High-throughput printing of combinatorial materials from aerosols.

The development of new materials and their compositional and microstructural optimization are essential in regard to next-generation technologies such as clean energy and environmental sustainability. However, materials discovery and optimization have been a frustratingly slow process. The Edisonian trial-and-error process is time consuming and resource inefficient, particularly when contrasted with vast materials design spaces1. Whereas traditional combinatorial deposition methods can generate material libraries2,3, these suffer from limited material options and inability to leverage major breakthroughs in nanomaterial synthesis. Here we report a high-throughput combinatorial printing method capable of fabricating materials with compositional gradients at microscale spatial resolution. In situ mixing and printing in the aerosol phase allows instantaneous tuning of the mixing ratio of a broad range of materials on the fly, which is an important feature unobtainable in conventional multimaterials printing using feedstocks in liquid-liquid or solid-solid phases4-6. We demonstrate a variety of high-throughput printing strategies and applications in combinatorial doping, functional grading and chemical reaction, enabling materials exploration of doped chalcogenides and compositionally graded materials with gradient properties. The ability to combine the top-down design freedom of additive manufacturing with bottom-up control over local material compositions promises the development of compositionally complex materials inaccessible via conventional manufacturing approaches.

Temperature Dependency Model in Pressure Measurement for the Motion-Capturing Pressure-Sensitive Paint Method.

Pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) has received significant attention for capturing surface pressure in recent years. One major source of uncertainty in PSP measurements, temperature dependency, stems from the fundamental photophysical process that allows PSP to extract pressure information. The motion-capturing PSP method, which involves two luminophores, is introduced as a method to reduce the measurement uncertainty due to temperature dependency. A theoretical model for the pressure uncertainty due to temperature dependency is proposed and demonstrated using a static pressure measurement with an applied temperature gradient. The experimental validation of the proposed model shows that the motion-capturing PSP method reduces the temperature dependency by 37.7% compared to the conventional PSP method. The proposed model also proves that a PSP with zero temperature dependency is theoretically possible.

Predicting Pressure Sensitivity to Luminophore Content and Paint Thickness of Pressure-Sensitive Paint Using Artificial Neural Network.

An artificial neural network (ANN) was constructed and trained for predicting pressure sensitivity using an experimental dataset consisting of luminophore content and paint thickness as chemical and physical inputs. A data augmentation technique was used to increase the number of data points based on the limited experimental observations. The prediction accuracy of the trained ANN was evaluated by using a metric, mean absolute percentage error. The ANN predicted pressure sensitivity to luminophore content and to paint thickness, within confidence intervals based on experimental errors. The present approach of applying ANN and the data augmentation has the potential to predict pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) characterizations that improve the performance of PSP for global surface pressure measurements.

Phenol-Formaldehyde Resin for Optical-Chemical Temperature Sensing.

The application of phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resin as an optical temperature sensor is investigated. Recent developments in optical luminescent sensors allow for global measurements to be made over the surface of a test article, extending beyond conventional point measurements. Global temperature distributions are particularly helpful when validating computational models or when mapping temperature over complex geometries, and can be used to calculate surface heat flux values. Temperature-sensitive paint (TSP) is a novel chemical approach to obtaining these global temperature measurements, but there are still challenges to overcome to make it a reliable tool. A sensor with a wide range of temperature sensitivity is desired to provide the maximum amount of utility, especially for tests spanning large temperature gradients. Naturally luminescent materials such as PF resin provide an attractive alternative to chemical sensor coatings, and PF resin is studied for this reason. Static tests of different PF resin samples are conducted using two binder materials to strengthen the material: cloth and paper. The material shows temperature sensitivities up to -0.8%/K, demonstrating the usefulness of PF resin as a temperature sensor.

Dynamic and Steady Characteristics of Polymer-Ceramic Pressure-Sensitive Paint with Variation in Layer Thickness.

Polymer-ceramic pressure-sensitive paint (PC-PSP) has been investigated as a surface-pressure sensor for unsteady aerodynamics and short duration measurements. This PSP provides a fast response to a change in pressures with a spray-coating ability. Because it is sprayed onto an aerodynamic surface, the thickness of PC-PSP may play an important role in determining the performance of this sensor. The thickness of other fast PSPs, such as anodized aluminum pressure-sensitive paint, is a major factor in determining its performance. We vary the thickness of PC-PSP from 10 to 240 µm in order to study its effects on PSP measurement characteristics including time response, signal level, pressure sensitivity, and temperature dependency. It is found that the thickness does affect these characteristics. However, a thickness over 80 µm provides uniform performance in these characteristics.

Uniformity Study of Two-Functional Luminescent Dyes Adsorbed over an Anodized Aluminum Coating for Motion-Capturing Pressure- and Temperature-Sensitive Paint Imaging.

