Institute for power, process and environmental engineering

To monitor the progress and prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in real time and outside laboratories, it is essential to develop effective tests that can ensure rapid, selective, and reliable diagnosis of infected persons in different environments. Key in this regard is the lateral flow immunoassays (LFIAs) that can detect the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus quickly, with the aid of nanoparticles (NPs) and specific proteins. We report the use of gold (Au) NPs AuNPs synthesised from a gold(iii) chloride tetrahydrate precursor in a USP device and collected in a suspension composed of deionised water with polyvinylpyrrolidone as a stabiliser and cryoprotectant. In combination with freeze-drying of the AuNPs’ suspension to achieve water elimination, improved stability, and the target concentration, they exhibit the necessary properties for use as markers in LFIA rapid diagnostic tests. This was confirmed by complementary characterisation determined by using the techniques incl...

The present study deals with the numerical analysis of the solidification process of a NiTi binary alloy. The physical medium is taken as an incompressible fluid where the heat is transferred by conduction and convection, including the thermal phase change phenomenon. The energy equation, which includes both convection-diffusion heat transfer and a mushy region for the phase-change (solidification), is modelled by using an enthalpy-based formulation. The numerical approach is based on the finite volume method in body fitted coordinates with a PISO scheme to couple the pressure and velocity fields. The results are presented for the temperature field, as well as for the NiTi mass fraction during the solidification process.

The Ni/Y2O3 catalyst showed high catalytic activity. Based on this, the aim of this study was to create Ni/Y2O3 nanocomposites powder with two innovative technologies, Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis (USP) and lyophilisation. In the USP process, thermal decomposition of the generated aerosols in an N2/H2 reduction atmosphere caused a complete decomposition of the nickel (II) nitrate to elemental Ni, which became trapped on the formed Y2O3 nanoparticles. The Ni/Y2O3 nanocomposite particles were captured via gas washing in an aqueous solution of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) in collection bottles. PVP was chosen for its ability to stabilise nano-suspensions and as an effective cryoprotectant. Consequently, there was no loss or agglomeration of Ni/Y2O3 nanocomposite material during the lyophilisation process. The Ni/Y2O3 nanocomposite powder was analysed using ICP-MS, SEM-EDX, and XPS, which showed the impact of different precursor concentrations on the final Ni/Y2O3 nanocomposite particle com...

The objective of the present work is to analyze influence of temperature boundary conditions on the solidification process of NiTi alloy. Alloy is taken as an incompressible fluid where the heat is transferred by conduction and convection, including the thermal phase change phenomenon. The last one is modelled by the improvement procedure, so-called enthalpy-porosity formulation, where the liquid-solid mushy zone is treated as a porous zone with porosity equal to the liquid fraction. The numerical model is based on the finite volume method in body fitted coordinates with a SIMPLER scheme to couple the pressure and velocity fields. Simulation presents solidification for two cooling cases on the cylindrical part, where in the first case the adiabatic boundary condition is considered and in the second case the convective cooling over the wall is present. The results are presented for the velocity and temperature field as well as for the NiTi mass fraction during the solidification proc...

The development of new multicomponent nanoparticles is gaining increasing importance due to their specific functional properties, i.e., synthesised new complex concentrated nanoparticles (CCNPs) in the form of powder using ultrasonic spray pyrolysis (USP) and lyophilisation from the initial cast Ag20Pd20Pt20Cu20Ni20 alloy, which was in the function of the material after its catalytic abilities had been exhausted. Hydrometallurgical treatment was used to dissolve the cast alloy, from which the USP precursor was prepared. As a consequence of the incomplete dissolution of the cast alloy and the formation of Pt and Ni complexes, it was found that the complete recycling of the alloy is not possible. A microstructural examination of the synthesised CCNPs showed that round and mostly spherical (not 100%) nanoparticles were formed, with an average diameter of 200 nm. Research has shown that CCNPs belong to the group with medium entropy characteristics. A mechanism for the formation of CCNPs...

Lateral flow immunoassays (LFIAs) are a simple diagnostic device used to detect targeted analytes. Wasted and unused rapid antigen lateral flow immunoassays represent mass waste that needs to be broken down and recycled into new material components. The aim of this study was to recover gold nanoparticles that are used as markers in lateral flow immunoassays. For this purpose, a dissolution process with aqua regia was utilised, where gold nanoparticles were released from the lateral flow immunoassay conjugate pads. The obtained solution was then concentrated further with gold chloride salt (HAuCl4) so that it could be used for the synthesis of new gold nanoparticles in the process of ultrasonic spray pyrolysis (USP). Various characterisation methods including scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and optical emission spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma were used during this study. The results of this study showed tha...

Efficiency of cooling fins inside of a light emitting diode fog lamp is studied using computational fluid dynamics. Diffusion in heat sink, natural convection and radiation are the main principles of the simulated heat transfer. The Navier-Stokes equations were solved by the computational fluid dynamics code, including Monte Carlo radiation model and no additional turbulence model was needed. The numerical simulation is tested using the existing lamp geometry and temperature measurements. The agreement is excellent inside of few degrees at all measured points. The main objective of the article is to determine the cooling effect of various heat sink parts. Based on performed simulations, some heat sink parts are found to be very ineffective. The geometry and heat sink modifications are proposed. While radiation influence is significant, compressible effects are found to be minor.