding environment, plan their own actions and eventually reach ...

Applicability Analysis of Assessment Methods for Morphological Parameters of Corroded Steel Bars

The irregular and uneven residual sections along the length of a corroded steel bar substantially change its mechanical properties and significantly dominate the safety and performance of an existing concrete structure. As a result, it is important to measure the geometry and amount of corrosion of a steel bar in a structure properly to assess the residual bearing capacity and service life of the structure. This paper introduces and compares five different methods for measuring the geometry and amount of corrosion of a steel bar. A single 500 mm long and 14 mm diameter steel bar is the specimen that is subjected to accelerated corrosion in this protocol. Its morphology and the amount of corrosion were carefully measured before and after using mass loss measurements, a Vernier caliper, drainage measurements, 3D scanning, and X-ray micro-computed tomography (XCT). The applicability and suitability of these different methods were then evaluated. The results show that the Vernier caliper is the best choice for measuring the morphology of a non-corroded bar, while 3D scanning is the most suitable for quantifying the morphology of a corroded bar.

This paper measures the geometry and the amount of corrosion of a steel bar using different methods: mass loss, calipers, drainage measurements, 3D scanning, and X-ray micro-computed tomography (XCT).

The irregular and uneven residual sections along the length of a corroded steel bar substantially change its mechanical properties and significantly ...

Film Control to Study Contributions of Waves to Droplet Impact Dynamics on Thin Flowing Liquid Films

Droplet impact is a very common phenomenon in nature and attracts attention due to its aesthetic fascination and wide-ranging applications. Previous studies on flowing liquid films have neglected the contributions of spatial structures of waves to the impact outcome, while this has recently been shown to have a significant influence on the drop impact dynamics. In this report, we outline a step-by-step procedure to investigate the effect of periodic inlet forcing of a flowing liquid film leading to the production of spatiotemporally regular wave structures on drop impact dynamics. A function generator in connection with a solenoid valve is used to excite these spatiotemporally regular wave structures on the film surface while the impact dynamics of uniform-sized droplets are captured using a high-speed camera. Three distinct regions are then studied; viz. the capillary wave region preceding the large wave peak, the flat film region, and the wave hump region. The effects of important dimensionless quantities such as film Reynolds, drop Weber and Ohnesorge numbers parameterized by the film flow rate, drop speed, and drop size are also examined. Our results show interesting, hitherto undiscovered dynamics brought about by this application of film inlet forcing of the flowing film for both low and high inertia drops.

A protocol to study the contributions of waves to droplet impact dynamics on flowing liquid films is presented.

Droplet impact is a very common phenomenon in nature and attracts attention due to its aesthetic fascination and wide-ranging applications. Previous ...