Review
Energy & Fuels
Pajarla Saiteja, B. Ashok
Summary: The depletion of fossil fuels and the significant exhaust emission from conventional engines are the main concerns in the current auto industry. Improving engine performance and reducing emissions are crucial, with advanced combustion mode engines playing a significant role in internal combustion engines' emission control.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Daniel Andren, Denis G. Baranov, Steven Jones, Giovanni Volpe, Ruggero Verre, Mikael Kall
Summary: Utilizing optomechanical effects, optical metavehicles can be constructed for microscopic particles to travel long distances under low-intensity plane-wave illumination and be steered by the polarization of the incident light. Demonstrating movement in complex patterns, self-correcting motion, and application as transport vehicles for microscopic cargoes, including unicellular organisms. The abundance of possible optical metasurfaces suggests the potential for developing a wide variety of metavehicles with specialized functional behaviors.
NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Hideki Kobayashi, Paul B. Rohrbach, Robert Scheichl, Nigel B. Wilding, Robert L. Jack
Summary: The study used a two-level simulation method to analyze the critical point associated with demixing of binary hard sphere mixtures. The results showed a strong and unexpected dependence of the critical point on the size ratio between large and small particles, which is related to three-body effective interactions and the geometry of the underlying hard-sphere packings.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Ao Feng, Xing Huang, Xie Cheng, Mengyu Chu, Shuai Wang, Xibo Yan
Summary: Due to environmental and health concerns, engineered nanobots face significant challenges in practical applications. This study reports a method to prepare light-driven organic colloidal motors that can convert light energy into chemical energy for transportation tasks in various environments and can be completely deconstructed after the mission to reduce environmental risks.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Stepan Kyjovsky, Jiri Vavra, Ivan Bortel, Rastislav Toman
Summary: In the ongoing efforts to reduce CO2 and pollutant emissions, hydrogen combustion engine can provide immediately available mature technology for carbon-free transportation. The paper predicts the performance of a hydrogen combustion engine in passenger vehicles, taking into account the current powertrain trends.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2023)
Article
Optics
V. F. Lisboa, P. R. Dieguez, J. R. Guimaraes, J. F. G. Santos, R. M. Serra
Summary: In this study, a proof-of-concept experiment was conducted to investigate a spin quantum heat engine driven by nonselective generalized measurements. The results demonstrate that this quantum thermal device can achieve high efficiency and maximum power extraction by fine-tuning the measurement strengths.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Osman Shamet, Dahiru U. Lawal, Abdul Hafiz AlHariri, Mohamed Antar
Summary: This study focuses on utilizing waste heat from a diesel generator for freshwater production through integrated humidification dehumidification systems. The results show that the layout featuring an air heated - air heated cycle performs the best, significantly improving the diesel engine's utilization factor. The proposed system is cost-effective and helps reduce environmental impact by minimizing waste heat discharge, contributing to mitigating global warming.
PROCESS SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Athmakuri Ashok, Santhosh Kumar Gugulothu, Ragireddy Venkat Reddy, Balakrishnan Deepanraj, Saravanan Rajendran, Manivannan Arthi
Summary: This study investigates the impact of different engine loads and injection strategies on the performance and emissions of an RCCI engine fueled with B20/1-pentanol fuel. The optimal engine parameters are identified and a reliable regression model is developed based on experimental results.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kazuma Obara, Yoshiyuki Kageyama, Sadamu Takeda
Summary: The study achieved directional swimming of microcrystals and explored the mechanism and features of crystal flapper morphology and swimming behavior.
Article
Thermodynamics
Prashant Agrawal, Anthony Buchoux, Gary G. Wells, Rodrigo Ledesma-Aguilar, Anthony J. Walton, Jonathan G. Terry, Glen McHale, Khellil Sefiane, Adam A. Stokes
Summary: We report the development of a microscale engine that uses transition boiling as a propulsion mode and the Leidenfrost effect as a friction-less bearing. Compared to a Leidenfrost engine, the transition boiling micro engine shows significantly improved performance (up to 3 orders of magnitude higher efficiency). We characterize and model the engine performance with temperature, providing a new approach to generating torque with a virtually frictionless bearing in micro-engines.
APPLIED THERMAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Donghan Geng, Jiedong Cui, Lijun Fan
Summary: Solar desalination systems powered by solar dish-Stirling engines show increased water productivity with increasing absorber temperature, with the optimal energy and exergy efficiency range between 1100 to 1300 K. The system's maximum water productivity point is found at a higher sink side temperature.
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Olga Movilla Miangolarra, Amirhossein Taghvaei, Yongxin Chen, Tryphon T. Georgiou
Summary: The paper presents the concept of an autonomous Stirling-like engine powered by anisotropy of thermodynamic fluctuations. By simultaneously contacting a thermodynamic system with two heat baths along coupled degrees of freedom, torque and circulatory currents are generated to drive the engine. The electrical model of the engine consists of resistors and reactive elements, and stability analysis confirms its sustained power output. The study also establishes connections to the dynamics of a damped pendulum and a macroscopic Stirling engine.
