Kinetika konvektivnog sušenja tankog sloja iverja drva topole (Populus Deltoides)

Drying of poplar wood (Populus Deltoides) particles was carried out at different drying conditions using a laboratory convective thin layer dryer. Drying curves were plotted and in order to analyze the drying behavior, the curves were fi tted to different semi-theoretical drying kinetics models. The effective moisture diffusivity was also determined from the integrated Fick’s second law equation and correlated with temperature using an Arrhenius- type model to calculate activation energy of diffusion. The results showed that Midilli et al. model was found to satisfactorily describe the drying characteristics of poplar wood particles dried at all temperatures and air flow velocities. In general, the drying rate increases with increasing air temperature and air fl ow velocity. A short constant drying rate period was observed and drying frequently took place at falling rate period in all cases. The effective moisture diffusivity of poplar wood particles increased from 1.01E-10 to 2.53E-10 m2·s-1 as the drying air temperature increased from 65 to 85 °C. The activation energy of diffusion for 1 m·s-1 and 1.5 m·s-1 air flow velocities were calculated as 27.8 kJ·mol-1 and 50.8 kJ·mol-1, respectively.Pri različitim uvjetima sušenja provedeno je sušenje iverja drva topole (Populus deltoides) uporabom konvektivne sušionice za tanki sloj iverja. Iscrtane su krivulje sušenja, a da bi se analizirao proces sušenja, krivulje su prilagođene različitim teorijskim kinetičkim modelima sušenja. Određena je i efektivna difuznost vode u drvu prema Fickovu drugom zakonu te je primjenom Arrheniusova modela za izračun aktivacijske energije difuzije korelirana s temperaturom. Rezultati su pokazali da model Midillija i suradnika zadovoljavajuće opisuje obilježja sušenja iverja drva topole pri svim temperaturama i brzinama strujanja zraka. U načelu, brzina sušenja povećava se s povećanjem temperature zraka i brzine strujanja zraka. Zabilježeno je kratko razdoblje konstantne brzine sušenja, a sušenje se najčešće postiže u razdoblju pada brzine sušenja. Efektivna difuzivnost vode u iverju drva topole povećana je s 1,01E-10 na 2,53E-10 m2·s-1 s povećanjem temperature zraka sa 65 na 85 °C. Izračunana je aktivacijska energija difuzije za 1 m·s-1 i 1,5 m·s-1 brzine strujanja zraka i iznosi 27,8 kJ·mol-1 i 50,8 kJ·mol-1

Optical signal recording of cellular activity in optogenetic stimulation of human pulp dental cells using a twin-core fiber-based Mach-Zehnder interferometer biosensor

This paper introduces an innovative two-core fiber (TCF) optic sensor employing a Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) to monitor the optogenetic response of light-sensitive human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs). The in-fiber MZI, formed using a segment of TCF optic, detects refractive index (RI) changes in the surrounding medium. The sensor utilizes the evanescent wave of one core as the sensing arm, necessitating a thin cladding achieved through one-sided chemical etching. This design allows the sensor to detect subtle alterations in the RI of the environment by observing displacements in the interference spectrum. The optogenetic stimulation of light-sensitive cells induces variations in ion concentrations, leading to a corresponding change in refractive index. The fabricated sensor, with a peak sensitivity of 675.74 nm/RIU within the RI range of 1.39-1.43, can detect these changes. A computer simulation validated the sensitivity and optimized fabrication parameters, exhibiting satisfactory agreement with experimental results. Spectrum displacements were recorded for both light-sensitive hDPSCs and regular hDPSCs (as a control test). Results from the experiment, analyzed and compared using data analysis software, revealed that 473 nm blue light effectively stimulated light-sensitive hDPSCs. Notably, the proposed sensor, a novel structure, demonstrated its capability to detect RI changes in the cell medium during optogenetic applications

Vapor Flow Analysis in Flat Plate Heat Pipes Using Homotopy Perturbation Method

In the present study, an analytical solution for 2D vapor flow in flat plate heat pipes is presented. The governing equations are solved analytically using the homotopy perturbation method, and numerically using the finite volume method, based on collocated grids. The analytical results are obtained for nondimensional velocity profiles and axial pressures distribution along the entire length of the heat pipe, and compared with the numerical ones. It is shown that there is a relatively small difference of about 1% in the worst case between the analytical and numerical results. Furthermore, the effects of the Reynolds number and the ratio of condenser to evaporator lengths on the flow variables are discussed.</jats:p