Medical ultrasound imaging with Doppler plays an essential role in the diagnosis of vascular disease. This study intended to review the clinical use of "to-and-fro" waveform at duplex Doppler ultrasonography (DDU) in the diagnosis of pseudoaneurysms in the arterial vessels of upper and lower extremities, abdominal aorta, carotid and vertebral arteries as well as to review our personal experiences of "to-and-fro" waveform at DDU also. After receiving institutional review board approval, an inclusive literature review was carried out in order to review the scientific foundation of "to-and-fro" waveform at DDU and its clinical use in the diagnosis of pseudoaneurysms in various arterial vessels. Articles published in the English language between 2000 and 2013 were evaluated in this review study. Pseudoaneurysms in arterial vessels of the upper and lower extremities, abdominal aorta, carotid and vertebral arteries characterized by an extraluminal pattern of blood flow, which shows variable echogenicity, interval complexity, and "to-and-fro" flow pattern on color Doppler ultrasonography. In these arterial vessels, Duplex ultrasonography can demonstrate the degree of clotting, pseudoaneurysm communication, the blood flow patterns and velocities. Spectral Doppler applied to pseudoaneurysms lumen revealed systolic and diastolic turbulent blood flow with traditional "to-and-fro" waveform in the communicating channel. Accurate diagnosis of pseudoaneurysm by spectral Doppler is based on the documentation of the "to-and-fro" waveform. The size of pseudoaneurysm determines the appropriate treatment approach as surgical or conservative.
We employed density functional theory to inspect the impact of Ir-decoration on the sensing performance of a GaN nanotube (GaNNT) in the detection of mesalamine (MA). The interaction of the pristine GaNNT with MA was found to be weak, and the sensing response was approximately 4.3. Decorating an Ir atom into the GaNNT surface increased the adsorption energy (Ead) of MA from −6.7 to −23.8 kcal/mol. The sensing response significantly increased to 89.4 after decorating the Ir atom. A short recovery time of 22.0 s was found for the desorption of MA from the surface of the Ir-decorated GaNNT at 298 K. The water solvent reduced Ead of MA to −19.8 kcal/mol. Thus, we concluded that the Ir-decorated GaNNT might be a highly sensitive MA sensor with a short recovery time.
Employing phase-change materials (PCM) is considered a very efficient and cost-effective option for addressing the mismatch between the energy supply and the demand. The high storage density, little temperature degradation, and ease of material processing register the PCM as a key candidate for the thermal energy storage system. However, the sluggish response rates during their melting and solidification processes limit their applications and consequently require the inclusion of heat transfer enhancers. This research aims to investigate the potential enhancement of circular fins on intensifying the PCM thermal response in a vertical triple-tube casing. Fin arrays of non-uniform dimensions and distinct distribution patterns were designed and investigated to determine the impact of modifying the fin geometric characteristics and distribution patterns in various spatial zones of the heat exchanger. Parametric analysis on the various fin structures under consideration was carried out to determine the most optimal fin structure from the perspective of the transient melting evolution and heat storage rates while maintaining the same design limitations of fin material and volume usage. The results revealed that changing the fin dimensions with the heat-flow direction results in a faster charging rate, a higher storage rate, and a more uniform temperature distribution when compared to a uniform fin size. The time required to fully charge the storage system (fully melting of the PCM) was found to be reduced by up to 10.4%, and the heat storage rate can be improved by up to 9.3% compared to the reference case of uniform fin sizes within the same fin volume limitations.
In this research, a numerical analysis is accomplished aiming to investigate the effects of adding a new design fins arrangement to a vertical triplex tube latent heat storage system during the melting mechanism and evaluate the natural convection effect using Ansys Fluent software. In the triplex tube, phase change material (PCM) is included in the middle tube, while the heat transfer fluid (HTF) flows through the interior and exterior pipes. The proposed fins are triangular fins attached to the pipe inside the PCM domain in two different ways: (1) the base of the triangular fins is connected to the pipe, (2) the tip of the triangular fins is attached to the pipe and the base part is directed to the PCM domain. The height of the fins is calculated to have a volume equal to that of the uniform rectangular fins. Three different cases are considered as the final evaluation toward the best case as follows: (1) the uniform fin case (case 3), (2) the reverse triangular fin case with a constant base (case 12), (3) the reverse triangular fin case with a constant height (case 13). The numerical results show that the total melting times for cases 3 and 12 increase by 4.0 and 10.1%, respectively, compared with that for case 13. Since the PCM at the bottom of the heat storage unit melts slower due to the natural convection effect, a flat fin is added to the bottom of the heat storage unit for the best case compared with the uniform fin cases. Furthermore, the heat storage rates for cases 3 and 12 are reduced by 4.5 and 8.5%, respectively, compared with that for case 13, which is selected as the best case due to having the lowest melting time (1978s) and the highest heat storage rate (81.5 W). The general outcome of this research reveals that utilizing the tringle fins enhances the thermal performance and the phase change rate.
Due to the potential cost saving and minimal temperature stratification, the energy storage based on phase-change materials (PCMs) can be a reliable approach for decoupling energy demand from immediate supply availability. However, due to their high heat resistance, these materials necessitate the introduction of enhancing additives, such as expanded surfaces and fins, to enable their deployment in more widespread thermal and energy storage applications. This study reports on how circular fins with staggered distribution and variable orientations can be employed for addressing the low thermal response rates in a PCM (Paraffin RT-35) triple-tube heat exchanger consisting of two heat-transfer fluids flow in opposites directions through the inner and the outer tubes. Various configurations, dimensions, and orientations of the circular fins at different flow conditions of the heat-transfer fluid were numerically examined and optimized using an experimentally validated computational fluid-dynamic model. The results show that the melting rate, compared with the base case of finless, can be improved by 88% and the heat charging rate by 34%, when the fin orientation is downward–upward along the left side and the right side of the PCM shell. The results also show that there is a benefit if longer fins with smaller thicknesses are adopted in the vertical direction of the storage unit. This benefit helps natural convection to play a greater role, resulting in higher melting rates. Changing the fins’ dimensions from (thickness × length) 2 × 7.071 mm2 to 0.55 × 25.76 mm2 decreases the melting time by 22% and increases the heat charging rate by 9.6%. This study has also confirmed the importance of selecting the suitable values of Reynolds numbers and the inlet temperatures of the heat-transfer fluid for optimizing the melting enhancement potential of circular fins with downward–upward fin orientations.