Search

This study investigates the effects of low Reynolds number (Re) conditions on the cooling performance of fan-shaped film cooling holes in the gas turbine engines of high-altitude long-endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). The significance of film cooling technology becomes paramount due to the low Re operational environment of UAVs. A novel Very Large Eddy Simulation (VLES) method was employed to systematically analyze a range of mainstream Reynolds numbers (ReD) from 480 to 32 000 and blowing ratios (M) from 1.0 to 2.5 while keeping the density ratio (DR) constant at 1.75. Compared to other turbulence models, the VLES model showed the highest similarity in predicting thermal field distributions and the most accurate prediction of film cooling performance at low Re. The results reveal that at low ReD, significant flow concentration within the hole leads to reduced velocity uniformity at the outlet, resulting in poor film coverage downstream. Additionally, the coolant jet tends to detach from the wall, adversely affecting cooling performance. In contrast, higher ReD exhibited improved coolant jet adhesion to the wall and cooling efficiency, attributed to the reduced intensity of counter-rotating vortex pair and decreased hot gas entrainment, thereby enhancing cooling effectiveness. Notably, for the same ReD values, cases with M = 1.5 consistently showed better cooling effectiveness compared to other M conditions. This study provides new insight into the cooling performance of fan-shaped film cooling holes under low Reynolds number conditions, which is crucial for enhancing the cooling efficiency of gas turbines in high-altitude UAVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For deposition of two-dimensional materials (e.g., graphene) on a substrate, self-aggregation and poor anchor strength are still issues. Herein, the GaN nanowire (NW) substrate was employed for electrochemical deposition of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) with satisfying dispersion uniformity and anchor strength. The deposited rGO exhibited flake morphology without agglomeration. Moreover, PtAu and rGO can be simultaneously and uniformly deposited on the GaN NW substrate to realize a PtAu–rGO/GaN electrochemical sensor for glucose detection. In comparison with deposition of PtAu–rGO on a stainless steel (SS) substrate (i.e., PtAu–rGO/SS), PtAu–rGO/GaN demonstrated much higher sensitivity and long-term stability, owing to better dispersion and anchor strength on GaN NW. In addition, with decoration of glucose oxidase (GOx), the GOx/PtAu–rGO/GaN sensor can be used for detecting glucose in human sweat with a low limit of detection of 5 μM, a wide linear detection range of 5 μM–12 mM, and high long-term stability, which indicates that GOx/PtAu–rGO/GaN sensor is promising for noninvasive glucose detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The asymmetric deformation of a laser beam reflected from the surface of a droplet on a slide was observed. The degree of deformation of the beam profile in the incident plane is related to the droplet contact angle, and the degree of deformation perpendicular to the incident plane is related to the droplet curvature. A simple, non-contact, real-time technique to measure droplet wetting parameters was established. The contact angle and radius of curvature for different liquid droplets were measured, and measurement errors were in the sub-degree and sub-millimeter orders of magnitude, respectively. The values obtained for the contact angle using the reported measurement technique compared with those obtained using a traditional measurement technique with an imaging contact angle meter showed the reported technique to be reliable. The contact angle and radius of curvature for four blood samples were measured and compared with those obtained from blood samples using a routine test. For samples with white blood cells, hemoglobin, and hematocrit exceeding the standard, their wetting parameters regularly deviated from those of normal samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]