Aiming to diminish the defects caused by high-speed pulsed GMAW welding, such as non-penetration, non-fusion, humping and undercut, the paper proposed an improved twin-wire double-pulsed high-speed welding process by introducing the impact of additional shielding gas on the welding pool and the effects of different shielding gas flowrates on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the welded seam was investigated. The 2205 duplex stainless steel plate was used as the base material for the butt welding test, and the welded seams were subjected to tensile test, metallographic analysis, hardness analysis, and nondestructive testing. The results indicate that as the flowrate of additional shielding gas increases in the range of 8 L/min~16 L/min, the width of the welded seam increases and the height of reinforcement decreases gradually. However, a grooved seam with a lower middle region and higher sides will appear when the gas flowrate becomes excessively large. The test results indicate that the jet impact force is relatively moderate when the flowrate of the additional shielding gas is 12 L/min and thus, is optimal for the welded seam.

This study focuses on enhancing the prediction of flow characteristics in gas pipelines under hydrate-forming conditions using a validated CFD model. Four-Quadrants approach was introduced to analyse the relationship between gas and water flowrates, and to provide further insights into hydrate formation, agglomeration, deposition, and pipeline plugging. The analysis considered subcooling temperatures, water volume fractions, and gas velocities, to assess the risk of hydrate plugging in subsea gas pipelines. Results indicate that higher subcooling temperatures significantly increase the risk of hydrate formation and plugging, especially at lower gas velocities. At subcooling temperatures above 7.1 K, hydrate agglomeration and deposition become more pronounced, leading to a greater risk of plugging. Similarly, water volume fractions above 0.06 were found to increase the likelihood of hydrate blockages. However, higher gas velocities were shown to reduce this risk by promoting the sloughing of hydrates and preventing deposition. The findings align with existing literature and offer practical insights for flow assurance in gas pipeline operations.

This review discusses approaches and implementations of flowrate sensing and measurement in smart inhalers for effective respiratory disease management. It highlights the importance of compliance with proper inhaling techniques and consistent adherence for managing respiratory conditions. Methods and relevant commercial and prototype research-type devices for sensing and measuring inhalation flowrate in smart inhalers are studied and compared. The study argues that utilisation of acoustic analysis and air pressure sensing is a promising approach to detect and evaluate the inhaling action ultimately allowing to improve the treatment outcomes and life quality of patients with respiratory diseases.