Comparative study on the photoluminescence properties of monoclinic and cubic erbium oxide.

As a heavy rare earth oxide, erbium oxide (Er2O3) has many attractive properties. Monoclinic Er2O3 has useful properties not found in stable cubic Er2O3, such as unique optical properties and high radiation damage tolerance. In this study, pure cubic and mixed phase of cubic and monoclinic Er2O3 coatings were prepared. Photoluminescence properties of these coatings were characterized by a confocal micro-Raman spectrometer equipped with 325, 473, 514, 532, 633 nm lasers, and the influence of microstructure on the fluorescence properties was analyzed in detail. The room temperature fluorescence peaks of cubic Er2O3 were assigned. Furthermore, a novel method for rapid phase identification of Er3+ doped cubic and monoclinic rare earth sesquioxides at room temperature was proposed.

Numerical simulation of municipal solid waste combustion in a novel two-stage reciprocating incinerator.

A mathematical model was presented in this paper for the combustion of municipal solid waste in a novel two-stage reciprocating grate furnace. Numerical simulations were performed to predict the temperature, the flow and the species distributions in the furnace, with practical operational conditions taken into account. The calculated results agree well with the test data, and the burning behavior of municipal solid waste in the novel two-stage reciprocating incinerator can be demonstrated well. The thickness of waste bed, the initial moisture content, the excessive air coefficient and the secondary air are the major factors that influence the combustion process. If the initial moisture content of waste is high, both the heat value of waste and the temperature inside incinerator are low, and less oxygen is necessary for combustion. The air supply rate and the primary air distribution along the grate should be adjusted according to the initial moisture content of the waste. A reasonable bed thickness and an adequate excessive air coefficient can keep a higher temperature, promote the burnout of combustibles, and consequently reduce the emission of dioxin pollutants. When the total air supply is constant, reducing primary air and introducing secondary air properly can enhance turbulence and mixing, prolong the residence time of flue gas, and promote the complete combustion of combustibles. This study provides an important reference for optimizing the design and operation of municipal solid wastes furnace.