School of Mechanical Engineering Seminar
Monday March 20.03.2023 at 14:00

Wolfson Building of Mechanical Engineering, Room 206

Multistable Gas-Filled Capsules for Energy Harvesting and Storage

Prof. Amir Gat

Faculty of Mechanical Engineering,

Technion - Israel Institute of Technology

The thermodynamic properties of fluids play a crucial role in many engineering applications, particularly in the context of energy. In this work, we suggest creating fluids with multistable thermodynamic properties in order to offer new paths for harvesting and storing energy via transitions between equilibria states. Such artificial multistable fluids can be created using the approach employed in metamaterials, which controls macro-properties through micro-structure composition. In this work, the dynamics of such `metafluids' is examined for a configuration of calorically-perfect compressible gas contained within multistable elastic capsules flowing in a fluid-filled tube. We study both analytically and experimentally the velocity-, pressure-, and temperature-fields of multistable compressible metafluids, focusing on transitions between different equilibria. We first examine the dynamics of a single capsule, which may move or change equilibrium state, due to fluidic forces. We then study the interaction and motion of multiple capsules within a fluid-filled tube. We show that such a system can be used to harvest energy from external temperature variations in either time or space. Thus, fluidic multistability allows specific quanta of energy to be captured and stored indefinitely as well as transported as a fluid, via tubes, at standard atmospheric conditions without the need for thermal isolation.

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School of Mechanical Engineering Seminar
Monday March 13.03.2023 at 14:00

Wolfson Building of Mechanical Engineering, Room 206

Challenges of nanoplastic measurements in environmental and biological samples

Thomas C. Meisel

General and Analytical Chemistry, Montanuniversität Leoben, 8700 LEOBEN, Austria. thomas.meisel@unileoben.ac.at

Micro- and nanoplastics (MNP) are the result of an increasing production and release of plastic into the environment (e.g., littering and tyre wear). Exposed plastic waste fragments, leading to an exponential increase in the number of particles. In addition, NP are purposely designed at such sizes for applications in cosmetic and health products. MNP are not a homogeneous class of material, which makes a targeted detection very difficult. Compared to nanoparticle research (a former emerging field), nanoplastic research is still in its infancy due to its high level of complexity. The following properties make the investigations extre­mely complex and thus extremely difficult: type of polymer (PP, LDPE, HDPE, PVC, PET, PS etc.), the density, the type and amount of additives (plasticisers, colourants, flame retardants etc.), the product type (primary or secondary) and intended use (packaging, pipes etc.), the morphology (fibres, spheres, film, foams etc.), the colour but also the degree of alteration and degradation (e.g., through salinity or UV light) and as mentioned above plastic particles are also carrier of eco-toxins (PAH, PCB, heavy metals), bacteria and viruses. It is estimated that the amount of nanoplastic in the environ­ment is 17 orders of magnitude higher than that of MP, but its small size makes its de­tec­tion so difficult that the extent of the pollution has not been measured so far.

While the detection of microplastics (MP) in the lower size range of 1-10 µm is already challenging and has only been demonstrated in a limited number of studies, there are currently no robust analytical methods for the detection and quantification of nanoplastic particles (NP) in the environment, the food chain and eventually human tissue.     

For this presentation I am going to give insight future challenges.

CV for Thomas C. Meisel

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Name                          Thomas Cameron MEISEL, Univ.Prof.Ao.Univ.Prof. Mag. Dr.

Adress                                                            General and Analytical Chemistry, Montanuniversität Leoben, Franz Josef-Str. 18, 8700, Leoben, Austria

E-Mail                          thomas.meisel@unileoben.ac.at

Researcher ID             ORCID: 0000-0001-5572-3212

Webpage                     https://aach.unileoben.ac.at/lehrstuhl

HIGHER EDUCATION

2001                            Habilitation, Montanuniversität Leoben, Geochemistry

1994 – 1996               Postdoc, University of Maryland, USA, Isotope Geology Laboratory

1993 – 1994               Postdoc, University of Bern, Switzerland, Department of Mineral.-Petrography

1989 – 1993               PhD, University of Bern, Switzerland, Department of Chemistry, advisor: U. Krähenbühl and J. Kramers

1983 – 1989               Diplom, petrology/geochemistry with master supervisor: Dr. C. Köberl

1977 – 1982               School for Engineering Chemistry (Rosensteingasse, Vienna)

APPOINTMENTS

2014 – 2020               EC Expert for reference materials of the Certification Advisory Board (CAP) later RMRP

2012 – 2018               President of the International Association of Geoanalysts

2004 – 2011                Chair of General and Analytical Chemistry, Montanuniversität

2001 – 2001                Chercheur Associé, CRPG-CRNS, Nancy, France

2001 –                         Associate professor, Montanuniversität, General and Analytical Chemistry