The pressure- and temperature-sensitive paint (PSP/TSP) technique, for steady-state and unsteady-state measurements, is becoming widespread. However, unsteady quantitative measurement is still difficult because non-uniform distribution of the probes over a test model may cause errors in the results. We focus on the dipping method that applies two luminophores into a binding material to improve sensitivity uniformity over a model surface. A bullet-shaped axisymmetric test model with motion-capturing TSP was used to evaluate the sensitivity uniformity, and three dipping methods (static, convectional, and rotational) were examined. The average peak ratios in the longitudinal direction were 1.17-1.46 for static, 1.38-1.51 for convectional, and 1.42-1.45 for rotational dipping. The standard deviations in the transverse direction were the smallest for rotational (0.022-0.033), relative to static (0.086-0.104), and convectional (0.044-0.065) dipping.

Luminophore application study of polymer-ceramic pressure-sensitive paint.

A polymer-ceramic pressure-sensitive paint (PC-PSP) is a fast responding and sprayable PSP which has been applied for capturing global unsteady flows. The luminophore application process is studied to enhance the characterization of the PC-PSP. A dipping deposition method is used to apply a luminophore on a polymer-ceramic coating. The method selects a solvent by its polarity index. The characterization includes the signal level, pressure sensitivity, temperature dependency, and response time. It is found that the luminophore application process affects the steady-state characterizations, such as the signal level, pressure sensitivity, and temperature dependency. A range of change for each characterization, which is based on the minimum quantity, is a factor of 4.7, 9, and 3.8, respectively. A response time on the order of ten microseconds is shown. The application process is not a dominant factor for changing the response time, which is within the uncertainty of the thickness variation. Comparisons of the effects on the luminophore application process and the polymer content are made to discuss the PC-PSP characterization results.

Drag reduction study of a microfiber-coated cylinder.

Drag reduction for a bluff body is imperative in a time of increasing awareness of the environmental impact and sustainability of air travel. Microfiber coating has demonstrated its ability to reduce drag on a bluff body. This was done by applying strips of the coating to a cylinder. To widen the application range of the microfiber coating, a fully microfiber-coated cylinder is studied as it has no directionality relative to incoming flow. It is hypothesized that a large coating coverage will cause a reduction in drag dependent on the Reynolds number Re. The fully microfiber-coated cylinder is studied in a wind tunnel and the drag coefficient is determined at a range of Re in the subcritical-flow regime. It is found that the drag coefficient of the microfiber-coated cylinder is a function of Re, and the critical Reynolds number, where the maximum drag reduction occurs, is lower for a microfiber-coated cylinder compared to that of a conventional smooth-surface cylinder.

Characterization and optimization of polymer-ceramic pressure-sensitive paint by controlling polymer content.

A pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) with fast response characteristics that can be sprayed on a test article is studied. This PSP consists of a polymer for spraying and a porous particle for providing the fast response. We controlled the polymer content (%) from 10 to 90% to study its effects on PSP characteristics: the signal level, pressure sensitivity, temperature dependency, and time response. The signal level and temperature dependency shows a peak in the polymer content around 50 to 70%. The pressure sensitivity was fairly constant in the range between 0.8 and 0.9 %/kPa. The time response is improved by lowering the polymer content. The variation of the time response is shown to be on the order of milliseconds to ten seconds. A weight coefficient is introduced to optimize the resultant PSPs. By setting the weight coefficient, we can optimize the PSP for sensing purposes.

A dipping duration study for optimization of anodized-aluminum pressure-sensitive paint.

Anodized-aluminum pressure-sensitive paint (AA-PSP) uses the dipping deposition method to apply a luminophore on a porous anodized-aluminum surface. We study the dipping duration, one of the parameters of the dipping deposition related to the characterization of AA-PSP. The dipping duration was varied from 1 to 100,000 s. The properties characterized are the pressure sensitivity, temperature dependency, and signal level. The maximum pressure sensitivity of 65% is obtained at the dipping duration of 100 s, the minimum temperature dependency is obtained at the duration of 1 s, and the maximum signal level is obtained at the duration of 1,000 s, respectively. Among the characteristics, the dipping duration most influences the signal level. The change in the signal level is a factor of 8.4. By introducing a weight coefficient, an optimum dipping duration can be determined. Among all the dipping parameters, such as the dipping duration, dipping solvent, and luminophore concentration, the pressure sensitivity and signal level are most influenced by the dipping solvent.

Optimization of anodized-aluminum pressure-sensitive paint by controlling luminophore concentration.

Anodized-aluminum pressure-sensitive paint (AA-PSP) has been used as a global pressure sensor for unsteady flow measurements. We use a dipping deposition method to apply a luminophore on a porous anodized-aluminum surface, controlling the luminophore concentration of the dipping method to optimize AA-PSP characteristics. The concentration is varied from 0.001 to 10 mM. Characterizations include the pressure sensitivity, the temperature dependency, and the signal level. The pressure sensitivity shows around 60 % at a lower concentration up to 0.1 mM. Above this concentration, the sensitivity reduces to a half. The temperature dependency becomes more than a half by setting the luminophore concentration from 0.001 to 10 mM. There is 3.6-fold change in the signal level by varying the concentration. To discuss an optimum concentration, a weight coefficient is introduced. We can arbitrarily change the coefficients to create an optimized AA-PSP for our sensing purposes.