PHYSICAL REVIEW RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Mohamed F. Al-Dawody, Wisam Al-Obaidi, Emad D. Aboud, Mohammed A. Abdulwahid, Khaled Al-Farhany, Wasim Jamshed, Mohamed R. Eid, Zehba Raizah, Amjad Iqbal
Summary: The volumetric replacement of aqueous ammonia (NH4OH) with original diesel in a dual-fuel diesel engine is investigated using Diesel-RK software. Different volumetric percentages of ammonia solution and diesel are used in the experiment. Numerical analysis based on a multizone combustion model shows that adding ammonia solution reduces combustion pressure and heat release, and increases Sauter diameter and ignition delay. However, it also decreases engine performance due to lower heating values of NH4OH compared to diesel. Furthermore, the addition of ammonia significantly reduces combustion temperature and leads to a remarkable reduction in NOx and soot emissions.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Shaimaa Seyam, Ibrahim Dincer, Martin Agelin-Chaab
Summary: This paper presents a new design of marine engines that replace two-stroke internal combustion engines with a combination of gas Brayton cycle, solid oxide fuel cell, and two organic Rankine cycles. Sustainable fuels such as hydrogen, methane, dimethyl ether, ethanol, and methanol are used, along with liquified natural gas for cooling processes. The thermodynamic analysis shows that the integrated hybridized marine engine has improved performance with a total power boost of 33% and average energetic and exergetic efficiencies of 38% and 46% respectively. The proposed engine achieves maximum power with sustainable fuel blends, resulting in an 83% reduction in carbon emissions and minimum specific fuel consumption.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Radoslaw Wrobel, Gustaw Sierzputowski, Zbigniew Sroka, Radostin Dimitrov
Summary: Alternative fuels have a long history dating back to the early days of internal combustion engine design. This study compared the vibration-acoustic responses of a diesel engine and a biodiesel (B10) engine, showing significant differences in vibration profiles, particularly at higher speeds. The research highlights the impact of biodiesel fuel on vibroacoustic characteristics in engine operation.
Editorial Material
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Carlo Manzo, Gorka Munoz-Gil, Giovanni Volpe, Miguel Angel Garcia-March, Maciej Lewenstein, Ralf Metzler
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS A-MATHEMATICAL AND THEORETICAL
(2023)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Falko Schmidt, Agnese Callegari, Abdallah Daddi-Moussa-Ider, Battulga Munkhbat, Ruggero Verre, Timur Shegai, Mikael Kaell, Hartmut Loewen, Andrea Gambassi, Giovanni Volpe
Summary: Researchers have demonstrated the tunable repulsive critical Casimir forces, which are important for the development of micro- and nanodevices. The stiction between parts in micro- and nanodevices, caused by attractive Casimir-Lifshitz forces, has been successfully counteracted by the repulsive critical Casimir forces. This breakthrough provides active control and precise tunability in the forces acting between the constituent parts.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
David Bronte Ciriza, Alessandro Magazzu, Agnese Callegari, Gunther Barbosa, Antonio A. . R. . Neves, Maria Antonia Iati, Giovanni Volpe, Onofrio M. Marago
Summary: Optical forces are commonly calculated using the discretization of trapping light beam into rays. This method has limitations in terms of speed and accuracy. In this research, we show that neural networks can overcome these limitations and provide faster and more accurate simulations. We demonstrate this by studying optically trapped spherical particles and ellipsoidal particles in a double trap using neural networks.
Article
Optics
Giovanni Volpe, Onofrio M. Marago, Halina Rubinsztein-Dunlop, Giuseppe Pesce, Alexander B. Stilgoe, Giorgio Volpe, Georgiy Tkachenko, Viet Giang Truong, Sile Nic Chormaic, Fatemeh Kalantarifard, Parviz Elahi, Mikael Kall, Agnese Callegari, Manuel Marques, Antonio A. R. Neves, Wendel L. Moreira, Adriana Fontes, Carlos L. Cesar, Rosalba Saija, Abir Saidi, Paul Beck, Joerg S. Eismann, Peter Banzer, Thales F. D. Fernandes, Francesco Pedaci, Warwick P. Bowen, Rahul Vaippully, Muruga Lokesh, Basudev Roy, Gregor Thalhammer-Thurner, Monika Ritsch-Marte, Laura Perez Garcia, Alejandro Arzola, Isaac Perez Castillo, Aykut Argun, Till M. Muenker, Bart E. Vos, Timo Betz, Ilaria Cristiani, Paolo Minzioni, Peter J. Reece, Fan Wang, David McGloin, Justus C. Ndukaife, Romain Quidant, Reece P. Roberts, Cyril Laplane, Thomas Volz, Reuven Gordon, Dag Hanstorp, Javier Tello Marmolejo, Graham D. Bruce, Kishan Dholakia, Tongcang Li, Oto Brzobohaty, Stephen H. Simpson, Pavel Zemanek, Felix Ritort, Yael Roichman, Valeriia Bobkova, Raphael Wittkowski, Cornelia Denz, G. V. Pavan Kumar, Antonino Foti, Maria Grazia Donato, Pietro G. Gucciardi, Lucia Gardini, Giulio Bianchi, Anatolii Kashchuk, Marco Capitanio, Lynn Paterson, Philip H. Jones, Kirstine Berg-Sorensen, Younes F. Barooji, Lene B. Oddershede, Pegah Pouladian, Daryl Preece, Caroline Beck Adiels, Anna Chiara De Luca, Alessandro Magazzu, David Bronte Ciriza, Maria Antonia Iati, Grover A. Swartzlander
Summary: Optical tweezers are tools that use light to push, trap, and manipulate objects without physical contact. Since the 1970s, they have evolved into sophisticated instruments and have been widely used in various fields such as life sciences, physics, and engineering. Applications include precise force and torque measurement, micro-rheology of complex fluids, spectroscopy of single micro- and nano-particles, single-cell analysis, and statistical-physics experiments. This roadmap provides insights into the theoretical foundations, designs, and setups of optical forces and tweezers, and offers perspectives for applications in research fields ranging from biophysics to space exploration.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS-PHOTONICS
(2023)
Article
Mechanics
Hammam Mohamed, Joern Sesterhenn, Luca Biancofiore
Summary: In this study, we investigated the effect of side walls on the stability of falling liquid films. By combining a biglobal stability analysis and experimental measurements, we found that strong lateral confinement of the channel stabilizes the flow. The results showed good agreement between theory and experiment.
