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Go to Editorial ManagerThe separation of water from crude oil emulsions is a critical and complex challenge in petroleum production and processing. Water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions increase viscosity, pose corrosion risks, reduce refining efficiency, and raise significant environmental concerns. Traditional separation methods often struggle with stable emulsions containing small droplets due to limitations in cost, environmental impact, and effectiveness. Electro-coalescence demulsification has emerged as a promising technique that applies electric fields to enhance droplet coalescence, facilitating efficient water removal. This comprehensive review examines the influence of electrode geometry on electro-coalescence systems in depth, synthesizes key findings from numerous studies, and provides a detailed analysis of electrode spacing calculations, critical conditions for effective demulsification, and optimal operational parameters. By exploring these aspects comprehensively, the review offers insights into how electrode design affects demulsification efficiency, guiding future advancements in crude oil processing and contributing to more sustainable practices in the petroleum industry.
The electrodes material plays an important role in the amount of electricity produced in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Metal electrodes used in MFCs are subject to biological and concentration cell corrosion which leads to a decrease in the cell efficiency. In the present work, the corrosion behavior of three selected electrode materials, namely, stainless steel, copper, and zinc under different operating conditions was investigated and discussed. In anode chamber, the microorganism (MO) used was Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) with sodium acetate as a substrate forming the microbial corrosive solution. In the cathode chamber, the corrosive solution is aerated water. The effects of different operating parameters on the corrosion rate (CR) of these electrodes were studied such as: microorganism concentration, aeration of cathode chamber, and flow velocity in cathode chamber. The potential of the each electrode was measured to understand the corrosion behavior of electrodes and the produced current was also investigated. It was found that the corrosion rate of the electrodes in both anode and cathode chambers increases with increasing MO concentration in anode chamber and with increasing agitation speed in cathode chamber. The bio-corrosion is an important part of the corrosion occurring in microorganism chamber. The stainless steel exhibited the lowest corrosion rate for the whole investigated range of operating parameters followed by copper. The zinc electrode was found to be poor as an electrode in MFC as its corrosion rate was very high in all conditions investigated. In addition, this study showed that the air pumping in water chamber causes an appreciable increase in the corrosion rate in both chambers and an increase in the produced current.
An experimental study was conducted to investigate the mass transport behavior for electrochemical reduction of copper in the presence of 0.5M H2SO4 as supporting electrolyte by limiting current technique (LCT). The experiments were carried out via rotating cylinder electrode made of copper as cathode. The effects of various operating conditions: rotation rates 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500rpm, electrolyte temperatures 30, 45, and 60?, and cupric ions concentration 250, 500, and 750 ppm on mass transfer rate were studied. It was observed that mass transfer coefficient based mainly on rotation rates, then temperature and finally cupric ions concentration. The electrodeposition of cupric ions was proved to be a mass control. The mass transfer coefficient for rotating cylinder electrode was correlated with the aid of dimensionless groups as follows:Sh = 0.236 Re0.664 Sc0.356And the above correlation is a good agreement with eisenberg equation.
The non-woven materials industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world with the ability to produce materials in less time, specifications, and better prices. nonwoven materials are defined as a web of guided or random fibers that are bonded by friction, interlacement or adhesion. In this research, the rotary electrospinning system was used and a prototype was made to study the process and the complete visualization in terms of the correlation of the electrostatic forces to the formation of nanofibers by preparing polymeric solutions and exposing them to the electric field between the positive electrode (the serrated cylinder) and the Grounded electrode (plate) and produced high-precision fibers with a diameter (185nm) at 25 kV, whereas the installation of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was with different concentrations and the formed fibers possessed an effective surface and deposited on a collector electrode forming nonwoven webs and high productivity is the most important feature of this system compared with the traditional electrospinning system.
An overview of electro-osmosis (EO) and electrokinetic (EK) soil treatment methods is provided in this paper, along with their impact on pile capacity, installation, and foundation shear strength after improving the geotechnical properties of weak soils, particularly soft clays. As a result of their low shear strength, high compressibility, and poor drainage characteristics, soft clayey soils pose significant challenges in civil engineering. With EO and EK, pore water and ions are moved through the soil matrix under an applied electric field, resulting in consolidation, increased shear strength, and reduced plasticity. This review explores the fundamental principles of EO and EK, including the mechanisms of water transport, ion migration, and electrochemical reactions. It examines various electrode configurations, treatment parameters, and their influence on soil improvement. Furthermore, the paper analyzes the effects of EO treatment on pile capacity, considering both the increase in soil strength and the reduction in pore water pressure during installation. The impact on pile installation methods, such as reducing driving resistance and improving grout penetration, is also discussed. Finally, the review investigates the enhancement of foundation shear strength through improved soil properties achieved by EO/EK treatment. By synthesizing existing research, this paper aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the potential benefits and limitations of EO and EK methods for ground improvement in soft clayey soils, offering valuable insights for future research and practical applications in geotechnical engineering.
Mobility limitations in stroke survivors yield negative impacts on the quality of life for such individuals. Rehabilitation is needed to help them recover and regain mobility. Accordingly, this study aims to design and validate a “Robotic Exoskeleton” intended for stroke rehabilitation. The basic principles of this robotic exoskeleton device are its dependence on electromyography signal and electronic microcontroller to provide an efficient physiotherapy exercises system.The robotic exoskeleton is a one degree of freedom which performs the flexion and extension of the elbow joint. After the design was completed, 19 subjects participated in this study: 4 healthy subjects, and 15 post-stroke patients.The results showed the benefit of robotic exoskeleton in increasing the elbow range of motion, where angle of elbow flexion was raised from the first physiotherapy session to maximum elbow flexion in the last session.