Global oxygen detection in water using luminescent probe on anodized aluminum.

We have developed anodized-aluminum pressure-sensitive paint (AA-PSP) as a global oxygen sensor in water. Platinum (II) meso-tetra(pentafluorophenyl)porphine is selected as a luminophore based on a dipping deposition study. The developed AA-PSP is characterized using water calibration setup by controlling dissolved oxygen concentration. It is shown that AA-PSP yields 4.0% change in luminescence per 1 mg/L of oxygen concentration at 23°C. Other characteristics, such as temperature dependency, photo-degradation, and physical stability, are discussed in this paper. This AA-PSP is used to demonstrate its capability of global oxygen detection in water using the impingement of oxygen rich water (20 mg/L). Even though the difference in water is only the concentration of oxygen, we can obtain global oxygen information of the jet impingement using a fast frame rate camera. Oxygen maps as well as cross-sectional distributions are shown every 0.1 s.

Novel Superhydrophobic Surface with Solar-Absorptive Material for Improved De-Icing Performance.

Ice accretion is detrimental to numerous industries, including infrastructure, power generation, and aviation applications. Currently, some of the leading de-icing technologies utilize a heating source coupled with a superhydrophobic surface. This superhydrophobic surface reduces the power consumption by the heating element. Further power consumption reduction in these systems can be achieved through an increase in passive heat generation through absorption of solar radiation. In this work, a superhydrophobic surface with increased solar radiation absorption is proposed and characterized. An existing icephobic surface based on a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) microstructure was modified through the addition of graphite microparticles. The proposed surface maintains hydrophobic performance nearly identical to the original superhydrophobic coating as demonstrated by contact and roll-off angles within 2.5% of the original. The proposed graphite coating also has an absorptivity coefficient under exposure to solar radiation 35% greater than typical PTFE-based coatings. The proposed coating was subsequently tested in an icing wind tunnel, and showed an 8.5% and 50% decrease in melting time for rime and glaze ice conditions, respectively.

Characterization method of hydrophobic anti-icing coatings.

For anti-icing, supercooled water should be removed before frozen onto the contact surface. We use a hydrophobic coating for anti-icing and introduce the static- and dynamic-evaluation methods. The methods describe the contact surface between the hydrophobic surface and a supercooled-water droplet. The former is based on the contact angle, and the latter is based on the sliding angle. The temperature factor is included in these models to evaluate the hydrophobic coating under the supercooled conditions. Four hydrophobic coatings are experimentally evaluated based on the static- and dynamic evaluation methods: C1-C3 (commercial fluorocarbon coatings), and Jaxa coating (original fluorocarbon coating). These are evaluated under the supercooled conditions of -10 to 0 °C. The static-evaluation shows variations in the temperature. However, change in the contact angle by the temperature is relatively small compared to that of the sliding angle for the dynamic evaluation. Only C3 and Jaxa coatings are tolerant to the sliding angle under the supercooled conditions tested. The dynamic evaluation shows that even if the coating is hydrophobic, the dynamic evaluation should be included to understand the characteristic of removal for a supercooled-water droplet.

Note: in vivo pH imaging system using luminescent indicator and color camera.

Microscopic in vivo pH imaging system is developed that can capture the luminescent- and color-imaging. The former gives a quantitative measurement of a pH distribution in vivo. The latter captures the structural information that can be overlaid to the pH distribution for correlating the structure of a specimen and its pH distribution. By using a digital color camera, a luminescent image as well as a color image is obtained. The system uses HPTS (8-hydroxypyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonate) as a luminescent pH indicator for the luminescent imaging. Filter units are mounted in the microscope, which extract two luminescent images for using the excitation-ratio method. A ratio of the two images is converted to a pH distribution through a priori pH calibration. An application of the system to epidermal cells of Lactuca Sativa L is shown.

Development of electroluminescence based pressure-sensitive paint system.

We introduce a pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) measurement system based on an electroluminescence (EL) as a surface illumination. This consists of an inorganic EL as the illumination, a short-pass filter, and a platinum-porphyrin based PSP. The short-pass filter, which passes below 500 nm, was used to separate an overlay of the EL illumination and the PSP emission. The EL shows an opposite temperature dependency to that of the PSP. It gives a uniform illumination compared to that of a point illumination source such as a xenon lamp. Under atmospheric conditions, the resultant EL-PSP system reduces the temperature dependency by 54% compared to that of a conventional PSP system. An application of the EL-PSP system to a sonic jet impingement shows that the system demonstrated its reduction of the temperature dependency by 75% in a pressure measurement and reduces an image misalignment error.