JOURNAL OF FLUID MECHANICS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Mert Yusuf Cam, Matteo Giacopini, Daniele Dini, Luca Biancofiore
Summary: Hydrodynamic lubrication plays a fundamental role in mechanical systems by reducing energy losses and preventing mechanical breakdown. The classical linear Reynolds equation is insufficient for describing the lubricant characteristics on engineered surfaces, and non-linearities introduced by wall slip and cavitation need to be considered. Therefore, a modified two-dimensional Reynolds equation is proposed to capture both the cavitation presence and wall slippage, leading to improved accuracy and computational efficiency.
TRIBOLOGY INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Marcel Rey, Giovanni Volpe, Giorgio Volpe
Summary: Light can alter the motion of objects and is an ideal tool to drive microscopic particles and make them active. Research in the field of soft active matter has focused on utilizing light intensity, but recent advances have also explored other properties of light such as wavelength, polarization, and momentum. Fully exploiting all properties of light will enhance control over active matter and the flow of light itself, leading to advancements in soft active matter systems and their technological applications.
Article
Mechanics
Humayun Ahmed, Luca Biancofiore
Summary: This study examines the mechanical properties and load carrying capacity of lubricating oil films, showing that the Weissenberg number, finite extensibility parameter, and journal eccentricity ratio have significant effects.
JOURNAL OF NON-NEWTONIAN FLUID MECHANICS
(2023)
Article
Biology
Daniel Vereb, Mite Mijalkov, Anna Canal-Garcia, Yu-Wei Chang, Emiliano Gomez-Ruiz, Blanca Zufiria Gerboles, Miia Kivipelto, Per Svenningsson, Henrik Zetterberg, Giovanni Volpe, Matthew Betts, Heidi I. L. Jacobs, Joana B. Pereira
Summary: This study investigates the functional heterogeneity of the locus coeruleus (LC) in different age groups using brain imaging techniques, and finds that it is associated with age, emotional memory, and emotion regulation. The study also reveals that the spatial features of the LC's functional heterogeneity are relevant markers of behavioral measures and psychopathology.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
A. Gülce Bayram, Fabian Jan Schwarzendahl, Hartmut Lowen, Luca Biancofiore
Summary: This paper investigates the role of self-propulsion in the rheological response of a dense colloidal suspension through particle-resolved Brownian dynamics simulations. It is found that self-propulsion lowers the stress barrier needed to be overcome during the disordering transition of the suspension. The rheological response of the active sheared system shows a transition from shear-thinning to shear-thickening behavior with increasing self-propulsion, attributed to clustering induced by motility.
Article
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
Jesus Pineda, Benjamin Midtvedt, Harshith Bachimanchi, Sergio Noe, Daniel Midtvedt, Giovanni Volpe, Carlo Manzo
Summary: Despite recent improvements in microscopy acquisition methods, extracting quantitative information from biological experiments in crowded conditions is a challenging task. Pineda and colleagues propose a geometric deep-learning-based framework for automated trajectory linking and dynamical property estimation that is able to effectively deal with complex biological scenarios.
NATURE MACHINE INTELLIGENCE
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Juan S. Sierra, Jesus Pineda, Daniela Rueda, Alejandro Tello, Angelica M. Prada, Virgilio Galvis, Giovanni Volpe, Maria S. Millan, Lenny A. Romero, Andres G. Marrugo
Summary: This paper proposes a UNet-based segmentation approach for assessing the human corneal endothelium (CE) in Fuchs' dystrophy, which achieves reliable CE morphometric assessment and guttae identification.
BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS
(2023)
