The phenolic urethane cold box (PUCB) process is widely employed for sand core production in the foundry industry. It allows high production rates of sand cores, which are later used for producing complex metal castings. The process begins by shooting a sand–binder mixture into a core box to define the core geometry. During the subsequent curing stage, catalysts are introduced to harden the binders and are then removed by blowing dry compressed air through the sand core. In order to optimize this complex and highly dynamic production process for efficiency and core quality, there is a need for measurement systems that can reliably monitor the curing stage. In this study, we present a measurement system capable of capturing the dynamics of the PUCB core-curing stage via ultrasonic time-of-flight measurements. By measuring the speed of sound, the concentration of the catalyst in the exhaust airstream is determined. Volumetric flow rate and temperature are measured simultaneously. The measurement system is validated, and measurement uncertainties are discussed. We demonstrate the measurement system in a PUCB core-making machine using N,N-dimethyl-n-propylamine (DMPA) as the catalyst. DMPA concentrations of up to 3.6 % ± 0.5 % (coverage factor k=1) were found in the exhaust airstream. The measurements provide insights into the dynamics of the curing stage, and we showcase the potential for the optimization of catalyst removal. Integrating this measurement system into core-making machines enables automation strategies, potentially enhancing efficiency and product quality in foundry operations.

Hydrogen blending offers significant potential for decarbonizing natural gas-based thermal processes, particularly in the steel and cement sectors. Due to its distinct combustion properties compared to natural gas-such as lower minimum air requirements and altered flame speeds-the hydrogen fraction of the fuel must be monitored for combustion control. In this study, we present an ultrasonic time-of-flight measurement system for hydrogen concentrations of 0-40% in natural gas. The system is verified with test gas mixtures at laboratory scale and validated in a technical-scale setup using a real blower burner (< 60 kW). We evaluate uncertainty of the hydrogen fraction measurement and analyze the influence of varying natural gas compositions. We show that standard uncertainties below 4% can be achieved without knowledge of the specific natural gas composition. Our results provide insights for measurement system design and support the safe application of hydrogen in thermal systems for industrial processes.

Water management in proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) is critical for efficient operation. However, in-situ measurements of the water distribution in an operating PEMFC are challenging. In this study, we investigate key aspects of ultrasonic guided wave (UGW) propagation through the bipolar plate of a PEMFC using 3D scanning laser Doppler vibrometry (3D LDV). Our results provide insights for the design and optimization of UGW-based sensor systems for water detection in PEMFCs.

Water management is a key issue in the design and operation of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). For an efficient and stable operation, the accumulation of liquid water inside the flow channels has to be prevented. Existing measurement methods for localizing water are limited in terms of the integration and application of measurements in operating PEMFC stacks. In this study, we present a measurement method for the localization of liquid water based on ultrasonic guided waves. Using a sparse sensing array of four piezoelectric wafer active sensors (PWAS), the measurement requires only minor changes in the PEMFC cell design. The measurement method is demonstrated with ex situ measurements for water drop localization on a single bipolar plate. The wave propagation of the guided waves and their interaction with water drops on different positions of the bipolar plate are investigated. The complex geometry of the bipolar plate leads to complex guided wave responses. Thus, physical modeling of the wave propagation and tomographic methods are not suitable for the localization of the water drops. Using machine learning methods, it is demonstrated that the position of a water drop can be obtained from the guided wave responses despite the complex geometry of the bipolar plate. Our results show standard deviations of 4.2 mm and 3.3 mm in the x and y coordinates, respectively. The measurement method shows high potential for in situ measurements in PEMFC stacks as well as for other applications that require deposit localization on geometrically complex waveguides.