1996 – 2001               Assistant professor, Montanuniversität, General and Analytical Chemistry

1994 – 1996               Postdoc, University of Maryland, Isotope geochemistry laboratory

2009 – 2015                Medical assistant Medical University of Vienna, Center for Public Health

1990 – 1993                Teaching assistant, University of Bern, Department of Chemistry

AWARDS

2001                            Berufstitel Universitäts Professor

1997                            Antarctic Service Medal

SCHOLARLY ACTIVITIES

Editor in Chief of Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research, Wiley 2011-

Editorial Board of Accreditation and Quality Assurance, Springer,

Editorial Board of Geostandards and Geoanalytical Rearach, Wiley 2008 – 2011

MAIN AREAS OF RESEARCH

Method development for analytical chemistry, ultra-trace element analysis, isotope ratio measurement, mass spectrometry, environmental studies, water quality, method validation, quality assurance, reference material production and certification, proficiency testing, platinum group elements

MOST IMPORTANT RESEARCH RESULTS

Establishment of the osmium isotopic composition of the Earth’s mantle (Nature), characterization and development of new reference materials for platinum group element measurements, developing tools (web apps) for the evaluation of proficiency testing data, establishing the Austrian Micro- and Nanoplastic network.

Establishment of the osmium isotopic composition of the Earth’s mantle (Nature), characterization and development of new reference materials for platinum group element measurements, developing tools (web apps) for the evaluation of proficiency testing data, establishing the Austrian Micro- and Nanoplastic network.

10 SELECTED PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS

1. Bandoniene, Donata, Christoph Walkner, Ferdinand Ringdorfer, and Thomas Meisel. ‘Authentication of Meat and Dairy Products Using Rare Earth Element Labeling and Detection by Solution Based and Laser Ablation ICP-MS’. Food Research International 132 (1 June 2020): 109106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2020.109106.
2. Federici, Stefania, Zahida Ademovic, Mónica J. B. Amorim, Moritz Bigalke, Mariacristina Cocca, Laura Eleonora Depero, Joydeep Dutta, et al. ‘COST Action PRIORITY: An EU Perspective on Micro- and Nanoplastics as Global Issues’. Microplastics 1, no. 2 (June 2022): 282–90. https://doi.org/10.3390/microplastics1020020.
3. Gruber, Elisabeth S., Vanessa Stadlbauer, Verena Pichler, Katharina Resch-Fauster, Andrea Todorovic, Thomas C. Meisel, Sibylle Trawoeger, et al. ‘To Waste or Not to Waste: Questioning Potential Health Risks of Micro- and Nanoplastics with a Focus on Their Ingestion and Potential Carcinogenicity’. Exposure and Health, 22 March 2022. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-022-00470-8.
4. Meisel, T., and J. Moser. ‘PGE and Re Concentrations in Low Abundance Reference Materials’. Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research 28, no. 2 (2004): 233–50.
5. Meisel, T., R.J. Walker, A.J. Irving, and J.-P. Lorand. ‘Osmium Isotopic Composition of Mantle Xenoliths: A Global Perspective’. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 65, no. 8 (2001): 1311–23.
6. Meisel, T., R.J. Walker and JW Morgan. ‘The Osmium Isotopic Composition of the Earth’s Primitive Upper Mantle’. NATURE 383, no. 6600 (1996): 517–20.
7. Meisel, Thomas C., Peter C. Webb, and Alessandra Rachetti. ‘Highlights from 25 Years of the GeoPT Programme: What Can Be Learnt for the Advancement of Geoanalysis’. Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research 46, no. 2 (2022): 223–43. https://doi.org/10.1111/ggr.12424.
8. Mitra, Arijeet, Indra Sekhar Sen, Christoph Walkner, and Thomas C. Meisel. ‘Simultaneous Determination of Platinum Group Elements and Rhenium Mass Fractions in Road Dust Samples Using Isotope Dilution Inductively Coupled Plasma-Tandem Mass Spectrometry after Cation Exchange Separation’. Spectrochimica Acta Part B: Atomic Spectroscopy 177 (1 March 2021): 106052. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sab.2020.106052.
9. Trimmel, Simone, Thomas C. Meisel, Shaun T. Lancaster, Thomas Prohaska, and Johanna Irrgeher. ‘Determination of 48 Elements in 7 Plant CRMs by ICP-MS/MS with a Focus on Technology-Critical Elements’. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 10 January 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-022-04497-3.
10. Zettl, D., D. Bandoniene, T. Meisel, W. Wegscheider, and G. Rantitsch. ‘Chemometric Techniques to Protect the Traditional Austrian Pumpkin Seed Oil’. European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology 119, no. 11 (November 2017). https://doi.org/10.1002/ejlt.201600484

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