Dropwise condensation (DWC) has the potential to enhance heat transfer compared to filmwise condensation (FWC). The heat transfer rates achieved by DWC depend on the drop size distribution, which is influenced by nucleation processes of newly formed drops. In DWC modeling, the nucleation site density N-s is used as an input parameter to obtain the drop size distribution of small drops. However, due to the small scale of the condensate nuclei, direct observation is difficult, and experimental data on the nucleation site density are scarce. In the literature, values in the range of 10(9) m(-2) to 10(15) m(-2) can be found for N-s. In this paper, we report DWC experiments on SiO2 and 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane (PFDTES) thin hydrophobic coatings that show significantly different nucleation site densities. Nucleation site densities are estimated from high-speed imaging of small drops during initial condensation and from model calibration using established DWC theory. We have found the values for N-s to be in the range from 1:1 x 10(10) m(-2) to 5:1 x 10(11) m(-2) for the SiO2 coating and 10(11) m(-2) to 10(13) m(-2) for the PFDTES coating. Our results show that there can be large differences in the nucleation site density under similar conditions depending on the surface properties. This underlines the importance of investigating nucleation site density specifically for each surface and under consideration of the specific process conditions used for DWC.

Established heat transfer models for dropwise condensation (DWC) consider wetting behavior, surface structure and nucleation dynamics to calculate the heat flux. However, model results often deviate from experiments, in part due to uncertainties of the model input parameters. In this study, we apply quantitative sensitivity analysis to a pure steam DWC heat transfer model in order to attribute the variation of the model result to its input parameters. Four scenarios with different variations of the model parameters are discussed and sensitivity coefficients for each parameter are calculated. Our results show a high sensitivity of the model result towards the coating thickness, the contact angle and the nucleation site density, underlining the need to accurately determine these parameters in DWC experiments.

Herein we compare various preparation methods for thin ZIF-8 layers on a Cu substrate for application as a host material for omniphobic lubricant-infused surfaces. Such omniphobic surfaces can be used in thermal engineering applications, for example to achieve dropwise condensation or anti-fouling and anti-icing surface properties. For these applications, a thin, conformal, homogeneous, mechanically and chemically stable coating is essential. In this study, thin ZIF-8 layers were deposited on a Cu substrate by different routes, such as (i) electrochemical anodic deposition on a Zn-covered Cu substrate, (ii) doctor blade technique for preparation of a composite layer containing PVDF binder and ZIF-8, as well as (iii) doctor blade technique for preparation of a two-layer composite on the Cu substrate containing a PVDF-film and a ZIF-8 layer. The morphology and topography of the coatings were compared by using profilometry, XRD, SEM and TEM techniques. After infusion with a perfluorinated oil, the wettability of the surfaces was assessed by contact angle measurements, and advantages of each preparation method were discussed.

Superhierarchically rough films are rapidly synthesised on metal substrates via electrochemically triggered self-assembly of meso/macroporous-structured metal-organic framework (MOF) crystals. These coatings are applied to immobilise a functional oil with low surface energy to provide stable coatings repellent to a wide range of hydrophobic as well as hydrophilic fluids. Such omniphobic surfaces are highly interesting for several applications such as anti-fouling, anti-icing, and dropwise condensation, and become easily scalable with the presented bottom-up fabrication approach. As investigated by environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), the presented perfluorinated oil-infused Cu-BTC coating constitutes of a flat liquid-covered surface with protruding edges of octahedral superstructured MOF crystals. Water and non-polar diiodomethane droplets form considerably high contact angles and even low-surface-tension fluids, e.g. acetone, form droplets on the infused coating. The repellent properties towards the test fluids do not change upon extended water spraying in contrast to oil-infused porous copper oxide or native copper surfaces. It is discussed in detail, how the presented electrodeposited MOF films grow and provide a proficient surface morphology to stabilise the functional oil film due to hemiwicking.

Compared to filmwise condensation on conventional condenser surfaces, heat transfer can be significantly enhanced by tuning the wettability of the surface to promote dropwise condensation. Following rapid advances in surface engineering, the last years have seen an unprecedented interest in dropwise condensation research. This brief review highlights recent advances in theory and experimental investigation regarding dropwise condensation on smooth hydrophobic surfaces, micro- and nanostructured superhydrophobic surfaces, biphilic surfaces with patterned wettability, and lubricant-infused surfaces.